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NASCAR Cup Series

  • Michigan apparently a not-so-friendly reminder to NASCAR teams that the regular season is about to end

    Michigan apparently a not-so-friendly reminder to NASCAR teams that the regular season is about to end

    Did anyone else find it fascinating concerning what all can happen in the space of a month?

    Here are a few examples:

    A. I personally went from “productive citizen” to “hooray, I’m stuck in my home because I get to wear an oxygen line leash!” thanks to Covid.

    B. The Allies went from storming the beaches at Normandy on June 6 to controlling a significant portion of France four weeks later.

    C. And finally, Harry Gant won all four September races in 1991. He didn’t equate this to a championship, but hey, I thought it would be neat to bring up Mr. September.

    What’s happened so far in August?

    1. Well, in case we have all forgotten, we had something of a snoozer of an event at Watkins Glen, where, on top of us being quietly reminded that the outgoing NASCAR machinery really doesn’t have much of any place on a flat-ish road course (hooray for the incoming Next-Gen cars!). Practically every driver on the track burst a rotator cuff in their attempts at being “gentlemen drivers” in how furiously and happily they waved Kyle Larson to the front.

    2. Do I dare bring up the Indy road course debacle from last week/Scene 24? On top of being reminded…again…concerning how poorly the old, paltry downforce Model T NASCAR machinery does on flat road courses or even flat tracks for that matter. We also had the completely unfamiliar specter to process that with a handful of laps to go. There was a mildly alarming realization that the Turn 6 curbing was now actively wrecking the drivers.

    Concerning the “amateur hour” that unfolded afterward, it definitely appeared that something had gone horribly awry with the Turn 6 curbing, but shouting at our TV’s only works 50% of the time in making people onscreen listen to what we’re telling them to do or not to do. In this case, it was readily apparent that something had gone “Exxon Valdez”-level of wrong with that curbing. This reminds me of another D-Day invasion story, where a Tiger tank got past an Allied artillery station because whoever was manning it was busily relieving himself, and the Tiger knocked out several American tanks.

    At any rate, we all saw the show that unfolded afterward, including the truly genius decision to leave the perpendicular secondary curbing/Robby Gordon Super Stadium Truck Series jump ramp in place for the remaining few laps. After the lethal primary curbing had been unceremoniously removed, a wee bit of vehicular carnage presented itself as entertainment.

    Side notes for Indy:

    • Chase Briscoe gets punted off of turn one by Denny Hamlin (who was previously punted into Briscoe by someone else), and Hamlin is then somewhat shocked to discover that Briscoe just might retaliate only against the person who was punting the No. 14? Uh, okay.
    • Concerning the No. 14 “non-retaliation,” and “Briscoe has never done anything like this ever before!” No, he’s probably done it, it’s just that he’s never been this blatant and caught. Kudos to his explanation concerning what happened afterward, almost as if someone else (space aliens?) took control of his car and forced him to run into the back of Hamlin.
    • Yes, Indy happened almost two weeks ago, but I thought it would be better if I took an extra week to write about that. As my inner misanthrope was dominating any conversation I had immediately after that event, especially taking into account that the race probably should have ended after the first big curbing wreck that took out many competitors. But then again, it was nice to see Allmendinger in victory lane, so my thoughts are mixed.

    3. Michigan, however, that was the turnaround. Oh, hey, NASCAR teams finally remembered that the end of this season was two weekends away, and then proceeded to try to make up for 20-something weekends of coasting through the 2021 regular season all in one race. As everyone was racing for the lead, to the point where it looked like even the pace car was beating and banging to try to stay ahead of everyone else.

    Okay, I might be exaggerating slightly.

    Michigan notes: Um, can someone remind me as to why Austin Dillon has a full-time ride in NASCAR? And why is he parked in a car that has the legendary No. 3 on the side?

    Asking for a friend.

    4. The regular-season finale is Saturday night, in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. This is NASCAR’s original crash fest track and what a way to close out the regular season, practically the rest of the entire field (you know, pretty every team out there not already locked into the NASCAR Championship). This event has a distinct flavor…hint…feeling of October 2011, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, another season-ending event with a huge potential payoff for the winner, a track that was hosting cars that were probably too fast for the venue. A monster crash occurred with that year’s Indy 500 winner taken from us far too early in one of Indycar’s most horrible incidents.

    Not that I’m suggesting that there are too many elements of potential panic being pushed into one five-pound bag, but judging by the race full of Hail Marys being thrown last weekend at Michigan, this weekend doesn’t suggest, in the slightest, that this won’t be toned down for this night time Daytona bookend to the 2021 regular season, which promises to be one for the highlight reels for all the wrong reasons.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Larson: Larson finished third at Michigan and heads to Daytona looking to clinch the regular-season title.

    “I lead all drivers in wins,” Larson said. “I’m the leader in the points standings. And I’m the favorite to win the Cup championship. Need I say more? No. Which in my case is good.”

    2. Chase Elliott: Elliott won Stage 1 and finished eighth in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan.

    “Being out front was the key at Michigan,” Elliott said. “You can’t underestimate the importance of clean air. ‘Dirty air’ is what you get when you’re behind the leader, or when you listen to Kyle Busch on his team radio.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin came home fifth at Michigan.

    “I’m still winless,” Hamlin said, “but I still have a shot at the regular-season championship. Even if I don’t win it, I can still take comfort in knowing that, with zero wins this season after seven last season, it has, indeed, been a regular season.”

    4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex suffered early damage to the left rear of his car, which caused major handling issues.

    “That contact was caused by Kyle Busch,” Truex said. “Like most drivers, I try to avoid contact with Kyle under all circumstances. That means on the track, in team functions, and in public. Aside from that, we have a great working relationship.”

    5. William Byron: Byron just missed taking his second win this year, losing to Ryan Blaney by just .077.

    “It sucks to lose by such a slim margin,” Byron said. “Heck, I’d just as soon finish last than lose by so tiny a margin. So, this may very well be the first time someone actually wished they were Joey Gase.”

    6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick struggled with handling issues early and was never a threat to win at Michigan. He finished 14th and remains winless on the year.

    “I won nine times last year,” Harvick said. “And I swept both races at MIS last year. So, I was highly optimistic I could win on Sunday. But I didn’t and I’m very disappointed. On the bright side, I wasn’t obligated to take a sip of Busch Light Apple in Victory Circle.”

    7. Kyle Busch: Busch overshot his pit stall on the final pit sequence, ruining his chances for victory at Michigan. He finished seventh, one of three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in the top 10.

    “That was totally my fault,” Busch said, “and I can’t tell you how angry I am at myself. I came in a little hot; I came out a little hotter.”

    8. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 16th at Michigan while Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott finished 2, 3, and 8, respectively.

    “Daytona is up next on the schedule,” Bowman said. “It’s the last race before the playoffs, and with one playoff spot left, you can imagine how wild it could be at Daytona. As you would expect in Florida, fans refuse to mask their excitement.”

    9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney took the lead on the final restart at Michigan and held on for the win, edging William Byron by .077.

    “It’s always a big deal when a Ford wins at Michigan,” Blaney said. “And that happens a lot. It’s a bigger deal when Ford wins something of consequence. That doesn’t happen a lot.”

    10. Joey Logano: Logano was caught up in a crash on a late restart, leaving his No. 22 Ford with right-front suspension damage. His day was done, and Logano finished 33rd.

    “Congratulations to my Penske Racing teammate Ryan Blaney on his win,” Logano said. “He won by a nose over William Byron. Austin Dillon lost by a nose over Brad Keselowski.”

  • Blaney steals the show with a late victory at Michigan

    Blaney steals the show with a late victory at Michigan

    The outside lane at Michigan International Speedway was the preferred lane for many at Michigan International Speedway, but the inside lane prevailed at the right time for Ryan Blaney. The High Point, North Carolina, native received a push from Kyle Busch to overtake and beat William Byron in an eight-lap dash to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 at the Irish Hills on Sunday, August 22.

    The victory was Blaney’s second of the season and his first since winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.

    The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Cup event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Cup race. With that, Kyle Larson, the regular-season points leader, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with teammate Chase Elliott.

    Prior to the event, Josh Berry and Joey Gase started at the rear of the field due to driver changes from their respective machines.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, teammates Larson and Elliott dueled dead even until Ryan Blaney issued a challenge on the inside lane through the first turn. Through the backstretch, however, Larson was able to pull ahead on the outside lane as he went on to lead the first lap ahead of Matt DiBenedetto.

    Meanwhile, Kurt Busch powered his way into third while Elliott was challenged by Kevin Harvick for fourth place. Behind, Ryan Blaney slipped back into the top 10 as Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin and others moved up the leaderboard.

    On the third lap, DiBenedetto, who challenged Larson for the lead early, led the third lap before Larson took it back. Through the backstretch and entering Turn 4, Kurt Busch then moved into the runner-up spot over DiBenedetto as Elliott started to reel in the leaders. Just behind the top-four competitors were Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, both of whom were battling for a top-five spot ahead of Alex Bowman.

    Through the first five laps, Larson continued to lead by nearly two-tenths of a second over Kurt Busch. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. was mired back in 33rd after he sustained left-rear quarterpanel damage to his No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry.

    By Lap 10, Larson’s No. 5 Cincinnati Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was leading by nearly four-tenths of a second over Kurt Busch’s No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE while DiBenedetto, Elliott and Hamlin were in the top five. Harvick was in sixth followed by Bowman, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. William Byron was in 11th ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Blaney was back in 13th ahead of Chris Buescher and Erik Jones, who announced his return to Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2022 season. Ryan Newman was in 16th ahead of rookie Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Christopher Bell. Aric Almirola was in 21st ahead of Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, Michael McDowell was in 24th, Bubba Wallace was in 26th and Cole Custer was in 29th. 

    When the competition caution flew on Lap 20, Larson, who has led all but one of the scheduled laps, was the leader by nearly half a second over Kurt Busch. By then, Byron moved into the top 10 while Blaney and Harvick fell back to 12th and 16th. Truex, meanwhile, was still mired in 33rd.

    Under the competition caution, the leaders pitted and Hamlin emerged with the lead after only opting for fuel under his first pit stop. Larson, who elected for a two-tire pit stop, exited in second followed by Kurt Busch, Elliott, Bowman and Reddick.

    When the race restarted on Lap 25, Hamlin, who restarted on the outside lane, received a push from Larson to muscled away from Elliott, who elected to restart on the inside lane on the front row. Elliott, though, was able to settle in the runner-up spot ahead of teammate Larson through the backstretch.

    Two laps later, Elliott thundered his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE into the lead over Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry. Behind, Kurt Busch overtook Larson for fourth while Reddick settled in fifth.

    The following lap, Kurt Busch drag-raced and battled Hamlin for the runner-up spot, but Hamlin managed to prevail on the outside lane through the first two turns. Behind, Joey Logano challenged Larson for fourth, but he lost his momentum in Turn 4 and fell back to sixth ahead of Byron and Bowman.

    Through the first 30 laps of the event, Elliott was leading by nearly four-tenths of a second over Hamlin while Larson, Kurt Busch and Reddick battled in the top five. Byron moved up to sixth ahead of Logano, Bowman, DiBenedetto and Austin Dillon.

    Shortly after, the caution flew when Joey Gase wrecked in Turn 2. Under caution, few like Daniel Suarez pitted while the rest led by Elliott remained on the track.

    When the race restarted on Lap 35, Elliott and Kurt Busch battled dead even for the lead through the first turn and the backstretch until Elliott managed to pull ahead in Turn 3. Behind, Hamlin, who received a push from Logano through Turn 4, moved up to second while Logano moved his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang in front of Kurt Busch for third the following lap. The next lap after, Larson overtook Kurt Busch for fourth in Turn 3 while Austin Dillon, a competitor battling for a Playoff spot and who opted for four fresh tires under the competition caution, challenged Busch for fifth. 

    Nearing the first 40 laps of the event and with the field jostling for positions, Elliott was leading by three-tenths of a second over Hamlin and Logano. Larson and Austin Dillon were in the top five followed by Kurt Busch, DiBenedetto, Blaney, Byron and Brad Keselowski. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch, Harvick and Truex were in 12th, 13th and 16th while Tyler Reddick was back in 15th.

    With the race surpassing the Lap 50 mark, Elliott was leading by half a second over Austin Dillon. Hamlin, Logano and Larson were in the top five followed by Byron and DiBenedetto while Kurt Busch fell back to eighth ahead of brother Kyle and Blaney.

    Back at the front, Austin Dillon and Larson started to reel in on Elliott for the lead. Despite the challenge, though, Elliott was able to maintain the lead and claim his second stage victory of the season by winning the first stage on Lap 60. Behind, Larson managed to edge Dillon at the line to settle in second while Hamlin held off Byron to retain fourth. Logano, DiBenedetto, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Keselowski settled in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Larson exited with the lead following a stellar four-tire pit stop. Elliott followed in second ahead of Austin Dillon, Suarez (who opted for two fresh tires), Logano and Kyle Busch while Hamlin, who pitted from fourth place, fell back to 10th. Prior to the restart, Logano returned to pit road to have the lug nuts on his car tightened.

    The second stage started on Lap 66 as Larson and Austin Dillon started on the front row. At the start, Larson and Dillon battled dead even for the lead for a full lap until Larson prevailed on the outside lane through Turn 1. With Larson clear in the lead, teammate Elliott moved up to second over Dillon, who was being challenged by DiBenedetto for more.

    Behind, contact from DiBenedetto got Kurt Busch loose in Turn 3. While Busch prevented the car from spinning, he fell out of the top 10 and was mired near the midfield and around a bevy of cars. At the front, though, Larson continued to lead ahead of teammate Elliott, Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch and Suarez.

    By Lap 75, a three-way battle for the lead ensued as Larson, the leader, was pressured by Austin Dillon and Elliott for the top spot, all three of whom were separated by approximately three-tenths of a second. Kyle Busch was up in fourth followed by DiBenedetto, Keselowski, Christopher Bell, Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and Harvick.

    Five laps later, Elliott motored his way back into the lead.

    At the halfway mark on Lap 100, Elliott continued to lead by a narrow margin over teammate Larson. Austin Dillon settled in third ahead of Kyle Busch and Bell while Hamlin was in sixth. DiBenedetto, Byron, Keselowski and Blaney were in the top 10.

    Not long after, pit stops under green commenced as names like Harvick, Byron, Stenhouse, rookie Chase Briscoe and Bowman pitted. By Lap 110, Larson surrendered the lead to pit. The following lap, Elliott also pitted. A few laps later, Kyle Busch and Hamlin pitted, but Hamlin slid past his pit box while trying to enter his stall. During the pit stops, Ross Chastain took his car to the garage due to a fire in the rear end of his No. 42 Moose Fraternity Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

    Back on the track and with the green flag pit stops concluding, Kyle Busch, who pitted three and four laps later than Larson and Elliott, cycled to the lead. Bell was in second while Larson and Elliott closed in and challenged Hamlin for third.

    Utilizing his pit strategy to perfection, Kyle Busch cruised to his fifth stage victory of the season after winning the second stage on Lap 120. Teammate Bell settled in second followed by Larson, Elliott and Hamlin. Behind, Austin Dillon nipped Keselowski for sixth, but then, Dillon’s strong day evaporated after contact from Keselowski sent Dillon head-on into the Turn 4 outside wall, where his car nearly flipped, before coming to a rest below the apron. The damage to the No. 3 Chevrolet was enough to terminate Dillon’s run for the day and put a huge dent to his Playoff hopes, though he will have a final opportunity to make the postseason next weekend at Daytona International Speedway. 

    “I was just trying to get as many stage points as I could get right there and did a good job of side-drafting and came down to the apron and I’ve seen just one quick replay, but it was after the start/finish line,” Dillon said at the infield care center on NBCSN. “I was starting to come up off the apron because it’s so rough down there. But I figured by that point, [Keselowski] would have given me a little room. I hate it. I’m thankful that the good Lord kept me safe today. That was a heck of a wreck, but I feel fine.

    “I hate it for BREZTRI and my guys, most of all,” Dillon added. “They built a rocket ship. They really wanted this one, and I did too. Just working our tails off right there. I think we would have had a shot to do something there at the end with our race car. It’s the best race car we’ve brought to the track at [Richard Childress Racing] this year, I feel like. It’s just a bummer but we’ve got Daytona left and I just hate it. I don’t know why it happened, really. I thought I had a little room to come up and he just held me down there a little bit too long, I guess.”

    In the midst of the incident, Reddick, Byron and DiBenedetto rounded out the top-10 stage points positions in the second stage.

    Under the stage break, names like Kyle Busch, Wallace, Elliott, Hamlin, Bell and Erik Jones pitted while the rest led by Larson remained on the track.

    With 74 laps remaining, the final stage started as Larson and Kurt Busch started on the front row. At the start, Larson and Kurt Busch battled dead even for the lead for a full lap, where Busch led for the first time before Larson received a push from teammate Byron to grab the lead through the first two turns. Behind, Byron motored his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE into the runner-up spot while Busch fell back to third ahead of Blaney, DiBenedetto and Truex.

    With 60 laps remaining, Larson was leading by a tenth of a second over teammate Byron while Kurt Busch, Blaney and Bowman were in the top five. Truex, following his early issues, was up in sixth ahead of teammate Hamlin, DiBenedetto, Logano and Reddick. Kyle Busch was mired back in 11th, Elliott was in 14th ahead of Harvick, Keselowski was back in 18th and Bell was in 21st.

    Down to the final 50 laps of the event and with overcast clouds hovering above the track, Larson continued to lead by nearly four-tenths of a second over teammate Byron. Kurt Busch and Blaney remained in third and fourth while Truex was up in fifth ahead of teammate Hamlin, Bowman and Logano.

    Nearing the final 40 laps of the event, names like Elliott, Byron, Bowman and Blaney pitted under green. During this time, Larson, who ran out of fuel, pitted along with Kurt Busch, but he was overtaken by teammate Byron on the track.

    Under the final 40 laps, Hamlin emerged with the lead followed by teammate Truex while Logano, Kyle Busch and Reddick were in the top five. Not long after, Logano pitted along with Harvick and Truex.

    With 35 laps remaining, Hamlin pitted as teammate Kyle Busch took the lead. Following Hamlin’s pit service, teammates Byron and Larson managed to overtake him on the track. Three laps later, Kyle Busch pitted along with Elliott, thus giving the lead to Keselowski as Chris Buescher was in second and Bell was in third, all of whom were among some who needed to pit.

    With 20 laps remaining, the caution flew due to precipitation reported on the track. Five laps earlier, Byron emerged with the lead after Keselowski and Bell pitted, thus completing the cycle of green-flag pit stops. Teammate Larson moved up to second followed by Hamlin, Kurt Busch and Blaney.

    Under caution, some led by Keselowski pitted while the rest led by Byron remained on the track.

    Down to the final 14 laps of the event, the race restarted under green as Byron and Kurt Busch started on the front row. At the start, the field stacked up past the start/finish line, but Byron received a push from teammate Larson to retain the lead through the first turn. 

    As the field fanned out through the backstretch, Hamlin aggressively charged his way into the runner-up spot over Larson while Reddick made a bold four-wide move on Logano, Kurt Busch and Blaney entering Turn 3 in a bid to gain spots towards his Playoff hopes. Then, through Turns 3 and 4, Reddick slowly drifted up the track and got loose in front of Logano, who got sideways and turned by Truex. The spin by Logano ignited a chain-reaction wreck that involved Bell, Josh Berry, McDowell and Ryan Newman. The incident drew the caution back on the circuit. 

    With eight laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start and with the leaders battling dead even, Blaney, who restarted as the first competitor on the inside lane, received a huge shove from Kyle Busch to assume the lead in the first turn ahead of Byron as the field fanned out.

    A lap later, Reddick spun in Turn 3, but the race remained under green. Back at the front, Blaney continued to lead by a narrow margin over Byron, Larson and Kurt Busch. Behind, Briscoe overtook Hamlin for fifth. 

    Down to the final five laps of the event, the top-seven competitors were separated by half a second as Blaney, the leader, had Larson closing in on his rear bumper through the first two turns along with Byron, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Briscoe and DiBenedetto. 

    A lap later, Kurt Busch, who challenged Byron for third, wiggled in Turn 2 and lost his momentum before he was hit by Briscoe. Despite the contact, all competitors continued straight. A turn later, DiBenedetto shoved Hamlin out of the way on the inside lane, which sent Hamlin up the track in front of Briscoe, all of whom continued without wrecking.

    Back at the front, Larson issued a challenge beneath Blaney, but he could not carry the momentum in Turn 1. Two turns later, Byron passed teammate Larson for the runner-up spot as he started to intimidate Blaney for the lead.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap of the race occurred, Blaney was still leading ahead of Byron and Larson, both of whom were setting up a final challenge on Blaney for the top spot. Through the first turn and the backstretch, Byron gained a draft but was unable to execute a dive run on Blaney entering Turn 3. Through Turns 3 and 4, Byron tried another move from the outside lane, but the run came too late as Blaney edged Byron by 0.077 seconds to capture his first victory in the Irish Hills and in an upset fashion.

    In addition to capturing his second victory of the season and first at Michigan, Blaney achieved his sixth win in the NASCAR Cup Series and his first multi-victory season in the Cup circuit. He also recorded the seventh consecutive Cup victory for the Ford nameplate at Michigan.

    “We got a great push by [Kyle Busch] on the restart and was able to get clear there,” Blaney, who led the final eight laps, said on NBCSN. “Michigan’s a matter of pretty much wide open and just trying to play the air game. I hate you have to race that way, but that’s how you have to run. It worked out for us. Man, I’m proud of everybody on the No. 12 team. We weren’t great to start the day off and yeah, kept working and working, got a lot better. It’s so cool to get in Victory Lane for Ford here. This is such a huge one for Ford. That was cool, man. I’m fired up.”

    Behind, Byron, who led 18 laps, settled in the runner-up spot while Larson, who led a race-high 71 laps and was aiming for his fourth victory at Michigan, ended up in third.

    “[Hamlin] tried to shove us into [Turn] 1 and I had to stay with him to not sacrifice my right rear,” Byron said. “Once you get put three-wide middle, it’s game over. I gave up the lead trying to protect the top [lane] and just didn’t have the loyalty there to push me to the lead. Overall, a really good car. The AXALTA Chevrolet was extremely fast. Definitely, I know we can bring that to the Playoffs. It stinks to finish second, but I feel like we had a really good car to go to battle with.

    “Yeah, the restart worked out a little better than I thought it was going to for me,” Larson said. “[Hamlin] tried to stick [Byron] three-wide. They got loose. I got to the middle. I think came out third or something there. Was able to get to second. Just made a couple bad moves, I guess. I think honestly just a little too patient behind [Blaney]. Could have made some later, you know, dives I guess to the inside. Who knows. I need to watch the replay.

    “Just made a couple wrong moves, allowed William to get by me. Once I was in third, I hoped they would get racing, get side drafted. I was never close enough to William to help him generate a run on [Blaney]. Ended up third. A good points day. Wish we could have had more, but all in all a good day for the Cincinnati Chevy.”

    Kurt Busch came home in fourth ahead of Hamlin while DiBenedetto, Kyle Busch, Elliott, Keselowski and Truex finished in the top 10.

    Despite finishing 14th, Kevin Harvick clinched his spot into the Playoffs based on points.

    There were 20 lead changes for 11 different leaders. The race six featured cautions for 29 laps.

    With one race remaining until the 2021 Cup Playoffs commences, Larson continues to lead the regular-season standings by 28 points over Denny Hamlin. Currently, 13 competitors (Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, Aric Almirola and Michael McDowell) are guaranteed Playoff spots based on winning at least once throughout the regular season.

    Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are also guaranteed spots in the Playoffs based on points.

    Tyler Reddick, meanwhile, occupies the 16th and final berth to the Playoffs by 25 points over teammate Austin Dillon, with Matt DiBenedetto trailing by 120 points, Chris Buescher by 135, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by 173, Ross Chastain by 185, Bubba Wallace by 195, Chase Briscoe by 227, Erik Jones by 250, Daniel Suarez by 254, Ryan Newman by 271, Ryan Preece by 279, Cole Custer by 295, Corey LaJoie by 370 and Anthony Alfredo by 440.

    Results:

    1. Ryan Blaney, eight laps led

    2. William Byron, 18 laps led

    3. Kyle Larson, 71 laps led

    4. Kurt Busch, one lap led

    5. Denny Hamlin, 10 laps led

    6. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap led

    7. Kyle Busch, 13 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    8. Chase Elliott, 68 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    9. Brad Keselowski, six laps led

    10. Martin Truex Jr.

    11. Chase Briscoe 

    12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    13. Christopher Bell

    14. Kevin Harvick

    15. Chris Buescher

    16. Alex Bowman

    17. Aric Almirola

    18. Erik Jones

    19. Bubba Wallace

    20. Michael McDowell

    21. Ryan Preece

    22. Daniel Suarez

    23. Cole Custer

    24. Ryan Newman

    25. Justin Haley

    26. Josh Berry

    27. Cody Ware, one lap down

    28. BJ McLeod, two laps down

    29. Tyler Reddick, two laps down

    30. Quin Houff, four laps down

    31. Josh Bilicki, five laps down

    32. Garrett Smithley, six laps down

    33. Joey Logano – OUT, Dvp

    34. Anthony Alfredo, 22 laps down

    35. Ross Chastain, 48 laps down

    36. Austin Dillon – OUT, Accident

    37. Joey Gase – OUT, Accident

    The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season will cap off its regular-season stretch next weekend at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and where the 16-car Playoff field will be determined. The event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, August 28, at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. 

  • Weekend schedule for Michigan and Gateway

    Weekend schedule for Michigan and Gateway

    This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Michigan International Speedway. The Camping World Truck Series will compete at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway for the first race in their Playoffs.

    There are five regular-season races left in the Xfinity Series.

    Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider have already clinched a spot in the Xfinity postseason 12-driver field.

    Xfinity Series drivers who can secure their spot with a win include Brandon Brown, Harrison Burton, Jeremy Clements, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Riley Herbst, Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones and Ryan Sieg.

    Landon Cassill, Alex Labbe, Tommy Joe Martins and Josh Williams could clinch a spot in the Xfinity Playoffs with a win and some help.

    There are only two open spots in the Cup Series postseason. Aric Almirola, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell and Martin Truex Jr. have each qualified for the Playoffs.

    Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Darrell Wallace Jr., Chase Briscoe, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Corey Lajoie, Anthony Alfredo can clinch with a win.

    Harvick, the defending race winner, can also earn a spot in the Playoffs with 44 points.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 20 – Michigan

    4 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series practice – No TV
    6 p.m.: ARCA Series Henry Ford Health System 200 at Michigan
    100 Laps/200 Miles
    Trackpass/MRN

    Friday, August 20 – WWT Raceway at Gateway

    8:50 p.m.: Driver Intros
    9 p.m.: Truck Series Toyota 200 presented by CK Power at Gateway
    Stages 55/110/160 laps = 200 Miles
    Pole: Austin Hill
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, August 21 – Michigan

    3:05 p.m.: Driver Intros
    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series New Holland 250 at Michigan
    Stages 30/60/125 Laps = 250 Miles
    Pole: Austin Cindric
    NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN

    Sunday, August 22 – Michigan

    2:30: Driver Intros
    3 p.m.: Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan
    Stages 60/120/200 Laps = 400 miles
    Pole: Kyle Larson
    NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN

    Michigan Intl. Speedway Data

    Track Size: 2-miles
    Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 18 degrees
    Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 18 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  3,600 feet
    Backstretch Length:  2,242 feet

    Michigan Qualifying Data

    Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet (206.558 mph, 34.857 secs.) on August 17, 2014.
    2020 Michigan pole winner: Qualifying canceled due to COVID-19.  The starting lineup was decided by a random draw.

    • Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active NCS drivers in Michigan starts with 40 each.
    • Tyler Reddick leads all active NCS drivers in average starting position at with an 8.500 in two starts.
    • Seven of the 50 NCS Michigan pole winners are active this weekend.  Joey Logano (4), Kurt Busch (3), Brad Keselowski (2), Denny Hamlin (1), Kevin Harvick (1), Kyle Larson (1), and Ryan Newman (1).
    • Joey Logano (2013, 2016 sweep, 2019) leads all active NCS drivers in poles at Michigan with four; followed by Kurt Busch (2010, 2011 and 2018) with three.
    • The youngest series Michigan pole winner is Joey Logano (August 16, 2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 23 days).
    • Nine different manufacturers have won a pole at Michigan in the NCS.  Ford leads the series in poles at Michigan with 31, followed by Chevrolet (27), Mercury (10), Dodge (nine), Pontiac (eight), Toyota (six), Buick (three), Plymouth (two) and Oldsmobile (one).

    Michigan Race Data

    Track race record: Dale Jarrett, Ford (173.997 mph, 2:17:56) on June 13, 1999.
    2020 Michigan race winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (124.712 mph, (02:34:55) on August 8, 2020.

    • A total of 38 different drivers have won in the NCS at Michigan with seven of the 38 race winners are active this weekend.  Kevin Harvick (5), Joey Logano (3), Kurt Busch (3), Kyle Larson (3), Denny Hamlin (2), Ryan Newman (2), and Kyle Busch (1).
    • Kurt Busch (2003, 2007, 2015), Matt Kenseth (2002, 2006, 2015), Joey Logano (2013, 2016, 2019) and Kevin Harvick (2010, 2018, 2019) lead all active series drivers in wins at Michigan with three each.
    • The youngest series Michigan winner id Joey Logano (August 18, 2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 25 days).
    • Martin Truex Jr. (30), and Michigan native Brad Keselowski (23) lead all active drivers in the series in starts without a win at Michigan.
    • The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (22 of 103, 21.36%) than any other starting position at Michigan.
    • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Michigan is 24th, by Kurt Busch in the June of 2015.
    • Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Michigan with 13.  Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one).
    • Eight different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Michigan.  It’s led by Ford with 41 victories, followed by Chevrolet with 26, Mercury (12), Dodge (nine), Toyota (five), Buick (four) Pontiac (four) and Oldsmobile (two).

    Top 12 Michigan Driver Ratings

    Kevin Harvick……………………… 102.5
    Joey Logano………………………… 99.1
    Chase Elliott…………………………. 99.1
    Brad Keselowski……………………. 97.3
    Kyle Larson………………………….. 96.1
    Denny Hamlin……………………….. 92.6
    Ryan Blaney…………………………. 92.5
    Kurt Busch…………………………… 91.8
    Kyle Busch…………………………… 90.7
    Christopher Bell…………………….. 89.6
    Martin Truex Jr……………………… 89.3
    Erik Jones……………………………. 86.6
    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (32 total) among active drivers at Michigan International Speedway.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indy Road Course

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indy Road Course

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Larson: Larson finished third at Indy’s road course after contact on the last restart shuffled him out of contention for the win.

    “If not for a late debris caution,” Larson said, “I would have won the race going away. That would have been my sixth win of the year. Even so, with five wins, I’m still like the Charlie Sheen of NASCAR, because there’s winning and speed.”

    2. Chase Elliott: Elliott led 14 laps and finished fourth at Indy’s road course.

    “Before the track went haywire,” Elliott said, “it looked like it would be a battle between me and Kyle Larson. Kyle still beat me, which he’s done often. He really has my number. Every week, it seems he’s passing me for the lead. He keeps reminding me that the most applicable word that rhymes with ‘teammate’ is ‘checkmate.’”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led with a lap remaining at Indy’s road course, but was bumped out of the lead and spun out by Chase Briscoe. Hamlin finished 23rd and confronted Briscoe after the race.

    “I wasn’t looking for a fight,” Hamlin said, just an explanation. And Chase’s explanation left me looking for a fight. Briscoe can say he didn’t know a penalty was coming; I don’t buy it. Briscoe’s concept of the rules is just as faulty as his concept of honesty.

    “I’m still winless. And I’ll be at a disadvantage when the playoffs start. But I could very well make history by becoming the first Cup champion to not win a single race. It would be quite an accomplishment. Trust me, it will be an ‘L’ of an accomplishment.”

    4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex salvaged a 15th-place finish despite an early tire rub and a spin suffered when Truex ran over debris knocked loose from another car that ran over Indy’s faulty curbing.

    “I don’t know who was responsible for the curb issues at Indianapolis,” Truex said. “But they should be ‘curb-stomped.’

    5. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 17th in the Verizon 200.

    “That was a wild race,” Bowman said. “Maybe the most exciting part for the fans trackside was seeing the track demolish the front ends of nine cars on Lap 77 when the curbing came up. So, that race had ‘Curb A-peel.’”

    6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 14th in the Verizon 200.

    “What a stunning win for AJ Allmendinger,” Harvick said. “I may not be Allmendinger, but I feel like we could have something in common—we both could be playoff ineligible.”

    7. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 20th in a wild, crash-filled race on Indianapolis’ road course.

    “Drivers had mixed opinions about Indy’s road course,” Busch said. “I think those mixed opinions just became unanimous. Ask any driver now, and to a man, I think they would all choose 160 painstakingly monotonous laps in the Brickyard 400 over 95 incredibly exciting and eventful laps in the Verizon 200.”

    8. William Byron: Byron was snagged in a big crash caused by faulty curbing. He finished 33rd.

    “Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb waved the green flag to start the race,” Byron said. “Maybe he should have waved the red flag instead, and passed his own infrastructure bill to address outdated curbing at IMS.”

    9. Joey Logano: Logano’s day ended on Lap 77 when the curbing came undone and caused nine cars to wreck. Logano was one of the unlucky and finished 34th.

    “The curb just demolished the front end of my car,” Logano said. “In addition to several parts of my car, all hell broke loose as well. I really thought I could have won the race. But what’s the opposite of ‘kissing the bricks?’ ‘Kissing the curb.’”

    10. AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger survived the attrition of a crash-filled Verizon 200 at the Brickyard and took the lead when Chase Briscoe took out Denny Hamlin.

    “I’d like to thank my team and my sponsors,” Allmendinger said. “We’ve had our difficulties this season, but much like the curbing at Indy—you just can’t keep us down.”

  • Allmendinger storms to historic Cup victory in the inaugural Indianapolis Road Course event

    Allmendinger storms to historic Cup victory in the inaugural Indianapolis Road Course event

    In a race highlighted with two red flag periods, late chaos and a number of top contenders being taken out of contention, AJ Allmendinger survived the carnage and stole the lead prior to the final lap to win the inaugural Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on Sunday, August 15.

    The victory, which marked the first NASCAR Cup Series event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, was the first for Kaulig Racing and the second for Allmendinger in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Qualifying occurred on Sunday, August 15, and William Byron achieved his second NASCAR Cup Series pole of the year with a pole-winning speed at 100.044 mph. Joining him on the front row was Chase Briscoe, a rookie Cup competitor who won last year’s Xfinity Indy road course event.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Byron pulled away from Briscoe and the field entering the first turn and leading through the first four turns. Through Turns 5 and 6, the infield backstretch, the left-hand turn in Turn 7, a series of turns through Turns 8, 9 and 10, and the final round of turns from 11 to 14, Byron rolled back to the frontstretch and led the first lap by half a second over Briscoe, with Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. running in the top five.

    The following lap and with the field continuing to jostle for positions, Briscoe took over the lead after passing Byron in Turn 7.

    Another two laps later, Truex pitted under green to have a tire rub and potential damage addressed on his car.

    By the fifth lap, Briscoe was leading by half a second over Byron while Hendrick Motorsports’ Elliott and Larson continued to run in third and fourth. Daniel Suarez was up in fifth followed by AJ Allmendinger, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Michael McDowell and Cole Custer. By then, Tyler Reddick was in 11th ahead of Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Matt DiBenedetto and Denny Hamlin. Austin Cindric, winner of Saturday’s Xfinity event at Indianapolis, was in 16th in front of Austin Dillon, Christopher Bell, Kurt Busch and Corey LaJoie. Alex Bowman was in 22nd in front of Aric Almirola, Bubba Wallace and Kevin Harvick. Brad Keselowski was mired back in 28th, Ryan Newman was in 21st and Truex was in 39th.

    Not long after, Cindric spun in Turn 1 after over-braking the turn, but the race proceeded under green.

    Through the first 10 laps of the event, Briscoe’s No. 14 High Point Ford Mustang continued to lead by nearly half a second over Byron’s No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. By then, Aric Almirola pitted to have a tire rub and damage assessed to his car following an earlier on-track contact with Corey LaJoie.

    A few laps later, names like Logano, Ross Chastain, Custer, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, DiBenedetto, Christopher Bell, Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman, Harvick, Bubba Wallace, LaJoie and Ryan Newman pitted under green. Shortly after, the leaders led by Briscoe pitted. 

    Back on the track, Tyler Reddick, who has not yet pitted, emerged as the leader after overtaking Michael McDowell in Turn 12. Despite being pressured by McDowell for a full lap around the 14-turn circuit, Reddick was able to cycle back to the start/finish line and claim the first stage victory on Lap 15 along with his second stage victory of this year’s Cup season. McDowell settled in second followed by Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, Ryan Preece, Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Justin Haley, Briscoe and Elliott.

    Under the stage break, some led by Reddick pitted while the rest led by Keselowski and Briscoe remained on the track. Then, disaster struck for Briscoe, who was penalized and forced to surrender a handful of spots for failing to maintain cautious pace under the stage break.

    The second stage started on Lap 19 with Keselowski and Elliott starting on the front row. At the start, Keselowski maintained the lead through the first four turns while Byron mounted a charge to the runner-up spot over teammate Elliott. In Turn 7, Byron attempted to overtake Keselowski for the lead, but he was stuck on the outside lane, which allowed Keselowski to remain as the leader. Soon after, Elliott made his way into the runner-up spot in Turn 12. 

    When the field returned to the start/finish line and the frontstretch, Elliott peaked and overtook Keselowski for the lead. Through the infield backstretch, Byron dropped all the way back to ninth after he fell off the pace.

    Through Lap 22 and while the field continued to jostle for positions, Elliott was leading by more than a second over Logano while Larson, Kyle Busch and Cole Custer were in the top five. Byron was in sixth while Briscoe and Keselowski battled for seventh. Suarez and Blaney were in the top 10 ahead of Allmendinger, Hamlin and the field.

    In Turn 12, Bell and DiBenedetto made contact against one another when DiBenedetto slipped into the grass and Bell, who also slipped, made contact with him through the turn. The following lap, Chastain spun in Turn 1 while battling Hamlin for position. In the midst of the on-track chaos, Kurt Busch pitted under green.

    By Lap 25, Elliott extended his advantage to nearly two seconds over teammate Larson while Logano, Kyle Busch and Custer continued to run in the top five. By then, Byron and Briscoe were up in sixth and seventh while Keselowski, who had fallen back to 18th, pitted under green after making contact with the wall in Turn 11 and sustaining significant damage to the rear of his No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang. Soon after, Logano spun and went off course in Turn 7 after he ran into the rear of Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE as he dropped from third to 10th.

    Through the first 30 laps of the event, Elliott continued to lead by more than a second over teammate Larson while Kyle Busch, Custer and Byron were in the top five. Briscoe continued to run in sixth followed by Allmendinger, Hamlin, Suarez and Blaney. By then, Keselowski was in 39th and three laps behind the leaders while Kurt Busch was in 36th.

    The following lap, names like Cindric, Suarez, Briscoe, Truex, Blaney, Logano, Bowman, Bell, Byron, Wallace, Harvick, McDowell, Chris Buescher, Almirola and Newman pitted under green. Soon after, the leader Elliott pitted along with teammate Larson, Kyle Busch, Hamlin and Allmendinger.

    Back on the track, Richard Childress Racing’s Reddick and Austin Dillon were running first and second. Both continued to remain on the track as they started the final lap of the second stage. When the second stage concluded on Lap 35, Reddick was able to grab his third stage victory of the season along with crucial stage points in his quest to make this year’s Playoffs. Teammate Austin Dillon settled in second followed by Ryan Preece, Stenhouse, DiBenedetto, Justin Haley, LaJoie, Andy Lally, Larson and Elliott.

    Under the stage break, some led by Reddick pitted while the rest led by teammates Larson and Elliott remained on the track.

    With 43 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start and with the field fanning out to multiple lanes through the frontstretch, Larson took off with the lead ahead of teammates Elliott and Byron. Briscoe managed to carve his way to fourth ahead of Kyle Busch and the field. Behind, Almirola and Stenhouse spun through the infield backstretch.

    Shortly after, the caution flew due to debris — a radiator pan and splitter — being reported across a curb in Turn 6. Under caution, few like Almirola, Stenhouse and Keselowski pitted while the rest led by Larson remained on the track.

    When the race restarted with 39 laps remaining, Larson maintained the lead over teammates Elliott and Byron approaching the first turn while the field fanned out to multiple lanes. Through the infield backstretch, Ryan Newman went off course and lost a bevy of spots as he also sustained rear-end damage. 

    Through the frontstretch on the following lap, Hamlin and Logano nearly made contact as Hamlin made a bold three-wide move, but slipped while battling Logano and Cole Custer. At the front, Larson continued to lead by eight-tenths of a second over teammates Byron and Elliott while Kyle Busch and Briscoe continued to pursue.

    With 35 laps remaining, Larson remained as the leader by more than a second over teammate Byron and more than two seconds over his other teammate, Elliott. Truex was up in fourth followed by teammate Kyle Busch while Briscoe, Logano, Custer, Hamlin and Bell were in the top 10. By then, Bowman, Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric were in the top 15 along with Blaney and Harvick. Kurt Busch was in 16th ahead of teammate Ross Chastain, Allmendinger was back in 20th, Reddick was in 22nd and Austin Dillon was in 26th. Keselowski, who was back on the lead lap, was in 34th behind Garrett Smithley.

    Nearing the final 30 laps of the event, Cindric pitted after being spun by Kurt Busch in Turn 7. In addition, Briscoe pitted under green after he flat-spotted a tire. Soon after, Daniel Suarez also pitted.

    A few laps later, names like Elliott, Truex, Bell, Blaney, Harvick and Chastain pitted. Not long after, names like Larson, Kyle Busch, Byron, Logano, Custer, Bowman, Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, LaJoie, Josh Bilicki and James Davison also pitted under green.

    Back on the track, Hamlin was leading by nearly 13 seconds over Bubba Wallace while Kurt Busch, Allmendinger and Reddick were in the top five. Larson, Elliott, Byron, Kyle Busch and Truex were back from 11th to 15th.

    Not long after, Hamlin locked up his tires and went off the course in Turn 12, though he continued to lead by a large margin over Kurt Busch and Wallace.

    With 20 laps remaining, Hamlin surrendered the lead to Matt DiBenedetto to pit. By then, names like Kurt Busch, Wallace, Buescher, Allmendinger, Stenhouse, Haley, Reddick and Preece had also pitted. 

    A lap later, Larson cycled back into the lead after he overtook DiBenedetto in Turn 4. 

    With 15 laps remaining, Larson was leading by more than five seconds over teammate Elliott with his other teammate, Byron, trailing by nearly eight seconds. DiBenedetto, who has yet to pit, was in fourth ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Truex, Kyle Busch and Hamlin. By then, Briscoe, who was running in the top 15, pitted.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Larson remained as the leader by more than four seconds over teammate Elliott and nearly nine seconds over teammate Byron while Truex, Kyle Busch and Hamlin were running fourth to sixth. Then, the caution flew due to debris reported in Turn 6. At the time of caution, DiBenedetto pitted.

    Under caution, a majority of the field led by Larson pitted while the rest, including Hamlin, Kurt Busch, DiBenedetto and Briscoe, remained on the track. During the pit stops, Elliott dropped out of the top five and all the way back to 16th due to his car falling off the jack.

    With six laps remaining, the race restarted under green as Hamlin and Kurt Busch filled in the front row. At the start, the field fanned out to multiple lanes through the frontstretch as Hamlin remained as the leader ahead of Briscoe through the first four turns.

    Through Turns 5 and 6, Truex spun and made contact into the tire barriers after getting bumped by teammate Bell just past the curb, but the race remained under green.

    The following lap, the battle for the lead intensified as Hamlin was being pressured by Briscoe for the top spot. While Briscoe gained a run through the frontstretch and the first turn, Hamlin fought back and retained the lead through the following five turns. The battle between Hamlin and Briscoe allowed Larson to close in on the two leaders.

    Then, the caution flew for a multi-car wreck that started when Byron, who ran over the curbs in Turns 5 and 6 and destroyed his splitter, slipped sideways and wrecked along with Kyle Busch and Logano, who made hard head-on contact into the tire barriers. In the ensuing chaos, a number of competitors, including Preece, Reddick, Buescher, Bell, Suarez, Davison, Haley and Harvick, wrecked. In addition, Corey LaJoie caught major air after running over the curbs. The carnage forced NASCAR to display the red flag for minutes to give the on-track safety personnel and crew to clear the carnage.

    More than 19 minutes later, the red flag was lifted and the field proceeded under caution. During the caution period, the race was sent into overtime.

    Following an extensive caution period, the first overtime attempt occurred as Hamlin and Larson filled in on the front row. At the start, Hamlin jumped ahead with the lead as the field fanned out to multiple lanes. Entering the first turn, Larson received a shove from Kurt Busch and was shuffled out of the top five. 

    While Hamlin and Briscoe battled for the lead, the caution returned due to a multi-car wreck that involved Cole Custer, Austin Dillon, McDowell, Reddick, Chastain, LaJoie and Truex. Not long after, the race was red-flagged for four minutes before the field proceeded under caution.

    When the track was cleared, the race resumed for a second overtime attempt. At the start, Hamlin pulled ahead with the lead while Briscoe got forced off the course entering the first turn. Despite getting into the grass in Turn 1, Briscoe came back on the racing surface with the lead until Hamlin took it back through the infield backstretch. Behind, Ryan Newman ran over the curbs while Keselowski spun.

    Back at the front, Briscoe, who continued to battle Hamlin for the lead, was assessed a stop-and-go penalty for driving off the course. Despite the penalty call, Briscoe continued to battle Hamlin for the lead. Then in Turns 9 and 10, Briscoe ran into the rear bumper of Hamlin, sending Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry around. With Hamlin out of contention, Briscoe continued to lead until he locked up the tires in Turn 12 and went off the course. In the midst of the chaos, AJ Allmendinger, driving Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Hyperice Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE stormed to the lead.

    When the final lap started, Allmendinger was leading by nearly four-tenths of a second over Blaney while Larson, Elliott and DiBenedetto were in the top five. By then, Briscoe pitted and was parked on pit road to serve his penalty.

    For one final rodeo around the 14-turn road course, Allmendinger, who rebounded from a speeding penalty during the race, was able to stabilize his advantage and extend his advantage to nearly a second over runner-up Blaney as he came back around and streaked across the finish line in first place to grab the biggest victory of his racing career. 

    In addition to winning the first Cup event on Indy’s road course layout, Allmendinger became the 16th competitor to win a stock car event at the Brickyard as he earned his second Cup career victory in his fourth start of this season and first since winning his first Cup race at Watkins Glen International in August 2014. Allmendinger’s Indy victory made him the 134th different competitor to achieve multiple Cup wins, though he is ineligible for this year’s Cup Playoffs since he is competing in the series on a part-time basis but full time in the Xfinity Series.

    In addition, Kaulig Racing achieved its first victory in the Cup Series in its seventh appearance since making its debut in 2020. The team, which competes on a full-time basis in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Allmendinger, is set to field two cars in the 2022 Cup season.

    “Oh my god,” Allmendinger said on NBC. “I was so mad yesterday. I wanted to win so bad [in the Xfinity event at Indy]. This is unbelievable. In my wildest dreams, [I] could never have imagined the way that just played out. We had to fight hard…Oh my god. We just won at Indy. It was just survival of the fittest. We probably had like an eighth-, 10th-place car. I sped on pit road, I thought we were gonna finish 12th or 15th. And then, those restarts were just insane. It’s great when you have a car owner that just says go get me trophies. He doesn’t care if that thing’s torn up. We just won at Indy! What’s up?! Thank you, everybody, for coming out! Let’s go!”

    Following the event and their on-track incident, Hamlin and Briscoe, both of whom finished 23rd and 26th, met and exchanged words on pit road. The contact between both eliminated Hamlin’s hopes of grabbing his first victory of the season and locking himself in the Playoffs along with Briscoe, who was within sight of his first Cup career victory.

    “I agree [the contact]’s not on purpose, but my team told me that [Briscoe] had a penalty right away and to me, it’s obvious if you cut to the racetrack and if you end up in the lead, you’re gonna have a penalty,” Hamlin said. “Lack of awareness and then, I just said, ‘Race me for a lap.’ He went right in the back of me. You can’t race that way. I don’t think he did it malicious. I’ve raced with him for a year now. He’s not that kind of person, but it’s just a bad judgement…I thought we were probably in good shape there, but this just turns everything upside down.”

    “Obviously, [Hamlin]’s upset,” Briscoe said. “I would’ve been, too. He just came down there and asked what I was doing. I don’t think he realized that I didn’t even know I had a penalty until we got to Turn 10…Denny’s been in my situation, where you’re trying to go for your first win. He asked why I didn’t wait. Well, I felt like that was my best opportunity to win the race if I could get under him there…I had to try to get going all I could. I’m sorry that it ruined his day. That was never my intention. I get why he’s upset. Like I said, I would’ve been, too. I didn’t know I had a penalty until I got to Turn 10. As far as I knew, at that moment in time, I was going for the win. That’s what I’m paid to do and that’s what I was trying to do.”

    Blaney came home in the runner-up spot followed by Larson, who won the Knoxville Nationals on Saturday and has taken sole possession of the regular-season points lead. Elliott rallied from his late pit road miscue to finish fourth while Matt DiBenedetto rounded out the top five.

    Kurt Busch rebounded for a sixth-place effort followed by Erik Jones, Justin Haley, Austin Cindric and Newman. 

    Bubba Wallace settled in 13th ahead of Harvick and Truex, Kyle Busch fell back to 20th ahead of Reddick and Keselowski ended his long day in 24th. 

    There were 13 lead changes for 11 different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 23 laps. 

    With two races remaining until the 2021 Cup Playoffs commences, Kyle Larson leads the regular-season standings by 22 points over Denny Hamlin. Currently, 13 competitors (Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, Aric Almirola and Michael McDowell) have clinched Playoff spots based on winning at least once throughout the regular season. Despite finishing 23rd and having a potential first victory slip away, Denny Hamlin clinched his spot for the Playoffs based on points. As a result, Kevin Harvick and Tyler Reddick occupy the final two spots to the Playoffs on points, with Reddick ahead by 28 points over teammate Austin Dillon, 145 over Matt DiBenedetto, 146 over Chris Buescher, 176 over Ross Chastain, 187 over Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 202 over Bubba Wallace, 242 over Chase Briscoe and 258 over Daniel Suarez and Erik Jones.

    Results.

    1. AJ Allmendinger, two laps led

    2. Ryan Blaney

    3. Kyle Larson, 28 laps led

    4. Chase Elliott, 14 laps led

    5. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap led

    6. Kurt Busch

    7. Erik Jones

    8. Justin Haley

    9. Austin Cindric

    10. Ryan Newman

    11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    12. Chris Buescher

    13. Bubba Wallace

    14. Kevin Harvick

    15. Martin Truex Jr.

    16. Corey LaJoie

    17. Alex Bowman

    18. Josh Bilicki

    19. Aric Almirola

    20. Kyle Busch

    21. Tyler Reddick, six laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

    22. Quin Houff

    23. Denny Hamlin, 27 laps led

    24. Brad Keselowski, two laps led

    25. Cole Custer

    26. Chase Briscoe – OUT, Parked, 12 laps led

    27. Timmy Hill, one lap down

    28. Garrett Smithley, one lap down

    29. Ross Chastain, two laps down

    30. Michael McDowell – OUT, Accident

    31. Austin Dillon – OUT, Accident

    32. James Davison – OUT, Accident

    33. William Byron – OUT, Accident

    34. Joey Logano – OUT, Accident

    35. Ryan Preece – OUT, Accident

    36. Christopher Bell – OUT, Accident

    37. Daniel Suarez – OUT, Accident

    38. Anthony Alfredo – OUT, Suspension

    39. Andy Lally – OUT, Rear gear

    40. Cody Ware – OUT, Accident

    With the regular-season stretch nearing its completion and the start of the Playoffs looming, the NASCAR Cup Series will be making its annual visit to Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 22. The event is scheduled to occur at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Weekend schedule for Indianapolis Road Course

    Weekend schedule for Indianapolis Road Course

    NASCAR heads to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this weekend where the Cup Series will make its first start Sunday afternoon. The road course is 2.439 miles with 14 turns and is the third new track that the Cup Series has debuted at this season.

    On Saturday, the Xfinity Series will compete for the second time at the track. Chase Briscoe won the inaugural race in 2020.

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend and will return on August 20 for their first race in the Playoffs at World Wide Technology Raceway.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 13

    5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.: Xfinity Series practice
    NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    Saturday, August 14

    10:05 a.m.: Xfinity Qualifying (Impound) Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds
    NBC Sports App

    11:05 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.: Cup Series Practice
    NBC Sports App

    3:45 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros
    4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard
    Stages 20/40/62 Laps = 151.22 Miles
    NBC Sports App/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/IMS Radio/TSN5

    Sunday, August 15

    9:05 a.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) Multi-Vehicle /Two Rounds
    CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)

    12:25 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros
    1 p.m.: Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
    Stages 15/35/82 Laps = 200 Miles
    NBC/NBC Sports App/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/IMS Radio/TSN3, 5

    Cup Series notes:

    Kyle Larson is currently first in the Cup Series points standings with only three races remaining in the regular season. He tied Denny Hamlin after his win at Watkins Glen, with both drivers having earned 917 points. But, because Larson has five wins and Hamlin has none, Larson wins the tiebreaker.

    Kevin Harvick is going to try to become the first driver to win the Verizon 200 three years in a row, and the first to win it 4 times. Yet, he’s not the favorite to win the race this year. That honor belongs to Chase Elliott. 

    Oddsmakers give Elliott +210 odds, or a 32.3% chance to win the race. Meanwhile, Harvick sits 11th on the market at +3000, or an implied 3.2% chance to pull off the three-peat. NASCAR Cup leader Kyle Larson is given the second-best odds to win the race at +350 or a 22.2% chance.  

    (If you use any of the data or quotes from this press release please credit OddsChecker by using the following link: https://www.oddschecker.com/us/motorsport/nascar/verizon-200-brickyard/winner) 

    VERIZON 200 BRICKYARD WINNER ODDS 

    Driver Odds Implied chance 
    Chase Elliott +210 32.3% 
    Kyle Larson +350 22.2% 
    Martin Truex Jr. +800 11.1% 
    Kyle Busch +1100 8.3% 
    Denny Hamlin +1600 5.9% 
    AJ Allmendinger +2000 4.8% 
    Austin Cindric +2500 3.8% 
    Christopher Bell +2500 3.8% 
    Joey Logano +2500 3.8% 
    William Byron +2500 3.8% 

    Cup Series Clinch Scenarios

    Eleven drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs leaving five spots available:
    Christopher Bell
    Ryan Blaney
    Alex Bowman
    Kurt Busch
    Kyle Busch
    William Byron
    Chase Elliott
    Brad Keselowski
    Kyle Larson
    Joey Logano
    Martin Truex Jr.

    Can Clinch Via Points:
    If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the second winless driver in the standings.
    Denny Hamlin: Would clinch regardless of finish.

    Can Clinch Via Previous Wins:
    The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by previous winner or a win by Denny Hamlin:
    Michael McDowell and Aric Almirola: Would clinch regardless of finish.

    The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by new winner:
    Michael McDowell: Could only clinch with help.
    Aric Almirola: Could only clinch if the new winner is Corey Lajoie or another driver even lower in the standings.

    Can Clinch Via Win:
    The following drivers would clinch on their win alone this weekend –
    Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola

    The following drivers could clinch with a win:
    Chris Buescher could only clinch with help.
    Matt DiBenedetto could only clinch with help.
    Ross Chastain could only clinch with help.

    Xfinity Series Notes:

    There are six races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular season. Four drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs, leaving 8 available slots to fill.

    Xfinity Series Clinch Scenarios

    Four drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs:
    Justin Allgaier
    AJ Allmendinger
    Jeb Burton
    Austin Cindric

    Can clinch via points at Indianapolis:
    Myatt Snider could clinch with three points because of his previous win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Can clinch via a win at Indianapolis: The following drivers can clinch with a win – Brandon Brown, Harrison Burton, Jeremy Clements, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Daniel Hemric, Riley Herbst, Brandon Jones, Myatt Snider

    Ryan Sieg could clinch with a win and 54 points.

  • Is anyone actually interested in winning a race? Asking for a friend.

    Is anyone actually interested in winning a race? Asking for a friend.

    With the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season wrapping up three weekends from now, there isn’t much excitement concerning who’s going to win, who wants to win, and who might desperately need the win.

    After all, we all know that Daytona is only good for one thing, which is quickly eradicating almost an entire season’s worth of pesky excess old-stock sheet metal inventory,

    If anything, it’s almost as if the regular-season championship trophy will be Kyle Larson’s to do whatever he wants with it, even if it’s to blow up for a trending TikTok destruction video, which will be infinitely more interesting than whatever passes for Cup Series entertainment these days.

    As the 2021 Cup Season grinds along, it is beginning to resemble a great many other things throughout history that nobody was really interested in. It’s almost as if the title series sponsor is ATARI’s legendarily bad “ET the Extra-Terrestrial” 2600 video game cartridge, and nobody really cares who wins or loses this year. But unlike all those unsold copies of that game that conveniently disappeared (and were dug up recently), there really isn’t a landfill large enough to bury what remains of the rest of this season.

    We need something, anything, where we can speed up the process where we finally put the Model-T-in-comparison, current-generation car out to pasture, and begin NASCAR’s Jiminy-Christmas-we’re-finally-getting-18-inch-wheels-with-single-lug-nuts modern era with the 2022 NG masterpiece (which remains to be seen).

    I’ve spent practically the entire 2021 season attempting to put my finger on just what’s wrong this year. It seems that NASCAR is being brought to us by malaise, apathy, doldrums, or any other apathetic nouns. It’s almost as if an other-dimensional Sesame Street is now a title sponsor of the series, and those are the low-effort words of the day.

    Is there nobody other than Kyle Larson who really wants to win a race here of late? Why is everyone else in the field practically rupturing their left rotator cuff in how hard they wave Larson past them during an event? I suspect that there are other reasons why Larson is already being loudly thought of as the regular-season champion, but I don’t get paid enough to think that high up in the racing world political food chain. In the end, racing is merely really loud entertainment bread and circuses for fans around the world. isn’t it?

    Oddly enough, I think that there is a trio of factors that are producing low-effort “bucket list” results this season, with bucket list meaning “we snagged a win which guarantees us a spot in the Championship so now we’re gonna coast until Daytona.” It’s what practically every other driver in the top 16 has done this year. Eight of the top 16 drivers only nailed one win so far in 2021, and those single-win drivers now look like perpetual backmarkers in every race, the now somehow-dystopian Dick Trickles and Derrick Copes of the 21st Century.

    On a side note, I will give kudos to Penske Racing (and more specifically the No. 2 and No. 22) for attempting to make things interesting at Watkins Glen this past weekend, however by taking themselves out in quite possibly the most pointless accident throughout all of the motor racing on Sunday. That’s also taking into account the IMSA race at Road America and the Indycar Music City Grand Prix, both of which saw their own fair share of ridiculous accidents.

    Getting back to the wheezing, rusty squeezebox of 2021, we have Kevin Harvick. He was the dominant winner of last year’s regular season with somewhere around seven wins at this exact point in 2020, finishing the Chase with two additional wins, and of course, we can’t forget that incredible implosion when it really counted.

    Fast Forward to this point in 2021. Has anyone seen Harvick lately? Is he still racing? Some of his fans might be curious as to whether or not he’s still among the breathing. Due to COVID regulations these days, we can’t get close enough to him to place a mirror under his nose in an attempt to verify.

    Hasn’t Harvick had at least one win for the last bazillion seasons? I do see a No. 4 car out there occasionally when Larson is easily driving around it.

    Oh, and hey, isn’t there one of them there foreign teams out there a drivin’ in NASCAR? I think it starts with a ‘T’? Talbot-Lago? Thomas Flyer? Tucker? Trabant?

    Oh yeah, silly me! Toyota!

    Speaking of Toyota, Denny Hamlin also hasn’t won all season, and if anything, he’s attempting to emulate the zero-win 1977 British Sidecar Motorcycle Champion George O’Dell on his way to possibly upending Kyle Larson for the regular-season championship. This is also an interesting development for Hamlin, given that he finished up 2020 with seven wins. But he might also need to have a mirror placed under his nose this year, as he can’t seem to be bothered to push for a win this year.

    So, given that the top two drivers from 2020 appear to be stuck in ‘coast’ mode throughout all of 2021 so far, and eight out of the top 16 drivers are one-and-done backmarkers, what exactly does this all mean?

    The first of the trio of factors concerning why 2021 is something of a bust so far is this. I am almost entirely convinced that nobody other than deep-pockets Hendrick Racing wants to spend any money racing the old Model T current-generation car. It really is a Model T in comparison to the Next Generation/2022 car, and whatever you don’t have to spend on the old crapbox can go towards the NG.

    Hey, it is actually better just to coast along this year because all of us have a major reset to pay for in 2022, nothing from the old car applies to the new one, meaning parts inventory, specialized tools, nothing remains behind. Don’t build anything new unless you absolutely have to and this is evidenced by accidents no longer having any heart or backbone here of late. Hey, don’t beat on each other because if we break something expensive, that takes away from the new car development.

    Of course, I don’t have any evidence that this is going on, but something similar did happen in the corporate world in the mid-1990s. The Chevrolet Corvette was supposed to be replaced by the 5th generation car for the 1993 model year. But due to an incredible comedy of errors, the new replacement never materialized when it was supposed to for the 1993 model year and ended up being delayed until the 1997 model year. With Chevrolet, realizing that they done gone and screwed the Corvette pooch, GM ended up having to do three things at the same time.

    – Skip all the throwing away of old 4th-generation Corvette tooling (1984-1992) or replace tooling that had already been disposed of. This part is mind-boggling.

    –  Perform updates to the old 4th-generation Corvette platform as time went along (1993-1996 model year), because Chevrolet didn’t think that it was fair to screw over the Corvette faithful by shoving old junk onto their customers (the 1996 Grand Sport is an incredible Corvette by the way). Mind-blowing.

    – Also invest in the all-new 5th-generation Corvette at the same time, including new technologies that had never been tried (hydro-formed frame rails, anyone?) The Corvette went from having something like 16 pieces welded together for a frame to two hydro-formed frame rails. Given that the C5 Corvette ended up delivering mind-blowing performance all while having a minimum of (typical) GM engineering headaches speaks volumes to the Corvette Faithful in the halls of General Motors.

    NASCAR could probably learn something from Corvette here concerning what to do with both an outgoing car and the incoming unit.

    Keep in mind that also during this time, the Corvette Faithful inside General Motors managed to create a masterpiece during the middle of one of GM’s most turbulent times imaginable.

    They were facing bankruptcy due to bone-headed investments into their mid-sized sedan platform, and the Corvette was on the chopping block. Not sure why this is important, but I think it’s more to demonstrate that NASCAR is operating with similarly deep pockets (in regards to what was spent on the C5 Corvette, $255-ish million, the OEM’s are spending somewhere around $140 million each, aren’t they?) and we’re getting an entire field of backmarkers out on the track while NASCAR teams sort out whatever they are trying to do with the existing season and the outgoing cars.

    I think that’s what annoys me the most about this racing. Looking back at the Corvette one more time, Chevrolet demonstrated that they had a serious responsibility to Corvette owners to provide the best product they could (within reason), and buyers were rewarded with a superior product for 1997, the C5 really is an incredible car.

    In comparison, concerning their final product here of late, what has an entire field of push-Kyle-Larson-to-the-front backmarkers done for us lately, other than remind us of the startling competition that can be found in practically every other race series out there?

    The second factor is this. If teams are merely coasting along to a hide-the-remains-of-2021-in-a-landfill finish, how exactly are the fans being rewarded for doing their darndest to get back to tracks during Covid-is-still-lurking-like-a-stalking-butler-in-the-background during 2021? All they’re seeing is stately Gentleman’s Racing, with the only things missing being World War 1 leather aviator helmets, glass driving goggles, and mechanics riding in cars again.

    To summarize, I think that NASCAR fans are being slightly short-changed, but who knows? NASCAR just might get away with it, because everyone kinda wants the old car to go away already. It’s like the expired milk in the fridge that can’t be replaced until Thanksgiving, but it’s all we’ve got to work with if we want our Kraft mac and cheese, so we’ll put up with it for now.

    And third in the trio of factors concerning why nobody is really interested in the 2021 season. I’m not entirely sure that the teams have their hearts into the next-generation car. From what I am seeing with the NG cars, NASCAR’s top rung is going to be nearly a complete reset when the 2022 season begins next year. Everything concerning the old car is going to be thrown away or sold, nothing carries over from the old car and nobody is talking about this. Geez, one might think that this would be sorta important as the 2021 regular season winds down, but once again, nuthin’ but crickets.

    And if you’re doing really well with the old car such as a pair of certain top-performing-in-2020 drivers, freaking out about getting all-new cars to work is an actual thing, especially if you’re not Hendrick Racing or Penske or Gibbs (although I think that Penske might be the early spoiler in 2022).

    To that end, I’m not seeing much of any excitement about the new cars, either. I’m having trouble remembering the last time they were mentioned during a race broadcast, and there are even a few possible rumblings out there concerning whether or not the NG cars are crash testing all that well.

    In addition to all that, to be a bit honest with you, has anyone actually seen the new cars recently? They’re kinda ugly-looking (the Mustang is the best out of the three, but that’s not saying much). It’s as if the stork has just dropped off Bugs Bunny with his new gorilla family, and the gorilla dad hasn’t decided if he wants to keep the Next Generation car or crush it with a tree, And, we’re supposed to be excited about this car?

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Larson: Larson took charge in Stage 3 and held off Chase Elliott to win at Watkins Glen, earning his fifth win of the season.

    “This was a lot like my win at Sonoma in June,” Larson said. “There, I held off Elliott late, just like I did at Watkins Glen. Trust me, life is so much better when you don’t ‘get caught.’”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth in the Go Bowling At The Glen.

    “Michael Jordan was at the race,” Hamlin said. “He was watching from the pits of Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 car, which we co-own. When Michael heard he’d be watching from the ‘pits,’ he got really excited, because he thought it would be in a casino.”

    3. Chase Elliott: Elliott started from the rear and almost pulled off the “worst-to-first” win, but couldn’t catch Hendrick teammate Kyle Larson, who scored his fifth win.

    “I failed pre-race inspection twice,” Elliott said. “Yeah, I said ‘twice.’ That’s a big ‘no-no.’ In any case, I had to start at the rear and my crew chief Alan Gustafson was ejected. Did it matter? Not really. I still was able to almost win the race, despite the penalties. Do I feel guilty about that? Yes, way more guilty than I feel about actually committing the penalties.”

    4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stage 2 and finished a strong third at Watkins Glen.

    “I’m disappointed,” Truex said. “Mostly because I didn’t fail inspection twice, didn’t have my crew chief ejected, and didn’t start from the rear, yet I still finished behind the guy who did. It’s hard to have a meaningful penalty in NASCAR when they are actually meaningless.”

    5. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fourth at Watkins Glen, sandwiched between Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin.

    “My brother Kurt is still looking for a ride for next season,” Busch said. “I told him if I hear of a team looking for a driver, I’d let him now. In other words, my ears will be ‘perked up,’ just not surgically.”

    6. Alex Bowman: Bowman came home 20th at Watkins Glen, the only Hendrick Motorsports driver outside the top-6.

    “How about You Tuber Tyler Hoover giving the ‘Start your engines’ command,” Bowman said. “That voice made me want to start my engine, then get as far away from him as possible. Hey, I like Norwegian death metal just as much as the next guy, but I like my grand marshals a bit more subdued.”

    7. William Byron: Byron finished sixth in the Go Bowling At The Glen as Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott scrapped for the win.

    “Larson and Elliott really led the way for Hendrick Motorsports,” Byron said. “Those guys dominate road courses. I like to think Alex and I are called the road course ‘B Team’ just because of our last names.”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished eighth at Watkins Glen.

    “Once again,” Harvick said, “my No. 4 Chevy sported the Busch Light Apple paint scheme. If you like Busch, and you like apples, you’re probably a reasonable person. If you like them together, you’re probably insane. But, by all means, buy a 12-pack.”

    9. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 1 at Watkins Glen and eventually finished 22nd.

    “It was not a good day for Fords at Watkins Glen,” Logano said. “If Henry Ford were alive today, he’d be steaming. Actually, I guess he’d be combusting.”

    10. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole at Watkins Glen and finished 35th in the GoBowling At The Glen.

    “I suffered two spins in Stage 1 alone,” Keselowski said. “It was a brake issue, so I told my crew exactly what you’d expect, ‘Make it stop.’”

  • Larson claims fifth checkered flag of 2021 at Watkins Glen

    Larson claims fifth checkered flag of 2021 at Watkins Glen

    Victory No. 5 was awarded to the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Watkins Glen International after Kyle Larson led the final 26 of 90 laps and fended off his teammate and a hard-charging Chase Elliott to win the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, August 8. The victory was Larson’s fifth of the season, which reignited his challenge for this year’s NASCAR Cup Series title.

    The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Cup event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Cup race. With that, Brad Keselowski, who is set to join Roush Fenway Racing as a driver and co-owner in 2022, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with teammate Joey Logano.

    Prior to the event, Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell started at the rear of the field due to their respective cars not complying with the technical rules related to the rear window air deflector. As a result, Alan Gustafson, Elliott’s crew chief, and Adam Stevens, Bell’s crew chief, have been suspended from participating in today’s Cup event along with being fined $25,000. Both competitors were docked 10 points. Engineer Tom Gray served as an interim crew chief for Elliott while car chief Chris Sherwood was atop the pit box of Bell’s team.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Keselowski managed to pull ahead of teammate Logano to assume an early advantage through the first turn and heading into the Esses. Through the Esses, the backstretch, the chicane and the seven-turn, 2.45-mile road course, Keselowski managed to lead the first lap while the field battled jostled for positioning.

    Following the first lap, Ryan Newman spun in Turn 1, but he managed to continued and the race proceeded under green.

    By the third lap, Keselowski was still leading by three-tenths of a second over teammate Logano, with Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. in the top five. Ryan Blaney was in sixth followed by Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Kevin Harvick and Alex Bowman.

    Through the first five laps of the event, Keselowski, racing in the No. 2 Wabash National Ford Mustang, continued to hold a slim lead over teammate Logano’s No. 22 Verizon 5G Ford Mustang and Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. By then, Elliott and Bell were mired back in 23rd and 26th.

    On the ninth lap, Keselowski got loose while leading and spun in Turn 6. Keselowski’s misfortune allowed teammate Logano to slip by and take the lead just as the competition caution flew scheduled on Lap 10. Larson moved up to second place followed by Truex, Hamlin and Blaney while Keselowski, who quickly recovered following his spin, fell back to sixth.

    Under the competition caution, names like Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Elliott, Michael McDowell, Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Preece, rookie Chase Briscoe and others pitted while the rest led by Logano remained on the track.

    When the race restarted on Lap 12, Logano managed to pull ahead of Larson and retain the lead through the first turn and heading into the Esses. While Larson kept Logano in his sights, Truex and Hamlin were in third and fourth while Reddick battled Blaney, Byron and Kyle Busch for a spot in the top five. 

    By Lap 15, Logano continued to lead by three-tenths of a second over Larson while third-place Truex and fourth-place Hamlin were approximately a second behind. By then, Reddick retained fifth ahead of Blaney, Byron, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Alex Bowman. Behind, Austin Dillon was in 11th ahead of Erik Jones, Keselowski was in 14th behind Matt DiBenedetto, Aric Almirola was in 15th in front of Ross Chastain and Bell, Elliott and Kurt Busch were in 18th and 20th, Briscoe was in 21st, Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace were in 22nd and 25th and Ryan Newman was in 26th ahead of Stenhouse and Michael McDowell.

    Not long after, some competitors led by Blaney and including Harvick, DiBenedetto, Ryan Newman, Chastain, Briscoe, Cole Custer, Wallace, Bell and Almirola pitted under green. The following lap, Truex pitted just as the pit road entrance closed to signal the end of the first stage nearing.

    Back on the track, Logano continued to lead by nearly half a second over Larson and more than a second over Hamlin. Despite being pressured by Larson, Logano managed to maintain the lead and capture the first stage victory on Lap 20, thus claiming his fourth stage victory of the season. Larson settled in second followed by Hamlin, Reddick, Byron, Kyle Busch, Bowman, Elliott, Austin Dillon and Erik Jones.

    Under the stage break, a majority led by Logano pitted while others led by Stenhouse and Truex remained on the track.

    The second stage started on Lap 22. At the start, Briscoe, who restarted on the second row, made a bold three-wide move in a bid for the lead. Truex, however, was able to take over the lead over Briscoe through the first turn and the Esses. Behind, Kevin Harvick made his way to fourth ahead of Blaney, Bell and Matt DiBenedetto.

    Approaching Lap 24, the caution flew due to James Davison stalling his car near Turns 6 and 7. By then, Truex was leading by more than a second over Briscoe, with Stenhouse, Harvick and Bell running in the top five. Behind, Blaney spun through the Bus Stop, but he managed to continue. In addition, Keselowski pitted to address a braking issue to his car. 

    Under caution, names like Keselowski, Suarez, rookie Anthony Alfredo, Blaney and RC Enerson pitted while the rest led by Truex remained on the track.

    When the race restarted on Lap 27, Truex managed to retain the lead while Harvick, a former Glen winner who is pursuing his first victory of the season, muscled his way into the runner-up spot. Briscoe fell back to third ahead of Bell, DiBenedetto and Stenhouse.

    By Lap 30, Truex continued to lead by more than two seconds over teammate Bell, who out-braked Harvick entering the Bus Stop the previous lap to take over the runner-up spot. Briscoe and DiBenedetto were in the top five followed by Chastain, Stenhouse, Logano, Custer and Larson. Behind, Elliott, who was running in the mid-20s, pitted under green after he flat-spotted his tires.

    With three laps remaining in the second stage, Bubba Wallace and Corey LaJoie pitted under green. By then, Truex was leading by three seconds over teammate Bell.

    When the second stage concluded on Lap 40, Truex remained uncontested as he claimed his fifth stage victory of the season. Bell settled in second, trailing by more than three seconds, while Harvick, Larson, Briscoe, Chastain, DiBenedetto, Hamlin, Logano and Kyle Busch were scored in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, some featuring Hamlin pitted while the rest led by Truex remained on the track.

    With 47 laps remaining, the final stage started. At the start, Truex launched ahead while Bell withstood his ground over Harvick to retain the runner-up spot. Through the Esses, the backstretch and the bus stop, the field settled in a single-file line as Truex remained at the front ahead of teammate Bell.

    At the halfway mark on Lap 45, Truex was leading by three-tenths of a second over teammate Bell while Larson was in third and trailing by more than six-tenths of a second. Chastain and Harvick were in the top five followed by Briscoe, Kyle Busch, Byron, Logano and DiBenedetto. Behind, Austin Dillon was in 11th ahead of Newman and Aric Almirola, Keselowski was in 15th behind teammate Blaney, Hamlin and Elliott were in 16th and 18th, Kurt Busch was in 21st ahead of Reddick and Wallace was in 24th ahead of Bowman and Suarez.

    Two laps later, Bell and Larson issued a challenge for the lead on Truex past the start/finis line and entering the first turn, but Truex managed to fend off the near three-wide battle from both competitors past the first turn and through the Esses.

    With 40 laps remaining, the top-three competitors — Truex, Bell and Larson — were separated by less than a second, with Truex continuing to lead over teammate Bell and Larson. Chastain and Harvick continued to run in the top five ahead of Briscoe, Kyle Busch, Byron, DiBenedetto and Hamlin. By then, Elliott moved up to 11th ahead of Logano.

    Four laps later, what became an intense three-car battle for the lead dwindled down to two after Larson locked up his brakes and bumped into Bell, thus sending Bell’s No. 20 Stanley Toyota Camry spinning in Turn 1, though he continued under green. 

    With Bell out of contention, Truex was leading by more than a second over Larson. Behind, Harvick and Chastain pitted under green. Back on track, another green-flag incident occurred in Turn 1 after Keselowski locked up entering the first turn and spun, clipping teammate Logano in the process as both Penske competitors spun and sustained damage to their respective Mustangs.

    In the ensuing laps, names like Briscoe, DiBenedetto, Newman and McDowell pitted under green. Truex, the race leader, also pitted along with runner-up Larson, giving the lead to Hamlin while Elliott moved up to second.

    With 30 laps remaining and a variety of pit strategy occurring, Hamlin continued to lead while Elliott surrendered the runner-up spot to pit. By then, names like Blaney, Bowman, Almirola, Chris Buescher, Wallace, Alfredo, Josh Bilicki, Reddick and Stenhouse had made a pit stop.

    On Lap 63, Kurt Busch took over the top spot after Hamlin brought his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry for fuel. Two laps later, Kurt Busch pitted and Larson, who had managed to squeak ahead of Truex on pit road during his previous pit stop, emerged with the lead. By then, Custer and Suarez pitted.

    With 15 laps remaining, Larson was leading by nearly three seconds over Truex and nearly seven seconds over Elliott, who was the fastest competitor on the track. Behind, Kyle Busch and Byron were in the top five followed by Hamlin, Bell, Harvick, Chastain and Briscoe. 

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Larson continued to lead by less than five seconds over Truex, who also had the No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE piloted by Elliott in his rearview mirror.

    Not long after, Elliott overtook Truex’s No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry to move into the runner-up spot. By then, Elliott was more than five seconds behind teammate Larson.

    With five laps remaining, Larson maintained an advantage of approximately five seconds over teammate Elliott while Truex was trailing by more than seven seconds.

    Two laps later, Larson’s advantage was cut down to more than three seconds as Elliott continued to close in on his Hendrick Motorsports teammate. By then, the leaders were mired in lapped traffic.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Larson was leading by less than three seconds over teammate Elliott, who was given a final opportunity to win the event after starting at the rear of the field.

    Through the first turn, the Esses, the bus stop and the final corners, Larson was able to streak across the finish line and grab the win and the checkered flag by more than two seconds over teammate Elliott.

    In addition to claiming his fifth victory of the season, Larson captured his 11th NASCAR Cup Series career win and his second on a road course after winning at Sonoma Raceway in June. Larson also recorded the 10th Cup victory of the season for Hendrick Motorsports. With that, Larson, who signed a two-year contract extension to remain at Hendrick Motorsports nearly a month ago, drew himself into a tie with fifth-place finisher Denny Hamlin for the lead in the regular-season standings.

    “Yeah, it’s awesome,” Larson said on NBCSN. “I mean, it really just shows how good the organization is, all the people that they’ve assembled at their race shop, all the men and women. All four of us could not be getting these wins like we have been without them. Thanks to them, and thanks to everybody else I get to race for. Chase was already catching me pretty quick, even with me being in open track, so when I caught those, I think, four cars and got into [Anthony Alfredo] right here, I thought I would look at my mirror and [Elliott] would be right on me, but thankfully had a comfortable enough gap to where I could make a mistake like that…Thanks for everything you guys do for me, everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, [crew chief] Cliff Daniels, this whole 5 bunch. Another amazing car. I could tell from about Lap 3 after I stopped making a bunch of mistakes that we were going to have a car that could win today.”

    Elliott, who started at the rear of the field following a pre-race technical issue that left his crew chief Alan Gustafson suspended for the remainder of the day, settled in second place as he came one spot short in winning at The Glen for a third consecutive time.

    “I made too many mistakes to get the win, unfortunately, and made it too late in the race,” Elliott said. “Super proud of our team. Been kind of an uphill battle all day, but everybody was just super prepared coming into the day, and our NAPA team just did a really good job of fighting it. If I hadn’t have let them down there, I think we would have had a shot at it, but congrats to Kyle [Larson, race winner], Cliff, all the guys on the No. 5 [team]. Happy for everybody at HMS. Hendrick Motorsports has been working extremely hard, and not only do the people deserve to win, but Mr. [Rick] Hendrick deserves to win. Really happy for him, and I’ll try to clean some things up and make less mistakes next time. Maybe it’ll work out.”

    Behind, Truex came home in third place while teammates Kyle Busch and Hamlin finished in the top five.

    Byron finished in sixth followed by Bell, Harvick, Briscoe and Reddick.

    Twenty-five of the 37 competitors in the field finished on the lead lap, with James Davison being the only competitor to retire due to electrical issues.

    There were seven lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured four cautions for six laps. 

    With three races remaining until the 2021 Cup Playoffs commences, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson are tied for the lead for the regular-season lead. Currently, 13 competitors (Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell and Michael McDowell) are guaranteed Playoff spots based on winning at least once throughout the regular season. Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Tyler Reddick continue to occupy the remaining three vacant spots to the Playoffs as winless competitors, with Reddick ahead by 15 points over teammate Austin Dillon, 135 over Chris Buescher, 147 over Matt DiBenedetto, 148 over Ross Chastain, 188 over Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 190 over Bubba Wallace, 219 over Chase Briscoe and 223 over Daniel Suarez.

    Results.

    1. Kyle Larson, 27 laps led

    2. Chase Elliott

    3. Martin Truex Jr., 34 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    4. Kyle Busch

    5. Denny Hamlin, six laps led

    6. William Byron

    7. Christopher Bell

    8. Kevin Harvick

    9. Chase Briscoe

    10. Tyler Reddick

    11. Matt DiBenedetto

    12. Ross Chastain

    13. Kurt Busch, two laps led

    14. Ryan Blaney

    15. Austin Dillon

    16. Aric Almirola

    17. Chris Buescher

    18. Cole Custer

    19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., one lap led

    20. Alex Bowman

    21. Michael McDowell

    22. Joey Logano, 11 laps, Stage 1 winner

    23. Bubba Wallace

    24. Corey LaJoie

    25. Ryan Newman

    26. Anthony Alfredo, one lap down

    27. Erik Jones, one lap down

    28. Ryan Preece, one lap down

    29. Justin Haley, one lap down

    30. Kyle Tilley, one lap down

    31. Daniel Suarez, two laps down

    32. Quin Houff, two laps down

    33. Josh Bilicki, two laps down

    34. RC Enerson, two laps down

    35. Brad Keselowski, three laps down, nine laps led

    36. Garrett Smithley, three laps down

    37. James Davison – OUT, Electrical

    Next on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the series’ inaugural event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course layout, which will occur on Sunday, August 15, at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.