NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Zeros In On Daytona Pole

7 years ago 1394 Views Comments Off

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Edges Teammate Chase Elliott for Coke Zero 400 Pole Story By: Reid Spencer / NASCAR Wire Service Photos By: Getty Images / NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – July 1, 2017- Dale Earnhardt Jr. may have just extended his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career by one exhibition race with Friday’s pole-winning effort at Daytona International Speedway. The driver who will step away from the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at the end of the season will start first in that car in Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC), after edging teammate Chase…

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Larson On The Money In Michigan

7 years ago 1520 Views Comments Off

Superb Restarts Propel Kyle Larson To Victory In Michigan Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR BROOKLYN, Mich. –June 18, 2017- Two weeks ago at Dover, Kyle Larson took a painful master class in restarts from Professor Jimmie Johnson. In Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Larson graduated with high honors, using a series of exceptional restarts to win his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season and his second in a row, dating to last August, at the two-mile track in the Irish Hills. At Dover, Larson…

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Friday Michigan NASCAR Notebook

7 years ago 1277 Views Comments Off

Jimmie Johnson Is Good To Go For Three More Years—At Least Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR BROOKLYN, Mich. –June 17, 2017- Don’t read anything into the term of Jimmie Johnson’s new contract with Hendrick Motorsports. Yes, Johnson signed a three-year extension with the organization that has provided him a ride for his entire Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career. Yes, that’s shorter than the five-year deal he inked last time. At the end of the 2020 season, Johnson will be 45, a year older than his car owner and mentor, Jeff…

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Rowdy Is A Monster At Pocono

7 years ago 1327 Views Comments Off

With Monster Lap in Final Round, Kyle Busch Wins Pocono Pole Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR LONG POND, Pa. –June 10, 2017- Running his fastest lap of the day in the final round of Friday’s knockout qualifying, Kyle Busch won the pole position for Sunday’s Axalta presents the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway (3 p.m. ET on FS1) by a comfortable margin. The only driver to top 179 mph in three rounds of time trials, Busch covered the 2.5-mile distance at the triangular track in 50.237 seconds (179.151 mph) to earn…

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Blaney Strikes Late For Charlotte XFINITY Victory

7 years ago 1297 Views Comments Off

Late Pass Gives Ryan Blaney NASCAR XFINITY Series Win At Charlotte Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR CONCORD, N.C. –May 28, 2017- Kevin Harvick was between a rock and a hard place with three laps left in Saturday’s Hisense 4K TV 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Ryan Blaney took full advantage of the veteran driver’s conundrum. Passing Harvick for the lead after a restart on Lap 198 and 200, Blaney crossed the finish line .244 seconds ahead of the driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Blaney had pushed Harvick…

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Larson Leads Mistake Free Qualifying Session For All Star Pole

7 years ago 1363 Views Comments Off

Kyle Larson Grabs Top Starting Spot For Monster Energy All-Star Race Story By: REID SPENCCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR CONCORD, N.C. – May 20, 2017- Friday’s qualifying session for the Monster Energy All-Star Race was all about staying mistake-free. Kurt Busch didn’t. Kyle Larson did, and that was the difference between starting first and starting fifth in NASCAR’s million-dollar exhibition race on Saturday night (at 6 p.m. ET on FS1). In a unique qualifying format that features three laps punctuated by a four-tire pit stop, Busch posted the fastest time in the final round,…

Kansas

Truex Bowls Down The Field In Kansas

7 years ago 1524 Views Comments Off

Truex Ends Kansas Jinx; Almirola taken to local hospital following accident Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES/ NASCAR KANSAS CITY, Kan. – May 14, 2017- Martin Truex Jr. finally ended his Kansas hex. Truex streaked away on the final restart with two laps left in Saturday night’s Go Bowling 400 to win his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. Truex led a race-high 104 of 267 laps to win for the ninth time in his career and for the second time this season. Three times in the past, Truex had…

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Logan Goes From Last To First At Richmond

7 years ago 1516 Views Comments Off

Joey Logano Charges From The Back To Win At Richmond Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By; GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR RICHMOND, Va. – April 30, 2017- It took Joey Logano all afternoon to drive from the back of the field to the front in Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Logano started from the rear after a post-qualifying transmission change, but when the checkered flag waved after Lap 400, the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford was at the head of the field, having held off a banzai charge from teammate Brad…

Bristol Motor Speedway

Johnson Chalks Up Another Bristol Victory

7 years ago 1019 Views Comments Off

Jimmie Johnson Stays Hot With Monday Victory At Bristol Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR BRISTOL, Tenn. –April 25, 2017- A week off and an extra day at Bristol did nothing to break Jimmie Johnson’s momentum. Grabbing the lead from Kevin Harvick on Lap 480 of 500 in Monday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Johnson stayed out front for the final 21 laps and beat Clint Bowyer to the finish line by 1.199 seconds. The checkered flag was Johnson’s second at the .533-mile short track, his second straight this season…

Bristol Motor Speedway

Monday Bristol Notebook

7 years ago 1179 Views Comments Off

PIT ROAD PENALTY QUASHES KYLE LARSON'S WINNING CHANCES Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR BRISTOL, Tenn. –April 25, 2017- Kyle Larson broke a record, in a race that ran like ... well, a broken record. Starting from the pole in Monday’s rain-delayed Food City 500 at Bristol motor Speedway, Larson led the first 202 laps of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Never before had a driver for Chip Ganassi Racing led that many laps in a single race in NASCAR’s premier series. But as was the case in Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY…

Bristol Motor Speedway

Saturday Bristol Notebook

7 years ago 1460 Views Comments Off

Is the “Old” Bristol Experiencing A Rebirth? Story By: REID SPENCCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR BRISTOL, Tenn. – April 23, 2017- As it turned out, Kyle Busch was prophetic when he talked about the changing character of Bristol Motor Speedway. “I’m sure (Kyle) Larson’s thrilled and he’ll have to rubber in the top himself while the rest of us are rooting and gouging for the bottom,” was Busch’s tongue-in-cheek assessment of the racing characteristics of the .533-mile short track, where Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will compete in the Food City 500 on Sunday (2 p.m. …

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Harvick Guns Them Down For Texas Pole

7 years ago 1437 Views Comments Off

Kevin Harvick leads Ford sweep of top five spots in Texas qualifying Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR FORT WORTH, Tex. – April 8, 2017 - Kevin Harvick needed a do-over in the second round of Friday’s knockout qualifying session at Texas Motor Speedway, but putting the extra lap on his tires proved well worth the effort. Harvick led not only the second round but also the first and third in winning the pole for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET on FOX). “I just didn't…

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Martinsville Weekend Preview

7 years ago 1101 Views Comments Off

Red-Hot Larson Goes For Second Consecutive Win, Fifth Straight Top-Two Finish At Martinsville Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: RACERSGUIDE.COM PHOTO STAFF Martinsville Va.- March 31, 2017- After running out of gas with the lead on the final lap of the Daytona 500 and finishing runner-up in the three subsequent races, Kyle Larson finally got his first win of the season. The No. 42 Chevrolet driver led a race-high 110 laps on his way to Victory Lane in last Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR…

Auto Club Speedway

Saturday Auto Club Notebook

7 years ago 1192 Views Comments Off

Polesitter Kyle Larson Among A Handful Of Practice Casualties Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR FONTANA, Calif. –March 26, 2017- Polesitter Kyle Larson and 13th-place starter Chase Elliott both had brushes with the outside wall during Saturday’s final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Auto Club Speedway. The damage to the right side of Larson’s No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet SS was cosmetic, and in short order his team had the series leader back on track. Elliott’s issue was more serious. Shortly after he posted the fastest lap in the session…

Arizona

‘How Sweet It Is’ Newman Ends Winless Drought

7 years ago 1112 Views Comments Off

Ryan Newman Breaks Drought With Late-Race Strategy At Phoenix Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR AVONDALE, Ariz. –March 20, 2017- When the winner of Sunday’s Camping World 500 was announced, officials might have thought for a moment that they got the wrong envelope, a la Warren Beatty at the Oscars. But, no, there was no mistake. Ryan Newman was the unexpected winner of the fourth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season after a late caution gave his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team the chance to break a drought…

Georgia

Keselowski Cashes In On Harvick Miscue

7 years ago 1203 Views Comments Off

Brad Keselowski Pounces On Unexpected Opportunity To Win At Atlanta Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR HAMPTON, Ga. – March 6, 2017- Thanks to the unintentional generosity of the dominant driver in Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, opportunistic Brad Keselowski won the second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season. Kevin Harvick led 292 of the 325 laps at the 1.54-mile track, but a pit road speeding penalty under caution on Lap 311 sent him to the back of the field for the final restart. That gave Keselowski the…

Georgia

Sunday Atlanta Notebook

7 years ago 1206 Views Comments Off

Another Strong Run For Chase Elliott Comes Up Short Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR HAMPTON, Ga. –March 6, 2017- Chase Elliott spent much of Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 running in Kevin Harvick’s shadow. Elliott had a fast Chevrolet, as he proved conclusively after incurring a pit road speeding penalty on Lap 212. Despite serving a pass-through for the infraction, Elliott stayed on the lead lap and was running faster lap times than Harvick when a debris caution on Lap 240 slowed the field and gave Elliott a chance to regain…

Georgia

Harvick Saves His Best For Last For Atlanta Pole Run

7 years ago 2152 Views Comments Off

With Stellar Final Lap, Kevin Harvick Wins Atlanta Pole Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR HAMPTON, Ga. –March 4, 2017- Kevin Harvick saved his best lap for the best possible moment on Friday afternoon, putting his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford on the pole for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX). In the third and final round of knockout qualifying for the second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season, Harvick toured the 1.54-mile track in 29.118 seconds (190.398 mph) to…

Georgia

Friday Atlanta Notebook

7 years ago 1245 Views Comments Off

After Daytona Disappointment, Elliott Still Waiting For His Day To Come Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR HAMPTON, Ga. –March 4, 2017- Chase Elliott had seen that movie before. Having qualified for the playoff as a Sunoco rookie last year, Elliott was leading the first postseason race at Chicagoland Speedway when Michael McDowell’s spin in Turn 4 brought out the fourth and final caution on lap 263 of a scheduled 267. Elliott lost the lead on pit road and lost the race in overtime to Martin Truex Jr. In last Sunday’s Daytona…

Daytona 500

Kurt Busch Pilots SHR To Daytona Victory

7 years ago 1534 Views Comments Off

Patient Kurt Busch Wins Wild Daytona 500—Without looking back Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: DICK AYERS RACERSGUIDE.COM & GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –February 27, 2017- His car damaged in a wreck on the backstretch and held together with tape, Kurt Busch grabbed the lead on the final lap of the 59th Daytona 500 on Sunday and took the checkered flag in the Great American Race as a capstone to a checkered career that has trended upward since Busch joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014. In a race that featured the first test of…

Daytona 500

Sunday Daytona Notebook

7 years ago 1095 Views Comments Off

Despite The Crash That Took Him Out, Earnhardt Encouraged By Strong Performance Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: DICK AYERS / RACERSGUIDE.COM & GETTY IMAGES DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –February 27, 2017- Returning to action from a concussion that sidelined him for the second half of the 2016 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was leading Sunday’s Daytona 500 at the halfway point, having passed Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for the top spot on lap 97 of 200. But both Earnhardt and Johnson were off-cycle on pit stops, and a trip to pit road was imminent. What Earnhardt…

Daytona 500

Saturday Daytona Notebook

7 years ago 1234 Views Comments Off

Tony Stewart’s Quick Wit Shines Through During Ford Press Conference Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –February 26, 2017- Just because Tony Stewart has retired from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing doesn’t mean the co-owner of Stewart-Hass racing has lost his quick wit and sense of humor. Stewart’s penchant for repartee was in full evidence on Saturday morning when he answered questions from reporters during a Ford Performance press conference at Daytona International Speedway. Before Stewart could get into his shtick, however, he had to take some good-natured…

Daytona 500

Elliott & Hamlin Take Duel Victories

7 years ago 1588 Views Comments Off

Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin Win Action-Filled Can-Am Duel Qualifying Races Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE ERVICE Photos By: DICK AYERS / RACERSGUIDE.COM DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –February 24, 2017- Daytona 500 pole winner Chase Elliott put an exclamation on his qualifying effort with a victory in Thursday night’s first Can-Am Duel at Daytona International Speedway. Elliott passed second-place starter Brad Keselowski for the lead on Lap 37 and held it the rest of the way—through a wreck that altered the positions of the two Open Team drivers trying to race their way into the field for the 59th running of…

Daytona 500

Daytona 500 Media Day Notebook

7 years ago 1168 Views Comments Off

FORD DRIVERS EMPLOY 'ISLAND HOPPING' STRATEGY Story By: REID SPENCCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –February 23, 2017- Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski went island hopping last Sunday. If that sounds like a Caribbean vacation, or a way for the Team Penske teammates to relieve the accumulating stress from pressure-packed Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway, guess again. Island hopping is the way Keselowski got to the front in Sunday’s rain-delayed Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. It’s the way Logano ultimately won the race. And it’s the way the Ford drivers hope…

Daytona 500

Earnhardt Jr. Pursues His Passion To Race

7 years ago 1549 Views Comments Off

Passion to Race Drives Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Return to The Track Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –February 20, 2017- Dale Earnhardt Jr. felt “wobbly” and didn’t know why. In his motor coach last July at Kentucky Speedway, Earnhardt felt the first hint of the concussion symptoms that would keep him out of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the last half of the 2016 season. He voiced his concerns to fiancée Amy Reimann. “I told Amy, ‘I feel wobbly,’” Earnhardt recalled on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.…

Daytona 500

Chase Elliott Edges Dale Earnhardt Jr. For Daytona 500 Pole

7 years ago 1260 Views Comments Off

Carries On The Family Tradition Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –February 19, 2017- Winning back-to-back Daytona 500 poles is something of a family tradition, as Chase Elliott proved by the skin of his teeth on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. The last driver to take a lap in the second and final round of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, Elliott covered the distance in 46.663 seconds (192.872 mph) to edge Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. by .002 seconds. The pole was the…

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Daytona Sunday Notebook

7 years ago 1257 Views Comments Off

Does Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona DNF Spell Trouble For Hendrick Drivers? Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES /NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –February 19, 2017- Mr. Hendrick, we have a problem. Twice during Sunday’s rain-delayed Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway, Johnson spun without provocation off Turn 4. The first time, on Lap 17, he took out the No. 41 Ford of Kurt Busch. The second time, Johnson nosed into the inside wall near the entrance to pit road crashed out of the 75-lap exhibition race. Forget that Johnson failed to finish the Clash…

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Logano Brings Ford Back To Daytona Victory Lane

7 years ago 1138 Views Comments Off

Opportunistic Logano Claims Victory in Wild Clash at Daytona Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: DAN DEMARCO / RACERSGUIDE.COM & GETTY IMAGES DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –February 19, 2017 - When Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin collided in Turn 2 on the final lap of Sunday’s rain-delayed Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway, Joey Logano was there to seize the moment. Charging to the outside and grabbing the lead near the entry to the Superstretch at the 2.5-mile speedway, Logano took the checkered flag 1.121 seconds ahead of runner-up Kyle Busch, who beat third-place finisher Alex…

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Chase Elliott Starting to Feel Comfortable With No. 24 Legacy

7 years ago 1252 Views Comments Off

Chase Elliott can’t make fans forget the legacy of the No. 24 car, but by all indications, he’s ready to make his own distinctive mark in that vaunted ride. Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR Charlotte NC.- February 17, 2017-The history of the No. 24 car is monumental, and Elliott inherited that ride last year from the driver who made it famous. The No. 24 has won 93 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in 1,414 starts since the number debuted in 1950. All 93 victories belong to Jeff Gordon, who retired…

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NASCAR: New Damaged Vehicle Policy Instituted For 2017 Season

7 years ago 2044 Views Comments Off

Repairs to Injured Racecars in the NASCAR National Series’ Must Now be Completed Within a Five Minute Window. Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR CONCORD, N.C. — February 9, 2017- Seriously damaged race cars will no longer be allowed to continue in races in the three NASCAR national series (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series). NASCAR officials debuted a Damaged Vehicle Policy that will see the sanctioning body more tightly police the repairs that are made to crashed race cars. While teams will no longer be…

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Earnhardt Back On Track During PIR Testing

7 years ago 988 Views Comments Off

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Was On Track Testing on Tuesday at Phoenix Int'l Raceway. Press Release By: NASCAR MEDIA Photos By: GETTY IMAGES/ NASCAR AVONDALE, Ariz. –February 1, 2017- Dale Earnhardt Jr. was back on track for the first time this year on Tuesday during testing at Phoenix Int’l Raceway. The 42-year-old North Carolinian was driving his familiar No. 88 Chevrolet as part of a two-day test for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams. It was his first appearance in a race car since a private test in December that was required for him to receive medical clearance for his return…

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Earnhardt Jr. A Changed Man Ready For Action

7 years ago 1270 Views Comments Off

Newly Married Dale Earnhardt Jr. Eager to Start 2017 Season Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR CHARLOTTE, N.C. – January 26, 2017- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in his happy place. On New Year’s Eve, NASCAR’s most popular driver married long-time girlfriend Amy Reimann. The couple honeymooned on Maui and Kaua’i. But neither of those Hawaiian Islands tugs on Earnhardt’s psyche the way Daytona Beach does, and at long last, in mid-February, he’ll be back on track at the Birthplace of Speed, racing a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car for the first…

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Suarez Leads The Way For Diversity Class

7 years ago 1054 Views Comments Off

Daniel Suarez Should Provide Inspiration for New NASCAR Drive for Diversity Class Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR CHARLOTTE, N.C. –January 26, 2017- If the members of the 2017 NASCAR Drive for Diversity class need a beacon to guide them or a story to inspire them, they need look no further than Daniel Suarez. Unexpectedly, and at least a year ahead of schedule, Suarez earned a battlefield promotion into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series when Carl Edwards shocked the racing world with the January announcement that he was stepping away from…

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Matt Kenseth Looks to Capture Second Championship

7 years ago 1323 Views Comments Off

Kenseth Relaxed Amid Pursuit Of Second Cup Title Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR CHARLOTTE, N.C.- January 25, 2017- Heading into his 17th full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, it seems as if Matt Kenseth is already in prime form. Kenseth is entering his fifth year for Joe Gibbs Racing and has another chance at capturing his second championship in 2017. The Cambridge, Wisconsin driver is coming off a 2016 that was filled with success, including two victories and 19 top-10 finishes over the 36-race season. He finished fifth in the…

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Tuesday NASCAR Media Tour Notebook

7 years ago 1140 Views Comments Off

Earnhardt Excited About Upgrades to Race and Points Formats Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: JEFF CLEMONS / RACERSGUIDE'COM & GETTY IMAGES CHARLOTTE, N.C. – January 24, 2017- Though he was sidelined for the second half of the 2016 season while recovering from a concussion, Dale Earnhardt Jr. remained intimately involved in the conduct of NASCAR racing, figuring prominently in discussions that led to significant innovations in the race structure and points system for 2017. Henceforth, races in NASCAR’s top three touring series will feature three stages in each, with opportunities to earn both championship and…

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Johnson Adapts To NASCAR Changing Environment

7 years ago 1159 Views Comments Off

Jimmie Johnson Has Flourished in an Evolving Environment Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: RACERSGUIDE.COM PHOTO STAFF CHARLOTTE, N.C. –January 24, 2017- This isn’t the first time Jimmie Johnson will face an update in the competition model, but the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet isn’t vain enough to think NASCAR would try to “Jimmie-proof” its playoff formats just because he keeps winning championship. In the aftermath of the Monday night announcement of a stage-based race format and revamped playoff points system in all three of NASCAR’s national series, Johnson was the first driver…

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Love’s Travel Stops Extends With Front Row For 18 Cup Series Races

7 years ago 1046 Views Comments Off

Love's Travel Stops Will Sponsor the Front Row Motorsports No. 34, Which Will be Driven by Landon Cassill, in 18 NASCAR Cup Series Races. Press Release By: FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS MEDIA Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO / RACERSGUIDE.COM STATESVILLE, N.C. —January 24, 2017- Love’s Travel Stops has extended its successful partnership with Front Row Motorsports, joining Landon Cassill and the No. 34 team for 18 races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The familiar yellow and red colors of the Oklahoma City, Okla., based company will return to the No. 34 Ford for a half-season schedule that includes the Daytona…

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NASCAR Outlines New Competition Format

7 years ago 1478 Views Comments Off

NASCAR Announces New Stage-Based Race Structure And Playoff Points System Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES /NASCAR CHARLOTTE, N.C. –January 24, 2017- NASCAR has a new race structure and playoff points system, one that, in the words of Chairman and CEO Brian France, is designed to “make racing more compelling on an hour-by-hour basis, week in and week out.” There are two fundamental enhancements, announced on Monday at the Charlotte Convention Center and covering all three of NASCAR’s national series, that should promote that goal. First, races will be divided into three stages each, with…

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Hooters Supporting Hendrick & Chase Elliott

7 years ago 2165 Views Comments Off

Hooters Will be a Primary Sponsor Chase Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports Beginning This Year. Press Release By: HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS MEDIA Photos By: RACERSGUIDE.COM PHOTO FILES / HOOTERS MEDIA CONCORD, N.C. –January 23, 2017- Hooters has joined 12-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports as a primary sponsor of driver Chase Elliott and the No. 24 Chevrolet SS team. A casual dining establishment with a deep history in NASCAR, Hooters will be a two-race primary sponsor and full-season associate sponsor of the No. 24 team in both 2017 and 2018. The Hooters Chevrolet SS will debut May 7 at…

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Rick Hendrick; Effort Equals Reward

7 years ago 2032 Views Comments Off

From Small Beginnings, Rick Hendrick Reached Pinnacle of Success in Business and NASCAR Story By: OWEN A KEARNS / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR Charlotte NC.- January 19, 2017-It’s said reaching the top is the easy part; staying there is more difficult. For Rick Hendrick, the climb up the mountain required a decade of hard work culminating in Hendrick Motorsports capturing its first NASCAR premier series championship in 1995. Two decades later, Hendrick’s Chevrolet team remains stock car racing’s platinum standard: a record 12 NASCAR premier series titles – including Jimmie Johnson’s record-matching seventh crown in…

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Carl Edwards Ready To Pursue Other Adventures

7 years ago 1425 Views Comments Off

Edwards Steps Away From Full-Time NASCAR Racing Story By MIKE HEMBREE /NASCAR Wire Service Photos By: Pete MacDonald/RacersGuide.com HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – January 11, 2017-Calling at least a temporary halt to a career he described as “living a dream,” Carl Edwards confirmed Wednesday his decision to step away from driving race cars to pursue what he described as other adventures. In a decision that shocked the NASCAR world, Edwards, 37, said he was leaving the Joe Gibbs Racing team and one of the best rides in stock car racing “because I’ve always followed my gut. All the signs point to this…

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Earnhardt Jr. Ready For Daytona Competition

7 years ago 867 Views Comments Off

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Medically Cleared to Return to Competition at Daytona Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: RACERSGUIDE.COM PHOTO STAFF/ GETTY IMAGES DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –December 9, 2016- After 18 races out of the car, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been medically cleared to resume NASCAR competition, and will return to the wheel of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports at the 2017 edition of the Daytona 500. Earnhardt’s road back to the cockpit ended at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday afternoon where he completed a nearly five-hour test session observed by NASCAR while working with…

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NASCAR Annual Banquet Honoring Season’s Best Held Last Friday In Las Vegas

7 years ago 1014 Views Comments Off

Johnson, Stewart Honored At NASCAR Awards Gala Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR MEDIA Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR LAS VEGAS, NV -December 4, 2016- Jimmie Johnson was unfailingly humble, even on a night when the NASCAR community came together to honor his monumental accomplishment. With a victory on Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Johnson claimed his record-tying seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Nevertheless, the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was reluctant to claim the same stature as the two seven-time champions who preceded him – Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. “Dale said this in…

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NASCAR and Monster Energy Team Up For 2017

7 years ago 3499 Views Comments Off

NASCAR, Monster Energy Announce Premier Series Entitlement Partnership Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR LAS VEGAS –December 2, 2016- NASCAR announced on Thursday at Wynn Las Vegas a multi-year deal that will make Monster Energy only the third entitlement sponsor in premier series history. The length and terms of the deal were not disclosed, but both parties hailed the partnership as the perfect fit for both brands. “Monster Energy is a brand built on excitement and enthusiasm, qualities that align with NASCAR,” said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. “This sponsorship position is…

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Jimmy John’s Renews With Stewart-Haas Racing

7 years ago 1114 Views Comments Off

Jimmy John's Has Extended its Sponsorship of Stewart-Haas Racing and Driver Kevin Harvick. Story By: STEWART-HAAS RACING MEDIA Photos By: RACERSGUIDE.COM PHOTO STAFF KANNAPOLIS, N.C. –December 2, 2016- Jimmy John’s, a gourmet sandwich chain established in 1983, has extended its partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing in a multiyear agreement to continue as a primary sponsor of driver Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 team. Jimmy John’s will be the primary sponsor of Harvick and the No. 4 team for 16 races next year, highlighted by the season-opening Daytona 500. For the remaining 22 races on the schedule, Jimmy John’s will serve…

Jimmie Johnson Makes History, Scores Record Tying 7th Championship

8 years ago 1746 Views Comments Off

Jimmie Johnson Wins at Homestead to Claim Record-Tying Seventh Title Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR Homestead, Fla. –November 21, 2016- Call him Seven-Time.....Jimmie Johnson joined NASCAR’s most exclusive club on Sunday, winning the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to claim his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, putting the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on par with icons Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. “You’re a good man, you’re a great champion, and now you’re a seven-time champion,” crew chief Chad Knaus radioed to Johnson, who grabbed the lead…

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Sunday Homestead-Miami Notebook

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CREW CHIEF CHAD KNAUS IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF JIMMIE JOHNSON’S RECORD-TYING EFFORT Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR HOMESTEAD, Fla. –November 21, 2016- All Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus wanted was another shot, and when Dylan Lupton hit the Turn 2 wall on Lap 252 to bring out the fifth caution of Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400, Knaus clenched his fist in anticipation. At the time, Johnson was running sixth, trailing the three Championship 4 drivers—Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards—he needed to beat to claim a record-tying seventh…

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Stewart Starts The Next Chapter His Way

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Stewart Says Goodbye With Wry Humor And Little Fanfare—The Way He Likes It Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: RACERSGUIDE.COM PHOTO STAFF / GETTY IMAGES HOMESTEAD, Fla.— November 19, 2016-Most people probably think the next chapter in Tony Stewart’s life begins on Sunday night, after he races his final laps in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. But from Stewart’s perspective, the next phase of his life starts on Saturday, a day before Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 (2:30 p.m. on NBC), his final race in NASCAR’s premier division. Saturday is when he gets a new cell phone…

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Championship Battle Going Down to The Wire at Homestead

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Championship 4 Drivers are Tightly Bunched at Homestead; Harvick wins pole Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By:GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR HOMESTEAD, Fla. –November 19, 2016- Jimmie Johnson’s rueful rhetorical question told the story of Friday’s knockout qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “What’s a championship race without a little drama?” Johnson asked after earning the 14th starting position during a session fraught with difficulty for the No. 48 team. Kevin Harvick, who was eliminated from the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup last Sunday at Phoenix, won the pole for Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 Championship 4 race…

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Johnson; Kanaus Shoot For Record Setting Championship

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Johnson, Knaus Can Cement Names Atop NASCAR Record Books Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR Miami Fla.- November 17, 2016- Jimmie Johnson has been there before – more than any other driver in the past two decades. But this trip to Homestead-Miami Speedway for Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 (2:30 p.m. ET; NASCAR.com/tickets) is different. In the first place, Johnson has his first opportunity to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship under the 16-driver elimination format introduced by the sanctioning body in 2014. Beyond that, in what is the transcendent story of…

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