Cup

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

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service The odds against Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 producing another first-time winner are relatively heavy. When all track activity was washed out on Friday, the starting field for the race was set according to owner points, and the top 10 starters in the field, from pole sitter Kevin Harvick through 10th-place Matt Kenseth, all have at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory this season. Why is that significant? Because in the last 14 races at Darlington, 10 of the winners have come from theRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer In recent weeks, you have probably seen or heard a public service announcement (PSA) in which several NASCAR drivers including Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, Kyle Larson, and Darrell Wallace Jr. say they will stand up, rise up if they see or know someone who is facing discrimination. This PSA is part of a campaign, RISE to Win, in which NASCAR and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equailty (RISE) have partnered to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion both inside the sport, and outside.Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor After missing six races while recovering from a concussion, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2016 season as he continues his recovery. On Friday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Earnhardt had not been medically cleared to race for the final 12 races of the year. “I wish I could return to the No. 88 team this season. To say I’m disappointed doesn’t begin to describe how I feel, but I know this is the right thing for my long-term health and career. I’mRead More

SHOW #426 – We review Kyle Larson’s first win extensively, Dale Jr. freaked out social media, Kyle Busch wants the Chase to start, wanna be a pit crew member?, throwback paint scheme’s galore at Darlington, should Charlotte bring back ‘Beast of the southeast’ and put a giant asphalt beast out front? and more. 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 CLICKRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor With Darlington next up on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, it’s time again for another edition of “Throwback Thursday Theater”. Our “Lady in Black” edition will recap the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington that many will recall as the photo finish between Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch. Darlington has always been known for its rough and tumble style of racing, with the drivers battling not only each other, but the treacherous track as well. When the series headed to Darlington in MarchRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Brad Keselowski finished third at his home track in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400, but the result comes with a fine after NASCAR assessed Keselowski’s No. 2 team with a P2 level penalty. Keselowski was docked 10 points and crew chief Paul Wolfe was fined $15,000 after the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion’s car failed post-race laser inspection at Michigan International Speedway. Team Penske owner Roger Penske was also docked 10 points in the owner’s standings as a result of the penalty. However, neither Penske norRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor After a weekend in Michigan, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to one of the crown jewels on the circuit, Darlington Raceway, for this weekend’s running of the Bojangles’ Southern 500. Darlington Raceway has been a staple of the Cup Series since opening in 1950 for its annual Labor Day weekend event with the Southern 500 being held on that date until a controversial decision was made to move the race away from Labor Day weekend in 2003. After 12 years away from its LaborRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Brad Keselowski was determined to record his first victory at his hometown track Sunday, but ultimately after leading 14 laps on the day, the driver from Rochester Hills, Michigan settled for a third place finish in the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. To add insult to injury, Keselowski’s No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion failed the post-race Laser Inspection System (LIS). Any penalties won’t be announced until later on this week, but typically this infraction has been matched with a P3 penalty, which comesRead More