Category Archives: Sprint Cup Series

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Overachieves for Runner-Up Finish at Pocono

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Photo - Matt Hazlett/Getty Images

Approximately halfway through the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final green-flag run on Monday at Pocono Raceway, crew chief Greg Ives radioed to driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“The 41 (leader Kurt Busch) needs to save (fuel) to make it. We do not. Go get him!”

But over the closing laps, the handling of Earnhardt’s car tightened up, and he was unable to track down Busch, even though the eventual race winner was in fuel-conservation mode.

Earnhardt thought he could have been more effective in keeping Busch behind him after the final restart. Continue reading →

Strong Weekend for Tony Stewart Thwarted by Crash

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Photo - Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Photo – Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Looking the best since returning to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series scene last month, Tony Stewart saw a strong run in Monday’s Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 come to a crashing halt just past the halfway point.

Stewart, who started a season-best sixth easily contended for a top-ten finish, but following a debris caution in turn two on Lap 88, his strong day quickly unraveled. Continue reading →

Despite Penalties, Brad Keselowski Battles Back to Third at Pocono

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Photo - Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Photo – Chris Trotman/Getty Images

A long day ended with a good result for Brad Keselowski and his No. 2 Team Penske team in Monday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Axalta ‘We Paint Winners 400’ at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

The event’s pole sitter had to rally from the back of the field after NASCAR ordered him to pit road on Lap 27 after determining his Team Penske pit crew made unapproved body modifications to the right-side of his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion during the previous rounds of pit stops. Continue reading →

Chase Elliott Strong at Pocono but Settles for Fourth

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Photo - Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

For a while during Monday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, it appeared that Chase Elliott would score his first career victory, but when the checkered flag waved, the Hendrick Motorsports rookie settled for fourth.

Elliott, the 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion saw his winning chances disappear following a restart when he was battling teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the race lead. An aggressive move in the tricky Tunnel Turn forced Elliott to burp the gas, which allowed Kurt Busch who was riding third to pass the Hendrick Motorsports duo and never look back. Continue reading →

Saving Fuel Gets Kurt Busch a Sprint Cup Win at Pocono

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Working with a substitute crew chief, and saving enough fuel to get to the finish line and complete a celebratory burnout, Kurt Busch won Monday’s rain-delayed Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 at Pocono Raceway.

Busch won for the first time this year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and for the third time at Pocono, a 2.5-mile speedway featuring three widely different corners. And Busch claimed his 28th victory in NASCAR’s premier series with race engineer John Klausmeier leading the team in place of crew chief Tony Gibson, who was serving a one-race suspension for a lug nut violation last week at Charlotte.

Told he was two laps short at the start of the last 33-lap green-flag run, Busch saved enough fuel to get to the finish while keeping race runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind him. Continue reading →