Danica Patrick joins breast cancer survivors to paint curbs pink at Martinsville

               

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and each year folks in NASCAR do their part to spread the word.

On Wednesday, Danica Patrick met up with a group of breast cancer survivors to paint the curbs pink at Martinsville Speedway prior to the Goody's Fast Relief 500, which will kick off the Round of 8 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

It looked like a big time for a great cause.

Sprint Cup car owner Tommy Baldwin ‘exploring all my opportunities’ for team’s future

Unsure about his organization’s future, team owner Tommy Baldwin met with his employees Monday “so I can give them the options if they needed to go find a job.’’

Baldwin told NBC Sports in an exclusive interview Tuesday that “I’m exploring all my opportunities right now. I’m trying to figure everything out.’’

He hopes to have his plans solidified by some point in December. Among the options, there is one thing Baldwin said he won’t do.

“I would never shut down,’’ said Baldwin, whose team debuted in the Cup series in 2009. “Don’t use that word. The options are keep going or sell. That’s the only two options we have.’’

Baldwin admits he’s given his employees a similar message “in six out of the eight years” of the team and always made it to the next season.

But Baldwin concedes that it is becoming more difficult for a small team like Tommy Baldwin Racing.

Although Tommy Baldwin Racing has competed in NASCAR’s top series since 2009, car owner Tommy Baldwin told NBC Sports that it is become more challenging to be competitive.

“The technology has just increased,’’ Baldwin said. “Everyone has just become smarter. The race teams, with Michael Waltrip Racing shutting down (after the 2015 season) and some other things, it put a lot good people, dispersed a lot of good people to different teams. Everyone had to spend a lot more money to keep up with the Gibbs and Hendrick programs.

“It’s funny to me how everyone thinks our racing is not good. This is the most competitive that NASCAR has ever been.’’

Baldwin admits it has been a struggle at times for the team and driver Regan Smith.

“I think we’ve been competitive at times,’’ Baldwin said. “I think we’ve been really bad at times. It’s been a competitive roller coaster. This year is probably one of the best race teams that we’ve assembled, it’s been a great group of guys that have worked for TBR. There’s a lot of pluses that we have going on, but again, it’s the almighty dollar that is talking.

“If you don’t have the money to keep up with the Joneses, you’re going to be left behind. If you told me eight years ago when I first started this team I would be pretty much in the same spot as when I started, I would have told you that you were crazy. This sport has taken off so much here as far as how smart we’ve all gotten. It’s not that we don’t know how to do it, it’s just that we don’t have the money to apply the proper resources to do it.’’

Baldwin has one of the 36 charters granted to Sprint Cup teams at the beginning of this season. That adds value to his organization, ensuring that his team — or whoever purchases the charter, if that happens — would be in every Cup points race.

Baldwin’s car is 32nd in the car owner point standings, ahead of five other teams that have charters (another team below Baldwin’s leased its charter for this season).

Smith is 33rd in the driver standings. He finished a season-best third at Pocono in August. His only other top-10 finish this year has been an eighth-place result in the Daytona 500.

Tommy Baldwin Racing debuted in 2009, competing in 25 races. The team had five drivers: Michael McDowell (eight races),Scott Riggs (eight), Patrick Carpentier(four), Mike Skinner (four) and Robert Richardson (one).

The organization continued to use a variety of drivers in 2010 before Dave Blaney ran 34 races in 2011. Blaney was with the team through 2013.

Tommy Baldwin Racing expanded to two full-time cars in 2012. Danica Patrick, in partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing, ran 10 races where Baldwin was listed as the car owner. Tommy Baldwin Racing ran two cars through 2014 before selling the assets of the second car (the No. 36 team) to Premium Motorsports.

Before becoming a team owner, Baldwin was a crew chief. He won five Cup races as a crew chief, including the 2001 Southern 500 and 2002 Daytona 500 withWard Burton.

Upon Further Review: Charlotte chaos changes Chase for title contenders

CONCORD, N.C. — As smoke poured from his engine and the leaders sped away, Denny Hamlin lamented his fate.

“Denny Hamlin luck in the Chase,’’ he radioed his team. “That gets you every time.’’

Just when it seemed as if the top eight Chase drivers could relax after four foes suffered misfortune Sunday, Hamlin saw his comfortable points bulge waste away quicker than a before and after picture.

He was one of five Chase drivers to finish 30th or worse at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He became the oddity that could throw this Round of 12, which includes a cutoff race at Talladega Superspeedway, into chaos.

Before Hamlin’s woes, it appeared the top eight Chase drivers would hold a healthy advantage on the four — Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick — who suffered from miscalculations, miscues and mischievous machinery.

Just before Hamlin’s engine blew while running second, he had a 31-point lead on those outside a transfer spot.

At that point, it appeared as if Dillon and Elliott would be 19 points out of the cutoff spot. In the two previous years of the elimination format, only one driver more than 15 points out of the final transfer spot after the opening race in the second round advanced. That was Brad Keselowski. He did so by winning at Talladega in 2014. No one so far back made it on points.

After Hamlin’s woes put him in the final transfer spot in the standings, Dillon and Elliott found themselves only three points behind him.

Now, there are two Chases. Those in the top seven can take fewer risks because the penalty of losing points could be critical with Talladega looming in two weeks. The bottom five, including Hamlin, are in a race among themselves for the final transfer spot if they can’t win this weekend at Kansas or the following week at Talladega.

“All I can do is try to run as fast as I can,’’ Hamlin said. “I won’t be able to control what any of my competitors do. All I can do is try to go to Kansas and try to win, go to Talladega and try to win.’’

Last year, Hamlin’s luck saw him fail to advance from the second round. He entered the cutoff race at Talladega second in the standings, 18 points ahead of the cutoff. He failed to make transfer after an issue with the roof hatch and then was collected in a last-lap crash.

Teammate Kyle Busch had it worse in 2014. Busch was second in the standings, 26 points ahead of the ninth place, the first driver outside a cutoff spot entering Talladega and was eliminated after a crash when hit from behind by Dillon.

Logano, who finished 80 laps behind the leaders Sunday after suffering two tire issues and slamming the wall twice, joked that if he had finished only two laps down, “I could have had a good points day.’’

Had he done so, he would have finished 23rd instead of 36th and those extra 13 points would have put him in the final transfer spot instead of Hamlin.

That’s how volatile Sunday was for some Chase contenders. Now, it impacts decision drivers and crew chiefs will make the next two weeks.

“We’re not in must-win, but we’re in can’t-screw-up mode,’’ Logano said.

HAIRY SITUATION

Blake Koch thought he’d have some fun after making the inaugural Xfinity Chase.

He decided to mimic hockey players who grow beards during the playoffs and do it for NASCAR’s version of the playoffs.

Truth be told, Koch, figured he’d have the beard for only the first three races and then could shave, but he’ll keep it going after advancing to the Round of 8 after Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I’m a pretty optimistic person, but I expected us to make the Chase, not to really transfer to the next group of eight,’’ he said. “That’s really tough to do. If I would have known that, I wouldn’t have set to growing this Chase beard because it’s going to get long now.

“I thought it was going to be a three-week beard. It’s going to be an eight-week beard, at least, maybe nine weeks.’’

Koch advanced with a team that has 16 employees and moved shops during the season. They prepared cars for Dover in May with flashlights because their new shop didn’t have power yet.

“I think that’s definitely the biggest story of the first round, Blake and his guys making the second round,’’ said Elliott Sadler, who advanced to the Round of 8 via his win at Kentucky Speedway. “The start-up team and where Blake came from last year to this year, congratulations, that to me is a job well done.’’

PIT STOPS

— Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski are tied with the best average finish in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks. Both have a 7.0 average. Keselowski finished seventh on Sunday; Busch eighth. Three of the last six races, including the season finale at Homestead, are on 1.5-mile tracks.

— For the first time in this Chase, there were multi-car accidents. In the first three Chase races, there were seven cautions for spins or accidents. All had been single-car incidents. Sunday, two of the five cautions for accidents featured multiple cars, including the 12-car incident off a restart.

— Last year, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick were 1-2 in the points after the opening race in the second round. This year, they are 11th and 12th.

— Kasey Kahne’s third-place finish was his best result since his win at Atlanta in Sept. 2014 — a span of 77 races.

— Danica Patrick’s 11th-place finish Sunday was her best result of the year. Her previous best was 13th at Dover in May.

— Five of the top-10 finishers Sunday were drivers not eligible for the title. They were Kasey Kahne (finished third), Ryan Newman (fourth), Kyle Larson (fifth), Tony Stewart (ninth) and Jamie McMurray (10th).

— Tony Stewart’s ninth-place finish snapped a streak of seven consecutive finishes of 13th or worse.

— Michael McDowell’s 14th-place finish was his second top-15 result in his last four starts.

Mobil 1 will remain with Stewart-Haas Racing after Tony Stewart’s retirement

ExxonMobil will stay with Tony Stewart‘s team after the three-time Sprint Cup champion’s career ends.

In a Friday announcement, the company extended its deal as a primary sponsor at Stewart-Haas Racing. Its Mobil 1 brand will appear as a primary sponsor at “various premier series races” on the cars of Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch. It also will remain an associate sponsor at all races with SHR drivers.

Mobil 1 has been a partial-season sponsor on Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet since the 2011 season and also has sponsored a few races for Harvick and Patrick this year.

Here’s a news release on the announcement:

ExxonMobil today announced it will be extending the Mobil 1TM brand’s sponsorship of Stewart-Haas Racing in a multiyear deal.

Beginning next year, Mobil 1, the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR®,” will provide full primary sponsorships across SHR’s four NASCAR premier series drivers. Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 car, Danica Patrick’s No. 10, Clint Bowyer’s No. 14 and Kurt Busch’s No. 41 will see Mobil 1 full primaries at various NASCAR premier series races throughout the year. At the same time, the Mobil 1 brand will remain an associate sponsor for all SHR drivers at all other races.

“ExxonMobil and Mobil 1 lubricant technology have been integral to my success with SHR and my 2014 Championship, so I’m excited they’re coming back,” said Harvick. “I’m also honored to step in as the lead representative for the Mobil 1 brand both on and off the track.”

Tony Stewart, who has represented Mobil 1 since the brand joined SHR in 2011, is retiring as a NASCAR driver at the end of the 2016 season. He will remain a brand ambassador for Mobil 1 in his role as a team owner, as he co-owns SHR with industrialist Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation.

Additionally, the Mobil 1 brand will be an associate sponsor of SHR’s new NASCAR XFINITY Series™ for the 2017 season, where Cole Custer will run for rookie of the year.

The company has been providing lubricant technology support to the team since 2011, which helped Stewart and Harvick earn premier series championships for SHR in 2011 and 2014, respectively.

“With two championships already, our partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing has been pushing performance limits since day one. Finishing this year and going into 2017, we’re ready to add more wins and titles to the collection,” said Kai Decker, global motorsports manager at ExxonMobil. “Our engineers are continuously working to advance our lubricant technology and SHR plays a large role in how we test our engine lubricants – ensuring consumers and race fans are getting the best product available.”

After announcing the partnership in 2010, SHR and Mobil 1 engineers began working closely together to tackle racing challenges. The 2017 season continues a collaborative engineering relationship used to develop lubricant packages and push technology limits to new frontiers. This relationship helps the SHR team win races and ExxonMobil continue to improve the performance of Mobil 1 branded lubricants with improved power, fuel mileage, engine efficiency and reliability.

“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with ExxonMobil for the 2017 race season and beyond,” Stewart said. “They’ve been an incredible partner. “The success we’ve achieved has been greatly helped by Mobil 1 lubricant technology and our engineers working hand in hand with their engineers.”

Including the 2016 season, the partnership with ExxonMobil has led to significant on-track success for SHR, compiling two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles, 34 race wins, 140 top-five finishes, 266 top-10 finishes and 28 poles.

Along with its association with SHR, Mobil 1 is entering its 15th year as the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR.” Mobil 1 is used by more than 50 percent of the teams in NASCAR’s top-three series.

Kevin Harvick fastest in first Bank of America 500 practice

Kevin Harvick had the fastest speed in the first Sprint Cup practice session for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Harvick posted a speed of 193.757 mph around the 1.5-mile track. He was the only driver to top 193 mph.

The No. 4 team was followed by Alex Bowman (192.885), Coke 600 winner Martin Truex Jr. (192.623), Kyle Busch (192.548) and Denny Hamlin (192.219).

Danica Patrick (45) and Kyle Larson (42) recorded the most laps in the session.

Kasey Kahne had the best 10-lap average at 188.561 mph.

STEWART NOT INTERESTED IN PLAYING NUMBERS GAME

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Crunch the numbers. Do the math. But don't bother telling Tony Stewart the potential scenarios required for him to advance to the Round of 12 in this year's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

You'd be wasting your time and his time, too.

The only scenario Stewart, 45 and three times a Sprint Cup Series champion, cares about is the one that ends with him and his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team celebrating in Victory Lane this weekend at Dover International Speedway.

"All we can do is go out and do the best we can this weekend," Stewart said Wednesday during a daylong media stop in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. "It still amazes me how people can take something that's so simple and make it so complicated. 'Will we be watching where everybody else is?'

"Well yeah, I can waste my time and do that but … I've got to focus on winning the race. Because if I win the race I don't have to worry about where they're at. But if I go and do everything I can to try and win the race and I finish second, then wherever they are is wherever they are. I can't control those guys on the race track so why focus your attention on it? It's a waste of time."

The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is the final one for Stewart. He'll remain involved in the series as co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, which fields four Sprint Cup teams and one that will debut a NASCAR XFINITY Series entry next year. He's a track owner, team owner and competitor in other series -- some NASCAR-affiliated, some not -- as well.

But his quest for a fourth title rests solely on the outcome of Sunday's Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). A 16-driver field that began the Chase two weeks ago will be trimmed to 12 after Dover, and Stewart will arrive Friday 15th on the Chase Grid.

His approach to what could be his final race as a title contender will be no different than any other weekend.

"There is no mindset to it," he said. "The most realistic mindset to go into it with is the same approach you go into it with every weekend of the year and that's to go try to win the race. If you don't, get the best finish you can get out of it. That's not glamorous and that's not what you want to hear … but it's literally that simple. Go try to win the race. Do everything you can to win the race. If you can't win the race, try to finish second. If you can't finish second, try to finish third. It is as simple as it can possibly get."

That Stewart is in this predicament is something of a surprise, given the strong summer run that saw him collect six top-10 finishes, including a win at Sonoma, in eight races. The No. 14 team, headed up by crew chief Mike Bugarewicz, seemed primed for a possible run at yet another title.

RELATED: See all of Stewart's victories

But the results of the most recent six races weren't nearly as impressive, with no finish higher than 16th.

"These things are such science projects," Stewart said of today's cars, "and pretty much the whole (SHR) organization fights the same thing. It's whichever one can find the solution first."

Teammate Kevin Harvick has guaranteed himself a spot in the Round of 12 with a win this past weekend at New Hampshire and Kurt Busch can advance either by points, depending on his finish, or with a victory. Teammate Danica Patrick is the only SHR entry not in the Chase field.

RELATED: Harvick surges late for Loudon win

"We're going to have to rely on Kevin and Rodney (Childers, crew chief), Kurt and (Tony) Gibson (crew chief) for sure and do the best we can," Stewart said. "We weren't totally terrible at the spring race but definitely have to be better than we were to get done what we need to get done."

Scenarios? Talk to Stewart at Homestead, if he happens to be one of the championship four. That's when he'll be more aware of such things.

"When you get to the last race of the year and you're racing for a championship and you've got enough of a lead that no matter what, if you finish from here on up, then yeah, you think about that," he said.

"But that’s not the scenario we're in."

Danica Patrick adds to two NASCAR records at Watkins Glen

On the surface, Danica Patrick had a fairly nondescript 21st-place finish in this past Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International.

Patrick potentially would have finished higher had she not been caught up in a late-race wreck on Lap 83 of the 90-lap race.

Even with her mid-pack finish, Patrick still came away from the race with a pleasant surprise.

Thanks to a strategy call by crew chief Billy Scott that put her at the front of the pack, Patrick led 11 laps (Laps 34 to 45), breaking the previous NASCAR record of seven laps led in a race by a female driver that she set at Talladega in 2014.

That latter mark surpassed the previous single-race record of five laps led by a female set by Janet Guthrie in the 1977 season finale at the now-defunct Ontario Motor Speedway.

Patrick has now led a career-high 21 laps in the first 22 races of 2016 – breaking her own NASCAR single-season record for laps led by a female driver (15) set in 2014. And with 14 races remaining, she has a chance to add to that amount.

“The race didn’t go as well as we’d hoped, but we led some laps and were able to rally back at the end to get a decent finish, considering all of the damage,” Patrick said after the race.

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.

Mileage master: Kurt Busch saves enough fuel to win at Pocono

Kurt Busch held off both a virtually empty gas tank and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win Monday’s weather-delayed Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at Pocono Raceway.
Busch, initially told by his team he was two laps short on fuel, repeatedly toggled his engine to conserve fuel in the final 10 laps.
Still, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver aptly worked his way to the checkered flag and had enough fuel to do a celebratory burnout. Busch led the final 32 laps en route to his 28th career Sprint Cup victory and third at Pocono’s 2.5-mile triangle (his last win there was in 2007).
Team engineer John Klausmeier served as Busch’s interim crew chief and earned his first career win in that role. Klausmeier replaced Tony Gibson, who was on NASCAR suspension after a lug nut violation last weekend.
It was Busch’s first win since Michigan last June (34 starts). It was also a big breakthrough victory for the driver of the No. 41 Chevrolet: Busch leads all drivers in 2016 with 12 top-10 finishes in 14 races.
Earnhardt finished second, followed by Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Blaney.

HOW BUSCH WON: This wasn’t Busch’s first rodeo when it comes to fuel mileage. He’s one of the best when it comes to saving fuel when he needs to most. He apparently wound up saving more than 5 miles worth of fuel to reach the finish line and then victory lane.
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. rallied late for his fourth second place of the season (Atlanta, Texas, Bristol, Pocono). … Chase Elliott led a race-high 51 laps – including at the halfway point of the 160-lap event – and finished fourth. “I feel like we had a car that could do it today,” Elliott told Fox Sports 1. “We had a super fast car that could lead all day.” … Brad Keselowski rallied from two NASCAR penalties to finish third.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Kyle Busch wrecked with Ryan Newman with 50 laps to go. While Newman was able to continue and finished 12th, Busch was forced to take his car to the garage for repairs. Busch finished 31st. … Tony Stewart had his best starting spot of the season but wrecked with teammate Danica Patrick (32nd) and finished 34th. … Others having rough days included Jimmie Johnson (35th), Austin Dillon (37th), Michael Annett (38th), Brian Scott (39th) and Matt DiBenedetto (40th) – particularly DiBenedetto, who was involved in three incidents before his day came to an end.
NOTABLE: This marked the first race of the season – and the first time since this race a year ago (a 35-race stretch) – where at least one Toyota failed to finish in the top five. Matt Kenseth was the top Toyota driver (seventh), followed by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards (eighth).
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I was like, ‘Whoa, how many laps shy are we?’ They said, ‘Two.’ These are really long straightaways at Pocono, and you have to manage saving fuel as well as maintaining lap time. So many thoughts can go through your head, but I just stuck with the checklist. I just stuck with saving fuel and watching the No. 88 (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.) behind us.” – Kurt Busch in a postrace interview on Fox Sports 1.
WHAT’S NEXT: Sunday, June 12, 1 p.m. ET, Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

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
Leave a comment
By Jerry BonkowskiMay 23, 2016, 1:13 PM EDT
Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
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

Danica Patrick looks for this weekend to be a sign of things to come

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Danica Patrick grabbed a hold on the climbing wall and launched. She moved one leg up to another hold and the next, moving at a steady pace until she reached the top.

She did it as part of a promotional event for sponsor Nature’s Bakery at the U.S. National Whitewater Center with contest winners who had chosen to scale the rock climbing wall with Patrick.

Her climb toward the front in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has not been as swift, but she feels that tonight’s Sprint Showdown could be a sign of things to come. At least she hopes.

Patrick is in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Three drivers will race their way into Saturday’s Sprint All-Star Race by winning any of the three segments. The final two drivers in the 20-car Sprint All-Star Race will be selected by a fan vote.

Patrick has competed in the Sprint All-Star Race twice, earning entry via the fan vote. She finished 20th in both races. She enters this weekend coming off a season-best 13th-place finish at Dover.

“I hope we can race our way in,’’ Patrick said. “That’s for sure what every driver wants to do if they’re not in the (all-star race). It’s the most honorable way to get in, but it’s not as though there is not honor in getting through the fan vote because it just means you’re resonating with the fans and they’re showing that they like you and appreciate you and want to see you race.

“I hope that we’re good because, to be honest, if we race our way in, that means really good things moving forward in the season, too. It’s not going to be easy to qualify our way in because there are lots of great drivers that aren’t necessarily already in the race. So, I think that probably overall more than anything racing my way in will mean that I think we’re going to be a lot better moving forward in the season.’’

Among those entered in the Sprint Showdown looking to advance to the Sprint All-Star Race are Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and rookies Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney.

NASCAR official states why there isn’t SAFER barrier along Dover’s outside frontstretch wall

A NASCAR executive explained Monday why there was no SAFER barrier along the outside frontstretch wall at Dover International Speedway after multiple cars struck the concrete wall this past weekend.

Jamie McMurray and Tony Stewart each slammed into an unprotected concrete wall off Turn 4 after they ran through oil from Danica Patrick’s car during Friday’s Sprint Cup practice. Justin Marks hit the outside wall during his Xfinity heat race Saturday.

McMurray, who was sore from his hit, said it was “unacceptable” the outside wall at Dover did not have a SAFER barrier. He was not alone in speaking out. Patrick and Kevin Harvick each called for the SAFER barrier to be added in that location at Dover.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio why there wasn’t a SAFER barrier along the frontstretch wall.

“When we looked at SAFER barriers all being in place for this racing season, the plan had always been at both Dover and Indianapolis on the frontstretch wall to not have that covered,’’ O’Donnell said. “There was some logistics and reasoning behind that in terms of really narrowing the frontstretch lane. SAFER barriers were potentially going to dump some of the cars back out into the frontstretch and have the potential of a T-bone of a driver and then there were some challenges in going into Turn 1.

“Obviously after we went through this weekend, we’ve got to look at what tweaks we can make and be able to install those and maybe look at how the frontstretch could work those in. It wasn’t something that the track or anyone said, ‘Hey we’re not going to do this,’ there was some reasoning behind it. Obviously, after what happened all throughout the weekend, that’s something that we’ve got to address and we’ll do that and very confident the track will work with us as well.’’

NASCAR and tracks have made a concentrated effort to add SAFER barriers after Kyle Busch was injured in an Xfinity race at Daytona International Speedway at the beginning of last season when he struck an unprotected concrete wall. Dover added 479 feet of SAFER barrier before this weekend along the inside wall at the backstretch and inside Turn 3.

Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick and Jamie McMurray crash in Dover practice

Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick and Jamie McMurray each had to go to a backup car after they were involved in a crash less than four minutes into Sprint Cup practice Friday at Dover International Speedway.

All climbed from their cars. They were evaluated and released from the infield care center.

This marked the first accident Stewart has had since returning to the car. He missed the first eight races of the year after suffering a burst fracture of the L1 vertebra in an ATV accident Jan. 31 in the California sand dunes.

Asked about Stewart’s condition after the accident, Patrick said: “He left the medical center, so he is okay enough for that. Only he knows if he feels really sore or anything like that. I’m sure that anything that jolts his back will probably play some part. Hopefully, if it’s anything it goes away quickly.”

The incident started when Patrick dumped oil and hit the wall in Turn 4. Stewart and McMurray were behind and lost control in the oil. Both hit the Turn 4 wall hard. Both Patrick’s car and Stewart’s car came to rest along the inside frontstretch wall. McMurray stopped his car along the frontstretch.

Greg Zipadelli, competition director at Stewart-Haas Racing, told FS1 that it appeared to be a gear failure on Patrick’s car that caused the incident. He also said that Kurt Busch‘s team had a similar issue but caught it before it got worse.

“There’s obviously a manufacturer problem,” Zipadelli told Motor Racing Network.

Said Patrick: “I got back to the throttle and it was like a really muffled, like it blew an engine and then it just got sideways and hit the wall. As you can see there were lots of flames too, obviously, some kind of oil or something like that in there that created that.

“I really feel bad because Jamie’s elbow hurt pretty bad and I don’t know if Tony (Stewart) is feeling perfect, but definitely unfortunate. Not something we commonly see. Not a lot of things like that happen, I feel like, these days. Definitely, unfortunate for the first couple of laps of practice and the fact that rain is coming. Hopefully, everybody feels okay.”

Patrick said that McMurray had a “big knot” on his left elbow. McMurray later returned on track with his backup car.

All three drivers made it back on track in a backup car before the session ended.

Sprint Fan Vote leaders for All-Star Race are Blaney, DiBenedetto, Elliott, Larson and Patrick

If you haven’t cast your ballot in the Sprint Fan Vote for next week’s Sprint All-Star Race, time is running out.

Fans have until 5 p.m. ET on May 20 to make their choice on either the NASCAR Mobile App or at www.nascar.com/SprintFanVote.

Results will be announced shortly after that in victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In addition, votes shared on Facebook or Twitter get double the value.

Sprint officials announced the top five vote-getters to date – out of a field of 30 drivers – but have not revealed who’s leading.

Rather, the top five have been revealed solely in alphabetical order, not by the numbers of votes that they’ve received thus far.

The top five vote-getters thus far: Ryan Blaney, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Danica Patrick.

Patrick won the Sprint Fan Vote in both 2013 and 2015, becoming the first two-time winner in the event’s history. She would make further history if she wins the Vote again this year.

Blaney and Elliott are currently leading in Sunoco Rookie of the Year competition.

Follow by @gillesrobson

Report: Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano clear the air ahead of Kansas race

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS — On the eve of the Sprint Cup Series’ first of two races xat Kansas Speedway, Matt Kenseth said he and Joey Logano have discussed their issues from last weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.

The last time the two were seen together, Kenseth was wagging his finger at Logano outside the track’s medical center and lecturing him after the two were involved in a crash that saw Kenseth’s No. 20 Toyota flip in the air.

Their talk came as the Sprint Cup Series returns to Kansas, where the Logano-Kenseth feud began last October before escalating two races later at Martinsville Speedway.

Kenseth didn’t go into details about the conversation when asked about it by USA Today.

“Nah, if we wanted that we would have made it a conference call,” Kenseth told USA Today on Friday.

The tension between the drivers reached its apex at Martinsville when Kenseth, a lapped car, intentionally wrecked race leader Logano, taking both out of the race. Kenseth was suspended for two races.

Then last Sunday at Talladega, a bump from Logano sent Kenseth out of the racing groove and forced him to merge farther back in the pack.

“(I) lost four or five spots and then got us back there where we didn’t want to be,” Kenseth said afterward. ““I thought we were done with that, but maybe we aren’t.”

Not long after, Logano was again behind Kenseth when the No. 20 was hit by the No. 10 of Danica Patrick on the backstretch, which started the 12-car wreck.

Both Logano and Kenseth enter the GoBowling.com 400 seeking their first wins of 2016. Kenseth starts the race in second and Logano rolls off 14th.

Brad Keselowski holds on to win wreck-filled Geico 500 at Talladega

In a day of numerous multi-car wrecks and other strange happenings, Brad Keselowski stayed out of trouble to win Sunday’s Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Keselowski won on the final lap under caution, as yet another wreck occurred behind him just before he reached the start-finish line, bringing out the yellow flag.

It was Keselowski’s fourth career Sprint Cup victory at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. He led 46 of the 188 laps, including the final 17, taking over the lead for good from teammate Joey Logano on Lap 172.

“I never thought I’d ever win here four times,” Keselowski told Fox Sports. “I’m super-pumped. This is awesome.”

It was also Keselowski’s 19th career Sprint Cup victory and his second of the season, having won previously this year at Las Vegas. The win ties Keselowski with the career-win total of the late Davey Allison, who like Keselowski, earned his first Sprint Cup win at Talladega in 1987.

“This Fusion was hauling and one of the tickets to staying out of wrecks at Talladega is if you can stay up front, you have a great shot at not getting wrecked,” Keselowski told Fox Sports. “To be back in Victory Lane and have two wins this year, we’re looking for more and are really growing as a team. This feels really good, really good.”

Kyle Busch was second, followed by Austin Dillon, Jamie McMurray, pole-sitter Chase Elliott, Tony Stewart (Ty Dillon became relief driver for the final two-thirds of the race), Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Ryan Blaney and Trevor Bayne.

There were 10 cautions for 41 laps, and a massive 37 lead changes among 17 drivers.

MORE: Results and stats for the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway

MORE: Kevin Harvick regains points lead despite last-lap crash at Talladega

HOW KESELOWSKI WON: It was a matter of survival of the fittest, as the No. 2 stayed out of trouble almost the entire race, stayed in or near the top-10 and grabbed the lead for good with 17 laps remaining (Lap 172).

WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Kyle Busch ran a strong race, but was unhappy at some of the carnage throughout the event. “Second’s not bad. I think the quota of three cars on their lids is a little high, but that’s racing,” Busch told Fox Sports … Third-place finisher Austin Dillon: “To come home with a finish like this and so much work put into this car, it was a wrecked but we finished third, I’m so proud of these guys.” … Chase Elliott started as pole-sitter and finished fifth. “We tried there at the end but just didn’t have enough momentum to get to those guys.” … Fourth-place finisher Jamie McMurray: “When you get to the end of these things, it’s every man for himself.”

WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s hope for a seventh win at Talladega went away after wrecking on Lap 50. He got his repaired car back on track on Lap 99, only to be involved in another wreck on Lap 110 when something broke in Carl Edwards‘ car, sending him into Earnhardt and the wall. Earnhardt had nowhere to go and finished last in the 40-car field … Chris Buescher (37th) went for the wildest ride of his rookie Sprint Cup career when he was in a wreck on Lap 96, flipping three times before coming to a rest on his wheels … After his best season finish last week at Richmond, Kasey Kahne was involved in two wrecks Sunday and finished 39th … Yet another multi-car wreck occurred on Lap 160 when Danica Patrick (finished 25th) appeared to be pushed from behind, hit the inside retaining wall head-on, while Matt Kenseth (23rd) flipped over before landing on his wheels.

NOTABLE: Tony Stewart started the race and remained behind the wheel until Lap 53, when he exited his No. 14 Chevrolet and was replaced by Ty Dillon. The move had been planned going into the race … Michael Waltrip made his 60th career start at Talladega and, including today, has now led at least one lap for 34 of those races … Denny Hamlin had a costly pit stop on Lap 53. First, he overshot his pit, backed up, then after receiving service was leaving his pit stall and Greg Biffle was coming into his stall in front of Hamlin’s when both cars made contact. Hamlin’s car appeared okay, while Biffle had minor damage to his left rear. Hamlin then received a pit road penalty for having too many crew members over the wall. Hamlin again had issues on Lap 129, when he spun out coming into his stall and made contact with Landon Cassill.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, No. 1: “It come off, I didn’t have it on there. We were under caution so I just grabbed the shaft and steered the car that way. I ripped the skin off my hand but I wasn’t going to let it hit the wall. It was just a freak deal.” – Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose steering wheel came off before he was able to reattach it shortly before his wreck with Carl Edwards.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, No. 2: “It didn’t end up as well as we liked to. Two days in a row, a couple big hits. I can’t wait to get out of this place.” — Joey Logano, who had hard hits at the end of Saturday’s Xfinity race and Sunday’s Sprint Cup race.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY, No. 3: “I’ve hit the inside wall of a superspeedway like four times now, and that was the worst. … I know I got drilled from behind, turned sideways and it was, ‘Hello, wall.'” — Danica Patrick.

WHAT’S NEXT: GoBowling 400, Saturday, May 7, 7:30 p.m. ET, at Kansas Speedway.

Long: Thank God they walked away

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Thank God Dale Earnhardt Jr. walked away. Thank God Danica Patrick walked away. Thank God Chris Buescher walked away.

Now they and the NASCAR industry need to ask, “What the hell are we doing?”

Another Talladega Superspeedway demolition derby has ended, and more questions remain about restrictor-plate racing after seeing cars upside down, slamming into walls and careening out of control.

Now that there is a Sprint Cup Drivers Council, the Race Team Alliance and more collaboration in the sport than ever before, it’s time for action. Everybody has a voice and there no longer needs to be a sense of resignation that days like Sundays are acceptable. Races like Sunday are not entertaining so much as ridiculous.

How much money did car owners see destroyed? Think more than $5 million – a conservative estimate. That’s not good business.

Even more so, the clock is ticking on the human toll. The next restrictor-plate race is in two months at Daytona International Speedway. A year ago, Austin Dillon’s car sailed into the catch fence after the finish there. He was uninjured.

Credit NASCAR for the safety devices that allowed each driver to walk away Sunday and also from the incidents in Saturday’s Xfinity race. Let’s be honest, there also was some luck involved.

Also understand there aren’t any easy answers. If there were, NASCAR would have enacted them. Go ahead and call for the banking to be knocked down at Talladega, but that’s not going to happen. Taking the restrictor plates off the cars will reduce pack racing but increase the speeds and significantly raise the odds that cars get airborne.

Questions must be asked, and all areas examined. Yes, Buescher was clipped, and that sent his car tumbling down the backstretch, but Kenseth’s car was turned sideways and picked up by the air.

“I hate it,’’ reigning series champ Kyle Busch said. “I’d much rather sit at home. I got a win. I don’t need to be here.’’

But he has to be with a rule that states a driver must start each race. Sponsors also expect these drivers to compete each weekend, along with the fans who pay to see these drivers perform.

Thank God Michael Annett walked away. Thank God Ricky Stenhouse Jr. walked away. Thank God Matt Kenseth walked away.

That the description of Sunday’s carnage — 35 of the 40 cars were involved in accidents — is “typical Talladega’’ is sadly true and gut-wrenching.

Of course, that is how drivers have to look at it, or they never could get in the car.

When is enough enough with this type of racing?

“I’m a capitalist,’’ winner Brad Keselowski said. “There’s people still paying to sit in the stands, there’s sponsors still on the cars, drivers still willing to get in them. Kind of sounds like it’s self-policing, and there’s enough interest to keep going, so we’ll keep going.’’

They will.

Not everyone, understandably, was as enthused.

After his second crash of the day, Earnhardt said: “Hell, I’m going home. I’m done.’’

Buescher added his name Sunday to the list of those who have gone airborne in a Cup race at a restrictor-plate track.

“I am pretty sick and tired of speedway racing at this point,’’ he said.

Dillon knows that feeling too well. His Daytona crash last year wasn’t the only time he’s been airborne. His car got up in the air in 2013 at Talladega when he was subbing for Tony Stewart.

“It’s just not a fun thing to be a part of,’’ Dillon said. “I think as a group, all of us want it to be where we’re not leaving the ground. We’ll get some smart people on it. I have total faith in NASCAR that they’ll do their job and work on that. But, man, wild day.’’

How many times do we have to leave Talladega more grateful than enthused about a race that had 37 lead changes and saw both two sets of brothers in the top 10 (Austin Dillon was third, Ty Dillon was sixth in relief of Stewart, while Kyle Busch was second and Kurt Busch was eighth) and saw two rookies in the top 10 (Chase Elliott was fifth and Ryan Blaney was ninth)?

“Sitting in cars for a lot of years, the line is hard to describe,’’ six-time champion Jimmie Johnson said of this type of racing. “We have some races that seems pretty mellow and others that don’t. Plate racing is plate racing. The thing I don’t like to see is cars upside down and we saw a couple today.

“That’s the part that I really don’t like and hopefully we can try to keep them on the ground.’’

Sooner than later.

Thank God A.J. Allmendinger walked away. Thank God Joey Logano walked away. Thank God Kevin Harvick walked away.

NASCAR on NBC podcast, Episode XII: Trevor Bayne and Danica Patrick

Trevor Bayne’s undulating career path and Danica Patrick’s connection with kids are among the highlights of the latest NASCAR on NBC podcast.

Bayne joined the podcast before his Tuesday appearance on NASCAR America, discussing his wild ride after winning the 2011 Daytona 500. After winning NASCAR’s biggest race in one of the major upsets in history, Bayne suffered through health problems (eventually leading to a diagnosis of MS) and a lack of funding kept him from racing full time in 2012.

“I’ve got a very strange career so far,” he said. “Even just my first year, going from a victory to the hospital, I said, ‘We just went through 10 seasons worth of a drama in one year.’ ”

Bayne persevered and moved full time into NASCAR’s premier series last season with Advocare, a sponsorship that materialized after his chance meeting with the company’s president.

“It’s crazy how it worked out,” the No. 6 Ford driver. “Five months before, I didn’t know what Advocare was.

"I tell young drivers all the time how important relationships are, You never know who you’re talking to, and some of my biggest breaks in racing have come from talking to people who most of the time I didn’t know who they were and what they did.”

Bayne also discussed his renewed commitment to triathlon training, his throwback paint scheme tribute to Mark Martin for the Southern 500 and his improvement in the 2016 season. Some of his results can be credited to a working relationship with crew chief Matt Puccia, who has bonded with Bayne as the father of a newborn.

The second guest on the podcast is Danica Patrick, who joined by phone from Chicago where she was promoting a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sponsorship. The Nickelodeon promotion, which is in conjunction with the Chase for the Sprint Cup opener at Chicagoland Speedway, is the latest chance for Patrick to connect with younger fans, who seem to be drawn to racing’s most successful female driver.

“I think it’s because I’m their size,” the 5-2 Patrick said with a laugh. “I actually do think it’s because I’m small, it helps.

“But I’m probably someone their parents have pointed out to tell them a good story that you can do whatever you want. Just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you can’t do something that boys do.”

Patrick also discusses how it felt to have Tony Stewart back at the track, her 2016 season with new crew chief Billy Scott and the new NASCAR news on lug nuts (“I plead the fifth.”).

Finally, NASCAR Talk editor Dustin Long will join us after covering the past two races at Bristol Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. Dustin provides insight on the repercussions of Carl Edwards’ winning bump on Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch and how Tony Stewart seemed in his return to racing after missing two months.

You can listen to the podcast by clicking below or download and subscribe to it on iTunes by clicking here. The free subscription will provide automatic downloads of new episodes to your smartphone. It also is available on Stitcher