Monster Energy Cup Category

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor For Jimmie Johnson, having to sit at the championship banquet last year and watch another driver being celebrated up on the championship stage after having been there the year before only served to further fuel his desire to make it back up there for a record eighth time. In one of his worst seasons of his storied Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career, Johnson won three races and made the playoffs, but found himself eliminated in the third round at Phoenix, dropping to a finalRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor The start of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is officially here and with it comes the biggest race of the season, the Daytona 500. For 60 years, drivers have been making the pilgrimage to the Daytona high banks to win the sport’s most prestigious race and write themselves into the record book as Daytona 500 champion. Many have attempted it, but only a select few have been able to hoist the Harley J. Earl trophy in victory lane at the end of theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer NAPA Auto Parts announced on Tuesday that it will extend its sponsorship deal with Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott from 24 to 26 races this season and continue sponsoring the No. 9 Chevrolet through 2020. NAPA will also be the exclusive primary sponsor for Elliott in the Daytona 500 each year and will be Elliott’s associate sponsor in all non-primary events. “The relationship with NAPA has been a major part of my career starting in 2014,” Elliott said. “Their support has been huge for me,Read More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season for the top-30 drivers in the series leading into this weekend’s 60th running of the Daytona 500. Age: 24 Years in Cup: 2 Career Wins: 1 With the retirement of NASCAR’s most popular driver, many fans that cheered for the No. 88 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be seeking a new favorite to root for in 2018. Ryan Blaney could very well be the answer, as the 24-year-old goes above and beyondRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season for the top-30 drivers in the series leading into this week’s 60th running of the Daytona 500. Age: 39 Years in Cup: 17 Career Wins: 29 The return of Kurt Busch to Stewart-Haas Racing wasn’t officially announced until December, becoming one of the final pieces of what has become well-known as “Silly Season.” Busch returns behind the wheel of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford, marking his fifth season with theRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For once, as he put it, Brad Keselowski didn’t “choke away” a chance at victory during Speedweeks at Daytona. Just the opposite. Taking the lead on Lap 39 of the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway, Keselowski held it the rest of the way to win the exhibition kick-off race to the 2018 season, leading Team Penske to a 1-2-4 finish. And Keselowski, who led 41 of the 75 laps, took the checkered flag with a large piece ofRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The Toyota camp of Joe Gibbs Racing and Furniture Row Racing were unable to amount a serious threat to Ford’s restrictor plate dominance in Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway, won by Brad Keselowski. No Toyota driver finished in the top-five as the new package caused handling issues and risky pass attempts in the draft for much of the afternoon. Two-time Clash winner Denny Hamlin was the highest finisher in sixth, leading all eight laps for Toyota. “Our car definitely was aRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer Despite concerns that Ford Performance was lagging behind its’ Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competitors, their strength in restrictor plate racing. Ford Fusions claimed the top four finishing positions in the 2018 Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway. Ford Fusions lead 43 of the 75 laps that made up the 2018 Clash. Brad Keselowski, the eventual winner, was in front for a dominant 41 circuits. Keselowski even called his shot on Twitter prior to the race, replying to his former competitor Dale Earnhardt,Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor The front row for next Sunday’s 60th running of the Daytona 500 is set. For the fourth straight year, a driver from the Hendrick Motorsports stable will start the Great American Race from the pole. This go around it was Alex Bowman’s turn, taking the No. 88 Chevrolet to the top of the board with a fast lap of 46.002 seconds, 195.644 mph. The pole is the second of the 24-year old’s career. After serving as the simulator driver for Hendrick over the past twoRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – New motor coach. Friends and family tickets to the Daytona 500. Lively media mixer at local go-kart track. Motivational call from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Check, check, check and CHECK. Darrell Wallace Jr. figures he’s pretty set for his inaugural debut driving Richard Petty’s No. 43 Smithfield Chevrolet in NASCAR’s biggest race, the Feb. 18 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway (on FOX at 2:30 p.m.). The popular driver known by friends and fans simply as, “Bubba” showed up to participateRead More