Sunday, August 28, 2016

RACE RECAPS- MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY AND ROAD AMERICA


Pure Michigan 400
Michigan International Speedway– Brooklyn, Michigan
Sunday, August 28, 2016

Race Winner: Kyle Larson
Age: 24
Team: No. 42 – Target Chevrolet
Owner: Chip Ganassi Racing
Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

IN THE WORDS OF THE WINNER – “I was teared-up that whole last few laps because I could just feel it. It was finally going to be it. This one is for the Clauson family. We really miss Bryan. We love you guys. We’re going to miss him. We parked it for him, so that’s really cool."

-       Kyle Larson

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·       Kyle Larson won the 47th Annual Pure Michigan 400 Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday. For Larson, it is his first victory in 99 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

·         It is Larson’s eighth top-10 and fifth top-5 finish in 2016.

·         It is Larson’s third top-10 finish in six races at Michigan International Speedway.

·         Larson is the first graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity and NASCAR Next programs to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

·         With the victory, Larson now clinches a spot in the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

·         Chip Ganassi Racing ends a wins drought of 99 races, extending back to Jamie McMurray's win on October 20, 2013 at Talladega.

·         Chase Elliott (second) matched his best career finish, which also occurred at Michigan International Speedway in on June 12, 2016.

·         It is Elliott’s 12th top-10 and seventh top-5 showing this season.

·         Brad Keselowski (third) posted his eighth top-10 finish in 15 races at Michigan International Speedway.

·         Ryan Blaney finished fourth on Sunday, giving him his ninth top-10 and third top-5 finish through 24 races this season.

·         Kevin Harvick (fifth) posted his 10th top-10 finish in the last 12 races. It is also his third top-5 in the last four races.

·         Kyle Larson’s win on Sunday caps off a race weekend where each series saw a first-time race winner. Brian Moffitt won the Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway and Michael McDowell won the XFINITY Series race at Road America.

·       Kevin Harvick (799) leads the 2016 Sprint Cup Series points standing by 25 points over Brad Keselowski (774).  The following are the top-5 drivers in points with two races to go in the regular season:

Driver                                           Wins                           Points

1.    Kevin Harvick                                  2                                 799          

2.    Brad Keselowski                             4                                 774             

3.    Carl Edwards                                  2                                 724 

4.    Kurt Busch                                      1                                 721        
5.    Joey Logano                                   1                                 716                             

·      Twelve drivers have qualified for the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, a list which includes Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr., all of who have taken checkered flags this year. 

·         As a result of his victory in the Pennsylvania 400 in Pocono on August 1, Chris Buescher would also qualify so long as he finishes in the top-30 in points after the season’s 26 regular season races. Buescher currently sits in the 30th spot with 334 points, seven points ahead of David Ragan (327), who is in 31st.  The Chase culminates with the Ford EcoBoost 400 championship race on November 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

·         In three Sprint Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Larson has one top-5 showing, finishing fifth in the 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400. Also, Larson won the 2015 Ford EcoBoost 300 XFINITY Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Starting this year, the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series will feature championship races at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19 (NXS) and November 18 (NCWTS).  Four drivers will compete amongst a full field for their respective title. Below are Race Recaps from Saturday’s XFINITY Series race at Road America and the Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway:

XFINITY Series

·         Michael McDowll won the 7th Annual Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville XFINITY Series race at Road America Saturday. It was his first victory in 94 NASCAR XFINITY Series races.

·         It is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2016.

·         It is his first victory and second top-10 finish in five races at Road America.

·         Richard Childress Racing has won the last three consecutive races at Road America – McDowell (2016), Paul Menard (2015) and Brendan Gaughan (2014).

·         Michael McDowell is the third first-time winner of the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series season joining Daniel Suarez (Michigan) and Justin Marks (Mid-Ohio).

·         Michael McDowell is the fourth first-time NASCAR XFINITY Series winner at Road America joining Nelson Piquet Jr. (2012), AJ Allmendinger (2013) and Brendan Gaughan (2014). 

·         Elliott Sadler leads the point standings by 47 points over Daniel Suarez

·       Through 23 races this season in the XFINITY Series, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez and Elliott Sadler have qualified for the 2016 XFINITY Series Chase following their victories. Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano have also won an XFINITY Series race this season but are ineligible for the XFINITY Series Chase due to their full-time status in the Sprint Cup Series. Sam Hornish Jr., Michael McDowell and Justin Marks are also ineligible because they are not full-time drivers in the XFINITY Series.

 Camping World Truck Series

·         Brett Moffitt won the 17th Annual Careers for Veterans 200 Presented by The Cooper Standard Foundation & Brad Keselowski's Checkered Flag Foundation Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway Saturday. It was his first victory in six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.

·         It is his third top-10 finish in 2016. He finished third (Pocono) and second (Bristol) in the previous two races.

·         It is his first victory and first top-10 finish in two races at Michigan International Speedway.

·         Timothy Peters (second) posted his seventh top-10 finish in ten races at Michigan International Speedway.  It is his ninth top-10 finish in 2016.

·         Daniel Hemric (third) posted his second top-10 finish in two races at Michigan International Speedway.

·         William Byron leads the point standings by 36 points over Daniel Hemric.

·         Through 14 races this season in the Camping World Truck Series, Ben Kennedy, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Matt Crafton, John Hunter Nemechek and Johnny Sauter have qualified for the 2016 Camping World Truck Series Chase as a result of their victories. Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson have also won a Camping World Truck Series race this season but are ineligible for the Camping World Truck Series Chase due to their full-time status in the Sprint Cup Series. Brett Moffitt’s win in the Camping World Truck Series does not make him eligible for the Camping World Truck Series Chase because he does not have full-time status in the Camping World Truck Series.