LAS VEGAS — Despite rumors that he is headed to Chip Ganassi racing next year — and though team owner Chip Ganassi has confirmed that Jamie McMurray won’t return to the No. 1 Chevrolet in 2019 — Kurt Busch says he remains unsigned beyond this season.
Busch is driving the No. 41 Ford as one of four Stewart-Haas Racing entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, which start with Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The contract limbo has become familiar territory for Busch in recent years. Last season, Stewart-Haas declined to pick up Busch’s option before re-signing him later to a one-year deal. This season, Busch has acknowledged fielding offers from more than one team but has yet to announce his plans for next year.
“It’s all the same stuff that I’ve been through before, and I don’t look at it like a (distraction),” Busch said. “The contracts that I signed when I was a rookie or a younger guy, they were five-year deals. And now, as of late, I haven’t signed anything that was more than two years.”
Busch, however, doesn’t think the uncertainty of his future will affect his prospects for a second Cup title.
“It doesn’t matter in this day and age what’s going on behind the scenes,” he said. “It’s just a matter of executing when you’re at track, and there are so many things that are out of your control in a race on the track that it doesn’t matter what’s going on outside the car.
“So each week, when I fire up the car for the first Friday practice session, that’s the best feeling, ‘cause I know that I’m going into a zone that I can control the most, and that keeps me away from having to think about other stuff during the week.”
Kevin Harvick holds a lot of opinions, and he is not shy about sharing them in the media or on his SiriusXM NASCAR Radio program “Happy Hours.”
The 2014 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion was back at it Thursday during the NASCAR Playoffs Show on NASCAR.com when asked how much payback and rivalries determine how one races another driver in the playoffs.
Harvick brought up the infamous run-ins of Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth during the 2015 playoffs that stemmed from Logano turning Kenseth for the lead in the closing laps at Kansas Speedway. Upon elimination in the Round of 12, Kenseth later got his revenge at Martinsville Speedway. Down several laps down due to an earlier accident, he wrecked Logano, the leader at the time.
“(If) Kansas doesn’t happen, Martinsville doesn’t happen and he (Logano) wins the championship,” Harvick said of the Team Penske driver.
Logano had swept the Round of 12 races at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega and was the hot driver heading into the Round of 8, but his history with Kenseth came back to bite him.
On-track aggressiveness played a role in last year’s Round of 8 as well, when Denny Hamlin’s late contact with Chase Elliott at Martinsville took Elliott out of the lead. The circumstance led to an exchange of words and a confrontation. Two races later, Elliott’s contact with Hamlin at Phoenix led to the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s playoff exit.
“He (Hamlin) wasn’t going to win that race at Phoenix, (anyway),” Harvick grinned, nodding to last year’s drama between Hamlin and Elliott.
These on-track battles are about perspective.
“You’ve got to be smart in each scenario,” Kyle Busch said. “There are opportune times for guys to make your life hell.”
Busch then cited how he felt Logano cost him a shot at a second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship by holding him up in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year. Busch felt that delay in not being able to get by Logano cost him valuable time in trying to track down the eventual race winner and champion Martin Truex Jr.
“You’ve got to pick and choose your battles,” Busch said.
For much of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, the “Big 3” of Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. have garnered plenty of attention with 17 wins in the first 26 races.
One young star had an idea on how to get around the Big 3 in the Monster Energy Series Playoffs, and he went into detail during Thursday’s NASCAR Playoffs Live Show on NASCAR.com.
“If we just wreck the Big 3 the next several weeks, we’re going to have a much better shot going to Homestead,” Austin Dillon said, laughing, in posing a question to his panel of fellow young drivers in Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones and Kyle Larson.
That only elicited a response from Bowman, who said “I’m not scared.” Dillon also jokingly said the group could split championship money among them.
Larson, though, offered a different approach on beating the Big 3.
“We’ll just beat ’em heads up. We don’t need to crash them,” Larson said.
And regular-season champion Kyle Busch sees Larson as a favorite if he can get to Homestead-Miami Speedway as part of the Championship 4. Larson enters the playoffs as the 12th seed.
“Obviously, Larson knows if he can get himself to Homestead and be championship-eligible, he’d be the favorite,” Busch said.
You guys raced a day later than usual on Monday at Indianapolis, flew home to Charlotte to pack up some things before a trip out west for the NASCAR Playoffs opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and now you’re in front of cameras for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Media Day. You’re all tired, and you’re trying to catch a few winks here and there any way you can before you put it all on the line Sunday.
But 2015 series champion Kyle Busch is taking it to a whole new level.
That nap status is epic, considering the room is filled with a bevy of fluorescent lights, the floor isn’t exactly Tempur-Pedic and perhaps your biggest playoff rival — one known for pushing the buttons of his competitors — is standing right there!
But Busch is a bold guy, and one with a penchant for legendary snoozes.
OK, one of those was fake, but still. The man can nap with the best of ’em, and Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin only cemented that notion.
Bravo, Mr. Busch. Brexton must be wearing you out.
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races can be won — and lost — on pit road. It’s why teams have poured resources into hiring and training the best of the best to service their respective cars.
Monster Energy went behind the scenes with the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing pit crew for driver Kurt Busch. The exclusive look shows what it takes to execute a pit stop, from every angle, with multiple cameras. The full video is available on YouTube.
Beyond that, it got an up-close look at the team as it welcomed a new front tire changer in Ryan Mulder prior to the summer race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Mulder told the camera prior to the race weekend, then went out and performed.
Fans can see exactly how Mulder fit in as the new guy, then watch the team meeting next week as the pit crew breaks down film to find high spots and low spots from the weekend.
Sitting in a centrifuge at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Bubba Wallace navigated his way through the simulated flight.
“How high do you have to be to do a successful flip?” he asked, surrounded by controls and overlooking a simulated grid in the air.
“You want to start that about 15,000 (feet),” he was told.
Wallace visited the Human Performance Wing of the Dayton, Ohio, base on Sept. 7 ahead of the race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of his partnership with the U.S. Air Force.
A look at Bubba Wallace spending time in the centrifuge simulating a flight. (Jessica Ruffin | NASCAR Digital Media)
“The flight simulator was pretty tough,” Wallace told NASCAR.com. “I was struggling a little bit. I crashed on trying to take off. Pulled it up too much and destroyed the plane.
“So, I would have died – so I wouldn’t be a good pilot,” he added, lightheartedly.
In addition to the centrifuge, Wallace also toured the Brain Stimulation Lab and the Strong Lab, partaking in different exercises and chatting with base personnel throughout the day. He tested his sweat levels and his reaction time – with a machine he likened to a “Whac-A-Mole”-type game at Dave & Busters — and went through blind target practice with a laser gun in the Strong Lab.
In the Brain Stimulation Lab, he learned about the newest technology that was being developed to stimulate memory, alertness and attention — and even tried out the transcutaneous vagal nerve simulator for himself.
“Have you had any surgeries on your neck or anything in your life?” he was asked, to which Wallace responded with his trademark humor.
“Nope, am I going to need one after this?” he joked.
Bubba Wallace tries out a transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulator that, when used, makes its user more alert and attentive. (Jessica Ruffin | NASCAR Digital Media)
Wallace put the tool to his neck to begin the stimulation and was then instructed to step into something all-too-familiar for the No. 43 wheelman: a driving simulator. A computer outside the simulator measured his attention during the course.
“We gotta get one of these before a race,” he said, later noting the similarities between his job as a race car driver and some of the tasks he partook in that day.
“There are some parallels there,” he said. “Once you’re kind of in your realm, you kind of know what to do and I wasn’t in my realm there, so I’m kind of learning everything. So, it would be cool to spend a day with the pilots, go through that and then bring them to our world. Obviously, I can’t fly the plane, they can’t drive the race car, but we could put them in our simulator and we could get their reaction.”
For Wallace, his regular visits to Air Force bases are important not only for his partnership, but also to expand his own knowledge of the group’s depth.
“Any time we get to do an Air Force appearance, I’m always questioning, ‘What are we doing?’ … Obviously, I know it’s going to be super exciting,” he said. ” … When you think of the military, you think of shooting guns, flying planes, blowing stuff up, right? Going across seas, fighting for our country, fighting for our freedom.
“But you never think about the behind the scenes of people doing this stuff … just different departments that you don’t think about … They’re doing studies and activities to see how we can make them more efficient people on the battlefield. We have a whole team of people doing that. It’s super cool.”
The visit left Wallace with many learned lessons – and also a few memories to take back home to North Carolina.
“Going through all three departments that we went through, seeing the nutrition side of it and all the technology that’s coming out, monitoring your sweat levels, doing a bunch of peripheral vision stuff, trying to focus on multiple things at once — it’s super cool and my mind’s racing,” he said.
“I can’t wait to talk to people about this, what I did today.”
Team owner Jack Roush told SiriusXM Radio host Claire B. Lang on Wednesday night that he is in negotiations to fill his team’s No. 6 Ford next year, and Trevor Bayne will not return to the car.
“We’re making a search,” Roush said in the interview. “We’re in negotiations with drivers right now that would drive the 6 car next year. I think the decision’s been made. I don’t want to be breaking the story here, but I think the decision’s been made.
“Trevor is not going to be in the car next year. Who we’re talking to and how close we are in those negotiations, I’m not inclined to say.”
Bayne had driven the Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford full time since the start of the 2015 season, logging four top-five finishes and 13 top-10s in three full time seasons from 2015-17.
Earlier this year, Roush brought back veteran Matt Kenseth on a part-time basis to split seat time with Bayne. Kenseth had retired following the 2017 season after Erik Jones slid into the No. 20 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing.
“Matt is one of the guys who really put us on the map of the racing landscape,” Roush said at the time. “He’s one of the most talented drivers to ever sit inside a race car and his will to win, drive and determination have always embodied what we strive for as an organization.”
Roush did not confirm whether the team was bringing Kenseth back full time, or if it had targeted another driver.
“I want a driver that can be fast,” he said when asked what he’s looking for in the next driver of the No. 6.
Roush also fields the No. 17 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Furniture Row Racing crew chief Cole Pearn indicated he and driver Martin Truex Jr. will stick together as they target a new ride for the 2019 season and beyond.
The 2017 championship crew chief addressed his free-agent future Wednesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
“I think we’ve got a good indication on what we’re going to be doing,” Pearn said. “We’ll stick together and hopefully the key parts of our team here will stick together. … Hopefully that can all get squared away soon and we can be able to announce something.”
Team owner Barney Visser announced earlier this month that he will shutter FRR’s operations at the end of this year. That puts Truex Jr., the 2017 champion, as a marquee free agent in the prime of his career.
And Truex never has been better than with Pearn. The pair has won 17 times in 133 races together dating back to 2015. Eight of those wins came during a dominant run to the championship last year.
Truex Jr., Pearn and Co. are gearing up for another deep playoff run as the 2018 Monster Energy Series Playoffs begin this weekend in Las Vegas. Another strong showing not only would be the perfect way to conclude their run, but also it’s an opportunity for crew members and others on the team to audition for their next job.
“Everyone knows they’ve got a job to do, and I think while everybody is kind of worried about their futures, at the same time they know the best way we can advertise all of ourselves is to run well,” Pearn said. “Everyone’s got a lot of pride out here and wants to see everything built out here end on a high note.”
Logan Clampitt survived late-race restarts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday to secure his first NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series victory since 2016. The 2017 championship runner-up started 16th but climbed his way into the top five by the halfway point. He took the lead for the first time with 31 laps to go and led all but three of the remaining laps.
Six cautions slowed the pace during the last 50 laps, setting up a nine-lap shootout for the checkered flag. The last restart had Clampitt jump out to the lead, but Zack Novak was close behind. However, Novak didn’t have enough to pass Clampitt. Ryan Luza finished third after overcoming a speeding penalty in the pits on Lap 33. Polesitter Brad Davies finished fourth and Brian Schoenburg continued his strong second-half performance with a fifth-place result.
Davies managed to lead four laps at the start but was quickly overtaken by Luza’s speed early on. While Luza built a gap early, last race’s winner Michael Conti showed he was the car to beat on the long run. He quickly rose from seventh on the grid to take the lead from Luza on Lap 22. Conti would go on to build a gap before pitting for routine service on Lap 33. Luza’s pit road penalty briefly had him losing a lap before passing Conti back on Lap 39.
Conti’s lead was erased on Lap 42 when Alex Bergeron spun, bringing out the first caution flag of the event. The yellow allowed Luza to catch up to the pack and brought the field to pit road. Conti’s pit road issues dropped him to seventh on the restart with Davies reassuming the point.
Disaster then struck Conti one corner after the restart when Nick Ottinger spun directly in front of him. Conti had no place to go but into the side of Ottinger’s car and the incident caused serious damage to the nose of his car. Conti would nurse his crippled car home in 16th, but no harm was done in his quest for a second championship as his win last race at Darlington locked him into the final four.
Meanwhile, at the front, Davies looked to take control of the race with Conti and Luza out of the picture. He continued to lead unchallenged until Lap 66 when he came to pit and change all four tires under caution. With two cars staying out, three changing two tires, and Clampitt having a better pit stop, Davies would restart seventh with 32 laps to go.
When the green flew again Clampitt had his eyes set on the lead. By the backstretch he had already climbed from fifth to third as he made use of his four fresh tires. He then easily moved past Schoenburg in Turn 3, leaving only Brandon Pipgrass in the lead. Pipgrass, on old tires, never had a chance as Clampitt drew alongside down the front stretch. As the pair raced into Turn 1, Clampitt made slight contact, sending Pipgrass sliding up and out of contention.
From that point forward the only real threat Clampitt faced was the Lap 83 restart after Blake Reynolds and Ray Alfalla stayed on the track with their damaged cars while the rest of the field pitted for tires.
Clampitt passed both immediately and not a moment too soon. Chaos struck in Turn 2 when Marcus Richardson and Alfalla got together, sparking a multi-car incident.
With two races remaining until the final four is set, three positions are still up for grabs since a playoff driver did not win at Indy. With Conti already locked in, Luza is in the best position of the remaining seven. He sits 28 points clear of fifth and, with four wins, is a threat into the final race.
Behind Luza, things are much tighter. Matt Bussa and Ray Alfalla currently hold third and fourth, respectively. Keegan Leahy finds himself on the outside looking in after Indy but has three wins this season. He and Luza are the only multi-race winners thus far in 2018. Ottinger, Bobby Zalenski, and Nickolas Shelton occupy the sixth through eighth positions and all will need stellar runs combined with misfortune of others if they hope to transfer without winning. However, all three have won a race in 2018. It would not be much of a surprise to see any one of the bottom four lock themselves in with a win.
The NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series moves on to Atlanta Motor Speedway as only three races remain in 2018. Atlanta’s worn surface usually leads to multiple grooves with tire management being paramount. Luza and Conti have been the cars to beat this past month. Misfortune kept both out of Victory Lane at Indianapolis. Can either rebound or will another playoff driver lock themselves into the final four? Be sure to watch the dramatic conclusion of the 2018 NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series on iRacing Live!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For 16 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ drivers, the start of the 2018 NASCAR Playoffs means one thing: it’s all on the line.
The raw emotion, intensity and unpredictability of playoff racing will be captured in a new marketing campaign featuring live-action television creative and digital content across all 10 weeks of the NASCAR Playoffs.
The first television spot previews the campaign leading into the NASCAR Playoffs kick-off race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 16 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“Now is when the pressure intensifies for all 16 drivers competing for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “This year, in collaboration with NBC, we’re letting the NASCAR Playoffs campaign write itself as the action and drama unfolds each week at the race track.”
For all 10 playoff races, culminating with the championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, NASCAR will capture drivers and teams to document storylines of the NASCAR Playoffs as they happen. NASCAR on NBC will release weekly topical creative highlighting the 16 playoff drivers across their digital and social media channels.
Beginning today, fans have access to customized Twitter emojis and hashtags for all 16 playoff drivers. Fans that Tweet with #NASCARPlayoffs will activate the official emoji for this year’s Playoffs.
Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota are once again inviting fans to participate in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Promotion* on NASCAR.com for a chance to win new custom-designed trucks. Additionally, NASCAR Official Partners Allegiant, K&N, Mars, PEAK and Sunoco will provide weekly prizing throughout the Playoffs.
Fans can visit NASCAR.com/playoffspromo to register for a chance to win a crowd-sourced, custom-designed Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150 XLT or Toyota Tundra. Also new this year, fans can unlock additional entries for the promotion by plugging in code words provided during each Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race broadcast.
The All on the Line campaign, developed in partnership with 77 Ventures, will also include creative and content promoting the NASCAR Xfinity Series™ and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ Playoffs.
NASCAR will crown its 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion at the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the fourth and final round of the NASCAR Playoffs on Nov. 18 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Tickets for playoffs events across all three NASCAR national series are available at NASCAR.com/tickets.
The 2018 NASCAR Playoffs kick off with the South Point 400 on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 3 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90), with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.
