Kasey Kahne and Leavine Family Racing look to accelerate into the second race of the West Coast Swing after handling issues plagued the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Toyota Camry Making 400th MENCS Start at Phoenix… This weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) event at Arizona’s ISM Raceway will be the 400th for the Toyota Camry since entering the series in 2007. Since Toyota’s Cup debut, 11 different Camry drivers have won 111 MENCS races and captured a win at every race track on the series schedule. Camry drivers have won two-of-the-last three MENCS titles and two consecutive manufacturer championships.
No matter what you do with your car, it is your pride and joy. Some people use theirs to drive to the store, and others use it as part of their blooming career. Making a living out of driving your car can take its toll on it, and while you can take it to see an expert every now and then, that doesn’t mean you can be relaxed in how you take care of it every day. Luckily, it doesn’t have to take too much time out of your week to ensure it is at its strongest self, and that it will be along for the ride in years to come.
Talladega Superspeedway is recognizing educators and faculty members with its new “Teacher & Educator Appreciation” ticket program, awarding up to 30 percent off on various ticket options for the Sparks Energy 300 and GEICO 500, set for April 28-29.
Chevrolet leads all other manufacturers with 23 victories at ISM Raceway. Chevrolet has taken six different name plates (Lumina, Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo SS, Impala SS, Impala and SS) to Winner’s Circle in the Arizona Desert. The Camaro ZL1 will take its first turn at finding victory at the 1-mile venue this weekend.
News and notes: After a mechanical failure resulted in a disappointing finish at Las Vegas, Spencer Boyd is ready to set his sights on ISM Raceway. "You know what they say. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," says Boyd. "For us, that means leaving Vegas in the rear view and concentrating on getting a great result in Phoenix." The team will travel from Vegas to Phoenix today and begin prepping for a successful weekend.
Richard Childress Racing's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series History at ISM Raceway ... Team owner Richard Childress has six victories at ISM Raceway, ranking him third on the all-time car owner victories list at the Avondale, Ariz. facility. This includes wins with Ryan Newman in March 2017, along with Kevin Harvick in Nov. 2013, Nov. 2012 and March and Nov. 2006. Prior to that, Dale Earnhardt won the Checker 500 on Nov. 4, 1990. In 115 starts at Phoenix, the Welcome, North Carolina based organization boasts 19 top-five and 42 top-10 finishes.
1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was clearly the class of the field at Las Vegas, winning Stages 1 and 2 and leading 214 laps in winning the Pennzoil 400, his second consecutive victory. "I was untouchable," Harvick said. "The field didn't have anything for me, except inferiority. And I've led 395 of 592 laps over the last two races, which should give me the award for 'best lead actor in a series.'" Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series normally visits Las Vegas in the fall during the Playoffs, but this time they visited Vegas in the spring for the first time ever. As always, the trucks did not disappoint. Here are four takeaways from the Stratosphere 200.
Chase Elliott on continuing his momentum from the fall 2017 ISM Raceway race: “I think there were some circumstances there towards the end of the race that kind of fell in our hands that didn’t quite suit the guys that were faster than us the majority of the day. I’m excited to get back. I think that we have a good place to start. Looking forward to seeing where we stack up and what we need to get that next spot.”
Rick Crawford, former race winner in the now Camping World Truck series, was arrested on March 1 in Seminole County, Florida, and is being held without bail.
NASCAR today announced the 20 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019, as well as the five nominees for the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
Cindric has three NASCAR Truck Series starts at ISM Raceway and an average finishing position of 12.7 at the 1.0-mile track. Cindric’s best finish at ISM came in 2017, where he qualified seventh and finished ninth.
Bayne will make his eighth career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) start at ISM Raceway this weekend. Bayne recorded a 19th place finish in last season’s spring event (Camping World 500), his best career MENCS result at the one-mile track.
Stenhouse has 10 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at Phoenix with an average starting position of 19.0 and average finishing position of 18.8.
If anyone thinks that Martin Truex Jr. is only strong on intermediate tracks then they need to take a closer look at his recent history.
Reed has competed at ISM Raceway nine times in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Reed’s best finish of sixth came in the fall of 2016.