Complete results from Bristol truck race on Aug. 21
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Youngest NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole winner picks first stall at Turn 1 pit out
Chase Elliott, at 17 years, 8 months, 24 days, became the youngest pole-sitter in series history and earned the honor of the first pit-stall selection.
In search of his first NASCAR national series win to go with his first pole, Elliott chose the second stall, which is the first off of pit road heading into Turn 1.
His fellow front-row starter, Ryan Blaney, chose the next stall with an opening in front in stall 7.
Two stalls off of the start/finish line toward Turn 4 is the next pit with an opening in front, and it will host the No. 3 of Ty Dillon.
Timothy Peters has the first stall off of Turn 3 on the backstretch in the 23rd box.
Look above to see where your favorite driver is pitting, and tune in to FOX Sports 1 to watch the UNOH 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway tonight at 8 p.m. ET.
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Crewmember for No. 56 MWR team suspended indefinitely
A member of Martin Truex Jr.’s pit crew has been fired by Michael Waltrip Racing after violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy.
Eric Maycroft, front-tire changer on the No. 56 team, was found in violation of NASCAR’s substance abuse policy this past Friday, according to the sanctioning body, and suspended indefinitely by NASCAR on Tuesday. MWR said Maycroft was no longer with the organization.
“Michael Waltrip Racing fully supports NASCAR’s substance abuse polices and those who complete the Road to Recovery program,” the team said in a statement. “MWR’s zero tolerance policy has resulted in the immediate termination of the employee.”
The reason for the violation was not specified. Competitors found in violation of NASCAR’s substance-abuse policy are eligible for reinstatement upon completion of the Road to Recovery program, which varies according to the individual and the offense.
The firing comes at a crucial time for the No. 56 team, which is in contention for a berth to the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Truex is currently 12th in series points and maintains hold of the second Wild Card position entering this Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Bristol Motor Speedway.
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There’s no competition between the two; Stenhouse Jr. focuses on future
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. insisted this week that contrary to what many might expect, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year competition between he and girlfriend Danica Patrick is a low-profile reality in their otherwise high-wattage careers.
Despite the extra spotlight thrust upon the pair because they are dating, Stenhouse said this week the competition between the two for rookie honors is actually much less intense than people might imagine — even considering their unique and close relationship.
No trash-talking here. Not even friendly side-wagers.
“We don’t really talk about it too much,’’ Stenhouse conceded this week. “We talk about how our races went, how our cars handled, things like that.
“But I don’t even know how many points I have in the Rookie of the Year standings. I’m not even sure how much we’re leading it by.’’
The answer is that Stenhouse holds a 10-point edge over Patrick in the rookie standings. And while those two aren’t counting, the numbers are 20-3 in Stenhouse’s favor when it comes to taking race top rookie honors. Patrick bettered him in the Daytona 500, at Martinsville Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.
“We just each go out and do our job each and every week, try to capitalize on the good cars that we have, try to get good finishes out of a not‑so‑good weekend like we did at Watkins Glen,’’ Stenhouse explained. “We don’t keep up with it, don’t talk about the Rookie of the Year. We talk about how the race tracks have changed throughout the weekend, things like that.
“Away from the race track, we don’t really talk much about racing, period."
Fresh off back-to-back NASCAR Nationwide Series championships, Stenhouse moved up to Jack Roush’s No. 17 Ford with high expectations and big motivations in 2013.
Beyond the rookie contest, Stenhouse is ranked 21st in the standings and still looking for his first top-10. His best finish is 11th at Kansas Speedway in April.
He’s led laps in three races including a season best 26 laps at Kansas. And while Stenhouse doesn’t have a top-10 yet, he has only seven finishes worse than 20th through 23 races.
For Stenhouse, winning rookie honors would be a nice feather in the cap, but the experience he’s gaining to position himself for the future is what he uses as a gauge of progress.
“I think we’ve been really consistent this season,’’ Stenhouse said. “I haven’t put myself in many positions that are going to get us wrecked. We finished every single race this year. We blew a tire at Texas and that took us out of contention of running well. We got crashed at Pocono. We blew a tire this weekend.
“I think we’ve been really consistent throughout the year, not taking too many chances at pressing the issue and tearing our car up. That was something that took me a while to learn. It took me forever in the Nationwide car to figure that out.
“In 2011, 2012, running for those championships, every point matters. Ten races into this season, we were close to top 10 in points. We had a Wild Card spot for a little while. That was just running consistent. We weren’t very fast, we weren’t contending for wins or running top 10, but we were consistent and we were finishing races.
“I think we’ve gained a ton of experience this year just by finishing these races and being out on the race track, something that I feel like I jeopardized in 2010 racing for the Rookie of the Year in the Nationwide Series. I crashed a lot. I didn’t get the experience I needed.”
This week’s half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway bullring is a place that has suited Stenhouse historically. He finished 16th this spring in his first Cup race there but had better success in the Nationwide Series, particularly during championship runs. He won a Coors Light Pole in 2011 and finished runner-up in the 2012 fall race.
“I’m looking at the experience I’m gaining right now,’’ Stenhouse said. “Hopefully it will pay off for next year. Just the consistency that it takes to win a championship is what I brought over to the Cup Series to put us where we are now.
“. …The biggest thing, I think I didn’t realize this (in Nationwide), you have to be so perfect in the Sprint Cup Series. Every driver out there can go win a race if they have the right car, have a fast pit crew and things like that.
“The tolerance in getting that setup just right, that perfect setup, is very, very small. It seems like all those teams are so close together that just a little bit off can put you 25th or 20th.
“I think I could have a good car in Nationwide and run top five or you can have a great car and win. You can have a great car in the Sprint Cup Series and run 15th with it. It’s super competitive. These guys are just really good.”
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Richard Childress Racing cars jump a total of 11 spots after huge day at Michigan
1. Jimmie Johnson 
Outlook: Johnson’s bad luck at Michigan continued on Sunday, as even his backup car was susceptible to turmoil. His failed engine in the Pure Michigan 400 may have hurt his chances to hold onto the top spot in the standings, but the pain is the equivalent of banging your funny bone. It stings at first, but eventually you just laugh it off.
Standings: 1st, 813 points
2. Kevin Harvick 
Outlook: Harvick’s runner-up finish at Michigan — his second of the season — ended a string of three-straight finishes outside the top 10. He finished 14th at Bristol earlier in the season but you can bet he’ll be looking to firmly-establish himself in that upper-tier he finds himself in right now with a strong race for the second week in a row.
Related video: Harvick post-race reaction
Standings: 4th, 749 points
3. Clint Bowyer 
Outlook: While Joey Logano’s victory was a thing of beauty, Bowyer may have quietly driven the best race of the day. After spinning out on the first lap, the Michael Waltrip Racing driver had to fight his way back through the field and ended up with a top-five finish. Quite impressive.
Related video: Bowyer post-race reaction
Standings: 2nd, 772 points
4. Matt Kenseth 
Outlook: With a top-six finish at Michigan the first time around, the table was set for Kenseth to break out of his funk on Sunday, but he failed to do so. Perhaps he’ll be more determined to right the ship at Bristol, where he placed 35th after wrecking earlier in the year. Either way, he’s in no immediate danger of missing the Chase and could clinch a spot this weekend.
Standings: 6th, 688 points
5. Kurt Busch 
Outlook: Biggest Kurt Busch news of the week? That blazing fastball he tossed for the first pitch at the Colorado Rockies game. Oh, right. There was also that other report of him being offered a ride at Stewart-Haas Racing next year. No big deal.
Standings: 9th, 665 points
6. Carl Edwards 
Outlook: After failing to notch a top-five from the pole in June’s Michigan race, the table was set for Edwards to drive with a vengeance this time around. He still finished a respectable 10th, but he led no laps and had to have walked away dissatisfied.
Standings: 3rd, 762 points
7. Kyle Busch 
Outlook: Busch managed to stave off major damage after spinning late in the race — actually, the whole race was mostly devoid of major damage; bravo, Michigan — but still finished a lousy 31st. Plus he now has to look up at his older brother ahead of him in these rankings. That said, Kyle still holds a pretty hefty lead over Kurt. A three-win advantage doesn’t hurt.
Standings: 5th, 706 points
8. Brad Keselowski 
Outlook: Keselowski wasn’t happy with the pit strategy crew chief Paul Wolfe elected to take on Sunday — at all — but clearly it worked out for the best. The No. 2 was on the same cycle as Mark Martin’s No. 55, and we all know what happened there. The reigning champ is safe for now, but he needs a win badly.
Related video: Keselowski post-race reaction
Standings: 8th, 667 points
9. Kasey Kahne 
Outlook: Props to Kahne for pulling out a seventh-place finish at Michigan. It couldn’t have been easy to drive after getting no sleep all week because he was too busy staking out the Joe Gibbs Racing shop to see if anyone would come outside that he could “talk to."
Standings: 11th, 659 points
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
Outlook: Earnhardt missed out on a golden opportunity at Michigan, and he knows it. His blown tire and subsequent attempts to fix some other issues behind the wall left him with a second consecutive poor finish at the track where his last two wins — and ONLY wins since 2006 — have come from.
Related video: Earnhardt post-race reaction | Junior on burnout, fantasy football
Standings: 7th, 679 points
11. Joey Logano 
Outlook: Logano came into this past weekend’s race at Michigan International Speedway in dire need of a win and he completely delivered, placing himself into excellent position to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup for the first time in his young career. Currently in 13th and looking at Kasey Kahne and Martin Truex Jr. holding onto the two Wild Card spots, he certainly isn’t a lock, but he’s got all the momentum.
Related Video: Victory Lane 1-on-1 | Post-race comments
Standings: 11th, 623 points
12. Greg Biffle 
Outlook: Michigan has long been known as a track that Fords — in particular, Roush Fenway Racing Fords — typically run well at, as evidenced by Edwards’ pole and Biffle’s win in June. Both drivers finished top 10 in this race (with rookie teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 19th), but Biffle has to be especially sad to be leaving the Wolverine State. He’s averaged a finish of 3.75 over his past four races there, with two wins.
Standings: 10th, 663 points
13. Martin Truex Jr. 
Outlook: Truex doesn’t have a rich history of success at Bristol, but he may have no choice but to tough it out, stay out of trouble, and shoot for at least a top-10 this weekend — which would be just his third in 16 attempts at the track. Standing in 12th just seven points ahead of Joey Logano with just as many wins, he can’t afford to give this one away.
Standings: 12th, 653 points
14. Jeff Gordon 
Outlook: Gordon, in dire need of a win, has to be happy to see three tracks coming up that he has a combined 12 wins at. The only problem? Just one of those victories has come in the last decade (Atlanta, 2011).
Standings: 14th, 637 points
15. Ryan Newman 
Outlook: With Monday’s news that Tony Stewart would miss the remainder of 2013, Stewart-Haas Racing will be putting all of their efforts into getting Newman in the Chase. First up? Bristol, where he has one top-five in 20 attempts. They’ve got their work cut out for them.
Standings: 15th, 636 points
16. Jamie McMurray 
Outlook: McMurray has averaged a top-10 finish over his last four races at Bristol (9.75 to be exact), but a win may be out of the question. Still, the 16th-place driver — who stands just 31 points behind final Wild Card holder Martin Truex Jr. — winning a race and throwing his hat into the ring at this point in the season would be wildly entertaining.
Standings: 16th, 622 points
17. Paul Menard 
Outlook: Boy, what got into the Richard Childress Racing cars on Sunday? With Harvick and Menard’s top-fives and Burton’s eighth-place finish, things are looking up for a team that’ll have a lot of question marks heading into next season.
Related video: Menard post-race reaction
Standings: 17th, 599 points
18. Tony Stewart 
Outlook: Enjoy it, folks. Unless something goes freakishly right in Stewart’s rehab and he reverses his decision to spend time recovering from a broken leg for the remainder of the season, this’ll be the last time you see Smoke’s sparkling face in these Power Rankings. Here’s to 2014.
Standings: 18th, 594 points
19. Jeff Burton 
Outlook: Despite the momentum that Burton built with his solid day at Michigan, he likely won’t keep it up at Bristol. The driver has finished on the lead lap small oval just twice in his past six races there.
Standings: 20th, 561 points
20. Aric Almirola 
Outlook: Almirola has a brief history of just eight career Sprint Cup races at Bristol, and the results are scary. He’s exited the race early in three of his past four races, has just one top 10, and averages a finish of 27.8. Naturally, to keep in tune with the unpredictability of this season, he’s probably a lock to take home his first career victory.
Standings: 19th, 587 points
In the rearview
Note: These rankings have been determined by a poll that included writers Kenny Bruce, Holly Cain, David Caraviello and Zack Albert, and video host Alan Cavanna.
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With McClure hospitalized, Green tabbed to drive No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Toyota at Bristol
It was announced today that Jeff Green, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, will drive the No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Toyota during Friday night’s Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway in replacement of Eric McClure.
McClure, TriStar Motorsports’ regular driver, was admitted to a local hospital on Aug. 12 where he was diagnosed after a series of tests with acute renal failure. With his creatinine levels rising, this signaled improper kidney function.
“This has been a very challenging week for me, both physically and emotionally," McClure said. “Having a newborn and four other little girls, among other things, has also presented a challenge to my family.”
While McClure is currently hospitalized, he is receiving treatment and has high hopes for a speedy recovery and release. His current status remains week-to-week.
“Recovery can be a slow and frustrating process,” McClure said. “But thankfully we are seeing signs of healing. I can’t thank everyone enough for all of the prayers, thoughts, and well-wishes during this difficult time, and I can’t wait to be back behind the wheel of the Hefty/Reynolds Camry.”
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Younger brother of Martin Truex Jr. will run in No. 51 Phoenix Racing ride
Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) development driver Ryan Truex will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway during Saturday night’s 500-lap race. Truex will drive the No. 51 entry for Phoenix Racing.
"I’m excited to make my NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Bristol," said Truex. "It has been tough waiting on the sidelines while I healed from my collarbone injury, but now I am ready to go… It’s pretty awesome that it’s coming at Bristol at the night race. This is a premier race on the Sprint Cup circuit.”
The Mayetta, New Jersey native has two Nationwide Series starts at Bristol and most recently posted a top-10 finish in the spring event in 2012. In his career, Truex has made 35 Nationwide, three Camping World Truck Series and 22 K&N East starts, while winning the K&N Series East championship in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010.
"To have Richard Petty Motorsports and Phoenix Racing support me in this endeavor really means a lot," continued Truex. "I’m excited for the rest of this year and my future with RPM."
"The King" Richard Petty is also anxious to see the 21-year-old make his Sprint Cup debut.
"It will be a big night for Ryan," said team owner Petty. "He is a talented driver, and we look forward to his future with our team. We are working hard to find funding support to give him more opportunities behind the wheel."
Truex signed a multi-year development deal with RPM earlier this year and the team is currently working to secure sponsorship funding.
Phoenix Racing has a long history of providing young drivers opportunities to race for their team. It was also Phoenix Racing that helped Ryan’s older brother, Martin, in the beginning stages of his career.
Truex will make his first laps during Sprint Cup practice at noon Friday, August 23 and hit the track for final practice and qualifying that afternoon.
Saturday’s night race is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET with live coverage on ABC, PRN and SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.
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As Bristol nears, Hornish Jr. hopes to join his Penske Racing teammates at Victory Lane
In what was a banner weekend for Penske Racing, it would be easy to file away the third-place run by Sam Hornish Jr. in the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ first race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as an overshadowed moment.
Yet Hornish’s day may have a much longer-lasting impact.
On a weekend where Joey Logano (Sprint Cup Series) and AJ Allmendinger (Nationwide) hoisted trophies driving Roger Penske-owned cars, Hornish regained the Nationwide Series points lead heading into the final third of the season. He now carries a moderate 13-point lead over second-place Elliott Sadler in the series standings, but the oh-so-close margin from first to fifth place remains a cozy 18 points.
Hornish has been no lower than fourth place in the Nationwide hunt this season, and that drop came after a mechanically abbreviated 34th place at Indianapolis that matched his worst finish of the year. In the three races that followed, Hornish’s No. 12 Ford finished second twice (Iowa, Watkins Glen) and then third at Mid-Ohio to overtake Austin Dillon for the top spot in the season-long fight.
“I feel like we’ve got a great opportunity,” Hornish said after the inaugural Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200. “What I feel like is our main objective right now is living up to our full potential and minimizing the bad days. We’ve had really good cars and the days that we haven’t had good races, we’ve pretty much been running in the top three when we’ve had all our problems, so the big thing that we do is when we have a bad day, figure out how to not make it worse.
“Each of the things that have caused us problems are all different, and we’ve only had one race where I think that we finished outside the top 10 where that’s just where we ended up at because we weren’t good enough. We’ve got a lot of speed, which is the first part about being successful. Now we just need a little bit of luck, and unfortunately we used up a little bit of that in the last lap today.”
Hornish was alluding to Saturday’s hectic green-white-checkered overtime finish, which sent tempers rising and points totals plummeting. He can likely expect more of the same at the close-quarters Bristol Motor Speedway, which hosts the series’ next round, Friday night’s Food City 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Hornish lacks a history of steady results at Bristol, where he has just one top-five finish in 11 NASCAR national series starts. That one top-five, however, came in his most recent race there — a fourth-place afternoon in the Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300 in March.
The Penske organization as a whole carries a head of steam into Bristol. Allmendinger’s triumph marked the third straight win for Penske’s No. 22 team, which has eight victories this season and currently leads the Nationwide Series’ owners points.
If success breeds success, Hornish certainly says he feels the benefit.
“The 22 and the 12 are working better together as teams,” Hornish said. “The thing that I think really stands out about why our teams are running as well as they have right now is that no matter who’s in the 22 car, we all work together very well. We’ve got good baseline setups and we’re able to improve upon them.”
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For Harvick and Edwards, their wins at Atlanta were the first of many
At the Atlanta Motor Speedway, two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win: Kevin Harvick in 2001 and Carl Edwards in 2005. Perhaps Harvick or Edwards could take a trip to Victory Lane this week?