Posted on by Data Skrive

Kyle Busch finished second in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway Sunday.

Busch’s top five finish added 40 points to his season total.

Busch qualified in 17th position at 177.708 mph. The 17th-year driver has earned 56 career victories, with 201 top-five finishes and 297 results inside the top 10.

Victory Lane at Auto Club Speedway is a familiar place for Busch, who has four career wins at the track. His second-place finish also marks the 11th time he has finished in the top five at Auto Club and his 16th top 10.

The Las Vegas, Nevada native began the race four spots behind his career mark of 13.1, but finished 13 places ahead of his career average of 14.8.

Busch battled against a field of 38 drivers on the way to his second-place finish. The race endured three cautions and 13 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 16 lead changes.

Alex Bowman brought home the win in the race, followed by Busch’s second-place finish. Kurt Busch crossed the finish line third, Chase Elliott secured fourth place, and Brad Keselowski came in fifth.

After Bowman won the first stage, Ryan Blaney drove the No. 12 car to victory in Stage 2.

Kyle Busch Driver Page | Get Kyle Busch Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Track Release

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 2, 2020) – The All-American patriotic feel of a race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway is headed to another level as Tri-Cities Navy Week and the Food City 500 race weekend overlap March 30 – April 5.

As Navy Week brings sailors and equipment from 12 units to the region to help educate the public about the capabilities, importance and value of today’s Navy, race fans will also get to experience the power of the Navy firsthand at the track, April 3-5. From an impressive flyover featuring F/A-18E Super Hornets to appearances by numerous Navy musical ensembles and patriotic occurrences in pre-race, Bristol Motor Speedway will be the place to be to witness the strength of the US military.

“It’s always special to honor our great men and women in uniform, and we are looking forward to celebrating U.S. Navy Week at Bristol Motor Speedway with many incredible activities planned during the 60th running of the Food City 500,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “We’re looking forward to showcasing these amazing service members and their vast skillsets and can’t wait for our guests to experience all the pageantry, fun, entertainment and education that the Navy has to offer.”

MORE: Buy tickets now!

“We’re excited to anchor Tri-Cities Navy Week on the Food City 500 race weekend,” said Lt. John Stevens, an event planner with the Navy Office of Community Outreach, who is also a graduate of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and a former Johnson City, Tenn. resident. “Our mission for Navy Week is to educate the American public about the capabilities, importance, and value of today’s Navy. With a large audience both at-track and on national television, Bristol Motor Speedway is an ideal place to do that.”

The pinnacle of Navy Week festivities at the race track will come on Sunday with an impressive floyover. F/A-18E Super Hornets from the VFA-143 Squadron will take to the skies to celebrate the start of the 60th running of the Food City 500. Based out of Naval Air Station Oceana in Hampton Roads, Va., “The Pukin Dogs” of VFA-143 are a prime example of the Navy’s strike fighter capabilities.

Throughout race weekend, fans can listen to the sounds of numerous Navy bands all over property. Highlighted acts include the Navy Band Southeast out of Jacksonville, Fla. as well as special performances by Country Current, the Navy’s official pop country and bluegrass brand. The trip to Bristol Motor Speedway will be a homecoming of sorts as three of Country Current’s performers are graduates of ETSU’s Bluegrass and Old Time Country Music program. Musical performances will be scheduled throughout the weekend in the Fan Zone and Fan Midway as well as at Food City Family Race Night on Friday evening.

Guests visiting the Fan Zone will have the chance to see multiple units up-close and in person. This includes Navy divers who will appear in the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command portable dive tank as well as other interactive displays.

Pre-race festivities on Friday and Saturday will both feature a Navy flair. On both days, Navy Sailors will lead the Pledge of Allegiance and the Navy Drill Team will perform for the crowd. Saturday will feature the National Anthem sung by a member of the Navy Band while Sunday will welcome crewmembers from the world’s oldest active warship, USS Constitution, to perform color guard.

With all the festivities surrounding Navy Week at the track, Bristol Motor Speedway has a special offer for members of the Navy and their families. All active and retired Navy personnel can call the BMS ticket office and purchase a half-priced ticket. Those interested can call 423-BRISTOL.

Weekend tickets for the Food City 500 are available and begin at $80 for adults. Kids 12-and-under are free for both Friday and Saturday and are only $10 for Sunday. Teenagers (13-19) are free on Friday and eligible for half-priced grandstand tickets Saturday and Sunday. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 423-BRISTOL or visit BristolTix.com.

Posted on by Data Skrive

Alex Labbe finished 13th in the Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway Saturday.

Labbe’s result added 24 points to his season total.

Labbe qualified in 17th position at 173.934 mph. The fifth-year driver has three top-10 finishes in his career.

Saturday was Labbe’s second career start at Auto Club Speedway. Though he’s completed two of those races, he has never managed to crack the top 10 at the track.

The Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting eight spots higher than his career mark of 24.8 and completing the race eight places ahead of his 21.3 career average finish.

Labbe’s 13th-place finish came against a field of 36 drivers. The race endured eight cautions and 36 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 13 lead changes.

Harrison Burton took the checkered flag in the race, and Riley Herbst took second. Austin Cindric placed third, Ryan Sieg took fourth, and Justin Haley finished off the top five.

Brandon Jones got off to a great start in the race, winning both of the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.

Alex Labbe Driver Page | Get Alex Labbe Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Myatt Snider finished 11th in the Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway Saturday.

Snider’s result added 26 points to his season total.

Snider qualified in 19th position at 173.699 mph. The first-year driver has no top-10 finishes in his career.

Saturday’s race was the first of Snider’s career at Auto Club Speedway.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native began the race 12 spots behind his career mark of seven, but finished nine places ahead of his career average of 20.

Snider took on a field of 36 drivers on the way to his 11th-place finish. The race endured eight cautions and 36 caution laps. There were 13 lead changes.

Harrison Burton secured the win in the race, and Riley Herbst finished second. Austin Cindric placed third, Ryan Sieg secured fourth, and Justin Haley rounded out the top five.

Brandon Jones got off to a great start in the race, winning both of the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.

Myatt Snider Driver Page | Get Myatt Snider Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Josh Williams rounded out the top 10 in the Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway Saturday.

The top 10 finish for Williams added 27 points to his season total.

Williams qualified in 25th position at 172.393 mph. The fifth-year driver has two top-10 finishes in his career.

The tenth-place result on Saturday was the first time Williams has cracked the top 10 at Auto Club Speedway.

The Port Charlotte, Florida native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting four spots higher than his career mark of 29.2 and completing the race 16 places ahead of his 26.3 career average finish.

Williams took on a field of 36 drivers on the way to his tenth-place finish. The race endured eight cautions and 36 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 13 lead changes.

Harrison Burton earned the victory in the race, and Riley Herbst took second. Austin Cindric crossed the finish line third, Ryan Sieg took fourth, and Justin Haley finished off the top five.

Brandon Jones got off to a great start in the race, winning both of the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.

Josh Williams Driver Page | Get Josh Williams Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Anthony Alfredo finished sixth in the Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway Saturday to collect his first career top-10 finish.

The top 10 finish for Alfredo added 31 points to his season total.

Alfredo qualified in 13th position at 176.939 mph. The first-year driver has one top-10 finish in his career.

Saturday’s race was the first of Alfredo’s career at Auto Club Speedway.

The Ridgefield, Connecticut native made only his second career start in the race, equaling his debut finish after starting at the same position in both races.

Alfredo’s sixth-place finish came against a field of 36 drivers. The race endured eight cautions and 36 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 13 lead changes.

Harrison Burton secured the win in the race, and Riley Herbst finished second. Austin Cindric placed third, Ryan Sieg took fourth, and Justin Haley grabbed the No. 5 spot.

Brandon Jones got off to a great start in the race, winning both of the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.

Anthony Alfredo Driver Page | Get Anthony Alfredo Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Ryan Sieg finished fourth in the Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway Saturday.

Sieg’s top five finish added 39 points to his season total.

Sieg qualified in eighth position at 178.037 mph. The eighth-year driver has earned seven top-five and 24 top-10 finishes in his career.

The fourth-place result on Saturday was the first time Sieg has cracked the top five at Auto Club Speedway. It also marks his first top-10 finish at Auto Club.

The Tucker, Georgia native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting 12 spots higher than his career mark of 19.6 and completing the race 13 places ahead of his 17.3 career average finish.

Sieg’s fourth-place finish came against a field of 36 drivers. The race endured eight cautions and 36 caution laps. There were 13 lead changes.

Harrison Burton finished first in the race, followed by Riley Herbst in second place and Austin Cindric in third place. Sieg placed fourth ahead of Justin Haley’s finish to secure fifth.

Brandon Jones got off to a great start in the race, winning both of the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.

Ryan Sieg Driver Page | Get Ryan Sieg Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Staff Report

Golfing buddies. Shopping buddies. Still buddies?

It appears that way judging by Denny Hamlin’s post on social media that was a reference to his on-track collision with Kyle Larson during Sunday’s Auto Club 400 in the NASCAR Cup Series.

But if you had Larson in your Fantasy Live lineup you weren’t smiling. His day was ruined after the incident, despite having a car that was strong in practices and qualifying.

 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

FONTANA, Calif. — The pit stop during the break between the first and second stages of Sunday’s Auto Club 400 certainly didn’t go the way Kurt Busch or his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing team had planned.

Under caution on Lap 63, Busch missed his pit stall, failed to get service and had to return to pit road to correct the mistake a lap later. From fifth at the end of the stage, Busch dropped to the back of the lead-lap cars for the subsequent restart on Lap 67.

AUTO CLUB: Race results | Alex Bowman wins | At-track gallery

The 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion spent the rest of the race working his way forward, and by the time Alex Bowman took the checkered flag at the end of Lap 200, Busch was third, behind only Bowman and brother Kyle Busch.

“Yeah, really happy,” Kurt Busch said. “All weekend, the car just had a good vibe to it. The way it unloaded and the way we made small changes on our Monster Energy Chevy, I was really proud of this effort. To race and to do different things in the draft and to be able to gain speed with cars on the straightaway and then once you get all by yourself you actually lose speed, it’s a whole type of different racing, and I’m glad that I had a good car to do it all with, and just thanks to my guys. 

“I messed up on a pit cue, but to have a third‑place run right here in (sponsor) Monster Energy’s backyard, this was a solid run for our Chevy.”

 

Posted on by RJ Kraft

FONTANA, Calif. — Through the first three weeks of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Ryan Blaney has been one of the strongest drivers week in and week out.

He battled for the lead on the last lap of the Daytona 500 and finished second to Denny Hamlin. He held the lead at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with five to go before an untimely caution led to a strategy split among the field in which he pitted from the lead and finished 11th. In Sunday’s Auto Club 400, Blaney spent the bulk of the race running in the top two, won a stage — his first of the year — and then had a tire go down in the closing laps to finish 19th.

“It’s been a good three races for us, but the last two we haven’t gotten the finishes we deserve,” Blaney said on pit road. “Hope our luck turns around.”

Blaney holds the points lead through the first three races and also has accumulated the most stage points so far. For much of the Auto Club 400, Blaney was the only driver who put up much of a challenge to race-winner Alex Bowman. His 54 laps led were the second most to Bowman, and they were the only drivers to lead more than 10 laps.

RELATED: Full race results | Blaney, Bowman split stage wins 

Those details, plus the speed Blaney has shown in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford, are things crew chief Todd Gordon says the team can build on rather than focus on the disappointment of good runs spoiled late.

“Ryan, I give him kudos,” Gordon told NASCAR.com. “He drove his guts out to try and get there, and we had the right rear come apart trying to do it. I think it’s positive. You are looking at a group that this is our third race together. We’ve been in contention to win all three of them.

“What more can you ask for? You can ask for wins, right? I really feel like the team is doing a great job. Ryan’s doing a great job. Wins will come. They’re coming. We’re doing the right things and building notebooks.”

In January, Team Penske announced it was shuffling the deck with its crew chiefs and Gordon moved from Joey Logano — who he won the 2018 Cup championship with — to Blaney. While this may just be his first year with Blaney, Gordon has gotten a good look at the young driver for a long time and was familiar with his tendencies before he became his crew chief.

“I’ve been around Ryan since he drove the Xfinity car,” Gordon said. “We’ve got great knowledge. As an organization, we look at where everybody is every weekend. I’ve looked at Ryan’s data for four years. I’ve seen what he wants in setups for four years.

“The communication part was already there. The shuffle makes it a little different on what you focused on. I think there’s a lot of positives to come yet. Looking forward to what we can do going forward. I think Phoenix will be a good race track for us and I’m loving Atlanta and Homestead when we get that. I don’t feel like there’s any place I don’t want to go.”