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  • NXS Recap: Kyle Busch Wins and Ryan Preece Impresses at New Hampshire

    NXS Recap: Kyle Busch Wins and Ryan Preece Impresses at New Hampshire

    By Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service

    LOUDON, N.H. – Kyle Busch’s celebratory burnout produced a cloud of smoke over the frontstretch at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but Ryan Preece’s first run in top-of-the-line equipment made an even bigger impression in Saturday’s Overton’s 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series race.

    After a major snafu on pit road took a potential win away from Brad Keselowski, who had arguably the fastest car at the Magic Mile, Busch cruised to a 10.425-second victory, collecting his third win in six starts this season, his sixth at NHMS and the 89th of his career, extending his series record.

    Driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the first time, Preece finished second to his far more experienced teammate and left the track hoping his performance will open the eyes of someone looking for talent behind the wheel.

    “This is something I dreamed about, to be honest with you,” said Preece, who won Friday’s All-Star modified race and finished second in Saturday’s 100-lap preliminary to the XFINITY event. “I work hard week-in and week-out at the modifieds, so to be able to have this opportunity means a lot to me.”

    Preece, who will race at Iowa on July 29 in his only other scheduled event in the No. 20 car, ran the full NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule last year in Johnny Davis’ No. 01 Chevrolet.

    “I don’t take back doing what I did last year,” Preece said. “It was great. People don’t even know that I ran full-time, but I got laps. That’s what you need sometimes. I’ve been doing this all my life, so all I needed was the right opportunity.

    “Joe Gibbs gave it to me. Congratulations to Kyle, my teammate. That’s pretty cool to say. Right?”

    The race, which ran without a caution from a restart on Lap 97 to the finish at Lap 200, turned on the final cycle of green-flag pit stops. Busch ducked onto pit road on Lap 169 for fuel and fresh tires.

    Keselowski, who led a race-high 102 laps, brought his car to the pits on Lap 170 but had to angle his No. 22 Ford around Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet, which had started to leave its pit stall as Keselowski pulled in.

    When the jack dropped and Keselowski accelerated, the gas can was still locked into its coupler, and the forward motion of the car pulled both the can and the fueler out of the No. 22’s pit stall.

    Keselowski had to serve a stop-and-go penalty for dragging equipment outside the pit box. His winning chances gone, Keselowski finished fifth, more than 18 seconds in arrears, as one of six cars on the lead lap.

    “I think we kind of coaxed those guys into having to rush themselves and hurry a little bit (by pitting first with a flawless stop), and maybe we put the pressure and that was the difference today,” Busch said. “So great day for us and excited to have the opportunity to be in Victory Lane again here in New Hampshire.”

    Keselowski had a succinct summation of the afternoon.

    “It’s always fun being fast and leading the most laps and all that, but we just didn’t put the whole race together today,” he said.

    Sunoco rookie of the year frontrunner William Byron ran third, with Larson, Keselowski and Ben Kennedy behind him. Byron is second in the series standings, 45 points behind leader Elliott Sadler, who ran seventh, the first driver one lap down.

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – Overton’s 200
    New Hampshire Motor Speedway
    Loudon, New Hampshire
    Saturday, July 15, 2017

    1. (1) Kyle Busch(i), Toyota, 200.
    2. (6) Ryan Preece, Toyota, 200.
    3. (7) William Byron #, Chevrolet, 200.
    4. (3) Kyle Larson(i), Chevrolet, 200.
    5. (2) Brad Keselowski(i), Ford, 200.
    6. (13) Ben Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 200.
    7. (8) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 199.
    8. (12) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 199.
    9. (10) Cole Custer #, Ford, 199.
    10. (9) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 199.
    11. (4) Matt Tifft #, Toyota, 199.
    12. (5) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 199.
    13. (14) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 199.
    14. (19) Ryan Reed, Ford, 198.
    15. (21) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 198.
    16. (23) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 198.
    17. (16) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 197.
    18. (24) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 197.
    19. (18) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 197.
    20. (20) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 197.
    21. (26) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 197.
    22. (39) Dylan Lupton, Toyota, 196.
    23. (25) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 195.
    24. (15) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 195.
    25. (34) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 195.
    26. (27) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 194.
    27. (32) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 193.
    28. (33) Timmy Hill, Dodge, 186.
    29. (31) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 185.
    30. (28) David Starr, Chevrolet, 184.
    31. (38) Mike Harmon, Dodge, 178.
    32. (11) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 173.
    33. (37) Martin Roy, Chevrolet, Engine, 163.
    34. (22) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 157.
    35. (17) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, Suspension, 156.
    36. (36) Carl Long, Chevrolet, Electrical, 67.
    37. (35) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Suspension, 59.
    38. (30) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Electrical, 15.
    39. (29) Reed Sorenson(i), Chevrolet, Brakes, 7.
    40. (40) John Jackson, Dodge, Vibration, 4.

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  109.276 mph.
    Time of Race:  01 Hrs, 56 Mins, 11 Secs. Margin of Victory:  10.425 Seconds.
    Caution Flags:  3 for 15 laps.
    Lead Changes:  13 among 7 drivers.

    Lap Leaders:   K. Busch(i) 1-2; B. Keselowski(i) 3-7; K. Busch(i) 8-27; B. Keselowski(i) 28-33; J. Allgaier 34-35; E. Sadler 36-40; K. Larson(i) 41-51; R. Preece 52-53; K. Busch(i) 54-71; B. Keselowski(i) 72-93; K. Busch(i) 94-101; B. Keselowski(i) 102-170; M. Tifft # 171; K. Busch(i) 172-200.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  B. Keselowski(i) 4 times for 102 laps; K. Busch(i) 5 times for 77 laps; K. Larson(i) 1 time for 11 laps; E. Sadler 1 time for 5 laps; R. Preece 1 time for 2 laps; J. Allgaier 1 time for 2 laps; M. Tifft # 1 time for 1 lap.

    Stage #1 Top Ten: 42,20,18,1,22,7,48,3,9,19
    Stage #2 Top Ten: 22,18,42,20,9,1,3,19,48,2

     

  • Kyle Busch Fastest in Final Cup Practice at New Hampshire

    Kyle Busch Fastest in Final Cup Practice at New Hampshire

    Kyle Busch topped the chart in final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 29.086 and a speed of 130.950 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was second in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 29.171 and a speed of 130.568 mph. Denny Hamlin was third in his No. 11 Gibbs Toyota with a time of 29.171 and a speed of 130.568 mph. Kyle Larson was fourth in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 29.183 and a speed of 130.514 mph. Chase Elliott rounded out the top-five in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 29.192 and a speed of 130.474 mph.

    Jimmie Johnson, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney, Matt Kenseth and Erik Jones rounded out the top-10.

    Truex posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 130.094 mph.

    Second Practice Results

    First Practice Results

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  • New Hampshire – Did You Know?

    New Hampshire – Did You Know?

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend for the Overton’s 301. There are 39 drivers entered into the event with only eight regular season races remaining before the playoffs begin.

    Rusty Wallace won the inaugural Cup Series race at New Hampshire, the Slick 50 300, in a Penske Pontiac on July 11, 1993, after starting from 33rd place. It was his fifth win of the year but Wallace would go on to capture five more, giving him his most victories in a single season, with 10. It was his only win at the Loudon, New Hampshire track.

    But did you know that the first race at New Hampshire was also Davey Allison’s final race? He finished third, behind Wallace and Mark Martin, scoring his sixth top five of ’93. The following day Allison lost his life in a helicopter crash at Talladega Superspeedway.

    There have been 44 Cup Series events at New Hampshire, one each year from 1993 through 1996, with two per year since then. Twenty-four different drivers have won at the 1.058-mile track. Among active drivers, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman lead with three wins each. Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch are also multiple winners with two victories each. But did you know that Jeff Burton leads all drivers with four trips to Victory Lane at Loudon?

    As the regular season draws to a close, capturing a checkered flag may be the only ticket into the playoffs. For Bowyer (15th), Kenseth (16th) and Logano (17th), time is running out. Kenseth is the defending race winner and after losing his ride with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2018, he may have the most to prove.

    Winning the Coors Light Pole could be a key element in accomplishing that goal. Did you know that the pole is the most proficient starting position at New Hampshire? Five of the 44 races (11.3 percent) have been won from first place while another three have been won from second place.

    Denny Hamlin could also benefit from a victory. He’s currently 14th in the playoff picture and he goes into New Hampshire with the best driver rating of 102.7 along with two wins, eight top fives and 13 top 10s.

    Jimmie Johnson can never be counted out especially with three previous wins, 10 top fives, one pole and the second-best driver rating (101.0). Brad Keselowski has the third-best driver rating (99.3) with one win in 2014, six top fives and three poles.

    Kyle Busch remains winless this year. Could this be the track where he changes that? He has two victories, nine top fives, 13 top 10s and two poles with the fourth-best driver rating (98.1). But did you know that he also has three runner-up finishes at Loudon?

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. is another driver hoping to secure a spot in the playoffs with a trip to Victory Lane in his final full-time season. He has a 97.4 driver rating, the sixth-best, with eight top fives and 15 top 10s. In addition, he leads the way in green-flag speed (125.183) and ranks third in green-flag passes (1,242).

    On-track action begins Friday with practice followed by Coors Light Pole Qualifying at 4:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The Cup Series Overton’s 301 will close out the weekend at 3 p.m. ET as we get one step closer to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

    In the meantime, check out this slideshow for some of the most memorable moments in New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s history.

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

     

  • Hot 20 – If given a choice, rather than Loudon I would prefer to be stuck in Lodi again

    Hot 20 – If given a choice, rather than Loudon I would prefer to be stuck in Lodi again

    Loudon, New Hampshire is where they hand out a lobster to the winner. Okay, it is not as cool as Dover’s Miles the Monster trophy, with a diecast of the winning car held aloft in its mighty hand. No grandfather clock like they award at Martinsville, or the six-shooters of Texas, and that sweet Les Paul guitar for races in Nashville. On the positive side, you can not eat any of those other awards.

    Will we be thrilled with edge-of-seat riveting excitement at Loudon? It is not exactly a super speedway or features the beating and banging at Bristol nor does it present the rights to go with the lefts of the road courses. It has been on the NASCAR Cup schedule only since 1993, so it does not even have the history of a Darlington or Charlotte. How much is Loudon in need of an excitement transplant? Well, they are putting some sticky substance on the turns for better grip. Yes, hope springs eternal.

    Eleven active drivers have wins there. Kyle Busch is winless this season, but he should be good for the Chase on points alone. Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer seem good for now, but for now might not be good enough in a few weeks. A win for either would be comforting.

    It would mean more for former winners Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano. Kenseth leads Logano by seven points in the battle for that final berth. Now, should Erik Jones, Daniel Saurez, Trevor Bayne, or someone else behind them in the standings win, that is where the excitement would truly lie. Then, Bowyer would be sitting on the bubble and the gap between in and out increases. Kasey Kahne won there once and is not even among our Hot 20. Win on Sunday and he certainly would be. That would be exciting.

    For you, Loudon will come down to how your favorite driver performs along with the prospect of someone needing a win getting one. That is where the excitement Sunday afternoon will stem from, along with re-starts and visor cams. Lots and lots of visor cams.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3 WINS (709 Pts)
    If the Chase began today, he would go in with a 12 point lead…

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (519 Pts)
    …over Mr. Johnson.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 2 WINS (710 Pts)
    Missed qualifying, then sped down pit road, and wound up passing everybody but one.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (536 Pts)
    Wants better cars and more manufacturers. I want better tracks and a lot more visor cams.

    5. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2 WINS (418 Pts)
    On television last Monday, he was the best damned Ninja Warrior in NASCAR.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (599 Pts)
    Finished ninth at Kentucky, and was the last driver on the lead lap…

    7. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (462 Pts)
    …while Ryan was 10th at Kentucky…and a lap down.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (419 Pts)
    The smoke proved to be due to a failed axle at Kentucky.

    9. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (414 Pts)
    Points are fine, but that win at Phoenix has made all the difference.

    10. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (341 Pts)
    Ryan’s Childress teammate would not even be on this list if not for Charlotte.

    11. KYLE BUSCH – 609 POINTS
    Won XFINITY race at Kentucky, meaning 12 of 16 on their schedule have been won by Cup guys.

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 560 POINTS
    Very good driver, but one hell of an ax thrower.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 545 POINTS
    One way or another, Hamlin’s gonna find ya, he’s gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha.

    14. DENNY HAMLIN – 538 POINTS
    What, did that go over my radio?

    15. CLINT BOWYER – 495 POINTS
    Hot at Sonoma and Daytona, but just lukewarm at Kentucky. Needs to bring the heat on Sunday.

    16. MATT KENSETH – 478 POINTS
    Loses his ride next season. Talk about having incentive to put forth a great audition run.

    17. JOEY LOGANO – 471 POINTS (1 Win)
    Win or get more points than Kenseth. Just being better won’t cut it, as we saw last week.

    18. ERIK JONES – 426 POINTS
    Replaces Kenseth in the No. 20 next season. Needs a win to replace him in the Chase this season.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 373 POINTS
    Went from fighting for a Top Ten last week, to just fighting to bring the wreck across the line.

    20. TREVOR BAYNE – 352 POINTS
    Like Kahne, he needed a win. Like Kahne, he found the damned wall instead.

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kentucky

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kentucky

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex led 152 of 274 laps at Kentucky and easily handled a late restart to win the Quaker State 400.

    “I dominated that race from start to finish,” Truex said. “I won Stage 1 and Stage 2, then completed the day with the victory. Total domination. I whipped the field, which makes me a ‘domina-Truex.’”

    2. Kyle Larson: Larson started at the back of the field and charged to the runner-up finish.

    “NASCAR says I passed 90 cars on the night,” Larson said. “That’s a lot of passing. I doubt 90 of anything has been passed in this sport unless you’re talking about Tony Stewart and gas, or Darrell Waltrip and kidney stones.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished ninth in the Quaker State 400, scoring his 11th top-10 result of the year.

    “Nothing against Quaker State,” Harvick said, “but I’m sponsored by Mobil 1. And I’m also sponsored by Busch beer. Mobil 1 makes sure my car is well-oiled. Busch beer makes sure my fans are well-oiled.”

    4. Kyle Busch: Busch started on the pole at Kentucky and came home with a fifth-place finish in the Quaker State 400.

    “Here’s an interesting story,” Busch said. “Greg Biffle’s ex-wife alleges in a lawsuit he had a Roush Fenway Racing employee install cameras in her house without her knowledge, and that Biffle shared the footage with others. In other words, Greg had his ‘peeps’ do it for him. Has he responded to the lawsuit? Nope, not a peep from him.”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s night at Kentucky Speedway ended early when he was collected when Brad Keselowski got loose on lap 88. Johnson finished last.

    “I certainly don’t like being last,” Johnson said, “unless it’s at NASCAR’s year-end awards ceremony. Another place I’m last? As an icon in this sport, because I’ve made a ‘last-ing’ impression.”

    6. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished third at Kentucky, recording his sixth top five of the year and is fifth in the Monster Energy points standings.

    “It was a good finish,” Elliott said, “but I’m still disappointed. I’m looking for my first victory. On the bright side, I didn’t offend anyone by cursing over the radio. So I’ll happily settle for the moral victory.”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski got loose on the first lap of the second stage and finished 39th at Kentucky, equalling his worst finish of the year.

    “I was very critical of NASCAR’s car design,” Keselowski said. “And I tweeted as much on Twitter. So, if NASCAR wants to know who says they suck, I guess a little bird told them.”

    8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished seventh at Kentucky.

    “The track at Kentucky Speedway was recently repaved,” McMurray said. “And the fresh pavement didn’t provide a wide enough groove for side-by-side racing. And that made for a boring race. The only racing seen was fans ‘racing’ to the exits.”

    9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin took fourth in the Quaker State 400 as Joe Gibbs Racing cars went 4-5-6.

    “That’s right,” Hamlin said. “Matt Kenseth was the only JGR driver not to finish in the top 10. And, since Matt is likely not to be back with JGR next season, you could say he’s the odd man out. Because Matt is odd.”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer survived contact with Brad Keselowski early at Kentucky and salvaged a 13th in the Quaker State 400.

    “The state of Kentucky is world-renowned for its bourbon,” Bowyer said. “You’ve got Jim Beam, Elijah Craig, and Evan Williams, just to name a few. ‘Clint Bowyer’ would be a perfect name for a new brand of bourbon. I think it would be the finest bourbon in the land. Now, I may be hyping it just because it has my name on, but that wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been accused of intentionally ‘spinning.’”

  • The Final Word – The boy from New Jersey looked real comfortable in his Old Kentucky Home

    The Final Word – The boy from New Jersey looked real comfortable in his Old Kentucky Home

    Kentucky. I love Kentucky. It is the home of bourbon. It is where Daniel Boone killed himself a b’ar. It is where they run a pretty important horse derby every year. Of course, I pre-tape the thing to avoid the four hours of filler to get at the three minutes worth watching. I even once liked its Fried Chicken. Hell, I actually met Col. Sanders once, though I must say that I did not lick his fingers. Just saying.

    It also hosts a NASCAR race. To be honest, that does not exactly rank up with those other things that create a soft spot in my heart for Kentucky. Maybe this year it might. I mean, without hope what do we have? With Linkin’ Bridge, you got one of the best renditions of the Star Spangled Banner I have heard all season. Amazing. At least we were off to a terrific start.

    When the Chase arrives, Martin Truex Jr. will have a great start when they re-jig the points. Once again he claimed the opening two stages, and once again Kyle Busch was doing his bridesmaid routine, finishing second in both. To be honest, those two were all that mattered the initial 160 laps. They mattered even more than my brother Regan, and it was his damn birthday.

    Jimmie Johnson did not matter on Saturday night. Brad Keselowski lost grip but found Johnson as the pair both ended the night in the second stage. Trevor Bayne became irrelevant when Kasey Kahne clipped him shortly after. Bayne remained on the track, only to soon crash completely out.

    No one had anything for Truex, but Kurt Busch came up with an equalizer. As he went up in smoke with just two laps remaining, leaving the outcome in doubt as the caution forced this one into overtime. Everyone came in to pit, but one. The one they all were chasing throughout the evening.

    It did not matter. No one but Truex would matter in the end as a caution came out late on the final lap to hand the honors over, but really that did not matter either. Nobody was going to catch the 37-year old New Jersey driver short of digging a Kentucky b’ar pit. Truex swept the stages, claimed his third win of the season, just one shy of his quartet from last year.

    There was just one notable change on the ladder. Joey Logano fell to seven points back in the fight for the final Chase berth. The eighth place finisher might have been nine positions better, but Matt Kenseth had a 13-0 advantage in segment points.

    It was a perfect night for Truex, while Rowdy picked up 50 points for his trouble, finishing fifth. Forty-plus evenings were enjoyed by the likes of Kyle Larson (2nd), Kevin Harvick (9th), Jamie McMurray (7th), Denny Hamlin (4th), and Erik Jones (6th).

    For Johnson, Bayne, and Keselowski, well, did I mention that Kentucky was the home of bourbon?

  • Kyle Busch Stretches Fuel to Win in XFINITY at Kentucky

    Kyle Busch Stretches Fuel to Win in XFINITY at Kentucky

    SPARTA, Ky. — Kyle Busch demonstrated new tires weren’t entirely superior to worn tires and stretched his fuel to win the day-late NASCAR XFINITY Series Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

    After caution flew with 34 laps to go, he made the decision to stay out when race leaders Erik Jones and Ryan Blaney pitted. He took off on the restart and extended his record number of victories in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

    He noted in victory lane that the win didn’t come easy and it was challenging.

    “That’s what racing is all about, these guys keep getting better and we just bide our time a little bit as well today. We did what we needed to do to be there at the end and gave it our best opportunity there. We took four tires and that kind of got us behind there with two pit stops to go and then some of those guys came in again. Obviously our car was really fast out front and once I got in clean air I didn’t think anybody had anything for us,” Busch said.

    It’s his 88th career victory in 333 XFINITY Series starts.

    Blaney rallied from an outside tire violation to finish runner-up and Jones rounded out the podium.

    Kevin Harvick and Ty Dillon rounded out the top-five.

    Joey Logano, William Byron, Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top-10.

    RACE RECAP

    The field barely made it to the start/finish line for the initial start of the race before the accordion effect of stack up of cars resulted in a multi-car wreck on the frontstretch. It only went two laps green before a wreck in Turn 2, Brendan Gaughan, brought out the second caution on the eighth lap.

    The longest green flag run of the first stage was the second on the Lap 15 restart, stretching 11 laps, before caution, a scheduled competition flew on Lap 26

    On the Lap 6 restart, Jones passed teammate Busch exiting Turn 2 to take the lead and drove on to win the first stage. When he pitted under the caution, Blaney, who pitted under the competition caution, assumed the race lead and won a caution-free second stage with ease.

    With tire falloff not being as steep this weekend, he elected not to pit, as did the first 16 cars.

    Jones and Busch took the fight to Blaney on the Lap 100 restart, especially when he got loose exiting Turn 4, allowing the two of them to get to his inside. With a three-wide battle for first coming to the start/finish line, Busch edged out Jones and Blaney to retake the lead.

    When Joey Gase’s engine expired in Turn 2, spilling fluid down the backstretch, the leaders pitted, Jones took just two tires and exited with the race lead.

    Back to green on lap 137, Blaney caught him with less than 50 laps to go and spent a number of laps applying the pressure, until a solo-spin in Turn 2 by Ray Black Jr. with 34 to go brought out the eighth caution, setting up the run to the finish.

    OTHER CAUTIONS

    Paul Menard brought out a caution on Lap 104 when he got loose and rear-ended the Turn 2 wall.

    NUTS & BOLTS

    The race lasted two hours, 30 minutes and 56 seconds at an average speed of 119.258 mph. There were seven lead changes among four different drivers and eight cautions for 44 laps.

    Elliott Sadler leaves with a 45-point lead over Byron.

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  • Kyle Busch Captures Cup Series Pole at Kentucky

    Kyle Busch Captures Cup Series Pole at Kentucky

    SPARTA, Ky. — Kyle Busch will lead the field to the green flag tomorrow night after winning the pole for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway.

    Inclement weather forced NASCAR to cancel the final round of qualifying.

    The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota scored the pole with a new track record time of 28.379 and a speed of 190.282 mph.

    It’s his 22nd career pole in 444 career starts.

    Martin Truex Jr. will start second with a time of 28.392 and a speed of 190.194 mph. Matt Kenseth will start third with a time of 28.460 and a speed of 189.740 mph. Jamie McMurray will start fourth with a time of 28.464 and a speed of 189.713 mph. Denny Hamlin will round out the top-five with a time of 28.468 and a speed of 189.687 mph.

    Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Daniel Suarez and Brad Keselowski will round out the top-10.

    Kyle Larson didn’t post a lap after failing to pass tech inspection on multiple tries. He’ll start 40th.

    No driver failed to make the race.

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  • Kyle Busch Takes Pole Position in XFINITY at Kentucky

    Kyle Busch Takes Pole Position in XFINITY at Kentucky

    SPARTA, Ky. — Kyle Busch will lead the field to the green flag tonight after winning the pole for the Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota nabbed pole position with a final round time of 29.681 and a speed of 181.935 mph. Erik Jones will start second in his No. 20 Gibbs Toyota with a final round time of 29.730 and a speed of 181.635 mph. Ryan Blaney will start third in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford with a final round time of 29.776 and a speed of 181.354 mph. Joey Logano will start fourth in his No. 22 Penske Ford with a final round time of 29.913 and a speed of 180.524 mph. William Byron rounded out the top-five in his No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with a final round time of 29.975 and a speed of 180.150 mph.

    Tyler Reddick, Brennan Poole, Cole Custer, Paul Menard and Daniel Hemric will round out the top-10.

    Kevin Harvick and Ty Dillon will round out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying.

    With 43 cars entered, three — Brandon Brown, Quintillion’s Houff and Morgan Shepherd — failed to make the race.

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  • Kyle Busch Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice

    Kyle Busch Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice

    SPARTA, Ky. — Kyle Busch topped the chart in final NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 29.607 and a speed of 182.389 mph. Ryan Blaney was second in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford with a time of 29.744 and a speed of 181.549 mph. Brandon Jones was third in his No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 29.794 and a speed of 181.245 mph. Tyler Reddick was fourth in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 29.811 and a speed of 181.141 mph. Erik Jones rounded out the top-five in his No. 20 Gibbs Toyota with a time of 29.860 and a speed of 180.844 mph.

    Brennan Poole, Daniel Hemric, Ty Dillon, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-10.

    Blaney posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 179.970 mph.

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