Posted on by Reid Spencer

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett won his first Brickyard 400 in 1996 and his second during his 1999 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship season, but he still remembers the one that got away.

Jarrett’s No. 88 Robert Yates Racing Ford was the fastest car in the 1998 race at Indianapolis, qualifying second and at one point building a 16-second lead. The payout for winning the race was $637,000, but crew chief Todd Parrott and owner Robert Yates wanted to collect every dollar that was up for grabs in the event.

RELATED: Updated Indy schedule 

That included a $10,000 prize for leading Lap 80, the halfway point.

Parrott told Jarrett he would be able to stretch his fuel to Lap 80 and make it back around to pit road, thanks to the 16-second lead. Unfortunately, the fuel mileage calculations weren’t entirely accurate, and Jarrett ran out of gas in Turn 1.

The race stayed green, and Jarrett lost four laps before he got to his pit stall to refuel. In the second half of the race, he got those four laps back under a format where lapped cars restarted in the bottom lane with lead-lap cars to the outside.

“We finished (16th) on the lead lap,” Jarrett said Friday during an appearance for Mobil 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum. “I passed the leader every time – we were that fast. … Drove back to North Carolina, still pissed, and Monday morning at about 10:15, I got a call from one of the guys who worked on the car.

“He said, ‘I know you’re still not happy. None of us are. We should have won that race, not trying to win $10,000, but just I thought this might make you laugh. We just got a call from Todd Parrott, who was driving to the race shop. He only lives about 12 miles from the race shop. He ran out of gas.’”

Posted on by Holly Cain

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Jimmie Johnson was smiling, being his typical easy-going self while answering reporters’ questions Saturday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

But far from side-stepping or making excuses for his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team’s season-long winless streak, the seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion candidly spoke about how much he misses Victory Lane and has, genuinely, never been more motivated to raise another trophy.

Hoisting the hardware is something Johnson has done repeatedly here at Indy. His four victories are twice as many as any other driver in the field for Monday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Full lineup 

He won Indianapolis in 2006, back-to-back in 2008-09 and then again in 2012. Only five-time winner Jeff Gordon has more victories here. Johnson finished runner-up in 2013 and was racing for the win last year when his Chevy suffered an oil leak and Johnson crashed out with two laps remaining.

“It is a very difficult track and it took me quite a few years to get the right rhythm and figure it out,’’ Johnson said. “It is a very unique track, like Dover and like Martinsville. Some of those challenging and unique tracks I’ve just always taken to and have had good luck and success at. So, Indy now fits into that category. And a lot like Martinsville, my first few trips there, there is no way I thought I would win. And then once I got it, it started to come.

“So, this could be a very big turnaround race for us. I definitely believe that and feel it. We qualified well here last year and race well here and had a shot to win if it wasn’t for the oil leak. I think the No. 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) and the No. 18 (Kyle Busch) were the class of the field and we were in that next group. So, if we do our part I think we can have a shot at the end.”

RELATED: Playoff bubble watch

Contending for a win this week would indicate a significant upshift for Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet team. This has been an uncharacteristic season filled with frustration and disappointment for the 83-race winner and future NASCAR Hall of Famer.

Johnson’s last win was June 4, 2017 at Dover International Speedway — 49 races ago. He has never gone a full season without a win. In fact, he’s never had a season without multiple wins — two victories in 2011 is his smallest single-season trophy haul in 17 years at the Cup level.

But through the first 25 races of 2018, Johnson has eight top 10s and two top fives. His best showing is a third place in April at Bristol.

Chase Elliott is the only member of Johnson’s four-car Hendrick team to have reached Victory Lane. (His first career win came last month at Watkins Glen.)

RELATED: Five story lines for Indy

“So, there are plenty of takeaways and plenty of things that we learned,’’ Johnson said of his season. “Kind of the over-arching thing for me is compounding mistakes. People make mistakes, but let’s not make a bad situation worse. And sadly, we were kind of in a position that we weren’t going to finish that race with the oil pump scenario (last week at Darlington).

“So, that does take a little bit off of it. But, we just need to stop making mistakes. I think I was in a position and drove outside of my means and drove over the 100 percent level because I knew I had such a good car. And I’m so eager to get back to winning and get back to leading laps that I just tried too hard.”

And, Johnson added, “We’re all human, you know? And I’ve made mistakes even when I’ve been at my peak. I’ve made a mistake and then I’ve also made compounding mistakes. It’s all part of it.

“But as you (media) all know and we all know each other pretty well and could imagine just the frustration of not being where I want to be. And then, maybe relating back to your own things in life, when something’s not going right you just try harder and harder. We’re all human. And its just part of it. So, I just need to stop doing that (laughs). Easier said than done.”

MORE: Five surprise drivers who could win at Indy

Posted on by Holly Cain

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Alex Bowman isn’t quite ready to assume his place in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is secure. But he has good vibes and a positive outlook heading into the final regular-season race, Sunday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard.

Bowman has met or exceeded most expectations in his first full Monster Energy Series season driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. He is ranked 16th in the playoff picture heading into Monday’s race (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — with 16 drivers advancing to the 10-race playoff.

And although Bowman hasn’t competed at the tough 2.5-mile track in three years, he is guardedly optimistic about the right scenario — a solid finish for himself and no first-time season winner coming from below him in the standings.

RELATED: See who’s on the playoff bubble

“It’s a pretty vulnerable spot coming to Indy with three guys who have won here behind you in points that haven’t won yet, but you know, I think we can get the job done just as good as they can,’’ Bowman said.

“I’m excited. I think it would be a great thing to be a part of the playoffs and hopefully we are in it and we can do it from there.”

It’s been a high-achieving season for the championship organization’s new hire. Taking over the ride of the sport’s perennial favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., would seem innately intimidating, but the 25-year-old Bowman has handled it with grace and put the car right back in the championship spotlight — a place it hasn’t been since 2015.

Expectations are high at Hendrick, but no higher than Bowman’s own. This is a career opportunity he is intent to seize. And earning a playoff position in his first full season with the team is exactly the way to do it.

“It would mean a lot to me to be in the playoffs right off the bat,’’ Bowman said. “Coming from what I came from and kind of going through everything I went through to make the playoffs in my first year with Hendrick Motorsports would be really special.

“I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch because I will jinx myself and ‘bad luck Bowman’ will come out and somebody will win on fuel mileage or something I will be out. But it’s cool to be in this position; hopefully we can pull it off.”

RELATED: Five surprise drivers who could win at Indy

Although he is still looking for his first career victory, Bowman’s playoff push has been a redemptory boost to his career and a huge thumbs-up to getting the high-profile Hendrick ride. He won the pole position for the season-opening Daytona 500, scored a career-best third-place finish at Pocono last month, has led a lap in five different races and earned nine top-10 finishes highlighted by a pair of top fives.

It’s been strong enough to put Bowman immediately into the playoff picture along with Hendrick teammates Chase Elliott, who scored his first career win at Watkins Glen, and seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who is winless on the season but ranked one position (15th) higher in the playoff picture than Bowman.

“Yeah, I think it’s no secret it’s been a rough year for us and for all of Hendrick Motorsports, but we are still in contention for the playoffs, so that is cool to be a part of,’’ Bowman said. “Vastly different than anything else I’ve done in my career or any other position I’ve been in in the Cup Series.”

It’s the lifelong opportunity he has sought and now hopes to seize.

“I think honestly, the first round as far as tracks is going to be the hardest for us, but I think our speed has definitely been improving,’’ Bowman said.

“Our execution has been improving, (although) we had a rough last week. But I have one of the best teams in the business and we are always getting better and I’m excited to see what we have brought to the race track this week and every week going forward.”

MORE: Starting Lineup for Monday’s race

Posted on by Staff Report

The start time for Sunday’s regular-season finale in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was moved up one hour, and the start of the Xfinity race was moved to Monday because of inclement weather in the forecast.

The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday with coverage on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Meanwhile, the Lilly Diabetes 250 will move to Monday at 10 a.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

RELATED: Schedule for Indianapolis | Weather updates

Two spots remain open in the 16-driver NASCAR Playoffs field for the Monster Energy Series with Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman currently holding those positions. However, the Brickyard has a recent history of producing surprise winners.

Wet weather washed out Friday’s Xfinity practices and Saturday’s entire slate, which included qualifying for the Monster Energy Series and Xfinity Series. Both lineups were set in accordance to the NASCAR Rule Book.

Posted on by Staff Report

Rain has washed out the entire on-track schedule on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard will see its start time moved up to 1 p.m. ET (coverage on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Lilly Diabetes 250 has been moved to Monday morning at 10 a.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

RELATED: Live weather updates | Full schedule for Indianapolis

That means that both series — the Monster Energy Series and the Xfinity Series — will race without any prior track time on the weekend. Friday saw both Xfinity Series practices rained out as well.

Saturday was set to host a full day of track activity with two Monster Energy Series practices, Monster Energy Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying and the NASCAR Xfinity Series Lilly Diabetes 250.

With Xfinity qualifying rained out, the lineup will be set by the rule book — meaning Ryan Blaney will start out front due to the No. 22 team being atop the owner points in the Xfinity Series. The rainout of Monster Energy Series qualifying will also see that field set by the rule book, which puts Kyle Busch at the front of the field.

Sunday’s Monster Energy Series race is the final one of the regular season and will see the final two playoff spots up for grabs. Entering the weekend, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman hold the final two spots.

The Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will use the same aerodynamic package used at this track last season that produced a record number of race leaders (eight) and lead changes (16). The package has already been used this season at Pocono and Michigan. The 2017 Indy-specific package included a taller rear spoiler, use of a restrictor plate (7/8th-inch) and aero ducts (similar to brake duct openings) in an attempt to lessen the aerodynamic advantage enjoyed by the lead car at the 2.5-mile track.

A fleet of 19 units of the Toyota Track Drying Team are on hand to dry the track along with 10 jets and four vacuums. 

Posted on by Staff Report

Matt DiBenedetto and Go Fas Racing will part ways after the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, according to the driver.

DiBenedetto posted a statement on his Twitter handle that can be viewed below.

The 27-year-old California native has spent the past two seasons driving the No. 32 Ford for Go Fas Racing. Before that, he drove for BK Racing for two years. In 129 Monster Energy Series starts, DiBenedetto has four top 10s with a best finish of sixth in the 2016 spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

DiBenedetto’s three top 10s in the past two years also represent Go Fas Racing’s top 10 total in seven years. His seventh-place finish in the Daytona summer race this year stands as the organization’s best result in NASCAR’s top series.

On Saturday, Go Fas Racing released a statement thanking DiBenedetto for being a member of the team the last two years. The statement also says they are looking to secure a driver and sponsor pairing for the 2019 season.

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Bradi B.

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Favorite NASCAR track: DAYTONA BABY!

Favorite Monster Energy Drink: Monster Hydro

Favorite Monster Energy event (besides NASCAR): Supercross

Favorite Monster Energy athlete: Tyler Bowers, duh

Which character would you be in Talladega Nights: Texas Ranger

Monster Girl Bradi B Inset

Talladega or Daytona: Daytona

Car or Truck: Truck

JetSki or Snow ski: Florida girl. .. JetSki

Beer or wine: WINE, drinking as I type

What would you name your boat if you had one: Tug-a-lug

You might not know this about me: I have a BS degree in sarcasm, and I can still tumble like a pro gymnasts.

Best part of being a Monster Girl: TRAVELING and meeting all the fans at different events.

Best / craziest fan story/encounter: Ummm… I don’t know if it’s questionnaire appropriate, but Euros are crazy at Motocross Des Nation races!

Posted on by Staff Report

Friday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series practices have been canceled due to inclement weather at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The series was scheduled for two 50-minute practice sessions on Friday afternoon; one at 1:05 p.m. ET and one at 3:05 p.m. ET.

The Xfinity Series was the only scheduled series on-track activity for Friday. Saturday’s schedule also got washed out moving the Lilly Diabetes 250 to Monday morning at 10 a.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Weather updates | Full Indy schedule

The Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will use the same aerodynamic package used at this track last season that produced a record number of race leaders (8) and lead changes (16). The package has already been used this season at Pocono and Michigan. The 2017 Indy-specific package included a taller rear spoiler, use of a restrictor plate (7/8th-inch) and aero ducts (similar to brake duct openings) in an attempt to lessen the aerodynamic advantage enjoyed by the lead car at the 2.5-mile track.

A fleet of 19 units of the Toyota Track Drying Team are on hand to dry the track as quickly as possible in the event of wet weather, along with 10 jets and four vacuums. 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – In a Friday conference call with reporters, Kasey Kahne provided greater detail as to why he won’t be racing in Monday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard.

Kahne opted to exit the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet for the final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular-season race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, IMS and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) after suffering from extreme heat exhaustion and dehydration during the final 100 laps of last Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

The issue has been a chronic problem that came to a head at Darlington, even though Kahne had made a point to stay hydrated in the days leading up to the event.

RELATED: Kahne sidelined for Indianapolis

“I was super hydrated,” said Kahne, who announced in August he will retire from full-time Cup racing at season’s end. “I was in really good condition going into the race. Had a great practice on Friday. About halfway through the race, I started getting to the point where I couldn’t drink any more. Once I can’t drink any more, I’ve already lost a lot more at that point in time in fluids than what I was able to put in.

“That’s why (when) I can’t drink any more, it will start coming back out. I keep drinking the most that I can throughout the rest of the race, but it just gets super hard. My body keeps sweating so much that I have, like, absolutely nothing left by the end of the race.”

Kahne slowed down and tried to stay as motionless as possible inside the car because his heart rate was elevated.

“At Darlington, about 100 (laps) to go, it was really hard to keep my eyes open and see,” Kahne explained. “I was struggling to do that. I was trying to control my heart rate because it was so high. I basically just kind of laid in the car and drove around the corners.

“I had to just control the car just to try to do as little as possible, so my heart rate would go down because it was so high. At that point all I’m doing is focusing on my body and my health, not on what I should be actually focusing on, and that’s racing.

“After the race, I went to the care center. I threw up all the way there. A lot of fans saw it. Threw up in the care center. They got IVs going in both arms. At that point I got to where I wasn’t sick any more. Sick all the way on the drive home.”

Since then, Kahne has been working with his doctors to trying to find a solution.

MORE: Kahne’s career highlights

“It’s just been a rough week,” he said. “That’s where I’m at today. Not racing Indy. Really tough decision. I would much rather be there than not.

“At this point I have to just figure out how to finish these races, how to be able to go that long in a hot car in the environment that we’re in, between the air temp and the dew point degrees, just to control it all.”

If Kahne can’t find a way to combat the condition, he may miss more races than the Brickyard 400. The forecast for the Sept. 15 event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway calls for 100-degree temperatures throughout the weekend.

“Just taking it one race at a time,” Kahne said. “My whole reason for doing this is because I know that Indy is a tough one, the dew point is always up there. I just know that I’ll be in that same situation there.

“For the full race, I’d be in the same situation. I can’t go through it again, so I’ve had to not go there, you know, learn more by the next one, decide from there.”