Wives, girlfriends of NASCAR drivers ready for 5th Better Half Dash

By Jerry BonkowskiOct 1, 2015, 6:34 PM EDT

(Photo: Charlotte Motor Speedway/Harold Hinson Photography)

The wives and girlfriends of NASCAR drivers can be just as competitive and aggressive behind the wheel as their husbands and boyfriends.

And you better believe that they take the Better Half Dash as seriously as their counterparts take every NASCAR race.

The fifth edition of the Better Half Dash will take place next Thursday, Oct. 8, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, just before their better halves attempt to qualify for the Sprint Cup pole that same evening.

Nearly a dozen ladies will put the pedal to the metal, piloting U.S. Legend Cars International Bandoleros along CMS’ quarter-mile frontstretch oval.

While the event is for a worthy cause, raising money for such charities as Motor Racing Outreach and Speedway Children’s Charities, the lady drivers will take their task very seriously.

The winning driver will earn $10,000 for charity: $5,000 for her favorite charity, as well as $2,500 each for Speedway Children’s Charities and Motor Racing Outreach.

In a fierce battle, last year’s Dash winner was Kristen Yeley (photo above), wife of driver J.J. Yeley.

“I am proud to be a part of something that recognizes the backbone of NASCAR women,” Yeley said in a media release. “As a BHD veteran and 2014 champion, I look to defend my title and support my charities: MRO and Beds for Kids.”

Husbands and boyfriends will not only be cheering, they’ll also serve as crew chiefs and spotters for their ladies.

Here’s this year’s entry list:

* Jordan Fish, girlfriend of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin

* Tandra Greenfield, wife of NASCAR driver Clay Greenfield

* Shannon Koch, wife of NASCAR driver Blake Koch

* Tatiana Papis, wife of NASCAR driver Max Papis

* Jenna Robinson, wife of NASCAR pit crew member Clay Robinson

* Whitney Scott, wife of NASCAR driver Brian Scott

* Melanie Self, representing Motor Racing Outreach

* Ashley Stremme, wife of NASCAR driver David Stremme

* Katelyn Sweet, girlfriend of NASCAR driver Kyle Larson

* Wendy Venturini, NASCAR analyst for Fox Sports 1 & PRN

* Kristen Yeley, wife of NASCAR driver J.J. Yeley

Qualifying takes place Monday, Oct. 5, at CMS. Fans can help determine the polesitter by visiting www.go2mro.com/betterhalfdash and donating to their favorite driver. The driver with the most donations will lead the field to the green flag.

For more information, go to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com, www.go2mro.com/betterhalfdash or follow #BetterHalfDash on Twitter.

Follow @JerryBonkowski

NASCAR Cup Series results: Ryan Blaney wins at Charlotte

By Mike HembreeMay 29, 2023, 9:32 PM EDT

CONCORD, N.C. — Ryan Blaney outran William Byron over the final miles and through several restarts to win Monday’s 600-mile NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Blaney thus ended a 59-race winless streak and qualified for the Cup playoffs.

Following in the top five were Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.

Charlotte Cup results

Charlotte Cup driver points

Ryan Blaney wins NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

By Mike HembreeMay 29, 2023, 9:06 PM EDT

CONCORD, N.C. — It was the longest wait for the longest race, and it ended on a very long day. And it marked the end of a long winless streak.

Ryan Blaney sprinted away from William Byron in the closing laps of Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and ended a 59-race winless streak.

Byron finished second and was followed by Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.

MORE: Charlotte Cup results

Blaney pushed through several late-race restarts and held on to finally write finish to a frustrating losing string. The win marked the first time long-time team owner Roger Penske has won both the Indy 500 and Coke 600 in the same year.

“You start to get to feel like you can’t win any more when you don’t win for a while,” an emotional Blaney told Fox Sports after the race.

Following the lead of his Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden, who won Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 and went into the stands to celebrate with fans, Blaney ran into the CMS frontstretch grandstands after grabbing the checkered flag.

Contender Kyle Larson lost control of his car on a restart with 26 laps to go, starting a crash that also involved Joey Logano, Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell.

He had maneuvered his way through a web of crashes and outran Byron, whose team kept him in or near the front with a string of fast pit stops.

The race was postponed by rain Sunday and was delayed by showers Monday. Rain had soaked the track most of the weekend, postponing the Cup and Xfinity Series races and cancelling Saturday night’s Cup practice and qualifying. Monday’s forecast was better, but the weather refused to cooperate. Rain interrupted the Xfinity race, which started at 11 a.m., and another shower stopped the Cup race during the second stage.

Charlotte Motor Speedway, which advertises itself as “America’s Home for Racing,” had become America’s home for raining.

Blaney, 29, scored the eighth win of his career. He last won at Daytona International Speedway in August 2021 and had posted four runnerup finishes during that span.

“I tried not to think about that very much,” Blaney said of the losing streak. “It’s hard to win these races. Sometimes you get in these streaks where things don’t go right. It can definitely be frustrating. It’s easy to get down on yourself when you don’t win. You got to think to yourself can I still do it. Can i compete at a winning level?”

A mid-race collision between Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin left their cars seriously damaged and their feelings hurt. They were racing in close quarters on lap 186 when extended contact between the two cars sent Hamlin hard into the wall, resulting in major front-end damage. Elliott’s car sustained serious rear damage.

Hamlin said Elliott had a “tantrum” and that he should be suspended for the next race for what Hamlin called “a right rear hook.” Elliott denied intentionally wrecking Hamlin.

A few laps earlier, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski crashed.

The third-stage win went to Blaney. Following were Reddick, Truex, Byron and Ty Gibbs.

Chris Buescher won the second stage, leading Kevin Harvick, Keselowski, Joey Logano and Gibbs.

Byron won the first stage, leading a three-way battle with Christopher Bell and Blaney on the 100th lap. Bell was second, Blaney third, Reddick fourth and Truex Jr. fifth.

A crash involving Bubba Wallace and Aric Almirola resulted in the drivers having a tense red-flag discussion. Almirola shoved Wallace before the altercation was broken up.

Stage 1 winner: William Byron

Stage 2 winner: Chris Buescher

Stage 3 winner: Ryan Blaney

Who had a good race: Ryan Blaney had the day’s fastest car and held off a following herd over the final miles. … William Byron was strong throughout the race but couldn’t challenge Blaney at the end. … The fourth-place finish by Bubba Wallace and the fifth-place run by Tyler Reddick marked the first time 23XI Racing has put two cars in the top five in a points race.

Who had a bad race: Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson had a tough day in his third race of the year. He lost control of his car in Turn 2 74 laps into the race and slapped the outside wall. He lost a lap in the pits and ultimately finished last. … Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin had top-10 cars but both left the race after a controversial collision near the halfway point.

Next: The series moves on to World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois for a June 4 race at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott involved in big crash at Charlotte

By Mike HembreeMay 29, 2023, 6:46 PM EDT

CONCORD, N.C. — Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott were involved in a big crash midway through Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and each blamed the other.

Elliott’s car slapped the outside wall near the start-finish line, and his car made contact with Hamlin’s Toyota, sending Hamlin slamming into the wall. The front end of Hamlin’s car was smashed. Elliott’s Chevrolet also was damaged.

Both drivers parked for the evening, and neither was happy.

Hamlin said Elliott had a “tantrum” and said he should be suspended from next week’s race.

“I got right-rear hooked in the middle of the straightway,” Hamlin said. “Yes, it was a tantrum. He shouldn’t be racing next week. Right-rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. He shouldn’t be racing.”

Elliott had a different view.

“The 11 (Hamlin) put me in the fence, and once you take the right sides off these things it’s kind of over,” he said. “Once you hit the wall in these things, you can’t drive them any more.”

Elliott denied intentionally hitting Hamlin, saying the crash was “unfortunate circumstances.”

Brad Keselowski hit the rear of Elliott’s car after the initial contact between Hamlin and Elliott.

After the crash, Hamlin tweeted data in support of his contention that Elliott drove into him.

Removing all doubt. His steering came back to the exact same position it had previously after we came off the wall.
The higher the line on steering the further LEFT it’s going. pic.twitter.com/DKo7mrLz28

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) May 29, 2023

Charlotte Cup results

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