Posted on by Staff Report

A statistical look ahead to the first of two Sprint Cup stops at Bristol

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee going into the Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes on April 19 (1 p.m. ET on FOX).

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

BRISTOL-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Greg Biffle (No. 16 ORTHO Ford)

·         Six top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 11.9

·         Average Running Position of 13.0, sixth-best

·         Driver Rating of 93.5, fifth-best

·         333 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

·         893 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 115.537 mph, seventh-fastest

·         7,144 Laps in the Top 15 (71.3%), third-most

·         578 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fourth-most

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

·         Five wins, eight top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 14.5

·         Average Running Position of 14.0, ninth-best

·         Driver Rating of 91.6, eighth-best

·         377 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most

·         973 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 115.524 mph, eighth-fastest

·         6,358 Laps in the Top 15 (63.5%), eighth-most

·         579 Quality Passes, third-most

Carl Edwards (No. 19 Comcast Business Toyota)

·         Three wins, five top fives, nine top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 14.8

·         Average Running Position of 14.4, 10th-best

·         Driver Rating of 89.9, 11th-best

·         407 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 115.439 mph, 11th-fastest

·         6,519 Laps in the Top 15 (65.1%), sixth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 3M Chevrolet)

·         Five wins, 16 top fives, 24 top 10s; five poles

·         Average finish of 12.3

·         Series-best Average Running Position of 9.8

·         Driver Rating of 99.9, third-best

·         426 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

·         882 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 115.685 mph, third-fastest

·         8,014 Laps in the Top 15 (80.0%), second-most

·         622 Quality Passes, second-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota)

·         One win, four top fives, eight top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 16.9

·         Driver Rating of 90.1, 10th-best

·         398 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

·         922 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 115.514 mph, ninth-fastest

·         5,351 Laps in the Top 15 (59.4%), 12th-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet)

·         One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 14.2

·         Average Running Position of 12.9, fifth-best

·         Driver Rating of 91.6, seventh-best

·         386 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

·         1,013 Green Flag Passes, third-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 115.641 mph, fourth-fastest

·         6,433 Laps in the Top 15 (64.2%), seventh-most

·         512 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

·         One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 15.0

·         Average Running Position of 13.4, seventh-best

·         Driver Rating of 91.9, sixth-best

·         532 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

·         6,746 Laps in the Top 15 (67.4%), fourth-most

·         459 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet)

·         One win, five top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 17.8

·         Driver Rating of 88.4, 12th-best

·         460 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

·         1,005 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

·         5,467 Laps in the Top 15 (54.6%), 11th-most

·         563 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

·         Three wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 12.2

·         Average Running Position of 10.2, second-best

·         Series-best Driver Rating of 103.4

·         546 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 115.744 mph, second-fastest

·         Series-high 8,188 Laps in the Top 15 (81.7%)

·         Series-high 657 Quality Passes

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)

·         Two wins, four top fives, four top 10s

·         Average finish of 13.1

·         Average Running Position of 11.8, third-best

·         Driver Rating of 98.6, fourth-best

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 115.636 mph, fifth-fastest

Kyle Larson (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)

·         One top 10

·         Average finish of 11.0

·         Average Running Position of 12.2, fourth-best

·         Driver Rating of 91.6, ninth-best

·         Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 115.883 mph

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway

Rank

Driver

Races

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Average Finish

Driver Rating

  
 

1

Kevin Harvick

28

1

1

9

12

3

14.2

91.6

  

2

Joey Logano

12

1

1

2

3

1

18.3

83.3

  

3

Martin Truex Jr.

18

0

0

2

2

2

20.3

80.5

  

4

Brad Keselowski

10

0

2

4

4

0

13.1

98.6

  

5

Kasey Kahne

22

1

1

5

10

3

17.8

88.4

  

6

Jimmie Johnson

26

1

1

8

14

1

15.0

91.9

  

7

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

30

0

1

7

14

2

12.9

87.5

  

8

Denny Hamlin

18

2

1

4

8

2

16.9

90.1

  

9

Aric Almirola

11

0

0

1

2

4

25.5

64.6

  

10

David Ragan

16

0

0

0

1

1

23.6

58.5

  

11

Jamie McMurray

24

0

0

3

10

1

17.4

78.3

  

12

Matt Kenseth

30

1

3

12

19

4

12.2

103.4

  

13

Jeff Gordon

44

5

5

16

24

6

12.3

99.9

  

14

Carl Edwards

21

2

3

5

9

2

14.8

89.9

  

15

Casey Mears

24

0

0

0

1

4

27.8

54.4

  

16

Paul Menard

15

0

0

1

6

0

17.3

73.4

  

* – Based on last 20 races at Bristol Motor Speedway (2005 – 2014).

2015 Chase Grid Outlook

Pos.

Drivers

Wins

Points

Chase Bonus Pts

1

 Kevin Harvick

2

306

6

2

 Jimmie Johnson

2

216

6

3

 Joey Logano

1

280

3

4

 Brad Keselowski

1

246

3

5

 Denny Hamlin

1

205

3

6

 Martin Truex Jr.

0

266

0

7

 Kasey Kahne

0

230

0

8

 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

0

213

0

9

 Aric Almirola

0

195

0

10

 David Ragan

0

194

0

11

 Jamie McMurray

0

193

0

12

 Matt Kenseth

0

189

0

13

 Jeff Gordon

0

186

0

14

 Carl Edwards

0

182

0

15

 Casey Mears

0

178

0

16

 Paul Menard

0

177

0

Outside Looking In

17

 Danica Patrick

0

176

0

18

 Clint Bowyer

0

168

0

19

 Greg Biffle

0

165

0

20

 AJ Allmendinger

0

161

0

21

 Kurt Busch

0

144

0

22

 Austin Dillon

0

143

0

23

 Trevor Bayne

0

138

0

24

 Ryan Newman

0

137

0

25

 David Gilliland

0

136

0

26

 Kyle Larson

0

135

0

27

 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

0

132

0

28

 Cole Whitt

0

111

0

29

 Sam Hornish Jr.

0

110

0

30

 Brett Moffitt

0

109

0

 

Green = Locked into the Chase, provided they attempt to qualify for the remaining regular season races

 

Orange = No wins, Inside the current Chase Grid’s top 16  – Currently in the Chase, not locked in

 

Red = Inside the current top 30 in points, outside of the Chase cutoff

Bristol Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 8 of 36 (04-19-15)

Track Size: 0.533-miles

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24-28 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24-28 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 4-8 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 4-8 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  650 feet

Backstretch Length:  650 feet

Race Length: 500 laps / 266.5 miles

Top 10 Active Driver Ratings at Bristol

Matt Kenseth……………………….. 103.4

Jeff Gordon………………………….. 99.9

Brad Keselowski……………………. 98.6

Greg Biffle……………………………. 93.5

Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 91.9

Kevin Harvick………………………… 91.6

Kurt Busch……………………………. 91.6

Kyle Larson………………………….. 91.6

Denny Hamlin……………………….. 90.1

Carl Edwards.……………………….. 89.9

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (20 total) among active drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway

Qualifying/Race Data

2014 pole winner:

Denny Hamlin, Toyota

129.991 mph, 14.761 secs. 03-14-14

2014 race winner:

Carl Edwards, Ford

84.051 mph, (3:11:23), 03-16-14

Track qualifying record:

Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet

131.362 mph, 14.607 secs. 08-22-14

Track race record:

Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet

101.074 mph, (2:38:12), 07-11-71

 

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

History

·         Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.

·         First NASCAR Sprint Cup race was July 30, 1961; Jack Smith won the event (with relief from Johnny Allen).

·         In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.

·         The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.

·         The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.

·         The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.

·         The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.

·      The track was resurfaced between races in 2007, and the turns were ground down in 2012 to eliminate part of the progressive banking.

Notebook

·       There have been 108 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season.

·         All races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps.

·         432 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol; 302 in more than one.

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Bristol with 60. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 44 starts.

·         Fred Lorenzen won the inaugural Coors Light pole with a speed of 79.225 mph.

·         47 different drivers have poles at Bristol, led by Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough with nine each.  Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five.

·         The race winner has started from the pole 22 times, the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards, in the night race of 2008.

·        Four drivers have won from the pole position multiple times: Bobby Allison (1972 twice), Cale Yarborough (1973, 1977 twice, 1980), Darrell Waltrip (1981 twice, 1982) and Rusty Wallace (1991, 1993, 1999, 2000).

·         10 different drivers have posted consecutive poles at Bristol Motor Speedway; Mark Martin is the only of the 10 to win four consecutive poles at Bristol: Fireball Roberts (swept 1962), Fred Lorenzen (swept 1963), Richard Petty (1967-’68), Bobby Allison (swept 1972), Cale Yarborough (swept 1973; swept 1977; swept 1980), Darrell Waltrip (swept 1981), Geoff Bodine (swept 1986), Mark Martin (swept 1995-1996– all four races; and swept 2009); Rusty Wallace (swept 1998), Jeff Gordon (swept 2002) and Denny Hamlin (fall 2013, spring 2014).

·         Jeff Gordon leads (active drivers) the series in average starting position at Bristol with a 7.318. 

·         Youngest Bristol pole winner: Joey Logano (3/21/2010 – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days) – his first series career pole.

·         Oldest Bristol pole winner: Harry Gant (8/27/1994 – 54 years, 7 months, 17 days).

·         42 different drivers have won at Bristol, led by Darrell Waltrip (12). Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch each have five wins, the most among active drivers.

·         Junior Johnson leads the series in car owner wins at Bristol with 16; Roger Penske and Jack Roush are tied among active car owners for the most wins at Bristol with 11 each.

·       12 drivers have won consecutive races at Bristol led by Darrell Waltrip with seven consecutive victories from 1981-1984. The other 11 are Fred Lorenzen (1963-1964 sweep), David Pearson (1968 sweep), Bobby Allison (1972 sweep), Cale Yarborough did it twice (1974 sweep and four straight from 1976-1977), Richard Petty (1975 sweep), Dale Earnhardt also did twice (1985 sweep and 1987 sweep), Alan Kulwicki (1992 sweep), Rusty Wallace (2000 sweep), Kurt Busch (2003 sweep and 2004 spring race), Kyle Busch (2009 sweep), and Brad Keselowski (2011 fall-2012 spring).

·         Youngest Bristol winner: Kyle Busch (03/25/2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).

·         Oldest Bristol winner: Dale Earnhardt (08/28/1999 – 48 years, 3 months, 30 days).

·         Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Bristol; led by Chevrolet with 43 victories; followed by Ford with 35. Toyota is ranked fifth among manufacturers with six wins at Bristol.

·       35 of the 108 (32.4%) races at Bristol have been won from the front row: Pole position (22 wins); second-place (13 wins).

·         86 of the 108 (79.6%) races have been won from a top-10 starting position; including 53 from the first four spots.

·    Five of the 108 (4.6%) races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20; most recent was Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2004 – he started 30th. 

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler; in 2001.

·         Richard Petty leads the series in runner-up finishes at Bristol with 10; Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers with four.

·         Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty lead the series in top-five finishes at Bristol with 26 each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 16; followed by Matt Kenseth (12) and Kevin Harvick (nine).

·         Richard Petty has 37 top-10 finishes at Bristol, more than any other driver. Jeff Gordon leads the series among active drivers in top-10 finishes with 24; followed by Matt Kenseth (19) and Kurt Busch (15).

·         Greg Biffle leads the series (active drivers) in average finishing position at Bristol with an 11.917.

·         Eight of the last 10 races have ended with a Margin of Victory of less than a second at BMS.   

·         There has been four green-white-checkered finishes at Bristol – all four were the spring race: 2007 (500/504); 2008 (500/506); 2009 (500/503); 2014 (500/503).

·         Two of the 107 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the event on 3/31/1996.   

·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway three times; most recently August 25, 2012.    

·         Kurt Busch posted his first series career win at Bristol (2002), and Joey Logano won his first pole at Bristol (2010).

·        Ryan Newman leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol without visiting Victory Lane at 26.

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol was the 3/25/2007 race won by Kyle Busch with a MOV of 0.064 second.

·         Two female drivers have made NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

Driver

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Date

Danica Patrick

24

27

8/23/2014

Danica Patrick

36

18

3/16/2014

Danica Patrick

22

26

8/24/2013

Danica Patrick

41

28

3/17/2013

Danica Patrick

43

29

8/25/2012

Janet Guthrie

9

6

8/28/1977

Janet Guthrie

21

11

4/17/1977

·         Four car numbers have produced eight or more Bristol NSCS wins:

Car Number – (Number of Wins) – Most Recent Win

o    No. 11  – (19 wins) – Denny Hamlin, 2012

o    No. 2 – (12 wins) – Brad Keselowski, 2012

o    No. 17 – (eight wins) – Matt Kenseth, 2006

o    No. 3 – (eight wins) – Dale Earnhardt, 1999

NASCAR in Tennessee

·         There have been 169 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among six tracks in Tennessee.

Track Name

City

NSCS

Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol

108

Nashville Speedway

Lebanon

42

Smokey Mountain Raceway

Maryville

12

Kingsport Speedway

Kingsport

3

Chattanooga International Raceway

Chattanooga

2

Tennessee-Carolina Speedway

Newport

2

 

Tennessee Drivers In NASCAR

·         105 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Tennessee.

·         14 drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series.

Driver

NSCS

NXS

NCWTS

Darrell Waltrip

84

13

0

Sterling Marlin

10

2

0

Bobby Hamilton

4

1

10

Joe Lee Johnson

2

0

0

Trevor Bayne

1

2

0

Paul Lewis

1

0

0

Bobby Hamilton Jr

0

5

0

Jeff Purvis

0

4

0

L.D. Ottinger

0

3

0

Mike Alexander

0

2

0

Casey Atwood

0

2

0

Brad Teague

0

1

0

Chad Chaffin

0

0

2

John King

0

0

1

·         Darrell Waltrip, from Franklin, Tennessee, was inducted into the 2012 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Waltrip is the only Tennessee native driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. 

·         Only two of the 14 drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at a track located in the state of Tennessee: Darrell Waltrip (Bristol, 12 wins; Nashville eight wins) and Joe Lee Johnson (Nashville, one win).

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView tod
Posted on by Brad Norman

Late call for two tires results in top 10s for McMurray, Gordon and Truex Jr.

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jamie McMurray found out late in Saturday’s Duck Commander 500 that taking two tires actually worked for a short stretch, then used that to his advantage on the final pit stop to secure a surprise top-10 finish.
 
He wasn’t the only one, either.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

McMurray served as the test case following pit stops on a Lap 229 caution, jumping from outside the top 10 to running third on the ensuing restart after a two-tire call. When another caution came at Lap 251, McMurray had only fallen three positions to sixth — and with the leaders all pitting again, the No. 1 team could then take four tires and be on even footing with the race’s strongest cars.
 
That gleaning was on the mind of multiple teams when the final caution at Texas Motor Speedway, host of the seventh Sprint Cup Series race of the year, sent cars down pit road on Lap 311 (of 334). McMurray again took two tires, but so did Jeff Gordon, Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr.

Larson was hit with a pit road penalty, but the other three drivers all went on to claim top-10 finishes on a night where none of their cars consistently ran there. McMurray finished sixth, with Gordon in seventh and Truex Jr. in 9th.
 
"We did two (tires) two other times in the race and it worked out really well for us," McMurray said on pit road after the race. "I thought we had a legitimate shot at winning … but once the guys with four tires got clear, their cars were a little better than ours and they had better tires. You just can’t hold them up here.
 
"But the cautions fell right where there was a little bit of tire strategy, guys staying out and guys doing two (tires). I think that just makes for really good racing."

Gordon may have been the most fortuitous to earn a top-10, his fourth of the season, all of which have come consecutively. The No. 24 was a tick slower than his Hendrick Motorsports teammates’ Chevrolets throughout the weekend, although Gordon finished one spot ahead of Kasey Kahne.
 
When the sun went down, so did Gordon’s position on the board. By Lap 115, he hovered around 15th place until the final pit stop. The end-race scenario was reminiscent of last year’s spring Texas race when a two-tire call lifted Gordon to a second-place finish.
 
"That was a great gamble, great call by (crew chief) Alan (Gustafson), and we saw early some guys take two tires and made it work for a short period of time," Gordon said after his run. "I don’t know, we just struggled. I’m not really sure where we are missing it. Obviously our teammates have it worked out because all of them were fast, and obviously we have got some work to do and I have got to figure this package out."

Someone who has been comfortable in this package all year is Truex, who continued his career best start to a season. The Furniture Row Racing driver struggled with both handling and slow pit stops, particularly after a Lap 296 caution when he came down pit road in eighth place and lost ground.
 
The late-race rally kept Truex’s streak alive; he’s finished in the top 10 in every race so far this season. Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano are the only drivers who can match that distinction. Prior to this year, the last driver to open a season with seven straight top-10s was Jimmie Johnson in 2005.
 
"At the end we had to start doing some strategy stuff to get our track position back, and probably gave up a few spots doing it," Truex said. "I think it was the right call. We’re taking some gambles and they’ve been paying off."

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by Brad Norman

JGR owner indicates that 18-year-old will be in Cup car sooner than later

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

FORT WORTH, Texas — Erik Jones‘ first NASCAR XFINITY Series win came in the best possible way for the 18-year-old: A Texas tangle that saw the teenager outgun veterans Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski.
 
Jones may have the opportunity to run with those guys again soon. And don’t be surprised if that chance comes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

The Byron, Michigan native has emerged as one of the brightest young stars in NASCAR, and certainly the top prospect in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. It gives team owner Joe Gibbs the enviable task of programming Jones’ career and determining when, and in what manner, he should be elevated.
 
"There’s no question that at some point very quick, he’s going to be in a Cup car some," Gibbs said after Jones’ eye-opening win. "I think we have a bit of a strategy there that we talked about. I think he’s ready to go at any time. We’ll just work with that as we go forward."
 
Gibbs didn’t give a specific timeline, but his verbiage and body language at the podium in the media center following Jones’ win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 suggested that might happen sooner rather than later. The JGR shop has four Cup cars, one of which — the No. 18 of Kyle Busch — has David Ragan in as a substitute driver while Busch heals from a broken leg.
 
There’s also the option of putting Jones in a fifth company car for a handful of races, much like Hendrick Motorsports did with Chase Elliott. A team can only have a maximum of four full-time cars, but NASCAR rules allow a fifth entry for a maximum of seven races to allow a rookie driver to become familiar with top-level competition.
 
More than anything else, a full slate is holding Jones back. He’s running full time in the Truck Series in the No. 4 Toyota of Kyle Busch Motorsports (and is third in the points standings), and has sponsorship from GameStop for 10 XFINITY Series races.
 
"We felt like he had a full plate this year because he’s running for a championship in Trucks, so Kyle (Busch) wanted him to do that, and we all did, too," Gibbs said. "Then we tried — he’s maxed out as far as the number of XFINITY races he can run because some of them conflict with Trucks.
 
"(But) we are really proud of him to be able to do what he’s done. The big thing is, he beat some big people — those are good cars up front in really quality stuff. He should be proud of himself."
 
Gibbs has a case study when it comes to promoting a young teenage hotshot. Joey Logano jumped into the No. 20 full time when he was 18.
 
Four full-time seasons didn’t yield the results the driver or the team wanted — and expected — leading to Logano leaving the company for a ride with Team Penske. As last year’s spot in the Championship 4 suggests, Logano has emerged as one of the sport’s top drivers.
 
"I will say this of Joey right now, the guy’s a star," Gibbs said. "Whatever happened in the past, it certainly paid off now. I think Erik’s situation is different from that. You look at it totally different, (but) I think that you do learn from things in the past. We know that Erik’s on the fast track, so it’s just a matter of when."
 
Jones demonstrated Friday night he’ll be ready to answer that call whenever it comes. He powered past Earnhardt Jr. on Lap 151 and led the rest of the way, his sweep down low past the No. 88 Chevrolet coming after a 10-lap stretch where Jones was faster than Junior but had to figure out a way around the veteran.
 
Part of Jones’ ploy included bumping Junior’s car, a not-so-subtle message that Jones felt he was faster and was being held up.
 
Once the pass was complete, he had to hold off Brad Keselowski on a restart with 26 laps to go. He did.
 
It was the type of showing that drew praise from both veterans, who know they may see him again soon — and in the Sprint Cup Series.
 
"Yeah, it was (special)," Jones said. "Especially with Dale with the battle we had there. … That was two guys giving 100 percent and giving it all they got, saving nothing. That’s how you’re supposed to race."

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by

Junior discusses how he prevailed through Texas troubles for top-three finish

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

FORT WORTH, Texas — Five hundred miles of racing isn’t an easy feat. Tack on the intensity of a night race and a roller-coaster-like track like Texas Motor Speedway, and any driver would be wiped. 

Just ask Dale Earnhardt Jr.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"It’s a long race, and you get mentally prepared for it because it’s pretty tough," Earnhardt said after finishing third in Saturday’s race at the Lone Star track. "It feels almost like the (Coca-Cola) 600 in some ways. It’s a slick old track, and the pace slows down.  You work your guts out in there driving that car around there because the track is so slick, so it’s a very physical race."

It was a mountainous 500 miles for Junior, as the No. 88 driver spent much of the night climbing through the field. A loose wheel in the beginning of the race forced Earnhardt to make another trip down pit road, putting him 30th for the restart at Lap 37 and forcing him to battle toward the front.

"It just seemed like everything was going against us," Earnhardt said. "And we were having trouble sort of beginning our race and getting into a rhythm, and we had to pass a lot of cars tonight."

And with NASCAR allowing the teams to police their own lug nuts, Earnhardt commended his crewmembers for their immediate honesty after pit stops, which helped them rebound quickly.

"If your tire guy done makes a mistake … and says ‘look, man, I made a mistake,’ you catch it right then, right under the caution, you get it fixed, you get a chance to get back going," Earnhardt said. "Otherwise if you don’t speak up, you get a bad vibration, the driver is going to come in, and he ain’t going to knock his head against the fence out there when you think the tire is coming off and you lose a lap.  Then you’re in big trouble." 

While caution flags gave teams a chance to come down pit road for adjustments and fixes, long green-flag runs were few and far between for drivers on Saturday night. For the No. 88 car, that proved to be yet another challenge in the Lone Star State.

"It was raining debris out there for a while, and we were needing some green‑flag runs to get some of the track position back that we were having trouble keeping," Earnhardt said.  

Lengthier green flag stretches seemed to help the No. 88 ride find its groove especially during the last laps of the 500-mile Texas thriller. The final laps also saw Earnhardt impressively rally from 10th to fifth on the restart after a four-tire call with less than 25 laps to go, which spoke volumes for Junior.

"We seemed to have a good pattern of what was working for us and I think by the end of the race we had our car as good as we had it all night," Earnhardt said. "So that’s a good job on the crew chief when the car is the best on the last run."

The No. 88 team has unloaded consistently strong cars this season, posting five of seven finishes inside the top six.  The exceptions — a 36th-place finish at Martinsville last weekend and a 43rd-place result at Phoenix — were products of unfortunate crashes that sent the 88 to the garage.  The initial speed of the cars gives Earnhardt confidence looking ahead to next weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway and beyond.

"We’ve had that speed all year and it’s good to get a good finish in the bank because these last couple weeks have been pretty rough," Earnhardt said on pit road after the race. "We know what we’re capable of — me and Greg are just getting started here. We’re right here on their heels, man."

But perhaps most important for the team’s outlook is Earnhardt’s mentality — time and time again, he’s said that he’s having fun. And his enjoyment bore plentiful fruit for the No. 88 team’s multiple-win season last year.

"Yeah, Jimmie is a six‑time champion — He’s got a hell of a résumé," Earnhardt said. "But I’m glad I’m where I’m at. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else because it doesn’t look like them other cars are much fun to drive."

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by

News and notes on the entire 43-car field for the Duck Commander 500

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live
RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings

1. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson led a race-high 128 laps to eclipse the 1,000 laps-led mark and claim his first spring Texas victory (fifth overall at the 1.5-mile track). | Johnson battles with Harvick, Dale Jr. in final laps

2. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick battled with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for second in the closing laps and despite brushing the wall, managed to snag his series-best fourth runner-up finish of the season. | Harvick discusses contact with Logano

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Junior battled with Kevin Harvick for second in the closing laps before matching his best 2015 result and improving to seventh in the points. | Junior: ‘Everything was going against us’

4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske.  Logano rocketed up the track shortly after the seventh green flag and saved his car to record his seventh straight top-10 finish of the season.

5. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski rallied back from a late-race commitment cone violation to achieve his sixth top-10 this season and hold fourth in the points. | Watch Keselowski hit the commitment cone

6. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. Opting for two tires during a late-race pit stop was the right call for McMurray, who led the field to green on the Lap 314 restart.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

7. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon gambled by taking two tires late in the race and held on to post his fourth top-10 of the season. He now ranks 13th in the points. | Gordon, Dale Jr. and Harvick talk about finishes

8. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne, the fourth-fastest qualifier, opted not to pit after the Lap 260 caution flag and briefly ran second before settling into the top 10.

9. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing.  Truex, who had better success on longer green-flag runs, held on to achieve his seventh straight top-10 result.

10. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing.  While Edwards had at least a million reasons motivating him Saturday night, his first 10th-place finish of the season boosted him to 14th in the points. 

11. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. A pre-race burrito snafu and an early pit road violation barely affected Hamlin, who came close to recording his fourth top-10 of the season.

12. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Despite qualifying seventh, Newman changed engines before the race and had to climb from the rear of the field.

13. David Ragan, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing.  Ragan capitalized on his team’s speed and balance to overcome a 30th-place starting spot.

14. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Handling was a persistent issue for the pole winner, who led 45 laps in Saturday’s contest.

15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17, Roush Fenway Racing. Two pit road penalties were a distant memory for Stenhouse after he recorded his third top-15 finish of the season.

16. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick continued her strong 2015 run by posting her best Texas result.

17. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing.  Biffle ran into the back of Justin Allgaier after Allgaier’s car got loose and slipped up the track early on Saturday night.

18. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing.  Pit road was a dicey place for Bayne, whose first mishap was contact with another competitor entering and his second was driving through too many pit boxes.

19. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports.  Almirola was hit from behind by Trevor Bayne while both drivers were entering pit road for Lap 220 green-flag stops. Still, Almirola remains ninth in the points.

20. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Late in the race, Dillon reported a vibration that his team addressed during the final caution period.

21. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger brushed the wall in Turn 3 and shed some debris, which prompted the seventh caution flag of the night.

22. Clint Bowyer, No. 15, Michael Waltrip Racing.  Bowyer saved his car after early contact with a competitor, but later had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a loose left-rear wheel on Lap 84.

23. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing.  Spinning in Turn 4 and bringing out the fourth caution of the night didn’t hinder Kenseth much. Overshooting his pit stall during his final stop, however, was another matter.

24. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Long green-flag runs were better for Stewart, who made up some ground by short-pitting just prior to the Lap 228 caution.

25. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. Larson improved to run third after opting for two tires late in the race, but his momentum was stalled due to a pit road violation.

26. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports.  A Lap 260 caution flag gave Hornish the opportunity to return to the lead lap as the Lucky Dog.

27. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears now has finished every race he’s begun at Texas – a rarity at the raucous Fort Worth track. Mears is now 22 of 22.

28. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports.  Gilliland called his car unpredictable and struggled to find the right combination as the 1.5-mile oval transitioned into night-time racing.

29. Brett Moffitt, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. With 13 laps left on Saturday, the highest-qualifying rookie reported a tire issue and had to hit pit road.

30. Chris Buescher, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Buescher worked with his team to find balance through the corners of Texas’ 1.5-mile speedway.

31. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing. A late-race gamble not to pit under caution put McDowell back on the lead lap for a limited time.

32. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill appeared to sustain a flat tire and slid up the track just past the halfway point on Saturday. 

33. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing.  Bowman pitted off schedule in the closing laps due to a shredding right-front tire.

34. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto, making his first Cup appearance on a 1.5-mile oval, struggled to make up laps lost early after starting 42nd.

35. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports.  Whitt frequently opted for the wave-around as his team worked to alleviate a persistent loose-handling condition.

36. Mike Bliss, No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing. Running a Texas Tech paint scheme, Bliss recorded his best result in the spring Texas race since finishing 22nd in 2005.

37. Alex Kennedy, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. The rookie triggered the first caution flag after spinning in Turn 4 on Lap 32.

38. Josh Wise, No. 98 Ford, Phil Parsons Racing. Wise was sidelined briefly while his team replaced the fuel pump and then had to troubleshoot a subsequent lack of fuel pressure.

39. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Allgaier made hard contact with the wall on Lap 260 and trailed fluid on his way to the garage between the pit stalls of Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson. 

40. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett was running 31st when he blew the right-front tire and made hard contact with the wall to bring out the fifth caution. | Teammates Allgaier, Annett hit the wall at Texas

41. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard led a lap prior to his green-flag stop on Lap 212, when he encountered a mechanical issue (broken water line).

42. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Blaney lined up 13th and attempted to nurse a sputtering engine until the caution flag was waved on Lap 32.

43. J.J. Yeley, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Yeley rolled off the grid 41st and sustained an engine issue within the first 15 laps.

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by Staff Report

See what’s coming this week to NASCAR.com

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

Here’s what you’ll see on NASCAR.com this week:

MONDAY: Late cautions on Saturday night in Texas shook up strategy and led to some surprises in the top 10. Plus, Joe Gibbs Racing has a Sprint Cup plan for Camping World Truck regular Erik Jones who claimed his first XFINITY win last Friday night. Other content includes Bristol entry lists for the Cup and XFINITY races.

TUESDAY: FOX NASCAR pit reporter and anchor Steve Byrnes celebrates a birthday as he continues to fight cancer. NASCAR.com senior writer Holly Cain writes about the man for whom Sunday’s Cup race is named. NASCAR.com’s weekly series, Tech Talk, looks back at Texas and ahead to Bristol. Plus, @nascarcasm takes a look at Texas winner Jimmie Johnson‘s Facebook page.

WEDNESDAY: Check out which paint schemes will be on display. at Bristol Motor Speedway. On the anniversary of an inadvertent caution in last year’s spring Cup race at Bristol, look back at five of the craziest finishes in NASCAR history. We plan to have coverage from Kentucky Speedway‘s open test. Also, the latest episode of Team Chevy’s look at Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car graveyard is on tap.

THURSDAY: The National Motorsports Appeals Panel meets at NASCAR’s R&D Center with the Richard Childress No. 31 Cup team and the Circle Sport Racing No. 33 Cup car. For Bristol #TBT, we look back at the 25th anniversary of Davey Allison’s win over Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon‘s 1997 bump-and-run win over Rusty Wallace. Driver Reports looks ahead to the weekend at Bristol.

FRIDAY: Get all the on-track action slated for Bristol — Sprint Cup Series practice and qualifying and two XFINITY Series practices — throughout the day.

Also coming this week: NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell looks back at competition rulings at Texas and looks forward to Bristol … "NASCAR Illustrated" has its weekly "Herman Unplugged" feature with racer and commentator Kenny Wallace … Catch 8 Tweets You Might Have Missed … Scroll through an image of every car in next Sunday’s Sprint Cup race … @nascarcasm has a mock penalty sheet structure and looks back at Michael Waltrip‘s dropped taco on Denny Hamlin‘s car.

Posted on by Staff Report

Get full lineup of NASCAR programming for the week

RELATED: See the full weekend schedule

All times ET

Monday, April 13
10 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
8 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500 (re-air), FOX Sports 1

Tuesday, April 14
11:30 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Wednesday, April 15
5 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
8 p.m., The 10: Greatest Bristol Moments (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Thursday, April 16
5 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
1 a.m., NASCAR K&N Series West – Irwindale (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2 a.m., The List: Memorable Moments (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2:30 a.m., The List: Rookie Seasons (re-air), NBC Sports Network

Friday, April 17
Noon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., The 10: Greatest Bristol Moments, FOX Sports 1

Saturday, April 18
2 a.m., NASCAR K&N Series West – Irwindale (re-air), NBC Sports Network
3 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice (re-air), FOX Sports 1
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 1
7 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 1
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 1
9:30 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: XFINITY, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series: Drive to Stop Diabetes 300, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR K&N Series West – Irwindale (re-air), NBC Sports Network

Sunday, April 19
3 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series: Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice (re-air), FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay – Texas, FOX
1 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500, FOX
1 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500, FOX Deportes
4 p.m., TUDOR United Sports Car Championship: Grand Prix (tape), FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by Staff Report

See how the postseason picture looks through seven races

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live
MORE: Full race results

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by Brad Norman

Drivers make contact near end of Saturday night’s race

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

FORT WORTH, Texas — In the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway since last fall’s pit-road brawl, there were again plenty of jabs Saturday night in the Lone Star State. These were of the verbal variety.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Kevin Harvick had direct words for Joey Logano after yet another on-track run-in between the two, one in which Harvick smacked Logano’s No. 22 Ford with his bumper, sending the Team Penske driver careening up the track and nearly into the wall during the closing laps of the Duck Commander 500.

It didn’t ruin the day for either — Harvick would finish second to Jimmie Johnson, and Logano rallied from the near-disaster to claim fourth — but fanned the flames of a rivalry that dates back to last year.

"He blocked, and I knocked him out of the way. I’m tired of him blocking," Harvick said succinctly on pit road following the race. "That’s the chance you take when you block."

Logano climbed from his car following the race and glowered in the direction of Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet. He took a swig of Coke and cast his eyes in the direction of the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion one more time, not even perking up when teammate Brad Keselowski came over for a lively pep talk.

The two cars were parked less than 50 feet from each other, but it was clear there remains a large gulf between the two, one that was filled with a humming tension under the bright Texas lights.

It’s a chasm that deepened severely last year ahead of the title race at Homestead-Miami Speedway when Harvick did his best to get into Logano’s head with his answers at the championship press conference.

This time, Logano — although frustrated – better understood Harvick’s position.

"It’s hard racing," Logano said. "It’s understandable. I expect to get raced the way I race people, and I would do the same thing. I felt like I had to guard that position. I felt like if he got by me there I wouldn’t have the opportunity to get back by him and I felt like I would have lost the race that way."

"I get it," Logano added moments later, almost as if he needed more self-convincing. "Early in the race that’s not acceptable. End of the race we’re racing for the win. I’d do the same thing."

Despite the fireworks, there was no pit-road incident this time — and the two have had one terse discussion already this year, at Daytona after the Sprint Unlimited — but the chance of confrontation was on the mind of both teams.

"You need to stop with that (4) so we don’t have a situation on pit road after the race," spotter Tab Boyd told Logano over the radio.

"Be ready for anything with that 22 bunch," was the call on Harvick’s radio channel. "You never know."

That wasn’t the only intriguing late-race radio talk. One exchange demonstrated how Harvick’s frustration with being blocked wasn’t just limited to Logano.

Johnson, who led a race-high 128 laps, outlasted the Stewart-Haas Racing driver over the final frenetic laps, but "Six-Time" also drew the ire of "Happy," whose nickname didn’t match his feelings on the end-of-race sequences.

"You might want to remind the (expletive) what happened to the 22 when he blocked," Harvick hollered into his radio, referencing Johnson, who would later claim he didn’t hold up the No. 4.

Blocking clearly is something that’s unacceptable to Harvick, who has been absolutely dominant this year. He has two wins, leads the points standings … and his 96 laps led Saturday was his third-lowest total in the season’s seven races.

"I think there was a lot of hard racing tonight," Harvick said. "I don’t really like blocking, but I guess you have to do what you have to do."

In Saturday’s case, that went for both Logano and Harvick alike.

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by

Joe Gibbs’ son spoke with driver, wished he were in Texas

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live
RELATED: Race recap | Full race results

Joe Gibbs Racing marked Erik Jones‘ first NASCAR XFINITY Series victory in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway Friday night without the presence of J.D. Gibbs, team president and son of team founder Joe Gibbs. The team announced in late March that J.D. Gibbs, 46, is undergoing treatment for symptoms impacting brain function, possibly from past head injuries.

RELATED: Medical condition curtails J.D. Gibbs’ JGR role

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

Gibbs’ symptoms include speech and processing issues. The eldest son of Joe Gibbs is continuing most of his day-to-day functions at the team’s shop in Huntersville, North Carolina, but his presence at NASCAR tracks will be limited.
 
"J.D., we talked to him tonight," Joe Gibbs said during Jones’ post-race news conference. "Erik talked to him and J.D… is special. I talked to him tonight and he said, ‘Man, I wish I could be there.’ So that’s something that… gets to you. He’s doing good."
 
Carl Edwards, who is in his first season of driving for JGR, said J.D.’s condition has inspired the entire organization. "For me, it showed me how tough everyone at JGR is," Edwards said. "Coach Gibbs and J.D., for them to be dealing with something like this and to do it with such strength is amazing and so, yeah, I think for all of us it’s a moment of perspective and something that can rally us to do the best we can to best represent our team and to give Coach something really positive."

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today