Kevin Harvick wins Busch Pole Award for playoff race at Richmond

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick won the Busch Pole Award for Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The lineup was determined using NASCAR’s new competition-based formula, which is a total number based on the previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the Owner Points position. Any ties will be broken by the Rule Book.

Joey Logano will join the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford on the front row in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

In the majority of national series events since NASCAR’s May return, starting lineups have been set by random draws. The new structure draws on performance from both individual races and season-long results, rather than leaving a range of starting spots up to chance.

An example of how the math works: Harvick finished first in the last race (1 x 0.5), is first in owner points (1 x 0.35) and his most recent fastest lap ranked sixth in the field (6 x 0.15). His metric total is 1.75. Logano, meanwhile, had a metric total of 4.5 to claim second; he finished third Sunday (3 x 0.5), is third in owner points (3 x 0.35) and scored the 13th-fastest lap of the race (13 x 0.15).

See the full starting lineup for Saturday’s race below.

Starting spot	Driver	Car #	Team
1	Kevin Harvick	4	Stewart-Haas Racing
2	Joey Logano	22	Team Penske
3	Austin Dillon	3	Richard Childress Racing
4	Alex Bowman	88	Hendrick Motorsports
5	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports
6	Kyle Busch	18	Joe Gibbs Racing
7	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing
8	Kurt Busch	1	Chip Ganassi Racing
9	Brad Keselowski	2	Team Penske
10	Aric Almirola	10	Stewart-Haas Racing
11	Clint Bowyer	14	Stewart-Haas Racing
12	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports
13	Cole Custer	41	Stewart-Haas Racing
14	Martin Truex Jr.	19	Joe Gibbs Racing
15	Ryan Blaney	12	Team Penske
16	Matt DiBenedetto	21	Wood Brothers Racing
17	Erik Jones	20	Joe Gibbs Racing
18	Jimmie Johnson	48	Hendrick Motorsports
19	Matt Kenseth	42	Chip Ganassi Racing
20	Michael McDowell	34	Front Row Motorsports
21	Ryan Newman	6	Roush Fenway Racing
22	Tyler Reddick	8	Richard Childress Racing
23	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	47	JTG Daugherty Racing
24	Ryan Preece	37	JTG Daugherty Racing
25	Chris Buescher	17	Roush Fenway Racing
26	Christopher Bell	95	Leavine Family Racing
27	Ty Dillon	13	Germain Racing
28	Daniel Suarez	96	Gaunt Brothers Racing
29	Brennan Poole	15	Premium Motorsports
30	Bubba Wallace	43	Richard Petty Motorsports
31	John Hunter Nemechek	38	Front Row Motorsports
32	JJ Yeley	27	Rick Ware Racing
33	Quin Houff	00	StarCom Racing
34	Corey LaJoie	32	Go Fas Racing
35	Reed Sorenson	77	Spire Motorsports
36	Joey Gase	51	Petty Ware Racing
37	Timmy Hill	66	Motorsports Business Management
38	James Davison	53	Rick Ware Racing

Posted on September 9, 2020February 1, 2021 by Staff Report

Jake Kruger has seen his fair share of success as a race car driver, having won a modified championship at Houston Motorsports Park in the past.

But the desire to get behind the wheel and drive again gets less and less these days. He‘s found watching other people win in cars he builds more enjoyable.

Kruger has been able to see his team‘s truck in Victory Lane plenty in recent years. Driver Jake Wright leads Houston Motorsports Park’s Pro Truck Series points standings and has two wins so far this season.

Kruger and Wright raced alongside each other when they were both kids driving quarter midgets in the late 90s and early 2000s. The two‘s families have remained good friends for more than 20 years.

Kruger grew up at the race track. His mom tells stories about how he was at a race the week after he was born. He progressed his way up to late models and modifieds, but stepped away from driving as much in recent years.

“I still want to get in the car every once in a while but my want is less and less nowadays,” he said. “I get more enjoyment out of seeing my cars win races nowadays.”

After Wright began racing in the Pro Truck Series at Houston Motorsports Park — a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series sanctioned 3/8-mile banked asphalt oval track in Houston, Texas — the team struggled early. A few years in, Kruger joined to help the Wright family out.

Houston Motorsports Park | Facebook | Instagram

“Eventually one day, I can‘t remember if I went to him or he went to me,” Kruger said. “We redid the whole thing and improved their whole thing. That was about six years ago. Ever since then I‘ve been doing all of his stuff on his old truck and we built this new truck and finished about a year and a half ago.”

Once Kruger came aboard, the success followed quickly.

“We actually got pretty fortunate that as soon as it rolled out of the shop, that brand new truck, it was fast right off the trailer,” Kruger said. “I actually don‘t think that we‘ve changed much of anything since we showed up to the track the first time. Jake won the second race he ran it. He probably had an opportunity to win every race he ran with it.”

Not only has Kruger been a huge part of Wright‘s team with the truck, he‘s also been a mentor for the young driver. Wright called Kruger “an absolute guru” when it comes to setup and giving advice.

“He‘s definitely always been very good about giving me advice,” Wright said. “Stuff that maybe happened to him in previous years he‘s always relayed that to me. Just different tips and tricks and stuff like that. He‘s been like a brother to me throughout all these years. He‘s always had my back. I‘ve always looked up to him as a mentor and just a really good teacher.”

The No. 48 truck at HMP is sponsored and partnered with Siddons-Martin Emergency Group, Moore Law Firm, Robbie White Race Engines, Spring Carburetors, Buzzy Racing, and Ernest Performance.

It‘s not just Wright‘s driving and Kruger‘s skills in the shop that has led to success at the HMP. Kruger said the team — with Travis Adams, Joey Cherry, Wright‘s dad, Bruce, and Ellen Fink also in the fray — does so well because everybody works hard together and knows their role.

Wright said it‘s also easier because no one takes things too serious and they keep the work fun.

“I think that helps being able to optimize your position and your role,” Kruger said. “You can do less things better if you keep it to a minimum… When we share roles it goes a lot easier, a lot smoother and a lot less hectic. Everybody just kind of has a good time with it.”

“We all have such a good chemistry together. We joke around, we cut loose,” Wright said. “We take it seriously but we do it in a fashion that‘s just relaxed. The focus is there along with the goofy side. You‘ve got to have fun when you‘re doing this kind of stuff. We like to have fun. We just really enjoy going to the track together and working together.”

HMP Points Standings

Wright said much of the success comes from not getting too worked up or letting any good or bad race get to their heads.

HMP will host one of its biggest races of the season this weekend with the Inaugural Texas Truck Challenge $10,000 to Win. Even though Wright acknowledged it‘s another big race, he refuses to get too worked up about it.

“Just think of it as another regular race,” he said. “There‘s going to be a whole bunch of people coming in from all over the country and it‘s going to be exciting to see where I stack up against all those people. It‘ll be fun.”

Wright will also be going for his first track championship in a truck at HMP, something Kruger said he‘s excited to help him achieve. He himself would also like to get another title as a crew member.

No matter what happens this weekend or the rest of the season at HMP, both Kruger and Wright are happy with how well the team has progressed, and their roles in making it happen.

“When I first started helping Jake, he was maybe a seventh or eighth place car,” Kruger said. “Just seeing how happy he was once we finally went through his car and he was running in the top-3 consistently. I can be happier at the end of the night when I can bring enjoyment to everyone else‘s night.

“You can definitely see a lot different attitude in him nowadays now that he‘s somebody everybody talks about. I feel like a lot of times when my cars show up it‘s nice to know that everybody else has their eye on them and says, ‘That‘s somebody that we‘re going to have to race.’ I get enjoyment out of it that way.”

HMP will host the Inaugural Texas Truck Challenge $10,000 to win on Saturday night. Gates will open at 6 p.m.

HMP Schedule

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Staff Report

NASCAR officially suspended two Cup Series crew chiefs and fined two others Tuesday as part of the penalty report from last weekend’s national-series tripleheader at Darlington Raceway.

Competition officials found two cars each with two lug nuts not safely secured in a post-race check after Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500, the first of 10 races in the Cup Series Playoffs. That resulted in $20,000 fines and one-race suspension of crew chiefs for the following teams:

No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (crew chief Johnny Klausmeier) of driver Clint Bowyer
No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (crew chief Adam Stevens) of driver Kyle Busch

The penalty would keep both crew chiefs at home for the next points-paying Cup Series race, Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Two other teams were found with one unsecured lug nut each at Darlington. The infraction meant $10,000 fines for the teams of:

No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of race winner Kevin Harvick
No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of William Byron

The Cup Series side of the penalty report also included mention of pre-race penalties assessed to the No. 12 Team Penske Ford for improperly mounted ballast. The violation meant the ejection of crew chief Todd Gordon before Sunday’s 500-miler, plus a 10-point deduction for Ryan Blaney in the Cup Series driver standings. Blaney also dropped to the rear of the field in pace laps.

“It’s a zero-mistakes game and a big mistake was made,” said Travis Geisler, Team Penske’s competition director. Geisler filled in for Gordon on the No. 12 Sunday night, marking his first crew chief stint since 2010. “The timing was probably about as bad as possible, but that’s the way it goes. Everybody has to take a look at the whole program and what happens.”

Geisler said the Penske organization plans to take a better account of how many ballast bags are added when its team weighs its cars during each stage of preparation.

In the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, officials issued a $2,500 fine to crew chief Kevin Bellicourt of Bill McAnally Racing after the No. 19 Toyota for driver Derek Kraus was found with one unsecured lug nut after Sunday’s South Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Darlington.

Posted on September 8, 2020September 8, 2020 by Staff Report

Both Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch will have fill-in crew chiefs for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The race marks the second of three in the Round of 16 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Greg Zipadelli will fill in for Bowyer and the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team, while Jacob Canter will be interim crew chief for Busch and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team. Both team’s regular crew chiefs — John Klausmeier (No. 14) and Adam Stevens (No. 18) — will be suspended for the Richmond race after both cars were missing two lug nuts in post-race inspection on Sunday at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener.

Zipadelli, who is the competition director with SHR, is a two-time champion atop the box with Tony Stewart. He has served as a fill-in crew chief for Bowyer in the first Michigan race his year (where he finished 19th) as well as the organization’s Xfinity Series car driven by Chase Briscoe, where he guided the young driver to three wins in four races.

Canter works as the crew chief for the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series. The entry is a part-time one that has only been driven by Busch and Denny Hamlin in 2020. Canter and Busch won the Xfinity race in May of 2020 at Charlotte. He also serves as the Test Team Manager for JGR’s NASCAR Cup Series program.

Entering Richmond, Busch is 10th in the standings — seven points to the good, while Bowyer is 13th in the standings by way of a best finish in the Round of 16 tiebreaker that he loses to his SHR teammate Aric Almirola.

Posted on September 8, 2020 by NASCAR Hall of Fame Release

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Sept. 8, 2020) — The NASCAR Hall of Fame will reopen to the general public on Sept. 16 with reduced capacity and enhanced health and safety measures in place. Operating hours will be 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, with Tuesdays reserved for private groups and special events (Hot Pass Tuesdays). In advance of its official reopening, the Hall will also welcome back existing members on Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13.

“We’re thrilled and ready to welcome back guests to the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Winston Kelley, Executive Director. “The health and safety of our visitors and staff is our highest priority, and based on months of hard work from our teammates at the Hall and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, we are confident we are prepared to safely reopen.”

MORE: NASCAR Hall of Fame

To meet the new operational demands brought on by COVID-19, the Hall and the CRVA have re-written protocols to a standard called “We Clean with Care,” which translates to rigorous measures involving sanitizing and disinfecting all venues with increased frequency and implementing new personal safety best practices. Below are just a few of the measures being implemented at the NASCAR Hall of Fame:

In accordance with state and local guidelines, guests are required to wear face masks or coverings throughout their time at the Hall
Cleaning crews have increased cleaning frequency with special attention given to high-touch areas (elevator buttons, stair handrails, etc.)
Guests will be provided with a complimentary individual stylus to accommodate no-touch interactions with the Hall’s many touch-screen exhibits. In addition, interactive displays will be sanitized multiple times per day
Electrostatic/disinfectant sprayers will be used in high-touch areas including, but not limited to, the High Octane Theater, racing simulators, Pit Crew Experience and Legends Room
Color-coordinated microfiber cloths are being used with a disinfectant cleaning solution to eliminate cross-contamination in high-touch areas
Dozens of hand sanitizer stations have been installed strategically throughout the building in high traffic areas
All NASCAR Hall employees have been provided with face masks and are required to wear them while on duty
Foot claws have been installed on all restroom doors for hands-free use
Cleanliness patrols are being implemented to disinfect high-touch areas throughout the day and to check that all soap and sanitizer dispensers are full
All team members have completed mandatory training sessions to understand and implement these modified procedures and sanitation practices to provide for health of both guests and employees
CDC “Stop the Spread of Germs” posters and signage detailing proper handwashing/hygiene procedures in both English and Spanish have been placed in all bathrooms

In addition, the CRVA is also pursuing Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR certifications for all of its buildings. This is the gold standard of prepared facilities and the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation for them.

For full list of health and safety protocols being implemented at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, visit nascarhall.com/clean.

Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets online here and use the print-at-home/mobile ticket option upon purchase. The box office will also be open to assist guests, who are asked to send one member of their party through the line and observe social distancing. Decals on the door will indicate proper spacing. Cashless transactions are also preferred for any purchases once at the Hall.

Those not ready for an in-person visit but still interested in a NASCAR Hall of Fame experience can check out the new Spark! Online Education platform on nascarhall.com offering free, engaging lesson plans with project-based learning experiences to do at home. Fans can also read all about NASCAR history, stories from legends and more told by the NASCAR Hall of Fame curatorial team on its new blog, “Curators’ Corner.”

To learn more about the NASCAR Hall of Fame and its safety protocols, visit nascarhall.com.

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Press Release

You don’t need to know NASCAR to know Bubba Wallace.

The only African American driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, Wallace has been outspoken about social injustice and his message of compassion, love and understanding.

In his third full season behind-the-wheel of the iconic No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Richard Petty Motorsports, Wallace called for NASCAR to ban the display of the Confederate flag at its races. His call was answered, and two days later, the flag was banned at all NASCAR events and properties.

From there, Wallace was shot into mainstream stardom and has become an embodiment of the social justice movement within NASCAR, a symbol and leader to fellow drivers, industry members and fans alike.

Bubba Wallace founded the Live to Be Different Foundation, which aims to support disadvantaged individuals and those in need of a second chance with educational, social or other types of assistance regardless of skin color, gender, disabilities or socio-economic situation.

Ahead of Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway in Virginia (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN), Urban Outfitters launches two exclusive T-shirts with a $100,000 donation to the Live to Be Different Foundation through sales of the tees.

“We’re honored to be partnering with Bubba Wallace, NASCAR and Richard Petty Motorsports and announcing a charitable contribution to the Live To Be Different Foundation through the exclusive Bubba Wallace race tees,” said Gabby Conforti, Chief Merchandising Officer at Urban Outfitters. “We know that this is a movement and not a moment and we are so proud to be part of the positive change that Bubba is creating.”

The two tees in the collection were designed exclusively for Urban Outfitters are limited edition. The black UO Community Cares + Bubba Wallace Compassion Tee features “Bubba Wallace” text in his own signature, two hands shaking in solidarity with iconic black and white racing flags and Bubba’s racing number “43.” The white UO Community Cares + Bubba Wallace 43 Tee has Bubba’s signature on the top left corner and bold graphics on the back including his race number and his Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

“My hope is to empower the next generation to strive and achieve anything they put their mind to,” said the 26-year-old Wallace, who has been providing college scholarships to high school students since founding Live To Be Different in 2017. “This collaboration with Urban Outfitters will go a long way in spreading the message of compassion, love and understanding and enable the Live To Be Different Foundation to have a positive and lasting impact on as many individuals that we possibly can.”

The shirts will be available online at urbanoutfitters.com on Sept. 8 and at select Urban Outfitters retail locations.

“As well as helping to make the world a better place, partaking in the Live to Be Different Foundation collaboration with Urban Outfitters is a powerful way for us to continue to carry Bubba’s message of compassion, love and understanding to new fans,” said Jim Hannigan, Richard Petty Motorsports vice president of licensing and merchandising. “This philanthropic partnership with Urban Outfitters is a new avenue, and a first within the motorsports industry. As a team, Richard Petty Motorsports is proud of cultivating this relationship.”

To shop the UO-Exclusive Bubba Wallace tees, click here.

Posted on September 8, 2020February 1, 2021 by Staff Report

Almost from Day 1 way back in 1990, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has provided the perfect venue to spotlight the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Entering its third year, the track’s Full Throttle Fall Weekend will again provide an elevated platform for NASCAR’s only open-wheel division.

The 72nd tour race at “The Magic Mile” will pay out $20,000 to win.

Did we mention the winner of the Musket 200 presented by Whelen also gets one of the coolest winner’s hauls in motorsports? A handmade flintlock musket by Edwin Parry of Black Hart Long Arms out of Eastford, Connecticut, to go to with the trophy, a replica of the Minuteman statue in Concord, Massachusetts.

The event weekend is open to fans, and the race will also be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Gold.

BUY TICKETS

Musket 200 presented by Whelen

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Bobby Santos III jumped into the No. 36 as a substitute for an injured Dave Sapienza, drove to the lead in the final laps and scored yet another big win at New Hampshire. The 34-year-old has now won four of the last six tour races at New Hampshire.

Sapienza will be back in the No. 36, and will field a second car – the No. 63 Sapienza Enterprise Chevrolet – for Santos, who has five overall wins at New Hampshire.

Santos is also coming off one of his biggest career wins, taking home the 72nd Annual Pay Less Little 500 Saturday night, the prestigious sprint car race at Indiana’s Anderson Speedway.

Ron Silk is also riding a wave of momentum. The former tour champion is coming off a win at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park last Thursday, and won the summer race at New Hampshire last year.

As with any race, six-time tour champion Doug Coby has to be in the conversation.

Coby has four wins at New Hampshire and finished third in the extra-distance race there last year.

The race will be 50 laps shorter than the first two editions held at New Hampshire, but it will still be one of the longest races in tour history. Strategy and attrition have played a key role in each of the first two runnings. As Santos proved last year and Chase Dowling showed in the inaugural edition, if you’re in the top five on the final lap, you’ve got a shot at bringing home the checkered flag.

And the musket.

RACING REFERENCE: Previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at New Hampshire | NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers career stats at New Hampshire | 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Standings

RACE FACTS

RACE	MUSKET 200 presented by WHELEN
PLACE	New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.
DATE	Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020
TIME1	12:05 p.m. ET
TELEVISION/RADIO	Trackpass on NBC Gold (live), 12:05 p.m. ET; NBCSN — Saturday, Sept. 20, 11 p.m. ET
TRACK LAYOUT	1.058-mile paved oval
EVENT SCHEDULE	Friday, Sept. 11 — Garage opens: 8:15 a.m. ET; Practice: 12:30-1:30 p.m.; Qualifying: 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 — Garage opens: 7:30 a.m. Musket 200 presented by Whelen: 12:05 p.m.
TWITTER	@NHMS, @NASCARRoots
HASHTAG	#NWMT

RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST | RACE SCHEDULE

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Musket 200 presented by Whelen is limited to 32, including provisional positions. The field will be set by qualifying (1-26) and provisional process per the entry blank (27-32) for the Musket 200 presented by Whelen. In the event that qualifying as stated on this entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2020 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. Vehicles will be impounded after qualifying. Vehicle must qualify on race set up.

The Musket 200 presented by Whelen will be 200 laps (211.60 miles) and is to be run in one (1) segments.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows:The maximum tire allotment available for this event is fourteen (14) tires per team. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race.

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Staff Report

Labor Day typically signals the end of the summer season. Why not celebrate with one more trip (or 10) to Myrtle Beach?

We’ve dug up 10 classic NASCAR Xfinity Series races at South Carolina’s coastal half-mile speedway and released all 10 in a Labor Day salute to fans.

RELATED: Binge on all old races

Myrtle Beach was a staple in stock car racing on the East Coast over the decades. A longtime home to grassroots racing, the track began hosting NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 1988.

Closing out that decade and heading into the 90s, the half-miler saw winners such as Mark Martin, Jimmie Spencer, Jeff Burton and David and Jeff Green.

The battles at this bullring were intense. Take 1999 for example, when Jeff Green got the win but only after teammate Jason Keller had an issue with a tire going down in the closing laps. Or the 1995 Carolina Pride/Red Dog 250, won by Larry Pearson and called to the checkered flag by his Hall of Fame father David Pearson in the broadcast booth.

Now, 32 years after the first Xfinity Series Race, the historic speedway has closed its doors.

Relive the 90s and the peak of racing at Myrtle Beach Speedway in this NASCAR YouTube Labor Day release of 10 classic races from the Palmetto State.

Posted on September 7, 2020September 7, 2020 by Zack Albert

Austin Dillon has shrugged off a share of adversity, critics and social-media backbiters over the course of his career. This season, that approach gained a motto that has become a rallying cry: FIDO — Forget It & Drive On.

Dillon gave another shrug to any notion he’d be an easy out in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on Sunday night, finishing a strong second place in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Dillon’s slick throwback No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet — a tribute to NASCAR legend Junior Johnson — pressed eventual winner Kevin Harvick down the final stretch, nearly snaring another prestigious race for his portfolio of Cup Series wins.

RELATED: Race results | Playoffs analysis

“Well, it’s a great feeling. You know, it’s confidence,” said Dillon, who notched his third top five of the season and his best finish at the historic South Carolina track. “Confidence goes a long way in this sport, and I think everybody knows that. It’s a streaky sport, too. You see guys get on runs and they’re able to really carry themselves with those. I’m hoping this is kind of our go time, that our streak is starting.”

Sunday brought a rejuvenating finish, but the start was less-than-promising, with an early share of hardship before the engines ever fired. The No. 3 crew realized pre-race the front tires were mounted on the wrong sides; changing them was deemed an unapproved adjustment, forcing Dillon to drop to the rear of the field during the pace laps.

“I don’t know how it happens. It’s just a mistake,” Dillon said, noting he likely would’ve lost control if the miscue had gone unnoticed.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Dillon methodically worked his way back up to 15th by the conclusion of Stage 1 despite a severely worn tire before his first green-flag pit stop, then to eighth at the end of Stage 2. When Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott tangled while battling for the lead with 13 laps to go, it moved him up to second with new leader Harvick in sight ahead of him.

Dillon’s pursuit of the top spot managed just incremental gains but put him close enough to get within a couple of car-lengths through the final set of turns. He was just .343 seconds back at the checkered flag.

“Second place is so close,” Dillon said, noting a bittersweet quality to flirting with his fourth Cup Series win. “I’m going to be thinking about those last 20 laps for a long time. Man, it would have had a lot of people talking if we stole another crown jewel. I think they are talking. I think there’s a lot of respect either way.”

The team’s entire 2020 mindset has some deeper roots. The ‘FIDO’ mantra stemmed from RCR’s season kickoff luncheon, where Marine 1st Lt. Patrick “Clebe” McClary — a Medal of Honor recipient and motivational speaker — delivered an inspiring message. McClary lost his left arm and left eye in combat during the Vietnam War but continued to fight and lead his troops.

The message of not giving up stuck for the No. 3 team, and Dillon has used it to continue to press forward as the season heads to its most crucial time.

“I think it really hit home for me because I’m a fiery guy and I can dwell on things too long instead of moving on, and that acronym is just an easy reminder,” Dillon said, “like hey, man, it’s over; there’s no need to play it back or wonder why we’re in the situation we’re in; it’s just get the most out of everything that I can.”

As for the doubters?

“I feel like — I love to compete,” Dillon said. “I am just a competitor, know what I mean? You tell me I can’t and I want to show you that you can in any kind of sports. Me and my dad will literally get in about fisticuffs over a pickleball game this week. I battle. I like to battle and grind things out. That’s why I’m good at the longer races I believe because mentally I keep working, I keep working.

“As a team, I’ve got a team that’s behind me that believes in me, and that’s all I need is the confidence from those guys. We’re in a good place.”

Posted on September 7, 2020September 7, 2020 by Terrin Waack

The postseason drama has officially begun.

With 13 laps remaining in Sunday’s NASCAR Playoffs opener at Darlington Raceway, Chase Elliott led with Martin Truex Jr. hot on his tail. Truex did catch up to Elliott, and when he did, Truex went low to make his pass for the lead. He was close to pulling it off, but close proximity is the exact reason he failed to do so.

The rear of Truex’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota clipped the nose of Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Both cars hit the wall. Winning chances were dashed.

RELATED: Race results

“It’s Darlington and typically you don’t want to go in side-by-side,” Truex said. “I felt like I had enough of a run and enough space there that the last foot or so he was going to understand that if I was committed, we both weren’t going to make it. Typically, here that’s kind of how you race. If a guy gets a run on you and he’s just about got you cleared, you have to give that last little bit. … Basically, when I made up my mind and I was driving it in there and then he drove in on my right-rear quarter, there was no possible way that we both weren’t crashing.”

Truex won both stages and led a race-high 196 of 367 laps – only to finish 22nd. Elliott placed third and 13th in the two stages, was out front for 114 laps and ultimately crossed 20th after the checkered flag waved.

Kevin Harvick ended up winning the Cook Out Southern 500, the first of three Round of 16 races. He was credited with the lead from Lap 355 on, holding control as Truex and Elliott faded back.

“(Truex) had a run on me there off of (Turn) 4 and he just kind of cleared himself into 1,” Elliott said. “He was close, but he wasn’t all the way clear, obviously. I hate it, obviously we had a fast NAPA Camaro — fast enough to contend. We needed a little pace there to extend our lead instead of playing defense, but regardless I thought we were in a good spot. I ran the bottom in three and four to see if there was anything left down there, that’s what kind of gave him the run and then he just slid up in to my left front, I felt like and on we went.”

When it comes to the postseason, Truex and Elliott remain safe. Truex is sixth and 16 points above the cutline. Elliott is seventh and 12 points to the good.

Two races remain before four of the 16 drivers are eliminated. First up: Richmond Raceway (Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Then, Bristol Motor Speedway.

Keep an eye on Elliott for possible retaliation.

“It was only a few inches,” Truex said. “A few inches, you either wreck or you give it to the guy. I felt like I was on the right side of things. But I’ll have to go back and look at it to see if there was something I could have done different. Again, really proud of everyone. Obviously had the car to beat.”