Kes: 'I needed to be a little bit better everywhere'

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Nascar

RELATED: Race results | Updated series standings

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Brad Keselowski‘s impressive performance in Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway didn’t conclude with the Team Penske driver in Victory Lane.

Although he led 196 of the 367 laps in the 66th running of the annual event, a superb pit stop by Carl Edwards during the 18th caution period erased Keselowski’s late-race advantage, and the Joe Gibbs Racing driver proved too fast to catch in the closing 11 laps of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

For the fourth time this season, Keselowski, the 2012 series champion, took runner-up honors.

“I needed to be a little bit better everywhere,” Keselowski explained. “Needed to be better on the restarts and … I brushed the wall a little bit there. I just needed to be a little bit better everywhere to have a shot at the win.”

Keselowski, who started on the pole, also finished second this year at Martinsville, Loudon and Pocono. He led a combined 21 laps at Martinsville and Pocono; he led 100 at Loudon.

Sunday night, his No. 2 Ford was stout and Keselowski had it out front for the first 62 laps, then 20, and then 54.

A new lower downforce aerodynamic package used at Darlington, and similar to one used earlier this year at Kentucky, combined with the typically rough Darlington racing surface saw tires wearing appreciably throughout the event. The result was much more focus on tire management, and while Keselowski had no problems in that area it eventually enabled others to attempt different strategies.

The lead changed hands. A lot. Eleven different drivers held the top spot at one point or another. But no one held it as long as Keselowski.

When Edwards emerged out front after his team’s efforts on pit road, it marked the 24th lead change of the race. Six of those had been in Keselowski’s favor.

“Yeah (it stings),” said crew chief Paul Wolfe. “We led a lot of laps; there were a lot of pit sequences and trying to manage tires is challenging. I don’t know that it’s a bad thing.

“You’ve only got so many sets of tires and you can’t just come to pit road every time. So it made that a little interesting and we had to stay out a few times where maybe we would have come in. But all in all I thought it made for some good racing.

“Disappointed we didn’t get the win. I thought we were in position there at the end where we needed to be. The 19 (of Edwards) did a stellar job on pit road and they were able to get out in front of us.”

Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick completed the top five.

Keselowski had his hands full fending off Harvick with about 45 laps remaining and the pair running 1-2. Edwards was closing, and with 34 to go he moved past the defending series champ to take second.

At Lap 345, Edwards was first across the line, but Keselowski quickly moved back in front; Harvick made another charge to reclaim second and Logano stuck his car into the mix.

But when the yellow flag flew on Lap 355 after Jeb Burton spun, the front-runners hit pit road and Edwards came out on top.

“I was fighting like hell to keep the track position,” Keselowski said. “We got to the lead on one pit sequence; we just kept going up and down on pit road. One stop we’d gain one or two (positions), the next stop we’d lose one or two.

“The guys had a really good stop to gain me one to get me into the lead with about 60 to go. Got to the lead and I was just playing straight-up defense on the 4 (of Harvick) and the 19.

“We got that yellow … with eight to go, 10 to go or whatever it was and they were just a little bit better.”

Posted on September 7, 2015 by

Below is a breakdown of how the full 43-car field fared at Darlington Raceway

1. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing: Edwards battled back from an early pit road miscue, flat tire and track position two laps down to take the checkered in the longest race of the season thus far. His No. 19 pit crew was his saving grace, as the team performed a dynamic 12-second pit stop that won Edwards the race off pit road for the night’s final restart. | RELATED: Edwards discusses winning the Southern 500

2. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske: Pole-sitter Keselowski was blisteringly fast through the night, leading a race-high 196 laps around the storied raceway, wheeling the race’s fastest lap of 176.587 mph and contending for the win. But his crew didn’t match his speed, as Keselowski came up .902 seconds behind Edwards in the final race off pit road. | RELATED: Keselowski breaks down his night

3. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing: The trend of strong pit crews for Joe Gibbs Racing held strong with Hamlin, as he consistently gained multiple spots on pit road throughout the night, helping him pace the field for 57 laps.

4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske: Pacing the field twice for 29 laps, Logano earned his first top-five result at the “Track Too Tough to Tame” in his seven starts.

5. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing: Pacing the field for 44 laps, Harvick was a heavy contender for the win throughout the night, fighting Edwards and Keselowski for the checked in the final laps.

6. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing: Busch overcame a setback at Lap 307, when Martin Truex Jr. accidently hit his No. 41 Chevrolet from behind, sending it spinning across the track.

7. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing: Persevering through a late-race collision with Greg Biffle, Busch’s seventh-place finish allowed him to officially clinch a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. | RELATED: Busch makes the Chase

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports: Junior’s post-race description of Sunday’s race as “challenging” but “very rewarding” was fitting, as the No. 88 team took a while to find their groove throughout the weekend, eventually finishing 18 spots ahead of their 26th-place starting position.

9. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing: Truex Jr. earned his 17th top-10 finish of the season at Darlington, setting a record with his Furniture Row Racing team for its most top-10s in a season.

10. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates: Wheeling the fan-favorite Kyle Petty throwback car, Larson ran with NASCAR’s elite throughout the evening, earning a second-straight top 10 in his sophomore year at the “Lady in Black.” | RELATED: See all the throwback paint schemes

11. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports: Sitting precariously on one of the Chase bubble positions, Almirola’s steady 11th-place result shaved off six points in the standings from Clint Bowyer — the last driver in the Chase Grid as of today. | RELATED: Who is on the Chase bubble?

12. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports: Crew chief Keith Rodden rolled the dice early with a speedy two-tire stop that allowed Kahne to gain 13 positions and pace the field for two laps before getting passed by cars with four fresh Goodyears.

13. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing After going completely sideways early in the race, Newman’s No. 31 had minimal damage, which allowed him to finish in the top 15 for the fourth consecutive race.

14. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates: The No. 1 crew fought radio communication troubles through the night, forcing the team to communicate in three-word spurts with McMurray.

15. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing: “Smoke” stayed on the track during a cycle of yellow-flag pit stops to lead 10 laps on older tires after beating Larson on the restart at Lap 212.

16. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports: Equipped with a car that was better handling in the shorter runs, the frequent cautions allowed Gordon to run in the top 10 for much of the night.

17. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing: Spotter Brett Griffin advised Bowyer during the race to “just race the track and stay out of that (expletive) wall” — which he accomplished, but still earned his worst result at Darlington since 2011.

18. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing: A flat right-front tire and collision with Kyle Busch provided plenty of typical Darlington obstacles for Biffle, whose 18th-place finish was somewhat disappointing after his impressive practice speeds.

19. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports: Called out by teammate Gordon over the radio, Johnson was issued a warning after accelerating too quickly prior to entering pit road at Lap 128 – but the “Lady in Black” awarded the No. 48 a penalty of her own less than five laps later when Johnson spun out after making contact with Logano. | RELATED: Gordon calls out Johnson

20. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports: Wheeling the “Proud to be an American” scheme driven by Sterling Martin, Cassill earned his best finish since Pocono in August.

21. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing: The “Lady in Black” proved she shows mercy to no one, even an established driver like Kenseth, who smacked the wall at Lap 20 and damaged his No. 20 ride.

22. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing: His throwback Chevy sporting a Darlington stripe that was earned in opening practice, Dillon was the first driver to pilot the No. 3 ride on Labor Day weekend at Darlington since Dale Earnhardt did in 2000.

23. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing: From a collision with Justin Allgaier early in the race to a penalty for jumping the restart at Lap 124, Allmendinger’s 23rd-place finish on Sunday didn’t come easy.

24. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing: Bowman overcame an early brush with the wall, flat left rear and right rear tires and a collision with T.J. Bell for a career-best finish at Darlington.

25. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing: Making his first Sprint Cup Series start at the “Lady in Black,” DiBenedetto’s 25th-place result earned him the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award.

26. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing: Aggressive driving caused Menard to hit the back of David Ragan at Lap 279, sending the No. 55 spinning and leaving Menard still without a career top-10 finish at Darlington. | RELATED: See the contact

27. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports: Gilliland took the wave around to lead Lap 303, managing to end the race on the lead lap.

28. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports: Turning laps in a Mark Martin-themed throwback car, Hornish Jr. spun at Lap 299, but saved it and continued racing.

29. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing: His car sporting a pink decal honoring team owner Bob Germain’s late wife, Gracie, and her battle with breast cancer, Mears faced string of issues — vibration, no second or third gear and low volts — at the “Track Too Tough to Tame.”

30. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing: In his first Sprint Cup Series start at Darlington, Blaney earned his initiation-style stripes at Lap 95 when he hit the wall while running 16th.

31. Jeb Burton, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing: Burton brought out the record-setting 18th caution in Sunday night’s Southern 500, when his No. 23 Toyota spun out between Turns 1 and 2.

32. Mike Bliss, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport: After bringing out the fifth caution at Lap 120 following a brush with the wall, a collision between Bliss’ No. 33 and J.J. Yeley’s No. 26 signaled another caution just five laps later.

33. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports: Shortly after a radio conversation with his team where Allgaier said, “The 47 is all over us,” he and AJ Allmendinger collided, sending the No. 51 limping down pit road with heavy right-side damage.

34. J.J. Yeley, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing: A wreck at Lap 125 with Bliss and Michael Annett sent the No. 26 to the garage for repairs.

35. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing: Bayne went for a spin at Lap 166 only to spin out again at Lap 247, sending him to the garage for repairs.

36. Brett Moffitt, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports: The No. 34 incurred early damage and made an early trip the garage, when it was caught up in a wreck with Chase Elliott and Cole Whitt at Lap 7.

37. T.J. Bell, No. 98 Ford, Premium Motorsports: As the caution flag flew for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s spin at Lap 198, Bell and Bowman made contact, leaving both vehicles with plenty of damage.

38. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing: While racing hard with Bowyer, Stenhouse Jr. hit the fronstretch wall hard at Lap 198, forcing his No. 17 to the garage momentarily for repairs.

39. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports: The No. 46 incurred heavy left-side damage that required garage-time, after getting caught up in a wreck between Yeley and Bliss at Lap 125.

40. David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing: A pair of back-to-back cautions brought out by the No. 55 car marred Ragan’s day, as his Michael Waltrip Racing ride ultimately went up in flames — and to the garage. | RELATED: Contact leads to hard hit for Ragan

41. Chase Elliott, No. 25 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports: Making his fifth and final Sprint Cup Series start of 2015, Elliott battled from an early-race incident with Cole Whitt to race inside the top 20. Unfortunately, the Hendrick Motorsports part-time rookie went for a hard spin at Lap 228, his No. 25 ride suffering day-ending damage. | RELATED: Early damage for Elliott

42. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing: “Sorry, I just got loose,” Patrick speculated via her team radio following heavy contact with the wall at Lap 189 that sent her No. 10 down pit road for extensive repairs. She returned to the track later in the race, but left soon after with a smoking car. | RELATED: Tough night for Danica

43. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports: Whitt’s third Sprint Cup Series start at Darlington came to a close early in the race, when his No. 35 ride was collected in Brett Moffitt‘s brush with the wall and did not return to the track.

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Staff Report

Jimmie Johnson‘s early move to pit road during the race’s sixth caution had Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon upset. Johnson’s crew chief Chad Knaus offered an explanation on FOX Sports 1’s “Race Hub” on Monday evening.

“The topography of the track is very unique,” he said. “Where the apron actually starts and where you pull down is different. You think the apron is really, really huge and that’s why Kyle (Busch) got in trouble qualifying for the XFINITY race. (Busch’s qualifying time was disallowed due to a blend-line violation.)

“All the guys were staying up on the track really, really high. I told Jimmie to pit. He just pulled down. I didn’t even know this was going on. I didn’t know it happened until I was watching the footage during that caution right there. And they kept on showing this. I was like, ‘I wonder what the big deal. Oh, they’re mad at us.’ “

Over the radio, right after he saw Johnson dart down to pit road, Gordon, who is also the car owner for Johnson’s No. 48 said, “They better penalize the 48 for what he did coming on to pit road. I hate to tell on him, but there’s just no way. They were very specific in the drivers’ meeting about where you turn off the banking.”

Gordon later added, “he passed three cars coming to pit road. Just let NASCAR know. No problem, I’m going to pass every car I can getting to pit road from here on out.”

NASCAR issued a warning to the 48 team after the incident.

The Bojangles’ Southern 500 was an up-and-down race for Johnson and the 48 team. The six-time series champion spun out on Lap 133, bringing out the seventh caution of the race. Knaus explained that the spin out put the team in a tight box on tires.

“We had to be aggressive at that point. Obviously, we spun out. We lost a set of tires right here. That was very early in that run that that spin took place after Jeff was yelling at us. And we had to come down pit road, put on another set of tires. Moved up through the field relatively quickly at that point. Put us a set of tires behind, which in the end really hurts us.

“When we got to that third to last caution on Lap 301, we had to make a decision. Either put on a set of scuffs or a set of stickers. The runs had been really short at that time and we opted to put on a set of scuffs and of course we had the longest run of the race right there and actually got lapped and it was a big mess.”

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Staff Report

Editor’s Note: Clinching scenarios courtesy of NASCAR statistical services

There is just one race left before the 16-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field is set. Here are the scenarios for clinching a Chase berth at Richmond International Raceway in the Federated Auto Parts 400 (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Below is the complete list of drivers currently in the Chase Grid.

Drivers with wins who have clinched a spot in the Chase as long as they attempt to qualify for the final regular-season race:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch
3. Joey Logano
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7. Kurt Busch
8. Carl Edwards
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Martin Truex Jr.
11. Denny Hamlin

Drivers currently in the top 16:

12. Jamie McMurray

13. Ryan Newman

14. Jeff Gordon
15. Paul Menard
16. Clint Bowyer

Four drivers control their Chase fate without a win: Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Paul Menard. Three drivers can also clinch without a win, but need help in the form of poor finishes from winless drivers ahead of them in points and/or a repeat winner: Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola and Kasey Kahne.

The following drivers can only clinch a Chase spot with a win at Richmond: Greg Biffle, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, AJ Allmendinger, Casey Mears, Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart, David Ragan, Sam Hornish Jr., Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Justin Allgaier.

At Richmond, regardless of who wins the race:

— Jamie McMurray clinches by starting the race.

— Ryan Newman clinches by finishing 31st or better; 32nd with at least one lap led; or 33rd with the most laps led.

— Jeff Gordon clinches by finishing 17th or better; 18th with at least one lap led; or 19th with the most laps led.

— Paul Menard clinches by finishing ninth or better; 10th with at least one lap led; or 11th with the most laps led.

At Richmond, if there is a repeat winner:

— Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon will clinch regardless of finish.

— Paul Menard clinches by finishing 38th or better; 39th with at least one lap led; or 40th with the most laps led.

— Clint Bowyer clinches by finishing 28th or better; 29th with at least one lap led; or 30th with the most laps led.

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Staff Report

With one race left until the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs, let’s check in on how Kyle Busch, driver of the No 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing is positioned as he looks to rebound from missing 11 races to early season injuries to make the Chase.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED: Busch scored a seventh-place finish at Darlington, but that takes a back seat to the bigger story of “Rowdy” securing his top-30 position in the points standings and a spot in the Chase Grid, a remarkable run as he needed just 14 races to make the postseason. As for the race itself, Busch went to a backup car after smacking the wall in final practice on Friday. Contact with Greg Biffle on Lap 207 brought out some colorful language from the driver. Busch also led three laps but dropped back as he was on older tires at the time but rebounded for his eighth top 10 of the season.

WHAT HE NEEDS: To attempt to qualify at Richmond. Busch is mathematically locked into the top 30 in points now and sits in 27th place, 83 points ahead of 31st-place driver Cole Whitt. His four wins have him positioned in second place in the Chase Grid.

WHAT’S NEXT: With his Chase position locked up, Busch can go for broke at a track he’s been very good at: Richmond. The 30-year-old has four wins at the 0.75-mile track, and his 7.4 average finish is best among active drivers, while also being his second-best among active tracks on the circuit. Interestingly enough, though, all four of his Richmond wins have come in the spring event. His last three runs in the September race have ended outside the top 10. Tune in to see how Busch will fare in the Federated Auto Parts 400 on Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). 

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Zack Albert

To understand the rejuvenating effect of NASCAR’s throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway, observe the example of Leonard Wood. After the Sprint Cup Series drivers’ meeting, the legendary engine builder and mechanical innovator emerged from the Wood Brothers team hauler with a retro change of clothes — a vintage red-and-white No. 21 shirt, white work pants and white Converse Chuck Taylors.

The spring in his step was a literal one. Wood, just two weeks shy of his 81st birthday, jumped in place, a kid again with a broad grin forming on his face.

Wood’s near heel-click came with good reason, a personal celebration of the return of the Southern 500 to its rightful early September spot on the NASCAR calendar. There was plenty to cheer about, from a near full house in the packed grandstands to compelling racing from front to back.

To put a bow on another Labor Day classic, here are 10 things that went right this weekend:

— Tradition returns. While calls have been made to alter the landscape of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, Darlington should remain untouched. Renewing Labor Day weekend as a grand festival of speed in the South Carolina sandhills represents all that is right with stock-car racing, recognizing both NASCAR’s roots and the track’s role in launching the speedway era during the sport’s earliest years. While NASCAR places an emphasis on innovation and the direction of technology, the look and feel of yesteryear in a decidedly low-tech weekend felt just right at one of the sport’s greatest Meccas.

— Chase pressure. The secondary effect of Darlington’s return to Labor Day was its renewed impact on playoff implications. With the grueling Southern 500 in place as the next-to-last race in the regular season, Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup hopefuls had no option to coast in the waning moments before the 16-driver field is set.

RELATED: How the Chase Grid looks after Darlington

— Industry support. Putting on a themed event of such magnitude requires a massive buy-in from all corners of the NASCAR community — tracks, teams, drivers, sponsors, manufacturers and partners. The overwhelming embrace of the retro ambiance — with a majority of teams participating in the fun — showed what is possible when all of the moving parts come together with a common goal. The united push toward making throwback weekend a roaring success bodes well not just for preserving the sport’s history but for moving the sport forward.

RELATED: See all the throwback paint schemes from Darlington

— Reunion of legends. A who’s who of stock-car legends from the NASCAR Hall of Fame received some of the biggest cheers in the Sprint Cup drivers’ meeting and pre-race ceremonies. Once-fierce rivals — with legendary names Petty, Allison and Yarborough — were reunited as old friends on Darlington’s sacred grounds. For racing purists, watching the sport’s pioneers trade stories and exchange greetings was swoon-worthy. Field of Dreams stuff, for sure.

PHOTOS: Best images from Darlington

— Subtle touches. The little things mattered over Labor Day weekend, with those seemingly minor details adding cumulative momentum to the vintage vibe. Darlington piped in music from the 1970s over its public-address system all weekend. Ned Jarrett’s distinctive voice was used to narrate the drivers’ meeting video presentation. Richard Childress Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports shared best-dressed honors with their crewmembers’ classic duds. The original winged “NASCAR International” logo graced every car. Seamless and subtle, it all clicked.

RELATED: Lots of throwback looks at the track

— Media mix. NBC Sports’ participation deserves special mention, from the use of retro graphics and groovy garb for its on-air talent, but most notably for returning broadcasters Ken Squier and Ned Jarrett to the booth, joining fellow Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett to call the race. Hearing legendary voices officiating the action was like a comfy chair and a cup of cocoa all in one, and NBC did right by all three with an extended stint on the microphone. The weekend’s other big wins came through social media, where NASCAR’s primary handles offered Polaroid snapshots and grainy VHS-quality videos in keeping with the throwback theme. The hashtag #NASCARthrowback trended nationally as a result.

WATCH: Legends join the NBC booth to call part of the race

— Raves for rules. The second use this season of the reduced-downforce aerodynamic rules added to the retro aura, producing an old-school scrap that rewarded driver ability as much as it did top-notch equipment. If the Darlington package stands as a prelude to what the 2016 aero rules might become, the potential for more jockeying and passing throughout the pack holds promise.

RELATED: Reduced-downforce package successful at Darlington

— Tire opportunities. The combination of softer-compound Goodyears on a rough surface provided more shades of classic Darlington, placing a premium on drivers’ management of tire wear and on teams’ strategy with their allotment of 12 sets of new rubber. But the tiremaker’s other contribution was a bold, white stencil logo on the sidewalls that complemented the throwback atmosphere.

— Lengthy Labor Day. Making races shorter has been a common refrain, voiced by fans and drivers alike. More howls might be heard after Sunday night’s 4 1/2-hour marathon, but downsizing to a Southern 400 would be heresy. Winning Darlington is supposed to test both driver and car. It’s supposed to be hard. It’s a formula that’s seemed to work for 66 years and doesn’t need changing any time soon.

— Tradition continues. Darlington Raceway president Chip Wile spent a sizable part of Sunday extending thank-yous to all comers for making throwback weekend a collaborative achievement. All indications point to retro racing at Darlington becoming an annual event, with the potential for growing bigger and better in 2016 and beyond. Racing is often serious business, but Darlington showed that it’s OK to savor the fun of it all. It’s not often that a debut results in a home run. Here’s to Darlington swinging for the fences again next year.

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Staff Report

One driver — Kyle Busch — clinched a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Sunday at Darlington Raceway.

That means 11 drivers are locked into a postseason spot, provided they attempt to qualify for the one remaining regular-season race.

Here’s a look at the bubble for the five available Chase spots.

2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

Already clinched: Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch.

On the bubble

Note: Positions below are for the Chase Grid, not Sprint Cup standings

12. Jamie McMurray +44 (points ahead of 16th place)
13. Ryan Newman +32
14. Jeff Gordon +18
15. Paul Menard +10
16. Clint Bowyer —
———————–
17. Aric Almirola -29 (points behind 16th place)

18. Kasey Kahne -31

19. Greg Biffle -84

20. Kyle Larson -96

Rest of top 30

21. Austin Dillon -96
22. AJ Allmendinger -146

23. Casey Mears -151

24. Danica Patrick -155

25. Tony Stewart -186
26. David Ragan -187

27. Sam Hornish Jr. -190

28. Trevor Bayne -230

29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -242

30. Justin Allgaier -262

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Staff Report

With so many teams coming out in full throwback force this weekend at Darlington Raceway, it would’ve been hard to pick a favorite paint scheme in the Bojangles’ Southern 500, but that’s just what you, the fans, did — with a little help from a few NASCAR Hall of Famers.

Via a fan vote on NASCAR.com, the top four vote-getters were Dale Earnhardt Jr. ‘s No. 88 Chevrolet, Kevin Harvick‘s No. 4 Chevrolet, Kyle Larson‘s No. 42 Chevrolet and Josh Wise‘s No. 32 Ford.

After the “Final 4” were presented to NASCAR Hall of Famers on hand, the group selected Kyle Larson as the best Darlington throwback paint scheme of the bunch.

Be sure to see all the paint schemes in action Sunday night on NBC.

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Staff Report

RICHMOND CUP RACE: Full race lineup | Live weather updates

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series will be at Richmond International Raceway for a weekend doubleheader. Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series on-track action can all be watched on NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off for the weekend.

All times are ET

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12:

SPECIAL EVENT (Watch live)
— 5:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver/Crew Chief Meeting

PRE-RACE SCHEDULE
—5:30:00 p.m.: NSCS Driver/Crew Chief Meeting (Tent)
—7:00:00 p.m.: NSCS Drivers Introductions
—7:26:50 p.m.: Intro Pledge of Allegiance
—7:27:45 p.m.: Pledge of Allegiance: 43 Kids from the Jeff Gordon Foundation
—7:28:15 p.m.: Intro God Bless America
—7:28:30 p.m.: God Bless America: Sophia Nadder
—7:30:00 p.m.: Intro Presentation of Colors by: Ft. Lee Color Guard
—7:30:15 p.m.: Invocation by: Michael McDowell
—7:30:45 p.m.: Intro National Anthem
—7:31:00 p.m.: National Anthem: 29th Division Band from Ft. Lee (Army National Guard to unfurl American Flag)
—7:32:30 p.m.: Flyby TOT: 6 planes from the Bandit Flight Team
—7:37:30 p.m.: “Driver’s, Start Your Engines” by: Christopher McKinney
—7:44:00 p.m.: Green Flag – Federated Auto Parts 400 (400 Laps, 300 Miles)

ON TRACK
–7:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 (400 laps, 300 miles), NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
–10:30 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race

THURSDAY, SEPT. 10:

ON TRACK
–2:30-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
–5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN/Live Extra (Canceled due to weather)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
–2 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 2:45 p.m.: Patrick Staropoli
— 3 p.m.: William Byron
— 3:15 p.m.: Noah Gragson
— 4:15 p.m.: Brian Scott

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11:

ON TRACK:
–10-11:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
–1-2:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
–3:45 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
–5:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)
–7:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Virginia529 College Savings 250 (250 laps, 187.5 miles) NBCSN/Live Extra (Results)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
–12:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 9 a.m.: Ryan Newman
— 9:15 a.m.: Clint Bowyer
— Noon: Carl Edwards
— 2:55 p.m.: Denny Hamlin
— 3:15 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
— 6:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying
— 9:30 p.m.: Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series race