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Tag: Chase Elliott

  • Elliott Fastest in Second Cup Practice at Phoenix

    Elliott Fastest in Second Cup Practice at Phoenix

    Chase Elliott topped the chart in second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Phoenix International Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was the fastest with a time of 26.475 and a speed of 135.977 mph. Joey Logano was second in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 26.575 and a speed of 135.466 mph. Kyle Larson was third in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 26.603 and a speed of 135.323 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was fourth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 26.626 and a speed of 135.206 mph. Brad Keselowski rounded out the top-five in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford with a time of 26.633 and a speed of 135.171 mph.

    Truex posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 134.525 mph.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall in Turn 1 due to what he described as a “brake problem.” The damage wasn’t significant enough to force switching to a backup car.

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  • Elliott Fastest in First Practice at Phoenix

    Elliott Fastest in First Practice at Phoenix

    Chase Elliott topped the chart in the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Phoenix International Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was the fastest with a time of 26.258 and a speed of 137.101 mph. Kyle Larson was second in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 26.379 and a speed of 136.472 mph. Joey Logano was third in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 26.385 and a speed of 136.441 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was fourth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 26.438 and a speed of 136.168 mph. Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with a time of 26.440 and a speed of 136.157 mph.

    Jamie McMurray, who ran the 10th-fastest single lap, posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 132.623 mph.

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  • Hot 20 – Las Vegas featured Martin, Joey, and Kyle…but Phoenix could be all Harvick

    Hot 20 – Las Vegas featured Martin, Joey, and Kyle…but Phoenix could be all Harvick

    Wins mean everything, but doing well in the stages and coming home close to the front seems pretty important also this season. Last week, Matt Kenseth finished ninth, yet lost ground by 30 points to race winner Martin Truex Jr. in Las Vegas alone.

    The maximum number of points one can get, what Truex received last week, is 60, and that includes a win and pass to the Chase. By claiming both stages and finishing second a driver would up their count by 55, and that would be enough to move any driver from nothing to something in a hurry. This is especially true when you remember that sometimes a good driver could end up with just one single point on the day, but enough about Kevin Harvick.

    Most of our leaders should enjoy their time in Phoenix if their histories can give us a clue. Do not expect much from Truex, Kasey Kahne, or Jamie McMurray. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, on the other hand, should move up and just maybe come next week Dale Earnhardt Jr. might be back on this list.

    A win would do it, and Junior did win at Phoenix in 2015. Joey Logano won there last fall. As for Harvick, he is the man. Eight victories, six of the past nine on this track, on one he has at least one victory in each of the past four seasons. I think we just found our favorite for Sunday.

    The points would be nice, but after giving it away in Atlanta, for Harvick, a win would mean everything.

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 132 PTS
    Stay relevant, stay close, pass Truex…damn, damn, damn.

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN – 127 PTS
    If you were wondering about that voodoo doll in the form of the No. 2…now you know.

    3. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 93 PTS
    No attempt to hit Joey, but managed to beat on the wall, and was left wanting to beat on his car.

    4. KYLE LARSON – 131 PTS
    Who does a guy have to fight in order to get some recognition by the mainstream?

    5. CHASE ELLIOTT – 129 PTS
    Fifth at Atlanta. Third at Las Vegas. The arithmetic sequence points to good things for Phoenix.

    6. JOEY LOGANO – 119 PTS
    “Give me a sign, hit me baby one more time.”

    7. RYAN BLANEY – 106 PTS
    It is early, but this car is again reminding us that this was the ride of Pearson and Bonnett.

    8. KEVIN HARVICK – 92 PTS
    There is video showing Harvick was indeed at Las Vegas…mostly playing the slots in the garage.

    9. KASEY KAHNE – 88 PTS
    Being surprisingly consistent, with three top dozens, is a real good thing for Kahne.

    10. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 86 PTS
    After the Daytona wreck, a pair of Top Tens gives Ganassi organization two high fliers.

    11. TREVOR BAYNE – 82 PTS
    After Edwards left, Roush needed a star in one of his seats. He just might have one.

    12. CLINT BOWYER – 73 PTS
    You will find Kurt, Kevin, and Clint on this chart. As for Danica, Ty Dillon is a better bet.

    13. MATT KENSETH – 71 PTS
    Finishes ninth and drops 30 points to Truex in Las Vegas. You just got to love the points system.

    14. ARIC ALMIROLA – 70 PTS
    Back to a single car operation after nearly 20 seasons with a duo. So far, so good…sort of.

    15. DENNY HAMLIN – 68 PTS
    A Top Ten at Las Vegas was a hell of a lot better result than his run at Atlanta.

    16. PAUL MENARD – 62 PTS
    Childress drivers have won five times at Phoenix. Neither of those boys drive for him today.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 59 PTS
    Swinging at Joey doesn’t work, berating him has limited effect, but as for a kiss…stay tuned.

    18. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 55 PTS
    Oh, there you are, Jimmie. 31 of those 55 points came to him last Sunday.

    19. KYLE BUSCH – 50 PTS
    “Oops, I did it again,”

    20. ERIK JONES – 49 PTS
    39th, 14th, 15th…it is a learning thing for the 20-year-old.

    20. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 49 PTS
    Not exactly burning up the track, but he wasn’t even on this list last week.

  • The Final Word – Las Vegas almost had a great finish, but Logano’s team got in the way

    The Final Word – Las Vegas almost had a great finish, but Logano’s team got in the way

    I wonder what the highlight was from Las Vegas? Just maybe it was the passing opportunity to see Joey Logano get his ass kicked on pit road. However, before that could happen, a lot of dudes on Logano’s race team quickly took Kyle Busch out of the mix as their driver literally got carried off to safety. Rowdy wound up leaving the fray with a small cut on his forehead.

    I learned I will never get a job as a NASCAR official at track level. Did you see the size of those lads who helped lead Busch away from the melee? I don’t know what their names are, but Mister, Sir, or whatever they want to be called works for me. They were not little fellows.

    As for the spark that led to the tussle, that would have been when Busch dived down to get by a slowing Brad Keselowski on the final lap and made contact with Logano. As they went by, Logano wiggled a bit and the ensuing contact sent Busch for a spin through pit road. Was it all Joey’s fault? Not really, but it sure was fun to watch the aftermath.

    Keselowski had the race won. Then with two to go, he found himself with some kind of mechanical issue that took away his brakes and affected his steering. He fell back, and Martin Truex Jr. completed the sweep with two to go, claiming both Stages and coming back to accept the gift that fate bestowed upon him. For Truex, it marked his eighth career victory, gave him at least a win in each of the past three seasons, and he all but placed himself in the Chase.

    Las Vegas is going to get a fall race next season, but for most of Sunday, it was just a bunch of guys all spread out going fast and turning left. Not terribly exciting visually, at least until near the end. Then things got real interesting.

    Keselowski, along with Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney provided the main opposition in this one. In the end, Larson and Elliott were second and third, while Keselowski got the third highest number of points in finishing fifth. Blaney had the fourth best tally despite coming home seventh. To illustrate the impact of the points system now in place, Matt Kenseth was ninth at the line but claimed 30 fewer points, half that of the winner. Being up front all day long and finishing somewhere in the vicinity at the end is what it is all about.

    Not a good day for Kevin Harvick. He had the best total coming in but left with just a single marker after blowing a right front and plowing into the fence in the opening stage. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not much of a factor on the day, finishing 16th and still sits outside the Top 25. Jimmie Johnson was 11th and is slowly making his way up the ladder. As for the other hometown boy, Kurt Busch got his win at Daytona but Sunday saw him 30th after having issues much of the day. Unlike his brother, however, he did manage to leave the track without a mark on his head.

    Now it is off to Phoenix, where Harvick has claimed six of the past nine events staged there, including last spring. Logano won there in the fall, and may again as long as he does not have to pass a certain M&M painted vehicle on the last lap. Johnson has four victories, Junior has a trio to his credit. No time like the present to revisit some old glory. Maybe this time we might have something to talk about other than a mechanical failure or a failure to communicate. We can always hope.

  • Truex Scores Eighth Win of Career at Las Vegas

    Truex Scores Eighth Win of Career at Las Vegas

    Martin Truex Jr. was able to pass Brad Keselowski with two laps left in Sunday’s Kobalt 400 and capture his eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win.  Truex Jr. also became the first driver to win every segment along with the race victory.

    Brad Keselowski reported that he had a flat tire with two laps remaining, therefore his lead shrunk and Truex Jr. was able to close the gap and eventually pass Keselowski to earn his first win of the 2017 season.

    “Even as close as we were yesterday in practice, we made a lot of changes last night based on feel, and the direction we felt we needed to go, and the guys just did a phenomenal job getting the car the way that we needed it. Thankful to be able to put it all together. Feels good to be here, and first win at Vegas feels awesome,” Truex Jr. said.

    For the second consecutive week, Kyle Larson had a runner-up finish. With another second place finish, Larson is becoming a vital contender each week.

    “What an awesome day for our Target Chevy team,” said Larson. “Second in the first stage, third in the second stage and then finished second in the race. I can’t say enough about my team. I’m so proud of them. Our race cars are amazing right now. We are going to hopefully, keep building on what we’ve got and keep challenging for wins and they will come.”

    Finishing third was Chase Elliott and he scored his second consecutive top-five finish. Both Elliott and Larson are showing they’re capable of winning multiple races with good finishes the past two weeks.

    “I’m really proud of the way we have performed,” Elliott told the media. “Our pit stops have been great, our cars have been good. Been able to run solidly in the top 5 the past couple weeks, which is great for me and our team, and we just got to keep that going and find that next little bit.”

    Next Sunday, “NASCAR Goes West” continues at Phoenix International Raceway. Coverage starts at 3 p.m. Eastern on your local Fox affiliate.

  • Elliott Fastest at Las Vegas in Second Practice

    Elliott Fastest at Las Vegas in Second Practice

    Chase Elliott topped the chart in second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was the fastest with a time of 28.197 and a speed of 191.510 mph. Kyle Larson was second in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 28.599 and a speed of 188.818 mph. Matt Kenseth was third in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 28.633 and a speed of 188.594 mph. Kyle Busch was fourth in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 28.645 and a speed of 188.515 mph. Kasey Kahne rounded out the top-five in his No. 5 HMS Chevrolet with a time of 28.713 and a speed of 188.068 mph.

    Elliott posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 186.480 mph.

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  • Hot 20 – Some future Hall of Famers are far from hot as they head to Las Vegas

    Hot 20 – Some future Hall of Famers are far from hot as they head to Las Vegas

    One thing that pops out at you are some of the unfamiliar names among our Hot 20 after a couple of races. Even more so, all the familiar names not there.

    No Jimmie Johnson. No Kyle Busch. No Dale Earnhardt Jr. It is early, and a couple of stage wins at Las Vegas could move them up. A win certainly would, but for now, their usual places are being held by someone else.

    One is a definite Hall of Famer. Hell, they all are, especially when you consider that every eligible driver with 25 wins or more is already there, with the exception of Jim Paschal. I would expect that 25 race winner to make it soon enough. Just not this year. This week, the nominees for the class of 2018 were announced.

    I thought I knew who I would vote for. Then I saw all the names, and it got a bit complicated. For one, just where in hell is Smokey Yunick’s name? A legendary mechanic, builder, and crew chief who came up with innovations that prompted NASCAR’s rule book to come up with restrictions to counter them. You know all those templates the cars need to fit today? You can blame Smokey for that. To say that he was not a fan of the France family is a bit of an understatement. The fact Yunick remains off the ballot would seem to indicate the feeling was mutual…and still is. That is a damned shame.

    Who would I put in? Broadcaster Ken Squier, without hesitation. NASCAR still awaits his successor, the voice that you can just lean back and ride along with on a summer afternoon as you tinker with your own wheels out on the driveway under a blue sky. As for the other nominees, as I said, it gets complicated. Is 25 wins a benchmark for drivers, or do other factors come into play, such as a championship or a tragic loss? How do we determine which owner, which crew chief, what engine builder is deserving? How much weight do you give to those in Cup, compared to other NASCAR series? A lot of deserving names, popular choices, but which five to be included in the Class of 2018? You could say that to try and forecast the outcome is going to be a bit of a crap shoot.

    They are used to that, I guess, in Las Vegas, as the gambler’s paradise is going to get a second race next season. Okay, but where was it going to come from? It makes sense economically to put another event in a town that is just one great big attraction itself. Just as long as it did not take away from a track that features action most love to watch. Not Daytona, Not Talladega, Not Bristol. Instead, the Magic Mile of Loudon, New Hampshire loses its September date after a 21-year run. It was a transfer between two properties owned by Speedway Motorsports’ Bruton Smith, who himself is a Hall of Famer.

    One good bet is that Smith will be joined in the Hall, some day, by the first three names you see among our Hot 20 heading into Las Vegas.

    1. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 86 PTS
    Forget yoga, as nothing relaxes a driver more than a Daytona 500 win and a pass to the Chase.

    2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 84 PTS
    Dear Kevin: Many thanks. Love, Brad.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 90 PTS
    Dear Brad: Kiss my butt. Love, Kevin.

    4. CHASE ELLIOTT – 82 PTS
    Not a question of if, but when. He is the “next one.”

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 80 PTS
    When it comes to Las Vegas, Joey is great…but has yet to seal the deal.

    6. KYLE LARSON – 79 PTS
    Low, low, high, goodbye. Atlanta could have been different if only…

    7. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 67 PTS
    For him, Las Vegas is more like a Kansas song. You know, “Dust in the Wind.”

    8. KASEY KAHNE – 63 PTS
    According to this chart, the second best damn driver for Hendrick.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 63 PTS
    Team was born in 1950. The Legend was born in 1953. The driver was born in 1993.

    10. TREVOR BAYNE – 58 PTS
    Performance Plus is the sponsor. Performance plus is what they are looking for on Sunday.

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 49 PTS
    Once trailed Allmendinger until A.J.’s 35 point penalty for his lack of lug nuts at Atlanta.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 47 PTS
    Some say not a good fantasy pick at the moment. To be honest, I’ve never fantasized about him.

    13. CLINT BOWYER – 46 PTS
    After the last couple of years, this is just freaking awesome!

    14. PAUL MENARD – 44 PTS
    Name his sponsor. Wrong. It is Valvoline…and Menards.

    15. MATT KENSETH – 41 PTS
    Along with Jimmie, Junior, Kasey, and Trevor, he likes to ride bicycles. Manly bicycles.

    16. COLE WHITT – 38 PTS
    Good start for TriStar Motorsports and its 25-year old wheel man. Can he keep the No. 72 up there?

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 37 PTS
    17th trip to Las Vegas, but third is the best he has done (2015).

    18. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 37 PTS
    Ninth at Daytona. 28th at Atlanta. A betting man might not like his odds for Sunday.

    19. DENNY HAMLIN – 37 PTS
    A messed up rear end (on the car, not the driver) ruined his march down to Georgia.

    20. LANDON CASSILL – 36 PTS
    Thanks A.J.

  • The Final Word – Atlanta goes to Keselowski, with major assists from Larson and Harvick

    The Final Word – Atlanta goes to Keselowski, with major assists from Larson and Harvick

    Atlanta. Let me just say that the damned narrative I had for this race just went to crap over the final 15 laps.

    Brad Keselowski won. 22 victories. This time, if he has any self respect, he needs to send out a few lines of thanks to a pair of drivers. Kyle Larson would be one of them. Larson ran low, did well, but for some reason he thought Keselowski would pass him on high, so he stayed high. Brad passed him down low, and drove away. Larson has one win, and seven runner-up finishes. I am starting to see why.

    As for that other card, that should go to Kevin Harvick. I had thought I was going to write how Harvick led from start to finish. I thought I might mention how he easily claimed the first two stages, led over 200 laps to totally dominate this event. That is what I thought. Then, with about 15 to go, and under caution, Harvick sped on pit road. He went from first to 14th on the re-start, and wound up 9th.

    Even though Harvick leads the standings by four over Kurt Busch, the Daytona 500 winner, and six ahead of Keselowski, that free pass to the Chase will have to wait. On the day, he was credited with 48 points, just five less than the race winner, one fewer than Chase Elliott in fifth, and more than Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, the elder Busch, and Martin Truex, Jr., all of whom finished ahead of Harvick at the end. A good points day, but 17 fewer than what he should have had. Brad, you are welcome.

    It was a day for speeders. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. did it early, and sunk like a stone, never to be seen again. Jimmie Johnson did it twice. Expanding the timing lines on pit road seemed to have had the same effect as a new speed trap out on the highway. Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane would have been proud. Some recovered somewhat, while others did not.

    Let’s face it, Atlanta was not Daytona. Pack racing is exciting due to the “what if” factor of someone wobbling or bumping or losing traction at the wrong time. Spread them out, let the visual be of a bunch of folks just turning left a lot, and it is something only a true racing afficionado can appreciate.

    That does not mean it did not come with a few twists. Denny Hamlin had an issue with the rear end of his beast, was able to go to the garage for mechanical repairs, but ran out of time to make a return viable. Ryan Newman had a crew man jump over the wall early, and when a battery issue rose up a bit later, he was toast. No spark also meant Austin Dillon was left in the cold, outside the Top 30.

    Only 39 cars hit the starting grid in this one. None of the three non-Charter entries finished better than 34th. On the bright side, they did not finish dead last either. That honor belonged to the #51 of Cody Ware in the 21 year old North Carolina driver’s Cup debut. Steering issues parked him early.

    Next on the schedule is Las Vegas, where word has it a second race is being sought for the venue. Keselowski has won two of the past three, on either side of a win by Harvick. Johnson has four there. Kenseth has won three. Something tells me the winner next Sunday could well have a familiar face.

  • Elliott Fastest in Final Atlanta Truck Practice

    Elliott Fastest in Final Atlanta Truck Practice

    HAMPTON, Ga. — Chase Elliott topped the chart in final Camping World Truck Series practice at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet was the fastest with a time of 30.876 and a speed of 179.557 mph followed by Chase Briscoe who was second in his No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford with a time of 30.959 and a speed of 179.076 mph. Christopher Bell was third in his No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota with a time of 30.983 and a speed of 178.937 mph.

    John Hunter Nemechek was fourth on the speed chart in his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 31.006 and a speed of 178.804 mph while Noah Gragson rounded out the top-five in his No. 18 KBM Toyota with a time of 31.010 and a speed of 178.781 mph.

    Briscoe posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 176.341 mph.

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  • Chase Elliott Describes Running out of Fuel at Daytona as ‘Devastating’

    Chase Elliott Describes Running out of Fuel at Daytona as ‘Devastating’

    HAMPTON, Ga. — Chase Elliott won the pole for the Daytona 500, won his qualifying race, led 39 laps and was in the lead in the closing laps of the Daytona 500. Unfortunately, destiny was not in his favor.

    With four laps to go, Elliott’s fuel cell ran dry, resulting in a 14th-place finish. He left the track without addressing the media, rather than take his frustration out on them.

    The following week in Atlanta, Elliott said it “was a devastating way to end a good week” considering he “had such a great car down there (Daytona).” He said there were two things to look at when he thought of Daytona.

    “A. We had to play the cards we were dealt. I felt like we planned to the best of our ability. I think that is something to be proud of. B. We ran out of gas.”

    He said it’s easy to say the Daytona 500 win was “his to lose,” but he was still short of the fuel window to make it. So for him “to sit back and think that we had it locked down is kind of foolish.”

    “For us, it’s disappointing for sure, but there are some positives to take from the day and again,” Elliott said, “We were faced with circumstances that we really couldn’t control and I felt like we played what we had the best we could. Somedays that is all you can do.”

    Elliott is no stranger to coming up short. Last season, he blew late restarts at Pocono, Michigan (twice) and Chicagoland.

    However, Elliott said losing Daytona 500 in the closing laps wasn’t especially painful. “It’s just “kind of the same deal,” he said.

    “At Chicago, faced with a caution there at the end of the race, I don’t really know what we could have done about that and I really don’t know what you do about running out of gas with just a couple of laps to go either. In both of those cases, I felt like from a performance side I thought we did a good job and we were close, just not close enough. I don’t know. I don’t know that it really changes my complexion or outlook on how I view things. It’s definitely a disappointing finish to a good day.”