ISM Raceway Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The newly formed Spire Motorsports team, which took over the charter formerly held by Furniture Row Racing, is hitting the ground running in 2019, signing 21-year old Quin Houff to take the reins of its No. 77 entry starting with the fourth race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season at ISM Raceway. Though Jamie McMurray will race for the team in the Daytona 500, Houff is scheduled for “roughly half” of the 36-race schedule, according to a team release. The exact races in whichRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer  After running part-time in 2018, Chad Finley Racing will attempt to run the entire 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season. Team co-owner Chad Finley and part-time Series driver Robby Lyons will make up a part of the driving line-up for the No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado. In 2018, the organization ran five races, two under the CFR banner, and three in conjunction with Reaume Brothers Racing. Finley earned the teams’ best finish, as well as his career best, sixth, in their 2018 debut at GatewayRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series prepares for their season finale as four drivers battle it out for the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. For Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., this is a chance to further their legend with a second title, while Joey Logano attempts to capture his maiden championship. Our friends from Mobil 1 The Grid produced an overview on the playoff journey to the final race of the 2018 campaign.Read More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer NASCAR Next Alumnus Harrison Burton will compete in his first full-time season with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Until his 18th birthday a few weeks ago, the son of NASCAR on NBC Driver Analyst Jeff Burton, has been limited to starts at tracks 1.250-miles and smaller in length in the Truck Series. Harrison Burton will take control of the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra, currently driven by Noah Gragson. Safelite AutoGlass will be sponsoring 19 races on the No. 18.Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Furniture Row Racing may be closing the doors at season’s end, but their focus is still laser sharp on pulling off the ultimate mic drop moment by claiming their second straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship on their way out. After accumulating enough points to make it through Sunday’s race at ISM Raceway and claim one of the berths into the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend, the dream is still alive and well. “It gives me chills,” said Martin Truex, Jr. “Honestly, I’mRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service AVONDALE, Ariz. – Holding off Brad Keselowski after a restart with 12 laps left in Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at ISM Raceway, Kyle Busch claimed his eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and led NASCAR’s Big Three into the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After a wreck on Lap 269 of 312 ended the championship hopes of Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott—both of whom had been in the mix throughout the day—Busch grabbed the lead from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate ErikRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer  A pit road speeding penalty ultimately sealed Chase Elliott’s fate in the Can-Am 500. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver’s Championship hopes came to an end following a late wreck. On a restart with 32 laps to go, Elliott found his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 mid-pack following a pit road speeding penalty. Like many others, he was in the middle of a hornet’s nest. Contact between Denny Hamlin’s Toyota and Kurt Busch’s Ford saw both spinning on the narrow backstretch.Read More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer An early flat right-front tire at ISM Raceway could not keep Kevin Harvick from advancing to the Championship Four. A win from another member of the ‘Big Three’ also helped the Stewart-Haas Racing driver keep his 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship bid alive following the Can-Am 500. Harvick’s No.4 Busch Light Ford Fusion was a magnet for drama throughout the 312-lap race. On the final restart, Harvick lined up alongside race leader, and winner, Kyle Busch. The only Playoff driver on the outsideRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Kurt Busch entered Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at ISM Raceway with just three points separating him from a berth in the championship finale, but for the 2004 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, it just wasn’t his day. After finishing the first stage in fifth place, taking the lead on the ensuing restart and holding onto the top spot for the next 52 laps, things went awry for Busch and his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing team when Busch was penalized for passing the pace car entering pitRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The first driver confirmed eliminated from competing for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship was Clint Bowyer after crashing out in Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, finishing 35th. Entering Turn 4, Bowyer was running in seventh before the left-rear of his No. 14 ITsavvy Ford Fusion went down, resulting in him going up the track and slamming the wall. The impact destroyed the back end of his car, but worse of all, any shot of a championship opportunity. “I guess we cutRead More