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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 @AlexBRacing and the @nationwide88 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.”

July 29, 2016
Truex Nabs the Pole at Pocono

Martin Truex Jr. will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota scored the pole for the Pennsylvania 400 after posting a time of 50.211 and a speed of 179.244 mph.

“Feeling great,” Truex said of his feelings on getting the pole position. “It’s exciting for us, you know anytime you win anything in this series it’s a big deal. Getting a pole today is awesome. We had a game plan coming here that we felt like we needed to qualify well to have a shot at winning on Sunday and we were able to do so today was a success.”266

It’s his 10th career pole in 390 Sprint Cup Series starts, the third of the season, first in 22 starts at Pocono and his 14th top-10 start of 2016.

Carl Edwards will start second in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after posting a time of 50.315 and a speed of 178.873 mph.

““I guess the thing I’m most grateful for about the lap is coming across the line I had the urge because it was such a good lap to say something on the radio like, ‘That’s it. That’s the pole.’ I’ve got to brag a little bit but it wasn’t good enough so I’m glad I didn’t say that,” Edwards said of his qualifying run. “My lap was awesome and Martin’s lap was spectacular so congrats to them. We have a very fast race car and all three rounds went really well and I’m really looking forward to the race.”

Paul Menard will start third in his No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 50.372 and a speed of 178.671 mph.

Menard said afterwards that he has “had a rough year. We are not where we expected to be and need to be in points, so we had to make a change. Danny (Stockman) came in here and gave us a good car right off the truck. We stuck in qualifying trim all day. We know we have to improve our qualifying that just starts your race off way better. A good way to start it off.”

Denny Hamlin will start fourth in his No. 11 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 50.409 and a speed of 178.540 mph. Ryan Newman will round out the top-five starters in his No. 31 RCR Chevrolet after posting a time of 50.439 and a speed of 178.433 mph.

Tony Stewart will start sixth in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. Brad Keselowski will start seventh in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Chase Elliott will start eighth in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Matt Kenseth will start ninth in his No. 20 JGR Toyota. Joey Logano will round out the top-10 in his No. 22 Penske Ford.

Kyle Larson will start 11th in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Austin Dillon will round out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet.

Forty cars attempted to qualify. So no driver was sent home.

Twenty-two Chevrolet’s, 11 Ford’s and seven Toyota’s will comprise the 40-car field for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 400.

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July 29, 2016
Menard fastest in first practice

Paul Menard topped the chart in first Sprint Cup Series practice at Pocono Raceway.

The driver of the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 50.722 and a speed of 177.438 mph. Denny Hamlin was second in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 50.731 and a speed of 177.406 mph. Kyle Busch was third in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 50.842 and a speed of 177.019 mph. Carl Edwards was fourth in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 50.854 and a speed of 176.977 mph. Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with a time of 50.957 and a speed of 176.620 mph.

Martin Truex Jr. was sixth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota. Joey Logano was seventh in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Chase Elliott was eighth in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Ryan Newman was ninth in his No. 31 RCR Chevrolet. Austin Dillon rounded out the top-10 in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet.

Danica Patrick, who’s fastest single lap was 23rd fastest, posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 171.094 mph. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was second at an average speed of 167.161 mph.

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July 29, 2016
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.
July 23, 2016
Kurt Busch Saves Enough to Win at Pocono

Kurt Busch was told he’d be short on fuel, but he saved enough to score the victory at the Tricky Triangle on a Monday afternoon.

The driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet took the lead from Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a drag race to the line with 32 laps to go and led all of the remaining laps in the final quarter of the race on his way to scoring his 28th career victory and third at Pocono Raceway in the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400. He did so in spite of being told that he would be two laps short on fuel.

“It’s tough to balance everything and when you have a fast car and an interim crew chief and the way that the fuel mileage played out, I didn’t know if we were going to have enough fuel,” Busch said of saving fuel while trying to maintain the lead. “But, thanks to everybody at Haas Automation, Monster Energy and Stewart-Haas. This is a wonderful win for us. We have been so close all year. It’s a matter of just putting it all together, pit crew, engine, thanks to Hendrick engines, and Chevrolet and everybody that works on these bodies, the chassis’ you name it. It’s just so much fun to drive and to be competitive and to be up front. Thanks a lot.”

The win moves him into a tie with NASCAR Hall of Fame member Rex White for 25th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.

Earnhardt was told he had enough fuel to make it to the finish, but had nothing for Busch in the closing stages and settled for a runner-up finish in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“Yeah, it was a good run for us,” Earnhardt said. “I should have been able to hold that No. 41 off on that final restart. Me and the No. 24 (Chase Elliott) was racing pretty hard and it gave the No. 41 the opportunity to get a run on us. I should have been able to defend that a little bit better. If I could have got in front of him I don’t think he would have got by us. The car wasn’t all we hoped it would be, but it was good. They worked on it and improved it. We were real tight starting the day and we just kept freeing it up. We got it pretty decent at the end, but still not where we want to be. We will work on it and come back and try to do a little better job the next race here.”

Brad Keselowski was called to pit road early in the race for an unapproved body adjustment after NASCAR found that one of the crew members caved in part of the right-side of his car near the right rear wheelhouse. However, he overcame that penalty and drove by Elliott in the closing laps to round out the podium in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford.

“We were awful strong we just needed some more laps and a little more time,” Keselowski said of the closing laps. “I think we might have had a shot at it. It was a pretty strong weekend. The last four or five weeks have been strong runs. We have a bunch of seconds and thirds. Not quite the win we wanted but a lot to be proud of.”

Elliott led 51 laps and clinched the bonus point for leading the most laps for the first time in his Sprint Cup Series career, but was caught behind a gaggle of cars who took just two tires or fuel only when he pitted under the ninth caution of the race on his way to a fourth-place finish in his No. 24 HMS Chevrolet.

Joey Logano led 17 laps at the start of the race but wasn’t a factor for much of the rest of the event on his way to rounding out the top-five in his No. 22 Ford.

“We battled hard today,” Logano said. “I got us behind by getting that damage. I rallied back a little bit with some good pit strategy by Todd Gordon and the guys on the box. We were able to rally through on the restarts. The restarts are fun. You will half of them and lose half of them. I had a couple winners and a few losers. Once you get through the restarts it kind of is what it is. It was a fuel mileage game at the end to try to save enough to stay where we were but not give up any spots. Nobody ran out, though.”

Kasey Kahne had an up and down day which included being busted for speeding while pitting during the competition caution but drove his way back up through the field to a sixth-place finish in his No. 5 HMS Chevrolet. Matt Kenseth was the highest finisher of the Toyota contingent and led 31 laps on his way to a seventh-place finish in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

“We had a great race car,” Kenseth said. “Just had really, really poor restarts and if I did have a good restart, then there was like somebody getting checked up in front of me and I’d lose more spots. I just gave them all up on restarts. Honestly, I think we had a car that could challenge for the win. I just couldn’t figure out how to get to turn one.”

Teammate Carl Edwards came in right behind him in eighth in his No. 19 JGR Toyota.

“It was a long, tough day,” Edwards said. “We worked hard on the ARRIS SURFboard Camry. We had the fastest modems on the car, but not maybe the fastest car. It was a struggle. They guys worked hard, though. We did well on pit road. Every restart something would happen. I was just struggling with the restarts, but just tough day. That’s a tough race track right there. It’s really hard to get an advantage on someone.”

Kevin Harvick led nine laps and was also busted for speeding during the competition caution early in the race and drove his way up to a ninth-place finish in his No. 4 SHR Chevrolet. Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-10 in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford.

Kyle Larson led eight laps on his way to an 11th-place finish. AJ Allmendinger led two laps on his way to a 16th-place finish. Kyle Busch led three laps and was up front most of the race before collecting the wall with 51 laps to go and finishing 31st 10 laps down.

Cole Whitt exited the race with five laps to go for a rear gear failure. Jimmie Johnson was involved in an accident with 38 laps to go and was classified as “did not finish.” Austin Dillon, Michael Annett and Matt DiBenedetto all suffered failures that led to each of them slamming the wall in turn 1 and were all classified as “did not finish.” DiBenedetto earned his third last place finish of the season and swept the last-place finishes in both the XFINITY and Cup Series for the second time this season.

The race lasted three hours, 11 minutes and 15 seconds at an average speed of 125.490 mph. There were 14 lead changes among 10 different drivers and 10 cautions for 40 laps. Thirty-five cars finished the race and 24 finished on the lead lap.

Harvick leaves Pocono with a 25-point lead over Kurt Busch in the points standings.

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June 6, 2016
Sprint Cup Race at Pocono Postponed to Monday

Clear your plans for tomorrow because mother nature is forcing NASCAR to run at the Tricky Triangle on a Monday.

The Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at Pocono Raceway has been delayed until tomorrow at noon due to persistent rain showers. The radar for the remainder of today was not showing signs of improvement.

The broadcast will remain in place on Fox Sports 1. The Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio will come on the air at 11:30 a.m.

Brad Keselowski will lead the field to the green flag tomorrow alongside teammate Joey Logano.

Rain has caused havoc with the schedule more than once this weekend. Two XFINITY Series practice sessions were cancelled on Friday due to inclement conditions. Rain and fog forced the first practice session for the Sprint Cup Series on Friday to be halted and then called after just 10 minutes. Rain showers forced NASCAR to call yesterday’s XFINITY Series race at lap 53.

This will be the fourth time a Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono has been postponed to Monday for rain, the first race postponed for rain this season and first to be run on a Monday since the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in April of 2014.

June 5, 2016
Was the XFINITY Series Event at Pocono Necessary?

First things first; I just want to say I love the NASCAR XFINITY Series. I believe it has potential to return to its former glory and I have no problem with Cup drivers winning the occasional event (emphasis on occasional). I’m also a fan of Pocono. It’s a big, unique, historic track that’s been in NASCAR for many years and has a list of winners that reads like a Who’s Who of the sport; Gordon, Earnhardt, Petty, Bonnett, Allison.

Putting the two together had the potential to make another summer tradition, but after today’s events, was it really even necessary to hold a XFINITY event at Pocono? As much as it pains me to say this, no it wasn’t. Pocono’s June event did nicely as a standalone Sprint Cup event.

That seems like too much to say after one event, sure. But it would take a blind man to miss the barely filled grandstands. For that matter, the racing wasn’t all that great either. The only things that filled me as the viewer with excitement and anticipation were Erik Jones’ run to the front after that last round of pit stops, and wondering whether Ty Dillon was going to be turned by whoever he was blocking on the restarts.

It’s good to see Kyle Larson in Victory Lane, considering his run of luck on the Sprint Cup side of things. He needs some success, and this is a win he’ll gladly take. But with lackluster racing and inclement weather along with a small turnout of fans, this event was forgettable if anything.

Kyle Larson practices at Pocono Raceway. Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

That carries over to another issue that the XFINITY Series is facing. In the beginning of this year, it was a matter of Cup dominance. Now, it’s a matter of companion events. The NASCAR XFINITY Series is supposed to be a springboard to the Sprint Cup Series. The season-opener at Daytona, spring and summer events at Bristol and companion events during Cup race weekends, all of it makes sense in that it prepares the future stars for the spotlight of the Cup cars.

But that takes away from the significance of some of these venues. Back when the XFINITY Series was the Busch/Nationwide Series, racing at Indianapolis Raceway Park seemed like a rite of passage on the way to taking the green flag at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was like a WWE NXT wrestler cutting his teeth on the way to WrestleMania, if that’s a better analogy. But once the cars took to IMS in 2012, it canceled out that feeling of prestige, of majesty, that had taken place for 30 years on the IRP oval.

Just like with Cup dominance and the excessive night races on the schedule, there are getting to be too many companion events. There should be more standalone events like Iowa and Road America. The Busch Series of the early 00’s and 90’s did just fine with Milwaukee, Gateway, and Hickory. That’s not belting out the rallying cry of “Bring ’em back!” that most fans shout. Rather, that’s just letting it be known that those events were successful, had large turnouts, and had personality.

As previously mentioned, not every companion event is a good idea. Not all will bring in excellent exposure, not all will produce great racing, and not all will be excellent learning experiences for young drivers (just ask Ryan Reed following his disastrous outing Saturday). Sometimes, it’s best just to leave well enough alone.

June 4, 2016
Kyle Busch Fastest in Final Practice

Kyle Busch topped the chart in the final Sprint Cup Series practice at Pocono Raceway.

The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the final practice session in preparation for this weekend’s Sprint Cup Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 with a time of 50.876 and a speed of 176.901 mph. Kurt Busch was second in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with a time of 50.905 and a speed of 176.800 mph. Jimmie Johnson was third in his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 50.931 and a speed of 176.710 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was fourth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 51.052 and a speed of 176.291 mph. Kevin Harvick, who is currently the series points leader, rounded out the top-five in his No. 4 SHR Chevrolet with a time of 51.100 and a speed of 176.125 mph.

Brad Keselowski, the pole-sitter for Sunday’s race, was sixth in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Joey Logano was seventh in his No. 22 Ford. Matt Kenseth was eighth in his No. 20 JGR Toyota followed by Ryan Blaney in ninth driving his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top-10 in his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet.

Kyle Busch posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 175.024 mph. Harvick was second at an average speed of 174.549 mph. Kurt Busch was third at an average speed of 174.375 mph.

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June 4, 2016
Brandon Gdovic Brings Travel Bug to Pocono

XFINITY Series racer Brandon Gdovic has been throughout the United States and Europe to race, but he is excited that his travels have brought him to Pocono Raceway to participate in the inaugural Pocono Green 250.

Although Gdovic has traveled the world, he has had to rely on technology to get prepared for this first-ever race at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

“I’ve done a bunch of I-racing to prepare, Gdovic said. “That’s really the only thing I can do before I figure it out on the track. I’ve also been doing a lot of YouTube stuff, watching videos from past races, including Cup and ARCA.”

“When I’m doing that online, I’m trying to get used to the track characteristics, the braking zones. Even with the track not being updated on I-racing with the new paving, it still seemed pretty accurate with the ways the track felt in the game compared to how I felt it on the track.”

“The reality is that I couldn’t look up any XFINITY races obviously because the Series has never been here before. But I think I’m as prepared as much as I could be coming into the race weekend.”

Gdovic is also grateful that his travels to Long Pond have allowed him to participate in making history with the XFINITY Series’ first foray into Pocono Raceway.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Gdovic said. “Pocono is always somewhere that I have wanted to go. It’s kind of weird but it’s one of those places where I always wanted to race. It seemed like it would be somewhere that I liked and I really love it.”

“I think it’s great to bring the XFINITY Series here.”

While Gdovic is focusing this weekend on Pocono, the driver has also been traveling the world driving some other racy cars.

“I’ve mainly just done NASCAR up until last year when I got into the Lamborghinis,” Gdovic said. “Once I got a chance to do some road racing in the K&N Series, I loved it and wanted to do some more of it.”

“The Lamborghinis kind of fit with the team being close to me and it’s been a good option and choice for it. It’s also a good fit schedule-wise and I’ve had pretty good success last year. So, we’re doing a full season this year.”

“With all the road racing, I’ve gotten some cool opportunities. I have gone to Spain and Italy and got to race in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. That has been really cool.”

Gdovic also fulfilled a dream, traveling to Daytona to compete in the prestigious Rolex 24.

And I also got to do the Rolex 24 this year. That was cool getting to do the Rolex 24 this year,” Gdovic said. “I got to do it in one of the open cockpits and I thought I would never do that in my entire life.”

“But when they asked if I wanted to drive it, I said, ‘Yep I’m there.’”

Whether Daytona or across the pond, Gdovic’s heart is competing in the world of NASCAR. His struggle is one that is common with most young racers, finding the sponsorship relationships to sustain him.

“Right now, being a family funded team, small sponsorships help,” Gdovic said. “But we want to look for larger sponsorships to allow us to run the full season in XFINITY. We’re limited to a partial season right now.”

“Our goal is to take advantage of every race we’re in and to have the best performances we can. We know we’re one of the Tier 2 teams, not Cup affiliated. But in the two races we have done with me driving, I felt like we’ve done pretty well.”

“This will be my third race and I’m hoping to have a good run, as well as impress folks with what we have. That’s my goal and all we can do right now.”

“My team, Precision Performance Motorsports is owned by my dad,” Gdovic said. “My dad is a racer as well. He started it as a hobby and that’s how I got into it. He still races a little bit now and again but the focus has now been on me.”

So, where will Gdovic’s travels take him next after competing in the Pocono Green 250?

“I love to travel and I love the travel part as much as love the racing part,” Gdovic said. “All the places I’ve gotten to go, including other countries, has been great.”

“I’ve been to 35 of the 50 states so far. That’s one of my goals is to hit all of the 50 states. And I want to go to all sorts of other countries just for personal gain and to learn other cultures.”

“There’s not enough time to go to all the places I want to go. I’m a traveler and a real explorer.”

June 4, 2016
Edwards Fastest in First Sprint Cup Practice at Pocono

In case you missed it, Carl Edwards posted the fastest time in first Sprint Cup Series practice at Pocono Raceway.

The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 50.055 and a speed of 179.802 mph. Kevin Harvick was second in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with a time of 50.328 and a speed of 178.827 mph. Kurt Busch was third in his No. 41 SHR Chevrolet with a time of 50.378 and a speed of 178.649 mph. Paul Menard was fourth in his No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 50.491 and a speed of 178.250 mph. Kyle Busch rounded out the top-five in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 50.507 and a speed of 178.193 mph.

Jimmie Johnson was sixth in his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Casey Mears was seventh in his No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet. Joey Logano was eighth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Greg Biffle was ninth in his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Tony Stewart rounded out the top-10 in his No. 14 SHR Chevrolet.

The session was red-flagged after 10 minutes because of weather and never resumed. Only 28 cars posted a lap and no one posted a 10 consecutive lap average.

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June 4, 2016