All posts by Luis Torres

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Despite having two cautions for minor incidents, neither resulted in retirements, but Sunday’s Iowa Corn 300 at Iowa Speedway saw three drivers calling it a day due to car issues. Each retirement resulted significant implications to not only each team, but for one driver, the Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Among the three retirements, A.J. Foyt Racing rookie and 2017 Iowa Indy Lights winner Matheus Leist’s was a cultivation of a sour weekend, beginning in Saturday’s opening practice, when his No. 4 ABC Supply Chevrolet hadRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Attrition. A word that once again defined the annual Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida Saturday. Unless its JTG Daugherty Racing, who were not only among a dozen cars without terminal damage, the two-car operation scored their first-ever double top-five finish with drivers A.J. Allmendinger and Chris Buescher finishing third and fifth respectively. During second overtime, both drivers were in solid position to possibly stop the Toyota duo of Martin Truex, Jr. and Erik Jones, and perhaps bring theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer “I don’t think I’m going to get an explanation. That’s just how NASCAR works,” said Justin Haley. In just his second NASCAR Xfinity Series start, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular appeared to have snookered the field and scored his first win in Friday’s Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway. However, the celebration was snatched away after NASCAR made the call that Haley advanced his position below the yellow line on the final lap in Turn 4 to get by both Kyle LarsonRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 scheduled to be driven by Ray Black, Jr., will be among the 41 entrants in Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. However, it’s Black’s pit crew who are the subject matter as NASCAR announced Tuesday that tire changers Brehanna Daniels and Breanna O’Leary will go over the wall in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the first time, serving Black’s car. Daniels, a former Norfolk State University women’s basketballRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Everything seemed to be going Clint Bowyer’s way in Stage 1 during Sunday’s Overton’s 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, leading 21 of the first 38 laps, but multiple pit road penalties halted his aspirations of scoring his third win of the season. While the recovery was slow, he went from two laps down to back on the lead lap by staying out longer than the leaders, and clawed his way back to a fifth-place finish for his sixth top-five this season. “Yeah, weRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Outside pole sitter Dalton Sargeant was poised for a turnaround, running inside the top-five for much of the night to keep his playoff hopes alive. That all changed on the 60th lap when a battle for third went awry, as Sargeant’s No. 25 Performance Plus Motor Oil Chevrolet Silverado ended up with the short straw in Friday’s Overton’s 225 at Chicagoland Speedway in Jolliet, Illinois. Exiting Turn 1, Sargeant was in a tight three-wide battle for third, battling against John Hunter Nemechek and Stewart Friesen.Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer SONOMA, California — For the second time in his career, Martin Truex, Jr. scored a win at Sonoma Raceway, ending the streak of nine different winners in nine years. After being heartbroken last year, Truex spoke about his two wins during the press conference, saying how he still recalls winning in 2013 for at the time, Michael Waltrip Racing, and treats each win as if it’ll be his last. “I remember that win like it was yesterday. It was huge,” said Truex. “I really feelRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer SONOMA, California — Banking on a late race caution to score his second straight win at Sonoma Raceway, Kevin Harvick didn’t get one and finished second in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, leading 35 of 110 laps. “We all make mistakes, and we all do things for a split second that you might be right after it all happens,” said Harvick. “These guys do a great job. Everyone on our Mobil 1 team has done a great job the last five years now.” Harvick said ratherRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer SONOMA, California — The quest for a hometown victory for Los Gatos native A.J. Allmendinger went up in smoke on Lap 34 during Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Allmendinger, who started fifth, is always a threat to win on the road courses and things were going well in the opening stage that after ten laps, he was trailing race leader Martin Truex, Jr. However, as the run went on, Allmendinger struggled finding speed to compete for the race lead. Then with three lapsRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer SONOMA, California — Second a year ago, winner this time around for 23-year-old Will Rodgers, who beat Aric Almirola by 4.420 seconds to score his second NASCAR K&N Pro Series West win of the season in Saturday’s Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway. On the final restart with 14 laps to go, the pole sitter made the pitch perfect move to get by Almirola in Turn 11, and dethroned the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regulars in the process. “That pass really came down to theRead More