Hamlin Wins at Richmond, as Two Rookies Advance to the Chase

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Denny Hamlin won a wild race at his home track, and the top-four Chase hopefuls entering Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 all held serve at Richmond International Raceway in an event that ended in overtime after a record 16 cautions.

Jamie McMurray locked up a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with a seventh-place finish, and Austin Dillon did likewise with a 13th-place run.

Sunoco rookies Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher both weathered some tense moments to qualify for NASCAR’s ten-race playoff, the first time two rookies have ever been included in the Chase field—and the first time any rookie has made the Chase since Hamlin accomplished the feat in 2006. Continue reading

Opportunistic Truex Gets Coveted Win in Bojangles’ Southern 500

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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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Kyle Larson Captures Emotional First Victory at Michigan

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In the last few laps of Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway, tears began to well up in Kyle Larson’s eyes.

When Larson subsequently took the checkered flag to win the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of his career, the emotion was all but overwhelming—and for good reason.

The victory came in Larson’s 99th start in the series, long after most observers expected Larson to record his first win. It also broke a 99-race drought for Chip Ganassi Racing, dating to Jamie McMurray’s victory at Talladega in October 2013. Continue reading

Chris Buescher Officially Claims Provisonal Chase Spot with Superb Bristol Finish

Photo - Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Weeks after winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Chris Buescher vaulted to inside the top-30 in driver points with a gratifying fifth-place finish in Sunday’s postponed Bass Pro Shops NRA Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

The driver on loan from Roush Fenway Racing to Front Row Motorsports used his best starting position of the season as traction for 500 laps in Thunder Valley.

Buescher’s team led by veteran crew chief Greg Osborne held their own under the lights Saturday night before Mother Nature invaded the speedway and forcing the postponement until late Sunday afternoon. Playing their cards right and avoiding late race attrition, Buescher challenged Austin Dillon for fourth, but settled for fifth when the checkered flag waved. Continue reading

Kevin Harvick Wins Action-Filled NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Bristol

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For most of the final 200 laps of Sunday’s rain-interrupted Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick was where he needed to be – out front and in control of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Behind Harvick, who took the checkered flag 1.933 seconds ahead of runner-up Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the race was often out of control, as the essence of traditional Bristol made an emphatic appearance at the 0.533-mile concrete short track. Continue reading