Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

  • Logano Approaches Race 2 of a Round Like Any Other Race

    Logano Approaches Race 2 of a Round Like Any Other Race

    Asked if there’s any pressure in the second race of a round if you don’t win the opening race of the round, Joey Logano said he’ll just approach it the same way he would any other race.

    Speaking to the media during his media availability this morning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford was asked what the pressure is like in the second race of a round when you fail to score the victory in the first race of the round.

    “I just approach it the same way I would any other race,” Logano said. “If you didn’t have a good race last week, then the pressure is added – no doubt. But we finished second last week and scored some good points. We talk about this round as being base hits and don’t have to do anything crazy. We did that exactly last week, so we’ll just come up here and do the same exact thing. If something happens, something happens and we’ll approach Dover in a different way, but, right now, let’s go out here and if we can win the race, let’s win the race. If not, let’s try to top-5 it and that will give us a good sense of security heading into Dover. It’s one race at a time, one step at a time. For us personally, the 22 team had a good weekend last week. The pressure is probably the same as what it was in Chicago. We just have to do what we know how to do.”

    Last week, Logano scored a runner-up finish in the Chase-opening Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. His afternoon wasn’t a barn burner or down in the dumps. He just drove under the radar until the checker flew.

    He currently sits fifth in points just seven out of first-place.

    He was also asked if Team Penske sweeping the first three spots in the final points standings in IndyCar this season added any pressure on and/or open up resources for he and Brad Keselowski.

    “They finished one-two-three, so holy moly! I don’t know if you want to call it added pressure, but I think there’s plenty on us already and I think we are better under pressure,” he added. “I like that. Fifty years for Team Penske, you guys well know that. But for them to do that on the 50th Anniversary is very special and it’s really cool to be somewhat a part of that. I feel like I’m part of the team – even the Indy Car team. There are a lot of guys that are cross-pollinated throughout our company. Does it open up some resources? Maybe a little bit here and there, maybe more time for a lot of guys like maybe the machine shop opens up a little bit.

    “I’m probably not the best person to answer a lot of those questions, but it is a motivational thing. I think it’s great to see that. It makes the NASCAR guys want to go out here and continue this awesome year that Team Penske has had so far, and Brad and I have a great shot at it. What if we finished one-two at Homestead? How cool would that be? We have an amazing opportunity to do that. We’ve got a long ways to go to get there, but we can do it.”

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for New Hampshire and Kentucky

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for New Hampshire and Kentucky

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend while the XFINITY Series will compete at Kentucky Speedway. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Sept.23:

    On-Track at New Hampshire:
    11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App
    1:45-2:40 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series First Practice – FS1
    3:30-4:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS1
    4:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    Garage Cam at New Hampshire:
    11a.m.: Sprint Cup Series (Watch live)
    1 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series (Watch live)

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:15 a.m.: Joey Logano
    10:30 a.m.: Matt Kenseth
    11 a.m.: John Hunter Nemechek
    11:15 a.m.: William Byron
    1:05 p.m.: Carl Edwards
    3 p.m.: Austin Dillon
    5:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Post Qualifying (time approx.)

    On-Track at Kentucky:
    3:30-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series First Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App
    6-7:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    Saturday, Sept. 24:

    On Track at New Hampshire:
    9-9:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Second Practice – CNBC/NBC Sports App
    10:10 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – CNBC/NBC Sports App
    1 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series UNOH 175 (175 laps, 185.15 miles) – FS1

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    3 p.m.: Post Truck Series Race

    On Track at Kentucky:
    4:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/NBC Sports App
    8 p.m.: XFINITY Series VisitMyrtleBeach.com (200 laps, 300 miles) – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    Sunday, Sept. 25:

    On-Track at New Hampshire:
    2 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Bad Boy Off Road 300 (300 laps, 317.4 miles) – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    Press Conferences at New Hampshire: (Watch live)
    5 p.m.: Post Sprint Cup Race

     

     

  • Jeff Gordon: ‘I will be here as long as they need me’

    Jeff Gordon: ‘I will be here as long as they need me’

    Jeff Gordon says he “will be here as long as they need me” for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Speaking in his weekly media availability at Pocono Raceway, the substitute driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was asked how long he’s prepared to fill in for Earnhardt and if there’s a plan in place for next week at Watkins Glen International.

    “Well, we have to cross that bridge when we get there. It seems like… it was great last Friday to see him (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) say ‘hey I feel good today and made some progress.’ We want to just keep going with how he is feeling.  The doctors are evaluating.  I’m not speculating anything at this time.”

    Earnhardt has been sidelined with concussion-like symptoms since the week leading into the New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Last Friday, he took to Twitter to give an update on his status, saying “Today is the 1st day in many that I sensed improvement. Seen small gains during my physical therapy as well. Light at the end of the tunnel.”

    During his absence, his ride has been driven by Alex Bowman at Loudon and Gordon at Indianapolis. Both Earnhardt and Gordon praised Bowman for his drive at Loudon.

    “The result will not show what a great job and the gang did this weekend. Proud of them guys,” Earnhardt said on Twitter following the race at New Hampshire.

    “I thought Alex Bowman did an excellent job at New Hampshire,” Gordon said. “I tell you after going through what I went through at Indy I have a much greater appreciation for him because that was one of the toughest things I ever did. Not just getting in the race car after eight months, but trying to fill-in for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. knowing the kind of attention that it gets. My heart was beating out of my chest because of the pressure and the eyes that were on you as much as just not being in the car. Great job to Alex.”

    He described his role as “a balance between trying to make this transition. First of all, you want Dale to have the comfort of knowing that somebody is there for him. He doesn’t have to worry about that aspect of it through this process. Just get well at the pace that is the right pace to do it. So, nobody is putting any pressure or time frame on that. He may be putting that on himself more than anybody else. Then there is the side of who is the best person to be in the car to get the most points. And then there is the sponsorship side of it as well. So far from what Rick (Hendrick) is telling me that seems to be me. That is why I was at Indy and that is why I’m here.”

  • The View from my Recliner — Just before the Brickyard

    The View from my Recliner — Just before the Brickyard

    I am writing this in anticipation of missing the Brickyard 400 live because I will be returning home from a wedding. My DVR better not let me down.

    Some thoughts before the green is dropped tomorrow.

    The piece on NBCSN with Tony Stewart reading letters from Robin Miller, Greg Zippadelli, Eddie Jarvis and his dad should be a great piece to watch. If the preview of the story is just a touch of what you will see, it should be a great five minutes on the pre-race show.

    You would think by watching promos for the Brickyard that Jeff Gordon was the only person running at Indy. Smart move on NBCSN to use a Fox Sports commentator as your promo. It should be interesting to see how Gordon fares in the 88 car.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s concussion-like symptoms kept him out of the car at New Hampshire and will keep him out at Indy and Pocono; the future is still to be determined. I think the decision on Earnhardt’s part to skip races to get healthy is the right move. He has a life to live and if he isn’t 100 percent physically in a race car, going 200 mph can cause further issues as he moves forward in life, possibly hurt another driver and cost him more than a chance at a championship. Smart move Jr.

    Richard Childress said this week that he is getting closer to solidifying his driver line-up for next year. My prediction is that he brings the charter that belongs to Circle Sport-Levine Family racing back to RCR and puts Ty Dillon into a fourth RCR entry. I think Childress values what Ryan Newman brings to the team and will keep him in a car. The RCR ride for Paul Menard is the best ride that he and his family can buy and Austin Dillon is going nowhere.

    It is nice to see Roush Fenway Racing getting back to where they were during the days of when Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards ran for them. Jack Roush is a legend of the sport and you weren’t going to keep him and his team down forever. He went young with drivers and will continue to improve as his drivers grow with experience.

    The truck race at Eldora was the best race all season in all three NASCAR national touring series. Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Bobby Pierce put on a great show in the front of the field and throughout the race, you could see three and four wide at times trying to get a position. It was the most exciting race of the season and I am already looking forward to next year’s truck race.

    Five predictions going forward:

    1. Tony Stewart wins the Brickyard 400 to solidify his spot in the Chase and add to his final season.
    2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not make the Chase and because of that, he might not run for an extended period of time.
    3. Ryan Blaney will make the Chase.
    4. William Byron will be announced as a Joe Gibbs Racing XFINITY Driver in 2017.
    5. Kevin Harvick’s pit crew will be outstanding going forward. Last week’s public tongue lashing will solidify the over the wall guys because they know their jobs are on the line.

    Enjoy the Brickyard and we’ll talk next time with the View from My Recliner.

  • Four Gears

    Four Gears

    This week our staff takes a look at some of the hot topics in the world of NASCAR. We look back at New Hampshire, glance ahead to Indianapolis and rate the season to date. Our staff also tackles the question of penalties and when/if those penalties should affect the outcome of a race. We are joined by guest contributor, Katelyn Kinnett, co-founder of NASCARFemale.com.

    1st Gear: How would you rate last weekend’s race at New Hampshire on a scale of 1-10 and why?

    I would rate it a 7.5/10. It’s not a race I’ll look back at years from now and say “Boy, that was an awesome race at Loudon back in July of 2016,” but I think it was good in the context of the 2016 season. At this point, I’d probably list it as an honorable mention when I do my list of the best races of 2016 in December. – Tucker White

    I’d put it at around a 7. It wasn’t too bad because there was a lot of racing at the front of the field, a lot of going back and forth for position, leaders were within striking distance of each other, et al. Sure, it wasn’t ideal like Atlanta considering the majority of laps led were led by Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas, so there wasn’t much diversity up front manufacturer-wise. But with the field being bunched up by both lapped cars and cautions, this allowed for better racing and kept everyone’s attention. – Joseph Shelton

    I’d give it a 5. Nothing much happened in the first 200 laps, the last 101 were much better. If it wasn’t for the last 101 it would probably be a 2. The Toyotas are just on another level right now. – Michael Finley

    I would most likely give it a 6, only because of the long green flag runs that spread the field out. Then again, you could give it an 8 because when that occurs, you get lapped traffic in the mix, and there were several instances where the leader got caught racing lapped traffic and it allowed the second place driver to catch up – which, in turn, improved the racing. It’s truly a catch-22. The cautions at the end of the race definitely provided the fans with great racing – especially during the restarts, so with all of that said, I’d be inclined to up my initial rating to a 7 – just to meet both sides halfway. – Katelyn Kinnett

    2nd Gear: Does the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway still hold as one of the crown jewel events of the sport? If yes, where would you rank it?

    The answer is yes. It’s not the most entertaining race of the season, but it’s one of the cathedrals of auto racing. The order of importance to me is the Daytona 500 at No. 1, the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at No. 2, the Coca-Cola 600 at No. 3 and the Brickyard 400 at No. 4. – Tucker White

    The Brickyard 400 will forever be a crown jewel of NASCAR. It’s a historical track where many racing legends, not just NASCAR drivers, have visited Victory Lane. It’s the epitome of racing elegance and is a pillar of American motorsport. That said, it’s not as prestigious as it once was because it’s been marketed out and watered down.

    Thing is, in NASCAR, you mention the Daytona 500 and you can just feel that awe, that majesty, that the event inspires. It has never been the Coca-Cola Daytona 500, or the Toyota Services Daytona 500, but just the Daytona 500. It’s a mighty track, the grandest venue NASCAR races at. But you can’t say that for Indy. Aside from the fact that Indy wasn’t originally built with stock cars in mind, it’s hard to take as series. Plus, look at the name over the years. It’s been the Crown Royal 400 at the Brickyard. It’s been the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

    Selling the naming rights to a race at Indy waters down the prestige, in my honest opinion. That and bringing in the Xfinity Series when the division is at its worst has definitely diminished Indy NASCAR racing in my eyes. Of NASCAR’s biggest events, I place Indy at the bottom rung. – Joseph Shelton

    No. It has had terrible racing for a long time, on a track that just wasn’t designed for stock cars. Sure, the race was a novelty the first five to ten years, but it has long overstayed its welcome. Indianapolis is a great city for a race, though I think I’d rather watch the cars rub fenders at Lucas Oil Raceway Park than go watch a parade around a rectangle. And with the recent reports that IMS has only sold roughly 35,000 seats as of Monday, the fans seem to agree. – Michael Finley

    I would say that it is still considered a crown jewel; however, I feel that it has lost its luster with bringing the XFINITY Series into the mix. In my opinion, the NXS series should have never left O’Reilly Raceway Park. It was a niche track and the fans loved it. I mean, who doesn’t like short-track racing? The Brickyard was known for being the place where Cup drivers could make their dreams come true “at the yard of bricks” but with adding an additional NASCAR touring series it has definitely knocked down the race a peg or two in my book. Daytona is, and always will be, the crown jewel. The Southern 500 would be second, with the Brickyard coming in as a close third. – Katelyn Kinnett

    3rd Gear: With this past weekend being the first race of the second half of the season, what was the biggest surprise – be it good or bad – of the first half of the 2016 season?

    It’s hands down Tony Stewart winning at Sonoma Raceway. Given his performance and off-track issues the last three years, I was convinced that Tony Stewart’s win at Dover in 2013 was going to be his last. In the last seven races, Stewart has finished outside the top-10 twice, and his bad finish at Pocono was a wreck that took him out while he was running in the top-10 where he had been most of the day. His other dud finish was Daytona which is a whole other animal. As much as I hate the “Smoke gets hot in the summer” cliché, that seems to be the case this year. – Tucker White

    The quality of racing has been the biggest – and best – surprise. The low downforce package has improved NASCAR’s product so well that it’s amazing to see how many awesome races we’ve had this year. – Joseph Shelton

    The biggest story of the season so far is the mid-summer saga of Dale Earnhardt Jr., and if the possible ramifications of concussions will lead to shortening his career. Earnhardt is by far the most popular driver in the sport, and the announcement of Jeff Gordon coming out of retirement to replace Earnhardt has only added fuel to the fire. – Michael Finley

    The biggest surprise of the first half of 2016 would probably be Smoke’s injury in his final year. I think it is a driver’s worst fear to be injured in an activity other than racing at the Cup level, especially in your final year in a race car. Stewart has the luxury of being the co-owner of the team he drives for so the conversation after the ATV incident, I’m sure, was far different than say, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s after the American Le Mans Series incident in which he suffered second-degree burns. – Katelyn Kinnett

    4th Gear: On SiriusXM Speedway this past Monday, the driving topic question of the day was “Is it time for NASCAR to consider taking away wins and/or bonus points from a team that fails post-race inspection.” What’s your stance on whether NASCAR should take away wins and/bonus points from a team that fails post-race inspection and why?

    I had always been on the fence with this one, but I’ve come around to saying NASCAR should take away a win for a car failing post-race inspection. However, it should only be for a P6-level infraction. We don’t need this to turn into the Snowball Derby where the winning car gets disqualified for having so much as a one-micrometer dent in the wrong place. In other words, take the win away if the car has an illegal engine, illegal fuel, illegal tires or puts the driver’s safety at risk. – Tucker White

    Absolutely! Strip the wins. These guys are money-making machines. A slap on the hand is nothing to these guys, and if they’re already in the Chase points won’t matter (unless they’re at or near 30th in points). If NASCAR wants the competitors and teams to be on their very best behavior then take away what means the most and what can hit them the hardest in the long run – the big W. – Joseph Shelton

    There was a Finley Factor article a month ago that talked about overhauling the Chase seeding for the first round. Right now NASCAR only rewards three bonus points per win in the first round. By making wins mean more (I suggested 10 points per win), it discourages teams from playing so hard and fast with the rules because that means fewer points to start the Chase. Kenseth was penalized a meaningless 15 points and crew chief Jason Ratcliff was given a $25,000 fine that the team will probably pay off anyway. If the infraction had put the No. 20 team in a hole after Richmond, it would mean so much more. Wins shouldn’t be taken away unless the car is ridiculously illegal. It shouldn’t be a question after the race who won it for both the fans and the sponsors. – Michael Finley

    In my opinion, if a car fails post-race inspection – the win is negated; period. An advantage is an advantage. Lance Armstrong had to relinquish his Tour de France wins because of his advantage. Whether it be by man or machine, it’s one and the same at the end of the day. – Katelyn Kinnett

    Please join us again next week and become a part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comment section below.

     

  • Bowman’s Loudon Performance Proof of Driver Talent

    Bowman’s Loudon Performance Proof of Driver Talent

    It’s an unspoken opinion among many NASCAR pundits and competitors: Alex Bowman is a talented, capable driver. Granted, there’s been an absence of trophies in his record, with a 13th-place at Daytona in 2014 being his career-best finish. But with the right equipment, Bowman could very well pull off some strong performances.

    Case in point, Sunday at Loudon. Subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowman posted a 20th-place qualifying effort and marched his way steadily to the front. Before tangling with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, Bowman had reached the top-10 in the No. 88 and was in position to take a top-five spot at race’s end. The record books will show a 26th-place finish, which is pretty standard for Bowman’s Sprint Cup efforts. What the record books won’t show is how well he was performing beforehand.

    Bowman has had a NASCAR career built around subpar equipment and lesser-funded teams. So by driving the No. 88 for JR Motorsports in the XFINITY Series, Bowman’s talents have been on full display in 2016, as he has scored a pole, two top-fives and five top-10s in five starts. It hasn’t been a fluke at all; Bowman is an excellent driver in need of a full-time ride, especially with JRM. If that’s accomplished, then wins and title runs would be within grasp for that organization.

    So look more into Bowman’s performance on Sunday. He ran better than he ever had in his Sprint Cup career and was on pace for a career-best day. Even with the accident, his race was something for other team owners to look at and see that Bowman holds a lot of untapped potential. His XFINITY efforts this season have backed that up.

    Bowman can put a car in the top-10 if he has the right equipment. He’s very good about taking care of his equipment and has the right amount of discipline to not get himself into a situation that he can’t get out of. Put him on a good car with a team that can be built around him. He’ll be a contender in no time.

     

  • Cut Tire Ends Impressive Run for Bowman

    Cut Tire Ends Impressive Run for Bowman

    Alex Bowman surprised a lot of people running in the top-10 most of the back half of the Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire before a tire blowout in the closing laps relegated him to a back half finish in his substitute drive for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    With 29 laps to go, Alex Bowman was running eighth, but contact on pit road with Carl Edwards and further contact with Kurt Busch caused a tire rub on his left-rear that resulted in a blowout and contacting the wall on the frontstretch going into Turn 1.

    “I think the No. 19 was backing up because he was blocked in as I was leaving the pit box,” Bowman said of what he thought led to his tire going down. “My left-rear hit his right-rear as I was leaving.  It caved it in enough, we thought we would be fine, but obviously, when I got into the No. 41 it was already going down. I got really loose, got up the race track and got into him. I hate that for Kurt. Obviously, just got loose had a tire going down and then it went down at about the start/finish line, I just tried to hang on to it. It is really unfortunate. They knew we were here for sure and I had a blast.”

    Bowman was chosen to drive the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on Thursday after Earnhardt was declared medically unclear to race this weekend with symptoms of a concussion.

    “When I got the call I’m like, ‘Oh, Loudon? Really? Okay, well, I’ll try,’” he said. “And they were so welcoming. Such great people to get to work with. Greg (Ives) and all the guys. I had so much fun working with everybody. And I’ve got to thank Mr. ‘H’, too; it was just an absolute blast. I was off a little bit in practice and qualifying, so I feel like I got my act together for the race and it definitely showed.”

    The lackluster finish didn’t stop him from saying the experience “was amazing. I can’t thank Hendrick Motorsports and all these guys enough. They took me to my worst race track by far and made me look good. I just have to thank Mr. H. I had such an amazing time. Everybody, Greg (Ives, crew chief) and all the guys were so welcoming.”

    “I hate the circumstances and really hope Dale is feeling well, but I had so much fun today.  Obviously, I hate that we didn’t get the finish we deserve, but I’ve raced with a lot of these guys for a long time, I raced around them (but) I’ve never got to actually race with guys like Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, all those guys.  I had a lot of fun passing really good cars. Just really thankful for Nationwide and all of Hendrick Motorsports for letting me be here.”

    Because Earnhardt didn’t start the race, he didn’t collect points for Bowman’s 26th-place finish. His absence dropped him to 15th in points at the Chase cutoff heading to Indianapolis.

  • Matt Kenseth Scores the Victory at Loudon

    Matt Kenseth Scores the Victory at Loudon

    Matt Kenseth will be dining on lobster following enduring a flurry of cautions late in the going to score the victory at the Magic Mile.

    The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. in the closing stages of the race and held on with the rush of cautions in the remaining laps to win the New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    “You’re always pleased to be in victory lane,” Kenseth said. “The farther down the road you get, the better they feel for sure. Thanks to everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing. I’ve said it a million times, but I’m blessed with this opportunity to be over here with the guys I get to work with and my great sponsors, Dollar General and of course, can’t do it without Toyota, TRD (Toyota Racing Development), Interstate Batteries, WileyX, Gatorade. Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and the team over there made great, great adjustments today. I didn’t do a very good job qualifying and after round one today it was pretty much money, we just had to get there. It was a fun day.”

    It’s his 24th career victory in 597 career Sprint Cup Series starts, second of the season, third at Loudon, the eighth top-10 finish of 2016 and 18th in 33 starts at Loudon.

    His car failed post-race inspection at the Laser Inspection Station (LIS). Any penalties resulting from this will be announced on Wednesday.

    Tony Stewart came home to a runner-up finish in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

    “It was fun,” Stewart said of his day. “The hardest part of the restarts was just which line you were in. If you were on the bottom you were at a huge disadvantage. You needed to be on that top line and needed to be able to hold them down when they got there. We restarted sixth on the outside that last time and that really was the key to getting us up where we were at the end.”

    It’s his 19th top-10 finish in 34 starts at Loudon and fifth of 2016.

    Despite being a non-factor for the whole race, Joey Logano edged out Kevin Harvick at the line to round out the podium in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

    “We were awful at the beginning of the race,” Logano said of his race. “We tried some new things and apparently they didn’t work so we aborted mission in the middle of the race and got some speed back in the 22 but not enough to beat the 20. I thought we would have something since we had four tires but we didn’t have the car to get up there with him. Overall, to recover to third after running 15th or 16th most of the race is pretty good for this team. We have a never quit attitude and it paid off today.”

    Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 SHR Chevrolet, wasn’t too happy with his race, saying he was “disgusted to tell you the truth. It’s the same thing every week. We just make mistake after mistake and until we clean that up we don’t have a chance to win races putting ourselves in a hole every time we make a mistake. It sucks because the cars are plenty fast, but we are just not executing.”

    Greg Biffle rounded out the top-five in his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

    “It was a great run with the 18 car there toward the end,” Biffle said. “We finally had a chance to race with those guys a little bit. We are still working hard on these cars to get them faster.”

    Jamie McMurray finished sixth in his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Ryan Newman finished seventh in his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet as Kyle Busch led 133 laps, the most of any driver, on his way to an eighth-place finish in his No. 18 JGR Toyota.

    “Our Interstate Batteries Camry was fast today we just didn’t need all of those cautions at the end,” Busch said of his race. “The car was strong on a long run. We still seemed to battle the balance and just kept going loose and tight at different points on the track. Given how much we led we are a little disappointed with eighth but we’ll take it and look to Indy next weekend.”

    Denny Hamlin led five laps on his way to a ninth-place finish in his No. 11 JGR Toyota and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top-10 in his No. 17 RFR Ford.

    Jimmie Johnson, who led one lap, finished 12th. Brad Keselowski, who led one lap, finished 15th while Truex, who led 123 laps, finished 16th.

    Alex Bowman was running in the top-10 toward the end of the race before a tire blowout relegated him to a 26th-place finish.

    “It was amazing,” Bowman said of his day. “I can’t thank Hendrick Motorsports and all these guys enough. They took me to my worst race track by far and made me look good. I just have to thank Mr. H (Rick Hendrick). I had such an amazing time. Everybody, Greg (Ives, crew chief) and all the guys were so welcoming. I hate the circumstances and really hope Dale is feeling well, but I had so much fun today. Obviously, I hate that we didn’t get the finish we deserve, but I’ve raced with a lot of these guys for a long time, raced around them (but) I’ve never got to actually race with guys like Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, all those guys. I had a lot of fun passing really good cars. Just really thankful for Nationwide and all of Hendrick Motorsports for letting me be here.”

    Twenty-six cars finished the race on the lead lap and 38 were running at the finish.

    Michael McDowell and Josh Wise were the only two retirements from the race.

    The race lasted two hours, 57 minutes and 53 seconds at an average speed of 107.416 mph. There were 13 lead changes among six different drivers and seven cautions for 36 laps.

    Harvick leaves Loudon with a 14-point lead over Keselowski in the points standings.

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/C1619_UNOFFRES.pdf”]

  • LaJoie Returns To Victory Lane

    LaJoie Returns To Victory Lane

    Picks Up First K&N Pro East Win Since 2012 At New Hampshire
    By Jason Christley, NASCAR

    LOUDON, N.H. (July 16, 2016) – Corey LaJoie returned to Victory Lane in dominating style Saturday night.

    LaJoie led the final 34 laps and drove away from the field on a green-white-checkered finish to win the United Site Services 70 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It was LaJoie’s first win since 2012 when he had five victories en route to a runner-up finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

    The victory came twenty years to the week that his father, two-time NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Randy LaJoie, won at New Hampshire. A then four-year-old Corey was in Victory Lane with his dad that day.

    This time, Corey LaJoie was the elder statesman, as the 24-year-old NASCAR Next alum held off runner-up Todd Gilliland, 16, and 17-year-old third-place finisher Justin Haley.

    Kyle Benjamin and Austin Theriault finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

    LaJoie was making his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East start of the season, driving the No. 41 CarQuest Auto Part Chevrolet for Ranier Racing with MDM. He started second alongside teammate Benjamin and took the lead from him on Lap 39.

    It was sweep redemption for LaJoie, who suffered a mechanical failure while running in the top 10 earlier in the day in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race. LaJoie also twice came close to winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at New Hampshire. He was was runner-up to Kyle Larson in 2012, and wrecked late in the running of the 2010 race while battling for the lead.

    Hunter Baize was sixth Saturday night, followed by Harrison Burton, Trey Hutchens, Ryan Preece and Tyler Dippel.

    With his finish, Haley was able to keep his lead to 40 points over Benjamin with five races remaining.

    The United Site Services 70 will air on NBCSN on Thursday, July 21 at 11 p.m.

    The NASCAR K&N Pro Series will next run at Iowa Speedway in the annual combination showdown with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in the Casey’s General Store 150 presented by Vatterott College on Friday, July 28.

    Complete Results:

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/race_results_-_nhms-KN.pdf”]

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Out of New Hampshire Race

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Out of New Hampshire Race

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not compete in this weekend’s Sprint Cup race in New Hampshire due to symptoms of a concussion.

    The driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was evaluated this week in Charlotte and physicians declared him unclear to take part in the New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    Earnhardt released a statement saying he “wasn’t feeling great the week going into Kentucky (Speedway) and thought it was possibly severe allergies. I saw a family doctor and was given medication for allergies and a sinus infection. When that didn’t help, I decided to dig a little deeper.”

    This is the second time that concussion symptoms have sidelined Earnhardt. He sat out two races late in the 2012 season following being caught in the last lap “Big One” in the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. After experiencing severe headaches, he went to see a physician and was diagnosed with a concussion. This was compounded by another concussion he sustained in a wreck at Kansas Speedway during a test a few weeks prior.

    “Because of my symptoms and my history with concussions, and after my recent wrecks at Michigan and Daytona, I reached out and met with a neurological specialist,” he added. “After further evaluation, they felt it was best for me to sit out.”

    “I’m disappointed about missing New Hampshire this weekend. I’m looking forward to treatment with the goal of getting back in the race car when the doctors say I’m ready.”

    Team owner, Rick Hendrick, voiced his support of the decision, saying, “I’m proud of Dale for standing up. The number-one priority is his health, so we’re going to give him all the time he needs. We completely support the decision by the doctors and will be ready to go win races when he’s 100 percent. In the meantime, we have full confidence in Greg (Ives) and the team, and we know they’ll do a great job.”

    Alex Bowman will drive in his place this weekend. No timetable for his return was announced and the organization will give an update next week prior to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.