Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Buy tickets for the 2016 Daytona 500



Editor’s note: This photo is concept only


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It continues to be full speed ahead for the DAYTONA Rising project at Daytona International Speedway. The track’s parent company, International Speedway Corporation, announced Tuesday that Sunoco will become the speedway’s fourth “founding partner” as part of the massive redevelopment project.

The $400 million renovation or “re-imagining” of the iconic facility will now include a massive Sunoco presence, giving the longtime NASCAR partner naming rights to one of the five “injector” entry areas at the new-look facility set to debut its makeover in January 2016.

“The thing I keep thinking about is, here with Sunoco is a partner who has been in the sport for a number of years, has a lot of good things going on and now wants to expand their footprint,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “It shows me this is working. There’s success there. For them to want to grow the relationship and invest even more in the sport, that’s a real positive for the industry.”

Added ISC Chief Executive Officer Lesa France Kennedy, “A brand synonymous with motorsports for many years, Sunoco will continue to be a great asset across the ISC enterprise, adding to the overall fan experience.”

Indeed fans will see plenty of Sunoco branding at the track. In addition to the entry naming rights, the company will have branding rights for one of the newly created 11 fan “neighborhoods” — a football field-sized area along the frontstretch with dining and souvenir areas outfitted with dozens of video screens so fans don’t miss a minute of the race action on track.

“This represents the next chapter of our long-term partnership with ISC,” Sunoco Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Cynthia Archer said in announcing the Daytona Rising relationship. “ISC is taking the motorsports experience to new heights by creating a visually compelling facility. Fans will be amazed when they see the new motorsports stadium and Sunoco’s engaging injector experience for the first time in 2016.”

Sunoco has served as the Official Fuel of NASCAR since 2004 and is the exclusive supplier of Sunoco Green E15 racing fuel for all three of NASCAR’s national series.

Sunoco joins Toyota, Florida Hospital and General Motors as founding partners on the Daytona Rising project.

“Across the board, we’re seeing people already in sport wanting to own a piece of Daytona or someone new that that says, ‘Hey, I want to be a part of Daytona, there’s a lot of exciting things happening,’ ” Chitwood said. “I like the mix right now and really think it sends a positive message for everything we’re doing with the Daytona Rising project.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full coverage of Gordon’s final season



Jeff Gordon revealed the paint scheme he will run in his final race as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver on FOX Sports 1’s “NASCAR Race Hub” on Tuesday evening.



Appearing on the FS1 program, Gordon pulled the cover off his No. 24 Chevrolet SS to display a silver and flame-themed race car.



The four-time champion will run the special paint scheme in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup finale Ford EcoBoost 400 event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Be sure to tune in to see Gordon wrap up his Hall of Fame-worthy career on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.



RELATED: Gordon has ‘No plans to run any races after this year’

This weekend, Gordon is set to become NASCAR’s “Iron Man” by making his 789th consecutive start in the Sprint Cup Series when the series comes to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Sylvania 300 (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Gordon tied Ricky Rudd’s mark of 788 consecutive starts last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

Gordon will be joining FOX’s NASCAR broadcast crew in 2016 upon the completion of his historic career. To read more about his role with FOX, click here.

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, while the NASCAR XFINITY Series will be at Kentucky Speedway this weekend.

RACES
Sprint Cup Series: Sylvania 300 (Sunday Sept. 27, 2 p.m. ET, NBCSN/Live Extra, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
XFINITY Series: VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 (Saturday Sept. 26, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN/Live Extra, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Camping World Truck Series: UNOH 175 (Saturday Sept. 26, 1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Click here for on-track times, press conferences, leaderboards and GarageCam.

RACE DAY
• NSCS leaderboard
• NXS leaderboard
• NCWTS leaderboard
• NSCS Lap-by-Lap
• NXS Lap-by-Lap
• NCWTS Lap-by-Lap
• NSCS live standings

PRODUCTS
• RaceBuddy: Through the remainder of the season, NASCAR RaceBuddy will feature two (2) alternate live action camera angles, along with up to six (6) in-car cameras with different driver selections for each Sprint Cup race.
• RaceView: Watch virtual video of cars on track and listen to the scanner.
• RaceView Mobile: On your phone? Try RaceView here.
• Scanner: In-car audio only.
• Mobile Apps: Follow the leaderboards live from your device.

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
Web stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
Mobile app: iOS/Android


NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs will provide racing fans with unparalleled interactive digital access to every NASCAR Sprint Cup series race, including exclusive camera angles, custom driver information, and insider track information.


•  Multi-view options that bring fans inside the race, combining NBC Sports Group’s race simulcast and alternative camera angles, ranging from in-car views to various key track locations. 

• Dedicated full-view, on-board alternate cameras.

• Additional features on the desktop/laptop experience, bringing fans comprehensive race-day information to their fingertips, including:

        • Driver updates, cup standings, and biographies

        • Track infographics with key facts and history

 

NBC Sports Live Extra will stream NASCAR coverage on NBC and NBCSN via “TV Everywhere”, giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store and Apple TV. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra.

FOX SPORTS GO

The Camping World Truck Series race will also be available through FOX Sports GO; which is an online and mobile streaming product that allows subscribers of participating TV providers to watch live sports and shows from FOX, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes.  FOX Sports GO is currently available for download on iTunes for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices or can be accessed online at FOXSportsGO.com. The app is also available via Google Play, Kindle Fire and from the Windows Store.


Access to programming in FOX Sports GO requires a pay TV subscription of FOX Sports 1 with a participating TV provider. Login credentials are the same username and password used to access online accounts with your TV provider.

 

FANTASY

• NASCAR Fantasy Live: Set your lineups, check your progress
• Streak to the Finish: Play in all the national series that are in action this week
  

LIVE INTERVIEWS
PressPass: Watch exclusive post-race interviews from New Hampshire

Stay tuned to NASCAR.com throughout the weekend for the latest news.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson — and his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet — are getting a plaid look just in time for the fall season.

The team announced on Tuesday that Larson’s car will undergo a fall makeover for eight of the final nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races of 2015. What will his car look like? See the tweet below.

 

“At Darlington, we had one of the most talked about paint schemes, and I know these eight plaid inspired cars will generate some buzz around the garage,” Larson said. “The cars are definitely stylish and unique. Target comes up with some great ideas, and it’s really cool for our team to be a part of such a big initiative”

Posted on by Staff Report



Buy Tickets – SYLVANIA 300


New Hampshire Motor Speedway‘s September event weekend will mark the facility’s 25th Anniversary. Relive some of the top moments over the past 25 years. From Rusty Wallace capturing the inagural NASCAR Sprint Cup race win to Cole Custer becoming the youngest driver to visit Victory Lane in a National Series event – check out the top 25 moments below.


1. August 13, 1989: Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway (formerly Bryar Motorsports Park). 

2. June 5, 1990: Track owner Bob Bahre and N.H. Governor Judd Gregg cut the ribbon to officially open “New Hampshire International Speedway.” 

3. July 15, 1990: In NASCAR’s debut at NHMS, Tommy Ellis wins the Grand National Series (XFINITY) race. 

4.  August 23, 1992: Joe Nemechek and Dale Earnhardt (Sr.) bump each other on the way to the finish line with Nemechek taking home the win. 

5. July 11, 1993: Rusty Wallace wins the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at NHMS. 

6. July 9, 1995: Jeff Gordon earns his first win at NHMS en route to his first Cup Series championship. 

7. July 14, 1996: Ernie Irvan captures the win in one of the more emotional victories in NASCAR history. The win came less than two years after Irvan suffered a near-fatal crash at Michigan, where he was given less than a 10 percent chance of survival. 

8. June 28, 1998: In his final season as an IndyCar driver, Tony Stewart wins the IRL New England 200, his final career win in the series. 

9. Sept. 17, 2000: Jeff Burton leads all 300 laps of the Dura Lube 300 to earn his record-setting fourth Cup Series win at NHMS. The race is infamously remembered for its use of restrictor plates. 

10. Nov. 23, 2001: The New Hampshire 300 runs as the last race of the season on Friday after Thanksgiving. Robby Gordon wins the race and Jeff Gordon holds the Sprint Cup Series trophy for the fourth time. 

11. Sept. 19, 2004: The Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship debuts with its opening race, the SYLVANIA 300. Kurt Busch wins the race and goes on to become crowned Champion. 

12. Sept. 18, 2005: Robby Gordon chucks his helmet at Michael Waltrip after a wreck on the backstretch. 

13. June 28, 2008: Chuck Hossfeld edges Ted Christopher by 0.001 seconds in the Whelen Modified Tour’s New England 100, the closest margin of victory in speedway history. 

14. June 28, 2009: Joey Logano becomes the youngest winner in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at 19 years, 35 days. 

15. Sept. 20, 2009: Fifty-year-old Mark Martin takes the lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship with the 40th and final win of his illustrious career. It was his first and only win at NHMS. 

16. June 26, 2010: Kyle Busch ends a streak of 23 straight different winners at NHMS in the XFINITY Series by becoming the first two-time series winner in the track’s history. He also won the ’09 race and followed up with wins in ’11 and ’13. 

17. July 16, 2011: Kyle Busch earns his 100th NASCAR National Series win and ties Mark Martin’s record for most XFINITY Series wins with 49. 

18. Sept. 25, 2011: Tony Stewart assumes his only lead in the SYLVANIA 300 with two to go when Clint Bowyer runs out of gas. The win was Stewart’s second in as many Chase races and propelled him to the championship. 

19. July 14, 2012: NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Mike Stefanik beats Ron Silk in the Whelen Modified Tour Town Fair Tire 100 by 0.003 seconds. 

20. Sept. 23, 2012: Denny Hamlin follows through on his guarantee to win, and celebrates with military personnel in victory lane.

21. July 11, 2013: Toomas Topi Heikkinen wins the SYVLANIA SilverStar zXe Global RallyCross race when leader Tanner Foust crashes on the final hairpin turn. 

22. July 14, 2013: Part-time driver Brian Vickers wins the Camping World RV Sales 301, his first win since battling back from blood clots in his legs and lungs that threatened his life. 

23. July 11, 2014: Ryan Newman wins the inaugural Modified All-Star Shootout event, a combination race between the best of the Whelen Modified Tour and Whelen Southern Modified Tour. 

24. July 13, 2014: Brad Keselowski ties a NASCAR record by becoming the 13th different non-repeat winner at the same track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. 

25. Sept. 20, 2014: At 16 years, seven months and 28 days, Cole Custer wins the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series UNOH 175 to become the youngest winner of a NASCAR National Series race. 

Posted on by Zack Albert

Kevin Harvick may not have won the argument, the physical altercation or whatever you want to call Sunday’s post-race confrontation — a jab, a punch, a push, a shove — with Jimmie Johnson. What he could win — either of the next two races — holds the key to his repeat championship bid.

 

With his next-to-last place finish in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup opener at Chicagoland Speedway receding in the rear-view, Harvick’s quest for advancement turns to the next two events, starting with New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend and ending at Dover International Speedway in two weeks. He can take any math out of the elimination equation by winning and sealing an automatic berth in the Contender Round.

 

RELATED: Can Harvick recover, advance in Chase?

 

It’s a task Harvick is well-suited for, based on his history of clutch moments in the march to his first Sprint Cup title last season and on his ability, as crew chief Rodney Childers suggests, to find an extra level of focus when it matters.

 

“Yeah, we can win anywhere,” Harvick said Sunday on Chicagoland’s pit road. “I mean, we could’ve won today. It’s just a matter of putting a couple days together and being able to come back to Victory Lane. So, same thing as last year.”

 

The sense of déjà vu for Harvick stems from his method of reaching the championship race in 2014. After a crash-related 33rd-place finish in the Eliminator Round opener at Martinsville, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver converted on a must-win in the round’s finale at Phoenix. He summoned the same sort of crucial performance the following week, winning the race and his first premier-series crown at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

The task this year is similar, but comes much earlier in the postseason process. His on-track scrape over racing room with Johnson during a midrace restart Sunday left Harvick spinning into the wall just a handful of laps later and left him fuming in the drivers’ motorcoach lot post-race.

 

If any resentment and hard feelings linger after Harvick’s subpar finish, channeling them into increased determination could help lift the No. 4 team into the Contender Round.

 

RELATED: Harvick confronts, shoves Johnson post-Chicagoland

 

“Honestly, Kevin’s got a second gear to him and even this race team,” Childers said. “It’s bad to say this, but we haven’t really pushed that hard since we won at Phoenix in the spring. We wanted to save everything we had for the Chase, and I think everybody saw that this weekend with how fast we were. It didn’t work out, though. We’ll have good speed in the next two weeks and just have to go try win one of those.”

 

The next two tracks — 1.058-mile New Hampshire and 1-mile Dover — haven’t historically been strongholds for Harvick, who has just one win collectively at both venues. But more recent history holds optimism for the SHR No. 4 Chevrolet camp, which has led laps in bunches at both tracks since 2014.

RELATED: Hear what was said over the scanner

 

“I feel like the last two races at Loudon, we had the best car and hadn’t quite closed the deal,” Childers said. “The last three at Dover, we’ve had everybody killed. If we hadn’t knocked off valve stems and crazy (expletive), and Jimmie got us on that last restart at Dover last time, but we’ve had great race cars there every time we’ve been. Definitely feel like we can go there and win.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola
Kenseth had two teammates finish ahead of him, but with a top five to open the Chase and the overall lead in points, he’s in fantastic shape.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/denny-hamlin/
DennyHamlin
4
Joe Gibbs Racing
All the torn-ACL talk can now be quieted after Hamlin’s impressive Challenger 16 win at Chicagoland.

MORE: Hamlin rallies to win Chase opener

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/kyle-busch/
KyleBusch
Joe Gibbs Racing
Busch was the lowest-finishing Joe Gibbs Racing driver at Chicago — in ninth, with 121 laps led. They have no weak spots right now, and his high points have been the strongest of all four.
Edwards backed up his Darlington win in the regular season’s penultimate race with a runner-up finish to start the Chase. We’re only one race in, but it’s incredibly realistic we could be looking at an all-JGR finale at Homestead.
Either way too high or way too low here. There’s almost no other driver you’d pick over Harvick to rise from his dismal situation, but there’s no denying that his outlook is exactly that — dismal.

MORE: Can Harvick still advance?

Team Penske as a whole is looking strong as the sport enters its playoffs. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to see the 25-year-old racing for a title again this season at Homestead.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/brad-keselowski/
BradKeselowski
-2
Team Penske
Keselowski couldn’t match the Chase-opening victory that he had last year at Chicago, but hey — he’s also pretty excellent at Loudon, so a win could come this weekend.
Busch was a little cheesed after the race because of a late restart that knocked him from the lead, but if he keeps pulling out top-three finishes, they’ll work just as well as wins in the early Chase rounds.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/jimmie-johnson/
JimmieJohnson
-2
Hendrick Motorsports
Johnson wasn’t a major factor in the race, and most of his headlines came from his post-race altercation with Kevin Harvick. Not what we’ve come to expect from “Six-Time.”

MORE: Harvick shoves Johnson post-race

Cue up some Montell Jordan, because this is how to do it. No laps led for the 31 team, never in contention for the win, but a fourth-place finish to maintain excellent Chase position.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr/
DaleEarnhardt Jr.
-3
Hendrick Motorsports
Earnhardt missed out on a chance to capitalize at a place where he has won (Chicagoland) before the series heads to New Hampshire, where he has not won in a whopping 32 races.
Truex’s 39 laps led are 28 more than he had in the previous 12 races — combined. Perhaps a changing of the tide for the Furniture Row Racing driver?
Similar to Truex, Gordon’s 41 laps led were his most in some time, dating all the way back to Talladega. Despite the 14th-place finish, it’s the best the 24 car has looked in awhile.

MORE: Goron has ‘best run all year’

McMurray maintained his place in the standings all season by hovering around the top 10-15 range, and he pretty much continued that at Chicago (16th). That’s all well and good, but it won’t get him very far in the postseason.
Menard jumped a spot in the standings, but only because Harvick wound up at the bottom. Finishes like Chicago (17th) aren’t going to cut it.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/clint-bowyer/
ClintBowyer
Stewart-Haas Racing
With so many ultra-talented drivers in ultra-strong rides hanging in and around the top 10 consistently, it’s going to be hard for Bowyer and a Michael Waltrip Racing organization on its last legs to rise from here.
Posted on by

RELATED: Chase standings update | Harvick shoves Jimmie

Kevin Harvick has two wins and 10 runner-up finishes this season in what has been a dominant showing in his quest to defend his 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. But after a 42nd-place finish in the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup opener on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway, Harvick is in a hole as far as trying to advance to the Contender Round.

Harvick sits 22 points behind the 12th-place driver, Jeff Gordon, the last spot that will advance when the field shrinks from 16 to 12 drivers in two weeks at Dover International Speedway. The situation begs the question: Can Harvick rebound in the next two weeks in time to make it?

George Winkler and RJ Kraft are here to debate whether we’ll see the No. 4 for Stewart-Haas Racing in the second round. Read their debate and leave your opinion in the comments section below.


PHOTOS: See a timeline of the wreck, altercation


Winkler: I don’t want to say with 100 percent certainty that we won’t see Harvick in the second round of the Chase, but anyone who says it’s in the bag because of last year when he pulled out a dramatic win at Phoenix after faltering at Martinsville is failing to realize how special last year was for the No. 4 team. Earning a win in such a competitive field is going to be difficult, and while Harvick has won once at New Hampshire, he hasn’t won at Dover. There’s definitely not a Phoenix in that mix, a place where he has won seven times in Cup competition.

Kraft: I’m not saying it’s in the bag, but I still believe that when the dust settles Harvick will advance to the next round of the Chase. The defending Sprint Cup Series champion has a knack for coming up big when the pressure is on. Besides the Phoenix win you cited, he essentially did the same at Homestead in the finale for the championship win. The tide will certainly turn at Loudon where he has two straight third-place finishes and he also had a runner-up showing at Dover in May. And fun fact, after Harvick finished 42nd at Pocono last month due to an engine failure, he bounced right back with a third-place result at Watkins Glen and a runner-up finish at Michigan. The margin of error is pretty much gone, but two strong runs should be enough to advance him on.

MORE: Harvick wrecks at Chicagoland

Winkler: Not sure two strong runs will be enough if the next two races play out like Chicago did. The next worst Chase finisher was Clint Bowyer in 19th, showing how tightly bunched and competitive this group of Chase drivers is this year. While it’s not insurmountable for him to do it, Harvick is likely going to need a couple of top-five finishes to advance. And as we saw on Sunday in Chicagoland, even if you have a fast car and a good run going, one wrong move by another driver can ruin your day. And with some of them getting more desperate as the Challenger Round moves on, the driving is likely to get much more aggressive.

Kraft: Speaking of aggressive driving, I think that actually could favor Harvick. Look, his position in the points can’t be much worse, so he is likely going to go for broke at New Hampshire and Dover. That means, taking some chances to try and lock himself in with a win and in that spot there is no one else I would rather have behind the wheel and crew chief Rodney Childers has proven to be a sound strategist (see last year’s four-tire call at Homestead on the final pit stop). With 1-mile venues on the docket for the rest of the round, trouble is bound to find someone else. In this elimination format, give me the team that has been down this road before, because they know what it takes to get it done. Harvick’s 2014 season was, indeed, magical and this is his first big adversity test of 2015, and I look for him to pass through with flying colors (and competitors in the dust) on his No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet.

Posted on by

RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings | Chase Grid

 

Complete news and notes on all 43 drivers from the myAFibRisk.com 400

 

1. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin’s worst start at Chicagoland turned into his best finish at the track when he opted to not pit prior to the Lap 263 restart and used likely the best restart of his career to roll to the win. He is the first driver to secure a spot in the Contender round.

 

2. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The Chase contender rallied back after being busted for speeding on pit road on Lap 52.

 

3. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Busch bounced off the wall early in the race, but was leading when the final caution flag was waved. He opted not to pit and fell back when he didn’t get a strong run at the restart.

 

4. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman restarted 14th on fresh tires and improved to score his fifth top-five of the season.

 

5. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth’s team continually tweaked the No. 20 Toyota to help Kenseth maintain his grip on the points lead.

 

6. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. Logano, a Chase contender, turned in his second-best result at Chicagoland on Sunday. The Connecticut-native found himself caught in between the Johnson-Harvick issue after bumping Johnson on a restart; which, in turn, caused Johnson to slide into Harvick’s Chevrolet.

 

7. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Larson is two-for-two at Chicagoland — two starts, two top-10 results at the 1.5-mile oval. Larson was the first non-Chase contender to cross the finish line.

 

8. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski rebounded from a loose wheel to post his 10th straight top-10 result of the year, a series best.

 

9. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch led a race-high 121 laps as the Joe Gibbs Racing domination continued on Sunday.

 

10. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola ran inside the top 15 for most of the day en route to his first Chicagoland top-10.

 

11. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson ruffled some feathers early when he made contact with Harvick, after being tapped by Logano, while trying to get back onto the track after the Lap 135 restart.

 

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt lost several spots in the closing laps when he committed to the top line off the restart and was stalled behind cars on older tires.

 

13. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. The fastest in Saturday’s final practice, Truex was strong all day but got caught up in a four-wide, Lap 263 restart and shuffled to the back.

 

14. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon, who made a series-tying best 788th Cup start Sunday, took the lead on Lap 144 after a controversial restart, paced the field for 40 laps before pitting under green on Lap 185.

 

15. David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Ragan used the beneficiary pass twice and the wave-around several times to improve his track position and stay on the lead lap.

 

16. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. In his first Chase race as a contender, McMurray gambled with pit strategy and experienced a bit of tire rub in the closing 30 laps.  

 

17. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. A first-time Chaser, Menard was running 12th and on the lead lap with 18 laps to go. A late-race pit stop and crazy restart cost him position.

 

18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse spent the first half of Sunday’s race looking for the best line. When he ran the top line, he reported, the rear of his car became too tight.

 

19. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. It was a tough day for Bowyer, who struggled throughout the entire race getting through Turns 3 and 4.

 

20. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears was considering fuel mileage while racing for the beneficiary pass late in the race Sunday.

 

21. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle, frequently vexed this season with his car’s handling, experienced similar on Sunday and also had the misfortune of brushing the wall.

 

22. Brian Scott, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. Scott rolled off the grid 21st and tying his second-best Cup result of the year (he finished 13th at Las Vegas).

 

23. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. “Heck yeah boys! Excellent stop,” Allgaier encouraged his pit crew during their sixth stop. Unfortunately, the chassis adjustments didn’t pan out in the laps to come, as Allgaier noted there wasn’t a change in the handling.

 

24. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne made an unscheduled stop late in the race for a vibration and spent the rest of the race running quietly. The primary radio chatter was his lap times.

 

25. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart was among the cars knocked off the lead lap during season’s longest green-flag run. He was running 16th on Lap 83 and was the last car on the lead lap.

 

26. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick was running 30th when she reported a “loud metal noise” in the back of her car nearing Lap 100.

 

27. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill was one of 16 drivers knocked off the lead lap within the first 50 laps, but he had the fortune of being a legitimate contender for the beneficiary pass.

 

28. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Once his team addressed a loose-handling condition, Bayne employed the wave around during caution periods and held steady in the top 28.

 

29. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Whitt held steady to improve upon his previous best Chicagoland finish of 30th.

 

30. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Hornish started 22nd but had to pit unexpectedly for tire rub during the first quarter of the race, causing him to go two laps down.

 

31. Brett Moffitt, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The Chicagoland first-timer was cautioned on the restarts by spotter Tony Raines, who said “It’s like Talladega or Daytona here at the start/finish line. They’re all pushing each other.”

 

32. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The caution flag was waved on Lap 191 just as Gilliland’s team was completing his green-flag stop.

 

33. Josh Wise, No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing. Within the first 50 laps, Wise reported a vibration in the right rear, prompting his crew chief to call him down pit road and further off the lead lap.

 

34. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett pitted just prior to the second caution flag for a vibration and later chose to take the wave-around.

 

35. J.J. Yeley, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. Yeley chased a free-handling car and was running 34th past the midway point on Sunday.

 

36. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger, who was involved in Denny Hamlin‘s early on-track spin, took another hit by Lap 48 when he sustained a flat left-rear tire and had to stop on pit road.

 

37. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Around Lap 151, Bowman reported to his crew that something in the rear of the car had broken and he had to hit pit road.

 

38. Jeb Burton, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Burton battled a loose-handling condition during his debut at Chicagoland Speedway and within the first quarter of the race already had dropped the track bar a half inch.

 

39. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto, later tweeting his car was “off all weekend,” started where he finished in his Chicagoland debut.

 

40. Reed Sorenson, No. 98 Ford, Premium Motorsports. Sorenson scored his second-best result this season from behind the wheel of the No. 98 Ford.

 

41. Timmy Hill, No. 62 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Making his second Chicagoland start, Hill struggled to make up much track position after starting 43rd.

 

42. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. The defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion experienced tire rub after contact with Johnson on the Lap 135 restart and cut his left-rear tire, ultimately causing him to hit the wall hard three laps later.

 

43. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon’s best Chicagoland start and strong top-10 run was cut short when he got into the wall on Lap 131.

Posted on by

RELATED: Chase pit crew analysis, Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

 

After the first race of the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, PitTalks.com ranks the 16 Chase teams’ pit crews For more pit crew news provided by PitTalks.com come back throughout the Chase.

 

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

Rank: 1 (Even)
Wins: 2 — Martinsville, All Star Race, Chicago
Notes: This wasn’t a completely clean race for the No. 11, but it was good enough to keep the No. 1 spot. They had a little trouble on the left rear on one stop, but on the money stop, they nailed it! 

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

 

Rank: 2 (Even)

Wins: 2 — Richmond and Michigan
Notes: The team didn’t have any real problems Sunday, and they ran up front all day. Solid stops keep them in the No. 2 hole. 

No. 22 Team Penske Ford pit crew for Joey Logano

Rank: 3 (Even)
Wins: 3 — Daytona, Watkins Glen, Bristol
Notes: This crew had a great day on pit road, but without hesitation from the No. 11 or No. 41 team, they stay at the three spot. Last stop of the day they nailed. 

 

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

Rank: 4 (Even) 
Wins: 2 — Charlotte and Darlington

Notes: This group is in the same boat as the No. 22 at the moment. They had a solid day on pit road but not enough to gain a spot. However, it was definitely good enough to stay in the top 4.

 

No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Jamie McMurray

Rank: 5 (Even)
Wins: 0
Notes: Rounding out the top 5 is the No. 1, and they deserve to stay there. They were solid all day at Chicagoland and did nothing to lose their spot among the elite.

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

Rank: 6 (+2) 
Wins: 4 — Bristol, Pocono, Michigan, Richmond
Notes: This team had a great day on pit road and moved up two spots from last week. They’ve been fast all year, and days like Sunday will keep them moving up.

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

Rank: 7 (-1) 
Wins: 2 — Las Vegas and Phoenix
Notes: This crew was out of the race early so we can’t really hold anything against them on the pit road side, but it did give the No. 20 a chance to move up … and they did.

No. 2 Team Penske Ford pit crew for Brad Keselowski

Rank: 8 (+2)
Wins: 1 — California
Notes: This team made a major change during the week and it seemed to have paid off. It wasn’t a killer race but good enough to gain two spots in our rankings. 

No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew for Kyle Busch

Rank: 9 (-2)

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

Notes: This is still a great team, but they’ve had better races. They struggled on the rear on two of their stops, one being the last stop. 

 

No. 31 Richard Childress Racing pit crew for Ryan Newman

Rank: 10 (+2)
Wins: 0
Notes: This team was solid all day and helped get the No. 31 a top-5 finish. They’ve got the talent to move up, but staying consistent is key.

 

No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports pit crew for Jimmie Johnson

Rank: 11 (-2)
Wins: 4 — Atlanta, Texas, Kansas, Dover
Notes: This crew was having a good race until the last stop. Looked to have trouble on the right rear and that’s the reason for the drop. Still a good crew just a bad week.

 

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

Rank: 12 (-1)
Wins: 2 — Talladega, Daytona
Notes: This team didn’t do anything bad, it just didn’t do anything great, either. They had a pretty good day, but they have the potential to do better. The shift in rank leaves them minus 1.

No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports pit crew for Jeff Gordon

Rank: 13 +1

Wins: 0

Notes: They looked fast all day, and we didn’t see this group make many mistakes. If this crew gets going, look out. Their changers have lots of talent. 

 

No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing pit crew for Clint Bowyer

Rank: 14 (+1)

Wins: 0

Notes: They didn’t run well at all from a car perspective, so it’s hard to see what the crew was capable of. Still, it was a solid day and enough to move up one spot.

No. 78 Furniture Row Racing pit crew for Martin Truex

Rank: 15 (-2 )
Wins: 1 – Pocono
Notes: On the third stop of the race, this crew had a loose left rear and had to pit. They ran up front most of the day, but you can’t afford those mistakes in the Chase.

 

No. 27 Richard Childress Racing pit crew for Paul Menard

Rank: 16
Wins: 0
Notes: On the second pit stop, they had a little trouble on the rear but nothing terrible. They just didn’t do anything to gain positions in the rankings.

 

For more pit crew news, visit PitTalks.com.