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Category: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series

Kurt Busch wins in thrilling fashion at Kentucky

Kurt Busch won the Quaker State 400 in overtime at Kentucky Speedway Saturday night after a thrilling overtime battle with younger brother, Kyle Busch, to earn his first victory of the 2019 season.

It appeared that Joey Logano might run away with the race win in overtime but a late race caution changed everything. With six laps to go Bubba Wallace spun in Turn 1 and set up a late race overtime restart.

Busch passed Logano on the restart and set his sight on his brother. During the last half lap, the two brothers dueled for the win. Kurt Busch was able to beat him to the finish line by inches after almost wrecking each other for the win. It was his first victory for Chip Ganassi Racing.

“That was epic!” Kurt Busch said to PRN Radio in his post-race interview. “I was hoping we would get a shot, one more restart. I was just hoping that it would go our way and get that yellow. Then my little brother (Kyle Busch), the best guy in the world to go racing against. He’s been winning a ton, I couldn’t be happier for him and where he’s gone in his career.”

“That duel in Turn 3 and 4, and who was going to lift first, what’s going to happen, he gave me just enough on the outside like a true racer would. We made it work and both could have clobbered each other, and third place (Erik Jones) could have won, but I’m glad I came out on top with my Monster Energy Chevrolet. To get this team (the win), there’s a ton of first-time winners in victory lane.”

Daniel Suarez started on the pole, his first of the season and his first since Pocono of 2018.

The stages were broken up into 80/80/107 laps to make up the 267-lap race at Kentucky Speedway.

There was action before the race started, as fuel was accidentally laid down before the start of the race. Therefore, speedy dry was put down on top of the PJ1 that was also applied again in the morning hours.

The first half of the race was mainly clean and green, and what you would expect at a 1.5-mile track. There were some incidents, including one where Brad Keselowski reported “something is audibly off,” a possible tire vibration. The first caution of the race flew on Lap 47 for Chase Elliott’s car, as he blew a right front tire and left debris all over the track.

Another yellow flew on Lap 55 for Corey Lajoie, who spun off Turn 4 but wound up not hitting the wall. Kurt Busch would lead for the first time right before the caution by taking the lead on Lap 53. Before Busch could go on to win Stage 1, the caution flew once more on Lap 64 for Landon Cassill and Bayley Currey who both spun in Turn 2. Both drivers would escape without any major damage.

Despite the yellow, Kurt Busch would hang on to the lead and win the first stage after leading 30 laps.

Suarez led the first 49 laps, before finishing 14th in Stage 1. Also during the stage, Keselowski had a possible valve spring issue.

Stage 2 saw a lot of different strategies take place, with drivers taking only two tires or just fuel in order to get that much-needed track position.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would take advantage of that track position by staying out and taking the lead at the beginning of Stage 2. Stenhouse led for 21 laps until Kyle Busch took the lead on Lap 104. Another strategy call was made by Suarez’s pit crew on Lap 108 by pitting. After pitting, Suarez was told he could make it to the end of the stage without stopping again.

However, that was all thrown out the window as he would be caught speeding on pit road. Other pit stops would be made for those who stayed out. Logano pitted on Lap 120 for a possible vibration but looked as though it was all clear after the pit stop.

Later in the stage, Austin Dillon learned he was going to have to change the battery at the end of Stage 2. Dillon did so and it cost him a good finish. He wound up 35th, 29 laps down.

More issues appeared to rise for Elliott’s crew who pitted from 22nd. Elliott received an uncontrolled tire penalty, which was later overturned by NASCAR.

The race leader Kyle Busch pitted on Lap 149 from the lead. Despite pitting, Busch would remain the leader. Other drivers were caught with penalties, however. Daniel Hemric had a penalty for removing a jack from his pit box.

Kyle Busch would maintain the lead as pit stops cycled through and go on to win the second stage.

The third and final stage went green with 101 laps to go and saw a lot of action.

Kurt Busch would be back up front for the restart. There were some great battles going on which allowed Kyle Busch to close in once again.

Although, as cautions breed cautions, another one was seen as the No. 48 car of Jimmie Johnson was loose and snapped around, hitting the wall off Turn 2 on Lap 179. It would be the sixth caution of the night.

More interesting items developed on the next restart, as William Byron was cited by NASCAR for a restart violation. Byron would wind up serving a stop and go penalty.

Pit stops began to take place shortly after with 54 to go. Once Clint Bowyer passed Kurt Busch for the lead, Busch pitted in hopes of being the race leader once stops cycled out. Bowyer then pitted as well, but Busch exited just ahead of him. Meaning, if the stops cycled out as they normally do, Busch would be the new race leader.

However, other drivers were trying to outsmart each other during the final laps of the race. Kyle Busch would lead the next 13 laps before pitting. Hamlin then led five laps before pitting, Newman for 15 laps until he ran out of gas and Suarez led three laps until Lap 248.

While all this was going on, Kyle Busch and Logano were battling each other for a potential race win as they would be the new leaders once stops cycled out. Both raced each other hard for the lead and nearly wrecked each other while doing it. Logano took the lead with just 18 laps to go.

In what looked liked it was going to be the Joey Logano show, a late race yellow ended his hopes with six laps to go. This set up a NASCAR overtime finish with Logano and Kyle Busch on the front row. Older brother Kurt Busch would sit right lurking close behind.

As the race restarted, Logano got shuffled back in the middle as Kurt Busch and Erik Jones went three wide on the leaders. Busch was on the high line and got around Logano and Kyle Busch.

Both brothers would duel it out all the way to the finish line, even touching each other, leaving Kurt Busch with some tire smoke from a fender rub. In the end, it was older brother Kurt Busch barely beating his younger brother at the line by .076 seconds.

With this win, he has won with every car owner he has driven for in the series.

“I felt the connection with Chip (Ganassi, Team Owner) was perfect right away,” Busch added in his interview with PRN. “I mean, it was a 30-minute conversation, we knocked out a contract and then we went racing. And then, it’s a matter of making all the right steps to make this No. 1 car a winner. Tonight, we had luck on our side, positioned ourselves with speed and handling was there.”

With the future a little uncertain for Busch by having just a one year contract, he is still not sure what next season holds for him, but indicated that he’s not retiring anytime soon.

“It’s a matter of getting going now,” the 2004 champion said. “We got that win and now the second half is in front of us, and it’s a matter of everything coming together, you know? The manufacture, the sponsor, the team owner and the driver. I thought this year might be the last, but we’re having so much fun, we’ll see how things go.”

With this win, Kurt Busch is now locked into the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Busch is currently seeded seventh in the Playoff standings.

It was Busch’s first win of the season, his first since the Bristol night race last August and the 31st of his career. He led four times for 41 laps and won Stage 1.

There were seven cautions for 35 laps with 10 leaders among 15 lead changes.

Playoff Watch

1. Kyle Busch, Four wins
2. Martin Truex Jr, Four wins
3. Brad Keselowski, Three wins
4. Joey Logano, Two wins, Current regular standings points leader
5. Denny Hamlin, Two wins
6. Chase Elliott, One win
7. Kurt Busch, One win
8. Alex Bowman, One win
9. Kevin Harvick -101
10. Aric Almirola, -204
11. Ryan Blaney, -211
12. William Byron, -229
13. Kyle Larson, -235, +40 points in
14. Clint Bowyer, -265, +10 points in
15. Jimmie Johnson, -265, +10 points in
16. Erik Jones, -273, +2 points in
Outside looking in
17. Ryan Newman, Two points out
18. Daniel Suarez, Two points out
19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, 46 points out

Up Next: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series continues their summer stretch of races by heading to the Northeast for race No. 20 of the 2019 season. There are only seven races left until the Playoffs began.

July 13, 2019
Daniel Suarez wins pole for Quaker State 400 at Kentucky

Daniel Suarez will lead the field to green for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Saturday night after running the fastest qualifying lap at Kentucky Speedway and claiming the pole.

The driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was the last to qualify Friday evening and his 184.590 mph lap knocked his teammate, Aric Almirola, off the pole, besting his speed by .126 seconds. It was his first Busch Pole Award this year and the second of his career.

“The car’s been very fast the entire day,” Suarez said. “We had probably the fastest car in last practice and the fastest car in qualifying, so I’m very proud of my guys, Ford Performance, Haas Automation and everyone who makes this program possible.”

In his third year of competition in the Cup Series, Suarez is impatiently anticipating his first series win.

“I really want to win so bad,” he explained. “I haven’t been in Victory Lane for a while. The last time I was in Victory Lane was in Brazil, and it was in a go-kart race. I have been looking forward to bring a trophy home for a while.

“We have very fast cars. Now it’s up to me to make it happen tomorrow (Saturday) night.”

Almirola hasn’t been to victory lane since last year at Talladega Superspeedway but has one top five and 10 top-10 finishes this season. He sees starting up front as an opportunity for more.

“It is a great day for us,” he said. “Everybody has been doing a good job of trying to figure out how to bring more speed and more driveability in our cars. I feel like this weekend so far we are off to a good start and the cars are fast and driving good. We have part one done, we have qualified up front and got ourselves good track position and pit stall selection and good clean air. Now we just have to go put a race together.”

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski qualified third with a speed of 183.443 as Ford claimed the top three spots. Kurt Busch broke up the Ford dominance and will start fourth in his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with Kevin Harvick rounding out the top five in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

“That wasn’t bad. That was our best qualifying effort on a mile and a half this year I think,” Keselowski said. “That is something to be proud of. I didn’t quite have the speed to get the pole. I would have liked a later draw. I think there would have been some speed there. Daniel was a tenth-and-a-half ahead. All in all a decent run for our Discount Tire Ford Mustang and I am happy for Doug Yates and all of the Ford guys to have all three of our cars up front with the Fords. We will see what we have tomorrow.”

Daniel Hemric, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch round out the top 10 starting positions.

The Quaker State 400 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on NBCSN with radio coverage by PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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

Starting Lineup for the Quaker State 400:

1. Daniel Suarez

2. Aric Almirola

3. Brad Keselowski

4. Kurt Busch

5. Kevin Harvick

6. Daniel Hemric

7. Clint Bowyer

8. Martin Truex Jr.

9. Austin Dillon

10. Kyle Busch

11. Joey Logano

12. William Byron

13. Jimmie Johnson

14. Paul Menard

15. Ryan Blaney

16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

17. Michael McDowell

18. Denny Hamlin

19. Kyle Larson

20. Chase Elliott

21. Erik Jones

22. Alex Bowman

*23. Ryan Newman – Failed pre-race inspection once, will start 35th

24. Matt DiBenedetto

25. David Ragan

26. Chris Buescher

27. Ty Dillon

28. Bubba Wallace

29. Corey LaJoie

30. Ryan Preece

31. Matt Tifft

32. Bayley Currey

33. Ross Chastain

34. Landon Cassill

35. BJ McLeod

*36. Quin Houff – Failed pre-race inspection once, will start 36th

July 12, 2019
Weekend Schedule for Kentucky Speedway

NASCAR heads to Kentucky Speedway this weekend as all three national series compete on the 1.5-mile track. The Monster Energy Cup Series will close out the activities Saturday evening with the Quaker State 400.

Ben Rhodes is the defending Truck Series winner, Christopher Bell won last year’s Xfinity Series race and Martin Truex Jr. returns to defend his Cup Series victory.

Please see the complete weekend schedule below.

All times are Eastern

Thursday, July 11

9:35 a.m.-10:25 a.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series First Practice – No TV

11:05 a.m.-11:55 a.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Final Practice – No TV

3:05 p.m.-3:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – NBC Sports App

4:05 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Qualifying (Impound-Single Vehicle/One Lap-All Positions) – FS1

6:00 p.m.-6:50 p.m.: Xfinity Series Final Practice – – NBC Sports App

7:30 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 – (Stages 35/70/150 Laps = 225 Miles) FS1/MRN

Friday, July 12

11:35 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN

1:35 p.m.-2:25 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN

4:15 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – NBCSN

6:05 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Qualifying – NBCSN

7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Alsco 300 – (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles) – NBCSN/PRN

Saturday, July 13

7:30 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Quaker State 400 – (Stages 80/160/267 Laps = 400.5 Miles) – NBCSN/PRN

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

July 11, 2019
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex was one of 17 cars victimized on lap 119 when Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer made contact, spinning Dillion into oncoming traffic. Truex finished 22nd.

“All four Joe Gibbs Racing cars were damaged in that accident,” Truex said. “And Joe Gibbs was feeling really down about it. It’s a far cry from the elation Joe felt from winning three Super Bowls. Seeing four cars damaged in a single wreck? Well, that ‘Super blows.’”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 14th in a wild and rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400.

“This will certainly be the defining moment of Justin Haley’s career,” Busch said. “Will he ever be able to duplicate this feat? Ironically, he was the winner because lightning struck twice.”

3. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 1 and finished 25th at Daytona, his chances at the win ended when he was collected in a massive pileup on lap 119.

“Like many,” Logano said, “I got caught in the big wreck caused by Austin Dillon and/or Clint Bowyer. Who’s to blame? In tennis, they would call it a ‘double fault.’ In football, it would be called ‘pass interference.’ In NASCAR, it’s called ‘racing.’”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski wrecked on lap 83 after a big push from Kevin Harvick turned the No. 2 Penske Racing Ford. Keselowski finished 39th.

“Now that’s what I call getting ‘rear-ended,’” Keselowski said. “Of course, when your car is rendered useless, you need to catch a ride. So, I did, in fact, ‘Lyft.’”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 35th at Daytona.

“At the speeds seen at Daytona,” Elliott said, “the turbulence is extreme. It even caused the decals of some guys to peel off. It’s just another way that NASCAR is ‘losing sponsorship.’”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 10th at Daytona, but could have been the winner if NASCAR officials had called off a restart just a few moments earlier. Instead, Busch surrendered the lead to pit, thinking a restart was imminent.

“The win was mine,” Busch said, “until NASCAR decided to shaft me. I feel like I just got punched in the stomach, which is a weird feeling because I’m used to getting punched in the face.”

7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 29th at Daytona, suffering extensive damage in a lap 83 crash, and then cutting a tire later.

“My car was all over the place,” Harvick said. “Now, I can spin that in an interview in which I mention sponsors and say, ‘The No.4 Jimmy John’s Ford Mustang was ‘going places.’

‘I sure gave Brad Keselowski a big bump. Sadly, it knocked him out of the race. I guess I gave him a personal ‘drive-through penalty.’”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 26th in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

“This may have been the last time we raced at Daytona in July,” Hamlin said. “The 2020 schedule shows an August date at Daytona, making it the regular-season finale. So, I guess there will no longer be fireworks, but with most of the field scrambling for a last chance playoff spot, there at least will be plenty of ‘sparks.’”

9. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 21st at Daytona.

“That’s two consecutive first-time race winners,” Bowman. “First me at Chicagoland, then Justin Haley at Daytona. I thought I was young; have you seen Haley? He’s just a kid. But let’s face it, Kurt Busch should have been the winner at Daytona. And Kurt’s his typical whiny self about it. No matter whose side you’re on, the Daytona winner is acting ‘childish.’”

10. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished seventh at Daytona.

“Justin Haley captured what has to be the most unlikely win in Daytona history,” Almirola said. “Sure he was lucky, but he was awfully grateful afterward, thanking his Almighty Father and his Mother Nature.”

July 8, 2019
Opinion: Haley’s Win A Win for NASCAR Regardless Of Spire’s Business Model

In this day and age it’s not very often an underdog actually defies the odds and wins big in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It’s far more likely in the lower divisions, but to see it in Cup is a borderline rarity.

Sure, at Chicagoland Alex Bowman scored the win. Last season, Chase Elliott and Erik Jones scored their first wins. In 2017 Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Ryan Blaney all scored their first wins. But each of those drivers compete for established organizations in Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Roush-Fenway Racing, and Wood Brothers Racing. Each team has solid backing and solid footing in the sport. But when a freshly formed team like Spire Motorsports manages to put a driver in Victory Lane despite claims that they’re nothing more than a solid money grab, the underdog ranking goes up a few notches.

During the red flag period at the end of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona which led to Justin Haley’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win in only his third attempt, social media on Twitter, Facebook, and even Reddit seemed to be torn between excitement over a true surprise winner in the Spire Motorsports organization and frustration how a sports agency managed to buy a charter just to grab some money, at least according to a few media pundits.

Regardless of Spire’s true intentions, be it to build their team up into an actual competitor or to make a few bucks, the fact still remains that they have every right to be on the track. They bought the equipment, they formed the crew, they established the business side of the race team, and they put different drivers behind the wheel. For that matter they’ve managed to not just enter the race but actually put themselves in positions to be consistent and post decent runs, most notably with Haley. They’re a new team, so to go on Twitter and angrily pound out a tweet because it’s just so wrong and dumb that a cash grab team can win a race; don’t hate the player, hate the game. The No. 77 is right where it’s supposed to be on track.

NASCAR isn’t even to fault for the win. Sure, Daytona has lights and a boatload of jet dryers leased out from other speedways for the event weekend. But after being pushed back a day, who in their right mind would want to stick around four, six, eight more hours just to finish 30+ more laps? The race was almost through, and Peter Sospenzo, who is not a slouch on the pit box, made the calls he needed to make to score the win for his team. Nothing was lost by calling the race. Nothing was hurt.

In the moments after the race was called, Haley’s name was trending third worldwide on Twitter, a testimony to just how big of an upset this was. Some compared it to the Derrike Cope win at Daytona in 1990, while others compared it to Trevor Bayne’s Daytona win in 2011. Some even compared it to Jamie McMurray’s Charlotte win in 2002. Ultimately, as this is an opinion piece, it has to be said that this win is more like Greg Sacks winning at Daytona in July 1985. The No. 10 of Sacks was nothing more than a research and development entry for DiGard Motorsports but since it was actually contending for the lead they changed their approach from parking the car to letting Sacks go for the win, which he did.

Similar concept for Spire and Haley. They were on track just to earn some experience and to give Haley some track time as it was only his third start in Cup. But just as it was at Talladega in his Cup debut, Haley kept himself within sight of the leaders. That proved to be the deciding factor when the red flag was dropped, and now Haley is a Cup Series winner.

The world loves an underdog. This, after steady weeks of the same teams winning race after race which is bound to resume once the series hits Kentucky, is an undying fact. There wouldn’t be this much of a buzz if it were anyone else. But it wasn’t anyone else; it was Spire Motorsports and Haley, a duo that wasn’t really supposed to be in the Winner’s Circle, let alone at Daytona, but accomplished that anyway. The little team that wasn’t supposed to win did just that by impeccable strategy and an insane amount of luck.

That’s not an unfamiliar story in NASCAR, and it’s a story that’s just as solid as many, many more over the years. So social media can keep on talking, saying that Spire is in the sport only for the money, that the team was undeserving, that they didn’t earn the win. It doesn’t matter; Haley and Spire are still the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 winners.

More importantly, NASCAR once again has a true underdog victory in it’s ranks.

July 8, 2019
TEAM CHEVY AT DAYTONA 2: Jimmie Johnson Breakout Session Highlights

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JULY 5, 2019

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

ON THE JULY 4th PRACTICE INCIDENT BETWEEN TEAMMATE WILLIAM BYRON AND BRAD KESELOWSKI:
“I felt like yesterday was avoidable and didn’t think that was necessary by any means. It’s a tricky position that Brad has put himself in because plate racing is all about blocking. This new rules package on the 1.5-miles is all about blocking. And, he’s pretty damn good at blocking. So, that’s where I think he’s put himself in an interesting situation and we’ll see how the next few weeks unfold. I don’t he ‘sent a message’ to anybody. I think it was kind of careless and not such a smart move yesterday. But, if he feels good about it, which clearly…..I just watched his interview in the bus before I came over here….he feels pretty good about what he did and we’ll just see how it all unfolds for him.”

IT SEEMS LIKE WILLIAM BYRON IS NOT EASILY SHAKEN FOR A YOUNG GUY.
“I don’t think he is. His first reaction, he was still trying to figure out what all went on and didn’t know if it was just kind of a racing thing or it was intentional. And, then I think he realized the intent behind hit. And, I think his feathers were certainly ruffled after that.”

ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME THING IN THIS RACE THAT WE SAW IN TALLADEGA WHERE IT’S MORE OF THE MANUFACTURER GROUPS WORKING TOGETHER LIKE CHEVY AND CHEVY OR CHEVY AND FORD AGAINST TOYOTA?
“I don’t think they’ll be much between the brands working together. I think our practice session yesterday showed the commitment that we all have to work together and to try to make it work like it did in Talladega. And then it’s kind of up to the other manufacturers. We’ll have to see their level of commitment to a plan like that. But, it’s pretty obvious where we stand on it.”

ON THE IDEA OF A NASCAR/INDYCAR DOUBLE-HEADER DOWN THE ROAD, WOULD YOU BE IN FAVOR OF THAT AND AT WHAT TRACK?
“I’m totally in favor of it. And, I would hope that it would be a road course so I could do the double. I’m not interested in an oval IndyCar race, so I would love to have a road course.”

IN YOUR CAREER, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SHOOK-UP BY A YOUNGER DRIVER THAT BLOCKED YOU AT THE WRONG TIME? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MAD AT A YOUNGER DRIVER?
“We’re all mad at each other all the time (laughter). It just happens. And that’s plate racing. I think that’s why you would see so many agitated interviews; and you still do today after a plate race. What’s interesting though, is the 1.5-mile and two-mile tracks now that we race that way. So, we’re getting very comfortable and very used to this style of racing. I’ve made the comment a few times already, but Mark Martin would lose his damn mind out there. It’s hard enough for a guy like myself that was taught by Mark to give and take and not block. Pick your battles and be very smart. There’s a flow on the track. There is no flow. Stage-racing and this new rules package have completely changed that. It’s all about yourself. It’s the now and you really don’t think about the big picture. You just do everything you can.”

HOW DO YOU TACKLE THIS RACE TOMORROW NIGHT?
“I guess we know our starting position, so from there we’re pretty committed to make sure we’re with our fellow Chevys and trying to make sure Chevys are in Victory Lane. It just kind of depends on the flow of the race but I’ll look for my teammates and try to get with them.”

DO YOU WORK WITH OTHERS IF YOUR TEAMMATES AREN’T AS FAST? WOULD YOU TAKE HELP FROM SOMEBODY ELSE IF YOU COULD GET IT?
“I’m happy to get all the help I can get (laughs). But, I’m committed to the bowties.”

SPEEDS REALLY CREPT-UP IN YESTERDAY’S PRACTICE. WERE YOU ABLE TO FEEL THAT IN THE DRAFT AND WHAT’S THE RIGHT TYPE OF PACE FOR THIS PLACE?
“It’s a pretty unique situation to go that fast. I think the main pack is around 201 mph or something like that. But the Toyota group was catching our lead Chevrolet group and they had just the perfect storm to run a fast lap like that. And yes you do know you’re going fast because the bottom of the car starts dragging on the ground and sparks are flying and you know you’re moving.”

THE WHOLE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS TEAM, ALL FOUR OF YOU, ARE SCORING WELL AT SO MANY RACES RECENTLY. IT’S NOT JUST BEEN ONE OF YOU HAVING A GOOD DAY, IT’S BEEN THE WHOLE TEAM
“Yeah, I think that’s something you’ll see more of from the Hendrick cars because it’s maybe two years ago now that we really made a huge effort to make all four cars the same. All four crew chiefs live in the same building. All the cars are built in the same building now. At times, I’ve taken a No. 9 car (Chase Elliott) to the track. I think at Michigan I had one of Chase’s cars. We just put a wrap on it and took it to the track. We will see that. I think Joe Gibbs and the Toyota group have done a nice job. We all through they were crazy at first when they started it, but they did a really good job of bringing equal cars or the same cars to the track. When you’re on, it’s wonderful; but when you’re off, all four are going to suffer at that point. But, I think we’re doing a nice job. All four cars are very close and showing that speed week-in and week-out.”

HOW DO YOU ADAPT YOUR DIFFERENT DRIVING STYLES WHEN YOU DO THAT?
“I think there’s enough leeway with springs and shocks and tire pressure adjustments and other nuances there that you can dial-in what you want. But, we’ve really never had this pressure from Mr. Hendrick to make sure they were all built the same. So, as you can imagine, we had science projects and ideas going in every direction with four crew chiefs and all the ideas they have. It’s nice just to have a common cause and a common build. But the crew chiefs still spend a lot of time brainstorming one another about the next generation car. So, we’re trying to be more efficient with how we build cars and how we bring that next generation car out.”

DO YOU THINK THE DRAFTING WILL BE DIFFERENT IN TOMORROW NIGHT’S RACE?
“The package definitely makes a difference. We’ll just have to see what manufacturer games are played. I think that’s going to dictate the cadence of the race more than anything. But this package is way different than what we raced here in February.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

July 5, 2019
Weekend schedule for Daytona-2

The NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series head to Daytona International Speedway this weekend. Saturday will mark the end of an era as next year’s event will be moved from its traditional Independence Day date to Aug. 29 where it will host the regular season finale.

Kyle Larson is the Xfinity Series defending race winner and Erik Jones returns to defend his 2018 Cup Series win. Joey Logano is the current points leader heading into the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with 677 points followed by Kyle Busch in second, 18 points behind. Busch also has the highest average driver rating at Daytona of 91.2.

All times are Eastern.

Thursday, July 4

1:05 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice – NBCSN

2:05 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice – NBCSN/MRN

3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice – NBCSN

4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice – NBCSN/MRN

Friday, July 5

3:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) – NBCSN

5:05: Cup Series qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) – NBCSN/MRN

7:30: Circle K Firecracker 250 Xfinity Series race (Stages 30/60/100 Laps = 250 miles) – NBCSN/MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Saturday, July 6

7:30 p.m.: 61st annual Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Stages 50/100/160 Laps = 400 miles) – NBC/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – POSTPONED to Sunday, July 7 at 1 p.m.

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

July 3, 2019
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Chicagoland

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished ninth in the CampingWorld 400.

“We just couldn’t get the handling right,” Truex said. “And it’s not like we didn’t attempt several changes and combinations. We went with the ‘Tim Richmond formula because we ‘tried everything.’”

2. Joey Logano: Logano finished third at Chicagoland and leads the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“Thunderstorms caused a lengthy delay after just 11 laps were completed,” Logano said. “Should NASCAR have simply just delayed the start of the race? Logic would suggest they should have, but since when has NASCAR taken any suggestions, much less from logic?”

3. Kyle Busch: Busch struggled with handling at Chicagoland and came home 22nd, one lap down, in the CampingWorld 400.

“The handling was one thing,” Busch said, “but I also had to deal with a smoke-filled cockpit due to burning rubber. Luckily, I didn’t inhale. There are, however, lots of people who would love to see me ‘in hell.’”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fifth at Chicagoland.

“How about the ‘Kroger Helmet Cam?’” Keselowski said. “It’s a great feature. It gives fans a bird’s-eye view of what a driver sees. It’s too bad Ryan Newman wasn’t wearing it at the All-Star Race back in May. That way, fans could have seen what a totally harmless Clint Bowyer punch looks like.”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 11th at Chicagoland.

“We had a disastrous pit stop after Stage 2,” Elliott said. “The tire changer’s hose got stuck under the car. It’s one thing to ‘pimp’ your hose, it’s another thing entirely to ‘crimp’ your hose. Of course, we never want that to happen again. So we’ve made sure all crew members understand they have to keep their hoses in check.”

6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick won Stage 2 and led the most laps at Chicagoland, but still came up short of winning with a 14th-place result.

“I slapped the wall on Lap 172,” Harvick said. “I got loose, and there went any chance I had of breaking my season-long winless streak. It’s at 18 races. But don’t be surprised if the wall comes into play again, because, at this point, I’m so frustrated, I’d drive through a concrete wall for a win.”

7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won Stage 1 and finished 15th at Chicagoland.

“This may have been NASCAR’s most exciting race so far this year,” Hamlin said. “I’m not sure what the exact numbers were, but I’m guessing Sunday’s rating, in true Chicago fashion, absolutely murdered those of previous races.”

8. Alex Bowman: Bowman held off Kyle Larson to win at Chicagoland, picking up his first Monster Energy Cup series win.

“I got my car stuck in the grass after my celebratory burn out,” Bowman said. “I forget it had rained cats and dogs earlier. Needless to say, I’ve been ‘swamped’ with ridicule.”

9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished sixth at Chicagoland, posting his third consecutive top-10 finish.

“The race started about three hours later due to storms,” Blaney said. “It was a long and boring wait for the fans. But don’t knock weather delays. Often, they can be more exciting than the race. But not this race. This race was very exciting. It had everything: exciting restarts, four-wide racing, and passes for the lead. But its most positive attribute was what it lacked—Darrell Waltrip.”

10. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 13th in the CampingWorld 400.

“Word is the 2021 NASCAR schedule will be shorter than 2019,” Busch said. “So, it’s apparently true what stock car old-schoolers have been saying for a long time: ‘NASCAR is less ‘event-ful’ than it used to be.”

July 1, 2019
Alex Bowman earns first Monster Energy Cup win with late-race theatrics at Chicagoland

By Holly Cain | NASCAR Wire Service

JOLIET, Ill. – Alex Bowman’s first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup victory at Chicagoland Speedway was as much a lesson in perseverance, determination and guts as it was a show of his raw talent. It took it all those qualities for the 26-year-old to reach Victory Lane for the first time in Sunday’s Camping World 400.

Bowman’s No.88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet held off a hard-charging Kyle Larson for the win by .546-seconds – the two young drivers door-to-door in the closing laps, exchanging the lead twice in the final eight laps of the race.

Reigning Cup champion, Team Penske’s Joey Logano rallied to a third place finish, leading Bowman’s teammate Jimmie Johnson and Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney to the checkered flag.

During his inaugural victory lap celebration, the Tucson, Arizona, native Bowman drove into the track’s infield still soggy from rain showers that delayed the race finish by nearly three hours. Despite the good celebratory intentions, Bowman’s Chevrolet stuck there, but the good vibes of the night resumed when he climbed out and climbed onto the car’s roof, waving to the cheering crowd and taking in the moment as a first-time race winner.

“It’s all I’ve wanted my whole life,’’ Bowman said after climbing down off his car’s roof.

“I’m just tired of running second, didn’t want to do that anymore,’’ he said smiling in reference to his three runner-up finishes in the first 16 races of this season.

And he had a good laugh about his stuck-in-the-mud car as he navigated the mucky infield to walk across the track and take the checkered flag he earned.

“I’m the dumb guy that won the race but got the car stuck in the mud.’’

Actually Bowman’s win was an impressive display of drive – both figuratively and literally. His NASCAR career essentially got a “second chance” at glory, when he was hired by the championship Hendrick team to replace the retired Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the famed No. 88 last year. He had competed fulltime at the Cup level in 2014-15 in a car that was not considered competitive, hoping to gain experience.

He was hired by Hendrick in 2016 to drive Earnhardt’s No. 88 while the sport’s star rehabbed from injury. Bowman then sat out a year of full-time Cup competition in 2017 as Earnhardt finished out his own decorated career. The car was all Bowman’s as of last year.

Earnhardt, who was part of the NBCSN broadcast team that officially took over the NASCAR Cup Series race broadcasts from partner FOX just his week, was understandably proud in the broadcast booth.

“I’m just so happy for Alex,’’ Earnhardt said. “I’ve seen a majority of his career up close and I’m so happy to see him achieve his dream.’’

Certainly Bowman’s victory Sunday night was not only a shot of emotional adrenalin for himself, but for the whole Hendrick Motorsports team. In addition to Johnson, second-year driver William Byron finished eighth and Chase Elliott finished 11th – the first time this season all four drivers have finished among the top 11. Bowman (88), Johnson (10) and Byron (nine) all led laps.

The big lap leader on the day was Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick, who led a race-best 132 circuits and won Stage 2, but finished 14th after hitting the outside wall late in the race.

For runner-up Larson, the outcome was obviously disappointing since he finished second last year after a tough last-laps battle with Kyle Busch. But the popular Californian seemed genuinely happy for his friend Bowman as well.

“I was actually surprised I even got to him,’’ said Larson, who took the lead from Bowman for two laps on lap 260.

“I thought when he came out about the same distance off pit road in front of me, I thought he was just going to check out. But like I said, he was struggling and we were able to get to him and get by him but did a good job. He did a good job regrouping and figuring out how to make his car drive better and got the win.

“Cool to see him get the win there. Would have liked for him to have to wait another week or so, but happy for him,’’ Larson added with a grin.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race – 19th Annual Camping World 400 – Chicagoland Speedway – Joliet, Illinois – Sunday, June 30, 2019

                   1. (8) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 267.

                   2. (14) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 267.

                   3. (19) Joey Logano, Ford, 267.

                   4. (4) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 267.

                   5. (12) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 267.

                   6. (10) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 267.

                   7. (21) Erik Jones, Toyota, 267.

                   8. (11) William Byron, Chevrolet, 267.

                   9. (18) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 267.

                   10. (1) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 267.

                   11. (13) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 267.

                   12. (25) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 267.

                   13. (5) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 267.

                   14. (2) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 267.

                   15. (9) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 267.

                   16. (15) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267.

                   17. (16) Ryan Newman, Ford, 267.

                   18. (27) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 266.

                   19. (3) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 266.

                   20. (7) Michael McDowell, Ford, 266.

                   21. (24) Paul Menard, Ford, 266.

                   22. (17) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 266.

                   23. (23) David Ragan, Ford, 265.

                   24. (28) Daniel Suarez, Ford, 265.

                   25. (26) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet, 264.

                   26. (31) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 264.

                   27. (29) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota, 264.

                   28. (22) Ryan Preece #, Chevrolet, 264.

                  29. (38) Matt Tifft #, Ford, 263.

                   30. (30) Corey LaJoie, Ford, 263.

                   31. (33) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 260.

                   32. (32) Bayley Currey(i), Ford, 258.

                   33. (36) Josh Bilicki(i), Chevrolet, 257.

                   34. (37) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 249.

                   35. (20) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 239.

                   36. (34) BJ McLeod(i), Ford, 238.

                   37. (6) Clint Bowyer, Ford, Accident, 172.

                   38. (35) Quin Houff, Chevrolet, Track Bar, 100.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 140.677 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 50 Mins, 49 Secs. Margin of Victory: .546 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 5 for 25 laps.

Lead Changes: 23 among 13 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   A. Dillon 1-7;J. Johnson 8-17;A. Dillon 18-19;K. Harvick 20-72;D. Hamlin 73;K. Larson 74;D. Suarez 75;E. Jones 76;R. Newman 77;M. McDowell 78;D. Hamlin 79-82;K. Harvick 83-98;W. Byron 99-104;K. Harvick 105;W. Byron 106-108;K. Harvick 109-166;K. Larson 167-170;A. Bowman 171-218;R. Blaney 219;R. Stenhouse Jr. 220-221;K. Harvick 222-225;A. Bowman 226-259;K. Larson 260-261;A. Bowman 262-267.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Kevin Harvick 5 times for 132 laps; Alex Bowman 3 times for 88 laps; Jimmie Johnson 1 time for 10 laps; William Byron 2 times for 9 laps; Austin Dillon 2 times for 9 laps; Kyle Larson 3 times for 7 laps; Denny Hamlin 2 times for 5 laps; Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1 time for 2 laps; Erik Jones 1 time for 1 lap; Ryan Blaney 1 time for 1 lap; Michael McDowell 1 time for 1 lap; Daniel Suarez 1 time for 1 lap; Ryan Newman 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 1,11,19,2,24,3,34,4,48,88

Stage #2 Top Ten: 1,10,18,19,24,4,42,48,88,9

June 30, 2019
Weekend schedule for Chicagoland

This weekend NASCAR heads to Chicagoland Speedway. The Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts off the tripleheader on Friday night with the Camping World 225 followed by the Xfinity Series Camping World 300 Saturday afternoon.

The Monster Energy Cup Series Camping World 400 will close out the weekend activities with the Camping World 400, Sunday at 3 p.m. Kyle Busch is the defending race winner.

Busch, along with Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. lead all active drivers with two wins each at the 1.5-mile track. Tony Stewart leads all drivers with three victories, in 2004, 2007 and 2011.

All times are Eastern.

Thursday, June 27

2:35 p.m.: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series First Practice – No TV

4:35 p.m.: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Second Practice – No TV

6:35 p.m.: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Final Practice – No TV

Friday, June 28

4:05 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice – NBCSN

5:05 p.m.: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Qualifying – FS2

7:05 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice – NBCSN

9 p.m.: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Camping World 225 (Stages 35/70/150 Laps = 225 Miles ) – FS1/MRN

Saturday, June 29

11:05 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN/MRN

12:05 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – NBCSN

2 P.M.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/MRN

3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Camping World 300 (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles) – NBCSN/MRN

6:35 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – NBCSN/MRN

Sunday, June 30

3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camping World 400 – (Stages 80/160/267 Laps = 400.5 Miles) – NBCSN/MRN

Defending race winners:

Gander Outdoors Truck Series – Brett Moffitt

Xfinity Series – Kyle Larson

Monster Energy Cup Series – Kyle Busch

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

June 26, 2019