CHASE ELLIOTT WINS ANOTHER ROAD COURSE AFTER MISTAKE; ALEX BOWMAN EDGES ARIC ALMIROLA TO QUALIFY TO ROUND OF 12

There are 2,383.42 Miles 2 Miami!

Chase Elliott became the second-ever winner of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Sunday afternoon in Concord, North Carolina after nearly wiping himself out of the race. The Dawsonville, Georgia native captured his third win of the season and locked himself into the Round of 12 of the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs.

The 24-year-old won his third road course victory and sixth career win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

“Oh, my gosh, what a mistake, holy moly,” said Elliott. “You talk about messing something up, right here — don’t do that. What a day. Such a fast NAPA Camaro ZL1, and honestly that was the only reason we were able to get back in it. I pretty well blew it and got the cautions at the right time and brought it home. … But I don’t think that I could have done anything more stupid, leading that race.”

Elliott was able to overcome an accident on Lap 65 after driving straight into the tire barrier. He drove his way forward from the 37th position and passed Kevin Harvick for the lead on the final restart.

Elliott’s teammate Alex Bowman finished second while clinching a spot into the Round of 12 with Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top-five. As usual, during the last race of each round, the playoff cutoff was something to keep an eye on during the Bank of America ROVAL 400.

Erik Jones's accident on Lap 23 knocked him out of the race and eliminated him from championship contention. Bowman and Ryan Newman were in a tight battle for the 12th position but with a lap to go Newman missed that backstretch chicane and ended up finishing 32nd. He finished 14th in points.

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Aric Almirola stayed on the track on the Lap 89 caution, where he couldn’t keep up with the front runners. Pitting in Lap 95, he restarted in the back of the pack and had to make up multiple positions to make it into the next round but fell short by five points.

The biggest headline of the race for the final spot in the Round of 12 was Bowman. With a few mistakes during the event and an incident with Bubba Wallace, he was able to drive his way into the second position and clinch his spot into the next round.

"Yeah, I don’t know if he was mad about the first lap, or what, but obviously that was just a mistake," Bowman said. "And then I got flipped off every single straightaway on the entire race track for three laps. I got flipped off by him for like three or four laps in a row at Richmond, so I’m just over it.”

After the race, Wallace would approach Bowman while he was sitting beside his car suffering from dehydration and douse him with water. It is the second driver in two weeks Bowman has an in-race incident.

Other notable playoff drivers like Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin had solid days and advanced to the Round of 12.

The next race on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Dover 400 on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Dover International Speedway. It starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Here are the standings going into Dover:

MARTIN TRUEX JR. WINS SECOND STRAIGHT PLAYOFF RACE; ERIK JONES FAILS POST-RACE INSPECTION

Saturday night’s race under the lights at Richmond Raceway was another event to remember for Martin Truex Jr. After capturing his first playoff win of 2019 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the weekend prior, Truex went on to sweep the season races at Richmond. It became Truex’s sixth win of the 2019 campaign.

Leading 109 laps, Truex was ahead of the field with less than 100 laps to go when he was spun by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. His teammate Kyle Busch went on to take back the lead but with 24 laps to go Truex drove back to the front and passed his teammate for the win.

“Man, I don’t know what to say, I really don’t,” Truex said. “I’m speechless, just an unbelievable job by all my guys … had a heck of a race with Kyle [Busch] and Denny [Hamlin] all night long really, and we just kept plugging away at it, as we always do. We just keep digging and we never quit.”

All four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers would go on and take the top-four positions of the Federated Auto Parts 400. Unfortunately for Erik Jones and the No. 20 team, their encouraging top-five finish didn’t last long.

Shortly after the conclusion of the race, NASCAR announced the No. 20 car failed post-race inspection due to the car’s rear-wheel alignment. The penalty resulted in Jones losing his fourth-place finish and only earning a point.

“We’ve set the standard early in the year in what we expect, and teams have done a good job reacting to that,” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series director Jay Fabian said. “I think obviously as the pressure mounts and the season goes on, it doesn’t surprise me to see them pushing a little further and trying to get a little more out of their stuff, and like I say, sometimes it just crosses that line a little bit, and that’s all you need to fail.”

Other playoff drivers that had strong runs were Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, and Clint Bowyer, who all placed a top-10 finish. Notable drivers that went into Richmond on the bubble of the playoff cut-off like Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman, and Aric Almirola placed outside of the top-15.

Bowman stated post-race that his goal heading into the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL is to accumulate as many stage points as they can.

The Monster Energy Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway next Sunday for the ROVAL race. Race coverage starts at 2:30 pm EST on NBC. Coverage can also be heard on PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

Here are the standings going into Charlotte:

NASCAR HEAT 4 REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Snapshot from NASCAR Heat 4

NASCAR Heat 4 was released on September 13, 2019. After the release of the trailer, gamers were excited about the improvements. Heat 4 made major changes to further the success of the game series. Improvements included: a track map, new unlockable paint schemes, dynamic user interface, more driving control options, deeper career mode, drafting features, and track updates. Not only did they add new features they did a complete overhaul of all graphics and audio packages, as well as improved the AI.

“[NASCAR Heat] 4 is way better in a number of aspects, AI, graphics, sound, racing physics, customization of setups and settings, but falls short on consistency between classifications on cars” states racing fan, Harrison Marchese.

While the improvements outweighed the flaws, they did still make an impact on the users’ experience. Marchese went on to describe how Heat 4 differed from Heat 3 in both good and bad ways. While Heat 3 didn’t allow for much drafting, Heat 4 added many aspects to it, such as side drafting, drafting indicator, disturbance of air on the front of the car, and essentially creating a teammate when linking with another car to work together. The way users interacted with each other did affect many of the races.

The user interface also changed for Heat racers. With the improved AI experience, users can determine how they’ll treat other users, creating a more aggressive and competitive environment. The experience also gave more of a realistic feeling when racing. Now, you can feel the tracks more such as rougher tracks feeling a bit more difficult and the grooves change throughout the course of a race. Even the restarts feel more realistic as cars are packed better and not scattered as they were in Heat 3. The addition of the map on the bottom left also allowed users to be able to determine their placement in the race – this was a fan favorite. Overall the user interface was a hit.

The new game didn’t disappoint users, that’s for sure. “Things got a lot better, the changes implemented were a big help to the way the game is played” stated Heat racer, Clayton Juel. A Steam user, President John McAfee, even goes on to say “This is, without a doubt, the best NASCAR Heat game so far. Everything done with the game has been steps in the right direction.” 

Overall, NASCAR HEAT 4 was a huge success with 70% positive ratings on Steam and 93% positive reviews from Google users.

Homestead-Miami Speedway is giving away copies of NASCAR Heat 4 on both XBOX and PS4. Want to win a copy of NASCAR Heat 4? Enter Homestead-Miami Speedway’s NASCAR Heat 4 Giveaway at bit.ly/2Zblk8C

2020 RENEWALS!

Come join us next year for a spring break party at Homestead-Miami Speedway! Enjoy South Florida’s beautiful weather with NASCAR’s hottest stars racing for the big trophy.

With 2020 just around the corner, renewals for the March race are now available! The first 400 3-day ticket holders who renew will receive wristband access for open garage before the Gander Outdoors Truck Series race. Renewals end October 1, so hurry to get this exclusive offer!

What can you expect from this renewal?

      

     Everything from last year can be renewed

     A 3-month payment plan

     Add ons available

           Renew for 2020 when you purchase a 2019 Ford Championship Weekend ticket

There is no relocation available after October 1 and you can’t upgrade from what you already have. So be sure to get your 2020 tickets quick before they’re gone! We guarantee that the 25^th anniversary of the track and our infield beach party will be something you never forget.

To renew log into your account or call (866) 409-RACE.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIMMIE JOHNSON!

Today, seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson celebrates his 44th birthday! Johnson is one of NASCAR’s top drivers and most can agree that he is probably one of the best drivers to ever race in the Cup Series.

Let’s be honest, if you grew up watching Johnson race in the late 2000s you know exactly why. The driver of the No. 48 always won, well that’s sort of what it felt like. His fans were happier than ever. Actually, most NASCAR fans during those years, would say that it was cool and historical to see someone win five straight championships.

Some speculated that NASCAR changed the playoff format because of that reason. The California native didn’t stop and won the championship for the seventh time in 2016. He proved those doubters that he can win in any format.

Johnson has racked up 83 wins in his career with 18,791 laps led. Those are astonishing numbers as he is one win shy of catching Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip, tying him to fourth overall with those Hall of Famers.

Johnson stated that he’s not giving up on driving to Victory Lane and pursuing his eighth championship.

“First of all, I think it’s pretty impressive the run we’ve been on to be in the playoffs for this many consecutive years,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure who’s close, but I don’t think they’re very close. So, we have that to be proud of.”

Last week, Johnson joined Dale Earnhardt Jr. in his weekly podcast. The former teammates caught up and reminisced on old stories of their younger days in the sport. One of the stories that stood out was when Johnson spoke about Rusty Wallace’s retirement.

After news of Wallace’s retirement, Wallace stated that he wasn’t ready to hang up his helmet just yet. Johnson too isn’t ready to hang up his helmet yet. He hopes for more championships in the near future.

Johnson told Earnhardt that he doesn’t want to go through that, in fact, he said “I’m not done yet, that fire is way too intense.”

Whether or not Johnson ever sees victory again or wins another championship, he’ll be remembered as the driver that broke Cale Yarborough’s record of three straight championships, a two-time DAYTONA 500 champion, four-time Brickyard 400 champion, four-time Coca Cola 600 champion, three-time Southern 500 champion, and all the other iconic accomplishments he did in our sport.

Happy birthday seven-time champ and we look forward to seeing you in November!

Tickets for 2019 Ford Championship Weekend, which consists of the Ford EcoBoost 200 (NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship race), Ford EcoBoost 300 (NASCAR XFINITY Series championship race) and Ford EcoBoost 400 (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship race), are now available and can be purchased by calling (866) 409-RACE (7223) or visiting www.HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com.

MARTIN TRUEX JR. LOCKS HIMSELF INTO ROUND OF 12 WITH LAS VEGAS WIN; KYLE BUSCH HAS LATE RACE SCUFFLE

There are 2,931.94 Miles 2 Miami!

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs got off to a racy start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As the green flag dropped on Sunday afternoon for the South Point 400, the field raced like it was their last lap.

Three wide battles mid-pack and contact between teammates up front settled the lead. Daniel Suarez, who missed the playoffs, drove his No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Mustang upfront ahead of his playoff teammate Clint Bowyer.

The Stewart-Haas Racing cars were the favorites early in the race, but Team Penske driver Joey Logano drove from the 22nd position to the lead in just 34 laps. Leading 105 laps overall, Logano placed ninth after a late-race incident with Suarez.

“We got shuffled out the back and then got to the outside of the 41 (Daniel Suarez) and didn’t know I was there and he crashed our car,’’ said Logano, whose No. 22 Ford suffered a lot of right-side damage after it was squeezed into the wall avoiding Suarez. “They fixed it as good as they could to recover with a top 10.”

Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang was another strong car all day. After taking the lead from Ryan Blaney on Lap 187, Harvick went on to lead 47 laps. Unfortunately, for the 2014 Cup Series champion, he didn’t have enough to hold off race winner Martin Truex Jr. in the last run.

“I knew the Gibbs cars would be tough,’’ Harvick said. “Martin was just so much better on the second half of the run. He made up that ground there, was able to stay close enough to us. My car started to get loose and push the front. It was just in kind of a four-wheel drift.”

Truex led 32 laps, won Stage 2, and clinched his spot in the Round of 12. He earned his fifth win of the season after qualifying in the 24th position.

“We took a gamble, qualified 24th,’’ said Truex, who led 32 laps. “For a while, it wasn’t looking too smart with the 4 (Harvick) out front. Got the right adjustments in the end. Had a great car all day long. Hell of a way to make a championship run. Get some good bonus points, move on to the next round, see what we can do there.’’

Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch got off to a tough start after contact with the wall early on. The damage would force him to pit, causing him to lose two laps and have to race from the back all afternoon.

Overcoming adversity and racing his way into the top-10 during the last stage, Busch went on to make contact with Garrett Smithley late in the race. The contact would cause front-end damage resulting in a 19th place finish.

Busch said in a postrace interview with Parker Kligerman on NBCSN “I thought he was going to go high. He went middle… Killed our day. I don’t know. Should have run fourth probably. Instead 19th. We’re at the top echelon of motorsports, and we’ve got guys who have never won Late Model races running on the racetrack. It’s pathetic. They don’t know where to go. What else do you do?”

Although Truex Jr won the race, Busch’s incident with Smithley became the talk post-race. Busch took his frustration from the TV to Twitter.

All in all, the playoff opener at Las Vegas did not disappoint. From multiple drivers running upfront to playoff contenders going up in smoke, to having transmission failures during the event, this is only the beginning.

Heading to the short track of Richmond Raceway, imagine what else we will have in store for the rest of this postseason.

The Monster Energy Series travels to Richmond Raceway for a Saturday night race on Sept. 21 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Here are the standings going into Richmond:

ROSS CHASTAIN MELON MAN TICKET PACKAGE AVAILABLE FOR FORD CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND

Florida native Ross Chastain is having another historic run in the 2019 season. Coming off what many say was his breakout year in 2018, Chastain has picked up where he left off fighting for the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series Championship.

As Chastain’s championship run continues, you can join Ross Chastain at Homestead-Miami Speedway this November by purchasing the Melon Man Ticket Package. Buy now -- Melon Man Package Tickets!

Homestead-Miami Speedway will be offering the Melon Man Ticket Package for $125. Fans who purchase this package will receive a 30-minute meet & greet with the Melon Man before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, November 17, a Melon Man hat, and a front stretch east/west ticket to Sunday’s Cup Series Championship race.

Let’s look back at how Ross Chastain got here!

Last year, Chastain had the opportunity to race part-time for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR). Chastain scored his first ever NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He went on to finish the season with three top-five finishes leading 272 laps.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, Chastain was left without a ride. However, JD Motorsports and Kaulig Racing gave him an opportunity to run on both their teams in the 2019 campaign. He ultimately went on to win his home track at Daytona International Speedway with Kaulig Racing.

It became Kaulig Racing’s first win in the Xfinity Series and Chastain’s first victory of the season.

“Oh my God – we did it. Daytona – I see you guys up there,” Chastain said on the front stretch while looking up at the grandstands. “I watched these races as a kid every July. These guys gave me a great race car. Oh my God, we won a race at Daytona! We did it!”

Chastain also became one of the busiest drivers in the sport. While running in the Truck Series playoffs, he also runs Xfinity and Cup Series races, often on the same weekend.

His historic run continues in the Truck Series as he hopes to make a championship run. Sitting comfortably second in points before the first elimination of the playoffs, Chastain feels confident ahead of Sin City.

“Las Vegas is a special track to me, so I’m definitely looking forward to getting back on track this week,” Chastain said. “We had a good truck here earlier this year, but I feel that we’ve come a long way with this Niece Motorsports program since then.”

We hope to see you smashing more melons in Victory Lane!