Kevin Harvick leads the field into Turn 1 during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kentucky Speedway, Saturday, July 9, 2016 in Sparta, Ky.
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Brad Keselowski stands on his vehicle in Victory Lane after his win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kentucky Speedway, Saturday, July 9, 2016 in Sparta, Ky. He would lead the final green-flag run to the finish despite running out of gas coming to the white flag.
The drivers slated to participate in the two-day Indy test this Tuesday and Wednesday are Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, Brian Scott, Chris Buescher, Trevor Bayne, Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Benjamin came in the runner-up spot followed by 15-year-old Harrison Burton – son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Jeff Burton – who made his first career ARCA Racing Series start.
Brad Keselowski’s calm demeanor was never more evident than his cool response to a tense moment.
Brad Keselowski, Talladega Superspeedway’s GEICO 500 victor in May, managed to save enough fuel to hold off the field Saturday night on the newly repaved and reconfigured surface for his second consecutive NSCS win and fourth of the season.
“Winning a race at Kentucky and winning the Southern 500 in Darlington. that would absolutely cap off everything that – if we win at Darlington and Kentucky – would cover every track we now have on the schedule”, Stewart said. “Somehow we limped it around and stay ahead of Carl (Edwards) and bring it home”. He waited. He basically shut the auto off and went right off of 4 and matched it perfectly to where I couldn’t get by him down the front straightaway, and then he ran like heck through 1 and 2, and then I thought maybe he’ll run out down the back straight.
Hamlin and Larson were also stout during practice, and I feel both drivers have top-five upside. “But there’s nothing you can about it, and freaking out ain’t going to help anything”.
Brad Keselowski and his team cut it so close on fuel in the closing laps of Saturday’s Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts that the driver of the No. 2 Ford needed a shove from a tow truck to reach victory lane.
However, Busch’s 12th place finish in the Quaker State 400 was the first time he’s ever finished outside the Top 10 in a Cup race at Kentucky.
Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 06 Mins, 53 Secs.
He now has three wins in six Sprint Cup races there. His latest triumph on the 1½ mile tri-oval might have been his most impressive in terms of strategy.
When Keselowski slowed through Turn 4 on the next-to-last lap, Edwards thought he had the race won, but in retrospect, Edwards believed he had been beaten by a cunning opponent. “I don’t think there’s a driver here that didn’t have a handful at some point in Turn 3 tonight”, said third-placed Ryan Newman afterward. “He was able to go and I think he said, shut it off a little bit down the back and as he got into the corner it picked up”. But I think we all realize that maybe if he wasn’t executing his best for the possibly could and clearly over the last six weeks that’s that it situations change and I think we’ve established herself as a contender for him goes a long way to go. Do what I had to do what I thought I had to do and no fuel gauge during times on the truth able to make it to be and so.
With the increase of banking in Turns 1 and 2 that sped up cars, plus less downforce (and more speed) on the back straight, Turn 3 got a lot more challenging.
Harvick hasnt won since the fourth race at Phoenix but has posted 13 top-10 finishes with seven top fives in 17 starts.
Truex apparently beat Harvick off pit road during a the final yellow flag, a record-tying 11th caution on lap 194, but a pit road penalty pushed Truex back to 22nd put Harvick back in the lead.
“He baited me in there, I thought he was surely out, then he just blocked”, Edwards told NBC Sports after the race.
Accidents were the story early on.
HARD HIT: Logano’s No. 22 Ford was knocked out after hitting the wall, an impact that left him 38th and red-faced.
“One groove, slick, slick, slick”, Earnhardt said. Of his race, he added, “it doesn’t hurt”. Last year, we came here, I thought we were the best auto, didn’t catch a single break, didn’t execute, and those two things kept us out of victory lane.
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TIRES HOLD UP: Despite double-digit cautions that quickly made Goodyear’s tires an easy target, the package that differed from last month’s test held up well.
