Cup Category

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor A fixture on the NASCAR schedule since 1949, Martinsville Speedway has provided numerous memorable moments over the years and in this week’s edition of “Throwback Thursday Theater”, we’ll take a step back three decades to the running of the 1987 Goody’s 500 and the wild finish that would follow. Geoff Bodine would start the 500 lap event on the pole and held onto the point for the first 71 laps before ceding the lead over to Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip would lead 21 of the nextRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor After completing the Western swing, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back east this weekend and straight to the first short track race of the season, with Sunday’s running of the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway. A mainstay on the schedule since 1949, the historic half-mile, which is also the smallest on the circuit, will test both man and machine over 500 grueling laps. The track has basically one groove, meaning the only way to pass will be the move we all know andRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor As first reported on Twitter by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Atlanta Motor Speedway will not repave their 1.5 mile track for next year’s race, electing instead to postpone their plans for at least a year. The track, which has not been repaved since it was reconfigured in 1997, has shown increasing signs of wear over the years and as a result has been revered by drivers for its challenging race conditions, including heavy tire fall-off and cars slipping and sliding around on the worn-out surface. EvenRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer As the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series completed its ‘West Coast Swing’ with the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway, Joey Logano looked to rebound after a 31st place finish at Phoenix Raceway. After unloading off the truck, Logano placed his No. 22 AAA Southern California Ford Fusion fifth in the first practice session. By the time qualifying started, Logano’s Team Penske Ford was one of several teams, including defending champion Jimmie Johnson, that were struggling to get through inspection. Unfortunately for Logano, timeRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service FONTANA, Calif. – What a difference one position makes. After three straight second-place finishes in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, polesitter Kyle Larson finally found Victory Lane, pulling away after an overtime restart to win Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Larson took the checkered flag at the end of the second extra lap as team owner Chip Ganassi celebrated from his perch atop the pit box. “It’s great to be Kyle Larson right now,” said the 24-year-old driver. Resilient BradRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor It may have taken him nearly two years, but Clint Bowyer finally made it back into the top-five at the end of a race after finishing third in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Bowyer had not finished in the top-five since finishing fifth at the 2015 Bristol night race, a drought of 52 races, but with Stewart-Haas power behind him, Bowyer is definitely back to having fun behind the wheel again. “It was just a good weekend,” said Bowyer.  “I appreciate everybody’sRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor Early on in Sunday’s Auto Club 400, it looked as if Brad Keselowski wouldn’t be in contention for the win by the time the checkered flag flew, but as he and his team have done so many times in the past, they persevered through the adversities to bring home a second place finish on the day. Starting from third place, Keselowski’s troubles started from the drop of the green flag as outside polesitter Denny Hamlin couldn’t get going on the start, causing Ryan Newman toRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor On the day he makes his 600th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will have his work cut out for him as he will have to start from the rear of the field in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 after discovering a cut tire. Under the new rules this season that drivers have to start the race on the tires they qualified, Earnhardt will have to vacate his 19th place starting position to join some other big names at the rear ofRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service FONTANA, Calif. – The driver who has finished second in the last three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races will start first on Sunday. Moving up the track for his final run, series points leader Kyle Larson navigated rough, bumpy Auto Club (Fontana, California) Speedway in 38.493 seconds (187.047 mph) on Friday to win the pole for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX), the fifth race of the season. The 24-year-old Larson edged Denny Hamlin by .014 seconds, as Hamlin coveredRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service FONTANA, Calif. – What Jimmie Johnson perceives as a deficiency in his qualifying efforts was compounded on Friday when the driver of the no. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet spun in Turn 4 during a mock qualifying run at Auto Club (Fontana, California) Speedway. Johnson’s car turned in front of the No. 41 Ford of Kurt Busch, which was rolling slowly on the apron. There was no contact between the cars, but Johnson’s Chevy plowed into the infield grass, creating enough damage for crew chiefRead More