Latest news with #Keselowski
Fox Sports
6 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Should NASCAR Enact New Rules To Avoid Car, Crew Contact After Sonoma Incident?
The Ty Gibbs pit road incident with Brad Keselowski's crew at Sonoma has been compared to brushback pitch, as Gibbs hit a tire being carried by a member of Keselowski's crew when coming in for his pit stop. Except when a race car is involved, even if the concept is the same, the optics are worse and the consequences have a higher percentage of resulting in injury. Gibbs drove through the Keselowski pit box, as he is allowed to do since Keselowski wasn't in his pit. A driver can drive through three empty pit boxes on the way to their own pit stall. The tire carrier, Telvin McClurkin, was carrying two tires and standing in his pit box, which he is allowed to do. Anyone carrying two tires or one tire plus a jack or pit gun is considered a dual-purpose crew member. The rule reads: "The dual-purpose crew member must be positioned close to the pit wall until the vehicle is one pit box away from its assigned pit box." There is no definition of what close means. That's ultimately a NASCAR judgment call. And my guess is that if you got 10 people in a room and asked them to draw a line of where close is, there would be more than a few lines. So McClurkin didn't do anything wrong. Did he hug the wall? No. Was he as far out as other tire carriers have been on stops? Not by a long shot. But there is also a rule on interference: "Any crew member, equipment or tire/wheel interfering with another crew's pit stop, causing the other team to incur a penalty or not, may incur a penalty." Did McClurkin interfere with Gibbs? Did Gibbs interfere with McClurkin, considering Keselowski was about to come in? They both, according to the rules, pretty much had a right to be where they were. NASCAR didn't call any penalties. It isn't rare for tire carriers and tire changers to do what they can to mess up another driver's stop, whether it is swinging wide and daring the driver to hit them or the tire they are carrying. And it isn't rare for a driver who feels a pit crew member is trying to take up too much space to get as close as possible to them. Drivers have an incredible responsibility. But crew members also know that cars are coming. And when they do a pit stop with their own cars, they are instructed that they had better be out of the way when the driver is told to go or else they will get run over. It appears both sides could have given a little more room. Did they have to? No. "There's a lot of gamesmanship in how things work," three-time Cup champion Joey Logano said. "I can only talk from my personal experiences. You don't want to put someone in danger of hurting you. With that said, [I'm] guilty, been there. We've all made mistakes. "We've all done maybe the wrong thing at times, but I think when you look at these pit crew guys, it's not only their life but it's their livelihood on top of that. It's how they make money for their family and the last thing you want to do is hurt one of them. Everyone's got to work together a little bit on pit road, especially when it's tight scenarios like that." Maybe there is a simple answer. There are lines on the track to which a driver must adhere if there is a car in the box so they don't hit any crew members. Should there be a line that limits how far a dual-purpose crew member can go beyond the wall before their car comes into the pit? Except that isn't a simple answer. If there's a line, it would have to be officiated by the pit road camera system. And would that line be for feet or for any equipment/tires the crew member has? And is that line only in play if there is a car coming in to pit using their box as one of the three boxes on the way to their stall? This is one area where NASCAR likely hopes the teams and crew members can police themselves. Which has been fine and will be fine ... until a crew member gets hurt and NASCAR is forced into action. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Item 1 of 1 Get more from the NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
NASCAR: Denny Hamlin Breaks Silence on Heated Pit Lane Clash in Sonoma
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin has revealed his views on the pit lane clash during the Cup Series race at Sonoma. A conflict erupted between the pit crews of RFK Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing after Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski had pitted. The pit stalls of both teams were next to each other, a point that contributed to the conflict. When Keselowski's crew awaited his arrival, Gibbs came into the pits before him and grazed tire changer Telvin McClurkin while passing through the RFK Racing stall. Keselowski came in a few seconds later. Once he set off, McClurkin confronted the JGR crew members, which escalated into a fight. NASCAR officials intervened to settle the dispute. The sport stated that Gibbs was not at fault for grazing the tire held by McClurkin, considering the lack of sufficient space. Now, Hamlin has revealed his take on his Actions Detrimental podcast, concluding that both teams were "trying to gain an advantage." He said: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 ampm Toyota, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on July 13, 2025 in Sonoma,... Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 ampm Toyota, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on July 13, 2025 in Sonoma, California. More"You can see where he came in one way one time, came in another way a different time, but he is in front. So, he has the right to use the pit box. It's just bad timing, is the best I can explain it. "Whenever you're pitted in front of someone and then you're barely in front of them on track, what happens is you have their tire carriers and their jackman kind of standing at the wall. They've changed the rule recently over the last year or two to where they don't want these guys jumping off the wall. That's too much weight, you'll create injuries. So, they let them kind of get ready in their pit box. "Well, they're trying to get around to the right side of the car before it stops. Brad's team is trying to get their advantage, which is get to the right side as soon as possible. But they're not able to run out there till after the 54 passes, which that definitely does slow them down. "I didn't see the carrier move from his position, but I think Ty was trying to get the best angle into his box — which he's entitled to — and the contact happened. Who's fault? I don't know. Both sides were trying to gain an advantage." RFK put its case forward to NASCAR by submitting footage that offers an overhead view of the incident. However, the sport did not accept RFK's argument.
1News
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- 1News
Kiwi van Gisbergen wins in Chicago, completing NASCAR weekend sweep
New Zealand driver Shane van Gisbergen completed a sweep on the Chicago Street Course, winning the NASCAR Cup Series race on the tricky downtown circuit. It was van Gisbergen's second victory of the season and his third career Cup win. The Trackhouse Racing driver also won in Chicago in 2023, becoming the first driver to take his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race at Daytona in 1963. Ty Gibbs was second, and Tyler Reddick finished third. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five. It was a dominant weekend for van Gisbergen, a three-time champion in Australia's Supercars. The 36-year-old New Zealand native won the Xfinity Series race from the pole Saturday. He also was the top qualifier for the Cup race. Michael McDowell joined van Gisbergen on the front row and quickly moved in front. He won Stage 1 and led for 31 laps before he was derailed by a throttle cable issue. ADVERTISEMENT Van Gisbergen regained the lead when he passed Chase Briscoe with 16 laps left. As fog moved into downtown Chicago with thunderstorms in the forecast, van Gisbergen controlled the action the rest of the way. Drivers race in a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Grant Park 165, July 6, 2025, in Chicago. (Source: Associated Press) AJ Allmendinger was sixth, and Ryan Preece finished seventh. Ryan Blaney, who won the second stage, was 12th. William Byron's day was cut short by a clutch problem. The Hendrick Motorsports driver began the day on top of the series standings. After McDowell seized the lead early in the race, Carson Hocevar caused a multicar crash when he hit the wall and spun out between Turns 10 and 11. Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez and Will Brown were among the drivers collected in the wreck. "I didn't see it until the last second," Keselowski said. "I slowed down and I actually felt I was gonna get stopped and then I just kind of got ran over from behind. It's just a narrow street course and sometimes there's nowhere to go." Ty Dillon and Reddick moved into the third round of NASCAR's inaugural in-season tournament when Keselowski and Hocevar were unable to finish the race. Dillon, the No. 32 seed, eliminated Keselowski after he upset top-seeded Denny Hamlin last weekend at Atlanta. Gibbs, Preece, Alex Bowman, John H Nemechek, Zane Smith and Erik Jones also advanced. The winner of the five-race, bracket-style tournament takes home a US$1 million prize (NZ$1.6 million). Bowman, the 2024 champion on the downtown street course, won his head-to-head matchup with Bubba Wallace. Bowman and Wallace made contact as they battled for position late in the race after they also tangled in Chicago last year.
San Francisco Chronicle
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
Van Gisbergen wins in Chicago once again, completing a NASCAR weekend sweep
CHICAGO (AP) — Shane van Gisbergen completed a sweep on the Chicago Street Course on Sunday, winning the NASCAR Cup Series race on the tricky downtown circuit. It was van Gisbergen's second victory of the season and his third career Cup win. The Trackhouse Racing driver also won in Chicago in 2023, becoming the first driver to take his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race at Daytona in 1963. Ty Gibbs was second, and Tyler Reddick finished third. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five. It was a dominant weekend for van Gisbergen, a three-time champion in Australia's Supercars. The 36-year-old New Zealand native won the Xfinity Series race from the pole Saturday. He also was the top qualifier for the Cup race. Michael McDowell joined van Gisbergen on the front row and quickly moved in front. He won Stage 1 and led for 31 laps before he was derailed by a throttle cable issue. Van Gisbergen regained the lead when he passed Chase Briscoe with 16 laps left. As fog moved into downtown Chicago with thunderstorms in the forecast, van Gisbergen controlled the action the rest of the way. AJ Allmendinger was sixth, and Ryan Preece finished seventh. Ryan Blaney, who won the second stage, was 12th. William Byron's day was cut short by a clutch problem. The Hendrick Motorsports driver began the day on top of the series standings. After McDowell seized the lead early in the race, Carson Hocevar caused a multicar crash when he hit the wall and spun out between Turns 10 and 11. Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez and Will Brown were among the drivers collected in the wreck. 'I didn't see it until the last second," Keselowski said. "I slowed down and I actually felt I was gonna get stopped and then I just kind of got ran over from behind. It's just a narrow street course and sometimes there's nowhere to go.' Ty Dillon and Reddick moved into the third round of NASCAR's inaugural in-season tournament when Keselowski and Hocevar were unable to finish the race. Dillon, the No. 32 seed, eliminated Keselowski after he upset top-seeded Denny Hamlin last weekend at Atlanta. Gibbs, Preece, Alex Bowman, John H. Nemechek, Zane Smith and Erik Jones also advanced. The winner of the five-race, bracket-style tournament takes home a $1 million prize. Bowman, the 2024 champion on the downtown street course, won his head-to-head matchup with Bubba Wallace. Bowman and Wallace made contact as they battled for position late in the race after they also tangled in Chicago last year.
Boston Globe
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
Shane van Gisbergen wins NASCAR Cup Series race to complete weekend sweep in Chicago
It was a dominant weekend for van Gisbergen, a three-time champion in Australia's Supercars. The 36-year-old New Zealand native won the Xfinity Series race from the pole Saturday. He also was the top qualifier for the Cup race. Michael McDowell joined van Gisbergen on the front row and quickly moved in front. He won Stage 1 and led for 31 laps before he was derailed by a throttle cable issue. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Van Gisbergen regained the lead when he passed Chase Briscoe with 16 laps left. As fog moved into downtown Chicago with thunderstorms in the forecast, van Gisbergen controlled the action the rest of the way. Advertisement AJ Allmendinger was sixth, and Ryan Preece finished seventh. Ryan Blaney, who won the second stage, was 12th. William Byron's day was cut short by a clutch problem. The Hendrick Motorsports driver began the day on top of the series standings. After McDowell seized the lead early in the race, Carson Hocevar caused a multicar crash when he hit the wall and spun out between Turns 10 and 11. Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez, and Will Brown were among the drivers collected in the wreck. Advertisement 'I didn't see it until the last second,' Keselowski said. 'I slowed down and I actually felt I was going to get stopped and then I just kind of got ran over from behind. It's just a narrow street course and sometimes there's nowhere to go.' Ty Dillon and Reddick moved into the third round of NASCAR's inaugural in-season tournament when Keselowski and Hocevar were unable to finish the race. Dillon, the No. 32 seed, eliminated Keselowski after he upset top-seeded Hamlin last weekend at Atlanta. Gibbs, Preece, Alex Bowman, John H. Nemechek, Zane Smith, and Erik Jones also advanced. The winner of the five-race, bracket-style tournament takes home a $1 million prize. Bowman, the 2024 champion on the downtown street course, won his head-to-head matchup with Bubba Wallace. Bowman and Wallace made contact as they battled for position late in the race after they also tangled in Chicago last year.
