Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Stewart-Haas savors Atlanta strides | Complete race results

HAMPTON, Ga. — Clint Bowyer didn’t win Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, but he got the sort of run he needed in the second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season.

On a day when all the Stewart-Haas Racing Fords were fast, Bowyer finished third overall behind SHR teammate Kevin Harvick, who dominated the action, and fellow Ford driver Brad Keselowski. 

The third-place result was a welcome tonic for Bowyer, who suffered through an up-and-down campaign last year in his first season with SHR.

“I said it all offseason,” Bowyer said after the race. “What we have to do is get more consistent, know what I mean? Over the course of my career, kind of what’s kept me in the game is consistency, and last year we were spraying it all over the place. 

“We’d have a good run and back it up with a bad one or two bad ones and then a good one. We were all over the place.”

Bowyer managed a 15th-place run in the season-opening Daytona 500 despite an engine issue. 

“We were at the big dance last weekend and dropped a cylinder, and everybody was dejected and bummed out, and we come here and unload four fast (Stewart-Haas) cars and did a great job as a company. 

“That’s what it takes. You’ve got to be able to unload good cars and then work together to fine-tune them to make them good for the race and enjoy that strength in numbers, and that’s certainly what we had going on this weekend.”

Bowyer climbed to fifth in the series standings, 15 points behind leader Joey Logano.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Complete race results | Detailed breakdown
SHOP: Kevin Harvick gear

HAMPTON, Ga. – On Sunday night, after 17 barren years, Kevin Harvick finally completed the second chapter of his love affair with Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, the second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season, Harvick delivered a proper thrashing to the rest of the field, leading 181-of-325 laps and beating runner-up Brad Keselowski to the finish line by 2.690 seconds.

Early in 2001, after Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in a last-lap crash in the Daytona 500, Harvick was thrust prematurely into a replacement role that would have cowed most rookies. Three weeks later, he notched his first Cup victory in a photo finish (.006 seconds) over Jeff Gordon.

Harvick’s career victory total reached 38 on Sunday with his relentless performance at the 1.54-mile speedway, ending a frustrating drought that featured blinding speed foiled by ill fortune and inopportune mistakes. 

Afterwards, in his victory celebration, Harvick gave a “3” salute to Earnhardt, a tribute he had waited years to perform.

“I’m just so proud of everybody on our team,” Harvick said. “That was the first win in my career (in 2001), and to be able to do that and pay tribute to Dale was pretty cool. I’ve been waiting a long time to do that…

“I love racing here, and it’s good to be back in Victory Lane – finally. It took a while.”

RELATED: Harvick passes Dale Sr. on all-time combined wins

Harvick had led the most laps in the last four Monster Energy events at Atlanta, but victory continued to elude him. Nor was the road to Sunday’s win free of obstacles.

On Harvick’s second pit stop, after his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford had dominated the race’s first stage, the air hose blew off the coupler of the pit gun wielded by the front tire changer Daniel Smith, and Harvick had to return to pit road to make sure his lug nuts were tight. 

No problem as Harvick restarted 16th on Lap 94 to begin Stage 2. On Lap 126, he passed teammate Kurt Busch for the lead. 

Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano tried divergent strategies, opting for a two-pit-stop strategy, instead of the typical three, over the last stage of the race. After Harvick came off pit road on Lap 289, Hamlin held a 1.819-second second advantage.

Harvick brushed the ploy aside as easily as swatting a fly. On Lap 291 he passed Hamlin for the lead and took off. Ultimately, Hamlin finished fourth and Logano sixth.

Harvick was out front by more than four seconds when Trevor Bayne’s engine blew in Turn 2 on Lap 297, trailing a thick cloud of smoke that covered the corner and left Daytona 500 runner-up Bubba Wallace driving blind into the back of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s Ford.

RELATED: No. 4 pays tribute to No. 3 | Relive Harvick’s 2001 win at Atlanta

On the subsequent restart on Lap 305, Harvick simply drove away, stretching his lead to nearly four seconds over the final 21 laps before easing up as he approached the finish line.

“It was great getting into this race car and knowing that everybody knew that they had to beat our car,” Harvick said. “I’m just really, really happy with everything that we’ve done at Stewart-Haas Racing over the last five years, and this is a great start to getting ourselves in the Playoffs and doing everything that we need to do. 

“We overcame a lot of things today. We got a late-race restart that we drove off and won the race with, so there are so many demons that seem to haunt us here for a long time, but the coolest part was being able to try to replicate that first win celebration.” 

SHR teammate Clint Bowyer finished third, putting Fords in all three podium positions. Martin Truex Jr. charged forward from a 35th-place starting position to run fifth. Logano, pole winner Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott completed the top 10.

Logano took over the series lead by six points over Ryan Blaney, who finished 12th. Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon was 14th, the first driver one lap down.

Note: A post-race check revealed one lug nut unsecured on Harvick’s winning No. 4 Ford. The penalty guidelines in the NASCAR Rule Book call for a fine only. … The Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4, the Team Penske No. 2 Ford and the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota will go to the NASCAR Research & Development Center for further inspection this week.

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series all head west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a tripleheader weekend. Check out the tentative full schedule below, subject to change.

Note: All times are ET

Sunday, March 4

Run of show
3:30:00 p.m.: Presentation of colors by Nellis Air Force Base Honor Guard
3:30:20 p.m.: Invocation by Billy Mauldin, MRO
3:30:45 p.m.: Intro to national anthem
3:31:00 p.m.: National anthem by 38 Special (Large American flag unfurled by DEP Ceremony Cadets, Nellis AFB)
3:32:30 p.m.: Fly-by performed by four F-16s from the 57th OG Nellis AFB
3:37:30 p.m.: “Drivers, Start your engines” by Dylan McDermott, Golden Globe winner and Emmy Award nominee, star of comedy “LA to Vegas”
3:46 p.m.: Green flag

3:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube (267 laps, 400.5 miles), FOX (Canada: TSN5) (Results)

Press Pass (Watch live)
— 2:15 p.m.: Charlotte Motor Speedway announcement
— 6:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

 

Thursday, March 1
5:05-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice (Results)
7:05-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (Results)

Press Pass (Watch live)
— 3:30 p.m.: Noah Gragson, Brett Moffitt and Ben Rhodes

Friday, March 2
2-2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN2) (Results)
3:05-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, FS1 (Results)
5:05-5:50 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS1 (Results)
6 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS1 (Results)
7:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, FS1 (Results)
9 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Stratosphere 200 (134 laps, 201 miles), FS1 (Results)

Press Pass (Watch live)
— 12:45 p.m.: Kyle Larson
— 1 p.m.: Kurt Busch
— 1:15 p.m.: Kevin Harvick
— 1:30 p.m.: Kyle Busch
— 1:45 p.m.: Christopher Bell, Spencer Gallagher and Daniel Hemric
— 3:30 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
— 8:15 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
— 10:45 p.m.: Post-Camping World Truck Series race

Saturday, March 3
12-12:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series second practice, FS1 (Results)
1:10 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1 (Results)
2:30-3:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1 (Results)
4 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Boyd Gaming 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), FS1 (Canada: TSN5) (Results)

Press Pass (Watch live)
— 6:30 p.m.: Post-Xfinity Series race

 

Posted on by

RELATED: Harvick ends 17-year wait with Atlanta win | Race results

HAMPTON, Ga. – Clint Bowyer stood on pit road following his third-place finish as the fireworks popped and exploded in front of him and his teammate Kevin Harvick celebrated his win following Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.

Minutes after climbing out of his No. 14 Ford, the sprinkles of rain began to trickle from the sky. After squeezing in the race following a rain delay, the timing was impeccable.

“Mother Nature’s a race fan, I guess,” Bowyer said with a grin.

Perhaps a fan of Stewart-Haas Racing, too – all four SHR cars placed in the top 13 on Sunday, with Kurt Busch finishing eighth and newcomer Aric Almirola coming up 13th.

Bowyer, who received congrats from Almirola on pit road, said it was a “breath of fresh air.”

“We had a really good car all weekend long and that’s how you have to do it … you have to unload off the truck competitive and (that) attests to everybody’s hard work in the offseason,” he said. “All four cars – ALL four cars – unloaded good and were good all weekend long.

“I couldn’t go early quite like my teammate Kevin and some of those other guys but long runs were my game for the day. Just proud of these guys. … Everybody working together, you know what I mean? It’s fun to be a part of that.”

The 2018 season marks the sophomore year of Stewart-Haas’ switch to Ford from Chevrolet. Crew chiefs and drivers spoke of the transition and quick turnaround last year — and Sunday’s race showed that the learning curve isn’t as steep as it was at this time last season.

“I’m just proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas,” SHR Vice President of Competition Greg Zipadelli said. “In the last year or so from the switchover to this year with the (Optical Scanning Station) and learning procedures and putting things in place, crew chiefs working together, everybody in our shop working to build good race cars …

“It’s a feel-good at this moment. We had great cars at Daytona; these guys did a really good job (and) circumstances took them out. We came here and unloaded and had speed.”

Heading into the second race of the season – and the first at a mile-and-a-half track – No. 4 crew chief Rodney Childers didn’t know how his team or the rest of the SHR fleet would fare with all new elements.

With a win likely writing the No. 4 team’s ticket into the Playoffs, what Sunday’s trip to Victory Lane means is more “time to work on our stuff and get it better.”

“I think as a race team, the 4 team’s mentality has always been to try to win a race in the first five races,” he said. “… I had no idea if we were going to run good or bad when we showed up. You don’t know where everybody else is with their stuff. You don’t know if you got more downforce, less downforce, more grip or less grip — you don’t know any of that stuff. You’ve just got to get through a few races. But even now, like Zippy said, this isn’t a good indication of what we have as a company. We need to get through a few weeks and keep working hard and reevaluate where we’re at.”

Zipadelli also spoke of the room to grow for each of the four teams as the season progresses.

“It’s a moving target,” he said. “We’re going to go to Vegas with some momentum and some decent race tracks for us coming up … as a group, I think it gives us a little confidence working together … but by no means is that a victory for the year.”

But on Sunday, it was a victory for the whole Stewart-Haas Racing organization — and for the “Freaky Fast” No. 4 team. Even his own teammate couldn’t catch Harvick.

“Pretty sure nobody did,” Bowyer said, laughing when asked if anyone had anything for the No. 4 team. “He was just crazy fast.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Stage 1 results

Kevin Harvick won Stage 1 of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, leading 64 of the 85 laps in the first stage. Harvick was one of three drivers credited with leading laps during the stage as the front row tandem of polesitter Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman also led circuits.

Harvick, the 2014 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, won Saturday afternoon’s Xfinity Series race and has led 734 laps in the last four Atlanta Monster Energy Series races entering today.

Stewart-Haas Racing placed all four of its cars — Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola — inside the top eight during the opening 85 laps.

A competition caution was waved on Lap 30 due to rain earlier in the day.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1  Kevin Harvick  Stewart-Haas Racing 10
2  Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3  Brad Keselowski  Team Penske 8
4  Martin Truex Jr.  Furniture Row Racing 7
5  Aric Almirola  Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6  Kyle Busch  Joe Gibbs Racing 5
7  Kyle Larson  Chip Ganassi Racing 4
8  Kurt Busch  Stewart-Haas Racing 3
9  Denny Hamlin  Joe Gibbs Racing 2
10  Joey Logano  Team Penske 1

Stage 2 recap | Results

Brad Keselowski won the race off pit road following a late caution in Stage 2 and that was the advantage he needed to wrestle the stage away from Stage 1 winner Kevin Harvick at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The stage wins give Keselowski and Harvick each a playoff point.

Harvick drove up through the field following trouble with the air gun on a pit stop under caution at the end of Stage 1. He then came back down pit road to make sure all the lug nuts were tight on his No. 4 Ford. Harvick restarted in 19th and then proceeded to drive up to the lead on Lap 126. After a round of green-flag pit stops, Harvick came out with the lead and didn’t give it up until the race off pit road on Lap 161. As was the case in Stage 1, all four Stewart-Haas Racing Fords earned stage points.

A caution came out on Lap 159 for a spin involving Jimmie Johnson, a five-time winner at Atlanta. During that round of pit stops, the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing pit crew had trouble with the air gun when Martin Truex Jr. came to pit, leading to a slow stop that dropped him from sixth (before the caution) to 15th. Truex, the reigning Monster Energy Series champion, finished Stage 2 in 13th.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1  Brad Keselowski  Team Penske 10
2  Kurt Busch  Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3  Kyle Busch  Joe Gibbs Racing 8
4  Joey Logano  Team Penske 7
5  Kevin Harvick  Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6  Denny Hamlin  Joe Gibbs Racing 5
7  Kyle Larson  Chip Ganassi Racing 4
8  Aric Almirola  Stewart-Haas Racing 3
9  Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing 2
10  Daniel Suarez  Joe Gibbs Racing 1
Posted on by George Winkler

Kevin Harvick flashed the “3” in honor of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt as he drove by fans on a victory lap following his win in Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The tribute called to mind Harvick’s first win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, which was in 2001 at Atlanta in his third race with Richard Childress Racing.

That win, which came shortly after Earnhardt’s death, was Harvick’s last one at the 1.54-mile track prior to Sunday. Harvick, who drives the No. 4 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, now has 38 wins in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

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

Monday, February 26
9 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Rinnai 250 at Atlanta (re-air), FS2
11 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (re-air), FS2
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN

Tuesday, February 27
2 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (re-air), FS1
5 a.m.: NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m. NASCAR Racing: K&N Pro Series East, NBCSN

Wednesday, February 28
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Thursday, March 1
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Friday, March 2
3:30 a.m.: NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Las Vegas, FS1 (Canada: TSN2)
3 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series practice at Las Vegas, FS1
4 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FS1
5 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice at Las Vegas, FS1
6 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying at Las Vegas, FS1
7 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Las Vegas, FS1
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: Camping World Truck Series at Las Vegas, FS1
9 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Stratosphere 200 at Las Vegas, FS1

Saturday, March 3
4:30 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Las Vegas (re-air), FS1
6 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Stratosphere 200 at Las Vegas (re-air), FS1
11:30 a.m.: Classic NASCAR: 1988 Daytona 500, FS1
12 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Las Vegas, FS1
1 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at Las Vegas, FS1
2 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FS1
2:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice at Las Vegas, FS1
3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Race Day: Xfinity Series, FS1
4 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas, FS1 (Canada: TSN5)

Sunday, March 4
6:30 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas (re-air), FS1
2 p.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, FS1
3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pre-Race Show, FOX
3:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas, FOX (Canada: TSN5)

Posted on by Alex Weaver

Prior to the Daytona 500, Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott swung by hometown Atlanta Motor Speedway to give some pace car rides and talk racing. NASCAR Digital’s Alex Weaver tagged along and interviewed Elliott as he sped around the 1.54-mile oval.

Here’s their conversation:

Weaver: Give me your full name

Elliott: William Clyde Elliott II

Birthday?

November 28, 1995

If you could have any food right now, what would you eat?

A bowl of cereal. I didn’t get to have my morning bowl so that’s what I want.

What kind of cereal?

I am a big Honey Nut Cheerios fan.

What food would you not eat right now or ever?

I do not like tomatoes.

$100, you won’t eat a tomato?

No.

$200?

Okay, I might start thinking about it. Do you like tomatoes?

Absolutely! You can’t be southern and not like a good tomato sandwich with mayo.

That is absolutely disgusting!

What’s your favorite movie?

Wedding Crashers. Hey, Ma! The meatloaf! We want it now!

Favorite musical artist?

Eric Church

Favorite song by Eric?

So hard to pick just one… He has one song that I don’t think was ever cut called ‘Old Friends, Old Whiskey, Old Songs’ look it up on YouTube.

What color is your toothbrush?

(Laughing) Hard-hitting questions here, white with a little bit of green on it.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

I have always wanted to go visit Australia. So that’s on there and I think that’d be pretty cool.

Morning or night person?

Night. I am only a morning person when I have to be.

If you could trade lives with anyone for a day, who would it be?

I don’t know just one person but I really like the music industry. I think going on stage and putting on a concert for a night would be cool.

Can you sing?

Heck no!

Well can you play a musical instrument?

I am slowly learning to play the guitar but I’m not ready to take her out yet.

Give me one word to describe Ryan Blaney.

Mischievous

Jimmie Johnson?

Outgoing.

William Byron?

Underestimated.

Alex Bowman?

Loud.

Bill Elliott?

Misunderstood.

Cindy Elliott?

Oh, see now you’re trying to get me in trouble (laughing.) Mom.

What was your favorite thing you did during the offseason?

Probably going to the Georgia (college football) games. I went to the SEC Championship and then the National Championship. Wasn’t the best finish but a lot of fun.

Did you cry?

No, but man did I want to. I had to be on track in Texas the next morning at 9 a.m. I wasn’t about to miss that game but it was rough.

The No. 9 and this track has a lot of history for your family. What does it mean for you to be back in Atlanta at your home track in the No. 9?

That number just fits me. That number is where I’ve always been regardless of what’s been on the side of my car. Now to be in that number and on this track, it just feels even more like home. I’m excited.

You told me earlier that your dad gave a quote about the number being just as much his as it is yours. How did they make you feel?

Yeah, now I would have never said that but he did. I do think there’s some truth in that. There is a deep history in my house with that number and I am honored and excited to carry that history on.

Heck of a way to end it and you didn’t kill me.

We weren’t going that fast. Only 110ish…

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: See every car | Full schedule for Atlanta

Rain delayed the start of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway but racing commenced just at 3:32 p.m. ET.

NASCAR and track officials made adjustments Saturday to the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500’s start time, moving it up by 70 minutes to a projected green flag of 1:06 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). But showers dampened the 1.54-mile facility Sunday morning, placing the series’ second race of the year on hold for a delay of nearly two and a half hours.

A look at the Air Titans working to dry Atlanta Motor Speedway (Jessica Ruffin/NDM)

Race officials had a solid contingent of track-drying equipment at the Georgia venue: 11 NASCAR Air Titans, six conventional jet-dryers, two track vacuums, two Elgin sweepers and one tractor broom.

Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman made up the front row and lead the field to the green flag. Busch won the pole in Friday’s qualifying. No. 2 starter Newman was fastest in final practice for the Monster Energy Series.

There will be a competition caution on Lap 30. The first stage will end on Lap 85 and the second stage will end on Lap 170.

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 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Enjoy!