Danica Patrick notches first top 10 at Dover

Posted on June 5, 2017June 5, 2017 by Reid Spencer

DOVER, Del. – In the first half of Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway, Danica Patrick bounced off the wall, lost a lap and was hanging out near 25th place in the running order.

Then her day got a lot better.

With her car not severely damaged by contact with the outside wall on Lap 146, Patrick got her lap back as the free pass under caution for Landon Cassill’s accident on Lap 218. And Patrick was one of a handful of drivers still on the track when a Lap 330 caution trapped most of the front-runners a lap down.

Patrick avoided the overtime wreck that ended the race and finished 10th, her first top 10 of the season.

“A good day for us,” Patrick said. “We got a bit lucky with staying out at the right time and catching the yellow flags. It’s the stuff that hasn’t been happening for us all year, and it’s just nice to catch some breaks today.

“We weren’t the fastest car today, not sure we were a top-10 car. A lot of times we have been a 10th-place car and weren’t able to get the finish we needed. I’ll take the lucky days anytime I can because there have been plenty of times where it went the other way.”

Tire management was an issue for Patrick, as it was for all teams, with the allotment down one set from last year.

“We put scuffs on two or three times on pit stops,” Patrick said. “It was an issue, but we saw that all weekend, a lot of yellows. We survived and caught the right breaks when we did. I’ll take it.”

Posted on June 5, 2017June 5, 2017 by Staff Report

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Chase Briscoe both lost a wheel on their respective vehicles while circling the track at Dover International Speedway this weekend. NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that officials would dive into those instances later Monday, but that the sanctioning body would consider judging intent when determining any penalties.

The NASCAR Rule Book suggests a four-race suspension to an organization’s crew chief, tire carrier and tire changer in the event of losing a wheel due to improper installation — but also notes safety violations would be handled on a case-by-case basis.

The penalty is designed to discourage teams from changing a tire and intentionally leaving lug nuts loose to save time, and gain track position.

“It’s possible that we will (look at intent),” Miller said. “We really haven’t started those discussions yet. Certainly we will review everything that we have. From what we’ve seen so far, it wasn’t trying to go back on the race track with two lug nuts, it was obviously human error in both cases. There’s a lot of discussions internally that have to happen on how we’re going to rule on that. That process will start later this afternoon.”

As Miller noted, both instances over the weekend appeared to be human error — for Busch, his pit crew dropped the jack before the lug nuts on the left-rear tire were secured; for Briscoe, the team’s airgun appeared to inadvertently be set in reverse.

Busch was the polesitter for Sunday’s Monster Energy Series race and led the first 18 laps before his left rear wheel popped off following the first set of pit stops. He drove back through the field after repairs, but it ultimately cost him a shot at his first win of the season — he finished 16th.

The story was similar in the Camping World Truck Series event in which Briscoe — also the polesitter — couldn’t recover and finished 12th, one lap down.

Any penalties likely would be announced later this week.

“It’s fairly obvious when things keep occurring that are either competition related or safety related, and you see a recurrence and feel you need to ramp up the consequences of doing said things,” Miller said. “With the wheels, and hitting two or three lug nuts on the last pit stop and all that, that’s kind of where those rules came from.”

MORE: Miller on overtime rule playing out at Dover

Posted on June 4, 2017June 4, 2017 by Reid Spencer

DOVER, Del. — Ty Dillon made full use of divergent pit strategies to take the lead in Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway.

When most of the contending cars came to pit road under caution on Lap 332, Dillon kept his No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet on the track, along with the affiliated Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Ryan Newman.

After taking the green flag in the lead on a Lap 339 restart, Dillon stayed out front for 27 circuits, conjuring the prospect of a Dillon brother in Victory Lane for the second straight week (with brother Austin Dillon having won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte last Sunday).

Eventually, however, Dillon succumbed to stronger cars, and his race ended in a 10-car pileup on the backstretch on the first lap of overtime. Credited with 14th, Dillon was elated by his run.

“I can’t thank (owner) Bob Germain enough for giving me the opportunity to come out here and race with these guys,” Dillon said. “It’s a lifelong dream. To lead laps like that meant a lot to me. We had to restart fourth on old tires (in overtime), and I just think the air off the No. 31 (Newman) got me a little loose and they left a bunch of sand there off Turn 2, and as soon as I got loose and hit that sand it was all over.

“I feel bad for all the cars that got torn up. But, really, I don’t really know what the No. 31 or myself could have done any different to stay out of that crash. Proud of our effort today. We proved to ourselves as a team that we can run up front with the big boys.”

Posted on June 4, 2017June 4, 2017 by Reid Spencer

DOVER, Del. – Martin Truex Jr. thought he was going to have some good fortune – until he found himself on the wrong side of a caution on Sunday at Dover International Speedway.

Truex led 102 laps at his home track in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism and fought Kyle Larson for the top spot throughout the afternoon. But Truex brought his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota to pit road on Lap 325 – and paid the price through no fault of his own.

RELATED: Full race results | Series standings

Eventual winner Jimmie Johnson stayed on the track hoping for a caution and got one on Lap 330 when Regan Smith’s No. 43 Ford slammed into the Turn 2 wall. The caution temporarily put Truex a lap down, but he took a wave-around after Johnson led the cars that still needed service to pit road on Lap 332.

Truex was mired in traffic at that point and fought his way back to third, but couldn’t make progress from the second row on an overtime restart. The race ended abruptly as a wreck on the backstretch froze the field with Johnson in the lead, Larson second and Truex third.

MORE: Stage points earned in 2017

“For us, the ending of the race was really all about trying to pass cars and get back to the front where we’d been all day long,” Truex said. “We got caught on that caution there with, I don’t know, 60 or so laps to go and we pitted. Caution came out, got trapped a lap down, had to do the wave around and then drive up through the field from the back.

It wasn’t an empty day for Truex, however. He won both the first and second 120-lap stages and increased his series-leading playoff point total to 18.

“Definitely proud of our finish today,” he said. “I thought we definitely had a shot at the win until that happened, and after we were kind of playing catch up. At a place that’s really difficult to pass, we had to come from about 15th to get to third. Definitely proud of the run, proud of the effort and the car the guys brought here today.”

Posted on June 4, 2017June 4, 2017 by Pat DeCola

DOVER, Del. – For the second straight week in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, a Kyle came away “really disappointed” following a runner-up finish in a race he could have won.

“But I’m not going to show any anger, like the other Kyle,” said Kyle Larson on Sunday evening at Dover International Speedway, referring to Kyle Busch’s post-Charlotte brief press conference. “It’s just disappointing. I run second all the time. All the time. A lot of them, I’m leading coming down to three to go like today. Then we get a last restart and I just have to get better at restarts on old tires and do a better job not spinning them.”

The runner-up finish was his fifth of the season, in 13 races.

Larson led a race-high 241 laps and appeared set to cruise to his second win of 2017 before a late caution set up a battle on the restart with eventual race-winner Jimmie Johnson. Larson, on old tires, spun the rubber on his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Another caution flew moments later – after Johnson had passed the overtime line – handing the Hendrick Motorsports driver his 83rd career win to tie him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough on the all-time wins list.

RELATED: See Larson’s 2017 stats

That’s how it has tended to go for Larson in his young career, and that also is how it’s gone for Johnson en route to a Hall of Fame resume, himself.

“There’s a golden horseshoe somewhere,” Larson lamented on pit road, alluding to Johnson’s perceived luck. “Jimmie did a good job. A lot better job than I did. I spun my tires pretty bad. I tried taking off not using a lot of throttle and still spun my tires pretty bad.

“I thought we were the best car today; me and the 78 (of third-place finisher and points leader Martin Truex Jr.). Definitely, obviously, didn’t need that last caution there. … I wasn’t too worried, thought maybe the outside lane would take off good, just didn’t do a great job.”

As the saying goes, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” Johnson has a touch of both, and Larson — just nine points behind Truex in the standings — has the latter covered.

He’s hoping some of that No. 48 good fortune eventually makes its way to the 42.

“I’d like it to,” Larson grinned. “I don’t know, I haven’t had much luck in my NASCAR career. It’s been a little bit better this year. Gosh, he’s the luckiest human being on this planet. But, he’s also extremely good and can execute like nobody else. That’s why he’s got 80-something wins now and seven championships. I’d say at least half of those wins aren’t from him dominating a race, they’re just from him doing a better job than the leader at the end and getting it done.”

The 24-year-old should have a good shot at running up front again next weekend at Pocono Raceway, where he has a pristine 8.8 average finish in six career races.

But how long will this defeat stick with him?

“I’m pretty good at forgetting things and I’ve got pretty good short-term memory. We’ll get over it,” Larson said.

Posted on June 4, 2017June 4, 2017 by Staff Report

Jimmie Johnson passed Kyle Larson on an overtime restart to roar to his third Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season Sunday at Dover International Speedway, tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough on the all-time win list.

Johnson led just twice for seven laps in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism, his Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet taking the checkered flag under caution as a multicar crash ended the race on its lone overtime attempt. Johnson’s 11th win at the 1-mile track was the 83rd of his career in NASCAR’s premier series.

“To be here and tie him at 83 wins is amazing,” Johnson said of Yarborough, a three-time series champion who retired after the 1988 season. “We just got the tribute helmet. I wasn’t sure how quickly we’d be, or if we’d be able to go there, and get it done. But, Cale, you’re the man. Thank you for all you have done for our sport.”

Johnson started from the back of the pack after his Hendrick Motorsports team made an unapproved pre-race gear change on the No. 48 Chevrolet, but rallied to lead in the late going.

The final restart denied Larson, who led six times for a race-high 241 laps but was saddled with second place. A yellow flag for David Ragan’s crash with four laps left in regulation erased Larson’s late lead, bunching up the field and eventually sending the race six laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance.

Larson’s Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet struggled to get going on the final drop of the green, bumped from behind by rookie Ty Dillon’s No. 13 Chevrolet. He held on to finish second for the fifth time in 13 races this season.

“Obviously I didn’t need that last caution,” Larson said. “Yeah, I mean, Jimmie is the best of our time, probably the best of all time. He just has obviously a lot more experience than I do out on the front row late in races and executed a lot better than I did. I’ve got to get better at that and maybe get some more wins.”

Martin Truex Jr. led three times for 102 laps, but was shuffled back after a Lap 343 caution flag fell during a pit-stop cycle. The series points leader rallied to finish third in the Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota. Ryan Newman and Chase Elliott completed the top five.

Dillon, who rose into contention with a timely late caution period, led 27 laps and was poised for his first career top-five finish in the Germain Racing No. 13 Chevrolet. But Dillon spun on the backstretch in the close-quarters racing to the finish, with several cars stacking up behind him.

Truex added to his stockpile of playoff points by winning the first and second stages, running his season total of stage wins to eight — most in the series.

MORE: Truex sweeps first two stages

Several pitfalls flared up early, with five yellow flags in the opening 120-lap stage. Pole-starter and early leader Kyle Busch was among the first snared by issues, leaving pit road without his left-rear wheel properly attached. After an extra pit stop to replace the errant wheel and repair fender damage on the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota, Busch recovered to race into the top five.

MORE: Early pit-road woes for Kyle Busch

Busch later made an unscheduled pit stop for a loose wheel with 38 laps left. He wound up 16th.

A Lap 65 crash derailed Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch, both former Dover winners. Kurt Busch lost control racing alongside Larson on a restart, forcing Keselowski’s Team Penske No. 2 Ford into the outside wall. Keselowski was done for the day in 38th place, finishing next to last for the second straight week. Kurt Busch continued with damage, but was sidelined 30 laps later by a more severe solo wreck that left him with a 37th-place result.

MORE: Keselowski, Kurt Busch sidelined

Posted on June 4, 2017June 9, 2017 by Staff Report

RELATED: Find NBCSN in your area

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 times are ET.

Monday, June 5
1 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for Autism (re-air), FS1
9 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for Autism (re-air), FS2
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Tuesday, June 6
6:30 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for Autism (re-air), FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR Scan All 43, NBCSN
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Wednesday, June 7
7:30 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series OneMain Financial 200 (re-air), FS1
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Thursday, June 8
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro East Series: Memphis 125, NBCSN

Friday, June 9
11 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Weekend Edition, FS1
1 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
3 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
4 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole qualifying, FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)
8 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winstaronlinegaming.com 400, FS1

Saturday, June 10
3 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice (re-air), FS1
4 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole qualifying (re-air), FS1
7:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winstaronlinegaming.com 400 (re-air), FS1
9:30 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole qualifying, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Weekend Edition, FS1
11:30 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN 3)
12:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: XFINITY, FOX (Canada: TSN 3)
1 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Pocono Green 250, FOX (Canada: TSN 1, 3)

Sunday, June 11
8:30 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice (re-air), FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO)
3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Axalta presents the Pocono 400, FS1 (Canada: TSN 1, 3)

Posted on June 4, 2017June 11, 2017 by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Pocono

NASCAR rolls into Pocono Raceway for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series starting Friday, June 9. Texas Motor Speedway hosts the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as well. Check out the full weekend schedule below.

Note: All times are ET.

SUNDAY, JUNE 11:
ON TRACK
POCONO RACEWAY
– 2:30:00 MENCS Driver Introductions
– 2:50:00 Team FasTrax Skydiving Team (Landing on Front Stretch)
– 3:00:00 Intro Colors & Invocation: U.S. Army Garrison, West Point MP Company Honor Guard
– 3:00:20 Invocation by: Billy Mauldin, MRO
– 3:00:45 Intro National Anthem (Pyro Turn 3)
– 3:01:00 National Anthem by: Lauren Hart
– 3:02:30 Flyby TOT: 1 C-130 193rd Special Operations Wing, PA Air National Guard (Turn 3 to Turn 1)
– 3:07:30 “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by: Joe McDougall, Senior Vice President, Axalta; joined by Julia and Alyssa McDougall
– 3:18:30 Green Flag – Pocono 400 (160 laps, 400 miles), FS1 (Canada: TSN 1, 3) (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
– 6 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

THURSDAY, JUNE 8:
ON TRACK
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
– 5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, no TV (Results)
– 7-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, no TV (Results)
– 9-9:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, no TV (Results)

FRIDAY, JUNE 9:
ON TRACK
POCONO RACEWAY
– 11 a.m.- 12:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
– 1- 1:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
– 3- 3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
– 4 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole qualifying, FS1 (Canada: TSN 2) (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
– 9 a.m.: Ty Dillon
– 9:15 a.m.: Daniel Suarez
– 9:30 a.m.: Darrell Wallace Jr.
– 10:15 a.m.: Kurt Busch
– 10:30 a.m.: Cole Custer, Brennan Poole, Brendan Gaughan
– 12:45 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
– 1:15 p.m.: Chris Buescher
– 1:45 p.m.: Ryan Newman
– 5 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
– 10:30 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
– 12:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
– 5:35 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole qualifying, no TV (Results)
– 8 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winstaronlinegaming.com 400 (167 laps, 250.5 miles), FS1 (Results)

SATURDAY, JUNE 10:
ON TRACK
POCONO RACEWAY
– 9:35 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole qualifying, FS1 (Canada: TSN GO) (Results)
– 11:30 a.m.- 12:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1 (Canada: TSN 3) (Results)
– 1 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Pocono Green 250 (100 laps, 250 miles), FOX, special drivers-only broadcast with on-air time of 12:30 p.m. ET (Canada: TSN 1, 3) (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
– 3:30 p.m.: Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series race

Posted on June 4, 2017June 18, 2017 by Staff Report

STAGE 2:

Martin Truex Jr. extended his lead in the stage points standings with a victory in Stage 2 of Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway — his eighth of the season.

With tire strategy shaking up the field a bit in Stage 2, Jimmie Johnson finished second.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch finished the stage third and fourth, respectively in the Nos. 20 and 18 Toyotas.

Kyle Larson, who had pitted off cycle from the leaders, made his way back up to fifth place in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet by the end of the stage.

STAGE 1:

Martin Truex Jr. led 68 of the first 120 laps of Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway, giving his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota the Stage 1 win. This marks Truex’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series-leading seventh stage win of the season.

Kyle Larson, who battled Truex Jr. for the lead much of the first stage, finished second in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Ford came in third in Stage 1, followed by Matt Kenseth in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Ten-time winner Dover winner Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet rounded out the top five.

Pole-sitter Kyle Busch had trouble early when his pit crew didn’t get any lugs secured on the rear left wheel. He recovered and finished Stage 1 running ninth.

WATCH: Kyle Busch loses lead after first pit stop

Several cars exited the race before Stage 1 was completed: Kurt Busch’s No. 41 Ford, Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford and Ricky Stenhouse’s No. 17 Ford.

The top 10 finishers in both Stage 1 and Stage 2 receive race points. The race winner will receive 40 points and five playoff points at the conclusion of the Final Stage.

Stage 1 results

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

Stage 2 results

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

Posted on June 4, 2017June 4, 2017 by Staff Report

Brad Keselowski’s race ended early Sunday at Dover International Speedway after a Lap 65 crash with Kurt Busch with both drivers running in the top five.

Busch lost control of his Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford, racing alongside leader Kyle Larson on a restart. Busch attempted to right his car, but slid into the path of Keselowski’s Team Penske No. 2 Ford, pushing his car into the wall.

“These cars rely so much on aerodynamics. We saw that early with guys being able to stay out on two tires even with a lot of tire wear,” Keselowski said. “I don’t know if it was Kurt’s fault, just one of them racing deals. We line up double-file and somebody got loose and just took us out. What a bummer. Just one of them racing deals.”

Keselowski drove back to the garage, relegating him to a 38th-place finish in the 39-car field for the AAA 400 Drive for Autism. Kurt Busch continued with slight damage, restarting one lap down in 36th place, but his day ended with a heavy single-car crash 30 laps later. He finished 37th.

“I got loose on a restart,” Busch said of his first incident. “It’s my bad as a driver. My bad. We had good speed in our Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford and just couldn’t finish. You can’t make mistakes out here and we did.”

It’s the second straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race with an early exit for Keselowski, who finished 39th after a wreck in the Coca-Cola 600.