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Furniture Row Racing driver looks to have put 2014 woes behind him
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HAMPTON, Ga. — Last season was the worst of Martin Truex Jr.’s career. Go ahead and ask him; he’ll own it.
2015 is shaping up to be his best.
After showing speed in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet throughout Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway (second in the Sprint Unlimited, fifth in his Budweiser Duel, eighth in the Daytona 500), Truex Jr. backed up his hot start by finishing sixth in Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
When did his second top-10 finish of the season come last year? At Dover, in June. He only managed three more on top of that the rest of the season. Now he’s got two in two races.
"Yeah it was good, another good weekend. That is two-for-two on good weekends," Truex Jr. said on pit road following the race. "I just really wanted a top-five there. I just wasn’t really quite as good as those guys on the short run. And in dirty air I needed a little bit longer runs and to be able to kind of pick and choose my lanes where I needed to be.
"All in all, what can I say? All the guys at Furniture Row are doing a great job. This beats where we were last year by about 35 spots at this time of the year. Excited about what everybody is doing and really pumped up to get the rest of the year going."
To say that Truex needed to come out in 2015 and get off to a hot start is an understatement. But it wasn’t close to being something to count on.
In his first year with the organization in 2014 after his departure from Michael Waltrip Racing, the team never quite put things together and the New Jersey-native finished a career-worst 24th in the final standings.
A crew chief change from Todd Berrier to Cole Pearn is certainly a piece of how Truex has come out strong, but it also may have something to do with the new technical package NASCAR rolled out for the 2015 season.
"We ran it once last year at California, testing, and I just like the feel of it a lot better," Truex said of the package, which lowered the rear spoiler two inches. "In the past, I’ve always had my most success with the least amount of downforce we’ve ever had, so it kind of plays into my hands a little and I think the feel of the car a lot better."
It’s clearly working, as Truex sits in fifth place after the season’s first two races, the highest the one-car Colorado-based Furniture Row has ever been in the Sprint Cup Series standings in its 10-year history.
The series now heads to another 1.5-mile track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where we’ll get to see if Truex and the 78 team are able to continue the fast speeds they’ve been showing.
With another five points-paying races at intermediate tracks left before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cutoff, strength at the 1.5-milers could pay dividends for Truex to make his return to the sport’s playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Atlanta was a good start.
"We had a good plan going into the offseason of knowing what we had to do to turn the program around," said Truex. "Hats off to Cole Pearn and (owner) Joe Garone and everybody that has been pushing all the buttons and making the right decision over the winter.
"It is fun to drive race cars that are fast and to be running good again."
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Hamlin, Jones and Said to sub for the injured Kyle Busch
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Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones and Boris Said will sub for Kyle Busch in the No. 54 NASCAR XFINITY Series Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing announced on Monday.
Busch returned to his Charlotte, North Carolina, home as he recovers from a compound fracture of the right lower leg and left mid-foot fracture, suffered in the XFINITY Series opener at Daytona International Speedway last month. There is no specific timetable for Busch to get back behind the wheel.
"We hate this for Kyle obviously and I think everyone is focused on getting him back healthy," Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing said in a release provided by the team. "We can’t thank Monster Energy and all of our partners enough for working with us while Kyle is recovering and certainly it is nice to have Denny and Erik ready to fill in. We’re also excited that Boris will have the opportunity to drive the car for seven races in 2015."
Hamlin will pilot the car this weekend at Las Vegas for the Boyd Gaming 300 (Saturday, Mar. 7, 4 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1) and in four other events. Those events are at Auto Club Speedway on March 21, Texas Motor Speedway (April 10), Bristol Motor Speedway (April 18) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 23). Hamlin had been previously scheduled for six NASCAR XFINITY Series events, but these additions bring that total up to 11. Hamlin currently runs full-time for JGR in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, piloting the No. 11 Toyota.
Jones, who drove the No. 54 Toyota at Atlanta last weekend, will be back behind the wheel of the car at Phoenix International Raceway (March 14) and again at Richmond International Raceway (April 24). Jones finished 13th at Atlanta last weekend. The 18-year-old is running a full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports and is also running a partial schedule for JGR in the No. 20 NASCAR XFINITY Series Toyota. Jones will now be running an estimated 19 NASCAR XFINITY Series events, according to a release provided by the team.
Said will be behind the wheel for mostly the non-companion events on the NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule. His first start is set for Talladega Superspeedway on May 2. He will also run events at Iowa Speedway on May 17 and August 1, Chicagoland Speedway on June 20, Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course on August 15, Road America on August 29 and Kentucky Speedway on September 26. Said is primarily known for his road course abilities with both of his NASCAR premier series starts in 2014 coming on road courses.
Last week, JGR announced that David Ragan would be subbing for Busch in the No. 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota for the next several weeks.
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Nickelodeon signs on for title sponsorship of Sprint Cup race in May
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Nickelodeon announced Monday that it has joined forced with Kansas Speedway for a unique entitlement sponsorship for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race May 9, now called the SpongeBob SquarePants 400.
The deal with the children’s TV network and the long-running animated series, which began in 1999, expands NASCAR’s reach to a younger demographic. Plans are already afoot for costumed character appearances and a SpongeBob SquarePants photo station in the Kansas Speedway Fan Zone.
"The SpongeBob SquarePants 400 gives Nickelodeon the opportunity to expand its relationship with NASCAR, while working with a best-in-class track to give fans a unique, engaging and high-quality race experience that the whole family can enjoy," said Pam Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Consumer Products for Nickelodeon Group. "Nickelodeon has embarked on some great initiatives with NASCAR over the last 10 years, sponsoring and participating in marquee racing events that have resonated with motorsports fans across the country."
Nickelodeon already has a tradition of partnership with NASCAR, dating back to 2004’s sponsorship of the Lowe’s Presents the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in what is now known as the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch participated in SpongeBob SquarePants-themed cars, finishing third and fifth respectively behind race winner Mike Bliss. The network also brought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Atlanta Motor Speedway last September.
Conversely, NASCAR stars have taken part in plenty of Nickelodeon programming in recent years, including the Kids’ Choice Awards (Danica Patrick, 2012 and 2013), Kids’ Choice Sports Awards (Danica Patrick, 2014), Team Umizoomi (Jeff Gordon, 2012), Hammer Down (2014). Johnson is slated to appear in an episode of the Nick Jr. show Bubble Guppies this year.
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Four-race partnership begins this week in Las Vegas
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Carl Edwards and Joe Gibbs Racing have added Comcast to their sponsorship lineup for the 2015 season. Comcast will serve as the primary sponsor for four races on the No. 19 Toyota Camry.
The partnership begins this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Kobalt 400 (March 8, 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX) with Comcast Business as the primary paint scheme for Edwards. This marks the first major sponsorship deal in NASCAR for the company’s business services unit that provides data, Internet, TV and other communication services to businesses of all sizes. Comcast Business will also adorn the No. 19 Toyota at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500 (April 19, 1 p.m. ET, FOX).
XFINITY, Comcast’s residential brand for Internet, TV and other bundled communication, will have the primary paint scheme for Edwards in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sept. 27, 2 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network) and the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway (Nov. 1, 1:15 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network). XFINITY also serves as the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
"We’re excited about this partnership with Comcast as they continue to grow in the sport, and I’ve had a great time so far working with them in preparation for Las Vegas," Edwards said in a release. "I’m excited to continue to build the relationship with them this year and hopefully we can put them into Victory Lane."
In addition to Comcast, ARRIS and Stanley serve as primary sponsors this season on the No. 19 Toyota.
Through two races in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Edwards is 14th in the point standings.
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See what’s coming this week to NASCAR.com
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Here’s what you’ll see on NASCAR.com this week:
MONDAY: Martin Truex Jr. has had an awful recent streak of bad luck on and off the track — it’s why he’s celebrating a good start to 2015.
TUESDAY: Logano … Johnson … Earnhardt Jr. … Harvick. Just who is No. 1 in our Power Rankings? Plus our weekly video of the best sounds from the scanner.
WEDNESDAY: Check out the new paint schemes for this weekend’s action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
THURSDAY: Who’s best at Las Vegas? It might surprise you. Driver Reports will have the full story.
FRIDAY: Can’t be on social media all week? No worries. We’ll give you the eight best NASCAR-related tweets of the week.
Also coming this week: From @nascarcasm — Why the safety workers were the (hilarious) stars at Atlanta … senior writer Holly Cain has a story on the Las Vegas race, which won’t have either of the hometown Busch brothers entered … senior writer Kenny Bruce will analyze the new rules package, which has drivers and crew chiefs thrilled with the racing.
NASCAR executive also discusses qualifying inspection and more
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NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said Monday that there is "no greater priority" for the sanctioning body and its affiliated tracks than the expanded use of impact-absorbing protective barriers.
O’Donnell’s remarks, made during a video interview Monday morning with NASCAR.com (which you can watch above), came one day after Jeff Gordon made heavy contact with an unprotected concrete retaining wall on the backstretch at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Gordon’s wreck came just eight days after a heavy crash at Daytona International Speedway that indefinitely sidelined Kyle Busch with multiple lower-leg injuries after he hit a concrete wall without the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier system.
O’Donnell said his team will continue to focus on additional safety measures — with both immediate and longer-term implications — as the NASCAR schedule turns this weekend to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the opening venue in the three-race West Coast swing.
"I think from our perspective, no different than Daytona," O’Donnell said. "We said that there’s no greater priority for NASCAR in working with the tracks to have SAFER everywhere. In terms of where it makes sense, obviously there’s some challenges with different gates where you’ve got to look at some other technologies, but for us, the process is in place for short-term plans where we’ve worked with Atlanta and the upcoming West Coast tracks, and longer-term, implementing the SAFER barriers as quickly as we can."
As a short-term safety measure, Atlanta speedway officials added 130 linear feet of tire barriers along the frontstretch in the days leading up to Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, a move by track president Ed Clark that drew commendations from O’Donnell. But tire barriers weren’t in place for Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet at the point of contact, just feet from where the backstretch’s SAFER coverage ended.
"One clarification, I think some of the fans I saw on social media asked why weren’t there tire barriers where Jeff hit, and that’s a challenge for us because that’s not always the best solution," O’Donnell said. "In that case, potentially a tire barrier can sling the car back out into traffic, and obviously that presents an even greater issue. We are working with the tracks short-term to implement any and all safety initiatives we can. Obviously, we believe the car is as safe as it possibly can be. There’s always new learnings that we can apply, but again, no greater priority for us and the tracks than to implement SAFER."
The rest of the Atlanta race weekend provided a virtual potpourri of topics for O’Donnell’s competition department. In terms of new pit-road officiating technology, which debuted with the season-opening Daytona 500, O’Donnell said teams have adapted quickly to the system and that the feared rash of penalties hasn’t materialized early on.
The officiating process has brought a new level of transparency to governing pit stops, a development that should take another leap forward next month at Texas Motor Speedway, O’Donnell indicated.
"We’re seeing calls made but we have the ability to immediately get that to television, to the race fans, and ultimately to the teams to show them what the penalty is and why we called it," he said. "As we head into Texas, we’ll continue to get better. We’ll be able to send that video almost in real time to the pit box, which again will be another improvement. We really like the way that it’s performed so far. We’re learning every week, but it’s something that can get better and better as the season goes on."
O’Donnell also tackled the topic of the inspection process and why 13 teams were left in the cold for Coors Light Pole Qualifying on Friday at Atlanta, forcing several championship-caliber drivers to start from the rear of the 43-car field. Several drivers were critical of the delays, which O’Donnell said could prompt an expanded window of inspection time this weekend.
"When you look at everyone coming into the event, we had some challenges through the inspection process," O’Donnell said. "With the new rules, teams are going to push the envelope a little bit, but there’s also some learnings on our side where as we go into Vegas, we can look at some different things, potentially extend the inspection process, but overall really happy with seeing the level of competition."
O’Donnell also recapped his observations from a busy Saturday schedule, which featured the first scheduled same-day doubleheader for two NASCAR national series at the same track. O’Donnell again lauded Clark’s cooperation, saying that the turnaround time between the races for the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series went quicker than expected.
O’Donnell left the door open for future twin bills if other speedways expressed interest.
"I think it’s a balance," O’Donnell said. "It depends on the marketplace. It’s obviously got to work, and work within the weekend schedule. Certainly, Atlanta provided that for us with its close proximity to a lot of the teams’ homes. We’ll get feedback from the industry. If the tracks that were out there saw that and want to take a look at it, that’s something we would certainly entertain."
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XFINITY Series regular has served as sub for first two Sprint Cup races of ’15
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Regan Smith will remain interim driver of Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 41 Chevrolet this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in place of suspended driver Kurt Busch.
Sunday’s Kobalt 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX) will mark the third straight race that Smith has filled in for Busch, who was suspended indefinitely Feb. 20 — two days ahead of the season-opening Daytona 500. Smith finished 16th (Daytona) and 17th (Atlanta) in his two previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts for Stewart-Haas this season.
According to the release provided by SHR, the team has not decided on an interim driver for the following weekend’s race, March 15 at Phoenix International Speedway, or beyond.
Busch was suspended after a Delaware family court ruled that a "preponderance of the evidence" indicated that Busch "committed an act of domestic violence" last September. Busch agreed last Friday to NASCAR’s terms and conditions to pursue reinstatement.
Smith has four career victories in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, where he competes for championship points for JR Motorsports. The 31-year-old driver also has one Sprint Cup victory, bringing Furniture Row Racing its only win in 2011 at Darlington Raceway.
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Get a breakdown of how the full 43-car field fared in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500
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1. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Finding his way to clear air on the race’s final restart, Johnson got all the encouragement he needed over the team’s in-car radio: "Leg it, baby. Leg it." The six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion did, pulling away to his fourth victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway and the 71st of his career in NASCAR’s top series. Sign up for Scanner today to hear in-car audio. | Sign up for Scanner today to hear in-car audio
2. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. The defending Sprint Cup champion had to carve his way from the back of the field after suffering engine failure during Saturday practice, but was perched atop the leaderboard by the 87th lap in the 325-lap distance. Harvick wound up leading a race-high 116 laps in recording his second runner-up finish in two races thus far in 2015. | WATCH: Johnson holds off Harvick for the win
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Junior has opened the season by going 2-for-2 in posting third-place finishes despite sustaining front-end damage Sunday when he ran into a piece of debris in the late going. Though he consistently was near the front of the pack, Earnhardt led just one lap all afternoon. | WATCH: Dale Jr.: Crew chief Ives is ‘a pretty good cheerleader’
4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. The Daytona 500 champ continued his hot streak by winning the Coors Light Pole Award on Friday. Though he lacked the power to mount a challenge over the final green-flag run, Logano will enter next Sunday’s Kobalt 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the Sprint Cup points leader. | WATCH: Out Front with Miss Coors Light
5. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The JGR driver — who led 10 laps Sunday and lined up second for the final restart — watched his losing skid stretch to 46 races (dating back to 2013) after a slight fade just before the checkered flag.
6. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. The modest rejuvenation continues for Truex and the Colorado-based team owned by Barney Visser. The Furniture Row bunch registered just five top-10 finishes in all 36 races last year; two races into 2015, Truex and Co. already have a pair of single-digit results. | MORE: Truex looks to put 2014 woes behind him
7. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing. A strong finish on an intermediate track helped lift the spirits of the single-car organization, which qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs for the first time last year. After just two races, Allmendinger is slotted in a tie for eighth in the series standings. | MORE: Chase Grid after two races
8. Brett Moffitt, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. The former NASCAR Next driver needed to receive the free pass two times to do it, but Moffitt closed the deal on the lead lap on a day of firsts for his career-best finish in just his eighth Sprint Cup start. Brian Vickers is scheduled to return to MWR’s No. 55 ride next weekend at Las Vegas.
9. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. The 2012 champion had hopes for a top-five finish, but his aspirations were also tempered with temporary resignation over what he thought could have been a subpar 15th-place result. "We were just kind of up and down and floating all day long," Keselowski said after settling for somewhere in the middle of his expectations in ninth place.
10. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman appeared sunk after absorbing significant damage in a four-car crash on Lap 257, but hard work from his RCR crew in making repairs buoyed Newman to a surprising top-10.
11. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. After opening up 2014 with patchwork finishes of 39th, 15th, 25th, third and 43rd, Almirola has some consistency to crow about this season. "That’s a big head start from last year!" Almirola tweeted after his second straight top-15 finish pushed him into a tie for eighth in Sprint Cup points. | MORE: Follow drivers on Social Drive
12. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards was the beneficiary of the race’s next-to-last yellow flag, helping him recover from a seemingly disastrous flat tire in the 274th lap for a lead-lap finish.
13. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. The Wisconsin native couldn’t shake the unluckiest of numbers, starting and finishing 13th as the final driver on the lead lap.
14. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. The track that produced Kahne’s last-ditch clincher into the Chase field last September wasn’t so kind this time around. A pit-road penalty for a rolling-tire infraction in the 293rd lap forced the Hendrick Motorsports driver to make a pass-through on pit lane during green-flag conditions.
15. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Sunday’s top-15 finish wasn’t quite the windfall the Germain team received from Mears’ sixth-place run in the Daytona 500, but the solid day kept its driver in the same position in Sprint Cup points — sixth.
16. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Atlanta provided the backdrop for Patrick’s career-best Sprint Cup finish of sixth place last season. While 16th place marked a slip in performance, the effort — coupled with 21st place the previous week at Daytona — launched Patrick into the final spot on the provisional Chase grid.
17. Regan Smith, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Smith’s second start as a substitute for suspended Kurt Busch had nearly the same result as the first, just one spot lower than his 16th place in the Daytona 500. The degree of difficulty may have been greater at Atlanta, though, after Smith’s No. 41 was crumpled in a multicar fracas 20 laps from the end. | WATCH: Big wreck brings out the red flag
18. David Ragan, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Ragan pushed the No. 18 car up into the top five in the early stages of his first start as a fill-in for injured Kyle Busch, but said he was "a little timid" in making needed adjustments as the 500-miler went on. "I felt like we had a good, solid top-10 car and things just didn’t shake out," Ragan said.
19. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne was at the head of the Roush Fenway class at Atlanta, but frustrated in finishing two laps down. The midpack result left him hoping to see the team’s determination rewarded soon. "I see a lot of people trying to work together and that’s where it starts," Bayne said. "We obviously haven’t seen any results as far as speed is concerned."
20. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Allgaier made the most of his survival instinct after two instances of evasive action in the race’s late stages. The second-year driver brushed the wall avoiding the Lap 257 pile-up that snared four cars, then dipped to the apron to dodge the Lap 305 snarl that grabbed seven more competitors.
21. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Inopportune timing put Hornish in the path of debris from Austin Dillon’s blown tire in the 60th lap. Damage to the front end jolted the grille and left the RPM No. 9 crew fighting an uphill battle for most of the race; his own flat tire and a later brush with the wall only compounded the trouble.
22. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Gilliland pressed on after a bump from behind in the four-car crash on the 257th lap. He also stayed on the track during the race’s fourth yellow flag to lead a lap for the first time at Atlanta since March 2010.
23. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. After failing to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500, Bowman opened his season at Atlanta as one of the biggest movers in a race filled with them. The second-year Sprint Cup driver gained 19 spots from his starting position.
24. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer gained track position by staying on the track late in the race, but his day went from sour to downright acidic in a hurry. An engine issue developed with around 35 laps left, just before the race’s final crash engulfed him with 20 to go.
25. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. The Biff fought an ill-handling car most of the day, but lost the most ground when he overcooked his entry into Turn 3 on the race’s next-to-last restart, igniting the race’s biggest crash.
26. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. The site of an eighth-place finish last season held much higher promise for 2014’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year, but sustaining plenty of contact in the race’s biggest crash near the finish prompted Larson to tweet afterward: "Such a frustrating race. Top 5 car but had no luck." | MORE: Follow drivers on Social Drive
27. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing. The small, family-owned team found some solace in McDowell’s best result in five career starts at Atlanta, marking the first time he was running at the finish at the 1.54-mile venue.
28. Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. The Jay Robinson-owned start-up team recovered after failing to qualify for the Daytona 500 with Brian Scott. It marked the occasion of Gaughan’s first Sprint Cup start since August 2013.
29. Michael Annett, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport Racing. Annett and Co. struck an 11th-hour deal to jump in the Joe Falk-owned ride after his regular HScott Motorsports No. 46 ride missed out on Coors Light Pole Qualifying. The last-minute move kept his goal of a complete Sprint Cup season alive.
30. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart was one of several drivers who started near the back of the pack after issues clearing Friday’s pre-qualifying inspection. Smoke grappled with handling woes for much of the race, but matters got worse with involvement in the event’s final multicar crash.
31. Mike Bliss, No. 32 Ford, GoFAS Racing. The 49-year-old veteran stayed on the track during a pair of early caution periods to pace two laps, marking his first lap led in the Sprint Cup Series since March 4, 2012 (Phoenix). It also was the first time since August 27, 2005 (Bristol) that Bliss has led multiple laps in a Sprint Cup race.
32. Josh Wise, No. 98 Ford, Phil Parsons Racing. Wise was among the first bitten by the new pit road officiating system, incurring a Lap 28 penalty for crew members coming over the wall too soon. Though seven laps down, Wise managed his best finish in three career starts at Atlanta.
33. Joe Nemechek, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The man with the Front Row nickname made his first appearance in Front Row Motorsports equipment, but contact from Greg Biffle’s spin left his car and hopes dented for his first Sprint Cup event of the year.
34. JJ Yeley, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Slight damage from debris early in the race slowed Yeley, who managed to improve upon the 40th-place result from the season-opening Daytona 500.
35. Jeb Burton, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. As the only rookie in the 43-car field, Burton made his Sprint Cup debut, forging on after a mid-race scrape with the wall.
36. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse played the role of pinball in the race’s biggest crash; though several cars were involved, the No. 17 was the only one unable to continue.
37. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. An engine that would’ve made a 400-mile distance couldn’t quite withstand the full 500, first dropping a cylinder before expiring altogether, dumping fluid on the track and causing the race’s next-to-last caution period.
38. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin led twice for 14 laps, but found himself sideways in the middle of the track when he lost control on a late-race restart. Three more cars piled in, prompting Hamlin to offer sympathies: "I apologize to all those cars involved, but it’s tough." | WATCH: Hamlin spins and collects several drivers
39. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. A pair of rear tire troubles in rapid succession, both of which sprayed debris on the 1.54-mile track, derailed Dillon’s day. The second instance, with the car already laboring from earlier damage, sent the RCR No. 3 off into the muddy infield and later behind the wall for extensive repairs. | WATCH: Dillon spins after cutting a tire
40. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. After starting third, Jamie Mac didn’t have visions of finishing in the bottom five Sunday at Atlanta. The tangle that also thwarted three others when Denny Hamlin lost control took him by surprise: "I didn’t see any of that coming," McMurray said. "That was kind of out of the blue."
41. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. The four-time champion drew a Lap 24 tribute from the track with his car number blanketing the main scoring pylon early on, but enduring a crash for the second straight week has his final full Sprint Cup season off to a ragged start. Finishes of 33rd at Daytona and 41st at Atlanta have relegated Gordon to a tie for 35th place in the points standings. | WATCH: Big wreck brings out red flag
42. Ron Hornaday Jr., No. 30 Chevrolet, The Motorsports Group. After failing to qualify for the Daytona 500, the four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion made his first Sprint Cup start since 2003 on Sunday. The Curtis Key-owned start-up team parked just past the halfway point at Atlanta with a rear gearing malfunction.
43. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Starting last, Cassill seemingly had nowhere to go but up at Atlanta. Instead, the 25-year-old driver stayed level as the race’s first retiree for the second straight week, posting consecutive 43rd-place finishes after two engine failures to start the season.
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NASCAR spokesman: There is ‘no timetable whatsoever’
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Suspended driver Kurt Busch has agreed to NASCAR’s terms and conditions to pursue reinstatement last Friday, starting the process toward regaining his competition license.
NASCAR issued an indefinite suspension Feb. 20, barring Busch from all NASCAR-related activity after a Delaware family court commissioner found a "preponderance of the evidence" indicated that Busch "committed an act of domestic violence" against former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll last September at Dover International Speedway.
NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said Monday morning that the sanctioning body consulted with an outside expert to personalize the terms and conditions that Busch will need to meet, adding that there is not a target date in place for his potential return to Sprint Cup Series competition.
"No timetable whatsoever. That’s what the experts tell us," Higdon said. "There are certain things that need to happen within a certain period of time, but there’s no timetable in terms of a return perspective. Secondly, before we put this in place when we worked with the experts on it, they were very adamant about saying the most important thing if you pursue any type of action in this area that you need to have a return-back program. That was why this was atop of our list as soon as the penalty was assessed, our next course of action was to clearly get in front of him the terms and conditions for the reinstatement of the license."
Higdon said that Busch’s path toward possible reinstatement is separate from the terms of the report filed by Kent County (Del.) Commissioner David Jones, who required that Busch "be evaluated by a licensed mental health professional" and to complete any prescribed plan of treatment.
"It’s very much tailored to each individual case," Higdon said of NASCAR’s requirements, drawing comparisons to programs it has previously created for substance abuse and diversity sensitivity issues. "Ultimately, we’ve tried to get among the best in the class to execute the program, and we let them do that externally and then let them come back to us with their recommendations."
The former Sprint Cup Series champion made two appeals Feb. 21, the day after the penalty was announced and the day before the season-opening Daytona 500, but both challenges to the ruling were denied. In both hearings, the two infractions in the NASCAR Rule Book — Section 12.1.a: Actions detrimental to stock car racing; and 12.8: Behavioral penalty — were upheld, first by a three-person National Motorsports Appeals Panel and lastly by National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss.
Regan Smith, last year’s runner-up in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, has filled in for Busch in the first two Sprint Cup events of the season as driver of the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Chevrolet. He will again pilot the car this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
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