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  • Jones Fastest in First Cup Practice at Bristol

    Jones Fastest in First Cup Practice at Bristol

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Erik Jones topped the chart in first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 15.009 and a speed of 127.843 mph. Kyle Busch was second in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 15.098 and a speed of 127.090 mph. Ryan Blaney was third in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with a time of 15.110 and a speed of 126.989 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was fourth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Toyota with a time of 15.113 and a speed of 126.964 mph. Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five in his No. 20 Gibbs Toyota with a time of 15.144 and a speed of 126.704 mph.

    Denny Hamlin, who ran the sixth-fastest single lap, posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 125.657 mph.

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/C1708_PRAC1.pdf”]

  • Allgaier Fastest in Final Bristol XFINITY Practice

    Allgaier Fastest in Final Bristol XFINITY Practice

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Justin Allgaier topped the chart in final NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet was the fastest with a time of 15.422 and a speed of 124.420 mph. Erik Jones was second in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 15.509 and a speed of 123.722 mph. Kyle Larson was third in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 15.525 and a speed of 123.594 mph. Ryan Blaney was fourth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 15.535 and a speed of 123.515 mph. Austin Dillon rounded out the top-five in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 15.552 and a speed of 123.380 mph.

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/N1707_PRACFINAL.pdf”]

  • Qualifying Rained Out at Thunder Valley

    Qualifying Rained Out at Thunder Valley

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway has been canceled due to rain.

    The starting lineup for Sunday’s race will be set by owner’s points and Kyle Larson will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday.

    All on-track activities for Friday weren’t wiped out, however. The NASCAR XFINITY Series will get on the track at 2:00 p.m. for their only practice of the week and the Cup Series hits the track at 3:00, barring further inclement weather.

    Food City 500 Starting Line Up:

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Bristol-starting-lineup-C1708_STARTROW.pdf” title=”Bristol starting lineup C1708_STARTROW”]

  • Should Non-Variable Banking Return to Bristol?

    Should Non-Variable Banking Return to Bristol?

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Applying VHT to the bottom groove at Bristol has made it the preferred way around once more. It begs the question, however, if digging up what remains of the progressive banking and restoring the steep 36 degree incline would be more effective.

    Following the 2007 Food City 500, the banking was reconfigured with progressive banking to eliminate the one-groove racing. It was successful in that regard, but it came at the cost of cars beating and banging, tempers flaring and declining attendance.

    Last August, Bristol Motor Speedway announced it was treating the bottom lane of the turns with VHT TrackBite, which is a custom formulated resin used to increase traction in racing. The result was largely successful and the preferred groove around the circuit was the bottom, with slight diminishing returns deeper into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

    So it was little surprise that late last month, Bristol announced that the VHT would be used again.

    “We applied the treatment to the lower groove in the four turns and coming out of the straightaways,” Jerry Caldwell, executive vice-president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway said. “The substance really just helps rubber stick to the track. And then we brought in a tire machine that we used to drag the track for a while to get rubber down and give drivers some grip so they can get down there and hang with that upper groove.”

    But is it more effective than the old steep banking? And since the point of the VHT was to bring the racing groove back to the bottom, why not bring back the steep banking?

    Kurt Busch, who’s no stranger to success at Thunder Valley, said, in short, “you have to adjust….”

    “We’re not just gonna go dig up Augusta, Georgia because the golfers don’t like the new tee boxes. You have to adjust to the millions of dollars that Bristol Motor Speedway invested into the track’s new surface and we’re trying to find that right combination,” he said.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Bristol – Updated

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Bristol – Updated

    NASCAR travels to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series this weekend. Saturday’s XFINITY Series Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 will be broadcast on Saturday on FS1 at 1 p.m. The action wraps up on Sunday with the Food City 500 at 2 p.m. on FOX. Radio coverage for both events will be carried by PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Kyle Larson enters the race at the top of the MENCS points standings. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has six starts at Bristol with two top 10s and a driver rating of 87.4. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Matt Kenseth has the series-best driver rating (100.9) with four wins, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s and two poles. There are 39 drivers on the entry list for the Food City 500.

    Please check below for the complete schedule of events. All times are Eastern.

    Friday, April 21:

    On Track:
    2-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice – FS1
    3-3:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Practice – FS1
    4:45 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1 – Canceled due to rain

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    9:30 a.m.: Kurt Busch
    10:30 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
    10:45 a.m.: Chase Elliott
    11 a.m.: XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash drivers: Justin Allgaier, Michael Annett, Darrell Wallace Jr.
    1:45 p.m.: Trevor Bayne
    2:15 p.m.: Kyle Busch
    3:55 p.m.: Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    11 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Canceled

    Saturday, April 22:

    On Track:
    8:30-9:25 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Practice – FS1
    9:35 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    11-11:55 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – FS1
    1 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 (300 laps, 159.9 miles) – FS1
    Stage 1 (Ends on lap 85), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 300)

    Press Conference: (Watch live)
    3 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race (time approx.)

    Sunday, April 23: – All activities canceled due to rain

    On Track:
    2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 (500 laps, 266.5 miles) – FOX
    Stage 1 (Ends on lap 125), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 250), Final Stage (Ends on lap 500)

    Press Conference: (Watch live)
    5:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race (time approx.)

    Monday, April 24:

    On Track:
    12:20 p.m.: Driver Introductions
    12:53 p.m.: Presentation of Colors: Grundy High School JROTC Color Guard
    12:53 p.m.: Invocation: Mike Rife, Vansant Church of Christ, Vansant, Virgina
    12:54 p.m.: National Anthem: TBD
    12:56 p.m.: Flyover TOT by: (4) T-38s 49th Fighter Training Squadron from Columbus AFB, Mississippi (Turn 1 to Turn 4)
    12:56 p.m.: Food City Salute Commercial (Colossus TV)
    12:57 p.m.: Bristol August Video (Colossus TV)
    12:58 p.m.: Bristol Motor Speedway Hype Video (Colossus TV)
    1 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr Congratulations Food City Video (on Colossus TV)
    1:01 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines”: Kerry Earnhardt and Kelley Earnhardt Miller
    1:07 p.m.: Start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 (500 laps, 266.5 miles), FOX

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

    Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

    Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 Entry List

    Odds to win NASCAR Food City 500
    Kyle Busch +550
    Joey Logano +604
    Kyle Larson +650
    Kevin Harvick +705
    Chase Elliott +705
    Brad Keselowski +750
    Martin Truex Jr +908
    Matt Kenseth +1207
    Denny Hamlin +1207
    Jimmie Johnson +1214
    Clint Bowyer +2554
    Jamie McMurray +3077
    Dale Earnhardt Jr +3605
    Ryan Blaney +3605
    Kurt Busch +3605
    Erik Jones +5000
    Kasey Kahne +5000
    Ryan Newman +6000
    Austin Dillon +7500
    Ricky Stenhouse Jr +7500
    Field (Any Other Driver) +255

    Food City 500 Entry List:

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Bristol-Cup-Series-Entry-List-C1708_PREENTNUM.pdf” title=”Bristol Cup Series Entry List C1708_PREENTNUM”]

  • Johnson Wins at Texas; Dominant Blaney Finishes 12th

    Johnson Wins at Texas; Dominant Blaney Finishes 12th

    Jimmie Johnson took his seventh Texas Motor Speedway victory and his first victory of 2017 on Sunday, holding off Kyle Larson by 0.340 seconds to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. Johnson, who has struggled mightily in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, also earned his second top-10 of the season.

    “I guess I remembered how to drive, and I guess this team remembered how to do it! I’m just real proud of this team. What a tough track and tough conditions. We were really in our wheelhouse and we were just able to execute all day. Thanks to everybody at Lowe’s and Chevy and the fans and a ton of sponsors,” Johnson said.

    Although the Chad Knaus-led No. 48 crew wound up in Victory Lane, it was the No. 21 Ford of Ryan Blaney who was the dominant car of the day, leading 148 laps and winning the first two stages of the day. However, Blaney was only able to manage a 12th-place at the end of the race after being penalized for sliding through his pit box during his final pit stop.

    “Our car today was really strong,” said Blaney. “We made really good adjustments to get our car to where we needed it to be. If you would have asked me yesterday if our car would have been so great during the first couple of stages, I wouldn’t have thought so.”

    On sliding through his pit box, he said, “It was kind of an unfortunate deal. We were pinned between the 4 and the 88 at a weird angle, and I hurt us on that one for sure and we weren’t able to pass anyone after that.

    Blaney’s Team Penske Brother-In-Arms Joey Logano managed a gutsy pit play and finished third, while polesitter Kevin Harvick finished fourth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished fifth for his first top-10 of the season.

    Brad Keselowski finished in sixth, while Jamie McMurray earned a seventh-place run. Martin Truex Jr. had a strong car early on as well, leading 49 laps, but faded back to eighth at the end. Chase Elliott and Kurt Busch rounded out the top-10.

    Eight cautions slowed down the race for the day, with the most serious being on lap 11, a three-car accident involving Reed Sorenson, Gray Gaulding, and Jeffrey Earnhardt in Turn 2, with Earnhardt receiving the brunt of the accident by backing into the wall hard and ending his day.

    Larson’s runner-up finish maintained his point lead over Chase Elliott by 17 points.

    Ty Dillon was the highest-finishing rookie of the race, finishing in 17th, while Daniel Suarez took his No. 19 Toyota in the 19th-position as the second-highest rookie.

    The next race will be on April 23, at Bristol Motor Speedway.

     

    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race – O’Reilly Auto Parts 500
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Fort Worth, Texas
    Sunday, April 9, 2017
    1. (24) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 334.
    2. (32) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 334.
    3. (4) Joey Logano, Ford, 334.
    4. (1) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 334.
    5. (37) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 334.
    6. (5) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 334.
    7. (6) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 334.
    8. (7) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 334.
    9. (33) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 334.
    10. (10) Kurt Busch, Ford, 334.
    11. (3) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 334.
    12. (2) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 334.
    13. (12) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 334.
    14. (11) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 334.
    15. (34) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 334.
    16. (8) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 334.
    17. (14) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, 334.
    18. (18) Aric Almirola, Ford, 334.
    19. (20) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, 334.
    20. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 334.
    21. (38) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 333.
    22. (36) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 333.
    23. (13) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 333.
    24. (19) Danica Patrick, Ford, 333.
    25. (17) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 333.
    26. (9) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 332.
    27. (27) * JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, 330.
    28. (21) David Ragan, Ford, 329.
    29. (15) Landon Cassill, Ford, 329.
    30. (28) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 327.
    31. (26) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 327.
    32. (23) * Corey LaJoie #, Toyota, 326.
    33. (25) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 322.
    34. (29) Gray Gaulding #, Toyota, 322.
    35. (30) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 319.
    36. (22) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 314.
    37. (40) * Derrike Cope, Toyota, 313.
    38. (35) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 303.
    39. (39) * Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, Engine, 104.
    40. (31) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, Accident, 9.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 147.137 mph.
    Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 24 Mins, 18 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.340 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 8 for 35 laps.
    Lead Changes: 16 among 6 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: K. Harvick 1-15; R. Blaney 16-32; K. Harvick 33-36; R. Blaney 37-88; M. Truex Jr. 89-92; R. Blaney 93-125; M. Truex Jr. 126; R. Blaney 127-172; K. Harvick 173-219; B. Keselowski 220-223; J. Logano 224-228; M. Truex Jr. 229-272; J. Johnson 273; J. Logano 274-290; K. Harvick 291-301; J. Logano 302-317; J. Johnson 318-334.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): R. Blaney 4 times for 148 laps; K. Harvick 4 times for 77 laps; M. Truex Jr. 3 times for 49 laps; J. Logano 3 times for 38 laps; J. Johnson 2 times for 18 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 4 laps.
    Stage #1 Top Ten: 21,78,1,4,2,42,14,17,22,18
    Stage #2 Top Ten: 21,48,1,42,24,41,4,2,88,78

  • Blaney Takes Second at Texas in XFINITY, ‘Learns a lot’ for Sunday’s Cup Race  

    Blaney Takes Second at Texas in XFINITY, ‘Learns a lot’ for Sunday’s Cup Race  

    Ryan Blaney drove his No. 22 Ford to a second-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in Saturday’s My Bariatric Solutions 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race. It was his second race in the series this year and his second top-two result.

    Erik Jones won the event scoring his second win at Texas and his seventh career victory. He led 112 of the 200 laps and beat Blaney to the checkered flag by .512 seconds. Blaney, who led 43 laps, was pleased with his team’s overall performance but said that Jones got such a lengthy lead on the last run that he “couldn’t run him down.”

    “I thought our car was pretty good all day,” Blaney said after the race. “The 20 seemed to be a little better than us for 35 or 40 laps. Then I feel like we could start running him down. We passed him before the last pit stop and I thought our car was pretty decent right there. I needed to turn a little better early in a run. I knew it wasn’t going to be that long for the next stint. We didn’t come out with the lead and that hurt us. I think if we would have come out with the lead I don’t know if I could have held him off.

    “He was pretty good right away but we kind of over adjusted and got too free that last run. I felt like we were kind of even with them 10 laps into a run but then he got so far out ahead that we couldn’t run him down. Just couldn’t get there. I thought it was a solid weekend overall for the 22 group. I felt the way the car has been running on that side is promising. It has been second a lot this year and that team deserves a win. They have been working hard the past six months to get competitive again and be in position to win races. We just need to have one go our way.”

    As Blaney was winding down after the XFINITY Series race, his focus soon shifted to Sunday’s Cup Series race and how he could transfer what he had learned to the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.

    He is currently seventh in the points standings with three top 10s this season and one top five at Daytona where he finished second. Blaney is looking to rebound at Texas after getting caught up in a wreck last week at Martinsville Speedway that resulted in a 25th place finish. With the newly repaved surface at Texas, the extra track time he gained during the XFINITY Series race will be invaluable.

    Blaney described what he learned, adding that he would “have some comments” for the team during the post-race debrief.

    “The track changed a lot in the second half of the race. The beginning of the race was treacherous at the top. I think me and Erik fell back to eighth and ninth from 2nd and 4th just trying not to go anywhere and wreck. I feel like that came in a little to where it wasn’t as deadly up there from passing lap cars. You get stuck behind a lap car and you can’t pass them for a lap or so and that part was tough. They don’t want to leave the line and get in the dust either so you have to kind of wait and just time it right. Personally, I learned a lot for tomorrow’s race. I think it will be very helpful. I was really thankful to run this race to get some laps. That part was good.”

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

     

  • NXS Recap: Erik Jones dominates at Texas for NASCAR XFINITY Series win

    NXS Recap: Erik Jones dominates at Texas for NASCAR XFINITY Series win

    By Reid Spencer
    NASCAR Wire Service

    FORT WORTH, Tex. – What a difference a pit stop made.

    Erik Jones gained two seconds over Ryan Blaney on his final trip to pit road, and that was all the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota needed for a convincing victory in Saturday’s My Bariatric Solutions 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

    In winning for the second time at Texas, the first time this season and the seventh time in his career, Jones led 112 of the 200 laps and stretched his advantage to more than three seconds in the late going before driving conservatively over the last three laps and beating Blaney to the stripe by .512 seconds.

    “I tiptoed a lot there in the segments and ended up letting the 22 (Blaney) catch us and pass us, but then I was just super aggressive the whole time in traffic just trying to make passes as quick as I could and get as many cars as I could between myself and Ryan, and it paid off,” Jones said.

    “I think we were probably a little slower than him for the last few laps – he had so many lapped cars to get around that there was no way he was going to get to us.”

    Kevin Harvick ran third, 21.383 seconds behind Jones, as only nine drivers finished on the lead lap. Austin Dillon was fourth, followed by Sunoco rookie Cole Custer, who posted a career-best fifth, and Darrell Wallace Jr., who finished sixth for the fifth consecutive race.

    With the final stage of the race going green from a restart on lap 98 to the conclusion, Blaney ran down Jones and passed him for the lead on Lap 131. Jones came to pit road for fresh tires and fuel on Lap 147, and Blaney followed a lap later.

    In the exchange of stops, Jones went from a half-second behind to 2.178 seconds ahead of the runner-up, and from that point on it was game over.

    “I thought our car was pretty good all day,” Blaney said. “The 20 seemed to be a little better than us for 35 or 40 laps. Then I feel like we could start running him down. We passed him before the last pit stop, and I thought our car was pretty decent right there. I needed to turn a little better early in a run. I knew it wasn’t going to be that long for the next stint.

    “We didn’t come out with the lead, and that hurt us. I think if we would have come out with the lead, I don’t know if I could have held him off. He was pretty good right away, but we kind of over adjusted and got too free that last run. I felt like we were kind of even with them 10 laps into a run, but then he got so far out ahead that we couldn’t run him down. Just couldn’t get there.”

    Stage racing played a decisive role in strategies employed by NASCAR XFINITY Series regulars versus Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers moonlighting in Saturday’s race. When Garrett Smithley’s spin off Turn 2 brought out the fifth caution on Lap 84, most of the Cup drivers came to pit road. The XFINITY regulars, on the other hand, stayed on the track under the yellow to collect points at the end of the second stage, which concluded on Lap 90. William Byron won the stage and the accompanying playoff point, leading nine XFINITY regulars in the top 10 in that stage.

    In contrast, Jones won the first stage, which featured only three full-time XFINITY drivers in the top 10.

    Despite finishing 10th as the first driver one lap down, Elliott Sadler retained the series lead by six points over Byron in second place.

     

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – My Bariatric Solutions 300
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Fort Worth, Texas
    Saturday, April 8, 2017

    1. (2) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 200.
    2. (4) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, 200.
    3. (14) Kevin Harvick(i), Ford, 200.
    4. (3) Austin Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
    5. (6) Cole Custer #, Ford, 200.
    6. (8) Darrell Wallace Jr., Ford, 200.
    7. (5) William Byron #, Chevrolet, 200.
    8. (12) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
    9. (19) Matt Tifft #, Toyota, 200.
    10. (10) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 199.
    11. (9) Ryan Reed, Ford, 199.
    12. (15) Daniel Suarez(i), Toyota, 199.
    13. (20) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 199.
    14. (16) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 199.
    15. (13) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 199.
    16. (18) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 198.
    17. (23) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 198.
    18. (17) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 198.
    19. (24) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 198.
    20. (34) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 197.
    21. (28) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 197.
    22. (27) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 197.
    23. (22) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 197.
    24. (38) David Starr, Chevrolet, 196.
    25. (29) Ray Black Jr., Chevrolet, 195.
    26. (35) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 195.
    27. (30) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 194.
    28. (33) Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 194.
    29. (21) Jeb Burton, Toyota, 192.
    30. (32) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 188.
    31. (37) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 179.
    32. (7) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 172.
    33. (11) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 148.
    34. (1) Joey Logano(i), Ford, Engine, 145.
    35. (36) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, Clutch, 137.
    36. (40) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Suspension, 114.
    37. (25) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, Accident, 66.
    38. (26) Casey Mears, Ford, Rear Gear, 50.
    39. (39) Carl Long, Toyota, Steering, 24.
    40. (31) Jordan Anderson(i), Chevrolet, Electrical, 17.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 131.563 mph.
    Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 16 Mins, 49 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.512 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 6 for 31 laps.
    Lead Changes: 11 among 7 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: J. Logano(i) 1-19; E. Jones(i) 20-48; W. Byron # 49-57; D. Suarez(i) 58-59; R. Blaney(i) 60-84; W. Byron # 85-92; E. Jones(i) 93-130; R. Blaney(i) 131-148; D. Wallace Jr. 149; B. Jones 150-154; D. Suarez(i) 155; E. Jones(i) 156-200.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): E. Jones(i) 3 times for 112 laps; R. Blaney(i) 2 times for 43 laps; J. Logano(i) 1 time for 19 laps; W. Byron # 2 times for 17 laps; B. Jones 1 time for 5 laps; D. Suarez(i) 2 times for 3 laps; D. Wallace Jr. 1 time for 1 lap.
    Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,22,12,9,16,18,6,42,2,41
    Stage #2 Top Ten: 9,1,16,7,33,20,39,11,62,6

  • Texas Motor Speedway – Did You Know?

    Texas Motor Speedway – Did You Know?

    This weekend the Monster Energy NASCAR Truck Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. With his victory at Martinsville, Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski became the first driver to grab multiple wins this season. But did you know that Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, the two most successful active teams in NASCAR, are winless after six races?

    Texas may be the perfect track for these teams to rebound. HMS driver Jimmie Johnson has the best overall driver rating (107.1) at the 1.5-mile track but so far this year his best finish was ninth place at Phoenix. However, with a track-record six wins, history may be on his side.

    Or maybe Chase Elliott will break through and capture his first win at Texas. He had two top-fives in his 2016 rookie season and is currently in second place in the standings, only four points behind leader, Kyle Larson.

    JGR’s Kyle Busch is also hungry for a win especially after last week’s race at Martinsville where he led a race-high 274 laps only to see victory elude him. He has scored two checkered flags at Texas and is the defending race winner with 11 top fives, 12 top 10s and one pole at Texas.

    But the bigger story may be the newly repaved track surface that was completed during the offseason. Did you know that the entire track was repaved and an extensive drainage system was added on the frontstretch and backstretch? Turns 1 and 2 were also reconfigured with the banking reduced from 24 to 20 degrees and the racing surface widened from 60 to 80 feet through Turns 1 and 2.

    Some of the drivers have expressed concerns about the unpredictability of heading to Texas to compete on the new surface, especially since there will be no opportunity for pre-race testing.

    “To head into Texas with no formal tire test, no official track mapping, let ’er rip, this is new territory for our sport,” Stewart-Hass Racing’s Kurt Busch said. “I think it shows how much we’re having to adapt on the fly. Is it a good thing? A bad thing? It doesn’t matter. It’s what it is, and it’s unique the way we’re headed in there to go 215 mph with no track time.”

    JGR driver Matt Kenseth, who has the second-best driver rating of 104.7 at Texas, calls it “unprecedented,” adding, “I don’t think that we’ve ever gone to a newly paved race track without some sort of a test day, a tire test, or something along those lines.”

    There’s no doubt that this weekend will likely test the skills of even the best driver but let’s look at some statistics to set the stage.

    Did you know that four active drivers have multiple wins at Texas Motor Speedway? Johnson leads the way with six followed by JGR’s Denny Hamlin, Kenseth and Kyle Busch with two each. Roush Fenway Racing leads the Cup Series in victories with nine while Hendrick Motorsports has eight and Joe Gibbs Racing has six.

    There have been 32 MENCS races at Texas, one each year from 1997-2004 and two per season since 2005, resulting in wins by 18 different drivers. But did you know that 78.1 percent (25 of 32) have been won from a top-10 starting position? And, to narrow it down more, starting in third place has produced more wins (six) than any other starting position.

    Don’t miss the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Sunday, April 8 at 1:30 p.m. on FOX as the 2017 season continues at Texas Motor Speedway. While you’re waiting, check out the gallery below for a preview of the paint schemes we’ll see this weekend.

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

    Texas paint schemes

     

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Texas

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Texas

    This weekend the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the XFINITY Series travel to Texas Motor Speedway. The drivers will practice on the newly repaved track for the first time Friday, April 7 in preparation for Saturday’s NXS My Bariatric Solutions 300 race and Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 event. Both races will be televised on FOX.

    Kyle Busch is the defending MENCS race winner at Texas with two victories, 11 top fives, 12 top 10s and one pole at the 1.5-mile track with the third-best driver rating (102.4). Chase Elliott, who is still searching for his first win, enters the Cup Series race with the series-best average finish of 4.500. The struggling Jimmie Johnson has the potential to turn his season around with a much-needed victory based on his six wins, 14 top fives, 20 top 10s and one pole in the Lone Star State.

    Please check below for the complete schedule of events. All times are Eastern.

    Friday, April 7:

    On Track:
    Noon-2:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Practice – FS1
    2:30-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice – FS1
    5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice – FS1
    6:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    11:30 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
    4:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:30 a.m.: Daniel Suarez
    10:45 a.m.: Chris Buescher
    11 a.m.: Clint Bowyer
    11:15 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
    11:30 a.m.: Brendan Gaughan, Daniel Hemric and Brennan Poole
    3 p.m.: Trevor Bayne
    3:15 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
    4:15 p.m.: Tony Stewart and Christopher Bell
    6 p.m.: Texas Motor Speedway Announcement
    7:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying (time approx.)

    Saturday, April 8:

    On Track:
    9:30-10:25 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Practice – FS1
    10:35 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    Noon-12:50 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – FS2
    1:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series My Bariatric Solutions 300 (200 laps, 300 miles) – FOX – Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Press Conference: (Watch live)
    4 p.m.: Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series Race (time approx.)

    Sunday, April 9:

    On Track:
    1:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 (334 laps, 501 miles) – FOX – Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:30 a.m.: JTG Daugherty Racing Announcement
    5:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race (time approx.)

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

    Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

    My Bariatric Solutions 200 Entry List

    O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Entry List:

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Texas-Cup-Entry-List-C1707_PREENTNUM.pdf” title=”Texas Cup Entry List C1707_PREENTNUM”]