Stewart Haas Racing is moving forward since their inception in 2009. They have moved from a two car team to a three car team. Owner, Tony Stewart, has added arguably the most popular driver in the sport. There is a lot of pressure on this team this year. Can they live up to the hype of the dominate three car team? Can they compete with the Hendricks, Roush, and Joe Gibbs Racing of the world? Can Tony Stewart get back to his championship ways? Can Ryan Newman rebound from a sub par season in 2012? Can Danica not let the relationship with fellow rookie of the year contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr. effect her? Will the Kevin Harvick to SHR in 2014 distract the team this year?
36 races. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is in the books. NASCAR has crowned a new champion and for the first time in 7 years, the champions name isn’t Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson.
On Sunday evening it was Brad Keselowski who hoisted the Sprint Cup after finishing fifteenth in the Ford EcoBoost 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway beating Jimmie Johnson, who ended up finishing the season in third place, by 40 points. Read the rest of this entry »
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, celebrates with a burnout after winning the series championship and finishing in fifteenth place for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2012 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)
The final race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and all eyes were on Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson on Sunday for the Ford EcoBoot 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. However, it wasn’t the drama that many thought it would be.
Neither driver took the checkered flag at the end of the 267 laps, though.
Johnson’s teammate and car owner, Jeff Gordon found himself in Gatorade Victory Lane. The win was his second of 2012, the other coming at a rain shortened Pocono Raceway back in August, as well as his first at the 1.5 mile track.
Speaking of Johnson, who entered the race trailing Keselowski by 20 points, fell out of the race with 40 laps remaining after an oil line issue on the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet. Read the rest of this entry »
Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas.
34 races down. 2 to go.
With the way Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson have been competing, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series may not be decided until the final lap at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
On Sunday, Jimmie Johnson showed the NASCAR world that he is ready to edge his name in the record book as he won his fifth race of the season, and the second in just a week, at Texas Motor Speedway. Johnson led 168 of the 334 scheduled laps to increase his points lead to seven points ahead of Brad Keselowski. This is the biggest points deficit Keselowski has faced since entering the chase. Aside from the points battle, the two drivers also battled on the track with eight laps to go, Keselowski’s Dodge made contact with Johnson’s Chevrolet battling for the lead. Read the rest of this entry »
Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR Jimmie Johnson celebrates with the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 28, 2012 in Ridgeway, Virginia.
Three races to go until NASCAR crowns a champion. It’s all come down to the driver from Rochester Hills, Michigan or the five-time champion from El Cajon, California, and with the way both drivers have been competing in this 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup we may not know until the final lap in Homestead-Miami.
On Sunday, Jimmie Johnson proved he is ready for another championship as he won his fourth race of the season at Martinsville Speedway. Johnson led 193 laps to become the points leader, just two points ahead of second place, Brad Keselowski. This was also the first race back for Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who missed the last two weeks after suffering a concussion at Talladega Speedway earlier this month. Read the rest of this entry »
Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 Zest Ford, celebrates with his wife Katie and their family in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 21, 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Six races down. Four to go. In just a few weeks NASCAR will crown a new Sprint Cup Series champ. Seems just the other day we were all counting down the days until the Daytona 500. This season has sure flown by.
On Sunday, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series made a stop at the newly paved Kansas Speedway. The winner was Matt Kenseth, who beat the second place finisher, by 0.495 seconds amidst a record-breaking 14 cautions. The win was Kenseth’s third of the season and second in three weeks. Kenseth, who will be leaving Roush-Fenway Racing at season’s end, definitely isn’t a lame duck in the Chase. Like much of the finishers, Kenseth definitely had a bumps and bruises on his No. 17 Zest Ford Fusion. Kenseth brushed the wall after Aric Almirola spun off turn two, trying to pass Mark Martin.
Clint Bowyer celebrates with team owner Michael Waltrip after Bowyer won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)
We are halfway in the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup. In just five weeks, we will crown a new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Will it be the driver from Michigan or will Jimmie Johnson win his sixth championship?
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stayed in their own backyard, Charlotte Motor Speedway, this weekend for some Saturday night racing. While it was the points leader, Brad Keselowski, who dominated much of the race, in the end it was Clint Bowyer who made it to victory lane. Bowyer had to have his Toyota pushed to victory lane after running out of gas. Read the rest of this entry »
Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 Ford Ecoboost/National Breast Cancer Foundation Ford, takes the checkered flag as he crosses the finish line under caution to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 7, 2012 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Six races to go.
Talladega can be crossed off the list in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. After yesterday’s wild finish at the 2.66 mile track, I know there are a lot of drivers who are glad to be out of the track in one piece. In case you don’t watch NASCAR, then you missed pure chaos and carnage going into the last lap. Instead of talking about it, I figured this video would help explain what happened. At the same time, I am sure this video gets NASCAR some more fans, who love to watch just got the wrecks; which is a shame.
Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 Ford Ecoboost/National Breast Cancer Foundation Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 7, 2012 in Talladega, Alabama.
Matt Kenseth, who had a dominant car on Sunday in the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, survived the big one to take the checkered flag for his second restrictor plate win of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The race was calm for the first part but turned into complete chaos and carnage going for the Green-White-Checkered. This is Kenseth’s 23rd career victory.
In what has been known as the “wild card’ event in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Talladega definitely lived up to expectations when at least 25 drivers, including several chase contenders were involved in the “big one” heading into turn four. Chase driver Tony Stewart was leading on the last lap but spun around when he made contact with Michael Waltrip, triggering the chaos. Read the rest of this entry »
Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 30, 2012 in Dover, Delaware.
Three races down. Seven more to go.
On Sunday, Brad Keselowski had just enough fuel to capture his second victory in three weeks. Today’s victory was his fifth of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season and his first at the 1-mile oval.
The confusing part of the race on Sunday was when the first caution came out on Lap 31 during green flag pit stops. Seven chase drivers were a lap down afterwards. By race end, only six cars were on the lead lap. Read the rest of this entry »
