Outside looking in: Analyzing the four drivers below cutoff line

Posted on October 8, 2017October 20, 2017 by Brad Norman

CONCORD, N.C. — Eight drivers will advance to the third round of the NASCAR Playoffs, and four drivers are on the outside looking in following the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Only nine points separate Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the bottom third of the playoff standings. On the heels of Jamie McMurray (final spot), Kenseth and Keselowski are one and two points, respectively, behind the cutoff mark.

Here’s a quick look at the four drivers below the line:

MORE: Updated playoff standings | Playoffs pulse following Charlotte

9. Matt Kenseth: 3,043 points (-1 from cutoff)

Kenseth, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, ran in the top five early at Charlotte, but finished in 11th place — his second consecutive 11th-place finish in the NASCAR Playoffs. With Talladega on the horizon, the veteran knows his team must find more speed if they are to advance to the next round.

“It was really frustrating, really puzzling,” Kenseth said following the race. “We were running third that one run, catching both leaders and the end of the run thought we were pretty close, just wanted a little adjustment. I don’t really know what happened. We took off the next stop and it was just totally out of control. It was just so loose you just couldn’t drive it. We got a little bit better that last long run. We’re going to get back up in the top 10 there somewhere, it’s just I couldn’t restart either. It was just a frustrating day all around.”

10. Brad Keselowski: 3,042 points (-2 from cutoff)

Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Ford, completed a lackluster performance at Charlotte with a 15th-place finish — the lowest run of the current first four drivers out. He dropped nine spots from his qualifying position (sixth). The four-time Talladega winner understands what’s at stake if he turns in another average performance next weekend.

“It wasn’t the day we wanted … so we’ve got two races left to go and we need to have two strong races,” Keselowski said. “It seems like Charlotte and Kansas we have just not been able to connect what we’re looking for here the last two fall races. Hopefully, we can go to Talladega and connect with what we’re looking for.”

11. Ryan Blaney: 3,039 points (-5 from cutoff)

Blaney, driver of the No. 21 Ford, landed his highest finish in the 2017 NASCAR Playoffs with an eighth-place run at Charlotte. He also was the first to cross the start/finish line of the current first four drivers out, but was unable to capitalize on any stage points, something the team hopes to change.

“It stinks we couldn’t get any stage points, especially in that first one, but I thought we did a good job of getting better throughout the race,” Blaney said. “We were a lot better at the end of the race than what we were at the beginning. That says a lot about the team and hopefully we can keep it up and run decent the next two weeks. I’m proud of the effort to get better and the hard work, so that’s what we needed. We just need to start better.”

12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 3,034 points (-10 from cutoff)

Stenhouse Jr., driver of the No. 17 Ford, squeaked into the Round of 12, but cruised to his best finish of the playoffs by finishing 13th. Like Blaney, Stenhouse Jr. did not collect any stage points in the Bank of America 500. However, moving up the grid was a crucial tactic late in the race for the No. 17 team’s success heading into Talladega – a track they know quite well.

“We definitely brought a better Ford to the track this weekend than we did … at Chicago,” Stenhouse Jr said after the race in discussing the two 1.5-mile tracks. “I’m happy with our better effort. We thought if we could be 15th to 10th it would be a good day for us. We didn’t get any stage points, which was a bummer, but we rebounded there on that last restart, which was key.”

Posted on October 8, 2017June 22, 2021 by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. – The only thing typical about Martin Truex Jr.’s performance at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the win.

The No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team screwed up in qualifying on Friday — a rare occurrence in a remarkable season for the series leader.

Truex failed to score points in the first stage of Sunday’s Bank of America 500, the first race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 12. That marked the first time since Daytona in July that Truex had finished outside the top 10 in Stage 1 of a race. But with the event winding down, the series leader was back in his usual spot, at the front of the field. Truex survived two late restarts, the last in overtime, to win for a series-best six times this season, the second time at Charlotte and the 13th time in his career.

“We qualified horribly, and I was mad about it,” said Truex, who started 17th instead of his customary position on or near the front row. (Crew chief) Cole (Pearn) was mad about it and in 20 minutes we’re like ‘All right, I think this is where we went wrong.’ And he’s like ‘Yeah, that’s where we went wrong. We screwed up, we’ll get them Sunday.’”

That’s exactly what Truex did, with substantial help from his pit crew, which picked up positions on every stop and finally got Truex the lead on Lap 234 during an exchange of green-flag pit stops where he leap-frogged past Kevin Harvick into the top spot.

“Unbelievable win,” Truex said. “Just a total team effort. Every single guy – every guy on this team just did a perfect job today, and I can’t be more proud of them—and this time of the year is just when you want it to happen.

“You dream about days like today. I don’t know if we had the best car, but we damn sure got it in Victory Lane.”

At the end of the two-lap shootout that sent the race three laps past its scheduled distance of 334 laps, Truex took the checkered flag 0.911 seconds ahead of runner-up Chase Elliott, who finished second for the second consecutive week and third time in the last four races.

“We needed to be a little better I think in the middle stage and not lose so much track position,” said Elliott, who was ninth in both the first and second stages. “That was where Martin came on and got his track position, and we lost ours, and it was just hard to get all of it back there toward the end.

“It was a hard-fought day and really, from where we were in those middle stages, I was proud of the way we fought back and were able to get back to the front. It’s frustrating to run like this. We’re definitely tired of running second. But, if we keep running like we are, hopefully the opportunities will be there.”

Still looking for his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, Elliott has finished second four times this season and six times in his fledgling career.

Harvick ran third after leading a race-high 149 laps and hounding Truex from a restart on Lap 284 until NASCAR called a caution for debris on Lap 325. Harvick lost four spots on pit road under yellow on Lap 327 and never recovered.

Truex surged ahead from the restart on Lap 329, but Kurt Busch’s spin off Turn 2 on Lap 332 caused the 10th caution and forced the overtime. Again Truex pulled away, and Elliott passed pole-sitter Denny Hamlin for the second spot. Ultimately, Hamlin came home fourth behind Harvick, with Jamie McMurray trailing in fifth.

Truex leaves Charlotte with a guaranteed spot in the postseason’s Round of 8 and a 34-point lead in the standings over second-place Kyle Larson, who ran 10th on Sunday in one of the race’s fastest cars after two pit road glitches and contact from Kurt Busch’s car during the Lap 325 spin.

Kyle Busch squandered his advantage in playoff points when he smacked the outside wall in Turn 4 and brought out the fifth caution on Lap 136. With a resulting 29th-place finish, Busch fell from second to sixth in the standings, only 12 points clear of ninth-place Matt Kenseth, with treacherous and unpredictable Talladega on the schedule for next Sunday (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as the final restrictor-plate track of the year.

He exited his No. 18 Toyota and rested on the infield grass from exhaustion, complaining of fumes from his damaged car. He was later release after a trip to the infield care center.

Only 25 points separate Elliott in fourth place from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 12th, with Talladega all but certain to scramble the standings before the Round of 12 elimination race at Kansas Speedway two weeks later.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on October 8, 2017October 20, 2017 by Staff Report

After the fourth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race, and the first in the Round of 12, here’s a brief look at the playoffs picture. There are two races 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

Martin Truex Jr. won on Oct. 8 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, 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 64.

Who’s hot

Chase Elliott. Elliott started the playoffs hot, and he hasn’t faltered yet. One week after losing the lead late in a most agonizing of fashions, the Hendrick Motorsports driver led 12 laps and ran in the top five all day, finishing second and jumping to fourth in the standings in the process.

Kevin Harvick. Harvick had the fastest car for the majority of the afternoon at Charlotte. No win, but a third-place finish with 149 laps led seems to portend that a win is coming — and soon.

Who’s not

Brad Keselowski. One of the top performers in the Round of 16 surprisingly fell flat at Charlotte, with Keselowski struggling to keep pace with his fellow playoff drivers. His 15th-place finish, coupled with not finishing in the top 10 in either Stage 1 or Stage 2, dropped him from fourth place in the standings to 10th.

Kyle Busch. How quickly fortunes can change. Busch won the previous two races, and was running up front at Charlotte when he got into the outside wall hard on Lap 135. The resulting 29th-place finish puts added pressure on the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who is sixth in the standings, heading into Talladega.

PHOTOS: All of the best images from Charlotte

BUBBLE WATCH

Rank	Driver	Points to cutoff
5.	Denny Hamlin	+13
6.	Kyle Busch	+12
7.	Jimmie Johnson	+8
8.	Jamie McMurray	+1
—————	CUT-OFF LINE	—————
9.	Matt Kenseth	-1
10.	Brad Keselowski	-2
11.	Ryan Blaney	-5
12.	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	-10

Next race

The Monster Energy Series travels to Talladega Superspeedway for a Sunday afternoon race on Oct. 15 (2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Who it favors

Wins: Brad Keselowski (4), Jimmie Johnson (2), Jamie McMurray (2)
Average Finish: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (10.4), Brad Keselowski (14.9), Kevin Harvick (15.3), Chase Elliott (15.7)
Driver Rating: Chase Elliott (91.4), Brad Keselowski (88.7), Jimmie Johnson (88.1), Matt Kenseth (87.1)

Who it hurts

Fewest Top-10s in past 10 starts at track: Chase Elliott (1), Ryan Blaney (2), Kyle Larson (2)
Worst Average Finish: Ryan Blaney (21.3), Martin Truex Jr. (21.0), Kyle Busch (20.5)
Worst Driver Rating: Martin Truex Jr. (78.2), Jamie McMurray (80.8), Kyle Busch (80.9), Kyle Larson (81.0)

Posted on October 8, 2017January 19, 2022 by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series continues the Round of 12 in the playoffs while the Camping World Truck Series trims its field to six. Both series will be action this weekend at the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway.

Monster Energy Series 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. 15
2:00:00: Intro Presentation of Colors by: Alabama Army National Guard
2:00:20: Invocation by: Buster Taylor, Alabama Raceway Ministries
2:00:45: Intro National Anthem
2:01:00: National Anthem: 313th United States Army Band out of Birmingham, AL
2:02:15: Flyover By: USAF Heritage Flyover, F-16 Fighting Falcon and P-51 Mustang (Turn 4 to Turn 1)
2:07:30: “Driver’s, Start Your Engines” by: Kay Ivery, 54th Governor of Alabama
2:13:00 Green Flag — Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Alabama 500 (188 laps, 500.08 miles), NBC (Results) (Canada: TSN 3)

PRESS PASS (Watch Live)
10:30 a.m. Jeffrey Earnhardt
11 a.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
11:20 a.m.: Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Finalist Julian Maha
5 p.m. (approx.): Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

FRIDAY, OCT. 13
12-12:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series practice, FS1 (Results)
1-1:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN (Results) (Canada: TSN 2)
2-2:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1 (Results)
3-3:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN (Results) (Canada: TSN 2)

PRESS PASS (Watch Live)
10:45 a.m.: Kaz Grala
11 a.m.: Joey Logano
11:15 a.m.: Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric and John Hunter Nemechek
11:45 a.m.: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
12 p.m.: Matt Kenseth
12:20 p.m.: Chase Elliott
4 p.m.: Christopher Bell
4:20 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

GARAGECAM (Watch Live)
11:30 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series
12:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

SATURDAY, OCT. 14
10:30 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS1 (Results)
1 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Fred’s 250 (94 laps, 250.04 miles), FOX (Results)
4:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Results) (Canada: TSN GO)

PRESS PASS (Watch Live)
11:45 a.m.: Bobby Allison and Liz Allison
3 p.m. (approx.): Post-Camping World Truck Series race
6 p.m. (approx.): Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

Posted on October 8, 2017October 24, 2017 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 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.

Monday, Oct. 9
3:30 a.m., Weathertech Sportscar Championship: Road Atlanta, FS1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR 120, NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Tuesday, Oct. 10
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Wednesday, Oct. 11
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Thursday, Oct. 12
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Charlotte, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Friday, Oct. 13
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
12 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice at Talladega, FS1
1 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Talladega, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 2)
2 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice at Talladega, FS1
3 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice at Talladega, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 2)
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Saturday, Oct. 14
9:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: The 1997 Daytona 500, FS1
10 a.m., 100,000 Cameras: Talladega, FS1
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying at Talladega, FS1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Pre-Race Show, FOX
1 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Talladega, FOX
4 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Canada: TSN GO)

Sunday, Oct. 15
7 a.m., Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge: Road Atlanta, FS1
11:30 a.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
1 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBC
2 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Alabama 500 at Talladega, NBC (Canada: TSN 3)
6 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show at Talladega, NBCSN
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1

Posted on October 8, 2017October 20, 2017 by Nascar

CONCORD, N.C. – Kyle Busch came into Sunday’s Bank of America 500 with a comfortable points cushion, having won two of the three races in the just-completed Round of 16 and owning a sizable share of playoff points.

But a disastrous day on the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway layout left Busch gassed and his position in the standings suddenly tenuous.

A crash on Lap 135 heavily damaged the right-rear of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and while Busch managed to finish the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, he spun on three more occasions, finished 29th and had to be treated by medical personnel immediately following the race.

“I’m alright, I’m better now,” Busch said after receiving treatment. “I … felt like I had heat stroke just from being inside the race car for 200 laps with the crush panels knocked out of it.”

WATCH: Busch receives medical attention

Busch, the 2015 series champion, has never won a points paying event at Charlotte. While he also scrubbed the wall during practice on Friday, his car was competitive in the early portion of Sunday’s event. After qualifying fourth, he took the lead for the first time when he passed Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing) following a restart on Lap 98. He lost the lead to Kevin Harvick on a Lap 121 restart. A short time later, he found himself up in the wall.

“Obviously, it was my bad, just trying to get a little too much too early in the race and got too high out of the groove and got myself into the fence and tore the right side off of it,” Busch said. “My guys did a great job trying to rebound and get it back together as much as we could throughout the day. It was just evil out there the rest of the day trying to stay with a relative pace with the rest of the field. We were just kind of hanging on.”

Busch said he could tell the heat inside the car was going to be an issue as a result of the initial damage.

“After I first tore it up, it was just a handful from there. Literally as soon as I did it, just coasting around under caution I could feel it being about 50 degrees hotter inside the car. It just got so hot that you literally felt like you were going to puke.”

MORE: Wrecks, more photos | Newman’s car catches fire

Sunday’s race was the first of three in the Round of 12. Next up is Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday., Oct. 15 (2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), then Kansas Speedway the following week (Sun., Oct. 22, 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Eight of the 12 drivers will advance to the next round after Kansas.

Before Sunday’s race at CMS, Busch was second and trailed points leader Martin Truex Jr. by 18 points. After the poor finish, he sits sixth, 12 points ahead of ninth-place Matt Kenseth (JGR).

“It stinks to give up points; we came in here and thought we had a good shot to run in the top 10 and we did and I threw it away,” Busch said. “We’re still above the cut line, but we don’t have that cushion that we’d like to have going to Talladega.”

A potential crash there, he said, and suddenly you’re “back in the pack and coming from behind in Kansas.

“That’s what you try to not have happen, but anything can happen in racing so we just have to go out and race, race hard and do a good job at Talladega to get through there with still a cushion and then we can go race them and be fine hopefully through Kansas.”

Busch won at Pocono and Bristol during the 26-race regular season, then picked up victories at Loudon and Dover, in the opening round of the playoffs.

He has one career victory at Talladega (2008), and finishes of third or better in two of his last three starts there.

Posted on October 8, 2017October 20, 2017 by Staff Report

Stage 2 results

Kevin Harvick lost his main competition when Kyle Busch smacked the wall with his No. 18 Toyota on Lap 135 in Sunday’s Bank of America 500. Then, Harvick drove away in his No. 4 Ford with the Stage 2 win, his second of the day.

Harvick and Busch battled from the beginning of Stage 2 when the two overtook Jamie McMurray shortly after the restart. Busch took the lead on Laps 98-116, then Harvick led Lap 117 before Busch regained the advantage for the next three laps.

But 14 laps after Harvick regained the lead on Lap 121, Busch got loose between Turns 3 and 4 and took a hard hit to his right-rear quarter panel. The No. 18 was put on the five-minute clock as the crew worked on repairs. Busch returned to the track in 31st place and struggled with handling for the rest of the stage.

Meanwhile, Harvick drove away to his fifth stage win of the season with a comfortable lead over second-place Chase Elliott.

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

Stage 1 results

Kevin Harvick moved past Chase Elliott shortly after a restart en route to winning Stage 1. The stage win gave Harvick 10 race points plus a playoff point in the Round of 12 opener in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Pole-winner Denny Hamlin led 40 laps in the opening stage, which was more than Harvick, who led 39 laps, but Harvick was often right on Hamlin’s bumper in the early going. After a wreck involving Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer about midway through the stage, Harvick had his chance to pounce and did so during the ensuing restart.

Kyle Larson overcame a pit-road error when he missed his stall to rebound and finish fourth in the stage.

Jimmie Johnson, who started 25th and has won eight times at Charlotte, moved up to 10th place in the first stage.

Finish	Driver	Team	Race points
1.	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing	10
2.	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports	9
3.	Jamie McMurray	Chip Ganassi Racing	8
4.	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing	7
5.	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing	6
6.	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing	5
7.	Matt Kenseth	Joe Gibbs Racing	4
8.	Kurt Busch	Stewart-Haas Racing	3
9.	Daniel Suarez	Joe Gibbs Racing	2
10.	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports	1

Posted on October 7, 2017June 22, 2021 by Staff Report

Alex Bowman rolled to his first NASCAR national-series victory in the XFINITY Series on Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, prevailing in a rain-delayed primetime race that whittled the postseason field to eight drivers.

Bowman, making just his first XFINITY start of the year, led 32 of the 200 laps in the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet to win the Drive for The Cure 300 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. He’ll be making the transition to full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing next year, replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Bowman, who admitted to being slightly rusty in his return to competition. “I’ve got to thank Mr. Hendrick and Chip and everybody that made this possible. It’s been a long time since I’ve raced, so to come here and be as competitive as we were all night, even until that last restart, I was really pleased with how competitive we were.”

Sam Hornish Jr. came home in second place in the Team Penske No. 12 Ford, making just his fifth XFINITY start of the season. Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon and Brennan Poole completed the top five in the third of seven races of the XFINITY Playoffs and the finale to the Round of 12 elimination phase.

Five drivers had clinched spots in the Round of 8 after points were awarded in the race’s opening two stages. William Byron, Daniel Hemric, Cole Custer, Elliott Sadler and Justin Allgaier all advanced easily in the standings despite some setbacks in Saturday’s race.

Poole, Matt Tifft and Ryan Reed also moved on, with Reed clinching his spot by a single point over Brendan Gaughan. Michael Annett, Blake Koch and Jeremy Clements joined Gaughan among those eliminated from championship contention as the bottom four drivers in the XFINITY postseason field.

Byron recovered from a pit-road speeding penalty during the second stage intermission to finish 16th. His JR Motorsports teammate Allgaier was less fortunate, retiring with engine failure — caused by running over debris from a pair of earlier wrecks by Angela Ruch — after 112 laps.

Tifft also had an adventurous day, recovering from an unscheduled pit stop for a vibration and a penalty for an uncontrolled tire on pit road. He finished ninth in the race and seventh in the postseason pecking order.

Annett lost ground with a late-race spin that dropped him two laps off the pace. He returned to the race to take an 27th-place finish.

Koch fell from the lead lap early as his Kaulig Racing No. 11 team addressed a power steering issue. He placed 25th in Saturday’s 300-miler and was last among the 12 postseason qualifiers.

The race began after a 5 1/2-hour delay because of rain and mist throughout the day. The inclement weather canceled Coors Light Pole Qualifying, forcing competition officials to set the starting lineup according to the rule book.

Daniel Suarez started from the pole and led a race-high 111 laps, but a lengthy pit stop with 38 laps left knocked him from contention. His Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team had trouble with an air hose getting caught, and an uncontrolled tire penalty compounded the issues. He fell from second place to 26th in that exchange, then settled for an eighth-place result.

The XFINITY Series’ next race is scheduled Oct. 21 at Kansas Speedway.

Notes: Two Playoff-eligible cars — the No. 19 of Matt Tifft and the No. 11 of Blake Koch — were ruled too low in a post-race inspection. The guidelines for such an infraction call for a 10-point penalty in the standings, which would not be enough of a deduction to jeopardize Tifft’s status in the next round.

Posted on October 7, 2017October 20, 2017 by Staff Report

The field for the Round of 8 in the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs was set in Saturday’s elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with Ryan Reed beating Brendan Gaughan by a single point for the last transfer spot.

Alex Bowman, who will be driving the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series next year, won the race. Brennan Poole was the highest-finishing XFINITY Playoffs contender, coming in fifth.

MORE: Complete race results | Top photos from Charlotte

1. William Byron: 3,026 points
2. Justin Allgaier: 3,023 points
3. Elliott Sadler: 3,020 points
4. Daniel Hemric: 3,009 points
5. Cole Custer: 3,007 points
6. Brennan Poole: 3,006 points
7. Ryan Reed: 3,005 points
8. Matt Tifft: 3,004 points

Of note, the No. 19 of Tifft came in too low in post-race inspection after the Charlotte race.

The Round of 8 for the XFINITY Series kicks off Saturday, Oct. 21 at Kansas Speedway in the Kansas Lottery 300 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: Alex Bowman gets first XFINITY win at Charlotte

Posted on October 7, 2017October 20, 2017 by Nascar

CONCORD, N.C. – Kyle Busch hasn’t lost a race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series since mid-September, but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has never won a points-paying race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, so one of those two noteworthy items will no longer be true after this weekend.

Busch is scheduled to start fourth, outside Row 2, when Sunday’s Bank of America 500 takes the green flag at Charlotte (1 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). It’s the opening race of the Round of 12 in NASCAR’s 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Busch, the 2015 series champion, swept the final two races of the Round of 16, winning at Loudon, New Hampshire and Dover, Delaware. Making it three straight, he said, isn’t out of the question.

“I think we can definitely make it three in a row,” Busch told NASCAR.com on Saturday. “I think the biggest thing for us is just trying to make sure that the car is good for the long run here at Charlotte. You’re really fighting the bumps here that are starting to show back up again … it’s really starting to get pretty choppy out there and bounces you around an awful lot. Your head’s moving all over the headrest.”

There was no track time for teams Saturday as rain washed out two practice sessions.

Busch has won on the 1.5-mile Charlotte track — earlier this season he picked up his first win in the series’ annual All-Star race. He also has an eye-popping eight victories here in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series and seven in the Camping World Truck Series. The way to Victory Lane isn’t unknown to the 32-year-old.

But points-paying Monster Energy Series races? There have been three runners-up and 11 top fives. No wins — the only track on the circuit that he has yet to win a points event at in the sport’s top series.

“It’s definitely a motivation tool,” he said of the Monster Energy Series shutout. “We go out and try to win every single week but being at a track that we’ve been so successful … and haven’t scored a victory, it just kind of lends itself to be a little bit more intriguing to try and go get that checkered flag.”

Along with fellow Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing) and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson, Busch is among the favored few when considering this season’s title contenders.

It’s been a nice change of pace for the No. 18 driver, who for years seemed to find new ways to unexpectedly exit the playoffs.

“I have no clue,” he said when asked about the turnaround. “Even the year before ’15 I thought we were pretty good and sitting pretty good in the playoff standings. We got KO’d at Talladega and that’s what eliminated us. That was a frustrating one there, being an elimination race and all.

“Since ’15 and ’16 and this year, having some good cars all year long and being up front, Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and myself working on our game plan, sticking to that strategy and doing the things we can do it kind of lends itself to some pretty painless days let’s call it.”

Those early disappointments were harsh lessons, but lessons just the same.

“Any time you go through things, it’s always supposed to be a character building moment and trying to help you become stronger, better and more ready for what can come at you in the future,” he said.

“There still could be some events or some things that could kind of pop up. I remember Watkins Glen earlier this year when we got wrecked … and we had to come from the back. Adam was trying to console me, if you will, over the radio about what our plan was and I was like ‘Just admit it man, we don’t have a plan.’ There are those moments that may still pop up but we hope they don’t.”

JGR teammate Denny Hamlin will start on the pole in Sunday’s race, with Matt Kenseth, also of JGR, starting second. Truex Jr., the points leader and a winner of the Playoff opener in Chicago, will start 17th.