Doug Coby Begins Quest For Sixth Title In Victory Lane

Posted on March 17, 2019April 1, 2021 by Staff Report

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Doug Coby’s quest for a sixth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship couldn’t have started off much better.

After two years of struggling at Myrtle Beach Speedway, Coby make those scuffles distant memories on Saturday, rolling to his 25th career Whelen Modified Tour win and first at the South Carolina oval.

He may have made the final laps of the Performance Plus 150 presented by Safety Kleen look easy, but the day wasn’t filled with only celebratory moments. He did win the first Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award in qualifying, but Coby was forced to start at the tail of the field after a screw in his left-front tire forced the team to make an unapproved tire change before the green.

From there, the charge was on from the rear of a 32 car field in hopes of reaching the front. In the end, he found the top spot — a familiar place for the five-time Whelen Modified Tour champion.

HE’S BAAAAAAACK!

Five-time #NWMT champion @doug_coby makes a statement at Myrtle Beach.

It’s good to be ud83dudc51 pic.twitter.com/Tz5vLjb2XT

— FansChoiceTV (@FansChoiceTV) March 16, 2019

“This was an interesting one,” Coby said. “Ultimately, I had the best car I have ever had here. We had to go perform, and we did. The book is going to say we won the pole, started first and finished first, but the reality is, we started 32nd and finished first. We passed a lot of cars.”

RACING-REFERENCE: Performance Plus 150 Race Results

After Coby dropped to the tail, Jon McKennedy was the control car for the initial start and he did just that — took control for a majority of the first half of the event. McKennedy led a race high 64 laps, but pit strategy in the final stages didn’t quite fall his way.

After a caution on lap 110, Coby charged up inside the top three after pitting for fresh rubber, then rolled by Kyle Ebersole for the top spot on lap 122. From there, it was just about getting around some lapped traffic and minding a gap over Jon McKennedy and Jimmy Blewett.

When McKennedy and Blewett started racing for the runner-up spot, Coby opened his gap, and was never challenged. Even though the tire strategy didn’t quite work out in McKennedy’s favor, the second-place effort was a good way to follow-up a winning performance in the opener last year.

“We put two tires on and the No. 2 car put three in, but we still had a really good car,” McKennedy said. “We asked the right-front tire to go 150 laps, which is tough. They knew we were here. It was a great effort by everyone.”

In his first start with Gershow Motorsports, Blewett was third, followed by Patrick Emerling and Chris Pasteryak. The top-five run was Pasteryak’s first since 2009 in Whelen Modified Tour competition.

Anthony Nocella was sixth, followed by Burt Myers, Andy Seuss, Eric Goodale and Frank Fleming.

The Performance Plus 150 presented by Safety Kleen will air on NBCSN on Thursday, March 21 at 6 p.m.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to action in just two weeks, on Saturday, March 30, at South Boston Speedway in Virginia.

Posted on March 17, 2019March 17, 2019 by Brad Norman

With a historic milestone in his sight, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch has moved into the clear favorite position on the Las Vegas odds board the morning of the Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Busch opened at 9-2 odds with Kevin Harvick earlier in the week, but he’s now 4-1 on race day — meaning if a bettor places a $100 bet on Busch to win, he or she would win $400 (plus his initial $100 back) should “Rowdy” win today. Beyond betting implications, a victory would give Busch 200 total for his career in the three NASCAR national series.

Harvick remains 9-2, but other big names have seen their odds drop slightly — including Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano and Kyle Larson.

MORE: Full Vegas odds

The biggest mover clearly is Austin Dillon. After opening at 80-1 odds, Dillon is listed at 20-1 on the board Sunday morning — same as Aric Almirola, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin.

Dillon starts from the Busch Pole position and has been in the top 10 of all three practices. Those who bet on Dillon earlier at 80-1 odds have tremendous value today; those who believe in the “3” and have not bet would only get the currently listed 20-1 rate.

MORE: Lineup, key personnel

Posted on March 16, 2019 by RJ Kraft

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon will start from the pole position for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Does he merit a spot in your lineup? We’ve dissected the numbers to offer a suggested lineup worthy of your Fantasy Live consideration as you make roster decisions.

PLAY NOW: Set your lineup | How the game works | Tips to set your lineup

Remember that the garage locks at the end of Stage 2. Once the final stage starts, your roster is locked in.

RJ Kraft’s Fantasy Live lineup for race day at Auto Club:
1. Kyle Busch
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Joey Logano
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Erik Jones
Garage: Kyle Larson

RELATED: Odds for Auto Club | 10-lap averages from Auto Club | Podcast: Fantasy Fastlane

Analysis: I’m making one switch from my original lineup and it’s plugging in Erik Jones for Martin Truex Jr. Jones has the best average running position here (6.871), earned stage points in all four stages of the past two races here and topped the 15-lap board in final practice (h/t@MikeJoy500). I haven’t used him much, he’s only owned by six percent of players (as of Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET) and this seems like a good spot to plug him in. Truex will start 27th and while he has had solid speed this weekend, I think I’ll be better served to save the use.

Busch, Keselowski and Logano look very much how I expected them to and I see no reason to move away from them. Keselowski paced the final practice and had the best 10-lap average in the final session, Logano has the long run speed dialed in and Penske as a whole has this particular rules package dialed in. Busch is one of the best here and I have no doubt he’s hungry to claim a milestone victory — No. 200 — in his career at a track where he’s had a strong history.

If you listened to the Fantasy Fastlane Podcast, you know I was big on Bowyer for this race and I am still committed to that. I haven’t used him yet and I like giving myself an out on one of the big names with a low usage driver for me. On top of that, Bowyer’s posted solid times and has two top-11 finishes here with Stewart-Haas Racing. For the garage, I’m rolling with “2-mile Kyle.” He has a win and two runner-ups at Auto Club and once the top lane gets rolling, look out. The No. 42 team hasn’t been as sharp as I would like but an eighth-best 10-lap average suggests they are rounding into form. Other drivers I considered were: Truex, Aric Almirola and Ryan Blaney — his averages in particular gave me a lot to think about.

For the stage winners, I’m taking Kevin Harvick in Stage 1 as I like the starting spot and want to conserve the use since the No. 4 car seems to tail off in the second half of races. I’ll go with Kyle Busch for the Stage 2 win and the race win with Ford as the manufacturer.

Each week in this space, we’ll also highlight two Props Challenge items for players.

MORE: Play the Props Challenge today

1. Which Joe Gibbs Racing driver will have the higher finishing position: Erik Jones or Denny Hamlin? Even though Hamlin has a better starting spot than Jones (sixth vs. 18th), I like Jones on this prop. The younger Joe Gibbs Racing driver had faster 10-lap averages in both Saturday practices and also had a faster lap on the board than the 2019 Daytona 500 winner. Plus, even though Jones has only two starts at the 2-mile track, I think the history is a bit more consistent and favorable than Hamlin’s has been — just six top 10s in 17 starts here.

2. Chevrolet had had three drivers finish in the top 10 the past two Auto Club races. O/U 2.5 Chevrolet drivers finish in the top 10 on Sunday? I’m on the under for this one. In the two races in the 1.5 to 2-mile range this season, Chevrolet has only scored two top 10s in each of those races — Atlanta and Las Vegas. I’m expecting more of the same this week. There are only two bowtie brand cars in the top 10 to start the race and I think that two of the Chevys outside the top 10 — Larson and Jimmie Johnson — will take the place of Austin Dillon and Chase Elliott when the day is over. Spoiler alert: Despite going against Chevy on this prop, I like the prop of Johnson earning a top 10.

Posted on March 16, 2019March 16, 2019 by Reid Spencer

FONTANA, Calif. – Thanks to Cole Custer, Kyle Busch will have to wait at least one more day.

With a determined run to the finish in Saturday’s Production Alliance Group 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway, Custer kept Busch at bay after a restart with 20 laps left and thwarted Busch’s march toward 200 victories across NASCAR’s top three national series.

In winning for the third time in his career and the first time at his home track, the Ladera Ranch, Calif., native grabbed the lead from Christopher Bell on Lap 132 of 150 and pulled away to beat Busch to the finish by 1.927 seconds, after Busch passed Bell for second on Lap 136.

RELATED: Race results

For his part, Busch fell one spot short of win No. 200 after a self-inflicted wound by his pit crew sent the No. 18 Toyota to the back of the field for a restart on Lap 118. Four circuits earlier, under caution, a problem with the jack on the left side of the car cost Busch 10 spots on pit road.

But the coup de grace was a penalty for an uncontrolled tire that forced him to restart at the tail end of the field and gave Custer a chance out front in clean air.

“It means a ton,” said the 21-year-old Custer. “As great a driver as Kyle Busch is, he’s going to be one of the legends of our sport. To keep him one race more from getting 200 means a lot. I’m sure he’s a little bit frustrated, but we have a great time racing him.”

Once Custer passed Bell for the lead, his No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford took off.

“We had a pretty good car all day,” said Custer, who led four times for a total of 29 laps. “It was just a matter of getting out front. We got our car to turn a little better, and that was kind of the difference.”

After restarting sixth on Lap 131, Busch, who won the first two stages and led 98 laps, couldn’t match Custer’s speed over the last 20 circuits.

“Lack of grip there at the end,” said Busch, who will have his next shot at his 200th win in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). “We just didn’t have the speed we needed with the No. 00.

“Earlier in the day we were two tenths (of a second) better than some of the guys, and there at the end, we weren’t. It is what it is, I guess… Our Supra was fast, just not enough at the end. At the end there, he (Custer) was really good and really fast and had a good car. They got better throughout the day and got closer to our rear bumper there on that second-to-last run before we had our pit road problems and dropped us back in the pack.

“Obviously, we were able to rebound, but when you have a fast guy out front and a fast guy in second, they run the same times, and they stay the same distance apart. We just weren’t quick enough there at the end to chase them down.”

Bell held third despite fighting handling issues throughout the afternoon. Pole sitter Tyler Reddick recovered from several brushes with the outside wall to run fourth. Chase Briscoe was fifth in the No. 98 Ford.

Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones and Ryan Preece all recovered from spins to come home sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively. Justin Allgaier and Justin Haley completed the top 10.

Asked how he planned to celebrate the victory, Custer had a ready reply.

“This year, I can drink,” he quipped.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series has a weekend off before heading to Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 30 for the My Bariatric Solutions 300 (1 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on March 16, 2019March 16, 2019 by Reid Spencer

FONTANA, Calif. — Denny Hamlin conjured up a name from “Days of Thunder” when talking about his golf buddy Kyle Larson.

The debate was simple. Is it better for a driver to know his race car from the ground up, as Kyle Busch does, or is it better for a driver to leave all the mechanics and setup to his crew chief, as Kyle Larson does.

MORE: Larson has extra motivation to win in home state

Busch often suggests specific changes to crew chief Adam Stevens. Larson remains deliberately and blithely uninformed about the workings of the car.

“I’ve talked to both of them pretty often, between Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson,” said Hamlin, who has been Busch’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing for more than a decade. “Larson is definitely the Cole Trickle. He just gets in and drives. He has no idea what’s going on within the car — and that style works, and he’s fast, and he’s really, really talented.

“Kyle Busch, when I hear him talking in debriefs, he’s very downloaded into ‘The right front has this feel. It’s got too much load, not enough load, this, that and the other.’ Some crew chiefs could maybe be overwhelmed with that. I think he’s got a great pairing with Adam. He understands (Kyle) when he’s saying what he’s saying.”

If Busch and Larson are the two extremes, Hamlin considers himself more of a blend of styles.

“I think I’m kind of an in-between guy, to be honest with you,” said the most recent Daytona 500 winner. “There are so many different ways to do it. (Teammate) Martin (Truex Jr.) is kind of an in-between guy as well, but Kyle is certainly more detail-oriented with the car itself.”

Posted on March 16, 2019 by Reid Spencer

FONTANA, Calif. — Kevin Harvick has a selective memory — and he’s happy about it.

When Harvick came to Auto Club Speedway last year, he was riding a three-race winning streak and trying to join the elite four-in-a-row club. But Harvick’s bid to win at the 2-mile track didn’t survive the first stage of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Harvick was racing for position against Kyle Larson on Lap 38 when the two cars collided near the exit from Turn 2.

After repairs, Harvick finished the race nine laps down in 35th place. But does the memory of that wreck and the lost chance for four straight victories bother him? Hardly.

“I honestly had forgotten we wrecked until you brought it up,” Harvick told reporters during a question-and-answer session Friday at Auto Club Speedway. “I couldn’t care less. Sometimes I wreck. Sometimes I win. Honestly, I have grown so numb to what people think or the things I have done that I just love going to a race track with a fresh mind-set on a week-to-week basis.

“I’ve learned that what I did last week has no merit in what I need to do this week. I don’t know. I guess I have done this for so long that I just have a short memory. I can laugh those things off.”

This year, Harvick comes to Fontana third in the standings and seeking his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of the year. In the first four events of the season, his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing cars have been fast, but not dominant.

“For us, I feel like we have had top-five, top-three cars the last three weeks,” Harvick said. “They’re just not quite winning cars.”

Of course, that could change in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Harvick will start on the front row beside pole winner Austin Dillon.

Posted on March 16, 2019March 16, 2019 by Chase Wilhelm

FONTANA, Calif. — A new teammate and rules package have given Ricky Stenhouse Jr. a clean slate — and he’s capitalized on it.

In the first four races of 2019, the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing driver has finished no worse than 18th, including a season-best, sixth-place effort at Las Vegas. In contrast, Stenhouse Jr.’s best finish in the first four events in 2018 was 14th, with a result as low as 29th.

Stenhouse Jr. hopes the uptick in performance continues during Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway where he’ll start 12th(3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“We did expect it,” Stenhouse said. “We knew these cars fit my driving style maybe a little bit better. But we also knew it was kind of an opportunity to kind of close the gap on the competition.”

While Stenhouse Jr. has thrived with the new aero package, it’s still been a seesaw for him and new Roush teammate Ryan Newman as each race has presented a different set of challenges for the entire Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series field – something he anticipates will continue.

“We’ve done a good job this offseason taking steps in the right direction, but I think every race this year, you see teams kind of go up and down — gain speed, lose a little bit of speed,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “So, I think it’s going to be kind of a cat-and-mouse game I feel like for the first half of the year. Everybody just trying to figure out what package and how much downforce they’re going to bring to the race track on that given weekend. Definitely a good start for us and want to keep that going.”

Like Matt Kenseth last season, Newman has brought valuable information and unique, veteran feedback to the table to help steer the Roush ship in the right direction. Stenhouse Jr. feels he and Newman have a strong relationship both on and off the race track — which has allowed the organization’s gains to flourish even more.

“I like Ryan,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “I think Matt and I said a lot of the same things in different ways, kind of like Ryan. He talks way different than Matt did and any teammates I’ve ever had. Some of that comes from a little bit more engineering-minded driver, which you don’t have many of. So, I’ve never had a teammate like that. To listen to him talk about and kind of pick apart the car in different ways has been kind of cool.”

While both drivers have enhanced speed in their Ford Mustang fleet, Stenhouse Jr. has also muscled his way to finishes – making headlines for rubbing multiple drivers the wrong way from time to time in the year’s early races. But the 31-year-old says his driving style hasn’t changed, nor will he alter it.

“I’ve got a car better to work with and (I’m) able to do different things with it,” he said. “For me, I feel like I’ve always driven the same, it’s just depending on what situation that I’m in, depending on what I want to do. So, I’ll always race hard.”

It’s that type of driving style that gives Stenhouse Jr. and Newman something in common. But according to Stenhouse Jr., it’s not so much Newman’s aggression that makes him notoriously tough to pass.

“Everybody says that Ryan’s hard to pass, but I’ve always told Ryan I feel like he’s hard to pass because he doesn’t make mistakes,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “He’s got the same mentality – if you’re faster, pass me. Go around me, run (a) different line than I am. But the reason he’s so hard is because he never messes up.”

If that mentality sounds familiar it might be because that’s exactly what Stenhouse Jr. said following his battle with Martin Truex Jr. late at Atlanta. It’s actually Stenhouse’s goal to develop the trait that Newman currently possesses — being hard to pass because you don’t mess up.

“I want to get in that position where I don’t make mistakes because I feel like that’s helped Ryan throughout his whole career,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “He might not have a 10th-place car running 15th, but he never makes mistakes and so he kind of grinds out good finishes. I think that’s a good trait to have.”

Posted on March 16, 2019March 16, 2019 by Staff Report

Brad Keselowski topped the leaderboard in Saturday’s final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Auto Club Speedway at 176.648 mph in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford in preparation for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Keselowski will start 13th.

Right behind him was Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Daniel Hemric in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at 176.548 mph. Hemric was at the top of the charts for a majority of practice and will start 17th on Sunday.

Rounding out the top five were Daniel Suarez in the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (176.293 mph), Aric Almirola in the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (176.168 mph) and Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford (176.130 mph).

Hemric was the only Chevrolet among a Ford-dominated top five.

Kevin Harvick, who led the second practice at Auto Club in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, finished final practice in 17th, followed by Jimmie Johnson, who paced the first practice in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, in 18th.

Series points leader Kyle Busch was 11th fastest with a speed of 175.820 mph in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Kevin Harvick paces second practice at Auto Club

Kevin Harvick topped the leaderboard in Saturday’s second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Auto Club Speedway at 175.867 mph in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in advance of Sunday’s Auto Club 400.

Harvick has one win at the 2-mile California track in 2011 and is still looking for his first victory of the 2019 season.

Right behind him was series points leader Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 175.773 mph. Busch is one victory away from logging 200 NASCAR career wins in all three series and could make NASCAR history at Auto Club.

Rounding out the top five were Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford (175.644 mph), Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (175.550 mph) and Daniel Hemric in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (175.409).

Kyle Larson in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet got into the wall in Turn 4 late in practice after a tight squeeze by Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. He scraped the right rear quarter panel of his Chevrolet but didn’t suffer from any significant damage.

MORE: Best 10-lap averages from practice

Posted on March 16, 2019 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on March 16, 2019March 16, 2019 by Chase Wilhelm

Jimmie Johnson said he believes he and the No. 48 team are taking steps in the right direction, just in time for one of his best tracks on the circuit.

Last weekend at ISM Raceway, Johnson hovered around the top 10 — and even the top five, leading four laps — for much of the day before finishing in eighth place. The result was a welcome sight after finishes of 24th and 19th at Atlanta and Las Vegas, respectively.

The seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion hopes for more of the same in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), where he’ll take the green flag from the 11th position after opening up the weekend with the fastest lap in first practice.

“I think last weekend showed that if we have a mistake-free race that we can run in the top five and in the top 10,” Johnson said. “So, we do have some pride in that. Clearly, we’re putting a lot of time and work and effort to get better. So, it’s nice to have those better runs. But it’s not where we want to be. It’s not where I want to be, or Mr. (Rick) Hendrick or (crew chief) Kevin (Meendering) or this whole team (wants to be).”

Fortunately for Johnson, the fifth stop of the 2019 season is one where he has a history of success. In 24 starts at the 2-mile Southern California track, Johnson has six victories, with the latest coming in 2016. With that kind of track record, the El Cajon native is cautiously optimistic about his chances of breaking a 63-race winless streak in his home state.

“There are tracks that a driver can make a difference at,” Johnson said. “Dover has always been one for me. This track has been one. The one thing that is so different right now is we’re back to a package we’ve run two other times this year. We’re on a high-wear track. I look at Atlanta. It did not go well. Atlanta is similar to this place. So, I’m hopeful that we’ve made our car better since Atlanta for this type of environment.”

As the 48 team continues to search for its old winning ways, Johnson’s assertiveness hasn’t changed, but it’s the timing of that assertiveness that has shifted over the years.

MORE: Is Johnson a fantasy sleeper pick in Fontana?

“We’ve always been aggressive, but for me aggression has changed to short run,” Johnson said. “When I first started, you absolutely had to be aggressive. But it would wear your car out. It would wear your tires out. There are other elements. And you’ve spent 450 miles playing a chess game and respecting one another and then it was all out and restarts didn’t matter as much.

“Now, restarts are everything. When you get close to somebody you have to capitalize and get by and not lose momentum. As soon as you lose momentum, you literally just stall out wherever that is in the running order. So, I think we’ve always been this aggressive, but it’s just changed to different parts of the run and different parts of the race.”

As unknowns swirl around the complexion of Sunday’s 400-miler with the 2019 rules package, Johnson is focused on what it will take to get to the front and on beating drivers such as Kyle Busch with fast cars and restart prowess — two elements that take on extra importance in Fontana.

“We’re trying to celebrate the small victories, but at the same time if you look at the speed that the No. 18 (Kyle Busch) had on the field and his ability to pass, we want that,” Johnson said. “And we’re not going to stop until we get that.”