Posted on by Richard Childress

RELATED: RCR honors families of the fallen

Where does Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 victory rank?

Well … I look back, and it’s right there at the top with Dale Earnhardt’s Daytona 500 in 1998, and winning Indy, and winning our first race with Ricky Rudd. But it’s really special when it’s family, though. By that, it would be at the top of the board.

I’ve had so many great wins here at Richard Childress Racing and so many special, meaningful wins, but to have your grandson (Austin Dillon) win in the No. 3, knowing the pressure he’s carried inside him and on himself …

I know how hard it’s been, but Austin never shows it. And it’s extra special because he was able to win a major race, one of the three triple-crown races, which I consider to be the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Coke 600.

Another reason it was so special to me was the location.

There are only three or four drivers left from North Carolina — Austin, Ty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. come immediately to mind. We look at Charlotte as our home track, and to be able to win right there was meaningful. All of our family was there. Ty had fallen out of the race, and he had gone home, but he called Austin in the Victory Lane. It was really special for our family.

I spoke to Kelly Earnhardt (on Wednesday), and she said she was so proud of us, and she knew her dad would be proud, too. And just to hear that from her meant a whole lot.

And, of course, the big story was the return of the No. 3 to Victory Lane.

MORE: Drivers to win in all three national series

The biggest question I had in bringing the No. 3 back to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2014 was the pressure that goes along with it. We had won a couple of races with Dale Jr. (driving the No. 3 in the XFINITY Series). I know the pressure that was on him. And I knew the pressure it would put on Austin, but he had won the championship in the 3 in XFINITY, and he had won the championship in the No. 3 in the Camping World Truck Series, and I know that helped me make a decision to go ahead and do it with him. It was a big move, and it was kind of a bold move on my part, but I knew if I ever brought the 3 back, it would have to be an Earnhardt or one of the Childress family members.

We had talked about him being the first driver to win (championships) in all three series, but we’ve got to get a little more speed in our car, and I think we can do it. Our cars have run a lot better than our finishes. We had trouble in several races this year when we were running top-10, but we’re working on getting all that behind us. We showed Sunday night that we can run for 600 miles and be competitive. Austin was from sixth to 10th all night. He got points in the (Stages 2 and 3) and was 11th in the first stage, so he was right there in a good position to be able to win.

I came on the digital radio and I asked one of the engineers when I heard they were going for it on fuel mileage, “Can you make it?” And he said “We will make it,” and that really gave me a little bit of comfort, ’cause those guys are usually pretty much spot on. Those guys had it figured out: 2.7 laps (of fuel) was what he had to save. They told him three, where he could save a little extra. I knew when it got down to two (laps) to go that he had a shot. We have a fuel reserve, a light that comes on when you’re down to two laps to go, depending on the size of the track. They told him to turn the switch on, and he took off then. I knew we were going to make it at that point, and I felt he was running fast enough at that time that he could stay in front of the 78 (Martin Truex Jr., who was second until Kyle Busch passed him on the final lap).

And it was thrilling to win the Coke 600 with a Coke family driver. That was our sixth Coke 600 win. We won three with Dale, two with Kevin Harvick and one with Austin now. That’s pretty amazing for us as well. (Sponsor) Dow was just thrilled, and AAA and American Ethanol, just thrilled with the results of that win.

As soon as Austin crossed the finish line, I was screaming. I was with my wife, and we both started screaming. It was big. This Coke 600 victory is very special to our family.

As told to Reid Spencer of the NASCAR Wire Service.

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Dover races
RELATED: Full schedule for Dover

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are at Dover International Speedway this weekend.

Below are the stage lengths for each race. Click here to bookmark stage lengths for every race this season.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (Race is Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FS1)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 120
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 240
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 400

XFINITY Series (Race is Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, FS1)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 60
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 120
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 200

Camping World Truck Series (Race is Friday, 5:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
Stage 1: Ends on Lap 45
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 90
Final Stage: Ends on Lap 200

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Full Dover weekend schedule | Paint Scheme Preview

NASCAR officials confirmed Friday morning that an adhesive compound, used earlier this year at two other facilities, will not be applied before this weekend’s racing tripleheader at the 1-mile concrete track.

Dover officials previously told NASCAR.com on Wednesday morning that the application of a substance such as TrackBite had “been discussed,” but no decision had been made, and that, “if NASCAR believes it will enhance the racing here, we would certainly be supportive.”

The substance was used last year at Bristol, and again for this year’s spring race weekend in an effort to create more grip and widen the racing groove on the .533-mile track. Both Bristol and Dover feature a concrete racing surface and high-banked turns.

Officials with Charlotte Motor Speedway applied the substance in the turns of the 1.5-mile track before the recently completed Monster Energy All-Star and Coca-Cola 600 race weekends.

“It’s something we continue to learn and work with the race tracks — what’s the right application? It was the first time we’ve ever done this on asphalt,” NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said earlier this week on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We continue to learn and as we see multiple grooves open up earlier, I think it’s something you could see us apply in the future.”

Action at Dover begins Friday with the Bar Harbor 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race while the One Main Financial 200 for the XFINITY Series is scheduled for Saturday.

The AAA 400 Drive for Autism featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rounds out the racing weekend on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).

Posted on by Staff Report

Regan Smith will continue his role as interim driver of the No. 43 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports this week, according to team officials.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series travels to Dover International Speedway for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“I keep saying it, but I’m honored to drive the No. 43 Ford for Richard (Petty) and his team,” Smith said in a team press release. “I think we learned a lot at Charlotte and work together well. I’m looking forward to this weekend. I really like Dover. My last win in NASCAR was at Dover, so I’m really looking forward to getting back there in the Monster Energy Series this weekend.”

Smith, 33, drove for the team in the Monster Energy Open and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway following a back injury suffered by the team’s primary driver, Aric Almirola, at Kansas Speedway May 13.

Almirola suffered a compression fracture to his T5 vertebra when he was involved in a three-car crash with fellow drivers Joey Logano (Team Penske) and Danica Patrick (Stewart-Haas Racing). Neither Logano nor Patrick were injured.

A one-time winner in the Monster Energy Series, Smith finished fourth in the Open, a last-chance qualifying race for the series’ annual non-points All-Star Race on May 20. He qualified 25th for the Coca-Cola 600 and finished 22nd this past weekend.

Smith has made five starts for Ricky Benton Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season, and is entered in this weekend’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Dover, the Bar Harbor 200 (Friday, 5:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He is 12th in driver points.

Almirola said May 19 that doctors have told him he can expect to be sidelined from 8-12 weeks and that if there are no issues, he may resume his driving duties at that time.

RPM is a single-car organization, having eliminated one of its two teams following the conclusion of the 2016 season. Almirola, also 33, has one win in the series in 226 career starts.

Scott McDougall will again be atop the pit box for the No. 43 team as crew chief Drew Blickensderfer serves the third race of a three-race suspension.

Blickensderfer was suspended when the team’s entry failed post-race inspection at Talladega Superspeedway.

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JR Motorsports finish fabricator Wade Jackson has spent nearly the last 30 years of his life in NASCAR. But since he started the Kid’s Camp at Camp LUCK (Lucky Unlimited Cardiac Kids) for children with heart disease, he feels more like a mini celebrity as he walks through the garage.

Being crowned the 2016 Comcast Community Champion only amplified that.

“It’s been incredible,” Jackson said Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I’ve had people I’ve never met … people walk up and say what a great thing we’re doing and a lot of people have offered to help and want to know what they can do.”

Jackson was selected for the Comcast Community Champion Award on Nov. 21, 2016 at the Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series banquet. Jackson’s wife Kim and his son Jacob, who had been diagnosed with congenital heart disease and had trouble finding a summer camp growing up that he could attend with his condition, teamed up with Jay “Bird” Thompson and René Herlong in 2010 to start the first family camp. That same year, Jacob passed away at the age of 17 from a congenital heart defect.

Comcast Community Champion Award winner Wade Jackson with his family at the 2016 Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series banquet

With his son’s passing, Jackson was determined to make his legacy live on through Camp LUCK; three years later, Camp LUCK opened its first Kid’s Camp, which is what the $60,000 funds from Comcast will support.

“The money from Comcast will enable us to fully fund our Kid’s Camp for this year,” Jackson said. “So, that just takes the pressure off and we do other funding through grants and stuff and we want to fulfill Jacob’s legacy of having a camp for many years to come, so this has taken a lot of pressure off.

“… I hope it’s around for many years. I hope to make my son proud and I hope my wife and daughter are proud of me being the Comcast Community Champion Award recipient,” he said, his voice slightly breaking with emotion. “And I just hope to make them all proud and I hope to make the heart kids proud and hope to have some place for them to go for a long time.”

Ray Wright and Samantha Busch at Richmond International Raceway in April

Jackson’s Kid’s Camp at Camp LUCK wasn’t the only charitable cause that received support from Comcast; the other two 2016 Comcast Community Champion Award finalists, Richard Childress Racing pit coach Ray Wright and Kyle Busch’s wife and Kyle Busch Motorsports co-owner Samantha Busch, also received $30,000 apiece for their charities.

Wright is the founder of Pit Stops for Hope, an organization that works to end child hunger in America. For Wright, his faith was the driving force behind the organization.

“We have a bible study at Richard Childress Racing every Wednesday,” Wright said. “I remember walking out of Bible Study one day (in 2013) and going, ‘What are we doing?’ We go in the same room, we talk about the same stuff – nothing really changes, we don’t really do anything – it’s just all about us. Which is the complete opposite of what our faith tells us to do, right? We did some research and it turns out that North Carolina has the highest percentage of child hunger in the country.

“So, what better way to show our faith and what better way to use the position we have in NASCAR to help kids with that problem?”

The monetary support and exposure from his nomination for the Comcast Community Champion Award, as well as support from the NASCAR community, has made a big difference in Pit Stops for Hope, Wright says.

“Now we have a lot more funds, we can really dig in deep, we can really focus on things, and what we have to do is raise awareness for poverty in America,” Wright said. “A lot of people who live in America don’t understand how bad poverty is in our country. And that’s the first step is to raise awareness.

“See, poverty is a cycle that we’ve got to break … when these kids are young in elementary school and they’re not eating, their brains can’t develop … We’ve got to start now and get the word out that poverty is growing in America and we’ve got to do something about it.”

Busch has also seen growth in Kyle and Samantha Busch Bundle of Joy Fund, a monetary award that supports couples struggling with infertility. Busch started the organization after struggling with infertility herself and undergoing IVF treatment. Now a mother to 2-year-old Brexton, the Busches wanted a way to give back to couples like themselves.

“Over the past year, the Bundle of Joy foundation has just grown,” Busch said. “We are in our second year – we’ve had 11 babies born, we’ve helped 22 families, many of which are pregnant and expecting, and we’ve hit the quarter-million dollar mark in donations. So, we’re so proud of what it’s done.

“Not only the support of fans, but from Comcast and other organizations. They’ve really put our story out there and through that, people have learned what we’re doing because IVF and infertility is not something that many people are comfortable sharing. Our goal is not only to provide the financial support to families, but to talk about it and show women and other couples struggling that they’re not alone.”

The $30,000 award from Comcast allowed the Bundle of Joy Fund to pay for IVF treatments, which Busch said could run over $20,000 per family, for two families that were struggling with infertility.

”It’s such an incredible morning when you wake up and know that you’re going to change somebody’s life,” Busch said. “So with that money, we surprised two couples; one at the actual Reach clinic and one off site. We completely ambushed them during their lunch.

“… The (first) couple (is) amazing; they’ve been trying for six years now, they’ve had three failed IVF cycles and they had completely maxed out absolutely everything and they weren’t going to be able to go forward. So with the money from Comcast, we were able to give them that chance. And another family – just as equally as heartbreaking of a story – she actually would have had her baby this week, but they had a miscarriage and IVF is their only possibility.

“So with the Comcast donation, we were able to tell them that they could go through with IVF and try for their miracle baby again.”

But for Busch, the key word in “Comcast Community Champion Award” might be community – that’s been one of the best parts, she said.

“I think it’s amazing what Comcast is doing in the NASCAR community,” Busch said. “Not only drivers, but pit crews and everybody in NASCAR has so many wonderful charities that they donate to or foundations that they’ve started. … It’s such a great sense of community, getting other people involved with each other’s works and really just all helping each other for the greater good.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

LOUDON, N.H. — Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch met with media for the first time since Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 on Wednesday morning during organizational testing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Larson, Busch fast at Loudon

The two-time “Magic Mile” winner has been the focus of some media attention in the days following NASCAR’s marathon race, after a terse post-race interview sparked a debate about the level of emotion a competitor should show after a tough loss. Busch finished second in the 600-mile, rain-delayed race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and was understandably upset about narrowly falling short of his first victory of the season. He said Wednesday that reactions differ depending on how certain sports figures show emotion after events.

“No question,” the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champ told reporters gathered around his hauler. “(Five-time Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots head coach) Bill Belichick gets it differently than anybody else.

“But, you know, we also sometimes are more successful than others as well, too.”

In other words, he’s on to Dover.

Busch has been on a roll of late, with three straight top-five finishes. He’ll look for his third career Dover International Speedway win in Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM).

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR fined crew chief Rodney Childers $10,000 for a safety violation after the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driven by Kevin Harvick was found to have one lug nut improperly installed in post-race inspection.

Harvick started the Memorial Day weekend race in the Coors Light Pole position but finished in eighth place. He sits fourth in the driver point standings this season.

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Take 5: Observations from 600 | Race Rewind

Joe Gibbs Racing’s four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams were already showing signs of improvement before this year’s All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

But Kyle Busch’s victory in the non-points event undoubtedly helped lay the groundwork for what was to become, at this point, the organization’s best combined result of the season a week later.

“That was certainly something we could build off of,” Jason Ratcliff, crew chief for the No. 20 JGR Toyota of Matt Kenseth, said following Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600. “Everybody came back, worked hard (during Saturday’s two practice sessions), put some good notes together and everybody ran well (in the 600).”

Busch nearly pulled off the dynamic double, winning the All-Star Race and the 600 until a fuel mileage gamble by Austin Dillon got in the way. Dillon scored his first career victory in the series; Busch was runner-up for the 38th time.

Kenseth managed to motor home with a fourth-place finish, teammate Denny Hamlin was fifth and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Daniel Suarez was 11th. That’s an average finish of 5.5 for the group, and the first time this year it’s broken the double-digit barrier.

“I hope we can keep that up,” Ratcliff said. “It’s definitely a good momentum builder. Hopefully we can take that into Dover, on to Pocono and through the rest of the summer.”

The series heads to Dover International Speedway this weekend for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). All four JGR drivers have wins in one NASCAR series or another at the 1-mile concrete oval, including five Monster Energy Cup wins between Kenseth (3) and Busch (2). Kenseth is the defending race winner.

This year’s fuss, of course, can be traced back to last year’s success. Armed with a bit more of a veteran lineup, JGR drivers won seven of 12 races to start the ’16 season and all four qualified for the 10-race Playoffs with Busch and Carl Edwards advancing to the Championship Round.

Suarez came aboard with an XFINITY Series title but no premier series experience when Edwards announced in January of ’17 that he was stepping away from racing.

While it’s been a bit of a transition for Suarez, the 25-year-old has three top-10 results and continues to show improvement.

For JGR as a whole to be winless at this point on the heels of last year’s results has been one of the season’s most unexpected developments.

Adam Stevens, crew chief for Busch, said it’s too soon to call the organization’s recent results a trend, but says he likes what he saw coming out of the two-week Charlotte stop.

“I think the 18 has had pretty good speed most every weekend,” Stevens said of his particular group. “I feel like we could have had a couple of wins but we don’t. But we had good speed last week (in the All-Star Race) and ran well; had good speed as a company this week. I think if we can duplicate that at Dover, maybe Pocono, then I would say definitely for sure.”

Having multiple teammates is beneficial, but much more so when all are running well.

“It just helps your notes so much,” Stevens explained. “If you are all running mid-pack … you don’t know if you’re learning anything because you don’t have the results to show for it. The proof is always in the pudding.

“It’s nice to go out there and make some changes, work on your car and see that bear some fruit. You can always think that you’re making it better but if you don’t have the results to show for it, you’re just guessing.”

The runner-up effort was Busch’s third consecutive top-five finish. His teammates are still searching for that sort of consistency.

“We’ve been a bit scattered,” Kenseth noted. “Our speed is better and we still have some work to do especially with my car to get it driving better. I still can’t run with the 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) and the 18 (Kyle Busch); if they’re out in front of me, they’re still better than us. We still have some work to do, but we do have more speed and that’s encouraging.”

Truex now leads the points and his Furniture Row Racing outfit gets its chassis from JGR, with whom it has a technical alliance. Truex has a pair of victories and is considered the front-runner among title hopefuls after the first dozen races.

JGR, however, appears to be closing the gap.

“It’s slow and steady,” Ratcliff said. “You make progress … what do they call it, the compound effect? You start seeing it over time and I think that’s what it is.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: See the races at New Hampshire

LOUDON, N.H. — Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams descended upon New Hampshire Motor Speedway for organizational testing at the 1-mile oval on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyle Larson had the three fastest laps of the seven-hour opening day of testing with a best speed of 125.6 mph. He followed it up on Wednesday, again posting the fastest lap at 125.1 mph.

Testing included a plethora of heavy-hitters, including five former “Magic Mile” winners in Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing), Brad Keselowski (Team Penske), Clint Bowyer (Stewart-Haas Racing), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ryan Newman (Richard Childress Racing).

Twelve drivers in total were at the test, representing nine different Monster Energy Series teams. Three drivers specifically tested for NASCAR’s three manufacturers.

Teams are prepping and collecting data for the upcoming New Hampshire 301 (July 16, 3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio) and the Sept. 24 New England 300 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.)

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers (Busch in 2015, Matt Kenseth in 2016) have won the past two July NHMS races.

The session was interrupted briefly early Tuesday afternoon as rain spit from the cloudy skies above the race track embedded in the Granite State woodlands. As a result, the test was extended thirty minutes to 7:30 p.m. ET. The Wednesday session was delayed approximately three hours due to morning showers.

A pair of drivers looking for more consistent seat time (i.e. a full-time ride) in Alex Bowman and Drew Herring were also on hand to test for Chevrolet and Toyota, respectively.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently mentioned Bowman would be a suitable replacement for him in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet next season after he hangs up the fire suit. Bowman filled in for Earnhardt last year on a part-time basis during the latter’s recovery from concussion-related symptoms.

RELATED: Junior endorses Bowman for No. 88

See the table below for each driver’s best speeds from each day.

Tuesday

Driver Team Manufacturer Speed (mph)
 1. Kyle Larson  Chip Ganassi Racing  Chevrolet   125.6
2. Kyle Busch  Joe Gibbs Racing   Toyota  125.2
3. Kasey Kahne  Hendrick Motorsports   Chevrolet  124.8
4. Brad Keselowski   Team Penske   Ford  124.5
5. Ryan Blaney   Wood Brothers Racing   Ford  124.4
6. Ryan Newman  Richard Childress Racing   Chevrolet  124.3
7. Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing  Ford  124.2
8. Trevor Bayne  Roush Fenway Racing   Ford  123.4
9. Drew Herring  Toyota Wheelforce   Toyota 123.3
10. Alex Bowman  Chevrolet Wheelforce   Chevrolet  122.7
11. Ty Dillon  Germain Racing   Chevrolet  122.3
12. David Ragan  Ford Wheelforce   Ford  121.5

Wednesday

Driver Team Manufacturer Speed (mph)
 1. Kyle Larson  Chip Ganassi Racing  Chevrolet   125.1
2. Kasey Kahne  Hendrick Motorsports  Chevrolet  125.0
3. Kyle Busch  Joe Gibbs Racing  Toyota  124.8
t-4. Brad Keselowski   Team Penske   Ford  124.3
t-4. Ryan Blaney   Wood Brothers Racing   Ford  124.3
6. Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing  Ford  124.2
7. Ryan Newman  Richard Childress Racing  Ford  123.6
8. Ty Dillon  Germain Racing  Chevrolet 123.4
9. Alex Bowman  Chevrolet Wheelforce  Chevrolet  123.0
10. Drew Herring  Toyota Wheelforce  Toyota  122.8
11. Trevor Bayne  Roush Fenway Racing  Ford  122.6
12. David Ragan  Ford Wheelforce   Ford  121.3

 

Posted on by Steve Luvender

The longest race of the season, Memorial Day weekend, a thrilling finish, a first-time winner, a driver live tweeting the race, competitors getting lost during a rain delay — what more could you ask for? The Coca-Cola 600 never disappoints, and this year’s running of NASCAR’s iconic race was no exception.

THUMBS UP to another first-time winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It took 133 tries, but Austin Dillon pulled it off. All it took was a little bit of extra fuel — and some wood paneling, apparently.

(Turns out the car couldn’t pass inspection if it were actually made of wood, but the wood-printed vinyl wrap is pretty close.)

And, of course, a bonus thumbs-up to the No. 3 crew for joining in on their driver’s trademark victory celebration of, well, sliding stomach-first across the grass, thus creating the greatest GIF of the 2017 season so far.

THUMBS DOWN to stormy weather during the race. Everybody knows rain is bad, but when it adds two hours to the longest race of the year, it creates problems — like rookie drivers getting lost, for instance. Gray Gaulding, making his first 600 start, was nowhere to be found once drivers were called back to their cars after the Air Titans dried the track.

Gaulding eventually found his way back to the grid, along with Timmy Hill, who had also gone missing. Close call. A swift thumbs down to rain … although, the post-storm rainbow was admittedly cool.

THUMBS UP to the paint schemes of the Coca-Cola 600. The 600 always brings out the best designs of the season. Let’s take a moment to appreciate a few of these.

… the No. 2’s paint didn’t last for too long, but it looked pretty good for the first 19 laps.

Speaking of …

THUMBS DOWN to engines that fall apart. Sure, the Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race on the schedule, putting drivers and their machines to their ultimate test, but it must be a disappointment for something to go mechanically wrong before the first stage flag waves.

Think about it — you’re ready to race your heart out for 400 laps, go from day to night, figure out how well the “sticky groove” helps your speed, make enemies out of your neighbors on pit road …

… only for something mechanical to fail in the opening laps of the race, like what happened to Jeffrey Earnhardt’s car just minutes after the green flag.

Debris from the No. 33’s rear end (no, not that kind — gross) littered the track after the parts failure, putting a hole in the nose of Chase Elliott’s car, which ended up in the path of a Brad Keselowski, ending all three drivers’ nights.

Things that break prematurely are the worst. Major thumbs down.

THUMBS UP, on the other hand, to Brad Keselowski for joining fans on social media after crashing out of the race early.

From heading to Facebook Live to posting innuendo-laden Tweets (courtesy of his sponsor, Miller Lite), the conversation became quite interesting.

Keselowski deserves some credit for being a good sport — and his time on Facebook Live and Twitter probably made some people wish he’d crash out early more often, for one reason or another.

THE BIGGEST THUMBS UP OF THE WEEK goes to the overall presence of pride on this Memorial Day weekend. From the patriotic paint schemes to special Goodyear tires to the names of fallen heroes prominently printed on drivers’ windshields, the tradition of honoring those who gave it all makes the Coca-Cola 600 one of the most unique and special race weekends of the season.

Those who gave everything so that we have the freedom to watch racing, make questionable Tweets, and slide across the infield grass deserve more than just a thumbs up.