Latest news with #BradKeselowski
Reuters
a day ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
Music City set for encore after 2024's five-OT thriller
May 30 - As the NASCAR Cup Series moves to Tennessee for Sunday night's Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, former series champion Brad Keselowski still was thinking about the just-completed visit to Charlotte. After battling late into last Sunday night in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the RFK Racing driver said he could have used more laps to score his first win of 2025. In Keselowski's estimation, 100 more miles would have helped to improve on a fifth-place finish that gave him his first top-10 result of 2025. "We got mixed up in some of the different stuff in the midpoint of the race and just clawed our way out," said Keselowski, who led five laps. "I feel like if we could have got to the lead, we could have won the race. "I wish it was a 700-mile race." The night got better for Keselowski as the race went longer, which is pretty much how the season has played out for the Rochester Hills, Mich., native. The first third of the season is far from what was expected from the No. 6 Ford. After the dust had settled in Kansas on May 11 and Kyle Larson had pulled into a tie with Christopher Bell for the series lead with three wins, Keselowski found himself in a wretched locale in the standings -- 33rd out of 36 drivers. He is currently in 32nd, just ahead of Shane van Gisbergen, Riley Herbst and Cole Custer. The trio slotting in front of Keselowski are Ty Dillon, Daniel Suarez and Justin Haley. It is far from the glory days for Keselowski, who won five races during his 2012 title year and six two years later. Since his four-victory showing during the shortened 2020 COVID season, he has won just twice in 157 races: Talladega in 2021, Darlington last May. In four career starts at Nashville, Keselowski has posted a best finish of 11th two seasons ago and was 25th last year, although he has won in support races. RFK Racing received good news this week when a portion of the penalty on the No. 17 Ford driven by Chris Buescher was rescinded. While crew chief Scott Graves has already served the two-race suspension for the front bumper cover infraction discovered at Kansas, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel reduced Buescher's 60-point penalty in half Wednesday, allowing the Texas driver to advance from 23rd to 16th in the standings. On Sunday, Ross Chastain ran down William Byron over the final 37 laps to capture the longest race of the season and become the ninth different winner in the past nine races at Charlotte. After fending off a battle with Denny Hamlin, Byron withstood a charge from Chastain until six laps remained. Chastain picked up his first win of the season by a mere 0.673 seconds and did it in a backup car while starting 40th and last in the field. While Chastain led just eight laps in Charlotte, Joey Logano led just nine laps while winning at Nashville last year in a fifth overtime. Logano held off Zane Smith and Tyler Reddick while running the last 110 laps on a single tank of fuel. Byron leads the current points standings with one win and six top-5 finishes, while Larson trails by 29 points after three wins and eight top 5s. Larson leads in playoff points with 23. --Field Level Media
NBC Sports
a day ago
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
How to watch Saturday's Xfinity race at Nashville: Start time, TV info and weather
Justin Allgaier is the lone former Nashville Superspeedway winner in the field Saturday as the Xfinity Series enters the second half of the regular season. Five different drivers have won the past five Xfinity races at Nashville, which has been the site of seven first career wins in the Xfinity Series (most recently Brad Keselowski in 2008). Austin Hill is the only active Xfinity driver with top 10s in all four races since the track returned to the schedule in 2021. After winning at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports' No. 17 Chevrolet has two victories and five top-two finishes in eight starts this season. Corey Day will be driving the car at Nashville as one of 13 drivers making their Xfinity debut on the 1.333-mile concrete oval. Coming off his Coca-Cola 600 victory, Ross Chastain will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. Through 13 races, six of 12 Xfinity playoff spots have been filled by series regulars with victories. Allgaier has a series-leading nine top fives and 537 laps led. Details for Saturday's Xfinity race at Nashville Superspeedway (All times Eastern) START: The command to start engines will be given at 7:30 p.m. ... The race is scheduled to begin at 7:40 p.m. PRERACE: The Xfinity garage will open at 12:30 p.m. ... Driver introductions are at 6:55 p.m. ... The invocation will be given at 7:22 p.m. ... The anthem will be performed by Rocky Wallace at 7:23 p.m. DISTANCE: The race is 188 laps (250.04 miles) on the 1.333-mile oval. STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 45. Stage 2 ends at Lap 90. ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 40 cars entered at Nashville. TV/RADIO: CW will broadcast the race starting at 7 p.m. ... Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage. FORECAST: WeatherUnderground — Mainly sunny with a high of 84 degrees and winds from the west-northwest at 10 to 20 mph. It's expected to be 78 degrees with a 15 percent chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race. LAST TIME: John Hunter Nemechek led a race-high 76 of 188 laps and beat Chandler Smith by 0.366 seconds.
NBC Sports
5 days ago
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Cup drivers recap Charlotte Race won by Chastain
Hear from Brad Keselowski, Chase Briscoe, AJ Allmendinger, Michael McDowell and Ryan Preece following the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Winners, losers from Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup race won by Ross Chastain
CONCORD, N.C. — A look at the winners and losers from Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. WINNERS Ross Chastain — He tracked William Byron in the final laps before passing him for the win with six laps to go to score his first Cup crown jewel victory. The victory came after he wrecked in practice the day before and went to a backup car, forcing him to start at the rear of the field. NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 Ross Chastain stuns William Byron to win Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Advertisement Winning pass comes with five laps remaing in NASCAR's longest race. Trackhouse Racing — The team scores its first victory of the year amid challenging circumstances. Ross Chastain's wreck in practice Saturday forced the team to go to a backup car. With the shop near the track, the team went back there and converted what was to be the backup car for this weekend's race at Nashville into the Coca-Cola 600 car. Crew members worked until 2:30 a.m. and returned at 5:30 a.m. They didn't finish until 12:30 p.m. when the car was put in the hauler and sent to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chase Briscoe — His third-place finish is his best of the season. Brad Keselowski — His fifth-place finish was his first top 10 of the season. While that is an accomplishment for the team, Keselowski is focused on more, saying after the race: 'I want to win.' Advertisement Michael McDowell — His seventh-place finish was his first top 10 of the year and his best career result at Charlotte. LOSERS Denny Hamlin — His chances of winning ended when he had to pit with 12 laps to go because he was short of fuel. He finished 16th. Kyle Larson — He competed in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, but he did not finish either because of crashes. Larson Kyle Larson's day ends with a thud and maybe marks the end of the Indy 500/Coke 600 Double Crashes ended Kyle Larson's races at Indianapolis and Charlotte. Bubba Wallace — He finished 35th, marking the third consecutive points race he's placed 33rd or worse. Wallace has fallen from seventh in the points to 12th in the season standings during that stretch.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Winners, losers from Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup race won by Ross Chastain
CONCORD, N.C. — A look at the winners and losers from Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. WINNERS Ross Chastain — He tracked William Byron in the final laps before passing him for the win with six laps to go to score his first Cup crown jewel victory. The victory came after he wrecked in practice the day before and went to a backup car, forcing him to start at the rear of the field. NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 Ross Chastain stuns William Byron to win Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Advertisement Winning pass comes with five laps remaing in NASCAR's longest race. Trackhouse Racing — The team scores its first victory of the year amid challenging circumstances. Ross Chastain's wreck in practice Saturday forced the team to go to a backup car. With the shop near the track, the team went back there and converted what was to be the backup car for this weekend's race at Nashville into the Coca-Cola 600 car. Crew members worked until 2:30 a.m. and returned at 5:30 a.m. They didn't finish until 12:30 p.m. when the car was put in the hauler and sent to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chase Briscoe — His third-place finish is his best of the season. Brad Keselowski — His fifth-place finish was his first top 10 of the season. While that is an accomplishment for the team, Keselowski is focused on more, saying after the race: 'I want to win.' Advertisement Michael McDowell — His seventh-place finish was his first top 10 of the year and his best career result at Charlotte. LOSERS Denny Hamlin — His chances of winning ended when he had to pit with 12 laps to go because he was short of fuel. He finished 16th. Kyle Larson — He competed in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, but he did not finish either because of crashes. Larson Kyle Larson's day ends with a thud and maybe marks the end of the Indy 500/Coke 600 Double Crashes ended Kyle Larson's races at Indianapolis and Charlotte. Bubba Wallace — He finished 35th, marking the third consecutive points race he's placed 33rd or worse. Wallace has fallen from seventh in the points to 12th in the season standings during that stretch.
