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https://www.nascar.com/drivers/jimmie-johnson/
JimmieJohnson
Hendrick Motorsports
“Six-Time” wasn’t celebrating in Victory Lane at Pocono, but his ability to overcome inspection hold-ups, a flat tire and brush with the wall for a third-place result was impressive. And with four 2015 victories, Johnson remains the winningest driver this season and doesn’t appear to be done — he’s finished seven of the past eight races in the top three.
Bridesmaid Harvick. This description of “Happy” isn’t totally accurate — after all, he’s won two races this season — but it does seem to be scarily coincidental at Michigan. Harvick has finished second in the past four races at the track located in Michigan’s Irish Hills. Will he be sitting in second again this weekend — or tossing the bouquet from Victory Lane?
After weeks of dominating and just missing out on a win, Truex Jr. and Co. finally took the checkered flag last weekend at Pocono, giving them stellar momentum heading to Michigan. And they may need it — the No. 78 driver brought home 37th and 36th-place finishes at the 2-mile track in 2014.
Joey Logano put his No. 22 Ford back in the top five with a fourth-place finish at Pocono. His good fortune may very well continue this weekend, as Logano has earned two top-threes in his last three races at Michigan, a track where Fords tend to run well. The No. 22 driver also took the checkered back in 2013, when he won from the pole position.
The eldest Busch brother bounced back from a 31st-place finish at Dover, nabbing a fifth-place result after starting from the pole position at Pocono. He knows how to win at Michigan, too — the Stewart-Haas Racing driver is a two-time victor at the Irish Hills track.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr/
DaleEarnhardt Jr.
-1
Hendrick Motorsports
Junior wasn’t able to follow up his 2014 Pocono sweep, finishing just outside the top 10 for the second straight week. But Michigan looks brighter for the No. 88 wheelman; he earned his first win with Hendrick Motorsports there in 2008 before winning again in 2012, owns an 15.6 average finish and recorded fifth- and seventh-place results in 2014.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/brad-keselowski/
BradKeselowski
-1
Team Penske
Keselowski has been a bit of a sleeper, recording 12th and 17th-place results at Dover and Pocono. Luckily, Michigan is familiar territory for him, as Kes hails from nearby Rochester Hills, Michigan — less than 100 miles from the speedway. He’s also got the stats to boot, finishing both Michigan races in the top eight last season.
With a sixth-place result at Pocono last weekend, Kenseth broke his five-race streak of finishing 22nd or worse at the Tricky Triangle. Michigan looks like it will be a bit more enjoyable for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, as he boasts an impressive 10.7 average finishing position there.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/denny-hamlin/
DennyHamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
As a four-time winner at Pocono with a solid eighth-place starting position, expectations were higher for Hamlin last weekend at the Tricky Triangle. Nevertheless, hat tip to the No. 11 driver, as he did nab a 10th-place finish. He’s won twice at Michigan, but hasn’t managed to earn a top-five result since his win in 2011.
Sadly for Gordon, the bickering between him and crew chief Alan Gustafson was the highlight of his 14th-place performance at Pocono. The No. 24 team needs to smooth things over before Sunday, as Gordon’s got good chances at Michigan, a track where he’s reached Victory Lane three times and where he picked up one of his four wins last season.
After notching his spot in the Chase with a win at Charlotte, Edwards has managed sub-par 15th- and 19th-place runs at Dover and Pocono. Michigan may bring some better numbers for the No. 19 team, as Edwards holds the best average finishing position (9.7) among his peers at the Irish Hills track and is the only active driver to have an average inside the top 10.
Kahne’s run at Pocono was fairly uneventful, as the No. 5 driver started 12th and finished 13th in the 400-mile event. His early-season speed has slowed in recent races, with the exception of a fourth-place finish at Dover. But a win for Kahne at Michigan isn’t outlandish; he finished in the top five last June and won back in 2006.
McMurray has quietly recorded steady finishes throughout the year and has especially excelled in the past couple weeks with a pair of seventh-place finishes at Dover and Pocono. There’s a reason McMurray is seventh in points — he’s consistent week after week and may very well be a dark horse this season.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/kyle-busch/
KyleBusch
-1
Joe Gibbs Racing
Kudos to Busch, as he earned his first top-10 finish since returning to competition at Pocono last weekend. However, Busch needs a win to make the Chase and it doesn’t look likely that Michigan is the track where he’ll take the checkered — despite winning in 2011, he’s posted a trio of 31st-or-worse finishes in his past three races at the track.
Newman’s day at Pocono was ultimately ruined when he and AJ Allmendinger made contact and the No. 31 ride was unable to finish the race. Left with a 39th-place score at the Tricky Triangle, Newman heads to Michigan with a vengeance against the 47 car — but he’ll have to make it to him first. Despite being a two-time Michigan winner, Newman hasn’t nabbed a top-10 there since 2012.
Like his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate McMurray, Larson has made strong runs the past two weeks, recording a pair of top-eight finishes at Dover and Pocono. He finished eighth in this race last season at the Irish Hills track, so the weekend looks promising for the No. 42.
If any track is one for “The Biff,” it’s Michigan. The leader in wins among active drivers with four, Biffle has finished 41.7 percent of his races there in the top five and owns the top average running position of 8.9 at the Irish Hills track. Tack on that his Ford manufacturer excels there and you’ve got a recipe for a good day for the No. 16.
Aric Almirola didn’t do himself any favors last week, as he was scored 43rd after heading to the garage early with a blown engine. And this week doesn’t look much better for the No. 43 team; in six starts at Michigan, he has yet to finish in the top 15 or lead any laps.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/clint-bowyer/
ClintBowyer
Stewart-Haas Racing
Bowyer’s 22nd-place result at Pocono was mediocre — but No. 15 fans, never fear, because Michigan is almost here. If history repeats itself, Bowyer could be looking at a solid day Sunday — he’s nabbed top-10 finishes in the last eight races there.
Menard’s day at Pocono was one of many battles, his penalties and cut tire eventually leading to a 31st-place result. The Irish Hills of Michigan do look a little brighter for the No. 27, as he’s recorded three straight fourth-place finishes at the 2-mile track.
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Get analysis for all 43 cars from Sunday’s race

1. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. The fourth time was the charm for the New Jersey native who led the most laps for the fourth straight race and earns a spot in the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

 

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2.     Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. The fastest car all weekend couldn’t get it done on restarts, although the points leader Harvick cut Truex’s lead to 1.5 seconds coming to the white flag.

3.     Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson rallied for his 10th top-five finish of the year after cutting a tire on Lap 87 to bring out the third caution flag.

4.     Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. Logano had to climb through the field twice on Sunday — first for changing a rear gear and second for a pit road penalty.

5.     Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. The pole sitter pitted near the midway point with tire concerns and used a great late-race restart to resume running in the top five with eight laps to go.

6.     Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth rallied from an early pit road speeding penalty and was running fifth when he made side contact with Jimmie Johnson on Lap 135.

7.     Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet. Chip Ganassi Racing. McMurray didn’t pit during the final caution period and restarted seventh coming to the final green flag en route to matching his best career Pocono result.

8.     Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. Larson started 15th on Sunday and quietly worked his way to his third straight top-11 finish at Pocono.

9.     Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. "I’m getting killed in the tunnel," Busch radioed his team early while running inside the top 10. "Can’t get over the bumps today." For more in-car audio, sign up for RaceView.

10.  Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin safely slid past as the Nos. 31 and 47 cars tangled up on Lap 141 and went on to claim his sixth top-10 finish of the year.

11.  Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt was a big mover early in the race, jumping up to seventh by Lap 22. Contact on a late-race restart, however, stalled his efforts.

12.  Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing. Continual adjustments helped Biffle improve the balance and handling of his Ford; "The day turned out better than I thought it would," he radioed. For more in-car audio, sign up for RaceView.

13.  Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne led twice but encountered some transmission issues as he was working his way through the top 10.

14.  Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. "Stay out," crew chief Alan Gustafson radioed a skeptical Gordon after teammate Jimmie Johnson blew a tire on Lap 87. The decision appeared to ignite an argument that exploded on Lap 160. READ MORE: Gordon, crew chief exchange words

15.  Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The outside pole sitter matched his best Pocono start and led 16 of the first 29 laps before fading in the field.

16.  Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears was running 24th on Lap 106, and he kept working with his team on his in-car track bar adjustments.

17.  Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. "I need straightaway speed," Keselowski, impacted by the sixth caution period, asked his team. "Anybody got any?" For more in-car audio, sign up for RaceView.

18.  Ty Dillon, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. Dillon, making his third Cup start this year, posted his best career result and the highest of the day among the Richard Childress Racing contingent.

19.  Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. After making his best start of the 2015 season, Dillon battled a loose-handling race car before picking up a bonus point for leading five laps during the third caution.

20.  Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Allgaier earned the free pass on Lap 87 and employed pit strategy to improve five spots in the final 20 laps.

21.  Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart was among the few drivers to hit pit road during the sixth caution period to top off his tank in anticipation of a fuel-mileage race. But he was set back during the Lap 130 stop by an uncontrolled tire violation.

22.  Clint Bowyer, No. 15, Michael Waltrip Racing. With 60 laps to go, Bowyer was holding on as the last car on the lead lap and still searching for speed.

23.  David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Ragan returned to the lead lap with the free pass on Lap 50 and encouraged his team that the car’s balance was improving.

24.  Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne, making his first Pocono start, returned to the lead lap after the sixth caution flag was waved.

25.  Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill just missed matching his best Pocono finish — 24th — while navigating the ruckus around Pocono’s Tricky Triangle.

26.  Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Bowman was running 30th when contact from Brett Moffitt prompted him to spin in Turn 3 on Lap 93 to bring out the fourth caution flag.

27.  David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Gilliland saved fuel and was in position to crack the top 30 during the final 20 laps of the race.

28.  Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Whitt was complimentary of Pocono’s updated Tunnel Turn, but he and other competitors struggled with the bumps.

29.  Josh Wise, No. 98 Ford, Phil Parsons Racing. Wise narrowly missed a spinning Alex Bowman on Lap 93 and held on to record his second-best Pocono finish.

30.  Brett Moffitt, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Moffitt was rolling along 33rd on Lap 129 when he got loose and spun after receiving contact from Brad Keselowski to bring out the sixth caution flag.

31.  Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. An apparent issue with his tachometer prompted Menard to pick up back-to-back speeding penalties on pit road before blowing a left-front tire within the first 50 laps.

32.  Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. The rookie adhered his spotter’s words, "Be smart," and took advantage of a late-race caution to wrap his first Pocono outing.

33.  Jeb Burton, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. The Pocono newbie was running deep in the field with 23 laps to go when he radioed to his crew, "it’s not over yet. Get some popcorn and get ready to watch the crash show."

34.  Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. It was a challenging day for Annett, who spent the majority of the day running deep in the field.

35.  Travis Kvapil, No. 32 Ford, Go Fas Racing. Making his first start of the 2015 Cup season, Kvapil rolled off the grid 42nd and ran as high as 35th on Sunday.

36.  J.J. Yeley, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Yeley was temporarily sidelined on Lap 38 when a bag stuck to his grille and caused some overheating.

37.  Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick’s strongest Pocono run to date was dashed when she spun on Lap 135 and then again later in the final laps.

38.  AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger was running eighth and gunning for his best Pocono finish when he made contact with Ryan Newman on Lap 141.

39.  Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman was passing AJ Allmendinger on the outside for seventh when Allmendinger traveled up the track and hit Newman’s left-rear, sending the No. 31 spinning. READ MORE: Newman: Dinger ‘has one coming’

40.  Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Gaughan rolled off the grid 43rd and struggled to make up position around the long, bumpy 2.5-mile triangle.

41.  Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Hornish was running 22nd and on the lead lap when he spun in Turn 1 and hit the wall to bring out the caution with 40 laps to go.

42.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse lost his brakes while trying to make a pass going into the Tunnel Turn, and he slammed into the wall on Lap 69.

43.  Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola’s team had just figured out the handling on his No. 43 Ford when he radioed on Lap 74 the engine was blowing up.

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No. 48 crew chief: ‘We did our due diligence as extreme as we can’

RELATED: Johnson overcomes hurdles for third-place finish

Crew chief Chad Knaus of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team weighed in Monday on his team’s third-place finish as well as its three failed inspections before the Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 at Pocono Raceway.

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After going through inspection a fourth time before being cleared to race, the team fought back from a blown tire and contact with Matt Kenseth‘s No. 20 before Jimmie Johnson brought home a podium finish.

"We did our due diligence as extreme as we can," Knaus said on FOX Sports 1’s "NASCAR Race Hub" without specifying what the pre-race inspection holdup was. "We went through the first time and weren’t in compliance. Went through a second and failed again. It’s just about guys making the most out of every advantage that we can."

 

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No. 24 driver and crew chief exchanged heated words at Pocono

RELATED: No. 24 team: "What the (expletive) is the problem?"

Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway was particularly tough for the No. 24 team, with frustrations from both Jeff Gordon and crew chief Alan Gustafson bubbling over onto the radio.

Gordon has yet to get a win in his final full-time Sprint Cup season despite starting from the pole three times. He finished 14th at Pocono after starting fourth.

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In one exchange late in the Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400, Gustafson wanted to bring the car in for fresh tires and gas but Gordon wanted to stay out. Here’s how the exchange unfolded:

Gordon: "What do you think we’re gonna win from here?"
Gustafson: "I don’t want to finish (expletive) 20th."
Gordon: "Tires are not our problem."
Gustafson: "What the (expletive) is the problem?"

Spotter Eddie d’Hondt jumped into the fray, attempting to tamp down the tempers.

Crew chief Chad Knaus, a six-time champion with Jimmie Johnson, joined "NASCAR Race Hub" on FOX Sports 1 Monday to discuss the conversation between his fellow Hendrick Motorsports‘ teammates.

"Here’s the deal and I think everybody can understand this," Knaus said. "If everybody around the table is getting along, someone is lying. Jeff’s doing everything he can and the guys are doing everything they can to get a fast car out there. It’s not personal.

"What Eddie did there was fantastic. He chimed in and tried to calm the waters and put some sense back into it."

Steve Letarte, Gordon’s former crew chief, was an analyst on NBC Sports Network’s "NASCAR America" Monday and echoed much of what Knaus said.

"I think we had some conversations like that," Letarte said of his 186 races atop the No. 24 pit box. "But we did a good job of keeping them off the radio."

Letarte added that frustration has been a factor for Gordon all season with the current rules package. Among the changes this season are a reduction in horsepower and a shorter rear spoiler, which reduces downforce.

"I know Jeff Gordon well, and this package doesn’t suit Jeff’s style," Letarte said.

Fellow analyst and former Sprint Cup driver Jeff Burton added that the rules package could be as damaging mentally for Gordon as it is technically.

"I think Jeff Gordon went into this year knowing he didn’t like this package. You can’t tell me that going into something thinking it’s not good is going to be good," Burton said. "You gotta get your head around it. Whatever the rules are, you have to make it work."

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Driver will be in the No. 54 seat this weekend at Michigan

RELATED: Entry List for Saturday’s Michigan race

Kyle Busch will return to the XFINITY Series this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, his second start of the season in the series and his first since severe injuries sustained in a crash forced the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to the sidelines.

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Busch, 30, suffered a broken right leg and left foot when he crashed during the season-opening Alert Today Florida 300 at Daytona International Speedway. Busch’s No. 54 Toyota slid across the track near the entrance to Turn 1 and struck a wall not covered by SAFER barrier head on.
 
The injuries kept Busch out of action for the better part of three months. He returned to his Sprint Cup Series duties last month at Charlotte Motor Speedway, competing in the annual Sprint All-Star Race, a short, non-points event, and has since returned to full-time competition in the series.
 
In a release previewing the team’s MIS effort, Busch said his return was "a continuation of my recovery … and we hope to continue to add to my schedule going forward through the rest of the year."
 
NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers will be competing in the Great Clips 250 benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America at MIS (FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM, 1:30 p.m. ET).
 
It will be just the second race together for Busch and crew chief Chris Gayle.
 
"My goal in February was and still now is that you have to get to the point where not only do I understand what Kyle is asking for," Gayle said, "but I also show Kyle what I can give him.
 
Then the trust develops and continues to build. … We are obviously grateful and excited that we have that chance again."
 
In Busch’s absence, drivers Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones and Boris Said shared the driving duties in the No. 54 JGR entry.

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Allmendinger assumes blame for accident, not for being aggressive

Related: Newman says Allmendinger has one coming

AJ Allmendinger started Sunday’s Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 in hot water and ended it the same way. In between, he methodically moved up the leaderboard before ending the day for himself and Ryan Newman.

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By Lap 2, Allmendinger reported, "Water temps already 255."

Crew chief Brian Burns asked Allmendinger to turn on his fans, but the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet SS fell back to 28th by Lap 20.

"I don’t know what else to do," Allmendinger said at Lap 16. "I’m not a miracle worker. How to find speed!"

As Allmendinger tweeted Sunday night, thanks to strategy and strong pit stops, he had climbed to 11th by Lap 130.

Racing Ryan Newman for seventh at Lap 139, Allmendinger got into the Richard Childress Racing driver, sending his fellow 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup driver into the wall. JTG Daugherty shares information in an alliance with RCR, and as Allmendinger tweeted following the race, that relationship is important to his one-car organization.

Allmendinger defended his attempt to get spots on the track as he sought his third top-10 finish of the season and first top five. But he apologized again for the results of his actions that dropped him to 39th and Newman to 40th.

After earning his first DNF since last August at Watkins Glen, Newman warned the winner of that road-course race that payback may be coming.

"The No. 47 (Allmendinger) just ran out of talent," Newman said. "He has got one coming now."

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See what’s coming this week to NASCAR.com

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

MONDAY: Pocono may be behind us, but we’ll take a look at every driver in the field and explain why they finished where they did. @nascarcasm recaps the race in photo form, and senior writer Kenny Bruce previews a pair of events for later this week: Tuesday’s appeal by the No. 48 team and Wednesday’s open test at Darlington.

TUESDAY: Look for Power Rankings presented by John Deere to get another shakeup this week. Does finally getting in the win column elevate Martin Truex Jr. to the top? NASCAR.com will also cover the appeal from Jimmie Johnson‘s team, plus feature the exceptional pit crew of Carl Edwards‘ No. 19 group.

WEDNESDAY: Check out which paint schemes will be on display at this weekend. We’ll also have a staff debate about whether or not Martin Truex Jr. is a title contender.

THURSDAY: Driver Reports analyzes which drivers have the best shot to win at Michigan. Our #TBT piece takes a look back at Dale Earnhardt Jr. conquering the 2-mile oval to break a pair of long winless skids.

FRIDAY: There are four on-track events, and we’ll cover them all, starting at 11:30 a.m. (ET) with Sprint Cup Series practice and culminating later in the evening with the Sprint Cup qualifying. In between, there are a pair of XFINITY Series practices. 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 Pocono weekend in GIF form, a fun way to look back at the top moments from the track … @nascarcasm will have a mockup of Martin Truex Jr.’s Facebook page after Sunday’s win … gone to a race this year, and got all decked out? See if you make the cut in our gallery of the best fan photos of the year.

Posted on by Zack Albert

No. 22 car finishes fourth after starting from the rear

RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings

LONG POND, Pa. — Joey Logano likened his fourth-place finish Sunday at Pocono Raceway to one of those "blue-collar days." After helping his Team Penske No. 22 Ford team grind out a top-five from unlikely odds, Logano was still smiling post-race on pit road at the workmanlike effort.

Logano started at the back of the 43-car field in the Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 after a Sunday morning rear-gearing change, then recovered from a pit-road speeding penalty on his first stop to claim his seventh top-five finish in 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this year. At the heart of it was a solid game plan from crew chief Todd Gordon, who shouldered the blame for the penalty but made amends with his pit strategy.

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"Everyone did a good job," Logano said. "We weren’t fast all weekend, so we fought hard and tried to use some strategy early. With the speeding penalty, I lost some there and then tried to keep moving up and got something decent out of it."
 
After starting in the rear of the field, Logano quickly moved forward, gaining 15 positions in the first 10 laps. He’d picked off three more places by the time he reached his first scheduled pit stop, where Gordon called him in early on Lap 22.
 
Logano was among the first to come down pit road, attempting to make the 400-miler a three-stop race from that point. In doing so, the team employed a strategy similar to those at road courses, where green-flag stops are less of a hindrance.
 
"This place lends itself to being a little creative," Gordon said. "Pit road’s fairly short compared to the track length, so pitting under green doesn’t cost you a lap. Obviously starting in the back with a gear change made it a little anxious and (we) had to create something."
 
But Gordon — driven to gain more ground early — also directed Logano to push the limits on the pit-road timing loops, netting the No. 22 entry a pass-through penalty for speeding.
 
"I told him we could go to a point that he couldn’t. I’ll own that one," Gordon said. "Just trying to figure out what we could do for later and figured we’d take the lump early if it was an issue, and it was. Overall, a good recovery."
 
The recovery effort was aided by Logano’s ability to pick off spots during a handful of restarts in the race’s second half, pushing him to as high as second place in the running order with 20 laps remaining. That stretch also included a brush with the Turn 3 wall, a glancing scrape with 26 laps left that didn’t dramatically affect his progress.
 
But his post-race lament was one shared by several teams — the inability to keep pace with dominating race winner Martin Truex Jr. and runner-up Kevin Harvick.
 
"We weren’t fast from when we unloaded here on Friday and we worked it into a top-five piece," Logano said. "I’m proud of that. I felt like we might’ve had a third-place car at the end of the race possibly, but we just had nothing for the 4 (Harvick) and 78 (Truex). They’ve been so fast here the last couple of weeks, so we’ve got our work cut out to figure out how to beat those guys."
 
The next site for that assignment comes Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, where Logano and Co. have enjoyed a measure of recent success. Since joining Team Penske two seasons ago, Logano has led at least 20 laps in each of his efforts at the 2-mile track, scoring a victory from the Coors Light Pole in August 2013.
 
After converting a major Pocono rally, Gordon said there’s something to the notion of Michigan momentum, but there’s also the confidence that comes with making strides with the 2015 rules package.

"This sport’s all about the psychology of it and how you do, but it’s good to get back to us making our race car better all day and we made our runs better all day," Gordon said. "That’s something that we did very well last year, and with this new package and this new track bar adjuster, it’s something that we’ve had to kind of work at trying to figure out how to handle that, and we’re getting better at it."

Posted on by Nascar

Thomas began racing in ’50s, guided son Ronnie’s NASCAR career

Cerry Era "Jabe" Thomas, a former NASCAR driver and father of 1978 Rookie of the Year Ronnie Thomas, passed away Thursday, June 4.

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Thomas, a native of Christiansburg, Virginia, was 85.

Between 1965 and 1978, Thomas made 322 starts in NASCAR’s premier series, earning three top-five and 77 top-10 finishes. During a four-year stretch from 1968-71, he finished eighth or higher in the season-long points standings. His top-five results came at Greenville, Asheville and Columbia while competing in an entry fielded by himself and fellow owner Don Robertson.

Thomas began his racing career in the 1950s, competing on dirt tracks in Virginia; he won the ’58 track championship at Radford Speedway (known today at Motor Mile). He was 35 when he made the move to NASCAR’s top division.

Although he made his final start in ’78, finishing 37th in the Delaware 500 at Dover International Speedway, Thomas continued to be involved in NASCAR, serving as the guiding force for his son Ronnie’s racing career. The younger Thomas posted two top-10 finishes in 1978, at Nashville and Darlington, en route to the rookie title against a field that also included Roger Hamby, Blackie Wangerin, Baxter Price and Al Holbert.

Posted on by Nascar

No. 48 team waits for situation to play out before Michigan

RELATED: Johnson stands behind decision to appeal

Hendrick Motorsports‘ appeal of a P1 level penalty will be heard by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel Tuesday at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

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The Sprint Cup Series organization’s No. 48 team, with driver Jimmie Johnson, was penalized May 27 for receiving written warnings in two consecutive events during last month’s All-Star and Coca-Cola 600 events at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
 
As a result of the multiple warnings, the team was scheduled to receive one of the final two choices in the pit selection process for the May 31 FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.
 
However, the penalty was deferred due to the notice to appeal by the organization.
 
Should the Appeals Panel uphold NASCAR’s penalty, the team would have the last choice in pit selection for this weekend’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway (FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR, 1 p.m. ET).
 
Before the Dover race, Johnson, a six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, said his team didn’t agree with the penalty.
 
"I look forward to the appeal process running its course, and respect it and certainly hope for a different outcome once everything has run its course," he said.
 
Written warnings are typically issued for minor infractions and do not result in penalties. However, when multiple warnings are issued, the infraction is considered a P1 level penalty under NASCAR’s Deterrence System.
 
The HScott Motorsports team, with driver Justin Allgaier, was also penalized for receiving consecutive warnings at Charlotte.
 
More recently, the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 team with defending series champion Kevin Harvick was penalized for multiple warnings during the Dover race weekend.
 
Both HScott and SHR teams chose to not appeal.