Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service

1238 posts

Opportunistic Truex Gets Coveted Win in Bojangles’ Southern 500

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Sprint Cup Series Track News

Martin Truex Jr.’s luck changed. Kevin Harvick’s didn’t.

And that was the difference in Truex’s unexpected victory in Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Truex led 28 laps, all after passing Ryan Newman for the top spot on lap 339 of 367.

Harvick led a race-high 214 laps, bringing his career total to 10,068. But where Truex’s much-maligned pit crew performed its finest stop when it counted most—under caution on lap 351—Harvick’s crew experienced the sorts of problems that have become chronic this season.
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Sadler Holds Off Hamlin for Emotional XFINITY Win at Darlington

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Sprint Cup Series Track News Xfinity Series

Elliott Sadler had a passenger for Saturday’s VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway—in spirit at least.

After a breathtaking battle against Denny Hamlin over the closing laps, Sadler crossed the finish-line 0.454 seconds ahead of Hamlin to win for the first time at the Lady in Black—and immediately dedicated the victory to JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., who announced on Friday he would sit out the remainder of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season because of a concussion. Continue reading →

More Pit Road Issues Ruin Martin Truex Jr.’s Day

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Sprint Cup Series Track News
Photo - Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Sunday brought an all-too-familiar story for Martin Truex Jr.

Fast car. Glitch on pit road. Disappointing finish.

On lap 58, Truex passed Kevin Harvick for the lead after advancing briskly from his 20th-place starting position. During a green-flag pit stop on lap 65, however, the jack dropped before the rear tire changed had tightened the lug nuts, forcing Truex’s car to jack the car back up and finish the job. Continue reading →

Jimmie Johnson Encouraged Despite Pit Road Snafu

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Sprint Cup Series Track News
Photo - Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Despite a pit road problem that ruined his winning chances, Jimmie Johnson was surprisingly chipper after his sixth-place run in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan Speedway.

Johnson led 37 laps, four fewer than race winner Kyle Larson, but the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion lost ten seconds on pit road when his second can of fuel failed to engage properly with the intake during a green-flag stop from the lead on lap 108 of 200. Continue reading →