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  • The Elite Rise of Christopher Bell

    The Elite Rise of Christopher Bell

    Heading into the championship finale weekend for NASCAR’s three main touring series at Phoenix Raceway, Christopher Bell is looking to win his first career Cup Series Championship. Bell won the Truck Series Championship in 2017 and this year, he is the only playoff driver for Toyota after Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and Tyler Reddick were eliminated from contention.

    The Oklahoma native drives the No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing and has six wins in his Cup Series career. This is his third year at JGR after leaving the now-defunct Levine Family Racing and he has been tearing it up in the Cup Series.

    Along with his six wins in his Cup Series career, he has two Championship 4 runs in the Playoffs as well as 10 poles and 62 top 10’s. This year Bell has shown immense speed at various types of tracks.

    Before arriving in NASCAR, Bell was an established dirt track racer and still is today. He has raced in the World of Outlaws Series and many other dirt track series across the United States. He won this year’s Bristol Dirt Race which will be the final Bristol Dirt Race since NASCAR turned Bristol back to a paved track.

    With his mastery of different types of race cars and race tracks, he has developed a diverse craft of racing skills and abilities. The key for Bell in the Championship Race is whether he can stay consistent and get the win.

    Make sure to tune in to the race and all the action on Sunday on NBC at 1 p.m. CT.

  • Keselowski and Truex fall short of the win at Kansas

    Keselowski and Truex fall short of the win at Kansas

    While Denny Hamlin celebrated a win on Thursday night’s Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. emerged with second- and third-place results following a strong run from start to finish in the 19th NASCAR Cup Series race of this season.

    For Keselowski, who featured the Wabash National colors on his No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang for the first time this season and started the Kansas race in seventh based on a random draw, it was a race where the 2012 Cup champion gained a multitude of stage points, including a win in the second stage, and led a total of 30 laps while running towards the front and contending for the win. Though Keselowski had the pace to move into second place and close towards Hamlin’s rear bumper in the final laps on four fresh tires compared to Hamlin’s two, he could not navigate his way to the front as he finished within a half a second to Hamlin in the runner-up spot a year after winning the first Kansas Cup race. The strong result marked Keselowski’s seventh top-five result of this season as he also achieved his 200th top-10 Cup career finish. While Keselowski is already guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs by virtue of his two season wins in May, he moved into the runner-up spot in the standings and trails points leader Kevin Harvick by 97 points. The runner-up spot comes as Keselowski continues to await his racing plans for 2021.

    “[Hamlin and I] were pretty equal,” Keselowski said on NBCSN. “He had two tires, I had four tires. He was just really strong on the restarts. He and the [Joe] Gibbs [Racing] cars could pull everybody by about a car length on the restarts and they did a great job there taking advantage of it. We weren’t able to do anything with that. [I] Thought [that we were] even on the race track, but just a little bit behind on restarts. Tonight was a really good night for us here at Kansas with our Wabash Ford Mustang. This is as good as we’ve been on the mile and a halfs [tracks]. We’ve been really consistent. Last week was not our best at Texas, but this was good. Nice midweek race, leading stages, leading laps, winning stages. Just one spot short of the win.”

    For Truex, who swept both Kansas races in 2017 and started fifth based on a random draw, his first appearance at the front came on Lap 28 following the competition caution. From there, Truex and his No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance/Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry went on to record a top-five finish in the first stage and a top-10 finish in the second stage to collect a bevy of stage points towards the Playoffs. Like Keselowski, Truex ran towards the front throughout the race as he led 44 laps overall. After surviving a series of late carnages, Truex was able to work his way up to third with less than 10 laps remaining. While the 2017 Cup champion had a fast car in the late stages, what he did not have was time to navigate his way around Hamlin and Keselowski for the win as he settled in third, less than a second behind, when the checkered flag flew. The solid top-five result was Truex’s fourth of the season as he is seventh in the regular-season standings, 161 points behind Harvick. He is also guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Cup Playoffs by virtue of his win at Martinsville Speedway in June.

    “[I] Just ran out of time,” Truex said on NBCSN. “The Auto-Owners Camry was really strong all night. It was a battle all night just to get the track position back. These things are so difficult in traffic. You lose a few more spots than you hope on a restart and you just got to dig. Proud of the effort. Our cars are fast, the guys are doing a good job and that’s what we need to be doing. We’ll keep digging and we got some wins coming. The cautions didn’t fall the way we needed it to tonight. We needed everybody to be taking four [tires] and we could’ve controlled the race from there, I think.”

    Keselowski and Truex, along with their fellow NASCAR Cup Series competitors, will return for the next scheduled race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on August 2, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Logano to reach 600 starts across NASCAR at Texas

    Logano to reach 600 starts across NASCAR at Texas

    When Joey Logano takes the green flag for the upcoming O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 19, he will reach a significant milestone of his racing career. By starting this weekend’s race at the Lone Star state, Logano will reach 600 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series, (NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series).

    A native of Middletown, Connecticut, Logano’s racing career started at age six when he was racing quarter midgets. After racing in Late Models and various stock cars series throughout his early youth, he competed in the Camping World East Series, (known today as ARCA Menards Series East), in 2007. He ended up winning the series championship in a season where he won five races, including the Toyota All-Star Showdown at California’s Irwindale Speedway in October.

    The 2008 season would serve as Logano’s breakthrough year, which started when he won his first ARCA Series race in his series debut at Rockingham Speedway in May. More than three weeks later, he made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Dover International Speedway. Driving the No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, he finished sixth in his series debut. The following race at Nashville Superspeedway in June, Logano recorded his first career pole. During the race at Nashville, Logano led 64 laps before he was involved in a wreck shy of the halfway mark and he settled in 31st. The following race at Kentucky Speedway, Logano started on pole for a second consecutive race and this time, he led 76 laps and scored his first Xfinity career win in his third series start. With his victory, Logano became the youngest winner in the Xfinity Series at age 18 years and 21 days, (surpassing Casey Atwood’s record of 18 years, 10 months and nine days old accomplished in 1999). He competed in 16 more Xfinity races in 2008, where he recorded 12 top-10 results, a pair of runner-up results at Milwaukee and Gateway in June and two more poles at Richmond in September and at Homestead in November. By finishing 10th in the finale at Homestead, Logano also delivered Joe Gibbs Racing’s first owners’ title in the Xfinity Series. He also competed in one NASCAR Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in October, where he finished 26th while driving for HT Motorsports.

    In August 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Logano will be moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series to drive the iconic No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in 2009, replacing Tony Stewart, who was set to form and drive for Stewart-Haas Racing. Prior to his rookie Cup season, he made his series debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September 2008, driving the No. 96 Home Depot/DLP HDTV Toyota Camry for Hall of Fame Racing in a technical partnership with JGR. Finishing 32nd in his Cup debut, he qualified for two more Cup races at Kansas Speedway in September with Hall of Fame Racing and at Texas Motor Speedway in November with JGR. His finishes were 39th and 40th.

    Entering the 2009 season as a Cup Rookie-of-the-Year candidate, Logano made his first Cup start in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he finished last of the 28-car field after being involved in an early multi-car wreck. He rebounded by finishing fourth in the first Gatorade Duel at Daytona, but finished last of the 43-car field in the rain-shortened Daytona 500 after being involved in a single-car wreck near the midway point of the race. After finishing no higher than 13th in the first eight Cup races of 2009, Logano recorded his first top-10 result at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The following month at Darlington Raceway, he had a stellar performance, where he led 19 laps and finished ninth. He would record another ninth-place result in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The previous week, he won the Fan Vote and made his All-Star Race debut, where he finished eighth. In June at New Hampshire, Logano’s home track and the same racetrack where he made his Cup debut the previous season, he rallied from a midway spin to stretch his fuel cell to the fullest and emerge with the lead over Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch when the caution fell due to rain. Shortly after, the race was declared official due to weather and Logano was awarded his first Cup win in his 20th series start. With the victory, he became the youngest Cup winner at age 19 years, one month and four days old. For the remainder of his rookie Cup season, he recorded three more top-10 results, including a fifth-place result at Charlotte in October and a third-place result at Talladega in November, and he claimed the Rookie-of-the-Year title over Scott Speed despite finishing 20th in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2009 season, Logano also competed in 22 of 35 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He won five races in five different tracks that included Nashville, Kentucky, Chicagoland, Kansas and at Auto Club Speedway. He also recorded four poles, 13 top-five results and 16 top-10 results, all while driving Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry.

    In 2010, Logano went winless, but he recorded his first Cup career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. He recorded seven top-five results and 16 top-10 results while concluding the year in 16th in the standings, four spots better than his rookie season. He also competed in 25 of the 35-race schedule in the Xfinity Series, where he won two races and eight poles while recording 15 top-five results and 24 top-10 results. By then, Logano had surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    The year 2011 was one of Logano’s disappointing years, though he reached 200 division starts in NASCAR. In the Cup Series, he went winless again, but he recorded two poles, four top-five results and six top-10 results while concluding the season in 24th in the final standings with no opportunity in making the Chase and competing for the title. In the Xfinity Series, Logano recorded a single victory at Daytona International Speedway in July. He also recorded a pole, eight top-five results and 15 top-10 results in 22 starts.

    The following season, Logano was paired with veteran crew chief Jason Ratcliff when longtime crew chief Greg Zipadelli left JGR for Stewart-Haas Racing. In his first 13 Cup races with Ratcliff, Logano’s only top-10 results came in the season-opening Daytona 500 in February and at Dover in June. Shortly after, Logano dominated and prevailed over a late battle with his childhood hero, Mark Martin, to notch his second NASCAR Cup career win at Pocono Raceway, first since winning the rain-shortened event at New Hampshire in 2009. With the breakthrough win, Logano became the first Cup competitor to win a race from the pole in 30 races as he also claimed his first Cup victory in a race spanning through its scheduled distance. The victory was also the first in the Cup Series for crew chief Ratcliff. Throughout the 2012 Cup season, however, he recorded two poles, two top-five results and 12 top-10 results while concluding the season in 17th in the final standings, missing the Chase in his fourth season in the series.

    The 2012 Xfinity Series season was Logano’s breakout year, where he won a season-high nine races in eight different tracks, among which included Auto Club, Talladega, Darlington, Dover, Michigan, Bristol, Charlotte and Phoenix. Throughout the 33-race Xfinity schedule, he competed in 22 races and along with his nine victories, he recorded six poles, 12 top-five results and 17 top-10 results, all while serving as one of many competitors who contributed to delivering the fourth Xfinity owners’ title to Joe Gibbs Racing.

    The 2013 season came with a fresh start for Logano when he was released from Joe Gibbs Racing and the Connecticut native joined forces with team owner Roger Penske to drive the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion led by crew chief Todd Gordon while paired with the reigning Cup champion Brad Keselowski. In his first Cup season with the Penske organization, Logano won at Michigan in August 2013, recorded two poles, a career-high 11 top-five results, a career-high 19 top-10 results and a career-high 323 laps led, all while making his first Chase appearance and finishing eighth in the final standings. He also competed in 15 Xfinity Series races in the No. 22 Hertz/Discount Tire Ford Mustang for the Penske organization, where he won three races and was one of four competitors who contributed to delivering the first Xfinity owners’ championship for Roger Penske by a single point. In addition, he made three NASCAR Truck Series starts in the No. 19 Reese Towpower/Draw-Tite Ford F-150 for Brad Keselowski Racing. His best result was a runner-up finish at Rockingham Speedway in April behind rookie Kyle Larson. By then, he had surpassed 300 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    The following season, Logano recorded five wins in the NASCAR Cup Series in five different tracks that included Texas, Richmond and Bristol in the regular season, and New Hampshire and Kansas in the Chase. To go along with a pole, 16 top-five results, 22 top-10 results and 993 laps led throughout the season, Logano was one of four competitors vying for the 2014 Cup title in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the finale, a late pit road error, where the jack dropped and the driver lost numerous spots on pit road, cost Logano and the No. 22 Penske team a shot for the title as he settled in fourth in the final standings. Throughout the 2014 season, Logano competed in 10 Xfinity races, where he went winless despite recording three poles and nine top-10 results, and serving as one of five competitors who contributed to achieving the second consecutive owners’ title for Team Penske in the Xfinity Series. He also made two Truck starts for Brad Keselowski Racing, finishing third and 18th in his two races.

    In 2015, Logano won a season-high six races, including the Daytona 500, Watkins Glen International following a last-lap pass on Kevin Harvick, a victory in the Bristol Night Race for the second consecutive year and three consecutive races in the Round of 12 in the Playoffs at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega. Logano’s championship hopes, however, came to an end during the Round of 8, starting at Martinsville Speedway in November when he was deliberately wrecked out by Matt Kenseth as a result of retaliation when Logano spun Kenseth for the win at Kansas a couple weeks earlier. The following week at Texas, Logano’s blew a tire and spun while damaging his car, where he ended up in 40th. Despite finishing third the next week at Phoenix, Logano was eliminated from title contention as he concluded the season in sixth in the final standings and in a year where he recorded six poles, 22 top-five results and 28 top-10 results. He also made 11 starts in the Xfinity Series, where he won four races, and one start in the Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway in March, where he won for the first time in the series. To July 2020, Logano is one of 33 competitors to win across NASCAR’s three major division series. At the time the 2015 season concluded, Logano had also surpassed 400 starts across the three division series.

    In 2016, Logano won three races, including the All-Star Race at Charlotte and the penultimate race of the season at Phoenix that enabled him to secure a spot in the Championship Round at Homestead. At Homestead, he rallied from a late restart incident, where he made contact with title contender Carl Edwards, to finish fourth in the finale, but runner up in the title battle behind Jimmie Johnson. He also made 13 starts in the Xfinity Series and won twice.

    Following a dismal 2017 season, where he won a single race at Richmond that was encumbered due to a violation discovered during post-race inspection that prevented him from making the Playoffs, Logano had surpassed 500 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series. In 2018, he won three races and claimed his first Cup championship with a victory in the finale at Homestead. With the championship, Logano became the 34th competitor to win a Cup title as he also recorded the second Cup championship for Team Penske and the first for crew chief Todd Gordon.

    Following a productive 2019 season, where he won two races and finished fifth in the final standings, Logano started the 2020 Cup season by making his 400th series start in the Daytona 500, his first race paired with veteran crew chief Paul Wolfe. After finishing 26th due to being involved in a late accident, Logano rebounded by winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway following a late restart. Two weeks later, Logano won for the second time of this season at Phoenix.

    Through the first 17 Cup races of this season, Logano has recorded three top-five results and seven top-10 results. He is ranked fifth in the regular-season standings, trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 111 points, but is guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Playoffs by virtue of his two recorded wins this season.

    In his previous 599 division starts in NASCAR, Logano has won 25 Cup races, 30 Xfinity races and one Truck race.

    Catch Logano’s milestone start in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on July 19 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Hamlin to reach 700 starts across NASCAR’s major series at Kentucky

    Hamlin to reach 700 starts across NASCAR’s major series at Kentucky

    When the green flag waves on Sunday, July 12, for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway, Denny Hamlin will reach a significant milestone of his racing career. By starting this Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at the Bluegrass State, Hamlin will reach 700 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series. 

    A native of Chesterfield, Virginia, who started his career by racing go-karts and Late Model Stock Cars, Hamlin made his first NASCAR division series start at the Indianapolis Raceway Park in August 2004. Racing as a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin drove the No. 03 Decoma/Gibbs Performance Chevrolet for EJP Racing to a 10th-place result in his NASCAR Truck Series debut. He competed in four more Truck races with the team and made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Darlington Raceway in November 2004, where he drove JGR’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil Chevrolet to a 33rd-place result.

    The following season, Hamlin graduated to a full-time driving role in the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series. Through the 35-race schedule, Hamlin went winless, but he recorded 11 top-10 results, a best finish of third at New Hampshire International Speedway in July and finished fifth in the final standings. In October, he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway in JGR’s No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet, replacing Jason Leffler. He finished 32nd in his Cup debut, but he competed in the final six Cup races of the season. In those six races, he recorded three top-10 results and notched his first career pole at Phoenix International Raceway in November. His strong performances late in the season were enough for him to earn a full-time ride for the 2006 Cup Series season and in the No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet as one of three Cup competitors representing team owner Joe Gibbs.

    Based on his pole at Phoenix, Hamlin made his first start of the 2006 season in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway in February. In his first superspeedway race in the Cup level, Hamlin won the 70-lap feature race and became the first rookie candidate to win the annual exhibition event at Daytona after beating icons like teammate Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson in a two-lap shootout. At Pocono Raceway in June, Hamlin started on pole and rallied from a spin due to a cut left-rear tire around the one-quarter mark of the race to claim his first Cup win in his 21st start. When the series returned at Pocono in July, Hamlin notched his second Cup career win as he swept both Pocono races and became the first rookie competitor to sweep two wins at the same track since Johnson made the last accomplishment at Dover in 2002. 

    Hamlin’s two wins along with earning 13 top-10 results throughout the 26 regular-season races were enough for him to qualify for the Chase, thus becoming the first Cup rookie candidate to make the premier series’ postseason battle for the title. He achieved six more top-10 results in the final 10 races before settling in third in the final standings, 68 points shy of the title. When the season concluded, Hamlin was named the 2006 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year recipient as he became the highest-finishing rookie candidate in the standings since the late James Hylton finished second in the 1966 standings.

    Throughout the 2006 season, Hamlin also raced as a full-time competitor in the Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet. He achieved his first two career wins in the series at Mexico City in March and at Darlington Raceway in May. He also competed in one Truck race for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway in October, where he finished eighth. At the conclusion of the 2006 season, Hamlin also surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    Following the 2009 season, Hamlin had competed in 280 races across the three division series and had tallied 17 victories, nine in Xfinity and eight in Cup. By then, Hamlin was still in JGR’s No. 11 FedEx car, but sporting the Toyota nameplate, a move made by JGR in 2008 across NASCAR. The 2010 season was among Hamlin’s strongest seasons to date, where he won a season-high eight races, including one win in the XFINITY Series at Darlington, and was in contention to achieve his first Cup title until late misfortunes in the final two races left him 39 points shy of the title to Johnson. Prior to the season’s conclusion, Hamlin reached 300 starts across the sport’s division series.

    The following season, Hamlin also recorded a single victory across NASCAR’s three series. This included his first Truck Series triumph at Martinsville Speedway in October while driving for team owner/Cup teammate Kyle Busch. Through July 2020, Hamlin is one of 32 competitors to win a race across NASCAR’s three major division series. 

    Hamlin went on to surpass 400 starts following the 2012 season, 500 at the conclusion of the 2015 season and 600 when the 2017 season concluded. By then, he had tallied his Cup career wins to 31, his Xfinity career wins to 26 and his Truck career wins to two. Among his accomplishments included winning five races in 2012 with veteran Darian Grubb, recording the 100th Cup win for Joe Gibbs Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September 2012, winning in his 300th Cup career start at Talladega Superspeedway in May 2014, recording the 100th Xfinity victory for Toyota at Richmond International Raceway in April 2015, notching Joe Gibbs Racing’s first All-Star win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2015, achieving his first Daytona 500 win in a photo finish with Martin Truex Jr. in February 2016 and winning his second Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in September 2017. His best points result from 2011 to 2017 was third in 2014, where he utilized consistency to make it all the way to the Championship Round, only to fall short of the title to Kevin Harvick.

    After going winless in 2018, which marked the first time he concluded a Cup Series season without a victory, Hamlin rebounded in 2019 by winning six races, including the 61st running of the Daytona 500 in February and the penultimate event at Phoenix in November to clinch his spot to the Championship Round, all while working with new/current crew chief Chris Gabehart. In the finale at Homestead, Hamlin had a potential-winning car in the closing laps and was prepared to make a late charge for the championship, but his title hopes were dashed due to overheating issues that forced Hamlin to make an unscheduled pit stop. He finished 10th in Miami and fourth in the final standings, watching from a distance as teammate Kyle Busch won his second Cup title.

    This season, through the first 16 Cup races, Hamlin has won four races, including the 62nd running of the Daytona 500. He has also recorded three stage wins, nine top-five results and 10 top-10 results in 2020. He is ranked fifth in the regular season standings and trails points leader Kevin Harvick by 109 points, though he is also guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs by virtue of his four regular-season victories.

    Sunday’s race at Kentucky will mark Hamlin’s 10th Cup start in the Bluegrass State, where he is set to start in 12th based on a random draw. In his previous nine starts at the track, Hamlin has logged four top-five results with a best result of third place in 2012 and in 2015. He holds an average result of 14.89 at Kentucky.

    Catch Hamlin’s milestone start in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky on July 12 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Herbst, Chastain, Briscoe score top-five results in first Kentucky race

    Herbst, Chastain, Briscoe score top-five results in first Kentucky race

    It was a banner night for Austin Cindric, who was able to claim his first elusive NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the season in Thursday night’s Shady Rays 200 at Kentucky Speedway. It was also a banner night for rookie Riley Herbst, Ross Chastain and Chase Briscoe, all of whom emerged with strong top-five results following an eventful race as part of a series doubleheader week at the Bluegrass State.

    For Riley Herbst, who came into Kentucky following an up-and-down stretch in his rookie Xfinity season, he started in 23rd based on a random draw. After avoiding a wreck at the start of the race that eliminated his teammate Brandon Jones, Herbst was able to work his way to 12th by the competition caution on Lap 15. While his other teammate/rookie Harrison Burton ran towards the front, Herbst kept his No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra towards the top 10 as he finished the first stage in 11th despite struggling with grip. Throughout the second stage, Herbst moved into the top five and was able to finish fifth and collect valuable stage points towards the Playoffs. For the majority of the final stage and the second half of the race, Herbst remained inside the top 10 while keeping his car intact. Following a series of late cautions and late restarts, including an overtime restart following teammate Burton’s spin, Herbst moved into the runner-up spot after Chase Briscoe got loose while battling Cindric for the lead and the win. Ultimately, a caution for a multi-car wreck on the final lap ended Herbst’s shot for a late charge as he crossed the line in the runner-up spot. The runner-up spot, however, tied Herbst’s career-best finish in the series and it marked his seventh top-10 result of the season and his first top-five result since he finished second at Auto Club Speedway in February. With the result, Herbst remained in 11th in the regular-season standings, but is 42 points above the top-12 cutline to the Playoffs.

    “We did a good job all day,” Herbst said. “We, probably, ran fourth all day, over-adjusted the car there at the end, got a little bit too tight, but all in all, we’ve had speed all year. We just haven’t been able to capitalize, probably mostly on my part in the final stages of these races, so once we start capitalizing, we’ll start getting good finishes like this. So, it was good.”

    For Ross Chastain, Thursday’s Xfinity race presented one of two opportunities for the Floridian to record his first series win of the season. Starting in the runner-up spot by virtue of a random draw, he avoided a two-car wreck at the start of the race and made a brief challenge for the lead on Noah Gragson on the outside lane, only to loose grip on the outside lane. By the competition caution, he was back in fifth and was able to record a fourth-place result in the first stage. Throughout the second stage, Chastain kept his No. 10 Chevy Accessories/Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro inside the top five as he finished in fourth again. After running well inside the top 10 for the start of the final stage, Chastain was hit with a pit road speeding penalty following a pit stop and was sent to the rear of the field when the race restarted with less than 40 laps remaining. At the front, teammate Justin Haley assumed command after opting for a two-tire pit stop. Nearly ten laps later, Chastain was involved in an incident with Brett Moffitt in Turn 4, which drew another caution. Through two additional cautions and three restarts, including an overtime attempt, Chastain was able to rally to settle in third on the final lap when the caution flew. When the checkered flag was displayed, Chastain raced across the finish line in third, four spots ahead of teammate Haley. With his career-high 12th top-10 result, Chastain is fourth in the regular-season standings and is 252 points above the top-12 cutline.

    “The record book will show a good night, starting up front, fourth in both stages and a third-place finish,” Chastain said. “Me speeding on pit road to start the final stage is not how you win races in NASCAR and overdriving the entry to Turn 3 and taking out Brett [Moffitt] there. I hate that [for] the No. 02 group. I’ve raced with Brett quite a bit. We’ve had our fair share of run-ins and I hate that I gave him another reason not to like me. So, I’ll take some time to try and make that better. But, I just overdrove it and got loose and took him out. [I] Can’t thank everybody on Kaulig Racing, Chevy Accessories, everybody at Team Chevy for giving us this opportunity, [team owner] Matt Kaulig, Nutrien Ag Solutions. It, definitely, was tough. We fired off in the race and I thought we had like the wrong tires on the car. We were not very good and [crew chief] Bruce Schlicker kept telling me that he was gonna make it better, and he did. By the end, now, I think that we have a car to go race tomorrow for the win, race [Briscoe], [Cindric], [Allgaier], those guys, [Haley]. But, we didn’t have it to start tonight and we’re gonna make some small changes unlike Homestead and be better tomorrow night.”

    If there was an Xfinity Series competitor who came into Kentucky seeking more momentum following recent victories at Pocono and Indianapolis, it was Chase Briscoe, who reunited with regular crew chief Richard Boswell following a four-race stretch with interim crew chief/veteran Greg Zipadelli. Starting seventh on a random draw, Briscoe worked his way to fifth by the competition caution, but brought his No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School/Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang to pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and a big chassis adjustment. Restarting near the end of the lead lap field, Briscoe made his way up to 16th when the first stage concluded. Under the stage’s break, Briscoe remained on track to inherit the lead. The following restart, however, Briscoe was overtaken by Noah Gragson for the lead, but he remained within a tight three-car battle for the lead that included Austin Cindric. When the second stage concluded, Briscoe settled in third. For the remainder of the final stage, Briscoe kept himself battling towards the front and challenging Cindric for the lead. Following a series of late restarts and cautions, including an overtime attempt, Briscoe was lined up on the front row and on the inside lane beneath Cindric. Entering Turn 1, however, Briscoe got loose and lost his momentum to Cindric as he was also overtaken by two more competitors. When the caution flew on the final lap and the race concluded, Briscoe was scored in fourth while Cindric emerged victorious. Though he came short in claiming his sixth series win of the season, he collected his eighth top-five result and continues to lead the regular-season standings by 16 points over Gragson.

    “Yeah, I just got loose,” Briscoe said. “The restart before that, I almost cleared Austin and then, he got back around me. There at the end, that last restart, I went down there and same thing. I thought I was gonna be able to clear him. I just got too loose and about wrecked the thing. I don’t know if I just made the right rear [tire] mad or what. I was just, literally, wrecking on both ends after that. So, I felt like this was our worst car of the year as far as balance and speed goes. We were still able to, at least, be in the hunt. We’ll go onto tomorrow. I felt like Kentucky and Texas are our two worst mile and a halfs, and those are the next two [scheduled races]. So, we’ll try to build on it, just try to learn a little bit and get better.”

    Herbst, Chastain and Briscoe along with their fellow NASCAR Xfinity Series competitors will return for the second series race of the week at Kentucky Speedway on July 10, which will air at 8 p.m. on FS1.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Kyle Busch to make 550th Cup start at Indianapolis

    Kyle Busch to make 550th Cup start at Indianapolis

    With big brother Kurt set to achieve a milestone start of his NASCAR Cup Series career, Kyle Busch will also make a milestone start of his own at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 5. By taking the green flag for the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400, the younger Busch will reach 550 starts in NASCAR’s premier series. The milestone comes in his 16th season racing in the Cup Series, 13th in the No. 18 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, and the younger brother to the 2004 Cup champion Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch made his Cup debut at his home track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in March 2004 and in the No. 84 CARQUEST Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. At the time, he was competing for the team on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series, where he won five races, finished second in the final standings and claimed the series Rookie-of-the-Year title. He finished 41st in his Cup debut due to a crash and competed in five more races throughout the 2004 season, scoring a best result of 24th at California Speedway in September.

    The following season, Busch was promoted as full-time driver of the No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series. Following an up-and-down season, Busch achieved his first Cup win in his 31st series start at California Speedway in September 2005. At that time, Busch became the youngest winner in the Cup Series’ history at age 20 years, four months and two days. Despite missing the Chase for the Cup, Busch achieved his second Cup victory at Phoenix International Raceway in November 2005 following a late battle with Greg Biffle. To go along with a pole, nine top-five results and 13 top-10 results with a final standings result of 20th, Busch claimed the 2005 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title. Busch continued driving the No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet for HMS in 2006 and 2007, winning one race apiece and tallying one pole, 21 top-five finishes and 38 top-10 finishes with a best points result of fifth in 2007.

    When the 2007 season concluded, Busch was replaced at Hendrick Motorsports by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and he joined forces with Joe Gibbs Racing to pilot the No. 18 Toyota Camry sponsored by Mars Inc. and Interstate Batteries. In his first race with the team, Busch led a race-high 86 laps in the Daytona 500 before finishing in fourth. After finishing fourth the following week at Auto Club Speedway, Busch emerged as the points leader for the first time in his Cup career. Two races later, Busch notched his first win with JGR and recorded the first Cup win for crew chief Steve Addington and the Toyota nameplate at Atlanta Motor Speedway. From there, Busch went on a hot streak as he won seven more races across seven different tracks, (all of which he won at for the first time), and entered the 2008 Chase for the Cup as one of the title favorites. He, however, recorded three consecutive finishes outside the top 20 in the first three Chase races, which left him eliminated from title contention. He concluded the 2008 Cup season in 10th in the final standings.

    The following season, Busch won four races, which included his hometrack, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and winning on his 24th birthday at Richmond International Raceway in May, but he missed the Chase by eight points to Brian Vickers. Despite the up-and-down season in the Cup Series, he went on to win his first NASCAR Xfinity Series title after achieving nine victories throughout the season. The 2010 season was a record-breaking season for Busch as he won 24 races across NASCAR’s three major division series, three of which came in the Cup Series while paired with new crew chief Dave Rogers. The racing events at Bristol Motor Speedway from August 18-21 marked a major milestone moment for Busch, when he became the first NASCAR competitor to win across all three major division series in the same weekend at the exact racetrack. He made the Chase in 2010, but concluded the season in eighth in the final standings.

    Between 2011 and 2012, Busch tallied five Cup wins, three poles, 27 top-five finishes and 38 top-10 finishes, though he finished 12th and 13th in the final standings within the two years. By then, he had surpassed 100 wins across NASCAR’s three major division series and he had also won the inaugural Cup race at Kentucky Speedway in 2011. He rebounded in 2013 by winning four races and three poles along with 16 top-five results and 22 top-10 results to conclude the season in fourth in the final standings after making the Chase for the sixth time in his career. Among Busch’s Cup highlights in 2013 was dodging a last lap incident involving teammate Denny Hamlin and ex-teammate Joey Logano to win at Auto Club Speedway in March and winning at Texas Motor Speedway in April in his 300th series start. To July 2020, Busch is one of seven competitors to win in career start number 300.

    After winning only once in 2014 and concluding the season in 10th in the final standings, Busch was paired with Xfinity Series crew chief Adam Stevens for the 2015 Cup season. Then came February 21, when Busch was involved in a late multi-car wreck and made head-on contact into a concrete wall installed with no SAFER barriers. He was transported to the Halifax Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with a massive compound fracture in the lower right leg along with a small fracture in his left foot. The wreck left Busch on the sidelines for the first 11 Cup races into the season, though he was granted an injury waiver that would allow him to make the Chase as long as he met the qualification standards. In May, Busch returned as driver of JGR’s No. 18 Toyota and in June, he achieved his first victory of the season at Sonoma Raceway. The win at Sonoma completed the first phase for Busch to make the Chase as he needed consistent runs through September to be guaranteed a spot. He then went on a hot streak, winning three consecutive races, (Kentucky Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway), and earning enough consistent finishes and points to qualify for the Chase. Following a consistent run throughout the Chase, Busch raced his way into the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 22 and as the only JGR competitor still in contention for the title. On that day, Busch won the finale and claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series championship in his 11th season. To go along with Busch’s first title, it was the first Cup title for crew chief Adam Stevens, the first for Joe Gibbs Racing since 2005, the first for Mars Inc. and for Toyota. Busch also became the first competitor to win a Cup title despite not competing the entire season since Richard Petty made the last accomplishment in 1971.

    From 2016 to 2018, Busch won 17 more Cup races and tallied 14 poles, 53 top-five results and 75 top-10 results, all while reaching the Championship Round in all three seasons with a best result of second in 2017. Among his achievements within the three seasons included winning at Martinsville Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Pocono Raceway for the first time, winning his second straight Brickyard 400 victory in 2016, claiming his first All-Star win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2017, winning across all three division series at Bristol in August 2017, becoming the first driver to record a win in every active NASCAR Cup track following his first Coca-Cola 600 victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2018 and surpassing 50 Cup wins following the 2018 season.

    Last season, in his 12th season driving for JGR, Busch reached his 500th Cup start at Atlanta in February, a week after finishing second to teammate Denny Hamlin in the season-opening Daytona 500. He finished sixth in his milestone start and in third the following week at his hometrack in Las Vegas. The following week, he achieved his first victory of the 2019 Cup season at Phoenix in March and returned the following week by winning at Auto Club Speedway. On that day, Busch recorded his 200th victory across NASCAR’s three major division series. He won two more races throughout the regular season to make the Playoffs. He was able to race his way into the Championship Round and win the finale at Homestead to claim his second Cup championship.

    This season, through the first 15 races of the 2020 Cup season, Kyle Busch has recorded seven top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes, and is ranked 11th in the regular-season standings, trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 158 points. He has won a total of 56 Cup races, though he continues to pursue his first victory of the season. Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will mark Busch’s 16th Cup start at the famed racetrack and at a place where he has won twice in back-to-back seasons in 2015 and 2016 along with recording 10 top-10 results and averaging a result of 12.47. He is also a four-time winner at the venue’s oval-shaped layout in the Xfinity Series. Busch will also look to become the third NASCAR competitor to achieve three Cup wins at Indianapolis.

    Catch Kyle Busch’s milestone start on July 5 for the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Brandon Jones to make 150th Xfinity start at Indianapolis

    Brandon Jones to make 150th Xfinity start at Indianapolis

    Coming off an up-and-down weekend at Pocono Raceway, Brandon Jones will reach a milestone start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. When he takes the green flag for the Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval-road course layout, Jones will reach 150 career starts in the Xfinity Series.

    A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Jones made his Xfinity debut at Iowa Speedway in May 2015. Driving the No. 33 Jeld-Wen/Menards Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing, Jones finished eighth. He would compete in four more races in the series for RCR, earning his first top-five career finish at Kentucky Speedway in September and averaging a finishing result of 15th. The following season, Jones was promoted to a full-time racing schedule in RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series. He opened his first full-time season with a seventh-place result at Daytona International Speedway and went on to earn 11 more top-10 results while making the inaugural Xfinity Playoffs. He was eliminated, however, following the first round and finished 10th in the final standings. Despite starting the 2017 season with his first career pole for the season-opening event at Daytona, the remainder of the season was a disappointing one for Jones as he only achieved three top-10 results, missed the Playoffs and concluded the season in 16th in the final standings.

    In 2018, Jones transitioned to Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 19 Toyota with Menards maintaining their partnership with the driver as one of his primary sponsors throughout the season. Through the first nine Xfinity races, Jones earned five top-10 results. Among his highlights for the start of the 2018 season included winning a stage at Texas Motor Speedway, leading a race-high 106 laps before finishing sixth at Bristol Motor Speedway the following week and finishing a career-best second at Talladega two weeks later, all in April. He would earn 12 more top-10 results, record a pole at Dover International Speedway in May and finish ninth in the final standings while making the Playoffs.

    He remained at JGR for the 2019 Xfinity Series while being paired with crew chief Jeff Meendering. He started the season with a third-place run at Daytona followed by a fourth-place run at Atlanta Motor Speedway before finishing 28th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the following week due to a late accident. For the first 29 Xfinity races, Jones earned 13 top-10 results, which was enough for him to qualify for the Xfinity Playoffs for the third time in his career despite sustaining seven DNFs. After recording finishes of 11th, 16th and 37th in the first round of the Playoffs, Jones was eliminated from title contention. The following week at Kansas Speedway, however, Jones rebounded by taking the lead with 10 laps remaining and holding off the field on a two-lap shootout to grab his first Xfinity career win in his 133rd series start, which was also his first victory across NASCAR’s three major division series. He would finish in the top 11 for the remaining three races and settle in 10th in the final standings.

    This season, in his third with JGR, Jones has finished in the top 10 seven times and is ranked eighth in the regular-season series standings through the first 12 races. He recorded his second Xfinity Series career win at Phoenix Raceway in March, which was also the 500th win for Toyota across NASCAR’s three major division series, after passing Kyle Busch in the closing laps for the lead, a victory that has him guaranteed a spot for the 2020 Playoffs. He has also made one of select NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series starts in the No. 51 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports last weekend at Pocono Raceway, which he won and recorded his first Truck win in his 46th series start.

    Like his fellow Xfinity Series competitors, this weekend’s event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will mark Jones’ first start at the famed racetrack’s oval-road course layout. He has competed at Indy’s oval-shaped layout the previous four seasons, finishing in the top 10 in all of them with a best result of sixth in 2019.

    Catch Jones’ milestone start in the Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval-road course event on July 4 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Joe Gibbs Racing to surpass milestone start at Talladega

    Joe Gibbs Racing to surpass milestone start at Talladega

    A week after celebrating a milestone win with Denny Hamlin at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing will achieve another milestone this upcoming weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. When the green flag drops on Sunday, June 21, for the NASCAR Cup Series’ 13th race of the 2020 season, JGR will surpass 2,500 combined Cup starts among its four-car lineup and in the organization’s 29th season in NASCAR.

    Through 12 races this season, JGR has won four races (three with Hamlin and one with Martin Truex Jr.) and has recorded 24 top-10 results (made between its four-car lineup).

    Founded in 1991, JGR, owned by legendary NFL coach and three-time Super Bowl championship-winning coach Joe Gibbs, fielded a full-time entry in the 1992 Cup Series season, the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet driven by Hickory, North Carolina’s Dale Jarrett and led by crew chief Jimmy Makar. In their first season in NASCAR competition, Jarrett finished 19th in the overall standings with eight top-10 results. The following season, with his father, Ned, calling the final lap action on CBS Sports, Jarrett held off Dale Earnhardt to record the team’s first ever NASCAR win in the season-opening Daytona 500. Jarrett and the No. 18 team would record 12 more top-five finishes (17 more top-10 finishes) before concluding the season in fourth in the overall standings.

    Following the 1994 season, Jarrett left the organization after winning once and finishing 16th in the standings the previous year. He was replaced by Bobby Labonte, a native from Corpus Christi, Texas, and younger brother of Terry Labonte, the 1984 Cup champion. After the first 10 races, Labonte recorded his first Cup career win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He went on to sweep both Michigan Cup events before finishing 10th in the final standings. Overall, he recorded seven top-five results, 14 top-10 results and two poles to go along with his first three career victories in 1995. After the 1996 season, where Labonte won once and finished 11th in the final standings, JGR made a manufacturer change from Chevrolet to Pontiac. Between 1997-98, Labonte won three races, notched six poles and recorded 36 top-10 results with a best points result of sixth in 1998. By then, J.D. Gibbs, Joe Gibbs’ son, was named team president of JGR and the team was establishing its facility in Huntersville, North Carolina.

    In 1999, JGR expanded to a two-car operation as Columbus, Indiana’s Tony Stewart joined the organization, driving the No. 20 Home Depot Pontiac led by crew chief Greg Zipadelli. Stewart notched his first NASCAR Cup career win at Richmond International Raceway in September and won two more races before finishing fourth in the final standings and claiming the Rookie-of-the-Year title. His teammate, Labonte, won five races and finished second in the standings to Jarrett, who celebrated his first Cup title.

    The following season, team owner Joe Gibbs and JGR achieved their first NASCAR Cup championship with Labonte, who won four races, including the Brickyard 400, and recorded 24 top-10 results in the 34-race schedule to wrap up the first title for the team and himself by 265 points over Dale Earnhardt. Two years later, Stewart rallied from finishing last in the season-opening Daytona 500 to win his first Cup title and second for the team in a season where he won three races and recorded 21 top-10 results. The next season, JGR returned to fielding Chevrolets as Stewart and Labonte won two races a piece and finished seventh and eighth in the final standings.

    In 2005, where the team had achieved 42 Cup career wins, JGR expanded to a three-car operation as Long Beach, California’s Jason Leffler was assigned to pilot the No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet led by crew chief Dave Rogers and as a new teammate to Stewart and Labonte. In August, Leffler was released from the team, having missed one race and finishing as high as 12th on track. Terry Labonte along with Hamlin and Phoenix, Arizona’s J.J. Yeley took turns driving the car for the remainder of the season as Rogers was eventually replaced by Mike Ford. Labonte also had a difficult season as he recorded four top-five results, seven top-10 results and finished 24th in the final standings. Despite the struggles, JGR won its third NASCAR Cup title with Stewart, who won five races, recorded 17 top-five results and 25 top-10 results, which was enough for the Hoosier native to wrap up his second series title by 35 points over Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards.

    In 2006, JGR featured a new lineup as Yeley replaced Labonte to drive the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet while Hamlin was promoted as a full-time driver of the No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet. Stewart remained as driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet. Yeley recorded three top-10 results the entire season and finished 29th in the final standings while Stewart was unable to defend his championship after failing to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Cup title, though he won five races overall. Hamlin, meanwhile, won his first two Cup career victories in both Pocono Raceway events, including the non-point Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway in February, and recorded 20 top-10 results to make the Chase and settle in third in the final standings. In the end, he was awarded the 2006 Rookie-of-the-Year title.

    Two years later, JGR made a manufacturer change from Chevrolet to Toyota and replaced Yeley with Las Vegas, Nevada’s Kyle Busch as driver of the No. 18 Toyota Camry sponsored by M&M’s and Interstate Batteries. By then, Gibbs, who had returned to the NFL as head coach for the Washington Redskins in 2004, retired from coaching football in January. Four races into the 2008 season, Busch became the fifth different driver to win driving for JGR after accomplishing his task at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March while also recording the first Cup win for Toyota. Through September, JGR operations won eight more Cup races between Busch and Hamlin. The team, however, struggled in the final 10 races, only winning once with Stewart at Talladega in October, before finishing eighth, ninth and 10th in the final standings. Despite the late struggles in the Cup season, JGR had a successful season in the Xfinity Series, winning 19 races between four competitors and clinching the owner’s title.

    In 2009, where the team had achieved 68 Cup wins, JGR welcomed young Middletown, Connecticut’s Joey Logano to the Cup lineup, where he was assigned to the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry when Stewart decided to join forces with Gene Haas and become a driver/owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. In June, Logano recorded his first Cup career win in a rain-shortened event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after gambling late on fuel. He would record six more top-10 results before settling in 20th in the final standings and claiming the Rookie-of-the-Year title. Hamlin, meanwhile, won four races and settled in fifth in the final standings. Busch also won four races, but on-track inconsistencies throughout the summer prevented him from making the Chase by eight points, where he settled in 13th in the final standings. He was, however, able to record the first Xfinity Series championship for JGR after winning nine races throughout the season.

    In 2012, with the reigning championship-winning crew chief Darian Grubb atop his pit box, Hamlin recorded the 100th Cup win for the organization at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September, which marked his fifth of five wins that season. By then, Kyle Busch had won eight more races with the team since 2010 while Logano notched his second series win at Pocono Raceway back in June 2012. In addition, owner Joe Gibbs achieved his third Xfinity owner’s championship in 2010.

    The following season, JGR replaced Logano with the 2003 NASCAR Cup champion Matt Kenseth as the new driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry sponsored by Dollar General and Husky Tools. In Kenseth’s first season with the team, he won a season-high seven races, three poles and recorded 20 top-10 results before settling in second in the final standings, 19 points behind the champion Jimmie Johnson. Busch rebounded from a difficult 2012 season to win four races, record 16 top-five results, 22 top-10 results and finish a career-best fourth in the standings. Hamlin, meanwhile, struggled with on-track performance, which started when he was involved in a harrowing last-lap accident at Auto Club Speedway following contact with Logano, a wreck that caused Hamlin to miss four races due to a collapsed vertebra. He would return in May and win the season finale at Homestead in November, which allowed him to extend his season-winning streak to eight.

    Two years later, where the team had achieved 114 Cup career wins, JGR expanded to a four-car lineup while welcoming Columbia, Missouri’s Carl Edwards to the organization and as driver of the No. 19 ARRIS Toyota Camry. The 2015 season was a banner year for JGR as all four competitors recorded multiple wins, including the organization’s first All-Star win with Hamlin, and were competitive throughout the season. Above all, the team achieved its fourth Cup title with Kyle Busch, who missed the first 11 Cup races of the season due to suffering a massive compound fracture in his lower right leg and a small fracture in his left foot as a result of wrecking in the Xfinity Series opening race at Daytona and slapping into a concrete wall not installed with SAFER barriers. Following a three-month absence, Busch would return and win four races throughout the summer months, including the Brickyard 400, and record enough points to qualify for the Chase, where he was consistent to make the Championship Round and won the season finale at Homestead to lock up the first series title for himself, crew chief Adam Stevens and for Toyota along with JGR’s first championship since 2005. Overall, the team won a combined 14 races in 2015.

    The following season, with new crew chief Mike Wheeler atop the pit box, Hamlin edged Martin Truex Jr. by 0.010 seconds to win his first career Daytona 500 and record the first 500 win for JGR since 1993. It also marked the first Daytona 500 victory for Toyota. All four JGR drivers won a combined 12 races in the 36-race schedule, including the Brickyard 400 with Busch, but fell short of winning back-to-back Cup titles. The team achieved success in the Xfinity Series, winning 19 races between five drivers and the 2016 Xfinity championship with Monterrey, Mexico’s Daniel Suarez. Over the next two Cup seasons, JGR operations would win 17 more races and surpass 150 Cup victories. In addition, Suarez would be promoted to the Cup Series in 2017 to replace Edwards following his sudden retirement from the sport. The following season, Kenseth was replaced by Byron, Michigan’s Erik Jones, who won his first Cup career race with the team at Daytona in July.

    Prior to the 2019 season, tragedy struck for the organization when team president J.D. Gibbs died at age 49 in January due to complications following a long battle with a degenerative neurological disease, a disease which Gibbs had undergone treatment for in recent years. The following month, the team rallied by winning the Daytona 500 with Hamlin, the driver who the late Gibbs played a fundamental role in bringing Hamlin to drive for the organization. The 500 win was Hamlin’s second of his career, the third for JGR, the second for Toyota and the first for new crew chief Chris Gabehart as Hamlin led a JGR one-two-three finish to the win followed by Kyle Busch and Jones. In April, Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 NASCAR Cup champion who joined JGR to replace Suarez prior to the season, won his first race with the team at Richmond. The 2019 season was another banner season for JGR as all four competitors recorded a win (19 overall) and Kyle Busch clinched the fifth Cup title for the team, second for the driver, at Homestead.

    Prior to the 2020 NASCAR season, Joe Gibbs was among five inductees, including Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 31. To this day, Gibbs remains the only person to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

    This season, Hamlin recorded the team’s fourth Daytona 500 win in February and has won two more races while Truex recorded his first victory of the season at Martinsville Speedway on June 10. Following Hamlin’s win last weekend at Homestead, JGR has 180 Cup career wins between 10 drivers. In addition to four Cup victories, JGR has notched four Xfinity wins (one with Kyle Busch, Brandon Jones and two with rookie Harrison Burton) and one ARCA Menards Series win (Ty Gibbs) this season.

    Heading into this weekend’s event at Talladega, JGR has won a Cup race at the superspeedway venue four times, none since 2014 with Hamlin, and has achieved 53 top-10 results since racing at the track in 1992. In the current Cup lineup, all competitors, but Erik Jones, have won at least once at Talladega within NASCAR’s three national major division series.

    The NASCAR Cup Series’ upcoming race at Talladega will air on June 21 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Bojangles’ Southern 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Bojangles’ Southern 500

    On what has become a Mother’s day weekend tradition at the historic Darlington Raceway, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 64th annual Bojangles’ Southern 500.

    Surprising:  While bad news often comes in threes, Matt Kenseth had the opposite experience, with only good news in threes for this Joe Gibbs Racing team member. Kenseth scored his third Sprint Cup win of the season and advanced one spot to third in the point standings.

    Not only was it a stellar evening for JGR with Kenseth in Victory Lane, but teammate Denny Hamlin gutted out a surprisingly good full-race performance after returning from his back injury. Hamlin finished in the runner up position, scoring his seventh top-10 at Darlington and his second top-10 finish for the season.

    “I think our whole team, we’ve just got a great team from top to bottom,” J.D. Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing, said. “Gosh, I couldn’t feel much better about our year so far.”

    Not Surprising:  For the other member of the Joe Gibbs Race team, however, three times was nowhere near a charm. JGR driver Kyle Busch, who was the dominant driver all evening long, in fact leading 265 laps, tussled with competitor Kasey Kahne for the third time this season to finish a disappointing sixth in the race.

    “He’s pretty tore up that they’re racing hard and Kasey Kahne tore up another car,” Dave Rogers, crew chief of the No. 18 Doublemint Toyota, said. “This is the third time we’ve been involved in an incident with Kasey and all of us over here have a ton of respect for that program.”

    “Well, he needs to quit,” Kasey Kahne, recipient of the three incidents with Busch, said simply. “Three times this year. I mean he’s got to just race me.”

    Surprising:  While enjoying a much celebrated 700th career start, Jeff Gordon, at the tender age of 41 years, also managed to set yet another record. Gordon posted his 300th top-five finish, becoming only the fourth driver to accomplish this feat, along with NASCAR legends David Pearson, Bobby Allison and Richard Petty.

    “Well, we all wanted this 700th start to be a memorable one,” the driver of the No. 24 Cromax Pro Chevrolet said. “I’m very proud of this.”

    Not Surprising:  As so often happens, David Ragan experienced the highs and lows of the sport, from his previous week’s win at Talladega to overheating and struggling to finish 39th at Darlington at this weekend’s race.

    “Yeah, that’s how it goes sometimes,” the driver of the No. 34 Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts Ford said. “That’s a character-building weekend for sure.”

    “You’ve just got to work hard and stay focused and keep the right attitude.”

    Surprising:  In spite of decent race finishes for two of the Roush Fenway drivers, with Carl Edwards taking the checkered flag in seventh and Greg Biffle in 13th, both expressed the feeling that they are lacking something so far this season.

    “We struggled a lot and ended coming back to seventh so I’m proud of our effort,” Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 99 Geek Squad Ford, said. “But we’re just missing something.”

    “It’s a little disappointing,” Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Meguiar’s Ford, said. “We still don’t have the grip that we need.”

    “We’re missing it ever since the season started with this car.”

    Not Surprising:   All good things must come to an end and so it was not surprising that Aric Almirola’s streak of top-tens came crashing down at Darlington. The driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford finished 20th at the track ‘Too Tough to Tame.’

    “That’s not the result we wanted at all,” Almirola said. “We fought hard, but just weren’t quite good enough.”

    “That was a tough night.”

    Surprising:  The struggles of Tony Stewart surprisingly continued at Darlington and the trip to Victory Lane that he so badly wanted at a track where he had never won eluded the former champion yet again.

    Stewart was poised to get a good finish, in fact starting eighth on a restart with under 60 laps to go. But the Lady reached out and grabbed the driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, putting that old Darlington stripe right down the side of his race car.

    Stewart finished a disappointing 15th when the checkered flag finally flew.

    “Darlington is such a tough track to get a handle on,” Stewart said. “You don’t see a lot of guys who have a lot of success there.”

    Not Surprising:  In spite of scoring a pole run, with a track record to boot, and a record number of laps led for his team, Kurt Busch still did not get the finish he wanted at Darlington.

    The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Serta Chevrolet ran strong all night but slipped at the end after getting hit by the No. 13 of Casey Mears. Busch finished 14th in the Bojangles’ Southern 500.

    “We could not keep up with the changing conditions of the track,” Busch said. “We made a number of chassis and air pressure adjustments but couldn’t get the car hooked up.”

    “We let it slip away and that’s disappointing,” Busch continued. “But we won the pole, led laps, ran up front for a good portion of the race and came away with a respectable finish.”

    Surprising:  Penske Racing had a surprisingly bad day, especially for reigning champ Brad Keselowski, who had never finished outside the top 15 in his four starts at Darlington. The driver of the Blue Deuce was caught up in an accident and finished 32nd.

    While teammate Joey Logano has had an admittedly up and down relationship with the track, with two top-10 finishes and two finishes outside the top-25, he struggled as well. The driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford finished in the same position as his car number, 22nd.

    Not Surprising:  Although the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Emerald Green Chevrolet admitted that the track is tough, his love affair with Darlington continued, especially after scoring another top-five finish. Johnson now leads the point standings by more than a full race worth.

    “It was just a great 500 miles here at Darlington,” Jimmie Johnson said. “I love this place.”

    “I wish we could race here three or four times a year.”

    Surprising:  It was a bit surprising that there were just enough cars at Darlington for a full 43 car field. For the first time in quite a long time, no one was sent home unhappy after qualifying for this Southern 500.

    Not Surprising:  Juan Pablo Montoya’s focus on execution continued at the ‘Lady in Black’. He and his No. 42 Target Chevrolet team had a great run, finishing eighth.

    “Well, we didn’t unload as good as we wanted, but we got it really good,” Montoya said. “I keep telling the guys we have got to execute.”

    “If every person here does their best, we are going to be looking like heroes here.”