1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex assumed the lead on Lap 68 and held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch to win the Toyota Save/Mart 350.
“I knew I needed to keep Kyle behind me,” Truex said. “Nothing motivates me more than seeing his car in my rear-view mirror. I hate losing. And I hate losing to Kyle. I don’t know what I hate more: losing, losing to Kyle, or Kyle.”
2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Sonoma as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. took the win.
“After the last round of pit stops,” Busch said, “Truex had over an eight-second lead. I cut that down to nearly a second. So, I at least made it interesting. Needless to say, NASCAR as a whole could use a lot more Kyle Busch’s.”
3. Joey Logano: Logano suffered battery issues at Sonoma and finished 23rd.
“Battery issues can be very depressing,” Logano said, “but you can’t let it get you down. Much like a good battery, I like to stay positive. And motivational words always help. I like to say, ‘Charge!’”
4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 18th at Sonoma.
“Roger Penske is being awarded the Medal Of Freedom by President Donald Trump,” Keselowski said. “Does this mean Roger is the next member of Trump’s cabinet? Probably not. In any case, at least Roger’s trophy room just got a new ‘cabinet’ member.
5. Chase Elliott: Elliott’s engine blew on Lap 61, leading to a disappointing 37th-place finish at Sonoma.
“The road course at Sonoma is very taxing on an engine,” Elliott said. “My engine was exhausted. You could tell because ‘it left it all on the track.’”
6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished sixth at Sonoma
“How about Matt DiBenedetto?” Harvick said. “He passed Jimmie Johnson and myself late to claim fourth place. Between Jimmie and I, there are eight Cup championships. Matt could very well be the next ‘big name’ in this sport, but only because his last name has a whopping five syllables.”
7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin took Stage 2 at Sonoma and ultimately finished fifth, as Joe Gibbs Racing placed all four cars in the top 10, with Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch going 1-2.
“Joe Gibbs Racing boasts quite the stable,” Hamlin said. “Not only our drivers, but our engine department, as well. They even offer their technical expertise to other teams. It’s called the JGR ‘Stud Service.’ Satisfaction is guaranteed as soon as you hit the ignition. In other words, it’s a real ‘turn on.’”
8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished third at Sonoma.
“This was Darrell Waltrip’s last race as an announcer on Fox,” Blaney said. “I think a lot of people are glad to see him go. His shtick was becoming a little tiresome. Maybe Fox told him to take a short walk off a long pier. Now, could someone please tell Michael Waltrip to take a ‘grid walk’ off a short pier?”
9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 13th in the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
“Sonoma is in the heart of California’s wine country,” Busch said. “People there eat, sleep, and breathe wine. Me and my brother Kyle feel right at home here, because most people consider us ‘whine’ connoisseurs.”
10. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 14th at Sonoma.
“Hendrick Motorsports put another car on the pole,” Bowman said. “William Byron qualified first, giving HMS six this season. It’s not quite a win, but it’s great for our confidence. Hey, we’ll take any trip to ‘small Victory Lane.’”
SONOMA, Calif. — In Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, some drivers had solid runs. William Byron finished 19th but scored his first career stage win and left the race with the fifth most points accumulated. Erik Jones started from the rear and clawed his way up to finish eighth. And Daniel Hemric, who finished second in Saturday’s K&N Pro West race, crossed the line 15th at Sonoma in his rookie year with the Cup Series.
But the highlight of the day belonged to Matt DiBenedetto who earned his first career NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series top five finish at Sonoma Raceway when he crossed the line fourth.
Post-Race interview with Matt DiBenedetto and Justin Schuoler at Sonoma Raceway following the 2019 Toyota/Save Mart 350. Audio by Justin Schuoler for Speedway Media.
“I cannot explain how thankful I am,” an emotional DiBenedetto started out after celebrating with his team and receiving multiple congratulations from other competitors. “I can’t tell you how desperate I was to get a run like this for my team and how many people took a chance on me to drive this thing. It took so many people to say yes, including my JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) teammates, all the drivers, everybody at Toyota and TRD (Toyota Racing Development), the sponsors like Procore and Dumont JETS, team owner, ‘Wheels’ (nickname for crew chief Michael Wheeler).
“I’m telling you, it took every one of those people to say yes.”
The final laps were anything but easy for DiBenedetto. Not only does passing get tougher as you climb through the field, but who he passed included veterans and champions of the sport such as Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman. His fourth place result gave the Leavine Family Racing team their third career top five and tied their best finish in team history.
“Yeah, we had good forward drive, were on a good strategy and had good tires,” he continued when asked about a potential final restart to challenge the win after running a couple of lap times similar to leaders Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch. The K&N race had three overtime attempts on the previous day. “I mean, I’m happy with our finish. We were driving through the field, and that was so fun, picking them off one at a time, guys that I have so much respect for too, guys like Kevin (Harvick), (Ryan) Newman, and racing Denny (Hamlin) at the end. (I have) so much respect for them, and to be racing around them, and to be passing all those guys.
“I’ve learned a lot from them, so it’s real special.”
Being from Green Valley which is a two hour drive northeast of the track, DiBenedetto had friends and family at Sunday’s race witnessing his best career accomplishment in the top touring stock car racing series.
Matt DiBenedetto wheeled his No. 95 Procore Toyota for Leavine Family Racing during one of Friday’s practice sessions at the technical road course. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
“Yeah, my family’s here. I hate that my wife couldn’t make it since she had some conflicting things in her schedule, so that stinks, but she’ll be home so her, my friends and our neighbors will be waiting on me to get home to have a good night and hang out and have some fun.
“Yes we did (record the race on the DVR). I’m going back to watch that dang thing!”
DiBenedetto turned to a recent road course ringer for some advice on turning some quicker lap times. He was quick to give credit to A.J. Allmendinger, always a front runner at road courses with one career victory at Watkins Glen International. Allmendinger’s resume shines when it comes to road courses. He has a Rolex 24 at Daytona victory in the Daytona Prototype class of the NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, two NASCAR Xfinity Series victories in 2013, five victories in the Champ Car World Series, and a podium finish in the 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona in the Weathertech SportsCar Championship.
“My buddy, A.J. Allmendinger,” DiBenedetto exclaimed. “Told him I’d give him a shout-out if I did good. He helped me so much, hours on the phone. I don’t want to give away all his secrets (laugh), but it was just how to execute through the weekend and what I need to feel in the race car to race good. I’ve always felt confident in my ability to drive the car around the track and wheel it, but that’s only a small fraction of the game when you’re racing against guys that are so good and so experienced, so he helped me to make sure I executed throughout the weekend and get my car right.”
Jumping Off the Diving Board and Hoping There’s Water in the Pool
Last year, DiBenedetto made an announcement that caught many off guard. Most drivers would be satisfied with any full-time ride, but after getting shout-outs from many competitors, even Dale Earnhardt Jr. saying that he was one of the most talented drivers in the garage, he took a leap of faith in hopes of securing a more competitive ride. His former team, GoFas Racing, offered their full support after a great relationship with their driver of three years. Young up and coming drivers hold sponsorships that help secure top-tier rides with successful teams, but DiBenedetto has had to prove himself from the ground up by aggressively learning, holding nothing back and displaying a gritty performance on the track.
“I’ve worked so hard my whole life the old school way, been through the trenches, that’s for sure. I’ve been so lucky to get these opportunities, and it makes you appreciate it and makes you dig so much deeper knowing that you’re fighting for your life and your career. We’ve deserved some runs like this for a while, just haven’t had the luck and this shows the strength of our team. I’m happy for our guys finally.”
CrossFit Pays Off for DiBenedetto During Caution-Free Race
NASCAR drivers are known more as endurance athletes, such as Jimmie Johnson entering the Boston Marathon earlier this year. So for DiBenedetto, his focus is with CrossFit workout sessions, primarily with CrossFit Catawba Valley in Hickory, North Carolina.
“I almost forgot, I gotta thank my CrossFit family, CrossFit Catawba Valley. It was frickin’ hot today. Training came in handy. It was terrible in the car. Couldn’t drink for that whole second stage. There was no time; it was green (for the whole run). It’s what makes it tough physically and mentally, so I’m glad those guys have pushed me so hard. That really helped today.
“The Carousel was cool. It made this track feel so much different, a lot more treacherous, and it reminded me a little bit like Mid-Ohio (Sports Car Course). It was really fun to set them up for Turn 7.”
With all that training, preparation, unique talent and ability of his dirt racing background, he has had a lot of focus on short tracks, technical courses and races where he has the chance to show off his adroitness.
“I’ve had this one circled,” he proclaimed. “Places like Bristol, Phoenix, here. I’ll be honest, this year has been tough because the rules are so different where it makes it a little tougher for the driver to make a difference at some of these bigger race tracks. It’s a lot of car speed and track position, so it’s been tough and mentally challenging. So these places where you can just get on the wheel and show the strength of your team and how we can execute, those are the ones we circled off. I was so glad, I knew we could get a good run here.”
A Tribute to Darrell Waltrip’s Rookie & Early Racing Years
Darrell Waltrip and Matt DiBenedetto share a hug during pre-race ceremonies for Waltrip’s final broadcast. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
Three drivers in Sunday’s race elected to run a unique throwback paint scheme in honor of Darrell Waltrip’s final broadcast with FOX Sports. As the driver of the No. 95, he found the paint scheme that Waltrip raced as a driver/owner back with Terminal Transport as his sponsor for three years between 1972 and 1974. So his Leavine Family Racing team, along with full support from his primary sponsor Procore and their Toyota manufacturer, brought the classic orange and white car to Sonoma Raceway.
To hold his best career finish in a Waltrip throwback car added much more to the great memory of DiBenedetto’s strong day.
“This one’s for him,” he shared with a tear in his eye. “I wanted so bad to get a good run for him. He’s always been so supportive, just telling me to smile. He’s such a great person and friend. I’m lucky to have gotten to know him. To get my best career finish in his throwback car is a memory I’ll never forget.
“He’s done so much for me and my career, things that people may not know about for me personally with helping me out last year.”
That thing was stepping up to sponsor DiBenedetto for one race. Last year while racing for GoFas Racing in the No. 32 car, their team was prepared to race in Phoenix with a bare car. While the team wasn’t faced with any financial issues, DiBenedetto took the initiative to head on Twitter and post a video to inform fans about the sponsorship opportunity on a tight deadline. So drivers like Denny Hamlin who was the first to reach out, helped sponsor his ride. Darrell Waltrip was a big contributor to giving him a funded ride in the 2018 Spring race.
Remembering Where He Started and Where He’s Headed
The late JD Gibbs was recently inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame. He was also the one who made the phone call to BK Racing that placed DiBenedetto in the No. 83 car for most of the 2015 season, and the rest has worked in his favor.
“God, I miss him so bad,” DiBenedetto shared when asked about Gibbs. “He was one of the greatest people I know. I learned so much from him as a person more than anything. I literally would not be standing here without him today. He had so much to do with this. I wouldn’t have gotten a Cup ride without him, I wouldn’t be here today, and the relationship with all those guys. Gosh, I can’t explain how much I miss that guy.”
DiBenedetto has a humble and grassroots background when it comes to his NASCAR career, but rumors hold uncertainties about his future with Christopher Bell performing strongly in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Toyota Racing.
“I’ve learned to become mentally tough,” he said when responding to those rumors. “My whole career, I mean every single year of my life and career—at a point where we pulled it up as a family and sold all our stuff and quit, and then I had to do it year by year my whole life to this point—I’ve always had to perform.
“I don’t let it get to me, and I always say that to my wife (Taylor) because she worries all the time for me. I tell her, ‘If I perform, the rest will take care of itself’”
Whatever the rumors may be, DiBenedetto plans to take the time to let this finish sink in before heading to Chicagoland Speedway.
One reporter asked, “Are you gonna blow that air horn when you cross the line playing the race back on your DVR?”
DiBenedetto’s response was as light-hearted as he could be: “Yeah, I probably should!”
SONOMA, Calif. — In a technical caution-free race, Martin Truex Jr holds off Kyle Busch in the closing laps to win the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series.
“What a season we’ve turned this into,” Truex said in Victory Lane after tying Kyle Busch with the most victories in the current season. “This group, they’re unbelievable. Hopefully we can keep this going.”
Truex claimed his third career victory at the California road course, second in a row and the first with the returning Carrousel. The race was caution-free besides the stage ending yellow flags.
“With the Carousel, the big left-hand corner, it really changed things up,” he explained not knowing exactly how the weekend was going to go for the No. 19 Toyota team. “Took a while to figure that out in practice. But luckily, we were able to just make the right tweaks. I had confidence that when the track got hot and slick on the long runs, we had what we needed.
“Just a matter if we had enough speed to get there, and we did today.”
Truex didn’t place in the top 10 in Stage 1 with the varying pit strategies. Many teams elected to come to pit road before the two-to-go mark, signifying the close of pit road. Roughly the top 15 positions could pit without going a lap down, and when some leaders came down pit road, that gave more openings deeper in the pack to come down pit road. He placed seventh in Stage 2.
Kyle Busch closes the gap on teammate and leader Truex after front end damage from contact with Ryan Blaney. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
With 20 laps to go, Kyle Busch had a different strategy in mind by manipulating the cycle to have fresher tires on the final run. At times, he ran a full second faster than his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, but fell 1.861 seconds short of the win.
“Yeah, any time I had to lean on the left rear, I just didn’t have the drive that I needed,” Busch said. “Actually tried to hold on to it, trying to save it. I knew that was going to be our problem — that had been our problem all day long. You get closer, you’re like, ‘OK, I can get him, I better go, pounce on him fast, so then he doesn’t have the time to pick up the pace.’
“But it didn’t work. He was obviously saving a lot. I knew he was going to be saving a lot, have enough to be able to most likely hold us off. I was right. I still tried everything I could to get there and ran real hard. Sucks to finish second to a teammate, but it’s good for the company. Overall Martin is really, really good here. I’m just pumped that I actually ran good here.”
Ryan Blaney was the top finishing Ford in third, and Matt DiBenedetto fights for his best career finish of fourth. Stage 2 winner, Denny Hamlin, rounds out the top five. Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Erik Jones, Aric Almirola and pole sitter Kyle Larson finish in the top 10. Larson now holds three consecutive poles as the home track native, and claimed his best career finish.
Other notables across the field include Daniel Hemric, Austin Dillon and Ryan Preece who all ran toward the front of the NASCAR K&N Pro West Series race. They finished 15th, 24th and 29th respectively. William Byron led all of Stage 1, including winning the first stage, but finished in the 19th position. Saturday night’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series winner Ross Chastaine made the overnight flight to start today’s race and finished 33rd. Chase Elliott was battling for a top five position, but a loss of oil pressure eliminated him after 60 laps, finishing 37th. Cody Ware pulled into the garage during the final stage, where he was treated in the infield care center for carbon monoxide poisoning. He was released after treatments.
The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series will compete next at Chicagoland Speedway on June 30.
Fin
St
#
Driver
Sponsor / Owner
Car
Laps
Status
1
8
19
Martin Truex, Jr.
Bass Pro Shops (Joe Gibbs)
Toyota
90
running
2
7
18
Kyle Busch
M&M’s Hazelnut (Joe Gibbs)
Toyota
90
running
3
9
12
Ryan Blaney
PPG (Roger Penske)
Ford
90
running
4
19
95
Matt DiBenedetto
Procore Thanks DW Throwback (Leavine Family Racing)
SONOMA, Calif. – Kyle Larson sweeps both qualifying sessions and will start on pole for the third straight year for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway with a time of 94.784 seconds at 95.712 mph.
“I guess the trend with my three poles is winning a pole and then struggling in the race,” said Larson who claimed his first Busch Pole Award of the season. “Hopefully, we’ll have something different for tomorrow. I feel good.”
Larson bested the improving Hendrick driver of William Byron (95.669 mph) in his No. 24 Hertz Chevrolet.
“We did a mock (qualifying) run yesterday in practice and ran a good lap,” said Larson who ran the fastest time in Friday’s practice session. “I kind of over-drove the first session and then the next session I said, ‘I’m going to calm down and not make any mistakes,’ and I probably under-drove just a little. In the carousel, I think I gave up a little speed, but I feel like I made up some time in other areas, too. It’s cool to get a third pole in a row here at my home track.”
Joey Logano qualified third at 95.618 mph, but believes he knows exactly where he lost the time he needed for a pole speed run.
“I feel like my lap was pretty good,” Logano shared as his team was less than a tenth behind Larson’s pole-setting speed. “I was just a little loose. I feel like I got through it mainly pretty decent. I got a little loose off of (Turn) 10. If I could find one spot, I got too loose off 10 trying to throttle up too aggressively and stuck half my left sides up in the dirt and got loose and knocked a few mile an hour off on the exit, compared to what I would have been.
Larson claims his first Busch Pole Award for the 2019 season at his home track at Sonoma Raceway. Photo courtesy of Rachel Schuoler for Speedway Media.
“Maybe that’s a tenth (of a second), maybe a half a tenth. I don’t know. I have to go back and look. All I needed was nine-hundredths, so that’s probably the spot I’m looking at.”
Chase Elliott qualified fourth, ahead of Stewart-Haas Racing’s Daniel Suarez. Denny Hamlin was the top Toyota in the qualifying order, ahead of Kyle Busch who spun off Turn 4 multiple times in Friday’s practice sessions. Defending race winner Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman also made the second qualifying round and will start Sunday’s race eighth through 12th, respectively.
The first road course race of the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway will start coverage at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
SONOMA, Calif. – This weekend’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 returns the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series to Sonoma Raceway, the furthest west they visit in their annual schedule. It will be the first of three road courses on the 2019 schedule which includes the reinstatement of the carousel last raced in the late ’90s. The K&N Pro West Series will also join the Cup drivers with their race on Saturday.
Darrell Waltrip will also broadcast his final race this weekend.
Over the past several weeks, NASCAR, drivers, teams, tracks and sponsors have all pitched in their appreciation of Waltrip’s Hall of Fame legacy since he announced his retirement from the booth at Bristol Motor Speedway.
“This sport has rewarded me time and time and time again,” Waltrip shared in the media center a couple of months ago at Bristol. “Not just with trophies and the success on the track but with friends, people I’ll never forget. They say you get what you give. Well, I gave a lot, but I got a whole lot more in return.”
And that whole lot more giving in return didn’t stop. A few drivers took the initiative to dedicate a throwback paint scheme.
David Ragan practices on Friday in his #ThanksDW Mustang at Sonoma Raceway. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
David Ragan, driver of the No. 38, decided to have his car wrapped with the official hashtag, #ThanksDW. His hood was a headshot of Darrell Waltrip from the booth, and the back had Darrell’s infamous term “Boogity.”
“I think Darrell is one of those guys like Richard Petty, Junior Johnson back in the early days,” Ragan shared reflecting on Waltrip’s legacy in the sport. “He had a really successful driving career, and then he went on to make a real impact on the broadcast side. He’s really dedicated his whole life to NASCAR racing.”
Many drivers spend time outside of NASCAR to catch up with other lifetime hobbies and step out of the spotlight to settle down and enjoy life. Carl Edwards comes to mind as one of the more recent drivers that even car owner Joe Gibbs shared on the Dale Jr. Download that he is still baffled to this day as to why Edwards stepped away from NASCAR.
However, Waltrip stuck with the NASCAR scene.
“A lot of guys you see retire, so you don’t really get to hear from them again. So for him to own race teams to being in the broadcast booth and have a big impact driving cars behind the wheel. He’s definitely one of the biggest influencers we’ve had over the past 40 years.”
For those who knew Waltrip or listened to his broadcasting over the years, he was an honest announcer who called the races as they were.
“When I was a rookie coming into the scene, Darrell was a little bit of a critic for me,” said Ragan as he looked back on his early memories of Waltrip. “I wasn’t running as good as I should have right out of the bat, and I think Darrell’s very honest without that much of a filter. That’s what makes Darrell a cool guy.
“Just don’t mess up your Boogity, Boogity, Boogity.”
Matt DiBenedetto lays down some practice laps around the original carousel at Sonoma Raceway. Photo courtesy of Rachel Schuoler for Speedway Media.
The next driver was Matt DiBenedetto, who drives the No. 95 Procore Toyota for Levine Family Racing. Their affiliation with Joe Gibbs Racing has given DiBenedetto a new spike in confidence. Despite the recent turn of poor luck on their side, he led the most laps of his career in the Daytona 500 before crashing out of the race. He also had a string of mishaps out of his control in the month of March and was on pace to challenge for the win at Bristol before an unscheduled pit stop put him in an uphill battle where he finished 12th. Despite the unforeseen circumstances, his average finishing position has improved by three spots.
But this weekend at Sonoma, his team created a paint scheme in honor of Waltrip’s early racing career. Darrell raced in the No. 95 Mercury and Chevrolet from 1972 to 1974 with 19 top 10 finishes, including runner-up finishes at Darlington and Texas World Speedway (not to be confused by Texas Motor Speedway).
“It was all of us at the team,” Dibenedetto shared in the media center at Sonoma when asked who originally came up with the idea for the paint scheme. “It’s exciting for us because DW has meant a lot to me. He helped me out last year, sponsored my race car at Phoenix. He’s always been a really good person.”
At Phoenix last year, Matt DiBenedetto was racing for GoFas Racing in the No. 32 Ford. The team headed to Phoenix with no sponsorship, after an early season sponsor fallout situation. He originally posted on Twitter sharing the team was not in financial danger and would still make the race, but made the announcement to allow for the potential opportunity of a new sponsor to step in. Not only did he get a big sponsor to take the race with Zynga Poker, but many drivers and NASCAR community members stepped up to help sponsor Matt’s car, including Darrell Waltrip.
“So we all talked about Sonoma and talked to our sponsor Procore,” Matt continued, “And they were on board with us running a paint scheme thrown back to when DW drove the 95 car in the early days of his career.”
Darrell Waltrip drives around Sonoma Raceway in his original Daytona winning “Tide Ride.” Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also decided to run a No. 17 throwback of Darrell Waltrip, keeping it authentic with chrome numbers around the car. The two-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver ran this number for Rick Hendrick at NASCAR’s top level from 1987 into part of the 1998 season, making this his most driven number.
While Darrell drove his “Tide Ride” as the No. 17 and winning the 1989 Daytona 500 in that car, the white, gray and red striped car with the chrome numbers on the sides was introduced in 1991 when he began to drive as a driver/owner with Western Auto as his new primary sponsor.
“With as much as he’s done in the sport on and off the track, Darrell will definitely be missed,” Stenhouse said. “I have enjoyed all the sit-downs and seeing his passion that he has for the sport. I’ve gotten to pay homage to him with two Darlington throwback schemes so it will be extra special to drive his iconic paint scheme for his last appearance in the booth.”
Denny Hamlin also took the opportunity before practice on Friday to introduce his throwback paint scheme for the new Darlington tradition. The reveal showed Darrell’s No. 11 which he drove from 1981 to 1986 when he drove for Junior Johnson.
“In 2016 when I won the Daytona 500, FedEx gave me the opportunity to choose my own paint scheme for the July Daytona race,” Denny shared during the reveal at Sonoma Raceway. “I had two that I really liked, so we had the shop vote on it. We thought this would be a great idea to honor someone who’s been a big influence for myself and everyone in NASCAR.”
Hamlin also shared memories growing up in the grandstands and watching the competitors on the track.
“I knew he was tough,” Hamlin chuckled when asked about the name of Darrell Waltrip. “I grew up a huge Bill Elliott, but Waltrip was one of the toughest competitors.”
Waltrip and Hamlin then pulled back the cover to officially reveal the paint scheme to be raced later this year in the iconic Southern 500.
“Well, first of all, I’m flattered,” Waltrip shared when he saw the new paint scheme for the first time. “This is one of my favorite paint schemes that I raced. What made this special to me was that this was my car and my team. We started in 1991. We had some pretty good days with this car. Of course, I guess my favorite number is probably the No. 17, but I’ll always love car No. 11.”
“This is the winningest number in NASCAR.”
The crowd shared their input as well.
“You like this?” Waltrip asked the audience while pointing to the car.
The crowd cheered.
“That thing is gonna look great on the race track. Thank you for the tribute.”
This week the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Sonoma Raceway for some road course racing. The Gander Outdoors Truck Series will compete at the World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway for the final race of the Triple Truck Challenge. The Xfinity Series is off this weekend.
Please check below for the complete schedule.
All times are Eastern.
Sonoma Raceway
Friday, June 21
2:35 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Practice –
FS1 (Tape delay at 3 p.m.)
5:35 – 6:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Final Practice – FS1
Saturday, June 22
3:10 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) – Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds – FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – Results
Sunday, June 23
3
p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart
350 (Stages 20/40/90
Laps = 226.8 Miles) – FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
Saturday, June 22
11:35 p.m. – 12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series First Practice – No TV – Canceled due to rain
5 p.m.: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Final Practice – No TV – Results
6:35 p.m.: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Qualifying (Impound) – Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions – FS2 (Tape delay at 8:30 p.m.) – Canceled due to rain – Starting Lineup
10
p.m.: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series CarShield 200 presented by CK Power
(Stages 35/70/160 = 200 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Martin
Truex Jr. is the defending race winner at Sonoma while Justin Haley claimed the
victory last year at Gateway.
Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and
feature stories.
Nationwide announced Wednesday that they will end their sponsorship with the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 team with driver Alex Bowman at the end of the 2019 season.
The
insurance company has been a sponsor of the car since partnering with Dale
Earnhardt Jr. in 2015. After Earnhardt’s retirement at the end of the 2017
season, they renewed their commitment as a sponsor when Bowman was named as the
new driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet.
Nationwide
will continue their long-standing personal service relationship with Earnhardt
in 2020.
The
full statement from Nationwide:
“Since
2015, Nationwide has had the pleasure of being the primary sponsor of the No.
88 team—first with Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the driver and then with Alex Bowman.
In that time, the platform has played a valuable role in building the
Nationwide brand, sharing with NASCAR fans our noble purpose of protecting what
matters most to our members and raising money and awareness for Nationwide
Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
As
Nationwide’s business needs to evolve, we are adjusting our marketing resources
to ensure that we are aligning to those new business priorities.
“With that in mind, we have informed Hendrick Motorsports of our decision to step away from our sponsorship of the 88 team at the end of the year. We have not made this decision lightly, given our 20-plus year involvement in NASCAR and our deep appreciation for Rick Hendrick, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, and the millions of NASCAR fans we have engaged with over the years.
“Nationwide will continue to leverage our sponsorship for the rest of 2019 and have many special activations planned. In 2020, we will host partners at select NASCAR races and continue our relationship with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“We thank Mr. Hendrick for a wonderful five years and wish him and the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization the very best in their future endeavors.”
Hendrick
Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick issued the following statement:
“We
understand the changing dynamics of business, and we’re grateful to the entire
team at Nationwide for their wonderful partnership over the past five years.
Whether it’s been winning races, competing in the NASCAR playoffs or our recent
on-track performance, we have accomplished so much together. Off the track, we
have been just as successful, from collaborating on national advertising
campaigns to supporting the important mission of Nationwide Children’s
Hospital. It has been a pleasure to work with all of their people and to help
drive Nationwide’s business forward.
“Alex
(Bowman) is having a breakout season and showing the world just how talented he
is. He’s signed through next year (2020) and will be a big part of our future.
The momentum we’re building as a sport is due in large part to NASCAR’s
leadership and a unique combination of emerging personalities like Alex,
established stars and the exciting shows our racing is putting on. There’s
tremendous confidence in the product we have to offer our fans and partners.”
In a separate statement, Bowman said, “I owe a lot to Nationwide. They wanted me as their driver and have supported me from the beginning, which I can’t thank them enough for. I’m proud to represent them and have a lot of appreciation for all the awesome people I’ve met and worked with. I couldn’t be more positive about my No. 88 team and what the future holds for us this year and beyond. I know we’re just scratching the surface, and I’m pumped for what’s ahead. We appreciate the role Nationwide has played in our success.”
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1. Joey Logano: Logano started on the pole and survived an overtime restart to win at Michigan, giving Penske Racing its fifth win of the season.
“That’s five wins for Penske,” Logano said. “Joe Gibbs Racing has nine. The rest of the field has one. That should be very alarming to NASCAR. It may be the ultimate in competition cautions.”
2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fifth in the FireKeepers Casino 400 and is now second in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, nine points behind Joey Logano.
“My brother Kurt almost got the win,” Busch said. “But alas, he finished second, which, interestingly enough, is better than he finishes when our parents rank their children, and they only have two kids.”
3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished sixth at Michigan as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano took the win after starting on pole.
“It was a great day for Ford Motor Company in its place of origin,” Keselowski said. “Six of the top nine cars were Fords. I was lucky enough to dine with the Ford family on Thursday night. They, like me, will tell you that nothing beats ‘home cooking.’”
4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished third in The FireKeepers Casino 400 after Joey Logano pulled away on a late restart to get the win.
“I feel like Logano jumped the restart,” Truex said. “By the letter of the rule book, NASCAR officials should have penalized Logano and taken the win from him. That’s not unusual. You saw it in the Canadian Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel finished first on the track, but a controversial penalty dropped him to second, and left him fuming. Vettel wnnt from ‘F1 to FU.’”
5. Chase Elliott: Elliott came home 20th at Michigan, his worst finish of the season.
“Sunday was rained out,” Elliott said. “And we didn’t start on Sunday until 5 p.m. because Fox wanted to televise women’s World Cup soccer. It’s just further proof that NASCAR will always lose out to some sort of football. Ironically, in soccer, people complain because there’s too much passing.”
6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started third and finished seventh at Michigan, and remained winless on the season.
“I’m very frustrated with my lack of wins,” Harvick said. “It’s hard for me to verbally express my dissatisfaction, so I’ll do so with the No. 4 car sponsored exclusively by Busch beer. It’s ‘total Busch-it.’”
7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin took 11th in the FireKeepers Casino 400.
“We all love driving in races sponsored by casinos,” Hamlin said. “Little known fact: drivers gamble on more than just fuel mileage. Poker is the game of choice for most drivers. We take that to the next level by playing during races. ‘How can you drive, shift, and hold your cards?,’ some may ask. Well, with the help of the ‘HANDS Device,’ of course.”
8. Kurt Busch: Busch chased Joey Logano to the end at Michigan, but couldn’t manage to make the pass and settled for the runner-up sport.
“Several drivers tossed a football with fans during the rain delay,” Busch said. “I’m not the most athletic guy, so I didn’t participate. Heck, my last interaction with ‘pigskin’ was when I met with a back-alley plastic surgeon who suggested hog ear cartilage for reconstructive surgery.”
9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished ninth at Michigan, scoring his first top-10 result since a fourth at Bristol in April.
“Former NASCAR CEO Brian France pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated,” Blaney said. “His grandfather Bill is a member of the NASCAR Hall Of Fame; now Brian can finally say he got ‘busted,’ as well.”
10. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 10th at Michigan, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports drivers.
“HMS used to win championships,” Bowman said, “much less races. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. HMS used to be the preeminent race team. Now, it seems Hendrick has entered the ‘post-eminent’ stage.”
Joey Logano started on the pole for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, led 163 laps, and won in overtime, claiming his second win of the season Monday evening.
But
it wasn’t quite as easy as it sounds.
After posting the fastest time on Saturday to claim the pole, the race was postponed to Monday due to rain. Logano had the most dominant car throughout the race, winning Stage 1. Austin Dillon, however, won the second stage taking advantage of fuel strategy while the leaders had to pit.
Early on it looked as though Kevin Harvick, a two-time winner at Michigan, might provide some competition for the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. But toward the end of Stage 1, Harvick had to pit because of a loose wheel, causing him to go a lap down. Harvick eventually received the free pass to get back on the lead lap and even led 15 laps during the race. He started seventh in overtime but it was too little too late.
During
the final pit stops which began on Lap 173, several teams tried varying
strategies to gain an advantage with some drivers taking four tires, while
others took two. Brad Keselowski elected to take fuel only. Logano, who only took
two tires, retained the lead.
As
the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race wound down it looked as though no one
could catch Logano but with five laps to go, Erik Jones had a tire go down,
spinning into the grass, and bringing out the final caution which led to a
2-lap overtime restart. Logano had to hold off a hard-charging Kurt Busch and
Martin Truex Jr. to capture his third victory from the pole at the 2-mile track
and his 23rd series career win.
Logano
called it a “perfect day,” for both him and the fans.
“It is so hard to have perfect days like
that,” he said. “I made one mistake on the restart and let the 4 (Harvick)
get to the outside of me and really made me mad at myself. I was able to make
that up, which is great, we are keeping Hudson up past his bedtime. This is a
good place for him to get ready for sleep I guess. It feels so good to get into
victory lane. I gotta thank the fans, everyone that stuck it out through the
rain yesterday and came out today to watch a great race and a wild ending. You
don’t want to see cautions there at the end when you are the leader but as a
fan that is like the one thing you do want to see. I am glad we got the best of
both worlds.”
Kurt
Busch finished second, saying, “I had a blast. That was the tightest I ever put my belts at the
end of a race because we’ve got enough stage points. Today, it was like hell,
we don’t need to get anything but the win. And, we got second today. ey)
Logano’s car was tough. I really wanted it to go green at the end and push
(Martin) Truex, Jr. through to the No. 22 (Logano). That was my best shot at
it.
“What a day for our Camaro, Chevy and Monster. Thank you, guys. We’ll get it. We’ll get it. This gives us reason to smile and be happy. We ran up front. We were strong. We were in our manufacturer’s backyard, but got second today.”
Truex, who finished third, was unhappy with Logano’s start in overtime. In a post-race interview, he said, “He just went way early before the restart zone, jumped it, so I don’t know how we get a no-call on that. Maybe the rules are, maybe you can just do whatever you want on restarts now. Clearly, he went way before the box so that’s the way it goes, they didn’t call it and he wins. But he had a faster car than we did anyway so it’s a kind of a moot point.”
Daniel Suarez and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five. Brad Keselowski was sixth as Harvick, Ryan Newman, Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman completed the top 10.
Daniel Hemric was the highest finishing rookie in 12th. Logano leads the standings by nine points over Kyle Busch.
The next race for the Monster Energy Cup Series will be on Sunday, June 23 at Sonoma Raceway.
Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and
feature stories.
Monster Energy Cup Series Race Number 15 Race Results for the 51st Annual FireKeepers Casino 400 – Monday, June 10, 2019 Michigan International Speedway – Brooklyn, MI – 2. – Mile Paved Total Race Length – 203 Laps – 406. Miles
Persistent rain forced the postponement of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race to a Monday start at Michigan International Speedway.
The FireKeepers Casino 400 is now set for Monday at 5 p.m. ET,
airing on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
NASCAR officials made the decision to reschedule the 200-lap,
400-mile event following an attempt to get the race started after a one-hour
delay Sunday afternoon. The 36-car field completed several pace laps in hopes
of reaching a 3:02 ET green flag, but another rain shower forced the cars back
to pit road.
Track-drying briefly resumed, but inclement weather continued to halt the process. The track was almost dry by 4:15 p.m. when another rain cell struck. NASCAR officials made the decision at 4:30 p.m. ET to postpone Sunday’s scheduled at-track activity.
Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace and Corey LaJoie passed the time during the rain delay by throwing a football, eventually lobbing it into the grandstand and playing catch with fans who braved the rain.
Clint Bowyer, the defending winner of the race, will line up fifth as Ford drivers make up eight of the top 10 starting spots.
Corey LaJoie-Photo by Tim Jarrold/Speedway Media.
Bubba Wallace-Photo by Tim Jarrold/Speedway Media.
Corey LaJoie and Bubba Wallace during Sunday’s rain delay at Michigan International Speedway.
