Posted on by Staff Report

A look at the drivers that ran 10 consecutive laps during Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Richmond Raceway.

RELATED: Practice 2 results

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 78 Martin Truex Jr. 2 11 117.480
2 18 Kyle Busch 2 11 117.362
3 2 Brad Keselowski 2 11 117.219
4 24 Chase Elliott 1 10 117.083
5 22 Joey Logano 2 11 116.888
6 19 Daniel Suarez # 2 11 116.825
7 4 Kevin Harvick 53 62 116.759
8 21 Ryan Blaney 1 10 116.748
9 11 Denny Hamlin 4 13 116.661
10 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2 11 116.622
11 42 Kyle Larson 39 48 116.597
12 41 Kurt Busch 1 10 116.567
13 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2 11 116.490
14 14 Clint Bowyer 3 12 116.327
15 10 Danica Patrick 4 13 116.265
16 43 Aric Almirola 1 10 116.235
17 27 Paul Menard 2 11 116.226
18 5 Kasey Kahne 2 11 116.209
19 20 Matt Kenseth 2 11 116.187
20 38 David Ragan 2 11 116.166
21 31 Ryan Newman 2 11 116.077
22 47 AJ Allmendinger 3 12 115.935
23 1 Jamie McMurray 2 11 115.892
24 3 Austin Dillon 3 12 115.872
25 95 Michael McDowell 1 10 115.633
26 6 Trevor Bayne 3 12 115.580
27 48 Jimmie Johnson 22 31 115.444
28 32 Matt DiBenedetto 2 11 115.376
29 23 Gray Gaulding # 2 11 114.910
30 13 Ty Dillon # 9 18 114.484
31 33 Jeffrey Earnhardt 18 27 110.540

 

RELATED: Practice 1 results

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 11 Denny Hamlin 2 11 118.948
2 2 Brad Keselowski 1 10 118.808
3 14 Clint Bowyer 3 12 118.749
4 31 Ryan Newman 3 12 118.636
5 4 Kevin Harvick 2 11 118.522
6 18 Kyle Busch 1 10 118.496
7 21 Ryan Blaney 1 10 118.426
8 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1 10 118.323
9 10 Danica Patrick 1 10 118.274
10 77 Erik Jones # 3 12 118.244
11 1 Jamie McMurray 1 10 118.198
12 34 Landon Cassill 2 11 118.091
13 5 Kasey Kahne 2 11 118.085
14 24 Chase Elliott 1 10 117.896
15 3 Austin Dillon 5 14 117.752
16 37 Chris Buescher 1 10 117.342
17 20 Matt Kenseth 24 33 117.263
18 47 AJ Allmendinger 2 11 116.967
19 19 Daniel Suarez # 10 19 116.818
20 13 Ty Dillon # 2 11 116.508
21 32 Matt DiBenedetto 4 13 116.461
22 78 Martin Truex Jr. 17 26 116.167
23 41 Kurt Busch 15 24 115.858
24 95 Michael McDowell 17 26 115.857
25 43 Aric Almirola 17 26 115.072
26 23 Gray Gaulding # 8 17 114.647
27 48 Jimmie Johnson 26 35 113.961
28 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 37 46 112.289
Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Playoff picture entering Richmond

As race drivers are prone to surmise, Joey Logano likes his chances in Saturday night’s regular-season finale at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) largely because he has won twice here before, including the last time the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visited in May.

The difference this time? He must win — if he hopes to secure a Monster Energy Series playoffs bid.

Logano’s No. 22 team was issued an L1-level penalty following the Richmond spring race after NASCAR’s post-race inspection found issues with the rear suspension, so Logano’s win does not count as a qualifier for the playoffs.

Following that news, Logano’s typically championship-contending Team Penske group went into a slump. An eighth-place finish at Kentucky and a fourth-place finish at Indianapolis are the only top-10 showings for the normally multi-race winner since July.

Even after an uncharacteristically slow summer, Logano and his experienced team would not have predicted they would be racing for their playoff lives when the series returned to Richmond in what has now turned into a “last chance race” for the preseason title favorite.

“If we do everything right, we can squeak one out,’’ a rather serious-looking Logano told the media Friday, acknowledging, “It’s do-or-die this weekend.”

MORE: Detailed bubble look

And the thing is, Logano is not alone in his win-and-in quest. There are other top names now in that same situation — from preseason playoff picks such as Clint Bowyer to rookies such as Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez, who really have come into their own here, two-thirds of the way through the schedule.

Even the three winless drivers still ranked among the playoff-eligible top-16 in points — Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray — are very real trophy threats this weekend.

Logano freely admits he didn’t envision the high-pressure scenario he has found himself in. The bottom line is Logano must hoist a trophy late Saturday night in Richmond’s Victory Lane if he wants the opportunity to go door-to-door for his first championship.

And he knows it.

“This is what I live for,’’ Logano said. “Second place is a failure.’’

Posted on by Staff Report

MORE: Glass Case of Emotion podcast

NASCAR.com’s “Glass Case of Emotion” podcast starring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney and co-hosts Kim Coon and Chuck Bush is set to hit the big stage at Richmond Raceway this weekend for the show’s first-ever live episode.

The trio will broadcast their show live on NASCAR.com and stream it on Facebook Live at 1 p.m. ET.

Following the show, Blaney will strap into his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford to compete in the Monster Energy Series regular-season finale Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

BOOKMARK: Saturday’s live-streaming link

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full Practice 2 results

Kyle Larson topped the leaderboard in Friday’s second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Richmond Raceway at 120.235 mph in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Right behind him was Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford at 120.208 mph. Logano is in need of a win in Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN) regular season finale to advance to the playoffs.

Rounding out the top five were rookie Daniel Suarez in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 119.925 mph, series points leader Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota at 119.697 mph and Matt Kenseth in the No. 20 JGR Toyota at 119.564 mph.

Rookie Erik Jones, also in need of a win, only managed to run five laps in the session. He was one of two drivers (along with Landon Cassill, who ran 11) that fulfilled a 60-minute penalty hold to start the session.

Teams will qualify Friday at 5:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

RELATED: Full Practice 1 results

Matt Kenseth and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2017 Regular Season Champion Martin Truex Jr. topped the leaderboard in Friday’s first Monster Energy Series practice at Richmond Raceway, with matching best speeds of 120.897 mph in their respective No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota.

Right behind them was Toyota stablemate Kyle Busch in the No. 18 JGR ride at 120.423 mph.

Rounding out the top five were Kyle Larson in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who must win Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), was sixth in practice. Fellow “must-win” driver Erik Jones logged the eighth-fastest speed.

A handful of drivers will be held in final practice, with Erik Jones and Landon Cassill each earning 60-minute penalties for Darlington infractions. Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth will be held 30 minutes, while Jamie McMurray, Austin Dillon and Kevin Harvick will pause for 15.

The next practice session is at noon ET on NBCSN.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: XFINITY playoff standings | Full schedule for Richmond

The NASCAR XFINITY Series playoff picture is bearing down toward a pivotal point, with just half of the 12 preseason berths locked in. Friday night’s 250-lapper at Richmond Raceway should go a long way toward deciding the complexion of the season’s final stretch.

Playoff hopefuls have the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM) — the last short-track race of the XFINITY season — circled as an opportunity for championship eligibility. The playoff picture stands to gain a measure of clarity with just one other regular-season race (Sept. 16 at Chicagoland) on the schedule.

William Byron, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Reed, Elliott Sadler, Brennan Poole and Daniel Hemric are the only certified clinchers heading into Richmond. Six others — Jeremy Clements, Cole Custer, Matt Tifft, Blake Koch, Michael Annett and Brendan Gaughan — are provisionally in.

Clements’ situation is unique. He is the only XFINITY Series regular with a victory (Road America on Aug. 27) who has not yet met the other requirement for postseason eligibility. He sits 17th in the series standings, needing to maintain a spot among the top 20 to secure his spot. A finish of 20th or better Friday would secure Clements’ reservation.

The most dubious grip on a provisional playoff spot belongs to Gaughan, currently occupying the 12th and final berth, with just a 20-point gap separating him from 13th-place Dakoda Armstrong. Annett ranks a scant three points ahead of Gaughan, placing him in a similarly fragile spot.

Though Sadler has no uncertainty about his playoff standing, he has plenty of extra motivation to perform well in his home state. Sadler — still seeking his first win of 2017 — leads the series standings with a 91-point edge over his JR Motorsports teammate Byron and a 119-point cushion over third-place Allgaier, another JRM driver.

If Sadler leaves Richmond with a 61-point edge in hand, he’ll clinch the regular-season championship. That achievement includes a 15-point bounty in his playoff-point column, a tidy advantage for the seven-race postseason.

Posted on by Brad Norman

HARRISBURG, N.C. — The love of cars and tires is in Liz Prestella’s blood and on her skin.

The skin is simple enough: a stark, dark tattoo of a single wrench on her right leg. The blood? That comes from hours spent with her grandfather, Al, and dad, Alton, watching NASCAR races. Of time spent in the garage, wrenching on her car, making her own repairs and doing her own maintenance.

It’s the blood that helps explain Prestella’s rise into NASCAR, a journey that started as an intern with Jennifer Jo Cobb and a journey in which the current chapter has Prestella as a tire specialist for the No. 37 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team at JTG Daugherty Racing.

MORE: Inside access with JTG Daugherty

“I love every aspect on working on the cars,” Prestella tells NASCAR.com while, appropriately, leaning on a stack of tires. “As a tire specialist, you have the same system every week. Things don’t change. Every week it’s the same routine. It’s not like there’s random craziness that could happen. I prefer the organized chaos, not the all-over chaos.”

It’s been quite a climb for Prestella, a native of Southern California. Her time with Cobb included interior and decal work. Prestella’s slight frame made her the only person on the team who could fit into Cobb’s seat, so she fitted that out weekly.

Stops with Derrike Cope, Jay Robinson and Tommy Baldwin were next prior to her joining JTG as the company expanded to a two-car organization with driver Chris Buescher.

Her job as a tire specialist is exact. Measurements are in millimeters. It requires strict organization and insane attention to detail. Failure to measure properly, or put tires in the right sets, or tires in the right spot would mean failure on the race track on Sundays.

“Everything we do is very exact,” Prestella says. “It has to be very meticulous and planned out and organized. If you’re unorganized, you’ll have crew chiefs yelling, you’ll have drivers yelling. You have to be very articulate and meticulous about where the tires are at, otherwise you could have a catastrophic failure.”

Has that terminology, a “catastrophic failure,” ever happened on Prestella’s crew?

“No,” she says with a slight smile. “I am very on top of my guys. If they see me coming or pointing at something, they know they messed up.”

RELATED: Buescher finds himself a home | Tour the shop with the drivers

The attention-to-detail trait is both innate and learned. It’s stuff that Prestella simply has in her, but it also has been honed over the years as her car knowledge expanded.

When Prestella first got her driver’s license, she told her dad she planned to take auto tech at school. And she did. The two of them have since tinkered on their own cars together, so she has a tremendous understanding of all parts of the car.

Her career goals, though, are intertwined with team success as opposed to individual success. Her career path doesn’t have a final destination — there is no certain position Prestella targets.

“My ultimate goals are to get wins and championships,” Prestella said. “I’m perfectly fine doing tires, or whatever is needed. I am willing to do anything on the cars. I can do all of it. I just want to be able to be out there winning.”

Getting there would come with some spotlight. Prestella is part of a growing number of women in the NASCAR garage. The titles and wins would validate her work, certainly, but they also would help her spread a message that is even more impactful.

“I hope that I am helping make young girls see that it’s possible for them to work in racing and work on cars, and not be limited just because they’re female,” she said.

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR XFINITY Series teams head to Richmond Raceway this weekend with just two races left to secure their postseason fate, but they’re also getting a jump on new car-construction rules for the majority of races in 2018.

 

Friday night’s Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM) marks the next-to-last race in the regular season, but it’s also the first event in a three-race audition this year for flange-fit, composite-body cars.

 

“It’s pretty important to get ahead of it, even though Richmond is a pretty crucial race leading up to the playoffs,” said Blake Koch, driver of Kaulig Racing’s No. 11 Chevrolet, “but we still feel like we need to go there with it and learn as much as we can there.”

 

The new bodies, assembled with 13 bolt-on panels, have the potential to streamline car-building efforts, offer convenience in repairs and provide anti-tampering safeguards as a deterrence for rule-benders. The overall long-term goal of the switch from steel-bodied to composite construction is to reduce time and cost for teams competing in the series.

WATCH: Take a 360-degree tour of the flange-fit XFINITY Series car body

 

Using the new bodies is optional for this year’s three-race rollout, which also includes visits to mile-long tracks Dover (Sept. 30) and Phoenix (Nov. 11). An unscientific canvassing of the XFINITY garage after last weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway revealed that most teams plan to compete with composite bodies this weekend at Richmond.

 

“It looks good so far,” said Shane Wilson, crew chief for the Richard Childress Racing No. 62 Chevrolet and driver Brendan Gaughan. Wilson indicated that all five of Childress’ XFINITY teams plan to race with the new bodies. “When we get to the race track, you don’t know, but I think it’s going to be pretty foolproof. I think the task will be when we take them to Dover, not so much Richmond. Everything looks good so far and I really have no complaints, but I’ll know a little more this week.”

 

The new rule’s potential impact on the racing may not take immediate effect this weekend, but teams are already seeing its long-term possibilities in closing up competition disparities. Aside from the capability for time and cost convenience, the new body panels have tinker-proof features in the most aerodynamic-dependent areas.

 

That aspect, says crew chief Phil Gould, has the potential to reduce the amount of necessary wind-tunnel time, a premium expense.

 

“I think if everything’s done right, it’ll kind of close the gap up because there’ll only be so much you can do,” said Gould, who oversees the Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 Ford for driver Ryan Reed. “But it’s going to be up to NASCAR and how they police it, to make sure they hold everybody to it.”

 

Said Wilson: “Any kind of little wiggle room we can get in there is what we would take, and now it’s going to be more straight-up. That’s kind of what it is. They’ve put enough scare in us that I don’t think anyone will be manipulating it that much.”

Posted on by @nascarcasm

So now this is a story all ’bout how / my life got flipped turned upside down / and I’d like to take a moment to run off with a pair / of my owner Dale Jr.’s Nomex underwear.

Excited to write. Been a while since the previous blog, and would like to apologize to all y’all takin’ this cray journey on the Gus Bus with me. It’s been busy since the last blog, what with Dale in the throes of his final season and me collecting an impressive horde of beef-stick wrappers under the bed in the Elvis room.

Nothing but beef-stick wrappers. That sweet aroma. I dunno why Yankee Candle hasn’t made that scent yet.

Digressing. As you all know, my owner’s farewell season is about as uplifting as “Old Yeller,” and I’m a dog so I can say that — it’s cool. Simply not getting the results he, I, or anyone in Junior Nation wanted right now. But sometimes life brings disappointment. Like when Amy and Dale are eating dinner and I’m laying low waiting for the scraps, and they say “HERE BOY!” and then hand me one of those “organic” dog treats that tastes like yard clippings and sawdust congealed into a single ghastly wad with tiling grout. I’m like I KNOW FOR A FACT YOU’RE EATING SLOW-SMOKED BRISKET AND YOU HAND ME A BALL OF HIPPIE FECULENCE THAT NOT EVEN GWYNETH PALTROW WOULD EAT. TRY AGAIN.

Nearly forgot to tell you — I asked Dale if I could have my own podcast on Dirty Mo Radio this past week, and he said he’d think about it, so I put together a sample. I called it “Dis-Gus-sions,” which is a savvy pun you wouldn’t expect out of a creature that thinks a vacuum cleaner is trying to kill him, but I digress. Recorded the first episode with Joey Logano’s dog, Luigi. Basically I asked him a series of “Gotcha” questions hoping he’d finally admit he’s a bat-dog. I mean, look at him. That’s a bat. I have a good bat-dar. The questions were like “Is Sliced Bread as good as fruit?” and “Do you feel like Joey Logano was sort of thrown into his role at Joe Gibbs Racing without proper preparation sort of like Ben Affleck was when he replaced Christian Bale?” I think it came out great, so long as you don’t mind 46 minutes of ceaseless barking. It’s gonna turn the podcast community upside-down. Which is how I assume Logano’s dog sleeps.

 

Update on my social life — remember Martin Truex Jr. AKA the guy whose motorcoach I stocked with brown trout that one time? He’s apparently doing really really well and I’m really happy for him. I’ve started hanging out with their dog, Boden. He’s a good listener and his butt smells great. We both Snapchat ourselves in sexy poses and send them to Danica’s German shepherd. She got it going on.

Dale’s gonna be replaced by Alex Bowman, whom as I mentioned in my previous blog, is a wonderful kid who took me on walks whenever Dale forced him to. He’s got this insatiable competitive drive in him that I haven’t seen in anyone since Air Bud. He’s got big shoes to fill. Speaking of filling Dale’s shoes, gimme a second ­– that organic dog treat ain’t sitting right and I’ve got a message to convey. OK, I’m back and Dale’s down a pair of Asics.

Excited for my owner to be on the TV next year! He’ll be on NBC, WHICH just so happens to air the National Dog Show, so I’m fairly certain they’ll send the private jet out for myself and Boden to show up and throw down. We got it planned — after a few beers, we’re both gonna run out on the floor and stand on our hind legs wearing only a ribbon reading “BEST IN SHOW” over our naughty bits. “NASCAR SUPERSTAR’S DOG BECOMES VIRAL SENSATION ON YOUTUBE” — I can see it now. Anyways, he’s gonna be really good on TV, and I can’t wait to bark at the tube when it’s on and wonder “Hey, why is my owner in such wonderful definition on this 72-inch box hanging on the wall?” like all dogs that bark at TVs do.

So that’s about all I got for now. Oh, nearly forgot — Danica’s German shepherd, if you’re reading this, check the first letter of every paragraph. Peace.

Gus

Posted on by Nascar

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — The season isn’t over for Darrell “Bubba” Wallace just yet.

 

Wallace, 23, returns to NASCAR’s XFINITY Series next week at Chicagoland Raceway where he is scheduled to drive the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Biagi DenBeste Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports.

 

It will be the 13th XFINITY Series start of the season for Wallace, who ran 12 races with Roush Fenway Racing earlier this year before officials shuttered the team due to a lack of sponsorship.

 

Following that setback, Wallace drove four races in the iconic No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports while that team’s driver, Aric Almirola, recovered from injury.

 

He also has one Camping World Truck Series start this season, at Michigan, which resulted in a win.

 

“It’s been going in a lot of different directions,” Wallace said of his season Thursday at RPM. “But it’s taught me a lot. Not only about myself but about the sport and how to go about it, carry the right attitude through whichever way you’re being pulled.

 

“We’ve been able to make the most of every opportunity this year. We were capitalizing in the XFINITY Series before it shut down; we were fourth in points and having some really good runs. I felt like we were knocking on the door for our first win.

 

“Then the 43 (opportunity) came about, kept improving each and every race and then the Michigan truck race comes about and we win that.”

 

The Chicagoland opportunity came about, in part, because Wallace has worked with Nickelodeon officials in the past — a year ago he ran a paint scheme based on the character Shredder from the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles program. This year his car will feature Nickelodeon Slime.

 

This year the Turtles are once again getting top billing — the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, Sept. 17 is the Tales of the Turtles 400.

 

Other drivers with related paint schemes for the race weekend are Matt DiBenedetto and Jeffrey Earnhardt (MENCS), Wallace and Matt Tifft (XFINITY), and John Hunter Nemechek and Jennifer Jo Cobb (Camping World Truck Series).

 

Wallace, a six-time winner in the Truck Series, said this most recent opportunity “came together fairly quick” and he’s hopeful it will lead to more time behind the wheel.

 

“I think so,” he said. “You never know what can happen after that.

 

“If we have a really good, strong race, we could win that thing. That’s our only goal.”

 

The Biagi DenBeste Racing organization runs a limited schedule in the XFINITY Series. Almirola has won two of the organization’s three career victories — at Daytona in 2016 and ’17.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Editor’s note: This story is part of our Fit Row series that focuses on the health and fitness aspects of racing and its superstar drivers. Presented by Lilly Diabetes, the exclusive diabetes health partner of NASCAR, the series will feature 10 themed stories.

Clint Bowyer’s fitness regimen might go light on structure, but it goes heavy on staying busy. Running a 650-acre farm tends to make that a requirement.

For Bowyer, one of the most animated drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, his workouts often come naturally on his ranch in rural Davie County, North Carolina. When he’s not at the race track, that’s typically where you’ll find him.

“Believe it or not, there’s weeks where if I don’t have anything going on, you’ll be heading back to the track Friday and realize you haven’t been outside your driveway all week long,” says Bowyer, driver of the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Ford. “Every day, it’s something. There’s always a project. When you have over 100 head of cows and they’re blowing through the fence and you’re rebuilding it, or mowing or anything in between, it’s literally from sun-up to sundown, you’re doing something.

“There’s no couch time, but there’s never been that with me. I’ve always been wide-open, here, there and everywhere. But the more I have going on, the happier I am.”

The lifestyle has brought Bowyer plenty of joy thus far, whether it’s caring for the livestock, moving hay or the seemingly never-ending maintenance. But it also has kept him trim, free from the rigors of more organized workout patterns.

While Bowyer hasn’t subscribed to a fierce routine of Crossfit, triathlons or the road cycling wave that’s captured the fancy of several drivers in recent months, the 38-year-old veteran still has the door open for more conventional workouts when the need arises.

“You know, I run from time to time. I’m no different than anybody else,” Bowyer says. “You start feeling a little lazy, a little fat, belt’s getting a little tight … you better get your butt out there and start running, hitting the pavement. That’s the way I am.”

Staying active — in whichever form it may take — has helped Bowyer stay sharp in his first year with SHR and his best season since 2014. It’s what also has led his friends to suggest some sort of attention-deficit malady mixed in with his boundless energy.

“I just like getting after it,” Bowyer says. “I like going. I like being on the go. I don’t think I’ve ever been in one place probably in the last 10 years more than 10 days ever, even in the wintertime. … I can’t sit still.”