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How To Use A Welder For Auto Body Panel Repair

By
SM
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Working to fix issues with your car is perhaps the most fulfilling undertaking you can have. Other than this, the structural and functional integrity of your car will highly be determined by your efforts to keep it well maintained. You have seen new cars deteriorate fast while vintage cars smoothly glide on the highways. Whether you are driving a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray or a classic Volkswagen Beetle, regular maintenance is all it takes to keep your car in good shape and get the most out of it. 

Now, for those wishing to bring some life back in an old car by revamping its bodywork, higher chances are that you’ll be dealing with thin rusty or dented body and materials, which may prove quite challenging to work with. In this situation, welders come in handy, whether it’s your own vehicle or you run an auto repair shop. With this having been said, here’s how to use a welder for auto body panel repair.

1. Choose Your Equipment Wisely

Working on thin and rusted auto panel body parts can be challenging. The quality of work will in so many ways depend on the type of equipment used. Needless to mention, welding thin body panels greatly differs from welding on thick plates. Having the right welder can make a huge difference between half-baked work and quality panel repair. To skip the dilemma when it comes to welding equipment, this Pro Welder Guide from Weld Guru can be helpful. It provides you with some of the best welding tool insights and how to pick the right welder for auto body panel repairs. With so many types of welders out there, you must choose a welder best suited for your particular welding project. That said, below are tips on how to pick the right welder for auto body panel repairs. They include:

  • MIG welders – When it comes to welding thin sheets of metal, a MIG welder will be right for the job. Unlike stick welders, MIG welders produce no sputters and give your joints more refined welds. In addition to this, they eliminate the chances for burn-throughs, especially when working on thin sheets of metal. They are also a great choice for preventing rust on the welded areas.
  • TIG welders – This is a type of welder best suited for those with advanced auto body panel welding skills. TIG welders will help you achieve high-end results. The best part is that it can be used on cars with aluminum body panels.
  • Stick welders – While this option can work well on other welding repairs, you’ll be advised to avoid stick welders on auto body panels. The reasons being; it sputters a lot, can burn through thin sheets of metal, and it’s difficult to achieve well-distributed welds.

2. Preparing the Welding Surfaces

Before you commence to weld on your car’s body panels, it’s crucial that you prepare the surfaces. The thick layer of auto paint must be scraped off to reveal the underlying surfaces. For the best outcome on car repair and to avoid repeat jobs, ensure to get rid of all the rusted panels. By all means, avoid welding new body panels on rusty ones. Always have a hand grinder ready to cut unwanted body pane. When it comes to cutting unwanted panels, ensure to cut along a straight marked line. This way, you’ll achieve evened-out surfaces that will be easy to weld.

Apart from getting rid of rusty panels, it’s also important to ensure that the welding surfaces are clean and free from dirt. Additionally, remove sealers, inserts, and moldings from the welding areas before you start to weld. Most importantly, never weld near your car’s electrical systems especially when the battery is still connected. This will not only help you achieve the desired results but it’s also a safety precaution measure.

3. Auto Body Welding Techniques

Technological advancements in auto body welding and equipment have made things easier in all matters welding auto panels. But even with the best tools, you still need to have the skills to achieve the best results. Remember, proper maintenance is one of the tricks to prolong the life of your car and this goes without saying. When it comes to panel repair welds, the difference between high-end results and shoddy work will depend on the welding techniques used. 

Basically, the goal of any welding job is to fuse two pieces of metal, which can be efficiently achieved through professional mobile welding brisbane services that come directly to your location. Most importantly, you’ll also need to determine the type of materials you’re welding on. Some cars have steel panels, whereas some have aluminum panels. With that in mind, not all techniques will work on certain panel materials. For instance, you cannot use a stick weld on aluminum panels. It just won’t give you the best results. Let’s now take a look at some welding techniques and which panels to apply them on. They include:

  • Arc welding – This type of welding technique requires the use of coated electrodes. This technique can be used on various kinds of steel panels but will not work on aluminum panels. The electrodes come in different diameters to be used on different materials. You can visit welding near you to find complete details about the different procedures of welding.
  • MAG/MIG welding – MIG and MIG welding techniques use almost the same welding processes. The difference, however, is the shielding gas used for each application, inert or active shielding gas. MAG/MIG welding techniques are the most advanced welding techniques of our time because for starters, they are more efficient and in addition to this, can be used on larger surfaces within a short duration of time.
  • TIG welding – This is considered one of the most difficult techniques in welding requiring extensive knowledge and prior training on the same. The reason behind it being, you need to use both hands, especially when using an additive material. However, it’s the most efficient technique for those looking to achieve high-end results. It’s also a neat technique with no sputters or sparks.

Most importantly, don’t forget to use clamps when welding. These will come in handy to hold new panel pieces onto the existing ones. You can always use tack welds as an alternative.

4. Safety Precautions When Welding Auto Body Panels

When welding on your car’s body panels, you must observe safety at all times. You’ll be using electricity to power your welders, and this increases the risk factors. Below are basic welding safety precautions:

  • Always wear a welding helmet
  • Wear nonflammable long-sleeved protective clothes
  • Wear the appropriate welding gloves
  • Protect your feet with closed shoes
  • Have a fire extinguisher on standby

Let’s hope that this insightful welding guide will help you achieve the best results when working on your car. While it might take some practice, especially when it comes to adopting new welding technology, you can always rely on professional welders or enroll in a welding course to perfect your skills.

Bret Holmes achieves first ARCA win at Kansas

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of Ed Zurga/ARCA Racing

It took 69 starts, but Munford, Alabama native Bret Holmes notched his first career ARCA Menards Series victory Friday night at Kansas Speedway.

Holmes started fourth based on owner’s points but didn’t waste any time getting to the front. He took the lead after the segment two restart on Lap 19 and led the rest of the race for a total of 82 laps. No one proved a match for his No. 23 machine as Holmes easily took the checkered flag by 14.458 seconds over Venturini Motorsports driver Ryan Repko.

“We’ve been working so hard for this,” said Holmes. “I’ve been working my whole life for this. My team did this for me. It’s been a long tough road. I just thank my family and my friends. They believed in me when I didn’t.”

There were three segment breaks that made up the Dawn 150. The first segment break was on Lap 30, the second was on Lap 60 with the race ending on Lap 100.

The first segment was relatively caution free with just one incident slowing the field on Lap 13. Russ Lane in the No. 8 had a scary moment off Turn 2 when the Overland Park, Kansas native got loose and smashed the inside wall hard.

Besides the incident involving Lane, there were a couple of other close moments during the second segment as Drew Dollar and Hailie Deegan almost wrecked in Turns 3 and 4. However, both of them somehow saved their vehicles without incident.

The only driver that could battle for the lead was Corey Heim who was making his first ARCA Menards start of 2020. Helm ran in the second position, just two seconds back from Holmes. But, Holmes’ car was so dominant that he began to check out from the field and his lead continued to climb.

The victory was a long time coming for Holmes, as he would claim the first checkered flag of his ARCA career.

Holmes led 82 laps with Riley Herbst being the only other driver to lead laps with 18. There were three cautions for 10 laps. Two of those were for stage breaks and the other for the Russ Lane incident.

With the victory, Holmes has decreased Michael Self’s points lead down to nine.

Official Results following the Dawn 150 at Kansas Speedway.

  1. Bret Holmes, led 82 laps
  2. Ryan Repko
  3. Riley Herbst, led 18 laps
  4. Corey Heim
  5. Tanner Gray
  6. Michael Self
  7. Drew Dollar
  8. Derek Griffith
  9. Hailie Deegan
  10. Thad Moffitt, 1 lap down
  11. Jason Kitzmiller, 2 laps down
  12. Eric Caudell, 5 laps down
  13. Ryan Huff, OUT, Overheating
  14. Tyler Hill, 7 laps down
  15. Con Nicolopoulos, OUT
  16. Brad Smith, OUT
  17. Mike Basham, OUT
  18. Russ Lane, OUT, Crash

2020 Formula One schedule update

By
Andrew Kim
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With the 2020 Formula One season in its first off week following an eventful start to the sport’s 70th year of racing, a new wave of racing events have been added to this year’s schedule that has yet to confirm how many total Grand Prix races will occur this season.

For the first time since 1996, Formula One will race in Portugal after it was confirmed on Friday, July 24, that the sport will race at Algarve International Circuit in Portimao for the Portuguese Grand Prix. This will also mark the first time where the F1 cars will race at Portimao, which will occur on October 25 and is scheduled to be the 12th Grand Prix race of this season.

Other venues that have been confirmed to be installed for this season are Nurburgring and Imola. The Eifel Grand Prix at Nurburgring, Nurburg, Germany, will occur on October 11 while the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Bologna, will occur on November 1. Imola is scheduled to be a two-day event, with a practice session to occur along with qualifying and the main event. This will mark the first time since 2006 where Imola will host an F1 event and the first time since 2013 where Nurburgring will host a Formula One Grand Prix race.

The races at Nurburgring, Portimao and Imola will occur following a one-week break that takes place after the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi scheduled on September 27. The races in Sochi, Nurburg, Portimao and Imola are part of a 13-race schedule currently implemented for this year’s Formula One season. Other countries that are scheduled to host Grand Prix races this season include Great Britain, Spain, Belgium and Italy, which will run two races on back-to-back weekends prior to Russia. The countries of Bahrain, Vietnam, China and the United Arab Emirates have not determined their 2020 F1 schedule for this season.

Despite the new additions to the racing calendar, Formula One confirmed the cancellation of more events this season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions while opting to keep the communities and colleagues of F1 safe. Among the new wave of cancelled races this season include the United States Grand Prix, the Canadian Grand Prix, the Mexico City Grand Prix and the Brazilian Grand Prix. The United States of America, Canada, Mexico and Brazil join a host of other countries that include Australia, Netherlands, Monaco, Azerbaijan, France, Singapore and Japan that have cancelled their scheduled F1 races of 2020. This will mark the first time since 2011 where the United States of America will not feature a Formula One Grand Prix race and the first time since 2009 where Canada will not host the F1 cars.

All plans are to have the Grand Prix races from each respective country back for the 2021 season while the remainder of this year’s Formula One World Championship schedule will be released at a late date.

This year’s F1 season was delayed from starting on March 15 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the sport has completed its first three races of the season. It all started at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix on July 5 and the Styrian Grand Prix on July 12 also at Red Bull Racing followed by the Hungarian Grand Prix at Hungaroring, Mogyorod, Hungary, on July 19.

Through the first three F1 races of this season, Lewis Hamilton, the reigning six-time Formula One World champion and driver for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team, leads the standings by five points over teammate Valtteri Bottas, both of whom have emerged victorious through the three races. Max Verstappen of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing is third in the title standings, trailing by 33 points, followed by McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Alexander Albon. The competitors who are situated in the top 10 in the standings are Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Sebastian Vettel. Rounding out the 20-car field, respectively, are Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Antonio Giovinazzi, Daniil Kvyat, Kevin Magnussen, Nicholas Latifi, Romain Grosjean and George Russell.

In addition, Mercedes, the reigning six-time Constructors’ champions and eight-time drivers’ champions, lead this year’s Constructors’ standings by 66 points over Red Bull Racing-Honda, 80 over McLaren-Renault, 81 over Racing Point-BWT Mercedes and 94 over Ferrari. Trailing behind by 12 points or less are Renault, AlphaTauri-Honda, Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari, Haas-Ferrari and Williams-Mercedes.

The 2020 Formula One World Championship season will resume on August 2 at Silverstone Circuit in Great Britain for the British Grand Prix followed by the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, which will also run at Silverstone on August 9.

Austin Hill claims Race One at Kansas

By
Briar Starr
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Austin Hill celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Kansas 200 at Kansas Speedway on July 24, 2020. Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images.

In a historic doubleheader weekend at Kansas Speedway, Austin Hill and his No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises team grabbed the checkered flag after leading a race-high 65 laps. The Georgian led the last 39 laps en route to his first win of the 2020 Truck Series season.

“This is awesome and we’ve been working so hard for this,” Hill said. “Last week was a bummer having engine troubles and I told the guys before coming here, let’s go finish three spots better and I’ll be dang if we didn’t do it. Can’t thank everybody enough at HRE, Scott (Zipadelli, crew chief) and the guys, they work their tails off week in and week out. First win with the United Rentals paint scheme and that’s awesome, they’ve been a tremendous partner for me throughout my career. I’ve been wanting to get a win with these colors on and I’m so glad I was able to do it. That last pit stop, I tried to brake check a little bit and got out in fourth because I wanted to be in the high lane. I got tagged from behind, that was my fault and I apologize to Brett (Moffitt) when he hit me. I had it for Scott and the guys, they now have to replace the bumper to get ready for tomorrow. But I think the win was worth it.”

Stages consisting of 30, 30 and 74 laps made up the 134-lap event, which is shorter than last year’s event by about 33 laps. Christian Eckes was on the pole via a random draw based on owner points.

Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 30

Early on in the going Brett Moffitt and Todd Gilliland both led laps before Moffitt broke away from the battle. However, the first caution of the night flew on Lap 18 when Robby Lyons spun off Turn 4. Just before the yellow, Tyler Ankrum in the No. 26 experienced trouble with his brakes. Ankrum would return to the race, albeit 22 laps down, but eventually finished 33rd in the running order.

A restart came on Lap 23 with about eight to go in the first stage. Despite early battles and a couple of cautions, Moffitt held on to win the first stage. Hill, Ross Chastain, Gilliland, Matt Crafton, Derek Kraus, Eckes, Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes and Sheldon Creed were the top 10 finishers.

Stage 2: Lap 36- Lap 60

Just 25 laps would make up the second stage and it was caution-free. There were, however, multiple battles for position including a close moment between Crafton and Kraus off Turn 2 at Lap 39.

The lead swapped three times between Rhodes, Eckes, and Hill throughout the 25 lapper in Stage 2. Hill would eventually maintain the lead on Lap 41 and led for 23 laps. Right around 10 to go, Stewart Friesen, in his No. 52 Halmar Racing Toyota, had a right-rear tire go down which forced him to make a pit stop. Unfortunately, Friesen’s night continued to get worse and he would wind up placing in the 27th position.

When the green-checkered flew on Lap 60, it was Hill in the No. 16 who got the stage victory. Rhodes, Smith, Majeski, Kraus, Eckes, Chastain, Creed, Jones, and Moffitt wrapped up the top 10.

Stage 3: Lap 66 – Lap 134

Stage 3 provided a little more action than the first two stages.

With 53 to go, Korbin Forrister in the No. 7 machine, wrecked off Turn 4 slowing the field for the fourth and what would be the final time of the night. As the caution flew, this allowed race teams to take advantage of strategy as they chose to come down pit road for fresh tires. However, Gilliland who had a great run early got busted on pit road for an uncontrolled tire resulting in a penalty and was sent to the rear for the restart.

The restart came with 48 to go and once the field got going again, a great battle for the lead was seen. Moffitt, Hill, Crafton, and the No. 98 of Enfinger challenged for the top spot. During that initial battle, Chastain experienced difficulty with a flat right rear tire. The troubles continued to get worse for the No. 40 Niece Motorsports entry as Chastain pulled the truck behind the wall.

Out of the four drivers that swapped the lead, Moffitt led four laps and Crafton only one, but ultimately it was Hill that checked out on Lap 96. And just like Atlanta, Hill hoped there would not be any cautions late in the going. But a close moment between Spencer Davis and Jordan Anderson came with five to go when the two collided off Turn 4. Fortunately for Hill, the yellow would not fly and he could keep his three-second lead over second-place Moffitt.

In the end, Hill proved unbeatable as he piloted the No. 16 Toyota to victory lane for the first time this year and the fifth time of his career.

“Really, those last 20 laps felt like they went on forever,” Hill said about the last closing laps. “I started thinking, what am I going to do when a caution comes out. Am I going to choose the outside or inside lane and how hard do I drive it into the corner on old tires, just a lot of things were going through my head. I’m glad we didn’t have to do a green-white-checkered and finish it just ended like it did. The United Rentals Toyota Tundra was really fast tonight. We do have some work for tomorrow. It felt like on the long run we were just way too free. I had to really pedal it through the corner, but were good enough tonight.”

The victory snapped a six month winless streak for Hill and company. Hill led four times for 65 laps and picked up six playoff points.

There were four cautions for 19 laps and 17 lead changes among eight different leaders.

Official Results

  1. Austin Hill, won Stage 2, led 65 laps
  2. Brett Moffitt, won Stage 1, led 21 laps
  3. Grant Enfinger
  4. Matt Crafton, led two laps
  5. Derek Kraus
  6. Zane Smith, led 17 laps
  7. Ben Rhodes, led three laps
  8. Sheldon Creed
  9. Johnny Sauter
  10. Todd Gilliland
  11. Ty Majeski
  12. Brennan Poole
  13. Christian Eckes
  14. Brandon Jones
  15. Chase Purdy
  16. Raphael Lessard
  17. Austin Wayne Self
  18. Tanner Gray
  19. Timmy Hill, 1 lap down
  20. Cory Roper, 1 lap down
  21. Natalie Decker, 1 lap down
  22. Tate Fogleman, 1 lap down
  23. Spencer Boyd, 1 lap down
  24. Codie Rohrbaugh, 1 lap down
  25. Dawson Cram, 1 lap down
  26. Robby Lyons, 2 laps down
  27. Stewart Friesen, 2 laps down
  28. Clay Greenfield, 2 laps down
  29. Spencer Davis, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
  30. Jordan Anderson, 5 laps down
  31. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 6 laps down
  32. Ray Ciccarelli, 13 laps down
  33. Tyler Ankrum, 22 laps down
  34. Ross Chastain, OUT, Brakes
  35. Korbin Forrister, OUT, Crash
  36. Norm Benning, OUT, Handling
  37. Bryan Dauzat, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
  38. Kevin Donahue, OUT, Power Steering

Up Next: The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series stays at Kansas Speedway for race No. 2, with a green flag scheduled for 1:45 p.m./ET live on Fox Sports 1.

2020 Cup Playoff outlook after Kansas

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images.

With seven races remaining until the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs commences, the battle for the final six vacant spots within the top-16 cutline has changed course yet again. Following Thursday night’s Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway, some on the bubble had good nights and kept themselves in contention for the postseason while others struggled and are setting their focus towards next weekend in making up the points lost.

Ten Cup competitors are still guaranteed a spot to this year’s postseason battle for the championship. This includes Denny Hamlin, who earned his fifth win of 2020 at Kansas as he continues to pursue his first Cup championship. Among others who are guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs include Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon and rookie Cole Custer.

The first winless competitor who is inside the top-16 cutline continues to be Aric Almirola. For Almirola, who started third based on a random draw, it was another strong night for the Floridian and his No. 10 Smithfield/Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team as he finished in the top 10 in both stages, racked up a handful of stage points and survived the late calamity to finish sixth for his best result at Kansas, the same track where he suffered a compression fracture to his T5 Vertebra following his harrowing accident in 2017. While it was another week without a win, the sixth-place result marked Almirola’s 11th top-10 result of the season, eighth in a row, as he is 134 points above the cutline.

“I’m pretty eager to get a W,” Almirola said. “Man, this race team’s being doing a great job. We’ve been running really good. A long time ago, I would’ve gave anything to just run top 10 every week and run like we’ve been running. When you start tasting victory and you run upfront, you race around those guys, you wanna seal the deal and go to Victory Lane, but tonight, we were just a little bit off. We didn’t have as good of a car compared to the field as we have the last several weeks. Proud of my guys. We just keep chipping away at it, we keep building up that points buffer to the cutoff, which is nice, but now, we’re ready to go get a W and get some bonus points for the Playoffs. So, I think we’re capable and we got a really good race team.”

Next up are the Busch brothers. For Kyle, who started eighth, the majority of the race had him and his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry towards the front and battling for the lead. After winning the first stage and leading 52 laps, Busch appeared to have a top-five run and even, a late charge for the win established until he made contact with the wall nearing 40 laps remaining. The contact forced Busch to pit under green as he lost a lap to the leaders during his stop. Following two late cautions, however, Busch was able to race his way back onto the lead lap. For the remainder of the race, he worked his way from the top 20 to finish in 11th. Despite remaining winless through the first half of the 2020 season, the reigning Cup Series champion is 120 points above the top-16 cutline.

“That wasn’t the finish this M&M’S Fudge Brownie Camry deserved today,” Kyle Busch said. “We were tight most of the race and I just got into the wall there. We are making progress and think we showed that tonight. We will go back, get ready and head to New Hampshire next week.”

For Kurt Busch, who started ninth, Thursday’s race at Kansas was a race where the 2004 Cup champion struggled with adjustments around the track and keeping pace with the leaders, though he remained within sight of the top 10. After finishing in the top 15 the first two stages, Busch battled loose conditions, but was able to work his way into the top 10 in the final laps. He was able to gain one additional spot on track before the checkered flag flew to finish in ninth for his 12th top-10 result of this season. With the finish, Busch and his No. 1 Monster Energy/Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team are 119 points above the cutline.

“The car was a little tough at times throughout the race,” Kurt Busch said. “We struggled on some of the restarts with tires on heat cycles, but thanks to my guys on this Monster Energy Chevy. We battled hard together and never gave up on working to make it better and try to find the sweetest spot to run. We just need to keep after it and turn these top 10’s into better results.”

For Clint Bowyer, there is no place like home as the Emporia, Kansas, native arrived back at his home track with an opportunity of locking up a spot in the Playoffs for himself and his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team. The Cup race on Thursday at Kansas, however, was a difficult one for Bowyer, who started 19th, struggled with handling issues, finished outside the top 15 in both stages, sustained minimal damage from a late multi-car wreck and could only work his way up to 14th when the race concluded. The one positive Bowyer was able to walk away with following the race at Kansas was being 42 points above the cutline.

“Man, we were so loose in the first two stages,” Bowyer said. “We worked hard on it and got it better in the final stage. I don’t know how the heck I didn’t wreck in that [Lap 177] big wreck. We got some damage then we dodged a couple more [wrecks] after that. It was a tough race, but nobody on our One Cure team gave up and our pit crew helped us out a bunch tonight. It’s good to be back in the top 12 in points. That will help our qualifying spot in New Hampshire. It’s always good to be back home in Kansas. I just wish we could have had the fans here tonight. We really missed them and ready to get them back to the track.”

Unlike Bowyer, Matt DiBenedetto and his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Mustang team were not so fortunate after a late accident cost the driver and the team a handful of points in remaining inside the top-16 cutline. The first half of the race saw DiBenedetto appearing in and out of the top 10 after starting 12th, though he remained poised and in contention for a decent finish. That all came to a crashing halt around 100 laps remaining when he got hit by two cars on the backstretch and made hard contact with the outside wall as he was involved in a multi-car wreck. The damage was beyond repairable for the No. 21 team as DiBenedetto sustained his first DNF of the season and his fourth result outside the top 20. The silver lining for DiBenedetto is the picture of being 35 points above the cutline.

“I couldn’t tell what was going on,” DiBenedetto said. “I just tried to go low. I saw guys checked up off of [Turn] 2. I didn’t see it. I just got clipped in the right side. Nothing I could do different. I am not going to lie. I am pretty frickin irritated. We have had garbage luck the last couple of weeks.”

With a 10th-place result on Thursday night at Kansas that included one of his best performances this season, William Byron drew himself back inside the cutline. Starting 15th and racing with interim crew chief/veteran Keith Rodden, the Charlotte native struggled on restarts and could not keep pace with the leaders throughout the first two stages. The final stage was where Byron and the No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team appeared poised for the win as he remained on track on old tires and low fuel in the closing laps, a move that worked to his advantage as he led 27 laps in total. Following a pair of late restarts, however, Byron lost track positions to competitors running on four fresh tires and he was able to hang on to finish 10th when the checkered flag flew. With his sixth top-10 result of this season, Byron holds sole possession of the 16th and final spot to the Playoffs by 10 points.

“It was a solid finish for us – we needed that for sure for the playoffs,” Byron said. “We started the race way off. We were really loose – just really struggling. The guys, Keith and everybody made a lot of great adjustments throughout the race. It really got us in a position where we could attack. As soon as we got probably 10 laps on our tires, the car felt pretty good. We just stayed out there on no tires, really ran there with [Keselowski] and was able to pass him back for the lead. I thought we were looking really good. Unfortunately, the two tires didn’t really work out for us there at the end. I think we just had too many laps on the left side and struggled there.”

The first Cup competitor who is a spot below the cutline is rookie Tyler Reddick. Coming off a career-best runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway, Reddick, who started 23rd, rocketed his way towards the front as he finished sixth in the first stage. He went on to finish 15th in the second stage while fighting grip and loose conditions to his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. While Reddick had a strong car throughout the race at Kansas, he struggled with balance in the final stage and just missed out for a top-10 result as he settled in 13th when the checkered flag flew. The top-15 finish, nonetheless, allowed Reddick to draw himself to be 10 points below the cutline.

“We had a fast No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet on the long runs tonight at Kansas Speedway,” Reddick said. “We just needed a little more on the short runs. It was a tale of two extremes almost, where we fired off extremely loose but about halfway through the race built way too tight. I was able to run the top during Stage 1 before anyone else really could, and that allowed us to climb well up into the top 10 to get some valuable stage points. As the night went on and our car got tighter, I wasn’t able to run up there as well and had to search around for speed to try to keep up with the changing track conditions. Luckily, we were able to avoid a handful of wrecks during Stage 3 and started to climb back up through the field once we were able to loosen our Chevrolet back up a little bit. In the end, we just needed a couple more longer runs to really be able to get back into the top 10 tonight.”

Trailing behind him is Erik Jones, who needed another strong run in his hopes of making his third consecutive postseason appearance. Starting 21st, Jones was able to carve his way towards the front and notch a 10th-place result in the first stage to collect a valuable stage point. From there, Jones kept himself in contention towards the top 10 and following a series of late cautions and multi-car wrecks, Jones and his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry team were able to drive their way into the top five and finish fifth. The top-five result was Jones’ fifth of this season and first since finishing third at Pocono Raceway in June. The finish also allowed the Michigan native to cut his deficit from the top-16 cutline in half from 24 to 12.

“This is what we needed; we needed a really good points day,” Jones said. “It kind of seems like we’ve been in this spot the last couple of years unfortunately. It feels good to climb out of it. The Reser’s Camry was really good. We started really deep and just could never quite get up to the front and get some clean air. I kind of made a mistake on that last restart, I was trying to push too hard to get to the outside and gave up some ground there on those guys and had to make that back up. Good effort. Pit crew did good and the team gave me a good car. We just have to keep doing that and keep wracking these points up and hopefully get a win.”

The competitor who took the biggest hit in the points following Kansas was Jimmie Johnson. Starting 20th, Johnson was able to methodically work his way towards the top 10 and remain poised for a decent result following a dismal run the previous race at Texas Motor Speedway. Everything changed with approximately 100 laps remaining when Johnson was involved in a multi-car wreck on the backstretch and sustained significant damage to his No. 48 Ally/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. While Johnson’s crew tried to repair the No. 48 machine to keep the seven-time Cup champion in contention for the remainder of the race, he was unable to meet the minimum speed requirement to continue with the repairs and was forced to end his race in the garage and in 32nd place, his sixth result this season outside the top 20. Prior to Kansas, Johnson was two points above the top-16 cutline. After Kansas, he is 18 points below the cutline and in jeopardy of missing the Playoffs for the second year in a row and in his final full-time Cup season.

Another competitor who had a disappointing run at Kansas was Bubba Wallace. Starting 17th, Wallace’s troubles started at the 100-lap mark, when he spun entering Turn 4. More than 70 laps later, Wallace’s race went from bad to worse when he could not avoid a spinning Matt Kenseth entering Turn 4 and broke a right-front suspension during the wrecking process. The damage was enough to terminate Wallace’s long night in the garage as he is 100 points below the cutline.

Like Johnson and Wallace, Chris Buescher had a dismal run at Kansas. Starting 13th, Buescher’s troubles started under the competition caution when he was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation during his pit stop and was sent to the rear of the field for the ensuing restart. On Lap 143, he spun in Turn 2, but was able to recover. He was not, however, able to avoid a vicious multi-car wreck with less than 90 laps remaining that involved his teammate Ryan Newman and ex-teammate Ryan Preece. The damage to the front of Buescher’s No. 17 Fifth Third Bank/Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang was enough to end his race in the garage and in 33rd place for his ninth finish outside the top 20. The run at Kansas has Buescher 107 below the cutline.

Other competitors who continue to trail the top-16 cutline by deficits of 111 points or more include Michael McDowell, rookie Christopher Bell, rookie John Hunter Nemechek, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Newman, Ty Dillon, Matt Kenseth, Corey LaJoie, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Preece, rookie Brennan Poole and rookie Quin Houff.

The battle for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will continue next Sunday, August 2, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Preview – Kansas

By
Briar Starr
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During the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Digital Ally 250 at Kansas Speedway on May 10, 2019. Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images.

For the first time this season, the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will take on Kansas Speedway in a doubleheader. It’s also the first time in event history that Kansas Speedway will hold two back-to-back Truck Series races.

Originally, this event was slated to take place back in May on the planned schedule but COVID-19 forced series officials to change the date. Kansas gets two Truck Series races, as the races at Chicagoland Speedway, this year were canceled due to rising COVID cases. Therefore, one of the races will make up the Chicago race while the other will serve as the May event. It’s certainly strange times, but that just means more Truck Series racing.

Just 38 Trucks will take the field when the green flag flies on Friday and Saturday night. For Friday night’s event, Christian Eckes drew the pole via random draw based on the top 12 in owner points. When Saturday’s event gets underway, the top 15 will be inverted based on Friday’s finish.

The starting lineup for Friday’s event can be found here.

Keeping that in mind, we’ll highlight five drivers who just might end up in victory lane both days.

  1. Brett Moffitt – This season has been an uncharacteristic one for the 2018 Truck Series champion. Only two top fives and four top 10 finishes out of eight races. Though, Kansas could be a place he could get a strong run for his No. 24 GMS Racing team. In his first outing last year with GMS, the Iowa native started fourth, but disappointingly finished eighth after leading eight laps. Despite that, Moffitt placed second in both stages. Not only did Moffitt get stage points last year, but he’s been able to finish inside the top 10 for stages since 2017 at Kansas, even with the now defunct Red Horse Racing team.
  2. Grant Enfinger – The Alabama native only has three starts dating back to 2017, but has had respectable finishes of 11th, 8th and 7th. An argument could be made that those finishes have been disappointing, as in two out of those three races he led laps and grabbed top-10 stage finishes. In addition, Enfinger has led a combined 61 laps including last year, where he led 47 out of the 167 laps. While he’s still trying to find victory lane, you can count on Enfinger getting solid stage points. Since 2017, the ThorSport driver has managed to finish inside the top 10 in all stages, which is really impressive. Enfinger and the No. 98 team seems to be a solid value pick for Friday or Saturday.
  3. Brandon Jones – The Pocono winner is back in the field this week replacing Team Owner Kyle Busch in the famed No. 51 Toyota Tundra. Jones has three starts in the Truck Series at Kansas Speedway with a best finish of fifth in last year’s outing, which also came in the Kyle Busch Motorsports Tundra. Jones himself also has had some success at the 1.5-mile speedway. He found himself in victory lane last October for his first Xfinity Series win as well. Even though Jones has seen success in the Truck Series, Kyle Busch Motorsports has been impressive over the last few years. In 2017, team owner Busch swept the stages and won the outing, while in 2018, now Xfinity Series driver Noah Gragson, got to victory lane after sweeping both stages in that event. Last year, KBM’s sweep of winning stages was broken but the team still finished in the top 10 in the running order. After a rough stretch of races for Jones in the Xfinity Series, he could use some momentum and a victory could help him in that regard.
  4. Stewart Friesen – Redemption for Friesen? Kansas has been hit or miss for the No. 52 Halmar Racing team. The Canadian has three starts, scoring a best finish of third in the 2018 race after leading six laps. Last year, he led a race-high 87 laps and won both of the stages, before falling short with the late-race restart and settling for a disappointing 15th place, one lap down. So far in 2020, Friesen has not been as hot, with only one top-five and four top 10 finishes. Last year when the season ended, he wound up with two wins, 12 top fives, and 16 top 10 finishes along with one pole. Friesen currently sits outside the Playoffs in the 13th position. If the Halmar team has any hope of making the Playoffs, then they really need to get going and capitalize on the doubleheader.
  5. Christian Eckes – Eckes has been strong as of late and even lit the world up in last weekend’s outing at Texas Motor Speedway. He came home in the second-place position in the running order, although it was somewhat disappointing after the New York native led 52 laps. However, Eckes can look at the bright side of that finish since the No. 18 team will be starting on the pole based on the random draw. While he’ll be making his first Truck Series start, Eckes does have experience at the 1.5-mile speedway by competing in the ARCA Menards Series finale last October, the site of his race-winning championship. Even though ARCA cars are drastically different than Truck Series vehicles, the No. 18 team seems to be gaining momentum as of late. In addition, he’ll have a good chance of doing so as Eckes will be piloting chassis “KBM-038.” The chassis has been victorious for the KBM team by collecting six victories including a race-winning victory by Noah Gragson in 2018 at Kansas.

Kansas Speedway has hosted 19 Truck Series events dating back to 2001. The late Ricky Hendrick was the first winner of this event back in 2001 after he started second and led 32 laps.

Over time, there has been a slew of different winners. They include Mike Bliss, Jon Wood, Carl Edwards, Todd Bodine, Terry Cook, Erik Darnell, Ron Hornaday Jr, Mike Skinner, Johnny Sauter, Clint Bowyer, James Buescher, Matt Crafton, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Noah Gragson, and Ross Chastain.

Busch, Gragson and Friesen have all won stages since 2017 when stages were implemented.

Busch and Crafton are the only race winners with multiple victories. Busch will not be competing this weekend, as the KBM Team Owner completed his five-race schedule for 2020. This leaves last year’s Truck Series champion Matt Crafton, the only two-time Kansas winner in the field.

With that in mind, track position will be important here as no one who has started outside the top 10 has won the race. In fact, the lowest a race winner has ever started was 10th (three times, 2005, 2007, 2017). The race has been won from the pole three times, in 2008, 2014, and 2018.

In regards to manufacturers, Chevrolet got their first victory in 2001 with Ricky Hendrick. Ford grabbed the victory in 2003 with Jon Wood and Toyota in 2005 with Todd Bodine. Overall, Toyota has the most victories with eight, Chevrolet seven and Ford with four.

The most ever lead changes were 22 which took place in last year’s outing. The least amount of lead changes saw was seven, in 2005 and 2009.

Stages 30/30/74 will make up the 134-lap distance in both Friday and Saturday events.

Both Truck Series events can be found live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio. The green flag for Friday’s event is 7:15 p.m. ET with Saturday’s race slated for 1:45 p.m. ET.

Since the time of this writing, it has been announced Travis Pastrana would make his NASCAR return, piloting the No. 40 Niece Motorsports machine replacing Ross Chastain by doing so. In addition, Reaume Brothers Racing has added Ryan Huff to the entry list for the Saturday afternoon event.

SS GreenLight Racing – NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Speedway – Kansas Lottery 250

By
Official Release
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Fast Facts
No. 08 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy | Core Development | EAT SLEEP RACE
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Patrick Donahue
Starting Position for Kansas Lottery 250: 34th (Random Draw)
Driver Points Position: 21st
Owner Points Position: 26th
Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 711; competed last at Texas Motor Speedway on July 18, 2020 (Start: 25th | Finish: 21st)
Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 250 will mark the first time this particular chassis has competed at Kansas Speedway.
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)

Notes of Interest:

Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy will continue its role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 08 Chevrolet Camaro. Kansas is the ninth race in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.
Bucked Up is the everyman (or woman) energy drink. We don’t care about the color of your collar; whether blue or white, we all require energy to power our days. We want something that tastes like success, enhances mood and focus, and most of all, delivers long-lasting energy.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 60 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.

Career Best Finish At Kentucky!: Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Joe Graf Jr., tied his career-best finish for the third time during the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season two weeks ago at Kentucky Speedway when the Mahwah, N.J. native finished 13th.

He also finished 13th at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Jun. 1, 2020 and at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Jun. 14, 2020.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Kansas Speedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in Saturday afternoon’s Kansas Lottery 250 at Kansas Speedway.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Intermediate Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 23.2 and an average result of 20.0

Joe Graf Jr. ARCA Menards Series Kansas Speedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. has two ARCA Menards Series starts at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway from 2018-2019.

He earned a track-best of ninth last October driving the No. 77 EAT SLEEP RACE Ford Fusion after starting 21st.

Joe Graf Jr. ARCA Menards Series Career Intermediate Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in eight ARCA Menards Series races. He holds an average starting position of 11.8 and an average result of 12.9.

Despite 39 starts in the ARCA Menards Series between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Graf Jr. never made a start at Kentucky Speedway. However, in his last ARCA Menards Series race, he finished ninth after starting 21st at Kansas Speedway in October 2019, a track with similar characteristics to Kentucky Speedway.

Did You Know?: While NASCAR Xfinity Series competition was idle during the coronavirus pandemic for two months, Joe Graf Jr. got busy.

Whether it was working out, spending time on iRacing in the Pro Series Invitational or Saturday Night Thunder, Graf recently gave an insider view on how his quarantine went and offered even a little insight on himself as a person.

Click here to watch video.

From The Pit Box: Industry veteran Patrick Donahue is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief. He will crew chief his 169th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon. In his previous 168 races, he has two wins, eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes to his resume.

He has four prior Xfinity races as crew chief at Kansas Speedway with a best finish of 15th in October 2018 with Joey Gase.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.

Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:

On Texas Motor Speedway: “We had a much better No. 08 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet than our finish showed. Our strategy near the end of the race didn’t work out exactly as planned, but that happens.

“Still, I learned a lot in my Texas Motor Speedway debut and hope that experience will be beneficial for our return later this year.”

On Kansas Speedway: “I’m looking forward to Kansas Speedway this weekend. I have two prior starts there in ARCA. I know the cars are different, but it helps going to a track that you have prior experience at – even if the vehicles are different.

“We didn’t get a good draw in qualifying, so we have a long way to go, but if we practice patience and let the race come to us, hopefully, we can come out of there with a good finish to carry us into the off weekend.”

On Reaching Halfway Point of 2020: “It’s hard to believe that with the pandemic and everything, we’re at the halfway point of 2020. I’ve learned a lot in the first half and I’ve set what I think are obtainable goals for the rest of the year.

“I feel like we’ve made some huge strides with our No. 08 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet and as long as we continue to make gains, we are going in the right direction.”

Race Information:

The Kansas Lottery 250 (167 laps | 250.5 miles) is the 17th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2020 schedule. The 37-car field will take the green flag shortly after 4:00 p.m. on Sat., Jul. 18, 2020 with live coverage on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Central).

About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing has been a developmental hub for drivers looking to climb the ranks. Led by owner and former driver Bobby Dotter, the team has fielded entries in either the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

Coming off a successful 2019 Xfinity campaign, SS GreenLight Racing looks to build further momentum with their two-car program in 2020.

Ty Majeski – Kansas 200 – Double Header Race Advance

By
Official Release
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Team: No. 45 Studio 45 Trackside Tavern Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ty Majeski
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @TyMajeski

Ty Majeski on Racing at Kansas: “I have a decent amount of experience at Kansas and have really enjoyed racing at this track,” said Majeski. “It’s going to be interesting to see how everything plays out going into our first double header in the Truck Series. We haven’t put together the races we know we’re capable of yet, but I think we’re getting stronger. I know Phil and everyone at Niece Motorsports is working hard to get the most speed out of our Chevrolets as possible.”

Majeski at Kansas: Saturday night’s race at Kansas Speedway marks Majeski’s first NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile track.

The Wisconsin-native has one NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Kansas Speedway, an eighth-place result coming in 2018.

In addition, Majeski has three ARCA Racing Series starts at Kansas Speedway, with two top-five and three top-15 finishes. His best finish of second came in 2017.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2020, Niece Motorsports enters its fifth season in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel / lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

2021 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA Set for Jan. 30-31

By
Official Release
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  • Race Begins Season for IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
  • BMW Endurance Challenge on Jan. 29 Opens IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Season
  • Roar Before the Rolex 24 Shifts Date to Jan. 22-24; Kicks off Two Weekends of IMSA Action

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 22, 2020) – The 59th running of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, North America’s most prestigious sports car race, will be held on Jan. 30-31, 2021 at Daytona International Speedway to open the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

In addition, the annual “Roar Before the Rolex 24” preseason test sessions shifts to a new date in 2021 – Jan. 22-24 (Friday-Sunday). Following the popular Roar schedule, IMSA teams are set to remain at the track through the Rolex 24 Weekend. They are scheduled to participate in fan-focused events celebrating the start of the IMSA season at ONE DAYTONA, the lifestyle and entertainment destination located directly across International Speedway Blvd. from Daytona International Speedway.

The Rolex 24 was first held as a three-hour event in 1962, then known as the Daytona Continental. It has become renowned for annually attracting many of the world’s finest race car drivers – from various racing disciplines – to make history against the world’s best sports car racers. Historically, drivers from NASCAR, INDYCAR and Formula 1 have joined teams for “one-off” efforts. Past Rolex 24 At DAYTONA champions include four-time NASCAR Cup Series and three-time DAYTONA 500 champion Jeff Gordon, five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon and two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso. Dixon co-drove to his third Rolex 24 title this past January.

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship currently features competition in four classes: the headlining Daytona Prototype international class (DPi), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD). On Friday, Jan. 29 – prior to the Saturday-Sunday, twice-around-the-clock Rolex 24 – the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season will begin with the four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge. The full listing of racing action includes:

  • Jan. 22-24: Roar Before the Rolex 24
  • Jan. 29: BMW Endurance Challenge
  • Jan. 30-31: Rolex 24 At DAYTONA

Tickets for the 2021 Rolex 24 Weekend will go on sale Tuesday, September 8 at 9 a.m., while guests from 2020 will receive their renewal information in early August. Any guest with a multi-day ticket to the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA will have access to the Roar preseason test sessions. The Roar weekend will play host to Scout Days again in 2021.

Tickets for all Daytona International Speedway events can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat, and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest speedway news throughout the season.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Kansas

By
Official Release
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Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Kansas Speedway
Race: Super Start Batteries 400
Date: July 23, 2020
____________________________________

No. 2 Wabash Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 7th
Stage 1: 5th
Stage 2: 1st – Fifth stage win of the season
Finish: 2nd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 267/267
Laps Led: 30
Point Standings (behind first): 2nd (-97)

Notes:

Brad Keselowski won a stage and led 30 laps on his way to a second-place finish Thursday night at Kansas Speedway. Keselowski grabbed his fifth stage win of the 2020 season and racked up his seventh top-five finish. The driver of the Wabash Ford Mustang is second in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 97 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Keselowski started seventh and was loose throughout much of Stage 1. He and crew chief Jeremy Bullins improved the balance on the No. 2 Mustang and scored a fifth-place finish when the segment ended on lap 80. Keselowski pitted during the stage caution on lap 83 for four tires and a chassis adjustment and restarted fourth when the race went green on lap 86.

Armed with a better handling Mustang, Keselowski ran inside the top-five throughout Stage 2. Bullins made the call for right-side tires during a stop under caution on lap 101, which gave Keselowski the lead before he settled into fifth. Another caution on lap 142 set up a round of stops two laps later. Bullins this time called for four tires and Keselowski restarted eighth with 12 laps to go in the stage. Keselowski used the fresher tires to power through the field and pass Ryan Blaney with two laps to go to win the stage.

The third and final stage was a chaotic, with six cautions in the final 100 laps and three-wide racing on each restart that followed. But Keselowski remained a fixture in the top-five. He took the lead from William Bryon on lap 206 and led the next 15 laps. He was running second when a caution on lap 234 gave him the chance to pit one final time for four tires and a chassis adjustment. Keselowski restarted fourth on lap 245 and made it to second place but couldn’t track down Denny Hamlin in the closing laps.

Quotes: “I thought Denny (Hamlin) and I were probably pretty close to equal the second half of the night. It was just a matter of who got out in front. We didn’t get out in front on the restarts there and he was able to take advantage and bring home the win. All in all, it was still a really good day for our Wabash Ford Mustang.”

_______________________________________________

No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 4th
Stage 1: 4th
Stage 2: 2nd
Finish: 20th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 266/267
Laps Led: 14
Point Standings (Behind First): 3rd (-100)

Notes:

Ryan Blaney started fourth and finished 20th in Thursday’s 400-mile race at Kansas Speedway. The driver of the DEX Imaging Ford Mustang ran in the top-five much of the race until contact with the outside wall and unscheduled pit stop on lap 226 ruined his night.

Blaney started fourth and would quickly work his way to second by lap two behind teammate Joey Logano. He would remain there until the lap 25 competition caution. Blaney would pit for four tires and an air pressure adjustment on lap 27. He would restart third and fall back to fourth shortly thereafter. He would remain in that position until the end of the stage on lap 80.

Stage 2 began with Blaney restarting sixth. After working his way back to third he would fall back to fourth after being passed by Denny Hamlin. On lap 131 he would pass teammate Brad Keselowski for third. A pit stop under caution would see Blaney take two right-side tires and come out with the race lead. He would hold on to the lead until the final lap of Stage 2 when Keselowski passed him for the lead, and he would settle for a second-place finish in Stage 2.

Blaney would restart third for the final stage. After working his way back to as high as third, he would pit under caution for two right-side tires again. Unfortunately, the DEX Imaging Ford would begin to slide through the field and shortly after Blaney would contact the Turn 1 wall causing a flat tire and unscheduled pit stop. The Todd Gordon led crew would make repairs and Blaney would cross the line in 20th-place.
Blaney now sits third in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, 100 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Quote: “We had a decent DEX Imaging Ford today. We were loose most of the race and tried to get the car tighten up with the track conditions constantly changing. Unfortunately, I got in the wall and we had to make an unscheduled stop. We’ll put this behind us and move on to New Hampshire next week.”

___________________________________

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 2nd
Stage 1: 17th
Stage 2: 11th
Finish: 35th
Status: Accident
Laps Completed: 176/267
Laps Led: 27
Point Standings (Behind First): 6th (-154)

Notes:

Joey Logano started second and finished 34th on Sunday afternoon after a lap 175 incident after suffering a flat left front tire just after a restart in the final stage. Logano took the lead on the opening lap and led 27 laps prior to pitting at the competition caution. A pit road penalty set the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang deep in the field and put Logano on offense the remainder of the night, reclaiming position inside the top-10 just before the race-ending accident.

After starting the race second, Logano claimed the lead on the opening lap, leading the event until the lap 25 competition caution when the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang pitted for four tires and adjustments on the loose handling condition. Unfortunately, Logano was sent to the back for the restart for an uncontrolled tire penalty and would have to race forward with only 50 laps remaining in the stage. Logano was able to race back inside the top-20, finishing 17th at the end of the stage.
Through the second stage, Logano was able to rebound inside the top-10 but finished the stage in the 11th position, continuing to battle a loose handling condition in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Mustang.

As the third stage began, Logano was able to make aggressive moves and work to the eighth position. Just prior to the restart, Logano reported something felt awry on the left front of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Mustang. Unfortunately, when the race resumed, the left front tire went flat and Logano made hard contact exiting turn 2, destroying the right front suspension and ending the team’s night.

Quote: “You are coming to the green and swerving your tires and something feels funny and you just aren’t sure. I was pretty sure coming off of two and it loaded up and got on the splitter. Just a bummer. I felt like we got our Shell Pennzoil Mustang pretty good that last run. We felt loose that whole time but the last run we were close to where we needed to be. I wish we could have finished it out because I feel like we would have had something.”

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