All posts by Motorsports Tribune

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — It was a study in domination and impeccable strategy. Leading a NASCAR All-Star Race record 199 of 200 laps, pole winner Joey Logano kept Denny Hamlin and peripatetic Kyle Larson at bay on Sunday night in winning the 40th running of the event and collecting the $1-million top prize. Running the entire race on softer option tires—and eschewing the more durable prime tires at repaved and revitalized North Wilkesboro Speedway—Logano beat runner-up Hamlin to the finish line by 0.636 seconds, withRead More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Scott McLaughlin led a historic performance by Team Penske on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 with an effort that hadn’t been accomplished in 36 years.  McLaughlin, Will Power and Josef Newgarden swept all three front-row spots for Team Penske, repeating what had only been done once in the history of the race, in 1988 when Penske drivers Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan and Al Unser Sr. qualified 1-2-3.  Running last among six drivers who advancedRead More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Team Penske continued its show of strength Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, its three drivers recording the fastest speeds on the first day of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. Will Power led the field with a four-lap average of 233.758 mph, followed by Scott McLaughlin (233.332 mph) and Josef Newgarden (233.293 mph) to comprise an all-Penske parade at the top of the speed chart. Alexander Rossi of Arrow McLaren was fourth-fastest at 233.069 mph and Kyle Kirkwood, 232.764 mph for Andretti Global,Read More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Operating without key personnel after suspensions because of the push-to-pass scandal, there’s one thing Team Penske isn’t lacking at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Speed.  Penske’s three cars posted the top three four-lap speeds Friday in preparation for Saturday qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.  Josef Newgarden averaged 234.063 mph in his mid-afternoon simulated qualifying run, Scott McLaughlin 233.623 and Will Power 233.451.  After one more short practice Saturday morning, qualifying will lock the fastest 30.  The Fast 12 will return Sunday for two roundsRead More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Practice for the Indianapolis 500 was a mix of qualifying simulations, race setups and, of course, rain on Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Pato O’Ward drove his Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to the fastest speed of the day at 228.861 mph, with Wednesday’s fast runner Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske second at 227.316 on the 2.5-mile track. Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing was third at 226.828.  After two days of rain and little track time since practice began Tuesday, teams put inRead More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Team Penske floated to the top of the speed chart Wednesday when Indianapolis 500 practice resumed on another soggy day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rain again was the major story in a session that started about five hours late and ended a few minutes early because of wet conditions.  Scott McLaughlin drove his Team Penske Chevrolet to the fastest lap of the day, 229.493 mph on the 2.5-mile oval, teammate Will Power was second (228.767) and defending champion Josef Newgarden fourth (227.675). ColtonRead More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Kyle Larson got his feet wet, literally, when practice began Tuesday for the 108th Indianapolis 500. Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion driving for Arrow McLaren this month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, drove only two slow laps before a day-long rain settled over the 2.5-mile oval and washed out the remainder of the session after 23 minutes. “The weather is getting in the middle of things today, but once we get through today, it should be good,” said Larson, who willRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C. — A combination of stubbornness and patience paid off handsomely for Brad Keselowski on Sunday at Darlington Raceway, where the driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford ended a 110-race winless streak with victory in the Goodyear 400. Keselowski’s triumph, which came at the expense of hard-luck teammate Chris Buescher and pole winner Tyler Reddick, gave the Ford Dark Horse Mustang its first NASCAR Cup Series victory this season in 13 races and led to a heated exchange betweenRead More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – Alex Palou capped a perfect start to the Month of May by winning the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday from the pole on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Two-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou drove his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 6.6106-second victory over the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet of fellow two-time series champion Will Power. It was his second consecutive win in this event on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at IMS, which leads into the Indianapolis 500Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C. — Justin Allgaier finally beat Murphy’s Law to the checkered flag in Saturday’s Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 at Darlington Raceway. This time, there were no bizarre circumstances to keep the driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet out of Victory lane, like the late cut tire that deprived Allgaier of a near-certain win at Phoenix in the fourth race of the season. After crossing the finish line 3.407 seconds ahead of runner-up Austin Hill, Allgaier had his first victoryRead More