Penske Teammates aren’t Worried about Lack of Practice Time at Charlotte

Photo - Getty Images

Photo – Getty Images

With all track activity canceled because of rain on Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway – a far-reaching effect of Hurricane Matthew – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers won’t have an opportunity to practice between Thursday evening’s knockout qualifying session and Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 (7 p.m. ET on NBC).

No problem, according to Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, both exuding confidence entering the first race of the Round of 12 in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. After all, both drivers spent the vast majority of Thursday’s opening practice in race trim, anticipating the rain. Continue reading

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News and Notes – Friday, June 17, 2016

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F4R-SCS-News-Notes

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams are on a well-deserved break this weekend and will return to action Sunday, June 26th at Sonoma Raceway for the Save Mart 350. Television coverage starts at 2 pm ET on FOX Sports 1 with the green flag waving at around 3 pm ET for 110 laps covering 218.9 miles on the California road course. Radio coverage is on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Logano Captures First Win of Season; Becomes Tenth Different Race Winner

Joey Logano led 138-of-200 laps on his way to Victory Lane in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway for his first win of the 2016 season.
The No. 22 Team Penske Ford driver became the tenth different winner in 15 races this year and posted a near-perfect 149.2 driver rating. His triumph marked the 100th victory for Roush-Yates Engines. Continue reading

Upcoming Kentucky Test Adds New Variables to Lower-Downforce Equation

Photo - Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Photo – Robert Laberge/Getty Images

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

Joey Logano Triumphs in Scintillating NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte

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At the end of a wild and crazy Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Joey Logano got the upper hand in an intense battle with last-chance qualifier Kyle Larson and took home the million-dollar prize as the winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Trying to block the stronger car of Logano in the closing 13-lap last segment of the race, Larson buried his car into turn one as Logano edged ahead. Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet got loose and sailed up the track into the outside wall with less than two laps left. Continue reading

Five Drivers Advance to Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

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Top row L-R The segment winners, Trevor Bayne, driver of the #6 AdvoCare Ford, Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 Cheez-It Ford, and Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, pose with the fan vote winners Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 3M Chevrolet, and Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Nature's Bakery Chevrolet, in Victory Lane after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 21, 2016 Photo - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Roush Fenway Racing showing they are here to compete won the first two segments in Saturday’s Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday. Trevor Bayne and Greg Biffle swept the first two segments advancing into tonight’s Sprint All-Star Race and keeping Roush Fenway’s streak of now 27 consecutive All-Star starts.

On a late restart, Bayne was fourth and took the lead with his No. 6 passing the No. 24 car by only five-thousands-of-a-second at the finish line. Continue reading