SPRINT CUP SERIES 6/17/2015

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

Off Week For NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Before It Travels To Sonoma

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads into its second off weekend of the season before traveling to Northern California for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 28th (3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1). The event marks the first road course race of the season and the last NSCS race aired on the FOX family of networks this year (all NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races are broadcast on FOX Sports 1). The remaining NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races will be televised on NBC or NBC Sports Network beginning with the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, July 5 (7:45 p.m. ET on NBC). Ten different drivers have won the last 10 races at Sonoma. Carl Edwards is the defending Sonoma race-winner. AJ Allmendinger won the latest NSCS road course race at Watkins Glen last August.

Aqua Man: Kurt Busch Wins Rain-Shortened Race At Michigan

Neither rain nor his second-worst starting position of the season (24th) could stop Kurt Busch in Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway. The No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet driver battled to the front of the field and earned the victory as the leader when the race was called on the 138th of 200 scheduled laps after the skies opened up and the rain poured down.

The victory was Busch’s second of the season, his third at MIS and the 27th of his career. He now ranks 11th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings and is tied with his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick for second in wins.

Despite missing the first three races of the season due to suspension, Busch ranks second to Harvick in most loop data categories, including: average running position (7.483), driver rating (111.2), fastest laps run (277) and laps led (665).

(Near) Perfect 10: Martin Truex Jr. Joins Richard Petty With Milestone

Martin Truex Jr. finished third in Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan to capture his 14th top 10 in 15 races this season. He is the first driver to accomplish the feat since Richard Petty in 1969.

If Truex can notch top 10s in the next two races, he can become the first driver to ever record 16 top 10s in the first 17 races.

On Sunday, Truex gained ground on Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings as well. The No. 78 Chevrolet driver ranks second, trailing Harvick by just 15 points.

But, with both all but locked into the Chase with wins, more wins are all that matter.

Despite his strong performance, Truex’s four-race streak of leading the most laps came to an end. Harvick’s 63 laps led paced all drivers.

Kevin Harvick – An Analytical Dream

In Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Raceway, Kevin Harvick became the first driver since Jeff Gordon in 2001 to eclipse 1,200 laps led 15 races into a season.

Harvick only has two wins, but his robust loop data numbers suggest more are coming.

Remember, you can’t win races unless you lead laps.

The No. 4 Chevrolet driver ranks first in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average running position (7.3), number of fastest laps (755), laps led (1,225) and driver rating (126.0).

Harvick’s number of fastest laps are nearly triple the next-best driver’s total (Kurt Busch, 277). His number of laps led are nearly double the next-best driver’s total (Kurt Busch, 665).

Furthermore, the defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title-winner is on pace to shatter the driver rating record of 112.2 set by Jimmie Johnson is his 2009 championship season. The only caveat when comparing Harvick’s driver rating statistic is that it could drop with two restrictor plate and two road course races left on the schedule.

Bayne Finds The Fast Lane

Trevor Bayne rallied from the 20th starting position to a ninth-place showing in Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway – his first top-10 result since finishing eighth at Talladega in May of 2012.

June has been quite the month for the Roush Fenway Racing driver. A little over a week before the race, Bayne and his wife, Ashton, announced they are having a baby boy.

Although he has 73 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts to his credit, Bayne will make his NSCS road course debut in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway (Sunday, June 28, 3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1). In 11 NASCAR XFINITY Series road course starts, Bayne claims three top-10 finishes.

Ty Dillon Produces Another Strong Effort In NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Ty Dillon produced another strong showing in his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season, finishing a career-best 14th at Michigan on Sunday. Dillon has improved his finishing position in each of his four starts this season: 28th at Daytona, 26th at Kansas, 18th at Pocono. Additionally, Dillon has never finished lower than where he’s started this year (Daytona, 31st and 28th, +3; Kansas, 32nd and 26th, +6; Pocono, 29th and 18th, +11; Michigan, 22nd and 14th, +8). His positive place differential makes him a solid bargain play in fantasy NASCAR.

Wreck Dims Kyle Busch’s Chase Hopes

If Kyle Busch wants to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, he needs to rack up points.

And he needs to rack them up fast.

Yes, he also needs a win in the next 11 races.

Busch’s Chase hopes took a hit when he smacked into the wall on a Lap 52 restart at Michigan, causing him to finish 43rd. He ranks 39th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings after missing the first 11 races of the season due to foot and leg injuries. To make NASCAR’s playoffs, Busch must finish the regular season 30th in the points standings and win a race prior to the Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway. Right now, he trails Justin Allgaier in the 30th position by 173 points.

In four races since his return, Busch has posted finishes of 11th at Charlotte, 36th at Dover, ninth at Pocono and 43rd at Michigan.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Snapshot

Ten different drivers have won in the 15 races held heading into the second open week of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season: Jimmie Johnson (4), Kevin Harvick (2), Kurt Busch (2), Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards. All are virtually locked into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

If the regular season ended today, the following drivers would make the Chase based on points: Jamie McMurray (76 points above the cutoff line), Kasey Kahne (+59), Jeff Gordon (+46), Paul Menard (+33), Aric Almirola (+13) and Ryan Newman (+12).

The drivers on the fringe of the Chase Grid in points are Clint Bowyer (-12), Kyle Larson (-39), Danica Patrick (-43) and Greg Biffle (-49).