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Hamlin Survives Spin, Steals Win in First Chase Race at Chicagoland

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire ServiceJOLIET, Ill. – In the theater, using the expression “Break a leg” is a way to wish an actor good luck on opening night.Twelve days before Sunday’s opening Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, Denny Hamlin tore the ACL in his right leg playing basketball.Late in the myAFibRisk.com 400 at the 1.5-mile track, Hamlin found his good fortune in the form of a serendipitous pit call on the part of crew chief Dave Rogers.

Staying out on old tires, Hamlin grabbed the lead moments after a restart with five laps left and streaked away to a .963-second victory over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards, who surged from sixth to second during that restart on Lap 263 of 267.

Hamlin saw an opening as the cars roared toward Turn 1 on the restart.

“It was ballsy, but I’d been stuck so many times three-wide in the middle,” Hamlin said of the winning move. “The front cars almost have a disadvantage to the back cars the way it all plays out.

“We got a great restart, and I just held it wide open through (Turns) 1 and 2, and it stuck. We were able to get in that clean air and take off.”

Remarkably, Hamlin won from the 29th starting position, rallying from a spin on Lap 2 that left him a lap down. Hamlin didn’t get back on the lead lap until he took advantage of a wave-around before a restart on Lap 129.

“Luckily, that one caution (for debris on the backstretch on Lap 122) came out that allowed us to get the wave-around and get back on the lead lap,” Hamlin said. “We had a fast car, and that was the most important thing. We stretched out there at the end even with no tires.

“I’m proud of this effort. The pit crew did a phenomenal job again and now we’re looking forward to the next round.”

Hamlin’s first victory at Chicagoland, his second of the season and the 16th of his career ensured the driver of the No. 11 JGR Toyota will advance from the Challenger Round to the Contender Round of the Chase, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to New Hampshire and the second race of the postseason.

Reigning champion Kevin Harvick wasn’t as fortunate. The driver who vowed to pound the JGR drivers into the ground three days before the Chase began instead pounded the Turn 3 wall with the rear of his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet after contact with Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevy during a Lap 135 restart flattened Harvick’s left rear tire.

“I got a pretty good restart, and obviously, the 22 (Joey Logano) and 48 got a good run, and I just held my line and the 48 just slammed into the side of my door,” Harvick said. “That was pretty much it.”

Johnson had a simple explanation for the contact.

“He was pinning me down, and I’ve got to get back up on the track,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t say that what he did is any different than other situations I’ve been in like that. When you’re in Kevin’s situation, you want to give that inside car a bad angle, so they’ve got to lift.

“I was fine with lifting, but I had to get back on the race track. So I worked my way back onto the track… I pulled down inside of him, and then we were door-to-door, and then, as I moved back into the racing groove, that’s when we touched door-to-door, tire-to-tire.”

Now last in the Chase standings, Harvick feels he must win one of the next two races to advance to the Contender Round. That’s not a new position for the driver of the No. 4 Chevy. Last year he triumphed in a must-win situation at Phoenix before taking the checkered flag at Homestead to secure his first premier series title.

“We can win anywhere,” Harvick said after the race. “We could have won today. It’s just a matter of putting a couple of days together and being able to come back to Victory Lane. Same thing as last year.”

After the race, Harvick, who finished 42nd, confronted Johnson and pounded the six-time Sprint Cup champion with a blow to the chest. Kept apart by one of Harvick’s lieutenants, the drivers then went their separate ways without further incident.

Kurt Busch, who like Hamlin stayed out on old tires, led the field to green on Lap 263 after the sixth caution for debris in Turn 1 slowed the race. Busch fell to third at the finish, followed by 2014 Chase runner-up Ryan Newman, who posted his first top-five finish since April at Bristol.

Matt Kenseth ran fifth and assumed the series lead, bolstered by 12 bonus points earned for four victories in the 26-race regular season.

Notes: In a manner of speaking, history repeated itself where Hamlin is concerned. In 2010, he won at Texas, just 10 days after surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left leg… With 12 of 16 drivers slated to advance to the Contender Round, Jamie McMurray (16th on Sunday), Paul Menard (17th), Clint Bowyer (19th) and Harvick are currently below the cut line.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – myAFibRisk.com 400
Chicagoland Speedway
Joliet, Illinois
Sunday, September 20, 2015

1. (29) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 267, $306315.
2. (14) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 267, $213655.
3. (9) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 267, $195005.
4. (6) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 267, $180280.
5. (12) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 267, $170641.
6. (2) Joey Logano, Ford, 267, $162903.
7. (18) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 267, $144478.
8. (3) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 267, $158111.
9. (7) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 267, $163361.
10. (20) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267, $146381.
11. (11) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 267, $152321.
12. (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 267, $122025.
13. (4) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 267, $131670.
14. (10) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 267, $148986.
15. (28) David Ragan, Toyota, 267, $131664.
16. (13) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 266, $138141.
17. (16) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 266, $110350.
18. (27) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 265, $110250.
19. (26) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 265, $135108.
20. (24) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 265, $126903.
21. (17) Greg Biffle, Ford, 265, $131078.
22. (21) Brian Scott(i), Chevrolet, 265, $115003.
23. (31) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 265, $120278.
24. (8) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 264, $112320.
25. (23) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 264, $124034.
26. (25) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 264, $104095.
27. (36) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 263, $95495.
28. (30) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 263, $136470.
29. (33) Cole Whitt, Ford, 263, $105853.
30. (22) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 262, $119290.
31. (38) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 262, $92745.
32. (35) David Gilliland, Ford, 262, $108592.
33. (40) Josh Wise, Ford, 261, $90845.
34. (37) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 261, $90645.
35. (34) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 261, $90410.
36. (15) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 260, $108220.
37. (32) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 259, $89953.
38. (41) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 259, $84528.
39. (39) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 258, $80465.
40. (42) Reed Sorenson, Ford, 258, $76465.
41. (43) Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, 255, $72465.
42. (1) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 209, $126690.
43. (5) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 198, $101901.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 140.117 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 51 Mins, 30 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.962 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 6 for 28 laps.
Lead Changes: 17 among 10 drivers.

Lap Leaders: K. Harvick 1-5; J. Logano 6; M. Truex Jr. 7-45; Kyle Busch 46-128; K. Harvick 129-133; Kyle Busch 134-143; J. Gordon 144-183; Kurt Busch 184; Kyle Busch 185; K. Larson 186-187; C. Edwards 188-193; Kyle Busch 194-220; Kurt Busch 221-239; D. Hamlin 240-243; M. Kenseth 244; Kurt Busch 245-261; J. Gordon 262; D. Hamlin 263-267.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Kyle Busch 4 times for 121 laps; J. Gordon 2 times for 41 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 39 laps; Kurt Busch 3 times for 37 laps; K. Harvick 2 times for 10 laps; D. Hamlin 2 times for 9 laps; C. Edwards 1 time for 6 laps; K. Larson 1 time for 2 laps; M. Kenseth 1 time for 1 lap; J. Logano 1 time for 1 lap.

Top 16 in Points: M. Kenseth – 2,052; D. Hamlin – 2,050; C. Edwards – 2,049; Kyle Busch – 2,049; Kurt Busch – 2,048; J. Logano – 2,048; J. Johnson – 2,045; R. Newman – 2,040; B. Keselowski – 2,039; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 2,038; M. Truex Jr. – 2,035; J. Gordon – 2,031; J. Mcmurray – 2,028; P. Menard – 2,027; C. Bowyer – 2,025; K. Harvick – 2,009.

September 20, 2015
Jeffrey Earnhardt Nabs Sprint Cup Ride for ‘16

By Staff report | NASCAR.com

Jeffrey Earnhardt signed a multi-year deal starting with the 2016 season to drive in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Go FAS Racing.

Earnhardt, 26, will pilot the No. 32 Ford Fusion and Can-Am will be on board to serve as a primary sponsor for 11 events and an associate-level partner for all other events in 2016.

“I’m really excited to join GFR,” Earnhardt said in a release provided by the team. “I’m thrilled to have Can-Am on board as our partner for 2016. I’m an avid outdoorsman and their products are the gold standard for outdoor sports, so it’s a perfect fit. With Can-Am supporting our team, we’re certain to increase our competitiveness throughout the 2016 season.”

Earnhardt will compete for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.

Veteran driver Bobby Labonte will also drive several events in the No. 32 Ford.

“We are all really excited about this new partnership with Can-Am and Jeffrey Earnhardt for 2016”, team owner Archie St. Hilaire said in a release. “This deal will improve our program and make us much more competitive in the upcoming season while giving Jeffrey all the tools he needs to succeed at this level. 2016 can’t come soon enough for myself and everyone at GFR.”

The Mooresville, North Carolina native made his Sprint Cup debut at Richmond earlier this month, finishing 40th in the Federated Auto Parts 400. He was on the entry list for the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sept. 27, 2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

For his career, Earnhardt has made 66 starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and 10 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Earnhardt is the grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt, nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the son of Kerry Earnhardt. Kerry made seven starts in the Sprint Cup Series, 72 starts in the XFINITY Series and 27 starts in the Camping World Truck Series. The Richmond race that Jeffrey ran marked the first time two Earnhardts were competing in the Sprint Cup Series in over a decade.

The team also announced in a release that Go Green Racing will be competing under the Go FAS banner starting with Daytona Speedweeks in 2016.

September 19, 2015
Harvick Starts Up Front after Coors Light Qualifying Canceled

By Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service

JOLIET, Ill. — Kevin Harvick will start the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup from the same position he ended last year’s playoff — in the No. 1 spot.

When torrential rain at Chicagoland Speedway wiped out Friday’s time trials at the 1.5-mile track, Harvick earned the Coors Light Pole position for Sunday’s MyAFibRisk.com 400 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN) by virtue of having posted the fastest lap during opening practice.

With heavy rains forecasted for the afternoon, most drivers focused on mock qualifying runs during practice, anticipating the field for the opening Chase race would be set according to practice speeds. Harvick was the only driver to top 188 mph in the opening session, running a lap at 188.317 mph.

Joey Logano, a Championship 4 competitor in 2014, will start on the outside of the front row, after running 187.911 mph in practice. With Brad Keselowski third quickest and Martin Truex Jr. fourth, Chase drivers claimed the top four starting spots and six of the top seven.

Ryan Newman will start sixth and Kyle Busch seventh in the 400-mile event.

“First off,” Harvick said, “I’m just most proud of my team for having a fast race car and coming to the track and having a plan and doing all the things that they did to pay attention to the weather and put a lot of emphasis on trying to lay a fast lap down, just like everybody else, to get a good starting position with the way that the weather was (looking).”

Logano and his team spent the entire 85-minute practice session in qualifying trim, expecting time trials to be rained out.

“We looked at the forecast and knew there was a good chance of rain,” Logano said. “Any time that happens, you focus in on qualifying in practice a little bit more. We haven’t been in race trim yet … Really, I felt like it was qualifying during practice.

“We were really trying to top the chart because we really felt like that was where we were going to start — at the end of practice.”

Harvick, on the other hand, started in race trim to get a feel for the track before he moved to a qualifying setup.

“We started in race trim because (Crew chief) Rodney (Childers) and I felt like this is one of those places … it’s a hard place to drive around because it’s so rough, and the timing and rhythm of the race track is something that, as a driver, you need to be able to get into that rhythm before you go into qualifying trim.”

Two Chase drivers who failed to post strong practice speeds — Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin — will start 26th and 29th, respectively, in Sunday’s race. Other Chasers secured spots on the grid as follows: Kurt Busch (ninth), Jeff Gordon (10th), Jimmie Johnson (11th), Matt Kenseth (12th), Jamie McMurray (13th), Carl Edwards (14th), Paul Menard (16th) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (19th).

A major casualty of the cancellation was Ryan Blaney, who was ninth fastest in opening practice in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford but will not start the race under rainout rules (because of fewer qualifying attempts this year). This is the third time this season Blaney has been knocked out of a race by rain.

Michael McDowell and Travis Kvapil also failed to make the 43-car field.

Starting Lineup for MyAFibRisk.com 400

September 18, 2015
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Chicagoland

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series head to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. All Sprint Cup and XFINITY on-track action can be seen on NBC Sports Live Extra. The Camping World Truck Series events will be shown on FOX Sports 1. Please see the full schedule below.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, Sept. 18:

On Track:

10 a.m.-12:25 p.m: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FOX Sports 1
12:30-1:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
2-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
4:35 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1 – Canceled due to rain (Results, set by rule book)
6:45 p.m: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra Canceled due to rain (Results, set by rule book)
8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225 (150 laps, 225 miles) – FOX Sports 1 – Postponed until Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET (TV – FOX Sports 2)

GarageCam: (Watch live)

Noon: Sprint Cup Series
1:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

11 a.m.: Danica Patrick
11:30 a.m.: Aric Almirola
12:15 p.m.: Chase Elliott
2:45 p.m.: Erik Jones
3 p.m.: Jerry West
3:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
7:45 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – Canceled due to rain
10:15 p.m.: Post-Camping World Truck Series Race –Canceled due to rain

Saturday, Sept. 19:

On Track:

10:30 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225 (150 laps, 225 miles) – FOX Sports 2
1:30-2:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
2:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
4:30-5:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
6 p.m.: XFINITY Series Furious 7 300 (200 laps, 300 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

12:30 p.m.: Daytona International Speedway Announcement – Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III and Jeffrey Earnhardt, driver of the No. 32 Go Green Racing Ford
8:15 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race

Sunday, Sept. 20:

Special Event (Watch live)

1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Driver/Crew Chief Meeting

On Track:

3 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series myAFibRisk.com 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

11:30 a.m.: Jim Campbell (Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports), Dave Pericak (Director, Ford Performance) and Ed Laukes (Vice President of Marketing, Performance and Guest Experience for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.)
6:15 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Race

TV Schedule

Friday, Sept. 18:

8 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Setup – FOX Sports 1

Saturday, Sept. 19:

12:30 p.m.: TUDOR United SportsCar Championship: Circuit of the Americas – FOX Sports 2
4 p.m.: NASCAR America Live – NBCSN
5:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN

Sunday, Sept. 20:

11:30 a.m.: NASCAR Race Day – FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m.: NASCAR America Sunday – NBCSN
2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Countdown to Green – NBCSN
6:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show – NBCSN
7 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN
Midnight: NASCAR Victory Lane – FOX Sports 1

September 18, 2015
Finley Factor: Is Knaus Moving Away From The 48 Team?

When Jimmie Johnson takes the checkered flag at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 22, it will be the end of 14 straight seasons with Chad Knaus on top of the pit box for the No. 48 Chevrolet. The results of the partnership have been legendary so far; 72 wins, six Sprint Cup championships, including five in a row from 2006-2010, the 2013 Daytona 500, four Coca-Cola 600 victories, along with wins in the Southern 500 and Brickyard 400.

Could it be the end of an era next season? If performance isn’t stepped up, there’s no doubt that it’s a possibility.

This season, while the No. 48 and No. 88 teams have done well overall, both the No. 5 and the No. 24 teams have been practically anonymous. Jeff Gordon has struggled with inconsistency and just a lack of speed throughout his so far disappointing retirement season. Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne flat out missed the Chase and many, including Dale Jarrett on NBC this weekend, are beginning to question his talents. The No. 88 has been dominant on the plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega and seems to be the best Hendrick car at this point in the season. Johnson’s season started off strong with four wins in the first 13 races, but only one top-five in the past nine races has many in the garage area scratching their heads.

Next year will be a very critical time for Hendrick Motorsports. With time ticking on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s hopes for that long awaited championship, Kahne needing to perform under the microscope, and the start of a new era for the No. 24 with Chase Elliott, Johnson could very easily be lost in the shuffle. For the first time since 1995, Hendrick Motorsports will only be employing one former Cup champion to pilot their Chevrolets- Jimmie Johnson.

It’s fairly obvious that Hendrick will need to make some changes to the No. 5 this off-season. Kahne just signed a four-year extension last year so they aren’t getting rid of the driver. This means that the No. 5 could likely have a different crew chief next year in place of Keith Rodden.

The No. 24 team’s struggles this season also need to be addressed in time for Elliott’s rookie season, and part of that is possibly moving Alan Gustafson away from the 24 team to a different HMS team. Common sense would dictate swapping Rodden and Gustafson around, but if the No. 48’s struggles continue into the fall months, it could be just about time to split up Johnson and Knaus.

All great pairings in history – Gordon and Ray Evernham, Richard Petty and Dale Inman, Tony Stewart and Greg Zipadelli, etc., end at some point, and it could be time for this pairing to end. All signs are starting to point to Hendrick considering it; take the wording of HMS press release earlier this week on Johnson, Lowe’s, and Kanus extensions to the team. Nowhere in the release does it say that Knaus will continue past this year with Johnson, only that he will stay with Hendrick through 2018.

HMS isn’t afraid to make radical changes when teams aren’t performing well. In 2010, they won a fifth straight championship with Johnson but no victories outside of the No. 48 and only one other driver, Gordon, on the stage in Las Vegas at the end of the year. This prompted a huge switch around in crew chiefs – Lance McGrew to the No. 5, Gustafson to the No. 24, and Steve Letarte to the No. 88. Outside of the lame-duck No. 5, which struggled with an aging Mark Martin and a soon to be replaced McGrew, the Hendrick teams improved greatly the following season.

If I were in charge of Hendrick and the season ended today, I’d move Gustafson back to the No. 5, Knaus to the No. 24, and Rodden to the No. 48. One of Kahne’s weak points has recently been not being able to adapt to a bad handling car, saying that it needs to turn better in the center of the corner. Gustafson is great at setting a car up, and I feel he and Kahne could counteract their own weak points. Rodden is still new to the crew chief job and Johnson should be able to help show him the ropes. Knaus and Elliott would be a great pairing. Knaus seems to be a pretty “we’re doing it this way” type of guy, and Elliott isn’t going to speak back to him like Johnson can.

Chicagoland Preview, the First Race of the Challenger Round of the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup

The Favorites

Brad Keselowski has recently been owning this track. In the past four starts here, he has an average finish of 3.5 and two victories. It would be hard to pick him over any other JGR/Penske driver.

This is one of Kevin Harvick’s best racetracks. Although he hasn’t won here since 2002, he has three top-fives over the last four races and, although hitting a bit of a snag at Richmond, should recover from that in time for the Chase.

The Sleepers

Kurt Busch seems to always do well here in Chicagoland. Looking back on his past stats here, unless there is a problem on the car, he almost always finishes top-10, in spite of having no Chicagoland victories on his resume.

Matt Kenseth is a little more inconsistent. In spite of really having no major problems, he only has six top-10s out of 14 starts. He did win here two years ago however and with how large of a role the Gibbs cars have right now, it would be tough to not put him here.

The Wild Card

Kyle Larson only has one start at Chicagoland, but it was a third place finish here last season. Being outside of the Chase will enable him and his Chip Ganassi Racing team to really take gambles throughout it, and it begins this weekend.

All stats for the Finley Factor are as per Racing Reference unless otherwise noted.

September 17, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led 352 of 400 laps and cruised to an easy win in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond. The win was Kenseth’s fourth of the season and places him atop the points standings for the start of the Chase.

“I have the early momentum for the Chase,” Kenseth said. “And speaking of ‘early momentum,’ Joey Logano says I jumped the final restart. I dispute that. If I jumped anything, it was ‘ship,’ when I left Roush Fenway Racing.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick struggled at Richmond, finishing 14th, one lap down, in the final race before the Chase For The Cup.

“It felt like I was driving on flat tires,” Harvick said. “That made the No. 4 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet ‘leaky fast.’

“Of course, the tires weren’t really flat. Or were they? The last thing NASCAR needs is its own ‘Deflate-Gate’ controversy.”

3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished eighth at Richmond, posting his 18th top-10 result of the year. By virtue of his one win this year, he will start the Chase with 2,003 points, nine out of first.

“This is where you’ll see the real drivers separated from the pretenders,” Keselowski said. “Or, if you’d care not to wait, I’ll do it for you. Pretenders: Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray. Contenders: everyone else.”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Richmond on a commanding night for the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. Matt Kenseth won while Denny Hamlin finished sixth and Carl Edwards took 11th.

“JGR looks like the team to beat,” Busch said. “Kenseth is dominant while Edwards is domineering. Some people say Denny Hamlin isn’t a threat to win because of his injury, but they don’t have a leg to stand on. Me? I certainly have the talent, but history says that once the NASCAR post-season starts, I hit a wall.”

5. Joey Logano: Logano finished third at Richmond, and will start the Chase For The Cup with 2009 points, three points behind four-time winners Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth.

“Kenseth clearly jumped the final restart,” Logano said. “Replays verify it. Sure, Kenseth led 352 of 400 laps, but in this instance, he wasn’t ‘in the zone.’”

6. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 11th in the Federated Auto Parts 400 as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth dominated for the win.

“I traded paint with Kenseth during the race,” Edwards said. “To his credit, Kenseth didn’t give an inch. He’s really manned up. If he wins another championship this year, it seems he will have finally ‘grown a pair.’”

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished fifth at Richmond, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars. Earnhardt will join HMS teammates, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon in the Chase.

“HMS hasn’t had a win since Daytona in July,” Earnhardt said. “And we really need it. Our team motto for the upcoming race is ‘Just one, baby.’”

8. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished ninth and will enter the Chase For The Cup in first place with 2012 points by virtue of his four wins.

“’2012’ is a great number,” Johnson said. “It was not a good year. That’s when my run of six straight Cups came to an end.

“I just signed a contract extension to remain with Hendrick Motorsports through 2017. That’s good news for a team struggling to find speed heading into the Chase For The Cup. Finally, it’s a good ‘sign’ for HMS.”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 15th at Richmond and will start the Chase For The Cup with 2,006 points, six behind the leaders at 2,012.

“Now,” Busch said, “the pressure really heats up. This is when you find out what you’re really made of. Sometimes, you never really know what someone is made of….until you go ‘court-ing.’”

10. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished sixth at Richmond despite driving with a torn right ACL, an injury suffered in a pickup basketball game on Tuesday.

“I probably shouldn’t have been playing basketball,” Hamlin said. “After all, this is the second time I’ve injured my knee. In both cases, I was wearing my favorite sneakers, the ‘Err Hamlins.’ Anyway, my right leg feels a little loose in the center.”

September 16, 2015
Kenseth Dominates for the Win at Richmond as Chase Field is Finalized

Matt Kenseth won the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway in a dominant fashion on Saturday night, capturing his fourth win of the season. Kenseth led 352 laps and skated to a clean victory ahead of Kyle Busch in second and pole-sitter Joey Logano.

“These guys gave me a great car – thanks to Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and all these guys standing behind me. They had the pit stops we needed, they kept us out front so we were really superb in the long run and we had to work for it pretty hard in the short run.” Kenseth said.

The evening started off with major weather concerns as it was storming on and off throughout the day. However, the rain dissipated around 90 minutes before the race started and was never a factor afterwards.

Between Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates, Kenseth, Busch, and Denny Hamlin, Toyota led all but 25 laps. Joey Logano was the lone non-Gibbs driver to lead laps.

“[Richmond] used to be one of [our] better tracks and it hasn’t been the last couple of years. Tonight all our cars ran really well,” said Kenseth following the race.

After just three victories in the previous season and a half, JGR has won nine of the last 12 Sprint Cup Series races, being stopped only by Logano at Watkins Glen and Bristol and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona.

There was trouble for the 95 of Michael McDowell on lap 293. McDowell accidentally hit a caution truck and practically destroyed the rear of his Leavine Family Racing Ford. McDowell would later tell MRN that the No. 38 Ford of David Gilliland in front of him swerved at the last second, and his spotter didn’t see the truck. McDowell and the safety crew were unharmed in the incident.

There was some late race drama with the No. 43 Ford. Aric Almirola, on the outside looking into the Chase, gained a spot under the final caution and restarted third with 17 laps to go. Kenseth arguably jumped the restart, and Almirola never got close to the lead.

“It is tough. This is what we race for. We race to win races. We race to run for a championship.” Almirola said.

There were six cautions for 47 laps. Four were for debris on the race track, while Martin Truex Jr. slammed into the wall on lap 39. There was a multi-car incident on lap 113 between McDowell, Michael Annett, and Jeb Burton where Burton turned Annett around on the backstretch.

There were no changes to the Chase grid following the race, outside of Kenseth’s victory changing his seeding from tied for third to tied for first. On stopping Joe Gibbs Racing in the Chase, defending champion Kevin Harvick said, “Hopefully they’ll be peaky like they normally are and we can capitalize on the solid momentum we’ve had throughout the last two years and do what we have to do.”

Federated Auto Parts 400 Full Results:

1st. Matt Kenseth

2nd. Kyle Busch

3rd. Joey Logano

4th. Aric Almirola

5th. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

6th. Denny Hamlin

7th. Jeff Gordon

8th. Brad Keselowski

9th. Jimmie Johnson

10th. Clint Bowyer

11th. Carl Edwards

12th. Kyle Larson

13th. Jamie McMurray

14th. Kevin Harvick

15th. Kurt Busch

16th. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

17th. David Ragan

18th. Kasey Kahne

19th. Danica Patrick

20th. Ryan Newman

21st. Casey Mears

22nd. Brian Scott

23rd. Trevor Bayne

24th. AJ Allmendinger

25th. Justin Allgaier

26th. Paul Menard

27th. Austin Dillon

28th. Sam Hornish Jr.

29th. Tony Stewart

30th. Landon Cassill

31st. Greg Biffle

32nd. Martin Truex Jr.

33rd. David Gilliland

34th. JJ Yeley

35th. Brett Moffitt

36th. Matt DiBenedetto

37th. Alex Bowman

38th. Cole Whitt

39th. Jeb Burton

40th. Jeffrey Earnhardt

41st. Reed Sorenson

42nd. Michael McDowell

43rd. Michael Annett

The 16 Nations battling in the 10 race Chase:

1st seed Jimmie Johnson (Winner of Atlanta, Texas, Kansas, and Dover) 2012 points

1st seed Kyle Busch (Winner of Sonoma, Kentucky, Loudon, and Indianapolis) 2012

1st seed Matt Kenseth (Winner of Bristol, Pocono, Michigan, and Richmond) 2012

2nd seed Joey Logano (Winner of Daytona, Watkins Glen, Bristol) 2009

3rd seed Kevin Harvick (Winner of Las Vegas and Phoenix) 2006

3rd seed Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Winner of Talladega and Daytona) 2006

3rd seed Kurt Busch (Winner of Richmond and Michigan) 2006

3rd seed Carl Edwards (Winner of Charlotte and Darlington) 2006

4th seed Brad Keselowski (Winner of Auto Club) 2003

4th seed Martin Truex Jr. (Winner of Pocono) 2003

4th seed Denny Hamlin (Winner of Martinsville) 2003

5th seed Jamie McMurray (10th in points) 2000

5th seed Ryan Newman (12th in points) 2000

5th seed Jeff Gordon (13th in points) 2000

5th seed Clint Bowyer (14th in points) 2000

5th seed Paul Menard (15th in points) 2000

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship begins next week at Chicagoland.

September 12, 2015
Joey Logano Scores Sprint Cup Pole at Richmond

Joey Logano took the pole for the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway with a time of 21.349 seconds and a speed of 126.470 mph. Matt Kenseth was fastest in the first two rounds of qualifying but ultimately could only manage an outside front row start.

Only four non-winning drivers; David Ragan, Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon made it to the final round of qualifying. Of the top seven starting positions Saturday night, only Ragan (fifth) and Kevin Harvick (sixth) are not JGR/Penske cars.

The day started off with the first session of Cup practice of the day. Larson and Casey Mears, another driver who can only make the Chase by winning this weekend, clocked in the first and second times. Following them were Brad Keselowski, Harvick and Kyle Busch. The best 10 consecutive lap average in the two-hour session belonged to Justin Allgaier.

The final practice session of the day had Harvick speeding to a 21.526 in qualifying trim. He led Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch in the 80-minute session.

Notably, Denny Hamlin, coming off a torn ACL on Tuesday, struggled with the 42nd best time. However, after the session, Hamlin said in a media Q & A that the ACL was not an issue when in the car. “In the car I’m as comfortable as any place that I am,” said Hamlin, also saying that the main problem with the injury is swelling, limiting mobility out of the car.

Full starting lineup for the Federated Auto Parts 400 on Saturday Night:

Row 1

1st Joey Logano, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford

2nd Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota

Row 2

3rd Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Miller Lite Ford

4th Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M’s Crispy/American Heritage Chocolate Toyota

Row 3

5th David Ragan, No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine

6th Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet

Row 4

7th Carl Edwards, No. 19 ARRIS Toyota

8th Kurt Busch, No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet

Row 5

9th Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet

10th Tony Stewart, No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet

Row 6

11th Kyle Larson, No. 42 Target Chevrolet

12th Austin Dillon, No. 3 DOW Chevrolet

Row 7

13th Ryan Newman, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet

14th Danica Patrick, No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet

Row 8

15th Casey Mears, No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet

16th Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet

Row 9

17th Brian Scott, No. 33 Shore Lodge Chevrolet

18th Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Brandt Chevrolet

Row 10

19th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Cargill Chevrolet

20th Kasey Kahne, No. 5 HendrickRideAlong.com Chevrolet

Row 11

21st AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Kroger/Bush’s Beans Toyota

22nd Paul Menard, No. 27 Libman/Menard’s Chevrolet

Row 12

23rd Jeff Gordon, No. 24 3M Chevrolet

24th Aric Almirola, No. 43 Smithfield Foods/Waffle House Ford

Row 13

25th Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota

26th Clint Bowyer, No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota

Row 14

27th Michael Annett, No. 46 Switch Hitch Toyota

28th Trevor Bayne, No. 6 AdvoCare Ford

Row 15

29th Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet

30th David Gililand, No. 38 The Pete Store Ford

Row 16

31st Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet

32nd Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Go Bowling/Draft Kings Ford

Row 17

33rd Matt Dibenedetto, No. 83 James Madison University Toyota

34th Cole Whitt, No. 35 MDS Ford

Row 18

35th Landon Cassill, No. 40 Precon Marine/Interstate Moving Services Chevrolet

36th Alex Bowman, No. 7 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet

Row 19

37th Brett Moffit, No. 34 Dockside Ford

38th Greg Biffle, No. 16 Cheez-It Ford

Row 20

39th Michael McDowell, No. 95 Thrivent Financial Ford

40th Reed Sorenson, No. 98 Premium Motorsports Ford

Row 21

41st Brian Scott, No. 33 Shore Lodge Chevrolet

42nd Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 32 BeerFrost.com/CorvetteParts.net Ford

Row 22

43rd JJ Yeley, No. 26 Maxim Toyota

September 11, 2015
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Richmond

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the XFINITY Series head to Richmond International Raceway this weekend. All on-track action can be seen on NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra. The Camping World Truck Series is off. Please see the full schedule below.

All times are Eastern.

Thursday, Sept. 10:

On Track:

2:30-3:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
5-5:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra (Canceled due to weather)

GarageCam: (Watch live)

2 p.m.: XFINITY Series

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

2:45 p.m.: Patrick Starpoli
3 p.m.: William Byron
3:15 p.m.: Noah Gragson
4:15 p.m.: Brian Scott

Friday, Sept. 11:

On Track:

10-11:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
1-2:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
3:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
5:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
7:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Virginia529 College Savings 250 (250 laps, 187.5 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

GarageCam: (Watch live)

12:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

9 a.m.: Ryan Newman
9:15 a.m.: Clint Bowyer
Noon: Carl Edwards
2:55 p.m.: Denny Hamlin
3:15 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
6:45 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Qualifying
9:30 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race

Saturday, Sept. 12:

On Track:

7:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 (400 laps, 300 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

10:30 p.m.: Post Sprint Cup Series Race

September 10, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 44 laps and finished fifth in the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington, posting his 18th top-5 finish of the year.

“It’s great to see the Darlington race back on its traditional weekend,” Harvick said. “I think fans would agree. Ironically, sitting through a 4 hour and 29-minute marathon on Labor Day weekend is truly ‘work.’”

2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole at Darlington and led a race-high 196 laps. However, Keselowski was beaten out of the pits on the race’s final caution by Carl Edwards. Edwards held on for the win, and Keselowski was left with a disappointing runner-up finish.

“I’m a big fan of the low downforce package we ran at Darlington,” Keselowski said. “As I said before, it separates the race car drivers from the pretenders. And, .902 seconds separates the winner from second place.

“I was sporting the ‘Miller High Life’ paint scheme at Darlington. They call ‘High Life’ the ‘Champagne Of Beers.’ The difference between winning and losing is known as ‘Champagne Or Beers.’”

3. Kyle Busch: Busch finished eighth at Darlington and officially clinched a spot in the Chase.

“It’s a great day,” Busch said. “Usually, when you hear the word ‘official’ mentioned along with a Busch brother, something’s going on in the NASCAR hauler.”

4. Joey Logano: Logano finished fourth at Darlington, as Penske Racing took two of the top four spots at “The Track Too Tough To Tame.”

“It was ‘throwback’ weekend at Darlington,” Logano said. “With one race left before the Chase, and only three Chase spots up for grabs, Richmond could be ‘throw punch’ weekend.”

5. Carl Edwards: Edwards took the lead late at Darlington, using a quick pit stop to beat Brad Keselowski on the race’s final caution. Edwards pulled away to grab his second victory of the season.

“I went in third and came out first,” Edwards said, “thanks to my pit crew. I owe this win to them. Believe me, they’ll be a part of the victory celebration. Heck, I might even have them DJ the party because they know how to ‘turn tables.’”

6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth hit the wall on lap 19 and struggled with handling for the duration of the Bojangles Southern 500, finishing 20th.

“It was an otherwise strong day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Kenseth said. “Carl Edwards took the lead in the pits and pulled away for the victory, winning by nearly a second. Carl took off like he was shot out of a cannon. Much like he did with Roush Fenway Racing, Carl left in a hurry.”

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt was the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars at Darlington, finishing eighth.

“Right now,” Earnhardt said, “HMS cars aren’t fast enough to compete for wins. With the Chase For The Cup right around the corner, that’s not good. So, much like our current lap speeds, it’s a case of ‘bad timing.’

“In other news, Danica Patrick has become more famous for her yoga poses than for her racing. Should we call her a ‘yoga master’ or a ‘threat to win a race?’ Either way, it’s a stretch.”

8. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished a disappointing 19th at Darlington and is now winless in his last 12 races.

“You probably heard my crew chief Chad Knaus married a former Miss Sprint Cup,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, Chad will have more luck with the ‘Lady In White’ than I did with the ‘Lady In Black.’

“I gave the groom a bottle of ‘Burnt Rubber’ cologne. Chad wore some during Sunday’s race. At a track like Darlington, that’s known as ‘tire wear.’”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch started second in the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington and finished sixth.

“Much like me,” Busch said, “Bojangles is famous for its ‘chicken.’

“You may have heard that I recently became engaged. I asked Ashley Van Metre and she said ‘yes.’ Soon, I’ll pop the question, and ask her if she’s an assassin.”

10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished ninth and had a late run-in with Kurt Busch, whom Truex sent spinning after contact on lap

“Just as Daytona did, Darlington was offering a flag exchange,” Truex said, “in which you could exchange a Confederate flag for an American flag. With race ticket prices skyrocketing and races becoming even less exciting, leave it to NASCAR to offer fan another offer they can refuse.”

September 8, 2015