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Race Central NASCAR Cup Series news and information

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Michigan and Mid-Ohio

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Michigan and Mid-Ohio

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series will compete this week at Michigan International Speedway while the NASCAR XFINITY Series travels to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. All Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races can be seen on NBC Sports Live Extra. The Camping World Truck Series events will be televised on FOX Sports 1. The full schedule is listed below.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 14:

    On Track – Michigan:

    11 a.m.-1:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    1:30-2:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice – FOX Sports 1
    3-4:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice (Will be shown on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)
    5:05 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra

    On Track – Mid-Ohio:

    1:30-2:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    3-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – RSN/Live Extra

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    9:45 a.m.: Greg Biffle
    10 a.m.: Matt Kenseth
    10:15 a.m.: Tyler Reddick
    10:30 a.m.: Erik Jones
    3:15 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    6 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying

    Saturday, August 15:

    On Track – Michigan:

    8:30-9:25 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    9:40 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
    11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    12:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Setup – FOX Sports 1
    1 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Careers for Veterans 200 presented by Cooper Standard and Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation – (100 laps, 200 miles) – FOX Sports 1

    On Track – Mid-Ohio:

    11:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – Live Extra
    3 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio (75 laps, 169.35 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    2:30 p.m.: (approx.): Post-Camping World Truck Series Race

    Sunday, August 16:

    On Track – Michigan:

    11:30 a.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: Michigan – FOX Sports 1
    1:30 p.m.: NASCAR America Sunday – NBCSN
    2 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    2:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 (200 laps, 400 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra
    5:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show – NBCSN
    11 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN
    Midnight: NASCAR Victory Lane – FOX Sports 1

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    11 a.m.: MIS President Roger Curtis and Consumers Energy VP and Chief Customer Officer Garrick J. Rochow
    11:30 a.m.: Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO Steve Arwood, Travel Michigan Vice President Dave Lorenz and grand marshal Michael Harris
    5:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-Sprint Cup Series race

  • Joey Logano Wins Cheez-It 355 at The Glen; Sweeps Weekend

    Joey Logano Wins Cheez-It 355 at The Glen; Sweeps Weekend

    WATKINS GLEN, NY – The 30th running of the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen is in the books, and yet again, Watkins Glen International has produced an exciting race weekend. The Glen solidified their spot atop the polls after announcing all reserved grandstand tickets for Sunday’s running of the Cheez-It 355 had sold out.

    Watkins Glen International commented on the sell-out, stating, “A reserved grandstand sell-out shows just how dedicated and passionate Watkins Glen International fans are.”

    Dedicated is one way to describe it, as WGI announced earlier in the week that they had created additional campsites to accommodate the enormous demand for camping at the facility.

    Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen was as eventful as we’ve seen over recent years at Watkins Glen International. Instead of the large crashes and flared tempers, fans saw a clean race out of some of the top contenders for the championship. The race on Sunday progressed as many recent races at the 2.45-mile road course, with fuel strategy coming into play. This year was different in the sense that there was no caution within the last 20 laps.

    Fast forward through the first five cautions, and you have the top 10 cars stacked up as follows: Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., David Ragan, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Sam Hornish Jr. Final pit stops were made over the course of the final yellow of the afternoon between laps 58 and 60, and the only car with a glimmer of hope to make the finish on fuel was the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford driven by Joey Logano.

    Slowly but surely over the course of the final 20 laps, Logano, followed closely by Kyle Busch, picked their way through the field and into the top five. With seven laps remaining, Logano was shown in second, lurking behind the No. 4 of Kevin Harvick.  Harvick, whose radio chatter was not mentioning anything about having enough fuel to make the finish of the race, sealed the most laps led (29), but would come up short in the end.

    As the laps wound down, radios were full of talk about who could make it, who would be short, and predictions of a late race caution ran rampant. There was no late race caution, and on the final lap it looked like Harvick had done what he needed to to save fuel and stay in the lead, and when Logano overshot turn one, a win for the No. 4 team became all but inevitable.

    The only caveat in the formula for a third victory this season for Harvick was the amount of fuel in his gas tank. Though he had a clear track in front of him and space between him and Logano, Harvick’s luck would run out between turns six and seven when he finally ran out of fuel. Logano made the pass on the outside in turn seven and took the checkered flag for the 10th time in his career.

    Logano was ecstatic in Victory Lane following his sweep of both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series races this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

    “This is the coolest weekend of my life,” Logano exclaimed. “Every driver wants to add a road course victory to their resume. This is a dream come true to win at this place.”

    The win marks Logano’s second victory and 16th top-10 finish in 2015. It was the first time in track history for a driver to sweep both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Watkins Glen International.

    Kyle Busch, who led once for three laps, finished second in the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen and moved into the top 30 in points, the stipulation for him making the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

    “We knew we would be (in the top 30 in points), which is probably a reason we played it safe on the fuel strategy,” Busch said. “I could have had a chance and raced the 22 (Logano), but we wanted to make sure we made it to the end.”

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Kevin Harvick, who barely missed the win at the end, had enough fuel to make it to the start-finish line in third.

    “I thought I did a pretty good job of saving fuel,” Harvick explained, “and I was only running as fast as I needed to to stay in the lead. Once the No.22 got to me, I had to pick up the pace a little bit. We were in position for the win, two corners away, but that’s just how the middle of this season has gone for us.”

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves on to Michigan International Speedway next weekend for the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday, August 16.

  • AJ Allmendinger Wins Pole for Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen

    AJ Allmendinger Wins Pole for Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen

    Last year’s winner at Watkins Glen will begin his quest to repeat in 2015 from the point position in tomorrow’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen. AJ Allmendinger won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 30th Annual Cheez-It 355 at The Glen with a lap of 68.993 seconds, 127.839 mph.

    The driver of the No. 47 Kroger/Bush’s Beans Chevrolet posted his first ever pole in seven tries at Watkins Glen International early this afternoon in prime conditions for speed. The overcast skies made for an exciting 10 minute round two of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying. The No. 47 car has successfully swept both pole positions on road courses this season.

    The No. 47 team has found some speed overnight as the car was only 28th fastest in Final Practice on Friday afternoon. Allmendinger spoke to the media about the turnaround the team saw from practice to qualifying following Saturday’s qualifying session.

    “I didn’t know what to expect going into qualifying,” he said. “I was pretty down after the second practice yesterday. I wasn’t good. I got frustrated from it. We sat down after, debriefed, and picked through everything throughout the course of the day and said what is good, what isn’t good. Overall it was a strong day going into the day to see the changes we made to have that much speed. Rarely do you ever lead the (qualifying) sessions by over a tenth. Hopefully, we just do the right things tomorrow and give ourselves a chance to win. The guys did a great job from yesterday to today.”

    Allmendinger went to the top of the boards with less than a minute left in round two, edging out Martin Truex Jr. by just two-tenths of a second as the clock ran out. Truex posted his 11th top-10 start of 2015, and his fourth in 10 races at Watkins Glen International.

    Tony Stewart will start Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen from his best starting spot all season. He will roll off third on Sunday, marking his third straight top-five starting spot.

    Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Kevin Harvick will roll off fourth on Sunday, and the car that was fastest in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ final practice on Friday, Jeff Gordon, will start fifth. Gordon, making his final start at Watkins Glen, a place where he’s won four times, set the pace in final practice on Friday, but couldn’t secure a spot in the first two rows to start Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen.

    Kyle Larson will roll off sixth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seventh, Kyle Busch eighth, Jimmie Johnson ninth, and Austin Dillon rounds out the top-10.

    Stay tuned for more from The Glen all weekend.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Watkins Glen

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series travel to Watkins Glen International this week while the Camping World Truck Series is off. All Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races can be seen on NBC Sports Live Extra. The full schedule is listed below.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 7:

    On Track:

    11:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN
    1-2:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN
    3:30-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN
    4:40-5:55 p.m..: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    9:45 a.m.: AJ Allmendinger
    10 a.m.: Chris Buescher
    10:45 a.m.: Kyle Busch
    11 a.m.: Regan Smith
    11:15 a.m.: Eddie Cheever III
    1:45 p.m.: Jeff Gordon

    Saturday, August 8:

    On Track:

    11:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    1:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    2:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    3 p.m.: XFINITY Series Zippo 200 (82 laps, 200.9 miles) – NBCSN
    (Scheduled Green Flag – approx: 3:16 p.m.)

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    2:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying Press Conference
    5:30 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series Race Press Conference

    Sunday, August 9:

    On Track:

    1:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    2 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 (90 laps, 220.5 miles) – NBCSN
    (Scheduled Green Flag – approx: 2:18 p.m.)
    5 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show – NBCSN
    11 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN

    Press Conferences ((Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    4:45 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Press Conference

  • Matt Kenseth Wins At Pocono As Kyle Busch Runs Out Of Fuel

    Matt Kenseth Wins At Pocono As Kyle Busch Runs Out Of Fuel

    By Reid Spencer

    LONG POND, Pa. – Matt Kenseth, the unexpected winner of Sunday’s Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway, had to do a double-take.

    So did second and third-place finishers Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon.

    Kenseth got a gift on the final lap of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch ran out of fuel halfway through the final lap at the 2.5-mile triangular track.

    Seeking his fourth straight victory in the series, Busch didn’t save quite enough fuel on the last green-flag run to complete the 160-lap event, but he still gained 10 points toward his goal of reaching the top 30 in the series standings.

    Busch, who finished 21st after getting a push toward the finish line from Reed Sorenson, is now 13 points behind 30th-place David Gilliland. Busch has five races to crack the top 30 to become eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    Because Busch was pushed by another car, he did not get credit for completing the final lap, but that did not affect his finishing position.

    Collectively, the top three finishers led seven laps. Joey Logano, who handed the lead to Busch when the No. 22 Team Penske Ford ran out of fuel with fewer than three laps left, led 97.

    But Kenseth wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially after the driver of the No. 20 JGR Toyota did what others failed to do—save enough gas to get to the finish. Kenseth’s second victory of the season locked him into the Chase.

    “There’s nothing like wins,” said Kenseth, who collected his first victory at Pocono and the 33rd of his career. “We had a lot of wins in 2013 and were pretty spoiled and last year we had a big dry spell, and this year we were able to win Bristol.

    “We’ve been up front a lot, so just really, really thankful to be with these guys and to get the win. I never thought I’d ever win at Pocono, and I never ever thought I’d win a fuel mileage race, so we did both today.”

    Despite coming tantalizingly close to a fourth straight win, Busch was philosophical about the near miss.

    “Man, that’s a bummer,” said Busch, who ran out of fuel on the Long Pond straightaway approaching the Tunnel Turn, less than a mile-and-a-half from the finish line. “I wish I would’ve saved a little more there that last run.

    “I wish I would’ve known that the 22 (Logano) was that far away from making it. He was way far away from making it. Man, that was just a shame that we weren’t able to get it done there.”

    Busch took a moment to reflect on what might have been. The empty fuel tank also cost him entry into the top 30.

    “We would be celebrating a win and a Chase berth,” he said ruefully. “We got greedy. I don’t know how greedy, but that’s the position we’re in.

    “If it came down to other things that we haven’t had the success that we’ve had here lately, we would’ve had to have pitted and just made the opportunity of it and made the best finish that we could. But, we went for broke today and come up a little bit short, so can’t fault the team.”

    Keselowski, who ran out of fuel as he approached the finish line, recovered from an early penalty for sliding through his pit, knocking his jack man off his feet and knocking a tire out of his front carrier’s hands.

    The No. 2 Ford lost a lap, regained it and came home second, 9.012 seconds behind Kenseth, as lack of fuel took its toll on the frontrunners. The outcome left Keselowski with mixed feelings.

    “Unfortunately, just another race where I kind of feel like it didn’t all come together for us, and this one certainly on my end with having problems on pit road and kind of sliding through the box,” said the 2012 series champion. “That dug a hole, got us a lap down with the penalty and so forth.

    “I think the last restart with, had to be somewhere around 60 or 70 to go (actually 63), we restarted 12th and we were able to drive up to sixth and looked like we were going to be able to get to fifth, and then the fuel play came in there at the end. We were able to take care of it to bring home second, which is a very respectable day. Certainly probably not where we were going to finish without the fuel, but I guess that’s sometimes how it works.”

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran fourth and Greg Biffle fifth, as none of the top five finishers were threats to finish that high before the varying fuel strategies scrambled the final order.

    “There at the end we were one of the last ones to pit which allowed us to run hard all the way to the finish not having to conserve or save fuel,” said Gordon, smiling at the stroke of good fortune. “I thought we were trying to get maybe 10th or 12th and all of a sudden they said you’re third, and I think I was probably the most shocked person out there on the race track when I found that out.

    “I knew cars were peeling off, but I just didn’t realize that many were either running out or coming to pit road.”

    Note: Both Martin Truex Jr. and Logano, who along with Busch had the strongest cars all afternoon, were cited for speeding on pit road after running out of fuel and were dropped to 19th and 20th, respectively, in the finishing order, the last two cars on the lead lap.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – Windows 10 400
    Pocono Raceway
    Long Pond, Pennsylvania
    Sunday, August 02, 2015

    1. (7) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 160, $233601.
    2. (9) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 160, $205166.
    3. (10) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 160, $181686.
    4. (15) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 160, $134375.
    5. (25) Greg Biffle, Ford, 160, $139908.
    6. (12) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 160, $144851.
    7. (22) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 160, $125323.
    8. (19) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 160, $124073.
    9. (5) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 160, $116279.
    10. (8) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 160, $87915.
    11. (18) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 160, $94440.
    12. (27) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 160, $112908.
    13. (4) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 160, $120611.
    14. (29) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 160, $82250.
    15. (17) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 160, $111541.
    16. (20) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 160, $89125.
    17. (24) David Ragan, Toyota, 160, $107539.
    18. (21) Aric Almirola, Ford, 160, $116956.
    19. (13) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 160, $106015.
    20. (3) Joey Logano, Ford, 160, $128853.
    21. (1) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 159, $140811.
    22. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 159, $93645.
    23. (14) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 159, $110670.
    24. (31) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 159, $102528.
    25. (28) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 159, $92203.
    26. (39) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 159, $77895.
    27. (33) Cole Whitt, Ford, 159, $88853.
    28. (26) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 159, $92092.
    29. (36) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 159, $75895.
    30. (35) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 159, $75745.
    31. (32) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 158, $74095.
    32. (40) Travis Kvapil(i), Ford, 158, $73920.
    33. (37) David Gilliland, Ford, 158, $81720.
    34. (41) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 157, $73520.
    35. (38) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 157, $73370.
    36. (43) Timmy Hill(i), Ford, 156, $73120.
    37. (6) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 150, $90931.
    38. (42) Alex Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 126, $68102.
    39. (30) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 123, $90375.
    40. (23) Trevor Bayne, Ford, Overheating, 91, $104605.
    41. (34) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Accident, 27, $64030.
    42. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, Engine, 20, $104855.
    43. (16) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Accident, 3, $66530.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 132.159 mph.
    Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 01 Mins, 36 Secs. Margin of Victory: 9.012 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 8 for 32 laps.
    Lead Changes: 18 among 13 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: Kyle Busch 1-16; K. Harvick 17-19; Kurt Busch 20-32; M. Truex Jr. 33-38; J. Logano 39-51; Kyle Busch 52; D. Hamlin 53-54; B. Keselowski 55-57; D. Patrick 58-62; J. Logano 63-87; M. Kenseth 88; K. Larson 89-93; J. Logano 94-123; D. Ragan 124; G. Biffle 125-126; J. Gordon 127-128; J. Logano 129-157; Kyle Busch 158-159; M. Kenseth 160;.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Logano 4 times for 97 laps; Kyle Busch 3 times for 19 laps; Kurt Busch 1 time for 13 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 6 laps; K. Larson 1 time for 5 laps; D. Patrick 1 time for 5 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 3 laps; K. Harvick 1 time for 3 laps; M. Kenseth 2 times for 2 laps; D. Hamlin 1 time for 2 laps; G. Biffle 1 time for 2 laps; J. Gordon 1 time for 2 laps; D. Ragan 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 16 in Points: K. Harvick – 780; J. Logano – 734; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 717; J. Johnson – 713; M. Truex Jr. – 694; B. Keselowski – 681; M. Kenseth – 662; J. Mcmurray – 631; Kurt Busch – 620; J. Gordon – 617; D. Hamlin – 614; P. Menard – 591; R. Newman – 584; C. Bowyer – 574; K. Kahne – 559; C. Edwards – 553.

  • Kyle Busch Keeps It Rolling With Pocono Pole

    Kyle Busch Keeps It Rolling With Pocono Pole

    Kyle Busch, who has been on a tear winning four races and three in a row most recently, has continued that roll at Pocono Raceway. The driver of the No. 18  M&M’s Crispy Toyota scored the pole for the 42nd annual Windows 10 400 with a speed of 178.416 mph and a time 50.444 seconds.

    This was Busch’s 17th pole in 375 Cup Series races and his second pole in 22 races at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

    “It certainly is nice to feel this way,” Busch said. “I certainly have been through some down times as well but this year the tides are 180 degrees different. We’re just trying to ride that wave as long as it will carry us. I hope it carries us on through the rest of the season.”

    “I wasn’t sure we had a shot for the pole,” Busch continued. “We had good speed but we couldn’t get the balance quite right. But we did and to get a pole here today is cool.”

    “I enjoy getting poles, wins, anything but if I look back at old school NASCAR, you have to win a pole to get into the Sprint Unlimited. One is all you need.”

    Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No. 4 Jimmy Johns/Budweiser Chevrolet qualified second, posting his 13th top-10 start of 2015 and his ninth in 30 races at Pocono.

    “From our goals to what we did in qualifying, I feel like we definitely overachieved today,” Harvick said. “We needed that last round to go the way it did, running our fastest lap of the day.”

    “I knew we did a good job,” Harvick continued. “That’s what we needed to do.”

    “I feel like we’ll be even better when we get into the Chase. Today was important. As a team, we’re doing a great job. We just have to keep plugging along, with your head down and keeping your eyes plugged.”

    Joe Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford, qualified third, posting his sixth top-10 start at Pocono.

    “I feel good anytime we come to Pocono. This is one of our best race tracks here as a team,” Logano said. “Good qualifying run. We haven’t gotten the poles that we want. We want to take pictures and get stickers and banners and all that stuff, but I’m proud of what our team has done here lately, picking up from practice to qualifying to the race.”

    “I’m proud of the improvements we make on our race car. The communication is there and the teamwork is there. Just are coming up a little bit short here lately.”

    Austin Dillon and Tony Stewart both had good runs to round out the top-five qualifiers.

    Jeff Gordon rebounded from his tough finish at the Brickyard, making it to the final round of qualifying to start in the tenth position.

    “You have three unique corners that you have to drive different and set up different,” Gordon said of the track. “When I think of Pocono, that’s what I think of. I know they call it the ‘Tricky Triangle,’ but it’s true. It is a very challenging and tricky place to compete at.”

    The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

    2015 NSCS Windows 10 400 Starting Lineup

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
    1 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Crispy Toyota 50.444 178.416
    2 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet 50.514 178.168
    3 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 50.608 177.837
    4 3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet 50.659 177.658
    5 14 Tony Stewart Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 50.667 177.63
    6 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 50.672 177.613
    7 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 50.691 177.546
    8 19 Carl Edwards Stanley Toyota 50.75 177.34
    9 2 Brad Keselowski Alliance Truck Parts Ford 50.764 177.291
    10 24 Jeff Gordon AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet 50.787 177.211
    11 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 50.833 177.05
    12 48 Jimmie Johnson Kobalt Tools Chevrolet 50.948 176.651
    13 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 51.007 176.446
    14 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 51.03 176.367
    15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Microsoft Chevrolet 51.038 176.339
    16 5 Kasey Kahne Aquafina Chevrolet 51.06 176.263
    17 1 Jamie McMurray Lexar Chevrolet 51.061 176.26
    18 27 Paul Menard Sylvania/Menards Chevrolet 51.153 175.943
    19 15 Clint Bowyer Maxwell House Toyota 51.202 175.774
    20 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 51.262 175.569
    21 43 Aric Almirola United States Air Force Ford 51.39 175.131
    22 47 AJ Allmendinger Bush’s Grillin Beans Chevrolet 51.409 175.067
    23 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 51.504 174.744
    24 55 David Ragan Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 51.524 174.676
    25 16 Greg Biffle Roush Performance Ford 51.51 174.723
    26 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 51.614 174.371
    27 42 Kyle Larson Suave Men Chevrolet 51.621 174.348
    28 7 Alex Bowman FW1 Wash and Wax Chevrolet 51.723 174.004
    29 40 Landon Cassill(i) Chevrolet 51.771 173.842
    30 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Medallion Bank Ford 51.803 173.735
    31 51 Justin Allgaier FraternalOrderofEagles/SwitchHitch Chev 51.895 173.427
    32 34 Brett Moffitt # A&W All American Food Ford 51.924 173.33
    33 35 Cole Whitt MDS Transportation Ford 51.949 173.247
    34 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford EcoBoost Ford 51.971 173.174
    35 23 JJ Yeley(i) Dr. Pepper Toyota 52.125 172.662
    36 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Burger King Toyota 52.137 172.622
    37 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stops Ford Owner Points
    38 26 Jeb Burton # Maxim Toyota Owner Points
    39 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet Owner Points
    40 32 Travis Kvapil(i) Skuttle Tight Ford Owner Points
    41 98 Reed Sorenson Chevrolet Owner Points
    42 33 Alex Kennedy # MediaCAST Chevrolet Owner Points
    43 62 Timmy Hill(i) Ford Owner Points

    (i) Ineligible for Driver Points in this Series
    # Denotes Rookie

    Source: Timing and Scoring provided by NASCARMedia/NASCAR Statistics

     

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Pocono and Iowa

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Pocono and Iowa

  • Kyle Busch Sweeps The Brickyard

    Kyle Busch Sweeps The Brickyard

    Kyle Busch continued his amazing comeback on Sunday at the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard winning his first Sprint Cup Series race at the track after also winning the NASCAR XFINITY race on Saturday and sweeping the weekend. Busch, driving the No. 18 Skittles Toyota, started in the ninth position and recorded his third consecutive victory in the Sprint Cup Series and fourth win in the last five races.

    Busch has made only nine starts in the series this year following a leg injury at Daytona in February. NASCAR has waived the rule that a driver must attempt to qualify for all races in order to qualify for the Chase in the last 10 races of the season. A driver must also win a race and finish in the top 30 in points to qualify. Busch’s win puts him in 32nd position just 23 points out of the 30th position.

    “It’s a testament to what this team’s all about. I knew we had a really good car when I was out there practicing Friday. I knew we’d have a good shot if we could get out front. I knew we had a good car. We had a lot of fun today. To come home with a victory at the Brickyard 400, there’s nothing else like it. It’s probably the biggest win of my career so far”, said Busch following his 32nd career win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford led 28 laps during the race and finished in second place after challenging Busch late in the race during a green-white-checkered finish.

    “We’re going so fast and we don’t have much motor, so when I go to the gas, it just wasn’t going to accelerate underneath him. It wasn’t happening. That was my last-ditch effort. I tried one more time, and we got loose off of one and that was the end of it. Overall, it was a good day, but second hurts. It always does, but it’s always better than third,” said Logano following his second place run.

    Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet, started sixth and led a race-high 75 out of 164 laps run in the event. Harvick continues to lead the championship standings after scoring his 14th top five finish in 20 starts this season.

    “The 18 (Kyle Busch) and 22 (Joey Logano) got hooked up on the restart there and got by us in turn 1. The No. 78 (Martin Truex, Jr.) and I didn’t really get together and weren’t able to keep the lead,” said Harvick.

    “All in all, a pretty good day for us. After the last four weeks we’ve had – we’ve had a lot of tough luck. We had tough luck today, but it was early enough in the race that we could overcome it,” said fourth place finisher, Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet.

    Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five in his No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx Express Toyota.

    Jeff Gordon, winner of five NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, made his 22nd and final start at the famed speedway. Gordon started in the 19th position and finished a disappointing 42nd after spinning into the wall on lap 50 to avoid a spinning Clint Bowyer.

    “My memories are always going to be spectacular. I am very upbeat bout Indianapolis. Some of the greatest memories of my life are here at Indianapolis, starting with the inaugural Brickyard 400. There were too many good ones that won’t get overshadowed by a race like today. The whole week and weekend has been incredible,” said Gordon after the race. The driver of the No. 24, 3M Chevrolet is still seeking his first win of the season and hoping to secure a spot in the Chase.

    Kyle Busch’s win in a Toyota puts an end to a 12 race win streak for Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series travel to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. All Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races will be televised on NBC Sports Live Extra as indicated.

    NASCAR will debut a new aero race package at Indianapolis with increased downforce that is designed to add drag to the car and create a drafting effect that will increase opportunities for closer racing and lead changes. The new setup includes a 43-inch radiator pan (increased from 38 inches), a two-inch splitter leading edge, a one-inch wicker bill and a nine-inch spoiler (increased from six inches).

    Qualifying will consist of two rounds with each driver posting a single timed lap. The qualifying order for the first round will be set by a random draw. NASCAR will release drivers at intervals to prevent a second vehicle from impeding or helping another vehicle.

    There will be a 10-minute break between rounds. During this break, teams can make adjustments but will only be allowed to adjust tape and use a cool-down fan during the break.

    The top 12 drivers from round one will advance to the second and final round. Positions 1-12 will be determined by the fastest laps in this final session.

    The full schedule is listed below.

    All times Eastern.

    Friday, July 24:

    On Track:

    9-10:25 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – NBC Sports Live Extra
    11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series practice – NBC Sports Network
    1-2:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – NBC Sports Network
    2:30-3:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series final practice – NBC Sports Network
    4-5:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice – NBC Sports Network

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    8:15 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
    10:45 a.m.: Ty Dillon
    11:15 a.m.: Joey Logano
    2:45 p.m.: Jamie McMurray

    Saturday, July 25:

    On Track:

    11:35 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBC Sports Network
    1:10 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBC Sports Network
    3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 (100 laps, 250 miles) – NBC

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    10 a.m.: Richard Petty Motorsports/Eckrich Announcement
    10:30 a.m.: Kyle Busch
    2:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-Sprint Cup Series qualifying press conferences
    5:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-XFINITY Series race press conferences

    Sunday, July 26:

    On Track:

    3:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard (160 laps, 400 miles) – NBC Sports Network

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    6:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-Sprint Cup Series race press conferences

  • Kyle Busch Continues March Toward Chase with New Hampshire Win

    Kyle Busch Continues March Toward Chase with New Hampshire Win

    By Reid Spencer

    LOUDON, N.H. – The odds in Kyle Busch’s favor made another dramatic surge on Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    In winning for the third time in eight starts since returning from an 11-race injury absence, Busch solidified his chances of qualifying for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with a serendipitous victory in the 5-Hour ENERGY 301 at the Magic Mile.

    Two critical moves were essential to Busch’s winning for the second time at New Hampshire and the 32nd time in his career. First, with the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota sliding in a patch of oil and thinking he had a tire going flat, Busch brought his car to pit road on Lap 244, sooner than planned.

    That allowed Busch to gain time on the track while other contending cars stayed out on old tires. The spur of the moment “strategy” ultimately played out in his favor.

    Second, Busch got back on the lead lap with a gutsy pass of race leader Kevin Harvick and second-place Brad Keselowski, weaving through traffic on the frontstretch seconds before NASCAR called a caution for fluid on the track on Lap 251 of 301.

    Busch inherited the top spot when the rest of the lead-lap cars came to pit road on Lap 253, and he stayed up front the rest of the way. After taking the white flag, Busch won the race under yellow when Alex Bowman’s accident in Turn 2 on the final lap caused the race’s seventh caution.

    Given the discussion on team radios about the probability of that Lap 251 caution being called, Busch felt a strong sense of urgency to make what proved to be the decisive pass.

    “I knew I’d been running it hard and I’d been trying to catch (Matt) Kenseth in front of me that entire run, and I had just been so tight that I couldn’t get going and couldn’t get a rhythm going to close in on Kenseth. And I figured I just chewed the right front off of it, because I went into the corner and the thing just went straight one time so I was like, ‘Man, I’m down to cords now, that’s it, it’s done.’

    “We shot to pit road and got it changed there, and evidently it was oil on the race track that just made the car slip so bad from out from under me. We got a lucky break and I hauled butt, man, those five laps I ran were five qualifying laps through traffic trying to get back up to the front and pass Harvick to stay on the lead lap. That was our saving bucket right there. That was what we needed to do.”

    The offshoot of the victory is that Busch’s hopes of making the Chase now are better than realistic. To qualify, he must finish the first 26 races in the top 30 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. With seven races left before the cutoff, Busch is 33rd, trailing 30th-place David Gilliland by 58 points.

    “This is such an awesome win and such an awesome comeback,” Busch said. “I just can’t say enough about everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, the work that they’ve put in. Our cars are a lot better than what they were last year.

    “It’s so much fun to win these races and to win with this group of guys – (crew chief) Adam Stevens and this bunch, all my pit crew since 2008, they deserve all this.”

    Keselowski, who got two fresh tires on the last pit stop, was closing on Busch at the end of the race but ran out of time and finished second. For the second straight week, Keselowski failed to win in what was arguably the best car.

    “We had a really fast car and led a lot of laps (a race-high 100),” Keselowski said tersely. “I’m really proud of the team for bringing me two fast cars these past two weekends.”

    “It’s a joy to drive cars that fast,” added Keselowski, looking less than joyful.

    Asked whether he was frustrated, Keselowski replied, “I’m ready to go home.”

    Asked whether taking four tires instead of two on the last pit stop might have made a difference, Keselowski said, “It probably didn’t matter, so it’s hard to say. It is what it is.”

    Harvick came home third, followed by Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kenseth, polesitter Carl Edwards, Austin Dillon, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch completed the top 10.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – 5-hour ENERGY 301

    New Hampshire Motor Speedway

    Loudon, New Hampshire

    Sunday, July 19, 2015

                   1. (4) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 301, $271031.

                   2. (10) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 301, $214416.

                   3. (12) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 301, $184550.

                   4. (2) Joey Logano, Ford, 301, $161258.

                   5. (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 301, $127600.

                   6. (8) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 301, $144026.

                   7. (1) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 301, $107315.

                   8. (24) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 301, $137601.

                   9. (23) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 301, $137901.

                   10. (6) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 301, $107415.

                   11. (26) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 301, $124590.

                   12. (15) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 301, $117485.

                   13. (22) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 301, $121898.

                   14. (5) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 301, $102615.

                   15. (29) Aric Almirola, Ford, 301, $125251.

                   16. (21) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 301, $111548.

                   17. (32) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 301, $95515.

                   18. (3) David Ragan, Toyota, 301, $115309.

                   19. (9) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 301, $100590.

                   20. (25) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 301, $113804.

                   21. (37) David Gilliland, Ford, 301, $112898.

                   22. (7) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 300, $129826.

                   23. (16) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, 300, $81665.

                   24. (20) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 300, $92965.

                   25. (28) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 300, $92665.

                   26. (11) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 300, $114356.

                   27. (14) Greg Biffle, Ford, 299, $115048.

                   28. (33) Cole Whitt, Ford, 299, $95373.

                   29. (27) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 299, $109685.

                   30. (13) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 299, $84590.

                   31. (17) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 299, $110298.

                   32. (31) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 299, $124190.

                   33. (34) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 297, $80890.

                   34. (18) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 297, $113348.

                   35. (35) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 296, $88537.

                   36. (38) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 296, $78760.

                   37. (41) Eddie MacDonald, Ford, 295, $78542.

                   38. (43) Timmy Hill(i), Ford, 292, $73727.

                   39. (42) Derek White(i), Chevrolet, 290, $69655.

                   40. (30) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 284, $73655.

                   41. (36) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 239, $61655.

                   42. (40) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 230, $57655.

                   43. (39) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, Rear Gear, 202, $54155.

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  108.504 mph.

    Time of Race:  02 Hrs, 56 Mins, 06 Secs. Margin of Victory:  Caution.

    Caution Flags:  7 for 34 laps.

    Lead Changes:  9 among 7 drivers.

    Lap Leaders:   C. Edwards 1-19; Kyle Busch 20-66; B. Keselowski 67-88; J. Gordon 89-90; A. Allmendinger 91-103; B. Keselowski 104-178; J. Logano 179-190; B. Keselowski 191-193; K. Harvick 194-252; Kyle Busch 253-301.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  B. Keselowski 3 times for 100 laps; Kyle Busch 2 times for 96 laps; K. Harvick 1 time for 59 laps; C. Edwards 1 time for 19 laps; A. Allmendinger 1 time for 13 laps; J. Logano 1 time for 12 laps; J. Gordon 1 time for 2 laps.

    Top 16 in Points: K. Harvick – 734; J. Logano – 665; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 655; J. Johnson – 646; M. Truex Jr. – 628; B. Keselowski – 603; M. Kenseth – 578; Kurt Busch – 576; J. Mcmurray – 574; J. Gordon – 573; D. Hamlin – 552; K. Kahne – 538; R. Newman – 530; P. Menard – 528; A. Almirola – 502; C. Bowyer – 500.