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RELATED: Charlotte race results | Updated series standings

 

CONCORD, N.C. — At the end of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Daniel Suarez climbed out of his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota like a seasoned pro. With his feet planted on the concrete and his helmet off, he immediately found himself in the midst of a media frenzy, everyone wanting a quote or two from the Mexican-born driver.

No, Suarez did not win the Charlotte race, but his fourth-place finish (best among XFINITY Series regulars) was in many ways, the equivalent of a trip to Victory Lane. Yet, Suarez remains hungry for that elusive victory.

“We are getting closer,” Suarez said, coated thickly in his signature accent.

In his first full-time season in a NASCAR national series, Suarez has seen plenty of progress in himself. His 2015 stats are on the caliber of the veterans with a total of seven top fives, 14 top 10s and three poles. He is also leading Darrell Wallace Jr. in the race for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the series. The only thing missing from his resume is that coveted win.

“I have great teammates with a lot of experience and they have been super helpful to me,” Suarez explained. “I think that has been all the difference.”

In addition to Suarez, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones, Matt Kenseth, Boris Said and Kenny Habul are among the notable drivers to spend significant seat time in JGR cars in the XFINITY Series. The 23-year-old not only credits JGR for the recipe for his success, but puts hard work into the equation as well.

“I never had to work that hard to be running in the top 10, top five,” Suarez said, referencing his past racing career in Mexico with great success in the NASCAR Mexico Series. “The competition is so much more difficult here. You have to work hard. A good car is not enough. You have to make the car as perfect as possible.”

And Suarez looks forward to take his almost “perfect” Toyota to Kansas for the second time this year for Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 (4 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM). Suarez raced at Kansas Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series back in May and earned a sixth-place result after starting 10th.

“I am happy to go back to Kansas. I am happy to go back to these race tracks for the second time. (I’m) learning information, that is … helpful. The second time is always better.”

 

The second time proved to be better at Charlotte where Suarez improved on a sixth-place result in the spring XFINITY race to last weekend’s fourth-place finish. And that “better” at Kansas could possibly come in the form of a win for the rookie, who is now ranked seventh in the NASCAR XFINITY Series standings.

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After the fourth race of the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, PitTalks.com ranks the 12 remaining Chase teams’ pit crews. For more pit crew news provided by PitTalks.com come back throughout the Chase.

No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Carl Edwards

Rank: 1

Wins: 2 — Charlotte and Darlington

Notes: This team was strong again in the pits, and we see no reason to move them from the top spot. They weren’t the fastest crew of the race, but they were good enough to help their team to a top-six finish. 

No. 22 Team Penske Ford pit crew for Joey Logano

Rank: 2

Wins: 4 — Daytona, Watkins Glen, Bristol, Charlotte

Notes: This is the second week in a row where the No. 22 was very strong on pit road. On four separate pit sequences they kept the No. 22 out front and helped bring the Penske Ford to Victory Lane.

No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Denny Hamlin

Rank: 3 

Wins: 2 — Martinsville, (Sprint All-Star Race), Chicago

Notes: This was the a great day on pit road for the No. 11 crew. They were fast all day and, from what we can tell, averaged stops in the low 11-second range for the race. Without a strong day by the Nos. 19 and 22 crews, this team would be back in first. 

No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Kevin Harvick

Rank: 4 

Wins: 2 — Las Vegas and Phoenix 

Notes: Not a bad day at all by this group. They almost pulled off back-to-back wins. The team was solid all day on pit road, particularly giving a great effort on the last green-flag pit stop to close the gap on the No. 22. None of their stops were longer than the 11-second range.

No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Kurt Busch

Rank: 5

Wins: 2 — Richmond and Michigan

Notes: The No. 41 finished fifth Sunday, and that’s exactly where they end up on the power rankings. With consistently fast stops, we don’t see them dropping out of the top five.







No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Kyle Busch

Rank: 6

Wins: 4 — Sonoma, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Indianapolis

Notes: This team moves up another spot after a strong performance Sunday. New changer; same results. This group was really fast during stops and ended up 20th after contact with the No. 42 car entering pit road. 

No. 2 Team Penske Ford pit crew for Brad Keselowski

Rank: 7

Wins: 1 — Fontana

Notes: This was one of the best races for this group so far this year. In their third week with a new rear changer, the team seems to be coming together fast. They left Charlotte as one of the fastest crews of the race and that’s why they jumped up one spot. 

No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Matt Kenseth

Rank: 8

Wins: 5 — Bristol, Pocono, Michigan, Richmond, New Hampshire

Notes: The few stops they got to do were good! Finishing 42nd hurt their efforts in moving up the rankings, but we try not to hold that against the crew. This team pitted well; it just didn’t get the opportunity to finish the race strong.   

No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Martin Truex Jr.

Rank: 9

Wins: 1 – Pocono 

Notes: The car couldn’t have finished third without good stops, and that’s exactly what the crew provided. It was a solid day on pit road, but it will take another week of stops like this to move up any farther. Still, it’s a good jump from 11th to ninth for this crew.  

No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Ryan Newman

Rank: 10

Wins: 0

Notes: This team is a mystery to us. The crew has tons of talent and has produced fast stops, but they haven’t put up the races we thought we would see … yet. We still think they’re a better crew than 10th, but so far nine other crews have been better. 

No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet pit crew for Jeff Gordon

Rank: 11

Wins: 0

Notes: This team needs a few more weeks to get a real feel for how their changes are going to pay off. It’s unfair to say they’re an 11th-place crew, but right now that’s where they are. Expect them to move up quickly after these crew members get more reps together.  

No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Rank: 12

Wins: 2 — Talladega and Daytona

Notes: The No. 88 hit the wall and wrecked. Pit stops were OK up until that point, but not enough to move out of 12th. This group needs a good day with no mistakes and things can turn around quickly.

 

For more pit crew news, visit PitTalks.com

Posted on by Holly Cain

Thank goodness Jimmie Johnson‘s sense of humor is as keen as his racing skills and that his life perspective balances his competitive zeal.

After experiencing rare back-to-back poor finishes (41st at Dover and 39th at Charlotte) and being eliminated from the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup after just the first round, Johnson took the time to engage and indulge his critics on social media this week.

The exchanges are both amusing and telling. And typically head-shaking.

This week on Twitter, someone accused him of “only helping the 88 (teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.)”, which the person felt was shameful “after all the 24 (teammate Jeff Gordon) has done for you.” And then the person told the six-time champ and 74-time race winner, “you suck.”

Others jumped into the Twitter conversation to defend Johnson, who said — tongue-in-cheek — “I thought I’d get a little slack with the back to back parts failures. Guess not.”

In fact, it is an extremely rare thing for Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet to suffer such mechanical problems and particularly in back-to-back weeks. It is not, however, the first time.

Way back in 2004, he had three consecutive engine failures with finishes of 36th (Indianapolis), 40th (Watkins Glen) and 40th (Michigan). In 2007, he crashed two straight weeks, earning 37th and 39th-place results at Chicago and Indianapolis, respectively, prior to earning his second Cup championship title. Last year, he scored back-to-back 42nd-place finishes because of crashes in July races at Daytona and New Hampshire.

 

Those are the only other instances in 14 seasons (501 starts) that Johnson has posted back-to-back finishes comparable to the forgettable two-week run he’s currently on. Two weeks ago at Dover he called the faulty axle seal — which eliminated him from the championship Chase —  a “freak accident.” And on Sunday, his Chevy was sidelined again, this time for an oil pump problem.

Johnson is the modern era standard of excellence — his five consecutive titles from 2006-2010 unprecedented. Not having him competing for the Sprint Cup Series championship should feel like a trophy-gimme for those more accustomed to having to overtake him.

“Seeing Jimmie get eliminated by a mechanical part failure is really kind of disheartening as a competitor,” Brad Keselowski told FOX Sports 1. “You want to beat him on the track as a driver and a team.”

Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Earnhardt agreed that the absence of Johnson as a title contender “feels weird.”

While a record-tying seventh Sprint Cup trophy will have to wait another year, expect Johnson to drive like a guy with nothing to lose on a path of redemption that has largely ended in Victory Lane.

At a time when a win is so vital for the other Chase contenders, there’s no one more likely to crash the party.

Johnson’s 22 combined wins at the next six Chase venues is tops in the series. He won at this week’s stop, Kansas Speedway already this season, finished runner-up at next week’s venue, Talladega Superspeedway, in the spring and has won the previous two races at the Texas Motor Speedway, where the Chase heads on Nov. 8.

If you think it’s a rough week on Twitter when when Johnson isn’t competitive, imagine what will happen when the team gets back into the groove.

Fortunately, he can handle it. A little victory champagne and some confetti makes for a fantastic rebuttal.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne added “proud father” to his list of accomplishments Tuesday as longtime girlfriend Sam Sheets gave birth to the couple’s first child at 1:11 a.m., a son named Tanner Lee Kahne.


Kahne, 35, of Enumclaw, Washington, announced his big news via social media Tuesday morning.

The 2004 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year revealed that Sheets was expecting back in June, and described being a father as a “lifelong dream” of his.

In one of his first interviews since acknowledging Sheets’ pregnancy, Kahne told ESPN.com, “It’s something that’s been on my mind for a long time. I’m really excited to have this type of life-changing experience, and I can’t wait to be the best dad I can possibly be.”

Kahne is the latest driver to contribute to a NASCAR version of the “baby boom.” In just over the last year, drivers Kyle Busch, Landon Cassill, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski and Clint Bowyer have had their first children. Trevor Bayne‘s wife is expecting their first child later this year.

Posted on by Staff Report

In a special video featuring select Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, the Hendrick Motorsports driver revealed the No. 88 Nationwide paint scheme for races in the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Watch the video below to see how fans helped unveil the new look.

Nationwide will be a primary sponsor for 21 races on the No. 88 in 2016.

 

Here is a look at what the primary scheme looked like in 2015.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR RETURNS TO AMS FEB. 26-28; SPEEDWAY INTRODUCES

‘PERFECT RACE WEATHER GUARANTEE’



Buy Tickets for 2016 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.


HAMPTON, Ga. (Oct. 13, 2015) – NASCAR racing will make its thunderous return to Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2016 with the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Weekend Feb. 26-28. The Speedway today announced several great new benefits for fans attending the weekend event.


The 2016 NASCAR Weekend has become more affordable and fan-friendly than ever. The majority of grandstand seat prices have been reduced, and no ticket to the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 is priced at more than $99, with seats starting as low as $39. The new ticket prices represent an overall average reduction of 15 percent from previous levels.


Along with reduced ticket prices, Atlanta Motor Speedway has introduced a “Perfect Race Weather Guarantee.” The all-new policy offers fans options in the event that inclement weather prevents them from attending the race. If the daytime high temperature in Hampton, Georgia on Saturday or Sunday of race weekend fails to reach at least 50 degrees as observed by the National Weather Service, or if weather issues postpone the day’s activities to a different day and fans are unable to attend on the rescheduled date, fans who do not enter the admission gates on the day the event is held will receive an account credit for the full price of their tickets. Credits can be applied to any future AMS event or events in 2016 or the 2017 NASCAR Weekend.


Also new in 2016, Atlanta Motor Speedway is rolling out the ultra-affordable “Good,” “Better” and “Best” ticket packages that offer unbeatable weekend deals.


•The “Good” ticket package, priced at $79, includes upper Petty Grandstand seating for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, plus general admission seating to Friday’s Sprint Cup Series qualifying day and Saturday’s doubleheader, a savings of $40 off the regular prices.


•The “Better” ticket package is priced at $139 and offers seating in the Winners, Earnhardt or Petty Grandstand for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, general admission seating to Friday’s Sprint Cup Series qualifying day and  Saturday’s doubleheader, a weekend FanVision rental and a Sunday pre-race pit pass, for a total savings of $125 off regular prices 


•The “Best” package, which offers the best value of all three deals, is priced at $179 and boasts an ultimate NASCAR weekend combination, including a seat in the Upper Champions Grandstand or the Upper Winners Grandstand chairback seats for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, general admission seating to Friday’s Sprint Cup Series qualifying day and Saturday’s doubleheader, a weekend FanVision scanner rental, a weekend pre-race pit pass, and $25 off a purchase of $50 or more in the AMS souvenir shop. In total, the “Best” package shaves a whopping $165 off normal pricing.


The Good, Better and Best packages are available for purchase now in addition to other traditional, price-friendly ticket packages. Those include the Two-for-$99 deal, the $159 Start/Finish Line Package, which includes both Saturday and Sunday tickets plus a Sunday pre-race pit pass, and the Jimmie Johnson package, which grants access to a pre-race Q&A session with the defending Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 winner for just $48 and half the price for kids.


Another fan-favorite experience available now is the Champions Suite, which offers an indoor, climate-controlled atmosphere, a pre-race pit pass, individual reserved seating, TVs, dedicated restrooms, a delicious food and beverage buffet and much more.


For the second consecutive year, AMS will host all three NASCAR national series on the same weekend. Saturday, Feb. 27 features a Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series same-day doubleheader unique to Atlanta, for a combined 450 miles of racing, while the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race headlines the weekend on Sunday, Feb. 28. Sprint Cup Series qualifying will open the weekend’s events on Friday, Feb. 26.


Fans are encouraged to secure their tickets early and take advantage of these 2016 NASCAR Weekend specials, as many are available for a limited time and only while supplies last.


For event information and to purchase tickets today, fans are encouraged to contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com. 

-AMS-



Buy Tickets for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Now!

Posted on by Pat DeCola
Logano scored about as no-doubt of a win as a driver can hope for at Charlotte, out-running Kevin Harvick. If the 22 is faster than the 4, it’s faster than everyone. Oh, and he’s the defending race-winner.

MORE: Logano on to Eliminator Round

Harvick remained exceptional at Charlotte, but his main title competition came into focus in Joey Logano. They have a history, so we’re in for a battle.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/denny-hamlin/
DennyHamlin
2
Joe Gibbs Racing
Hamlin wasn’t a major win factor in Charlotte, but he was strong. Top-fives just seem to be in Hamlin’s arsenal right now.
Truex showing strength on an intermediate bodes well for the 78 team, with three of the remaining six races coming on 1.5-mile tracks.

MORE: Truex encouraged after Charlotte

Edwards has come a long way since his early-season struggles and has slowly built himself to a level just below the elites — while also establishing himself as a title contender.
Running poorly at Kansas runs in the Busch family, where even Kurt averages a dismal finish of 18.4. Luckily, a solid Charlotte result gives him a slight cushion.
Gordon’s Kansas stats are quite impressive — and better than just about any other driver — so the four-time champ’s first win of 2015 could certainly come this weekend.

MORE: Gordon still chasing first 2015 win

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/brad-keselowski/
BradKeselowski
3
Team Penske
Overall, Charlotte was a successful venture for Keselowski — he finished in the top 10 and he didn’t get tackled by Matt Kenseth in the garage area after the race.
Newman’s 15th-place finish isn’t excellent, but with so many heavy hitters stumbling out of the Contender Round gate, it might be enough.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/kyle-busch/
KyleBusch
-6
Joe Gibbs Racing
If anybody can overcome a 20th-place finish to start the round, it’s Kyle Busch. Just as long as he and Kasey Kahne can stay out of each others’ way. And Kyle Larson, for that matter.

MORE: A history of Kahne-Busch incidents

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr/
DaleEarnhardt Jr.
-4
Hendrick Motorsports
Whether it was caused by oil on the track or not, Junior hit the wall several times at Charlotte and struggled to a 28th-place finish to land in a hole before Kansas, where he is winless.

MORE: Junior questions NASCAR clean-up efforts

Kenseth didn’t seem too stressed after multiple issues caused a 42nd-place finish, so there’s reason to think the 2003 champ can dig himself out — but it won’t be easy.

MORE: JGR favorites take tumble

Even after being eliminated from the Chase, McMurray still ran well at Charlotte. No reason to think this team will lay down the rest of the way.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/jimmie-johnson/
JimmieJohnson
-2
Hendrick Motorsports
For the second consecutive week, Johnson struggled with mechanical issues. At least this time, it actually meant he benefitted from it — in one way.

MORE: Johnson benefits from early race exit

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/clint-bowyer/
ClintBowyer
1
Stewart-Haas Racing
Just like McMurray, Bowyer followed up being eliminated with a solid Charlotte run. A win in the closing races of 2015 would be a nice note for the MWR team to hang its hat on, but it isn’t likely.
Nothing noteworthy from Menard’s Charlotte race, but it could improve at Kansas, where the RCR driver hasn’t finished worse than 19th since 2009.
Posted on by RJ Kraft

RELATED: Podcast: Is Truex lying in wait?

CONCORD, N.C. — After a tough run of races over the summer heading into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Martin Truex Jr. came into the postseason a bit under the radar. 



 

The Furniture Row Racing driver’s stealth run toward a possible championship continued at Charlotte Motor Speedway on a day that saw Joey Logano dominate his way to victory and several title contenders find trouble. Truex scored a third-place finish in the Bank of America 500 that puts him third in the standings and 12 points above the cutline to be one of eight drivers to advance to the Eliminator Round.

RELATED: See how the entire 43-car field fared at Charlotte

“Third is great and all, but it’s no guarantee,” Truex said after the race. “I felt like this round would be good for us. Charlotte and Kansas, we ran so good here in the first race this year, and then after practice I was like, ‘oh my God, we’re struggling.’ This was honestly the worst weekend we’ve had all season long as far as how I felt about the race car.
 
“So I was like, ok, kind of damage control. Let’s just hopefully get a top 10 out of this thing, and to do ‑‑ to get third out of it was a huge step for us.”

Truex qualified 15th for the Bank of America 500 and finished 16th, 4th and 15th in the three practice sessions.



”From the time practice was over on Friday until this morning, we were texting about the set-up and what we were going to do and what we had to do and what to focus on,” Truex said of his single-car team’s efforts to improve the No. 78 Chevrolet this weekend. 


“
I’m just proud of those guys for what they did. It was a true team effort and a testament to this team and their fight.”

DIRTY AIR PODCAST: Truex lying in wait?

The run was Truex’s best result since a third-place finish at Michigan in August and was his best career finish at Charlotte. The finish also gave Truex a career-high in top-fives for a single season (eight) and matched his career-high in top 10s (19).


And now the 35-year-old turns his attention to the next race of the Contender Round at Kansas. Truex led a race-high 95 laps in the spring race at Kansas, the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 , en route to a ninth-place finish. Prior to that, he had four top-four finishes in his past six starts at the 1.5-mile track.



”Honestly, I think going to Kansas, a win is huge,” Truex said. “It would be so huge. It’s so critical to try to get that win out of the way. Logano is the only one that’s going to sleep for the next two weeks. You know what I mean?  



“Kansas has been one of my best race tracks, and certainly one of my best since I went to Furniture Row. Honestly, we’re going there as hard as we can go with everything we have to try to win just because we know Talladega is that wild card.”

Add in his 6.7 average finish in the seven intermediate track races that have used the 2015 rules package and its easy to see why Truex feels confident heading into Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (2:15 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM).



“Talladega still looms. It still makes us nervous,” Truex said. “But next week could be a really good race for us and we’re looking forward to getting that win that’s been eluding me at Kansas for a couple of years.”

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RELATED: Full race results | Series standings | Chase Grid

Below is a breakdown of how the full 43-car field fared at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the rain-delayed Bank of America 500:

1. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. Logano led a career-high 227 laps on Sunday en route to his first Charlotte victory. He advances to the next round of the Chase. | 1-on-1: Logano discusses victory, locking in Eliminator Round spot

2. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick was quiet on the radio with 22 laps to go Sunday as he continually tried to chip away at Logano’s lead.

3. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. Truex held on to notch his best Charlotte result despite brushing the wall and developing a front-end handling issue with 52 laps to go. | RELATED: Truex discusses Charlotte run

4. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin flipped to his backup battery with about 100 laps left in Sunday’s race and outran concern that even his backup battery was experiencing issues.

5. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Kurt Busch spent most of Sunday quietly running inside the top 10 and keeping himself in contention for the next round of the Chase.

6. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards started eighth and was a steady presence in the top 10 en route to his 12th top-10 of the season.

7. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon won Friday’s XFINITY race at Charlotte and then on Sunday posted his best Cup performance at the 1.5-mile track.

8. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon held steady in his final race at Charlotte, site of his first career Cup victory in 1994.

9. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski held ninth during the last 19 laps despite a loose wheel.

10. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola used his best Charlotte finish to score his fifth top-10 of the year.

11. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer stayed out during green-flag stops to lead Lap 234 before settling back into the top 15.

12. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Under caution on Lap 195, McMurray told his team that his car was pretty good until it got into oil and he lost position on a track where passing was difficult.

13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse earned the beneficiary pass during the final caution period and rolled on to match his second-best finish at Charlotte.

14. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford. Wood Brothers Racing. A native of nearby High Point, North Carolina, Blaney scored his best Charlotte result and third top-15 of the year.

15. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Just prior to the sixth caution flag, Newman sustained right-side damage after Matt Kenseth cut across his nose on his way into the wall. | RELATED: Is Newman in bubble trouble?

16. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger overcame early damage sustained when he made contact with another car on Lap 193 and knocked in his right-side fenders.

17. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Hornish stretched his pit window in the closing 100 laps when he stayed out during green-flag stops to lead twice for 22 laps around Charlotte.

18. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears held on after a tight-handling condition developed late in Sunday’s race and sent him into the fence.

19. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick worked with her team on the handling of her car and benefited from long green-flag runs en route to her best Charlotte finish.

20. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. “He was never going to make the commitment cone anyway,” Busch said said after making contact with Kyle Larson near the entrance of pit road. Busch, then running in the top five, made a late decision to skip pit road, while Larson did just the opposite. | RELATED: Busch disappointed after rough day at Charlotte

21. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. “Please apologize as much as you can,” Larson radioed his crew after making a late decision to hit pit road during the eighth caution period and collecting Chase contender Kyle Busch in the process. | For more in-car audio, sign up for RaceView and/or Scanner today

22. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne made an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 71 just prior to the fourth caution flag for a right-front wheel vibration.

23. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill held out during green-flag stops and ran as high as third on Lap 131 before finally making his green-flag stop.

24. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle struggled to recover track position after making an unscheduled stop on Lap 90 for a loose wheel.

25. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. In his fourth Charlotte outing, Annett picked up his best finish at the 1.5-mile speedway.

26. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart grazed the wall on Lap 115 and had to pit 12 laps later with a flat tire.

27. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Carrying the #SCStrong on his decklid in support of the recent flooding in South Carolina, Gilliland did his best to avoid trouble on Sunday.

28. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt lost his right-front tire and faded through the field before hitting the wall to bring out the fourth caution period. | RELATED: Junior says ‘it ain’t over’ for the 88 team

29. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. It was a promising day for DiBenedetto who turned in his best Charlotte result.

30. Brett Moffitt, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Moffitt recorded his best Charlotte finish after lining up 37th Sunday.

31. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing. McDowell bounced off the wall in the closing third of Sunday’s race, but survived without picking up a tire rub.

32. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. A puncture in the left-rear tire prompted Bowman to make an unscheduled stop during the first 115 laps, but a subsequent tire rub put the No. 7 Chevy back on pit road for repairs.

33. J.J. Yeley, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. Yeley was black-flagged on Lap 35 after one of his crew members kneed-in his right-rear quarter panel.

34. Alex Kennedy, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport Racing. Kennedy survived a messy start to Sunday’s race, but very quickly found himself fighting for the beneficiary pass.

35. Reed Sorenson, No. 98 Ford, Premium Motorsports. Sorenson earned the beneficiary pass during the competition caution, but struggled to stay on the lead lap.

36. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing.  Menard brushed the wall on Lap 133 but held on to keep the caution flag from coming out and made his scheduled stop three laps later.

37. David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. On Lap 291, Ragan told his team the engine was out of water and he brought his car to pit road.

38. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Stacked up on the first green flag, Whitt received contact from behind and had to spend an extended amount of time on pit road during the first caution flag to patch his bumper.

39. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson’s strong day was stalled by an engine issue (oil pump) that sent him to the garage with 77 laps to go on Sunday. | RELATED: Silver lining to early exit

40. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Allgaier radioed that he just “killed the radiator” after he made contact with Michael McDowell on the Lap 182 restart. | For more in-car audio, sign up for RaceView and/or Scanner today

41. Jeb Burton, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. As he took the green flag at the start, Burton ran into the back of slowing competitors, incurring significant left-front damage and bringing out the caution flag on Lap 1.

42. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth’s day “snowballed” after a couple pit road mistakes combined with tire rub and then on-track contact with Ryan Newman. Kenseth ultimately broke something on the right-front of his car and retreated to the garage. | RELATED: Multiple incidents ruin Kenseth’s day

43. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne cut a tire twice inside the first 61 laps on Sunday; the second one sent him hard into the wall and brought out the third caution flag.