Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Find NBCSN in your area

All times ET

Monday, July 18
3 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air), FS1
3:30 a.m., Continental SportsCar Challenge: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (re-air), FS1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR 120, NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Tuesday, July 19
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
9:30 a.m., Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge: Canadian Tire (re-air), FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Wednesday, July 20
7 a.m., Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge: Canadian Tire (re-air), FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville (re-air), FS1
4 p.m., A Perfect Storm: The 1979 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS1
5:30 p.m., NASCAR The List: Texas Motor Speedway (re-air), NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Heat Races, FS1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series SetUp, FS1
9 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series #Eldora, FS1

Thursday, July 21
7:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FS1
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Heat Races (re-air), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series #Eldora (re-air), FS1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series #Eldora (re-air), FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR RaceHub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Series: All-Star Shootout, New Hampshire (taped), NBCSN
11 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race: New Hampshire (taped), NBCSN

Friday, July 22
Midnight, Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge: Canadian Tire (re-air), FS1
Noon, NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBCSN
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSN
3 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN
4 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Saturday, July 23
11:40 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
1 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
1:30 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
3 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
3:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN

Sunday, July 24
Midnight, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Lime Rock Park (taped), FS1
1 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
2 p.m., WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Lime Rock Park (re-air), FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR America Sunday, NBCSN
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
3 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The ‘Your Hero’s Name Here’ at The Brickyard, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1

 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Results | Chase Grid | Standings
SHOP: Kenseth gear

LOUDON, N.H. — In a race that saw many of the usual suspects go into hiding in the closing laps, Matt Kenseth battled to the front of the field from the 18th starting position and pulled away after a late restart to win Sunday’s New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.



Winning for the second time this season and for the third time at the Magic Mile, Kenseth crossed the finish line 1.982 seconds ahead of Tony Stewart , who solidified his position in the top 30 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings — and therefore in the Chase — with the runner-up finish.



“You’re always pleased to be in Victory Lane,” said the 44-year-old Kenseth, who won for the second straight time at the 1.058-mile flat track and for the 38th time in his career. “The farther down the road you get, the better they feel for sure. Thanks to everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing — I’ve said it a million times, but I’m blessed with this opportunity to be over here with the guys I get to work with…



“(Crew chief) Jason (Ratcliff) and the team made great, great adjustments today. I didn’t do a very good job qualifying (18th), (but) after round one (of pit stops) today, it was pretty much money. We just had to get there. It was a fun day.”



Kenseth, who recovered from an early glitch on pit road after his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was blocked in its stall, took the lead from Kyle Busch on Lap 271 of 301 and held it the rest of the way, despite three subsequent cautions and restarts.



“Every restart you’re just hoping not to mess up and spin the tires too bad,” Kenseth said. “Thankfully, we had good ones, and we had great power, and we had good traction, and we were able to get going pretty good in a straight line.



“And then, after a couple laps, we were able to roll the middle and get away.”



Joey Logano took third place by .019 seconds in a drag race against Kevin Harvick . Greg Biffle ran fifth followed by Jamie McMurray , Ryan Newman , Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.



That cast of characters didn’t include Martin Truex Jr. , who led 123 laps before breaking his shifter and losing the clutch, keeping his No. 78 Toyota stuck in fourth gear.



It didn’t include pole winner Jimmie Johnson , who repeatedly lost ground on restarts and came home 12th. It didn’t include Kurt Busch, who ran in the top five most of the afternoon but ultimately was knocked out by contact from the No. 88 Chevrolet of Alex Bowman , who finished 26th in a substitute role for ailing Dale Earnhardt Jr.



It didn’t include 2014 New Hampshire winner Brad Keselowski , who, like Kurt Busch, had a contending car for most of the day but cut a tire in a late four-car wreck that caused his two-race winning streak end in a 15th-place finish. It didn’t include Carl Edwards , whose No. 19 Toyota was damaged in the four-car Lap 285 chain-reaction wreck that caused the seventh and final caution.



And even though Kyle Busch held eighth place in the late going, his finish was disappointing. Busch led a race-high 133 laps and restarted third with 11 laps left, but lost ground in a fight for fifth with Biffle and dropped two more spots thereafter.



Stewart, however, was delighted with the effort of his team. He and first-year crew chief Mike Bugarewicz exchanged texts dealing with setup notes on Saturday night, after Stewart flew to Ohio to oversee the Kings Royal sprint car race at Eldora Speedway, which he owns.



When he returned to Loudon for Sunday’s race, his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet was markedly better than it had been in Saturday’s two practice sessions.



“Yeah, we had a much better Haas Automation Chevy today than what we had yesterday,” said Stewart, who is now 67 points ahead of 31st-place Brian Scott . “Buga (Bugarewicz) did a really good job. I went off and went to Eldora for the Kings Royal last night. 



“He kept sending me a couple of texts. He was working as late here as I was working late at Eldora. It really paid off. He’s doing such a great job for a rookie crew chief that only has half a season. He’s got veteran calls and veteran moves.”



Getting his opportunity to drive the No. 88 Chevy when Earnhardt was sidelined with concussion-like symptoms, Bowman had a top-10 run going until contact with Edwards’ Toyota on pit road started tire issues that culminated in Bowman sliding into Kurt Busch’s car in Turn 3 on Lap 271.



The right front tire went completely flat on the frontstretch, sending Bowman into the outside wall. Though the accident knocked the speed out of the car, Bowman was able to stay on the lead lap.



The spate of late cautions also gave Logano a chance to move forward.



“I’ll take a third place after all that,” Logano said. “We were awful at the beginning of the race. We tried some new things, and apparently they didn’t work, so we aborted the mission in the middle of the race and got some speed back in the 22 — but not enough to beat the 20.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Bowman grateful for opportunity

LOUDON, N.H. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. summed it up best on Twitter following the New Hampshire 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.

 

Don’t be fooled by Alex Bowman ‘s 26th-place finish at the “Magic Mile” — the young driver made an impression on the race track while filling the seat of NASCAR’s most popular driver before a little bad luck hit.

 

 

After qualifying 20th, Bowman — subbing for Earnhardt this weekend as the veteran battles concussion-like symptoms — sliced and diced his way through the field at a track notorious for difficult passing, settling as high as eighth with 30 to go before contact on pit road and more during a jumbled restart left the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a tire rub.

 

When the rubber finally gave way, Bowman’s entry made contact with the outside retaining wall in Turn 1, bringing out the race’s fifth caution period on the 272nd of 301 laps. Prior to that, the 23-year-old appeared poised for his first career top-10 finish in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition in his first start of the season. His previous best in two Sprint Cup seasons was a 13th-place result at Daytona in July 2014.

 

“I think the No. 19 (of Carl Edwards ) was backing up because he was blocked in as I was leaving the pit box,” Bowman said on pit road following the race. “My left-rear hit his right-rear as I was leaving. It caved it in enough, we thought we would be fine, but obviously, when I got into the No. 41 (of Kurt Busch) it was already going down. I got really loose, got up the race track and got into him. It is really unfortunate. I think the worst we would’ve finished would’ve been seventh or eighth.

 

“They knew we were here for sure, and I had a blast.”

 

Though he mentioned he “hate(s) the circumstances,” of how it came together, the opportunity to drive one of NASCAR’s premier cars came at a critical point in Bowman’s career.

 

Having lost his full-time Sprint Cup ride a month before the season started, Bowman has been grinding to make a name for himself in the NASCAR XFINITY Series with Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports team on a part-time basis, itching to get another shot in the premier series. Sunday’s performance should go a long way toward continuing in that direction.

 

“I’ve raced with a lot of these guys for a long time; I raced around them but I’ve never got to actually race with guys like Jimmie Johnson , Tony Stewart , Kurt Busch, all those guys,” Bowman said. ” … I’ve never had a day where I could just race with them. And today I was finally able to do that.”

 

Not having Earnhardt in the car for the first time in second-year crew chief Greg Ives’ Sprint Cup career certainly offered a unique challenge for the No. 88 crew, but Bowman met the team’s expectations and before his tire went down was in position to pull out a top-10 finish — something the struggling squad hasn’t had since finishing runner-up at Pocono more than a month ago.

 

“I thought he did well,” Ives said of his interim driver. “I thought this weekend was a good learning weekend for the whole team. Obviously for him, but having a different driver makes you communicate differently and I think something that we can pick up and improve on for when Dale comes back for us to communicate better. Alex has run Cup cars before and around the competition but for him to … he felt to be able to run with those guys and learn from them really helped him out today.

 

“Definitely (we’d be comfortable with him in the car again), if needed. … Circumstances will play out how they play out. For sure, it’s definitely an option in the future.”

 

While Bowman won’t be back in Junior’s car next week at Indianapolis — that nod goes to recently-retired four-time champion Jeff Gordon , should Earnhardt need more time to recover — it was clear that Sunday marked a milestone for the up-and-comer, who won’t be forgetting his magical weekend at Loudon any time soon.

 

“I don’t think I’ve gotten out of a Cup car with a smile on my face in a while,” he said. “It’s just so much fun to be able to run up front like that. I’ve spent two years of my career wondering if I can really do this at the Cup level and today I answered that for myself.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Dale Jr. to miss Sunday’s Loudon race


There should be no debate. No second-guessing.


The decision for NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. to sit out this weekend’s Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire was actually an easy one. The absolute right one.


Doctors are concerned that Earnhardt has suffered another concussion, or at least concussion-like symptoms and have recommended his body must heal.


He may even miss next week’s race at one of the sport’s most legendary venues, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Should he need to do so, his former Hendrick Motorsports teammate and longtime friend Jeff Gordon has graciously offered to step out of retirement and drive Earnhardt’s famous No. 88 Chevrolet — allowing Earnhardt another week of healing.


Should the 41-year-old need to sit out the rest of the season, that’s fine, too.


And should NASCAR’s reigning 13-time Most Popular Driver ultimately find out that he needs to unstrap for good, how admirable and inspiring that he could make that decision, too.


Collective gasp.


That’s right. At only 41 years old, Earnhardt still has a lot of wonderful, memory-making days ahead — perhaps on the race track and certainly off the race track.


How good and fortunate that he is driving in an era when his symptoms could be properly diagnosed and addressed. And that both his boss, Rick Hendrick, and “Junior’s” massive legions of fans, would fully understand and support his healing outside the cockpit of a race car.


“The most important thing in this whole process is for Dale to get better and feel better; and we’re going to let that happen on the timeline it’s going to happen on,” Hendrick Motorsports General Manager Doug Duchardt said Thursday.


RELATED: Hendrick, NASCAR officials speak to Junior’s injury, protocols

Ricky Rudd may have raced with his eyes taped open in the good ‘ol days. And in the good old days, Tim Flock drove with a monkey in his car.


But this is NASCAR in 2016 — with digital dashboards, million-dollar paychecks and best of all, the very tops in modern medical treatment.


Thankfully, Earnhardt doesn’t have to feel compelled to drive when he is not right, when he is suffering from concussion-like symptoms.


It’s not only best for him to heal up, but also best for the entire starting field that he heal up.


“For him to step out of the race car, it must be something serious,” driver Carl Edwards said Friday at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “I hope he recovers quickly and, second, I have a lot of respect for making the decision. I can’t imagine how tough that decision would be.


“Right now with the format, you do have the opportunity to take care of yourself, do what you think is right and still have a shot at the championship.”


RELATED: Drivers react to Junior’s health news


Beyond his massive NASCAR superstardom, Earnhardt is a rather “regular” guy. He drinks beer with his buddies and loves to spend time with his family. He’s engaged to Amy Reimann, and they are set to be married soon. And who knows if a Dale Earnhardt III might follow in the near future.


The right decision this week — and next week, and the next week — is vital not just to his racing career, but for his life.


It’s good that Earnhardt is listening to doctors, even when their news is troubling to hear and their instructions are tough to swallow.


This isn’t the first time Earnhardt has been sidelined because of concussion-like symptoms and that makes the current situation even more significant.


In 2012, Earnhardt missed races in Charlotte and Kansas because of a concussion likely suffered in a hard crash during a test at Kansas Speedway. This time, he’s not even sure where exactly he may have been injured. He crashed hard at both Michigan and Daytona in the past month.


This past week Earnhardt thought he was fighting a severe sinus infection, but returned to the doctors when medicine seemed ineffective.


“When that didn’t help, I decided to dig a little deeper,” Earnhardt said. “Because of my symptoms and my history with concussions, and after my recent wrecks at Michigan and Daytona, I reached out and met with a neurological specialist. After further evaluation, they felt it was best for me to sit out.”


WATCH: Smith, who filled in for Junior in 2012, weighs in on news


And with the new “waiver” rules, Earnhardt potentially could miss races and still be eligible for the 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup playoffs. He’s currently 13th in points.


Racing is and has always been such an important, defining part of Earnhardt’s life.


But, it is not his life.


So again, he is serving as an inspiring and fabulous example in times of hardship — going back to the admirable way he handled his seven-time champion father’s death. Not only did he somehow make everyone else feel better then, he had the gumption to get back behind the wheel and continue winning NASCAR’s biggest races and the sport’s heart.


I’ve known Earnhardt since his very first entrance in NASCAR’s big leagues — from the bleached-blond hair days. And I remember talking to his father about him often.


Of course, today, people always ask me about Earnhardt when they find out I report on NASCAR. And the truth is, I have always found him to be someone who speaks from the heart. He seems to find it quite amazing himself, the influence he wields and the people drawn to his every move. He is authentic and modest and seems to be as happy as he’s ever been.


FULL STORY: Timeline of Junior’s injuries


So many stories in sports are about an athlete who has fallen from grace or made bad choices.


This story is about a hugely popular superstar smart enough to heal up properly. The hard decision is absolutely the right decision. It is impressive and important. And we all wish him well.


“It takes a lot to come out and address some of the health concerns that he had,” Duchardt said. “I really commend him for that. The whole time it’s not about who are we going to get to back fill, what we are going to do when he does come back it’s all about him getting better on a timeline that is satisfied to him. Not anything to do with the Chase, not anything to do with points or anything like that.

“Our team supports him 100 percent. We have a relationship that goes beyond driver. That is something that is more important than anything.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Final practice results | Practice 2 results



Rookie Chase Elliott zipped to the top spot in final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.


Elliott guided the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet to a best lap of 131.347 mph in the 55-minute final prep session for Sunday’s New Hampshire 301 (1:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The 20-year-old driver will be making his first Sprint Cup start Sunday on the 1.058-mile track.



Denny Hamlin , a two-time New Hampshire winner, turned the second-fastest lap at 131.302 mph in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota. He was just ahead of JGR teammate Matt Kenseth , another two-time winner in the Granite State who clocked the third-best lap at 131.044 mph in the No. 20 Toyota.



Kevin Harvick , the top points-earner in the Sprint Cup Series this season, was fourth-fastest in final practice at 130.941 mph in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevy. Defending race winner Kyle Busch landed the fifth-fastest lap in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota at 130.891 mph.



Jimmie Johnson , who will start first in Sunday’s 301-lapper after securing the Coors Light Pole Award in Friday qualifying, was seventh-fastest in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet.



Alex Bowman , the replacement driver this weekend for Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he recovers from concussion-like symptoms, registered the 22nd-fastest lap in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet.



Sunday’s event, the first of two New Hampshire stops for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this season, is the 19th of 36 points-paying races this year.



Edwards edges ahead in second practice | Results

It was a Joe Gibbs Racing parade at the top of the board with the race team taking the top three spots in the first of two Saturday practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. 
 
Carl Edwards (No. 19 Toyota) paced the 55-minute session with a fast lap of 131.456 mph, with his JGR teammates Denny Hamlin (131.284 mph, No. 11 Toyota) and Matt Kenseth (131.193 mph, No. 20 Toyota) taking second and third in the session, respectively. 

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet) and Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender  Chase Elliott (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) completed the top five with fast laps of 130.914 mph and 130.855 mph, respectively.

Defending race winner Kyle Busch (No. 18 Toyota) made it four-for-four for JGR cars in the top 10 as he posted the seventh-fastest lap. 

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) came in 14th in the session a day after scoring his first Coors Light Pole Award of 2016.

Alex Bowman , who is filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend, placed 24th. Earnhardt is out for Sunday’s New Hampshire 301 (1:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with concussion-like symptoms. 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Results | Standings 

 

LOUDON, N.H. — Another NASCAR XFINITY Series race, another set of milestones for Kyle Busch.

 

Leading 190 of 200 laps in Saturday’s AutoLotto 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Busch held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones in the closing laps to claim his 82nd career victory, extending his own series record.

 

In the process, Busch raised his total of XFINITY laps led to 17,064, once again extending his own record. Busch won for the fifth time in 11 races at the Magic Mile and the sixth time in 10 starts this season.

 

“I guess they’re big numbers,” said Busch, who ran the entire race on one set of left-side tires and arrived at the finish line 1.499 seconds ahead of Jones, who had taken four tires on his final pit stop under caution on Lap 178. “I really don’t know what big numbers are, and records are made to be broken.

 

“There may be somebody like me that comes along down the road that does the same thing that I’ve been fortunate enough to do … Running in this series is something fun for me to do, cool for me to do, and it also helps me out and gets me a little more experience.”

 

Brad Keselowski ran third but didn’t have an answer for the top two JGR cars. Daniel Suarez came home fourth, followed by Austin Dillon .

 

“We had a decent day,” Keselowski said. “A little better than where we have been, which was something to be proud of, but of course we want to get to Victory Lane with the (No. 22 Team Penske) Ford. We aren’t quite there, but we’ll keep pushing.

 

“That was a step in the right direction overall for sure.”

 

Busch may have been dominant up front, but there were compelling subplots behind him, the most noteworthy between Ty Dillon and Alex Bowman .

 

Bowman, who will sub for ailing Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, turned left into Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet off Turn 2 on Lap 76, sending Dillon’s car into the outside wall.

 

Dillon was convinced Bowman wrecked him on purpose. Bowman asserted his car was forced wide, and the contact was unintentional. Dillon returned to action 55 laps down after repairs in the garage and twice tried to impede Bowman’s progress on the track.

 

“He tried to wreck me about four times after (the accident),” Bowman said after the race. “I don’t blame him for being upset. He has every right to be upset…

 

“He drove me way up the race track (right before the contact). He obviously got tight underneath me. I had a ton of wheel in it, and it finally caught. I barely came off the wall. You come off the wall six inches and you tag somebody in the right rear. I hate that for the 3 car, but I definitely didn’t do it intentionally. He can think what he wants.”

 

Bowman was able to continue despite damage to the left front of his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and posted an eighth-place finish. Dillon, on the other hand, was scored 33rd and held third place in the XFINITY standings but fell to 48 points behind Suarez, who also expanded his series lead to 15 points over second-place Elliott Sadler , who ran 10th on Saturday.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Best at-track photos Saturday at New Hampshire


LOUDON, N.H. — Alex Bowman gained a lot of new fans this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway — but he may have earned an on-track enemy, as well.
 
Bowman, the 23-year-old tapped to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. (concussion-like symptoms) in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series New Hampshire 301 (1:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), got into an on-track incident with full-time XFINITY Series driver Ty Dillon shortly before the midway point in Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Auto Lotto 200 race.
 
The No. 88 JR Motorsports driver appeared to clip the right rear of Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet on the straightaway, sending the title hopeful into the outside wall and out of race contention.
 
Bowman indicated over his team radio that it was not intentional and that his Camaro was battling tight handling, but Dillon wasn’t buying it.
 
“Just watching the replay, he wrecked me on purpose,” Dillon said in the garage as his No. 3 crew worked to repair his ride. ” … You can ask everybody that was around the 88 today. I’m sure after the race they’ll say that he was the toughest one to pass for whatever reason.
 
” … He felt like he needed to turn me down the straightaway. Obviously I’m not very happy. I’ll just try and be the cooler head right now because I’m glad he’s still out there on the track and not here (in the garage) with me.”
 
Bowman maintained after the race that while he “wasn’t really thrilled with how (Dillon) drove (him) prior to the wreck” that “it wasn’t, by any means, intentional,” but he’ll probably wait a bit to offer a face-to-face apology to Dillon.
 
“I’ll talk to him, probably let him cool down a little bit,” said Bowman, set for his first Sprint Cup Series start of the season on Sunday. “Kid tried to wreck me like four times but he couldn’t get it done after that. Probably let him calm down without it turning into just him yelling at me. That’s probably what he’s going to do. That’s probably what I’d do, too. I’d be upset, too. He has every right to be upset.
 
” … He’ll get over it someday.”
 
Dillon was able to get back out on the track after the midway mark, but came out more than 50 laps off the pace. He finished 33rd.
 
The championship hopeful came into the race 19 points behind leader Daniel Suarez, in third place. That gap widened to 48 points, just six ahead of second-place finisher Erik Jones .
 
“Pretty upset right now. It’s not how you race,” Dillon said. “You don’t turn me when we’re going down the straightaway. I don’t know what to say, because I don’t have anything good to say, except for I’m glad he’s not around right now.
 
“Seemed like (his car) turned pretty good down the straightaway when I was passed him, so maybe he needs to figure out what loose and tight mean. Maybe I can explain it to him.”

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Drivers react to Junior’s news

LOUDON, N.H. – Doug Duchardt, general manager for Hendrick Motorsports, says there was no indication that driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was dealing with concussion-like symptoms during the organization’s weekly competition meeting earlier this week.



Two days after that meeting, Duchardt and others were informed that the 41-year-old would not be competing in this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.



“Tuesdays we have our competition meeting and he shows up and he’s just normal Dale,” Duchardt said during a press conference Friday morning at NHMS. “It was Mexican day, so he was in a good mood. … It was just a normal day. If you sat down and listened to him discuss the Kentucky race … you would just think he was no different.”



On Thursday, HMS officials announced that Earnhardt had not been cleared by doctors to compete this weekend, and that Alex Bowman would replace Earnhardt in the team’s No. 88 Chevrolet.



In Thursday’s statement from the team announcing the driver change, Earnhardt said he was not feeling well going into last weekend’s race at Kentucky Speedway. After returning from the race, he saw doctors for what he initially thought was a severe sinus infection.



“When that didn’t help, I decided to dig a little deeper,” Earnhardt said. “Because of my symptoms and my history with concussions, and after my recent wrecks at Michigan and Daytona, I reached out and met with a neurological specialist. After further evaluation, they felt it was best for me to sit out.”



His timeline for returning to competition is unknown and Earnhardt is expected to see doctors again next week for an update on his condition. Duchardt said if Earnhardt is unable to return for next week’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, former HMS driver Jeff Gordon , a four-time series champion who retired from driving at the end of 2015, would be his replacement in the No. 88 entry.



Duchardt would not speculate on any potential replacements beyond next weekend’s event. “We will obviously be thinking about contingency plans, but we don’t have anything formalized for sure past Indy,” he said.



This weekend’s race will mark the second time Earnhardt has been sidelined by a concussion or concussion-like symptoms. In 2012, he missed two races late in the season following a hard crash during a test at Kansas Speedway.



According to David Higdon, Chief Communications Officer for the sanctioning body, NASCAR “requires drivers to submit a baseline neurocognitive assessment, such as an impact test … as a prerequisite for being licensed to compete.”



The requirement became mandatory in 2013 following “comprehensive, industry-wide education process,” Higdon said.



“Additionally, NASCAR’s medical advisory group, a team of consulting physicians who work directly with the league on policy development while regularly meeting with drivers to continue the education process, includes many leaders in the neurological field. …



“Another important element worth noting is the active role our drivers and teams take in monitoring their health. Drivers approach this responsibility very seriously and that ultimately benefits their entire team, the sport and their fellow competitors.



“We applaud Dale Earnhardt Jr. for being a great example dating back to 2012 where he chose not to race in Charlotte and in Kansas during the Chase and has made that decision this weekend as well.”



At Michigan last month, Earnhardt was involved in an incident with fellow drivers Chris Buescher and AJ Allmendinger, but was able to drive his car back to the garage. At the time he told FS1 that the impact “wasn’t too bad, actually.”



Barely one month later, Earnhardt was one of 22 competitors caught up in a crash at Daytona.



Duchardt said there was no advance warning that something was amiss following the incidents at MIS or Daytona. “We didn’t know of anything until he started talking to Greg (Ives, crew chief) about not feeling quite right in Kentucky,” he said.



“I think this weekend he is just, per doctor’s orders, laying low like most people in these situations – minimum stimulation and just work to get better and keep activities down.”



Higdon said officials would “need to receive a notice from an independent board-certified neurologist” before Earnhardt, or any driver diagnosed with a similar injury, would be allowed to return.



“That would be our expectation that the driver is prepared and able to compete in our sport,” he said.



Earnhardt is 13th in points and has yet to win this season. His eligibility for one of the 16 positions in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup upon his return, should he be in position to qualify for a spot, would be determined by NASCAR. Attempting to compete in all races is one of the Chase eligibility requirements, although NASCAR can award an exemption based on each individual situation. Defending series champion Kyle Busch was provided a waiver last season after missing the first 11 points races due to injury; three-time series champion Tony Stewart has also received a waiver after missing this year’s first eight races due to injury.



Because of Earnhardt’s initial concerns of potential sinus issues, Bowman was already on standby with the plan to replace the veteran once Earnhardt started Sunday’s race at New Hampshire, according to Duchardt. When Earnhardt wasn’t cleared to return to competition, the team moved forward with Bowman as the replacement.



“The most important thing in this whole process is for Dale to get better and feel better,” Duchardt said, “and we’re going to let that happen on the timeline it’s going to happen on.



“And so, basically, less than 24 hours ago we found out that Dale couldn’t run. We had Alex lined up to be in the car. It made perfect sense. And I have confidence that he and Greg will go a good job this weekend.”