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  • Kenseth Wins Coors Light Pole at Michigan

    Kenseth Wins Coors Light Pole at Michigan

    By Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service

    BROOKLYN, Mich. — Matt Kenseth’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota crew woke a sleeping giant just in time for qualifying for Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN) at Michigan International Speedway.

    But Kenseth jokingly credited a sleepless night — brought on by worry over teammate Denny Hamlin’s lack of punctuality — for his pole-winning effort in Friday’s time trials at the two-mile track.

    Getting the most out of the high-drag aerodynamic package in force at the event at Michigan, Kenseth covered the distance in 36.458 seconds (197.488 mph) to win his third Coors Light Pole Award of the season, his first at MIS and the 16th of his career.

    Hamlin (196.990 mph) was second fastest, and Carl Edwards (196.276 mph) claimed the third starting spot, as Joe Gibbs Racing swept the top three positions on the grid for the 23rd Sprint Cup race of the season.

    Austin Dillon (195.918 mph) qualified fourth as the top Chevrolet in the field, followed by Tony Stewart (195.477 mph) in a Chevrolet and Kyle Busch (195.450 mph) in the fourth JGR Toyota. Joey Logano, last week’s winner at Watkins Glen, qualified 10th as the only Ford driver to crack the top 12.

    Based on practice speed, Edwards was a favorite to win the pole, but Kenseth, who was 10th on the speed chart in the opening practice session, closed the gap in time from qualifying.

    “We were a long ways off Carl in practice, and I don’t even know what changes they made, but they changed a lot of stuff that really woke this thing up and had some speed,” Kenseth said. “I knew I got through (Turns) 1 and 2 good, but Denny put up such a fast lap, and I got into (Turn) 3, and I was bound and determined that I was going to make it wide open.

    “I had the first half of the corner. It was the second half that was starting to get exciting. I got sliding up the track and bogged down a little bit. I wasn’t sure that we were going have it, but I have to say thanks to those guys (the crew). They gave me a car with a lot of speed.”

    In Hamlin’s view, Busch’s return from an injury has achieved a critical mass of four talented, veteran drivers at JGR who can benefit from each other’s expertise.

    “When you have drivers that you can feed off of, like the three teammates that I have, it makes a difference, and so that’s where you’re seeing the results,” Hamlin said.

    That didn’t prevent the driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry from throwing a barb toward the 43-year-old teammate who beat him for the pole.

    “Matt was probably too old to remember to lift there,” Hamlin said of Kenseth’s qualifying run.

    Kenseth provided a different perspective.

    “I could say it’s because I didn’t get enough sleep,” Kenseth said. “I flew up with Denny today, and he likes to come to everything at the last minute. I didn’t sleep last night thinking that we weren’t going to make it up here, so it’s really just for lack of sleep. I get to credit Denny for the pole.”

    Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Logano completed the top 10. Reed Sorenson failed to make the 43-car field.

    Complete Starting Lineup:

    Michigan Pure 400 starting lineup August 2015

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Michigan and Mid-Ohio

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Michigan and Mid-Ohio

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series will compete this week at Michigan International Speedway while the NASCAR XFINITY Series travels to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. All Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races can be seen on NBC Sports Live Extra. The Camping World Truck Series events will be televised on FOX Sports 1. The full schedule is listed below.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 14:

    On Track – Michigan:

    11 a.m.-1:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    1:30-2:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice – FOX Sports 1
    3-4:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice (Will be shown on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)
    5:05 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra

    On Track – Mid-Ohio:

    1:30-2:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    3-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – RSN/Live Extra

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    9:45 a.m.: Greg Biffle
    10 a.m.: Matt Kenseth
    10:15 a.m.: Tyler Reddick
    10:30 a.m.: Erik Jones
    3:15 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    6 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying

    Saturday, August 15:

    On Track – Michigan:

    8:30-9:25 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    9:40 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
    11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    12:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Setup – FOX Sports 1
    1 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Careers for Veterans 200 presented by Cooper Standard and Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation – (100 laps, 200 miles) – FOX Sports 1

    On Track – Mid-Ohio:

    11:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – Live Extra
    3 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio (75 laps, 169.35 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    2:30 p.m.: (approx.): Post-Camping World Truck Series Race

    Sunday, August 16:

    On Track – Michigan:

    11:30 a.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: Michigan – FOX Sports 1
    1:30 p.m.: NASCAR America Sunday – NBCSN
    2 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    2:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 (200 laps, 400 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra
    5:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show – NBCSN
    11 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN
    Midnight: NASCAR Victory Lane – FOX Sports 1

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    11 a.m.: MIS President Roger Curtis and Consumers Energy VP and Chief Customer Officer Garrick J. Rochow
    11:30 a.m.: Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO Steve Arwood, Travel Michigan Vice President Dave Lorenz and grand marshal Michael Harris
    5:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-Sprint Cup Series race

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch kept his hot streak alive with a third-place finish at Watkins Glen, and although he didn’t win, he moved into 30th place in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “We played the finish conservatively,” Busch said. “I took an unnecessary chance last week at Pocono, not to mention one in Iredell County, North Carolina back in 2011. I got busted in both instances.

    “This time, we played it safe. Sometimes, you’ve gotta think ‘big picture.’ And I’m always thinking ‘big picture,’ because that’s the only one my ego will fit in.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick ran out of fuel in the final corner at Watkins Glen, handing Joey Logano the win while settling for third.

    “Logano overtook a car that was out of fuel,” Harvick said. “That’s called ‘passing gas.’ I tried to wreck Logano as he went by. And, much like my fuel tank, it came up empty.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano passed Kevin Harvick in the final corner after Harvick’s fuel ran out, giving Logano the win in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen.

    “I’m just happy to get the win,” Logano said. “Fuel mileage races don’t really tell us who’s best. They do, however, tell us who ‘sucks’ the least.

    “I knew I had plenty of fuel to chase Harvick. And I knew if I pressed the issue, I could make him run out. In essence, I put him back in a Richard Childress Racing car, because he slowed to a crawl.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Despite a late spin caused by Tony Stewart’s blown engine, Johnson salvaged a tenth at Watkins Glen, scoring his 14th top 10 of the year.

    “You may have seen me in a commercial for ‘Burnt Rubber,’” Johnson said. “It’s a new fragrance from Sunoco, and it’s left its mark on the cologne industry. Unfortunately, it’s a skid mark. Let’s just be thankful that the latest NASCAR-themed cologne wasn’t called ‘Dick Trickle.’”

    5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished 11th in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen, just missing his 14th top-10 finish of the season.

    “It was a tough day for a lot of drivers,” Earnhardt said. “Particularly Tony Stewart. He finished last. Plus, he experienced something that often happen to fans of Junior Nation when they break out their finest china for an important meal—he got ‘served with papers.’”

    6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex qualified second and suffered a flat tire with 22 laps to go, ruining what would have been a solid day and settling for a 25th-place finish.

    “Some drivers ran out of gas,” Truex said, “while some, like me, ran out of air. Others ran out of talent. Still others had no talent to begin with. The remainder drive for Michael Waltrip Racing.”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano took the win at Watkins Glen.

    “Joey had luck on his side,” Keselowski said. “My No. 2 Ford did not. Maybe, instead of having ‘Miller Lite’ plastered on the side of my car, we should have had ‘Miller Fortune’ there.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch claimed fifth in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen, posting his seventh top-5 finish of the year.

    “Kevin Harvick clearly had the fastest car on the track,” Busch said. “Then he ran out of fuel. He was more than ‘good,’ he was best….till the last drop.”

    9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led two laps and finished fourth at Watkins Glen, one of three Joe Gibbs Racing cars in the top 10.

    “That’s two consecutive fuel mileage races,” Kenseth said. “I won at Pocono, and was pretty close to winning at Watkins Glen. That really would have established me as a driver who knows how to make a drop of fuel last. I guess I would have been known as the ‘Wizard Of Oz.’”

    10. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished eighth at Watkins Glen, posting his sixth top 10 of the season.

    “Did you see Denny Hamlin speeding around the track with his hood up on the No. 11 FedEx Toyota?” Edwards said. “That performance earned Denny the nickname ‘Little Fed Riding Hood.’”

  • Watkins Glen – Anyone Can Win it!

    Watkins Glen – Anyone Can Win it!

    Talking with Kyle Busch in the Sprint Cup garage you wouldn’t know he’s the hottest driver in the sport. He’s run and finished up front in the majority of the races he’s run in since missing the beginning of the season due to injuries from an accident at the season opening XFINITY race at the Daytona International Speedway in February.

    In the media center at Watkins Glen International Busch said about his confidence coming into the weekend, “It was certainly unexpected (the win) I guess in Sonoma, but I feel like I’ve been a pretty good road racer over the years so it wasn’t surprising. Just look forward to these races. I always do every year. It’s kind of fun, it’s kind of a weekend off’ from the oval stuff. Love the opportunity to get out there and turn right, turn left and have some shifting going on and everything else. You try to make the most of it and have some fun with it and come out of here with some decent finishes. Over the years, we’ve run real well here at Watkins Glen. I think a little more so than Sonoma, but winning at Sonoma and having a really good car out there, I’m really optimistic about being here this weekend and hopefully carrying that road course momentum through to Watkins Glen.”

    When asked how he was feeling and to compare it to how he felt at Sonoma he said, “I’m feeling better this week for sure than what I was at Sonoma. This is another month or month-and-a-half farther down the road in recovery and healing and everything else. I’m doing really, really good and I feel really, really good week in and week out getting out of the car. Everything is going real well for me. I can’t wait for the off-season to get the plates removed in my foot and then I feel like I’ll be right back to what I was before.”

    Busch did reasonably well in the morning practice session coming in ninth place.

    Jeff Gordon has had great success at Watkins Glen and in what is his last time running at the road course in upstate New York, Gordon has four wins, six top fives and an average finish of 14.8. Jeff was asked what the road courses meant to his career.

    “I think early on I just remember wanting to take on every challenge as a team that we possibly could to improve to be a bigger threat for the championship,” Gordon said. “Back then you had to try to be good everywhere because every track mattered for the championship. It was something that we really pursued heavily. I enjoyed it, even though I didn’t grow up road racing a lot, I did enjoy it. We had a team and a car that was capable of being very competitive. Especially Ray (Evernham, crew chief) back in those early days when the crew chiefs had more flexibility, as to how you could find an edge over the competition. He worked hard on the transmissions, the braking, the set-ups and gave me everything that I needed to go out and push the limits of the car and get a lot out of it. We started excelling at them. I think when you look at the drivers and teams that outsiders look at in our sport of who is at the top of the list, I think if you can add a road course win to it, it separates you from the norm and puts you into an elite group. When I look at my road course wins and all the different tracks that I’ve won at, I think it just kind of adds to the stats of putting me into a unique category that I’m very proud of.”

    It used to be that the majority of drivers loathed road courses, some still do, but the last 10 years have seen many winners on the road courses that were a bit unexpected. Gordon mentioned that NASCAR’s rule package evened the field.

    “The cars are all so much more equal,” he explained. “Under the new rules that we have had for the last several years the cars are almost built by NASCAR in so many ways. It’s just so limited as to what you can do to the cars. We used to have full on specialized road course cars where they were completely dedicated to turning right more so than left. We shifted the weight around. We shifted the bodies around. We did a lot of things. That is all gone. Now we are basically racing cars that we would race on a short track we race here and they are not really designed for that. But we make do with it. So the cars are very equal which makes the drivers look much more equal, but then you do have a deeper field as well. It just seems like everybody over the years, where road course racing seemed to be brought into the sport, it has been around a long time. I don’t know to me always when I think of drivers that were really good they did well on the road courses. But then you had this big drop off where drivers and teams just didn’t really go after them and really struggled on them. To me about late 90s is when I saw everyone really putting a lot more focus and attention on them. And it started bringing the whole level of competition up higher. By early 2000, 2001 it seemed like most of the field was good on a road course.”

    Gordon was asked the question he is apparently asked every week, ‘What are your memories of ….insert track name here?’

    “I feel like I say this every weekend when I get asked about a track that I’m going to for the last time,” Gordon said. “I seem to remember the things that got away more than I think of the ones that were sitting in Victory Lane. Those are great moments and I’m proud of those, but I can’t help but think of spinning out in the closing laps here leading this race going into (Turn) 1 after I just watched Tony (Stewart) do the same thing about 25 laps before that. It was going to be a great battle between me and him. I just went in there and lost it. That one certainly stands out. I think I also ran out of gas on the last lap one time and got in (Kevin) Harvick’s way and he spun me out. I remember those.”

    “But I also certainly have fond memories of coming here and just enjoying the challenges,” he continued. “I feel very fortunate to have won four races here. I’ve come here before and really struggled. Just felt like I was completely lost. The year that, I don’t remember if it was the year Ella (daughter) was being born or Leo (son), must have been Leo, when I had Scott Pruett standing in for me, we were really struggling. I remember talking to Scott about how loose the car was and hard to drive. He went out there just to get a feel for it in case he had to get in for me. He came in and his eyes were like this big (shows his hands wide open) and he was like, ‘I don’t know how you are driving that car.’ That was not a fun weekend. When you have weekends like that it makes you appreciate the good ones where you pull off the victory that much more.”

    There’s a lot more to come from Watkins Glen International this weekend. On Saturday, the XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series will qualify with the XFINITY Series race following Cup qualifying. The new format is likely to keep things interesting. Last year Gordon was shocked and excited that he won the pole. As this goes to press Gordon and his No. 24 car was fastest in final practice but we all know that calamity can strike at any moment on the road courses and for that reason, just about any driver out there can win the race Sunday.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Watkins Glen

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series travel to Watkins Glen International this week while the Camping World Truck Series is off. All Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races can be seen on NBC Sports Live Extra. The full schedule is listed below.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 7:

    On Track:

    11:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice – NBCSN
    1-2:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN
    3:30-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN
    4:40-5:55 p.m..: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    9:45 a.m.: AJ Allmendinger
    10 a.m.: Chris Buescher
    10:45 a.m.: Kyle Busch
    11 a.m.: Regan Smith
    11:15 a.m.: Eddie Cheever III
    1:45 p.m.: Jeff Gordon

    Saturday, August 8:

    On Track:

    11:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    1:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    2:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    3 p.m.: XFINITY Series Zippo 200 (82 laps, 200.9 miles) – NBCSN
    (Scheduled Green Flag – approx: 3:16 p.m.)

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    2:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying Press Conference
    5:30 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series Race Press Conference

    Sunday, August 9:

    On Track:

    1:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    2 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 (90 laps, 220.5 miles) – NBCSN
    (Scheduled Green Flag – approx: 2:18 p.m.)
    5 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show – NBCSN
    11 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN

    Press Conferences ((Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    4:45 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Press Conference

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch inherited the lead when Joey Logano ran out of gas with three laps to go, but Logano’s misfortune was a harbinger of the same for Busch, whose tank ran dry with one lap to go. Busch finished 21st.

    “My fuel tank said ‘E,’” Busch said, “then I said ‘F.’ Who would have thought that my luck and my fuel would have run out at the same time?”

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished sixth in the Windows 10 400 at Pocono, securing his 14th top 10 of the season.

    “Hendrick Motorsports put three cars in the top six,” Johnson said. “Kasey Kahne put one in the pit lane wall. That’s what you call a pit stop.

    “Pocono’s ‘Tricky Triangle’ indeed proved to be tricky. However, when you’re talking NASCAR, the triangle is not the geometric shape that first comes to mind. That would be the ‘cylinder.’ My fans know there are eight cylinders in the engine of the No. 48. On the other hand, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s fans know there are 24 of ’em in a case.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s engine blew on lap 20 of the Windows 10 400 at Pocono, relegating him to his worst result of the year, a 42nd.

    “I’m not sure what happened,” Harvick said. “All I know is something went ‘Ke-boom! and the car went ‘Ke-put.’ And out we went in a plume of burning oil and fluids. I was upset, but Tony Stewart was elated. It’s the first time ‘Smoke’s’ had an impact on the Chase all season.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished third at Pocono, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars.

    “It appears Kyle Busch isn’t invincible after all,” Earnhardt said. “For a while there, he was so dominant it looked like he could win without really trying. It took the end of the race on Sunday for validation that yes, he indeed was ‘coasting.’”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano was leading with three laps to go when his fuel tank ran dry. Instead of his second win of the season, he was left with a 20th-place finish.

    “In retrospect,” Logano said, “the ‘Windows 10 400’ should have been called the ‘Fuel Windows 10 400.’

    “Luckily, no one was hurt when Brad Keselowski hit some of his pit crew when he went screaming into his pit stall. Now, you can add three crewmen to the list of people who believe Brad doesn’t know when to stop.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth grabbed his second win of the year after winning a fuel mileage war at Pocono.

    “I can’t say we found a way to win,” Kenseth said. “I would say the way to win found us.

    “Out pit strategy played out to perfection and resulted in a day I’ll never forget, and I owe it all to my gas can man. To him, I say ‘Tanks for the memories.’”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex ran out of fuel with two laps to go, just moments after Joey Logano’s tank went dry while leading. Truex finished 19th and is fifth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 86 out of first.

    “There were a lot of cars running out of gas at the end of the race,” Truex said. “So many that it bordered on being suspicious. Was it a mysterious conspiratorial ploy by NASCAR to add excitement to an otherwise boring race? If so, it would have to be called ‘Fume-igate.’”

    8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished second in the Windows 10 400 at Pocono, surviving as several cars running in the top five dropped out after running out of fuel.

    “I ran into a few of my crew members on a pit stop,” Keselowski said. “Here’s the rundown on their health—they’re all okay. There’s video of the incident all over the internet, and it’s become very popular. Rumor has it Hollywood wants to base a movie on it. It will be called ‘Boyz On The Hood.’”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 37th at Pocono after an accident on a lap 66 restart sent him to the garage for repairs.

    “On the bright side,” Busch said, “I had plenty of gas in my tank at race’s end. If you don’t believe me, just ask my former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. She’ll tell you I’m still full of it.”

    10. Carl Edwards: Edwards pitted late for fuel and salvaged a 10th at Pocono, his fifth top-10 result of the year.

    “What a great race,” Edwards said. “I guess NASCAR was right—-slowing the cars down does make for more exciting racing.

    “Not many drivers had the nerve to come in for gas so late in the race,” Edwards said. “Luckily, we had the guts to do it. As they say, you have to take the plunge before you take the splash.”

  • Matt Kenseth Wins At Pocono As Kyle Busch Runs Out Of Fuel

    Matt Kenseth Wins At Pocono As Kyle Busch Runs Out Of Fuel

    By Reid Spencer

    LONG POND, Pa. – Matt Kenseth, the unexpected winner of Sunday’s Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway, had to do a double-take.

    So did second and third-place finishers Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon.

    Kenseth got a gift on the final lap of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch ran out of fuel halfway through the final lap at the 2.5-mile triangular track.

    Seeking his fourth straight victory in the series, Busch didn’t save quite enough fuel on the last green-flag run to complete the 160-lap event, but he still gained 10 points toward his goal of reaching the top 30 in the series standings.

    Busch, who finished 21st after getting a push toward the finish line from Reed Sorenson, is now 13 points behind 30th-place David Gilliland. Busch has five races to crack the top 30 to become eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    Because Busch was pushed by another car, he did not get credit for completing the final lap, but that did not affect his finishing position.

    Collectively, the top three finishers led seven laps. Joey Logano, who handed the lead to Busch when the No. 22 Team Penske Ford ran out of fuel with fewer than three laps left, led 97.

    But Kenseth wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially after the driver of the No. 20 JGR Toyota did what others failed to do—save enough gas to get to the finish. Kenseth’s second victory of the season locked him into the Chase.

    “There’s nothing like wins,” said Kenseth, who collected his first victory at Pocono and the 33rd of his career. “We had a lot of wins in 2013 and were pretty spoiled and last year we had a big dry spell, and this year we were able to win Bristol.

    “We’ve been up front a lot, so just really, really thankful to be with these guys and to get the win. I never thought I’d ever win at Pocono, and I never ever thought I’d win a fuel mileage race, so we did both today.”

    Despite coming tantalizingly close to a fourth straight win, Busch was philosophical about the near miss.

    “Man, that’s a bummer,” said Busch, who ran out of fuel on the Long Pond straightaway approaching the Tunnel Turn, less than a mile-and-a-half from the finish line. “I wish I would’ve saved a little more there that last run.

    “I wish I would’ve known that the 22 (Logano) was that far away from making it. He was way far away from making it. Man, that was just a shame that we weren’t able to get it done there.”

    Busch took a moment to reflect on what might have been. The empty fuel tank also cost him entry into the top 30.

    “We would be celebrating a win and a Chase berth,” he said ruefully. “We got greedy. I don’t know how greedy, but that’s the position we’re in.

    “If it came down to other things that we haven’t had the success that we’ve had here lately, we would’ve had to have pitted and just made the opportunity of it and made the best finish that we could. But, we went for broke today and come up a little bit short, so can’t fault the team.”

    Keselowski, who ran out of fuel as he approached the finish line, recovered from an early penalty for sliding through his pit, knocking his jack man off his feet and knocking a tire out of his front carrier’s hands.

    The No. 2 Ford lost a lap, regained it and came home second, 9.012 seconds behind Kenseth, as lack of fuel took its toll on the frontrunners. The outcome left Keselowski with mixed feelings.

    “Unfortunately, just another race where I kind of feel like it didn’t all come together for us, and this one certainly on my end with having problems on pit road and kind of sliding through the box,” said the 2012 series champion. “That dug a hole, got us a lap down with the penalty and so forth.

    “I think the last restart with, had to be somewhere around 60 or 70 to go (actually 63), we restarted 12th and we were able to drive up to sixth and looked like we were going to be able to get to fifth, and then the fuel play came in there at the end. We were able to take care of it to bring home second, which is a very respectable day. Certainly probably not where we were going to finish without the fuel, but I guess that’s sometimes how it works.”

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran fourth and Greg Biffle fifth, as none of the top five finishers were threats to finish that high before the varying fuel strategies scrambled the final order.

    “There at the end we were one of the last ones to pit which allowed us to run hard all the way to the finish not having to conserve or save fuel,” said Gordon, smiling at the stroke of good fortune. “I thought we were trying to get maybe 10th or 12th and all of a sudden they said you’re third, and I think I was probably the most shocked person out there on the race track when I found that out.

    “I knew cars were peeling off, but I just didn’t realize that many were either running out or coming to pit road.”

    Note: Both Martin Truex Jr. and Logano, who along with Busch had the strongest cars all afternoon, were cited for speeding on pit road after running out of fuel and were dropped to 19th and 20th, respectively, in the finishing order, the last two cars on the lead lap.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – Windows 10 400
    Pocono Raceway
    Long Pond, Pennsylvania
    Sunday, August 02, 2015

    1. (7) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 160, $233601.
    2. (9) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 160, $205166.
    3. (10) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 160, $181686.
    4. (15) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 160, $134375.
    5. (25) Greg Biffle, Ford, 160, $139908.
    6. (12) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 160, $144851.
    7. (22) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 160, $125323.
    8. (19) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 160, $124073.
    9. (5) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 160, $116279.
    10. (8) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 160, $87915.
    11. (18) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 160, $94440.
    12. (27) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 160, $112908.
    13. (4) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 160, $120611.
    14. (29) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 160, $82250.
    15. (17) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 160, $111541.
    16. (20) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 160, $89125.
    17. (24) David Ragan, Toyota, 160, $107539.
    18. (21) Aric Almirola, Ford, 160, $116956.
    19. (13) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 160, $106015.
    20. (3) Joey Logano, Ford, 160, $128853.
    21. (1) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 159, $140811.
    22. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 159, $93645.
    23. (14) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 159, $110670.
    24. (31) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 159, $102528.
    25. (28) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 159, $92203.
    26. (39) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 159, $77895.
    27. (33) Cole Whitt, Ford, 159, $88853.
    28. (26) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 159, $92092.
    29. (36) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 159, $75895.
    30. (35) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 159, $75745.
    31. (32) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 158, $74095.
    32. (40) Travis Kvapil(i), Ford, 158, $73920.
    33. (37) David Gilliland, Ford, 158, $81720.
    34. (41) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 157, $73520.
    35. (38) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 157, $73370.
    36. (43) Timmy Hill(i), Ford, 156, $73120.
    37. (6) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 150, $90931.
    38. (42) Alex Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 126, $68102.
    39. (30) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 123, $90375.
    40. (23) Trevor Bayne, Ford, Overheating, 91, $104605.
    41. (34) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Accident, 27, $64030.
    42. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, Engine, 20, $104855.
    43. (16) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Accident, 3, $66530.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 132.159 mph.
    Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 01 Mins, 36 Secs. Margin of Victory: 9.012 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 8 for 32 laps.
    Lead Changes: 18 among 13 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: Kyle Busch 1-16; K. Harvick 17-19; Kurt Busch 20-32; M. Truex Jr. 33-38; J. Logano 39-51; Kyle Busch 52; D. Hamlin 53-54; B. Keselowski 55-57; D. Patrick 58-62; J. Logano 63-87; M. Kenseth 88; K. Larson 89-93; J. Logano 94-123; D. Ragan 124; G. Biffle 125-126; J. Gordon 127-128; J. Logano 129-157; Kyle Busch 158-159; M. Kenseth 160;.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Logano 4 times for 97 laps; Kyle Busch 3 times for 19 laps; Kurt Busch 1 time for 13 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 6 laps; K. Larson 1 time for 5 laps; D. Patrick 1 time for 5 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 3 laps; K. Harvick 1 time for 3 laps; M. Kenseth 2 times for 2 laps; D. Hamlin 1 time for 2 laps; G. Biffle 1 time for 2 laps; J. Gordon 1 time for 2 laps; D. Ragan 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 16 in Points: K. Harvick – 780; J. Logano – 734; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 717; J. Johnson – 713; M. Truex Jr. – 694; B. Keselowski – 681; M. Kenseth – 662; J. Mcmurray – 631; Kurt Busch – 620; J. Gordon – 617; D. Hamlin – 614; P. Menard – 591; R. Newman – 584; C. Bowyer – 574; K. Kahne – 559; C. Edwards – 553.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Pocono and Iowa

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Pocono and Iowa

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indianapolis

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indianapolis

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch held off Joey Logano on the final restart to win his first Brickyard 400 and third consecutive race. Busch also won Saturday’s XFINITY Series race at Indy.

    “The No. 18 Skittles car was top notch,” Busch said. “And now I can tell you this: Bricks taste better than the rainbow.

    “Some people have suggested that crashing into the wall at Daytona in February and breaking my left leg and right foot gave me the inspiration for my recent dominant run. I believe that’s entirely true. In fact, there are no bones about it. My injuries gave me a leg up on the competition. And I don’t think I can be stopped. But everyone knows I’m susceptible to mind games. I can’t tell you how many of my rivals have sent me copies of Pink Floyd’s album ‘The Wall.’”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished third in the Brickyard 400, posting his series-best 14th top-10 finish of the season.

    “I just couldn’t get a proper push on the restarts,” Harvick said. “Had the situation been reversed and I was the one doing the pushing, you can best believe it would have been a different story. Just ask Brad Keselowski.

    “There were three late cautions that extended the duration of the race. I didn’t think the race would ever end, and judging by the NBC Sports Network’s pre-race coverage, I didn’t think it would ever start.”

    3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 15th at Indianapolis on a disappointing day for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson was the highest HMS finisher, and Jeff Gordon finished 42nd in his last Brickyard 400 after a spin on lap 50 ended his chances at the win.

    “Clint Bowyer caused the wreck that took out Gordon,” Johnson said. “Afterwards, Bowyer was seen chasing Jeff through the garage to confront him…with an apology.

    “But let’s go easy on the ‘Kyle Busch is championship material’ talk. A Brickyard 400 win is great, but it’s not the end-all. Sure, Crown Royal sponsored the race, so maybe Kyle’s been ‘Royally Crowned,’ but last time I checked, he’s never been officially crowned.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished 22nd at Indianapolis and is now third in the Sprint Cup points standings, 100 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “It was just an unlucky day for Hendrick Motorsports,” Earnhardt said. “But congratulations to Kyle Busch. What a drive he had. Now, he’s got four wins in just nine races this season. That’s a handful, which is exactly what Kyle was when Rick Hendrick jettisoned him back in 2007.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano led the first lap at Indianapolis and was battling for the win at the end, but couldn’t catch Kyle Busch in the two-lap sprint to the finish.

    “Busch is on a roll,” Logano said, “and his attitude has improved dramatically. I guess marriage and fatherhood have mellowed him. Now, the only time Kyle ‘shows his ass’ is at the finish line.”

    6. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished fourth in the Brickyard 400, posting his sixth top-five finish of the year and first in the last five races.

    “Passing was at a minimum,” Truex said, “thanks to the higher rear spoiler. The aerodynamics of that made it nearly impossible to pass. That’s called ‘drag,’ and trust me, as a former driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, no one looks good in ‘drag.’”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 10th at Indianapolis, joining Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano, who finished second, in the top 10.

    “I’m not the biggest Kyle Busch fan,” Keselowski said, “but even I have to commend him for his recent tear. Kyle Busch is an ass…….kicker.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch took eighth at Indianapolis as younger brother Kyle won his first Brickyard 400. Kurt is eighth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 165 out of first.

    “My brother Kyle has won three consecutive NASCAR races,” Busch said, “and four of the last five. I’ve won twice. So, between us, Kyle and I have six wins and one stable relationship with a woman.”

    9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished seventh in the Brickyard 400 on a dominant day for Joe Gibbs Racing. Teammate Kyle Busch won, Denny Hamlin finished fifth, and Carl Edwards started from the pole.

    “There were nine cautions in the race,” Kenseth said. “There was even a caution for balloons on the track. They were yellow and inflated, so I’m going to call them ‘Miss Sprint Cups.’”

    10. (tie) Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth in the Crown Royal 400, and is now 10th in the points standings.

    “Kyle Busch is in one of the most dominant stretches NASCAR has seen in years,” Hamlin said. “He’s won at a 1.5-mile track at Kentucky, a one-mile track at New Hampshire, and a 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis. He’s like Jeremy Mayfield—-he can find speed anywhere.”

    10. (tie) Carl Edwards: Edwards started on the pole at Indianapolis and finished 13th.

    “That was my second consecutive start from the pole,” Edwards said. “Of course, I didn’t win either race, so you didn’t get to see my celebratory backflip. Who cares, right? Everybody knows Kyle Busch has the best finishing move in NASCAR.”

  • Stewart Boosts Team Morale with Fourth Place Start for Brickyard 400

    Stewart Boosts Team Morale with Fourth Place Start for Brickyard 400

    In a season that has given the No. 14 team little reason to celebrate, Tony Stewart clinched his best starting position of the year for the upcoming Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was the fastest in the first round of qualifying but had to settle for a spot on the second row, qualifying fourth in the final round.

    Stewart called the first round qualifying effort “a moral victory if nothing else, for us and the team. It’s been a rough season so far, so this is a great way to come to your home track and I wish this was the second round, not the first round. But at least we’re locked into the second round and that’s the main thing right now.”

    The second round did not go as well with Stewart characterizing the car as “a little bit freer than we were the first round,” but he was pleased with the team’s effort.

    “I’m excited about being in the top two rows right now; definitely happier about that than being mid-pack right now,” Stewart said.

    He also spoke about having the support of his fans, who were clearly ecstatic after his qualifying effort.

    “That is huge,” he stated. “Like I say when you come home that is what you want. They play as big of a part in this as anything when it comes to keeping your moral up.”

    Stewart was cautiously optimistic about Sunday’s race.

    “Well, I mean it could go and be a natural disaster tomorrow,” Stewart admitted. “It could all be for nothing. It’s the way you want to start the weekend for sure is to have two good runs in qualifying and have a decent starting spot. That is definitely what we were looking for today.”

    “I have said all year that it could change in a week and it doesn’t even mean that after this weekend it’s not going to go back to where it has been,” he continued. “But, for here we have a balance. We will just see if we can keep it that way all day tomorrow.”

    The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion has two wins at his home track and seven top-five finishes. Stewart also has a fourth-best driver rating of 101.9 at Indianapolis. Everything considered, there’s no better place for him to turn a lackluster year into a winning season.