Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tag

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney was among those starting the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs strong. The third-year driver avoided the misfortunes of most Playoff Grid drivers to finish fifth in the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Over the course of the final restarts, Blaney’s No. 12 PPG Ford Fusion was in tow with his Team Penske teammates. In the chaotic scramble in overtime he battled three-wide with Kyle Larson and defending champion Martin Truex, Jr. While Larson and Truex chasedRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service LAS VEGAS – In a war of attrition that caused a multitude of problems for the majority of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contenders, Brad Keselowski emerged unscathed with his third straight victory in the series and the 500th triumph for Team Penske in all forms of racing combined. Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Playoff opener for NASCAR’s foremost series, went to overtime, lasting five laps longer than the scheduled 267. But Keselowski held the top spot through threeRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Not even halfway through the opening race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and two drivers contending for the championship will leave Las Vegas with Lady Luck not on their side. On lap 147 in Sunday’s South Point 400, Kevin Harvick, who entered the day as the co-points leader suffered a blown tire in Turn 1 sending him hard into the outside wall and collecting fellow playoff driver Erik Jones in the process. The crash would relegate Harvick and Jones to 37th and 38th,Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer After five seasons that included a Championship 4 berth, Ryan Newman announced Saturday that he’ll part ways from Richard Childress Racing at the end of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, vacating the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Newman confirmed his future on Twitter, describing his tenure at RCR as an enjoyable experience and wishes them the best going forward. “We were able to put competitive cars on the race track, qualify for the playoffs on multiple occasions and make a strong run for theRead More

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 Seth Eggert, Staff Writer How can a driver fly under the radar in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season finale? Aric Almirola found out after multiple pit road penalties kept him from ever being a factor for the win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Almirola finished well outside the Top-20 after running just inside the top-10 throughout the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard. Although he avoided trouble, the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion was busted for speeding on pit road twice, as well as pitting before pitRead 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