Posted on by Staff Report

Rib injury keeps Labonte sidelined for another week

Bobby Labonte will miss his third straight race because of broken ribs sustained in a bicycle crash, meaning AJ Allmendinger will once again be behind the wheel of the No. 47 car this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

JTG Daugherty Racing confirmed Monday that Allmendinger would drive the team’s entry in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series event at Chicagoland Speedway. Labonte has been out since Aug. 28, when he broke three ribs cycling near his home in Trinity, N.C., and was hospitalized overnight.

"For me, it’s a tough situation," Allmendinger said. "I do not want to get more races with the team because someone is injured. Bobby is a guy that I believe is a Hall of Famer and he is a champion. It’s tough to have that type of injury. Hopefully, he gets better as soon as possible."

The 2000 champion of NASCAR’s premier division also missed starts at Atlanta and Richmond due to the injury. Last week, Labonte expressed hopes of returning for the Chicago race, but that comeback has been pushed back.

Allmendinger finished 15th filling in for Labonte last week at Richmond. The California native has made five total starts in the vehicle, with a best result of 10th at Watkins Glen, and will drive the No. 47 car full-time beginning next season.

Earlier this year, JTG Daugherty put Allmendinger in the No. 47 car for comparative purposes, a move that ended Labonte’s streak of 704 consecutive starts on the sport’s top level.

“I feel better every day,” Labonte said. “My ribs still hurt and that’s something that takes time. I figure with the way things are, another week is not that big of a deal. It gives me another week to heal up. Obviously, the plan now is to get back in the car at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which is a good track and I look forward to going back there. With my goal being Loudon, it gives me another 10 days to prepare for that. It’s better to wait another 10 days.”

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Posted on by Nascar

NASCAR penalties against Michael Waltrip Racing take Truex out of Chase field

Related: MWR hit with major penalties: Truex out of Chase, Newman in | Official NASCAR release on MWR penalties | Stewart-Haas Racing statement on Newman in Chase | Newman to RCR

MORE: Full Chase coverage

Two days after failing to qualify for this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Ryan Newman now finds himself preparing for just that — the 10-race playoff that will determine the 2013 Sprint Cup Series champion.
 
Newman is in, fellow driver Martin Truex Jr. is out.
 
NASCAR officials announced Monday night that upon further review, Michael Waltrip Racing officials “attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race” at Richmond International Raceway Saturday night.
 
As a result, a portion of the penalties handed down on Monday were the loss of 50 driver points for MWR drivers Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers. The points were deducted from the drivers’ totals before the seeding for the Chase, taking Truex Jr. from a Chase berth to 17th in the standings.
 
Newman, who missed making the Chase when a pit stop with less than 10 laps remaining dropped him from the lead to fifth in the running order, slides into the 12th spot in the Chase as the final Wild Card entrant.

“I am proud that NASCAR took a stand with respect to what went on Saturday night at Richmond,” Newman said in a statement provided by Stewart-Haas Racing. “I know it was a tough decision to make.
 
“With that being said, myself, (crew chief) Matt Borland and this entire No. 39 team are looking forward to competing for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.”
 
The round of late pit stops in the Federated Auto Parts 400 was set in motion when the No. 15 Toyota of Bowyer spun and brought out the caution flag with seven laps remaining. Bowyer had already clinched a berth in the Chase.
 
At the time of Bowyer’s incident, Newman was the race leader. Had Newman went on to win the race, he would have earned a Wild Card berth based on having two victories this season.
 
Conversations in the waning laps between Bowyer and his crew, as well as those between Vickers and MWR official Ty Norris, led many to believe that Bowyer’s spin was intentional, and a green-flag pit stop by Vickers — whose car appeared to have no noticeable issues was part of the plan to allow Truex to gain the required positions on the track to earn one of the Chase positions.
 
“Obviously, we’re very pleased with NASCAR’s decision to provide Ryan Newman’s rightful place in this year’s Chase,” SHR co-owner Tony Stewart said. “NASCAR was put in a very difficult position Saturday night at Richmond and we commend the sanctioning body for taking the time to do the necessary due diligence to ensure that the right call was made.”
 
Earlier Monday, it was announced that Newman would move to Richard Childress Racing in 2014 to drive the team’s No. 31 Chevrolet. During a national teleconference, he was asked about the ending of Saturday night’s race and his feelings after more information had become available.
 
“My ultimate answer is it’s pretty obvious to me the decisions that were made (by those involved) and the communication that’s led up to that,” he said. “… I do know that based on my opinion inside a race car and watching and listening and understanding the communication that there was then, that it was not entirely an accident.”
 
Newman will now be making his fifth Chase appearance, and giving SHR a representative in the championship-determining format. Neither Stewart, who is recovering from a broken leg and is not expected to be back in a race car before 2014, nor Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Danica Patrick qualified for the Chase.
 
In addition to the driver and team owner points penalties, NASCAR fined the MWR organization $300,000 and indefinitely suspended Norris, the group’s executive vice president and general manager. Brian Pattie, Scott Miller and Chad Johnston, crew chiefs for the three teams, have been placed on probation until Dec. 31 as well.

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Posted on by Nascar

First race of Chase is Sunday, but there are events in each Chase city this week

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is off to the Big Apple. Clint Bowyer is headed to Bristol, Conn. It seems NASCAR’s Chase For The Sprint Cup drivers will be a little bit of everywhere in the coming days.
 
Until, that is, they finally regroup and surface at Chicagoland Speedway, site of this week’s Geico 400, the opening Chase race of the 2013 season.
 
It’s the Chase Across America, the big push leading into this weekend’s Chase kickoff.
 
Here’s a look at the Chase drivers, and some of the activities scheduled:

Tuesday, Sept. 10

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – The Hendrick Motorsports driver, ninth in the points standings, will be in New York to hit a number of media outlets, including “CBS This Morning,” the New York Post and "America Live" on the Fox News Channel. Earnhardt Jr. is also scheduled to serve as a guest DJ on Sirius XM satellite radio.
 
Clint Bowyer – Eighth in points, the Michael Waltrip Racing driver is slated to spend the day in Bristol, Conn., on the ESPN campus and is expected to make appearances on various programs throughout the day.
 
Wednesday, Sept. 11

Matt Kenseth – The 2003 Cup champion won’t have to worry about jet lag, his Chase appearance will find him already in the Windy City. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will visit several Chicago landmarks starting at the Navy Pier in the morning.
 
Joey Logano – Penske Racing’s Chase representative this year, Logano will arrive at Pease Air National Guard Base in New Hampshire, where he will meet members of the 157th Air Refueling Wing as well as first responders stationed at the base.
 
Kyle Busch – Seeded third in this year’s Chase, Busch will be off to Dover Air Force Base to take part in this year’s 9/11 memorial dedication at the Air Mobility Command Museum. He will also take part in the donation of 1,500 race tickets to USO Delaware for the Sept. 29 AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway.
 
Kurt Busch – Just days after securing his seventh Chase berth, and the first for Furniture Row Racing, Busch will head to Kansas City, Kan., to meet with local firefighters, EMTs and members of the Kansas Army National Guard.
 
Jimmie Johnson – The five-time Cup champion will be a bit closer to home, heading over to zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C. to participate in a “Burnout to the Playoffs” where he join seven-time NHRA champion Tony Schumacher. Both drivers will participate in a fan forum for season ticket holders hosted by Monica Palumbo.
 
Greg Biffle – The Roush Fenway Racing driver will be in Birmingham to visit a local fire house and help promote not only the Chase, but help kick off the city’s Empowerment Day of Service, 9-11 First Responders tribute and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Bombing.
 
Kasey Kahne – A 9/11 remembrance and fan question and answer session in Roanoke, Va. are part of the activities planned for Kahne, one of this year’s two Wild Card entrants in the Chase.
 
Kevin Harvick – The Richard Childress Racing driver will spend time with 50 area first responders at Texas Motor Speedway, where Harvick will help put each attendee through “driver’s school” on the 1.5-mile track.

Ryan Newman – Phoenix-area residents may see Newman with their morning coffee as the Stewart-Haas Racing driver is scheduled to be in the area after earning one of two Wild Card berths in the Chase. Newman is slated for area TV appearances and will meet with race fans in a local Safeway grocery story to help promote this year’s Chase as well as the upcoming Advocare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Carl Edwards – The series’ most recent winner may have the most physically demanding appearance of those in the Chase. Edwards will visit Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training headquarters where he is expected to participate in firefighter and emergency training exercises. Those may range from putting out a car fire to working with the MDFR scuba team.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Third-Year, NASCAR-Themed Educational Program Will Reach More Than 6,600 Elementary School Students In Eight Local Communities

FORT WORTH, Texas (September 9, 2013) – Texas Motor Speedway’s "Speeding To Read" program is expanding to 11 schools for the current school year and allowing the NASCAR-themed, incentive-laden reading platform to reach more than 6,600 elementary school students across eight local communities in only its third year of existence.

“Speeding To Read” will continue with its emphasis on the nearby Northwest Independent School District with nine schools involved, but also will extend to the Denton and Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISDs with the addition of district pilot schools in each.

The Northwest ISD will be represented in six different communities as Clara Love (Justin), Kay Granger (Keller), Samuel Beck (Trophy Club), Sendera Ranch (Haslet), Roanoke, J.C. Thompson (Haslet), Prairie View (Rhome), Haslet and Carl E. Schluter (Haslet) elementary schools comprise the group.

“Texas Motor Speedway is definitely taking ‘Speeding To Read’ to the next level,” Clara Love Elementary School Principal Julie Nerby said. “Clara Love has partnered with Texas Motor Speedway since the inception of this reading program (in 2011) and we are excited to see the program expand this year so that an additional 5,000-plus kids can compete and ignite their love for reading. This year we anticipate a close race to the finish line, but the other schools need to know that Clara Love Elementary will be waving to them in our rear-view mirror at the checkered flag!”

“When students engage in reading, the impact on learning is substantial. They increase their vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension,” Samuel Beck Elementary School Principal Sandy Conklin added. “Beck Elementary is thrilled to be joining the ‘Speeding to Read’ program, which motivates students to set goals in reading and provides incentives for students at each turn. Texas Motor Speedway has shown their commitment to the community by creating a strong partnership with Beck Elementary and other NISD schools.”

The NISD contingent will be joined by E.P. Rayzor Elementary School of Lantana (Denton ISD) and Chisholm Ridge Elementary School of Fort Worth (Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD).

 “E.P. Rayzor Elementary in the Denton ISD is excited to partner with Texas Motor Speedway in the ‘Speeding to Read’ program,” E.P. Rayzor Elementary School Principal Mary Dunlevy said. “It is our goal to engage our students in reading every day, both at home and at school, and this program helps to support that goal. Students are excited about their reading and meeting their goal at every turn. We look forward to winning this competition.”

The official “Speeding To Read” kickoff was held Monday morning with full assemblies simultaneously at all 11 campuses that were decorated with Texas Motor Speedway and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series banners, street signs featuring the names of NASCAR’s biggest stars hanging in the hallways, and custom-designed race tracks and scoring tower artwork to chart the reading competition throughout the year.

The students were treated with a virtual visit by NASCAR driver Elliott Sadler, who spoke live to all 11 schools about the importance of reading as well as his racing career. The virtual visit was interactive so each school was able to have students ask questions of Sadler, a NASCAR Nationwide Series star and former 12-year Sprint Cup Series veteran, and he was able to see the students and assemblies at every campus. The kickoff’s program of events also included a “Good Luck” message from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brian Vickers and a video of a “racing” competition between all 11 principals that was staged previously at Texas Motor Speedway.

“The response to the ‘Speeding To Read’ program has been tremendous and the expansion will allow us to motivate more than four times the elementary school students we were able to reach a year ago,” Texas Motor Speedway Vice President of Media Relations Mike Zizzo said. “Reading is essential to their growth and ultimately their future at this young age, so we’re delighted to assist our communities in helping further that development.”

"Speeding To Read" is a reading program that was created by Texas Motor Speedway to encourage elementary school students to read more frequently during the school year. “Speeding To Read” began in the 2011-12 school year with Clara Love Elementary School and its 600-plus students serving as the pilot school for the program.

After a successful debut in which Clara Love’s student body read more than 83,000 books, “Speeding To Read” expanded to three schools in 2012-13 with Clara Love being joined by fellow NISD elementary schools Justin and Hatfield. The three schools combined to read 283,208 books and 95 percent of the collective student body reached or surpassed their reading goals.

This year’s competition will have three divisions, each of which being based off enrollment size and student body demographics, to determine the "Speeding To Read" champions for Kindergarten through 2nd grade and Grades 3-5. The Frontstretch Division will consist of Samuel Beck, Kay Granger and E.P. Rayzor. The Backstretch Division will be comprised of Clara Love, Prairie View, Chisholm Ridge and J.C. Thompson. The Pit Stop Division will consist of Roanoke, Sendera Ranch, Haslet and Carl E. Schluter.

The competition will be divided into four quarters – or four turns like a speedway – with the top individuals, classrooms and schools being recognized at each turn. Turn 1 coincides with the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup heating up in early October; Turn 2 with the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR race week at Texas Motor Speedway from Oct. 31-Nov. 3; Turn 3 with the start of the new NASCAR season in February; and Turn 4 – the crowning of the champions – with the Texas 500 NASCAR doubleheader spring race week at Texas Motor Speedway. The 11-school race to the "Speeding To Read" championship will be known as the Lone Star 500.

The students and faculty will be treated to field trips at Texas Motor Speedway for their Turn 2 and Turn 4 award ceremonies, both of which coincide with the speedway’s NASCAR race weeks and feature a NASCAR driver as a guest speaker and trophy presenter. Drivers who have participated previously in the program have been five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon, NASCAR star Danica Patrick and reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion James Buescher. 

The “Speeding To Read” program offers a bevy of incentives for the students, ranging from NASCAR and Texas Motor Speedway merchandise to frontstretch tickets to the NASCAR races at Texas Motor Speedway. The program also has incentives for the leading teachers and principals, including dinner for two or signature spa treatments at The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway.

The “Speeding To Read” program is supported by a group of generous partners through donations and/or product that consists of Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter, Toyota of Fort Worth, Kid’s Beach Club, NASCAR, Press Pass, Inc., Domino’s, The Speedway Club, Score A Goal in the Classroom, Sprint, AAI Trophies and Awards of Plano, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Properties and Elite Embroidery of Keller.

Posted on by Staff Report

MWR accepts penalties issued by NASCAR

Related: Official NASCAR statement | SHR statement

MORE: Full Chase coverage

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Michael Waltrip Racing accepts the penalties issued by NASCAR this evening and plans to move forward in the 2013 season.
 
Michael Waltrip, founder and co-owner of MWR: "What occurred on the No. 55 radio at the end of Saturday night’s race in Richmond was a split-second decision made by team spotter Ty Norris to bring the No. 55 to pit lane and help a teammate earn a place in the Chase. We regret the decision and its impact. We apologize to NASCAR, our fellow competitors, partners and fans who were disappointed in our actions. We will learn from this and move on. As general manager, Ty Norris has been an integral part of Michael Waltrip Racing since its founding and has my and (co-owner) Rob Kauffman’s full support."

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Penalties against MWR result in Newman joining Chase field

Related: Official NASCAR statement | MWR statement

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KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — The following are statements from Stewart-Haas Racing regarding NASCAR’s ruling to include Ryan Newman and the No. 39 team in the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
 
“Obviously, we’re very pleased with NASCAR’s decision to provide Ryan Newman’s rightful place in this year’s Chase. NASCAR was put in a very difficult position Saturday night at Richmond and we commend the sanctioning body for taking the time to do the necessary due diligence to ensure that the right call was made.”

– Tony Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing
 
“I am proud that NASCAR took a stand with respect to what went on Saturday night at Richmond. I know it was a tough decision to make. With that being said, myself, Matt Borland (crew chief) and this entire No. 39 team are looking forward to competing for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.”

– Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing

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NASCAR Nationwide Series returns for second 2013 race at Chicagoland Speedway

Click here to see an entry list for this weekend’s race.

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Check out the full list of drivers competing in the Geico 400

The full entry list for Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Newman finishes third, later awared postseason berth; Logano, Biffle also in Chase

Ryan Newman led the Coca-Cola Racing Family with a third-place finish at Richmond, and was later awarded a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Newman, with one win this season, had lost out on the tiebreaker for the final Wild Card to Martin Truex Jr., but NASCAR docked all Michael Waltrip Racing drivers 50 points.

Greg Biffle and Joey Logano, meanwhile, both qualified for NASCAR’s postseason Saturday. Biffle finished 12th at Richmond to comfortably advance, while Logano sweated out a 22nd-place showing to finish the regular season in the top 10 by a single point over Jeff Gordon.

A roundup on the Coca-Cola Racing Family in order of how they finished at Richmond:

Ryan Newman (No. 39)

Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet 

Recap: Newman ended the regular season in fine fashion, posting two consecutive top-fives at Atlanta and Richmond. His Richmond run of third place was his best showing of the season other than his win at Indianapolis. Newman led four laps and was in the lead at the end before a Clint Bowyer spin brought out the caution, sending drivers to the pits, where Newman lost ground. NASCAR later ruled, though, that MWR drivers tried to manipulate the results of the race, awarding Newman a Chase berth.
Quotable: “The Quicken Loans Chevrolet was good, no doubt. Matt (Borland, crew chief) and the guys did a good job making it fast. In the end, I’m proud of the guys. We came from nowhere this year to be in this position.”
His standing: Newman is 12th in the standings with 2,000 points.
Outlook: Newman will drive the final 10 races with a shot at winning the 2013 championship. It’s also his last go-round driving for Stewart-Haas Racing. In an interview with NASCAR.com’s Alan Cavanna, Newman said his goal would be to go out and try to win them all.

Greg Biffle (No. 16)

Roush Fenway Racing, Ford 

Recap: Biffle was on the Chase bubble with two races remaining, but he comfortably entered the postseason with consistent finishes. One week after a 15th-place effort in Atlanta, Biffle took 12th at Richmond. He had a win to fall back on, anyway, but Biffle finished in the top 10 of the regular-season standings and earned three bonus points for his win at Michigan. He is the No. 7 seed in the 12-driver Chase.
Quotable: “I feel really good right now. I gave up there at the end. Those guys were going crazy. I wish I would have gotten a top-five finish out of that. We had a great car. I just couldn’t get it right getting into one and as the speed started picking up I started getting worse. I just could never get it right getting into one down there.”
His standing: Biffle is seventh in the standings with 2,003 points.
Outlook: Now that the Chase is set, it’s an entirely different outlook for Biffle heading to Chicagoland. The No. 16 team doesn’t have a great history at the 1.5-mile tri-oval with just one top-10 in 10 starts. Biffle trails former teammate and top-seeded Matt Kenseth by 12 points in the standings.

Denny Hamlin (No. 11)

Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota 

Recap: Hamlin wasn’t in a position to win, or even claim a top-10 at Richmond, but he drove better than he has in nearly a month and finished 21st. It was a tough break after starting sixth, but continued an unfortunate trend. In the past four races, Hamlin has started inside the top eight every time and has finished 20th or worse every time.
Quotable: Hamlin was unavailable for comment.
His standing: Hamlin is 26th in the standings with 485 points.
Outlook: Obviously, Hamlin would rather be in the Chase than out of it. But the lone positive to not qualifying for the postseason is that the No. 11 team can try some new, out-of-the-box setups in the final 10 races. The Generation-6 car has been a difficult adjustment for Hamlin, so the lessened implications down the home stretch may be a blessing in disguise.

Joey Logano (No. 22)

Penske Racing, Ford

Recap: Not only is Logano in his first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but he’s the only Penske Racing driver in the postseason. Yes, that means Brad Keselowski is not eligible to defend his championship. Logano finished 22nd at Richmond, and was lucky to do that. He took the wave-around on the final caution to get back on the lead lap, and then made two critical passes before the checkered flag fell. Finishing 10th in the regular-season standings means Logano gets three bonus points for his win at Michigan. He is seeded sixth in the 12-driver postseason.
Quotable: “It’s unfortunate that Brad missed the Chase. Obviously, our goal tonight was to get both Penske cars in the Chase. We got one in. Brad is a champion no matter what you say. He won the championship last year. He still will be out there in contention to win races. I’m sure he’ll win some races before the year is out. At the same time we can use him as a teammate right now to try some things, try to improve what we got. That’s what we do now. Nothing is going to change because of this.”
His standing: Logano is sixth in the standings with 2,003 points.
Outlook: The 23-year-old has as good a shot as anyone to win the championship, although he trails top-seeded Matt Kenseth by 12 points. Before his Richmond finish, Logano had logged six consecutive top-eight finishes.

Danica Patrick (No. 10)

Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet 

Recap: Patrick struggled at Richmond with a car that didn’t have the speed or setup she wanted. She finished 30th in her 36th career Sprint Cup start.
Quotable: “It just wasn’t our night. We just didn’t get it right. Tony Gibson (crew chief) and the GoDaddy guys never gave up and worked hard all weekend. There are nights that you just know it’s not going to go your way, and this was one of those nights. We’ve been making gains in recent weeks, but tonight was tough. The important thing is for me and the guys to forget about it and move onto Chicago and look to get better.”
Her standing: Patrick is 27th in the standings with 459 points.
Outlook: Chicagoland is a homecoming of sorts for Patrick, who grew up in Roscoe, Ill., rooting for Chicago sports teams. She finished 25th at the track last year.

Tony Stewart (No. 14)

Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet 

Recap: Stewart missed his fifth consecutive race this past weekend and watched Mark Martin piloted his No. 14 Chevrolet to a ninth-place finish. Stewart is still nursing his broken leg and won’t return in 2013. He returned to the track, though, in a motorized scooter and contributed as best he could.
His standing: Stewart is 23rd in the standings with 594 points.

Posted on by George Winkler

Among drivers second-tier in cost, Edwards brought bang for buck at Richmond

Carl Edwards hadn’t won since Week 2 at Phoenix International Raceway, and his recent engine failure at Bristol was no cause for fantasy owners to do back-flips over owning the No. 99. Yet Edwards still gained $0.25 entering Richmond.

Inquiring fantasy minds must have known Edwards was due for a win. In fact, his victory in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway gave him the top score of the night in fantasy at 121.5.

Edwards compiled 47 of those points from his finishing position, but also got 25 from place differential and 23 from laps led. Owners who weren’t scared off by Edwards qualifying 26th were rewarded for their good faith.

Unfortunately, for some of us who shall remain nameless, swapping out Edwards for Joey Logano was one of those last-minute moves we would have rather avoided. Logano seemed like a good choice coming in thanks to a hot streak that included six straight top-10s.

But Logano finished 22nd at Richmond and compiled just 9.5 fantasy points (37th-best for the week). For just $1 more owners could have had Edwards and 112 more fantasy points.

See how quickly fortunes can turn? And so it was with the end of the race, too. On a restart with three laps to go, Edwards got out quickly and beat runner-up Kurt Busch to the start/finish line when the checkered flag fell. On that same restart, Logano got the wave-around and finished just well enough to qualify for the Chase.

But Logano had a tough night, as he admitted after the race, and that $1 more an owner could have spent on Edwards turned out to be worth much more than the 99 pennies plus one. (See what I did there?)

And another thing to note was the strength of Edwards’ pit crew that has come through time and time again for fantasy owners for bonus points in the NASCAR Fantasy Live game this year, and helped Edwards in the final moments at Richmond.

Key Fantasy Moment: Clint Bowyer was in 16th place with seven laps to go when he spun and brought out the caution flag. Bowyer ended up 25th, and his minus-21 fantasy points in place differential ruined what otherwise could have been a solid day. His 55 fantasy points ranked him 13th overall, and that wasn’t the type of boost owners needed heading into the Chase.

Biggest Bargain: AJ Allmendinger represented $10 in fantasy well spent. His 60 fantasy points were 12th-best on the night and better than higher-cost options such as Bowyer, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not bad for a driver who was filling in for the injured Bobby Labonte (rib fractures) in the No. 47 car.

Biggest Bust: The driver we highlighted in last week’s column, Jimmie Johnson, was absolutely the biggest bust at Richmond. He’s the most expensive driver in the NASCAR Fantasy Live game and he finished dead last in fantasy points with minus-15. It marked the fourth straight finish of 28th or worse for Johnson, so his fans are hoping moving into the Chase will turn the page on his recent run of bad performances.

Tip to take forward: According to NASCAR’s Statistical Services, the following drivers lead in the significant fantasy categories at Chicagoland: Laps led, Johnson (479); quality passes, Jeff Gordon (271); fastest laps, Johnson (310); average finish, Brian Vickers (8.6). Tony Stewart has the best average finish at Chicagoland, but since he is injured, Vickers is the next on the list.

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