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Category: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished seventh at Dover, posting his tenth top 10 of the season.

    “I unveiled my new racing shoe,” Hamlin said. “It’s called the ‘Jordan Racer 1,’ and it comes with a heat shield built right into the heel. Chances are very good that it will eventually be the hottest shoe on the market.”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 19th at Dover, one lap down.

    “It just wasn’t our day,” Truex said. “And that sucks, because I’m really fond of that ‘Miles The Monster’ trophy. Now, I can’t tell you exactly why I like that trophy so much. In other words, I can’t give you a ‘concrete’ reason why it appeals to me.”

    3. William Byron: Byron dealt with early brake issues at Dover, but overcame them on his way to a fourth in the Drydene 400.

    “My brake pedal was going all the way to the floor,” Byron said. “That’s not good, although technically, I did have the ‘pedal to the metal.’”

    4. Kyle Larson: Larson won Stages 1 and 2 but couldn’t hold off Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman for the win. Larson finished second as HMS took the top four spots.

    “Losing is the pits,” Larson said. “Oh, did I say ‘Losing is the pits?’ I meant to say ‘Losing in the pits,’ because that’s what we did. Did I say ‘we?’ I meant to say ‘they.’”

    5. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took sixth at Dover and is now eighth in the points standings.

    “It was good to see fans in the stands at Dover,” Harvick said. “Especially some without masks. Now, the fans’ full return won’t be complete until they’re allowed to be out full force in a track infield. And experience tells me that the only way to fully appreciate infield fans is without a mask, because they smell so bad you can taste them.”

    6. Alex Bowman: Bowman won the race off pit road on the final pit stop and led the final 98 laps to win the Drydene 400 at Dover.

    “Hendrick Motorsports cars swept the top four,” Bowman said. “They call that a ‘train,’ and they tell me no one’s run one that well at HMS since Tim Richmond.”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski suffered a lug nut mishap late at Dover, which forced an extra pit stop to correct. The lost track position left the driver of the No. 2 Penske Mustang with a 16th-place finish.

    “Did you see the guy dressed as Kyle Busch in the stands?” Keselowski said. “It made my day. Now there’s two Kyle Busch’s I can call an ‘ass.’ That would be called the ‘ass-ass-ination’ of Kyle Busch.”

    8. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth at Dover behind the Hendrick Motorsports 1-2-3-4 finish.

    “That’s the epitome of a ‘sweep,’” Logano said. “So, basically, Hendrick took the broom to the rest of us. And speaking of ‘taking a broom,’ that’s also how Teresa Earnhardt traveled.”

    9. Kyle Busch: Busch suffered early engine issues at Dover and finished 27th, seven laps down, in the Drydene 400.

    “There was a fan in the stands dressed exactly like me,” Busch said. “I’m flattered, but mostly surprised, that anyone would go out of their way to look like me.”

    10. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished third at Dover as Hendrick Motorsports swept the top four spots.

    “I started from the rear because of multiple inspection failures,” Elliott said. “That seems to be a weekly occurrence for me. You know it may be a problem when NASCAR officials spend as much time under your hood as your mechanics.”

  • Bowman leads a 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports at Dover

    Bowman leads a 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports at Dover

    It was an historic day for Hendrick Motorsports as Alex Bowman assumed the lead under the final 100 laps following a stellar pit stop from his crew and went on to beat teammate Kyle Larson and win the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 16, as he also led a 1-2-3-4 finish for the HMS organization.

    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, Martin Truex Jr., winner of last weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with Denny Hamlin, teammate and the regular-season points leader.

    Prior to the race, Chase Elliott dropped to the rear of the field due to his car failing pre-race inspection twice. Ryan Newman also dropped to the rear due to unapproved adjustments. Josh Berry, who was making his NASCAR Cup debut in the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, also dropped to the rear of the field due to a driver change as he replaced Justin Haley, who was absent from the Cup event and Saturday’s Xfinity Series event due to COVID-19 protocols.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Truex launched ahead with the lead followed by Kyle Larson, Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Truex, though, was able to lead the first lap with the field behind jostling for position.

    Through the first 10 laps of the event, Truex continued to lead by half a second over Larson and nearly seven-tenths of a second over William Byron. Hamlin was in fourth followed by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Chris Buescher and Christopher Bell.

    Five laps later, Byron, who had taken over the runner-up spot over teammate Larson, started to close in on Truex for the lead. Another lap later, Byron powered his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to the lead. 

    By Lap 20, Byron was leading teammate Larson and Harvick while Truex slipped back to fourth place ahead of teammate Hamlin.

    By Lap 30 and with the leaders approaching lapped traffic, Byron continued to lead by a narrow margin over teammate Larson. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch, who was running in the top 10, had fallen back to 12th place after reporting a mechanical issue to his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry.

    When the field reached the competition caution on Lap 35, Byron maintained the lead over teammate Larson, Harvick, Truex and Hamlin. By then, Chase Elliott, who started at the rear of the field, was in 17th while Kyle Busch, who continued to have mechanical issues with his car, had fallen back to 23rd. In addition, names like Ryan Preece, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Cole Custer and Aric Almirola were spared from being lapped by Byron.

    Under the competition caution, the leaders pitted and Larson was able to exit pit road ahead of teammate Byron. Following the pit stops, Tyler Reddick, Corey LaJoie and Michael McDowell were sent to the rear of the field for speeding on pit road.

    When the race restarted on Lap 40, Larson took off with the lead followed by Harvick.

    By Lap 50, Larson was out in front by half a second over Harvick while Byron, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin were in the top five. Chris Buescher was in sixth followed by Brad Keselowski, Logano, Alex Bowman and Elliott. Truex was back in 11th followed by Austin Dillon, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace and rookie Chase Briscoe. Kyle Busch was in 29th, the final car on the lead lap.

    Three laps later, Kyle Busch, who continued to battle engine issues, was lapped by Larson. Meanwhile, Byron, who continued to run in third place, radioed brake issues to his car.

    Through the first 70 laps of the event, Larson remained in the lead by nearly two seconds over Harvick followed by Byron. Behind, Corey LaJoie pitted due to a flat tire.

    Five laps later, Larson extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Harvick followed by Byron, Blaney and Hamlin. Buescher, Logano, Keselowski, Elliott and Bowman all remained in the top 10 ahead of Austin Dillon and Truex, who was struggling with pace.

    At the Lap 100 mark, Larson continued to lead by more than four seconds over Harvick followed by Byron, Blaney and Hamlin. Elliott moved up to sixth followed by Buescher, Logano, Bowman and Keselowski.

    In the closing laps of the first stage, Larson increased his advantage to more than seven seconds. Behind, Hamlin moved up to second place followed by Blaney, Harvick and Elliott while Byron fell back to sixth.

    On the final lap of the first stage, Chase Briscoe, who was trying to remain on the lead lap ahead of leader Larson, scrubbed the outside wall in Turn 1, though he was able to prevent the car from spinning. The debris from Briscoe’s damaged car was enough for the first stage to conclude under caution as Larson was able to claim his fifth stage victory of the season. Hamlin maintained the runner-up spot followed by Blaney, Elliott and Harvick while Byron, Logano, Bowman, Buescher and Keselowski were in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Larson maintained the lead following his pit service. Hamlin exited in second place followed by Elliott, Blaney and Logano. Soon after, Truex made another pit stop to have damage to the front of his car repaired.

    The second stage started on Lap 129 with Larson and Hamlin on the front row. At the start, Larson maintained the lead while Elliott drew his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE alongside Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry for the runner-up spot.

    By Lap 135, Larson was leading by eight-tenths of a second over teammate Elliott followed by Blaney, Hamlin and Logano. Harvick, Buescher, Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch and Byron were in the top 10. 

    Through the first 150 laps of the event, Larson remained as the leader followed by teammate Elliott, Blaney, Hamlin and Logano. Harvick was in sixth followed by Byron, Buescher, Austin Dillon and Alex Bowman. Kurt Busch and Keselowski were in 11th and 12th, Truex was in 14th ahead of Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace was in 17th behind Tyler Reddick and Kyle Busch was in 36th, eight laps behind. By then, names like Cole Custer, Erik Jones, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Christopher Bell, Matt DiBenedetto, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were a lap behind.

    More than 20 laps later, the caution returned when Josh Berry scrubbed the wall in Turn 2. Prior to the pit road opening for the leaders, Blaney pitted to have a hole on the front of his car fixed and due to a flat tire. When the pits opened, the leaders pitted and Larson retained the lead after exiting ahead of Elliott, Hamlin, Harvick and Byron.

    When the race restarted on Lap 176, Larson launched ahead with a strong start followed by Elliott and Hamlin while Harvick and Byron battled for fourth place. In addition, Bowman, the fourth Hendrick Motorsports competitor, joined the party in sixth place.

    By Lap 190, Larson extended his advantage to seven-tenths of a second over teammate Elliott while Hamlin, Byron and Harvick continued to run in the top five. A few laps later, Penske teammates Logano and Keselowski nearly made contact with one another in Turn 1 while battling for eighth place. 

    At the halfway mark on Lap 200, Larson was leading by nearly a second over teammate Elliott while teammate Byron trailed by nearly five seconds. Hamlin was in fourth while Bowman was in fifth, marking all four Hendrick Motorsports competitors in the top five. Harvick was in sixth followed by Kurt Busch, Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Aric Almirola.

    By Lap 220, all four Hendrick Motorsports competitors were running first through fourth, with Larson leading Elliott, Bowman moving up in third and Byron back in fourth. Hamlin was in fifth followed by Harvick, Kurt Busch, Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Almirola. Logano, meanwhile, was in 13th behind Reddick and Truex.

    Despite having teammate Elliott closing in for the lead, Larson was able to pull away late as he approached lapped traffic and win the second stage on Lap 240 for his sixth stage victory of the season. Elliott followed behind in second place followed by teammates Bowman and Byron while Hamlin was in fifth. Harvick, Kurt Busch, Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Reddick were scored in the top 10. By then, names like Wallace and Logano remained on the lead lap.

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Larson retained the lead following another stellar stop from his pit crew followed by Bowman, Elliott, Byron and Kurt Busch.

    With 152 laps remaining, the final stage started. At the start, Larson rocketed away with another strong start while teammates Bowman and Elliott battled for the runner-up spot. Behind, a three-wide battle ensued between Harvick, Keselowski and Hamlin with Harvick moving into sixth place behind Kurt Busch while ahead of Keselowski and Hamlin. 

    Down to the final 135 laps of the event, Larson was out in front by more than two seconds over teammate Bowman with teammate Byron trailing by nearly three seconds and teammate Elliott trailing by three seconds. Kurt Busch, meanwhile, remained in fifth followed by Harvick, Keselowski, Hamlin, Austin Dillon, Reddick, Blaney, Ross Chastain, Almirola, Logano, Suarez and Truex.

    Fifteen laps later, Larson stabilized his advantage to nearly three seconds over teammate Bowman with his other two teammates, Byron and Elliott, trailing by more than four seconds. Harvick was in fifth place, trailing by more than seven seconds, after overtaking former teammate Kurt Busch.

    Down to the final 100 laps of the race, Larson remained in the lead followed by teammates Bowman, Byron and Elliott with Harvick in fifth. A lap later, though, the caution returned when Aric Almirola made hard contact into the Turn 3 outside wall after he blew a right-front tire, with fire eventually flaming out of Almirola’s car. The on-track incident marked Almirola’s fifth DNF and his sixth result of 30th or worse this season. 

    Under the caution period, the leaders pitted and Bowman, whose pit crew clocked off a fast pit service, emerged with the lead ahead of teammates Larson, Elliott and Byron with Harvick coming out in fifth.

    With 92 laps remaining, the race restarted and Bowman maintained the lead over Larson and Elliott. Behind, Harvick overtook Byron for fourth with Hamlin lurking behind.

    Six laps later, the caution returned when a bump from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sent rookie Anthony Alfredo sideways and spinning to the inside wall in Turn 2, where he made contact with the wall. In the midst of the incident, Stenhouse and Keselowski received minor damage to their respective machines.

    Under caution, a majority of competitors led by Hamlin pitted while the rest led by Bowman remained on the track. Overall, all four Hendrick competitors along with Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace remained on the track.

    With 81 laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, Bowman pulled ahead followed by Larson while Elliott struggled to launch on the inside lane. Despite Larson challenging teammate Bowman for the lead through Turns 1 and 2, Harvick pulled his No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang alongside Larson’s No. 5 Nations Guard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in Turn 3, which allowed Bowman to maintain the lead.

    While Bowman continued to lead under the final 75 laps, Larson remained within sight of the lead by nearly seven-tenths of a second followed by Elliott, Harvick and Byron. Suarez and Reddick maintained sixth and seventh while Wallace battled owner Hamlin for eighth place.

    Just then, debris drew the caution, which jumbled the field and erased Bowman’s lead over teammate Larson. Under caution, a majority of the leaders remained on the track while others like Logano, Custer pitted.

    The race restarted with 70 laps remaining and with teammates Bowman and Larson on the front row. At the start, Bowman maintained the lead followed by Larson and Elliott while Byron retook fourth place over Harvick.

    Under the final 60 laps of the event, on-track battling occurring and with weather threats looming near the track, Bowman remained as the leader under half a second over a hard-charging Larson followed by Elliott, Byron and Harvick. Reddick, Suarez, Hamlin, Wallace and Logano were in the top 10 followed by Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Kurt Busch, Custer and Truex.

    With 50 laps remaining, Bowman continued to lead by half a second over teammate Larson with teammates Elliott and Byron remaining in third and fourth. Harvick remained in fifth followed by Reddick, Suarez, Logano, Hamlin and Wallace, who had Blaney challenging him for more.

    Down to the final 35 laps of the event, Bowman was leading by more than a second over teammate Larson while Elliott, Byron and Harvick stabilized themselves in the top five. Reddick, Logano, Suarez, Hamlin and Wallace also stabilized themselves in the top 10.

    With 20 laps remaining, the gap between leader Bowman and runner-up Larson remained to more than a second, with teammate Elliott behind by more than two seconds and teammate Byron trailing by more than seven seconds. Harvick remained in fifth place while Logano overtook Reddick for sixth place. A few laps later, Custer overtook Wallace for 10th place.

    Under the final 10 laps, the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by Bowman continued to lead by more than a second over teammate Larson, who continued to lose ground on his teammate for the top spot. Bowman maintained his healthy advantage under the final five laps of the event. 

    With no challengers closing in to his rear bumper, Bowman was able to come back around and claim the checkered flag ahead of his three HMS teammates.

    The Dover victory marked Bowman’s first at the Monster Mile, fourth of his Cup Series career and second of this season as he joined Martin Truex Jr. as the only multi-winners of this year’s Cup season. He also returned the iconic No. 48 car to Victory Lane at Dover for the first time since 2017 made by Jimmie Johnson, who won at Dover 11 times. The 1-2-3-4 finish was a first for HMS and the fourth time done by a NASCAR team.

    “We won Richmond and then had a really rough couple weeks there,” Bowman said on FS1. “[We] Went to some really good race tracks for us and struggled. [I] Told the guys last week, ‘We’re still the same team that did it at Richmond.’ It’s another really good place for us. I’m just so pumped for Ally. It feels right to put the No. 48 back in Victory Lane here after how many races this car has won here. Mr. [Hendrick] is here, I don’t think I’ve won with him here befrore, so that’s really cool. Just so proud of this pit crew. It was a rough off-season for us and a big void to fill…The whole pit crew’s doing a really good job. Thanks to my spotter, Kevin Hamlin, for coaching me there at the end. It was fun racing Kyle [Larson] and glad to get Hendrick Motorsports another win.”

    With the Dover victory and career win No. 267, Hendrick Motorsports is one win away from tying Petty Enterprises for the most victories all-time in the Cup Series. In addition, Chevrolet is one win away from achieving 800 victories in NASCAR’s premier series.

    “I can guarantee you, this is the most nervous I’ve ever been in a race,” Rick Hendrick said. “Great day for the organization. Alex, congratulations to him. This is a sign of the guys working together and bringing good stuff to the track. I don’t think it’ll hit me till tomorrow that we were able to finish 1-2-3-4. That’s pretty hard to do, things can happen, pit stops, tires, anything. That’s a first. We’ll take it. It’s a great day for us.”

    Larson, who led a race-high 263 laps, crossed the finish line in second place, two seconds behind, and for his third runner-up result of the season. 

    “I felt like all of us, HMS guys, were pretty equal, so it was like whoever got out to the lead was gonna be hard to beat,” Larson said. “[Bowman’s] team just really did a good job on that pit stop, gain control of the race and never really had a shot after that. That one restart, I got to his bumper and got him loose, but [Harvick] was coming, so we had to let each other go, but hard to be disappointed with that second. I felt like I did everything I could. We led a lot of laps, won both stages. Good points, but I would’ve liked to have been one spot better…What a day for Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet. Thanks to everybody at the shop, the engine shop. This is pretty amazing…That’s a pretty special day, for sure.”

    Elliott finished in third place, three-and-a-half seconds behind, as he has yet to win this season. Byron capped off the 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports by finishing fourth as he also captured his 11th consecutive top-10 result.

    Logano emerged as the highest-finishing non-Hendrick Motorsports competitor by finishing fifth while Harvick, Hamlin, Reddick, Suarez and Custer finished in the top 10. 

    Wallace claimed his first top-15 finish of this season and for 23XI Racing by finishing 11th ahead of Blaney, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon and Chastain. Keselowski finished 16th, Truex came home in 19th and Kyle Busch capped off his long afternoon in 27th. Josh Berry finished 30th in his Cup debut.

    There were 10 lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 41 laps. 

    Denny Hamlin continues to lead the regular-season standings by 101 points over William Byron and 102 over Martin Truex Jr.

    With the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season stretch halfway complete, 10 competitors (Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, William Byron, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell and Michael McDowell) are currently guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs based on winning at least once. Denny Hamlin would also be guaranteed a spot based on leading the regular-season standings. Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon, Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick are inside the top-16 cutline to the Playoffs as winless competitors, with Reddick ahead by 17 points over Matt DiBenedetto, 30 over Kurt Busch, 32 over Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 38 over Ryan Newman, 49 over Bubba Wallace, 56 over Daniel Suarez and 58 over Ross Chastain.

    Results.

    1. Alex Bowman, 98 laps led

    2. Kyle Larson, 263 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

    3. Chase Elliott

    4. William Byron, 21 laps led

    5. Joey Logano

    6. Kevin Harvick

    7. Denny Hamlin, two laps led

    8. Tyler Reddick

    9. Daniel Suarez

    10. Cole Custer

    11. Bubba Wallace

    12. Ryan Blaney

    13. Kurt Busch

    14. Austin Dillon

    15. Ross Chastain

    16. Brad Keselowski

    17. Chris Buescher

    18. Ryan Preece, one lap down

    19. Martin Truex Jr., one lap down, 16 laps led

    20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., one lap down

    21. Christopher Bell, four laps down

    22. Erik Jones, four laps down

    23. Ryan Newman, four laps down

    24. Matt DiBenedetto, five laps down

    25. Michael McDowell, five laps down

    26. Corey LaJoie, seven laps down

    27. Kyle Busch, seven laps down

    28. Anthony Alfredo, eight laps down

    29. Quin Houff, 12 laps down

    30. Josh Berry, 12 laps down

    31. Cody Ware, 13 laps down

    32. Garrett Smithley, 17 laps down

    33. James Davison, 18 laps down

    34. Josh Bilicki, 19 laps down

    35. Chase Briscoe, 65 laps down

    36. B.J. McLeod – OUT, Engine

    37. Aric Almirola – OUT, Accident

    Next on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is a trip to Austin, Texas, for the series’ inaugural event at the Circuit of the Americas for the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix. The event is slated to occur on Sunday, May 23, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Weekend schedule for Dover

    Weekend schedule for Dover

    The NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Dover International Speedway this weekend. The Camping World Truck Series has the week off but will return May 22 for the Toyota Tundra 225 at Circuit of The Americas.

    There have been 10 different Cup Series winners in 12 races this season with Martin Truex Jr. the only multi-race winner with three victories.

    Four active drivers are tied with the most wins at Dover. Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman each have three wins.

    All eyes will be on JR Motorsports driver Noah Garson as he attempts to sweep the Dash 4 Cash Xfinity Series races. Since the multi-round format was established in 2011, no driver has ever won all the rounds in a season.

    There will be no practice or qualifying sessions due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.

    Truex (Cup) and Daniel Hemric (Xfinity) have been awarded the pole starting positions for their respective series based on the formula below.

    The starting lineups will be determined by the following metrics formula:

    • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
    • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, May 15

    1:10 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars)
    1:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Drydene 200 (Green flag 1:41)
    200 miles (200 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 45, Stage 2 ends on Lap 90, Final Stage ends on Lap 200
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Daniel Hemric

    Sunday, May 16

    1:40 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars)
    2 p.m.: Cup Series Drydene 400 (Green flag 2:11)
    The Place: Dover International Speedway
    400 miles (400 laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 120, Stage 2 ends on Lap 240, Final Stage ends on Lap 400
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Martin Truex Jr.

    Dover International Speedway:
    “    Season Race #: 13 of 36 (05-16-21)
    Track Size: 1-mile
    Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees
    Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  1,076 feet
    Backstretch Length:  1,076 feet
    Race Length: 311 laps / 311 miles
    Stage 1 and 2 Length: 120 laps each
    Final Stage Length: 160 laps

    Dover International Speedway Qualifying Information:
    Track qualifying record: Denny Hamlin, Toyota 166.984 mph, (21.559 secs.) on Oct. 5, 2019.
    2020 Dover pole winner: Qualifying was canceled due to pandemic – Chase Elliott started on pole.

    • Kurt Busch leads all active series drivers in starts at Dover with 41 starts.
    • Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the series in an average starting position at Dover with a 7.8 in 13 starts.
    • 42 different NCS drivers have won the pole at Dover and eight pole winners are active this weekend.  Denny Hamlin (4), Ryan Newman (4), Martin Truex Jr, (3), Chase Elliott (1), Kyle Larson (1), Kyle Busch (1), Brad Keselowski (1), and Kevin Harvick (1).
    • The youngest series Dover pole winner is Chase Elliott (May 3, 2019 – 23 years, 5 months, 8 days).
    • The oldest series Dover pole winner is Mark Martin (June 1, 2012 – 53 years, 4 months, 23 days).
    • 10 drivers have won consecutive poles at Dover and the two active drivers this weekend are Ryan Newman (fall 2005, spring 2006), and Denny Hamlin (fall 2012, spring 2013).

    Dover International Speedway Race Information:
    Track race record: Kyle Larson, Chevrolet 135.734 mph, (02:56:49) on Oct. 6, 2019.
    2020 Dover race winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota 124.359 mph, (02:30:03), Aug. 22, 2020

    • 38 different NCS drivers have won at Dover and nine are active this weekend.  Kevin Harvick (3), Martin Truex Jr. (3), Kyle Busch (3), Ryan Newman (3), Denny Hamlin (1), Kyle Larson (1), Chase Elliott (1), Brad Keselowski (1), and Kurt Busch (1).
    • Jimmie Johnson leads the NCS in wins at Dover with 11 victories.
    • The youngest Dover race winner is Chase Elliott (October 7, 2018 – 22 years, 10 months, 0 days).
    • 13 of the 102 (12.7%) NCS races at Dover have been won from the pole or first starting position but the second place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position.
    • Ryan Newman is the only active driver entered this weekend that has won from the pole in the NCS at Dover on June 1, 2003.
    • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Dover is 26th, by Martin Truex Jr.
    • Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Dover in the NCS with 20 victories among six drivers.
    • Nine different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Dover.  It’s led by Chevrolet with 41 victories, followed by Ford with 27, Dodge (seven), Mercury (seven), Toyota (seven), Pontiac (six), Buick (three), Oldsmobile (two) and Plymouth (two).
    • Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the NCS in average finishing position at Dover with a 7.4 in 13 starts.
    • Kevin Harvick leads all active series drivers in laps led at Dover with 1,666 in 41 races.

    Top 12 Dover Driver Ratings:
    Kyle Busch – 103.5
    Kyle Larson – 103.3
    Martin Truex Jr. – 101.2
    Kevin Harvick – 98.6
    Brad Keselowski – 93.2
    Chase Elliott – 91.5
    Cole Custer – 89.2
    Denny Hamlin – 88.9
    Kurt Busch – 87.2
    |Joey Logano – 86.8
    Ryan Blaney – 84.1
    Erik Jones – 83.3

    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (32 total) among active drivers at Dover International Speedway.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex swept Stages 1 and 2 at Darlington and held off Kyle Larson in the closing laps of the final stage to take the win, his third of the year.

    “I could feel Kyle coming,” Truex said. “Heck, I thought he was going to pass me. When he got to within a second, I said a word that needed to be censored, out of my own frustration.”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin grazed the wall late at Darlington, but held on to post a fifth in the Goodyear 400.

    “I’m still winless,” Hamlin said, “and it’s very frustrating. Since I can’t win any, I’m offering ‘bonus points’ to anyone who can tell me how to break this slump.”

    3. William Byron: Byron finished fourth at Darlington and is third in the points standings.

    “Daytona, Darlington, and Kansas announced that upcoming summer and fall races will be held with fully open grandstands,” Byron said. “And you can best believe the same people that complained about not being able to attend a race will be the same ones complaining that they’re sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a fellow NASCAR fan.”

    4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished sixth at Darlington.

    “I think all drivers can agree that the ‘higher horsepower-lower downforce’ package is great,” Harvick said. “We all call it the ‘How Tim Richmond Liked His Women.”

    5. Kyle Larson: Larson finished second in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington after falling just short of catching Martin Truex Jr. in the final stage.

    “I was so close to Truex I could taste it,” Larson said. “But I couldn’t quite get there. Therein lies the difference between me and Truex: ‘I got caught.’”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole and finished 24th at Darlington.

    “It was true for me on Sunday,” Keselowski said. “Darlington is the track that’s ‘too tough to tame.’ My No. 2 Ford Mustang, at least for the day, was called the car that’s ‘too tough to tame.’ The handling was off all day.”

    7. Joey Logano: Logano suffered a pit lane speeding penalty on the final pit stop of the race and finished a disappointing 13th at Darlington.

    “The No. 22 Ford’s paint scheme honored Mario Andretti’s first Formula 1 victory in 1971,” Logano said. “But really, I doubt NASCAR fans care at all about Formula 1, or Formula 2, 3, or 4, for that matter. In other words, it’s a matter of ‘zero F’s given.’”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch overcame an early spin to post a third-place result at Darlington.

    “My car’s paint scheme celebrated M&M’s 80th anniversary,” Busch said. “M&M’s has been a sponsor of mine for years, and I’m sure having their logo on my car has made them millions. So, they’ve really exploited me and my car for their gain. Talk about ‘milk’ chocolate.”

    9. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished seventh at Darlington and is eighth in the points standings.

    “My car honored 1992 Cup champion Alan Kulwicki,” Elliott said, “and featured the throwback Hooters paint scheme. Rumor has it that Kulwicki once visited the ‘private back room’ at one particular Hooters, where he allegedly received a ‘Polish victory lap dance.’”

    10. Ryan Blaney: Blaney tagged the wall late while running in the top five and settled for an eighth in the Goodyear 400.

    “NASCAR just revealed the ‘Next Gen’ car,” Blaney said. “At first glance, it looks really cool, sleek, and futuristic. On second glance, it didn’t pass inspection.”

  • Martin Truex Jr. wins the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway

    Martin Truex Jr. wins the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway

    Martin Truex Jr. captured his third NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) win of the season on Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Truex Jr. dominated the race by leading 248 of the 293 laps and swept both stages. This was his 30th NCS career win in 561 series starts. He is the only multi-race winner this year.

    It was also the first time that a stage winner has ever claimed the checkered flag at Darlington.

    “I’m extremely proud of everyone on this Auto-Owners Camry. I think this flat black is a throwback to you, Regan (Smith), when you won here. It’s really cool to throw back to Furniture Row. Hopefully, Barney Visser (owner, Furniture Row Racing) is out here watching. I know, Regan, you and I both owe him a lot, but this one is for Furniture Row. It’s pretty cool.” Truex said.

    Kyle Larson closed on Truex Jr. in the closing laps but had to settle for second place, earning his seventh top-10 finish this season.

    “I was surprised that I was able to get to him. I caught him really; like, I closed on pit road and then I caught him pretty quickly once we were on track. I closed right in, and actually had an opportunity to get by him in the middle of (Turns) 1 and 2, but I thought I’d stay patient and maybe get him to use his stuff up. He was just a little bit better than I was in the long runs.” Larson said.

    Kansas winner Kyle Busch finished third and was pleased with the overall progress his team has made.

    “Yes, solid day overall. Definitely better than some of our other 750 package races, but just missing a little bit on the long run. It seemed like we could fire off with (Martin) Truex there and hang with him a little bit. Actually, we would catch him for about five laps and then it was over. Just trying to hold on after that point. Overall, real good day.”

    William Byron was fourth and Denny Hamlin finished fifth. Chase Briscoe was the highest-finishing rookie with an 11th place result.

    Hamlin leads the series with 529 points. Truex (-75), Byron (-101), Joey Logano (-123) and Ryan Blaney (-124) round out the top five in the driver standings.

    There were no major issues in the post-race inspection. The No. 18 (Busch), 24 (Byron), 4 (Harvick), 12 (Blaney) and 8 (Reddick) will be taken to the R&D Center for further inspection. The No. 22 (Logano) had two lug nuts not safe and secure and the No. 17 (Buescher) had one lug nut not safe and secure.

    NEXT RACE: Sunday, May 16th at Dover International Speedway on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET

    NASCAR Cup Series Race No. 12 Race Results for the 2nd Annual Goodyear 400
    Sunday, May 9, 2021
    Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC – 1.366 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 293 Laps – 400.238 Miles
    FinStrNoDriverTeamLapsS1PosS2PosS3PosPtsStatus
    1419Martin Truex Jr.Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota29311060Running
    2145Kyle LarsonHendrickCars.com Throwback Chevrolet29345048Running
    3318Kyle BuschM&M’s Toyota29302043Running
    4524William ByronValvoline Throwback Chevrolet29393043Running
    5711Denny HamlinSport Clips Toyota29324048Running
    624Kevin HarvickMobil 1 Throwback Ford29350037Running
    769Chase ElliottHooters Throwback Chevrolet29380033Running
    81612Ryan BlaneyAdvance Auto Parts Ford29379035Running
    91117Chris BuescherFifth Third Bank Ford293010029Running
    10206Ryan NewmanKohler Generators Ford29200027Running
    112214Chase Briscoe #HighPoint.com Throwback Ford29200026Running
    12108Tyler ReddickQuartz Hill Records Chevrolet29238036Running
    131222Joey LoganoShell Pennzoil Ford29267033Running
    142120Christopher BellRheem Toyota29206028Running
    151842Ross ChastainMcDonald’s Chevrolet29100022Running
    1693Austin DillonBass Pro Shops Chevrolet29100021Running
    171948Alex BowmanAlly Throwback Chevrolet291100021Running
    182643Erik JonesSTP Chevrolet29100019Running
    19821Matt DiBenedettoMenards/Dutch Boy Ford29000018Running
    202847Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Kroger/Tide Chevrolet29000017Running
    212323Bubba WallaceRoot Insurance Toyota29000016Running
    22307Corey LaJoieIn Memory of Alan Kulwicki Chevrolet29000015Running
    231599Daniel SuarezCamping World Throwback Chevrolet29000014Running
    2412Brad KeselowskiFreightliner Ford29000013Running
    252937* Ryan PreeceVelveeta Chevrolet29000012Running
    262538Anthony Alfredo #We Care Ford28900011Running
    271334Michael McDowellFr8 Auctions Ford28800010Running
    283177Justin Haley(I)FOE Mother’s Day Chevrolet2880000Running
    293453JJ Yeley(i)FatBoy Ice Cream Chevrolet2860000Running
    30350Quin HouffBos Klein/RCA Chevrolet2860007Running
    313615James DavisonHOPEGIVERS Throwback Chevrolet2860006Running
    323278BJ McLeod(i)CorvetteParts.net/Keen Parts Ford2850000Running
    333752Josh BilickiInsurance King Throwback Ford2450004Running
    343351Cody Ware(i)NURTEC ODT Throwback Chevrolet1880000Driveshaft
    35171Kurt BuschMonster Energy Chevrolet1060002Accident
    362441Cole CusterHaasTooling.com Mother’s Day Ford970001Accident
    372710Aric AlmirolaSmithfield/Winn-Dixie Ford50001Accident

    Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 14 Mins, 21 Secs. Average Speed: 123.562 MPH Margin of Victory: 2.571 Seconds

    Stage 1 Top 10: 19, 11, 8, 5, 4, 22, 12, 9, 24, 48
    Stage 2 Top 10: 19, 18, 24, 11, 5, 20, 22, 8, 12, 17

    Failed to Qualify: None.

    Caution Flags: 6 for 36 laps; Laps: 7-11 (#10 Incident Backstretch [None]); 23-28 (#18 Incident Turn 4/Competition Cuation [None]); 92-97 (Stage 1 Conclusion [1]); 100-104 (#41, 38 Incident Backstretch [14]); 108-114 (#1, 23 Incident Frontstretch [None]); 187-193 (Stage 2 Conclusion [43]).

    Lead Changes: 19 among 10 drivers; B. Keselowski 1-4; K. Harvick 5-13; K. Busch 14-21; M. Truex Jr. 22-24; T. Reddick 25; C. Ware(i) 26; M. Truex Jr. 27-60; T. Reddick 61; R. Chastain 62-71; M. Truex Jr. 72-92; D. Hamlin 93; M. Truex Jr. 94-110; D. Hamlin 111-114; M. Truex Jr. 115-144; C. Buescher 145; K. Harvick 146; C. Bell 147-149; M. Truex Jr. 150-187; K. Busch 188; M. Truex Jr. 189-293.

    Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Chase Briscoe, #14
    (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

  • Weekend schedule for Darlington Throwback Weekend

    Weekend schedule for Darlington Throwback Weekend

    NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway for the seventh annual Throwback Weekend. The Camping World Truck Series will compete Friday night followed by the Xfinity Series Saturday afternoon.

    The Cup Series Goodyear 400 will take center stage on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

    Many of the drivers will be paying tribute to the past this weekend with special paint schemes on their cars. For a full detailed list of the paint schemes and cars participating select this link and visit NASCAR.com’s 2021 Throwback Weekend Photo Gallery.

    Along with the Throwback paint schemes, fans can enjoy a variety of events that will add to the nostalgic atmosphere. In honor of Mother’s Day, Darlington Raceway will also hand out flowers to the first 1,000 mothers who enter the track.

    There will be no practice or qualifying sessions due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.

    The starting lineups will be determined by the following metrics formula:
    • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
    • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, May 7

    7:10 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Trucks)
    7:30 p.m.: Truck Series LiftKits4Less.com 200
    Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles
    Pole: John Hunter Nemechek
    FS1 /MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, May 8

    12:40 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars)
    1 p.m.: Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200
    Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles
    Pole: AJ Allmendinger
    FS1 /MRN/TSN3/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Sunday, May 9

    3:10 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars)
    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Goodyear 400
    Stages 90/185/293 Laps = 400.2 Miles
    Pole: Brad Keselowski
    FS1 /MRN/TSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Darlington Raceway Data
    Season Race #: 12 of 36 (05-09-21)
    Track Size: 1.366-miles
    Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 25 degrees
    Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 23 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 6 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 6 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  1,229 feet
    Backstretch Length:  1,229 feet
    Race Length: 293 laps / 400 miles
    Stage 1 Length: 90 laps
    Stage 2 Length: 95 laps
    Final Stage Length: 108 laps

    Darlington Raceway Qualifying Information:
    Track qualifying record: Aric Almirola, Ford,184.145 mph (26.705 secs.) on April 11, 2014.
    2020 pole winner: Brad Keselowski – Qualifying by random draw on May 17, 2020.

    • Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active drivers in starts at Darlington with 26 each.
    • Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at 8.8 in 17 starts.
    • 51 different NCS drivers have won at least one pole at Darlington and six are active this weekend.  Kevin Harvick (2), Kurt Busch (2), Brad Keselowski (1), Denny Hamlin (1), Ryan Newman (1), and William Byron (1).
    • The youngest Darlington pole winner is William Byron on Sept. 1, 2019 (21 years, 9 months, 3 days).
    • A total of 12 different manufacturers have won at least one pole in the NCS.  Ford leads with 43 poles, followed by Chevrolet (22), Mercury (13), Pontiac (10), Dodge (8), Buick (3), Oldsmobile (3), Plymouth (3), Toyota (2), Chrysler (1), Hudson (1) and Studebaker (1).

    Darlington Raceway Race Information:
    Track race record (500 miles): Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 141.383 mph (03:32:45) on May 11, 2013.
    2020 race winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford, 115.815 mph (03:27:21) on May 17, 2020.

    • 51 different NCS drivers have won at Darlington and six are active this weekend.  Kevin Harvick (3), Denny Hamlin (3), Erik Jones (1), Brad Keselowski (1), Martin Truex Jr. (1), and Kyle Busch (1).
    • Kevin Harvick is the only active driver to win from the pole (2014) at Darlington.
    • The pole is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Darlington.
    • Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins by an organization at Darlington in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14.
    • 11 different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Darlington.  Chevrolet leads with 41 victories, followed by Ford (31), Mercury (10), Toyota (eight), Oldsmobile (six), Dodge (five), Pontiac (five), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Hudson (three) and American Motor Company (two).
    • Kevin Harvick leads all active NCS drivers with 782 laps led in 26 starts.

    Top 12 Driver Ratings at Darlington
    Kyle Larson – 111.3
    Denny Hamlin – 106.8
    Erik Jones – 105.7
    Kevin Harvick – 104.8
    Kyle Busch – 102.8
    Martin Truex Jr. – 101.2
    Brad Keselowski – 98.4
    Chase Elliott – 90.2
    Joey Logano – 90.1
    Kurt Busch – 88.9
    Ryan Newman – 87.6
    William Byron – 82.2

    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (18 total) among active drivers at Darlington Raceway.

  • Goodyear Announces Chance to Win Throwback Blue Streak Tires and More

    Goodyear Announces Chance to Win Throwback Blue Streak Tires and More

    NASCAR’s Official Throwback Weekend – an annual Labor Day tradition made famous for its retro paint schemes and historic venue – will be hosted early this year and officially called the “Goodyear 400.” Goodyear is getting fans and drivers into the spirit with throwback tires, retro Victory Lane hats, and a rare chance to own them. 

    • Goodyear, the Official Tire of NASCAR, is the title sponsor of the spring Cup Series race as part of the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR on May 9.
      • The official name of the race is the Goodyear 400. The Goodyear 400 will mark Goodyear’s first race entitlement in North America.
    • A tradition that drivers and fans look forward to each year, “Throwback Weekend” pays tribute to NASCAR’s racing roots in numerous ways, including the use of vintage paint schemes on stock cars.
    • To celebrate, Goodyear is introducing the “Goodyear 400 Sweepstakes,” giving fans the chance to win exclusive throwback-inspired prizes.
      • Three grand prize winners will receive:
        • One Goodyear Blue Streak tire
        • Three limited-edition Goodyear 400 race posters
        • One Goodyear 400 branded hat
      • Three first place winners will each receive one Goodyear 400 branded hat and three limited-edition race posters.
    • To enter via Twitter, comment your favorite NASCAR memory on Goodyear’s sweepstakes post with hashtag #Goodyear400sweepstakes.
      • To learn more details on how to enter and to read the official sweepstakes rules visit woobox.com/jbwz3y.
    • Prizing:
      • Blue Streak Tires: In keeping with the race weekend’s throwback theme, Goodyear is replacing the yellow “Eagle” logo on the sidewalls of its racing tires with a vintage “Blue Streak” sidewall design. The Blue Streak tires will include white Goodyear lettering and a white logo that reflect the design of NASCAR tires used in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
      • Goodyear 400 Hats:  Limited-edition Goodyear 400 hats feature a retro design and commemorative logo and will be worn by the winning driver at Victory Lane.
      • Vintage Race Posters: Goodyear is introducing a select run of throwback posters that were designed and written in the style of decades past, giving fans a chance to win their own limited-edition prints.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10YgCY0hbhI

    Rules:

    NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. The Goodyear 400 Sweepstakes is open to U.S. citizens and U.S. resident aliens who are physically located in and legal residents of one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age (19 in Alabama and Nebraska, 21 in Mississippi) at time of entry. Sweepstakes commences at 12:00 PM ET on April 30, 2021 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on May 18, 2021. Subject to Official Rules at . For methods of entry and prize descriptions see Official Rules. Msg & Data rates may apply. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Total ARV of Prizes is $1,893. Sponsor: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, 200 Innovation Way, Akron, Ohio 44316. VOID OUTSIDE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW

  • Darlington Throwback Weekend will be ‘a walk down memory lane’

    Darlington Throwback Weekend will be ‘a walk down memory lane’

    As soon as I drive through Darlington Raceway’s Turn 3 tunnel, I feel like I’ve stepped back in time and entered another era. The walls feature a collage of the track’s historic moments through the decades and the legends that have conquered the unforgiving surface of the track “Too Tough to Tame.”

    As the 1.66-mile track prepares to host the Throwback Weekend with all three national series competing, track President Kerry Tharp promises a weekend reminiscent of days gone by with special guests, activities and surprises.

    I asked him what will put the biggest smile on his face when he steps outside and looks around on race day.

    “I want the fans to enjoy it,” he said. “They can take a walk down memory lane and relive some great moments in the sport.”

    The decision was made to move the Throwback Weekend to the May event because, Tharp said, “We wanted it to stand on its own.”

    Along with the Throwback paint schemes, fans can enjoy a variety of events that will add to the nostalgic atmosphere.

    The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum and National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame will re-open after being closed since last spring due to the pandemic. It’s a must see for NASCAR history buffs and will be open on Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

    The track will also have several merchandise trailers on site, there will be cardboard cutouts of past and current drivers that fans can take pictures with, and if you look up, Tharp said, “We’ll have the Goodyear Blimp; I can’t even remember the last time I saw it overhead.”

    “You’ll see heroes and Hall of Famers this weekend,” Tharp added.

    Greg Biffle, a three-time Darlington race winner, will drive parade laps before the start of the Camping World Truck Series race Friday night. Saturday afternoon before the Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will take his father’s restored No. 8 Chevrolet Nova for a few laps around the track.

    On Mother’s Day NASCAR and Darlington Raceway will hand out carnations to the first 1,000 mothers who enter the track for the Cup Series Goodyear 400. Mothers who are accompanied by their children will have an opportunity to take a photo together to commemorate the special day.

    Look for more announcements from Darlington Raceway throughout the week on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And, don’t forget to visit the Darlington Raceway Virtual Fan Zone to vote for your favorite paint scheme.

    Tickets for all races are still available.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led late at Kansas, but tagged the wall, bringing out the caution. Hamlin wound up in 12th, and remained winless on the year.

    “I have plenty of top 5’s and top 10’s,” Hamlin said, “but where wins are concerned, I’ve ‘hit a wall.’

    “But my goal still is to win the Cup championship. Is the weight of expectations too much to bear? I can’t say for sure. All I know is the weight of expectations and this monkey on my back weigh exactly the same.”

    2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole at Kansas and finished third, the only Penske Racing driver to crack the top 15.

    “Kyle Busch won the race,” Keselowski said. “As is well documented, I’m not a big fan of Kyle’s. But Sunday was his birthday, and he did win the race, so I’ll give him his due, although I still think he’s an ass. Turns out you can have your cake and ‘eat me’ too.”

    3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished sixth at Kansas as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch took the victory.

    “This race was named the ‘Buschy McBusch Race 400,’” Truex said. “Don’t ask me how that name was arrived at. Was it named by a bunch of first-graders? Or was it named by a bunch of NASCAR fans with first-grade educations who were willing to donate $1 to have their incredibly non-creative voices heard?”

    4. William Byron: Byron finished ninth at Kansas, recording his ninth consecutive top-10 finish.

    “Kansas native Clint Bowyer got to play catch with Patrick Mahomes,” Harvick said. “Mahomes throws a nice spiral, so I’m sure Clint felt quite comfortable with the ‘intentional spin.’”

    5. Kevin Harvick: Harvick seized the opportunity on a wild restart late in the race to capture the runner-up spot at Kansas.

    “I’m happy with the second place,” Harvick said, “but I’m exhausted. That race took a lot out of me. From the name of the race, to the sponsor on my car, to the actor serving as the grand marshal, to the winner of the race, I’m ‘Busched.’”

    6. Joey Logano: Logano finished 17th at Kansas.

    “I’m just happy I didn’t get airborne at Kansas like I did at Talladega,” Logano said. “That was a scary feeling. It feels like gravity takes your crotch and sends it up to your chest. And that’s the true meaning of an ‘aero package.’”

    7. Kyle Busch: Busch was strong throughout the day in Kansas, and aced two late restarts to win the Buschy McBusch Race 400, his first win of 2021.

    “It was my birthday,” Busch said. “I’m no Chase Elliott in popularity, so of course not one driver got me a cake. But that’s probably because they can’t hold a candle to Kyle Busch.”

    8. Chase Elliott: Elliott came home fifth in the Buschy McBusch Race 400 at Kansas.

    “The ‘NASCAR 2021 Fan Pack’ is coming to Rocket League,” Elliott said. “Rocket League combines racing and soccer and is one of the most popular video games. It’s obviously an attempt by NASCAR to attract a younger audience. And to NASCAR, a ‘younger audience’ is simply an audience below the legal drinking age.”

    9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney tangled with Kyle Larson late and fell out of contention, resulting in a 21st-place finish for Blaney.

    “Anthony Alfredo was driving a car with the words ‘Dude Wipes’ on it,” Blaney said. “It’s official–NASCAR sponsorship is going down the toilet.”

    10. Kyle Larson: Larson led a race-high 132 laps, but botched two late restarts, eventually making contact with Ryan Blaney and spinning out. Larson finished 19th.

    “I made mistakes,” Larson said. “But I’m sure I will learn from those mistakes, move on, and become a better person/driver. Again.”

  • Kyle Busch celebrates his birthday and his first Cup Series win of the season at Kansas

    Kyle Busch celebrates his birthday and his first Cup Series win of the season at Kansas

    Perhaps it was fate for a driver named Busch to win the Cup Series Buschy McBusch Race 400 at Kansas Speedway on his birthday. Or maybe it was simply a talented driver having the dominant car toward the end of the race when it matters the most.

    Kyle Busch’s win at Kansas capped off a weekend sweep after claiming the Camping World Truck Series victory Saturday night. It was his 58th Cup Series win in 581 starts and his sixth top-10 finish this season.

    “Just a great day to be able to put this M&Ms Camry up front,” Busch said after the race. Great to be able to get everyone back in Victory Lane again this early in the season and get those points going our way.”

    Even Busch couldn’t help but see the humor of the situation, adding, “I just remembered it’s the Buschy McBusch Race and a Busch won. What do you know?”

    But what he was really excited about was getting the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota back to victory lane.

    “You talk about ups and downs of racing – there’s been a lot of downs of life for us. I have a great opportunity and a great job, no doubt.” Busch said.  “Just a great day to be able to put this M&M’s Mix Camry up front. Want to thank Hy-Vee, our retail partner. They did a huge promotion for us this year with M&M’s and Rowdy Energy. It’s cool to get everybody back to victory lane again this early in the season.”

    Busch was the stage one winner and Kyle Larson won stage two, leading a race-high 132 laps. Larson, however, got into the wall on the final restart while trying to push Ryan Blaney to the lead, and finished 19th. Blaney had to settle for a 21st place finish.

    “Hate that I screwed that up and cost us a good finish,” Larson said.

    Harvick finished second and has yet to win this season but was pleased with how competitive his car was during the race and how the team effectively used pit strategy to put themselves in the best possible position.

    “We had the right pit strategy once the cautions came out there. We had the pit road penalty and came in for tires and Rodney made a great call of coming back in to put tires on and that kind of put us on the offense. We were able to be really aggressive on the two restarts we had at the end and were able to make up some ground. Everybody on our Busch Light Ford Mustang did a great job today of just hanging in there. We made a few mistakes, but we made our car better throughout the whole day and were more competitive than we had been in the last couple mile-and-a-half races.”

    Brad Keselowski finished third for his fifth top-five this year.

    “We weren’t quite as fast as we wanted to be. The Gibbs cars were real fast and Kyle Larson was screaming fast, so a very similar race for us to Vegas, kind of right there on that edge of the top five. We just need a little bit more, but we almost stole one there with pitting and the yellow came out there with 10 to go and it was just kind of the restart chaos and we all run into each other, whether it’s me running into someone or somebody else running into somebody it’s just part of it, but, all in all, not a bad day for the Verizon 5G Ford Mustang.”

    Matt DiBenedetto and Chase Elliott rounded out the top-five. Chase Briscoe placed 20th and was the highest-finishing rookie.

    The Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway on May 9 for the Goodyear 400 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

    NASCAR Cup Series Race Number 11

    Race Results for the 2nd Annual Buschy McBusch Race 400
    Sunday, May 2, 2021
    Kansas Speedway – Kansas City, KS – 1.5 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 267 Laps – 400.5 Miles

    FinStrNoDriverTeamLapsS1PosS2PosS3PosPtsStatus
    1918Kyle BuschM&M’s Mix Toyota26712059Running
    244Kevin HarvickBusch Light For The Farmers Ford267710040Running
    312Brad KeselowskiVerizon 5G Ford26744048Running
    4521Matt DiBenedettoDickies/Menards Ford26700033Running
    5179Chase ElliottUniFirst Chevrolet26765043Running
    61519Martin Truex Jr.Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota26707035Running
    7118Tyler ReddickChildress Vineyards Chevrolet26738041Running
    81617Chris BuescherautoTempest Ford26700029Running
    9224William ByronAxalta Chevrolet26750034Running
    1063Austin DillonBass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Chevrolet26700027Running
    112199Daniel SuarezCamping World Chevrolet26700026Running
    122011Denny HamlinFedEx Freight Toyota26793035Running
    13334Michael McDowellCarParts.com Ford26700024Running
    142442Ross ChastainClover Chevrolet26700023Running
    15281Kurt BuschMonster Energy Chevrolet26700022Running
    16146Ryan NewmanHy-Vee Ford26700021Running
    172922Joey LoganoAAA Insurance Ford26700020Running
    182548Alex BowmanAlly Chevrolet26700019Running
    19325Kyle LarsonHendrickCars.com Chevrolet26721037Running
    201914Chase Briscoe #HighPoint.com Ford26700017Running
    21712Ryan BlaneyMenards/Moen Ford26786024Running
    223833* Austin Cindric(i)MoneyLion Ford2670000Running
    232238Anthony Alfredo #Dude Wipes Ford26600014Running
    241041Cole CusterHaasTooling.com Ford26600013Running
    252743Erik JonesBlack Entrepreneur Initiative Chevrolet26600012Running
    261323Bubba WallaceDr. Pepper Zero Sugar Toyota26600011Running
    27267Corey LaJoieNations Guard Chevrolet26500010Running
    28820Christopher BellRheem Toyota265109012Running
    291810Aric AlmirolaSmithfield/Price Chopper Ford2640008Running
    303177Justin Haley(i)NASCAR TRUCKS AT KNOXVILLE Chevrolet2630000Running
    313078BJ McLeod(i)Celsius Ford2600000Running
    321237* Ryan PreeceNature Valley Chevrolet2590005Accident
    333653Garrett Smithley(i)Smart Sanitizer Chevrolet2590000Running
    342347Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Kroger/Energizer Chevrolet2580003Accident
    353515Joey Gase(i)Explore Branson Chevrolet2580000Running
    363351Cody Ware(i)Nurtec ODT Chevrolet2570000Running
    37340Quin Houff8 Ball Chocolate Whiskey Chevrolet2560001Running
    383955* Matt Mills(i)Siebert Electric/J.F. Electric Ford2550000Running
    393752Josh BilickiRBR Aviation Ford2500001Running

    Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 5 Mins, 21 Secs.
    Average Speed: 129.647 MPH
    Margin of Victory: .336 Seconds
    Stage 1 Top 10: 18, 5, 8, 2, 24, 9, 4, 12, 11, 20
    Stage 2 Top 10: 5, 18, 11, 2, 9, 12, 19, 8, 20, 4

    Caution Flags: 7 for 36 laps; Laps: 27-30 (Competition [78]); 82-87 (Stage 1 Conclusion [37]); 162-167 (Stage 2 Conclusion [17]); 231-235 (Debris Frontstretch [99]); 246-249 (#11 Incident Turn 1 [48]); 254-257 (#33, 47 Incident Backstretch [6]); 259-265 (#20, 37, 47 Incident Turn 4 [14]).

    Lead Changes: 18 among 6 drivers; B. Keselowski 1-63; K. Larson 64; B. Keselowski 65-73; K. Larson 74-76; K. Busch 77-83; K. Larson 84-121; R. Stenhouse Jr. 122-144; K. Larson 145-162; K. Busch 163; K. Larson 164-167; K. Busch 168; K. Larson 169-212; C. Buescher 213-225; K. Larson 226-230; D. Hamlin 231; K. Larson 232-236; D. Hamlin 237-242; K. Larson 243-256; K. Busch 257-267.

    Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Chase Briscoe, #14

    (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series