Joey Logano, the driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, sits in his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton’s 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15, 2017, in Loudon, New Hampshire. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Joey Logano is a firm believer that his No. 22 Team Penske outfit is at its best with backs against the wall.
After Sunday’s Overton’s 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Logano now has a chance to prove that premise. Continue reading
Martin Truex Jr. drives the #78 WIX Filters Toyota during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton’s 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16, 2017, in Loudon, New Hampshire. Photo – Chris Trotman/Getty Images
For Coors Light Pole winner Martin Truex Jr., Sunday’s Overton’s 301 had a similar feel to the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team’s dominating run last weekend at Kentucky—at least for a while.
Truex captured the first stage comfortably, increasing his series-best playoff points total to 29 and led the first 78 laps. But there the domination ended. Continue reading
Kyle Busch drives the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton’s 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16, 2017, in Loudon, New Hampshire. Photo – Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Kyle Busch can take a lot of positives from the Overton’s 301 at New Hampshire.
He led 95 laps, second only to Martin Truex Jr.’s 137. He won the second stage, earning his fifth playoff point of the season. And he did nothing to hurt his third-place position in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings—good news for a driver who may have to qualify for the playoff on points.
But Busch didn’t get the one major positive he really wanted—a victory.
A pair of pit road speeding penalties, both in Segment 5 on the way to his pit box, cost him dearly in track position and dropped him to 12th at the finish.
“I messed up a couple of times with getting the speeding penalties, and it pretty much cost us a chance for the win today,” Busch said. “It’s disappointing, but we’ll look forward to getting to Indianapolis next week.”
Next Sunday’s race at the Brickyard may be just the remedy Busch needs. He’s the two-time defending winner at the vaunted 2.5-mile track.
The relief was palpable.
In a thrilling finish fraught with suspense, and in a backup car after a Friday crash in practice, Denny Hamlin held off a charging Kyle Larson to win the Overton’s 301 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Continue reading
Kyle Busch’s celebratory burnout produced a cloud of smoke over the front stretch at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but Ryan Preece’s first run in top-of-the-line equipment made an even bigger impression in Saturday’s Overton’s 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series race.
After a major snafu on pit road took a potential win away from Brad Keselowski, who had arguably the fastest car at the Magic Mile, Busch cruised to a 10.425-second victory, collecting his third win in six starts this season, his sixth at NHMS and the 89th of his career, extending his series record. Continue reading