Brad Keselowski wins NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire

Posted on August 2, 2020August 2, 2020 by Holly Cain

With two wins in his pocket heading into Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Brad Keselowski was already in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, but it was this third win of 2020 that came in the sort of dominating style the championship contender hoped would show his team’s readiness to challenge for the season title.

Keselowski, 36, led a race best 184 of the 301 laps around the “Magic Mile” and held off runner-up Denny Hamlin by 1.647-seconds to hoist his 33rd career NASCAR Cup Series trophy and mark the fifth consecutive season he’s had at least three wins.

“We’ve had a lot of great races this year with the 2-car, but we just hadn’t really gone out and dominated a race, you know,” Keselowski said. “I was talking with (crew chief) Jeremy Bullins and we were like maybe that’s what we need to get to the next level. We’re right there. We need to just go and dominate a race and that’s what today was for us.

“I’m really proud of my team and the effort they gave today and great race car. Thank you.”

Although Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford certainly topped all the important statistics, Hamlin and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota kept him honest for most of the day. The two accounted for 18 of the race’s 23 lead changes, with Keselowski ultimately passing Hamlin and holding the point for the race’s final 81 caution-free laps.

“We just kind of were second there to the two (Keselowski),” the five-race winner Hamlin conceded. “We could really do well on restarts and we were going back-and-forth. Wow, that was some really, really good short track racing there. Hopefully, the fans liked what they saw there with me and the two (Keselowski) for most of the day.

“Some great side-by-side racing. We treated each other fair and it’s good that we got one-two out of it.”

Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. finished third, followed by Keselowski’s teammate Joey Logano and the season’s championship leader Kevin Harvick. Matt DiBenedetto, Aric Almirola, rookie Cole Custer, Chase Elliott and rookie Tyler Reddick rounded out the top 10.

It marked Almirola’s series-best ninth consecutive top-10 finish. And it was the second time in the last four races that at least two rookies finished inside the top 10.

Harvick’s fifth-place finish was good enough to hold onto an 81-point advantage over second place Keselowski in the series driver standings.

Jimmie Johnson finished 12th to keep his playoff hopes alive in the seven-time champion’s final full-time season in the series. The result represented a huge rally on the day for Johnson, who was involved in an incident with Clint Bowyer early in the race. He crept closer to the all-important top 16 in the standings that will represent the playoff field.

Johnson trails 16th place William Byron — his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, by 25 points. Reddick is 15 points behind Byron with only six races remaining to decide the playoff challengers.

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch suffered more bad luck in what’s been a frustrating season for his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team. Busch’s car had a tire go down only 15 laps into the race — while he was running among the top five – and it put his car hard into the wall.

Busch has three runner-up finishes (at Fontana, Atlanta and Darlington) this season but hasn’t won a race since his championship-clinching victory in the 2019 season finale at Homestead. He arrived in New Hampshire ranked ninth, but his last-place finish (one of four finishes of 30th or worse) leaves him ranked 10th in the standings.

“Way too early in the going for anything to be wrong or even to build enough brake temp or brake heat,” a clearly disappointed Busch said. “I don’t know. Just hate it for our Pedigree team and the fight that we’ve been having this year seems to be continuing.”

The series moves to the two-mile Michigan Speedway for a Saturday-Sunday double-header next weekend.

Note: The Nos. 2, 8 and 19 all had one lug nut not safe and secure in post-race inspection. The No. 14 had two lug nuts not safe and secure. NASCAR will announce fines and penalties later in the week.

Posted on August 2, 2020August 8, 2020 by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, Aug. 3
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, Aug. 4
1:30 a.m., IMSA Auto Racing at Road America (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
10 p.m., NASCAR Race Classics: 1995 Racing Champions 200 in the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Wednesday, Aug. 5
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7:30 p.m., 100,000 Cameras: The Return of NASCAR (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Budweiser at the Glen (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Thursday, Aug. 6
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Friday, Aug. 7
12:30 a.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at White Mountain Motorsports Park (tape delayed), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5:30 p.m., Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series NASCAR Race Day, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Henry Ford Health System 200, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Henry Ford Health System 200

Saturday, Aug. 8
1 a.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Henry Ford Health System 200 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
6 a.m., NASCAR: The Decades-The 1990s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6:30 a.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 a.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
8:30 a.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Henry Ford Health System 200 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
9:30 a.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
10:30 a.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green: Road America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
noon, NASCAR Xfinity Series Henry 180 at Road America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green: Michigan, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show: Michigan, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Henry 180
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400

Sunday, Aug. 9
1 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceHub: NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan, FS1/FOX Sports App
4 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show: Michigan, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN
1 p.m., ARCA Menards Series Vizcom 200
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400

Posted on August 2, 2020August 2, 2020 by Staff Report

The tough times in 2020 continued for Kyle Busch at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Busch scraped the wall in the opening laps off of Turn 2 in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at the 1.058-mile track. Shortly after on Lap 16, a cut tire on the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota sent Busch hard into the outside wall at the entrance of Turn 3.

“Just going down the backstretch there and about halfway down the backstretch I felt it go flat and tried to get slowed down enough without taking everybody else running over me behind me down the straightaway,” Busch told NBCSN.

“The fight that we’ve been having this year seems to be continuing. … It’s still 2020, but sooner or later we have to turn this stuff around.”

Busch drove the car back to the garage area but was forced to retire from the 301-lap race after the contact created significant damage to the right side of the car. He will be scored in 38th place — the last car in the field.

Busch is now riding a 20-race winless streak with six races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season.

Posted on August 2, 2020August 2, 2020 by Staff Report

Driver-turned-broadcaster Kyle Petty and his wife, Morgan, announced Sunday the arrival of their second son together.

Cotten Cable was born on Aug. 2, 2020, according to Petty’s Twitter. Petty, who won eight times in the NASCAR Cup Series before making the transition to broadcasting, currently works as an analyst for NBC Sports. He’s also given back to the community through the Victory Junction Camp and the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America.

Morgan and I welcomed a little boy to our family this morning. We named him Cotten Cable – after his maternal grandmothers, Claudia Cotten Overton and Helen Cable Owens. Mom and baby are both doing great! pic.twitter.com/NuVDM0y6yt

— Kyle Petty (@kylepetty) August 2, 2020

Petty is the son of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty and the grandson of Lee Petty.

This is the fifth child for Petty. He and Morgan married in December 2015. Petty has another son with Morgan and three children from a previous marriage — daughter Montgomery and sons Austin and Adam. Adam, a fourth-generation racer, passed away after a crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2000.

Posted on August 2, 2020August 2, 2020 by Staff Report

The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Bubba Wallace and the No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford driven by Corey LaJoie will drop to the rear for pre-race penalties found before the start of the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

A pre-race inspection was found on both cars for an improperly mounted ballast. In addition to the loss of starting spots for Sunday’s race, both teams have been issued a 10-point penalty in the driver and owner standings. Crew chiefs Jerry Baxter (No. 43 team) and Ryan Sparks (No. 32 team) have been suspended for today’s race.

Based on the random draw for the lineup, Wallace was slated to start 15th, while LaJoie was going to roll of the grid in the 33rd-starting spot. Wallace entered the weekend 20th in the driver point standings, while LaJoie was 29th.

The No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon will also drop to the rear because of unapproved adjustments. Dillon was originally slated to start 23rd.

Posted on August 1, 2020August 1, 2020 by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

I’m not overly enthusiastic about betting outright winners for Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Yes, I do have a handful of bets I’m making that I still think provide edges, but I’m more bullish on prop-betting opportunities for New Hampshire, specifically top-five and top-10 finish markets.

In fact, there’s one driver I’m targeting as much as I can, including two separate prop bets.

Let’s look at the props I’m betting for Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, including the driver I’m backing for a top-five and a top-10 finish.

I’ll be sure to post any additional bets I make for Sunday’s race on Twitter (@PJWalsh24).

NASCAR at New Hampshire Odds, Betting Picks

*Odds as of Saturday at 10 a.m. ET

Kurt Busch (+400) for a Top-5 Finish; (+105) for a Top-10 Finish

Not only am I on Busch to win at 31-1 odds, but I’m also completing the trifecta with bets to finish in the top five and the top 10.

It’s always a risk putting all of one’s eggs in the same proverbial betting basket, but in this case, I think the gamble is warranted.

In 2018, Busch led the most laps, ran the most fast laps and had the second-best driver rating, which is significant because the current higher-horsepower, lower-downforce short-track package that teams will race on Sunday is much more similar to that event that what was used last season.

Busch did drive for a different team (Stewart-Haas Racing) two years ago, but his sixth-place finish at Phoenix, another flat, one-mile circuit earlier this season gives me confidence that Chip Ganassi Racing can give him a fast race car at this style of track.

[Bet now at DraftKings. CO, NJ, PA, IN and WV only.]

Christopher Bell (+210) for a Top-10 Finish

Bell did not do himself any favors last week as his 23rd-place finish knocked the No. 95 Toyota back out of the top 24 in owner points, resulting in a 35th-place starting position after Thursday’s qualifying draw. Yikes.

However, that’s likely a large reason why this price is so good for a driver who has owned New Hampshire in the Xfinity and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

In two Gander Trucks events at this track, Bell has a win and a second-place finish. Somehow, he was even better after graduating to the Xfinity Series, winning both of his starts at New Hampshire while leading 279 (69.8%) of 400 total laps across both races. That’s pretty good.

And finally, Bell’s team, Leavine Family Racing, has an alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, which has won five of the past eight races at New Hampshire, so his car should be plenty fast enough to pick through the field and challenge for a top 10.

[Bet now at FanDuel. NJ, PA, CO, IN and WV only.]

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Staff Report

The 2020 NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola is more than just a military appreciation platform – it’s a campaign that salutes all who have gone above and beyond to keep their fellow members of society safe and healthy. During a global pandemic that impacted almost every aspect of our daily lives, they have been there for us – doctors, nurses, EMTs, first responders, etc. Now, it’s our turn to be there for them and to give recognition where it’s deserved the most.

In this edition of NASCAR Salutes Refreshing Moments, NASCAR.com is highlighting the specially wrapped haulers from Mack Trucks, the “Official Hauler of NASCAR.”

Tyler Strong | NASCAR Digital Media

As part of the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola campaign, Mack Trucks unveiled two customized truck-wrap designs for the duration of the season earlier this month that were chosen via a fan vote among four designs. This is the third consecutive year Mack has wrapped its trucks in support of NASCAR Salutes.

“We depend on the incredible efforts of our front-line heroes to help combat the coronavirus pandemic,” Mack Trucks vice president of marketing John Walsh said. “We at Mack are proud to show our support not only for those fighting the virus, but also for our Armed Forces as they work tirelessly to defend our country.”

“This year’s NASCAR Salutes platform is unique in that we’re recognizing all of those fighting to keep us safe – whether against COVID-19 or part of our U.S. Armed Forces,” said Jeff Wohlschlaeger, NASCAR’s vice president of partnership marketing.
“Our industry has tremendous respect for the responsibility in hosting events across the country during this unprecedented time, and as we travel to and from those races, Mack Trucks will help us recognize those selfless acts.”

Tyler Strong | NASCAR Digital Media

As the Official Hauler of NASCAR, Mack provides a fleet of custom-designed Mack Anthem 70-inch Stand-Up Sleeper models spec’d to meet the challenges of the NASCAR schedule traveling thousands of miles across the country to deliver critical technology and equipment that helps ensure a successful race weekend. Each NASCAR Mack Anthem features a 505-horsepower Mack MP8 engine and a Mack mDRIVE automated manual transmission. The Mack GuardDog Connect, an uptime solutions service that proactively monitors the truck to help prevent unplanned downtime events.

For the first time ever, NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola kicked off with the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as the platform shifts to a mid-summer window due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola, which runs through July 31, will see the NASCAR industry honor United States Armed Forces and frontline healthcare heroes as part of this year’s expanded program — an industry-wide opportunity to recognize and thank those who keep society safe and healthy.

Posted on July 31, 2020July 31, 2020 by Staff Report

We released the results from our midseason Driver Survey earlier Friday, and in no question was the gulf between first and second place wider than when we asked 19 NASCAR Cup Series drivers (anonymously) to vote for the best crew chief in the garage.

Rodney Childers, the standard-bearer at Stewart-Haas Racing, received 63% of the vote. Chris Gabehart, crew chief of the No. 11 Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin, was the only other crew chief to receive multiple votes and finished second with 16%.

Childers is one of the most tenured crew chiefs in the garage while Gabehart is one of the newest, especially in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. But Gabehart has found an undeniable chemistry with Hamlin, bringing a racer’s swagger to atop the pit box as the No. 11 team morphed into a championship contender following a winless 2018.

Much as we expect Hamlin and Kevin Harvick to battle for titles on the track throughout this year (and into the future), we likewise expect their crew chiefs, Gabehart and Childers, respectively, to match wits over that same stretch.

Below is a comparison in key stats since the 2019 Daytona 500, which was Gabehart’s first race as Hamlin’s crew chief — and which produced a victory. Of note: Childers and Gabehart rank 1-2 in each category among every crew chief, with the exception of top-10 finishes (Childers is first, Gabehart is third) and starts.

Key stats	Gabehart	Childers
Starts	51	55
Wins	11	8
Top 5s	27	27
Top 10s	33	42
Average finish	9.6	8.8

Posted on July 31, 2020July 31, 2020 by Staff Report

On Friday, we released results of our Driver Survey — 19 Cup Series drivers answered, anonymously, six questions we posed about NASCAR drivers and crew chiefs.

One name that may have stood out among the otherwise list of NASCAR Cup Series champions was Timmy Hill. He ranked fifth in our question asking “Which Cup Series driver (other than yourself) gets the best consistent performance from their equipment?”

Kevin Harvick — with a championship and 53 Cup Series wins — was the top vote-getter in that category, and at first, it may seem strange to see this particular pair of drivers together. We asked our friends at Racing Insights to give us a little data to work with, and the numbers show — no surprise — the drivers really know what they’re talking about.

We took a look at career starts among all current full-time Cup Series drivers and then measured the number of DNFs due to an accident/wreck compared to those starts. From there, we determined what percentage of a driver’s starts yielded a DNF – Accident.

No. 1, among all active full-time drivers? Timmy Hill.

Hill has 111 career starts and three DNFs – Accident, a sterling result of 2.7%. It’s the best in the series, and drivers have taken note of his ability to protect his equipment.

Perhaps equally as impressive is the second-place driver — Harvick himself. In a staggering 701 starts, Harvick has not finished due to a wreck just 22 times in his career. That percentage rate? 3.14%. That Harvick is consistently running toward the front and in position to be involved in incidents every race makes this even more impressive.

So yes, Hill and Harvick certainly know how to get the best out of — and take care of — their equipment.

The drivers know it. And the numbers prove it.

Posted on July 31, 2020August 1, 2020 by Staff Report

We asked. They answered.

The midway point of the NASCAR Cup Series season is a natural time for superlative pieces, analysis and projections. We wanted to do that again this year, but we also wanted to hear from those who have the most unique perspective to give their opinion — the drivers themselves.

Nineteen Cup Series drivers answered our six questions, ranging from “Who is the greatest NASCAR driver of all time?” to “At this point in the season, which driver (other than yourself) is your pick to win the 2020 Cup Series Championship?”

The results are in, and listed in full below.

Who is the greatest NASCAR driver of all time?

Jonathan Ferrey | NASCAR via Getty Images

1. Jimmie Johnson, 37%
2. Richard Petty, 31%
3. Dale Earnhardt, 16%
4. Kyle Busch, 11%
5. David Pearson, 5%

Note: The three drivers who have won seven championships at NASCAR’s top level comprised the top three spots, with Johnson’s peers voting him the greatest driver of all time in this exercise. Johnson edged “The King” by one vote, with Dale Earnhardt finishing third. It’s the ultimate sign of respect for Seven-Time, who is driving his last full-time Cup Series season this year. Perhaps the most intriguing result is Kyle Busch finishing fourth. “Rowdy” is the all-time career wins leader in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. He’s put up win totals across all three national series at a dizzying rate and will only grow them over the rest of his career.

Other than yourself, who is the best active NASCAR Cup Series driver?

Photo by Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

1. Kyle Busch, 42%
2. Kevin Harvick, 21%
t-3. Denny Hamlin, 16%
t-3. Jimmie Johnson, 16%
5. Joey Logano, 5%

Note: The younger Busch gets the nod here, despite having no Cup Series wins yet this season. That he’s still clearly No. 1 in the minds’ of drivers is a testament to his natural-born talent and the respect he’s won over years of competition. Busch, the 2019 series champion, remains the only multi-time series champion other than Jimmie Johnson currently driving a full-time schedule at NASCAR’s top level. Of the five drivers who received votes, Hamlin is the only one without a title.

Who is the best active NASCAR Cup Series crew chief?

Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

1. Rodney Childers, 63%
2. Chris Gabehart, 16%
t-3. Justin Alexander, 5%
t-3. Alan Gustafson, 5%
t-3. Chad Knaus, 5%
t-3. Paul Wolfe, 5%

Note: No question produced a wider gulf between first and second place. Childers and driver Kevin Harvick have undeniable chemistry, which has resulted in 30 wins and one championship since the start of the 2014 season. Harvick currently sits first place in the points standings and has four wins through 19 races, driving a fast car every single week. Gabehart is the newbie of the group, but his results are undeniable — 11 wins in 51 races since taking over as Denny Hamlin’s crew chief.

At this point in the season, which team (excluding your own) has been the best?

Rob Carr | Getty Images

1. Stewart-Haas Racing, 42%
2. Team Penske, 37%
3. Joe Gibbs Racing, 21%

Note: Stewart-Haas Racing clearly is led by Kevin Harvick, who tops the standings by nearly 100 points through 19 races. Beyond Harvick, though, the Stewart-Haas Fords have been fast across the board since the return from the COVID-19-forced pause. Cole Custer became the first Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender to win a race since 2016 when he was victorious at Kentucky, and Aric Almirola has rattled off eight consecutive top-10 finishes — including five consecutive top-five results.

Which Cup Series driver (other than yourself) gets the best consistent performance from their equipment?

Patrick Smith | Getty Images

1. Kevin Harvick, 47%
t-2. Chase Elliott, 16%
t-2. Denny Hamlin, 16%
4. Brad Keselowski, 11%
t-5. Kurt Busch, 5%
t-5. Timmy Hill, 5%

Note: That championship contender and series points leader Kevin Harvick wins here tells you that, while he has a fast race car every week, he knows how to get the most out of it — and he knows how to take care of. It’s the ultimate sign of a respected veteran. Speaking of veterans, this list is full of experienced drivers who seemingly put together top finishes every week. The inclusion of Timmy Hill, who drives for MBM Motorsports, is a nod of respect for his ability to push its car to its limits while still taking care of his equipment.

At this point in the season, which driver (other than yourself) is your pick to win the 2020 Cup Series Championship?

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

1. Denny Hamlin, 53%
2. Kevin Harvick, 47%

Note: It’s been the “Big Two” since we’ve returned to racing in May, and drivers have clearly taken notice. The up-front battles between Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick should last throughout the entirety of the NASCAR Playoffs — and ends, according to the drivers, with Hamlin taking home his first championship.