Opinion: SHR switching to Ford a good thing

Last week we all got the shock of the century when Stewart-Haas Racing announced they'd be switching from Chevy to Ford at the beginning of the 2017 season. My first reaction wasn't a good one but it's been a little over a week and I have a different view on it that the switch may work in the long run. SHR has been living under the shadow of Hendrick Motorsports since 2009 and, as Tony Stewart said, this is a chance for SHR to "spread their wings" and build engines and do more work in house rather than rely on HMS to supply their engines for them. Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch have all driven fords in their careers and with Tony Stewart retiring this will be wonderful to see SHR working with Ford instead of Chevy. What do you think? Good or bad move that SHR is switching to Ford?

Jimmie Johnson wins the Quick Trip 500 at Atlanta

By @GucciardoJoey

Jimmie Johnson earned his first victory of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, the Folds of Honor QuickTrip 500.

It came down to a final restart in NASCAR's new overtime format. Johnson had been leading before the restart and had been pulling away from second place Kevin Harvick.

Ryan Newman blew a tire with three laps to go and that brought out the caution that caused the restart.

Johnson would win the race off pit road, but he had Kevin Harvick next to him and Kyle Busch behind him on the restart.

Busch would challenge but Johnson began to pull away. A wreck behind the leaders after the restart would bring out the caution and Johnson was declared the winner.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. would beat Kyle Busch to the finish to finish 2nd. Busch would finish 3rd.

Harvick would finish 6th.

With his victory, Johnson tied Dale Earnhardt Sr. for career Sprint Cup Series victories with 76. 

Busch wins XFINITY race, Nemecheck wins Trucks race at Atlanta

Kyle Busch won Saturday's Heads Up Georgia 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his first victory of the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series season.

John Hunter Nemecheck won Saturday's Great Clips 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and has clinched a spot in the 2016 Truck Series chase.

ATLANTA: Today's XFINITY and Trucks Qualifying Notes

Kyle Busch won the pole award for Saturday's NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Atlanta.

Matt Crafton won the pole award fr Saturday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta.

ATLANTA: Today's Sprint Cup Qualifying Notes

Kyle Busch wins the Sprint Cup Series pole at Atlanta on Friday. He is followed by Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Austin Dillon, and Martin Truex Jr. There are 40 drivers in the race, with 36 cars guaranteed spots due to charters.

UPDATE: Kyle Buschool failed post-qualifying inspection and will start in the rear of the field of Sunday.

ATLANTA: Today's Truck Series final Practice Notes

Grant Enfinger was fastest in final practice for the Georgia 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a speed of 178.775 MPH. He was followed by Matt Crafton, Christopher Bell, Spencer Gallagher, Cole Custer, Ben Kennedy, Ben Rhodes, William Byron, Cameron Hayley, and Ryan Truex. 36 drivers practiced during the session.

ATLANTA: Today's Second Truck Series Practice Notes

John Wes Townley was fastest in the second practice session for the Georgia 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a speed of 178.224 MPH. Daniel Hemric was second, then William Byron, Cole Custer, Matt Crafton, Ben Kennedy, Cameron Hayley, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Truex, and Christopher Bell. 36 drivers practiced during the session.

ATLANTA: Today's XFINITY Series Second Practice Notes

Daniel Suarez was fastest during second practice at Atlanta with a speed of 181.902 MPH. The rest of the top 10: Erik Jones, Brendan Gaughan, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Justin Allgaier, Ty Dillon, Jeremy Clements, and Ryan Reed. 38 drivers practiced during the session.

ATLANTA: Today's XFINITY Series Happy Hour Notes

Erik Jones was quickest during happy hour for the Heads Up Georgia 250 with a speed of 181.467 MPH. He was followed by Kyle Busch, Ty Dillon, Daniel Suarez, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, Brennan Poole, and Jeb Burton. 38 drivers participated in the session.

ATLANTA: Today's opening Sprint Cup practice notes

Kyle Larson led opening Sprint Cup Series  practice on Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Series' race at the track this weekend.

ATLANTA: Today's opening Truck Series practice notes

Grant Enfinger led opening practice on Friday for this weeekend's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a lap of 179.57 MPH.

ATLANTA: Today's opening XFINITY Series practice notes

Erik Jones led opening practice at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday for the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at the track this weekend.

Ben Rhodes' truck team penalized after Daytona

The No. 41 Camping World Truck Series team for Ben Rhodes received a P2 for violating sections 12.1 and 20.14.3.2.4.2.d at the Truck Series' event at Daytona International Speedway this past weekend.

The team's crew chief, Kevin Bellicourt was fined $2,500 and placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31. The team was given a loss of 10 championship driver points and 10 championship owner points.

Daytona 500: Denny Hamlin beats Martin Truex by inches

From NJ.com

The close finish between Denny Hamlin and Martin
Truex Jr. in the 2016 Daytona 500 on February 21,
2016.

Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 Sunday in the closest Daytona 500 ever, beating Martin Truex by inches.

Hamlin, who had led the race earlier, made his move in the final lap, chasing down leader Matt Kenseth and then holding off Truex, who actually had the lead for a few seconds on the final lap.

"Congratulations to Matt," Truex said. "He beat me by a couple of feet."

It might not even have been that much.

Kenseth failed to end Joe Gibbs Racing's 23-year drought in the Daytona 500. Gibbs had made it perfectly clear to his drivers: It's the 500 that matters most.

Gibbs won the Daytona 500 in 1993 with Dale Jarrett, but has failed to get a victory in NASCAR's biggest race since. When Denny Hamlin won last week's opening exhibition race, it was a mere consolation prize for Gibbs.

"The 500 is really, really special to him because he hasn't won it in 23 years," Hamlin said Tuesday at Daytona 500 media day. "That's a big number for such a good organization." 

Dale Earnhardt Jr., pole-sitter Chase Elliott and fan favorite Danica Patrick were among the drivers who were forced from the races with crashes. 

Earnhardt, seeking his third victory in "The Great American Race," was making a strong run to the front with 30 laps left when he lost control coming out of Turn 4. His No. 88 Chevrolet hit an inside wall and spun into the infield grass. It was similar to how Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott was knocked out of the race.

Earnhardt, who was running sixth at the time of the crash, was transported to the infield care center, evaluated and released.

"Caught me by surprise there," Junior said. "Just lost it."

Earnhardt entered the day as the heavy favorite. He ran strong in the Sprint Unlimited and won one of the twin qualifying races. And he liked his chances in the car nicknamed "Amelia."

Amelia had four wins, a second-place showing and a third-place finish in six starts at restrictor-plate races over the last 13 months.

Chase Elliott beats Joey Logano for XFINITY win at Daytona

By @GucciardoJoey

Chase Elliott races ahead of Elliott Sadler in the 2016
NASCAR XFINITY Series opener, the Power Shares
QQQ 300 at Daytona International on February 20th,
2016.

"It was a heck of a battle," Chase Elliott said in victory lane after the Power Shares QQQ 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series opener at Daytona on Saturday.

Chase won the race by holding off Joey Logano for the win by slamming into him near the finish line.

Dirty finish? Well, it's tough to say.

Kasey Kahne finished third, Elliott Sadler finished 4th, and Austin Dillon finished 5th to round out the Top-5.

Elliott beat Logano to the checkered flag by 0.043 of a second.

POS	CAR	DRIVER	MANUF	DELTA	LAPS	LAST LAP	BEST TIME	BEST SPEED	BEST LAP
1	88	Chase Elliott(i)		Leader	120	46.910	46.183	194.877	68
2	22	Joey Logano(i)		0.043	120	46.605	46.178	194.898	68
3	5	Kasey Kahne(i)		0.252	120	46.799	46.485	193.611	85
4	1	Elliott Sadler		0.035	120	47.140	46.540	193.382	84
5	2	Austin Dillon(i)		0.051	120	46.820	46.602	193.125	113
6	6	Darrell Wallace Jr		0.050	120	47.134	46.537	193.395	91
7	33	Brandon Jones #		0.023	120	46.829	46.352	194.166	35
8	19	Daniel Suarez		0.031	120	47.045	46.285	194.447	68
9	11	Blake Koch		0.084	120	46.809	46.574	193.241	119
10	62	Brendan Gaughan		0.044	120	47.025	46.567	193.270	85
11	98	Aric Almirola(i)		0.179	120	47.106	46.556	193.316	90
12	7	Justin Allgaier		0.082	120	47.200	46.485	193.611	85
13	3	Ty Dillon		0.392	120	47.279	46.555	193.320	91
14	28	Dakoda Armstrong		0.841	120	47.315	46.449	193.761	119
15	51	Jeremy Clements		-	119	47.324	46.354	194.158	118
16	16	Ryan Reed		-	119	47.322	46.772	192.423	112
17	05	John Wes Townley(i)		-	119	47.657	46.891	191.934	51
18	44	David Starr		-	119	47.641	46.853	192.090	47
19	87	Joe Nemechek(i)		-	119	47.959	46.860	192.061	109
20	39	Ryan Sieg		-	119	47.865	46.908	191.865	47
21	24	Matt Tifft(i)		-	119	50.099	46.731	192.592	48
22	4	Ross Chastain		-	118	47.567	46.760	192.472	108
23	18	Bobby Labonte(i)		-	118	47.598	46.727	192.608	79
24	78	BJ McLeod #		-	118	48.976	47.062	191.237	112
25	43	Jeb Burton		-	118	49.212	46.746	192.530	34
26	46	Anthony Kumpen		-	118	49.225	46.742	192.546	79
27	48	Brennan Poole #		-	117	47.365	46.321	194.296	68
28	25	Chris Cockrum		-	117	47.736	46.465	193.694	116
29	93	Scott Lagasse Jr		-	117	48.972	46.849	192.107	34
30	0	Eric McClure		-	117	49.663	46.996	191.506	2
31	20	Erik Jones #		-	115	49.763	47.678	188.766	4
32	52	Joey Gase		-	114	51.893	47.721	188.596	21
33	07	Ray Black Jr #		-	114	47.669	46.902	191.889	3
34	42	Kyle Larson(i)		-	111	47.646	46.764	192.456	72
35	14	Benny Gordon		-	103	2:21.970	46.984	191.555	42
36	89	Morgan Shepherd		-	59	2:25.852	46.984	191.555	12
37	17	Jeff Green		-	50	1:5.974	46.876	191.996	34
38	90	Martin Roy		-	22	1:58.239	47.449	189.677	12
39	85	Bobby Gerhart		-	6	1:58.334	47.499	189.478	3
40	01	Ryan Preece #		-	5	49.101	47.100	191.083	3