Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tag

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Viva Las Vegas…again? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in the track’s history, Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be hosting a second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race this season as they kick off the 10-race Playoff stretch with Sunday’s running of the South Point 400. Las Vegas began its life on the NASCAR circuit as a 1.5-mile oval with 12 degrees of banking in 1998, but following the 2006 running of the race, the track underwent a massive reconfiguration that saw progressive bankingRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series headed to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to kick off the annual West Coast swing in March 2017 and by the time the checkered flag flew, NASCAR was definitely the talk of the town. Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex, Jr. started the day on the front row, with Keselowski getting the early jump over Truex, leading 65 of the first 70 laps. Truex took over the lead at lap 76 following a restart after Kevin Harvick crashed on the frontstretch andRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Trevor Bayne’s future at Roush-Fenway Racing has been up in the air since being moved to a part-time schedule earlier this year and according to comments from team owner Jack Roush Wednesday night on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Bayne will be looking for a new home for the 2019 season. Roush was speaking with Claire B. Lang when he let it slip that Bayne would not be returning to the No. 6 car after this season is over. “We’re making a search,” Roush said. “We’re in negotiationsRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Kasey Kahne will sit out the next three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, beginning in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Also announced Tuesday was Regan Smith taking driving duties for Leavine Family Racing’s No. 95 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for at least those three events. The 18-time Cup winner sat out the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard due to lingering heat exhaustion, the first time he’s ever missed a Cup race in his entire 15-year career. Smith finished onRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Now that the checkered flag has flown following Monday’s rain-delayed Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, the regular season for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is complete and the 16-driver field for the playoffs is set. Starting next week in Las Vegas, the playoff contenders will begin a 10-week grind toward crowning a champion at the season finale at Homestead-Miami, but how do they really stack up against each other? Kevin Harvick (2050 Points) – Harvick and Kyle Busch can be ranked as 1A andRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer There won’t be a playoff berth four-peat for the soon-to-be departing Chip Ganassi Racing driver Jamie McMurray. Needing a win to make the playoffs, McMurray was on the cusp of stealing a win, running inside the top-five, but had to settle for seventh in Monday’s Big Machine Vodka at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the highest among drivers who failed to qualify for the postseason. The regular season finale saw its turning point on Lap 145 when McMurray stayed out for valuable track position, afterRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service SPEEDWAY, Ind. – It’s been a historical two weeks for Brad Keselowski. The No. 2 Ford driver executed a hard-nosed pass of Denny Hamlin with two laps remaining in Monday’s rain-delayed Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard to win his first race at prestigious Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one week after visiting Victory Lane in the “crown-jewel” Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Keselowski earned Team Penske its first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at the track to go with the storied organization’s 17 IndianapolisRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor INDIANAPOLIS – Mother Nature finally got the upper hand during the weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with rain and inclement weather pushing both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series to Monday. Heavy rains Friday and Saturday pushed the Xfinity Series to Monday, and after trying to wait out a heavy mist on Sunday, NASCAR was finally forced to pull the plug and move the Cup Series race to Monday as well. The Xfinity Series will run their race first with a 10:00Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor INDIANAPOLIS – To say that the 2018 season has been a disappointment for Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports would be an understatement, but as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads into Sunday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, Johnson remains hopeful that he can muster up some of his Indianapolis magic from days gone by. The seven-time series champion is riding a winless streak dating back to June 2016 at Dover, the longest of his career, and sits on the cusp of possibly missingRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer INDIANAPOLIS — Heading into Sunday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, Alex Bowman sits in the 16th and final spot in the championship standings as he seeks to clinch a spot in the playoffs after taking over the reins of the No. 88 Chevrolet from the retired Dale Earnhardt, Jr. While Bowman has a wide enough margin over Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. to clinch a spot based on points, the 25-year-old could get bumped from the playoffs if there is a new winner outside the currentRead More