Category: Race Central

Race Central Stories

  • Truex Fastest in First Practice at Sonoma

    Truex Fastest in First Practice at Sonoma

    Martin Truex Jr. topped the chart in first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Sonoma Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing was the fastest with a time of 1:15.740 and a speed of 94.587 mph. Denny Hamlin was second in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 1:16.158 and a speed of 94.068 mph. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was third in his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford with a time of 1:16.470 and a speed of 93.684 mph. Clint Bowyer was fourth in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford with a time of 1:16.534 mph. Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top-five in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 1:16.609 and a speed of 93.154 mph.

    Chris Buescher, AJ Allmendinger, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano rounded out the top-10.

    Busch posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 91.852 mph.

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  • Sonoma Raceway – Did You Know?

    Sonoma Raceway – Did You Know?

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series travels to Sonoma Raceway this weekend for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Thirty-eight drivers will compete but only one will make it to the Wine Country Winner’s Circle for a champagne celebration.

    Sunday’s race will be the 29th Cup Series event at Sonoma. The inaugural race was held on June 11, 1989, with Ricky Rudd holding off Rusty Wallace to win the Banquet Frozen Foods 300. It was his only victory that year, though Rudd would go on to win again in 2002. But did you know he is one of only six drivers with multiple wins at the track?

    Jeff Gordon leads the series with five victories at the road course, including three consecutively, from 1998 – 2000. Tony Stewart has three trophies but did you know he captured the final win of his Cup career last year at Sonoma, ending an 84-race winless drought?

    Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace and Rudd have two wins each. Kyle Busch has scored two checkered flags, in 2008 and 2015, and is the only active driver with multiple wins.

    The Sonoma race will consist of 110 laps on the 1.990-miles road course which is lined with 1,000 tire packs made up of 25,000 tires. But did you know that each driver who completes the Toyota/Save Mart 350 will make 1,100 turns during the race?

    Kyle Larson heads to Sonoma as the points leader after his win last week at Michigan, giving him two victories this year. He has the series fifth-best driver rating (90.0) at the track with a best finish of 12th place last year. But did you know that he is one of nine drivers who has secured a spot in the playoffs with wins?

    The only way any of them would fail to make the playoffs is if there are more new winners than spots left in the 16-driver field. As it now stands, Jimmie Johnson (3), Brad Keselowski (2), Martin Truex Jr. (2), Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will almost certainly join Larson as participants in the playoffs.

    Rounding out the top five at Sonoma are Kurt Busch (107.8), with the series-best driver rating, followed by Johnson (99.9), Clint Bowyer (90.2) and Kyle Busch (90.1)

    Kyle Busch and Bowyer are both winless this season but did you know they are among six active drivers with Sonoma victories? Kyle Busch has won twice (2008, 2015) while Clint Bowyer (2012), Kurt Busch (2011), Jimmie Johnson (2010), Kasey Kahne (2009) and Truex (2013) each have one win.

    One more interesting statistic — In his final trip to Sonoma as a full-time Cup Series driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. may not be anyone’s favorite to win. But did you know that he leads all drivers with a 7.0 average finish in the last three races at Sonoma?

    Qualifying will be crucial this weekend as the pole position is the most proficient starting position. It has produced more wins than any other position, with five, while the second starting position has produced three wins. But did you know that Juan Pablo Montoya won from the deepest in the field in 2007 after starting in 32nd place?

    The on-track action begins Friday afternoon with two practices while Coors Light Pole qualifying will be held on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune into The Toyota/Save Mart 350 Sunday at 3 p.m. on FS1 for the 16th race of the season. In the meantime, check out the video below as we remember Tony Stewart’s last trip to victory lane.

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

  • Camping World Truck Series Preview – Iowa

    Camping World Truck Series Preview – Iowa

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Iowa Speedway this Friday night for race number nine of the 2017 season.

    Currently, there are 34 trucks on the preliminary entry list. In the last five races, there have been three different winners. Erik Jones, who is not entered, is the only repeat winner with victories in 2014 and 2015.

    Here are some of the drivers to keep an eye on during Friday night’s M&M’s 200.

    Matt Crafton – Crafton has one win at Iowa which came in 2011. However, in the last three races at Iowa, he has two top fives and three top 10 finishes, with 33 laps led. Crafton ranks number one among active drivers at Iowa Speedway. He has not won yet this season but looks to turn that around at Iowa.

    John Hunter Nemechek – Nemechek is coming off his first win of the season last week. In the last three races at Iowa, Nemechek has one top 10 and one pole, along with 53 laps led. His average finish 15.0, but a win carries momentum into the next race. Keep an eye on Nemechek once again this week.

    Christopher Bell – Bell is having a strong season so far. In Iowa, he has competed in the last two races with a finish of ninth or better. He has one top five and two top ten finishes. Bell is always a threat week in and week out.

    Johnny Sauter – Sauter has been decent in his recent Iowa outings. In the past five races, he has one top five and two top finishes. In his championship season last year, Sauter finished 10th in the 2016 race. Sauter might just sneak a win out on Friday night.

    Ben Rhodes – Rhodes only has one start at Iowa coming in 2016, earning a fourth place finish.

    Drivers To Watch:

    Ryan Truex -Truex has been strong as of late. This season he has placed two top fives and six top 10 finishes, although, Truex has never competed in the Truck Series at Iowa.

    Brandon Jones – Jones is competing in the Truck Series once again this weekend. He has competed in two races at Iowa with the best finish of second in 2015.

    Chase Briscoe – Briscoe has been oh so close this season regarding victory lane. The driver of the No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing F-150 has finished second in the last two races. In 2016, Briscoe competed at Iowa in the ARCA Racing Series and notched a win at the track.

    Noah Gragson – Iowa might be a breakthrough point for Gragson. During his K&N Pro Series days, Gragson has a finish of third, second and sixth, respectively.

    Coverage starts on Friday morning with the first of two practices beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET on Fox Sports 1. Qualifying is slated for 6:05 p.m. ET Friday evening. Race coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. on FS1 and the Motor Racing Network with the green flag scheduled for 8:47 p.m.

     

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Sonoma and Iowa

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Sonoma and Iowa

    The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series travels to Sonoma Raceway this weekend while the XFINITY Series and the Camping World Truck Series head to Iowa Speedway. There are 38 cars on the entry list for the Cup Series Toyota / Save Mart 350. Please check below for the complete schedule of events. All times are Eastern.

    Friday, June 23:

    On Track – Sonoma Raceway:
    3-4:55 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice – FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)
    6:30-7:55 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)

    On Track – Iowa Speedway:
    10 a.m.-11:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series First Practice – FS1
    12:15-1:15 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS1
    2-2:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series First Practice – FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
    5-5:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
    6:05 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying
    8:30 p.m.: Camping World Series M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store (200 laps, 175 miles) – FS1

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    2:30 p.m.: Cup Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:30 a.m.: Alon Day (No. 23 Earthwater Toyota)
    11 a.m.: Clint Bowyer (No. 14 Cars 3 Ford)
    11:15 a.m.: Kyle Larson (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
    2:15 p.m.:  Martin Truex Jr. (No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota)
    2:30 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet)

    Saturday, June 24:

    On Track – Sonoma Raceway:
    2:45 p.m.: Cup Series Coors Light Qualifying – FS1 (Canada; TSN 5)

    On Track – Iowa Speedway:
    6:15 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Qualifying – Airs taped delayed at 7 p.m. on FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
    8:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen (250 laps, 218.75 miles) – FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)

    Sunday, June 25

    On Track – Sonoma Raceway:
    3 p.m.: Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 (110 laps, 218.9 miles) – FS1 (Canada; TSN 2)

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    9 a.m.: Cristela Alonzo (Grand Marshal) and John Lasseter (Official Pace Car Driver)

    Race Details:

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
    Race: M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store – Iowa Speedway
    Date: Friday, June 23
    Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
    TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 175 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)

    NASCAR XFINITY Series
    Race: American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen – Iowa Speedway
    Date: Saturday, June 24
    Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
    TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 218.75 miles (250 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on lap 250)

    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
    Race: Toyota/Save Mart 350
    Place: Sonoma Raceway
    Date: Sunday, June 25
    Time: 3 p.m. ET
    TV: FS1, 1:30 p.m. ET
    Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 218.9 miles (110 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 25), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 50), Final Stage (Ends on lap 110)

    Complete TV Schedule

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

  • Larson Takes Lead on Late Restart to Win at Michigan

    Larson Takes Lead on Late Restart to Win at Michigan

    While he dominated the day and led the most laps, despite failing to win a single stage, Kyle Larson took the lead on a late restart in the closing laps of the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway and held off challengers to score the victory.

    Restarting with 15 laps to go, Larson — in second — passed Kyle Busch to retake the lead going into Turn 1. He held off Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin in the final two restarts to collect his third career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in 127 starts.

    “Yeah, thankfully, Michigan has got some decent grip where you don’t spin your tires too bad,” Larson said. “We were able to just have good pushers every restart there and sucked down on their door into (Turn) 1 and get them loose underneath me. I was a little bit nervous, but I thought with the people behind me, I would be okay. The Cars 3 Chevy was good all day. I thought we were probably a third to fifth place car. The No. 78 and No. 18 were definitely better than I was, but we kept working on it and had good restarts there when it mattered.

    “I just had a hell of a push from Ryan Blaney behind me,” he added. “I can’t thank him enough for shoving me like that. It was cool to see him get his win last week and then he helped me a ton today to get this win. He stayed committed to me all the way down the frontstretch and got me past the No. 18 which was key.”

    Elliott finished second, while Joey Logano rounded out the podium.

    When asked what made the difference on the final restarts, Elliott said he didn’t know.

    “Man, I don’t know. It was all just about how your push went,” he said. “I am really proud of our effort today. I thought we way improved from where we were last year as far as those late-race restarts go and was able to hang with them and really just kind of rely on the guy behind you. Kyle (Busch) gave me a great push. I didn’t give him a very good push that time before. He went a little sooner than I thought he was going to. He gave me a good push and I think somebody pulled out on him. He had to go block them and it just ends up kind of disrupting the whole situation when that happens. But, a great day from our NAPA Chevy group. I think we overachieved today with where we started this weekend, which is always nice when you are here at the racetrack. Happy to do that and ready to get on down the road and get through these summer months and try to tune everything in.”

    Hamlin and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top-five.

    Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top-10.

    Larson led the field to the green flag at 3:20 p.m. and held the lead the first 33 laps before Truex passed him going into Turn 3 on lap 34 and drove on to win the first stage.

    Larson emerged with the lead under the stage break and held it through a cycle of green-flag stops. Four laps prior to the end of the second stage, however, Truex passed him exiting Turn 4 on lap 116 and won the stage.

    From that point, Truex was in control of the event. But then Ryan Sieg brought out a caution for a solo spin with 50 to go, and Busch exited pit road the race leader. He also had the race in check until debris in Turn 2 with 21 to go set up the run to the finish.

    Clint Bowyer brought out a caution with 14 to go when he tagged the wall in Turn 2, as did teammate Danica Patrick when she was taken out by a chain reaction backup on the ensuing restart and slammed the inside backstretch wall.

    The race lasted two hours, 47 minutes and 24 seconds at an average speed of 143.369 mph. There were 10 lead changes among four different drivers and eight cautions for 34 laps.

    Larson leaves Michigan with a five-point lead.

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  • Truex Finishes Sixth After Sweeping Stages

    Truex Finishes Sixth After Sweeping Stages

    Martin Truex Jr.’s quest to sweep a second race this season came up short when he faltered on a late restart in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

    He took the lead for the first time on lap 34 and drove on to win the first stage. He found himself without the lead, however, when Kyle Larson exited pit road with it under the stage break caution.

    It took him roughly 50 laps to return to the lead when he passed Larson exiting Turn 4 on lap 116 and took the second stage victory. This time around, he left pit road retaining the lead.

    Truex had the race in check, but then caution flew with 50 laps to go when Ryan Sieg spun out in Turn 4, and right in front of Truex.

    He left pit road fifth, behind Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Blaney, who all took two tires.

    On the ensuing restart, Truex stumbled and fell back to ninth in the running order.

    When the checkered flag flew, he was sixth.

    “We had the best car out there without a doubt – just inside lane restarts at the end killed us, so just stinks when you have to race like that, you know? You get just in a bad spot and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Truex said. “We seen it the last couple restarts, so just wrong place. Probably should have took two tires that last time we pitted – we took four. That killed us. Just wrong lane on the restart every single time all day long and couldn’t use the best car to win.”

    He leaves Michigan second in points, five back of Larson. He’s led 938 laps, the most of any driver this season and halfway to matching his 2016 total. His two stage wins puts him at 10 on the season, the most of any driver.

  • John Hunter Nemechek Wins The Drivin For Lineman 200 at Gateway

    John Hunter Nemechek Wins The Drivin For Lineman 200 at Gateway

    John Hunter Nemechek won the Drivin For Lineman 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park. It was his first win of the 2017 season and the fourth of his career.

    Thirty-five laps made up stages 1 and 2, while 90 laps made up the final stage.

    Chase Briscoe and John Hunter Nemechek made up the front row in qualifying late in the afternoon.

    After Stage 1 got underway, Nemechek set an obliterating pace and went on to win the first stage, while Briscoe finished second. Varying pit strategies already came into play, with Nemechek taking four tires when Briscoe only took two tires and won the race off pit road. Todd Gilliland was hit with an uncontrolled tire penalty.

    Stage 2 began on lap 43, with Briscoe and Matt Crafton on the front row. It was a battle of track position, as Briscoe got out in front and never looked back. He would go on to win Stage 2 and pick up 10 championship playoff bonus points. More strategies once again took place, as Christopher Bell won the race off pit road by taking two tires, while Nemechek came out fifth.

    Stage 3 was set on lap 77, with Bell and Ryan Truex for the top spots. The race was clean and green, trouble free until Gilliland broke a transmission for the second time of the year, and ended up not finishing the race. Pit stops started to begin with 33 laps to go with Ben Rhodes the first one on pit road. Bell pitted with 30 laps to go and took four tires, Crafton with 29 and the leader Briscoe with 27 laps to go by taking fuel only.

    A miscommunication by the No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing car cost Briscoe a few seconds on pit road and eventually the win. After the pit stops, Crafton went on by and took the lead with 25 laps to go. Bell was coming, going to second with 13 laps to go. However, a caution came out on the same lap for Josh Reaume for stalling on pit road. Chase Briscoe was the only truck among the leaders to come down pit road and take four tires.

    The race was would set up a restart with eight laps to go. Crafton on old tires was able to remain the leader until six laps to go when John Hunter Nemechek took the lead. Nemechek held off Crafton to win his first race of the season.

    Nemechek led three times for 46 laps.

    There were only five leaders among nine lead changes, with three cautions for 17 laps.

    Next up is the Iowa Speedway Friday night June 23 for the Iowa 200.

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  • Denny Hamlin Wins a Race of Inches

    Denny Hamlin Wins a Race of Inches

    BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 17, 2017) – Denny Hamlin used a pass coming off of turn four on the last lap to win the Irish Hills 250. He beat rookie William Byron to the line by just 0.012 seconds. It was the closest NASCAR XFINITY Series finish ever at Michigan International Speedway.

    Matt Tifft spun off of turn four bringing out the seventh caution of the day with five laps left. It gave everybody one final chance to take a deep breath for an intense restart.

    Byron led the field to the green flag with just two laps to go, but Denny Hamlin stayed right on his door the final two circuits. On the last lap, Hamlin got Byron a little loose and then it was just a drag race to the checkered flag.

    Hamlin used side drafting to his advantage to slow the momentum of Byron. And that was just enough to win the Irish Hills 250.

    “He (Byron) did a great job and really I knew he had a really good car,” Hamlin said. “That last long run that we had, he was about to pass me, so he’s done a great job. Obviously, he’s one of NASCAR’s next future superstars and I wanted to race him clean. I wasn’t going to turn him around or anything like that, so I stayed low below him and got him a little bit loose through 1 and 2 that allowed me to get position and then into turn 3 we both got sideways, he slid up just enough to let me barely get to that left rear and it was just enough to drag race past him.”

    The margin of victory tied the 2010 Montreal race as the sixth-closest margin of victory since the advent of electronic scoring in XFINITY Series.

    “We were so close,” Byron said. “It really hurts to be that close and not win. He side drafted me off of turn four and that is the run he needed to the line and I just could not get enough back to him to get to the line fast enough. It hurts, but we will get one soon.”

    The action started early and involved the front row. Kyle Busch won the pole with a qualifying speed of 193.564 mph earlier in the morning. He got a quick jump on the field, but before he got to turn one he had to fend off a challenge.

    Brad Keselowski, starting from the inside of row one, got a run on Busch and quickly jumped to the outside. Busch slipped up the track and made contact with Keselowski’s front bumper. The slight contact sent Busch into a long slide, but he did not hit anything.

    The first caution did not slow the aggression of the drivers. On the restart, they went four wide into turn one.

    Stage two turned into strategy and Elliott Sadler was the big winner. Keselowski was leading until a three-car crash brought out a caution flag on lap 39. After pit stops, Cole Custer came out front. He led until Keselowski chased him down.

    Just when it looked like Keselowski would win his second stage of the day, a caution flew on lap 58. Keselowski gave up the lead to pit, allowing Sadler to win the stage.

    A late race caution bunched up the field. After a round of pit stops, Denny Hamlin led Keselowski out of the pits.

    Keselowski got a push from Byron to take the lead, but Byron got a push from Hamlin to take the lead. And then the final caution flew.

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series held two practice sessions on Saturday in preparation for the FireKeepers Casino 400. Martin Truex Jr. led the day’s opening practice session with a speed of 198.385 mph. Jimmie Johnson suffered a spin in practice and will be forced to start the race from the back.

    Keselowski led the final practice with a speed of 197.401. Busch, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano and Michigan native Erik Jones rounded out the top five.

    The FireKeepers Casino 400 starts at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Larson will lead the field to the green flag after winning the pole award. Tickets remain for the race.

    Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is NASCAR’s fastest racetrack. It has been the love of NASCAR racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike for nearly 50 years.

    2017 Michigan International Speedway Schedule
    Sunday, June 18      Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400
    Friday, Aug. 11        Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Practice and Qualifying
    Saturday, Aug. 12   NASCAR Camping World Truck Series LTi Printing 200
    Sunday, Aug. 13      Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pure Michigan 400

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  • Keselowski Fastest in Final Practice at Michigan

    Keselowski Fastest in Final Practice at Michigan

    Brad Keselowski topped the chart in final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Michigan International Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford was the fastest with a time of 36.474 and a speed of 197.401 mph. Kyle Busch was second in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 36.512 and a speed of 197.195 mph. Kyle Larson was third in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 36.537 and a speed of 197.061 mph. Joey Logano was fourth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 36.554 and a speed of 196.969 mph. Erik Jones rounded out the top-five in his No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 36.557 and a speed of 196.953 mph.

    Daniel Suarez, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-10.

    Larson posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 195.416 mph.

    AJ Allmendinger got loose going into Turn 1 and made contact with the outside wall. The team will run a backup car for tomorrow’s race.

    Related Links: 
    First Practice Results
    Second Practice Results

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  • Truex Fastest in Second Practice at Michigan

    Truex Fastest in Second Practice at Michigan

    Martin Truex Jr. topped the chart in second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Michigan International Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 36.293 and a speed of 198.385 mph. Kyle Busch was second in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 36.375 and a speed of 197.938 mph. Jimmie Johnson was third in his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 36.485 and a speed of 197.320 mph. Ryan Blaney was fourth in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with a time of 36.489 and a speed of 197.320 mph. Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford with a time of 36.495 and a speed of 197.287 mph.

    Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Erik Jones, Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top-10.

    Busch posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 196.876 mph.

    With just over 20 minutes remaining in the session, Johnson got loose in Turn 4, spun down the track and clipped the grass. The only damage sustained was a caved-in left-front fender. The team elected to repair the damage, rather than roll out their backup car.*

    *UPDATE: After this piece was published, Johnson’s team elected to swap to their backup car.

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