“Best in Class” isn’t where Kyle Busch Wants to Be

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Core Toyota, is introduced prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Citizen Solider 400 at Dover International Speedway on October 2, 2016 in Dover, Delaware. Photo - Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Core Toyota, is introduced prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Citizen Solider 400 at Dover International Speedway on October 2, 2016 in Dover, Delaware. Photo – Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

Runner-up Kyle Busch finished a whopping 7.527 seconds behind Martin Truex Jr., winner of Sunday’s Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover International Speedway.

Though the Joe Gibbs Racing organization that fields Busch’s cars gets its engines from Toyota Racing Development (TRD), as does Truex’s Furniture Row Racing, and though the organizations maintain a technical partnership, Truex’s team has enjoyed an edge in speed of late, winning two of the first three races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Don’t think Busch hasn’t noticed. Continue reading

NASCAR XFINITY Chase Media Day Notebook

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Photo - Getty Images

Photo – Getty Images

CHASE FORMAT HAS ADDED AGGRESSION TO ERIK JONES’ RACING STYLE

Top-seeded Erik Jones didn’t wait for the seven-race XFINITY Series playoff to alter his racing style to suit the new elimination format.

By his own admission, Jones raced conservatively last year in winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. But the win-and-you’re-in structure of the XFINITY Chase has given the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota more freedom to race for victories at any cost. Continue reading

NASCAR Announces Race Start Times for 2017 Season

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Photo - Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Photo – Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Seventeen National Series Events Move Closer to Primetime

NASCAR, along with FOX Sports and NBC Sports, today announced 2017 race start times and network coverage for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – based on the previously released schedule dates. Through collaborative efforts with its broadcast partners, race teams and tracks, NASCAR was able to finalize full 2017 start times for all three national series almost six months earlier than in recent seasons. Continue reading

Johnson Says Victory at Indy for Gordon is Possible

 Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16, 2016 in Loudon, New Hampshire.   Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16, 2016 in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Don’t put anything past Jeff Gordon.

That advice comes from someone who ought to know, Gordon’s former teammate and six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

Gordon will be pressed into service next weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway if Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s concussion-like symptoms persist past this Sunday’s New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN), where Alex Bowman is driving the No. 88 Chevrolet in Earnhardt’s absence. Continue reading

DEWALT Tools Spreads Sponsorship Across Joe Gibbs Racing; Gibbs Talks Matt Kenseth Contract

Photo - CIA Stock Photo

Photo – CIA Stock Photo

Joe Gibbs Racing announced Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway that DEWALT Tools will step up their commitment within the organization, with a primary focus on Matt Kenseth in 2016 and 2017.

Promoting their new DEWALT FLEXVOLT product, the company will sponsor Kenseth in Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 and for four of the 10 Chase races at Chicagoland Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Kansas Speedway and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway respectively. Continue reading