Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR celebrated the Independence Day holiday the only way it knew how on Thursday, by taking to the track at Daytona International Speedway for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice and the fireworks certainly started early. The first of two sessions were entertaining and full of action, with drivers running two and three-wide in an effort to feel out the package that makes its debut at Daytona after receiving rave reviews at Talladega a few months back. Though the typical FloridaRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Following last Sunday’s battle in the Windy City, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back to where it all began, Daytona International Speedway, for this weekend’s 60th running of the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the third superspeedway race of the season. From 1959 until 1987, the 160 lap, 400 mile shootout at the World Center of Racing, then called the Firecracker 400, was held on July 4th, even if the holiday fell in the middle of the week. Beginning inRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jamie McMurray first came on the scene in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in the fall of 2002 when he took over in relief of Sterling Marlin and scored his first win at Charlotte behind the wheel of the No. 40 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge. Five years and 166 races later, McMurray had yet to make a second trip to Victory Lane, but by the time the checkered flag flew at Daytona International Speedway in July 2007, the drought wasRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service JOLIET, Ill.  – Alex Bowman’s first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup victory at Chicagoland Speedway was as much a lesson in perseverance, determination and guts as it was a show of his raw talent. It took it all those qualities for the 26-year-old to reach Victory Lane for the first time in Sunday’s Camping World 400. Bowman’s No.88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet held off a hard-charging Kyle Larson for the win by .546-seconds – the two young drivers door-to-door in the closing laps, exchanging theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Kyle Larson was once again the center of attention at Chicagoland Speedway as the near six-hour Camping World 400 showcased tremendous racing action from start to finish. Last year it was the “Slide Job” heard around the world, where he came up short of beating Kyle Busch. This time around, Larson’s opponent for the race win was Alex Bowman, putting on a heck of a show in the closing laps. Even trading paint a couple of occasions as they gave it their all, looking for aRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Sunday’s Camping World 400 at Chicagoland Speedway is currently under the red flag due to a lengthy weather delay that’s gone past three hours. Despite spotters raising concerns of lightning striking within the vicinity of the 1.5-mile circuit, the race got underway as planned a few minutes past 3:00 pm EST with pole sitter Austin Dillon leading the way. Tremendous action took place between the top-five with Jimmie Johnson getting by Dillon for the race lead before the caution was waved due to weather on LapRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service JOLIET, Ill. – Austin Dillon earned his third Busch Pole Award of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season Saturday evening at Chicagoland Speedway, his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet posting a speed of 176.263 mph around the 1.5-mile track. Kevin Harvick will start second, his fifth front row start of the season in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate, Dillon’s RCR teammate Daniel Hemric was third fastest, seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was fourth and KurtRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Kyle Busch and Martin Truex, Jr. have had their share of battles in NASCAR, dating back to 15 years ago when both were championship contenders in the Busch Series (now known as Xfinity). The duo combined for 11 wins and 12 poles in 2004, with Truex winning his first of two championships that season. Meanwhile, Busch ended up second in the final standings, but dominated the Rookie of the Year battle by winning top honors. Fast forward to 2019, they’re now both champions in the MonsterRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The countdown to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is on, with just 10 races remaining in the regular season to set the field of contenders that will fight for the championship later this fall. Kicking off the summer stretch will be Chicagoland Speedway and Sunday’s running of the Camping World 400, which returns to its mid-summer roots for the second year in a row after several years as the Playoff opener. The track, which joined the circuit in 2001, only hosts the CupRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer SONOMA, California — In 223 NASCAR national touring starts, with 155 in the Cup Series, Matt DiBenedetto has never scored a top-five. That all changed Sunday as a fourth-place result in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway capped off a career-defining afternoon. Through tremendous strategy and a solid all around car, DiBenedetto and the entire Leavine Family Racing kept working on the No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry all afternoon, and it paid off as he’s now 25th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standingsRead More