Posted on by Staff Report

After the fifth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race, and the second in the Round of 12, here’s a brief look at the playoff picture. There is one race remaining in the Round of 12 before the field is whittled to eight, with four drivers eliminated from the postseason following Kansas on Oct. 22.

Winner

Brad Keselowski won on Oct. 15 at Talladega Superspeedway, clinching a spot in the Round of 8 of the playoffs. The win also gives him five playoff points to add to his total, which now sits at 26.

Who’s hot

Surprise! It’s Brad Keselowski, who entered the week 10th in the playoff standings but now is guaranteed a spot in the Round of 8 thanks to his fifth win at Talladega. Keselowski had to avoid three big wrecks in the final 17 laps and made a final-lap pass of Ryan Newman.

Ryan Blaney wrecked out of the race, but his 18th-place finish, which included a stage win, was enough to move up to seventh place in the playoff standings after he started the day in 11th. Blaney was second to Joey Logano in most laps led on the day with 27.

Who’s not

Jamie McMurray wrecked out on Lap 25 at Talladega and fell to the bottom of the playoff standings. The Joplin, Missouri, native will likely need a win next week at Kansas Speedway in order to continue in the playoffs.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s streak of wins at restrictor-plate tracks came to an end. Now he’s teetering on the brink of playoff elimination heading to a Kansas track that didn’t favor him like Talladega did.

BUBBLE WATCH

Rank Driver Points to cutoff
5.  Denny Hamlin  +21
6.  Chase Elliott  +20
7.  Ryan Blaney  +9
8.  Jimmie Johnson  +7
————— CUT-OFF LINE —————
9.  Kyle Busch  -7
10.  Matt Kenseth  -8
11.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr.  -22
12.  Jamie McMurray  -29

Next race

The Monster Energy Series travels to Kansas Speedway for a Sunday afternoon race on Oct. 22 (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). It is the elimination race in the Round of 12.

Who it favors

Wins: Jimmie Johnson (3), Kevin Harvick (2), Matt Kenseth (2)
Average Finish: Jimmie Johnson (8.5), Kevin Harvick (8.6), Matt Kenseth (11.0)
Driver Rating: Jimmie Johnson (108.7), Matt Kenseth (106.5), Kevin Harvick (105.8).

Who it hurts

Fewest Top-10s in past 10 starts at track: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (0), Chase Elliott (1), Denny Hamlin (2), Jamie McMurray (2), Kyle Larson (2)
Worst Average Finish: Chase Elliott (23.0), Jamie McMurray (21.8), Kyle Larson (18.4)
Worst Driver Rating: Jamie McMurray (72.3), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (75.0), Chase Elliott (80.3)

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Results | Playoff standings | Detailed breakdown
SHOP: Keselowski playoff gear

TALLADEGA, Ala. – On the Longest Day at Talladega — in a war of attrition that required three red flags and left 14 cars running at the finish — Brad Keselowski powered his No. 2 Team Penske Ford past the No. 31 Chevrolet of Ryan Newman on the final lap to win Sunday’s Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Two laps after the final restart on Lap 186 of 188, Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano ganged up on Newman, who held the runner-up position after Keselowski shot past him. Trevor Bayne ran third in a damaged No. 6 Ford, with Logano and Aric Almirola finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Denny Hamlin came home sixth, the only playoff driver other than Keselowski whose car wasn’t heavily damaged in one of the myriad wrecks that punctuated an event that consumed 3 hours, 53 minutes, 17 seconds—not including the three stoppages that totaled 35 minutes, 29 seconds.

But in winning for the fifth time at Talladega, the third time this season and the 24th time in his career, Keselowski claimed the important prize — a ticket into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Round of 8.

WATCH: Keselowski celebrates in style

In his final run at Talladega in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, pole winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. restarted third after the 11th and final caution, tried unsuccessfully to push Keselowski to the lead through the first two corners and fell back to seventh at the finish.

“I feel like only eight cars finished the race,” said Keselowski, who gave Ford its seventh straight victory in restrictor-plate races, despite running much of the final stage with a broken radio antenna and intermittent communication with his spotter and crew chief. “It was one of those crazy days. I think we’ve seen that at the plate tracks this year — a lot of attrition. …

“This is still sinking in. It’s a special place to get to race and a special place when you win here. It was really a collaborative effort with the team and getting a real fast car and making the right moves as a driver and a lot of help from up above with staying out of those wrecks. It really takes all three and we had them all today.”

Though Newman surged to the front after the final restart, he assumed his stint at the point would be short-lived.

“We held them off longer than I expected,” Newman said. “I couldn’t tell how much nose damage I had and I hadn’t led all day, so I didn’t know what to expect. I saw the No. 2 car in the mirror backing up and then he lost his draft and then he backed up again and he caught the No. 22 (Logano). That was all it took for him to get a good run.

“I would have maybe played it differently and backed it up in hindsight, backed up to them in hindsight, but I don’t think it would have made a difference. They were double-teaming me, and it was still a good race to finish second with the Caterpillar Chevrolet.”

Any of the 10 playoff contenders whose cars were heavily damaged in wrecks throughout the race would have gladly settled for second. Jamie McMurray was out of the race after 25 laps, his car destroyed in a six-car collision off Turn 4. That was a harbinger of the intense action to come. Playoff drivers Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick all suffered varying degrees of damage in a 16-car accident triggered by series leader Martin Truex Jr. on Lap 172.

WATCH: ‘The Big One’ collects 16 cars at Talladega

“Well, I tried to get into a hole that was closing up at the wrong time,” said Truex, who already had earned a berth in the Round of 8 by winning last Sunday at Charlotte. “By the time that I got in the brakes trying to get out of there I got into the 38 (David Ragan) a little bit on the right rear and he got squirrely out there and all hell broke loose. Just was trying to get to the end and get some track position and try to get towards the front and have a good day and ended up causing a wreck.

“So I hate it for everybody. We definitively had nothing to lose today, but at the same time, you don’t want to be the person that causes others problems. Even though I feel like I’ve never been that guy here before, it looks like today I was, so I hate it for all of those guys and all of their teams. I wish I didn’t make that mistake. Just 18 (laps) to go at Talladega, trying to get going and trying to fill a hole. Bad judgment and should have been more patient.”

That wreck caused the first red flag. The second came after a Lap 178 accident that ended Harvick’s day and that of playoff contender Ryan Blaney, who had led 27 laps, second only to Logano’s 59.

The final caution on Lap 183 — followed by the third red flag — wiped out the Chevrolets of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, who were fighting for position at the front of the field when contact from Daniel Suarez’s Toyota ignited a six-car melee that raised the crash toll of Playoff drivers to 10.

The enormous attrition set up a scramble for the final six Playoff positions entering next Sunday’s elimination race at Kansas Speedway. Kyle Busch, Kenseth, Stenhouse and McMurray are below the current cut line, but only 29 points separate Harvick in fourth place from Busch in ninth.

RELATED: Junior thrills fans, finishes seventh

 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Results | Updated standings

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs standings got quite the shake-up when the “Big One” hit with 17 laps to go Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Sixteen cars were collected in a wreck that involved six of the 12 remaining NASCAR Playoffs contenders.

The wreck on Lap 171 saw the No. 38 Ford of David Ragan spin while in traffic, causing significant damage to the No. 17 Ford of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 18 Toyota of Kyle Busch, among several others.

MORE: Wreck photos, more from ‘Dega

Other playoff drivers involved in the incident included the the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Kevin Harvick, the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota of Martin Truex Jr., the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Matt Kenseth and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson; Harvick and Kenseth both were able to continue.

Truex Jr. accepted responsibility for the incident — he’s already guaranteed a spot in the Round of 8 by virtue of his win at Charlotte last weekend to open the Round of 12.

“Just was trying to get to the end and get some track position and try to get toward the front and have a good day and ended up causing a wreck, so I hate it for everybody,” Truex said. “We definitely had nothing to lose today, but at the same time you don’t want to be the person that causes others problems. Even though I feel like I’ve never been that guy here before it looks like today I was, so I hate it for all of those guys and all of their teams.”

Daniel Suarez was in the lead at the time of the incident — ahead of the colliding cars — and did not sustain any damage. Other cars involved in the incident included the Nos. 3 (Austin Dillon), 10 (Danica Patrick), 13 (Ty Dillon), 32 (Matt DiBenedetto), 34 (Landon Cassill), 75 (Brendan Gaughan), 88 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and 95 (Michael McDowell). Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 was among the cars able to continue, and he would finish seventh.

“I really haven’t seen the replay, I was just running up the bottom there and the 38 ended up right in front of us,” said Stenhouse Jr., a pre-race favorite. “It was a bummer. We were working on getting our track position back. We felt good in the first run and got hung out there at the end of the second stage and were just working on our track position.”

Kyle Busch was among the drivers most affected. He dropped three spots in the standings following his 27th-place finish and now sits seven points below the transfer cut-off line. Kenseth (ninth place) and Stenhouse Jr. (10th place) also sit below the cutoff line.

Johnson currently holds the final transfer spot with just one race remaining in the Round of 12.

“I had no clue what happened,” Busch said. “I just saw (David Ragan) get sideways above me and then he came across my back and I missed him and he must have got the 48 (of Johnson), and the 48 shot up right across in front of us. I never saw him. I wish I would’ve seen him a little bit down there. I could’ve shot to the apron and tried to miss him, but unfortunately we just got messed up in that deal.”

The points days for those playoff drivers involved in the “Big One” was somewhat mitigated by a pair of wrecks that followed and took out fellow playoff drivers Ryan Blaney, Harvick and Elliott.

WATCH: Blaney, Harvick taken out in wreck

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full stage lengths for every race | Race enhancements 101

The enhanced race format for 2017 provides drivers with additional opportunities to earn points throughout an event.

Each race except the spring Charlotte race is comprised of three stages — Stage 1, Stage 2 and the Final Stage. The Coca-Cola 600 added a fourth stage. Drivers who finish in the top 10 in Stage 1 and Stage 2 earn additional race points, with the winner of each stage earning 10 points, second place earning nine points, third place earning eight points, etc., down to one point for 10th place. Stage 3 of the Coca-Cola 600 awards points in the same manner as Stages 1 and 2 in the other races.

The Final Stage produces the race results and awards points across the field.

Below is a cumulative running tally of how many stage points drivers have earned this year, as well as their stage wins — a stage win will provide an additional bonus point per win of the postseason.

Through Miami
Note: Does not include points earned for the Can-Am Duels at Daytona

2017 TOTAL STAGE POINTS     
RANK DRIVER TEAM STAGE POINTS STAGE WINS
1. Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 440 19
2. Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 377 8
3. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 354 14
4. Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 320 6
5. Brad Keselowski Team Penske 292 8
6. Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing 254 3
7. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 248 4
8. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 236 3
9. Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing 226 4
10. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 180 1
11. Erik Jones Furniture Row Racing 162 0
12. Joey Logano Team Penske 160 1
13. Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing 159 0
14. Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 120 0
15. Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 93 1
16. Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing 53 0
17. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports 44 0
18. Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports 40 0
19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing 36 0
20. Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing 32 0
21. Daniel Suarez Joe Gibbs Racing 25 1
22. Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing 24 0
23. AJ Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing 21 0
24. Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing 20 0
25. Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing 11 0
26. David Ragan Front Row Motorsports 9 0
27. Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing 6 0
28. Ty Dillon Germain Racing 5 0
Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series concludes its Round of 12 in the playoffs while the XFINITY Series is back in action for the opening race of its Round of 8. Both series will be action this weekend at Kansas Speedway.

Both Monster Energy Series and XFINITY Series events are also live streamed online on the NBC Sports App, which can be accessed here. Check out the full on-track weekend schedule below.

Note: All times are ET

SUNDAY, OCT. 22
PRE-RACE SCHEDULE
1:00:00 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver/Crew Chief Meeting (Fanwalk tent)
2:20:00 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Drivers Introductions (Playoff drivers will be introduced last)
3:00:00 p.m.: Presentation of Colors by: Leavenworth High School JROTC Color Guard
3:00:20 p.m.: Invocation by: R.D Fowler, Kansas City Alliance Raceway Ministries and Pastor, Bethel Baptist Church, Lincoln, Nebraska
3:01:00 p.m.: National Anthem: Angie Rosner
3:02:30 p.m.: Fly-By TOT: B2 Bomber out of Whiteman AFB (Turn 3 to Turn 2)
3:07:30 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by: Jay Hernandez
3:16:30 p.m.: Start of the Hollywood Casino 400 (267 Laps, 400 Miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN 3) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch Live)
6 p.m. (approx.): Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

FRIDAY, OCT. 20
1-2:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
2:30-3:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
6:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch Live)
noon: Matt Kenseth
12:15 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson
12:45 p.m.: William Byron
2:45 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
3 p.m.: Kyle Busch
7 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

GARAGECAM (Watch Live)
12:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
2 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series

SATURDAY, OCT. 21
11-11:50 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
12:05 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Award Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
1:30-2:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN 5) (Results)
3 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), NBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN 5) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch Live)
12:45 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5:30 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series race

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Stage 1 results

Brad Keselowski won Stage 1 in the Alabama 500 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, the second race in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs. Keselowski, who entered the day in 10th place in the playoff standings, edged teammate Joey Logano on a restart following a Lap 50 caution to pick up 10 race points and one playoff point.

Earlier, Stage 1 featured a five-car wreck on Lap 25 that included playoff contender Jamie McMurray, whose No. 1 Chevrolet was unable to continue after hard contact on the frontstretch with Jeffrey Earnhardt’s No. 33 Chevrolet. Other cars involved in the wreck were the No. 15 of Mark Thompson, the No. 18 of Kyle Busch and the No. 77 of Erik Jones.

Busch’s No. 18 Toyota was able to continue.

A group of Ford drivers pitted at Lap 14 and took fuel only in a strategy play. That move appeared to pay off as the majority of the cars involved in that strategy finished the stage near the front.

Earnhardt, who started on the pole in his final appearance at Talladega as a full-time driver, got a pit-road penalty for entering too fast on Lap 50 and finished 27th at the end of the stage.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1.  Brad Keselowski Team Penske 10
2.  Joey Logano Team Penske 9
3.  Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing 8
4.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing 7
5.  Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 6
6.  Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 5
7.  Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing 4
8.  Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 3
9.  Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing 2
10.  Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports 1

Stage 2 results

Ryan Blaney took the lead on Lap 92 and did not look back to win Stage 2 in Sunday’s Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Blaney, in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, picked up his fourth stage win of the season and collected 10 race points and one playoff point.

Brad Keselowski finished in second place, followed by Clint Bowyer, Chase Elliott and Kurt Busch.

Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson overcame major damage to his No. 48 Chevrolet sustained earlier in the stage to finish seventh.

The right-rear of the No. 48 got crumpled when Ty Dillon’s No. 13 Chevrolet clipped it near the entrance to pit road. The No. 48 then careened to the left and into the No. 10 Ford driven by Danica Patrick.

MORE: Johnson, Patrick collide at entrance to pit road

Matthew DiBenedetto led 12 laps during Stage 2 after staying out when the leaders went to pit road. At the end of Stage 2, DiBenedetto trailed only Logano and Blaney for the most laps led through the first two stages.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1. Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing 10
2. Brad Keselowski Team Penske 9
3. Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 8
4. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 7
5. Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6. Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing 5
7. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 4
8. Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 3
9. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 2
10. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 1
Posted on by Staff Report

What channel is NASCAR programming on this week? We answer that and provide all the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

All Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and XFINITY Series events are also live streamed online on the NBC Sports App, which can be accessed here. Events that are only available on NBC Sports App are noted below.

RELATED: Watch on the NBC Sports App |  How to find FS1, FS2 | How to find NBCSN

Monday, Oct. 16
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Tuesday, Oct. 17
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Scan All, NBCSN

Wednesday, Oct. 18
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Thursday, Oct. 19
3:30 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series West: NAPA Auto Parts 150, NBCSN
5 p.m.; NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Series: Sunoco World Series 150, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Friday, Oct. 20
1:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
12:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Kansas, NBCSN (Canada: TSN GO)
2:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Kansas, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO)
5 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice at Kansas, NBCSN (Canada: TSN GO)
6 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole Award Qualifying at Kansas, NBCSN (Canada: TSN GO)

Saturday, Oct. 21
11 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Kansas, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN GO)
12 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Award Qualifying at Kansas, NBCSN (Canada: TSN GO)
1 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
1:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice at Kansas, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 5)
2:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green: Kansas, NBCSN
3 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300, NBC (Canada: TSN 5)

Sunday, Oct. 22
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Classic: The 1993 Daytona 500, FS1
12 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Kansas, FS1
1 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Monster Energy Series Countdown to Green: Kansas, NBCSN
3 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 3)
6:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series post-race, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN
8 p.m., Racing Roots: Daniel Suarez, NBCSN
8:30 p.m., Racing Roots: Kyle Larson, NBCSN
10 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane: Kansas, FS1

Posted on by Staff Report

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Martin Truex Jr.’s sponsorship for 2018 is set, and it’s full. All 36 races are accounted for, Furniture Row Racing owner Barney Visser, team president Joe Garone and Truex Jr. announced Sunday morning at Talladega Superspeedway before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff race (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The highlight is a 30-race co-primary sponsorship with Bass Pro Shops and 5-hour Energy, authoring a new era of collaboration to the Denver-based team. In the spirit of the co-primary sponsorship, Bass Pro Shops and 5-hour Energy also are forming a business-to-business relationship.

Auto Owners Insurance will serve as primary sponsor on the No. 78 for the remaining six races on the 2018 Monster Energy Series schedule.

“This type of a co-primary sponsorship has been made a reality only because of the incredible cooperation between Johnny Morris and his Bass Pro team, along with Rise’ Meguiar and her 5-hour Energy team,” Furniture Row Racing team owner Barney Visser said in a team release. “It took a number of conversations and a spirit of partnership to make this happen and we thank Bass Pro Shops and 5-hour Energy for being open-minded to this concept.”

Josh Hedges | Getty Images

For 16 races in 2018, the No. 78 will have an orange-hued paint scheme that will feature Bass Pro Shops as the dominant brand on the hood and 5-hour Energy as the dominant brand on the side of the car.

For another 14 selective, the No. 78 will have a red-hued paint scheme that showcases 5-hour Energy as the dominant brand on the hood and Bass Pro Shops as the dominant brand on the sides.

The announcement brought a wide smile to Visser’s face. The team owner has built Furniture Row into a championship-caliber organization, often putting his own company (Furniture Row) on the car over the years.

“For me, it’s terrific,” Visser said. “You don’t see me dancing in the aisles, but inside I am. Martin has just delivered. It’s just been remarkable what he and the guys have been able to accomplish. So, we have to attribute it to that.”

Since a surprising run to the Championship 4 in 2015, Truex Jr. has been among the most dominant drivers in the sport. Over the past two seasons (66 races), he has 10 wins and 22 top-five finishes with more than 3,700 laps led.

“I am looking forward to continuing my association with Bass Pro Shops and my good friend Johnny Morris and building a bigger and stronger relationship with 5-hour Energy,” said Truex, the current series points leader and a guaranteed driver in the Round of 8 by virtue of his win at Charlotte. “The sponsorship package is a neat concept and it will be our responsibility to make sure we deliver both on and off the track for these highly-visible and successful companies.”

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Full results | Playoff standings

TALLADEGA, Ala. – John Hunter Nemechek wasn’t in every wreck that unfolded during Saturday’s fred’s 250 Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

It just felt that way.

The NEMCO Motorsports racer was involved in only one of the day’s four multi-truck incidents, and it nearly knocked him out of the playoffs. But in the end, the 20-year-old skated through most of the bedlam, finished a surprising sixth and avoided elimination.

He’s one of six that move on to stops at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix, after which two more will be culled from the field, leaving four to head to Homestead and race for the 2017 title.

“I’m pretty sure we were in almost every wreck there was today,” Nemechek said afterward. “I just can’t thank all my guys enough; they never gave up. My pit crew was awesome fixing the truck.

“We got stage points. We accomplished everything we wanted to except for winning stages and winning the race.”

Nemechek entered Saturday’s race eighth among the eight playoff contenders and 14 points behind Austin Cindric (Brad Keselowski Racing) in the sixth-place cutoff spot.

Caught in a five-truck incident on Lap 54, Nemechek was left with a badly damaged, but salvageable No. 8 Chevrolet. Somehow he managed to remain either slightly ahead or just behind Chase Briscoe (BKR) in the battle for the final Round of 6 position, depending on pit stops and the ever-changing running order that occurs at the 2.66-mile track.

RELATED: Nemechek involved in wreck

When Austin Wayne Self spun to bring out a caution and send the race into overtime, Nemechek thought his luck had finally run out. His truck’s fuel pressure was promising and he was running 12th on the final restart.

He was told he had to finish 12th or higher to advance.

“I think we restarted 12th on that last restart and actually coming to take the green, one to go to the restart, going down the backstretch I actually lost all fuel pressure,” Nemechek said. “I was kind of freaking out at that point … luckily it never shut off.”

A crash on the final lap brought out the yellow one more time, brought the race to an end and provided a bit of a points cushion to Nemechek.

Spotter Jason Jarrett, Nemechek said, deserved a shout-out for helping guide him through many of the incidents.

“I’m pretty sure his mouth hurts from talking so much,” Nemechek said of his eyes in the sky.

Briscoe had lost multiple laps early when an oil leak sent the No. 29 Ford to the garage for repairs. But enough drivers had issues to allow him to remain on the cusp of advancing, had Nemechek slipped.

RELATED: Briscoe encounters early trouble

“That would have been a heck of a story,” said Briscoe, who finished 22nd. “We were close all day long; when Kaz (Grala) wrecked I really thought we might have a shot at that thing. And then John Hunter had his issue. We could definitely taste it; we were close all day long.

“It wasn’t meant to be. … Got to think big picture that I’m still in a race car for a living. As much as I wanted to give Brad this championship, we’ve got four races left and we’ll try to go win some.”

The two-truck organization will not return next season.

Grala finished 29th after early contact took the No. 33 Chevrolet out of contention and out of the playoff picture.

Parker Kligerman picked up the victory in the No. 75 Toyota fielded by the Abingdon, Virginia-based Henderson Motorsports.

Joining Nemechek in the Round of 6 will be Christopher Bell (Kyle Busch Motorsports), Cindric (BKR), Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing), Johnny Sauter (GMS Racing) and Ben Rhodes (ThorSport).