Author Archives: NASCAR Wire Staff Report

Hamlin Hopes to Lock Up Championship 4 Berth

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Photo - Getty Images

Photo – Getty Images

Denny Hamlin’s championship aspirations came 0.006 seconds away from evaporating at Talladega last Sunday. Fortunately for the No. 11 Toyota driver, he beat Kurt Busch to the finish line by 0.006 seconds (approximately two feet) for a third-place result that earned him the final spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Round of 8 over Austin Dillon.

Now holding the same amount of points as the remaining eight Chase-eligible drivers, Hamlin is back at square one heading into Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at his hometown track – and also one of his best tracks – Martinsville Speedway at 1 pm ET on NBCSN. Continue reading →

Byron Ready for Next Step at Title Hunt

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Photo - Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Because he won the first race of the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, the last two events of the Round of 8 had little to no impact on William Byron’s title chances.

The heat is back on Byron now as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase Round of 6 kicks off with Saturday’s Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway at 1:30 pm ET on FOX Sports 1.  Continue reading →

Truex, Keselowski See Championship Hopes Go Up in Smoke

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TALLADEGA, AL - OCTOBER 23: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, drives to the garage after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hellmann's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 23, 2016 in Talladega, Alabama. Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

TALLADEGA, AL – OCTOBER 23: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, drives to the garage after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hellmann’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 23, 2016 in Talladega, Alabama. Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

Two drivers who were among the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season’s most productive winners won’t be in the race for the championship.

Former champion Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr., winners of four races apiece this year, fell out of Sunday’s Hellman’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway with blown engines and failed to qualify for the Round of 8 with four races remaining on the schedule.

Also knocked out of the championship group Sunday were Austin Dillon and rookie Chase Elliott.

The Chase will continue next weekend at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. Continue reading →

Hemric, Nemechek on Verge of Chase Elimination

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Photo - Getty Images

Photo – Getty Images

Daniel Hemric and John Hunter Nemechek have plenty of work to do to advance in the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase.

The two drivers are each 15 points below the cutoff line heading into the final race of the Chase’s Round of 8 – Saturday’s Fred’s 250 at Talladega Superspeedway at 1 pm ET on FOX. If they cannot make up the ground at Talladega, they will be dropped from the championship hunt.

Hemric boasts five top-three finishes in his last six starts, including two runner-up showings, but lost ground in the Chase with his 28th-place performance at New Hampshire in that stretch. In his lone start at Talladega last season, he placed 28th. Continue reading →

Rookie Sensation Elliott Needs Win at Talladega

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Photo - Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Photo – Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Positioned last on the Chase Grid, a hefty 25 points below the cutoff line in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Chase Elliott needs a win in the worst way.

The problem: He’s never visited Victory Lane in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

To advance in his quest for the championship, Elliott virtually must earn his first win in Sunday’s Hellmann’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway at 2 pm  ET on NBCSN. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year frontrunner finished fifth from the pole at the 2.66-mile behemoth in his lone start there in May. Although Elliott hasn’t won a race, he’s shown he’s a contender every week and had near misses in both Michigan races and at Pocono in June. Continue reading →