Category: RC NASCAR Cup

Race Central NASCAR Cup Series news and information

Kyle Busch Resurrects Season with Spectacular Victory at Sonoma

By Reid Spencer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 28, 2015
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Sonoma Raceway

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to the road course at Sonoma Raceway this weekend while the XFINITY Series and the Camping World Truck Series are off. Please check below for the full schedule.

All times Eastern.

Friday, June 26:

On Track:

3-4:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Practice – FOX Sports 2
6:30-7:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Final Practice – FOX Sports 2

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

1:15 p.m.: AJ Allmendinger
1:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
2:15 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5:05 p.m.: Carl Edwards

Saturday, June 27:

On Track:

2:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1

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

3:15 p.m.: Post-qualifying NSCS Press Conference (Time approx.)

Sunday, June 28:

On Track:

3 p.m.: Sprint Cup Toyota/Save Mart 350 (110 laps, 218.9 miles) – FOX Sports 1 (Green Flag 3:19 p.m. approx.)

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

5:45 p.m.: Post-race NSCS Press Conference (Time approx.)

Notes:

The NASCAR RaceDay Pre-Race Show will air at 2:00 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.

June 26, 2015
Kurt Busch Uses Late Pass to Win Quicken Loans 400

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 14, 2015) — Kurt Busch held on just long enough to win the 2015 Quicken Loans at Michigan International Speedway. Busch overcame Kyle Larson and Mother Nature to pull into Gatorade Victory Lane.

Kurt Busch started 24th but got better as the race progressed in his backup car, after wrecking his primary car in a practice session Friday morning. He took the lead for the first time with just five laps remaining.

“It was a fantastic group effort,” Busch explained. “To be able to pull the backup car out and to have it as prepared as it was and then to have the extra work that went into it, all the crew members that Tony Gibson (crew chief) leads rolled up their sleeves, jumped right on it and we made a race-winning backup car.”

Kasey Kahne started on the pole after posting a speed of 201.992 mph in qualifying on Friday. Carl Edwards took the early lead before Kevin Harvick rose to the top. But a flat tire forced Harvick into an unscheduled pit stop and a 29th-place finish.

Busch took his first and only lead when he passed a pitting Kyle Larson on Lap 133.

Two-time Michigan winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, followed by last week’s winner, Martin Truex Jr., in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy. It was the 14th top-10 finish in the first 15 races this season for Truex, the first time that has happened since Richard Petty did it in 1969.

Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano completed the top five.

June 14, 2015
Kasey Kahne Wins FireKeepers Casino Hotel Pole Day

Kahne will lead field to Quicken Loans 400 green flag

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 12, 2015) – Kasey Kahne had to get a little footloose but then danced to the FireKeepers Casino Hotel pole position today for the Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race scheduled for Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

“I got through turns one and two pretty good,” Kahne explained following his 27th career Sprint Cup Series pole in 411 attempts. “And then in turn three I was like man, I was a little loose there and I was back-pedaling more than I wanted to, so I pushed harder in turn three and I started to kind of slide the nose. I had to backpedal and go back down.

“I knew it killed my exit a little, but it was still a great lap. Our Great Clips Chevrolet had speed in all three runs, so I knew we’d have a shot today, so that was cool. It’s been a while since we’ve had a pole.”

Kahne’s speed of 201.992 miles per hour was just great enough to edge Kevin Harvick, who finished second with a speed of 201.613.

Kahne is now tied with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Terry Labonte for 25th on the all-time series pole list. It was also Kahne’s first pole and ninth top-10 start in 2015.

Harvick, who registered the fastest practice lap today, garnered his 11th top-10 start this year and 11th in 29 races at MIS.

“I do know that I got everything out of it, but all the qualifying rounds were within seventh-hundredths of each other,” Harvick said. “The guys were doing a great job and Kasey just got a little bit better lap there, than we did.”

Brad Keselowski was third fastest, followed by Carl Edwards and Ryan Blaney, driving for the famed Wood Brothers. It was the 86th consecutive race at MIS for the Wood Brothers.

Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is NASCAR’s fastest track and the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.

Keep up with Michigan International Speedway via Twitter @MISpeedway or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MISpeedway. Android and iPhone can now download Discover MIS, the official app of MIS, on Google Play and iTunes.

June 12, 2015
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Michigan and Gateway Motorsports Park

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series head to Michigan International Speedway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Gateway Motorsports Park. Please check below for the full schedule.

All times Eastern.

Friday, June 12:

On Track:

11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
1-2 p.m.: XFINITY Series practice – FOX Sports 1
2:30-3:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series final practice – FOX Sports 1
4:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 2

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

10:15 a.m.: Joey Logano
10:40 a.m.: Kyle Larson
1:45 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
2:15 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
2:30 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. and Joe Garone
5:15 p.m.: Post NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying (time approx.)

Saturday, June 13:

On Track:

9-9:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
10:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series qualifying – FOX Sports 1
10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice
Noon-12:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice – FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Great Clips 250 Benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America (125 laps, 250 miles) – FOX Sports 1
5:45 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series qualifying – FOX Sports 2
8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol Presents the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 brought to you by Ameren (160 laps, 200 miles) – FOX Sports 1

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

11:15 a.m.: Cole Whitt and Nate Burleson
3:15 p.m.: Post NASCAR XFINITY Series race (time approx.)

Sunday, June 14:

On Track:

1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 (200 laps, 400 miles) – FOX Sports 1

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

9:15 a.m.: Brad Keselowski and Dave Pericak
10 a.m.: Ryan Newman, Mark Dantonio and Bill Emerson
4:15 p.m.: Post NASCAR Sprint Cup race (time approx.)

June 11, 2015
Martin Truex Jr. Celebrates Victory and Life after Pocono Win

The challenges of the last year and a half seemed to vanish as Martin Truex Jr. drove his No. 78 Chevy into victory lane after winning Sunday’s Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at Pocono Raceway to end a 69-race winless streak. It was his third career Sprint Cup win, his first with Furniture Row Racing and the first for crew chief Cole Pearn.

But this victory was about so much more than mere numbers. Its significance transcends breaking a losing streak, leading the most laps or cementing his standing in the Chase. This was about beating the odds, both professionally and personally.

Last year was one of the lowest points in Truex’s life as he struggled with his new team managing only five top-five finishes the entire season. But Truex remained committed to the small single-car team led by owner Barney Visser. His biggest test, however, came as longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex underwent treatment for cancer.

Truex was inspired by her strength, saying, “She showed me what she was made of and I was like, wow, if she can do that then I can do this, this is easy.”

This season has seen a resurgence of Truex’s career, perhaps sparked by Pollex’s remission. The couple hugged after he climbed out of his car and one can only imagine the myriad of emotions they experienced in that brief moment, particularly since Truex lost his grandmother this week.

“Sherry is here healthy and is excited as I am and everything is going well for her,” said Truex.

“It never gets any better than this,” he exclaimed. “It takes time to heal things especially with what Sherry and I went through. This just kind of makes you forget all about it. Tomorrow we are still going back to normal life. We always try to remember that and be ourselves and remember why we are here and how lucky we are to be doing this. I just feel super blessed to be with this group of guys. They are super impressive and I’m just proud to drive cars for them.”

Truex’s win was popular within the NASCAR community. Even second place finisher, Kevin Harvick, said, “If you’re going to lose to somebody today, that’s a great person to lose to.”

“You look at everything, personally and professionally Martin and Sherry have dealt with,” he continued, “and you have to be super-happy for them. To see them have that bright spot is something I think the whole garage will support and be happy with.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. agreed, saying, “I’m just happy for him. I know he’s been through a lot of stuff, both inside the car and outside the car the last several years. He’s been able to get into a good opportunity with good people. He’s got a team that believes in him. They’ve come a long way over the last several years.”

Truex was humbled by the support of his fellow competitors.

“It means a lot, it really does, because there’s going to come a time when racing and where you finish in races doesn’t matter,” Truex said. “What’s going to matter is kind of the legacy you leave and how people look at the person that you are. So that means a ton to me to have that respect, and, honestly, it’s kind of humbling.”

Sometimes winning isn’t everything. Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. Today was one of those days.

June 8, 2015
Kurt Busch Wins Coors Light Pole Award in Pocono

Seth Livingstone, NASCAR Wire Service

LONG POND, Pa. — NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying can be fraught with twists, turns and unexpected bumps in the road.

Friday’s qualifying session at Pocono Raceway, which saw Kurt Busch capture the Coors Light Pole for Sunday’s Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400, had them all.

Throughout the day, Turn 2, the Tunnel Turn, had been a major topic of concern.

“There are grocery store parking lots around the country that are jealous of those three bumps that have developed there,” said Busch, speculating that an offseason beautification project with water feature, enhancing the exterior tunnel entry, somehow created the lumpy racing surface.

“To me, if they could just go ahead and take some bumps like that and put them over in the other corners too, it would be even better,” said Carl Edwards. “It adds something. As long as it’s not breaking parts, I believe it gives us an opportunity to set up passes.”

Ultimately, the issue with the bumpy track took a back seat when Denny Hamlin spun in Turn 1 in the final minute of qualifying, halting the session with 39 seconds remaining and preventing himself and four other drivers from posting a time in the final round.

“It really is a bizarre set of circumstances,” said Jimmie Johnson, a winner of four races this season but one of the drivers left in the qualifying cold. “It’s just unfortunate (for) the guys that were on the track. But as long as NASCAR is consistent (with the rule) through all three series, then we will take our medicine and just deal with it. We (start) ninth. That is the best we’ve been in a while.

Joey Logano, the last driver not from Hendrick Motorsports to win at Pocono, was not so forgiving. Logano said he already had a ‘headache’ thanks to the bumps, and that was before his lap in progress was negated by Hamlin’s spin.

“A car spins out and they throw a red flag for it and then you don’t get an opportunity to go out and make a lap,” Logano said. “I don’t understand it. It makes me mad. I don’t get it. We didn’t even have a chance to try to put our car up front.”

Busch suggested that Pocono Raceway attempt to grind the bumps prior to Sunday’s race. Earnhardt was encouraged that Pocono Raceway CEO Brandon Igdalsky was not only aware of the situation, but planning to take action before the Sprint Cup Series returns in late July.

“I feel like they understand that while we can probably get through this weekend with what’s back there right now, it’s probably not in their best interest to leave it as-is,” Earnhardt said. “It will continue to get worse and I don’t think that we can get our race cars through there if it gets much worse than it is.”

Carl Edwards finished second in qualifying. “My plan with Denny (Joe Gibbs Racing teammate) almost worked out,” Edwards joked. “But he didn’t spin early enough to keep Kurt from catching me.”

Martin Truex Jr. qualified third in the Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet, unaware that the session had been cut short but well aware of the challenges in Turn 2.

“It’s wild,” he said. “The first time through there, I thought either our car was way off or there’s something wrong with the race track. The bumps are 10 times bigger than they were last year, which is crazy. You’re going across bumps that are 8-10 inches tall and, literally, the tires are coming off the ground.”

Jeff Gordon qualified fourth and series leader Kevin Harvick, who posted the fastest lap in each of the first two qualifying sessions, was fifth. Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne were the other drivers who were burned by Hamlin’s spin, having waited too long to attempt a lap in the five-minute session.

Kurt Busch noted during practice that he was losing speed in Turns 1 and 3 and elected to focus on the vast majority of the course, not the troubles in Turn 2. His team also overcame a “wrong gear ratio in the transmission in third gear.”

“There was so much disconnect when we first got here,” said Busch, whose third pole of the season was the 19th of his career. “We had to drop back, reboot with (crew chief) Tony Gibson, (engineer) Johnny Klausmeier, the whole gang. Today was a big group-bonding day and a strength-building day on what this No. 41 team can do together.”

With 43 race entries, all drivers qualified for Sunday’s race.

Tony Stewart, mired in 28th in the point standings, was forced to a backup car after a crash coming out of the Tunnel Turn in the 36th minute of Friday’s practice session. Stewart was 28th in the first round of qualifying and failed to advance. “Driver error,” said Stewart, who has managed just one top-10 finish this season. “I was already past the bump. I got loose on the exit (of the turn) and couldn’t catch it.”

June 5, 2015
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Pocono and Texas

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Texas Motor Speedway. The XFINITY Series is off but will return June 13 at Michigan. Please check below for the full schedule.

All times Eastern.

Thursday, June 4:

On Track:

5:30-6:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series practice
7:30-8:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice

Friday, June 5:

On Track:

Noon-1:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
4:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series qualifying – FOX Sports 1
6:15 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
9 p.m.: WinStar World Casino 400 – FOX Sports 1 (Green Flag 9:19 p.m. approx.)

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

10:30 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
2:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
3 p.m.: Joey Logano
3:15 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying (time approx.)

Saturday, June 6:

On Track:

9-9:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice – FOX Sports 1

Sunday, June 7:

On Track:

1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 (160 laps, 400 miles) – FOX Sports (Green Flag 1:20 p.m. approx.)

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

9:15 a.m.: Kyle Larson
3:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race (time approx.)

June 4, 2015

Jimmie Johnson Notches Historic Tenth Win at Monster Mile

He may have qualified in the fourteenth position, but Jimmie Johnson did what he usually does at the Monster Mile, scoring another win, his tenth in fact in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

And with that, the driver of the No. 48 Lowes Pro Services Chevrolet also made history, becoming just the fifth driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to have ten or more victories at a single track, joining Richard Petty, David Person, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt.

“I felt like it was going to be a game of inches today,” Johnson said. “We were able to leap frog some guys on some pit stops.”

“It all came together for us very late but we were able to get that tenth win.”

“It was so great to be able to come here and compete for it,” Chad Knaus, crew chief, said. “I didn’t really realize we were doing that. To be able to run the way we did was great.”

“We didn’t qualify as well as we wanted but Jimmie got us to fifth quite quickly. Finally we started to put it together and once Jimmie was in position to battle for the lead, he did it.”

“I couldn’t be prouder. It was pretty awesome.”

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 ditech Chevrolet, finished second while the driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet Kyle Larson finished third.

“We got really tight and then we freed up a lot and got better,” Larson said. “We gained a couple spots each time.”

“Our first good run of the year and hopefully we have many more.”

“Once the track bar broke, we were pretty much in a box,” Harvick said. “But all in all, the team did a great job. Dover has been a good race track for us. We’ve led laps but haven’t quite finished it off yet.”

“But a good solid day.”

This was Harvick’s 13^th top-10 finish in Dover and his 12^th top-10 finish for the season. He leads the point standings by 44 over Martin Truex Jr.

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne rebounded from a 25 place qualifying position to finish fourth in his No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet. And rounding out the top-5 was Aric Almirola in the No. 43 Smithfield Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports.

“I earned my money today that is for sure,” Almirola said. “This Smithfield Ford Fusion was a handful most of the day. It started off extremely tight. Trent Owens and the guys made really good adjustments on the car and got it better and better.”

“Finally we weren’t the lucky dog, we raced and stayed on the lead lap and when the caution came out we got a chance to restart with the leaders. That was the big break for us.”

“Every time we would get the lucky dog I had to start dead last and 30-40-50 laps the leaders were right back on me. It was a great day for us, a really good point’s day for us.”

“I am proud of Trent Owens and all the guys at Richard Petty Motorsports. They have been working their guts out trying to bring better cars to the race track week in and week out.”

“We have to get better qualifying. That is our Achilles heel right now. We start too deep in the field every week. All in all it was a good day for us and I am ready to go to Pocono.”

Martin Truex Jr. led many laps but finished sixth. Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top ten in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks.

The full finishing results are as follows:

2015 NSCS FedEx 400 Race Results

Fin	Str	Car	Driver	Team	Lap	Pts	BPts	Status	TLd	LLd
1	14	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe’s Pro Services Chevrolet	405	47	4	Running	1	23
2	6	4	Kevin Harvick	ditech Chevrolet	405	43	1	Running	2	91
3	3	42	Kyle Larson	Target Chevrolet	405	41		Running
4	25	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet	405	40		Running
5	23	43	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Ford	405	39		Running
6	2	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet	405	40	2	Running	3	131
7	11	1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet	405	37		Running
8	18	27	Paul Menard	Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet	405	36		Running
9	20	15	Clint Bowyer	AAA Insurance Toyota	405	36	1	Running	1	1
10	22	24	Jeff Gordon	3M Chevrolet	405	34		Running
11	5	22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil Ford	405	33		Running
12	19	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Ford	404	33	1	Running	1	28
13	15	55	David Ragan	Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota	404	31		Running
14	16	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Nationwide Chevrolet	403	31	1	Running	1	3
15	33	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy Chevrolet	403	29		Running
16	26	14	Tony Stewart	Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet	403	28		Running
17	7	16	Greg Biffle	Safety-Kleen Ford	403	27		Running
18	17	31	Ryan Newman	Caterpillar Chevrolet	402	26		Running
19	8	19	Carl Edwards	Stanley Toyota	402	26	1	Running	1	3
20	30	7	Alex Bowman	Chevrolet	402	24		Running
21	1	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Cares Toyota	402	24	1	Running	4	118
22	28	9	Sam Hornish Jr.	Twisted Tea Ford	400	22		Running
23	43	40	Landon Cassill(i)	CRC Brakleen Chevrolet	400	0		Running
24	29	47	AJ Allmendinger	Scott Products Chevrolet	400	20		Running
25	32	38	David Gilliland	The Pete Store Ford	399	19		Running
26	37	35	Cole Whitt	Ford	399	18		Running
27	21	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Chevrolet	399	17		Running
28	38	34	Brett Moffitt #	Dockside Logistics Ford	398	16		Running
29	40	23	JJ Yeley(i)	Dr Pepper Toyota	397	0		Running
30	35	26	Jeb Burton #	Maxim Fantasy Sports Toyota	396	14		Running
31	13	41	Kurt Busch	Haas Automation Chevrolet	396	13		Running
32	36	83	Matt DiBenedetto #	Burger King Toyota	395	12		Running
33	12	3	Austin Dillon	DOW Chevrolet	395	11		Running
34	41	62	Brendan Gaughan(i)	Chevrolet	392	0		Running
35	42	32	Mike Bliss(i)	CorvetteParts.net Ford	391	0		Running
36	10	18	Kyle Busch	Skittles Toyota	374	9	1	Accident	2	7
37	9	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Ford EcoBoost Ford	373	7		Running
38	27	33	Brian Scott(i)	ACME Chevrolet	372	0		Accident
39	4	20	Matt Kenseth	Dollar General Toyota	346	5		Suspension
40	39	98	Josh Wise	Ford	346	4		Electrical
41	34	46	Michael Annett	Pilot Flying J Chevrolet	317	3		Running
42	24	51	Justin Allgaier	AccuDoc Solutions/FOE Chevrolet	310	2		Running
43	31	6	Trevor Bayne	AdvoCare Ford	221	1		Running

# = Rookie, Fin = Finish, Str = Start, Pts = Total Points, BPs = Lap Leader Bns Pts, TLd = Times Led, LLd = Laps Led. (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

May 31, 2015

Denny Hamlin Scores Pole; Martin Truex Jr. Starts Second

In the 46th annual FedEx 400, it was only fitting that the No. 11 FedEx Cares Toyota, piloted by Denny Hamlin, scored the pole position, with a speed of 160.121 mph and a time of 22.483 seconds.

With his pole run, Hamlin has now secured that honor in three of the six races at the Monster Mile.

“It’s great,” Hamlin said of his first place starting spot. “Our car has been running great. We’re getting better and this kind of shows it.

“We still haven’t won here but we’ve been a lot more competitive. Whatever about this qualifying just suits my style. We’ve qualified well here in the past and haven’t raced well but I’m confident that on Sunday we will be contenders.”

Hamlin not only credited participating in a Goodyear tire test for at least a portion of his qualifying success, but he also paid tribute to the FedEx employees, whom he represents.

“It’s so special,” Hamlin said. “The FedEx Cares car is about the employees and the hours they spend volunteering. My team just brought me another fast Camry.

“The extra laps here I got from the test gives me that extra confidence. Overall, we’re just clicking away, getting a little better as the season goes.”

Martin Truex Jr., behind the wheel of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet, took the outside pole in the same car that had raced just several days ago at Charlotte. Truex was just a bit slower than Hamlin, with a time of 22.539 seconds and a speed of 159.723 mph.

“We were close,” Truex said. “For whatever reason, the car got really tight. Missed it a little bit but had an awesome race car. The team hit it damn near perfect. Another good day and can’t wait to see what we can do on Sunday.”

What made Truex’s qualifying run so extraordinary was that his team in Denver turned the Charlotte car into the Dover car in almost 24 hours.

“It’s just awesome to see the effort put in,” Truex said. “I’m thankful for all the hard work back in Denver. This car got back there from Charlotte Monday night and had to leave to come here Tuesday night. Awesome job by my team to turn that car around.

“Everyone is very excited about how we’ve been running and everyone can just taste that victory. They are working extra hard to do whatever it takes to get over that extra hump.

“I have to say thanks to everyone and I love driving their cars.”

This was also Truex’s best qualifying effort of the season to date.

The third place starter for the race will be Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet. Larson qualified in 22.545 seconds and a speed of 159.681 mph.

“It’s an aggressive race track, which suits my style,” Larson said. “It’s a good start and it’s been awhile since I’ve been in the media center.

“Looking forward to trying to get faster and we have good pit selection. I’m hoping for a good race on Sunday.”

Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch round out the top ten in the starting lineup.

Jeb Burton was the fastest qualifying rookie and will start in the 35th position.

The full starting lineup for the FedEx 400, which is set to kick off shortly after 1:00 PM on Sunday afternoon on FOX Sports, is as follows:

2015 NSCS FedEx 400 Starting Lineup

Pos	Car	Driver	Team	Time	Speed
1	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Cares Toyota	22.483	160.121
2	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet	22.539	159.723
3	42	Kyle Larson	Target Chevrolet	22.545	159.681
4	20	Matt Kenseth	Dollar General Toyota	22.546	159.674
5	22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil Ford	22.557	159.596
6	4	Kevin Harvick	ditech Chevrolet	22.571	159.497
7	16	Greg Biffle	Safety-Kleen Ford	22.573	159.483
8	19	Carl Edwards	Stanley Toyota	22.609	159.229
9	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Ford EcoBoost Ford	22.635	159.046
10	18	Kyle Busch	Skittles Toyota	22.645	158.975
11	1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet	22.683	158.709
12	3	Austin Dillon	DOW Chevrolet	22.743	158.29
13	41	Kurt Busch	Haas Automation Chevrolet	22.657	158.891
14	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe’s Pro Services Chevrolet	22.668	158.814
15	55	David Ragan	Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota	22.69	158.66
16	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Nationwide Chevrolet	22.716	158.479
17	31	Ryan Newman	Caterpillar Chevrolet	22.747	158.263
18	27	Paul Menard	Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet	22.76	158.172
19	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Ford	22.761	158.165
20	15	Clint Bowyer	AAA Insurance Toyota	22.764	158.144
21	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Chevrolet	22.771	158.096
22	24	Jeff Gordon	3M Chevrolet	22.773	158.082
23	43	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Ford	22.773	158.082
24	51	Justin Allgaier	AccuDoc Solutions/FOE Chevrolet	22.83	157.687
25	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet	22.746	158.27
26	14	Tony Stewart	Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet	22.773	158.082
27	33	Brian Scott(i)	ACME Chevrolet	22.779	158.04
28	9	Sam Hornish Jr.	Twisted Tea Ford	22.832	157.673
29	47	AJ Allmendinger	Scott Products Chevrolet	22.834	157.66
30	7	Alex Bowman	Chevrolet	22.886	157.301
31	6	Trevor Bayne	AdvoCare Ford	22.912	157.123
32	38	David Gilliland	The Pete Store Ford	22.922	157.054
33	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy Chevrolet	22.98	156.658
34	46	Michael Annett	Pilot Flying J Chevrolet	22.983	156.638
35	26	Jeb Burton #	Maxim Fantasy Sports Toyota	22.985	156.624
36	83	Matt DiBenedetto #	Burger King Toyota	23.114	155.75
37	35	Cole Whitt	Ford	Owner Points
38	34	Brett Moffitt #	Dockside Logistics Ford	Owner Points
39	98	Josh Wise	Ford	Owner Points
40	23	JJ Yeley(i)	Dr Pepper Toyota	Owner Points
41	62	Brendan Gaughan(i)	Chevrolet	Owner Points
42	32	Mike Bliss(i)	CorvetteParts.net Ford	Owner Points
43	40	Landon Cassill(i)	CRC Brakleen Chevrolet	Owner Points

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

Source: Timing and Scoring provided by NASCARMedia/NASCAR Statistics

May 29, 2015