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Danielle Trotta new host of NBCSN’s Victory Lap post-race show

By Daniel McFadinJul 16, 2019, 12:49 PM EDT
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Danielle Trotta will join NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage as host of the “Victory Lap” post-race show for select Cup Series races this year.

Trotta made the announcement Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “On Track,” the show she began co-hosting this year with Larry McReynolds.

Trotta has also been with NBC Sports Boston since 2018.

As part of “Victory Lap,” which begins Sunday at 7 p.m. on NBCSN after the Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, fans will be able to call in with questions about the race. Trotta will be joined by AJ Allmendinger and Parker Kligerman this weekend.

“It’ll be fun to continue the conversation,” Trotta said after making the announcement on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I think after the race ends and you hear the driver’s post-race comments and we see the highlights, as a race fan on so many Sundays, I would sit on my couch and want more. I would want more coverage, more conversation, more conjecture and I think that’s exactly what NASCAR “Victory Lap” has always been and will continue to be, and then we take the next step of really wanting the conversation to be interactive and having people call live into the show.”

and on Facebook

Big wreck shuffles front of field at Daytona

By Jerry BonkowskiJul 7, 2019, 3:25 PM EDT
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With inclement weather approaching, several cars near the front of the pack in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 were involved in a major wreck with 43 laps remaining in the scheduled 160-lap event at Daytona International Speedway.

Entering Turn 1, leader Austin Dillon moved down the track in front of Clint Bowyer, who also was attempting to cut down to the lower side of the corner. Contact was made that included more than at least 18 cars.

“That was pretty bad, man, and then he just kept coming down,” Bowyer said of Dillon to NBC Sports. “I had a big run, and he tried to block me. I got off him, and he kept trying to block it.

“It’s pretty unfortunate for us. … It’s a mess that (Dillon) created. The kid was doing everything he could do to stay in the lead. It was just pretty foolish. It was pretty early in the race and a lot of racing left to be aggressively blocking or whatever the hell that was.”

When asked by pit reporter Marty Snider if he spoke with Dillon in the infield care center, Bowyer said, “It doesn’t matter.”

Dillon told NBC Sports’ Kelli Stavast: “I really thought it was urgent because of the lightning and rain coming, so I jumped up there, had a good push from (Bowyer). My plan was to as soon as I cleared (Denny Hamlin) was to cut left and cut down again to go with my Chevy teammates. I was just trying to get a race win, that’s all it was.

“It’s part of this kind of racing. I was being aggressive and keep the lead, and that’s what you get. It’s part of it. I wish we could have worked with the Chevys to finish off what we started.”

In addition to Dillon and Bowyer, other drivers involved in the major wreck included Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, Ty Dillon, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Parker Kligerman, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Ryan Preece, Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman and Matt DiBenedetto.

 

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Martin Truex Jr. leads Toyota fleet in final Cup practice at Daytona

By Nate RyanJul 4, 2019, 5:17 PM EDT
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Martin Truex Jr. turned the fastest lap as Toyotas took the top four spots in the final Cup practice Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway.

Truex’s No. 19 Camry made a lap at 205.936 mph, ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin (205.738 mph) and Erik Jones (205.724 mph). The No. 95 of Matt DiBenedetto was fourth fastest at 205.381.

Matt Tifft (205.292) rounded out the top five, followed by Parker Kilgerman, Clint Bowyer, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Hemric and Ty Dillon.

In an incident late in the session, Brad Keselowski bumped William Byron,  who was able to recover without losing control of his No. 24 Chevrolet but sustained enough damage for a backup car.

Kyle Busch was fastest in the opening session for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Click here for speeds from the final Cup practice.

NBC Sports ready to take fans the rest of the way to Miami

By Dustin LongJun 26, 2019, 9:00 AM EDT
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We’re back!

In a season that has featured a scuffle on pit road at ISM Raceway, drivers beating and banging after the All-Star Race and three Cup races going to overtime, including the Daytona 500, NBC Sports is ready to bring you the final 10 Cup races of the regular season and then the 10 playoff races.

The intensity is just picking up.

Last year saw NBC Sports’ first Cup race of the season end with Dale Earnhardt Jr. yelling “Slide job!” as Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson battled on the last lap for the win at Chicagoland Speedway.

The excitement continued through the rest of the regular season and on to the playoffs where NBC Sports was there for the inaugural Cup race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and the dramatic finish that saw Jimmie Johnson crash into leader Martin Truex Jr. in the final chicane and Ryan Blaney going from third to the victory.

NBC Sports’ Cup coverage last year ended with Joey Logano’s win in Miami to claim not only the race but the championship.

NBC Sports will be there to bring you all the action the rest of the season for the Cup and Xfinity Series, beginning this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway on NBCSN.

Earnhardt, Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton are back with Rick Allen in the booth. Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Kelli Stavast and Parker Kligerman will again be reporting from pit road. Krista Voda, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett and Nate Ryan will set the day’s activities each race weekend. And also at the track will be Rutledge Wood, who will tell some of the unique stories of the weekend.

Get ready to catch all the action on NBCSN and NBC.

Here is when you can see the rest of the Cup and Xfinity seasons:

Cup Schedule

(All times Eastern)

June 30 — Chicagoland (3 p.m., NBCSN)

July 6 — Daytona (7:30 p.m., NBC)

July 13 — Kentucky (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

July 21 — New Hampshire (3 p.m., NBCSN)

July 28 — Pocono (3 p.m., NBCSN)

Aug. 4 — Watkins Glen (3 p.m., NBCSN)

Aug. 11 — Michigan (3 p.m., NBCSN)

Aug. 17 — Bristol (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Sept. 1 — Darlington (6 p.m. NBCSN)

Sept. 8 — Indianapolis (2 p.m., NBC)

Playoffs

Sept. 15 — Las Vegas (7 p.m., NBCSN)

Sept. 21 — Richmond (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Sept. 29 — Charlotte Roval (2:30 p.m., NBC)

Oct. 6 — Dover (2:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Oct. 13 — Talladega (2 p.m., NBC)

Oct. 20 — Kansas (2:30 p.m., NBC)

Oct. 27 — Martinsville (3 p.m., NBCSN)

Nov. 3 — Texas (3 p.m., NBCSN)

Nov. 10 — Phoenix (2:30 p.m., NBC)

Nov. 17 — Miami (3 p.m., NBC)

 

Xfinity Schedule

(All times Eastern)

June 29 — Chicagoland (3:30 p.m., NBCSN)

July 5 — Daytona (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

July 12 — Kentucky (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

July 20 — New Hampshire (4 p.m., NBCSN)

July 27 — Iowa (5 p.m., NBCSN)

Aug. 3 — Watkins Glen (3 p.m., NBC)

Aug. 10 — Mid-Ohio (3 p.m., NBCSN)

Aug. 16 — Bristol (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Aug. 24 — Road America (3 p.m., NBCSN)

Aug. 31 — Darlington (4 p.m., NBC)

Sept. 7 — Indianapolis (4 p.m., NBCSN)

Sept. 14 — Las Vegas (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Playoffs

Sept. 20 — Richmond (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Sept. 28 — Charlotte Roval (3:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Oct. 5 — Dover (3 p.m., NBCSN)

Oct. 19 — Kansas (3 p.m., NBC)

Nov. 2 — Texas (8:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Nov. 9 — Phoenix (3:30 p.m., NBC)

Nov. 16 — Miami (3:30 p.m. NBCSN)

Teammates Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch fastest in final Cup practice at Sonoma

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By Jerry BonkowskiJun 21, 2019, 7:06 PM EDT
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Chip Ganassi Racing was fastest in Friday’s second and final NASCAR Cup practice session at Sonoma Raceway.

Kyle Larson was fastest on the 2.52-mile road course at 95.469 mph, followed by teammate Kurt Busch (94.986 mph). Larson, a native of Elk Grove, California (80 miles northeast of Sonoma), has scored the last two poles at Sonoma. He’ll go for his third consecutive Cup pole there during Saturday’s qualifying (3:10 p.m. ET).

Third through 10th in the final practice were Aric Almirola (94.421 mph), Clint Bowyer (94.273), Matt DiBenedetto (94.190), NBC Sports’ Parker Kligerman (94.190), William Byron (94.154), Alex Bowman (94.148), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (94.135) and Ryan Blaney (94.050).

Bowyer had the best average over 10 consecutive laps at 93.416 mph. He was followed by Bowman (93.055 mph) and Larson (93.013).

A number of drivers struggled during the session, including running off-track. Among the most notable was Kyle Busch, who overshot Turn 4 three times, including spinning out once. He also ran off-track in Turn 2 early in the session. With less than three minutes to go in the session, Bubba Wallace spun out in Turn 7.

Martin Truex., who was fastest in the first practice, was held 15 minutes in the second practice as penalty for twice failing inspection at the previous Cup race at Michigan Speedway. Truex was 12th fastest in the second session (94.041 mph).

Click here for the practice speed chart.

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