Kevin Harvick outruns Carl Edwards to win Hollywood Casino 400

Kevin Harvick took advantage of Carl Edwards dueling with a teammate to lead the final 30 laps and win the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Harvick clinches a spot in the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup with the win.

The No. 4 was followed by Edwards, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.

Harvick, who led 74 laps, has won the second race in both rounds of the Chase so far. He won at New Hampshire in the first round.

“These races are hard to win and these guys are so good at the details,” Harvick told NBC Sports. “You put their backs against the wall and they get better.”

Harvick first took the lead on Lap 126 from Matt Kenseth, who led 116 laps before the halfway point before fading to finish ninth. Harvick then led 43 laps. In the middle of the race, a slow pit stop sent Harvick deep into the top 10, but Harvick returned to the point on the final restart. Edwards got into a tense battle with Busch, allowing Harvick to jump out to a 2.5-second lead.

Since the elimination format of the Chase debuted in 2014, Harvick has never been eliminated from a round.

“It’s hard to keep yourself motivated and perform at a high level, so to be able to come out and do it for three years says a lot about the character of this team and the things that they do,” Harvick said. “I’ve done a poor job (on restarts) the first half of the year. We struggled with some ratios and timing. We came up with some good ratios and things that really fit what we are doing.”

Harvick’s fourth win of the year gives him 35 Sprint Cup victories.

MORE: Race results

MORE: Point standings

HOW KEVIN HARVICK WON: Harvick overtook Carl Edwards on the final restart with 30 to go and led the rest of the way unchallenged.

WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: Carl Edwards led 61 laps and earned his first top five since Kentucky in July … Joey Logano finished third a week after placing 36th at Charlotte … Jimmie Johnson followed up his Charlotte win with a fourth-place finish … Alex Bowman bounced back from early contact with Jamie McMurray and an unscheduled pit stop to finish seventh for his career-best finish and his second top 10 … A.J. Allmendinger finished eighth for his sixth top 10 of the season and his first since Bristol in August …Kasey Kahne‘s 10th-place finish gives him six top 10s in the last seven races.

WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Aric Almirola andDavid Ragan caused a caution on Lap 37 when they got together. Almirola finished 40th, Ragan in 36th … Jamie McMurray hit the wall on Lap 44 after making contact with Alex Bowman. McMurray finished 37th … Kyle Larson hit the outside wall on Lap 177 to bring out the caution. Larson finished 30th … Brad Keselowski was turned by Denny Hamlinas they exited Turn 4 on Lap 190. Keselowski went sliding through the frontstretch grass, receiving significant damage. Keselowski finished 38th, earning his first DNF since the 2015 Daytona 500 … Denny Hamlin finished 15th after having to pit three times under one caution for splitter damage and being called for three pit road penalties late.

Notable: The last four Kansas races have been won by a different driver … Chevrolet has won 11 of the 22 Sprint Cup races held at Kansas.

Quote of the Day: “With this format I had a big points gap coming in. With this format it is probably the smart thing to do but I don’t want to race like that. I want to race my guts out and go for wins. I don’t want to points race. I don’t care what the damn format is, I am going to give it my best.” – Brad Keselowski after finishing 38th

NEXT: Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN

One of the championship favorites will skip critical test at Homestead-Miami Speedway

A championship contender – possibly the early favorite — will be absent from next week’s test at Homestead-Miami Speedway, whose Nov. 20 season finale will decide the Sprint Cup title.

Furniture Row Racing won’t bring Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 Toyota to the Oct. 18-19 session at the 1.5-mile oval. A team spokesman said the test was removed from the team’s schedule last week and didn’t know the reason.

Homestead-Miami Speedway will play host to the last of several “organizational tests” scheduled by NASCAR during the season. In an organizational test, which isn’t mandatory, only one car per organization is permitted to participate.

As a single-car team, Furniture Row Racing wouldn’t have been in the predicament of having to choose who would test among multiple contenders, which is the case with Joe Gibbs Racing and its four Chase-eligible drivers.

Every other remaining championship contender will be represented at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week: Team Penske (Brad Keselowski), Hendrick Motorsports (Chase Elliott), Stewart-Haas Racing (Kurt Busch), Joe Gibbs Racing (Carl Edwards), Richard Childress Racing (Austin Dillon).

Truex won two of the first three races in the 2016 playoffs at Chicagoland Speedway and Dover International Speedway. He reached the championship round last season, finishing fourth among the Chase contenders (12th overall).

Here’s the list of drivers and teams that are testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week (current championship contenders in bold):

–Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske

–Carl Edwards, No.19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

–Chase Elliott, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

–Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

–Kurt Busch, No.. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing

—Chris Buescher, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports

—Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports

—Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing

—Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

—Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing

—Michael McDowell, No. 95 Chevrolet, Circle-Sport Leavine Family Racing

—David Ragan, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing

Jeb Burton back in No. 98 for Xfinity Series race at Charlotte

Jeb Burton will compete in his 14th Xfinity Series race of the year this weekend in the Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Burton, the son of former Sprint Cup driver Ward Burton, will make his third start in the No. 98 Ford Mustang of Biagi-DenBeste Racing. Burton drove the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports in the first 11 races of the year. For Biagi-DenBeste Racing he has started at Indianapolis and Richmond, with a best finish of 12th at Indy.

“Our goal this weekend is to maintain good track position and get another top-10 finish,” Burton said in a press release. “I’m ready to be back racing and bring home a top finish for the whole organization.”

Biagi-DenBeste Racing has one win this year. Aric Almirola took the No. 98 to victory lane in the July race at Daytona International Speedway for the team’s second win in the Xfinity Series in 210 starts.

Burton will be making just his 16th career Xfinity start. His last start for Richard Petty Motorsports came in the May race at Charlotte, where he finished 11th.

Richard Petty Motorsports changes crew chiefs on Aric Almirola’s No. 43 Ford

After missing the Sprint Cup playoffs, Aric Almirola will have a new crew chief for the final 10 races of the season.

Richard Petty Motorsports replaced Trent Owens with Drew Blickensderfer to lead the team for Almirola’s No. 43 Ford. RPM will reassign Owens within the company.

“We are continuing to analyze every part of our organizations and make adjustments where needed,” RPM CEO Brian Moffitt said in a release. “We’ve made significant investments in both teams, and the results for the No. 43 team have not been what we expected. By making this change now, we hope that Drew (Blickensderfer) can begin momentum to improving on-track performance and get the team in a good place for the 2017 season. Trent Owens has been a valued member of our organization and will continue to play a significant role with Richard Petty Motorsports.”

Owens was in his third season as Almirola’s crew chief, guiding the team to the 2014 playoffs with a July victory at Daytona International Speedway.

Blickensderfer, who had served as RPM’s director of R&D, has three victories as a Sprint Cup crew chief, including the 2009 Daytona 500 with Matt Kenseth. He most recently was the crew chief for Sam Hornish Jr. in 10 races last year. Between the Xfinity and Sprint Cup series, Blickensderfer has worked with 13 drivers  and tallied 15 wins, 16 top fives and 104 top 10s.

Upon Further Review: Watkins Glen

Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen continued a trend that has seen pit road speeding penalties increase 375 percent compared to the three races before NASCAR doubled the number of timing zones.

And next for the Sprint Cup Series is Bristol — where there were 17 speeding penalties on pit road in the spring race.

This recent increase is significant because an ill-timed speeding penalty could impact a driver’s chances of racing their way into the playoffs or winning and collecting additional bonus points for the first round of the Chase.

NASCAR has issued 19 penalties for speeding on pit road in the last three races — Indianapolis, Pocono and Watkins Glen. That corresponds to when NASCAR doubled the timing zones on pit road.

The change was made after competitors raised issues about NASCAR penalizing Martin Truex Jr. for passing leader Kevin Harvick on pit road July 9 at Kentucky Speedway. Truex accelerated after he crossed the last timing line before his pit stall and passed Harvick, who had yet to cross the final timing line before his stall, and could not increase his speed.

NASCAR responded by doubling the timing zones. The move was made at New Hampshire on an experimental basis but the extra zones were not used to determine speeding penalties that weekend. NASCAR officially went to the increased timing zones the following week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

At Pocono, there were 18 timing zones on pit road — twice as many as earlier this year there. The change equated to a timing zone about every 2.5 pit stalls.

Shortening each timing zone, though, makes it harder for drivers to correct their pit road speed if they must.

“With the timing lines being so far apart, you kind of had some leeway to where if you are supposed to be running one red light and you happen to flash two or three red lights (on the dashboard), which would be speeding, you had an opportunity to kind of slow back down,’’ Aric Almirola said recently. “Now, with the timing lines closer together, if you just get a little bit greedy, or you look up to see where your pit stall is at and you creep up your RPMs a little bit, you’re going to get a speeding penalty.’’

Among those caught for speeding since the change are Chase contenders Jimmie Johnson (at Indianapolis and Watkins Glen), Denny Hamlin (Indianapolis), Tony Stewart (Indianapolis), and Joey Logano (Watkins Glen). Chris Buescher, who is seeking to become Chase eligible after winning at Pocono, was called for speeding in that race.

Here’s a look at the number of speeding penalties in the three races before the change at Indy and the three races since:

2 — Daytona

1 — Kentucky

1 — New Hampshire

4 — Indianapolis

8 — Pocono

7 — Watkins Glen

The 19 speeding penalties since the timing zone change are six more than the total number of speeding penalties called in the six Sprint Cup races before the change was made.

Now looms Bristol on Aug. 20. In the last four races at the half-mile track, NASCAR has called an average of 11.3 speeding penalties. That number could increase dramatically if drivers and teams do not properly adjust to these new conditions on pit road.

TONY STEWART HOT AGAIN

Tony Stewart’s hot run continued Sunday with a fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen, his fifth top-five finish in the last seven races.

It’s easy to overlook what rookie crew chief Mike Bugrarewicz has done this season. He’s made what have turned out to be the right calls in races and helped put Stewart in position to score strong finishes.

In seven of the last eight races, Stewart has finished better than he was running at the halfway mark. The result is he’s scored seven top-10 finishes and had a win during that stretch — his best stretch of racing since the 2011 Chase when he won the title.

At Watkins Glen, he was 18th before pitting three consecutive laps for fuel just past halfway. That dropped him to 32nd on Lap 50, but he moved into the top 10 on a caution after the restart when most of the field pitted and he didn’t. Stewart needed additional cautions to stretch his fuel and got it for a top-five finish.

He was 16th at the midway point at Kentucky last month and stretched his fuel to finish fifth.

A pit call by Bugarewicz to pit ahead of most of the field helped Stewart go from 16th at the halfway mark to the lead at Sonoma. He went on to win that race.

Though the differing pit strategies and weather issues at Pocono, Stewart was 13th at halfway and finished fifth.

At New Hampshire, he was 17th at the midway point but finished second. He was helped by being in the outside line, the favorable line, on a couple of late restarts.

The only time Stewart hasn’t gained spots from the halfway point to the finish was Indianapolis. He was pitting under green with 38 laps to go but the caution came out while on pit road. He was penalized for speeding on pit road as he exited to try to remain on the lead lap. Still, he finished 11th, placing only two spots worse than where he was running at the halfway point of that race.

HENDRICK WOES

Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen marked the fifth time in the last six races Hendrick Motorsports did not have a car finish in the top 10. Chase Elliott was Hendrick’s top car at Watkins Glen, finishing 13th.

Sunday also marked the 17th consecutive race Hendrick has failed to win, tying the organization’s longest winless drought since 2001-02.

This is how rough it has been for Hendrick’s drivers: Only once in the last six races has any Hendrick driver scored back-to-back top-15 finishes. That was Jimmie Johnson, who was 12th at New Hampshire and then third at Indianapolis.

Johnson’s last-place finish Sunday — the result of being collected in a crash when he could not avoid Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s spinning car — marked the seventh time in the last nine races that Hendrick Motorsports has had at least one car finish 30th or worse.

Sunday also marked the fourth time in the last nine races that Johnson has failed to finish because of an accident. He was in that position after multiple penalties on pit road, including his second speeding penalty in the last three weeks.

PIT STOPS

— Brad Keselowski’s third-place finish Sunday was his fourth top-three result at Watkins Glen in his last six starts there.

— Three drivers scored top-five finishes on both road courses this season: Denny Hamlin won at Watkins Glen and was second at Sonoma; Joey Logano was second at Watkins Glen and third at Sonoma; Tony Stewart was fifth at Watkins Glen and won at Sonoma.

— Denny Hamlin’s victory marked the eighth time in the last 10 races at Watkins Glen that the winner started sixth or better. Hamlin stated sixth.

— Kurt Busch extended his NASCAR record of running every lap to 22 consecutive races to start the season. He finished 11th Sunday, completing all 90 laps.

— Since his return, Jeff Gordon has finished 13th at Indianapolis, 27th at Pocono and 14th at Watkins Glen.

— Trevor Bayne’s ninth-place finish marked his career-high fifth top-10 of the season.

Retro Rundown 2016: Throwback paint schemes for the Southern 500

It’s almost here. By almost, we mean less than two months.
That’s how long we have to wait for this year’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, which can be seen Sept. 4 on NBC. It’s also how long we have to wait to see the second batch of retro paint schemes dedicated to honoring the sport’s history after last season’s successful venture into nostalgia.
What makes it even better this time around is that the entire field will likely be in on the fun. Last season, Joe Gibbs Racing stood out as one of the few teams not to participate. The team has already announced paint schemes for Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.
Here’s a rundown of the retro paint schemes announced to date. Which is your favorite?
Brad Keselowski – The No. 2 Ford will feature the design of the original Miller Lite can that was produced before 1974.

Austin Dillon – Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet will bare the paint scheme driven by Ricky Rudd in 1983 when he earned Richard Childress Racing’s first Sprint Cup win at Riverside International Raceway.

Kevin Harvick – The No. 4 Chevrolet will look just like the Busch-sponsored car driven by Cale Yarborough during the 1979-1980 Sprint Cup seasons. Yarborough earned 10 of his 83 careers win during that span.


Trevor Bayne – No matter what anyone tells you, the 1990s were awesome and so were Mark Martin‘s paint schemes. For the second year in a row, Bayne’s No. 6 Ford will have a ’90s flavor to it. After bringing back memories of Martin’s career-best season in 1998 last year, Bayne’s car will have the paint scheme Martin used in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

Regan Smith – The “Underbird” will fly again. Sort of. Smith’s No.7 Chevrolet, instead of a Ford Thunderbird, will have the paint scheme, sans Hooters sponsorship, that was driven by the late Alan Kulwicki. The paint scheme was on track for 59 Sprint Cup races, including his 1992 championship campaign.


Danica Patrick – Patrick’s sponsor, Nature’s Bakery, hasn’t been around very long. So there’s not a 20-year-old paint scheme for Stewart-Haas Racing to blow the dust off of. But Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet still has a late 70s/early 80s vibe to it.

Casey Mears – The No. 13 Geico Chevrolet will pay tribute to the career and legacy of Smokey Yunick. The paint scheme and number were used by drivers Mario Andretti and Curtis Turner in 1966 and 1967 when they raced for Yunick. Turner sat on the pole for the 1967 Daytona 500 with this paint scheme.


Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Darrell Waltrip won a lot of races in his Sprint Cup career, including five at Darlington. But the first of his 84 wins came in the No. 17 in 1975 at Nashville Speedway. The paint scheme Waltrip carried in that race will be resurrected by Stenhouse, 41 years later.

Kyle Busch – Just days after Matt Kenseth won at Dover International Speedway to give Joe Gibbs Racing its 135th Sprint Cup win (tying it for third all time with Roush Fenway Racing) the team showed off Busch’s paint scheme. The No. 18 will look like it did when it was driven by Dale Jarrett in 1993, the year he won JGR’s first Cup race in the Daytona 500.

Carl Edwards – The No. 19 Arris Toyota will have the paint scheme that was used by Tony Stewart when he drove the No. 20 Home Depot car for Joe Gibbs Racing from 1999-2008.

Joey Logano – The No. 22 Ford will pay tribute to the first paint scheme used on a car sponsored by Shell. The look was used by Bobby Labonte on his No. 44 Pontiac in the Xfinity Series in 1998. Labonte drove the car to a win at Darlington that season.

David Ragan – The No. 23 Toyota for BK Racing will be sponsored by Dr. Pepper and feature the soft drinks classic “I’m a Pepper” slogan.

Chase Elliott – The No. 24 NAPA Chevrolet will have a paint scheme inspired by the look of NAPA’s old delivery trucks from the 1960s. NAPA’s original colors were yellow and black before transitioning to yellow and blue.

Ryan Newman – Just like teammate Austin Dillon, Newman’s paint scheme will evoke RCR’s first win in 1983 with Ricky Rudd.

Jeffrey Earnhardt – The grandson of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. will drive a paint scheme based on the seven-time champion’s time being sponsored by Wrangler in the 1980s.


Kurt Busch – Last year, Busch’s No. 41 car used the paint scheme that was first used in the Sprint Cup Series by Gene Haas in 2002. This season, Busch’s car will honor the VF-1, the first CNC machine built by Haas Automation in 1988.

Aric Almirola – The No. 43 Ford will carry the colors used by Richard Petty when he won his sixth Daytona 500 in 1979.

AJ Allmendinger –  It’s a bit of a deep cut, but Allmendinger’s car is still a love letter to NASCAR history. The No. 47 will look just like it did in during the 1977 Sprint Cup Season when it was driven by 1975 Rookie of the Year Bruce Hill. The Kansas native never won a Sprint Cup race, but he earned one of his three career top-five finishes at Darlington Raceway in 1975.

Matt DiBenedetto – The No. 83 Toyota for BK Racing will be sponsored by Orange Crush and will have the soft drink’s 1970s design.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Earnhardt will drive his favorite paint scheme in the history of the sport. His No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet will look like the “Gray Ghost,” the car driven by Buddy Baker in 1979 and 1980.


Michael McDowell – The No. 95 team of Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing, which is part of a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, will honor Childress with a paint scheme based off a car he raced in the 1970s.

Results from Friday’s Xfinity Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona

Aric Almirola won by less than a nose on the front end of his Ford Mustang, capturing Friday night’s Subway Firecracker 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Justin Allgaier finished second. Here’s the finishing order:

Sprint Cup pit stall assignments for today’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

While Carl Edwards will start Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 from the pole at Sonoma Raceway, he’ll be in pit stall No. 11 and have an opening in front.

California native AJ Allmendinger has the first pit stall (stall No. 2) with Chase Elliott behind him.

By contrast, Aric Almirola and Tony Stewart have the last stalls on pit road.

Matt Kenseth lost his selection of pit stalls because his team received a fourth warning for an inspection issue that came before qualifying Saturday at Sonoma. Kenseth will have Brian Scott in front of him and Josh Wise behind.

Here’s how the pit stall assignments look:

Fourteen teams testing Monday and Tuesday at Kentucky Speedway

Fourteen teams will take part in a test at the repaved Kentucky Speedway today and Tuesday.

NASCAR is allowing a car from each organization to test at Kentucky because next month’s race will be the first on the repaved surface. Teams also will use the same lower downforce package at Kentucky as they did this past weekend at Michigan International Speedway.

Teams scheduled to test at Kentucky:

• Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing)
• Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing)
• Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports)
• Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing)
• Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing)
• Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing)
• Joey Logano (Team Penske)
• Paul Menard (Richard Childress Racing)
• Chris Buescher (Front Row Motorsports)
• Aric Almirola (Richard Petty Motorsports)
• Michael Annett (HScott Motorsports)
• AJ Allmendinger (JTG Daugherty Racing)
• Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing)
• Matt DiBenedetto (BK Racing)

NASCAR debuts campaign to promote diversity, inclusion and equality

NASCAR debuted a public service announcement Friday that features some of its drivers, including six-time champion Jimmie Johnson, and promotes diversity, inclusion and equality within and outside of sports.

The video can be seen here.

The video comes about two months after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2 into law. The law, driven by the issue of which bathroom transgender people can use, repealed local LGBT anti-discrimination laws. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this month that the league is looking at “alternatives” for the 2017 All-Star Game, which is scheduled to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, should the law not be changed.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France stated April 21 in a meeting with The Associated Press Sports Editors that “any discrimination, unintended or not … we don’t like that.”

Other drivers joining Johnson in the video are Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, Kyle Larsonand Darrell Wallace Jr. NASCAR partnered with the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) with the campaign. France is a founding member of the RISE Board of Directors. The initiative was founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

“Discrimination has no place in our society, which is why we have partnered with RISE and Stephen Ross to help put an end to intolerance in sports,” France said in a statement. “With the help of our talented drivers who support this important message, we want to reinforce our sport’s unwavering commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion.”

Last year, NASCAR was among various sports organizations that expressed its objections to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence in March 2015. Gov. Pence signed an amended law last year.

Chase Elliott fastest in Sprint Cup practice with lower downforce package

Rookie Chase Elliott was the fastest in Friday’s Sprint Cup practice at Michigan International Speedway with a lap of 201.630 mph.

He was followed by Martin Truex Jr. (201.314 mph), Carl Edwards (201.218), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (201.213) and Kevin Harvick(200.904). Twelve cars topped 200 mph in practice.

The practice featured the debut of rule changes for this weekend that NASCAR intends to employ next season.

Those changes are:

• Shortening the spoiler from 3.5 inches to 2.5 inches.
• Resizing the deck fin to match the spoiler size.
• Splitter reduced to 2 inches.
• Reduce skew generated sideforce by setting rear toe to zero.

There also is a new tire from Goodyear to match the changes. The tires were confirmed in a May 17 test at Michigan with Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson and Truex. Compared to what was run at Michigan last year, the new tire features construction changes to give the cars more grip.

Aric Almirola’s Darlington car honors Richard Petty’s 6th Daytona 500 win

The 1979 Daytona 500 is considered one of the most important events in the history of NASCAR.That race marked the first time the Daytona 500 was broadcast flag-to-flag on national TV. Sixteen million people tuned in to see Richard Petty win his sixth Daytona 500 after race leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crashed on the final lap.The win was also Petty’s first after going winless in 1978.Now the paint scheme that covered Petty’s 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass on that February afternoon will return on Aric Almirola‘s No. 43 Ford for the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.“I’m excited to run the 1979 STP paint scheme this year at Darlington,” said Almirola in a press release. “We had a lot of fun with the throwback theme last year, and it should be fun to throwback again this year. It makes the race so special. There are so many great STP paint schemes over the years, which makes it special for our team to run throwbacks; 1979 was definitely a breakout season when it comes to catapulting the sport into the mainstream, so it’s cool to recognize that this year with our throwback scheme.”The paint scheme will have also be used to promote the Victory Junction camp.A dollar amount showing the amount of money raised by STP customers for Victory Junction will be featured on the rear quarter panel of the car. STP launched the “Giving Kids an Ultra Summer” program on June 1 and will donate $o.43 for every bottle of STP Ultra 5-in-1 Fuel System Cleaner sold through August 31.The Southern 500 is scheduled for Sept. 4 on NBC.

NASCAR issues warnings to six Sprint Cup teams

NASCAR gave warnings to six Sprint Cup teams for inspection issues last weekend at Pocono Raceway.

Regan Smith‘s Tommy Baldwin Racing team received its fourth warning after failing the Laser Inspection Station twice before last weekend’s race. Smith’s team will lose its pit stall selection this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Teams lose their pit stall pick after every fourth warning.

Other Sprint Cup teams that received warnings Wednesday:

Matt DiBenedetto‘s BK Racing team received its second warning after failing the Laser Inspection Station twice before last weekend’s race.

Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing, which had Ty Dillon in its car last weekend, received its second warning after failing template inspection twice before qualifying.

Jamie McMurray‘s Chip Ganassi Racing team was issued its first warning after failing template inspection twice before the race.

Aric Almirola‘s Richard Petty Motorsports team received its first warning after failing the Laser Inspection Station twice before qualifying.

Danica Patrick‘s Stewart-Haas Racing team received its first warning after failing template inspection twice before qualifying.

Matt Kenseth’s team receives third written warning; Paul Menard to miss practice time

Among the warnings given to Sprint Cup teams last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the team of Matt Kenseth received its third. The No. 20 failed pre-qualifying laser inspection twice.

If a team receives a fourth warning, it loses pit selection.

The No. 27 of Paul Menard received its second warning for failing pre-qualifying template inspection three times. Menard will lose 15 minutes of practice time at Pocono Raceway.

Aric Almirola, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson lost pit selection for the Coke 600 after they received their fourth warnings prior to the qualifying for the race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team among three that will lose pit stall selection for Coca-Cola 600

NASCAR announced Thursday that three Sprint Cup teams had received their fourth warning and would lose pit stall selection for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s team received its fourth warning after failing template inspection twice before qualifying.

Jimmie Johnson‘s team received its fourth warning after failing template inspection twice before qualifying.

Aric Almirola‘s team received its third and fourth warnings Thursday after failing template inspection twice and the Laser Inspection Station twice before qualifying.

Teams lose pit stall selection for every fourth warning. With pit stall selection not taking place until Saturday morning, the teams of Earnhardt, Johnson and Almirola lose pit stall selection for this weekend’s event.

NASCAR drivers to carry names of fallen service members in Coca-Cola 600

For the second consecutive year, all 40 drivers in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will pay tribute to fallen members of the U.S. Armed For

As part of “600 Miles of Remembrance,” the top part of the windshield on each driver’s car will carry the  fallen service member’s rank and last name in place of where driver names are usually located.

Names of fallen service members also will adorn the pace car and grand marshal cars.

The tribute serves as the commemorative launch of “NASCAR: An American Salute,” an initiative within the industry to express collective respect and gratitude to members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Fans can follow the conversation on social media using #NASCARSalutes.

“Each of the names proudly displayed on these race cars tells a story of honor and sacrifice,” said Brent Dewar, NASCAR chief operating officer. “As the NASCAR industry reflects on Memorial Day Weekend, we’re proud to honor these and all fallen service members in a way that helps ensure their stories and lives are never forgotten.”

Many of the fallen members that will be remembered have direct links to individuals who work for NASCAR teams, including:

* Navy SEAL Denis Miranda, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2010, trained in BUD/S alongside Graham Molatch, jackman for the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team. Miranda’s name will appear on Kyle Larson’s car during the Coca-Cola 600.

* Lance Corporal Scott Lynch served in the United States Marine Corps with Mark Singleton, tire changer for Chip Ganassi Racing, and will be honored on Jamie McMurray’s No. 1 car.

* Furniture Row Racing employee John Parks served in the Marines with Jeffrey Bohr, Jr., a gunnery sergeant who was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom and whose name will be carried on Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 car.

In addition, Charlotte Motor Speedway will once again play host to and salute more than 6,000 active-duty military members and their families through the weekend.

Other activities scheduled for the weekend include:

* During Saturday’s Hisense 4K TV 300, NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers will display red, white and blue Xfinity windshield decals on their race cars.

* Goodyear will replace the “Eagle” sidewall design with “Support Our Troops” messaging on all tires used during the weekend.

* NASCAR, Coca-Cola and Mars will offer a sweepstakes to shoppers at more than 180 military commissaries who will have a chance to win a trip for two to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas.

* Race fans can help assemble care packages for the troops in the midway at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The care packages will include Mars candy and be shipped following the Coca-Cola 600 to deployed military members.

* NASCAR and Honor and Remember, Inc. will display specially prepared Honor and Remember flags representing those who lost their life in service to our country from each of the 50 United States throughout the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

* During the Fox Sports broadcast of the Coca-Cola 600, the names and branch of all service members who have lost their lives in the past year will by displayed on a graphic scroll.

* SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) will have a special military tribute Sunday at 1 p.m. ET., that will include interviews with drivers as well as service men and service women from different branches of the military.

Here’s the list of service members who will be honored with their names atop driver windshields in Sunday’s race:

2016 600 Miles of Remembrance
Car No.DriverSoldierBranchSoldier Hometown

1Jamie McMurrayLCPL Scott Albert LynchMarinesGreenwood Lake, NY
2Brad KeselowskiSPC Joseph T. PrentlerArmyFenwick, MI
3Austin DillonSOC Mark T. CarterNavyFallbrook, CA
4Kevin HarvickLCPL Nathan Ross ElrodMarinesRockwell, NC
5Kasey KahneLCPL Eric Levi WardMarinesRedmond, WA
6Trevor BayneCW4 Jason William McCormackArmyEnterprise, AL
7Regan SmithLCPL Cody Steven ChildersMarinesChesapeake, VA
10Danica PatrickLCPL Benito “cheeks” Ramirez
11Denny HamlinSGT John Davis HarveyMarinesRoanoke, VA
13Casey MearsSPC Christopher Shane WrightArmyTollesboro, KY
14Tony StewartMSG Paul D. KarpowichArmyFreeland, PA
15Clint BowyerMSGT Tara BrownAir ForceLong Island, NJ
16Greg BiffleSPC Joel A. TaylorArmyPinetown, NC
17Ricky Stenhouse Jr.SP4 James (Jim) H. WoolardArmyManchester, OH
18Kyle BuschPFC Robert Stephan UnderwoodArmyO’ Fallon, MO
19Carl EdwardsCPT Edmond Jablonsky Jr.ArmyPasadena, TX
20Matt KensethPFC Christopher Neal WhiteMarinesElizabethtown, KY
21Ryan BlaneySMSN Cherone L. GunnNavyVirginia Beach, VA
NASCAR Select Driver
Kevin Harvick carried the name of fallen military member Sgt. Mracek in last years Coca-Cola 600.
(Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images)
NASCAR drivers to carry names of fallen service members in Coca-Cola 600
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By Jerry BonkowskiMay 23, 2016, 1:13 PM EDT
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For the second consecutive year, all 40 drivers in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will pay tribute to fallen members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

As part of “600 Miles of Remembrance,” the top part of the windshield on each driver’s car will carry the  fallen service member’s rank and last name in place of where driver names are usually located.

Names of fallen service members also will adorn the pace car and grand marshal cars.

The tribute serves as the commemorative launch of “NASCAR: An American Salute,” an initiative within the industry to express collective respect and gratitude to members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Fans can follow the conversation on social media using #NASCARSalutes.

“Each of the names proudly displayed on these race cars tells a story of honor and sacrifice,” said Brent Dewar, NASCAR chief operating officer. “As the NASCAR industry reflects on Memorial Day Weekend, we’re proud to honor these and all fallen service members in a way that helps ensure their stories and lives are never forgotten.”

Many of the fallen members that will be remembered have direct links to individuals who work for NASCAR teams, including:

* Navy SEAL Denis Miranda, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2010, trained in BUD/S alongside Graham Molatch, jackman for the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team. Miranda’s name will appear on Kyle Larson’s car during the Coca-Cola 600.

* Lance Corporal Scott Lynch served in the United States Marine Corps with Mark Singleton, tire changer for Chip Ganassi Racing, and will be honored on Jamie McMurray’s No. 1 car.

* Furniture Row Racing employee John Parks served in the Marines with Jeffrey Bohr, Jr., a gunnery sergeant who was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom and whose name will be carried on Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 car.

In addition, Charlotte Motor Speedway will once again play host to and salute more than 6,000 active-duty military members and their families through the weekend.

Other activities scheduled for the weekend include:

* During Saturday’s Hisense 4K TV 300, NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers will display red, white and blue Xfinity windshield decals on their race cars.

* Goodyear will replace the “Eagle” sidewall design with “Support Our Troops” messaging on all tires used during the weekend.

* NASCAR, Coca-Cola and Mars will offer a sweepstakes to shoppers at more than 180 military commissaries who will have a chance to win a trip for two to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas.

* Race fans can help assemble care packages for the troops in the midway at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The care packages will include Mars candy and be shipped following the Coca-Cola 600 to deployed military members.

* NASCAR and Honor and Remember, Inc. will display specially prepared Honor and Remember flags representing those who lost their life in service to our country from each of the 50 United States throughout the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

* During the Fox Sports broadcast of the Coca-Cola 600, the names and branch of all service members who have lost their lives in the past year will by displayed on a graphic scroll.

* SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) will have a special military tribute Sunday at 1 p.m. ET., that will include interviews with drivers as well as service men and service women from different branches of the military.

Here’s the list of service members who will be honored with their names atop driver windshields in Sunday’s race:

2016 600 Miles of Remembrance
Car No.DriverSoldierBranchSoldier Hometown

1Jamie McMurrayLCPL Scott Albert LynchMarinesGreenwood Lake, NY
2Brad KeselowskiSPC Joseph T. PrentlerArmyFenwick, MI
3Austin DillonSOC Mark T. CarterNavyFallbrook, CA
4Kevin HarvickLCPL Nathan Ross ElrodMarinesRockwell, NC
5Kasey KahneLCPL Eric Levi WardMarinesRedmond, WA
6Trevor BayneCW4 Jason William McCormackArmyEnterprise, AL
7Regan SmithLCPL Cody Steven ChildersMarinesChesapeake, VA
10Danica PatrickLCPL Benito “cheeks” RamirezMarinesEdinburg, TX
11Denny HamlinSGT John Davis HarveyMarinesRoanoke, VA
13Casey MearsSPC Christopher Shane WrightArmyTollesboro, KY
14Tony StewartMSG Paul D. KarpowichArmyFreeland, PA
15Clint BowyerMSGT Tara BrownAir ForceLong Island, NJ
16Greg BiffleSPC Joel A. TaylorArmyPinetown, NC
17Ricky Stenhouse Jr.SP4 James (Jim) H. WoolardArmyManchester, OH
18Kyle BuschPFC Robert Stephan UnderwoodArmyO’ Fallon, MO
19Carl EdwardsCPT Edmond Jablonsky Jr.ArmyPasadena, TX
20Matt KensethPFC Christopher Neal WhiteMarinesElizabethtown, KY
21Ryan BlaneySMSN Cherone L. GunnNavyVirginia Beach, VA
22Joey LoganoSPC Cindy BeaudoinArmyPlainfield, CT
23David RaganLT COL Paul Keith MikealAir ForceMooresville, NC
24Chase ElliottGYSGT Justin MartoneMarinesBedford, VA
27Paul MenardSPC Zachary Lee ShannonArmyDunedin, FL
30Josh WiseSSG Robert A. MassarelliArmyHamilton, OH
31Ryan NewmanSSGT Jason C RamseyerMarinesWest Palm Beach, FL
32Jeffrey EarnhardtCPT Christopher CashArmyOld Orchard Beach, ME
34Chris BuescherSSGT Eric A. McIntoshMarinesIndianapolis, IN
38Landon CassillPVT Earl PlattArmyVestaburg, MI
41Kurt BuschSGT Nicholas Ray GibbsArmyStokesdale, NC
42Kyle LarsonSO3 Denis Christian MirandaNavyToms River, NJ
43Aric AlmirolaSSGT Forrest B. SibleyAir ForcePensacola, FL
44Brian ScottPFC John G. BorbonusUS ArmyBoise, ID
46Michael AnnettPFC Jacob Henry WykstraArmyThornton, CO
47AJ AllmendingerYN3 Wendell WilliamsNavyCincinnati, OH
48Jimmie JohnsonSFC Kyle B. WehrlyArmyGalesburg, IL
55Reed SorensonPFC Jason Hill EstopinalMarinesDallas, GA
78Martin Truex Jr.GYSGT Jeffery E. Bohr, Jr.MarinesOssian, IA
83Matt DiBenedettoCPL Jared C. VerbeekMarinesVisalia, CA
88Dale Earnhardt Jr.LCPL Aaron Howard ReedMarinesChillicothe, OH
95Michael McDowellPFC Andrew Mark KrippnerArmyGarland, TX
98Cole WhittCPL Michael D. Anderson Jr.MarinesModesto, CA
Pace CarCAPT Matthew RollandAir ForceLexington, KY
Split Pace Car1SG Kevin A. DupontMarinesChicopee, MA
Grand Marshal Car 1SGT Bryan Paul AbercrombieArmyClinton, UT
Grand Marshal Car 2SPC Tony J. GonzalesArmyNewman, CA

Branch Breakdown
Army20
Marines 16
Air Force 4
Navy 4
Total Pairings 44