NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service

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Fords are Fast in Saturday Morning’s First Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Practice

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Ryan Blaney, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo – Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

Ryan Blaney topped the speed chart in Saturday morning’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a best lap at 188.055 mph, but Blaney’s No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford wasn’t the only fast Fusion in the session.

The Fords from the much-improved Roush Fenway Racing stable appear poised to mount a challenge in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race. Trevor Bayne (186.239 mph) was fifth fastest on Saturday morning, with teammate and recent Talladega winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. close behind at 186.207 mph.

“We unloaded pretty good today, but we know that off-the-truck speed isn’t what matters,” Bayne said. “It’s being able to go on the long runs as the day gets hotter and the track slicks up. I actually felt like we held on to our speed pretty well at the end of practice, so I think both of us have made huge gains.

“I need to give a big shout out to these guys for working their butts off this last week after (last Saturday’s) All-Star Race, when we didn’t have the performance that we wanted. They’ve dialed our cars in a lot.”

Another Earnhardt for the NASCAR Hall of Fame?

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Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Patriotic Chevrolet, gets into his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina Photo – Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

In his final season of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t be eligible for the NASCAR Hall of Fame until the class of 2021, but the driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS is already looking in that direction. Continue reading →

New Playoff Tracks Highlight NASCAR’s 2018 Schedule Announcement

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Photo – Getty Images

NASCAR today announced the 2018 schedule for all three of its national series, and the lineup includes an array of changes to the tracks that make up the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

NASCAR will add a second short track to the playoff slate, as the 0.75-mile Richmond International Raceway hosts the second playoff race for the first time. In a surprising twist, Charlotte Motor Speedway serves as the first cutoff race, but it won’t be the 1.5-mile layout. For the first time, NASCAR will run on the Charlotte road course oval – a.k.a. the roval –  marking the first time the playoffs will see a road-course layout among its ten races. Continue reading →

Kyle Busch Finds his Mojo at Charlotte with Monster Energy All-Star Race Win

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Kyle Busch took control of Saturday night’s Monster Energy All-Star Race on the final restart with ten laps left and motored away to a 1.274-second victory—his first in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch powered his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to the inside of Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford—the race leader on old tires—as the field roared toward turn one on the final restart. Through the first two corners he cleared both Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson, who had restarted second on the outside to gain the race lead in clean air. Continue reading →