NASCAR Category

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor With the only series racing this weekend being the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Mid-Ohio, it’s time again for another edition of “Throwback Thursday Theater,” but this week, we’ll take a bit of a detour and look back at a race at a track that is no longer on the Xfinity Series schedule, but delivered a special moment during the 2007 season at Memphis Motorsports Park in the Sam’s Town 250. As the majority of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers were competing in Atlanta onRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer For Jimmie Johnson, the race weekend at Watkins Glen International was anything but typical for the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion. Johnson was 16th and 22nd in the only two practice sessions. Johnson qualified his No. 48 Lowe’s/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet SS 13th after just missing the final round in qualifying. As the race started, Johnson slid back to 15th. Johnson’s descent was slowed as the caution waved for debris. On the restart, Johnson immediately began to move back up through the field. JohnsonRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Denny Hamlin, winner of Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at the Glen, entertained a sold-out grandstand with a celebratory burnout that trailed a plume of smoke the entire length of the frontstretch at Watkins Glen International. But Hamlin’s smoke show—with a bad back, no less—paled in comparison to the fireworks that preceded the checkered flag, Hamlin’s first at a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road course. The race was in doubt until the final corner, with Martin Truex Jr. pressuring Hamlin, who ledRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer Going into the race weekend at Watkins Glen International, A.J. Allmendinger was one of the pre-race favorites to win on the road course. This was Allmendinger’s best chance to score a win and qualify for the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Allmendinger was eighth fastest in the opening weekend practice and topped the charts in the final practice. In qualifying, Allmendinger put his No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet ninth on the grid. It didn’t take long for Allmendinger to move forward after the race started.Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor Just like in the first road course race of the season at Sonoma, the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie class had their hands full with the second road course race on Sunday at Watkins Glen. Coming out on top of the rookies at Watkins Glen was Chase Elliott, who stayed out of trouble and under the radar throughout the day. Elliott started the day in 16th and was able to hold steady just outside the top-10 in the early going before falling back toRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Lately, Kyle Larson has been surging towards his first-ever Chase berth. After qualifying second for this weekend’s Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen, and staying inside the top-10 all day long in Sunday’s race, it looked like Larson would further cement himself in the Chase standings at day’s end. However in the final turn of the final lap, Larson’s championship aspirations took a huge hit while running fifth. Larson made a move to avoid a spinning Martin Truex Jr. in front of him, and when Larson barely moved toRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Chris Buescher won last weekend at Pocono Raceway, which means that if he can race his way inside the top-30 of the championship standings that he will race for a championship when the Chase begins in a few weeks. Buescher began that quest Sunday at Watkins Glen, as he entered the day six points behind David Ragan for the 30th-place spot in points. Buescher started the Cheez-It 355 from the 25th position, but lacked overall speed all race long. Buescher and crew chief Bob Osborne struggled withRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Erik Jones and Furniture Row Racing made it official on Sunday morning at Watkins Glen International. In 2017, Furniture Row Racing will expand from one car to two, with Jones driving the No. 77 Toyota under sponsorship from 5-hour Energy. The addition of Jones brings to six the number of full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams receiving comprehensive factory support from Toyota Racing Development (TRD). A native of Byron, Michigan, Jones, 20, will team with veteran Martin Truex Jr., whoRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor Heading into Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen, all eyes were on the Team Penske cars to see if they could break the Joe Gibbs Racing stranglehold on the 2016 season and return to victory lane for the first time since late 2015 at Texas. After landing both team cars on the front row, both Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski proved they would be the cars to beat throughout the day. Logano took off in the lead when the green flag flewRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service WATKINS GLEN, N. Y. – Joey Logano finally finished what he started. The driver of the No. 12 Ford won Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Watkins Glen International from the pole, giving Team Penske its first victory in what has been a disappointing season so far. The win in the Zippo 200 was the second straight at the 2.45-mile road course for the 26-year-old driver, who led 67 of 82 laps and drove his car to the limit, keeping teammate Brad Keselowski behindRead More