Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — Kevin Harvick’s answer to NASCAR’s new competition package was the same old song—another victory in a season that already has produced a surfeit of success.

This time it was Saturday night’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with a restrictor-plate limiting the horsepower and a large blade on the rear of the cars providing downforce and maneuverability.

Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was still the strongest car in the field, and the driver who already has five points wins this season added another in the marquee exhibition race, taking control of the event with an overtime surge at the end of the 20-lap third stage and sealing the victory by outrunning Daniel Suarez in the final two-lap drag race to the finish.

RELATED: Full race results
SHOP: Harvick gear 

With lane choice on the final restart, Harvick picked the top lane in front of eventual third-place finisher Joey Logano. The choice paid off, as Logano gave the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford a strong push off the second corner, allowing Harvick to clear the No. 19 Toyota on the backstretch.

“I thought on that last restart that my best opportunity was Logano,” Harvick acknowledged. “He’s one of the best on the restarts. I knew he would work with me as good as possible, because that’s just the way that most of us do it from Ford. We were able to just stay even through (Turns) 1 and 2, and I really thought once we got to the backstretch we could clear him.

I didn’t want to be on the bottom. I didn’t feel my car was stable enough to be under someone when they were on my right side. I had to take my lumps through 1 and 2 and hope that the guy behind me was still with me when we got to the exit of 2, and we were able to win.”

The third-stage victory also proved critical. In the second attempt at overtime, Harvick passed Kyle Larson for the top spot and held on to win the stage. That gave him lane choice for the final stage, and he never relinquished the lead.

“We needed to be in control of the race to have a chance at winning,” Harvick said. “If we were third or fourth, we would have been in big trouble. We needed to be on the front row with clean air, because that was the only chance our car would handle good enough. It was so fast.”

RELATED: See every All-Star Race winner

Harvick picked up his second victory in the All-Star Race, the first won coming in 2007. The winner of the previous two points races, at Dover and Kansas, Harvick didn’t earn championship points for his victory at Charlotte, but he did claim the $1-million prize that goes to the winner.

Leading every lap of the final 10-lap segment of the scheduled 80-lap event, Harvick crossed the finish line .325 seconds ahead of Suarez, who came close to clearing Harvick off the second corner after the final restart but didn’t have enough room to slide up in front of the No. 4.

Denny Hamlin was fourth, followed by Chase Elliott, who earned the last spot in the 21-car main event via the Fan Vote. Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne completed the top 10. Kahne rallied from four laps down after contact with the frontstretch wall on Lap 56.

Suarez got a push from Hamlin on the final restart, but the Joe Gibbs Racing teammates didn’t stay connected as long as Harvick and Logano did.

“The 11 (Hamlin) was doing a very good job as much as he could to push me,” Suarez said. “For whatever reason, he just disconnected a little bit, and I couldn’t keep the run with the 4 (Harvick) and the 22 (Logano).

“They stayed connected for the entire corner, and after that I knew it was going to be tough. After that, I started just playing defense. I tried to slow them down, and I just didn’t do a good job or I just couldn’t do it enough.”

A six-car wreck that started near the apex of Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 75 — during the first attempt at overtime at the end of Stage 3 — eliminated the strong cars of Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski, both of whom led laps in the event.

RELATED: Eight-car wreck takes out several contenders

Truex entered the corner four-wide with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. below him, Clint Bowyer to his outside at Kurt Busch at the top of the track. Contact with Stenhouse’s Ford sent Truex’s Toyota up the track into Bowyer’s Ford, trapping Busch against the outside wall. Kyle Busch’s Camry also sustained damage in the wreck.

“We had a really strong race car and felt like we maybe had a shot to win it,” Truex said. “Just four-wide going into (Turn) 3 there, and we all just ran out of room. The 17 (Stenhouse), I had him squeezed down so low, I just don’t know that he could hold it down there.

“I was trying to keep the 14 (Bowyer) to my outside and just one those deals at the end of the race. I knew we had to get through that green-white-checkered to have a shot to win, but I also knew if I lifted there, I would have been the only one that lifted, and the others would have went on and passed me, and we wouldn’t have won this thing.”

Fans got their first look at the new competition package in the Monster Energy Open, which produced scintillating racing and multiple lead changes in each of the three stages. Race winner Allmendinger advanced to the main event, along with Stage 1 winner Alex Bowman and Stage 2 winner Suarez, who fell one spot short of the rare feat of winning the All-Star Race after transferring from the Open.

RELATED: Allmendinger, Suarez, Bowman race their way into All-Star Race

Notes: Harvick led the final 25 laps of the first stage. All told, he led 36 of the 93 laps (with the race extended 13 laps by the Stage 3 overtimes)… Kyle Busch led the final 19 laps of Stage 2 as the only driver other than Harvick to take a checkered flag on Saturday… Harvick’s pit crew climbed the frontstretch catch fence en masse after the victory… Truex led three times for 17 laps before being wiped out in the Lap 75 wreck.

Posted on by Staff Report

Daniel Suarez won his way into the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race on Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Then he almost won the thing.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver won the second 20-lap stage of the preceding Monster Energy Open, clinching his spot in the main event. From there, he proved he belonged, standing toe-to-toe — and fender-to-fender — with the likes of eventual race winner Kevin Harvick and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.

RELATED: Full All-Star Race results

Suarez, who finished second to Harvick, restarted on the inside lane of NASCAR Overtime in the final 10-lap stage and appeared to sneak past Harvick with a push from Hamlin. Suarez, though, never got clear and could not jump up in front of Harvick, who eventually powered around Suarez on the outside with a healthy push from Joey Logano.

“I felt like we had a car actually capable of winning the race,” Suarez said. “We were very strong, competitive. … I needed a little bit more (at the end). The 11 (of Hamlin) got disconnected with myself a little bit. I tried to side draft the 4 (of Kevin Harvick), but it was just tough. … It hurts to be close and to not get it.”

MORE: Every All-Star runner-up

This was the second consecutive year the sophomore Suarez raced his way into the big show. The Coca-Cola 600 looms next week at Charlotte, followed by a summer stretch that includes two races at 2-mile Michigan, where Suarez earned his first NASCAR national series win in 2016 in the Xfinity Series.

“It’s such a steep learning curve to get into the Cup side and compete with these guys,” crew chief Scott Graves said. “I think you’ve seen it — the run at Dover, finishing as well as we did there and a few top 10s in a row before that. So the progression’s there for sure. I know each time we go back to a track, we’ve got a lot better set of notes that we can go off of, and he’s got a lot better feel for what’s going to happen. So definitely we see that progression and continue to see that.”

A repeat for Suarez in Michigan, but at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level, would clinch a spot in the playoffs and also a spot in next year’s All-Star Race.

“We’ve been racing really well in the All-Star twice already, two times, so that’s not bad,” Suarez said. “It hurts to be close and to not get it.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Stage 3 went to NASCAR Overtime in Saturday’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, and during that session trouble erupted for some of the race’s top contenders.

Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski and Clint Bowyer were among those involved in the eight-car wreck when Truex’s No. 78 Toyota spun in Turn 4, forcing Busch’s No. 41 Ford into the wall, where it got struck by brother Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota.

“Yeah, just not a whole lot of room going into (Turn) 3,” Truex said. “You know we were four-wide on the restart there and just trying to get into 3 without getting crashed. I knew if we had a shot with 10 to go, we had a shot to win that thing, and if I’d have lifted there, we would have never won it. That’s the way it works.”

RELATED: Bowman wrecks | Kurt Busch trouble early

Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford took heavy damage in the wreck and was moved to the garage area. Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Matt Kenseth were also involved in the melee.

Truex, Keselowski, Bowyer and Kurt Busch suffered too much damage to continue.

Posted on by Staff Report

What channels are NASCAR races on this week? We answer that and provide all 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, FS2 | Get FOX Sports GO | How to find NBCSN

Sunday, May 20
8 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, FS1 (re-air)
2 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East: South Boston Speedway, NBCSN
3 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East: South Boston Speedway, NBCSN

Monday, May 21
noon: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, FS2 (re-air)
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m.: NASCAR Special, NBCSN
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN
noon: Motorsports Monday (with hosts Woody Cain & Joey Meier)

Tuesday, May 22
3:30 a.m.: 100,000 Cameras: NASCAR All-Star Race, FS1
4 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race (re-air), FS1
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

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

Wednesday, May 23
3:30 a.m.: NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

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

Thursday, May 24
2:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series opening practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)
3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FS1
4 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series opening practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
5 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FS1
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
6 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series West: Orange Show Speedway, NBCSN
7 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award qualifying, FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FS1

On MRN
1 p.m.: Throwback Thursday-1973 World 600

Friday, May 25
2:30 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award qualifying (re-air), FS1
3:30 p.m.: NASCAR America Motorsports Special, NBCSN
5 p.m.: NASCAR America Motorsports Special (re-air), NBCSN
5:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice (re-air), FS2
6:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award qualifying (re-air), FS2

On MRN
noon: The Inside Line (with host Tyler Burnett)

Saturday, May 26
6 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice (re-air), FS1
7 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award qualifying (re-air), FS1
8:30 a.m.: Classic NASCAR: 1998 Daytona 500, FS1
9 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)
10:20 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
11 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)
Noon: Classic NASCAR: 1994 Coca-Cola 600, FS1
12:30 p.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: Xfinity, FS1
1 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300, FS2 (Canada: TSN 2)
7 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice (re-air), FS2
8 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 (re-air), FS2
10:30 p.m.: Classic NASCAR: 1994 Coca-Cola 600 (re-air), FS2

Sunday, May 27
3:30 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 (re-air), FS1
4:30 p.m.: NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
5:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pre-Race Show, FOX
6 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600, FOX (Canada: TSN 4, 5)

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series head to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. Check out the tentative full schedule, subject to change.

Note: All times are ET

Sunday, May 27
RUN OF SHOW
6:00:00 p.m.: Presentation of Colors by UNCC ROTC Color Guard
6:00:20 p.m.: Invocation by US Navy CDR Steve Coates
6:00:45 p.m.: Amazing Grace by Charlotte Fire Department Pipe Band
6:02:05 p.m.: “21 Gun Salute” by Fort Bragg Firing Party
6:02:35 p.m.: Taps by Bugler from Fort Bragg
6:03:40 p.m.: National Anthem by USMC Captain Skye Martin
6:05:00 p.m.: Fly-by TOT by 4 F-15’s’s from Seymour Johnson AFB
6:10:00 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by Celebrity Chef, Veteran & Founder of the Robert Irvine Foundation, Robert Irvine
6:18:30 p.m: Green flag

6 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 (400 laps, 600 miles), FOX (Results) (Canada: TSN 4, 5)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
3:05 p.m.: NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Inductees
10:15 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

Thursday, May 24
2:35-3:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS1 (Results) (Canada: TSN 2)
4:05-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, FS1 (Results) (Canada: TSN GO)
6:05-6:50 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS1 (Results) (Canada: TSN GO)
7:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award qualifying, FS1 (Results) (Canada: TSN 2)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
12:30 p.m.: Kevin Harvick
1:30 p.m.: Brad Keselowski
1:45 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson
2 p.m.: Daniel Hemric
2:15 p.m.: Elliott Sadler, Ross Chastain and Ryan Reed
3:45 p.m.: Daniel Suarez
4 p.m.: Matt Kenseth
4:15 p.m.: Bubba Wallace
4:30 p.m.: Joey Logano
5:30 p.m.: Toyota Racing Development announcement
8:15 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

Friday, May 25
No events scheduled

Saturday, May 26
9:05-9:55 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN 2) CANCELED
10:20 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Pole qualifying, FS1 (Results) (Canada: TSN GO)
11:00 a.m.-Noon: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1 (Results) (Canada: TSN 2)
1 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Alsco 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), FS2 (Results) (Canada: TSN 2)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
3:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Chase Elliott was announced Saturday as the winner in fan voting for the final spot in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Elliott, 22, was the top vote-getter among drivers not already qualified for the main event for the third consecutive year. The balloting puts his Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet into the exhibition’s field as the 21st and final entry.

“I’m just appreciative of the support, especially it being the third year in a row,” Elliott said. “That does mean a lot to me, and it’s pretty special as a racer to know that the folk that are at home voting have my back like that. I definitely would love to make the people that voted for me proud and that’s the ultimate goal. I’ll keep working at it and hopefully get there one day.”

Elliott led twice for three laps and finished third in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open qualifying race. He also placed third in the first two stages, narrowly missing a transfer spot into the main event by his preferred method of racing his way in.

“For sure, I rather wanted to race my way in and not have to even worry about the fan vote this year, but it was a fun race, really,” Elliott said. “It was interesting to drive it, and I’m sure it was interesting to watch. I’m looking forward to being in the big show. I appreciate all the folks that voted for me again this year. Hopefully this time last year, we’ll be in the big show and won’t have to worry about it.”

RELATED: Full Open results

Elliott has finishes of sixth (2016) and seventh (2017) in his two previous starts in the annual invitational at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He currently ranks 15th in the Monster Energy Series driver standings.

Aric Almirola, Alex Bowman, Elliott, Matt DiBenedetto and Darrell Wallace Jr. were the five finalists in the Fan Vote (in alphabetical order).

PHOTOS: Elliott through the years

Posted on by Staff Report

AJ Allmendinger passed Chase Elliott on the second-to-last lap of Saturday’s Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway to win the final stage and transfer to Saturday’s main event, the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1). The JTG Daugherty Racing driver overcame the Hendrick Motorsports driver as well as Darrell Wallace Jr., whose team took only two tires at the break between Stages 2 and 3, so the No. 43 could start from the front.

Erik Jones finished second to Allmendinger, 0.327 seconds behind the leader. Elliott, Paul Menard and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five. The winners of the three stages of Saturday’s Open all advanced to the main event. Elliott, the winner of the Fan Vote, completed the field. Here’s a recap of the earlier stages in Saturday’s Open:

RELATED: Monster Energy Open results | Drivers in All-Star Race

Stage 1 (20 laps)
Alex Bowman passed pole-sitter Aric Almirola on Lap 12 and drove away to win Stage 1 in the Monster Energy Open. Bowman took advantage of Almirola moving up the track in an attempt to block and scooted past on the inside just before the start-finish line. With the win, Bowman advances to the feature race in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

With five laps to go, Almirola and Chase Elliott battled, with Almirola coming close to the back of Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet. Elliott eventually finished third in the stage, while Almirola faded to eighth place. Erik Jones finished in second place, 0.355 seconds behind Bowman. Elliott, Paul Menard and Darrell Wallace Jr. rounded out the top five.

Stage 2 (20 laps)
Daniel Suarez and Chase Elliott went back-and-forth, but it was Suarez who reclaimed the lead from Elliott on Lap 35 en route to the Stage 2 victory. Suarez will take the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to the main event, joining Alex Bowman, the winner of Stage 1.

Elliott took the lead from Suarez on Lap 33, but only held it for two laps as Suarez quickly regained his momentum. AJ Allmendinger finished second with Elliott in third and Darrell Wallace Jr. and William Byron rounding out the top five.

Paul Menard scraped the wall in Turn 3 late in the stage and finished 14th in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

The format and rules package for the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race are set. Only finalizing the field remains.

Heading into All-Star Race weekend, 17 drivers are qualified for the event. Others can still qualify by winning one of three stages in the preceding Monster Energy Open event or winning the All-Star Fan Vote.

MORE: Vote for your favorite driver | Format revealed
ENTRY LISTS: All-Star Race | Monster Energy Open

The annual Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race is scheduled for Saturday, May 19 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Here is a look at the starting lineup as the final spots are set based on the results of the Monster Energy Open and the winner of the Fan Vote.

Starting Spot Driver Team/Car
1. Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing/No. 6 Ford
2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing/No. 17 Ford
3. Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing/No. 14 Ford
4. Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing/No. 4 Ford
5. Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing/No. 78 Toyota
6. Ryan Blaney Team Penske/No. 12 Ford
7. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing/No. 18 Toyota
8. Brad Keselowski Team Penske/No. 2 Ford
9. Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing/No. 3 Chevrolet
10. Joey Logano Team Penske/No. 22 Ford
11. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports/No. 48 Chevrolet
12. Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing/No. 1 Chevrolet
13. Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing/No. 31 Chevrolet
14. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing/No. 11 Toyota
15. Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing/No. 41 Ford
16. Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing/No. 42 Chevrolet
17. Kasey Kahne Leavine Family Racing/No. 95 Chevrolet
18. Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports/No. 88 Chevrolet
19. Daniel Suarez Joe Gibbs Racing/No. 19 Toyota
20. AJ Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing/No. 47 Chevrolet
21. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports/No. 9 Chevrolet

Here are how the drivers became eligible for the All-Star Race:

Rank Driver How qualified
1.  Ryan Blaney 2017 Pocono-1 win
2. Clint Bowyer 2018 Martinsville-1 win
3. Kurt Busch 2017 Daytona 500 win
4. Kyle Busch 2017 Pocono-2 win
5. Austin Dillon 2017 Charlotte-1 win
6. Denny Hamlin 2017 New Hampshire-1 win
7. Kevin Harvick 2017 Sonoma win
8. Jimmie Johnson 2017 Texas-1 win
9.  Kasey Kahne 2017 Indianapolis win
10. Matt Kenseth 2017 Phoenix-2 win
11. Brad Keselowski 2017 Atlanta win
12. Kyle Larson 2017 Auto Club win
13. Joey Logano 2018 Talladega-1 win
14. Jamie McMurray Former All-Star Race winner
15. Ryan Newman 2017 Phoenix-1 win
 16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2017 Talladega-1 win
 17. Martin Truex Jr. 2017 Las Vegas win
 18. Alex Bowman Open Stage 1 winner
 19. Daniel Suarez Open Stage 2 winner
 20. AJ Allmendinger Open Final Stage winner
 21. Chase Elliott Fan Vote winner

MORE: All-Star fast facts | All-time winners

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 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Enjoy!