Nationwide Series

on

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(November 19, 2011)

HOMESTEAD, Fla.—Polesitter Brad Keselowski may have won Saturday’s Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but Roush Fenway Racing had a better night, winning two Nationwide Series championships in one race.

Keselowski held off a furious charge from series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the final lap to secure his fifth victory of the season and the 17th of his career.

Third-place finisher Carl Edwards clinched the owners’ championship for Roush Fenway, leading the most laps and finishing two positions ahead of Denny Hamlin’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, which entered the race with a one-point lead.

Continue reading “Keselowski Wins Homestead-Miami NNS Race, Stenhouse is Champion”

on

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 13, 2011) – Only one finish guarantees Carl Edwards his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship – a victory in Sunday’s season-finale Ford 400.

Just three points separate points leader Carl Edwards and second-place Tony Stewart, a margin so tight, no other finish would clinch the title for Edwards regardless of where Stewart finishes.
Stewart owns the tie-breaker (best finishes), and therefore could tie and win his third series championship.
All other drivers are officially eliminated from championship contention.
Edwards’ three-point lead roughly translates to 13 points under the previous points system. That makes it the closest margin between first and second going into the final race in Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ history, and third-closest since the inception of the position-based points structure in 1975.

Continue reading “NASCAR Series Clinch Scenarios Set For Homestead”

on

Hornish wins at Phoenix; Leffler KO’s Sadler’s title hopes

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(November 12, 2011)

AVONDALE, Ariz.—Sam Hornish Jr. cruised to his first Nationwide Series victory Saturday as Elliott Sadler’s championship hopes crumbled behind him.

Taking the lead after a two-tire stop on Lap 131 put him on the front row, Hornish held off teammate Brad Keselowski to win the Wypall 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Note: Sam Hornish’s first career IndyCar victory also came at PIR.

Carl Edwards ran third, followed by Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who all but locked up his first series championship with one race left.

Continue reading “NNS Recap: Hornish Wins First NASCAR Race at Phoenix”

on

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(November 5, 2011)

FORT WORTH, Texas—Nearly nine months after winning the Daytona 500 in his first attempt, Trevor Bayne finally got his first victory in NASCAR’s second-tier series.

Bayne powered past Roush Fenway teammate Carl Edwards after a restart on Lap 194 of 200 and held off hard-charging Denny Hamlin for the victory in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Bayne crossed the finish line .142 seconds ahead of Hamlin, who started from the rear of the field after Kyle Busch, scheduled to drive the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, was parked for the weekend for wrecking Ron Hornaday Jr. in Friday night’s truck series race.

Continue reading “Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne notches first Nationwide Series win”