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Category: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series

  • NASCAR rookie rundown leading into Michigan/Texas race weekend

    NASCAR rookie rundown leading into Michigan/Texas race weekend

    It’s past the halfway point in the 2019 NASCAR regular season, and so far the rookies across the three national divisions have been engaged in tight battles to be the supreme rookie in their division.

    In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Daniel Hemric and Ryan Preece have been neck and neck with each other, even if their results haven’t exactly wooed the NASCAR world. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the rookie class is a lot deeper, as Chase Briscoe, John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Haley, and Noah Gragson have been posting some serious results on a regular basis. The 2019 Gander Outdoor Truck Series rookie class is in a similar vein, as Tyler Dippel, Sheldon Creed, Harrison Burton, and Gus Dean (among others) are also in a heated contest for rookie of the year honors.

    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

    The Cup Series rookie race hasn’t been as deep as the other divisions this season. That said, Hemric and Preece have left fellow RotY contender Matt Tifft behind and are currently battling among themselves as Preece sits 25th in points with one top-five and two top-10s while he tails Hemric in 24th, who just has one top-five and one top-10. Tifft sits 31st in points with two top-20 finishes and three top-25 finishes yet hasn’t finished on the lead lap in 2019. Tifft managed to lead a lap at Kansas, where he finished 21st, but in this day and age leading laps even on strategy doesn’t account for much. Still, he’s a rookie with a new team and if there’s anything Bob Jenkins knows how to do with his Front Row team, it’s giving his drivers a solid foundation.

    Prior to Daytona, it was all but a given that Hemric would run away with the RotY battle. Richard Childress Racing is an established championship team who has managed to put several drivers in Victory Lane, while the sole Cup victory for JTG Daugherty Racing came in 2014 at Watkins Glen with AJ Allmendinger. However, despite the RCR Chevys having had issues for years, it isn’t that Hemric is failing in his expectations or anything. It’s that Preece has managed to take his No. 47 Chevy and get more out of it than originally expected. He’s shown he’s a solid superspeedway driver, scoring a career-high of third at Talladega (the same race where Hemric got his first top-five).

    Still, Preece holds three lead-lap finishes to Hemric’s two. But Hemric’s consistency has been his strength, as he holds six top-20 finishes to Preece’s four top-20 finishes. They’re both remarkably steady for Cup Series rookies, with both of them usually lingering in the upper mid-pack positions. That shouldn’t change at Michigan on Sunday, so expect these two to loiter around 15th-25th position during the race.

    NASCAR Xfinity Series

    Noah Gragson. Photo by Joseph Shelton

    The rookie race in the Xfinity is a lot deeper and happen to be more viable threats for the win, aside from rookie Matt Mills, who is currently in the midst of trying to help his team gain traction in the garage. But one of the impressive underdog rookies happens to be Gray Gaulding, whose Bobby Dotter-owned race team scored a runner-up finish at Talladega, which was Gaulding’s career-best. Aside from that Gaulding has managed to put his No. 08 in the top-20 in 10 out of 12 starts this season, so if he’s able to maintain this it could be the start of something good for his team. They’re not going to contend for wins soon, but they will be knocking on the door to the top-10 sooner than later.

    Meanwhile, drivers such as Briscoe, Haley, Gragson, and Nemechek are running at the front weekly, and it’s been fun watching to see who would gain the edge over the others. Right now it’s Briscoe, who sits sixth in points with six top fives and nine top-10s. He has a win to his credit, like Nemechek, but it came a year ago, also like Nemechek. This could prove to be a valuable psychological edge for Briscoe and Nemechek, as both have managed to establish themselves as championship threats. Nemechek holds a runner-up (Las Vegas) to Briscoe’s season best of third (Pocono), but he also sits seventh in points with two top fives and seven top-10s, a tally that he’s also short on compared to Briscoe. Still, Briscoe proves to be strong everywhere while Nemechek has yet to prove himself on other tracks. Unlike Briscoe, Nemechek has shown to be lacking on some of the faster tracks, but at the rate he’s going it’s something he can overcome soon.

    Haley and Gragson are the only actual rookies in this class, and they’ve shown it. Gragson sits eighth in points with two top fives and five top-10s. In true JR Motorsports fashion, he’s a consistent front runner, but it’s the smaller tracks where he needs more work, as 22nd at Richmond and 19th at Dover. Otherwise, when he isn’t in the top-10 he’s running in the top-15: 11th at Daytona, Phoenix, and Talladega, 12th at Fontana, and 13th at Texas (pictured).

    However, Haley’s proved to big a big rookie surprise. He sits in 10th in the points, but while he’s earned a solitary top-five (fifth at Charlotte), he holds nine top-10s. It’s a testament to his Kaulig Racing team, who although isn’t as high funded as other teams, holds an affiliation with RCR. That affiliation isn’t the sole reason Haley’s been near the front, but with their driver Tyler Reddick a consistent front runner and race winner, it’s obvious the affiliation isn’t hurting the team at all. Haley’s top-10s have come on a variety of tracks, so don’t be surprised if he manages to score another top-five or be a threat to win before the season is up.

    NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series

    Rookies Sheldon Creed (No. 2) and Harrison Burton (No. 18) go three-wide with Grant Enfinger. Photo by Brad Keppel

    The rookie race in the truck series isn’t as impressive as the Xfinity Series, but that’s not to say that the racing isn’t impressive in its own right. Rookies Creed and Burton are currently leading the charge in the division, as they have both shown the most strength with their teams, who also happen to be the strongest teams in the Truck Series (Creed with GMS Racing, Burton with Kyle Busch Motorsports). They have yet to translate their runs into wins, but it isn’t for lack of trying. Burton has posted the best results with two top-fives and four top-10s, which places him in the ninth spot in the standings at the moment. Three of his four top-10s have come on 1.5-mile tracks, which are the bread-and-butter for KBM drivers.

    What’s surprising about Creed is that although he holds a single top-10 (sixth at Las Vegas) and sits 10th in points, he’s actually led 92 laps over the span of three races (21 at Daytona, where he earned a stage win, 59 at Dover before a crash put him in 27th, and 12 at Kansas before finishing several laps down in 19th) and has shown to have a strong truck more often than not. However, his luck isn’t the greatest as a rookie: Despite having a season average starting spot of sixth, he has five finishes outside of the top-15 in eight starts this season. Patience would go a long way for Creed, and after a little more experience he’ll soon be posting finishing stats that equal his qualifying efforts.

    Young Motorsports driver Dippel isn’t far behind Burton and Creed, as he sits 11th in points, also with a single top-10 (eighth at Texas). It’s been hit or miss for Dippel in 2019 though, as outside of that top-10, he only has three top-15 finishes. Otherwise, he’s been a solid mid-pack driver, with a 17th at Las Vegas, an 18th at Dover, and a 23rd at Martinsville. His DNF at Daytona where he finished 29th was his only one so far of the season, so it does seem like he takes good care of his equipment.

    Dippel’s teammate Gus Dean has had a rough go of things though. The two-time ARCA race winner has yet to break the top-10 in a Truck race this season, but he holds four top-15 finishes in eight starts this season. Aside from troublesome finishes at Las Vegas and Charlotte where he finished 22nd and 26th, respectively, his DNFs at Martinsville and Texas where he finished 32nd and 29th respectively were nothing more than growing pains for the Young Motorsports organization. They’re steadily improving, so before too long Dippel and Dean could end up improving on their rookie season start soon.

    The David Gilliland Racing stable has definitely been hot and cold in 2019. On the hot side, there’s Tyler Ankrum, who has earned two top-10s in five starts so far in 2019, with a season-best of sixth at Texas. He’s held strong runs regularly; his DNF at Charlotte where he finished 27th was his first time outside of the top-20. Otherwise, he’s very stout on the faster tracks. His run at Martinsville resulted in a 19th-place finish but considering it wasn’t any different from his 18th-place run there during his series debut it’s safe to say short tracks should provide a learning experience for him, one that he’s sure to accomplish.

    The pairing of Anthony Alfredo and Chris Lawson is still in its infancy, but that’s not to say it hasn’t had its ups; Alfredo earned his first top-10 in his fourth start when he finished eighth at Charlotte. Considering that his last start before that ended up in a fiery crash at Texas, anything above that should be considered a success. He’s only made four truck starts, but he’s solidly been in the top-20 in every start he’s made with the exception of Texas. He still has several starts to go before he becomes established, but with that said Alfredo is a very capable driver.

    The lone bust happens to be Natalie Decker. Granted, she’s made limited starts in her DGR Toyota, but she’s also been in a few easily avoidable incidents such as Kansas and Charlotte. Her DNF at Daytona was truly an incident beyond her control, and considering it’s Daytona she looked to build on her promising start of 11th. But running over debris which ended her day was not any fault of hers. The crashes and issues since are a little harder to justify. She’s a rookie, sure. But DGR Toyotas are very solid race cars, and she should have more promising results other than her 13th at Las Vegas.

    She had a lot of hype following last year’s ARCA season where she finished seventh in points after scoring two top-fives and five top-10s, but that hasn’t translated so much in the truck series. She needs to stop being afraid of her truck and afraid of the competition if she is to learn like she’s supposed to be doing. Decker has proven capable in race cars before this year; she needs to re-establish just how capable she truly is.

  • Weekend schedule for Michigan and Texas

    Weekend schedule for Michigan and Texas

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series head to Michigan International Speedway this weekend along with the ARCA Menards Series while the Gander Outdoors Truck Series will run a standalone race at Texas Motor Speedway.

    All times are Eastern.

    Texas:

    Thursday, June 6

    3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series First Practice – Results
    5:05 p.m. – 5:55 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Second Practice – Results
    7 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Final Practice – Results

    Friday, June 7

    5:35 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Qualifying – NASCAR.com/MRN
    9 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 400 – 250.5 miles (167 Laps) – Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 167) FS1/MRN

    Michigan:

    Friday, June 7

    8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.: Arca Menards Series Final Practice
    Noon: ARCA Series Group Qualifying
    1:05 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – MRN/NASCAR.com/live
    2:05 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series First Practice – MRN/NASCAR.com/live
    3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series Final Practice – FS2 (Airing tape delayed at 4 p.m.)
    4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Final Practice – FS2/MRN (Airing tape delayed on at 5 p.m.)
    6 p.m.: ARCA VizCom 200 – (100 laps – 200 miles) – FS1

    Saturday, June 8

    10:30 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – FS2 – Qualifying Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions)
    12:05 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Qualifying – Qualifying Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) – FS1/MRN
    1:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Lti Printing 250 – 250 miles (125 Laps) –  Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 125) – FS1/MRN Defending Race Winner: Austin Dillon

    Sunday, June 9

    2 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 – 400 miles (200 laps) –  Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200) – FS1/MRN Defending Race Winner: Clint Bowyer

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

  • Michigan International Speedway – Did you know?

    Michigan International Speedway – Did you know?

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway this weekend for the FireKeepers Casino 400.

    Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer is the defending race winner. The Ford driver is winless this year but did you know that Ford Motor Company has won 37 of the 99 Cup Series races at Michigan while Chevrolet has won 26? However, this year may be the exception as Toyota has captured nine wins, Ford has won four times and Chevrolet has only one win this season.  

    But did you know that Cale Yarborough won the first NASCAR race in a Mercury for Wood Brothers Racing at Michigan on June 15, 1969? The event was highlighted by an intense battle between Yarborough and LeeRoy Yarbrough during the final 150 laps. On the last lap, the drivers made contact twice. Coming out of the final turn Yarbrough spun and crashed 300 yards from the finish line as Cale Yarborough sped past him to claim the checkered flag. It was the first of eight victories at the 2-mile track for Yarborough.

    Yarborough still holds the Cup Series record at Michigan for most top fives, with 21, and has led the most laps (1308). But did you know that David Pearson leads all drivers with nine wins at Michigan? He also holds the record for the most poles with 10.

    Kurt Busch is the defending pole winner for the FireKeepers Casino 400 and the SHR driver is tied with Team Penske’s Joey Logano with three poles each at the 2-mile track, leading all active drivers. But did you know that 20.2% of the Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the first starting position? The most recent driver to win from the pole was Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson in June 2017.

    Larson and Busch also have the most wins at Michigan among active drivers with three. Notably, Larson also earned his first Monster Energy Cup Series win at Michigan in August 2016. However, Chase Elliott has the series-best driver rating of 104.5 at the track. The only item Elliott has left to check off is a trip to victory lane.

    Elliott enters the race with the best average finish of 5.33. He is currently third in the series driver standings after winning at Talladega and following that up with four more top-five finishes. But did you know that the Hendrick Motorsports driver has scored six top 10s in six career starts at the track?

    And we can’t forget Kevin Harvick who is winless in 2019 after a season-high eight victories last year. But did you know that the driver of the SHR No. 4 Ford enters Michigan with the second-best driver rating of 98.1?

    Harvick has two wins at the track and has finished in the top five in his last seven Michigan races with a victory in August and one runner-up finish in June 2018. This weekend’s race could be a turning point in what has been a frustrating season.

    You can never count out Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch at any venue. But did you know that he has only the 10th-best driver rating (89.2) at Michigan?

    With one win in 2011, an average finish of 18.357, 10 top 10s and six top-fives in 28 starts, Busch will be hoping to carry over the momentum of last week’s 55th career victory at Pocono. On the plus side, the team seems to have turned a corner with top-10 finishes in his last four Michigan races.

    So far this season, there have been six different winners in 14 races with Joe Gibbs Racing leading the way with nine. Tune into the FireKeepers Casino 400 Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. on FS1 and MRN to find out which driver will take home the next trophy.

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

  • A deeper look beyond Kyle Busch’s win total

    A deeper look beyond Kyle Busch’s win total

    Over the past couple of years in NASCAR, one of the biggest topics of conversation has been the buzz about the win column. It comes up once in a while such as when Jeff Gordon tied Dale Earnhardt at Phoenix in 2007 or when Jimmie Johnson won his elusive seventh title.

    Some of the unanswered questions have revolved around whether Johnson could catch and pass his mentor on the all-time win list or if Kevin Harvick can break into the top 10 list of victories.

    However, one driver, in particular, is setting records and reaching for more. Kyle Busch’s 55th career win this past Sunday at Pocono Raceway tied him for ninth on the all-time list with Rusty Wallace.

    “It’s pretty special,” Busch said of his milestone win mark. “We just keep doing what we’re supposed to do. It’s pretty cool to get with and eclipse many of these great names that helped build our sport to what it is today and have been icons, for that matter.”

    Fans and media have now set eyes on the next target for Busch’s career, The Intimidator. Dale Earnhardt holds 76 career wins in the Cup Series. Some argue that he was on pace to continue to be competitive enough to increase that number before his tragic death on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. No matter your opinion, what all these drivers have accomplished is truly a remarkable feat in the world of motorsports.

    Looking deeper into the numbers, Busch’s win was exactly one month after his 34th birthday. When compared to other 55 win milestones, Wallace captured his final Cup victory at Martinsville Speedway at 47 years, 8 months and 4 days. Johnson and Darrell Waltrip each won their 55th race at age 36, with Waltrip winning his sixth of what would become seven consecutive victories at Bristol Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon dominated the June race at Michigan International Speedway to take victory number 55 of his career at the young age of just 29 years. And Dale Earnhardt’s 55th career win took place in his famous drive in the 1993 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He was 42-years-old at the time.

    One thing we won’t know until later is if or when Kyle Busch may go on a winless streak or stop winning altogether.

    This past Tuesday marked two years since Jimmie Johnson’s last victory in a points-paying race. But, two years ago, no one even considered the possibility that the win would signal the beginning of an ongoing two-year race win drought. Between 2012 and 2017, Johnson was averaging four victories a season, and since his rookie year in 2002, he had won at least two races each year. Since his win at Dover in 2017, Johnson has earned four top-five finishes, 22 top 10s and only one pole. The past two years have seen his worst average starting position and the No. 48 team have only led roughly a hundred laps.

    “It’s had its ups and downs,” Johnson shared last month regarding his winless streak. “I didn’t have a lot of success in my career before driving this 48 car and I learned a lot of lessons on my journey climbing the ropes. I’ve had to fall back on that experience.

    “There’s also been some truth and reality in that our cars just haven’t been where they [were] and we have to get them better. I’ve made mistakes, the team has made mistakes so it’s been a journey, to say the least, but it hasn’t broken me. I love what I do. I have an intense desire to compete, to win and succeed at a high level and I know in time we’ll get back to our winning ways. I’m trying to be patient and I’ve been patient through those races and I’m hoping we can turn it around.”

    Even teammate Chase Elliott shared a similar outlook on the current situation at Hendrick Motorsports after a top-five finish at Pocono, saying, “We’re good, not great.”

    Kyle Busch waves a "200 Wins" flag in celebration of his 200th career victory in NASCAR's premier top touring series. Photo by Rachel Schuoler of Speedway Media.
    Kyle Busch waves a “200 Wins” flag in celebration of his 200th career victory in NASCAR’s premier top touring series. Photo by Rachel Schuoler of Speedway Media.

    Busch, however, shows no signs of slowing down and his team continues to be competitive week after week. He was one of the ‘Big 3’ contenders last year and is on track this year to become the best of the ‘Big 3’ in 2019.

    But, a Hall of Fame career is about more than wins. It encompasses a driver’s entire career, including the highs and lows.

    Tony Stewart, a 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, won his last championship in 2011 as a driver-owner, the first to do so since Alan Kulwicki in 1992. He was poised to win many more races and potentially another championship. The following year, his No. 14 car went to victory lane three more times. However, the final four years of his career resulted in just two more victories, including one that many will remember because of the final lap battle with Denny Hamlin at Sonoma.

    FOX announcer and racing legend Jeff Gordon didn’t have a Hall of Fame career every year he was behind the wheel. In the three years between 2008 and 2010, the Rainbow Warriors were victorious in just one race. Previously, he dominated the Cup schedule winning at least three races in all but three years of his first 15 years in NASCAR. He was able to find his groove again to win at least one race per year in his last five years of full-time racing and finished with 93 career wins in his Cup career.

    It is truly remarkable what Kyle Busch has been able to accomplish so far this year. ‘Rowdy’ won his 200th career victory across all three top series of NASCAR earlier this year in the Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway and went on to capture his 55th Cup win at Pocono. It will definitely be a few years before he can possibly match Earnhardt’s 76 wins, as there are still 39 other hungry drivers to beat each race.

    “It’s amazing to watch him and all of us that are in the sport at the same time as he is, I think we will be thankful later that we got to watch him because he is fantastic and unquestionably one of the best that’s ever strapped into a stock car,” NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio after Busch’s 55th win at Pocono.  

    But will he get there? He is certainly on track to do so. Regardless of what the future holds, Busch will undoubtedly one day take a seat in the Hall of Fame. We cannot and should not take his success for granted.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch started second at Pocono and led 79 laps on his way to the win in the Pocono 400. It was Busch’s fourth win of the season.

    “That was my 55th Cup win,” Busch said. “That ties me with Rusty Wallace for ninth on the all-time list. Rusty is a NASCAR legend. Anytime I’m on any list alongside Rusty Wallace, I’m thrilled unless that list is Ryan Newman’s ‘S’ list.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished seventh at Pocono as Penske Racing placed two cars in the top 10.

    “Penske Racing is still riding high from Josef Newgarden’s win in the Indianapolis 500 on May 26th,” Logano said. “Unfortunately, as the last two races suggest, Joe Gibbs Racing has been drinking our milk.”

    3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski took second at Pocono, posting his sixth top five of the season.

    “There was no catching Kyle Busch,” Keselowski said. “I was on his bumper one second; the next second, he was gone. Usually, when I say ‘Kyle Busch is out of my life,’ it brings me immense joy. Not so in this case.”

    4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex’s engine expired on Lap 91, ending his day at Pocono. He finished 35th and is seventh in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

    “What’s something that blew up at Pocono?” Truex said. “My engine. What’s something that didn’t blow up at Pocono? Television ratings for the race.”

    5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fourth at Pocono, posting his fifth consecutive top-five finish, the longest streak of his career.

    “Hendrick Motorsports still only has one win all season,” Elliott said. “Sure, it doesn’t stack up to Joe Gibbs Racing’s nine wins, or Penske Racing’s four, but Rick Hendrick told us not to be discouraged, and to look for motivation in the ‘small victories.’”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished sixth at Pocono as Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones finished first and third, respectively.

    “I ended a streak of four consecutive finishes of 15th or worse,” Hamlin said. “I’m happy because the last thing I want to be is the low man on the totem pole at JGR. To avoid that, I simply have to keep up with the ‘Jones’s.’”

    7. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 11th at Pocono.

    “My little brother Kyle won the race,” Busch said, “in a car sponsored by ‘Hazelnut Spread M&M’s.’ That’s amazing. I think there are now more types of M&M’s than there were passes for the lead on Sunday.”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was in contention late at Pocono before a penalty for an uncontrolled tire ruined his day. Things got even worse when mechanical problems arose soon after the penalty.

    “I was driving the Busch beer ‘Millennial’ car,” Harvick said. “Any rational observer would have thought Kyle Busch was driving the ‘Millennial’ car, what with the ‘Hazelnut Spread M&M’s’ logo splashed across it.”

    9. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer came home fifth in the Pocono 400, scoring his fifth top five of the season.

    “I’m pleased with our result,” Bowyer said. “The only person I wanted to punch after this race was the NASCAR official who implemented this rules package.”

    10. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 15th at Pocono and is now 11th in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

    “My Hendrick teammate William Byron won his second consecutive pole,” Bowman said. “That gives Hendrick a series-best six poles. So, our history of qualifying is sterling, but our history of winning is checkered.”

  • Kyle Busch is victorious on the Tricky Triangle in the Pocono 400

    Kyle Busch is victorious on the Tricky Triangle in the Pocono 400

    Despite the field seeking out more speed and track position with various pit strategies, Kyle Busch led 79 laps to win his 55th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway in the Pocono 500, tying Rusty Wallace on the all-time win list.

    “I just can’t say enough about everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing,” Busch said in Victory Lane. “Everybody that works there works so hard to build these awesome Camrys. We’ve had an amazing roll this year here so far. We’ve been doing well.

    “We feel like we’ve kind of given away a couple of wins that we thought we had a shot for, but overall, it’s been awesome to get back to Victory Lane here. Pocono’s been a struggle, but it’s a lot better now.”

    Busch’s fourth win of the season came after beating Brad Keselowski by 2.224 seconds. He led a few laps during pit cycles, but was able to fight his way up after the final restart to get close to Busch. His No. 2 Penske Ford wasn’t quite as strong.

    “We didn’t have speed enough to pass guys, but we could run with them,” Keselowski said. “We wanted a little bit more to be able to pass everybody, but you had to be so much faster that you just try to execute the best you can and hope things fall the right way. “They fell decent, just not good enough to win today.”

    Erik Jones finished in the third position, followed by Talladega winner Chase Elliott. Clint Bowyer completed the top five.

    “I feel like if Kyle [Busch] and I had been on four tires, we would’ve been pretty even,” Jones said with a positive outlook with his third place effort after a dead last finish in last weekend’s Coca-Cola 600. “Good day overall, it would have had to really be a perfect scenario for us to win today, but we had a good car. The Dewalt Camry was fast, and it was fast all weekend.”

    “We’ve been good, but not great,” Elliott shared with FOX Sports after the race when evaluating their current overall situation.

    Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, pole winner William Byron and Aric Almirola rounded out the top 10.

    Three front runners had struggles in the race. First, Kevin Harvick was in contention for the win, but a late race pit-road penalty changed their outcome. On Lap 124, they were caught with an uncontrolled tire and were forced to serve a pass-through penalty. Harvick dropped off the lead lap and finished his day at Pocono in the 22nd spot.

    Last week’s winner Martin Truex Jr. was victorious in three of the last five points-paying races. However, his attempt for his fourth win of the season fell short after 91 laps into the race when his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota went behind the wall with an engine issue. His team finished 35th for the day.

    The third driver who was a strong contender early in the race was Kyle Larson. The Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet driver led 35 laps and won the race’s first two stages. On a late race restart, Larson slapped the outside wall after contact with Clint Bowyer. He was forced to pit with damage to the right rear and at risk of blowing a tire. He finished one lap down in the 26th position.

    The weekend was a rough start for Erik Jones and Chris Buescher as they failed pre-qualifying inspection on Saturday. Since cars were impounded after Busch Pole Qualifying, the inspection also served as pre-race inspection. This resulted in the car chief for both teams being ejected for the race weekend, Jason Overstreet (No. 20) and Doug Powers (No. 37). Both drivers have been coming from strong recent finishes, with Jones finishing in the top-six in two of the last three races and Buescher with two consecutive top-10 results.

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races next weekend at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 9.

    Monster Energy Cup Series Race Number 14
    Race Results for the 38th Annual Pocono 400 – Sunday, June 2, 2019
    Pocono Raceway – Long Pond, PA – 2.5 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 160 Laps – 400. Miles

    Fin Str No Driver Team Laps S1Pos S2Pos Pts Status
    1 2 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Hazelnut Toyota 160 0 0 40 Running
    2 5 2 Brad Keselowski Wabash National Ford 160 3 4 50 Running
    3 4 20 Erik Jones DeWalt Toyota 160 0 0 34 Running
    4 12 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 160 0 0 33 Running
    5 3 14 Clint Bowyer Haas Automation Ford 160 0 0 32 Running
    6 6 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 160 0 0 31 Running
    7 16 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 160 8 2 42 Running
    8 9 41 Daniel Suarez Haas Automation Demo Days Ford 160 7 10 34 Running
    9 1 24 William Byron Hendrick Autoguard Chevrolet 160 2 3 45 Running
    10 13 10 Aric Almirola Valley Technical Academy Ford 160 5 0 33 Running
    11 21 1 Kurt Busch Monster Energy Chevrolet 160 0 6 31 Running
    12 17 12 Ryan Blaney Menards/Libman Ford 160 6 0 30 Running
    13 23 8 Daniel Hemric # Kalahari Resorts and Conventions Chevrolet 160 0 9 26 Running
    14 24 37 Chris Buescher Kroger Thrill of the Grill Chevrolet 160 0 8 26 Running
    15 15 88 Alex Bowman Axalta Chevrolet 160 0 0 22 Running
    16 19 6 Ryan Newman Wyndham Rewards Ford 160 0 5 27 Running
    17 22 95 Matt DiBenedetto Toyota Express Maintenance Toyota 160 0 0 20 Running
    18 14 21 Paul Menard Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 160 10 0 20 Running
    19 8 48 Jimmie Johnson Ally Chevrolet 160 0 0 18 Running
    20 28 34 Michael McDowell Dockside Logistics Ford 160 0 0 17 Running
    21 26 43 Bubba Wallace Victory Junction Chevrolet 160 0 7 20 Running
    22 11 4 Kevin Harvick Busch Light Father’s Day Ford 159 4 0 22 Running
    23 29 47 Ryan Preece # Kroger Chevrolet 159 0 0 14 Running
    24 32 15 Ross Chastain(i) Low T Center Chevrolet 159 0 0 0 Running
    25 34 51 Bayley Currey(i) Jacob Companies P-40 Warhawk Ford 159 0 0 0 Running
    26 7 42 Kyle Larson Credit One Bank Chevrolet 159 1 1 31 Running
    27 25 13 Ty Dillon GEICO Chevrolet 158 0 0 10 Running
    28 35 27 * Reed Sorenson VIPRacingExperience.com Chevrolet 157 0 0 9 Running
    29 36 77 Quin Houff Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 157 0 0 8 Running
    30 27 38 David Ragan ExploriaResorts.com Ford 156 0 0 7 Running
    31 31 0 Landon Cassill(i) Madison Group Chevrolet 154 0 0 0 Running
    32 18 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford 146 0 0 5 Accident
    33 30 36 Matt Tifft # Surface Sunscreen Ford 128 0 0 4 Running
    34 37 52 JJ Yeley Steakhouse Elite Chevrolet 110 0 0 3 Running
    35 20 19 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Toyota 91 9 0 4 Engine
    36 33 32 Corey LaJoie VisoneRV Ford 68 0 0 1 Accident
    37 10 3 Austin Dillon Dow Chevrolet 28 0 0 1 Accident
  • Five drivers to watch heading into the Pocono 400

    Five drivers to watch heading into the Pocono 400

    With the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular season halfway through, the drivers who are making an impact on the way to the Playoffs have either emerged or are about to. With Chevy drivers finally starting to hit their strides such as Kurt Busch, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman, it’s a safe bet to go with the Bowtie Brigade heading into Sunday.

    1. Alex Bowman

    Bowman is easily the hottest commodity in the Cup Series right now. With four consecutive top-10s including three straight runner-up finishes, he finally seems to be knocking on the door to Victory Lane. He came close at Kansas, leading 63 laps before losing the lead to Brad Keselowski, but with the series heading into Pocono, this may be the weekend for Bowman. He finished third there in last year’s Gander Outdoors 400, and with Chevy teams starting to show up at the front more often this season, the odds are in Bowman’s, Crew Chief Greg Ives’ and the No. 88 team’s favor.

    2. Kurt Busch

    Busch is obviously having fun in 2019, and it’s easy to tell. He wrapped up final practice for Sunday’s race with a 172.712 lap, which was the quickest of the session. The three-time Pocono winner is making his first trip to the Tricky Triangle with his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing team, for which he has already scored three top-fives and eight top-10s and sits eighth in the points heading into Sunday. What plays into Busch’s favor is that for the most part, despite his troubles (however few they have been this season), he has been at or near the front in almost every race in 2019.

    Busch and Matt McCall have melded quite well and it shows, with runs such as a fifth at Las Vegas and a third at Atlanta, that the team isn’t lacking in speed, and considering that Pocono is a big, fast, 2.5-mile racetrack, Busch is a strong bet to be in contention on Sunday.

    3. Daniel Suarez

    Although the Stewart-Haas Racing Fords haven’t had a victory yet in 2019, they’ve been consistent finishers who have been at or near the front, including Suarez. And with Pocono being one of Suarez’s strongest tracks, he could be a safe bet to be a contender on Sunday. Suarez, the 2018 Gander Outdoors 400 pole-sitter and runner-up, topped Friday morning’s first practice with a 171.798 lap. He also has an average start of 10.2 and an average finish of 12.0 in four starts, which although isn’t impressive, it is solid.

    The SHR Fords aren’t without speed, and with Billy Scott on top of the pit box, Suarez is sure to have another solid day at Pocono.

    4. Martin Truex Jr.

    There is hardly a place where Truex won’t contend or win at, and that includes Pocono, where he won in 2015 and 2018. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has won three times with Crew Chief Cole Pearn this season, including the most recent event at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600. The No. 19 Toyota has won early and often in 2019, with the team really hitting its stride in April and showing no signs of slowing.

    Truex holds five top-fives and 10 top-10s in 26 starts, including those two wins, and considering he’s at the beginning of a hot streak it’d be foolish not to bet on the No. 19 JGR Toyota to be at the front at some point during Sunday’s race.

    5. Chase Elliott

    Once again, with Chevy performance on the rise it’d only make sense to also bet on the one Chevy driver to win so far in 2019. Elliott has been quietly consistent in six Pocono starts, having earned five top-10s including a fourth in his first start there in 2016. The one race where he finished outside of the top-10 was later that year, where he crashed while battling Joey Logano for the lead. He finished 33rd that day, and although his average finish there is 12.0, had it not been for that crash it would have been much higher.

    Elliott has made it a point to master almost every type of track, and he has managed to put himself in contention almost everywhere. His relationship with Crew Chief Alan Gustafson has finally yielded the expected results, and with the confidence that this No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports crew has week in and week out, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Elliott continues to build on his winning ways Sunday in the Pocono 400.

    The Pocono 400 is Sunday on FS1, starting at 2 p.m. ET.

  • Weekend schedule for Pocono Raceway

    Weekend schedule for Pocono Raceway

    This weekend the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series head to Pocono Raceway. Martin Truex Jr. grabbed his third victory of the season last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway and is also the defending race winner for the Pocono 400.

    Kyle Busch won last year’s Xfinity Series Pocono Green 250 but will not compete in this week’s race. Instead, Jeffrey Earnhardt, who earned a career-best finish of third last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, will pilot the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, May 31
    1:05 – 1:55 p.m. – Xfinity Series First Practice (MRN) – NASCAR.com/live
    2:05 – 2:55 p.m. – Cup Series First Practice (MRN) – NASCAR.com/live
    3:05 – 3:55 p.m. – Xfinity Series Final Practice (FS2)
    4:05 – 4:55 p.m. – Cup Series Final Practice (FS2, MRN)

    Saturday, June 1
    10:05 a.m. – Xfinity Series Qualifying (Impound) Single vehicle/One lap – All positions (FS1)
    11:35 a.m. – Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) Single vehicle/One lap – All positions (FS1, MRN)
    1 p.m. – Xfinity Series Pocono Green 250 (Stages 25/50/100 = 100 laps/250 miles) (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

    Sunday, June 2
    2 p.m. – Cup Series Pocono 400 (Stages 50/100/160 = 160 laps/400 miles) (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.: Despite contact with the wall in Stage 1, Truex recovered and sealed the win at Charlotte with a daring four-wide pass for the lead on the final restart.

    “What better advocate for going ‘four-wide’ than Joe Gibbs,” Truex said. “Joe made the ‘four wide receiver’ set commonplace in the NFL of the 1990s.

    “I’m just glad my move didn’t cause an accident. The last thing we need is another upset driver punching another. Of course, my teammate is Kyle Busch, so I can definitely understand the desire to punch someone. His brother Kurt may have an even more punchable face. In fact, Kurt’s face has been‘rearranged’ before, when a plastic surgeon downsized his ears.”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished third in Charlotte and leads the Monster Energy Cup points standings by six over Joey Logano.

    “This race lasted a grueling five hours,” Busch said. “It’s grueling for drivers, but even more grueling for a crew chief who has to listen to his driver complain for nearly all of those five hours.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano took the runner-up spot in the Coca-Cola 600.

    “I got close to Martin Truex Jr. at the end,” Logano said, “but not close enough to give him the old ‘bump and run,’ the ‘run’ of which means I run and hide afterward. But he did a great job defending his position. He had the best car, and I wasn’t going to pass him. And, as they say, ‘there was no way around it.’”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski won Stages 1 and 2 at Charlotte, but blew a tire and slammed the wall with 10 laps to go. He finished 19th, two laps back.

    “The No. 2 Miller Lite was dominant in the first two stages,” Keselowski said, “but certainly not in the last stage. But ‘the No. 2’ out of 3 ain’t bad.”

    5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fourth at Charlotte, recording his fifth top five of the season.

    “The Sunday before Memorial Day is the greatest day in motorsports,” Elliott said. “Fans on the East Coast can enjoy breakfast at Monaco, lunch at Indianapolis, and an appetizer, nice dinner, desert, and a bedtime snack at Charlotte.”

    6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 10th at Charlotte, and is third in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 50 out of first.

    “Congratulations to Tony Stewart on his Hall Of Fame induction,” Harvick said. “Boy, I can’t wait to hear Tony’s induction speech. It will probably be four letters long.”

    7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 17th at Charlotte.

    “I hit the wall in Stage 2,” Hamlin said, “then hit it harder on the race’s final lap. Luckily, cars and drivers are equipped with so many safety devices, you really can’t feel the impact. Someone should remind Clint Bowyer of that.”

    8. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 24th in the Coca Cola 600.

    “You probably saw me punching Ryan Newman after the All-Star race,” Bowyer said. “I didn’t even let Ryan get out of his car! Needless to say, Ryan said he ‘won’t take this sitting down.’”

    9. Alex Bowman: Bowman started 13th and finished seventh at Charlotte, and is 10th in the points standings.

    “My Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron started on the pole,” Bowman said, “becoming the youngest ever on the pole at for the 600. He was ecstatic. He was on ‘Cloud 9.’ Several decades ago, you could have said he was ‘sitting on the top of the World 600.’”

    10. Kurt Busch: Busch struggled at Charlotte, finishing 27th, four laps down.

    “Charlotte Flair drove the pace car for the race,” Busch said. “As you probably know, Charlotte Flair is the daughter of wrestling legend Ric Flair. Incidentally, ‘Charlotte Flair’ is also the name of the downtown Charlotte club where you’re most likely to find Michael Waltrip.”

  • Truex scores second Coca-Cola 600 win at Charlotte

    Truex scores second Coca-Cola 600 win at Charlotte

    Martin Truex Jr. scored his third win of 2019 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night, as he won his second Coca-Cola 600 by .330 of a second over Joey Logano. Truex had the dominant car of the evening, leading 116 laps after starting 14th, although he had to overcome a cut tire and contact with the wall on Lap 75 when he brought out the caution while leading.

    Truex had his hands full on the last restart with five laps left, when he restarted third behind David Ragan and Ryan Newman after pitting for fresh tires. Third-place finisher Kyle Busch restarted fourth, and after a strong restart, Busch appeared to be in position to take the lead until Truex made a four-wide pass for the lead on the backstretch and didn’t look back. Chase Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top-five.

    “What a hell of a team,” Truex said. “We never gave up on it. I thought we were done. We blew a tire and hit the wall. We never gave up on it. I thought we were done. Just kept fighting, just kept fighting. What a race there at the end. That was pretty wild.”

    Logano was disappointed with second place but proud of his team’s efforts.

    “The Coke 600 is such a big deal to win,” he said, “especially as a Coke driver. You want to make it happen and we were close, but we’ll just have to wait again to next year and go at it. 

    “I thought we had a good shot when that caution came back out. That was another chance and just didn’t quite get it, but overall, like I said, very proud of it. As far as Memorial Day Weekend and getting to race is a privilege, so for me to complain about second sounds pretty dumb.  I’m proud to live in this country and I’m happy that I just get to race.”

    Busch, who earned his seventh top-five of the season, said, “I thought that through much of the race we had a fast car. We were there. We led some laps, we ran around. The 4 (Harvick) was fast, the 19 (Truex) was fast. The 19 was the fastest car, so I’m not sure what they had different than us, but obviously we were just off a little bit. Otherwise, I felt like we had a race-winning car capable of at least running second, I guess, but overall the red, white and blue M&M’s Camry was fast, and we brought it home where we should have – or close anyway, I think.”

    Chris Buescher, Alex Bowman, Jimmie Johnson, William Byron, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-10. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stops at Pocono Raceway next on June 2 at 2 p.m. ET on FS1.

    The race had 16 cautions for 80 laps, the majority of which were due to tire issues. Several drivers such as Truex, Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones, Matt DiBenedetto, and Brad Keselowski all made contact with the wall after having tire issues. However, the race’s biggest caution happened on Lap 317 when Clint Bowyer and Kyle Larson made contact that collected Austin and Ty Dillon as well as Ryan Preece. Larson’s and Austin Dillon’s days ended after the incident.

    “I just got in there and lost grip and slid up into Clint,” said Larson. “I just hate that I caused the wreck there. I didn’t do a good job on the restart. Just put myself in a bad spot and got sideways.”

    The race saw 30 lead changes among 11 drivers, with many on social media proclaiming positive reviews on the event which further enforces the idea that the current aero package is a step in the right direction. This comes after two of the previous three Coke 600s were won by drivers who led over 375 of the 400 laps (Busch won in ’18 after leading 377 laps and Truex won in ’16 after leading 392 laps).