Cup Category

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Erik Jones’ playoff pressure ended last Saturday, scoring his maiden Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona, locking himself into a playoff berth in just his sophomore season. Jones came into Kentucky Speedway simply looking for even more stellar runs, which he successfully accomplished in the Quaker State 400, finishing seventh. It’s Jones’ fourth straight top-10 effort this season, and certainly a hard fought one after his white No. 20 Freightliner Toyota Camry could’ve failed completing the entire 267-lap contest. Starting alongside pole sitterRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer SPARTA, Ky. – The right strategy on pit road earned Brad Keselowski a top-five finish at Kentucky Speedway. The 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion had not been running inside the top-10 at Kentucky Speedway prior to Paul Wolfe’s call. At the end of Stage 2, Keselowski and Wolfe elected to take two tires, moving the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Fusion into the lead. He held off eventual race winner Martin Truex, Jr. on the restart, dueling the defending Champion for nearly 40Read More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer SPARTA, Ky. – Being late to driver introductions was the least of the issues that plagued Kyle Larson at Kentucky Speedway. In addition to having to start at the rear of the field as a result of his tardiness, he also had issues with a broken track bar adjuster, which caused wild swings in balance in the Quaker State 400 for Larson. Larson, who had to climb through the field, had just passed eventual race-winner Martin Truex, Jr. when the track bar adjuster failed. AsRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer SPARTA, Ky. – A milestone weekend for Alex Bowman ended abruptly after losing a right-front brake rotor. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver was on the bubble to make the Playoffs entering his 100thCup race in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. 109 laps into the race, Bowman’s No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 popped a tire entering turn three. He made hard contact with the wall before immediately darting for pit road. A quick look from the pit crew and it wasRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer In the midst of a frustrating season and Lowe’s leaving at the end of the 2018 season, Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief Chad Knaus, the main man who has made the calls since his rookie season in 2002, will continue in his role through 2020 as reported in a Saturday press conference at Kentucky Speedway. Knaus told the media that his contract extension had recently been made, and despite the duo being winless in 41 races, he’s never questioned leaving Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports. “No, notRead More

By Lee Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service SPARTA, Kentucky – Martin Truex Jr. didn’t need a dress rehearsal to put on a pole-winning performance at Kentucky Speedway on Friday. His lack of mock qualifying runs in practice did not affect the ultimate result – his first Busch Pole on the 1.5-mile track. The defending winner of the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart executed the fastest lap in Round 3 to win the pole for Saturday night’s race at the 1.5-mile track (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). ForRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Last Saturday night at Daytona, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. found himself as Public Enemy No. 1 among some in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage area after being involved in a series of crashes throughout the duration of the race. A week later, Stenhouse and his run-ins on the 2.5-mile superspeedway were still front and center in the mind of Kyle Busch, who was involved in one of the multi-car crashes that Stenhouse helped trigger. Busch expected a call from Stenhouse, who owned up to hisRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer SPARTA, Ky. – In an uncharacteristic fashion, Hendrick Motorsports has been struggling in 2018. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman, who makes his 100th career Cup start this weekend, has often been the best of the Hendrick contingent in recent weeks. Bowman enters the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway set to make his 29th start with Greg Ives as his crew chief. In that time, Bowman has earned one top-five, 10 top-10s, and two pole positions, including this year’s Daytona 500. After alternatingRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer  SPARTA, Ky. – By virtue of his win at Daytona International Speedway, Erik Jones is now locked into the 2018 Playoffs. However, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver will still have to contend with “the big three”: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and defending champion Martin Truex, Jr., all of whom have dominated the season so far. Jones and his No. 20 Freightliner Toyota Camry team have only earned 39 Stage Points this season. He is 16thamong drivers that have earned Stage Points, with hisRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor After a trip down to Daytona Beach, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is just past the halfway mark of the 2018 season as they head up to Kentucky Speedway for race No. 19 on the schedule, under the lights on Saturday night for the running of the Quaker State 400. Kentucky first joined the Cup Series schedule in 2011 and has played host ever since, with just four different drivers claiming victory in the seven races held at the track so far. The track wasRead More