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  • Keselowski earns top-five finish at Richmond

    Keselowski earns top-five finish at Richmond

    Brad Keselowski started on the pole heading into Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond. Keselowski swapped the lead a couple of times in the race. He led the first 53 laps before quietly running in the top five. The Team Penske driver took the lead again on Lap 246 and led for 36 laps during that stint.

    However, those were the only times Keselowski would be up front. After leading 89 laps, he wound up finishing in fifth place. But, after the No. 20 of Erik Jones failed post-race inspection, the No. 2 driver was moved up in the running order and was credited with a fourth-place finish.

    When asked about the dominance of the Joe Gibbs Racing cars, Keselowski said, “It’s definitely not good news. We’ve got work to do. They’re really strong and we’re not where we need to be to be able to beat them heads-up, but we threw everything we had at them. We put down a great qualifying lap, got the first pit stall, had great pit stops and got to the lead, but just didn’t have the raw speed to keep it.”

    While admitting that their organization has some work to do, he was satisfied with what they were able to accomplish Saturday night at Richmond Raceway.

    “We led eighty-some laps, so it’s not a bad day but just not nearly fast enough to dominate the race and win.”

    “Yeah, we’re locked into the next round.  That feels good.  I’m proud of that effort.”

  • Spin and win for Truex Jr. at Richmond

    Spin and win for Truex Jr. at Richmond

    After making contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. mid-race, Martin Truex Jr. was able to rebound. He took the lead from his teammate Kyle Busch with 25 laps to go en route to his sixth victory of the season.

    “Yeah, that’s unbelievable, that’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me in my whole racing career,” Truex Jr said to MRN Radio. Thanks to all the fans coming out tonight, everyone at Bass Pro Shops; our Camary was really fast tonight. Just takes a lot of people to make this happen.”

    “I felt good coming into the race. We’ve had a lot of heartbreakers over the years at Richmond and to come here to sweep this year, I guess it’s meant to be. Thanks to all of our guys. Toyota, TRD, Auto-Owners, all of our partners that let us do this. Everyone back at Joe Gibbs Racing, they’re building unbelievable racecars. I hope we can keep this up and we came here to get bonus points, and we sure did.”

    Brad Keselowski qualified on the pole Friday afternoon, while Truex qualified eighth. Only one car had to go to the back and that was the No. 27 Quin Houff for unapproved adjustments.

    Stage 1: Lap 1- Lap 100

    It was clean and green for the first stage. Truex took the lead from pole-sitter Brad Keselowski on Lap 54 and held on to win Stage 1. There were no cautions.

    Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top-10 finishers for the first stage. One minor incident took place during the stage break. The No. 13 of Ty Dillon was too fast on pit road and the No. 36 of Matt Tifft was too fast as well. Kyle Busch assumed the race lead after pit stops.

    Stage 2: Lap 108- Lap 200

    One caution broke out during the second stage. On Lap 111, Alex Bowman was sent spinning around after contact with the No. 3 of Austin Dillon. A few laps before, Bowman made slight contact with Dillon. Under the caution, Joey Logano who was struggling all night received the free pass. Kurt Busch and Keselowski also made pit stops.

    Stage 2 ended on lap 200 and Kyle Busch went on to win the stage. Truex, Hamlin, Jones, Keselowski, Ryan Newman, Harvick, Elliott, Bowyer and Johnson swept the top-10 spots for the second stage. Kurt Busch and William Byron were penalized on pit road for being too fast after stops.

    Stage 3: Lap 209- Lap 400

    Just two cautions took place in the final stage. On Lap 242, Reed Sorenson hit the wall on the backstretch. During his attempt at a pit stop, Jimmie Johnson missed his pit stall and had to come back down to complete his pit stop. Almirola was caught with a speeding penalty during stops.

    Keselowski was able to take the lead on Lap 246 and led for 36 laps before Truex retook the lead on Lap 282. As the race was going smoothly, a major incident happened on Lap 316 when Stenhouse, on cold tires, accidentally made contact with race leader Truex. Truex went spinning around on the front stretch.

    After the caution and pit stops, Kyle Busch assumed the lead again and was making his way around the track. However, Truex began to reel in his teammate as laps started to click away. With 25 to go, he was finally able to take the lead from Busch and eventually the win.

    “I was just trying to stay out of the fence and tried to get it straightened out,” Truex added to MRN Radio. “Luckily we got a caution and ended up in a pretty good spot, and came down pit road. We had a pretty big lead there and we took advantage of it. From there, we just battled, had to pass the 11 (Hamlin), the 18 (Busch). I knew it was going to be really tough to get by both of them. They were strong all night long and track position was important. I don’t know if the 18 fell off on the long run or if we were a little better at the end, and made a move.”

    Kyle Busch ended up in second after winning Stage 2 and leading the most laps with 202.

    “We were a little bit off,” Busch told MRN Radio. “Just missed a little bit. We were pretty fast and led a lot of laps, but when we’re out front leading, he could keep close to me pretty well. That kind of worried me for a finish like that and wasn’t sure we would be able to hold him off. At the start of that last run, Denny (Hamlin) pressured me a little bit, so I tried to make sure to stay ahead of him and that’s when Martin started to come on. Martin was just on better tires there throughout the rest of the run, so I don’t know if I hurt my stuff or what. Great job to the team. Everybody on this MMS Camry did a great job. We can now just focus forward.”

    With Truex winning and Kyle Busch finishing second, both are locked into the Round of 12. Kevin Harvick also clinched a spot in the next round.

    Truex swept both Richmond races this year. This was his sixth victory of the season. He led three times for 109 laps for the 25th victory of his career.

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

    UPDATE: Erik Jones’ car failed post-race inspection. He will be credited with a last-place finish and receive one point.

    Playoff Standings

    1. Truex Jr, 2 wins, 2141 points
    2. Kevin Harvick, +69
    3. Kyle Busch, +66
    4. Brad Keselowski, +55
    5. Denny Hamlin, +54
    6. Joey Logano, +50
    7. Chase Elliott, +37
    8. Kyle Larson, +25
    9. Ryan Newman, +14
    10. Ryan Blaney, +8
    11. Aric Almirola, +3
    12. William Byron, +
      Below the Cut Line
    13. Alex Bowman, -2
    14. Clint Bowyer. -4
    15. Kurt Busch, -14
    16. Erik Jones, -45

    Official Results

    1. Martin Truex Jr., led 109 laps, won Stage 1
    2. Kyle Busch, led 202 laps, won Stage 2
    3. Denny Hamlin
    4. Brad Keselowski, led 89 laps
    5. Ryan Newman
    6. Kyle Larson
    7. Kevin Harvick
    8. Clint Bowyer
    9. Daniel Suarez
    10. Jimmie Johnson
    11. Joey Logano
    12. Bubba Wallace
    13. Chase Elliott, one lap down
    14. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap down
    15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, one lap down
    16. Aric Almirola, one lap down
    17. Ryan Blaney, one lap down
    18. Kurt Busch, two laps down
    19. David Ragan, two laps down
    20. Matt Tifft, three laps down
    21. Michael McDowell, three laps down
    22. Austin Dillon, four laps down
    23. Alex Bowman, four laps down
    24. William Byron, four laps down
    25. Daniel Hemric, four laps down
    26. Ty Dillon, four laps down
    27. Paul Menard, five laps down
    28. Landon Cassill, five laps down
    29. Corey LaJoie, five laps down
    30. Ryan Preece, six laps down
    31. Chris Buescher, seven laps down
    32. Austin Theriault, eight laps down
    33. J.J. Yeley, nine laps down
    34. Spencer Boyd, 12 laps down
    35. Quin Houff, 16 laps down
    36. Ross Chastain, OUT, Brakes
    37. Reed Sorenson, OUT, Crash
    38. Erik Jones, failed post-race inspection

    Up Next: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competes next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, home of the Roval and the final race in the Round of 16.

  • Weekend Schedule for Richmond

    Weekend Schedule for Richmond

    This weekend the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series head to Richmond Raceway. It will be the second of three races in the Round of 16 Cup Series Playoffs. Kyle Busch is the defending race winner on the 0.75-mile D-shaped track.

    The Xfinity Series will begin their Playoffs with the Round of 12 at Richmond. Christopher Bell who has six regular-season victories will be back to defend his win.

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series is off and will return to competition at Talladega Superspeedway Saturday, Oct. 12.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, September 20

    9:35-10:55 a.m. – Xfinity Series Final Practice (NBCSN)

    11:35 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Cup Series First Practice (NBCSN, MRN)

    1:35 – 2:25 p.m. – Cup Series Final Practice (NBCSN, MRN)

    4:35 p.m. – Xfinity Series Qualifying Impound – Single vehicle/two laps all positions (NBCSN)

    6:05 p.m. – Cup Series Qualifying impound – Single vehicle/two laps all positions (NBCSN, MRN)

    7 p.m. – Xfinity Series Driver Intros

    7:30 p.m. – Xfinity GoBowling 250 race – Stages 75/150/250 laps = 187.5 miles (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

    Saturday, September 21

    6:50 p.m. – Cup Series Driver Intros

    7:30 p.m. – Cup Series Federated Parts 400 race – Stages 100/200/400 laps = 300 miles (NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

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

  • Richard Childress Racing to release Daniel Hemric after 2019 season

    Richard Childress Racing to release Daniel Hemric after 2019 season

    Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    Richard Childress Racing announced Tuesday it will release Daniel Hemric as the driver of the team’s No. 8 Chevrolet following the 2019 season.

    Hemric is in his first full-time Monster Energy Series season with the organization.

    “Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has exercised its option and will release Daniel Hemric as driver of the No. 8 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camaro ZL1 effective at the conclusion of the 2019 NASCAR race season,” a team statement read. “Daniel is a very talented driver and an outstanding person. We’d like to thank him for his commitment and dedication to RCR the past three years and wish him continued success in his future endeavors. Additional information on RCR’s Cup program will be announced at a later date.”

    Hemric, 28, has one top-five finish and two top 10s through 27 races this year. His best showing is a third-place run at Chicagoland. He’s coming off a 17th-place result at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    Prior to the 2019 season, the Kannapolis, North Carolina, native drove the No. 21 Chevrolet for RCR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program. He qualified for the Championship 4 in both 2017 and 2018, with a best finish of third in the final 2018 standings. Hemric logged 23 top-five finishes in that two-year stretch.

    RELATED: More from Richard Childress Racing

    His move to the Monster Energy Series was announced in September 2018, with a number change coming in December. The No. 31 previously driven by Ryan Newman became the No. 8 for Hemric.

    The number has long been associated with the Earnhardt family, which has deep ties to the Kannapolis community that Hemric also calls home. Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke into NASCAR’s top series with the No. 8, and his father and grandfather had used the number in several different racing series.

    “I’m disappointed it ended like this, but we’ve got nine more races together,” Hemric said, in part, of the news.

    His full tweet:

    Daniel Hemric✔@DanielHemric

    Forever grateful to Richard & everyone at @RCRracing for the opportunity. I’m disappointed it ended like this, but we’ve got nine more races together & some team goals that are still within reach. I’m going to do all I can to make sure we get those & finish the season strong.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stage 2 at Las Vegas and later passed Kevin Harvick for the lead with 20 laps to go. Truex then eased to victory and secured his place in the next round of the playoffs.

    “In this case,” Truex said, “what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas. It follows you all the way to the second round of the playoffs.”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch fell two laps down early, but charged back to the lead lap at Las Vegas before a collision halted his ascent. He finished 19th but is still fourth in the Monster Energy points standings.

    “That collision was with Garrett Smithey,” Busch said. “Who is Garrett Smithey? He must be the new kid on the block.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 47 laps and took the runner-up spot in the SouthPoint 400 at Las Vegas.

    “I was leading,” Harvick said, “and ran into some traffic. That’s when Truex pounced and went from ‘Martin Truex, II‘ to ‘Martin Truex I.’ But I’m thrilled to start the playoffs with a runner-up. And my team would second that emotion.”

    4. Joey Logano: Logano captured Stage 1 of the Southpoint 400 at Las Vegas, but ran into trouble in Stage 2 when contact with Daniel Suarez caused significant damage to the No. 22 Penske Ford. Logano recovered to finish ninth.

    “I think Daniel Suarez really screwed me,” Logano said. “So I gave him the middle finger. I hate to point fingers, so I didn’t point my middle finger. It was aimed straight up at the sky.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 15th at Las Vegas as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. sailed to the win.

    “Beside Martin,” Hamlin said, “JGR drivers struggled. I finished 15th, Kyle Busch finished 19th, and Erik Jones may just be finished.”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished third at Las Vegas.

    “Former NFL superstar Marshawn Lynch drove the pace car in Sunday’s race,” Keselowski said. “Marshawn was known for going ‘Beast Mode,’ which makes sense here, because, after all, this is the Monster Energy Cup series.”

    7. Chase Elliott: Elliott enjoyed a solid start to the playoffs with a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas.

    “I’m happy we got off to a good start in the playoffs,’” Elliott said. “Some others weren’t so lucky, like Kyle Busch. He had some issues with a couple of ‘backmarkers.’ Just to clarify, ‘backmarkers’ aren’t ‘tramp stamp’ tattoos on the lower back of NASCAR fans; ‘backmarkers’ are cars that have been lapped. Most drivers don’t want to see either.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch cut a tire and slammed the wall hard on lap 187, ending his race at Las Vegas. He finished last.

    “Of course it’s not how you want to start the playoffs,” Busch said. “I was the first driver out of the race. So my day came to an abrupt ending. You might as well call me ‘Curt Busch.’”

    9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished fifth at Las Vegas and is now 10th in the points standings.

    “The temperature was 100 degrees when the race began,” Blaney said. “Ask any respectable NASCAR fan what’s the best way to deal with heat like that, and they’ll tell you, ‘warm beer.’”

    10. William Byron: Byron started 14th and finished seventh at Las Vegas.

    “If case you didn’t hear it,” Byron said, “Paul Menard announced his retirement. In case you did hear it and forgot, Paul Menard announced his retirement.”

  • Weekend Schedule for Las Vegas

    Weekend Schedule for Las Vegas

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend where 16 drivers will face off against each other in Round 1 of the Playoffs. Brad Keselowski is the defending race winner.

    Las Vegas is the last chance to make the Playoffs for the Xfinity Series drivers and where the 12-driver field will be set. Ross Chastain won the event last year.

    The Gander Outdoors Truck Series will close out their first championship round and narrow their playoff field from eight to six drivers. Grant Enfinger will return to defend his 2018 win.

    Please see the complete schedule below. All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Sept. 13

    11:05 a.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – No TV

    3:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    4:35 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    5:35 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – Impound/Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions – FS1

    6:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Final Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    9 p.m.: Truck Series World of Westgate Las Vegas 200 – (Stages 30/60/134 Laps = 201 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, Sept. 14

    2:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – Impound/Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    4:05 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – Impound/Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions – NBCSN/NBC Sports App/PRN

    7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Rhino Pro Trucks Outfitters 300 – (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles) NBCSN/NBC Sports App/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Sunday, Sept. 15

    7 p.m.: Cup Series South Point 400 – (Stages 80/160/267 Laps = 400.5 Miles) NBCSN/NBC Sports App/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

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

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indianapolis

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indianapolis

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch blew his engine on lap 87 and finished 37th at Indianapolis.

    “The race was called the ‘Big Machine Vodka 400 At The Brickyard,’” Busch said. “What a great sponsor for a NASCAR race. It’s a good time for NASCAR fans to claim their first top 10, because they all ‘finished fifth.’ But don’t you dare ever call Mark Martin ‘pint-sized.’”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin went to a backup car after his car caught on fire after slamming the wall in Saturday practice. He still finished 6th in a backup car, and will start the playoffs in second.

    “Saturday practice was an ordeal,” Hamlin said. “NASCAR hasn’t seen a car filled with that much smoke since Winston was sponsoring the Cup.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the pole and led all but 42 laps on his way to capturing his second Brickyard 400 triumph.

    “What a win,” Harvick said. “It was quite a thrill to climb the fence with Tony Stewart. That was exciting, plus it makes me confident that NASCAR catch fences can handle anything.”

    4. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished 27th at Indianapolis and will start the championship playoffs in 3rd place.

    “The NRA says NASCAR is becoming anti-gun,” Truex said. “Has the NRA seen what’s going on in a NASCAR infield? Everyone is packing, and everyone is loaded. Wait just a minute. I must be thinking about coolers.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 1 at Indianapolis and finished second, over 6 seconds behind Kevin Harvick.

    “Harvick’s car was just too good,” Logano said. “In NASCAR, a six-second lead is an eternity. And, for the fans watching a race that isn’t close, it’s also an eternity.

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski crashed hard on lap 48 after contact with Erik Jones.

    “I went hard into a tire barrier,” Keselowski said. “The tires went flying. Those tires covered a very dangerous angle on the track. All I know is that it needs to be ‘retired.’”

    7. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 9th at Indianapolis.

    “Jimmie Johnson missed making the playoffs,” Elliott said. “That breaks a streak of 15 straight playoffs. Jimmie went from ‘Seven-time,’ to ‘Fifteen-time,’ to now, ‘Not This Time.’”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 30th at Indianapolis after damage in a lap 106 wreck marred his race.

    “I got mixed up in a tangle between Jimmie Johnson and William Byron,” Busch said. “And I absolutely accept no blame in the fiasco. If someone wants to blame me, I’ll deny it vehemently, because I refuse to be anyone’s punching bag.”

    9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished seventh at Indianapolis and heads to the playoffs with 2,004 points, 41 behind first-place Kyle Busch.

    “I’m not satisfied with just making the playoffs,” Blaney said. “I want to win the championship. I just spoke those words into my exhaust, because it’s a ‘pipe dream.’”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished fifth at Indianapolis and claimed a spot in the playoff field.

    “My Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Daniel Suarez is currently feuding with Ryan Newman,” Harvick said. “It’s become so bad, many people have suggested we build a wall between them.”

  • Bowyer, Newman make 2019 playoffs

    Bowyer, Newman make 2019 playoffs

    In what has been an up and down year for Clint Bowyer’s No. 14 team, the Kansas native made it into the Playoffs. Bowyer came into the Indy race facing the possibility of elimination but the Stewart-Haas Racing driver clinched a spot with a fifth-place finish.

    “I definitely think we got the ship in the right direction,” Bowyer said to PRN Radio. “Talking about the ship, it was setting sail for the 4 car today. That’s a Stewart-Haas car, that’s a Ford Mustang. I’m excited about our momentum, single-digit finishes here with three in a row, rolling into the Playoffs. We finally got some mojo, some things going on our side. So we just got to keep that together and roll off into the Playoffs and move on to some rounds.”

    Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Newman Racing also raced his way into the Playoffs by earning an eighth-place finish Sunday afternoon at Indy. Newman started 22nd and worked hard for his ninth top-10 of the season.

    “Our credentials don’t show a lot for leading laps, poles, wins and stuff like that,” Newman told PRN Radio. “The effort that went into that, might be that of a guy that’s leading the points. We’ll just have to keep on going. Real proud of everybody at Roush Fenway getting this Acorns into the Playoffs. These next three races, there’s no guarantee getting into the next 10.”

  • Logano falls short at Indy

    Logano falls short at Indy

    It was a good effort for Joey Logano and his No. 22 crew but they fell a little short of scoring that elusive win at Indianapolis.

    Logano qualified fourth and really did not fall back at all during the race. He was able to win the first stage and finish fourth in the second stage. The Team Penske driver swapped the lead a couple of times with Kevin Harvick. In fact, Logano led 11 laps and even had a shot to win the race with a late-race restart that came with nine to go. In the end, Logano had to settle for second place.

    “We were the second best car of the cars that were still running,” Logano jokingly told PRN Radio. “Which may actually mean we were a fourth-place car in general. Proud of our Shell Pennzoil team. We needed a solid day, we had a rough month. It was nice to be able to finish where we should and have a shot at winning the race.”

    “I would like to do it again, I don’t know if we had something for them. I was hoping for a green-white-checker at the end there, I was hoping for a caution. I was saving my tires there and he (Harvick) was too far up there to catch. Like I said, good momentum builder with the Playoffs coming up and we’ll head to Vegas, the track we won at the last time we were there. Coming off a solid finish here, so we’re ready to go.”

    Logano is seeded fourth in the playoff standings.

  • Byron, Hamlin, Larson ready for Playoffs

    Byron, Hamlin, Larson ready for Playoffs

    With a disastrous qualifying effort of 29th earlier Sunday, Byron had his work cut out for him for a good finish. At the end of Stage 2, the No. 24 team finished ninth. He had a close call with his teammate Jimmie Johnson at the beginning of Stage 3 but fortunately carried on and wound up with a fourth-place effort.

    “It was a good run for us,” Byron said to PRN Radio. “We obviously got the damage early on pit road. I was really surprised how well the car ran. I think we could have been even better with less damage but should’ve, could’ve, would’ve, we still ended up fourth and really happy with that. Just grinded it out and had a good day. It was a lot of wild starts, a lot of wild things going on. I was fortunate to hang on.”

    Byron will be seeded 13th in the playoff grid.

    Like Byron, Denny Hamlin and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota had a poor qualifying outing of 33rd Sunday morning but had to start from the back due to an engine problem in practice. However, he worked his way through the field hoping to give Joe Gibbs Racing another crown jewel win. Hamlin finished eighth in Stage 1 but did not record a top-10 finish in Stage 2.

    He was unable to lead a lap, but with four wins, Hamlin is playoff-bound and is ready to pursue the championship.

    “I thought we had a second-place car but these cars and the track is such a hard combination together,” Hamlin said to PRN Radio. “We just couldn’t get the track position. Whoever was out front just had a tremendous advantage and that’s why the 4 (Harvick) controlled the race and everything worked out for them.”

    “We got to get a little bit better, not going to a backup car, blowing tires and things like that. Certainly, we had to go to the back in most races. This is another great rebound for us.”

    Hamlin is seeded second in the playoff points grid.

    Kyle Larson and his No. 42 team were not so lucky after a crash on Lap 130 which eventually took him out of the race. He wound up in 33rd place. Despite the finish, the Chip Ganassi driver is making the Playoffs once more in his career.

    “I feel good,” Larson said to PRN Radio about the playoff run. “Our cars have been really good here the past couple of months. Been extremely happy about that and our car today especially. I hate that I made the mistake there and spun, but overall, proud of the team and the cars we been bringing to the track lately.”

    Larson finished second in both stages and will be seeded ninth in the standings.