Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series will all be in action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this week and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be at Eldora Speedway. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

Note: All times are ET

MORE: How to find NBCSN 

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Sunday, July 22
Pre-race schedule
11 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver/crew chief meeting
12:05 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver introductions –  MOVED TO 3:50 P.M. ET
12:42:30 p.m.: Canadian Anthem Performed by: Kirk Young
12:44 p.m.: Presentation of Colors by Combined Services Color Guard
12:44:20 p.m.: Invocation by: Pastor John White
12:45 p.m.: National Anthem Performed by: Vanessa Salvucci
12:51:30 p.m.: “Driver’s, Start Your Engines” by Jean Swift, Treasurer of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Counsel

ON TRACK
1 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (301 laps, 318.46 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5) (Results) – MOVED TO 4:15 P.M. ET

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
4 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

TRACKSIDE LIVE (Watch live)
9:15 a.m. show

Saturday, July 21
10:05-10:55 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)
11:05 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
12:35-1:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)
2 p.m.: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Eastern Oil & Propane 100 (100 laps, 105.8 miles)
4 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Lakes Region 200 (200 laps, 211.6 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)
6:45 p.m. NASCAR K&N Pro Series East United Site Services 70 (70 laps, 74.06 miles)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
6:15 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race

TRACKSIDE LIVE (Watch live)
7:45 p.m. show

Friday, July 20
Noon-12:50 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)
1:05-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
3:05-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
4:45 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
10:45 a.m.: :Joey Logano
11:15 a.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
11:30 a.m.: Kaz Grala, Daniel Hemric and Ryan Truex
11:45 a.m.: Ryan Preece
1:20 p.m.: Denny Hamlin
1:45 p.m.: Kyle Larson
5:45 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

 

 

ELDORA
Tuesday, July 17
7:05-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, No TV (Results)
9:05-9:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, No TV (Results)

Wednesday, July 18
4:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS1
7 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying races (Five 10-lap races to set lineup), FS1 (Results)
8:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last chance qualifying race (15 laps), FS1 (Results)
9 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Eldora Dirt Derby (150 laps, 75 miles), FS1 (Results)

Posted on by Staff Report

Martin Truex Jr. swept the first two stages at Kentucky Speedway’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart, snagging his fifth stage win of the season Saturday night.

Truex Jr. led 118 of the first 160 laps en route to the Stage 2 win.

Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson completed the top five in the stage.

RELATED: Stage 2 results

Stage 2 was punctuated by a caution on Lap 109 when the No. 88 Chevrolet of Alex Bowman slammed into the outside wall after suffering a cut right front tire. Damage to the No. 88 was too significant for Bowman to continue.

The 400.5-mile race is scheduled to end on Lap 267.

Finish Driver Team Race Points
1 Martin Truex Jr.  Furniture Row Racing 10
2 Kyle Busch  Joe Gibbs Racing 9
3 Ryan Blaney  Team Penske 8
4 Kevin Harvick  Stewart-Haas Racing 7
5 Kyle Larson  Chip Ganassi Racing 6
6 Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing 5
7 Kurt Busch  Stewart-Haas Racing 4
8 Joey Logano  Team Penske 3
9 Erik Jones  Joe Gibbs Racing 2
10 Paul Menard  Wood Brothers Racing 1

 

STAGE 1

Pole winner Martin Truex Jr. cruised to his fourth stage win of the season when he led at the conclusion of Stage 1 in Saturday’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Kentucky Speedway.

Truex Jr. led 51 of the first 80 laps, yielding the lead in the stage only after coming in for a green-flag pit stop.

Fellow “Big Three” contenders followed right behind Truex — Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch finishing second and third, respectively, in the stage.

A speeding penalty on a Brad Keselowski pit stop on Lap 42 forced the No. 2 Team Penske Ford to the rear of the field when he had been challenging for the lead midway through the stage. Keselowski finished Stage 1 in 18th.

Kyle Larson, who had qualified 18th, started from the rear after he missed driver introductions. He worked his way all the way up to eighth by the end of Stage 1, however.

RELATED: Larson starts at rear

Finish Driver Team Race Points
1  Martin Truex Jr.  Furniture Row Racing 10
2  Kevin Harvick  Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3  Kyle Busch  Joe Gibbs Racing 8
4  Ryan Blaney  Team Penske 7
5  Paul Menard  Wood Brothers Racing 6
6  Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing 5
7  Daniel Suarez  Joe Gibbs Racing 4
8  Kyle Larson  Chip Ganassi Racing 3
9  Aric Almirola  Stewart-Haas Racing 2
10  Chase Elliott  Hendrick Motorsports 1

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson will start from the rear of the field in Saturday night’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race for missing driver introductions.

RELATED: Kentucky starting lineup

Larson was scheduled to start 18th in the Quaker State 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM), but his Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet will now drop to the rear of the field during pace laps.

Larson, who sits eighth in the Monster Energy Series drivers’ standings, started 40th in last year’s race at Kentucky and rallied to a second-place finish.

Posted on by NASCAR Wire Service

Christopher Bell didn’t have to win the Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway to prove he’s a bona fide racer.

He keeps a list of his race starts and wins on his phone. And since Bell, 23, became “a professional race car driver” in 2013 that number has reached the 450 mark.

“I tally every race I’ve ever ran and what position I’ve finished,” Bell said.

RELATED: Entry list for Eldora Dirt Derby

Bell’s next challenge will come at his favorite race track — Eldora Speedway — where he’ll trade in his helmet for a microphone as part of the FOX Sports broadcast team for the Eldora Dirt Derby.

“Whenever we race on line on iRacing or streamed races over the internet and you have 10 of your buddies watching, you pretend to broadcast, but this will be the first time I’m actually, legitimately, doing it,” Bell said.

“I was super excited months ago when they asked me to do it. But now the date is creeping up on me and my stomach is getting closer and closer to my throat. So I’m getting pretty nervous about it.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Crew chief Chad Knaus will remain at Hendrick Motorsports through at least 2020, he confirmed Saturday at Kentucky Speedway.

The seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief with Jimmie Johnson, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the 2018 season, has signed a two-year to stay with the No. 48 Chevrolet team.

MORE: Rockford roots wrapped around Chad Knaus’ future, past

“We have signed for two more years,” Knaus said. “That lines me up with Jimmie and Jimmie’s contract.  That is nice to be in that same space as him.”

While there were questions surrounding whether or not Knaus would re-up — predominantly because of the longest winless drought of Johnson’s career that the group currently is in — Knaus said not signing was never really a thought.

“No, not really. Obviously, Jimmie and I have a, although going through a bit of a slump right now, we have a great time racing together,” he said. “We have a long relationship and enjoyed everything 48.  So, no not really. It was pretty easy.”

Johnson signed a three-year extension last year. In their 17th season together, Knaus and Johnson are the longest-tenured crew chief-driver duo in the Monster Energy Series garage.

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 Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Kentucky Speedway.

Enjoy!

Posted on by RJ Kraft

Martin Truex Jr. won the Busch Pole Qualifying Award and will start in the top position for Saturday’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Kentucky Speedway. After two practice sessions and qualifying, we’ve dissected the numbers to offer a suggested lineup worthy of your Fantasy Live consideration as you go to make roster decisions for the 19th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of 2018. Remember that the garage locks at the end of Stage 2.

To the rear: Kyle Larson (missed driver intros)
Editor’s note: Even with this news, Larson is staying in my lineup as my garage play.

RJ Kraft’s revised Fantasy Live lineup following practices and the lineup being set:
1: Martin Truex Jr.
2: Kevin Harvick
3: Kyle Busch
4: Brad Keselowski
5: Erik Jones
Garage: Kyle Larson

PLAY NOW: Set your Fantasy Live lineup | How the new Fantasy Live works
MORE: Fantasy analysis for Kentucky | Driver stats | Full lineup | 10-lap averages

Analysis: With eight races to go in the regular season, the gloves are off. No more saving uses. This is the last race at a 1.5-mile track until the playoffs, so it’s fantasy go time.

The Big 3 of Truex Jr., Harvick and Busch were locks for me from the get-go. Their numbers on intermediates over the past two years are ridiculous and they have been the three best cars all year. If you have the uses, like I do — entering Saturday night I have five uses left on Busch and Truex and three on Harvick — you HAVE to play them. I’m holding onto Larson, but shifting him to the garage since my other five drivers will make up the top five starting spots in Saturday’s field. Larson has scored the third-most points on 1.5-mile tracks this season and was the runner-up from the back at Kentucky last year. Let’s not forget, he started 18th at the last 1.5-mile track (Chicago) and finished second. Guess where he starts tonight? 18th.

Originally, I had Kurt Busch and Joey Logano in my lineup. Busch has had a respectable showing this weekend but I found an option that I liked better. The speed on the No. 22 just seems off here and his two Penske teammates have been faster so I am taking Logano out of my lineup as well. In place of those two, I am rostering Jones and Keselowski. Fresh off his Daytona victory, Jones has been fast so far this weekend, has the ninth-most points on 1.5-mile tracks and finished sixth here in 2018. Initially, I was trying to save Keselowski with just three uses left, but the 2 crew looks too good to bench. Combine that with his three wins here — in an every other year sequence of 2012, 2014, 2016 — and one could theorize that history and trends suggest it’s Kes’ time to shine. I like the 2012 champ at New Hampshire, Pocono and Watkins Glen as well, so I am going to have to sacrifice at least one of those if this decision works. Like I said earlier, it’s go time, so I will pay the piper on his usage sooner rather than later. Frankly, I’m OK with that.

On the bonus picks, I am splitting everything between the Big 3 with Truex in Stage 1, Kyle Busch in Stage 2 and Harvick for the win.


Posted on by Staff Report

SPARTA, Ky. – A spin didn’t stop Christopher Bell from the win in the ALSCO 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

The Joe Gibbs Racing rookie was going for the pole in the final round of qualifying and spun out before completing the lap.

RELATED: Race results | Full schedule for Kentucky

Bell was forced to start from the rear of the field but recovered for his first win on the 1.5-mile track and his second of 2018.

“This is really special,” Bell said. “I keep making mistakes. I have to stop doing that to my team. They build really fast race cars and I made another mistake there in qualifying and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get back. But this Camry was good enough that I was able to get back around these guys.

“Hats off to Daniel Hemric. He’s been trying to get an Xfinity win for a long time. He’s been really close.”

Hemric, who passed Kyle Busch on Lap 143 and led eight laps, settled for second.

“I can’t make excuses,” Hemric said. “I should have gotten it done.”

Kyle Busch led a race-high 111 laps before finishing third. Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Tyler Reddick, John Hunter Nemechek, Ryan Truex, Paul Menard and Austin Cindric rounded out the top 10.

Busch took the lead from Custer, the pole-sitter, after just 14 laps and held a 3.218-second lead when he won Stage 1. Custer finished second followed by Nemechek, Matt Tifft, Cindric, Brandon Jones, Reddick, Allgaier, Hemric and Elliott Sadler. Bell moved up to 28th after the first lap and finished 14th in the first stage.

Busch retained the lead following service on pit road. Ty Majeski, who rolled off second, gained 14 positions with a two-tire pit stop. Custer, Nemechek, Cindric, Tifft, Brandon Jones, Menard, Reddick and Sadler completed the top 10 when the race returned to green for Stage 2 on Lap 52.

Majeski’s track position was short-lived after he slid up in to the wall on the restart exiting Turn 2. He dropped to 20th before pitting on Lap 57. Busch set sail with Custer, Cindric, Nemechek and Jones in tow. Reddick moved up to sixth, followed by Allgaier, Bell, Menard and Sadler.

Busch tagged the wall on Lap 64 but Custer couldn’t take advantage of the veteran’s rare mistake. Nemechek, however, passed Custer on Lap 71. He used the low line to take the point from Busch on Lap 80. The rookie driver held the lead by .396 seconds over Busch for his first Xfinity stage win. Custer finished third followed by Cindric, Jones, Allgaier, Bell, Menard and Hemric.

The final stage was rife with cautions. Busch retook the lead on pit road followed by Custer, Nemechek, Cindric, Allgaier and Bell. The third caution occurred when Josh Williams clipped Blake Jones in Turn 4 on Lap 99. Busch retained the lead followed by Custer, Allgaier, Bell, Nemechek, Brandon Jones and Hemric.

Entering Turn 2 on the Lap 104 restart, Nemechek slid into Brandon Jones and the No. 19 hit the wall to trigger the fourth caution. The Joe Gibbs Racing crew was forced to push Jones behind the wall.

“Gosh, one of our really good mile-and-a-half cars here,” said Jones, who finished 36th. “This has got to be a kill or be killed situation on these restarts.”

Busch elected to take the inside lane for the Lap 108 restart with Custer, Bell, Allgaier and Hemric in tow. Reddick, Tifft, Nemechek, Cindric and Menard rounded out the top 10. Bell grabbed second from Custer and closed in behind Busch. Hemric followed for third. Nemechek moved by Custer for fourth on Lap 125.

Majeski’s misfortunes continued on Lap 132 when he spun through the frontstretch grass to ignite the fifth caution. Busch retained the lead coming to the Lap 139 restart. A two-tire stop by the No. 5 JR Motorsports team allowed Michael Annett to move up to second. Nemechek lined up third, but lost power attempting to save fuel. He was forced to pit for a new battery and dropped to 21st, one lap down. Hemric moved up to third followed by Custer, Menard, Allgaier, Cindric, Tifft and Bell.

Annett slapped the wall on the restart. Hemric passed Busch for the lead coming off of Turn 2 on Lap 143. Allgaier moved passed the No. 18 Toyota for second on Lap 145. Tifft slid up into Sadler coming out of Turn 2 to bring out the sixth caution on Lap 146.

Hemric controlled the Lap 151 restart, but Allgaier moved to the lead on the outside coming through Turns 3 and 4. Joey Gase crashed to force the seventh caution of the night with 39 laps remaining in the race.

With a push from Bell, Allgaier pulled out to a three-car-length lead on the Lap 166 restart. Bell moved up to second while Hemric dropped to third. Busch, who dropped to eighth after pitting during the sixth caution, rebounded to fourth followed by Custer.

Allgaier held a .3-second lead over Bell with 20 laps to decide the contest. Bell went low coming to the line on Lap 184 for the lead. Hemric passed Allgaier for second while Busch moved in on the bumper of the No. 7 Chevrolet, eventually taking over third place.

Bell continued to pull away from Hemric with 10 laps remaining and extended his lead to .848-seconds for his third career win in the Xfinity Series.

“To be able to come from the back here at Kentucky, it just really shows how good of car we have,” Bell added. “This Rheem Camry was extremely good on the long run. Even on the short run too, I could fire off and have really good restarts, so I’m just thankful that everyone stayed behind me and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing believes in me, so it’s a dream come true to be racing in the Xfinity Series, let alone standing in Victory Lane one more time.”

Sadler, who finished 12th, leads the NXS standings on a tie-breaker over Hemric.

 

The Xfinity Series’ next race is scheduled for July 21 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Zack Albert

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tossed barbs right back at Kyle Busch on Friday, saying he didn’t smooth things over after their crash last weekend at Daytona because he was irritated by Busch’s public comments.

Stenhouse reached out to Busch for the first time since the two were involved in a contentious collision last weekend, leaning into the window of Busch’s No. 18 Toyota in between rounds of qualifying at Kentucky Speedway. The two chatted briefly, and Stenhouse elaborated on his reasoning in an interview with NBCSN.

RELATED: Kyle Busch expresses disappointment

“Ah, not really a change of heart. I just told him why I didn’t reach out. I felt like he ran his mouth enough on his radio and then after the race that I didn’t really have anything to say to him,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “I honestly feel like that I normally do reach out to people when I make mistakes, and I clearly made a mistake, but you know with him running his mouth I just felt like I didn’t really need to call him.

“So I just let him know that. I told him that I was like ‘Hey, you’re right, you do run a lot further up front, but pick and choose your battles wisely because you will have to deal with me sometime whether you’re lapping me or we get our cars better and we’re up there racing with you.’ I told him if he wanted to keep running his mouth, he can come over and do it around me and I’ll stop him for myself.”

Stenhouse was a central figure in multiple wrecks in last weekend’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, including an incident that eliminated Busch before the end of the second stage. Busch was critical of Stenhouse’s aggressive tactics in that crash and the one that preceded it, a massive stack-up that involved more than half of the 40-car field.

Stenhouse accepted blame in his post-race remarks last Saturday night at Daytona, but Busch told reporters at Kentucky that his rival had taken no measures to mend fences. “You wipe out half the field and pretty sure there would be a pretty busy Monday for him, but there wasn’t, so apparently he just doesn’t care,” Busch said earlier Friday.

Stenhouse earned the 14th starting position for Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM), just missing out on the final-12 cut for the final round. The early exit allowed Stenhouse to talk briefly with Busch at his car before making his way back to the garage.

Busch, a two-time Kentucky winner, continued in qualifying to snare the fifth starting spot for Saturday night’s race.