LIVE NATIONWIDE SERIES QUALIFYING LEADERBOARD
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MWR driver, former Cup champion divide leaderboard honors
Related: WEEKEND RESULTS
Part-time Sprint Cup driver Brian Vickers recorded the best lap in final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Vickers, driving the No. 55 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, clocked a lap of 133.417 mph in final preparation for Sunday’s Camping World RV Sales 301 (1 p.m. ET, TNT) on the 1.058-mile track. He’ll start 13th in the 43-car field.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second-fastest at 133.212 mph in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, just ahead of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Matt Kenseth (133.207), who ranked second-fastest after Saturday’s early practice for NASCAR’s top series.
Clint Bowyer was fourth-best in another Waltrip Toyota with series points leader Jimmie Johnson, who will start last after his qualifying time was disallowed because of a technical violation, completing the top five.
Kurt Busch, who led Saturday’s early Sprint Cup practice, was 14th-fastest in the second session in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet. He turned the most laps (59) of the 41 drivers who participated in the last practice.
Coors Light Pole Award winner Brad Keselowski, the series’ defending champion, was 11th in Saturday’s first practice and 21st in the closing session. Kasey Kahne, last year’s winner of the 301-lapper, was 13th-fastest in the first Saturday practice and ninth-best in final practice.
Jamie McMurray looped his No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and smacked the third-turn wall with about 15 minutes left in the hour-long session. A cut left-rear tire triggered the incident, making it two EGR cars with damage in pre-race practice. His teammate Juan Pablo Montoya crashed just five minutes into opening practice Friday.
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As Elliott Sadler is spun out of contention for the $100,000 prize, Dillon takes the check
LOUDON, N.H. — Austin Dillon became the second winner of this year’s Nationwide Series Dash 4 Cash program with a third-place finish in Saturday’s CNBC Prime’s The Profit 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The Richard Childress Racing driver earned a $100,000 bonus from the series sponsor and is now qualified for the third leg of the four-race program, scheduled for July 21 at Chicagoland Speedway.
"We had a four-tire green-flag stop and the car just came to life."
— Austin Dillon
Also qualifying for the bonus program at Chicagoland based on their finishing positions at NHMS were Brian Vickers (second), Brian Scott (fourth) and Michael Annett (fifth).
Dillon ran in the top three for the majority of the second half in a race that was pushed 13 laps beyond its scheduled 200-lap distance thanks to three green-white-checkered attempts.
In spite of the three late restarts, he was unable to overtake eventual runner-up Brian Vickers and race winner Kyle Busch.
“(On) the first restart, I got in position and the caution came right back out,” Dillon said. “Second restart, spun the tires and was able to maintain fourth position.
“They had another restart and fourth was where I needed to be (in the outside lane), and it … worked out for us.
“Today, we got some good breaks, everything went our way and we were able to win the (bonus).”
Dillon, Elliott Sadler, Sam Hornish Jr. and Kyle Larson were the top-four finishing Nationwide Series regulars in the opening Dash event at Daytona a week earlier to qualify for the New Hampshire bonus.
Hornish rallied from a late fuel stop to finish seventh. Sadler, running in the top five, was turned after contact with Regan Smith to finish 18th while Larson wound up 14th.
“Better than running out,” Hornish said of his quick trip down pit road that dropped him from seventh to 13th. “That was the right thing to do and we ended up right where we started.
“We were so good through the middle of the race, came from 10th all the way up to third and were catching the leaders. We had a long-run car and had a bunch of short-run stuff there at the end.”
As the Daytona winner of the Dash 4 Cash program, Sadler was the only driver eligible for a $600,000 bonus awarded to a driver who won all four legs of the program while also winning the fourth stop, scheduled for Indianapolis Motor Speedway, outright.
“The race played out almost exactly like last year’s race did for us,” Dillon said. “We didn’t get the track position we wanted after the first (pit) stop, but our car was good enough to drive up quite a few positions.
“We had a four-tire green-flag stop and the car just came to life.”
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Camping World Truck Series returns to dirt for Mudsummer Classic
LOUDON, N.H. — Goodyear officials leaned on their dirt track experience to come up with a tire to be used when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Eldora Raceway July 23-24.
The CarCash Mudsummer Classic will mark the first time one of NASCAR’s top series has competed on dirt since 1970.
“I guess the biggest challenge was that it was kind of an unknown,” Goodyear’s Greg Stucker said July 13 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“Knowing what the vehicle was, knowing the surface, we said, ‘OK, what do we have in our lineup that’s a good starting spot?’"
Stucker, director of race tire sales, said the answer was found in a dirt Modified tire produced by the company.
That particular tire, which measures 10 inches wide by 27.5 inches tall, “is just real close to what we run on the trucks at a short track like a Martinsville or somewhere similar,” he said.
"…The biggest challenge was that it was kind of an unknown."
— Greg Stucker
The tire was initially tested at Eldora last October with Richard Childress Racing teams and track owner and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart participating.
“Really, it was pretty darn close,” Stucker said. “We felt the compound was right there, right where we wanted.
“The only thing we came out of that test with was we felt we needed to make the tire a little bit wider; that it would be better … if we had a little wider package.”
As a result, the company went back and developed an 11-inch model of the tire, then returned to the race track (in this case 311 Motor Speedway in Pine Hall, N.C.) for verification. The width of the current asphalt tires used in the NCWTS is “about 11 1/2 inches,” Stucker said.
Unlike tires used on paved tracks, heat is not an issue on dirt. “Actually … you want to try to be able to make some heat,” he said. “The biggest difference is we have a tread compound for this tire … it’s a known entity for us. I know that pattern works well. It was just a case of merging all the knowledge we had (to determine what was needed).”
The format for the program will be quite a bit different from a typical NASCAR event, with five eight-lap qualifying races and a last-chance race preceding the main event. Those changes won’t impact the number of tires provided, however. Depending on the amount of on-track time scheduled, Truck series teams often have between four and six sets for a given event.
Kansas Speedway will also see new tires
• Goodyear officials will return to Kansas Speedway this week to test tire combinations in preparation for the Sprint Cup Series’ return in October, and will also test later at Phoenix International Raceway.
Both tracks host races in NASCAR’s Chase For The Sprint Cup.
Making a tire change between events for tracks annually hosting two Cup races isn’t typical, Stucker said.
“We … don’t like to and the teams don’t like us too,” he said. “But we’ve got two instances here at Kansas and Phoenix, those will be in preparation for change the second time around.
“Everybody just felt like those surfaces had lost enough grip that we could help the situation out a little bit … we’ve worked with NASCAR, got input from the teams; they’re on board to go ahead and make a change for those two race tracks.
“Typically they don’t like to particularly if it’s a Chase race, because people have that (information) in their playbook, they know what to expect so we try not to throw them a curve ball.”
A verification test is also scheduled for Atlanta Motor Speedway Aug. 6.
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NASCAR lauded for opting against penalties for 31 teams
LOUDON, N.H. — NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers did not seem surprised that no fines or penalties were handed down after officials confiscated unapproved roof flap spacers from 31 teams July 4 at Daytona International Speedway.
Officials seized the unapproved parts from 16 Cup teams before opening practice, and 15 Nationwide teams following that series’ first on-track session.
“I think obviously it’s a unique situation with so many teams getting involved,” Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick said Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “If it was something that was really going to matter, I think it probably would have been a different situation. It sounds like it didn’t even really matter.”
Harvick and his RCR Cup teammates Jeff Burton and Paul Menard were not among those found with the unapproved spacers. The No. 3 NNS team of driver Austin Dillon was also in compliance.
The roof flaps engage when air pressure builds inside the car’s cockpit. Installation kits that are provided with the flaps by an outside vendor include the approved spacers, which support the hinge bar of the flaps.
NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said officials determined the use of the spacers did not compromise the “functionality and safety aspects of the roof flap,” and on-track competition “would not be impacted.”
Spacers were confiscated from the following Cup teams: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing (No. 1); Richard Petty Motorsports (Nos. 9, 43); Germain Racing (No. 13); Roush Fenway Racing (Nos. 16, 17, 99); Penske Racing (Nos. 2, 22); Joe Gibbs Racing (Nos. 11, 18, 20); Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21); and Michael Waltrip Racing (Nos. 15, 55, 56).
Defending Cup champion Brad Keselowski, who has lost 31 driver points this season for two separate infractions, said he felt NASCAR officials “nailed this one” with the decision to not penalize teams.
“I stand by what I said before about how the situation was handled,” the Penske Racing driver said. At Daytona, Keselowski said the parts in question were replaced and were not used in race conditions.
“I think that’s the way they were more traditionally done over the last 10 or 15 years, and I think that model served the sport fairly well,” he said at the time.
The decision was also good news for Martin Truex Jr., one of those whose team was affected. Truex also said the number of teams involved likely impacted the decision.
“When you see 31 teams in two garages — there’s probably some miscommunication there, you know?” the MWR driver said. “Usually, if you have a couple of guys with some parts that are illegal, it’s different. I wasn’t surprised (at the decision) at all.”
“I was obviously happy there were no point penalties. We’re already had one of those this year, so (I’m) glad they got it fixed and hopefully we won’t see that problem again."
Truex was docked six points when his No. 56 Toyota failed post-race inspection for a height violation at Texas earlier this year.
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Keystone Light Pole Award winner German Quiroga chooses first stall at pit out
Related: AMERICAN ETHANOL 200 PRESENTED BY ENOGEN LINEUP
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Coors Light Pole Award winner Kyle Busch chooses first stall at pit out
Related: CNBC PRIME’S THE PROFIT 200 LINEUP
With his 30th career Coors Light Pole, Kyle Busch tied Mark Martin for most career poles in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He also gave his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing team the No. 1 pit pick, choosing the No. 2 stall at pit out, which is the first stall heading into Turn 1.
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Coors Light Pole Award winner Brad Keselowski chooses first stall at pit out
Related: CAMPING WORLD RV SALES 301 LINEUP
With his first Coors Light Pole of the season, Brad Keselowski gave his team the No. 1 pit pick. The No. 2 Penske Racing team chose the No. 1 stall at pit out, heading to Turn 1.
Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 team, which had its second-fastest time in qualifying disallowed for being too low in post-session inspection, dropped to 43rd for Sunday’s Camping World RV Sales 301 (1 p.m. ET, TNT). The team chose the 12th pit stall. They’re in a Roush Fenway Racing sandwich, in between Greg Biffle’s No. 16 team and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 17.
Kurt Busch, who will roll off second in Sunday’s race, chose the 31st stall, on the Turn 4 side of the start/finish line, with an opening behind him. In the 32nd stall, with an opening in front, is the No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Other cars with openings are the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin and the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon, who straddle an opening between stalls 18 and 19 on the Turn 1 side of start/finish. The No. 31 of Jeff Burton and the No. 18 of Kyle Busch are three stalls toward Turn 4 off of the granite finish line with an opening between them. At the end of pit road, two stalls off of pit in, Kasey Kahne’s No. 5 and Matt Kenseth’s No. 20 have stalls 41 and 42. Stall 43, the first onto pit road, will be occupied by the No. 99 Carl Edwards team.
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Quick glance at the schedules for New Hampshire, Iowa
All times ET
FRIDAY, JULY 12
ON TRACK
— 11-11:50 a.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series practice (Get results)
— Noon-1:35 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, SPEED (Get results)
— 1:40-3 p.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice, SPEED (Get results)
— 3-4:55 p.m. ET, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (Get results)
— 3:40 p.m. ET – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying (2 laps), SPEED (Get results)
— 6-8 p.m. ET – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (Get results)
PRESS CONFERENCES
WATCH LIVE
— 9:30 a.m. ET — Joey Logano
— 11 a.m. ET — Kevin Harvick
— 11:30 a.m. ET — Tony Stewart
— 1:45 p.m. ET — Martin Truex Jr.
— 2:15 p.m. ET — Jeff Gordon
— 2:30 p.m. ET — Ryan Newman
— 2:45 p.m. ET — Jimmie Johnson
— 3:20 p.m. ET — Elliott Sadler
— 5 p.m. ET — Approx. Post NSCS Qualifying
GARAGECAM
WATCH LIVE
— Nationwide: 10:30 a.m.
— Sprint Cup, 11:30 a.m.
SATURDAY, JULY 13
ON TRACK
— 9:05-10 a.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (Get results)
— 10:05 a.m. ET – NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying (2 laps), ESPN2 (Get results)
— 11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, SPEED (Get results)
— 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (Get results)
— 3:30 p.m. ET – CNBC Prime’s “The Profit” 200 (200 laps, 211.6 miles), ABC on air at 3 (Get results)
— 6 p.m. ET – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Qualifying, tape delayed 7, SPEED (Get results)
— 8:30 p.m. ET – American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen (200 laps, 175 miles), SPEED on air at 8 (Get results)
PRESS CONFERENCES
WATCH LIVE
— 2:15 p.m. ET — Approx. Post NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Race (NHMS)
— 5:45 p.m. ET — Approx. Post NNS Race
SUNDAY, JULY 14
ON TRACK
— 1 p.m. ET, Camping World RV Sales 301 (301 laps, 318.46 miles), TNT (last race) on air at noon (Get results)
PRESS CONFERENCES
WATCH LIVE
— 4:15pm – Approx. Post NSCS Race
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Note: Links will be added as information becomes available.
Sprint Cup: Season schedule | Standings | Entry list | Qualifying order | Pit stall assignments | Lineup | Results
Nationwide: Season schedule | Standings | Entry list | Qualifying order | Pit stall assignments | Lineup | Results
Camping World Truck: Season schedule | Standings | Entry list | Qualifying order | Lineup | Results
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Teenagers Chase Elliott, Erik Jones run alongside Truck veterans
Related: Race results | Standings
NEWTON, Iowa — When the green flag dropped on the final restart Saturday night, Chase Elliott had six laps to make up nearly six positions for a coveted top-five spot. And one of the obstacles in the 17-year-old kid’s way was a man nearly 40 years his senior.
Ron Hornaday Jr. — all of 55 years old, with 331 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts to his credit — had his No. 9 Chevrolet in good position in a situation he craves. Late-race restarts.
But the veteran couldn’t shake the rookie. Elliott gunned his No. 94 Aaron’s Dream Machine Chevrolet on the top line, passing four trucks over the final few laps. In one last-gap effort to pass Hornaday, Elliott dove so low approaching the start/finish line on the final lap that he ran into the infield grass to clinch a fifth-place finish — .034 seconds behind fourth-place Hornaday — in the American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen atIowa Speedway.
As Elliott pulled into pit road after the cool-down lap, another 17-year-old was less than 100 feet dealing with a problem of a different kind.
Erik Jones, driving the No. 51 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, had nearly chased down race winner Timothy Peters before settling for second place in just his third career start in a NASCAR national series.
And there came Ty Dillon, a veteran at age 21 in this situation, talking to Jones and having a terse conversation after Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet went into the wall on Lap 198 when battling Jones for second.
"We need to be in Victory Lane. And we’re capable of doing it."
— Chase Elliott
Yes, it was an eventful night for the only two drivers in the field younger than 18. As both incidents illustrated, the kids weren’t backing down the regulars.
“It was just kind of a racing deal,” Jones said of his run-in with Dillon. “We tried to go to the outside and when you get up on a truck like Ty did … it’s going to take the air off his nose and it’s going to get tight. He might have thought I ran him up into the wall, but everyone I’ve talked to said the opposite.
“He got up there just trying to make something happen with a few laps to go and got tight, and got into the wall. I feel like we did what we were supposed to do and didn’t do anything wrong there.”
Dillon certainly saw it differently, but he was more relaxed 15 minutes later in a T-shirt and blue jeans following his 16th-place finish.
“I just told him, ‘Man, next time you race don’t use your mirrors so much,’” Dillon said of Jones’ pit-road baptism. “He was starting at bottom of the race track and running at the bottom, then shooting up to the top. The first time it happened, we about wrecked in the frontstretch and then he did it again.
“ … He’ll learn, it’s his first couple of races, but I just had to make a point because if he does it again, it’s not going to be good.”
Jones’ second-place showing is his best of the season, and he’s logged three top-10s in three starts. Elliott has four starts in the Truck Series, and Saturday’s showing was his third top-five. The other? A sixth-place effort at Martinsville.
It’s not good enough, apparently.
When approached after the race, the first thing Elliott said was: “Hopefully we’ll do better next time.”
Isn’t a top-five good enough, Chase?
“No, it’s not,” Elliott said. “We need to be in Victory Lane. And we’re capable of doing it.”
Need to be in Victory Lane. Not want to be in Victory Lane; not hope to be in Victory Lane. Need.
You got the sense Elliott was perfectly aware of his strong word choice while standing there on pit road under the lights. His eyes focused and then trailed off, gazing into the distance.
There, Peters was climbing atop his No. 17 Toyota as people shot confetti into the night.
“We came here to win,” Elliott reiterated.
Perhaps those wins are coming, for both drivers, although fans will have to wait to see them in a truck again. Both drivers, due to being younger than 18, are eligible to compete only at ovals less than 1.1 miles and on road courses. The next three races are at Eldora, Pocono and Michigan before a trip to Bristol on Aug. 21.
So although it’ll be more than a month before Elliott or Jones are eligible to compete in the Camping World Truck Series again, there’s little doubt they’ll be around for quite a while.
“Erik is a good dude. I’ve raced against him for a long time, so he’s nothing new to me and I’m nothing new to him,” Elliott said. “We’ve been around each other, grown up racing against each other. I’m sure we’ll be fortunate enough to race against each other for a long time.”
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