Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Preview

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Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams are in Texas Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 on Sunday, April 9th. Television and radio coverage begins 1:30 pm ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Drivers will race 501 miles over 334 laps with Stage 1 ending on lap 85 and Stage 2 ending on lap 170. Continue reading

Stenhouse was Willing Participant in April Fool’s Hoax

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Ford EcoBoost Ford, walks through the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 8, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images

When Danica Patrick pressed the button on Twitter last Saturday to announce her engagement to boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr., social media blew up with the news—until word got out it was an April Fool’s joke. Stenhouse was in on the prank, but he had forgotten about it. Continue reading

Stenhouse Applies the Bumper – and can Expect Payback

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, spins during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 2, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The essence of stage racing crystallized into one dramatic moment on lap 260 of Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Coming to the green/checkers at the end of Stage 2, Kyle Busch passed Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to put the No. 17 Ford a lap down. But as Busch rolled through turns three and four, Stenhouse gave Busch two whacks to the bumper, knocked Busch’s No. 18 Toyota up the track in turn four and executed a pass to stay on the lead lap. Continue reading

Brad Keselowski Ends Ford Drought with Martinsville Victory

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In Sunday’s STP 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, everything worked – but nothing more than Brad Keselowski’s race-winning No. 2 Ford.

Yes, that’s right, a Ford. The car maker found Victory Lane at the 0.526-mile short track for the first time since Oct. 20, 2002, when Kurt Busch won at NASCAR’s oldest and smallest premier series track in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Continue reading

Strategy Pays Off for Stenhouse, Too

Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Though Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn’t win Sunday’s Camping World 500 at Phoenix by staying out on old tires—as Ryan Newman did—the driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford did hold onto fourth-place during a two-lap overtime.

That Stenhouse was able to score his eighth career top-five is emblematic of improved performance at Roush Fenway Racing, but Stenhouse says there’s still work to do. Continue reading