Posted on by Staff Report

The championship field is down to eight, which means the race for the championship is right around the corner.

With the NASCAR playoff contenders trimmed down even more after the Hollywood Casino 400, the odds for some drivers are looking better and better. Martin Truex Jr. is still in contention for a shot at his first title. Jimmie Johnson is one round away from competing for an unprecedented eighth.

But there are six other drivers who still have championship dreams of their own.

Which four drivers do you think will make it to Homestead-Miami Speedway and compete for the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup?

Click the link below to vote.
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Poll

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Buy Tickets

Martinsville Speedway is the final enhanced weekend on this year’s NASCAR schedule and the speedway is going big with its Fan Fest.

Scheduled for Saturday night, Oct. 28, after final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice for the First Data 500, nine drivers are scheduled to entertain the fans. The gates will open at 5:30 p.m. ET with Fan Fest going until 8:30 p.m. ET.

For those looking to attend this weekend, the event is being held in Party Plaza.

Here’s the lineup:

6-6:30 p.m.: Denny Hamlin and Danica Patrick will participate in “Two Truths and a Lie.”

6:30-7 p.m.: Jeffrey Earnhardt and Aric Almirola will be involved with the sumo wrestling activity.

7-7:30 p.m.: Matt DiBenedetto and Kasey Kahne will pair with fans to play “Family Feud.”

7:30-8 p.m.: Austin Dillon and Motor Racing Network’s Kim Coon will pick two kids each and have a 3-on-3 “Hot Shot Basketball” competition.

8-8:30 p.m.: David Ragan and Reed Sorenson will have a pumpkin carving contest

Earlier this year, similar Fan Fests were held at Indianapolis, Watkins Glen and Pocono. The goal being to give drivers and fans an opportunity to enjoy time at the race track on a weekend where the Monster Energy Series is on track for Saturday and Sunday activities, instead of a traditional three-day weekend that starts on Friday.

There will be plenty of excitement at Martinsville Speedway this weekend.

The half-mile paperclip will host the opening race in the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Playoffs and could very well see its finish happen under the new LED lights.

Posted on by Team Release

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Stewart-Haas Racing has bolstered its effort in the NASCAR XFINITY Series by partnering with Biagi-DenBeste Racing. The XFINITY Series operation will be known as Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste beginning with the 2018 season. The name change only applies to the company’s XFINITY Series program.

With the new partnership, Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste will continue to field the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for current rookie-of-the-year contender Cole Custer. The outfit’s No. 41 team, which ran a limited XFINITY Series schedule with Kevin Harvick in 2017, will change to the No. 98. Sponsors Hunt Brothers Pizza and FIELDS will remain with Harvick as he drives the No. 98 Ford Mustang in another part-time schedule in 2018.

“We’re always looking to improve our performance and find ways to make our teams more efficient,” said Tony Stewart, who co-owns Stewart-Haas Racing with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. “While we’ve been in NASCAR for nine years, this was our first year in the XFINITY Series. Partnering with Biagi-DenBeste Racing gives our XFINITY Series program added depth as we prepare for next season.”

Biagi-DenBeste Racing traces its roots back to 2001 when it competed in what used to be known as the NASCAR Busch Series. It has won three races, with its most recent victory coming earlier this year when Aric Almirola won the May 6 XFINITY Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

“Racing is our passion and to ensure our presence in this sport for years to come, it made sense to partner with an established team that also fields entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series,” said Fred Biagi, co-owner of Biagi-DenBeste Racing with Bill and Lori DenBeste. “We look forward to competing for wins and defending our victory at Talladega.”

The 2018 schedule for the No. 98 team of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste will be announced at a later date.

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Sherry Pollex on racing and her recovery

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — In the moments following Victory Lane selfies, high-fives, trophy hoists and winner press conferences, the two Furniture Row Racing teams gathered in the motor coach lot to raise a high toast to James “Jim” Watson, a fabricator with the team who died Saturday night in Kansas City after suffering a heart attack.

It was an emotional day for the crew, who worked alongside Watson and were so heartbroken with the situation.

It also was an emotional day on the good side considering the trophy haul by driver Martin Truex Jr., who has now won seven races in 2017 and continues to position himself as the driver to beat with four races remaining to crown the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion.

MORE: No. 78 locks in sixth season victory | Truex added to elite group

It is a wonderfully timed reason for this tightly knit group to smile on a weekend otherwise so sad.

“Today was a challenge, for sure, with all the obstacles we faced, all the adversity we had to deal with,” Truex allowed. “But we just kept our heads down, kept fighting, found ourselves in the lead late and took advantage of it. Happy for everybody, all my guys. It was a tough day for them, losing one of our teammates last night. For all of us, just come together and talking about, ‘Hey, let’s go win this one for Jim.’ We did it. Feels good.”

Crew chief Cole Pearn, the leader of the team, was emotional after the race. He’s had to deal with an unbelievable amount of emotional adversity this season, from losing his best friend the week before the Watkins Glen race (which Truex also won) to recently having to put his 13-year-old dog down to now enduring the loss of a co-worker while on the road. And, of course, Truex’s longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex is currently undergoing another round of chemotherapy while battling ovarian cancer.

“Still pretty surreal at this point,’’ Pearn said of dealing with such a sad situation Saturday night then acknowledging what would normally be a joyous win Sunday afternoon. “We were kind of all focused on what we had to do today. We knew that was the best thing we could do for Jim. He’s a true racer in the purest form and I know that’s what he would have wanted. To be able to get to Victory Lane is a silver lining for sure. Still a pretty tough day.’’

A tough day that at least ended in a positive manner.

Based in Colorado — the sport’s only team headquartered west of the Mississippi River — Furniture Row Racing has proven itself the gold standard this season.

It is even more remarkable considering the emotional tugs it has had to navigate.

That Truex and the team succeed on track while dealing with such heavy and emotional things away from the track is special and noteworthy. And perhaps defining.

The tougher things get, it seems, the better this group performs.

“For me personally, I think over the years I’ve definitely gotten better at being able to get in the car no matter what’s going on in the outside world or in my life, to get in there, turn my focus to just what I have to do in the next couple hours,” Truex said. “It’s just another example of doing that, focusing on my job.

“The best we could do for him is win for him, win in his honor. Just celebrate his life, what he meant to us.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Race results | Updated Playoffs standings

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Jimmie Johnson stood on Kansas Speedway pit road feeling as relieved as accomplished, having advanced to the next round of the NASCAR Playoffs.

His 11th-place finish in the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet was enough to move forward toward a record-setting eighth Cup championship, and he’ll begin this next three-race stage of the Playoffs ranked fifth among the eight drivers advancing.

Johnson freely conceded after the race that it was a hard-fought 11th-place effort that included rebounding from a pair of spins, including a trip through the frontstretch grass and avoiding the day’s “big one,” a 14-car car crash on Lap 197 of the 267-lap race.

“Spun out twice and thankfully didn’t hit anything too hard,’’ Johnson recollected. “When things really changed for me was on the back straightaway in that big wreck. I went through there at a high rate of speed and missed everything.”

WATCH: Johnson’s pair of spins

Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, also felt a big sense of relief when the checkered flag flew. It was a busy day in the pits and an important day on the radio keeping the team focused and calm during an extremely eventful race.

“It’s not what we wanted, but we have a shot at it still and that’s all that really matters,’’ Knaus said.

It was a day of hard work for the No. 48 team, but even Johnson’s competition joked after the race that “of course” Johnson advanced in the playoffs.

“Even spinning through the grass and all sorts of things going on,’’ race winner Martin Truex Jr. said smiling.

And if this three-race round of the playoffs was a little more dramatic than Johnson would have preferred, he is clear about making the upcoming three races – at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix – dramatic for other reasons.

Johnson has nine wins at Martinsville, including the playoff race there last year. He has seven wins at Texas, including four of the last six races and a win just this April. He has four wins at Phoenix.

And just for good measure, Johnson won his seventh Cup title at the Homestead-Miami Speedway season finale last November, earning the race trophy despite starting last in the field.

“So thankful for my team and them motivating me and my motivating myself,’’ Johnson said. “We missed that wreck on the back straightaway today and found new life. Moving forward we’ve got to win, we’ve got to win one of these last three races before Homestead.

“I’m glad I sounded calm [on the radio] because that was the last thing it was. I think I was so frustrated and emotional that I got over the screaming and yelling and just was calm again. I’m very thankful we all kept our heads in the game and stayed alive for the championship.

“You never know what it’s going to take.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Race results | Updated Playoffs standings

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Raise your hand if prior to the season you had Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series sophomore Ryan Blaney advancing further in his first NASCAR Playoffs appearance than former champions Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch, or even Kyle Larson, who set the world on fire in 2017.

Blaney, himself, might not even be among that crowd, but the Wood Brothers Racing driver was one of eight drivers to move on to the next round after a third-place finish in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

“I didn’t really have any expectations (for our team) before the year, to be honest with you,” Blaney said after the race. “I don’t really set that stuff in my mind, I just try to go out and perform to the best of my abilities and whatever happens, happens. I think we’ve done a great job this year.”

Along with Blaney, race-winner Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott proceeded to the Round of 8.

Heading into the race, Blaney looked like a safe bet to advance given his track history and positioning on the good side of the bubble, but found himself in a significant hole after qualifying on Friday. After landing third overall in the final round, NASCAR officials found a problem with the rear of his No. 21 Ford, saying in a statement that “the package tray did not maintain its original shape.”

The 23-year-old’s qualifying time was disallowed, and he was forced to start Sunday’s race from the 40th position. He made haste.

“Yeah, it was a long day for sure, especially coming from the back,” Blaney said. “We made decent ground before the competition caution (on Lap 30). The deal that happened Friday, having to start in the back, coming back, having a pretty fast car there at the end really all race shows some pretty great resilience from the Wood Brothers team, and it definitely feels good to be moving on, for sure.”

The team has showed recent signs of the speed it exhibited in the early portion of the season, but Blaney has a significant challenge ahead of him next week at Martinsville. In three career starts, he’s never finished higher than 19th.

Still, at this point, it’s all gravy.

“I would say this is probably the most fun I’ve had racing, with anybody, no matter what car. It’s just been a really fun year and just to be competitive and still be in this thing is just a bonus to be honest with you,” he said.

“I didn’t really have any goals or expectations; I just wanted us to do well and see where it ended up. It’s going pretty decent for us and hopefully we can keep that going.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Race results | Stage recaps | At-track photos | Detailed breakdown
SHOP: Truex Jr. gear

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Martin Truex Jr. survived a restart penalty and an unscheduled pit stop to return to what has become a thoroughly familiar locale — Victory Lane — in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

In a dramatic race that brought Truex his seventh Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win of the season, calamity eliminated four drivers from the series Playoffs. Jamie McMurray, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson all saw their postseason hopes end with the final event in the Round of 12.

The shocker was Larson, who fell out of the race on Lap 77 when his engine exploded on the frontstretch after dropping a cylinder a few laps earlier. The driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet finished 39th in a 40-car field and dropped to ninth in the standings, nine points behind Jimmie Johnson.

The seven-time champion moved into the Round of 8 despite spinning twice in the space of five laps late in the race. But Johnson was the prime beneficiary when NASCAR parked Kenseth, after a massive wreck on Lap 198, for a violation of the damaged vehicle policy — specifically having too many crewmen over the wall to work on the car on pit road.

MORE: Multi-car stack-up sidelines several

Racing just hours after Furniture Row Racing road-crew fabricator Jim Watson succumbed to a heart attack, Truex finished 2.284 seconds ahead of runner-up Kurt Busch to become the first driver to sweep both Kansas races in the same year. The victory was Truex’s second at the track and the 14th of his career.

“Just can’t say enough about all these guys on this Furniture Row/Bass Pro Toyota,” Truex said. “Just really proud of them. Definitely racing with heavy hearts today with losing Jim (Watson) last night. Want to send our condolences to his family and all of his friends. He was a heck of a guy and a great worker and put a lot of speed in these Furniture Row Toyotas, so glad we could get him one here.

“Excited to get another one here at Kansas. This feels really awesome. It’s really Furniture Row’s home track (closest to the team’s Denver, Colorado, headquarters). It just feels really good to finally get – to finally get another one here. We got that one in the spring after so many heartbreaks, and then today it looked like it was going to happen and we just persevered.”

Ryan Blaney charged from a 40th-place starting spot — the result of an inspection failure after qualifying — to finish third and cruise into the Round of 8.

“We started off in the back, and I was able to make some good ground early,” said Blaney, who starts the Round of 8 as the seventh seed, 60 points behind Truex, who increased his series-leading playoff point total to 69.

“We were able to run up through there and made good adjustments throughout the day, which got us in a spot to be up toward the front towards the end and advance. It was a solid day for our team. We overcame a lot coming from the back, and they should be proud of that.”

Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin ran fourth and fifth, respectively, to advance to the Round of 8. Kevin Harvick also stayed alive in the postseason with an eighth-place result, as did Kyle Busch with a 10th-place finish.

Johnson came home 11th after avoiding serious damage during his two spins, the first of which sent his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet sliding across the frontstretch grass.

WATCH: See Johnson’s spins

It wasn’t a problem-free race for Truex either. On a Lap 36 restart after a competition caution, Truex dipped below the white line on the apron before reaching the start/finish line—a point of admonition in the drivers’ meeting earlier in the day.

RELATED: Truex commits restart violation

After serving a pass-through penalty, Truex remained on the lead lap and began to work his way forward, but an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 91 because of a loose wheel put the No. 78 Toyota a lap down. Brett Moffitt’s crash into the Turn 2 wall with four laps left in Stage 2 kept him on the lead circuit after the other contending cars had come to pit road for green-flag stops.

“Just couldn’t believe some of the things that were happening and thought there was no way that we were going to win that race at some point,” Truex said. “That first restart violation really caught me by surprise and that hurt, but that wasn’t the last blow we had to take. There was the loose wheel we had to pit for under green and getting a lap down and being able to stay out through that last stage and get that lap back was crucial.

“Without that, we didn’t have a shot. Then we got back mid-pack and had a couple really good restarts to get some track position and then really fought the car through that part of the race and had to make some big adjustments. I felt like at the end we got dialed in pretty good. I’m pretty happy with that.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full race results

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs field was whittled from 12 drivers to eight on Sunday following an elimination race at Kansas Speedway, with Martin Truex Jr. winning.

Kansas was the site of the third and final race in the Round of 12, with the four drivers lowest in the standings eliminated from the postseason and the ability to compete for a championship in Miami.

MORE: Devastating blow for Larson | Best photos from Kansas

The following drivers advanced to the Round of 8; they are listed by official seeding and points.

1. Martin Truex Jr., 4,069 points
2. Kyle Busch, 4,042 points
3. Brad Keselowski, 4,026 points
4. Kevin Harvick, 4,017 points
5. Jimmie Johnson, 4,017 points
6. Denny Hamlin, 4,014 points
7. Ryan Blaney, 4,009 points
8. Chase Elliott, 4,006 points

WHO’S OUT: Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jamie McMurray

MORE: Two spins from Jimmie | In-car of wreck

UP IN SMOKE: Kyle Larson’s engine trouble produced a story line perhaps no one saw coming: The No. 42 was eliminated from the Round of 12. Larson entered the day third in the standings, but severe engine issues relegated him to a 39th-place finish. He could only watch helplessly from the garage as he dropped below the cutoff line.

BUBBLE BOYS: The playoff picture was tight entering Kansas, with plenty of big names on the bubble. Ryan Blaney entered the day seventh, but started from the rear of the field after his post-qualifying time was disallowed. Jimmie Johnson sat on the cutoff line, with Kyle Busch (-7) and Matt Kenseth (-8) below him. Blaney’s charge through the field cemented his spot in the next round, while Busch and Johnson capitalized on misfortune that befell both Larson and Kenseth.

PLAYOFF BONANZA: Martin Truex Jr. will be the top seed for the Round of 8 by virtue of his playoff points. He has 69. The point totals for the eight playoff drivers will reset to 4,000 for the Round of 8, with each driver’s playoff points total added to that.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Full race results | NASCAR’s O’Donnell explains penalty

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Eight down, eight remain.

Four more drivers were eliminated from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs following a wild race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, including perennial championship contender Matt Kenseth and one of the top drivers of the year in Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson. Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and CGR’s Jamie McMurray were also eliminated.

As surprising as it was to see Larson, a four-time 2017 winner, eliminated via an engine expiring too early, a pit-road miscue by Kenseth’s No. 20 pit crew also stood out.

On Lap 197, several cars made contact coming off Turn 2, blocking the track on the backstretch. The wreck was major — collecting 14 cars — but Kenseth’s Toyota appeared fixable enough that it could return to the track and fight for the eighth and final transfer spot. Kenseth brought the car to pit road, the team began to work on it, and then the No. 20 team was subsequently disqualified from the race for having too many pit crew members — seven — over the wall while under the five-minute clock, per NASCAR’s damaged vehicle policy.

Just like that, with no ride lined up for 2018 at the moment, Kenseth’s potential last shot at a second Monster Energy Series title came to a screeching halt.

“I really don’t have a lot good to say right now. I’m more than disappointed,” Kenseth said in the garage after exiting his car.  ” … We showed some flashes of brilliance this season, been off and on, been fast at times, had great pit stops at times, just haven’t been able to put it all together like a championship team needs to. Unfortunately, this is an example of that. I hope that I can do a better job here the next four weeks and hopefully go get a win.”

WATCH: Johnson’s pair of spins

Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Trevor Bayne, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski were also among those involved in the crash, which brought out the red flag. Several were able to continue, including Elliott, who wound up placing fourth to move on to the Round of 8. 

No. 20 crew chief Jason Ratcliff talked about the pit-road incident shortly after the wrecked car was loaded into the team’s hauler to make the long trek back to North Carolina.

He mentioned that “two of the (crew members) were holding tires,” as per their game plan, but that there was a miscommunication because of how close their pit box was to pit entrance and the shortness of time to properly convey what needed to happen.

“I think in the heat of the battle, I mean … that’s one thing about that pit stall. It makes it difficult,” said the 14-time race-winning crew chief. “When you get to pit road really quick, you have a little less time to communicate. … We just missed a head count there. … We have a game plan. This worked really good for us all year. I don’t know if somebody just missed the call there or I didn’t communicate properly or, yeah. Typically, it boils down to communication.”

As Kenseth moves on from his time racing full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with JGR, Ratcliff also took a moment to reflect on his final few races with the 2003 champion, who he teamed up with starting in 2013. The duo combined for 13 of Kenseth’s 38 career race victories.

“We’ve had some great runs at Martinsville and there would be nothing greater than going there and finally getting that win with Matt. I think that would be special,” he said. “Would it make up for not having a shot at Homestead? No, but boy, it would be sweet to have that happen with just a few races to go in the season.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Stage 1 results

Kyle Busch came to Kansas on the outside of the NASCAR Playoff bubble in ninth place, while Kyle Larson seemed to be in a relatively safe spot in the standings up in third. But the two Kyles went in opposite directions in Stage 1 of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, shaking up the playoff picture in the Round of 12 elimination race.

Busch used fresher tires to scoot past Ryan Blaney on Lap 54 and win the stage, which ended under caution. It was Busch’s 14th stage win of the season.

Meanwhile, Larson had to bring the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet down pit road on Lap 65, where the hood was raised. Larson shut off the engine briefly before restarting it and re-entering the track. Eleven laps later, smoke billowed out of the back of Larson’s car, bringing out a caution and ending Larson’s day.

“I felt it drop a cylinder or something,” Larson told NBCSN. “Disappointing way to finish our race and probably our season. But we’ll be all right.”

Earlier, pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. led the first 35 laps, but a restart violation forced the No. 78 Toyota to come down pit road for a pass-through penalty. The No. 78 failed to establish the inside line above the white line on the restart.

RELATED: Truex earns restart penalty

Ryan Blaney, who started at the back because of a qualifying time that was disallowed, moved rapidly through the field and finished fourth in Stage 1. Blaney was one of the cars that stayed off pit road after a Lap 46 caution for Brett Moffitt’s No. 83 car smacking the wall in Turn 2. After that, Blaney held the lead until Busch passed him.

A competition caution came out on Lap 30 to check track conditions following heavy rain storms that moved through the Kansas City, Kansas, area overnight Saturday.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1.  Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2.  Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3.  Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 8
4.  Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing 7
5.  Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing 6
6.  Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 5
7.  Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 4
8.  Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 3
9.  Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing 2
10.  Erik Jones Furniture Row Racing 1

Stage 2 results

Denny Hamlin won Stage 2 on older tires as he stayed out when there was a caution with five laps to go in the stage. Kevin Harvick, who went to pit road, finished second as different strategies played out among the NASCAR Playoff contenders in Kansas.

Jimmie Johnson, another car that stayed out, fell back to 10th and picked up just one race point as a result. Kyle Busch was seemingly cruising to the stage victory, but he came in for tires and finished in fifth place.

Hamlin and Brad Keselowski both picked up pit-road penalties coming out of the stage that made their attempts to win the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway that much tougher.

Johnson, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were the drivers in danger of being eliminated as the race entered the Final Stage. Matt Kenseth, who finished fourth in the stage, moved into the eighth and final transfer spot heading into the Final Stage.

Ultimately, Larson, McMurray, Stenhouse and Kenseth did not advance to the Round of 8.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2. Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3. Brad Keselowski Team Penske 8
4. Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing 7
5. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 6
6. Erik Jones Furniture Row Racing 5
7. Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing 4
8. Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing 3
9. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 2
10. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 1