For more than a third of active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, there will be no rest for the weary.
One driver from each Cup organization is eligible to participate in a test of newly repaved Kentucky Speedway on Monday and Tuesday. The test is a continuation of NASCAR’s proving-out process for a new lower-downforce competition package earmarked for 2017.
Last year, as the sanctioning body solidified the rules for 2016, races at Kentucky and Darlington were used as benchmarks for the progression toward lower downforce for the Cup cars. This year, in selected events, NASCAR is taking an additional 500 pounds of downforce and 125 pounds of sideforce away from the cars by chopping the size of the spoiler, reducing the surface area of the splitter, tapering the rear deck lid fin and eliminating rear axle offset. Continue reading →
The Mexican driver had just passed Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch for the lead on the next-to-last lap and held on to win Saturday’s Menards 250 presented by Valvoline NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Michigan International Speedway by 0.280 seconds over the man who sets the standard in the series.
The first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race, Suarez overcame a pit road speeding penalty assessed on lap 29 of 125 under the first of three cautions. He restarted eighth after the third caution on lap 91, caught and passed Elliott Sadler for second place with ten laps left and ran down Busch for the lead on lap 124. Continue reading →
Taking control in the final three laps of Sunday’s wreck-filled GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Brad Keselowski claimed his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at the 2.66-mile race track and solidified his spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Choosing the top lane for a restart on lap 186 of 188, Keselowski powered his No. 2 Team Penske Ford past Kurt Busch with two laps left and crossed the finish line as a gaggle of cars wrecked behind him coming to the stripe. Continue reading →
Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s 75th Anniversary Toyota, leads Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 3, 2016 Photo – Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s 75th Anniversary Toyota, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 3, 2016 Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s 75th Anniversary Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 3, 2016 Photo – Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s 75th Anniversary Toyota, celebrates with the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 3, 2016 Photo – Sarah Crabill/Getty images
Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s 75th Anniversary Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 3, 2016 Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s 75th Anniversary Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 3, 2016 Photo – Matt Sullivan/Getty Images
Kyle Busch came to Martinsville Speedway this weekend with no grandfather clock trophies from the shortest and tightest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series short tracks.
He left with two clocks after completing an unprecedented Martinsville sweep in Sunday’s STP 500, and, appropriately, the first question he radioed to his crew after his celebratory burnouts dealt with telling time.
“What time is it?” crowed the reigning series champion, who a day earlier had won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville in his own equipment. Continue reading →
