Backstretch Motorsports

“Do not go gentle into that good night” .. I doubt Dylan Thomas could’ve ever imagined his words would be used as a racer’s mantra for making the NASCAR playoff series.

But they work.

In truth, nearly all of the top finishers in the Sharpie 500 race at Bristol Motor Speedway could lay claim to the sentiments expressed in that poetic phrase. [read more...]

LOUDON, N. H. — Sometimes, the sun shines even though it’s raining.

Ask young Joey Logano. A late-race rainstorm stopped the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 after 273 of the scheduled 301 laps, giving Logano his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

The 19-year-old rookie, who turned 19 on May 24, was probably the only happy driver when NASCAR announced the race official, but veterans of the sport would quickly tell the youngster to enjoy his win because “there’s no telling how long it might be before he wins another one.” [read more...]

LOUDON, N.H. — Kyle Busch has been in a holding pattern of frustration lately, leading the most laps in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race, and not getting the victory. He changed that today by winning Saturday’s Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

In a trade of fortunes. the driver of the No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) earned the win by beating his teammate, Joey Logano, to the stripe by .617 of a second. It was Busch’s fifth Nationwide Series win of the season and his first since taking the checkered flag three weeks ago at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

In the final 10 laps, Logano closed up to the rear bumper of Busch’s No. 18 Toyota in lapped traffic, but Busch eventually pulled away to win his fifth race of the season by .617 seconds over his teammate. [read more...]

DOVER, Del. — Brad Keselowski finally caught a break.

Keselowski’s good fortune came at the expense of continued bad luck to Kyle Busch, who failed to win Saturday’s Heluva Good! 200 despite leading a race-high 108 of 200 laps at Dover International Speedway.

Keselowski took the lead for the first time on the next-to-last lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race after Logano ran into the back of Busch, his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, moments after a restart on Lap 199.

[read more...]

RICHMOND, Va.—Kyle Busch celebrated his 24th birthday in the best possible fashion, winning Saturday night’s Crown Royal Russ Friedman 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway and completing a weekend sweep of NASCAR events there.

Busch and Cale Yarborough are the only drivers to win NASCAR Sprint Cup races on their birthdays. [read more...]

TALLADEGA, Ala.—For David Ragan, his first victory in one of NASCAR’s top three touring series took a long time coming—196 races combined.

When it came, there was a bittersweet aspect to the win. [read more...]

Qualifying Fast Facts
Texas Motor Speedway
O’Reilly 300

Coors Light Pole Winner: Kyle Busch
Age: 23
Team : No. 18 - NOS Energy Drink Toyota
Owner: Joe Gibbs
Crew Chief: Jason Ratcliff

[read more...]

Martinsville, VA – Three-time and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) champion Jimmie Johnson scored his first victory of the 2009 season in the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Johnson’s victory came on the 25th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports first-ever NSCS win, also at Martinsville Speedway with driver Geoff Bodine.

An aggressive pass of Denny Hamlin on Lap 485 of the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 gave Johnson the lead Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, and he pulled away to beat Hamlin by .774 seconds. The victory was Johnson’s first of the season and the 41st of his career; he now has six wins at Martinsville—five in the past six races. It was Hendrick’s 18th win at the .526-mile track.

[read more...]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 23, 2009) – Last Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway saw two teammates battle for the win, as Kyle Busch yet again found Victory Lane, this time ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.
It will probably happen again this Sunday.
But this time, watch for two Hendrick Motorsports teammates to toss allegiances aside in the name of victory.
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are in a class by themselves when discussing Martinsville favorites.
The two have combined for an absurd nine of the last 12 Martinsville wins. Johnson has five during that span to Gordon’s four.

[read more...]

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Snickers Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), led five times for a race-high 378 laps en route to a winning performance in Sunday’s Food City 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“This thing really came to life today,” said Busch, who scored his second Sprint Cup win of the season after winning three weeks ago at his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter where you start here. You have to bide your time and take it easy when you have a car that’s good.”

[read more...]