Monster Energy Cup Category

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Martin Truex Jr.’s hopes to return to Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway evaporated in the early stages of the Pennsylvania 400. The polesitter’s No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota hit the wall on lap 20, moments after a restart following the competition caution. After leading the opening 16 laps, Truex’s right front tire went flat due to a lug nut during the scheduled pit stop cutting off the valve stem for the inner liner. “Just blew a right front (tire),” said Truex. “A lug nut bouncedRead More

By: Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa. – Martin Truex Jr. found a lot more than light at the end of the Tunnel on Friday afternoon at Pocono Raceway. Gaining time on the rest of the field through Turn 2—the Tunnel Turn—at the 2.5-mile triangular race track, Truex put his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota on the pole for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 400 (on NBCSN at 1:30 p.m. ET), knocking fellow Toyota Camry driver Carl Edwards out of the top starting spot. It’s not that Truex and hisRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor When Jeff Gordon was announced as the interim driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet, the press release stated that Gordon would drive at Indianapolis and Pocono. As Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to heal from concussion-like symptoms, an injury with no definitive timetable, questions have arose about whether Earnhardt will be cleared to race in Watkins Glen next week. Gordon, can’t speak on Earnhardt’s health, but he did confirm on Friday that he will stay in the No. 88 car longer than Pocono if that’s whatRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor After a scary crash during a test at the newly repaved Watkins Glen International earlier in the week, 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski didn’t hold back on Friday morning at Pocono Raceway as he discussed the crash and the dangers of road course racing. During the test, an improperly installed brake line caused him to lose all braking capability entering the sharp right-hand Turn 1 at Watkins Glen, which sent his No. 2 Ford into the tire barriers along the Armco barrier atRead More

SHOW #421 – Guest: TJ Majors – We recap Kyle Busch takes The Brickyard, Jeff Gordon now has 8 Championships, 6 Time Champ has name misspelled, Watkins Glen testing, a Dale Jr. update, plus we preview Pocono. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie DOWNLOAD HERE CREDITS: Hosts: Kerry Murphey & Toby Christie Executive Producer: Kerry Murphey Music: Russell Nash Audio Director Voice Over: Thomas Moog SUBSCRIBE FREE HERE RSS FEED RADIO STATIONS CLICK HERE SUBSCRIBE FROM iTUNES: Take us with you! Subscribe to our audio shows from iTunes, andRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor Throughout the history of NASCAR, there have been stories of drivers continuing to race even while injured, never giving up the pursuit of victory lane. In 2011 at Pocono, Brad Keselowski added his name to that list. For that reason, the 2011 Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono is the focus of this week’s “Throwback Thursday Theater.” The week prior to NASCAR’s second trip of the season to Pocono, Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 team, along with Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 team and Dale Earnhardt,Read More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Stories about top-tier drivers getting a new crew chief are usually explosive news, but when Richard Childress Racing announced that Paul Menard would have a new crew chief starting this weekend in Pocono, there wasn’t much fanfare. However, I think bringing Danny Stockman Jr. over to turn the wrenches on the No. 27 Chevrolet SS was a smart decision. Not to take anything away from Menard’s former crew chief Justin Alexander, but Stockman has quietly become one of the brightest development crew chiefs in theRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Indianapolis Motor Speedway should be considered the benchmark for every race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. To run well at the 2.5-mile speedway it takes stealth-like aerodynamics, incredible horsepower to rocket down the long straightaways, and impeccable handling to get through all four of the iconic track’s sharp turns. While the mega-teams like Joe Gibbs Racing lead the way, one race team showed massive improvement in this year’s Brickyard 400 — Front Row Motorsports. Before this past Sunday, the race team had appeared in eightRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Sprint Cup Series points leader Kevin Harvick will be without his crew chief Rodney Childers this weekend at Pocono Raceway after a suspension from NASCAR. NASCAR announced Wednesday that Childers has been suspended from NASCAR competition through Aug. 3 and fined $20,000 after Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet was observed with improperly installed lug nuts following Sunday’s Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Childers, 40, has also been placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31. Stewart-Haas Racing has elected not to appeal the decision. InRead More

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Mission accomplished, a record set, and a torch passed to the next generation. Kyle Busch set a Brickyard record for laps led and became the first driver to sweep both a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series race from the pole in the same weekend, but the real symbolism of Sunday’s Crown Royal 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway didn’t come until the event was over. As Busch spun his No. 18 Toyota in a celebratory burnout and took his customary bows near the yard ofRead More