Posted on by Team Release

LEXINGTON, N.C. – Kaulig Racing is thrilled to announce that former NASCAR Xfinity Series Most Popular Driver, Elliott Sadler, will make his return to the track as he teams up with Nutrien Ag Solutions to pilot the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro SS for two races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS).

Sadler, who recorded three wins in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS), 13 wins in the NXS, and has been named the NXS Most Popular Driver four times (2011, 2016-2018), will make his comeback in the NXS with the help of Nutrien Ag Solutions and Kaulig Racing.

“I said I would only return to the race track if the right opportunity came along, and this is it,” said Sadler. “I’m thrilled to partner with Nutrien Ag Solutions and Kaulig Racing for these two races and team up with Ross Chastain behind the wheel of the No. 10 Chevy. I believe in the mission of Nutrien Ag Solutions, as they help farmers lead the field, and they wanted me to put my helmet back on to do the same at Richmond and Las Vegas.”

RELATED: Chastain inks deal with Kaulig for three races

Kaulig Racing, who will field a second entry for over half of the NXS season, is eager to have Sadler pilot the No. 10 Chevy for two races.

“We are so excited to have Elliott drive for us at Kaulig Racing,” said Kaulig Racing President, Chris Rice. “Elliott and I grew up racing together at South Boston Speedway, so to have him race for us at his home track is special. We have a great partnership with Nutrien Ag Solutions, who are huge supporters of Elliott, so it is a win-win for our team.”

MORE: Sadler toasts retirement with JR Motorsports crew

Nutrien Ag Solutions— the retail division of Nutrien, the largest crop inputs company in the world —is investing more than any other retail network in the science and technology to drive the future success of growers and the industry as a whole. Nutrien Ag Solutions offers a wide range of products and services to help growers optimize crop yields and their returns. With decades of experience and a continued service, providing the best technologies, tools and products for its growers, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Sadler and Chastain have their sights set on putting growers first at the track this year.

“Elliott has been a great friend of Nutrien Ag Solutions for almost a year now,” said Brent Smith, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for Nutrien Ag Solutions.  “We are proud to bring him back to the track. We and our growers look forward to seeing Elliott leading the field for these two races and continuing our great partnership with Kaulig Racing.”

In addition to his season debut at Richmond Raceway on April 12th, Sadler and Nutrien Ag Solutions will join together again later in the season at the second Las Vegas Motor Speedway event.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

A costly pit-road speeding penalty dashed Kyle Larson’s chances to win late in last week’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, marking another missed opportunity to win on a 1.5-mile track.

After winning Stage 1, Larson was the leader when a caution flag flew for Kyle Busch on Lap 223 of 325. That’s exactly when Larson sped on pit road, and so after leading 142 circuits, Larson had to restart at the tail end of the field. He could only manage a recovery of 12th place.

Speeding on pit road is not the norm for Larson. In 2018, the No. 42 driver only received one penalty for the same offense. But unfortunately for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver, what has become more of a trend is his inability to close the deal at intermediate tracks where he has dominated much of the race.

RELATED: Why Larson might not want to lead more than 99 laps in a race

Larson is winless in the last six events where he has led the most laps, dating back to Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 2017, along with races at Bristol, Kansas, Darlington and the Charlotte Roval in 2018.

Still, Larson does have some statistics to make a his case that a victory is coming, despite failing to score a 1.5-mile win so far in his career — a streak that could begin Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Although Larson ranks second on the all-time list for most laps led (725) on 1.5-mile tracks without a victory behind Bobby Isaac’s 727-lap mark, he is in some good company when it comes to the number of second-place results before winning on intermediates. That list includes the likes of 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer:

Driver 2nds First win
Kyle Larson 8 No win
Bobby Isaac 6 No win
Martin Truex Jr. 5 Charlotte (5/16)
Jeremy Mayfield 4 No win
Clint Bowyer 4 Charlotte (10/12)

It likely is only a matter of time before Larson starts breaking into Victory Lane at tracks that make up the majority of the schedule.

If Larson can minimize mistakes, build on veteran prowess brought to the table with new teammate Kurt Busch and become a quick-study as the full rules package goes into effect this weekend, you can expect the tides to turn very quickly.

The 26-year-old is too much of an all-around racing talent for it not to happen eventually.

Posted on by Team Release

Hackettstown, N.J. – Today, Mars, Incorporated announced a multi-year extension to its partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), that will see the confectionery giant continue to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 18 M&M’S® Toyota in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The relationship, one of the longest and most successful in the sport, will continue the unmatched success the partners have seen together both on and off the track.

In addition, JGR has extended their relationship with Kyle Busch, which will continue to see NASCAR’s “Candyman” behind the wheel of the No. 18 M&M’S® Toyota. Since Busch’s debut with JGR and Mars, Incorporated, the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion has achieved an incredible 40 wins behind the wheel of Mars sponsored race cars and an unforgettable 2015 season that saw Busch come back from injury to win his first Championship.

RELATED: Is hometown hero Kyle Busch the Vegas favorite?

“This relationship started over a decade ago and we have experienced more success than any of us ever thought possible,” said William Clements, Global Vice President, Sponsorship & Community Events, Mars, Incorporated. “Partnering with Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch provides us with a unique opportunity to elevate our brands by aligning ourselves with a world-class sport, racing team partner and driver, as well as the most dedicated fans in all of professional sports.”

“I’m proud and honored to continue to compete for Joe Gibbs Racing and Mars,” explained Busch, who finished fourth in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. “Racing for more than a decade with such an iconic team and sponsor has been incredible, and knowing that we can continue this winning relationship is very special.”

“Since the start of our partnership together in 2008, our relationship has been strong,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “As a team owner, the hope is to find partners and drivers that help us grow as an organization, and Kyle Busch and Mars, Incorporated have done exactly that. We have one of the longest partnerships in all of sports, and that really speaks to the strength of the understanding and respect we have for one another.”

RELATED: Kyle Busch through the years | Recap all of Kyle Busch’s wins

Away from the track, JGR and Kyle Busch are also an impressive force for Mars, pioneering the use of driver and team star power through savvy social and digital marketing techniques to strengthen the relationship with NASCAR fans, while also expanding into new audiences. Every weekend, the No. 18 is used as a blank canvas, displaying new product innovations that are seen in almost real-time by an audience of 80 million. While most recognizable with the iconic M&M’S® livery, the No. 18 Toyota has also represented dozens of Mars, Incorporated’s iconic brands including SNICKERS®, SKITTLES®, DOUBLE MINT® and PEDIGREE®

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie Daniel Hemric had an impressive run going at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but he just didn’t have the finish to show for it.

The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate was running fifth in the closing laps when a tire issue forced him to pit for service on the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. That led to a 20th-place result — but that was in no way a reflection of what Hemric and his new team have been able to build in a short amount of time.

RELATED: Promising run ends for Hemric, Preece

“Every new opportunity and every new situation you find yourself in, you hope to have that moment sooner than later,” Hemric told NASCAR.com on Wednesday. “Not only personally for myself, to give myself the confidence that I can run with those guys and race with those guys and do it at that level, but also for our team. I feel like every new team needs that spark and that little bit of that drive to know that you’re building toward something that can be extremely good. That’s what a moment like what we had Sunday at Atlanta will do to this 8 team”

While much of the No. 8 squad (formally the No. 31) led by crew chief Luke Lambert stayed intact over the offseason, it was Hemric and spotter Brandon Lyons who became new additions to the RCR Cup Series entry. The 27-year-old driver credits the extensive time they all spent team bonding to their jumpstart on the year — the team went over in detail every member’s duties from early Monday morning through late Sunday night.

“We spent a lot of time in the offseason going through communication stuff, did a week-long drill of just getting to know each other from a personal side, as well as a professional side,” Hemric said. “Really going into detail on what everybody’s jobs were and really understanding everything through and through. I feel that really cut our learning curve down substantially. I’m proud that we took that time because as we’ve started the season off here, I feel like we’ve hit the ground running and don’t have that lapse of really getting to know each other. I feel like it’s paying off and it’s showing on the race track.”

RELATED: Las Vegas entry list | Full Las Vegas schedule

Heading into this Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Hemric feels that the new fully implemented rules package gives his team even more opportunity to pounce on the competition.

“The cool part about this package that we have in the Cup Series this year is every week tends to feel like a new opportunity, especially since it’s so new to everybody,” Hemric said. “It’s a new opportunity and a chance for us to do something really incredible. I’m just happy to be a part of it and know we’ve got a shot at it week in and week out.”

RELATED: Las Vegas 101: New rules package

It’s been no secret that Richard Childress Racing as a whole has struggled over the past few years, but Hemric shed light on how the rules package allows the organization to improve its program without having to play a ton of catchup compared to seasons past.

“At RCR, we’re not in denial,” Hemric said. “We know the Cup Series program hasn’t been where we want it to be over the past couple seasons. This is the time where we’ve really been given a mulligan here to re-group and really kickstart 2019 off on par with everyone else. It’s our opportunity to get caught up and do it in a way-quicker manner than what you would in seasons past.”

Although Hemric stopped short of agreeing that a new rules package is a huge advantage for rookies like he, Ryan Preece and Matt Tifft, he noted that it’s “not a hindering element by any means.”

“Having that big of a rule package change and probably the biggest rules change-up in the history of the sport it quite some time since I can remember,” Hemric said. “Because of that, it does level the playing field. It opens up the level of opportunity up substantially for other teams. …

“Being a rookie coming in to it, it does really give me that much more confidence to know that if we put the work in and have the desire to get better day in and day out, then this package could lend to helping us get over that hump,” he added. “I feel like it’s already showing that we’re more than capable of doing that; we’ve gotta go produce.”

Speaking of rookies, Preece and the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing team also had a solid run going, but a crash on pit road with B.J. McLeod late in the race saw a potential top-10 finish dashed. Hemric anticipates a neck-and-neck battle with Preece for the top rookie honors throughout the season. It comes against a competitor with which he shares a similar short-track racing background.

WATCH: Preece slams into McLeod in Atlanta

“Oh, the Rookie of the Year battle I think is one of the most incredible ones we’ve seen in the sport in quite some time,” Hemric said.

“I have a ton of respect for Ryan and his path to get to this point in the sport. Mine and his upbringings are very similar. … Hopefully both of us can do some really incredible things and shine some light on the short-track world that if you give a short track guy a shot, good things can happen.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, with Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) serving as the capstone of a third consecutive triple-header weekend.

This is the first race of the season in which Monster Energy Series cars will use both tapered spacers, to reduce horsepower, and aero ducts to transfer air to the side of the car away from the front tires, which should foster tighter racing. That baseline rules package of tapered spacers and aero ducts will be in place on a majority of speedways measuring longer than 1 mile, but this is the first weekend of the season both are in use.

We explain that, plus much more, below to get you ready for Sin City.

RELATED: Full weekend schedule

Know the rules

NASCAR officials announced in October two baseline rules packages for the 2019 Monster Energy Series season, making a move to bolster competition with enhanced aerodynamic and engine configurations.

The different packages are tailored to the specific tracks on the Monster Energy Series circuit, with a combination of a smaller tapered spacer to reduce engine horsepower to a target goal of 550 (from 750) and aero ducts to foster tighter racing on a majority of speedways measuring longer than 1 mile.

Although both features — the tapered spacer and the aero ducts — will be in place for 17 of 36 races, five other races will have just the tapered spacer and not the aero ducts. Atlanta’s race last weekend, for example, did not utilize the aero ducts.

RECAP: Las Vegas testing

Graphic for 2019 rules packages

What about the rest?

The full-blown package that includes both tapered spacers and aero ducts debuts this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where teams tested for two days in January. Similar tracks such as Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway will also utilize both — and so will 2-milers Auto Club and Michigan — but Sunday is the first race with the full package.

Other than Atlanta, Monster Energy Series races at Pocono (both of them), Darlington and the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway will also deploy tapered spacers, but no aero ducts.

WATCH: Las Vegas drafting practice

All about that base-line

Beyond the tapered spacers and ducts, the baseline aero elements of the 2019 rules package are a taller 8-inch by 61-inch rear spoiler, a larger front splitter with a 2-inch overhang, and a wider radiator pan that measures 37 inches wide in the front tapering to 31 inches at the rear. Those base changes will be in place at every race next season with the intent of adding downforce to stabilize handling, a break from a trend of downforce reduction from 2015-18.

“For us, it’s really a focus on getting back to a true focus on the drivers and what NASCAR is all about — close side-by-side racing and trying to deliver more of that,” NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said when the rules were announced last year.

What’s Good(year)?

NASCAR teams go from one mile-and-a-half track in Atlanta — OK, technically it’s 1.54 miles — to another in Las Vegas. Conditions will be vastly different, however. Atlanta’s old, weathered surface is notorious for chewing up tires. The surface at Las Vegas is smoother and doesn’t wear tires to the degree of Atlanta, which saw three seconds of drop-off time, per lap, over the course of a fuel run.

Goodyear officials are bringing a new tire setup for both Monster Energy Series teams and Xfinity Series teams this week. The left-side tire is brand new and hasn’t been raced on outside of testing at the track earlier this year — although Goodyear plans to use them at “many tracks” this season, according to a release. The right side tire was used last year at both Michigan and Texas, but not Las Vegas.

“Since the track surface at Las Vegas has proven over the years to be one that generates minimal tire wear, we have made a change to our tire recommendation for this weekend’s races,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Excessive heat is really the enemy of a race tire and tire performance. On surfaces that don’t naturally promote wear, it is important to design a tire that can handle and dissipate that heat, and this right-side utilizes a tread compound formulation which does that.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Three years ago it looked like Timmy Solomito was first in line to take down champion Doug Coby on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Solomito won four races in 2016, and followed it up with five in 2017 — coming just a mere six points from ending Coby’s reign as champion of the Whelen Modified Tour. When the season ended, Solomito and his Eric Sanderson-owned team were ready to pounce heading into the 2018 season, looking to build on momentum and come out of the gates strong en route to what he hoped would be a title run.

Things didn’t go as planned.

Solomito failed to visit Victory Lane in 16 Whelen Modified Tour races last year and even though he finished fourth in the championship standings, the campaign didn’t live up to his, or his teams, standards.

“It’s a humbling sport — there are days you are going to be on top and days you are going to be at the bottom — but that’s all part of it,” Solomito said.

RACING-REFERENCE: Timmy Solomito’s Whelen Modified Tour Career

Can Solomito draw to any specific reason why the team didn’t have the success they wanted last year?

Maybe.

Originally, he took over for current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, in 2015, and even though the first few years went well, he hit a rough patch last year, possibly because the team didn’t capitalize on a chance to get ahead of the game in the offseason.

“I thought to myself that I had some really big shoes to fill (when I took over for Preece). We started winning races, everyone was jelling well and we almost thought to ourselves that we had it figured out, so over the winter, we didn’t really try different things,” he said.  “We went back to our same notes and thought everything was going to be the same, but everyone steps up and you’re still on your old technology and you get behind the eight-ball. It’s almost where we were. We had some races where we ran well, but we didn’t run where we were the last two years.”

As Solomito mentions, since racing is a difficult sport to accomplish your goals constantly, the Islip, New York, driver is ready to take last year and put it in the rear-view mirror. But, before the season gets underway at Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina on March 16, Solomito has already taken a leap into a new venture in racing — just not behind the wheel.

THOMPSON, CT - OCTOBER 15: Timmy Solomito, driver of the #16 Starrett Tools Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Sunoco World Series 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Oct 15, 2017 in Thompson, Connecticut. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

After years working for the Goodale family company, the 27-year-old is taking what started as some work he had been doing on his own and making it a full-time reality. Solomito officially embarked on a new challenge by opening Natural Design Concepts and Apparel full-time, where he specializes in wrapping all types of race cars and creating apparel for race teams across various different divisions. And that’s only the start of it all.

VISIT SOLOMITO’S COMPANY: Natural Design Concepts & Apparel Facebook Page

“My mom runs around hours endlessly that isn’t documented, she works for free. She has been behind 110 percent,” Solomito said of the help he had getting it off the ground running.

“I worked for the Goodale family, and it was a pleasure working for them for eight and a half years. I started a side company to make a little bit of extra money, and with the support of friends and family, I took a leap into my own company as of January 1. It’s really driven by friends and family. There have definitely been some sleepless nights but it’s a good feeling to know that you built something. I’m going to keep working on that, and keep focusing on the racing.”

So, with his schedule now stacked up right through to the season-opener, it wasn’t the easiest decision for Solomito to make when he planned a trip to Florida in February. But it wasn’t for leisure — as the No. 16 team went south to New Smyrna Speedway to compete in the 53rd annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, hoping to gain some momentum and find some new tricks on the setup under the hood. Before that, he also competed in two Indoor TQ Midget events during the winter months.

“Sly Szaban (crew chief) and the guys did a bunch of work over the winter. We are just working on the car trying to learn something to prepare for Myrtle Beach and the rest of the Tour schedule,” he said at New Smyrna. “You think an hour of time in a Whelen Modified Tour practice is a lot of time, but honestly you show up at the track with what you know is going to work. You don’t go there with something thing outside the box because you don’t wanna be so far off the pace.”

“You come down here for a week and you have some time to try some different stuff. As a driver, it builds that focus and builds the momentum going into the season. I also ran the Indoor car this year and I feel like that helped me. I felt like my reaction time is better and I’m sharper. It’s a lot of money and a lot of preparation and you can wear a car out in a week, but you almost have to do it now. Just when you think these guys can’t get any better, they get better.”

No matter what, as he enters his fifth season driving for Sanderson and the team, Solomito is jelling better than ever with his crew members. And he wants to prove on the track that those two years filled with winning were no fluke.

“That’s one thing I have to say about this team — we’ve had good years and we’ve had bad years, finishing fourth in points last year, for someone to say that it was a bad year, most guys would kill to finish fourth in points. These guys are great,” Solomito said. “They are very loyal people. They stick behind you. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys. The first day I sat down with Eric Sanderson, I could tell everything was done with a handshake, it’s not a contract, you don’t have to sign. It’s show up to the track and give me 150 percent and you’re in it for the year. Whether you are winning races or not winning races, people are going to talk. My guys stayed positive through it all.”

WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR: 2019 Schedule | Race Center | Series History

With the season just over two weeks away, Solomito is ready to get the ball rolling as he hopes to chase his first championship. The season will be a tough test for the New York native, but, he’s ready for the challenge. It begins at Myrtle Beach Speedway, a place where Solomito went to Victory Lane in 2017.

“I like when they throw new things at you,” he said of the 2019 schedule, which includes the addition of South Boston Speedway and Wall Stadium. “It gives everyone an even playing field when you show up to the track. I feel like we are already better off than we were last year.”

MYRTLE BEACH, SC - MARCH 18: Timmy Solomito, driver of the #16 Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Ford, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Whelen Modified Performance Plus 150 presented by Safety Kleen at Myrtle Beach Speedway on March 18, 2017 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/NASCAR

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Easy mode?

In Saturday’s Gander Outdoors Truck Series race, Kyle Busch made his march through the field look easy. Or, as Xfinity Series driver Kaz Grala put it, as if he were playing NASCAR Heat 3.

C’mon, Kaz. Crank up the difficulty settings.

 

NASCAR Heat 3 2019 season update released

Speaking of NASCAR Heat 3, 704 Games released the 2019 update, which features new drivers, teams, paint schemes, and the Ford Mustang.

 

Your last iRacing race in a GIF

iRacing invited racers to summarize their last outing in a single GIF.

At least Noah Gragson’s not racing in Easy mode — right, Kaz Grala?

eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series driver Nickolas Shelton got in on the action …

… which included an epic clapback.

Speaking of the PEAK iRacing Series …

 

Tonight: eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series at Las Vegas

The pinnacle (um, peak?) series of iRacing heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for its second race of 2019 Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.

In the season opener at Daytona, Roush Fenway Racing’s Zack Novak edged Richmond Raceway eSports racer Jimmy Mullis in a side-by-side thriller.

There’s a change atop our power rankings heading into Sin City, too, featuring a driver who’s undefeated in the desert.

The Las Vegas race will stream live on eNASCAR.com.

 

New paint for Burton Kligerman eSports

Logan Clampitt and Ashton Crowder will sport new paint schemes starting at Las Vegas featuring sponsorship from NBC Sports, where team owners Parker Kligerman and Jeff Burton are television analysts.

 

Race teams compete for eNASCAR Heat Pro League draft order

NASCAR teams competing in the eNASCAR Heat Pro League took to social media last week to help boost their odds at a solid pick in March’s driver draft.

With voting closed, the final draft order will be announced Thursday, Feb. 28.  

 

Heat Pro League Showcase races continue

The fourth and final Showcase race, where top NASCAR Heat 3 eSports drivers demonstrate their racing skills to NASCAR teams, takes place Wednesday at ISM Raceway.

https://twitter.com/patsace1/status/1100186395740700672

 

iRacing Paint Scheme of the Week

Dustin Winegardner created a beautiful rendition of Jeff Gordon’s 1990s rainbow DuPont Chevrolet on a mid-2000s stock car model. The paint scheme, one of the most recognizable in NASCAR history, was originally designed by Sam Bass, who died Feb. 16.

 

iRacing Video of the Week

NASCAR radio announcer Mike Bagley showed off his best Ryan Preece impression. Nicely done, Bagman.

 

NASCAR Heat 3 Video of the Week

How about this Texas-sized final lap?

https://twitter.com/TylerDohar/status/1099838159519735810

 

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kurt Busch’s third-place finish Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway was a high speed “How Do You Do?” for his new Chip Ganassi Racing team. Two races into the new gig with Ganassi and a new manufacturer in Chevrolet, Busch’s performance Sunday certainly was the right start for his new start.

“I could say it wasn’t anything fantastic or anything exciting, but it really was,” said Busch, who marked his 650th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start Sunday in the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. “To finish third in our second outing together and to run with the who’s who of the sport, it just shows Ganassi has got the right stuff.”

Busch has a positive habit of starting off strong with new teams. When he arrived at Team Penske in 2006 (after winning the 2004 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title in five seasons with Roush-Fenway Racing), Busch won a pole position in his second start with Penske — at Auto Club Speedway — then won in his fifth start with the team at Bristol.

RELATED: Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch make milestone starts

When Busch moved to the small, independent James Finch team in 2012, he scored a top-10 finish (fifth at Auto Club) in only his fifth start. The next season he went to Furniture Row Racing and finished fourth in his fourth start (at Bristol) and fifth in his fifth start (Auto Club) — both high marks at the time for single-car teams.

He started his five-year tenure with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 in a similar manner — scoring his first victory with SHR (at Martinsville) in only his sixth start for the team.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series moves to Busch’s hometown, Las Vegas, for this weekend’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube (at 3:30 pm ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) on the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s the first of three races on the West Coast, which also includes stops at ISM Raceway in Phoenix next week and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, in two weeks.

It’s typically a time of great anticipation for the ever-growing number of Monster Energy Series drivers who hail from the region and a chance to shine in front of the hometown fans. Four of the eight West Coast drivers are series champions, including seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, California), 2014 Cup champ Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, California) along with 2004 champ Kurt Busch and his brother, 2015 champion Kyle Busch (both from Las Vegas, Nevada).

RELATED: Drivers with 600-plus Monster Energy Series starts

For Kurt Busch, this week’s westward expansion is not only about doing well in front of the home crowd — it’s about doing well in general.

Interestingly, the only track among the three West Coast stops where Busch hasn’t won previously, is his hometown track — Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He has a pair of pole positions and four top 10s but third place is his best effort and that came back in 2005, just after he won his series title. His recent showings there — 20th or worse in six of the last seven Vegas races — certainly provide motivation.

If last Sunday’s race — his second with the Ganassi team — is a true indicator, it seems as if he’s finding his footing with his new team and new power plant. Most encouraging for him, was that it wasn’t just himself that had a good day. He led a lap, and his teammate Kyle Larson led the most on the day (142) only to receive a late race pit-road penalty that left him 12th. The opportunity is there for the fast start to continue.

Posted on by Staff Report

Anthony Pasut, the fueler for the JTG Daugherty Racing No. 37 Chevrolet, is home from the hospital after suffering multiple leg injuries in a pit-road incident Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Pasut suffered a broken fibula, a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and other injuries to his right leg during Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. He was struck when Ryan Preece, JTG Daugherty’s other driver, knocked B.J. McLeod’s No. 52 entry into the No. 37 team’s pit stall late in the race.

RELATED: Atlanta race results

Pasut is a Hendrick Motorsports crewmember assigned to the JTG Daugherty No. 37 team and driver Chris Buescher, who finished ninth Sunday. A Hendrick Motorsports spokesperson said Monday that Pasut had returned to the Charlotte area to further recover from his injuries.

A timetable for Pasut’s return to over-the-wall duty has not been determined, according to Hendrick Motorsports. The organization also said that a replacement gas man for his roles in all NASCAR national series would be named later in the week.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials issued penalties Monday to two teams in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and one Gander Outdoors Truck Series team for lug-nut violations at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The Leavine Family Racing No. 95 Toyota of driver Matt DiBenedetto and the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Chevrolet of driver Bubba Wallace were each found with one unsecured lug nut in a post-race check after Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. Monday, NASCAR competition officials fined No. 95 crew chief Michael Wheeler and No. 43 crew chief Derek Stamets $10,000 each.

RELATED: Keselowski wins Atlanta | Race results

Because of a miscommunication, NASCAR officials initially announced Sunday at the track that the Germain Racing No. 13 team had been penalized for a lug-nut violation, not the No. 43.

DiBenedetto finished 26th at Atlanta, one spot ahead of Wallace in 27th.

In the Truck Series, the ThorSport Racing No. 13 Ford of runner-up Johnny Sauter was also found with one unsecured lug nut after Saturday’s Ultimate Tailgating 200. Crew chief Joe Shear Jr. was issued a $2,500 fine.