2-For-2: Penske Proves It’s Contender Round Material
How quickly the tide can turn.
All summer it looked like a Hendrick Motorsports driver would take the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but now a new team has seized the title of favorite.
With victories in four of the past five races, including the last three in a row, Team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have asserted the racing outfit as the organization to beat moving forward in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Keselowski (5) and Logano (4) lead the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in wins and have each locked themselves into the Contender Round with victories in the first two Chase races. On top of their hefty win totals, the duo also tops the series with 12 top-five finishes apiece. Continue reading →
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2014 Photo – Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2014 Photo – Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2014 Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2014 Photo – Jonathan Ferrey/Getty images
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford, receives a lobster in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2014 Photo – Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
Out of the maelström that was New Hampshire Motor Speedway sped Joey Logano, who took control of Sunday’s Sylvania 300 on a restart with 27 laps left and held on to win the second race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
But the crux of Sunday’s race wasn’t about Logano’s fourth victory of the season and the second straight for Team Penske in the Chase. It wasn’t about Logano winning for the seventh time in his career and punching his ticket into the second elimination round under NASCAR’s new playoff format. Continue reading →
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 14, 2014 Photo – Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 14, 2014 Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 14, 2014 Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, places his name in the top twelve on The Chase Grid after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 14, 2014 Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski, puts the winner’s sticker on his car in Victory Lane Photo – Matt Sullivan/Getty Images
For Brad Keselowski, this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup started the same way it did in 2012—with a victory at Chicagoland Speedway.
Clearly, Keselowski would love to see the Chase end the same way it did two years ago—with a series championship.
Needing an extra pit stop to tighten a loose wheel under caution on lap 183 of 267 in Sunday’s MyAFibStory.com 400 at the 1.5-mile track, Keselowski restarted 16th on lap 187, mired in traffic behind a gaggle of lapped cars. Continue reading →
Brad Keselowski wins the Pole for the Federated Auto Parts 400 on September 5, 2014 Photo – Getty Images
A view of the Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 race at Richmond International Raceway on September 6, 2014 Photo – Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon lead the field to the green flag to start the Sprint Cup race at Richmond September 6, 2014 Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski takes the checkered flag to win the Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond September 6, 2014 Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski celebrates with a burnout after winning the Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond on September 6, 2014 Photo – Ranier Ehrhardt/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond on September 6, 2014 Photo – Ranier Ehrhardt/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski poses with his Team Penske crew after winning the Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond on September 6, 2014 Photo – Ranier Ehrhardt/Getty Images
Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle take the last two spots in the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup – Photo – Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Sweet Sixteen that make up the NASCAR Chase Grid and will contend for the 2014 Sprint Cup Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images
The car and driver to beat in the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup identified themselves emphatically on Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.
Brad Keselowski led all but 17 of 400 laps in winning the Federated Auto Parts 400, the last race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season. In the process, he won his fourth race of the season and secured top seeding for the ten-race Chase, which starts Sunday, September 14 at Chicagoland Speedway at 2 pm ET on ESPN.
Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle secured the last two of the 16 Chase spots on points, Newman with a solid ninth-place run, Biffle with a much shakier 19th-place finish, two laps down.
But it was Keselowski securing the 400th victory across all racing series for team owner Roger Penske. Continue reading →
