Posted on by Staff Report

Stage 1

Ryan Blaney was quickest on a restart with one lap to go and won Stage 1 of the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. For Blaney, who started ninth, the stage win was his fourth of the 2018 season.

Blaney held off Kyle Larson, who rebounded from starting 26th to finish second.

RELATED: Full Stage 1 results

Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five. Hamlin started at the rear of the field, along with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones, for failing pre-race inspection (splitter).

Pole-sitter Kurt Busch led 46 of the first 60 laps but dropped to seventh to end the stage.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1  Ryan Blaney  Team Penske 10
2  Kyle Larson  Chip Ganassi Racing 9
3  Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing 8
4  Kevin Harvick  Stewart-Haas Racing 7
5  Denny Hamlin  Joe Gibbs Racing 6
6  Brad Keselowski  Team Penske 5
7  Kurt Busch  Stewart-Haas Racing 4
8  William Byron  Hendrick Motorsports 3
9  Joey Logano  Team Penske 2
10  Aric Almirola  Stewart-Haas Racing 1

Stage 2

Kevin Harvick took the lead on a restart on Lap 91 and did not look back in winning Stage 2 of Sunday’s race. For the driver of the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Ford it was his series-leading eighth stage win of the season.

Fords dominated the Stage 2 results with Clint Bowyer placing second and pole-sitter Kurt Busch third. Kyle Busch, in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota, was fourth.

Paul Menard, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski finished fifth, sixth and seventh to continue the Ford parade. Jamie McMurray, in eighth place, was the top Chevrolet.

McMurray’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyle Larson didn’t fare nearly as well during the stage, spinning on Lap 85 and bringing out a caution. Larson fell a lap down as a result of the mishap.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1  Kevin Harvick  Stewart-Haas Racing 10
2  Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3  Kurt Busch  Stewart-Haas Racing 8
4  Kyle Busch  Joe Gibbs Racing 7
5  Paul Menard  Wood Brothers Racing 6
6  Ryan Blaney  Team Penske 5
7  Brad Keselowski  Team Penske 4
8  Jamie McMurray  Chip Ganassi Racing 3
9  Erik Jones  Joe Gibbs Racing 2
10  William Byron  Hendrick Motorsports 1
Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — NASCAR Hall of Fame member and championship winning driver Rusty Wallace, along with Walter Czarnecki, the Executive Vice President, Penske Corporation and Vice Chairman of Team Penske, were announced as the latest members of the Team Penske Hall of Fame in a special ceremony on Sunday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway.

Of all the drivers who’ve raced for Team Penske throughout the team’s 52-year existence, none followed the path to prominence like Wallace. A little-known fact to most, Wallace made his first two starts for Roger Penske in 1980, finishing second in his debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The short-track ace from Missouri wouldn’t return to the Captain’s team until 1991, piloting the iconic yellow and black Miller Genuine Draft Pontiac. Wallace accumulated the final 37 of his 55 career premier series victories for Team Penske, ranking him third on the all-time wins list for Penske. Wallace was the 1989 Winston Cup Champion and a 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee.

RELATED: See the premier-series winners for Team Penske

“This is a great award and a great honor,” said Wallace. “I didn’t expect this was going to happen at all. I’m really honored to be in the Team Penske Hall of Fame, but even more honored to have driven for Roger. I always wanted to be a Penske driver.  Even when I had other offers, I wanted to drive for Penske. To be in a club with the likes of Roger, Rick Mears, Mark Donohue, Walter (Czarnecki) and Karl Kainhofer is a real honor.”

Czarnecki began his relationship with Roger Penske and Penske Corporation in 1970 through his duties with American Motors, a few years later, he operated one of the nation’s leading Chevrolet dealerships for volume sales and customer service located in Southfield, Mich. During that same time, Penske purchased Michigan International Speedway out of bankruptcy, with Czarnecki serving as the track president. During his tenure, the speedway grew from 25,000 seats to over 125,000, hosting races for NASCAR, IndyCar, IROC, ARCA and many other top-tier sanctioning bodies.

Czarnecki later served as Vice Chairman of Penske Speedways, which owned and operated Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Nazareth Speedway, North Carolina Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. In 1999, Penske Speedways merged with International Speedway Corporation. Czarnecki remained Vice Chairman of Team Penske, a role in which he continues to serve. With nearly 50 years of service, Czarnecki has left an immeasurable impact on Penske Corporation, Team Penske and motorsports.

“I’m honored and very, very grateful and humbled by this,” said Czarnecki.  “Roger and I have been together for 48 years and this is certainly one of the highlights of my career.  I remember when Roger and I first met — at a Trans Am race in 1969 in California. We bumped into each other because we were staying at the same hotel.  That was the beginning of it all and I’ve never looked back from there.”

Inductions into the Team Penske Hall of Fame occur annually. Each year, two inductees are chosen from current and former drivers, employees and partners that have made a significant impact on the team and its history. The Hall of Famers will be honored both at an event and within the walls of the Team Penske facility located in Mooresville, North Carolina.

The first four inductees to the Team Penske Hall of Fame were: Roger Penske (2016), Mark Donohue (2016), Rick Mears (2017) and Karl Kainhofer (2017).

Posted on by @nascarcasm

On to Episode Two of “Renovation Realities: Dale Jr. & Amy” on the DIY Network! On this episode I learned more about shiplap than I expected. By that I mean prior to this episode, I had never heard of shiplap, and now I have. HEARING DALE EARNHARDT JR. SAY “PUTTIN’ UP THE SHIPLAP” WAS THE SOUL-AFFIRMING EXPERIENCE I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED.

Also, you get a better feel as to the awful condition of the home prior to the renovation. I would have given up. I’m not fit for the “Do It Yourself” network, but if they had an offshoot where frustrated individuals basically gave up halfway through a project called the “&^%$ It, You Do It” Network, I’d be perfect. Anyway, here we go.

FIRST SEGMENT

  • Looks like they’re redoing the kitchen. They’ll turn it into this pristine, immaculate space where Dale will come up with ghastly sandwiches. He’s like the Dr. Frankenstein of sandwiches. He places Cheetos and dill relish on a piece of bread then screams, “IT’S ALIVE!”
  • They’re somehow gonna turn the tool shed into a dining room. Fascinating. They’ll be eating where a bunch of tools were kept. As in actual tools. I didn’t mean that all the guys on “The Bachelorette” were all hanging out there. Sorry for the confusion.

    An interior view of the toolshed of the home Dale Jr. and Amy will renovate.
    Courtesy DIY Network / Rocky Gonet (AP Images)
  • Previous owner was “quite the collector” says Amy, as she’s too kind to say “hoarder.” So there’s a bunch of crap they have to throw out. They likely edited this scene to not show Dale examining each thing piece by piece, with one “Imma sell this on eBay!” pile and one “Naw” pile.
  • MAGGOTS AND CAT POOP. THEY HAVE FOUND MAGGOTS AND CAT POOP IN THE HOUSE. But they’re continuing on. That’s what sets Dale and Amy apart. They’re driven to finish the job. If this were my show, this episode would come to an abrupt end as I burn down the house for insurance money then head north on U.S. 1.
  • They’ve now uncovered dead scorpions. To review: maggots, cat poop and scorpions. This house is like an advent calendar of awful s—t.
  • The floor gave way under Amy. It’s that rotten. She was OK, thankfully. Again, if this were me, Episode 2 would be over after eight minutes. The final scene would be me drinking at Captain Tony’s and watching the smoke from my house rise in the distance.

SECOND SEGMENT

  • Dale is having great difficulty pounding nails into the support beams of the ceiling. Someone please get a race car out there so we can see him properly drive something.
  • Looks like Dale used some wrong pieces and has to undo a bunch of work and basically start over. If this is what you were looking to do, Dale, buying then trying to assemble an Ikea TV stand woulda been a hell of a lot cheaper.
  • He actually said he’s learned from his mistakes, and that he’s learned to “slow down.” I guess as a race car driver that isn’t exactly an innate skill. But he’s taking responsibility. And he didn’t instinctively blame TJ Majors or something. I would have.

THIRD SEGMENT

  • One of the things you notice when watching this show is that Dale Jr. seems to have quite a wide array of cargo shorts. I’m glad to see that because I’m a cargo-shorts enthusiast myself and I will laugh in the face of anyone who tells me otherwise. I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL.
  • YES, DALE’S OPERATING A GIANT CIRCULAR MITRE SAW. DO IT QUICK BEFORE THEY GET OUTLAWED THERE TOO, DALE.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. works on renovating a house for DIY Network.
    Courtesy DIY Network / Emilee Ramsier
  • They’re “puttin’ up the shiplap,” says Dale. This is like one of the most Dale Jr.-sounding things I’ve ever heard Dale Jr. say.
  • This first one is taking forever. Slow shiplap times.
  • Amy’s away, so when it comes to making a decision regarding the shiplap, Dale very wisely calls her and gets her input. Anyway, they’re almost done. Shiplaps are winding down.
  • Y’all better be appreciating the absolute hell out of these shiplap puns.

FOURTH SEGMENT

  • Kitchen is done. It’s lovely. It’s also white. Very white. My OCD is begging them to never cook anything with red marinara sauce here.
  • I’ve learned that you don’t say a room in the house is a “room.” It’s a “space.” So I’m now referring to my man cave at home as my “Bro Space.” I’m gradually learning how to sound much more formal and educated when it comes to the field of renovation and interior design, which is necessary because 20 minutes ago I was giggling at cat poop.
  • Dale points to a piece of artwork on the wall and says, “And this is very cool, whatever this is.” He and I appreciate art the exact same way.
  • I just made Dale Jr. saying “Shiplap” my new ringtone. I am not kidding.
Posted on by Staff Report

The start of Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway is on hold because of rain.

The 400-miler for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was scheduled for a green flag at 2:14 p.m. ET (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM), but early afternoon showers dampened the 2-mile track.

RELATED: Lap-by-lap updates | Weather information

Race officials have 14 units of the Toyota Tundra track-drying team on hand, nine conventional jet dryers, two track vacuums and an Elgin sweeper.

Once the event starts, Kurt Busch is set to lead the 39-car field to the green after winning the Busch Pole in Friday’s qualifying.

This story will be updated.

Posted on by Staff Report

Three Joe Gibbs Racing cars will drop to the rear of the field at the start of Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM) because of inspection issues at Michigan International Speedway.

RELATED: Race leaderboard

The No. 18 Toyota of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points leader Kyle Busch, the No. 11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin and the No. 20 Toyota of Erik Jones all failed pre-race inspection because of unapproved splitters.

All three cars will drop to the back of the 39-car field during pace laps. Busch was scheduled to start third, Jones eighth and Hamlin 10th.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

BROOKLYN, Mich. — NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Combine alum Breanna O’Leary was full of emotions prior to her Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series showing on pit road in Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway.

O’Leary graduated from the Pit Crew Combine in 2016, working her way up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series. She currently serves as a tire changer for the No. 45 Toyota for J.P. Motorsports.

RELATED: College athletes put to the test in 2018 Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Combine

On Sunday in the Irish Hills, O’Leary was on pit road in NASCAR’s premier series changing tires for the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing team and driver B.J. McLeod.

“I’m excited, definitely nervous,” O’Leary told NASCAR.com. “I’m just trying to keep myself level-headed. I’m mostly trying to tell myself it’s just another race. It’s just another pit stop.”

O’Leary, a 26-year-old Austin, Texas native, played softball at Alcorn State University. Before joining the NASCAR D4D program, O’Leary was working to earn her master’s degree in athletic administration and coaching at Alcorn State. O’Leary would have never guessed just how substantial of a turn her life would take when the opportunity in the sport was initially presented.

“At the time, I was actually a graduate assistant for our strength and conditioning coach at Alcorn,” O’Leary said. “They set it up through him. He was like, ‘I want you to do it.’ I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, I just knew they were coming and it was something to be competitive in, so I went for it.”

Now, O’Leary is an inspiration to others from all different walks of life and backgrounds who would like to follow a similar NASCAR path — all because she wasn’t afraid to take a risk.

“Probably never in my life I thought I would be here right now,” O’Leary said. “Being a tire changer, especially at this level, I would have never dreamt it. I would have never thought it.”

When asked what her mindset is going to be on Sunday in preparation for one of the biggest moment in her young NASCAR journey, O’Leary sounded like a seasoned veteran.

“I’m going to treat (the race) like any other race day, just for my nerves and try not to hype it up too much. Remind myself I’m here to do a job. Typically, before a stop, I’ll just count in my head ‘1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5’ so I’m not thinking or anything.”

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 FireKeepers Casino 400 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Enjoy!

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Drama unfolded between Alex Bowman and Elliott Sadler in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

Sadler and Bowman made contact on the frontstretch coming to Lap 74, causing Sadler to brush the wall. The caution was then displayed on the same lap after Austin Cindric spun in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Sadler made his displeasure with Bowman known under the caution period, hitting the left side of Bowman’s No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet.

RELATED: Dillon lands Xfinity win at Michigan | Race results

The incident resulted in a left-front tire rub for Bowman and sent both him and Sadler to the pits for repairs.

Bowman finished 21st in the LTi Printing 250, while Sadler brought the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in 30th.

Standing outside of his car on pit road after the race, Bowman didn’t mince words regarding Sadler and the incident.

“A third of the way down the straightaway where he just decided to pull up,” Bowman said. “At this point, what am I supposed to do? It’s his race track and I’m just driving on it and lift? I’m not going to lift for a guy who wouldn’t lift for me. I don’t know why he drove down the corner after he messed up and hit us under caution. That was pretty dumb.

“I don’t know. He gets pretty fired up. I like Elliott, but in my opinion, that was pretty dumb.”

Both Bowman and Sadler took to social media after the event, indicating that they had communicated in an effort to smooth out their differences.

JR Motorsports and GMS Racing both have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, as Bowman filled in for Spencer Gallagher in the No. 23 after Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott subbed in for Charlotte and Pocono. Bowman’s next race with the GMS Racing Xfinity team will be at Kentucky Speedway on July 13.

Taking some post-race time on pit road to reflect on his side of the incident, Bowman defended his actions on the race track.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Bowman added. “There was nothing that I really could have done differently. It’s not like I cleared myself on him and wrecked him. He cleared himself on me and wasn’t clear.

“…It sucks. It caused a tire rub and it was pretty unnecessary. I hate it for all the guys at GMS. Obviously we had a really strong car, but somebody’s temper, I guess, just took us out of the day.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

BROOKLYN, Mich. – Austin Dillon powered past Kaz Grala on Lap 72 of Saturday’s LTI Printing 250 at Michigan International Speedway and held the lead the rest of the way to win his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race since Aug. 19, 2016 at Bristol. 

Dillon kept Richard Childress Racing teammate Daniel Hemric behind him after a restart on Lap 89 of a scheduled 125, but the race ended under caution two laps later when rain pelted the asphalt. The event started three hours late after a window opened in the inclement weather.

RELATED: Race results | Full schedule for Michigan 

The victory was Dillon’s first at the two-mile track and the ninth of his career. RCR hadn’t won in the series since Michael McDowell took the checkered flag at Road America in 2016, a week after Dillon claimed his victory at Bristol.

“It’s always amazing to get to Victory Lane,” Dillon said. “In the Xfinity Series for RCR, we’ve been working real hard to get our cars back where they need to be. This feels good … 

“Me and (crew chief) Nick (Harrison) have gotten to run off a couple of wins together a couple of years back, and we felt like, if they put us back together that we could go do it again. We’re a pretty good duo, it seems like. It’s nice to be back with him and that group.”

Hemric rolled home second, a career-best finish on an oval track, but his satisfaction with the 1-2 result by his organization was tempered by the nagging feeling he had failed to execute when it counted.

“If I had done my job or drug the brake and or done something maybe to form the bottom lane up better, maybe I could have passed Dillon,” Hemric said. “Obviously, I was lined up next to, in my opinion, one of the best restarters in our sport, and Austin does a great job of that and had a lot of help on top.”

Cole Custer ran third, followed by Ryan Reed and Paul Menard. Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Kevin Harvick, Justin Allgaier and Ryan Truex completed the top 10.

WATCH: Sadler, Bowman tangle at Michigan

For the second straight week, the Xfinity Series cars ran a high-downforce restrictor-plate package that kept the cars in closer quarters, though the outside lane established a clear advantage. But there was plenty of action in a race that featured nine cautions in 91 laps.

Christopher Bell recovered from a hard hit against the outside wall on Lap 17 and a subsequent spin on Lap 67. He rallied to finish 11th in a No. 20 Toyota despite serious damage to the right-rear quarter and bumper cover.

Series leader Elliott Sadler wasn’t as lucky. His No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet scraped the outside wall on Lap 73 after contact with Alex Bowman’s Camaro. Sadler finished 30th, the last driver on the lead lap, and saw his lead in the standings shrink to 41 points over Custer in second and 49 over Hemric in third.

Posted on by

Jessica Ruffin’s revised Fantasy Live lineup following practices and the lineup being set:
1: Joey Logano
2: Brad Keselowski
3: Clint Bowyer
4: Aric Almirola
5: Erik Jones
Garage: Kyle Larson

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

Analysis: With only one driver (Clint Bowyer) running 10 consecutive laps in opening practice and final practice being canceled due to weather, Fantasy Live players are a bit limited on their resources this weekend.

Kevin Harvick, once again, is a strong play. I personally don’t want to burn a usage with one of these drivers when there are several strong alternative options. But if you have the usage and want to play him, he’ll be stout. I would save Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch plays, as Harvick seems to be the strongest of the three. I also plan on stacking my bonus picks with the No. 4.

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have both been solid this weekend, with top-10 practice speeds and promising qualifying positions. Their past history plays into my decision, too. Both drivers finished in the top five at similar Auto Club Speedway in March, and Keselowski paced the field for 105 laps in the series’ last trip to the Irish Hills. Logano has finished in the top 10 for nine of the past 10 races at Michigan, winning two of those events (2016 and 2013).

Clint Bowyer’s past Michigan history initially made me hesitant to play the No. 14 Sunday, but after practice and qualifying, he looks to be a solid choice. He was up there with Harivck, Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson on the second practice’s 10-lap average chart and showed speed in both practices. A 12th-place starting position isn’t bad, either. His Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola holds an even stronger qualifying spot (sixth) and is a good option for me because I haven’t played the No. 10 often this season and am nearing the end of my usages with pole-sitter Kurt Busch (my initial pick). With its high speeds, Michigan’s the spot for cars that have shown speed all season long and Almirola’s consistency, coupled with his starting spot, makes me like him for this weekend.

Erik Jones hasn’t been as quick as I would have hoped this weekend, but I still have faith in the No. 20 Sunday; he showed some speed in final practice and has a strong starting position. The Michigan native also finished third in the most recent race at Michigan and recorded a seventh-place result at the similar two-mile Auto Club. I was between Jones and Chase Elliott for this pick and went with the No. 20 because of his stronger qualifying position and faster laps in final practice.

Last, but not least: Kyle Larson. The No. 42 was an absolute must-start heading into race weekend, as he’s won the last three straight at Michigan. And he still could win four in a row this weekend. But his 26th-place qualifying effort was a bit of a head-scratcher, prompting the Chip Ganassi Racing driver to say the car had been “pretty far off” all day on Friday. Saturday’s second-place ranking on the speed chart and third-place on 10-lap averages make me think the team did figure something out. But just in case, he’s in my garage.