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  • Harvick picks up big win in “AAA 400,” advances in Chase

    Harvick picks up big win in “AAA 400,” advances in Chase

    By Brian Citino

    DOVER, Del. (Oct. 4, 2015) — The most consistent driver throughout the first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season came to Dover International Speedway with his whole season hanging in the balance.

    Essentially, 2014 Series champion Kevin Harvick needed to win or his hopes at being a repeat champion would be over. Twenty-three points behind the 12-driver cutoff heading into Sunday’s “AAA 400” Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup elimination race, a win was about all that would guarantee his trip to the Contender Round.

    Add to the fact that Harvick was 0 for 29 at the Monster Mile entering Sunday’s race, with a pedestrian four top-five finishes and an average finish of 14.7 at the track, and a win seemed even more unlikely.

    It’s fitting that Harvick has carried the nickname of “The Closer” for so many years, though, because not only did he win at the Monster Mile, he dominated.

    “It was business as usual for our team today,” Harvick said. “I’m really proud of my group for getting the last little bit out of everything they could today.”

    Starting 15th, Harvick proceeded to lead 355 laps total, including the final 43, showing the NASCAR world why he’s been its top driver for almost two years.

    Following disappointing finishes in the first two races of the Chase, the pressure was on Harvick and his team to perform. However, he said that didn’t change anything for his guys coming to Dover.

    “I don’t really believe that we did anything different,” he said. “The circumstances today were straight forward. It’s just the nature of this team and what they do. The character is deep and they all believe in each other.”

    Harvick insisted after the race that he didn’t feel any pressure headed into the weekend, even with the must-win circumstances. Drawing back on his experiences late last season that saw him win to stay alive entering the season finale, and then walk-off win the championship, Sunday’s situation was one he has faced before.

    But while he doesn’t like to be in a position such as the one he was in at Dover, Harvick did say these moments are something he rather enjoys.

    “The payoff you get in these situations is the rush that you get out of it,” he said. “Those moments are something that are a lot of fun to be a part of.”

    Coming into the race, it was the Joe Gibbs Racing cars that had been the class of the field for the past two months. But Harvick served notice that his team is just as strong as any, and the No. 4 Chevrolet squad is again the team to beat.

    Rodney Childers, crew chief for Harvick’s team, said in recent weeks the Gibbs teams have had a little something extra, but that didn’t discourage his group.

    “I think we’ve been at a little bit of a disadvantage,” Childers said. “I’m not sure what those guys have. We’ve got a good race team though. We’ve been through situations like this before, but we’ve got a good race team and good cars.”

    Kyle Busch, also on the outside of the cutoff bubble looking in, finished second to advance to the next round, noting that despite running up front all day, his team just didn’t have enough for the No. 4, even after a late pit stop that saw him take four tires to Harvick’s two.

    “It was a pretty good race for us and we finished where I thought we deserved to be,” Busch said. “For as fast as Kevin was today, I don’t know if I could have had eight tires and beaten him.”

    In addition to Harvick and Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon advanced to the next round. Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard were eliminated.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Dover and Las Vegas – Updated

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Dover and Las Vegas – Updated

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series will compete this weekend at Dover International Speedway while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races will be televised on NBC Sports Live Extra. Events for the Camping World Truck Series can be seen on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.

    All times are Eastern. Please note that all times are subject to change due to weather conditions.

    Friday, Oct. 2:

    On Track – Dover:

    11 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)
    1:30-3:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)
    3:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER) (Lineup)

    GarageCam: (Watch live)

    10:30 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)
    1 p.m.: XFINITY Series (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)

    Press Conferences – Dover: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    9:45 a.m.: Joey Logano
    10 a.m.: JRM/One Main Financial announcement
    10:15 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
    10:30 a.m.: Kyle Busch
    12 p.m.: Matt Kenseth
    12:25 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
    1:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon

    Saturday, Oct. 3:

    On Track – Dover:

    8:35-9:20 a.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – CNBC/Live Extra (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)
    11:30-12:15 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    12:15 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra  – CANCELED –(Lineup)
    2-2:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Hisense 200 (200 laps, 200 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

    Press Conferences – Dover: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    5:15 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race

    On Track – Las Vegas:

    Noon-2:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS2
    7:05 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS2
    10 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Rhino Linings 350 (146 laps, 219 miles) – FS1

    Sunday, Oct. 4:

    On Track – Dover:

    2:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 (400 laps, 400 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra 

    Press Conferences – Dover: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

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

     

  • Fuel Shortage Puts Harvick in Dire Straits, Kenseth in Victory Lane

    Fuel Shortage Puts Harvick in Dire Straits, Kenseth in Victory Lane

    Reid Spencer

    LOUDON, N.H. – Kevin Harvick clarified his championship status on Sunday—but not the way he had planned.

    After dominating the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for most of the afternoon, Harvick ran out of fuel while leading on Lap 298 of 300, handing the top spot and the victory to Matt Kenseth, who joined teammate Denny Hamlin as an automatic qualifier for the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    Despite leading 216 laps on Sunday, Harvick, the defending series champion, heads to next Sunday’s Chase race at Dover almost certainly needing a victory at a track where he has never won in order to escape the Challenger Round of the Chase and keep his title hopes alive.

    Kenseth, who came to pit road for fuel and tires on Lap 239, triumphed for the fifth time this season (tops in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series), for the second time at the Magic Mile and for the 36th time in his career. He finished 8.941 seconds ahead of Hamlin, who nursed his car to a runner-up finish despite a late-race issue with the right front wheel.

    “It feels great to win here–a lot of great race fans here at New Hampshire,” Kenseth said. “We had a great car today – Kevin definitely had the field covered and (Kenseth’s crew chief) Jason (Ratcliff) did a great job on pit strategy there, and those new tires paid off better than we thought to get up through the field.

    “And I was able to keep the pressure on enough and he came up a little short.”

    The victory was the 13th of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing, which has won 10 of the last 13 Sprint Cup events.

    Joey Logano ran third, followed by Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex Jr. The only non-Chase driver of that group, Biffle posted his third top-five result of the season.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a consistent top-10 car all afternoon, until he, too, ran short of fuel with two laps left and finished 25th. Earnhardt goes to Dover with no margin for error. He’s 12th in the standings, the final position that will survive elimination next Sunday, and just one point ahead of both Kyle Busch and Paul Menard.

    Busch blew a right front tire on Sunday, pounded the Turn 3 wall on Lap 159 and was credited with a 37th-place finish.

    Harvick, who finished 21st and declined comment after the race, came to pit road for the last time on Lap 212 and couldn’t squeeze the last 88 laps at the 1.058-mile track out of his fuel cell. Restarting third on Lap 243 after the ninth and final caution (for Justin Allgaier’s wreck in Turn 3), Harvick passed Biffle for the lead on Lap 252.

    Twenty laps later, Kenseth got past Hamlin for second and tried to pressure Harvick, who left Loudon in 15th place, 23 points behind Earnhardt in 12th.

    “Jason kept saying he (Harvick) was low on fuel, but you never know unless they really run out,” Kenseth said. “I was trying to run hard, but I was trying to save a little bit. I got racing Denny pretty hard, and I wanted to save the tires a little bit, but I also know I needed to get by him to pressure the 4 (Harvick).

    “That was as hard as I could run. I was planning on running up there and trying to pass him. I just couldn’t get there. Kind of resigned to finish second with about four or five (laps) to go there. I couldn’t get much closer, and he ran out with a couple to go.”

    Second to Kenseth in the standings, six points out of the Chase lead, Hamlin also acknowledged JGR’s good fortune on Sunday.

    “Really, I don’t feel like we were dominant today by any means,” Hamlin said. “Yeah, our cars finished 1-2, but I’m not sure that we had 1-2 cars most of the day.

    “So I think we’ve been very fortunate with some strategies and things that we’ve played that’s worked out in our favor. You’ve got to just keep working. That’s the only way you can stay on top is to not rest.”

    Notes: At 2:19 p.m. ET, Jeff Gordon took the green flag at New Hampshire and started his 789th consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, breaking the Iron Man record he shared for a week with Ricky Rudd. … Modified star Ryan Preece finished 32nd in his Sprint Cup debut.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – Sylvania 300
    New Hampshire Motor Speedway
    Loudon, New Hampshire
    Sunday, September 27, 2015

                   1. (13) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 300, $257276.

                   2. (7) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 300, $189525.

                   3. (8) Joey Logano, Ford, 300, $173483.

                   4. (25) Greg Biffle, Ford, 300, $157383.

                   5. (1) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 300, $123850.

                   6. (5) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 300, $147876.

                   7. (10) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 300, $142151.

                   8. (21) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 300, $121210.

                   9. (12) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 300, $107365.

                   10. (9) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 300, $125190.

                   11. (27) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 300, $125129.

                   12. (4) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 300, $135781.

                   13. (14) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 300, $97840.

                   14. (23) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 300, $118606.

                   15. (20) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 300, $95915.

                   16. (33) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 300, $128365.

                   17. (6) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 300, $114623.

                   18. (19) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 300, $112553.

                   19. (3) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 299, $102090.

                   20. (29) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 299, $112735.

                   21. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 299, $143165.

                   22. (16) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 299, $122226.

                   23. (30) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 299, $115823.

                   24. (28) Cole Whitt, Ford, 299, $98923.

                   25. (11) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 299, $100665.

                   26. (26) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 299, $118423.

                   27. (31) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 298, $85415.

                   28. (34) David Gilliland, Ford, 297, $103273.

                   29. (38) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 297, $83340.

                   30. (35) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 297, $93637.

                   31. (40) Josh Wise, Toyota, 297, $79890.

                   32. (37) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 296, $79615.

                   33. (41) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 295, $79390.

                   34. (39) BJ McLeod(i), Chevrolet, 293, $79190.

                   35. (42) Jeffrey Earnhardt(i), Ford, 292, $78990.

                   36. (43) Timmy Hill(i), Ford, 284, $78760.

                   37. (17) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 262, $123533.

                   38. (32) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 242, $73727.

                   39. (24) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, Accident, 236, $77655.

                   40. (22) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, Accident, 203, $73655.

                   41. (18) David Ragan, Toyota, Accident, 203, $88869.

                   42. (36) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Accident, 117, $57655.

                   43. (15) Aric Almirola, Ford, Accident, 35, $91091.

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  106.48 mph.
    Time of Race:  02 Hrs, 58 Mins, 51 Secs. Margin of Victory:  8.941 Seconds.
    Caution Flags:  9 for 41 laps.
    Lead Changes:  16 among 7 drivers.

    Lap Leaders:   C. Edwards 1-19; K. Harvick 20-37; B. Keselowski 38; C. Whitt 39; K. Harvick 40-120; B. Keselowski 121; K. Harvick 122-159; B. Keselowski 160; K. Harvick 161-192; B. Keselowski 193; M. Kenseth 194-210; K. Harvick 211; M. Kenseth 212-218; D. Hamlin 219-239; G. Biffle 240-251; K. Harvick 252-297; M. Kenseth 298-300.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  K. Harvick 6 times for 216 laps; M. Kenseth 3 times for 27 laps; D. Hamlin 1 time for 21 laps; C. Edwards 1 time for 19 laps; G. Biffle 1 time for 12 laps; B. Keselowski 4 times for 4 laps; C. Whitt 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 16 in Points: M. Kenseth – 2,099; D. Hamlin – 2,093; C. Edwards – 2,089; J. Logano – 2,089; J. Johnson – 2,083; R. Newman – 2,074; Kurt Busch – 2,073; B. Keselowski – 2,072; M. Truex Jr. – 2,071; J. Gordon – 2,068; J. Mcmurray – 2,058; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 2,057; Kyle Busch – 2,056; P. Menard – 2,056; K. Harvick – 2,034; C. Bowyer – 2,018.

     

  • Edwards Wins Coors Light Pole Award at Loudon

    Edwards Wins Coors Light Pole Award at Loudon

    By Staff report | NASCAR.com

    LOUDON, N.H. – Posting the fastest lap of Friday’s time trials late in the final round of knockout qualifying at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards knockedKevin Harvick off the pole for Sunday’s Sylvania 300, the second race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup  (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

    Edwards covered the 1.058-mile distance in 27.604 seconds (137.980 mph) to earn his third Coors Light Pole Award of the season, his second at New Hampshire — completing a season sweep of the top starting spot at the Magic Mile — and the 16th of his career.

    “To be honest, that third round surprised me, how fast we were,” said Edwards, who was 11th fastest in the second round. “I think it helped me almost to struggle through the second round, ’cause I thought, ‘Aw, heck with it,’ and I just kind of went for it in the third round.

    “The car has a ton of speed. I hate to admit how poorly I drove it the first and second rounds, but I think it really says a lot about how fast the car is.”

    Needing a victory or an extremely high finish to restore his hopes of repeating as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Harvick (137.845 mph) posted a lap .027 seconds slower than that the pole winner to earn the second-place starting spot.

    “I felt like I probably left those few hundredths of a second not being aggressive enough off the exit of Turn 2, and as good as the car was off of Turn 4,” Harvick said. “Small crumbs. It’s hard to balance that here, because if you push the car too much, you wind up giving up two or three tenths (of a second) instead of two or three hundredths.”

    Harvick, however, declined to address his confrontation with Jimmie Johnson after last Sunday’s Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway. Side-to-side contact with Johnson’s Chevrolet ultimately flattened the left rear tire of Harvick’s No. 4 Chevy, sending him spinning into the Turn 3 wall and relegating him to a 42nd-place finish.

    That result left Harvick last in the 16-driver Chase standings and incensed at the six-time champion. When Johnson approached the reigning champ in the motor coach lot after the race, Harvick responded with a blow to Johnson’s chest, as one of Harvick’s handlers tried to keep the drivers apart.

    Asked whether Johnson might have something to worry about in Sunday’s race, Harvick replied, “I don’t look back. I just do what we have to do to focus on what we need to do looking forward. I’m not going to use you guys (the press) to make threats. I can do that myself.”

    Kurt Busch, Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, qualified third at 137.800 mph, followed by Brad Keselowski (137.671 mph) and Johnson (137.621 mph), as Chase drivers claimed the top five positions on the grid.

    Non-Chaser Kyle Larson was sixth fastest, while Chase drivers Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified seventh through 11th, respectively.

    Other Chase competitors will start as follows: Matt Kenseth, 13th; Kyle Busch, 17th; Paul Menard, 20th; Martin Truex Jr., 21st; Jamie McMurray, 23rd and Clint Bowyer, 26th. Bowyer was the only Chase driver who failed to advance past the first round.

    Travis Kvapil failed to make the 43-car field.

    Click for complete starting lineup:  Qualifying results

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for New Hampshire and Kentucky

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for New Hampshire and Kentucky

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series will race this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway while the XFINITY Series travels to Kentucky Speedway. Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying and races will be televised on NBC Sports Live Extra. Events for the Camping World Truck Series can be seen on FOX Sports 1. Please see the full schedule below.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Sept. 25:

    On Track – New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

    Noon-1:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    1:30-2:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice – FOX Sports 1
    3-4:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FOX Sports 1
    4:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
    GarageCam: (Watch live)

    11:30 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series
    1 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    10:45 a.m.: Joey Logano
    11 a.m.: Cole Custer and John Hunter Nemechek
    11:15 a.m.: Matt Kenseth
    3 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    3:30 p.m.: Ryan Newman
    5:45 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Qualifying

    On Track – Kentucky Speedway:

    3:30-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    6-7:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra

    Saturday, Sept. 26:

    On Track – New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

    9-9:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    10:10 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
    11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice- CNBC/Live Extra
    1 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series UNOH 175 (175 laps, 185.15 miles) – FOX Sports 1

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

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

    On Track – Kentucky Speedway:

    4:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
    8 p.m.: XFINITY Series VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 (200 laps, 300 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

    Sunday, Sept. 27:

    On Track – New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

    2 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 (300 laps, 317.4 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    5:15 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Race

     

    TV Schedule- Additional NASCAR Coverage

    Friday, Sept. 25:

    6 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air) – NBCSN
    7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air) – NBCSN
    2:30 p.m., 1979 Daytona 500 (re-air) – FOX Sports 1

    Saturday, Sept. 26:

    12:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Setup – FOX Sports 1
    6 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air) – NBCSN
    7:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN

    Sunday, Sept. 27:

    11:30 a.m.: NASCAR Race Day – FOX Sports 1
    1 p.m.: Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge – Circuit of the Americas (tape) – FOX Sports 1
    1 p.m.: NASCAR America Sunday – NBCSN
    1:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series: Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    5:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show – NBCSN
    6 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN
    11:30 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap (re-air) – NBCSN
    12:30 a.m.: NASCAR Victory Lane – FOX Sports 1

  • Hamlin Survives Spin, Steals Win in First Chase Race at Chicagoland

    Hamlin Survives Spin, Steals Win in First Chase Race at Chicagoland

    By Reid Spencer
    NASCAR Wire Service    JOLIET, Ill. – In the theater, using the expression “Break a leg” is a way to wish an actor good luck on opening night.Twelve days before Sunday’s opening Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, Denny Hamlin tore the ACL in his right leg playing basketball.Late in the myAFibRisk.com 400 at the 1.5-mile track, Hamlin found his good fortune in the form of a serendipitous pit call on the part of crew chief Dave Rogers.

    Staying out on old tires, Hamlin grabbed the lead moments after a restart with five laps left and streaked away to a .963-second victory over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards, who surged from sixth to second during that restart on Lap 263 of 267.

    Hamlin saw an opening as the cars roared toward Turn 1 on the restart.

    “It was ballsy, but I’d been stuck so many times three-wide in the middle,” Hamlin said of the winning move. “The front cars almost have a disadvantage to the back cars the way it all plays out.

    “We got a great restart, and I just held it wide open through (Turns) 1 and 2, and it stuck. We were able to get in that clean air and take off.”

    Remarkably, Hamlin won from the 29th starting position, rallying from a spin on Lap 2 that left him a lap down. Hamlin didn’t get back on the lead lap until he took advantage of a wave-around before a restart on Lap 129.

    “Luckily, that one caution (for debris on the backstretch on Lap 122) came out that allowed us to get the wave-around and get back on the lead lap,” Hamlin said. “We had a fast car, and that was the most important thing. We stretched out there at the end even with no tires.

    “I’m proud of this effort. The pit crew did a phenomenal job again and now we’re looking forward to the next round.”

    Hamlin’s first victory at Chicagoland, his second of the season and the 16th of his career ensured the driver of the No. 11 JGR Toyota will advance from the Challenger Round to the Contender Round of the Chase, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to New Hampshire and the second race of the postseason.

    Reigning champion Kevin Harvick wasn’t as fortunate. The driver who vowed to pound the JGR drivers into the ground three days before the Chase began instead pounded the Turn 3 wall with the rear of his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet after contact with Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevy during a Lap 135 restart flattened Harvick’s left rear tire.

    “I got a pretty good restart, and obviously, the 22 (Joey Logano) and 48 got a good run, and I just held my line and the 48 just slammed into the side of my door,” Harvick said. “That was pretty much it.”

    Johnson had a simple explanation for the contact.

    “He was pinning me down, and I’ve got to get back up on the track,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t say that what he did is any different than other situations I’ve been in like that. When you’re in Kevin’s situation, you want to give that inside car a bad angle, so they’ve got to lift.

    “I was fine with lifting, but I had to get back on the race track. So I worked my way back onto the track… I pulled down inside of him, and then we were door-to-door, and then, as I moved back into the racing groove, that’s when we touched door-to-door, tire-to-tire.”

    Now last in the Chase standings, Harvick feels he must win one of the next two races to advance to the Contender Round. That’s not a new position for the driver of the No. 4 Chevy. Last year he triumphed in a must-win situation at Phoenix before taking the checkered flag at Homestead to secure his first premier series title.

    “We can win anywhere,” Harvick said after the race. “We could have won today. It’s just a matter of putting a couple of days together and being able to come back to Victory Lane. Same thing as last year.”

    After the race, Harvick, who finished 42nd, confronted Johnson and pounded the six-time Sprint Cup champion with a blow to the chest. Kept apart by one of Harvick’s lieutenants, the drivers then went their separate ways without further incident.

    Kurt Busch, who like Hamlin stayed out on old tires, led the field to green on Lap 263 after the sixth caution for debris in Turn 1 slowed the race. Busch fell to third at the finish, followed by 2014 Chase runner-up Ryan Newman, who posted his first top-five finish since April at Bristol.

    Matt Kenseth ran fifth and assumed the series lead, bolstered by 12 bonus points earned for four victories in the 26-race regular season.

    Notes: In a manner of speaking, history repeated itself where Hamlin is concerned. In 2010, he won at Texas, just 10 days after surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left leg… With 12 of 16 drivers slated to advance to the Contender Round, Jamie McMurray (16th on Sunday), Paul Menard (17th), Clint Bowyer (19th) and Harvick are currently below the cut line.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – myAFibRisk.com 400
    Chicagoland Speedway
    Joliet, Illinois
    Sunday, September 20, 2015

    1. (29) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 267, $306315.
    2. (14) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 267, $213655.
    3. (9) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 267, $195005.
    4. (6) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 267, $180280.
    5. (12) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 267, $170641.
    6. (2) Joey Logano, Ford, 267, $162903.
    7. (18) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 267, $144478.
    8. (3) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 267, $158111.
    9. (7) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 267, $163361.
    10. (20) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267, $146381.
    11. (11) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 267, $152321.
    12. (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 267, $122025.
    13. (4) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 267, $131670.
    14. (10) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 267, $148986.
    15. (28) David Ragan, Toyota, 267, $131664.
    16. (13) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 266, $138141.
    17. (16) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 266, $110350.
    18. (27) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 265, $110250.
    19. (26) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 265, $135108.
    20. (24) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 265, $126903.
    21. (17) Greg Biffle, Ford, 265, $131078.
    22. (21) Brian Scott(i), Chevrolet, 265, $115003.
    23. (31) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 265, $120278.
    24. (8) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 264, $112320.
    25. (23) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 264, $124034.
    26. (25) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 264, $104095.
    27. (36) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 263, $95495.
    28. (30) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 263, $136470.
    29. (33) Cole Whitt, Ford, 263, $105853.
    30. (22) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 262, $119290.
    31. (38) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 262, $92745.
    32. (35) David Gilliland, Ford, 262, $108592.
    33. (40) Josh Wise, Ford, 261, $90845.
    34. (37) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 261, $90645.
    35. (34) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 261, $90410.
    36. (15) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 260, $108220.
    37. (32) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 259, $89953.
    38. (41) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 259, $84528.
    39. (39) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 258, $80465.
    40. (42) Reed Sorenson, Ford, 258, $76465.
    41. (43) Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, 255, $72465.
    42. (1) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 209, $126690.
    43. (5) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 198, $101901.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 140.117 mph.
    Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 51 Mins, 30 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.962 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 6 for 28 laps.
    Lead Changes: 17 among 10 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: K. Harvick 1-5; J. Logano 6; M. Truex Jr. 7-45; Kyle Busch 46-128; K. Harvick 129-133; Kyle Busch 134-143; J. Gordon 144-183; Kurt Busch 184; Kyle Busch 185; K. Larson 186-187; C. Edwards 188-193; Kyle Busch 194-220; Kurt Busch 221-239; D. Hamlin 240-243; M. Kenseth 244; Kurt Busch 245-261; J. Gordon 262; D. Hamlin 263-267.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Kyle Busch 4 times for 121 laps; J. Gordon 2 times for 41 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 39 laps; Kurt Busch 3 times for 37 laps; K. Harvick 2 times for 10 laps; D. Hamlin 2 times for 9 laps; C. Edwards 1 time for 6 laps; K. Larson 1 time for 2 laps; M. Kenseth 1 time for 1 lap; J. Logano 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 16 in Points: M. Kenseth – 2,052; D. Hamlin – 2,050; C. Edwards – 2,049; Kyle Busch – 2,049; Kurt Busch – 2,048; J. Logano – 2,048; J. Johnson – 2,045; R. Newman – 2,040; B. Keselowski – 2,039; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 2,038; M. Truex Jr. – 2,035; J. Gordon – 2,031; J. Mcmurray – 2,028; P. Menard – 2,027; C. Bowyer – 2,025; K. Harvick – 2,009.

     

  • Rain Halts On-Track Activity at Chicagoland

    Rain Halts On-Track Activity at Chicagoland

  • Harvick Starts Up Front after Coors Light Qualifying Canceled

    Harvick Starts Up Front after Coors Light Qualifying Canceled

    By Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service

    JOLIET, Ill. — Kevin Harvick will start the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup from the same position he ended last year’s playoff — in the No. 1 spot.

    When torrential rain at Chicagoland Speedway wiped out Friday’s time trials at the 1.5-mile track, Harvick earned the Coors Light Pole position for Sunday’s MyAFibRisk.com 400 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN) by virtue of having posted the fastest lap during opening practice.

    With heavy rains forecasted for the afternoon, most drivers focused on mock qualifying runs during practice, anticipating the field for the opening Chase race would be set according to practice speeds. Harvick was the only driver to top 188 mph in the opening session, running a lap at 188.317 mph.

    Joey Logano, a Championship 4 competitor in 2014, will start on the outside of the front row, after running 187.911 mph in practice. With Brad Keselowski third quickest and Martin Truex Jr. fourth, Chase drivers claimed the top four starting spots and six of the top seven.

    Ryan Newman will start sixth and Kyle Busch seventh in the 400-mile event.

    “First off,” Harvick said, “I’m just most proud of my team for having a fast race car and coming to the track and having a plan and doing all the things that they did to pay attention to the weather and put a lot of emphasis on trying to lay a fast lap down, just like everybody else, to get a good starting position with the way that the weather was (looking).”

    Logano and his team spent the entire 85-minute practice session in qualifying trim, expecting time trials to be rained out.

    “We looked at the forecast and knew there was a good chance of rain,” Logano said. “Any time that happens, you focus in on qualifying in practice a little bit more. We haven’t been in race trim yet … Really, I felt like it was qualifying during practice.

    “We were really trying to top the chart because we really felt like that was where we were going to start — at the end of practice.”

    Harvick, on the other hand, started in race trim to get a feel for the track before he moved to a qualifying setup.

    “We started in race trim because (Crew chief) Rodney (Childers) and I felt like this is one of those places … it’s a hard place to drive around because it’s so rough, and the timing and rhythm of the race track is something that, as a driver, you need to be able to get into that rhythm before you go into qualifying trim.”

    Two Chase drivers who failed to post strong practice speeds — Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin — will start 26th and 29th, respectively, in Sunday’s race. Other Chasers secured spots on the grid as follows: Kurt Busch (ninth), Jeff Gordon (10th), Jimmie Johnson (11th), Matt Kenseth (12th), Jamie McMurray (13th), Carl Edwards (14th), Paul Menard (16th) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (19th).

    A major casualty of the cancellation was Ryan Blaney, who was ninth fastest in opening practice in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford but will not start the race under rainout rules (because of fewer qualifying attempts this year). This is the third time this season Blaney has been knocked out of a race by rain.

    Michael McDowell and Travis Kvapil also failed to make the 43-car field.

    Starting Lineup for  MyAFibRisk.com 400

    Chicagoland starting lineup

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Chicagoland

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Chicagoland

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series head to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. All Sprint Cup and XFINITY on-track action can be seen on NBC Sports Live Extra. The Camping World Truck Series events will be shown on FOX Sports 1. Please see the full schedule below.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Sept. 18:

    On Track:

    10 a.m.-12:25 p.m: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FOX Sports 1
    12:30-1:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    2-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    4:35 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1 – Canceled due to rain  (Results, set by rule book)
    6:45 p.m: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra Canceled due to rain  (Results, set by rule book)
    8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225 (150 laps, 225 miles) – FOX Sports 1 – Postponed until Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET  (TV – FOX Sports 2)

    GarageCam: (Watch live)

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

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    11 a.m.: Danica Patrick
    11:30 a.m.: Aric Almirola
    12:15 p.m.: Chase Elliott
    2:45 p.m.: Erik Jones
    3 p.m.: Jerry West
    3:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    7:45 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – Canceled due to rain
    10:15 p.m.: Post-Camping World Truck Series Race  –Canceled due to rain

    Saturday, Sept. 19:

    On Track:

    10:30 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225 (150 laps, 225 miles) – FOX Sports 2
    1:30-2:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    2:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
    4:30-5:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    6 p.m.: XFINITY Series Furious 7 300 (200 laps, 300 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    12:30 p.m.: Daytona International Speedway Announcement – Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III and Jeffrey Earnhardt, driver of the No. 32 Go Green Racing Ford
    8:15 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race

    Sunday, Sept. 20:

    Special Event (Watch live)

    1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Driver/Crew Chief Meeting

    On Track:

    3 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series myAFibRisk.com 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    11:30 a.m.: Jim Campbell (Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports), Dave Pericak (Director, Ford Performance) and Ed Laukes (Vice President of Marketing, Performance and Guest Experience for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.)
    6:15 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Race

     

    TV Schedule

    Friday, Sept. 18:

    8 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Setup – FOX Sports 1

    Saturday, Sept. 19:

    12:30 p.m.: TUDOR United SportsCar Championship: Circuit of the Americas – FOX Sports 2
    4 p.m.: NASCAR America Live – NBCSN
    5:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN

    Sunday, Sept. 20:

    11:30 a.m.: NASCAR Race Day – FOX Sports 1
    1:30 p.m.: NASCAR America Sunday – NBCSN
    2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    6:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show – NBCSN
    7 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN
    Midnight: NASCAR Victory Lane – FOX Sports 1

  • Kenseth Dominates for the Win at Richmond as Chase Field is Finalized

    Kenseth Dominates for the Win at Richmond as Chase Field is Finalized

    Matt Kenseth won the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway in a dominant fashion on Saturday night, capturing his fourth win of the season. Kenseth led 352 laps and skated to a clean victory ahead of Kyle Busch in second and pole-sitter Joey Logano.

    “These guys gave me a great car – thanks to Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and all these guys standing behind me. They had the pit stops we needed, they kept us out front so we were really superb in the long run and we had to work for it pretty hard in the short run.” Kenseth said.

    The evening started off with major weather concerns as it was storming on and off throughout the day. However, the rain dissipated around 90 minutes before the race started and was never a factor afterwards.

    Between Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates, Kenseth, Busch, and Denny Hamlin, Toyota led all but 25 laps. Joey Logano was the lone non-Gibbs driver to lead laps.

    “[Richmond] used to be one of [our] better tracks and it hasn’t been the last couple of years. Tonight all our cars ran really well,” said Kenseth following the race.

    After just three victories in the previous season and a half, JGR has won nine of the last 12 Sprint Cup Series races, being stopped only by Logano at Watkins Glen and Bristol and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona.

    There was trouble for the 95 of Michael McDowell on lap 293. McDowell accidentally hit a caution truck and practically destroyed the rear of his Leavine Family Racing Ford. McDowell would later tell MRN that the No. 38 Ford of David Gilliland in front of him swerved at the last second, and his spotter didn’t see the truck. McDowell and the safety crew were unharmed in the incident.

    There was some late race drama with the No. 43 Ford. Aric Almirola, on the outside looking into the Chase, gained a spot under the final caution and restarted third with 17 laps to go. Kenseth arguably jumped the restart, and Almirola never got close to the lead.

    “It is tough. This is what we race for. We race to win races. We race to run for a championship.” Almirola said.

    There were six cautions for 47 laps. Four were for debris on the race track, while Martin Truex Jr. slammed into the wall on lap 39. There was a multi-car incident on lap 113 between McDowell, Michael Annett, and Jeb Burton where Burton turned Annett around on the backstretch.

    There were no changes to the Chase grid following the race, outside of Kenseth’s victory changing his seeding from tied for third to tied for first. On stopping Joe Gibbs Racing in the Chase, defending champion Kevin Harvick said, “Hopefully they’ll be peaky like they normally are and we can capitalize on the solid momentum we’ve had throughout the last two years and do what we have to do.”

    Federated Auto Parts 400 Full Results:

    1st. Matt Kenseth

    2nd. Kyle Busch

    3rd. Joey Logano

    4th. Aric Almirola

    5th. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    6th. Denny Hamlin

    7th. Jeff Gordon

    8th. Brad Keselowski

    9th. Jimmie Johnson

    10th. Clint Bowyer

    11th. Carl Edwards

    12th. Kyle Larson

    13th. Jamie McMurray

    14th. Kevin Harvick

    15th. Kurt Busch

    16th. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    17th. David Ragan

    18th. Kasey Kahne

    19th. Danica Patrick

    20th. Ryan Newman

    21st. Casey Mears

    22nd. Brian Scott

    23rd. Trevor Bayne

    24th. AJ Allmendinger

    25th. Justin Allgaier

    26th. Paul Menard

    27th. Austin Dillon

    28th. Sam Hornish Jr.

    29th. Tony Stewart

    30th. Landon Cassill

    31st. Greg Biffle

    32nd. Martin Truex Jr.

    33rd. David Gilliland

    34th. JJ Yeley

    35th. Brett Moffitt

    36th. Matt DiBenedetto

    37th. Alex Bowman

    38th. Cole Whitt

    39th. Jeb Burton

    40th. Jeffrey Earnhardt

    41st. Reed Sorenson

    42nd. Michael McDowell

    43rd. Michael Annett

    The 16 Nations battling in the 10 race Chase:

    1st seed Jimmie Johnson (Winner of Atlanta, Texas, Kansas, and Dover) 2012 points

    1st seed Kyle Busch (Winner of Sonoma, Kentucky, Loudon, and Indianapolis) 2012

    1st seed Matt Kenseth (Winner of Bristol, Pocono, Michigan, and Richmond) 2012

    2nd seed Joey Logano (Winner of Daytona, Watkins Glen, Bristol) 2009

    3rd seed Kevin Harvick (Winner of Las Vegas and Phoenix) 2006

    3rd seed Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Winner of Talladega and Daytona) 2006

    3rd seed Kurt Busch (Winner of Richmond and Michigan) 2006

    3rd seed Carl Edwards (Winner of Charlotte and Darlington) 2006

    4th seed Brad Keselowski (Winner of Auto Club) 2003

    4th seed Martin Truex Jr. (Winner of Pocono) 2003

    4th seed Denny Hamlin (Winner of Martinsville) 2003

    5th seed Jamie McMurray (10th in points) 2000

    5th seed Ryan Newman (12th in points) 2000

    5th seed Jeff Gordon (13th in points) 2000

    5th seed Clint Bowyer (14th in points) 2000

    5th seed Paul Menard (15th in points) 2000

    The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship begins next week at Chicagoland.