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Tag: Alex Bowman

  • Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    When the green flag waves in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 19, Alex Bowman will reach a significant milestone in his racing career. By starting this Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at the Lone Star state, Bowman will make his 100th Cup start in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

    When the 2015 season concluded, Bowman had competed in his first two full-time seasons in the Cup Series between BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing. His best finishes between the two seasons was 13th at Daytona in July 2014 and 16th at Talladega in May 2015. Prior to the 2016 season, however, Bowman was left without a full-time ride after Tommy Baldwin Racing decided to replace Bowman with Regan Smith for the upcoming Cup season. All the Arizona native had in his racing schedule for 2016 was a nine-race stint in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.

    Through July and following his first five races with JRM, Bowman finished in the top 10 in all of his starts, which included a third-place result at Dover in May. Then, an opportunity made way for him when Dale Earnhardt Jr., two-time Daytona 500 champion and one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, experienced concussion-like symptoms and did not participate in the upcoming Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July 2016. During the race, Bowman had a strong run in his first Cup race in Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Nationwide/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS led by crew chief Greg Ives. Despite running in the top 10 the majority of the run, he cut a tire on Lap 272 of 301 and finished 26th, but he still left New Hampshire satisfied with his run while receiving the opportunity to compete alongside NASCAR’s elite. Bowman and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon would, ultimately, fill in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2016 season when the concussion symptoms sidelined Earnhardt Jr. Competing in nine of the remaining 13 Cup races, Bowman recorded three top-10 results, including a career-best sixth place at Phoenix in November on a weekend where he recorded his first Cup career pole. He also competed in four more Xfinity races with JR Motorsports and earned two more top-10 results.

    Based on winning the pole position at Phoenix, Bowman piloted the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet in the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona in February 2017, where he finished third after battling Kyle Busch on the final lap. While Earnhardt Jr. returned to racing full time for the 2017 season, Bowman, again, was left without a full-time ride within NASCAR’s three major division series, making only one start in the NASCAR Truck Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway with GMS Racing in February, where he finished sixth. In April, Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from racing full time in the Cup Series and was a leading advocate for Bowman to replace him. On July 20, Bowman was officially named the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide/AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. For the remainder of the 2017 season, Bowman competed in two Xfinity Series races in the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing. In October at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he notched his first Xfinity career victory after leading the final 32 laps. He finished eighth in his other start at Phoenix in November.

    In his first run in the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2018, Bowman won the pole position for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 with a pole-winning speed at 195.644 mph in 46.002 seconds. Leading 13 laps, he finished 17th in the 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. Finishing no higher than 13th in the first five races of the 2018 season, Bowman recorded his first top-10 result, seventh, the following race at Martinsville Speedway. Two races later, he recorded his first career top-five result, fifth, at Bristol Motor Speedway. For the remaining 18 races of the regular season, Bowman recorded seven more top-10 results, including a career-best third place at Pocono Raceway in July, to make his Playoffs. With finishes of 19th, 12th and fourth in the three races of the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, he advanced to the Round of 12. The following round, he recorded finishes of 28th, 33rd and ninth, and was eliminated from title contention. Ultimately, he concluded the season in 16th in the final standings. During his first full-time season racing for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman recorded three top-five results, 11 top-10 results and an average result of 17.0. In May, he competed in the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway and won the first segment to advance to his first All-Star Race, where he finished last of the 21-car field following an accident in the third stage.

    Bowman started the 2019 Cup season by qualifying on the front row for the Daytona 500, starting alongside teammate and pole-sitter William Byron, and finishing fifth in the rain-shortened Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. For the first nine races of the season, he finished no higher than 11th. By then, he surpassed 50 starts with HMS. In April at Talladega Superspeedway, Bowman notched a career-best second place behind teammate Chase Elliott. He went on to finish in the runner-up spot the following two races at Dover and at Kansas. The following week, he finished third in the Monster Energy Open, but he advanced to the All-Star Race after winning the Fan Vote, where he finished eighth. For the next four races, he finished no higher than seventh. In June at Chicagoland Speedway, Bowman prevailed in a late battle with Kyle Larson to score his first NASCAR Cup Series career win. With the victory coming in his 134th series career start, Bowman became the 18th competitor to win driving for Hendrick Motorsports and the 192nd competitor to win a Cup race. He also recorded the first victory for the No. 88 HMS Chevrolet team led by crew chief Greg Ives since November 2015 at Phoenix, an accomplishment last made by Earnhardt Jr. The win at Chicagoland guaranteed the Arizona native a spot for the 2019 Cup Playoffs. In the three races featured in the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, Bowman recorded finishes of sixth, 23rd and second to advance to the Round of 12. For the second round, however, he recorded finishes of third, 37th and 11th, and was eliminated from championship contention. He went on to finish 12th in the final standings while recording seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results and an average result of 14.4.

    This season, Bowman recorded his second Cup career victory at Auto Club Speedway in March after leading a race-high 110 of the event’s 200-scheduled laps. He has also recorded two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average result of 16.9 through the first 17 Cup races of the 2020 season. He is coming off an eighth-place result in the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which occurred on July 15, and is ninth in the regular-season standings, trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 177 points. He is, nonetheless, guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Playoffs by virtue of his victory at Auto Club. He is also scheduled to remain as driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports after signing a one-year contract extension with the 12-time championship-winning team in May.

    Catch Bowman’s milestone start with Hendrick Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas on July 19, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Truex on pole position for NASCAR All-Star Race

    Truex on pole position for NASCAR All-Star Race

    The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. will start on pole position for the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race on Wednesday, July 15, by virtue of a random draw. The lineup was revealed during Monday night’s coverage of NASCAR Race Hub on FS1.

    Truex, who is in his second season driving the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, is ranked seventh in the Cup Series regular-season standings and trails points leader Kevin Harvick by 132 points. He is guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Playoffs by virtue of his victory at Martinsville Speedway in June. He will also make his ninth career start in NASCAR’s All-Star feature.

    Joining Truex on the front row is Alex Bowman, who will make his third consecutive All-Star Race appearance. Ryan Blaney, who will make his fourth consecutive All-Star start, will start third followed by newcomer Justin Haley, who will make his All-Star Race debut. Kevin Harvick, a two-time winner of the All-Star Race, will start fifth.

    Matt Kenseth, the 2004 All-Star Race champion who will pilot the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE that won last year’s race with Kyle Larson, will start in sixth followed by the 2010 All-Star winner and teammate Kurt Busch. Rookie Cole Custer, coming off his thrilling victory last Sunday at Kentucky Speedway, will roll off the grid in eighth while making his All-Star Race debut. Brad Keselowski will start ninth while Kyle Busch, the 2017 All-Star Race champion, will round out the top 10.

    Ryan Newman, the 2002 All-Star Race champion, will start 11th alongside Joey Logano, winner of the 2016 All-Star feature. Chase Elliott will start 13th next to teammate Jimmie Johnson, a four-time All-Star Race winner who will make his 19th and final start in the featured race. Denny Hamlin, the 2015 All-Star champion, will start 15th while teammate Erik Jones will round out the top-16 field as competitors that have already been guaranteed a spot for the main event.

    The final four spots of the 20-car field will be determined following the NASCAR All-Star Open, which will occur prior to the All-Star Race on July 15. The leaders/winners of each of the three segments will advance to the All-Star Race and will be joined by the Fan Vote winner.

    This year’s All-Star Race will occur at Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time in NASCAR history. Among the rules featured for the race includes the Choose Rule, where the competitors must commit to the inside or outside lane for a restart while approaching a designated spot on the track; extra sponsor exposure, where the car number will move to the rear wheel and allow the exposure of sponsors; and underglow lights, where the car automatically qualified for the All-Star Race will have lights glowing beneath the racing vehicles. This will mark the first time where the underglow lights will be featured on the cars since Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson sported underglow lights to their cars during the Burnouts on Broadway spectacle as part of NASCAR’s Champion’s Week in Nashville last December.

    This year’s All-Star Race will feature four segments with 55 laps in the first segment, 35 in the second, 35 in the third and 15 for the fourth and final segment, a total of 140 laps where one million dollars awaits the winner.

    The 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race will air on July 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Talladega Cup summer race features unique top-10 notables

    Talladega Cup summer race features unique top-10 notables

    While Ryan Blaney celebrated his first triumph of this year’s NASCAR Cup Series season at Talladega Superspeedway, there were a number of competitors who left one of the world’s fastest superspeedway venues with strong results within the top 10.

    The first was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Starting 20th, Stenhouse was competitive at the drop of the green flag as he carved his way towards the front. After finishing in 12th the first stage, Stenhouse started to flex his muscles as he and teammate Ryan Preece battled inside the top 10 throughout the second stage. On Lap 106, Stenhouse led his first lap of the day and led again six laps later. In a two-lap dash to the conclusion of the second stage, he returned to the lead and a lap later, he received a draft from Kyle Busch on the frontstretch to edge Ryan Blaney and win the stage, thus earning valuable stage points in his quest to make this year’s postseason. For the final stage, Stenhouse restarted 24th, but he made his way towards the front in the closing laps. Following a late caution and an overtime restart, Stenhouse was behind Blaney for the win entering the frontstretch. He made contact with Aric Almirola and battled dead even at the finish line with Blaney. When the dust settled, Stenhouse fell short of the win by 0.007 seconds and at a track where he scored his first Cup win in 2017. Nonetheless, the runner-up result was Stenhouse’s best in his first 13 races with JTG-Daugherty Racing and his third top-five result of the 2020 season. The result moved Stenhouse from 21st to 20th in the regular-season series standings, where he trails points leader Kevin Harvick by 227 points.

    “Yeah, I felt like I was a sitting duck there by myself,” Stenhouse said on MRN Radio. “Just trying to pick up different people to draft with all day. The Fords really stuck together, [Kyle Busch] and I pushed really good [at] each other and then, I don’t know what issue he had. So, I lost that guy, which I worked well with all day. All in all, our NOS Energy Drink car was really fast. Glad that a few fans got to stay here and watch a great race. I felt like we battled hard all day and put on a great show. It was fun.”

    Sliding across the finish line in third was Aric Almirola. A week after notching his first top-five result of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Almirola started 15th and settled at the rear of the field in the early laps of the race. Throughout the first stage, Almirola slowly moved his way towards the front, but settled in 20th following the first stage. Following the second stage, Almirola was in 25th. Prior to the overtime restart, Almirola was in seventh and a lap later, he was in eighth. Entering the frontstretch, he gained a huge run and had appeared to establish a race-winning move beneath Blaney before he made contact with Stenhouse inches from the finish line. Sliding backwards across the line, he was able to finish third and keep his car intact. With his second consecutive top-five result of the season, his best result in 13 Cup races this season and his sixth consecutive top-10 result at Talladega, Almirola moved from 13th to 12th in the standings, where he trails teammate Harvick by 153 points.

    “I thought we had a shot to get our Smithfield Ford Mustang in Victory Lane,” Almirola said on MRN. “We had a really good car and our strategy was to stay out of trouble all day and be there at the end. We were there at the end, it was close. We just couldn’t get it done. Proud of all of my guys on this team. We had a great week last week at Miami with a top five, and leave here at Talladega with another top five. So, we’ll keep building on that and looks like the ball’s going in the right direction for us.”

    Next was Erik Jones, who was inches from establishing a race-winning move on Blaney before he settled for a top-five finish. Starting 18th, Jones spent the majority of the race running at the back of the pack along with teammate Martin Truex Jr. while his other teammates, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, battled at the front. Following the first stage’s completion under caution, Jones was in 23rd and was also the second-highest Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with Truex behind him and Hamlin scored a lap down. Jones continued running towards the rear of the field throughout the second stage, where he finished 29th. With 42 laps remaining, Jones restarted second, but was forced off the track and below the double yellow lines (out of bounds) by Christopher Bell, which resulted in a penalty for Bell. He was running within the top 20 in the closing laps, but following a late caution and prior to an overtime restart, Jones moved up to 13th. On the final lap, he drafted Stenhouse towards the front and on the frontstretch, he was behind Blaney and was prepared to mount a last-lap pass for the win. After feigning a move on the outside, he moved to the inside, but was blocked by Blaney. He moved up the outside lane again with rookie John Hunter Nemechek behind him. Blaney moved up the track and made contact with Jones, which sent Jones into the wall. Despite sustaining significant damage to the front of his No. 20 Toyota Camry, Jones limped across the line in fifth following a three-race slump, where he finished no higher than 20th. With his third top-five result of the season and first at Talladega, Jones moved from 18th to 17th in the standings, where he trails Harvick by 185 points.

    Making his way to a sixth-place result was Chris Buescher. Starting 21st, Buescher finished 15th in the first stage and ninth in the second stage while spending the majority of the race inside the top 10 with a strong racecar. Following a series of late cautions and an overtime restart, Buescher was in third as he drafted Harvick to the front. He moved into second on the final lap, but did not receive any drafting help on the frontstretch as a handful of competitors overtook him for position. When the checkered flag waved, Buescher crossed the line in sixth for his third top-10 result of the season, his first at Talladega and his best result since finishing third in the Daytona 500 in February. With his result, Buescher, who also led four laps, remained in 19th in the standings and is 224 points behind Harvick.

    “Not a bad run for our Fastenal Ford Mustang and our team,” Buescher said in a post-race interview on social media. “Lots of excitement throughout the race at different areas and I obviously wanted to replay the end to do a little bit better. At the end of the day, it was a good run for us. We’ll go on to Pocono and go get a doubleheader.”

    Next was Alex Bowman. Coming into the weekend, Bowman had recorded two top-10 results in the previous eight races, one in the last seven. Starting eighth, Bowman remained towards the front in the early stages of the race. He led his first lap of the day on Lap 46 and again on Lap 50. He concluded the first stage in second under caution and emerged with the lead to start the second stage. By then, Bowman led a total of five laps before he was overtaken for the lead. When the second stage concluded, Bowman had fallen back to 16th. With three laps remaining, Bowman was in sixth when he dodged a late spin involving his teammate, Jimmie Johnson. With the race set into overtime, Bowman restarted within the top 15 and was able to battle his way to a seventh-place finish in two laps. With his fourth top-10 result of the season and third at Talladega, Bowman is eighth in the standings, trailing Harvick by 71 points. He is, nonetheless, guaranteed a spot in the postseason after winning earlier this season at Auto Club Speedway.

    Last but not least, John Hunter Nemechek rallied from an early incident to post a career-best run for him in the Cup Series and in his first tango at Talladega. Starting 22nd, Nemechek was inside the top 10 when the competition caution flew on Lap 25, but he settled in 16th following the first stage’s conclusion. While battling inside the top 10 at the race’s halfway point, Lap 94, Nemechek reported a possible cut tire to his No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford entering the frontstretch. He then got loose and spun near the pit road entrance, but he kept his car spinning in the tri-oval grass without damaging his car. Nemechek was able to rally from the spin to finish 14th in the second stage, two spots behind his teammate, Michael McDowell. Battling within the top 10 and 15 throughout the remainder of the race, Nemechek was in 13th when the caution flew with three laps remaining for a single-car incident and sent the race into overtime. Restarting 13th, Nemechek was just outside the top 10 to start the final lap. Then, with a multi-car wreck behind him, he made a charge into the top five in Turn 3. Entering the frontstretch, Nemechek tried to draft Jones to the win, but made contact with Jones and Jones slapped the wall but continued straight. At the finish line, Nemechek was able to cross the line in eighth for his second top-10 finish of his early Cup career and of the season, and to also emerge as the highest-running rookie of the race. With his best result in his 16th Cup Series start, Nemechek is 22nd in the standings, 252 points behind Harvick.

    “We had a really great run in our No. 38 Death Wish Coffee Ford Mustang today,” Nemechek said. “I really thought we had a shot at it at the end there, but I’m still proud of our entire team’s efforts. When we fired off, we were kind of tight, and then we had that tire go down in the second stage, but we managed to come back from it and battled into the top 10 by the end. I wish we would have won that thing, but a P8 finish at Talladega is still good for us and I want to thank everyone on the team for their support. I’m looking forward to giving Death Wish Coffee another chance at the checkered flag at Pocono.”

    The NASCAR Cup Series will return on June 27-28 for a special doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway. The first Pocono event will run on Saturday, June 27, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the second Pocono event will run on Sunday, June 28, at 4 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 105 of the final 108 laps, dominating the last stage to win the Folds Of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta.

    “The No. 4 Chevy was awesome today,” Harvick said. “I knew we were going to be fast by just looking at our paint scheme. Busch beer and Hunt Brothers Pizza make a lethal combination, and not just in your stomach.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano came home 10th at Atlanta, posting his fifth top 10 of the season.

    “I guess I could blame my performance on handling,” Logano said. “I didn’t have a handling problem last week at Bristol, because regarding the Chase Elliott wrecking me situation, I ‘handled’ it. Of course, I handled it not with a fist, but with the hand of compassion, which most would say has ruined too many budding feuds in this sport.”

    3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished ninth at Atlanta.

    “It’s an unprecedented time in our sport,” Keselowski said. “Hopefully, things will change. But how must Richard Petty and Richard Childress be feeling for criticizing kneeling athletes in the past? Probably like ‘Dicks.’”

    4. Chase Elliott: Elliott started on the pole at Atlanta and finished eighth.

    “It’s always fun racing on Atlanta’s surface,” Elliott said. “The track can get pretty slick, especially on the turns with their 24 degree banking. And a ‘slippery slope’ fits in perfectly with NASCAR’s newfound political stance.”

    5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stages 1 and 2 at Atlanta, but couldn’t catch Kevin Harvick over the course of the final stage. Truex settled for third, right behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch.

    “Harvick had the best car when it counted,” Truex said. “In other words, he was in the driver’s seat. That meant I had to take a back seat.”

    6. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 12th at Atlanta, and is eighth in the points standings.

    “It’s good to hear Bubba Wallace is doing better,” Bowman said. “I hear he got the ‘OK’ from doctors, right after they gave him the ‘IV.’”

    7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth at Atlanta and is now seventh in the Cup points standings, 94 out of first.

    “Wow,” Hamlin said, “Bubba Wallace passed out during an interview after the race. That’s one instance in which even Richard Petty says it’s okay to take a knee.”

    8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished fourth in the Folds Of Honor QuikTrip 500.

    “And speaking of ‘Quik Trips,’” Blaney said, “NASCAR’s road to racial justice recognition should be over soon, once the fan base takes its stand, which certainly won’t be on a knee.”

    9. Kyle Busch: Kyle Busch finished second at Atlanta, claiming his second consecutive top-five result.

    “Now that the Trucks bounty is off my head,” Busch said, “I feel like I’ve found a renewed focus. Just give me a few races, and I’m sure I’ll become the ‘poster boy’ for something.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished seventh at Atlanta and hasn’t won a race in over three years.

    “I think it’s great that we paused for a moment of silence before the start of the race,” Johnson said. “It would have been even better if we then paused for a moment of uncomfortable silence in honor of all the drivers and owners who haven’t spoken out against racial injustice.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fifth in the Coca-Cola 600 and remains atop the points standings with a 23 point lead over Joey Logano.

    “Chase Elliott must be devastated,” Harvick said. “And it shows. Even with the specter of Coronavirus all around us, he still can’t ‘mask’ his disappointment.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 3 and finished 13th at Charlotte.

    “I turned 30 on Sunday,” Logano said. “NASCAR officials gave me a pit road speeding penalty for my birthday, apparently.”

    3. Alex Bowman: Bowman won Stages 1 and 2 at Charlotte, but faded late and finished 19th. He is third in the points standings, 25 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “Chase Elliott might be a little upset at crew chief Alan Gustafson for the decision to pit,” Bowman said. “I hear Gustafson came to Chase’s hauler to console him. Chase was having none of it. He told Alan to ‘Get out.’ And, most importantly, he told him to ‘Stay out!’”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski stayed out on a caution with two laps remaining and held off Jimmie Johnson to win the Coca-Cola 600.

    “I’d like to thank my team,” Keselowski said, “as well as the fans. I’d also like to thank the ‘man upstairs.’ That’s what I call the person sitting atop Chase Elliott’s pit box who made the decision to pit.”

    5. Chase Elliott: Elliott pitted with the lead when a caution flew with two laps remaining, a decision that ultimately cost him the win. A dejected Elliott finished second.

    “We blew that,” Elliott said. “It was such a bad decision, I gave myself the finger.

    “We thought pitting was definitely the right call, but it turned out to be one of the dumbest moves we’ve made. No matter how you look at it, it was a ‘no brainer.’”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 29th, seven laps down, after a disastrous start in Charlotte.

    “I had a rough start to my night,” Hamlin said. “I had to pit before the green flag because my ballast weights fell out. My response was, ‘Weight! What?’

    “On the bright side, I’ve already got two wins this season. So, mask or no mask, it’s easy to ‘put on a happy face.’”

    7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished third at Charlotte, posting his second top-five of the season. He is seventh in the points standings, 79 out of first.

    “Charlotte’s race was called the ‘Coca-Cola 600,” Blaney said. “When I looked into the stands, however, I thought ‘Coke Zero.’”

    8. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 15th at Charlotte.

    “Kyle Larson won the World Of Outlaws race on Saturday night in Missouri,” Almirola said. “Earlier this year, he lost big in the ‘Words Of Outlaws.’”

    9. Kyle Busch: Busch came home fourth in the Coca Cola 600

    “It was an eventful week for Chase Elliott and his right arm,” Busch said. “First, I wrecked him in Darlington and he gives me the finger. Then, in Charlotte, he loses the race by his own hand.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished second at Charlotte, but was disqualified after failing post-race inspection and relegated to last place.

    “As Kyle Busch might say,” Johnson said, “you can’t fix this and have ice cream later. But if I were to have ice cream, it would definitely be from DQ.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Ryan Blaney: Blaney won Stage 2 and suffered a cut tire late in the final stage, which forced a pit stop and left him with a 19th-place finish.

    “Alex Bowman whipped the field by almost nine seconds,” Blaney said. “So mine wasn’t even the biggest ‘blowout’ of the race.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished 12th in the Auto Club 400 at Fontana.

    “It was cool to see Jimmie Johnson honored with the ‘5-Wide Salute,’” Logano said. “Maybe one day, I can receive that same appreciation. I kind of do now. However, my ‘5-Wide Salute’ is five people standing side-by-side giving me the ‘One-Finger Salute.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick came home ninth in a mostly uneventful Auto Club 400. He is fourth in the points standings, 12 out of first.

    “My ‘Kyle Busch Bounty’ really has people talking about the Gander Truck Series,” Harvick said. “And it has people talking more about Kyle Busch, which is actually what I was trying to avoid.”

    4. Alex Bowman: Bowman led 110 laps at Fontana and held off Kyle and Kurt Busch late to ease to victory in the Auto Club 400.

    “I promised a friend I’d get an ’88’ tattoo if I won,” Bowman said. “I’m sure people will have a lot of questions when they see my tattoo, like, ‘Cool, are you’re a Dale, Jr. fan”‘”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started second and finished seventh at Fontana.

    “I was honored with a ‘Five-Wide Salute’ during the warmup laps,” Johnson said. I’m really digging this farewell tour. I mean really digging it. It’s quite a turn-on actually. You could say I now have a ‘fete fetish.’”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fifth at Fontana, scoring his first top-five result of the season.

    “Good news,” Keselowski said. “NASCAR is transitioning to single lug nut wheels in 2021. In hockey, that would be a ‘one-timer.’ In baseball, it’s a ‘single.’ In basketball, it’s a ‘one-and-done.’”

    7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started at the back of the field and forged his way forward to finish sixth at Fontana, posting his second top-10 of the season.

    “We started at the back because we pitted to change a shock absorber on the warmup laps,” Hamlin said. “Little did we know that the real shock ‘absorber’ would be Kyle Larson’s rear bumper.”

    8. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fourth at California, recording his first top-five of the season. He is sixth in the points standings, 17 out of first.

    “I was just named brand ambassador for Hooters Spirits,” Elliott said. “In case you’re wondering, Hooters Spirits is not a haunted Hooter’s restaurant, where the waitresses might say ‘Boo(b)!’ It’s a line of Hooter’s alcoholic beverages. Look for them on shelves. Or better yet, look for them on racks.”

    9. Matt DiBenedetto: DiBenedetto continued his strong start to the season, posting a 13th at Fontana, and is eighth in the points standings.

    “You could say I’m ‘running with the big dogs,’” DiBenedetto said. “And as they say, ‘If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay off the porch.’ Well, I’m a big dog, and I’m gonna stay on that porch, and probably ‘leave my mark.’”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second in the Auto Club 400, scoring his first top-five result after two lackluster efforts to begin the season.

    “Alex Bowman beat me by almost nine seconds,” Busch said. “In racing, that’s an eternity. So, if you ask how badly I was beaten, I’ll tell you ‘from there to eternity.’

    “As for bounties on me, I say ‘Bring ’em on.’ I don’t mind being the hunted, just as I don’t mind being the bad guy. I’m not here to be liked. You’ve heard of Formula 1, right? Well, for me, it’s not ‘F1,’ it’s ‘F everyone.’”

  • Episode 7: Bowman dominates, Fontana ranting, and I need more coffee

    Episode 7: Bowman dominates, Fontana ranting, and I need more coffee

    On this episode of News and Views from SpeedwayMedia.com, we discuss the results from the weekend, the appearance of Auto Club Speedway in literally every television show/movie about racing imaginable, and I seriously NEED MORE COFFEE!

  • Alex Bowman dominates at Auto Club

    Alex Bowman dominates at Auto Club

    After showcasing a ton of speed at Las Vegas, Alex Bowman struck gold Sunday afternoon as he found himself celebrating in victory lane at Auto Club Speedway.

    “We’ve been so good to start this season,” Bowman said. “We started the season very poorly really over the last two years, and it just means the world to show up at the racetrack and have the first run on the racetrack really be almost perfect and just be able to really fine-tune the race car. Greg Ives has made the right calls.  So, we’ve got to go win a bunch more, but man, it feels good to have one this early.”

    It was Bowman’s second win of his NASCAR Cup Series career. The Arizona native led 110 laps in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to cruise toward victory.

    Stage 1:

    Before the field took the green flag, Auto Club Speedway commemorated seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson as he led the field in a five-wide salute during the pace laps in what could be his final start at the two-mile oval.

    As the field formed back to double-file formation, it was Clint Bowyer leading the way, with Johnson starting second as the green flag waved.

    Johnson was looking for the race lead early on but would fall back as teammate Bowman would inherit the runner-up spot behind leader Bowyer.

    Bowman would also take a lunge at Bowyer but would be unable to capitalize, resulting in Kurt Busch and Johnson swiftly passing the No. 88. The three of them would spar back and forth for the second position, with Bowman holding off the two Chevrolets.

    Bowyer’s early lead would be short-lived as Bowman’s No. 88 would take the top spot, with teammate Johnson immediately following behind in second as Bowyer gradually began to fade.

    Ryan Blaney slowly marched his way forward and by the halfway point of Stage 1, he was up to the second position.

    Pit stops would ensue on Lap 27 as Martin Truex Jr. would ignite the cycle. By the end of it, Bowman would be the leader.

    Kyle Larson would find trouble after Denny Hamlin gave the No. 42 a push into Turn 1, putting the McDonald’s Chevrolet into the outside wall. It would put Larson two laps down.

    Bowman would remain unchallenged after the cycle and would win Stage 1.

    Blaney, Johnson, Aric Almirola, Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Busch would round out the top 10.

    Stage 2:

    It initially looked as though Kurt Busch was the first one off after everybody came down pit lane. However, the No. 1 missed his pit stall, putting him toward the back. As a result, it transferred the lead over to Johnson.

    Johnson took the lead on the restart but Blaney and Bowman would make it three-wide on the seven-time champ, allowing Blaney’s No. 12 to take first place.

    The two Hendrick Motorsports cars would put up a fight against the Team Penske car, but Blaney would fend off the duo and pull away.

    Christopher Bell suffered mechanical issues during the green flag run, knocking the No. 95 Toyota out of the race.

    Pole-sitter Bowyer had a left front tire go down on Lap 93, bringing out a yellow shortly after pit stops.

    Blaney would be in charge of the restart, and while he was able to pull away, his other competitors were duking it out. Bowman and Keselowski made aggressive moves around Logano and William Byron to gain some track position, and Elliott would march his way towards the Top 5.

    Blaney’s lead would remain unchallenged as he would cruise on to win Stage 2.

    Bowman, Johnson, Keselowski, Truex, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Erik Jones, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the Top 10 for stage points.

    Stage 3:

    Johnson was the leader at the beginning of the stage but was quickly hounded by Bowman as he passed the No. 48 off of Turn 2. Blaney and Truex were in hot pursuit, making it four wide among the leaders.

    Truex would briefly hold the lead, but Bowman would fight back. The two would swap back and forth, but Truex would fend off Bowman. But as the laps wound down, Bowman would reclaim the lead over the No. 19 and would pull a gap over the opposition.

    Another pit cycle would begin as everyone came in for some fresh rubber and fuel.

    Frontrunner Truex had issues during his stop, as the pit gun would malfunction when tending to the right rear tire, costing him valuable track position.

    Bowman and Blaney would be the leaders after the cycle, giving themselves plenty of distance between the fourth through sixth place drivers of Johnson, Elliott, and Kurt Busch.

    The three Chevrolets would battle for the fourth position, with Elliott edging out Kurt Busch for the spot while Johnson’s car began to fade. Truex’s day would continue to go downward when he slapped the Turn 4 wall trying to overtake Hamlin, allowing Keselowski to overtake the No. 19.

    Near the closing stages of the race, Blaney would have to come down pit lane due to a corded tire with only three laps to go, giving up a second-place run at the time.

    For Bowman, redemption was sweet as he crossed the line to secure the win. It provided a statement as he showcased his muscle around the California track.

    “You know, we started this year so strong,” Bowman said. “I feel like I’ve got a lot on my side that I’m doing better.  My life is kind of a lot more organized than it was back then, and Greg and all the guys, they’re just on point. We’ve unloaded the last two weeks, I don’t think we’ve had to make a change in the race car from how it came off the truck. That makes my job a heck of a lot easier. I’m just so proud of this team, Hendrick Motorsports, Hendrick horsepower under the hood, the whole shop back home. They work their butts off. We put a lot of effort into this new car, and it’s obviously working well.”

    There were 16 lead changes among eight different drivers and only three cautions for 13 laps.

    Blaney retains the points lead by 11, over Logano.

    1. Alex Bowman – 110 laps led, Stage 1 Winner
    2. Kyle Busch
    3. Kurt Busch
    4. Chase Elliott
    5. Brad Keselowski – six laps led
    6. Denny Hamlin
    7. Jimmie Johnson – ten laps led
    8. Aric Almirola
    9. Kevin Harvick
    10. Erik Jones
    11. Tyler Reddick
    12. Joey Logano
    13. Matt DiBenedetto
    14. Martin Truex Jr. – three laps led
    15. William Byron – one lap led
    16. Chris Buescher
    17. Ross Chastain
    18. Cole Custer – one lap down
    19. Ryan Blaney – one lap down, 54 laps led, Stage 2 winner
    20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – one lap down, 6 laps led
    21. Kyle Larson – one lap down
    22. Michael McDowell – one lap down
    23. Clint Bowyer – one lap down, ten laps led
    24. Austin Dillon – one lap down
    25. John Hunter Nemechek – one lap down
    26. Ty Dillon – one lap down
    27. Bubba Wallace – two laps down
    28. Daniel Suarez – two laps down
    29. Corey Lajoie – three laps down
    30. Ryan Preece – three laps down
    31. JJ Yeley – three laps down
    32. Brennan Poole – five laps down
    33. Joey Gase – seven laps down
    34. Garrett Smithley – seven laps down
    35. Quin Houff – eight laps down
    36. Reed Sorenson – nine laps down
    37. Timmy Hill – 16 laps down
    38. Christopher Bell – OUT
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins Daytona 500 pole in debut with JTG Daugherty Racing

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins Daytona 500 pole in debut with JTG Daugherty Racing

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. set the pace at Daytona International Speedway Sunday afternoon, earning the pole for the Daytona 500 with a 194.582 mph lap in the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet.

    It was the third pole for the team, their first at an oval track and an auspicious beginning for Stenhouse who was released from Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the 2019 season.

    When asked if he felt he had something to prove, Stenhouse said, “I think there’s a handful of us that feel like we have something to prove. And two of those are in my corner with me at JTG Daugherty Racing with Mike (Kelley) and Brian (Pattie). I know that I feel like I can still get the job done behind the wheel and win races like we did in the Xfinity Series, and I know Brian believes in what the JTG Daugherty ‑‑ their resources that they have at the race shop, the engines, the Chevys.”

    On the significance of winning the pole, he continued, “Yeah, it’s huge. Any time you can start the season off, your first race with an organization, and to see all the work that they’ve put in; guys at the shop that I didn’t even know were working Saturdays and late nights all for the benefit of me to come down here and jump in this car and run fast. Touring the Hendrick engine shop, they were pumped-up for me to switch over into their horsepower. So, this goes to a lot of people that work hard behind the scenes for me to come out here and drive. It’s a cool way to start Speedweeks.”

    Alex Bowman will start in second after posting a lap at 194.363 mph (46.305 seconds).

    “I think we’re going to have a great race car in the race,” Bowman said. “Our Clash car has been driving really well, as well. Just excited to be back here with the new Camaro body. I think that’s going to be really great for us, and the Valvoline car looks really cool, so it’s been a good weekend so far.”

    Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola, William Byron, Christopher Bell and Erik Jones rounded out the top 10 in qualifying.

    Only the first two starting positions were set in qualifying with the remainder of the field competing for the remaining spots next Thursday in the Bluegreen Vacation Duels.

    There are two separate Duel races consisting of 60 laps each. The race lineup for each Duel was determined by the qualifying speeds set today. Drivers who qualified in odd number positions will compete in Duel 1 while those in even-finishing positions will race in Duel 2.

    The winner of Duel 1 will begin the Daytona 500 in third place and the second-place finisher will start in fifth continuing this pattern to set the inside row. The winner of Duel 2 will start in fourth place with the second-place finisher in sixth continuing on to set the outside row.

    The 62nd annual Daytona 500 will air Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

  • Hendrick Motorsports Playoff drivers are likeliest to advance following Talladega Playoff event

    Hendrick Motorsports Playoff drivers are likeliest to advance following Talladega Playoff event

    Despite being behind in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win column, Chevrolets face the likeliest chance to succeed at Talladega for Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com 500 Playoff event. The 2.66-mile superspeedway is no stranger to upset winners, but if the April event is any indicator then not only do the Hendrick Chevrolets face the likeliest chance of winning, they’re also the likeliest to carry on the recent Bowtie winning streak but also advance to the Playoff Round of Eight.

    Chase Elliott – His Daytona results notwithstanding, Elliott is showing to be a steady performer on the superspeedways. Along with his April victory in Alabama, he holds three top-fives and three top-10s. It may not seem like much in seven starts, but in the races where he held a dismal finish including his two DNFs in 2017, he has always run near the front including leading 26 laps before a hard crash in the Fall 2017 event.

    Still, with two of his three teammates also in the Playoffs as well as the performance of teammate Alex Bowman in the Spring, Elliott could be leading the charge to get out of the Playoff rut his last-place finish at Dover has left him in.

    Alex Bowman – 2019 has become the defining year of Bowman’s Cup Series career. It has been a breakout in every sense of the word – one win, six top-fives, 10 top-10s, and a comfortable spot in the seventh slot in the standings. Bowman isn’t satisfied, however, and with Talladega around the corner, a track where he finished second to teammate Elliott in April, he could be kicking his Playoff campaign into high gear and showing the rest of the field that the No. 88 Greg Ives-led crew could be the team to beat in the Playoffs.

    Bowman and Elliott proved themselves to be a formidable duo in the Spring, not unlike the early 00s’ when Dale Earnhardt Incorporated drivers Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were winning every other race at Talladega. Should Bowman or Elliott win at Talladega, then it could be the dawn of a new era in NASCAR.

    William Byron – Byron’s 2019 Playoff campaign is showing zero signs of a sophomore slump. If anything, it shows that Hendrick Motorsports is catching up in leaps and bounds with the rest of the field, currently led by the Team Penske Fords and the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas. He’s scored five poles already, with three top-fives (including a second at Daytona in July) and 11 top-10s to boot.

    He’s only in his second full-time Cup Series campaign, so his previous Talladega results can be chalked up as educational experiences. Same thing goes with his Daytona results, although he has led 56 laps at the 2.5-mile Superspeedway. But one thing to take into account for the Chad Knaus-led No. 24 team is momentum. Byron has been quietly consistent, having finished in the top-25 in every race this season. Granted, that doesn’t equate to wins, but still, quiet consistency is better than no consistency. He could be a sleeper at Talladega, if not in the Playoffs overall. He could have a run equivalent to Ryan Newman’s in 2014 if the could just keep up with the consistency.

    Although those drivers are the only Hendrick Chevrolets in the Playoffs at this moment, there are other drivers to consider for the win in Sunday’s race. Talladega is well-known for upset winners, and although rookie Ryan Preece is not a Playoff driver, he’s been stout on the superspeedways in 2019. He was in contention to win the Daytona 500 late in the going before being shuffled back to eighth, for one.

    But it was his Talladega performance in April which could translate to a win on Sunday, as the No. 47 was able to latch onto the Hendrick Motorsports train of Elliott and Bowman en route to a third-place finish in the final order. His JTG-Daugherty Racing No. 47 is also powered by Hendrick engines, and given their proclivity for running up front on the superspeedways, he could very well put his car at the front in Sunday’s event. Preece is definitely the dark horse pick for the 1000Bulbs.com 500.

    The 1000Bulbs.com 500 will be on NBC on Sunday, October 13, at 2 p.m.