Editor’s note: Fantasy Fastlane will look at each race from a fantasy perspective, examining the top plays as well as several under-the-radar options and a play to avoid for NASCAR Fantasy Live. See the full analysis here.
Go Fas Racing and Zynga, a leading social game developer, are proud to announce that Zynga Poker will be the primary sponsor for the No. 32 Ford and Matt DiBenedetto for seven more races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2018 season. The partnership will kick off over All-Star Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 19 with Zynga Poker proudly emblazoned on the No. 32. Other races include Pocono (1), Daytona, Watkins Glen, Bristol, Las Vegas, and the season finale at Homestead.
A Sponsorship That Evolved From Social Media:
The No. 32 team first caught the eye of Zynga in March of this year when Matt reached out to fans with a video asking for networking help to obtain a sponsor for the Cup Series race in Phoenix. The video quickly went viral with support from fans and other NASCAR drivers alike, and the team was able to compete in a fully sponsored race car with Zynga Poker leading the way as the main partner. As Zynga familiarized itself with NASCAR and the team, both realized how great of a fit the partnership was.
“We are inspired by Matt’s fans and excited to join the rally to keep No. 32 in the race,” said Monty Kerr, senior vice president for Zynga Poker. “Over the past 10 years, Zynga Poker players have shown the same passion and enthusiasm so we’re proud to partner with a team that loves their fans as much as we do.”
Mason St. Hilaire, team manager for Go Fas Racing, is also very excited to grow the relationship with Zynga Poker.
“I know we say it a lot, but it really has been a lot of fun working with and getting to know the Zynga Poker team. Being able to put together a partnership just two days prior to the Phoenix race in March and to be able to turn it into what it has become today really speaks volumes for how perfect of a partnership this really is. With Zynga Poker‘s global audience, we’re excited to engage a new generation of poker players and introduce them to NASCAR racing,” said Hilaire.
A Mutually Beneficial Partnership, Starting With All-Star Weekend:
In addition to the car sponsorship, Zynga Poker and DiBenedetto are working together to create an integrated social campaign to support Matt in the race for the All-Star driver Fan Vote. Zynga Poker will host fan contests and giveaways on its social channels and create unique in-app assets to encourage player participation. DiBenedetto nearly won the fan-vote last year after coming in second place, and Go Fas Racing looks forward to working with the folks at Zynga to pull off a win this year.
Voting has already begun and will continue until All-Star race day on May 19th . Fans can cast one vote for Matt each day on the NASCAR website here: https://www.nascar.com/fanvote. Sharing votes on Twitter and Facebook count for double votes, so use the following hashtags to show us your support: #ZyngaXMatt and #AllStarDiBurrito
TALLADEGA, AL — The unpredictability of stock car racing at Talladega Superspeedway was on full display Friday night, with a sudden flurry of late-race incidents leading to two “overtimes” and an eventual photo-finish General Tire 200 victory by Zane Smith, a NASCAR Next driver.
A last-lap incident brought out the caution flag and caused the first one-lap OT, which was foiled by another crash on the backstretch.
On the second OT lap, Smith’s No. 41 LaPaz Margarita Mix Toyota and the No. 77 Big Tine Ford of Joe Graf Jr. spent most of the time door-to-door, racing on the edge. Smith crossed the stripe barely ahead of Graf, getting his second victory of the season.
How close was it? ARCA officials said the electronics showed a dead-heat, which meant a return to the old-school method of reviewing the photo of the finish to determine the winner. ARCA called it the closest finish in series history.
“We’re four races in and we’ve got two wins … this year is going to be unreal,” said Smith, from Huntington Beach, California.
The ARCA Racing Series had big news to start the day, with the announcement that it had been acquired by NASCAR.
“It’s fantastic that we’re going to be working together going off into the future,” said NASCAR Vice Chairman/Executive Vice President Jim France. “Both organizations have a great history, with great championships. We’ve shared a lot of teams and drivers over the years. That will continue in a major way.”
The ARCA Racing Series will continue to operate under its current structure through the 2019 season.
MORE: NASCAR acquires ARCA
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Brad Keselowski’s first experience in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory circle came in 2009 at Talladega Superspeedway – the largest track on the circuit, in front of the rowdiest fans and competing against a field filled with the biggest names in stock car racing.
He considers that April afternoon – surprising the field in his part-time gig driving for the smaller James Finch-owned team – one of the most pivotal moments in his championship career.
“That was a huge, huge win for me,” Keselowski, 34, recalled. “I think that first win put me in position to be with Penske. I don’t know if I would have been with Penske without that. That was huge for me.
“It opened up a lot of doors. I was able to get through them in a time period when they weren’t really handing out quality rides like they were candy. It opened up a door for me to earn it. I am glad to be here and I don’t know if I would be here if it wasn’t for that first win.”
RELATED: Full schedule for Talladega | Every Keselowski win in the Monster Energy Series
Keselowski shows up in Talladega this weekend as the track’s winningest driver in Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m., FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) field with five Talladega trophies total. But the 2012 Cup champion insisted Friday that each race at this vast venue presents a unique challenge and despite all the success he’s had, Keselowski figures he’s still got his work cut out for him this weekend.
“Maybe I have just been lucky five times,” Keselowski said, smiling. “I think there is a luck factor to Talladega that will always be there and there is a skill factor that seems to always be a moving target with different tactics and techniques based on the rules, regulations and competitors.
“What it took to win here the first time is certainly not what it will take to win here this weekend. You have to adapt to that and that is a big challenge when you have something you are successful with.
“I would say that with the way the cars are driving so far this weekend it will take something completely different again to be successful here. I look at it as a fairly open weekend with a lot of unpredictability, even for Talladega standards. With that is an opportunity as well. We are certainly going to have to earn it.”
A win at Talladega this weekend would not just be another trophy to display, but a ticket into the 2018 Playoffs. Although he has five top-10 finishes and is ranked fifth in the standings, Keselowski is still winless this season. And so are his talented Penske Racing teammates Logano and Ryan Blaney.
RELATED: Penske drivers among fantasy favorites | Blaney’s Darlington throwback unveiled
That’s not to say the effort hasn’t been there, however. Keselowski has led a combined 118 laps in four races. Logano, who is ranked second in the points standings, has led 131 laps (in six races). And Blaney, who is ranked eighth, has led a team-best 364 laps (in four races).
And even if Keselowski wouldn’t go so far as to consider himself the odds-on favorite this weekend, the statistics certainly make a case for him and his Penske Racing team. Keselowski has won three of the last seven races at Talladega and his teammate Logano has two victories in that span.
“I think Talladega has been a good track for us for sure,” Keselowski said. “I come here excited and feeling like we can win and there is a lot to be said for that. It is the kind of confidence you need to have to run well here.
“Also we come here with pretty strong cars which always make your job a little bit easier. I think this year it seems as though the cars are quite a bit different than they have been in my history here. They are a lot faster and handling quite a bit worse.
“I told somebody today that I felt like I was in 1985 with the way the cars are driving. That said, I expect a little bit of a different race than what we have seen here. I am not really sure exactly what to predict but we are hopeful it will be a great day for us.”
TALLADEGA, Ala. — NASCAR competition officials issued a Friday afternoon rules update to further reduce horsepower after observing blistering speeds and a rollover crash in Monster Energy Series practice.
Officials reduced the size of the engine restrictor plates from 7/8 of an inch to 55/64th of an inch in an effort to slow the cars ahead of Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the 2.66-mile track. All practice was completed Friday, so teams will make their first laps with the new rules in Saturday’s Busch Pole Qualifying (1:05 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM).
A NASCAR spokesperson said the change was “absolutely a safety issue” and that the series was positioned to react when cars lift off the racing surface.
Two Friday events prompted the change. The most dramatic episode was Jamie McMurray’s tumbling crash on the backstretch early in final practice. McMurray’s No. 1 Chevrolet lifted in a sideways slide before being sent up and over by contact from Ryan Newman’s No. 31 Chevy. McMurray emerged unhurt.
Practice speeds also reached high levels in both sessions. Ty Dillon topped early practice at 202.959 mph, and McMurray’s lap of 203.975 mph was fastest in the final session.
Two-round, single-car qualifying on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET (on FOX) will determine the starting order for Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway. The top-12 cars from the opening round will transfer on to the final round to battle for the Busch Pole Award at the 2.66-mile track. Here’s a look at the order that the cars will go off on Saturday.
| # | Car | Driver | Team |
| 1 | 15 | Ross Chastain(i) | Chevrolet |
| 2 | 55 | * Reed Sorenson | Chevrolet |
| 3 | 51 | Timmy Hill(i) | Keen’s Building/Race to Erase Opioids Ford |
| 4 | 72 | Cole Whitt | 1950 Clothing Company Chevrolet |
| 5 | 23 | Gray Gaulding | Earthwater Toyota |
| 6 | 96 | * DJ Kennington | Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota |
| 7 | 00 | Joey Gase(i) | Sparks Inc. Chevrolet |
| 8 | 92 | * Timothy Peters(i) | Advance Auto Parts/BTS Tire & Wheel Ford |
| 9 | 37 | Chris Buescher | Degree Chevrolet |
| 10 | 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | Can-Am/Wholey Ford |
| 11 | 47 | AJ Allmendinger | Kroger ClickList Chevrolet |
| 12 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Credit One Bank Chevrolet |
| 13 | 38 | David Ragan | Bad Boy Mowers Ford |
| 14 | 95 | Kasey Kahne | Procore Safety Qualified Chevrolet |
| 15 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Love’s Travel Stops/Roller Bites Ford |
| 16 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | AdvoCare Ford |
| 17 | 43 | Darrell Wallace Jr. # | Petty’s Garage/Medallion Bank Chevrolet |
| 18 | 9 | Chase Elliott | NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet |
| 19 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Menards/Richmond Ford |
| 20 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Fifth Third Bank Ford |
| 21 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Haas Automation Demo Day Ford |
| 22 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Snap On Ford |
| 23 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford |
| 24 | 22 | Joey Logano | Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford |
| 25 | 24 | William Byron # | Liberty University Chevrolet |
| 26 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Nationwide Chevrolet |
| 27 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet |
| 28 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Smithfield Ford |
| 29 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Busch Beer Flannel Ford |
| 30 | 62 | * Brendan Gaughan | Beard Oil Dist/South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet |
| 31 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Dow Scooper Cat Chevrolet |
| 32 | 21 | Paul Menard | Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford |
| 33 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | FedEx Express Toyota |
| 34 | 18 | Kyle Busch | M&M’s Flavor Vote Toyota |
| 35 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Caterpillar Chevrolet |
| 36 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Bass Pro Shops/5-hour ENERGY Toyota |
| 37 | 20 | Erik Jones | XYO Network Toyota |
| 38 | 19 | Daniel Suarez | ARRIS Toyota |
| 39 | 13 | Ty Dillon | GEICO Chevrolet |
| 40 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | DC Solar Chevrolet |
* Required to qualify on time
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
# Indicates driver is running for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors
Take a look at which drivers have the best 10-lap averages this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
FINAL PRACTICE: Results
| Pos | Car | Driver | From Lap | To Lap | Avg Speed |
| 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | 7 | 16 | 195.065 |
| 2 | 22 | Joey Logano | 7 | 16 | 194.420 |
PRACTICE 1: Results
| Pos | Car | Driver | From Lap | To Lap | Avg Speed |
| 1 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 7 | 16 | 198.109 |
| 2 | 18 | Kyle Busch | 9 | 18 | 197.977 |
| 3 | 38 | David Ragan | 3 | 12 | 194.983 |
| 4 | 34 | Michael McDowell | 3 | 12 | 194.969 |
| 5 | 3 | Austin Dillon | 12 | 21 | 194.471 |
| 6 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | 1 | 10 | 192.516 |
| 7 | 43 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | 2 | 11 | 192.412 |
| 8 | 88 | Alex Bowman | 1 | 10 | 191.990 |
| 9 | 42 | Kyle Larson | 1 | 10 | 185.779 |
| 10 | 47 | AJ Allmendinger | 14 | 23 | 183.582 |
| 11 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | 1 | 10 | 179.275 |
Jamie McMurray’s No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet went airborne roughly 10 minutes into Friday’s final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway, barrel rolling down the backstretch and forcing several drivers to bring out their back-up vehicles.
McMurray emerged from the car and walked to a waiting ambulance to take him to be evaluated at the care center.
“I think I blew a left rear tire out,” McMurray said. “When you’re going that fast and you go sideways you kind of know someone is going to hit you.”
WATCH: McMurray on what happened | Ty Dillon in-car camera
Because McMurray’s car lifted off the ground and because practice speeds were so fast, NASCAR officials made a rules tweak to the existing race package at Talladega, all in the name of safety. Officials reduced the size of the engine restrictor plates from 7/8 of an inch to 55/64th of an inch in an effort to slow the cars ahead of Sunday’s race (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
A NASCAR spokesperson said the change was “absolutely a safety issue” and that the series was positioned to react when cars lift off the racing surface.
RELATED: More on rules tweak
McMurray ended up recording the fastest practice speed about five minutes into the session, traveling 203.975 mph while navigating the track in close quarters in the draft. His No. 1 Chevrolet cut the left rear tire, according to Chip Ganassi Racing, and turned sideways in front of the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Ryan Newman.
The impact from the nose of Newman’s car launched McMurray’s machine into the air. The car barrel-rolled down the backstretch, clipping the inside fencing as it rotated. The car landed upright, and McMurray emerged unhurt.
“When I realized I was going to flip, I actually shut my eyes because I don’t really want to see what’s getting ready to happen,” McMurray said. “And then it just kept, it seemed like forever. I opened my eyes a couple times and I couldn’t, I’m like I don’t know if I’m going up or down or where it’s going to hit next. So I was just thankful when it finally … a couple of times I thought it was going to stop and it just kind of kept going.”
McMurray and Newman both will move to backup cars and will start from the rear of the field according to NASCAR rules. So will Ty Dillon and Daniel Suarez, who also were involved in the chain-reaction accident as the trailing cars checked up behind McMurray and Newman.
Dillon was fastest in Friday’s opening practice.
“I just hate that we don’t get to take that car that had so much speed in practice to the race, but I think we can duplicate it with our backup car,” Dillon said. “I think that our setup was really good, and I think we can be just fine going to the race.
“Just unfortunate to tear up a race car. Nobody’s fault really. Jamie had a flat left rear and kind of a scary ride there.”
FANTASY UPDATE
Even though the drivers involved are all going to back-up cars, that shouldn’t dissuade fantasy players from the use of McMurray, Newman, Dillon or Suarez. Starting from the back means little at Talladega as the draft and drivers dropping to the back at various points will see plenty of comers and goers in the mix throughout the day. The plays really come down to who you believe in and who you like at Talladega. Bottom line, drivers going to the rear shouldn’t factor into your decision at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. — RJ Kraft
Contributing: Zack Albert (NASCAR.com) and Reid Spencer (NASCAR Wire Service)
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Often times at Talladega Superspeedway, drivers from competing teams need to work together to navigate the high banks of the 2.66-mile track, pushing and giving in the unpredictable draft.
Saturday’s Xfinity Series Sparks Energy 300 (3 p.m. ET, FOX) will see plenty of that — both on the track … and in the broadcast booth, on pit road and in FOX’s Hollywood Hotel.
MORE: FOX announces drivers-only broadcast lineup
The network announced in February that its popular “Drivers Only Broadcast,” featuring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers getting behind the microphone, would make its return this season, ramping up its roster of talent to match its new location at the Alabama track known for frenzy, chaos and, above all else: entertainment.
“Yeah, I think for me I am looking forward to it; we had a lot of fun at Pocono last year,” Roush Fenway Racing driver and drivers-only returner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said Friday at Talladega. “Doing the pit reporting was fun, but I’m looking forward to getting in the Hollywood Hotel and giving Larry Mac (Larry McReynolds) a hard time from second-guessing (No. 17 crew chief) Brian Pattie’s pit call last week. That will be fun. Him and (Jeff) Gordon were bashing him until it worked out. I will have some fun with that.”
RELATED: Full schedule for Talladega
Stenhouse, who will move from pit road to the Hollywood Hotel, will be joined there by Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski, with the returning booth team of Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer and Penske’s Joey Logano tackling the race analysis and Penske’s Ryan Blaney, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones and newcomer Richard Petty Motorsports’ Darrell Wallace Jr. covering the race from pit road.
Wallace Jr. — always game to put his industry-leading authentic personality on display — is thrilled for the opportunity, though he may need to hit up the Monster Energy cooler on the way over to the production meeting. It is Talladega, after all.
“Oh yeah, we will be well-prepped up after the ‘Big One’ tonight on The Boulevard. We will be well prepped, looking forward to that,” Wallace joked. “No, I’m excited. A huge shout-out to those guys for allowing me to be a part of it. … I’m going to mess up so bad, probably call the wrong driver, the wrong car number, might even cuss or two. I don’t know, hell, damn … (laughs) … I don’t know.”
FOX did say in its initial announcement that drivers will have free rein, “as long as no one sets fire to the FOX Sports booth or pulls the plug that knocks us off the air.”
So, if the worst thing that happens is a sternly-worded letter from the FCC for profanities, consider the broadcast a success.
And for Wallace, 22nd in points and a dark-horse contender to be among those competing for the win in Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET, FOX), at the very least it allows him to have a backup career in his pocket.
“Yeah, it lets me know if this racing thing doesn’t work out, I might have a shot at TV,” he said. “So, this is my debut, this is my tryout session to keep it back in the memory bank to see if I actually can do it. But it’s going to be a good time regardless, (with) myself, Blaney and Erik on pit road. That is going to be fun, but (I’m) definitely going to watch some broadcasts tonight and see what I can pick up on because I think what we are covering like eight to 12 cars or something. Geez, that is going to be kind of tough — but it’s going to be a challenge, it’s going to be fun.
“It will be interesting to see. Definitely listen to my part because some mess-ups are going to happen.”
Jamie McMurray topped the final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice chart at Talladega Superspeedway – before he wrecked hard in “The Big One” about five minutes into the 50-minute session Friday.
McMurray recorded a speed of 203.975 mph in the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet before he cut a left rear tire while practicing the draft in close quarters.
As McMurray’s No. 1 Chevrolet turned sideways after the tire went down, it collided with the No. 31 Chevrolet of Ryan Newman behind him and went airborne. McMurray barrel rolled down the backstretch and settled near the inside track wall. He quickly emerged from the car and was taken to the infield care center where he was treated and released.
RELATED: McMurray spins in ‘The Big One’ | McMurray describes wreck
“I just kept my eyes closed … and hoped it landed upright so I could get out,” McMurray told FOX.
Also sustaining damage in the wreck were the No. 14 Chevrolet of Ty Dillon and the No. 19 Toyota of Daniel Suarez. All four involved in the wreck were forced to backup cars.
After leading the first practice session, Dillon was second-fastest in the final practice at 203.610 mph. Suarez was third at 203.079 mph. Erik Jones in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (202.830 mph) and Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota (202.770 mph) rounded out the top five.
For the rest of the practice session after the wreck, cars traveled primarily in single-file order rather than practicing in the draft.
Twenty of the 38 cars recorded speeds of 200 mph or faster in the final practice session.
Monster Energy Series cars return to the track Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET (FOX) for Busch Pole Award Qualifying.
Ty Dillon topped the board for Friday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway ahead of Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Dillon got around the 2.66-mile Alabama track in his No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet with a fast lap of 202.959 mph and was one of nine drivers to top 200 mph on a single lap. In two starts at Talladega, Dillon has two top-13 finishes and holds the best average finish (12.0) among active drivers.
Joining Dillon at the top of the charts were Daniel Suarez and Kyle Busch. The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates each ran a fast lap of 202.680 mph. Busch is looking for his fourth-straight win of the 2018 season as he looks to sweep the month of April.
Rounding out the top five were Denny Hamlin (No. 11 JGR Toyota, 202.671 mph) and Ryan Newman (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing, 202.637 mph). Practice saw a mix of drafting packs as well as some single-car runs.
RELATED: Full schedule for Talladega | Fantasy advice
Defending race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 29th in his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
Twelve teams had to serve 15-minute practice holds at the end of the 50-minute session at Talladega. The No. 15 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain, the No. 19 driven by Suarez, the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by David Ragan and the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford driven by Timmy Hill served holds for being late to qualifying inspection last weekend at Richmond Raceway. The No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driven by Kurt Busch and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota driven by Martin Truex Jr. served 15-minute holds for being late to race inspection at Richmond.
In addition, the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford driven by Trevor Bayne, the No. 13 driven by Dillon and the No. 20 JGR Toyota driven by Erik Jones served holds for failing pre-qualifying inspection twice at Richmond. The No. 23 BK Racing Toyota driven by Gray Gaulding, the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by Michael McDowell and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson served holds for failing pre-race inspection twice.