Posted on by Steve Luvender

With NASCAR racing at Richmond Raceway this weekend, drivers like Xfinity Series racer Spencer Boyd are getting ready by turning some virtual laps.

You may not know it, but underdog NASCAR driver Timmy Hill is one of the best iRacing drivers online. This week, he streamed a race on Twitch, showing off his thoughtful, calculated manner of racing that’s earned him one of the highest iRating scores on iRacing.

NASCAR PEAK ANTIFREEZE iRACING SERIES UPDATE

Logan Clampitt won his first race in nearly two years Tuesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — the second race of the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series playoffs. While Clampitt didn’t make the eight-driver playoff field, it was still a breakthrough victory for the Californian, who led the most laps in the race.

Catch the race recap from the Brickyard:

With two races until the Championship 4 is set, three spots are still up for grabs following Michael Conti’s victory in the post-season opener at Darlington.

 

IRACING PAINT SCHEMES OF THE WEEK

iRacing painters had some fun with the release of iRacing’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 race car.

Jordan Werth brought Scott Riggs’ 2005 car into the year 2018, and it looks sharp on the new Camaro ZL1.

Dustin Winegardner re-created a stunning version of Jimmie Johnson’s rookie car that looks even better on the Camaro ZL1 than it did in 2002. What do you say, Lowe’s Racing? Can we see this one on the real track? Please?

 

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME

Think you love iRacing? Well, you probably don’t love it as much as iRacer and commentator Wil Vincent, who showed off his iRacing ink.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

The NASCAR Playoffs got off to a wild start in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series postseason opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as it felt like nearly every driver in 16-driver field found trouble of some sort at some point during the race.

Two of those competitors in a precarious position leaving Las Vegas were a couple of young favorites to potentially make deep runs in the field.

RELATED: Updated playoff standings | Every incident in Vegas

Polesitter Erik Jones slammed into the back of Kevin Harvick to end his day on Lap 148, while Chase Elliott ended the day early after getting caught up in Jamie McMurray’s mess on Lap 212.

“All good and move on to Richmond,” Elliott said. “It puts us in a hole to start, so not good.”

“It’s not the situation we need to be in,” said Jones. “We have some work to do now.”

MORE: Harvick, Jones wreck out | Elliott, McMurray collide in final stage

Unfortunately for both Elliott and Jones, their positions in the playoff standings — 14th and 15th respectively — have put them in quite the hole with Richmond Raceway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course remaining in the first of three elimination rounds. Elliott fell back six spots from his original seeding, while Jones fell five slots.

So who has the best opportunity to rebound as both now find themselves on the outside looking in?

ANALYSIS: Wild Las Vegas opening leaves competitors reeling

With all the unknowns that await Elliott, Jones and the rest of the playoff drivers at Charlotte road course, Saturday night’s race at Richmond (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is of the utmost importance. Elliott and Jones have both seen similar up-and-down results at the 0.75-mile Virginia short track.

In six races, Elliott has collected two top-10 finishes, including a runner-up result in this year’s spring race. For Jones, three races have produced finishes of 38th, sixth and and 13th, respectively.

Looking at stats alone, Elliott gets the nod for producing better results at Richmond over Jones. However, Jones has had more consistent finishes recently, finishing no worse than 16th in the final 10 races in the regular season, while Elliott had four finishes of 13th or worse in that same span. Both of them also earned first-career victories, as well.

FINAL VERDICT: Elliott has slightly better odds over Jones to rebound from Las Vegas and make the Round of 12. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has a smaller deficit to dig out of (-9 points to the last transfer spot, while Jones is -19). Yes, Jones has put together a more consistent string of results over the past two-plus months, but Elliott nearly won Richmond in the spring. The win at Watkins Glen could also give Elliott a little more confidence going into the Charlotte road course.

Posted on by Team Release

HARRISBURG, N.C. (September 17, 2018) – Alon Day, the first driver from Israel to ever compete in NASCAR’s top series, will make his 2018 Monster Energy Series debut on Sept. 22 in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway. Day will drive the BK Racing No. 23 Best Bully Sticks Toyota Camry.

Day, a 26-year-old native of Tel Aviv, Israel, was the 2017 Champion of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. As a result of his outstanding achievements in NASCAR’s Euro Series, Day has the unique distinction of being the first stock car driver from outside of North America to be selected for the NASCAR NEXT program (Class of 2016), an initiative to feature NASCAR’s future stars.

LONG FORM: A brand new Day in Europe

Day previously has competed in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck and Xfinity Series. In 2017, he made his Cup Series debut at the Sonoma road course. The Richmond race marks his first on a Cup Series oval track.

As a longtime dog lover and a health food advocate, the partnership between Day and Best Bully Sticks was an easy decision for both parties. Best Bully Sticks is a brand of TDBBS, LLC, a Richmond, Va.-based market leader in providing healthy, natural dog treats and chews.

“I am so excited to be back in the Monster Energy Cup Series again this year and to be sponsored by Best Bully Sticks,” Day said. “Best Bully Sticks is an up-and-coming brand, and as an up-and-coming driver, I know we share similar values about working hard to establish ourselves. My team and I are eager to introduce the NASCAR audience and their dogs to Best Bully Sticks.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Shay M.

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Favorite NASCAR track: Daytona International Speedway

Favorite Monster Energy Drink: Monster Absolutely Zero

Favorite Monster Energy event (besides NASCAR): MotoGP!

Favorite Monster Energy athlete: Gronk

Which character would you be in Talladega Nights: Cal Naughton. I’m competitive, so when an opportunity comes I take it, and when it comes down to it, I do what’s right.

Monster Girl Shay M Inset

PHOTOS: Best of Monster Energy Girls

Talladega or Daytona: Daytona, loyal to my sunshine state!

Car or Truck: Convertible

JetSki or Snow ski: JetSki, I’m a tropical gal and I love anything on the water.

Beer or wine: Champagne Showers! Best of both worlds wine with the bubbles!

What would you name your boat if you had one: MARLIN Monroe

You might not know this about me: I have a black belt in taekwondo and know some pretty killer moves with my nun-chucks

Best part of being a Monster Girl: Being a part of the team and all the wonderful girls who are special in their own way and attending all the really cool events nationwide!

Best/craziest fan story/encounter: A young girl came up to me and said she wanted to be just like me when she grew up & we danced! It was touching & that’s my goal to inspire others & be a role model.

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Dessie M.

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Favorite NASCAR track: Pocono

Favorite Monster Energy Drink: MANGO Loco!

Favorite Monster Energy event (besides NASCAR): MotoGP in Austin is always one of my favorites!

Favorite Monster Energy athlete: There’s so many amazing monster athletes that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know! It’s too hard to pick just one! They’re all so talented!

Which character would you be in Talladega Nights: I’m obsessed with Will Farrell. So I would definitely pick Ricky Bobby. Hahah “I don’t know what to do with my hands.”

Talladega or Daytona: Daytona

Monster Girl Dessie M Inset

PHOTOS: Best of Monster Energy Girls

Car or Truck: Car

JetSki or Snow ski: JetSki

Beer or wine: Both!

What would you name your boat if you had one: The DesSea.

You might not know this about me: I have had four knee surgeries all on my left knee from sport injuries.

Best part of being a Monster Girl: Traveling with such an amazing crew and experiencing so many incredible races!

Best / craziest fan story/encounter: I was with my bestie Kayla and we had a fan rush up to us for a picture because they recognized us from when we were on The Amazing Race!

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Morgan A.

Favorite NASCAR track: It’s too close to call Bristol or Talladega

Favorite Monster Energy Drink: Rehab

Favorite Monster Energy event (besides NASCAR): Monster Music Fest

Favorite Monster Energy athlete: Kurt Busch (DUH!)

Which character would you be in Talladega Nights: Hands down, Ricky Bobby!

Talladega or Daytona: Talladega

Morgan A monster girl
MARIO BARBERIO

PHOTOS: Best of Monster Energy Girls

Car or Truck: Truck

JetSki or Snow ski: JetSki

Beer or wine: Sex on the Beach

What would you name your boat if you had one: Reelin’ You In

You might not know this about me: I’m a realtor, boutique owner (Abel Fashion) and Psychiatric RN. I previously raced a modified. Grew up at the dirt track with my Dad and brother who raced 410 Sprint Cars.

Best part of being a Monster Girl: Traveling the country and representing a sport that I am genuinely passionate about. I also love meeting fans and taking photos with babies and puppies!

Best/craziest fan story/encounter: At Watkins Glen 2 years ago a fan, who called himself Captain America, proposed to me. Now every year we always joke about his proposal and take a new “family” photo!

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Billie Jo P.

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Favorite NASCAR track: Homestead

Favorite Monster Energy Drink: Pipeline Punch

Favorite Monster Energy event (besides NASCAR): XGames

Favorite Monster Energy athlete: Kurt Busch

Which character would you be in Talladega Nights: Carley Bobby

Monster Girl Billie Jo P Inset

PHOTOS: Best of Monster Energy Girls

Talladega or Daytona: Daytona

Car or Truck: Car

JetSki or Snow ski: JetSki

Beer or wine: Wine

What would you name your boat if you had one: The Queen B

You might not know this about me: I work and travel in the big cities but I’m a small town country girl at heart.

Best part of being a Monster Girl: Traveling around the world meeting all of our amazing fans!

Best/craziest fan story/encounter: I met a fan with EARNHARDT spelled out on his chest using just sunscreen and fried himself just to get Dale Jr.’s attention.

Posted on by Holly Cain

LAS VEGAS – Martin Truex Jr. took the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship lead Sunday afternoon with a third-place finish in the NASCAR Playoffs’ opening South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota led the most laps (96) and out-pointed the two other most dominant regular season drivers – Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick– to hold a two-point advantage on the 16-driver Cup Playoff field as it heads to Richmond Raceway next weekend.

RELATED: Updated series standings

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski won his third consecutive Cup race and the legendary team’s 500th overall auto racing trophy, but Truex reminded everyone afterward that it was also Keselowski’s third consecutive victory without leading the most laps in a race.

MORE: Keselowski gets third straight 2018 win in Vegas

So Truex – a four-time winner this season – acknowledged feeling confident and optimistic even in his podium showing Sunday.

“Brad clearly found a horseshoe,’’ Truex said, allowing a slight smile. “Three races in a row he’s won and he has not had the best car.

“… Obviously he hasn’t led the most laps in any of those races, and he showed up at the end with good pit stops and good short run speed.  I think clearly it’s pretty obvious how it worked out. He’s hot right now. He’s on a streak. That’s the way it goes.

“We finished third with the best car. The last three weeks we had a top-three car and we finished 14th or worse in every one of them; know what I’m saying?  So it’s a tough sport.  A lot of things can happen, and momentum and luck being on your side, there’s a lot to say for it.  Obviously they’re executing, they’re doing all the little things right, and that’s what it takes to win these things.’’

Truex’s strong effort Sunday resulted in his place atop the championship – by two points over Busch and 18 over Keselowski. And the 2017 series champ was especially impressed by his team’s hard work – heartily disproving naysayers who have questioned whether the crew would still be as devoted or motivated after news that the team would cease operations after the season

“Too many cautions at the end and it really, really took away our chances at winning,’’ Truex explained. “It was obviously clear that after 15 or 20 laps we were the class of the field.

“[The finish] was a little disappointing, but at the same time, to answer the call of all the critics and all the people who asked, ‘Could we rise up back to where we were last year with all the distractions of the team shutting down at the end of the year?’ I’m really happy about that and really proud of the speed we brought today.

“The guys are doing a fantastic job and hopefully this is a sign of things to come the next nine weeks.’’

Posted on by Zack Albert

LAS VEGAS — Of the events in the opening round of the NASCAR Playoffs, wasn’t Las Vegas supposed to be the more carefree race of the three?

There would be no easing into the 10-race postseason in Sin City, not on a steamy, topsy-turvy Sunday that cooked up a chaotic brew of cautions in the South Point 400. The contagious strain of fender-bending crashes and bad luck upended the Monster Energy Series playoff picture just one race in, leaving even the best of the bunch wondering why.

“Beats me,” said crew chief Cole Pearn, speculating as his driver, defending series champ Martin Truex Jr., leaned playfully on his shoulders. Pearn mentioned the 100-degree desert heat as a factor, but posed the question to Truex, Sunday’s third-place finisher: “You got any good ideas?”

“What?”

“About why they wrecked so much?”

“Ran out of talent,” Truex joked.

The No. 78 group emerged as one of the few postseason contenders able to muster smiles after the race’s dozen yellow flags, two short of the track record set in 2009. Over the radio or through peeks at the video displays, Truex watched his rivals drop one by one.

Kevin Harvick and Erik Jones first in a mid-race crash. Then Chase Elliott. Denny Hamlin followed. All placed outside the top 30.

RELATED: Harvick, Jones wreck | Elliott, McMurray collide

Kyle Busch had his own portfolio of trouble that included a grass-plowing spin out of Turn 4, but somehow assembled a rally to seventh place. Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman then fell from the lead lap with late-race issues. By the time the event crept into overtime with a particularly frantic tenor to the rash of restarts, teams sporting the neon-green Monster trim of the championship field had to be antsy.

“Even good guys were just spinning out on their own,” Pearn said, “so it kind of disrupted the flow of the race a lot.”

The new-look Round of 16 was the biggest shake-up to the postseason schedule for this year. Following Vegas are the close-quarters, short-track confines of Richmond Raceway and the cauldron of uncertainty that awaits at the Charlotte Motor Speedway combination oval and road course.

MORE: Playoff picture after Vegas | Keselowski wins | Playoff standings 

At face value, leading off with one of the intermediate-sized layouts that dominates the Monster Energy Series seemed to be a tame proposition. But the ingredients were there for Las Vegas to be one of the more power-packed playoff openers in recent memory.

Start with the three-digit heat that left drivers fighting for both hydration and grip, but that also opened up multiple grooves of racing. Runner-up Kyle Larson was a fan: “For us to be able to run next to the wall and all over the place was a lot of fun,” said Larson, who had his own trouble to bear with an early pit-road penalty. “I wish we could run more races here in the heat.”

Add in the extra level of urgency for teams working toward early immunity ahead of the Charlotte Roval wild-card. Then maybe, just maybe, the spirit of Vegas’ reputation for gambling rubbed off on drivers scrapping for every position they could gain.

RELATED: Charlotte road course has drivers ready for ‘crazy’ first round

Dice-rolling in Las Vegas sounds about right, making for a can-you-top-that ante at the playoff-opening venue and leaving plenty of postseason contenders reeling.

“That’s a bad deal,” Larson said, eyeing the scattering of title hopefuls on the scoring monitor. “Hopefully that doesn’t happen to me next week.”

Richmond and Charlotte, your turn for an encore.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

LAS VEGAS – The late caution flags in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway were just what Brad Keselowski needed.

But they were inimical to the winning chances of Kyle Larson, who couldn’t match Keselowski’s short-run speed.

Larson had just passed Keselowski for the top spot on Lap 245 of 272, but two laps later, Denny Hamlin spun off Turn 4 to bring out the ninth yellow flag of the afternoon. Three more cautions followed in short order, and Larson never had a chance to use his long-run advantage.

RELATED: Keselowski wins at Las Vegas | Playoff picture | Playoff standings

Instead, Larson finished second in a two-lap overtime dash, 1.276 seconds behind Keselowski. The runner-up finish was Larson’s sixth of the season without a victory.

“I needed it to stay green there (after the pass of Keselowski),” Larson said. “I felt like I could have won the race right there, because he was really good on the short run and I was terrible on short runs today, but once I could get the top (lane) going, I was really good.

“Right when I moved up top in (Turns) 3 and 4 and pulled away, the caution came out. I felt like I was going to be able to stretch it. I felt like the 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) would probably get by (Keselowski) at some point and then maybe chase me down. 

“I knew if I could hold Brad off for a little bit, I would have a good shot, but it didn’t work out. And then we had a ton of restarts there. A couple of them worked out for me, a couple of them didn’t, and, thankfully, the last one worked out and we were able to get to second.”