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Paul Wolfe, wife welcome first child

AVONDALE, Ariz. — The polesitter for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Phoenix International Raceway will be without his crew chief, who has returned home for the birth of his first child.

Brad Keselowski tweeted Saturday morning that Paul Wolfe would miss Sunday’s event on the 1-mile oval. Brian Wilson, lead engineer for Penske Racing’s No. 2 team, will now handle car adjustments at Phoenix while veteran crew chief Greg Erwin — who oversaw Sam Hornish Jr.‘s NASCAR Nationwide Series program last season — will make strategy calls.

After finishing third in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Phoenix, Keselowski said Wolfe told him he was heading home in between opening Sprint Cup practice and Nationwide qualifying. The No. 2 team knew Wolfe’s departure was a possibility entering the weekend.

"We were definitely prepared, but that doesn’t mean we’re not concerned," Keselowski said. "There’s always concern. There’s a reason why Paul is the crew chief on the No. 2 car, it’s because he’s a great guy and he knows what he’s doing, and he’s our best guy from that perspective. So there’s always a concern there, but you try to prepare as best you can and try to understand the personal significance of what it is to go through what he’s going through. Hopefully, it all goes great."

Wolfe flew home to North Carolina on Keselowski’s jet. Wolfe and Keselowski have worked together since 2011, and all but one of Keselowski’s 10 career victories at the Sprint Cup level have come with Wolfe on the pit box. The 2012 series champion competed in two races last season without Wolfe due to a penalty, with former crew chief and Penske testing coordinator Kevin Buskirk filling in. Keselowski finished 32nd at Darlington and 36th at Charlotte in those races.

Erwin, now director of Nationwide operations at Penske, won five Sprint Cup races with Greg Biffle during his days at Roush Fenway, and last season helped Hornish to one victory and a second-place finish in Nationwide points before that program was shut down. Erwin also worked with Penske driver Joey Logano (though not as the crew chief) when No. 22 crew chief Todd Gordon served a brief suspension last season under a NASCAR penalty, and Wilson and Keselowski have worked together for several years.

"We’ll get through it," Keselowski said. "We’ve got Greg Erwin here. It was disappointing to have to shut down the 12 Nationwide team last year, but one of the benefits of that is a pretty significant gain in depth. And in this instance, it’s having Greg Erwin here to fill in. He filled for Joey’s team last year when we went through all of our stuff, and he’ll be filling tomorrow along with our team engineer, Brian Wilson. These are always great opportunities to see individuals that can step up and are ready for the next opportunity. So from that perspective, it’s a little bit exciting."

Keselowski won the pole at Phoenix with a track-record speed in the first group qualifying session employed at the Sprint Cup level. Keselowski finished third last weekend in the Daytona 500.

"We have a great car which we were able to showcase on Friday," Keselowski said. "We’ve got our work cut out for us trying to keep up with Kevin (Harvick) — he looks to be a lot faster than everybody else. … But it is what it is, and we’ll make the most of it and try to appreciate the seriousness of the situation for Paul and the significance for his family."

UPDATE: A Wolfe family member tweeted at 3:26 a.m. ET on Sunday that Paul Wolfe welcomed the newest member of the "Wolfe Pack." Keselowski offers a congrats to the new father. 

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Teammates have deep history, appreciation for each other

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AVONDALE, Ariz. — Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s first race victory with Hendrick Motorsports was a fuel-mileage nail-biter more than five years ago in Michigan, where he cut the engine on and off to save gas in the final laps, and coasted home on fumes. The triumph ended a 76-race winless skid for NASCAR’s most popular driver, and when teammate Jimmie Johnson came to congratulate him in Victory Lane, Earnhardt could think of only one thing to say.

"I’m a winner," he told Johnson.

"I know you are," the then-two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion replied.

There are many people who have helped fuel Earnhardt’s resurgence, which began in earnest with a strong stretch run to last season, and reached a new high last weekend with the driver’s second Daytona 500 championship. There’s owner Rick Hendrick, who stood by Earnhardt during a disheartening start to his stint with NASCAR’s best organization. There’s crew chief Steve Letarte, who helped renew his driver’s focus and confidence behind the wheel.

And there’s Johnson, whose run of success has set the bar at Hendrick and elsewhere, and has become an unfailing friend to and supporter of Earnhardt since even before the teams of the two drivers were housed in the same facility on the Hendrick complex north of Charlotte, N.C.

"Jimmie has always been one of my biggest fans," said Earnhardt, a two-time winner at Phoenix International Raceway. "Even before we were in the same shop, you know? I’ve known him for a very long time, before he was a champion, when he was just getting starting, he was wondering what kind of motorhome to buy. It’s been a long road for both of us. He enjoys seeing me do well, and I feel the same way about him. So we’ve got a great relationship. It’s really great to be in the same shop together. We feed off of their success. I think they do the same with us. Hopefully, we can continue that."

They would seem an odd couple — one a six-time champion whose legacy in NASCAR is already ironclad, the other the son of a seven-time champion who is still working to build a legacy of his own. Nothing drives the denizens of Junior Nation into fits quicker than their man finishing second behind Johnson, something that happened three times a season ago. But although their fan bases may exist at polar extremes, the two drivers are close, and have been since Earnhardt first met Johnson at the latter’s second NASCAR Nationwide Series start, at Gateway International Raceway outside St. Louis in 1998.

Earnhardt won that event, on the way to the first of his back-to-back championships in that series. Johnson, driving then for owner Tad Geschickter, finished an anonymous 15th. When Earnhardt joined Hendrick prior to the 2008 campaign, the dynamic was very different — suddenly Earnhardt was the one trying to find his footing, and Johnson was the established incumbent with a string of titles to his name. The reciprocal relationship between the two drivers, though, has never changed.

"With Junior, I always just kind of reached out to him and let him know I was there if he wanted to talk about race cars, the team or really anything for that matter," said Johnson, a four-time winner at Phoenix, site of Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series event. "With his personality, if you’re in his face a lot or telling him what you think or almost preaching to him — telling him what he should do — it’s not going to work out.

"In some ways, I’ve tried to lead by example and just do my thing. He is a very, very observant guy — especially with what goes on in our shop. That’s taken me a while to pick up and understand, how much he pays attention to what I do, how I drive my car, the things I’m interested in, things I focus on. And then being there and answering questions. From there, he has done the rest on his own. Between he and Steve with the relationship they have — we may have been a carrot out there for the 88 in some respects, but the hard work those two have put in and that team has put in has put them where they are today."

Johnson’s influence on Earnhardt was evident even this week, when the six-time champ finally convinced his teammate to join the social media network Twitter. But the real game changer came following the 2010 season, when — on the heels of Johnson’s fifth championship, no less — Hendrick shuffled his race programs, putting Letarte at the helm of the No. 88 and placing Earnhardt and Johnson together in a combined 48/88 shop. Earnhardt had just come off a 21st-place finish in points, and the tactic seemed a simple one — to hope some of Johnson’s success rubbed off on his new stablemate. It took some time, but along the way Johnson and Earnhardt were able to build a day-to-day rapport that enhanced the relationship they had already.

"Before that, I was always there for him, but I didn’t have the opportunity to connect and talk at the level we do now," said Johnson, who this season is trying to tie the record of seven premier-series titles shared by Richard Petty and Earnhardt Jr.’s father. "Being in the same shop has allowed that to happen. He and I have been friends for a lot of years, well before either of us were racing in (the top division of) NASCAR. I think the time and history there kind of helps take down some of the walls and lets us communicate."

In the wake of his second Daytona 500 title, Earnhardt lauded the assistance of all his Hendrick teammates. He said he and Kasey Kahne have been friends since both started out, and he’s known Jeff Gordon since his father — who was a business partner with the four-time champion — introduced the two at North Wilkesboro Speedway. But there’s something about Johnson, and the way he carries himself and his professionalism in crisis situations, that clearly strikes a chord with Earnhardt, and makes him an even bigger believer in himself.

"I do feel I’m like as talented as he is. I think I am on the same level," Earnhardt said. "As a driver, you have to feel confident in yourself and believe in yourself. So I think I’d put myself up against anybody in the field. But I think we definitely have a good friendship. I enjoy seeing him have success, because I know where he came from and I know the kind of person he is, who he was, who he is now. I think he feels the same way. We’ve known each other a long time. A lot of things have happened in that period of time that I think allows us to have a lot of respect and appreciation for each other."

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Notebook: Junior has option to get aggressive; ‘Smoke’ is back

RELATED: Lineup for Sunday’s race | Series standings

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s victory in last Sunday’s Daytona 500 might just be the NASCAR equivalent of a "Get-out-of-jail-free" card.

With a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth all but a certainty thanks to the win, Earnhardt, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team suddenly are liberated in the approach they can take to the next 25 races on the schedule.

And Earnhardt is riding a wave of confidence that swelled mightily during last year’s Chase. Just ask teammate Jeff Gordon.

"There’s no doubt, this sport is so much about confidence and believing in one another," Gordon said. "We’ve all said that one race doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything, but boy, with the new points system, it certainly guarantees a lot. 

"That allows you to continue to build that confidence and just push the envelope of your setups, your pit strategy, how you’re driving … And with the kind of confidence he has coming from last year, and now off of this race (Daytona 500), you would think that will transfer over to the next several races."

If it does, is a championship possible for the driver of the No. 88 Chevy? Gordon wouldn’t rule it out. 

"Now we get to the downforce tracks, and if those guys perform well on these next few tracks, watch out. I think anything is possible."

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE …
Tony Stewart must be feeling better — just don’t ask him about it. Stewart at his feistiest greeted reporters Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.

Asked how he was feeling after Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway, the driver who suffers neither fools nor repetitious questions had a curt answer.

"I’ll be honest," said the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, who missed the last 15 races of 2013 after breaking his right leg in a sprint car accident on Aug. 5. "I’ll be more happy when everybody quits asking me how I feel. I’m not 100 percent. I’m not going to be 100 percent for a while. It was fine (at Daytona). 

"There wasn’t any drama, same as we said for the (Sprint Unlimited), same as we said for the (Duel) qualifying race and same as we said after the 500. I appreciate everybody checking on me, but it’s not going to change in a week.

"It wasn’t a big drama. Everything is fine. Everything is fine in the car this week so far. Hopefully, we’ll be able to talk a year from now about how far we’ve come."

Welcome back, Smoke.

A REAL KNOCKOUT
When Brad Keselowski says the new knockout qualifying format suits his style, he means it.

After winning the Coors Light Pole for Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race, Keselowski is 2-for-2 in group time trials that have run to conclusion in the first year of the new format.

On Friday afternoon, the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion won the pole for Sunday’s Cup race in the first knockout session for the series, which used the traditional qualifying format for last Sunday’s Daytona 500.

"This qualifying format really does suit my style a lot better," Keselowski said after winning the Sprint Cup pole. "It gives me a chance to learn and apply, which to me was instrumental to our success today and hopefully will be in how we go forward.

"It’s interesting how a small format change like this can favor or disfavor teams and individuals, and this is one that we’ve been able to take like a fish to water. Hopefully, we’ll continue to do that."

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‘Rowdy’ wins for third straight time at Phoenix

MORE: Full race results | Standings
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AVONDALE, Ariz.—You can change the cars. 

You can change the qualifying format.

You can change the weather from cloudy to sunny to rainy—multiple times.

But, no matter what you do, you can’t keep Kyle Busch out of Victory Lane at Phoenix International Raceway, at least not where the NASCAR Nationwide Series is concerned.

In Saturday’s Blue Jeans Go Green 200 at the one-mile track in the Sonoran desert, Busch dominated — again — leading 155 laps en route to his unprecedented third straight Nationwide victory at PIR and his seventh overall.

Busch’s first victory of the 2014 was his 64th overall, extending his own series record, and it was his first in a rain-shortened race in any of NASCAR’s top three series. Despite repeated efforts to dry the track, NASCAR ultimately called the event 32 laps short of its scheduled distance. 

With a hard rain falling, NASCAR brought the cars to pit road and halted the race after Busch crossed the finish line to complete Lap 168, under caution for Ryan Reed’s crash into the wall that guards the inside of the backstretch dogleg.

After a red-flag period of two hours, eight minutes, NASCAR made Busch’s win official. 

"I think just the pure dominance we’ve shown here the last few times that we’ve come here and the amount of laps we’ve led with how fast our cars are is pretty phenomenal," Busch said after a rain-soaked celebration. "All the credit goes to Adam Stevens (crew chief) and everybody back at the shop. 

"It’s fun to win them anyway. This is my first time winning a rain-shortened one. Welcome to the tent. I don’t know that it really made a whole lot of difference. We were really good. I would have loved to gone back out there after, but the weather wasn’t on our side today."

The driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota had taken the point for the first time with a pass of polesitter Brad Keselowski on Lap 6. From that point on, he toyed with the rest of the field, extending his advantage to more than four seconds at its widest. 

Kevin Harvick was second when rain halted the race, having passed Keselowski on Lap 160. Keselowski recovered from an accident on Lap 20 to run third. A tap from the pole winner sent Daryl Harr spinning into the outside wall off Turn 2 in a collision that also damaged the nose of Keselowski’s car. 

The 2010 NNS champion restarted 27th on Lap 29 after pitting but worked his way forward and took advantage of his earlier pit stop to retake the lead, since most of the cars behind him had made green-flag stops for tires and fuel before the second caution slowed the race on Lap 90. 

Harvick led briefly for the restart on Lap 97, but Busch regained the top spot on the restart lap and never relinquished it. 

Kyle Larson was fourth, followed by Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, Trevor Bayne and last Saturday’s Daytona winner, Regan Smith, who retained a five-point lead over Bayne in the series standings. 

In his first run in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Harvick was loose on restarts and soon fell approximately two seconds behind Busch. 

"From there, we were just able to maintain," Harvick said. "But a good effort for the first time out. … Kyle had the best car today. We probably finished where we should have."

During three breaks in the rain, NASCAR put its Air Titan track-drying system to work, but three more intermittent downpours foiled the efforts to restart the race.

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Catch up quickly before Sunday’s running of the The Profit on CNBC 500

RELATED: Race lineup | Full coverage from Phoenix

What: The Profit on CNBC 500, presented by Small Business Fueling America.
Where: Phoenix International Raceway.
When: Sunday, March 2, 2014, 3 p.m. ET.
TV/Radio: FOX/MRN.
Distance: 500 kilometers/ 312 laps

Average Race Time: 2:57:33
Fuel window: 85 laps
Pit Road Speed: 45 mph 
Caution Car Speed: 50 mph
Minimum speed: 30.23 seconds

Driver Introductions: 3 p.m. ET
Invocation: 3 p.m. ET by PIR Chaplain, Ken Bowers.
National Anthem: 3:01 p.m. by Emmy Award winner Dr. Jesse McGuire.
Command: 3:08 p.m. by Star of CNBC’s "The Profit," Marcus Lemonis.
Green Flag: 3:15 p.m.

On The Front Row: Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, No. 2 Ford (139.384 mph); Joey Logano, Team Penske, No. 22 Ford (139.265 mph).

Notable: Brad Keselowski’s qualifying speed is a track record, beating Jimmie Johnson’s qualifying lap of 139.222 mph from November 2013. His teammate Joey Logano also surpassed the old track record.
 
To The Back: Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet.
 
Notable II: Jimmie Johnson has — by far — the highest Driver Rating among those entered in the race at 116.7, along with an average finish of 6.1. Kevin Harvick has the next closest driver rating at 101.3.
 
Defending Race Winner: Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing No. 99 Ford.
 
Notable III: There have been a total of 35 Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, but this race will be just the 10th run in the winter/spring months.
 
Fastest In Practice
First Practice: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet (138.723 mph).
Second Practice: Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevrolet (137.757 mph).
Third Practice: Harvick (136.960 mph).
 
Former Race Winners In Field: Carl Edwards (2013); Denny Hamlin (2012); Jeff Gordon (2011; ’07); Ryan Newman (2010); Jimmie Johnson (2008); Kevin Harvick (2006); Kurt Busch (2005).

Fantasy Sleeper Pick (powered by Rotowire.com)

Ryan Newman: The sneaky-good fantasy racing play for the Profit on CNBC 500 is Newman. What most people may not realize is that the veteran driver’s career numbers are a bit shaky at the one-mile oval, but recent seasons have been nothing short of outstanding for the driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet. Newman has a victory, a runner-up finish and five top-fives in his last eight races at Phoenix International Raceway. He has rather quietly amassed these numbers in the last four seasons. Newman could really be seen as more of a solid play than a sleeper this week, although a Top-10 finish is nearly a lock. (Click here for more fantasy advice or to sign up for NASCAR Fantasy Live.)

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Nationwide Series rookie looks to his peers for guidance

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AVONDALE, Ariz. — One and three-quarter races under his belt at two very different tracks.

So, what has Nationwide Series rookie Chase Elliott learned so far?

"I’ve learned I have a great group around me and I feel like our team and the folks that I was put with this year, I feel like we all mesh well together," Elliott said after placing ninth in the rain-shortened Blue Jeans Go Green 200 at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday. "The communication has been really good for the first two weeks anyways. The cars have been fast. With Regan (Smith) getting the win last week and Kevin (Harvick) had a great run today, I felt like all three cars were capable of running inside the top seven, eight somewhere in there."

While the 18-year-old figures to take the Kyle Larson phenomenon route and move up to the Sprint Cup Series at some point within the next few years, Elliott is in the preliminary stages of what should prove to be a very fruitful Nationwide tenure with JR Motorsports, a stable that can offer him the veteran support few others can.

Helmed by two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., the Hendrick Motorsports affiliate sports three premier Sprint Cup Series drivers splitting part-time Nationwide rides in Earnhardt Jr., Harvick and Kasey Kahne, a No. 7 entry driven full-time by Regan Smith, who has a handful of full-time Cup seasons to his credit, and Elliott, now just two races into his blossoming career.

There’s no better environment for a young driver to thrive in and there’s already a cohesiveness among the group that appears unbreakable in the early going.

"I was really proud of our effort and like Kevin said, too, this week really kind of started off the season for us last week at Daytona," Elliott said. "To come here, kind of the first real race track we get to go to, all three cars ran well, obviously with Kevin finishing second today and we were inside the top-five there for a little while. I felt like our car was capable of being there, just needed a little bit of help on those restarts and pit stops. But, all in all, I felt like it was a good day for us and we’re ready to go on out to Vegas."

And that team-spirited attitude goes all the way from the 18-year-old on to Harvick, more that twice Elliott’s age at a sprightly 38 and in his first season with JRM.

"There’s a lot of new things that have been put together (at JRM)," said Harvick, who finished runner-up to Kyle Busch after the race was called off with 32 laps remaining. "A lot of new people. A lot of cars cut up. A lot of bodies cut off and they’re had a really long winter, but the effort, obviously, the first time I’ve ever sat in a (JRM) car was yesterday, so to show up and have everything work and have everybody communicate and to all the things right, I’m really proud. I feel like we’re going to start building the foundation with setups and things that we need to make improvements and it’s not like we need to reinvent the wheel now, we just need to tweak on it and go from here."

Now the series heads northwest to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where last year Earnhardt Jr. came up short in 14th, but Smith — in the lucky No. 7 car — finished seventh, perhaps a sign of things to come for an organization on a roll.

Elliott is still a few years away from being able to gamble in any Vegas casino, but he’s got his focus elsewhere, anyway.

"To come out of the box and have a top-10 this weekend, I feel like that’s something to be proud of. Hopefully we can take that momentum to Vegas and try to improve upon on that."

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Brian Scott will join Brad Keselowski on the front row

MORE: Lineup for Blue Jeans Go Green 200 Presented by Cotton, The Fabric of Our Lives
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Brad Keselowski made it a weekend sweep of the Coors Light Pole Awards as the Nationwide Series completed its first full knockout-style session of qualifying.

Keselowski, who posted a top speed of 134.053 mph, also won the pole for this weekend’s Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. This is Keselowski’s 15th career pole in the Nationwide Series.

The format debuted in the Nationwide Series last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, but rain caused the session to be called after the first round.

Joining Keselowski on the front row will be Brian Scott. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth will occupy the second row.

Last week’s pole winner at Daytona, Dylan Kwasniewski, just missed the cutoff to advance to the second round of qualifying and will start 13th.

The Blue Jeans Go Green 200 presented by Cotton, The Fabric of Our Lives is scheduled to go green at 3:47 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Polesitter Keselowski takes pit stall closest to pit road exit

MORE: Lineup for Blue Jeans Go Green 200 Presented by Cotton, The Fabric of Our Lives
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The pit stall assignments are out for Saturday’s Blue Jeans Go Green 200 Presented by Cotton, The Fabric of Our Lives.

Polesitter Brad Keselowski will occupy the pit stall closest to the pit road exit at Phoenix International Raceway. He also will have an empty stall in front of him.

Brian Scott, Regan Smith, Trevor Bayne and Matt Kenseth also have the advantage of not having an occupied stall in front of them.

The green flag for the Blue Jeans Go Green 200 is set to drop at 3:47 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Stewart-Haas Racing driver has strong runs in both Phoenix practices

Sprint Cup Series second practice (Results)

Kevin Harvick logged 42 laps in the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice session Saturday, including the fastest one.

At the 1-mile Phoenix International Raceway oval, Harvick paced the field early with a speed of 137.757 mph in his No. 4 Chevrolet in advance of Sunday’s The Profit on CNBC 500 presented by Small Business Fueling America (3 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX).

Harvick was the only driver to break the 137-mph barrier. Jamie McMurray was second in his No. 1 Chevy with a speed of 136.830 mph, just ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammate Kyle Larson, who was third with the exact same speed of 136.830 mph.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fourth with a speed of 136.664 mph, with Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski‘s Ford fifth at 136.638 mph.

Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart were sixth and seventh, respectively, giving Chevrolet drivers six of the top seven spots. Kyle Busch was the fastest Toyota, coming in 11th (136.343 mph).

Sprint Cup Series final practice session (Results)

Harvick continued his strong run by topping the final Sprint Cup Series practice session at Phoenix. Harvick ran 29 laps in the final session, posting a top speed of 136.960 mph.

Larson was also strong in the final practice, coming in second on the speed charts at 136.596 mph. Ryan Newman placed third with a speed of 136.508 mph. Kurt Busch (136.503 mph) and Jeff Gordon (136.374 mph) rounded out the top five in the final practice.

The top seven cars in the final practice were all Chevrolets. Joey Logano was the fastest Ford, coming in eighth, while Brian Vickers was the fastest Toyota, coming in ninth.

Reed Sorenson spun in the early minutes of the final practice session following a tap from Marcos Ambrose and suffered a little damage to the right front of his No. 36 Chevrolet.

On Friday, the Sprint Cup Series completed its first qualifying effort under the new multicar format.

Team Penske teammates Keselowski and Logano will start on the front row after qualifying 1-2, with Keselowski earning his first career Coors Light Pole Award at the 1-mile track.

McMurray will start third, with Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Click here to see the complete lineup.

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Phoenix Nationwide Series race ends after just over a two-hour delay

MORE: Full race results

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Rain late in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Speedway halted the event with 32 laps remaining and Kyle Busch in the lead.

After just over a two-hour delay, the race was called official and Busch was declared the winner

Officials had just thrown a caution for a crash by Ryan Reed when rain began to fall. The precipitation quickly grew heavy, and NASCAR directed the cars down pit road and stopped the event under a red flag. Busch led Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson and Matt Kenseth in the running order.

It looked like the race may get restarted as officials worked to try the track with the Air Titan drying system but then a heavy downpour came through around 7:15 p.m. ET and the race was called.

Rain had fallen earlier in the morning on the raceway, but the Air Titan drying system was able to dry the 1-mile facility and allow all activities to proceed as scheduled until more inclement weather returned late in the Nationwide race.

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