Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: kyle busch

  • Hot 20 – The Yates legacy will come to life under the hood of a third of the Charlotte field

    Hot 20 – The Yates legacy will come to life under the hood of a third of the Charlotte field

    When one of the legends in the sport leaves us, we remember. If a man is known simply by the company he keeps, Robert Yates did very well.

    As a team owner, he was the boss to such NASCAR luminaries as Davey Allison, Larry McReynolds, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, and Ricky Rudd. His boys led him to 57 Cup wins over parts of nearly 20 campaigns. Jarrett and Allison allowed him to celebrate three Daytona 500 wins and a pair of July races. They each brought him a World 600 victory. He was a five-time winning owner at Talladega. Thanks to Jarrett, he got to kiss the bricks twice at Indianapolis. The boys helped him to a pair of Bristol wins. Six Richmond triumphs, two each delivered by Irvan and Jarrett, with Allison and Rudd chipping in the other two. In 1999, Jarrett delivered a Cup championship. Yes, Yates knew talent, and they produced for him.

    Robert Yates also knew engines. Not only was there a Yates engine powering Jarrett, they also sent Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip to the top of the mountain. Yates Engines provided the gusto that provided 77 Cup wins, and continue to do so under the guiding hand of his son, Doug.

    NASCAR owner, engine maker, and Hall of Fame inductee in the class of 2018, Robert Yates leaves us at 74 years of age.

    When the engines come to life this Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, a third of the field will have Roush-Yates power plants under the hood.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3059 POINTS – 5 Wins
    Could sit Saturday night and still rank among the top dozen.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 3041 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Elliott did not try to block him or send Kyle into the fence and lost. Chase needs a new plan.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 3034 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Ganassi has won 16 titles – 7 IndyCar crowns, 5 Grand-Am, 4 Champ Car. One appears missing.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3020 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Not sure if he be a Hatfield or McCoy, but Rowdy wants to womp him low and womp him high.

    5. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3017 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Not only is he NASCAR’s most decorated active driver, but also its highest paid. Sorry Junior.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 3015 POINTS – 1 Win
    Wants the future of the sport, Mr. Elliott, to win soon. As for what Mr. Busch thinks…

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 3013 POINTS – 2 Wins
    “NASCAR drivers should be making NBA, NFL money.” I wonder if track owners will pony up?

    8. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 3010 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Sometimes a gamble earns you seven points and advancement in the Chase.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 3008 POINTS – 1 Win
    Give a kid a checkered flag, and that Kyle Larson cap he was sporting comes right off.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT – 3006 POINTS
    The day he decides to be a selfish jerk on the track is the day he will head to Victory Lane.

    11. MATT KENSETH – 3005 POINTS
    Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the next WWE heavyweight champion.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 3003 POINTS
    Ganassi came close in 2005 to a title, but Stirling Marlin broke his leg. This was his replacement.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 2067 POINTS – 1 Win
    No doubt he loves his crew chief, but probably loves Stenhouse’s just a bit more.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 2065 POINTS – 1 Win
    Won the last time he was at Charlotte. Another would be a lovely consolation prize.

    15. KASEY KAHNE – 2046 POINTS – 1 Win
    Can he do for Leavine Family Racing what Kurt did for Furniture Row?

    16. KURT BUSCH – 2044 POINTS – 1 Win
    19th was his best first-round finish, and that is just not good enough. It really is not good at all.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 750 POINTS
    Sixth place finish at Dover was good. His crew chief’s $10,000 fine…not so much.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 741 POINTS – 1 Win
    If Kim Jong-un had launched those bad boys on Wednesday, Joey would have been safe.

    19. ERIK JONES – 728 POINTS
    If Hamlin is right, we might need a bottle drive to help top up Erik’s salary for next season.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 653 POINTS
    Suarez could take the next three races off, and still would easily claim a spot in our Hot 20.

  • The Final Word – Dover is where they raced but Las Vegas is what is on our minds

    The Final Word – Dover is where they raced but Las Vegas is what is on our minds

    Racing is not foremost on my mind today, but Sunday in Dover early in the afternoon it was all that mattered for a few drivers. Ten looked rather comfortable when they determined which dozen would advance on the championship trail, with six others vying for two remaining spots.

    Two had to win. For Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch, that was all that would save them. Good would not be good enough, and when Busch caught a commitment line violation in the final segment, no hope remained for him. Neither had much going for them on that day, as Kahne finished 14th, while the elder Busch was 20th at the stripe.

    Jamie McMurray and Ryan Blaney were not safe starting the day. By the time they started the final portion of the race, only bad tidings would put them in jeopardy. As the laps counted down, it came down to three drivers seeking a single position. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came to Dover tied with Austin Dillon for the final place, with Ryan Newman just one point behind them.

    The story of the day, as it turned out, took place at the end of the opening segment. Stenhouse and company took a risk. They long pitted and hoped for a caution to get them track position. The gamble paid off, and despite an ill-handling car that never for better, they used that to finish the segment in fourth and picked up seven points. Seven very important points.

    With 50 laps to go, Newman was 13th, Dillon was 16th, with Stenhouse back in 19th. In the standings, that still left Stenhouse two points ahead of Newman and four up on Dillon. Fifty laps later, that is exactly where they remained and Stenhouse advanced.

    Up front, Kyle Busch had a much better day than his brother. He got by Chase Elliott with two laps remaining to steal a win, to leave Elliott still in search of his maiden victory. When it came to stout performances, Rowdy, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, and Elliott all did well. Five of them are among the Top Five as they reset the points for the second round of the Chase and a date in Charlotte. Elliott is not among them. He is in our bottom four, four points behind Stenhouse who currently sits in the eighth position.

    Then again, it was only a race. Tragically, this week our focus is not on racing or football players kneeling. It is not even on some foreigner from a different culture, holding different values, following a doctrine literally from the dark ages, aligned with people who wish us harm. That would almost come as a relief. What did occur was darker, less understandable, more ominous, and more disturbing.

    Instead, we are reminded that when the U.S. Constitution was written, it was at a time when the best firearm you could possess was a flintlock musket, with minimal accuracy beyond 100 yards, that could fire no more than two or three times a minute.

    At this moment, I am not thinking much about Dover or Charlotte. Our thoughts this week are with the people who have been affected by the events that took place in Las Vegas. To be honest, to some degree, we all have been.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch started second at Dover and passed Chase Elliott with two laps to go to win at Dover.

    “I stood for the American flag,” Busch said, “but I was sitting for the checkered flag.

    “Unfortunately, my brother Kurt didn’t advance to the next round of the Chase. Kurt won the Daytona 500 in February. Since then, he’s done mostly nothing, which is the same as saying he hasn’t done much of anything.”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex started on the pole at Dover and finished fourth, and is still the leader in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

    “The championship is turning into a two-man battle between me and Kyle Busch,” Truex said. “I think we should just put our two Toyotas side-by-side and force Brad Keselowski to pick a winner.”

    3. Kyle Larson: Larson won Stage 2 and finished fifth in the Apache Warrior 400 at Dover, posting his 14th top five of the year.

    “There’s been a lot of talk lately about standing for the national anthem,” Larson said. “To stand or not to stand, that is the question. But this is NASCAR, the ‘stands’ that really should be a concern are the ones that hold the fans.”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski won the first stage and finished 10th at Dover.

    “I said it before and I’ll say it again,” Keselowski said. “I support your civil rights 100 percent. If you want to stand for the national anthem, I support your desire to do so. If you’re afraid not to for fear of having your ass kicked, I support your right to feel fear.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin broke an axle and finished 35th in the Apache Warrior 400.

    “And speaking of things that ‘crack under pressure,’” Hamlin said, “Chase Elliott should have won that race.”

    6. Chase Elliott: Elliott led 138 laps at Dover, but couldn’t close the deal as Kyle Busch passed him with two laps to go to steal the win.

    “I think I may be coming down with a case of the flu,” Elliott said. “Or maybe I’m feeling a bit ‘run down.’

    “Kyle may be the favorite to win the Monster Energy Cup. He looms large in the championship picture, much as he did in my rear-view mirror.”

    7. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished third at Dover and is now fifth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 42 behind Martin Truex Jr.

    “Chase Elliott almost had his first career win, ” Johnson said. “I know he must be disappointed. He was this close to victory, and by ‘this’ I mean the length of a two-inch piece of tape.”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth came home 11th at Dover, just missing his 15th top 10 of the year.

    “Did Ryan Newman keep Chase Elliott from winning?” Kenseth said. “Of course not. Newman’s never prevented anyone from winning anything of consequence, except himself.”

    9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 17th at Dover, with his shot at a stronger finish hindered by an unscheduled pit stop.

    “There was very little, if any, sitting for the national anthem,” Harvick said. “I think that goes to show that NASCAR is the most ‘All-American’ sport there is. The red, white, and blue are important to NASCAR, especially the white.”

    10. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished ninth at Dover, recording his 15th top 10 of the year, and advanced to the next round of the Chase For The Cup.

    “I think all major sports had an increased amount of attention on the national anthem,” McMurray said. “But only in NASCAR was the playing of the anthem more exciting than the event itself.”

  • NASCAR: Dover Cup Series Race Recap

    NASCAR: Dover Cup Series Race Recap

    Yesterday’s Apache 400 at Dover International Speedway seemed to be Chase Elliott’s big break. Or so we thought. We all have waited for the moment that the iconic number 24 rolls back into victory lane with rising star Elliott aboard. With 40 laps remaining we all thought this would finally be the moment that he scored his first victory in the Monster Energy Cup Series.

    But, second place Kyle Busch quickly emerged at Elliott’s back bumper as they both approached lap traffic. Ryan Newman who was battling to transfer into the Round of 12 battled Elliott and allowed Busch to pass and score his second consecutive victory in the Round of 16.

    After Sunday’s victory, Busch spoke to the media about his win and also his battle with Elliott in the closing laps.

    “Man, I saw that carrot out there, and I wanted to go and get it,” said Busch, who won for the fourth time at Dover and the 42nd time in his career. “I got within five lengths and I stalled out and I was like, ‘Oh, man, I think that was it,’ you know? But I got back to the top and got enough momentum back rolling. Chase was kind of plugged up with the lapped cars in front of him, so I think the lapped cars actually helped us with that one.

    What was probably the most talked about incident after the race was Jeff Gordon and Newman’s post-race conversation in which Gordon said to Newman, ”Thanks for the help,” referring to Newman racing Elliott a little too hard. The two would exchange words and that was that. Newman would not make the Round of 12.

    The four drivers eliminated from the next round include Newman, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Austin Dillion.

    The Round of 12 kicks off this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on your local NBC channel.

     

  • Kyle Busch Passes Elliott Coming to White Flag to Win at Dover

    Kyle Busch Passes Elliott Coming to White Flag to Win at Dover

    Kyle Busch ran down and passed Chase Elliott with two laps remaining to win the Apache Warrior 400 at Dover International Speedway.

    Elliott took over the race lead after Larson’s car shutoff under the second stage break and, as a result, was sent back in the running order for not maintaining pace with the caution car. After the final round of green flag stops finished up, Elliott cycled back to the lead and was on his way to his first career victory. But thanks to pitting five laps later than Elliott, Busch cut the lead to under a second with less than 15 laps to go. Lap traffic made the difference, in the end, as Busch pulled alongside and passed Elliott, exiting Turn 4, coming to the white flag and drove on to victory.

    “That was hard fought. That was everything I had, obviously,” Busch said. “I was trying to get there. Got stuck there for a few laps. Wasn’t sure I was going to make it all the way. And then, I was like ‘You know what? I gotta try the top again.’ The top had been working. It kind of got me there. I got up there. Got to the top and got rim-riding. Got the momentum on the straightaways and that carried me by the 24 (Elliott). Man, just an awesome, awesome M&M’s Caramel Camry! Wasn’t that great at the beginning of the day. We definitely made a lot of gains on this car. Made a lot of gains throughout the runs. Got it a lot better and put on a heck of a show for the fans. So one’s right here in Dover.”

    Elliott finished second and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the podium.

    “I’m just so disappointed with myself,” Elliott said. “Couldn’t have had it any easier. Ran green from the stage break, all the way to the end and gave it away. I appreciate my team and their efforts today. Our pit stops were great and they kept us in the ball game today, and I didn’t.”

    “Yeah, we had a very competitive car today,” Johnson said.

    “The car was good we just kind of fought track position and I wish I had done a better job on Friday and got us up in that front three sooner. It was so tough to pass, I think whoever came off pit road or had control of a restart was really in the catbird seat. But, a great day for our Lowe’s Chevy. These banked tracks seem to suit us much better than a lot of the flat we saw during the summer. Usually, if you run well at Dover, you run well at Charlotte, so we are excited to go to next week as well.”

    Martin Truex Jr. and Larson rounded out the top-five.

    “It was a really good race,” Larson said. “I won that second stage and was the leader off pit road and then my engine was kind of struggling firing up when I would cycle the engine and cool it down under yellows. It just didn’t re-fire that one time and had to restart fifth and feel back to sixth. Kind of hard to pass when I got back there I couldn’t really move up the race track because I would be in dirty air. We short pitted, got to third, but fell back and finished fifth. I felt like if I could have restarted the leader I probably would have had a shot to win like the No. 24, but once I had restart on the inside of the third row I was kind of done unless I had a caution, which there wasn’t any left the rest of the race.”

    Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Daniel Suarez, Jamie McMurray and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top-10.

    RACE SUMMARY

    Martin Truex Jr. led the field to the green flag at 2:17 p.m. After leading the first 25 laps, Larson pinned him behind a lapped car exiting Turn 4, which allowed Larson to drive under him to take the lead on Lap 26. Truex worked his way back around Larson, passing under him in Turn 1, to retake the lead on Lap 62. He surrendered the lead to pit under green, as did a number of other cars around Lap 82, just before caution flew for the first time on Lap 87 (Jeffrey Earnhardt rear-ended the sand barriers along the leading edge of the outside pit wall).

    Kyle Busch was the race leader when the caution flew, but lost it to Brad Keselowski on pit road, who drove on to win the first stage.

    Retaking the lead on pit road, Busch led the field back to green on Lap 128. Larson powered around the outside of Busch entering Turn 3 to retake the lead on 141. Reed Sorenson brought out the third caution on Lap 168 when he blew an engine in Turn 3.

    Truex exited the pits with the lead, but Larson used an excellent restart to take back the lead entering Turn 1 on the Lap 174 restart and drove on to win the second stage. This setup the run to the finish.

    TIDBITS

    Kevin Harvick pitted from fifth on Lap 219 for a loose wheel, and Denny Hamlin pitted with 27 to go after hitting the backstretch wall and breaking a rear-axle.

    NUTS & BOLTS

    The race lasted three hours, five minutes and 48 seconds, at an average speed of 129.171 mph. There were 15 lead changes among six different drivers and four cautions for 24 laps (including one red flag for 15 minutes and nine seconds).

    Truex leaves with an 18-point lead over Kyle Busch, following the conclusion of the Round of 16. Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch fail to advance.

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/C1729_UNOFFRES.pdf”]

  • Chase Elliott Speeds to Lead Final Dover Practice

    Chase Elliott Speeds to Lead Final Dover Practice

  • Hot 20 – You will not see any old men taking a knee during the national anthem at Dover

    Hot 20 – You will not see any old men taking a knee during the national anthem at Dover

    When they play the national anthem in Dover, you will not see a single old man get down on his knees. First of all, it is too damn hard to get back up. Secondly, and most importantly, for some inexplicable reason, an old guy’s knees become as tender as their testicles. That is just an uncomfortable fact of life.

    I agree with peaceful protest and free speech. Take that away, and one alternative is to shut up and just go along in order to get along. That is not my way and never has been. However, when all such forms of peaceful protest and opposition against anything are banned, all you are left with is raising absolute hell to gain attention and then you face the risk getting your ass kicked. I do not believe we are anywhere near that.

    When your form of peaceful protest is deemed to be disrespectful to your nation, when the paying customer is offended and decides to take their business elsewhere, maybe one needs to reconsider a more effective form of protest. No matter the cause, you want the people with you, to support you bringing attention to it, to even cause them to rally to deal with the issue. To do otherwise renders the action as ineffective and nothing more than a divisive self-indulgement. Lord knows, we have seen far too much of that lately.

    If you want to show that you stand for inclusiveness, why not have both teams standing shoulder to shoulder together in visual solidarity for their cause, any cause, while still honoring the nation that has given them so much? With league support, players can wear respectful logos, there could be supportive banners, they could honor those who support their cause, have them on the field for the national anthem, have them sing it, or be part of a respectful yet stirring half-time presentation. These are just some of the things they can do if they truly desire to bring attention to their cause, to seek a solution to the wrongs they wish addressed, rather than just playing at being social warriors. That goes for anyone, even Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Just do not disrespect your nation. At least NASCAR gets it. So did Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Now, allow me to climb down from my pedestal and return to writing about sports, where our contenders for the championship will be reduced by four when they complete the Monster Mile in Dover. For an old guy, climbing down from a pedestal is about as painful as taking a knee.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – SEGMENT WIN – 2149 Pts – 5 Wins
    Looked like he had something for Kyle last week until fate decided it had something for him.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – SEGMENT WIN – 2119 Pts – 3 Wins
    At this moment in time, the two best are leading the way.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 2125 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Locked into the next round, but still searching for a main sponsor for next year.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2106 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Was fourth in his final fall race at New Hampshire. Next year, they will be in Las Vegas.

    5. DENNY HAMLIN – 2088 POINTS – 2 Wins
    “I’d rather run good and finish bad then run bad and finish a little better, honestly.”

    6. MATT KENSETH – 2087 POINTS
    No wins but could finish last on Sunday and he still is locked into the next round.

    7. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2076 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Get knocked out early at Dover, and the season can take a very bad turn.

    8. RYAN BLANEY – 2070 POINTS – 1 Win
    Moving from a single car operation to one with cars and drivers in stock and open wheel.

    9. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2070 POINTS
    So damned popular they named the playoffs after him.

    10. KEVIN HARVICK – 2069 POINTS – 1 Win
    Don’t you just love it when teammates come together?

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2053 POINTS
    Nice and steady could work for this round, but probably not so much in the next.

    12. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2044 POINTS – 2 Wins
    I am guessing the odds of winning the title start getting pretty long about here

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2044 POINTS – 1 Win
    He better not take the knee on Sunday, or Grandpa might have to fire his ass.

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 2043 POINTS – 1 Win
    Not exactly setting the track on fire, yet all he needs is to smolder a bit hotter than some others.

    15. KURT BUSCH – 2027 POINTS – 1 Win
    Has not won since the Daytona 500. Has to win this Sunday.

    16. KASEY KAHNE – 2023 POINTS – 1 Win
    What odds must one give in order to have someone bet on him this week?

    17. JOEY LOGANO – 719 POINTS – 1 Win
    The last time Joey experienced the kind of time-out he received last week, he was 3 years old.

    18. CLINT BOWYER – 718 POINTS
    Last June at Dover, he had to stop for a leak.

    19. ERIK JONES – 703 POINTS
    The final eight races are just a dry run for what we might expect to come next season.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 624 POINTS
    An average finish of 15.6 is much better than, say, Junior’s 21.6 over the season.

  • The Final Word – Kyle Busch has reason to smile after he completed the Magic Mile

    The Final Word – Kyle Busch has reason to smile after he completed the Magic Mile

    Less than three months to Christmas! If that does not come as good news, then hopefully you are all aquiver over the fact that there are eight races remaining in the NASCAR season. If that does not spark your excitement, enjoy the baseball playoffs and the football season, provided they have not yet ticked you off to the point that you want to boycott them all. Maybe you might like to tune into a few food-related programs. Isn’t Guy Fieri still stopping by those diners, drive-ins, and dives?

    I guess you could say that sometimes you do not get exactly what you hoped for in life, especially in these times. If you did not want Kyle Busch to advance to the next round of the Chase, New Hampshire was not for you. If you did, then you are happy that he joins Martin Truex Jr. as locked into the dozen drivers who will advance. They are not alone, as points already assure that Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, and Matt Kenseth will be joining them. Ten others are not out of the woods, and four of them will stay in the forest after Dover. As to how we got to where we are, let us see how things went last Sunday in Loudon. It began as it ended, with Busch the Alpha and the Omega on this day as he started from the pole and led the opening lap.

    Mind you, it was not all Busch all the time. Truex decided to go to his favorite place, while Larson took over second during the opening segment. Nine Chasers, along with Erik Jones, were up front to this point. All were still on the lead lap, though Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was not among the Top Twenty. Clipping the wall seven laps in saw his four-point deficit in the standings to make the cutoff increasing as they went.

    Truex appeared to have the next stage in hand, at least before Austin Dillon sent Kevin Harvick for a spin. Happy sent up billows of tire smoke trying to keep from going around, but when he came to rest in the middle of the track no one could see. Kurt Busch did not when he ran into him. Behind them, Truex and Dale Earnhardt Jr. made contact trying to avoid the roadblock. Then they backed up into each other in trying to get their cars turned around to face in the right direction. Even Hamlin was involved as they waved the red flag to sort out the mess.

    When it came time begin the final run, one Busch was back in front, while the other joined Harvick in the garage. In fact, other than three laps under caution led by Truex, it was all Rowdy from that point. Kasey Kahne picked up a flat, intentionally caused a caution, got penalized, but his problems turned out to be more than deflated rubber. Kahne finished 35th, Harvick 36th, and Brother Kurt 37th, while Rowdy picked up his 41st career victory and third of the season.

    Heading to Dover next Sunday, the Top Ten are fine. That includes Harvick, who has enough in the bank to go into the next event 25 points to the good. Jamie McMurray is nine up, leaving Stenhouse and Dillon tied for the final cutoff spot, one ahead of Ryan Newman. Unless those final three all wreck early next week, it will be all about winning for Kurt and Kahne if they want to keep their hopes alive for the 2017 title.

    Truex and Kyle smile after finishing the Magic Mile. The other Kyle, Brad, Denny, and Matt are sound to advance to the next round. Among the other 10, for six the Chase will not end. For four it will all be over by the time they complete the race at Dover.

    Come to think of it, my poetry is something like having Christmas just three months away. Some like it; others, not so much. If it upsets your sensitivities, you can always take a knee in protest.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Loudon

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Loudon

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stage 1 at Loudon and finished fifth in the ISM Connect 300.

    “I barely made it through Kevin Harvick’s smoky wreck,” Truex said. “Normally, you don’t see a smokescreen like that unless it’s NASCAR throwing a bogus late caution flag to cause a restart and prevent a certain driver from winning by a large margin.”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch won the pole at New Hampshire and took Stage 2 on his way to the win at New Hampshire.

    “I punched my ticket to the next round of the Chase,” Busch said, “which may be the only thing I’ve actually ever punched in my life.”

    3. Kyle Larson: Larson started on the front row at Loudon and finished second behind Kyle Busch.

    “It was a warm day in New Hampshire,” Larson said. “But that wasn’t the reason a lot of drivers were perspiring. After the race at Dover next week, four drivers will be eliminated, and the field will be narrowed from 16 to 12. So, for the four at the bottom, it’s gonna be all she wrote. We call those drivers the ‘Rear Enders.’”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fourth at New Hampshire, posting his 12th top five of the year.

    “Joey Logano failed inspection four times before qualifying on Friday,” Keselowski said. “So NASCAR made him drive to pit road and sit in his car. Joey called it a ‘joke;’ he started 39th, so I guess NASCAR had the ‘last’ laugh.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished a solid 12th at Loudon as Joe Gibbs Racing cars took three of the top six spots.

    “I have an unreasonable fear of lobster,” Hamlin said. “That makes me chicken.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished third at New Hampshire, posting his eighth top-five of the year.

    “Poor Joey Logano,” Kenseth said. “He had to sit in his car while qualifying was taking place. It must have been a helpless feeling. Trust me, I know the feeling. It’s the one I gave Logano two years ago at Martinsville.”

    7. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 14th in the ISM Connect 300.

    “There’s a lot of talk about the national anthem in sports today,” Johnson said. “Richard Childress and Richard Petty were quite adamant about their feelings, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted his feelings supporting the right to peacefully protest. That must have put the people of Junior Nation in quite a dilemma, because for them if it’s a matter of sitting or standing, it often involves a visit to the Port-A-Potty.”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick spun with a lap to go in Stage 2 after contact with Austin Dillon. The wreck created a huge plume of smoke, and Kurt Busch rammed Harvick’s No. 4, ending the day for both cars.

    “I’ve had issues with Dillon before,” Harvick said. “He’s the grandson of Richard Childress; I’ve mentioned before that Austin was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth. I’m so angry with him, I’d like to fork him up.”

    9. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 16th at New Hampshire.

    “NASCAR car owners have made it clear they won’t tolerate a driver who won’t rise for the national anthem,” McMurray said. “In other words, they won’t stand for it.”

    10. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 11th at Loudon and now stands eighth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

    “I was penalized for ‘illegal modifications at Chicagoland,” Elliott said. “We got caught removing tape from the spoiler, but only because some fans saw us doing it. I think the lesson learned is we should ‘stick’ to the rules.”

  • Kyle Busch Wins First Career Playoff Race at New Hampshire

    Kyle Busch Wins First Career Playoff Race at New Hampshire

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) continued their playoff run this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the second race did not disappoint. Kyle Busch jumped out to the lead after a restart with 23 laps to go and was able to hold on to win his third MENCS race of 2017 and his first ever playoff win.

    Busch talked about the strategy moving forward since he is now locked into the next round of the Playoffs.

    “I think the biggest thing for us is to just keep focusing on what we’ve done all year long, just keep trying to go out there and run hard, run smooth and be good at what we do,” he said. “Obviously fast race cars help us being able to stay out front. We’ve got a good pit crew. They did a good job today, did everything right, and from there, we’re just trying to collect stage points, go out there and race as hard as we can, get stage wins, get race wins, and do what we can in order to keep padding that cushion that we have for the start of every round.”

    Busch started on the pole and led three times for 187 laps. When Stage 1 began, Busch jumped out early but on lap 40 it was all Martin Truex Jr. who took the lead and never looked back, going on to win his 19th stage win of the year. Kyle Larson, Busch, Erik Jones, Ryan Blaney, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick round out the top 10 in Stage 1.

    Stage 2 took place from Lap 83 – Lap 151. Not much happened in this stage until, with one lap to go, Harvick was accidentally spun around by another playoff contender, Austin Dillon. This caused a huge wreck and chain reaction on the backstretch. During this wreck, Truex Jr., Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and Jeffrey Earnhardt were all involved during the melee late in Stage 2. Eventual race winner, Kyle Busch barely missed the carnage by inches. The stage ended under caution and gave (Kyle) Busch the win. Kenseth, Larson, Keselowski, Jones, Truex Jr, Hamlin, Johnson, Blaney and Jamie McMurray comprised the remaining top 10 finishers in this stage.

    After the craziness in Stage 2, Stage 3 was restarted on lap 159. Busch once again went out and led the way. A few playoff contenders had their fair share of troubles. Hamlin reported a “tire vibration” and pitted for the issue. On lap 186, Austin Dillon was facing microphone issues and could not hear his team communications. With 83 laps to go, non-playoff contender, Earnhardt Jr., had a left front tire blowout and ended his hopes of trying to win for the first time this year.

    On lap 219, the caution came out for the fourth time as debris was seen in Turns 3 and 4. Dillon was able to get the free pass and was back on the lead lap.

    As often happens late in races, cautions breed cautions. There were three more cautions that slowed the field. On Lap 262, Kasey Kahne slowed in Turns 3 and 4. He eventually was held by NASCAR for intentionally bringing out the caution. Later, he went to the garage for suspension and track bar problems.

    “Something broke. I think they said trackbar, but that is all I know I didn’t talk to Darien (Grubb, crew chief). But, that is what he had said while we were in the garage,” Kahne said.

    With 33 to go, David Ragan spun around off Turn 2 and the caution flew once more. The last caution came with 28 to go as Trevor Bayne spun out on the backstretch.

    The final restart came with 23 to go and Busch was able to hold off Kyle Larson for the win.

    “So, we finished second again with our Target Chevy,” Larson said. “That’s a lot of second-place finishes this year, but I’m fine with second. Top fives will get us to Homestead, so hats off to everybody on our Target team. The pit crew was great all day. I think we gained spots every time. Normally I’m struggling on short tracks, but this year we were pretty good.

    Truex Jr. rebounded to a fifth-place finish after the wreck in Stage 2. He led three times for 112 laps and retains his position at the top of the playoff leaderboard.

    There were six cautions for 32 laps and six leaders among three lead changes.

    Playoff Standings
    1 . Martin Truex Jr. (W)
    2. Kyle Larson -24
    3. Kyle Busch (W)
    4. Brad Keselowski -43
    5. Denny Hamlin -61
    6. Matt Kenseth -62
    7. Jimmie Johnson -73
    8. Ryan Blaney -79
    9. Chase Elliott -79
    10. Kevin Harvick -80
    11. Jamie McMurray -96
    12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -105
    Below the cut line
    13. Austin Dillon -105
    14. Ryan Newman -106
    15. Kurt Busch -122
    16. Kasey Kahne -122

    Next Up: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Dover International Speedway next Sunday for the final race in the Round of 12.