Posted on by Nascar

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."

Posted on by Staff Report

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

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 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.

Posted on by Kathy Sheldon

Kids steal show as Truex Jr.’s foundation raises more than $250,000

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — When do you see Dale Earnhardt Jr. upstaged by a youngster with flaming red hair? At Martin Truex Jr. and Sherry Pollex’s Catwalk for a Cause, of course.

Drivers Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Newman also walked the catwalk Thursday night with young cancer patients in the annual fundraiser for the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and its commitment to fight cancer with the Levine Children’s Hospital.

But it was Elijah who brought down the house. 

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Each driver or pair of drivers, or driver’s significant others who walked with a young patient was upstaged by the little fighter. Krissie Newman, Lorra Bowyer, Amy Reimann and DeLana Harvick rocked the runway alongside smaller models who each drew bigger cheers than the big NASCAR stars.

Before the actual runway show began, Truex and Pollex, the driver’s longtime girlfriend who herself was diagnosed with cancer since last summer, got a nice, big check for the foundation.

The cause got a big hand from the No. 11 Camping World Truck Series team, as driver Ben Kennedy and crew raised more than $10,000 for the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, leading crew chief Scott Zipadelli to wear a SpongeBob SquarePants onesie to Wednesday night’s event.

RELATED: Kennedy, crew chief make SpongeBob bet for charity

They also got a $10,000 match, bringing the total donation to more than $20,000.

As Zipadelli succinctly put it, "Cancer sucks, right?" And the whole night was built around beating it.

Pollex reminded the crowd that of all the federal money spent on cancer research, only 4 percent is earmarked for pediatric cancer treatment. With few resources many families often must travel far from home to get the best care.

About 600 people attended Wednesday night’s event in Mooresville, and more than $253,000 was raised — and the final total has yet to come in.

Mark Griffith, Director of Fund Development for the Carolinas HealthCare Foundation Children’s Fund said, "It’s about treating cancer — not just children’s cancer — closer to home."

Griffith, Pollex and Truex announced a new commitment to fund a position at the Levine Children’s Hospital that will allow medical trials to be conducated there, a critical facet of research and treatment.

"We met five years ago or so and every time you come back we talk about a different need and every time you guys say, ‘OK, let’s do it,’ Griffith said of Pollex and Truex.

A highlight of this year’s campaign is the song "Hold Out a Hand" by Edwin McCain. The singer gave the rights to the song to Truex’s foundation, and all proceeds from iTunes downloads of the song go directly to the foundation.

Raffles, a silent auction and more were part of Thursday night’s gala. But it was the kids who stole the show.

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Driver actively involved with military causes; will adorn truck at Charlotte

Brad Keselowski couldn’t have imagined a trip in 2008 to Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, California, would still be affecting his life today.

But then again, the young driver couldn’t have predicted what he would hear, see or experience in that hospital either.

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"I went through there in the hospital and it damn near made me cry walking past all these other guys," Keselowski recalled. "At the time, I was 23. There were guys that looked like they weren’t going to make it and they were my age.

"I think that rattles you pretty hard, at least it did me."

Less than a year later, another experience with a close friend left Keselowski shaken once more, but a bit more certain of his eventual calling.

"I had a friend, a close friend, who I remember spending New Year’s with in 2009," Keselowski said. "He got deployed two weeks later, was in the Middle East … and he got blown up within the first month or two. He came back and when I saw him, that’s when I knew.

"All these things, it felt like kind of karma or the universe was pushing me this direction. I’d say that’s what got me to where I am. Once I started the events and spent time with these people, I could relate to them so well."

With a nudge from the universe, Keselowski launched the Checkered Flag Foundation in 2010 — a 501(c)(3) organization that helps support military personnel and hosts various events to raise funds and awareness.

•   •   •

His foundation was the reason Keselowski was standing in the middle of the upscale David Yurman jewelry store at SouthPark Mall in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday night. Proceeds from the store’s sales that evening benefited Charlotte Bridge Home, a local foundation that supports veterans and helps former military personnel ease the transition between service and their return home.

"Tonight’s event is about, one, having fun; two, raising attention; and three, helping to raise funds in the process for Charlotte Bridge foundation, which is a foundation that’s dedicated in a very similar fashion (to the Checkered Flag Foundation) to help servicemen, servicewomen here locally in Charlotte … trying to find a home, trying to get back on their feet," Keselowski said, addressing the group on Tuesday night. "It’s a cause that we’re near and dear to as well, and we’re glad and proud to help support them."

The night’s guests included foundation members, friends, NASCAR personnel and several veterans. One of the attendees was Charlotte Bridge Home’s Veteran Outreach Specialist Tommy Rieman, a Silver Star and Purple Heart recipient who Keselowski refers to as a "general badass."

"The way (Keselowski) sets himself up above the other drivers by coming out and doing things like this, showing that he cares for veterans, he leads by example," said Rieman, whose military service was recognized by President George W. Bush during the 2007 State of the Union Address. "So every veteran appreciates him … You’ve just got to love a guy who puts on a NASCAR event at a fine jewelry store."

Rieman met Keselowski during one of the ride-alongs that the driver often gave to military personnel in the Checkered Flag Foundation’s infancy. Surrounded by spotless glass cases filled with sparkling gems, the pair engaged in a lengthy conversation on Tuesday as the night was winding down. Staying past the event’s scheduled hours while working the room, Keselowski seemed to know a little about each of the foundation’s members.

"He’s a veteran who was in the Vietnam Era," Keselowski said, pointing out the organization’s founder Thomas Norman with whom he had just exchanged goodbyes. "He was (U.S. Army) Special Forces and for some reason, he got ranked up so quickly they wouldn’t send him over because he was too important … Feels like to me that there’s some kind of feeling that maybe he needs to do something back. So he’s done all kinds of different things. He started this (foundation) here I would say four years ago — a lot of growth, right?"

With the fame, fortune and stature that arrives with being a professional athlete, Keselowski shares a similar feeling of wanting to give back.

"Sports in general is very decadent, it always has been," Keselowski said. "There’s something to be said for that, as an escape. But those that live in the escape, I always feel like, maybe have a greater responsibility to do something outside of it.

"I sit back and look at the Tom Brady situation from this weekend and how much noise that makes in the media landscape. Then you think of so many other significant things going on the world right now that get zero recognition. So in that sense, I feel like those of us that are fortunate enough to get that recognition — for good or bad — always have to spread it to other areas."

This weekend, Keselowski’s No. 29 Ford in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series featured Careers for Veterans on the hood in Friday night’s NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, in which he finished fifth. For Keselowski, it’s another way to raise awareness for the cause that speaks to him.  

"I read this really great quote — I think it’s from Kevin Spacey, the actor — about how fortunate he was to ride the elevator up to where he is and how important it is to send the elevator back down," Keselowski said. "And I thought that was really inspiring.

"I’m not curing cancer. I make a very good living doing something that’s decadent. I couldn’t look myself in the mirror every morning, especially as I get older, knowing that I rode the elevator to the top and didn’t send it back down with something so decadent as driving a car.

"I’m very fortunate to have rode the elevator up."

Posted on by Holly Cain

Odds are good for overachieving JGR driver to make NASCAR’s playoffs

SHOP: Rowdy Returns T-Shirt | Busch gear

We’ve known for years that Kyle Busch is an overachiever.

His 141 wins in NASCAR’s three national series is most among active drivers and he accumulated them before even celebrating his 30th birthday earlier this month.

Busch has certainly surpassed mortal expectations off the track as well, returning behind the wheel of the No. 18 M&M’s Red Nose Day Toyota for Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (9 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM) only three months after severely breaking his right leg and left foot in the Feb. 21 season-opening XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

But his greatest feat is yet to be written.

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Despite his missing the first 11 races of the year, I believe Busch is going to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. There are not many drivers with whom you could walk that far out on a limb. Busch is one.

There has been much debate over NASCAR’s decision to grant him a medical waiver, which allows him try to earn a berth in the 16-driver playoff. But NASCAR has nothing to lose and everything to gain by the decision. Same with the fans.

RELATED: NASCAR grants Chase waiver to Busch

The waiver doesn’t provide Busch with anything more than an opportunity, and why would you begrudge him that?

He still must win a race and collect enough points to be ranked 30th or higher in the driver standings.

If Busch can meet the qualification guidelines in 15 races that everyone else had 26 to cover, then more power to him.

Just thinking about the run he’d need to put together puts the feat in the amazing category and reminds you of Tony Stewart‘s last fantastic championship run in 2011 when he won five of the 10 Chase races or reigning champ Kevin Harvick‘s current Cup output of eight first or second place finishes in 11 races this season.

These examples prove phenomenal is possible.

Yes, the odds are stacked against Busch. He’s essentially working with a 179-point deficit (Stewart is currently 30th with 179 points) and still recovering from a painful injury that will be intensely tested every minute and every lap he’s in the car. And, as Busch noted this week in announcing his return, these cars sport a new aero package that he has yet to race.

But, his older brother Kurt missed the first three races and hasn’t wasted much time figuring out the new car. He’s got a victory already and is 14th in points. And equally as telling, the drivers on the other end of the spectrum — the people Busch will need to overtake in points — have had all year to get accustomed to the car and still have not gotten a grip.

RELATED: Busch’s return a hot topic at Dover test

The upcoming schedule is also Busch friendly.

He has wins on 10 of the 13 tracks that make up the remaining 15 regular season races to set the Chase field, including both road courses, Sonoma Raceway (one) and Watkins Glen International (two).  The vast majority of his success — 19 of Busch’s 29 career Sprint Cup wins — have come on the series’ remaining regular season venues.

And he has four wins at Richmond International Raceway, site of the regular season finale, which quite possibly will be a make-or-break race for Busch in the final push for a Chase position.

It’s safe to say that in his career Busch has sometimes demonstrated a rebellious determination. That singular passionate commitment to winning — along with a whole lot of natural talent — have already made Busch an exceptional race car driver.

The fact that the odds are so stacked against him probably only makes him more determined.

It’s easy to temper expectations and dismiss Busch’s chances of overcoming all the hurdles between recovery and a championship berth.

But "easy" was never Busch’s path before his accident and difficulty doesn’t faze him.

Whether you’re a fan of Busch or not, watching him attempt what would be the greatest comeback in modern NASCAR history stands to be poignant, entertaining, compelling and inspiring.

And most definitely, exciting.

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10-week summer program begins at NASCAR Sprint All-Star Weekend

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 15, 2015) — Twenty of the best and brightest college students from across the country will descend on Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend as the sport introduces the 2015 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) class at NASCAR Sprint All-Star Weekend.

The interns come to NASCAR from as far north as the University of Minnesota and as far south as the University of Puerto Rico, and will take part in the 10-week, paid program, created to expose multicultural college students to employment opportunities within America’s No. 1 motorsport.

As the NDIP grows in popularity, so has the number of internship roles at NASCAR and other companies within the industry, in the areas of engineering, finance, marketing, licensing and public relations. Hendrick Motorsports, Rev Racing, Pocono Raceway and Switch, a marketing agency, are among the companies participating in 2015.

"Since 2000, the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program has grown to become one of the premier internships in sports," said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. "For NASCAR, the program is an important part of our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace."

Nearly 300 interns have participated in the NDIP since its inception, and many secured full-time jobs in motorsports following their internships. Recent graduates have found roles at NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation, Octagon and Toyota, among other companies tied to the industry. 

"The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program has proven to be an effective pipeline for hiring top talent across the industry," said Paula Miller, NASCAR senior vice president and chief human resources officer. "We have several former interns who now have key roles in helping to grow our sport."

Pedro Mojica, a graduate of The University of Texas at San Antonio, completed his NDIP internship in 2014 and now works full-time as an engineer for Toyota Racing Development.
 
"As an intern, I had the opportunity to become immersed in the world of NASCAR — a sport I was passionate about," said Mojica, who also participated in the NASCAR Mentorship Program. "The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program provided me with a platform to launch my career in motorsports."

Several former interns are now employed at NASCAR within multiple business units, including: Brandon Thompson, director, racing operations; Marvin Aylor Jr., manager, marketing; Lauren Houston, senior account executive, multicultural development; Kathryn Lee, senior coordinator, events; Jusan Hamilton, account executive, industry services; Ade Herbert, coordinator, communications; Jason Simmons, licensing assistant; and Cameron McCarty, pit road technician.

This weekend, the 2015 class will experience NASCAR 101 and receive guided tours of the NASCAR Research & Development Center, NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Motor Speedway before taking in Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET.

The class includes the following students from colleges and universities across the country:

Intern

Internship Assignment

College or University

Hometown

Kent Booze

NASCAR Brand and Consumer Marketing

Dartmouth College

Spiro, Okla.

Karl Bostick

Octagon Marketing

Elon University

Englewood, N.J.

Adrienne Bright

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

Central Michigan University

Flint, Mich.

Nichole Dominguez

NASCAR Weekly and Touring

University of Central Florida

Daytona Beach, Fla.

Sydnei Fryson

Rev Racing PR/Marketing

Hampton University

Charleston, W.V.

James Harris

Hendrick Marketing/Business Development

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Apex, N.C.

 

Zubin Jhambani

NASCAR Marketing Research

Syracuse University

Udaipur (Rajasthan), India

Giridhar Kathiresan

NASCAR Digital Media

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Chennai (Tami Nadu), India

Victoria Kim

Pocono Raceway Marketing

Penn State University

Horsham, Pa.

Jordan Leatherman

Switch Marketing

Oklahoma State University

Muskogee, Okla.

Yuyi Li

NASCAR Industry Services

Duke University

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Bice Lizza

NASCAR Human Resources

Penn State University

Montville, N.J.

Jade McCrary

NASCAR Member Services

Florida A&M University

Daytona Beach, Fla.

Cole McGinnis

NASCAR Licensing

University of Iowa

Davenport, Ia.

Jasmine Neely

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Charlotte, N.C.

Hakeem Onafowokan

NASCAR Legal

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minn.

Alexandre Pendegrass

NASCAR Multicultural Development

Howard University

Dallas, Texas

Keyzza Plaza

NASCAR Production Engineering

University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

Toa Alta, Puerto Rico

Tonya Vanderpool

NASCAR Finance

University of Central Florida

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Ashleigh Young

NASCAR Productions

Oklahoma State University

Santa Ana, Calif.

 

Posted on by RJ Kraft

Examining returns from significant injuries across other sports

Editor’s Note: Kraft’s Korner will offer a take on a current hot topic in sports.



RELATED: Busch to return for Sprint All-Star Race | Busch gets Chase waiver
SHOP: Busch gear

The heavily anticipated news of Kyle Busch‘s return from injury came down earlier this week. 



Busch’s return to the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing had been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks with young sensation Erik Jones filling in for him at Kansas. But now that we know when the 29-time Sprint Cup Series winner is returning, what can we expect?

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Busch will have been out for roughly three months when he gets back in the saddle for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM) and he has missed 11 points-paying races. He does, however, have a waiver for the Chase, meaning he needs to a win and finish the regular season in the top 30 in points to make the playoffs.

With a new rules package in place, not to mention getting his body used to driving a car for races ranging from 220.5 miles (Watkins Glen) to 600 miles (Charlotte), there will be some sort of adjustment period for Busch.

Busch is arguably in the prime of his career as he just turned 30. And that leads one to wonder how he will bounce back after suffering a compound fracture in his right leg and a broken left foot in the NASCAR XFINITY Series opener in February at Daytona.

How have stars in other sports bounced back from a lengthy time away from their sport?

We look at five case studies:

NFL: Tom Brady, Quarterback, New England Patriots: In the opening game of the 2008 season, Brady tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament and missed the season. At 32, Brady returned to win the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2009, throwing for 4,398 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2010. 



NBA: Derrick Rose, Point Guard, Chicago Bulls: A season after winning the NBA’s MVP Award, Rose, 23, tore the ACL in his left knee in the 2012 playoff opener. He sat out all of the following season. In the past two seasons, he has suffered a torn right knee meniscus and a right medial meniscus tear. Now 26, the former No. 1 pick has shown flashes of the player he was before the initial injury but has played in just 61 of a possible 164 regular-season games the past two seasons.



MLB: Buster Posey, Catcher, San Francisco Giants: Posey missed most of the 2011 season after suffering a fractured fibula and torn ligaments in his ankle in a collision at home plate. The following season Posey responded with his best year to date with 24 home runs, 103 RBIs and a .336 batting average en route to winning the 2012 National League MVP at age 25.



Golf: Tiger Woods. Woods was on pace to break Jack Nicklaus’ mark of 18 major championships before numerous knee ailments (and off-course drama) derailed his shot at being the gold standard on the links. His last major win (and 14th of his career) came in the 2008 U.S. Open, but he has gone winless in the past 27 majors. And while he still is formidable, he isn’t the threat to win every week like he was before the physical ailments.


NASCAR: Tony Stewart, Stewart-Haas Racing. A sprint car accident at Southern Iowa Speedway left the three-time champion sidelined for the remainder of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season with broken tibia and fibula bones in his right leg (in total he has had four surgeries). The three-time champion was 42 when the injury happened. In 44 races since, he has just three top fives, eight top 10s and 139 laps led.

The examples above are a bit of a mixed bag. While Busch and Stewart are in the same sport, they were both at different points in their careers when they suffered their injuries. Stewart and Woods have struggled to find their footing in recent years. Busch and Brady are the closest in age at the time of injury and the Patriots quarterback has performed at a high level in recent years (no matter what your position is on "Deflategate"). Posey bounced right back from his injury and is the prime of his career, while Rose is still working to get back to the elite level.



It will likely take some time to get back up to speed, but it’s hard not to see him finding Victory Lane in one of the 25 points races remaining on the schedule. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has had a knack for getting a win in every full-time season he has run. Perhaps it will also benefit him in the short term to just be focused on Cup duty before adding in other series to his slate. 



Comeback stories are fun to watch play out as fans and followers. And Kyle Busch‘s is only just getting started with his return to the track this weekend.


MORE: Holly Cain on whether Busch will make the Chase

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Just .005 seconds separate pair in green-white-checkered finish

RELATED: Complete results from NC Education Lottery 200

CONCORD, N.C. — Driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports, in the organization’s second start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, polesitter Kasey Kahne won a two-lap drag race against Erik Jones to earn his fifth victory in six starts in the series.
 
Kahne’s victory in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway denied the dominant No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota of Jones, who led 88 laps but ran a disappointing second after a late caution forced a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race five laps past its scheduled distance of 134 laps.
 
In his six Truck Series starts, Kahne has five wins and a second-place finish.

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Kahne’s No. 00 Chevrolet, however, failed post-race inspection. NASCAR deemed the front of the truck too low on both sides and too high in the right rear. The sanctioning body will take the truck to its nearby research-and-development center for further evaluation.
 
If penalties are forthcoming, they will be announced next week.

Kahne’s margin of victory was a mere .005 seconds, tied for second closest in series history behind the .002-second margin of Kyle Busch over Aric Almirola at Talladega in October 2010.
 
"Jones was really fast," Kahne said. "He was kind of in a league of his own when he could get to clean air. I knew if we could stay back and stay with him (on the final restart), as long as he didn’t get to clean air, it would be all right…
 
"I was able to side-draft, and it worked out perfect to get back to the line."
 
Less than half a lap before Jones would have taken the white flag — after Jones made a deft pass for the lead to the outside on Lap 131 — Daniel Hemric‘s accident in Turn 1 caused the fifth caution of the night, sending the race to overtime.
 
Jones picked the outside lane for the final restart on Lap 138, but couldn’t clear Kahne, who side-drafted Jones’ Toyota Tundra off the final corner and beat him to the stripe.
 
In the wake of last week’s misfortune at Kansas Speedway, where Jones led 151 of 167 laps but ran short of fuel while leading late in the race, Friday night’s result left the young driver bitterly disappointed.
 
"It’s really a shame that we can’t bring it home," Jones said. "I really thought tonight was the night. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t do it…
 
"It just sucks. I don’t know what to say. It just really, really hurts. I can’t believe it, man. I really wanted this one, and it’s hard to come home second."
 
Interestingly, though Kahne and Jones qualified on the front row, both drivers had to start the race from the rear of the field, Kahne for an unapproved adjustment (changing a broken shock) and Jones for arriving late to the drivers’ meeting.
 
But by Lap 26, after the first caution, Jones had the lead, a position he maintained until the late caution gave Kahne the opportunity he needed.

Posted on by Staff Report

No. 00 JR Motorsports Chevrolet headed to R&D Center

CONCORD, N.C. — Post-race inspection placed a slight damper on Kasey Kahne‘s photo-finish victory Friday night in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

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The JR Motorsports No. 00 Chevrolet driven by Kahne failed inspection after the N.C. Education Lottery 200, failing to meet ride-height requirements on three corners of the truck. The No. 00 measured too low in the front on both sides and was too high in the right-rear portion.

A NASCAR spokesperson said a decision on any penalties for the infractions would likely be reached Tuesday.

Kahne held off standout rookie Erik Jones by .005 seconds in a green-white-checkered overtime finish. The victory, Kahne’s fifth in sixth career starts on the tailgate tour, was JRM’s first in the Camping World Truck Series. It also marked Chevrolet’s 200th triumph in NASCAR Truck competition.