Ryan Blaney to pilot third Team Penske car in 2018; Paul Menard joining Wood Brothers

Ryan Blaney will move to a third Team Penske entry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, with Paul Menard shifting to the Wood Brothers Racing team next season.

Both organizations made the joint announcement Wednesday, firming up two more partnerships in the annual “Silly Season” shuffle of driver-team pairings. Team Penske and the Wood Brothers share technical information through an alliance.

On a Wednesday afternoon teleconference, Tim Cindric, president of Team Penske, and Eddie Wood, co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing confirmed that crew chief Jeremy Bullins will stay with Blaney and move to the No. 12, while Greg Erwin will crew chief the No. 21 in 2018.

Blaney, 23, is in his third season driving the Wood Brothers’ famed No. 21 Ford. He scored his first Monster Energy Series victory earlier this year at Pocono Raceway. He will drive the No. 12 Ford Fusion next year and has blossomed into one of the sport’s young stars. He hosts a weekly podcast called “Glass Case of Emotion” on NASCAR.com, which you can watch here.

“For some time now, we have wanted to bring Ryan in to run a third car for us, but things just needed to make sense from a timing and business perspective,” team owner Roger Penske said in a press release. “We have been working on making this a reality, and 2018 is the right opportunity to make this move and return our organization to a three-car team. Having a company like Menards, and a businessman like John Menard, be a part of this transition is also fantastic for our organization. The benefits of having three full-time teams under our roof, along with the continued technical partnership with the Wood Bothers, will help us remain competitive in the ever-changing NASCAR landscape.”

The transition returns Blaney to the team that gave him his start in NASCAR’s premier series. Blaney made two starts in Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford in 2014 before joining the Wood Brothers, a satellite operation to Team Penske.

Blaney also has driven part-time in six seasons of XFINITY Series competition, notching all five of his wins with the Roger Penske-owned operation. Beginning in 2018, he’ll be a direct teammate to Penske veterans Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano.

“This is a huge opportunity for me and my career,” Blaney said. “I’ve had some great moments with both Team Penske and the Wood Brothers over the last few years. I know for a fact I wouldn’t be where I am today without Roger (Penske), Eddie and Len (Wood) and the opportunities their organizations have given me. I’m excited about the future.”

Wednesday’s news concludes an ambitious couple of days for Team Penske, which announced on Tuesday that 2012 premier series champion Brad Keselowski had agreed to a multiyear contract extension. Earlier this season, the team extended Logano’s contract through the 2022 season.

Menard, 36, will shift over to the Wood Brothers after a seven-year run in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 27 Chevrolet. That tenure included Menard’s lone premier series win (2011, Indianapolis) and two of his three career XFINITY victories.

Menard has made 383 NASCAR premier series starts since his debut in 2003. He currently sits 23rd in the series standings.

“To get the chance to drive the iconic No. 21 for the Wood Brothers is the coolest thing I’ve ever got a chance to do,” Menard said. “I’m looking forward to working with the team, working with Roush Yates, Ford Performance and Team Penske to see what we can do. Ryan (Blaney) has done a fantastic job and is a constant threat to run up front. Hopefully, we can do the same thing and keep the momentum going into 2018 and beyond.”

Menards will sponsor the No. 21 Ford for 22 Monster Energy Series races. Additional sponsorship, including plans for long-time partner Motorcraft/Quick Lane, will be announced at a later date, the team announced in a press release.

Menard also will run a handful of XFINITY Series races for Team Penske in 2018.

Richard Childress, the Chairman and CEO of RCR, released a statement following news of Menard’s departure:

“Paul Menard and Menards, Inc. have had a partnership with RCR for seven years. Together, we have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success, including Paul’s emotional win at Indianapolis in 2011. He is a very talented driver and a good friend. Everyone at RCR wishes both Paul and Menards nothing but the best in the future. Our entire RCR organization is 100 percent focused on getting all three of our Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series programs in the playoffs this year, and bringing another Cup championship to RCR in 2017. We will be announcing our plans for a third Cup team and our overall 2018 team lineup at a later date.”

Wood Brothers Racing, which has had the likes of David Pearson, Curtis Turner, Cale Yarborough and Buddy Baker pilot the iconic No. 21, currently sits at 99 career wins in the Monster Energy Series.

“It’s fantastic to have the ability to continue to race in the highest level of motorsports full-time and something we look forward to doing with Paul for years to come,” Eddie Wood said in a team release. “I know this will allow us to continue to perform as an organization and will give Paul a great opportunity to go out there and compete for wins.”

No. 20 XFINITY Series team assessed lug nut penalty post-Indianapolis

The No. 20 NASCAR XFINITY Series team of Joe Gibbs Racing was assessed a penalty for lug nuts not properly installed in last weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The violation was discovered during post-race inspection.

Per the infraction under Sections 10.9.10.4 of the NASCAR Rule Book, Chris Gabehart, crew chief of the No. 20, was fined $5,000.

The No. 20 driven by Erik Jones finished 23rd in Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250.

Full schedule for Pocono and Iowa

All three NASCAR national series are in action this week with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series hitting the Tricky Triangle at Pocono Raceway and the XFINITY Series heading to the Midwest at Iowa Speedway. Check out the full weekend schedule below.

Note: All times are ET.

FRIDAY, JULY 28
ON TRACK: POCONO
-- Noon-12:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series practice, FS1
-- 2 p.m.-2:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1

ON TRACK: IOWA
-- 5 p.m.-5:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series practice, NBCSN
-- 6:30 p.m.-7:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN

SATURDAY, JULY 29
ON TRACK: POCONO
--9 a.m.-9:55 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, CNBC
--10 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS1
-- 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN
-- 1 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overton’s 150 (60 laps, 150 laps), FOX

ON TRACK: IOWA
-- 12:05 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBC Sports App (NBCSN will join in progress at 12:30 p.m. ET)
--3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series US Cellular 250 Presented by American Ethanol (250 laps, 218,75 miles), NBC

SUNDAY, JULY 30
ON TRACK: POCONO
-- 11:30 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
-- 3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton’s 400 (160 laps, 400 laps), NBCSN

XFINITY rookie William Byron holds off Paul Menard in Brickyard debut

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – With a new competition package that produced a race-record 16 lead changes and the closest NASCAR XFINITY Series finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, William Byron threw more blocks than an NFL fullback in holding off charging Paul Menard to win Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250.

Byron made the decisive pass for the lead on Lap 85, surging past JR Motorsports teammate Elliott Sadler into the top spot. Menard gained two spots, from fourth to second over a six-circuit stretch from Laps 90 to 96 but couldn’t overtake Byron, who blocked each of Menard’s attempts to make a winning pass.

"It’s so cool—this is awesome," said Byron, who was won in his first visit to the vaunted Brickyard. "I’d never been to a Brickyard 400 or an Indy 500, but I watched it as a kid. It takes a lot to win these races, and to win here is so special."

Joey Logano followed Byron past Sadler on Lap 85 and finished third, after losing the second position to Menard on Lap 96.

The leader in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, Byron won for the third time this season. Fighting a vibration he thought might have been the result of a tire issue, he finished .108 seconds ahead of Menard.

"He’s done an awesome job," team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "I’m excited for his future and the rest of the season."

Menard thought he might have been able to get to Byron’s bumper in the closing laps but thought better of trying to move him.

"He was better than me through Turn 1," Menard said. "I just had to lift too much and play catch-up through Turns 2, 3 and 4 back to the start/finish line. I made a pretty aggressive dive into (Turn) 1 that last lap, just to see if I could get him loose, but he made it stick…

"I maybe could have gotten to his bumper, but that would have definitely killed my momentum, too. All it probably would have done is chase both of us up the hill, and Joey might have won. I didn’t think that was in either of our best interest."

Second in the standings, Byron now trails Sadler, the series leader, by 40 points. A disastrous pit stop cost JRM teammate Justin Allgaier dearly, dropping him to 35th at the finish and 133 points behind Sadler in the standings.

Allgaier pitted from the lead on Lap 57 of 100 and overshot his stall, starting a comedy of errors. The No. 7 crew began working on the car before pushing it back into the pit box. Allgaier took off early, snapping the air hose, which danced around the stall like a snake before coming to rest. The coup de grace was a right front tire that hadn’t been secured.

The tire came off the hub and lodged at an angle inside the wheel well. With his car towed to the garage for repairs, Allgaier lost 13 laps.

That was the comic relief, however, in a race where the new rules package drew overwhelmingly positive reviews.

"Overall, we’re certainly pleased with what we saw on the race track," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. "From an eye test, it definitely passed when you look at the metrics, right? Most leaders we’ve had (eight). Most lead changes. Closest finish. Certainly, on the quick recap, some really great metrics.

"But as we said before, there’s a lot for us to digest, go back, talk to the teams, drivers, crew chiefs, see where we’re at and go from there."

NASCAR XFINITY Series Race - Lilly Diabetes 250

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Speedway, Indiana

Saturday, July 22, 2017

               1. (3) William Byron #, Chevrolet, 100.
               2. (15) Paul Menard(i), Chevrolet, 100.
               3. (12) Joey Logano(i), Ford, 100.
               4. (1) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 100.
               5. (6) Cole Custer #, Ford, 100.
               6. (10) Ryan Reed, Ford, 100.
               7. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 100.
               8. (13) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 100.
               9. (14) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 100.
               10. (19) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 100.
               11. (7) Matt Tifft #, Toyota, 100.
               12. (11) Kyle Busch(i), Toyota, 100.
               13. (16) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 100.
               14. (8) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 100.
               15. (21) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 100.
               16. (23) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 100.
               17. (22) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 100.
               18. (9) Ben Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 100.
               19. (25) Jeb Burton, Toyota, 100.
               20. (24) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 99.
               21. (33) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 99.
               22. (29) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 99.
               23. (2) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 99.
               24. (30) Ray Black II, Chevrolet, 99.
               25. (5) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 99.
               26. (31) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 99.
               27. (26) Mario Gosselin, Chevrolet, 99.
               28. (20) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 99.
               29. (35) David Starr, Chevrolet, 99.
               30. (37) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 98.
               31. (32) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 98.
               32. (39) Chad Finchum, Dodge, 98.
               33. (34) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 93.
               34. (40) Mike Harmon, Dodge, Transmission, 90.
               35. (4) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 86.
               36. (36) Timmy Hill, Toyota, Clutch, 40.
               37. (18) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, Accident, 38.
               38. (27) Reed Sorenson(i), Chevrolet, Vibration, 23.
               39. (38) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Engine, 22.
               40. (28) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Vibration, 9.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  126.227 mph.
Time of Race:  01 Hrs, 58 Mins, 50 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.108 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  5 for 22 laps.
Lead Changes:  16 among 8 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   E. Sadler 1-16; K. Busch(i) 17; M. Shepherd 18; D. Hemric # 19; K. Busch(i) 20-22; W. Byron # 23-31; H. Rhodes 32; K. Busch(i) 33-52; J. Allgaier 53-56; K. Busch(i) 57; E. Sadler 58-60; G. Smithley 61; K. Busch(i) 62-69; W. Byron # 70; K. Busch(i) 71-81; E. Sadler 82-84; W. Byron # 85-100.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  K. Busch(i) 6 times for 44 laps; W. Byron # 3 times for 26 laps; E. Sadler 3 times for 22 laps; J. Allgaier 1 time for 4 laps; M. Shepherd 1 time for 1 lap; D. Hemric # 1 time for 1 lap; G. Smithley 1 time for 1 lap; H. Rhodes 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 9,18,22,00,48,3,42,2,1,19
Stage #2 Top Ten: 1,48,21,62,33,4,96,14,39,51

Alex Bowman to drive No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in 2018

CONCORD, N.C. -- One year after his impressive debut with Hendrick Motorsports, the team has named Alex Bowman full-time driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series with a 19-race majority sponsorship from Nationwide beginning in 2018.

Bowman, 24, piloted the No. 88 Chevrolet SS in 10 of the final 18 Cup races last season in place of injured driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. The Tucson, Arizona, native debuted July 17, 2016, at New Hampshire and went on to earn three top-10 finishes with the team including a sixth-place result at Phoenix, where he won the pole position and led a race-high 194 laps.

“Ever since I was a kid, racing is all I’ve wanted to do,” Bowman said. “I’ve had so many people believe in me along the way. My family has sacrificed a lot and always been behind me. I would never have this chance without the support of Dale and everyone involved with the No. 88 team. To be part of Hendrick Motorsports and for Mr. Hendrick to have this confidence in me, it’s just amazing.

“The No. 88 team is such a great group of people. I know we can pick up where we left off last year, and I truly believe we can win races and contend for a championship. I’m excited to build on the relationship with Nationwide and all of our partners. It means the world that they have faith in me, and I’m thankful to have them on my side. Now I just want to go win.”

Nationwide, one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States, joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2014 as a corporate partner and in 2015 became majority sponsor of the No. 88 Chevrolet with driver Earnhardt, who will retire from full-time racing at the end of 2017. Nationwide’s 19 primary races with Bowman and the team in 2018 will include the season-opening Daytona 500.

“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and welcome Alex to the No. 88 Nationwide team,” said Terrance Williams, chief marketing officer at Nationwide. “Rick Hendrick and the No. 88 team have been exceptional partners for the last three years, and we look forward to our joint commitment and engagement with the NASCAR community, both on and off the track.”

In addition to Nationwide’s one-year extension, Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, will increase its number of races featured as the primary sponsor of the No. 88 team by two for next season, bringing its total to 15 Cup events with Bowman in 2018. Axalta has been a Hendrick Motorsports corporate partner since 1992 and a sponsor of the No. 88 Chevrolet since 2016.

Hendrick Motorsports signed Bowman on Oct. 6, 2016, following his first four races driving for Earnhardt and working with No. 88 crew chief Greg Ives. In 2017, he has been an integral part of the simulation and on-track testing programs for the 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions and manufacturer Chevrolet.

“Alex impressed the heck out of us last year with his talent, poise and professionalism,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “He stepped up in a very demanding situation and showed that he can run with the best and compete for wins. His ability to stay focused through it all, and the way he’s handled himself since then, has shown a lot of character. Greg and the team loved working with Alex, and that dynamic will get even better with more time together.

“Our relationship with Nationwide is unbelievable. They have a true passion for NASCAR and our fans, and to have them extend with us is gratifying for our whole team. It’s also a credit to the way Alex carried himself last season and built lasting relationships. We’re fortunate to work with partners like Nationwide and Axalta that have built impactful, enduring programs around the countless opportunities our sport provides.”

At 7 years old, Bowman began racing on the short tracks of Arizona and California, driving quarter-midgets before advancing to USAC sprint cars. He transitioned to full-bodied stock cars at age 17, initially making starts in the 2010 Pro Cup Series and later the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, where he finished sixth in points and won rookie of the year.

Bowman also entered two ARCA Racing Series events in 2011, winning them both -- at Madison International Speedway and Kansas Speedway. After Team Penske signed him in 2012, Bowman posted four ARCA wins -- Salem, Winchester, Iowa and Kansas -- and led 20 percent of the season’s total laps to earn another rookie of the year award. He made his first NASCAR national series start Sept. 15, 2012, at Chicagoland in the Xfinity Series, which he ran full-time in 2013 for RAB Racing.

As a 21-year-old rookie, Bowman made his NASCAR Cup debut in the 2014 Daytona 500. Over the 2014 and 2015 seasons, he started 71 Cup events while running full-time for BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing. Notably, he competed twice in the 2014 Xfinity Series and once in the 2015 NASCAR Truck Series for Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports, which is affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports.

In 2016, Bowman made nine Xfinity Series starts for JR Motorsports, recording one pole position, three top-five finishes and seven top-10s. His 10 Cup Series appearances for Hendrick Motorsports in 2016 included top-10 results in playoff races at Chicagoland, Kansas and Phoenix. He now has 133 career starts across NASCAR’s three national series, including one in the 2017 Truck Series.

Matt Crafton snaps 27-race winless streak with Eldora Speedway victory

By Chris Knight
NASCAR Wire Service

ROSSBURG, Ohio – Using a late-race restart 18 laps from the finish and a strategy to ‘go where the others aren’t,’ Matt Crafton muscled past veteran dirt racer Stewart Friesen to win Wednesday night’s fifth annual Eldora Dirt Derby 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway. 

Over the last forty laps of the race, Crafton patiently worked his way from the bottom of the top-10 and took advantage of a Lap 127 caution to position himself to challenge a dominant Friesen for his first win since Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway last May.

"My first dirt win - a lot of fun," said Crafton, who picked up his 14th career win. "In the second part of that race we down-right just stunk. It was my fault. We over-tightened it a little bit in the first run. It got free and we just went back to the way we started the race.

"I knew I was getting beat down low. Finally, at the end, I said, 'Well, we may have to tear the right side off to get the win.' I started doing it and this truck became a rocket ship."

Friesen, who finished second to earn his career-best finish in the Truck Series, accepted defeat with dignity.

"Congrats to Matt, he’s been doing his homework on the dirt and it paid off," said Friesen who led a race high 93 laps.

"We didn’t come here to run second that’s for damn sure, but I’m proud of these guys. They worked hard to get this truck dialed in. We had a great truck, he (Crafton) just got rolling on the top, it cleaned up, I was so committed to the bottom and go there in the middle and he just found a line and got us. It burns."

Pole-sitter Friesen led his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series laps and extended his lead to nearly two seconds when a multi-truck accident ignited in Turn 3 on Lap 19 after Sheldon Creed spun and collected at least six other trucks in the process.

With a competition caution set at Lap 20 to allow teams to clean their windshields and grilles of the mud and dirt sprayed during the first run, NASCAR utilized the second yellow flag of the night to serve as the competition caution.

On the Lap 33 restart, Friesen found himself under attack from two-time series champion Crafton who swiped the lead away on Lap 34 and held it through the conclusion of Stage 1 which ended under caution after pre-race favorite Christopher Bell spun and was t-boned by Kaz Grala. 

The start of Stage 2 saw the lead exchange twice in a period of three laps as Friesen grabbed the lead back from Crafton only to be passed by John Hunter Nemechek two laps later. Friesen, however, proved that he had one of the strongest trucks in the field by reassuming the lead on Lap 53 and collecting the Stage 2 victory.

Under yellow for the Stage 2 break, Friesen’s spotter noticed that he had a right-front tire going down forcing the No. 52 Halmar International Chevrolet down pit road for four tires and fuel. The unexpected stop handed the lead to 2015 Eldora winner Bell for the Lap 93 restart.

Restarting sixth, Friesen stormed back though the field and eventually caught the heavily damaged truck of Bell on Lap 115 to reassume command at the front.

When it seemed that Friesen was settling into his comfort zone and potentially sailing towards his first career victory, Crafton using a quicker top lane overpowered him on Lap 133, with the pass setting the tone for the final lead change of the night.

Behind Crafton and Friesen, Chase Briscoe in a backup truck finished third ahead of Grant Enfinger and John Hunter Nemechek. Late model dirt specialist Bobby Pierce finished sixth while Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Bell and Austin Cindric comprised the remainder of the top-10.

Next up for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a trip to Pocono Raceway for the Pocono Mountains 150 on July 29.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race - Eldora Dirt Derby

Eldora Speedway

Rossburg, Ohio

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

               1. (2) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 150.
               2. (1) Stewart Friesen, Chevrolet, 150.
               3. (12) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 150.
               4. (11) Grant Enfinger #, Toyota, 150.
               5. (6) John H. Nemechek, Chevrolet, 150.
               6. (26) Bobby Pierce, Chevrolet, 150.
               7. (10) Noah Gragson #, Toyota, 150.
               8. (13) Justin Haley #, Chevrolet, 150.
               9. (4) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 150.
               10. (17) Austin Cindric #, Ford, 150.
               11. (27) Cody Coughlin #, Toyota, 150.
               12. (5) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 150.
               13. (29) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 150.
               14. (16) Jeffrey Abbey, Chevrolet, 150.
               15. (23) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 150.
               16. (28) Wendell Chavous #, Chevrolet, 149.
               17. (24) Ken Schrader, Chevrolet, 149.
               18. (31) Mike Harmon(i), Chevrolet, 147.
               19. (20) Chris Windom, Chevrolet, 146.
               20. (8) Ryan Truex, Toyota, 146.
               21. (18) JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, 146.
               22. (32) Ray Ciccarelli, Chevrolet, 146.
               23. (14) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 143.
               24. (25) Brandon Hightower(i), Chevrolet, 138.
               25. (21) Justin Shipley, Ford, Engine, 121.
               26. (15) Rico Abreu, Toyota, Accident, 117.
               27. (19) Sheldon Creed(i), Chevrolet, Overheating, 80.
               28. (30) Korbin Forrister, Chevrolet, Accident, 44.
               29. (22) Max Johnston, Chevrolet, Accident, 41.
               30. (7) Ben Rhodes, Toyota, Accident, 40.
               31. (3) Kaz Grala #, Chevrolet, Accident, 34.
               32. (9) Caleb Holman, Chevrolet, Transmission, 12.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  42.56 mph.
Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 45 Mins, 44 Secs. Margin of Victory:  1.960 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  10 for 59 laps.
Lead Changes:  7 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   S. Friesen 1-33; M. Crafton 34-40; S. Friesen 41; J. Nemechek 42-52; S. Friesen 53-91; C. Bell 92-113; S. Friesen 114-133; M. Crafton 134-150.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  S. Friesen 4 times for 93 laps; M. Crafton 2 times for 24 laps; C. Bell 1 time for 22 laps; J. Nemechek 1 time for 11 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 88,52,8,29,99,19,16,24,98,80
Stage #2 Top Ten: 52,99,8,4,19,98,80,89,88,24

Zane Smith Kicks Off Second Half of ARCA Season at Lucas Oil Raceway

CONCIRD, NC – Huntington Beach, California’s Zane Smith, will make his ninth ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season start driving for Venturini Motorsports in Friday’s Sioux Chief PowerPex 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway.

Coming off a top-15 finish at Iowa Speedway, the eighteen year-old driver hopes to get back in the groove when the series returns to the famed half-mile track located on the outskirts of Indianapolis.

“This is a big week for the fifty-five team,” says Smith. “We took advantage of the off week after Iowa and went to Indy this past weekend and tested a new car. The guys have been working hard and really rolled out a nice piece – and it showed in our speed.”

Smith, a member of this year’s NASCAR Next group looks to rebound once he straps back into his VMS prepared No.55 Icon Vehicle Dynamics – Musselman’s Apple Sauce Toyota Camry.

“Lucas Oil reminds me a lot of my home track (Irwindale) out in California. It’s cool to go to a new place and feel at home. I like our chances this week. I think we’ve got a really good shot.”

Despite missing out on two ARCA events (Daytona and Talladega) due to mandated age restrictions set by the series, Smith still occupies the seventh spot in the championship standings with three top-5 and six top-10 finishes.

Christian Eckes Returns to Lucas Oil Raceway Looking for Redemption

CONCORD, NC – Coming off another top-10 finish two weeks ago at Iowa Speedway, Christian Eckes is ready to get back to business when the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards returns to action during Friday night’s Sioux Chief PowerPex 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway.

In the midst of a nine race season schedule driving the No.15 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports (VMS), the New York State native has strung together six-consecutive top-10 finishes in as many races. Highlighted with a runner-up finish at Elko Speedway, Eckes has notched three top-5’s and led an impressive 272 laps during his first six season starts.

In preparation for Friday’s main event, Eckes joined VMS teammates Zane Smith and Spencer Davis and spent this previous weekend testing at LOR’s half-mile facility.

“We had a great test over the weekend – it’s one of my favorite tracks on tour,” said Eckes. “The car was hooked up and had a lot of speed right off the truck. Jeff McClure (Crew Chief) and I worked on some new setups and feel confident going into Friday’s show.”

“I’ve been waiting a year for my shot to come back to Lucas Oil. I feel we’ve got something to prove. Last year we went there with high hopes but had our night end early with mechanical issues. It was really disappointing. Not much you can do about bad luck except put it behind you and move forward and that’s what we’ve done – I’m excited to make the trip this week and do my part to change the headlines.”

Denny Hamlin breaks frustrating drought with New Hampshire victory

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

LOUDON, N.H. – The relief was palpable.

In a thrilling finish fraught with suspense, and in a backup car after a Friday crash in practice, Denny Hamlin held off a charging Kyle Larson to win the Overton’s 301 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Before the race, Hamlin and the entire Joe Gibbs Racing organization was in desperation mode, but when Hamlin took the checkered flag .509 seconds ahead of Larson, the picture changed dramatically.

Hamlin secured a spot in the 10-race postseason playoff, which is now seven races away. In winning for the third time at the Magic Mile and the 30th time in his career, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota broke a personal 20-race drought, dating to last year’s playoff event at Texas Motor Speedway.

That was also the last time any of the four JGR cars had won a race.

"Yeah, it’s just a great feeling," Hamlin said. "I know we’ve been getting better and better as the year goes on, but definitely needed a win for the organization and for myself and just kind of get some momentum going with the playoffs are coming up—so we’ve got to get going. Really this is awesome.

"We get in the playoffs, we get some playoff bonus points, and we’re ready to go now, so we’ve got to ... we’ve still got a lot of work to do. I feel like we need a little bit more speed out of our cars to be competitive week in, week out, but, honestly, this is a great place to start."

Taking the green flag for the final time from the fourth position in the outside lane at a track treated with traction compound before the race, Hamlin passed teammate Matt Kenseth for the lead on Lap 268 and pulled out to an advantage of more than 2.5 seconds before Larson began to run him down.

Kenseth had passed eventual third-place finisher Martin Truex Jr. for the top spot on Lap 261, one lap before Ryan Newman’s spin in Turn 2 caused the seventh caution and set up the final restart. Kenseth took right-side tires only under the yellow and was no match for Hamlin and Larson, who had fresh rubber on all four corners.

Kenseth held fourth ahead of Kevin Harvick over the closing 35-lap green-flag run.

Having started the race from the rear of the field after his qualifying time was disallowed because of a non-conforming rear decklid fin, Larson had a clear advantage in speed over Hamlin in the final run but couldn’t close to the bumper of the No. 11.

"I was catching him a couple tenths of a lap there, and then it seemed like when I got kind of close there, I don't know, within four or five car lengths at the end, my lap times kind of evened off a little bit with him," said Larson, who now has seven second-place finishes to go with his two victories this year.

"I started getting too tight on exit, and I couldn't carry the speed on exit like I needed to. I'd gain a lot on him on entry, but I couldn't keep the power down and keep the front turning on exit there that last run."

Martin Truex Jr. led the first 78 laps and picked up his 14th stage win of the season in the first 75-lap segment, but a caution on Lap 67 for Cole Whitt’s blown engine divided the field on strategy. Truex stayed out under the yellow with 10 other drivers and collected the playoff point for the stage victory, while Kyle Busch led the rest of the field to pit road.

Busch inherited the lead when Truex and the rest of the cars that had stayed on the track came to pit road under caution at the end of the stage. The second stage belonged to Busch, who led 75 consecutive laps in picking up the playoff point.

But Busch lost three positions on pit road during the caution between the second and final stages, and two subsequent pit road speeding penalties derailed his winning chances. The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota rallied from his second infraction to finish 12th.

Truex had a late-race issue, too, having to make an unscheduled pit stop for a flat right front tire on Lap 218 of 301. Though Truex later regained the lead, he was at a huge tire disadvantage and eventually lost the top spot to Matt Kenseth before Newman’s spin brought out the yellow flag for the final time.

Sunoco rookie of the year contender Daniel Suarez ran sixth in the No. 19 JGR Toyota, matching a career best. Clint Bowyer was seventh, followed by Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson.

Notes: Truex widened his series lead over second-place Larson from 34 to 38 points. ... Joey Logano suffered a rear suspension failure and lost 33 laps in the garage while his No. 22 Ford was repaired, finished 37th and fell 52 points behind Kenseth for the final berth in the playoff. ... Paced by Truex’s race-high 137 laps, Toyota drivers led 290 of 301 circuits. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished 18th led twice for 10 laps, once at the end of a cycle of green-flag pit stops, once by staying out on old tires for the final restart. Larson led one lap.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race - Overton's 301

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Loudon, New Hampshire

Sunday, July 16, 2017

               1. (8) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 301.
               2. (39) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 301.
               3. (1) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 301.
               4. (3) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 301.
               5. (12) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 301.
               6. (14) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, 301.
               7. (19) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 301.
               8. (9) Kurt Busch, Ford, 301.
               9. (10) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 301.
               10. (2) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 301.
               11. (11) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 301.
               12. (7) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 301.
               13. (30) Danica Patrick, Ford, 301.
               14. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 301.
               15. (26) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 301.
               16. (25) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, 301.
               17. (4) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 301.
               18. (18) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 301.
               19. (15) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 301.
               20. (27) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 301.
               21. (23) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 301.
               22. (29) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 301.
               23. (28) Landon Cassill, Ford, 301.
               24. (21) Aric Almirola, Ford, 301.
               25. (22) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 300.
               26. (20) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 300.
               27. (24) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 300.
               28. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 300.
               29. (32) David Ragan, Ford, 300.
               30. (16) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 299.
               31. (31) Corey LaJoie #, Toyota, 298.
               32. (36) * Ryan Sieg(i), Toyota, 298.
               33. (37) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 297.
               34. (35) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 296.
               35. (34) * Gray Gaulding #, Toyota, 295.
               36. (38) * Josh Bilicki(i), Chevrolet, 290.
               37. (13) Joey Logano, Ford, 269.
               38. (33) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, Engine, 66.
              39. (6) Erik Jones #, Toyota, Accident, 40.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  105.8 mph.
Time of Race:  03 Hrs, 00 Mins, 36 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.509 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  7 for 34 laps.
Lead Changes:  11 among 6 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   M. Truex Jr. 1-78; Kyle Busch 79-153; D. Hamlin 154-173; M. Truex Jr. 174-217; Kyle Busch 218-237; K. Larson 238; D. Earnhardt Jr. 239-245; M. Truex Jr. 246-260; M. Kenseth 261-263; D. Earnhardt Jr. 264-266; M. Kenseth 267; D. Hamlin 268-301.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  M. Truex Jr. 3 times for 137 laps; Kyle Busch 2 times for 95 laps; D. Hamlin 2 times for 54 laps; D. Earnhardt Jr. 2 times for 10 laps; M. Kenseth 2 times for 4 laps; K. Larson 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 78,20,42,1,18,5,31,21,11,24

Stage #2 Top Ten: 18,11,4,41,48,78,20,21,42,14