Posted on by Brad Norman

It was an emotional day for Danica Patrick as she fought back tears during her announcement confirming the 2017 season would be her last as a full-time driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Drivers and fans took to Twitter to share their appreciation and admiration for the only female currently competing at NASCAR’s highest level.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will also likely make his final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, Sirius XM), didn’t hesitate to share with fans the impact Patrick had on the sport. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson also sent good thoughts Patrick’s way.

Longtime boyfriend and fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made sure to tell the internet that Patrick wasn’t quite done breaking down walls and reaching her goals.

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RELATED: Full lineup in photos | Full qualifying results

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – With a dramatic run late in Friday’s knockout qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Denny Hamlin knocked Championship 4 contender Martin Truex Jr. off the pole for Sunday’s Ford Eco-Boost 400 (on NBC at 3 p.m. ET).

Hamlin covered the 1.5-mile distance in 31.038 seconds (173.980 mph) in the final round, edging Truex (173.952 mph) by .005 seconds for the top starting spot in the race that will decide the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Truex, in turn, was .004 seconds faster than title contender Kyle Busch (173.930 mph). Championship 4 drivers Brad Keselowski (172.452 mph) and Kevin Harvick (171.876 mph) qualified fifth and ninth, respectively, with Harvick sawing on his wheel in Turn 1 on his money lap to save a car that was unexpectedly loose.

The Coors Light Pole Award was Hamlin’s second of the season, his second at Homestead and the 26th of his career. And he won it despite brushing the wall out of Turn 4 on his final lap

“We had them there by a little bit, and I messed up (Turns) 3 and 4 a little bit,” said Hamlin, who was eliminated from the Playoff last Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. “Honestly, it was a great run, and we did great adjustments there.

“Our FedEx Camry was obviously very fast that last run. I love this race track, and wish we would have our chance, but that will be another day, another year for us.”

RELATED: Patrick to step away from NASCAR in 2018

Truex was happy to be the fastest among the championship contenders, but he’s fully aware the trophy won’t be awarded until Sunday.

“That was a bit dramatic,” Truex said with a wry smile. “We missed it a little bit in that last round, lost more grip than I anticipated. We made some adjustments knowing it was going to go that way, just not far enough… It was just five one-thousandths off from being a perfect day…

“I think we definitely wanted to be first to get that first pit stall, but aside from that, we’re all up front, we’re all close to each other, and this is a track you can pass on. Just in general I was proud of my team for having a good, solid day. We had a shot there and just missed it a little bit there in Round 3. Good, solid effort and that’s what we needed to do today, and we’ll get to work and see what we can do on Sunday.”

Harvick was fourth fastest in the first round and fifth in the second, but his No. 4 Stewart-Haas racing Ford broke loose as he started his third-round lap.

“Just about spun out there going into Turn 1,” Harvick said. “It was definitely sideways. It kept turning, but the back tried to go the other way.”

Busch was pleased with his lap but felt he had the car to challenge for the pole in a race where the highest finisher among the Championship 4 wins the series title.

“We had a pretty good first round and second round, and when Martin went out there and ran an oh-something (31.043 seconds), I felt like there was a .90 out there and an opportunity to beat him and go for the pole,” Busch said.

“Trying to cut my Turn 1 entry, I got to the bottom too soon, hit the apron and messed up the exit off (Turn) 2 and felt like I tried to get a little more back in (Turns) 3 and 4 than I needed to and probably messed up down there.”

 Keselowski, who had as-yet-unresolved brake issues during Friday’s opening practice qualified at the top end of his expectations.

“It was probably a tad bit higher than I thought we would end up… but I’m not complaining,” Keselowski said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. did not make a run in the second round after posting the 15th fastest lap in the first. In his final run in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Earnhardt will start from the rear of the field because of an engine change during opening practice.

MORE: Junior to start season finale from the rear

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MORE: FRR owner Barney Visser has successful surgery following heart attack

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Barney Visser, founder and owner of the two-car Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series organization Furniture Row Racing, will not be at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend to watch his driver Martin Truex Jr. attempt to win his first series title.

“He’ll be at home,” team president Joe Garone said Friday during a news conference featuring principals from the four organizations competing for the series title there this weekend. “I don’t think he’s left his house yet. I’m sure he’ll be in front of his TV. Honestly, I can’t tell you what he’s going to do.”

Visser, who started the No. 78 Toyota team as a part-time entity in 2005, suffered a heart attack Saturday, Nov. 4 and underwent bypass surgery Nov. 6. Feeling ill, he drove himself to the local hospital near his Denver, Colo., home.

“For the last couple of weekends I am linked together with text messages with (Visser),” Garone said. “He’s certainly paying attention to everything that’s going on.”

Truex and the No. 78 team, led by crew chief Cole Pearn, were the winningest team in the series this season, collecting seven victories prior to advancing to the Championship 4 round here this weekend.

Also competing for the title in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR) are Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota), Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing) and Brad Keselowski (Team Penske Ford).

Busch (2015), Harvick (’14) and Keselowski (’12) have previously won the series title. Truex, who also qualified for the Championship 4 in ’15, is seeking his first championship in the series.

Visser has grown his racing operation from a small part-time outfit struggling to compete into an organization that now finds itself contending for championships.

Visser was hospitalized during last week’s race at Phoenix in which Truex finished third. He had already secured a spot in the final based on points earned.

“I know I am connected to him text messaging the whole race long,” Garone said. “I’m giving him what is going on on top of the box that he’s not getting on the radio, keeping him engaged.

“I don’t know how much stress he’ll actually go through, to be honest. He’s a pretty calm guy, anybody that knows him. We’ll see. It’s going to be interesting.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: All things Dale in Miami

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. is scheduled to make his farewell Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start from the rear of the field after his Hendrick Motorsports team changed engines in his No. 88 Chevrolet.

Earnhardt’s car — adorned with a brilliant red paint scheme borrowed from early in his career — sputtered during opening practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He coasted back to the garage, telling his crew that something in the engine had broken.

Per the NASCAR Rule Book, Earnhardt is set to start at the back of the field in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM), the season-ending race. He indicated through Twitter that he would still make a qualifying run in Friday’s Coors Light Pole Qualifying session (6:15 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM).

Earnhardt had announced in April that this season would be his last as a full-time driver. He has said he still plans for a handful of races in the NASCAR XFINITY Series next year.

MORE: Inside the Earnhardt-Hendrick relationship

Posted on by Holly Cain

PHOTOS: Danica Patrick through the years | Danica on future, past

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — With tears in her eyes, Danica Patrick emotionally confirmed to media on Friday afternoon she would be stepping away from full-time racing competition following Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“My sister told me I was supposed to get emotional,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes, as her sister and parents watched from the back of the room. “I said I wouldn’t.”

After a long pause, she continued, “But I’m grateful for all the opportunities.”

Dressed in a white blouse and black jeans, the 35-year-old Patrick declared her intentions to transition after a historical six-year full-time career in NASCAR preceded by a headline-making seven-year full-time stint racing in the IndyCar series.

MORE: Danica on racing career: Tony Stewart has been part of it all

Before officially retiring, Patrick will race in the 2018 Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 — two races innately and overwhelmingly crucial to her career path. Although she doesn’t have the deals completely finalized for the two fast farewells she is dubbing the “Danica Double,” Patrick said she hopes to announce something in the coming weeks. She is confident of putting together a deal or deals to give her racing contributions the proper exclamation point.

The 2013 Daytona 500 pole winner and record-setting Indianapolis 500 competitor is the first woman to compete full-time in NASCAR’s highest level.

Interestingly, she has the same number of laps led (64) and top-10 finishes (seven) in both her XFINITY career (61 starts) and her Cup career (189 starts).

In addition to her NASCAR accomplishments Patrick is the only woman to win an IndyCar race (2008 in Japan) and boasts the top finish ever for a woman in the Indy 500 (third place, 2009). She had top-10 finishes in six of her seven Indy 500 starts.

And Patrick is the only woman to lead laps in both the Daytona 500 (seven laps) and Indy 500 (29 laps), an event she last entered in 2011.

She’s currently ranked 27th in the points standings with one top 10 this year (10th at Dover).

MORE: Danica on 2018 plans | Key moments | Key players in NASCAR’s silly season

Speaking to a smaller group of reporters after her initial announcement, Patrick joked about containing her emotions, revealing, “I’m an emotional person, shockingly, I know.

“It’s one thing to say to one person, or out loud to your family, another to deliver to the masses,’’ Patrick said. “It’s not like this is a conclusion I just arrived at. I started thinking about all the situations that could come my way in January. And there was a moment in the middle of the year that I was like, is the team just going to shut me down? Maybe. I had to pretty quickly face the music of, ‘what if this is the end?’ “

Patrick said she was open to doing some TV work, but that there was nothing imminent or specific to that yet. Even beyond the two races closing out her career, she has a busy slate that includes a book tour for her “Pretty Intense: The 90-Day Mind, Body and Food Plan that will absolutely Change Your Life” book.

And she will continue to attend Monster Energy Series races in support of her longtime boyfriend, Roush Fenway Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Stewart-Haas announced last week that Aric Almirola will replace Patrick in the team’s No. 10 Ford.

As for Patrick joining her first formal NASCAR “boss” Dale Earnhardt Jr. and former Cup champion Matt Kenseth in stepping away from full-time work at Sunday’s checkered flag?

“The show goes on as they say,’’ Patrick said smiling, noting the excitement she feels for her final racing chapter.

“I’m really nervous. But I’m really excited.”

WATCH: Look back through Patrick’s career

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Celebrating Dale Jr.’s final ride | Spend an evening with Junior in Las Vegas

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave his final weekly pre-race press conference Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, touching on a variety of subjects ranging from his health to his competitiveness to his championship pick as he prepares for his final scheduled start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, will step away from full-time competition in the series following Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He’ll remain deeply entrenched in the sport as co-team owner of JR Motorsports, which fields multiple entries in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, and through work with NBC, which broadcasts the second half of the NASCAR season.

“In the car, I just want to run all the laps,” Earnhardt said of Sunday’s season-ending, championship-determining race. “I want to finish the race in one piece. … Obviously you want to do as well as you can. But no matter where we finish, to be able to pull down pit road, stop the car and get out. Then see my guys and do all that. It would be a bit of a heartbreaker if we have any kind of issue that would take us out of the event and not be able to finish.”

RELATED: Ties that bind with Dale Jr., Rick Hendrick run deep

The 2017 season is Earnhardt’s 18th as a full-time competitor. He’s a two-time champion in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, has 26 career victories in Monster Energy Series competition and is the winner of the series’ most popular driver award for 14 consecutive years.

After sitting out the final half of the 2016 season while recovering from a concussion, Earnhardt announced on April 25 of this year that he would step down from full-time competition at year’s end. Asked if he had reconsidered the decision at any point this year, Earnhardt didn’t hesitate when answering.

“No, I don’t need to reconsider,” the 43-year-old said. “This is great timing for me. It’s time for somebody else to get in that car and get out of it what they can. “And with Alex (Bowman) coming in behind, it’s just a great opportunity for him. It’s his time. And mine, in my heart, has ran its course.

“With everything we’ve been through, with the concussion and trying to come back, the emotion was man, I’m so glad I get to run this last year. It was always this is the last year. And I’m glad I get to run it.”

Bowman made 10 starts for the team while Earnhardt was sidelined in ’16, winning the pole in the fall race at Phoenix. He will take over full-time duties in the car beginning next season.

Neither Earnhardt nor his teammates, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott and Kasey Kahne, made it to this year’s Championship 4 round here at Homestead.

RELATED: Dale Jr. reveals who he is pulling for to win the championship

Earnhardt said he will be “Team Martin for this weekend for sure,” indicating his choice of champion is Furniture Row Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. The two were teammates earlier in their career at Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Truex, Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Brad Keselowski (Team Penske) will compete for the championship on Sunday.

“He’s the guy,” Earnhardt said of Truex. “Me and Brad are great friends. I love to see Brad do well. But with what Martin, just as a driver, what he has been through it would just be awesome to see him put his name on that trophy.

“I don’t know how you put into words what it would mean for him to win. I don’t know how you describe what that means. It’s bigger than words.”

RELATED: All of Junior’s wins | Career in photos | Top 10 moments

In the day’s opening practice, Earnhardt started out fifth-fastest, but returned to the garage with engine issues.

Friday afternoon there’s qualifying, then two more practice sessions on Saturday.

Sunday, he’ll climb aboard his No. 88 for the final time.

Posted on by Staff Report

MORE: Full practice results | Best 10-lap times | Full Miami schedule

Kyle Busch topped the leaderboard in Friday’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway at 172.695 mph in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Right behind him was fellow NASCAR Playoffs Championship 4 competitor Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota at 172.529 mph.

Rounding out the top five were playoffs driver Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford at 171.865 mph, Kyle Larson in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet at 171.217 mph and Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 JGR Toyota at 170.854 mph.

Brad Keselowski, the fourth competitor in the Championship 4, was 21st on the leaderboard at 168.919 mph. The team was working on a brake issue on his No. 2 Team Penske Ford that limited his practice time to just five laps.

PHOTOS: Best from Miami

Dale Earnhardt Jr., ahead of his final planned Monster Energy Series start, had engine issues in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. His session was cut early, and he was 14th on the speed charts after running just 12 laps as the team worked to replace the engine.

Earnhardt addressed the issue in a video he posted on Twitter.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

A look at the drivers with the best 10-lap runs in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practices at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

MORE: Practice 1 results 

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 42 Kyle Larson 1 10 165.012
2 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1 10 163.402
3 1 Jamie McMurray 1 10 163.280
4 77 Erik Jones # 1 10 162.293
5 10 Danica Patrick 1 10 162.043
6 5 Kasey Kahne 12 21 160.156
7 24 Chase Elliott 9 18 158.995

MORE: Practice 2 results 

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 11 Denny Hamlin 1 10 165.574
2 78 Martin Truex Jr. (P) 1 10 165.186
3 2 Brad Keselowski (P) 1 10 164.907
4 18 Kyle Busch (P) 1 10 164.150
5 42 Kyle Larson 1 10 163.910
6 4 Kevin Harvick (P) 1 10 163.888
7 19 Daniel Suarez # 1 10 163.503
8 1 Jamie McMurray 1 10 163.312
9 5 Kasey Kahne 1 10 163.072
10 21 Ryan Blaney 1 10 163.068
11 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1 10 162.638
12 20 Matt Kenseth 17 26 162.633
13 27 Paul Menard 1 10 162.630
14 48 Jimmie Johnson 18 27 162.577
15 77 Erik Jones # 1 10 162.105
16 32 Matt DiBenedetto 1 10 162.100
17 95 Michael McDowell 1 10 161.625
18 24 Chase Elliott 1 10 161.573
19 13 T. Dillon / D. Hemric 1 10 161.546
20 3 Austin Dillon 1 10 161.528
21 14 Clint Bowyer 9 18 161.304
22 41 Kurt Busch 13 22 160.855
23 31 Ryan Newman 23 32 159.742
24 37 Chris Buescher 22 31 153.170

MORE: Final practice results

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 18 Kyle Busch (P) 1 10 164.681
2 78 Martin Truex Jr. (P) 1 10 164.460
3 11 Denny Hamlin 1 10 164.455
4 4 Kevin Harvick (P) 1 10 163.652
5 42 Kyle Larson 13 22 163.620
6 2 Brad Keselowski (P) 1 10 163.513
7 20 Matt Kenseth 1 10 163.419
8 14 Clint Bowyer 1 10 163.360
9 77 Erik Jones # 1 10 163.230
10 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1 10 163.195
11 41 Kurt Busch 1 10 162.753
12 1 Jamie McMurray 1 10 162.347
13 21 Ryan Blaney 1 10 162.345
14 31 Ryan Newman 1 10 162.318
15 24 Chase Elliott 1 10 161.878
16 13 Ty Dillon # 1 10 161.401
17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 22 31 161.277
18 27 Paul Menard 1 10 161.170
19 3 Austin Dillon 1 10 161.082
20 22 Joey Logano 1 10 161.082
21 95 Michael McDowell 1 10 160.526
22 5 Kasey Kahne 23 32 160.333
23 10 Danica Patrick 23 32 159.827
24 48 Jimmie Johnson 2 11 159.633
25 19 Daniel Suarez # 20 29 159.587
26 34 Landon Cassill 1 10 159.435
27 32 Matt DiBenedetto 1 10 159.415
28 43 Aric Almirola 17 26 158.897
29 38 David Ragan 11 20 158.677
30 37 Chris Buescher 24 33 158.642
31 66 * David Starr(i) 1 10 150.398

 

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.
(P) Driver is running in the NASCAR Playoffs.

Posted on by Holly Cain

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — A pair of NASCAR spotters had personal items stolen Thursday night in Homestead, Florida, on the eve of Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Chris Lambert, spotter for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver Denny Hamlin, and Chris Osborne, spotter for Daniel Suarez, had multiple items stolen out of a rental car while having dinner at a restaurant near the track.

“It’s really unfortunate,” Lambert told Catchfence.com. “We weren’t inside more than an hour when we noticed the car had been broken into. … We’ll just try to make the best of the weekend from here.”

Lambert told Catchfence the only thing remaining inside the car was one of Osborne’s suitcases. Spotter equipment and laptops belonging to both men were gone, as well as personal belongings such as medication and other electronics.

“Chris Lambert and Chris Osborne stopped to eat dinner at Longhorn on 8th Street in Homestead on their way to the hotel,” Lambert’s wife Angela posted on Facebook late Thursday night. “Their rental car was broken into. Everything was stolen but 1 bag. Spotting bags, clothes, book bags with our check book, iPads, Chris’s clothes, meds.

“If any fans are down in Miami-Homestead … please send me a message. Chris and Chris are talking to the Cops.”

Posted on by Team Release

STATESVILLE, N.C. – On the day he competes for his second consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship, GMS Racing officials announced that Johnny Sauter will return to the team for the 2018 season. Following a career-best season, Sauter will once again pilot the No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado.

“I can’t thank the Gallagher family and Mike Beam enough for the opportunity they’ve given me the last two years. To be able to compete at this level, where you know you could win any given weekend, is incredible and I’m excited to be able to continue with the No. 21 team next year.”

Additional information regarding 2018 will be released at a later date.