Posted on by Staff Report

Take a look at which drivers have the best 10-lap averages this weekend at Richmond Raceway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

FINAL PRACTICE: RESULTS

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 42 Kyle Larson 29 38 119.110
2 11 Denny Hamlin 19 28 119.027
3 78 Martin Truex Jr. 2 11 118.805
4 18 Kyle Busch 35 44 118.680
5 2 Brad Keselowski 3 12 118.630
6 22 Joey Logano 34 43 118.482
7 9 Chase Elliott 41 50 118.426
8 37 Chris Buescher 32 41 118.414
9 24 William Byron # 2 11 118.398
10 4 Kevin Harvick 31 40 118.178
11 12 Ryan Blaney 22 31 118.129
12 14 Clint Bowyer 6 15 118.044
13 41 Kurt Busch 28 37 117.999
14 95 Kasey Kahne 6 15 117.959
15 21 Paul Menard 40 49 117.912
16 34 Michael McDowell 4 13 117.903
17 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 4 13 117.790
18 20 Erik Jones 3 12 117.732
19 31 Ryan Newman 3 12 117.709
20 10 Aric Almirola 2 11 117.684
21 6 Trevor Bayne 3 12 117.668
22 3 Austin Dillon 4 13 117.660
23 32 Matt DiBenedetto 3 12 117.578
24 38 David Ragan 4 13 117.474
25 47 AJ Allmendinger 2 11 117.401
26 19 Daniel Suarez 6 15 117.344
27 8 * Daniel Hemric(i) 5 14 116.911
28 13 Ty Dillon 2 11 116.793
29 43 Darrell Wallace Jr. # 7 16 116.745
30 00 Landon Cassill 7 16 115.125
31 55 * Reed Sorenson 12 21 114.920
32 23 Gray Gaulding 2 11 113.429

PRACTICE 1: RESULTS

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 4 Kevin Harvick 3 12 119.652
2 9 Chase Elliott 4 13 119.516
3 78 Martin Truex Jr. 2 11 119.507
4 18 Kyle Busch 4 13 119.507
5 88 Alex Bowman 45 54 118.919
6 41 Kurt Busch 12 21 118.776
7 2 Brad Keselowski 1 10 118.456
8 20 Erik Jones 6 15 118.359
9 1 Jamie McMurray 32 41 118.357
10 48 Jimmie Johnson 3 12 118.337
11 12 Ryan Blaney 1 10 118.317
12 13 Ty Dillon 5 14 118.278
13 3 Austin Dillon 3 12 118.140
14 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2 11 118.119
15 11 Denny Hamlin 16 25 118.113
16 10 Aric Almirola 5 14 117.984
17 47 AJ Allmendinger 2 11 117.978
18 38 David Ragan 3 12 117.942
19 34 Michael McDowell 4 13 117.916
20 19 Daniel Suarez 14 23 117.851
21 21 Paul Menard 1 10 117.541
22 6 Trevor Bayne 2 11 117.262
23 43 Darrell Wallace Jr. # 4 13 117.194
24 24 William Byron # 31 40 117.084
25 31 Ryan Newman 17 26 117.021
26 14 Clint Bowyer 27 36 116.954
27 8 * Daniel Hemric(i) 12 21 116.905
28 37 Chris Buescher 15 24 116.859
29 23 Gray Gaulding 4 13 116.238
30 32 Matt DiBenedetto 24 33 115.590
31 00 Landon Cassill 14 23 114.927

Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
*Required to qualify on time
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
# Indicates driver is running for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors

Posted on by Zack Albert

HAMPTON, Va. — Church was in session on a Thursday night. The Rev. Tom Potter didn’t let the microphone trouble bother him for the pre-race invocation at Langley Speedway. Once he found one that worked, the Motor Racing Outreach veteran belted out, “Lord, can you hear me?!” to a hearty laugh from the crowd.

Divine intervention. Holy ground. Whichever spiritual analogy suits, the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown brought a taste of big-time gospel to the grassroots level at the historic .396-mile track, a prelude to Saturday night’s NASCAR racing to the north at Richmond Raceway.

RELATED: Full schedule for Richmond

Hamlin played host, inviting fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Busch along for the charity event. Their fellowship drew both a stellar field of regional Late Model Stock heavyweights and a full gathering in the grandstands, packed with — in the Rev. Potter’s words — “God-fearin’ people with a heart of gold.”

Hamlin held on to win the 200-lap feature, which returned after a two-year hiatus with a first appearance at the Tidewater-area track. He fended off intense pressure from Busch and Norfolk wheelman C.E. Falk III over the final stage.

Hamlin lent his name to the event but also his support, with all proceeds going to the Denny Hamlin Foundation, which funds research and therapy for cystic fibrosis. The mayor of Hampton declared Thursday as “Denny Hamlin Day” in a pre-race proclamation, but the event was less about pomp and circumstance than catching up with familiar faces at the site of Hamlin’s earliest successes, which include a Mini Stock Division championship at Langley in 1997.

“It’s awesome because you see so many people who support this grassroots racing here at Langley will be at the race track this weekend in Richmond,” Hamlin said. “I see them in the pit area all the time — people that either worked on my race cars or I used to race against them — it’s nostalgic for me. It really brings back a lot of good memories to see all those faces and the people that have helped me along the way.”

The Super Street field assembles on the Langley Speedway frontstretch.
Zack Albert | NASCAR Digital Media

Here’s hoping it’s part of a trend. Kevin Harvick dipped into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West earlier this season in his home state, casting a wider light on the developmental tour. And larger short-track shows have also attracted Monster Energy Series participants, amplifying the competition and the stature for both.

RELATED: How Harvick walks the walk

“Denny does it as kind of a way to give back, but at the end of the day, it’s for the short-track racers here,” says Peyton Sellers, the 2005 national champion in what’s now the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. “It used to be all about the stars, but now it’s all about the short-track stars. Denny and Kyle are here, don’t get me wrong, but this is a premier event for short-track racing throughout the Southeast here. It’s just neat to be able to race in front of this many people at one time, showcasing talent, and at the same time they’ve put a lot of money on the line, so it’s good in all angles.”

For fans, there was plenty to see. Pressed against the catch-fencing during driver introductions, they weathered unseasonably chilly temperatures and a fierce wind, arriving early and staying late.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal,” said Ryan Vargas, a 17-year-old regular for Rev Racing in the K&N Series. “I mean, you see it by the crowd turnout. The stands have been half-full since noon. It’s insane. And then they added grandstands to (turns) three and four. The fans love it. The drivers love it. They get to race against guys that they watch on Sundays.”

Sellers says he’d like to see more of it — more incentives, bigger purses, stronger fields and a more intimate connection to the home-grown level of stock-car racing. Hamlin, for his part, indicated he’s in, hinting over the public-address system that the Short Track Showdown would likely return to Langley in 2019.

On a night of congregation to benefit the sport’s roots, it was a fitting message worth preaching.

“I don’t see any reason why not,” Hamlin said. “This place has done a great job hosting us and being so good to us. It’s hard to say no when you can pack the house like we did tonight.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR announced this offseason that it will standardize at-track team rosters across all three national series in 2018, providing a structure for the number of personnel working on each vehicle during the course of a race weekend.

Official team rosters for Saturday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway (6:30 p.m. ET on FOX,  MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) were unveiled.

Simply click the “print” icon above, next to the headline and social media icons, to get the full list.

RELATED: Overview of 2018 rules updates

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing soared to the top of the leaderboard in Friday’s second practice at Richmond Raceway, notching a top speed of 120.315 mph.

Rookie Darrell Wallace Jr. came up second-fastest, his No. 43 Richard Petty Racing Chevrolet notching a top speed of 119.952 mph.

Larson’s CGR teammate Jamie McMurray was third-quickest in the field in his No. 1 Chevrolet (119.904 mph), while Martinsville winner Clint Bowyer was fourth on the speed charts (119.904 mph) in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top five in his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford with a fast lap of 119.893 mph.

RELATED: Final practice results 

Making his first Monster Energy Series start this weekend, Daniel Hemric was sixth-fastest in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

Three-time Richmond winner Denny Hamlin. who ranked eighth in final practice, experienced “catastrophic” issue during final practice.

“Whatever it is, it’s a major, major issue that’s not showing up in simulation,” he told FS1. “The problem is with these two practices so close to each other, I don’t think we can fix it because we’re trying to put all the parts and pieces from our teammates in the car, we just don’t have time to put it all, so we’re trying to guess on what it might be. But I think it’s a box we might be in for the rest of the day. We have to be in tech line 50 minutes after practice, so I just don’t think we can get our car fixed today.

“I think it will just have to be a shot in the dark tomorrow.”

The Monster Energy Series is back on track at 5:30 p.m. ET for Busch Pole Qualifying (FS1).

Practice 1

Chase Elliott led opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice Friday at Richmond Raceway with a top speed of 121.327 mph in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolets were second- and fourth-fastest with Kyle Larson hitting 121.076 mph in the No. 42 and Jamie McMurray 120.703 mph in the No. 1, respectively.

RELATED: Practice 1 results | Full weekend schedule

Martin Truex Jr. ranked third with a fastest lap of 120.757 mph in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota. Joey Logano was fifth and the quickest Ford at 120.660 mph in the No. 22 Team Penske entry.

Series points leader Kyle Busch ranked seventh at 120.471 mph. He is going for a third consecutive win in Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 (6:30 ET, FOX, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).

Daniel Hemric, turning laps in the historically rich No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, posted a lap at 119.121 mph, ranking 23rd on the speed chart.

Posted on by NASCAR Official Release

Daytona Beach, Fla. — As Earth Day approaches this weekend, NASCAR along with select Official Partners and the Arbor Day Foundation today announced a new initiative that will be responsible for planting and distributing trees to communities devastated by natural disasters across the United States.

“Over the past decade we have focused on supporting environmental sustainability through the NASCAR Green platform. We look forward to continuing our year-round mission to reduce impact, offset and work to preserve the natural environment while inspiring fans to do the same,” said Lou Garate, Vice President, Partnership Marketing, NASCAR. “This new initiative with the Arbor Day Foundation, supported and enhanced by our Official Partners, is a direct reflection of the effort being made across the industry to be more sustainable.”

As part of the effort, NASCAR and the Arbor Day Foundation will host a series of community tree recovery events throughout the year. Events are scheduled to take place throughout the summer and fall in key race markets affected by natural disasters, including North Carolina, California, Texas, and Florida. NASCAR Official Partners are contributing time, people and resources throughout the initiative. Partners currently participating are: AMR, Flagship Solutions Group, Growth Energy, Hotels for Hope, K&N Engineering, Mechanix Wear, and Safety-Kleen.

“We are proud to partner with NASCAR and its Official Partners to help bring trees to communities that need them so desperately,” said Dan Lambe, President, the Arbor Day Foundation. “NASCAR Green has helped so many communities across the country since its inception and will continue to do so this year with these events.”

NASCAR has taken a holistic approach across its wide-ranging effort to help preserve the environment. Since 2008, NASCAR has been collaborating with key stakeholders that care deeply about sustainability, including its teams, tracks, partners, employees and fans. Long-term programs underway include:

  • Blended bio-fuels program across NASCAR’s three national series, through partnerships with Sunoco and American Ethanol
  • In-venue waste diversion – along with its track partners, Safety-Kleen and Liberty Tire Recycling, the sport recycles aluminum and PET, racing oils and fluids, corrugated cardboard, and racing tires
  • Investment in reforestation and biodiversity projects measuring and offsetting annual employee commercial air travel and Official Partner commercial air travel to quarterly non-racing NASCAR events
  • Elgin Sweepers are present at each NASCAR race event to support NASCAR’s Air Titan equipment to dry racetracks with their EcoInfused Technology reducing environmental impact
  • Traditional and digital tree planting program, found on the NASCAR Green website, supporting areas of needed reforestation year-round and surpassing over half a million trees planted to date working to offset all NASCAR series racing globally

For more information on NASCAR’s overall environmental sustainability efforts, visit www.NASCAR.com/green and follow NASCAR Green on Twitter, @NASCARGreen.

Posted on by @nascarcasm

NASCAR pit crews possess a certain fortitude that allows them the ability to perform in precarious, high-pressure situations. Here at NASCAR.com, we like to honor those who go above and beyond the call of duty in our Pit Road Hall of Hardcore. Today we induct the newest member — Tyler Mitchell, tire carrier for the No. 21 Wood Brothers team. During Monday’s race, he was able to snatch a bouncing, out-of-control tire out of the air like it was a lightly thrown Frisbee.

He was kind enough to answer a few questions for us. See below.

@nascarcasm: OK … like … you caught a bouncing tire … hub and all … in the middle of a pit stop, right out of the air like it was nothing. WHO DOES THAT. If you could, please briefly provide your account of what happened, Thor.

Mitchell: I just remember feeling the 31 hit my tire as I was setting the right front down for our jackman. After that it was all a blur until I caught the tire. Thankfully it turned out well but it could have been a lot worse.

@nascarcasm: The Wood Brothers are known for revolutionizing the speed and strategy of the modern-day pit stop. Would you consider adding to this legacy by proposing that all tires simply be hurled in your direction instead of you carrying them? I mean, you could just grab them out of the air.

Mitchell: Haha, well we are always looking for ways to make a stop faster and if it means I don’t have to carry two tires then I’m open to just catching one.

@nascarcasm: Have you ever been a goalie on a soccer or hockey team? Sure as hell looks like you have.

Mitchell:  I’ve never played soccer or hockey, but I guess I might have missed my calling.

@nascarcasm: Is this a move your team works on during pit stop practice? And if not, do you think you might start doing so? Like in NFL training camp when they fire footballs out of a JUGS machine at receivers … but with tires?

Mitchell: That’s not a move we have practiced yet. Our coaches do a good job at putting in worst case scenarios at practice so this might be something to put in next week.

@nascarcasm: Did the team high-five you after this incredible move, or, now that they know you possess the physical capability to grab a bounding tire out of mid-air like it’s a gnat, are they afraid to give you a high five for fear of suffering physical injury?

Mitchell: Right after the stop I was so frustrated with what had just happened that I don’t remember giving anyone a high five. Even though it was a good recovery it wasn’t ideal and cost us time on pit road. But now that we have gotten back home the guys at the shop haven’t let me forget it and given me a few new nicknames.

@nascarcasm: I’m going to list four items. Please list them in the order of which you think would be the most difficult to snatch out of mid air, from least to greatest: pumpkin, drone, eagle, and helmet hurled by Tony Stewart.

Mitchell: Thats a tough one. Assuming Tony Stewart is repeating the same crow-hopped, two-handed throw from Bristol … pumpkin, drone, helmet from Tony, eagle.

@nascarcasm: While we’re all amazed by what you did, what is the most superhuman feat that you have seen another pit crew member pull off on pit road?

Mitchell: The tire Monday was pretty cool but a couple years ago when I was on the No. 2 car when Brad (Keselowski) slid through the box at Pocono and punted Braxton Brannon and Jeremy Ogles. After being hit by a 3,400 pound car, they both popped up, finished the stop and the race.

@nascarcasm: Idea for pit-crew team-building exercise that we think would really favor you – dodgeball, but with fully-inflated tires instead of dodgeballs. What say you?

Mitchell: Im in, I feel like I’d definitely have a shot at winning.

Posted on by

His fellow racers know him as the young driver of the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota in the Camping World Truck Series.

 

His social media followers know him as the guy who ate a giant wad of wasabi for 500 retweets – and who tried to ask out Lindsey Vonn via Twitter.

 

At 19 years old, Noah Gragson rides with a crop of rising stars who are both gifted in racing and the art of crafting 280-character-count tweets. Authentic and mischievous, he puts time into his social media presence both at and away from the race track to give fans a peak into his world.

RELATED: Gragson set to make Xfinity Series debut | Career stats for Gragson

Because at the end of the day, the Las Vegas native was a fan before he was ever a driver.

 

“I always try to be myself, for the most part, on social media,” Gragson said Wednesday. “I’m just like all the fans; I’m a normal guy, I get excited when I see Kyle Busch walking around and start getting a little starstruck by him being in my presence … (Social media is) a way I can connect to the fans and be myself and show my personality.”

 

The idea of a driver getting starstruck by another is one thing – especially a young, up-and-coming star. But the notion of Gragson being dazzled by Busch, his team owner and mentor, is somewhat unexpected.

 

“Harrison Burton always trash-talks me; We were racing Kyle Busch in a Super Late Model race and I was like, ‘Man, like I really want to go get his autograph. Like, bad,’” Gragson recalled. “And he kept on making fun of me all day — all weekend he’s like, ‘You want to go get his autograph? You’re racing against him, dude. You can’t go get his autograph.’

 

“I’m like, ‘Dude, I want his autograph, bad.’”

 

Fans collect autographs and at the end of the day, that’s what Gragson is deep down; he was cheering for others on TV before he ever climbed behind the wheel of his own stock car.

 

“Every time I see Kyle Busch pop up on the little name deal on the little notification thing on my phone, I’m like ‘Damn, that’s Kyle Busch right there,’ you know?” he said.  “I mean it’s pretty cool. I always collected his die cast growing up. I have all those guys; Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch. All their cars in my room in Vegas.

 

“It’s a secret, nobody knows,” he added.

 

This weekend at Richmond Raceway, Gragson will make his first start in the Xfinity Series, piloting the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. It’s a car that has been driven to Victory Lane on multiple occasions by several drivers, including Busch.

 

No matter how much he moves up in his career, though, the racing fandom will always be there.

 

So, that starstruck feeling may stick around a bit longer – especially around “Rowdy.”

 

“At the end of the day, I’m more of a fan of the sport and I always have been a fan of the sport,” he said. “The driving deal has been a lot newer to me. So, just always sticking to what I started with and that’s being a fan and seeing where those guys are and always dreaming of getting to that level and I’ve never been at that level.

 

“Just getting to see (Busch) in person, I get all excited. I don’t know – I’m weird like that.”

Posted on by Team Release

Cerro Gordo, N.C. – The last time Timothy Peters partnered with Ricky Benton Racing (RBR), the pairing resulted in a seventh-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway. Emboldened by the result, the team and driver have decided to renew their partnership in a bigger way: RBR and Peters will be heading to Alabama to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

The event will be Peters’ debut in MENCS and RBR’s second start. RBR finished 14th in the 60th running of the Daytona 500 in February.

“This is just a dream come true for me,” said Peters. “I am humbled and so appreciative for the opportunity that Ricky (Benton), Advance Auto Parts , the entire Black’s Tire family, BB&T and Highland Construction have given me to make my first Cup start.”

Despite not having made a Cup start to date, Peters is no stranger to NASCAR restrictor plate racing. The Danville, Va. native has two wins at Talladega and one at Daytona to go along with four other top-five finishes in 14 starts in the NCWTS. He also has a sixth-place finish in ARCA competition at Daytona.

“Timothy is an incredibly talented driver and proved to be a great fit with our guys at Martinsville,” said team owner Ricky Benton. “He and (crew chief) Mike (Hester) worked great together, communicated well and made some great adjustments as that race progressed.

“I have no doubt that it will carry over to Talladega in the Cup car.”

Benton said David Gilliland, who drove the RBR entry in the Daytona 500, is not behind the wheel this time around due to commitments to the race team he owns fielding cars in ARCA, the K&N Pro Series and NCWTS.

See the paint scheme the team will field below.

Posted on by Staff Report

When the granddaughter of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt and the niece of two-time Daytona 500 winner and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins a race, it’s a big deal.

Karsyn Elledge, Kelley Earnhardt Miller’s daughter, notched a victory at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, North Carolina, on Wednesday night. The victory led to celebratory tweets and a humorous exchange with her mother over her school attendance the next day.