Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tag

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – For the second week in a row Chase Elliott has come one spot shy of scoring his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Elliott was never far from the lead throughout the Bank of America 500. Elliott was consistently one of the best cars, in the No. 24 SunEnergy1 Chevrolet SS, during the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He battled with the likes of Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and eventual race winner Martin Truex, Jr. while never falling lower than fifthRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. –  Track position is often key at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The driver that will start with the best track position in the Bank of America 500 will be Denny Hamlin. Hamlin cruised to the pole with a lap of 28.184 seconds, 191.598 mph in the No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry. His lap narrowly edged out his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth, who ended up 0.016 seconds behind. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five qualifiers. TheRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – The PJ1 traction compound is supposed to create more competitive racing. The compound was applied once again to the racing surface at Charlotte Motor Speedway. One driver who is optimistic about the compound is Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points leader Martin Truex, Jr. Truex ran well in the Coca-Cola 600 in May, the last time the series visited the 1.5-mile D-Shaped oval. He won one of the three stages and led 233 of the 400 laps. The only difference between theRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – The intensity ratchets up as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series edges closer to the season finale. One driver who has noticed the intensity is Ryan Blaney, who is in the Playoffs for the first time. Blaney advanced from the Round of 16 to the Round of 12 relatively quietly. His No. 21 Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Fusion never competed for a win in the Round of 16, but was easily consistent enough to earn enough pointsRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – Winning two out of three plates should make Stenhouse a favorite heading into next weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. However, Stenhouse is not counting on winning and is focusing on points. Taking the finishes of those in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at the first Charlotte, Kansas, and Talladega races, Stenhouse would move on to the Round of Eight on points alone. However, stats alone still do not guarantee that Stenhouse and his No. 17 SunnyD Ford Fusion team anRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – Trouble came quick in the first practice for the Bank of America 500. Just minutes into the first practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. contacted the turn four wall. Earnhardt slid up the track in the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS. As he did, his right-side tires slide into the PJ1 compound. The tires grabbed and pulled him straight towards the wall. The contact was severe enough that he will be forced to a back-up car. Earnhardt was not exactlyRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – Confidence is key as the Playoffs continue. One driver that is confident that his team is competitive enough to win the championship is Kyle Larson. Larson sits third in the Playoff Standings after reseeding for the Round of 12. Larson has had a career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS so far in 2017. Chip Ganassi Racing has been running up front much more consistent this year. In the Round of 16, Larson had anRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. – What is in a number? For one driver, namely Chase Elliott, a return to a familiar car and number could mean success. Recently, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Elliott would shift from the No. 24 to the newly rebranded No. 9 starting with the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. The No. 9 is synonymous with the Elliott name. Chase’s Hall of Fame father, Bill Elliott, earned 38 of his 44 career victories in the No. 9 car. Bill Elliott also wonRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer For the first time in the teams’ history, Hendrick Motorsports unveiled the primary colors for all four of the organization’s drivers on the same night. Previously, Hendrick has waited until after the season finale to start unveiling paint schemes for the next season. Helping unveil the cars were drivers Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson, and William Byron. Also in attendance were Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick. Hendrick was asked about whether it was superstition thatRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor The Fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is often overshadowed by the Coca-Cola 600 and the All-Star Race, but there have been a few occasions when the second race date at the track provides a memorable finish. The 1972 National 500 was one of those races. David Pearson would put his Wood Brothers Mercury on the pole, with Buddy Baker joining him on the front row. In what would be the final race that the Wood Brothers entered two cars, A.J. Foyt qualified third, followedRead More