It was a rough weekend at Daytona International Speedway where Mother Nature and slick track conditions played a part in the abbreviated Coke Zero 400 on Sunday.
The driver who was happy to see rain come down was Richard Petty Motorsports’ Aric Almirola who took the famed No. 43 back to Victory Lane – the same place it was parked 30 years ago at Daytona when Richard Petty won his 200th race.
It took Almirola a while to get there.
NASCAR is headed to a track this weekend that is described as having lots of character. Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky has a rough surface which throws off some drivers when maneuvering their cars around the 1.5 mile oval.
Matt Kenseth will be racing in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races this weekend. Kenseth said Tuesday afternoon that he’s not sure if tire wear will be a concern with the surface being so rough. He will figure that out when he does a tire test there in his Nationwide car this afternoon.
He turned left and right while moving closer to the front and Carl Edwards was able to snag his first road course race win of his career Sunday afternoon in the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.
It wasn’t easy for Edwards as he had to battle quite a few frontrunners in the race. AJ Allmendinger was one of the favorites going into Sunday’s race as he started on the outside pole next to Jamie McMurray who led the first ten laps. Allmendinger was able to get around McMurray after showing his ability at the top of the race. He would lead 12 laps and then Kevin Harvick captured to the lead when he picked off several drivers in a hurry to get into that position.
Jimmie Johnson simply knows how to tame Miles the Monster at Dover International Speedway. He was victorious in Sunday’s FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks for his ninth victory at one of the tougher tracks on the circuit.
Kyle Busch led the opening laps of the race and attempted to make it the third win for him on the weekend. Busch had won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday and the Nationwide Series race on Saturday and wanted to win Sunday’s race. By lap 82, Johnson had caught Busch and took over the lead. Busch and Clint Bowyer tangled on lap 125 and Busch got into the wall which ended his race. Upon playback of the radio on Fox Sports, it appeared that Bowyer’s spotter told him that he was clear when he hadn’t quite gotten past Busch. Busch intimidated Bowyer by running up to his bumper, but retaliation didn’t happen.
Busch did surpass 10,000 laps led in his career on lap 29.
It had been since November at Texas Motor Speedway when Jimmie Johnson last saw Victory Lane but he familiarized himself with the routine when he won Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The 2013 champion started the race from the pole and his determination didn’t waiver until he was the first to see the checkered flag. A late-race caution helped stack up the field and it was Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon at the point with 17 laps left in the 400-lap race. Kenseth was able to power to the front while Gordon slipped back and Johnson capitalized on Gordon’s change of track position.
NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney had a pretty good showing at Kansas Speedway in two different series last weekend and he’s going for the double again this weekend.
Blaney raced in his first Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday night where he had a strong finish in the No. 12 SKF Ford for Team Penske in the Sprint Cup Series. It wasn’t the finish he was looking for in the Cup car rolling in 27th at the line, but he brought the car back to the garage in one piece.
With 20 laps to go, it looked like four different drivers could take home the trophy at the short track in Virginia. Matt Kenseth took the lead on lap 362 at Richmond International Raceway and kept it even after two restarts in the last few laps of the race. After JJ Yeley’s engine let go setting up the last 10 laps of the race, Kenseth was suddenly in battle with Jeff Gordon. Not long after that, Brad Keselowski got into the mix. Out of nowhere, Joey Logano shot past them all and took the lead with four laps to go. He would end the race in the lead, his second win of the season.
Kevin Harvick took home his second trophy of the season as he won the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway Saturday night.
He had the pole in the 367-lap race and held a top ten position throughout the contest. Joey Logano had the lead early on in the race but it didn’t take Harvick long to find clean air. He would get shuffled from the lead on different tire strategies by teams but he held his own at the track they call “Too Tough to Tame”.
He’s the seventh different winner and seventh different driver in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
It took a long time to find out who would win the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway after Mother Nature once again played her hand in delaying a NASCAR event, but it was Joey Logano who was victorious in a green-white-checkered finish in Monday’s race.
Joey Logano ran in the top ten for the entire race and took the lead on lap 227. He would not give up that lead until a late-race caution flew as Kurt Busch was slow on the track. Jeff Gordon and Brian Vickers’ teams decided to take two tires for track position. Gordon had a good restart and had the lead on the first lap. The four tires Logano took proved to be a stronger choice as the powered past Gordon just after the white flag flew. Logano was able to secure the win.
In a surprise move late last season, Gene Haas, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, brought Kurt Busch into the fold with Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick and newcomer Kevin Harvick. It was questioned by most, but Busch proved that he’s found his home at Stewart-Haas Racing with the win in the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Martinsville Speedway is often dominated by Hendrick Motorsports drivers with current drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon with eight wins apiece at the track. Johnson led the most laps in Sunday’s race but couldn’t seal the deal in the last 30 laps of the race. Johnson clearly had a dominant car with everyone chasing him down throughout most of the afternoon. He led 296 laps on the day.
Michael McDowell was most familiar with road course racing when he entered the NASCAR world, but finds driving stock cars more fun. Listen more about his season so far with Leavine Family Racing and how he travels to most racetracks in this Behind the Wheel interview with Anita Goodan.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gambled on fuel but Lady Luck wasn’t on his side. NASCAR’s most popular driver’s race car ran out of gas on the last lap of the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was Brad Keselowski who put the money on the table and came away with the win.
Keselowski won both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races this weekend in Las Vegas. Keselowski was the first driver to sweep both races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the same weekend since Jeff Burtondid it in 2000. Burton and Keselowski are the only two drivers to accomplish the feat.
Kevin Harvick had sponsor Jimmy John’s on his car this week and proved their slogan to be true. His car was “freaky fast” during The Profit on CNBC 500, Presented by Small Business Fueling America Sunday afternoon from Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.
Harvick picked through the field after starting 13th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race. By lap five, he was in the sixth position. On Lap 74, Harvick’s No. 4 passed Joey Logano’s No. 22, who had been the race leader throughout the first part of the race. Harvick didn’t look back after that.
Thirteen different drivers won races in 2013 n the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series led by Kyle Busch, who won five races in the series. Busch is now second on the all-time win list at 35. Ron Hornaday, Jr. holds that top spot with 51.
Top Drivers: Matt Crafton. Crafton only won once in the 2013 season, but consistency allowed for Crafton to claim the Championship – the first for ThorSport Racing. Ty Dillon and James Buescher were given honorable mention as they finished in a dead heat for the second spot in the season standings. Dillon finished ahead of Buescher by three points.
A test session for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams at Charlotte Motor Speedway was postponed Monday due to rain. The test will begin on Wednesday when inclement weather is expected to cease.
Cars will be on the track from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. The purpose of the test is to see how a taller spoiler and changes to the splitter will affect racing in the 2014 season. Experts believe the changes will slow down the cars.
Trent Owens will call the shots for the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) Team in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season where Aric Almirola is the driver.
He was most recently the crew chief for Kyle Larson’s No. 32 Turner Scott Motorsports team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Owens led Larson to 17 top-10 and nine top-five finishes in the 2013 season. Larson finished ninth overall in the standings.
Sport Clips Haircuts will be the primary sponsor for nine races with Joe Gibbs Racing in the next season.
The company will serve as the primary sponsor for Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Toyota Camry for two races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Sport Clips will also be the sponsor for six races in the No. 11 Toyota with Elliott Sadler behind the wheel in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Drew Herring will pilot the car at Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 13 in the Nationwide Series.
From the drop of the flag at the Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports crew set the tone as Johnson won the first race of the 2013 Sprint Cup season and set a goal of capturing a sixth championship. He made that goal a reality Sunday night when he lifted his sixth championship trophy at the end of the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Johnson didn’t win the race, but he was able to keep track position and escape danger throughout the race to end the season as the champion – 19 points ahead of rival Matt Kenseth.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth proved that he’s still a viable contender in the chase for the Sprint Cup trophy when he qualified his yellow No. 20 Dollar General Toyota on the pole for Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kenseth had the top speed of 177.677 mph.
Kenseth trails points leader Jimmie Johnson by 28 and leads Kevin Harvick by six points as they head into Sunday’s race where a new champion will be crowned.
The last races of the 2013 NASCAR season are this weekend and new champions are going to be crowned in all three series.
What are the scenarios that have to happen for the top drivers to claim the coveted trophy at Homestead-Miami Speedway?
Matt Crafton may have the least amount of stress heading into the weekend. To clinch the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series trophy, Crafton has to finish 18th or better; or 19th or better with at least one lap led; or 20th or better with the most laps led. Crafton is 46 points ahead of Ty Dillon in the standings. Crafton will pilot the No. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota at Homestead on Friday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. ET.
