Hamlin dominates, wins at Richmond

Posted on April 24, 2015 by

Joe Gibbs Racing claims 100th NASCAR XFINITY Series victory for Toyota

RICHMOND, Va.—Domination must be contagious.

Six days after Joey Logano led all 300 laps in a NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Bristol, Denny Hamlin led 248 of 250 circuits in winning Friday night’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway.

The only two laps that spoiled a Hamlin no-hitter were Brian Scott’s dive bomb off Turn 4 to lead Lap 154 by inches and Elliott Sadler’s contrarian fuel strategy, which allowed him to lead Lap 226 during a cycle of green-flag pit stops before Hamlin, on fresh tires, roared back past him on Lap 227.

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Aside from those fleeting moments, however, it was no contest.

“He was so fast—we had nothing for him,” said Logano, who could keep Hamlin in sight for five or six laps after a restart, only to have the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota drive away. “We had a second-place car. That’s where it was, just second place.

“I know what it feels like to be on the other end of the butt-whipping now. It’s not as much fun from this side. But congrats to them. They deserved it, obviously. We didn’t have a shot.”

In winning the 12th NASCAR XFINITY Series race of his career, his first of the season and his third at Richmond, Hamlin held leads as large as 6.5 seconds and crossed the finish line 3.719 seconds ahead of Logano, with just eight cars on the lead lap.

Regan Smith was third, followed by Erik Jones, Chase Elliott and rookie Daniel Suarez, as Joe Gibbs Racing placed three drivers in the top six (Hamlin, Jones and Suarez).

The victory was the 100th for Toyota in the XFINITY Series.

“The 100th XFINITY win for Toyota—that’s a big one,” Hamlin said. “I was able to get the 100th [NASCAR Sprint] Cup win at Loudon a few years ago for those guys and JGR. This is a big win for everyone. I’m glad to be working with Wheels again (crew chief Mike Wheeler). He put a rocket under us tonight.”

Given the way he ran on Friday, Hamlin seemed fully recovered from the neck spasms that sidelined him during last Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Bristol.

Quick action by emergency workers prevented a potential tragedy on pit road during pit stops under the second caution of the race.

A spark ignited spilled fuel behind the car of Brendan Gaughan, engulfing rear tire changer Anthony O’Brien in a fireball that was quickly extinguished, Nevertheless, O’Brien, Gaughan’s fueler, Josh Wittman, and Clifford Turner, a crew member form Eric McClure’s team were taken to a local hospital for treatment and observation as a result of the incident.

Note: Series leader Ty Dillon finished ninth and holds an eight-point lead over second-place Elliott, the defending series champion. Chris Buescher, who entered the event tied with Dillon, finished 20th and fell to third in the standings, 11 points back.

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Posted on April 24, 2015 by

XFINITY pole winner Denny Hamlin posted the second-fastest speed

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RICHMOND, Va. — Sometimes it pays to go for broke — particularly when you have little to lose.

That was the case for Joey Logano in Friday’s time trials for Sunday Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway (1 p.m. ET on FOX). Logano’s crew made significant adjustments to his No. 22 Team Penske Ford between the second and final rounds of knockout qualifying, and the changes paid off with Logano’s third Coors Light Pole Award and fifth front-row start of the season.

Logano earned the top spot on the grid with a lap at 127.071 mph, touring the .75-mile race track in 21.248 seconds, .046 seconds faster than the effort of second-place qualifier Denny Hamlin (126.796 mph).

Kurt Busch (126.606 mph) will start third, followed by AJ Allmendinger (126.570 mph) and Kevin Harvick (126.428 mph).

Before the final round, Logano’s crew loosened the car up, enhancing its ability to turn through the corners.

"When you’re sitting 11th on the board (actually 10th after the second round), you’ve really got only one spot to lose, so we swung at it," said Logano, who notched his first pole at Richmond and the 11th of his career. "It’s not normal for us. Normally, we’re really fast in the first round, and it’s hard for us to stay that fast throughout it.

"But they did a great job of keeping it fast and getting it faster. It’s fun because you go out and run all these laps. That (pole-winning) lap didn’t actually feel good. You’ve got seven or eight laps on your tires, and you’re sliding around a lot. It’s funny, but the pole-sitting car’s sliding around all over the place on old tires out there."

Hamlin was fastest in the second session, but tire wear was a factor in his second-place run in the third round.

"We just lost a little bit too much grip that final run and came up a little bit short," said Hamlin, who said he is fully recovered from the neck spasms that forced him out of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after 22 laps at Bristol.

"Still, if you had asked me before today, I would have taken second and moved on. I think the longer runs (in race trim) typically suit us a little bit better, but having a good starting spot, though, will definitely be a benefit for us (on Saturday) night."

In the second NASCAR Sprint Cup race of his career, Chase Elliott will start 16th. Danica Patrick advanced to the second round of knockout qualifying and earned the 21st spot on the grid, five positions ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was eliminated in the first round.

Jeb Burton and Brendan Gaughan failed to make the 43-car field.

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Posted on April 24, 2015 by Staff Report

Mike Wallace recuperates from triple bypass heart surgery

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FOX Sports 1 analyst Kenny Wallace, who has the most starts in XFINITY Series history, will return to the cockpit for the Winn Dixie 300 at Talladega Superspeedway next Saturday (3 p.m. ET, FOX).

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The youngest of the three racing Wallace brothers will sit in for brother Mike, who underwent triple bypass surgery last weekend in Charlotte. Kenny will pilot the No. 26 JGL Racing Toyota Camry alongside teammates J.J. Yeley and Eric McClure.

"Talladega is where I have some of my best finishes in my NASCAR career," Kenny said in a FOX news release. "I think to have success at Talladega you have to enjoy racing there and that style of racing — and I like it. I look forward to teaming up with JGL Racing and especially my longtime friend Gregg Mixon."

Of his record 544 races in the XFINITY Series, Kenny has run 15 events at Talladega with a top 5 and a five top-10 finishes. He finished third in 1995, and his last start at the track in 2012 ended with a ninth-place finish.

"I felt a little chest pain last week so I went to the doctor and the next thing I know I am going in for surgery," Mike said in the release. "My dad had heart surgery about 35 years ago so I thought I was being proactive and taking all of the necessary precautions. This just goes to show that you never know and there are a lot of people walking around out there in the same situation. No matter how healthy we think we are — no one can be careful enough when it comes to our health so everyone needs to go get checked out."

The middle brother hopes to make it to the Alabama track to cheer on Kenny, who will attempt to earn his 10th career XFINITY victory.

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Posted on April 24, 2015 by Staff Report

Longtime NASCAR broadcaster remembered at Richmond

Drivers Clint Bowyer and Josh Wise honored NASCAR broadcaster Steve Byrnes by putting his likeness on the hood of their respective cars at Richmond International Raceway.

Byrnes, a NASCAR television reporter and host for more than 30 years, died Tuesday from complications related to his battle with cancer. He was 56.

Wise’s No. 98 Ford is pictured below in the first three photos, with Bowyer’s No. 15 Toyota below.

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit Sunday night (1 p.m. ET, FOX)

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Coors Light Pole Award winner Joey Logano earned the first pick of pit stall and chose the No. 1 stall at the exit of pit road in Turn 1 for his Team Penske Ford Fusion for Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway (1 p.m. ET, FOX).

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Former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin qualified second and chose pit stall No. 17, the first one with an opening in front of him, for his Toyota Camry.

The third-fastest qualifier, Kurt Busch, will pit his Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet SS in the 30th stall, the next and last stall on pit road with an opening in front. It just three stalls off of the start-finish line toward the Turn 4 side.

AJ Allmendinger chose the 16th stall, across the opening from Hamlin, to pit his No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing ride. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five in qualifying and will pit his No. 4 SHR car in the fifth stall.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson chose the 43rd stall, the first at the entrance to pit road in Turn 4, after qualifying 36th. His teammate, Kasey Kahne, qualified 40th and will pit five stalls in front of Johnson in the 38th box. Making his second career Sprint Cup start, Chase Elliott qualified 16th and will pit in the 27th stall, right at the start-finish line.

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Posted on April 24, 2015 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1)

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Denny Hamlin earned his first XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Award of the season, along with his pick of pit stalls at Richmond International Raceway. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team will have Pit Stall No. 2, the first open stall, at the exit of pit road at Turn 1 for Friday night’s ToyotaCare 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1).

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Second in qualifying, fellow Sprint Cup Series regular Joey Logano will pit the No. 22 Team Penske Ford in the No. 6 stall, two spots behind Hamlin near the exit of pit road.

Erik Jones was third-fastest in qualifying with a top speed of 122.984 mph. He will pit the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in Pit Stall 17, in the middle section of pit road.

Aric Almirola‘s No. 98 Ford was fourth-fastest in qualifying and selected the spot between Logano and Hamlin near the exit to Turn 1.

XFINITY Series points leader Chris Buescher and the No. 60 have the first stall after a break in the midsection near the start-finish line. Fifth-fastest qualifier Brian Scott will be on the other side of the break from Buescher, in stall 24.

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Posted on April 24, 2015 by Staff Report

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver led all three qualifying rounds

RELATED: Full qualifying results

After propelling his No. 20 car around Richmond International Raceway at 124.069 mph, Denny Hamlin earned his first XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Award of the season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had seen plenty of speed all day at Richmond, leading all three qualifying rounds and posting the fastest speed in practice earlier today. This marks Hamlin’s 17th XFINITY career pole, with his last pole in the series coming in 2012 at Phoenix International Raceway.

On Hamlin’s heels was fellow Sprint Cup regular Joey Logano, who piloted the No. 22 Team Penske Ford around the short track at 124.018 mph.

Erik Jones, Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and his replacement in the No. 11 Sprint Cup car last week at Bristol, posted the third-fastest speed (122.984 mph), while Richard Petty Motorsports‘ Aric Almirola qualified fourth. Rounding out the top five was Richard Childress Racing‘s Brian Scott at 122.783 mph.

Reigning Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick, who is piloting the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports tonight, will roll off the grid sixth, while his teammate and 2014 XFINITY champion Chase Elliott will start behind him in seventh.

Johanna Long and Morgan Shepherd did not qualify for the race.

The ToyotaCare 250 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET tonight and will be televised on FOX Sports 1.

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Posted on April 24, 2015 by Staff Report

Keselowski fast in opening session on Friday at Richmond

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PRACTICE 2: Full results

Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, came on strong late in a 1-hour, 35-minute session to lead final practice on Friday at Richmond International Raceway for Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (1 p.m. ET, FOX).

Kahne turned in a lap of 126.357 mph in 21.368 seconds around the 0.75-mile track in Virginia.

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Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, was second at 126.162 mph. Carl Edwards, in the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, was third at 126.027 mph, and Jamie McMurray (125.851 mph) and Denny Hamlin (125.839 mph) rounded out the top five.

Hamlin, who didn’t finish last week’s Sprint Cup race at Bristol because of a neck injury, finished first in NASCAR XFINITY Series practice earlier Friday. Barring any setbacks, Hamlin appears to be on pace to compete in Saturday night’s race.

Chase Elliott was 21st in the opening practice session and 27th in final practice as he looks to qualify for his second career Sprint Cup Series start. The defending NASCAR XFINITY Series champion is trying to pull double duty this weekend and will need to qualify among the top 36 drivers in qualifying on Friday to make the 43-car field for Saturday’s main event.

There will be more Sprint Cup activity at Richmond today. Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying will take place at 5:45 p.m. ET with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.

PRACTICE 1: Full results

Brad Keselowski topped the opening 85-minute practice session on Friday at Richmond International Raceway.

Keselowski’s speed of 126.086 mph paced the practice session.

Keselowski ran well at Richmond last year, finishing fourth in the Toyota Owners 400 and dominating his way to a win in the Federated Auto Parts 400 by leading 383 of 400 laps.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. came in second for the session (125.593 mph), followed by Kevin Harvick (125.517 mph), Jimmie Johnson (125.203 mph) and Clint Bowyer (125.174 mph). All four drivers have won at Richmond before.

Defending race winner Joey Logano came in ninth in the session with a fast lap of 124.827 mph.

Kasey Kahne had to serve a 15-minute penalty at the start of opening practice for failing qualifying inspection three times last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. That is in line with a memo outlining specific penalties that was sent to Sprint Cup teams this week. Kahne finished the session in 27th.

Danica Patrick, who is looking for her third top-10 finish at a short track this season, struggled in the opening practice to a 41st-place finish as she battled a tight condition in the center of the turn.

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Posted on April 24, 2015 by Staff Report

Joey Logano, Austin Dillon place second and third in lone session

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RELATED: Full practice results

Denny Hamlin topped the charts in the lone NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Richmond International Raceway for Friday night’s ToyotaCare 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1).

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Hamlin’s fast lap of 124.850 mph led the way in the two-hour, 10-minute session at the 0.75-mile track in Virginia.

Seeing Hamlin at the top of the leaderboard was a welcome sight after he did not return after a roughly four-hour delay in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand Up to Cancer at Bristol last weekend due to neck spasms. He had competed in the XFINITY Series Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 the day before.

Hamlin had said earlier in the week that he was "feeling close to 100 percent" and felt that he’d "be good to go this weekend in Richmond."

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has two XFINITY Series win at Richmond in 13 career starts.

Joey Logano (124.441 mph) placed second in practice, followed by Austin Dillon (124.372 mph), Aric Almirola (124.298 mph) and Erik Jones (124.201 mph)

The highest placing XFINITY Series regular was Regan Smith (123.762 mph) in sixth. Defending series champion Chase Elliott was 12th on the board.

Chris Buescher and Ty Dillon enter the season’s eighth race tied atop the point standings. Buescher, who holds the tiebreaker, placed 15th in the session, while Dillon was 10th.

There was a brief caution in the practice session for debris.

XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying is set for today at 3:45 p.m. ET with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.

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Posted on April 24, 2015 by Staff Report

NASCAR Chairman and CEO: ‘What happened to him was on us’

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France met with the Associated Press Sports Editors on Thursday in New York. He addressed the sport’s "No. 1 priority" in safety and whether the sanctioning body would grant Kyle Busch a waiver to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

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Busch broke his right leg and left foot in the season-opening NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway after colliding with a concrete wall. If he returns this season and makes it into the top 30 in points while also winning a race, he would need a waiver from the sanctioning body to participate in the Chase playoffs.

"Depends on when he comes back of course, but it’ll be more likely than not that we’re going to try to figure out how to accommodate him, which is the beauty of our playoff system," France told the Associated Press.

"What happened to him was on us," he said. "We’ll balance a lot of things at that point when we have to make a decision, but we’re inclined to want to figure that out for sure."

Busch, who turns 30 next week, has missed all eight races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Last week, he did not have a timetable for his return, but when asked whether he could get into a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry when NASCAR’s premier series returns to Daytona in July, he said, "I would presume so."

In an April 15 news conference, his first since the Feb. 21 accident, the driver said he "would love to be" eligible to run for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

"I don’t know if it’s going to be 100 percent feasible to make the top-30 rule and I know the top-30 rule is in place for those one-offs that guys come in with a team or driver that raced at Daytona or Talladega or even a road course race and they win it, it’s not meant for those guys to be able to take a spot from a series regular that races every week for the Chase," Busch said. "Do I hope that NASCAR takes into consideration for M&M’s, Interstate Batteries and Toyota and the No. 18 Camry is a full-time team that is to be eligible for Chase competition at the beginning of the year? Certainly I hope they take that into consideration for the top-30 rule, but obviously that is left up to them, in their hands."

Since Busch’s accident, tracks have proactively added tire packs and Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier to concrete walls, and France is "satisfied" that the facilities will continue to improve safety conditions on their racing surfaces.

"I met personally with the track ownership groups and they satisfied me completely that they were going to spend millions and millions of dollars right now, not down the road, to get it right," France said. "If that doesn’t play out the way they have talked about and assured me, then we’ll deal with it.

"You can’t run around and say that safety is your No. 1 priority and get that stuff wrong."

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