Posted on by Staff Report

IndyCar racer dies at age 37 following wreck

RELATED: Stewart lends support to Wilson’s family

IndyCar driver Justin Wilson died Monday evening from head injuries sustained Sunday during a race at Pocono Raceway. He was 37.

During Sunday’s race, Wilson appeared to be struck in the head by debris from a late-race crash involving Sage Karam in the first turn at the 2.5-mile track. The Andretti Autosport driver’s car then veered left off the racing surface, where it bounced off the inside wall.

Wilson was part of the winning team for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2012 with fellow drivers AJ Allmendinger, Oswaldo Negri Jr. and John Pew while competing for Michael Shank Racing. He had 17 career starts in GRAND-AM/ALMS/IMSA events.

NASCAR drivers and others in the industry took to Twitter to share condolences with Wilson’s family and to post remembrances of a fellow racer.

A trust fund has been created for Wilson’s children. Donations may be sent to the address below.

Posted on by Staff Report

See what’s coming this week to NASCAR.com

Here’s what you’ll see on NASCAR.com this week:

MONDAY: Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals his throwback paint scheme for Darlington, and it’s a nod to Cale Yarborough … The Weekend in GIFs recaps Bristol through GIF form … Clint Bowyer joins Junior in revealing his new look for the "Lady in Black."

TUESDAY: Power Rankings presented by Outback may be in line for a new No. 1 after Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick dueled at Bristol … you’ll get a double dose of @nascarcasm today, with him presenting Joey Logano‘s race-winning Facebook page as well as Madden ratings for certain drivers to coincide with the popular video game’s release.

WEDNESDAY: New paint schemes will be on display this weekend at Road America and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and we’ll have them all in Paint Scheme Preview … The Sprint Cup Series is off this week, but we’ll give you the Darlington schemes that have already been revealed … High 5 presents the best NASCAR content from around the web.

THURSDAY: A special edition of Driver Reports highlights those drivers on the Chase bubble … We’ll revisit @nascarcasm taking drivers of today and photoshopping them into photos of yesterday … Senior writer Holly Cain talks to driver Chase Elliott, who recently got his license. His pilot’s license.

FRIDAY: Landon Cassill and Josh Wise will compete in the triathlon world championship Saturday, and Holly Cain will tell their story … The NASCAR XFINITY Series gets on track at Road America with a couple of practices … 8 Tweets highlights the best from social media in the past week.

Also coming this week: Holly Cain will cover Wednesday’s open test at Homestead-Miami Speedway … Tuesday will have the best sounds from the scanner.

Posted on by Staff Report

See the No. 15 Toyota’s paint scheme for Labor Day weekend

MORE: Buy tickets for Darlington | See more throwback paint schemes for Darlington
SHOP: Darlington gear

Clint Bowyer is really turning the clocks back with his throwback paint scheme for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 (Sept. 6, 7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Darlington Raceway.

Bowyer took to Instagram to reveal details about the look his No. 15 Toyota will sport. As Bowyer wrote on Instagram: "The scheme connects two of the sport’s very best, car owner Bud Moore and the late Buddy Baker. To make it a TRUE throwback this baby is totally hand painted front to back. Now let’s go make buddy proud!!!"

In another post, the Michael Waltrip Racing driver added, "All my old dirt cars were hand painted. Can’t wait for yall to see it."


Here’s a look at the car Baker drove in 1974 that Bowyer’s look is based off of.

Entering next weekend’s race, Bowyer holds the final spot in the provisional Chase Grid with just two regular-season races left before the 16-driver field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is set.

Bowyer has one top-10 finish in nine career starts at the 1.366-mile track in South Carolina.

 

 

Posted on by Nascar

Former NASCAR driver James Massey passed away Friday, Aug. 21, 2015 at Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, North Carolina.

Massey, 85, made 51 starts in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, earning 12 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes.

During his seven-year tenure in NASCAR, Massey drove for several teams, including Petty Enterprises and Wood Brothers Racing. Both of his career-best runner-up finishes came with the legendary Wood Brothers organization and both came at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

In 1957 he finished second to Bob Welborn while driving a No. 11 Ford for the Stuart, Va.-based organization. Three years later, in 1960, he finished second to Richard Petty while piloting the team’s familiar No. 21 entry.

Massey earned one career pole, in 1958, at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway while driving for car owner A.L. Bumgarner.

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Drivers react to Wilson’s death

NASCAR drivers, teams and others within the industry responded with care and concern Sunday after IndyCar driver Justin Wilson was critically injured in a crash during the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.

Officials with Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed Monday that three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart provided his private plane and pilots to the Wilson family to allow members to travel from Indianapolis to the hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where Wilson had been transported. Wilson died late Monday at age 37 from a head injury, according to The Associated Press.

It’s not the first time Stewart, 44, has reached out to help those in need. But similar to previous instances, Stewart provided the assistance privately.

That didn’t keep others from taking to social media to note his generosity.

IndyCar driver Graham Rahal, second in points, took to Twitter to thank Stewart, co-owner and driver at SHR, for the gesture, writing “You’re a hell of a man for donating your plane for JWs family. Hats off to you, you’re a very generous human being!”

Beccy Hunter-Reay, wife of former IndyCar champ and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay also cited Stewart’s generosity, tweeting “words can’t describe how thankful the @IndyCar community is for your generosity in helping JWs family.”

Wilson was injured when he appeared to be struck in the head by debris from a late-race crash involving Sage Karam in the first turn at the 2.5-mile track. The Andretti Autosport driver’s car then veered left off the racing surface where it bounced off the inside wall.

Emergency workers were quickly on the scene, and Wilson was transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital.

Jamie McMurray, who drives for team owner Chip Ganassi in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, tweeted: “Praying for @justin_wilson. He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. Amazing driver as well.”

Ganassi is a longtime IndyCar team owner, and Karam was one of four Ganassi drivers competing in Sunday’s event.

Kurt Busch, the 2004 Sprint Cup champion, also took to Twitter to say “Praying hard for @justin_wilson. Thinking of his family and everyone at @FollowAndetti & @IndyCar.”

Busch competed in the Indianapolis 500 in 2014 for Andretti Autosport, finishing sixth in his open-wheel debut.

Wilson was part of the winning team for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2012 with fellow drivers AJ Allmendinger, Oswaldo Negri Jr. and John Pew while competing for Michael Shank Racing.

He had 17 career starts in GRAND-AM/ALMS/IMSA events.

Posted on by Nascar

MORE: Buy tickets for Darlington
SHOP: Darlington gear | Dale Jr. Valvoline gear


DARLINGTON, S.C. — One of the former drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. has said he respected as a youngster was NASCAR Hall of Fame member and three-time premier series champion Cale Yarborough.
 
When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Darlington for this year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 6 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Earnhardt and his Hendrick Motorsports team will pay homage to the five-time winner of the series’ oldest superspeedway event.
 
Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet will feature a paint scheme reminiscent of the Valvoline look run by Yarborough in 1981-82 while competing for car owner M.C. Anderson. It will also honor others who ran the familiar red, blue and white colors such as Buddy Baker and Neil Bonnett.
 
The endeavor is part of Darlington Raceway’s throwback celebration surrounding the return of the Bojangles’ Southern 500 to the Labor Day weekend race date, as well as a kick-off for Valvoline’s upcoming Legacy celebration of the brand’s 150th anniversary next season.

RELATED: See more throwback paint schemes for Darlington
“I’ve always been a fan of Cale’s and the car that we run on the Sprint Cup side right now with the Nationwide colors is sort of inspired by his 1977 paint scheme,” Earnhardt Jr. said during a recent video shoot at the legendary facility.
 
“I admired his style and how he approached driving, definitely admired the accomplishments he had in the sport.”
 
Earnhardt, Yarborough and former championship-winning crew chief Ray Evernham took part in the day-long process at the 1.366-mile track.
 
Yarborough, inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012, was the first driver to win three consecutive premier series titles. He is sixth on the all-time win list with 83 career victories.
 
Earnhardt was involved in the development of the car’s paint scheme as well as his fire suit, which also pays tribute to the former drivers that sported Valvoline colors.
 
Even the shoes to be worn by Earnhardt have a throwback tie-in, specifically to those used by Yarborough.
 
“The suit is just like his,” said Earnhardt. “And he had this (blue) color shoes. There’s a picture of him with his car at Daytona in the grass before the 500 and he’s wearing Carolina blue (shoes) — he doesn’t call ’em Carolina blue, being from Timmonsville — but they sort of match this part of the V (in the Valvoline logo); I think that’s what they were going for.”

RELATED: Junior shares influence on Michigan look
 
Valvoline has been a major associate sponsor of Hendrick Motorsports, which fields four full-time entries in the Sprint Cup Series, since 2014. Next month’s race will be its first as a primary sponsor since aligning with Hendrick, but it has a deep history in auto racing.
 
“A lot of it came together, actually, at the urging of Dale,” Jamal Muashsher, Director Brand Marketing for Valvoline, said of the program. “He obviously knows the history of the brand and the legacy that Valvoline has had in the sport. He approached us about trying to come back with a paint scheme, especially with this special race that Darlington has coming up next month.
 
“Obviously we were very interested. It was a great opportunity … as we get ready for our 150th anniversary. It’s a great way to celebrate our history as well as pay homage to the legacy of the brand over that time.”
 
According to Muashsher, the special paint scheme will be just one part of the program celebrating the company’s rich auto racing history. A series of videos featuring Earnhardt, Yarborough and three-time championship winning crew chief Ray Evernham will be located on the Valvoline YouTube channel. Limited-edition die-casts of the No. 88 Chevrolet entry featuring the paint scheme will be available in participating Walmart stores beginning Aug. 31.
 
“There is a lot of great history there,” Muashsher said, “and a lot of great imagery from an amazing group of drivers that Valvoline has had the opportunity to work with.”
 
Yarborough said his association with Valvoline actually began in 1966, when he competed in the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie.

RELATED: Learn more about Cale Yarborough
 
“When I came back to NASCAR, I brought them with me,” he said. “They were a part of my career for almost the entire time. They were a good company to work with, good people and a good product and I just enjoyed my association with them.
 
“It’s an honor to have Dale Jr. driving the Valvoline car.”
 
Earnhardt said initial talks about Valvoline coming on board as a primary sponsor began late last season. The announcement of the Darlington throwback program was a bonus that helped put the idea on the fast track.
 
“The car looks great and it’s awesome to be able to include Cale,” Earnhardt said. “I hope that he is enjoying being a part of it.
 
“It’s good to have Ray here. He’s sort of the glue that holds it all together. … It’s been fun. I’ve been really surprised that this came together so well.”

Photo credit: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Twitter account, @DaleJr

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Buy tickets for Homestead

It’s a primetime test time for NASCAR teams this week as many head to Homestead-Miami Speedway, site of the Nov. 20-22 season finale Ford Championship Weekend.

Four drivers will participate in a Goodyear tire test at the 1.5-mile South Florida track Monday and Tuesday with an open test scheduled for Wednesday — NASCAR allowing each Sprint Cup Series team to be represented by one car.

Trevor Bayne (Roush Fenway Racing), Clint Bowyer ( Michael Waltrip Racing), Ryan Newman (Richard Childress Racing) and Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates) are scheduled for the Goodyear test.

With the increased importance on Homestead in the new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup elimination format, as the track’s host the final race that determines the series champion, teams will be taking advantage of the open test as well.

Joey Logano (Team Penske), a winner last Saturday night at Bristol, is among those scheduled to test on Wednesday along with other Chase-qualified drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Hendrick Motorsports), defending Homestead winner and series champ Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing) and Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing). Ty Dillon (Richard Childress Racing) and Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing) will also participate.

“It’s an opportunity for the teams to really dial in the tire and the aero package for ’15,” NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Monday morning.

“Certainly an important event for just about everybody in the series so they’ll be going down there, working with Goodyear to make sure they’ve got the right package to be able to obviously share that data with the race teams and get ready for the final push that we see in November.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Kauffman speaks out on MWR decision

The landscape in NASCAR shifted last week when Michael Waltrip Racing announced that it would end full-time competition in the Sprint Cup Series following the 2015 season. MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman, the former investment banker who gave MWR an influx of finanical support in 2007, was at the forefront of the decision.

On Monday, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell addressed the moves made by Kauffman and MWR that included Clint Bowyer being freed to pursue other deals for 2016 and Kauffman buying into Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in late July.

“I think in Rob’s case we’re pleased that he believes in the sport and is willing to make a continued investment in NASCAR, which is a great time for us,” O’Donnell said during his weekly interview with NASCAR.com. “As well as Clint Bowyer who is certainly a talented driver who will find a home with a top team. You never like to see anything happen with a race team like this in this case, but again we’ll see some things we believe through the manufacturer’s support where some other teams may become stronger through all this as well.

“So a lot still to play out. We’re working closely with all our race teams right now to do everything we can to put everyone in an even better position as we head into the 2016 season.”

Michael Waltrip Racing was Toyota’s flagship team when the manufacturer entered the Sprint Cup Series in 2007 and has produced seven victories.

“Terrific partner for Toyota,” O’Donnell said of MWR’s involvement with the manufacturer. “When someone comes into the sport, especially the likes of Toyota, you want to partner with race teams who have either had a solid foundation or can build together. And ultimately the goal is to win races and Michael Waltrip was able to do that, which is a great testament to building up the Toyota brand within NASCAR.

“You’re seeing (Toyota) grow, and look to grow their partnership in the sport as well, as we head into ’16, and that’s a great sign for the sport.”

MORE: MWR won’t field full-time entries in 2016

Posted on by

RELATED: Full race results | Series standings | Chase standings

 

Below is a breakdown of how the full 43-car field fared at Bristol Motor Speedway.

1. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. Logano became just the third driver to lead approaching the halfway point on Saturday night, and he paced 176 laps en route to his second Bristol victory. | MORE: Logano victorious again in night race

2. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick rallied from two pit-road speeding penalties to run second with five laps to go when he unsuccessfully attempted a run for the lead. | MORE: Harvick scores 10th runner-up finish

3. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The polesitter held steady in the top 10 but struggled to find the answer when navigating the middle to exit of the turns at Bristol. | WATCH: Hamlin leads field to green flag

4. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. “These have been really good laps, man,” crew chief Chad Knaus radioed Johnson as he scored his 10th top-five result at Bristol. | SIGN UP: RaceView Scanner

5. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer qualified ninth and was running second by Lap 232, but he struggled some after receiving contact late in the race. | MORE: Bowyer gives MWR a boost

6. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski was running second with teammate and eventual winner Joey Logano with 100 laps to go before being shuffled back on a restart.

7. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards gave up the lead on Lap 354 when he hit pit road for a flat tire.

8. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch recovered from an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 350 for a loose wheel and a subsequent pit-road speeding penalty with 68 laps to go. 

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt fought to stay on the lead lap mid-race and recorded back-to-back beneficiary passes on the fourth and fifth caution periods. He then held on for his 15th Bristol top 10.

10. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Mostly quiet on the radio, Newman encouraged his team to leave the car alone as he also scored his 15th Bristol top 10.

11. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet. Chip Ganassi Racing. McMurray completed a 50-lap run in practice that helped him get a feel for long green-flag stretches, of which there was one past halfway when he hovered in the top 10.

12. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Despite some early front-fender damage and a pit-road speeding penalty, Allgaier made the most of a promising run and earned his third top-15 finish of the year.

13. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon stopped late in the race for some repair to the left-rear of his car and finished as the last car on the lead lap.

14. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. “There’s nothing I can really do to help you,” crew chief Tony Gibson radioed Busch during the Lap 359 caution period, so Busch stayed out despite issues from an earlier mash-up with David Ragan.  | SIGN UP: RaceView Scanner

15. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne restarted 18th at the tail end of the longest line with 67 laps to go after speeding on pit road.

16. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. “It took a lot longer to start vibrating this time,” Kahne reported to his team on Lap 330 while running 18th.

17. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola qualified 31st in his repaired No. 43 Ford and was running 19th on Lap 358 when he told the team he feared they had lost the handle on it, prompting more adjustments.

18. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Hornish experienced a tight-handling condition when running the bottom line and a loose-handling one when running the top, so his team worked on dialing the car in. 

19. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart qualified 40th and cracked the top 15 by Lap 150 but later reported his car wouldn’t cut in the middle of the corner any more.

20. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon was running fifth when he had to bring his throwback rainbow paint scheme to pit road on Lap 409 for a “bad vibration.”

21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse had just taken the wave around and lined up 19th for the restart when he smacked the wall on Lap 384 to bring out the seventh caution flag.

22. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Blaney spent most of the race trying to recover from a pit-road speeding penalty assessed on Lap 57.

23. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears, in his 26th Bristol outing, reported a vibration that his team addressed along with right-rear damage from earlier contact during the Lap 384 caution.

24. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard lost some track position early after a near-spin on Lap 43. He had another setback during the fifth caution period when his team lost control of a tire and he was penalized.

25. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Significant damage to the No. 16 prompted the team to make multiple stops for repairs during the sixth caution period.

26. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. On Lap 146, Allmendinger collided with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and bounced off the inside wall.

27. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick radioed to her team that it felt like her right-front tire was going down, so she hit pit road on Lap 313 for four tires and fuel.

28. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. Running a back-up car, Truex suffered left-front damage on Lap 384 and had to make two unscheduled pit stops, which put the team two laps down.

29. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Prior to the sixth caution flag, Whitt asked his team to check the right-side of his car after a competitor shoved him into the wall. 

30. Brett Moffitt, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The fastest qualifying rookie radioed early that he started off loose, but improved as the run continued.

31. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing. A big setup change during a mid-race pit stop slowed McDowell’s forward progress. 

32. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Bowman qualified 36th and picked up six spots but had trouble passing because his car developed a tight-handling condition in traffic.

33. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto was running 33rd when he radioed his team on Lap 308 that he needed to stop for flat right-rear tire.

34. J.J. Yeley, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Yeley caught a break on Lap 250 when the caution flag was waved. Just a few laps earlier, he had reported a right-front tire vibration. | MORE: Yeley’s daughter steals the show

35. Josh Wise, No. 32 Ford, Go Fas Racing. Early in the race, Wise’s team got creative with adjustments when they handed him a paint stick so he could reach and adjust his in-car track bar.

36. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. In his 19th Bristol appearance, Gilliland was stalled early when he had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a loose wheel.

37. Mike Bliss, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. Bliss suited up for his ninth race of the year, but his first behind the wheel of the No. 33.

38. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill’s team took a big swing at his setup early in the race, changing the bump stop setup, and chased the handling of the No. 40 throughout the race. 

39. Timmy Hill, No. 98 Ford, Phil Parsons Racing. Hill, making his second Bristol start on Saturday night, improved upon his first result at the half-mile track.

40. David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Ragan retreated behind the wall after receiving contact and spinning out of the top five to bring out the sixth caution flag on Lap 371. | MORE: Ragan, Bowyer show strength amid shake-up

41. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. An early two-tire call turned out to be a losing gamble as Larson cut his left-front on Lap 125 and hit the wall. He later brought out the fifth caution flag after hitting the wall.

42. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Around Lap 111, Kenseth limped from running in the top 10 to pit road for his team to assess his smoking car. An engine issue sent the No. 20 behind the wall. | MORE: Early exit for Kenseth

43. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett made an unscheduled pit stop after the first lap at Bristol for a transmission issue.

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings

 

BRISTOL, Tenn. — It’s a familiar scenario facing Ryan Newman as the Richard Childress Racing driver prepares for a two-race journey to lock in one of the 16 spots in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field.

At this same point in the season last year, Newman sat ninth in points and was winless with two top-five and eight top-10 finishes. He eventually earned a Chase bid based on his points position, then parlayed the consistency that got him a berth into a ticket into the Championship Round, where he nearly became the series’ first winless champion.

Following his 10th-place finish in Saturday night’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Newman finds himself 11th in points, with four top-five and 12 top-10 finishes thus far this season. He’s also still searching for that first win, which would guarantee his status as a Chase participant.

At Bristol, Newman and his No. 31 team, led by crew chief Luke Lambert, once again did what they have become nearly the best in the series at doing — taking a car that wasn’t particularly fast and earning a top-10 finish with it.

“We weren’t the best car all day,” Newman said while standing beside the No. 31 Chevrolet on pit road after the race. “We kind of finished where we ran, if not just a little bit better.

“It was a good run for the team. We took a 20th-place car in practice and qualifying and turned it into a top-10 (in the race). We were not the best car and we didn’t win the race, but the guys did a good job in the pits and we made the race car better.”

Newman and the team hadn’t shown speed on Friday, working their way to 26th- and 18th-place positions during the first and second practice sessions, respectively.

At the end of the day, Newman logged the 18th-fastest time in qualifying for the series’ 24th race of the season.

Saturday night, Newman slowly made his way through the field, eventually cracking the top 10 well into the second half of the 500-lap race.

  

Not having that initial speed when arriving at the track has been a problem, Newman admitted, but added that it’s kept the team close as they battle to secure a Chase spot.

“Yeah it’s better when you start off the weekend better,” he said, “but that’s what makes us pull together as a team, find speed and … fight strong at the end.”

Newman, RCR teammate Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports) and Clint Bowyer (Michael Waltrip Racing) currently hold the five final Chase positions with two races  remaining — at Darlington Raceway and Richmond International Raceway — before the postseason starts.

Newman, 37, is a six-time qualifier for the Chase, with last season’s runner-up finish to Kevin Harvick a career-best points finish.