NASCAR Category

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer The Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway was a difficult test for the 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contenders in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Of the three official ROTY contenders, Daniel Suarez is the only driver with experience at the 1.99-mile road course, and at the end of the day he was the best of the 2017 Rookie class. Daniel Suarez started the weekend off by running the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Carneros 200 at Sonoma. He started seventh andRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor In a car that looked more like it had been through a demolition derby than a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, Clint Bowyer showed just how strong his No. 14 team was after bouncing back to score a runner-up finish at Sonoma, which is his best finish on the season since finishing second at Bristol back in April. Entering the day, Bowyer’s confidence was high that he could make it back to back wins for Stewart-Haas Racing at Sonoma and score his first winRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Heading into Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, Brad Keselowski had never finished better than 10th in seven previous starts on the 1.990-mile road course, but now the 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion can mark down a top-five in the record book after bringing home a third place finish. “The Freightliner Ford was really good today,” said Keselowski. “We didn’t have the qualifying fun we wanted. We had amazing race pace. That’s a credit to everyone at Team Penske. It felt really good.Read More

Courtesy of NASCAR Wire Service NEWTON, Iowa — Last week, a blink-of-an-eye moment weighed heavily on William Byron. Saturday, the driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet lifted his head and shouted out a pent-up yelp that formed the suitable soundtrack the rookie’s first career NASCAR XFINITY Series victory. “I feel it all kind of comes around in racing and last week we were so close,” said Byron, who finished a mere .012 seconds behind Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin last Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. “You’ve gotRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service SONOMA, Calif. – Kyle Larson didn’t think he had a pole-winning lap, especially after he wheel-hopped into Turn 11 at Sonoma Raceway and lost speed through the tight hairpin corner in Saturday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series knockout qualifying session. But Larson’s lap was good enough to edge Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Jamie McMurray for the top starting spot in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET on FS1) at the 1.99-mile road course in California wine country. “The whole lap actually felt prettyRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Some days pit road calls, or the lack thereof, go your way and some days they don’t. For Johnny Sauter, a call to stay out on track late in the race on old tires didn’t quite go as well as his No. 21 team was hoping as he would drop from the lead to second place in the closing laps at Iowa after losing the battle against the drivers behind him with fresher tires on their trucks. Sauter would start the day in fourth place,Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Early in the going during Friday night’s M&M’s 200 at Iowa, Christopher Bell looked almost untouchable in the lead, but when pit strategy didn’t go their way at about the midpoint in the race, the two-time race winner in 2017 had his work cut out for him to be able to get back to the front and re-establish his dominance. However, things didn’t quite go to plan for Bell, as he only managed to make it back to fifth place by the time the checkeredRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer Entering the M&M’s 200 at Iowa Speedway, Jesse Little and his JJL Motorsports team were coming off his career best finish of 14th at Dover International Speedway. Competing part-time in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, this marked Little’s second start of the 2017 Truck Series season. It was clear that Little’s No. 97 Triad CNC Toyota Tundra had speed after unloading off the transporter as he was third fastest in the first practice. In the second practice, Little slipped back to 10th onRead More

By Rob Gray, NASCAR Wire Service NEWTON, Iowa — With six laps to go, John Hunter Nemechek made his bold, last-gasp move. Again. Nemechek, who charged to a Father’s Day win for his dad, Joe, last week at Gateway Motorsports Park, reprised his stirring comeback role in Friday’s pulse-pounding NASCAR Camping World Series M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store at Iowa Speedway. “Every one of these guys who works on this team, this is awesome,” said John Hunter Nemechek, who passed Johnny Sauter on the high-side with six circuitsRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor You wouldn’t think a driver that grew up on the dirt tracks of Kansas would be one of the best road course racers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but over the years, Clint Bowyer has found success making left and right turns, especially at Sonoma Raceway, site of this weekend’s Toyota/Save Mart 350. In a season where he has had some hiccups with his new ride at Stewart-Haas Racing, a trip out west to California wine country could be just what the doctorRead More