Category: Post-Race Reports

Date:                 Aug. 18, 2018
Event:               Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race (Round 24 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format:             500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Start/Finish:      6th/10th (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)
Point Standing:  2^nd (960 points, 43 out of first)

Race Winner:    Kurt Busch of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125): 

• Kevin Harvick started sixth, finished second, collecting nine bonus points.
• The Jimmy John’s driver raced in the top-five until the competition caution on lap 60.
• The No. 4 Ford came to pit road for four tires, fuel and a small adjustment on lap 64 and came out in fourth.
• Harvick raced from fourth to second on the lap-66 restart and held the position the remainder of the stage.
• Harvick challenged for the lead in the closing laps of the stage and finished .003 of a second behind stage winner Ryan Blaney.
• He came to pit road for four tires and fuel at the conclusion of the stage and claimed the lead on pit road.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):

• Started first, finished 21st.
• Harvick raced out front at the start of the stage before dropping back to third.
• The Jimmy John’s Ford reported a tire issue on lap 185 and was forced to make an unscheduled four-tire pit stop. The stop resulted in Harvick losing two laps to the leaders.
• Harvick narrowly avoided a wreck on lap 200 that brought out a caution. The No. 4 team took the wave-around to gain a lap back.
• The Jimmy John’s Ford remained a lap down the remainder of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500):

• Started 20th and finished 10th.
• Harvick raced his way up to the 17^th position while remaining one lap down until staying out under caution on lap 442 to return to the lead lap.
• The No. 4 Ford restarted 15^th on lap 445 and gained one position by the following caution on lap 472.
• Harvick brought the Jimmy John’s Ford to pit road for the final time on lap 474 for four tires and fuel.
• The team restarted 13^th on lap 477 and battled through a series of late-race cautions to capture a top-10 finish.

Notes:

• This was Harvick’s series-leading 20^th top-10 finish of the season and his 19^th top-10 finish in 36 career Cup Series starts at Bristol.
• Harvick finished second in Stage 1 by .003 to Blaney to earn nine bonus points.
• Harvick led twice for a total of eight laps to increase his laps-led total at Bristol to 884.
• Busch’s margin of victory over second-place Kyle Larson was .367 of a second.
• There were nine caution periods for a total of 70 laps.
• Only 15 of the 40 drivers in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race finished on the lead lap.

Date: Aug. 17, 2018
Event: Food City 300 (Round 21 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format: 300 laps, broken into three stages 85 laps/85 laps/130 laps)
Start/Finish: 9th/4th (Running, completed 310 of 310 laps)
Point Standing: 4th with 791 points
Note: Race extended 10 laps past its scheduled 300-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-75):

● Custer started ninth, finished fifth and earned six bonus points.
● Piloted the Haas Automation Ford Mustang in and around the top-10 until the yellow flag waved on lap 70.
● During the caution, he reported tight-handling conditions, but elected not to pit in order to maintain track position.
● Restarted in first and kept the Haas Automation Ford inside the top-five before the stage ended.
● After the stage concluded, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure and chassis adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 76-150):

● Custer started 10th, finished 14th.
● Custer drove the Haas Automation Ford back into the top-five in the opening laps.
● Ran inside the top-10 until a lap-104 caution and noted loose-handling conditions.
● Crew chief Jeff Meendering radioed Custer to the pits during a lap-159 caution for four tires, fueland chassis adjustments.
● Custer restarted in 13th place and remained outside of the top-10 before the stage concluded.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 151-310):

● Custer started eighth, finished fourth.
● Custer was forced into the wall on lap 178, pushing him outside the top-10.
● During a caution on lap 259, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments to correct loose-handling conditions.
● Custer powered the Haas Automation Ford into seventh place before he was forced into the wall again on lap 272, falling back to 11th.
● Custer’s long-run speed proved to be valuable when he battled back to seventh with nine laps to go.
● After a caution was brought out with three laps remaining, the Haas Automation Ford driver climbed to the third position and was passed for fourth place by inches just as the checkered flag waved.

Notes:               

● Custer scored his eighth top-five of the season and his first at Bristol. It was also 18th top-10 of the year and third top-10 at Bristol.
● Custer earned six bonus points in the Food City 300 at Bristol.
● Custer led once for five laps.
● Eight cautions slowed the race for 59 laps.
● Only 11 of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
● Kyle Larson won the Food City 300 to score his 12th career Xfinity Series victory, fourth of the season and first at Bristol. His margin of victory over second-place Christopher Bell was .434of a second.

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing With Biagi-DenBeste:       

“We came back from a lot. We definitely got used up on restarts for no reason. I don’t know why everybody wanted to put us in the wall today, but we had a solid Haas Automation Ford Mustang. The short run wasn’t the best, so maybe I could have done a little bit better, but our long-run speed was really good. I think we need to get a little bit better, but I’m happy that we had a pretty good points day.”

Event:               Consumers Energy 400 (Round 23 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format:             200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish:      3^rd/1^st(Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing:  2^nd(924points, 62out of first)

Race Winner:    Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60): 

• Kevin Harvick started third, finished first, collecting 10 bonus points and one playoff point.
• The Busch Light/Mobil 1 driver stayed out during the first two cautions on lap eight and lap 15.
• The No. 4 Ford came to pit road during the competition caution on lap 25 for two tires and fuel.
• Harvick restarted second on lap 27 and stayed in the lead for the remainder of the stage.
• He came to pit road for four tires and fuel at the end of the stage and came out fifth as the top-four cars opted to stay out.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120): 

• Started fifth, finished first, earning 10 bonus points and an additional playoff point.
• Harvick raced his way back up to the second position by lap 75, when he came to pit road under caution for fuel only.
• The Busch Light/Mobil 1 Ford raced up to third by the following caution on lap 85. The team chose to stay out under caution.
• Harvick restarted second on lap 86 and raced to the lead by lap 109 after a long battle with the No. 78.
• The Busch Light/Mobil 1 Ford won the stage and came to pit road for four tires and fuel at the conclusion of Stage 2. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200): 

• Started first and finished first.
• Harvick stayed out under caution on lap 140 to remain the leader.
• The No. 4 Ford surrendered the lead to come to pit road for a final time under green-flag conditions for four tires and fuel on lap 171.
• Harvick took the lead for good on lap 190 after the remainder of the field cycled through its final scheduled pit stops.
• Harvick’s margin of victory over second-place Brad Keselowski was 3.233 seconds. 

Notes:

• This was Harvick’s 44^thcareer Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win, and it ties him with Bill Elliott for 17^thon the all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list.
• This was Harvick’s 21^stMonster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory since joining Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2014.
• Harvick became the first driver since 2008 to win seven of the first 23 races in a season. Kyle Busch scored all eight of his 2008 victories in the season’s first 22 races.
• This was Harvick’s series-leading seventh victory of 2018. It was also his 17^thtop-five and 19^thtop-10 finish of the season.
• Harvick earned his second victory in 36 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan. It was also his 12^thtop-five and 17^thtop-10 at the track.
• Harvick finished first in Stage 1 to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point, and first in Stage 2 to earn an additional 10 bonus points and one more playoff point.
• Harvick led five times for a race-high 108 laps to increase his laps-led total at Michigan to 480.
• Harvick’s victory in the Consumers Energy 400 marked the 53^rdoverall win for SHR. It was the organization’s 48^thpoints-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its third at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
• SHR swept the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan in 2018. Clint Bowyer won in the series’ June visit to the track.
• Harvick’s win marked SHR’s series-leading ninth points-paying victory 23 races into the 2018 season. SHR also won the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race via Harvick.
• This was SHR’s 12^thMonster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when Kurt Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.
• There were eight caution periods for a total of 37 laps.
• Twenty-one of the 40 drivers in the Consumers Energy 400 finished on the lead lap. 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Light/Mobil 1 Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

“(Son) Keelan is saving me some work (retrieving the checkered flag after the race). Usually when I get home the next day, we have to mock up a victory lane celebration. For him to be here and able to do that and be a part of NASCAR and bring your son to work and do all the things that we get to do with our kids – I have had him with me by myself the last three weeks, and we have had a ball. I couldn’t be happier to be a dad and be a part of NASCAR where they let your family come to the racetrack and be a part of it. Gotta thank everyone from Busch Light, Mobil 1, Ford, Jimmy John’s, everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing and all these fans for coming out today and supporting everything we do here in Michigan.” 

Next Up: 

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday, Aug. 18 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN beginning at 6 p.m.

Event:               Consumers Energy 400 (Round 23 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format:             200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish:      16^th/12^th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing:5^th(732 points, 254 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner:Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended at Lap 60):

• Bowyer started 16th and finished 13th.
• He climbed to ninth in the first five laps and moved to fourth by the lap-25 competition caution.
• During that caution Bowyer took four tires while several cars only took two or no tires, dropping Bowyer to 16th before the restart.
• A loose racecar and traffic prevented Bowyer from climbing through the field, and he finished the stage in 13th.

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 120):

• Bowyer started 15th and finished seventh to earn four bonus points.
• Took four tires during the stage break, and the No. 14 crew made adjustments to improve handling.
• Moved to ninth by the halfway mark in the 200-lap race.
• Gained two spots in the closing laps of the stage to finish seventh.

Stage 3 Recap (Ended at Lap 200):

• Bowyer started ninth and finished 12th.
• Dropped a few spots at the start of the stage before returning to the top-10 with 50 laps remaining.
• With 40 to go Bowyer reported his car wouldn’t turn as well as he needed it to turn.
• Pitted from 10th for four tires and fuel with 20 laps remaining.
• Race ran caution free over the final 57 laps.

Notes:

• Harvick’s victory in the Consumers Energy 400 marked the 53^rdoverall win for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). It was the organization’s 48^thpoints-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its third at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
• SHR swept the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan in 2018. Clint Bowyer won in the series’ June visit to the track.
• This was SHR’s 12^thMonster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when Kurt Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.
• This was Bowyer’s 16^thtop-12 finish in 22 races in 2018.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

“That was a tough race for us today. June was certainly a lot more fun! Our No. 14 Haas Automation Ford got caught up in traffic, and we struggled to get back up to the front. At first it was loose, then got tight at the end. We’ll go to work and get back to where we know we should be running.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday, Aug. 18 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN beginning at 6 p.m.

Event:               Consumers Energy 400 (Round 23 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format:             200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish:      11^th/7^th(Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing:12^th(639 points, 347 out of first) 

Race Winner:   Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner:Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

• Aric Almirola started 11^thand finished Stage 1 in the seventh spot to earn four stage points.
• Through the first two green-flag runs, Almirola reported he was “getting hurt” on the restarts because of starting on the inside lane and competitors against the door of the No. 10 machine.
• On lap 27 Almirola pitted during the competition caution for fuel and two right-side tires. He restarted 11th and worked his way up to the seventh spot on lap 53.
• The Tampa native pitted at the conclusion of the stage for four tires and fuel. Almirola came down pit road in seventh and came out 12^th.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

• Almirola started Stage 2 in 12^thand completed it eighth to earn three bonus points.
• During the fifth caution on lap 75, Almirola pitted from ninth for fuel, two right-side tires and adjustments. He restarted 16^thafter different pit strategies played out.
• The caution was displayed on lap 85; Almirola stayed out on the track and restarted 11^thon lap 87.
• The balance of the stage was under the green flag, and Almirola ultimately completed it in eighth.
• Before the start of the final stage, Almirola visited pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments to his Smithfield Ford.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

• Almirola started the final stage in the seventh position and ended it 25^th.
• The eighth caution was on lap 134. Almirola stayed out and restarted seventh on lap 143.
• The 34-year-old made a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 172 for fuel and four tires.
• The remainder of the event ran under green, and Almirola finished seventh.

Notes:

• This was Almirola’s 10^thtop-10 of 2018.
• Almirola earned his first top-10 in 13 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan.
• Almirola finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and eighth in Stage 2 to earn an additional three bonus points.
• Harvick’s victory in the Consumers Energy 400 marked the 53^rdoverall win for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). It was the organization’s 48^thpoints-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its third at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
• SHR swept the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan in 2018. Clint Bowyer won in the series’ June visit to the track.
• Harvick’s win marked SHR’s series-leading ninth points-paying victory 23 races into the 2018 season. SHR also won the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race via Harvick.
• This was SHR’s 12^thMonster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when Kurt Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.

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

“It was a solid day. We ran top-10 in both stages and finished top-10. It was finally a normal weekend for us where we had good speed and executed all day. We had some bad restarts and had a couple stops on pit road that we struggled on, but overall it was a decent day and a good way to build our momentum back as we head into the playoff stretch.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday, Aug. 18 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN beginning at 6 p.m.

Event: Consumers Energy 400 (Round 23 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish: 12th/6th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 4th (750 points, 236 out of first)

Race Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Kurt Busch started 12th and finished fourth, collecting seven bonus points.
● The Haas Automation driver said the car was better on the top part of the track. He pitted on lap 27 for two tires and fuel.
● Was in the top-five for much of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Started seventh and finished fourth, collecting seven additional bonus points.
● Busch pitted for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment on lap 63.
● While in fifth place, Busch pitted for two tires and fuel on lap 76.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Started seventh and finished sixth.
● Busch pitted on lap 123 for four tires and fuel.
● On lap 172, while in sixth, Busch pitted for just right-side tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.
● Busch finished sixth and ran in the top-10 for most of the 200 laps.

Notes:

●  This was Busch’s 14th top-10 of 2018 and his 13th top-10 in 36 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan.
●  Busch finished fourth in Stage 1 to earn seven bonus points and fourth in Stage 2 to earn an additional seven bonus points.
●  There were eight caution periods for a total of 37 laps.
●  Twenty-one of the 40 drivers in the Consumers Energy 400 finished on the lead lap.
●  Kevin Harvick won the Consumer Energy 400 to score his 44th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win which ties him with Bill Elliott for 17th on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list.
●  Harvick’s margin of victory over second-place Brad Keselowski was 3.233 seconds.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“Is this groundhog day? Is it deja vu? We are running so strong, not making mistakes and chiseling away. That is why we are fourth in points. Consistency. Anytime I get to the back bumper of the 4, 18 or 78, they inch away from us. We are sliding both ends of our car. We are so close. We will find our day. We have good rhythm, we just can’t steer too far away from this rhythm. Thanks to Monster Energy, Haas Automation and Ford.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday, Aug. 18 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN beginning at 6 p.m.

Date: Aug. 11, 2018
Event: Rock N Roll Tequila 170 (Round 21 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington (2.4-mile road course)
Format: 75 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/35 laps)
Start/Finish: 4th/7th (Running, completed 75 of 75 laps)
Point Standing: 4th with 752 points

Race Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-20):

● Custer started fourth, finished 11th.
● Moved up to third with a good jump at the start, getting by No. 3 qualifier Brandon Jones by turn one and held position through the entire stage thereafter.
● Suffered early contact to his right-rear quarterpanel on a lap-five restart from Elliott Sadler that didn’t turn out to be an issue for the remainder of the stage.
● Pitted from third place with three laps to go in the stage for four tires, fuel and to pull out the right-rear quarterpanel.
● Resumed 11th and finished the stage in that position.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 21-40):

● Custer started third, finished fourth and earned seven bonus points.
● Another good jump at the start of the stage and quickly settled in behind leader Austin Cindric and second-place Matt Tifft while holding off fourth-place Christopher Bell.
●Shuffled back to fifth on a restart with seven laps to go in the stage as Bell and Daniel Hemric got by for third and fourth, respectively.
● Custer regained fourth place with a pass of Hemric with less than two laps to go in the stage.
● Pitted for four tires and fuel before the start of the final stage and was fourth off pit road among the cars that pitted.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 41-75):

● Custer started seventh, finished seventh.
● Moved up to sixth after the opening lap of the stage and held that position for a short time before dropping back to seventh one-third of the way through the stage, then back up to sixth midway through the stage and kept the pressure on Justin Allgaier for fifth.
● Custer tangled with Allgaier on lap 59 and briefly went off course and back on again, rejoining the race in ninth place.
● The caution flag flew one lap later with several cars bunched up ahead of Custer as a result of a blown tire by Tyler Reddick, dropping Custer to 10th.
● Pitted during the caution for four tires and fuel and restarted 12th with 11 laps to go.
● Climbed back into the top-10 with 10 laps to go after leader Bell spins and drops to the back of the field, then up to eighth on the next lap.
● Custer dropped a spot on the lap-69 restart to ninth place, but then regained the position and one more before the checkered flag flew for his second road-course top-10 in as many weeks.

Notes:                   

● This marks Custer’s 17th top-10 of the season and first at Mid-Ohio.
● Custer earned seven bonus points.
● Six cautions slowed the race for 18 laps.
● Only 29 of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
● Justin Allgaier won the Rock N Roll Tequila 170 to score his eighth career Xfinity Series victory, third of the season and first at Mid-Ohio. His margin of victory over second-place Austin Cindric was 2.095 seconds.

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing With Biagi-DenBeste:           

“It was a frustrating day, to say the least. Our Haas Automation Mustang was really good. I thought we were a second-place car. We probably could’ve kept up with the 22 (Austin Cindric). I have to apologize to Justin (Allgaier). It worked out for him, but I hit him in the wrong spot there and spun him around. That’s my fault and I’ll apologize. We’ll just move on to Bristol. I want to win. That’s what we want to do. It’s frustrating when things don’t go your way. I thought we were doing everything right, we just need everything to fall into place.”

Date: Aug. 5, 2018
Event: Go Bowling at The Glen (Round 22 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (2.45-mile road course)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish: 36th/9th (Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)
Point Standing: 4th (705 points, 229 out of first)

Race Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr., of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-20):

● Kurt Busch started 36th and finished 30th.
● The Haas Automation/Monster Energy driver wasted no time making up positions from the rear of the field after failing the handheld template station in post-qualifying inspection, going from 36th to 29th on the opening lap.
● Busch reported a slight tight condition during the opening fuel-and-tire run but still was able to work his way up to 16th before pitting for tires, fuel and track bar adjustments on lap 16, four laps before the end of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 21-40):

● Started 11th and finished 32nd.
● It was a smooth and steady stage for Busch as he held his relative position before pitting on lap 36, four laps before the end of the stage, for tires, fuel and air-pressure adjustments all around to help fix a loose condition in the rear of the racecar.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 41-90):

● Started 15th and finished ninth.
● Moved up to 11th by lap 44 and held his position until the caution flag flew on lap 53. The No. 41 suffered a flat right-rear tire as a result of debris from the incident that brought out the caution ahead of him.
● Pitted on lap 54 for fuel and just two tires as a result of the flat tire situation in hopes of still gaining track position and restarted second.
● Busch did his best to hold positions during the remainder of the race, having taken just two tires on the stop, but he gradually lost seven spots over the final 36 laps.

Notes:

● This was Busch’s 13th top-10 finish of 2018 and his ninth top-10 in 18 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen.
● Chase Elliott won the Go Bowling at The Glen to score his first career Cup Series victory. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr. was 7.56 seconds.
● There were four caution periods for a total of 11 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 37 drivers in the Go Bowling at The Glen finished on the lead lap.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We had a surprise flat right-rear, and that forced us into taking two tires (on the final stop), and we had to improvise from there. It’s kind of a bummer, but we made the best we could with it and got a top-10. We want to win, but the car couldn’t quite steer from the rear, and the front was chattering a little bit. We were close, but not quite there.”

Date: Aug. 5, 2018
Event: Go Bowling at The Glen (Round 22 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:  Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (11-turn, 2.45-mile road course)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish: 18th/11th (Running, completed 90 of 90)
Point Standing: 5th (703 points, 231 out of first)

Race Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended at Lap 20):

● Bowyer started 18th and finished 27th.
● He reported his car was a little loose and was taking it easy in the opening laps.
● Bowyer climbed to 12th before pitting on lap 17 under green to gain track position for the start of Stage 2.

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 40):

● Bowyer started ninth and finished 31st.
● He asked the crew for more grip to get around the road course.
● Bowyer pitted from ninth on lap 37 in the hope of gaining track position for the final stage.

Stage 3 Recap (Ended at Lap 90):

● Bowyer started 14th and finished 11th.
● Bowyer pitted from 10th under caution on lap 55 and restarted the race in 15th with 32 laps remaining.
● He told the crew that he and every other driver struggled to pass on the track.
● Bowyer climbed as high as 11th to finish the race.

Notes:

●  This was Bowyer’s 16th top-15 of 2018.
●  Chase Elliott won the Go Bowling at The Glen to score his first career Cup Series victory. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr. was 7.560 seconds.
●  There were four caution periods for a total of 11 laps.
●  Twenty-four of the 37 drivers in the Go Bowling at The Glen finished on the lead lap.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Fusion:

“That was a tough day for the Rush Truck Centers Ford, but we fought hard. It was hard to pass out there. We were struggling to make grip. We tried to play the strategy game, and that got us a decent finish. It was a long weekend, but everyone worked hard.”

Date: Aug. 5, 2018
Event: Go Bowling at The Glen (Round 22 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (11 turn, 2.45-mile road course)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish: 7th/22nd (Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)
Point Standing: 12th (602 points, 332 out of first)

Race Winner:      Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner:  Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-20):

● Aric Almirola started seventh and finished Stage 1 in the 32nd position.
● Three laps into the event, Almirola spun after contact with a competitor and received damage to the right-rear of the Go Bowling Ford.
● The spin brought the caution out, and Almirola visited pit road for repairs. He restarted 36th on lap five.
● The remainder of the stage ran under the green flag, and Almirola completed it in 32nd.
● Almirola pitted before the start of Stage 2 for more damage repairs, fuel and four tires.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 21-40):

● Almirola began Stage 2 in 32nd and completed it in 24th.
● The entire length of Stage 2 was run under the green flag, and Almirola worked his way forward in the damaged No. 10 Go Bowling Ford to gain six positions.
● Before the start of the final stage, Almirola pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with Ford’s loose-handling condition up through the esses.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 41-90):

● Almirola started the final stage in the 23rd position and ended it 22nd.
● Almirola pitted on lap 55 for fuel and four tires during the fourth caution of the race. Unfortunately, the No. 10 team received a penalty because a pit crew member was over the wall too soon.
● He restarted 27th on lap 58, and on lap 61 he was up to the 24th spot.
● The remainder of the race went caution free, and Almirola finished 22nd.

Notes:

● Chase Elliott won the Go Bowling at The Glen to score his first career Cup Series victory. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr. was 7.560 seconds.
● There were four caution periods for a total of 11 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 37 drivers in the Go Bowling at The Glen finished on the lead lap.