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Category: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series

  • Harvick takes second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win of 2019 at Michigan

    Harvick takes second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win of 2019 at Michigan

    Kevin Harvick was able to overcome a flat-right front tire early in the race and would later stretch the fuel in his No. 4 Mobil 1 Mustang on Sunday on the way to his second win of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup season in the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.

    Harvick led 22 laps en route to victory, taking the checkered by 1.054 seconds over runner-up Denny Hamlin. Kyle Larson finished third, while Martin Truex Jr. and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top-five finishers.

    “It was a day of a little bit of adversity that we were able to overcome,” Harvick said. “We had a really fast car all weekend. Our car handled really well today, and with the multiple lanes (due to the PJ1 traction compound), we were able to run all three lanes pretty well and make our way through traffic.

    “They (the team) put a really fast race car on the track, and we were able to capitalize on it, so that’s always fun.”

    Although the Playoffs are steadily looming closer, Harvick’s Crew Chief Rodney Childers still feels like there’s plenty of time for their Stewart-Haas crew to hit their stride, especially with two wins in the last four races.

    “I still feel like it’s a long time before the Playoffs,” said Childers in the Media Center. “We have a lot that we need to get better.  You know, we’ve just – we started the year off, and our cars weren’t where we needed to be, and we’ve continually got better and better.  I think to be able to get a win on a 550 track and get a win on a 750 track, that says a lot about the race team right now, to sit on the pole at Pocono and have speed there.

    “We’ve definitely made gains on it.  We’re not perfect by any means, and we’ve still got to get a lot better.  But we’re definitely in a lot better shape than we were at the beginning of the year.”

    Kyle Busch, Ryan Preece, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman rounded out the top-10. Playoff bubble drivers Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson both faced issues in the race, as both drivers made hard contact with the wall during the race. Bowyer would be faced with a 37th-place DNF while Johnson would finish 34th, eight laps down.

    Six cautions slowed the race for 24 laps, while eight drivers swapped the lead 19 times. The next race on the schedule will be at the Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s annual event at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

  • Playoffs – Who’s in, who’s out, with 4 to go

    Playoffs – Who’s in, who’s out, with 4 to go

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway this weekend with only four races remaining in the regular season.

    There are currently nine contenders who have won this year and are locked into the Playoffs which will consist of 16 drivers. They include Kyle Busch (4 wins), Joey Logano (2 wins), Kevin Harvick (1 win), Denny Hamlin (3 wins), Martin Truex Jr. (4 wins), Brad Keselowski (3 wins), Kurt Busch (1 win), Chase Elliott (2 wins) and Alex Bowman (1 win).

    This leaves seven spots up for grabs. In the unlikely event that the final four races are won by drivers who have not already been to victory lane, that will leave a minimum of three drivers who can advance to the Playoffs based on points.

    The drivers who are in the most precarious positions include Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer, Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson and Roush-Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman.

    Johnson and Newman are tied in the standings with 544 points each after last week’s race at Watkins Glen. Johnson, however, wins the tiebreaker for the final spot in the Playoffs with a best finish of third this year while Newman’s best finish was fifth.

    Clint Bowyer is ranked 15th, only 12 points ahead of Johnson and Newman.

    Bowyer won at Michigan in June 2018 but it was the only top-10 he has earned in his last eight starts. He is, however, off to a good start this week after qualifying fifth for Sunday’s race, and says it’s “go time.”

    “There’s pressure in everything you do in this sport and that’s kind of the way we like it. That’s what makes it fun. We are getting to the point in the season when the pay window is starting to open and it’s go time. That’s when it’s fun for the drivers, teams and especially the fans. As the tension goes up, the sport gets more and more interesting.”

    Johnson won at Michigan in 2014 and also has five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes at the 2-mile track with a sixth-best driver rating of  94.3. He qualified 10th for the Consumers Energy 400.

    As each week passes, the pressure mounts for the seven-time champ who has never missed the postseason playoffs since the format was implemented in 2004.

    “Our season is on the line right now with these next four weeks,” Johnson said.

    Newman has been to victory lane twice at Michigan, in 2003 and 2004, and he finished eighth in the June race at Michigan this season. After qualifying 20th, he will face a tough battle this weekend but he has no intention of giving up.

    “If I thought that I wasn’t capable of winning at each race track I go to, I wouldn’t show up,” Newman told NASCAR.com.  

    As time runs out each position earned and each stage point gained will become more crucial as they battle for the chance to compete for the coveted Cup Series championship title. Be sure to tune in as the action intensifies with one goal – win and you’re in.

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

    Playoff Outlook – Top 20

    1) Kyle Busch851 pointsIn on wins
    2) Joey Logano838 pointsIn on wins
    3) Kevin Harvick777 pointsIn on wins
    4) Denny Hamlin771 pointsIn on wins
    5) Martin Truex Jr.753 pointsIn on wins
    6) Brad Keselowski728 pointsIn on wins
    7) Kurt Busch679 pointsIn on wins
    8) Chase Elliott676 pointsIn on wins
    9) Alex Bowman623 pointsIn on wins
    10) Aric Almirola640 points96 above cutline
    11) Ryan Blaney633 points89 over cutline
    12) William Byton604 points60 over cutline
    13) Erik Jones598 points54 over cutline
    14) Kyle Larson590 points46 over cutline
    15) Clint Bowyer556 points12 over cutline
    16) Jimmie Johnson544 points0
    17) Ryan Newman544 points0
    18) Daniel Suarez521 points23 below cutline
    19) Paul Menard483 points61 below cutline
    20) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.466 points78 below cutline

  • Dillon and Hemric qualifying times disallowed

    Dillon and Hemric qualifying times disallowed

    It was announced by NASCAR after the Monster Energy Cup Series qualifying that the times of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 of Austin Dillon and the No. 8 of Daniel Hemric were disallowed due to having unapproved alternators.

    As a result of the L1 infraction, Dillon and Hemric will lose 10 driver points and 10 owner points will be deducted as well. Each crew chief will also face a $25,000 fine. Dillon originally qualified seventh and Hemric was 11th but they will now start from the back of the field for the Consumers Energy 400 Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

    Updated starting lineup:

    1. Brad Keselowski
    2. Kevin Harvick
    3. William Byron
    4. Alex Bowman
    5. Clint Bowyer
    6. Chase Elliott
    7. Ryan Blaney
    8. Joey Logano
    9. Paul Menard
    10. Jimmie Johnson
    11. Daniel Suarez
    12. Aric Almirola
    13. Kurt Busch
    14. Denny Hamlin
    15. Martin Truex Jr
    16. Erik Jones
    17. Kyle Larson
    18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
    19. Matt Tifft
    20. Ryan Newman
    21. Ty Dillon
    22. Kyle Busch
    23. Michael McDowell
    24. David Ragan
    25. Chris Buescher
    26. Bubba Wallace
    27. Matt DiBenedetto
    28. Landon Cassill
    29. Ryan Preece
    30. Ross Chastain
    31. Corey LaJoie
    32. Quin Houff
    33. Austin Theriault
    34. Cody Ware
    35. Reed Sorenson
    36. Spencer Boyd (Making first Cup Series start)
    37. Austin Dillon
    38. Daniel Hemric
  • Brad Keselowski wins the pole at Michigan, Ford sweeps top spots

    Brad Keselowski wins the pole at Michigan, Ford sweeps top spots

    Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Discount Tire Team Penske Ford, won the pole on Friday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway with a time of 37.80 seconds at 190.471 mph. This was the 16th pole of his career and his second at Michigan.

    “We will find out as we go through race trim practice, but for right now, we’re going to celebrate and enjoy being the fastest car in qualifying,” Keselowski said to MRN Radio. “Really proud of our team here, our Discount Tire Ford Mustang. We unloaded so fast and made good adjustments to keep up with the changes in the track.”

    “Of course everyone else was getting faster. Good start, so let’s keep it up.”

    The top spot was traded many different times with Chevrolet holding the top spots before the Fords got on track and took the first two positions.

    The other Ford driver was Kevin Harvick who held the pole briefly before Keselowski took it. Harvick qualified second with a time of 37.87.

    “Yeah, it’s a good day for No. 4 Ford Mustang,” Harvick told MRN Radio. “I think track position is important everywhere we go. Coming to Michigan, it’s more important. That’s a good start to the weekend.”

    Keselowski also noted whether or not track position will be needed for Sunday’s race.

    “I’m not sure if track position will be quite as important as it was here in the spring,” Keselowski added. “You know, they put the PJ1 down and all that, I’m not complaining.”

    Speaking of track position, the winners have come from various starting spots here in the past five races. Joey Logano won from the pole in June, Harvick won from the pole last August, Clint Bowyer won from 12th in June of 2018, Kyle Larson won from ninth in August of 2017 and first in June of 2017.

    Keselowski was second fastest in pre-qualifying practice with a similar time of 37.90.

    All cars had tech inspection after practice and no drivers had any issues getting through inspection, therefore the lineup will be official. However, there will be another round for tech inspection on Sunday morning. Should a driver fail more than two times, they will be sent to the back of the field.

    Drivers will get to practice in race trim mode on Saturday as they have two more practice sessions. The second practice is slated for 8:35 a.m. ET live on CNBC and final practice will be at 11:30 a.m. ET live on the NBC Sports App.

    Please note: The qualifying times of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 of Austin Dillon and the No. 8 of Daniel Hemric were disallowed due to having unapproved alternators. As a result of the L1 infraction, Dillon and Hemric will lose 10 driver points and 10 owner points will be deducted as well. Each crew chief will also face a $25,000 fine. Dillon originally qualified seventh and Hemric was 11th but they will now start from the back of the field.

    Updated Starting Lineup:

    1. Brad Keselowski
    2. Kevin Harvick
    3. William Byron
    4. Alex Bowman
    5. Clint Bowyer
    6. Chase Elliott
    7. Ryan Blaney
    8. Joey Logano
    9. Paul Menard
    10. Jimmie Johnson
    11. Daniel Suarez
    12. Aric Almirola
    13. Kurt Busch
    14. Denny Hamlin
    15. Martin Truex Jr.
    16. Erik Jones
    17. Kyle Larson
    18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    19. Matt Tifft
    20. Ryan Newman
    21. Ty Dillon
    22. Kyle Busch
    23. Michael McDowell
    24. David Ragan
    25. Chris Buescher
    26. Bubba Wallace
    27. Matt DiBenedetto
    28. Landon Cassill
    29. Ryan Preece
    30. Ross Chastain
    31. Corey LaJoie
    32. Quin Houff
    33. Austin Theriault
    34. Cody Ware
    35. Reed Sorenson
    36. Spencer Boyd (Making first Cup Series start)
    37. Austin Dillon
    38. Daniel Hemric

  • NASCAR Schedule for Michigan and Mid-Ohio

    NASCAR Schedule for Michigan and Mid-Ohio

    This weekend the Monster Energy Cup Series and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series head to Michigan International Speedway while the Xfinity Series travels to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

    Kevin Harvick is the Cup Series defending race winner at the 2-mile track with only four races remaining in the regular season. Brett Moffitt returns to defend his Truck Series victory at Michigan in the final race to determine the regular season champion. Justin Allgaier won the previous Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio and with six races left in the Xfinity Series regular season will be looking for his first victory this season.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 9

    Michigan:

    12:35 p.m.-1:25 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN/MRN
    1:35 p.m.-2:25 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series First Practice – No TV
    3:05 p.m.-3:55 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Final Practice – No TV
    5:05 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions – NBCSN/MRN

    Mid-Ohio:

    1:35 p.m.-2:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – NBC Sports App
    4:05 p.m.-4:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series Final Practice – NBC Sports App

    Saturday, August 10

    Michigan:

    8:35 a.m.-9:25 a.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Second Practice – NBC Sports App/MRN
    9:35 a.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions – FS2
    11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Final Practice – NBC Sports App/MRN
    1 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Corrigan Oil 200 – (Stages 20/40/100 Laps = 200 Miles) – FS1/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

    Mid-Ohio:

    11:40 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds – NBC Sports App
    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series B&L Transport 170 – (Stages 20/40/75 Laps = 169.35 Miles) – NBCSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

    Sunday, August 11

    Michigan:

    3 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 – (Stages 60/120/200 Laps = 400 Miles) NBCSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

  • DiBenedetto continues to perform amidst silly season rumors

    DiBenedetto continues to perform amidst silly season rumors

    In the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, the Cinderella story continues with Matt DiBenedetto as he claws his way to his fourth top 10 of the season by finishing sixth at Watkins Glen International.

    In fact, those were his very words when reflecting on his career.

    “I’ve fought and clawed my way to get where I am,” shared an emotional DiBenedetto with FOX Sports after his first career top-five earlier this season at Sonoma Raceway.

    But there is also a time when the Cinderella story becomes the norm. The Leavine Family Racing driver has now earned four top 10 finishes over the last seven races, two top 10 starting positions in the last three races, and has accumulated 83 points over the last three races.

    With just four races left before the Playoffs, the majority of the drivers advancing appears to be set. The recent surge of the No. 95 Toyota team adds a sense of the probability of mixing up the Playoffs with a win on the horizon more believable. In fact, this whole second half of the season has made them look to be Playoff competitive.

    DiBenedetto knows how to stay humble while putting together these strong performances at tracks he has circled on his 2019 schedule.

    “I’m nothing without my team and how good of a race car I have,” he said. “They give me good race cars, and me as a driver, and us as a team can go back to using my feet to drive, which we don’t do at some of the big tracks this year. You’re using your feet to drive.”

    The second road course of the year comes after an outspoken DiBenedetto told the media that any team in the NASCAR garage would be foolish to replace him. But as silly season lurks around this time every year, eyes have been focused mostly on what would happen with the seat of the No. 95 car. He understands the pressure but doesn’t let it impact his driving.

    “I’m fighting for my life,” he said. “Everybody knows. They see the headlines and the mess in the media. I hope I can stay with this team. I hope it’s for a long time.”

    The thing that “everybody knows” is the rumor of Christopher Bell’s promotion. The NASCAR Xfinity Series driver has been putting on a strong run for the championship, giving him a more open door for a Cup Series ride in 2020. The question is where, so talk has already started in the garage and among fans primarily between Erik Jones and DiBenedetto as the future predecessor.

    Bob Leavine, team owner of Leavine Family Racing, has stated publicly on Twitter that he intends to keep DiBenedetto in his seat. He also acknowledges that the business side of the sport can overrule his wishes.

    There are still a lot of unknowns left for this year and next. But it is definitely a positive when one of the best drivers to never win a Cup championship recognizes perseverance.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch started third and finished 11th at Watkins Glen, despite tangling with both William Byron and Bubba Wallace.

    “I hear Bubba went on a profanity-laced tirade about me,” Busch said. “He said the ‘A-word,’, the ‘S-word,’ and the ‘F-word.’ Oddly enough, though, no ‘W’s.’”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished second at Watkins Glen, chasing Chase Elliott over the course of the closing laps.

    “I’m not sure I could have even passed Elliott had I got close enough,” Truex said. “His car was too good, and he was too good. Let’s face it, the Chase was on.’”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano struggled from the start at Watkins Glen and finished 23rd.

    “My day sucked from the start,” Logano said. “So, with respect to the name of this race being called the ‘Go Bowling At The Glen,’ I will spare you the details. Plus, I’d like to strike this race from my memory. It’s really frustrating. But, of course, it could be worse. I could have three fingers and 16 pound balls.”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished third in the Go Bowling At The Glen, one week after winning at Pocono.

    “I feel like I’m in form to make a solid run at the Monster Energy Cup championship,” Hamlin said. “I’m on a great team and I have a great car, so what’s stopping me from completing the deal? Certainly not my sponsor, because at least Fed Ex knows how to ‘deliver the goods.’”

    5. Chase Elliott: Elliott started on the pole and won the Go Bowling At The Glen, earning his second consecutive win at Watkins Glen.

    “I led all but 10 laps,” Elliott said, “and swept all three stages. It was great to get the win, but I have my sights set on the bigger prize. I could care less about a ‘bowl;’ my eyes are on the Cup.”

    6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick came home seventh at Watkins Glen, posting his 14th top 10 of the year.

    “My feet were the featured pair of the ‘Foot Cam’ at Watkins Glen,” Harvick said. “It’s the one time I’d rather not be known as ‘Mr. Clutch,’ because this ‘Foot Cam’ footage always seems to end up on some creepy internet foot fetish site.”

    7. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 10th in the Go Bowling At The Glen, one spot ahead of younger brother Kyle.

    “Kyle really pissed off some other drivers,” Busch said. “As you know, the Busch brothers love confrontation on the track, but not necessarily off the track. We’re talkers, not fighters. So, if someone dares us to meet them to settle a difference, we often go the opposite direction. It must be hereditary because it ‘runs’ in the family.”

    8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished ninth at Watkins Glen, earning his 12th top 10 of the year.

    “I got a great deal of satisfaction from seeing Bubba Wallace send Kyle Busch for a spin,” Keselowski said. “Everybody knows Kyle is an ‘ass.’ In fact, he is the king of asses. So, it makes perfect sense that Wallace retaliated, because Kyle was ‘ass-king’ for it.”

    9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished fifth at Watkins Glen, scoring his third consecutive top-10 finish.

    “I sent Jimmie Johnson into the tire barriers at the carousel turn,” Blaney said. “He’s none too happy about it and he’s vowed revenge. Jimmie has implied that I have a target on my back. Well, I replaced that sign with one that says ‘The Past.’ And I feel pretty safe, because Jimmie’s been chasing ‘the past’ for three years now, and still hasn’t caught it.”

    10. Aric Almirola: Almirola overcame an early shifter problem to post a 12th-place finish in the Go Bowling At The Glen.

    “I was nearly up ‘Shift Creek,’” Almirola said, “but my pit crew remedied the situation. Now, if I was a Formula 1 driver and my shifter broke, I would be ‘up Shift Creek without a paddle.’”

  • Chase Elliott dominates to win at The Glen

    Chase Elliott dominates to win at The Glen

    Started first, finished first is the name of the game for NASCAR’s most popular driver, as Chase Elliott completely dominated to win his fifth Cup Series career victory and his second consecutive win at The Glen.

    “The past month and a half has not been that fun at all, and this team has stuck together, just stayed the course,” Elliott said to MRN Radio. “That’s the most important thing when you’re struggling. So to be able to stay the course, come up here, sit on the pole Saturday, lead the most laps, win the race, I’ve never done that in my career. That’s the kind of team we can be. I feel really confident about that, so we just have to keep it rolling.”

    Stages were broken into 20/20/50 laps to make up the 90 lap race distance.

    Only Ryan Blaney had to go to the rear for making unapproved adjustments prior to the start of the race.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 20

    No cautions took place in the first stage, however, there were a couple of incidents. Kyle Busch spun underneath William Byron on Lap 2 in Turn 1. There would be no caution, but more on this later.

    Aric Almirola reported that his shifter was about to break off. There was a near-miss between Denny Hamlin and Byron and Daniel Suarez had grass on his grille.

    In the remaining laps, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Blaney, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman and Chris Buescher all pitted with three laps to go in hopes to have track position for the Stage 2 restart. Byron also had grass on his grille after going through the bus stop.

    It was all Chase Elliott who led every lap to take the Stage 1 win.

    A heated interaction occurred between Byron and Kyle Busch under the stage break, as Byron went to retaliate by running into the rear end of Busch in the esses. However, Byron got the worst of it with damage to his hood.

    Busch would also have more problems occur on his pit stop, as he would be caught being too fast exiting on section eight. Corey LaJoie was penalized for driving through too many pit boxes on exit. Ross Chastain was penalized for having a crew member over the wall too soon.

    Elliott, Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Byron, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson, Erik Jones, Kurt Busch and Almirola rounded out the top-10 finishers for Stage 1.

    Stage 2: Lap 24 – Lap 40

    Larson assumed the lead as he would stay out under the stage break, but later pitted from the lead on Lap 29.

    On the other hand, Truex had a close call with Keselowski coming to the inner loop by going off the grass a little bit. Logano went through the inner loop grass as well and would have minor front end damage.

    Another driver who had issues with the inner loop was Parker Kligerman who went spinning around after contact with Suarez. Since Larson pitted from the lead, Elliott would assume the lead on Lap 29.

    A caution broke out on Lap 32 when the No. 77 of Reed Sorenson began leaking fluid in the inner loop. This prompted NASCAR to clean up the fluid. Under the caution, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch pitted along with Byron.

    A restart came with four to go in Stage 2. With that, a battle heated up for the lead between Elliott and Truex for the stage win. However, Wallace was sent spinning into the Turn 5 tire barrier to bring out the caution on Lap 39.

    With the incident, Stage 2 would end under yellow with Elliott once again picking up the stage win. Truex, Harvick, Bowyer, Hamlin, Keselowski, Bowman, Jones, Blaney and Johnson were the remaining top-10 finishers in the second stage on Lap 40.

    Stage 3: Lap 43 – Lap 90

    The final stage began just how it ended with Elliott and Truex contending for the lead. Ryan Newman pitted on Lap 50 for a right front flat and was penalized for driving through too many pit boxes on exit. Hemric also spun through the inner loop two laps later with no caution and the Richard Childress Racing driver suffered major damage to the rear end after contact with Ty Dillon. Due to the contact, Dillon went through the inner loop picking up grass on his grille.

    Green flag pit stops started to take place on Lap 57 with Harvick being the first to pit. Elliott pitted from the lead with 30 to go, while Truex stayed out one lap longer and came in the next lap. Elliott retook the lead right after Truex re-entered the track.

    Two incidents broke out on Lap 61. Johnson went sliding in Turn 5 toward the tire barrier after getting loose. Then, Kyle Busch and Bubba Wallace were bumping and banging on the frontstretch with Wallace turning Busch in Turn 1. A caution came out for the incident.

    The final restart of the race came with 25 to go. Elliott and Truex had a thrilling battle off the restart, banging doors with each other. So much so, that even with Elliott getting the lead, he was concerned with having a flat tire going down.

    But Elliott was able to fend off Truex for his second consecutive win at The Glen. Elliott led all but 10 laps to pick up his second win of the season.

    “Track position, obviously, having a clean air was the biggest thing,” Elliott added. “I thought he (Truex) was a little better there at the end. Just tried to hit my marks and stay mistake free. You know, just not hand it to him. I knew he was going to come up there and pass me, just didn’t want to beat myself and worked really hard at that. Glad we were able to seal the deal, it feels really good.”

    Elliott led three times for 80 laps and picked up 60 points, along with seven Playoff points.

    There were four cautions for 13 laps with four leaders among five lead changes.

    Monster Energy Cup Series Race Number 22
    Race Results for the 34th Annual Go Bowling at The Glen – Sunday, August 4, 2019
    Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, NY – 2.45 – Mile Road
    Total Race Length – 90 Laps – 220.5 Miles

    Fin Str No Driver Team Laps S1Pos S2Pos S3Pos Pts Status
    1 1 9 Chase Elliott NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet 90 1 1 0 60 Running
    2 4 19 Martin Truex Jr Bass Pro Shops Toyota 90 3 2 0 52 Running
    3 6 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Cares Toyota 90 2 5 0 49 Running
    4 14 20 Erik Jones DeWalt Toyota 90 8 8 0 39 Running
    5 19 12 Ryan Blaney PPG Ford 90 0 9 0 34 Running
    6 20 95 Matt DiBenedetto Procore Toyota 90 0 0 0 31 Running
    7 15 4 Kevin Harvick Busch Beer Ford 90 0 3 0 38 Running
    8 5 42 Kyle Larson McDonald’s Chevrolet 90 7 0 0 33 Running
    9 10 2 Brad Keselowski Autotrader Ford 90 0 6 0 33 Running
    10 7 1 Kurt Busch Monster Energy Chevrolet 90 9 0 0 29 Running
    11 3 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Hazelnut Toyota 90 4 0 0 33 Running
    12 9 10 Aric Almirola Go Bowling Ford 90 10 0 0 26 Running
    13 16 37 Chris Buescher Cottonelle Chevrolet 90 0 0 0 24 Running
    14 17 88 Alex Bowman Axalta Chevrolet 90 0 7 0 27 Running
    15 12 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr Acronis Ford 90 0 0 0 22 Running
    16 11 34 Michael McDowell Long John Silver’s Ford 90 0 0 0 21 Running
    17 18 41 Daniel Suarez Haas Automation Ford 90 0 0 0 20 Running
    18 22 21 Paul Menard Menards/Dutch Boy Ford 90 0 0 0 19 Running
    19 8 48 Jimmie Johnson Ally Chevrolet 90 6 10 0 24 Running
    20 13 14 Clint Bowyer Rush Truck Centers/Haas Automation Ford 90 0 4 0 24 Running
    21 2 24 William Byron Hendrick Autoguard Chevrolet 90 5 0 0 22 Running
    22 31 38 David Ragan MDS Transport Ford 90 0 0 0 15 Running
    23 21 22 Joey Logano MoneyLion Ford 90 0 0 0 14 Running
    24 26 36 Matt Tifft # Maui Jim/Surface Sunscreen Ford 90 0 0 0 13 Running
    25 25 6 Ryan Newman Acronis Ford 90 0 0 0 12 Running
    26 24 96 * Parker Kligerman(i) TRD 40th Anniversary Toyota 90 0 0 0 0 Running
    27 32 15 Ross Chastain(i) Chevrolet 90 0 0 0 0 Running
    28 30 43 Bubba Wallace Victory Junction Chevrolet 90 0 0 0 9 Running
    29 34 0 Landon Cassill(i) StarCom Fiber Chevrolet 90 0 0 0 0 Running
    30 27 13 Ty Dillon GEICO Military Chevrolet 89 0 0 0 7 Running
    31 28 3 Austin Dillon Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 89 0 0 0 6 Running
    32 36 52 Josh Bilicki(i) Chevrolet 89 0 0 0 0 Running
    33 35 51 Cody Ware(i) JACOB COMPANIES Chevrolet 89 0 0 0 0 Running
    34 33 32 Corey LaJoie Samaritan’s Feet Ford 85 0 0 0 3 Engine
    35 23 8 Daniel Hemric # Caterpillar Chevrolet 84 0 0 0 2 Running
    36 29 47 Ryan Preece # Kroger Chevrolet 72 0 0 0 1 Rear Gear
    37 37 77 Reed Sorenson Chevrolet 65 0 0 0 1 Steering

     

    Updated Playoff Points Standings

    1. Kyle Busch, 4 wins
    2. Martin Truex Jr, 4 wins
    3. Denny Hamlin, 3 wins
    4. Brad Keselowski, 3 wins
    5. Joey Logano, 2 wins
    6. Chase Elliott, 2 wins
    7. Kevin Harvick, 1 win
    8. Kurt Busch, 1 win
    9. Alex Bowman, 1 win
    10. Aric Almirola, +96
    11. Ryan Blaney, +89
    12. William Byron, +60
    13. Erik Jones, +54
    14. Kyle Larson, +46
    15. Clint Bowyer, +12
    16. Jimmie Johnson, tied with Ryan Newman

    Up Next: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back to Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 11.

  • Chase Elliott wins Pole at Watkins Glen, Hendrick sweeps top spots

    Chase Elliott wins Pole at Watkins Glen, Hendrick sweeps top spots

    Chase Elliott won the provisional pole at Watkins Glen Saturday evening with a lap speed of 127.297 mph. Hendrick Motorsports was able to continue their success in qualifying as teammate William Byron will join Elliott on the front row.

    “Our Napa Chevy was fast there, which is nice,” Elliott said to MRN Radio. “It cooled off a lot and picked up a lot of pace from what it had in practice. Just trying to find the limits of all that. It was a good effort, felt like there was a couple of areas where I could get a little bit more but you always want to get more. We’ll see.”

    Kyle Busch (126.976 mph), Martin Truex Jr. (126.861 mph) and Kyle Larson (126.779) rounded out the top five.

    “It was good,” Larson said concerning his qualifying effort. “I feel like I’ve been running as good as I could today. Just off on speed compared to the No. 9 (Chase Elliott) and the No. 18 (Kyle Busch). We got closer there in qualifying and felt like I ran a good lap. I just gave up time in the Carousel. I’ve got to work on that on my end. But, it was a good effort for our McDonald’s team.”

    There was one minor incident in qualifying with Erik Jones blowing a right front tire going into Turn 1. NASCAR allowed Jones to redo his qualifying lap.

    Final inspection will take place on Sunday morning before the race.

    Starting Line Up
    Watkins Glen International
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Saturday, 8/3/2019 @ 07:56 PM Eastern

    1 Chase Elliott
    2 William Byron
    3 Kyle Busch
    4 Martin Truex Jr
    5 Kyle Larson
    6 Denny Hamlin
    7 Kurt Busch
    8 Jimmie Johnson
    9 Aric Almirola
    10 Brad Keselowski
    11 Michael McDowell
    12 Ricky Stenhouse Jr
    13 Clint Bowyer
    14 Erik Jones
    15 Kevin Harvick
    16 Chris Buescher
    17 Alex Bowman
    18 Daniel Suarez
    19 Ryan Blaney
    20 Matt DiBenedetto
    21 Joey Logano
    22 Paul Menard
    23 Daniel Hemric #
    24 Parker Kligerman(i)
    25 Ryan Newman
    26 Matt Tifft #
    27 Ty Dillon
    28 Austin Dillon
    29 Ryan Preece #
    30 Bubba Wallace
    31 David Ragan
    32 Ross Chastain(i)
    33 Corey LaJoie
    34 Landon Cassill(i)
    35 Cody Ware(i)
    36 Josh Bilicki(i)
    37 Reed Sorenson

    The Go Bowling at The Glen is scheduled to get underway shortly after 3:00 p.m./ET on NBCSN and MRN Radio.

  • NASCAR Schedule for Eldora and Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Schedule for Eldora and Watkins Glen

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series heads to Eldora Speedway this week for the Eldora Dirt Derby. This will be the seventh race at the half-mile dirt track for the series. Chase Briscoe, coming off an Xfinity Series victory last weekend at Iowa Speedway, will return to Eldora with ThorSport Racing in his first start in the Truck Series this season to defend last year’s win.

    The Monster Energy Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Watkins Glen this weekend. Chase Elliott will return to defend his Cup Series win. Joey Logano won last year’s Zippo 200 at the Glen but will not be competing in this year’s Xfinity race.

    All times are Eastern.

    Wednesday, July 31 – Eldora Speedway

    7:05 p.m.: Truck Series First Practice – No TV
    9:05 p.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – No TV

    Thursday, August 1 – Eldora Speedway

    7 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – Five qualifying races, 10 laps each – Last Chance Race, 15 laps – FS1 (caution laps do not count)

    The top five trucks in each heat race will transfer into the Dirt Derby. Those that did not advance to the feature will compete in the Last Chance Race to determine the remaining positions in the lineup.

    9 p.m.: Eldora Dirt Derby Truck Series Race – Stages 40/90/150 Laps = 75 Miles – FS1/MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Friday, August 2 – Watkins Glen

    12:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – No TV
    2:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Final Practice – No TV

    Saturday, August 3 – Watkins Glen

    10:35 a.m.: Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN/MRN
    11:40 A.M.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds – NBCSN
    1:05 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/MRN
    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Zippo 200 Race – NBC/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    6:40 P.M.: Cup Series Qualifying – Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds – NBCSN/MRN

    Sunday, August 4 – Watkins Glen

    3 p.m.: Cup Series Go Bowling at the Glen Race – NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

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