Category: Post-Race Reports

Race Name: Zippo 200 at The Glen (Race 20 of 33)
Venue: Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, NY
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Race Winner: Austin Cindric from Team Penske (Ford)
Results: Chase Briscoe: 7th | Cole Custer: 8th
Point Standings:
– Cole Custer: 3rd with 789 points; trails points leader by 99 points
– Chase Briscoe: 6th with 661 points; trails points leader by 227 points

Cole Custer / Go Bowling Ford Mustang Recap:

– Custer qualified 13th but would start from the rear after going to a backup car before final practice.
– The No. 00 would work his way up to 14th by the end of lap six. A yellow flag would fly on lap 10 with Custer running 13th.
– Custer would pit for four tires, fuel and to clean debris off the grille of the car. He would restart 20th with less than five laps remaining in Stage 1. He would end Stage 1 in the 14th position.
– The No. 00 Go Bowling Ford Mustang would restart eighth at the beginning of Stage 2. He would pit on lap 34 during a yellow flag. He would restart 23rd with 4 laps remaining in the stage.
– Custer would finish Stage 2 in the 13th position. He would restart in the 9th position.
– The No. 00 would relinquish his third place running position on lap 57 to pit for four tires and fuel. He would cycle out to the 12th position.
– Late-race yellows would fly on lap 68 and 72. Custer would restart fifth on the last start. A near-wreck by the front runners would push him back to eighth, where he ultimately would finish.

Next Up: B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports car Course on August 10th at 3:00 p.m. ET broadcast by NBCSN.

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Go Bowling Ford Mustang:

“Our Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi guys did a great job at getting our back up car ready to race after an incident in first practice. I think we could have easily had a top-five but we never restarted in the correct lane and we had people spinning tires on restarts which put us back. The back up car was really competitive and as close to the primary as we could ask for this weekend.”

Event: Gander RV 400 (Round 21 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format: 160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish: 3rd/12th (Running, completed 163 of 163 laps)
Point standing: (9th with 614 points, 210 out of first)
Note: Race extended three laps past its scheduled 160-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

● Aric Almirola started third and finished eighth, earning three bonus points.
● The Smithfield Ford driver was caught in traffic when the green flag waved to begin the race, dropping him to seventh place.
● After green-flag pit stops he was scored third but noted tight-handling conditions.
● He pitted on lap 38 for fuel and chassis adjustments and returned to the track in seventh.
● At the conclusion of the stage he pitted for four fresh tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

● Started 20th and finished 20th.
● Almirola drove the Smithfield Ford Mustang back to 12th place by lap 68.
● He pitted under caution for four tires, fuel and adjustments to restart 15th.
● The caution was called on lap 92 for inclement weather, but racing soon resumed.
● Almirola avoided an accident during the restart before the caution was called on lap 98. He pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-163):

● Started 20th and finished 12th.
● He piloted the No. 10 Ford to 15th before a caution on lap 113. During that caution period he pitted for two tires and fuel.
● Almirola advanced to 12th by lap 140.
● Crew chief Johnny Klausmeier radioed Almirola to save fuel on lap 143.
● He opted not to pit on lap 153 under caution to hold his 11th-place spot.
● The yellow flag flew yet again on lap 156, forcing the race into overtime.
● When the green flag waved for the two-lap overtime shootout, Almirola drove the Smithfield Ford just outside the top-10.

Notes:

●  Almirola earned his 14th top-12 of the season and his third top-12 in 15 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono.
●  This is Almirola’s fourth straight top-15. He finished 11th in the series’ previous race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
●  Denny Hamlin won the Gander RV 400 to score his 34th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his fifth at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Erik Jones was .341 of a second.
●  There were seven caution periods for a total of 24 laps.
●  Only 25 of the 38 drivers in the Gander RV 400 finished on the lead lap.
●  Joey Logano remains the championship leader after Pocono with a six-point advantage over second-place Kyle Busch.

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, Aug. 4 at Watkins Glen (NY) International. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Event: Gander RV 400 (Round 21 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format: 160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Point Standing: (3rd with 739 points, 85 out of first)
Note: Race extended three laps past its scheduled 160-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

● Kevin Harvick started first and finished third, earning eight bonus points.
● Harvick led the first 39 laps before pitting on lap 40 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment.
● Said his car was a bit loose early on and he was starting to “lose the noose.”

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

● Harvick started first and finished second, earning nine bonus points.
● By lap 58, he already had a lead of 2.787 seconds over second-place Denny Hamlin.
● On lap 72, Kyle Busch passed Harvick for first place.
● Harvick pitted on lap 78 for four tires and fuel. He was in second.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-163):

● Harvick started first and finished sixth.
● On the restart, Harvick fell back to third behind Hamlin and Joey Logano.
● Under caution on lap 115, Harvick pitted for four tires and fuel. Several cars used different pit strategies, so Harvick restarted 16th.
● Harvick worked his way into the top-five, but two late restarts caused him to fall back from third to sixth.

Notes:

● Harvick earned his 13th top-10 of the season and his 18th top-10 in 38 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono.
● This is Harvick’s second straight top-10. He won the series’ previous race last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
● Harvick finished third in Stage 1 to earn eight bonus points and second in Stage 2 to earn an additional nine bonus points.
● Harvick led three times for 62 laps to increase his laps-led total at Pocono to 250.
● Hamlin won the Gander RV 400to score his 34th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his fifth at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Erik Jones was .341 of a second.
● There were seven caution periods for a total of 24 laps.
● Only 25 of the 38 drivers in the Gander RV 400 finished on the lead lap.
● Logano remains the championship leader after Pocono with a six-point advantage over second-place Kyle Busch.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Gen X #4TheCup Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“It was a good day. They had the right strategy, and I just didn’t time those last two restarts right. Our car struggled a little bit on the first lap or two to get the front to turn, but they had everything right where it needed to be. If the caution doesn’t come out, I think we were in good shape, but that’s the way it goes, especially at this place. You have to have the cautions fall your way, and you have to have everything go right. We just had a few little things here and there that didn’t go our way and wound up sixth.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, Aug. 4 at Watkins Glen (NY) International. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Event: Gander RV 400 (Round 21 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format: 160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Note: Race extended three laps past its scheduled 160-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Start/Finish: 13th/11th (Running, completed 163 of 163 laps)
Point Standing: 15th (532 points, 292 out of first)

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

● Clint Bowyer started 13th and finished 10th, earning one bonus point.
● No. 14 Toco Warranty/Haas Automation Ford Mustang moved from 13th to 10th in the first four laps of the 160-lap race.
● By lap 11, Bowyer told the crew his car was a little tight and it was very difficult to pass.
● Bowyer made a scheduled two-tire stop under green on lap 21, dropping to the back of the field.
● As the race proceeded without a caution, cars began to peel off and Bowyer climbed back to 10th in the closing laps of the stage.
● Bowyer pitted during the stage break and dropped to 17th.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

● Bowyer started 17th and finished 14th.
● The No. 14 Toco Warranty/Haas Automation Ford Mustang didn’t make much progress on the 2.5-mile track in the opening laps of the stage.
● Bowyer said on lap 74 he was tight in traffic and he was experimenting with different lines through the third turn.
● Bowyer nearly pitted on lap 83, but a caution kept him on the track and allowed him to pit during the caution.
● He restarted the race in ninth on lap 85.
● Bowyer pitted again on lap 94 during a caution for light rain. The late stop dropped him in the field but enabled him to stay on the track during the stage break and start higher in the final stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-163):

● Bowyer started 10th and finished 11th.
● Bowyer held his position through the opening laps of the final stage and a round of pit stops for an accident on lap 113.
● He climbed to seventh for the lap-117 restart after a caution and ran in ninth by the lap-120 mark despite being tight off the turns.
● The crew urged Bowyer to save fuel as he ran ninth in the closing laps.
● A caution with four to go saw Bowyer restart eighth, but in some wild racing he dropped to 18th when another caution sent the race into overtime.
● Before the restart, Bowyer ducked into pit lane for four tires and fuel. He restarted the two-lap overtime shootout in 20th and drove to 11th before the checkered flag flew.

Notes:

● This is Bowyer’s third straight top-12 at Pocono and fourth in his last five outings there. He finished fifth in the series’ previous race at the 2.5-mile triangle in June.
● Denny Hamlin won the Gander RV 400to score his 34th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his fifth at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Erik Jones was .341 of a second.
● There were seven caution periods for a total of 24 laps.
● Only 25 of the 38 drivers in the Gander RV 400finished on the lead lap.
● Joey Logano remains the championship leader after Pocono with a six-point advantage over second-place Kyle Busch.

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Toco Warranty / Haas Automation Ford Mustang:

“That was a long hard day. We were up and down. It was so tough to pass, so everything boiled down to fuel and tire strategy. I’m glad we got the No. 14 Toco Warranty/Haas Automation Ford up there for an 11th-place finish at the end.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, Aug. 4 at Watkins Glen (NY) International. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Event:  Gander RV 400 (Round 21 of 36)
Series:  Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:  Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format:  160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish:  7th/24th (Running, completed 163 of 163 laps)
Point Standing:  18th with 501 points, 323 out of first
Note:  Race extended three laps past its scheduled 160-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner:    Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

● Daniel Suárez started seventh and finished 12th.
● The No. 41 Haas Automation Mustang was free on entry and tight on exit before Suárez pitted from the sixth position for a scheduled green-flag stop on lap 24.  He received right-side tires and fuel.
● Suárez returned to the track in 24th and worked his way up to 12th before the conclusion of the first stage.
● During the Stage 1 break Suárez pitted for four tires, fuel and additional adjustments as the Haas Automation Ford had become tighter after the previous changes.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

● The No. 41 driver started 24th and ended the stage in 26th.
● Suárez restarted 24th with several cars staying on track at the stage break.
● The Ford driver advanced to the 16th position before the second caution of the day on lap 85. He pitted under yellow for four tires and fuel.
● Suárez restarted 19th on lap 87 and gained two positions before caution came out on lap 93 for light rain.
● When the field returned to green on lap 95, Suárez was involved in a fierce battle for position when he sustained damage to the right side of his Haas Automation Mustang.
● The 27-year-old driver was able to stay on track until caution came out for a car spinning in turn three.
● He pitted on lap 100 for four tires, fuel and repairs, and returned for a second stop to make adjustments before going green for the final stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-163):

● The Haas Automation driver started 27th and finished 24th.
● The Mexico native gained four spots on the restart to sit 23rd when caution came out on lap 115.
● The No. 41 team chose to pit for fuel only and lined up fifth for the lap-117 restart.
● Suárez had dropped to the 16th position by lap 130 after being passed by teams with fresher tires.
● When caution came out on lap 152, Suárez pitted for right-side tires and fuel. He lined up 19th for the lap-156 restart.
● Suárez jumped to the 10th position on the restart, which was followed by another caution on lap 158.
● After being told that he had received a restart violation, Suárez pitted for left-side tires and dropped to the rear of the field.
● He was unable to advance his position in overtime and crossed the finish line in 24th.

Notes:

● Denny Hamlin won the Gander RV 400to score his 34th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his fifth at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Erik Jones was .341 of a second.
● There were seven caution periods for a total of 24 laps.
● Only 25 of the 38 drivers in the Gander RV 400finished on the lead lap.
● Joey Logano remains the championship leader after Pocono with a six-point advantage over second-place Kyle Busch.

Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We worked on the Haas Automation Ford Mustang all day and ended up in a really good position in the top-10 for the last restart. We were told we had a penalty and had to restart in the back, which really hurt us because it was just so hard to pass today. It was disappointing to not get a good finish, but we’re usually pretty good at Watkins Glen, so we’ll try to make up for it there.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, Aug. 4 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Race Name: U.S. Cellular 250 (Race 19 of 33)
Venue: Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Race Winner: Chase Briscoe of Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi (Ford)
Results: Chase Briscoe: 1st | Cole Custer: 29th
Point Standings:
– Cole Custer: 3rd with 760 points; trails points leader by 97 points
– Chase Briscoe: 7th with 625 points; trails points leader by 232 points

Chase Briscoe / Ford Performance Ford Mustang Recap:

– Briscoe qualified second and pitted under yellow on lap 45 running second. He restarted fourth and finished stage one in third to earn eight stage points.
– The No. 98 Ford Mustang stayed out at the conclusion of stage one and started stage two in third. He gained one position and finished the stage in second to earn an additional nine stage points.
– Briscoe pitted at the end of stage two for tires, fuel and minor adjustments and restarted the final stage in second.
– Yellow flag flew on lap 151. The No. 98 team pitted for fuel only and received a violation for running over the air hose. He restarted at the tail end of the lead lap cars in 17th.
– Briscoe advanced seven positions to 10th before caution flew once again on lap 200. He brought the car down pit road for his final set of tires and restarted 11th.
– Briscoe quickly advanced to fourth in the next 14 laps until the caution came out again on lap 214. 
– The race restarted with 22 laps remaining and Briscoe quickly moved to second position. He passed for the lead on lap 244 with six laps to go and held on for his first victory of the season.
– The win marks Briscoe’s second career victory. He also has eight top-five’s and 14 top-10’s in the 2019 season.

Next Up: Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York on August 3rd at 3:00 p.m. ET broadcast by NBCSN.

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 Ford Performance Ford Mustang:                                   

“Wow, it feels so good to finally break through and get this 98 car in victory lane. I couldn’t believe all those guys used their final set of tires with almost 100 laps to go – Boswell made the perfect call and we had the tires we needed at the end. I can’t thank this team enough for all their hard work and for believing in me. They deserve this win.”

Race Name: U.S. Cellular 250 (Race 19 of 33)
Venue: Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Race Winner: Chase Briscoe of Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi (Ford)
Results: Chase Briscoe: 1st | Cole Custer: 29th
Point Standings:
– Cole Custer: 3rd with 760 points; trails points leader by 97 points
– Chase Briscoe: 7th with 625 points; trails points leader by 232 points

Cole Custer / Haas Automation Ford Mustang Recap:

– Custer qualified sixth and would run fourth the majority of Stage 1 before a yellow flag on lap 44.
– The No. 00 would pit for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. He would restart fifth and would gain three positions to finish second in Stage 1. He earned nine stage points.
– Custer would restart Stage 2 in second after not pitting. He would run around third until a yellow on lap 74. He would restart third and would finish Stage 2 in the fourth position, earning seven more stage points.
– The No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang would restart third in the final stage. He would run second the majority of the stage until a yellow on lap 151.
– Custer would be caught speeding on pit road and would restart 20th. He would gain seven positions before getting involved in a late-race incident on lap 161, ending his night in 29th.

Next Up: Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York on August 3rd at 3:00 p.m. ET broadcast by NBCSN.

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang:

“We had a good run going there before getting caught speeding on pit road. Mike Shiplett decided to have us come back down to pit road and put old tires back on, so we could save our new ones for a late yellow. We ended up getting caught in fluid or something but I lost the handle on the car and it ended our night early. I hate it for everyone at SHR but we will move on to Watkins Glen next week to get back on track.”

Event: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (Round 20 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)
Format: 301 laps, broken into three stages (75 laps/75 laps/151 laps)
Start/Finish: 9th/11th(Running, completed 301 of 301 laps)
Point standing: 9th with 586 points, 197 out of first

Race Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Aric Almirola of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-75):

● Aric Almirola started ninth and finished third, earning eight bonus points.
● The No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang gained two positions by lap 10.
● On lap 29, Almirola noted loose-handling conditions, but crew chief Johnny Klausmeier said he was turning the fastest laps on the track.
● Almirola drove to sixth before the caution on lap 46 was called. He pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure and chassis adjustments to tighten the No. 10 Ford.
● During the restart Almirola battled to second place before continuing to report loose conditions and finishing the stage in third.
● At the conclusion of the stage, he pitted for four fresh tires, fuel, and air pressure and chassis adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 76-150):

● Almirola started sixth and finished first, earning 10 bonus points and one playoff point.
● The No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang advanced to fourth place during the restart.
● On lap 101, Almirola held his car inside the top-five but continued to note loose-handling conditions.
● During the caution on lap 110, he pitted for only two tires and fuel. Almirola restarted sixth and drove to fourth past teammate Clint Bowyer. On lap 120 he made the pass for third.
● Almirola was instructed to stay out of the pits during a lap-137 caution, enabling him to assume the lead.
● When the green flag waved Almirola held the lead, but the caution was called again for a spin. When racing resumed, he held onto the top spot to earn his first stage win of the season.
● When Almirola came to pit road at the conclusion of the stage, the No. 21 car slid through the No. 10’s pit box and tangled the air hose, slowing the pit stop.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 151-301):

● Started 20th and finished 11th.
● Almirola weaved the Smithfield Ford through traffic to enter the top-15 by lap 188.
● The caution was called on lap 214 with Almirola in 14th. He pitted for four tires, fuel, and air pressure and chassis adjustments, and came off pit road in 13th.
● After another caution just a few laps later, Almirola restarted 12th. He raced to ninth place by lap 231.
● During the final caution period on lap 266, Almirola pitted from eighth place for two tires, fuel and right-rear air pressure. Contact on pit road with the No. 18 car slightly damaged the nose of the No. 10 Ford.
● When Almirola restarted from ninth place he was caught in traffic, ultimately pushing him a spot outside the top-10 by the time the checkered flag waved.

Notes:

● Almirola earned his 12th top-12 of the season and his fourth top-12 in 17 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire.
● This was Almirola’s third straight top-15. He finished 14th in the series’ last race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.
● The Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 marked Almirola’s 300th career start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
● This was Almirola’s second straight top-12 at New Hampshire. He finished third in the series’ previous visit to the track last July.
● Almirola led once for 12 laps to increase his laps-led total at New Hampshire to 54.
● Harvick won the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 to score his 46th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his fourth at New Hampshire. His margin of victory over second-place Hamlin was .210 of a second.
● Harvick is now tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker for 16th on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list.
● This was Harvick’s 23rd Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory and his milestone 100th top-10 since joining SHR in 2014.
● There were nine caution periods for a total of 48 laps.
● Only 18 of the 37 drivers in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 finished on the lead lap.
● Joey Logano remains the championship leader after New Hampshire with a three-point advantage over second-place Kyle Busch.

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We scored a lot of points, but we just got behind. It’s kind of a double-edged sword when the caution comes out late like that in the stage. You’ve got to make a decision on scoring points or trying to win the race, and we chose to score stage points and that paid off.  We won the stage, but in the end we got behind and couldn’t recover from track position.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Gander RV 400 on Sunday, July 28 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Event: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (Round 20 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)
Format: 301 laps, broken into three stages (75 laps/75 laps/151 laps)
Start/Finish: 14th/1st (Running, completed 301 of 301 laps)
Point Standing: 3rd (691 points, 92 out of first)

Race Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Aric Almirola of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-75):

● Kevin Harvick started 14th and finished eighth to earn three bonus points.
● The No. 4 Busch Beer / National Forest Foundation Ford Mustang was tight center-off early on but was in the top-10 by lap 40.
● On lap 47, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire-pressure adjustment. He resumed in seventh.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 76-150):

● Harvick started seventh and finished eighth to earn another three bonus points.
● The No. 4 Busch Beer / National Forest Foundation Ford Mustang pitted on lap 78 for four tires, fuel and tire and chassis adjustments.
● On lap 110 as he ran in seventh, Harvick said the car was “a bit too loose.” Most cars pitted, but Harvick stayed out and took over the lead for the first time.
● Harvick was in the lead on the lap-116 restart, but Kyle Busch moved from third into the lead on the backstretch.
● On lap 127, while in second place, Harvick said he “needed rear grip all the way through.”
● Harvick pitted on lap 140 from second place for four tires, fuel and a track-bar adjustment. He restarted 13th.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 151-301):

● Harvick started second and finished first to earn five playoff points.
● On lap 198, Harvick was 1.3 seconds behind Denny Hamlin. He said the car was too tight.
● Harvick was 1.7 seconds behind Hamlin when the caution came out on lap 214. He pitted for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment but had a little trouble getting into the pit box, and one of his crew members slipped coming around the car. Harvick resumed in fifth place.
● On lap 227, Harvick moved past Erik Jones into fourth place. He was 1.8 seconds behind leader Hamlin.
● After a caution came out on lap 266, Harvick stayed on track and assumed the lead on lap 267 while those ahead of him pitted, including Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney.
● Harvick had a solid launch on the race’s final restart on lap 273 and despite last lap contact with second-place Denny Hamlin, Harvick led the final 29 laps for the victory.

Notes:

● Harvick’s victory in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 was his first win of the season and his fourth victory in 36 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire.
● Harvick’s four wins at New Hampshire are the most among active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers.
● Harvick’s 20 top-10s at New Hampshire are the second most among active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Jimmie Johnson leads the series with 22 top-10s at New Hampshire.
● Since joining SHR in 2014, Harvick has finished in the top-five seven times at New Hampshire – a span of 10 races.
● Harvick is tied with Kurt Busch for the most top-fives (11) among active drivers at New Hampshire.
● Harvick led three times for 41 laps to increase his laps-led total at New Hampshire to 759.
● Harvick’s margin of victory over second-place Denny Hamlin was .210 of a second.
● There were nine caution periods for a total of 48 laps.
● Only 18 of the 37 drivers in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301finished on the lead lap.
● Joey Logano remains the championship leader after New Hampshire with a three-point advantage over second-place Kyle Busch.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer / National Forest Foundation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We’ve run well enough a few times this year to win, but we’ve just made mistakes, and to finally battle and get over that hump is a great day for everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing and everybody on the 4 car. I thought it was really questionable about how that (final restart) was going to go, and the thing took right off. The only thing that wasn’t good was we got the traffic, and my car started pushing. I knew that he (Hamlin) was going to take a shot. I would have taken a shot. I stood on the brakes and just tried to keep it straight. I just didn’t want to let him back to the inside and let him have another shot. I wanted to at least be in control of who was going to have contact in turns three and four. It was a heck of a finish – closer than what we wanted – but it was our only chance. I would have never done it (stayed out), but that’s why he (crew chief Rodney Childers) is on the box and not me.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Gander RV 400 on Sunday, July 28 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Event: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (Round 20 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)
Format: 301 laps, broken into three stages (75 laps/75 laps/151 laps)
Start/Finish: 13th/19th (Running, completed 300 of 301 laps)
Point Standing: 18th with 488 points, 295 out of first

Race Winner:      Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:  Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:  Aric Almirola of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-75):

● Daniel Suárez started 13th and finished 10th, earning one bonus point.
● The No. 41 Haas Automation Mustang was free on entry and landing when the first caution of the race was displayed on lap 45.
● Suárez visited pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments and returned to the racing surface in 12th.
● The 27-year-old reached the top-10 on lap 50 before slipping back after contact with another competitor, causing Suárez to have to work his way forward once again in the closing laps of the stage to finish 10th.
● During the Stage 1 break Suárez pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments. Unfortunately, a hiccup leaving his pit box dropped the Haas driver back to the 22nd position.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 76-150):

● The No. 41 driver started 22nd and ended the stage in 11th.
● Suárez was working his way back through the field when a competitor put fluid on the track in front of him, causing him to spin and bring out the caution on lap 110.
● The Ford driver came down pit road for fuel and four tires and to receive a slight fender adjustment. He restarted 23rd on lap 116.
● Suárez was in the 16th position when the third caution came out on lap 140. Crew chief Billy Scott made the call for the No. 41 machine to stay out in an effort to possibly earn bonus points.
● Suárez ended the stage in the 11th spot. During the stage break, he pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments and fell back to 21st after varying pit strategies.

Final Recap (Laps 151-301):

● The No. 41 driver started 21st and finished 19th.
● The Mexico native made an unscheduled pit stop from 17th on lap 181 for four tires and fuel and to check a vibration.
● The No. 41 team confirmed a loose wheel, and Suárez returned to the track one lap down.
● Suárez was running in the 27th spot on lap 214 when the caution was displayed. He pitted for fuel and four tires.
● During the next caution on lap 219, Suárez was not in the free pass position and stayed out on the track to restart 23rd on lap 223.
● The final caution of the race was displayed on lap 266. Suárez was one position shy of being the beneficiary of the free pass.
● He pitted for fuel and four tires and restarted 22nd.
● The remainder of the race went green, and Suárez ultimately finished 19th in his Haas Automation Mustang.

Notes:

● Suárez earned his 16th top-20 of the season and his third top-20 in four career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire.
● Harvick won the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 to score his 46th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his fourth at New Hampshire. His margin of victory over second-place Hamlin was .210 of a second.
● Harvick is now tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker for 16th on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list.
● This was Harvick’s 23rd Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory and his milestone 100th top-10 since joining SHR in 2014.
● There were nine caution periods for a total of 48 laps.
● Only 18 of the 37 drivers in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 finished on the lead lap.
● Joey Logano remains the championship leader after New Hampshire with a three-point advantage over second-place Kyle Busch.

Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We had a fast Haas Automation Mustang today, but unfortunately we don’t have the result to show for it. We had that issue and it was hard to recover from, but the car had speed, which is good.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Gander RV 400 on Sunday, July 28 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.