Posted on by Data Skrive

Bubba Wallace finished ninth in the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

The top 10 finish for Wallace, his third of the year, added 28 points to his season total.

Wallace started in 17th position. The fourth-year driver has earned two top-five and six top-10 finishes in his career.

In his career at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Wallace has compiled one top-five finish and his ninth-place result marks the first top 10.

The Mobile, Alabama native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting seven spots higher than his career mark of 23.6 and completing the race 12 places ahead of his 21.4 career average finish.

Wallace’s ninth-place finish was against 40 other drivers. The race endured nine cautions and 43 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 11 lead changes.

Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag in the race, and Matt Kenseth finished second. Aric Almirola crossed the finish line third, Brad Keselowski secured fourth, and Cole Custer finished off the top five.

After William Byron won the first stage, Harvick grabbed control and won Stage 2 before earning the checkered flag.

Bubba Wallace Driver Page | Get Wallace Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Zack Albert

Denny Hamlin had designs on another signature victory Sunday afternoon, adding another feather in his cap to a season where his win column has tabulated upward. Instead a hard hit left him, in his words, “gutted” and put the first tick mark in a far different column — for DNFs.

RELATED: Race results | Harvick holds on at Indy

When a tire let go just eight laps from the end, Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota veered sharply out of the lead and into the Turn 1 retaining wall. Instead of celebrating his second straight NASCAR Cup Series win, he wound up 28th and out before the finish, ceding the lead to his top challenger and eventual winner Kevin Harvick.

“Just, it’s tough. I hate it for the FedEx team,” said Hamlin, who fell to 0-for-15 over his Cup Series career at the 2.5-mile Indy track. “We didn’t do what we needed to do and it didn’t work out for us today. I had a fast car obviously and was stretching it out there but wasn’t pushing the right-front (tire) at all. It’s kind of roulette if you’re going to get one that will stay together or not and mine didn’t. You saw the end result. These big races — things don’t go my way all the time. We’re still going to go next week and try to win the next one. We’ll do all we can.”

WATCH: See what happened to Denny Hamlin at Indianapolis

Hamlin led 19 laps, taking control for the first time after the final-stage exchange of green-flag pit stops. Hamlin pitted one lap before Harvick and cycled out with a significant cushion over him before a caution period for Alex Bowman’s crash bunched the field. When those who had stayed out came to pit road, Hamlin emerged with the lead for the home stretch.

Harvick had been given some notice that trouble was potential looming for his foil, told that tire wear on Hamlin’s No. 11 had been excessive. Hamlin’s efforts didn’t hold up under significant pressure from Harvick the rest of the way, unraveling what could have been a third consecutive 1-2 finish between the two heavyweights.

“It’s been a great battle and those guys are great competitors,” Hamlin said. “The last few weeks, it’s been a head-to-head with me and him. There’s probably not another guy I would rather battle with each and every week. Congrats to them and their team, they did a great job. Obviously, we had two very, very close and equal cars. They got it today.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

In an action-filled afternoon of NASCAR Cup Series racing in Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records, Kevin Harvick held off the field in a overtime sprint to the finish line to earn his fourth victory of the season, and his second consecutive and third overall win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

To celebrate the big victory, Harvick and his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team climbed the front grandstand fence – reminiscent of the fence celebration his team owner, Indiana native and NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart did during his wins in the race in 2005 and 2007.

RELATED: Official race results | Stage recaps
SHOP: Harvick gear

Although Harvick led a race-best 68 of the 161 laps, he and Denny Hamlin put on a legitimate high-speed duel to decide this victory. While leading Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota suffered a blown tire sending the car hard into the Turn 1 wall with only seven laps remaining – ending Hamlin’s impressive run.

“We knew he [Hamlin] was going to be really close on tires and [crew chief] Rodney [Childers} told me on the radio, he said ‘just make sure you keep the pressure on him,” Harvick said. “That was all the pressure I could give.”

With Hamlin out, Harvick assumed the lead for the fourth time on the day and was next tasked with holding off 48-year old former series champion, Chip Ganassi Racing driver Matt Kenseth, on a restart with two laps remaining. A great jump on the ensuing start put Harvick back out front and ultimately to a 0.743-second victory.

Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola finished third followed by Brad Keselowski and Sunoco rookie Cole Custer.

Two-time Indianapolis winner and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch finished sixth followed by Michael McDowell, rookie Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Joey Logano. It was an especially impressive outing by the series rookies – with four of the six finishing among the top 15. Christopher Bell and John Hunter Nemechek were 12th and 15th, respectively.

Hamlin, who took the lead on the race’s final round of pit stops, ultimately finished 28th following his incident.

“It’s tough, I hate it for the FedEx team [No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team],” Hamlin said post-race. “We did what we needed to do and it just didn’t work out for us today. Had a fast car obviously. Proud of the whole FedEx Toyota team. We’ve been so good lately. Feel like I’m doing all I can, in these big races. A lot things like this don’t go my way all the time, but we’re still going to go next week and try to win the next one. Do all we can.”

RELATED: Denny Hamlin wrecks late at Indianapolis 

And, he acknowledged of the competition with Harvick, “It’s been a great battle, and those guys are great competitors. Last few weeks have been kind of a head-to-head with me and him. Probably not another guy I’d rather battle with each and every week. Congrats to them and that team. We had two very close and equal cars but they got it today.”

One of the weekend’s biggest stories involved seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, a four-time Brickyard 400 winner, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 virus on Friday and had to sit the race out.

NASCAR Xfinity Series perennial championship contender Justin Allgaier was tabbed to drive Johnson’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – the first time in Johnson’s legendary career that someone else drove his car in a NASCAR Cup Series race. 

Allgaier had to start from the rear of the Indianapolis grid and was steadily making his way forward when he was collected in the pit road melee on Lap 15 – a chain-reaction accident involving several cars. The No. 48 Chevrolet suffered too much damage to continue and Allgaier was officially scored 37th in the 40-car field.

“Once the wreck started happening in front of us and we all got bottled up there, one car after another was getting run into,” Allgaier said. “Just a shame. I hate it for these guys on this Ally 48. They’ve done such a good job, they prepared so well for the circumstances. Obviously our hearts and our thoughts are with Jimmie right now and his family. That’s the most important piece of all this, getting him back to the race track soon. I wanted to do well for them today and it’s just disappointing to be standing here talking to you [reporters] unfortunately. But we’ll go on.

“I don’t know what next week looks like yet. But we’ll run the Xfinity Series race and have a good shot at it. Disappointing way to end the Brickyard 400.”

MORE: Justin Allgaier exits early at Brickyard

Zach Price, a rear tire changer for Ryan Blaney, was hit by a car on pit road while servicing Blaney’s No. 12 Ford during the multi-car incident. The race was red-flagged for an ambulance to respond on pit road and Price – who smiled and waved to team members as he was loaded into the ambulance – was transported, treated and released from Indiana University Methodist Hospital. Team Penske said he will travel back to North Carolina with the team for further evaluation.

Inspection in the NASCAR garage yielded no issues post-race.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race is scheduled Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Kentucky Speedway.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on 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

RELATED: How to follow races on NASCAR.com | NASCAR Live Stream

Monday, July 6
1 a.m., IMSA Auto Racing WeatherTech 240 (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2005 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
10 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1990 Goody’s 300 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, July 7
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, July 8
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., The Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Thursday, July 9
6 p.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
8 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Shady Rays 200, FS1/FOX Sports App
10 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Shady Rays 200 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

On PRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Shady Rays 200

Friday, July 10
11 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Shady Rays 200 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Shady Rays 200 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
8 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco 300, FS1/FOX Sports App
11 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco 300 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

On PRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco 300

Saturday, July 11
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco 300 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
2:30 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 150, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: Buckle Up in Your Truck 225, FS1/FOX Sports App
9 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 150 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
11 p.m., ARCA Menards West Series: ENEOS 125 (tape delay), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN
2:30 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 150
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: Buckle Up In Your Truck 225

Sunday, July 12
6:30 a.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 150 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
8 a.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Quaker State 400, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Quaker State 400 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
11 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at White Mountain Raceway Park (tape delay), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On PRN
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Quaker State 400

Posted on by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick took the lead from Austin Dillon on Lap 88 and withstood some competitive racing with aggressive moves to win Stage 2 in Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Harvick got his second stage win of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, finishing ahead of Chase Elliott, who led 26 laps.

Denny Hamlin finished third in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and Matt DiBenedetto and Dillon rounded out the top five. Dillon scored top-five finishes in both of the opening stages. The Stage 2 story wasn’t the same for Erik Jones and William Byron, who, like Dillon, scored points in Stage 1.

RELATED: Stage 2 results

Jones exited after a hard wreck on Lap 76 did significant damage to the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Jones was evaluated and released from the infield care center and was scored in 33rd place.

Then, Byron, who won Stage 1, brought out a caution on Lap 84 for debris when the left-front tire of the No. 24 Chevrolet went down. Byron fell two laps down after a long pit stop as crew members tried to extricate the wheel from the vehicle.

Ryan Blaney also brought out a caution on Lap 89 when he wrecked in Turn 3 in an incident that involved teammate Brad Keselowski.

Finish Driver Team Points
1 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 10
2 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 9
3 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 8
4 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing 7
5 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing 6
6 Matt Kenseth Chip-Ganassi Racing 5
7 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 4
8 Kurt Busch Chip-Ganassi Racing 3
9 Christopher Bell Leavine Family Racing 2
10 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 1

STAGE 1

William Byron won an action-packed opening stage in the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Byron, in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, survived a late restart with five laps to go to pull away and grab his second stage win of the NASCAR Cup Series season.

Erik Jones came in second in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and Austin Dillon, in the No. 3 Richard Childress Chevrolet, was third. Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five finishers.

RELATED: Stage 1 results

The stage was marked by a multi-car pileup at the entrance to pit road during the break for a competition caution on Lap 15. Zach Price, the rear changer for the No. 12 Team Penske squad, was injured in the melee. Price, who was sitting on a stretcher, was alert and gave a thumbs-up sign to TV before being taken away in an ambulance.

Cars involved in the incident included those of Ryan Preece, Justin Allgaier, Brennan Poole, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Christopher Bell, Corey LaJoie, Chris Buescher and Ryan Blaney. There was a red flag for 11 minutes, 17 seconds as crews worked to clean up the area.

Allgaier, Poole, Stenhouse and Truex were among those who exited the race early.

Finish Driver Team Points
1 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports 10
2 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 9
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing 8
4 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 7
5 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 5
7 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing 4
8 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 3
9 Brad Keselowski Team Penske 2
10 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 1
Posted on by Zack Albert

Justin Allgaier’s substitute drive in place of seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson ended well before the final distance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after a major pit-road incident in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

WATCH: See the wreck that foiled Allgaier’s day

Allgaier, making his first Cup Series start in nearly four years, had started at the rear of the field and worked his way up to 29th place when the competition caution flew on Lap 12. But his Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet was among those snared in a multicar tangle near the back of the line entering pit road.

After repairs, Allgaier attempted to return to the event, but the No. 48 was off the pace and showering sparks.

“Sorry, guys,” Allgaier said on his way to the garage, ending his day early. “Not the way I wanted to have today go for you guys. I’m really sorry.”

No. 48 crew chief Cliff Daniels attempted to console the 34-year-old Xfinity Series regular: “Just a tough day, man. You didn’t do anything wrong. Just a victim of circumstances. We’ll go fight again next week. Thanks for helping us out today.”

The cars of Martin Truex Jr., Brennan Poole, Corey LaJoie and Ryan Preece were also sidelined in the collision, a chain reaction that clogged pit road. The incident forced the race to be red-flagged, and an ambulance tended to an injured Team Penske crew member. During the stoppage, Allgaier asked the No. 48 crew for an update on his condition, fearing he had struck Zach Price, a tire changer for Penske’s No. 12.

Once the red flag was lifted, the No. 48 crew tried to salvage some positions but the damage was too great.

“Once the wreck started happening in front of us and we all got bottled up there, one car after another were getting run into. It’s just a shame,” said Allgaier, who was scored 37th in the 40-car field. “I hate it for these guys on this Ally No. 48. They’ve done such a great job. They’ve prepared so well for the circumstances. Obviously, our hearts and thoughts are for Jimmie and his family right now. That’s the most important piece of all this is getting him back to the race track soon. And I wanted to do well for them today and it’s disappointing to be standing here talking to you unfortunately. But we’ll go on. I don’t know what next week looks like yet. We’ll go run the Xfinity Series race and go have a good shot at it. It’s a disappointing way to end the Brickyard 400.”

Allgaier, who drives for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, had been on standby as an alternate driver for Hendrick Motorsports ever since NASCAR returned to competition after the coronavirus outbreak. His services were called upon for Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at the 2.5-mile track after Johnson revealed a positive COVID-19 test on Friday.

Allgaier had made 75 Cup Series appearances before Sunday’s start, but none since another substitute drive in August 2016. He was a full-time driver in the Cup Series from 2014-15.

“I told Mr. Hendrick and I told Jimmie as well how honored I was that they would ask me to be in this role,” Allgaier said after a check-up at the infield care center. “It means a lot. It means a lot as a driver and just everybody involved, and my family. I’d like to get the opportunity again.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.) John Tuepker’s savvy leadership and expertise has helped keep soldiers safe at Pope Army Airfield in North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a segment that aired during NBC’s coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon chatted with Tuepker about how the pandemic has impacted the base.

“It certainly has redefined normal as we knew it,” said Tuepker, who has served in the military for the past 26 years. “I think that’s true for most of the country. It’s definitely forced us to come up with creative ways to achieve the mission. I’m certainly honored to be here today to represent an entire team that’s taken care of our members regardless of the risk. I’m certainly thankful for the folks that are deployed currently and more so for the folks that have given the ultimate sacrifice.”

WATCH: Drivers open up on what Independence Day means to them

Pope Army Airfield is home to the 724th Special Tactics Group, which is one of the special operations ground components that is assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command. Tuepker, the Chief Medical Officer, directed safety protocols at the base to more than 2,000 airmen under his care. His efforts also were instrumental in overseeing 500 in-person and virtual appointments, while setting up a 24/7 monitoring platform for those in isolation or quarantine due to COVID-19 concerns.

Dillon informed Tuepker that the NASCAR Salutes program is making a $25,000 donation to USO Family programming, with that donation being split evenly between the USO Indianapolis (location of Sunday’s race) and USO North Carolina Programming supporting Pope Airfield Families.

“Thank you for all you do and hope to have you at a NASCAR race soon,” Dillon told Tuepker, who sent the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet an item to have for Sunday’s race.

RELATED: Learn more about NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola

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 have gone above and beyond to keep society safe and healthy.

Posted on by Staff Report

A major stack-up on pit road halted Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race with just 15 of 161 laps complete at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, knocking several teams from the race and injuring a Team Penske crew member.

The chain-reaction crash near the back of the line of cars blocked the path entering pit road, pushing the No. 15 Chevrolet of Brennan Poole into the side of Ryan Blaney’s Team Penske No. 12 Ford. That contact squeezed Penske tire-changer Zach Price between the two cars.

RELATED: Official race results

Price scrambled away from the melee, then gave a smile and thumbs-up for TV cameras as he was loaded into an ambulance. Price was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

After the race, Team Penske provided an update on Price’s condition through a statement: “Zach Price, rear tire changer for the No. 12 Menards/Atlas Ford Mustang, was treated and released from Methodist Hospital. He will travel back to North Carolina with the team for further evaluation.”

Blaney, who finished 32nd after a Stage 2 crash, also provided his thoughts on Twitter about Price.

The cars of Corey LaJoie, Justin Allgaier, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Preece and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were also among those involved. Allgaier was making his first Cup Series start since 2016 as a substitute for Jimmie Johnson, who revealed a positive test for COVID-19 on Friday.

The red flag lasted 11 minutes, 17 seconds. The race had already been delayed 55 minutes at the start because of a series of lightning strikes in the vicinity of the 2.5-mile track.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kurt Busch reached a notable milestone on Sunday afternoon with his 700th career NASCAR Cup Series start in Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 (NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Over the course of his 21-year career in the Cup ranks, Busch has 31 wins and won the 2004 championship. He becomes the 16th driver to reach the mark and holds the most starts among all active Cup drivers.

RELATED: See all of Busch’s Cup wins | Kurt Busch’s career highlights

“Seven-hundred starts — that is one of those stats where you know that it has been a long run, but I know I’ve still got some more,” Busch said in a Chip Ganassi Racing team release last week. “I got into the sport at a young age, where guys like Jeff Gordon cut the rope down for young guys like me to have an opportunity. It has been interesting to see the sport change so much over the last 20 years, I feel like I can connect easily to the past, yet still have an opportunity to teach some of the new kids.”

Wife Ashley Busch sprung for a unique gift to honor her husband’s milestone start.

Over the course of his Cup career, Busch has driven for Roush Fenway Racing (2000-05, 14 wins), Team Penske (2006-11, 10 wins), Phoenix Racing (2012), Furniture Row Racing (2012-13), Stewart-Haas Racing (2014-18, 6 wins) and Chip Ganassi Racing (2019-present, 1 win).

The 41-year-old rolled off the grid second in Sunday’s 160-lap race and entered the event 10th in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series standings.

Posted on by Staff Report

The start of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was placed on hold because of inclement weather.

RELATED: Lineup, leaderboard

A series of lightning strikes in the vicinity pushed back pre-race ceremonies for the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 (NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio, SiriusXM) at the historic 2.5-mile track. Each nearby strike sets the clock on a 30-minute delay until conditions can clear.

UPDATE: NASCAR gave the all-clear signal shortly before 5 p.m. ET, and a new green-flag time of 5:19 p.m. ET was posted.

When the race gets underway, Joey Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford will lead the 40-car field to the green flag. Logano gained the first starting spot by a Thursday draw for position among groups in the team owner points standings. Kevin Harvick, the defending race winner, will start 11th.

Jimmie Johnson will miss this race after self reporting a positive COVID-19 test and Justin Allgaier will fill in on the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Kurt Busch will make his 700th Cup Series start when the green flag flies.