Fire sends three Xfinity Series pit crew members to hospital (VIDEO)

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A large fire on pit road during Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity race at Richmond International Raceway sent three crew members to the hospital.

Two members of Brendan Gaughan’s Richard Childress Racing crew – rear-tire changer Anthony O’Brien and gas man Josh Wittman – and Clifford Turner, a member of Eric McClure’s JGL Racing crew, were transported to a local hospital.

O’Brien and Wittman were kept overnight for observation, according to the team. Turner was released Friday night.

The fire originated in Gaughan’s pits during a caution period that began on lap 111 of the 250-lap race. Crew chief Shane Wilson said a malfunction with the fueling head, which seals the fuel can to the car, caused fuel to spill. Sparks from the lug nuts, as the rear wheel was changed, ignited the fuel.

O’Brien ran into the pits for McClure’s team while on fire. Turner acted.

“Our guy just dove on top of him to put the fire out,” crew chief Steve Plattenberger said.

Turner was treated for inhaling chemical sprayed on O’Brien from fire extinguishers.

Wayne Auton, Xfinity Series director, told NBC Sports that NASCAR will take the fueling head back to its R&D Center in Concord, N.C., for further inspection. Auton said he talked with Richard Childress Racing about the fire in Gaughan’s pits and that film of the incident had been reviewed.

Wilson does not wear a firesuit atop the pit box but said he might consider wearing one after this.

“I think we all will probably think about this more tomorrow and the next day,” he said. “That was close. A little bit more and that would have been a pretty big deal.”

Ryan Blaney talks to Ryan Newman, looks forward to seeing him at track

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Ryan Blaney said in a social media post Thursday night that he’s “replaying” the incident with Ryan Newman “over and over” and that he is thankful for family, friends and fans that have supported him since the accident.

Blaney also said he spoke with Newman on Wednesday night and “it was just good to hear his voice to be honest. His Ryan Newman humor was at large and brought a smile to my face. The recovery he has made the past few days have been remarkable. I look forward to seeing him soon to talk about it more.”

Blaney pushed Newman into the lead past Denny Hamlin on the backstretch of the final lap of Monday’s Daytona 500. As they came down the frontstretch, Blaney tired to pass but Newman blocked.

Blaney later said that at that point, he was focused on pushing Newman to the win to ensure a Ford was victorious. But one of Blaney’s pushes unsettled Newman’s car, turning Newman into the wall and the path of Corey LaJoie, who slammed into the driver side area of Newman’s upside down car. The contact sent Newman’s car in the air. It landed on its roof and slid down the frontstretch, coming to rest beyond the end of pit road. It took safety workers more than 10 minutes to extricate Newman. He was immediately transported to Halifax Medical Center and released Wednesday afternoon.

Newman will not race this weekend. Ross Chastain will drive Newman’s No. 6 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“We are all competitors racing for wins every weekend but at the same time are one big family, and you never want to see family get hurt,” Blaney wrote. “Have been replaying the events in my head over and over about what I could’ve done differently ever since.

“I’m very lucky to have a great family, friends, team and incredible fans that have helped me out this week. I can’t thank everyone enough for that.

“I can’t wait to have Rocketman Ryan Newman back at the track racing as hard as ever.”

 

 

 

Kyle Busch to drive in 5 Xfinity races this season for Joe Gibbs Racing

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Joe Gibbs Racing announced Thursday that Kyle Busch will compete in five Xfinity Series races this season.

The reigning NASCAR Cup champ will make his first Xfinity start in the No. 54 Toyota Supra at Phoenix Raceway on March 7.

The other four Xfinity races Busch will drive:

May 23 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

June 20 at Chicagoland Speedway

July 18 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

August 15 at Watkins Glen International

Busch has a chance of hitting 100 career wins in the Xfinity Series this year. He has 96 wins in 352 career starts in that series. NASCAR rules limit Busch to a maximum of five races per season in another series because of his experience.

Jacob Canter will serve as Busch’s crew chief. He is the test team manager for JGR’s NASCAR Cup program.

The five Truck races that Kyle Busch will race this season already have been announced.

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Catch NASCAR America MotorMouths at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN

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Today’s edition of NASCAR America MotorMouths – which airs live from 5-6 p.m. ET on NBCSN – will cover lots of ground, including Ryan Newman, this weekend’s racing action in Las Vegas and, of course, have lots of interaction on the phone and social media with you, the fans.

You can call in at 844-NASCAR-NBC or submit a question on Twitter using #LetMeSayThis

Krista Voda hosts and will be joined by Kyle Petty, Steve Letarte and Nate Ryan.

If you can’t catch today’s show on TV, watch online at http:/nascarstream.nbcsports.com. If you plan to stream the show on your laptop or portable device, be sure to have your username and password from your cable/satellite/telco provider handy so your subscription can be verified.

Once you enter that information, you’ll have access to the stream.

Click here at 5 p.m. ET to watch live via the stream.

Busch brothers looking forward to some hometown cookin’

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After a literal roll of the dice didn’t pay off for either Kurt or Kyle Busch in Monday’s Daytona 500, they’ll spin the roulette wheel of fortune again this weekend – and in Kyle’s case, several times – in their hometown of Las Vegas.

Kurt finished 33rd at Daytona, being collected in the multi-car wreck on Lap 183. Kyle finished one place lower when the engine on his car expired on the same lap.

Now the brothers Busch return to familiar ground at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – where they both began their racing careers – and look to rebound from their disappointing Daytona showings.

Defending Cup Series champion Kyle Busch isn’t taking anything to chance this weekend, hoping to potentially pull off a three-race weekend sweep.

He’s entered in three races at his home racetrack: tonight’s Super Late Model race at The Bullring adjacent to LVMS, Friday night’s Truck Series race and Sunday’s Cup event.

The younger Busch brother has one Cup win at Las Vegas (2009), but has two wins each there in the Xfinity Series and Truck Series. The last item is of particular note as Busch has raced a truck at his home track just three times in his career, winning each of the last two spring races there.

Friday night’s race will be the first of five Truck races the younger Busch is slated to compete this season.

But he also will be focused on rebounding from Daytona with a win in Sunday’s Cup race. The younger Busch still holds the track record in Las Vegas for youngest winner in a Cup race (2009 – 23 years, nine months, 27 days). He also holds the track record for being the only driver to win a Cup race there from the pole.

Busch also returns to Las Vegas having earned top-five finishes in his last four early-season starts there, including third in last March’s race and runner-up in the 2018 spring race.

“Vegas always means a little bit more pressure – more pressure on myself – just because it’s the hometown and you want to win there,’’ Busch said in a media release. “Thankfully, I have won there, and I’ve knocked that one off the list, but certainly you want to win there every year.

“I love Vegas, the atmosphere and everything going on around that place.”

Kurt Busch hasn’t had quite the success his brother has had at LVMS. In 20 career starts, the 41-year-old Busch has never won a Cup race in front of his home crowd, but he has earned two poles (2010, 2016) and has a best finish of third (2005).

He finished fifth in this race last spring, including leading 23 laps. He’d likely welcome a finish like that – or better – after what happened Monday at Daytona.

“Lady Luck was not on our side,’’ Kurt Busch said of his untimely exit in the 500. “That’s a roulette wheel, people. The roulette wheel spins, and it grabs your number and it grabbed my number. Maybe Vegas will be a little better.”

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