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Tag: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

  • DiBenedetto reveals he is not returning to Leavine Family Racing

    DiBenedetto reveals he is not returning to Leavine Family Racing

    By Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    Matt DiBenedetto revealed Thursday on social media that he will not return to Leavine Family Racing for the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

    This is DiBenedetto’s fifth full-time season in the Monster Energy Series, but his first with LFR. The Grass Valley, California, native had 163 Monster Energy Series starts at the time of his announcement.

    Four of DiBenedetto’s eight career top-10 finishes have come this season with LFR, including his only two top-five finishes in NASCAR’s premier series. The top fives came at Sonoma Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Plus, he finished sixth at Watkins Glen International earlier this month.

    Leavine Family Racing is affiliated with Joe Gibbs Racing, an alliance that began this season with LFR switching manufacturers to Toyota.

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife Amy ‘safe’ after plane crash in Tennessee

    Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife Amy ‘safe’ after plane crash in Tennessee

    By Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife Amy and daughter Isla were safe and taken to a hospital for evaluation following a plane crash on Thursday afternoon in Elizabethton, Tennessee, Earnhardt’s sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, confirmed via Twitter.

    Earnhardt Jr.’s plane, a Cessna Citation, rolled off the end of Runway 24 and caught fire after landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee at 3:40 p.m. ET, according to a report from the Federal Aviation Administration.

    The aircraft registration is N8JR, which is the plane registered to Earnhardt Jr., according to FAA.gov.

    Earnhardt Jr. is an analyst for NBC Sports and was traveling to Bristol Motor Speedway for this weekend’s races.

    “I got here within five minutes, and the airplane was fully engulfed (in flames), Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunsford said during an evening news conference. “All of the people were out of it … Five occupants, no one’s injured. Under the circumstances, we’re extremely blessed and fortunate.”

    Elizabethton Fire Department Chief Barry Carrier confirmed that Earnhardt was talking to EMS staff and the family was transported to a local hospital in a non-emergency capacity.

    “They were very lucky,” Carrier said. “The plane is pretty much destroyed.”

    The FAA said in a statement that it will investigate the accident.

    NBC Sports PR later released on social media that Dale Jr. would not be in the booth this weekend at Bristol but would return in two weeks at Darlington.

    NBC Sports statement on Dale Earnhardt Jr.:

    View image on Twitter

    By evening, flights had resumed at the small airport tucked into the Tennessee hills, even as the events from just hours earlier had cast a national spotlight onto the normally quiet town.

    “Nothing like this,” Lunceford said. “We have robberies, burglaries, pursuits, things of that sort. Armed people. We just have the standard, usual calls in a population somewhere between 58 and 60 thousand. … We stay busy, but no, nothing like this.”

    Contributing: Zack Albert in Elizabethton, Tenn.

  • Weekend Schedule for Bristol-2

    Weekend Schedule for Bristol-2

    NASCAR heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. The Gander Outdoors Truck Series will feature the first race in Round 1 of their championship Playoffs while the Xfinity Series has five races remaining in the regular season. The Monster Energy Cup Series will close out the weekend with three to go.

    Kurt Busch is the defending Cup Series race winner, Kyle Larson won the Xfinity Series Food City 300 last year and Johnny Sauter will be trying to repeat his August 2018 win at Bristol in the Truck Series.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, August 15

    9:05 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.: Truck Series First Practice – No TV
    10:05 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – NBC Sports App
    11:05 a.m. 11:55 a.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – No TV
    1:35 p.m.2:25 p.m. Xfinity Series Final Practice – NBC Sports App
    4:35 p.m. Truck Series Qualifying Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) – 7 p.m. Tape Delay on FS1
    8:30 p.m.: Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (Stages 55/110/200 Laps = 100.6 Miles) – FS1/MRN

    Friday, August 16

    11:05 a.m. 11:55 a.m.: Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN
    1:05 p.m. 1:55 p.m. Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN
    4:05 p.m. Xfinity Series Qualifying Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) – NBCSN
    5:35 p.m. Cup Series Qualifying Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) – NBCSN/PRN
    7:30 p.m. Xfinity Series Food City 300 (Stages 85/170/300 Laps = 159.9 Miles) – NBCSN/PRN

    Saturday, August 17

    7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race (Stages 125/250/500 Laps = 266.5 Miles) – NBCSN/PRN

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

  • Harvick takes second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win of 2019 at Michigan

    Harvick takes second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win of 2019 at Michigan

    Kevin Harvick was able to overcome a flat-right front tire early in the race and would later stretch the fuel in his No. 4 Mobil 1 Mustang on Sunday on the way to his second win of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup season in the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.

    Harvick led 22 laps en route to victory, taking the checkered by 1.054 seconds over runner-up Denny Hamlin. Kyle Larson finished third, while Martin Truex Jr. and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top-five finishers.

    “It was a day of a little bit of adversity that we were able to overcome,” Harvick said. “We had a really fast car all weekend. Our car handled really well today, and with the multiple lanes (due to the PJ1 traction compound), we were able to run all three lanes pretty well and make our way through traffic.

    “They (the team) put a really fast race car on the track, and we were able to capitalize on it, so that’s always fun.”

    Although the Playoffs are steadily looming closer, Harvick’s Crew Chief Rodney Childers still feels like there’s plenty of time for their Stewart-Haas crew to hit their stride, especially with two wins in the last four races.

    “I still feel like it’s a long time before the Playoffs,” said Childers in the Media Center. “We have a lot that we need to get better.  You know, we’ve just – we started the year off, and our cars weren’t where we needed to be, and we’ve continually got better and better.  I think to be able to get a win on a 550 track and get a win on a 750 track, that says a lot about the race team right now, to sit on the pole at Pocono and have speed there.

    “We’ve definitely made gains on it.  We’re not perfect by any means, and we’ve still got to get a lot better.  But we’re definitely in a lot better shape than we were at the beginning of the year.”

    Kyle Busch, Ryan Preece, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman rounded out the top-10. Playoff bubble drivers Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson both faced issues in the race, as both drivers made hard contact with the wall during the race. Bowyer would be faced with a 37th-place DNF while Johnson would finish 34th, eight laps down.

    Six cautions slowed the race for 24 laps, while eight drivers swapped the lead 19 times. The next race on the schedule will be at the Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s annual event at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

  • Playoffs – Who’s in, who’s out, with 4 to go

    Playoffs – Who’s in, who’s out, with 4 to go

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway this weekend with only four races remaining in the regular season.

    There are currently nine contenders who have won this year and are locked into the Playoffs which will consist of 16 drivers. They include Kyle Busch (4 wins), Joey Logano (2 wins), Kevin Harvick (1 win), Denny Hamlin (3 wins), Martin Truex Jr. (4 wins), Brad Keselowski (3 wins), Kurt Busch (1 win), Chase Elliott (2 wins) and Alex Bowman (1 win).

    This leaves seven spots up for grabs. In the unlikely event that the final four races are won by drivers who have not already been to victory lane, that will leave a minimum of three drivers who can advance to the Playoffs based on points.

    The drivers who are in the most precarious positions include Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer, Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson and Roush-Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman.

    Johnson and Newman are tied in the standings with 544 points each after last week’s race at Watkins Glen. Johnson, however, wins the tiebreaker for the final spot in the Playoffs with a best finish of third this year while Newman’s best finish was fifth.

    Clint Bowyer is ranked 15th, only 12 points ahead of Johnson and Newman.

    Bowyer won at Michigan in June 2018 but it was the only top-10 he has earned in his last eight starts. He is, however, off to a good start this week after qualifying fifth for Sunday’s race, and says it’s “go time.”

    “There’s pressure in everything you do in this sport and that’s kind of the way we like it. That’s what makes it fun. We are getting to the point in the season when the pay window is starting to open and it’s go time. That’s when it’s fun for the drivers, teams and especially the fans. As the tension goes up, the sport gets more and more interesting.”

    Johnson won at Michigan in 2014 and also has five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes at the 2-mile track with a sixth-best driver rating of  94.3. He qualified 10th for the Consumers Energy 400.

    As each week passes, the pressure mounts for the seven-time champ who has never missed the postseason playoffs since the format was implemented in 2004.

    “Our season is on the line right now with these next four weeks,” Johnson said.

    Newman has been to victory lane twice at Michigan, in 2003 and 2004, and he finished eighth in the June race at Michigan this season. After qualifying 20th, he will face a tough battle this weekend but he has no intention of giving up.

    “If I thought that I wasn’t capable of winning at each race track I go to, I wouldn’t show up,” Newman told NASCAR.com.  

    As time runs out each position earned and each stage point gained will become more crucial as they battle for the chance to compete for the coveted Cup Series championship title. Be sure to tune in as the action intensifies with one goal – win and you’re in.

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

    Playoff Outlook – Top 20

    1) Kyle Busch851 pointsIn on wins
    2) Joey Logano838 pointsIn on wins
    3) Kevin Harvick777 pointsIn on wins
    4) Denny Hamlin771 pointsIn on wins
    5) Martin Truex Jr.753 pointsIn on wins
    6) Brad Keselowski728 pointsIn on wins
    7) Kurt Busch679 pointsIn on wins
    8) Chase Elliott676 pointsIn on wins
    9) Alex Bowman623 pointsIn on wins
    10) Aric Almirola640 points96 above cutline
    11) Ryan Blaney633 points89 over cutline
    12) William Byton604 points60 over cutline
    13) Erik Jones598 points54 over cutline
    14) Kyle Larson590 points46 over cutline
    15) Clint Bowyer556 points12 over cutline
    16) Jimmie Johnson544 points0
    17) Ryan Newman544 points0
    18) Daniel Suarez521 points23 below cutline
    19) Paul Menard483 points61 below cutline
    20) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.466 points78 below cutline

  • Dillon and Hemric qualifying times disallowed

    Dillon and Hemric qualifying times disallowed

    It was announced by NASCAR after the Monster Energy Cup Series qualifying that the times of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 of Austin Dillon and the No. 8 of Daniel Hemric were disallowed due to having unapproved alternators.

    As a result of the L1 infraction, Dillon and Hemric will lose 10 driver points and 10 owner points will be deducted as well. Each crew chief will also face a $25,000 fine. Dillon originally qualified seventh and Hemric was 11th but they will now start from the back of the field for the Consumers Energy 400 Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

    Updated starting lineup:

    1. Brad Keselowski
    2. Kevin Harvick
    3. William Byron
    4. Alex Bowman
    5. Clint Bowyer
    6. Chase Elliott
    7. Ryan Blaney
    8. Joey Logano
    9. Paul Menard
    10. Jimmie Johnson
    11. Daniel Suarez
    12. Aric Almirola
    13. Kurt Busch
    14. Denny Hamlin
    15. Martin Truex Jr
    16. Erik Jones
    17. Kyle Larson
    18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
    19. Matt Tifft
    20. Ryan Newman
    21. Ty Dillon
    22. Kyle Busch
    23. Michael McDowell
    24. David Ragan
    25. Chris Buescher
    26. Bubba Wallace
    27. Matt DiBenedetto
    28. Landon Cassill
    29. Ryan Preece
    30. Ross Chastain
    31. Corey LaJoie
    32. Quin Houff
    33. Austin Theriault
    34. Cody Ware
    35. Reed Sorenson
    36. Spencer Boyd (Making first Cup Series start)
    37. Austin Dillon
    38. Daniel Hemric
  • Brad Keselowski wins the pole at Michigan, Ford sweeps top spots

    Brad Keselowski wins the pole at Michigan, Ford sweeps top spots

    Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Discount Tire Team Penske Ford, won the pole on Friday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway with a time of 37.80 seconds at 190.471 mph. This was the 16th pole of his career and his second at Michigan.

    “We will find out as we go through race trim practice, but for right now, we’re going to celebrate and enjoy being the fastest car in qualifying,” Keselowski said to MRN Radio. “Really proud of our team here, our Discount Tire Ford Mustang. We unloaded so fast and made good adjustments to keep up with the changes in the track.”

    “Of course everyone else was getting faster. Good start, so let’s keep it up.”

    The top spot was traded many different times with Chevrolet holding the top spots before the Fords got on track and took the first two positions.

    The other Ford driver was Kevin Harvick who held the pole briefly before Keselowski took it. Harvick qualified second with a time of 37.87.

    “Yeah, it’s a good day for No. 4 Ford Mustang,” Harvick told MRN Radio. “I think track position is important everywhere we go. Coming to Michigan, it’s more important. That’s a good start to the weekend.”

    Keselowski also noted whether or not track position will be needed for Sunday’s race.

    “I’m not sure if track position will be quite as important as it was here in the spring,” Keselowski added. “You know, they put the PJ1 down and all that, I’m not complaining.”

    Speaking of track position, the winners have come from various starting spots here in the past five races. Joey Logano won from the pole in June, Harvick won from the pole last August, Clint Bowyer won from 12th in June of 2018, Kyle Larson won from ninth in August of 2017 and first in June of 2017.

    Keselowski was second fastest in pre-qualifying practice with a similar time of 37.90.

    All cars had tech inspection after practice and no drivers had any issues getting through inspection, therefore the lineup will be official. However, there will be another round for tech inspection on Sunday morning. Should a driver fail more than two times, they will be sent to the back of the field.

    Drivers will get to practice in race trim mode on Saturday as they have two more practice sessions. The second practice is slated for 8:35 a.m. ET live on CNBC and final practice will be at 11:30 a.m. ET live on the NBC Sports App.

    Please note: The qualifying times of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 of Austin Dillon and the No. 8 of Daniel Hemric were disallowed due to having unapproved alternators. As a result of the L1 infraction, Dillon and Hemric will lose 10 driver points and 10 owner points will be deducted as well. Each crew chief will also face a $25,000 fine. Dillon originally qualified seventh and Hemric was 11th but they will now start from the back of the field.

    Updated Starting Lineup:

    1. Brad Keselowski
    2. Kevin Harvick
    3. William Byron
    4. Alex Bowman
    5. Clint Bowyer
    6. Chase Elliott
    7. Ryan Blaney
    8. Joey Logano
    9. Paul Menard
    10. Jimmie Johnson
    11. Daniel Suarez
    12. Aric Almirola
    13. Kurt Busch
    14. Denny Hamlin
    15. Martin Truex Jr.
    16. Erik Jones
    17. Kyle Larson
    18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    19. Matt Tifft
    20. Ryan Newman
    21. Ty Dillon
    22. Kyle Busch
    23. Michael McDowell
    24. David Ragan
    25. Chris Buescher
    26. Bubba Wallace
    27. Matt DiBenedetto
    28. Landon Cassill
    29. Ryan Preece
    30. Ross Chastain
    31. Corey LaJoie
    32. Quin Houff
    33. Austin Theriault
    34. Cody Ware
    35. Reed Sorenson
    36. Spencer Boyd (Making first Cup Series start)
    37. Austin Dillon
    38. Daniel Hemric

  • NASCAR Schedule for Michigan and Mid-Ohio

    NASCAR Schedule for Michigan and Mid-Ohio

    This weekend the Monster Energy Cup Series and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series head to Michigan International Speedway while the Xfinity Series travels to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

    Kevin Harvick is the Cup Series defending race winner at the 2-mile track with only four races remaining in the regular season. Brett Moffitt returns to defend his Truck Series victory at Michigan in the final race to determine the regular season champion. Justin Allgaier won the previous Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio and with six races left in the Xfinity Series regular season will be looking for his first victory this season.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 9

    Michigan:

    12:35 p.m.-1:25 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN/MRN
    1:35 p.m.-2:25 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series First Practice – No TV
    3:05 p.m.-3:55 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Final Practice – No TV
    5:05 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions – NBCSN/MRN

    Mid-Ohio:

    1:35 p.m.-2:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – NBC Sports App
    4:05 p.m.-4:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series Final Practice – NBC Sports App

    Saturday, August 10

    Michigan:

    8:35 a.m.-9:25 a.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Second Practice – NBC Sports App/MRN
    9:35 a.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions – FS2
    11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Final Practice – NBC Sports App/MRN
    1 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Corrigan Oil 200 – (Stages 20/40/100 Laps = 200 Miles) – FS1/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

    Mid-Ohio:

    11:40 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds – NBC Sports App
    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series B&L Transport 170 – (Stages 20/40/75 Laps = 169.35 Miles) – NBCSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

    Sunday, August 11

    Michigan:

    3 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 – (Stages 60/120/200 Laps = 400 Miles) NBCSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

  • The weekend schedule for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup at Michigan and the Xfinity Series at Mid-Ohio

    The weekend schedule for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup at Michigan and the Xfinity Series at Mid-Ohio

    This weekend the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series travel to Michigan International Speedway for the second time this year. The Xfinity Series will compete at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course while you can compete at the best nz casino sites and win.

    Kevin Harvick is the Cup Series defending race winner at the 2-mile track while Brett Moffitt returns to defend his Truck Series victory at Michigan. Justin Allgaier won the previous Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio and would be a good one to place a bet on to win.

    The Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live Sunday, August 11 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Coverage of this week’s Mid-Ohio 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will be televised live on Saturday, August 10, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

    All times are Eastern.

    Michigan

    Friday, August 9

    12:35 p.m.-1:25 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN/MRN
    1:35 p.m.-2:25 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series First Practice – No TV
    3:05 p.m.-3:55 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Final Practice – No TV
    5:05 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions – NBCSN/MRN

    Saturday, August 10

    8:35 a.m.-9:25 a.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Second Practice – NBC Sports App/MRN
    9:35 a.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions – FS2
    11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Final Practice – NBC Sports App/MRN
    1 p.m.: Gander Outdoors Truck Series Corrigan Oil 200 – (Stages 20/40/100 Laps = 200 Miles) – FS1/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

    Sunday, August 11

    3 p.m.: Monster Energy Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 – (Stages 60/120/200 Laps = 400 Miles) NBCSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

    Mid-Ohio

    Friday, August 9

    1:35 p.m.-2:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – NBC Sports App
    4:05 p.m.-4:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series Final Practice – NBC Sports App

    Saturday, August 10

    11:40 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds – NBC Sports App
    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series B&L Transport 170 – (Stages 20/40/75 Laps = 169.35 Miles) – NBCSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

  • DiBenedetto continues to perform amidst silly season rumors

    DiBenedetto continues to perform amidst silly season rumors

    In the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, the Cinderella story continues with Matt DiBenedetto as he claws his way to his fourth top 10 of the season by finishing sixth at Watkins Glen International.

    In fact, those were his very words when reflecting on his career.

    “I’ve fought and clawed my way to get where I am,” shared an emotional DiBenedetto with FOX Sports after his first career top-five earlier this season at Sonoma Raceway.

    But there is also a time when the Cinderella story becomes the norm. The Leavine Family Racing driver has now earned four top 10 finishes over the last seven races, two top 10 starting positions in the last three races, and has accumulated 83 points over the last three races.

    With just four races left before the Playoffs, the majority of the drivers advancing appears to be set. The recent surge of the No. 95 Toyota team adds a sense of the probability of mixing up the Playoffs with a win on the horizon more believable. In fact, this whole second half of the season has made them look to be Playoff competitive.

    DiBenedetto knows how to stay humble while putting together these strong performances at tracks he has circled on his 2019 schedule.

    “I’m nothing without my team and how good of a race car I have,” he said. “They give me good race cars, and me as a driver, and us as a team can go back to using my feet to drive, which we don’t do at some of the big tracks this year. You’re using your feet to drive.”

    The second road course of the year comes after an outspoken DiBenedetto told the media that any team in the NASCAR garage would be foolish to replace him. But as silly season lurks around this time every year, eyes have been focused mostly on what would happen with the seat of the No. 95 car. He understands the pressure but doesn’t let it impact his driving.

    “I’m fighting for my life,” he said. “Everybody knows. They see the headlines and the mess in the media. I hope I can stay with this team. I hope it’s for a long time.”

    The thing that “everybody knows” is the rumor of Christopher Bell’s promotion. The NASCAR Xfinity Series driver has been putting on a strong run for the championship, giving him a more open door for a Cup Series ride in 2020. The question is where, so talk has already started in the garage and among fans primarily between Erik Jones and DiBenedetto as the future predecessor.

    Bob Leavine, team owner of Leavine Family Racing, has stated publicly on Twitter that he intends to keep DiBenedetto in his seat. He also acknowledges that the business side of the sport can overrule his wishes.

    There are still a lot of unknowns left for this year and next. But it is definitely a positive when one of the best drivers to never win a Cup championship recognizes perseverance.