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  • Gordon Celebrates Martinsville Win After Kenseth Wipes Out Logano

    Gordon Celebrates Martinsville Win After Kenseth Wipes Out Logano

    By Reid Spencer

    Yes, Jeff Gordon celebrated his 93rd career victory in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

    Yes, Gordon will compete for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Yes, there were tears of joy in Victory Lane for Gordon, who’s at the tail end of his final season in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

    But Sunday’s race at Martinsville had so much more — most notably, “Matt Kenseth’s Revenge.”

    Long before Gordon held off Jamie McMurray in a two-lap run to the finish as darkness consumed the .526-mile short track, Kenseth ended polesitter Joey Logano’s remarkable run in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup by pile-driving Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford, which was leading the race at the time, into the Turn 1 wall on Lap 454 of 500.

    Kenseth’s car was crippled at that point, the victim of a Lap 435 wreck that also involved the No. 2 Ford of Logano’s teammate, Brad Keselowski.

    But when Kenseth clipped the left rear quarter panel of Logano’s Ford and slammed him into the SAFER barrier, it was retaliation for Kansas two weeks earlier, when Logano knocked Kenseth out of the way—and effectively out of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup—in the closing laps of the second race of the Contender Round.

    Kenseth failed to advance to the Eliminator Round, which started at Martinsville on Sunday. And now Logano likewise is in dire jeopardy of seeing his dream season end before the Championship Round.

    “I think what happened at Kansas is a completely different deal,” Logano said after a visit to the infield care center. “We were racing for the win, and he blocks you a few times, and then we raced hard and he blocked me the last time and we spun out. That’s what happened there.

    “Here it was just a complete coward move, especially for a championship race car driver and race team. Just a complete coward. I don’t have anything else to say. It’s a chicken-you-know-what move to completely take out the leader when your race is over.”

    Logano, who was bidding for his fourth straight victory, finished 37th and is eighth in the Chase standings, 28 points behind Kevin Harvick in fourth, the last transfer position into the Championship Round.

    It was clear from Kenseth’s post-accident comments that the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota felt it was important to assert himself.

    “You never like to be in these situations,” Kenseth said. “They really stink, to be honest with you, but sometimes you get put in these spots, and you’ve got to try to keep respect in the garage area. You can’t get yourself ran over.

    “You can’t get in the Chase next year and get ran over for the same reason. Like I said, hate the way it ended. Wish we were out there celebrating or having a shot for the win like we did before we got wrecked, so a disappointing day.”

    NASCAR called Kenseth, crew chief Jason Ratcliff and team owner Joe Gibbs to the sanctioning body’s transporter after the race. Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said the incident will be reviewed and subsequent action, if any, will be announced later this week.

    None of the Kenseth-Logano drama, however, could mute the elation of Gordon, the first driver to clinch a spot in the Championship Round at Homestead.

    “Yeah, baby, yeah—we go to Homestead!” Gordon screamed after crossing the finish line .335 seconds ahead of McMurray. “That was huge! That was huge! Boys, I love you guys.

    “That’s what I was talking about. We just keep digging and fighting…”

    A few minutes later, in Victory Lane, Gordon couldn’t resist a joke.

    “It was a joke. I’m coming back next year!” Gordon quipped about his impending retirement. “This is the sweetest, most amazing feeling. I am so proud of this team. You want to talk about holding back emotions; right now man, wow, we’re going to Homestead! I can’t believe it.”

    Kyle Busch had a fight on his hands, too, after spinning in Turn 2 on Lap 171 and damaging the front suspension of his No. 18 Toyota during contact with the No. 3 Chevrolet of Austin Dillon. But Busch rallied to come home fifth and is tied with sixth-place finisher Martin Truex Jr. for second in the Chase standings.

    Denny Hamlin recovered from two pit road speeding penalties to run third on Sunday, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ryan Newman and Harvick and were seventh and eighth, respectively.

    Keselowski and Kurt Busch, victims of the same wreck that ended Kenseth’s strong run, finished 32nd and 34th, respectively, and are approaching must-win status at the next two races in the Eliminator Round, at Texas and Phoenix.

    Notes: Before the wrecks that ruined their chances, the Team Penske cars were dominant. Logano led a race-high 207 laps. Keselowski led 143 laps, and at one juncture had built a lead of 8.9 seconds before Kyle Fowler smacked the Turn 3 wall to cause the 12th of 18 cautions. … The victory was Gordon’s first of the season and his ninth at Martinsville, breaking a tie with teammate Jimmie Johnson for most among active drivers.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500
    Martinsville Speedway
    Martinsville, Virginia
    Sunday, November 01, 2015

    1. (5) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 500, $199836.
    2. (4) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 500, $158301.
    3. (10) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 500, $131335.
    4. (22) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 500, $117160.
    5. (6) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 500, $138391.
    6. (2) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 500, $121985.
    7. (7) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 500, $124615.
    8. (12) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 500, $146715.
    9. (24) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 500, $104790.
    10. (13) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 500, $119004.
    11. (3) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 500, $133298.
    12. (21) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 500, $133051.
    13. (23) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 500, $113973.
    14. (14) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 500, $88865.
    15. (26) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 500, $97065.
    16. (8) Aric Almirola, Ford, 500, $125201.
    17. (19) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 500, $110023.
    18. (30) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 500, $124176.
    19. (9) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 500, $114423.
    20. (31) Cole Whitt, Ford, 500, $98823.
    21. (27) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 500, $85815.
    22. (41) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 499, $95087.
    23. (38) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 498, $85265.
    24. (33) David Gilliland, Ford, 498, $93015.
    25. (28) David Ragan, Toyota, 498, $111954.
    26. (25) Greg Biffle, Ford, 497, $115598.
    27. (35) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 496, $85365.
    28. (20) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 493, $107560.
    29. (39) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 492, $81090.
    30. (36) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 492, $82515.
    31. (32) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 491, $125465.
    32. (11) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 490, $129231.
    33. (43) Alex Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 489, $80665.
    34. (15) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 486, $98615.
    35. (34) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 479, $80565.
    36. (42) Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, 459, $80515.
    37. (1) Joey Logano, Ford, 458, $139538.
    38. (18) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, Parked, 443, $112688.
    39. (29) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 423, $79680.
    40. (16) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, Accident, 391, $75680.
    41. (40) Kyle Fowler, Ford, Brakes, 373, $63680.
    42. (37) Ryan Preece, Ford, 365, $59680.
    43. (17) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, Accident, 185, $90338.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 69.643 mph.
    Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 46 Mins, 35 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.335 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 18 for 109 laps.
    Lead Changes: 21 among 9 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: J. Logano 1-8; M. Truex Jr. 9-35; J. Logano 36-43; J. Gordon 44-53; J. Logano 54-59; Kurt Busch 60-81; J. Logano 82-158; A. Dillon 159-164; J. Logano 165-198; K. Harvick 199-236; B. Keselowski 237-239; J. Logano 240-255; B. Keselowski 256-282; J. Logano 283-292; B. Keselowski 293-388; J. Logano 389-393; B. Keselowski 394-410; J. Logano 411-453; J. Gordon 454-456; D. Hamlin 457-459; A. Allmendinger 460-478; J. Gordon 479-500.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Logano 9 times for 207 laps; B. Keselowski 4 times for 143 laps; K. Harvick 1 time for 38 laps; J. Gordon 3 times for 35 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 27 laps; Kurt Busch 1 time for 22 laps; A. Allmendinger 1 time for 19 laps; A. Dillon 1 time for 6 laps; D. Hamlin 1 time for 3 laps.
    Top 16 in Points: J. Gordon – 4,047; Kyle Busch – 4,039; M. Truex Jr. – 4,039; K. Harvick – 4,037; C. Edwards – 4,030; B. Keselowski – 4,013; Kurt Busch – 4,011; J. Logano – 4,009; D. Hamlin – 2,251; R. Newman – 2,231; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 2,221; J. Mcmurray – 2,201; M. Kenseth – 2,197; J. Johnson – 2,193; P. Menard – 2,177; C. Bowyer – 2,124.

  • Gordon Captures Career Win No. 93 at Martinsville

    Gordon Captures Career Win No. 93 at Martinsville

    Jeff Gordon has punched his ticket for the Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a win at the “Virginia paperclip,” Martinsville Speedway on Sunday.

    After the race, Gordon joked that he wasn’t going to retire after this season, saying, “This is the sweetest, most amazing feeling. I am so proud of this team. You want to talk about holding back emotions; right now man, wow, we’re going to Homestead!  I can’t believe it. What an incredible battle that was.”

    He also acknowledged second-place finisher, Jamie McMurray, stating, “Those last couple of laps, I give a lot of credit to Jamie McMurray. He raced me hard and clean there. Oh, man, I’ll tell you it’s just never over. What a battle!”

    The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet held off McMurray on the final restart to score his 93rd career victory and ninth win at Martinsville Speedway. He was the beneficiary of what appeared to be Matt Kenseth intentionally taking out Joey Logano with 47 laps to go.

    McMurray, although disappointed that he didn’t win, said it was a “great battle with Jeff. I have looked up to Jeff Gordon since I was a little kid. What a fun way on his last year to get to battle him like that. I wish we could have won. Had a great car just the inside was kind of the preferred line on those restarts.”

    Denny Hamlin rounded out the podium with a third-place finish while Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

    Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart rounded out the top-10.

    Among the other Chase drivers, Carl Edwards finished 14th. Brad Keselowski, who led 143 circuits, finished 32nd after getting caught up in a wreck with 66 laps to go, a wreck that also took out Kenseth and Kurt Busch. Busch would go on to finish 34th. After leading 207 laps, Logano was taken out by Kenseth late in the race and finished 37th.

    Gordon is locked into the championship battle in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead in three weeks. Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. leave Martinsville tied for second, eight points back. Kevin Harvick leaves 10-points back followed by Carl Edwards (-17), Brad Keselowski (-34), Kurt Busch (-36), and Joey Logano (-38).

  • Martinsville Victory Revives Matt Crafton’s Truck Series Title Hopes

    Martinsville Victory Revives Matt Crafton’s Truck Series Title Hopes

    By Reid Spencer

    Those who were delivering a post-mortem to Matt Crafton’s hopes for a third straight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title after last weekend’s race at Talladega learned on Saturday that the lid on the coffin is far from nailed shut.

    Crafton survived five restarts in the final 50 laps of Saturday’s Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway and won the race by .396 seconds over John Hunter Nemechek, who shoved third-place finisher Cameron Hayley out of the way after a restart with two laps left to secure the runner-up position.

    With his fifth victory of the season, his second at the .526-mile short track and the 10th of his career, Crafton chopped 13 points off the series lead of Erik Jones, who struggled throughout the afternoon and came home 10th.

    Crafton moved into second place in the standings, 10 points behind Jones with three races left in the season. Fifth-place finisher Tyler Reddick is third in points, 13 behind Jones.

    Crafton grabbed the lead from Nemechek after a restart on Lap 137 of 200 and held it the rest of the way. Polesitter Cole Custer, who ran fourth, led a race-high 96 laps but wasn’t able to regain the top spot after suffering a pit road speeding penalty under caution on Lap 124.

    For Crafton, though, the race was a dramatic turnaround after a late wreck a week earlier at Talladega dropped him to 24th at the finish, third in the standings and seemingly out of touch with Jones. But the misfortune at NASCAR’s longest oval turned on a dime at one of the sport’s shortest.

    “We’ve had a very trying last two months, but to get back to Victory Lane is awesome,” Crafton said. “These guys (his No. 88 ThorSport Toyota team) just never give up. We weren’t that great on the short run, but like I said, I never give up on these guys. They keep fine-tuning and fine-tuning.

    “The second-to-last run, we just got really tight, for whatever reason, but (crew chief) Junior (Joiner) called an audible, made a little change there, and the thing was good. I just had to pace myself and save enough tires for the end of the race.”

    Jones felt his Kyle Busch Motorsports team simply missed the setup for the race.

    “It was just a fight all day,” said Jones, whose handling issues were compounded by a soft brake pedal. “We missed it a little bit as an organization. I think it showed we were off most of the day for the three trucks (including the Toyotas of 16th-place Daniel Suarez and 21st-place Gray Gaulding).

    “We’ll work on it and get it better.”

    Ross Kenseth, son of 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth, finished 17th in his Truck Series debut. Austin Cindric, son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, had a strong top-10 run going in his maiden race in the series before running afoul of a three-wide wreck on the backstretch with eight laps left.

    After the crash, Cindric came home 25th, the last driver on the lead lap.

    The race featured 12 cautions, four short of the event record.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – Kroger 200
    Martinsville Speedway
    Martinsville, Virginia
    Saturday, October 31, 2015

    1. (13) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 200, $39197.
    2. (3) John H. Nemechek #, Chevrolet, 200, $29673.
    3. (2) Cameron Hayley #, Toyota, 200, $21627.
    4. (1) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 200, $23569.
    5. (4) Tyler Reddick, Ford, 200, $17413.
    6. (11) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 200, $15471.
    7. (16) Brandon Jones #, Chevrolet, 200, $15005.
    8. (18) Caleb Holman, Chevrolet, 200, $12700.
    9. (17) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, 200, $14895.
    10. (8) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 200, $15789.
    11. (26) John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, 200, $14783.
    12. (5) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 200, $14644.
    13. (9) Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 200, $14589.
    14. (10) Ben Kennedy, Toyota, 200, $14534.
    15. (23) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, 200, $14823.
    16. (6) Daniel Suarez(i), Toyota, 200, $12290.
    17. (25) Ross Kenseth(i), Toyota, 200, $12035.
    18. (19) Mason Mingus, Chevrolet, 200, $14228.
    19. (27) Austin Hill, Ford, 200, $11923.
    20. (21) Ray Black Jr. #, Chevrolet, 200, $14618.
    21. (7) Gray Gaulding, Toyota, 200, $14090.
    22. (28) Bobby Pierce, Chevrolet, 200, $14062.
    23. (12) David Gilliland(i), Ford, 200, $11785.
    24. (30) Camden Murphy, Chevrolet, 200, $12757.
    25. (14) Austin Cindric, Ford, 200, $12852.
    26. (24) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 199, $11674.
    27. (29) Brandon Hightower, Chevrolet, 196, $11591.
    28. (15) Dalton Sargeant, Toyota, 196, $11345.
    29. (20) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 196, $11290.
    30. (31) Paige Decker, Chevrolet, 193, $10790.
    31. (32) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, 186, $9290.
    32. (22) JJ Haley, Chevrolet, Accident, 119, $8290.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 60.615 mph.
    Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 44 Mins, 08 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.396 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 12 for 69 laps.
    Lead Changes: 6 among 4 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: C. Custer 1-36; G. Gaulding 37-45; C. Custer 46-82; J. Nemechek # 83; C. Custer 84-106; J. Nemechek # 107-137; M. Crafton 138-200.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): C. Custer 3 times for 96 laps; M. Crafton 1 time for 63 laps; J. Nemechek # 2 times for 32 laps; G. Gaulding 1 time for 9 laps.
    Top 10 in Points: E. Jones # – 776; M. Crafton – 766; T. Reddick – 763; J. Sauter – 722; T. Peters – 680; C. Hayley # – 663; D. Hemric # – 644; J. Townley – 627; B. Kennedy – 595; S. Gallagher # – 574.

  • Martinsville Recap of Friday’s Events

    Martinsville Recap of Friday’s Events

    Here’s a recap of the on-track activity Friday at Martinsville Speedway.

    Practice

    Joey Logano was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 19.161 and a speed of 98.826 mph. Jeff Gordon was second with a time of 19.251 and a speed of 98.364 mph followed by Brad Keselowski who was third with a time of 19.256 and a speed of 98.338 mph. Kevin Harvick was fourth with a time of 19.258 and a speed of 98.328 mph. Casey Mears rounded out the top-five with a time of 19.284 and a speed of 98.195 mph.

    Kasey Kahne finished sixth. Jamie McMurray finished seventh. Kyle Busch finished eighth. Clint Bowyer finished ninth and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-10.

    Denny Hamlin finished 12th.

    Carl Edwards was the lowest-finishing Chase driver in 17th.

     

    Qualifying

    Logano won the pole for the race with a time of 19.215 and a speed of 98.548 mph.

    He said that he’s amazed at the “run we’re on right now. I’m just the lucky guy that gets to drive this thing right now. It’s so much fun and we’re doing everything right. But all that can in a blink of an eye, so we all just have to keep our focus. I don’t believe in luck. I believe in hard work, and that’s what this team is doing right now.”

    Martin Truex Jr. will join him on the front row with a time of 19.227 and a speed of 98.487 mph.

    He said that his team “didn’t know going into qualifying we’d have that good of speed. Definitely a good start to the weekend for us.”

    A. J. Allmendinger will start third with a time of 19.309 and a speed of 98.068 mph. Jamie McMurray will start fourth with a time of 19.321 and a speed of 98.007 mph. Jeff Gordon rounded out the top-five with a time of 19.343 and a speed of 97.896 mph.

    Kyle Busch will start sixth. Ryan Newman will start seventh. Aric Almirola will start eighth. Kyle Larson will start ninth. Denny Hamlin rounds out the top-10.

    Brad Keselowski will start 11th, Kevin Harvick will start 12th and Carl Edwards will be the lowest starting Chase driver in 14th.

    Edwards said afterward that he “just wasn’t fast enough the very first run so I put a run on the tires and got us a cycle behind everyone. It’s okay, we’re going to be just fine. I think in my history of qualifying here, this is still about 10 spots better than normal. We have a fast pit crew, the car is a lot better than it was in practice and I think for all these XFINITY guys, I think they’re all excited about the race. It’s one of our strong points at JGR and I’m going to have some fun on Sunday.”

    Kasey Kahne went to his backup car after wrecking out in the first round of qualifying. Because he attempted a qualifying run, he’ll start from the rear of the field.

  • Logano Will Start From Pole in Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500

    Logano Will Start From Pole in Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Oct. 30, 2015) –Joey Logano will lead the field to green in the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

    Logano’s time of 19.215 seconds was the fastest on Virginia Lottery Pole Day and good for his second straight Martinsville pole.

    “Starting first here, and really anywhere towards the front here at Martinsville, pays off bigger than probably most race tracks,” Logano said. “Having that great pit stall up front, as well as staying up towards the front and keeping your fenders on it the whole race is important, so, like I said, I couldn’t be more proud of my guys right now.”

    Logano is riding a hot streak into the famous half-mile speedway. His three straight wins swept the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    “I don’t believe in luck. I believe in hard work and that’s what this team is doing right now,” Logano said. “It’s amazing how everyone rises to the occasion together.”

    Martin Truex Jr. will start second.

    “Honestly, I didn’t know we had a car that was that fast today,” Truex said. “We stuck with it. The guys did a good job making adjustments there, and we got quicker each round. That’s what you’ve got to do.”

    A.J. Allmendinger and Jamie McMurray will start in row two.

    Eight-time Martinsville winner Jeff Gordon, who is making his final start as a full-time driver, will roll off fifth.

    The Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 is Sunday.

    The race is the first race of the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Martinsville

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Martinsville

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series travel to Martinsville Superspeedway this weekend while the XFINITY Series is off. On-track action for the Sprint Cup Series can be seen on NBCSN, CNBC and NBC Sports Live Extra. The Camping World Truck Series events will be broadcast on FS1. Radio coverage will be provided by Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR Channel 90.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Oct. 30:

    On Track:

    11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    1-1:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice – FS1
    2:30-3:50 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS1
    4:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – Broadcast live on Live Extra, CSN Mid Atlantic, CSN Chicago, CSN Northwest, CSN Bay Area, TCN (Philadelphia) – (Note: On tape delay at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.)

    GarageCam: (Watch live)

    11 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series
    2 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    10 a.m.: Stewart-Haas Racing announcement with Danica Patrick
    10:30 a.m.: Joey Logano
    10:45 a.m.: Timothy Peters
    1 p.m.: Carl Edwards
    2 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    5:45 p.m. Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying

    TV Schedule- Additional NASCAR Coverage:

    2 p.m.: The 10: Greatest Truck Series Moments – FS1

    Saturday, Oct. 31:

    On Track:

    9-9:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    10:15 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    Noon-12:50 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    1:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 (200 laps, 105.2 miles) – FS1 (Green flag: 1:46 p.m. approx.)

    Press Conferences: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    3:15 p.m.: Post-Camping World Truck Series Race

    TV Schedule- Additional NASCAR Coverage:

    1 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Setup – FS1

    Sunday, Nov. 1:

    On Track:

    1:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 (500 laps, 263 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra (Green flag: 1:28 p.m. approx.)

    Press Conferences: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    9:30 a.m.: Jerry Cook and David Gilliland
    10:30 a.m.: Ned Jarrett
    10:45 a.m.: Goody’s with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    5:15 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Race

    TV Schedule- Additional NASCAR Coverage:

    10 a.m.: NASCAR RaceDay – FS1
    11 a.m.: NASCAR America Sunday – NBCSN
    12:30 p.m.: NSCS Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    5:30 p.m.: NSCS Post-Race – NBCSN
    6:30 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lane – FS1 (Re-air at 3 a.m. – FS1)
    11 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN

  • Logano wins at Talladega, knocks Earnhardt out of Chase

    Logano wins at Talladega, knocks Earnhardt out of Chase

    By Reid Spencer

    NASCAR Wire Service

    TALLADEGA, Ala. – Through no fault of his own, Joey Logano may have achieved the most unpopular sweep in NASCAR history on Sunday afternoon.

    Why? Because his victory in the CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway knocked Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup—by a matter of inches.

    When NASCAR threw the third caution of the race moments after the first bona fide attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag restart on Lap 195—with Kevin Harvick’s engine turning sour and cars wrecking behind him—Logano was inches ahead Earnhardt.

    That call ended the race, giving Logano his third straight victory in the Chase’s Contender Round, the first time since the elimination format was instituted last season that a driver has won all three races in a single round.

    The victory was Logano’s series-best sixth of the season, his first at Talladega and the 14th of his career.

    “I had a good start, and then the 24 was pushing me and the plan worked perfectly but the inside lane started pulling back up,” Logano said of the final restart. “I saw the (caution) lights come on when I was still in the lead, and I thought we had it.

    “It’s all about how the timing loops are and the camera makes sure that is what happened. It’s such a crazy race. There were such long green flag runs, you never see that. To pull it into victory lane here at Talladega is so cool.”

    In addition to Logano, Carl Edwards (fifth on Sunday), Jeff Gordon (third), Kurt Busch (10th), Brad Keselowski (fourth), Martin Truex Jr. (seventh), Harvick (15th) and Kyle Busch (11th) advanced to the Eliminator Round of the Chase.

    As formidable as Logano’s achievement was, it didn’t sit well with the heavily partisan Earnhardt crowd in the Talladega grandstands. Catcalls, debris and thumbs-down gestures greeted Logano’s celebratory burnout after NASCAR declared him the winner

    The green-white-checkered-flag restart came four laps after NASCAR extended a yellow-flag period when cars began wrecking in the tri-oval before the leaders crossed the start/finish line coming to green to start Lap 191.

    Though NASCAR had amended a rule before the race, limiting the number of attempts at a green-white-checkered to one (down from three), the sanctioning body ruled the first try was not a bona fide attempt since the yellow waved before the first cars reached the stripe.

    Earnhardt supported the amended rule before the race, and he continued to do so afterward, despite the outcome.

    “Everybody is going to ask me a hundred times how I feel about the green-white-checkered rule now,” Earnhardt said. “I feel good about it. It was a good safe call. The race ended per the rules, and I’m totally OK with that.

    “They decided officially who won the race, and Joey won it. He has had an awesome round. Unbelievable, really. We did everything we could today. Almost perfect, tried really hard.”

    Earnhardt, who needed to win the race to advance to the Chase’s Eliminator Round, wasn’t the only casualty on Sunday. Matt Kenseth, in the same position as Earnhardt entering the race, was bounced from the Chase after wrecking on the green-white-checkered attempt and finishing 26th.

    Ryan Newman (12th on Saturday) and Denny Hamlin were the other two drivers eliminated, Hamlin after the escape hatch above his driver’s seat dislodged during the race, requiring repeated repairs on pit road. Hamlin lost three laps in the process, got wrecked on the last restart and finished 37th to drop from second to 10th in the Chase standings.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega

    Talladega Superspeedway

    Talladega, Alabama

    Sunday, October 25, 2015

    1. (10) Joey Logano, Ford, 196, $283973.

    2. (5) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 196, $197100.

    3. (1) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 196, $193886.

    4. (11) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 196, $170716.

    5. (15) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 196, $128100.

    6. (13) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 196, $123665.

    7. (43) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 196, $127860.

    8. (29) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 196, $132498.

    9. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 196, $109515.

    10. (14) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 196, $108790.

    11. (16) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 196, $134431.

    12. (18) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 196, $124230.

    13. (33) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 196, $90830.

    14. (26) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 196, $131491.

    15. (7) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 196, $138305.

    16. (25) Aric Almirola, Ford, 196, $129886.

    17. (21) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 196, $113945.

    18. (3) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 196, $132036.

    19. (2) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 196, $102025.

    20. (19) Greg Biffle, Ford, 196, $118233.

    21. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 196, $127350.

    22. (34) Cole Whitt, Ford, 196, $104183.

    23. (35) Bobby Labonte, Ford, 196, $98408.

    24. (23) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 196, $113283.

    25. (12) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 196, $112189.

    26. (4) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 196, $121911.

    27. (20) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 196, $92400.

    28. (27) Michael McDowell, Ford, 195, $81150.

    29. (40) Josh Wise, Ford, 195, $84000.

    30. (22) David Ragan, Toyota, 195, $111539.

    31. (28) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 195, $106328.

    32. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, Accident, 194, $100108.

    33. (37) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Accident, 194, $89847.

    34. (41) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 194, $80100.

    35. (42) Travis Kvapil(i), Chevrolet, 193, $79925.

    36. (31) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 193, $97770.

    37. (8) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Accident, 192, $97634.

    38. (30) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 192, $74877.

    39. (24) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Engine, 182, $100796.

    40. (36) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 177, $68305.

    41. (32) Timmy Hill(i), Ford, Electrical, 168, $62805.

    42. (39) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, Engine, 130, $66805.

    43. (9) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, Engine, 84, $55305.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 167.311 mph.

    Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 06 Mins, 58 Secs. Margin of Victory: Caution.

    Caution Flags: 3 for 18 laps.

    Lead Changes: 30 among 18 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: J. Gordon 1-7; D. Earnhardt Jr. 8-10; D. Hamlin 11-14; D. Earnhardt Jr. 15; D. Hamlin 16; D. Earnhardt Jr. 17; J. Gordon 18; D. Earnhardt Jr. 19-39; M. Waltrip 40-41; J. Johnson 42-63; D. Earnhardt Jr. 64-79; M. Waltrip 80; D. Ragan 81; P. Menard 82; J. Logano 83-94; C. Bowyer 95-96; K. Harvick 97-100; K. Kahne 101-118; R. Stenhouse Jr. 119-120; G. Biffle 121; J. Johnson 122-133; R. Newman 134; Kurt Busch 135; D. Gilliland 136; M. Kenseth 137-139; Kyle Busch 140-150; D. Earnhardt Jr. 151-169; P. Menard 170; D. Gilliland 171; G. Biffle 172-188; J. Logano 189-196.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): D. Earnhardt Jr. 6 times for 61 laps; J. Johnson 2 times for 34 laps; J. Logano 2 times for 20 laps; G. Biffle 2 times for 18 laps; K. Kahne 1 time for 18 laps; Kyle Busch 1 time for 11 laps; J. Gordon 2 times for 8 laps; D. Hamlin 2 times for 5 laps; K. Harvick 1 time for 4 laps; M. Kenseth 1 time for 3 laps; M. Waltrip 2 times for 3 laps; C. Bowyer 1 time for 2 laps; R. Stenhouse Jr. 1 time for 2 laps; P. Menard 2 times for 2 laps; D. Gilliland 2 times for 2 laps; R. Newman 1 time for 1 lap; D. Ragan 1 time for 1 lap; Kurt Busch 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 16 in Points: J. Logano – 3,142; C. Edwards – 3,115; J. Gordon – 3,113; Kurt Busch – 3,112; B. Keselowski – 3,111; M. Truex Jr. – 3,107; K. Harvick – 3,101; Kyle Busch – 3,098; R. Newman – 3,095; D. Hamlin – 3,090; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 3,083; M. Kenseth – 3,054; J. Johnson – 2,161; J. Mcmurray – 2,159; P. Menard – 2,148; C. Bowyer – 2,123.

  • Starting lineup for the CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega

    Starting lineup for the CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega

    Lincoln, Ala. – Here’s the starting lineup for tomorrow’s CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega.

    Row 22: Martin Truex Jr.

    Row 21: Travis Kvapil and Landon Cassill

    Row 20: Josh Wise and Justin Allgaier

    Row 19: David Gilliland and Alex Bowman

    Row 18: Matt DiBenedetto and Bobby Labonte

    Row 17: Cole Whitt and Michael Waltrip

    Row 16: Timmy Hill and AJ Allmendinger

    Row 15: JJ Yeley and Clint Bowyer

    Row 14: Casey Mears and Michael McDowell

    Row 13: Austin Dillon and Aric Almirola

    Row 12: Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson

    Row 11: David Ragan and Sam Hornish Jr.

    Row 10: Danica Patrick and Greg Biffle

    Row 9: Ryan Newman and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    Row 8: Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards

    Row 7: Kurt Busch and Paul Menard

    Row 6: Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski

    And now, the top-10 starters.

    Starting 10th: Joey Logano

    Starting ninth: Ryan Blaney

    Starting eighth: Denny Hamlin

    Starting seventh: Kevin Harvick

    Starting sixth: Trevor Bayne

    Starting fifth: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Starting fourth: Matt Kenseth

    Starting third: Jimmie Johnson

    Starting second: Kasey Kahne

    And starting on the pole: Jeff Gordon

    That’s the 43 starters for tomorrow’s CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega.

    Michael Annett and Jeb Burton failed to make the race.

    Justin Allgaier will start from the rear of the field for unapproved adjustments.

  • Gordon Launches to Talladega Pole in Final Plate Race

    Gordon Launches to Talladega Pole in Final Plate Race

    By Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service

    TALLADEGA, Ala. – In a knockout qualifying session dominated by Hendrick Motorsports on Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, the outgoing king of restrictor-plate time trials—Jeff Gordon—won the pole position for Sunday’s CampingWorld.com 500, the final race in the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup  (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM).

    Gordon toured the 2.66-mile oval in 49.234 seconds (194.500 mph) to earn his fourth Coors Light Pole Award of the season, his fifth at Talladega and the 81st of his career. Gordon has claimed the top starting spot for all three 2015 restrictor-plate races for which the pole was contested—the Daytona 500 and both Talladega events.

    Rain forced cancellation of time trials for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July.

    Gordon beat out Hendrick teammate and non-Chaser Kasey Kahne (193.638 mph) for the top spot on the grid for the race that will determine which eight drivers advance to the Chase’s Eliminator Round.

    Jimmie Johnson, who was knocked out of the Chase in the first round, qualified third at 193.584 mph, immediately ahead of two drivers who likely must win on Sunday to keep their title hopes alive—Mat Kenseth (193.580 mph, 12th in the Chase standings) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (193.162 mph, 11th in the standings).

    Kenseth was the only non-Hendrick driver to crack the top five.

    “These guys work extremely hard,” Gordon said of his team’s effort. “I know everybody does for these restrictor-plate tracks. To be able to get the results like that, and they have been doing it all year long on these tracks.

    “That is just a complete credit to all the details that come from the top down. (Crew chief) Alan (Gustafson), he really does a phenomenal job at every track, but especially these tracks with these cars. Hendrick engines, Hendrick chassis, everybody at Hendrick Motorsports—1, 2, 3 and 5 that is an awesome day for Hendrick Motorsports.”

    Trevor Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 winner, qualified sixth, followed by reigning series champion Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart. Of that group, Harvick, Hamlin and Keselowski are vying for spots in the next round of the Chase. Logano has already locked up his spot in the next round.

    Even before the final round started, the session featured its share of bizarre circumstances. The first-round time of Chase driver Martin Truex Jr. was disallowed after Truex drove below the yellow line in the tri-oval on his qualifying lap.

    NASCAR had stipulated to the Sprint Cup teams before time trials that driving below the yellow line was no longer allowed. Accordingly, Truex will start from the rear of the field in Sunday’s race.

    “Well the last couple of times we’ve been here, we’ve run on the apron through the tri-oval,” Truex said. “Apparently there was a memo sent out, and I never got it. I don’t really know what to say.”

    During the first session, Clint Bowyer mistakenly threw his No. 15 Toyota into reverse and backed into the No. 51 Chevrolet of Justin Allgaier, the driver Bowyer will replace next year during his one-year stint at HScott Motorsports, Bowyer’s short-term home before he moves to Stewart-Haas Racing full time in 2017.

    With the nose of his Chevy caved in, Allgaier qualified 39th, but the team plans to repair and use the primary car for Sunday.

    All four Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolets were flagged during pre-qualifying inspections for radiator inlet duct panels that didn’t conform to NASCAR specifications. The teams spent more than two hours correcting the issue, but Harvick and Stewart still managed to make the top 12, earning the seventh and 12th starting spots, respectively.

    The remaining Chase drivers qualified as follows: Kurt Busch, 14th; Carl Edwards, 15th; Kyle Busch, 16th; and Ryan Newman, 18th.

    Jeb Burton and Michael Annett failed to make the 43-car field.

    Complete Starting Lineup:

     

    102415-nascar-Starting-Lineup.vadapt.476.high.10

  • Polesitter Timothy Peters wins action-filled Truck race at Talladega

    Polesitter Timothy Peters wins action-filled Truck race at Talladega

    By Reid Spencer
    NASCAR Wire Service

    TALLADEGA, Ala. – Timothy Peters finished Saturday’s fred’s 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway exactly where he started—at the front of the pack—despite an extraordinary ebb and flow between the opening green flag and the checkers.

    Peters was out front when NASCAR called the sixth caution of the race on the first lap of the only attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag finish, after contact between the trucks of John Wes Townley and Spencer Gallagher sent both crashing hard into the outside wall.

    The victory was Peters’ first of the season, his second straight at Talladega and the ninth of his career.

    Brandon Jones, who led the field to the last restart on Lap 97, finished second after Gallagher, his GMS Racing teammate, pushed Peters to the lead. Mason Mingus ran third, a career-best, and Erik Jones finished fourth and extended his series lead to 18 points over second place Tyler Reddick, who came home fifth on Saturday.

    Jones picked the inside for the final restart, even though he could have started in front of Gallagher. Peters wasn’t particularly surprised that Jones picked the preferred lane, rather than choosing the spot in front of his teammate.

    “I kind of thought that maybe he would take the outside,” Peters said, “but we’d already gotten the radio from the tower that this was going to be the one and only attempt (at the green-white-checkered). At that point, teammates are good for 95 laps.

    “Coming to the checkered, you’re on your own, and he kind of knew it was every man for himself. I appreciate the push that Spencer gave to me. I’m glad he’s OK after that wreck on the back … The push that Spencer gave me was a little delayed, but it was enough to get us both in front of the 33 (Jones).”

    Throughout the afternoon, storylines materialized and disappeared as quickly as the smoke from the “Big One”—the almost inevitable multicar wreck that finally occurred on Lap 92 of a scheduled 94 and skewed both the finishing order and the series standings.

    Brian Keselowski, making his first series start in a Ford owned by his brother, Brad Keselowski, threatened to win the race—until he ran out of fuel before the last restart.

    “They (Keselowski’s team) said right from the get-go to save fuel, and I was,” said Keselowski, who finished 17th after leading 10 laps. But you can only do so much when you’re leading.

    “You’ve got to go, so I didn’t save any when I was out front. I guess I should have, but that’s a little bit of inexperience in the Truck Series probably showing up. We’ll learn better next time.”

    Two-time defending series champion Matt Crafton was shuffled to the rear of the field when debris struck to the grille of his No. 88 Toyota, but that was the least of his troubles. Crafton was a victim of the Lap 92 10-truck wreck ignited by contact between the Tundras of Johnny Sauter and Matt Tifft.

    Crafton finished 24th and fell to third in the standings, 23 points behind Erik Jones.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – Fred’s 250 presented by Coca-Cola
    Talladega Superspeedway
    Talladega, Alabama
    Saturday, October 24, 2015

    1. (1) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 98, $67978.
    2. (13) Brandon Jones #, Chevrolet, 98, $48318.
    3. (19) Mason Mingus, Chevrolet, 98, $36014.
    4. (3) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 98, $27203.
    5. (15) Tyler Reddick, Ford, 98, $20861.
    6. (16) Cameron Hayley #, Toyota, 98, $20056.
    7. (8) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, 98, $19470.
    8. (12) Chris Fontaine, Toyota, 98, $18939.
    9. (20) Chad Boat, Chevrolet, 98, $16579.
    10. (18) Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 98, $19675.
    11. (14) John H. Nemechek #, Chevrolet, 98, $18616.
    12. (17) Bobby Gerhart(i), Chevrolet, 98, $18428.
    13. (10) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 98, $18318.
    14. (27) Ray Black Jr. #, Chevrolet, 98, $18214.
    15. (30) Korbin Forrister #, Chevrolet, 98, $18705.
    16. (2) John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, 98, $18000.
    17. (11) Brian Keselowski, Ford, 98, $17891.
    18. (9) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 98, $17787.
    19. (32) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 97, $17655.
    20. (25) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 97, $16796.
    21. (24) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 96, $16192.
    22. (22) Austin Hill, Ford, 96, $15082.
    23. (6) Matt Tifft, Toyota, 96, $14979.
    24. (7) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 96, $15869.
    25. (5) Ben Kennedy, Toyota, 96, $14909.
    26. (28) Tyler Tanner, Chevrolet, Accident, 91, $14655.
    27. (31) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, Accident, 91, $14551.
    28. (4) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 91, $14215.
    29. (21) Stanton Barrett(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 85, $14106.
    30. (26) Clay Greenfield, Chevrolet, Overheating, 77, $13606.
    31. (23) Terry Jones, Chevrolet, Accident, 35, $12106.
    32. (29) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, Engine, 29, $11106.
    Average Speed of Race Winner: 130.051 mph.
    Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 00 Mins, 16 Secs. Margin of Victory: Caution.
    Caution Flags: 6 for 25 laps.
    Lead Changes: 15 among 9 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: T. Peters 1-13; R. Black Jr. # 14; B. Kennedy 15-18; J. Townley 19; M. Crafton 20-39; T. Hill 40; T. Peters 41-42; M. Crafton 43; T. Peters 44; M. Crafton 45-66; E. Jones # 67-72; T. Peters 73-77; B. Kennedy 78-79; B. Keselowski 80-89; B. Jones # 90-96; T. Peters 97-98.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): M. Crafton 3 times for 43 laps; T. Peters 5 times for 23 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 10 laps; B. Jones # 1 time for 7 laps; E. Jones # 1 time for 6 laps; B. Kennedy 2 times for 6 laps; T. Hill 1 time for 1 lap; J. Townley 1 time for 1 lap; R. Black Jr. # 1 time for 1 lap.
    Top 10 in Points: E. Jones # – 742; T. Reddick – 724; M. Crafton – 719; J. Sauter – 687; T. Peters – 642; C. Hayley # – 622; D. Hemric # – 612; J. Townley – 594; B. Kennedy – 565; S. Gallagher # – 559.