NASCAR Playoffs Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer FORT WORTH, Texas — The bottom groove was the preferred lane for both Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series competitors during Friday’s practice sessions at Texas Motor Speedway. With the addition of the PJ1 traction compound, few attempted to run in the area, but it became apparent that come race day, whether or not the top groove will be utilized isn’t a topic worth ignoring. “I’m not really sure that it changes a whole lot,” Kyle Busch on the track changes. “The track does lookRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Kyle Larson may be sitting seventh in points and 24 markers behind the cutoff line, but a ninth-place finish in Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway was solid enough to leave happy. In a race that was completely dominated by Martin Truex, Jr., who led a modern era high 464 of 500 laps, Larson was one of only two drivers (Denny Hamlin) who led laps. This was all thanks to his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing squad keeping him out of pit road in theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Martinsville Speedway was certainly a track Chase Elliott would like to steer clear after a disastrous First Data 500 weekend, capping off with a 36th place finish during Sunday’s race. After a blown engine which saw Elliott’s No. 9 Mountain Dew Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 engulfed into flames Saturday morning, he had to give up his starting slot because he went to the backup car. Elliott would qualify second but before the green flag dropped in Virginia, he had to work his way from the rear ofRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Drivers in the Round of 6 endured an accurate depiction of a “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” in Saturday’s NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Just about everyone who are competing for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship either dealt with truck issues or involved in a series of cautions that ended their race. Only two out of the six finished inside the top-10 while the other four were outside the top-20. Earlier in the race, it was all calm forRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer A Kansas City Miracle bestowed Chase Elliott in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway as a runner-up effort and massive circumstances advanced him into the Round of 8 by just three points. For much of the afternoon, crew chief Alan Gustafson urged the popular racer to win after two gut wrenching Round of 12 races at Dover and Talladega end his races. Elliott said he was trying his best to score his fourth win of the season but it didn’t worked out but understood thatRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer A “Rumble in the Sunflower State” went down in Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway as second-place finisher Tyler Reddick was confronted by a heated Cole Custer. Custer, who finished 11th, said to Reddick that “he can be a dumb fuck” and laid his right hand on Reddick’s left shoulder, the latter didn’t appreciate the action resulting in a throw down between them. Take a look at what happened between @ColeCuster and @TylerReddick on pit road at @kansasspeedway. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Ys8TDtooVn — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) OctoberRead 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 Luis Torres, Staff Writer Pit road proved to be the monstrous difference for the playoff fates of John Hunter Nemechek and Justin Haley in Saturday’s Use Your Melon. Drive Sober 200 at Dover International Speedway. Neither driver advanced into the Round of 8 and will now have to focus on being best of the rest, which is fifth in points with four races remaining. Nemechek appeared to be the only man on the outside looking in who could stop Michel Annett, who held the eighth and final playoff spot byRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer A mild manner day by Michael Annett was solid enough to escape Saturday’s User Your Melon. Drive Sober 200 at Dover International Speedway with the eighth and final playoff spot. Annett, who entered Dover 11 points ahead of the cutoff line, only had one objective to focus and that’s beating John Hunter Nemechek, who was the only threat of possibly knocking him out of the championship hunt. In the first two stages, Annett finished 10th and ninth respectively. Nemechek on the other hand, took ninth andRead More