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  • Kurt Busch, Blaney post strong results at Kentucky

    Kurt Busch, Blaney post strong results at Kentucky

    While rookie Cole Custer emerged on top in a four-wide sprint for the win in Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, Kurt Busch and Ryan Blaney concluded their strong performances throughout the race with finishes inside the top 10 as Busch took fifth while Blaney ended up sixth after contending for the victory in two laps.

    For Busch, who started seventh based on a random draw, the race at Kentucky provided the former Cup champion an opportunity for him and his No. 1 Monster Energy/Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team to snap a 36-race winless drought that spans back to July 2019 at, ironically, Kentucky. Through the first 25 laps, at the time the competition caution flew, Busch had fallen back to 11th while reporting loose conditions to his car. Following his first pit stop of the race, he restarted 12th and was able to work his way back into the top 10, running eighth on Lap 45. When the first stage concluded on Lap 80, Busch would retain eighth place on track.

    Throughout the second stage, Busch raced just outside the top 10 and concluded the stage in 12th while his teammate Matt Kenseth, who had cut a tire and spun in the closing laps of the stage, was mired back in 26th, one lap behind the leaders. Throughout the final stage, Busch worked his way back into the top 10 and was lined up in fourth with 30 laps remaining. Through a series of late cautions and restarts, one of which involving teammate Kenseth spinning a second time, Busch was lined up in fifth with two laps remaining and was in contention of making a late charge and repeating his magic at Kentucky from last season. When the checkered flag waved, Busch crossed the line in fifth and fell four spots short of claiming his first Cup win of the season. Nonetheless, the fifth-place result marked Busch’s fourth top-five finish of the 2020 campaign and the result kept him in 10th in the regular-season standings, 104 points above the top-16 cutline to the Playoffs.

    “It was a good battle,” Busch said on PRN Radio. “I thought we were better on the long run. All those restarts, at the end, made it tough, but all in all, we battled really well with our Monster Energy Chevy. Just ended up fifth. Just didn’t rekindle that magic that we had last year on a Saturday night, but we’ll take it.”

    Unlike Busch, Blaney’s race was eventful. Starting 11th based on a random draw, Blaney worked his way from a slow start on the inside lane to 10th when the competition caution flew on Lap 25. When the race resumed under green, Blaney was able to muscle his No. 12 Advance Auto Parts/Team Penske Ford Mustang up to fourth. Then, an early scare occurred for Blaney when his car popped out of gear, which cost him two spots back to sixth. Despite the issue, Blaney was able to navigate the remainder of the first stage with one hand on the steering wheel with the other holding the gear as high as possible to keep the car running, ultimately finishing fifth.

    Throughout the second stage, Blaney remained in contention for the lead and on Lap 138, he was able to lead for the first time after passing Aric Almirola. Following a caution that occurred when most of the leaders, including Blaney, completed pit stops under green, he restarted alongside teammate Brad Keselowski in a one-lap shootout for the second stage win. Though Blaney gained a run on the final corner, he was edged by his teammate for the stage win.

    Restarting second for the final stage, Blaney kept his No. 12 Ford in contention for the win while battling Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson. Following another round of pit stops under green, late restarts and cautions, Blaney was able to squeak ahead of Truex with 19 laps remaining to reassume the lead. On the ensuing restart, Kevin Harvick joined the battle and a late three-wide battle dropped Blaney back to third. Following another late caution that set up a two-lap dash to the finish, Blaney received a final opportunity to take back the lead on the final lap, but he, along with Harvick and Truex, would be overtaken by rookie Cole Custer, for the lead on the final lap. Through the frontstretch, Blaney bounced off a small bump below the apron, which nearly turned Blaney sideways as he made contact with Harvick. Though Blaney was able to straighten his car and continue, his opportunity for the win disappeared as he, ultimately, crossed the line in sixth. The result marked Blaney’s eighth top-10 result of the season as he is third in the regular-season standings, trailing Harvick by 95 points. He is guaranteed a spot in this year’s Playoffs by virtue of his win at Talladega Superspeedway in June.

    “We had a really fast car,” Blaney said on PRN Radio. “We were racing [Truex]. We lost the lead there just by sheer caution luck or unlucky with us at the end of that second stage. Then, we lost control of the race after that. I had to restart on the bottom, couldn’t really get back to the lead. You just let [Truex] get away. Finally, a quick caution came out, we were a nose ahead of [Truex]. I was like, ‘Alright, this is what we got to do.’ Restarting on the top and I felt pretty good about it, and he got put three wide. It put me a top of three and just, lost the lead, went to third. Then, we were a bottom of four for the lead there and I didn’t realize there was a jump. You’d think they repaved this place, it wouldn’t be like that. But, I’ve never really run down there. There was a massive jump and I can’t believe that me and [Harvick] didn’t wreck. I didn’t expect that, but overall, not a bad day for our Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang. We had winning speed, just couldn’t the breaks we need. The car was driving pretty good one handed.”

    Busch and Blaney will return for the upcoming NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on July 15, which will air at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Kenseth, Almirola, Custer notch solid top-five results at Indianapolis

    Kenseth, Almirola, Custer notch solid top-five results at Indianapolis

    When the checkered flag flew following an eventful Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at the Brickyard, Kevin Harvick emerged victorious for his third title at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Behind Harvick featured a unique trio of top-five finishers as Matt Kenseth chased Harvick across the line while teammates Aric Almirola and rookie Cole Custer took the checkered flag in third and fifth.

    Coming into Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kenseth’s best result in his previous 11 NASCAR Cup Series races for Chip Ganassi Racing was 10th at Darlington Raceway in May while he also recorded seven results outside the top 15. He was also coming off finishes of 11th and 12th last weekend in the Pocono doubleheader. Starting 21st on a random draw, the 2003 Cup champion worked his way up to 14th through the competition caution on Lap 13. Following a red flag period due to a huge wreck on pit road, Kenseth proceeded to run inside the top 15 for the majority of the first stage. Following a late caution and a four-tire stop for adjustments, Kenseth restarted in 16th with only a handful of laps remaining in the first stage, but was able to work his way back to 12th. At the start of the second stage, Kenseth worked his way into the top 10, where he remained throughout the second stage as he settled in sixth following the stage’s conclusion. The final stage was where Kenseth quietly flexed his muscles as he worked his way as high as third behind Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick in the closing laps. Following a late incident that eliminated Hamlin, Kenseth moved into second and was alongside Harvick with an opportunity to win in overtime. During the overtime attempt, however, Kenseth could not gain an early advantage over Harvick as he navigated his way around the famed racetrack for two final laps and finished in the runner-up position to Harvick. While he came short of grabbing a much-needed first win of the season, the second-place result marked Kenseth’s first top-five result since winning at Phoenix in November 2017 and the best result for Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42 Chevrolet team since finishing fourth at Phoenix in March 2020. The runner-up finish was also Kenseth’s fourth in his 20th start at Indianapolis. The result moved Kenseth from 30th to 28th in the regular-season standings as he trails the top-16 cutline to the Playoffs by 138 points.

    “It was a great day for the 42 team today,” Kenseth said. “It’s always nice to be up front and be in contention late in the race. [Crew chief] Chad [Johnston] did a great job on the box with his calls today. We had a really good strategy and the best tires coming to the end of the race, lining up fourth behind the leader late in the race, but just couldn’t get it done to take the lead. I tried everything to get to the front, but just didn’t have quite enough to get around [Harvick]. If we had gotten to the lead though, I know we would have been hard to beat. All in all, though, a great race for us. It felt good to run up front and was a confidence booster for all of us. Looking forward to getting to Kentucky and carrying that momentum forward.”

    If there is a Cup competitor who has been on a roll in recent weeks, it is Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield/Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team. Coming off four consecutive top-five finishes in the previous four weeks and starting fifth on a random draw, Almirola was running inside the top five in the early stages of the race when he made an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 30 after reporting a vibration to his car. He was able to work his way back on the lead lap as the green-flag run progressed and finished 16th in the first stage. During the second stage, Almirola made another pit stop after reporting vibration concerns to his car, but he was able to finish 11th in the second stage. Throughout the final stage, Almirola worked his way back towards the front and was able to return into the top five with approximately 20 laps remaining. With 15 laps remaining, he passed teammate and rookie Cole Custer to move into fourth while he watched his other teammate, Harvick, trying to find a way to overtake Denny Hamlin for the lead. Following a late incident involving Hamlin, Almirola restarted in third behind Kenseth in overtime and was able to navigate his way to finish third when the checkered flag flew. Almirola’s third-place result marked the first time in his Cup career where he has notched five consecutive top-five results in a season as he also achieved his first top-five career finish at Indianapolis. With his result, he is ninth in the regular-season standings and is 105 points above the top-16 cutline.

    “We had such a great Smithfield Ford Mustang, but we kept having to get off-sequence on our pit strategy because we kept having tires come apart,” Almirola said. “They’d start to come apart and they would vibrate and shake so bad that I could hardly see where I was going, so we kept having to pit for that and it kept messing us up on our strategy and getting us off-sequence, but fortunately there at the end the caution came out when we needed it to and things finally went our way and we knocked out another top five, so just really proud of all the guys on this team. We’re doing such a good job of being consistent. We’re bringing great race cars and we’re being really consistent running up front, so just really proud of this team and just want to keep it going. It’s fun to run up front like that.”

    Finally, Custer rallied from an 11-race stretch of finishing no higher than 12th to achieve his first top-five run in NASCAR’s premier series. Starting 30th on a random draw, Custer dodged a bizarre accident on pit road under the competition caution that stacked up multiple cars running at the rear of the field. He was able to work his way into the top 20 before settling in 14th following the first stage’s conclusion. In the second stage, Custer made his first appearance in the top 10 before he finished in 13th. Following a pit stop for adjustments, Custer was lined up in 16th for the start of the final stage. He then worked his way back into the top 10 and was in the top five with 31 laps remaining. Following a late caution for a single-car wreck, Custer pitted and was lined up in sixth for the following late restart. From there, he was able to work his way into the top five and was one of three Stewart-Haas Racing drivers running in the top five along with Harvick and Almirola. When the caution returned for another single-car wreck that sent the race into overtime, Custer was lined up in fourth and behind teammate Harvick. In overtime, Custer gave teammate Harvick the push needed to allow Harvick to maintain the lead and notch a victory at Indianapolis for the team. Behind, Custer lost two spots to Almirola and Brad Keselowski, but he was able to take the checkered flag in fifth. The fifth-place result marked Custer’s first top-five career finish in the Cup Series and his best result since finishing ninth at Phoenix in March 2020. In addition, Custer was the highest-finishing rookie of the race with Tyler Reddick finishing eighth, Bell in 12th, John Hunter Nemechek in 15th, Quin Houff in 23rd and Poole in 35th. With his result, Custer moved from 26th to 25th in the regular-season standings and is 87 points behind the top-16 cutline.

    “It is awesome to have all of SHR running well here at Indy,” Custer said. “It is Tony’s [Stewart] backyard, so it is a huge race for us. For us, our team, this package has been exactly the opposite of what I am used to driving. For it to all come together today means a lot. Thanks to all the guys at SHR for bringing great race cars. HaasTooling.com went national this week, so check them out. I am psyched. I am really happy we finally had it all come together. I think it is just that I am getting better with the cars and knowing what to expect when we go to the track and getting better at what to bring in the cars to the track. It is a work in progress and having no practice doesn’t help that. I think it is all starting to come to us.”

    The NASCAR Cup Series will return to race at Kentucky Speedway on July 12, which will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Kenseth to move into 20th on all-time Cup starts list at Indianapolis

    Kenseth to move into 20th on all-time Cup starts list at Indianapolis

    It has been more than a month since Matt Kenseth made his unexpected return to the NASCAR Cup Series, but the 2003 series champion is on the verge of a milestone start of his own. By taking the green flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 on Sunday, July 5, Kenseth will surpass the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. and move into 20th on the all-time Cup starts list with career start number 677.

    A native of Cambridge, Wisconsin, Kenseth made his first Cup career start at Dover Downs International Speedway in September 1998. Serving as an interim competitor in the No. 94 McDonald’s Ford for Bill Elliott, who was absent while attending his father’s funeral on race day, Kenseth recorded an impressive sixth-place result in his debut. The following season, Kenseth made five Cup starts in the No. 17 DeWalt Power Tools Ford for car owner Jack Roush with Robbie Reiser serving as crew chief. His best result was a fourth-place finish at Dover in September.

    In 2000, Kenseth campaigned on a full-time basis in the Cup Series with Roush Racing. He recorded his first career win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May in his 18th series start. He went on to record four top-five results and 11 top-10 results to finish 14th in the final standings and beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the Rookie-of-the-Year title. After going winless in 2001, Kenseth rebounded the following season by winning five races, his first Cup pole and tallying 11 top-five results and 19 top-10 results to conclude the season in eighth in the final standings.

    In 2003, Kenseth started the season by finishing 20th in the Daytona 500. He rebounded the following two races by finishing third at North Carolina Speedway and winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After finishing fourth the following weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kenseth was the points leader. For the remainder of the 2003 Cup season, Kenseth did not win, but he generated a bulk of consistent results that included 11 top-five finishes and 25 top-10 finishes to maintain the lead in the standings through the season’s conclusion. After finishing fourth at North Carolina Speedway, the penultimate race of the season, Kenseth clinched his first NASCAR Cup Series championship with a 226-point advantage over Jimmie Johnson. The championship was a first for Kenseth, crew chief Robbie Reiser and car owner Jack Roush. The following week at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the final race of the season, Kenseth finished 43rd, last, due to an early engine failure, but he officially wrapped up the title by 90 points over Johnson. To July 1, 2020, Kenseth remains one of four competitors to win a Cup title despite recording a single victory throughout a season.

    From 2004 to 2012, Kenseth won 17 races and seven poles while recording 95 top-five finishes and 162 top-10 finishes, all in the No. 17 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. Among his accomplishments included winning two Daytona 500s, (2009 and 2012), and the 2004 All-Star Race at Charlotte. He made the Chase for the Cup in eight of his nine seasons driving for Roush with a best points result of second in 2006 behind Jimmie Johnson.

    In 2013, Kenseth departed Roush and joined forces with Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 20 Dollar General/Husky Tools Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Cup Series, replacing Joey Logano while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. graduated to the Cup Series to drive Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford. After finishing 37th in the Daytona 500 due to an engine failure despite leading 86 laps and finishing seventh the following week at Phoenix, Kenseth scored his first triumph with JGR at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after beating Kasey Kahne on two fresh tires. On that day, Kenseth also became the third Cup driver to win while celebrating a birthday. He went on to win four more races throughout the 26-race regular season, (Kansas Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Kentucky Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway), to enter the Chase as a championship threat against Jimmie Johnson. When the 2013 Chase for the Cup commenced, Kenseth won the opening two races at Chicagoland Speedway and at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and led the standings for six of the final 10 races before Johnson assumed the points lead with three races remaining following his victory at Texas in November. The following race at Phoenix, Kenseth struggled both on the track and in the pits. By finishing 23rd, he entered the finale at Homestead trailing Johnson by 28 points. Though he won the pole, led a race-high 44 laps and finished second at Homestead behind teammate Denny Hamlin, Johnson won his sixth championship with a ninth-place result by 19 points, leaving Kenseth settled as the championship runner-up in his first season with JGR.

    From 2014 to 2017, Kenseth won eight races and nine poles while recording 43 top-five finishes and 79 top-10 finishes as driver of the No. 20 Toyota for JGR. He made the Chase in all four seasons with a best points result of fifth in 2016. To July 1, 2020, Kenseth is ranked 22nd on the all-time Cup wins list with 39.

    At the conclusion of the 2017 season, Kenseth was left without a full-time ride for the 2018 Cup season as Erik Jones assumed driving responsibilities of the No. 20 JGR Toyota. In May, however, Kenseth rejoined Roush Fenway Racing to split driving responsibilities of the No. 6 Ford Fusion with Trevor Bayne for the remainder of the Cup season. In his first race of the 2018 season, Kenseth finished 36th after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. In his 15-race slate with RFR, Kenseth’s highlights included winning a stage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September, finishing seventh at Phoenix in November and finishing sixth the following week in the finale at Homestead.

    After not making a start in NASCAR last season, Kenseth was named driver of the No. 42 Credit One Bank/McDonald’s/Clover Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Chip Ganassi Racing for the remainder of the 2020 season following the suspension of Kyle Larson and his use of a live racial slur during an iRacing event. In his first race in over a year at Darlington Raceway in May, Kenseth finished 10th. For the next 10 races, he has finished in the top 15 three more times, which includes both Pocono Raceway races last weekend.

    Through his first 11 races of the season since May, Kenseth has achieved only one top-10 finish, two stage points and is 30th in the regular-season series standings, trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 399 points and the top-16 cutline to the Playoffs by 159 points. He has been granted a waiver by NASCAR to qualify for the Playoffs should he win a race and generate enough points to make the top-16 cutline.

    This Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will not only mark Kenseth’s 677th start in NASCAR’s premier series. It will also mark his 20th start at the famed racetrack, a venue where he has achieved 12 top-10 finishes, a best result of second in 2003, 2006 and 2016, 55 laps led and an average result of 12.68 in his previous 19 starts. He currently holds the most top-five finishes at Indy among active drivers, (nine). He is also ranked third among most starts by active Cup drivers behind Kurt Busch and Harvick.

    Catch Kenseth’s milestone start in the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis on July 5 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Kurt Busch to reach milestone start at Indianapolis

    Kurt Busch to reach milestone start at Indianapolis

    A milestone start is in the making for Kurt Busch heading into this weekend’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 5. When the green waves at Indy, the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion will achieve 700 starts in the sport’s premier series. The milestone comes in his second full-time season as driver of the No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Chip Ganassi Racing.

    “It’s amazing,” Busch said. “To have this opportunity and to have been blessed to have raced with so many great race teams over the years, just making it past the local track was something that I thought was an achievement because my dad was a local racer. He won a lot. But it was like money, sponsors, and the whole challenge of even getting to like the Southwest Tour and Late Model division, that was even tough for us way back in the past. So, it’s amazing. Twenty years of racing at the top series level and now having 700 starts, I never would have guessed.”

    A native from Las Vegas, Nevada, Busch made his Cup debut at Dover Downs International Speedway in September 2000 as driver of the No. 97 John Deere Ford for Roush Racing, replacing Chad Little. After finishing 18th at Dover, Busch competed in seven of the remaining eight Cup races of the season in Roush’s No. 97 Ford, scoring a best result of 13th at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway, before he was promoted to a full-time driving role in 2001. In his first full-time season in the Cup Series, Busch recorded his first pole position at Darlington Raceway in September and achieved three top-five results and six top-10 results throughout the season with a best finish of third at Talladega Superspeedway in April. He finished the year in 27th in the standings, though he did not make the field at Atlanta Motor Speedway in November.

    The following year, it took the first six races into the 2002 season for Busch to achieve his first Cup triumph at Bristol Motor Speedway following a late battle against Jimmy Spencer. His first Cup victory came in his 48th series start. Busch went on to win three more races, (Martinsville Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway), and conclude the season with 12 top-five finishes, 20 top-10 finishes and a final standings result of third. After winning four races, notching 14 top-10 results and finishing 11th in the final standings in 2003, Busch rallied the following season by recording three wins, a pole, 10 top-five results and 21 top-10 results, all while making the inaugural Chase for the Cup and generating enough consistent results to win the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway by eight points over Jimmie Johnson and 16 over Jeff Gordon. The championship was a first for Busch, the first for veteran crew chief Jimmy Fennig and the second for team owner Jack Roush.

    After winning three races throughout the 2005 season, Busch was suspended and released from Roush Racing two races shy of the season’s conclusion following a confrontation with Maricopa County Sheriff deputies in November prior to the Phoenix race weekend for suspicious DUI driving. Following his departure from Roush, Busch joined forces with team owner Roger Penske as driver of the iconic No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge following the retirement of Rusty Wallace. It took the first five races into the 2006 season for Busch to win for the first time with Penske at Bristol Motor Speedway. Despite the win at Bristol to go along with six poles, seven top-five finishes and 12 top-10 finishes, Busch concluded the season in 16th in the final standings after failing to make the Chase.

    From 2007 to 2010, Busch continued to drive the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske and won seven races, including the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway followed by the Coca-Cola 600 in 2010 with veteran crew chief Steve Addington. In those four seasons, he also tallied three poles, 30 top-five results, 62 top-10 results and made the Chase in three seasons. His best points result was fourth in 2009 with crew chief Pat Tryson.

    Busch remained with Penske for the 2011 Cup season, but he assumed driving responsibilities of the newly formed No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge with Addington remaining as his crew chief while Brad Keselowski, coming off his NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, was assigned to pilot the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge with Paul Wolfe, his championship-winning crew chief, to continue to lead him. Busch kickstarted the new relationship in a new car and with his new sponsors by winning the non-point Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, which marked Busch’s first superspeedway victory of any type. He followed that up by winning the first Gatorade Duel qualifying races and finishing fifth in the Daytona 500. Fifteen races into the season, Busch recorded his first elusive win with the No. 22 team at Sonoma Raceway after leading 76 of the event’s 110-scheduled laps. He would win once more at Dover International Speedway in October and conclude the season with three poles, eight top-five finishes, 16 top-10 finishes and in 11th in the final standings while making the Chase for the sixth time in his career.

    Following a mutual termination of his partnership with Penske, Busch reached a one-year, handshake deal with team owner James Finch to drive the No. 51 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in the 2012 season. In his 30-race stretch with Phoenix Racing, Busch achieved two top-10 results, including a season-best third at Sonoma Raceway, while sustaining six DNFs and not competing at Pocono Raceway in June due to being suspended following an off-track encounter with a reporter. After Talladega Superspeedway in October, Busch transitioned to Furniture Row Racing for the remaining six races of the 2012 season, scoring a best result of eighth in back-to-back weekends at Texas Motor Speedway and at Phoenix Raceway, before racing as a full-time driver for the team in 2013. Though he did not record a win, Busch’s full-time season with Furniture Row Racing’s No. 78 Chevrolet team was a success as he recorded a pole, 11 top-five finishes, 16 top-10 finishes and finished 10th in the final standings, all while putting the team in the Chase for the first time.

    Despite a productive season with FRR, Busch transitioned to Stewart-Haas Racing as the team’s fourth competitor in 2014 and as driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet. Despite a slow start to the first four races of the season, Busch rebounded the following two events by finishing third at Auto Club Speedway and rallying from an on-track altercation with Keselowski to win at Martinsville Speedway following a late battle with Jimmie Johnson. The Martinsville win was the second for Busch along with his first triumph with SHR and the first win for rookie crew chief Daniel Knost. It also snapped his 83-race winless drought dating back to October 2011. He went on to record six top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes while concluding the season in 12th in the final standings.

    Busch started the 2015 season suspended over allegations of domestic violence under NASCAR’s personal conduct policy, but he was reinstated by NASCAR in March prior to the upcoming race at Phoenix International Raceway, where he finished fifth. Paired with veteran crew chief Tony Gibson, Busch went on to win twice and record 10 top-five finishes, 21 top-10 finishes and three poles before concluding the season in eighth in the standings. From 2016 to 2018, Busch won one race apiece and tallied eight poles, 21 top-five finishes and 58 top-10 finishes with a best result of seventh in 2016 and 2018, all while making the Chase. In between those three seasons, Busch recorded the first Daytona 500 victory for himself and Stewart-Haas Racing in 2017 and he recorded the first wins for crew chiefs Johnny Klausmeier and Billy Scott. He also established a record-setting run of lead-lap finishes to the first 22 races of the 2016 season before the streak came to an end the following race at Bristol due to a wreck. When Busch won at Bristol in August 2018, it was his sixth triumph at the track dubbed Thunder Valley and it was the 100th Cup win for the Ford Fusion.

    Last season, following his departure from Stewart-Haas Racing at the conclusion of the 2018 Cup season, Busch and longtime partner Monster Energy joined forces with Chip Ganassi Racing and the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team. Through the first half of the season, 18 races, Busch achieved 10 top-10 results. In July, Busch outdueled his brother Kyle on a two-lap shootout to win at Kentucky Speedway for his first win with Ganassi and to record the first NASCAR victory for crew chief Matt McCall. He concluded the season in 13th in the standings despite achieving six top-five results, 18 top-10 results and three stage wins.

    Through the first 15 races of the 2020 Cup Series season, Busch has achieved nine top-10 results with a best result of third coming at Auto Club and Darlington, and has recorded a stage win. He is ranked 10th in the regular-season standings and trails points leader Kevin Harvick by 151 points. With 31 Cup career wins, Busch is ranked 27th on the all-time wins list, (seventh among active drivers).

    On Sunday, Busch will become the 16th driver to reach 700 career starts in the Cup Series. He is also one of two active competitors set to reach the 700th start milestone in 2020 as Harvick, a former teammate to Busch at Stewart-Haas Racing, is set to reach the mark at Texas Motor Speedway on July 19. For Busch, he will also make his 20th consecutive start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a track where Busch has finished in the top 10 six times with a best result of fifth in 2001 and has achieved an average result of 19.42 in his previous 19 starts.

    Catch Busch’s milestone start in the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 5 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • First Cup Pocono race features unique top-15 notables

    First Cup Pocono race features unique top-15 notables

    While Kevin Harvick walked away with his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Pocono Raceway following a 19-year dry spell, there were other competitors who left the first Pocono race of the weekend satisfied with their runs involving late-race strategy and finishes inside the top 15.

    The first was Clint Bowyer. Starting 18th, Bowyer remained in 18th through the competition caution on Lap 13. Surrendering his track position to pit for early adjustments, Bowyer fell back to 24th. Through two restarts, he settled in 25th when the first stage concluded. He spent the majority of the following stage racing within the 20s, but when some competitors opted to pit under green, Bowyer was back up in 11th. Following a late debris caution, he pitted. Through two restarts, he was able to carve his way to 13th following the second stage. In the final stage, under 40 laps remaining, Bowyer made a green-flag pit stop along with a bevy of lead-lap cars that would get him the fuel he needed to make it to the end. Fifteen laps later, Bowyer was running in 14th and delivering strong lap times. For the remainder of the race, Bowyer and his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang was able to work his way into the top 10 as he settled in seventh when the race concluded. Coming off four disappointing races, where he finished no higher than 11th at Homestead, the seventh-place result was Bowyer’s fourth top-10 result of this season and his best finish since finishing second at Bristol on May 31. It was also a result that kept Bowyer inside the top-16 in the Cup regular-season standings.

    “We were really loose and in traffic, we were terrible,” Bowyer said. “But, I think we found our direction in the last part of the race. We had a vibration late or I think we could have gotten more spots. What a swing! [Crew chief] Johnny Klausmeier and my guys did a good job calling the race.”

    Next was Michael McDowell. Starting 26th McDowell was able to work his way up to 19th following the first stage and in 16th following the second stage. Restarting 14th under 50 laps remaining for the final stage, McDowell shined as he worked his way into the top 10. As the green-flag run stretch, a multitude of competitors, even for those running towards the front, pitted while McDowell was among a handful who remained on track. Once most of the pit stops cycled through, McDowell and his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang team was running inside the top five and was one of seven cars yet to pit. With 20 laps remaining, McDowell passed Ryan Newman to lead a lap before he surrendered his track position to pit under green. Once he exited pit road, McDowell was still in contention for a top-10 result, which he was able to move into eighth in the final laps. When the checkered flag flew, McDowell crossed the line in eighth for his first top-10 result of this season, the ninth of his career and his first since finishing fifth last October at Talladega Superspeedway. The result was also McDowell’s best in a non-superspeedway event in the Cup Series. With teammate John Hunter Nemechek finishing eighth the previous race at Talladega and McDowell earning his eighth-place result in the first Pocono race, this marked the first time where Front Row Motorsports’ entries earned top-10 results in consecutive weeks.

    “Well, that was an exciting run,” McDowell said. “[Crew chief] Drew [Blickensderfer] made a great call. Strategy was the big part of it today. Our car was really fast on the long run, which let us stay out long and make good lap times, and end up taking only two tires at the end to get some track position. Luckily, it stayed green and everything went our way. Really proud of everybody at Front Row [Motorsports]. Fast race car all day long and I’m just glad we got a top 10 here, kept the momentum rolling. We get to do all again tomorrow. We’ll reload and get to do it again.”

    Another competitor who gambled late on fuel to post a decent result was Chris Buescher. Starting 24th, Buescher was able to carve his way to 17th through the competition caution on Lap 13. He went on to finish 19th in the first stage and 20th in the second stage, though his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang was fifth at one moment in the second stage. Restarting 18th for the final stage, Buescher was one of seven competitors who decided to stretch his fuel cell as far as possible while the green-flag run progressed and as most of the lead-lap cars pitted. With teammate Ryan Newman leading in the late stages, Buescher was running in third. Under 20 laps remaining, Buescher inherited the lead and led three laps before making a green-flag pit stop. Once Buescher returned on track, he spent the next 17 laps working his way back to the front. On the final lap, Buescher was able to pass Matt Kenseth to finish 10th and secure his fourth top-10 result of this season in his 14th Cup race with Roush Fenway Racing.

    “Well, another top 10 for our Fastenal Mustang,” Buescher said. “First Pocono is in the books, a little bit delayed, but we had a really good run. Had some good strategy, we had good speed. [I] Was happy with our racecar. We get to work on it a little bit for tomorrow, kind of fine tuned and be able to hit the ground running. We’re excited to get going and try to build off of this, and try to do a little better yet.”

    Finishing right behind Buescher was Matt Kenseth. Starting 22nd, Kenseth was scored in 23rd and he went on to finish 23rd and 14th in the following two stages. With 37 laps remaining, Kenseth was among many competitors who made a green-flag pit stop with enough fuel to complete the remainder of the race. From there, Kenseth awaited as a handful of competitors peeled off the track to pit road. Under 15 laps remaining, the 2003 Cup champion was scored in 10th and was appeared to finish in the top 10 despite enduring late handling issues. On the final lap, he was overtaken for position and settled in 11th, seven spots ahead of teammate Kurt Busch. While he came one spot short of earning his second top-10 result of this season, the 11th-place result marked Kenseth’s third top-15 result of the 2020 season in his 10th race driving the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and his best result since finishing 15th at Atlanta on June 7. In the previous three Cup races prior to Saturday’s race at Pocono, Kenseth had finished no higher than 23rd and was coming off a 40th-place finish, last, at Talladega due to mechanical issues. By finishing 11th, Kenseth was also the highest-finishing Chevrolet competitor of the Cup race.

    After running inside the top five midway in the race, Matt DiBenedetto settled for a top-15 result following a late cycle of green-flag pit stops. Starting 21st, DiBenedetto had a strong No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Mustang to start the race as he gained 10 spots and was scored in 11th through the first 13 laps. Through the remainder of the first stage, DiBenedetto was able to work his way into the top 10 and finish seventh while earning crucial stage points for the Playoffs. Continuing to battle his way towards the front with a strong car, DiBenedetto was able to finish fifth in the second stage and earn more valuable stage points. Following a final green-flag pit stop under 40 laps remaining in the final stage, DiBenedetto crossed the line in 13th for his ninth top-15 finish in his 14th race with the Wood Brothers.

    Finally, Ryan Newman concluded his day with a top-15 run after leading in the late laps on a dry tank of fuel. Starting 13th, Newman had fallen back to 20th through the competition caution, but he progressively worked his way back to finish 14th and 12th in the first two stages. The final stage was where Newman rose to the occasion as he inherited the lead with 33 laps remaining. With Newman in the lead, this marked the third race where he led a lap since returning from his injuries in the season-opening Daytona 500. On this occasion, Newman led 13 laps. A lap after losing the lead to Michael McDowell, Newman made a green-flag pit stop. Once he returned on the track, he was still in the top 15, running near his teammate Chris Buescher. While Buescher marched on into the top 10, Newman settled in 15th for his sixth top-15 result since returning at Darlington Raceway in May.

    The NASCAR Cup Series will return for a second race at Pocono as part of the doubleheader feature on June 28 at 4 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Matt Kenseth announced as Kyle Larson’s Replacement in the No. 42 for 2020

    Matt Kenseth announced as Kyle Larson’s Replacement in the No. 42 for 2020

    Chip Ganassi Racing announced today that Matt Kenseth is set to come back to NASCAR to drive the No. 42 Chevrolet once NASCAR resumes for the 2020 season.

    Kenseth has not competed in the Cup Series since Homestead in 2018, where he finished sixth driving for Jack Roush.

    “This was an unexpected opportunity for sure,” Kenseth said. “I can’t say racing was even on my radar two weeks ago. After spending some time thinking about it and all the unique circumstances surrounding all of us right now, it just seemed the timing and the opportunity was perfect.”

    Credit One, McDonald’s, Clover, and AdventHealth will remain as sponsors on the car when racing is back in full swing following the Coronavirus shutdown.

    It is yet to be determined if Kenseth will be eligible to run for the Cup Series Championship, as NASCAR has yet to make a decision on the matter.

    The news comes a couple of weeks after Larson was fired during a sim racing event for using a racial slur.

  • Ford GT program to end as investors can not be found

    Ford GT program to end as investors can not be found

    The Ford GT era of the 2010s will end with the decade as the Ford GT Le Mans program will not race in IMSA in the hands of privateers, as reported by Racer.com. This also means the end of Chip Ganassi Racing’s participation in the IMSA WeatherTech Series for the time being. The program’s closure will leave the GTLM class with only 6 full-time participants in IMSA going into the 2020 season.

    Fellow Ford pilot Ben Keating, who took a GTE AM class win at Le Mans only to later be disqualified due to his fuel tank being too big, is also opting out of racing his Ford in favor of a Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR in 2020. 

    “If I decide to race the Ford again at some point, that will require a whole lot more stuff,” said Keating.

    The Ford GT’s return to competition from 2016 to 2019 coincided with the 50th anniversary of their four consecutive wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966-69 and generated a lot of fanfare. However, in May of 2019 Ford confirmed they would be closing the program after the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans in the WEC and after the 2019 Petit Le Mans in IMSA. 

    The Ford GT program found it’s share of victories, including their class return to Le Mans in 2016 despite claims on sandbagging from other teams. They also won in their class at Watkins Glen in 2017 and at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2018. Despite not winning any titles in WEC or IMSA, they scored 16 class wins in 56 races, meeting and exceeding the goals set by Ford.

    Despite the car no longer competing in an official capacity, there’s reason to believe that it made an impact in sports car racing beyond the track. Following the conclusion of the 2019 IMSA season, the sanctioning body reported that viewership for the sport increased by 15 percent. Although this was in the latter half of the GT’s participation in the sport, there’s no denying that part of the sport’s heritage was part of the larger draw in 2019.

  • Larson rounds out top-five finish for Chip Ganassi Racing

    Larson rounds out top-five finish for Chip Ganassi Racing

    Kyle Larson and his No. 42 team were hoping to break through for a win at Kentucky Speedway after finishing second at Chicago two weeks ago and a disappointing 20th last week at Daytona.

    Larson, however, qualified in the 19th position, not the qualifying spot he wanted or needed as it would take a lot of work to get to the front. In the first stage, he worked himself up to the 13th position which demonstrated how important track position is at Kentucky. In fact, Larson flew under the radar most of the night as he did not have the best car. His mid-race running position was ninth but he improved in Stage 2, finishing sixth.

    Larson had a shot at the win with a late race restart with two laps to go. He was right behind his teammate Kurt Busch and gave him a shove. Busch went to the outside while Larson was stuck in traffic. In the end, the No. 42 driver had to watch his teammate Kurt Busch battle for the win while he ended his night with a fourth-place finish.

    “I actually felt like we had a really good car, I just did such a bad job on those restarts and my balance was really loose,” Larson explained to PRN about his race. “I couldn’t gain anything and my track position wasn’t great the whole race, and then the very bottom of this frontstretch was rough as heck. I think I damaged my nose a little bit.”

    “But it was cool to push Kurt (Busch, teammate) there past the leaders. You know, a good day for Chip Ganassi Racing, happy about that!”

    Larson earned his third top-five finish of the year and he currently sits 13th in the playoff points standings.

  • Kurt Busch wins in thrilling fashion at Kentucky

    Kurt Busch wins in thrilling fashion at Kentucky

    Kurt Busch won the Quaker State 400 in overtime at Kentucky Speedway Saturday night after a thrilling overtime battle with younger brother, Kyle Busch, to earn his first victory of the 2019 season.

    It appeared that Joey Logano might run away with the race win in overtime but a late race caution changed everything. With six laps to go Bubba Wallace spun in Turn 1 and set up a late race overtime restart.

    Busch passed Logano on the restart and set his sight on his brother. During the last half lap, the two brothers dueled for the win. Kurt Busch was able to beat him to the finish line by inches after almost wrecking each other for the win. It was his first victory for Chip Ganassi Racing.

    “That was epic!” Kurt Busch said to PRN Radio in his post-race interview. “I was hoping we would get a shot, one more restart. I was just hoping that it would go our way and get that yellow. Then my little brother (Kyle Busch), the best guy in the world to go racing against. He’s been winning a ton, I couldn’t be happier for him and where he’s gone in his career.”

    “That duel in Turn 3 and 4, and who was going to lift first, what’s going to happen, he gave me just enough on the outside like a true racer would. We made it work and both could have clobbered each other, and third place (Erik Jones) could have won, but I’m glad I came out on top with my Monster Energy Chevrolet. To get this team (the win), there’s a ton of first-time winners in victory lane.”

    Daniel Suarez started on the pole, his first of the season and his first since Pocono of 2018.

    The stages were broken up into 80/80/107 laps to make up the 267-lap race at Kentucky Speedway.

    There was action before the race started, as fuel was accidentally laid down before the start of the race. Therefore, speedy dry was put down on top of the PJ1 that was also applied again in the morning hours.

    The first half of the race was mainly clean and green, and what you would expect at a 1.5-mile track. There were some incidents, including one where Brad Keselowski reported “something is audibly off,” a possible tire vibration. The first caution of the race flew on Lap 47 for Chase Elliott’s car, as he blew a right front tire and left debris all over the track.

    Another yellow flew on Lap 55 for Corey Lajoie, who spun off Turn 4 but wound up not hitting the wall. Kurt Busch would lead for the first time right before the caution by taking the lead on Lap 53. Before Busch could go on to win Stage 1, the caution flew once more on Lap 64 for Landon Cassill and Bayley Currey who both spun in Turn 2. Both drivers would escape without any major damage.

    Despite the yellow, Kurt Busch would hang on to the lead and win the first stage after leading 30 laps.

    Suarez led the first 49 laps, before finishing 14th in Stage 1. Also during the stage, Keselowski had a possible valve spring issue.

    Stage 2 saw a lot of different strategies take place, with drivers taking only two tires or just fuel in order to get that much-needed track position.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would take advantage of that track position by staying out and taking the lead at the beginning of Stage 2. Stenhouse led for 21 laps until Kyle Busch took the lead on Lap 104. Another strategy call was made by Suarez’s pit crew on Lap 108 by pitting. After pitting, Suarez was told he could make it to the end of the stage without stopping again.

    However, that was all thrown out the window as he would be caught speeding on pit road. Other pit stops would be made for those who stayed out. Logano pitted on Lap 120 for a possible vibration but looked as though it was all clear after the pit stop.

    Later in the stage, Austin Dillon learned he was going to have to change the battery at the end of Stage 2. Dillon did so and it cost him a good finish. He wound up 35th, 29 laps down.

    More issues appeared to rise for Elliott’s crew who pitted from 22nd. Elliott received an uncontrolled tire penalty, which was later overturned by NASCAR.

    The race leader Kyle Busch pitted on Lap 149 from the lead. Despite pitting, Busch would remain the leader. Other drivers were caught with penalties, however. Daniel Hemric had a penalty for removing a jack from his pit box.

    Kyle Busch would maintain the lead as pit stops cycled through and go on to win the second stage.

    The third and final stage went green with 101 laps to go and saw a lot of action.

    Kurt Busch would be back up front for the restart. There were some great battles going on which allowed Kyle Busch to close in once again.

    Although, as cautions breed cautions, another one was seen as the No. 48 car of Jimmie Johnson was loose and snapped around, hitting the wall off Turn 2 on Lap 179. It would be the sixth caution of the night.

    More interesting items developed on the next restart, as William Byron was cited by NASCAR for a restart violation. Byron would wind up serving a stop and go penalty.

    Pit stops began to take place shortly after with 54 to go. Once Clint Bowyer passed Kurt Busch for the lead, Busch pitted in hopes of being the race leader once stops cycled out. Bowyer then pitted as well, but Busch exited just ahead of him. Meaning, if the stops cycled out as they normally do, Busch would be the new race leader.

    However, other drivers were trying to outsmart each other during the final laps of the race. Kyle Busch would lead the next 13 laps before pitting. Hamlin then led five laps before pitting, Newman for 15 laps until he ran out of gas and Suarez led three laps until Lap 248.

    While all this was going on, Kyle Busch and Logano were battling each other for a potential race win as they would be the new leaders once stops cycled out. Both raced each other hard for the lead and nearly wrecked each other while doing it. Logano took the lead with just 18 laps to go.

    In what looked liked it was going to be the Joey Logano show, a late race yellow ended his hopes with six laps to go. This set up a NASCAR overtime finish with Logano and Kyle Busch on the front row. Older brother Kurt Busch would sit right lurking close behind.

    As the race restarted, Logano got shuffled back in the middle as Kurt Busch and Erik Jones went three wide on the leaders. Busch was on the high line and got around Logano and Kyle Busch.

    Both brothers would duel it out all the way to the finish line, even touching each other, leaving Kurt Busch with some tire smoke from a fender rub. In the end, it was older brother Kurt Busch barely beating his younger brother at the line by .076 seconds.

    With this win, he has won with every car owner he has driven for in the series.

    “I felt the connection with Chip (Ganassi, Team Owner) was perfect right away,” Busch added in his interview with PRN. “I mean, it was a 30-minute conversation, we knocked out a contract and then we went racing. And then, it’s a matter of making all the right steps to make this No. 1 car a winner. Tonight, we had luck on our side, positioned ourselves with speed and handling was there.”

    With the future a little uncertain for Busch by having just a one year contract, he is still not sure what next season holds for him, but indicated that he’s not retiring anytime soon.

    “It’s a matter of getting going now,” the 2004 champion said. “We got that win and now the second half is in front of us, and it’s a matter of everything coming together, you know? The manufacture, the sponsor, the team owner and the driver. I thought this year might be the last, but we’re having so much fun, we’ll see how things go.”

    With this win, Kurt Busch is now locked into the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Busch is currently seeded seventh in the Playoff standings.

    It was Busch’s first win of the season, his first since the Bristol night race last August and the 31st of his career. He led four times for 41 laps and won Stage 1.

    There were seven cautions for 35 laps with 10 leaders among 15 lead changes.

    Playoff Watch

    1. Kyle Busch, Four wins
    2. Martin Truex Jr, Four wins
    3. Brad Keselowski, Three wins
    4. Joey Logano, Two wins, Current regular standings points leader
    5. Denny Hamlin, Two wins
    6. Chase Elliott, One win
    7. Kurt Busch, One win
    8. Alex Bowman, One win
    9. Kevin Harvick -101
    10. Aric Almirola, -204
    11. Ryan Blaney, -211
    12. William Byron, -229
    13. Kyle Larson, -235, +40 points in
    14. Clint Bowyer, -265, +10 points in
    15. Jimmie Johnson, -265, +10 points in
    16. Erik Jones, -273, +2 points in
    Outside looking in
    17. Ryan Newman, Two points out
    18. Daniel Suarez, Two points out
    19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, 46 points out

    Up Next: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series continues their summer stretch of races by heading to the Northeast for race No. 20 of the 2019 season. There are only seven races left until the Playoffs began.

  • Kurt Busch quietly finishes strong in California

    Kurt Busch quietly finishes strong in California

    When drivers change teams, usually performance changes briefly before leveling out. The chemistry between the driver and their team, crew members and sponsors take time to wedge their way into a comforting blend to begin running smoothly.

    Rarely do you see a driver switch to a new team and constantly run and finish up front, that is unless a driver gets a big change in a high tier team. Case in point, Ross Chastain at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last year driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, grabbing the win and getting to smash the watermelon to lay out a new tradition for himself as a Florida watermelon farmer.

    The start of the 2019 season brought a change of face for Kurt Busch. The 2004 champion left Stewart Haas Racing to join Chip Ganassi Racing, replacing Jamie McMurray in the No. 1. He also left the blue oval Fords and joined the Chevrolet bow ties. Despite his talent and competitive nature, most expected him to take a couple of months into the year before finding his groove and competing strongly once again.

    However, the new face behind the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro has had strong success after the first five races. He quietly has been leading the Chevrolet camp, is the only driver with multiple top five finishes, and teammate Kyle Larson has been right alongside. The two Ganassi drivers are currently eighth and ninth in points, with Larson only three points ahead in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings, and Busch holding yet another strong run at California finishing sixth.

    “We had a good day. I was just hoping to get a top five and came home just a bit short,” Kurt shared as he was one spot short of his third top five finish of the season. “But the growth rate of us at Ganassi and the adjustments we’re making, I couldn’t be happier. I’m smiling as I’m driving the car. It’s so much fun to toss it down in there with all this downforce and the horsepower, you just pitch it sideways and see if it’s going to stick. But, we know we’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s awesome to run up front. I’m smiling. But, we know at our growth rate, we’re not on a plateau yet. I’ve got to keep going.”

    The Las Vegas native got to witness his brother’s milestone in history at the end of Sunday’s race when Kyle Busch won his 53rd career Cup Series victory. It was also his 200th win across all three series, including the Xfinity Series and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series.

    “Yeah, I thought he was done,” Busch reflected when his brother received the uncontrolled tire penalty on pit road. “But, this is a big day. For my little brother to have 200 wins, they’re all added up through his hard work and his dedication to perfection. Not bad for two kids with an attitude from Vegas.”

    Kurt Busch talks about his sixth place run after the 2019 Auto Club 400. Photo courtesy of Rachel Schuoler from Speedway Media.

    The media joked about the history of the Busch brothers having “hotheads” as kids, but as the two have matured throughout the years, everyone acknowledged their footprint in the sport.

    “As far as attitudes and winning? I’ve got to hold up my end of the bargain,” Kurt laughed as he discussed his and his brother racing in NASCAR throughout the years. “I’ve gotten too nice and I’m not winning enough; but I’m having fun. I love the Ganassi guys. Matt McCall (crew chief) wants more. I know he does. I want more. I was hoping for a top five today but we’ll take it. All in all, we’re running where we need to be running.”

    Kurt knows his team still has work ahead of them, but he sounded very optimistic heading into Martinsville Speedway next weekend.

    “I want to see more Bowties up there all around me.”