Posted on by Staff Report

Two cars will drop to the rear at the start of Sunday’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet of Matt Kenseth will fall back after failing pre-race inspection twice at Kentucky on Sunday morning.

RELATED: Kentucky starting lineup | Key story lines to watch

Both Truex and Kenseth have won before at Kentucky — Truex is a two-time winner (2017, 2018) and Kenseth won the last daytime race at the 1.5-mile track in 2013. Kenseth is coming off his best finish of the season at Indianapolis, where he was the runner up. The opposite is true for Truex, who had his worst finish of the season last Sunday with a 38th-place finish at the Brickyard.

Truex was slated to start ninth, while Kenseth was going to roll off the grid 17th for Sunday’s Quaker State 400. The lineup was drawn in tiers based on the owner points standings.

Posted on by Staff Report

Keelan Harvick has begun his journey down the same winning career path as his father, 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick.

The 8-year-old won his first go-kart race Saturday, according to Kevin’s Twitter account. The whole Harvick family was able to celebrate together at the GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville, North Carolina, including wife DeLana and daughter Piper.

While Keelan is just beginning his 2020 win tally, Kevin has four checkered flags this season already, which is tied for most in the series 16 races into the season. The Cup Series races Sunday at Kentucky Speedway in the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Holly Cain

Sheldon Creed prevailed in a frantic three-wide restart on Lap 52 of Saturday’s Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race and held the spot through the second stage break, earning his first career series victory when lightning and rain showers forced the race to be called official 71 laps into the scheduled 150-lapper.

Menacing weather around Kentucky Speedway ultimately caused teams to race the skies as well as each other, and Creed’s bold move around Kentucky native Ben Rhodes and rookie Zane Smith on that restart turned out to be the trophy-maker.

RELATED: Official results

Rhodes, who won here in 2018 and defending series champion Matt Crafton, who rallied from sixth place on that restart ultimately finished second and third, respectively. Johnny Sauter and series championship leader Austin Hill rounded out the top five.

Rookies Christian Eckes, Smith, Derek Kraus and Tanner Gray finished sixth through ninth with Todd Gilliland completing the top 10. Another former series champion, Brett Moffitt, who led a race-high 26 laps, finished 11th after having to come back up through the field after a pit stop penalty at the conclusion of Stage 1.

It was all Moffitt in the early going. He started on pole and set the pace for the first 26 laps, but Smith got around Moffitt on a Lap 26 restart and was able to hold the point to earn his first stage win of the season.

Differing pit strategies, however, put Parker Kligerman, Crafton, Rhodes and Austin Wayne Self in front to start Stage 2, and they held their own even against the cars with fresher tires. Rhodes took the lead on Lap 46 but was beaten by Creed’s aggressive move to the bottom of the track in that frantic restart on Lap 52. Creed led 20 laps on the night.

Creed, driver of the No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet, earned his first career win in only his 37th series start. The 22-year-old Californian’s previous best finish was runner-up – twice – at Eldora Speedway and Michigan International Speedway last season.

“It feels awesome. I’d really like to have finished that out and get the real checkered flag,” said Creed, who conceded he was a little nervous going to the bottom of the race track to make that winning move after watching the NASCAR Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series races earlier at Kentucky.

Ultimately, it all worked out for him.

“Have to thank all my guys, who have been putting so much time in the shop,” Creed said, also thanking his family, friends, sponsors and the GMS team for this significant accomplishment in his young career.

“Really wish I could have gotten to the finish line and finished that out right but I’ll take this win.”

Hill’s fifth-place finish was his seventh top 10 in the season’s seven races, and he now holds a commanding 47-point advantage over Rhodes in the championship standings. Creed joins two-race winner Grant Enfinger as the two full-time Gander Truck Series drivers with victories on the season.

Note: Sheldon Creed’s No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet passed post-race inspection.

Posted on by Staff Report

Three entries failed pre-race inspection Saturday prior to the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series’ Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 at Kentucky Speedway.

RELATED: Full starting lineup | Scenes from Kentucky

The Nos. 13, 19 and 99 of ThorSport Racing’s Johnny Sauter, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Derek Kraus and ThorSport’s Ben Rhodes were each assessed L1 penalties stemming from a violation of 20.4.12.2.b – Triangular Filler Panels.

Those teams will each lose 10 owner and driver points and will need to start the race from the rear.

Tune in to the Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 at 6 p.m. ET on FS1.

Posted on 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.

After visiting two flatter 2.5-mile tracks in Pocono Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Cup Series is back at the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway.

Kentucky is smooth and produces very little tire wear, meaning its closest comps among tracks already visited by Cup cars this season are Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In order to pinpoint my bets for Sunday’s Quaker State 400, I looked at results from those three races (two at Charlotte and one at Vegas) earlier this year.

In the name of transparency, I took Alex Bowman at 40-1 very early this week, a number that is no longer available, and do not advise playing him at anything shorter than 25-1 at this point.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@PJWalsh24) for any additional bets I make for Sunday’s race.

NASCAR at Kentucky Odds, Betting Picks

Odds as of Saturday at 2:15 p.m. ET and via BetMGM. Get an INSTANT $500 deposit match at BetMGM today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.

Denny Hamlin (+700)

Generally, I find momentum to be overrated in this sport, but when two cars are so much faster than the field, like Kevin Harvick and Hamlin are right now, it’s tough to ignore their speed, especially during the current rules in which teams don’t have the luxury of practice to work on new setups and dial in their cars.

I frankly can’t argue against anyone taking Harvick or Kyle Busch this week, but I’m opting to back Hamlin at the better price of the three contenders.

Ryan Blaney (+1200)

Another race, another bet on Blaney since I just can’t ignore his stats at similar tracks this season.

The No. 12 Team Penske Ford tied for the second-best average finish and had the third-best driver rating over the three races at Las Vegas and Charlotte earlier this season.

But it’s Blaney’s performance at Vegas in February which really makes him a good play because the tire combination teams will use at Kentucky on Sunday is the same that was run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In that event, Blaney was leading when a caution came out with just five laps to go. Todd Gordon, crew chief for the No. 12 team, called his driver to pit road, essentially ending their chances to win the race when seven cars stayed on track for the final sprint to the checkered flag.

Blaney has been fast at this track type and on this specific tire combination, so I’m willing to back him (again) at 12-1 odds.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson verbally and physically fought in the garage after Friday’s Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

With 13 laps to go in the 200-lap event, which Austin Cindric won to sweep the Xfinity Series races this week, Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet got into the rear of Burton’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Burton clipped the outside wall because of the contact, as did Gragson.

RELATED: Official results | Cindric goes back to back

“Just frustrated,” Burton told FS1. “That’s two times since we’ve come back after the COVID-19 pandemic on restarts. Same situation. We rallied all night to get our DEX Imaging Supra into fourth place, and then the 9 happens to start in third and — I don’t know — forgets what race track we’re at or what. But both times, puts us in the fence. Charlotte (Motor Speedway) and now here.

“I had a lot of people coming up to me afterwards saying that was a long time coming. So I guess that was a popular move.”

Both drivers were still able to finish the event. Gragson finished seventh. Burton was 12th.

DRIVERS REACTION: Burton gives his take | Gragson explains his side

Words were exchanged by the cars afterward. Burton appeared to push Gragson twice, who then threw the first punch. NASCAR officials stepped in to break the fight up.

“We’re all racing hard,” Gragson said. “I mean, us teammates are beating and banging for the finishes at the end. I don’t really have a comment. I haven’t really seen everything that happened.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr., owner of Gragon’s team, offered his thoughts on how to potentially resolve the feud in short order.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Austin Cindric won his first career oval race at Kentucky Speedway on Thursday night and answered it with the most dominant win of his career in Friday night’s Alsco 300, the second half of the Bluegrass State NASCAR Xfinity Series doubleheader.

Cindric led 130 of the 200 laps in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford – nearly doubling the most laps he has ever led in a race – and finished 2.262 seconds ahead of fellow Ford driver Chase Briscoe. It marks the first time a driver has won NASCAR national series races on consecutive nights at the same track since Richard Petty did it in 1971.

RELATED: Official race results | Kentucky weekend schedule

“I’m just so excited, this is all a credit to my team,” Cindric said. “What we did tonight was really impressive because we came with one setup last night and won the race and came with another setup tonight and won again. That happens at the shop and with the guys on the box so all the credit to them, I’m the lucky one who gets to drive.”

Kaulig Racing teammates Justin Haley and Ross Chastain finished third and fourth, respectively, followed by JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier. Anthony Alfredo, Noah Gragson, Michael Annett, Daniel Hemric and Riley Herbst rounded out the top 10 in order.

As Cindric was celebrating the fourth win of his career on the frontstretch, however, Gragson and 12th-place finisher Harrison Burton were involved in a pushing match by their parked cars. The two collided in the final laps, both brushing the wall before continuing on.

WATCH: Burton, Gragson fight in garage after the race

As the laps led total indicates, this was the most dominant victory of the 21-year-old Cindric’s career – both in laps out front and the way he did it. He was leading the field by almost 12 seconds when a caution came out with 22 laps remaining for an incident between Brandon Jones and Hemric, who were running second and third at the time.

Both Jones and Hemric hit the wall racing hard side by side for second place. Hemric was able to continue, but Jones’ car was badly damaged.

The front-runners opted to pit during the ensuing caution period, and Cindric won the race off pit road, holding the point for the remaining 13-lap green-flag run on the 1.5-mile track.

Beyond Cindric’s Kentucky domination, perhaps the night’s next most impressive work came from veteran Allgaier, who rallied to his fifth-place finish after going a lap down almost immediately on the night. A piece of Kyle Weatherman’s wrecked Chevrolet impacted Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet on the opening lap of the race. Allgaier had to come in for repairs and spent the night rallying to his first top-five run in more than a month.

The Xfinity Series’ next race is scheduled July 18 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM) at Texas Motor Speedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

Brexton Busch, son of Kyle and Samantha Busch, has started following in his two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion father’s footsteps.

According to both his parents’ Twitter accounts, the 5-year-old is now officially trying his hand at racing. Brexton had his first test session at a dirt track this week.

RELATED: Busch family through the years

Brexton is already thinking big and about future sponsors, putting his mother to work. Kyle’s primary sponsor on his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is M&M’s.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kentucky Speedway announced Friday that Robert Randolph will sing the national anthem, Darrell and Stevie Waltrip will offer the pre-race invocation, and Joey Votto will serve as the grand marshal for Sunday’s Quaker State 400 (2:30 p.m., FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Randolph, a renowned pedal steel guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, has released six studio albums for his group, Robert Randolph & The Family Band. Their most recent effort is Brighter Days for Mascot Label Group.

RELATED: Kentucky weekend schedule

The band has released six studio albums and has been nominated for a Grammy Award four times.

Votto has spent his entire 13-year Major League Baseball career with the Cincinnati Reds. The first baseman won the National League MVP in 2010 and has been voted to the All-Star Game six times.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip retired from Cup Series competition in 2000 with three championships and 84 wins. Waltrip and his wife, Stevie, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last August.

Posted on 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 has 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, we’re highlighting the work of U.S. Army Private First Class Tristan McDermid and U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Carly Coleman.

RELATED: Learn more about NASCAR Salutes

During the COVID-19 pandemic, protective face coverings have become a necessary part of life, and Pvt. 1st Class McDermid has been instrumental in making sure he and his fellow soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina are protected. In this edition of NASCAR Salutes Refreshing Moments, we’re highlighting and sharing Pvt. 1st Class McDermid’s work.

McDermid is a parachute rigger with the 647th Quarter Master Company. He has used his skills as part of the aerial equipment repair team to produce over 1,500 protective face coverings. The coverings have allowed the civilians and soldiers of Fort Bragg to continue working and maintain their readiness. Pvt. 1st Class McDermid’s efforts have helped contribute to the 20,000 face coverings that the unit has produced since April 10.

Tech Sgt. Coleman is based out of North Carolina at both the Pope Army Airfield and Fort Bragg. For more than 57 days, she supported the coordination of medical care to 43 Air Mobility Operations Group (AMOG) and tenant unit personnel in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She coordinated and facilitated clinical care (ranging from face-to-face appointments, labs and medication distribution) and performed COVID-19 testing.

In addition, Tech. Sgt. Coleman also coordinated and provided front door screenings of all members entering the Byars Health Clinic at Fort Bragg. She also coordinated pre-deployment care with Army leadership and screened patients for routine care and appointments. Tech Sgt. Coleman established processes to maintain deployment readiness and these processes tracked health assessments, flying waivers and immunizations to ensure the medical deployability of AMOG and tenant units.

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.