2018 MENCS Playoff Rundown
On his way to Victory Lane in Homestead-Miami
Images from our very own, Mary DeLucca
November 18, 2018
@HomesteadMiami
#FordEcoBoost400
Highlights:
Winner - Joey Logano #22 (Ford)
Joey Logano and the #22 team win both the race and the Championship!!
His first Cup Series win - he was fast
Strategy played a big part of this race for the Final 4
Furniture Row Racing and Martin Truex Jr share their last race together
Lowe's and the #48 team of Jimmie Johnson share their last race together
Denny Hamlin sat in the pole position
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Catch all the action Sunday, November 18 at 3:00pm ET on NBC
From Homestead-Miami Speedway
Who will be the 2018 Champion?
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Round of 8 - Eliminator
November 11, 2018
@ISMRaceway
#CanAm500
Highlights:
Winner - Kyle Busch #18 (Toyota)
Harvick gets pole after having last week's win not count to the Final 4, with an I'll show you attitude
Playoff issues for almost every playoff contender
#10 of Almirola in the running till very end
Stenhouse Jr and Bowman both with Car-B-Q, but are OK
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November 4, 2018
@TXMotorSpeedway
#AAATexas500
Highlights:
Winner - Kevin Harvick #4 (Ford)
BREAKING NEWS (November 7, 2018)
No. 4 team no longer locked into Championship 4 following L1 penalty at Texas (as per nascar.com)
The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team has been issued an L1-level penalty following driver Kevin Harvick’s win Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, an infraction that carries major championship implications in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
The team violated Section 20.4.12 of the NASCAR Rule Book that is specific to spoilers. Spoilers must be used exactly as supplied from the manufacturer and not altered. The infraction was discovered in post-race tear down at the NASCAR Research & Development Center.
As a result, Harvick has been docked 40 driver points and the team loses 40 owner points as well. Harvick’s win at Texas no longer automatically qualifies the team for the Championship 4 in Miami. He will enter this weekend’s Round of 8 finale fourth among eight playoff drivers in the standings, three points above the cutline – should there be a tie for the final transfer spot, Harvick cannot use the Texas win in the tiebreaking procedure.
Additionally, both crew chief Rodney Childers and car chief Robert Smith have been suspended for the next two races – ISM Raceway at Phoenix and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Childers also has been fined $75,000.
“It is not our desire to issue any penalties, but will do so when necessary to ensure each race and championship is contested on a level playing field,” Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, said in a statement. “We will now return our focus to Phoenix, and the battle for a championship.”
Greg Zipadelli, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Vice President of Competition, said in a statement that the team would not appeal the penalty. Tony Gibson, SHR production manager, will serve as interim crew chief for the No. 4 team and Nick DeFazio will be its interim car chief.
“We work tirelessly across every inch of our race cars to create speed and, unfortunately, NASCAR determined we ventured into an area not accommodated by its rule book,” Zipadelli said in the SHR statement. “We will not appeal the penalty. Instead, we will direct our immediate focus to this weekend’s event in Phoenix and control our destiny on the race track.”
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October 28, 2018
@MartinsvilleSwy
#FirstData500
Highlights:
Winner - Joey Logano #22 (Ford)
Logano advances to Homestead-Miami for the Championship
Truex #78 showing emotion, not happy with the finish
New grandfather clock for the Logano household
#66 car of Timmy Hill shooting flames from engine on pit road - he's OK
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Round of 12 - Contender
October 21, 2018
@kansasspeedway
#HC400
Highlights:
Winner - Chase Elliott #9 (Chevrolet)
Elimination race to the Round of 8
All 4 Stewart-Haas Racing drivers move on
Joey Logano, pole sitter, only one moving on from Team Penske
Truex and Kyle Busch moving on
Keselowski, Blaney, Bowman and Larson eliminated from playoffs
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October 14, 2018
@TalladegaSuperS
#1000Bulbs500
Highlights:
Winner - Aric Almirola #10 (Ford)
Stewart-Haas dominates the race, leading 1-2-3-4 vs the field
Restart = NASCAR Overtime
Leader, Kurt Busch runs out of fuel on the last lap
Crash in overtime but NASCAR chooses to not call a caution
Almirola moves on to the Round of 8
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October 7, 2018
@MonsterMile
#GanderOutdoors400
Highlights:
Winner - Chase Elliott #9 (Chevrolet)
Qualifying rained out
Kevin Harvick dominated most of the race, winning stage 1 and 2 plus leading 286 laps
With less than 4 laps remaining, red flag for #2, #88, #12 and #10 in an accident
Overtime finish
Elliott moves on to the Round of 8
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Here are your top 16 drivers for 2018. Image @NASCAR
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The playoff field is set. Image @NASCAR
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Round of 16 - Challenger
September 30, 2018
@CLTMotorSpdwy
#BofAROVAL
Highlights:
Winner - Ryan Blaney #12 (Ford)
Inaugural race at ROVAL course
4 drivers will be out of the playoffs at finish
Stay away from the "snapping turtles" aka the blue curbs
Jimmie Johnson eliminates himself from the next round
Blaney making new fans
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September 22, 2018
@RichmondRaceway
#Federated400
Highlights:
Winner - Kyle Busch #18 (Toyota)
Four wins in a row - Keselowski tried for 4 but ended up P9
Sweep - Kyle Busch sweeps with both spring and fall wins at Richmond
Off track news - Ryan Newman to drive for Roush Fenway in 2019
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Next Sunday will be @CLTMotorSpdwy's first @NASCAR Cup Series race at the ROVAL.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 21, 2018
Leading the way: @SherryPollex, who got to take some laps in the pace car earlier this week. #BofAROVAL pic.twitter.com/fqG8XaSTOA
September 16, 2018
@LVMotorSpeedway
#SouthPoint400
Highlights:
Winner - Brad Keselowski #2 (Ford)
Out of race - Kevin Harvick #4 and Erik Jones #20, Chase Elliott #9
In the grass - Kyle Busch #18 and Denny Hamlin #11
Scrape the wall - Clint Bowyer #14
Pile up - Kyle Busch #41
Temperature - 100+ degrees
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