Tag Archives: Casey Mears

Denny Hamlin Wins Action-Packed Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

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Saturday’s Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway ended with a mere handful of cars undamaged—and race winner Denny Hamlin’s Toyota wasn’t one of them.

But Hamlin got his wreck out of the way early in a two-car incident with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s Ford on Lap 13 and won the race in overtime with a large swatch of silver tape on the right side of his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry.

Hamlin triumphed in the season-opening non-points event for the second time in three years (and third time overall) and gave JGR its fourth Sprint Unlimited victory in the last five years.
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Five Potential Candidates to Fill in for Tony Stewart

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Photo - Getty Images

Photo – Getty Images

The farewell tour for three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart is not going the way anyone in the sport could have imagined.

Stewart, who suffered a burst fracture in his back while driving a dune buggy Sunday, January 31, will miss the beginning of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

The entry list shows Ricky Stenhouse Jr will race in lieu of the no. 14 for Stewart in the pre-season, non-points paying event, the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona on February 13th. Also racing in lieu of the no. 24 for the Jeff Gordon, who is now retired, is Casey Mears. Both drivers will continue racing with their existing teams for their season opener, the Daytona 500 on February 21st and beyond.

So now, the biggest question that remains is, who will fill in for Stewart beyond the Sprint Unlimited? There are many drivers without a full-time ride in Sprint Cup or without a ride in any NASCAR division and several candidates from the XFINITY or Camping World Truck Series. Here is a list of five candidates I feel have the best shot to get the ride for at least some of the races, that Stewart will miss.  Continue reading →

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Preview

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Next Race: Federated Auto Parts 400

The Place: Richmond International Raceway

The Date: Saturday, Sept. 12

The Time: 7:30 p.m. (ET)

TV: NBCSN, 7 p.m. (ET)

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 300 miles (400 laps)

Chase Clinch Scenarios for Richmond

Jamie McMurray will lock up his first career Chase berth simply by starting the race on Saturday night. For three others, it’s a little tougher – but certainly doable. Ryan Newman clinches by finishing 31st or better; Jeff Gordon by finishing 17th or better; and Paul Menard by finishing ninth or better – and that’s all regardless of who wins the race. If there’s a repeat winner, the scenarios become less daunting. For winless drivers beyond Menard, there will be some frayed nerves. If there’s a repeat winner, Clint Bowyer is in good shape, needing only a finish of 28th or better. For those winless drivers lower in points than Bowyer, a Richmond win is realistically the only path to the Chase.

Here’s a full look at the Chase clinch scenarios for Saturday night’s race:

Regardless of Who Wins at Richmond…

Jamie McMurray clinches by starting the race.

Ryan Newman clinches by finishing 31st or better; 32nd with at least one lap led; or 33rd with the most laps led.

Jeff Gordon clinches by finishing 17th or better; 18th with at least one lap led; or 19th with the most laps led.

Paul Menard clinches by finishing ninth or better; tenth with at least one lap led; or 11th with the most laps led. Continue reading →

Kyle Busch Resurrects Season with Spectacular Victory at Sonoma

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Check the box. Kyle Busch has a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

That simple statement hardly plumbs the depth of emotion Kyle Busch was feeling after winning Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

In the first-ever 1-2 finish in the series by the Busch brothers, Kyle Busch beat Kurt Busch to the finish line by .532 seconds to win for the first time since returning from an 11-race absence because of a broken right leg and left foot sustained in a Feb. 21 accident at Daytona International Speedway. Continue reading →

The Dillon Dilemma for Richard Childress Racing

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Austin Dillon, driver of the #33 Rheem Chevrolet, and Ty Dillon, driver of the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, walk on the grid prior to the NASCAR XFINITY Series Winn Dixie 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 2, 2015 Photo - Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Austin Dillon, driver of the #33 Rheem Chevrolet, and Ty Dillon, driver of the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, walk on the grid before the NASCAR XFINITY Series Winn Dixie 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 2, 2015 Photo – Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

From Donnie and Bobby Allison, to Kurt and Kyle Busch, and several in between, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has become accustom to seeing brothers compete and compete well. The Dillon brothers are yet another brother duo now competing across NASCAR’s top-three national series.

Coming off  an 18th-place finish at Pocono this past weekend and again stepping into a Sprint Cup Series car Sunday at Michigan International Speedway this weekend, questions are already swirling around what Ty Dillon’s plans will be for the 2016 season.

Compared to his older brother Austin, who is already part of Richard Childress Racing’s three car stable in the Sprint Cup Series, it has been a wonder trying to figure where Ty will fit into the organization within the next couple of years. Continue reading →