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  • Chase Elliott wins pole for Sunday’s race at Phoenix

    Chase Elliott wins pole for Sunday’s race at Phoenix

    Continuing the Hendrick Motorsports momentum in 2020, Chase Elliott qualified on the pole at Phoenix Raceway for the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 with a time of 26.06 seconds/138.116 mph, edging out nine-time Phoenix winner, Kevin Harvick by 0.045 seconds.

    “The line through Turns 1 and 2 was a lot different,” Elliott said. “Kevin (Harvick) kind of made the top line work and then I think after that, everyone saw that and moved up. So, it’s great to get a pole. We’re in a little bit different colors this week with Unifirst on our Camaro. So, I’m excited to grab them a pole. It’s always a good thing when you can put down a fast lap. Hopefully, I just hope tomorrow goes good. That’s always the challenge. We’ll see, and I’m looking forward to it.”

    Meanwhile, last week’s Auto Club 400 winner and Elliott’s teammate, Alex Bowman, qualified in the eighth position for Sunday’s race. Though, this weekend might prove a little bit of a challenge for the hometown native of Tuscon, Arizona.

    “I didn’t expect more,” Bowman said. “I really felt like we’ve been off since we unloaded. We really struggled here in the fall with just being really tight and when we unloaded, we were still really tight. In between practices, we made some changes and got it really loose. It didn’t really necessarily get much faster, but I feel like it’s going to be better that way than when it’s tight. The first lap, I probably over-did it a little bit in turn one there. The second lap, to be eighth, I don’t think that’s the end of the world. I would have liked to be a little better, but as bad as we’ve been here in the fast and as bad as were in practice, we’ll take it. If we could come out of here with a top-ten, I would be high-fiving people after the race. Our short track program, this is the area we need to work on. Our intermediate program is phenomenal and it ended that way last year. Our short track program is the area we need to work on the most.”

    Official Qualifying Results

    1. Chase Elliott
    2. Kevin Harvick
    3. Denny Hamlin
    4. Kyle Larson
    5. Ryan Blaney
    6. Aric Almirola
    7. Kurt Busch
    8. Alex Bowman
    9. Matt DiBenedetto
    10. Kyle Busch
    11. Erik Jones
    12. Martin Truex Jr. (Will start in the rear due to engine change prior to qualifying)
    13. Joey Logano
    14. Brad Keselowski
    15. Christopher Bell
    16. Cole Custer
    17. William Byron
    18. Clint Bowyer
    19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    20. Ryan Preece
    21. Jimmie Johnson
    22. Michael McDowell
    23. Chris Buescher
    24. Ross Chastain
    25. Ty Dillon
    26. John Hunter Nemechek (Will start in the rear for a radiator change)
    27. Bubba Wallace
    28. Corey LaJoie
    29. Tyler Reddick
    30. Austin Dillon
    31. Daniel Suarez
    32. Brennan Poole
    33. J.J. Yeley
    34. Quin Houff
    35. Reed Sorenson
    36. Garrett Smithley
    37. Joey Gase
    38. Timmy Hill

    The Fan Shield can be seen on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET live on regular FOX. The stages are 75-115-122 equaling 312 laps.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Ryan Blaney: Blaney won Stage 2 and suffered a cut tire late in the final stage, which forced a pit stop and left him with a 19th-place finish.

    “Alex Bowman whipped the field by almost nine seconds,” Blaney said. “So mine wasn’t even the biggest ‘blowout’ of the race.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished 12th in the Auto Club 400 at Fontana.

    “It was cool to see Jimmie Johnson honored with the ‘5-Wide Salute,’” Logano said. “Maybe one day, I can receive that same appreciation. I kind of do now. However, my ‘5-Wide Salute’ is five people standing side-by-side giving me the ‘One-Finger Salute.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick came home ninth in a mostly uneventful Auto Club 400. He is fourth in the points standings, 12 out of first.

    “My ‘Kyle Busch Bounty’ really has people talking about the Gander Truck Series,” Harvick said. “And it has people talking more about Kyle Busch, which is actually what I was trying to avoid.”

    4. Alex Bowman: Bowman led 110 laps at Fontana and held off Kyle and Kurt Busch late to ease to victory in the Auto Club 400.

    “I promised a friend I’d get an ’88’ tattoo if I won,” Bowman said. “I’m sure people will have a lot of questions when they see my tattoo, like, ‘Cool, are you’re a Dale, Jr. fan”‘”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started second and finished seventh at Fontana.

    “I was honored with a ‘Five-Wide Salute’ during the warmup laps,” Johnson said. I’m really digging this farewell tour. I mean really digging it. It’s quite a turn-on actually. You could say I now have a ‘fete fetish.’”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fifth at Fontana, scoring his first top-five result of the season.

    “Good news,” Keselowski said. “NASCAR is transitioning to single lug nut wheels in 2021. In hockey, that would be a ‘one-timer.’ In baseball, it’s a ‘single.’ In basketball, it’s a ‘one-and-done.’”

    7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started at the back of the field and forged his way forward to finish sixth at Fontana, posting his second top-10 of the season.

    “We started at the back because we pitted to change a shock absorber on the warmup laps,” Hamlin said. “Little did we know that the real shock ‘absorber’ would be Kyle Larson’s rear bumper.”

    8. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fourth at California, recording his first top-five of the season. He is sixth in the points standings, 17 out of first.

    “I was just named brand ambassador for Hooters Spirits,” Elliott said. “In case you’re wondering, Hooters Spirits is not a haunted Hooter’s restaurant, where the waitresses might say ‘Boo(b)!’ It’s a line of Hooter’s alcoholic beverages. Look for them on shelves. Or better yet, look for them on racks.”

    9. Matt DiBenedetto: DiBenedetto continued his strong start to the season, posting a 13th at Fontana, and is eighth in the points standings.

    “You could say I’m ‘running with the big dogs,’” DiBenedetto said. “And as they say, ‘If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay off the porch.’ Well, I’m a big dog, and I’m gonna stay on that porch, and probably ‘leave my mark.’”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second in the Auto Club 400, scoring his first top-five result after two lackluster efforts to begin the season.

    “Alex Bowman beat me by almost nine seconds,” Busch said. “In racing, that’s an eternity. So, if you ask how badly I was beaten, I’ll tell you ‘from there to eternity.’

    “As for bounties on me, I say ‘Bring ’em on.’ I don’t mind being the hunted, just as I don’t mind being the bad guy. I’m not here to be liked. You’ve heard of Formula 1, right? Well, for me, it’s not ‘F1,’ it’s ‘F everyone.’”

  • Episode 7: Bowman dominates, Fontana ranting, and I need more coffee

    Episode 7: Bowman dominates, Fontana ranting, and I need more coffee

    On this episode of News and Views from SpeedwayMedia.com, we discuss the results from the weekend, the appearance of Auto Club Speedway in literally every television show/movie about racing imaginable, and I seriously NEED MORE COFFEE!

  • Alex Bowman dominates at Auto Club

    Alex Bowman dominates at Auto Club

    After showcasing a ton of speed at Las Vegas, Alex Bowman struck gold Sunday afternoon as he found himself celebrating in victory lane at Auto Club Speedway.

    “We’ve been so good to start this season,” Bowman said. “We started the season very poorly really over the last two years, and it just means the world to show up at the racetrack and have the first run on the racetrack really be almost perfect and just be able to really fine-tune the race car. Greg Ives has made the right calls.  So, we’ve got to go win a bunch more, but man, it feels good to have one this early.”

    It was Bowman’s second win of his NASCAR Cup Series career. The Arizona native led 110 laps in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to cruise toward victory.

    Stage 1:

    Before the field took the green flag, Auto Club Speedway commemorated seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson as he led the field in a five-wide salute during the pace laps in what could be his final start at the two-mile oval.

    As the field formed back to double-file formation, it was Clint Bowyer leading the way, with Johnson starting second as the green flag waved.

    Johnson was looking for the race lead early on but would fall back as teammate Bowman would inherit the runner-up spot behind leader Bowyer.

    Bowman would also take a lunge at Bowyer but would be unable to capitalize, resulting in Kurt Busch and Johnson swiftly passing the No. 88. The three of them would spar back and forth for the second position, with Bowman holding off the two Chevrolets.

    Bowyer’s early lead would be short-lived as Bowman’s No. 88 would take the top spot, with teammate Johnson immediately following behind in second as Bowyer gradually began to fade.

    Ryan Blaney slowly marched his way forward and by the halfway point of Stage 1, he was up to the second position.

    Pit stops would ensue on Lap 27 as Martin Truex Jr. would ignite the cycle. By the end of it, Bowman would be the leader.

    Kyle Larson would find trouble after Denny Hamlin gave the No. 42 a push into Turn 1, putting the McDonald’s Chevrolet into the outside wall. It would put Larson two laps down.

    Bowman would remain unchallenged after the cycle and would win Stage 1.

    Blaney, Johnson, Aric Almirola, Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Busch would round out the top 10.

    Stage 2:

    It initially looked as though Kurt Busch was the first one off after everybody came down pit lane. However, the No. 1 missed his pit stall, putting him toward the back. As a result, it transferred the lead over to Johnson.

    Johnson took the lead on the restart but Blaney and Bowman would make it three-wide on the seven-time champ, allowing Blaney’s No. 12 to take first place.

    The two Hendrick Motorsports cars would put up a fight against the Team Penske car, but Blaney would fend off the duo and pull away.

    Christopher Bell suffered mechanical issues during the green flag run, knocking the No. 95 Toyota out of the race.

    Pole-sitter Bowyer had a left front tire go down on Lap 93, bringing out a yellow shortly after pit stops.

    Blaney would be in charge of the restart, and while he was able to pull away, his other competitors were duking it out. Bowman and Keselowski made aggressive moves around Logano and William Byron to gain some track position, and Elliott would march his way towards the Top 5.

    Blaney’s lead would remain unchallenged as he would cruise on to win Stage 2.

    Bowman, Johnson, Keselowski, Truex, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Erik Jones, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the Top 10 for stage points.

    Stage 3:

    Johnson was the leader at the beginning of the stage but was quickly hounded by Bowman as he passed the No. 48 off of Turn 2. Blaney and Truex were in hot pursuit, making it four wide among the leaders.

    Truex would briefly hold the lead, but Bowman would fight back. The two would swap back and forth, but Truex would fend off Bowman. But as the laps wound down, Bowman would reclaim the lead over the No. 19 and would pull a gap over the opposition.

    Another pit cycle would begin as everyone came in for some fresh rubber and fuel.

    Frontrunner Truex had issues during his stop, as the pit gun would malfunction when tending to the right rear tire, costing him valuable track position.

    Bowman and Blaney would be the leaders after the cycle, giving themselves plenty of distance between the fourth through sixth place drivers of Johnson, Elliott, and Kurt Busch.

    The three Chevrolets would battle for the fourth position, with Elliott edging out Kurt Busch for the spot while Johnson’s car began to fade. Truex’s day would continue to go downward when he slapped the Turn 4 wall trying to overtake Hamlin, allowing Keselowski to overtake the No. 19.

    Near the closing stages of the race, Blaney would have to come down pit lane due to a corded tire with only three laps to go, giving up a second-place run at the time.

    For Bowman, redemption was sweet as he crossed the line to secure the win. It provided a statement as he showcased his muscle around the California track.

    “You know, we started this year so strong,” Bowman said. “I feel like I’ve got a lot on my side that I’m doing better.  My life is kind of a lot more organized than it was back then, and Greg and all the guys, they’re just on point. We’ve unloaded the last two weeks, I don’t think we’ve had to make a change in the race car from how it came off the truck. That makes my job a heck of a lot easier. I’m just so proud of this team, Hendrick Motorsports, Hendrick horsepower under the hood, the whole shop back home. They work their butts off. We put a lot of effort into this new car, and it’s obviously working well.”

    There were 16 lead changes among eight different drivers and only three cautions for 13 laps.

    Blaney retains the points lead by 11, over Logano.

    1. Alex Bowman – 110 laps led, Stage 1 Winner
    2. Kyle Busch
    3. Kurt Busch
    4. Chase Elliott
    5. Brad Keselowski – six laps led
    6. Denny Hamlin
    7. Jimmie Johnson – ten laps led
    8. Aric Almirola
    9. Kevin Harvick
    10. Erik Jones
    11. Tyler Reddick
    12. Joey Logano
    13. Matt DiBenedetto
    14. Martin Truex Jr. – three laps led
    15. William Byron – one lap led
    16. Chris Buescher
    17. Ross Chastain
    18. Cole Custer – one lap down
    19. Ryan Blaney – one lap down, 54 laps led, Stage 2 winner
    20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – one lap down, 6 laps led
    21. Kyle Larson – one lap down
    22. Michael McDowell – one lap down
    23. Clint Bowyer – one lap down, ten laps led
    24. Austin Dillon – one lap down
    25. John Hunter Nemechek – one lap down
    26. Ty Dillon – one lap down
    27. Bubba Wallace – two laps down
    28. Daniel Suarez – two laps down
    29. Corey Lajoie – three laps down
    30. Ryan Preece – three laps down
    31. JJ Yeley – three laps down
    32. Brennan Poole – five laps down
    33. Joey Gase – seven laps down
    34. Garrett Smithley – seven laps down
    35. Quin Houff – eight laps down
    36. Reed Sorenson – nine laps down
    37. Timmy Hill – 16 laps down
    38. Christopher Bell – OUT
  • Bowyer notches fourth career Cup Series pole at Auto Club Speedway

    Bowyer notches fourth career Cup Series pole at Auto Club Speedway

    With a time of 40.086 seconds and a speed of 179.614 mph, Kansas native Clint Bowyer qualified on the pole for this Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Raceway. Bowyer narrowly edged out fan-favorite Jimmie Johnson for the pole by 0.007 seconds. However, the qualifying run surprised the Stewart-Haas Racing driver.

    “Certainly that is where you want to be,” Bowyer said. “Honestly, I didn’t really see that in the car. We didn’t run a qualifying lap yesterday. We made some changes in happy hour and the car kind of woke up and showed some speed but honestly, we were kind of focused on downforce and doing what we needed to do in traffic.”

    “That being said, that thing rocketed to the top there and he told me the lap time and I was like, ‘Damn, I think that is on the pole.’ Again, the sun was coming out and that changed the qualifying day quite a bit as the sun came out and it was right before us. I was watching the Gibbs cars go and you could see on SMT with the data we have now you can visibly see everyone starting to really jerk on the wheel in the middle of one and two and get loose. I was like, ‘Oh damn, here I go. I am fixing to see the same thing.’ Sure enough, I got in there and she just kind of slid in the slot and I didn’t have to chase it up the track.”

    “I just gave it one big catch and it pointed and shot off the corner and I was able to keep the throttle down. Then you see the 48 car, the last car out, the story of his last race at home. I figured there was no way we were going to win. I was better coming to the green and then better through one and two but then all of a sudden off of two he had a really good run and got ahead of me into three and four. Honestly, he was ahead of me off of four even, but I just pulled it down just a little bit more than he did down the front straightaway and just barely got him. That is what qualifying is all about with this product where you are all but wide open. It comes down to your balance and how the car is trimmed out and things like that. It makes it interesting and nerve-wracking as well because it is all so close.”

    For now, this will be Jimmie Johnson’s last race at his hometown racetrack in Southern California. The California native just almost knocked out Bowyer for the pole but had to settle for second. Despite not getting the pole, Sunday’s race will be just as special for Johnson, as his kids will get to wave the green flag to start the race.

    “It will be super special,” Johnson said. “I wish we were one spot further ahead and clearly off turn four there I ran a little more distance to the start-finish. It is such a fine balance to try to understand how much you can open up and let the engine run. Clearly I did too much, but that’s just the competitor in me. Very special weekend for me and I can’t wait to see my girls up in the flag stand waving the green flag.”

    There was more qualifying news as both Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. failed inspection. Busch failed twice and was still able to do a qualifying lap, while Truex failed three times and did not get to post a lap. Both Busch and Truex will be starting from the rear tomorrow.

    Tomorrow’s race can be seen on FOX with a start time of 3:30 p.m. ET.

    Starting lineup:

    1. Clint Bowyer
    2. Jimmie Johnson
    3. Alex Bowman
    4. Kurt Busch, will start in the rear
    5. Kevin Harvick
    6. Aric Almirola
    7. Joey Logano
    8. Michael McDowell
    9. Kyle Larson
    10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    11. Chris Buescher
    12. Matt DiBenedetto
    13. Chase Elliott
    14. Bubba Wallace
    15. Brad Keselowski
    16. Ryan Blaney
    17. Kyle Busch
    18. Cole Custer
    19. Tyler Reddick
    20. Ryan Preece
    21. William Byron
    22. Christopher Bell
    23. John Hunter Nemechek
    24. Ty Dillon
    25. Austin Dillon
    26. Corey LaJoie
    27. Ross Chastain
    28. Denny Hamlin
    29. Erik Jones
    30. J.J. Yeley
    31. Daniel Suarez
    32. Brennan Poole
    33. Reed Sorenson
    34. Joey Gase
    35. Quin Houff
    36. Garrett Smithley
    37. Timmy Hill
    38. Martin Truex Jr. – did not make a qualifying run due to inspection failures

  • Weekend schedule for Auto Club Speedway

    Weekend schedule for Auto Club Speedway

    This week the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Auto Club Speedway. The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series has two weeks off and will return to competition at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 14.

    The last five Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway have been won by five different drivers: Kyle Busch (2019), Martin Truex Jr. (2018), Kyle Larson (2017), Jimmie Johnson (2016) and Brad Keselowski (2015). Cole Custer won last year’s Xfinity Series race at the 2-mile track.

    There are 36 cars on the Xfinity Series preliminary entry list and 38 cars on the Cup Series preliminary entry list.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, February 28

    3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice – FS1

    4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Practice – FS1/MRN

    5:02 p.m. – 5:27 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice – FS1

    5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – FS1/MRN

    Saturday, February 29

    1:05 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) FS1

    2:35 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) FS1/MRN

    4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Production Alliance Group 300 race (Stages 35/70/150 Laps = 300 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio


    Sunday, March 1

    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Auto Club 400 Cup Series race (Stages 60/120/200 Laps = 400 Miles) FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano took the win in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas, staying on the track during a late caution to secure the win.

    “My crew chief Paul Wolfe said to pit,” Logano said, “but I didn’t hear him, so I stayed out. Now, a lot of people are telling me I should have my ears checked, most notably Kurt Busch’s cosmetic surgeon.”

    2. Ryan Blaney: Blaney seemed headed to victory at Las Vegas before Ross Chastain’s spin brought out the caution with six laps to go. Blaney hit the pits, but Joey Logano stayed out to steal the win. Blaney finished 11th and leads the points standings.

    “I guess we should have stayed out,” Blaney said. “It was a regrettable decision, but we can always learn from our mistakes. As a team, we usually meet and discuss the big mistakes we’ve made. We call it the ‘craps!’ table.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished eighth at Las Vegas and is third in the Cup series points standings.

    “Compared to Daytona,” Harvick said, “this race was pretty boring. There were no huge crashes, no photo finish, and no President taking a lap. So apparently, what happens in Daytona stays in Daytona.”

    4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Stenhouse finished third in the Pennzoil 400 and is fifth in the Cup points standings.

    “It’s early in the season,” Stenhouse said. “I know because I’m fifth in the points standings.

    “But I believe I can keep it going, because I believe in myself, and unlike Aaron Rodgers, I believe in God. I don’t think Danica Patrick shared my faith. Clearly, she was less in tune with the ‘heavenly father,’ and more in tune with ‘Go Daddy.’”

    5. Kyle Larson: Larson finished ninth in the Pennzoil 400.

    “The members of the 1980 Olympics gold medal-winning hockey team served as grand marshals,” Larson said. “The last time this sport experienced a ‘Miracle On Ice,’ was when Jeremy Mayfield was able to drive while high on meth.”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 17th at Las Vegas.

    “It was a tough day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hamlin said. “No one finished better than 15th. So, you could say, here in Las Vegas, JGR went ‘bust.’ In other words, it was a case of ‘Toyota-ta‘s.’”

    7. Chase Elliott: Elliott won the first 2 stages at Las Vegas, but suffered a flat tire with 50 laps remaining, which ruined any chance for the win. Elliott eventually finished 26th, one lap down, and is seventh in the points standings.

    “I was dominating the race,” Elliott said. “My chances of winning the race were high, then, ‘Poof!,’ it all came crashing to a halt. It was the epitome of the phrase ‘Odds and ends.’”

    8. Austin Dillon: Dillon finished fourth at Las Vegas after posting a 12th in the Daytona 500. He is sixth in the points standings.

    “Did you see Michael Waltrip in the ‘Between Two Buschs’ segment on Fox’s pre-race coverage?” Dillon said. “Michael looked stoned. If his brother Darrell did the ‘Ickey Shuffle,’ then Michael must be doing the ‘Sticky Ickey Shuffle.’”

    9. Matt DiBenedetto: DiBenedetto took the runner-up spot in Las Vegas in just his second race with Wood Brothers Racing.

    “Obviously,” DiBenedetto said, “staying on the track during that late caution was the right call. And Ryan Blaney and William Byron learned a hard lesson about taking new tires. So, to all those who believe you should always take fresh rubber during a caution, well, they just need to ‘get a grip.’”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 14th on a tough day for Joe Gibbs Racing, who failed to place a driver in the top 10.

    “I’ve won seven consecutive Truck Series races,” Busch said. “And Kevin Harvick has offered a $50,000 bounty to any full-time Cup driver who beats me in the next four races. Harvick can take that money and shove it, right back into his bank account because no one’s going to claim it.”

  • Episode 6: Viva Las Vegas, Is Newman made of old Nokia phones, an unusual top-10

    Episode 6: Viva Las Vegas, Is Newman made of old Nokia phones, an unusual top-10

    Guest host Justin Schuoler from KickInTheTires.net joins the show to talk about the Las Vegas race weekend, gambling on track, and if Ryan Newman is made of old Nokia phones.

  • Joey Logano holds off field to win at Las Vegas

    Joey Logano holds off field to win at Las Vegas

    Joey Logano found victory lane Sunday afternoon in the Team Penske No. 22 after holding off the field in overtime at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The win at Vegas marks Logano’s 24th career win in the Cup Series.

    “Winning the Pennzoil 400 with the Pennzoil car, this is huge,” Logano said. “It means a lot to be able to do this two years in a row winning this race. I’m proud of the effort everybody here behind me did today. They prepared a great car and executed the race perfectly and that’s what we wanted. We fought hard and tried to keep every spot we possibly could and then ultimately, oh man, being able to pull it into Victory Lane here.”

    Qualifying was rained out on Saturday morning and the lineup was set based on last year’s owner points.

    Defending champion Kyle Busch was on the pole but was sent to the rear due to failing prerace inspection. Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and rookie Christopher Bell were other notables that also failed inspection. Hamlin and Bell too would be sent to the back.

    Stage 1:

    Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. would lead the field down to the green flag but issues in the back would plague Daniel Suarez as his No. 96 Toyota could not get up to speed, bringing out the first yellow.

    Harvick brought the field to green again but was swiftly passed by Logano. A few laps later the two would swap the top position and on Lap 12 Truex joined the fray in a three-wide tussle for the lead. Harvick’s No. 4 held them off and continued to lead as the competition caution waved on Lap 25.

    As the stage wound down, Chase Elliott’s car came to life as he inherited the race lead with 14 to go in Stage 1 and the No. 9 NAPA Chevy would win Stage 1.

    Truex, Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Logano, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, and Ross Chastain would round out the top 10 in Stage 1.

    Stage 2:

    Elliott would lead the field to the beginning of Stage 2, but Harvick’s car would launch off well, easily passing Elliott for the lead.

    A long run would ensue with Harvick going backward as Elliott took back the lead, with Truex following right behind the No. 9.

    Bell had a close call in Turn 3 as the No. 95 would slide into the corner but he kept it straight, preventing a yellow.

    Halfway into Stage 2 pit road became busy as the leaders started coming in. Johnson and Hamlin nearly collided when Johnson was coming out of his stall, while Hamlin was doing the opposite.

    Truex would be the leader near the end of the cycle, but Stenhouse and the No. 47 crew would stay out on the track, banking on a yellow. However, they would pull down to pit road to take two tires and fuel.

    Elliott would reel in Truex and pass the No. 19 for the lead and he would win Stage 2 under caution due to Bell crashing off of Turn 2.

    Blaney, Truex, Byron, Logano, Harvick, Johnson, Larson, Alex Bowman, and Busch would round out the Top 10 for Stage 2.

    Stage 3:

    Truex would beat the field off of pit lane but he had to come back down due to loose lug-nuts.

    Blaney and Logano would push each other on the restart, with the two Penske cars pulling away until a spin by John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 38 would bunch the field back up together.

    Another restart ensued and Truex would find trouble as the No. 19 would hit the wall on the frontstretch, giving the Toyota a right front tire rub before eventually hitting the Turn 3 wall, bringing out another yellow.

    Logano and Blaney would continue to swap the lead and Harvick would also have his fair share of the lead with 84 to go between the two Penske cars.

    With 63 to go, it was between Elliott and Blaney for the lead, with Elliott passing Blaney on the inside in Turn 1. The No. 9 would hold the gap from the No. 12 until pit stops began again.

    The JTG Daugherty cars of Stenhouse and Preece, as well as Front Row’s Nemechek would stay out and a caution would fly as Elliott’s car had a left rear tire go down, sending the No. 9 into the Turn 1 wall with right rear damage.

    Stenhouse and Nemechek were able to prosper due to the yellow, but Preece’s No. 37 would go behind the wall due to engine issues. The caution would change up the pit cycle leading to several of the frontrunners taking the wave around while Stenhouse and Nemechek pitted and maintained their track position.

    The two would be swiftly passed on the restart as Logano and Harvick would take command. Blaney would follow closely behind, making it a three-way battle for the lead.

    All three drivers were using different lines of the track as the laps wound down. Logano was passed by Harvick and Blaney, and soon Blaney would pass Harvick with 19 to go.

    While the Fords battled it out, one other driver, Bowman, slowly worked his way into the picture.

    Bowman’s No. 88 Chevy came to life as he reeled in the leaders. The Arizona native was coming up fast and disposed of Harvick and Logano quickly. With 9 to go, he was in the runner-up spot. A late yellow would fly as Chastain spun off of Turn 2 with 6 to go.

    With a handful of laps left, the strategies were split as Blaney, Johnson, Bowman, and Harvick were notables that came into pit lane. Logano, Matt DiBenedetto, Wallace, and several others would stay out.

    It came down to NASCAR overtime and Logano would get a push from Stenhouse. Then, after taking the white flag, a crash on the frontstretch would bring the yellow out, securing Logano’s win.

    Logano credited spotter T.J. Majors on navigating him on the last 20 laps leading to his eventual win.

    “T.J. does a great job up there being able to just call the lanes and where the runs are coming from, so trying to block those and then also just staring in the mirror trying to watch a run come along, so between all of that I had my hands full in there,” Logano said. “I think everyone had their hands full out there. It was a fun race. The track was wide and made it hard to maintain the lead when you got it.”

    There were nine cautions for 37 laps and 25 different leaders for seven drivers.

    1. Joey Logano – 54 laps led
    2. Matt DiBenedetto
    3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 30 laps led
    4. Austin Dillon – one lap led
    5. Jimmie Johnson
    6. Bubba Wallace
    7. Brad Keselowski
    8. Kevin Harvick – 92 laps led
    9. Kyle Larson
    10. Ty Dillon
    11. Ryan Blaney – 19 laps led
    12. Clint Bowyer
    13. Alex Bowman
    14. Chris Buescher
    15. Kyle Busch
    16. Corey LaJoie
    17. Denny Hamlin
    18. Tyler Reddick
    19. Cole Custer
    20. Martin Truex Jr. – one lap led
    21. Aric Almirola
    22. William Byron
    23. Erik Jones
    24. John Hunter Nemechek
    25. Kurt Busch – one lap down
    26. Chase Elliott – one lap down, 70 laps led, Stage 1 and 2 winner
    27. Ross Chastain – two laps down
    28. JJ Yeley – three laps down
    29. Brennan Poole – three laps down
    30. Daniel Suarez – four laps down
    31. Joey Gase – nine laps down
    32. Quin Houff – nine laps down
    33. Christopher Bell – ten laps down
    34. Reed Sorenson – 14 laps down
    35. Garrett Smithley – 15 laps down
    36. Michael McDowell – 45 laps down
    37. Ryan Preece – OUT, Engine
    38. Timmy Hill – OUT, Rear End

    Cup Series Race Number 2
    Race Results for the 23rd Annual Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube – Sunday, February 23, 2020
    Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, NV – 1.5 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 267 Laps – 400.5 Miles

    FinStrNoDriverLapsS1PosS2PosS3PosPtsStatus
    1522Joey Logano26755052Running
    21921Matt DiBenedetto26700035Running
    32647Ricky Stenhouse Jr.26700034Running
    4213Austin Dillon26700033Running
    51848Jimmie Johnson26797038Running
    62743Bubba Wallace26700031Running
    782Brad Keselowski26700030Running
    834Kevin Harvick26736042Running
    9642Kyle Larson26778035Running
    102413Ty Dillon26700027Running
    11712Ryan Blaney26742042Running
    12914Clint Bowyer26700025Running
    131288Alex Bowman26789029Running
    142317Chris Buescher26700023Running
    15118Kyle Busch267010023Running
    163032Corey LaJoie26700021Running
    17411Denny Hamlin26700020Running
    18258Tyler Reddick #26700019Running
    191741Cole Custer #26700018Running
    20219Martin Truex Jr.26723034Running
    211410Aric Almirola26700016Running
    221124William Byron26764027Running
    231620Erik Jones26700014Running
    242938John Hunter Nemechek #26700013Running
    25131Kurt Busch26600012Running
    26109Chase Elliott26611031Running
    27156Ross Chastain(i)26510000Running
    283752JJ Yeley(i)2640000Running
    293315Brennan Poole #2640008Running
    303596* Daniel Suarez2630007Running
    313153Joey Gase(i)2580000Running
    32320Quin Houff #2580005Running
    332295Christopher Bell #2570004Running
    343677Reed Sorenson2530003Running
    353451Garrett Smithley2520002Running
    362834Michael McDowell2450001Running
    372037Ryan Preece2220001Engine
    383866* Timmy Hill(i)1750000Rear End
  • Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    This week all three series head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Strat 200 is scheduled for Friday night while the Xfinity Series will take center stage Saturday with the Boyd Gaming 300. The NASCAR Cup Series will close out the weekend’s activities with the Pennzoil 400 Sunday afternoon.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Feb. 21

    11:05 a.m.: Truck Series final practice – No TV

    2:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series final practice – FS2

    4:05 p.m.: Cup Series first practice – FS1

    5:05 p.m.: Truck Series qualifying – Impound/Single Vehicle/One Lap/All Positions – FS1

    7:30 p.m.: Cup Series final practice – FS1

    9 p.m.: Truck Series Strat 200 (Stages 30/60/134 Laps = 201 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, Feb. 22

    1:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series qualifying – Impound/Single Vehicle/One Lap/All Positions – FS1

    2: 35 p.m.: Cup Series qualifying – Impound/Single Vehicle/One Lap/All Positions – FS1/PRN

    4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Boyd Gaming 300 (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles) FS1//PRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Sunday, Feb. 22

    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Pennzoil 400 (Stages 80/160/267 Laps = 400.5 Miles) FOX/PRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Defending Race Winners:

    Cup Series: Joey Logano

    Xfinity Series: Kyle Busch

    Truck Series: Kyle Busch