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  • Townley Scores First Truck Series Victory In Las Vegas

    Townley Scores First Truck Series Victory In Las Vegas

    Oct. 4, 2015
    By Owen A. Kearns

    LAS VEGAS—John Wes Townley collected his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday night, saving just enough fuel during his final run to win the Rhino Linings 350.

    Townley, who qualified his No. 05 Chevrolet second, battled among the top five for much of the race taking the lead from two-time series champion Matt Crafton with five laps to go when Crafton was forced to pit road for a splash of fuel.

    Townley’s victory came in the Georgia veteran’s 89th career start. He scored a previous best finish of third at Texas Motor Speedway in June. His best performance at Las Vegas had been a seventh place.

    Both Townley and crew chief Michael Shelton credited the team’s spotter, Terry Cook, for coaching Townley through the deciding laps.

    “I would have run out of gas if it hadn’t been for Terry,” said Townley of the former series competitor. “I took care of this thing (truck) tonight and it took care of me. This is amazing; awesome.”

    Said Shelton, a former series championship crew chief, “It’s been a lot of time coming. He’s (Townley) had a tough career at times.”

    Crafton, who led the most laps and qualified his No. 88 Toyota on the pole, finished eighth. He closed the gap on championship leader Erik Jones to four points as Jones finished ninth.

    Red Horse Racing teammates Timothy Peters and Ben Kennedy drove their Toyotas to second and third-place finishes, respectively. John Hunter Nemechek, who won at Chicagoland Speedway last month in a race also dictated by fuel mileage, took fourth despite being involved in an early caution. Brandon Jones was fifth.

    Nine different drivers swapped the lead 15 times with Crafton—whose ThorSport Racing truck had been the fastest in both practice and qualifying—leading seemingly at will. His greatest challenge came from a teammate, Cameron Hayley, who passed Crafton on the 69th lap and built a lead of five seconds before a slow pit stop dropped him back in the field.

    Hayley’s Toyota, running third behind Crafton and Townley, also ran short of fuel and finished 10th.

    Contact in Turn 4 on lap 14 between Brad Keselowski Racing teammates Austin Theriault and Tyler Reddick sent Theriault’s No. 29 Ford head-on into the outside wall, triggering the race’s first caution. Theriault was assisted from his truck by safety workers and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation, where he reportedly was awake and alert.

    Reddick continued to finish seventh and remain in championship contention, 16 points behind Jones.

    Johnny Sauter, the race’s 2009 winner, and Nemechek triggered another caution on lap 49, spinning in Turn 2 while battling for the runner-up position behind leader Peters. Both continued after pit stops for repairs.

    Notes: Defending Rhino Linings 350 winner Jones, who entered the season’s 18th event leading Crafton by seven points, qualified his No. 4 Toyota 15th but fell to the rear of the field at the start after his Kyle Busch Motorsports crew made an engine change. … Action sports star Travis Pastrana made his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start, finishing 16th. Pastrana was 15th in his initial appearance, also at LVMS in 2012. 

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – Rhino Linings 350
    Las Vegas Motor Speedway
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    Saturday, October 03, 2015

        1. (2) John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, 146, $45845.
    2. (4) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 146, $31057.
    3. (9) Ben Kennedy, Toyota, 146, $25167.
    4. (16) John H. Nemechek #, Chevrolet, 146, $21906.
    5. (3) Brandon Jones #, Chevrolet, 146, $19051.
    6. (12) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 146, $17267.
    7. (11) Tyler Reddick, Ford, 146, $16712.
    8. (1) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 146, $19762.
    9. (15) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 146, $16406.
    10. (6) Cameron Hayley #, Toyota, 145, $17301.
    11. (14) Brennan Poole(i), Chevrolet, 145, $14045.
    12. (13) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, 145, $16156.
    13. (22) Ray Black Jr. #, Chevrolet, 145, $16099.
    14. (5) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 145, $16044.
    15. (10) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 144, $16306.
    16. (17) Travis Pastrana, Chevrolet, 144, $15966.
    17. (20) Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 144, $15656.
    18. (21) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, 144, $15516.
    19. (18) Matt Tifft, Toyota, 143, $15406.
    20. (8) Mason Mingus, Chevrolet, 142, $14600.
    21. (24) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, 140, $13933.
    22. (27) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 138, $12822.
    23. (30) Akinori Ogata, Chevrolet, 135, $12712.
    24. (29) Wayne Edwards, Chevrolet, 135, $12600.
    25. (19) Chad Boat, Chevrolet, Handling, 114, $12695.
    26. (32) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, Suspension, 46, $12517.
    27. (26) Korbin Forrister #, Chevrolet, Oil Leak, 34, $12462.
    28. (25) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, Overheating, 33, $12213.
    29. (23) Justin Jennings, Chevrolet, Electrical, 29, $12185.
    30. (28) Caleb Roark, Chevrolet, Electrical, 16, $11685.
    31. (7) Austin Theriault #, Ford, Accident, 14, $10185.
    32. (31) Tyler Tanner, Chevrolet, Ignition, 5, $9185.

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  132.772 mph.
    Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 38 Mins, 58 Secs. Margin of Victory:  3.827 Seconds.
    Caution Flags:  3 for 19 laps.
    Lead Changes:  15 among 9 drivers.

    Lap Leaders:   M. Crafton 1-12; J. Townley 13-21; T. Kvapil 22; J. Jennings 23; J. Townley 24-30; J. Sauter 31-37; J. Townley 38; R. Black Jr. # 39; T. Peters 40-52; M. Crafton 53-68; C. Hayley # 69-91; J. Townley 92; J. Sauter 93-98; T. Reddick 99-100; M. Crafton 101-141; J. Townley 142-146.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  M. Crafton 3 times for 69 laps; J. Townley 5 times for 23 laps; C. Hayley # 1 time for 23 laps; T. Peters 1 time for 13 laps; J. Sauter 2 times for 13 laps; T. Reddick 1 time for 2 laps; J. Jennings 1 time for 1 lap; R. Black Jr. # 1 time for 1 lap; T. Kvapil 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 10 in Points: E. Jones # – 701; M. Crafton – 697; T. Reddick – 685; J. Sauter – 650; D. Hemric # – 596; T. Peters – 595; C. Hayley # – 584; J. Townley – 565; B. Kennedy – 545; S. Gallagher # – 533.

     

  • Austin Theriault ‘Awake and Alert,’ Airlifted to Hospital Following Crash

    Austin Theriault ‘Awake and Alert,’ Airlifted to Hospital Following Crash

    After hitting the wall head-on on lap 15 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rhino Linings 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Austin Theriault was airlifted to hospital.

    On lap 15 in turns three and four, Tyler Reddick got sideways and just about had it saved off of the corner when his Brad Keselowski Racing teammate, Theriault, would cross right into his path. The pair would make contact, sending Theriault straight up into a non-SAFER barrier outside wall.

    After his truck came to a rest in the infield grass, Theriault climbed out with the help of safety workers before sitting down on the grass beside his truck. He was then loaded onto a backboard into the ambulance, giving a thumbs up to the crowd in the process.

    Theriault was then airlifted to a local hospital, University Hospital, for further observation. He was reported awake and alert by both NASCAR and Brad Keselowski Racing.

    Meanwhile, for Reddick, it caused some left front fender damage to his truck. He made multiple trips down pit road, getting repairs, before working his way back through the field en route to finishing seventh.

    “My guys worked real hard on the truck,” he commented. “It was all tore up after that contact when I tore up a couple of good trucks. Just have to give all the props to my crew. They did all that work and to finish seventh in points ahead of those guys that we’re racing in points. I didn’t do my part – they did do their part and we got a good finish. It’s been shaky on my part lately, but I know when I get it right that I have a team behind me.”

    Reddick would take to Twitter following the event to say that he spoke with his teammate after the race.

    https://twitter.com/TylerReddick/status/650541827519483904

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Dover and Las Vegas – Updated

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Dover and Las Vegas – Updated

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series will compete this weekend at Dover International Speedway while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races will be televised on NBC Sports Live Extra. Events for the Camping World Truck Series can be seen on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.

    All times are Eastern. Please note that all times are subject to change due to weather conditions.

    Friday, Oct. 2:

    On Track – Dover:

    11 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)
    1:30-3:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)
    3:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER) (Lineup)

    GarageCam: (Watch live)

    10:30 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)
    1 p.m.: XFINITY Series (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)

    Press Conferences – Dover: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    9:45 a.m.: Joey Logano
    10 a.m.: JRM/One Main Financial announcement
    10:15 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
    10:30 a.m.: Kyle Busch
    12 p.m.: Matt Kenseth
    12:25 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
    1:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon

    Saturday, Oct. 3:

    On Track – Dover:

    8:35-9:20 a.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – CNBC/Live Extra (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER)
    11:30-12:15 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    12:15 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra  – CANCELED –(Lineup)
    2-2:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Hisense 200 (200 laps, 200 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

    Press Conferences – Dover: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    5:15 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race

    On Track – Las Vegas:

    Noon-2:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS2
    7:05 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS2
    10 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Rhino Linings 350 (146 laps, 219 miles) – FS1

    Sunday, Oct. 4:

    On Track – Dover:

    2:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 (400 laps, 400 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra 

    Press Conferences – Dover: (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    5:45 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Race

     

  • Travis Pastrana Will Drive in Las Vegas Truck Series Race

    Travis Pastrana Will Drive in Las Vegas Truck Series Race

    By Zack Albert | NASCAR.com

    Action sports star Travis Pastrana is returning to NASCAR, if only for one race.

    Pastrana announced from his Instagram account that he will compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 3. The 31-year-old extreme sports standout is scheduled to drive the NTS Motorsports No. 31 Chevrolet, said team competition director Chris Rice.

    “Couldn’t be more excited right now,” Pastrana said on Instagram before thanking the truck’s sponsors — GunBroker.com, Never Too Hungover and Lazy F Ranch. The event will be just the second-ever truck appearance for Pastrana, who also entered the series’ 2012 race at Las Vegas.

    The bulk of Pastrana’s NASCAR experience came in 2013 in his lone full season in what is now the XFINITY Series, driving the No. 60 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. Pastrana claimed one Coors Light Pole Award (Talladega in May) but wound up 14th in the final standings after crashing out of six of the campaign’s 33 races.

    Pastrana announced on Facebook just days before the 2013 season finale that he would not return the following season, citing frustrating results, a lack of sponsorship and his desire to spend more time with his wife and then-infant daughter.

    Since exiting NASCAR full-time, Pastrana has competed in RallyCross and off-road racing, in addition to his career as a motocross stunt performer.

     

     

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still Chasing First Win of the Season

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still Chasing First Win of the Season

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished fourth in the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, capturing his third top five in three races this season. Two third place finishes at Daytona and Atlanta plus a fourth Sunday at Vegas sounds good on paper but Earnhardt is looking for more.

    “Sounds a little bit less than we did last year, I think we were first, second, second – so, we have to step it up a little bit,” he said laughing.”

    Earnhardt led twice for four laps but was no match for Kevin Harvick. The No. 88 team decided to take a gamble on the last pit stop, taking only two tires, in an effort to steal the lead from the dominant Harvick. It was a risky call but one that Earnhardt felt was justified.

    “We didn’t put lefts (tires) on it; made it a gamble. I like to gamble. I liked the call. I love being aggressive,” he stated after the race. “We were going to drive up there and pass that No. 4 (Kevin Harvick). So, we had to take a chance. Second, fifth, fourth, whatever; it really don’t matter if you don’t win.”

    Unfortunately, the end result was an ill-handling car.

    “I got really loose. I had a real bad vibration on that last run and I was really, really loose,” Earnhardt explained. “We’ve been running the track bar pretty much even the whole race, and at the end there I had it down three inches on right side trying to save my butt. Maybe it was worn-out lefts, I don’t know. The left side (tires) is new and a little softer compound, maybe we just took it a little bit too far.”

    Although he was somewhat disappointed with today’s finish, Earnhardt is certain that his next win is imminent.

    “This year, our cars are racing up there. So, we think we’ve got the cars better than we had last year. Hendrick, overall, has great speed. The engine department is doing awesome and we’re going to get one,” he predicted.

    “I want to win! We’re going to get there.”

    So far this season, Earnhardt’s partnership with new crew chief, Greg Ives, has produced impressive results and Earnhardt is his biggest supporter.

    Just last week, he praised Ives, saying, “Greg is great at communicating. Our communication is natural, feels good. He’s a pretty decent cheerleader, too, for myself, the team. Man, he’s going to be something else for a while around that garage. I’m glad to be able to work with him there.”

    After Sunday’s race at Las Vegas, Earnhardt’s enthusiasm spilled over onto twitter.

    “I am so excited about our team! Getting a group THIS talented & focused is rare,” he tweeted. “Been doing this gig a long time and I know how lucky I am.”

    Earnhardt is now second in the Sprint Cup standings, nine points behind leader, Harvick. The only missing piece is a trip to victory lane and if Earnhardt’s confidence is any indication, it could happen sooner rather than later.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Vegas Kobalt 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Vegas Kobalt 400

    For the first race of NASCAR’s self-proclaimed ‘West Coast Swing’, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 18th annual Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    Surprising: In just the third race of the season, there were a plethora of firsts and lasts, from Jeff Gordon running his last ever race at Vegas to Brian Vickers starting his first race since open heart surgery and Kevin Harvick standing in Victory Lane for the first time ever at LVMS.

    Gordon himself was a contrast in firsts and lasts, having scored the pole position for the race and then having to start dead last due to a final practice crash with Danica Patrick. Gordon cut through the field but then had issues with contact and tires, relegating him to an 18th place finish in his No. 24 3M Chevrolet.

    “Man, we were coming,” Gordon said. “We drove up there right at the beginning and the car was amazing on rails. The next set of tires, the thing was just terrible loose. So we made an adjustment and then the car went back to being tight. I don’t know what happened there, but it was a great effort. I just can’t believe the way these days are going.”

    While Gordon completed his last race at Vegas, Brian Vickers was amazed to finally get his season started, back for the first time in the No. 55 Aaron’s 60th Anniversary Dream Machine Toyota after major heart surgery.

    “A top-15 considering where we were at three months ago – I’ll take it,” Vickers said. “You always want to win, but I think for us this was a victory in a lot of ways.”

    “It’s incredible. It feels so good to be back in a race car – so happy, so thankful and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be here again.”

    And the final first went to Kevin Harvick, with his first win of the season and his first ever win at Vegas. This was Harvick’s sixth consecutive race to finish either first or second, tying for that honor with Jeff Gordon who accomplished the same feat in 1996.

    “It’s so cool to win here in Las Vegas and start this West Coast swing off this way is pretty awesome,” the driver of the victorious No. 4 Jimmy Johns/Budweiser Chevrolet said. “Just to be in front of all these fans I’ve raced in front of since about the mid-‘90’s. It’s pretty special to win here.”

    Not Surprising: Well, the setting was after all Las Vegas so there had to be at least one driver to take a gamble. This race it was driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., who rolled the dice on tires at the end of the race to finish fourth.

    “We didn’t put lefts (tires) on it; made it a gamble,” the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet said. “I like to gamble. I liked the call. I love being aggressive. We were going to drive up there and pass that No. 4 (Kevin Harvick). So, we had to take a chance.”

    Surprising: The two small teams with the big alliance with Richard Childress Racing again had great runs, with Martin Truex Jr. scoring the runner up spot and AJ Allmendinger coming in sixth.

    “I can’t put it into words, honestly. I’m just really proud of everyone,” Truex, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, said. “I feel like we can keep chipping away at it, getting a little better each week and hopefully by the end of the year, we will have some wins under our belt.”

    “A lot of credit to having an RCR (Richard Childress Racing) alliance because the No. 78 and No. 31 were really fast all weekend,” Allmendinger, behind the wheel of the No. 47 Clorox Chevrolet, said after the race. “We kind of stole from them a little bit going into the final practice. That helped us and really helped up today.”

    “Honestly, probably one of the best races we have ever had. Something hopefully we can keep building off of.”

    Not Surprising: Even with battling penalties on pit road, including speeding and an uncontrolled tire, the Team Penske duo of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano were the highest finishing Fords, in seventh and tenth respectively.

    “It was an up and down day,” Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford, said. “Good job by the team to rally there and get what we were able to out of it.”

    “The speeding on pit road – I found that. I put us in a hole,” Logano, driver of the No. 22 Pennzoil Platinum Ford, said. “Not that we were going to win the race either way because we weren’t fast enough but I maybe cost us two or three positions with what I did.”

    “We have some work to do.”

    Surprising: He may be ineligible for points in the Cup Series, but Brian Scott was on a roll, finishing top-15 in his No. 33 Whitetail Chevrolet. This was the best career finish in the Cup Series for the driver, who is competing for the championship in the Xfinity Series.

    Not Surprising: Ryan Newman may be taking a page from the Jimmie Johnson sponsorship book and his ability to keep improving scored the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team a third place finish.

    “This was a great team effort with the Caterpillar Chevrolet,” Newman said. “It was an improvement over last year.”

    “We improved throughout the entire race and I’m satisfied only because we’re improving.”

    Surprising: Prior to the race, six-time champ Jimmie Johnson built the frame of a house for Habitat for Humanity. Unfortunately, the driver of the No. 48 Kobalt Tools experienced destruction on the track, including several blown tires that caused him to finish 41st.

    “That’s kind of a freak deal,” Johnson said. “I’m disappointed. We certainly had an awesome race car. I wish we could have won this KOBALT race in this KOBALT car, but we’ll come back next week.”

    Not Surprising: When a great car competing up front ends up finishing 17th, it is not surprising that frustration abounds. That was the name of the game for Kasey Kahne, who not only was frustrated after contact with Carl Edwards but also with the new rules package and his inability to pass.

    “We had a second place car the first 30 laps of a run and a winning car the last 15-20 laps of a run,” the driver of the No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet, said. “Carl (Edwards) just came down and just apologized and said he feels like he hasn’t done that before to anyone. He just never lifted and run me just right into the wall and ruined his day as well.”

    “It’s like we run two Xfinity series,” Kahne continued. “It’s like we have two of those series now we don’t even have a Cup series anymore. It’s weird to do that, but you just run really hard. You don’t pass a good car until 15 or 20 laps to go in a run when tires start falling off a little bit.”

    “Until then you don’t even think about passing. You just run in line and it’s boring as can be, but that is what NASCAR wants.”

    Surprising: Landon Cassill finally broke his short streak of two consecutive last place finishes due to engine failure. The driver of the No. 40 Carsforsale.com Chevrolet actually finished the race in the 35th spot.

    Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth definitely proved that they are the ones carrying the Toyota banner. Hamlin finished fifth and was the highest finishing Toyota and Kenseth came in ninth, actually leading one lap in the race.

    Both Hamlin and Kenseth are flying the Toyota flag in the point’s standings as well, in eighth and tenth respectively.

    “This FedEx Office team did a great job,” Hamlin said. “We got better. We’ve just got to get a little bit more speed and we’ll be able to race these guys, but right now we just need to optimize our weekends, finish where we’re supposed to and execute.”

    “I think next week will be a big tell for our race team,” Hamlin continued. “Even though we finished fifth at Phoenix in the Chase race last year, we got lapped twice under green and were able to battle back and I think that is a track we really need to perform well at if we’re going to be a part of this Chase.”

     

  • Erik Jones Beats the Odds With Truck Series Win at Las Vegas

    Erik Jones Beats the Odds With Truck Series Win at Las Vegas

    Erik Jones took the lead from teammate Darrell Wallace Jr. with 14 laps to go in his No. 51 ToyotaCare Tundra scoring his second victory of the season in the Rhino Linings 350 at Las Vegas.

    It is the 18-year-old Jones’ third career win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Kyle Busch Motorsport’s first win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The victory is also KBM’s 10th win in 17 races this season.

    “That was a blast,” Jones said after the race. “Getting a win on a mile-and-half (track), that’s awesome. I couldn’t ask for any more than this right here. I wanted to win here so bad.”

    Darrell Wallace Jr. led the most laps with 84 in his No. 54 Toyota but was unable to catch his teammate in the closing laps, finishing second. It was his fifth second place finish of the 2014 season.

    “Just got beat, flat out,” said a disappointed Wallace Jr. “Congrats to the 51 (Jones), hate that it’s not the 54. We need a win. (It’s) frustrating, I hate finishing second so bad. Thanks to my guys though. I thought it was ours. Another KBM dominance for sure. We’ll go on to Talladega and try to finish one spot better.”

    Current points leader Matt Crafton, finished in third place and extended his points lead to 19 over Johnny Sauter, who finished 14th.

    Timothy Peters, last year’s race winner at this track, led 26 laps but had to settle for a fourth place finish in Saturday night’s race. Brian Ickler finished in the fifth position.

    Ryan Blaney, who started on the pole, is third in the points standings (-27) followed by Darrell Wallace Jr. in fourth (-33) and Joey Coulter in fifth place (-82).

    The Camping World Truck Series will take a three week break but returns Saturday, October 18 at Talladega Superspeedway.

    Complete Finishing Order:

    POS. CAR DRIVER
    1 51 Erik Jones
    2 54 Darrell Wallace Jr
    3 88 Matt Crafton
    4 17 Timothy Peters
    5 7 Brian Ickler
    6 29 Ryan Blaney
    7 31 Ben Kennedy
    8 13 Jeb Burton
    9 32 Tayler Malsam
    10 21 Joey Coulter
    11 5 John Wes Townley
    12 99 Bryan Silas
    13 23 Spencer Gallagher
    14 98 Johnny Sauter
    15 19 Tyler Reddick
    16 77 German Quiroga Jr
    17 8 Joe Nemechek
    18 15 Mason Mingus
    19 2 Tyler Young
    20 9 Ron Hornaday Jr
    21 63 Justin Jennings
    22 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb
    23 20 Jason White
    24 6 Norm Benning
    25 50 T.J. Bell
    26 8 Jimmy Weller III
    27 7 B J McLeod
    28 36 Scott Stenzel
    29 0 Caleb Roark
    30 35 Charles Lewandoski
  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Dover and Las Vegas

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Dover and Las Vegas

    Your guide to all the NASCAR on-track activities for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Dover International Speedway this weekend plus the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. All times are ET.

    FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26:
    10:00 -10:50 a.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series practice – FOX Sports 1
    11:00 a.m.- 12:20 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
    2:00 – 3:20 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice – ESPN2
    3:40 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – ESPN2

    SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27:

    11:00 – 11:50 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
    Noon – 1:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice
    12:15 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 2
    1:45 – 3:00 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice
    2:00 – 2:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 2
    3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series Dover 200 Race (200 laps-200 miles) – ESPN2
    6:40 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying
    10 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rhino Linings 350 Race (146 laps-219 miles) – FOX Sports 1

    SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28:

    Noon: NASCAR RaceDay – FOX Sports 1
    1:00: p.m.: NSCS Countdown – ESPN
    2:00 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 Race (400 laps-400 miles) – ESPN

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Kobalt 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Kobalt 400

    From the Team Penske pole repeat to the Most Interesting Man’s command to start the engines, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 17th annual Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    Surprising:  Boy, is he ever back…in so many surprising ways. With his crew chief Paul Wolfe back on top of the pit box after being out one race for the birth of his baby, driver Brad Keselowski sailed on past the out-of-gas Dale Earnhardt Jr. to make his way right back to Victory Lane.

    The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford also went back to back for the race weekend, becoming the first driver to sweep both the Nationwide and Cup races at Las Vegas in the same weekend since 2000 when Jeff Burton did it.

    Finally, Keselowski himself noted after crossing the finish line that he was back in the Chase, having scored the first win for Team Penske of the young 2014 season. He is also back in the point standings, just one point shy of the top spot.

    Not Surprising:  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. joined fellow competitor Martin Truex Jr. in trying to look on the bright side of life after finishes that did not quite live up to their expectations.

    “We knew we were a lap short,” Junior said after finishing second on fumes. “We tried to save as much as we could.”

    “We took a gamble and didn’t win the race, but it still worked in our favor to run second,” the driver of the No. 88 Mountain Dew Kickstart Chevrolet continued. “It sucks to lose like that, but we can’t let that be a negative. The only way to be productive is to be positive.”

    “We have got to look at the positives in today and keep working toward our goal of winning some more races.”

    “We were better than 14th, no question about that,” Martin Truex Jr. said. “We ran in the top-10 for most of the race but lost track position at the end.”

    “On the bright side this was our best performance as a team, much better than last week at Phoenix,” the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet said. “We had good pit stops all day and I really like the gains we made this weekend.”

    Adding to their bright sides was the fact that Martin Truex Jr. made his 300th career start and Dale Jr. became only the second driver, next to the King, to begin a race year with three top-2 finishes in a row.

    Surprising:  Danica Patrick was the best of the Stewart Haas crew, finishing 21st.  Teammates Kurt Busch finished 26; Tony Stewart 33rd and Kevin Harvick 41st with a wheel hub issue putting him 30 laps down.

    “Obviously you always want more, but I’m happy with it, especially after what we’ve gone through the last two weeks,” Patrick said. “It’s a good day and gives us something to build on going to Bristol.”

    Driver and team owner summed up the surprisingly poor overall team performance with three words, “Something wasn’t right.” In fact, Stewart asked that his car at least not be touched after the race so it could return to North Carolina for diagnosis of its troubles.

    Not Surprising:  With a sense of urgency, given his wife was due with their first child at any minute, Paul Menard drove right up to the third spot in his No. 27 Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet. And not surprisingly given his record there, this ended up as Menard’s third top-10 finish in eight races in SinCity.

    “It’s big for sure,” Menard said. “This Quaker State/Menards Chevy was hauling ass on long runs. Had a lot of those today and it kind of played in our favor.”

    “And now I want to get home as soon as possible.”

    Surprising:  For the first time back on the race track since announcing his departure from full-time racing and his soon-to-be broadcast career and for his first time behind the wheel of a Toyota Camry, Jeff Burton had a surprisingly good run.

    In fact, the driver of the No. 66 Let’s Go Places Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing brought it home top-20, finishing in the 17th spot.

    “That was a lot of fun,” Burton said. “That was a good day for the No. 66 guys.  Chad (Walter, crew chief) and the guys were a pleasure to work with this weekend.”

    Not Surprising:  While Carl Edwards was pleased with his top-5 finish in his No. 99 Aflac Ford, he could not help but mourn the passing of William Clay Ford, Sr., the grandson of Henry Ford.

    “We’re all thinking of the Ford family,” Edwards said. “For Brad in a Ford to win both of those races (Nationwide and Cup), I think it says a lot.”

    NASCAR echoed Edwards’ sentiments with Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO, issuing these words, “He will be remembered as a man of style, for both the automobiles he built and the life he led. He was a giant….who forever will be missed.”

    Surprising:  With the new Chase system focusing on race wins, it was surprising to hear at least one driver talk about a good points day after the Kobalt 400.

    “It was a good effort for the team and it was a good points day,” Ryan Newman said after finishing seventh in his No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet. “If we keep running like that, we’ll put it in the top five and if we do that we’ll win.”

    Not Surprising:   That Austin Dillon is just good so it was not surprising that he not only had a good finish in 16th, the highest finishing rookie, but as a result, he now sits as the highest rookie in the point standings. In fact, Austin Dillon is 13th in the point standings, ahead of the likes of Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch.

    Surprising:  While Kyle Busch is usually a favorite with the kids due to the M&Ms candy on his car, he felt more like a kid’s toy, in this case a yoyo, after a grueling day in his home town.

    “We had a really up and down day with our M&M’s Peanut Camry,” Busch said. “We started off getting blocked in the pits and had to come from the back.”

    “The car was too loose on the first run and we tightened it up and it was really fast for a while,” Busch continued. “But, we kept adjusting on it to try and help the tight in the center of the corner and it was just getting looser and looser, especially on the last run.  Just disappointing when we looked like we had a good car earlier in the race.”

    Not Surprising:  With three top-ten finishes to his name, Jeff Gordon is one happy camper so far this season. And to finish top-ten at Las Vegas, admittedly one of his struggles tracks, he was almost giddy.

    “I knew today was going to be one of the most challenging races that we were going to have, possibly all year long,” Gordon said. “And so, I feel like this team did an incredible job. I think we were much better than ninth, but at the same time, this I think is one of my worst tracks right now.”

    “We’re off to a fantastic start. We’re very motivated by that. We’re excited.”

     

  • Brad Keselowski Sweeps Weekend; Passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. On Final Lap

    Brad Keselowski Sweeps Weekend; Passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. On Final Lap

    Brad Keselowski passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the final lap of Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to score the victory. Keselowski notched his 11th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory after leading a dominating 52 laps of the 267 laps ran in ‘Sin City’.

    “Heck of a call throughout the race to get us out front,” Keselowski said in victory lane. “At the end, this car was just really fast. I’m really proud of the car and proud of the team.”

    “Carl Edwards helped me out there,” Keselowksi explained. “He gave me a little break and let me go after Dale.”

    Keselowski, who won yesterday’s Boyd Gaming 300 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at LVMS, inherited the race lead after Earnhardt’s fuel tank went empty down the backstretch on the white flag lap. Earnhardt was able to continue and finished an acceptable second place, which becomes his second straight runner-up finish.

    “It sucks to lose like that, but we can’t let that be a negative.” Earnhardt explained after climbing from his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. “Running out of gas it tough, but one thing you can’t do it let it get under your skin, get under your team’s skin. Probably would have had a better record with about a Mountain Dew can full of fuel.”

    The pivotal moment of the event occurred with 48 laps remaining when the fourth caution of the race flew for debris on the front stretch.  Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Paul Menard were among the front runners to hit pit lane in hopes that’d be their final stop of the race. However, considering we were in the famous gambling city of Las Vegas, Nevada, it was only appropriate for somebody to stay out and try to make it to the end on fuel.

    Carl Edwards and Earnhardt were the only competitors to gamble and stay on the racetrack. Luckily, they both were able to have enough fuel in the tank to reach the checkered flag. Edwards finished fifth, which marks his first top five of the season and Earnhardt (like stated above) finish second.

    Paul Menard, on the day his wife was scheduled to have her baby, finished third after sitting inside the top five all race long. Menard finished highest among the Richard Childress Racing stable and posted his first career top five at Vegas.

    “It’s something we can definitely build on for more mile and a halfs,” said Menard, who was going back home to North Carolina, where his wife is due to deliver their first child.

    Joey Logano, who started the race on the pole and led 44 laps, finished fourth after dying off during the middle part of the event. Jimmie Johnson, who led 34 laps today, finished sixth after being shuffled outside the top five late in the going.

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to the track next Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee in what’s going to only instigate existing feuds and create new ones while it’s at it.