Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tag

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer As with the ‘game of musical chairs’ that takes place at season’s end, Matt DiBenedetto’s relationship with Go Fas Racing, and Ford Performance, came to an end at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The underdog Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team struggled throughout much of the Ford EcoBoost 400. DiBenedetto’s No. 32 Zynga Poker Ford Fusion spent much of the race outside the top-20. In practice and qualifying, he struggled just to break into the top-30. Untimely cautions, and the overall lack of speed, left the Ford PerformanceRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer A five-year stint with Richard Childress Racing came to a quiet end for Ryan Newman at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series veteran ended one of his worst career seasons with a top-15 finish in the Ford EcoBoost 400. On the final restart, Newman’s No. 31 E-Z-Go Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 hovered just outside the top-10. In the chaotic scramble, as the focus was on the Championship Four competitors, he had his own battle with Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney, and Ricky Stenhouse,Read More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer The final race for Leavine Family Racing as a Chevy Racing team never got off the ground. The team, in its’ third full-time season, lost 26 laps due to an oil leak under the parade laps for the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Next season, the team will be a member of the Toyota Racing Development camp. Regan Smith in the teams’ No. 95 Dumont Jets Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 started well behind the preverbal eight ball. In the car designed to be a tributeRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Sixteen drivers entered the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with a shot at the championship, but now we are down to the best of the best. Press conferences with some good-natured ribbing have been held, the drivers have had the opportunity to dial their cars in throughout practice and qualifying over the last few days and now all that’s left is to race it out and see how things shake out by the time the checkered flag falls. Before Kyle Busch, KevinRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Continuing the speed shown earlier in the day, Joey Logano was the fastest once again in final practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway, jumping to the top of the board early on and staying there for the duration of the session. Logano clocked in at 31.450 seconds, 171.701 mph, with fellow championship contender Martin Truex Jr. following close on his heels with the second fastest time in practice. “I think we were pretty good,” Logano said. “I amRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – A day after struggling to find speed in the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice session of the weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Joey Logano topped the board in the first of two Saturday practice sessions. Logano ran 40 laps throughout practice, but it was his first lap on track that was the fastest, posting a time of 31.838 seconds, 169.609 mph. The Team Penske driver was also fastest among 10-lap averages. “How do you not feel confident in that?  You have to,”Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Three of the four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 drivers qualified near the top of the board in Friday’s knockout time trials at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but Denny Hamlin, who has his own agenda, stole the pole for Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 (at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90). Trying to extend his streak of winning at least one race per season to 13 consecutive years, Hamlin streaked around the 1.5-mile track in 31.059 secondsRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – When the checkered flag flies on Sunday, the book will finally be closed on Furniture Row Racing as the team will be shuttering its doors over the offseason regardless if they win a second-straight title or not. Ahead of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars hitting the track for the first time, team president Joe Garone addressed the team’s closure and how they have been rallying around each other in the final days. “It’s been brutal at the end here. But inRead 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