Busch Finishes 19^th at Pocono

Monster Energy/Haas Automation Driver Now Seventh in Points

Date:                 June 3, 2018
Event:               Pocono 400 (Round 14 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:      6^th/19^th (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Point Standing:  7^th (447 points, 177 out of first)

Race Winner:    Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

• Kurt Busch started sixth and finished 11^th.
• The No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) was loose into the turns and then tight on exit.
• Busch pitted on lap 25 while in fifth place for four tires, fuel and wedge and tire pressure adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

• Busch started 25^th and finished 21^st.
• The No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion pitted on lap 53 for four tires, fuel and a wedge and tire pressure adjustment.
• On lap 55, Busch pitted and the team put a packer in the right-front shock.
• Busch returned to pit road on lap 78 for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-160):

• Busch started 21^st and finished 19^th.
• The No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion pitted on lap 104 for four tires, fuel and a spring rubber in the left-rear suspension.
• Also on the lap-104 pit stop, the crew changed Busch’s helmet, as there was an issue with the audio.
• While 20^th on lap 126, Busch pitted under caution for four tires, fuel and a wedge a tire pressure adjustment.
• Busch finished 19^th, completing all 160 laps.

Notes:

• Martin Truex Jr. won the Pocono 400 to score his 17^th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Kyle Larson was 2.496 seconds.
• There were six caution periods for a total of 23 laps.
• Twenty-seven of the 38 drivers in the Pocono 400 finished on the lead lap.

Almirola Captures Seventh Place at Pocono

Finish Marks Smithfield Ford Driver’s Best Cup Result at Pennsylvania Venue

Date:                 June 3, 2018
Event:               Pocono 400 (Round 14 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:      34^th/7th (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Point Standing: 11th (406 points, 218 out of first)

Race Winner:    Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

• Aric Almirola started Stage 1 in the 34th position at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and completed it in the 15^th spot.
• After Almirola reported his Smithfield Ford Fusion was loose-handling, the pit crew made adjustments during the only pit stop of the 50-lap stage to address the issue. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

• Before the start of Stage 2, Almirola visited pit road for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to help with the No. 10 Ford Fusion’s handling. He started the second stage in the 19^th position and ended it in 17^th.
• Almirola made his second scheduled green-flag pit stop from 14^th on lap 73 to get fuel, four tires and adjustments after relaying to the No. 10 team that his racecar’s handling remained loose.
• The race stayed green until the completion of Stage 2, and the Tampa native ended it in the 14^th spot.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-160):

• Before the start of the final stage, Almirola came down pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments and started the last stage in the 17^th position.
• After the green flag waved, the 34-year-old worked his way up to the 14^th position.
• The third caution came out on lap 125, and Almirola once again visited pit road. A speedy pit stop by the No. 10 Smithfield crew gained Almirola three positions.
• After the restart Almirola once again worked his way forward and was in the ninth spot when the fourth caution was displayed. Crew chief John Klausmeier made the call for Almirola to visit pit road for two right-side tires.
• The strategy call allowed Almirola to restart in the sixth position, and he quickly gained one spot to reach the top-five for the first time during the event.
• The fifth yellow flag waved on lap 147; Almirola didn’t visit pit road and restarted fifth on lap 150. Shortly after the green flag, the caution came out once again, and Almirola was scored in the sixth spot.
• Almirola was in a sprint to the finish when the green flag dropped on lap 153, and he ultimately finished seventh in the Smithfield Ford Fusion.

Notes:

• This was Almirola’s sixth top-10 finish of 2018.
• Almirola earned his first top-10 in 12 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono.
• Martin Truex Jr. won the Pocono 400 to score his 17^th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Kyle Larson was 2.496 seconds.
• There were six caution periods for a total of 23 laps.
• Twenty-seven of the 38 drivers in the Pocono 400 finished on the lead lap.

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

“Man, Pocono is a really challenging place, and I have run so bad here for six years. I just came here with an open mind and told myself I was going to study up and pay attention to what all three of my teammates did and try to learn and try to improve every practice. Qualifying we had whatever snafu we had with that set of tires, and it got us set way behind starting 34^th, but the guys brought me an incredible racecar. I finally figured this place out, I feel like. I think the car has a lot to do with it, but I started changing some things that I was doing and really picked up a lot. I am really proud of everybody to get another top-10.”

Harvick Finishes 4th at Pocono

Busch Beer Driver Scores 10^th Top-Five of 2018, Adds Playoff Point

Date:                 June 3, 2018
Event:               Pocono 400 (Round 14 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:      2nd / 4th (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Point Standing:  2nd (537 points, 87 out of first)                                      

Race Winner:    Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50): 

• Kevin Harvick started second and finished second, scoring nine bonus points.
• The No. 4 Busch Beer Ford raced to the lead on lap 12.
• Harvick surrendered the lead on lap 25 to pit under green-flag conditions for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.
• He reclaimed the lead on lap 35 but fell to the second position, reporting the car was loose off the corner.
• The Busch Beer team brought the car to pit road at the completion of Stage 1 for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

• Started second and finished first to earn 10 bonus points and a playoff point.
• Harvick raced to the lead on the initial restart.
• The No. 4 Ford surrendered the lead on lap 78 when Harvick came to pit road for four tires and fuel under green-flag conditions.
• Harvick reclaimed the lead on lap 82 and held it for the remainder of the stage.
• The Busch Beer team brought the No. 4 Ford to pit road for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments at the end of Stage 2.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-160): 

• Started first and finished fourth.
• Harvick raced back out to the lead to start the final stage.
• The team came to pit road under caution on lap 126 for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments, but an issue on pit road caused the team to restart second on lap 129.
• Following the lap-129 restart, Harvick fell back to the third position until the next caution on lap 139.
• The team elected to stay out under caution on lap 139 to restart in the second position, but Harvick lost a position on the restart.
• Harvick and the team elected to stay out for the final flurry of cautions on laps 146 and 150.
• The team restarted in the fourth position on lap 153 and remained there until the checkered flag on lap 160. 

Notes:

• This was Harvick’s 10th top-five and 11th top-10 finish of 2018.
• Harvick earned his 11th top-five and 16th top-10 in 35 career Cup Series starts at Pocono.
• Harvick finished second in Stage 1 to earn nine points and won in Stage 2 to earn an additional 10 bonus points and a playoff point.
• Harvick led four times for a race-high 89 laps to increase his laps-led total at Pocono to 157.
• Harvick has now led exactly 12,000 laps in his NASCAR career. He is the 15th driver to accomplish this feat.
• Martin Truex Jr. won the Pocono 400 to score his 17th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Kyle Larson was 2.496 seconds.
• There were six caution periods for a total of 23 laps.
• Twenty-seven of the 38 drivers in the Pocono 400 finished on the lead lap.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We just lost our track position of being in the lead and lost control of the race. That is what did us in there. We restarted second and then third and lost a spot on each restart as you start on the inside. Our Busch Ford was really fast, and the guys did a really great job. When you are racing the 18 and 78, you are splitting hairs, and they were just better than us on pit road today.”

Bowyer Finishes 20th at Pocono

Late-Race Missed Shift Thwarts Strong Showing for Busch Light Driver

Date: June 3, 2018
Event: Pocono 400 (Round 14 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-Triangle)
Format: 160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)

Start/Finish: 9th / 20th (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Point Standing:  6th (453 points, 171 out of first)

Race Winner:     Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended at Lap 50):

● Clint Bowyer started ninth and finished fourth, scoring seven bonus points.
● The No. 14 Busch Light driver steadily worked his way forward in the field, running sixth by lap 16.
● Bowyer’s team reported that he ran the fastest lap of the field several times during the first 20 laps of the race.
● The Busch Light driver battled a loose-handling condition the majority of the stage.
● Bowyer brought his Busch Light Ford down pit road for a scheduled stop on lap 25 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.
● Bowyer broke into the top-five in the final laps of the stage, ultimately ending Stage 1 in fourth.

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 100):

● Started sixth and finished third to earn eight bonus points.
● Bowyer raced his way back into the fourth position after the Stage 2 restart.
● The No. 14 Busch Light team raced as high as third by lap 70.
● Bowyer made a scheduled, green-flag stop on lap 78 for four tires and fuel. He was told to back up his entry in the tunnel to assist with handling.
● Bowyer continued to battle a free-handling condition through Stage 2 as track temperatures changed.
● The Busch Light driver raced his way up to third with 10 laps remaining in the stage, where he ultimately finished Stage 2.

Final Stage Recap (Ended at Lap 160):

● Started seventh and finished 20th.
● Bowyer worked his way back into the top-five early in the final stage but dropped back to ninth on the first restart.
● The Busch Light driver made it three wide going into turn one with 17 laps remaining to earn back the 10th position.
● He continued working his way through the field, earning the seventh spot by lap 150.
● Unfortunately, Bowyer missed a shift on lap 155 and dropped back to 25th.
● The Busch Light team ended the race in the 20th spot.

Notes:

● Bowyer finished fourth in Stage 1 to earn seven bonus points and third in Stage 2 to earn eight bonus points.
● Martin Truex Jr. won the Pocono 400 to score his 17th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Kyle Larson was 2.496 seconds.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 23 laps.
● Twenty-seven of the 38 drivers in the Pocono 400 finished on the lead lap.

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

“I’m sick to my stomach. I let my team down today. We had a fast Busch Light Ford and completely blew it. Missed a shift on the final restart and ruined our day.”

Cole Custer Finishes Fifth at Pocono

Haas Automation Driver Now Second In Season Standings

Date:                 June 2, 2018
Event:               Pocono Green 250 (Round 12 of 33)
Series:               NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location:          Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format:             100 laps, broken into three stages (25 laps/25 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish:      1^st/5^th (Running, completed 100 of 100 laps)
Point Standing: 2^nd with 412 points

Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Paul Menard of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-25):

• Cole Custer started first, finished 25^th.
• Custer piloted the Haas Automation Ford in the lead for the first two laps.
• He raced inside the top-five until crew chief Jeff Meendering radioed him to the pits under green with three laps to go in Stage 1.
• He stayed out of the pits when the stage ended.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 26-50):

• Custer started first, finished second to earn nine bonus points.
• Custer powered the Haas Automation Ford to a commanding lead until he noted tight-handling conditions and surrendered the lead on the final lap of Stage 2.
• When the stage ended, he pitted for four fresh tires, fuel and adjustments.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 51-100):

• Custer started sixth, finished fifth.
• Custer ran in second place for the majority of the final stage.
• On lap 88, he was caught without help from behind and fell to the fifth position, where he ran for the remainder of the race.

Notes:              

• Custer earned his and Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-Denbeste’s third Xfinity Series career pole.
• This marks Custer’s ninth top-10 of the season and second top-10 at Pocono.
• It was Custer’s third top-five of the season and first at Pocono.
• Custer earned nine bonus points in the Pocono Green 250.
• Custer led twice for a total of 23 laps.
• Five cautions slowed the race for 18 laps with only 15 of the 40 drivers finishing on the lead lap.
• Kyle Busch led 64 laps to win the Pocono Green 250 earning his 92^nd career Xfinity Series victory. It is his first victory of the season and first at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Chase Elliot was 2.852 seconds.

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

“We had a really fast Haas Automation Mustang . We just didn’t have really good long run speed –  that was our biggest problem. We just got too tight at the end of a run. It was interesting to run the package and try to learn it throughout the day. I just think we needed a little more there. We were close.”

Event:               Coca-Cola 600 (Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster EnergyNASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:            400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish:      39th/40th (Running, completed 83 of 400 laps)
Point Standing:  3rd (485 points, 88 points out of first)
Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 3 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on Lap 100):

• Kevin Harvickstarted 39^thand finished 40th.
• The Mobil 1/Busch Beer Ford raced from 39^thup to 11^thby the first caution on lap 38.
• The team came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment during the caution and restarted ninth on lap 43.
• Harvick raced into the top-five by lap 67.
• The No. 4 Ford cut a right-front tire and hit the outside retaining wall on lap 83, resulting in heavy damage.
• The team was unable to continue due to the heavy right-side damage and retired to the garage, ending Harvick’s day. 

Notes:

• This was only the second time that the No. 4 team did not finish (DNF) a race in 2018. Harvick also recorded a DNF in the Daytona 500.
• Kyle Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 47th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was 3.823 seconds. With his Coca-Cola 600 victory, Kyle Busch became the first driver to secure a points-paying win at every track the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits.
• There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.
• Only nine of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

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

Any indication why the tire went down?

“No, we stood in the garage and looked at it, and I can’t tell if we ran something over. There’s enough things that could have happened right there, but I’m just really proud of everybody on our Mobil 1/Busch Ford. The car was really, really fast. We came all the way through the pack and made it up into the top-three there, and sometimes those things happen. I can’t complain about anything that’s happened this year. We have to take the good with the bad. The guys did a great job in basically guessing at where the car needed to be today with all the penalties, no practice and starting in the back. To come out and have the fastest car again was quite an honor to drive, and they’re doing a great job. It was just bad luck.”

Next Up:                       

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 3 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

Event:               Coca-Cola 600 (Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:             400laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish:      9th/13th (Running, completed 399 of 400 laps)
Point Standing:10th (376 points, 197 out of first)

Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 3 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

• Aric Almirola started Stage 1 in the ninth position at Charlotte Motor Speedway and completed it in sixth to earn five bonus points.
• Almirola’s Smithfield Ford Fusion remained in the top-10 throughout the 100-lap stage and ran as high as fifth.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

• Before the start of Stage 2, Almirola visited pit road for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. He started the second stage in the fifth position and ended it in sixth to accumulate five bonus points.
• During the fourth caution of the race on lap 116, the Tampa native reported his Ford Fusion was the best it had been all night.
• Almirola made his first green-flag pit stop of the night on lap 158 for fuel, four tires and adjustments.
• After green-flag pit stops cycled through, the 34-year-old was in the eighth position and worked his way up to sixth, where he ultimately finished the stage. 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

• Before the start of Stage 3, Almirola came down pit road for four tires, fuel and tape to the No. 10 machine’s grille. He started Stage 3 in the sixth spot and finished it in 17^th.
• After a great Stage 3 restart, Almirola was in the fourth position.
• On lap 227, Almirola came to pit road during the caution, and the No. 10 pit crew gained him one position to restart in third.
• The eighth caution came out on lap 258, and Almirola came down pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments after he slipped back to the eighth spot. He restarted ninth on lap 261.
• On the final restart of the stage on lap 286, Almirola was in the fifth position, but he slipped back to 17^thto end the stage after other cars had fresher tires. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):

• During the caution period for the final stage break, Almirola visited pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments. He began the final stage from the 13^thspot after speedy pit work from the No. 10 Smithfield crew.
• The final stage was caution-free, and Almirola maintained a top-15 position throughout the stage. With Almirola’s No. 10 machine tight throughout the run, he ultimately ended up 13^thfor the 600-mile event.

Notes:

• This was Almirola’s 11^thtop-15 finish of 2018.
• Almirola finished sixth in Stage 1 to earn five bonus points and sixth in Stage 2 to earn another five bonus points.
• Kyle Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 47^thcareer Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was 3.823 seconds. With his Coca-Cola 600 victory, Kyle Busch became the first driver to secure a points-paying win at every track the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits.
• There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.
• Only nine of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

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

“We just missed it. The first half of the race was pretty good for us, and then we missed an opportunity to pit there when we kind of stayed out on older tires, and we were one of the last couple cars on old tires. We went from running in the top-five or -six to finishing that third stage in 17^th, and then that’s kind of the end of the night. That last run went green, and we had extra tires laying in the pits, but they didn’t do us any good.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 3 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

Event:               Coca-Cola 600 (Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster EnergyNASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:             400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish:      28th/12th (Running, completed 399 of 400 laps)
Point Standing:8th (421 points, 152 out of first)

Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 3 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended at Lap 100):

• Bowyer started 28th and finished seventh.
• Told the crew his car was tight in the corners and said the tires felt like they had too much air.
• The No. 14 pit crew made quick pit stops and chassis adjustments that propelled Bowyer into the top-10.
• Car was loose at the end of the stage, but Bowyer climbed from ninth to seventh in final laps.

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 200):

• Started seventh and finished fifth.
• Reported car still needed more overall grip as crew continued to work to improve the handling.
• Moved from seventh to fifth in the final 18 laps of the stage.

Stage 3 Recap (Ended at Lap 300):

• Started fourth and finished 20th.
• Dropped to seventh by the halfway mark.
• Told crew his car started tight but ended up loose at the end of the run.
• Stayed on the track to save tires and struggled with handling as he fell back to 19th. 

Final Stage Recap (Ended at Lap 400):

• Started 21st and finished 12th.
• Charged from 21st to 14th in the opening laps of the stage.
• Stayed on the lead lap until 11 laps remaining.
• Stage ran without a caution.

Notes:

• This was Bowyer’s 11^thtop-15 finish of 2018.
• Bowyer finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and fifth in Stage 2 to earn an additional six bonus points.
• Kyle Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 47^thcareer Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was 3.823 seconds. With his Coca-Cola 600 victory, Kyle Busch became the first driver to secure a points-paying win at every track the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits.
• There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps. Only nine of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Haas Automation VF-1 Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:  

“It’s frustrating. You come here and it’s a long race, and what a weird race. It was like we had track position and cars were way back and laps down and then all the wrecks opened the door for them to get the laps back. Then we lost track position on tires there and kind of halfway got it back, but it was just a frustrating weekend altogether, really.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 3 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Event:               Coca-Cola 600(Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster EnergyNASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:            400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish:      16^th/ 8^th(Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)
Point Standing:  6th (429points, 144out of first)

Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 3 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100): 

• Kurt Buschstarted 16^thand finished 12^th.
• The No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Fusion ran just outside of the top-10 for the majority of the stage.
• Two caution periods allowed Busch to pit twice to correct balance issues.
• Busch pitted at the conclusion of Stage 1 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200): 

• Buschstarted 11^thand finished 12^th.
• Busch joined the top-five by lap 144.
• He pitted under green-flag conditions on lap 159 for four tires and fuel. He was scored just outside of the top-10 when the pit stops cycled through.
• The No. 41 pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments at the conclusion of Stage 2. 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300): 

• Buschstarted 12^thand finished fourth to score seven bonus points.
• After a lap-224 caution, Busch took four tires, fuel and chassis and air pressure adjustments. He restarted in ninth place.
• Busch drove the Haas Automation Ford to fourth place before a lap-273 caution.
• During the restart, Busch climbed as high as second place before finishing the stage inside the top-five.
• He pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments at the end of Stage 3.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400): 

• Buschstarted third and finished eighth.
• Busch ran as high as third place during the final stage.
• He pitted under green-flag conditions from sixth place on lap 346 and was still scored in sixth when pit stops cycled through.
• Busch held the Haas Automation Ford inside the top-10 to secure his fourth straight top-10 of the season. 

Notes:

• This was Kurt Busch’s seventh top-10 finish of 2018 and his 13th top-10 in 36 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte.
• Kurt Busch finished fourth in Stage 3 to earn seven bonus points.
• There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.
• Only nine of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.
• Kyle Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 47th career Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was 3.823 seconds. With his Coca-Cola 600 victory, Kyle Busch became the first driver to secure a points-paying win at every track the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits.

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

“We just didn’t do anything spectacular tonight. We had one really good restart, but we were positioned for restarting fourth. We struggled on pit stops the first half of the race, but the second half they cleaned them up and we kept up with the track as best we could. We just didn’t have any short-run speed that was stellar. We didn’t have any long-run speed that was stellar. We kind of just did everything as a top-10 team would do and I’m glad we put the Haas Automation Ford in eighth. We’ll have to keep fighting.” 

Next Up: 

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 3 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Chase Briscoe 11^th at Charlotte

Late-Race Accident Slows Rookie Driver’s Bid for Top-10

Date: May 26, 2018
Event: Alsco 300 (Round 11 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/ 45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 9^th/11^th (Running, completed 204 of 204 laps)

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford) in overtime.
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

• Briscoe started ninth and finished 18th
• Climbed to seventh in the opening laps before reporting his car was tight off the corners.
• Dropped to 18th place before he could come to pit lane for adjustments after the stage completion.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):

• Briscoe started 11th and finished 10th
• Pitted for four tires and fuel plus adjustments before the stage’s start.
• Started turning top-six lap times and drove from 18th to as high as fifth. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-200):

• Briscoe started 11th and finished 11th
• Restarted 10th with 50 to go and immediately climbed to fifth before giving up several positions to cars with newer tires.
• On the restart with 39 laps to go, Kyle Busch spun on the front stretch and collected Briscoe forcing him to pit lane for repairs.
• Restarted 23rd, the last car on the lead lap, with 34 laps remaining.
• Rain forced an hour-long delay with 28 laps remaining.
• Briscoe survived the wild racing in the closing laps and overtime without incident.

Notes:              

• Saturday’s race marked Briscoe’s sixth career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and third at Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste (SHR).
• The 11th-place finish equals his career-best Xfinity Series finish.
• Thirteen cautions slowed the race for 59 laps with only 22 of the 40 drivers finishing on the lead lap.
• Brad Keselowski led 77 laps to win the Alsco 300 earning his 38th career Xfinity Series victory. It is his second victory of the season and fourth at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Cole Custer .421 seconds.

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing With Biagi-DenBeste:    

“I wish we could get a clean race. Today I think we had a lot better car than we showed. We were looking really good on tires and in a good position then got caught up in Kyle’s (Busch) problem. I think we could have finished in the top five. Our Ford was fast today and the guys at SHR worked really hard the whole weekend. I can’t wait to get in this Mustang again.”