October 2018 News Archives
News from October 31, 2018
David Starr driving for Obaika at Texas: Obaika Racing announced today that David Starr will pilot the No. 97 Toyota Camry in Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. A veteran driver in racing, Starr has made over 400 starts across NASCAR’s top three series with four wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. This will be Starr’s fifth time entering a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, home track to the Houston native.[More](10-31-2018)
A look at many news, notes, and story lines across all three NASCAR national series at Texas, see the stats on the NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Texas Motor Speedway
Joey Gase joins Rick Ware Racing at Texas Motor Speedway: Joey Gase will head to Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) to pull double duty with Rick Ware Racing (RWR) in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) No. 51 Ford Fusion. Donate Life Texas will join Gase and RWR for the weekend’s AAA Texas 500.[More](10-31-2018)
Brookshire’s partners with Cassill to celebrate 90th anniversary: StarCom Racing and Brookshire Grocery Co. partner with Landon Cassill at the helm of the StarCom Racing 00 for the AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway November 4. This year, Brookshire’s celebrates 90 years of serving customers and communities since the company’s first store opened on Sept. 1, 1928, in downtown Tyler, Texas.[More](10-31-2018)
Martinsville Speedway post-race penalties announced: The teams of Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick received lug nut penalties.[More](10-31-2018)
EarthWater Racing partners with Ragan for Texas race:The No. 38 EarthWater Ford Fusion will mark the first partnership between the Addison, Texas-based company and Front Row Motorsports.[More](10-31-2018)
Drivers test at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Some of NASCAR’s top drivers and teams got a taste of the sport’s new racing package for 2019 during a Goodyear tire test on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s high banks Tuesday. “This is unlike anything I’ve experienced over all of my years in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing,” 7-time champion Jimmie Johnson said.[More](10-31-2018)
Chevy to debut new body designs for NXS and Trucks: Sources have confirmed that Chevrolet will be hosting a press conference at Texas Motor Speedway Friday at 11:45 a.m. in the media center to announce new Camaro and Silverado body designs for the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series and the 2019 Gander Outdoors Trucks Series entries. A press release regarding the weekend schedule from the track may have spilled the beans on the event, as well, but news that Chevrolet had been working to redesign the Camaro was first reported by Kickin’ the Tires in April.[More](10-31-2018)
Akinori Ogata to make XFINITY debut at Phoenix: Veteran racer Akinori Ogata (@AkinoriOgata) is prepared to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) debut in the penultimate race of the season next weekend at ISM (Ariz.) Raceway in the Nov. 10 running of the Whelen Trusted to Perform 200. Ogata will drive the No. 66 Toyota Camry for Motorsports Business Management (MBM). [More](10-31-2018)
Tyler Reddick moving to Richard Childress Racing? UPDATE: Tyler Reddick has been talking to other teams about joining them next season. The most likely option could be to replace Daniel Hemric in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 21.(10-24-2018)
UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing will welcome current championship contender Tyler Reddick to its 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series program. Additional information on Reddick’s crew chief, sponsorship and car number will be announced at a later date.[More](10-31-2018)
Dover’s Monster Monument to be lit purple in November: The Delaware Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, which spreads awareness on the facts, risk factors and symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer, will receive a unique recognition in November when the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza, presented by Smithfield, is lit in purple to recognize the organization during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.[More](10-31-2018)
News from October 30, 2018
A look at some of the top statistical performers and top-10 driver ratings at Texas, see the stats on the Statistical Advance – Analyzing Texas Motor Speedway page
Gas Monkey Garage partners with TriStar Motorsports at Texas: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) travels west for competition this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Corey LaJoie heads to the Lone Star state with new partner Gas Monkey Garage as the primary sponsor of the No. 72 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. [More](10-30-2018)
Entry List for the AAA Texas 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway is posted, 41 teams/drivers [for 40 spots] are listed.
36 teams with Charters are guaranteed to make the field. The rest need to make the field via qualifying / qualifying races / rules book (owners attempts/points).
Some of the drivers entered include: #6-Bayne, #7-Sorenson, #23-Yeley, #51-TBA, #66-Hill, #72-LaJoie, #96-Kligerman, #97-TBA, #99-Gase.
Drivers required to make the race on time are: #7-Sorenson, #66-Hill, #96-Kligerman, #97-TBA, #99-Gase. One driver will not make the race.
See the full entry list on the Entry List (pdf)
See tire codes, pressures, set limits and more for all races at Texas Motor Speedway on the Texas Goodyear tire notes page.
XFINITY Entry List: There are 40 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway.
See the complete list on the Texas Motor Speedway entry list page.
Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma sponsoring Shane Lee at Phoenix: Richard Childress Racing driver Shane Lee will drive the No. 3 Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma Chevrolet Camaro at the NASCAR Xfinity race at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 10. The special wrap scheme will help raise awareness to save seriously injured children across the U.S. and encourage everyone to support the Childress Institute’s Race to Give Day on Tuesday, Nov. 13. [More](10-30-2018)
Autodesk sponsoring Cole Custer at Texas: Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the championship-winning NASCAR team, has partnered with Autodesk, a leader in software applications for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. Autodesk will be the primary sponsor of the No. 00 Ford Mustang this weekend at Texas. While this will be Autodesk’s first appearance on a racecar fielded by SHR, the software company has played a significant role in SHR’s success this season.[More](10-30-2018)
Truck Series entry list:There are 35 trucks entered for Friday’s JAG Metals 350 at Texas Motor Speedway. See the complete list on the Texas entry list page (pdf). (10-30-2018)
Hawg Heaven “Taternater” will debut at Texas: Only at Texas Motor Speedway is 1½ pounds of a variety of barbeque meats not nearly enough to satisfy the imaginative mind of Levy Restaurants Executive Chef Lincoln Engstrom when it comes to the creation of yet another Hawg Heaven novelty concession item. Chef Engstrom’s latest concession item is a potato of prodigious proportions, the 24-ounce Hawg Heaven “Taternater” that will debut at next weekend’s AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Playoff tripleheader weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.[More](10-30-2018)
News from October 29, 2018
Martinsville TV ratings: NBCSN earned a 1.3 overnight rating for Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway.[More](10-29-2018)
Martinsville TV commercial breakdown: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race.[More](10-29-2018)
Kansas XFINITY TV ratings: Last Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race from Kansas earned a 0.9 rating and 1.29 million viewers on NBC, up a tick in ratings and 17% in viewership from last year (0.8, 1.10M), but down 10% in both measures from 2016 (1.0, 1.44M). The double-digit increase was a stark contrast to Sunday’s Cup Series race, which set broadcast network lows.[Sports Media Watch](10-29-2018)
Little plans final three races with new sponsor: Set to make their first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start since Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September, JJL Motorsports and driver Jesse Little return to action for two of the final three races this year starting with Friday night’s JAG Metals 350 at Texas Motor Speedway. Skuttle Tight will support the team at Texas and for the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16.[More](10-29-2018)
Truck Series to open garage at ISM Raceway: 300 fans with INfield access will have the opportunity to tour garage and meet drivers.[More](10-29-2018)
News from October 28, 2018
Sunday Martinsville Notebook: Kyle Busch finishes behind closing drama at Martinsville but keeps series lead; Chase Elliott already in must-win mode after seventh place at Martinsville; Hendrick Motorsports unveils Ally as new sponsor for Jimmie Johnson.[More](10-28-2018)
Joey Logano wins at Martinsville in wild, controversial finish: Joey Logano provided his own interpretation of the Golden Rule in Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, as in “Do unto others as others didn’t do to you.” With a guaranteed spot in the Championship 4 Round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at stake, Logano moved the Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. out of the way in Turns 3 and 4 of the final lap to win for the first time at the .526-mile short track and claim his berth in the title race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.[More](10-28-2018)
Ally Financial joins Johnson, No. 48 team as full-season primary sponsor: Ally Financial will join Hendrick Motorsports as the whole-season primary sponsor of Johnson’s iconic No. 48 Chevrolet in 2019 and 2020.[More](10-28-2018)
Kansas TV ratings UPDATE: NBC earned a 1.8 overnight rating for Sunday’s race from Kansas Speedway.(10-23-2018)
UPDATE: The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs from Kansas earned a 1.7 rating and 2.75 million viewers on NBC last Sunday, flat in ratings and down a fraction of a percent in viewership from last year on NBCSN (1.7, 2.76M), and down 19% and 20% respectively from 2016 on NBC (2.1, 3.45M).[More](10-28-2018)
#22-Joey Logano won the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The win is his second win of 2018, first win at Martinsville and 20th career win.
#11-Hamlin finished 2nd followed by #78-Truex, Jr., pole sitter #18-Busch, #2-Keselowski, #41-Busch, #9-Elliott, #31-Newman, #19-Suarez, and #4-Harvick.
Truex, Jr led at the white flag, but Logano bumped him in turn four coming to the checkered flag. Truex, Jr. got loose, but was able to save the car. However, he fell behind Hamlin at the finish.
Stage 1 was won by #11-Hamlin, finished second.
Stage 2 was won by #22-Logano, finished first.
There were 11 lead changes among six drivers and eight cautions for 68 yellow flag laps.
The average speed of the race was: 75.31mph.
See unofficial race results, awards, laps led, cautions and more at:
Unofficial Race Results (pdf)
Cumulative Report (pdf)
Penalty Report (pdf)
Where the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff drivers finished at Martinsville:
#22-Joey Logano, 1st
#78-Martin Truex, Jr., 3rd
#18-Kyle Busch, 4th
#41-Kurt Busch, 6th
#9-Chase Elliott, 7th
#4-Kevin Harvick, 10th
#10-Aric Almirola, 11th
#14-Clint Bowyer, 21st
2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings:
[after Martinsville – race 1 of 3 in the Round of 8, 7 of 10 in the Playoffs]
1) #22-Joey Logano, Martinsville win
2) #18-Kyle Busch, 4104, +46
3) #78-Martin Truex Jr., 4083, +25
4) #4-Kevin Harvick, 4083, +25
Currently outside the top 4 to advance to the Championship race:
5) #41-Kurt Busch, 4058, -25
6) #9-Chase Elliott, 4052, -31
7) #14-Clint Bowyer, 4041, -42
8) #10-Aric Almirola, 4033, -50
See the Unofficial Drivers Points Standings page (pdf) and Unofficial Owners Points Standings page (pdf)
Top-Ten Stage 2 Results (lap 260) of the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway (lap 260/500):
#22-Logano, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#11-Hamlin, 9pts
#18-Busch, 8pts
#78-Truex, 7pts
#41-Busch, 6pts
#31-Newman., 5pts
#9-Elliott, 4pts
#14-Bowyer, 3pts
#47-Allmendinger, 2pts
#2-Keselowski, 1pt
Top-Ten Stage 1 Results (lap 130) of the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway (lap 130/500):
#11-Hamlin, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#22-Logano, 9pts
#18-Busch, 8pts
#14-Bowyer, 7pts
#41-Busch 6pts
#31-Newman, 5pts
#78-Truex, 4pts
#12-Blaney, 3pts
#4-Harvick, 2pts
#10-Almirola, 1pt
Lucky Dogs, drivers that got a lap back during the cautions (and their finish):
Caution 1: #72-Whitt, 24th
Caution 2: #23-Yeley, 38th
Caution 3: #38-Ragan, 18th
Caution 4: #4-Harvick, 10th
Caution 5: #1-McMurray, 16th
Caution 6: #19-Suarez, 9th
Caution 7: #37-Buesher, 13th
Caution 8: #88-Bowman, 17th
Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway have been made.
With 40 cars running, pit stalls 43, 30 ,21 are not in use.
Pole winner #18-Busch chose pit stall 1, the first stall available [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole winner #14-Bowyer. took pit stall 11, with an opening in front of it.
11-Hamlin, who starts 3rd, took the 22 stall, with an opening in front of it.
The final pit stall was taken by #41-Busch, who starts 6th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on Jayski.com’s Pit Stall Selection chart.(10-27-2018)
News from October 27, 2018
Saturday Martinsville Notebook: Clint Bowyer needs a strong performance at one of his best tracks; Being the only Gibbs driver left may be an advantage for Kyle Busch; Chase Elliott hopes to erase painful Martinsville memories with win.[More](10-27-2018)
Gateway interested in Cup date in 2020: A schedule shakeup for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series could come as early as the 2020 season and Gateway Motorsports Park is positioning itself for the shortlist for when league officials are ready to talk. Track owner says not only he is interested in a Cup date, but would favor a mid-week race.[More](10-27-2018)
Kyle Busch hopes to turn the tables after pole run at Martinsville:Hoping to reverse the outcome of this year’s spring race at Martinsville Speedway, Kyle Busch took the first step on Saturday afternoon, winning the pole position for Sunday’s First Data 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the first race in the Round of 8 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.[More](10-27-2018)
Kyle Busch won the Busch pole for the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway with speed of 96.254mph for his fourth pole of 2018, second at Martinsville and 32nd of his career. Busch has won 11 times from the 30 previous poles.
#14- Bowyer will start 2nd followed by #11-Hamlin, #12-Blaney, #10-Almirola, #78-Truex, #41-Busch, #2-Keselowski, #19-Suarez, and #42-Larson.
#41-Busch was fastest in the second round with a speed of 96.161mph, will start7th.
#12-Blaney was quickest in the first round with a speed of 96.317mph, will start 4th.
Driver(s) who will miss the race: none as 40 were entered for 40 spots
See round-by-round qualifying results on the Qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(10-27-2018)
Where the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff drivers will start at Martinsville:
#18-Kyle Busch, 1st
#14-Clint Bowyer,2nd
#10-Aric Almirola, 5th
#78-Martin Truex, Jr., 6th
#41-Kurt Busch, 7th
#22-Joey Logano, 11th
#4-Kevin Harvick, 13th
#9-Chase Elliott, 21st
Martinsville Speedway – Qualifying Fast Facts:
Kyle Busch (P) won the Pole Award for the 70th Annual First Data 500 with a lap of 19.673 seconds, 96.254 mph.
This is his 31st pole in 495 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his fourth pole and 24th top-10 start in 2018.
This is his second pole in 27 races at Martinsville Speedway.
Clint Bowyer (P) (second) posted his 14th top-10 start of 2018 and his ninth in 26 races at Martinsville Speedway.
Denny Hamlin (third) posted his 18th top-10 start at Martinsville Speedway. It is his 23rd in 33 races this season.
William Byron (12th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(10-27-2018)
Second Round of Qualifying for the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is over, after 10 scheduled minutes.
#41-Busch 96.161
#18-Busch 96.068
#11-Hamlin 96.049
#14-Bowyer 96.044
#10-Almirola 96.015
the rest of the top 12: 19 42 78 12 24 2 22
out of the top 12 and not advancing to round 3: 4 38 37 88 47 31 1 17 9 34 48 20
(10-27-2018)
First Round of Qualifying for the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is over, after 15 scheduled minutes.
#12-Blaney 96.317
#14-Bowyer 96.151
#10-Almirola 96.039
#41-Busch 96.029
#22-Logano 95.976
the rest of the top 24: 11 1 47 42 31 19 18 37 38 20 2 17 4 24 78 88 34 48 9
out of the top 24 and not advancing to round 2: 15 13 6 3 32 95 72 43 96 23 00 51 66 7 21 99
Drivers who will miss the race: none, 40 entered
(10-27-2018)
Qualifying Order for the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is posted.
The first driver to be lined up on pit road will be #00-Joey Gase.
The final driver lined up on pit road will be #13-Ty Dillon.
The order is set by a random draw, how cars park on pit road before they qualify, held about an hour before the first practice.
After the first round, the cars lined up by speed.
For the qualifying order, see the Qualifying Order page (pdf).(10-27-2018)
Happy Hour (final) practice for the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#31-Newman 95.709
#9-Elliott 94.913
#18-Busch 94.784
#2-Keselowski 94.510
#47-Allmendinger 94.242
best 10 consecutive lap avg (of 35 drivers): #18-Busch 94.205
slowest: #99-Cassill 89.974
notes: The session was incident-free.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the Happy Hour Practice speeds page (pdf) (10-27-2018)
First practice for the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest and notes:
#2-Keselowski 95.714
#41-Busch 95.646
#18-Busch 95.593
#12-Blaney 95.357
#10-Almirola 95.357
most laps run: #9-Elliott, #22-Logano, #13-Dillon – 53
best 10 consecutive lap avg (of 33 drivers): #78-Truex 94.804
slowest: #66-Hill 89.944
notes: #1-McMurray, #51-Burton and #88-Bowman were docked 15 minutes of practice for failing pre-race inspection twice at Kansas.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the First Practice speeds (pdf) (10-27-2018)
Johnny Sauter earns Championship 4 berth with dominating Martinsville win: Qualifying aside, Saturday at Martinsville Speedway belonged to Johnny Sauter, who earned another shot at the NASCAR Camping World Series championship with a dominating victory in the Texas Roadhouse 200. After inheriting the lead when pole winner and race leader Todd Gilliland came to pit road with 11 laps left in Stage 1, Sauter was out front for 148 of the remaining 161 Laps, sweeping both stages and the race win to grab a berth in the NCWTS Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In winning a series-record fourth time at the .526-mile short track, the sixth time this season and the 23rd time in his career, Sauter, the 2016 series champion, assured himself of a sixth straight finish of fourth or better in the final standings.[More](10-27-2018)
Stand Up to Cancer at Martinsville for team owner Mittler: Truck teams will unite to Stand Up to Cancer to recognize long-time Truck owner Mike Mittler on lap 60-63.[More](10-27-2018)
Sauter wins Martinsville Truck race: #21-Johnny Sauter earned his sixth victory of the Camping World Truck Series season on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway. The win, the 23rd of his career, locked him into the next round of the Playoffs.
#16-Brett Moffitt finished second. #13-Myatt Snider, #41-Ben Rhodes, #17-Kyle Benjamin, #24-Justin Haley, #18-Noah Gragson, #51-Harrison Burton, #46-Christian Eckes, and #23-Timothy Peters followed in the top-10.
There were six caution flags for 43 laps and five lead changes among four leaders.
See results on the Martinsville race results page(10-27-2018)
Martinsville Truck Series Race Fast Facts:
Johnny Sauter (P) won the 20th Annual Texas Roadhouse 200 presented by Alpha Energy Solutions, his 23rd victory in 241 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his sixth victory and 16th top-10 finish in 2018.
This is his fourth victory and 12th top-10 finish in 22 races at Martinsville Speedway.
Brett Moffitt (P) (second) posted his third top-10 finish in three races at Martinsville Speedway. It is his 10th top-10 finish in 2018.
Myatt Snider (third) posted his second top-10 finish in two races at Martinsville Speedway.
Myatt Snider (third) was the highest finishing rookie.
Johnny Sauter (P) leads the point standings by 29 points over Noah Gragson (P).
(NASCAR Statistics) (10-27-2018)
Stage Information:
Stage 1 – 50, winner, #21-Johnny Sauter
Stage 2 – 100, winner, #21-Johnny Sauter
Stage 3 – 200, race winner, #21-Johnny Sauter
Camping World Truck standings following Martinsville:
#21-Johnny Sauter, 3102 [6 wins]
#18-Noah Gragson, 3073, -29 [1 win]
#16-Brett Moffitt, 3064, – 38 [4 wins]
#98-Grant Enfinger, 3051, -51
#24-Justin Haley, 3049, -53
#88-Matt Crafton, 3041, -61
See complete standings on Driver points standings page and the owner’s standings are posted on the Owner points standings page. (10-27-2018)
Free Pass – Who got a lap back on each caution at Martinsville: (and their finish)
Caution 1: #99-Purdy, 21st
Caution 2: #22-Self, 23rd
Caution 3: #45-Fontaine, 27th
Caution 4: #02-Hill, 20th
Caution 5: #02-Hill, 20th
Caution 6: #63-Donahue, 22nd
(10-27-2018)
Gilliland on Truck pole at Martinsville: #4-Todd Gilliland won the pole for Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway with a speed of 95.113mph.
#51-Harrison Burton will start second, followed by #18-Noah Gragson, giving Kyle Busch Motorsports the top-three starting spots.
#41-Ben Rhodes, #17-Kyle Benjamin, #98-Grant Enfinger, #02-Austin Hill, #21-Johnny Sauter, #23-Timothy Peters, #88-Matt Crafton were the remainder of the top-10.
Did not qualify: #0-Ray Ciccarelli, #6-Norm Benning, and #38- Landon Huffman.
The starting lineup is posted on the Martinsville starting lineup page(10-27-2018)
Martinsville Qualifying Fast Facts:
Todd Gilliland won the Pole Award for the 20th Annual Texas Roadhouse 200 presented by Alpha Energy Solutions with a lap of 19.909 seconds, 95.113 mph.
This is his first pole in 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his first pole and 14th top-10 start in 2018.
This is his first pole in three races at Martinsville Speedway.
Harrison Burton (second) posted his second top-10 start of 2018 and his third in five races at Martinsville Speedway.
Noah Gragson (P) (third) posted his third top-10 start at Martinsville Speedway. It is his 16th in 19 races this season.
Todd Gilliland (first) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics) (10-27-2018)
News from October 26, 2018
Almirola has ‘nothing to lose’ entering NASCAR’s Round of 8:Almirola sits in eighth place as the last championship round begins Sunday with the First Data 500.[More](10-26-2018)
Friday Martinsville Notebook: Noah Gragson enters Round of 6 with new setup – and no practice; It’s back to Playoff beast mode for Grant Enfinger; After Talladega nail-biter, Brett Moffitt is upbeat about title chances.[More](10-26-2018)
Rick Ware Racing taps Jeb Burton for Martinsville Speedway:Officials from Rick Ware Racing (RWR) announced today that Halifax, Va. native Jeb Burton will pilot the team’s No. 51 JACOB Companies Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday afternoon’s First Data 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.[More](10-26-2018)
Ragan intends to stay at Front Row: David Ragan would like to return to the driver’s seat of the No. 34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports next season. “I still love racing and have intentions on being back at Front Row Motorsports next year,” Ragan said. [More](10-26-2018)
Truck Series practice canceled at Martinsville Two practices were on the schedule Friday at Martinsville Speedway, but unrelenting rain only allowed the teams to unload and go through technical inspection at the half-mile track.(10-26-2018)
Black Rifle Coffee Company named “Official Coffee” of Texas Motor Speedway: Black Rifle Coffee Company, a premium, small-batch, roast-to-order business that is owned and operated by military veterans, has signed a multi-year agreement to secure the category designation as the “Official Coffee” of Texas Motor Speedway.[More](10-26-2018)
ISM Raceway unveils exclusive Matt Kenseth bobblehead:Promotional giveaway for first 1,500 fans in the INfield for the Can-Am 500 on Sunday, November 11.[More](10-26-2018)
News from October 25, 2018
Moen to serve as primary for Whitt at Martinsville: Moen, the number-one faucet brand in America, has committed to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 72 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entry with driver Cole Whitt for this weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway.[More](10-25-2018)
Martinsville Speedway Weekend Preview: A win crucial for Playoff drivers this weekend; Truck Series Round of 6 commences.[More](10-25-2018)
Hope For The Warriors partners with Waltrip Brothers Charity Championship: Hope For The Warriors has once again joined forces with the Waltrip Brothers’ Charity Championship to shed light on the military community and share hope with service members, veterans and military families at the ninth annual charity event hosted by brothers Darrell and Michael Waltrip. Gifting a service dog to a decorated military veteran, providing relief to the military-centric community of Jacksonville, N.C., following a devastating hurricane, and supporting a combat veteran’s growing business venture are just three of the ways that the organizations joined forces to restore self, family and hope through this year’s event. [More](10-25-2018)
Huffman in for Niece at Martinsville: The No. 38 Chevrolet will carry the Plan B Sales colors at Martinsville Speedway. [More](10-25-2018)
Eckes will make his third start this season for KBM at Martinsville; Craftsman to sponsor:Christian Eckes will make his third of four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts this season for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) driving the No. 46 CRAFTSMAN® Tundra Saturday in the Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway.[More](10-25-2018)
DAYTONA Beer Festival to debut during Speedweeks: Daytona International Speedway has a new event on tap for DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth. The DAYTONA Beer Festival will be held Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019 in conjunction with DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger and the Advance Auto Parts Clash. The inaugural DAYTONA Beer Festival will be held from Noon-3 p.m. and will span multiple Midway Suites, allowing fans to choose from over 70 different brands of beer.[More](10-25-2018)
News from October 24, 2018
A look at many news, notes and story lines for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville, see the stats on the NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Martinsville Speedway
A look at some of the top statistical performers and top-10 driver ratings at Martinsville, see the stats on the Statistical Advance – Analyzing Martinsville Speedway page
Kansas post-race penalties announced: #42-Larson received a lug nut violation in Cup, while #21-Danie Hemric lost 10 owner and driver points for a post-race height violation. #2-Matt Tifft also received a lug nut penalty and one crew member was suspended for violation of NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy.[More](10-24-2018)
Martinsville Goodyear Tire Notes See complete tire information for the race weekend across all series on the [Goodyear Tire Notes – Martinsville Speedway page.(10-24-2018)
Tyler Reddick moving to Richard Childress Racing? Tyler Reddick has been talking to other teams about joining them next season. The most likely option could be to replace Daniel Hemric in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 21.[More](10-24-2018)
Kligerman to drive #35 Toyota for NextGen Motorsports at Texas:Inspectra Thermal Solutions Corporation will serve as primary sponsor on his Toyota.[More](10-24-2018)
Texas Motor Speedway installs WeatherSTEM technology: Texas Motor Speedway has become the first motorsports venue in the country to install a WeatherSTEM weather station that will benefit its fans and the motorsports industry with comprehensive real-time weather data specific to that exact location. WeatherSTEM has installed its weather units at more than 30 college facilities as well as Heinz Field, home of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, but the world-renowned venue in Fort Worth will be the first of its kind in the motorsports arena.[More](10-24-2018)
News from October 23, 2018
Drivers complete 2019 rules package test at Charlotte Motor Speedway: A quartet of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers shook down Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile oval in a Goodyear tire test on Tuesday. Erik Jones, William Byron, Daniel Hemric and title contender Aric Almirola previewed NASCAR’s 2019 rules package – a form of which debuted in May’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race and Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Among the changes to the rules package for next year are an eight-inch by 61-inch rear spoiler, a 37-inch-wide radiator pan that tapers to 31 inches and a front splitter with a two-inch overhang.[More](10-23-2018)
Pioneer Records Management sponsoring Wallace at Martinsville:Honoring the best driver to ever race at Martinsville Speedway, Pioneer Records Management, a division of Pioneer Technology Group, announced today they will primary sponsor a special Petty Blue No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in celebration of the “The King” Richard Petty and his record 15 wins at the track. Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. will race the No. 43 that ruled Martinsville throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. The No. 43 will be primarily Petty Blue in color with the Pioneer Records Management logo on the hood and sides. Pioneer has been an associate sponsor of the Richard Petty Motorsports team since 2016 and wanted to honor Petty at the track where he had his most success.[More](10-23-2018)
Luber-finer joins Love’s on No. 34 for two races: Love’s Travel Stops (Love’s) will introduce another new partner to its race program with Front Row Motorsports. Luber-finer® will be the co-primary sponsor of Michael McDowell’s No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford for two November races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The heavy-duty filter company will co-sponsor the Front Row Motorsports entry for events at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 4 and ISM Raceway (Phoenix, Ariz.) on Nov. 11. The two-race program is the company’s first motorsports marketing partnership.[More](10-23-2018)
Entry List for the First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is posted, 40 teams/drivers [for 40 spots] are listed.
36 teams with Charters are guaranteed to make the field. The rest need to make the field via qualifying / qualifying races / rules book (owners attempts/points).
Some of the drivers entered include: #00-Gase, #7-Hermie Sadler, #23-Yeley, #51-TBA, #66-Hill, #72-Whitt, #95-Smith, #99-Cassill.
Since only 40 cars are entered, all drivers will make the race.
See the full entry list on the Entry List (pdf)
Kansas TV ratings: NBC earned a 1.8 overnight rating for Sunday’s race from Kansas Speedway.[More](10-23-2018)
Comcast no longer discussing purchase of NASCAR: Comcast had been seen as the most likely option for sale of at least a portion of NASCAR.[More](10-23-2018)
Scott Graves to serve as Ryan Newman’s crew chief at Roush Fenway Racing: Roush Fenway Racing has announced that veteran crew chief Scott Graves will rejoin the team, leading its No. 6 NASCAR Cup Series team with newcomer driver Ryan Newman in 2019. Graves initially joined Roush Fenway Racing in 2006, working his way from team engineer to Xfinity Series crew chief, where he helped lead Chris Buescher to the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Championship. [More](10-23-2018)
Truck Series entry list:There are 35 trucks entered for Saturday’s at Martinsville Speedway. See the complete list on the Martinsville entry list page (pdf). (10-23-2018)
Julie Giese named President of ISM Raceway: International Speedway Corporation announced that Julie Giese, Managing Director of Business Operations for ISC Design & Development, has been promoted to President of ISM Raceway. Beginning in November 2018, Giese will assume oversight of promotion and operation of the all-new ISM Raceway. Giese’s first major event, the Can-Am 500, will be part of the Raceway’s Opening Weekend on November 9, 10 and 11.[More](10-23-2018)
News from October 22, 2018
Kansas TV commercial breakdown: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race.[More](10-22-2018)
On Point Motorsports welcomes Jeb Burton and Strutmasters.com for Martinsville: Officials from On Point Motorsports announced today that Virginia native Jeb Burton will pilot the teams No. 30 Toyota Tundra for Saturday’s running of the Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway. For the second consecutive race, Strutmasters.com will serve as Primary Sponsor for the impressive new organization in just their fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start.[More](10-22-2018)
Greg Walter promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway: Walter will oversee all operations of the motorsports megaplex campus, which includes the famed 1.5-mile superspeedway and the ROVAL™, as well as zMAX Dragway and The Dirt Track at Charlotte. He will report to Marcus Smith.[More](10-22-2018)
News from October 21, 2018
Sunday Kansas Notebook: Kyle Larson falls short with late-race charge at Kansas; Brush with the wall thwarts solid run for Ryan Blaney; Strategic call can’t save Brad Keselowski’s Playoff hopes.[More](10-21-2018)
Chase Elliott makes a Playoff statement with victory at Kansas: It took 99 races for Chase Elliott to get his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory. Ten events later, the scion of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott has three wins, the latest coming at Kansas Speedway in the Sunday’s Round of 12 elimination race in the series Playoffs. Elliott took charge in the Hollywood Casino 400 when Kevin Harvick was hit with a pit road speeding penalty on his last green-flag pit stop on Lap 214 of 267. After inheriting the lead when Brad Keselowski came to pit road on Lap 224, Elliott stayed out front the rest of the way.[More](10-21-2018)
#9-Chase Elliott won the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. The win is his 3rd win of 2018, 1st win at Kansas and 3rd career win.
#18-Busch finished 2nd followed by #42-Larson, #20-Jones, #78-Truex, Jr., #2-Keselowski, #12-Blaney, pole winner #22-Logano, #88-Bowman, and #10-Almirola.
#12-Blaney, #2-Keselowski, #42-Larson, and #88-Bowman were eliminated from the Playoffs.
Stage 1 was won by #22-Logano, finished 8th
Stage 2 was won by #4-Harvick. He finished 12th.
Playoff drivers cam through the race relatively unscathed. #4-Harvick had a late penalty for speeding on pit road after leading much of the race. #41-Busch had an uncontrolled tire during a pit stop that put him a lap down.
There were 11 lead changes among 8 drivers and 3 cautions for 17 yellow flag laps.
The average speed of the race was: 152.713mph.
See unofficial race results, awards, laps led, cautions and more at:
Unofficial Race Results (pdf)
Cumulative Report (pdf)
Penalty Report (pdf)
Where the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff drivers finished at Kansas:
#9-Chase Elliott, 1st
#18-Kyle Busch, 2nd
#42-Kyle Larson, 3rd
#78-Martin Truex, Jr., 5th
#2-Brad Keselowski, 6th
#12-Ryan Blaney, 7th
#22-Joey Logano, 8th
#88-Alex Bowman, 9th
#10-Aric Almirola, 10th
#4-Kevin Harvick, 12th
#14-Clint Bowyer, 13th
#41-Kurt Busch, 18th
Race Fast Facts – Kansas
Chase Elliott (P) won the 18th Annual Hollywood Casino 400, his third victory in 109 Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his third victory and 18th top-10 finish in 2018.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in six races at Kansas Speedway.
Kyle Busch (P) (second) posted his 10th top-10 finish in 22 races at Kansas Speedway. It is his 25th top-10 finish in 2018.
Kyle Larson (P) (third) posted his fourth top-10 finish in ten races at Kansas Speedway.
Bubba Wallace (26th) was the highest finishing rookie.
Kevin Harvick (P) leads the point standings by 13 points over Kyle Busch (P).
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(10-21-2018)
2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings:
[after Kansas – race 3 of 3 in the Round of 12, 6 of 10 in the Playoffs]
1) #18-Kyle Busch, 4055
2) #4-Kevin Harvick, 4054
3) #78-Martin Truex Jr., 4038
4) #9-Chase Elliott, 4018
5) #14-Clint Bowyer, 4015
6) #22-Joey Logano, 4015
7) #41-Kurt Busch, 4015
8) #10-Aric Almirola, 4006
Eliminated from the Playoffs:
#12-Ryan Blaney
#2-Brad Keselowski
#42-Kyle Larson
#88-Alex Bowman
See the Unofficial Drivers Points Standings (pdf) and Unofficial Owners Points Standings (pdf)
Top-Ten Stage 2 Results (lap 160) of the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway (lap 160/267):
#4-Harvick, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#12-Blaney, 9pts
#22-Logano, 8pts
#9-Elliott, 7pts
#18-Busch, 6pts
#42-Larson, 5pts
#20-Jones, 4pts
#48-Johnson, 3pts
#88-Bowman, 2pts
#78-Truex, Jr., 1pt
Top-Ten Stage 1 Results (lap 80) of the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway (lap 80/267):
#22-Logano, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#4-Harvick, 9pts
#12-Blaney, 8pts
#18-Busch, 7pts
#21-Menard, 6pts
#10-Almirola, 5pts
#14-Bowyer, 4pts
#20-Jones, 3pts
#48-Johnson, 2pts
#9-Elliott, 1pt
Lucky Dogs, drivers that got a lap back during the cautions (and their finish):
Caution 1: #13-Dillon, 25th
Caution 2: #43-Wallace, 26th
Caution 3: #37-Buescher, 16th
Finalists announced for Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award:NASCAR announced the four finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s eighth annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award on Sunday at Kansas Speedway. The award, named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman, honors NASCAR fans who are also accomplished volunteers working for children’s causes in their communities throughout the United States.[More](10-21-2018)
Patricia Driscoll’s trail set to begin: Jurors in the federal criminal trial of Patricia Pauline Driscoll, former head of the Armed Forces Foundation (AFF), return to the courtroom Monday as prosecutors begin their case with their first witness explaining how Driscoll defrauded the military support charity she ran for personal gain.[More](10-21-2018)
News from October 20, 2018
Saturday Kansas Notebook: Joey Logano’s pole run at Kansas defies logic-or does it? As a group, Toyota drivers are searching for a little more speed; Short strokes.[More](10-20-2018)
Happy Hour (final) practice for the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#41-Busch 186.226
#20-Jones 186.104
#10-Almirola 185.842
#18-Busch 185.471
#21-Menard 185.446
best 10 consecutive lap avg (of 31 drivers): #18-Busch 183.094
slowest: #51-McLeod 173.077 & #7-Sorenson 172.463.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the Happy Hour Practice speeds page (pdf) (10-20-2018)
First Saturday practice for the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 55 minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#10-Almirola 186.683
#20-Jones 186.599
#78-Truex, Jr. 186.355
#14-Bowyer 186.303
#18-Busch 186.252
best 10 consecutive lap avg (of 13 drivers): #18-Busch 184.388.
slowest: #51-McLeod 173.723 & #66-Hill 172.172.
notes:#1-McMurray lost an engine. He will have to start from the rear of the field Sunday.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the Second Practice speeds page (pdf) (10-20-2018)
Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway have been made.
With 40 cars running, pit stalls 22, 42, 43, & 44 are not in use.
Pole winner #22-Logano chose pit stall 1, the first stall available [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole winner #4-Harvick took pit stall 8, with an opening in front of it.
#10-Almirola, who starts 3rd, took the 23rd stall, with an opening in front of it.
The final pit stall was taken by #2-Keselowski, who starts 5th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on Jayski.com’s Pit Stall Selection chart.(10-20-2018)
Joey Gase returns to StarCom Racing at Martinsville: Joey Gase will add another Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race to his 2018 schedule as he will hop back in the #00 for StarCom Racing next weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Gase returns to the #00 Chevy Camaro just two weeks after finishing 18th in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Speedway. The October 14th result was his best career Cup Series finish yet and matched StarCom’s best team finish.[More](10-20-2018)
Stanton Barrett looks to run more races next season: In 2019, Barrett’s ideal Cup Series schedule would be to compete at all the road courses, Martinsville, New Hampshire and the superspeedway races along with road courses races in the Xfinity Series races. He will be talking with teams to see what races can be done.
[More](10-20-2018)
Talladega TV ratings UPDATE: NBC earned a 2.2 overnight rating for racing at Talladega on Sunday.(10-15-2018)
UPDATE: The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs from Talladega (Ala.) earned a 2.2 rating and 3.51 million viewers on NBC last Sunday, down 21% in ratings and 26% in viewership from last year (2.8, 4.73M) and flat and down 2% respectively from 2016 on NBCSN (2.2, 3.58M).[More](10-20-2018)
John Hunter Nemechek scores first NASCAR Xfinity win; early wreck scrambles Playoffs: John Hunter Nemechek grabbed his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in a race that threw the championship battle into chaos. Pulling away with three laps after the final restart on Lap 169 of 200, Nemechek took the checkered flag 5.200 seconds ahead of Daniel Hemric to win the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, the venue where his father, Joe Nemechek, won his final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in 2004.[More](10-20-2018)
John Hunter Nemechek wins Kansas Speedway XFINITY race: #42-John Hunter Nemechek won the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway for his first career win in his 15th start.
#21-Daniel Hemric finished second, followed by #1-Elliott Sadler, #3-Shane Lee, #9-Tyler Reddick, #2-Matt Tifft, #16-Ryan Reed, #60-Ty Majeski, #39-Ryan Sieg, and #51-Jeremey Clements.
It was a tough day for several Playoff drivers. On the first lap of the race #7-Justin Allgaier got loose and slid up into #20-Christopher Bell. Several other drivers were caught up in the accident, including #22-Austin Cindric and #00-Cole Custer. Bell, Allgaier, and Cindric could not continue. They finished 37th, 38th, and 39th. Custer’s team made repairs to the car and he managed to finish in 26th.
There were 7 cautions for 41 laps and 10 lead changes among 6 leaders.
The average speed was 118.995mph.
Complete results are on the Kansas race results page (pdf).(10-20-2018)
Race stage winners:
Stage 1 – lap 45 – Winner, #21-Daniel Hemric
Stage 2 – lap 90 – Winner, #42-John Hunter Nemechek
Stage 3 – lap 200 – Race winner, #42-John Hunter Nemechek
Kansas XFINITY Race Fast Facts:
John Hunter Nemechek won the 18th Annual Kansas Lottery 300, his first victory in 15 NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
This is his first victory and eighth top-10 finish in 2018.
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in his series track debut at Kansas Speedway.
Daniel Hemric (P) (second) posted his first top-10 finish in two races at Kansas Speedway. It is his 20th top-10 finish in 2018.
Elliott Sadler (P) (third) posted his seventh top-10 finish in nine races at Kansas Speedway.
Tyler Reddick (fifth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Daniel Hemric (P) leads the point standings by 9 points over Elliott Sadler (P).
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(10-20-2018)
XFINITY Driver standings:
[after Kansas – race 1 of 3 in the Round of 8, 4 of 8 in the Playoffs]
1) #21-Daniel Hemric, 3067, +23
2) #1-Elliott Sadler, 3058, +14
3) #9-Tyler Reddick 3055, +11
4) #20-Christopher Bell, 3045, +1
Currently outside the top 4 to advance to the final round:
5) #2-Matt Tifft, 3044, -1
6) #7-Justin Allgaier, 3040, -5
7) #00-Cole Custer, 3022, -23
8) #22-Austin Cindric, 3002, -43
See complete owner and driver standings on the driver standings (pdf) and owner standings page (pdf).(10-20-2018)
Free Pass – Who got a lap back on each caution: (and their finish)
Caution 1: None, no one a lap or more down.
Caution 2: #23-Gallagher, 33rd
Caution 3: #38-Ruch, 29th
Caution 4: #00-Custer, 26th
Caution 5: #98-Briscoe, 30th
Caution 6: None. #35-Gase was involved in the caution.
Caution 7: #16-Reed, 7th
(10-20-2018)
Daniel Hemric on XFINITY pole at Kansas: #21-Daniel Hemric won the Busch pole for the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway with a speed of 183.955mph. #20-Christopher Bell will start second. The rest of the top 10: #7-Justin Allgaier, #22-Austin Cindric, #19-Brandon Jones, #9-Tyler Reddick, #18-Ryan Preece, #3-Shane Lee , #2-Matt Tifft, and #00-Cole Custer.
Did Not Qualify: #55-Bayley Currey, #89-Morgan Shepherd, #26-Max Tullman.
The starting lineup is posted on the Kansas Speedway starting lineup page (pdf).(10-20-2018)
Kansas XFINITY Qualifying Notes:
Daniel Hemric (P) won the Pole Award for the 18th Annual Kansas Lottery 300 with a lap of 29.355 seconds, 183.955 mph.
This is his fifth pole in 63 NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
This is his fourth pole and 24th top-10 start in 2018.
This is his first pole in two races at Kansas Speedway.
Christopher Bell (P) (second) posted his 21st top-10 start of 2018 and his second in two races at Kansas Speedway.
Justin Allgaier (P) (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Kansas Speedway. It is his 23rd in 30 races this season.
Christopher Bell (P) (second) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(10-20-2018)
Ross Chastain a top choice for Chip Ganassi’s XFINITY program in 2019: Chip Ganassi Racing is still sorting out its plans for the No. 42 NASCAR Xfinity Series program next year, but mainly having Ross Chastain in the car is among the top options.[More](10-20-2018)
Truck ratings drop at Talladega: Last Saturday’s NASCAR Truck Series race from Talladega had a 0.7 rating and 962,000 viewers on FOX, flat in ratings and down 10% in viewership from last year and down 22% and 25% respectively from 2016. [More](10-20-2018)
News from October 19, 2018
Talladega Superspeedway post-race penalties announced UPDATE: #42-Larson was penalized for violation of the damaged vehicle policy and #10-Almiorla received a lugnut violation. Three Camping World Truck Series teams also received penalties.(10-17-2018)
UPDATE: The National Motorsports Appeals Panel heard and considered an appeal of an L1 level penalty issued on Oct. 17 to Chip Ganassi Racing. Upon hearing the testimony, the decisions of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel are: 1. That the Appellants violated the Rules set forth in the Penalty Notice. 2. That the Panel affirms and upholds the original Penalty assessed by NASCAR.(10-19-2018)
UPDATE 2: The National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer, Mr. Bryan Moss, heard and considered the appeal. He made the following decisions: 1. The Appellants violated the Rules set forth in the Penalty Notice; 2. The decision of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel to uphold the original Penalty issued by NASCAR is affirmed and upheld.[More](10-19-2018)
Joey Logano claims first 2018 pole for Kansas elimination race :Shades of Talladega. Only this time Team Penske-driver Joey Logano in particular-joined the Ford domination party. Saving the fastest lap of the day for the final round of Friday’s knockout qualifying session, Logano navigated 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway in 28.177 seconds (191.646 mph) to claim the pole position for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400.[More](10-19-2018)
Joey Logano won the Busch pole for the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway with speed of 191.646mph for his 1st pole of 2018, 2nd at Kansas and 20th of his career. Logano has won 3 times from the 19 previous poles.
#4-Harvick will start 2nd followed by #10-Almirola, #12-Blaney, #2-Keselowski, #20-Jones, #18-Busch, #19-Suarez, #11-Hamlin, #88-Bowman, #41-Busch, and #78-Truex, Jr.
#10-Almirola was fastest in the second round with a speed of 191.225mph, will start 3rd.
#14-Bowyer was quickest in the first round with a speed of 191.299mph, will start 14th.
Driver(s) who will miss the race: none as 40 were entered for 40 spots
See round-by-round qualifying results on the Qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(10-19-2018)
Kansas Speedway – Qualifying Fast Facts:
Joey Logano (P) won the Pole Award for the 18th Annual Hollywood Casino 400 with a lap of 28.177 seconds, 191.646 mph.
This is his 20th pole in 359 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and 20th top-10 start in 2018.
This is his second pole in 19 races at Kansas Speedway.
Kevin Harvick (P) (second) posted his 24th top-10 start of 2018 and his 12th in 26 races at Kansas Speedway.
Aric Almirola (P) (third) posted his fifth top-10 start at Kansas Speedway. It is his 10th in 32 races this season.
William Byron (17th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(10-19-2018)
Where the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff drivers will start at Kansas:
#22-Joey Logano, 1st
#4-Kevin Harvick, 2nd
#10-Aric Almirola, 3rd
#12-Ryan Blaney, 4th
#2-Brad Keselowski, 5th
#18-Kyle Busch, 7th
#88-Alex Bowman, 10th
#41-Kurt Busch, 11th
#78-Martin Truex, Jr., 12th
#9-Chase Elliott, 13th
#14-Clint Bowyer, 14th
#42-Kyle Larson, 27th
Second Round of Qualifying for the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 10 scheduled minutes.
#10-Almirola 191.225
#4-Harvick 191.083
#22-Logano 191.008
#12-Blaney 190.826
#20-Jones 190.759
the rest of the top 12: 41 18 78 19 2 88 11
out of the top 12 and not advancing to round 3: 9 14 17 31 24 21 6 1 37 48 3 34
(10-19-2018)
First Round of Qualifying for the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 15 scheduled minutes.
#14-Bowyer 191.299
#4-Harvick 191.252
#18-Busch 191.008
#22-Logano 190.631
#78-Truex, Jr. 190.322
the rest of the top 24: 41 2 12 21 10 20 9 3 88 17 31 48 1 24 19 37 34 11 6
out of the top 24 and not advancing to round 2: 47 95 42 38 43 13 32 15 96 72 00 23 99 51 7 66
Drivers who will miss the race: none, 40 entered
(10-19-2018)
Friday Kansas Notebook: Aric Almirola relishes no-lose proposition at Kansas Speedway; Alex Bowman expresses confidence facing must-win scenario; Spencer Gallagher to step away from driving at season’s end.[More](10-19-2018)
First practice for the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest and notes:
#12-Blaney 192.130
#18-Busch 191.768
#4-Harvick 191.761
#22-Logano 191.632
#9-Elliott 191.421
most laps run: #47-Allmendinger, #43-Wallace, 13
best 10 consecutive lap avg (of 1 drivers): # 95- Smith 182.606
slowest: #7-Sorenson 174.712
notes: #42-Larson wrecked and will start at the rear in a backup car.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the First Practice speeds (pdf) (10-19-2018)
Qualifying Order for the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is posted.
The first driver to be lined up on pit road will be #13-Dillon.
The final driver lined up on pit road will be #43-Wallace.
The order is set by a random draw, how cars park on pit road before they qualify, held about an hour before the first practice.
After the first round, the cars lined up by speed.
For the qualifying order, see the Qualifying Order page (pdf).(10-19-2018)
Talladega Superspeedway post-race penalties announced UPDATE:#42-Larson was penalized for violation of the damaged vehicle policy and #10-Almiorla received a lugnut violation. Three Camping World Truck Series teams also received penalties.(10-17-2018)
UPDATE: The National Motorsports Appeals Panel heard and considered an appeal of an L1 level penalty issued on Oct. 17 to Chip Ganassi Racing. Upon hearing the testimony, the decisions of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel are: 1. That the Appellants violated the Rules set forth in the Penalty Notice. 2. That the Panel affirms and upholds the original Penalty assessed by NASCAR.[More](10-19-2018)
Obaika Racing to enter final three Cup races of the season: Obaika Racing plans to finish the 2018 NASCAR season strong by competing in the final three races of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. The No. 97 Toyota Camry will enter the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, the Can-Am 500 at ISM Raceway (Phoenix, AZ), and the season-closing Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The drivers and sponsors will be announced in the coming weeks.[More](10-19-2018)
Plan B Sales sponsoring DiBenedetto at Kansas Speedway: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Go Fas Racing team will be representing the cause with a unique pink racecar this weekend at Kansas Speedway. This weekend’s race, the Hollywood Casino 400, will be the 32nd race of the NASCAR regular season, and the final race of the second round of the NASCAR Playoffs. Plan B Sales will be working with Matt DiBenedetto and the Go Fas Racing team this weekend, marking their first race as a sponsor for the team.[More](10-19-2018)
Shane Lee paces final XFINITY practice: #3-Shane Lee was quickest in final practice at Kansas with a speed of 179.480mph.
#60-Ty Majeski was second, followed by: #20-Christopher Bell, #22-Austin Cindric, #21-Daniel Hemric, #42-John Hunter Nemechek, #19-Brandon Jones, #18-Ryan Preece, #00-Cole Custer, and #7-Justin Allgaier.
See complete results on the Kansas practice 2 speeds page (pdf).(10-5-2018)
Daniel Hemric fastest in opening XFINITY practice: #21-Daniel Hemric was fastest during opening practice at Kansas with a speed of 179.916mph.
The rest of the top 10: #20-Christopher Bell, #9-Tyler Reddick, #3-Shane Lee, #22-Austin Cindric, #42-John Hunter Nemechek, #7-Justin Allgaier, #00-Cole Custer, #2-Matt Tifft, and #16-Ryan Reed.
See complete results on the Kansas practice 1 speeds page (pdf).(10-5-2018)
Spencer Gallagher to retire at end of 2018: The announcement was made on Friday afternoon prior to Xfinity Series practice at Kansas Speedway. Gallagher said he will move into a managerial role with GMS Racing beginning with the 2019 season.[More](10-19-2018)
Fans invited to watch testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Atlanta Motor Speedway’s grandstands will open free of charge for fans who want to see NASCAR’s 2019 racing package on the famous 1.54-mile oval for the first time during a Goodyear tire test on October 30. The grandstands will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as select NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series drivers test the new racing package that will make its debut in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on Feb. 24, 2019. Fans attending the test will enter the grandstands through Gate 15.[More](10-19-2018)
News from October 18, 2018
Kansas Speedway Weekend Preview: Blaney and Keselowski’s Playoff hopes in danger at Kansas; XFINITY Series Round of 8 begins.[More](10-18-2018)
Roger Penske to receive Spirit of Competition Award: The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum is pleased to officially announce our annual Spirit of Competition award winner. The Spirit of Competition represents the most prestigious award conferred by the Foundation. Each year a distinguished figure from motorsports who has a specific inspirational message is selected. Automotive impresario, founder, and director of the Amelia Island Concours, Bill Warner will act as MC.[More](10-18-2018)
Joey Gase bringing new sponsors to Kansas Speedway: This weekend Gase is bringing along two new sponsors that will be making their NASCAR debut on the #35 Chevy Camaro. Absaroka is a new Western & Leather apparel company out of Decatur, AL who is coming on as the primary sponsor for the Kansas Lottery 300. Page Construction announced yesterday that they’ll be coming on board this weekend as an associate sponsor. [More](10-18-2018)
Premium Motorsports to cease Truck Series operations after 2018 season: Premium Motorsports announced today that they will not field a team in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series in 2019. They will finish the season racing the #49 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Chevrolet Silverado with Sobriety Nation as the team’s primary sponsor before ceasing operations after the final race of the 2018 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The reason given for doing this is to be able to focus solely on their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing program in 2019. [More](10-18-2018)
Speedway Christmas returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway: Charlotte Motor Speedway elves are breaking out the trees, tinsel, ornaments and lights in preparation for a holiday light show extravaganza like no other. Speedway Christmas presented by Disconnect and Drive returns Nov. 18 with over three million lights totaling 3.75 miles around the speedway, infield and concourse. Mother Goose, Rapunzel and The Three Little Pigs come to life in this year’s “Storybook in Lights” theme that will illuminate the iconic race track.[More](10-18-2018)
News from October 17, 2018
Bubba Wallace honored on EBONY Power 100 list: Bubba Wallace continues to make national headlines in his rookie season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driving the famed No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports. Wallace Jr. was recently named to the EBONY Power 100 list published by EBONY Magazine. Wallace Jr. was listed as an “MVP” and joined other athletes such as Antonio Brown, Stephen Curry, Venus Williams as well as former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama on the prestigious list.[More](10-17-2018)
A look at many news, notes and story lines for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas, see the stats on the NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Kansas Speedway
Talladega Superspeedway post-race penalties announced: #42-Larson was penalized for violation of the damaged vehicle policy and #10-Almiorla received a lugnut violation. Three Camping World Truck Series teams also received penalties.[More](10-17-2018)
A look at some of the top statistical performers and top-10 driver ratings at Kansas, see the stats on the Statistical Advance – Analyzing Kansas Speedway page
Coburn Supply Company joins McDowell for Kansas: Coburn Supply Company will be on the No. 34 Ford for the weekend.[More](10-17-2018)
K&N Pro Series East Champ Tyler Ankrum to debut at Martinsville:Ankrum will pilot the No. 54 May’s Hawaii Toyota Tundra in his NCWTS debut.[More](10-17-2018)
Talladega penalties announced: Crew chiefs #02-Kendrick, #52-Bruce, and #21-Shear have been fined $5,000 for pre-race tech inspection infractions.[More](10-17-2018)
Country Music artist Frank Foster partners with Sieg for Kansas:RSS Racing is pleased to welcome Country Music artist Frank Foster to the #39 as he will be featured on the #39 car driven by Ryan Sieg. The partnership will promote Foster’s latest album which released last month ‘Till I’m Gone. The album debuted #2 on the Billboard Country sales charts. [More](10-17-2018)
Daytona International Speedway to host open house: Daytona International Speedway will hold an Open House on Sunday, Nov. 4, giving the Central Florida community an opportunity to explore the state-of-the-art facility. Fans can check out the amenities inside the venue with guided tours. The Harley J. Earl DAYTONA 500 champion’s trophy will be on display for photo opportunities and there will be special giveaways including VIP experiences, race tickets and autographed items. [More](10-17-2018)
News from October 16, 2018
Transportation Impact sponsoring Bubba Wallace at Kansas:Transportation Impact (TI) announced today it will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Bubba Wallace at the Kansas Speedway this Sunday. The parcel spend management firm, headquartered on the Crystal Coast, will increase its associate sponsorship of Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) to be the primary sponsor of Wallace Jr. and the No. 43 team during the Hollywood Casino 400.[More](10-16-2018)
Kansas Goodyear Tire Notes See complete tire information for the race weekend across all series on the [Goodyear Tire Notes – Kansas Speedway page.(10-16-2018)
StarCom Racing and Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support partner at Kansas: October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Although “one in four pregnancies ends in loss” is a validated CDC statistic, many who have experienced a pregnancy loss do not reach out for help and suffer their tragic loss alone. StarCom Racing, with Landon Cassill at the helm of the 00 Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Camaro, partner at the Hollywood Casino 400 to raise awareness for this organization and those affected by this tragedy.[More](10-16-2018)
Entry List for the Hollywood Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is posted, 40 teams/drivers [for 40 spots] are listed.
Some of the drivers entered include: #6-Bayne, #7-Sorenson, #23-Yeley, #51-McLeod, #66-Hill, #72-LaJoie, #99-Weatherman.
Since only 40 cars are entered, all drivers will make the race.
See the full entry list on the Entry List (pdf)
Bobby Earnhardt driving for MBM at Kansas: Sponsorship dollars and racing has been a hot topic this season, so good news is worth reporting! Bobby Earnhardt, who released the news last week that he will be making his return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, is doing just that. The popular driver is announcing new sponsors have joined his team heading into the race weekend at Kansas Speedway.[More](10-16-2018)
XFINITY Entry List: There are 42 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.
See the complete list on the Kansas Speedway entry list page.
Whelen Engineering to sponsor XFINITY race at Phoenix: ISM Raceway announced today that Whelen Engineering will serve as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Xfinity Series semifinal playoff race at ISM Raceway on Saturday, November 10th. The Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 will be the first Xfinity Series race officially held at the track following its two-year, $178 million modernization project, part of Opening Weekend on November 9, 10 and 11. The sponsorship marks a continued commitment to the modernization of ISM Raceway by Whelen, which has also been heavily involved in the development of the lighting system for the new, cactus-shaped flag stand which will mark the new location of the start/finish line.[More](10-16-2018)
News from October 15, 2018
Talladega TV ratings NBC earned a 2.2 overnight rating for racing at Talladega on Sunday.[More](10-15-2018)
Twelve drivers invited to NASCAR Drive for Diversity combine:Twelve drivers from across the United States and abroad have been invited to try out for NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, the top driver developmental program in motorsports, at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway and Bethune-Cookman University on Oct. 22-23. The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Combine invites promising ethnically diverse and female drivers to test their skills over a two-day period as NASCAR evaluates talent for the 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development class.[More](10-15-2018)
PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze, BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid to sponsor Clint Bowyer in 2019: Old World Industries, the makers of PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Equipment, has partnered with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the championship-winning NASCAR team. PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Equipment will be the primary sponsor for driver Clint Bowyer and the No. 14 team for three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in 2019 with associate sponsorship on the No. 14 Ford Mustang at all other races.[More](10-15-2018)
VF Workwear joins Team Penske as sponsor of Ryan Blaney: Team Penske has announced a new partnership with VF Workwear. Under the multi-year agreement, VF Workwear’s Wrangler Riggs brand will be the primary sponsor of the No. 12 Ford Fusion driven by Ryan Blaney in the NASCAR Cup Series, beginning with this weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway. The new partnership also includes VF brands serving as a primary sponsor on the No. 12 Ford for the Cup Series races at Michigan (June) and Kansas (October) in both 2019 and 2020.[More](10-15-2018)
Dover XFINITY TV ratings: Last Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race from Dover (Del.) earned a 0.43 rating and 625,000 viewers on NBCSN, down 20% in ratings and 25% in viewership from last year (0.54, 829K). It was the lowest rated and least-watched Xfinity Series race this season.[Sports Media Watch](10-15-2018)
News from October 14, 2018
Sunday Talladega Notebook: Fuel shortage deprives Kurt Busch of winning chances at Talladega; Kyle Larson overcomes lack of speed to finish 11th at Talladega; Martin Truex Jr. fights ill-handling car to stay above cut line.[More](10-14-2018)
Talladega commercial breakdown: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race.[More](10-14-2018)
Aric Almirola finds long-awaited redemption with Talladega win:Aric Almirola has been tantalizingly close to winning this season, only to come up empty. On Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, he finally got to light the victory cigar. When the No. 41 Ford of Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch lost fuel pressure on the final lap of the 1000Bulbs.com 500, Almirola was there to collect his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory since 2014 and clinch a spot in the Round of 8 in the series Playoffs.[More](10-14-2018)
#10-Aric Almirola won the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The win is his 1st win of 2018, 1st win at Talladega and 2nd career win.
#14-Bowyer finished 2nd followed by #17-Stenhouse, Jr., #11-Hamlin, #22-Logano, #47-Allmendinger, #48-Johnson, #20-Jones, #21-Menard, and #95-Smith.
The race ended under NASCAR Overtime after an accident with three laps remaining. Stewart-Haas Racing cars dominated the race and were running first through fourth when the final caution came out. Before the race restarted, #4-Harvick ran out of fuel and had to pit. On the final restart, pole winner #41-Busch was the leader, but he ran out of gas on the final lap to give Almirola the victory.
Stage 1 was won by #41-Busch, finished 14th.
Stage 2 was won by #4-Harvick, finished 28th.
Several other Playoff drivers had problems during the race:
#42-Larson spun on lap 103 after a tire blew out. He rebounded to finish 11th
#88-Bowman was caught in an accident with three laps remaining and could not finish. He was 33rd.
#2-Keselowski ran out of fuel before the final restart. He finished 21st. His teammate #12-Blaney also had to pit for fuel and finished 29th.
#9-Elliott was in an accident on the final lap and finished 31st. #18-Busch suffered damage in the same incident and was 26th.
There were 15 lead changes among 11 drivers and 8 cautions for 32 yellow flag laps.
The average speed of the race was: 153.707mph.
See unofficial race results, awards, laps led, cautions and more at:
Unofficial Race Results (pdf)
Cumulative Report (pdf)
Penalty Report (pdf)
Where the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff drivers finished at Talladega:
#10-Aric Almirola, 1st
#14-Clint Bowyer, 2nd
#22-Joey Logano, 5th
#42-Kyle Larson, 11th
#41-Kurt Busch, 14th
#78-Martin Truex, Jr., 23rd
#18-Kyle Busch, 26th
#2-Brad Keselowski, 27th
#4-Kevin Harvick, 28th
#12-Ryan Blaney, 29th
#9-Chase Elliott, 31st
#88-Alex Bowman, 33rd
Race Fast Facts – Talladega
Aric Almirola (P) won the 50th Annual 1000Bulbs.com 500, his second victory in 275 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and 13th top-10 finish in 2018.
This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in 18 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Clint Bowyer (P) (second) posted his 13th top-10 finish in 26 races at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his 15th top-10 finish in 2018.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (third) posted his seventh top-10 finish in 11 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Darrell Wallace Jr. (19th) was the highest finishing rookie.
Kevin Harvick (P) leads the point standings by 17 points over Kyle Busch (P).
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(10-14-2018)
2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings:
[after Talladega – race 2 of 3 in the Round of 12, 5 of 10 in the Playoffs]
1) #10-Aric Almirola, Talladega win
2) #9-Chase Elliott, Dover win
3) #4-Kevin Harvick, 3128, +63
4) #18-Kyle Busch, 3111, +46
5) #22-Joey Logano, 3104, +39
6) #41-Kurt Busch, 3095, +30
7) #14-Clint Bowyer, 3086, +21
8) #78-Martin Truex Jr., 3083, +18
Currently outside the top 8 to advance to the next round:
9) #2-Brad Keselowski, 3065, -18
10) #12-Ryan Blaney, 3061, -22
11) #42-Kyle Larson, 3057, -26
12) #88-Alex Bowman, 3015, -68
See the Unofficial Drivers Points Standings page (pdf) and Unofficial Owners Points Standings page (pdf)
Top-Ten Stage 2 Results (lap 110) of the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway (lap 110/188):
#4 Harvick, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#14-Bowyer, 9pts
#41-Busch, 8pts
#10-Almirola, 7pts
#11-Hamlin, 6pts
#12-Blaney, 5pts
#18-Busch, 4pts
#3-Dillon, 3pts
#22-Logano, 2pts
#2-Keselowski, 1pt
Top-Ten Stage 1 Results (lap 55) of the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway (lap 55/188):
#41-Busch, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#14-Bowyer, 9pts
#4-Harvick, 8pts
#10-Almirola, 7pts
#22-Logano, 6pts
#12-Blaney, 5pts
#9-Elliott, 4pts
#11-Hamlin, 3pts
#88-Bowman, 2pts
#13-Dillon, 1pt
Lucky Dogs, drivers that got a lap back during the cautions (and their finish):
Caution 1: None, no one on track a lap or more down.
Caution 2: #72-LaJoie, 32nd
Caution 3: #99-Cassill, 22nd
Caution 4: #21-Menard, 9th
Caution 5: #42-Larson, 11th
Caution 6: #17-Stenhouse, Jr, 3rd
Caution 7: #48-Johnson, 7th
Caution 8: #31-Newman, 25th
Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway have been made.
With 40 cars running, pit stalls 1, 31, & 42 are not in use.
Pole winner #41-Busch chose pit stall 1, the first stall available [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole winner #14-Bowyer took pit stall 15, with an opening in front of it.
#4-Harvick, who starts 3rd, took the 5th stall.
The final pit stall was taken by #9-Elliott, who starts 5th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on Jayski.com’s Pit Stall Selection chart.(10-14-2018)
Talladega to build oversized tunnel in turn three: Talladega Superspeedway and its parent company, International Speedway Corporation (ISC), revealed today that the construction of the new Turn 3 Oversized Tunnel, an important component of the track’s new Transformation Infield Project – will begin in a matter of days during the week of Oct. 21. The new two-lane tunnel will have dimensions capable of allowing vehicles as large as race team haulers and fans’ recreational vehicles to enter and exit the track simultaneously with ease. [More](10-14-2018)
News from October 13, 2018
Kurt Busch leads Stewart-Haas sweep in Talladega qualifying: All four Stewart-Haas Racing cars were amply endowed with speed for Saturday’s knockout qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway. Kurt Busch was just glad he got the pick of the litter.[More](10-13-2018)
Kurt Busch won the Busch pole for the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway with speed of 195.804mph for his 5th pole of 2018, 1st at Talladega and 27th of his career. Busch has won once from the 26 previous poles.
#14-Boywer will start 2nd followed by #4-Harvick, #10-Almirola, #9-Elliott, #48-Johnson, #88-Bowman, #24-Byron, #18-Busch, #11-Hamlin, #78-Truex, Jr., and #17-Stenhouse, Jr.
#41-Busch was also quickest in the first round with a speed of 195.225mph.
Driver(s) who will miss the race: #97-Starr
See round-by-round qualifying results on the Qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(10-13-2018)
Where the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff drivers will start at Talladega:
#41-Kurt Busch, 1st
#14-Clint Bowyer, 2nd
#4-Kevin Harvick, 3rd
#10-Aric Almirola, 4th
#9-Chase Elliott, 5th
#88-Alex Bowman, 7th
#18-Kyle Busch, 9th
#78-Martin Truex, Jr., 11th
#2-Brad Keselowski, 18th
#12-Ryan Blaney, 19th
#22-Joey Logano, 20th
#42-Kyle Larson, 34th
Talladega Superspeedway – Qualifying Fast Facts:
Kurt Busch (P) won the Busch Pole Award Pole Award for the 50th Annual 1000Bulbs.com 500 with a lap of 48.906 seconds, 195.804 mph.
This is his 27th pole in 643 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his fifth pole and 23rd top-10 start in 2018.
This is his first pole in 36 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Clint Bowyer (P) (second) posted his 13th top-10 start of 2018 and his ninth in 26 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Kevin Harvick (P) (third) posted his ninth top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his 23rd in 31 races this season.
William Byron (eighth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(10–13-2018)
First Round of Qualifying for the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is over, after 15 scheduled minutes.
#41-Busch 195.225
#14-Bowyer 195.046
#4-Harvick 194.654
#10-Almirola 194.484
#9-Elliott 194.243
the rest of the top 12: 88 48 24 11 18 17 78
out of the top 12 and not advancing to round 2: 19 34 20 38 43 2 12 22 3 31 47 6 95 37 32 62 13 21 1 23 7 42 96 15 00 99 97 72 51
Driver who will miss the race: #97-Starr.
(10-13-2018)
Saturday Talladega Notebook: Aric Almirola has put Dover disappointment behind him; Alex Bowman looking forward to changes at Hendrick Motorsports; Martin Truex Jr. eyes back-to-back series titles.[More](10-13-2018)
Xchange of America joins Chastain at Talladega: Xchange of America will join Ross Chastain once again as a primary sponsor, this time at Talladega Superspeedway for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, ‘1000 Bulbs 500’. Chastain’s #15 Chevrolet will be easy to spot in a patriotic Xchange of America red, white and blue paint scheme. Joining Chastain as a co-primary sponsor is Solomon Plumbing. This will be the second time Solomon Plumbing has sponsored the #15 Premium Motorsports this year.[More](10-13-2018)
Qualifying Order for the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is posted. The order for the first round is determined by practice speeds, slowest to fastest. Final round qualifying order is determined by slowest to fastest speeds from the first round.
The first driver to be lined up on pit road will be #97-Starr.
The final driver lined up on pit road will be #4-Harvick.
For the qualifying order, see the Qualifying Order page (pdf).(10-13-2018)
Happy Hour (final) practice for the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is over, after 75 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#4-Harvick 204.227
#10-Almriola 203.957
#22-Logano 202.478
#14-Bowyer 202.431
#17-Stenhouse, Jr. 202.388
best 10 consecutive lap avg (of 18 drivers): #10-Almirola 200.693.
slowest: #99-Cassill 186.914 & #97-Starr 186.108.
notes: There were no on-track incidents during practice.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the Happy Hour Practice speeds page (pdf) (10-13-2018)
Peters wins at Talladega; Crafton stays alive in Playoffs: Racing for just the fourth time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season, Timothy Peters fought off a block from Noah Gragson on the final lap of the Fr8Auctions 250 at Talladega Superspeedway to become the first three-time winner at the 2.66-mile track. Driving in the last of his three events for GMS Racing, Peters started a move to the outside of Gragson’s Toyota on the backstretch. When Gragson moved up to block, Peters stayed in the gas, and Gragson’s No. 18 Tundra spun across the nose of Peter’s Chevrolet into the outside wall.[More](10-13-2018)
News from October 12, 2018
Friday Talladega Notebook: Chad Knaus is ready to fulfill a career-long dream-sort of; For Bubba Wallace, Daytona was a long time ago; Sorry, Noah, but that’s not your crew chief.[More](10-12-2018)
NASCAR and Talladega Superspeedway enter new partnership with Sugarlands: Award-winning moonshine distillery Sugarlands Distilling Company, LLC. has entered the sport by signing agreements with both the sanctioning body and one of the most iconic tracks on the circuit, Talladega Superspeedway. The new partnerships designate Sugarlands Shine as the “Official Moonshine of NASCAR” and as the title partner of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Trucks Series fall race, the Sugarlands Shine 250.[More](10-12-2018)
Dover TV ratings UPDATE: NBCSN earned a 1.3 overnight rating for Sunday’s race.(10-8-2018)
UPDATE: Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Dover had a 1.2 rating and 2.01 million viewers on NBCSN, down a tick in ratings and 2% in viewership from last year (1.3, 2.05M) and down 20% and 21% respectively from 2016 (1.5, 2.56M).[More](10-12-2018)
Liberty National extends sponsorship of Richard Childress Racing:Liberty National Life Insurance Company has extended its partnership with Richard Childress Racing and the No. 31 team for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Liberty National will remain a primary sponsor for select races with Daniel Hemric and the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and will be an associate sponsor for select races on the No. 3 Chevrolet with driver Austin Dillon.[More](10-12-2018)
Truck and XFINITY races at Nashville? The owner of Bristol Motor Speedway is in preliminary talks about holding two yearly NASCAR races at the Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, but the two sides appear no closer to a deal. Tony Formosa, the longtime promoter of the fairgrounds racetrack, said Speedway Motorsports, the company that owns Bristol Motor Speedway, has expressed interest in holding a NASCAR Xfinity Series race and a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the fairgrounds.[More](10-12-2018)
David Gilliland on Truck pole at Talladega: # won the pole for Saturday’s FR8 Auctions 250 Camping World Truck Series at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed at 180.570mph. #2-Spencer Gallagher, #25-Timothy Peters, #98-Grant Enfinger, #21-Johnny Sauter, #4-Todd Gilliland, #87-Joe Nemechek, #16-Brett Moffitt, #88-Matt Crafton and #02-Austin Hill were the top-10.
Did not qualify: #6-Norm Benning; #83-Joey Gase, #-0 Ray Ciccarelli and #15- Jamie Mosley.
The starting lineup is posted on the Talladega starting lineup page(10-13-2018)
Talladega Qualifying Fast Facts:
David Gilliland won the Pole Award for the 13th Annual Fr8Auctions 250 with a lap of 53.032 seconds, 180.570 mph.
This is his second pole in 14 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his second pole and third top-10 start in 2018.
This is his first pole in one races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Spencer Gallagher(i) (second) posted his first top-10 start of 2018 and his third in four races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Timothy Peters (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his second in four races this season.
Todd Gilliland (sixth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics) (10-13-2018)
Gallagher fastest in final Talladega Truck practice: #2-Spencer Gallagher was fastest during final practice for Saturday’s FR8 Auctions 250 Camping World Truck Series at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 180.928mph. The rest of the top-10: #98-Grant Enfinger, #4-Todd Gilliland, #88-Matt Crafton, #3-Jordan Anderson, #52-Stewart Friesen, #75-Parker Kligerman, #21-Johnny Sauter, #41-Ben Rhodes and #24-Justin Haley. See complete results on the Practice 2 speeds (pdf)(10-12-2018)
Haley fastest in opening Talladega Truck practice: #24-Justin Haley was fastest during the opening practice for Saturday’s FR8 Auctions 250 at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 193.494mph. #2-Spencer Gallagher was second fastest, followed by #75-Parker Kligerman, #8-John Hunter Nemechek, #21-Johnny Sauter, #51-David Gilliland, #88-Matt Crafton, #41-Ben Rhodes, #4-Todd Gilliland, and #25-Timothy Peters. See complete results on the Practice 1 speeds (pdf)(10-12-2018)
Josh Abbott Band to perform pre-race concert at Texas: Before the green flag flies on the AAA Texas 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race on Sunday, Nov. 4, fans will have the opportunity to rock out to some country music – Texas style. Beginning at 12 p.m. CT, the Josh Abbott Band will take the stage for the Texas Corn Producers Loud & Proud Pre-Race Show Powered By American Ethanol. This will be the band’s first performance at Texas Motor Speedway, but the group certainly is no stranger to the Lone Star State. Lead vocalist Josh Abbott founded the seven-member band in 2006 while attending Texas Tech University in Lubbock, which is about 300 miles west of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.[More](10-12-2018)
News from October 11, 2018
Obaika Racing to attempt Talladega Cup race UPDATE: Obaika Racing will be taking their first leap into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway in the 1000BULBS.COM 500 on Sunday, October 14th. The driver and sponsors of the No. 97 Toyota Camry will be announced next week.(10-5-2018)
UPDATE: Obaika Racing announced today that David Starr will pilot the No. 97 VroomBrands Toyota Camry in Sunday’s 1000BULBS.COM 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Obaika’s Racing debut race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.[More](10-11-2018)
Talladega Superspeedway Weekend Preview: Ford drivers looking for more success at Talladega this weekend; Camping World Trucks Are Back At It.[More](10-11-2018)
Hermie Sadler driving for Premium Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway: If you ask Hermie Sadler to list the things he is most proud of as it relates to his career in NASCAR Racing, he will tell you that his relationship with the Virginia Lottery ranks right at the top. Their partnership started in 1999, and will continue at Martinsville Speedway this fall when Sadler will pilot the #7 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet in the First Data 500 on October 28, sponsored by the Virginia Lottery.[More](10-11-2018)
Max Tullman driving for Young’s Motorsports at Talladega:Continuing to enhance his learning curve in his transition to NASCAR, Sports Car standout Max Tullman returns to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Serie for Saturday afternoon’s Fr8Auctions 250 at Talladega Superspeedway with Young’s Motorsports.One of three entries for the Mooresville, N.C.-based team, Tullman returns to the 2.66-mile superspeedway aboard the No. 20 Yurpal.com Chevrolet Silverado hoping to earn his first career top 10 in one of NASCAR’s top national divisions.[More](10-11-2018)
Talladega pre-race dignitaries announced: Things have kicked into high gear at Talladega Superspeedway with the track’s pivotal doubleheader NASCAR Playoff weekend just days away. The lineup of pre-race dignitaries has been finalized for the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event and the Fr8Auctions 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. [More](10-11-2018)
Grand marshals named for Hollywood Casino 400: Previously announced, actor Tom Payne from AMC’s The Walking Dead will wave the green flag to start the Hollywood Casino 400 as the honorary starter. Also taking part in pre-race activities is Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon, who was named the honorary pace car driver. Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Master Detective Danon Vaughn will sing the national anthem, while the Overland Park Police Honor Guard will present the colors.[More](10-11-2018)
News from October 10, 2018
A look at many news, notes and story lines for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega, see the stats on the NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Talladega Superspeedway
A look at some of the top statistical performers and top-10 driver ratings at Talladega, see the stats on the Statistical Advance – Analyzing Talladega Superspeedway page
Leavine Family Racing schedules Wednesday press conference UPDATE: They have been expected to make a move to Toyota next season and are reportedly close to signing Matt DiBenedetto.(10-8-2018)
UPDATE: Leavine Family Racing will begin fielding Toyota Camrys in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with driver Matt DiBenedetto piloting the No. 95 Camry in 2019. The partnership with Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) starts next season and will include support from Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A. (TRD), who will build the team’s engines and provide technology, data and technical assistance. In addition to working with TMNA and TRD, Leavine Family Racing has also entered into a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, which will provide chassis for the No. 95 Camry.[More](10-10-2018)
Substance Abuse Policy suspension: The only penalty announced following the XFINITY and Cup race in Dover was the suspension of Daniel Darnstaedt for violation of NASCAR Substance Abuse policy. Darnstaedt is an engineer with the No. 66 team of Timmy Hill.(10-10-2018)
Hunt Brother Pizza will sponsor Harvick in Cup: Hunt Brothers Pizza, the nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry, announced a major expansion of its partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the championship-winning NASCAR team and its driver, Kevin Harvick. From its booth inside the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Hunt Brothers Pizza unveiled the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang Harvick will drive in select Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in 2019.[More](10-10-2018)
Lyons joining forces with Reaume Bros. Racing: Robby Lyons has joined Reaume Bros. Racing aboard the No. 33 Sunwest Construction Chevrolet in a collaborative effort with Bruce Cook and Chad Finley Racing for Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.[More](10-10-2018)
Harvick to be race analyst at Talladega, Kurt Busch at Martinsville:Talladega marks Harvick’s third Truck race in the booth this season, while Busch is on deck for his debut.[More](10-10-2018)
News from October 9, 2018
Rogers replaces Graves as #19 crew chief: Joe Gibbs Racing announced that crew chief Scott Graves is leaving the organization immediately. Dave Rogers, who has been serving as Technical Director for JGR Xfinity Series Operations, will assume the duties of crew chief for the #19 team for remainder of this season.[More](10-9-2018)
Talladega Goodyear Tire Notes See complete tire information for the race weekend across all series on the [Goodyear Tire Notes – Talladega page.(10-9-2018)
Kasey Kahne will not drive the remainder of the season: He tweeted Tuesday morning that, after testing at Charlotte last weekend, he was not cleared to race for the remainder of the season.[More](10-9-2018)
NASCAR to eliminate driver adjustable trackbar next season: NASCAR drivers will no longer be able to make in-race trackbar adjustments from their cars in 2019. The news emerged from a Monday morning appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio by Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition. Miller said that drivers had pushed for the change.[More](10-9-2018)
Ross Chastain rejoins Niece at Texas: Chastain will join Niece Motorsports for the second time this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, piloting the No. 38 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado.[More](10-9-2018)
Grand marshal, honorary starter named for Kansas Lottery 300:Kansas Governor Dr. Jeff Colyer has been named the Grand Marshal for the Kansas Lottery 300 on Oct. 20, and Jamie Young, representing the Kansas Lottery’s #1 retail outlet, Lonestar in Salina, Kan., has been named the Honorary Starter for the race.[More](10-9-2018)
News from October 8, 2018
Entry List for the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is posted, 41 eams/drivers [for 40 spots] are listed.
36 teams with Charters are guaranteed to make the field. The rest need to make the field via qualifying / qualifying races / rules book (owners attempts/points).
Some of the drivers entered include: #00-Gase, #6-Bayne, #7-Kennington, #23-Yeley, #51-TBA, #62-Gaughan, #72-LaJoie, #95-Smith, #97-TBA, #99-Cassill
Those required to qualify on time: #7-Kennington, #62-Gaughan, #97-TBA, #96-Earnhardt, #99-Cassill.
See the full entry list on the Entry List (pdf)
Leavine Family Racing schedules Wednesday press conference: They have been expected to make a move to Toyota next season and are reportedly close to signing Matt DiBenedetto.[More](10-8-2018)
Dover TV ratings: NBCSN earned a 1.3 overnight rating for Sunday’s race.[More](10-8-2018)
Dover TV commercial breakdown: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race. Began recording the times at the Invocation of the race at 2:00 PM, and stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 5:42 PM[More](10-8-2018)
Truck Series entry list:There are 36 trucks entered for Saturday’s FR8 Auctions 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. See the complete list on the Talladega entry list page (pdf). (10-8-2018)
Chavous to step away from racing after Talladega: Wendell Chavous, driver of the #49 Chevrolet for Premium Motorsports, announced that his last race will be this weekend at Talladega. Chavous says he is stepping away from racing because he wants to spend more time with his son and build his business.[More](10-8-2018)
7-Eleven opens store at Texas Motor Speedway; first at a professional sports venue: The store will open at Texas Motor Speedway in time for the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Playoff weekend.[More](10-8-2018)
AdventHealth will be official sponsor of Daytona Speedweeks:Daytona International Speedway and Florida Hospital, which will soon be renamed AdventHealth, announced today an expansion of their relationship, making the health system the official presenting sponsor of DAYTONA Speedweeks at the “World Center of Racing.”[More](10-8-2018)
News from October 7, 2018
Sunday Dover Notebook: Late accident ruins Aric Almirola’s winning chances at Dover; Kevin Harvick comes up empty in a dominant car at Dover; Jimmie Johnson can’t answer the bell in Dover debacle.[More](10-7-2018)
Chase Elliott grabs victory at Dover, advances in Monster Energy Cup Playoffs: What looked like a Stewart-Haas Racing victory parade for much of Sunday afternoon ended in a wild overtime scramble, with Chase Elliott taking the checkered flag in the Gander Outdoors 400 at Dover International Speedway. On considerably older tires, Elliott pulled ahead cleared runner-up Denny Hamlin through Turns 1 and 2 after a restart on Lap 403 and powered his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet across the finish line .265 second ahead of Hamlin’s Toyota. With the victory-his second of the season and the second of his career-Elliott punched his ticket into the Round of 8 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, extricating himself from the bottom four in the postseason standings.[More](10-7-2018)
#9-Chase Elliott won the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway under an Overtime finish. The win is his 2nd win of 2018 and 2nd of his career.
Elliott stayed out after a caution with 8 laps to go and was able to hang on to the lead through a late race accident and restart. With win locks him into the Round of 8 in the Playoffs.
#11-Hamlin finished 2nd followed by #22-Logano, #20-Jones, #41-Busch, #4-Harvick, #3-Dillon, pole sitter #18-Busch, #17-Stenhouse, Jr., #19-Suarez, and #12-Blaney.
#4-Harvick dominated most of the race, winning the first two stages and leading 286 laps, but had to make an extra green flag pit stop late in the race after a valve stem was knocked off during his first stop.
#14-Bowyer wrecked with less than 10 laps remaining and finished 35th.
With less than 4 laps remaining an accident involved #2-Keselowski, #88-Bowman, #12-Blaney and #10-Almirola. Bowman was unable to continue and finished 28th. Keselowski, Almirola and Blaney continued on to the finish. The accident caused a red flag for track cleanup and led to the Overtime finish.
There were 15 lead changes among 8 drivers and 5 cautions for 31 yellow flag laps.
The average speed of the race was: 122.404mph.
See unofficial race results, awards, laps led, cautions and more at:
Unofficial Race Results (pdf)
Cumulative Report (pdf)
Penalty Report (pdf)
Where the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff drivers finished at Dover:
#9-Chase Elliott, 1st
#22-Joey Logano, 3rd
#41-Kurt Busch, 5th
#4-Kevin Harvick, 6th
#18-Kyle Busch, 8th
#12-Ryan Blaney, 11th
#42-Kyle Larson, 12th
#10-Aric Almirola, 13th
#2-Brad Keselowski, 14th
#78-Martin Truex, Jr., 15th
#88-Alex Bowman, 28th
#14-Clint Bowyer, 35th
Race Fast Facts – Dover
Chase Elliott (P) won the 49th Annual Gander Outdoors “400”, his first victory in 107 Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his second victory and 17th top-10 finish in 2018.
This is his first victory and fifth top-10 finish in six races at Dover International Speedway.
Denny Hamlin (second) posted his 11th top-10 finish in 26 races at Dover International Speedway. It is his 15th top-10 finish in 2018.
Joey Logano (P) (third) posted his 11th top-10 finish in 20 races at Dover International Speedway.
William Byron (19th) was the highest finishing rookie.
Kevin Harvick (P) leads the point standings by 5 points over Kyle Busch (P).
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(10-7-2018)
2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings:
[after Dover – race 1 of 3 in the Round of 12, 4 of 10 in the Playoffs]
1) #9-Chase Elliott, Dover win
2) #4-Kevin Harvick, 3101, +68
3) #18-Kyle Busch, 3096, +63
4) #78-Martin Truex Jr., 3069, +36
5) #22-Joey Logano, 3064, +31
6) #41-Kurt Busch, 3054, +21
7) #2-Brad Keselowski, 3054, +21
8) #12-Ryan Blaney, 3043, +10
Currently outside the top 8 to advance to the next round:
9) #10-Aric Almirola, 3033, -10
10) #14-Clint Bowyer, 3033, -10
11) #42-Kyle Larson, 3031, -12
12) #88-Alex Bowman, 3009, -34
See the Unofficial Drivers Points Standings page (pdf) and Unofficial Owners Points Standings page (pdf)
Top-Ten Stage 2 Results (lap 240) of the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway (lap 240/400):
#4-Harvick, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#14-Boywer, 9pts
#78-Truex, Jr., 8pts
#22-Logano, 7pts
#10-Almirola, 6pts
#41-Busch, 5pts
#18-Busch, 4pts
#11-Hamlin, 3pts
#9-Elliott, 2pts
#2-Keselowski, 1pt
Top-Ten Stage 1 Results (lap 120) of the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway (lap 120/400):
#4-Harvick, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#22-Logano, 9pts
#18-Busch, 8pts
#14-Bowyer, 7pts
#9-Elliott, 6pts
#2-Keselowski, 5pts
#12-Blaney, 4pts
#41-Busch, 3pts
#10-Almirola, 2pts
#78-Truex, Jr., 1pt
Lucky Dogs, drivers that got a lap back during the cautions (and their finish):
Caution 1: #88-Bowman, 28th
Caution 2: #88-Bowman (2), 28th
Caution 3: #4-Harvick, 6th
Caution 4: #17-Stenhouse, 9th
Caution 5: #42-Larson, 12th
Chastain to continue driving for Premium Motorsports: Ross Chastain has a handshake deal with Jay Robinson to drive full-time in the Monster Energy Cup Series for Premium Motorsports in 2019. The 25-year-old racer from Alva, Fla., is in his first season in the No. 15 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet. He finished a career-high 18th at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year but is running for points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.[More](10-7-2018)
News from October 6, 2018
Saturday Dover Notebook: Martin Truex Jr. seeks Dover win to ward off Talladega jinx; Diversity driver Ruben Garcia Jr. picks up 19th win for Rev Racing; Short strokes[More](10-6-2018)
Matt Kenseth has no plans to race next year:Matt Kenseth has no plans to race again after this NASCAR Cup Series season. He said the perspective he has now is different than before because he is just driving part time and has been more involved with wife, Katie, in raising their daughters, ages 9, 7, 4 and nine months.[More](10-6-2018)
Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway have been made.
With 39 cars running, pit stall 16 is not in use.
Pole winner #18-Busch chose pit stall 1, the first stall available [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole winner #4-Harvick took the final pit stall.
#78-Truex, Jr, who starts 3rd, took the 38th stall.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on Jayski.com’s Pit Stall Selection chart.(10-6-2018)
Happy Hour (final) practice for the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#42-Larson 159.011
#11-Hamlin 157.343
#20-Jones 157.095
#10-Almirola 156.808
#9-Elliott 156.556
best 10 consecutive lap avg (of 31 drivers): #41-Larson 155.035, 10 laps
slowest: #66-Hill 144.445
notes: The session was extended to 80 minutes after weather knocked out the first morning practice session.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the Happy Hour Practice speeds page (pdf) (10-6-2018)
First Saturday practice for the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway was canceled due to rain. Final practice has been extended 30 minutes and will now run from 1:00 – 2:20pm/et. (10-6-2018)
Christopher Bell wins at Dover as Ross Chastain’s Playoff run ends:Already locked into the Round of 8 by virtue of his Round of 12 victory at Richmond, Christopher Bell led the field to a restart with 17 laps left and pulled away for the victory, eventually taking the checkered flag .525 seconds ahead of Cole Custer, who also advanced to the next round of the Playoffs. Regular-season champion Justin Allgaier (third Saturday) also advanced to the Round of 8, along with (pole winner) Daniel Hemric (seventh), Austin Cindric (eighth), Elliott Sadler (11th) and Tyler Reddick (14th). Chastain finished 13th and Tifft 15th.[More](10-6-2018)
Bell wins Dover International Speedway XFINITY race: #20-Christopher Bell won the Bar Harbor 200 at Dover for his seventh career win and first win at Dover.
#00-Cole Custer finished second, followed by #7-Justin Allgaier, #18-Ryan Preece, #23-Spencer Gallagher, #19-Brandon Jones, #21-Daniel Hemric, #22-Austin Cindric, #42-John Hunter Nemechek, and #11-Ryan Truex.
There were 4 cautions for 23 laps and 10 lead changes among 6 leaders.
Complete results are on the Dover race results page (pdf).(10-6-2018)
Race stage winners:
Stage 1 – lap 45 – Winner, #20-Christopher Bell
Stage 2 – lap 90 – Winner, #21-Daniel Hemric
Stage 3 – lap 200 – Race winner, #20-Christopher Bell
Dover XFINITY Race Fast Facts:
Christopher Bell # (P) won the 33rd Annual Bar Harbor “200” presented by Sea Watch International, his sixth victory in 37 XFINITY Series races.
This is his seventh victory and 19th top-10 finish in 2018.
This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in two races at Dover International Speedway.
Cole Custer (P) (second) posted his third top-10 finish in four races at Dover International Speedway. It is his 23rd top-10 finish in 2018.
Justin Allgaier (P) (third) posted his ninth top-10 finish in 16 races at Dover International Speedway.
Christopher Bell (P) (first) was the highest finishing rookie.
Christopher Bell # (P) leads the point standings by 43 points over Daniel Hemric (P).
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(10-6-2018)
XFINITY Driver standings:
[after Dover – race 3 of 3 in the Round of 12, 3 of 8 in the Playoffs]
1) #20-Christopher Bell, 3044
2) #7-Justin Allgaier 3039
3) #21-Daniel Hemric, 3013
4) #00-Cole Custer, 3011
5) #1-Elliott Sadler, 3011
6) #9-Tyler Reddick, 3010
7) #2-Matt Tifft, 3003
8) #12-Austin Cindric, 3001
Eliminated from the Playoffs:
9) #4-Ross Chastain, 2103
10) #19-Brandon Jones, 2088
11) #11-Ryan Truex, 2081
12) #16-Ryan Reed, 2074
See complete owner and driver standings on the driver standings(pdf) and owner standings page (pdf).(10-6-2018)
Free Pass – Who got a lap back on each caution: (and their finish)
Caution 1: #39-Sieg, 18th
Caution 2: #16-Reed, 16th
Caution 3: #3-Lee, 17th
Caution 4: none
(10-6-2018)
Hemric on XFINITY pole at Dover: #21-Daniel Hemric won the Busch pole for the Bar Harbor 200 at Dover International Speedway with a speed of 158.749mph. #20-Christopher Bell will start second. The rest of the top 10: #7-Justin Allgaier, #23-Spencer Gallagher, #19-Brandon Jones, #1-Elliott Sadler, #00-Cole Custer, #22-Austin CIndric, #3-Shane Lee, and #2-Matt Tifft.
Did Not Qualify: None.
The starting lineup is posted on the Dover International Speedway starting lineup page (pdf).(10-6-2018)
Dover XFINITY Qualifying Notes:
Daniel Hemric (P) won the Pole Award for the 33rd Annual Bar Harbor “200” presented by Sea Watch International with a lap of 22.749 seconds, 158.249 mph.
This is his fourth pole in 62 NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
This is his third pole and 23rd top-10 start in 2018.
This is his first pole in four races at Dover International Speedway.
Christopher Bell # (P) (second) posted his 20th top-10 start of 2018 and his first in two races at Dover International Speedway.
Justin Allgaier (P) (third) posted his ninth top-10 start at Dover International Speedway. It is his 22nd in 29 races this season.
Christopher Bell (P) (second) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(10-6-2018)
New infield amenities to elevate fan experience at ISM Raceway: New amenities available to fans include the Miller Lite Beer Garden, Portacool Chill Zone and the Modern Margarita Tequila Bar[More](10-6-2018)
News from October 5, 2018
Pop-up rain shower puts Kyle Busch on Dover pole: A sudden rain shower in the afternoon of an otherwise dry day soaked the concrete racing surface at Dover International Speedway and forced cancellation of Friday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series knockout qualifying session.[More](10-5-2018)
Friday Dover Notebook: What’s one point? Joey Logano says it can make all the difference; Kyle Larson tests 2019 Monster Energy NSCAR Cup rules package; Unexpected Charlotte win buoys Chase Briscoe’s confidence.[More](10-5-2018)
#18-Kyle Busch will be on the pole for the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway after qualifying was rained out Friday. The lineup was set by the rulebook.
#4-Harvick will start 2nd followed by #78-Truex, Jr., #2-Keselowski, #14-Bowyer, #22-Logano, #41-Busch, #12-Blaney, #9-Elliott, #42-Larson, #10-Almirola, and #88-Bowman.
Driver(s) who will miss the race: none as 39 were entered for 40 spots
See the complete starting lineup on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(10-5-2018)
Where the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff drivers will start at Dover:
#18-Kyle Busch, 1st
#4-Kevin Harvick, 2nd
#78-Martin Truex, Jr., 3rd
#2-Brad Keselowski, 4th
#14-Clint Bowyer, 5th
#22-Joey Logano, 6th
#41-Kurt Busch, 7th
#12-Ryan Blaney, 8th
#9-Chase Elliott, 9th
#42-Kyle Larson, 10th
#10-Aric Almirola, 11th
#88-Alex Bowman, 12th
Obaika Racing to attempt Talladega Cup race: Obaika Racing will be taking their first leap into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway in the 1000BULBS.COM 500 on Sunday, October 14th. The driver and sponsors of the No. 97 Toyota Camry will be announced next week.[More](10-5-2018)
DUDE Products Adds Talladega With Go Fas Racing, DiBenedetto:The Go Fas Racing team is proud to announce that DUDE Products will be the primary sponsor for Matt DiBenedetto and the No.32 team in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway next weekend. DUDE Products first joined the team earlier this season at the second Pocono race.[More](10-5-2018)
First practice for the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest and notes:
#42-Larson 164.444
#4-Harvick 163.451
#41-Busch 163.362
#9-Elliott 163.236
#12-Blaney 162.719
most laps run: #42-Wallace, 18 laps.
slowest: #66-Hill 151.458 & #52-Rhodes 147.300.
No drivers ran 10 or more consecutive laps.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the First Practice speeds (pdf) (10-5-2018)
Qualifying Order for the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway is posted.
The first driver to be lined up on pit road will be #19-Suarez.
The final driver lined up on pit road will be #37-Buescher.
The order is set by a random draw, how cars park on pit road before they qualify, held about an hour before the first practice.
After the first round, the cars lined up by speed.
For the qualifying order, see the Qualifying Order page (pdf).(10-5-2018)
Allgaier paces final XFINITY practice: #7-Justin Allgaier was quickest in final practice at Dover with a speed of 153.446mph.
#00-Cole Custer was second, followed by: #42-John Hunter Nemechek, #20-Christopher Bell, #22-Austin Cindric, #9-Tyler Reddick, #21-Daniel Hemric, #1-Elliott Sadler, #19-Brandon Jones and #18-Ryan Preece.
See complete results on the Dover practice 2 speeds page (pdf).(10-5-2018)
Allgaier fastest in opening XFINITY practice: #7-Justin Allgaier was fastest during opening practice at Dover with a speed of 154.712mph.
The rest of the top 10: #9-Tyler Reddick, #00-Cole Custer, #21-Daniel Hemric, #20-Christopher Bell, #1-Elliott Sadler, #18-Ryan Preece, #19-Brandon Jones, #22-Austin Cindric, and #2-Matt Tifft.
See complete results on the Dover practice 1 speeds page (pdf).(10-5-2018)
Alex Gordon to drive pace car at Kansas Speedway: Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon, who was a part of the 2015 World Series team, will drive the pace car to lead the Hollywood Casino 400 field to the green flag on Sunday, Oct. 21.[More](10-5-2018)
Talladega to have pink pace car and start/finish line: In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month during October, the pink Chevrolet Camaro SS pace car will be on track at Talladega Superspeedway for the NASCAR Playoff 1000Bulbs.com 500 on Sunday, October 14, in efforts to raise money for the American Cancer Society in its work to save lives from breast cancer. Furthermore, the track will splash the start/finish line with a fresh coat of paint, changing the look of the black and white checkered pattern to give it a pink and black flair.[More](10-5-2018)
News from October 4, 2018
Dover International Speedway Weekend Preview: Chase Elliott heads to Dover optimistic; XFINITY Series drivers face elimination at Dover.[More](10-4-2018)
Busch Outdoors scheme for Harvick at Dover: This weekend at Dover, Harvick will drive the No. 4 Busch Outdoors Ford Fusion in support of the National Forest Foundation. The foundation promotes the health and well-being of 193 million acres of public lands that people use every day to hunt, fish, camp and enjoy nature. For every lap Harvick leads at Dover, Busch Beer will donate $1,000 to the National Forest Foundation up to $25,000. Each dollar donated is approximately equivalent to one tree being planted in a national forest, so if Harvick were to lead 25 laps at Dover, Busch Beer would be donating approximately 25,000 trees to national forest lands.[More](10-4-2018)
Charlotte TV ratings UPDATE: NBC earned a 1.99 overnight rating for Sunday afternoon’s race on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s inaugural ROVAL race.(10-1-2018)
UPDATE: The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Charlotte earned a 1.95 rating and 3.218 million viewers on NBC, up 6% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (1.8, 2.86M) and just the fourth Cup Series race all season to post an increase, joining Michigan, Chicagoland and Watkins Glen.[More](10-4-2018)
Carl Edwards to be inducted into Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame:Carl Edwards, who won six times at TMS over the course of his NASCAR career, will be inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 3. Site of the final victory of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career, Edwards will return to world-renowned motorsports facility on Saturday, Nov. 3 during the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR tripleheader playoff weekend, where he’ll be inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame.[More](10-4-2018)
Auto Club Speedway tickets on sale October 8: To kick-off the upcoming “Fastest Sunday of the Year” in California, Auto Club Speedway has waved the green flag for a special promotion to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 race weekend – March 15-17, 2019. Fans get 25% off on Pre-Race Pit Passes and $5.00 off to the NASCAR Xfinity Series NXS 300 race from October 8-14.[More](10-4-2018)
Bristol Food City 500 tickets on sale: Following an exciting racing season in East Tennessee, Bristol Motor Speedway is pleased to announce that 2019 season and Food City 500 tickets go on sale Thursday, October 4. Returning guests who purchased 2018 tickets will pay the same for their 2019 tickets if they renew by Friday, Nov. 9 (Food City 500) and Friday, Feb. 1 (Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race). New customers who are interested in checking out the one-of-a-kind short track action can save up to $20 per ticket if they buy before the November or February cutoff dates. Season tickets can be renewed until Friday, Nov. 30 and include the Bristol REWARDS loyalty program.[More](10-4-2018)
News from October 3, 2018
Kasey Kahne not cleared to return at Dover: Kasey Kahne will continue to sit out from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition this coming weekend when the series travels to Dover International Speedway. Kahne participated in a private medical test session on Tuesday afternoon with his physicians as they continue to evaluate his health following a case of extreme heat exhaustion at Darlington Raceway.[More](10-3-2018)
A look at many news, notes and story lines for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover, see the stats on the NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Dover International Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway post-race penalty announced: The only penalty was a fine for a loose lug nut on #1-McMurray’s car. [More](10-3-2018)
Elliott to drive new NAPA Nightvision Chevy at Talladega:Next weekend, Chase Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will have a new look. At Talladega Superspeedway, Elliott’s ride will feature NAPA Nightvision Lamps. The paint scheme features a gold accent from quarter panel to quarter panel.[More](10-3-2018)
NASCAR unveils 2019 Monster Energy Cup competition package-with an eye to the future: From a technical standpoint, the rules package NASCAR is incorporating into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for 2019 will feature a car with higher downforce and lower horsepower-with the hope of fostering closer racing. From a global standpoint, NASCAR is making the changes to the car with an eye toward making the sport more accessible to potential new manufacturers and team owners.[More](10-3-2018)
Jimmie Johnson Foundation golf tournament raises $500,000 for public schools: Following the NASCAR race weekend at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval, Jimmie Johnson hosted the 12th Annual Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament at Quail Hollow Club on Monday, October 1, 2018. The event raised $500,000 to fund grants to K-12 public schools. The tournament, which in twelve years has raised more than $7.5 Million, benefits the Champions Grant program. The grants range from $20,000-$75,000 and are distributed to K-12 public schools in Chandra and Jimmie Johnson’s hometowns in California and Oklahoma, and where they currently reside in North Carolina.[More](10-3-2018)
Hendrick Autoguard on the No. 24 at Dover and Texas: Hendrick Autoguard is a premier extended, prepaid service agreement program available to Hendrick Automotive Group customers, which includes additional individualized maintenance products like Mechanical Repair Contract, Flexible Maintenance, Tire & Wheel Protection, Paint & Fabric Protection and others. [More](10-3-2018)
Papa Murphy’s Take ‘n’ Bake the “Preferred Pizza” of Talladega:Through the partnership, Papa Murphy’s hopes to grow its presence in the Southeast by offering fans the chance to purchase pizza by the slice during Talladega Superspeedway’s Talladega 250 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Oct. 13) and the 1000Bulbs.com 500 (Oct. 14) for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.[More](10-3-2018)
News from October 2, 2018
A look at some of the top statistical performers and top-10 driver ratings at Dover, see the stats on the Statistical Advance – Analyzing Dover International Speedway page
Dover Goodyear Tire Notes See complete tire information for the race weekend across all series on the [Goodyear Tire Notes – Dover page.(10-2-2018)
NASCAR announces 2019 rules package: NASCAR officials announced Tuesday two baseline rules packages for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, making a move to bolster competition with enhanced aerodynamic and engine configurations. The different packages will be tailored to the specific tracks on the Monster Energy Series circuit, with a combination of a smaller tapered spacer to reduce engine horsepower to a target goal of 550 (from 750) and aero ducts to foster tighter racing on a majority of speedways measuring longer than 1 mile. Both features will be in place for 17 of the 36 races next season, excepting the 2019 Daytona 500, which will run with traditional restrictor-plate rules. Five other races will be run with the smaller spacer, but without ducts.[More](10-2-2018)
Richard Childress Racing and Waste Masters join forces at Dover for special cause: Richard Childress Racing and Waste Masters are once again joining forces for the second-straight year at Dover International Speedway. A leading provider of environmental solutions, trash removal, dumpsters, recycling service and equipment in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey, Waste Masters will serve as the primary sponsor on Ryan Newman’s No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup race at the Monster Mile on October 7. Also included on the quarter panels of the No. 31 will be the 22 in 22 Challenge. Steve Masterson, president and CEO of Waste Masters, who is also an Air Force veteran, hopes to highlight the Challenge and raise awareness about the U.S. military suicide crisis.[More](10-2-2018)
Delaware Office of Highway Safety sponsoring Chastain: When Ross Chastain scored the first victory of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career last month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he celebrated by smashing a watermelon. This was a bit odd, but it fit. Chastain’s family has a huge watermelon farm in Florida. Now, entering this week’s race at Dover International Speedway, Chastain is taking a different approach.[More](10-2-2018)
Heroes Haven, JDM continue Dover partnership: Heroes Haven will sponsor driver Garrett Smithley’s No. 0 Chevrolet in Saturday’s Bar Harbor 200 Xfinity race at Dover. Heroes Haven and JD Motorsports have a history dating back four years.[More](10-2-2018)
2019 tickets on sale at Pocono Raceway: Tickets for the 2019 NASCAR and INDYCAR event weekends at Pocono Raceway are now available for purchase. Children can attend all motorsport events, including Sunday races, free of charge at ‘The Tricky Triangle’ in 2019.[More](10-2-2018)
News from October 1, 2018
Entry List for the Gander Outdoors 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway is posted, 39 teams/drivers [for 40 spots] are listed.
Some of the drivers entered include: #6-Kenseth, #23-Yeley, #51-McLeod, #52-TBA, #66-Hill, #72-LaJoie.
Since only 39 cars are entered, all drivers will make the race.
See the full entry list on the Entry List (pdf)
Charlotte TV ratings: NBC earned a 1.99 overnight rating for Sunday afternoon’s race on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s inaugural ROVAL race.[More](10-1-2018)
Charlotte TV commercial breakdown: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race.[More](10-1-2018)
XFINITY Entry List: There are 40 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Bar Harbor 200 at Dover International Speedway.
See the complete list on the Dover International Speedway entry list page.