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  • Chase Briscoe battles with Kyle Busch and wins at Darlington in dramatic fashion

    Chase Briscoe battles with Kyle Busch and wins at Darlington in dramatic fashion

    A final restart would bring an entertaining end at Darlington Raceway as Chase Briscoe held off a hard-charging Kyle Busch to take the race win. It was Briscoe’s fourth career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and his second win of the season.

    An emotional Briscoe said, “This is the number one win. Honestly, winning the Daytona 500 couldn’t even top the feeling of just, like I was saying earlier, the ups and downs. This is what my family needed and what my wife needed.”

    Noah Gragson led the field to green after a random draw gave him the pole position. His JR Motorsports teammate, Michael Annett, would be on his inside. As the two got the green flag, Annett’s No. 1 would spin the tires, miring him backward in the race.

    Ross Chastain would reach near the top 5, and Busch would climb his way upwards into the Top 10. Ryan Sieg’s No. 39 would showcase some good pace as he closed in on Gragson’s No. 9 before the competition caution would fly on Lap 15.

    With everyone’s positions maintained, Gragson would lead the field down for the restart. Austin Cindric would benefit from a quick launch, moving up to third. Myatt Snider found trouble off Turn 2 as he hit the wall after contact with Timmy Hill, giving the No. 93 damage to the back end, bringing out the yellow.

    Busch had some right-side damage to his No. 54 due to contact with the wall during the green flag stint.

    Gragson would continue to hold his ground on the restart, Chastain would look to challenge but would not be able to reach the No. 9 as Gragson would cruise to take victory in Stage 1.

    Chastain, Sieg, Busch, and Cindric would round out the Top Five while Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric, Briscoe, Annett, and Justin Haley would round out the Top Ten to end the stage.

    Busch would be the first one off pit lane, putting the No. 54 in the lead.

    As Stage 2 began, the intensity began to pick up. Gragson would lose out to Busch and Allgaier on the restart, dropping to third.

    Chastain and Briscoe would go at it for multiple laps for a handful of laps before the No. 98 would loosen the Kaulig car off Turn 2, costing Chastain several spots as Hemric and Annett would rocket past him. Later, Annett would kiss the Turn 1 wall but would keep on going without much of an issue.

    Nobody would be able to challenge the No. 54 as Busch won Stage 2. Allgaier, Gragson, Briscoe, and Annett would be in the Top 5. Hemric, Chastain, Cindric, Sieg, and Jeremy Clements would round out the Top 10.

    Busch, however, was caught speeding on pit road, sending him to the rear of the field. With Busch at the back it allowed many of the regulars to pounce on a potential win as the final stage begun. Allgaier took the lead but the No. 7 would spin his tires, allowing Briscoe to take the first position.

    Brandon Jones would experience a vibration with his No. 19, bringing his car down pit lane.

    With 30 to go, Busch had made his way up to the eighth position, passing teammate Harrison Burton off Turn 2. The distance between Briscoe and Allgaier would dissipate as the No. 7 closed in.

    Hemric would try and pass Gragson on the outside, but his teammate would push up the track, allowing Annett to take both spots. Hemric later would overtake the No. 1 to take third back.

    The lead would swap as Allgaier would pass Briscoe off Turn 2. Then, Briscoe would pull the crossover and when the two were side by side into Turns 1 and 2, Allgaier would slap the wall.

    A caution would fly with 15 laps to go when Annett’s No. 1 would go for a spin. Annett was trying to get around Joe Nemechek’s No. 47 in Turn 3 while battling Hemric. The No. 1 would get loose and spin on the apron, bunching the field back together.

    Briscoe would have a better stop than Allgaier and the No. 98 would become the race leader. Busch would gain multiple spots in pit lane, putting the M&M’s Toyota in the third position. Briscoe and Allgaier would the field down with 10 laps to go. The two would make contact but Briscoe would hold his ground. Busch would then pounce on the No. 7, taking over the runner up spot.

    However, the fun was not over.

    Coming to the white flag, Briscoe hit the Turn 4 wall and Busch pounced on the inside. The two would go side by side into Turn 1 and Briscoe would keep his foot in it, holding the lead as both of them rubbed fenders.

    Into Turn 3 Busch would have one final look to the inside and they were side by side momentarily before the No. 98 edged out Busch to take the checkered flag.

    Race results:

    1. Chase Briscoe
    2. Kyle Busch – Stage 2 Winner
    3. Justin Allgaier
    4. Austin Cindric
    5. Noah Gragson – Stage 1 Winner
    6. Daniel Hemric
    7. Ryan Sieg
    8. Ross Chastain
    9. Harrison Burton
    10. Justin Haley
    11. Brett Moffitt
    12. Jeremy Clements
    13. Brandon Brown
    14. Anthony Alfredo
    15. BJ McLeod
    16. Josh Williams
    17. Alex Labbe
    18. Riley Herbst
    19. Joe Graf Jr
    20. Brandon Jones
    21. Ray Black Jr.
    22. Timmy Hill
    23. Jeffrey Earnhardt
    24. Chad Finchum
    25. Michael Annett – one lap down
    26. Tommy Joe Martins – one lap down
    27. Colby Howard – one lap down
    28. Joe Nemechek – one lap down
    29. Vinnie Miller – two laps down
    30. Mason Massey – four laps down
    31. Ronnie Bassett Jr. – four laps down
    32. Kody Vanderwal – five laps down
    33. Bayley Currey – five laps down
    34. Matt Mills – 12 laps down
    35. Myatt Snider – 18 laps down
    36. Jesse Little – OUT
    37. Colin Garrett – 36 laps down
    38. Landon Cassill – OUT
    39. Stephen Leicht – OUT
  • Hamlin claims rain-shortened victory at Darlington

    Hamlin claims rain-shortened victory at Darlington

    Playing a late-race strategy to his favor, Denny Hamlin emerged victorious in the rain-shortened Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway. The win was Hamlin’s second of this season, third at Darlington and the 39th of his NASCAR Cup Series career, (which moved him into a tie with Matt Kenseth and Tim Flock on the all-time Cup wins list). In addition, Hamlin became the second multi-winner of this year’s Cup season and to win the first NASCAR Cup race on Wednesday night since 1984.

    The starting lineup was based on the results from Sunday’s first Darlington race, May 17, with the top-20 finishers from Sunday being inverted for Wednesday night’s event. Ryan Preece, who finished 20th on Sunday, started on pole position while Ty Dillon, who finished 19th, joined Preece on the front row. 

    B.J. McLeod and Corey LaJoie were sent to the rear of the field due to multiple technical inspection failures. In addition, McLeod was assessed a drive-through penalty on pit road at the start of the race. Gray Gaulding and J.J. Yeley were also sent to the rear of the field for driver changes. Erik Jones was sent to the rear due to unapproved adjustments after his car was impounded.

    When the green flag dropped, Ty Dillon, who started on the inside lane, took the lead early from Preece. It did not take long for the first caution flag of the race to fly on the third lap when rookie John Hunter Nemechek spun after contact with Kenseth entering Turn 4. He made contact with the outside wall and slid below the apron without being hit by the oncoming field. He limped to his pit stall with left-rear damage and a flat left-rear tire.

    Restarting on the outside lane on the eighth lap, Dillon maintained the lead through Turn 1 while Preece was quickly overtaken by Team Penske’s Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney along with Clint Bowyer and Matt DiBenedetto for position. Two laps later, Logano made a move on the outside lane to take the lead from Dillon on Lap 10. The caution returned a lap later when Nemechek was involved in another single-car incident, this time in the backstretch. 

    When the field restarted on Lap 13, Dillon received a strong launch to reassume the lead over Logano in Turn 1, but was overtaken by Logano in Turn 3. Logano was able to retain the lead through the competition caution on Lap 25.

    Under caution, the majority of the field pitted for four tires and Bowyer was able to beat the field off of pit road. When the race restarted on Lap 31, Bubba Wallace, who was one of five drivers who pitted on Lap 13, remained on track as the leader. It did not take long, however, for Bowyer on fresh tires to overtake Wallace for the lead. From there, he was able to maintain a reasonable gap over the field. By Lap 40, he was holding a 1.37 second lead over Blaney. Meanwhile, Alex Bowman, who started 19th, had worked his way to fourth behind Logano, while Kevin Harvick, who started 20th, had only raced his way up to 17th.

    While Bowyer continued to lead, Martin Truex Jr., who restarted eighth, wasted no time marching his way to the front. By Lap 56, he was in second after overtaking Bowman for position. He was not, however, able to make up the deficit to Bowyer as Bowyer claimed the first stage by over three seconds over Truex. Blaney, Bowman and Logano finished in the top five under the first stage. Aric Almirola, who dodged a pit road penalty for an uncontrolled tire violation under the competition caution due to the tire getting hit out of the hands of one of his tire carriers, was sixth. Chase Elliott, Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Preece rounded out the top 10.

    Under the stage break, Bowyer maintained the lead following a stellar service by his pit crew while Blaney moved into the runner-up spot over Truex. Bowman exited fourth while Matt Kenseth gained four spots up to fifth following his pit stop. Cole Custer was assessed a pit road penalty for an uncontrolled tire violation.

    On a Lap 69 restart, the start of the second stage, Blaney mounted a challenge for the lead on the inside lane, but Bowyer was able to maintain the advantage through Turn 4. One lap later, Preece, who was running inside the top 10, had smoke billowing out of his car, but he was able to nurse his car back to pit road without drawing a caution. He would retire due to a mechanical issue. 

    On Lap 72, Chris Buescher spun following contact with Michael McDowell in Turns 1 and 2, but was able to prevent his car from sustaining further damage and without being hit by anyone else. Under caution, the top-13 cars led by Bowyer remained on track while Blaney led the rest of the field in pitting.

    The following restart, on Lap 77, Bowyer maintained the lead but was pursued by Martin Truex Jr. Following another caution on Lap 82 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wrecked in Turn 2, Bowyer led a bevy of competitors to pit road, giving the lead to Truex, who was one of 10 competitors who stayed out on track. 

    As the field restarted on Lap 87, Harvick mounted a challenge on the inside through Turn 3, but Truex maintained the lead. Five laps later, Blaney, who ran up front, made an unscheduled pit stop for repairs after making earlier contact with the wall and sustaining right-side damage to his No. 12 Ford. 

    On the 100th lap, Harvick took the lead from Truex and a lap later, Bowyer, who restarted 10th on fresh tires, raced his way back to second. Eight laps later, Cole Custer drew the race’s seventh caution after making contact with the Turn 2 wall and cutting his right-rear tire.

    The leaders pitted under caution and Bowyer reassumed the lead followed by Truex while Harvick fell back to third. Daniel Suarez remained on track to lead a lap before he pitted, giving the lead back to Bowyer on Lap 111 and prior to the restart on Lap 113. 

    When the field restarted with 13 laps remaining in the second stage, Bowyer retained the lead while Elliott made his way to second over Truex. William Byron and Erik Jones followed pursuit inside the top five ahead of Harvick. Though he encountered lapped traffic in the closing laps, Bowyer was able to navigate his way through to win the second stage over Elliott and Truex as he collected additional bonus points towards the postseason. Jones, who rallied from starting at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments, finished fourth followed by Harvick. William Byron, Hamlin, Bowman, Logano and DiBenedetto finished in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, Harvick edged Bowyer to reassume the lead on pit road. When the field restarted on Lap 133, teammates Ryan Newman and Chris Buescher, both of whom remained on track, led the field back to green. Newman received a push from Bowyer to take the lead while Harvick made a three-wide move over Jones and Buescher in an attempt for the lead. One lap later, Jones made a bold three-wide move over Bowyer and Newman to take the lead entering Turn 1. Elliott made his way to second while Bowyer fell back to fifth and was locked in a heated battle with Newman. 

    Meanwhile, Kyle Busch, who struggled with pace in the early stages of the race and endured radio issues, made his first appearance in the top five. By lap 145, Newman fell back to 13th and Buescher to 27th.

    On Lap 150, Jones made contact with the wall but continued to lead. Eleven laps later, Elliott used the high lane to take the lead over Jones, whose car became tight following the contact with the wall. Hamlin made his way to third ahead of Harvick, Bowyer, Kyle Busch and Truex Jr. By Lap 168, Hamlin moved to second behind Elliott. 

    As the race dwindled in the final laps, green flag pit stops commenced with 54 laps remaining as the leaders, starting with Kyle Busch, made their way to pit road for four tires and fuel. 

    Four laps later, while most of the leaders completed their service, Kenseth spun in Turn 2 below the apron after sustaining a flat right-rear tire and while attempting to nurse his car back to pit road. When the caution flag flew, Brad Keselowski and Brennan Poole were the only lead-lap cars who did not pit as only five cars were scored on the lead lap. Under caution, Keselowski, Poole and Hamlin pitted. Elliott reassumed the lead, Kyle Busch received the free pass after being scored the first car one lap down and 23 cars took the wave around, giving 24 back on the lead lap prior to a restart with 42 laps remaining.

    During the restart, Elliott maintained the lead on the outside lane, though he was heavily pressured by Keselowski and Hamlin. With 37 laps remaining, Keselowski drew himself alongside Elliott in an attempt for the lead in Turn 4, but Elliott retained his advantage in Turn 1.

    Shortly after, the 10th caution flag flew when Bowyer spun in Turn 4 as a result of a cut right-rear tire from scraping the wall in Turn 2 four laps earlier. Under caution, the leaders pitted except for Hamlin, Poole and DiBenedetto. Following a stellar pit stop, Harvick was able to exit pit road first followed by Kyle Busch. Elliott and Keselowski fell back to fourth and sixth. Poole would later pit, but Hamlin and DiBenedetto retained the front-row starting spots with 34 to go. 

    On the ensuing restart with 29 to go, Hamlin was able to launch ahead of the field followed by teammate Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott. Once the field made their way back to Turn 4 the following lap, Elliott was able to surge into the runner-up spot behind Hamlin when Kyle Busch turned right and hooked Elliott, sending Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet head-on into the inside wall on the frontstretch. After climbing out of his car, Elliott gestured his displeasure to Busch.

    Shortly after, rain started falling on the track under caution as Hamlin remained on track as the leader. With 20 laps remaining, the field made their way to pit road and the race was red-flagged for rain delay. 

    When the rain continued to fall, NASCAR declared the race official and Hamlin was awarded the win.

    “I’ve got my happy face on, made sure I brought [my face mask] with me today,” Hamlin said in a FOX Sports 1 interview. “I just can’t thank FedEx, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Jordan brand, the whole JGR engine, fab shop. The pit crew did a great job today, everybody really. I was pretty happy with how it all turned out. [Darlington]’s a driver’s race track. You can move around and you can do different things to make your car handle and we got it right today.”

    Kyle Busch settled in second and was met by Alan Gustafson, Elliott’s crew chief, on pit road after the race to discuss the incident, where Busch apologized for his involvement. Harvick finished third followed by Keselowski and Jones. Logano, Almirola, Jimmie Johnson, DiBenedetto and Truex rounded out the top 10.

    The race featured 17 lead changes with 13 different leaders. There were 11 cautions for 54 laps.

    Harvick leads the regular-season series standings by 34 points over Joey Logano and 39 over Alex Bowman.

    Results:

    1. Denny Hamlin, 12 laps led

    2. Kyle Busch

    3. Kevin Harvick, 10 laps led

    4. Brad Keselowski, seven laps led

    5. Erik Jones, 27 laps led

    6. Joey Logano, 19 laps led

    7. Aric Almirola

    8. Jimmie Johnson

    9. Matt DiBenedetto

    10. Martin Truex Jr., 16 laps led

    11. Christopher Bell

    12. William Byron

    13. Tyler Reddick

    14. Ryan Newman, five laps led

    15. Kurt Busch

    16. Bubba Wallace, three laps led

    17. Michael McDowell

    18. Alex Bowman

    19. Ty Dillon, eight laps led

    20. Austin Dillon

    21. Ryan Blaney

    22. Clint Bowyer, 71 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

    23. Chris Buescher

    24. Corey LaJoie, one lap down

    25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., one lap down

    26. Quin Houff, one lap down

    27. Daniel Suarez, one lap down, one lap led

    28. J.J. Yeley, one lap down

    29. Joey Gase, one lap down

    30. Matt Kenseth, two laps down

    31. Cole Custer, two laps down

    32. Gray Gaulding, two laps down

    33. Timmy Hill, four laps down

    34. Garrett Smithley, four laps down

    35. John Hunter Nemechek, six laps down

    36. B.J. McLeod, six laps down

    37. Brennan Poole, OUT, one lap led

    38. Chase Elliott, OUT, 28 laps led

    39. Ryan Preece, OUT

  • Rain postpones Xfinity Series’ return at Darlington Raceway

    Rain postpones Xfinity Series’ return at Darlington Raceway

    Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    Rainy weather led to the postponement of Tuesday night’s race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Darlington Raceway.

    The Toyota 200 was scheduled for a 6 p.m. ET start, a time moved up Monday by two hours because of the threat of inclement weather. Persistent rain forced the 147-lap event to move to Thursday at noon ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM).

    The race is the Xfinity Series’ first event since March 7. All of the circuit’s races since mid-March were placed on hold by the outbreak of COVID-19. The Darlington event and subsequent races in May and June are scheduled to be held without fans in attendance and without practice or qualifying.

    NASCAR officials had 10 Air Titans to lead the track-drying delegation at the 1.366-mile oval, but persistent storms made it impossible to race.

    When the race does get going, Noah Gragson — winner of the Xfinity season opener at Daytona in February — will start from the No. 1 spot after a structured draw for starting positions. He’ll line up alongside JR Motorsports teammate Michael Annett on the front row. Points leader Harrison Burton starts 12th.

  • New car, new team, same Matt Kenseth

    New car, new team, same Matt Kenseth

    Matt Kenseth accomplished the improbable Sunday in his debut with Chip Ganassi Racing driving the No. 42 Chevrolet to a 10th place finish at Darlington Raceway in The Real Heroes 400.

    It was his first race back since he retired from the NASCAR Cup Series after the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2018, finishing off a lackluster season. But the time away was only one of the obstacles he faced. He had to acclimate to a new team with an unfamiliar crew chief and spotter. It was also his first race in a Chevrolet Camaro and his first experience with the high downforce, low horsepower package currently used in the Cup Series. And to make things more interesting, there was no practice or qualifying before the race.

    The 2003 Cup Series Champion seemed undaunted by the challenges he faced although he did admit to being somewhat apprehensive at the beginning of the race.

    “I would say to get prepared and get the mental mindset and everything ready to start the race was very difficult,” he said. “I was definitely anxious when they were getting ready to throw the green, firing off there in the first corner, and everything being new and different with having an extended period of time off. But really once we got into that second restart and ran three or four laps, I really felt pretty comfortable.”

    With 39 wins to his credit, the 2003 Cup Series champion is known for his consistency and his dogged determination. And Kenseth’s competitors realize that it is never a good idea to underestimate him.  

    Race winner, Kevin Harvick, was not surprised by Kenseth’s  top-10 result.

    “Here’s the thing about Matt Kenseth, he should have never quit,” Harvick said. “Matt Kenseth was winning races when he retired. Matt Kenseth is going to be a huge part of that race team and making Chip Ganassi Racing better. He’s going to be great for the sponsors.”

    As Kenseth looks forward his focus is on continuing to be competitive.

    “Certainly, it feels good to be back,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of fun the last two or three weeks working with Chad (Johnston, crew chief) and my new team, and getting back on the race track and being competitive. You just don’t know, I wasn’t real competitive the last season that I raced and, certainly, the year before that really didn’t go the way I thought it should go or wanted it to go necessarily. It feels good to be back, to be wanted, to be part of that team and to get a good start. It’s only one race; I have a lot of racing to do and I realize I have a lot of improving to do. But it has been fun so far, for sure.”

    In the meantime, he’s happy to be back racing and part of a team where he feels appreciated. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll get a shot at redemption.

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

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 159 laps, including the final 78, to win the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington. He leads the points standings by a point over Joey Logano.

    “I’m holding my index finger high,” Harvick said, “because that indicates how many people will be at my victory celebration.

    “But all I can really say is ‘Woo hoo!,’ which I’m told is where this Coronavirus thing started. And one thing is certain, if you’re going to say ‘Buschhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh’ out loud, you better be wearing a mask.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished 18th in the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington. He is second in the points standings, one behind Kevin Harvick.

    “The race in Darlington will be defined by the mask,” Logano said. “It’s NASCAR’s newest ‘SAFER’ barrier. If Kyle Larson shows up, he absolutely has to wear a mask, because he’s not allowed to show his face.”

    3. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished second at Darlington

    “I just signed a one-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports,” Bowman said. “It’s not really a long-term contract extension, but I’ll celebrate anyway, with these ‘(I Guess I’m) Wanted’ posters.”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin posted the top Toyota finish with a fifth at Darlington.

    “Hopefully,” Hamlin said, “we can get back to racing with fans soon. I feel like my chances of winning improve greatly with thousands of people in attendance, as opposed to just my seven-year-old daughter in attendance.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole at Darlington and finished 13th.

    “I got the pole by virtue of a random draw,” Keselowski said. “My name was drawn, and someone said, ‘You’re P1 in Cup.’ Sometimes, a name is randomly drawn and someone says, ‘Your pee in this cup.’”

    6. Chase Elliott: Elliott came home fourth at Darlington and is now fourth in the points standings, 40 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “Congratulations to Kevin Harvick,” Elliott said. “He ran a heck of a race. I don’t mind complimenting Harvick. He’s a gracious winner, so I know he won’t rub it in our faces. Anyway, the current rules strictly prohibit that.”

    7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 16th at Darlington and is now eighth in the points standings.

    “It’s great to get back to racing,” Blaney said. “It’s very weird racing in front of empty stands. But on the bright side, it gives fans the experience of actually being like a driver, because they were told to stay home just like Kyle Larson.”

    8. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 12th in the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington.

    “I think wearing masks is important” Almirola said. “Without a mask, you can never really know what might go into your mouth. Or, in the case of Kyle Larson, come out of it.”

    9. Matt DiBenedetto: DiBenedetto came home 14th at Darlington, and is now ninth in the points standings.

    “This whole Coronavirus situation is unprecedented,” DiBenedetto said. “But for someone like Kyle Busch, however, nothing’s really changed. Even before Coronavirus, no one wanted to even be near him.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson crashed while leading with a lap to go in Stage 1 at Darlington and eventually finished 38th.

    “I’ve now gone 100 races since my last Cup win,” Johnson said. “It seems like my current situation is defined more by ‘ago’ than ‘go.’”

  • Rookies Reddick, Nemechek notch career-best results at Darlington

    Rookies Reddick, Nemechek notch career-best results at Darlington

    When the green flag waved and 40 of NASCAR’s elite made their first Cup Series start since the first week of March, seven made their first premier series start at Darlington Raceway, (six were rookies). When the checkered flag waved, two were able to not only survive the tricky, distinct-shaped corners of the 1.366-mile surface. They earned strong top-10 results in their season-long quest for the Rookie-of-the-Year title: Tyler Reddick and John Hunter Nemechek.

    For Reddick, the speed was displayed on track for the California native and his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team through the first four races of his rookie Cup campaign. It was only a matter of sealing a satisfactory performance with a satisfactory result. Starting 29th on a random draw for Sunday’s race at Darlington, the former Xfinity Series champion wasted no time working his way methodically toward the front against NASCAR’s elite. He finished eighth in the first stage to earn additional bonus points toward the playoffs and ran inside the top 10 for the majority of the race.

    Then, a near disaster moment occurred on Lap 153, when a piece of ad debris from a banner wall in Turn 3 caught the right-front end of Reddick’s Chevrolet after being previously struck by eventual winner Kevin Harvick. It also remained stuck on Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer’s cars for a handful of laps. The debris remained on Reddick’s car for another lap before the event’s sixth caution flag was displayed. Under the pit stop, Reddick’s crew was able to remove the debris, but he restarted at the rear of the field due to a pit road penalty for an uncontrolled tire violation.

    Despite the miscue, the driver of RCR’s No. 8 Chevrolet was able to utilize the horsepower to work his way back inside the top 10, where he remained for the rest of the race despite enduring two restarts in the final stage. When the checkered flag flew, Reddick notched a career-best seventh-place in his seventh Cup start.

    The performance was the best for a rookie candidate at Darlington since Erik Jones finished fifth in 2017 and Kyle Larson finished eighth in 2014. It also marked Reddick’s second top-10 career result, his first since finishing ninth at Kansas in May 2019, and it gave him a resourceful insight in improving for the next Darlington event while maintaining his consistency for the remainder of his rookie season.

    While Reddick was beaming about his performance, so, too, was John Hunter Nemechek on a day where he turned his uneventful day of lemons into lemonade. Nemechek started his day in 34th and the majority of his race was mired with handling issues. After posting finishes in the high-20s from the first two stages, Nemechek’s race started to improve in the final stage, where he utilized consistency to work his way inside the top 15. Over the course of the final two restarts, Nemechek moved into the top 10 and was able to outrun Matt Kenseth to finish ninth for his first top-10 result in his eighth Cup start.

    The last time a Front Row Motorsports operation finished in the top 10 was when Michael McDowell finished fifth at Talladega in October 2019. This, however, marked the team’s first top-10 result on a non-superspeedway result since Chris Buescher finished fifth at Bristol in August 2016 and their 20th career top-10 result. The result gave the third-generation driver from Mooresville, N.C., something to smile about and scan ahead for improvement toward the upcoming races in his rookie season.

    The remaining rookies that include Cole Custer, Christopher Bell, Brennan Poole and Quin Houff finished 22nd, 24th, 27th and 36th, respectively. Josh Bilicki, who made his first Cup start at Darlington, finished 34th.

    The NASCAR Cup Series rookie class along with the veterans will return for a second race at Darlington Raceway on May 20 followed by Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24.

  • Kenseth, Newman accomplish respectable finishes at Darlington

    Kenseth, Newman accomplish respectable finishes at Darlington

    While Kevin Harvick notched a milestone victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career in Sunday’s Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway, veterans Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth achieved a task of their own that felt like a win. By finishing in the top 15 and completing all 400 miles, (293 laps), both Cup veterans took their first of three steps needed to be post-season eligible. They also took the first step in rejuvenating their successful careers after missing the opening races to a bizarre season.

    When NASCAR returned to Darlington on Sunday, it had been 71 days since the last checkered flag flew at Phoenix Raceway. The last time Matt Kenseth raced in a Cup car was 547 days ago at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 2018. In that race, he completed his part-time stint with Roush Fenway Racing with a top-10 result. Since then, he had no racing plans on his agenda. An unexpected opportunity, however, presented itself in April to drive Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for the remainder of the 2020 season when Kyle Larson was suspended for using a racial slur during an iRacing event. 

    In Kenseth’s first race since 2018, he started 12th based on a random draw and spent the bulk of the day inside the top 15 to top 20, watching from a distance as his teammate Kurt Busch, fellow competitors and a pair of youngsters duked it out for the win. When the checkered flag flew, Kenseth made a late charge to maintain the 10th position on track for his 330th top-10 career result, his 12th at Darlington and to place CGR’s No. 42 Chevrolet team in the top 10 in six of the last seven Darlington events.

    While Kenseth’s return was not explosive nor dominant compared to winner Kevin Harvick, it was a result that left the former Cup Series champion satisfied with his result in assessing the competitiveness and grip levels of the current Cup cars with his new team while planning for the next scheduled event at Darlington on Wednesday, May 20. It also left him satisfied in returning behind the wheel of a stock car and giving him a sense of rejuvenating his past magic and contending for his second Cup title despite missing the first five races of the 2020 season.

    Like Kenseth, Newman finished in the top 10 in his previous Cup start that goes back to the Daytona 500. His result, however, was long overshadowed by his horrific last-lap accident that sent him to the hospital and forced him to miss the next four races while recovering from his injuries. When Sunday’s race at Darlington arrived and Newman was cleared to return, it had been 91 days since he last climbed into his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang.

    Starting 21st, Newman’s return was quiet as he spent the majority of the event racing inside the top 20. He earned a top-10 result, ninth, in the first stage and collected valuable bonus points needed in his quest to make this year’s playoffs. Under the stage break, however, Newman was caught speeding on pit road that sent him to the rear of the field. While Newman was able to rally from his early miscue, another curveball was tossed at him. With 41 laps remaining, Newman spun below the apron in Turn 1 caused by a flat right-rear tire initiated two corners earlier to draw a late caution. With the veteran able to continue with no significant damage, Newman was able to remain inside the top 20 in the closing laps. He made a late pass on Clint Bowyer to move into 15th place, which he was able to maintain after taking the checkered flag.

    The result left the former Daytona 500 champion satisfied in completing his first race since surviving one of NASCAR’s most horrific wrecks in history and in the sanctioning body’s efforts in resuming the season amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. It also gave him a confidence booster in igniting a comeback story of his career and positioning himself to be eligible for his first Cup crown.

    Kenseth and Newman will join their fellow NASCAR Cup Series competitors in returning for a second race at Darlington Raceway on May 20 followed by Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24.

  • Kevin Harvick tames the Lady in Black on NASCAR’s return to racing

    Kevin Harvick tames the Lady in Black on NASCAR’s return to racing

    Kevin Harvick found victory in the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway earning his 50th win in the series.

    Brad Keselowski would start on the pole based upon a random draw. Kyle Busch would have to drop to the back due to failing inspection twice.

    As the field took the green flag, trouble would strike early as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. crashed off Turn 2, knocking the No. 47 out of the race early on.

    Keselowski would remain unchallenged before a competition caution on Lap 30 would bunch the field back up. Alex Bowman would surge to the front, passing the No. 2. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and William Byron followed right behind the No. 88.

    As tire wear kicked in, some drivers would march their way forward. Denny Hamlin would catch Byron, while Johnson would inherit the race lead over Bowman. Johnson’s lead would be short-lived.

    On the final lap of the first stage, Johnson would try to lap Chris Buescher but the two collided off Turn 2, putting Johnson into the inside wall. After Johnson’s wreck, Byron would win Stage One. Hamlin, Bowman and Harvick would round out the rest of the top five while Keselowski, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Newman, and Chase Elliott would round the rest of the top 10.

    Harvick would beat the leaders off pit lane, launching the No. 4 to the front. Elliott and Ryan Newman were penalized for speeding on pit road.

    On the restart to begin Stage Two Harvick would hold off Bowman to keep the race lead. Byron would smack the Turn 3 wall, and with an injured car would later spin into Turn 1 to bring out the yellow.

    Harvick would once again lead the field to the green with Kurt Busch and Bowman rounding out the Top 3. Daniel Suarez spun out on Lap 124 due to a right rear tire going down, creating the fifth caution of the day.

    Kyle Busch hit the wall, giving the No. 18 substantial damage to the right side.

    Parts of the Turn 3 banner would fly onto Hamlin’s car but he shortly got it off the front of his grille by drafting Bowyer. However, Reddick would have the remnants of the banner fly onto his Chevy. A yellow would fly due to the loose Blue-Emu wrapping on the Turn 3 wall.

    Harvick led on the restart with a push from Martin Truex Jr.

    On Lap 172 Christopher Bell would spin off Turn 4 to bring out another yellow. Keselowski inherited the race lead after pit stops while Harvick would lose seven positions on pit lane.

    Keselowski would win Stage Two with Bowman, Truex, Harvick, and Bowyer rounding the top five. Kurt Busch, Ryan Preece, Joey Logano, Hamlin, and Erik Jones would round out the top 10.

    The No. 2 would bring the field together to begin the final stage with Bowman and Truex in hot pursuit. Matt Kenseth’s car would come to life as the No. 42 would move upward into the top 10. Buescher would spin out on the front stretch to bring out the caution.

    Harvick would win the race off pit road with Keselowski and Truex behind him.

    During the green flag stint, Kyle Busch had issues with his M&M’s Toyota, bringing the car down pit lane, knocking him out of a top 10 spot.

    With 41 laps to go Newman would spin out in Turn 1 to bring out another yellow.

    The No. 4 would continue to hold his ground on the rest of the field and there would be no challenges from the opposition as Harvick would cruise on to win at Darlington.

    Results:

    1. Kevin Harvick
    2. Alex Bowman
    3. Kurt Busch
    4. Chase Elliott
    5. Denny Hamlin
    6. Martin Truex Jr.
    7. Tyler Reddick
    8. Erik Jones
    9. John Hunter Nemechek
    10. Matt Kenseth
    11. Austin Dillon
    12. Aric Almirola
    13. Brad Keselowski
    14. Matt DiBenedetto
    15. Ryan Newman
    16. Ryan Blaney
    17. Clint Bowyer
    18. Joey Logano
    19. Ty Dillon
    20. Ryan Preece
    21. Bubba Wallace
    22. Cole Custer
    23. Michael McDowell
    24. Christopher Bell
    25. Daniel Suarez – one lap down
    26. Kyle Busch – one lap down
    27. Brennan Poole – one lap down
    28. JJ Yeley – two laps down
    29. Reed Sorenson – two laps down
    30. Joey Gase – four laps down
    31. Corey LaJoie – four laps down
    32. Chris Buescher – six laps down
    33. Timmy Hill – seven laps down
    34. Josh Bilicki – seven laps down
    35. William Byron – 14 laps down
    36. Quin Houff – OUT
    37. Garrett Smithley – OUT
    38. Jimmie Johnson – OUT
    39. BJ McLeod – OUT
    40. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – OUT

  • The Final Word on the Return of NASCAR for 2020…take 2

    The Final Word on the Return of NASCAR for 2020…take 2

    Finally. The world is slowly inching back to normal.

    I am not happy that those who were to protect and detect failed miserably. I am not comforted that no projection model has even yet proved to be reliable. Fifty years ago, they dealt with something very similar by having 400,000 attend a rock concert near Woodstock and launching five Apollo missions during that time, including the day man first walked upon the moon. Today, we viewed empty grandstands from our television screens beamed to us from South Carolina. Those hippies and astronauts both apparently were made of the right stuff.

    It was a different time, a different country. It had a population of just 65% of the size it has today. Immediately prior to the outbreak of the Hong Kong flu, the United States was rocked by two political assassinations of historic proportions. 500 American servicemen were dying monthly in Vietnam. In February 1969, we lost Don MacTavish in what is now the Xfinity Series at Daytona. Maybe we were just more familiar with death on those days. Too familiar.

    Yet, the impact of those memories, if some can remember at all, is fleeting. A three month hibernation is not what most of us experienced. People died and not just directly from the virus, but they were lost just the same due to actions and non-actions taken in response to the pandemic. Lives were affected, some ruined, in so many ways. Those who had the responsibility to look after us and guide us in times of peril let us down. Those who we thought were in the know were not, and still do not. Sadly, in many areas that continues to this day. Lest we forget…but we will. Just ask any war veteran. How long it will take for such memories to fade is another question.

    Today, we do remember. Today we celebrate the return, in some sense at least, normalcy. Once again, though the grandstands remain silent, the sounds of the engines rumbling like thunder upon the asphalt surface have returned to us through the speakers of our televisions. Yes, absence does make the heart grow fonder. Hell, we even got to see Ryan Newman return behind the wheel. We got to have an escape from scare tactics and fear mongering. We got to sense what hope is. What dreams consist of. What a day under the sun feels like again, even if we must keep socially distanced from our fellow enthusiasts.

    Feeling normal. Normal feels real good about now. It damn near makes me happy.

    Happy. It reminds me that some boy from California won at Darlington on Sunday. Now we have to wait three whole days before we get to see if he can do it again…at Darlington.

    I guess that is what they mean when they talk about a “new normal.”

  • Harvick wins Darlington in NASCAR’s comeback

    Harvick wins Darlington in NASCAR’s comeback

    RAINELLE, WV – Sitting at home to cover a race on television is not the ideal place to be on race day, but one could not fail to realize how important this had become.

    NASCAR was the first major sport to go back live with an event since most everyone was staying home to avoid the Coronavirus. The stands were empty, drivers and crews wore masks, and so did reporters, as few as there was.

    A big audience of viewers saw a good race. It worked! The image of winner Kevin Harvick saying to his crew, “I don’t know what to do,” after winning the Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway and an even starker scene as we saw Harvick alone in victory lane, all alone as the trophy sat on a stand.

    Racing was back! Everyone wore facemasks, but you could tell who was behind the masks. The racing was good between drivers who had not been on a track since early March. It was a joy, and surely the grades will be good on how the sanctioning body handled the event. One had to wonder, though, when on the first lap, Ricky Stenhouse crashed, but all went well.

    As usual, there were mishaps, unusual events that happen at most races but magnified on the first time back after a pandemic. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson crashed while leading on the final lap of the first stage, a better result than Stenhouse, but not much. A fire broke out on the property that gave us a smoke show, which was surprising because there was no crowd. This is could only happen to NASCAR, but the smoke went harmlessly away.

    To make this safe, there were lots of rules. Teams were required to submit rosters in advance with only 16 members allotted per car. Names were on a list at a checkpoint at the end of a gravel road near the speedway and everyone who passed through had their temperature checked and logged before they could enter. Everyone passed inspection and prepared to race with no practice and no qualifying. The field was determined by a draw. Unusual times for sure.

    Ryan Newman was back for the first time since he suffered a head injury exactly three months ago in a wreck on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Newman missed only three races because of NASCAR’s shutdown and finished 15th in his return. Matt Kenseth was back after replacing Kyle Larson in Chip Ganassi’s No. 42 Chevrolet. He finished in 10th place.

    It all came down to Harvick and Alex Bowman. They battled closely for the first few laps, but The Closer, as Harvick is called, always ran out to multi-second leads. Harvick led 159 laps and Bowman led 41. Brad Keselowski led 80 laps, but he faltered late and finished 13th. Bowman, who signed a one-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports on Saturday, was second. Kurt Busch, winner of the closest finish in Darlington history, was third for Ganassi.

    It was the 50th career victory for Harvick, in a Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. A previous winner at Darlington, Harvick joins Joey Logano, Bowman, and Denny Hamlin as 2020 winners. Harvick tied Hall of Famers Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett for 12th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.

    NASCAR’s elite Cup Series next races Wednesday night at Darlington Raceway which is hosting three events in four days before the sport shifts to Charlotte Motor Speedway.