NASCAR Cup Series

Bayne will make his eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) start at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. His last two starts at the famed Virginia short track have resulted in his all-time best finishes at the half-mile speedway of sixth last fall, and 13th last spring. In last year’s fall race, he charged to the front from the 34th starting spot, securing the fourth short track top-10 of his career.

Winning the pole at Martinsville (Va) Speedway and getting the all-important first pit stall at the 0.526-mile short track, is the first goal for Martin Truex Jr., who has captured the No. 1 starting spot at the last two NASCAR Cup Series races.

Martinsville Preview: After a three-week stint out West, the Series makes its way back to the East Coast for a 500-lap short track race at Martinsville Speedway. Hamlin is no stranger to the flat, half-mile oval, and after 24 Cup Series starts at the ‘paperclip’, the Chesterfield, Va., native has collected a career-best five wins and three pole positions, as well as 12 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. He was forced to a 30th-place finish at last year’s spring event after sustaining damage from a multi-car wreck late in the race.

Jimmie Johnson scored his first top-10 of the season Sunday evening, finishing ninth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway. It was not the finish he wanted but it was a step in the right direction and proof that his desire and determination have not wavered in the chase for an eighth championship.

Storylines. We all need them. I mean, other than those rare moments when what is happening is so riveting on its own, we need them to keep engaged. Let’s face it, California was not going to be one of those tracks. Over a year ago, some folks were cheering for history, hoping for the first woman president. Instead, they got the oldest man ever elected, and some have been melting down ever since. When your storyline goes down the crapper, we often get upset and choose our own narrative over the facts. It happens.

Entering his fourth full-time season in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, DiBenedetto has raced for low budget teams making their way through the top level of the stock car series. While the No. 32 Ford Fusion holds a charter and is guaranteed to run in every race, the team found themselves in a difficult position with no sponsor to cover the weekend expenses at Phoenix.

Gordon Brothers, the global advisory, restructuring, and investment firm, announced that it has been engaged by Triad Racing Technologies (“TRT”) to sell the assets associated with its race engine shop located in Mooresville, NC. TRT builds NASCAR race engines and body parts and is a primary vendor for Toyota Racing Development.

Kasey Kahne and Leavine Family Racing (LFR) finished 24th at Auto Club Speedway after a frustrating beginning to the weekend in Fontana.

Martin Truex Jr. breaks Kevin Harvick’s win streak in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series and takes the checkered flag for the Auto Club 400.

It was a perfect weekend for Martin Truex Jr., who dominated and won Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway in his No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/5-hour ENERGY Toyota.