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  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Charlotte

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Charlotte

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series will compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. The Camping World Truck Series is off. Please check below for the complete schedule of events and the Driver Pairings for the 2016 Coca-Cola 600 Miles of Remembrance.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, May 26:

    On Track:
    2-3:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Practice – FS1
    3:30-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series First Practice – FS1
    5:30-6:50 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – FS1
    7:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    1:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series
    3 p.m.: XFINITY Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    1:15 p.m.: Kyle Larson
    1:30 p.m.: Ty Dillon
    3:30 p.m.: Carl Edwards
    3:45 p.m.: NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew National Combine
    4:45 p.m.: Joey Logano
    8:15 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Qualifying (time approx.)

    Saturday, May 28:

    On Track:
    10-10:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Second Practice – FS1
    11:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    1-1:50 p.m.: Sprint Cup Final Practice – FS1
    2:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Hisense 4K TV 300 (200 laps, 300 miles) – FS1

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    12:15 p.m.: 600 Miles of Remembrance with Mark Singleton – tire changer and Graham Molatch – jackman
    4:45 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race (time approx.)

    Sunday, May 29:

    On Track:
    6 p.m.: Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 (400 laps, 600 miles) – FOX

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:15 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Race (time approx.)

    Additional Info:

    Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

    Special NASCAR Programming:

    • Daniel Suárez, David Ragan and Matt DiBenedetto on “Fluffy Breaks Even” – Thursday, May 26 at 10 p.m. ET on Fuse
    • Chase Elliott on “Ridiculousness” – Thursday, June 2 at 10 p.m. ET on MTV

    Driver Pairings for the 2016 Coca-Cola 600 Miles of Remembrance:

    2016 600 Miles of Remembrance
    Car No. Driver Soldier Branch Soldier Hometown
    1 Jamie McMurray LCPL Scott Albert Lynch Marines Greenwood Lake, NY
    2 Brad Keselowski SPC Joseph T. Prentler Army Fenwick, MI
    3 Austin Dillon SOC Mark T. Carter Navy Fallbrook, CA
    4 Kevin Harvick LCPL Nathan Ross Elrod Marines Rockwell, NC
    5 Kasey Kahne LCPL Eric Levi Ward Marines Redmond, WA
    6 Trevor Bayne CW4 Jason William McCormack Army Enterprise, AL
    7 Regan Smith LCPL Cody Steven Childers Marines Chesapeake, VA
    10 Danica Patrick LCPL Benito “cheeks” Ramirez Marines Edinburg, TX
    11 Denny Hamlin SGT John Davis Harvey Marines Roanoke, VA
    13 Casey Mears SPC Christopher Shane Wright Army Tollesboro, KY
    14 Tony Stewart MSG Paul D. Karpowich Army Freeland, PA
    15 Clint Bowyer MSGT Tara Brown Air Force Long Island, NJ
    16 Greg Biffle SPC Joel A. Taylor Army Pinetown, NC
    17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. SP4 James (Jim) H. Woolard Army Manchester, OH
    18 Kyle Busch PFC Robert Stephan Underwood Army O’ Fallon, MO
    19 Carl Edwards CPT Edmond Jablonsky Jr. Army Pasadena, TX
    20 Matt Kenseth PFC Christopher Neal White Marines Elizabethtown, KY
    21 Ryan Blaney SMSN Cherone L. Gunn Navy Virginia Beach, VA
    22 Joey Logano SPC Cindy Beaudoin Army Plainfield, CT
    23 David Ragan LT COL Paul Keith Mikeal Air Force Mooresville, NC
    24 Chase Elliott GYSGT Justin Martone Marines Bedford, VA
    27 Paul Menard SPC Zachary Lee Shannon Army Dunedin, FL
    30 Josh Wise SSG Robert A. Massarelli Army Hamilton, OH
    31 Ryan Newman SSGT Jason C Ramseyer Marines West Palm Beach, FL
    32 Jeffrey Earnhardt CPT Christopher Cash Army Old Orchard Beach, ME
    34 Chris Buescher SSGT Eric A. McIntosh Marines Indianapolis, IN
    38 Landon Cassill PVT Earl Platt Army Vestaburg, MI
    41 Kurt Busch SGT Nicholas Ray Gibbs Army Stokesdale, NC
    42 Kyle Larson SO3 Denis Christian Miranda Navy Toms River, NJ
    43 Aric Almirola SSGT Forrest B. Sibley Air Force Pensacola, FL
    44 Brian Scott PFC John G. Borbonus US Army Boise, ID
    46 Michael Annett PFC Jacob Henry Wykstra Army Thornton, CO
    47 AJ Allmendinger YN3 Wendell Williams Navy Cincinnati, OH
    48 Jimmie Johnson SFC Kyle B. Wehrly Army Galesburg, IL
    55 Reed Sorenson PFC Jason Hill Estopinal Marines Dallas, GA
    78 Martin Truex Jr. GYSGT Jeffery E. Bohr, Jr. Marines Ossian, IA
    83 Matt Dibenedetto CPL Jared C. Verbeek Marines Visalia, CA
    88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. LCPL Aaron Howard Reed Marines Chillicothe, OH
    95 Michael McDowell PFC Andrew Mark Krippner Army Garland, TX
    98 Cole Whitt CPL Michael D. Anderson Jr. Marines Modesto, CA
    Pace Car CAPT Matthew Rolland Air Force Lexington, KY
    Split Pace Car 1SG Kevin A. Dupont Marines Chicopee, MA
    Grand Marshal Car 1 SGT Bryan Paul Abercrombie Army Clinton, UT
    Grand Marshal Car 2 SPC Tony J. Gonzales Army Newman, CA
  • Harvick Rumors Squelched With Contract Extension at SHR and with Ford

    Harvick Rumors Squelched With Contract Extension at SHR and with Ford

    From the moment Tony Stewart announced that Stewart-Haas Racing was switching to Ford, NASCAR’s Chevrolet fans (which make up 75 percent of all NASCAR fans in my estimation) went into a panic. Harvick wouldn’t leave Chevrolet. He would look for another ride. He would replace Kasey Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports. Through it all, Harvick was firm that he was staying at what he called, “the best situation I’ve ever been in,” but long-time Chevrolet fans wouldn’t believe that. You have to wonder why.

    In February, it was written that he (Harvick) said that to not be committed to his team would be foolish. In March, Harvick basically said that he was in the best position of his career and he wouldn’t walk out on his team. In April, he said there was nothing to talk about because he was in the best organization that could possibly be. It doesn’t sound like a man on the move to me. Yet, the rumors were still there and an article on Monday fanned the flames again, saying he would be leaving for Hendrick Motorsports next year. Three days later Stewart-Haas announced a multi-year extension for Harvick. Yes, he would be in a Ford Fusion in 2017 and beyond.

    What happened? Harvick was staying at Stewart-Haas all along. Harvick made it clear from the time of the announcement that his commitment to Stewart-Haas was strong, but the fan base couldn’t fathom him in anything but a Chevy, and the disbelief kept the rumor alive. There also aren’t any open, or about to be open, good teams for him to join. Kahne has had a rough season but is under contract with Hendrick. He’s also a very talented driver. Could he have gone other places? Either the team was not strong enough or not as strong as where Harvick already was. The four-car rule and the Charter system really gave Harvick no options, but why wouldn’t he stay? He was a championship contender from the minute he got in the No. 4. How many drivers can say that today?

    So, with that rumor blown out of the water, we can get back to racing. The dominant team this year has been Joe Gibbs Racing and his pirated drivers Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Hey didn’t they change manufacturers? They were Ford guys, but that isn’t the same, I guess. What is the same continues to be the great competition in the Sprint Cup Series. Let’s concentrate on that, shall we?

  • Kevin Harvick Signs Long-term Contract Extension with Stewart-Haas Racing

    Kevin Harvick Signs Long-term Contract Extension with Stewart-Haas Racing

    KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the championship-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, has signed driver Kevin Harvick to a long-term contract extension.

    Harvick joined SHR in 2014 after 13 Sprint Cup seasons and his impact with the organization was immediate. In his debut year with SHR, the Bakersfield, California-native scored eight poles, won five races and led 2,137 laps en route to his first Sprint Cup championship. Harvick’s title defense in 2015 was incredibly strong, as he won three races and earned career-best numbers in top-fives (23), top-10s (28) and laps led (2,294) before finishing second in the championship. Harvick already has a win, five top-fives, nine top-10s and 688 laps led in the 12 Sprint Cup races run this season.

    “It was a big decision to join Stewart-Haas Racing and it has turned out to be my best decision,” said Harvick, who has won nine of his 32 career Sprint Cup victories with SHR. “I came to Stewart-Haas Racing to win championships. We have one, but that only made us hungry for more. I’m very happy to have my future secure with a team so dedicated to winning.”

    Harvick will continue to drive the team’s No. 4 entry and remain paired with crew chief Rodney Childers, who signed a multiyear contract extension last June.

    “Kevin’s results speak for themselves, and in addition to those numbers, he brings a presence to our team that makes everyone want to work harder,” said Tony Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. “Kevin Harvick has made Stewart-Haas Racing a better team and he will continue to be an integral part of our future.”

    Stewart earned SHR its first Sprint Cup championship in 2011, with Harvick bookending that title in 2014. SHR is one of only five active Sprint Cup teams with multiple premier series titles.

    “When you have talented people who consistently deliver results, you hold on to them,” Haas said. “Kevin Harvick is an exceptional talent and we’re very proud to have him a part of Stewart-Haas Racing for years to come.”

    About Stewart-Haas Racing:

    Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team co-owned by three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The team fields four entries in the elite Sprint Cup Series – the No. 14 Chevrolet for Stewart, the No. 10 Chevrolet for Danica Patrick, the No. 4 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick and the No. 41 Chevrolet for Kurt Busch. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Stewart-Haas Racing operates out of a 200,000-square-foot facility with approximately 280 employees. For more information, please visit us on the Web at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule Charlotte All-Star Week

    NASCAR Racing Schedule Charlotte All-Star Week

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series will compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. The XFINITY Series is off. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, May 19:

    On Track:
    12:30-1:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice (canceled due to rain)
    2:30-3:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Second Practice  (canceled due to rain)
    4:30-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS1 (Time moved due to rain – Results)

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    11:15 a.m.: Christopher Bell
    11:30 a.m.: Daniel Hemric
    11:45 a.m.: Cole Custer

    Friday, May 20:

    On Track:
    1:30-2:55 p.m.: Sprint Showdown Final Practice (Sprint Showdown Qualifying) – FS1 (canceled)
    3-4:40 p.m.: Sprint Cup All-Star Race Final Practice – FS1 (postponed to Saturday)
    5:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1  (canceled — starting lineup)
    7:15 p.m.: Sprint Showdown (20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps) – FS1 (postponed to Saturday)
    8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series – NC Education Lottery 200 (134 laps, 201 miles) – FS1 (postponed to Saturday)

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series  (canceled)

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    11 a.m.: Dusenberry Martin Racing announcement with Carl Edwards
    11:30 a.m.: Matt Kenseth
    12:45 p.m.: Ryan Blaney
    1:15 p.m.: Kevin Harvick

    Saturday, May 21: (Updated due to rain on Friday)

    On Track:
    9:30-10:30 a.m.: Sprint All-Star Race practice – FS1
    10:05-10:15 a.m.: Sprint All-Star Race Pit Road Speed Practice – FS1
    11 a.m.: Sprint Showdown (20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps) – FS1
    12:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200 (134 laps, 201 miles) – FS1
    7:10 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (three laps with pit stop) – FS1
    9 p.m.: Sprint All-Star Race (50 laps, 50 laps, 13 laps) -FS1

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:15 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series race (time approx.)

    Race Notes:

    Greg Olsen, tight end for the Carolina Panthers, will drive the pace car for the All-Star Race Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Pre All-Star Race:

    8:49:p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race, Driver & Crew Intros
    9:10 p.m.: Presentation of Colors by 14th Weather Squadron, US Air Force, Asheville, North Carolina
    9:10-9:20 p.m.: Invocation by Joe Gibbs
    9:11: p.m.: National Anthem by Caleb Johnson
    9:12 p.m.: Fly-by TOT: Team Aerodynamix (Turn 4 to Turn 1)
    9:17 p.m. (approx.): “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by Tony Stewart (Done from inside his car)
    9:26:p.m. (approx.): Start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race

    Additional Info:

    Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

     

  • All-Star Race Revises Format to Enhance Excitement

    All-Star Race Revises Format to Enhance Excitement

    This year the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has been revamped to create an atmosphere that will promote more competitive racing as the drivers battle for a $1 million prize.

    The All-Star event will be held on May 21 at 9 p.m. ET at Charlotte Motor Speedway and consist of three segments for a total of 113 laps. Qualifying will be held prior to the race (three laps with pit stop) at 7:10 p.m. ET.

    The final segment (13 laps) will feature a unique format that requires the leaders to pit before the last segment begins. None of the other drivers will be allowed to pit. The leaders will then line up behind the cars on the tracks that did not pit, setting up a dramatic dash to the checkered flag.

    To make matters more intriguing, a random draw before the final segment will decide how many of the leaders must pit; nine, 10 or 11.

    This year there will be two drivers added to the lineup by virtue of the Sprint Fan Vote. As of May 16, the top five up for consideration are, in alphabetical order, Ryan Blaney, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Danica Patrick. Fans can cast their votes until 5 p.m. ET May 20.

    As an added bonus, Tony Stewart, participating in his final full-time season, has been selected to get things started with the words every NASCAR fan anticipates, “Drivers, Start Your Engines.”

    Sprint All-Star Race Format:

    Segment 1(50 laps): The field will be determined by qualifying and includes a mandatory green flag pit stop for a minimum of two tires.

    Break 1: After the first segment, there will be a break of 3-5 minutes with a mandatory pit stop with a minimum two-tire change.

    Segment 2 (50 laps): The field will be set by the exit from pit road with one mandatory green flag pit stop a minimum two-tire change before lap 85.

    Break 2: After the second segment, there will be a break of 3-5 minutes. This break will feature a random draw that will decide whether the top nine, 10 or 11 cars have to pit for a mandatory four-tire stop. Pit road will be closed for all other cars. The starting order for Segment 3 will be set by order of pit road exit and they will line up behind the cars that did not pit.

    Segment 3 (13 laps): Only green flag laps will count in the final segment. NASCAR Overtime rules apply.

    Sprint All-Star Race Eligibility:

    The All-Star race will include a minimum of 20 cars. Fifteen drivers have already qualified, being 2015-2016 race winners or past All-Star winners. Three more drivers will advance from the Sprint Showdown race (May 20 at 7:15  p.m. ET) and two more drivers will be voted in by fans.

    The 11 winners from 2015-2016 are Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. The four past All-Star winners are Kasey Kahne (2008), Jamie McMurray (2014), Ryan Newman (2002) and Tony Stewart (2009).

    Sprint Showdown:

    The Sprint Showdown is divided into three segments (20/20/10) and each segment winner will advance to the All-Star Race.

    Segment 1 (20 laps): The field will be set by practice speed. The winner advances to the All-Star race and will not continue in the Showdown.

    Segment 2 (20 laps): The field is set by pit-road exit order after a mandatory minimum two-tire pit stop. The winner advances to the All-Star race and will not continue in the Showdown.

    Segment 3 (10 laps): The field is set by pit-road exit order after a mandatory minimum two-tire pit stop. NASCAR Overtime rules apply. The winner advances to the All-Star race.

    Saturday’s event will be the 32nd All-Star Race and all but one (1986-Atlanta) have been held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. There have been 21 different winners with Jimmie Johnson leading the series with four wins (2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013).

    The All-Star race has been underwhelming the last several years with few lead changes and sparse cautions. NASCAR is hopeful that the format changes will provide a spark that will showcase the top drivers and give the fans what they want; an edge of your seat, nail-biting, display of pure adrenalin-fueled racing.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch was one of many cars damaged on a lap 352 restart when Jimmie Johnson’s car got locked in second gear, causing a major incident that took out a number of contenders.

    “There was a time,” Busch said, “that when you mentioned ’18-car crash,’ people thought you were talking about just me.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led a race-high 117 laps at Dover but was a victim of a huge pileup with 47 laps to go triggered by Jimmie Johnson’s slow car. Harvick finished 15th, one lap down.

    “Once again,” Harvick said, “I had the strongest car in the field but didn’t win the race. Carl Edwards would call that ‘choking.’”

    3. Kurt Busch: Busch finished fifth at Dover, one of only fourteen cars on the lead lap at race’s end. He is third in the points standings, 32 out of first.

    “There are rumors that my Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick has an offer to join Hendrick Motorsports,” Busch said. “He would presumably replace Kasey Kahne, who’s under contract through the 2018 season. That means Kahne’s contract would have to be bought out in order for Harvick to join HMS. So, once again, I’m reporting that an acquaintance of mine is a ‘contract killer.’”

    4. Carl Edwards: Edwards led 27 laps at Dover before late contact with Kyle Larson’s No. 42 car sent Edwards’ No. 19 Toyota into the wall. Edwards finished 28th, 41 laps off the pace.

    “I think most drivers were impressed by the way Larson raced Matt Kenseth in the closing laps,” Edwards said. “But there’s no way anyone was more impressed by Larson’s patience than Kenseth.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led 49 laps and survived contact with Austin Dillon’s No. 3 car to post a sixth in the AAA 400, his seventh top-10 result of the year.

    “I advocated making some slight adjustments to the Chase format,” Keselowski said. “NASCAR officials didn’t want to hear it, though. I guess they had enough talk of ‘tweaking’ when Jeremy Mayfield was driving.”

    6. Jimmie Johnson: On a restart with 47 laps to go, Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet locked gears, leading to a chain reaction crash behind him that affected 18 cars. Johnson limped home with a 25th at Dover.

    “I’m not sure what went wrong,” Johnson said. “All I know is instead of ‘Six-time,’ guys in the garage were calling me ‘Fix-time.’”

    7. Joey Logano: Like many, Logano’s No. 22 Penske Ford was caught in the restart accident with 47 laps to go, resulting in a 22nd-place finish.

    “As was the case last fall at Martinsville,” Logano said, “I got wrecked and Matt Kenseth came out the winner.”

    8. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished third at Dover, scoring his third consecutive top 10 and again leading the charge for Hendrick Motorsports. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup points standings, 77 out of first.

    “I’m not surprised at all I’m doing so well,” Elliott said. “I would say, ‘It’s no accident,’ but that may be considered a poor choice of words considering what happened to the rest of the HMS crew.”

    9. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex’s misfortune continued at Dover, as his No. 78 Furniture Row Toyota was damaged in the big wreck with 47 laps to go. Despite the damage, Truex scrambled to salvage a ninth-place finish and is now ninth in the points standings, 82 out of first.

    “This team is cursed,” Truex said. “This team is also cursing, because we are sick and tired of our bad luck. It’s too bad NASCAR outlawed cigarette manufacturers from sponsorships because we would definitely want Lucky Strike on our car.”

    10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth won the AAA 400 at Dover, avoiding a huge crash that wiped out much of the field and holding off Kyle Larson for the win.

    “I knew Larson was coming for me,” Kenseth said. “You could say ‘I had a Target on my back.’

    “But I admire Kyle’s integrity in racing me clean for the win. Just ask Kyle Busch—there’s a fine line between racing a JGR driver like a gentlemen and racing a JGR driver like a teammate.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA 400 at Dover

    Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA 400 at Dover

    The Sprint Cup Series race at the “Monster Mile” ended with what you’d expect from a track with that nickname- a bunch of torn up race cars, a thrilling race, and a great finish. Here was what was surprising and not surprising from the 47th Annual AAA 400 Drive For Autism at Dover International Speedway.

    Surprising

    With all of the talk this season about the young generation, Matt Kenseth has kind of seemed lost in the shuffle. After losing a heartbreaker in the Daytona 500 and struggling with mechanical failures/accidents most of the season, some feel the 44-year-old is “washed up.” There have even been questions lobbed at the 2003 Sprint Cup champion on retirement from the series the past couple of months.

    On Sunday, Kenseth showed he still had it by staying ahead of an incredible duel for second between Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott with 20 laps remaining, then hanging on by holding off Larson for the final 10 laps.

    It was Kenseth’s 37th career Sprint Cup victory and his third at Dover. As it was his first win of the season, Kenseth has significantly helped his chances of competing in the Chase come September.

    “It all worked out for us, kind of the opposite as I feel like it’s been going the last couple months,” Kenseth said in the post-race press conference. “We’ve had really fast racecars. We’ve been in position to win a lot. This wasn’t our fastest car by any means. But we were able to be there at the end of the race and pull it off.”

    Not Surprising

    Larson and Elliott, both hailed as future superstars, had a great battle for second place in the last 40 laps before Larson was able to clear Elliott for the final time with just 10 laps to go. With both probably being around the sport for many years to come, it probably won’t be the last battle between them that we will see.

    “It was fun racing with (Chase). We’ve had a lot of good battles through the XFINITY Series and even K&N,” Larson said. “Hopefully, we’re battling up front for many years to come.”

    “Had a lot of fun racing with those guys at the end there,” Elliott said. “Like I say, hate to not get the job done and be so close, but we’ll keep digging at it and try to get a little better.”

    One has to wonder, though, if Larson had been able to get to Kenseth in the last few laps, would he have spun him for the win?

    “I respect Matt Kenseth a lot,” Said Larson, who was all of 11-years-old when Kenseth won his only Sprint Cup Series championship. “He’s definitely, in my eyes, the cleanest racer out there. He always races me with respect. I try to do the same to him.”

    Surprising

    A huge 18 car wreck occurred on lap 355 during a restart. Jimmie Johnson, who had just led his 3,000th lap at the Monster Mile, was restarting in the lead on the outside line when a stuck transmission jammed up much of his line.

    “I got a great start in second gear,” Johnson said. “As I went to put it in third (gear) and came across the shifting gate it never went into third. It actually got locked in the neutral area of the transmission. I had plenty of time. Martin (Truex Jr.) was plenty patient with me and I was trying to get third and I couldn’t. I tried for fourth and third and fourth and I finally got hit. Just a freak deal with something with the transmission. I’ve never had that happen to me in my career.”

    Johnson wasn’t the only big-name collected in the accident. Truex Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Denny Hamlin all got collected in the multi-car melee. It set up the stage for the finish, as many cars that did not finish as a result of the accident were able to go out and continue laps down and off the pace. The leaders had to find ways around them in the final 20 or so laps.

    Not Surprising

    It was expected that without Adam Stevens this week the No. 18 Toyota would struggle a bit on the track, and that was the case. The race started off with driver Kyle Busch fading away from his third place starting position and he was never able to recover from this.

    Busch struggled in the 11th-15th range for much of the day before getting caught up in the 18 car wreck with just 56 laps remaining in the race. Busch ended the day in the garage at 30th as a result.

    “We either missed something today or we had something break – just something wasn’t right,” Busch said post-race. “Got really, really, really evil there about lap 230 or lap 250, something like that and I was having a real hard time holding onto it and even making laps. Just trying to check everything out and see if there was anything that was broke, but obviously, now there’s a lot of things broke and hard to decipher what we can figure out and learn about what we might have had happen there today.”

    Surprising

    Tony Stewart has had good results for a driver who had major back surgery only a few months ago. But his three-race streak of top 20 finishes ended on Sunday when a strange thing happened on lap 342.

    “Something broke on the rear-end; on the rear-end side of it, not the chassis side,” The three-time Sprint Cup champion said. “So, when it did that, somehow it punctured the oil tank. So that’s the oil you smell. You can see coming down pit road just going back and forth, left and right. We just broke a track bar.

    “The track bar broke and the back of the car flops back and forth. I don’t know what more there is to say about that. It just broke. I mean there wasn’t any…we had been fighting, the car was acting weird for the last 80 to 100 laps. I’m sure it was already starting to break and it finally just broke the rest of the way.”

    Not Surprising

    Once again, Martin Truex Jr. was so close to another Sprint Cup victory. But also once again, Lady Luck was not on his side.

    Truex led 47 laps before getting caught up in the 18 car pile-up. Truex finished ninth but couldn’t compete for the victory with the damage to his car.

    At the beginning of the race we were a fifth, sixth-place car and just kept working on it, kept working on it and when we needed to be the best car, I think we were,” Truex said, after leading with as little as 52 laps remaining. “Just one of those deals, wrong place, wrong time. Frustrating, but we got a top-10 out of it so not too bad. The guys on pit road did a great job fixing it. Just hate that it happened. I wanted to be fourth on that restart, but I didn’t want to be fourth that bad. I should have been third so maybe I should have not let the 19 beat us off pit road. I don’t know how you can see those things coming. All in all good day, just bad finish.”

    It’s the third time this season the driver of the No. 78 Toyota led 30 or more laps and couldn’t win the race. In his career statistics, the New Jersey driver has led an absolutely staggering 958 laps per Sprint Cup victory in his career, the most of any driver who holds multiple wins in history by a long shot.

     

  • Monsoon Mile: Qualifying Rained Out For The Sprint Cup Series At Dover

    Monsoon Mile: Qualifying Rained Out For The Sprint Cup Series At Dover

    Kevin Harvick will start Sunday’s Sprint Cup race on the pole after qualifying was rained out at Dover International Speedway on Friday.

    The field for Sunday’s race, as per the NASCAR rule book, was determined by the most recent practice session. Harvick was the fastest on Friday’s lone Sprint Cup practice session and will thus start on pole. Fellow Chevrolet driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will begin the race opposite Harvick on the front row. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top five.

    Harvick returns to Dover for the first time since his dominating victory last fall. Going into the day all but needing to win to advance to the next round of the Chase, Harvick responded by leading 355 laps in route to a dominant first win at the “Monster Mile”. He also enters this race as the Sprint Cup Series points leader, with nine top 10s in the first 11 races this season.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. comes into Sunday riding a streak of eight straight top twenties at Dover but only one win 15 years ago. Earnhardt Jr. currently sits ninth in Sprint Cup Series points, ridding off the strength of three second place finishes.

    Practice was also marked by a massive wreck between Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart, and Jamie McMurray. Something broke on Patrick’s car while exiting turn 4 and she spun down the front stretch while the rear of her Chevrolet caught on fire. Stewart slammed the outside wall before getting caught in Patrick’s leaked oil and smacked the inside wall hard. Meanwhile McMurray also hit the wall hard but was able to avoid the oil. All three hit walls that were not protected by SAFER barriers. All three drivers were checked and released from the media center, but the session was delayed for half an hour for repairs.

    Full starting lineup for the AAA 400 Drive For Autism at Dover International Speedway:
    1st Kevin Harvick
    2nd Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    3rd Kyle Busch
    4th Carl Edwards
    5th Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    6th Denny Hamlin
    7th Martin Truex Jr.
    8th Ryan Newman
    9th Kurt Busch
    10th Matt Kenseth
    11th Kasey Kahne
    12th Austin Dillon
    13th Chase Elliott
    14th Brad Keselowski
    15th Aric Almirola
    16th Greg Biffle
    17th Brian Scott
    18th Ryan Blaney
    19th Paul Menard
    20th AJ Allmendinger
    21st Jimmie Johnson
    22nd Joey Logano
    23rd Kyle Larson
    24th Jamie McMurray
    25th Trevor Bayne
    26th Casey Mears
    27th David Ragan
    28th Michael McDowell
    29th Matt DiBenedetto
    30th Chris Buescher
    31st Danica Patrick
    32nd Clint Bowyer
    33rd Regan Smith
    34th Tony Stewart
    35th Landon Cassill
    36th Cole Whitt
    37th Michael Annett
    38th Reed Sorenson
    39th Jeffrey Earnhardt
    40th Josh Wise

    Although McMurray, Patrick, and Stewart will be going to back-up cars, they will not go to the back as NASCAR rules dictate a team can go to a back-up car as long as they switch before qualifying.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Dover

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Dover

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, XFINITY Series and the Camping World Truck Series travel to Dover International Speedway this weekend. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, May 12:

    On Track:
    2-2:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice
    4-4:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice

    Friday, May, 13:

    On Track:
    10-10:55 a.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – FS1
    11 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – FS1
    12:30-1:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – FS1
    2:15 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    3:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    5:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series JACOB Companies 200 (200 laps, 200 miles) – FS1

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    10:30 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    8:45 a.m.: Brendan Gaughan
    9:00 a.m.: Joey Logano
    9:15 a.m.: Ty Dillon
    9:30 a.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
    12:45 p.m.: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    1:15 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson
    5 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Post-Qualifying
    7:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Post-Race (time approx)

    Saturday, May 14:

    On Track:
    9:30 -10:25 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Second Practice – FS1
    10:45 a.m.: XFINITY Series Qualifying – FS1
    12:30-1:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – FS2
    2 p.m.: XFINITY Series Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200 Heat #1 (40 laps, 40 miles) – FOX
    2:50 p.m. (approx): XFINITY Series Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200 Heat #2 (40 laps, 40 miles) – FOX
    3:30 p.m. (approx): XFINITY Series Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200 main race (120 laps, 120 miles) – FOX

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    4:30 p.m.: XFINITY Post-Race (time approx)

    Sunday, May 15:

    On Track:
    1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for Autism (400 laps, 400 miles) – FS1

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    4:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Post-Race (time approx)

    Additional Info:

    Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

    Special NASCAR Programming:

    “NASCAR: The Rise of American Speed” – Sunday, May 15 at 9 p.m. ET on CMT

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kansas

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kansas

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series travel to Kansas Speedway this weekend while the XFINITY Series is off. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, May 5:

    On Track:
    2:30-3:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice
    4:30-5:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice
    6:30-7:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    1:15 p.m.: Rico Abreu
    1:30 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
    1:45 p.m.: John Hunter Nemechek

    Friday, May, 6:

    On Track:
    11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – FS1
    1:30-2:50 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – FS1
    4:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    6:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra 250 (167 laps, 250.5 miles) – FS1

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    11 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:15 a.m.: AJ Allmendinger
    10:30 a.m.: Jamie McMurray
    12:30 p.m.: Carl Edwards
    3:30 p.m.: Brad Keselowski
    8 p.m.: NSCS Post-Qualifying (time approx)
    11 p.m.: NCWTS Post-Race (time approx)

    Saturday, May 7:

    On Track:
    7:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series GoBowling 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) – FS1

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    11 p.m.: NSCS Post-Race (time approx)

    Additional Info:
    Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

    Special NASCAR Programming:
    “NASCAR: The Rise of American Speed” – Sunday, May 8 at 9 p.m. ET on CMT – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Executive Producer

    *Click here for a sneak peek of the three-part special event