Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series

  • Stewart-Haas Racing announces 2020 Crew Chief lineup for NASCAR Cup Series teams

    Stewart-Haas Racing announces 2020 Crew Chief lineup for NASCAR Cup Series teams

    Mike Shiplett Promoted to No. 41 Team Crew Chief; Mike Bugarewicz Moves to No. 10 Team and John Klausmeier Moves to No. 14 Team; Rodney Childers Remains with No. 4 Team for Seventh Straight Season

    Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has announced the 2020 crew chief lineup for its four NASCAR Cup Series teams.

    The most notable change is the promotion of crew chief Mike Shiplett to the No. 41 team. SHR brings Shiplett up from its NASCAR Xfinity Series program where he spent the 2019 season guiding Cole Custer to a career-high seven wins and six poles with a runner-up finish in the championship standings. Shiplett will be paired with Custer again in 2020, as the 21-year-old Custer runs for rookie-of-the-year honors.

    Crew chiefs John Klausmeier and Mike “Buga” Bugarewicz will swap teams, with Klausmeier going to the No. 14 team of Clint Bowyer and Bugarewicz going to the No. 10 team of Aric Almirola.

    Klausmeier has been the No. 10 crew chief since 2018, where he and Almirola combined for 29 top-10 finishes, highlighted by a victory on Oct. 14, 2018, at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The duo made the NASCAR Playoffs in each of their two seasons together, with Almirola finishing a career-best fifth in the 2018 championship.

    Bugarewicz has led the No. 14 team since 2016, where he was Tony Stewart’s crew chief for his last NASCAR season before being paired with Bowyer in 2017. Bugarewicz helped Stewart secure his 49th and final NASCAR Cup Series victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and continued winning with Bowyer, securing two victories in 2018 – March 26 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and June 10 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn – as part of a three-year stint that garnered 47 top-10s and two appearances in the NASCAR Playoffs.

    Rodney Childers returns as Kevin Harvick’s crew chief with the No. 4 team for the seventh straight year. Since joining forces in 2014, Childers and Harvick have combined to produce 26 victories, 25 poles, 106 top-five finishes and 153 top-10s. They have led 9,608 laps and made the Championship 4 five times in the last six years. They won the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series title and have finished runner-up twice, to 2015 champion Kyle Busch and to 2018 champion Joey Logano.

    “Our biggest asset at Stewart-Haas Racing is our people, and we strive to put each person in the best position to succeed,” said Greg Zipadelli, Vice President of Competition, SHR. “Our driver/crew chief pairings for next season reflect this ideology, and we believe this lineup provides the best opportunity to win every time we unload our Ford Mustangs at the racetrack.”

    About Stewart-Haas Racing:

    Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 70 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

  • Corey LaJoie wins fourth quarter NMPA Pocono Spirit Award

    Corey LaJoie wins fourth quarter NMPA Pocono Spirit Award

    DARLINGTON, S.C.- Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford, has been named the Fourth Quarter NMPA Pocono Spirit Award recipient for his generosity in donating a month’s salary this past August to charity. LaJoie and his wife Kelly teamed up with Samaritan’s Feet, an organization founded in 2003, to provide shoes to children and individuals in need to inspire hope and encouragement. With help from GO FAS Racing, $100,000 was raised through names placed on his car to support Samaritan’s Feet during the Cup race at Watkins Glen International.

    Also receiving votes were the Denny Hamlin Foundation and Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Motor Speedway.

    Hamlin’s foundation raises awareness and funds for the specific needs of children with cystic fibrosis. Speedway Children’s Charities and Texas Motor Speedway held an online auction allowing fans to purchase special access passes during their November Cup series race weekend benefitting children in need across north Texas.  

    The NMPA Pocono Spirit Award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. The NMPA membership selects quarterly recipients as well as an overall winner each year. The award is sponsored by Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and has been presented annually since 1992.

    The overall winner of the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award will be presented Feb. 1, 2020, at the NMPA Awards Ceremony.

  • Dixie Vodka, NASCAR Announce Multi-Year Partnership

    Dixie Vodka, NASCAR Announce Multi-Year Partnership

    Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Will Commemorate Track’s 25th Anniversary Season; Partnership Includes Unique Assets Across Iconic NASCAR Tracks Daytona International Speedway and Richmond Raceway

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., November 26, 2019 (Newswire.com) – NASCAR and Dixie Vodka announce a multi-year official partnership, designating the American-made craft spirit brand as the “Official Vodka of NASCAR.” Central to the agreement, Dixie Vodka will sponsor the NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway next season, commemorating the track’s 25th anniversary.

    Launched in 2014 by Grain & Barrel Spirits, Dixie Vodka is the largest premium craft vodka produced in the Southeast and includes a lineup of six unique expressions all representing the best of Southern flavor and craftsmanship. The South Carolina-based brand is one of the fastest-growing spirit brands in the United States and recently expanded its distribution footprint west of the Mississippi.

    “Dixie Vodka is entering the sport with an integrated industry approach, introducing its product to a national fan base that actively supports partners of the sport,” said Daryl Wolfe, executive vice president and chief operations and sales officer, NASCAR. “NASCAR is rooted in heritage and tradition, beginning as a regional sport that eventually grew into a global property. Our new partners have emulated that approach and are utilizing this partnership to expand Dixie’s presence and brand awareness.”

    For its first taste of NASCAR, Dixie Vodka will join NASCAR Champion’s Week celebrations at the Fan Fest in Nashville, serving cocktails in Music City’s Riverfront Park alongside all 16 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race cars and other fan displays Dec. 3-5.

    “Our goal from day one has been to align with partners who share our mission of promoting the best of our region’s wonderful hospitality, flavors and craftsmanship,” said Matti Christian Anttila, founder of Dixie Vodka and CEO of Grain & Barrel Spirits. “NASCAR is an iconic brand that has grown from southern roots into a national sport watched by millions of people every race day. This partnership allows us to speak directly to that amazing fanbase, introducing them to the best of the flavors of the south and the heart and soul we put into every single bottle of Dixie Vodka. We’ll toast to that.”

    The Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 22, 2020 will help celebrate the track’s 25th anniversary season. As part of the event, Dixie Vodka will be featured at bars throughout the racetrack.

    “Dixie Vodka aligns perfectly with what Miami and Homestead-Miami Speedway are all about,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Al Garcia. “Not only can our fans witness some of the most exciting racing in NASCAR, but we also have tremendous amenities throughout our facility that they are able to experience as well. It’s all about fun, and that’s what Homestead-Miami Speedway and Dixie Vodka will offer all of our guests. We are thrilled about this new partnership as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of our venue.”

    At the start of the 2020 season, fans will have the opportunity to taste Dixie Vodka and a lineup of its all-American cocktails at the Dixie Vodka-branded bar at Daytona International Speedway. Additionally, fans will be able to celebrate every win at Richmond Raceway from the Dixie Vodka Victory Lane Club, which provides unprecedented access to the action in the infield.

    As part of the partnership, Dixie Vodka also becomes the Official Vodka of the DAYTONA 500, Daytona International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Richmond Raceway.

  • Alexander Sims takes wild Round 2 in Ad Diriyah ePrix

    Alexander Sims takes wild Round 2 in Ad Diriyah ePrix

    English native Alexander Sims took Round 2 for the Ad Diriyah ePrix race after a wild race. Sims started first and led all 30 laps to take home his first win of the season.

    Though, there were several controversies following the event.

    When the ePrix got underway, it was all Sims out front in the BMW i Andretti Motorsport entry. With Sims pulling away, Sebastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi followed behind him in second and third, respectively. DS Techeetah Antonio Felix da Costa also was having a strong while Jerome d’ Ambrosio had a difficult outing and had to retire from the race. Ambrosio was the first retiree of the event by not making any laps.

    Some intense action took place behind the leaders. Da Costa was pressuring Buemi for a potential spot in the top three. However, he pushed too hard and sent Buemi around into oncoming traffic. Both drivers got their vehicles running again but the incident was investigated under the FIA. Later, the FIA gave da Costa a 10-second drive-through penalty.

    Yesterday’s race winner, Sam Bird had his own troubles as well. There were 30 minutes remaining on the clock before Bird was bumped by Mitch Evans and the Panasonic Jaguar Racing entry in Turn 4 at Lap 14. The incident was severe enough that Bird could not continue due to the crash damage. The Englishman became the second retiree of the event.

    Another yellow flew on Lap 19 of the ePrix. This time it was for the No. 4 of Robin Frijns, who had an accident in Turn 6. Furthermore, Sims still had control of the race despite all the mishaps behind him. Di Grassi used an Attack Mode to pass Stoffel Vandoorne by having an additional 35kW energy available.

    Sims continued to have the lead with just five minutes remaining in the ePrix. His teammate, Max Gunther was behind him and fought hard to hold di Grassi off hoping for an Andretti 1-2 sweep. And so it worked (for the most part) with Sims taking the checkered flag, but Gunther was issued a penalty due to passing Lucas di Grassi when the Safety Car was deployed. Therefore, Gunther saw a 24 second time penalty added to his race result. Instead, the new Mercedes-Benz entry took the podium in third.

    Official Results

    1. Alexander Sims, led all 30 laps, 28 points
    2. Lucas di Grassi, 18 points
    3. Stoffel Vandoorne, 15 points
    4. Edoardo Mortara, 12 points
    5. Oliver Rowland, 10 points
    6. Daniel Abt, eight points
    7. James Calado, six points
    8. Jean-Eric Vergne, four points
    9. Brendon Hartley, two points
    10. Antonio Felix da Costa, three points, Fastest Lap
    11. Max Gunther
    12. Sebastien Buemi
    13. Neel Jani
    14. Andre Lotterer
    15. Pascal Wehlein
    16. Nyck de Vries
    17. Felipe Massa
    18. Mitch Evans
    19. Qing Hua

    Retired
    Oliver Turvey- DSQ
    Nico Muller
    Robin Frijns
    Sam Bird
    Jerome D’ Ambrosio

    Up Next: Formula E’s next event will be in the new decade at Santiago for the third race of the season at the Parque O’ Higgins Circuit on Saturday, January 18.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch held off Martin Truex Jr. down the stretch at Homestead to win the Monster Energy Cup title, his second championship.

    “I’m the Monster Energy Cup champion,” Busch said. “That bears repeating because I just repeated as champion. At what better place than the site of the Ford EchoBoost 400 to say it again?”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished second at Homestead, but left asking ‘What might have been?’ after a pit road error in which his crew switched his left-front and right-front tires.

    “That’s an inexcusable mistake,” Truex said. “It basically cost me the championship. I’m of good mind to take a ‘switch’ to the crew members responsible.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin’s day at Homestead was marred by an overheating issue that necessitated an unscheduled pit stop. Hamlin never could get back into contention and finished 10th.

    “We tried a bold aerodynamic move,” Hamlin said, “by placing tape on the front of the No. 11 FedEx Camry. We went for ‘broke,’ and you could say, unfortunately, that it worked all too well.”

    4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fourth at Homestead as Kyle Busch took the championship.

    “We were great on short runs,” Harvick said, “but struggled on the long runs. So, in the long run, we came up short.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth at Homestead, posting his 12th top-five of the season.

    “It sucked not being able to defend my championship,” Logano said. “In other words, it sucked to be me.”

    6. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 11th in the Ford EcoBoost 400.

    “Congratulations to Kyle Busch,” Blaney said. “He’s lucky to be champion. If Martin Truex Jr.’s crew knows left from right, Kyle’s probably not champion. In the end, what’s left is Kyle is the rightful champion.”

    7. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished sixth in the Ford EcoBoost 400.

    “We’re all looking forward to the off-season,” Bowyer said. “Take this as a public service announcement if you like, but I’m looking forward to drinking and not driving.”

    8. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished ninth at Homestead, the best result among Hendrick Motorsports drivers.

    “I feel bad for Martin Truex Jr.,” Bowman said. “He should be champion. But let’s not be too hard on his crew team. They are all a bunch of good guys who do things the right way. They know right from wrong, just not right from left.”

    9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 18th at Homestead.

    “Kyle Busch is still an ‘ass,’” Keselowski said, “because he really ‘ass-erted’ himself at Homestead. Now, he has ‘ass’-econd Cup championship.”

    10. Chase Elliott: Elliott took 15th in the Ford EcoBoost 400.

    “Even though we didn’t finish strong,” Elliott said, “I’m confident in our prospects next year. I’m hungry, the car and engine program are solid, and my crew knows a left front tire from a right front tire.”

  • NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings- Homestead-Miami

    NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings- Homestead-Miami

    Homestead-Miami Speedway saw its last Truck Series championship race for at least a couple of years this past Friday night. The race was delayed by a couple of hours due to rain but it was well worth the wait. The checkered flag flew shortly after 11 p.m. ET and in the end, there was a race winner, a new series champion and an owners champion. Four drivers in the Championship 4 had all the media focused on them, but what about the other drivers that were also fighting for points? 

    Here are this week’s Power Rankings following the Ford Ecoboost 200. 

    1. Austin Hill – Hill opened the season in Florida with a win and closed the season in Florida with a win. The Hattori Racing driver no doubt had the best Truck out of anybody throughout the night, even against the Championship 4 drivers. Hill swept both the stages, led 56 of the 134 laps and earned his fourth win of the 2019 season. He took the lead with 22 to go and never looked back. Despite not making it to the Championship 4, the Georgia native will have another chance in 2020 as he returns for a second season at Hattori Racing Enterprises.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    2. Christian Eckes – Newly announced Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Christian Eckes had a solid run after signing a full-time contract for 2020. Previously, he had already made 11 starts over the past two years with a best finish of third in Las Vegas before Homestead. Coming into Homestead, he knew the pressure was on as he and the No. 51 team were racing for an Owner’s Championship. Qualifying was washed out, therefore, Eckes inherited a second-place starting spot due to owner’s points. The New York native finished fifth in Stage 1 before finishing third overall. The third-place finish was just enough to give KBM their seventh Owner’s Championship.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    3. Matt Crafton – Crafton got it done Friday night even though he didn’t win the race this past weekend. He most certainly didn’t have the fastest Truck early on, but later came to life on the long run. In the final stage, Crafton was the best out of the Championship 4 drivers and was at one point, leading the race. While it looked like the California native was going snap his two-year winless streak, he eventually got passed by Hill with 22 to go and ultimately had to think about the bigger picture. Crafton did so, finished second and locked up his third Truck Series championship.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    4. Ross Chastain – In the early run of the race Friday night, Chastain was the fastest among the Championship 4 racers. He almost took the Stage 1 win before getting passed by Hill. Even though the Niece driver was passed, Chastain remained up front and consistent through at least the second stage, where he finished third. However, it was the long run that eventually hurt his chances at his first NASCAR Series title. The Truck began to go away and there was nothing he could do about it. In the end, Chastain wound up with a disappointing fourth-place finish, second in the Truck Series standings. Certainly, not the night the Florida native wanted after having a strong year.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
    5. Brett Moffitt – Like Chastain, Moffitt had the chance to defend his title and become the first-ever second consecutive Truck Series champion. But the Iowa native fell short, finishing fifth after a fourth-place starting spot. The GMS team fought conditions all night in the Truck. Moffitt couldn’t quite keep up with a green track and couldn’t defend his title. It was a disappointing night for the GMS driver but he will have another chance in 2020 to add another title to his name.

      Previous Week Ranking – First

      Fell Out

      1. Stewart Friesen – Friesen didn’t get the job done either despite being one of the favorites coming into the race. The Canadian inherited the pole when qualifying was canceled due to weather which somewhat helped Friesen’s chances of getting a championship. He finished third and fifth in both stages, respectively. After the second stage, the Halmar driver knew it was time to go and race for that championship. His Truck, though, didn’t know it was time to race. Like many others, Friesen struggled with the handling on the longer runs and couldn’t do much about it. Ultimately, he finished 11th, leading zero laps. He has no 2020 plans set for next season but if Friesen does return, you can expect the team to be even stronger than ever and fight for the title once more.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second

      2. Chandler Smith – Did not compete in Friday night’s race.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third

      3. Grant Enfinger – It was quite a night for Enfinger and the No. 98 ThorSport team as they finished seventh. The team finished ninth and sixth in both stages. Though, it’s probably what could have been for Enfinger and the team if they had been able to continue on in the Playoffs and race for a title.

    Previous Week Ranking – Fifth

  • Opinion: Second XFINITY title for Reddick a harbinger of what’s to come in Cup career

    Opinion: Second XFINITY title for Reddick a harbinger of what’s to come in Cup career

    To be fair, two championships in a feeder division of NASCAR doesn’t guarantee success on a higher level, as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. can tell you. It’s a monumental accomplishment, sure. Every driver wants the title “NASCAR Champion” next to their name for the rest of their lives, and it’s not an easy thing to accomplish.

    That said, with the rise of Tyler Reddick to two-time XFINITY Series champion, we may be witnessing the rise of something huge. Reddick’s ability behind the wheel may make him more than just a NASCAR star, it may just make him a legend in the sport.

    He’s shown an innate ability to run well at all types of tracks; in 2019 the only kind of track he didn’t win on was a road course. Even then, in the four road courses on the schedule (Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Charlotte Roval), he finished fifth, fourth, third, and second, respectively. In the meanwhile, he won on a wide array of tracks from Charlotte and Talladega to Bristol and Homestead. This after a successful Rookie of the Year/Championship campaign in 2018 where he won at Daytona in February and Homestead in November for his only two wins of the season.

    In 2020 he’ll be making his run for RotY in the same No. 8 Chevrolet that Daniel Hemric won the award in for Richard Childress Racing. Although Hemric’s campaign was both quiet and consistent, peppered with strong runs at places like Talladega and Pocono, it happened to be too quiet. Reddick’s limited two-run Cup campaign (Daytona 500 in February, Kansas Speedway in May) in the RCR No. 31 showed a little more promise with a top-10 at Kansas. However, that’s not to say that he wasn’t having a strong run at Daytona before being involved in two major incidents, not of his doing.

    If it says something that Reddick performed like he did in an entry that wasn’t even part-time, then what will it say when his Randall Burnett-led crew (2019 XFINITY Championship-winning crew, at that) makes the jump to Cup with him? Reddick and Burnett already seem to have the Knaus/Johnson chemistry of the early 00s’, so there’s reason to believe that strong results will be showing up. It isn’t a matter of where but when.

    Talk of being legendary in the sport isn’t so far-fetched, either. Reddick isn’t flashy, he isn’t boisterous, he doesn’t really have much of a brand. He isn’t making cameo appearances on NBC sitcoms and he doesn’t have a funny podcast on Apple Podcasts. He’s got an energetic smile and an easygoing personality, though, and he’s got the ability to wheel the fire out of a race car.

    He’s much like Matt Kenseth or David Pearson in that sense. He’s not big on big talk. Instead, he prefers to let his driving speak for him, which is why he’s found so much success in NASCAR’s feeder divisions. He won in the K&N Pro Series, he won in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series, and he’s won two XFINITY Series championships.

    Now he’s facing down a full-time ride with Richard Childress Racing in their No. 8 Caterpillar Chevy, and the pieces are in place for Reddick and Burnett to make the most of their rookie year. If Reddick’s performance in the XFINITY Series is any indicator, we may be looking at the rise of some of the rawest talent in years to ever strap into a Cup Series stock car.

  • Kyle Busch takes home second championship after winning season finale at Homestead

    Kyle Busch takes home second championship after winning season finale at Homestead

    In the past few years of the Championship 4 event, the drivers competing for the championship have needed to win the race. The Ford Ecoboost 400 certainly came down to that once again Sunday night in Southern Florida at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Kyle Busch brought home his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship and the fifth title for Joe Gibbs Racing after taking the lead from Kevin Harvick with 45 to go. Busch held on to the lead and without a late-race caution, wound up winning his fifth race of the 2019 season.

    “We have a great race team, a great owner and the best sponsors in sports,” Busch said. “I just can’t say enough and thank everyone enough for this opportunity. I may be the one that’s able to hoist the trophy or to have a championship, but it wouldn’t be possible without Adam Stevens (crew chief) and Joe Gibbs, J.D. Gibbs, Coy Gibbs and the whole family. M&M’s of course and Interstate Batteries and Norm Miller. And, Toyota – this TRD engine was awesome tonight. It’s been awesome all year. We had one issue, but man it’s so much fun to work with these guys and this group. Everybody that puts it all together for me. There’s always your doubters. There’s always your haters, but you know what, this one is for Rowdy nation because you guys are the best. Thank you so much.“

    With practices being canceled due to weather on Friday, NASCAR elected to cancel qualifying and replace it with a practice session on Saturday afternoon. With that in mind, the starting grid was set by Owner Points, which saw Championship 4 driver Denny Hamlin inherit the pole. Kevin Harvick was second, Martin Truex Jr. started third and Kyle Busch fourth. Stages of 80/80/107 laps made up the 267-lap race at Homestead-Miami.

    Stage 1: Lap 1- Lap 80

    The Ford Ecoboost 400 got off to a clean start with no issues. In fact, the whole stage went without a caution, however, there were some hairy moments. Championship 4 driver Kyle Busch reported that he potentially ran over something on Lap 28, but he carried on the rest of the stage without a problem. The first round of green-flag pit stops took place on Lap 36 with Busch and Harvick being the first to pit of the Championship 4. Hamlin and Truex followed one lap later. After the stops, Truex cycled back out to the lead on Lap 40.

    By cycling out to the lead, Truex led for the final 40 laps in the first stage and took the stage win. Kyle Busch was third, Harvick fourth and Hamlin fifth among the championship contenders, though none of them were able to receive points. Truex’s car was so fast that he lapped cars all the way to 14th place before the completion of Stage 1.

    Stage 2: Lap 80- Lap 160

    When Stage 2 got underway, there was an intense battle between the top runners. Kyle Larson, Harvick and Busch were all challenging for the lead at once. However, it was Truex who once again got the best of them and led for 33 laps before the next round of pit stops, and this is where a mistake occurred for the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team.

    During the second round of green-flag pit stops, the team accidentally got the tires mixed around by putting the left tire on the right front and the right tire on the left front. This made Truex come back down pit road to fix the issue and lose a lap. In this case, Busch cycled out as the leader and it was his time to shine until a caution came in Truex’s favor on Lap 138. The No. 19 driver was in the free pass position and got his lap back courtesy of the yellow from a spin by John Hunter Nemechek.

    After the restart on Lap 142, the lead changed hands multiple times between Harvick and Busch, before Busch got the upper hand and earned his 12th stage win of the year. Harvick came in second, Truex fourth and Hamlin finished once again in the fifth position.

    Stage 3: Lap 166- Lap 267

    The final stage had a 101 lap run to the finish and featured some exciting moments. For instance, Denny Hamlin’s car came to life and was starting to make some noise for the first time of the night. In fact, the Championship 4 drivers were 1-2-3-4 with 91 to go. As the race wore long, so did the equipment and the tires, which meant the final round of green-flag pit stops.

    Hamlin was the first to pit with 58 to go hoping to get out in front of the rest of the Championship 4 drivers. However, troubles arose for the Virginia native, as too much tape was put on which caused the car to overheat with an extraordinary amount of water coming out of the car. This made Hamlin come to the pits again and ultimately ended up costing him a chance at the championship.

    A few other drivers had problems as well late in the race. Larson, after being so strong early, had his hood up on pit road. Eventually, the No. 42 pushed the car back behind the wall and ended his season with a disappointing 40th place finish. William Byron also had no oil pressure with 49 to go and his night was done early as well.

    With that all in mind, Harvick stayed out to assume the lead and hoped for a caution to help his case. He pitted with 44 to go as he could not stay out much longer without the rest of the field eating him up on fresher tires. He came back out 17th, one lap down.

    This meant Kyle Busch was the lucky one to assume the lead after pit stops. He took the lead with just 45 laps remaining and held on to win the second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship of his career and the fifth title for Joe Gibbs Racing. Joe Gibbs Racing also became the winningest team by having 19 wins in a season, surpassing Hendrick Motorsports with 18.

    Busch led five times for 120 laps en route to his fifth win of the season. The Las Vegas native talked about his dominant run to cap off a perfect season.

    “Everybody always says you never give up and we’re no different and we just do what we can do each and every week and sometimes we may not be the best and sometimes we may not have the right track position. Today we had a really good car and I could race around and move around. That’s what’s so special about Homestead-Miami Speedway is the ability to put on a show. Kind of like we did there racing those guys. It was exciting from my seat. It was a lot of fun to cap off such an amazing year.”

    There were three cautions for 15 laps and 14 lead changes among five different drivers.

    Official Results

    1. Kyle Busch, led 120 laps, won Stage 2, 2019 Cup Series Champion
    2. Martin Truex Jr., led 103 laps, won Stage 1
    3. Erik Jones
    4. Kevin Harvick, led 41 laps
    5. Joey Logano
    6. Clint Bowyer
    7. Ryan Newman
    8. Austin Dillon
    9. Alex Bowman
    10. Denny Hamlin, led two laps
    11. Ryan Blaney, one lap down
    12. Daniel Hemric, 2019 Cup Series Rookie of The Year, one lap down
    13. Jimmie Johnson, one lap down
    14. Daniel Suarez, one lap down
    15. Chase Elliott, one lap down
    16. Chris Buescher, one lap down
    17. Paul Menard, one lap down
    18. Brad Keselowski, two laps down
    19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, two laps down
    20. Matt DiBenedetto, two laps down
    21. Kurt Busch, two laps down
    22. Aric Almirola, three laps down
    23. John Hunter Nemechek, three laps down
    24. Ty Dillon, three laps down
    25. Ryan Preece, four laps down
    26. Michael McDowell, four laps down
    27. David Ragan, four laps down
    28. Landon Cassill, five laps down
    29. Drew Herring, five laps down
    30. J.J. Yeley, five laps down
    31. Corey LaJoie, six laps down
    32. B.J. McLeod, 11 laps down
    33. Timmy Hill, 19 laps down
    34. Bubba Wallace, 24 laps down
    35. Ross Chastain, 25 laps down
    36. Josh Bilicki, OUT, Brakes
    37. Reed Sorenson, OUT, Brakes
    38. Joe Nemechek, OUT, Steering
    39. William Byron, OUT, Engine
    40. Kyle Larson, OUT, Engine

    Up Next: It is now the off-season for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The next on-track action for the Cup Series drivers will be in 2020 with The Clash and Daytona 500 Qualifying on Sunday, Feb. 9. However, the playoff drivers will take a trip to Nashville, Tennessee for the Banquet Awards Ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 5, live on NBCSN.

  • Truex, Harvick and Hamlin fall short in their bid for the Cup Series championship

    Truex, Harvick and Hamlin fall short in their bid for the Cup Series championship

    Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team won their second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway with seemingly flawless execution by the driver and team.

    His three competitors, however, fell short. Even so, each of these drivers had noteworthy seasons and they are undoubtedly looking ahead to next year and the possibility of another title run.

    Martin Truex Jr.:

    Martin Truex Jr. finished second to Busch as a result of a costly mistake on pit road. He won Stage 1 and was leading during Stage 2 when he took his No. 19 JGR Toyota down pit road for a green-flag stop.

    As soon as he left pit road Truex reported that there was something wrong with his car. Crew Chief Cole Pearn informed him that the team has put tires on the wrong side of the car and that he needed to come back down pit road to correct the mistake.

    He was the beneficiary of a caution on Lap 136 and was able to get back on the lead lap. He was able to rebound to a second-place finish but it was too little, too late.

    Truex said it was the loss of track position that cost him a shot at the win and the championship.

    “Yeah, ultimately it was the loss of track position that bit us,” he said. 

    “I lost a bunch of ground on that run,” he continued, “because of getting tight in traffic and then just was too far back to make anything happen the last run.  Ultimately it came down to track position, and I felt like if I could have been up front and controlled the race, I could have drove away from them.

    “At the end, we were quite a bit quicker, but it’s just, it was too much of a gap.  Yeah, it’s part of the deal.  You’ve got to be perfect, you know, and one mistake probably cost us a shot at it.”

    The disappointment was obvious for the 2017 Cup Series champion.

    “Yeah, these things don’t come around every day,” said Truex. ‘”Second two years in a row definitely stings a little, but the fact that we have one is still really a big deal. It’s hard to win these things. Congrats to Kyle and the 18 guys. It’s a huge accomplishment just to get here I feel like. Yes, sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. It just wasn’t our day.”

    Truex finishes the season with seven wins, 15 top-fives, and 24 top-10s with 1,371 laps led, ranking him second in the year-end standings.

    Kevin Harvick:

    Harvick finished fourth and led 41 laps. He described his biggest obstacle during the race was how much better the other Championship cars were on long runs.

    “On the restarts I could do what I wanted to do,” he said, “and I could hold them off for 15 or 20 laps right there, and you know, this race has come down to that every year, so you kind of play towards that, and they were quite a bit better than us on the long run, but we had a really good car for those first 15 or 20 laps on the restarts and had a lot of speed. Just never got to try to race for it there with a caution.”

    Harvick’s crew chief Rodney Childers hoped to gain an advantage by leaving his driver out on the track as long as possible before the final round of pit stops to give him the freshest tires and hoping for that elusive caution.

    “We just needed to do something different,” Harvick added. “Really our best chance was to have a caution there at the end and never got one. We just did something different hoping for a caution, and that’s what you’re supposed to do in those late situations like that. Just do the opposite of the cars you’re trying to race, and it just didn’t work out.”

    While he was racing against three Joe Gibbs Racing cars for the championship, Harvick said he never felt out-numbered.

    “You race against these guys and it really turns into individual battles and I would say those guys were all racing for each other and trying to win a championship. I didn’t really look at it quite that way.”

    Harvick ends the year with 4 wins, 15 top-fives and 26 top-10s with 953 laps led, finishing third in the year-end rankings.

    Denny Hamlin:

    Hamlin’s championship run hit a major snag toward the end of the race with about 50 laps to go when his car began overheating. On the previous stop, his crew had applied a large piece of tape to the front grille causing water temperatures to rise in his No. 11 JGR Toyota and necessitating an unscheduled pit stop.

    This put him a lap down and while he would eventually get back on the lead lap, he had to settle for a 10th place finish.

    Hamlin was disappointed but felt like he did all that he could do on the track and that being aggressive had worked for them in the past.

    “Like I said, last week”, he said, “I was going to come in here and do the best I could and live with the result either way.  I definitely feel like I couldn’t have done anything different. Certainly, we got a little aggressive there, and it cost us, but I mean, he’s (Chris Gabehart, Crew Chief) also been really aggressive and won us races, too. It’s just he’s going for it. He saw an opportunity there to really add some speed to the car, and it just didn’t work out.

    Hamlin went as far as to say that it has been a great year that could not be defined by one race.

    “it’s just a great year,” he emphasized. “We won 19 races as an organization.  That’s the most in this era. That’s a good thing. In the world where we just keep getting more common with everything, right, common pit guns, common this, common that, JGR continues to set itself apart, and that’s the people and the effort that they’re putting in.  I think that it really says a lot about the organization, no doubt.

    “I’m excited about next year.  I really am. It’s not like I’m going to go through the off‑season upset or sad.  It’s like, I’m looking forward to having the momentum that we took through this year with a first‑year crew chief, and we’re going to win a lot, like a lot next year. I just think that we’ll have another opportunity. There’s no question.”

    Hamlin won six races this season with 19 top-fives, 24 top-10s and led 922 laps. He finished out the year ranked fourth in the standings.

    NASCAR will return for the 2020 season with The Clash at Daytona on Sunday, Feb. 9 as the prelude to the 62nd annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 16.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

  • Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Special Preview- Championship 4

    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Special Preview- Championship 4

    After 35 races in the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, it is now time for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Not only will it be the last race of the season, but it will also be the last championship race at Homestead for the foreseeable future as the season finale moves to ISM Raceway in 2020. 

    The playoff grid is now down to four drivers who will have a chance to win the championship. Three of them will have the opportunity to become a multi-champion, while the other seeks his first title. Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick all have the chance to win a second championship title as Denny Hamlin seeks his first championship in a storied career. 

    While it will be difficult to predict who will win the Championship 4 race due to the new rules package, Speedway Media takes a look in this special preview edition in advance of the championship race at Homestead. 

    1. Denny Hamlin – It’s been a remarkable year for Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team. Hamlin who is quite possibly having his best year ever seeks his first career NASCAR title. When you look at wins, top fives and top-10’s, it’s the most he’s ever had in his career aside from his eight wins in 2010. This will be the first time since 2014, Hamlin will be competing in the Championship 4 race. During that year, he finished seventh, third out of the Championship 4 drivers. Since then, he hasn’t been back until this year, but has run well at Homestead including a win in 2013. Hamlin has two wins at Homestead (2009 and 2013) with four top-fives and nine top-10 finishes with 254 laps led. Looking at the past four races, however, his finishes haven’t been all that great. Hamlin has earned the pole three times but finished 10th in 2015, ninth in 2016, ninth in 2017 and 12th in last year’s race. Out of those four races, the JGR driver has only been able to lead 41 laps, which occurred in last year’s race. Hamlin certainly has a chance to win but will need to improve those numbers by staying out front and not falling behind. This will be Hamlin’s best opportunity to win his first championship.

    2. Kevin Harvick – Harvick is the most experienced driver competing for the championship. This will be the Stewart-Haas Racing driver third time competing in the Championship 4 race. Harvick has competed in 2014, 2015 and previously in 2018. He was the first driver to win in the inaugural Championship 4 race back in 2014. On that day, Harvick had the best car, qualifying fifth, leading 54 laps and winning his first championship after trying to do so for 13 years. In the past few races though, it might what have been the California native. Since 2014, Harvick has finished second in 2015, third in 2016, fourth in 2017 and third in last year’s race, where he also was a Championship 4  driver. The stats speak for themselves accomplishing 10 top fives and 16 top-10 finishes along with 373 laps led, and an average finish of 6.6. Harvick is 43 and with age being a factor nowadays, this might also be his chance to win a second title. There have been some notables that after age 39, performance drops off, but so far, Harvick has proven that wrong.

    3. Kyle Busch – The playoffs have not been the best for Busch and the No. 18 team but he has somehow made it to the Championship 4 race. This will be the fifth consecutive time that the Las Vegas native will be competing in the final race of the season for the championship race. Of course, his crowning achievement came in 2015 where Busch missed the first couple of races and went on to win his first-ever championship. On that night, the JGR driver started on the pole and led 41 laps en route to winning the title. From 2016 on, however, it’s what might have been for the Las Vegas native. Busch has had some close moments on winning multiple titles. One, in particular, was in 2016, where he points out as a missed opportunity. You could even recall the year after where Busch finished runner up, where he could have had a third title to his name. However, after all those races, Busch still only has one championship but has a decent chance of adding another to his Hall of Fame career. In the last three races, Busch has finished sixth in 2016, second in 2017 and fourth in 2018. Overall, he has led 343 laps and has a driver rating of 99.8. If Busch can accomplish another title, he will be added to the names of Terry Labonte, Ned Jarrett, Joe Weatherly, Buck Baker, Tim Flock, Herb Thomas, Dale Earnhardt, Tony Stewart among others to do so.

    4. Martin Truex Jr. – Like his other comrades, Truex also has the chance of adding a second championship to his name. This is Truex’s fourth time making it to the Championship 4 race, one of which he has won that came two years ago in 2017 and was runner up in last year’s race. The New Jersey native Homestead stats has been iffy at best. Truex has only been able to achieve five top-five finishes at the 1.5-mile speedway in Southern Florida and an average finish of 10.8. By already winning one of these Championship 4 races back in 2017, Truex knows what it will take to win on Sunday and the pressure that comes with it. Since 2014, the New Jersey native has finished 17th in 2014, 12th in 2015, 36th (DNF) in 2016, won in 2017 and runner up in last year’s race. With the inception of stage racing since 2017, Truex has had finishes of fifth and second in 2017, while finishing fifth and fourth in last year’s race. Should the JGR driver win his second championship, he will be the 17th driver to do so in the history of the sport. 

    If you want to win the championship at Homestead you will most likely have to win the race in order to do so. Since 2015, the race winner has gone on to win the championship. Kyle Busch did so in 2015, Jimmie Johnson in 2016, Martin Truex Jr. in 2017 and Joey Logano in 2018, are examples in the past couple of years. In the first era of the Championship 4 race, Kevin Harvick was the first driver to win in 2014 in the Championship 4 category. 

    The Championship 4 drivers along with the other drivers will get on-track Friday afternoon for practice sessions. The first practice starts at 3:35 p.m. ET while the final practice is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.ET, both will air live on NBC Sports. 

    Qualifying is Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. ET to set the field and will also air live on NBC Sports.

    Sunday is the big day as Homestead hosts the Championship 4 race. Live coverage begins at 1:30 p.m.ET with NASCAR America, followed by Countdown To Green at 2 p.m. ET with the Ford EcoBoost 400 scheduled to get underway shortly after 3 p.m.ET, live on NBC. Additionally, NBC Sports will carry special live coverage with the annual NASCAR Hotpass at 3 p.m. ET with commentary from NBC analysts along with on-board cameras for the Championship 4 drivers. Fans can also listen to the race via MRN and Sirius XM Channel 90. Stages will be broken into 80/80/107 laps to make up the 267-lap race.