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  • Jeffrey Earnhardt to Run Nine Races with Joe Gibbs Racing

    Jeffrey Earnhardt to Run Nine Races with Joe Gibbs Racing

    Jeffrey Earnhardt, fourth generation NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series driver, sets forth a partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing and Xtreme Concepts Inc. for nine races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019.

    Earnhardt will drive the No. 18 at the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February, and Earnhardt understands completely the opportunity with the winning organization.

    “I’ve worked incredibly hard for this opportunity and I’ve got to thank Xtreme Concepts for making it happen,” Earnhardt shared with the media. “You see the level of expertise Joe Gibbs Racing has and the caliber of equipment they bring to the racetrack every week. As a driver, it’s exactly where you want to be. It’s the best opportunity I’ve had in my career and I plan to make the most of it.”

    Xtreme Concepts has already sponsored the No. 96 Cup car with Gaunt Brothers Racing in ten races, along with one of its own brands, iK9, a provider of canine detection and service dogs, along with professional handler education and services. Nine of these races were with Earnhardt behind the wheel.

    “We believe motorsports is an incredibly strong platform to highlight the many services Xtreme Concepts can provide, and we also believe in Jeffrey Earnhardt,” said Landon Ash, founder, Xtreme Concepts. “I know firsthand how just having the opportunity to show what you can do is all you need to find success. It’s how we’ve grown Xtreme Concepts since our founding in 2008 to a worldwide leader in security concepts and solutions. Jeffrey has been an excellent representative for Xtreme Concepts and our brands like iK9, and through this endeavor with Joe Gibbs Racing we plan to grow together.”

    Earnhardt has made over 150 starts across the top three touring series in NASCAR, but this will be his first with a championship-winning organization. Ryan Preece had a similar experience, resulting in two victories over the last two years. Earlier this year, Ross Chastain took the opportunity for three races with Chip Ganassi Racing and earned his first career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Matt DiBenedetto is taking a leap of faith as well in the Cup Series with Levine Family Racing in 2019 and their new affiliation with Joe Gibbs Racing, essentially replacing the defending championship team of Furniture Row Racing.

    “From the time we first came to NASCAR in 1992, we’ve always put forth maximum effort to have the best possible results on the racetrack,” said Coy Gibbs, Vice Chairman and COO of JGR. “Our Xfinity Series program is the perfect example of what happens when preparation meets execution. We’ve had both up-and-coming and veteran drivers achieve success in our racecars, and that success has translated to the partners they’ve represented. We think Jeffrey Earnhardt has the talent to win races and deliver strong results for Xtreme Concepts.”

    Joe Gibbs Racing plans to announce the other eight races for Earnhardt during the off-season.

  • Truex to JGR in 2019

    Truex to JGR in 2019

    The very poorly kept secret of Martin Truex Jr.’s plans for 2019 is out of the bag.

    After months of speculation, Truex will take over the driver’s seat of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing next season. He’ll bring along crew chief Cole Pearn.

    “Anytime you have an opportunity to bring two people of this caliber into your organization, it’s certainly an exciting time,” said team owner Joe Gibbs. “They obviously have developed a chemistry that has led to tremendous success, including a championship. We’ve gotten to know them well over the past few years through the alliance and having been part of the Toyota family. They both make us stronger as an organization.”

    Sponsorship will be announced at a later date.

    Where this leaves Daniel Suarez, who’s being displaced by Truex, is unknown. As of the publishing of this piece, Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t responded to our request for comment on Suarez.

    The dominos to this decision were triggered during the summer, when 5-hour Energy announced that they would leave the 78 car – and by extension, Furniture Row Racing – at the end of the season. While team owner Barney Visser said at Watkins Glen that not running in 2019 wasn’t an option, he announced on September 4 that the organization would terminate operations at season’s end.

    For longtime journeyman Truex, it’ll be his fifth team in 13 years. His stint at Furniture Row was his most successful, with 17 of his 19 career victories came behind the wheel of the 78 car and his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.

    “I want to personally thank Martin and Cole for their contributions in making Furniture Row Racing a championship-caliber team,” Visser said in a statement. “There’s no doubt in my mind that they will continue to be a winning driver/crew chief combination with Joe Gibbs Racing. They are outstanding representatives for NASCAR and I am proud to have been associated with them. But before Martin and Cole depart for a new endeavor we still have two races remaining, and hopefully we will be celebrating another championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.”

  • Hot 20 – The impending demise of Furniture Row Racing overshadows Sunday’s Brickyard 400

    Hot 20 – The impending demise of Furniture Row Racing overshadows Sunday’s Brickyard 400

    I had such high hopes for NASCAR, at least since July. That is when NBC came on board and presented the long sought after broadcast crew that could keep fans glued to the track simply by the strength of their commentary. We have waited years for that to happen, and it is crucial for a sport that has yet to solve some on-track competitive issues and more than a few off it. If the racing is not spellbinding, then the commentary damn well better be if you hope to have anyone watching.

    The broadcast team could not solve the biggest off-track issue. Economics. Long gone are the days when Bob bought or borrowed a car and went racing. It costs big money to build the big cars with the big engines supported by big technology and hauled around by big trucks. Long, long gone. If you are in Denver, Colorado, it might cost a few more ducats to do so. To be competitive, to be the reigning Cup champion, you better believe the dollars are big. Without sponsorship, even a successful company with a successful sibling enterprise to help shore things up, cannot long last. This week, we discovered exactly how long.

    Furniture Row Racing, established in 2005, Cup champions in 2017, will not be around come next season’s Daytona 500. With 5-hour Energy heading to the exits, and with no sugar daddies waiting to take their place, the cash had simply run out. A defending champion who cannot get proper sponsorship. If that is not a wake-up call for the sport, you might as well let them sleep in.

    If nothing else, it should make for a very active silly season. Martin Truex Jr. and pit boss Cole Pearn, according to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other published reports are bound in tandem for the mothership. Like Erik Jones before him, a move from Furniture Row to Joe Gibbs Racing is being claimed. If those reports are accurate, Daniel Suarez will take his dance to another ballroom, and it probably will result in a step down in his equipment. The really bad news is that one premier ride is disappearing and what, if anything, replaces it will feature a team destined to sit outside the top twenty-five next season. That will not bode well for the sport.

    However, NBC does. Indianapolis might, depending on if the Brickyard 400 has solid rubber to avoid the debacle of 2008. At least the cars are different from the time of that disaster, and I am sure Goodyear has better rubber. I am not sure even this broadcast team could save a race where drivers are pitting every 10 laps to keep their tires from exploding.

    This marks the final chance for those outside the Chase to win themselves in. All Jimmie Johnson has to do is come home 19 positions better than Alex Bowman, though Bowman could eat that up in a hurry by winning both stages. All Bowman needs is do, other than that, is to keep those behind him away from Victory Lane. Not likely one will slip by, but it could happen. There are some other possibilities when you see that past winners include such outsiders as defending race champ Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, and Jamie McMurray. They could yet upset the apple cart. However, I do not have much hope of that happening.

    Did I mention the outstanding broadcast team to take us through all the action on Sunday?

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 6 WINS (1038 Pts)
    With a “regular season” pennant, he should enter the playoffs in the top spot.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 6 WINS (1 E.W. – 999 Pts)
    He is retiring…from Xfinity racing.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (883 Pts)
    Defending champion now in a lame duck situation.

    4. CLINT BOWYER – 2 WINS (777 Pts)
    Hoping some of A.J. Foyt’s No. 14 magic at Indianapolis might rub off on him this week.

    5. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (835 Pts)
    Nothing definite yet as to where he will run in 2019.

    6. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (818 Pts)
    Penske finishes last week’s classic 1-2, and that has to have Roger feeling pretty good.

    7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (785 Pts)
    As demonstrated at Darlington, this truly is a team sport.

    8. CHASE ELLIOTT – 1 WIN (737 Pts)
    At 22, the young gent is not retiring from anything, including his Saturday ride at Indy.

    9. ERIK JONES – 1 WIN (679 Pts)
    Can Erik now be called the original Furniture Row refugee, or is that Kurt?

    10. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (496 Pts)
    Daytona (twice), Fontana, and Michigan. Outside the Top Ten everywhere else.

    11. KYLE LARSON – 783 POINTS
    0.6 seconds. Everything went right last week, except for 0.6 seconds.

    12. RYAN BLANEY – 755 POINTS
    Still seeking his first Indy Top Ten.

    13. DENNY HAMLIN – 738 POINTS
    In a dozen starts, has finished on the lead lap at the Brickyard in all but one.

    14. ARIC ALMIROLA – 681 POINTS
    Do not expect much, as his best finish in six starts at Indianapolis is 13th.

    15. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 605 POINTS
    If Bowman wins the opening two stages he might start getting nervous.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 586 POINTS
    He does not care who wins on Sunday, as long as it is not one of 14 particular drivers of interest.

    17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 518 POINTS
    Not exactly hot with Top Ten finishes limited to Bristol, Talladega, and Charlotte in May.

    18. RYAN NEWMAN – 503 POINTS
    Coming back home again to Indiana, he needs to race like it is 2013 and Jim Nabors is singing.

    19. PAUL MENARD – 493 POINTS
    Needs to race like it is 2011.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 487 POINTS
    Reports claim he is about to play off-season musical chairs.

  • Furniture Row Racing will cease operations after 2018 season

    Furniture Row Racing will cease operations after 2018 season

    In what may be the most shocking news of the silly season in NASCAR, Furniture Row Racing has officially announced that their organization will no longer compete in the stock car series in 2019. Despite winning the championship in NASCAR’s top series, the Monster Energy Cup Series, the Denver-based team will close shop one year later.

    “This is not good for anybody,” said team owner Barney Visser. “The numbers just don’t add up. I would have to borrow money to continue as a competitive team and I’m not going to do that. This was obviously a painful decision to arrive at knowing how it will affect a number of quality and talented people.

    “We’ve been aggressively seeking sponsorship to replace 5-hour ENERGY and to offset the rising costs of continuing a team alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing but haven’t had any success. I feel that it’s only proper to make the decision at this time to allow all team members to start seeking employment for next year. I strongly believe that all of our people have enhanced their careers by working at Furniture Row Racing.”

    Driver of the No. 78 Toyota, Martin Truex Jr., added, “While I am saddened by today’s announcement, I totally understand the decision. Barney Visser, Joe Garone and the entire Furniture Row Racing team took me in while my career was in a bad place, and together we reached the pinnacle of the sport. I will forever be grateful to each and every one of them, and also to Furniture Row, Denver Mattress and the Visser family.

    “But make no mistake this is not the immediate end. We still have unfinished business to attend to and that’s to give everything we have to successfully defend our Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. Right now that is foremost on my mind as it is with the entire team.”

    Through the penultimate race of the 2018 regular season, the little organization that could has placed a stellar mark in NASCAR’s history books and statistics, including 18 wins. over 6,000 laps led and their 2017 championship with Truex. They also have visited victory lane in some of NASCAR’s iconic races, including the 2011 Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway with Regan Smith.

    In a press release, Visser shared the story of Furniture Row Racing, his gratitude of his relationship with his team and partners, and explains further his decision to shut down the organization.

    “I’ve always felt that we could be a competitive team and run for a championship even when it seemed like a pipe dream to many racing insiders, but to be successful in any business you need to assemble the right people and make a strong commitment to succeed. We achieved what we set out to do and feel like we climbed Mount Everest. To continue with anything less than a competitive team would not be acceptable.”

    Visser added, “I had a wake-up call last year (heart attack) and while I feel great I need to make the best decisions that will have an impact on myself and my family. My wife Carolyn and the entire Visser family have been supportive of our racing journey and it’s been one incredible ride for all of us.

    “There are so many people I want to thank because without them winning a championship and being competitive would never have happened: Joe Gibbs Racing for our technical alliance, Toyota and TRD (Toyota Racing Development), Bass Pro Shops, 5-hour ENERGY, Auto-Owners Insurance, Furniture Row and Denver Mattress.

    “A heartfelt thank you to Joe Garone, Martin Truex Jr, Cole Pearn and all of our team members for their talent, dedication and sacrifices they made along the way. To the Furniture Row and Denver Mattress employees I want to express a special thank you for always having my back from the early years of our race team to our championship run.

    “I also want to thank the fans, the Denver community, NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation (ISC), Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) and independent track owners for providing and maintaining the venues that we compete at. A special tip of the hat to the media and to NASCAR’s broadcast partners – FOX, NBC, Motor Racing Network (MRN), Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM Radio. We’ve always been treated fairly by members of the media and I appreciate their hard work in one of the most demanding schedules in major league sports.”

  • Kyle Busch Drives to Sixth Win of 2018 at Pocono

    Kyle Busch Drives to Sixth Win of 2018 at Pocono

    Despite starting 28th due to failing post-qualifying inspection, Kyle Busch was a man on a mission in today’s Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono.

    Finishing fourth in Stage 1, Busch and his crew parlayed some pit strategy at the end of Stage 2 for track position in Stage 3.

    All told, Busch’s path to the front was not without some hardy challenges from his Joe Gibbs Racing stablemates.

    “(Daniel) Suarez, man, I can’t say enough about my teammates,” Busch excitedly said.  “What an awesome race! He was probably the third best car. He gave us a run for our money on the restarts. Last one, I spun my tires a bit too much and he got a good run. That gave (Erik) Jones a good opportunity.”

    Certainly, as Busch took the field to green on lap 163, Suarez equaled the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion’s restart effort.

    Running side-by-side heading into turn one, Jones saw a possible chance at victory as he ran inside of Suarez to make it three wide between the JGR clan.

    However, Busch’s experience and powerful No. 18 Caramel M&M’s Toyota Camry was just too much on this race day.  Drawing daylight between himself and Suarez, the 33-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native drove his way to his sixth win of the 2018 MENCS season.

    “Can’t say enough about Adam Stevens and all my guys,” Busch acknowledged.  “Man, we fought it all weekend.”

    Remarkably, Busch continued the winning ways of the MENCS triple threat.  By all means, this season has turned into a regular season heavyweight match among NASCAR’s most aggressive veterans.

    “What’s crazy is how this year keeps going,” Busch observed.  “Harvick gets one, we get one, Truex gets one. We’re back and forth. We answered the fight this weekend without the fastest car.”

    Meanwhile, Suarez made earnest challenges to prevent Busch from repeating his Pocono victory from last year.  In the end, the Monterrey, Mexico native recognized how close he was to his first MENCS win.

    “We lost the balance a little bit (in the beginning) and made some adjustments,” Suarez said. “We made the car better. I thought we were a solid top-five car. In a short run, I felt like we were the best car. It hurts to be close.”

    Perhaps the biggest scare of the race was Bubba Wallace’s lap 155 crash. The rookie racer reportedly lost his brakes heading into Turn 1, resulting in a savage hit that destroyed both ends of his No. 43 Mile 22 Chevy Camaro.

    Fortunately, the mild-mannered Wallace expressed gratitude and his trademark sense of humor following his horrifying accident.

    “I’m OK,” Wallace said.  “That was a huge hit. Everyone, back at home, I’m okay. Hardest one of my career.  I was just telling them here, ‘There’s no feeling like being helpless in that situation going off into Turn 1.’  It scared the hell out of me.

    We’re good.  Bit my cheek, banged my foot off the pedal.  I’m okay though.  I’ll wake up tomorrow and I’ll be a little sore. The safety has come a long ways. It’s good to be able to climb out of the car. They gave me an ultrasound. No twins or anything.”

    Ultimately, Busch prevailed with Suarez, Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Jones, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Denny Hamlin taking top-10 finishes from the “Tricky Triangle.”

    From scenic Long Pond, Pennsylvania to the Finger Lakes region of New York State, the MENCS tour prepares for next Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and MRN Radio.

  • Bell Scores Three-Peat, Wins at Iowa

    Bell Scores Three-Peat, Wins at Iowa

    Yogi Berra’s oft-used saying, “It’s never over ’til it’s over,” was certainly appropriate for Christopher Bell in Saturday’s U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway.

    Certainly, Bell had the strongest car, leading 94 of 257 laps. However, Bell’s chance to win at Iowa appeared to be in jeopardy during the first overtime restart.

    Veteran racer Justin Allgaier made a bold, outside, four-wide pass to nab the lead from Bell in Turn 1. While the field raced toward the stripe, the caution came out for a hard crash involving Matt Tifft and Max Tullman.

    Following a somewhat lengthy red flag period, Allgaier held the top spot in the final restart of the race. As the late Benny Parsons would’ve summarized, Bell, who restarted fourth, appeared to have been shot out of a cannon.

    Suddenly, Bell found himself back in position for the win. The points leader caught Allgaier while knocking on his rear bumper on lap 256. Racing off Turns 3 and 4, Bell was alongside Allgaier before these two gritty racers traded paint along the frontstretch.

    Eventually gaining the top spot, Bell pulled away from Allgaier to score his fourth win of the NASCAR XFINITY Series season and his third in a row.

    “When it’s your day, it’s your day,” Bell observed. “I’ll take them any way I can. It’s special to win for these guys. My crew chief Jason (Ratcliff) kept making the car better and better. This thing was so good. The races are hard to win.”

    Impressively, Bell has bested some of NASCAR’s top drivers like Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and series stalwart Allgaier.

    When asked about his bold, aggressive pass for the win, the 23-year-old Norman, OK native may have offered some candor.

    “I mean, I haven’t seen it,” Bell said. “The spotter was yelling ‘clear.’ If I’m clear, it was clean.”

    Naturally, second place finisher Allgaier expressed some displeasure following the race, coming oh-so-close at sweeping the season at Iowa.

    “I’m salty,” Allgaier remarked.  “At the end of the day, we raced clean all day. We raced clear here in the spring. It’s disappointing to get run over like that. It’s disappointing. As racers, we’re disappointed to finish second.”

    Despite coming one position short, Allgaier led the Chevrolet contingency and was ahead of the last lap carnage.

    Ultimately, Bell and Allgaier took the top two spots, with Kyle Benjamin, Ross Chastain, John Hunter Nemechek, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Reed, Ryan Truex, Cole Custer, and Chase Briscoe coming home with top-10 finishes.

    Following some exciting short track action at Iowa, the NASCAR XFINITY Series kicks off “Road Course August” with the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, August 4th at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • CRAFTSMAN® Joins Joe Gibbs Racing for 2018 Season

    CRAFTSMAN® Joins Joe Gibbs Racing for 2018 Season

    HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 26, 2018) – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced today CRAFTSMAN® will join the team as a primary sponsor for Erik Jones in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Ryan Preece in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for multiple races in 2018.

    Stanley Black & Decker added the iconic CRAFTSMAN brand to their portfolio in 2017. In their fourth season with Joe Gibbs Racing, Stanley Black & Decker uses their NASCAR partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing to showcase the DEWALT® brand on the No. 20 Toyota Camry with Jones and the STANLEY® brand on the No. 19 Toyota Camry with Daniel Suarez, both in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

    “It’s really cool to represent an iconic brand with CRAFTSMAN,” said Jones. “CRAFTSMAN is a brand that I’ve used throughout my entire racing career from when I first started with go-karts, through late models and still have in my shop today. We’ve had a great relationship with Stanley Black & Decker this year through the DEWALT brand and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow our partnership with the CRAFTSMAN brand. The car looks great and I can’t wait to get on track with it in the coming months.”

    Preece added, “I’m very excited to be racing and representing the CRAFTSMAN brand. I grew up watching what was then the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and as I grew older, I started using CRAFTSMAN tools. To represent an iconic tool company like CRAFTSMAN is very special to me and I know we will have the same reliability in our Camry’s that they have in their tools.”

    To kick off the new partnership, CRAFTSMAN will launch the “What’s Your Craftsman Story?” campaign to share real, human moments of pride. “Your CRAFTSMAN story” could be a memory or a project well done. The goal is not to focus on the tool, but what can be done with the tools and the pride and memories it evokes in each person. Fans can share their story at www.CRAFTSMANstory.com beginning August 1 through September 7, 2018. Three deserving fans will win a garage full of CRAFTSMAN tools and one lucky fan will win a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Coach Joe Gibbs and Joe Gibbs Racing, including a shop tour and a VIP experience at the NASCAR races at Kansas Speedway on October 20 and 21, 2018.

    Team owner and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Coach Joe Gibbs, will help launch the “What’s Your Craftsman Story?” campaign and the new partnership with CRAFTSMAN by participating in a Satellite Media Tour on August 1, 2018.

    “It’s a thrill for us to be a part of bringing the CRAFTSMAN brand back into the sport,” said Gibbs. “When you mention CRAFTSMAN to somebody it always seems they have a story to tell about how they used CRAFTSMAN tools growing up or around their own home or shop. That’s why the “What’s Your Craftsman Story?” campaign will be so much fun when we get a chance to hear everyone’s personal experiences with the brand.”

    2018 Race Schedule

    Watkins Glen International – Xfinity Series – August 4

    Richmond International Raceway – Xfinity Series – September 21

    Richmond international Raceway – Cup Series – September 22

    Dover International Speedway – Xfinity Series – October 6

    Dover International Speedway – Cup Series – October 7

    Talladega Superspeedway – Cup Series – October 14

    Kansas Speedway – Xfinity Series – October 20

    Kansas Speedway – Cup Series – October 21

    About CRAFTSMAN:

    CRAFTSMAN is the American icon that homeowners, home builders, auto enthusiasts and master mechanics have trusted since 1927 – and today’s CRAFTSMAN continues that legacy. With a focus on reliable, high-performance tools, storage and equipment, CRAFTSMAN has revived its long-established pride in superior quality. Now it’s easier than ever to get the tools trusted for generations at more places than ever. For more information visit www.craftsman.com or follow CRAFTSMAN on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

    About Joe Gibbs Racing:

    Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Xfinity Series teams and a driver development program. Its 2018 driver lineup will consist of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Daniel Suárez, and Erik Jones in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Meanwhile Christopher Bell and Brandon Jones will each run fulltime in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, joining Kyle Busch, Daniel Suárez, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Preece, and Kyle Benjamin, all of whom will run partial schedules. In addition, Riley Herbst and Ty Gibbs are currently in JGR’s driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs — a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame — JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning four Cup Series championships, and five Xfinity Series owner’s championships along with more than 300 NASCAR races, including four Brickyard 400s and two Daytona 500s.

     

  • Harvick Scores Sixth Win of 2018 at Loudon

    Harvick Scores Sixth Win of 2018 at Loudon

    In a race that appeared to be in Aric Almirola’s hands in the final 45 laps, a late caution in the Foxwoods 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway essentially set up a finish between two of the top three title favorites.

    Aggression prevailed on a day where rain seemingly encompassed the 1.058-mile speedway.  Finally getting the green flag around 4:25 p.m. ET, pole-sitter Kurt Busch appeared to be the early race favorite.

    Leading 94 of 301 laps, Busch’s bid for the win was derailed by a near crash on pit road with fellow Ford racer Ryan Blaney.

    Meanwhile, Almirola’s car came to life during a long green flag run, taking the top spot within the final 50 laps before Clint Bowyer crashed into the wall between Turns 3 and 4. Consequently, the final pit stop proved costly for Almirola.

    On the other hand, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick suddenly found themselves with a chance to score the win. During the final 10 laps, Kyle Busch’s advantage over a hard-charging Harvick evaporated like the rain at Loudon.  Both past Cup champions navigated the high line at Loudon, not wanting to give an inch to each other.

    With five laps to go, Harvick decided to use the chrome horn on Busch, rooting the Las Vegas native from the top spot in turn two. While Busch saved his No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota from the wall, Harvick piloted his No. 4 Busch Beer Ford to his sixth win of the 2018 season.

    To say the least, the Bakersfield, California native relished his late race move at “The Magic Mile,” living up to his moniker as “The Closer.”

    “I just didn’t know if I was going to get there again,” Harvick said. “It felt like that was my best opportunity to do what I had to do to win. I didn’t want to wreck him but I didn’t want to waste a bunch of time behind him.”

    Despite scoring wins at Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dover, and Kansas, Harvick’s focus on a second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title has been precise.  On the other hand, the grizzled veteran noted how Loudon, Pocono, and Watkins Glen were tracks he hoped to improve on given his dominant regular season.

    “Winning is important,” Harvick remarked.  “You’ve got to take every opportunity you can. My car was better in the lane I needed to be in and as you get to the end there, you need to be aggressive.”

    While Harvick, Busch, and Almirola earned podium finishes, Martin Truex Jr, Chase Elliott, Ryan Newman, Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top-10.

    Following a weekend in the Granite State, the premier division treks down to Pocono Raceway for the Gander Outdoor 400, where Kyle Busch looks to repeat his victory from last year.  Round 21 of the season goes green shortly after 2:50 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Kyle Busch on Pole at Atlanta, First at 1.5-Mile Oval

    Kyle Busch on Pole at Atlanta, First at 1.5-Mile Oval

    Kyle Busch will have a front row seat when the field takes the green flag for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race after qualifying with the fastest speed of 184.652 mph at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Driving the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Busch nabbed the top spot from Ryan Newman (184.419 mph) and clinched his first career pole at the iconic 1.5-mile oval.

    Busch was cautiously optimistic after winning the pole.

    “The pole run was really good with being able to start up front where we left off last year having strong qualifying efforts each week all year long.” But, he added, “Atlanta is a tough place. It certainly isn’t easy, you have to able to make sure you bide your time here with the tires and everything. Going through three rounds of qualifying is a challenge and it certainly was for us. But we got it right there on the last round and were certainly were able to hit a good lap there on the last one. We got everything we needed out of the racecar, so we certainly were glad the time popped up when it did to put us on the top of the sheet and we’re looking forward to Sunday.”

    Ryan Newman will join Busch on the front row after qualifying with the second fasted speed.

    “We’ve got a good racecar with our Liberty National Life Insurance Chevrolet. Obviously, the Camaro is strong out of the box, but wish we could have got that pole for them as well as us. Just in general, look forward to this weekend,” Newman said.

    Kevin Harvick (184.388 mph) will start third, placing all three manufacturers in the top-3 starting positions. Daniel Suarez (184.229 mph) and Brad Keselowski (183.856 mph) round out the top-five.

    “I think everybody did a great job on our Jimmy John’s/Busch Ford and the car still had speed. It just didn’t drive as good as we needed it to drive to cut to the center of the corner and it was just way too tight the whole time. We were that way in race trim too, and you don’t get a lot of chances at it in practice to try and make it better, so we took our best guess at it,” Harvick said.

    Perhaps the biggest news besides Busch’s first career pole at the speedway was the pre-qualifying inspection failure by defending Monster Energy Cup champion, Martin Truex Jr. After three failed attempts to pass through Optical Scanning Station, NASCAR’s rule book states that a crew member gets ejected and the team is docked 30 minutes of practice. Blake Harris, car chief for the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota will be ejected for the remainder of the weekend. Truex will start at the rear of the field, as he and Harrison Rhodes did not turn a lap during qualifying.

    “NASCAR’s new inspection process is just that … new,” said Joe Garone, president of Furniture Row Racing. “The tolerances are very tight, within thousandths of an inch. It’s difficult to push the limits where you feel you need to and still be within the tolerances of the new system. One thing we won’t do is leave anything on the table and expect to get poles and wins. We will always push for the maximum.”

    Notable drivers eliminated during the first round of qualifying include Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and last week’s Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who topped first practice earlier in the day, backed up his run with a sixth-place start at 183.722 mph for Sunday’s race.

    “Some days you do and some days you don’t and we didn’t today. So, I don’t know. We were way off, not even close. So, I don’t really have much of an excuse for it. We just didn’t hit it right today and we’ll go to work tonight and work through it and hopefully get ready for tomorrow. It’s our only option now,” Elliott said.

    The green flag will wave on Sunday afternoon for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 shortly after 2 p.m. ET at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

  • Erik Jones – Up to the Challenge

    Erik Jones – Up to the Challenge

    Erik Jones accomplished all but two goals in his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. He didn’t win a race and didn’t make the Playoffs. The rookie of the year faced the media at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour last week.

    Jones won Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors after a debut season that included five top-five finishes and 14 top-10s as a member of Furniture Row Racing. With the No. 77 car being retired in 2018, he moves to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota Camry. The Byron, Michigan, native gets a golden opportunity to do what he couldn’t last year, win a race and make the Playoffs. And, while Jones is with a new team, his crew chief at Furniture Row, Chris Gayle, joins him at JGR to ease the transition.

    “At least you get to work with the same guy for two years in a row, which is something I haven’t really gotten to do in my career – even racing late models,” Jones said on Tuesday.

    Jones’ teammate last year, Martin Truex Jr., won eight races and the series championship in his fourth year with Colorado-based Furniture Row. Jones’ best chance at a victory came in August at Bristol Motor Speedway. He won the pole, led a race-high 260 laps and finished second to Kyle Busch – who is now one of his teammates.

    “There were a lot of unknowns last year,” Jones said of his one-year stop at Furniture Row. “Going into a new series with a new team, a new group of guys (was challenging). … Having everybody in place, knowing Chris and knowing the Cup Series better than I did last year is an advantage.

    “We’ll see how it all goes. I’m definitely at a more comfortable point with the Cup Series than I was a year ago.”