Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For the third consecutive year, NASCAR Productions scored a victory at the Sports Emmy Awards, recognized in the Outstanding Post-Produced Audio/Sound category during Monday’s awards ceremony in New York.

The Sports Emmy was awarded for NASCAR Productions’ work on “Feeling Speed,” a special documentary episode of FS1’s studio show “NASCAR Race Hub” — the long-running weekday series recapping the day’s NASCAR news.

The documentary received top honors for its innovative use of sound to showcase how deaf NASCAR fans experience a race. The film follows 40 members of the Deaf NASCAR Fans group during the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, exploring the science of sound and how the event is perceived through the other four senses.

“NASCAR Productions and FOX Sports continue to push the envelope of technical innovation and storytelling, so it’s rewarding to see ‘Feeling Speed’ recognized for its creative use of sound,” said Tally Hair, NASCAR Productions managing director and executive producer. “We’re so grateful for the work of senior audio mixer Ben Potts, the audio team and everyone who worked on this project for bringing to life such a unique and inspirational story on NASCAR Race Hub.”

Last night’s ceremony also recognized the sport’s broadcast partners FOX and NBC in several categories, including NASCAR on FOX for Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound, a category it has won every year since 2006 and 17 of the last 18 years. View the full list of winners here.

Presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports Emmy Awards recognize outstanding achievement in sports television coverage. Nominations were announced in 41 categories, and winners were honored on Monday night at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York.

In April, NASCAR Productions was presented with a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award. The prestigious honor was awarded in the category of Large-Scale “At Home” Production for Live Sports.

Watch more from NASCAR Productions and FOX by tuning in this Sunday for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, live at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Posted on by Staff Report

For the first time in 12 years, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour teams unloaded at Wall Stadium Speedway on Saturday.

Early on in the fifth race of the season, it looked like hometown favorite Andrew Krause was going to be the story of the night, as he took the lead for the early stages. Then, it was five-time series champion Doug Coby who was in control for the middle stages.

But a flurry of cautions and crashes in the second half of the race resulted in a battle to the finish between a rising star and a polished veteran.

All of that, and more, in the Whelen Modified Tour Rapid Rewind from Wall Stadium.

RAPID REWIND: Race Recap | Race Results | Championship Standings 

Woody Pitkat Gets Back To Victory Lane

After a chaotic final laps, it was a familiar face rolling into Victory Lane in Saturday‘s Jersey Shore 150.

Stafford, Connecticut, driver Woody Pitkat may have started deep in the field, and may have had some damage all around his No. 82 Horton Avenue Materials Chevrolet, but it didn‘t matter when the checkered flag went in the air and he was in at the front of the field.

The win broke a dry spell for Pitkat dating back to the 2015 season, where he picked up a victory driving for Buzz Chew, in what was the final season behind the wheel of the No. 88 for the veteran. From there, Pitkat has swapped teams, driven for five different car owners, and been searching to get back to the point.

To say the least, it had been a difficult ride for the 39-year-old before Saturday’s victory turned his mojo around.

“I‘ve been down on myself, the way we‘ve been running ever since the No. 88 ride, just trying to get back there. That proved to me and everyone else that I could run for top fives and contend for the championship, and that‘s where I want to get back at,” Pitkat said.

“I was pretty emotional in that car today during practice. I told the crew I was because it was frustrating. You know you can run better than that. I just never give up. That‘s how I‘ve been my whole life. You just try to do the best you can with what you have and keep making it better and better.”

Pitkat’s quest to return to Victory Lane was certainly one of those never give up efforts. He wasn’t in contention at the front of the pack for much of the race, and he was just fine with that.

“The biggest thing was trying to get lap 100, we‘ve struggled with the right-rear we start the races with,” Pitkat said. “We talked about what we needed to do at the break and we talked about fixing the toe because I had knocked it out. Our crew chief made a couple of really good calls. We tried to go back out there and keep the wheels on it. I was just trying to ride at the beginning.”

When leaders got together on countless occasions in the final laps, although Pitkat certainly did sustain some damage to his No. 82, it was still running straight when he ended up second for the final restart in NASCAR overtime. Rising star and Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Timmy Catalano was at the point for the restart, and once he took off, he quickly slowed, realizing he likely had fired earlier than NASCAR officials would have liked. In the end, it was Pitkat who rolled the top, and rolled to the win.

“I wasn‘t sure how it was going to work out, I know cautions usually breed cautions, but I didn‘t think it was going to be like that. My car owner Danny came over the radio and said we should just have the race red-checkered and take a second just before the final restart, and I told him there was no way, we were going to win the race, we had a really good car,” Pitkat said. “I struggled the first half of the race on restarts and I found something halfway through. I thought that I could beat him.”

The victory was the fourth career in Whelen Modified Tour competition for Pitkat, and his first at a track that wasn’t named Stafford Motor Speedway or New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Although it’s been a trying year, Pitkat did move to fifth in the championship standings with the win.

“If it wasn‘t for what happened with Ted (Christopher) passing, I don‘t think I‘d be in this car. To be able to put this car in Victory Lane knowing he has driven it before is a big honor for me,” he said. “I have a lot of memories with him.”

And even though Saturday’s victory meant a lot to him for a lot of reasons, maybe one of the highlights of the night was putting a past memory at the third-mile in the rear-view mirror.

“The first time I came here I actually hit the pit gate and when the race was red flagged Jimmy Blewett came running down to make sure I was okay,” Pitkat said. “Even Joey Logano, when I see him, he calls me Woody ‘Pit-gate’ every time. Hopefully he sees that I won at this place. It just hasn‘t sunk in yet.”

Blake Barney, Rob Summers Grab Podium Finishes

It was clear entering the Jersey Shore 150 that certain drivers had the home track advantage. Blake Barney, driving the famed No. 14, a car that had won multiple times at Wall over the last few decades, was at the front of the field again in the final stages Saturday.

This time, it was Barney, a 19-year-old rising star, who took the controls and piloted the car to a podium finish at his home track. He started racing Wall as part of their Sunday Series, and has recently also competed in a Modified at the third-mile. The second-place effort was the first career top five for the New Jersey native.

“I have to thank everyone for coming out and supporting us,” Barney said. “It was definitely wild. Some guys just didn’t have any patience out there. We were a lap down at some point, we cut a tire, and the front bumper is smashed in. I thought we were done. We always seem to race well and just be there at the end. The crew sticks with me through thick and thin. I’m so glad to get this run for them.”

Rob Summers was also celebrating a podium finish Saturday, but it wasn’t quite what he was looking for. Much like Barney, Summers survived the flurry of crashes at the end of the race with a mangled race car. In fact, just a few feet after he crossed the finish line, the car came to a rest and Summers needed the assistance of safety vehicles to get the car back to the paddock area.

“I’ve been racing a long time and I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like that. I spent more time in the air tonight than I did on the track,” Summers said. “We had a great car, and to finish third with no wheels left on the car, we’ve had a tough year. So it’s like a win for us.”

Flurry Of Second Half Trouble Mixes Up The Field

The first half of the Jersey Shore 150 may have had a few caution flags, but the second half truly became a battle of who could make it until the end with the wheels pointing straight. Justin Bonsignore started from the pole and led the first 31 laps, but after slight contact with Andrew Krause racing for the lead, Bonsignore lost positions and the uphill battle started for the defending series champion.

Krause was at the point from laps 32 to 65, then it was five-time series champion Doug Coby, who started sixth, taking control of the race at the front of the field. Coby led 44 laps until the field slowed for a controlled break during a caution on lap 102. During the break, teams were allowed to pit, change tires, and make adjustments to their cars. The order of running did not change while teams were down pit road.

That put Coby at the front for the restart, and Krause on the outside. It looked as though the two of them were going to battle for the trophy, but contact between both of them sent Coby and Krause both spinning on lap 139, ending both of their chances to win, while they spun in front of the field.

Just after, former series champion Ron Silk took command, looking to eat into Coby’s championship lead as the leader in the final circuits. But on the restart, Silk made contact with others and went spinning, ending his night, and many others nights. It was then a battle of attrition as Timmy Catalano and Pitkat lined up on the front row, with Pitkat eventually sliding by and taking the checkered flag.

Just nine of the 28 starters finished on the lead lap. Although he did finish 10th, Coby’s championship lead is 19 points over Ron Silk, and 30 over Jimmy Blewett.

Up Next

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour teams are off next weekend, before making a return to Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts on Saturday, June 1, for the Seekonk 150.

Posted on by Staff Report

Daniel Suarez used social media to chime in on the Stage 2 ending of the Monster Energy Open that saw Richard Petty Motorsports’ Bubba Wallace speed to victory while the Stewart-Haas Racing driver’s No. 41 Ford was sent spinning through the infield.

“The truth is that only drivers will know how and why that happened,” Suarez said, in part. His full reaction is below.

Wallace and Suarez raced side-by-side for the final couple laps in Saturday’s second stage, with a transfer spot into the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race on the line. Wallace nosed ahead on the backstretch, then appeared to slide down the track to stall a major run that Suarez had built up to beat him to the start/finish line.

“I almost gave it back to (Suarez) coming off (Turn 4), so it was just good racing there,” Wallace told FS1. “You know Daniel and I are really close, so I hope there are no hard feelings. We know what is on the line and I would have expected the same thing.”

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Editor’s note: This story originally ran May 19. On  Aug. 6, Garrett Lowe earned his first career win in the eNASCAR Peak Antifreeze iRacing Series following a dramatic last lap. Watch that below, then learn more about Lowe with this previously published story.

—

For most drivers, a successful career ends in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. For Garrett Lowe, it’s the place his racing career started.

At just 17 years old, Garrett Lowe is turning heads as a rookie in the eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series, but it wasn’t long ago he didn’t even have a computer of his own. Instead, he got his racing fix spending hours on the iRacing simulators at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In the short time since, he’s managed to reach the pinnacle of iRacing and also find success in real-world racing.

A birthday present from his father Rodney — a year’s membership to the NASCAR Hall of Fame — sparked the start to Lowe’s racing career. For the duration of an entire NASCAR season, the then-13-year-old started visiting the Hall’s simulators on a weekly basis with his dad with the goal of racing every single track on the NASCAR circuit.

RELATED: Complete eNASCAR coverage

It didn’t take long for Lowe’s hobby to grow into his passion, catching the eye of Hall of Fame staff, notably Jeff Addison, who oversees the Hall’s iRacing simulators.

“For his age, I could tell he was picking it up really quick,” said Addison. “It wasn’t long — it was like, good grief, I can hardly race the guy.”

Lowe’s skills also drew attention from NASCAR stars who regularly visited the iRacing simulators and competed against the teenager.

“I raced against Ty Dillon, and then I beat him,” Lowe said. “So, he asked for my autograph. That was pretty cool.”

Addison, an iRacing enthusiast himself, rose beyond his job duties as the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s AV Systems Manager to help the Lowes build Garrett’s computer.

“I went to their house and got it all set up and said, ‘OK, you’re on your own now.’ ”

RELATED: Latest iRacing Power Rankings

At home on his own, much like at the Hall of Fame, Lowe took to iRacing quickly, rising meteorically through the ranks, winning multiple series championships and setting records.

The 2018 iRacing season was unquestionably Garrett Lowe’s breakout year. He won iRacing’s Road to Pro championship, securing him a spot in the iRacing Pro Series — the elite series that promotes drivers to the best-of-the-best eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series field. Lowe placed an impressive fifth in the Pro Series standings, guaranteeing he’d graduate to the – ahem — peak of iRacing for the coming year.

Lowe also participated in the inaugural season of the eNASCAR Ignite Series, NASCAR’s iRacing-based esports series showcasing young talent. Lowe dominated much of the season and found himself the top-seeded driver heading into the championship race, but came up short of the title in the end.

“The experience was definitely cool. For me, my goal was to gain exposure in terms of the NASCAR community,” he said.

The 2019 season marked the culmination of all Lowe’s iRacing efforts, where he was selected in the second round of the PEAK iRacing Series draft by Team Renegades, a professional esports organization making its first foray into iRacing.

Drafting Lowe, a rookie, has paid dividends to Team Renegades so far in 2019. He opened the season with a top-10 finish at Daytona, then continued his solid run throughout the spring with three top fives in the last four races. He came just inches shy of winning at Talladega in a thriller of a finish.

Talladega Finish
Garrett Lowe (No. 28) nearly scored his first eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series race at Talladega Superspeedway April 23.

Heading into the PEAK iRacing Series race Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway — Lowe’s home track — he’s marched up to fifth in series points, exceeding even his own expectations.

“I personally didn’t expect to run this well, really, for the majority of the season,” Lowe said. “My expectations at the beginning of the year were just to make top 20. Now, at the point we’re at, it’s more like, ‘Let’s make it to Homestead.'”

Charlotte Cup Turn4 Night Patriotic
Garrett Lowe’s patriotic paint scheme he’ll race for Team Renegades in the eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway May 21.

Lowe said working with teammates and building car setups was the biggest adjustment from transitioning racing the NASCAR Hall of Fame simulators to, ultimately, the PEAK iRacing Series.

“I think that’s become the main thing people tend to miss when it comes to just watching the series each week — they don’t really get a chance to see all the work that goes into it.”

Lowe’s time on iRacing has paid off in more than just success at the top level of esports; he’s used his skills to start racing in the real world, too, competing — and winning — in Bandolero cars and U.S. Legend cars. In fact, with no prior experience in any real car, Lowe won two of his first four races in Bandolero cars.

“It was kind of unfair,” he joked. “I showed up to the race track and I was the same speed as the kids who were racing for maybe a year or two and I was on my second and third week and I was beating them.

“People were like, ‘What do you come from?’ and I’m like, ‘Nothing, this is where I started.’ ”

In 2018, he claimed a championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway, winning the Winter Heat Championship in the Outlaw division.

His mission is to continue building his real-world racing resume and climb the ranks, the same way he did in just a few years of iRacing.

MORE: Full iRacing schedule

“I’d like to make it all the way to the top in NASCAR — both virtually and real — that’s kind of my goal. Even just Xfinity Series, that’s enough for me.”

Addison agrees Lowe has what it takes to succeed as a driver outside the virtual world. His advice to the 17-year-old? Keep doing what you’re doing.

“From what I’ve seen in the Bandolero and legend car, I think he’s got the talent,” he said. “Even right now with iRacing — with esports — keep running up front and your name’s gonna get known.

“I keep telling people here about him all the time, especially Winston (Kelley, Hall of Fame executive director). I certainly hope he wins the championship; you never know. He’s on his way.”

Posted on by Staff Report

WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. — The wait was well worth it for Woody Pitkat.

The Stafford, Connecticut, native outlasted all other competitors in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour return to Wall Stadium Speedway on Saturday and took the checkered flag in the first event at the third-mile in 12 years.

It was the fourth career Whelen Modified Tour win for Pitkat, and his first in four years. It was also his first win driving for Danny Watts Racing in his 21st start with the team. Pitkat took over the ride after the passing of Ted Christopher in 2017.

RACING-REFERENCE: Jersey Shore 150 Race Results

“The biggest thing I told the guys today was that I wasn’t going to be over-aggressive,” Pitkat said. “I figured we wouldn’t qualify that great, but I knew I just needed to be there at the end. I was just trying to ride as much as I could. I really wasn’t sure how it was going to work out.”

The race didn’t look like it was going to fall into Pitkat’s lap until the final stages. Doug Coby took control of the race on lap 66 after starting sixth and led a race-high 72 laps. He was in control of the field on a restart on lap 138, and after contact with home town favorite Andrew Krause entering turn three, both of their chances ended. Krause, who was fastest in practice and 35 laps himself, was done for the night.

That handed the lead to former series champion Ron Silk, who looked as though he would score his second win of the young season driving for Kevin Stuart. But, a restart with just five laps remaining ended Silk’s chances as contact sent him spinning, in a wreck that collected many of the cars left on the track.

From there, the battle for Pitkat wasunderway. On a green-white-checkered restart in NASCAR overtime, Pitkat lined up to the outside of Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Timmy Catalano on the front row. At the green, he powered by to the lead and never looked back, as the No. 82 Horton Avenue Materials Chevrolet started smoking while the nerf-bar starting rubbing on the right-rear tire.

In the end, he made it around to the checkered flag at the top of the field.

In the late dash, rising star Blake Barney powered his way to a second-place finish, his career best effort in Whelen Modified Tour competition. Veteran Rob Summers was third, followed by Catalano and Dave Sapienza.

RACING-REFERENCE: Whelen Modified Tour Championship Standings

Eric Goodale was sixth, followed by Ken Heagy, Ron Silk, Tommy Catalano and Doug Coby.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track on Saturday, June 1, as the series makes a trip to Massachusetts and Seekonk Speedway.

Woodypitkat Wallwin Carshot 2019

Posted on by Staff Report

An emotional Bubba Wallace unsuccessfully tried to choke back tears, accepted a bear hug from buddy Ryan Blaney and gave a heartfelt TV interview from the garage.

And that was before he finished fifth in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race on Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, giving a needed jolt in the arm for a driver and team who have struggled to find their footing this year.

RELATED: Full All-Star Race results

Wallace hadn’t even qualified for the $1 million, winner-take-all bash prior to Saturday. He had to fight his way into the main event by winning one of three stages in the preceding Monster Energy Open — which he did, clipping Daniel Suarez at the start/finish line in an incredible finish to Stage 2.

“I gave up the first stage win and I didn’t say anything on the radio,” Wallace said after locking into the main event. “But my parents and everyone that has always helped me always said, when I am pissed off, I drive better. … My mental game is really shot right now, but damn it feels good to win something. I have failed at a lot of things in life recently, but I am working to make those things better.”

Wallace kept the No. 43 Chevrolet mostly clean in the All-Star Race despite driving through the field with reckless abandon. Showing off his aggressiveness in space, Wallace was running in the top five late — just behind Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, actually — before coming home with a top-five finish in his first career All-Star Race.

“Tons of fun tonight,” a relieved Wallace said on pit road post-race. “I honestly haven’t had that much fun in a long time. It was a big night for us, a big night of momentum.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The race-winning No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Kyle Larson cleared post-race inspection with no issues following the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR officials also noted there were no other issues throughout the 19-car field and no other cars will go to the NASCAR Research and Development Center following Saturday night’s race.

RELATED: All-Star Race results | Larson holds off Harvick

With the post-race teardown complete, the race results are official.

The post-race process is part of a new, more timely approach to inspection for all three NASCAR national series. Competition officials announced in February that thorough post-race inspections would take place shortly after the checkered flag at the track instead of midweek at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

Those inspections come with a stiffer deterrence structure that includes disqualification for significant rules infractions — “a total culture change,” according to Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. In the past, race-winning teams found in violation of the rules were penalized with post-race fines, points deductions and/or suspensions, but victories were allowed to stand.

Competition officials introduced the quicker post-race inspection timetable in an effort to make the results official on race day, aiming for a 90-minute target time frame to complete their scrutiny. The new post-race inspection process was also designed to deal with potential violations more promptly, avoiding any midweek news that might cloud the previous week’s results or the build-up to the following week’s event.

NASCAR will still inspect cars and parts at the R&D Center as needed, but the more comprehensive at-track inspection will take priority.

According to NASCAR statistical archives, the last time a premier series driver was disqualified occurred in 1973, when early retiree Buddy Baker was demoted to last place in the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The last time an apparent race winner in NASCAR’s top division was disqualified came on April 17, 1960, when Emanuel Zervakis’ victory at Wilson (N.C.) Speedway was thrown out because of an oversized fuel tank on his No. 85 Chevrolet.

Posted on by Marissa Fuller

CONCORD, N.C. — One hot night? This one was one hot fight night following Saturday’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Tempers flared and eventually boiled over following Kyle Larson’s win, with Clint Bowyer charging toward Ryan Newman’s car and throwing a flurry of punches at the Roush Fenway Racing driver as he sat in his car — double-digit hits before Newman’s team got to the car to pull Bowyer off.

“Doesn’t take much of a man to try and fight someone with a helmet on,” Newman said. “I think he should be embarrassed of himself.”

MORE: Race results

Once Newman exited his car, he removed his helmet and the two had an intense conversation before being pulled away.

Both drivers were called to the NASCAR hauler to speak with officials after the incident. Scott Miller, senior vice president of competition, spoke to the media after those discussions and does not expect any penalties in the coming week.

“Obviously, they had a little difference of opinion out there on the race track and they had a little difference of opinion here in the trailer,” Miller said. “But we think we kind of understand what went on out there and I think they’re in a pretty good place. We’re going to keep an eye on it.”

Were the emotions we saw post-race expected? Miller thinks yes.

“Great race, lot of passion,” Miller said. “The kind of things you want. Out of a night like tonight, you kind of expect some tempers to flare. That’s what we had. I think we’re in a pretty good place with it.”

Newman explained his reasoning behind the late-race contact, but it didn’t seem that he expected that particular outcome.

“The (No.) 14 shot me on the front straightaway earlier in the race, I just about turned him around,” Newman said. “If it weren’t for the brakes, it would have turned him around. After the race, I just went up and tapped him on the back, let him know I didn’t appreciate the way he raced me. Then he body slammed me and I hit him back a little bit on the back straightaway and then he just cut across my nose in Turn 3.”

Bowyer’s take? He thought Newman was a lap down and deserved what Bowyer gave him.

“Where I come from, you get poked in the nose for that. That’s what he got,” Bowyer said.

“I don’t know what the hell his beef was. I thought he was a lap down. Our day was over, we lost track position there. I checked up and he ran into my left rear and that’s the last I saw of him. Then after the race, he comes and runs into my back and turns me all around and I pull up next to him and he dumped me into (Turn) 4.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson is a million dollars richer after holding off Kevin Harvick in the final 15-lap stage of the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, an event that ended with Larson in Victory Lane and Clint Bowyer tangling with Ryan Newman on pit road.

Earlier Saturday afternoon, Larson won the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway to make the All-Star Race field. Then, in the four-stage, 85-lap main event, Larson became only the second driver in the All-Star history to win the Open and go to Victory Lane in the All-Star Race.

With a huge push from Kevin Harvick after a restart with 12 laps left, Larson surged into the lead in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, leaving Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott in his wake off Turn 2. Busch chased Larson until his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry bounced off the Turn 4 wall with six laps left and surrendered second place to Harvick.

RELATED: All-Star Race results 
SHOP: Larson gear

Larson kept Harvick at bay the rest of the way and crossed the finish line .322 seconds ahead of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang. For Larson, it was a welcome win in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season that has been a struggle so far.

“This is unbelievable,” an elated Larson said after a burnout on the frontstretch that shrouded the grandstand in smoke. “This whole day was up and down. From the B Main (a dirt-track racer’s nomenclature for the Open), we were getting a little bit of damage, having to repair the car. Had some great restarts there the last few, and Harvick gave me a heck of a push to get to the lead from the third row, and that was huge.

“Then again to get by the 18 (Busch) that final restart, just had to guess kind of what he was going to do behind me and try and take his air away. The 18 surprised me how good he was. But, man, this is amazing. I’ve been close a couple times. I feel like every time I’ve been in the All Star Race I’ve been close to winning, so it’s neat to finally close it out.

“There’s a lot of people from the shop here today, so we get to do some celebrating. I’m excited about that.”

Harvick, who dominated the second stage, arguably had the fastest car, but slow pit stops repeatedly cost him track position, leaving the driver frustrated with second place.

“A letdown,” was the way Harvick described his evening. “That’s how you take the fastest car and don’t win the race with it. You spot them the whole field … and just an incredible Busch Beer Ford. (Crew chief) Rodney (Childers) and all these guys on the team just did a great job, and it was unfortunate the way pit road went tonight because it wasn’t even close for anybody having a good car like we had tonight.

“It was a great night for performance, just a bad night on pit road.”

Busch, who won the 30-lap first stage, held on to third place at the finish, followed by Joey Logano and Bubba Wallace, another transfer from the Open. Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. completed the top 10.

Repeated contact between the cars of Newman and Bowyer on the cool-down lap ended with Bowyer turned into the outside wall. Later, on pit road, Bowyer rushed to Newman’s car.

Newman climbed from his car, and the drivers exchanged words instead of blows as they stood on pit road.

“The 14 (Bowyer) chopped me on the front straightaway earlier in the race,” Newman said after the race. “Then after the race I just went up and tapped him in the back to let him know I didn’t appreciate the way he raced me.

“Then he body-slammed me, and I hit him back a little bit on the back straightaway, and then he just cut across my nose in Turn 3. It doesn’t take much of a man to try to fight someone with a helmet on.”

RELATED: Newman explains frustration with Bowyer

Bowyer, who like Newman was called to the NASCAR hauler after the race, seemed mystified about the origins of the original conflict.

“I don’t know what the hell his beef was,” Bowyer said. “I thought he was a lap down. … I checked up, and he ran into my left rear. That was the last I saw of him, and then after the race, he comes and runs into my back and turns me all around. I pull up next to him, and he dumps me into (Turn) 4.

“Where I come from, you get poked in the nose for that.”

WATCH: Bowyer talks fight

Larson wouldn’t have been in the All-Star Race at all had he not won the Monster Energy Open, which decided three of the last four spots in the main event. Each of the first two 20-lap stages of the drama-filled qualifier ended with a two-lap overtime, the first of which was decided in Byron’s favor by .006 seconds.

On fresh tires, Byron roared through Turn 4 on the final lap of Stage 1 and made hard side-to-side contact with the Chevrolet of Wallace, who had stayed out on older rubber under caution for BJ McLeod’s blown engine. Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet turned sideways, but he righted the car and beat Wallace to the finish line by little more than the length of the front splitter.

Wallace found redemption in Stage 2, again staying out on older tires for the overtime run. For two laps, Wallace held off the Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Daniel Suarez, who had new Goodyears, and when Suarez darted to the inside off the final corner, Wallace blocked, sending Suarez sliding through the infield and out of contention.

WATCH: Bubba battles Suarez

The stage win was a welcome change for Wallace, who has suffered through a difficult season in the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet.

“My mental game is really shot right now, but, damn, it feels good to win something,” Wallace said after the Open. “I have failed at a lot of things in life recently, but I am working to make those things better. We’ll see what we can get tonight.”

Larson (who won the last 10-lap stage), Byron and Wallace all earned spots in the All-Star Race, along with Open third-place finisher Bowman, who made the field as the winner of the All-Star race Fan Vote. All four of those drivers finished in the top 10 in the main event.

Posted on by Staff Report

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

Note: All times are ET.

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

Sunday, May 19
1 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, FS2/FOX Sports App (re-air)
10 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, FS1/FOX Sports App (re-air)

Monday, May 20
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
12:30 p.m., MRN Outloud

Tuesday, May 21
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, May 22
2 a.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon ,FS1/FOX Sports App
3 a.m.,  NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App (re-air)
4 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, FS1/FOX Sports App (re-air)
4 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series West: Port of Tucson Twin 100, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series West: Port of Tucson Twin 100, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
11 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, FS2/FOX Sports App (re-air)

On MRN
noon, NASCAR Coast to Coast
1 p.m., NASCAR Crew Call

Thursday, May 23
3 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Practice, FS1/FOX Sports App (tape delayed, Canada: TSN app)
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice, FS1/FOX Sports App, (Canada: TSN app)
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (Weekend Edition), FS1/FOX Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice, FS1/FOX Sports App, (Canada: TSN app)
7 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports App, (Canada: TSN app)
7 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Series race at Wall Township Speedway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
8 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (Weekend Edition), FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
1 p.m., MRN Classic Races

Friday, May 24
3 a.m., NASCAR Presents: Davey Lives On, FS1/FOX Sports App (re-air)
3:30 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports App (re-air)
3:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., The 600: History of NASCAR’s Toughest Race, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, FS1/FOX Sports App (re-air)

On MRN
12:30 p.m., The Off Axis Podcast

Saturday, May 25
8 a.m., The Adventures of Janet Guthrie, FS1/FOX Sports App (re-air)
8:30 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Second Practice, FS1/FOX Sports App, (Canada: TSN app)
9:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports App, (Canada: TSN app)
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (Weekend Edition), FS1/FOX Sports App
11 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice, FS1/FOX Sports App, (Canada: TSN app)
noon: NASCAR Race Hub (Weekend Edition), FS1/FOX Sports App
12:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Xfinity, FS1/FOX Sports App
1 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series  Alsco 300, FS1/FOX Sports App,(Canada: TSN5)

Sunday, May 26
4:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS1/FOX Sports App
5:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600, FOX/FOX Sports App, (Canada: TSN1 and TSN3)