Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Jessi B.

Hometown: Charlotte NC

Favorite NASCAR track: Bristol Motor Speedway

Favorite Monster Energy Drink: Pink lemonade rehab

Favorite Monster Energy event (besides NASCAR): Moto GP

Favorite Monster Energy athlete: Kurt, of course 😎

PHOTOS: Best of Monster Energy Girls

Monster Girl Jessi B Inset

Which character would you be in Talladega Nights: Lucy Bobby

Talladega or Daytona: Daytona 500!!

Car or Truck: Car

JetSki or Snow ski: JetSki, I’d choose being on the water over snow any day.

Beer or wine: Depends on the occasion. Sitting on the beach – beer. Evening relaxing – wine.

What would you name your boat if you had one: “Nacho Boat”

You might not know this about me: I’m a certified scuba diver! I wasn’t kidding about my love for being on the water.

Best part of being a Monster Girl: I love all the opportunities Monster gives us girls. I can’t think of a better way to travel at such a young age, experience the world, travel with girls you love and get to witness and be a part of NASCAR history.

Best/craziest fan story/encounter: One of our favorite fans, he’s the cutest little kid ever and loves all of the Monster Girls, brought us personalized Monster cookies one race and totally made all of our days. Sorry race fans, standards are up, you have to bring us cookies in exchange for photos.

Posted on by Staff Report

Brad Keselowski won Stage 2 in the South Point 400 on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway pulling away from Martin Truex Jr. on the high line during a late restart to capture the green-white-checkered flag. Keselowski, who won the previous two races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, kept some of that momentum going in the opening race of the NASCAR Playoffs.

The same could not be said for Kevin Harvick, who wrecked in Turn 1 on Lap 147 and collected Erik Jones in the process. Both playoff drivers were knocked out of the race and will need to make up ground in the next two races in order to advance to the second round, although Harvick’s 50 playoff points have him in a better spot than Jones.

RELATED: Stage 2 results

Keselowski outpaced Kurt Busch, who finished second in the stage. Truex, the winner of Stage 1, finished third, with seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson in fourth and non-playoff driver Jamie McMurray in fifth place.

Kyle Larson, who went a lap down in Stage 1, rebounded to finish 10th in Stage 2 thanks in part to an early caution for debris that allowed the No. 42 to come to pit road and work on a problem with the right-front side of the car.

Finish Driver Team Race Points
1 Brad Keselowski Team Penske 10
2 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 8
4 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 7
5 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing 6
6 Joey Logano Team Penske 5
7 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 4
8 Ryan Blaney Team Penske 3
9 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports 2
10 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 1

Stage 1

Martin Truex Jr. won Stage 1 after passing Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford on Lap 60 and riding to the green-white-checkered flag at Lap 80. It was the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team’s eighth stage win of the season.

The first stage was not as smooth for fellow playoff driver Kyle Larson, who had to bring his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet to pit road on Lap 71 because of a right-front tire starting to go down. Larson finished the stage one lap down in 25th place.

RELATED: Stage 1 results

Harvick finished second, with playoff drivers Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott rounding out the top five. Ryan Newman, in 10th place, was the only non-playoff driver to gain a stage point.

Kyle Busch, Joey Logano (leader of 33 of the first 34 laps), pole-sitter Erik Jones and Aric Almirola finished sixth through ninth, respectively.

Finish Driver Team Race Points
1 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 10
2 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports 8
4 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 7
5 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 6
6 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 5
7 Joey Logano Team Penske 4
8 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 3
9 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing 2
10 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing 1
Posted on by Staff Report

Ever wonder what goes on in a driver meeting? We’re here to help.

This year, we’ll publish the actual rules video your favorite Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will watch before climbing into their stock cars. Above is the video for the South Point 400 (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

Erik Jones will start out front for Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and gives fantasy players plenty to consider when setting their lineups. There were three practice sessions for the playoff opener, giving players lots to digest. 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 playoff game works

Remember that the garage locks at the end of Stage 2. Also, your garage play can only be swapped for a driver of similar classification (a playoff garage driver can only be swapped for a playoff driver in your lineup; a non-playoff garage driver can only be swapped for a non-playoff driver in your lineup).

RJ Kraft’s revised Fantasy Live lineup following the lineup being set:
Playoff driver 1: Kevin Harvick
Playoff driver 2: Martin Truex Jr.
Non-playoff driver 1: Jamie McMurray
Non-playoff driver 2: Ryan Newman
Garage: Kyle Busch

MORE: Fantasy analysis for Las Vegas | Driver stats | 10-lap averages | Full lineup 

Analysis: The Fantasy Live Playoff Game is here! I’m not going to overthink this — in fact I am sticking with my original five drivers. I’m taking the Big 3 — they’ve been the best all season, have been the top three drivers on 1.5-mile tracks and have won all seven races at that track length. I think Harvick and Truex have the two best cars of the Big 3, so they get the start and I will have the 2015 champion in the garage. For the garage, I think it’s important to protect your playoff plays in the early going.

The speed out of Erik Jones and Ryan Blaney gave me something to think about and I will utilize one of them for a bonus pick. Kyle Larson’s knack for the high line and recent results at Las Vegas were food for thought as well. Joey Logano’s strong qualifying spot and history at Las Vegas was also a consideration, but at the end of the day I’m dancing with the dates that brought me success all season — the Big 3.

For the non-playoff plays, I like McMurray here. The veteran driver qualified the best of the non-playoff drivers (12th) and is coming off two straight top 10s. For the other spot, I am going with Newman. He topped Saturday’s first practice and was in the top five on the speed chart in final practice. Despite the fact that he announced Saturday that he is leaving RCR at the end of 2018, he has a plenty to offer owners for this race with four top 15s in his last five Las Vegas starts. I also considered Daniel Suarez, but his lack of 1.5-mile success — just two top 10s in 18 career starts at that track length and no top 10s on 1.5-mile tracks this year — was enough to scare me off.

For the bonus picks, I am taking Jones to win Stage 1. From there, I am doubling down on Harvick to win Stage 2 and pick up another race win. I am also taking Harvick to win the championship as my shot for the 60-point bonus pick that must set prior to the start of this race. He’s been so consistent all year and has a knack for coming up big in clutch spots. It’s hard to go against that.

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs start now — and it’s all on the line. Sixteen drivers begin their march to Miami on Sunday, but only four will get there intact.

Ten races separate one of these 16 from the best prize in all of motorsports: a Cup championship.

This year’s playoff field has a trio of drivers who have dominated the competition throughout the regular season … but who have looked more human in recent weeks … a driver going for a record eighth championship … who hasn’t won yet this year … and a bevy of talented young drivers itching to break through as title contenders … if they can withstand the pressure.

It’s the NASCAR Playoffs.

Get a deep, detailed preview of the postseason with the below coverage from NASCAR.com. It begins today at 3 p.m. ET at Las Vegas (NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR Playoffs 16 drivers graphic

THE DRIVERS

• Overall outlook? Key stats? Best tracks? We break down all that, plus more, in this in-depth look at every driver. | READ MORE

• Reigning champion Martin Truex Jr. faces an uncertain future, knowing he’s going to a new team next year. How about a repeat, champ? “Hell yes, let’s go do this!” Truex says. | READ MORE

• Austin Dillon was the first driver to qualify for the postseason when he won the Daytona 500. His plan for advancing? Simple, the jovial Dillon says. Wreck the “Big 3.” | READ MORE

• Jimmie Johnson is going for his eighth series championship … and his first win of the year. It’s unfair, Johnson says, to suggest he’s throwing in the towel in the midst of a down year. | READ MORE

• No driver enters the playoffs at Las Vegas with more momentum than Brad Keselowski. Two wins in a row for the Team Penske driver makes him a title threat. | READ MORE

• Kevin Harvick is known for stirring the pot, which he did again on our live Playoffs Show. His comment? Joey Logano would have won the championship in 2015 if he hadn’t spun Matt Kenseth at Kansas. Will the words have any carryover? | READ MORE

THE STORIES

• The most comprehensive Round of 16 preview you’ll read is here. David Smith breaks down what every driver needs to advance to the Round 12, and throws in some stats that may surprise you. (The playoff driver with highest crash rate? Stunning) | READ MORE

Kyle Busch smiles at Indianapolis
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

• Every year a driver most fans and pundits project to be eliminated in the Round of 16 surprises us by advancing to the Round of 12 … and sometimes even the Round of 8. Zack Albert and Chase Wilhelm debate who fits the bill this year. | READ MORE

• Now more than ever, we’re seeing more last-lap passes for the win, a byproduct of NASCAR’s playoffs format. Matt Crossman identifies six unwritten rules that drivers try to follow … even though it doesn’t always work out that way. | READ MORE

• The “Big 3” of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. all are favored to make the Championship 4. But will it actually happen? Or will one get bounced before the title race? Zack Albert and Chase Wilhelm debate. | READ MORE

THE EMOTIONS

• Heartbreak. It happens every postseason, and will happen again this year. Here are the moments that still hurt for drivers even today. | READ MORE

• Joy. Drivers faced with must-win situations who go out and win? Yeah, that’s joyful. And clutch. | READ MORE

• Fulfilled. Some moments live long beyond the time in which they happen. Some moments live forever. | READ MORE

Matt Sullivan | Getty Images

THE WORDS

• Jimmie Johnson? He’s a “sleeping giant,” at least according to Clint Bowyer. | WATCH VIDEO

• Beyond just your own performance, drivers have to be wary of others around them. Why? They can make your playoffs hell according to Kyle Busch, who called out a driver for doing just that in 2017. | WATCH VIDEO

 • The Round of 16 has a totally new feel with three new tracks — including the Charlotte road course in the elimination race. “A lot of chaos” awaits, Brad Keselowski says. | WATCH VIDEO

• No other context needed: “Yes I will wreck his ass, wreck him, to win a championship. Here’s where the problem lies — he’ll do the same thing.” Who said it? | MORE TOP QUOTES

THE FANFARE

• Playoff emojis are back! See how to engage on another level with your favorite playoff driver. | SEE THEM ALL

• Still need to get hype? No problem. Watch this video on how we got here, with highlights and clips from some of the best moments of the year so far. Problem solved. | WATCH HERE

• There’s a new Fantasy Live game just in time for the postseason. RJ Kraft breaks down how to play. | READ MORE

THE PICKS

• Want our picks? We’ll give them to you here with five predictions and likelihoods to keep in mind throughout the postseason, including the driver most likely to make the Championship 4. | READ MORE

Posted on by Reid Spencer

LAS VEGAS – Two weeks ago at Darlington, Ross Chastain showcased his potential in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, leading 90 laps before falling out of the race in a dust-up with veteran Kevin Harvick.

In Saturday’s DC Solar 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his second trip in Ganassi’s car, Chastain closed the deal, surviving three restarts in the final 20 laps to earn his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in his 132nd start.

Chastain led 180 of 200 laps and swept the first two stages at the 1.5-mile track. To cement the victory, he held of five-time winner Justin Allgaier, who clinched the regular-season championship and accompanying 15-Playoff-point bonus after finishing fifth in Stage 2.

“Holy cow! I’m just a watermelon farmer from Florida—I’m not supposed to do that,” said Chastain, who carried one of his trademark watermelons to Victory Lane. “This shows you anything in your life is possible. I gave one away at Darlington, and this was awesome racing.

“I never thought this would happen. It’s incredible. Allgaier was awesome. He’s insane. I had to play possum there (on the restarts) and then changed it up. The car was just amazing. This was all we could ask for. We did it!”

RELATED: Playoff standings | Full race results

In a car that showed its superiority on longer runs, Chastain was forced to win the race in short sprints. Vinnie Miller’s spin on Lap 175 caused the sixth caution and forced a restart on Lap 181. Trying to side-draft Allgaier right after the cars took off, Chastain brushed the side of Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and kept the lead.

On a Lap 188 restart, after Chase Briscoe’s brutal crash into the inside backstretch wall, Chastain moved up the track to block Allgaier’s run into Turn 1—and kept the lead.

On the final restart with five laps left, after a five-car pileup slowed the race for the eighth time, Chastain cleared Allgaier through Turns 1 and 2 but got a tap from the No. 7 car that propelled him forward down the backstretch.

Chastain pulled out to a 1.629-second lead at the finish.

Allgaier confessed to a moment of frustration after the side-to-side contact on Lap 181 but had cooled down by the time the final restart rolled around.

“I tried everything I could do to pass him as clean as I could,” Allgaier said. “That restart there, I thought we had a good shot at it. We had done a good job on the regular-season championship and had locked it up… what I was afraid of was blowing the left-rear tire. We had made contact right at the left rear tire, and that was my biggest fear.

RELATED: Allgaier locks up regular season title

“But Ross did a great job today and had by far the best car… At the end of the day, it’s cool to see him get the win. If we couldn’t do it, I’m glad to see him the win.”

Cole Custer ran third and claimed a bonus of 10 playoff points for finishing second in the regular season. Christopher Bell was fourth, followed by Elliott Sadler. Ryan Preece, Brandon Jones, Ryan Truex, Austin Cindric and Spencer Gallagher completed the top 10.

A bone-jarring wreck in Turn 4 interrupted Chastain’s dominance of the first two stages. Matt Tifft’s No. 2 Chevrolet turned sideways in the middle of the corner, right into the path of Ryan Reed’s No. 16 Ford. Reed slammed into the front-left of Tifft’s Chevy, and both cars rocketed into the outside wall.

Reed climbed from his car and sat down on the asphalt, leaning against the car door as he collected himself.

“I haven’t seen the replay, so I don’t know exactly what happened,” Reed said after exiting the infield care center. “Not sure if he lost a tire or what. That was a tough one. Knocked the wind out of me pretty bad. The right side is all banged up.

“I’m all good. Nothing broken or anything. I’ll just be sore tomorrow. Thankfully, everyone on our Ford Mustang worked really hard this weekend. I feel like we were getting it better and able to run the top 10 once we got the car a little better. It just got cut short, unfortunately.”

The only consolation for the early exit is that Tifft already had secured a position in the playoffs, and Reed locked himself into the final berth despite falling out in 35th place.

Cindric also claimed a position in the playoffs, which will feature the following 12 drivers, in order of seeding: Allgaier, Bell, Sadler, Custer, Tyler Reddick, Chastain, Daniel Hemric, Jones, Tifft, Truex, Cindric and Reed.

MORE: Breaking down the Xfinity playoff field

Pit notes: Two Xfinity Series teams were penalized with the loss of their car chiefs prior to the start of Saturday’s race. Both the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team of Tifft and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team of Jones saw their car chiefs ejected and were assessed 30-minute practice holds for next week at Richmond after failing pre-qualifying inspection three times at Las Vegas. Tifft also was assessed a loss of 10 points in the owner and driver standings and had to serve a pass-thru penalty at the start of the race for failing pre-qualifying inspection four times.

Contributing: Staff report

Posted on by Staff Report

A brilliant summer stretch powered Justin Allgaier into firm control of the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season championship race. Once separated from the pack, the JR Motorsports pulled away to officially clinch the NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship on Saturday in the regular-season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Allgaier finished a hard-fought second place in Saturday’s DC Solar 300, leading 16 laps before ultimately settling in behind first-time race winner Ross Chastain. Finishes of seventh and fifth in the two stages provided enough of a points cushion for Allgaier to lock up the regular-season crown before the checkered flag.

The prize gives Allgaier the top seed and bonus-point priority among the 12 drivers in the field for the seven-race postseason.

RELATED: Chastain wins at Las Vegas | Breaking down the playoff field

“Obviously we have a lot of momentum on our side, but what I’ve learned with this sport is that nothing’s given and we still have to do our job,” Allgaier said. “We have to execute, and these next few weeks are going to be difficult.”

Allgaier stood fifth in the standings from a six-race stretch that started in early July and ended in mid-August, but winning three of the five races heading into Las Vegas vaulted him into the points lead. He jumped from fifth to second after finishing third at Bristol in August, then vaulted to the lead for good the next weekend following his win at Road America.

That closing kick included an impressive run of 14 consecutive top-10 finishes. More recently, Allgaier has finished outside the top three just once in the last eight Xfinity Series events.

MORE: Playoff standings | Allgaier’s season to date

“It’s been an incredible run,” said Jason Burdett, crew chief for Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet. “All these guys are working their butts off and building us great race cars, and Justin’s been doing an incredible job driving it. When we get to the end of these races, just like today we weren’t able to get the 42 (Chastain) for the win, but they knew we were here. It’s a lot of fun, we’re having a good time and we’re going to try to ride this wave all the way to Miami.” 

Allgaier nearly celebrated with a pair of trophies — one for the regular-season title and one for the race victory — but his handling soured over the final run. Along the way, he battled hard with Chastain, making contact more than once in the late going. That prompting a heat-of-the-moment radio rebuke from Allgaier, who later acknowledged a mutual respect between the two. 

“Ross and I have raced each other really hard over time and I was a little frustrated at him, but I’m still happy for him and I still respect him a lot as a race car driver,” Allgaier said. “I think he’s extremely talented. I was more frustrated in the moment because I thought we were going to wreck both of us. He was hitting me with his right-front and my left-rear, and I was afraid it was going to blow both of our tires out. That was the last thing we needed was to wreck two really fast race cars today, so that was my frustration.

“Sometimes it’s probably better to not say something on the radio, but on the flip side of it, you don’t want to get shoved around ever, whether you’re running for a win or you’re running for 40th. I think that was the biggest thing today.”

For winning the regular-season championship, Allgaier receives 15 playoff points added to his points total now that playoffs have begun and the points reset. He carries those 15 points over — plus the playoff points he receives from race wins and stage wins — throughout the playoffs, so long as he keeps advancing.

RELATED: See every Xfinity Series winner in 2018

It presents a distinct advantage for the JR Motorsports driver, who has a series-high five wins.

“We’ve definitely done our job as far the bonus points have gone this year,” Allgaier said. “We still want more and there’s still six more races that we can go get bonus point at. The goal has always been, when we rolled into Daytona in February was to get to Homestead and every one of those points is going to make that job not easier, but it’s going to take a little pressure off me as hard as it is. We’ll just go out there, execute every week and we’ll be in good shape.”

The Round of 12 begins next weekend at Richmond Raceway, with an elimination race at Dover International Speedway on Oct. 6. The Round of 8 concludes at ISM Raceway in Phoenix on Nov. 10, a race that will set the Championship 4 for the season finale at Miami on Nov. 17.

Contributing: Zack Albert in Las Vegas

Posted on by Reid Spencer

LAS VEGAS – Team owner Chip Ganassi told The Associated Press this week that veteran driver Jamie McMurray won’t return to the No. 1 Chevrolet next season.

The report said that Ganassi plans to offer McMurray an advisory role with the team, similar to that of Dario Franchitti in Ganassi’s IndyCar organization. In Las Vegas this week, Ganassi driver Kyle Larson said a potential McMurray exit would leave a large void to fill, from a personal standpoint.

RELATED: Key players in Silly Season | Report: McMurray out of the No. 1

“I think you always care who your teammate is, for sure, and I have enjoyed having Jamie for my whole Cup career,” Larson said. “He has been such an amazing friend and teammate, and he has taught me a bunch on and off the track. 

“So I don’t know what his future holds or what, but he has done a lot for my life and my career. … I don’t think that there’s anybody else in the garage that could have taught me the things that he did and was as nice as he was to me as a young (driver) when I first came in. There’s no better teammate than Jamie McMurray.”

McMurray isn’t the only silly season driver on the move this year. Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, remains unsigned for next year and has been touted as a possible replacement for McMurray.

Roush Fenway Racing team owner Jack Roush also confirmed on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that this season will be Trevor Bayne’s last in the No. 6 Ford. Roush said he is talking to several possible successors but wouldn’t elaborate.

And Ryan Newman announced Saturday that he would not return to Richard Childress Racing in 2019.

RELATED: Newman, RCR part ways

Contributing: Staff report

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

LAS VEGAS — The heat is about to ramp up as the NASCAR Playoffs kick off for the first time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – both figuratively and literally.

The temperature for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is forecasted to reach 101 degrees, a 43-degree difference compared to the Las Vegas race in March when the temperature was 58 degrees.

RELATED: Starting lineup | Full Las Vegas schedule

The toasty weather in the desert is poised to present a new set of challenges for drivers and teams than they are used to seeing in Las Vegas — which adds another element for the 16 playoff drivers to worry about as the postseason begins.

Brad Keselowski, currently on a two-race winning streak following victories in the Southern 500 and the Brickyard 400, is the fourth seed to start the playoffs. The Team Penske driver has a couple concerns on his radar.

“Physically, I feel pretty good,” Keselowski told NASCAR.com in between a pair of Saturday practice sessions. “I like the heat. I’m more concerned about the car, just the systems being tested to new limits than ever before.

“And the tires,” he added. “Really concerned about the tires. We’ve already seen some issues in practice.”

RELATED: Keselowski riding hot hand heading into the playoffs

Alex Bowman, the 16th seed in the playoffs, said the saving grace for drivers and the cars is the lack of humidity, but given that there’s no previous data from a Las Vegas race in September, anything can happen.

“The longest we’ve run is like 15 laps (in practice), so we don’t really know yet,” Bowman told NASCAR.com. “It’s kind of a wild card. Nobody has a notebook for it.”

“It’s definitely a little slick, but it’s not terrible,” he added. “I feel like the falloff (in the tires) is a little bigger, but it’s probably not as big of a difference than I thought there would be. I think we’ll be all right. It will just be another challenge for us.”