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Category: RC NASCAR Cup

Race Central NASCAR Cup Series news and information

  • Race Update: Cup Race at Phoenix Under a Weather Delay

    Race Update: Cup Race at Phoenix Under a Weather Delay

    Today’s race at Phoenix is under a weather delay.

    Rain showers have put the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway scheduled to start at 2:45 p.m. Eastern time on hold.

    The latest radar shows the rain is breaking up, but more is on the way from the southwest.

    Weather.com has the chance of rain ranging between 15 and 20 percent until 7:00 Eastern.

    The sun has emerged from the clouds and the air titans are on track at the moment. We expect the race to get underway and finished tonight. Television coverage will be moved to NBCSN

     

  • Saturday Recap: Practice Sessions at Phoenix

    Saturday Recap: Practice Sessions at Phoenix

  • Johnson Captures Coors Light Pole at Phoenix

    Johnson Captures Coors Light Pole at Phoenix

    Jimmie Johnson will lead the field to the green flag Sunday for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet scored his first pole in 58 races with a new track record time of 25.147 and a speed of 143.158 mph.

    Johnson spoke about the gains his team has made in recent weeks, stating that his team “didn’t have the summer that we wanted, but these guys have been working so hard on the No. 48 team and at Hendrick Motorsports. So, I’m very happy to see the progress and the direction things are going. It’s been a little bit, everywhere. If we keep doing that, we’re going to close this season out just like we want to and be ready for 2016.”

    Kurt Busch and his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet will join Johnson on the front row with a time of 25.196 and a speed of 142.880 mph.

    Busch was somewhat disappointed with the runner-up starting position saying he felt that he “let the team down a little on that lap because our car is better than that. But starting up front here is a big advantage and we’ll work on the car a little tomorrow to fine tune and be ready to go out and race on Sunday and hope for a win.”

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in third after a time of 25.249 and a speed of 142.580 mph. Carl Edwards’ 142.501 mph lap in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota earned him a fourth place start and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top-five in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet with a time of 25.300 and a speed of 142.292 mph.

    Kyle Larson will start his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in sixth while Erik Jones, filling in for the suspended Matt Kenseth, in the No. 20 JGR Toyota, will begin the race in seventh place. Kevin Harvick, who has won the last four consecutive races at Phoenix,  qualified in the eighth position with his SHR No. 4 Chevrolet. Kasey Kahne will start his No. 5 HMS Chevrolet in ninth and Kyle Busch rounds out the top-10 in his No. 18 JGR Toyota.

    Of the remaining Chase-eligible drivers, Jeff Gordon will start in 11th, Joey Logano in 14th and Brad Keselowski, who qualified in 18th, will be the lowest starting Chase driver.

    Forty-three cars were entered, so nobody was sent home.

    Complete Starting Lineup:

    Position Car No. Driver Make Speed
    1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 143.158
    2 41 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 142.88
    3 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Chevrolet 142.58
    4 19 Carl Edwards Toyota 142.501
    5 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Chevrolet 142.292
    6 42 Kyle Larson Chevrolet 142.287
    7 20 Erik Jones Toyota 142.219
    8 4 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 142.068
    9 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 142.062
    10 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 141.833
    11 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 141.409
    12 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 141.409
    13 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 141.665
    14 22 Joey Logano Ford 141.649
    15 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 141.393
    16 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 141.343
    17 43 Aric Almirola Ford 141.282
    18 2 Brad Keselowski Ford 141.271
    19 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Ford 140.944
    20 16 Greg Biffle Ford 140.691
    21 10 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 140.378
    22 31 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 140.28
    23 47 A.J. Allmendinger Chevrolet 140.252
    24 13 Casey Mears Chevrolet 139.735
    25 51 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 139.492
    26 6 Trevor Bayne Ford 139.459
    27 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 139.265
    28 9 Sam Hornish, Jr. Ford 139.114
    29 55 David Ragan Toyota 138.91
    30 83 Matt DiBenedetto Toyota 138.9
    31 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 138.739
    32 40 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 138.212
    33 26 J.J. Yeley Toyota 138.164
    34 38 David Gilliland Ford 137.878
    35 7 Alex Bowman Chevrolet 137.868
    36 46 Michael Annett Chevrolet 137.799
    37 23 Jeb Burton Toyota 136.997
    38 35 Cole Whitt Ford 136.82
    39 32 Joey Gase Ford 136.747
    40 34 Brett Moffitt Ford 136.462
    41 98 Ryan Preece Ford 135.486
    42 33 Ryan Ellis Chevrolet 134.71
    43 62 Timmy Hill Chevrolet 131.507

     

  • Johnson Leads First Practice at Phoenix

    Johnson Leads First Practice at Phoenix

    Jimmie Johnson topped the charts Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.  The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 25.383 and a speed of 141.827 mph.

    Kyle Larson was second in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 25.391 and a speed of 141.783 mph followed by Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kurt Busch who was third in his No. 41 Chevrolet with a speed of 141.571 mph. Carl Edwards was fourth in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a speed of 141.448 mph while Jamie McMurray rounded out the top-five in his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a lap time of 25.475 and a speed of 141.315 mph.

    Kevin Harvick was sixth in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, Kasey Kahne was seventh in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Martin Truex Jr. was eighth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was ninth in his No. 88 HMS Chevrolet and Kyle Busch rounded out the top-10 in his No. 18 JGR Toyota.

    Joey Logano finished 11th. Brad Keselowski finished 17th. Jeff Gordon was the lowest-finishing Chase driver in 25th.

    The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, however, topped the chart with the best 10 consecutive lap average at 136.389 mph.

    The Sprint Cup cars are back on track later for qualifying at 6:45 p.m.

    NSCS Practice 1
    Phoenix International Raceway
    28th Annual Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, November 13, 2015 @ 01:27 PM US

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
    1 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet 25.383 141.827 11 14 —.— —.—
    2 42 Kyle Larson Target Camo Chevrolet 25.391 141.783 19 19 -0.008 -0.008
    3 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 25.429 141.571 23 23 -0.046 -0.038
    4 19 Carl Edwards Stanley Toyota 25.451 141.448 29 29 -0.068 -0.022
    5 1 Jamie McMurray Sherwin Williams Chevrolet 25.475 141.315 10 16 -0.092 -0.024
    6 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet 25.523 141.049 15 18 -0.140 -0.048
    7 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet 25.541 140.950 18 22 -0.158 -0.018
    8 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 25.559 140.851 7 14 -0.176 -0.018
    9 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet 25.570 140.790 12 12 -0.187 -0.011
    10 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Crispy Toyota 25.576 140.757 37 38 -0.193 -0.006
    11 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Ford 25.595 140.652 23 29 -0.212 -0.019
    12 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Cargill Ford 25.608 140.581 25 28 -0.225 -0.013
    13 3 Austin Dillon Bad Boy Buggies/Realtree Chevrolet 25.610 140.570 22 23 -0.227 -0.002
    14 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 25.613 140.554 23 23 -0.230 -0.003
    15 47 AJ Allmendinger Fry’s/Clorox Chevrolet 25.641 140.400 19 22 -0.258 -0.028
    16 11 Denny Hamlin FedEd Express Toyota 25.646 140.373 24 24 -0.263 -0.005
    17 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 25.661 140.291 2 14 -0.278 -0.015
    18 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 25.667 140.258 25 25 -0.284 -0.006
    19 20 Erik Jones(i) Dollar General Toyota 25.668 140.252 25 25 -0.285 -0.001
    20 16 Greg Biffle Jardiance Ford 25.680 140.187 20 20 -0.297 -0.012
    21 27 Paul Menard Duracell/Menards Chevrolet 25.703 140.061 17 20 -0.320 -0.023
    22 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Global Mining Chevrolet 25.744 139.838 21 21 -0.361 -0.041
    23 14 Tony Stewart Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 25.754 139.784 34 38 -0.371 -0.010
    24 13 Casey Mears GEICO Military Chevrolet 25.774 139.676 27 27 -0.391 -0.020
    25 24 Jeff Gordon Pepsi Chevrolet 25.785 139.616 21 27 -0.402 -0.011
    26 43 Aric Almirola United States Air Force Ford 25.796 139.557 22 23 -0.413 -0.011
    27 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota 25.884 139.082 21 21 -0.501 -0.088
    28 55 David Ragan Aaron’s Online Dream Machine Toyota 25.909 138.948 25 26 -0.526 -0.025
    29 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Go Bowling/G1GABLAST Ford 25.921 138.884 22 27 -0.538 -0.012
    30 83 Matt DiBenedetto # VooDoo Barbeque Toyota 25.997 138.478 12 13 -0.614 -0.076
    31 40 Landon Cassill(i) Interstate Moving Services Chevrolet 26.027 138.318 30 31 -0.644 -0.030
    32 34 Brett Moffitt # Dockside Ford 26.029 138.307 26 30 -0.646 -0.002
    33 7 Alex Bowman Nikko RC/Toy State Chevrolet 26.094 137.963 21 23 -0.711 -0.065
    34 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 26.129 137.778 12 16 -0.746 -0.035
    35 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stops Ford 26.192 137.447 17 18 -0.809 -0.063
    36 26 JJ Yeley(i) Maxim Toyota 26.212 137.342 22 25 -0.829 -0.020
    37 35 Cole Whitt Ford 26.244 137.174 14 22 -0.861 -0.032
    38 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 26.312 136.820 20 24 -0.929 -0.068
    39 23 Jeb Burton # Dr Pepper Toyota 26.431 136.204 32 33 -1.048 -0.119
    40 98 Ryan Preece Xyience Ford 26.499 135.854 23 23 -1.116 -0.068
    41 33 Ryan Ellis(i) Science Logic Chevrolet 26.771 134.474 31 31 -1.388 -0.272
    42 32 Joey Gase(i) R Factor 2 Ford 26.977 133.447 19 19 -1.594 -0.206
    43 62 Timmy Hill(i) Prairie Auto Credit/Financial Concepts Chevrolet 27.614 130.369 11 16 -2.231 -0.637
    *Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

    Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
    Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
    1 24 Jeff Gordon 4 13 136.389
    2 14 Tony Stewart 2 11 135.959
    3 18 Kyle Busch 2 11 135.809
    4 15 Clint Bowyer 1 10 134.809
    5 46 Michael Annett 1 10 132.747
    6 98 Ryan Preece 11 20 131.079

    Note: Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.

  • Phoenix Clinch Scenarios – By the Numbers

    Phoenix Clinch Scenarios – By the Numbers

    The Sprint Cup Series travels to Phoenix International Raceway this Sunday to compete in the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500, the final race of the Eliminator Round. After the completion of this event, only four drivers will remain standing. The final four will travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 22 for the final battle of the Chase to determine the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.

    Clinch scenarios for Phoenix – Regardless of the finish of any other drivers:

    1) Jeff Gordon is the only driver that has clinched a spot in the Championship 4 after his win at Martinsville Speedway. He has two wins, three poles and 12 top-five finishes at Phoenix with a third-best driver rating of 100.5.

    2) Kyle Busch (+11 points above the cutoff line) can secure his berth with a finish of third or better; fourth and at least one lap led, or fifth and most laps led. His stats at Phoenix include one win, two poles, three top fives, 12 top 10s and a driver rating of 96.6 (sixth-best).

    3) Kevin Harvick (+10) needs to finish second or better; third and at least one lap led; or fourth and most laps led. Harvick will attempt to claim his fifth straight checkered flag at the one-mile track. If successful, he will join the elite company of NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (7 consecutive wins at Richmond) and Darrell Waltrip (Bristol-7 and North Wilkesboro-5) as the only drivers to win at least five straight races at a single track.

    4) Martin Truex Jr. (+7) can control his destiny with a win at Phoenix. Truex’s past performance at Phoenix ranks him at the bottom of the eight contenders, but he is experiencing the best season of his career. If he can continue the trend and advance to the championship round, his stats indicate that he is one of the best at Homestead. He has three top fives, seven top 10s and has led 108 laps in 10 starts with the second-highest driver rating of 106.6.

    5) Carl Edwards (-7 below the cutoff line) is another driver that can control his destiny with a win at Phoenix. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s and has won three pole awards in 22 starts at Phoenix. Edwards is coming off a top-five finish at Texas Motor Speedway.

    6) Brad Keselowski (-19) needs a win at Phoenix to control his destiny. He did everything right at Texas, posting a 145.0 driver rating, the highest rating a driver can achieve without winning a race.  But he came up short and finished runner-up to non-Chaser Jimmie Johnson. Keselowski has four top fives, six top 10s and one pole at Phoenix with a best finish of third in March 2014. .

    7) Kurt Busch (-28) can also take control of his destiny with a win at Phoenix. He finished fifth at Phoenix in March, has one win (2005), six top fives and 14 top 10s at this track. This is his best season since 2009 but in all likelihood, only a win will secure Busch a berth in the championship round.

    8) Joey Logano (-63) can ONLY advance to the Championship 4 with a victory at Phoenix. He has never won at Phoenix, but this has been a year of firsts for Logano,   claiming victories at four tracks this season where he had never won before, Daytona, Watkins Glen, Charlotte and Talladega. With a driver rating of 87.6, 14th best, Logano cannot afford any mistakes at Phoenix.

    Tune in Sunday for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET to watch the action unfold and discover who will join Jeff Gordon as four drivers advance to fight for the Sprint Cup Championship at Homestead Nov. 22.

     

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Phoenix

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Phoenix

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series head to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. The on-track action for the Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series will be televised on NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra, as indicated below. FS1 will broadcast events for the Camping World Truck Series.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, Nov. 12:

    On Track:

    4:30–6:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice

    Press Conferences: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    2 p.m.: Daniel Suarez

    TV Schedule- Additional NASCAR Coverage:

    6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub – FS1
    7 p.m.: NASCAR America Live – NBCSN

    Friday, Nov. 13:

    On Track:

    12:45 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Qualifying – FS1
    2-3:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    3:30-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    5-6:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    6:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
    8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 (150 laps, 150 miles) – FS1 (Green flag 8:48 p.m. approx.)

    GarageCam: (Watch live)

    1:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series
    3 p.m.: XFINITY Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    Noon: Rico Abreu
    12:30 p.m.: Joey Logano
    12:45 p.m.: Kurt Busch
    1 p.m.: Kevin Harvick
    3:30 p.m.: Carl Edwards
    4:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    4:45 p.m.: Track 2016 Title Sponsor Announcement
    7:45 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Qualifying
    10:15 p.m.: Post-Camping World Truck Series Race

    TV Schedule- Additional NASCAR Coverage:

    4:30 p.m.: NASCAR America Live –NBCSN
    8 p.m.: NCWTS Setup – FS1

    Saturday, Nov. 14:

    On Track:

    11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    12:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
    2:30-3:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    4 p.m.: XFINITY Series DAV 200 Honoring America’s Veterans (200 laps, 200 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra (Green flag 4:16 p.m. approx.)

    Press Conferences: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    5:45 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race

    TV Schedule- Additional NASCAR Coverage:

    2 p.m.: NASCAR America Live –NBCSN
    3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green – NBC

    Sunday, Nov. 15:

    On Track:

    2:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 (312 laps, 312 miles) – NBC/Live Extra (Green flag 2:45 p.m. approx.)

    Press Conferences: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    5:45 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Race

    TV Schedule- Additional NASCAR Coverage:

    11:30 a.m.: NASCAR RaceDay – FS1
    1:30 p.m.: NASCAR America Sunday – NBCSN
    2 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Countdown to Green – NBC
    6 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race – NBCSN
    6:30 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN
    Midnight: NASCAR Victory Lane – FS1

     

  • Preview – Phoenix Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500

    Preview – Phoenix Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500

    It’s time to make one final trek out west to race in the Valley of the Sun.

    This week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its last trip out west until March to run the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. It will be the 35th race of the season, ninth of the Chase and the final race of the Eliminator Round.

    Phoenix International Raceway will honor Jeff Gordon by renaming the track Jeff Gordon Raceway for the Sprint Cup Series race. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images)
    Phoenix International Raceway renamed Jeff Gordon Raceway for Nov. 15 Sprint Cup race – Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images

    Phoenix International Raceway, being renamed Jeff Gordon Raceway for the Nov. 15 Sprint Cup race, wins the Oscar for the best gift to Jeff Gordon, hands down. The one mile (1.6 km) tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Ariz. opened in 1964 and has been home to NASCAR since 1988 when Alan Kulwicki scored his first of nine career Sprint Cup victories.

    In 1995, the track played host to the first ever Truck Series event. That was won by Mike Skinner.

    Reconfiguring the dogleg allows drivers to short cut the turn. Christian Petersen/Getty Images
    Reconfiguring the dogleg allows drivers to short cut the turn – Christian Petersen/Getty Images

    When I came into this sport, the outside wall past the exit of Turn 2 was separated from the rest of the wall. It was similar to the opening on the inside retaining walls that allow emergency vehicles to enter the track when needed. The reason for this was because that’s where the old road course merged with the oval and that was how the haulers previously entered the track.

    In 2003, the opening in the wall was closed and an access tunnel was built under Turn 4. This is how the haulers enter the facility today.

    In 2011, the track was repaved and reconfigured. The changes included widening the front stretch by 62 feet (19 m), changing the pit stalls from asphalt to concrete and moving the dogleg out by 95 feet (29 m). This has led to drivers “cutting” the dogleg by hitting the apron.

    Phoenix has become Kevin Harvick's playground. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
    Phoenix has become Kevin Harvick’s playground – Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

    This is the part of my review that brings us to who you should watch this weekend.

    Not surprisingly, the odds on favorite at 9/4 is Kevin Michael Harvick (Vegas Insider). In his 25 career starts, he won seven races (the most of any driver plus the most wins he has at any track), 10 top-fives (40 percent), 14 top-10s (56 percent), an average finish of 11th and led over one-thousand laps (1,202).

    Since 2012, he’s finished second, first, 13th, first, first, first and first. That’s a 2.7 average finish in the last three years.

    In those seven races, he’s led 80, 15, zero, 70, 224, 264 and 224 laps. That’s an average of 126 laps led.

    I just can’t pick against the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet this weekend. I expect him to dominate, win the race and pack his bags for Homestead.

    Brad Keselowski looks to make the championship race with a strong run in Phoenix. Photo Credit: Barry Albert
    Brad Keselowski looks to make championship race with strong run in Phoenix – Photo by Barry Albert

    Next up at 5/1 is Brad Keselowski. His stats in the Arizona Desert are fair. In 12 starts, he’s amassed four top-fives, 33.3 percent, and six top-10 finishes (50 percent).

    His best runs have been in the last three years beginning with his championship run in 2012. In the last seven races, he’s finished fifth, six, fourth, 11th, third, fourth and sixth. That’s a 5.6 average finish.

    In the last seven races, he’s led three, 10, 16, 27, three, zero and 52 laps.

    I just can’t picture a scenario in which Keselowski upsets the heavyweight favorite Harvick.

    Only a win will get Joey Logano back to the championship race. Christian Petersen/Getty Images
    Only a win will get Joey Logano back to the championship race – Christian Petersen/Getty Images

    At 6/1 is Joseph Thomas Logano. Trailing the fourth-place Chase cutoff by 63-points, racing his way in isn’t an option. Only a win moves the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford into the championship race at Homestead.

    In 13 career starts, he’s had two top-fives, 15.4 percent, and seven top-10 finishes (53.8 percent).

    His best runs naturally have come in his time driving for Roger Penske. In the last five races, he’s finished 26th, ninth, fourth, sixth and eighth. That’s a 10.6 average finish.

    In those five starts, he’s led zero, 33, 71, 17 and 35 laps. That’s an average of 31 laps led.

    While I wouldn’t doubt his ability to run up front Sunday, like his teammate, I can’t envision him upsetting Harvick. I think Logano comes up short and his team begins making their plans for the 2016 Daytona 500.

    Kyle Busch sits in the safe zone, but only by a small margin - Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
    Kyle Busch sits in the safe zone, but only by a small margin – Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

    The last driver to watch at 8/1 is Kyle Thomas Busch. He currently sits second in the points with a four-point margin over the Chase cutoff.

    In 20 career starts, he has one win, three top-fives, 15 percent, and 12 top-10 finishes (60 percent).

    In his last six starts (he missed March due to his leg injury), he’s finished sixth, third, 23rd, seventh, ninth and 34th. That’s a 13.7 average finish.

    Busch doesn’t have to win to advance to Homestead. He clinches with a finish of third or better, fourth if he leads at least a lap or fifth if he leads the most laps. Given Harvick’s dominance of Phoenix, the last one isn’t likely but I could see him getting up front for one lap.

    I expect to see one hell of a 312 lap race at Jeff Gordon Raceway. Tune into the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Sunday at 2 p.m. on NBC.

    You can also hear the radio broadcast on MRN and Sirius XM (subscription required). Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and 1998 race winner Rusty Wallace will be in the booth. Dan Hubbard will work Turns 1 and 2. Buddy Long will work Turns 3 and 4. Woody Cain, Alex Hayden, Glenn Jarrett and Kyle Rickey will work pit road. The lineup is always subject to change.

  • Johnson Fires the Six Shooters Deep in the Heart of Texas

    Johnson Fires the Six Shooters Deep in the Heart of Texas

    Jimmie Johnson denied Brad Keselowski a date with immortality by stealing the victory in Texas on Sunday.

    The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet led only six laps on his way to scoring his 75th career victory, fifth win of the season and sixth at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Johnson said that he “just kept pressure on him (Keselowski). I could see that he was really tight and that was the first I had seen him that vulnerable all day. I just kept the pressure on him, kept searching for line. He saw me coming on the top and protected it. I just kept trying to put pressure on him hoping for a mistake. He got real loose off of Turn 2 and I had a big run down the backstretch and drove it in really far into Turn 3 hoping to hear clear. Once I did I knew I was home free.”

    The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford led 312 of the 334 laps on his way to getting passed for the win and finishing runner-up.

    “The 48 car had mega turn that last run and I couldn’t keep the turn and it kept pushing real bad. I did everything I could to hold him off, but he was way faster that last run. Their team did a hell of a job and found speed and my team did a hell of a job too. We led 300-some laps and these debris yellows always favor someone and it wasn’t our day for them to favor us. I am still very proud of our effort today. We will have a great shot at winning next week. We really needed to win this one and I know I gave it my all,” said Keselowski.

    Kevin Harvick led 11 circuits on his way to rounding out the podium in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. Kyle Busch led one lap and finished his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in fourth. Carl Edwards rounded out the top-five in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished sixth followed by Kurt Busch in seventh. Martin Truex Jr. finished eighth, Jeff Gordon finished ninth and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top-10.

    Joey Logano was the only Chase driver outside the top-10. A flat tire 11 laps into the race relegated him to a 40th-place finish.

    Jeff Gordon leaves Texas with a two-point lead over Kyle Busch. Harvick leaves in third place, three points behind the leader. Martin Truex Jr. leaves Texas in fourth, six points back. Carl Edwards is fifth in the standings, 13-points back. Keselowski leaves in sixth place, 25 points behind Gordon. Kurt Busch is seventh (-34) and Logano leaves at the bottom of the title contender  rankings, 69 points back.

    Now mathematically unable to race his way in next week, the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford must win at Phoenix in order to race for the championship at Homestead.

    “Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. We will be ready for Phoenix. This team is strong, Logano said.

     

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – AAA Texas 500
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Fort Worth, Texas
    Sunday, November 08, 2015

        1. (8) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 334, $462976.

        2. (1) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 334, $394391.

        3. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 334, $280475.

        4. (3) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 334, $242766.

        5. (13) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 334, $170575.

        6. (10) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 334, $171240.

        7. (7) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 334, $157615.

        8. (23) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 334, $160910.

        9. (18) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 334, $172351.

        10. (27) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 334, $158556.

        11. (26) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 334, $156576.

        12. (6) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 334, $153326.

        13. (20) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 334, $120440.

        14. (21) Brian Scott(i), Chevrolet, 334, $127748.

        15. (14) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 334, $142973.

        16. (11) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 334, $116140.

        17. (30) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 334, $137398.

        18. (24) Aric Almirola, Ford, 334, $143526.

        19. (12) Greg Biffle, Ford, 333, $137148.

        20. (16) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 333, $120765.

        21. (28) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 333, $113540.

        22. (19) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 333, $137240.

        23. (15) David Ragan, Toyota, 333, $132079.

        24. (32) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 332, $130910.

        25. (36) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 331, $104265.

        26. (17) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 330, $126123.

        27. (39) Cole Whitt, Ford, 330, $115398.

        28. (43) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 330, $120587.

        29. (41) David Gilliland, Ford, 329, $108340.

        30. (35) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 329, $103130.

        31. (37) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 329, $99915.

        32. (40) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 329, $99690.

        33. (34) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 329, $99473.

        34. (33) Michael McDowell, Ford, 328, $99240.

        35. (38) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 328, $99040.

        36. (42) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 326, $98810.

        37. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Accident, 304, $126510.

        38. (9) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 304, $111852.

        39. (29) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 296, $134355.

        40. (4) Joey Logano, Ford, 268, $132988.

        41. (31) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Engine, 236, $81780.

        42. (22) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, Accident, 52, $104994.

        43. (25) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, Accident, 26, $74280.

  • Jimmie Johnson Sweeps Texas Races, Denies Keselowski

    Jimmie Johnson Sweeps Texas Races, Denies Keselowski

    By Reid Spencer

    FORT WORTH, Texas—For Jimmie Johnson, it was business as usual in Cowtown.

    On Sunday, the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion completed a sweep of this year’s Texas Motor Speedway races, powering past hapless Brad Keselowski with three laps left to win the AAA Texas 500 for the fourth straight year.

    Johnson kept his record perfect, winning a race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the 12th consecutive season. His fifth victory of the year was also his record sixth at Texas—including the last three in a row—and the 75th of his career, leaving him one win behind Dale Earnhardt, who is seventh on the all-time list.

    Johnson, who led six laps, harried Keselowski throughout the final 18-lap green-flag run, finally getting a decisive run on Lap 331.

    “I just kept pressure on him,” said Johnson, who was eliminated from the Chase in the opening round. “I could see that he was really tight, and that was the first I had seen him that vulnerable all day. I just kept the pressure on him, kept searching for line. He saw me coming on the top and protected it.

    “I just kept trying to put pressure on him, hoping for a mistake. He got real loose off of Turn 2, and I had a big run down the backstretch and drove it in really far into Turn 3 hoping to hear ‘Clear’ (from his spotter). Once I did, I knew I was home free.”

    For Team Penske, on the other hand, Sunday’s race could be more aptly named the Heartbreak 500. Needing a victory at Texas or Phoenix after last Sunday’s Martinsville crash at the hands of Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano courted catastrophe on Lap 9, blowing a left rear tire and destroying the left rear quarter panel of his No. 22 Ford.

    Logano finished 40th, 68 laps down, and remained last among the final eight eligible Chase drivers heading to the final Eliminator Round race at Phoenix, where he must win next Sunday to advance to the Championship Round.

    Fate waited much longer to undo the winning chances of Keselowski, who led 312 of 334 laps but finished in the runner-up spot, 1.083 seconds behind Johnson.

    Keselowski held a two-second lead over Martin Truex Jr. when NASCAR called a debris caution with 24 laps left. Those two drivers rubbed fenders soon after a restart on Lap 317, with Keselowski holding the top spot until Johnson passed him for the win through Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 331 of 334.

    “The 48 (Johnson) car had mega turn (through the corners) that last run, and I couldn’t keep the turn, and it kept pushing real bad,” Keselowski said. “I did everything I could to hold him off, but he was way faster that last run.

    “Their team did a hell of a job and found speed, and my team did a hell of a job, too. We led 300-some laps, and these debris yellows always favor someone, and it wasn’t our day for them to favor us. I’m still very proud of our effort today. We’ll have a great shot at winning next week. We really needed to win this one, and I know I gave it my all.”

    Kevin Harvick ran third, overcoming two cut tires and a shifter he had to hold in place with his right hand to prevent the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet from popping out of gear. The reigning series champion is third in the standings heading to Phoenix, where he has won seven times, including the last four straight.

    Kyle Busch finished fourth and moved into sole possession of second in the Chase standings, two points behind Jeff Gordon, who punched his ticket to the Nov. 22 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway with last Sunday’s victory at Martinsville.

    Carl Edwards came home fifth, the same position he occupies in the standings, seven points behind Truex in fourth, currently the last transfer position into the Championship Round. After the contact with Keselowski’s Ford, Truex dropped from second to eighth in the closing laps.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – AAA Texas 500
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Fort Worth, Texas
    Sunday, November 08, 2015

        1. (8) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 334, $462976.

        2. (1) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 334, $394391.

        3. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 334, $280475.

        4. (3) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 334, $242766.

        5. (13) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 334, $170575.

        6. (10) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 334, $171240.

        7. (7) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 334, $157615.

        8. (23) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 334, $160910.

        9. (18) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 334, $172351.

        10. (27) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 334, $158556.

        11. (26) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 334, $156576.

        12. (6) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 334, $153326.

        13. (20) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 334, $120440.

        14. (21) Brian Scott(i), Chevrolet, 334, $127748.

        15. (14) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 334, $142973.

        16. (11) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 334, $116140.

        17. (30) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 334, $137398.

        18. (24) Aric Almirola, Ford, 334, $143526.

        19. (12) Greg Biffle, Ford, 333, $137148.

        20. (16) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 333, $120765.

        21. (28) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 333, $113540.

        22. (19) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 333, $137240.

        23. (15) David Ragan, Toyota, 333, $132079.

        24. (32) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 332, $130910.

        25. (36) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 331, $104265.

        26. (17) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 330, $126123.

        27. (39) Cole Whitt, Ford, 330, $115398.

        28. (43) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 330, $120587.

        29. (41) David Gilliland, Ford, 329, $108340.

        30. (35) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 329, $103130.

        31. (37) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 329, $99915.

        32. (40) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 329, $99690.

        33. (34) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 329, $99473.

        34. (33) Michael McDowell, Ford, 328, $99240.

        35. (38) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 328, $99040.

        36. (42) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 326, $98810.

        37. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Accident, 304, $126510.

        38. (9) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 304, $111852.

        39. (29) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 296, $134355.

        40. (4) Joey Logano, Ford, 268, $132988.

        41. (31) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Engine, 236, $81780.

        42. (22) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, Accident, 52, $104994.

        43. (25) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, Accident, 26, $74280.

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  137.49 mph.
    Time of Race:  03 Hrs, 38 Mins, 38 Secs. Margin of Victory:  1.082 Seconds.
    Caution Flags:  9 for 47 laps.
    Lead Changes:  15 among 8 drivers.
    Lap Leaders:   B. Keselowski 1-17; K. Harvick 18-26; M. DiBenedetto # 27; B. Keselowski 28-41; Kyle Busch 42; B. Keselowski 43-53; D. Gilliland 54; J. Yeley(i) 55; B. Keselowski 56-251; J. Johnson 252-253; B. Keselowski 254-297; K. Harvick 298-299; B. Keselowski 300-316; M. Truex Jr. 317; B. Keselowski 318-330; J. Johnson 331-334.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  B. Keselowski 7 times for 312 laps; K. Harvick 2 times for 11 laps; J. Johnson 2 times for 6 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 1 lap; M. DiBenedetto # 1 time for 1 lap; J. Yeley(i) 1 time for 1 lap; D. Gilliland 1 time for 1 lap; Kyle Busch 1 time for 1 lap.
    Top 16 in Points: J. Gordon – 4,082; Kyle Busch – 4,080; K. Harvick – 4,079; M. Truex Jr. – 4,076; C. Edwards – 4,069; B. Keselowski – 4,057; Kurt Busch – 4,048; J. Logano – 4,013; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 2,259; D. Hamlin – 2,257; R. Newman – 2,253; J. Johnson – 2,240; J. Mcmurray – 2,235; P. Menard – 2,208; M. Kenseth – 2,197; C. Bowyer – 2,153.

  • Keselowski Grabs the Pole at Texas

    Keselowski Grabs the Pole at Texas

    Brad Keselowski will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday. The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford won the pole with a time of 27.421 and a speed of 196.929 mph.

    Keselowski said that his “Wurth Ford Fusion has been really good since we unloaded. Very similar to where we were at Kansas, really fast in practice and really fast in qualifying. But we just need that to say with us in the race and we didn’t get that in Kansas.” He also joked that he’s glad to “have the first pit stall and we get to keep it this time. We are really excited about the race Sunday.”

    Kevin Harvick was second with a time of 27.552 and a speed of 195.993 mph.

    Harvick said that he practically “ran the same speed in all three rounds there. Didn’t quite have the raw speed in the first round, but this is a racetrack where you want the car to keep going as long as you can. Felt like we had a good start to our race trim practice today and going to have a good spot to start on Sunday.”

    Kyle Busch was third with a time of 27.591 and a speed of 195.716 mph.

    He said that while he doesn’t “need to win, we would love to win. I feel like this is a good opportunity for us to have a really good day and for us to score a victory. We come to every race trying to win and this one’s no different. I hope that Texas will bode well for us and we can score that win. If not, a solid top-five finish is exactly what we need. That’s where we need to be at the end of the day and carry on that momentum and go into Phoenix and hope for another solid day there.”

    Joey Logano qualified fourth with a time of 27.633 and a speed of 195.419 mph. Kyle Larson rounded out the top-five with a time of 27.644 and a speed of 195.341 mph.

    Erik Jones, driving in place of the suspended Matt Kenseth, will make his second career Sprint Cup Series start from the sixth starting position.

    Jones said that his qualifying run was “a really good effort for us. We made the final round at Kansas as well so it’s cool to make the final round in both our starts. We’ll see where it goes from here, obviously we’ve got a long ways to go yet for Sunday, 500 miles. This definitely helps everybody’s confidence a little bit for that.”

    Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top-10.

    Carl Edwards qualified 13th followed by Jeff Gordon, who locked himself into the championship race at Homestead with a win last Sunday at Martinsville, qualified 18th. Martin Truex Jr. was the lowest qualifying Chase driver in 23rd.

    Joey Gase and Reed Sorenson failed to qualify for the race.

    Complete Starting Lineup for the AAA Texas 500:

    1. Brad Keselowski
    2. Kevin Harvick
    3. Kyle Busch
    4. Joey Logano
    5. Kyle Larson
    6. Erik Jones
    7. Kurt Busch
    8. Jimmie Johnson
    9. Denny Hamlin
    10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    11. Danica Patrick
    12. Greg Biffle
    13. Carl Edwards
    14. Clint Bowyer
    15. David Ragan
    16. Kasey Kahne
    17. Casey Mears
    18. Jeff Gordon
    19. Ryan Newman
    20. Paul Menard
    21. Brian Scott
    22. Tony Stewart
    23. Martin Truex Jr.
    24. Aric Almirola
    25. Ryan Blaney
    26. Austin Dillon
    27. Jamie McMurray
    28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    29. Trevor Bayne
    30. AJ Allmendinger
    31. Alex Bowman
    32. Sam Hornish Jr.
    33. Michael McDowell
    34. JJ Yeley
    35. Brett Moffitt
    36. Landon Cassill
    37. Michael Annett
    38. Matt DiBenedetto
    39. Cole Whitt
    40. Jeb Burton
    41. David Gilliland
    42. Ryan Preece
    43. Justin Allgaier