NASCAR 2020 "Cup" series

[Dave]

NASCAR 2020 "Cup" series, race 1 at Daytona, was last Sunday, Should be another entertaining interesting season. Will keep you posted on all the results and driver standings, plus my unbiased opinions...

Go Kyle Busch, my main man, who is one of the favorites this year, after winning his 2nd NASCAR championship last year...

[Dave]

My guy, Kyle Busch finished at the back of the pack after working his way to the lead...again Logano bumped him from behind late in the race...

Fortunately there are still 35 races left in the regular season...

Denny Hamlin wins 3rd Daytona 500 in photo finish

Feb 17, 2020
ESPN News Services

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- New year, another Denny Hamlin win in the Daytona 500, and Joe Gibbs still has the team to beat in NASCAR.

Hamlin won his third Daytona 500 on Monday, becoming the first driver since Sterling Marlin in 1995 to win "The Great American Race'' in consecutive seasons. Hamlin's victory last year was part of a 1-2-3 sweep for Joe Gibbs Racing and kicked off a yearlong company celebration in which Gibbs drivers won a record 19 races and the Cup championship.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Standing


RANK **** DRIVER **** POINTS ****WINS ****POLES

1 Denny Hamlin 50 1 0 1 1
2 Ryan Blaney 43 0 0 1 1
3 Chris Buescher 37 0 0 1 1
4 Chase Elliott 34 0 0 0 0
5 David Ragan 33 0 0 1 1
6 Kevin Harvick 32 0 0 1 1
7 Clint Bowyer 31 0 0 0 1
8 Corey LaJoie 29 0 0 0 1
9 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 29 0 1 0 0
10 Ryan Newman 28 0 0 0 1
11 Kyle Larson 27 0 0 0 1
12 John Hunter Nemechek 26 0 0 0 0
13 Austin Dillon 25 0 0 0 0
14 Michael McDowell 23 0 0 0 0
15 Aric Almirola 23 0 0 0 0
16 Bubba Wallace 22 0 0

[Dave]

Another below average finish, but never fear,,,Kyle Busch is still the best...and will qualify for the playoffs...

Joey Logano capitalizes on final restart to defend Las Vegas Cup win

Feb 23, 2020
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- The adjustments to a major offseason overhaul at Team Penske continued Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where miscommunication between Joey Logano and his new crew chief led to a botched final pit stop in the NASCAR Cup Series race.

Logano still wound up in Victory Lane for the second year in a row, winning a two-lap sprint to the finish that ended under caution.

A caution with six laps remaining forced teams to make strategic decisions, and crew chief Paul Wolfe told Logano to head to pit road for new tires. Logano didn't hear Wolfe and remained on the track, a move that cycled him into the lead but put him in position to hold off a slew of contenders on fresh tires.

Logano knew it was critical to get his Ford separated from the pack quickly on the restart to have any shot at the win.

"Clean air was going to be key with old tires," he said. "If I got swallowed up by a couple cars, I was just going to fall backwards really quick."

Logano got a push from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the restart with two laps remaining, then threw a block on William Byron to maintain his position out front in what Logano called "the winning move."

"I was able to get down in front of him and then be able to separate myself a little bit from the field," he said.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Standing

RANK **** DRIVER **** POINTS ****WINS ****POLES

1 Joey Logano 82 1 0 1 1
2 Denny Hamlin 60 1 0 1 1
3 Ryan Blaney 85 0 0 1 1
4 Kevin Harvick 81 0 0 1 2
5 Kyle Larson 70 0 0 0 2
6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 66 0 1 1 1
7 Chase Elliott 65 0 0 0 0
8 Austin Dillon 63 0 0 1 1
9 Chris Buescher 61 0 0 1 1
10 Matt DiBenedetto 60 0 0 1 1
11 Jimmie Johnson 60 0 0 1 1
12 Bubba Wallace 59 0 0 0 1
13 Clint Bowyer 56 0 0 0 1
14 Alex Bowman 51 0 0 0 0
15 Corey LaJoie 50 0 0 0 1
16 Martin Truex Jr. 50 0 0

[Dave]

Now that's more like it,...my guy finishes...2nd...sweet...

Alex Bowman holds off Busch brothers at Fontana for second NASCAR win

March 1, 2020
Associated Press

FONTANA, Calif. -- Before Alex Bowman started looking for tattoo shops somewhere between Los Angeles and Phoenix, he celebrated a win that suggested even more permanent success ahead for the hard-working driver and his resurgent team.

Bowman raced to his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory Sunday, holding off Kyle and Kurt Busch at Fontana.
The win was the culmination of a tremendously encouraging weekend for Bowman, who has run 156 Cup races without extraordinary success. He is in the final year of his contract with Hendrick Motorsports.

But his No. 88 Chevrolet felt like the fastest car on this weathered, wide asphalt from the moment they unloaded -- and Bowman decisively proved he knew what to do with it.

"We've been so good to start this season," Bowman said. "We've got to go win a bunch more, but man, it feels good to have one this early."

Bowman's future might be uncertain, but he's fine with it after this dominant performance at Fontana.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Standing

RANK **** DRIVER **** POINTS ****WINS ****POLES

1 Joey Logano 111 1 0 1 1
2 Alex Bowman 110 1 0 1 1
3 Denny Hamlin 94 1 0 1 2
4 Ryan Blaney 122 0 0 1 1
5 Kevin Harvick 110 0 0 1 3
6 Jimmie Johnson 106 0 0 1 2
7 Chase Elliott 105 0 0 1 1
8 Matt DiBenedetto 87 0 0 1 1
9 Kyle Larson 86 0 0 0 2
10 Aric Almirola 84 0 0 0 1
11 Chris Buescher 82 0 0 1 1
12 Brad Keselowski 82 0 0 1 2
13 Martin Truex Jr. 79 0 0 0 0
14 Austin Dillon 76 0 0 1 1
15 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 73 0 1 1 1
16 Clint Bowyer 70 0 1

[Dave]

Now that's more like it,...my guy finishes...3rd...sweet...and even more important he moves into the top 16 in points...i.e. 12th place...

Joey Logano holds off Kevin Harvick to win Phoenix Cup race

March 8, 2020
Associated Press

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Joey Logano raved all weekend about the new "Awesome Sauce" at Phoenix Raceway, which was the driver's nickname for the substance that was put on the mile oval to improve grip for tires and make for better racing.

The sauce did its job during an entertaining show Sunday and so did Logano, who raced to his second NASCAR Cup Series win in three weeks by holding off Kevin Harvick during a two-lap overtime restart.

"That was a pretty intense last 30 minutes or hour of the race. A lot going on," Logano said. "Couldn't be more proud of this team. Two wins already in the books. We got to keep this thing rocking."

Also the winner two weeks ago in Las Vegas for Team Penske, Logano has 25 career Cup victories. He overcame several tough moments, including a pit-road penalty for an uncontrolled tire and a broken jack during another stop.

A late caution triggered the two-lap overtime shootout with Logano, Harvick and Kyle Busch all in a decent position to win. Logano had a good restart at the mile oval and was able to hold off Harvick. Busch was third, Kyle Larson finished fourth and Clint Bowyer was fifth.

On top of the improved track surface, the Phoenix race was the first under NASCAR's new rules package for short tracks, which included a significantly smaller rear spoiler. The hope was all the changes would make for more passing and excitement during the race.

The tweaks seemed to have their desired effect. There were 20 lead changes and plenty of passing and contact back in the pack. Phoenix also is the site of the Cup Series championship in November.

"Hats off to NASCAR for collaborating with the teams, the track and putting on a way better race than what we saw here last year," Logano said.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Standing

RANK **** DRIVER **** POINTS ****WINS ****POLES

1 Joey Logano 163 2 0 2 2
2 Alex Bowman 138 1 0 1 1
3 Denny Hamlin 111 1 0 1 2
4 Kevin Harvick 164 0 0 2 4
5 Chase Elliott 144 0 1 1 2
6 Jimmie Johnson 131 0 0 1 2
7 Ryan Blaney 123 0 0 1 1
8 Kyle Larson 121 0 0 1 3
9 Aric Almirola 121 0 0 0 2
10 Matt DiBenedetto 118 0 0 1 1
11 Brad Keselowski 118 0 0 1 2
12 Kyle Busch 111 0 1 2 2
13 Clint Bowyer 105 0 1 1 2
14 Chris Buescher 102 0 0 1 1
15 Martin Truex Jr. 96 0 0 0 0
16 Kurt Busch 90 0 0

[Dave]

After 9 weeks of no racing just because of a virus, NASCAR resumed racing this past Sunday...My guy was competitive until he was forced into the pits near the end because of a vibration and ended up in 26th place..but the good news is that he is still in the top 16 in total points,..

NASCAR returns and Darlington delivers, despite sport's new normal

May 17, 2020
Associated Press

Ryan McGee
ESPN Senior Writer

The hours leading up to Sunday's 400-mile race at Darlington Raceway -- actually, the months leading up to it -- were so strange. The moments immediately following the event, as Kevin Harvick reached a rarely achieved career milestone and did his celebratory donuts in front of an empty grandstand, they too were like nothing NASCAR has ever felt or seen before.

But the 3 hours, 30 minutes and 34 seconds in between? Those felt perfectly normal. The most normal that anyone in the NASCAR community, fan or competitor, has felt in nearly 2½ months.

"I just want to thank everybody from NASCAR and all the teams for letting us do what we do," Harvick said, standing at the start/finish line after becoming just the 14th driver in NASCAR history to reach 50 career wins. "I didn't think it would be that much different if we won the race, but it's dead silent here. We miss the fans."

What NASCAR and its teams did was a lot, designing and then adhering to a health-conscious protocol aimed at protecting competitors during an event held in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Everyone at the racetrack had their temperatures checked before admission into the garage, and that garage was spread out past its normal confines and throughout the Darlington Raceway infield. Working and walking lanes were marked by miles of red tape, with promises of ejections and fines should anyone dare not to stay in their prescribed social-distancing lanes or refused to wear protective face masks. NASCAR said that none of the nearly 900 people on the racetrack grounds were found to be symptomatic, even so much as a slightly elevated temperature.

The only hiccup in the protection plan came during the race, when 40 team spotters, normally crammed into a tiny area atop the press box, drifted away from their designated spots scattered throughout the empty frontstretch grandstand and began to congregate. When they were shown on television, many among the television audience questioned the closeness of their formation, and NASCAR officials warned them to spread back out.

Quipped former longtime NASCAR spotter Joey Meier on Twitter: "The PGA says 'now you know how we feel.'" He was referring to the instances when golf fans watching on TV have called to report rules violations, and changes to competition were made because of it.

Outside of that incident, which was fixed quickly, the remainder of the race checked all the boxes of a typical Darlington Raceway event, featuring 10 lead changes among six drivers and 10 cautions that took up roughly 20% of the race's 293 laps. The day was hot, NASCAR's oldest speedway was characteristically slick, and the racetrack they call "Too Tough to Tame" managed to bite plenty of victims. One victim was Jimmie Johnson, who was closing in on a win in the first stanza of the three-stage race.

Heck, there was even an infield grass fire between Turns 1 and 2 without any race fan campfires to blame it on, and at one point Kyle Busch's Toyota peeled a vinyl sponsorship banner off the outside retaining wall, which promptly wrapped itself around two other race cars.

"There was those times when you looked in the grandstands, and yet when you see an empty seat, you feel a set of eyeballs that are coming through the camera lens," said Kurt Busch, who finished third behind Harvick and Alex Bowman. "And that's the way I approached the race. Even just walking down pit road [before the race], crew members with masks on, you halfway don't recognize anybody until I got to my guys. And that was our core group. We went into battle today together, and we brought home a nice top-5 finish."

There were plenty of NASCAR fans in Darlington, South Carolina, on Sunday -- they just weren't inside the racetrack. At the Raceway Grill, perhaps NASCAR's most famous trackside diner, fans ate signature hamburger steaks at picnic tables across the street from the track's second turn, anxious to hear the live sound of race cars. Other tailgaters could be found scattered through parking lots and front yards in the neighborhoods that surround the 70-year-old speedway.

But though the track was surrounded by law enforcement officers guarding the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval on the lookout for gate crashers, there were no incidents reported outside of one rogue camera drone that had to be grounded.

"I think that everyone was just so happy to be back, as odd as the vibe was around it all, everyone also felt happy again," said Johnson, who led nine laps before wrecking out of the lead and extending his career-worst winless streak to 100 races. "It was good to see everyone, even if you couldn't shake their hands or hug them yet. That will come in time if we all do what we need to do right now. It was like a big reunion."

That held particularly true for two of the drivers in Sunday's race, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth. Newman was behind the wheel of his No. 6 Ford for the first time since a horrifying crash at the end of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, exactly three months earlier. Kenseth was back on the track for the first time in nearly a year and half, taking over the No. 42 Chevy vacated by the firing of Kyle Larson for using a racial slur during a televised NASCAR iRacing event on April 12. Newman finished 15th. Kenseth finished 10th.

"I was pretty nervous getting going," Kenseth said of his first race back since November 2018, a race run without any practice or qualifying sessions. Moments after climbing from his car, he was already focused on the next race on the calendar, back at Darlington on Wednesday evening. "The car was faster than I was today. I definitely held the team back all day long. I just need laps so we can sync up even better than we already did today. So, I kind of like this idea of getting right back at it so quickly."

That is a universally shared sentiment among those who make their living in the NASCAR garage, eager to run as many laps as they can to make up for the 91 days lost since Phoenix, the last race run before Sunday's return. NASCAR has announced its schedule through June 21, with 20 events across the sanctioning body's three national series -- Cup, Xfinity and Trucks -- over the span of 36 days.

It's all an opportunity to feel normal again, even if it is a new normal.

"Getting out of the car, it was like, 'I don't really know what to do here,'" Harvick said of his visit to an empty Victory Lane, with only masked Fox Sports pit reporter Regan Smith, a boom microphone and two still photographers present. "There was that sense of awkwardness, until we get this all situated, of exactly what we're supposed to do ... no team guys. I was able to give my team guys a nice little elbow bump there as I left Victory Lane and tell 'em, 'Great job.' But those guys didn't even get a chance to take a picture with their car.

"Just a lot of sacrifices that go into it. But in the end, in the big picture of things, being able to do what we did today -- and that's race -- is what everybody wants to do."

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Standing

RANK **** DRIVER **** POINTS ****WINS ****POLES

1 Joey Logano 185 2 0 2 2
2 Kevin Harvick 218 1 0 3 5
3 Alex Bowman 190 1 0 2 2
4 Denny Hamlin 154 1 0 2 3
5 Chase Elliott 178 0 1 2 3
6 Brad Keselowski 158 0 0 1 2
7 Aric Almirola 151 0 0 0 2
8 Ryan Blaney 144 0 0 1 1
9 Matt DiBenedetto 141 0 0 1 1
10 Clint Bowyer 135 0 1 1 2
11 Martin Truex Jr. 135 0 0 0 1
12 Jimmie Johnson 132 0 0 1 2
13 Kurt Busch 129 0 0 2 3
14 Kyle Busch 122 0 1 2 2
15 Chris Buescher 107 0 0 1 1
16 Erik Jones 107 0 0

[Dave]

2nd ain't nothing to sneeze at, but if the race would have been run the maximum number of laps...who knows who would have won,,,

Denny Hamlin secures his second win of NASCAR season as rain shortens Darlington event

May 20, 2020
Associated Press

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Denny Hamlin won NASCAR's first Wednesday race since 1984 when rain stopped the event with 20 laps remaining at Darlington Raceway.

The Daytona 500 winner was out front but out of fresh tires and trying to hang on when he got unintended help from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. The reigning Cup champion caused Chase Elliott to crash eight laps earlier to bring out the caution.

A furious Elliott waited for Busch on the apron of the track and flipped Busch the middle finger as he passed. As NASCAR cleaned the track, it started to rain, and the cars were called to pit road under red flag.

It was an already active evening at "The Track Too Tough To Tame," as drivers were racing against the field and the weather. As the drivers sat in their cars waiting for NASCAR to pull the plug, a handful of Elliott's crew members sat on the pit wall staring down Busch.

One of Busch's crew members sat between them on the wall, and NASCAR eventually ordered everyone back over the wall. Eight minutes later, the race was called, and Busch was greeted by Alan Gustafson, Elliott's crew chief and Busch's former crew chief when he drove for Hendrick Motorsports, for a conversation between two masked competitors.

Busch immediately copped to the error.

"There's no question I made a mistake and just misjudged the gap," Busch said. "They're upset. They're mad. I'm not just going to fix it and we're going to go have ice cream tomorrow. They're going to dwell on it, and I'm sure there are repercussions of it I'm going to have down the road."

I want to apologize again to Chase & his team. I made a mistake & misjudged the gap. I really hate that it happened for those guys. I have too much respect for Chase and Alan to do that maliciously.

Meanwhile, a fox scampered across the deserted track, and Hamlin, wearing a mask that depicted his actual smile, enjoyed a muted celebration in the rain. He walked to Victory Lane under a large black umbrella.

It was a 1-2 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota. Hamlin has won three times at Darlington and has two wins this season.

"I got my happy face on. Made sure I brought it with me," Hamlin said of his mask. He said he also had a mask made with a "sad face" but brought only the smiling mask to the track he counts among his favorites.

Hamlin thought he was in good shape when he made his last pit stop, but a caution by Clint Bowyer, who won the first two stages of the race, jumbled the strategy with 34 laps remaining.

Hamlin had no choice but to stay out on the track, and his crew chief, Chris Gabehart, told him over the radio, "You ain't going to like it, but we're going to have to eat our vegetables here."

Hamlin, the leader because he didn't pit on the restart with 29 to go, had to hold off traffic for only one lap before the Busch and Elliott collision. Then the rain came, and Hamlin earned the trophy.

"It's a driver's racetrack," he said. "You can do different things to make [the car] handle. We got it right."

The race marked the first time in NASCAR history that the Cup Series had two points-paying races at the same track in one week.

The start of NASCAR's second race back during the coronavirus pandemic was moved up an hour because of poor weather, but that was then delayed nearly 90 minutes because it rained most of the day.

When the action finally began, the 310-mile affair was spirited from start to finish because drivers were unsure if they were racing to the halfway point -- the mark at which a race becomes official -- or the distance.

NASCAR returned to action Sunday at Darlington after 10 weeks off by using a strict health protocol and limiting those in attendance to the most essential for conducting a race. Health screenings were required to enter the track, and each of the 40 cars was allowed just 16 team members.

Fox Sports broadcast the race primarily from a studio in Charlotte, North Carolina, with just one pit reporter at Darlington. For the prerace show, drivers used varying technology to make brief appearances while sitting alone in their motorhomes.

Drivers had to travel to the track alone, pass a health screening and then isolate before the race. They are required to wear face masks.

NASCAR has an ambitious return plan of 20 races spanning its three national series between Sunday's return and June 21. Spectators are not expected to be permitted at any of the events in that span.

Rain disrupted the schedule Tuesday night, when the Xfinity Series was washed out. That race is now scheduled to be held Thursday afternoon.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Standing

RANK **** DRIVER **** POINTS ****WINS ****POLES

1 Joey Logano 185 2 0 2 2
2 Kevin Harvick 218 1 0 3 5
3 Alex Bowman 190 1 0 2 2
4 Denny Hamlin 154 1 0 2 3
5 Chase Elliott 178 0 1 2 3
6 Brad Keselowski 158 0 0 1 2
7 Aric Almirola 151 0 0 0 2
8 Ryan Blaney 144 0 0 1 1
9 Matt DiBenedetto 141 0 0 1 1
10 Clint Bowyer 135 0 1 1 2
11 Martin Truex Jr. 135 0 0 0 1
12 Jimmie Johnson 132 0 0 1 2
13 Kurt Busch 129 0 0 2 3
14 Kyle Busch 122 0 1 2 2
15 Chris Buescher 107 0 0 1 1
16 Erik Jones 107 0 0

[Dave]

4th place finish...sweet...

Brad Keselowski wins Coca-Cola 600 as late pit stop costs Chase Elliott

ESPN News Services
May 24, 2020

CONCORD, N.C. -- Brad Keselowski extended Jimmie Johnson's losing streak to 102 races, holding off the seven-time NASCAR champion in overtime early Monday in the Coca-Cola 600.

Keselowski started in the back of the field, worked his way to the front at Charlotte Motor Speedway and gambled in not pitting when caution stopped Chase Elliott from winning with two laps remaining.

Elliott pitted, and Keselowski led a train of eight cars that stayed on the track. He lined up in front of Alex Bowman on the inside line with Johnson -- retiring from Cup racing at the end of the season -- on the bottom ahead of Keselowski teammate Ryan Blaney.

Keselowski got the push to get into clean air and denied Johnson a victory. Keselowski celebrated as he usually does by waving a giant American flag out his window during his victory burnouts.

"I feel like I have thrown this race away a handful of times, and I thought we were going to lose it today,'' Keselowski said. "I have lost it the way Chase lost it, and it really stinks. And today we finally won it that way.''

It was the first win for Keselowski this season, his first Coca-Cola 600 victory and the first win at this event for Ford since 2002.

When Keselowski first got out of the car for his network interview, the silence at the track was a downer.

"I was kind of bummed. I wanted to win the 600 my whole life and wanted to win in front of everybody,'' he said. "But that's not always how it works. I know there are fans that wish they could be in the stands.''

In these unusual times of the coronavirus pandemic, NASCAR is still adapting in its return to racing a full week ago. This event was its third Cup race in seven days -- all without spectators -- and limited media access.

Wearing a white Team Penske face mask, Keselowski went to the empty infield media center for a postrace news conference over Zoom. Unable to hear the questions, he shouted into the computer.

"Can you talk really loud?'' he yelled. "My ears are ringing.''

A rain delay of nearly 90 minutes during the first stage of the race pushed the finish into early Monday, but it still ended up just fine for Roger Penske, the owner of Keselowski's car who should have spent Sunday celebrating his first Indy 500 as the new owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

"This is one of the biggest days for him," Keselowski said. "Winning never hurts. This is my 30th win, and I think I have another 30 in me.''

Keselowski raced on behalf of late United States Air Force member Michael Donovan Reep.

"I've wanted this race for so long," Keselowski tweeted. "This one's for Donovan!"

Johnson finished second, one spot ahead of devastated Hendrick Motorsports teammate Elliott, as Chevrolet is still seeking its first win in the three Cup races since NASCAR resumed.

But almost two hours after the race, NASCAR disqualified Johnson because his Chevrolet failed postrace inspection, saying the alignment of his rear suspension was not within allowable specifications.

"We think something must've broken," said Johnson crew chief Cliff Daniels, "but won't know until we get it back to the shop. Tough news after a strong night."

Elliott had a comfortable lead and was coasting to the win when Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron spun with a tire problem.

"That's got to be a joke,'' Elliott said over his radio.

Elliott was wrecked by Kyle Busch trying to race for the win at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday night. It led to Elliott making an obscene gesture with his middle finger to Busch at Darlington.

This time, he was briefly consoled by Busch as he climbed from his car on pit road. But he was openly disappointed for the second time in four days.

"I was a lap-and-a-half away from winning the 600,'' Elliott said. "This week has been pretty unfortunate, we have had some tough losses.''

The race was snatched from Elliott by the caution for Byron and then the pit decisions that followed.

"I feel for those guys," Johnson said. "It's so tough being the leader, making those late-race decisions for pit road. I've lost some like they have; I've won some. And I feel for him. ... They're strong; this is only making them stronger, and only making Chase more of a fierce competitor than he already is."

The Sunday before Memorial Day is a supposed to be a smorgasbord of motorsports that begins with Formula One at the Monaco Grand Prix, then IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500, followed by NASCAR and its longest race on the calendar.

The coronavirus pandemic has wiped out the first part of F1's schedule and, like IndyCar, it is still waiting to start its season. The Indy 500 has been postponed to August, marking the first time since 1946 the 500 is not being run on Memorial Day weekend.

NASCAR was able to resume its season under a health plan approved by state officials that allowed the sport to resume after a 10-week hiatus. NASCAR ran three events in South Carolina, and the Coca-Cola 600 kicks off four consecutive days of racing at Charlotte.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Standing

RANK **** DRIVER **** POINTS ****WINS ****POLES

1 Joey Logano 268 2 0 2 3
2 Denny Hamlin 209 2 0 3 4
3 Kevin Harvick 291 1 0 5 7
4 Alex Bowman 266 1 0 2 2
5 Brad Keselowski 235 1 0 3 4
6 Chase Elliott 241 0 1 3 4
7 Martin Truex Jr. 235 0 0 0 3
8 Ryan Blaney 212 0 0 2 2
9 Kyle Busch 209 0 1 4 4
10 Aric Almirola 208 0 0 0 3
11 Matt DiBenedetto 190 0 0 1 2
12 Kurt Busch 183 0 1 2 4
13 Erik Jones 182 0 0 1 3
14 Clint Bowyer 171 0 1 1 2
15 Jimmie Johnson 162 0 0 1 3
16 Tyler Reddick 162 0 0

[Dave]

Another bad finish, but still in the top 16...but not getting any Playoff bonus points...

Chase Elliott ends week of misery with overdue Cup victory.

AP
May 28, 2020

CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR's return to racing finally ended with a Cup victory for Chase Elliott.

Elliott raced to his first win of the season Thursday night in the rain-delayed event at Charlotte Motor Speedway to close a frantic 12 days for NASCAR. The event, postponed Wednesday night, was the fourth Cup race since the series resumed racing May 17.

Elliott had two frustrating losses in that span.

"Man, this is a tough week, we've had some tough losses," Elliott said from the frontstretch.

He was trying to race for the lead at Darlington Raceway last week when Kyle Busch wrecked him, and a caution with two laps remaining Sunday night in the Coca-Cola 600 cost Elliott the victory. He pitted from the lead, took four tires and couldn't get back to the front in the two-lap overtime sprint.

There was little suspense in this one. Elliott reeled in Kevin Harvick with 27 laps remaining and closed out the victory. Elliott also won the Truck Series race Tuesday night at Charlotte to give him a pair of victories in a four-race stretch at the track located just a few minutes away from Hendrick Motorsports headquarters.

Elliott was charging hard on Harvick with about 35 laps remaining when he asked if he had enough fuel to make it to the finish. Crew chief Alan Gustafson replied, "Yup. Go hard."

Elliott did.

"It's not the Coke 600, but any win is tough to get," Elliott said.

Denny Hamlin finished second in a Toyota with three crew members sitting at home under suspension for an infraction Sunday night. Ryan Blaney was third in a Ford.

Elliott's victory was the first for a Chevrolet driver in NASCAR's return to Cup racing. Harvick won the first race back in a Ford, Hamlin won the second race in a Toyota and Brad Keselowski won the 600 in a Ford.

But Elliott and his Hendrick teammates have been very strong since the series came back from a 10-week shutdown for the coronavirus pandemic. Elliott, Alex Bowman, William Byron and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson have all led laps -- a huge boost for a team that has been rebuilding for much of the past three seasons.

The rescheduled Thursday event was disrupted by lightning and rain for nearly 75 minutes after 30 laps had been completed.

NASCAR next goes to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on Sunday for a fifth Cup race in 15 days as the series attempts to reschedule eight events in a frantic stretch of racing through Southern states.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Standing


RANK **** DRIVER **** POINTS ****WINS ****POLES

1 Joey Logano 317 2 0 2 4
2 Denny Hamlin 244 2 0 4 5
3 Kevin Harvick 331 1 0 5 8
4 Chase Elliott 290 1 1 4 5
5 Alex Bowman 288 1 0 2 2
6 Brad Keselowski 265 1 0 3 5
7 Ryan Blaney 264 0 0 3 3
8 Martin Truex Jr. 263 0 0 0 4
9 Aric Almirola 225 0 0 0 3
10 Kurt Busch 223 0 1 3 5
11 Matt DiBenedetto 220 0 0 1 2
12 Kyle Busch 217 0 1 4 4
13 Erik Jones 193 0 0 1 3
14 Clint Bowyer 192 0 1 1 2
15 Austin Dillon 190 0 0 1 2
16 Jimmie Johnson 188 0 0

[Dave]

4th place...excellent...go kyle go kyle...

Brad Keselowski wins at Bristol Motor Speedway after late collision.

AP
7:04 May 31, 2020

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Brad Keselowski has a new crew and is fighting for a new contract at Team Penske. His confidence is still intact and he's convinced he can compete for a championship this year.

Being in the right place at the right time is helping.

Keselowski inherited his second win in a week when the leaders crashed in front of him with a lap remaining Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. He won the Coca-Cola 600 seven nights ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway when a caution with two laps remaining helped him get to victory lane.

"I felt like I was in Las Vegas," Keselowski said about the Bristol win. "I went from having a bad hand to a full house real quick."

The victory dropped into Keselowski's lap when Chase Elliott and Joey Logano collided as they raced for the win. Keselowski was third with a lap and a turn remaining when opportunity opened. Logano cleared Elliott for the lead with three to go, but Elliott stalked him while seeking his second win in three days. They made contact in the fourth turn and drifted into the wall as Keselowski slid past. He had just one trip around the 0.533-mile concrete bullring to close the victory.

"We were in position and able to strike when it counted," Keselowski said. "Joey and Chase got together there. I don't know what all caused it, but we were just in position to strike and here we are in victory lane."

Keselowski, hoping to get an extension with Team Penske, won the 600 when a caution with two to go snatched the win from Elliott. Keselowski inherited the lead when Elliott pitted.

Keselowski held on for that victory at Elliott's expense and now is the first driver to win multiple races in the five Cup events since NASCAR resumed May 17.

"There's so much going on in the world, I am just thankful I get to be a race car driver and do this," Keselowski said after giving Ford its third win in five races.

Logano finished 21st and Elliott was 22nd.

Logano stared Elliott down as the two climbed from their cars but Elliott never looked in his direction. After Logano had retrieved his mandatory face mask, he approached Elliott for a brief conversation.

"He wrecked me," Logano said. "A simple apology ... be a man and say 'My bad.' I had to force an apology, which to me is just childish."

Elliott did take the blame after the talk.

"Awww, just going for the win," Elliott said. "I'll certainly take the blame. I just got loose and got into him."

Clint Bowyer was second for his best finish in a year and a 1-2 finish for Ford and lamented how quiet it was after NASCAR's fifth event without fans. The track is built like an arena, referred to as "The Last Great Colosseum" and can hold about 140,000 spectators."It's starting to bother me," Bowyer said. "We are seeing other racing going on with fans in the stands and a place like Bristol, it's the first time I really felt like 'Man, it's empty.' You can feel the vibe."

The silence was most notable after Elliott and Logano had their incident.

"This place would have been standing on end, erupted," Bowyer said. "Now it's just like 'OK, let's go home.' I'm ready for fans."

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was third in a Chevrolet and once again showed he's close to snapping his 104-race losing streak. Johnson led laps in NASCAR's first race back after a 10-week shutdown from the coronavirus pandemic and was second in the Coca-Cola 600 before his finish was disqualified for failing inspection.

Kyle Busch and Erik Jones rounded out the top-five in a pair of Toyota's for Joe Gibbs Racing. Denny Hamlin, another JGR driver, seemed to be poised for the win until a lapped car clogged the track, Hamlin went too high to make the pass and Logano and Elliott squeezed past.

Hamlin then wrecked for the 17th caution of the race. It set up a final five-lap sequence.

"So much beating and banging," Keselowski said. "We've all been cooped up in our houses too long. Everybody is mad at everybody."

Ryan Blaney had a strong car early and led 60 laps but crashed while chasing teammate Keselowski for the lead in the second stage. Blaney seemed to get too high on the track, wiggled into the wall and then was hit by Ty Dillon.


Blaney went to Bristol coming off back-to-back third-place finishes but wound up last.

"I didn't think I was that high and all of a sudden I hit a slick spot," Blaney said. "I thought we were going to be OK and then we got destroyed about six seconds later. That's just Bristol."

It was another rough race for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who rebounded from three poor finishes with a fourth-place Thursday night at Charlotte. He was running decently near the end of the stage until contact from Johnson triggered a multi-car accident and knocked four drivers, Stenhouse included, out of the race.

"We just got crashed," said Stenhouse, who wrecked on the first lap of NASCAR's first race back. "It was a bummer. I felt like we had a really good shot at racing them for the win."

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Standing


RANK **** DRIVER **** POINTS ****WINS ****POLES

1 Joey Logano 346 2 0 2 4
2 Brad Keselowski 315 2 1 4 6
3 Denny Hamlin 276 2 0 4 5
4 Kevin Harvick 370 1 0 5 8
5 Chase Elliott 325 1 1 4 5
6 Alex Bowman 289 1 0 2 2
7 Martin Truex Jr. 280 0 0 0 4
8 Ryan Blaney 274 0 0 3 3
9 Kyle Busch 256 0 1 5 5
10 Kurt Busch 253 0 1 3 6
11 Aric Almirola 240 0 0 0 3
12 Clint Bowyer 232 0 1 2 3
13 Matt DiBenedetto 230 0 0 1 2
14 Erik Jones 228 0 0 2 4
15 Jimmie Johnson 223 0 0 2 4
16 Austin Dillon 221 0 0