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  • The Final Word – NASCAR is back, but what gives with that points system?

    The Final Word – NASCAR is back, but what gives with that points system?

    A new season dawns upon us this weekend, with the Clash at Daytona this Saturday, to be followed by Sunday qualifying for the Daytona 500. After a couple of months sitting around watching world events and gleefully upsetting some with my witty political commentary, it is back to things involving gears and grease. So, much happen since we last chatted?

    A new points system; well, that ought to be great. Right? Wrong. Let me illustrate. Bob finishes first after the first 60 laps of the Daytona 500. He gets 10 points for doing so. Bob is sitting first after 120 laps. He gets another 10 points. Bob finishes the race, lap 200, in 21st. Bob gets an additional 16 points. Then there is Bill. He finishes the first segment in 11th. No points for Bill. Same thing after the second segment. Then over the final laps of the race, Bill is right up there challenging for the win. Bill falls just short. Bill gets 35 points for finishing second. Bob, when you add it all up, finishes 21st yet he has 36 points, one more point than Bill, who finished the race in second. Sounds just bloody wonderful. What is not to like, eh?

    Pardon me, but I am Canadian, which not only explains the “eh” but also my apology. The Duels will award from 1 to 10 points to the top 10 finishers in each race to count in the season standings. There are changes to how playoff points are awarded, but more on that later. It still comes down to win a race, more than likely make the Chase, and that is all that matters for the moment.

    No Canadians among Cup drivers. No Tony Stewart. No Jeff Gordon…but didn’t we say that last year? No Greg Biffle, at least for the time being. No Carl Edwards. No one seems exactly sure if he is just sitting one out or looking for a seat in the U.S. Senate. I wonder how secure Sen. Claire McCaskill, who comes up for re-election in 2018, is feeling these days?

    We have Clint Bowyer back in a real car, replacing Stewart. Daniel Suarez sits in for Edwards. Chris Buescher kind of replaces Biffle, in a car with ties to Jack Roush and JTG Daugherty Racing. Erik Jones sits in a brand new ride as the long-awaited teammate for Martin Truex Jr. Oh, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back from his medically enforced vacation. That pretty much covers those who matter…at least those who matter at the moment.

    Wreck a car, park a car. No new shiny noses. No new rear or side panels. You have five minutes to fix the beast on pit row, and if that does not do the trick, a driver’s day is done. Bad news for him, great news for those poor sots back in the garage. If the car is wrecked, it is Miller Time.

    Sorry. I mean, Monster Energy time! Sprint hung up, and now we have a new title sponsor. Of course, for me it was Cup and it remains Cup. If you raced five years in Cup, you are limited to just 10 races in the junior circuit and seven in the trucks this season. They race none of those circuits’ Chase races. See, not all changes are bad. Some are downright about time.

    Still, that points system kind of sucks. Maybe it is just me. By the way, it is good to have you back.

  • Media Tour – Suarez Relishes His New Role at Joe Gibbs Racing

    Media Tour – Suarez Relishes His New Role at Joe Gibbs Racing

    Daniel Suarez, the first Mexican-born driver in any of the top three series’ met with the media at the 35th Annual NASCAR Media Tour hosted by the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday.

    Suarez, the defending XFINITY Series champion, will replace the retired Carl Edwards in the No. 19 Arris Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2017. Edwards’ surprise press conference where he announced his intentions left Joe Gibbs Racing without an option for 2017. Suarez was already in-house piloting the Arris Toyota in the XFINITY Series and was moved to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

    Suarez was a Drive for Diversity program member and feels like his road to the top was swift mainly because of the program.

    “The Drive for Diversity Program was very important to me for sure,” Suarez said, but I’ve been racing nearly every day and getting to know my whole 19 team. But there is still a lot to do. I’ve had a lot of help from the Drive for Diversity program through the changes. I’ve also had a lot of people from Mexico throughout my career.”

    Suarez will be one of a large field of rookies to compete in 2017, including Ty Dillon and Erik Jones, who will compete with him for the title of 2017 Rookie of the Year. He will be an underdog through his first season, but that doesn’t bother Suarez.

    “I think it’s going to be really cool to race (these guys). We know each other and we get along very well.”

  • Hot 20 – If dreams do come true, why not a Dale Earnhardt 500 at Talladega?

    Hot 20 – If dreams do come true, why not a Dale Earnhardt 500 at Talladega?

    With more than a month left in the old year, talk about the new is already starting to dominate. Tony Stewart is now retired, with Clint Bowyer no doubt thrilled at the chance to get back into quality equipment as his replacement. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is getting ready to return to racing, though that message from fiance Amy Reimann seems to indicate he never really left. Greg Biffle has left Jack Roush after all these years, with his old ride apparently being put on blocks for next season.

    Dear NASCAR: Please start branding your races so they might one day become stand alone marquee events. Along with the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, and the Brickyard 400, change it back to the World 600 at Charlotte and summertime should mark the Firecracker 400 at Daytona. While we are at it, who would not want to win at Talladega, taking the Hellmann’s Dale Earnhardt 500, or STP’s Richard Petty 500 at Martinsville? A Ridgeway grandfather clock with the King’s face on the face. Hey, it is not our circus, but we have grown fond of some of the monkeys.

    Jimmie Johnson has another trinket to keep polished. NASCAR, in its stupidity, has few iconic events, we know, but Johnson has won them all. Daytona 500? Twice. Southern 500? Twice. World 600? Four times. Brickyard 400? Four more. Ten-time winner at Dover. Nine at Martinsville. Did anyone mention seven Cup championships? Is it too early to wonder about an eighth? Jimmie Johnson is a living, breathing active iconic legend of the sport. Enjoy him while we can.

    Most athletes are done by the time they hit 40. NASCAR is lucky in that way, but even at that age folks start asking the drivers “how much longer?” once they hit the milestone. Johnson, Junior, Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick have already reached the peak of that mountain. The good news is that young gents such as Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Dillon have already arrived, with Ty Dillon coming soon, along with the likes of Erik Jones and Darrell Wallace Jr. Those are just the ones with decent rides, either at this level or the one just below. Like XFINITY champ Daniel Suarez, for instance.

    Elliott, Cup’s top rookie, turns 21 within the week. There are 50 drivers younger than him with some experience in the Cup, XFINITY, Camping World, or ARCA series. Harrison Burton finished 22nd in a truck race, third in an ARCA event. Jeff Burton’s boy turned 16 in October. Cole Custer does not turn 19 until January, yet was 10th best in the trucks this season, with a pair of XFINITY Top Tens to his credit in just five attempts. Tomorrow’s stars are coming.

    Let us not rush things, though. 2016 gave us a nice mix of seasoned veterans and fuzzy-cheeked talent, as our Hot 20 bears out.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON (5 WINS – 11 T5 – 16 T10) 5040 PTS
    Gunning for eight in 2017. What, too soon?

    2. JOEY LOGANO (3-16-26) 5037 PTS
    I will never forget what he and Brittany did to honor the family of Jake Leatherman.

    3. KYLE BUSCH (4-17-25) 5035 PTS
    If NASCAR was Canadian, would Kyle be sponsored by Smarties?

    4. CARL EDWARDS (3-9-18) 5007 PTS
    Not at the front of the field in the end, but left as the class of the field.

    5. MATT KENSETH (2-8-19) 2330 PTS
    With the Biff leaving, that ole Roush gang have now all departed for greener pastures.

    6. DENNY HAMLIN (3-12-22) 2320 PTS
    Average finish over the final 21 races was 8.5. Thirtieth at Charlotte ruined everything.

    7. KURT BUSCH (1-9-21) 2296 PTS
    Was better in the first half than the second. The good news is that 2017 begins with the first half.

    8. KEVIN HARVICK (4-17-27) 2289 PTS
    Best damn driver in NASCAR this season is a champion…just not for this year.

    9. KYLE LARSON (1-10-15) 2288 PTS
    Second-best 20-something driver this season, and seems to have designs on #1 in the next.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT (0-10-17) 2285 PTS
    Not all Rookies of the Year are stellar choices, but this one most definitely is.

    11. MARTIN TRUEX JR. (4-8-17) 2271 PTS
    Next year, Erik Jones becomes his new teammate. If the boy wins, soda pop for everyone.

    12. BRAD KESELOWSKI (4-16-22) 2267 PTS
    Brad does not think the format led to great racing last week. Brad did not have my television.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY (0-2-12) 2231 PTS
    Joined by Larson, McMurray gave boss Chip Ganassi a pair in the Top Five last Sunday.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON (0-4-13) 2223 PTS
    Some wags figure if Woody from Toy Story drove in NASCAR, he would look a lot like Austin.

    15. TONY STEWART (1-5-8) 2211 PTS
    As iconic as Johnson, Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon, L. Petty, Pearson, Yarborough and Waltrip

    16. CHRIS BUESCHER (1-2-2) 2169 PTS
    Proof that one race can make a season.

    17. KASEY KAHNE (0-3-13) 898 PTS
    2004’s top rookie teams with a seven-time champ, a 13-time most popular, and 2016’s top rookie.

    18. RYAN NEWMAN (0-2-10) 895 PTS
    If he had actually been driving a Caterpillar, the car would have looked better after last Sunday.

    19. A.J. ALLMENDINGER (0-2-9) 830 PTS
    If getting the wave around works good enough to claim eighth at Homestead, why not?

    20. RYAN BLANEY (0-3-9) 812 PTS
    Turns 23 on New Year’s Eve. Talk about welcoming in a new year twice at the same party.

  • The Final Word – As it all went to crap for Edwards, Johnson rolls a seven in NASCAR finale

    The Final Word – As it all went to crap for Edwards, Johnson rolls a seven in NASCAR finale

    It was down to four as NASCAR made its final stop of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Two champions had already been declared, with Johnny Sauter taking the truck title, with the junior circuit claimed by Mexico’s Daniel Suarez. Now it was down to Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano to determine the Cup championship.

    Three-time champion Tony Stewart was the other driver who mattered. After 618 races, three championships, one more as a car owner, and with an IndyCar crown in the mix, he was stepping out as a driver to become a full-time team owner. As the laps went by, it became obvious this, like so many others in recent memory, was not going to be his day. That day could come next season if his drivers do well, and definitely will arrive soon enough when the Hall of Fame welcomes him.

    Within 60 laps, our contenders were all in the Top Five, along with Kevin Harvick, who at the time was leading the pack. It was obvious all those who mattered would be vying not only for the title but the win. It all depended on fate. Even so, if bad things happened early enough, they could be overcome. Johnson started at the rear of the pack due to some unauthorized modifications. No biggie. Kyle Busch came in early for a softening tire to go from being in the Top Five to the Top 20. Not a problem that could not be overcome. The secret was to stay close, and as the laps counted down, they were.

    As I’ve mentioned before, I do not watch the races live. I set it up to record, and start it up a couple of hours after the start time. If I had to sit through it live, and all those commercials, I do not know if I could do it. They need to come up with a better plan or surrender their viewership to only the most avid racing buffs. Few others would bother. Few others are these days, or so it appears. Then again, not my circus.

    It looked like Edwards, leading the way, might be the guy to beat. He was. Literally. A late caution interrupted the victory parade, and when they came out of the pits Carl led the Fabulous Four, with Logano behind him, two spots ahead of Johnson, with Kyle Busch sitting beside him on the re-start. As they pulled out, Logano attempted to dive down inside of Edwards, who tried to block. They collided, with Edwards slamming into the inside wall. He was done, as the red flag came out for 30 minutes in order to clear the carnage that included a bunch of names that normally would make headlines.

    Edwards’ reaction? He walked from the crash site to the pits, explained things to Logano’s crew, shook hands, and continued on to the care center. At a time when some would have went sniveling off to their safe place, that driver showed more class than most have. Than I have. Another season without getting the ring, but he left with tons of respect.

    They tried to get things going again, but then Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun to bring out yet another caution, Johnson was sitting second. As they went one final time for a green-white-checker conclusion, he started on the inside lane, with Logano behind him, but history did not repeat itself. Johnson got tagged by his rival, but that only shot him to the front and that is where he stayed.

    Eighty career wins. Seven NASCAR championships. Sometimes life provides something that just makes you feel good. Real good. Homestead delivered just that as the final story of the final chapter of the 2016 season closed the book. Now, it is off to Daytona…in three months.

  • What Suarez’s Championship Win Means for NASCAR

    What Suarez’s Championship Win Means for NASCAR

    The NASCAR XFINITY Series season is over and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Daniel Suarez has been crowned the 2016 champion.

    Let that sink in a bit. Suarez is the XFINITY Series champion. Not Elliott Sadler or Erik Jones, both of whom had stellar seasons and were considered the odds-on favorites to emerge at the top of the Championship Four. It was Suarez who hoisted the series trophy on the frontstretch when the race was over.

    It’s a championship story that NASCAR needed. Try as they might, diversity in NASCAR pales to other popular motorsports even though they have the NASCAR Drive For Diversity campaign. Suarez, a graduate of the program, isn’t the first minority to win a race in a national touring division, but he is the first to score a championship. In NASCAR’s 60-plus year history, that should say something about ethnicity in the sport.

    It’s not for lack of trying, though. There have been many different races, creeds, religions, and genders to come through NASCAR over the years. Many have succeeded, and many have failed. XFINITY Series driver Darrell Wallace Jr., who is half black, has been successful behind the wheel in his brief NASCAR career, while Kyle Larson, who is half Japanese, has won in the Camping World Truck Series, XFINITY Series, and the Sprint Cup Series. But it hasn’t always been like that as former drivers, including Marc Davis and Paulie Harraka, have had their careers stall.

    So to see Suarez win a major NASCAR championship is a validating accomplishment in motorsports, something that shows the rest of the world that this is something that anyone can succeed in if they put forth the effort and earn the right breaks. To the uninformed, NASCAR has been stereotyped as an all-white, all-male sport. Once upon a time that was the case. But in this day and age, the sport has worked hard to be seen as progressive and evolving, and Saturday night’s Ford 300 was a huge payoff.

    There’s still naysayers; just take a look at Twitter and Facebook to see the amount of hate this championship win has garnered. But the good outweighs the bad as many people have taken to social media to send congratulations to the Monterrey, Mexico native. This was a popular championship win in many ways, not only because of Suarez’s quiet, humble nature but also because of what this means for the sport.

    Whenever a woman comes into the sport, or someone of a different race or nationality, much is made about it. That goes double if they’ve even had some degree of success. Wallace has won several times in the CWTS. Israeli native Alon Day has had success in the NASCAR Euro Series. Danica Patrick is the only woman to date to have won an IndyCar event.

    But if we keep on seeing more drivers from all over coming in and doing what Suarez did, then there will be a day when a driver stops being noticed for being different from the normal status quo and will instead be noted for their driving ability. When that day comes then NASCAR will finally be seen as the amazing sport it truly is.

  • Suarez makes history with title victory in Miami

    Suarez makes history with title victory in Miami

    Daniel Suarez made history in South Florida as a victory in Miami made him the champion of the XFINITY Series.

    Starting on the pole, he dominated the race, leading 133 of the 200 laps. However, the championship the whole race was never a lock for the native of Mexico, as each of the Championship 4 drivers spent time at the head of the field.

    It started to intensify with 57 laps to go when all four of the title contenders held the top four spots in the running order for around 10 laps. It peaked with Erik Jones taking the lead with 43 to go before debris slowed the race.

    Suarez worked his way back to the lead on the restart with 37 to go. From there, it was game on to the finish. Justin Allgaier made contact with the wall running in second with 20 to go and Jones made contact with the wall running down his teammate for the lead with 15 and 13 to go.

    Ray Black Jr. spun exiting Turn 4 and brought out the caution with 10 to go. Elliott Sadler exited pit road first but restarted second because, Cole Whitt, on much older tires, opted not to pit.

    Mike Bumgarner, Sadler’s interim crew chief, pleaded with the 14 team to take the bottom lane on the restart, but they wouldn’t. Sadler restarted as the lead bottom car.

    On the restart with three to go, Whitt spun his tires and backed up Jones and Allgaier, costing them a chance at a championship.

    Sadler gunned ahead, but Suarez jumped to the outside, took the lead and scored the victory and the championship.

    It’s his third victory in 68 career XFINITY Series starts, third of 2016 and first at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    He’s also the first foreign-born champion in any NASCAR national series.

    Sadler came home third.

    “It’s heartbreaking to be that close and to kind of be in position there in the end,” Sadler said. “The guys made a great call to put me in that spot. Yeah, I’m sad for myself, but I’m more sad for my sponsors, my team my guys in the shop. I love them to death. All the hard work they put in these cars. I wanted to win this championship for them really bad.”

    He also addressed his team pleading with the 14 team to let them have the top lane on the final restart.

    “I just wanted to see if they would let us have the top and just let us four race for it because he was on such old tires,” he added. “He decided to stay up there.”

    “I made a mistake on the restart,” Sadler continued. “He didn’t go and I was a little intimidated and I let Daniel get a good run on me. Congratulations to him and his team. He did a really good job on that restart. I messed up a little bit.”

    Allgaier came home fourth. Jones finished ninth and secured Sunoco Rookie of The Year honors.

    A major incident of note took place on lap 137 Jordan Anderson slammed into the back of Jeremy Clements on the backstretch, who was slowing down to avoid hitting the 16 of Ryan Reed in the middle of a lazy spin.

    The race lasted two hours, 34 minutes and 34 seconds at an average speed of 116.455 mph. There were 21 lead changes among 11 different drivers and seven cautions for 39 laps.

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  • Kyle Busch Wins at Phoenix, as Championship 4 XFINITY Field is Set

    Kyle Busch Wins at Phoenix, as Championship 4 XFINITY Field is Set

    By Reid Spencer
    NASCAR Wire Service

    AVONDALE, Ariz. – It was just another routine Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway for Kyle Busch.

    But nothing else in the Ticket Galaxy 200 was at all ordinary.

    All the drama unfolded behind Busch, as eight drivers scrambled for four positions in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase’s Championship 4 Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Busch led 190 of 200 laps on the way to his 10th NASCAR XFINITY Series victory of the season, his 10th at the one-mile track and the 86th of his career, extending his own series record.

    Busch beat runner-up Austin Dillon to the finish line by 6.115 seconds. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ran third in his first XFINITY Series start since 2013.

    “It means a lot,” said Busch, who won his 170th race across NASCAR’s top three touring series. “That’s what we set out to do tonight, and we’ve been really fast here at Phoenix.

    “We’ve had some great race cars and Chris Gayle (crew chief) and all these guys do such a great job each and every week preparing these things – and it’s fun to win here.”

    Justin Allgaier and Daniel Suarez secured spots in the Championship 4 with respective fourth and fifth-place finishes, as did Erik Jones, who recovered from a pit road mistake on Lap 93 to finish 10th.

    But the real tension waited until after the race, when Elliott Sadler sat anxiously on pit road as NASCAR officials decided whether loose lug nuts would cost Sadler, the 13th-place finisher, the services of his crew chief, Kevin Meendering, in the season finale.

    NASCAR found two loose lug nuts, and that means Meendering will serve a suspension next week. Sadler did not know who his crew chief will be at Homestead – though he was lobbying, somewhat facetiously, for team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. to take over the pit box.

    “The emotions of the last 30 minutes have been tough,” Sadler said. “We knew one was loose, and one was in question. Kevin’s pretty much become my best friend, and Kevin’s made me a race car driver again this year.

    “We’ve saved our Darlington car – our best car – for Homestead. We’ve put all our eggs in that car. We’ve done everything right as a race team to go to Homestead with a legitimate shot of walking away a champion. Now that we know he’s going to be suspended, it’s going to be tough.”

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Managing Director Wayne Auton said there was never a possibility of Sadler losing his spot in the Championship 4.

    “At the end of the race, we bring all the cars down to the entrance of pit road for inspection of the wheels and the lug nuts,” Auton said. “We observed that the No. 1 car had two lug nuts not secured to the wheel. With that being said, all the teams were very much aware at the start of the Chase of the violations that could come about.

    “We’ve advised the team that they’re going to be looking for a crew chief for next week and a monetary fine of about $10,000. It’s clearly in the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series rule book.”

    Blake Koch finished eighth and lost the final Championship 4 position to Sadler by four points. Joining Koch on the Chase sidelines were Ryan Reed, who finished sixth, and Brendan Gaughan and Darrell Wallace Jr., who were wrecked and eliminated before the race was 150 laps old.

    Gaughan, who needed a victory to advance to Homestead, was playing fuel strategy when his right front tire went flat on the frontstretch on Lap 138. Gaughan pounded the Turn 1 wall and retired in 35th place.

    “It was about to play out the way we wanted,” Gaughan said after exiting the infield care center. “Did not want to be the caution. Did not want to hit that hard – but we took a shot.”

    Wallace’s grandmother had passed away during the week before the race, and the No. 6 Ford carried her name, “Granny Jan,” above the driver’s door. On Lap 148, Koch ducked to the inside off Turn 4 and knocked Wallace’s Mustang into the inside frontstretch wall.

    “My grandmother was giving me the ride of my life,” Wallace said, his voice breaking with emotion. “That was the most fun I have had all year. Just circumstances took us out. It’s just hard. Thanks, Granny, I love you. We will go on to Homestead and let her ride again.”

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – Ticket Galaxy 200
    Phoenix International Raceway
    Avondale, Arizona
    Saturday, November 12, 2016

     

    1. (1) Kyle Busch(i), Toyota, 200.
    2. (8) Austin Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
    3. (13) Ricky Stenhouse Jr(i), Ford, 200.
    4. (9) Justin Allgaier (C), Chevrolet, 200.
    5. (6) Daniel Suarez (C), Toyota, 200.
    6. (3) Ryan Reed (C), Ford, 200.
    7. (22) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 200.
    8. (4) Blake Koch (C), Chevrolet, 200.
    9. (11) Brad Keselowski(i), Ford, 200.
    10. (2) Erik Jones (C) #, Toyota, 200.
    11. (14) Brennan Poole #, Chevrolet, 200.
    12. (17) Aric Almirola(i), Ford, 200.
    13. (10) Elliott Sadler (C), Chevrolet, 200.
    14. (15) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200.
    15. (19) Justin Marks, Chevrolet, 200.
    16. (20) Cole Whitt(i), Toyota, 200.
    17. (24) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 199.
    18. (16) Brandon Jones #, Chevrolet, 199.
    19. (12) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 199.
    20. (21) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 199.
    21. (30) Brandon Gdovic, Chevrolet, 199.
    22. (26) Ryan Preece #, Chevrolet, 199.
    23. (33) Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 197.
    24. (32) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 197.
    25. (36) BJ McLeod #, Ford, 197.
    26. (37) Brandon Hightower, Dodge, 196.
    27. (35) Austin Theriault(i), Chevrolet, 196.
    28. (40) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 191.
    29. (39) Mike Harmon, Dodge, 190.
    30. (38) DJ Kennington, Ford, Engine, 165.
    31. (23) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, Accident, 150.
    32. (5) Darrell Wallace Jr (C), Ford, Accident, 148.
    33. (18) Corey LaJoie, Toyota, Accident, 148.
    34. (34) Garrett Smithley #, Chevrolet, Accident, 145.
    35. (25) Brendan Gaughan (C), Chevrolet, Accident, 136.
    36. (27) Ray Black Jr #, Chevrolet, Accident, 103.
    37. (28) Jeff Green, Ford, Accident, 90.
    38. (7) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Accident, 54.
    39. (31) Timmy Hill(i), Toyota, Brakes, 14.
    40. (29) Matt DiBenedetto(i), Toyota, Vibration, 3.

     

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  97.31 mph.
    Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 03 Mins, 19 Secs. Margin of Victory:  6.115 Seconds.
    Caution Flags:  6 for 39 laps.
    Lead Changes:  6 among 4 drivers.

    Lap Leaders:   K. Busch(i) 0; E. Jones (C) # 1-3; K. Busch(i) 4-95; T. Dillon 96-100; K. Busch(i) 101-152; J. Allgaier (C) 153-154; K. Busch(i) 155-200.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  K. Busch(i) 3 times for 190 laps; T. Dillon 1 time for 5 laps; E. Jones (C) # 1 time for 3 laps; J. Allgaier (C) 1 time for 2 laps.

    Top 10 in Points: D. Suarez (C) – 3,111; E. Sadler (C) – 3,102; E. Jones (C) # – 3,097; J. Allgaier (C) – 3,096; B. Koch (C) – 3,092; R. Reed (C) – 3,089; D. Wallace Jr (C) – 3,048; B. Gaughan (C) – 3,032; B. Poole # – 2,178; T. Dillon – 2,174.

     

  • Daniel Suarez Wins First NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race as Chase Final Is Set

    Daniel Suarez Wins First NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race as Chase Final Is Set

    By Reid Spencer
    NASCAR Wire Service

    AVONDALE, Ariz. – William Byron’s bitter disappointment proved a boon for two of his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates in Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.

    When the engine in Byron’s No. 9 Toyota expired on Lap 141 of 150 – ending the championship run for the series’ most prolific winner this year – Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Daniel Suarez took over the race lead and went on to score the first NCWTS victory of his career.

    Byron’s elimination from the inaugural Camping World Truck Series Chase also helped teammate Christopher Bell, who claimed the last berth in the Championship 4 with a seventh-place finish. Bell joins second-place finisher Johnny Sauter, third-place Matt Crafton and fifth-place Timothy Peters with a chance to win the title next Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway (8 p.m. ET on FS1).

    Suarez pulled ahead of Sauter after a restart with four laps left and led by .510 seconds when he crossed the finish line for the final time.

    “He was running a perfect race and things like this happen,” Suarez said of the demise of his teammate, who had led 112 of the first 137 laps before his engine began to fail. “The first victory in any series is always the most difficult to get.

    “I’m just very proud of this team for their effort. They’ve done a really good job all year. I’m very happy that we were able to get the win for KBM and Toyota.”

    Byron’s engine issue was sudden and unexpected.

    “We had been running hot a little bit the last run – kind of all night,” Byron said. “It stayed within 10 (degree) range, but it started to vibrate, maybe the lap before… but it didn’t seem like a big deal, then it sputtered and flames came out from underneath the truck.”

    And now Bell will race for the championship instead of the 18-year-old Byron, who has posted a series-best six victories in his rookie season.

    Seeking a sweep of the Round of 6 after victories at Martinsville and Texas, Sauter couldn’t catch Suarez in the four-lap run to the finish.

    “We had a great truck, especially on the long runs,” said Sauter, whose No. 21 Silverado is the only Chevrolet in the Championship 4. “Unfortunately, I just could not get going in the short run. I was just extremely loose…

    “I knew at the end there I needed to get a really, really good restart, and I didn’t get the restart I needed. I’ve got nobody to blame but myself for that. But I’m just proud of everybody’s effort. We just needed to keep pushing. Even though everybody says there’s no pressure, there’s always pressure – this is racing.”

    Crafton and Peters were one point apart entering the race and battled in close quarters for most of the race. Until Byron’s engine blew, they were contesting the final position at Homestead until Bell fell back on a late restart.

    “There wasn’t a lap that wasn’t tense,” Crafton said. “We just raced hard from the beginning to the end.”

    Note: Toyota clinched its ninth manufacturer’s championship in 13 seasons since entering the Truck Series in 2004.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – Lucas Oil 150
    Phoenix International Raceway
    Avondale, Arizona
    Friday, November 11, 2016

     

                   1. (2) Daniel Suarez(i), Toyota, 150.

                   2. (4) Johnny Sauter (C), Chevrolet, 150.

                   3. (10) Matt Crafton (C), Toyota, 150.

                   4. (7) Cameron Hayley, Toyota, 150.

                   5. (8) Timothy Peters (C), Toyota, 150.

                   6. (6) John H Nemechek, Chevrolet, 150.

                   7. (5) Christopher Bell (C) #, Toyota, 150.

                   8. (17) Matt Tifft #, Toyota, 150.

                   9. (18) Ben Kennedy (C), Chevrolet, 150.

                   10. (12) Cole Custer #, Chevrolet, 150.

                   11. (3) Rico Abreu #, Toyota, 150.

                   12. (13) Tyler Reddick, Ford, 150.

                  13. (15) Daniel Hemric, Ford, 150.

                   14. (9) Ben Rhodes #, Toyota, 150.

                   15. (21) Austin Cindric, Ford, 150.

                   16. (14) Noah Gragson, Toyota, 150.

                   17. (19) Myatt Snider, Toyota, 150.

                   18. (20) Stewart Friesen, Chevrolet, 150.

                   19. (23) Dylan Lupton(i), Chevrolet, 150.

                   20. (26) Kevin Donahue, Chevrolet, 149.

                   21. (27) Matt Mills, Chevrolet, 148.

                   22. (29) Austin Wayne Self #, Toyota, 147.

                   23. (28) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, 147.

                   24. (32) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, 146.

                   25. (30) Bryce Napier, Chevrolet, 146.

                   26. (31) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 145.

                   27. (1) William Byron (C) #, Toyota, Engine, 141.

                   28. (11) Kaz Grala, Chevrolet, Accident, 76.

                   29. (25) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Engine, 62.

                   30. (22) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, Accident, 36.

                   31. (24) Dominique Van Wieringen, Ford, Accident, 26.

                   32. (16) Spencer Gallagher, Chevrolet, Accident, 11.

     

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  84.441 mph.

    Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 46 Mins, 35 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.510 Seconds.

    Caution Flags:  9 for 49 laps.

    Lead Changes:  5 among 3 drivers.

    Lap Leaders:   W. Byron (C) # 1-25; D. Suarez(i) 26-47; W. Byron (C) # 48-68; T. Reddick 69-72; W. Byron (C) # 73-138; D. Suarez(i) 139-150.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  W. Byron (C) # 3 times for 112 laps; D. Suarez(i) 2 times for 34 laps; T. Reddick 1 time for 4 laps.

    Top 10 in Points: J. Sauter (C) – 3,103; M. Crafton (C) – 3,078; C. Bell (C) # – 3,077; T. Peters (C) – 3,075; W. Byron (C) # – 3,060; B. Kennedy (C) – 3,059; D. Hemric – 2,135; J. Nemechek – 2,111; T. Reddick – 479; C. Custer # – 479.

  • Suarez Fastest in First Truck Practice at Martinsville

    Suarez Fastest in First Truck Practice at Martinsville

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Daniel Suarez topped the chart in first Camping World Truck Series practice at Martinsville Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 19.823 and a speed of 95.525 mph. Cameron Hayley was second in his No. 13 ThorSport Racing Toyota with a time of 19.835 and a speed of 95.468 mph. William Byron was third in his No. 9 KBM Toyota with a time of 19.848 and a speed of 95.405 mph. Matt Crafton was fourth in his No. 88 TSR Toyota with a time of 19.914 and a speed of 95.089 mph. John Hunter Nemechek rounded out the top-five in his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 19.963 and a speed of 94.856 mph.

    Johnny Sauter was sixth in his No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet. Harrison Burton was seventh in his No. 18 KBM Toyota. Christopher Bell was eighth in his No. 4 KBM Toyota. Ben Rhodes was ninth in his No. 41 TSR Toyota. Kay Grala rounded out the top-10 in his No. 24 GMS Chevrolet.

    Ben Kennedy was 17th and Timothy Peters was the lowest Chase driver in 20th.

    Matt Tifft posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at an average speed of 93.283 mph.

    The Truck Series is back on track at 2:30 p.m.

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/T1620_PRAC1.pdf” title=”t1620_prac1″]

  • Hot 20 – NASCAR’s Cup Drivers Runneth over to Swamp the XFINITY and Camping World Series

    Hot 20 – NASCAR’s Cup Drivers Runneth over to Swamp the XFINITY and Camping World Series

    Bless NASCAR’s pea-pickin’ hearts. You have to admit that they keep on trying. With both the junior and truck circuits pretty much irrelevant these days due to the inclusion and the total domination of Cup drivers, NASCAR once again is trying to do the right thing.

    Cup drivers are already banned from the season finales in both minor leagues. Now those with five years Cup experience, not registered to drive for points, can not race in any of those other versions of the Chase, their regular season finales, or the XFINITY “Dash 4 Cash” events. Still, that leaves Cup drivers eligible to race in 10 of the remaining 21 junior races, along with seven of the remaining 15 truck races.

    That means that instead of racing 16 junior contests and winning nine, defending Cup champion Kyle Busch gets to start only 10 times next year. Then he could turn the seat over to, say, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin to fill in for the other 11 rides available. Cup drivers could still dominate for much of the season, though next year they would have to share those opportunities. It is a step forward, but we will have to see if it will be enough to return the spotlight on those who should be showcased in those divisions.

    In 29 events, regular XFINITY drivers claimed 11 of them. Erik Jones took four, Elliott Sadler three, Daniel Suarez a couple, with the others going to Justin Marks and Sam Hornish Jr. Eighteen went to Cup drivers, with half of that total taken by Busch, including their Chase race at Kansas. Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson have also won and, with less than five years Cup experience, the restrictions would not apply to either of them. Still, it beats doing nothing but will it be enough to stop the major leaguers from moonlighting to kick some minor league butt most weeks?

    This Sunday, the contenders and pretenders of the Cup circuit head to Martinsville, Virginia. A win earns a free pass to race for the title in Homestead next month. A wreck, and then Texas and Phoenix get a lot more stressful. Eight contenders, but only four will be in the running when it counts.

    Among our Hot 20, Kevin Harvick has been best over the course of the season. That means nothing come Sunday.

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 4000 PTS
    Would have a 37 point lead if season-long points were still the determining factor…over Keselowski.

    2. DENNY HAMLIN – 4000 PTS
    If you see him in a photo with good friend Michael Jordan, Denny is the short one.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 4000 PTS
    Last year, he was the guy to beat coming out of Talladega…and so they did.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 4000 PTS
    Four Cup wins, nine XFINITY triumphs, and a pair of truck flags…he will beat up on anybody.

    5. KURT BUSCH – 4000 PTS
    Harvick was just trying to help me with my contact lenses in pit road. What a pal!

    6. CARL EDWARDS – 4000 PTS
    Some days you race, and some days you ride. Guess what kind of day he had at Talladega.

    7. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4000 PTS
    Eight-time Martinsville winner will duel one more time with 9-time…Jeff Gordon.

    8. MATT KENSETH – 4000 PTS
    Spent a lovely Sunday with Kyle and Carl, but he probably will need to race at Martinsville.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2191
    Driving a magic dragon last week. Its name was Puff.

    10. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2168 PTS
    Next year, Kansas replaces Talladega as the elimination race. Good for him, but boring for us.

    11. AUSTIN DILLON – 2163 PTS
    His last win was back in August in Bristol’s Xfinity race.

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2156 PTS
    His last win was back in February in Daytona’s Xfinity race.

    13. KYLE LARSON – 2155 PTS
    Sure, he won back in June in Pocono’s Xfinity race, but don’t forget that Cup win at Michigan.

    14. TONY STEWART – 2141 PTS
    Down to his final four.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2110 PTS
    23rd in the spring, but second last fall. Time to turn that frown upside down?

    16. CHRIS BUESCHER – 2109 PTS
    A single win leaves Blaney, Bayne, Patrick, Menard, Biffle, Almirola, and Bowyer far behind him.

    17. KASEY KAHNE – 803 PTS
    Hendrick drivers have won the past four Martinsville Chase races. Why not another?

    18. RYAN NEWMAN – 794 PTS
    #noneckguysmatter

    19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 717 PTS
    Back among the cool kids after a good run at Talladega.

    20. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 717 PTS
    Second at Martinsville this spring gives hope for this fall run.