Kevin Harvick Leads Ford Sweep of Top-Five Spots in Texas Qualifying

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Ford, poses in Victory Lane after qualifying for pole position for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 7, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Kevin Harvick needed a do-over in the second round of Friday’s knockout qualifying session at Texas Motor Speedway, but putting the extra lap on his tires proved well worth the effort.

Harvick led not only the second round but also the first and third in winning the pole for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway at 1:30 pm ET on FOX. Continue reading

Drivers Challenged by New Surface at Texas

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 7, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Denny Hamlin’s instant analysis was an omen of things to come.

“This baby is ice—no grip at all,” Hamlin declared on his radio after spinning out on the new asphalt at Texas Motor Speedway just 2 minutes 23 seconds into Friday’s opening practice at the 1.5-mile track.

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Dillon’s Run Validates Progress at RCR

Aric Almirola, driver of the #43 STP Ford, races Erik Jones, driver of the #77 5-hour ENERGY Extra Strength Toyota, and Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Okuma Chevrolet, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 2, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

Ryan Newman’s victory at Phoenix Raceway, made possible by staying out on old tires, seemingly came out of nowhere. After all, no Richard Childress Racing driver had won an event in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series since 2013 before Newman took the checkered flag at Phoenix.

But the speed in the RCR cars has improved, as both Austin Dillon and Newman proved in Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Dillon came home fifth, his first top-five since running fourth at Bristol last August. Continue reading

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ STP 500 at Martinsville Preview

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Catch the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway in the STP 500 on Sunday, April 2nd at 2 pm ET.  Television and radio coverage begins at 12:30 pm ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Drivers will race 500 laps covering 263 miles with Stage 1 ending on lap 130 and Stage 2 ending on lap 260.   Continue reading

Larson Holds Off Logano for NASCAR XFINITY Win at Auto Club Speedway

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Kyle Larson kept polesitter Joey Logano at bay after a restart with four laps left in Saturday’s Service King 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Auto Club Speedway and held on to win by 0.127 seconds.

Larson and Logano had swapped the lead on three successive laps before Brandon Jones plowed into the outside wall on lap 142 to bring out the seventh and final caution of the afternoon. Continue reading