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Matt Kenseth snatched the lead from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch with 13 laps to go and cruised to victory in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 from Darlington Raceway on Saturday night. Busch, who dominated the NASCAR Nationwide race the night before, dominated the Sprint Cup race leading 265 laps, but he ended up in sixth.

Kenseth, won with interim crew chief Wally Brown, who stepped in while Jason Ratcliff served a one-race suspension from when the No. 20 failed post race inspection at Kansas Speedway last month.

“This is a dream come true,” Kenseth shouted on his radio. “Thank you guys very much.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Last week at Kansas Speedway, we saw the race winner get stripped of everything but his STP 400 trophy. Will we see excitement of a different kind this weekend at Richmond International Raceway? This is after all the second night race of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and tempers have been flaring since the last short track.

Richmond International Raceway, or RIR has it is known, is a 3/4-mile, D-shaped, asphalt track located just outside of Richmond, Virginia.

And since we have seen the last three qualifying sessions break track record, I guess I should point out that Brian Vickers holds the qualifying record of 20.722 seconds, 129.983 mph from 2004.

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Kyle Busch celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Credit: Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images

While it was a Busch brother’s front row for the start of Saturday evening’s NRA 500 from Texas Motor Speedway, it was Kyle Busch who was celebrating in victory lane afterwards.

Busch took advantage of a late caution to regain the lead and held off a fast and thirsty for a win, Martin Truex, Jr., for the final 19 laps to win the NRA 500 and completing the weekend sweep.

This was the second time of the 2013 season and eighth in his career in which Busch has won the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup race in the same weekend.

“These guys have me a great (car), but if it wasn’t for my pit crew, the most awesome group ever,” said Busch.

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While last Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Martinsville Speedway was lackluster, the folks at Texas Motor Speedway promise to excite you. Of course the sun is hot in Texas during the day, but once the sun dims and the lights go on, there is another type of heat. Expect the first night race of the 2013 season, well the second if you count the Sprint Unlimited, to be a great one.

Texas Motor Speedway is 1.5 miles around and banked at 24 degrees in the turns and located in Fort Worth, Texas. The track layout is similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In this race last year, Greg Biffle was following behind Jimmie Johnson for much of the race, but when the time was ready, Biffle drove past Johnson and cruised away to snap a 49-race winless streak and denying Hendrick Motorsports another victory.

It’s a Busch brother’s front row for Saturday evening’s race, but it is younger brother, Kyle who will lead the field to green.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, poses with the Coors Light Pole Award after qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 12, 2013 in Fort Worth, Texas.

It’s a Busch brothers front row for Saturday’s NRA 500 from Texas Motor Speedway, as Kyle Busch bumped older brother Kurt from the pole in Friday night’s session.

With a lap of 196.299mph, 27.509 seconds, Kyle Busch was able to grab his second pole of the 2013 season and set a new track record in the process. Friday’s pole is also Busch’s first at TMS.

The last time the Busch brothers shared the front row was in 2009 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, their hometrack. Read the rest of this entry »

Kyle Busch celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 24, 2013 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Last Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin spun Joey Logano while he was racing Jeff Gordon for the lead. Hamlin claimed Logano had cut him off, and Logano vowed to get him back.

Cue to Sunday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana, were Hamlin and Logano were racing yet again for the lead when they got together coming out of corner and wrecking themselves.

“He probably shouldn’t have done what he did last week, so that’s what he gets,” Logano said. Read the rest of this entry »

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. (Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Welcome back NASCAR fans!

The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season got off to an interesting start last weekend in the Daytona, but Sunday afternoon’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 may start to shed some light on which top drivers are here to stay and battle it out in the Chase for the Sprint Cup later this season.

Phoenix International Raceway is a 1.0 mile tri-oval track that has produced some great racing in recent years.  Read the rest of this entry »

Brad Keselowski celebrates the 2012 Sprint Cup Series championship with a tall Miller Lite. Photo. This year, Keselowski will defend his title with a new manufacturer. Photo Courtesy; Todd Warshaw, Getty Images

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NASCAR fans have been counting down the days to the opening of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and the wait is almost over.

In just seven days, NASCAR returns to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway when Preseason Thunder 2013 kicks off, while the first race of the season, the Budweiser Shootout, is a little more than a month away. Read the rest of this entry »

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Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, poses after qualifying for the pole position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 9, 2012, in Avondale, Ariz

Kyle Busch won the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway with a new track record of 25.943 seconds, 138.766 mph on Friday afternoon. Busch used his position as the last car out to post the quickest lap of the day. This is Busch’s 10th Coors Light Pole Award in 292 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, and his second pole at PIR. Martin Truex Jr. was second, followed by Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola. Kurt Busch, Paul Menard, Regan Smith, Tony Stewart and Mark Martin rounded out the top 10.

Coverage for the Advocare 500 from Phoenix International Raceway starts Sunday at 2pm EST on ESPN.

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Denny Hamlin wins the AdvoCare 500 from Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 2, 2012. Image Courtesy of HHP Images

Nine drivers have already secured a spot in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Sprint Cup, which starts at Chicagoland Speedway in less than two weeks. These drivers included Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex, Jr., Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, and Kevin Harvick. 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Tony Stewart, is the only driver to have at least clinched a Wild Card spot.

Denny Hamlin definitely stamped a top spot in the Chase after winning his fourth race of the season on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Tony Stewart, on the strength of three wins, has already clinched at least a Wild Card Chase spot. Regardless of where any other driver finishes, he will clinch a top-10 position with a finish of 14th or better, 15th and at least one lap led or 16th and the most laps led. Read the rest of this entry »