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Race Central NASCAR Cup Series news and information

Truex Fastest in Final Practice at Homestead

Martin Truex Jr. topped the chart in final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 31.543 and a speed of 171.195 mph. Clint Bowyer was second in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford with a time of 31.804 and a speed of 169.790 mph. Denny Hamlin was third in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 31.807 and a speed of 169.774 mph. Erik Jones was fourth in his No. 77 Furniture Row Toyota with a time of 31.817 and a speed of 169.721 mph. Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with a time of 31.849 and a speed of 169.550 mph.

Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top-10. Brad Keselowski was 11th and Kevin Harvick rounds out the Playoff drivers in 18th.

Kyle Busch posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average of 164.681 mph.

Second Practice Results

First Practice Results

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November 18, 2017
Hamlin Fastest at Homestead in Second Practice

Denny Hamlin topped the chart in second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 31.555 and a speed of 171.130 mph. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 31.638 and a speed of 170.681 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was third in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 31.761 and a speed of 170.020 mph. Kurt Busch was fourth in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford with a time of 31.850 and a speed of 169.545 mph. Kasey Kahne rounded out the top-five in his No. 5 HMS Chevrolet with a time of 31.958 and a speed of 168.972 mph.

Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top-10.

Kyle Busch was 16th and Kevin Harvick rounded out the Playoff drivers in 17th.

Hamlin posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 165.574 mph.

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November 18, 2017
Hamlin Takes Pole Position at Homestead

After posting a lap that was three-tenths faster than his closest competitor while he was on track, pole position all but belonged to Martin Truex Jr. But after time expired, Denny Hamlin edged him out by five-one thousandths of a second and took the pole for the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota won the pole with a final round time of 31.038 and a speed of 173.980 mph.

“We had him there by a little bit. I messed up (Turns) 3 and 4 by a bunch, but honestly a great run. We did great adjustments there in between runs. Our FedEx Camry was obviously very fast that last run.”

It’s his 26th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole.

Truex qualified second with a final round time of 31.043 and a speed of 173.952 mph.

“It was a good effort today by everyone on the Bass Pro Camry team. Just come here, (with) a lot of pressure, a lot going on. And to be able to stay focused, have a solid day was important. Definitely wished we could’ve been first, five thousandths away from that. But the first two rounds were really good and just missed it a little bit that last one. Proud of everybody. We outran the other three guys, which is good. But I don’t think it’s a big deal, because we were all pretty tight together and this is a track you can pass on. All and all, successful day, and one spot from where we wanted to be.”

Kyle Busch will start third with a final round time of 31.047 and a speed of 173.980 mph. Matt Kenseth will start fourth with a final round time of 31.272 and a speed of 172.678 mph. Brad Keselowski will round out the top-five starters with a final round time of 31.313 and a speed of 172.452 mph.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez will round out the top-10 starters.

Ryan Blaney and Trevor Bayne will round out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying.

No car failed to make the race.

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November 17, 2017
Kyle Busch Fastest in First Practice at Homestead

Kyle Busch topped the chart in first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 31.269 and a speed of 172.695 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was second in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 31.299 and a speed of 172.529 mph. Kevin Harvick was third in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford with a time of 31.420 mph. Kyle Larson was fourth in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 31.539 and a speed of 171.217 mph. Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five in his No. 11 Gibbs Toyota with a time of 31.606 and a speed of 170.854 mph.

Trevor Bayne, Jimmie Johnson, Michael McDowell, Kurt Busch and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top-10.

Brad Keselowski rounded out the Playoff drivers in 21st.

During the session, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s engine malfunctioned — “something broke,” as he put it on Twitter afterwards — and he’ll start the race from the tail-end of the field.

Larson posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 165.012 mph.

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November 17, 2017
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Homestead Championship Weekend

All three series head to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend to crown their champions. The Camping World Truck Series finale will air on FS1 Friday evening, followed by the XFINITY Series race Saturday afternoon on NBCSN. Sunday the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will hit the track for the title event at 3 p.m. on NBC to determine its 2017 champion.

Please check below for the complete schedule of events. All times are Eastern.

Friday, Nov. 17

On-Track:
8:30-9:25 a.m.: World Truck S.ies Practice – FS1
10-10:55 a.m.: World Truck Series Final Practice – FS1
12:30-1:55 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – NBCSN
2:30-3:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN
3:30 p.m.: Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
5-5:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN
6:15 p.m.: Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
8 p.m.: Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (134 laps, 201 miles) – FS1

Garage Cam: (Watch live)
Noon: Cup Series
2 p.m.: XFINITY Series

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
10:20 a.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11:30 a.m.: Joe Gibbs (Owner, Joe Gibbs Racing), Joe Garone (President, Furniture Row Racing), Tony Stewart (Owner, Stewart-Haas Racing) and Walt Czarnecki (Executive Vice President, Penske Corporation)
4:30 p.m.: Ron Hornaday Jr.
7:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-Cup Series qualifying, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski
10:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-Camping World Truck Series Race/Champion

Saturday, Nov. 18

On-Track
10-10:55 a.m.: Cup Series Practice – CNBC
11:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – CNBC
1-1:50 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN
3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (200 laps, 300 miles) – NBCSN

Press Conference: (Watch live)
9:15 a.m.: NASCAR Partnership Announcement
12:20 p.m.: Jim Campbell (Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports), Dave Pericak (Global Director of Ford Performance) and Ed Laukes (Group Vice President, Marketing for Toyota Motor North America)
6 p.m. (approx.): Post-XFINITY Series Race/Champion

Sunday, Nov. 19

On-Track
3 p.m.: Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) – NBC

Press Conference: (Watch live)
11 a.m.: NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and NASCAR President Brent Dewar
6:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-Cup Series Race/Champion

Complete TV Schedule

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

Race Details:

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Race: Ford EcoBoost 200
Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Date: Friday, Nov. 17
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 201 miles (134 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on lap 134)

NASCAR XFINITY Series
Race: Ford EcoBoost 300
Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Date: Saturday, Nov. 18
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Race: Ford EcoBoost 400
Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Date: Sunday, Nov. 19
Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 80), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on lap 267)

November 16, 2017
Elliott Winds up out of Title Picture with Runner-up Finish

Chase Elliott posted a solid afternoon in the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway and knocked Denny Hamlin out of contention for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship, but got passed in the closing laps and failed to clinch a spot in the Championship 4 title race next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Starting the afternoon from fourth, Elliott took the lead on Lap 13 when he passed pole-sitter Ryan Blaney in the dogleg.

He got loose in Turn 3 on Lap 26, which allowed Hamlin to pass him exiting Turn 4 and take the lead. Entering Turn 1 moments later, Elliott put the chrome bumper to Hamlin and took back the lead, only to lose it again the following lap when Hamlin powered by him on the outside exiting Turn 2.

Elliott ended the first stage with a third-place finish.

The second stage for him was uneventful, as he finished ninth.

With 44 laps to go, Elliott and Hamlin were making contact with each other. Elliott tapped Hamlin in Turn 3 to pass him. Then they made contact past the exit of Turn 4, with Hamlin scrapping the outside wall and slamming the Turn 3 wall six laps later.

Since the skirmish came two weeks after their highly publicized run-in at Martinsville Speedway, Elliott was asked if the run-in in this race stemmed from that.

“A wise man once told me that he’ll race guys how they race him with a smile on his face, so that’s what I did today,” he said. “I raced him how he raced me, and that’s the way I saw it. That’s about all I have to say.”

With 28 to go, Elliott short-cut the dogleg and passed Matt Kenseth entering Turn 3 to retake the lead. Unfortunately for Elliott, Kenseth ran him down, powered around his outside through Turn 3 with nine to go and took the checkered flag.

“Yeah, our car was really good on the short run after those cautions and the rubber got picked up. As I went, I just got tighter and tighter and couldn’t keep it turning and couldn’t roll the middle like I needed to. I felt like I might have had enough to keep him back there if I hit all my marks and got really tight off (Turn) 2 and made it one lap and basically gave away all my gap and once he got there it was obviously hard to hold him off.”

Elliott finished runner-up for the seventh-time, losing out on the final Playoff spot to Brad Keselowski.

“Man, it’s such a bummer to be so freaking close again. Had a shot to go race for a championship next week, so we fought as hard as we could today. I told my guys a minute ago, at some point we will figure out how to close or I will figure out how to close and we can have some great opportunities down the road, I hope.”

Elliott leaves Phoenix fifth in points.

November 13, 2017
Kenseth Plays Playoff Spoiler at Phoenix

If Matt Kenseth doesn’t race in NASCAR again after next Sunday, he went out in a blaze of glory by denying Chase Elliott his golden ticket to the championship round and ending year and a half winless drought in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

Following a clustered restart with 32 laps to go, Elliott passed Kenseth through the dog leg and entering Turn 3 to take the lead with 28 to go.

Kenseth wouldn’t be denied, however, as he ran down, gave him a tap in Turn 4 with 12 to go, finally passed him entering Turn 3 to take the lead with nine to go and drove on to score his 39th career victory in 650 career starts.

On the cool down lap, a number of drivers drove up alongside — and in the case of Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., tapped him from behind — to congratulate him.

When he got out of his car at the start/finish line, the stoic Kenseth climbed onto the roof and started tearing up as the fans cheered him on.

Elliott finished second and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the podium.

Erik Jones and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five.

Jamie McMurray, Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top-10.

RACE SUMMARY

Ryan Blaney led the field to the green flag at 2:39 p.m. Elliott short-cut the dog leg to pass Blaney entering Turn 3 and take the lead on Lap 13. He got loose in Turn 3, allowing Hamlin to pass him exiting Turn 4 and take the lead on Lap 26, only to lose it a lap later when Elliott put the chrome bumper to him going into Turn 1. Hamlin responded on Lap 28 when he powered by Elliott on the outside exiting Turn 2 to take it back. Kyle Larson took the lead from out of nowhere on Lap 68 and drove on to win the first stage.

When Hamlin took it back under the first stage break, he held it past the second stage break, the points for which he won, and lost under the third caution — due to Trevor Bayne blowing a tire in Turn 4 — when his car stalled briefly on pit road, handing the lead to Matt Kenseth.

Hamlin’s wreck in Turn 3 with 38 to go setup the run to the finish.

CAUTION SUMMATION

The first caution flew on Lap 75 for the end of the first stage. Jimmie Johnson’s wreck in Turn 4, due to a tire blowout, brought out the second caution on Lap 149. Bayne brought out the third caution on Lap 229 when he suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the outside wall in Turn 4. A brake hose in Turn 1 brought out the fourth caution with 74 laps to go. Chris Buescher brought out the fifth caution with 59 to go, as well as a red flag for a fire in the SAFER barrier that his brake rotor caused. Cole Whitt’s wreck in Turn 4 brought out the sixth caution with 50 to go. Hamlin’s wreck in Turn 3 brought out the final caution with 38 to go.

NUTS & BOLTS

The race lasted two hours, 57 minutes and 23 seconds, at an average speed of 105.534 mph.

Truex, Kyle Busch, Harvick and Brad Keselowski advance to the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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November 12, 2017
Hamlin’s Dominant Run Ends in the Wall

Denny Hamlin’s day was dominant, but contact with Chase Elliott late in the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway knocked him out of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Starting the afternoon in second, Hamlin first took the lead on Lap 26 when passed Elliott exiting Turn 4, after he got loose, only to lose it a lap later when Elliott put the chrome bumper to him in Turn 1. On Lap 28, Hamlin powered around his outside in Turn 2 to take the lead.

He was challenged late in the stage by Kyle Larson, who took it from him on Lap 68 and Hamlin settled for second in the first stage.

After beating Larson off pit road, Hamlin commanded the lead for the next 151 laps. During which, he took the green and checkered flag to win the second stage.

When Trevor Bayne brought out the third caution, Hamlin lost the lead on pit road when his car stalled briefly and exited behind teammate Matt Kenseth.

With 42 laps to go, Elliott again put the bumper to Hamlin through Turn 4. But past the exit, they made contact again and Hamlin brushed the wall. Over the next few laps, smoke started billowing from the right-front tire, the tell-tale sign of a tire rub. With 38 to go, the tire gave way as he entered Turn 3, he veered up the track and slammed the outside wall, ending his day and Playoff run.

“Well we had a fast car all day. We did essentially our job all day long. We put ourselves in good position. Things just didn’t work out there, in the end.”

All of this comes in the wake of the much-publicized incident two weeks ago at Martinsville Speedway, in which Hamlin dumped Elliott in Turn 3 with three laps to go to try, but failed, to win the race himself.

Hamlin was asked if he thought that his apology following the incident would prevent something along the lines of what took him out.

“Each person has their own opinion of how they do things, and it just proves to the people that thought I was the bad guy that he would do the exact same thing under the same circumstances. It’s part of racing. I got into him, and he chose to retaliate and, so, I’m in the garage and that’s the way it is.

“We did a great job all day. This is the best car I’ve had in a very long time. We just got behind on a pit stop, and that just gave those guys an opportunity to get close.”

Hamlin ended the day in 37th and sixth in points, trailing Elliott by 17 for fifth.

November 12, 2017
Harvick Fastest in Final Practice at Phoenix

Kevin Harvick topped the chart in final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Phoenix Raceway.

The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was the fastest with a time of 26.672 and a speed of 134.973 mph. Kyle Busch was second in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 26.799 and a speed of 134.333 mph. Kasey Kahne was third in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 28.800 and a speed of 134.328 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was fourth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 26.803 and a speed of 134.313 mph. Clint Bowyer rounded out the top-five in his No. 14 SHR Ford with a time of 26.813 and a speed of 134.263 mph.

Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-10.

Chase Elliott rounded out the Playoff drivers in 17th.

Johnson posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 133.549 mph.

Second Practice Results

First Practice Results

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November 11, 2017
Harvick Fastest at Phoenix in Second Practice

Kevin Harvick topped the chart in second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Phoenix Raceway.

The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was the fastest with a time of 26.800 and a speed of 134.328 mph. Chase Elliott was second in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 26.833 and a speed of 134.163 mph. Kasey Kahne was third in his No. 5 Hendrick Chevrolet with a time of 26.849 and a speed of 134.083 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was fourth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 26.854 and a speed of 134.058 mph. Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 26.879 and a speed of 133.934 mph.

Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson rounded out the top-five.

Jimmie Johnson was 14th, Ryan Blaney was 20th and Brad Keselowski rounded out the Playoff drivers in 21st.

Erik Jones, who posted the 13th-fastest single-lap, posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 133.060 mph.

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November 11, 2017