Betty Jane France passes away

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 30, 2016) — Betty Jane France, a philanthropist in support of children’s health causes, passed away Monday evening. France is the mother of NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy.

A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the former Betty Jane Zachary was the widow of the late NASCAR Chairman and CEO William C. France, who passed away in 2007. Betty Jane France was executive vice president and assistant treasurer of NASCAR and the chairwoman emeritus of the NASCAR Foundation.

“Last night, the NASCAR family lost a mother, a grandmother, a friend and the light that guided the sport’s charitable arm,” said Brian France. “My mother taught us incredible values, that of love, patience, compassion and joy. She embraced life every day, and nothing fueled her passion more than children. Her unmatched efforts in building The NASCAR Foundation improved the lives of millions of children throughout this country. And because of that, her legacy will live forever.

“My father leaned on my mother throughout his life, relying on her wisdom and calming demeanor to help grow the sport of NASCAR. She was there, every step of the way. When we lost my father, her positive presence remained, as she used her immense skill to grow NASCAR’s heart and soul, The NASCAR Foundation.

“Our family thanks you for all of your thoughts, prayers and well wishes. My mother was a special woman, and an impressive person, and she will be dearly missed.”

France became chairwoman of The NASCAR Foundation upon the foundation’s inception in 2006. Headquartered in Daytona Beach, the foundation is an entity that embodies the compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving communities.

MORE: Learn more about the NASCAR Foundation

The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide, recognizing outstanding charitable and volunteer efforts of NASCAR fans, was created in her honor in 2011.

France was a longtime community leader in Daytona Beach, Florida and best known as a steadfast champion of health care for children. She assisted in the establishment of “Speediatrics” children’s care unit at Halifax Health in Daytona Beach and at Homestead Hospital in Homestead, Florida.

In 2003, France was presented the Halifax Medical Center Foundation’s Humanitarian Award in recognition of her advocacy, commitment, support and advancement of numerous area community service organizations including the Volusia/Flagler chapter of the American Red Cross.

She was a member of the Junior League of Daytona Beach serving on boards of numerous area community service organizations.

In July 2008, she was named as an honorary co-chairperson for the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, a project headed by longtime NASCAR team owner Richard Childress in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Funeral arrangements will be forthcoming.

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Track Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – August 30, 2016 – International Speedway Corporation today announced that Roger Curtis is leaving his position as President of Michigan International Speedway (“MIS”), effective immediately, to pursue new opportunities. A replacement has not been announced. Joie Chitwood, ISC Chief Operating Officer, will oversee MIS operations in the interim.

“We want to thank Roger Curtis for his many years of service with ISC, and the last 10 years, specifically, as the face of Michigan International Speedway,” stated Chitwood. “We wish him much future success.”

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Pat DeCola

Kevinharvick

After ending his 18-race winless skid at Bristol a few weeks ago, the 2014 Darlington winner could finally put an end to his agonizing 1-race streak started at Michigan, where he still finished fifth.

MORE: Harvick still solid

BradKeselowski

Keselowski’s car failed post-race LIS inspection after Michigan, but it’s safe to say he’s already moved onto Darlington, where he’s the defending pole-winner and led 196 laps before finishing second.

MORE: Kes’ No. 2 fails post-race inspection

Carledwards

Edwards is a weekly threat to win at the moment, and we shouldn’t expect that to change at Darlington, where he’s the defending winner.

Joeylogano

Logano has quietly been gaining momentum of late, but it could come to a screeching halt at the Lady in Black, one of the Team Penske driver’s worst tracks (20.3 average finish.)

Kurtbusch

Count Darlington among Busch’s worst tracks, as well, with six top-10 finishes in 19 starts — only two of which have come since 2004.

KyleBusch

-3

While the Irish Hills of Michigan offer some of the best scenery on the circuit, Busch was more than happy to leave them after an unfortunate spin saddled him with his second straight poor finish.

MORE: Busch unhappy after spin

DennyHamlin

Not only can you all-but-guarantee Hamlin will start in the top 10 (as he has in every race since Atlanta), but he also has a sparkling 6.5 average finish at Darlington over the past 10 races there, best in the series.

JimmieJohnson

With a full head of steam from inreased performance of late, look for the 48 to be strong at Darlington, which ranks among Johnson’s best tracks (9.1 avg. fin.)

MORE: Hendrick regains momentum

Mattkenseth

-1

Kenseth has offered a bit of a mixed bag since Indy, but he should find solid footing at Darlington as the 2013 winner.

Martintruex jr

-1

Truex has led multiple laps in half of the season’s races (12), but is stuck on just one win. You’d expect that to change soon, if he keeps leading laps.

Kylelarson

Now that the monkey is off his back, don’t expect Larson to have to wait as long for win No. 2. Perhaps this weekend at Darlington, where he’s finished in the top 10 in both of his starts.

MORE: Larson gets first Sprint Cup win

Tonystewart

-1

In his final dance with the "Lady in Black", Stewart should have a good shot at winning with the fifth-best average finish among active, full-time drivers with more than two starts (12.0).

MORE: ‘Smoke’ officially in Chase

ChaseElliott

With a chip on his shoulder after narrowly missing out at Michigan, Elliott will assuredly come into Darlington with extra motivation. Especially since a crash relegated him to 41st in his only start there.

MORE: Elliott foiled on restart

Jamiemcmurray

If I was a betting man, I’d be willing to wager that McMurray finishes eighth at Darlington. Since he’s finished in that position three races in a row heading into this weekend.

AustinDillon

-3

Think seeing Kyle Larson win and Chase Elliott finish second at Michigan — two drivers younger than him — adds any extra motivation for Dillon? We’ll see Sunday.

Ryannewman

-2

Newman has hit a bit of a rough patch, but should have a good shot at rectifying that with the best average starting position at Darlington of any active, full-time driver with multiple starts at 9.5.

Kaseykahne

Kahne didn’t quite impress at Michigan, but he’s always a threat to get off to a hot start at Darlington, with four poles. Only problem? He’s finished in the top 10 just four times in 13 tries.

Chrisbuescher

-1

A faulty spark plug did Buescher in at Michigan, which has to be beyond frustrating for a driver scratching and clawing for each and every point right now.

MORE: Buescher clinging on in top 30

Ryanblaney

Blaney looked excellent at Michigan, so it’ll be interesting to see if that carries over to Darlington, where he finished 30th in his only start.

DaleEarnhardt Jr.

Junior continues to be sidelined — Darlington, included — but will most certainly be a threat to win and make the Chase upon his eventual return, assuming he’s cleared in time.

MORE: Junior remains sidelined

Posted on August 29, 2016 by

RELATED: Full race results | Standings | Chase Grid

Breaking down the full field for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway:

1. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Twice, Larson had to overcome problems on pit road. Twice, Larson beat Chase Elliott on restarts from the front row. The second one, with 10 laps to go, was the difference. Larson gets his first Sprint Cup win in his 99th start and his ticket punched to the Chase. Well done. Grade: A

2. Chase Elliott, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Restarts, restarts, restarts. Elliott lost the first race at Michigan because of poor restarts and it happened again Sunday. And just like in June, Elliott finished second. Grade: A-

3. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. The native of Michigan posted his sixth straight top 10 at his home track but to his chagrin remained winless in the Irish Hills. Grade: A

4. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Blaney needs a win to make the Chase, and he drove like it Sunday, posting his first top 10 in 10 races. Grade: A

5. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick led 33 laps, and his 3.56 averaging running position topped the field. Grade: A

6. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson was a factor — and the leader — until his green-flag pit stop on Lap 109. But his gas man had trouble refueling the No. 48, and from that point forward Johnson was playing catchup. His 37 laps led were second to Kyle Larson’s 41. Grade: A-

7. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards now has two wins, seven top fives and 15 top 10s in 2016. That’s what he had all of last season. Grade: A

8. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. McMurray finished eighth for the third consecutive week. He holds the last spot in the Chase standings by 15 points over Ryan Newman with two races to go before the field is set. Grade: A

9. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin’s sixth straight top-10 finish is the longest active streak. Grade: A

10. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. All of the polesitter’s strength came at the start of the race. A slow final pit stop left him 17th on the last restart. Grade: A-

11. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle had a nice finish, but he was never a factor. Only Kyle Busch’s 26 laps in the top 15 were fewer than Biffle’s 44 among drivers who finished in the top 20. Grade: B

12. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Borrowing a page from Greg Biffle … Busch was not a factor, either, and only his brother’s 24.84 average running position was worse than his 17.34 among drivers who finished in the top 20. Grade: B

13. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. In the first 12 races of the season, Kenseth led 398 laps. In the next 12, 79 laps, including eight Sunday, his first laps led since his victory last month at New Hampshire. Grade: B

14. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne is going to need a win — or a miracle — to make the Chase field. He trails Jamie McMurray by 52 points for the final Chase-eligible spot after finishing outside the top 10 for the eighth straight race. Grade: B

15. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger finished in the top 15 in four consecutive races for the first time since the end of the 2011 season. Grade: B

16. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon is 15th in the Chase standings with a 21-point cushion over Ryan Newman in 17th. Grade: B

17. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman should consider himself fortunate to be only 15 points out of 16th with two races to go for the Chase field is set — he hasn’t had a top-10 finish in his past five races. Grade: B-

18. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Regular readers of The Rundown know we have been enthralled by Menard’s propensity to finish 18th. He racked up his sixth of the season Sunday. Grade: C

19. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch’s troubles at Michigan continued when he got loose in Turn 4 on the 26th lap and went for a spin. His average finish in his past seven starts at Michigan is 32.0 with one finish on the lead lap — and it wasn’t Sunday. Grade: C

20. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Toyota, Furniture Row Racing. Truex’s shot at winning or having a top finish ended on Lap 66 when the jack man lowered the car before the left rear tire was changed. The damaged left-rear quarter panel was an issue the rest of the day. Grade: C-

21. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. The driver with a win and five top fives in a seven-race stretch has finished 30th and 21st in his past two races. Is the mojo gone? Grade: C

22. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears finished outside the top 10 at Michigan for the 13th consecutive race. Grade: C

23. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. This marks the first time in Patrick’s four full-time Sprint Cup seasons she has not finished in the top 20 in at least one of the two Michigan races. She finished 21st in June. Grade: C

24. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne went into last week’s race at Bristol eight points out of the final Chase spot. He leaves Michigan 58 points back. Grade: C

25. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Michigan is one of two tracks on which Almirola has made at least 10 starts and has yet to post a top 10. (The other is Pocono.) Grade: C-

26. Regan Smith, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Smith posted his best finish at Michigan since a career-best 13th in August of 2011. Grade: C

27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Since scoring a career-best 15th at Michigan in August 2014, Stenhouse’s finishes at the 2-mile track are 25th, 26th, 29th and 27th. Grade: C-

28. Brian Scott, No. 44 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Sunday’s race was something to build on: In his first race at Michigan in June, Scott left with a 36th-place finish and a DNF (crash). Grade: C

29. David Ragan, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Because of Ragan’s proximity to Chris Buescher in the standings, he will continue to be one of the most-watched drivers through Richmond. On Sunday, Ragan took a nibble out of Buescher’s points lead and is now seven points behind Buescher for 30th in the standings. Grade: C

30. Alex Bowman, No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman started sixth and was running in the top five when the car’s ignition failed. A day of promise ended right there, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s replacement finished five laps back. Grade: D

31. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Chevrolet, Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing. McDowell won Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Road America, but his string of top-20 Sprint Cup finishes ended at a season-best two. Grade: D

32. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto battled brake issues all day. Grade: D

33. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. A blown tire brought out the fourth and final caution, and Annett finished five laps back. Grade: D

34. Cole Whitt, No. 98 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Whitt produced his worst finish in six starts at Michigan. Grade: D

35. Chris Buescher, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. With so much at stake, the No. 34 team could not afford the engine woes that dumped Buescher to 35th — he finished 20th at Michigan in June — but at least he didn’t finish last. Those extra five points might make the difference between making the Chase and major disappointment. Another positive takeaway: David Ragan could muster only a 29th-place finish. Grade: F

36. Reed Sorenson, No. 55 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Sorenson finished seven laps off the pace. Grade: D

37. Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 32 Ford, Go Fas Racing. Earnhardt had an accident in practice and was in a backup car. He finished eight laps back. Grade: D

38. Josh Wise, No. 30 Chevrolet, The Motorsports Group. Wise’s finish was his worst at Michigan since a 39th-place run in August 2013. Grade: F

39. Landon Cassill, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Suspension woes limited Cassill to 174 laps and left him with his first DNF of the season. Grade: F

40. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Bowyer said before the race he had his best car of the year. Yikes! Vibrations sent the No. 15 behind the wall, but Bowyer avoided a DNF, although he did finish 40 laps off the pace. Grade: F

Posted on August 29, 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-and-a-half-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 Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway.

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

— The No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet of race winner Kyle Larson
— The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of race runner-up Chase Elliott
— The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of seventh-place finisher Carl Edwards

Of note, the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of third-place finisher Brad Keselowski failed post-race laser inspection at Michigan. Any potential penalties will likely be announced later this week.

For more details about the inspection process, click here.

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Monday that Jimmie Johnson had asked him to borrow one of his father’s old uniforms to complete his retro look for this weekend’s NASCAR throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway.

Earnhardt Jr.’s remarks came on Monday’s edition of the “Dale Jr. Download,” a 70-minute episode that he co-hosted on his Dirty Mo Radio network.

Earnhardt did not provide a health update on the concussion-related symptoms that have forced him to miss the last six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, but offered an anecdote about his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, who will be running a blue-and-yellow paint scheme on his No. 48 Chevrolet that pays tribute to Earnhardt’s father and the legendary David Pearson — both NASCAR Hall of Famers.

“He’s texting me, he’s like, ‘You got one of your dad’s old uniforms and all that stuff?’ ” Earnhardt said of a recent exchange with Johnson. “He wanted to actually wear it to intros, and it would fit probably. It smells like … every bit of 40 years old.”

Earnhardt Jr. clarified that Johnson had asked about a different uniform than the one from the 1982 season that he recently modeled on social media. He also had to clarify for Johnson the level of Lowe’s involvement with stock-car racing back in 1979, the elder Earnhardt’s rookie season.

“He sends me a picture of this car, and I said ‘David Pearson ran second in that car at Talladega in relief for my father,’ ” Earnhardt Jr. said. “My father was out four weeks with broken collarbones (from a crash at Pocono), and David drove that car, ran second. That was the only race Lowe’s was on the hood. I don’t know why. Must’ve been a local chain, but they had Lowe’s on the hood for that race, and that race only.

“And so, it’s kind of unique, kind of weird. Jimmie gets excited about it and then I have to tell him the story. He’s like, ‘Man, I’m going to run one of your Dad’s throwbacks,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, David Pearson drove that car and Lowe’s was on the hood for just that race,’ but it’s still really cool. I’ve always wondered what that paint scheme would look like on one of the modern cars.”

Earnhardt will be replaced by interim driver Jeff Gordon in this Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) as his recovery from concussion-related issues continues. Earnhardt said he was “real sad” he won’t be driving his own throwback paint scheme, a No. 88 Chevrolet that pays homage to Buddy Baker’s “Gray Ghost” look from the early 1980s.

Alex Bowman made his second substitute start last weekend at Michigan International Speedway, placing 30th after slowing early with engine trouble. Still, Earnhardt Jr. gave him a vote of confidence.

“That was disappointing. I know Alex was upset,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “He doesn’t know how many opportunities like that he’ll get to show he’s capable. I believe in him, and I know he’s got the ability to do it, to be in the Cup Series and to be in a competitive car and do a good job behind the wheel. It was a shame because I think he could’ve shown again — like he did at New Hampshire — that he belongs.”

Though Earnhardt Jr. will sit out Sunday’s event at Darlington, co-host Mike Davis — brand and communications director for Earnhardt and his JR Motorsports team — teed up what’s scheduled to be a busy week for the 41-year-old driver.

Earnhardt Jr. is scheduled to participate in competition meetings Tuesday, before traveling to a Wal-Mart in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, for a Wednesday driver appearance. Wednesday’s schedule also includes an interview on Nickelodeon’s “NASCAR Hammer Down” program, hosted by Karsyn Elledge, Earnhardt Jr.’s niece.

Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports organization in the NASCAR XFINITY Series also has a busy week on tap. Davis said JRM planned to unveil nostalgic paint schemes for its three Darlington entries, which will be piloted by XFINITY regulars Justin Allgaier and Elliott Sadler, plus Sprint Cup star Kevin Harvick.

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Posted on August 29, 2016 by Team Release

Jeremy Clements Racing is excited to announce they will be fielding a Throwback paint scheme this coming Labor Day weekend at Darlington Raceway.

The No. 51 Camaro SS will be sponsored by long time partners www.repairablevehicles.com and will feature the “Black Widow” paint scheme that was driven by a number of racing greats in the late ’50s in the likes of Hall of Famers Buck Baker and Rex White and powered by the renowed engine buliders of the time, Jeremy’s grandfather and great uncle, Crawford and Louis Clements.

Crawford and Louis both also crew chiefed as well for some all time greats. Crawford crew chiefed Hall of Famers Junior Johnson, Buck Baker and AJ Foyt all to wins the early ’60s, and Louis crew chiefed Rex White to the 1960 Cup Championship.

“I’m really proud to honor my grandfather (who started me in racing) and my great uncle with this cool Black Widow Paint Scheme from the ’50s,” Jeremy said. “Even more excited to represent them and Clements Racing Engines in our home state at Darlington Raceway.”

Buck Baker in his Black Widow.

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Team Release

Sugar Hill, GA (August 29, 2016) – RSS Racing is pleased to announce that Tri County Landscape will return as a primary sponsor for three more races in 2016 starting at Darlington Raceway. In addition to Darlington, TCL will be on the No. 39 car at Richmond and Charlotte.

At Darlington, the team will run a special throwback paint scheme resembling the famous colors that Dale Jarrett ran in the late ’90s.

Ryan Sieg commented, “I’m thrilled to have TCL back for three more races and I’m honored to drive this special color scheme at Darlington. Growing up, our family always stayed at the same condo in Daytona as Robert Yates, Dale Jarrett, and their team. He was always one of my favorites and I think I even got tossed in the pool by DJ a few times one year! Needless to say, this will be a fun weekend for everyone involved.”

Sieg continues to hold down the 12th spot in points with three races left before the Chase begins for NASCAR’s XFINITY Series. The RSS team will have two practices on Friday before qualifying and racing Saturday at Darlington.

Dale Jarrett’s red-white-and-blue paint scheme from 1997

Posted on August 29, 2016 by

CONCORD, N.C. (Aug. 29, 2016) – In conjunction with a NASCAR industry-wide effort to offer free NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series tickets for children 12 and under next season, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: TRK) announced a company-wide Fans First initiative Monday to price select children’s tickets at just $10 each to Cup Series events at its eight premier speedways beginning in 2017.

“Coming to the races should be about fun, not finances,” said Speedway Motorsports’ President and Chief Executive Officer Marcus Smith. “Now a parent can get his or her child through the gates for an entire weekend of NASCAR events — including pole night, a Camping World Truck or XFINITY Series race and a Sprint Cup Series race — for just $10. This is one of the best, if not THE best, family values in all professional sports.

“NASCAR fans have passed down their passion for motorsports from generation to generation for decades, and through this new Fans First initiative, we’ll continue that legacy by introducing young fans to the sport and engaging them for years to come.”

With an adult ticket purchase, fans can buy up to two $10 tickets for children ages 12 and under to that same event in select seating sections. This offer is available at all of the 13 Sprint Cup Series events shown below next season.

Tickets for many of Speedway Motorsports’ 2017 events are already on sale. A complete schedule of the company’s Sprint Cup Series races is below:

March 5: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, Atlanta Motor Speedway

March 12: Kobalt 400, Las Vegas Motor Speedway

April 9: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, Texas Motor Speedway

April 23: Food City 500, Bristol Motor Speedway

May 20: NASCAR All-Star Race, Charlotte Motor Speedway

May 28: Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway

June 25: Toyota/Save Mart 350, Sonoma Raceway

July 8: Quaker State 400, Kentucky Speedway

July 16: New Hampshire 301, New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Aug. 19: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, Bristol Motor Speedway

Sept. 24: New England 300, New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Oct. 7: Bank of America 500, Charlotte Motor Speedway

Nov. 5: AAA Texas 500, Texas Motor Speedway

Fans can obtain tickets to any Speedway Motorsports event by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or the individual Speedway Motorsports subsidiary facility websites.

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Nascar

RELATED: Chase bubble update | Results

BROOKLYN, Mich. — He lost the race off pit road, and in his mind, victory had slipped from his grasp once again.

So often. So many close calls.

“I thought that was the race right there,” Kyle Larson admitted.

But this time he said it from Victory Lane. Where Sunday at Michigan International Speedway fate chose to frown on someone else.

Confetti flew, fans cheered and fellow competitors stopped by to offer congratulations. Kyle Busch, one of the first to pit road, was waiting for Larson when the young driver finally pulled in for the celebration. Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski also dropped in. So, too, did Jamie McMurray, Larson’s teammate.

Larson, driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, is 24. And he’s now a first-time winner in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, capturing the Pure Michigan 400 in his 99th career start.

The win secured one of the final playoff spots for this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Championship dreams were rekindled for a driver and team that had ridden on the razor’s edge almost since his arrival in NASCAR.

There have been fuel-mileage plays that didn’t pan out, late charges that ended with bent sheet metal and crushed hopes.

But not this time.

“No question the kid has talent; the kid can drive,” Ganassi said. “We just have to put a weekend together.”

Ganassi knows. He’s won in six different series in which his various teams compete. If it has wheels and goes fast, Ganassi has likely fielded a winner.

Sunday’s outcome was still in question when the late-race battle between Larson and Chase Elliott began to unfold. When the two drivers — both young, eager and winless — hit pit road for green-flag stops on Lap 158, Larson was the race leader.

When they exited just seconds later, Elliott, after all others had stopped for service, was out front.

Larson charged, trimming the deficit to Elliott in half. Lapped traffic erased the gains. And then the caution flag, this one for debris, appeared for a final time.

While crew chief Chad Johnston said he thought the team’s final stop “was a little bit slow,” he refused to change the team’s game plan.

“It’s hard to talk yourself into staying out two more laps or three more laps when you know those guys are gaining … track position with each lap, but the worst thing you can do is let them force your hand and then run it out of fuel at the end,” Johnston said. “So we stood our ground and pitted when we needed to pit, just lost a lot of ground through lapped traffic. …

“We needed that last restart, and Kyle did everything he needed to do to have the lead off (Turn 2).”

Second at Fontana and Loudon and Kansas two years ago; second at Dover this year. Larson’s been third, fourth and fifth several times as well. Often enough that some have questioned how badly he wanted to win, but they’ve never questioned his talent.

“There have been a couple where I could have done things differently to get the win,” Larson, flanked by son Owen and Johnston, said afterward. “For a few months you guys keep asking, ‘What if?’ … Now I’ve won so we don’t have to talk about that anymore.”

Winning races isn’t new for the Elk Grove, California, native. Winning quickly hadn’t been either. Until he got to NASCAR’s top level. Even then, he showed flashes of potential, but potential didn’t outrun everyone.

“This feels different for me because it’s taken me a lot longer than in any of the other stuff to get a win,” Larson said. “It took me a couple of months to win my first sprint car race … a few months to win when I got into USAC. I guess it took me a few years to win an Outlaw race, but I’d still been winning sprint car races.

“But this, after the way my rookie season started, coming close a few times, not getting it done, you can visualize the win that early in your career. It’s going to happen. It’s going to happen. But it just never happened.

“This one’s different just because of how long we had to wait and how much harder I’ve had to work for it. It’s special because all the hard work’s paid off.”

Ganassi brought Larson up to Sprint Cup when he was only 20. Too soon, some said. He’ll be gone elsewhere, others speculated, where he can be with a winning team.

“That wasn’t the case at all,” Ganassi said, recalling how he once asked his young driver about other teams expressing interest.

“I’ll never forget his answer,” Ganassi said. “He said, ‘They all had a shot at me the first time around and they passed.’ “

They’ll celebrate throwbacks next weekend at Darlington Raceway when the Bojangles’ Southern 500 weekend gets underway. On Sunday at Michigan they were throwing it forward. There’s a new Sprint Cup winner in town.

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