William Byron Wins First-Ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase Race

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

William Byron stole a page from his mentor and team owner, Kyle Busch.

Leading 161 of 175 laps in Saturday’s UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – the first race in the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase – Byron cruised to victory, the way Busch has done so many times before, and punched his ticket into the Chase’s Round of 6.

Not that runner-up Christopher Bell, Byron’s stablemate at Kyle Busch Motorsports, didn’t make it interesting in the closing laps. As Byron worked traffic in the late going, Bell closed from 1.325 seconds behind with five laps left to 0.430 seconds down on the next-to-last lap. Continue reading

Jimmie Johnson Hopes Practice Makes Perfect

JOLIET, IL - SEPTEMBER 18:  Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, leads Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 18, 2016 in Joliet, Illinois.   Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images

JOLIET, IL – SEPTEMBER 18: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, leads Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 18, 2016 in Joliet, Illinois.
Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images

It’s bad enough to make a mistake, but it’s unforgivable to make the same one twice.

That seemed to be Jimmie Johnson’s philosophy during Saturday morning’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Last week at Chicagoland Speedway, in the opening race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Johnson led a race-high 118 laps, only to be bamboozled by a pit road speeding penalty that dropped him to 12th at the finish. Continue reading

Ganassi Cars Continue to Impress at New Hampshire

LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 24: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 24, 2016 in Loudon, New Hampshire.   Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

LOUDON, NH – SEPTEMBER 24: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 24, 2016 in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Kyle Larson tends to undersell his prowess at short tracks in general and at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in particular.

To hear him tell it, you would never suspect that the driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet finished third and second in the first two of his five starts at the Magic Mile.

And on Saturday, in final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice for Sunday’s Bad Boy Off Road 300 (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN) – the second race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – Larson posted the fastest lap in Happy Hour at 132.577 mph. Continue reading