XFINITY, Camping World Truck Chase-clinching scenarios for Chicagoland

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Staff Report

XFINITY SERIES

The XFINITY Series regular season finale, the Drive for Safety 300, takes place Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway at 3 p.m. ET (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), while the Sprint Cup Series Chase Grid was set last week at Richmond International Speedway.

An 11th-place finish at Richmond allowed Roush Fenway Racing‘s Ryan Reed to clinch at Chase spot, leaving two spots available for clinching this weekend at Chicagoland. Erik Jones, Elliott Sadler, Daniel Suarez, Justin Allgaier, Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan, Brennan Poole, Brandon Jones and Darrell Wallace Jr. have also clinched Chase spots.

All of the following drivers could also automatically clinch with a win.

Possible to Clinch:

• Blake Koch (0 Wins, 570 Points, 449 Points Ahead of 31st): Koch could earn a Chase berth by tallying 39 points — achieved by finishing 2nd with no laps led, third with at least one lap led or fourth with the most laps led — and a new winner at Chicagoland. He could also earn a berth with a repeat winner and 19 points, achieved by finishing 22nd with no laps led, 23rd with at least one lap led and 24th with the most laps led.

• Ryan Sieg (0 Wins, 567 Points, 446 Points Ahead of 31st): Sieg could clinch on points at Chicagoland with a repeat winner/Blake Koch win and 22 points, achieved by finishing 19th with no laps led, 20th with at least one lap led or 21st with most laps led. He would need some help to clinch with a new winner at Chicagoland.

• Dakoda Armstrong (0 Wins, 547 Points, 426 Points Ahead of 31st): Armstrong needs help to clinch on points.

• Jeremy Clements (0 Wins, 538 Points, 417 Points Ahead of 31st): Clements needs help to clinch on points.

The following need a win to clinch a Chase spot: Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece, Ray Black Jr., BJ McLeod, Joey Gase.

Camping World Truck Series

The Camping World Truck Series regular season finale, the American Ethanol e15 225, takes place Friday at Chicagoland Speedway at 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Possible to Clinch:

• Daniel Hemric (0 Wins, 374 Points, 305 Points Ahead of 31st) – Would clinch on points with 10 points (23rd and no laps led, 24th and led at least one lap, 25th and led most laps) and a new winner. Would clinch on points with a repeat winner, regardless of finish. With a win, they would clinch a Chase spot on wins.

• Timothy Peters (0 Wins, 350 Points, 281 Points Ahead of 31st) – Would clinch on points with a repeat winner (or a win by Daniel Hemric) and 2 Points (31st and no laps led, 32nd and led at least one lap). With a win, he would clinch a Chase spot on wins. Could clinch on points with a new winner and help (needs to outpoint Daniel Hemric by six points (Peters owns the tie-breaker).

• Cole Custer (0 Wins, 318 Points, 249 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, he would clinch a Chase spot on wins. Could clinch on points with a repeat winner (or win by Daniel Hemric) and help (needs to outpoint Timothy Peters by 32 points (Custer owns the tie-breaker).

The following need a win to clinch a Chase spot: Cameron Hayley, Tyler Reddick, Ben Rhodes, Spencer Gallagher, Rico Abreu, Austin Wayne Self, Travis Kvapil and Jordan Anderson.

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Official NASCAR Release

RELATED: Breaking down the Chase field

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 13, 2016) — NASCAR is bringing to life the drama and excitement of The Chase^® for fans online and on their mobile devices with Ready. Set. Chase, a new, integrated marketing campaign leading with digital and social media to promote the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™.

This year, to complement a robust, multi-platform social media push, NASCAR will engage and entertain fans with a heart-pounding action film series, starring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ drivers re-enacting the action and intensity of The Chase.

The first digital video in the five-part series debuted today and can be viewed on NASCAR.com/TheChase. Inspired by the iconic chase scenes in classic Hollywood action films, the creative features reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch, on foot and being pursued by his Chase competitors.

An original television spot, titled “The Chase is On,” officially launched Ready. Set. Chase on Saturday during the regular season finale at Richmond International Raceway.

“All season long NASCAR fans have been treated to some incredible racing on the track, but even still there’s nothing quite like The Chase,” said NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jill Gregory. “Ready. Set. Chase plays off the passion, drama and tension that underscores these next 10 weeks, while creating multiple ways for fans to engage and be part of the fun.”

For the first time, all three NASCAR OEMs are inviting fans to get in on the action by participating in Chase sweepstakes on NASCAR.com. Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota will each award one grand prize winner a new vehicle and VIP trip for two to NASCAR Champion’s Week in Las Vegas in December.

Fans can register for a chance to win a Chevrolet SS, Ford Fusion Sport and Toyota Camry XSE by visiting the Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota sweepstake sites, or after making their weekly picks in the Chase Grid Game on NASCAR.com.

“We’re thrilled to have all three manufacturers activating around Ready. Set. Chase and creating unique content that elevates the overall Chase experience for our loyal and dedicated fans,” said Gregory.

In the Chase Grid Game, fans that correctly pick drivers to advance to each Chase round will be entered for a chance to win real gear from the drivers and race tracks, including firesuits, helmets and sheet metal from the race cars.

NASCAR will promote #TheChase heavily across all platforms during the sport’s most social postseason ever, leveraging Twitter, Vine, Periscope, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to engage fans throughout the 10-week Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

For each round leading up to Championship Weekend, NASCAR will execute unique activations on specific platforms in an effort to highlight its broad and extensive reach across the social media landscape.

Beginning with the Round of 16, NASCAR fans will have access to a custom emoji for anytime they use #TheChase on Twitter. In addition, NASCAR will highlight its presence on Twitter, Vine and Periscope via a continued focus on compelling content and behind-the-scenes experiences.

The Round of 12 will feature a Snapchat Live Story from the October 8 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and as The Chase field gets narrowed down to eight, NASCAR will go all in with social storytelling across all platforms, highlighted by innovations on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, freelance designers and original production will tell the story of the most epic championship battle in sports.

The Ready. Set. Chase digital films, developed with Ogilvy & Mather New York, will be shot after each Chase round and recreate the on-track highlights as part of dramatic chases.

Last month, Chase drivers began hitting the road for social and traditional media blitzes to promote the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Kyle Busch kicked off Chase Across America in Boston and each week different drivers will crisscross the nation to make special appearances and build excitement for The Chase.

NASCAR will crown its 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion at the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the fourth and final round of The Chase on Nov. 20 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tickets for all Chase events in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are available at NASCAR.com/tickets.

The 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup kicks off with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 13, 2016) – NASCAR Heat Evolution, the first officially licensed, all-encompassing NASCAR video game for the current generation of consoles, is available today on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One.

With today’s release, NASCAR, NASCAR Team Properties (NTP) and Dusenberry Martin Racing (DMR), NTP’s exclusive simulation-style licensee, have put the sport into the players’ hands.

“NASCAR Heat Evolution will bring the excitement of NASCAR into the homes of gamers across the country, allowing players of all ages to engage with our sport in the most entertaining NASCAR game ever created,” said Blake Davidson, vice president of consumer and licensed products, NASCAR. “Many of our rising stars’ first exposure to NASCAR was through video games, which underscores the impact they can have by driving interest and creating life-long fans.”

NASCAR Heat Evolution connects fans more than ever before. A new online competitive multiplayer feature supports a full field of up to 40 racers, a NASCAR video game first. Gamers can race as and against the top drivers and teams of today. Users can enter their rookie season and race for a spot in The Chase, relive classic NASCAR moments, or make new ones.

“NASCAR Heat Evolution marks the beginning of a new era in NASCAR digital games from Dusenberry Martin Racing,” said DMR Chief Executive Officer Tom Dusenberry. “From day one, DMR’s main focus was to provide a fun, authentic NASCAR experience to all fans. NASCAR Heat Evolution is all about the drivers, and I truly believe we have delivered.”

NASCAR Heat Evolution is available today in North America for $59.99 as a retail and digital release on the PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One and Windows PC. This title is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB.

The 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup kicks off with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 13, 2016) – Richard Petty Motorsports today announced more competition changes in a continued effort to improve their on-track performance. Effectively immediately, Drew Blickensderfer will take over the crew chief responsibilities for the No. 43 Ford Fusion previously held by Trent Owens. Owens will be reassigned a position within the company.

Late last month, RPM leadership started an aggressive strategy to improve speed, performance and future growth of RPM. The goal is to improve on-track results from 2016 and to capitalize on the progress made in previous seasons.

Blickensderfer, who most recently served as Director of Research and Development with RPM, has a proven history of winning and been a valued employee at RPM for the last four years. Blickensderfer, who brings nine years of Crew Chief experience in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, made his Crew Chief debut in 2009 at Roush Fenway Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Since that time, he worked with 13 different drivers in both series and tallied 15 wins, including a Daytona 500 win in 2009, 16 Top-Five finishes and 104 Top-10 finishes.

“We are continuing to analyze every part of our organizations and make adjustments where needed,” said Brian Moffitt, Chief Executive Office, Richard Petty Motorsports. “We’ve made significant investments in both teams, and the results for the No. 43 team have not been what we expected. By making this change now, we hope that Drew (Blickensderfer) can begin momentum to improving on-track performance and get the team in a good place for the 2017 season. Trent Owens has been a valued member of our organization and will continue to play a significant role with Richard Petty Motorsports.”

The No. 43 team and Aric Almirola have seen success on the track in recent seasons with the team’s most consistent season together and highest average finish to date in 2015. They were also a race winning team in 2014 and competed in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Blickensderfer will begin his duties at the track in Chicago this weekend.

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Pat DeCola

DennyHamlin

Time is a flat circle. Despite a midseason slump, Hamlin opened and closed the regular season with major victories and rolls into the postseason as the series’ hottest driver. Oh, and guess who won last year’s Chase opener?

MORE: Hamlin wins Richmond

BradKeselowski

If you’re looking for an odds-on favorite to put a stop to Toyota’s recent dominance, look no further than Keselowski, who is running well and won the Chicago race in 2014 from the 25th starting position.

Kevinharvick

-2

Harvick comes to Chicago as the defending pole winner, but finished 42nd. That said, he has a series-high eight top-five finishes there and was fastest in a test session last month.

MORE: Harvick on his crew

Kylelarson

Larson may be the scariest in a Chase field full of underdogs, especially since he’s shown he already has a strong handle on Chicago in his young career (5.0 average finish in two races).

Martintruex jr

Truex didn’t manage to come up with his second straight victory, but his 193 laps led at Richmond re-affirmed that his No. 78 team is as strong as any other in the Chase.

RELATED: No. 78 fails inspection

KyleBusch

Busch led a whopping 121 laps at Chicago last year, but it was his teammate Denny Hamlin who took the checkered. Still, Busch is a threat to win every week.

Joeylogano

-4

Logano is in the midst of an overall solid run, with five straight top 10s, but has just the one win this year. Still, we saw how dominant he can be in the Chase last year.

Carledwards

-3

Edwards’ finishing position has gotten worse each week since Bristol. No major concerns, but he hasn’t won since Richmond — the first one.

Kurtbusch

Can a guy who has 17 top-10 finishes be considered a sleeper? Sure, since nobody seems to be talking about Kurt Busch. And they should be.

Mattkenseth

-1

Kenseth will likely come alive in the Chase — as he always seems to do, particularly in the first round — but it seems odd that he only has 11 top-10 finishes, right?

ChaseElliott

Despite the awkwardness of crashing into Jeff Gordon at Richmond, Elliott still managed to make the Chase. He’s inconsistent at times, which could seriously hurt his postseason chances.

MORE: Elliott runs into Gordon

Tonystewart

Time will tell if Ryan Newman will seek payback, but if "Smoke" can win at Chicago — where he has a series-high three victories — he may not need to worry for a few weeks, and perhaps Newman will have cooled off by then.

MORE: Stewart, Newman collide

JimmieJohnson

-2

Johnson is winless at Chicago — shockingly — but has led a series-high 577 laps.

Jamiemcmurray

McMurray has been excellent lately, but comes into Chicago with the worst average finish at the track among Chase drivers with more than two starts there (20.8).

AustinDillon

-1

Dillon starts well at Chicago (10.0 average starting position) but has faded significantly in his two starts (29.5 average finish).

Chrisbuescher

Not many are pegging Buescher to make it past the first round of the Chase, but not many (any?) had him making it this far, either. He’s the reigning XFINITY Series champion for a reason.

Posted on September 12, 2016 by

RELATED: Full race results | Standings | Chase Grid

Breaking down the full field for the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway:

1. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin was awesome on restarts and just plain fast Saturday night at his home track. He now has four top-five finishes in his past five starts, including two wins. What’s more, he heads into the Chase with a series-best eight consecutive top-10 finishes. Hamlin is smokin’. Grade: A++

2. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Larson enters his first Chase riding finishes of first, third and second in the past three races. The No. 42 team is oozing confidence. Grade: A

3. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Toyota, Furniture Row Racing. Not even a pit-road speeding penalty could hold back Truex, who led a race-high 193 laps. Surprising fact No. 1: This is the first time Truex has had back-to-back top-five finishes in more than a year. Grade: A+

4. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski had a pit-road speeding penalty, missed a shift on a late restart that resulted in Matt Kenseth wrecking out of the race … and still finished in the top five for the ninth time in the past 14 races. Top fives, by the way, are dynamite in the Chase. Grade: A-

5. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick’s pit-road speeding penalty came on the sixth caution. Notice how it didn’t torpedo his night? Or Truex’s, Keselowski’s or (as you’ll read next) Kasey Kahne’s? That’s what happens when a race has a record 16 cautions. Also worth noting: The top-five finish was Harvick’s fourth in a row. Grade: A

6. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne’s only ticket into the Chase was with a win, and he fell short. Kahne finished seventh last week at Darlington and has put together back-to-back top 10s for the first time in almost a year. And to close the book on speeding penalties (for now), Kahne’s came during the second caution. Grade: A

7. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Ryan Newman’s 15-point penalty after last week’s race made life a lot easier for McMurray, as did Newman’s run-in late with Tony Stewart. Bottom line: McMurray turned in his fourth top-10 finish in the past five races and raced his way into the Chase with room to spare. Grade A

8. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Busch didn’t get a speeding penalty, but penalized himself making sure he didn’t speed. How? He missed his pit stall during the second caution because he was looking down at his instruments to ensure he didn’t speed and had to come down pit road a second time for service. By Lap 229 he was back in the lead. Grade: A-

9. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch’s 6.0 average running position trailed only Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., but a final pit stop before overtime didn’t bear fruit. Grade: A

10. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. Logano heads into the Chase with 12 top-10 finishes in the past 14 races. Last year, it was 11 of 14 and he began the Chase with six top 10s, including three wins. Grade: A

11. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Let’s see … two pit-road penalties and one meeting with the wall. Not exactly heading into the Chase with any momentum, are we? Surprising fact No. 2: Johnson has 10 top 10s this season. Unless he finishes in the top 10 in each of the final 10 races, he will fall short of at least 20 top 10s in a season for the first time in his career. Grade: C

12. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Chevrolet, Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing. In his 204th Cup start, McDowell produced the fourth-best finish of his career and his best finish on a non-restrictor plate track. All three of his career top 10s have come at Daytona. Grade: A

13. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. On a night filled with mistakes, drama and a track-record for cautions, you won’t find Dillon’s name associated with any of it. Mission accomplished. Welcome to the Chase. Grade: A

14. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne is making progress, albeit incrementally. Saturday’s finish was his 11th top 15 in his past 20 starts. He had nine top 15s in his first 100 starts. Grade: B

15. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick almost was collected in the wreck that caused the eighth caution. Instead, her night ended with her third-best finish of the season. Grade: B

16. Jeff Gordon, No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon was involved in the third caution that resulted in Chase Elliott hitting the wall. Later, he somehow made it through the big Tony Stewart–Ryan Newman carnage unscathed. Gordon also spent some quality time in the top 10. Pretty eventful night for a retired guy. Grade: B

17. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. A flat tire and a pit-road penalty contributed to Almirola’s 26.1 average running position. To his credit, though, that’s nowhere near where he finished. Grade: B

18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse was party to the seventh caution, and the No. 17 team got in on the pit-road penalty action en route to Stenhouse’s second straight 18th-place finish. Grade: B-

19. Chase Elliott, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Problems and penalties on pit road plus a brush with the wall are footnotes on a night Elliott where was one of two rookies to make the Chase (Chris Buescher was the other). Grade: B-

20. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Two words that seemingly were attached Saturday night: “caution” and “Allmendinger.” We also could add “spins,” “penalties,” and “damage to the 47.” And somehow, despite all that, AJ finished 20th. Must be the Mr. Tickles Effect. Grade: C

21. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Without his great save from the contact that brought out the eighth caution, there is no 21st-place finish. Grade: C+

22. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Bowyer picked up only his 12th lead-lap finish of the season and is in jeopardy of having his fewest LLFs since his rookie season in 2006 (19). Grade: C

23. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle’s 500th career start might be remembered for what didn’t happen. Biffle spun in overtime, but because he was able to save his car and not hit anything, there was no caution. Would the outcome have been different? We’ll never know but Denny Hamlin should thank Biffle. Grade: C

24. Chris Buescher, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Buescher was in and out of dangerous situations all night — situations he never should have been in. All he had to do was protect his spot in the top 30 and instead he was getting “racy.” Yes, he finished 24th. Yes, David Ragan’s crash cemented Buescher’s spot in the Chase. But Buescher’s night easily — and needlessly — could have ended earlier. Thus, his low mark. Grade: D

25. Dylan Lupton, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. In only his second Sprint Cup start, Lupton ended up on top of Ryan Newman’s car in the big wreck on Lap 363 — and still finished 25th. Grade: A

26. Reed Sorenson, No. 55 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. With four laps to go in regulation, Sorenson was hit by Kyle Larson and made a great save to keep from going into the wall. He was rewarded with his second-best finish over the past two seasons. Grade: A-

27. Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 32 Ford, Go Fas Racing. Two Sprint Cup milestones for Earnhardt: His first laps led (two, during the first caution) and his best finish (in 16 starts over two seasons). Congrats. Grade: A

28. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman needed a Hail Mary to make the Chase. It didn’t happen. Instead, his incident with Tony Stewart will become part of NASCAR lore. Not because of the wreck itself, but because of what Newman said afterward. When he looked right into the NBC camera and called out Stewart, it was like watching professional wrestling on Saturday mornings when I was in junior high. Great stuff. Grade: WWE

29. Regan Smith, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Despite losing a tire and crashing out of the race with two laps to go in regulation, Smith scored a top-30 finish for the fourth straight week. Grade: C-

30. Josh Wise, No. 30 Chevrolet, The Motorsports Group. Wise put together back-to-back top-30 finishes for the second time this season. Grade: C

31. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett brought out the ninth caution when a flat tire sent him right into the wall on Lap 291. He finished 17 laps back. Grade: D

32. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards was involved in two incidents, including the big wreck on Lap 363. The result was his career-worst fifth DNF of the season. Grade: D

33. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. For the second race in a row, Stewart wrecked an opponent. Although you have to admire his candor for admitting it, the collateral damage from the incident with Ryan Newman was unacceptable. Grade: F

34. David Ragan, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Ragan and his destroyed car easily qualified as collateral damage from the Stewart-Newman incident. Until that point, the Ragan-Chris Buescher points battle was a key element of the evening. Grade: D

35. Brian Scott, No. 44 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Scott, who was the subject of Tony Stewart’s wrath at Darlington, got the short end of a Stewart revenge run again when his No. 44 plowed into David Ragan’s car and then was hit from behind by AJ Allmendinger. Grade: D

36. Landon Cassill, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. A brakes issue sent the No. 38 to the garage early. Cassill finished the race 49 laps back. Grade: F

37. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 93 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto’s night ended when a tire went down and he hit the wall hard with less than 50 laps to go in regulation. Grade: F

38. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Brad Keselowski’s missed shift on a late restart set off a chain of events that left Kenseth in the wall and through for the night. Kenseth was not pleased with Keselowski, who took responsibility for the mishap after the race. Grade: C

39. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Blaney’s shot at a good night ended right after the flyover. Well, almost. In the first five laps Blaney suffered tire damage while battling with Trevor Bayne. On Lap 11 the tire went down, and Blaney went into the wall. “Two guys going for the same spot. It was a shame it happened so early. … Maybe a little stubborn-headed on both of our parts, but I should know better than that.” Yes, you should. To get into a bad spot in the first five laps of a 400-lap race? Even a rookie knows better than that. Grade: F

40. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard was running in the top 15 on Lap 265 when a tire rub turned into a blowout, contact with the wall and then Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He finished last for the second time in the past 16 races, which equals his last-place finishes in his first 337 Cup starts. Grade: F

Posted on September 12, 2016November 19, 2017 by Holly Cain

Editor’s note: This story was published in September 2016.

DENVER — Establishing a major NASCAR team in Denver — far from the massive Southeastern hub of the sport’s longtime passionate fandom — may have seemed an incredible challenge. But it has turned out to be a welcome awakening.

As Denver’s own Furniture Row Racing team continues to succeed on the track and exceed expectations as championship-caliber organization, its hometown couldn’t be more supportive.

Team owner Barney Visser lunches with the mayor, Denver’s television news anchors are practically on a first-name basis with the entire team and even the city’s reigning Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos recognize there’s plenty of room for sports excellence in these parts.

The only playoff team located outside NASCAR’s Carolina-Virginia hub had to work as hard for its respect as it did for its success. But now this entire region of the country considers Furniture Row Racing its very own.

“I really feel like Denver and Colorado are sports-oriented, very outdoorsy minded people,” explained Adele Arakawa, the hugely popular news anchor of Denver’s NBC television affiliate and an amateur sports car racer who has attended multiple NASCAR races to film stories on the FRR team for her viewers.

“Whenever you have a team that’s having success like Furniture Row, there are a lot of people who are willing to learn about the sport and embrace, especially a team they see as the underdog.

“Here, especially so. They like to pull for a team that may not be the favorite. They know what it was like when the Broncos first started out and (baseball’s Colorado) Rockies first started out. They want to support a team that appreciates their support.”

And so the community has found its high-speed soul mate. The team has found its support and patronage.

Furniture Row Racing and its star driver Martin Truex Jr. have not only won over even NASCAR’s most hardcore longtime fans with their success, they also have converted a major area of the country into diehard race fans and earned the distinction of Denver’s “hometown favorites.”

In a sport where the majority of teams hail from one region in the Southeast, Furniture Row Racing has been the kind of westward expansion that’s earned new hearts and broadened the sport’s reach.

While the team has been building its base in Denver for a decade, its current driver certainly has made the organization an easy option for local fans. That’s especially true this season as the team has celebrated a coming of age.

Truex dominated NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 in May, just collected a win in the historic Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend. AND — all capital letters here — Truex came a split-second short of bringing a Daytona 500 trophy back to Denver in the famous season-opener. His runner-up finish to Denny Hamlin by 0.010 seconds marked the closest margin of victory in the history of the sport’s most celebrated race.

Visser was born, raised and for decades has thrived as a businessman in Denver. He has seven children (one has passed away) and seven grandchildren, and they are all here, too. Always, he has been firm that this locale was the only option where his team would operate, no matter the challenges.

“Our business is based here,” Visser explained. “I wouldn’t even think about doing it out East in North Carolina. Yes, there are transportation logistics and occasionally hiring is a little more difficult, but we don’t have to hire nearly as often because the guys just don’t want to leave. We try to provide a real good work atmosphere.

“No jerks,” he said smiling and explaining his team philosophy. “And it’s worked out very well for us.”

Arakawa smiles broadly when she thinks of what this team has meant to the area. She frequently stops by the shop on Denver’s industrial West side just to catch up over a cup of coffee and share the vibe.

“I like to go visit the shop just to breathe in the rubber and the oil,” she joked. “It’s David and Goliath in the sport, but with their kind of attitude, that’s why people even outside Colorado pull for this team. You see it everywhere.

“That pioneering spirit is what Barney embodies. And that’s a testament to anyone who has been a trailblazer. That is a cliché, but I don’t think he’d mind. He did it because of his passion to be here. And then, look at the opportunities he has given this state. Look at what he’s accomplished.”

The former mayor of nearby Englewood, Colorado, Randy Penn, lunches with Visser at least once a month. One cannot mistake the enthusiasm in his voice as he proudly talks about the Furniture Row team.

“It’s a city that, no matter what, supports winners,” said Penn, who is now the executive director of the city’s Chamber of Commerce. “I walk into a room of important business people and they’re talking about an article in the newspaper about the team and say, ‘Did you know we’re NASCAR fans too?’ And they start telling me about visiting other tracks.

“For us to have this team here is just a great privilege and for the Denver metro area, it’s another awakening.”

The support extends to the area’s hometown NFL favorite Denver Broncos, where safety TJ Ward — who happens to wear Richard Petty’s iconic No. 43 on his jersey — can be counted as a big fan of the city’s race team.

Furniture Row invited Ward to visit during the race at Auto Club Speedway earlier this year. He hung out with the team in the garage, in the pits and took a pace car ride at speed.

“First of all, it’s louder than any football game,” a smiling Ward said, recalling his time at the race track. “And I think it’s great as much as Denver is expanding to have another sport based here. And the more people learn about NASCAR, the more interest there is.”

For Furniture Row, the feeling of adoration is mutual. The team flies the Colorado state flag on its pit box every race. And as the 10-race postseason begins, this team will benefit not only from the goodwill of most fans, but the rabid support of an entire region that now considers the team their own.

“There’s a certain pride that’s there absolutely,” said Furniture Row Racing General Manager Joe Garone, who is a Colorado native. “We’re an oddity, we know, so a lot of times when you do run into a race fan, it’s the first thing they say, ‘Oh you’re the guys from Colorado. I can’t believe you’re able to do this.’ And it’s great.

“That makes a lot of the guys working so hard to get it done feel a sense a pride. That’s a sense of pride another team that’s working in North Carolina won’t get. It’s like the Wood Brothers who work out of Stuart, Virginia. They’re running their team all these years up there, outside of that bubble.

“But this is that on steroids.”

And it’s well-appreciated.

“I won’t even tell you who I was rooting for until Barney started this team,” Penn said with a laugh. “But I can tell you that’s the only car I root for now. All of a sudden you have this connection, and there’s nobody else we root for more.”

Posted on September 12, 2016November 19, 2017 by Holly Cain

RELATED: Denver offers warm embrace

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Sept. 12, 2016.

DENVER — NASCAR’s most unique race shop sits across from a fabric-manufacturing warehouse on Denver’s industrial northeast side. Colorado’s “Favorite Meat Store” is down the street. Dull gray concrete walls dominate the addresses here.

The noisy and steady sounds of the nearby Interstate 70 freeway are interrupted at regular intervals by the heavy clunking and loud train whistles coming from the neighboring railroad tracks.

The street front of Furniture Row Racing’s shop blends in completely with the industrial look of its neighboring businesses. There are no signs to identify the gray building or to offer even a single clue of what lies behind the sturdy, always-locked front doors. Team members have parked their pick-up trucks in a small lot alongside the shop and many more line the street out front.

This is NASCAR’s version of Oz.

And it’s been quite the yellow-brick road.

“This building has been a lot of different things,” Furniture Row Racing team owner Barney Visser said, allowing a slight smile. “It was a warehouse for our company, then a waterbed factory, then an oak furniture factory then an upholstery plant.

“But we wanted to make sure the inside is real nice for the race team.”

And sure enough, behind the concrete facade and nondescript front doors of the building, is a comfortable home base to a busy, well-equipped, highly motivated NASCAR race shop — an inspired group of people who spend their Rocky Mountain days on East Coast time preparing the No. 78 Toyotas for driver Martin Truex Jr.’s path into the postseason.

No team based west of the Mississippi River has ever won NASCAR’s most celebrated trophy. And in fact, until Furniture Row Racing’s championship bid, no one had even considered it a realistic possibility.

It may be far removed from NASCAR’s traditional Carolina hallowed ground, but as Visser’s Denver-based team and two-time 2016 winner Truex have proven, this group is primed, ready and willing to expand conventional wisdom.

There is great pride for the team members and this community knowing that this company is doing things its own way and literally changing the landscape of the sport.

The team’s General Manager Joe Garone — a Colorado native — quickly discovered the team’s “way” absolutely meant operating out of Denver, not opening up another shop in NASCAR’s Southeastern backyard.

“In my mind when Barney said we’re going to race in Cup, I was like ‘OK, we’ll find a shop in Charlotte, we’ll get this thing going, not a problem,’ ” Garone recalled of his initial meetings with Visser.

“And Barney said immediately, ‘No Joe, not in Charlotte, in Denver.’ ”

“It’s what we need,” Garone said, looking around the facility with pride. “It’s more than what we need. It may not be a Taj Majal, but it’s all about building race cars that go fast.”

***** ***** *****

The 2016 Coca-Cola 600 win was one of the most dominant showings in NASCAR history.

It sounds like such a simple concept. And for this team, it’s been the overriding premise. Speed and skill trumps dash and flash.

And who could argue with three playoff berths in the last four seasons?

Furniture Row Racing is doing things its own way — part of the conventional wisdom that makes it one of NASCAR’s most celebrated story lines.

Team members here work on East Coast time so as to be in sync with the rest of their competition. That means an early wake-up call to arrive at the 35,000-square foot building long before sunrise lights up even the tips of the Rocky Mountains in the distance.

Inside the shop, flags from each of the U.S. Armed Forces branches hang prominently from the ceiling, an always-present reminder of hard work and sacrifice and also a nod to Visser, who is a proud Vietnam War veteran.

And although the Furniture Row Racing shop is filled with the most modern machinery and tools, it definitely feels a bit more like a “throwback” version of NASCAR’s early days.

It is a far cry from the Charlotte-area tour train of massive new complexes that feature gigantic race shops and flashy souvenir stores.

The small Furniture Row lobby — just inside those locked front doors — is crowded with significant team memorabilia. It includes — among other things — a framed No. 78 Denver Broncos jersey on the wall, used race-winning tires on the floor and the trophy from the team’s first victory, the historic five-foot-plus tall Southern 500 hardware won by Regan Smith at Darlington Raceway in 2011.

Smith and his wife Megan still have the home they bought outside Denver, where he spent four years (2009-2012) helping place FRR on the NASCAR map.

… And NASCAR on the Denver map.

“The interaction was great for the community,” Smith fondly recalled. “You’d watch the news at night and there would be Furniture Row Racing and then there’d be the rest of the NASCAR race. They’d have Furniture Row updates and then NASCAR updates. From a community standpoint, they really adopted the team as essentially their own franchise.”

A native New Yorker, Smith said he and his family loved living in the Denver area, “30 minutes from the city and 45 minutes from the ski slopes.”

“We don’t spend as much time there as we’d like, but we still envision that being our home again one day down the road,” Smith said. “When someone decides to move out there and move their family out there, there is a different level of commitment made, whether crew chief, mechanic or marketing person.

Furniture Row Racing operates on East Coast time, so as not to lose a step to its competitors. Past drivers and former crew members have all fallen in love with Denver.

“It’s a big decision to up and move there. Drivers can kind of live where they want, but for shop guys you aren’t going to push your toolbox down the road and start working somewhere else. A lot of people have moved out there and stayed even if not with the team anymore. It speaks volumes to that area and the city as a whole.”

It has admittedly been a draw for much of the FRR team, several of whom readily moved their families westward beyond the comfy, familiar stock-car scene. And several here say they plan to stay in Colorado, no matter what their NASCAR career may bring.

“I’d have never thought of moving here, I’d never been here before, never even been to Colorado,” said Chris “Cowboy” Moyher, who works on the cars’ rear suspensions.

“About five minutes off the plane, I decided I was going to stay here. They asked me if I wanted to work here, so I went back to Charlotte and took two weeks and then came out here. I’ve been here for six years.

“I feel more comfortable here than any place I’ve ever lived.”

***** ***** *****

Veteran driver Kenny Wallace gets it. The first racer ever asked to drive a Furniture Row car full time in the premier series, he can hardly believe how far this team has come. He qualified the team for 17 Cup races in 2006, failing to make another 14 but also leading the team’s first ever lap — at Indianapolis. He raced for the team again in 2007, making 15 races and leading laps at Talladega and Daytona.

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Wallace said of the initial talks with Visser and Garone about him steering the No. 78.

And Wallace couldn’t be more proud of where the team sits today.

“It pleasantly shocks me; it doesn’t surprise me; it shocks me,” Wallace said, his voice full of emotion. “We went through brutal times to get that team up and going.

“Barney Visser doesn’t speak much. But that was the first thing he said to me before we got going, they made it clear they were staying in Denver. There’s a pride factor going on here. They’re trying to prove something. They made it clear, they are going to do it even if it costs more per year. I respect them for it.

“As smart as Barney is, this was one thing Barney was going to do his way.”

As unlikely the path, the team has proven Visser correct in his steadfast desire to operate far from NASCAR’s traditional homeland.

And while this is a feel-good story all around, the ultimate happy ending isn’t written quite yet. The team’s hope is that comes in November after the regular-season finale in Homestead.

“Basically, we are showing other people, it can be done without all the glitter,” said the team’s Director of Competition Pete Rondeau. “It’s a good solid group of guys, a few old-timers and some young guys. We keep building and building.”

Certainly part of Visser’s initial desire to keep this team in his hometown was a matter of convenience and perhaps a source of pride. And what he has created is a unique contribution to NASCAR, something the sport celebrates, too.

This is new frontier for both the race team and NASCAR.

“Ultimately a big reason why I wanted to work here, is because it’s here, out West,” said crew chief Cole Pearn, a Canada native.

“It’s a good place to live, it’s nice being away from everything and we have a really tight-knit group that is a product of that. It’s just really enjoyable to ‘get away from it’ every week. You stay more focused on the task to some degree, you’re not caught up in as many distractions as you might when you’re surrounded by all the hype (in Charlotte).

“It’s nice, quieter, and we’ve got a really tight-knit group which I think is a product of being out here on our own.”

***** ***** *****

Ultimately the product is one of NASCAR’s most successful teams, which claimed a historic Southern 500 victory on Labor Day and raised domination standards after a jaw-dropping win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May.

Truex came up a record 0.010 seconds short — basically a hand-width shy — of winning the season-opening Daytona 500, too, the team leaving its mark on three of NASCAR’s biggest races.

All of Visser’s big dreams, Garone’s careful planning, the team’s unconventional work schedule and Truex’s inspired driving has resulted in one of the best stories in NASCAR.

And the team is likely going to have to make some more room for spectacular winning hardware in the small entryway.

“I don’t think I ever tried to convince Barney to do things differently,” Garone said. “It wasn’t an option. It was clear. Barney lives here and he wanted to be a part of the team. He’s not an owner that’s removed from it. He’s a gearhead. He’s involved in it. He likes the people part, the competitive part.

“And our sponsors until recently were 100 percent his companies. And as we’ve had success the company overall has gotten more involved and taken ownership of ‘its car’ out on the track. It’s been a really fun growth.”

“But,” Garone stressed, “You have to earn it out there. You have to perform. If you don’t perform, people don’t watch. We learned once you start having good performance you could go in the local Starbucks with a Furniture Row shirt on and every time you go in, somebody talks to you. And then it’s just grown. Go to a restaurant for lunch, and people ask, ‘Are you with the race team?’

“Denver is a huge sports town with a lot of fans passionate about all the sports. But you have to really earn your place.”

It would seem that work is clearly done.

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Staff Report

After recovering from brain surgery and months of missed on-track action, Matt Tifft has been cleared by NASCAR to return to competition, a NASCAR spokesperson confirmed Monday afternoon. Tifft later confirmed the news and his actual on-track return on Twitter for this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol e15 225 (Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Testing at Hickory! Thanks for all the support, I am returning to @ChicagolndSpdwy this wknd with @RedHorseRacing!! pic.twitter.com/cpcmsgvcFr

—
Matt Tifft (@Matt_Tifft)
September 12, 2016

The 20-year-old wheelman underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in July and has since been recovering.

Tifft made six NASCAR XFINITY Series starts this season with two top-10 finishes. He also earned the 21 Means 21 Pole Award at Talladega. The NASCAR Next product also made three Camping World Truck Series starts this season with one top-five finish.

Last week, Tifft posted photos of himself in the cockpit of a late model at Hickory Motor Speedway.

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Staff Report

NASCAR.com will live stream post-race inspection Tuesday from 8-11:30 a.m. ET at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

Tune in for a three-hour view of the inspection floor of the 61,000-square-foot shop, bringing you behind the scenes as NASCAR officials tear down and inspect Sprint Cup Series vehicles following Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

The cars selected for further evaluation at the R&D Center this week are:

— The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of race winner Denny Hamlin
— The No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet of runner-up Kyle Larson
— The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of sixth-place finisher Kasey Kahne
— The No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford of 23rd-place finisher Greg Biffle

For more details about the inspection process, click here.