WWW. ATHLONSPORTS.COM INSIDENASCAR » KYLE BUSCH LIFTS THE LOBSTER » HARVICK’S YEAR-TO-YEAR IMPROVEMENT A WEEKLY SPIN AROUND THE WORLD OF RACING » STIFLING HEAT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE » BACK TO ELDORA NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY SAVINGS NO MATTER YOUR RIDE. Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Motorcycle coverage is underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. Boat and PWC coverages are written through Seaworthy Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affi liate, and through other non-affi liated insurance companies, and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2015. © 2015 GEICO NUMBERS GAME 206 After clawing his way to Victory Lane, Kyle Busch hoisted the traditional lobster as the winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. All photos by Action Sports, Inc. Among drivers who have competed in each Sprint Cup race this season, there are some interesting diferences in their ALL THE RIGHT MOVES year-to-year performances in the point standings. Kevin Harvick has the great- est change in total points accumulated to this point in the season. He’s scored 206 Kyle Busch’s Daring Pass on Lap 251 Leads Him to Victory Lane more points this season (734) compared ith about 60 miles left in Sunday’s 5-Hour Energy third, Joey Logano fourth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fifth. to last year (528) after 19 events. On the 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, most of For Earnhardt, the finish was his eighth career top 5 at New other end of the spectrum is his Stewart- the microphone buttons in reach of the drivers were Hampshire — the most of any driver without a win there. “Seems Haas Racing teammate Tony Stewart, W getting a workout. Track conditions had suddenly like I run in the top-5 or top-10 every damn time we come here. who has scored 136 fewer points than at changed, and grip was at a premium. I’m always like the third-, fourth-, fifth-best car. I’m never like this point one year ago. Kyle Busch came to pit road, fearing the 2, the 18, the 4, the 11. That is very frustrating,” a flat tire. Brad Keselowski was yelling to his spotter Geofrey Miller Earnhardt said. “But at the same time, I got to say that oil was on the track, as were Jeff Gordon, Kevin Athlon Sports contributor something about my ability and the team’s ability. I Harvick and Kyle Larson. Keselowski’s spotter Joey @GeofreyMiller take a lot of pride in having a good, positive statistic Meier even told his driver that he could smell the like that. But it sure would be nice to hold the lobster distinct aroma of burning rear-end grease. and do all the fun stuff they do in Victory Lane.” For laps, this back-and-forth went on. NASCAR’s Busch did get to hold the lobster in the post-race celebrations spotters didn’t see what the drivers were reporting. The race stayed and celebrate his third Sprint Cup win in the last four tries. He green, and Busch, now lapped following the pit stop, was scram- now seems destined to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup despite bling. His first goal was to pass enough cars to make sure he would missing the first 11 races of the season. get the free pass should the yellow flag wave, putting his No. 18 The do-or-die pursuit of championship eligibility — Busch now back on the lead lap but at the end of lead lap cars. needs to gain 58 points on 30th in the next seven races — no doubt TRACKS ON TAP Busch earned that spot quickly, then saw the leading cars, includ- played a role in Busch’s aggressive move around Keselowski and SPRINT CUP SERIES ing Keselowski and Harvick struggling just ahead as oil continued Harvick on Lap 251. “That was a calculated risk that I felt like I to be dropped on the track. Busch charged forward on fresh tires needed to take at that particular moment,” Busch said. “If it were Race: Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at and caught them exiting Turn 4 on Lap 250. With the track grow- Lap 100, then, no, I don’t think that would have happened. … What the Brickyard ing more slick, Busch knew his opportunity to pass the leaders and I was racing for at that time was my life, to get back on the lead Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway assume position back on the lead lap would be brief. lap. We needed that. That’s when you got to make those moves.” Location: Speedway, Ind. “I knew coming out of Turn 4 those guys in front of me were all on old tires, kind of slow,” Busch said. “I didn’t want to waste too SPRINT CUP STANDINGS Date: Sunday, July 26 much time with them. I saw the lapped car up on the high side. I TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN knew that Brad was going to try to box me in behind him, not let DRIVER (WINS) POINTS BEHIND DRIVER (WINS) POINTS BEHIND Layout: 2.5-mile oval 11. Denny Hamlin [2] 552 -182 me through, make me wait for another set of two corners. 1. Kevin Harvick [2] 734 -- Turns/Banking: 4 / 9º 2. Joey Logano [1] 665 -69 12. Kasey Kahne 538 -196 “I just kind of bulldozed my way through there a little bit.” 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. [2] 655 -79 13. Ryan Newman 530 -204 2014 Winner: Jeff Gordon Busch made slight contact with Keselowski as he cut in front 4. Jimmie Johnson [4] 646 -88 14. Paul Menard 528 -206 XFINITY SERIES of the No. 2 and then braked late into Turn 1 with Kevin Harvick 5. Martin Truex Jr. [1] 628 -106 15. Aric Almirola 502 -232 outside. Somehow, he made it through. Less than 10 seconds later, 6. Brad Keselowski [1] 603 -131 16. Clint Bowyer 500 -234 Race: Lilly Diabetes 250 NASCAR waved the caution flag to clean up the oil. 7. Matt Kenseth [1] 578 -156 17. Carl Edwards [1] 487 -247 Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway 8. Kurt Busch [2] 576 -158 18. Greg Bifle 437 -297 “At the time we weren’t sure how important it was going to be, Date: Saturday, July 25 but it certainly turned out to be the pass of the race,” Busch said. 9. Jamie McMurray 574 -160 19. Austin Dillon 434 -300 TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC The move proved to be a race-winning one because Busch then 10. Jeff Gordon 573 -161 20. Casey Mears 427 -307 2014 Winner: Ty Dillon became the lone lead-lap car who didn’t pit during the yellow flag XFINITY STANDINGS TRUCK STANDINGS — the race’s sixth. He cycled from the last car on the lead lap to the CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES leading car in an envious position. His four new tires taken before DRIVER (WINS) POINTS BEHIND DRIVER (WINS) POINTS BEHIND the caution flag had just five laps of wear, while drivers who came 1. Chris Buescher [2] 623 -- 1. Matt Crafton [4] 417 -- Race: 1-800-Car-Cash Mudsummer Classic back on track and lined up behind him were forced to get just two 2. Chase Elliott 592 -31 2. Tyler Reddick [2] 397 -20 Track: Eldora Speedway new tires to maintain position at the front of the field. 3. Ty Dillon 585 -38 3. Erik Jones [1] 388 -29 Date: Wednesday, July 22 That advantage was all Busch needed. On the restart, Busch 4. Regan Smith 564 -59 4. Johnny Sauter 359 -58 TV: 9 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1 jumped out to the lead and maintained a stable gap over the final 5. Elliott Sadler 555 -68 5. John Wes Townley 330 -87 6. Darrell Wallace Jr. 547 -76 6. Timothy Peters 322 -95 2014 Winner: Darrell Wallace Jr. 44 laps of the 301-lap event. A late push by Keselowski wasn’t 7. Daniel Suarez 516 -107 7. Cameron Hayley 315 -102 enough to close the distance, leaving the Penske Racing driver bit- 8. Brendan Gaughan 506 -117 8. Spencer Gallagher 308 -109 terly disappointed. New Hampshire marked the second race that 9. Ryan Reed [1] 502 -121 9. Daniel Hemric 308 -109 Keselowski appeared to have the strongest car in the field but 10. Brian Scott 494 -129 10. Ben Kennedy 297 -120 couldn’t convert the performance into a win. Harvick finished HEAT WAS ON It was a hot and humid day with temperatures above normal for blade attached to the roof known as a roof wicker. The changes are expected to in- Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Despite in-car cooling systems and crease the viability and necessity of drafting at the track, and NASCAR has responded other measures drivers take to stay cool, the heat was enough inside the cars to force by using the same qualifying format now in use at restrictor plate tracks that sends four drivers to seek medical attention. Immediately after the race, AJ Allmendinger cars on the track individually, with the top 12 advancing to a second round to deter- (strep throat before the race started), Michael Annett and Matt DiBenedetto (heat ex- mine the pole winner. The same rules will apply next month at Michigan International haustion) were treated by track personnel.