Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tag

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent Leavine Family Racing and Matt DiBenedetto continue to be the ‘little team that could.’ As the final stage of the Drydene 400 went caution-free at Dover International Speedway, DiBenedetto’s No. 95 Dumont Jets Toyota Camry restarted outside the top-10. While others made mistakes on pit road, the Mike Wheeler-led team had a mistake-free, disciplined run. DiBenedetto inched forward, passing both Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Grid drivers and those not in the playoffs. As green flag pit stops took place in the final stage,Read More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Kyle Larson celebrated his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in two years Sunday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, taking the checkered flag in the Drydene 400 by a convincing 1.578-seconds over Martin Truex Jr. and securing himself and his Chip Ganassi Racing team their first ever berth in the upcoming Playoff Round of 8. Larson’s friend and polesitter Denny Hamlin finished fifth after leading a race best 218 laps. But perhaps the two golf buddies would agree, on this Sunday, Larson’s longRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer It appeared that Denny Hamlin’s 500th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start was going to be a picture perfect afternoon. Instead, he settles for a rather underwhelming fifth-place in Sunday’s Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway after leading 218 of 400 laps. The pole sitter owned the competition that included a Stage 1 victory and having a commanding lead over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex, Jr. Then a dream day turned awry in the closing laps of Stage 2. It began when Hamlin struggledRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer There won’t be a repeat victory for Chase Elliott at Dover International Speedway as a Lap 7 engine problem knocked him out of Sunday’s Drydene 400. An early exit has caused tremendous implications as all three Round of 12 races (Dover, Talladega and Kansas) are tracks Elliott has won. Due to his success, he was viewed as one of the heavy favorites to punch his ticket into the next round. Instead, a last-place result means he’ll be heading into both Talladega and Kansas in a must-winRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service It was a friendly golf wager made good on the race track. Denny Hamlin began marking his 500th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race start this weekend with a record pole-winning speed Saturday afternoon at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. And Hamlin earned his – and Toyota’s – second pole of the season by a mere .003-seconds over the very guy he made that all-in-fun wager with – Kyle Larson. “I got him, I got him,’’ Hamlin said smiling after qualifying for Sunday’s DrydeneRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Bowman focused on top performance at Dover Last weekend Alex Bowman earned headlines for his determined work behind the wheel of his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – rallying to a dramatic runner-up finish at the Charlotte ROVAL to earn a spot in the second round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, which begins with Sunday’s Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). But he’s also getting plenty of attention for an incident on pitRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick will move up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020, replacing Daniel Hemric in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. RCR confirmed it Wednesday as the Corning, California native will have Caterpillar as a primary sponsor and becoming the second driver that’ll compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. The other being Reddick’s NXS title rival Christopher Bell, who will drive for Leavine Family Racing. Reddick already has two Cup starts to his name, makingRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – For Alex Bowman, Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was a war on many fronts. Not only did the Hendrick Motorsports driver have the points battle and advancing on in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs to worry about, but as the race progressed, he also had to contend with fellow drivers out on track and his own health issues to be able to make it out of the first round of the postseason with his championshipRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C. – Defending race winner Ryan Blaney didn’t have a smooth afternoon in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, but he salvaged an eighth-place finish-with the help of two timely cautions—and advanced to the second round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Blaney made hard contact with the wall on Lap 58, and crew chief Jeremy Bullins contemplated bringing the No. 12 Team Penske Ford to pit road immediately, but opted against that courseRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C. – Clint Bowyer had to restrain himself from his typically aggressive approach to driving in the monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and it paid off on Sunday with a berth in the Round of 12 of the series Playoffs. After a disappointing 25th-place finish—from the pole, no less—in the opening Playoff race at Las Vegas two weeks ago, Bowyer came to the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course four points below the cut line for advancementRead More