Superb restarts propel Kyle Larson to victory in Michigan

June 18, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – Two weeks ago at Dover, Kyle Larson took a painful master class in restarts from Professor Jimmie Johnson. In Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Larson graduated with high honors, using a series of exceptional restarts to win his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season and his second in a row, dating to last August, at the two-mile track in the Irish Hills. At Dover, Larson lost a race in which he had the dominant car when Johnson snookered him on a late restart…

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John Hunter Nemechek passes Matt Crafton late for the win at Gateway

June 17, 2017 Matt Crossman NASCAR Wire Service ST. LOUIS, Mo. - “Happy Father’s Day!” a crew member shouted at team owner Joe Nemechek Saturday night as track workers put together the Victory Lane stage behind them. Nemechek had already passed out a half dozen hugs and handshakes to other members of the team he owns, NEMCO Motorsports. “Incredible,” was all Nemechek could muster in response after watching his son, John Hunter Nemechek, pass Matt Crafton late in the race and win the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series Drivin' for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park. It was the fourth win of…

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Denny Hamlin edges William Byron for NASCAR XFINITY win at Michigan

June 17, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – The rookie drove like a veteran in Saturday’s Irish Hills 250 at Michigan International Speedway, but in the end, the veteran took the rookie to school. Side-drafting off the final corner, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin pulled ahead of Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron and won a drag race to the finish line to win his first NASCAR XFINITY Series race of the season in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “We were battling really hard, and Denny just schooled me there at…

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Ryan Blaney captures first NASCAR Cup victory in dramatic Pocono 400

June 11, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa. – Dogged by Kevin Harvick for the final eight laps of Sunday’s Axalta presents the Pocono 400, Ryan Blaney held off the 2014 series champion in a breathtaking battle to claim the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of his career. After a restart on Lap 148 of 160, Blaney grabbed the lead from polesitter Kyle Busch on Lap 151, with Busch on older tires, doing everything he could to block Blaney’s No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. Racing side by side with Busch’s No. 18 Toyota down the…

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Brad Keselowski ends drought for No. 22 Ford with last-lap pass

June 10, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa. –- With a dramatic last-lap pass – the first of the season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series – Brad Keselowski won Saturday’s Pocono Green 250 at Pocono Raceway, ending a 46-race drought for the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Keselowski swept the stages in the 100-lap event but couldn’t get past leader Kyle Larson until he reached the Long Pond straightaway on the final circuit. Keselowski powered off the first turn, down-shifted and blew past Larson before the cars reached the Tunnel Turn. Justin Allgaier followed Keselowski past Larson and…

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Bell wins by inches at Texas

June 9, 2017 By John Sturbin NASCAR Wire Service FORT WORTH, Texas – Christopher Bell, a self-described “dirt track kid” from Oklahoma, continued to show he’s pretty good on pavement Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway. Bell edged Chase Briscoe after a side-by-side, closing-laps battle to win the 21st annual winstaronlinegaming.com 400 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Bell, who started 21st in the 28-truck field, won under caution after a white-flag wreck involving Timothy Peters, Austin Self and Johnny Sauter on TMS’ repaved and re-profiled 1.5-mile oval. A 22-year-old native of Norman, Oklahoma, who calls TMS his home track, Bell earned…

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