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  • GOOD LUCK, CHASE: AMS SEEKING FANS’ GOOD-LUCK CHARMS AS GEORGIA NATIVE CHASE ELLIOTT EYES FIRST CUP-SERIES WIN

    GOOD LUCK, CHASE: AMS SEEKING FANS’ GOOD-LUCK CHARMS AS GEORGIA NATIVE CHASE ELLIOTT EYES FIRST CUP-SERIES WIN

    Track recreates 1983 ‘lucky charm’ promotion that led to father Bill Elliott’s own first victory

    HAMPTON, Ga. (Jan. 16, 2018) – Entering his third fulltime season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Dawsonville, Georgia native Chase Elliott is getting an extra dash of goodwill from his home track as the 22-year-old driver seeks his first victory at NASCAR’s top level.

    For an added measure of good luck in 2018, Atlanta Motor Speedway is soliciting good-luck charms of any size, shape or form from race fans across the country. Rabbit’s feet, horseshoes, lucky pennies – whatever it takes, fans are encouraged to ship their lucky charms to Atlanta Motor Speedway, who will present them to Elliott at a special event at the track on Feb. 13.

    After qualifying for the NASCAR Playoffs for the second straight season in 2017, Elliott rattled off a string of consistent finishes to advance to the Round of 8 and ultimately finished fifth in the overall driver standings. He was the top-finishing driver among the four-car Hendrick Motorsports lineup and bested his previous finish of 10th place in 2016 by five spots.

    “We had a lot of ups and downs and a couple missed opportunities (in 2017),” Elliott said. “But I think we have to take them for what they are and learn from them. I am looking forward to 2018. We have some great things to build on, and I am excited to get back behind the wheel of the No. 9. It’s a good fit for me – kind of feels like home.”

    Still, that iconic first career win has yet to materialize. But if AMS and its fan-interactive good-fortune campaign have anything to do with it, it won’t be long before the No. 9 Chevrolet makes its way into Victory Lane.

    A similar promotion by Charlotte Motor Speedway worked for Chase’s father, NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Bill Elliott, years ago. After racing in parts of seven seasons in the Winston Cup Series between 1976 and 1982, as well as his first full-time season at NASCAR’s top level in 1983, the senior Elliott had a plenty of success in the early years of his career – including eight second-place finishes – but went winless in his first 115 starts.

    To help push him over the edge and finally into the win column, AMS president Ed Clark, then public relations director at CMS, organized a “lucky charm” campaign for Elliott near the end of the 1983 season when the series stopped at Charlotte in mid-October.A 1983 “good luck” charm promotion helped NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Bill Elliott score his first Winston Cup Series victory.

    A 1983 “good luck” charm promotion helped NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Bill Elliott score his first Winston Cup Series victory.

    “The promotion we came up with for Bill in ’83 created an amazing amount of interest and support from fans all over the country,” said Clark. “We received package after package full of good-luck charms, and it seemed like everybody was pulling for him to get that first win.”

    And wouldn’t you know it? Showered in trinkets and charms from fans across the U.S., Elliott went on to lock up his first career victory three weeks later in the season finale at California’s Riverside International Raceway.

    In recreating the same campaign 35 years later, Atlanta Motor Speedway – and Chase Elliott fans everywhere, no doubt – are hoping that an extra dose of good luck, along with strong racing genes passed down from his dad, can again propel an Elliott into Victory Lane for the first time – and hopefully by the time NASCAR returns to Atlanta, Elliott’s home track, for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 during the second week of the 2018 season.

    “I’ve been very lucky to have had some great supporters over the past couple of years,” said Elliott. “It’ has been pretty cool to see that support continue to grow, and hopefully we can continue to grow it.”

    Fans can send their good-luck charms to Elliott by shipping them to AMS at 1500 Highway 19/41, Hampton, GA 30228, with attention to “Good Luck, Chase.” Fans can also participate by using the hashtag #GoodLuckChase across the various social media platforms with pictures and messages to Elliott.

    NASCAR racing returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway Feb. 23-25, 2018, featuring the Rinnai 250 XFINITY Series and Active Pest Control 200 Benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Camping World Truck Series doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 24 and the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 25.

    For more information or purchase tickets today, call the AMS ticket office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

  • Kaulig Racing Signs Ryan Truex for XFINITY Series Ride

    Kaulig Racing Signs Ryan Truex for XFINITY Series Ride

    LEXINGTON, N.C. — In the midst of off-season expansion, Kaulig Racing announced today that Ryan Truex will drive the No. 11 Chevrolet for the full 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season. Truex is coming off a ninth-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) driver standings. The younger brother of current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) champion Martin Truex Jr. also has two back-to-back NASCAR K&N East Series Championships as well as multiple years of experience in NASCAR’s premiere series.

    “I’m extremely excited to be making the move back into the Xfinity Series,” said Truex. “In just two years Kaulig Racing has proved to be a highly competitive team each race and it should be a great fit. Last season I saw a lot of improvements in my racing and hopefully this year I can continue the success Kaulig Racing has built and compete for the championship at the end of the year.”

    Two years after breaking into the NXS, team owner Matt Kaulig is excited about his team’s fast-paced growth in the sport. With back-to-back playoff runs as well as two stage wins and one pole award in the team’s short history, Kaulig sees promising opportunities for this season with Truex behind the wheel.

    “When we started this team two years ago I knew we had the potential to be one of the strongest teams in the Xfinity Series and I think we’re within reach of that goal,” Matt Kaulig said. “Ryan is going to be a great addition to the team and I have some high hopes for this season. Each year we keep improving as a team and I think this season we’ll be able to get some wins and make another run in the playoffs. Everyone at Kaulig Racing is excited to have Ryan on board and it should be a great, fun year.”

    Truex will make his debut for Kaulig Racing at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday February 17th, 2018. A sponsor announcement regarding Truex will be made shortly.

     

  • Driver Analysis: Matt Crafton

    Driver Analysis: Matt Crafton

    The 2017 year saw two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton make his 18th career season start dating back to the 2000 season. The long-running sponsor Menards returned to sponsor him once again in the series with the different brands such as Shasta, Goof Off, Fisher Nuts, Ideal Door, Hormel Gatherings, Jack Links, Great Links, Rip IT and FVP just to name a few.

    It was a wild one, to say the least for the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driver. Daytona started off with a bang where on the final lap, Crafton went flipping in the air while doing a 360 and eventually landing back on four wheels. Thankfully, he, along with others, was not hurt during the big crash. A wild way to start your 2017 season off for sure.

    In the coming weeks, his finishes continued to be up and down, with a second at Atlanta and ninth at Martinsville, while finishing 16th and one lap down at Kansas due to a flat right rear tire with less than 10 laps to go. It wasn’t the prettiest race for Crafton as his team’s plan did not go well.

    “We struggled with free-in, free everywhere tonight. Junior (Carl Joiner, crew chief) made some big swings, but we just never got it right,” Crafton said. “Track position was everything and the tire was so hard, it was just impossible to feel anything when it stepped out from us. I thought we were going to be able to salvage a decent finish there at the end, but we had a right rear flat, and our night was just over after that.”

    After a couple of rough patches, he was back inside the top 10 at Charlotte with a sixth-place finish. Iowa was the ninth race of the season and the Menards driver still had not won yet to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Unfortunately, Crafton was involved in a crash on lap 184 which relegated him to a 19th place finish.

    Then it was Eldora, the biggest race of the season if you ask others, including Crafton. This race has been marked on his calendar and check list to win at since its inaugural running in 2013. After the qualifying heat races, he started second and won Stage 1. He fell back a bit in Stage 2 and wound up ninth. Crafton eventually worked his way back up to the lead after taking it away from Stewart Friesen on Lap 134 of 150. From there, he held on in the final 17 laps to score his first win of the season and clinched a spot in the playoffs. It was a great victory for Crafton and the No. 88 Thorsport Racing team. Needless to say, it was the highlight of his 2017 season up to that point.

    “Our first dirt win,” he said. “A lot of fun. In the second part of the race we downright just stunk. It was my fault. We over-tightened it. On the first run we were pretty good, I just thought we were a little bit too free. We tightened it up, and then we just went back to exactly where we started the race. Rico (Abreu) drove by me up top, and I’m like ‘Crafton, you got to put this thing on the fence down there’. I knew I was getting beat on the bottom, and then I found something in the middle over here in 1 and 2. Finally at the end, I’m like ‘well, we ought to tear the right side off this thing and take it to victory lane.”

    Crafton continued to carry that momentum in the weeks leading up to the playoffs at Loudon. Despite an unfortunate 25th place finish at Canada, he earned a pole at Michigan and finished sixth there. In the final race until the playoffs began, he finished 16th at Chicago, two laps down due to a spin in which he never could recover.

    “This was absolutely the most evil thing I’ve ever driven – I just spun out,” Crafton said. “Hopefully, we can get our stuff together for the Playoffs, so we can compete for another championship. We’ll be good though, we  made it here and now we just have to focus on the races ahead of us.”

    In the playoff races, Crafton had consistent finishes of sixth at Loudon, seventh at Las Vegas, ninth at Talladega, second at Martinsville, ninth at Fort Worth. The only finish outside the top 10 came at Phoenix, where he was involved in a crash on lap 129 which ended his night early and saw him finishing 21st.

    Despite that finish at Phoenix, Crafton qualified for the Championship 4 for the second consecutive year. In this case, he was searching for his third career championship in the Truck Series.

    The day started out somewhat okay for the No. 88 driver after qualifying eighth. In Stage 1, Crafton would finish seventh while in Stage 2, he finished eighth. When the checkered flag flew, it saw him finish sixth, the last final four driver to cross the line, finishing fourth in points. Even though it wasn’t the night Crafton wanted, he will be back to challenge for the title in 2018.

    “The first run we were pretty good, just got really, really free,” Crafton said. “As the night went on we just got freer, and freer. We would tighten it up, and we’d run good for about half the run, and then it would go away. All-in-all, we can’t hang our heads – we’ll get em’ next year.”

    Stat wise, the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driver saw one win, five top fives and 16 top 10 finishes, along with an average start of 6.2 and an average finish of 9.3 with 321 laps led and five DNF’s.

    You can follow Matt Crafton on Twitter @Matt_Crafton and on Instagram @Matt_Crafton.

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Building a Legacy on his Own Terms

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Building a Legacy on his Own Terms

    For most of his life, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has walked in the shadow of his famous father.  Each victory has been celebrated while every misstep has led to the inevitable comparison to a legacy that is larger than life.

    It’s not a path I would have chosen for my son. But Earnhardt embraced it, choosing to follow in his father’s footsteps. As a teenager, he had a clear vision of his future.

    During an interview with the late Steve Byrnes in 1990, he said, “I want to be a racecar driver someday. It’s a great sport, I love it to death. It’s all I’ve ever known, racing.”

    And, race he did.

    In 1998 he won his first race in the Busch Grand National Series driving for his dad’s team. It was his 16th start in the series and as he crossed the finish line, Dale Jr. shared his excitement with his father, saying on the radio, “Daddy, I love you to death.”

    His youthful exuberance was contagious, the bond between father and son undeniable. The possibilities, it seemed, were endless.

    Earnhardt won back to back XFINITY Series championships in 1998-1999 before heading to the Cup Series full-time in 2000. And then, the unthinkable happened.

    In February 2001, his father passed away after an accident on the final lap of the Daytona 500 and everyone looked to his son for comfort. Despite his heartbreak, Dale Jr. did what had to be done. He strapped into his racecar and went back to work, putting his own grief on hold so the healing could begin.

    But NASCAR was still hurting, collectively holding their breath and wondering how to move forward after such a significant loss. When they returned to Daytona in July, Dale Jr. again led the way, driving to victory lane in a poignant celebration, and, in that moment, we finally exhaled.

    Throughout Earnhardt’s career, we’ve watched him grow into one of the most beloved and respected drivers in NASCAR. He scored 24 victories in the Busch Series and he has claimed 26 victories in the Cup Series, including two Daytona 500s. NASCAR fans have voted for him as the most popular driver for 14 consecutive years and he will more than likely add one more to the total this season.

    Though he has never captured the ultimate prize of a Cup Championship, it’s a career that will certainly land him in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Still, there will always be those that hold him to an unattainable standard.

    It reminds me of Hank Williams Jr. who knew a few things about being compared to a famous father. In the song, ‘Living Proof’ he sang, “Why just the other night after the show an old drunk came up to me. He says you ain’t as good as your daddy, boy, and you never will be.”

    However, no one could ever fill those shoes. His dad’s life cut short, a legend immortalized in time, will never be duplicated. Instead, Dale Jr. has crafted his own unique legacy.

    And it extends well beyond the race track. He has left an indelible impression with his charitable contributions, his mentoring of younger drivers and the attention he has brought to concussion awareness.

    How do you measure a man’s worth? For Earnhardt, it’s not about the number of trophies but about the quality of his character.

    “I hope people just thought I was good and honest and represented the sport well, he recently said. “I hope people that work with me enjoyed working with me, whether it was in the late model ranks or whatever, and I hope the guys I raced against enjoyed racing with me. That’s really all that will matter. Hopefully, I left a good impression. I’ve had a lot of fun.”

    In the end, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has done exactly what his father wanted him to do.

    His dad was once asked how he kept his son grounded, and said, “He’s seen where we’ve came from, he knows the story. Material things are great but that’s not the important thing in the world. God and family, what people think about you is more important to me. To be able to take what he’s doing and make it work for him for the future but be a nice person as you go. That’s the important thing.”

    Earnhardt’s humility, his passion for racing and his innate ability to connect with the fans has made him an invaluable asset to the sport. His impact on NASCAR will live on long after he steps out of a racecar and into a broadcast booth. But his absence from competition will leave a huge void that will be difficult, if not impossible to fill. It’s hard to imagine a NASCAR race without Dale Jr. but one thing is clear. It won’t be the same without him.

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

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished second in the AAA 500 and clinched a spot in the Chase final four at Homestead.

    “The pressure is on for five drivers looking for that final spot,” Truex said. “I’m just glad I can sit back and relax, and watch frustration boil over for other drivers. So, while they’re going ‘postal,’ I’ll be going ‘coast-al.’”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 19th in the AAA 500 and is already good to go for Homestead by virtue of his win at Martinsville.

    “There are three drivers with clinched spots,” Busch said, “and five others with clinched sphincters.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick passed Martin Truex Jr. late to win at Texas and qualify for the Chase finale at Homestead.

    “The No. 4 Jimmy John’s car was not only ‘freaky fast,’” Harvick said, “it was ‘freakin‘ fast.’”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fourth at Texas and is fourth in the points standings, 19 ahead of Denny Hamlin in fifth.

    “I’m going to Phoenix like a NASCAR fan in the infield going to the port-a-potty,” Keselowski said. “I’m headed there strictly to ‘take care of business.’

    “And speaking of business, I’ll have Discount Tire sponsorship for the No. 2 car for several races next year. I think Discount Tire sponsorship will be very noticeable to the NASCAR fan base, because what NASCAR fan is not intrigued by cheap rubbers?”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started second at Texas and finished third at Texas, and will vie for the last of the four available playoff spots at Phoenix.

    “I spent much of the day looking to see if Chase Elliott was behind me,” Hamlin said. “He was, but fortunately for me, there were 15-20 cars between us.”

    6. Chase Elliott: Elliott failed pre-qualifying technical inspection and started 34th at Texas on his way to an eighth-place finish.

    “I’ll likely need a win at Phoenix to make a run for the Cup at Phoenix,” Elliott said. “Here’s a prediction: if you don’t see me in Victory Lane, you can probably find me in the NASCAR hauler with Denny Hamlin.”

    7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney took sixth in the AAA 500 and is sixth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 22 behind Brad Keselowski in fourth.

    “Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted a pic of Tony Stewart in spandex,” Blaney said. “Unfortunately, it was so tight, you could see the outline of Tony’s ‘mo jo.’”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished fourth at Texas and will likely need a win at Phoenix to advance as a Cup contender at Homestead.

    “I won’t be a full-time Cup driver in 2018,” Kenseth said. “So, the next two races for me will be ‘win and I’m in’ and ‘over and out.’”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson, who won at Texas in April, finished 27th at Texas, his day marred by an unscheduled pit stop due to a vibration.

    “I’ll tell you what else is vibrating,” Johnson said. “My head, because I’m shaking it because I really have no explanation for our struggles.”

    10. Kurt Busch: Busch started on the pole at Texas after turning a record lap in qualifying. He finished ninth on Sunday.

    “That’s the Busch brother way,” Kurt said. “Whether we’re going super fast, or being super whiny, it sounds like a broken record.”

  • NASCAR: Cup Series Race Recap Texas

    NASCAR: Cup Series Race Recap Texas

    Shades of his 2014 season, Kevin Harvick battled Martin Truex Jr. in the closing laps of Sunday’s AAA Texas 500. Harvick would go on to capture his first win in the Lone Star State and get one step closer to his second MENCS championship.

    Stewart-Haas Racing as a whole showed speed all weekend long with veteran Kurt Busch capturing the pole and Kevin Harvick winning his second race of the season and the 37th of his Cup Series career.

    Harvick spoke about his battle with Martin Truex Jr. following Sunday’s win.

    “Damn, it’s good to be in Victory Lane here in Texas,” he said. “I knew I had a really good car. I knew I had to do something different. I started driving a whole lot deeper in (Turn) 1, a whole lot deeper.

    “I started doing that earlier in the race, but I was afraid I didn’t have the brakes to continue to do that all day. So I waited until the end and was able to get on the outside of Martin (off Turn 2) and got him loose and brushed across the back of him and was able to get by on the outside down there.”

    Martin Truex Jr. was able to capture enough points to advance to Homestead as well. He was disappointed by finishing second but Truex will advance into the Championship 4 on points.

    “A little disappointed to come up short, but to clinch a spot in Miami is unbelievable. Definitely got the job done today and came here and did what we needed to do,” he said.

    With only one spot remaining for Homestead’s championship race, all five playoff drivers will be on edge next Sunday in Phoenix as only one will advance into the championship-deciding race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in less than two weeks.

     

  • Harvick Runs Down Truex to Win at Texas

    Harvick Runs Down Truex to Win at Texas

    Kevin Harvick punched his Championship 4 ticket to Homestead-Miami Speedway after chasing down and passing Martin Truex Jr. in the waning laps to win the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Restarting with 46 laps to go, Truex took the lead from Denny Hamlin and set sail. But Harvick took second from Hamlin and, thanks to lap traffic, cut the gap down to under half a second with under 20 to go.

    While clean air stalled Harvick’s advance for a few laps, another group of lapped cars allowed him to close up to Truex going into Turn 1, pull up alongside him exiting Turn 2 and pass him for the lead going into Turn 3.

    He pulled away to score his 37th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in his 608th career start.

    “First thing I want to do is thank all these fans in Texas. I’m happy to finally get to victory lane here (Texas Motor Speedway). It’s been a long time coming. I’m really proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing and our Mobil 1 Ford, but damn it’s good to be in victory lane here at Texas! Just really want to thank all my guys. I knew I had a really good car and I knew I had to do something different. I started driving it into Turn 1 just a whole lot deeper. I saw the 42 (Kyle Larson) doing that early in the race. I was just afraid I didn’t have the brakes to continue to do that all day. I waited till the end and it was able to get on the outside of Martin. I got him loose as I brushed across the back, I think. Was able to get on the outside and my car was pretty good on the outside down there.”

    Truex finished second and Hamlin rounded out the podium.

    “I knew he (Harvick) was quicker – once he got around the 11 (Hamlin) I guess it was, he started coming really fast and that’s all I had,” Truex said. “Just struggled a little on the long run today, which was normally where we’re our best. He seemed to be better when he got out front – we were good when we got out front toward the middle of the race and we just got too loose in those long runs. I did all I could do on the inside, but we had the 6 (Trevor Bayne) and some other dummy racing side-by-side in front of us and I was way loose in traffic and I got loose going into one and Harvick jumped to my outside. One of those deals, I think we could have held them off on a clean race track, but the 6 car is in the damn way every week – that’s pretty normal.”

    “Really had a solid car all day long,” Hamlin said. “We lost some track position there when a couple guys took two tires, we took four. Then we had a bad restart, and that kind of took us back in the pack 10th, 12th or so. 18 pitted long, tracked us a lap down, then that kind of hurt us a little bit. We just fought back to fourth, I think it was, drove back up to fourth, then it was an easy decision to take two tires there. It was the only way we were going to get out front and hopefully win the race. The 78 passed us on that one restart, then the two tires faded, couldn’t hold off the 4 there.”

    Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top-five.

    “First run of the day was fun,” Kenseth said. “Everybody was on three-cycle scuffs and we were on stickers. We got to the end, we had a good car when we got to get up through there pretty quick, but just got tight on that last set of tires for some reason and then I would just – I’d always draw the outside lane on a restart and lose a couple spots. It’s just hard to overcome that. That was our worst run of the day and it was still pretty competitive, so it was nice to be competitive.”

    “We had a pretty good car. Something happened on lap one and basically we started the race last and a lap-and-a-half down. That cost us a bunch of stage points, but we rallied with a solid effort to get back to fifth. I’m happy for that,” Keselowski said.

    Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch and Erik Jones rounded out the top-10.

    RACE SUMMARY

    Kurt Busch led the field to the green flag at 2:19 p.m., but didn’t lead the first lap — or a lap all day — because Hamlin powered by him on the outside exiting Turn 2 to lead the first lap. He led the first 46, before pulling to the high-side and allowing Larson to drive by in Turn 3 to take the lead.

    Larson surrendered the lead for 10 laps during a cycle of green flag stops, before it cycled back to him. A few laps later, however, he got loose exiting Turn 2, which allowed Harvick to pull up and pass him to take the lead on Lap 69.

    Harvick then went on to win the first stage on Lap 85.

    Hamlin, who exited the pits under the first stage break with the race lead, led the field back to green on Lap 92. Harvick, who initially got a poor restart, powered off Turn 2 and drove past Hamlin down the backstretch to retake the lead. After caution flew for a two-car spin in Turn 2 on Lap 93, Harvick led the field back to green on Lap 99, only to lose the lead to Larson going into Turn 3.

    Like the first cycle of green flag stops, Larson briefly lost the lead whilst pitting and regained it when it concluded. This time, however, it didn’t end with another driver passing him a few laps later. He kept the lead and drove on to win the second stage on Lap 170.

    Kenseth, who was off-sequence from the leaders, led the field back to green on Lap 179. He lost it to Truex on the Lap 187 restart, that followed Landon Cassill’s spin in Turn 2 on Lap 180.

    The ensuing cycle of green flag stops that started on Lap 225 was interrupted by a caution for Michael McDowell spinning in Turn 2. Kyle Busch, who was in the lead at the time, pitted and the lead cycled back to Truex.

    Kenseth took back the lead on the Lap 239 restart, Truex took it back on the Lap 246 restart and Hamlin exited pit road under the Lap 270 caution with the race lead.

    Larson’s wreck in Turn 1 brought out the eighth caution of the race and set up the run to the finish.

    CAUTION SUMMATION

    The first caution flew on Lap 85 for the end of the first stage. Caution flew for the second time for a two-car wreck in Turn 2 on Lap 93, involving Daniel Suarez and Kasey Kahne. Caution flew for the third time on Lap 170 for the conclusion of the second stage. The fourth caution flew when Cassill spun out in Turn 1 on Lap 180. McDowell’s spin in Turn 2 on Lap 234 brought out the fifth caution. Ray Black Jr. brought out the sixth and seventh caution’s for spins in Turn 2 (the latter collected Jeffrey Earnhardt). The final flew when Larson spun out and slammed the outside wall in Turn 1 with 51 to go.

    NUTS & BOLTS

    The race lasted three hours, 29 minutes and 52 seconds, at an average speed of 143.234 mph. There were 27 lead changes among 13 different drivers, and eight cautions for 40 laps.

    Truex leaves with a 50-point lead over Kyle Busch. Hamlin, Blaney Elliott and Jimmie Johnson leave in the Round of 8 drop zone.

  • Erik Jones Wins XFINITY Race at Texas

    Erik Jones Wins XFINITY Race at Texas

    Erik Jones captured the pole and won the first and second stages in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 race at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) on Saturday night. This was his third win of the season and the ninth of his NXS career.

    “It’s sure been a good race track to me though. On the old track and the repave now. It’s just been a place I’ve enjoyed coming to. The first time I came here in a truck, I’ll never forget, I never thought I’d like the place and ever since then, it’s just kind of clicked for me. A great GameStop Camry. Call of Duty and Diamond on the car this weekend, it’s pretty cool for veterans. Just excited to get back to victory lane.” Jones said in victory lane.

    Jones led 142 of 200 laps and completed the season sweep of NASCAR XFINITY Series races at TMS.

    “We led a lot of laps, but it seemed like we were really working for it, but you know that’s kind of the way it is. The XFINITY Series has really gotten tighter and tighter year by year and it’s been really close all year long, so just happy to get the GameStop Camry back in victory lane again. It’s been a few months since I’ve gotten a win, since they’ve gotten a win, so happy to come back to Texas again and grab another one.” Jones said.

    Ryan Blaney finished second, Kyle Larson third, and Elliott Sadler finished fourth.

    “I thought our car was good from the beginning. I was pretty loose to start but once we got it tightened up I thought we were really good. I thought the track took another swing free with maybe 60 to go and got our car looser again but we were still able to run down the 20 and get to him but we just couldn’t pass him,” Blaney said.

    Cole Custer finished fifth after having an early tire issue.

    “I think we just had a flat tire at the start of the race and had to go pit but we kept our heads on straight and tried to do what we could to salvage a good day,” Custer said. “Yeah, we are only like 13 points out of the top four right now I think.”

    Sadler took the series lead by five points over JR Motorsports teammate William Byron, who finished in ninth place.

    “My car was really good tonight,” Sadler said. “Erik and Blaney were so much better into (turns) one and two. They had it figured out. I’ve got to go to work before we come back here in the spring. But all in all, it was a great night for us.”

     

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Results
    O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway
    Saturday, November 4, 2017

    1. (1) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 200.
    2. (4) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, 200.
    3. (10) Kyle Larson(i), Chevrolet, 200.
    4. (5) Elliott Sadler (P), Chevrolet, 200.
    5. (2) Cole Custer # (P), Ford, 200.
    6. (8) Christopher Bell(i), Toyota, 200.
    7. (12) Brennan Poole (P), Chevrolet, 200.
    8. (3) Matt Tifft # (P), Toyota, 200.
    9. (9) William Byron # (P), Chevrolet, 200.
    10. (7) Austin Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
    11. (13) Justin Allgaier (P), Chevrolet, 200.
    12. (18) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 199.
    13. (17) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 199.
    14. (6) Daniel Hemric # (P), Chevrolet, 199.
    15. (16) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 199.
    16. (14) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 199.
    17. (19) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 199.
    18. (21) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 199.
    19. (24) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 199.
    20. (20) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 199.
    21. (23) Dylan Lupton, Toyota, 198.
    22. (25) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 198.
    23. (15) Ryan Reed (P), Ford, 198.
    24. (26) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 198.
    25. (32) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 196.
    26. (22) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 196.
    27. (28) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 196.
    28. (33) Mario Gosselin, Chevrolet, 195.
    29. (36) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 191.
    30. (34) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 188.
    31. (31) David Starr, Chevrolet, 159.
    32. (37) Mike Harmon, Dodge, Suspension, 104.
    33. (30) Gray Gaulding(i), Chevrolet, Vibration, 65.
    34. (38) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, Electrical, 62.
    35. (11) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, Accident, 60.
    36. (29) Reed Sorenson(i), Chevrolet, Electrical, 52.
    37. (27) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Vibration, 50.
    38. (35) Angela Ruch, Chevrolet, Accident, 47.
    39. (39) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Handling, 25.
    40. (40) John Jackson, Dodge, Fuel Pump, 7.

  • Hot 20 – Will the drama continue in Texas and Phoenix on the road to Homestead-Miami?

    Hot 20 – Will the drama continue in Texas and Phoenix on the road to Homestead-Miami?

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. is right when he says NASCAR needs more Martinsville-like dramas to play out every week. What they need is “drama and exciting finishes — the fans sitting there in the grandstands cheering like crazy, and booing, and cheering and booing after every interview, for 15 minutes after the race — we need that every weekend.” Damn right.

    They need more races on tracks that excite us and fewer on those that do not. They need better announcers who can pull off a telecast all on their own, regardless as to the non-action. People we are compelled to tune in to watch just because they are as entertaining, at least, as the product they describe. They, the good folks running NASCAR, need to listen and to act. One thing I am pretty sure of is…they don’t and will not.

    Texas is one of those races where the sport is popular in a large metro area. That might be enough to get folks to actually go to the facility. Tuning in at home might be another question. As for the storyline coming in, we have one driver locked into the final four, one almost there, a wide-open battle for the final transfer spot, and one young gun who has to win or hope somebody, or some bodies, will fall on their face. Eight drivers matter. Thirty-two others are hoping to play spoiler.

    Only a dozen drivers will be worthy of mention come next week. I, for one, will not mention a single one. My focus will be on other things for the next couple of weeks, but we will chat about the outcome after Homestead when the smoke clears.

    The only thing we know for sure is that Kyle Busch and, more than likely, Martin Truex Jr. will be two of the four seeking to win the title. Who the other two shall be is why Texas and Phoenix should keep us tuned in for the answer.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – SEGMENT WIN – 4100 POINTS – 5 Wins
    Saw the post-race celebration with his family. So, who vacuums Brexton’s room afterward?

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4117 POINTS – 7 Wins
    If he took Sunday off, he still would be at least 27 points to the good come Phoenix.

    3. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4079 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Just a Logano cut tire away from victory last week. Teammates can be such fun.

    4. KEVIN HARVICK – 4053 POINTS – 1 Win
    “It all started when Blaney hit me back.”

    5. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4050 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Nine-time Martinsville winner had just a slightly better chance than you had to win last Sunday.

    6. RYAN BLANEY – 4047 POINTS – 1 Win
    The new generation is getting a lot more comfortable expressing themselves these days.

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 4045 POINTS – 2 Wins
    The last Virginian to get in this much crap in his home state was Gen. George Thomas.

    8. CHASE ELLIOTT – 4027 POINTS
    In the immortal words of Popeye the Sailor, “That’s all I can stands, cuz I can’t stands n’more!”

    9. KYLE LARSON – 2237 POINTS – 4 Wins
    His elimination from the Playoffs is not a flaw in the system…it is what happens in playoffs.

    10. MATT KENSETH – 2215 POINTS
    If the 10th best driver this season cannot get hired, damn few drivers have much job security.

    11. KASEY KAHNE – 2150 POINTS – 1 Win
    Some refer to Kahne as a Hendrick refugee. To my knowledge, he did not even cross a border.

    12. AUSTIN DILLON – 2148 POINTS – 1 Win
    So…Austin and Rowdy get foiled by Happy again. It must be true. I saw it on Youtube.

    13. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2146 – 2 Wins
    Could a new teammate be his present housemate?

    14. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2146 POINTS
    Believes the next All-Star race might be a good time to unveil Charlotte’s road course.

    15. KURT BUSCH – 2139 POINTS – 1 Win
    Won the NASCAR title, the Daytona 500, and seen every MLB park. Check, check, and check!

    16. RYAN NEWMAN – 2130 POINTS – 1 Win
    During these times, anytime you sign a new sponsor is a very good time.

    17. JOEY LOGANO – 839 POINTS – 1 Win
    “I missed the call” – Crew chief Todd Gordon. The problem no doubt lost in the billowing smoke.

    18. CLINT BOWYER – 829 POINTS
    Third at Martinsville, a track that produced the kind of racing that “put this sport on the map…”

    19. ERIK JONES – 768 POINTS
    That Jones Boy is down to his final three before taking over the ride Smoke made famous.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 731 POINTS
    An average of 22 points per race gets you on this list. That is an easy top 16. I guess not so easy.

  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Power Rankings-Martinsville

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Power Rankings-Martinsville

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was back in action this past weekend at Martinsville Speedway to kick off the Round of 6 and the final stretch for the championship run at Homestead-Miami.

    Here’s a look at who did well.

    1. Noah Gragson – The 19-year old finally scored his first career win this weekend in style. He qualified fifth and did well in the first stage by placing fifth. In the second stage, Gragson wound up third behind Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton. On the final restart, Gragson restarted second on the outside of Crafton and passed him with a power move to lead the final 10 laps to score win number one at the famous half-mile track.
    2. Matt Crafton – The 2015 winner fell one spot short on the final restart, to eventual race winner, Noah Gragson. Before that, however, Crafton dominated Stage 1 by winning and leading the most laps. In Stage 2, it was the other way around as he finished second. Crafton had the lead until Gragson passed him on the outside with 10 to go for the restart and settled for second. He wound up leading the most laps with 102 and earning one playoff point.
    3. Johnny Sauter – It shouldn’t be a surprise to see Sauter in the top five or top three at Martinsville. He placed second and first, respectively, in Stages 1 and 2. He battled for the lead late, but at the end of the day, the 2016 champion finished third after leading 33 laps.
    4. Stewart Friesen – The Canadian driver had another solid run this season by finishing sixth. It’s great to see this out of a team that doesn’t normally compete regularly for the win. It was Friesen’s third-best finish of his career. He placed ninth as well in Stage 2.
    5. Kaz Grala – Just because you’re eliminated from competing for the championship, it doesn’t mean that you’re done competing for the race win. This was shown Saturday afternoon as Grala started eighth and finished sixth in Stage 1, and 13th in Stage 2 after pit stops. By the end of the checkered flag, Kaz placed seventh to score his ninth top 10 of the year.