Chat with race fans as the XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series are on-track
Hendrick Motorsports
Four red flag periods made it hard for the drivers to get in a groove during Sunday’s race; Johnson got out of sorts early and never recovered. Still, his four wins speak volumes – with no other driver having more than two – so it’s tough to knock a 19th-place finish in a fluky race.
Sunday certainly appeared to be Harvick’s for the taking, with his dominant No. 4 car leading a race-high 63 laps. We’ll never know if he would’ve been able to rebound from a bizarre tire issue that saddled him with his second-worst finish of the season, but it’s safe to assume he’d have made it interesting if he’d gotten the chance.
Considering Truex finished 37th and 36th in two Michigan races last year in his first Furniture Row campaign, it’s clear everything’s coming up Milhouse for the No. 78 team these days and we’ve no reason to suspect it won’t continue at Sonoma.
Busch sort of lucked into his second win of the season via the rainout at Michigan, but you’ve got to credit the driver for how well he’s performed. Despite missing the season’s first three races, the 2004 champion is loudly knocking on the door of the top 10 in points.
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Tough break for Logano, who finished fifth and drops a spot this week, ceding position to Kurt Busch. Perhaps a trip to Daytona in a few weeks might see the most recent track winner move up a tick.
Hendrick Motorsports
Junior has finished in the top five in more than half the season’s races. Pretty good, right? Think about this: that total nearly matches his top-five finish count (9) from 2009-11. Pretty great.
Team Penske
Keselowski remains winless at his home track after a 6th place finish at Michigan, but when the series shifts to Sonoma in two weeks, he’ll have a chance to end another drought: picking up his first road course win (0-for-10).
It’s a good thing Kenseth managed a good finish at Michigan. He’s only finished inside the top 10 once at Sonoma, and that came all the way back in 2008.
McMurray is the highest driver in the standings without a win, sitting pretty in seventh place. He earned a road win earlier this year in the Rolex 24 – could he be looking at another at Sonoma?
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Joe Gibbs Racing
Historically speaking, Hamlin is not exceptional at road courses, and Sonoma is no exception. He hasn’t finished above 23rd since 2009.
Edwards comes into Sonoma as the defending winner, but last year’s victory came with a different team and manufacturer. Still, his No. 19 has been fast in recent weeks, even leading 41 laps at Michigan. He should be fine.
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Gordon was last year’s Sonoma runner-up and you’d have to think he’ll be a force again in his final race at one of his favorite tracks (five wins).
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Kahne said at Michigan he’s had fast cars lately, but his team is looking for just a little bit more. It could come at Sonoma, where he has one win and finished sixth in each of the last two races.
Menard is currently 12th in points, which lines up well with where he’s been in the standings post-Michigan each of the past three years. Unfortunately for him, it’s also where his mid-season tailspin typically starts.
So, so close. Just a few laps longer and Larson’s gamble to stay out on low fuel would have resulted in his first Sprint Cup Series win. Calling it now: Larson wins Sonoma in his home state (especially now that he’s actually old enough to drink the Victory Lane wine).
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Stewart-Haas Racing
So far, so good for Bowyer and new crew chief Billy Scott. How we’ll really know if it’s a match made in heaven? If the MWR driver succeeds at Sonoma, which is one of his best tracks. If not, there could be more changes on the horizon.
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Newman had a decent stretch to open the season, but has really struggled the past three races. Needless to say, he’ll be looking forward to having crew chief Luke Lambert back in the saddle soon.
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Joe Gibbs Racing
Uh oh. Busch could ill afford to suffer another poor race in his effort to win a race and enter the top 30 in points. After finishing dead last at Michigan, the dream is looking more and more like just that.
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After a pair of races in which he finished 43rd and 22nd, the single top-10 finish that Almirola has in 2015 looks a lot more glaring than it did a few weeks ago.
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Stewart-Haas Racing
Patrick’s two laps led at Michigan were just her first two of the season, but her 16th-place finish was her sixth top-16. Small gains, but gains nonetheless.
Visit to Charlotte gave behind-the-scenes look at race weekend
Students are encouraged to work as active media members at the race track and ultimately tell the story of their unique experience at a NASCAR event. Following each immersion, students will have the chance to see their work published on NASCAR.com. Last month, Logan Rice, a student from the University of South Carolina, attended the Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and filed this story. Follow Logan on Twitter here.
Racing has always been in my blood. My uncle and cousin raced at local short tracks in North Carolina, and my cousin was eventually a pit crew member for various Sprint Cup teams from 2000-2011. While I never got behind the wheel to race, I picked up right where they left off in NASCAR fandom. Even as a young 4-year-old, I had a favorite driver to root for every Sunday. I remember my father taking me to the local short track and watching races there, imagining myself watching a live Cup race. I would circle the dates on the schedule when the (then) Winston Cup teams would race at Martinsville and Bristol, because I knew the teams would practice at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. I would stand and stare through the chain link fence in awe, watching the teams practice on a Wednesday afternoon. I was hooked on NASCAR.
As I grew up, I never grew out of my love for Stock Car Racing. Sundays after church were designated for relaxing and watching the race that week. In 2009, I attended my very first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Braving the cold, I took everything in. The smell of the rubber and exhaust, the roar of the engines, and being in the midst of the action. That was the first of six NASCAR races I would attend. However, the next two NASCAR races I would attend in Charlotte would give me an entirely new perspective on NASCAR racing.
As a sophomore at the University of South Carolina, I began studying Sport and Entertainment Management. Through a research paper on a career in the NASCAR industry, I was invited to attend the two May races at Charlotte Motor Speedway: the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600.
The moment I arrived in Charlotte for the Sprint All-Star Race, I was escorted to the infield and placed in a pace car for a 110 mph trip around Charlotte Motor Speedway. From there, I had a one-on-one interview with Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton. We discussed the positive effects of social media in NASCAR, and he explained his upbringing in NASCAR. I was then taken to the media center and debriefed on what I would be doing that day. I would be shadowing the Public Relations team, which dealt directly with NASCAR media. From directing photographers during qualifying, to corralling fans to their proper locations, and acting as a liaison between drivers and the media, the day was action packed. As a fan, I thought putting on a NASCAR race was simple. However, once brought behind the scenes, I realized that it is everything but.
After making sure all of the drivers were available for Driver Introductions, and brushing shoulders with some of my childhood heroes, it was time for the race to begin. Once the race ended, the victor, second-place driver, and top story line driver were brought into the media center for post-race interviews. I carefully took notes as Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and even the Coach himself, Joe Gibbs, spoke about the Sprint All-Star Race. After the Coca-Cola 600 concluded, I was ushered to Victory Lane and watched in amazement as Carl Edwards exited his car in excitement with a downpour of confetti around us.
While all of these events were exhilarating, the experience behind the scenes of being a spectator opened my eyes to the incredible amount of work it takes to put on a NASCAR race. Every member of every team played a role in executing the event to perfection. I took careful mental notes to watch and see how each employee worked and interacted with one another to have team success. Every detail mattered at every second.
As someone who grew up watching NASCAR, and someone who looks to hopefully begin his career in the industry, this experience truly gave me a 360-degree look at the sport. From the stands, to pit road, to the press box, to the media center, I was able to understand exactly how a NASCAR spectacle is put on.
This experience was truly incredible.
Complete news and notes for each driver in the Quicken Loans 400
fBelow is a breakdown of how the full 43-car field fared at Michigan International Speedway.
1. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Busch inherited the lead after a fuel-starved Kyle Larson pitted on Lap 133. Busch was pacing the field when the final, race-ending red flag was displayed five laps later. | RELATED: See what Busch said in Victory Lane
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Despite a loose-handling condition, Earnhardt climbed his way through the top 10 in the final 48 laps before NASCAR called the race. | WATCH: Find out what Junior is focused on
3. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. After Sunday’s third-place result, Truex became the first driver to score 14 top-10s in the first 15 races since Richard Petty did it in 1969. | WATCH: Truex reflects on run
4. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth snugged up to Carl Edwards on Lap 75 to get trash off his grille and continued his climb through the field once his temperatures returned to normal.
5. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. "Coming to you. Out of fuel,” Logano radioed his team after leading Laps 88-94. He rallied and earned his eighth top-five of the season. | To hear more in-car audio, sign up for Scanner today
6. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Pitting after the fourth caution flag wasn’t a popular choice, but it didn’t hurt the Michigan native, who quickly climbed his way back into the top 10.
7. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. McMurray dealt with a loose-handling condition; he was one of several who opted not to pit during the fourth caution period with rain clouds looming overhead.
8. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard was running fourth when the caution flag was waved on Lap 125, but couldn’t delay his pit stop much longer.
9. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne rallied from one lap down, thanks to skipping a pit stop during the last caution flag, and claimed his best Michigan finish.
10. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer’s team opted not to pit after the fourth caution flag; he dealt with a tight-handling condition en route to his fourth top-10 this year.
11. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Spotter Chris Lambert radioed Hamlin, "These are your best laps," as Hamlin ran second on Lap 90. | For lap times and more race data, sign up for RaceView today
12. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards lined up fourth and led all but one of the first 41 laps — including Lap 30, which was the fastest of the race at 196.457 mph.
13. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears was one of the few who pitted during the Lap 125 debris caution and restarted 14th after taking four tires, fueling and making adjustments.
14. Ty Dillon, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. "Boy I hope the rain goes away," Dillon, a Michigan newcomer, tweeted during what would be the final red flag for rain. "We might have a shot." | To hear more in-car audio, sign up for Scanner today
15. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne led one lap after starting from the pole position, his first of the year.
16. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick inherited the lead on Lap 95 and paced the field two circuits before hitting pit road for all kinds of adjustments, including wedge and packer.
17. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Larson stayed out during the late-race debris caution and unsuccessfully tried to stretch his fuel window as rain loomed nearby. | RELATED: No regrets over failed gamble for Larson
18. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman and his team figured out the handling on the No. 31 Chevy, but pit sequence and a rain-shortened race impacted their finish.
19. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. "All right, we gotta haul it, man," crew chief Chad Knaus radioed Jimmie Johnson shortly after the second red flag was lifted. "I’m trying to haul it man. I promise you," replied Johnson, who was mired in traffic after contact from Logano during an early restart. | To hear more in-car audio, sign up for Scanner today
20. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Early on, Dillon ran as high as eighth and was trying to adjust his track bar and front fans to improve the handling of his car.
21. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon had to return to pit road after his Lap 90 green-flag stop because the left-front tire wasn’t tightened all the way down.
22. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola spent the final 23 laps holding down the broken track bar button to try to get the most out of his car.
23. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. A loose-handling condition led Allmendinger to pancake the right side of his ride.
24. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Blaney qualified fifth and was running inside the top 12 during the opening 70 laps of his first Michigan outing when his engine temperatures started to rise.
25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse was among those who took advantage of poor track position to pack in an additional fuel stop early on. He used that to improve his track position later on and ran as high as 23rd.
26. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Hornish had a little better luck than his teammate with his track bar adjuster, but still struggled to find the right balance.
27. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. During the first real green-flag stretch, Allgaier radioed that he needed more grip to get around Michigan’s two-mile oval.
28. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart made an unscheduled stop on Lap 75 while running inside the top 20 so his team could repair his damaged splitter.
29. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick paced a race-high 63 laps on Sunday, eclipsing the 1,200-laps led mark for the year. He is the first driver since Jeff Gordon in 2001 to achieve that within the first 15 races of the year. A cut right-front tire put a damper on the day. | RELATED: Harvick snakebitten at Michigan
30. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett spent the rain delays hanging out with his team under nearby cover, while teammate Justin Allgaier hitched a ride on the roller as crew members tried to dry his pit stall.
31. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill took an extra splash of fuel, despite a closed pit road, prior to the Lap 60 restart and picked up 10 spots after the field went green.
32. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Whitt rolled off the grid 40th after spending his morning hanging out with current business partner Nate Burleson, a former Detroit Lions wide receiver.
33. Brett Moffitt, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Moffitt ran as high as 12th en route to his best Michigan result.
34. Josh Wise, No. 98 Ford, Phil Parsons Racing. Wise stayed out to lead Lap 42 when the rest of the field hit pit road for the competition caution.
35. David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Ragan’s team helped him find more side bite, and he picked up 10 spots to run 14th after the Lap 52 restart.
36. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Rear grip was a struggle for Biffle, who radioed "Thank God it’s raining" when a right-rear tire issue presented itself within the first 15 laps. | To hear more in-car audio, sign up for Scanner today
37. Jeb Burton, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. The rookie earned his best Cup result at a two-mile track for the 2015 season.
38. J.J. Yeley, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Yeley quietly improved his position after starting 41st on Sunday.
39. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto lined up 43rd in his first Michigan appearance and picked up several spots during the first 45 laps.
40. Mike Bliss, No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing. Bliss sustained some damage to his car after making contact with David Gilliland early on Sunday.
41. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Bowman made an unscheduled stop during the first six laps after slapping the Turn 2 wall.
42. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Gilliland hit the wall hard around Lap 65 after receiving contact from Mike Bliss.
43. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Shortly after the Lap 52 restart, Busch got loose and slammed hard into the Turn 4 wall. Fortunately that area was reinforced with SAFER barrier, but unfortunately, several drivers cited heavy rainfall in that area at the time. | RELATED: How does Busch’s Chase chances look?
Easy-to-follow guide for the Chase Grid format
RELATED: Latest Chase Grid | Full 2015 schedule | See all the 2015 winners
Elimination-style playoffs return for the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and excitement is building. If you forgot exactly how Kevin Harvick made his way to the title in 2014, we’re here to help with a quick refresher on how the Chase Grid system works.
THE SEEDING
Each of the 16 drivers who qualifies for the Chase Grid starts with 2,000 points, plus three points for each win earned during the first 26 regular-season races. After the bonus points for wins are added, drivers are ranked in order of the reset points. See the updated standings.
THE ROUNDS
Challenger Round: The 16 drivers will take to the track at Chicagoland Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Dover International Speedway for the 12 spots available in the next round (Contender). A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of 12 will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 3,000 points.
Points note: Bonus points for laps led will still be awarded in the Challenger, Contender and Eliminator Rounds. However, at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, the four drivers will start the race tied and there will be no bonus points for laps led, etc.
Tiebreaker: If any position comes down to a tiebreaker, only the three races in the Challenger Round matter. Wins and finishes in the regular season won’t, so these nine drivers will need to run up front to challenge for the win. If they can’t win, they’ll need to have more second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc. than their competitors in order to break the tie and advance. If two drivers have the exact same finishes, the tiebreaker then goes to the driver who scored the best finish first.
Contender Round: The 12 drivers will battle at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway for the eight spots available in the next round (Eliminator). A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of eight will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 4,000 points.
Tiebreaker: If any position comes down to a tiebreaker, only the three races in the Contender Round matter. Wins and finishes in the regular season won’t, so the drivers will need to run up front to challenge for the win. If they can’t win, they’ll need to have more second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc. than their competitors in order to break the tie and advance. If two drivers have the exact same finishes, the tiebreaker then goes to the driver who scored the best finish first.
Eliminator Round: The eight drivers will battle at Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway for the four spots available in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of four will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 5,000 points .
Tiebreaker: If any position comes down to a tiebreaker, only the three races in the Eliminator Round matter. Wins and finishes in the regular season won’t, so the drivers will need to run up front to challenge for the win. If they can’t win, they’ll need to have more second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc. than their competitors in order to break the tie and advance. If two drivers have the exact same finishes, the tiebreaker then goes to the driver who scored the best finish first.
THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
The final race is all about order of finish. No bonus points for laps led, etc. The four finalists will start the race tied, and the highest finisher among them at Homestead-Miami Speedway will win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
THE POINTS
Drivers who don’t advance to the next round will have their point totals reset to the Chase-start base of 2,000 (with any regular-season wins bonus points), plus the additional points they’ve earned during the Chase. The idea, which was actually a driver-led suggestion, is that those eliminated from the postseason still have something to race for — fifth place. A driver eliminated in the opening Challenger Round, for example, can still finish ranked higher than someone who just misses the Championship Round cut.
Gil Martin moves to R&D role, ‘Slugger’ Labbe takes over team
Austin Dillon is getting a new crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Richard Childress Racing announced Monday.
Richard "Slugger" Labbe will guide the No. 3 team, starting at Sonoma in the June 28 Toyota-Save Mart 350.
Labbe is a veteran crew chief with 433 Cup starts under his belt, including wins at the 2003 Daytona 500 and 2011 Brickyard. He guided Kenny Irwin Jr. to a rookie of the year title in 1998. He also has worked with drivers Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin and Terry Labonte. He was Paul Menard‘s full-time chief from 2010 to 2014.
Dillon, a former NASCAR XFINITY Series champion and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, is 23rd in the Cup Series drivers points standings after Michigan. His best finish this season is 10th at Bristol.
Martin will move into a leadership role within the RCR R&D Department, taking over Labbe’s responsibilities.
Martin has 16 wins in 472 NSCS starts, including a 2003 Brickyard 400 victory, and has finished in the top 10 in year-end championship points seven times. Martin also has eight wins to his credit in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
Team release says that assets have been purchased
Photo courtesy of Viva Motorsports
Viva Motorsports, which fields the No. 55 entry in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, announced on Monday that the team is ceasing operations effective this week, according to a release issued by the organization.
The team was on track at Michigan International Speedway last weekend, where Jeffrey Earnhardt was behind the wheel of the No. 55 Chevrolet and finished in 34th place.
The organization made its NASCAR debut in 2009 and competed in both the XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
"It takes a tremendous level of commitment to compete at this level of auto racing, especially when striving to get better on limited resources, week in and week out," team owner Jamie Dick said in a release provided by the team. "It has come to a point where my family and I cannot continue to make the personal and financial commitments that this sport requires. I have always been proud of the quality of race team we brought to the track. Instead of lessening that quality, we decided to take a step back from the sport."
"I want to thank the whole NASCAR community for allowing me to be part of the family. I want to thank our sponsors and our fans for all the support through the years. But most of all, I want to thank the employees of Viva Motorsports, both past and present, for making this team the best it could be."
All the team assets have been purchased and the No. 55 car will appear in a handful of races in the 2015 season, according to the release.
This season, Earnhardt (six races), Dick (five races) and Brandon Gdovic (two races) split driving duties in the No. 55 car. Dick missed some time after being diagnosed with new onset diabetes after the Phoenix race in March. The team’s best result in 13 races this season was a 12th-place showing by Earnhardt at Talladega in May.
A few weeks ago, Dick sat down with NASCAR.com at the team’s shop in China Grove, North Carolina, to discuss the challenges of running a single-car team.
"I do (have a single-car team, "us against the world" mentality). I don’t try to make it a point to spread that opinion throughout our employees and everyone else, but I certainly have that opinion," Dick said. "Because of that mentality, I’m glad we do our own single-car team. Not that we want to be a single-car team, I just mean that we’re independent and we own it and we do it."
Dick also reflected on where his own driving career was heading. The 26-year-old has made 60 XFINITY Series starts and 14 Camping World Truck Series starts in his career.
"The trajectory and the path of the mountain of my driving career and Viva Motorsports have already started to split and have more and more over the past year or two. I think they’ll continue to split more. I don’t think that my driving career will blossom into something greater than it is right now. I still like driving and I want to be the best race car driver I can be, but I don’t foresee any opportunities coming along to advance my driving career beyond what it is now, which I’m perfectly OK with. I’m happy with where I am and where I’ve made it."
The Albuquerque, New Mexico native had big hopes for the organization, telling NASCAR.com in May that he would love to work his way into the Sprint Cup Series one day.
"The potential for Viva Motorsports to grow with other drivers and other partners and other sponsors, the sky is the limit," Dick said last month. "I’d still love to venture into the Cup Series if the right opportunity presented itself, but I realize how difficult it is and I don’t want to go in there with a half-hearted effort. I want the right opportunity to do it right way. That probably will never mean the ‘right way’ compared to Joe Gibbs or Rick Hendrick, but at least the right way as something that we can be proud of."
And those hopes extended to the team’s XFINITY efforts.
"I hope in three to five years we’re no longer a single-car team. I hope we’re a two or three car XFINITY car team competing for better finishes, top-10 finishes, and continue to present ourselves professionally like we do now."
— Pat DeCola contributed to this report.
See what’s coming this week to NASCAR.com
Here’s what you’ll see on NASCAR.com this week:
MONDAY: Martin Truex Jr. didn’t win at Michigan, but he accomplished something last done by Richard Petty in 1969. Zack Albert will have more on that story from the Irish Hills. … @nascarcasm recaps the race in pictures, as only he can. … The Rundown covers where every driver finished, and why.
TUESDAY: Earnhardt Jr. finished second at Michigan and talks to senior writer Kenny Bruce about his plans for the Chase. … With the off-week upon us, we’re starting to look ahead to project the Chase field. … Wonder what Kurt Busch‘s Facebook page might look like after a win? @nascarcasm has you covered.
WEDNESDAY: Check out which paint schemes will be on display at this weekend at Iowa and Chicagoland, which host the Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series, respectively. … Senior writer Kenny Bruce gets you caught up on all competition aspects of the sport with his weekly Tech Talk story.
THURSDAY: The U.S. Open begins today, which got us at NASCAR.com thinking … if NASCAR had four majors, which races would make up that grouping? We’ll have more on this concept. … Senior writer Holly Cain previews the NBC race coverage team in advance of the network’s return to covering the sport at Daytona.
FRIDAY: There are five on-track events, and we’ll cover them all, starting at 11 a.m. ET with Camping World Truck Series practice and culminating later in the evening with the Truck Series race at 8:30 p.m. ET. We’ll also have eight of the best tweets that you may have missed from the previous week.
Also coming this week: We’ll recap the entire Michigan weekend in GIF form, a fun way to look back at the top moments from the track. … How do Kyle Busch‘s Chase chances look? We’ll update our Chase Watcher for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. … Father’s Day is Sunday, which means we’ll have plenty of pictures of drivers with their dads … and drivers with their kids.
NASCAR executive reveals Air Titans will be at Chicagoland, Iowa
RELATED: Potential rules package changes coming soon?
The garage was buzzing last weekend with talk that the 2016 rules package could be put into play next month for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway, a notion that intrigued drivers. NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell reacted to that talk in a Monday interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s "The Morning Drive."
"As we’ve said nothing is off the table, so we’re continuing to talk to the race teams, the drivers, the owners and the tracks, particularly not just about ’16, but what if anything could be done about ’15," O’Donnell said.
"A lot of those discussions are still ongoing, and if we’re going to do something, obviously we’ve got to do it sooner than later because we never want to implement anything in the Chase. We’ll continue to have dialogue and get to a decision either way. It all goes back to, how do we put the best racing on each and every weekend?"
O’Donnell also indicated that the 2016 rules package may not be a one size fits all concept.
"It’s kind of a misnomer when you look at it, because at each track you are going to have a different tire, essentially a different gear, a lot of different things that go into it," O’Donnell said. "As we look ahead, I think we want to look more toward what specific track packages could we have. Not necessarily having 36 different ones, but are there some configurations that do change up for particular tracks? That’s been a really interesting angle as we’ve talked to the teams and gotten some great feedback."
Tech Talk: Could more qualifying changes be coming?
The NASCAR executive also addressed the challenges faced in this past weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Wet weather led to multiple red flags and a race that was eventually called after 138 laps, 62 short of the scheduled 200.
"The fans braved a lot of different circumstances at Michigan, again proving that we’ve got the most passionate fans in all of sports," O’Donnell said. "Gave it our best shot to continue to dry, but in the last one we had to evacuate the stands. There were still some pop-up showers in the area and working with the track, we made what we thought was the safest decision for the fans that were in attendance. Certainly would have liked to see it be a full race completed but again, really appreciate the fans sticking with us."
O’Donnell also shed some light on what goes into deciding to call a race, and who is involved in the final decision.
"We’ll talk to obviously the weather experts in the area, but ultimately it’s up to the track," O’Donnell said. "In this case, Roger Curtis (president of Michigan International Speedway) and NASCAR work together. We judge it on how much time do we have left, daylight. You don’t have lights in Michigan and more importantly, what does the weather look like?
"It takes longer to dry a track as you get later in the afternoon with the weather circumstances. Once we had to evacuate the grandstands via the track, that put us in a really challenging situation. The fans had stuck it out for a long time and then when you looked at the radar and the possibility of continued lightning and rain, we thought it was the most prudent decision to make at that time to call it a day."
Other notes from O’Donnell:
• After a rain delay of more than two hours for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Gateway Motorsports Park, Air Titans will be at the stand-alone events at Chicagoland Speedway (for the NASCAR XFINITY Series) and Iowa Speedway (for the Truck Series) this weekend. Air Titans were not at Gateway this past weekend.
"Ultimately we make them available, and it’s a track call whether or not they want to have them in place," he said. "We learned some lessons at Gateway. I think you will see them both at Iowa and Chicago this weekend regardless. Going forward, I think you will see that change. The good news is we were able to get the race in, saw Cole Custer win. I think you’ll see that change and we’ll have them available regardless for the tracks.
• The Sprint Cup Series is off this weekend, but O’Donnell is looking forward to both stand-alone races.
"It’s really important for us," he said. "I think it gives some drivers an opportunity to come into a race and really showcase their skills. You look at Chicago, I’m excited personally to see Ross Kenseth get out there, had a great weekend at Michigan with the ARCA race. I know Matt (Kenseth) is going to be a proud father watching him race.
"Talking to Richard Childress this weekend, he thought we’ve got the most talent we’ve had in a long, long time coming up through the system. When you look at the XFINITY race in Chicago and the Truck race at Iowa, it puts both series on the big stage this weekend."
No. 78 places third, carries momentum from Michigan
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BROOKLYN, Mich. — Martin Truex Jr. almost made the most of Sunday’s rainy race day at Michigan International Speedway, aiming for his second straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory on the heels of the previous weekend’s Pocono breakthrough. Instead, a brush with NASCAR royalty and continued momentum were respectable consolation prizes.
Truex finished third in Sunday’s rain-shortened Quicken Loans 400, failing to lead a lap for the first time in a five-race span. But the streak associated with his strong start to 2015 became a historic one. With Sunday’s result, Truex became the first driver to post 14 top-10 finishes in the season’s first 15 races since King Richard Petty in 1969.
"Just missed it a little bit today, but really proud of our season, really proud to have obviously my name mentioned next to Richard Petty," Truex said. "The King is pretty special, so thankful for my team and what they’ve done this year, and hopefully we’ll keep this thing rolling."
Momentum, as it pertained to the race itself, was difficult to achieve. The multiple starts and stops for periodic rain showers resulted in four red flags and more caution laps than green-flag laps in the opening 50 circuits. Even with the interruptions, Truex had moved all the way from his ninth-place starting spot to second in the running order.
But in Truex’s mind, the race turned for the Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Chevrolet team and crew chief Cole Pearn during their first pit stop. When the yellow flew for a competition caution on Lap 40, Truex entered the pits in second place but left in seventh as the crew waited to get extra fuel in the tank. Truex lined up on the less-advantageous inside row for that restart and subsequent ones, halting his progress until the latter stages of the race.
Measuring progress through the handful of brief rain delays wasn’t an easy task. Pearn has been an integral part of Furniture Row’s rise in his first season as a Sprint Cup crew chief, but for all his early signs of pit-box savvy, he’d never quite seen anything like the soggy Sunday in Michigan’s Irish Hills.
"It’s got to be the weirdest race I’ve ever been a part of, that’s for sure," Pearn said. "As many caution laps as we ran, the strategy kept changing. I felt like we did right at the end there, which it either could’ve gone green or could’ve restarted on the front row or fourth, I think we could’ve had a shot to win.
"I felt like the car was good enough, but it’s really hard to know. The pace was up and down — some runs were really slow and then it picked back up at the end there, so it was all over the map."
MORE: Manufacturer change for No. 78 team?
For Truex, the rain delays posed less of an impact on strategy than they did on his focus.
"More than anything it’s just a pain in the butt," Truex said. "I mean, you get in there, you get ready to go, and you’re like, all right, here we come, getting ready to go green, and it’s raining again. It’s just a pain in the butt. Once you get in the car and get the helmet on and get mentally prepared, you’re ready to go, it’s kind of just a big letdown when you’ve got to stop and get out of the car again.
"More than anything, we just want to get out there and get racing and put on a good show and then get to go home and spend some time there."
Circumstances — whether rain- or restart-related — didn’t fall in favor of the Furniture Row outfit with the same alignment that they did at Pocono Raceway. But the team gets to carry the headway from another top-five finish back to its Colorado home base with an idle week for the series coming up.
"I really felt like we had a good car capable of winning the race today; we just didn’t really have the track position to show it, having to stay on the bottom as much as we did," Pearn said. "But that’s just the way it went. Still good to keep the momentum going and have something we can continue to build off of."