Race Report: Phoenix International Raceway

2015_ChaseGridThe one thing you can count on when NASCAR comes to Phoenix is usually dry warm weather. But that simply was not the case for today’s Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500k.

After a six-and-a-half hour rain delay to start the race, it was shortened by nearly 100 laps when rained returned to soak the one-mile track. When NASCAR made the race official it was Kyle Busch leading Joe Gibbs Racing with a fourth-place finish, while Denny Hamlin was eighth, Carl Edwards 12th and Erik Jones 19th.

This was the final race of the Eliminator Round of 8 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. Kyle Busch’s fourth-place finish locked in his position for the final four, which will now race for the Championship in Miami next Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately Carl Edwards didn’t get the opportunity to complete today’s race due to the rain and his 12th-place finish left him just five points out of the final transfer spot. Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex, Jr. will join Busch in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway next Sunday to compete for title.

Read more

Race Report: Texas

Joe Gibbs Racing’s two remaining Chase entries secured top five finishes in this afternoon’s AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch led the way with a fourth-place finish and Edwards came home just one spot behind in fifth. Meanwhile rookie Erik Jones had a solid day filling in for Matt Kenseth with a 12th-place finish, while Denny Hamlin suffered a mechanical issue early in the race that relegated him to a 38th-place finish.

Read more

Race Report: Martinsville

A steady morning rain moved out of Martinsville Speedway just in time for the start of this afternoon’s Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500. Short track racing often creates high drama and this afternoon was no different at the famed Virginia track known as the “paper clip”.

When it was over, just before darkness settled on Martinsville, Denny Hamlin would lead Joe Gibbs Racing with a third place finish, while Kyle Busch finished fifth, Carl Edwards 14th and late race accidents left Matt Kenseth back in 38th.

Read more