Monster Energy Cup Category

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor After a week of teasers, the prize waiting for the eventual 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion was unveiled on Thursday and the new trophy did not disappoint. The new trophy, which is made of machined aluminum and replaces the flag trophy that was prevalent during the Sprint Cup years, stands 37 inches tall, weighs in at 68 pounds, features all 23 Cup Series tracks on it and has a cup that will hold roughly 600 ounces of liquid. A hand formed series sealRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Before Furniture Row Racing became the juggernaut it is in 2017, the Colorado based team had to scratch and claw for everything single position on the track, especially in their early years. The team which just started a full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule back in 2008 brought Regan Smith on board starting in 2009 for a part-time schedule before moving back to full-time the next season. Smith came onto the Cup Series scene with Bobby Ginn and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in 2007, butRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor After a weekend off to recharge the batteries before making the final 12 race push to finish off the season, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to one of the crown jewels on the circuit, Darlington Raceway, for this weekend’s running of the Bojangles’ Southern 500. Darlington Raceway has been a staple of the Cup Series since opening in 1950 for its annual Labor Day weekend event with the Southern 500 being held on that date until a controversial decision was made to moveRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor When the 2018 season rolls around, the four-car team of Hendrick Motorsports will have a new look to it as the team will not only have two new drivers, but two of the team’s drivers will also have new numbers adorning the side of their Chevrolet Camaros. On Tuesday night, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Chase Elliott, who currently drives the iconic No. 24 car, will now drive the No. 9 starting in 2018, putting the driver back behind the wheel of a number that isRead More

By Reid Spencer. NASCAR Wire Service BRISTOL, Tenn. – In a race fraught with tension, and with a pack of drivers with desperate agendas chasing him to the finish line, Kyle Busch held off Erik Jones to complete a sweep of all-three NASCAR touring series with Saturday night’s keystone victory in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. In winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series main event at the .533-mile concrete track, Busch capped a long weekend that saw him win Wednesday’s NASCAR Camping WorldRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Since winning the Daytona 500, the 2017 season has been a rollercoaster of a ride for Kurt Busch and his No. 41 team, with the team getting on streaks of top-10 finishes, but following those up with streaks of sub-par finishes. Saturday night at Bristol, it was a rollercoaster of a ride all over again for Busch. Starting the day in 25th, Busch, who won his first career Cup Series race on the Bristol high banks, struggled with handling issues in the early going, butRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor As the regular season continues to wind down, the playoff picture is still very volatile, with three drivers currently in on points, while others on the outside looking in try to win a race and lock themselves in. Heading into Bristol, Matt Kenseth was one of the drivers inside the top-16 as a result of his points position, but the 2003 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion would face his biggest battle in his quest to make the playoffs. The driver that would be hisRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer The Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway was a tale of two races for the 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contenders in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. All five of the ROTY contenders have experience at ‘The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.’ Erik Jones was the best rookie for the second week in a row, finishing second in the No. 77 5-hour Energy Extra Strength Toyota Camry after running inside the top-five all night long. Jones led a race-high 260-lapsRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer A flat tire, contact with the wall, and lap traffic could not keep Trevor Bayne from reaching a career milestone with a top-10 finish. For the first time in his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career, he earned top-10 finishes in back-to-back races. Bayne bounced up and down through the field in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. Bayne finished in seventh after an eventful second-half of the Bristol-night race. He had a hard-fought battle with Jimmie Johnson as he moved up through theRead More