Posted on by Staff Report

After the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race, here’s a brief look at the playoffs picture. There are two races remaining in the Round of 16 before the field is whittled to 12, with four drivers eliminated from the postseason following Charlotte (Sept. 30).

Winner

Brad Keselowski won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, clinching a spot in the Round of 12. The win also gives him five playoff points to add to his total, which now sits at 25.

RELATED: Best at-track photos

Who’s hot

Martin Truex Jr. Truex Jr. showed championship-winning speed on Sunday, with the No. 78 Toyota looking like the rocket it did last year when the Furniture Row Racing group won the series title. No, he didn’t win at Las Vegas, but by virtue of his on-track performance Truex Jr. announced with authority he and his team are definitively championship contenders.

Kyle Larson. Larson isn’t great at Richmond — the next stop on the circuit — and who knows with the chaotic Charlotte road course looming. He needed a strong run at Vegas, and delivered with a compelling second-place showing. With so many other playoff drivers having issues, his clean day stands out all the more.

Who’s not

Erik Jones. Erik Jones had pretty much the worst day imaginable. The Busch Pole Award winner crushed his No. 20 Toyota into the back of the No. 4 Ford of Kevin Harvick, which had blown a tire, midway through the race. Through no fault of his own, it ended Jones’ day and dropped him to dead last in the playoff standings. Unlike Harvick, Jones doesn’t have a bevy of playoff points on which to fall back.

Denny Hamlin. It’s never good when your driver comes on the radio and says “God, we’re bad.” That’s what the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team heard from Denny Hamlin after he finished 15th in Stage 1. It never got better, either, with Hamlin among the slowest of playoff drivers before he spun out on Lap 246 to end his day early.

BUBBLE WATCH

Rank Driver Points to cutoff
9. Aric Almirola +12
10. Austin Dillon +9
11. Clint Bowyer +7
12. Alex Bowman +6
————— CUT-OFF LINE —————
13. Jimmie Johnson -6
14. Chase Elliott -9
15. Erik Jones -19
16. Denny Hamlin
 -20

Next race

The Monster Energy Series travels to Richmond Raceway for a Saturday night race on Sept. 22 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Who it favors

Denny Hamlin. The 0.75-mile track could provide the breakthrough the No. 11 team has been craving. Hamlin has led 17.2 percent of all laps run at the facility since 2005, and Toyotas have won four of the past six races there.

Who it hurts

Ryan Blaney. Richmond is the worst track on the circuit for Blaney, if you’re judging by average finish. In five career Richmond Cup starts his average finish is 28.6. That includes two finishes outside the top 35 and zero laps led.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

LAS VEGAS – In a war of attrition that caused a multitude of problems for the majority of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contenders, Brad Keselowski emerged unscathed with his third straight victory in the series and the 500th triumph for Team Penske in all forms of racing combined.

Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the playoff opener for NASCAR’s foremost series, went to overtime, lasting five laps longer than the scheduled 267. But Keselowski held the top spot through three tension-laden restarts to beat runner-up Kyle Larson to the finish line by 1.276 seconds on the final two-lap shootout.

RELATED: Race results | Playoff standings
SHOP: Keselowski gear

With his third victory of the season, his third at  Las Vegas and the 27th of his career, Keselowski guaranteed himself a spot in the second round of the playoffs.

“Team Penske — 500 wins today,” Keselowski said. “It’s a huge day for the Captain (team owner Roger Penske). I expect he’s watching (from the IndyCar season finale at Sonoma Raceway). Hey, boss!

“To start off the playoffs with a win is really strong. I know it’s three in a row and all that great stuff, but it’s really a testament to this team. … We weren’t as fast as the 78 car (third-place finisher Martin Truex Jr.), but we nailed the pit stops and the restarts.”

Most of the 16 playoff contenders just got nailed — and decisively.

Kevin Harvick, the series leader in victories with seven this year, blew a tire on Lap 148 and rocketed into the Turn 1 wall. Pole winner Erik Jones, running behind Harvick, couldn’t avoid the wreck and plowed into Harvick’s Ford. Both cars were eliminated, with Harvick finishing 39th and Jones 40th.

In a similar incident in Turn 4 on Lap 212, Chase Elliott was collected against the outside wall when Jamie McMurray’s Chevrolet turned sideways in front of him. Elliott fell out of the race in 36th place.

MORE: Elliott’s day ends after collision with McMurray | Harvick, Jones wreck early

Denny Hamlin’s spin off Turn 4 on Lap 247 caused the ninth caution and subsequent restart that allowed Keselowski to take the lead from Larson, who had passed the No. 2 Team Penske Ford on Lap 245 and had the long-run speed to win the race, had the event stayed incident-free to the finish.

Jimmie Johnson showed some of his best speed of the season, but his No. 48 Chevrolet sustained heavy damage in a Lap 257 accident that also involved playoff drivers Clint Bowyer, Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch. Johnson, a seven-time series champion, finished 22nd, two laps down, one position behind Busch and one ahead of Bowyer.

Bowman came home 19th and currently occupies the 12th position in the standings, with the playoff field set to be cut from 16 drivers to 12 two races hence at Charlotte.

RELATED: Quick look at the playoff picture

Kyle Busch survived contact with the outside wall, a spin through the infield grass and damage to the front of his No. 18 Toyota to finish seventh.

Truex, who won the first stage, took the series lead by two points over Kyle Busch. Keselowski is 18 points back in third place, with Harvick 27 points behind in fourth, thanks to the 50 Playoff points he accumulated during the regular season.

The four drivers currently on the outside when it comes to advancing to the next round are Johnson, Elliott, Jones and Hamlin.

Five of the race’s 12 cautions came in the last 40 laps, as the accidents took their toll on one playoff driver after another.

“I didn’t think it was ever going to end,” said Keselowski, the third driver to win three consecutive races this season, joining Harvick and Kyle Busch. “I was worried about running out of gas there at the end.” 

Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney ran fourth and fifth, respectively. Aric Almirola finished sixth and playoff driver Austin Dillon came home 11th after starting from the rear of the field because of unapproved adjustments to the body of his car.

“Brad clearly found a horseshoe,” said Truex, the defending series champion. “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.”

The NASCAR Playoffs continue at Richmond Raceway for Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the second race in the three-race opening round before the field shrinks from 16 drivers to 12.

Contributing: Staff report

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

LAS VEGAS — NASCAR Playoffs driver Chase Elliott was an innocent bystander in Jamie McMurray’s misfortunate in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the postseason opener for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

McMurray spun up the race track in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 211 as a result of a cut tire. Running the high line through the corner, Elliott slammed into the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. The incident damaged the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet enough to end his day, finishing 36th.

Immediately after the crash, Elliott radioed to his crew that he was experiencing pain in his shoulder from the contact. Following a trip to the infield care center, Elliott said the pain quickly subsided.

“I’m OK now,” Elliott said. “It popped really big. My hand got caught in the wheel. I got to messing with it after and it popped again. All good and move on to Richmond.”

RELATED: Elliott describes shoulder injury

Elliott came into the day as the eighth seed of the 16-driver playoff field. The poor result now puts him in 14th place heading into Richmond and the Charlotte road course, the final two races of the first playoff round.

“It puts us in a hole to start, so not good,” Elliott said.

McMurray went on to finish 35th, a disappointing result for what might have been a strong day for the No. 1 team.

“I feel like our whole year has kind of went like that,” McMurray said. “There’s nothing you can do about it. I was thrilled with our speed. …I thought we had a car capable of winning today, so it’s frustrating, but, I mean, it’s much more frustrating to run bad.”

Posted on by Staff Report

What channels are NASCAR races on this week? We answer that and give you the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET. 

MORE: Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Gets FOX Sports Go | How to find NBCSN 

Monday, September 17
6 p.m. NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN
Noon: Motorsports Monday (with hosts Woody Cain and Joey Meier)

Tuesday, September 18
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN
7 p.m.: NASCAR Live (with host Mike Bagley)

Wednesday, September 19
Midnight: Glory Road “Blacker” (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
12:30 a.m.: Glory Road “NASCAR Goes Road Racing” (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 a.m.: NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
5 p.m.: NASCAR America: Wednesdays with Dale Jr., NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN
Noon: Crew Call (with hosts Sammi Jo Francis and Rocko Williams)
1 p.m.: NASCAR Coast to Coast (with hosts Kyle Rickey & Hannah Newhouse)

Thursday, September 20
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5:30 p.m.: Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN
1 p.m.: Throwback Thursday: 1991 Miller 400

Friday, September 21
4 a.m.: NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
5 a.m.: Beyond the Wheel, FS1
8:30 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBC Sports App (Canada; TSN App)
10 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
11:30 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
12:30 p.m.: NASCAR Decades: The 1970s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
1:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Racing: K&N Pro Series West at Las Vegas, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
5:30 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
7 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Go Bowling 250, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
9:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
10 p.m.: NASCAR Decades: The 1990s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
10:30 p.m.: NASCAR Decades: The 1980s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN
10:30 a.m.: The Inside Line (with host Tyler Burnett) (Moved from original start time of noon)

Saturday, September 22
4 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
11 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Post Race Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
11:30 p.m.: NASCAR Decades: The 1990s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Sunday, September 23
Midnight: Racing Roots: Martin Truex Jr., NBCSN/NBC Sports App
12:30 a.m.: Racing Roots: Ryan Blaney, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series will be in action at Richmond Raceway while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off. The Monster Energy Series continues the Round of 16 of the NASCAR Playoffs, while the Xfinity Series Playoffs begin. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

Note: All times are ET

MORE: How to find NBCSN

SATURDAY, Sept. 22
6:50 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Introductions
7:10 p.m.: Team Fastrax Skydive Team Jumps
7:16:45 p.m.: Pledge of Allegiance
7:17:15 p.m.: God Bless America: The President’s Own United States Marine Band
7:18:25 p.m.: Flyby TOT: Bandit Flight Team (Turn 1 to Turn 4)
7:20:30 p.m.: Invocation by: United States Navy Chaplain, Lieutenant James Block
7:21:14 p.m.: National Anthem by: The President’s Own United States Marine Band
7:22:25 Flyby TOT: (4 F-15’s) 159th Fighter Wing, Louisiana Air National Guard (Turn 1 to Turn 4)
7:27:30 “Driver’s, Start Your Engines” by: Tim Trudnowski, President, Automotive Jobber Supply in Spokane, WA
7:27:45 Flyby TOT: Bandit Flight Team (Backstretch to Frontstretch)
7:33 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 (400 laps, 300 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
— 3 p.m.: Roush Fenway Racing
— 10:45 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

FRIDAY, Sept. 21
8:30-9:15 a.m.: Xfinity Series first practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App) (Results)
10:50-11 a.m.: Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App) (Results)
11:35 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)
1:30-2:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)
4:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App) (Results)
6:05 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)
7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series GoBowling 250 (250 laps, 187.5 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
10:15 a.m.: Alon Day
10:30 a.m.: Brad Keselowski
10:45 a.m.: Chase Elliott
12:30 p.m.: Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain
1 p.m.: Richmond Raceway
2:30 p.m.: Elliott Sadler
2:45 p.m.: Kyle Busch
6:45 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
9:30 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Playoffs drivers Kevin Harvick and Erik Jones were knocked out of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when the two collided midway through the race.

RELATED: Live leaderboard

Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford appeared to blow a right front tire and veered toward the outside wall on Lap 147 of 267. As Harvick’s Ford slowed, Erik Jones plowed into the rear of his car with his own No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Both cars sustained too much damage to continue in the race.

“It’s unfortunate we had that happen,” Jones told NBCSN. “Nothing Kevin can do, nothing we can do. It’s not the situation we need to be in. We have some work to do now.”

MORE: Best photos from Las Vegas

Jones had started the race on the pole and was riding a surge of momentum entering the race. Harvick entered the race as the No. 2 playoff seed.

“We’ve got to run well at Richmond and the Roval now,” Jones said after being released from the infield care center. “I thought it was going to be a pretty lackadaisical first round, run top 10 in each one. We were on pace to run top 10 today and probably run OK at Richmond. Just unfortunate we’re even behind. We don’t want to be in this spot and nothing we can do to prevent it now, but we’ll just have to move forward.”

The SHR veteran Harvick began the playoffs with 50 playoff points, so while the misfortune impacts him, it’s more of a slight dent into his standing. Jones, on the other hand, was hammered with repercussions. He drops to last place in the playoff standings with two races remaining in the Round of 16.

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Charisse B.

Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

Favorite NASCAR track: Richmond Raceway.

Favorite Monster Energy Drink: Muscle Monster and Monster Zero Ultra

Favorite Monster Energy event (besides NASCAR): Fitness Expos, MotoAmerica and UFC

Favorite Monster Energy athlete: Conor McGregor

Which character would you be in Talladega Nights: Jean Girard.

PHOTOS: Best of Monster Energy Girls

Monster Girl Charisse B Inset

Talladega or Daytona: Talladega

JetSki or Snow ski: JetSki

Beer or wine: Dark beer

What would you name your boat if you had one: I’ll name it “Vitamin Sea”.

You might not know this about me: I competed for American Ninja warrior; I can climb a rope without using my legs and I can do 20 pull ups.

Best part of being a Monster Girl: Interacting and meeting new people and how a simple picture can make a person smile are the best part working as a Monster Girl.

Best/craziest fan story/encounter: Best one I had was when one of my follower drove 3  hours just to have a fitness challenge with me during a fitness expo.

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