NASCAR Cup Series

Richard Childress Racing at "The Glen" ... In 71 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen International, RCR boasts two wins (Robby Gordon 2003 and Kevin Harvick 2006), eight top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Dale Earnhardt won three poles (1990, '92, '96) at the high-speed, seven-turn, upstate New York facility.

Tom Higgins, who told the stories of stock-car racing for decades as a reporter and author, has died. He was 80. Among his many accolades, Higgins was the 2015 recipient of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. He had been in declining health since suffering a stroke last year.

As Homestead-Miami Speedway prepares for its 17th consecutive year of crowning NASCAR’s champions, the Speedway continues to host unique and interactive events during Ford Championship Weekend. This year, fans attending Ford Championship Weekend will have the rare opportunity to take part in an insightful Q&A session with two of NASCAR’s most promising young drivers, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace.

We all tune in for the potential excitement, but the storylines set up the race. At Pocono, we witnessed Jimmie Johnson make his 600th career start. We wondered if the Big Three would dominate yet again. We also wondered how the bad boys, and maybe a few bad girls back at the shop, would fare after 13 cars failed post-qualifying tech.

Richard Childress Racing drivers Austin and Ty Dillon have launched an auction of autographed memorabilia and other items to benefit the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, courtesy of The NASCAR Foundation and Fanatics Auctions at http://bit.ly/DillonBrosAuction.  Items include an autographed guitar, VIP suite passes, an autographed rod and piston from a race-winning Austin Dillon ECR engine, a Grizzly Cooler and a Bass Pro Shops kayak. Additional items will be added throughout the week, and the auction will end at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 5.

Former Buffalo Bills All-Pro wide receiver Steve Tasker will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for the Go Bowling at The Glen Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, Aug. 5 at Watkins Glen International.

Watkins Glen International will introduce another new hospitality space during the upcoming Go Bowling at The Glen race weekend, when the Zippo Turn 10 Terrace opens adjacent to the Sir Jackie Stewart Grandstand.

Brake issues and a loose-handling on the No. 78 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota plagued Martin Truex Jr. throughout the afternoon, leaving him and the Furniture Row Racing team with a 15th-place finish at Pocono Raceway.

Brad Keselowski was sidelined by an accident during the final stage of the Gander Outdoors 400 Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway. Keselowski was pressuring Jimmie Johnson for 12th position when the No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion snapped sideways at the entrance to Turn 2. Keselowski spun and made contact with the outside wall, causing considerable damage to the rear of his Ford Fusion. He made it back to the pit area where the Alliance Truck Parts team hastily made repairs. But despite their efforts, the damage to severe for Keselowski to continue. He was credited with a 38th-place finish and is seventh in the MENCS driver standings, 247 points behind the leader.

Camry driver Kyle Busch was victorious in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway on Sunday afternoon.