Tag: Martin Truex Jr.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kentucky

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Kentucky to older brother Kurt after a dramatic and spirited two-lap battle for the win.

“What a finish!” Busch said. “I think all the fans were on their feet, which is surprising because in most cases when you mention the Busch brothers, the words ‘can’t stand’ are used.”

2. Joey Logano: Logano led with two laps remaining but was shuffled back on the final restart and finished seventh.

“If not for that final caution,” Logano said, “I would have won easily. So thanks Bubba Wallace for ruining my night. It may be the first time the No. 43 STP car has actually impacted a race since Richard Petty retired.”

3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 19th in the Quaker State 400, his night hindered by a late pit road speeding penalty.

“Sure I’m disappointed,” Truex said, “but I got to witness one of the greatest finishes in NASCAR history. As duels go, I don’t think Kurt and Kyle Busch can top this unless they used real guns. If Kurt lost, he would finally be right about one thing–he knew an assassin.”

4. Kurt Busch: Busch made a move from third on the final restart at Kentucky, and held off younger brother Kyle to win his first race of the season.

“I don’t feel bad for my brother,” Kurt Busch said. “He’s already got four wins this year; he can spare a loss to his brother. I hope it humbles him to see me in Victory Lane. As they say, ‘Little brother is watching.’”

5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 20th at Kentucky, one lap down.

“I’m disappointed,” Keselowski said, “but I was thrilled to see such an exciting race. The race had nearly everything, although it lacked a driver taking another driver’s hat off and tossing it to the ground. I hope Clint Bowyer’s paying attention because if you’re going to do something to another driver, you should remember to take their hat off first.”

6. Chase Elliott: Elliott suffered an early flat tire and fell a lap down, but worked his way back through the field to salvage a 15th-place finish.

“One week ago,” Elliott said, “the No. 77 car won at Daytona with Justin Haley behind the wheel. At Kentucky, some person named ‘Quin Houff’ drove the 77 and finished 34th, eight laps down. What’s my point? The closest Quin Houff will ever get to being Justin Haley is only by listening to Metallica’s ‘Ride The Lightning’ album.”

7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick came home 22nd in the Quaker State 400.

“The No. 4 Ford sported the Hunt Brothers Pizza paint scheme,” Harvick said. “But my car just wasn’t up to par. If my car’s performance was pizza, it would be the kind of pizza served in convenience stores.”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin stormed back from an uncontrolled tire penalty to post a fifth at Kentucky, as Joe Gibbs Racing placed three cars in the top five.

“Erik Jones could have easily won that race,” Hamlin said. “He had a front-row seat for the Kurt Busch-Kyle Busch battle. If they wreck, Erik wins. So, no one wanted to see the Busch’s wreck more than Erik. But let me be clear: everyone wanted to see them wreck; just none more than Erik.”

9. Alex Bowman: Alex Bowman finished 17th at Kentucky and is ninth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 192 out of first.

“My Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron had a good shot at the win,” Bowman said, “but he jumped a restart and had to serve a stop-and-go penalty. Apparently, he got duped by Clint Bowyer. But really, does Bowyer actually know when or when not to ‘punch it?’”

10. Kyle Larson: Larson finished fourth in the Quaker State 400.

“Chris Buescher’s JTG Daugherty Chevrolet was sponsored by Planters Peanuts,” Larson said. “So you may have seen their mascot, Mr. Peanut, at Kentucky Speedway in the pits. That’s unusual because, at most NASCAR races, those without pants are usually in the infield.”

July 14, 2019
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex was one of 17 cars victimized on lap 119 when Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer made contact, spinning Dillion into oncoming traffic. Truex finished 22nd.

“All four Joe Gibbs Racing cars were damaged in that accident,” Truex said. “And Joe Gibbs was feeling really down about it. It’s a far cry from the elation Joe felt from winning three Super Bowls. Seeing four cars damaged in a single wreck? Well, that ‘Super blows.’”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 14th in a wild and rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400.

“This will certainly be the defining moment of Justin Haley’s career,” Busch said. “Will he ever be able to duplicate this feat? Ironically, he was the winner because lightning struck twice.”

3. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 1 and finished 25th at Daytona, his chances at the win ended when he was collected in a massive pileup on lap 119.

“Like many,” Logano said, “I got caught in the big wreck caused by Austin Dillon and/or Clint Bowyer. Who’s to blame? In tennis, they would call it a ‘double fault.’ In football, it would be called ‘pass interference.’ In NASCAR, it’s called ‘racing.’”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski wrecked on lap 83 after a big push from Kevin Harvick turned the No. 2 Penske Racing Ford. Keselowski finished 39th.

“Now that’s what I call getting ‘rear-ended,’” Keselowski said. “Of course, when your car is rendered useless, you need to catch a ride. So, I did, in fact, ‘Lyft.’”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 35th at Daytona.

“At the speeds seen at Daytona,” Elliott said, “the turbulence is extreme. It even caused the decals of some guys to peel off. It’s just another way that NASCAR is ‘losing sponsorship.’”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 10th at Daytona, but could have been the winner if NASCAR officials had called off a restart just a few moments earlier. Instead, Busch surrendered the lead to pit, thinking a restart was imminent.

“The win was mine,” Busch said, “until NASCAR decided to shaft me. I feel like I just got punched in the stomach, which is a weird feeling because I’m used to getting punched in the face.”

7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 29th at Daytona, suffering extensive damage in a lap 83 crash, and then cutting a tire later.

“My car was all over the place,” Harvick said. “Now, I can spin that in an interview in which I mention sponsors and say, ‘The No.4 Jimmy John’s Ford Mustang was ‘going places.’

‘I sure gave Brad Keselowski a big bump. Sadly, it knocked him out of the race. I guess I gave him a personal ‘drive-through penalty.’”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 26th in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

“This may have been the last time we raced at Daytona in July,” Hamlin said. “The 2020 schedule shows an August date at Daytona, making it the regular-season finale. So, I guess there will no longer be fireworks, but with most of the field scrambling for a last chance playoff spot, there at least will be plenty of ‘sparks.’”

9. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 21st at Daytona.

“That’s two consecutive first-time race winners,” Bowman. “First me at Chicagoland, then Justin Haley at Daytona. I thought I was young; have you seen Haley? He’s just a kid. But let’s face it, Kurt Busch should have been the winner at Daytona. And Kurt’s his typical whiny self about it. No matter whose side you’re on, the Daytona winner is acting ‘childish.’”

10. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished seventh at Daytona.

“Justin Haley captured what has to be the most unlikely win in Daytona history,” Almirola said. “Sure he was lucky, but he was awfully grateful afterward, thanking his Almighty Father and his Mother Nature.”

July 8, 2019
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Chicagoland

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished ninth in the CampingWorld 400.

“We just couldn’t get the handling right,” Truex said. “And it’s not like we didn’t attempt several changes and combinations. We went with the ‘Tim Richmond formula because we ‘tried everything.’”

2. Joey Logano: Logano finished third at Chicagoland and leads the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“Thunderstorms caused a lengthy delay after just 11 laps were completed,” Logano said. “Should NASCAR have simply just delayed the start of the race? Logic would suggest they should have, but since when has NASCAR taken any suggestions, much less from logic?”

3. Kyle Busch: Busch struggled with handling at Chicagoland and came home 22nd, one lap down, in the CampingWorld 400.

“The handling was one thing,” Busch said, “but I also had to deal with a smoke-filled cockpit due to burning rubber. Luckily, I didn’t inhale. There are, however, lots of people who would love to see me ‘in hell.’”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fifth at Chicagoland.

“How about the ‘Kroger Helmet Cam?’” Keselowski said. “It’s a great feature. It gives fans a bird’s-eye view of what a driver sees. It’s too bad Ryan Newman wasn’t wearing it at the All-Star Race back in May. That way, fans could have seen what a totally harmless Clint Bowyer punch looks like.”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 11th at Chicagoland.

“We had a disastrous pit stop after Stage 2,” Elliott said. “The tire changer’s hose got stuck under the car. It’s one thing to ‘pimp’ your hose, it’s another thing entirely to ‘crimp’ your hose. Of course, we never want that to happen again. So we’ve made sure all crew members understand they have to keep their hoses in check.”

6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick won Stage 2 and led the most laps at Chicagoland, but still came up short of winning with a 14th-place result.

“I slapped the wall on Lap 172,” Harvick said. “I got loose, and there went any chance I had of breaking my season-long winless streak. It’s at 18 races. But don’t be surprised if the wall comes into play again, because, at this point, I’m so frustrated, I’d drive through a concrete wall for a win.”

7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won Stage 1 and finished 15th at Chicagoland.

“This may have been NASCAR’s most exciting race so far this year,” Hamlin said. “I’m not sure what the exact numbers were, but I’m guessing Sunday’s rating, in true Chicago fashion, absolutely murdered those of previous races.”

8. Alex Bowman: Bowman held off Kyle Larson to win at Chicagoland, picking up his first Monster Energy Cup series win.

“I got my car stuck in the grass after my celebratory burn out,” Bowman said. “I forget it had rained cats and dogs earlier. Needless to say, I’ve been ‘swamped’ with ridicule.”

9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished sixth at Chicagoland, posting his third consecutive top-10 finish.

“The race started about three hours later due to storms,” Blaney said. “It was a long and boring wait for the fans. But don’t knock weather delays. Often, they can be more exciting than the race. But not this race. This race was very exciting. It had everything: exciting restarts, four-wide racing, and passes for the lead. But its most positive attribute was what it lacked—Darrell Waltrip.”

10. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 13th in the CampingWorld 400.

“Word is the 2021 NASCAR schedule will be shorter than 2019,” Busch said. “So, it’s apparently true what stock car old-schoolers have been saying for a long time: ‘NASCAR is less ‘event-ful’ than it used to be.”

July 1, 2019
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex assumed the lead on Lap 68 and held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch to win the Toyota Save/Mart 350.

“I knew I needed to keep Kyle behind me,” Truex said. “Nothing motivates me more than seeing his car in my rear-view mirror. I hate losing. And I hate losing to Kyle. I don’t know what I hate more: losing, losing to Kyle, or Kyle.”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Sonoma as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. took the win.

“After the last round of pit stops,” Busch said, “Truex had over an eight-second lead. I cut that down to nearly a second. So, I at least made it interesting. Needless to say, NASCAR as a whole could use a lot more Kyle Busch’s.”

3. Joey Logano: Logano suffered battery issues at Sonoma and finished 23rd.

“Battery issues can be very depressing,” Logano said, “but you can’t let it get you down. Much like a good battery, I like to stay positive. And motivational words always help. I like to say, ‘Charge!’”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 18th at Sonoma.

“Roger Penske is being awarded the Medal Of Freedom by President Donald Trump,” Keselowski said. “Does this mean Roger is the next member of Trump’s cabinet? Probably not. In any case, at least Roger’s trophy room just got a new ‘cabinet’ member.

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott’s engine blew on Lap 61, leading to a disappointing 37th-place finish at Sonoma.

“The road course at Sonoma is very taxing on an engine,” Elliott said. “My engine was exhausted. You could tell because ‘it left it all on the track.’”

6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished sixth at Sonoma

“How about Matt DiBenedetto?” Harvick said. “He passed Jimmie Johnson and myself late to claim fourth place. Between Jimmie and I, there are eight Cup championships. Matt could very well be the next ‘big name’ in this sport, but only because his last name has a whopping five syllables.”

7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin took Stage 2 at Sonoma and ultimately finished fifth, as Joe Gibbs Racing placed all four cars in the top 10, with Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch going 1-2.

“Joe Gibbs Racing boasts quite the stable,” Hamlin said. “Not only our drivers, but our engine department, as well. They even offer their technical expertise to other teams. It’s called the JGR ‘Stud Service.’ Satisfaction is guaranteed as soon as you hit the ignition. In other words, it’s a real ‘turn on.’”

8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished third at Sonoma.

“This was Darrell Waltrip’s last race as an announcer on Fox,” Blaney said. “I think a lot of people are glad to see him go. His shtick was becoming a little tiresome. Maybe Fox told him to take a short walk off a long pier. Now, could someone please tell Michael Waltrip to take a ‘grid walk’ off a short pier?”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 13th in the Toyota/Save Mart 350.

“Sonoma is in the heart of California’s wine country,” Busch said. “People there eat, sleep, and breathe wine. Me and my brother Kyle feel right at home here, because most people consider us ‘whine’ connoisseurs.”

10. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 14th at Sonoma.

“Hendrick Motorsports put another car on the pole,” Bowman said. “William Byron qualified first, giving HMS six this season. It’s not quite a win, but it’s great for our confidence. Hey, we’ll take any trip to ‘small Victory Lane.’”

June 24, 2019

Martin Truex Jr. Holds Off Kyle Busch to Win Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. ⁠— In a technical caution-free race, Martin Truex Jr holds off Kyle Busch in the closing laps to win the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series.

“What a season we’ve turned this into,” Truex said in Victory Lane after tying Kyle Busch with the most victories in the current season. “This group, they’re unbelievable. Hopefully we can keep this going.”

Truex claimed his third career victory at the California road course, second in a row and the first with the returning Carrousel. The race was caution-free besides the stage ending yellow flags.

“With the Carousel, the big left-hand corner, it really changed things up,” he explained not knowing exactly how the weekend was going to go for the No. 19 Toyota team. “Took a while to figure that out in practice. But luckily, we were able to just make the right tweaks. I had confidence that when the track got hot and slick on the long runs, we had what we needed.

“Just a matter if we had enough speed to get there, and we did today.”

Truex didn’t place in the top 10 in Stage 1 with the varying pit strategies. Many teams elected to come to pit road before the two-to-go mark, signifying the close of pit road. Roughly the top 15 positions could pit without going a lap down, and when some leaders came down pit road, that gave more openings deeper in the pack to come down pit road. He placed seventh in Stage 2.

Kyle Busch closes the gap on teammate and leader Truex after front end damage from contact with Ryan Blaney. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.

With 20 laps to go, Kyle Busch had a different strategy in mind by manipulating the cycle to have fresher tires on the final run. At times, he ran a full second faster than his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, but fell 1.861 seconds short of the win.

“Yeah, any time I had to lean on the left rear, I just didn’t have the drive that I needed,” Busch said. “Actually tried to hold on to it, trying to save it. I knew that was going to be our problem — that had been our problem all day long. You get closer, you’re like, ‘OK, I can get him, I better go, pounce on him fast, so then he doesn’t have the time to pick up the pace.’

“But it didn’t work. He was obviously saving a lot. I knew he was going to be saving a lot, have enough to be able to most likely hold us off. I was right. I still tried everything I could to get there and ran real hard. Sucks to finish second to a teammate, but it’s good for the company. Overall Martin is really, really good here. I’m just pumped that I actually ran good here.”

Ryan Blaney was the top finishing Ford in third, and Matt DiBenedetto fights for his best career finish of fourth. Stage 2 winner, Denny Hamlin, rounds out the top five. Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Erik Jones, Aric Almirola and pole sitter Kyle Larson finish in the top 10. Larson now holds three consecutive poles as the home track native, and claimed his best career finish.

Other notables across the field include Daniel Hemric, Austin Dillon and Ryan Preece who all ran toward the front of the NASCAR K&N Pro West Series race. They finished 15th, 24th and 29th respectively. William Byron led all of Stage 1, including winning the first stage, but finished in the 19th position. Saturday night’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series winner Ross Chastaine made the overnight flight to start today’s race and finished 33rd. Chase Elliott was battling for a top five position, but a loss of oil pressure eliminated him after 60 laps, finishing 37th. Cody Ware pulled into the garage during the final stage, where he was treated in the infield care center for carbon monoxide poisoning. He was released after treatments.

The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series will compete next at Chicagoland Speedway on June 30.

Fin	St	#	Driver	Sponsor / Owner	Car	Laps	Status
1	8	19	Martin Truex, Jr.	Bass Pro Shops (Joe Gibbs)	Toyota	90	running
2	7	18	Kyle Busch	M&M’s Hazelnut (Joe Gibbs)	Toyota	90	running
3	9	12	Ryan Blaney	PPG (Roger Penske)	Ford	90	running
4	19	95	Matt DiBenedetto	Procore Thanks DW Throwback (Leavine Family Racing)	Toyota	90	running
5	6	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Ground (Joe Gibbs)	Toyota	90	running
6	23	4	Kevin Harvick	Mobil 1 (Stewart Haas Racing)	Ford	90	running
7	21	6	Ryan Newman	Wyndham Rewards (Jack Roush)	Ford	90	running
8	32	20	Erik Jones	Craftsman (Joe Gibbs)	Toyota	90	running
9	15	10	Aric Almirola	Smithfield (Stewart Haas Racing)	Ford	90	running
10	1	42	Kyle Larson	Credit One Bank (Chip Ganassi)	Chevrolet	90	running
11	14	14	Clint Bowyer	Rush Truck Centers (Stewart Haas Racing)	Ford	90	running
12	11	48	Jimmie Johnson	Ally (Rick Hendrick)	Chevrolet	90	running
13	16	1	Kurt Busch	Monster Energy (Chip Ganassi)	Chevrolet	90	running
14	12	88	Alex Bowman	Axalta (Rick Hendrick)	Chevrolet	90	running
15	25	8	Daniel Hemric	Poppy Bank (Richard Childress)	Chevrolet	90	running
16	10	37	Chris Buescher	Hellmann’s (JTG-Daugherty Racing)	Chevrolet	90	running
17	5	41	Daniel Suarez	Ruckus (Stewart Haas Racing)	Ford	90	running
18	22	2	Brad Keselowski	America’s Tire (Roger Penske)	Ford	90	running
19	2	24	William Byron	Hertz (Rick Hendrick)	Chevrolet	90	running
20	18	38	David Ragan	#ThanksDW (Bob Jenkins)	Ford	90	running
21	17	17	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	Roush Performance / Thanks DW (Jack Roush)	Ford	90	running
22	24	21	Paul Menard	Menards / Richmond (Wood Brothers)	Ford	90	running
23	3	22	Joey Logano	Shell / Pennzoil (Roger Penske)	Ford	90	running
24	26	3	Austin Dillon	Dow Coatings (Richard Childress)	Chevrolet	90	running
25	13	34	Michael McDowell	Love’s Travel Stops (Bob Jenkins)	Ford	89	running
26	30	43	Bubba Wallace	World Wide Technology (Richard Petty Motorsports)	Chevrolet	89	running
27	31	13	Ty Dillon	GEICO Military (Germain Racing)	Chevrolet	89	running
28	28	36	Matt Tifft	Acquire Investments (Bob Jenkins)	Ford	89	running
29	20	47	Ryan Preece	Kroger (JTG-Daugherty Racing)	Chevrolet	89	running
30	29	96	Parker Kligerman	TRD 40th Anniversary (Gaunt Brothers)	Toyota	89	running
31	35	00	Landon Cassill	Share (StarCom Racing)	Chevrolet	89	running
32	27	32	Corey LaJoie	GMN (Archie St. Hilaire)	Ford	89	running
33	37	15	Ross Chastain	Low-T Centers (Jay Robinson)	Chevrolet	89	running
34	33	77	Justin Haley	Formula One Imports (Spire Motorsports)	Chevrolet	88	running
35	38	27	Reed Sorenson	VIPRacingExperience.com (Jay Robinson)	Chevrolet	88	running
36	34	52	Cody Ware	SBC Contractors (Rick Ware)	Chevrolet	64	fatigue
37	4	9	Chase Elliott	NAPA Auto Parts (Rick Hendrick)	Chevrolet	60	engine
38	36	51	J.J. Yeley	Jacob Companies (Rick Ware)	Ford	53	fuel pump

June 23, 2019

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch started second at Pocono and led 79 laps on his way to the win in the Pocono 400. It was Busch’s fourth win of the season.

“That was my 55th Cup win,” Busch said. “That ties me with Rusty Wallace for ninth on the all-time list. Rusty is a NASCAR legend. Anytime I’m on any list alongside Rusty Wallace, I’m thrilled unless that list is Ryan Newman’s ‘S’ list.”

2. Joey Logano: Logano finished seventh at Pocono as Penske Racing placed two cars in the top 10.

“Penske Racing is still riding high from Josef Newgarden’s win in the Indianapolis 500 on May 26th,” Logano said. “Unfortunately, as the last two races suggest, Joe Gibbs Racing has been drinking our milk.”

3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski took second at Pocono, posting his sixth top five of the season.

“There was no catching Kyle Busch,” Keselowski said. “I was on his bumper one second; the next second, he was gone. Usually, when I say ‘Kyle Busch is out of my life,’ it brings me immense joy. Not so in this case.”

4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex’s engine expired on Lap 91, ending his day at Pocono. He finished 35th and is seventh in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“What’s something that blew up at Pocono?” Truex said. “My engine. What’s something that didn’t blow up at Pocono? Television ratings for the race.”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fourth at Pocono, posting his fifth consecutive top-five finish, the longest streak of his career.

“Hendrick Motorsports still only has one win all season,” Elliott said. “Sure, it doesn’t stack up to Joe Gibbs Racing’s nine wins, or Penske Racing’s four, but Rick Hendrick told us not to be discouraged, and to look for motivation in the ‘small victories.’”

6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished sixth at Pocono as Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones finished first and third, respectively.

“I ended a streak of four consecutive finishes of 15th or worse,” Hamlin said. “I’m happy because the last thing I want to be is the low man on the totem pole at JGR. To avoid that, I simply have to keep up with the ‘Jones’s.’”

7. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 11th at Pocono.

“My little brother Kyle won the race,” Busch said, “in a car sponsored by ‘Hazelnut Spread M&M’s.’ That’s amazing. I think there are now more types of M&M’s than there were passes for the lead on Sunday.”

8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was in contention late at Pocono before a penalty for an uncontrolled tire ruined his day. Things got even worse when mechanical problems arose soon after the penalty.

“I was driving the Busch beer ‘Millennial’ car,” Harvick said. “Any rational observer would have thought Kyle Busch was driving the ‘Millennial’ car, what with the ‘Hazelnut Spread M&M’s’ logo splashed across it.”

9. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer came home fifth in the Pocono 400, scoring his fifth top five of the season.

“I’m pleased with our result,” Bowyer said. “The only person I wanted to punch after this race was the NASCAR official who implemented this rules package.”

10. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 15th at Pocono and is now 11th in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“My Hendrick teammate William Byron won his second consecutive pole,” Bowman said. “That gives Hendrick a series-best six poles. So, our history of qualifying is sterling, but our history of winning is checkered.”

June 3, 2019
Five drivers to watch heading into the Pocono 400

With the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular season halfway through, the drivers who are making an impact on the way to the Playoffs have either emerged or are about to. With Chevy drivers finally starting to hit their strides such as Kurt Busch, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman, it’s a safe bet to go with the Bowtie Brigade heading into Sunday.

1. Alex Bowman

Bowman is easily the hottest commodity in the Cup Series right now. With four consecutive top-10s including three straight runner-up finishes, he finally seems to be knocking on the door to Victory Lane. He came close at Kansas, leading 63 laps before losing the lead to Brad Keselowski, but with the series heading into Pocono, this may be the weekend for Bowman. He finished third there in last year’s Gander Outdoors 400, and with Chevy teams starting to show up at the front more often this season, the odds are in Bowman’s, Crew Chief Greg Ives’ and the No. 88 team’s favor.

2. Kurt Busch

Busch is obviously having fun in 2019, and it’s easy to tell. He wrapped up final practice for Sunday’s race with a 172.712 lap, which was the quickest of the session. The three-time Pocono winner is making his first trip to the Tricky Triangle with his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing team, for which he has already scored three top-fives and eight top-10s and sits eighth in the points heading into Sunday. What plays into Busch’s favor is that for the most part, despite his troubles (however few they have been this season), he has been at or near the front in almost every race in 2019.

Busch and Matt McCall have melded quite well and it shows, with runs such as a fifth at Las Vegas and a third at Atlanta, that the team isn’t lacking in speed, and considering that Pocono is a big, fast, 2.5-mile racetrack, Busch is a strong bet to be in contention on Sunday.

3. Daniel Suarez

Although the Stewart-Haas Racing Fords haven’t had a victory yet in 2019, they’ve been consistent finishers who have been at or near the front, including Suarez. And with Pocono being one of Suarez’s strongest tracks, he could be a safe bet to be a contender on Sunday. Suarez, the 2018 Gander Outdoors 400 pole-sitter and runner-up, topped Friday morning’s first practice with a 171.798 lap. He also has an average start of 10.2 and an average finish of 12.0 in four starts, which although isn’t impressive, it is solid.

The SHR Fords aren’t without speed, and with Billy Scott on top of the pit box, Suarez is sure to have another solid day at Pocono.

4. Martin Truex Jr.

There is hardly a place where Truex won’t contend or win at, and that includes Pocono, where he won in 2015 and 2018. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has won three times with Crew Chief Cole Pearn this season, including the most recent event at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600. The No. 19 Toyota has won early and often in 2019, with the team really hitting its stride in April and showing no signs of slowing.

Truex holds five top-fives and 10 top-10s in 26 starts, including those two wins, and considering he’s at the beginning of a hot streak it’d be foolish not to bet on the No. 19 JGR Toyota to be at the front at some point during Sunday’s race.

5. Chase Elliott

Once again, with Chevy performance on the rise it’d only make sense to also bet on the one Chevy driver to win so far in 2019. Elliott has been quietly consistent in six Pocono starts, having earned five top-10s including a fourth in his first start there in 2016. The one race where he finished outside of the top-10 was later that year, where he crashed while battling Joey Logano for the lead. He finished 33rd that day, and although his average finish there is 12.0, had it not been for that crash it would have been much higher.

Elliott has made it a point to master almost every type of track, and he has managed to put himself in contention almost everywhere. His relationship with Crew Chief Alan Gustafson has finally yielded the expected results, and with the confidence that this No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports crew has week in and week out, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Elliott continues to build on his winning ways Sunday in the Pocono 400.

The Pocono 400 is Sunday on FS1, starting at 2 p.m. ET.

June 1, 2019
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Despite contact with the wall in Stage 1, Truex recovered and sealed the win at Charlotte with a daring four-wide pass for the lead on the final restart.

“What better advocate for going ‘four-wide’ than Joe Gibbs,” Truex said. “Joe made the ‘four wide receiver’ set commonplace in the NFL of the 1990s.

“I’m just glad my move didn’t cause an accident. The last thing we need is another upset driver punching another. Of course, my teammate is Kyle Busch, so I can definitely understand the desire to punch someone. His brother Kurt may have an even more punchable face. In fact, Kurt’s face has been‘rearranged’ before, when a plastic surgeon downsized his ears.”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished third in Charlotte and leads the Monster Energy Cup points standings by six over Joey Logano.

“This race lasted a grueling five hours,” Busch said. “It’s grueling for drivers, but even more grueling for a crew chief who has to listen to his driver complain for nearly all of those five hours.”

3. Joey Logano: Logano took the runner-up spot in the Coca-Cola 600.

“I got close to Martin Truex Jr. at the end,” Logano said, “but not close enough to give him the old ‘bump and run,’ the ‘run’ of which means I run and hide afterward. But he did a great job defending his position. He had the best car, and I wasn’t going to pass him. And, as they say, ‘there was no way around it.’”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski won Stages 1 and 2 at Charlotte, but blew a tire and slammed the wall with 10 laps to go. He finished 19th, two laps back.

“The No. 2 Miller Lite was dominant in the first two stages,” Keselowski said, “but certainly not in the last stage. But ‘the No. 2’ out of 3 ain’t bad.”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fourth at Charlotte, recording his fifth top five of the season.

“The Sunday before Memorial Day is the greatest day in motorsports,” Elliott said. “Fans on the East Coast can enjoy breakfast at Monaco, lunch at Indianapolis, and an appetizer, nice dinner, desert, and a bedtime snack at Charlotte.”

6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 10th at Charlotte, and is third in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 50 out of first.

“Congratulations to Tony Stewart on his Hall Of Fame induction,” Harvick said. “Boy, I can’t wait to hear Tony’s induction speech. It will probably be four letters long.”

7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 17th at Charlotte.

“I hit the wall in Stage 2,” Hamlin said, “then hit it harder on the race’s final lap. Luckily, cars and drivers are equipped with so many safety devices, you really can’t feel the impact. Someone should remind Clint Bowyer of that.”

8. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 24th in the Coca Cola 600.

“You probably saw me punching Ryan Newman after the All-Star race,” Bowyer said. “I didn’t even let Ryan get out of his car! Needless to say, Ryan said he ‘won’t take this sitting down.’”

9. Alex Bowman: Bowman started 13th and finished seventh at Charlotte, and is 10th in the points standings.

“My Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron started on the pole,” Bowman said, “becoming the youngest ever on the pole at for the 600. He was ecstatic. He was on ‘Cloud 9.’ Several decades ago, you could have said he was ‘sitting on the top of the World 600.’”

10. Kurt Busch: Busch struggled at Charlotte, finishing 27th, four laps down.

“Charlotte Flair drove the pace car for the race,” Busch said. “As you probably know, Charlotte Flair is the daughter of wrestling legend Ric Flair. Incidentally, ‘Charlotte Flair’ is also the name of the downtown Charlotte club where you’re most likely to find Michael Waltrip.”

May 27, 2019
Truex scores second Coca-Cola 600 win at Charlotte

Martin Truex Jr. scored his third win of 2019 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night, as he won his second Coca-Cola 600 by .330 of a second over Joey Logano. Truex had the dominant car of the evening, leading 116 laps after starting 14th, although he had to overcome a cut tire and contact with the wall on Lap 75 when he brought out the caution while leading.

Truex had his hands full on the last restart with five laps left, when he restarted third behind David Ragan and Ryan Newman after pitting for fresh tires. Third-place finisher Kyle Busch restarted fourth, and after a strong restart, Busch appeared to be in position to take the lead until Truex made a four-wide pass for the lead on the backstretch and didn’t look back. Chase Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top-five.

“What a hell of a team,” Truex said. “We never gave up on it. I thought we were done. We blew a tire and hit the wall. We never gave up on it. I thought we were done. Just kept fighting, just kept fighting. What a race there at the end. That was pretty wild.”

Logano was disappointed with second place but proud of his team’s efforts.

“The Coke 600 is such a big deal to win,” he said, “especially as a Coke driver. You want to make it happen and we were close, but we’ll just have to wait again to next year and go at it.

“I thought we had a good shot when that caution came back out. That was another chance and just didn’t quite get it, but overall, like I said, very proud of it. As far as Memorial Day Weekend and getting to race is a privilege, so for me to complain about second sounds pretty dumb. I’m proud to live in this country and I’m happy that I just get to race.”

Busch, who earned his seventh top-five of the season, said, “I thought that through much of the race we had a fast car. We were there. We led some laps, we ran around. The 4 (Harvick) was fast, the 19 (Truex) was fast. The 19 was the fastest car, so I’m not sure what they had different than us, but obviously we were just off a little bit. Otherwise, I felt like we had a race-winning car capable of at least running second, I guess, but overall the red, white and blue M&M’s Camry was fast, and we brought it home where we should have – or close anyway, I think.”

Chris Buescher, Alex Bowman, Jimmie Johnson, William Byron, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-10. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stops at Pocono Raceway next on June 2 at 2 p.m. ET on FS1.

The race had 16 cautions for 80 laps, the majority of which were due to tire issues. Several drivers such as Truex, Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones, Matt DiBenedetto, and Brad Keselowski all made contact with the wall after having tire issues. However, the race’s biggest caution happened on Lap 317 when Clint Bowyer and Kyle Larson made contact that collected Austin and Ty Dillon as well as Ryan Preece. Larson’s and Austin Dillon’s days ended after the incident.

“I just got in there and lost grip and slid up into Clint,” said Larson. “I just hate that I caused the wreck there. I didn’t do a good job on the restart. Just put myself in a bad spot and got sideways.”

The race saw 30 lead changes among 11 drivers, with many on social media proclaiming positive reviews on the event which further enforces the idea that the current aero package is a step in the right direction. This comes after two of the previous three Coke 600s were won by drivers who led over 375 of the 400 laps (Busch won in ’18 after leading 377 laps and Truex won in ’16 after leading 392 laps).

May 26, 2019
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch was in contention for the in on Saturday night at Kansas before a flat right-rear tire ruined his night. He finished 30th, three laps down.

“That ends my streak of top-10 finishes,” Busch said. “But 11 top 10’s and three wins in the first 12 races is quite a feat. So, when people ask me how I’m doing, I could say, ‘I can’t complain.’ But that would be a lie.”

2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski surged late and held on in overtime to win the Digital Ally 400 at Kansas. It was his third win of the season, and Team Penske’s fourth triumph of the year.

“I got an awesome start on the final restart,” Keselowski said. “Some say I went too early. But let’s face it, NASCAR is a sport in which, almost exclusively, white men can jump.”

3. Joey Logano: Logano came home 15th at Kansas as Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski took the win.

“After my car failed post-qualifying inspection two times,” Logano said, “my crew chief Todd Gordon was sent packing, which was a real downer for the team. So, here is the order of events at Kansas for us: ‘rejected, ejected, dejected.’”

4. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fourth in the Digital Ally 400, posting his third consecutive top-five finish. He is fourth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 55 out of first.

“I feel good about the season,” Elliott said. “I feel like I’m fast enough, mature enough, and talented enough to win the championship. Nothing would satisfy me more than taking the Monster Energy Cup championship trophy and holding it over my head, which is what my dad Bill has been doing with his one Cup trophy since I started racing.”

5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 19th at Kansas.

“Well,” said Truex, “you can’t win them all. And, if you drive for Stewart-Haas Racing, you can’t win any of them.”

6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was the car to beat early at Kansas, but a flat tire with 90 laps to go forced him out of pit sequence. He finished 13th and is now third in the points standings, 38 out of first.

“I’m extremely frustrated with our bad luck,” Harvick said. “I’m at a loss for words, and also at a loss for races. Stewart-Haas Racing is still winless on the year. But, as an organization, we have to stay positive. Our attitude must be ‘un-defeated.’”

7. Kurt Busch: Busch finished seventh at Kansas, posting his eighth top 10 of the year.

“I think the NASCAR rules package actually made for better racing,” Busch said. “I actually heard cheers from the fans in the stands. So, amazingly, it had the opposite effect on my brother Kyle, because it silenced him.”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 16th, one lap down, at Kansas as Joe Gibbs Racing managed to place only one car in the top 10.

“It was a very disappointing day,” Hamlin said. “But after the last race at Dover, even a result as mediocre as 16th, is a ‘breath of fresh air.’ And I needed that after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning at Dover. Carbon monoxide is colorless, like the NASCAR fan base, and odorless, unlike the NASCAR fan base, and tasteless, like Tony Stewart.”

9. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished fifth at Kansas after scrapping with Erik Jones in the closing laps.

“Jones blatantly blocked me,” Bowyer said. “At a race in my home state, no less. And this native is restless.”

10. Alex Bowman: Bowman took second at Kansas for his third straight runner-up finish.

“I’m making progress,” Bowman said, “and so is Hendrick Motorsports. Even Jimmie Johnson scored a top-10 finish. That was his fifth top 10 of the year. So, in the 12 races thus far this year, Jimmie has been out of the top 10 seven times. And that’s why we now call Jimmie ‘Seven-time.’”

May 13, 2019

Tag: Martin Truex Jr.

1. Alex Bowman

2. Kurt Busch

3. Daniel Suarez

4. Martin Truex Jr.

5. Chase Elliott