NASCAR Category

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – In the last few laps of Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway, tears began to well up in Kyle Larson’s eyes. When Larson subsequently took the checkered flag to win the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of his career, the emotion was all but overwhelming—and for good reason. The victory came in Larson’s 99th start in the series, long after most observers expected Larson to record his first win. It also broke a 99-race drought for Chip GanassiRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor With just three races remaining in the regular season, all eyes were on the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookies to see how they would fare on the fast two-mile oval at Michigan International Speedway and whether the other rookies could join Chris Buescher in the win column. Picking up right where he left off in June, Chase Elliott was stellar throughout the weekend at Michigan as he looked for redemption from his near win at the track earlier this season. Elliott started the dayRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Ryan Newman has made it into the Chase for the Sprint Cup field in each of the past three seasons, and two years ago he nearly won the championship. But with two races remaining until the 2016 Chase begins, Newman finds himself in a precarious position — outside the cutoff line. In the midst of a 112-race winless drought, Newman finds himself 15 points behind Jamie McMurray for the final Chase Grid position. Heading into Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Newman wasRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Two-thirds of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is in the books, and for the most part Toyota has had a stranglehold on the rest of the field. But over the last couple of weeks, it appears that perhaps Toyota drivers won’t simply run uncontested into Homestead. Kevin Harvick, who hadn’t won a race since the middle of March, finally reached victory lane again last weekend in his No. 4 Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway. After the race at Bristol was over with, thereRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Alex Bowman, filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. who is still recovering from concussion symptoms, certainly opened some eyes during his stint behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Bowman started a career-best sixth after qualifying for the Pure Michigan 400 on Friday, and when the race started on Sunday he was in the mix for a win. Bowman was a solid top-five contender during the early portions of the race, when all of a sudden his car began to dropRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer With Road America being the final road course race of the season for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, many were looking for a shot to solidify their spot in the first ever NASCAR Xfinity Series Chase. One of those drivers was Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Reed. Reed came into Road America 10th in points, just 60 points ahead of the Chase cut-off. The weekend started off promising, as Reed and his No.16 Lilly Diabetes/American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang was 11th fastest in the first practice session.Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor Since being added to the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule in 2010, Road America has been one of the tracks on the circuit that tends to provide drivers with their first NASCAR wins and the tradition continued on Saturday afternoon. In the first six events at the track, three of those went to drivers who scored their first NASCAR wins, with Nelson Piquet, Jr. becoming the first in the 2012 event, followed by AJ Allmendinger in 2013, and Brendan Gaughan in 2014. As the NASCAR SprintRead More

By Frank Rigas, NASCAR Wire Service ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Michael McDowell’s Twitter handle is @Mc_Driver. After Saturday, he may want to consider changing it — to something like @Mc_Winner. McDowell led 24 of the final 25 laps of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville for his first victory in 94 series races. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular finished .534 seconds ahead of his Richard Childress Racing teammate Brendan Gaughan after two late restarts, including a green-while-checkered that pushed the race to 48 lapsRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – In five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, Brett Moffitt had never led a lap. But in Saturday’s Careers for Veterans 200 at Michigan International Speedway, Moffitt picked the perfect time to take the point for the first time. Powering around Red Horse Racing teammate Timothy Peters and five-time series winner William Byron off the second corner of the final lap at the two-mile track, Moffitt held off Peters by .098 seconds to win a NASCAR national series race for theRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer With Dale Earnhardt Jr. still sidelined from competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series due to a concussion, and Jeff Gordon having prior commitments, Alex Bowman was once again called upon to pilot the No. 88 Axalta/University of Michigan Chervolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports. When Bowman rolled off of the truck for practice, he got his first taste on the lower downforce rules package that was used earlier this season at the first race at Michigan International Speedway of the year and Kentucky. Bowman was 14thRead More