NASCAR automakers to battle this weekend for Michigan Heritage Trophy

Posted on August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 by Track Release

BROOKLYN, Mich. — The competition has always been fierce in the NASCAR Cup Series among drivers, teams and even the three manufacturers (OEM) — Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota. When that stage shifts to the OEMs’ backyard, the stakes become even greater.

Such is the case again this year, when, for just the second time in NASCAR history, NASCAR Cup Series races will be contested at the same track on consecutive days, with Michigan International Speedway (MIS) serving as the site. The NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 will be held on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 4 p.m. ET (NBCSN), while the Consumers Energy 400 will take place the following day at 4:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN). The top-finishing OEM from the weekend Cup Series events will be presented with the Michigan Heritage Trophy, which has been awarded by MIS since 2013. The distance for each race will be 312 miles.

In an effort to bring even greater awareness to the significance of the Heritage Trophy, this year the NASCAR Cup teams will be saluting their respective manufacturers during the course of both races, with each car featuring the decal of their manufacturer in the “contingency space,” which is located on the left front-quarter panel of the car. In addition, the hashtag #HeritageTrophy will be included on each car as well.

The Heritage Trophy gives well-deserved bragging rights to the winning manufacturer of the Michigan race weekend. For the 2020 historic doubleheader, an OEM must win one or both NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway. If one OEM sweeps both races, that OEM will be declared the winner of the Heritage Trophy. If different OEMs win on Aug. 8 and 9, then the award will go to the OEM with the most points earned by top-10 finishers of both races.

This year’s salute to the manufacturers is being done in partnership between Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR and the Race Team Alliance, on behalf of its member teams.

“The Michigan Heritage Trophy is one of the more unique and coveted prizes in NASCAR,” said Michigan International Speedway President Rick Brenner. “The competitive spirit at any race, especially at MIS, isn’t just confined to the drivers, and this trophy allows the winning manufacturer to boast about their accomplishment. We are thrilled that the race teams have joined us this year in recognizing the prominence of this trophy to our sport and in the state of Michigan, and look forward to an amazing doubleheader of racing in the Cup Series this weekend.”

“The Race Team Alliance is happy to assist in this salute to the OEMs and bring greater awareness to the historic rivalry associated with the Heritage Trophy,” said Race Team Alliance Executive Director Jonathan Marshall. “What makes this especially exciting is the fact that the OEM Tribute takes place in Michigan — home to the auto capital of the world.”

The race teams fully understand the significance of their respective manufacturer taking the honors for a full year. This is especially true for Michigan native Greg Ives, crew chief for Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports. Ives grew up in Bark River, in the Upper Peninsula, and graduated from Michigan Tech University in Houghton.

“We race to win trophies every week, but Irish Hills of MIS pose the battleground for the manufacturers,” Ives said. “Michigan was my first NASCAR track I went to as a kid and with this being my home state track, I look forward to capturing the Michigan Heritage Trophy not only for the 88 Hendrick team, but also for our partner in Chevrolet.”

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Team Release

STATESVILLE, N.C. – GMS Racing announced Monday that Kris Wright will run a select schedule with the team in 2020. Wright will pilot the No. 21 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 9 and the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Series at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Aug. 16.

RELATED: Gander Trucks 2020 schedule

Wright, 26, made his ARCA West debut in June at the Utah Motorsports Campus doubleheader, where he finished second and third in the two events. Wright finished second in the LMP2 class in the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Wexford, Pa., native claimed the IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship (LMP3) in 2018 and was the IMSA Prototype Challenge Rookie of the Year in 2017.

“I’m really excited to be making my first ARCA and NASCAR starts with GMS and Chevrolet,” said Wright. “You always want to be doing it with the best team. I’m a Chevy guy from birth so it’s a dream come true.”

The VizCom 200 from Michigan International Speedway will air live Sunday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. ET on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass. The Gander Trucks event at the Daytona Road Course will air live at noon ET on Sunday, Aug. 16 on FS1 and MRN.

Sponsorship for the No. 24 Chevrolet in both events will be announced at a later date.

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Data Skrive

Jimmie Johnson finished 12th in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Johnson’s result added 25 points to his season total. He is 17th in the NASCAR Cup Series with 459 total points.

Johnson started in 20th position. The 20th-year driver has secured 83 career victories, with 229 top-five finishes and 370 results inside the top 10.

Victory Lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a familiar place for Johnson, who has three career wins at the track. Over the course of his career at Loudon, Johnson has also put together 10 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s.

The El Cajon, California native began the race seven spots behind his career mark of 12.7, but finished two places ahead of his career average of 14.

Johnson competed with 38 other drivers on the way to his 12th-place finish. The race endured 11 cautions and 52 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 22 lead changes.

Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag in the race, and Denny Hamlin followed in second. Martin Truex Jr placed third, Joey Logano took fourth, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five.

After Hamlin won Stage 1, Keselowski grabbed control and won Stage 2 before taking the checkered flag.

Jimmie Johnson Driver Page | Get Johnson Gear | Race Center

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Data Skrive

William Byron finished 11th in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Byron’s result added 32 points to his season total. He ranks 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series with 484 total points.

Byron started in 16th position. The third-year driver has collected five top-five and 23 top-10 finishes in his career.

Sunday’s race was Byron’s second career start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He’s completed both of those races, but has not had a top-10 finish at the track.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native began the race one spot behind his career mark of 15.3, but finished seven places ahead of his career average of 18.3.

Byron’s 11th-place finish was against a field of 38 drivers. The race endured 11 cautions and 52 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 22 lead changes.

Brad Keselowski brought home the win in the race, and Denny Hamlin finished second. Martin Truex Jr placed third, Joey Logano secured fourth, and Kevin Harvick grabbed the No. 5 spot.

After Hamlin won the first stage, Keselowski grabbed control and won Stage 2 before driving to victory.

William Byron Driver Page | Get Byron Gear | Race Center

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Data Skrive

Cole Custer finished eighth in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.

The top-10 finish for Custer, his fifth of the year, added 29 points to his season total. Custer now ranks 19th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 381 points. A total of 16 drivers make the playoffs.

Custer started in 14th position. The second-year driver has one career victory, with two top-five finishes and four results inside the top 10.

The Ladera Ranch, California native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting eight spots higher than his career mark of 22 and completing the race 15 places ahead of his 22.8 career average finish.

Custer’s eighth-place finish was against 38 other drivers. The race endured 11 cautions and 52 caution laps. There were 22 lead changes.

Brad Keselowski secured the victory in the race, and Denny Hamlin followed in second. Martin Truex Jr placed third, Joey Logano took fourth, and Kevin Harvick closed out the top five.

After Hamlin won Stage 1, Keselowski grabbed control and won Stage 2 before taking the checkered flag.

Cole Custer Driver Page | Get Custer Gear | Race Center

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Data Skrive

Aric Almirola finished seventh in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.

The top-10 finish for Almirola, his 11th of the year, added 38 points to his season total. Almirola now ranks eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 614 points. A total of 16 drivers make the playoffs.

Almirola started in the pole position and led two laps in the race. The 13th-year driver has secured two career victories, with 23 top-five finishes and 72 results inside the top 10.

In his career at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Almirola has compiled two top-five finishes and his seventh-place result marks the third top-10.

The Tampa, Florida native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting 20 spots higher than his career mark of 20.6 and completing the race 15 places ahead of his 21.6 career average finish.

Almirola’s seventh-place finish was against 38 other drivers. The race endured 11 cautions and 52 caution laps. There were 22 lead changes.

Brad Keselowski earned the win in the race, and Denny Hamlin followed in second. Martin Truex Jr placed third, Joey Logano brought home fourth, and Kevin Harvick closed out the top five.

After Hamlin won the first stage, Keselowski took control and won Stage 2 before taking the checkered flag.

Aric Almirola Driver Page | Get Almirola Gear | Race Center

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Data Skrive

Matt DiBenedetto finished sixth in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.

The top-10 finish for DiBenedetto, his fifth of the year, added 32 points to his season total. DiBenedetto now sits at No. 13 in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 509 points. A total of 16 drivers qualify for the the playoffs.

DiBenedetto started in 19th position. The sixth-year driver has picked up five top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in his career.

In his career at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, DiBenedetto has compiled one top-five finish and his sixth-place result marks the first top-10.

The Grass Valley, California native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting eight spots higher than his career mark of 26.7 and completing the race 19 places ahead of his 25 career average finish.

DiBenedetto battled against 38 other drivers on the way to his sixth-place finish. The race endured 11 cautions and 52 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 22 lead changes.

Brad Keselowski earned the victory in the race, and Denny Hamlin finished second. Martin Truex Jr placed third, Joey Logano brought home fourth, and Kevin Harvick grabbed the No. 5 spot.

After Hamlin won the first stage, Keselowski grabbed control and won Stage 2 before taking the checkered flag.

Matt DiBenedetto Driver Page | Get DiBenedetto Gear | Race Center

Posted on August 2, 2020August 2, 2020 by Terrin Waack

Expectations matched reality Sunday for Martin Truex Jr.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver got exactly what he predicted out of his No. 19 Toyota at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Truex finished third in the NASCAR Cup Series’ race in Loudon, New Hampshire. Brad Keselowski won, while Denny Hamlin was the runner-up. Joey Logano was then fourth, followed by Kevin Harvick in fifth.

“Still a solid effort,” Truex said. “I thought we were a third-best car, fourth-best car. I think the 4 (Harvick) was pretty strong at times as well. He kind of got messed around with track position. We finished where we should have. We just have to figure out how to get a little bit better here.”

The top-three run marked Truex’s third in the past four races — highlighted by a runner-up finish at Kentucky Speedway at the beginning of that stretch. Overall, it’s his fifth top five and 11th top 10.

Truex, the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion, is already locked into the 2020 playoffs. He won at Martinsville Speedway back in June to solidify himself a berth in the postseason competition. Truex currently ranks seventh in the points standings, too, with 648 points — 155 behind leader Kevin Harvick — and six races remaining in the regular season.

The finale will be held at Phoenix Raceway with the same rules package ran at New Hampshire since both are mile-long tracks.

“That’s definitely a good point,” Truex said. “It’s interesting to see how it played out today, where we kind of stacked up. I felt like we were right there. Obviously, as I’ve been talking about, needed the car to be a little bit better.

“The win that Martinsville, that was huge for us. I think going forward, we’re going to learn a little bit more about this, who has been working on it. They know the championship race at Phoenix will use this package.”

Seven different drivers led laps in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, and Truex was not one of them. He did get up to second come the conclusion of Stage 1 on Lap 75 after firing off 11th when the green flag dropped.

On Lap 97, though, Truex was hit with a pit-road penalty from NASCAR. The No. 19 team had an uncontrolled tire get away from its stall, forcing Truex to drop to the tail end of the field on Lap 100.

Truex battled his way back through the field to place eighth at the end of Stage 2 on Lap 185.

“I mean, I think no matter what’s going on as a driver you face those things,” Truex said. “Mistakes happen. Pit road speeding, I’ve done that this year. Yeah, I mean, when those things happen, you just have to buckle down and get what you can get. Fortunately we were able to come back from it. We probably lost out on a few stage points there in Stage 2 because of it.”

The stage finishes added 12 stage points to Truex’s race total (46).

Up next, Truex and the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series field take on a doubleheader weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Truex has yet to win at the 2-mile track. In 28 career starts, he has eight top-five and 11 top-10 performances — that includes three runner-up showings. He’s averaging a 14.6 finish.

“I was happy, like I said, with our performance today,” Truex said. “I felt like there was a lot of room for improvement with our handling. That’s always encouraging when you know your car can drive better and we ran as well as we did. We’ll see how it goes.

“Every week you got to do the best you can, kind of the best educated guess you can come up with.”

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