Joey Logano Wins the Sprint All-Star Race

Originally written for CLNS Radio. 

Joey Logano won the Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday night from Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Logano had to chase down Kyle Larson over the final 13 laps, and got by after Larson got loose and ended up slamming into the outside wall.  Logano said his car hadn’t shown the speed it was capable of until the end of the race.

 

Photo courtesy Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

“This Shell-Pennzoil Ford was fast from when we unloaded, but never showed our full potential the whole race,” Logano said.  “Eventually had a good restart and was able to get up towards the front and able to race with Kyle.”

“I knew he was going to run me hard, and I had to run him hard,” Logano said.

Larson said he thought he had the race won when he took the lead on the final restart, but that his car got too loose.

“I got clear right away, and I thought I could cruise,” Larson said.  “I was just getting looser throughout the race.”

“Just got loose and Joey caught me, he did a really good job side-drafting me.  I tried to hang on his quarter there, kind of like I did to Chase [Elliott] earlier today [in the Sprint Showdown], and I just got really loose as soon as I got into the corner.”

The race featured a new format, the brainchild of driver Brad Keselowski.  The race was split up into two 50-lap segments, with a mandatory 2-tire green flag pit stop during each segment, and then a final, 13-lap segment to decide the winner.  Before the final segment, the first 11 cars were forced to make a 4-tire pit stop, while the other cars on the lead lap were forced to stay out on old tires.  

The format confused some in the middle of the event, but Logano stressed the importance of being able to win the race, regardless of format.

“This is a race you always want to have on your resume, it’s just so special to say you’ve won the All-Star Race,” Logano said.  “It’s nice just to breakthrough and get a win.  I know it’s not for points, but it’s a nice momentum-builder going into the Coca-Cola 600.”

Unofficial results:

1. Joey Logano

2. Brad Keselowski

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

4. Carl Edwards

5. Kurt Busch

6. Chase Elliott

7. Trevor Bayne

8. Greg Biffle

9. Denny Hamlin

10. Kyle Busch

11. Kevin Harvick

12. Jimmie Johnson

13. Ryan Newman

14. Martin Truex Jr.

15. Danica Patrick

16. Kyle Larson

17. Jamie McMurray

18. Matt Kenseth

19. Kasey Kahne

20. Tony Stewart

Photo courtesy Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

NASCAR Heat Evolution Announced, Given Release Date

Dusenberry Martin Racing announced the newest NASCAR video game, NASCAR Heat Evolution, during a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday.

The new game, which will be the first NASCAR game available on next-gen consoles, will be available September 13, 2016.

The game will be developed by Monster Games, who created the original NASCAR Heat and NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona games, which were two of the most well-recieved NASCAR games of all-time.  Monster Games has built this game from the ground up.

The game will feature different game modes, including a career mode and a Chase mode.  The game will also feature a new AI and Speed Rating system, which will adapt to the player's skill level.

DM Racing also announced that the cover driver will be the top-finishing Toyota driver in Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race.

For more information on NASCAR Heat Evolution, and to preorder the game on PS4 and XBox One, head to NASCARHeat.com.

Weekly Pull List: 5/18/2016

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on Comic Book Resources.

DC
Harley Quinn #28

Image
Invincible #128

Marvel
Astonishing Ant-Man #8
Civil War II #0
Deadpool and the Mercs for Money #4
Deadpool: Last Days of Magic #1
International Iron Man #3
Power Man and Iron Fist #4
Spider-Man #4
Spider-Woman #7
Spidey #6
Star-Lord #7

Titan
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Year Two #9

Kenseth Wins Wild AAA 400

Originally written for CLNS Radio.

Matt Kenseth won the AAA 400 from Dover International Speedway on Sunday afternoon to pick up his first victory of 2016.

Photo courtesy Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Kenseth had to hold off Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott over the final run of the race, with Larson getting within striking distance of Kenseth on numerous occasions.  Kenseth said he had to hold off Larson with a very loose race car.

“We were tight all night on restarts, then five laps into that last run we got so loose that I thought Kyle was going to get right by me,” Kenseth said.  “Just buried the trackbar and kept digging the best I could and tried to hold him off.”

A restart with less than 50 laps to go changed the outlook of the race, when Jimmie Johnson caused an 18-car pileup at the front of the field that took out some of the best cars.  Kenseth said he was able to capitalize on the other front-runner’s misfortune.

“Obviously we got fortunate when some of the good cars got in accidents.  But Kyle gave me everything I wanted, and then some.”

Larson raced Kenseth clean over the final run, but said he could have moved Kenseth to get to victory lane.

“I was trying all I could do to get by him without getting into him,” Larson said.  “I probably could have bumped him there a little once in the middle of one and two.  I was just trying to be patient, I knew I was better than he was.”

“I got another shot at him there at the end.  Came up a little too short, maybe just a little too patient there.”

Unofficial results:

1. Matt Kenseth

2. Kyle Larson

3. Chase Elliott

4. Kasey Kahne

5. Kurt Busch

6. Brad Keselowski

7. Denny Hamlin

8. Ryan Blaney

9. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Trevor Bayne

11. Paul Menard

12. Clint Bowyer

13. Danica Patrick

14. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

15. Kevin Harvick

16. Ryan Newman

17. David Ragan

18. Chris Buescher

19. Landon Cassill

20. Michael McDowell

21. Jamie McMurray

22. Joey Logano

23. AJ Allmendinger

24. Brian Scott

25. Jimmie Johnson

26. Casey Mears

27. Cole Whitt

28. Carl Edwards

29. Greg Biffle

30. Kyle Busch

31. Aric Almirola

32. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

33. Austin Dillon

34. Tony Stewart

35. Jeffrey Earnhardt

36. Josh Wise

37. Michael Annett

38. Reed Sorenson

39. Regan Smith

40. Matt DiBenedetto

 

Photo courtesy Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

 

Weekly Pull List: 5/11/2016

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on Comic Book Resources.

BOOM! Studios
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3

DC
Batman #52
Harley Quinn and Her Gane of Harleys #2

IDW
Back to the Future: Citizen Brown #1

Marvel
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #5
All-New X-Men #9
Black Panthers #2
Darth Vader #20
Deadpool #11
Guardians of the Galaxy #8
Gwenpool #2
Silk #8
Venom Space Knight #7
Vision #7
Web Warriors #7

Titan
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #5

Weekly Pull List: 5/4/2016

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on Comic Book Resources.

Make sure to go see Captain America: Civil War this weekend!!!

Image
The Walking Dead #154

Marvel
Amazing Spider-Man #12
Daredevil Punisher #1
Deadpool Masacre #1
Gwenpool #0
Howard the Duck #7
Invincible Iron Man #9
Moon Knight #2
Nova #7
Punisher #1
Rocket Raccoon and Groot #5
Spider-Gwen #8
Spider-Man 2099 #10
Star Wars: Poe Dameron #2
Uncanny X-Men #7

Titan
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Year Two #9

Keselowski Survives Talladega to Win Geico 500

Originally written for CLNS Radio.

Brad Keselowski won the Geico 500 from Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday afternoon.

Keselowski was one of the few cars that wasn’t involved in an accident on Sunday, where 33 of 40 drivers were involved in an accident.  Keselowski said staying up front helped him avoid the big accidents.

 

Photo courtesy Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

“That’s one of the tickets to staying out of the wrecks; stay out front,” Keselowski said.  “The guys at Team Penske gave me a great Miller Lite Ford, and this Fusion was hauling it.”

Keselowski said he got two big pushes on the final restart that helped him stay in the lead.

“As the leader, it’s really…out of your control, you need the cars behind you to push,” Keselowski said.  “Jamie McMurray behind me gave me a great push, then Kyle Busch gave me a push…to clear the 41 [of Kurt Busch].”

Austin Dillon was one of the many damaged cars, and was involved in two accidents during the race.  Despite his damage, Dillon was able to work his way to the front under the final run to finish third.  Dillon said it was a testament to his team and their new attitude.

“I’m so proud of our Dow Intellifresh guys, they worked their butts off,” Dillon said.  “We did 15 pit stops today, and what we’ve been really focused on going forward is trying not to panic.”

“No one panicked, they did their jobs, they fixed the car and what a run to the finish.”

Unofficial results:

1. Brad Keselowski

2. Kyle Busch

3. Austin Dillon

4. Jamie McMurray

5. Chase Elliott

6. Tony Stewart

7. Clint Bowyer

8. Kurt Busch

9. Ryan Blaney

10. Trevor Bayne

11. Landon Cassill

12. Michael Waltrip

13. Martin Truex Jr.

14. AJ Allmendinger

15. Kevin Harvick

16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

17. David Gilliland

18. Cole Whitt

19. Bobby Labonte

20. Greg Biffle

21. Michael McDowell

22. Jimmie Johnson

23. Matt Kenseth

24. Danica Patrick

25. Joey Logano

26. Paul Menard

27. Aric Almirola

28. Ryan Newman

29. Kyle Larson

30. Brian Scott

31. Denny Hamlin

32. Regan Smith

33. Casey Mears

34. David Ragan

35. Carl Edwards

36. Matt DiBenedetto

37. Chris Buescher

38. Michael Annett

39. Kasey Kahne

40. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Photo courtesy Sarah Crabill/Getty Images