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  • Enfinger rounds out top five finishers at Bristol

    Enfinger rounds out top five finishers at Bristol

    After leading 57 laps and qualifying 14th, regular-season champion Enfinger came home fifth at Bristol.

    “Great job to Jeff Hensley (Crew Chief) right there, gusty call and getting some track position,” Enfinger said to MRN Radio. “We weren’t a bad truck when we had the lead. I don’t know what I would have done different on that restart. The 24 (Moffitt) was a little bit better than us on the top. I thought about taking away the top side, but we weren’t worth a crap up there, so I stuck to the bottom and that’s what worked for us.”

    “He just flat out nailed that restart and got me. We had a great truck, once we got some clean air. Really proud of everyone at ThorSport Racing. Champion Power Equipment, Duke and Rhonda Thorson, Curb Records, everyone that lets us do this.”

    Enfinger took the lead once and led for 57 laps before the eventual race winner, Brett Moffitt, took it from him on Lap 174, and went on to win the race. The Alabama native finished ninth in Stage 2 and is currently tied with his teammate Matt Crafton in fourth in the point standings, 28 points back from first.

  • Chastain and Friesen earn hard fought top-five finishes

    Chastain and Friesen earn hard fought top-five finishes

    It was a wild night at the “Fastest Half Mile” for playoff drivers Ross Chastain and Stewart Friesen.

    Chastain started on the outside pole at Bristol and was dominant in the first stage, earning the win in Stage 1. He and pole-sitter Brett Moffitt traded the lead back and forth multiple times between each other. In Stage 2, Chastain finished second to Moffitt.

    However, Chastain was involved with some incidents on the track. One was an issue in Turn 4 when Raphael Lessard was spun and Friesen was as well. The Niece Motorsports driver also ruffled some feathers throughout the race by holding his ground and taking no prisoners.

    In the end, after a long day and night, Chastain brought home his No. 45 truck in the third position after leading four times for 78 laps.

    “It was rough for sure, that’s why they’re all lining up wanting to fight me,” Chastain told MRN Radio. “But let them come one at a time, we’re not afraid of them. It’s a dream come true to be able to drive for Niece Motorsports and be in this championship hunt and I’m not going to back down. We’re going to press the attack, that’s what Al Niece our Marine Veteran and Team Owner instill into us as a race team. TheCarShield Chevy was fast, I wish I was able to race with Brett (Moffitt).”

    Friesen and his No. 52 Halmar Racing had a similar night.

    The Canadian qualified third and worked hard all night to stay up there. Friesen finished seventh in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2. However, his moment came on Lap 152 in Turn 4 when Matt Crafton accidentally made contact with him. At this point, the No. 52 was beaten and battered but that doesn’t matter at Bristol with the track leaning so much on aerodynamics.

    Still, despite the incident, Friesen was able to rebound to a fourth-place finish.

    “A lot of speed that just didn’t fire off worth a crap,” Friesen told MRN Radio. “That’s kind of in the norm, we don’t fire off good in the last couple of races and kind of puts us in a hole, but fought back and made one good adjustment and that’s all it took. We had a fast car at the end.”

    Despite the accident with Crafton, Friesen says they have no hard feelings.

    “There wasn’t much contact really,” Friesen added to MRN Radio. “It is what it is, race on. I respect the hell out of that guy (Crafton). He’s a cool dude and we’ll race on. We’re both mature guys and that’s it. We talked a little bit right there and that’s it, that’s all we had to say.”

  • Smith comes home second in Bristol outing

    Smith comes home second in Bristol outing

    It was an impressive run for Chandler Smith and his No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports team as they came home in the second position after having a shot to win the race late.

    Smith qualified seventh finished fifth and third in both stages, respectively. He was up front throughout the race, but especially late in the race when Smith had a shot to win with a restart with three laps to go. He eventually finished runner up to race winner Moffitt in his first-ever truck series start at Bristol.

    “Yeah, he (Moffitt) was just better all day,” Smith said to MRN Radio. “We fought back early in the race and we got to the 45 (Chastain) and Brett. We just needed a little bit more to be where he is right now.”

    “I just can’t thank Rudy Fugle (Crew Chief), KBM, iBuyPower Toyota for this incredible opportunity. We definitely made the most of it.”

    It was Smith’s third Truck Series start of the season and his career-best finish in the series. The 17-year-old now has the KBM 51 Truck third in the Owners Playoff grid, +26.

  • Playoff contender Brett Moffitt wins at Bristol

    Playoff contender Brett Moffitt wins at Bristol

    Start first and finish first was the name of the game for the GMS Racing driver Brett Moffitt as he took home the win Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was Moffitt’s third win of the season and locks him into the Round of 6 as the Playoffs continue.

    “This is unbelievable,” Moffitt excitedly told MRN Radio. “I’ve had runs in the past where I’m decent but I never felt confident at this track. There’s so much that can happen, but man, getting the first win here and having Junior Johnson on the hood of this truck and to go to victory lane at Bristol, Tennessee up here in the mountains, you know where Moonshine is started.”

    “It’s so cool to have him on this truck and honor him at this place, but to win in this round and get locked in is truly unbelievable and the best win of the season thus far. So it’s all good.”

    Moffitt and another playoff championship contender, Ross Chastain, started on the front row.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 57

    Stage 1 only saw one incident that took place on Lap 4 for Sheldon Creed, Jordan Anderson and Jesse Little for an accident in Turn 2. Other than that, Niece Motorsports driver Ross Chastain went on to win the first stage with a dominant truck.

    Moffitt, Johnny Sauter, Ben Rhodes, Chandler Smith, Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen, Tyler Ankrum, John Hunter Nemechek and Austin Hill rounded out the top-10 stage finishers for Stage 1. Sauter, Rhodes, Harrison Burton, Grant Enfinger and Hill were among the drivers to pit under the stage break.

    Stage 2: Lap 66 – Lap 112

    Stage 2 saw a lot more action. On Lap 68, a caution came out for the returning Angela Ruch who went spinning on the front stretch. Then, on Lap 77, Nemechek wrecked on the front stretch after Sauter got loose off of Turn 4. During the incident, Nemechek also collected Sauter as he turned down on the track with Sauter receiving right front fender damage.

    These were the only incidents that happened in Stage 2 but this time Moffitt took the stage win after Chastain nearly dominated once again. However, during the stage break, the Florida native was penalized for a safety violation and was sent to the rear of the field.

    Chastain, Smith, Crafton, Friesen, Ankrum, Rhodes, Raphael Lessard, Enfinger and Sam Mayer completed the top-10 stage finishers for Stage 2.

    Stage 3: Lap 121- Lap 200

    The third and final stage saw the most action. On Lap 131 Tyler Dippel spun in Turn 2 after contact with Brennan Poole. Dylan Lupton and Timmy Hill were also involved. On Lap 137 Natalie Decker brought out the caution again. During the caution, Ankrum reported his engine was skipping intermittently. Burton also had a broken shock mount to his No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports truck.

    The caution came out once again with 48 to go for Friesen and Crafton. Both had made contact in one of the turns after Crafton got a little bit sideways and then got into Friesen and sent Friesen into the wall. On Lap 168, Jennifer Jo Cobb went around after Rhodes made slight contact with her. After the incident, the replays showed Rhodes was trying to lift and not make contact but eventually did.

    During the last 27 laps, it seemed the race would take forever with a stop and go for caution. Lessard went spinning around in Turn 1 with 24 to go after contact with Chastain. Meanwhile, Sauter made contact with the inside wall. With 17 to go, Gus Dean, Decker and Dippel were involved and had damage to their trucks.

    Under the caution, Decker was trying to get the push truck to back off as she had her truck fired but the push truck did not realize it and eventually sent Decker around on the surface. The race was red-flagged with 14 to go due to oil on the track and to allow fans to see a run to the finish.

    The final caution of the night took place with eight to go, as rookie Mayer hit the wall. This would set up a three-lap dash for an exciting finish. Moffitt, the 2018 Truck Series champion, was able to fend off rookie Smith in a thrilling battle to the checkered flag.

    “We got the next two races where we can go race aggressive and try to get more points for the following round, but this is a lot of pressure off our race team,” Moffitt added to MRN Radio.

    With the win, Moffitt moves onto the Round of 6 and will not have to worry about Canada or Las Vegas.

    There were 12 cautions for 73 laps with nine lead changes among three drivers.

    Playoff Points Standings after Bristol:

    1. Brett Moffitt (W, Advanced to Round of 6)
    2. Ross Chastain, -16
    3. Stewart Friesen, -24
    4. Matt Crafton, -28
    5. Grant Enfinger, -28
    6. Johnny Sauter, -38
    7. Austin Hill, -41
    8. Tyler Ankrum, -51

    Official Results

    1. Brett Moffitt, led 65 laps
    2. Chandler Smith
    3. Ross Chastain, led 78 laps
    4. Stewart Friesen
    5. Grant Enfinger, led 57 laps
    6. Sheldon Creed
    7. Matt Crafton
    8. Ben Rhodes
    9. Todd Gilliland
    10. Austin Hill
    11. Johnny Sauter
    12. Raphael Lessard
    13. Parker Kligerman
    14. Ryan Sieg
    15. Austin Wayne Self
    16. Landon Huffman
    17. Timmy Hill
    18. Gus Dean
    19. Brennan Poole, One lap down
    20. Tyler Ankrum, Seven laps down
    21. Sam Mayer, OUT, Crash
    22. Jennifer Jo Cobb, Seven laps down
    23. Harrison Burton, Eight laps down
    24. Tyler Dippel, OUT, Crash
    25. Natalie Decker, OUT, Crash
    26. Clay Greenfield, OUT, Steering
    27. Dylan Lupton, OUT, Dvp
    28. Jordan Anderson, OUT, Engine
    29. John Hunter Nemechek, OUT, Crash
    30. Angela Ruch, OUT, Crash
    31. J.J. Yeley, OUT, Transmission
    32. Jesse Little, OUT, Crash

    Up Next: The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series heads north of the border where they will continue the Round of 8 at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Sunday, August 25.

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife Amy ‘safe’ after plane crash in Tennessee

    Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife Amy ‘safe’ after plane crash in Tennessee

    By Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife Amy and daughter Isla were safe and taken to a hospital for evaluation following a plane crash on Thursday afternoon in Elizabethton, Tennessee, Earnhardt’s sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, confirmed via Twitter.

    Earnhardt Jr.’s plane, a Cessna Citation, rolled off the end of Runway 24 and caught fire after landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee at 3:40 p.m. ET, according to a report from the Federal Aviation Administration.

    The aircraft registration is N8JR, which is the plane registered to Earnhardt Jr., according to FAA.gov.

    Earnhardt Jr. is an analyst for NBC Sports and was traveling to Bristol Motor Speedway for this weekend’s races.

    “I got here within five minutes, and the airplane was fully engulfed (in flames), Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunsford said during an evening news conference. “All of the people were out of it … Five occupants, no one’s injured. Under the circumstances, we’re extremely blessed and fortunate.”

    Elizabethton Fire Department Chief Barry Carrier confirmed that Earnhardt was talking to EMS staff and the family was transported to a local hospital in a non-emergency capacity.

    “They were very lucky,” Carrier said. “The plane is pretty much destroyed.”

    The FAA said in a statement that it will investigate the accident.

    NBC Sports PR later released on social media that Dale Jr. would not be in the booth this weekend at Bristol but would return in two weeks at Darlington.

    NBC Sports statement on Dale Earnhardt Jr.:

    View image on Twitter

    By evening, flights had resumed at the small airport tucked into the Tennessee hills, even as the events from just hours earlier had cast a national spotlight onto the normally quiet town.

    “Nothing like this,” Lunceford said. “We have robberies, burglaries, pursuits, things of that sort. Armed people. We just have the standard, usual calls in a population somewhere between 58 and 60 thousand. … We stay busy, but no, nothing like this.”

    Contributing: Zack Albert in Elizabethton, Tenn.

  • Weekend Schedule for Bristol-2

    Weekend Schedule for Bristol-2

    NASCAR heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. The Gander Outdoors Truck Series will feature the first race in Round 1 of their championship Playoffs while the Xfinity Series has five races remaining in the regular season. The Monster Energy Cup Series will close out the weekend with three to go.

    Kurt Busch is the defending Cup Series race winner, Kyle Larson won the Xfinity Series Food City 300 last year and Johnny Sauter will be trying to repeat his August 2018 win at Bristol in the Truck Series.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, August 15

    9:05 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.: Truck Series First Practice – No TV
    10:05 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – NBC Sports App
    11:05 a.m. 11:55 a.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – No TV
    1:35 p.m.2:25 p.m. Xfinity Series Final Practice – NBC Sports App
    4:35 p.m. Truck Series Qualifying Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) – 7 p.m. Tape Delay on FS1
    8:30 p.m.: Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (Stages 55/110/200 Laps = 100.6 Miles) – FS1/MRN

    Friday, August 16

    11:05 a.m. 11:55 a.m.: Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN
    1:05 p.m. 1:55 p.m. Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN
    4:05 p.m. Xfinity Series Qualifying Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) – NBCSN
    5:35 p.m. Cup Series Qualifying Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) – NBCSN/PRN
    7:30 p.m. Xfinity Series Food City 300 (Stages 85/170/300 Laps = 159.9 Miles) – NBCSN/PRN

    Saturday, August 17

    7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race (Stages 125/250/500 Laps = 266.5 Miles) – NBCSN/PRN

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

  • NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Bristol

    NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Bristol

    With the regular season in the rearview mirror, the NASCAR Truck Series now sets their sights for the postseason with eight races to decide the 2019 Truck Series champion.

    We are now at the 16th race of the season and with just eight races left many drivers will be hungry to get their first win of the year. This includes the eight contenders for the championship, some who have not won yet and are already looking to punch their ticket into the next round.

    Here are some drivers that might spoil the playoff party Thursday night at the famous Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Currently, there are 36 trucks entered on the preliminary entry list. It used to be 37, but the No. 6 of Norm Benning withdrew from the race due to the lack of sponsorship.

    Here are five drivers that might win on Thursday night.

    1. Todd Gilliland – The 19-year-old only has one start at the “Fastest Half-Mile,” earning a fifth-place finish in last year’s race. Gilliland did not earn any stage points but does have some K&N starts at Bristol with a finish of eighth in 2017. He also won the race in 2018 after leading 64 laps. It’s been a disappointing season for the Kyle Busch Motorsports driver, but with the pressure of not having to worry about the Playoffs, Gilliland can gamble, using a different strategy from the playoff drivers as they try a more conservative approach to earn stage wins and focus on racing for points.

    2. Ben Rhodes – It was a disappointing Saturday for Rhodes and his No. 99 ThorSport after missing the playoffs, despite giving it their best effort. Now, like Gilliland, Rhodes can just go out and win and perhaps learn something for next year’s Playoffs. At Bristol, the Kentucky native has just four starts with a best finish of fifth in 2017. He has one top-five and three top-10 finishes with an average finish of 12.8. Removing his 30th place finish in 2016 due to an engine issue, Rhodes has finished in the top-10 or top-five for the most part.

    3. Johnny Sauter – With Sauter being somewhat off his game this year and having bad luck, Bristol might be the place where he could pick back up and go on a roll in the Playoffs. The Wisconsin native is the defending race winner after leading 58 laps and finishing second in both stages. His stats at Bristol have been consistent since 2013 where he has finished inside the top-10 or five. Overall, he has five top fives and seven top-10 finishes with only one DNF plus 65 laps led giving him an average finish of 8.8. Keep an eye on Sauter and his No. 13 ThorSport team as they attempt to get back on track at Bristol.

    4. John Hunter Nemechek – Nemechek returns to the Truck Series this week piloting the No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports, a truck he has been in which he has found success. The GMS Xfinity Series driver has competed at Bristol ever since making his first start in 2014. Nemechek has finishes of sixth, third in 2015, eighth in 2016 and third in 2017 and 2018. The North Carolina native also has a couple of starts in the Xfinity Series with finishes of 13th in 2018 and fifth in spring of 2019.

    5. Sam Mayer – Mayer will be making his first-ever career Truck Series start at Bristol. He won the K&N Pro Series race back in March after starting on the pole and dominating, leading 150 laps. The GMS Racing driver also has one start in 2018 and finished ninth while driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Mayer has been making a name for himself this year and will be competing in the No. 21 truck that GMS won with last year. Don’t be surprised if you see Mayer drive into victory lane.

      Other drivers on the entry list include the return of Landon Huffman to the No. 20 Youngs Motorsports machine and Brennan Poole and his No. 30 return to the track for the first time since Kentucky last month. Ryan Sieg also makes his second Truck Series start of the year for Reaume Brothers Racing in the No. 33. Sieg recently competed for the team at Dover where he finished 16th.

      Missing in action since the Kansas race, Angela Ruch also returns to the No. 44 Niece Motorsports team. Kyle Busch will bring an extra entry and that will be the No. 46 to be driven by the Canadian Raphael Lessard. Chandler Smith will be back in the No. 51 also driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Timmy Hill can be seen driving the No. 56 and Clay Greenfield driving his own No. 68 machine. Lou Goss hopes to make the field driving his own No. 74 Chevy while Parker Kligerman and the No. 75 Henderson Motorsports team return to the track for the first time since Atlanta earlier this season. Other notables include Timothy Peters in the No. 92 and Jesse Little in the No. 97.

      With a 32-truck field, four will be sent home and not be able to compete.

      Bristol Motor Speedway has seen 21 races since 1995 with many various winners that include Cup Series drivers. Names like Joe Ruttman, Rick Carelli, Ron Hornaday, Jack Sprague, Travis Kvapil, Carl Edwards, Mike Skinner, Mark Martin, Johnny Benson, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Timothy Peters, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Ben Kennedy and Johnny Sauter have all won at the “Fastest Half-Mile.”

      If you want to win at Bristol you better have a good qualifying spot. The lowest a race winner has ever come from to win was 13th by Kennedy in 2016. Most winners have come from inside the top five and only four winners have come from the top-10.

      Drivers have won from the pole position five times. Hornaday dd so in 1997 and 1998, Martin in 2006 and Busch in 2010 and 2017.

      Kyle Busch has the most Bristol victories with three wins in a row from 2008-2010 and a win in the 2017 race. Bristol saw Kyle sweep the whole weekend for the first time ever in 2010 and he did it again in 2017. However, the KBM owner will not be competing this weekend in a truck.

      As far as manufacturers go, Toyota and Chevy are tied with eight wins apiece, with Chevy being the previous race winner. While Ford, on the other hand, has five wins. A fun fact, Ford was the first manufacturer to win the first Bristol Truck Series race in 1995.

      It’s going to be a busy day for the truckers who will have a one day schedule. The first practice will be bright and early at 9:05 a.m. ET and the final practice will be at 11:05 a.m. ET with no live TV coverage.

      Qualifying is set for later in the day at 4:35 p.m. ET with tape delay coverage on Fox Sports 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

      The UNOH 200 is slated to get underway shortly after 8:30 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio. Stages will be broken into 55/55/90 laps to make up the 200 lap distance.
  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch outpaced big brother Kurt on the final restart at Bristol and took the win in the Food City 500.

    “We both gambled by staying out on the final caution,” Busch said. “We’re from Las Vegas, so gambling is in our blood. By the way, I’m their ‘favorite son.’ And when I say ‘their,’ I’m referring to Las Vegas, and our parents.”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth at Bristol as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch won for the third time this season.

    “Between Kyle and me,” Hamlin said, “we’ve got five wins this year. So, for JGR, Kyle and I are carrying our weight. Our teammates, Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez, they’re carrying our jock straps.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano and Penske teammate Brad Keselowski were set to battle for the win at Bristol until a late caution changed their fortunes. Both opted to pit for tires, while Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch stayed out. Kyle Busch won the race; Logano finished third.

    “It sucks to lose,” Logano. “And trust me, I hate losing to the Busch brothers, but not nearly as much as I hate being outsmarted by them.”

    4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick had to start at the back of the field after failing inspection three times, but salvaged a 13th at Bristol. He is third in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 33 out of first.

    “I finished 13th in qualifying,” Harvick said. “And three failed inspections say I finished first in ‘dis-qualifying.’”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski was penalized late at Bristol for failing to line up properly on a restart, and finished 18th, spoiling what easily could have been a top five finish.

    “That’s what NASCAR calls ‘putting me in my place,’” Keselowski said.

    6. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 17th at Bristol, one lap down, and is now seventh in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

    “We didn’t have a car capable of winning,” Truex said. “Of course, I wasn’t too pleased with the car and its setup. At the ‘Bull Ring,’ it was a case of ‘running of the b.s.‘”

    7. Kurt Busch: Busch finished second to younger brother Kyle at Bristol after Kyle nailed the final restart.

    “I should have wrecked Kyle and taken the win,” Busch said. “But Kyle got a great jump on the restart and I couldn’t catch him. In other words, he beat me to the punch, as opposed to some other drivers, who have beaten me with a punch.”

    8. Chase Elliott: Elliott started on the pole at Bristol and posted an 11th-place finish.

    “I received a free pass midway through the race,” Elliott said, “despite the fact that I was involved in the spin that caused the caution. That clearly goes against what’s written in the NASCAR rule book. At this point, who knowswhat’s written in the NASCAR rule book? What is known is that it’s written in pencil.”

    9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney led a race-high 158 laps at Bristol and finished fourth, his fourth top five of the season.

    “I had a spirited battle with Ryan Newman late in the race,” Blaney said. “There was a lot of contact. Luckily, we were able to laugh about it afterwards. Which is amazing in itself, because Newman is hardly ever in ‘good humor.’” 

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished seventh in the Food City 500.

    “Darrell Waltrip is retiring from the FOX broadcast booth at the end of the season,” Bowyer said. “It’s gonna be sad to see DW go, and we all plan to send him off with a show of respect. So, Boogity! Boogity! Let’s go embracing boys!”

  • Busch captures his eighth win at Bristol

    Busch captures his eighth win at Bristol

    Kyle Busch continued his hot streak at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Food City 500 on Sunday. Busch captured his eighth win at the track and his 54th career Monster Energy Cup Series win.

    Although Busch won the race, he did not dominate the race. Busch was spun out by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the second lap of the race. A late caution flag with 22 laps remaining and the right decision by the crew to stay out, gave him the lead for his third victory of the season and the eighth top-10 finish in 2019.

    “It’s pretty awesome to be able to snooker those guys, get our win today here at Bristol,” Busch said. “I love this place.

    “It was fun to battle (with) the brother there at the end. I know we didn’t quite get the side-by-side racing it out; I saw him looking at the top. I’m like, ‘I better go.’ I got up there, was able to make some ground.”

    This win also continues Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and Team Penske drivers dominating this season. Busch and teammate Denny Hamlin have combined to win five races for JGR while Keselowski and teammate Logano have won the other three.

    Busch held off brother Kurt Busch in the final laps. Older brother Kurt, wanted the win but he finished second and posted his 19th top-10 finish in 37 races at Bristol.

    “I really wanted to beat him. I was going to wreck him. I wanted to stay close enough so that when we took the white I was going to just drive straight into [turn 3 and 4]. He’s already won, I figured he could give a little love to his brother,” Kurt Busch said.

    Kyle Busch leads the series point standings by 27 points over Hamlin.

    Joey Logano finished third, Ryan Blaney fourth and Hamlin finished fifth.

    Blaney led three times for 158 laps (the most laps) and captured his fourth top-five finish in the last five races.

    “I need to get better as the track rubbers out. Joey (Logano) is really good at it. I thought he had the best car. The track rubbers in and I just need to do something different there,” Blaney said.

    Brad Keselowski finished 18th after being black flagged for not being in the right starting position when the race restarted with 14 laps to go. Keselowski was running second behind teammate Logano when the final caution came out on lap 479. NASCAR officials ruled that Keselowski lined up incorrectly and issued a pass-thru penalty.

    “Nobody could figure out the lineup. There wasn’t enough communication and it was just a tough deal.” Keselowski said.

    Monster Energy Cup Series Race Number 8
    Race Results for the 59th Annual Food City 500 – Sunday, April 7, 2019
    Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, TN – 0.533 – Mile Concrete
    Total Race Length – 500 Laps – 266.5 Miles

    FinStrNoDriverTeamLapsS1PosS2PosPtsStatus
    11718Kyle BuschSkittles Toyota5006551Running
    2271Kurt BuschMonster Energy Chevrolet5000640Running
    3722Joey LoganoAutotrader Ford5004151Running
    4312Ryan BlaneyPPG Ford5007246Running
    5511Denny HamlinFedEx Freight Toyota5000032Running
    6921Paul MenardMenards/Sylvania Ford5008034Running
    7814Clint BowyerHaas Automation Ford5002842Running
    82041Daniel SuarezHaas Automation Ford50001030Running
    9116Ryan NewmanWyndham Rewards Ford5000336Running
    101048Jimmie JohnsonAlly Chevrolet5005033Running
    1119Chase ElliottNAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet50010027Running
    122195Matt DiBenedettoLFR Pro League Toyota5000025Running
    13134Kevin HarvickHunt Brothers Pizza Ford5000024Running
    14153Austin DillonSymbicort Chevrolet5000925Running
    152413Ty DillonGEICO Chevrolet5001032Running
    16224William ByronAxalta Chevrolet5000021Running
    172319Martin Truex Jr.Auto Owners Insurance Toyota4999022Running
    18122Brad KeselowskiDiscount Tire Ford4993434Running
    191642Kyle LarsonCredit One Bank Chevrolet4990018Running
    202843Bubba WallaceBlue-Emu Chevrolet4990017Running
    212238David RaganMDS Transport Ford4980016Running
    222537Chris BuescherBush’s Beans Chevrolet4980719Running
    231488Alex BowmanNationwide Chevrolet4970014Running
    24420Erik JonesCRAFTSMAN Racing for a Miracle Toyota4970013Running
    253047Ryan Preece #Kroger Chevrolet4960012Running
    26310Landon CassillStarCom Fiber Chevrolet4950011Running
    272936Matt Tifft #Surface Sunscreen/Tunity Ford4940010Running
    281834Michael McDowellLove’s Travel Stops Ford493009Running
    293715Ross Chastain(i)Rim Riderz Chevrolet491000Running
    30268Daniel Hemric #Caterpillar/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet490007Running
    313452Bayley Currey #Belmont Classic Cars Chevrolet488000Running
    323677Quin HouffFALCI Adaptve Motorsports Chevrolet476005Running
    331917Ricky Stenhouse Jr.SunnyD Ford395004Running
    343232Corey LaJoieDUDE Wipes Ford308003Accident
    353566* Timmy Hill(i)Toyota239000Suspension
    363351Gray Gaulding(i)Jacob Companies Ford142000Engine
    37610Aric AlmirolaSHAZAM!/Smithfield Ford3001Accident
  • Bell scores first Bristol win plus big payday

    Bell scores first Bristol win plus big payday

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 was held Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway with not only bragging rights on the line. For four drivers there was also a whole lot of cash dangling like a carrot in front of them.

    The race was the first in the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash program which offers an extra $100,000 bonus for the top four finishers. Along with Bell, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe and Michael Annett qualified for the Dash 4 Cash last week at Texas Motor Speedway, the opening round of the program.

    Christopher Bell driving his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota earned his first victory at Bristol along with the giant check that came with the win. This was his 10th Xfinity Series career win. Four of Bell’s wins have come on short tracks.

    “It’s pretty cool to get my first win here with the Dash 4 Cash bonus,” Bell commented. “Thank you, Xfinity for doing that.” He added, “ I’m just thankful to be here at Joe Gibbs Racing and driving for such a wonderful team, my guys on pit road have just been outstanding.”

    Tyler Reddick in his No.2 Richard Childress Racing Chevy had a special paint scheme honoring Dolly Parton. Reddick wore a big blonde wig before the race in her honor. He pushed his car about as hard as he could but Bell was too fast for him.

    “I just needed a little more to get past Christopher,” Reddick stated, “ When I’m behind him it’s hard to make a pass. It was great to have Dolly Parton on our car today. It was a good day but it’s a shame we thought Stage 1 ended a lap too soon, we should have gotten that stage point,” Reddick chuckled.

    Stage 1 started with Cole Custer and Tyler Reddick on the front row. The first caution came out when the car of Jeff Green got loose and took Ross Chastain with him,  and with both cars receiving heavy damage, they were both done for the day. Reddick had a miscue with his spotter, thinking the stage was over, and backed off, giving Justin Allgaier the Stage 1 win.

    Stage 2 started with Allgaier and Reddick on the front row. Allgaier kept the lead at the restart and led every lap in the stage. The only caution was for the spinning car of Jeremy Clements. The stage would end under caution giving the Stage 2 win to Allgaier.

    The final stage of the race started with Allgaier once again in the lead. Out of the blue, the No. 7 of Allgaier had problems and he took his car to the garage. Bell took the lead when Allgaier slowed on the track. The only caution of the stage was for Harrison Burton who slid sideways and slowed after cutting a tire down.

    Brandon Jones took a risk and stayed out when everyone else came to pit road, inheriting the lead. Several cars were fighting loose conditions and bounced off the wall including the No. 00 of Cole Custer in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Bell grabbed the lead when Jones fell back on older tires and never looked back winning the race along with the Dash 4 Cash money.

    Custer, in spite of fighting loose conditions, kept his car in the top five all day and came home in third place. Although he had a good finish Custer wasn’t very happy with his performance.

    “I wasn’t happy. It’s so frustrating,” Bell said, “ I think we were the best car at the end it’s just we didn’t have the fire off speed on the restarts to get the track position. We’ll all get better, I’m just so frustrated. I wish we’d had a shot to really go for the win there.”

    Chase Briscoe and John Hunter Nemechek would round out the top five. Austin Cindric, Justin Haley, Michael Annett, Noah Gragson, and Harrison Burton finished sixth through 10th, respectively.

    The lap leaders for today’s race were Allgaier who led 138 laps, Reddick who led 61 laps, Custer leading 26 laps, Jones led 19 laps, and Bell led 57 laps.

    Reddick leads the Xfinity Series Standings with 321 points, Bell is second with 308 points, Custer is third with 275 points, Cindric is fourth with 251 points and Annett rounds out the top five with 238 points.

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Richmond International Raceway on Friday, April 12 where the top four finishers at Bristol – Bell, Reddick, Custer and Briscoe – will be eligible for the Dash 4 Cash.

    Xfinity Series Race Number 7
    Race Results for the 37th Annual Alsco 300 – Saturday, April 6, 2019
    Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, TN – 0.533 – Mile Concrete
    Total Race Length – 300 Laps – 159.9 Miles

    Fin Str No Driver Team Laps S1Pos S2Pos Pts Status
    1 8 20 Christopher Bell Rheem Toyota 300 7 3 52 Running
    2 2 2 Tyler Reddick Dolly Parton Chevrolet 300 2 2 53 Running
    3 1 0 Cole Custer Haas Automation Ford 300 3 4 49 Running
    4 3 98 Chase Briscoe # Nutri Chomps Ford 300 6 7 42 Running
    5 10 23 John Hunter Nemechek # Allegiant Chevrolet 300 9 5 40 Running
    6 4 22 Austin Cindric MoneyLion Ford 300 5 6 42 Running
    7 11 11 Justin Haley # LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet 300 8 10 34 Running
    8 9 1 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 300 0 0 29 Running
    9 7 9 Noah Gragson # Switch Chevrolet 300 0 0 28 Running
    10 5 18 Harrison Burton(i) Dex Imaging Toyota 300 4 8 0 Running
    11 16 8 Zane Smith The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Chevrolet 300 0 0 26 Running
    12 14 39 Ryan Sieg Shop Boss Chevrolet 299 0 0 25 Running
    13 15 51 Jeremy Clements All South Electric Chevrolet 299 0 0 24 Running
    14 13 19 Brandon Jones Menards/Jeld-Wen Toyota 298 10 9 26 Running
    15 19 8 Gray Gaulding PANINI Chevrolet 297 0 0 22 Running
    16 21 7 Ray Black II ISOKERNFrplcs&Chmnys/ScubaLife Chev 296 0 0 21 Running
    17 20 66 Timmy Hill CrashClaimsR.US Toyota 294 0 0 20 Running
    18 23 15 BJ McLeod teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 294 0 0 19 Running
    19 25 36 Josh Williams Peg Leg Porker/Venture Wipes Chevrolet 293 0 0 18 Running
    20 18 42 Chad Finchum Amana Toyota 292 0 0 17 Running
    21 31 5 Matt Mills J.F. Electric Chevrolet 292 0 0 16 Running
    22 26 0 Garrett Smithley teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 292 0 0 15 Running
    23 22 86 Brandon Brown # Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 291 0 0 14 Running
    24 30 78 Vinnie Miller Koolbox Chevrolet 291 0 0 13 Running
    25 32 52 David Starr CHASCO/Shoun Trucking Chevrolet 289 0 0 12 Running
    26 28 99 Tommy Joe Martins Diamond Gusset Jeans/AAN Adjusters Toyota 288 0 0 11 Running
    27 27 35 Joey Gase Toyota 286 0 0 10 Running
    28 24 17 Kyle Weatherman(i) East Carolina University Chevrolet 284 0 0 0 Running
    29 34 74 Mike Harmon Woobies Shoes Chevrolet 272 0 0 8 Running
    30 6 7 Justin Allgaier ARMOUR Vienna Sausage Chevrolet 227 1 1 27 Accident
    31 17 90 Alex Labbe Auto Credit Nation/Auto-National.com Chevrolet 193 0 0 6 Rear Gear
    32 36 1 Stephen Leicht teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 190 0 0 5 Radiator
    33 12 4 Ross Chastain teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 41 0 0 4 Accident
    34 37 38 Jeff Green RSS Racing Chevrolet 40 0 0 3 Accident
    35 33 89 Morgan Shepherd Visone RV Chevrolet 13 0 0 2 Water Pump
    36 29 93 Josh Bilicki RSS Racing Chevrolet 12 0 0 1 Ignition
    37 35 13 John Jackson Street Toys/CrashClaimsR.US Toyota 9 0 0 1 Suspension