SHOW #175 – Kerry chats with Monica Palumbo (Miss Sprint Cup) and Trevor Bayne (2011 Daytona 500 winner) plus recaps Chicagoland and previews New Hampshire. (About 25 mins)
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Fans can enter the “SEND ME 2 VEGAS” sweepstakes at NASCARafterthelap.com and at Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup TM races at The Sprint Experience and at select races at the Coca-Cola® display.
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Though winless throughout the 26-race regular season, Tony Stewart did NOT limp into the Chase. On the contrary, Stewart had three top 10s in four races coming into the Chase opener at Chicagoland.
His Monday win at Chicagoland (his third at the track) drummed up a number of notable bullets…
- It catapulted him from ninth to second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings. He’s now just seven points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
- He now has at least one victory in 13 consecutive seasons. Richard Petty owns the record for most consecutive season with a win, at 18.
- He is the 16th different winner this season, most through 27 races since 2003, and three short of the all-time record of 19.
1 26 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
2 30 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
3 19 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet
4 5 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
5 6 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
6 3 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
7 21 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
8 4 39 Ryan Newman US Army Medicine Chevrolet
9 25 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
10 12 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
11 15 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
12 24 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
13 8 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
14 16 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
15 22 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
Poor-mouthing Tony Stewart, who four days ago minimized his chances for a third Sprint Cup title, outlasted the field in Monday’s rain-delayed Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Saving fuel during a 50-lap green-flag run to the finish, Stewart, who started 26th, crossed the stripe .941 seconds ahead of hard-charging Kevin Harvick to win his first race of the season and the 40th of his career, tying him with Mark Martin for 16th on the all-time list.
This is the same Stewart who had said at Thursday’s Chase media day in Chicago that there were seven drivers who could win the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup—and he wasn’t one of them.
JOLIET, Ill.—With a two-tire call on a late-race pit stop, Austin Dillon stole Friday night’s Fast Five 225 Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway from Kevin Harvick, who had dominated the event until the last round of stops.
Dillon won his second race of the season and the fourth of his career. Harvick came home second, almost five seconds back. Nelson Piquet Jr., Parker Kligerman and Kyle Busch completed the top five.
The players in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship are set. It’s go time for the top-12 and the top is not far from the bottom—just nine points. A total of 480 points in 10 races are available to the contenders.
The number spread looks slim under the new reduced points system, making each finishing position vital to a good run at the trophy.
A DNF (did not finish) owing to crash or equipment failure can be crown lethal because points are so hard to replace while competent others are collecting top finishes.
As in the past, expect several drivers to plunge to the bottom early in the battle for the top.
The action at the Geico 400 on the 1.5-mile tri-oval track at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois can be viewed this Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN.
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SHOW #175 – Kerry chats with Monica Palumbo (Miss Sprint Cup) and Trevor Bayne (2011 Daytona 500 winner) plus recaps Chicagoland and previews New Hampshire.
SEND ME 2 VEGAS
