Kyle Busch Chase watch after Watkins Glen

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Staff Report

With only four races left until the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, it’s time to check up on Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, as he tries to rebound from early-season injuries and make the Chase. He is currently the only driver with multiple wins who has yet to clinch a spot in the Chase.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED: After starting the Watkins Glen race in the eighth spot, Kyle Busch finished second at the Cheez-It 355 — his fifth top five at the Glen. With Kevin Harvick on the losing side of a fuel strategy on the white-flag lap, Busch snagged the runner-up position at the road course. “Rowdy,” who led three laps, entered the top 30 with his second-place finish. Despite getting into the top 30, this does not secure a Chase spot.

WHAT HE NEEDS: With four wins this season, Busch still needs to stay in the top 30 in the standings and be able to start the remaining regular-season races to be eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. With four races to go before Chicagoland, Busch is unofficially in 30th place. He is six points ahead of Cole Whitt, who currently sits in 31st.

WHAT’S NEXT: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is headed to Michigan International Speedway for the Pure Michigan 400. In 21 starts there, Busch has one win, four top fives, 6 top 10s and one pole. His victory at Michigan came in 2011’s Pure Michigan 400. The last time he raced at Michigan was back in June for the Quicken Loans 400, where he finished in 43rd after a crash on Turn 4 while on Lap 53.

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Staff Report

Polesitter, AJ Allmendinger lost power on his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet and was sitting on pit road during the fourth caution in Sunday’s race.

A frustrated Allmendinger was heard saying on the radio, “I shut it off trying to save fuel. Last time I ever do that … When I popped the clutch, nothing.”

Allmendinger’s best chance for making the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is at Watkins Glen, as he is the defending race winner and that win punched his ticket into last year’s Chase.

After his pit crew worked on his car, Allmendinger finally got power back and re-entered the race one lap down. ‘Dinger led 21 laps before the power outage.

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Staff Report

MORE: Gordon lends his voice for Disney project | Watkins Glen results

Jeff Gordon had mechanical issues early on at Watkins Glen during the Cheez-It 355.

Sunday’s race was one of his best chances to lock up a Chase berth, given his road course prowess (4 wins, 4 poles and 9 top 10s in 22 starts at Watkins Glen; he also has five wins at Sonoma, the series’ other road course), Gordon was set back thanks to early brake problems.

While on pit road, the four-time champion received a new brake line on the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and re-entered the race on Lap 33, scored in 43rd place and four laps down.

Gordon entered Sunday’s race in 10th place in the driver points standings. He finished the race in 41st place and lost two spots in the standings, falling to 12th place, 203 points behind leader Kevin Harvick .

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will race this week at Michigan International Speedway. The NASCAR XFINITY Series will be racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in a stand-alone event. Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series practices, qualifying sessions and races can also be watched on NBC Sports Live Extra. All events for the Camping World Truck Series can be found on FOX Sports 1. Check out the full schedule below.

All times are ET

SUNDAY, AUG. 16

PRE-RACE SCHEDULE
— 12:30:00 p.m.:NSCS Driver/Crew Chief Meeting (Michigan Room)
— 2:00:00 p.m.: NSCS Drivers Introductions w/ NASCAR Special Awards
— 2:21:00 p.m.: MIS Wave (Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” audio track plays)
— 2:28:00 p.m.: Intro Canadian Anthem
— 2:28:15 p.m.: Canadian Anthem by: MIS’ Own, Lisa Bascom
— 2:30:00 p.m.: Presentation of Colors: Michigan State Police
— 2:30:20 p.m.: Moment of Silence
— 2:30:50 p.m.: Invocation by: Fr. Geoff Rose
— 2:31:15 p.m.: Intro National Anthem
— 2:31:30 p.m.: National Anthem by: Jena Irene Ascuitto
— 2:33:00 p.m.: Flyover TOT by: Three (3) Aero L-39 Albatros Aircraft
— 2:38:00 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines”: Michael Harris, Executive Director of Paralyzed Veterans of America – Michigan Chapter
— 2:46:30 p.m.: Start of the Pure Michigan 400 (200 Laps, 400 Miles)

ON TRACK: MICHIGAN
— 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 (200 laps, 400 miles), NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 5:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race

FRIDAY, AUG. 14:

ON TRACK: MICHIGAN
— 11 a.m.-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
— 1:30-2:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, FOX Sports 1 (Results)
— 3-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (Results) (Will be shown on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)
— 5:05 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)

ON TRACK: MID-OHIO
— 1:30-2:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
— 3-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, RSN (CSN Mid-Atlantic, CSN Chicago, CSN Northwest, CSN Bay Area)/Live Extra (Results)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
— 10:30 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
— 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 9:45 a.m.: Greg Biffle
— 10 a.m.: Matt Kenseth
— 10:15 a.m.: Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick
— 10:30 a.m.: Erik Jones
— 3:15 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
— 6:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying
— 7:15 p.m.: NASCAR executive Steve O’Donnell

SATURDAY, AUG. 15:

ON TRACK: MICHIGAN
— 8:30-9:25 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, CNBC/Live Extra (Results)
— 9:40 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1 (Results)
— 11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, CNBC/Live Extra (Results)
— 1 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Careers for Veterans 200 presented by Cooper Standard and Brad Keselowski‘s Checkered Flag Foundation, (100 laps, 200 miles), FOX Sports 1 (Results)

ON TRACK: MID-OHIO
— 11:15 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, RSN (CSN Mid-Atlantic, CSN Chicago, CSN Bay Area)/Live Extra (Results)
— 3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio (75 laps, 169.35 miles), NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 2:45 p.m.: (approx.): Post-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Reid Spencer

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Now that Watkins Glen has started repaving its racing surface, running “the Boot” may be back on the table for NASCAR races.

The current configuration of the Glen for NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series races eliminates the Boot, which contains Turns 6 through 9, and shortens the course from 3.40 miles to 2.45 miles.

But with repaving already having taken place in the Boot, smoothing the bumps in that portion of the track, NASCAR is considering running the full Grand Prix Course, which currently is used for the Tudor United Sports Car Championship.

“We could,” NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell told the NASCAR Wire Service before Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at the Glen. “We’re discussing it with the track. It’s something we’re looking at down the road.”

Even with the addition of the Boot, Watkins Glen wouldn’t be the longest road course on the NASCAR rotation. Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, which hosts the XFINITY Series, measures 4.048 miles.

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Complete race results | Series standings | SHOP: Logano gear

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — A week after running out of fuel while leading with three laps left at Pocono, Joey Logano finished off an unprecedented weekend sweep at Watkins Glen International with his first road course victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Pressuring race leader Kevin Harvick over a 30-lap green-flag run to the finish of Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at the Glen, Logano made the winning pass through the final two corners at the 2.45-mile road course as Harvick ran out of fuel in Turn 6.

Picking up his second victory of the season and the 10th of his career, Logano crossed the finish line 5.273 seconds ahead of Kyle Busch, who grabbed second place as Harvick coasted over the stripe to secure third.

Matt Kenseth came home fourth, and Kurt Busch recovered from a pit road penalty (crewmen over the wall too soon) to finish fifth, as Logano became the first driver ever to win both the XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International in the same weekend.

“I’m still just trying to catch my breath,” Logano said after climbing from his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. “I was really excited after that one. I was running down Harvick there for a little bit, and once I got close to him, he started to pick up his pace a little bit, which was good, because I needed him to run out of gas.

“I started to catch him a little bit, and I drove into (Turn) 1 too hard (on the final lap) and started to wheel hop. I just about lost it, and at that point you just hope he runs out of gas, which he did in the last corner. It makes up for last week. We lost the race last week the same way, so it makes up for it to get it this week.”

Logano led only one lap — the last one.

With Logano’s victory, every driver who has won a race this season — with the exception of Kyle Busch — has clinched a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, assuming each starts the remaining races of the regular season. Busch cracked the top 30 in the standings for the first time after returning from an 11-race injury absence.

With four victories, Busch must simply finish the 26-race regular season four races hence in the top 30, and that was the primary reason he didn’t make a harder push to catch Logano in the closing laps.

“I think that was some of (crew chief) Adam (Stevens’) worry, too,” said Busch, who like Logano, had pitted for fuel under caution on Lap 58 of 90 and who, like Logano, had run out of gas in the closing laps at Pocono. “We couldn’t afford running out of gas like we did last week and taking home an even worse finish this week, because of how many cars finish on the lead lap typically at a road course.

“We’d be back in the 30s somewhere. I’m sure that was weighing on Adam’s mind on being able to save it and make it to the end and just playing it a little bit more cautious, which is fine. I’m with Adam 100 percent of the way all the time.”

The race dealt potentially devastating blows to several drivers hopeful of qualifying for the Chase on points.

Jeff Gordon had brake problems almost from the outset and finished 41st, dropping two spots to 12th in the standings. Kasey Kahne ’s No. 5 Chevrolet was the victim of a hard wreck when the field accordioned behind Sam Hornish Jr. on a restart on Lap 49; he fell two positions in the points to 17th, outside the window for making the Chase.

RELATED: Gordon has early brake troubles

Jamie McMurray‘s Chevrolet ran into the back of Logano’s Ford on that same restart, crushing the nose of the car. McMurray came home 40th and dropped one position to ninth in the standings.

If there are no more first-time winners in the next four weeks, and if Kyle Busch remains in the top 30, there will be five Chase spots available on points. Currently, the top five drivers in the standings without a victory are McMurray, Paul Menard , Gordon, Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer.

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Nascar

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Three-time premier series champion Tony Stewart will start third in Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM) following his best qualifying effort of the season.

Stewart (127.410 mph) trailed only pole winner and defending race winner AJ Allmendinger (127.839) and Martin Truex Jr. (127.569) following Coors Light Pole Qualifying here at Watkins Glen International on Saturday.

“That was all I had,” Stewart, 44, said. “I’m very content with that. Three good weeks of qualifying, that really makes me happy to do it at three different tracks with three different (rules) packages. This is an awesome way to start the weekend for sure.”

Sitting 25th in points, Stewart needs a victory within the next five races to earn one of the 16 positions in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Sunday’s race will mark his first start at the 2.45-mile road course since 2012. A five-time winner here, Stewart suffered a broken leg in a sprint car accident in Iowa less than a week before the 2013 Watkins Glen race. The injury forced him out for the final 15 races of the season.

Last year, Stewart was involved in a sprint car accident on the eve of the Watkins Glen event. Driver Kevin Ward Jr. was killed when he was struck by Stewart’s car. Stewart sat out for three races before he eventually returned to complete the season.

On Friday, Ward’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner/driver. SHR officials have not issued an official comment regarding the suit.

Greg Zipadelli, competition director for SHR and Stewart’s crew chief for two of his three championships, said Saturday’s qualifying run by Stewart was big.

“It’s cool … for Tony to be at a place he loves and where he’s had a lot of success,” Zipadelli said. “He had a good car yesterday, they spent some time looking at where he felt like he was off and he went out and (got the job done) today.

“I think it’s awesome for this group of guys, awesome for him and we’re certainly looking forward to tomorrow.”

The task to get better results on race day remains. Stewart started fourth at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and fifth a week later at Pocono Raceway. He finished 28th at Indy; his ninth-place run at Pocono was only his second top-10 of the season.

“We are pretty happy with how they have progressed,” Zipadelli said. “But let’s face it, they’re not leading laps yet and (competing) for wins … that’s what we need to do. We’ve still got some room to continue to grow.

“But I think it’s now to the point, the confidence — you saw him come in last Monday to the shop and was upbeat about the way he ran and qualified the last two weeks. I see him walking around here today; I saw him this morning. He’s happy. That’s what we need.”

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Nascar

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Jeff Gordon‘s rise to prominence in NASCAR didn’t begin with success on the Sprint Cup Series’ road courses.

In fact, the Hendrick Motorsports driver was well on his way to his second of four Sprint Cup championships in 1997 before he took the checkered flag as race winner on one of the series’ two winding, demanding layouts. That first win came at Watkins Glen International, site of Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM) in 1997.

It was his 144th career start and his 27th career victory.

Today, he’s recognized as the most successful road-course racer in NASCAR, with nine career victories.

With retirement from full-time competition drawing closer with each passing weekend, it will be his last scheduled start on a road course.

No more turning left AND right, hairpin turns or elevation changes.

Success didn’t come easy.

“No, I remember going to Sonoma the first time and turning the car over on its side in the tire wall,” Gordon recalled Friday at WGI. “I felt like I was pretty lost.

“The second year I really felt a big progression and then the third year, which I think is when I won my first road-course race, I think in 1995 or 1996, everything just started to click. We worked hard at it. There is no doubt we worked hard at it. That hard work paid off.”

Gordon’s recollection was off only by a season, understandable for one who has won more races (92) than any other active driver and fewer than only two others all-time, Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105).

He was, however, correct as far as what it took to become a constant threat on the unusual layouts that have fallen only twice annually on the NASCAR calendar during his career.

“Early on I just remember wanting to take on every challenge as a team that we possibly could to improve to be a bigger threat for the championship,” he said. “Back then you had to try to be good everywhere because every track mattered for the championship. It was something that we really pursued heavily. I enjoyed it, even though I didn’t grow up road racing a lot.”

The field of drivers capable of winning on a road course wasn’t as deep as today, and the number of teams that expended the extra time and resources was fewer. Drivers such as Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd and Mark Martin thrived. Eventually, Gordon did as well.

“We had a team and a car that was capable of being very competitive,” Gordon, 44, said. “Especially Ray (Evernham, crew chief), back in those early days when the crew chiefs had more flexibility as to how you could find an edge over the competition, he worked hard on the transmissions, the braking, the set-ups and gave me everything that I needed to go out and push the limits of the car and get a lot out of it.

“We started excelling at them.”

While his team ratcheted up its efforts, Gordon did as well. Before he began his NASCAR career, Gordon said he “was pursuing everything.”

“If somebody gave me an opportunity to get in a race car or go to a driving school, then I was packing my helmet … and heading that way. I did it up at Mosport (now Canadian Tire Motorsports Park) in Canada. I did it with Skip Barber (driving school) and I think after I started NASCAR I did the one out in Sonoma and I also did the one in Phoenix with Bob Bondurant. …

“It was fun to do something different than ovals. I feel like ovals are what I’m best at and have been all the time, but I just was comfortable in going to a road course and doing something unique and different. Luckily I drove for a team that knew how to put good race cars underneath me not only on ovals, but (also) on road courses. That made the learning curve come much easier for me.”

Gordon has won at every active track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule save one — Kentucky Speedway, which only came on board as a Sprint Cup venue five seasons ago. He won at tracks no longer on the schedule (Rockingham Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway) as well.

Excelling on road courses isn’t something he takes lightly as he prepares for his final Watkins Glen start.

“I think when you look at the drivers and teams that outsiders look at in our sport of who is at the top of the list, I think if you can add a road course win to it, it separates you from the norm and puts you into an elite group,” Gordon said. “When I look at my road-course wins and all the different tracks that I’ve won at, I think it just kind of adds to the stats of putting me into a unique category that I’m very proud of.”

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Holly Cain

What: Cheez-It 355 at The Glen.
Where: 2.454-mile road course in Watkins Glen, New York
When: Sunday, Aug. 9; 2 p.m. ET.
TV/Radio: NBCSN, MRN Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Distance: 220.5 miles, 90 laps.
Pit road speed: 40 mph.
Caution car speed: 45 mph.
Fuel window: 33 laps.

On the front row | See the full lineup
Defending race winner AJ Allmendinger (127.839 mph) won his first Watkins Glen pole position besting fellow Chevrolet driver Martin Truex Jr. The top 10 qualifiers were separated by less than six-tenths of a second. It’s Allmendinger’s fourth career Sprint Cup Series pole. He also was the top qualifier at the Sonoma, California, road course in June. Kyle Busch is the last driver to win at the Glen from the pole position (2008)

Fastest in practice: Four-time race winner Jeff Gordon was fastest in final practice just ahead of second-year driver Kyle Larson, Greg Biffle and two-time Glen winner Kyle Busch. Another former road course winner Clint Bowyer (Sonoma, 2012) led opening practice ahead of defending race winner Allmendinger. Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. were the only drivers to post top-10 laps in both sessions.

Last year’s winner: Allmendinger’s thrilling victory last year in this race was his first and still only one in his Sprint Cup career, earning him and the single-car JTG Daugherty organization its first championship berth. The former open-wheel star is always considered the pre-race favorite at the two Cup road courses and was second fastest in opening practice en route to claiming his first pole position here.

This year he won’t have his great nemesis Marcos Ambrose to battle with up front as Ambrose returned to his native Australia to race this season. However, there are a lot of hungry non-winners this week who are widely considered road course aces. Gordon, Bowyer, Kasey Kahne and the Glen’s all-time winningest driver Tony Stewart lead that charge.

On the line: Five races remain to set the 16-car Chase field and the intensity is noticeably amped in the garage. Jamie McMurray leads the list of non-winners still ranked safely among the top 16 in the standings. Bowyer and Kahne are ranked 15th and 16th with only a 25-point cushion for Kahne while Larson (19th) and Stewart (25th) are further behind in points and may need to rely on a victory to get in the Chase. Of those drivers currently ranked among the top 16, only Harvick and Gordon have ever won at Watkins Glen. Four-time 2015 winner Kyle Busch sits only 13 points out of 30th-place, the minimum points position a winner must be ranked to qualify for the Chase.

Just own it: Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are currently tied with six wins apiece in this race — double that of any other organization. However, JGR driver Kyle Busch‘s win in 2013 is the only time that one of those two teams has won here in the last six years. A victory by one of the four Hendrick drivers would deliver Chevrolet its 750th Cup win. A victory by one of the four Gibbs drivers would give Toyota its 13th win in the last 17 NASCAR national series races.

Road Course Masters | RELATED: Read more about Gordon’s ascent
Two of NASCAR’s most celebrated champions — Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon — also happen to be two of the sport’s most accomplished road racers. Tony Stewart is Watkins Glen’s all-time winningest driver with five victories, his seven top fives the most of any active driver. He’ll start his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy a season-best third on Sunday.

Gordon, NASCAR’s most successful road course driver with nine career wins, has four at Watkins Glen and is the all-time leader in laps led (262) here. He’ll start fifth in the Cheez-It 355 — the final road course race in Gordon’s final season of Cup competition.

Nuts and Bolts: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still looking for his first road course win and should it happen this weekend, it would be a big reversal of fortune for the sport’s Most Popular Driver. His 22.4 average finish at the Glen is the worst among the top-16 drivers in points. He has only three top-10 finishes yet two DNFs in 15 starts here. Qualifying is hugely important at the Glen. Nine of the 32 races have been won by the pole sitter, 65 percent of race winners have come from a top-five starting position. Steve Park’s 2000 victory from the 18th starting position is the farthest of any race winner.

Brad Keselowski and retired driver Mark Martin hold the record for runner-up finishes at the Glen with three each. Earnhardt and Matt Kenseth hold the record for most starts (15) without a win.

They said it: “We’re all road course ringers these days. It’s amazing how smart this garage is and how great these competitors are.” — Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet.

“I look forward to these races. I always do every year. It’s kind of fun, a weekend ‘off’ from the oval stuff. Love the opportunity to turn right, turn left, and have some shifting going on. You try to make the most of it and have some fun with it and come out of here with some decent finishes. Over the years we’ve run real well here at Watkins Glen. I’m really optimistic about being here this weekend.” — Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Crispy Toyota and winner of the season’s other road course race in Sonoma, California, in June.

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Holly Cain

WATCH: Different view of scrap | Contact that started scuffle

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — There was no mistaking Regan Smith‘s purposeful stride down pit road or the look in his eyes following Saturday’s Zippo 200 at the Glen XFINITY Series race.

Sure that he had been manhandled on the famous road course, Smith, 31, stopped at competitor Ty Dillon‘s car, leaned in and grabbed Dillon, 23, by the front of his uniform, confronting him about an incident between the two in Turn 1 on a Lap 40 restart.

The two championship contenders pushed and shoved and shouted angrily at each other, promising retaliation down the road before NASCAR officials and various team members stepped in to separate them. Both Dillon’s father, Mike, and his grandfather and team owner, Richard Childress, came to the scene.

Smith eventually was pulled away and made his way back to the garage area still fuming. Because of their championship points position, Smith’s JR Motorsports hauler was parked only two spots away from Dillon’s Richard Childress Racing hauler. Dillon’s older brother, Sprint Cup Series driver Austin, stood outside while his brother went into change out of his race uniform.

“I got dumped in Turn 1, it’s pretty simple and I’m not the only one he dumped today,” Smith said of Ty Dillon. “I may have lost the championship today, but he sure as hell did, too,” Smith told reporters walking away from pit road after the race. “There’s zero chance the 3 car (Dillon) wins the championship. And I’m going to make sure of it.”

Both Smith, a former Sprint Cup Series race winner, and Dillon, in his second year in the XFINITY Series, had other run-ins during the race — with their teammates. Smith was hit by fellow JRM driver Chase Elliott early in the race. And Dillon spun out RCR teammate Paul Menard.

“I wanna say, first, I’m sorry to my RCR teammates and the 7 guys (Smith’s team) for my mistakes, I’m truly embarrassed, I deserve anything said,” Dillon said on Twitter after the race. “I will not take anyone pushing me around after a race; that takes it to another level. All that said, another top 5 — gotta keep up the finishes.”

See Ty’s tweets: Dillon tweets after brawl with Smith

The damage from Smith’s incidents relegated him to a 20th place finish, while Dillon finished fifth.

Dillon explained the accident with Smith and assumed the blame.

“I got a good run, cut to the inside; it’s the first time I’ve done that here at this race track,” Dillon said. “I’ve seen people … do it. I just didn’t complete it. It’s as simple as that. I made a big mistake, got to wheel-hopping and there’s no saving it. I did it two times in a row; I’m very disappointed in myself for doing that.

“Not only did I tear up everyone else’s car, but I tore up mine as well. Very apologetic about that, but not about after the race.”

Told that Dillon had been remorseful about hitting Smith, the veteran responded, “Of course he was, he came out of all of them [accidents] unscathed.”

MORE: NXS drivers points standings

The eventful day was costly in the standings for Smith. Dillon is now tied with Elliott in second place, 24 points behind leader Chris Buescher. Smith remains in fourth place but now trails Buescher by 57 points after being only 39 behind before the race.

Smith trailed third-place Dillon by 18 points entering the weekend and is now 33 points behind his rival headed to next week’s road course event at Mid-Ohio — the second of three road course races in August for the XFINITY Series.