NASCAR: 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup/XFINITY/ Camping World Truck Series season thread:

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Kentucky weekend schedule:


09:00 am: CWTS: Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 practice No TV (NBC Sports App);
11:00 am: CWTS: Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 "Happy Hour" practice NO TV (NBC Sports App);
04:00 pm: XFINITY: ALSCO 300 practice NO TV (NBC Sports App);
05:00 pm: CWTS: Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 Qualifying FS1;
06:00 pm: XFINITY: ALSCO 300 "Happy Hour" practice NO TV/NBC Sports App;
07:30 pm: CWTS: Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 FS1;

Friday:

Noon: MENSC: Quaker State 400 practice NBCSN;
02:00 pm: MENSC: Quaker State 400 "Happy Hour" practice NBCSN;
05:00 pm: XFINITY: ALSCO 300 Qualifying NBCSN;
06:30 pm: MENSC: Quaker State 400 Qualifying NBCSN;
08:00 pm: XFINITY: ALSCO 300 NBCSN;

Saturday:

07:30 pm: MENSC: Quaker State 400 NBCSN

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

CWTS: Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 from Kentucky Speedway on FS1:

Pole:18-Gragson;

Stage 1 35:41-Rhodes;

Stage 2 35/70:18-Gragson;

Stage 3 80/150:41-Rhodes;

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

XFINITY: ALSCO 300 from Kentucky Speedway on NBCSN:

Pole:00-Custer;

Stage 1 45:18-Kyle Busch;

Stage 2 45/90: 42-JH Nemechek;

Stage 3 110/200: 20-Bell;

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

MENSC: Quaker State 400 from Kentucky Speedway on NBCSN;

Pole:78-Truex, Jr.;

Stage 1 80:78-Truex, Jr;

Stage 2 80/160:78-Truex, Jr.;

Stage 3 107/267: 78-Truex, Jr.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

39 entries up for the annual Dirt Derby at Eldora;

NHMS entry lists not yet released

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

37 teams now entered for the Foxwoods Casino 301 at Loudon;

40 entries now entered for the Lakes Region 200 @ Loudon;

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

CWTS: Dirt Derby 150 @ Eldora Speedway on FS1;

Pole:41-Rhodes;

Stage 1 40:41-Rhodes;

Stage 2 50/90:27-Briscoe;

Stage 3 62/152:27-Briscoe;

Notes: heat racing to determine qualifying lineup

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

5 hour Energy has informed Furniture Row Racing/Truex/78 they will not return to team sponsorship past the current season ending an 8 yr sponsorship including a championship last season...

it is strictly a business decision, and now leaves FRR with a gap of 14 races to sponsor

XFINITY/CWTS had 2 lug nut penalties assessed to the 22 AND 24 teams respectively each crew chief was fined: Brian Wilson assessed a 5K fine; Kevin Bellicourt fined $2500 @ Kentucky;

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Loudon Television Schedule:

Friday:

Noon: MENSC: Foxwoods Casino 301 opening practice NBCSN;
01:00 pm: XFINITY: Lakes Region 200 opening practice NBCSN;
03:00 pm: XFINITY: Lakes Region 200 "Happy Hour" practice NBCSN;
04:30 pm: MENSC: Foxwoods Casino 301 Qualifying NBCSN;

Saturday:
10:00 am: MENSC: Foxwoods Casino 301 practice CNBC;
11:00 am: XFINITY: Lakes Region 200 Qualifying CNBC;
12:30 pm: MENSC: Foxwoods Casino 301 "Happy Hour" practice NBCSN;
04:00 pm: XFINITY: Lakes Region 200 NBCSN;

Sunday:

02:00 pm: MENSC: Foxwoods Casino 301 NBCSN

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

XFINITY: Lakes Region 200 @ New Hampshire Motor Speedway on NBCSN;

Pole:22-Keselowski;

Stage 1 45:20-Bell;

Stage 2 45/90:22-Keselowski;

Stage 3 110/200:20-Bell;

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

MENSC: Foxwoods Casino 301 @ New Hampshire Motor Speedway on NBCSN;

Pole:41-Kurt Busch;

Stage 1 75:78-Truex, Jr.;

Stage 2 75/150:9-Elliott;

Stage 3 151/301: 4-Harvick;

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

1st Pocono/Iowa outlook:

40 entries now posted for the MENSC Gander Outdoors 400;

39 entries now posted for the XFINITY US Cellular 250;

32 entries now posted for the CWTS Gander Outdoors 150;

Penalty report from Loudon:

24-Byron: Lug nut violation; Darian Grubb fined 10K;

18-Preece: ride height violation; assessed 10 point owner/driver penalty; Eric Phillips assessed 10K Fine and suspended 1 race;

42-Nemechek: ride height violation; assessed 10 point owner/ driver penalty; Mike Shiplett fined 10K and suspended 1 race

52-Starr: Lug nut violation; Timothy Brown fined 5K;

XFINITY:

New team formed: Tullman Walker Racing; as it stands a 3 race deal beginning at Iowa, Vegas, and Kansas; team assigned the 26 as it steps up its program from the ARCA Series; Doug Richert to crew chief, Max Tullman as driver; Tullman has already competed in the Truck Series and will have two starts there remaining in 2018;

Brandon Hightower to the 15 @ Iowa; Casey Roderick in the 23

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

CRAFTSMAN, the original title sponsor of the Trucks, will return with a bang in August as the brand has since been bought by STANLEY BLACK & DECKER; apparently DEWALT will slowly be phasing out of sponsorship as that brand inked a multiple race deal with JGR, where it will feature Ryan Preece and Erik Jones;

it is also expected that RPM will renew their contract with driver Darrell"Bubba" Wallace, Jr. FOR 2019, and 2020 a multi-year extension;

XFINITY:

Andy Lally returns to NASCAR for the 3 road courses for DGM Motorsports (#90)as Henry Repeating Arms sponsors those 3 events;

CWTS:

Lehigh Valley Phantoms join the 33 team of Josh Rheaume to sponsor that effort in the Gander Outdoors 150

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Weekend Pocono/Iowa schedule:

Today:

05:00 pm: XFINITY: US Cellular 250 practice @ Iowa NBCSN;
06:30 pm: XFINITY: US Cellular 250 "Happy Hour" practice @ Iowa NBCSN;

Saturday:

09:00 am: MENSC: Gander Outdoors 400 practice @ Pocono CNBC;
10:00 am: CWTS: Gander Outdoors 150 Qualifying @ Pocono FS1;
11:30 am: MENSC: Gander Outdoors 400 "Happy Hour" practice @ Pocono CNBC;
01:00 pm CWTS: Gander Outdoors 150 @ Pocono FS1;
03:00 pm XFINITY: US Cellular 250 Qualifying @ Iowa NBCSN;
04:00 pm: MENSC: Gander Outdoors 400 Qualifying @ Pocono NBCSN;
05:30 pm: XFINITY: US Cellular 250 @ Iowa NBCSN;

Sunday:

02:30 pm: MENSC: Gander Outdoors 400 @ Pocono NBCSN

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

CWTS: Gander Outdoors 150 @ Pocono Raceway on FS1;

Pole:51-Kyle Busch;

Stage 1 15:4-Gilliland;

Stage 2 15/30:52-Friesen;

Stage 3 30/60:51-Kyle Busch;

Notes: Noah Gragson sidelined (illness); was not cleared but was given medical waiver to compete for championship; Erik Jones racing the 18 at Pocono

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

XFINITY: US Cellular 250 @ Iowa Speedway on NBCSN;

Pole: 1-Sadler;

Stage 1 60:00-Custer;

Stage 2 60/120:20-Bell;

Stage 3 134/254:20-Bell***3rd straight win;

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

MENSC: Gander Outdoors 400 @ Pocono Raceway on NBCSN;

Pole:19-Suarez;

Stage 1 50:9-Elliott;

Stage 2 50/100:4-Harvick;

Stage 3 63/163:18-Kyle Busch;

Breaking:

4 and 18 had qualified 1-2, but both failed post qualifying inspection; possible multiple teams have failed post qualifying inspection;

13 teams failed post qualifying: 3, 4, 10, 12, 14, 18, 21, 22, 24, 43, 48, AND THE 95 CHANGED ENGINES prior to qualifying, and failed inspection 3 x, WHICH IS A 10 POINT penalty atop the engine change;

Red at lap 154 as 43-Wallace careens into turn 1 wall after major brake failure

 

[BigMac1212]

Show of hands, who want Iowa in the Monster Energy Cup?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Show of hands, who want Iowa in the Monster Energy Cup?

isn't happening

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

BTW, Miami, Gander Outdoors made it official as they now take control of the Truck series title sponsorship beginning in 2019

 

[BigMac1212]

isn't happening

Bummer. It was worth a post.

 

[Smoke]

Show of hands, who want Iowa in the Monster Energy Cup?

Nah, the schedule needs more 1.5 mile tracks!

 

[Smoke]

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

better than the stupid guardrails that used to be there before the barriers finally were instructed to be installed at Pocono

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Bummer. It was worth a post.

Iowa simply isn't designed to be anything more than what it is, tbth..... it was likely designed to be a oval replacement for Milwaukee, which isn't coming back even though some of that design is in place at Pocono, same with this week's venue at the Glen ....there was Nazareth, South Boston, Hickory, even Wilkesboro, which has fallen to such disrepair now that two fires have been set in successive years...


tbth, the next thing TV might be or should be televising after that Qualifying inspection fiasco post Pocono is if you're going to have 2 day shows show the inspection live the day before practice, the cameras have to be there for practice , that's where Fox and NBC need to go next.... it was bad enough that the story broke the way it did, and the NBC Crew in Iowa mentioned it once despite trying to focus on the XFINITY race as that was developing