Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: See what happened to Harvick last fall

LOUDON, N.H. — During the past two years, Kevin Harvick has led more laps at New Hampshire Motor Speedway than any other NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver.

Yet in each of those four starts, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver failed to come away with the victory.

Harvick, the 2014 series champion, has led 379 of 1,209 laps at the 1.058-mile venue located in Loudon, New Hampshire. He led 216 at NHMS last year in the fall race, the second of 10 that made up Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoff.

But his No. 4 Chevrolet ran out of fuel with less than three laps remaining, and after pitting, Harvick finished 21st. His two previous starts at NHMS had resulted in third-place finishes after leading 59 laps in the July race of ’15 and 104 the race the previous fall.

“That’s one I want to win really bad because I feel like we’ve given so many away there,” Rodney Childers, Harvick’s crew chief, said earlier this week. “Last fall we had a stinking good car, didn’t get it full on the last stop, didn’t realize it wasn’t full. We ran probably the whole last run still leading the race and still ran out.”

Harvick has one win this year, at Phoenix, and has been the series points leader for much of the season. His return as one of 16 Chase competitors for this year is all but guaranteed. Only one of his 32 career wins have come at the “Magic Mile” however, and that took place nearly a decade ago.

While Harvick has done nearly everything but win at Loudon in recent years, the victories have gone to others. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch swept the two races last season and Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski were in Victory Lane in ’14.

Keselowski is the only other competitor in the same vicinity as Harvick when it comes to laps led at NHMS, with 321 to his credit. He’s the series’ most recent winner, claiming back-to-back victories at Daytona and Kentucky.

Childers has one New Hampshire victory, guiding Brian Vickers to the win in 2013. It was the final win for the now-defunct Michael Waltrip Racing organization.

Helping put Harvick back there would be big. Coming off a ninth-place run at Kentucky was a nice rebound after finishing 39th at Daytona a week earlier.

“Every time we’ve been (to New Hampshire) we’ve been really good so hopefully we can go up there and be good again,” Childers said. “I think having that good run last week at Kentucky gave everybody a little bit of confidence back. It’s time to start ramping things up and get ready for the Chase.”

On Friday, Harvick qualified eighth in the 40-car field. He was 21st in Friday’s opening practice and fourth in Saturday’s two sessions.

The New Hampshire 301 is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

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RELATED: Where does 2 crew stack up midseason?

Team Penske’s No. 2 crew members had double the reason to celebrate Brad Keselowski ‘s back-to-back victories at Daytona and Kentucky in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That’s because jackman Braxton Brannon and gasman Nick Hensley both added to their families during the joyous past two weeks.

Anyone who has ever been involved in the waiting process understands the stress of having a baby. The due dates were only three days apart and both guys had been on wait for the past two weeks.  But the babies arrived safely on opposite ends of the Kentucky weekend and the crew members didn’t miss a beat.

For the Brannon family it was their first child. They welcomed a baby girl on July 7. For the Hensley family, they welcomed their second boy on July 11.

“It was a tough decision to go to that race while they were still in the hospital,” Brannon said. “Caroline told me to go and I think it was the right decision. Caroline is doing great now and the baby.”

Hensley echoed his feeling of relief.

“I knew the next two races (after Sonoma) were Saturday night races, and close enough to home that Team Penske would do everything they could to get me home in a hurry if something happened,” Hensley said. “I was more nervous for Braxton, this was my second child and I had stayed home from the Talladega race in 2014 for the birth of my first child, and I didn’t want him to miss that special moment with his family.”

So three weeks ago the No. 2 crew had two wins on the season and a total of one kid between the six over-the-wall guys. Now, two weeks later, the team has two more wins and two more family members.

For more pit crew news, visit PitTalks.com.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full New Hampshire results | Standings | Chase Grid
SHOP: Stewart gear

Tony Stewart returned from a back injury in April and the three-time Sprint Cup Series champion is in pursuit of one of the 16 spots in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in his final season. Here’s a look at where the driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet stands in his hunt after Sunday’s runner-up finish in the New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the season’s 19th of 26 regular-season races.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED
The three-time champion followed a top-five finish at Kentucky with a runner-up in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet at New Hampshire, Stewart’s second-best showing of the season. That moved Stewart into 28th place in the drivers point standings.  


With a win locked up at Sonoma, inside the top 30 is where Stewart needs to be in order to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. As it stands now, he’s in the provisional Chase Grid. He leads 29th-place Landon Cassill by three points and 31st-place driver Brian Scott by 67 points.


WHAT HE NEEDS
Stewart received a waiver from NASCAR for Chase eligibility. The surest way into the Chase is by winning before the end of regular season (at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 10) — which Stewart did at Sonoma — and remain in the top 30 in the points standings. En route to his 2015 championship, Kyle Busch faced a similar path after missing the first 11 races with a leg injury. With the win in the bank, Stewart can focus on remaining in the top 30. He sits 28th in the standings with 287 points. He is six points beind Casey Mears , who sits at 27th place in the standings. 

WHAT’S NEXT
“Smoke” heads to his hometrack of Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 24 at 3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), where he has two victories. In his 17 starts there, Stewart has seven top fives and 11 top 10s. 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Updated Chase Grid | Stewart Chase watch

 

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards officially clinched berths in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs based on their finishes in Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Busch, the defending series champion, led a race-high 133 laps and finished eighth in Sunday’s New Hampshire 301. Edwards faded to a 20th-place finish after involvement in a crash that forced the last of the race’s seven yellow flags.

Each qualify for championship eligibility in the 10-race postseason based on their status as multiple winners in the regular season and because of their points stature in the Sprint Cup driver standings, mathematically unable to fall outside of the top 30 requirement.

 

“With NASCAR, it’s our playoff. That’s what it’s all about,” said Coach Joe Gibbs, whose organization fields four full-time Toyota teams including the No. 18 for Busch and No. 19 for Edwards. “It’s a thrill for us to be in there. I think the key is, as you continue to work during the year, try and keep your performance up and try and point towards the playoffs. When you get to the playoffs, you never know what’s going to happen because it’s a little three‑race playoff. That’s what it is. You take your best shot, but what you want to do is hopefully continue to improve as the year goes along, and that’s kind of our goal.”

Heading into Sunday’s 301-lapper, Brad Keselowski was the only certified Chase-eligible driver, based on his points position and status as a winner of multiple regular-season races. Keselowski leads the series this year with four victories.

Seven regular-season races remain before the 16-driver championship field is set. Eleven drivers have scored regular-season wins to virtually secure Chase berths, leaving five spots open for competitors to race their way into the playoffs with victories or points.

The Sprint Cup Series’ next race — the Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at the Brickyard — is scheduled Sunday, July 24 (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Kenseth’s late charge nets New Hampshire win

MORE: Watch the live stream on Tuesday at 8 a.m. ET

The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota of race winner Matt Kenseth failed post-race inspection Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.



The car did not meet compliance in the laser inspection station (LIS) after Sunday’s New Hampshire 301. The car will face further scrutiny this week at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

“A failure at track doesn’t necessarily mean a failure once we get it back to the R&D Center,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” on Monday.

“What we’re going to do, and the reason we bring it back to the R&D Center, is to look at what, if any, damage occurred to that car,” O’Donnell continued. “What, if any, parts were broken? We’ve got the best engineers in the world, so were they manufactured to possibly break? We’ve got to go through all those things. If, after that, we determine if it’s still a violation, we would issue a penalty.” 



The Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Chevrolet for race runner-up Tony Stewart passed the LIS platform post-race and will also be taken to the NASCAR R&D Center for further evaluation.



The cars for the remaining top-five finishers — Joey Logano (third), Kevin Harvick (fourth) and Greg Biffle (fifth) — plus the random selection of seventh-finisher Ryan Newman were all cleared in post-race inspection at the 1.058-mile track.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: See photos of Lorenzen’s career

 

Moved by Dale Earnhardt Jr. ‘s advocacy on the issue of concussions, NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen will donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation upon his death, the driver’s daughter Amanda told the Associated Press.

“As a family, we decided we wanted to support Dale Jr. and all work together toward a healthy future for these drivers,” Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom told the AP in a story published Saturday.

Earlier this week Hendrick Motorsports announced that Earnhardt Jr. would miss Sunday’s race at New Hampshire due to concussion-like symptoms. The driver thought he had a severe sinus infection, according to the team, and sought treatment from a doctor who delivered that diagnosis.

Lorenzen was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2015. He made just 158 premier series starts in his career, but the “Golden Boy” won 26 times from 1961-67, topping both Richard Petty and David Pearson during that span.

Now 81, Lorenzen has fought the effects of dementia for years. NASCAR.com previously documented his battle in a 2014 feature.


MORE: Dale Jr. pledges to donate brain to science

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Find NBCSN in your area | Watch live online at NBCSports.com

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will gather for a doubleheader weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is at Eldora Speedway this week. Check out the full weekend schedule below.


Note: All times are ET

SUNDAY, JULY 24: 

PRE-RACE SCHEDULE
—1:00:00 p.m.: NSCS Driver/Crew Chief Meeting (Plaza meeting Room 4)
—2:05:00 p.m.: Military Salute Parade Lap with an address to the troops during the parade lap delivered from Victory Podium
—2:30:00 p.m.: NSCS Driver Introductions with Special Awards
—2:58:00 p.m.: America the Beautiful by: Late Shift
—3:00:00 p.m.: Intro Presentation of Colors by: Joint Services Color Guard 
—3:00:10 p.m.: Invocation by: Howard Brammer
—3:00:50 p.m.: National Anthem by: Cassadee Pope 
—3:02:40 p.m.: Fly-By TOT: VFA-101 Grim Reapers (Turn 4-1) 
—3:02:50 p.m.: “Drivers to your cars” PA Announcement
—3:07:40 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by: Tony George
—3:19:40 p.m.: Green Flag: Crown Royal Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at The Brickyard (160 Laps, 400 Miles)


ON TRACK: INDIANAPOLIS

— 3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at the Brickyard (160 laps, 400 miles), NBCSN (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 6:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series post race

DAILY ROUNDUP

— Patrick looks to better season at Indy

— ‘Smoke’ honored with standing O

— Photos: All of Sunday’s Indy action

— Busch dominates to sweep weekend

— Stewart, Gordon give one final show at Indy

— Chase bubble post-Indy race

— Busch: Kissing the bricks at Indy

— No. 88 fill-in brings in special day for ‘too old’ Gordon

TUESDAY, JULY 19:

ON TRACK: ELDORA

— 6:30-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice (Results)

— 9-9:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (Results)


WEDNESDAY, JULY 20:

ON TRACK: ELDORA

— 5:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS1 (Qualifying races lineup)

— 7 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series First Qualifying Race (10 laps), FS1

— 7:09 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Second Qualifying Race (10 laps), FS1 

— 7:18 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Third Qualifying Race (10 laps), FS1 

— 7:27 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fourth Qualifying Race (10 laps), FS1 

— 7:36 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fifth Qualifying Race (10 laps), FS1

— 8:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Last Chance Qualifying Race (15 laps), FS1 (Full race lineup)

— 9 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby (150 laps/40-50-60, 75 miles), FS1 (Results)



DAILY ROUNDUP

— Larson bounces back to win at Eldora dirt track

— Tackling three key questions on Junior, Gordon

— Kenseth, No. 20 team penalized for failed inspection

— Through the years: Drivers of the No. 88

— Dale Jr. out, Gordon in No. 88 at Indianapolis

— Paint Scheme Preview: Indianapolis and Eldora


FRIDAY, JULY 22:

ON TRACK: INDIANAPOLIS

— noon-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice, NBCSN (Results)

— 1:30 p.m.-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, NBCSN (Results)

— 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN (Results)

— 4-5:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 10:30 a.m.: Jeff Gordon
— 11 a.m.: Wood Brothers
— 11:30 a.m.: Kyle Busch
— 11:45 a.m.: Roush Fenway Racing
— 12:15 p.m.: Ryan Newman
— 12:30 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson
— 12:45 p.m.: Tony Stewart

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
— 11:30 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series
— 1 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

DAILY ROUNDUP

— Dale Jr. tweets update: ‘I sensed improvement’

— Gordon talks return, Dale Jr. at Indy

— Gordon: SHR reached out before Daytona

— Keelan makes regrettable deal with DeLana, more tweets

— Views from Gordon’s first day in the No. 88

— Busch sweeps XFINITY practices at Indy

— Johnson, Busch top Indy sessions

SATURDAY, JULY 23:

ON TRACK: INDIANAPOLIS

— 11:40 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Lineup)

— 1:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Results)

— 3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Heat #1 (20 laps, 50 miles), NBCSN (Results)

— 4:25 p.m. (approx): NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Heat #2 (20 laps, 50 miles), NBCSN (Results)

— 5:05 p.m. (approx): NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Main (60 laps, 150 miles), NBCSN (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 12:15 p.m.: Danica Patrick
— 3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series post qualifying
— 6 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series post race

DAILY ROUNDUP
— Ky. Busch scores Coors Light Pole for Brickyard
— See every car in Sunday’s field
— Gordon preps for Indianapolis
— Smith challenges fellow drivers on the links
— Johnson looks to cure cold spell at the Brickyard
— See the best photos from Indianapolis
— Gordon keeps expectations ‘realistic’
— Strong starting spot at Indy ‘ a big deal’ for Stewart
— Ky. Busch holds off Harvick for XFINITY win
— Allgaier uses last restart to score Dash 4 Cash prize
— Suarez, Sadler clinch XFINITY Chase spots 

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.”