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Polesitter holds off Kevin Harvick on final 10-lap segment

RELATED: Full race results | SHOP: Winner’s gear

CONCORD, N.C. — With a deft move with three laps left in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin delivered the first victory in the non-points showcase event to Joe Gibbs Racing and to Toyota.
 
As he drove into Turn 1 to start Lap 97, with Kevin Harvick glued to his bumper and ready to make a run at the $1 million first prize, Hamlin moved up a lane in the corner and took Harvick’s line away, causing Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet to lose momentum.

“It was more defense than anything, but it turned into offense for me," Hamlin said. "He (Harvick) kept getting closer and closer, and eventually he gets to that right rear quarter panel, and your race is done. Initially, I was looking in my mirror, and I knew it was going to be a defensive move to take his line.

"But I was just going to have to do something different, because I was starting to lose time. My laps time were dropping off, and I just had to do something different to try to salvage a win, and that was obviously the key move for us."

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Harvick didn’t disagree with that assessment.

"I had committed to the center of the corner and just really lost the front of the car up the race track, had to get out of the throttle," Harvick explained. "As soon as Denny moved up that one time it kind of took the air off. … Once I got to the middle of the corner the car just washed all the way up the race track and I had to lift way out of the gas to get the car back off the wall."

If that was the on-track move that made the difference, the real Saturday night heroes were the crew members on Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota, who gained five spots for their driver during mandatory four-tire pits stops before the race’s final 10-lap segment.
 
Hamlin led the field to the green for the final segment and stayed in front the rest of the way, beating Harvick to the finish line by .823 seconds.
 
Kurt Busch ran third, followed by Jeff Gordon (making his final All-Star appearance), Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch, who showed excellent speed in his first competition since breaking his right leg and left foot in an XFINITY Series race at Daytona on Feb. 21.
 
Brad Keselowski took the lead after the first segment, thanks to a two-tire call by crew chief Paul Wolfe. Though Kurt Busch started the second segment with four fresh tires, Keselowski was able to keep the No, 41 Chevrolet at bay throughout the run.
 
Kurt Busch led one lap during the battle, nosing ahead at the stripe, but Keselowski pinned him down on the inside through Turns 1 and 2 and regained the top spot. Ultimately, Keselowski finished .349 seconds ahead of Busch in segment No. 2.
 
Both Keselowski and Busch took four tires between the second and third segments, and Keselowski led every lap en route to winning the third segment. Kevin Harvick got past Busch for second with four laps left.
 
But Kurt Busch restarted fifth to begin segment No. 4 and split the middle with a bold move into Turn 1. Three laps into the run, Busch passed Denny Hamlin for the lead, with Hamlin suffering the consequences of a two-tire track-position call that put him on the front row for the start of the segment.
 
Keeping Harvick a safe distance behind him, Busch won the fourth segment by 1.693 seconds over his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, and the cars entered pit road during the caution before the final 10-lap shootout in order of average finish over the first four segments.
 
The top five entering the pits were Keselowski, Busch, Kasey Kahne, Harvick and Jeff Gordon, but Hamlin was first off pit road from stall No. 1, and Keselowski drew a speeding penalty that dropped him to the back of the field for the start of segment No. 5.

"I knew that was the race, and I went for it," said Keselowski, who sped up in the final timed segment in an effort to beat Hamlin off put road.

That left Hamlin and Busch on the front row for the restart, with Harvick and Kahne behind them.

Notes: Kahne passed Hamlin, the pole winner on Lap 15 and went on to win the first segment. … Danica Patrick took her car behind the wall with engine issues on lap 58 but returned to the track during segment No. 4, having lost 32 laps for repairs. … Greg Biffle, who transferred into the All-Star race from Friday night’s Sprint Showdown, brushed the Turn 4 wall twice during the first segment and was never a factor thereafter.

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See where drivers will pit for Saturday’s Sprint All-Star Race (9 p.m. ET, FS1)

RELATED: Sprint All-Star Race starting lineup

Denny Hamlin was fastest in the unique NASCAR Sprint All-Star Qualifying format with two laps and a trip down pit road. He will pit in the first stall for his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (Saturday, 9 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).

The rest of the field will lineup on pit road in the order that each driver qualified with an open pit stall in front and behind each team’s box.

Greg Biffle was second-fastest and will pit in the third stall. Third-fastest was Brad Keselowski, who will pit in the fifth stall. Clint Bowyer, who like Biffle raced into Saturday’s event in the Sprint Showdown, will pit in the seventh stall. Kasey Kahne was fifth in qualifying and will pit in the ninth stall. Danica Patrick qualified sixth and will pit in the 11th stall.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified seventh and will pit in the 13th stall. Aric Almirola was eighth in qualifying and will park in stall 15. In his final NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Jeff Gordon qualified ninth and will be in the 17th stall on pit road. Carl Edwards rounded out the top 10 in qualifying, and his No. 19 car will pit in the 19th stall at the start/finish line.

There will be three open stalls before Joey Logano, who qualified 11th, will pit in 23rd box. Four-time NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race winner Jimmie Johnson hopes to extend his all-time record after qualifying 12th and pitting in the 25th stall. AJ Allmendinger qualified 13th and will pit in the 27th stall. Last year’s race winner, Jamie McMurray, qualified 14th and will pit in the 29th stall.

Tony Stewart qualified 15th and will pit in the 31st stall. His Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Kurt Busch, qualified 16th and will pit in the 33rd stall.

There will be three more open stalls before Matt Kenseth, who qualified 17th, pits in the 37th stall. Ryan Newman qualified 18th and will pit in the 39th stall. In his first race since February, Kyle Busch will pit in the 41st stall follwing a 19th-place qualifying effort that saw him overshoot his pit stall. Kevin Harvick qualified 20th after a pit crew penalty, and he will pit in the 43rd stall at the entrance to pit road off of Turn 4.

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Catch up on segment winners during the race

RELATED: Full race results

Pole winner Denny Hamlin won the 31st annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, and the $1 million that comes with it, at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

Hamlin led all 10 laps of the fifth and final portion of the event.

Points leader and defending series champion Kevin Harvick finished second, followed by Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth.

Brad Keselowski, who led a race-high 49 laps, was penalized for speeding on pit road prior to the final restart.

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Segment 4: Kurt Busch won the fourth and final 25-lap segment.

The lead changed hands three times in the fourth segment. Pole winner Denny Hamlin passed Keselowski on Lap 77, but quickly gave up the lead to Kurt Busch on the next lap.

Kevin Harvick finished second in the fourth segment, followed by Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Kasey Kahne. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle drew pit road penalties between the third and fourth segments.

Segment 3: Keselowski won the third 25-lap segment, leading from start to finish.

After starting the race last, points leader Harvick placed second in the third segment. Kurt Busch was third, followed by Logano and Kahne.

Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Hamlin were all penalized for pit road infractions after Lap 50. Danica Patrick had to pit on Lap 58 with smoke spewing from her engine.

Segment 2: Keselowski took the lead from Kahne on the restart and won the second 25-lap segment. Keselowski had to hold off Kurt Busch, who hounded him most of the way.

Hamlin reported a vibration on Lap 38 after dropping out of the top 5. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch, who started the day 19th out of 20, finished seventh in the segment — one spot ahead of Hamlin.

Segment 1: Kahne won the first 25-lap segment at the 31st annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Kahne, who started fifth, passed polesitterHamlin on Lap 15 and led the rest of the segment. Hamlin finished second, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Keselowski and Kurt Busch.

Jamie McMurray won last year’s race. Jimmie Johnson has won the event a record four times, and Jeff Gordon is a three-time winner.

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Greg Biffle joins Hamlin on front row for Saturday’s race

RELATED: Full qualifying results

Denny Hamlin will start first in the 31st annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race after winning the Coors Light Pole Award at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday.

Hamlin turned in a qualifying time of 145.648 mph on the 1.5-mile track. The top five also includes Greg Biffle (144.643 mph), Brad Keselowski(144.349), Clint Bowyer (144.256) and Kasey Kahne (143.625).

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Danica Patrick qualified sixth, one spot ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

TV coverage of the race begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1; the green flag is scheduled to drop at 9:16 p.m. ET.

After missing the first 11 races of the year due to a broken leg and foot suffered in an accident at Daytona in February, Kyle Busch is making his season debut at the All-Star Race.

Kyle Busch, who had the fastest practice lap at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, qualified 19th out of 20 drivers.

The race includes four segments of 25 laps, and the average finishing position determines the order for the final 10-lap sprint to the finish.

The winner earns $1 million.

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JGR’s No. 20, No. 18 speed to top times

RELATED: Full qualifying results

Drew Herring did more than keep the seat hot for Erik Jones during qualifying at Iowa Speedway Saturday night.

Herring was fastest in Coors Light Qualifying for the NASCAR XFINITY Series 3M 250 on Sunday (2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1). Jones will get into the seat Sunday, but will have to start at the rear of the field.

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Herring, in the No. 20 Toyota, turned a lap of 134.391 mph around the 0.875-mile oval track in the final round.

It was an all front row for Joe Gibbs Racing on Saturday night, as Daniel Suarez qualified second (134.351 mph) in the No. 18. Brian Scott (133.906), Chris Buescher (133.803) and Brandon Jones (133.752) qualified among the top five.

Defending series champion Chase Elliott will start sixth.

Ty Dillon, the series points leader (330) through nine races, qualified ninth.

Scott led the final practice at Iowa Speedway with a time of 133.747 mph.

Ryan Blaney, the 2014 pole winner for the May race at Iowa, will start 13th.

Ben Rhodes, who will make his XFNITY Series debut Sunday driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, qualified 14th.

Follow the XFINITY Series 3M 250 on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.

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Jamie Dick to backup car after damage from lead coming off another car

FINAL PRACTICE RECAP | Full practice 2 results

Brian Scott led the final NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Iowa Speedway for Sunday’s 3M 250 (2 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM) with a top speed of 133.747 mph during the 85-minute session.

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Brandon Jones, who topped the opening practice, was second at 133.435 mph, followed by Darrell Wallace Jr. (132.347 mph), John Wes Townley (132.314 mph) and Ben Rhodes (132.048 mph).

Rhodes is making his XFINITY Series debut this weekend in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion will be missing his high school graduation in Louisville, Kentucky.

Defending series champion Chase Elliott was ninth in the final practice, while points leader Ty Dillon was 10th.

There was a caution just past the halfway point of final practice for smoke coming from Jamie Dick‘s backup car. Dick had a scary moment in the opening practice when lead came off of Ross Chastain‘s car and hit the No. 55 Chevrolet, causing significant damage to the car while a piece of metal also struck his helmet.

Coors Light Pole Qualifying is on tap for 5:45 p.m. ET.

FIRST PRACTICE RECAP | RELATED: Full practice 1 results

Brandon Jones topped the opening NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Iowa Speedway.

The 18-year-old paced the field with a fast lap of 135.676 mph during the 55-minute session. This will be Jones’ first XFINITY Series start as he pilots the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

Jamie Dick had to go to a backup car after lead came off Ross Chastain‘s car and hit the No. 55 Chevrolet, causing significant damage to the car while a piece of metal also struck his helmet. This will be Dick’s first start since being diagnosed with new on-set diabetes in March.

Chastain took to Twitter to apologize for what happened to Dick’s car.

Chris Buescher (135.606 mph) was second, while Daniel Suarez (135.211 mph), Ty Dillon (134.938 mph) and Chase Elliott (134.225 mph) completed the top five.

It was a quick turnaround for Elliott, who competed in Friday night’s Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Drew Herring shook down the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for Erik Jones, who will compete in Sunday’s race. Herring was 11th in the session.

The series’ stop at the 0.875-mile track marks the first standalone event of the schedule.

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18-year-old comes just .005 seconds short of catching Kahne

CONCORD, N.C. — For the second straight week, Erik Jones was left to lament what could have been in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

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Last week at Kansas Speedway, the difference was six laps when his Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4 Toyota ran out of fuel. Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the difference was just five thousandths of a second, the margin of victory for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Kasey Kahne‘s No. 00 Chevrolet in an overtime photo finish that had Jones’ crew guessing about the outcome halfway through the cool-down lap.

"I think we got him," came the word over Jones’ radio after the drop of the checkered flag. "They haven’t said yet so hang tight."

Seconds later came the confirmation: "Per the camera, double zero."

Jones gave no response. He parked on pit road and dismounted against the backdrop of Kahne’s burnout, making a hasty walk toward the truck series’ garage and the KBM trailer, finding refuge in between haulers. After gathering his thoughts only briefly, the 18-year-old rookie’s reaction was equal parts dismay and disbelief.

"It sucks when it has to come down to a green-white-checkered, and the fastest truck loses the race again two weeks in a row," said Jones, who led 88 of the race’s 139 laps. "It just sucks. We had such a good Dollar General Tundra. I just can’t believe we lost it. I don’t even know what to say, man. It really, really hurts. Really hurts." 

Jones’ reason for disappointment stemmed from the race being forced into overtime in the first place. Jones had just battled around the high side of Kahne to steer clear into the lead, with clean air and victory seemingly in sight with three laps left. But a late scrape for Daniel Hemric‘s No. 14 truck triggered the fateful caution period just before the white flag could be unfurled, forcing overtime and allowing Kahne to restart alongside Jones.

Jones chose the outside lane and the two stayed glued together in double-file formation for the duration of the two-lap shootout. But coming off Turn 4 for the final time, Kahne had just enough breathing room on the inside groove. Still, Jones wasn’t second-guessing his choice of the outside lane for the restart.

"We ran hard the whole lap," Jones said. "I was wide open the whole lap and we got a run on him off of four and he just unfortunately side-drafted us and beat us to the line. It’s hard to stop that. I just wish there was something I could have done different to stop it, but it was honestly luck of the draw and he got the better side draft coming to the line and was able to beat us to the line." 

Though he’s failed to scratch yet in the Camping World Truck Series win column this year, Jones remains on a hot streak. The KBM prodigy ranks second in the series standings, 16 points behind reigning champion Matt Crafton, and is fresh from an striking Sprint Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway the previous week. He’ll try to make more headway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series’ visit to Iowa Speedway, site of Sunday’s 3M 250 (2 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM). 

Even though the bitter disappointment was evident in Jones’ post-race emotions, he’s impressed his share of peers in NASCAR’s top division.

"He just has a ton of raw, raw ability," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of Kahne’s winning truck. "Really good at getting all the speed out of the vehicle he’s driving, so there’s no question, I guess, when you put Erik in a car, a truck or whatever that you’re getting everything you can. A lot of times, you sort of wait on or maybe have doubt about whether the driver’s getting everything he can out of the car’s setup, especially when you’re dealing with a young guy.

"Is he getting everything out of the equipment and how much is it him and how much is it the car? How much do we need to work on the car, how much do we need to wait on him to sort of work his way up to that type of ability, but Erik seems to be intense and every time he’s in the car, he’s giving everything he’s capable of giving and you don’t really have to question him at all, which I think makes it fun for the guys that work over there. They’ve got to be pretty excited to see him climbing in because he’s going to run hard and fast and he’s going to be around for a long time."

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Owner also discusses special sponsor, plans for Erik Jones

SHOP: Rowdy Returns T-shirt | Busch gear

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch returns to competition Saturday night with the running of the 31st annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, and few could be happier about his return than team owner Joe Gibbs.

"He’s a big part of our program and the fact that he’s been missing in those Tuesday technical meetings where we sit there and talk about the race track with all of our drivers, it’s a big deal," Gibbs said Saturday prior to the driver’s meeting at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch, 30, has missed the first 11 Sprint Cup Series races after breaking his right leg and left foot in a crash during the season-opening NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway in February.

He climbed back into his familiar Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota for the first time since his accident Friday and posted the fastest speed in the day’s only practice.

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Having him back, Gibbs said, "helps you from the performance standpoint, but also I think having a member of the team missing and when you get somebody back like that I think it picks everybody up.

"I think it elevates all of us having Kyle back. … He never had a chance to work with Adam (Stevens), our crew chief, (this year). Things like that, it’s a big deal for us."

Stevens, who teamed with Busch to win 19 times in the XFINITY Series, was named the team’s crew chief prior to the start of the 2015 season.

• Busch’s No. 18 entry is again carrying a special Red Nose Day paint scheme promoted by primary sponsor M&M’s. The scheme was also featured in last week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, where Erik Jones filled in for Busch.

The Red Nose Day program is one of several featured by JGR sponsors, Gibbs said.

"They reach out in so many different ways," he said. "There have been a lot of those with FedEx — we do inner city hunger (programs), we go where there have been tragedies with FedEx. This is a big promotion for Mars, one of a number they have. M&M’s has always been about kids and trying to help them.

"All of our sponsors are very community-related and trying to help underprivileged people, period."

Red Nose Day (May 21) is a charitable campaign that seeks to raise money to help young people living in poverty. M&M’s is an inaugural sponsor of the program.

"If you want to get to our heart, talk about our kids," Gibbs said. "I know from the time mine came on the scene, now I’ve got grandkids, it’s the way to our heart. Because we see those little guys and we know how much they depend on us. So any way we can help … we want to do it."

• In addition to Jones, Matt Crafton, twice a champion in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and David Ragan filled in for Busch during his absence. Jones was running near the top five in his Sprint Cup debut at Kansas before hitting the wall.

He lost Friday night’s Truck Series race to Kasey Kahne in a wild, side-by-side finish at Charlotte.

"I think everybody’s impressed with Erik," Gibbs said. "He’s had great performances; last night was awesome. He continues, every time he gets in the car, to really make a great statement about his ability and what kind of person he is. We’re thrilled to have him on board."

With Busch back on track, Jones’ return to Sprint Cup remains undetermined.

"We’ve kind of got a game plan," said Gibbs. "We’ve talked over different things. We just know that at some point he’s going to be in a Cup car."

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See where your driver will start in Sunday’s race at 2 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1

RELATED: 3M 250 Coors Light Pole Qualifying recap

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

 1. (20)  Drew Herring, Toyota, 134.391 mph.
  2. (18)  Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, 134.351 mph.
  3. (2)  Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 133.906 mph.
  4. (60)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 133.803 mph.
  5. (33)  Brandon Jones(i), Chevrolet, 133.752 mph.
  6. (9)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 133.735 mph.
  7. (7)  Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 133.678 mph.
  8. (6)  Darrell Wallace Jr. #, Ford, 133.616 mph.
  9. (3)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 133.328 mph.
  10. (1)  Elliott Sadler, Ford, 133.271 mph.
  11. (62)  Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 133.102 mph.
  12. (42)  Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 132.794 mph.
  13. (22)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 133.311 mph.
  14. (88)  Ben Rhodes, Chevrolet, 132.766 mph.
  15. (43)  Dakoda Armstrong, Ford, 132.760 mph.
  16. (16)  Ryan Reed, Ford, 132.303 mph.
  17. (4)  Ross Chastain #, Chevrolet, 131.810 mph.
  18. (25)  John Wes Townley(i), Chevrolet, 131.711 mph.
  19. (51)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 131.584 mph.
  20. (44)  David Starr, Toyota, 131.453 mph.
  21. (39)  Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 131.381 mph.
  22. (54)  Boris Said, Toyota, 131.349 mph.
  23. (8)  Blake Koch, Toyota, 131.321 mph.
  24. (14)  Cale Conley #, Toyota, 131.305 mph.
  25. (01)  Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 130.149 mph.
  26. (28)  JJ Yeley, Toyota, 129.774 mph.
  27. (24)  Eric McClure, Toyota, 129.630 mph.
  28. (0)  Harrison Rhodes #, Chevrolet, 129.566 mph.
  29. (90)  Todd Bodine, Chevrolet, 129.247 mph.
  30. (55)  Jamie Dick, Chevrolet, 129.082 mph.
  31. (52)  Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 128.982 mph.
  32. (26)  Ryan Ellis(i), Toyota, 128.592 mph.
  33. (97)  Peyton Sellers #, Chevrolet, 127.810 mph.
  34. (19)  Charles Lewandoski, Toyota, Owner Points
  35. (15)  BJ McLeod(i), Chevrolet, Owner Points
  36. (70)  Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, Owner Points
  37. (74)  Mike Harmon, Dodge, Owner Points
  38. (40)  Carl Long, Toyota, Owner Points
  39. (13)  John Jackson, Dodge, Owner Points
  40. (29)  Kenny Wallace, Toyota, Owner Points

Posted on by Staff Report

See where drivers will pit for Sunday’s 3M 250 (2 p.m. ET, FS1)

RELATED: Starting lineup

Drew Herring won the Coors Light Pole Award for Sunday’s 3M 250 (2 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM), and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team selected the second stall, which is the first one at the exit of pit road into Turn 1.

When the race starts, Erik Jones is scheduled to be in the ride and will fall to the back of the field for a driver change. His JGR teammate, Daniel Suarez, was second-fastest and chose the 15th stall, the first with a front opening.

The third-fastest driver in qualifying, Brian Scott of Richard Childress Racing, chose the next stall back with an opening in front, stall 20. He noted on Twitter that his qualifying effort might bode well for him in the race.

Chris Buescher with Roush Fenway Racing qualified fourth, and his team chose the 14th stall with an opening behind him. Brandon Jones was fifth-fastest and will pit with an opening in front of him in the 24th box.

Reigning NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott was sixth in qualifying and will put in the seventh stall between Ryan Sieg and Todd Bodine while JR Motorsports teammate Regan Smith qualified seventh and will pit in the 18th stall with an opening behind him.