No. 20’s XFINITY win at Michigan ruled encumbered

NASCAR handed out penalties on Wednesday to two XFINITY Series teams and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team following last weekend’s events at Michigan International Speedway and Gateway Motorsports Park.

An L1-level penalty against the No. 20 XFINITY Series car for Joe Gibbs Racing was for splitter structure — the splitter was not flat. As a result, the race win for Denny Hamlin was ruled encumbered. Hamlin does not compete for points in the XFINITY Series, but the win won’t give the team any postseason benefits (i.e. loss of playoff points from that race).

Crew chief Chris Gabehart was fined $25,000 and suspended from the next two XFINITY Series championship points events, and the No. 20 team was assessed with the loss of 25 owner points.

Also, the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driven by Cole Custer was issued a safety violation for lug nuts not properly installed after a 10th-place finish at Michigan. Crew chief Jeff Meendering was fined $5,000.

Meanwhile, the No. 02 Ford driven by Austin Hill at Gateway was hit with L1-level penalty for not meeting post-race height requirements. Crew chief Bruce Cook was fined $5,000 and suspended from the next Camping World Truck Series championship points event, and the team was assessed with the loss of 10 driver points and 10 owner points.

Hill’s 14th-place finish was ruled encumbered.

Midget Standout Tanner Thorson Set for ARCA Return with Venturini Motorsports and Musselman’s Apple Sauce

CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – Reigning USAC National Midget Champion Tanner Thorson returns to the seat driving for Venturini Motorsports (VMS) in Friday’s Montgomery Ward 200 at Madison International Speedway.

Thorson, who made his ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards debut last season on the Illinois State Fairground’s dirt-mile, will pilot the team’s No.25 Musselman’s Apple Sauce Toyota for his first series pavement short track event of his career.

Thorson, part of VMS’ Family of Musselman’s drivers, joins Zane Smith, Noah Gragson, Tom Hessert, Raphael Lessard and Christopher Bell to drive the team’s Musselman’s Apple Sauce backed Toyota this season.

“I’m excited for the opportunity,” says Thorson. “As a driver I’ve made a lot of gains in the stock car over the last year. I’m a lot more comfortable with my new surroundings. Driving for a group like Venturini makes it that much better – they’ve got a lot of experience with young drivers. Last year we ran Springfield together and had a top-15 finish in my first start – but the biggest takeaway was the experience I gained. These ARCA cars are totally different from anything I’ve driven. I’m looking forward to getting on the track and doing my thing behind the wheel – I’m ready.”

Thorson, a 21-year old native of Minden, Nevada, is widely known for his prowess behind the wheel of his open wheel machines.

Gaining national recognition driving for Keith Kunz Motorsports in the USAC and POWERi series’, Thorson has also done his share of moonlighting the last few seasons – crossing over and running selected super late model races throughout the southeast.

Thorson scored a career best second-place finish driving his super late model last month at Caraway Speedway competing in the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South.

The Montgomery Ward 200 is Friday, June 23 and kicks off with practice from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m., followed by General Tire Pole Qualifying at 5:00 p.m. The 200-lap Montgomery Ward 200 is set for an 8:00 p.m. start and will air live on MAVTV. All times are local (Central).

Lupton to make 2nd-career XFINITY Series start at Iowa

Dylan Lupton will be making his second career NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Iowa Speedway to go along with four prior starts in the K&N Series at the Newton, Iowa track. 

"Iowa is one of my favorite short tracks on the circuit, so I'm looking forward to getting back to a familiar track," Lupton said. These last few weeks have been a great learning experience, racing at three new tracks to me. Also, running weekend after weekend with the No. 24 JGL crew has given us the opportunity to build a solid base for the remaining of the season.  Also it has allowed me and Clinton (Cram, crew chief) to build chemistry and he now knows what I want as a driver."

Lupton finished 17th in his previous XFINITY Series start which occurred during the 2015 season.

The start will mark Lupton's 15th career start in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

Lupton will be joining other NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers in an Autograph Session on Saturday at Iowa Speedway.  The event will be held from 3:30 - 4:15 pm under the turn four end of the grandstands. The Autograph Session is first-come, first-served for race fans in attendance.

"Nut Up Industries and I are excited for multiple opportunities this weekend to meet the great fans that visit the track," Lupton said.

Richard Petty Motorsports Secures Road Course Ringer to Pilot the No. 43 at Sonoma Raceway

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Richard Petty Motorsports announced today that IMSA Ford driver Billy Johnson will pilot the No. 43 Smithfield Ford at Sonoma Raceway and fill in for the injured Aric Almirola. Fresh from competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Johnson will make his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend, but this isn't the first time he worked in NASCAR. Johnson made five starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and scored a career-best eighth-place finish in Montreal in 2012.

A road course specialist, Johnson has 10 years of road racing experience. He worked with Almirola on his road course racing at the Ford Performance racing school at Miller Motorsports Park in a curriculum he developed with other instructors at the school. He has worked with over 20 Ford drivers to improve their road racing skills in the last six years.

"It is going to be awesome. It will be my first NASCAR Cup race and to debut in the 43 car, one of the most iconic numbers to ever race in NASCAR, is a huge honor," said Johnson. "Richard Petty Motorsports is a great organization. To have the chance to make my Cup debut for the King is surreal, and I appreciate them putting me in the car.

"I have run a lot of XFINITY races, but this will be my first Cup race. It is awesome that RPM and everyone at Ford Performance has the confidence in me to take on Sonoma. I have run pretty well in the XFINITY road course races I have done, so I hope that translates into a good showing this weekend."

"We are so excited about Billy Johnson making his Cup debut. He drove great for us in Le Mans this past weekend, has been a champion for us in the past in the GT350, and he's been one of our development drivers for a while," said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance.

"To be able to put him in a Cup car, at the highest level of NASCAR, in the iconic No. 43 Fusion, and to let him show his skills at Sonoma, well, we couldn't be happier for him to have this chance."

Richard Petty Motorsports has success at Sonoma. The team has one win, two poles, three Top Fives and nine Top 10s. Kasey Kahne scored a win in 2009 and a pole in 2010, while Marcos Ambrose won the pole in 2012. Since Almirola's injury, the team has worked with drivers Regan Smith and Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr.

"It's been important for us to put ourselves in the most competitive spot while Aric is recovering," said CEO Brian Moffitt. "We've worked with Ford and Smithfield to put the best driver available in the car each week. Both Regan (Smith) and Bubba (Wallace) have done a great job for us the last five weeks. We feel that Billy's experience on a road course will help us be competitive this weekend."

Wallace will return to the No. 43 Smithfield Ford at Daytona International Speedway and will compete with the team until Almirola is able to return to the seat. 

Kyle Larson fends off restart challengers for Michigan win

Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

RELATED: Results | Series standings | Detailed breakdown

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Two weeks ago at Dover, Kyle Larson took a painful master class in restarts from Professor Jimmie Johnson.

In Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Larson graduated with high honors, using a series of exceptional restarts to win his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season and his second in a row, dating to last August, at the 2-mile track in the Irish Hills.

At Dover, Larson lost a race in which he had the dominant car when Johnson snookered him on a late restart and seized control of the race.

On Sunday, with a strong push from Ryan Blaney in the bottom lane during a restart on Lap 186 of 200, polesitter Larson cleared Kyle Busch for the lead through the first two corners and stayed out front the rest of the way — through two more quick cautions — to win for the third time in his career.

For everyone else, the bottom lane meant guaranteed lost positions, making Larson’s decisive restart all the more impressive — almost as impressive as his post-race burnout, as Larson spun his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, laying rubber across Victory Lane.


“Yeah, Ryan Blaney gave me a heck of a push,” Larson said of the decisive restart. “So I’ve really got to thank him a ton. I knew the Penske cars took off good, so I was happy to see him behind me. For us to withstand a few restarts there with some tough competitors there was pretty important. I can’t thank these guys enough.”

Larson said that, though restarts are quite different at Michigan than they are at Dover, he studied video of the Dover race and learned from the experience.

“I definitely watched the replay,” Larson said. “We looked at Jimmie’s driver data versus mine from the final restart at Dover, learned a little bit from that stuff.

“Honestly, I knew what I did wrong as soon as we took the green at Dover. But, yeah, here at Michigan, it’s different. You have a long straightaway. The frontstretch at Dover is pretty bumpy, so it’s hard to get grip. It’s not hard to get grip here at Michigan. It’s kind of just a drag race.”

The difference was that, on Sunday, it was a drag race Larson won.

Nor was the occasion lost on Larson, who has been bringing his 2-year-old son Owen to press conferences of late.

“What a great Father’s Day present for myself and all the other fathers out there,” Larson said. “My dad is here today, too. So I’m looking forward to celebrating with him. We’ve been so close to so many other wins. This is our second Cup win of the year, but we’ve had five second-place finishes. All-in-all, it’s a good season so far and we’ll continue to keep building on what we’ve got.”


Both Sunday’s victory and Larson’s win at Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, Calif.) in March came from the pole, and all three of his triumphs have come on two-mile tracks.

Larson got to the finish line .993 seconds ahead of Chase Elliott, who, like third-place finisher Joey Logano, felt he got the most out of his car.

“From where we started the day to where we ended up, I was really proud of our effort,” Elliott said. “I really think we overachieved today from what we had on Friday and Saturday, and even last night, I was getting a little nervous about how the day was going to go.

“So I’m happy that we could have a solid day and put ourselves in position and kind of rely on some late-race restarts. We had a couple of opportunities to get the lead. And, unfortunately, it just didn’t work out. But we’ll move on. Congratulations to Kyle (Larson). He had a fast car today and we’ll try to go get ’em next week.”

Star-crossed Kyle Busch had a 1.4-second lead when NASCAR called a caution on Lap 180 because of debris in Turn 2. After Larson passed him for the lead on the Lap 186 restart, Busch ultimately faded to seventh at the finish, still searching for his first victory of the season.

Denny Hamlin restarted beside Larson on Lap 196 but lost the third-place battle to Logano. Jamie McMurray, Larson’s teammate, ran fifth. Martin Truex Jr. came home fifth despite leading 62 laps (second only to Larson’s 96) and was victimized by a succession of late-race restarts in the bottom lane.

Though Truex won both the first and second 60-lap stages and increased his stash of playoff points to a series-leading 20, Larson regained the lead in championship points by five over Truex. Kyle Busch is 130 points back in third place.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson completed the top 10.

Notes: Johnson started from the rear of the field because he went to a backup car after a crash in practice … Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch also were sent to the rear for the start because of unapproved body modifications before the race. Busch finished 12th and Harvick 14th, the latter after late-race contact with Ryan Blaney during a four-wide dust-up on the backstretch.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race - FireKeepers Casino 400

Michigan International Speedway

Brooklyn, Michigan

Sunday, June 18, 2017

               1. (1) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 200.
               2. (10) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 200.
               3. (7) Joey Logano, Ford, 200.
               4. (5) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 200.
               5. (8) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 200.
               6. (2) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 200.
               7. (4) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 200.
               8. (21) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 200.
               9. (17) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 200.
               10. (13) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 200.
               11. (9) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 200.
               12. (15) Kurt Busch, Ford, 200.
               13. (14) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 200.
               14. (11) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 200.
               15. (19) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 200.
               16. (12) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 200.
               17. (27) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 200.
               18. (25) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 200.
               19. (26) Darrell Wallace Jr.(i), Ford, 200.
               20. (37) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, 200.
               21. (16) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 200.
               22. (30) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 200.
               23. (22) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 200.
               24. (20) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, 200.
               25. (6) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 200.
               26. (3) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 200.
               27. (18) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 199.
               28. (28) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 199.
               29. (29) David Ragan, Ford, 198.
               30. (32) * Corey LaJoie #, Toyota, 197.
               31. (33) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 197.
               32. (36) Landon Cassill, Ford, 196.
               33. (31) Ryan Sieg(i), Toyota, 196.
               34. (34) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 195.
               35. (35) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 195.
               36. (24) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 194.
               37. (23) Danica Patrick, Ford, Accident, 190.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  143.369 mph.
Time of Race:  02 Hrs, 47 Mins, 24 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.993 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  8 for 34 laps.
Lead Changes:  10 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   K. Larson 1-34; M. Truex Jr. 35-62; K. Larson 63-108; Kyle Busch 109-112; B. Keselowski 113-114; K. Larson 115; M. Truex Jr. 116-126; Kyle Busch 127; M. Truex Jr. 128-150; Kyle Busch 151-185; K. Larson 186-200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  K. Larson 4 times for 96 laps; M. Truex Jr. 3 times for 62 laps; Kyle Busch 3 times for 40 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 2 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 78,42,18,11,20,14,21,24,22,48

Stage #2 Top Ten: 78,18,42,20,14,4,11,41,24,2

John Hunter Nemechek passes Matt Crafton late for the win at Gateway

Matt Crossman
NASCAR Wire Service

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - "Happy Father’s Day!" a crew member shouted at team owner Joe Nemechek Saturday night as track workers put together the Victory Lane stage behind them. Nemechek had already passed out a half dozen hugs and handshakes to other members of the team he owns, NEMCO Motorsports. "Incredible," was all Nemechek could muster in response after watching his son, John Hunter Nemechek, pass Matt Crafton late in the race and win the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series Drivin' for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park.

It was the fourth win of John Hunter’s trucks series career, all of them driving for his father. But it was the first in which his father was also a participant. The win puts John Hunter Nemechek in elite company. Other sons to win a NASCAR national series race against their father include Richard Petty, Kyle Petty, Davey Allison and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The elder Nemechek completed just two laps and finished 28th out of 30 cars and watched the rest of the race from atop his son’s pit box. As the laps wound down, he tried, not terribly successfully, to remain calm as his son diced through the front of the field. He keyed the mic a couple times and told his son, "Be smart."

It was advice the younger Nemechek took to heart. His trucks have been far faster than his results have shown so far this season, and the last thing he wanted to do was be impatient and drive himself out of a good finish. He crashed in the two previous races and had only finished on the lead lap twice all season.

John Hunter Nemechek led all 35 laps of the first stage of the race and 46 overall. Chase Briscoe led all of the second stage. Matt Crafton seized control of the race when he took zero tires on a green flag pit stop at Lap 138 of 160.

The first and only caution that wasn’t related to the end of a stage didn’t come until there were 13 laps left—an unusually long stretch of green flag racing considering how difficult of a track Gateway is to navigate. The caution bunched the field back up, and Nemechek, who had two fresher tires, squeezed by Crafton for the final time with five to go.

"I felt like we had the truck to beat if we had track position," Nemechek said. "Track position was everything. Clean air was everything."

When John Hunter pulled into Victory Lane, his dad ran over and stuck his head in the window. They shared a moment about all of the struggles they overcame together to win this race on Father’s Day eve. They can't outspend other teams, so they have to out think and out drive them.

"It’s taken everything that I have to get here," Joe Nemechek said. "Our future in this deal is not certain. Hopefully this can spark some interest in sponsorship."

Joe knew his son would be emotional in Victory Lane, and he wanted to tell him he was proud of him before the chaos of the celebration began. "He’s the man. He drove his butt off tonight," he said.

John Hunter’s emotions poured out in the post-race celebration. "To give him a Father’s Day gift, something like this, is very special. As a boss, as a mentor, as a dad, pretty much everything he is to me, it’s definitely inspiring. I won’t ever be able to thank him enough."


NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race - Drivin' for Linemen 200

Gateway Motorsports Park

Madison, Illinois

Saturday, June 17, 2017

               1. (2) John H. Nemechek, Chevrolet, 160.
               2. (1) Chase Briscoe #, Ford, 160.
               3. (9) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 160.
               4. (6) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 160.
               5. (14) Grant Enfinger #, Toyota, 160.
               6. (3) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 160.
               7. (11) Ryan Truex, Toyota, 160.
               8. (12) Ben Rhodes, Toyota, 160.
               9. (7) Noah Gragson #, Toyota, 160.
               10. (8) Justin Haley #, Chevrolet, 160.
               11. (5) Austin Cindric #, Ford, 160.
               12. (13) Cody Coughlin #, Toyota, 160.
               13. (10) Kaz Grala #, Chevrolet, 160.
               14. (15) Austin Hill, Ford, 159.
               15. (17) TJ Bell, Chevrolet, 158.
               16. (18) Kyle Donahue, Chevrolet, 158.
               17. (19) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 154.
               18. (22) Wendell Chavous #, Chevrolet, 147.
               19. (20) Josh Reaume, Chevrolet, Parked, 145.
               20. (28) Bryce Napier, Chevrolet, Brakes, 114.
               21. (4) Todd Gilliland, Toyota, Transmission, 112.
               22. (25) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, Brakes, 96.
               23. (26) Camden Murphy, Chevrolet, Brakes, 43.
               24. (16) Clay Greenfield, Chevrolet, Power Steering, 26.
               25. (27) Donnie Levister, Chevrolet, Drive Shaft, 17.
               26. (24) Kevin Donahue, Chevrolet, Brakes, 11.
               27. (21) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, Vibration, 3.
               28. (23) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, Vibration, 2.
               29. (30) Tommy Regan, Chevrolet, Transmission, 1.
               30. (29) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, Suspension, 0.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  111.836 mph.
Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 47 Mins, 18 Secs. Margin of Victory:  1.635 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  3 for 17 laps.
Lead Changes:  9 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   C. Briscoe # 0; John H. Nemechek 1-39; C. Briscoe # 40-73; C. Bell 74-80; C. Briscoe # 81-134; J. Haley # 135-137; M. Crafton 138-152; John H. Nemechek 153; M. Crafton 154; John H. Nemechek 155-160.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  C. Briscoe # 2 times for 88 laps; John H. Nemechek 3 times for 46 laps; M. Crafton 2 times for 16 laps; C. Bell 1 time for 7 laps; J. Haley # 1 time for 3 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 8,29,88,4,16,51,19,21,24,27
Stage #2 Top Ten: 29,88,8,98,4,21,19,27,16,51

Denny Hamlin edges William Byron for NASCAR XFINITY win at Michigan

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

BROOKLYN, Mich. – The rookie drove like a veteran in Saturday’s Irish Hills 250 at Michigan International Speedway, but in the end, the veteran took the rookie to school.

Side-drafting off the final corner, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin pulled ahead of Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron and won a drag race to the finish line to win his first NASCAR XFINITY Series race of the season in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

"We were battling really hard, and Denny just schooled me there at the end," said Byron, who held the lead in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet after a restart with two laps left and crossed the finish line .012 seconds behind the race winner. "I thought I could side-draft him back to the line, but I needed a few more feet."

The margin was the closest XFINITY Series finish at Michigan since the advent of electronic timing and scoring more than two decades ago and tied for the sixth closest overall with the 2010 event at the Montreal road course.

For Hamlin, the win was the first in the series in his fourth start since taking the checkered flag at Charlotte in May 2016. Hamlin picked up his second victory in the series at Michigan and the 16th of his career.

Hamlin pushed Byron to the lead past Brad Keselowski after a restart on Lap 117, but Byron began to pull away until a caution for Matt Tifft’s spin through the infield grass on Lap 120 brought out the seventh and final caution of the afternoon.

An alumnus of the NASCAR Next program, Byron again pulled ahead after the restart on Lap 124, with Hamlin in close pursuit. They battled for two laps before Hamlin used his experience to get Byron’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet loose through the final two corners.

"He did a great job, and really I knew he had a really good car," Hamlin said of his 19-year-old rival. "That last long run that we had (before the sixth caution for debris on Lap 112), he was about to pass me, so he’s done a great job. Obviously, he’s one of NASCAR’s next future superstars, and I wanted to race him clean.

"I wasn’t going to turn him around or anything like that, so I stayed low below him and got him a little bit loose through (Turns) 1 and 2 that allowed me to get position and then into Turn 3 we both got sideways, he slid up just enough to let me barely get to that left rear and it was just enough to drag race past him, so proud of this team. Great that we got a win."

Elliott Sadler, who won the second 30-lap stage on Saturday, finished third and took over the series lead by 21-points over Justin Allgaier, who lost track position making extra pit stops to deal with hood pins that came loose during the race. Allgaier finished 16th.

Keselowski came home fourth, and polesitter Kyle Busch was fifth, a substantial accomplishment considering that contact from Keselowski's Ford—as Busch was jumping between lanes—sent Busch’s No. 18 Toyota spinning off the outside wall before the cars reached the first corner of the first lap.

Despite his age and rookie status, Byron, who remains third in the series standings, has been mentioned as a possible replacement in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is retiring from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing at the end of the season.

But that was far from Byron’s mind after the close call on Saturday.

"I just want to keep running well for JRM, and try to win races, and try to compete for a championship," said Byron. "I think to have the three of us (Byron and teammates Sadler and Allgaier) in the top three in points is really incredible. I think it shows the consistency of our team's execution. I’ve learned a lot from Elliott and Justin and (JR Motorsports teammate) Michael Annett as well. I think we’ll just keep building on that (and) hopefully compete for a championship."


NASCAR XFINITY Series Race - Irish Hills 250

Michigan International Speedway

Brooklyn, Michigan

Saturday, June 17, 2017

               1. (5) Denny Hamlin(i), Toyota, 125.
               2. (4) William Byron #, Chevrolet, 125.
               3. (3) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 125.
               4. (2) Brad Keselowski(i), Ford, 125.
               5. (1) Kyle Busch(i), Toyota, 125.
               6. (17) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 125.
               7. (10) Paul Menard(i), Chevrolet, 125.
               8. (20) Ryan Reed, Ford, 125.
               9. (11) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 125.
               10. (7) Cole Custer #, Ford, 125.
               11. (15) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 125.
               12. (16) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 125.
               13. (6) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 125.
               14. (23) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 125.
               15. (18) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 125.
               16. (22) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 125.
               17. (13) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 125.
               18. (8) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 125.
               19. (24) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 125.
               20. (28) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 125.
               21. (38) David Starr, Chevrolet, 125.
               22. (27) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 125.
               23. (19) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 125.
               24. (30) Dylan Lupton, Toyota, 125.
               25. (35) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 124.
               26. (14) Matt Tifft #, Toyota, 124.
               27. (32) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 123.
               28. (34) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 122.
               29. (26) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 122.
               30. (29) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 122.
               31. (33) Korbin Forrister(i), Chevrolet, 122.
               32. (40) Mike Harmon, Dodge, 120.
               33. (31) Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 118.
               34. (36) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, Electrical, 66.
               35. (25) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Vibration, 44.
               36. (12) Ben Kennedy, Chevrolet, Accident, 41.
               37. (9) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, Accident, 38.
               38. (21) JJ Yeley, Toyota, Accident, 37.
               39. (39) Timmy Hill, Toyota, Steering, 20.
               40. (37) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Suspension, 19.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  124.671 mph.
Time of Race:  02 Hrs, 00 Mins, 19 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.012 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  7 for 32 laps.
Lead Changes:  10 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders:    0; B. Keselowski(i) 1-32; D. Hamlin(i) 33; C. Custer # 34-48; B. Keselowski(i) 49-57; E. Sadler 58-70; B. Keselowski(i) 71-83; E. Sadler 84; D. Hamlin(i) 85-116; W. Byron # 117-124; D. Hamlin(i) 125;.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  B. Keselowski(i) 3 times for 54 laps; D. Hamlin(i) 3 times for 34 laps; C. Custer # 1 time for 15 laps; E. Sadler 2 times for 14 laps; W. Byron # 1 time for 8 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 22,20,1,2,9,42,23,3,00,7
Stage #2 Top Ten: 1,48,7,62,11,33,4,01,92,20

Full schedule for Michigan and Gateway

NASCAR rolls into Michigan International Speedway for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series race, while Gateway Motorsports Park will host a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standalone event. Check out the full weekend schedule below.

Note: All times are ET

FRIDAY, JUNE 16:
ON TRACK
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
– 11 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS2
– 12:30-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, FS2
– 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, FS2
– 4:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole qualifying, FS2

SATURDAY, JUNE 17:
ON TRACK
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
– 9-9:55 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS2
– 10 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole qualifying, FS2
– noon-12:50 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS2
– 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Michigan (125 laps, 250 miles), FS1

GATEWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK
– 10:30-11:25 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, no TV
– 12:30-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, no TV
– 5:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole qualifying (tape delayed on FS1 for 7 p.m.)
– 8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ for Linemen 200 (160 laps, 200 miles), FS1

SUNDAY, JUNE 18
ON TRACK
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
– 3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 (200 laps, 400 miles), FS1

Hendrick Motorsports extends relationships with Johnson and sponsor Lowe's

CONCORD, N.C. -- Hendrick Motorsports and defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson have agreed to a three-year extension that will keep one of the most accomplished drivers in history behind the wheel through 2020.

In addition, Lowe’s Companies Inc. has extended its longstanding relationship with Hendrick Motorsports after signing an agreement that will continue its full-season, 38-race primary sponsorship of Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS team through 2018.

Johnson, 41, earned his record-tying seventh Cup Series championship in 2016, matching NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the most all-time.

“My relationship with Lowe’s, Hendrick Motorsports and all of my teammates means so much to me,” said Johnson, who has recorded three wins through 14 Cup races this season. “I remember hoping to just win one race. Winning seven championships and 83 races was inconceivable, and now we have the opportunity to do even more together. It says a lot to have one sponsor, one crew chief and one team for so long. I couldn’t be more proud to represent everyone at Lowe’s and Hendrick Motorsports, and I continue to be as grateful for the opportunity as I was when we started.”

Launched in 2001 when Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet debuted in the Cup Series with a limited three-race schedule, the sponsor-driver-team relationship has become one of the most successful in NASCAR history. Lowe’s, whose NASCAR involvement dates back to its first car sponsorship in 1960, has been Johnson’s primary sponsor for each of his 557 career Cup starts. The Team Lowe’s Racing program is now in its 16th full-time season.

“It’s been amazing to ride alongside Jimmie, Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 48 team as we continue to make history in the sport,” said Julie Cunnyngham, director of marketing at Lowe’s. “We look forward to more great moments and unique opportunities to reach fans -- on and off the track -- together.”

Led by crew chief Chad Knaus, the No. 48 Lowe’s team has scored at least two race wins in each of its 16 full-time seasons (2002-2017). Johnson’s total of 83 points-paying victories since his 2002 rookie campaign is the most in the series during that span and ranks him sixth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, tied with the legendary Cale Yarborough. Through 2016, the El Cajon, California, native posted an average of 5.3 wins per year and an average championship points finish of 3.4.

“Jimmie is one of the best to ever drive,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “We’re so fortunate to have him as part of our organization, and I feel even luckier to call him a friend. He’s a great champion, a terrific advocate for Lowe’s and a true ambassador for NASCAR. There’s no better person, and he’s as good in the race car today as he’s ever been.

“It’s such an incredible success story. Without our partnership with Lowe’s, it never would’ve happened. Jimmie was the perfect driver. Chad was the perfect person to lead the team. Every piece of the puzzle just fell into place. It’s been an unbelievable experience to watch it all unfold, and we’ve still got more work to do.”