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  • Crafton Wins Shortened Kentucky Truck Race After Damage to Catchfence

    Crafton Wins Shortened Kentucky Truck Race After Damage to Catchfence

    July 9, 2015

    By Reid Spencer

    SPARTA, Ky. – In a race that ended five laps short of its scheduled distance, polesitter Matt Crafton was declared the winner of Thursday night’s UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event after Ben Kennedy’s Toyota damaged the catchfence at Kentucky Speedway beyond the track’s capacity to repair it expeditiously.

    With a shove from the Ford of Ryan Blaney, Crafton had taken the lead from eventual runner-up Erik Jones on Lap 145 moments before Kennedy was launched into the fence from contact with David Gilliland’s Ford.

    The victory was the fourth of the season for the two-time defending series champion, who won for the first time at Kentucky and the eighth time in his career.

    “I’ve got to thank Ryan Blaney—he was all about that restart,” Crafton said in Victory Lane. “I know we had the best truck here when we got track position. When we got track position earlier, we’d drive away from everybody.”

    But Crafton, who led 44 laps, lost the top spot during a pit stop on Lap 100, when he had to wait for John Wes Townley to clear to his inside before he could enter his pit stall.

    “I think that was the only reason we lost the lead,” Crafton said. “But this Toyota Tundra was really, really good.”

    The race was slowed for the seventh time on Lap 140 when contact from the No. 05 Chevrolet of John Wes Townley sent the No. 23 Silverado of Spencer Gallagher hard into the outside wall.

    NASCAR red-flagged the proceedings for 3 minutes, 28 seconds for track clean-up, leaving Jones in the lead for a restart on Lap 145.

    But Gallagher’s wreck was nothing compared with the jolt Kennedy took on the restart lap after contact with Gilliland’s Ford sent Kennedy’s Toyota to the top of the SAFER barrier and into the catch fence.

    “I thought I was clear,” Kennedy said on his radio. The driver of the No. 11 Tundra had moved up the track into Gilliland’s Ford after being cleared by his spotter.

    “I heard ‘Clear’ on the radio, so I moved up to the wall and as soon as I went to the wall,” Kennedy said after leaving the infield care center. “I guess Gilliland had a run on the outside and pretty much hit me in the right rear — and I went up.

    “I guess I was on top of the wall. I remember being on top of the wall for quite some time. I didn’t see much — just a bunch of dust and debris flying. Then came down. The ride from the wall to the ground was pretty hard. But I’m OK.

    “Thank God for everything that NASCAR has done to keep this sport safe. ’Cause for me to get out of my car on my own power after a hit like that is pretty incredible.”

    Blaney finished third, followed by Daniel Suarez and Timothy Peters.

    Two support poles in the catchfence had to be replaced, a process that would consume 90 minutes. Accordingly, NASCAR called the race with five laps left.

    It was the second straight race in one of NASCAR’s top three touring series in which a car has hit the fence protecting the grandstands. In last Sunday’s Coke Zero 400 Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway, Austin Dillon’s Chevrolet was launched into the fence during a last-lap wreck in the tri-oval.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – UNOH 225

    Kentucky Speedway

    Sparta, Kentucky

    Thursday, July 09, 2015

                   1. (1) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 145, $59498.

                   2. (3) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 145, $48487.

                   3. (6) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, 145, $34948.

                   4. (4) Daniel Suarez(i), Toyota, 145, $22029.

                   5. (10) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 145, $19072.

                   6. (2) Tyler Reddick, Ford, 145, $17403.

                   7. (31) David Gilliland(i), Ford, 145, $14608.

                   8. (7) John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, 145, $16314.

                   9. (12) Cameron Hayley #, Toyota, 145, $16205.

                   10. (9) Brandon Jones #, Chevrolet, 145, $17018.

                   11. (13) John H. Nemechek #, Chevrolet, 145, $15959.

                   12. (5) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, 145, $15766.

                   13. (15) Ray Black Jr #, Chevrolet, 145, $15657.

                   14. (23) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, 145, $15548.

                   15. (19) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 145, $15811.

                   16. (14) Ben Kennedy, Toyota, Accident, 145, $15497.

                   17. (16) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 144, $15188.

                   18. (11) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 143, $15079.

                  19. (22) Mason Mingus, Chevrolet, 143, $14970.

                   20. (30) Cody Coughlin, Toyota, 143, $12811.

                   21. (18) Korbin Forrister #, Chevrolet, 141, $15052.

                   22. (21) Justin Jennings, Chevrolet, 140, $14643.

                   23. (20) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, 140, $13284.

                   24. (8) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, Accident, 139, $13175.

                   25. (29) Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 132, $12216.

                   26. (17) Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 132, $11957.

                   27. (28) Caleb Holman, Chevrolet, Accident, 124, $11848.

                   28. (26) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Suspension, 98, $11508.

                   29. (27) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, Electrical, 32, $11400.

                   30. (25) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, Electrical, 16, $10900.

                   31. (24) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, Engine, 2, $9400.

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  117.268 mph.

    Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 51 Mins, 17 Secs. Margin of Victory:  Caution.

    Caution Flags:  8 for 30 laps.

    Lead Changes:  13 among 7 drivers.

    Lap Leaders:   M. Crafton 0; T. Reddick 1-4; D. Suarez(i) 5-22; T. Reddick 23-30; E. Jones # 31-45; R. Black Jr # 46; J. Nemechek # 47; R. Blaney(i) 48-58; M. Crafton 59-100; E. Jones # 101-128; R. Blaney(i) 129-131; T. Reddick 132; E. Jones # 133-144; M. Crafton 145;.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  E. Jones # 3 times for 55 laps; M. Crafton 2 times for 43 laps; D. Suarez(i) 1 time for 18 laps; R. Blaney(i) 2 times for 14 laps; T. Reddick 3 times for 13 laps; R. Black Jr # 1 time for 1 lap; J. Nemechek # 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 10 in Points: M. Crafton – 417; T. Reddick – 397; E. Jones # – 388; J. Sauter – 359; J. Townley – 330; T. Peters – 322; C. Hayley # – 315; S. Gallagher # – 308; D. Hemric # – 308; B. Kennedy – 297.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kentucky Speedway

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kentucky Speedway

    This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, XFINITY Series and the Camping World Truck Series travel to Kentucky Speedway for a tripleheader of racing action. The Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races will be televised on NBC Sports Live Extra. The Camping World Truck Series events will be shown on FOX Sports 1. The full schedule is listed below.

    All times are Eastern.

    Wednesday, July 8:

    On Track:

    3-5 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – Postponed 
    6-8 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – Postponed 

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    5:05 p.m.: Carl Edwards
    5:20 p.m.: Jamie McMurray
    5:45 p.m.: Greg Biffle

    Thursday, July 9:

    On Track:

    8-10:55 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice – FOX Sports 1 coverage starts at 10 a.m. – Canceled
    11 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – Canceled
    2-3:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series practice – NBC Sports Network – Canceled
    4-4:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series final practice – NBC Sports Network – Postponed
    5:10 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 2 – Canceled
    5:15-6:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series final practice – NBC Sports Network
    7:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series UNOH 225 (150 laps, 225 miles) – FOX Sports 1

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    11:45 a.m.: Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle
    1:00 p.m.: Erik Jones and Matt Crafton
    3:15 p.m.: Brendan Gaughan
    3:30 p.m.: Brad Keselowski
    9:15 p.m.: Post-NCWTS Race Press Conferences (Time approx.)

    Friday, July 10:

    On Track:

    10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – NBC Sports Network
    3:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBC Sports Network – Canceled
    4:25-6 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice
    5:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole – NBC Sports Network – Canceled
    7:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Kentucky race (200 laps, 300 miles) – NBC Sports Network

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    10 a.m.: Kyle Busch
    2:30 p.m.: Chase Elliott
    3:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    6:45 p.m.: Post-NSCS Qualifying Press Conferences (Time approx.)
    9:45 p.m.: Post-NXS Race Press Conferences (Time approx.)

    Saturday, July 11:

    On Track:

    7:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts (267 laps, 400.5 miles) – NBC Sports Network

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    10:45 p.m.: Post-NSCS Race Press Conferences (Time approx.)

    Additional Information: Per NASCAR

    Teams have a four-hour extended practice scheduled for Wednesday at Kentucky to acclimate themselves to the new aero package. (3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.) Postponed due to rain. The Sprint Cup Series will have an extra practice instead on Thursday 11 a.m.-12:55 p.m.

    This weekend’s Kentucky aero package features a shorter spoiler (reduced from 6 inches to 3-1/2 inches) and a splitter extension panel (radiator pan) reduction from 38 inches to 25 inches. The splitter will have 1-3/4 inches less overhang that what has previously been used this season.

    Combined, the aero changes are expected to lessen the amount of downforce on the cars by approximately 1,000 pounds.

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Coke Zero 400

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Coke Zero 400

    By Bill Speros

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. endured a weekend of rain, a three-hour-plus pre-race delay, and nine caution flags to win the Coke-Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway early Monday morning.

    The race ended at 2:41 a.m. and concluded with a large crash featuring Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet going airborne and smashing into the catch-fence near Turn 1 after he crossed the start-finish line. Dillon walked away from the wreck, the fourth major crash of the night. After being released from the infield care center, Dillon said he suffered a bruised tailbone and forearm.

    Pole-sitter Earnhardt dominated the night, leading 96 laps in his No. 88 Nationwide Stars and Stripes Chevrolet. He also had the convincing support of the fans remaining at the track following the 154-minute rain delay. The delay was a harbinger for the race itself, which included four multi-car crashes and those nine caution flags that covered 43 of the scheduled 160 laps before the green-white checkered finish. It was Earnhardt’s fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup career victory on the 2.5-mile Florida track.

    “I had a lot of fun tonight,” a somewhat subdued Earnhardt said after the race. “We have such great motors and good cars. We ran Very fast. I had to block a lot, get a lot of pushes from everybody. I had to run real hard to win this race here. We got shuffled back a few times.”

    Driver Paul Menard could have been speaking for everyone at the speedway when he said on his radio during the race that Earnhardt’s No. 88 was “ridiculously” fast. Earnhardt consistently outran the competition on re-start after re-start.

    Earnhardt’s crew raced onto the track after the last-lap crash to check on Dillon’s condition. The catch fences at Daytona International Speedway were reinforced following an accident in 2013 during a NASCAR XFINITY Series race.

    Denny Hamlin finished third, with Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch rounding out the top five. Harvick leads the Sprint Cup points standings by 63 points over Earnhardt.

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves to Kentucky Speedway this week where it will debut its new aerodynamic package in the NSCS Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network).

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola
    Daytona International Speedway
    Daytona Beach, Florida
    Sunday, July 05, 2015

    1. (1) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 161, $308040.
    2. (12) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 161, $248616.
    3. (35) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 161, $194530.
    4. (34) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 161, $196280.
    5. (28) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 161, $152130.
    6. (23) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 161, $169406.
    7. (2) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 161, $166756.
    8. (17) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 161, $151320.
    9. (5) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 161, $156820.
    10. (3) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 161, $149028.
    11. (15) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 161, $144843.
    12. (8) David Ragan, Toyota, 161, $139049.
    13. (22) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 161, $110960.
    14. (31) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 161, $137874.
    15. (9) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 161, $139701.
    16. (4) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 161, $116235.
    17. (13) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 161, $154176.
    18. (21) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 161, $130818.
    19. (30) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 161, $113810.
    20. (25) Greg Biffle, Ford, 161, $136493.
    21. (7) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 161, $132868.
    22. (33) Joey Logano, Ford, 161, $147293.
    23. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 161, $139746.
    24. (37) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 161, $113743.
    25. (29) Cole Whitt, Ford, 161, $110882.
    26. (41) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 161, $102085.
    27. (14) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 161, $99835.
    28. (43) Brendan Gaughan(i), Chevrolet, 161, $96210.
    29. (32) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 159, $144426.
    30. (11) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, Accident, 154, $125655.
    31. (42) Josh Wise, Ford, 154, $99135.
    32. (10) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 149, $113510.
    33. (39) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 139, $95360.
    34. (36) Aric Almirola, Ford, 137, $132146.
    35. (27) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, Accident, 126, $103035.
    36. (40) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 121, $94885.
    37. (18) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 110, $94641.
    38. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 105, $115648.
    39. (16) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Accident, 103, $113148.
    40. (6) David Gilliland, Ford, 96, $89240.
    41. (24) Carl Edwards, Toyota, Accident, 85, $77240.
    42. (26) Brian Scott(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 85, $73240.
    43. (38) Bobby Labonte, Ford, Accident, 2, $69740.
    Average Speed of Race Winner: 134.941 mph.
    Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 58 Mins, 58 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.122 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 9 for 43 laps.
    Lead Changes: 22 among 12 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: D. Earnhardt Jr. 0; A. Dillon 1-8; D. Earnhardt Jr. 9-26; C. Bowyer 27; R. Newman 28; J. Johnson 29; D. Earnhardt Jr. 30-32; J. Johnson 33-54; D. Hamlin 55; J. Yeley(i) 56; D. Earnhardt Jr. 57-75; J. Johnson 76-78; M. Kenseth 79; J. Johnson 80-86; M. DiBenedetto # 87; J. Wise 88; K. Kahne 89-93; D. Hamlin 94-102; D. Earnhardt Jr. 103-111; B. Moffitt # 112; D. Earnhardt Jr. 113-114; J. Johnson 115-116; D. Earnhardt Jr. 117-161.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): D. Earnhardt Jr. 6 times for 96 laps; J. Johnson 5 times for 35 laps; D. Hamlin 2 times for 10 laps; A. Dillon 1 time for 8 laps; K. Kahne 1 time for 5 laps; M. DiBenedetto # 1 time for 1 lap; R. Newman 1 time for 1 lap; B. Moffitt # 1 time for 1 lap; C. Bowyer 1 time for 1 lap; M. Kenseth 1 time for 1 lap; J. Yeley(i) 1 time for 1 lap; J. Wise 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 16 in Points: K. Harvick – 656; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 593; J. Johnson – 589; J. Logano – 581; M. Truex Jr. – 569; J. Mcmurray – 526; B. Keselowski – 520; Kurt Busch – 508; M. Kenseth – 501; J. Gordon – 500; K. Kahne – 496; D. Hamlin – 480; P. Menard – 480; R. Newman – 472; C. Bowyer – 465; A. Almirola – 441.

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the rain-delayed Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola early Monday, leading a race-high 96 laps en route to the 16th Daytona International Speedway victory of his career.

    Earnhardt, driving the No. 88 Nationwide Stars and Stripes Chevrolet, dominated much of the race, leading 40 of the race’s first 80 laps. He took the checkered flag ahead of runner-up Jimmie Johnson and third-place Denny Hamlin – and also ahead of a multi-car incident that began with Hamlin’s car turning sideways as it was crossing the line. It was the second Coke Zero 400 victory for Earnhardt, following up on his 2001 triumph.

    A tightly packed sprint to the finish initially was set up by a late-race spin by David Ragan, after which the race was restarted on Lap 152 of the 160-lap event. But then, another set-up: a frontstretch spin by Sam Hornish Jr. with six laps remaining. That resulted in a two-lap, “green-white-checker” finish.

    Earnhardt then alternated between pulling away and blocking Johnson to earn his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of the season. He also won at Talladega Superspeedway in May.

    Despite the race start being delayed three hours, 34 minutes due to rain – the green flag waved at 11:42 p.m. Sunday – virtually all of the fans in attendance waited out the weather, taking advantage of new fan-friendly amenities that are part of the ongoing DAYTONA Rising renovation.

    They didn’t have to wait long, however, for the first caution as nine cars were involved in a Lap 3 incident, including the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford driven by this year’s DAYTONA 500 champion Joey Logano. Logano’s hopes for a season sweep at Daytona vanished soon afterward, as consecutive pit stops to repair damage resulted in two penalties – both for having too many crewmen over the wall.

     

     

     

    Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest for the latest news throughout the season. Fans also can follow the latest on DAYTONA Rising, the $400 million frontstretch renovation at the “World Center of Racing” by using #DAYTONARising on Twitter or visiting www.daytonarising.com.

  • Austin Dillon Wins Subway Firecracker 250

    Austin Dillon Wins Subway Firecracker 250

    July 4, 2015
    By Jeff Olson

    Austin Dillon led just nine laps Saturday night, including the one that mattered most.

    Dillon, grandson of legendary team owner Richard Childress, outlasted Elliott Sadler and Chase Elliott during a green-white-checkered finish to claim the crash-filled Subway Firecracker 250, the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

    “This is Daytona, man,” Dillon said during the post-race celebration. “There are so many family memories here. … I’m just happy for my grandfather. He told me once when we were here in Victory Lane with Dale Earnhardt that you’ll have this opportunity one day. It means so much to be here.”

    A multi-car crash on Lap 96 of the 100-lap race took out Brian Scott, who led 84 laps and was in front when the crash started. Scott moved to the outside line to block Elliott Sadler but was spun out, collecting several cars. Dillon slipped through the crash, then stayed ahead of Elliott after the final restart.

    Sadler recovered from the crash and surged past Elliott as the field reached the checkered flag to finish second. Afterward, he blamed Scott for the crash.

    “Either Brian’s spotter or Brian tried to make the move too late to block us,” Sadler said. “We were already up to his right rear door. It wrecked us, man. This is Daytona. It’s a shame. We had a car good enough to win.”

    Scott admitted the move was aggressive and poorly timed, but said he thought Sader could have given him room.

    “I told myself I was going to be aggressive, and I was going for the win,” Scott said. “I was trying to time that run. I knew the outside lane was coming. Obviously I mistimed it a little bit, but I still felt like I gave them room to split me and go high. Instead of going high on me, he turned me into the wall.”

    Dillon scored his third XFINITY Series win of 2015 and fifth of his career, putting a smile on his grandfather’s face.

    “It’s cool any time you win here at Daytona,” Childress said.

    A 12-car pile-up with 10 laps to go collected the top two in the XFINITY points standings – Chris Buescher and Ty Dillon and set the stage for a restart with five laps remaining. Scott restarted ahead of Sadler and Austin Dillon.

    Sadler fell behind in the outside line but regained momentum and appeared to be ready to pass Scott, who was leading the inside line. Scott moved up to get in front of Sadler, but didn’t have enough room and was turned into the wall.

    The crash left only nine cars on the lead lap. Dillon restarted ahead of Dakoda Armstrong and Chase Elliott for the green-white-checkered finish, and Elliott quickly moved into second on the low line. He finished third, followed by Kasey Kahne, Benny Gordon and Armstrong.

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – Subway Firecracker 250
    Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida
    Saturday, July 04, 2015

    1. (7) Austin Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 104, $87386.
    2. (10) Elliott Sadler, Ford, 104, $74133.
    3. (11) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 104, $52880.
    4. (21) Kasey Kahne(i), Chevrolet, 104, $35703.
    5. (20) Benny Gordon, Chevrolet, 104, $31248.
    6. (17) Dakoda Armstrong, Ford, 104, $34335.
    7. (3) David Ragan(i), Toyota, 104, $27584.
    8. (5) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 104, $32135.
    9. (35) Harrison Rhodes #, Chevrolet, 104, $32005.
    10. (34) Ross Chastain #, Chevrolet, 103, $31274.
    11. (18) Timmy Hill(i), Toyota, 103, $23769.
    12. (13) Chris Buescher, Ford, 103, $29214.
    13. (8) Ryan Reed, Ford, 103, $28684.
    14. (4) Joey Logano(i), Ford, 103, $22154.
    15. (1) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, 103, $32427.
    16. (40) Peyton Sellers #, Chevrolet, 102, $27674.
    17. (15) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 102, $27549.
    18. (22) Blake Koch, Toyota, 102, $27423.
    19. (23) John Wes Townley(i), Chevrolet, 101, $27296.
    20. (28) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 101, $27670.
    21. (30) Martin Roy, Chevrolet, 101, $27019.
    22. (26) Bobby Gerhart, Chevrolet, 101, $20887.
    23. (2) Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 101, $32137.
    24. (39) Eric McClure, Toyota, 100, $26585.
    25. (9) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 100, $26608.
    26. (6) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 100, $26333.
    27. (32) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, Accident, 97, $26181.
    28. (36) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 97, $26004.
    29. (25) David Starr, Toyota, Accident, 96, $25879.
    30. (38) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, Accident, 95, $26052.
    31. (24) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 95, $25621.
    32. (37) Cale Conley #, Toyota, 95, $25485.
    33. (31) Mike Harmon, Dodge, 95, $25369.
    34. (14) Darrell Wallace Jr. #, Ford, Accident, 90, $25258.
    35. (19) Aric Almirola(i), Ford, Accident, 90, $19135.
    36. (16) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, Accident, 90, $23288.
    37. (12) Scott Lagasse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 58, $22288.
    38. (33) Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, Accident, 15, $21288.
    39. (29) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Overheating, 10, $14288.
    40. (27) Dexter Bean, Chevrolet, Vibration, 6, $13288.
    Average Speed of Race Winner: 132.804 mph.
    Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 57 Mins, 28 Secs. Margin of Victory: Caution.
    Caution Flags: 7 for 24 laps.
    Lead Changes: 9 among 5 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: D. Suarez # 0; B. Scott 1-6; D. Suarez # 7-12; B. Scott 13-16; R. Chastain # 17; B. Scott 18-55; J. Logano(i) 56-59; A. Dillon(i) 60; B. Scott 61-96; A. Dillon(i) 97-104.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): B. Scott 4 times for 84 laps; A. Dillon(i) 2 times for 9 laps; D. Suarez # 1 time for 6 laps; J. Logano(i) 1 time for 4 laps; R. Chastain # 1 time for 1 lap.
    Top 10 in Points: C. Buescher – 560; C. Elliott – 526; T. Dillon – 517; R. Smith – 493; E. Sadler – 489; D. Wallace Jr. # – 472; B. Scott – 453; R. Reed – 441; B. Gaughan – 438; D. Suarez # – 437.

  • Coke Zero 400 Qualifying Canceled Due To Rain, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gets Pole Based On Top Practice Speed

    Coke Zero 400 Qualifying Canceled Due To Rain, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gets Pole Based On Top Practice Speed

    • Austin Dillon Will Start Second in RCR No. 3 Chevrolet

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Qualifying for Sunday night’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca Cola was rained out Saturday, giving the pole position to Dale Earnhardt Jr., based on his chart-topping, 200 mph-plus practice speed.

    Earnhardt led the first of two practice sessions on Friday in the No. 88 Nationwide Stars and Stripes Chevrolet, with a fast lap of 202.284 miles per hour – one of 14 drivers to post fast laps exceeding 200 mph. Austin Dillon will start second in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, on the strength of his 202.066 lap.

    Last season, NASCAR instituted a new procedure, setting fields based on speeds from a weekend’s first practice session, when qualifying is cancelled. Previously, fields were set based on season point standing. Earnhardt said that with rain in the Saturday forecast, there was extra effort to find serious speed in practice.

    Tickets for the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola – set for 7:45 p.m. Sunday – can be purchased by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or visiting www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

    Fans can follow NASCAR on Twitter and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #CokeZero400 and #SubwayFirecracker250. Fans also can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest for the latest news all season long. Fans can follow the latest on DAYTONA Rising, the $400 million frontstretch renovation at the “World Center of Racing” by using #DAYTONARising on Twitter or visiting www.daytonarising.com.

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick Lead Practice Sessions For Coke Zero 400

    Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick Lead Practice Sessions For Coke Zero 400

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick led the two practice sessions Friday at Daytona International Speedway, in preparation for Sunday night’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola.

    In the first of two practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Earnhardt posted the day’s fastest lap of 202.284 miles per hour (44.492 seconds) on the 2.5-mile tri-oval, driving the No. 88 Nationwide Stars and Stripes Chevrolet. Earnhardt won the Coke Zero 400 in 2001 and has 15 victories at Daytona overall.

    “We have a very fast car … a winning car,” Earnhardt said.

    Patrick – the 2013 polesitter for the DAYTONA 500 – led the second session chart at 198.133 (45.424), driving the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet.

    Early in the first practice there was an 11-car incident, including cars driven by former Coke Zero 400 champions Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle. Earnhardt established the session’s fastest lap prior to the incident, which started with Turn 2 contact involving Busch and Brad Keselowski. All drivers except Keselowski were forced to switch to back-up cars, as a result.

    David Ragan Leads Subway Firecracker 250 Practice

    There also were two practices on Friday for Saturday night’s Subway Firecracker 250, the annual summer DIS race for the NASCAR XFINITY Series. David Ragan, driving the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota, topped the first session at 190.573 (47.226). The second session was led by Ty Dillon in the No. 3 Yuengling America’s Oldest Brewery Chevrolet (179.978/50.006).

    Qualifying for both of this weekend’s events will be held Saturday (NASCAR XFINITY Series at 2:35, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at 4:35), followed by the Subway Firecracker 250 at 7:45 p.m. (ET). Tickets for Saturday night’s Subway Firecracker 250 Powered By Coca-Cola and Sunday night’s Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola can be purchased by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or visiting www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

    Fans can follow NASCAR on Twitter and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #CokeZero400 and #SubwayFirecracker250. Fans also can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest for the latest news all season long. Fans can follow the latest on DAYTONA Rising, the $400 million frontstretch renovation at the “World Center of Racing” by using #DAYTONARising on Twitter or visiting www.daytonarising.com.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Daytona International Speedway

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Daytona International Speedway

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series travel to Daytona International Speedway this weekend. NBC Sports Network will carry each practice, qualifying session and race. The Camping World Truck Series is off. Please check below for the full schedule.

    All times Eastern.

    Friday, July 3:

    On Track:

    2-2:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series practice – NBC Sports Network
    3-3:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – NBC Sports Network
    4-4:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series final practice – NBC Sports Network
    5-5:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice – NBC Sports Network

    Press Conferences Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    12:45 p.m.: Aric Almirola
    1 p.m.: Kyle Larson
    1:15 p.m.: Chris Buescher
    1:30 p.m.: Daytona Rising Update

    Saturday, July 4:

    On Track:

    2:35 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBC Sports Network
    4:35 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBC Sports Network
    7:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Subway Firecracker 250 (100 laps, 250 miles) – NBC Sports Network

    Press Conferences Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    2 p.m.: NASCAR Hall of Fame Squier-Hall Award announcement
    3:45 p.m.: Kyle Busch
    5:45 p.m.: Post-qualifying NSCS press conference (Time approx.)
    9:45 p.m.: Post-race NXS press conference (Time approx.)

    Sunday, July 5:

    On Track:

    7:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola (160 laps, 400 miles) – NBC

    Press Conferences Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    5 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
    10:45 p.m.: Post-race NSCS press conference (Time approx.)

    Click the link below to find the NBC Sports Network Channel in your area.

    NBC Sports Network Channel Finder

     

  • Kyle Busch Takes the Checkered Flag to Win at Sonoma Raceway

    Kyle Busch Takes the Checkered Flag to Win at Sonoma Raceway

    It was a day filled with hard crashes, a day that brought back memories of another crash.

    Kyle Busch had a terrible crash at Daytona in February in the XFINITY Series race, breaking his leg and foot. He was out of racing for several months recuperating and rehabbing, to be able to race again. Many critics said he wouldn’t be back at all this year.  Even his doctors were not optimistic about a return before mid-July.

    But Busch had his own ideas about returning and in 12 weeks he was back. In preparation, he had extra padding and shoes made specifically for him.  While still in rehab, Busch even predicted he would win a race this year.

    Talk was circulating that Busch would be automatically placed in the Chase by NASCAR.  Finally, a medical waiver was issued that released Busch from the stipulation that a driver must attempt to qualify for all 26 regular season races to qualify for a Chase berth. He would, however, have to finish within the top 30 in the point standings to be eligible.

    Few thought Busch could win a race.  Crew chief Adam Stevens said, “It is a miracle,” and went on to say that, “It was almost impossible to win on a road course, of all things.”

    A late race caution had the leader, Jimmie Johnson, staying out while Clint Boyer, Kyle Busch, and Kurt Busch went to pit road for 4 tires.  It wasn’t long before Johnson couldn’t hold off the challengers with their new tires. With five laps to go, Kyle Busch passed Johnson for the lead and never gave it up. When Johnson lost the lead, he was losing ground fast.

    At the same time, Kurt Busch came from deep in the field and was picking cars off as he drove to the front.  Boyer was racing Kurt Busch for second.  Busch battled with Clint Boyer and moved passed Boyer for second place. While that was going on Kyle Busch was pulling away.

    Kurt then set his sights on his brother and tried to run him down. Kyle was pushing hard to win the race and in the last two laps made mistakes in turn 11, but Kurt was unable to catch his brother.

    Kyle was not to be denied, winning the race. Kurt finished second with Bowyer finishing in third place.

    After the race, Kurt was somewhat upset because he thought he should have been more aggressive on the final two restarts. By not being aggressive, Kyle was able to race without being challenged.

    Kurt was, however, ecstatic about the one-two finish for him and his brother and praised Kyle’s quick return to the track after his injuries.

    “I’m very proud of Kyle for getting back in the car as soon as he did. He further stated,” to be competitive at a tough racetrack like Sonoma, I am very proud of him.”

    With this win, Kyle tied Kevin Harvick for 23rd on the all-time wins list. This is Busch’s first win this year; his last victory was March 23, 2014. There are 800 starts between the brothers and this is the first time they finished one-two.

    Clint Boyer said it was wild out there.

    “We weren’t just able to capitalize,” Bowyer explained. ”I think we were probably a second or third place car. It seemed like for whatever reason the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) came on really good there. The 41 (Kurt Busch) was probably the fastest car all weekend long. We were right there with him. Fun to come out here in wine country and be able to compete like that. This is where we need to be running. We need to be able to go to these regular race tracks and keep this momentum and confidence level up that we have when we come out here. It’s unfortunate, you get that close and you want to get greedy.”

    Kyle described his day as “awesome,” and gave credit to his crew chief for making the right call at the end of the race and the team for great pit stops.

    “There at the end our best chance to win was coming in and getting 4 tires,” Busch said.

    He also spoke about the physical toll the race took on him.

    “The hardest thing for me today was the braking,” he stated. “You brake often and hard.”

    At his track, drivers only use the clutch to take off. They shift while on the course without using the clutch. He went on to say,”I was sore on Friday, left the track and iced all night. The pain on Saturday was not an issue. Having a win means you don’t have to push as hard. The emphasis will be on finishing third or fourth or even fifth”.

    The series returns to Daytona next week, the track where he was badly injured. Is Busch worried?

    When asked about it, Kyle smiled and said, “I’m looking forward to it.”

  • Kyle Busch Resurrects Season with Spectacular Victory at Sonoma

    Kyle Busch Resurrects Season with Spectacular Victory at Sonoma

    By Reid Spencer

    SONOMA, Calif. – Check the box. Kyle Busch has a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

    That simple statement hardly plumbs the depth of emotion Kyle Busch was feeling after winning Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

    In the first-ever 1-2 finish in the series by the Busch brothers, Kyle Busch beat Kurt Busch to the finish line by .532 seconds to win for the first time since returning from an 11-race absence because of a broken right leg and left foot sustained in a Feb. 21 accident at Daytona International Speedway.

    “First Busch brothers 1-2, boys,” Kyle Busch exulted on his radio after taking the checkered flag. “Mom and Dad should be proud.”

    On Lap 106 of 110, Kyle Busch muscled Jimmie Johnson out of the way and took the lead on the way to his second victory at the 1.99-mile road course and the 30th of his career. Johnson had stayed out on old tires while Busch joined a parade to pit road for new rubber after the left rear wheel assembly separated from Casey Mears Chevrolet to cause the fifth and final caution of the race on Lap 99.

    Johnson led the field to a restart on Lap 104, but the cars with fresh tires soon asserted their superiority, with Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, reigning series champion Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano all following Kyle Busch in putting the six-time champion behind them.

    Kyle Busch restarted seventh and got past Bowyer, the eventual third-place finisher, soon thereafter in heavy traffic at the top of the hill in Turn 2. Two laps later, he passed Johnson for the lead.

    All told, 46 races had passed since Kyle Busch last went to Victory Lane in NASCAR’s premier series, including the 11 he missed because of the Daytona injuries. Busch last won at Fontana, Calif., on Mar. 23, 2014. The victory extends his streak of winning at least one race per year to 11 years.

    More significant, the triumph gives Busch the first element he needs to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Busch also must finish in the top 30 in the series standings after 26 races in order to maintain his eligibility for NASCAR’s playoff.

    With the win, Busch gained two positions in the standings to 37th, 136 points behind 30th-place Cole Whit with 10 races left in the regular season.

    “Yeah, we have our work cut out for us,” he said. “We knew we did in the beginning (after returning to competition five races ago), and I knew we put us in the hole in points. It’s unfortunate that we’ve had a couple crashes (in recent events at Dover and Michigan).

    “As much as I can do, that’s what we’re going to do. Adam Stevens, this is his first win as a Cup crew chief, so this is pretty special. My wife is here, she flew in this morning. So it’s awesome to have her with us today. Brexton (Busch’s newborn son) is at home, though. He didn’t want to fly six hours, so we let him stay at home this time. This is so cool.”

    Kurt Busch led a race-high 43 laps but spent too much time getting past Bowyer in the closing laps to have a realistic chance to catch his brother. But his disappointment at finishing second was trumped by empathy for the ordeal Kyle has endured this season.

    “It was emotional,” Kurt Busch acknowledged. “I know he’s been through quite a bit; to have your leg broken, your foot shattered, to never (before) be injured and out of the car … I don’t know what that feels like, but I do know that working with Tony Stewart and having him go through rehab, rehab is very difficult, and it is a mental challenge.

    “And I’m very proud of Kyle for what he’s done to get back in the car as soon as he did get back in the car, and then to be competitive at a track with hard, hard braking and to use his left foot to drive to victory lane, I’m very proud of him.”

    Then Kurt’s competitive juices took over, and he added, tongue-in-cheek, “I just wish I could have one more lap to get to his bumper, but I think he didn’t want to see an extra lap.”

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – Toyota/Save Mart 350
    Sonoma Raceway
    Sonoma, California
    Sunday, June 28, 2015

    1. (11) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 110, $315481.
    2. (2) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 110, $222630.
    3. (6) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 110, $191988.
    4. (17) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 110, $183230.
    5. (19) Joey Logano, Ford, 110, $166638.
    6. (13) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 110, $162406.
    7. (20) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 110, $122995.
    8. (26) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 110, $118895.
    9. (16) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 110, $135420.
    10. (24) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 110, $132065.
    11. (18) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 110, $129976.
    12. (7) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 110, $126674.
    13. (32) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 110, $106060.
    14. (25) Aric Almirola, Ford, 110, $133846.
    15. (4) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 110, $124618.
    16. (5) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 110, $139846.
    17. (37) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 110, $131271.
    18. (15) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 110, $108485.
    19. (10) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 110, $137901.
    20. (40) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 110, $101135.
    21. (3) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 110, $129421.
    22. (29) Cole Whitt, Ford, 110, $109493.
    23. (31) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 110, $131885.
    24. (21) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 110, $98160.
    25. (36) Alex Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 110, $107193.
    26. (33) Boris Said(i), Ford, 110, $99868.
    27. (22) Greg Biffle, Ford, 110, $119393.
    28. (38) Josh Wise, Chevrolet, 109, $87685.
    29. (30) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 109, $99118.
    30. (35) Justin Marks(i), Ford, 109, $88810.
    31. (41) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 109, $96182.
    32. (43) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 109, $83965.
    33. (42) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 109, $83855.
    34. (23) Michael McDowell, Ford, 109, $83720.
    35. (27) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 107, $91555.
    36. (39) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 99, $83470.
    37. (1) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 98, $113795.
    38. (8) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, Rear Axle, 97, $85913.
    39. (9) David Ragan, Toyota, Accident, 78, $101064.
    40. (14) Carl Edwards, Toyota, Accident, 78, $69850.
    41. (34) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, Accident, 71, $65850.
    42. (12) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 31, $88195.
    43. (28) David Gilliland, Ford, Accident, 20, $66350.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 74.774 mph.
    Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 55 Mins, 39 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.532 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 5 for 21 laps.
    Lead Changes: 9 among 5 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: A. Allmendinger 0; Kurt Busch 1-22; A. Allmendinger 23; C. Bowyer 24-27; Kyle Busch 28-39; Kurt Busch 40-52; J. Johnson 53-66; Kurt Busch 67-74; J. Johnson 75-105; Kyle Busch 106-110.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Johnson 2 times for 45 laps; Kurt Busch 3 times for 43 laps; Kyle Busch 2 times for 17 laps; C. Bowyer 1 time for 4 laps; A. Allmendinger 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 16 in Points: K. Harvick – 616; M. Truex Jr. – 563; J. Logano – 559; J. Johnson – 546; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 545; B. Keselowski – 505; J. Mcmurray – 497; K. Kahne – 483; M. Kenseth – 479; Kurt Busch – 469; J. Gordon – 462; P. Menard – 452; D. Hamlin – 438; R. Newman – 435; A. Almirola – 431; C. Bowyer – 430.