Kyle Busch in Search of First Win

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, stands by his car before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 24, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

The last two seasons, only seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson (ten) won more races than Kyle Busch, who visited Victory Lane nine times.

Eight races into the 2017 campaign, Busch is still searching for his first checkered flag. Continue reading

Sneaky Fast Kenseth Comes from Nowhere to Fourth

Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 DeWalt Toyota, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 21, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

Throughout most of Monday’s Food City 500, Matt Kenseth was all but invisible.

As the track changed throughout the race at Bristol Motor Speedway, however, Kenseth’s fortunes changed for the better. Continue reading

Rain Forces Postponement of Food City 500 until Monday

Photo – Jonathan Moore/Getty Images

With steady rain falling at Bristol Motor Speedway, and no abatement in the forecast, NASCAR and Bristol officials opted to postpone Sunday’s Food City 500 until Monday.

The eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season will be contested at 1 pm ET and broadcast on FOX.

With Friday’s knockout qualifying session also canceled because of inclement weather, series leader Kyle Larson will lead the field to the green flag when the race is run, with second-place Chase Elliott beside him on the front row. Continue reading

Absence of Cup Veterans Doesn’t Hurt Dash 4 Cash Competition

Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 Cheney Brothers/Southern Foods Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 22, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. Photo – Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

A difference in format and a ban on five-year Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series veterans may have changed the tenor of the Dash 4 Cash races in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, but it hasn’t diminished the quality of competition in the eyes of the drivers.

This year, eligibility for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonuses is determined during the first two stages of a race, rather than through separate heat races. And though Cup drivers with five-year full-time tenures aren’t allowed to compete, there are plenty of talented drivers with less than five years of Cup experience eager to fill the top-quality rides. Continue reading

Kyle Busch: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, signs autographs for fans ahead of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 9, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

When it comes to having a high-profile, ultra competitive driver like Kyle Busch in the sport, fans can expect to have a variety of headlines focused on the individual.  NASCAR fans have seen the younger Busch brother grow from a highly sought after teenage hot shoe through an adored underdog.  Two years ago, fans watched his comeback from an injury resulting in the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR championship and then mature to a veteran industry leader, spokesman, and father.

Along the way, fans have glimpsed three very different personalities of the complex young man known as ‘Rowdy.’ Continue reading