Cup Category

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Just one race — the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond — remains for drivers who aren’t currently locked into the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase to change their fortunes. Currently 12 drivers have already clinched their place in the championship battle by way of winning at least one race, and being far enough ahead of the 31st-place driver in the standings that they can’t fall out of the top-30. The drivers who are locked in regardless of what happens in Richmond are: Kevin Harvick,Read More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Ryan Newman, who has made it into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in each of the past three seasons, will face a huge uphill battle in Richmond — the final race before the 2016 Chase — if he is to advance into the championship battle this year. Newman finished eighth this past week at Darlington, a track he calls his favorite on the schedule, but in post-race inspection Newman’s No. 31 Chevrolet SS failed in the LIS (Laser Inspection Station). As a result,Read More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Many are considering 2016 a career-year for 36-year-old Martin Truex Jr., but I believe after an incredible victory in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Sunday, that he’s just getting started. Truex has been fast virtually everywhere he has unloaded in 2016, and with Sunday’s win at Darlington, he has now crossed two crown jewel events from his bucket list. He of course led 392 of the 400 laps in the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this year as well. Truex was also within about an inch ofRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor Throughout the night in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington, Kevin Harvick and his No. 4 Chevrolet, sporting a Cale Yarborough throwback paint scheme, was a familiar sight at the front of the field, but a late race pit road miscue ended Harvick’s hopes for a second Darlington win. Starting on pole after qualifying was cancelled due to Tropical Storm Hermine, Harvick took off in the lead like a bullet from a gun when the green flag dropped and was untouchable for the first 93Read More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer Entering Sunday’s Bojangles Southern 500, Tony Stewart had yet to win at the historic Darlington Raceway. As part of the Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway, Tony Stewart and his Stewart-Haas Racing team unveiled a Bobby Allison-inspired Coca-Cola Chervolet SS paint scheme, which Stewart would run at Darlington. All track activity on Friday was cancelled due to severe weather. As a result, qualifying on Saturday was scrapped in favor of practice. With the starting grid set by points, Stewart lined up 17th on Sunday. Stewart wasRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C. – Martin Truex Jr.’s luck changed. Kevin Harvick’s didn’t. And that was the difference in Truex’s unexpected victory in Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Truex led 28 laps, all after passing Ryan Newman for the top spot on Lap 339 of 367. Harvick led a race-high 214 laps, bringing his career total to 10,068. But where Truex’s much-maligned pit crew performed its finest stop when it counted most—under caution on Lap 351—Harvick’s crew experienced the sorts of problems thatRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor I think it’s safe to say that Kyle Larson is primed for a great run in this year’s Chase. One week ago in Michigan, Larson captured his first-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory in his 99th start. Fast forward to Labor Day weekend, Larson, who led 45 laps on the night, was in the thick of the hunt for the win again at Darlington Raceway in the prestigious Bojangle’s Southern 500. Larson rolled off the grid from the 16th-starting position, after the field was setRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor When it comes to Darlington, the treacherous track is tough for rookies and veterans alike, with one small miscue liable to end your chances for victory in a hurry. For the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookies, Darlington was a mixed bag, as just one of them was able to score a top-10 finish, while the others weren’t as fortunate. The best of the rookie class for the second week in a row was Chase Elliott, who started the night in 11th place, but workedRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C. – Two conclusions were inescapable after Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s news conference on Sunday at Darlington Raceway. First, the decision not to clear Earnhardt medically for the remainder of the 2016 season was both prudent and necessary; and second, Earnhardt is committed to racing again at NASCAR’s highest levels with the support of medical professionals who believe he will be able to do so. “I definitely don’t belong in a race car today by any stretch of the imagination,” Earnhardt said in theRead More