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  • Dale Jr. out for Michigan and Darlington

    Dale Jr. out for Michigan and Darlington

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be out for another two weeks as he continues to battle with the effects of his latest concussion.

    Hendrick Motorsports announced today that the driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will be out of the car for this weekend’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway and the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway after undergoing further evaluations today at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

    Alex Bowman will drive in his place this weekend at Michigan and Jeff Gordon will drive in his place next weekend at Darlington.

    Earnhardt has been out of the car in the days following the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway when he was diagnosed with symptoms of a concussion. Since then, he’s reported trouble with balance and severe headaches.

    “We know how hard Dale is working to get back,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “He’s following what the doctors are saying, to the letter, and doing exactly what he needs to do. Everyone wants to see him in a race car, but his health is first and foremost. We’re behind him.”

    In the time he’s sat out, Earnhardt has dropped from 12th to 21st in points.

  • Four Gears: Road Courses, Justin Marks, Track Themes and the XFINITY Chase

    Four Gears: Road Courses, Justin Marks, Track Themes and the XFINITY Chase

    Time to cycle through the transmission for another edition of Four Gears.

    This week, our NASCAR experts talk whether Mid-Ohio bettered the case for more road courses in NASCAR and whether Justin Mark’s win was more on him and Ganassi or a stroke of luck. We also discussed possible themes that other tracks can do with Darlington’s throwback weekend as a model and rated the first year of the race to the XFINITY Chase.

    FIRST GEAR: Did Mid-Ohio strengthen the argument for road courses in NASCAR? If given the chance to practice more in rain conditions on road courses, would the racing get any better, à la Formula One?

    Honestly, yes. It’s a different venue, for one, and it’s something different from what we’re normally used to. You can never go wrong with road courses in NASCAR, and considering Mid-Ohio had all the elements that we look for in a race (strategy, an underdog winner, excitement, so on), I think the current fixation on 1.5-mile race tracks is pointless. Bring Road Atlanta, Lime Rock, or even Laguna Seca into NASCAR. Fans would come running. — Joseph Shelton

    Different is better. Saturday’s race, if anything, was different. The racing reminded me kind of like an old Bristol race – carnage everywhere, a thrill a second as the TV crews barely had time in parts to show all of the action. If the cars practice more in the rain and Goodyear brings a better rain tire, it would be just as exciting without all of the run-offs. — Michael Finley

    I’m not too fond of racing in the rain, not just from this past Saturday, but from my years of following Formula 1. With that said, that was pretty damn entertaining to watch. It doesn’t so much strengthen the case for road courses, because road courses already have a strong case, as much as it shows that doing the five-year sanctioning agreements with the tracks was an incredibly stupid idea. Hopefully, the road course racing over the next four years shows NASCAR that it needs to move away from two-date races at some tracks and move to some more road courses. — Tucker White

    SECOND GEAR: Prior to winning at Mid-Ohio, Justin Marks had only two top-10s in the last two years, with a career-best finish of sixth at Mid-Ohio in 2014. Was this win all about Marks and his Ganassi team, or was this just a stroke of luck?

    Marks is an exceptional road racer. It does help that he’s gotten a lot of seat time in the No. 42 this season, considering he’s in better equipment than when he first started. Luck had a hand in his win, but Marks has had career days on road courses, and he had the car to beat in Mid-Ohio. — Joseph Shelton

    Kind of both. Marks got lucky with the rain, but there’s no doubt he had more skill than most to drive those big stock cars in the rain. — Michael Finley

    I’d say it was 30 percent Justin Marks and 70 percent luck. He’s a great road racer, but that rain made it damn hard to drive without spinning out multiple times a lap. — Tucker White

    THIRD GEAR: The throwback theme for the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway has now turned into a big deal that we hear about all year long. What are some other themes we can approach, and where would be a good track to hold them at?

    This is a tough one, honestly. The throwback weekend for the Southern 500 is great on all fronts in regards to the fans and personalities who truly appreciate the nostalgia as well as merchandise sales. There is no better place to celebrate throwback weekend than at Darlington, for that matter, which was the sport’s Daytona before Daytona was built. I don’t think there’s any way this could be topped. — Joseph Shelton

    It would take a lot to get through movie licenses and Hollywood red tape, but it would be awesome to see a race at Auto Club with all movie cars. Movies such as Stroker Ace, Days of Thunder, Ricky Bobby could be represented through paint schemes, along with cars promoting new movies in general. Heck, maybe even somebody could run the Elvis car from the 1967 flop Speedway. — Michael Finley

    I would say movie themed cars for Auto Club Speedway, but I can’t imagine it being so easy to do with licensing and copyright red tape. I’m not sure something similar could be done at another track. — Tucker White

    FOURTH GEAR: With the XFINITY Series regular season all but wrapped up, how would you rate the first season of the XFINITY Chase?

    Ha. A joke is what it is. I still can’t wrap my brain around what the logic in developing a Chase system for the XFINITY season was. Poor idea, considering only three XFINITY regulars (Daniel Suarez, Elliott Sadler, Erik Jones) have won a grand total of five races in 2016. — Joseph Shelton

    Mostly terrible. Two-thirds of the XFINITY field eligible to compete in the Chase will be in it. That’s 66 percent of the eligible field. Ryan Reed, a driver who has all of three top 10’s in 21 starts, is all but locked in. That’s ridiculous. Meanwhile the “win and in” marketing NASCAR uses is a joke in this series when a grand total of three eligible drivers have won. Either do the Chase right and handicap non-series drivers to a certain amount of starts while cutting the fat off the Chase grid or don’t have a Chase at all. — Michael Finley

    I compare it to Blues Brothers 2000. It was something that nobody asked for and nobody demanded. Yet someone in the big mahogany offices down in Daytona Beach got the idea to take a series that was already suffering an identity crisis and make it even more like the Sprint Cup Series with a Chase.

    To make it even worse, they didn’t keep Sprint Cup drivers out of the XFINITY Series. Whatever speck of hope it had of succeeding was killed with that decision.

    Only three, count them, three, XFINITY regulars have won a race this season. The rest have been won by Cup drivers or one-off XFINITY drivers.

    With that, I rate this season a 1/10. — Tucker White

  • ‘Real Racer’ Tony Stewart Ready to Race ‘The Real Thing’ in Southern 500 at Darlington

    ‘Real Racer’ Tony Stewart Ready to Race ‘The Real Thing’ in Southern 500 at Darlington

    Coca-Cola Partners with Stewart for Throwback Paint Scheme Emulating Cars Bobby Allison Drove to Back-to-Back Victories in 1971 and 1972 Southern 500s

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The 1971 and 1972 Southern 500s were owned by Bobby Allison. The legendary racer from Hueytown, Alabama, proved he was indeed “The Real Thing” at Darlington Raceway, driving his red-and-gold Coca-Cola machine to emphatic, back-to-back victories at the tough and gritty South Carolina track.

    Allison dominated from start-to-finish in both races at the 1.366-mile oval. He started from the pole each time and led 558 of the 734 laps available (76 percent). He paced the field for all but 38 laps in the 1971 Southern 500 and led a race-high 229 laps in the 1972 Southern 500. The victories were the first of five premier series wins Allison earned at Darlington.

    In 2016, Tony Stewart will try to emulate Allison’s 1971 and 1972 performances when he competes at Darlington on Sept. 4 in his final Southern 500. Driving a No. 14 Coca-Cola Chevrolet SS that will match the paint scheme Allison drove to those epic wins, Stewart will certainly look the part. With Coca-Cola’s tagline of that era, “The Real Thing”, emblazoned on the car, the authentic look from Allison’s race-winning cars has been recreated on Stewart’s Chevrolet, right down to the gold wheels and cubic-inch displacement boast on the hood.

    “I’ve been a member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family for my entire NASCAR career and been a part of some pretty cool and unique promotions, but this one is definitely my favorite,” said Stewart, who will retire following the season finale Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “The throwback weekend Darlington has created makes it the perfect place to run a scheme that has a ton of history with Bobby Allison and Coca-Cola.”

    Stewart is a three-time NASCAR premier series champion with 49 career victories. Allison is the 1983 NASCAR premier series champion with 85 career victories. Allison is in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Stewart is a first-ballot lock for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

    “Those red-and-gold Coca-Cola cars were very good to me,” said Allison, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, the same year Stewart won his third premier series championship. “From 1970 through 1975, Coca-Cola was on my car and we won a lot of races. We won 11 races in ‘71, the most I ever had in a single season, and then we came back to win 10 more in ‘72. And that first win at Darlington – it was such a tough track and such a long race – it meant so much.

    “Tony Stewart is a real racer who would’ve fit right in during the time I raced in NASCAR. He’s a perfect fit for this Coca-Cola Chevy. I know what car I’ll be watching in the Southern 500.”

    Darlington is one of only two venues where Stewart is winless in NASCAR’s top division. In 23 career premier series starts at the venerable track, Stewart’s best finish is third, earned in the 2009 and 2012 Southern 500s.

    “Races at Darlington have been pretty tough for me,” Stewart said. “We’ve had some decent runs there, but it just seems like you really have to put everything together the whole day. If you can say you won a race at Darlington – that’s a feather in your cap because you conquered something that’s very hard to obtain. That’s something to be proud of, knowing that you’re in a group of drivers with names like Allison and Pearson and Petty – the pioneers of our sport.”

    Coca-Cola, with a NASCAR lineage that goes back more than 50 years, has been a part of Stewart’s NASCAR career since his rookie season in 1999.

    “We are humbled by moments like today when two of NASCAR’s most respected drivers come together over an iconic car emblazoned with our brand,” said Ben Reiling, director, sports marketing, Coca-Cola North America. “Together, we commemorate Coca-Cola’s role within NASCAR and honor and celebrate Bobby Allison and Tony Stewart for what they stand for in the history of motorsports.”

    About the Coca-Cola Company:

    The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands and more than 3,800 beverage choices. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands, 18 of which are available in reduced-, low- or no-calorie options. Our billion-dollar brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dasani, vitamin water, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, we are the No. 1 provider of both sparkling and still beverages. More than 1.9 billion servings of our beverages are enjoyed by consumers in more than 200 countries each day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top-10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, atwww.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.

    About Stewart-Haas Racing:

    Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team co-owned by three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The team fields four entries in the elite Sprint Cup Series – the No. 14 Chevrolet for Stewart, the No. 10 Chevrolet for Danica Patrick, the No. 4 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick and the No. 41 Chevrolet for Kurt Busch. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Stewart-Haas Racing operates out of a 200,000-square-foot facility with approximately 280 employees. For more information, please visit us on the Web at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

  • Kerry Tharp Named President of Darlington Raceway

    Kerry Tharp Named President of Darlington Raceway

    Longtime NASCAR executive with South Carolina ties brings wealth of experience to track Too Tough To Tame

    DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA (June 29, 2016) – Darlington Raceway announced today that it has named Kerry Tharp as President of the track Too Tough To Tame, effective July 18. Tharp accepts the role from his most recent position as Senior Director of Racing Communications for NASCAR.

    Tharp replaces current Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile, who accepted the position of President of Daytona International Speedway back in April.

    “These are exciting times for Darlington Raceway and Kerry Tharp is the perfect person to lead one of the most historic tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit,” International Speedway Corp. Executive Vice President and COO Joie Chitwood said. “His appreciation of our sport, knowledge of the industry and passion for South Carolina are unmatched. Kerry will do a great job leading the Darlington Raceway team and continuing to build upon their celebrated throwback marketing campaign.”

    Tharp, a Louisville, Ky. native, joined NASCAR in April of 2005 after a successful 20-year career as Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations for the University of South Carolina (1985-2005) in Columbia. He worked for 26 total years in intercollegiate athletics prior to joining NASCAR. He also served two years at the University of Tennessee and four years at the University of Oklahoma, prior to the University of South Carolina.

    Since 2005, Tharp has played an integral role in the communications efforts for NASCAR, having forged strong relationships for the sanctioning body with the drivers, race teams and tracks.

    “I am deeply humbled and honored to have this opportunity,” Tharp said. “I love the state of South Carolina and its people. I know how special Darlington Raceway is to this state and to the sport of NASCAR. The track’s rich tradition, history, and popularity resonate with the competitors, partners, media and most importantly the fans. I look forward to working with our team to help keep Darlington as one of our sport’s crown jewels.”

    Tharp holds a Bachelor’s Degree in public relations from Western Kentucky University and a Master’s Degree in communications from the University of Tennessee. He has been a resident of South Carolina for over 31 years. He has been married to his wife, Debbie, for 33 years and they have two children (J.B. and Will) and two grandsons.

     The Tradition Continues on Labor Day weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500® is set for Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016. The NASCAR XFINITY Series VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 will race on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016.

    You can keep up with all of the latest news from Darlington Raceway at DarlingtonRaceway.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DarlingtonRaceway and on Twitter at Twitter.com/TooToughToTame. Fans are encouraged to post their Bojangles’ Southern 500 stories and memories at #TraditionContinues, #BojanglesSo500 and #SportClips200.

  • Darlington Raceway Selected 2015 Myers Brothers Award Recipient

    Darlington Raceway Selected 2015 Myers Brothers Award Recipient

    LAS VEGAS – Darlington Raceway moved forward by going back in 2015.

    NASCAR’s first paved superspeedway paid homage to stock car racing’s past when it launched a “throwback” campaign for this year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500, and the move proved to be one of the most talked about, most popular events of the year. So much so that the program has earned the track the National Motorsports Press Association’s 2015 Myers Brothers Award.

    The award was presented Thursday during the annual NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers 2015 Awards Luncheon at the Wynn Las Vegas.

    Given annually by the NMPA, the Myers Brothers Award is named in honor of former NASCAR competitors Billy and Bobby Myers. Its’ purpose is to recognize individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing.

    Others receiving votes for this year’s award were four-time series champion Jeff Gordon and 2015 Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch.

    Darlington Raceway has hosted one or more NASCAR premier series events since 1950. The Southern 500, which returned to its long-held Labor Day weekend date this past season, is considered one of the series’ “crown jewel” events.

    More than 30 cars in this year’s 43-car field featured throwback schemes, honoring everything from long-time sponsors to drivers and popular paint schemes from the early 1970s. Several teams got in the act by wearing crew uniforms similar to those worn at the time; concession stand fare included items that were offered at the time and tickets in some sections were even priced similar to that specific time period.

    Even television partner NBC got in the act, bringing back former announcers Ken Squier and two-time champion Ned Jarrett to call a portion of the race from the broadcast booth. Jarrett’s son, Dale – a former series champion as well – joined his father in the booth, marking the first time the two had called a race together.

    Track President Chip Wile said at the time that the throwback program is “a five-year platform; this isn’t a one-year deal.

    “We felt like if we could get eight or 10 teams on board to really showcase what we’re trying to accomplish, we felt like in 2016 we could get more, in 2017 we would get more and so on,” he said. “But the response that we’ve gotten from everyone in the industry has been incredible. It was a fully integrated plan that made our event something special for the fans.”

    Myers Brothers Award Winners

    2015, Darlington Raceway; 2014, Dale Earnhardt Jr.; 2013, Tony Stewart; 2012, Jeff Gordon; 2011, Drs. Joseph & Rose Mattioli; 2010, Jim Hunter; 2009, Barney Hall; 2008, T. Taylor Warren; 2007, Bill France Jr.; 2006, Benny Parsons; 2005, Rusty Wallace; 2004, Kyle and Patti Petty;

    2003, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.; 2002, Mike Helton; 2001, Dale Earnhardt; 2000, Kyle Petty; 1999, Junie Donlavey; 1998, T. Wayne Robertson; 1997, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.; 1996, Rick Hendrick; 1995, TNN: The Nashville Network; 1994, Brickyard 400/Indianapolis Motor Speedway; 1993, Goody’s Manufacturing Co.;

    1992, Richard and Lynda Petty; 1991, Harry Gant; 1990; Dick Beaty; 1989, Bill France Jr.; 1988 Richmond International Raceway; 1987, ESPN; 1986, Hayride 500; 1985, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.; 1984, Charlotte Motor Speedway; 1983, CBS-TV; 1982, MRN; 1981, Junior Johnson; 1980, STP & Champion Spark Plug Co.;

    1979, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.; 1978, Busch Beer; 1977, First National City Travelers Checks; 1976, Junior Johnson; 1975, Bill France Sr.; 1974, H. Clay Earles; 1973, Wood Brothers; 1972, Winston Cigarettes; 1971, Richard Petty; 1970, Richard Howard;

    1969, David Pearson; 1968, Wood Brothers; 1967, Richard Petty; 1966, Norris Friel; 1965, Ned Jarrett; 1964, Richard Petty; 1963, Marvin Panch; 1962, Hank Schoolfield; 1961, Ned Jarrett; 1960, Russ Catlin; 1959, Lee Petty; 1958, Bob Colvin.

  • Carl Edwards Wins First ‘Back to Tradition’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway

    Carl Edwards Wins First ‘Back to Tradition’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway

    Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway was not your typical Southern 500. For starters, it was held on its traditional Labor Day weekend date, something diehard NASCAR fans have been clamoring for since this date was taken away from them after 2003.

    It featured a new low-downforce package with aerodynamic changes as well, adding an unknown quality to the atmosphere of the 66th annual Bojangles Southern 500. Surprisingly, it was also the longest race of the year, coming in at four hours and 28 minutes, due to the high number of cautions, a record 18.

    For Carl Edwards, it was a unique event, as he captured his first victory at Darlington Raceway and 25th career win. It all came down to a seamless pit stop during the 18th caution and a flawless restart that gave him the lead with eight laps remaining in the race. Edwards held off Brad Keselowski and claimed the checkered flag in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, celebrating with his own tradition, his trademark backflip.

    It was a fitting victory for Edwards who has been a vocal advocate for the low-downforce setup.

    “I don’t think I can get in trouble for how much I liked it, but I loved it; this is as good as it gets,” Edwards said. “This is what it’s about. We’re sliding cars, tires are falling off, this is the style of racing, if there’s any chance we can run this in the Chase, I hope we can do it. It was an awesome day.”

    Although Edwards gave his pit crew credit for the win, it was a combined driver and team effort. On Lap 62, under caution, Edwards did not pit with the rest of the lead-lap cars. When he went to pit road on Lap 89, a caution for a crash involving Michael Annett trapped Edwards two laps down. It took him about 200 laps to drive his way back to the front of the field.

    Edwards described the victory as “really special” and went on to say, “This is what we needed. We just needed a shot in the arm and needed to have a good night like this. All over, it’s cool.

    Denny Hamlin led 57 laps, finishing third, followed by Joey Logano who led 29 laps, in fourth. Kevin Harvick led 44 laps and finished fifth.

    “I hope I never forget those last 25 laps,” Edwards continued. “That was really fun, and the restart was fun, but truly racing with Brad and Kevin was a blast. I really had a good time.”

    Pole-sitter Keselowski dominated much of the race, leading six times for 196 laps and finishing in second place. He spoke about the new aero package after winning the Coors Light Pole award Saturday, saying he thought that NASCAR was moving in the right direction. His failure to win the Southern 500 didn’t alter his opinion.

    “It separates the race car drivers from the pretends, and that’s the way it should be,” he reiterated.

    Another highlight of the Southern 500 was driver Tony Stewart who finished in 15th place but for a brief moment, had the crowd on their feet, as he took the lead on Lap 212 for 10 laps.

    Kyle Busch accomplished what some doubted was possible. After missing 11 races when he was injured at the beginning of the season, he secured his spot in the Chase with a seventh place result that locked him into the top 30 in the Cup Series points standings.

    “Making the Chase was something we weren’t all sure was possible after my injuries,” Busch said. “It’s a great opportunity to be with these guys on this M&M’S Crispy team. They’re working really hard at Joe Gibbs Racing, we’ve got a lot of speed, and I think all four cars have a really good shot at this championship.

    “I had my hands full tonight. I think I just got a little behind on what our adjustments needed to be for the race, but our whole team just really turned this thing around, and it turned out to be a solid finish for us.”

    With the return to Labor Day weekend, Darlington and NASCAR presented the first “return to tradition” spectacular at Darlington complete with new signage, ‘70s music, throwback paint schemes, a bevy of NASCAR legends including Hall of Famers and more, to a near capacity crowd. It was an event to be remembered and one that will continue through a five-year plan that promises to offer more of the same in the coming years.

    Next week, the action intensifies as NASCAR travels to Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 12 for the last regular-season race before the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship playoffs begins. Television coverage will be provided by NBC Sports Network.

     

  • Denny Hamlin Captures XFINITY Win at Darlington despite Pit Stop Miscue

    Denny Hamlin Captures XFINITY Win at Darlington despite Pit Stop Miscue

    Denny Hamlin won the 33rd Annual VFW Sports Clip Help a Hero 200 Saturday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, claiming his 14th series victory in 152 XFINITY Series starts. It marked his third victory and eighth top-10 finish in 2015.

    Hamlin led 117 of 147 laps, dominating the race with a seven second lead on the field by Lap 20. Kevin Harvick was Hamlin’s biggest threat on the track but was only able to take the lead three times for 15 laps.  However, a mistake on pit road after a caution on Lap 72 left Hamlin short on fuel which meant he would have to pit early for the next pit stop.

    Kyle Busch, who had started in 40th also proved to be a factor in the VFW Sports Clip Help a Hero 200. By lap 17 he had moved into the top 10 and at the end of the competition caution, Busch came out of the pits in fifth place.

    Hamlin made his final pit stop on Lap 123 and with fresher tires was leaving everyone behind, forcing his rivals to pit. Daniel Suarez, who was competing for the Dash 4 Cash remained on the track with old tires, conserving fuel, and was able to hold the lead for 14 laps. But luck was on Hamlin’s side as the remainder of the race remained caution-free giving him enough time to overtake Suarez for the victory.

    Kyle Busch also passed Suarez for second place giving Joe Gibbs Racing a 1-2-3 finish. The third place finish was enough for Suarez to win the Dash-4-Cash $100,000 bonus as the top finisher among those eligible.

    After the race, Hamlin referred to not getting enough fuel as a “blessing in disguise.”

    “We didn’t get the car completely full on the last stop. We had to short pit there,” he continued, “and with that short pit, I scraped the wall 10 laps before we pitted and I thought I had significant damage and almost a cut tire so it forced us to pit road early. Then the only kind of thing that kind of burns you there is getting caught on the racetrack when a caution comes out.”

    “We were able to get through that. I didn’t think anyone could make it on fuel and then I saw those guys stretching it. The pace that we were running I knew it would be close,” Hamlin said.

    “It was obviously high drama but, he noted, ”Joe Gibbs Racing obviously had pretty good odds there at the end of the race.”

    Kyle Busch summarized the race, stating, “We passed a lot of cars today and kept it in one piece. Fought hard there at the end and just pit strategy kinda got mixed up a little bit there. Denny I guess was short on fuel, didn’t get it full the previous stop so stopped early and that won him the race. It got him away from all of us far enough that he could just kind of cruise there those final laps, didn’t really have to push hard and just kinda bide his time and  just allow us to catch him. There wasn’t enough time for us to catch him so we come home second.”

    Kevin Harvick finished fourth followed by Chris Buescher in fifth. Buescher remains the XFINITY Series points leader, increasing his lead to 29 points over Ty Dillon who finished 15th. Chase Elliott is third in points, 35 behind Buescher after engine problems led to a 24th place result.

    The NASCAR XFINITY Series heads to Richmond International Raceway for its next race on Sept. 11 with television coverage on NBCSN.

    Complete Results:

    XFINITY Race Darlington Results

  • Keselowski Takes Coors Light Pole at Kentucky

    Keselowski Takes Coors Light Pole at Kentucky

    By Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service

    DARLINGTON, S.C. – With two races left before the start of the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Brad Keselowski got the momentum builder he needed with Saturday’s pole-winning effort at Darlington Raceway.

    “Boy, this feels good,” said Keselowski, who toured the treacherous 1.366-mile Lady in Black in 27.492 seconds (178.874 mph) to edge Kurt Busch for the top starting spot in Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 (7 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

    The Coors Light Pole Award was Keselowski’s first of the season, his first at Darlington and the ninth of his career. The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has but one top five to his credit in six previous starts at the track “Too Tough to Tame,” but NASCAR’s switch to a low-downforce configuration for this race seemed to suit the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford.

    “For my team, we haven’t had, to date I would say, as strong of a year as what we had last year, and I think that kind of wears on everybody a little bit, including myself,” Keselowski said. “But I feel like we have positive momentum, and you always want to see results that showcase that, and this is one of those results that I feel like we can carry for the next 12 weeks.

    “I’m just really pleased with today’s qualifying effort and the momentum we’re carrying.”

    With tire fall-off a clear reality at Darlington, Busch set the fast speed of the time trials in the first round, running 179.501 mph to edge Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (179.389 mph) by .017 seconds. Through each subsequent round, the top speeds declined as tires accumulated wear, with Keselowski leading both the second and final sessions, the latter of which determines the pole winner.

    Kevin Harvick, last year’s winner from the pole, qualified third at 177.415 mph, followed by Joey Logano (177.319 mph) and Jeff Gordon (177.192 mph).

    Harvick, though, didn’t seem particular worried.

    “I feel a lot better about it in race trim than I did in qualifying trim,” said the reigningSprint Cup champion. “We try to concentrate on that the most because there is so much falloff. The cars are going to slide around so much that I really feel like the cars need to be as manageable as you can make them throughout the night.

    “It’s really not about the first two or three laps. You’ve got to be able to stay in there and be able to maneuver your car and be comfortable and keep it off the wall for at least 400 miles so that you can be around at the end. So, we’ll try to take care of our car and make sure we do everything right and get our car adjusted so that we’re ready for the last 100 miles of the race.”

    There was plenty of suspense throughout the three rounds of knockout qualifying.Denny Hamlin, pole winner for Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at the Lady in Black, had to bump his way into the top 24 late in the opening round.

    Three-time Darlington winner Jimmie Johnson was the last driver to punch a ticket to the second round, bumping Matt DiBenedetto by .009 seconds for the 24th spot. But Johnson’s run ended with a 19th-place run in the second session.

    Trying to squeeze enough speed out of her No. 10 Chevrolet, Danica Patrick tagged the outside wall during her final run in the first round, forcing the team to roll out a backup car. Accordingly, Patrick will start from the rear of the field on Sunday.

    Fast in Friday’s practice, Greg Biffle also sustained damage to his No. 16 Ford after contact with the wall in the second round. Biffle was credited with a 24th-place qualifying effort, and his team opted to try to repair the car, rather than resorting to a backup.

    Note: Josh Wise, Timmy Hill and Travis Kvapil failed to make the 43-car field.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Darlington Raceway

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Darlington Raceway

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the XFINITY Series head to Darlington Raceway for a Labor Day racing weekend. All on-track action can be seen on NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra. The Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Sept. 4:

    On Track:

    11 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    1-1:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    3-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    4:30-6:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    6:30 p.m.: NASCAR America Live – NBCSN

    GarageCam: (Watch live)
    10:30 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series
    12:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    9:40 a.m.: Chase Elliott
    9:55 a.m.: Joey Logano
    10:15 a.m.: Matt Kenseth
    1:30 p.m.: Aric Almirola
    2 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    2:30 p.m.: Bill Elliott

    Saturday, Sept. 5:

    On Track:

    11:45 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
    1 p.m.: NASCAR America Live – NBCSN
    1:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
    3 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series: Countdown to Green – NBC
    3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 (147 laps, 200.8 miles) – NBC/Live Extra

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    2:45 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Qualifying
    5:45 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race

    Sunday, Sept. 6:

    On Track:

    5 p.m.: NASCAR America Sunday – NBCSN
    6 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    7 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 (367 laps, 501.3 miles) -NBC/Live Extra
    11 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN
    Midnight: NASCAR Victory Lane – FOX Sports 1

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    11 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Race

     

  • Hometown Son Trent Owens Shares Darlington Memories

    Hometown Son Trent Owens Shares Darlington Memories

    Darlington Raceway is a rare gem in today’s NASCAR because it is unlike any other track on the circuit. It was built on land that once grew cotton and peanuts and shaped around a minnow pond, giving it a unique design and producing NASCAR’s first paved superspeedway.

    The “Track Too Tough to Tame” was the site for an open NASCAR test session Wednesday. Aric Almirola and his crew chief Trent Owens were one of 12 Sprint Cup teams that participated.

    Owens, who hails from Darlington, has racing in his DNA. His father, Randy Owens (Richard Petty’s brother-in-law), was only 20-years-old when he lost his life in a bizarre pit accident at Talladega while attempting to extinguish a fire on Richard Petty’s No. 43. A pressurized water tank exploded, killing him instantly. Trent was only four months old.

    He followed in his father’s footsteps, working at Petty Enterprises as a teenager and eventually making his debut as a driver in NASCAR’s truck series in 2001. The following year he made six truck starts for Billy Ballew Motorsports, but the team lost its funding and Owen’s career took him on a different path.

    From 2006-2013, Owens began working as a crew chief in the Busch/Nationwide Series (now XFINITY) with various teams including Braun Racing and Turner Scott Motorsports. He won with five different drivers in the series and served as crew chief for the 2013 Rookie of the Year, Kyle Larson. Owens also captured one win with Larson in the Camping World Truck Series along with a victory in the ARCA Series.

    In 2014, when Owens got the call to move up to the Sprint Cup Series as crew chief for the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 car with driver, Aric Almirola, it was as if his life had come full circle.

    “In a lot of ways,” Owens said, “I know he would be extremely proud and in a lot of ways I feel like I’m continuing what he was trying to do. Not knowing him, it is special that I’m working on the same car that he was working on.”

    During a break from testing, Owens spoke about the special connection he has with Darlington.

    When asked about his first memory of the track, he said, “It’s hard to remember exactly. I think the best thing for me was getting out of school early to come for qualifying on Thursdays. I always enjoyed that. I don’t think I’ve missed a race here and it’s hard to remember what year that may have been.

    “It was cool that I lived in a town that, you know this racing deal, when you talk about family, we travel a lot, we don’t get to see our families so it was nice that I got to live in a town that my family got to actually come to a town I lived in and I got to visit them there. So I think that was one of the coolest things.”

    As the team heads to Michigan this weekend, their focus is on improving from a 15th place car to a top-10 or top-five car. But in three months, when the team travels back to Darlington for the Southern 500, the emphasis will certainly be on winning. For this Darlington son, a victory with the No. 43 would be nothing short of a dream come true.