NASCAR Cup Series

Posting from the great state of South Carolina today. I slept during the Bojangles Southern 500 race and awoke late to chronicle the iconic race. It seems like the throwback idea is going to last awhile. The crowd was large and everywhere you looked, the 80s were apparent. Does that show that NASCAR fans want to go back to the 1980s? Maybe.

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Martin Truex Jr. put on a strong drive in the Bojangles' Southern 500 and had the race in check as the laps wound down, but the defending race winner blew a tire in Turn 3, costing him the win, and nursed his damaged car around to an eighth-place finish.

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Denny Hamlin overcame a botched pit road entry, resulting in him missing the pits entirely, and took advantage of Martin Truex Jr. collecting the wall with three laps to go to win the Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Finishing Position: 1st - What does it mean to you to win tonight? “It means everything to me. I mean, as far as I’m concerned, this is a throwback to my history – this is for Roy Hendrick, Bugs Hairfield, Wayne Patterson, Eddie Johnson, the short track guys that I grew up watching."

Going into Richmond Chase Elliott is the highest driver in points without a win. There are currently still two positions open as there have been 14 different winners thus far in 2017. Elliott is seventh in the standings, two points ahead of Matt Kenseth (Toyota), who is the second highest driver in points without a win. Jamie McMurray ninth in the standings and only one point behind Kenseth. Elliott and McMurray will both have to finish ahead of Kenseth in order to claim the final two Playoff spots.

KURT BUSCH – No. 41 Monster Energy Ford Fusion – WHAT WAS THE KEY TO GETTING TO THE FRONT? “It was good pit strategy. I was hoping for one more yellow. If there was a yellow with 30 to go, we were a really good car on short run speed. That was the longest run at the end and those guys caught us on their fresher tires, but just to be in position to win the Southern 500 is great. I didn’t quite get the job done, but third is really nice for a big, marquee race.”

Fifth Third Bank (NASDAQ: FITB) has renewed its relationship with Roush Fenway Racing as primary sponsor on the No. 17 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford with driver Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in a multi-year deal.

Kevin Harvick topped qualifying in all three rounds for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 in his No. 4 Busch Beer Throwback Ford winning his fourth Coors Light Pole Award this season with a speed of 177.730 mph. It’s his third pole at Darlington Raceway and his 21st career pole. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver also captured one win in 2014 after starting from the pole.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats 40th Anniversary Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing - Starting Position: 2nd - How did your Camry feel our in qualifying? “Feels good. That was definitely a good, successful qualifying session for us. It – we thought we were off a little bit the first round then just kept working on the car and kind of adjusted the driving style a little throughout all three rounds and we ended up second. So seems like we’ve been second a lot this year and it’s been a good number for us and hopefully it’ll be a good one tomorrow night.”

KEVIN HARVICK – No. 4 Busch Beer Ford Fusion – POLE WINNING PRESS CONFERENCE – “It feels pretty good. We’re on the pole. It’s been a good start to the weekend for us and the car is driving good and we w’re able to put three laps together. Everything is going well.”