In the waning moments of last Sunday's AAA Texas 500 we learned that our two championship contenders were very capable of getting aggressive without losing their sense of class. We saw further evidence that the #48 team is in traditional championship mode. We saw two cars hit each other after the Nationwide Series race and then watched a parachute strike a car before the Sprint Cup race. With those thoughts in mind, let's begin with.
Eight down, two to go. In two races we will crown the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion. Leader of the pack Jimmie Johnson extended his points lead Saturday afternoon in Texas. Many thought Johnson was out of contention to win the race on the final restart but he hung with Keselowski and then he took the lead from him.
Jimmie Johnson led 168 laps and won from the pole for the second week in a row at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Johnson restarted on the outside of Brad Keselowski on the final green-white-checkered restart. Johnson made the pass and pulled away while exiting turn-2 and held onto the lead for the final laps.
Back in February this night was a long way away. No one thought much about it. There were 81 races yet to be run. A summer yet to come filled with thrills spills and challenges.
Kevin Harvick ran away with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge 300 win on Saturday night in Texas, but it was the battle for the championship that stole the show.
Denny Hamlin is no stranger to run-ins with young Nationwide Series drivers. Just Google or YouTube he and Brad Keselowski. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind either, even if his opinion might not be the popular or correct one. Rewind to Dover in 2010 following penalties handed down to Richard Childress Racing in the first Chase race.
The 29-year-old Nemechek from Mooresville, North Carolina, will part ways with Legacy Motor Club following a three-year campaign at the conclusion of the 2026 Cup Series season.
Niece Motorsports welcomes a partnership extension with Circle B Diecast / Motorsports Auctions to serve as the primary sponsor for drivers Connor Hall and Landen Lewis in the upcoming NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) race at Kansas Speedway.
Chevrolet’s championship title-defending campaign in the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series begins this Labor Day weekend as the sport heads to the historic venue tapped as “The Track Too Tough To Tame” - Darlington Raceway.
