Kyle Busch Chase Watch

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Staff Report

See what ‘Rowdy’ needs to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

With only 10 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.

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WHAT JUST HAPPENED: What a day it was for Kyle Busch at Sonoma Raceway. In just his fifth start of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, he used a late caution to get fresh tires that would take him to Victory Lane. With five laps to go, he took the lead from Jimmie Johnson. He held off older brother Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer to score his second career Sonoma win and the 30th victory of his Sprint Cup career.  

WHAT HE NEEDS: With the win, Busch now just needs to finish in the top 30 in the points standings to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. After Sonoma, he is unofficially in 37th place, 136 points behind the 30th-place driver Cole Whitt. According to NASCAR statistical services, if all things continue at this pace, Busch roughly needs an average finish of 14th over the next 10 races.  

WHAT’S NEXT: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads back to Daytona International Speedway. This will be Busch’s first time competing there since he suffered a compound fracture of the right lower leg and a left mid-foot fracture in the NASCAR XFINITY Series season-opener in February. In 20 Cup starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, Busch has one win, five top fives, six top 10s, one pole and has led 329 laps (out of the 3,323 laps there). The summer race at Daytona has treated Busch better than the season-opening Daytona 500 as he has scored his lone win and four of his top fives then.  

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

.@KyleBusch wins at @RaceSonoma!!! Yes!!! Unbelievable! #NASCAR @mmschocolate

— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) June 28, 2015

Congratulations @KyleBusch @SamanthaBusch @ToyotaRacing unreal win coming back from Daytona

— Steve O’Donnell (@odsteve) June 28, 2015

It’s official. He’s back! Congrats to @KyleBusch on you’re trip to @Gatorade victory lane! #NASCAR

— Martinsville Spdway (@MartinsvilleSwy) June 28, 2015

Will @KyleBusch attend the RIR Post-Race Party? He says: "We’ve got our work cut out for us." #SoYoureSayingTheresAChance ��

— Richmond Raceway (@RIRInsider) June 28, 2015

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Staff Report

Edwards the defending race winner at California road course

With fewer than 30 laps left in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, Carl Edwards and David Ragan made contact that left both cars with significant damage and ruined their days at Sonoma Raceway.

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Edwards, the defending race winner, got loose coming into Turn 8 and his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota got into Ragan’s No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, sending both cars into the wall.

Ragan would finish 39th and Edwards was behind him in 40th place.

"We’re just racing, and David and I race really well together, but it was just one of those deals where we came off of Turn 7 dead-even, and both of us wanted to see who would give first," Edwards said. "My left-rear hit his right-rear and it just … it was pretty small contact, but it bounced both cars sideways and ruined our day. Probably my fault. In fact, that part is my fault, but it’s just frustrating because I love this race track and I was having fun. Just wanted to be out there racing and it’s a tough one to have to sit out."

Ragan was involved in an earlier incident when his contact with Martin Truex Jr. sent the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet into a tire barrier to bring out the second caution of the race.

"It’s tough," Ragan told reporters. "I mean obviously, I’m there, he’s there, we’re both racing hard. It’s just a racing thing. I don’t fault Carl. If his car would’ve given me some room, I would’ve been able to go. If I would’ve given Carl some room, I would’ve been able to take the spot or he would’ve been able to take the spot. That’s just racing at Sonoma. It’s tight back there and you’ve got to go — 30-something laps to go, you don’t have time to mess around."

Edwards already has a win this year while Ragan is still looking for one to make his way into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

— NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert contributed to this report

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Staff Report

Polesitter credited with leading one lap at road course

Polesitter AJ Allmendinger looked to be contending for the win in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway when he began to feel that something was wrong with his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet.

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"It is what it is. We’re done here," Allmendinger radioed to his crew. "We ain’t gonna make it much longer."

Turns out he was losing fuel pressure and was fearful the engine was going to expire. He pitted at Lap 61 and the crew lifted the hood to see what the problem was.

Allmendinger went back out on track at his crew’s wishes, despite wanting to take the car to the garage. Upon his return trip to the track, his car wouldn’t fire as expected and ‘Dinger radioed in, "I’m pitting again. I’m going to get killed out here."

Allmendinger came to the garage at Lap 63 where the team swapped engines and got the car to refire, before it shut off. The team then changed the fuel cell in an effort to get back out on track and did so at Lap 76. He finished 37th and completed 98 of 110 laps.

Changing the fuel cell now. pic.twitter.com/YquZCXvGAI

— JTG Daugherty Racing (@NASCAR47) June 28, 2015

The California native scored his first road course win last summer at Watkins Glen to earn a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Staff Report

Truex on Ragan: ‘He’s probably got one coming’

Martin Truex Jr.’s run at Sonoma Raceway came to a sudden halt Sunday afternoon in the Toyota/Save Mart 350.

Truex made contact with David Ragan on Lap 28 and wrecked in Turn 7, going into a tire barrier on the course.

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Truex went three rows deep into the tire barrier and his No. 78 Chevrolet was towed to the garage. The incident brought out the red flag as track workers repaired the fence.

"Definitely a tough day," Truex Jr. said after being released from the infield care center. " … When you start around 20th on those restarts, it’s just a recipe for disaster. I was trying to be aggressive, made some moves. Had a couple cars passed and then the lane that I was in jammed up and the guys that I passed got back behind me.

"You just get frustrated, you lose patience. I got into the 55’s (Ragan’s) door a little bit in Turn 7 and I guess he didn’t like it and he figured he’d just dump me. He’s probably got one coming, but other than that, it’s just part of the restart deal and hate that I got my guys’ car torn up."

Truex finished 42nd. A winner in 2013 at the 1.99-mile road course, Truex started the race in 12th position but would finish in 42nd-place, his worst result of the season. After a top-10 effort at Michigan on June 14, he became the first driver since Richard Petty in 1969 to have 14 top-10 finishes in the first 15 races of a season.

Ragan would later exit the race after wrecking with Carl Edwards on Lap 78 and finished 39th.

"With Martin, he just flat-out door-slammed me and ran me completely off the race track," Ragan said after a wreck later in the race sidelined his No. 55 Toyota. "I had all four tires in the gravel and again, I’m just trying to blend back on the race track and he was right there. So Martin just made a mistake and he paid the price for it."

— NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert contributed to this report

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Staff Report

Get on-track times for everything at Daytona

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will race at Daytona International Speedway and you can watch every practice, qualifying session and race on NBC Sports Live Extra, http://nascarstream.nbcsports.com. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend. Check out the full schedule below.

All times are ET

SUNDAY, JULY 5:

ON TRACK
— 11 p.m. ET: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola (160 laps, 400 miles), NBC (Get results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 5 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
— 2 a.m.: Post-race NSCS press conference

FRIDAY, JULY 3:

ON TRACK
— 2-2:55 p.m. NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBC Sports Network (Get results)
— 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBC Sports Network (Get results)
— 4-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBC Sports Network (Get results)
— 5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBC Sports Network (Get results)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
— 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series
— 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 12:45 p.m.: Aric Almirola
— 1 p.m.: Kyle Larson
— 1:15 p.m.: Chris Buescher
— 1:30 p.m.: Daytona Rising Update

SATURDAY, JULY 4:

ON TRACK
— 2:35 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBC Sports Network (Get results)
— 4:35 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBC Sports Network (Get results)
— 7:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Subway Firecracker 250 (100 laps, 250 miles), NBC Sports Network (Get results)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 2 p.m.: NASCAR Hall of Fame Squier-Hall Award announcement
— 3:45 p.m.: Kyle Busch
— 5:45 p.m.: Post-qualifying NSCS press conference
— 9:45 p.m.: Post-race NXS press conference

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Staff Report

Get full lineup of NASCAR programming for the week

All times ET

Monday, June 29
7 a.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special 2015 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special 2015 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #5 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #6 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
10 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special (re-air), NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 2004 Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (tape), NBC Sports Network
9 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 2003 Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (tape), NBC Sports Network
11 p.m., NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #5 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
11:30 p.m., NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #6 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Tuesday, June 30
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special (re-air), NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special (re-air), NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 2002 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (tape), NBC Sports Network
9 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 2005 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (tape), NBC Sports Network
11 p.m., Bill Elliott Special (re-air), NBC Sports Network
11:30 p.m., NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #5 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Wednesday, July 1
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
4 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special (re-air), NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR K&N Series West: Sonoma Raceway (tape), NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 2005 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway (tape), NBC Sports Network
9 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 2004 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (tape), NBC Sports Network
11 p.m., NASCAR K&N Series West: Sonoma Raceway (re-air), NBC Sports Network
Midnight, NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #5 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
12:30 a.m., NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #6 (re-air), NBC Sports Network

Thursday, July 2
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #6 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour: Riverhead Raceway (tape), NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 2001 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway (tape), NBC Sports Network
9 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 2004 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway (tape), NBC Sports Network
11 p.m., NASCAR K&N Series East: Riverhead Raceway (re-air), NBC Sports Network

Friday, July 3
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
10:30 a.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special 2015 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
11 a.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special 2015 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
11:30 a.m., NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special 2015 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
Noon, NASCAR America: Scan All 43 Special 2015 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
12:30 p.m., NASCAR America: States of NASCAR #5 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
1:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
2 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBC Sports Network
3 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBC Sports Network
4 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., Off the Grid: Daytona, NBC Sports Network
7:30 p.m., /Drive on NBC Sports: American Speed, NBC Sports Network
8 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series practice (re-air), NBC Sports Network
9 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (re-air), NBC Sports Network
11 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice (re-air), NBC Sports Network
Midnight, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice (re-air), NBC Sports Network
1 a.m., Off the Grid: Daytona (re-air), NBC Sports Network

Saturday, July 4
2 p.m., Off the Grid: Daytona (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBC Sports Network
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green, NBC Sports Network
7:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Subway Firecracker 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, NBC Sports Network
10 p.m., Off the Grid: Daytona (re-air), NBC Sports Network
10:30 p.m., /Drive on NBC Sports: American Speed (re-air), NBC Sports Network

Sunday, July 5
6 a.m., Off the Grid: Daytona (re-air), NBC Sports Network
6:30 a.m., /Drive on NBC Sports: American Speed (re-air), NBC Sports Network
10 a.m., Contintental Tire SportsCar Challenge, Watkins Glen (tape), FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Watkins Glen (re-air), FOX Sports 1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 1
4 p.m., Chasing 43, NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America Sunday, NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Countdown to Green, NBC
7:45 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola, NBC
11 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBC Sports Network
12:30 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Zack Albert

No. 83 Toyota gets into mess with a clean-up truck during caution

SONOMA, Calif. — With all the rough-and-tumble action typically associated with NASCAR competition on road courses, Sprint Cup Series drivers have come to expect at least a little beating and banging over the flow of an afternoon. On Sunday for Matt DiBenedetto, the contact at Sonoma Raceway came from a least expected source.

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A late-race collision with a clean-up truck on pit road looped DiBenedetto’s No. 83 Toyota around during the final caution period in the Toyota/Save Mart 350, igniting a string of disbelieving communications over the BK Racing team radio. With his car righted, DiBenedetto rallied to regain seven spots he lost in the spin to secure 29th in the final order.

After the race, the former NASCAR Next driver could only shrug and laugh about the turn of events.

"On that last pit stop, we’d come in and it was a mess to start with, with the clean-up truck and everybody in the way, but that truck was going slow enough to where I could go around him. Then as I was going around him, he sped up," DiBenedetto said. "Got on the gas right as when I’m coming around him and cleaned us out. I guess he wasn’t just paying attention or didn’t see us — not sure exactly why. I mean, it cost us quite a few spots, but then we drove back as far as we could. … It didn’t really hurt us much other than maybe a spot, but definitely pretty funny. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before."

If there was such a thing as a Hippocratic Oath among safety vehicles, the fender-bender seemed to break the bond. It was also a suitably zany capper to a road-course race that served up a little bit of everything.

"Of all people to get wrecked by, no race car," DiBenedetto said.

And I got dumped by a clean up truck that decided he wanted to get right in the way of our pit stops and be blind lol it was kind of funny

— Matthew DiBenedetto (@mattdracing) June 29, 2015

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Zack Albert

No. 48 Chevrolet finishes sixth after caution foils strategy

SONOMA, Calif. — Jimmie Johnson‘s bid for just his second-ever victory on a road course seemed to be gaining traction in the late stages Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. The team’s slightly different pit strategy and his track position up front were in alignment, all until a late yellow flag altered the plan.

From there, the traction went away, both for the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s momentum and from his much older Goodyear tires.

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Johnson stayed on the race track during the race’s final caution period, temporarily keeping the lead but eventually fading to sixth place after Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350. Johnson held off his challengers for part of the seven-lap dash to the finish, but surrendered the lead to eventual race winner Kyle Busch on Lap 106 of 110.

After crew chief Chad Knaus opted to leave the No. 48 Chevrolet out while the majority of drivers behind him pitted, Johnson wondered over the team radio whether he was a sitting duck for the final shootout.

"I kind of thought so," said Johnson, who led a race-high 45 laps. "Looked like so many guys came to pit road, but then there were more that stayed out. I was just surprised how fast they got through traffic and got to my bumper. Tires were definitely the call, but we had a strategy that we were going to stick to and one caution away from working it just right."

Just four other drivers remained on the track to set up for the final restart, putting Clint Bowyer sixth and Busch seventh as the foremost drivers on fresh tires. When Bowyer’s progress was halted somewhat by contact with Matt Kenseth on the frenzied restart, it opened the door for Busch to close on Johnson, who grasped the lead as long as he could before finally giving way

Despite the outcome, Knaus said the strategy call was a simple one to make.

"The decision was easy," Knaus said. "If I had to do it again, I’d do it again. … The decisions are made behind us. I did what I wanted to do."

Johnson’s pit stop on Lap 67 essentially cut the race into two more green-flag runs for the No. 48 team, a strategy that unraveled when the late-race caution flew for Casey Mears‘ rear axle failure. Johnson may have missed out on the traditional Victory Lane goblet of wine, but wasn’t necessarily questioning either the performance or the team’s game plan.

"Road course races are just so hard to get right," Johnson said. "They’re just so inconsistent. Strategy and when to pit, when not to pit, track position, how many cars pit — all that pays such dividends on the race track. I really feel like we did the right strategy. If we came back and raced again tomorrow, we’d run the same strategy."

I thought we were sipping wine today! Awesome job from the entire @LowesRacing team.

— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) June 28, 2015

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Nascar

No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing driver talks team chemistry post-Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. — Kurt Busch finished second to younger brother Kyle for the first time in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

Both have been competing in the series full-time since 2005. Both have won plenty of races. Never had they finished 1-2, until now.

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The elder Busch (Kurt will be seven years older upon his birthday in August) wasn’t complaining following the Toyota/SaveMart 350, but if he’d had his druthers …

"Now I wish I could have gotten up there and moved him," Kurt said, grinning.

"I was trying to think if we’ve ever finished 1-2, and we did it today. That’s a pretty special moment. I’ve got over 500 starts. I know he’s over 300. Can you imagine, 800 starts between the two of us, we almost have 30 wins each, and that’s the first time we’ve ever finished 1-2."

Kurt nearly led the most laps in the 110-lap race, the 16th of 36 points races this season, sitting out front for 43 circuits. Only Jimmie Johnson led more, pacing the field for 45.

Kurt led under green for the final time from laps 67 through 74; he was 15th on a restart with 32 laps remaining after pitting when many others stayed out.

One by one, he picked his way through the field, the run briefly delayed by an off-track excursion moments after he passed Joey Logano (Team Penske) for fourth with 15 laps remaining.

"I’ve lost all rear grip," Busch told his crew.

He’d also picked up a noticeable amount of debris on the front of his Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet as well. When the caution flew moments later, coming to pit road was a no-brainer, said crew chief Tony Gibson.

"We had a tire going down, a left rear tire that was going flat so it actually turned out good," Gibson said. "If we hadn’t pitted that last time there, I feel like we would have been in bad shape. So it actually worked out to our benefit to pit.

"We just needed to be about two cars up further on that restart."

The final caution saw several drivers hit pit road; Johnson chose to stay out, as did a few others. Busch was ninth on the restart.

He passed Clint Bowyer for second with one lap remaining. His brother wasn’t long gone, but gone just the same.

"We had a fast car; I think we had the car to win for sure," Gibson said. "There at the end I knew those guys would get swallowed up on old tires. You saw that last year here with 10 to go when (Dale Earnhardt) Junior and those guys pitted and drove right back up through there.

"We lost a couple of spots getting on pit road … which probably made the difference and the 15 (Bowyer) held us up a little bit there. But at the end of the day we led a lot of laps, it was an awesome race car and the guys did a great job."

Busch was suspended for the season’s first three races, but has won twice (at Richmond and Michigan) since returning. He’s 10th in points and assured of being on of this year’s 16 drivers competing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

"We almost could have had as many race wins as we had races we were under suspension, so there’s so many things that have gone into place for us to be successful," Busch said. "And the number one thing is Tony Gibson. He builds great race cars, and it’s a pleasure to drive for him, and I love the team camaraderie.

"I haven’t had this type of team chemistry since my championship year (2004). It feels good to have that."

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Nascar

McMurray, Truex Jr., Gordon and Johnson affected at Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. – Tire issues affecting at least four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams during Sunday’s Toyota/SaveMart 350 were the result of the soft compound and harsh race conditions, according to Goodyear.

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The teams of Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing), Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports) and Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick) saw unusual tire wear after early pit stops in the 110-lap race.

According to a Goodyear spokesperson, the tire being used for Sunday’s race was on the softest end of the range of compounds. Compared to what was used previously at Sonoma, this tire featured increased thickness for improved wear, however some tires were showing signs of tearing.

Individual set-ups by the teams were not considered factors in the unusual wear.