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The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is underway. Washington natives Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne will both be chasing the sport's top prize throughout the year.
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Greg Biffle of Vancouver, Wash., picked up 30 points in the Sprint Cup standings with his 15th-place finish at the NASCAR AdvoCare 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday, and is currently the circuit's points leader.
Another driver with Northwest roots, Enumclaw''s Kasey Kahne, finished 23rd, but his chances for a wild-card spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup remain good.
The winner was Denny Hamlin, who won his second straight Sprint Cup race.
Hamlin made a wise move to stay out of the pits after a crash late in the in race, and it paid off as he passed other drivers. Hamlin was also the first one out of the pits after another crash with three laps to go.
The 12-driver Chase starts after next weekend's race in Richmond, Va., and Hamlin is in prime position to go in as the leader.
Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. finished second, third and fourth. Truex was in position to win until the latest crash, and he came out of the pits behind Hamlin.
For more on NASCAR, head to SB Nation's dedicated racing hub or check out Ranting and Raving.
Two Seattle-area drivers are getting ready for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. On Saturday night, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returned to Bristol for the second time in 2012 to race under the lights on the "Fastest Half-Mile." Greg Biffle managed to clinch a berth into the Chase, although his finished 19th.
Kasey Kahne, meanwhile, helped his chances of securing a Wild Card spot as he placed ninth. The eventual winner was Denny Hamlin, who just edged out Jimmie Johnson to take the checkered flag. Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were the other two drivers who clinched a berth for the Chase on Saturday night.
Here are the full results from Saturday night's race at Bristol:
For more on the Seattle drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
Greg Biffle, who hails from the Vancouver area, won the NASCAR Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday afternoon. Biffle led 26 of the 201 laps, pulling away late to claim the key victory for himself and his team. He finished just ahead of Brad Keselowski, Kasey Khane, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Marcos Ambrose, who rounded out the top five.
Here are the full results from the race.
1 Greg Biffle
2 Brad Keselowski
3 Kasey Kahne
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5 Marcos Ambrose
6 Carl Edwards
7 Clint Bowyer
8 Ryan Newman
9 Paul Menard
10 Martin Truex Jr.
11 Denny Hamlin
12 Sam Hornish Jr.
13 Kyle Busch
14 Jamie McMurray
15 Travis Kvapil
16 Kevin Harvick
17 Matt Kenseth
18 David Gilliland
19 Jeff Burton
20 Aric Almirola
21 David Reutimann
22 Bobby Labonte
23 David Ragan
24 Trevor Bayne
25 Landon Cassill
26 Juan Pablo Montoya
27 Jimmie Johnson
28 Jeff Gordon
29 Regan Smith
30 Kurt Busch
31 Joey Logano
32 Tony Stewart
33 T.J. Bell
34 David Stremme
35 Mark Martin
36 Joe Nemechek
37 Casey Mears
38 Dave Blaney
39 Mike Skinner
40 Josh Wise
41 Scott Riggs
42 Reed Sorenson
43 Jason Leffler
For more on Biffle and NASCAR results throughout the year, stick with the SB Nation Seattle StoryStream.
Sunday was a difficult day for many NASCAR drivers at Watkins Glen, but was a pretty solid one for Greg Biffle. Although Biffle's sixth-place finish was not good enough to reclaim the top spot in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series standings, the previous leader Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was one of many drivers who spun out on the supposedly oil-slicked track. Earnhardt finished in 28th place and will slide to fourth in the overall standings. Jimmie Johnson -- who finished in third place on Sunday -- will become the new points leader.
The race to the checkered flag was a wild one indeed. Almost immediately after the while flag came out, leader Kyle Busch spun out, allowing Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose to engage in a dash for the lead that more closely resembled a World War I airplane dogfight. Eventually Ambrose was able to come out on top to take the checkered flag.
You can see the wild finish for yourself in the video below:
Here are the full results from Sunday's Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen:
For more on the Seattle drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
Kasey Kahne will need to fight tooth and nail for the next five races to make sure his Wild Card sport is secure in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. There are only five races left before the cutoff and there are several drivers within striking distance.
Meanwhile, Greg Biffle enters Sunday's race at Watkins Glen just six points behind overall Sprint Cup leader Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and all bets will be off in the Finger Lakes 355. That's the good news. The bad news is that neither Biffle nor Kahne have terrific positioning in Sunday's starting lineup and will need to hold off an entire field of determined drivers.
Sunday's race will be televised on ESPN. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 10:20 a.m. PT. There is a low chance of rain and the temperature should be in the high 70s. There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site and on the "Watch ESPN" app. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Motor Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.
Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen:
For more on the Seattle drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series arrived at Pocono Raceway on Sunday for the Pennsylvania 400. The events of the day turned tragically surreal by the time the race was over.
Thunderstorms resulted in the race being cut short on lap 106 out of 160. When the race was called, Jeff Gordon was in the lead and was awarded a much-needed win. Kasey Kahne came in second to help further secure his spot in the chase for the Sprint Cup.
Unfortunately, the race was marred by a tragic event in the parking lot after the race ended. A lightning strike resulted in several fans being sent to the hospital. One fan died as a result of the lightning strike. Please visit this StoryStream on SB Nation's NASCAR hub to read more about the tragedy.
Here are the unofficial results of Sunday's Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway.
For more on the Seattle drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
Sunday's Brickyard 400 was the latest race in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Local drivers Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne had strong finishes, either improving their current position in the chase for the cup or holding fast.
Jimmie Johnson managed to capture the checkered flag, holding off Kyle Busch to win his fourth career Brickyard 400. Johnson is now fourth on the Sprint Cup leaderboard as the cutoff draws near.
Biffle is still No. 3 in the overall Sprint Cup Series standings, but is now close behind the second-place Matt Kenseth, who wrecked out and finished all the way down at No. 35 on Sunday. The new overall points leader is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who took fourth place in the Brickyard.
Kahne is No. 13 in the overall points standings, but his two wins this season have him currently in possession of the No. 1 Wild Card spot.
Here are the full results from Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
For more on the Seattle drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle will both be trying to make a strong showing as the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series comes to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 on Sunday. Biffle will be slotted in at No. 5 in the starting lineup and will be trying to regain some ground on overall points leader Matt Kenseth, who is No. 10 in the starting lineup.
Kasey Kahne is coming off a huge win two weeks ago and will be No. 15 in the lineup. He will look to either retain a Wild Card position or move up into the Top 10 outright over the next weeks before the cutoff.
The green flag is scheduled to wave at 10:19 a.m. PT. This will be the first race of the season broadcast on ESPN, who will handle the television broadcasts for the remainder of the year. Six straight weeks of TNT have set the bar astonishingly low, so a new broadcast team will hopefully be a breath of fresh air.
There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found via the "Watch ESPN" app. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Performance Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.
Here is the complete starting lineup for Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
For more on the Seattle drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
While the top three spots in the overall 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings will remain the same following Sunday's Lenox Industiral Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, another Washington native moved into contention for the sport's top prize.
Kasey Kahne finally finished turning around his season after a horrific start and is now poised to gain a Wild Card berth for the Chase for the Cup after taking the checkered flag on Sunday. Kahne edged out Denny Hamlin to pick up his second win of the year. Greg Biffle finished in ninth place to remain third in the overall Sprint Cup standings.
Here are the full results for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
For more on the Seattle drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, Kasey Kahne will be sitting pretty in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 starting lineup. He will be No. 2 in the lineup, behind pole-sitter Kyle Busch. Greg Biffle is at No. 11 in the lineup and could gain some ground on overall points leader Matt Kenseth, who is No. 27 in the starting grid.
There are just eight races left before the Chase for the Cup cutoff. This could be a big week for both Kahne and Biffle at the Magic Mile.
The green flag is scheduled to wave at 10:16 a.m. PT. This will be the final race televised on TNT this season. There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Performance Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.
Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
For more on the Seattle drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The Coke Zero 400 took place on Saturday night under the lights at Daytona International Speedway. The latest race in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series appeared to be a great chance for Greg Biffle to regain some ground in the standings. Biffle was in the hunt for the checkered flag in the very last lap when he and Matt Kenseth were passed by eventual winner Tony Stewart. Biffle attempted to move down but unexpectedly found Kevin Harvick in the bottom slot, who had been shoved by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano.
The ensuing wreck caused the final standings to get skewed and Biffle wound up finishing in 21st place. Things weren't all bad for Washingtonians, as Kasey Kahne managed to finish in seventh place and hopefully gain some ground in the Sprint Cup standings.
Here are the results from Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
Greg Biffle is hungry to get back to the top of the overall 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. He will hold the No. 4 slot in the starting lineup for Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, but will again be chasing the overall points leader Matt Kenseth, who holds pole position for the race.
Fellow Washingtonian Kasey Kahne sits at No. 3 in the starting lineup and could inch closer to a Top 10 spot or wild card berth with a strong showing at Daytona.
The green flag is scheduled to wave at 4:53 p.m. PT and will be the fifth of six races this year that will be broadcast on TNT. There IS live streaming of the race tonight, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Motor Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.
Here is the full starting lineup for Saturday's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continued on Saturday night, as the Kentucky Speedway played host to the Quaker State 400. It was a tale of two drivers as the two native Washingtonians in the race were concerned.
Brad Keselowski managed to hold off Kasey Kahne for the checkered flag, but the second-place finish for Kahne was huge. Kahne will jump three spots in the standings to stick at No. 14 overall heading into next week. Moving past the cutoff or grabbing a wild card spot is now well within his grasp as the Chase of the Cup draws close.
Greg Biffle, meanwhile, finished the Quaker State 400 all the way down in 21st place. As a result, Biffle will slide all the way down to No. 4 overall in the standings, with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. reclaiming the No. 2 spot and Jimmie Johnson moving to No. 3.
Here are the results from Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
Sunday was a good day for Greg Biffle. The Washington driver was able to gain ground once again in the standings when the smoke cleared on Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma. The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race didn't result in a win for Biffle, but it was about as good a result as he could have hoped for.
Clint Bowyer took the checkered flag in an upset, holding off Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. Biffle finished in seventh place, which was more than enough to vault him back into second place in the Sprint Cup standings. Previous No. 2 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished 23rd and overall points leader Matt Kenseth placed 13th, one spot ahead of the other Washington driver, Kasey Kahne.
Biffle is now just 11 points behind Kenseth as the Chase for the Sprint Cup gets closer.
Here are the full results for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
Greg Biffle has fallen to third place in the overall standings for the 2012 Sprint Cup. On Sunday, Biffle will attempt to regain some of the ground he has lost to new points leader Matt Kenseth and second-place driver Sale Earnhardt, Jr.
Biffle sits in third place in the starting lineup for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma on Sunday. Kenseth starts at No. 9, while Earnhardt is way down at No. 19, suggesting that Biffle already has a better early feel for the unique 12-turn course. Fellow Washingtonian Kasey Kahne will be No. 15 in the starting lineup.
The green flag for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 will wave at 12:19 p.m. PT. Sunday's event will be the third of six races to be televised on TNT this year. There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Performance Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.
Here's the starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
For the first time in four long years, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally captured a checkered flag on Sunday. At the Michigan International Speedway -- the same track where he last won a race, in 2008 -- the son of the most beloved NASCAR driver of all time won the Quicken Loans 400 on Father's Day.
Earnhardt Jr. had gone 143 races in between wins, during which time he saw 26 different drivers win races. Now his drought is finally at an end. With the win, Earnhardt Jr. passes Greg Biffle for second place in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series standings. Matt Kenseth remains in first place overall.
Here are the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with 11 races to go until the Chase (NOTE: These are strictly in relation to Chase spots):
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle will be back at it on Sunday, representing the state of Washington as the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rolls merrily along with the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway. While Kahne continues to gain ground in the standings, this will be Biffle's first race in months where he hasn't entered as the overall Sprint Cup points leader.
The Washingtonians have to be pleased with their placement in Sunday's starting lineup, as Biffle is at No. 3 and Kahne is at No. 4 as the green flag drops. Pole-sitter Marcos Ambrose posted the fastest qualifying lap in 25 years to win the No. 1 position.
The green flag is expected to wave at 10:16 a.m. PT on Sunday. The race will be televised on TNT for the second time this season. There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Motor Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.
Here is the complete starting lineup for Sunday's Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
It was a very disappointing day for both Washington drivers on Sunday in the 2012 Pocono 400. The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has officially entered the second half of the season. Unfortunately, both Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne aren't entering the second half with any significant momentum.
Biffle finished in 24th place and will now fall out of the top spot as the overall Sprint Cup points leader. Matt Kenseth, who was in second place on the leaderboard before Sunday, will take over as new points leader after a seventh-place finish. Kahne, meanwhile, finished in 29th place.
Pole sitter Joey Logano picked up his second career win and first win since 2009 as he muscled past Mark Martin with three laps remaining to secure the victory.
Here are the NASCAR results from today's race at Pocono:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
Greg Biffle will enter the Pocono 400 on Sunday still the overall points leader in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but by the slimmest possible margin. He holds a one-point lead over second-place driver Matt Kenseth. What's more, Biffle will be the No. 13 driver in the starting lineup on Sunday, while Kenseth is slotted in at No. 14.
Kasey Kahne is slotted in at No. 10 in the lineup and hopes to continue his strong run as of late. Kahne is No. 14 in the overall standings and still has plenty of time to make a strong push towards the Sprint Cup cutoff line.
The green flag is expected to drop at 10:19 a.m. PT on TNT. This is the first of six races that will be televised on TNT this season. There will be live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Motor Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.
Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rolled into Dover International Speedway on Sunday for the FedEx 400.
Jimmie Johnson ended up taking advantage of a late caution and taking over the lead from Jeff Gordon. Johnson held on to grab the checkered flag.
Kasey Kahne continued his strong run, avoiding many of the pitfalls that other drivers succumbed to in order to finish at No. 9 in the race. Overall points leader Greg Biffle did not fare as well, coming in at 11th place. This may be the week that sees Biffle relinquish the No. 1 spot on the Sprint Cup leaderboard, as Matt Kenseth finished third and will climb along with Johnson.
The race featured a 12-car wreck in the early going, but both Kahne and Biffle were lucky enough to escape the carnage unscathed.
Here are the full results from Sunday's FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, the FedEx 400 and the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will come to Dover International Speedway.
Greg Biffle is hoping to retain and pad his standing as the overall points leader in the chase for the Sprint Cup. He will be No. 7 in the starting lineup and will need to keep pace early on. It is easy to fall behind on the tricky, one-mile concrete track, but not so easy to make up for lost ground.
Kasey Kahne will likewise be attempting to continue his strong run as of late. He is coming off his first win of the season and will be 13th in the starting lineup.
The green flag is set to wave at 10:15 a.m. PT. The race will be televised on FOX. If you want to listen to the radio broadcast, you can listen on the Motor Racing Network's Web site. You can also check MRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in your area.
Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, the two Washington drivers had a great day in the 2012 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race was beneficial in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings for both Greg Biffle and for Kasey Kahne, who took the checkered flag and won his first race of the year in what was his 300th career start. It's also Kahne's first win since becoming a part of Hendrick Motorsports.
This was a huge win for Kahne, as he jumps all the way up to 15th in the Sprint Cup standings and just seven points in back of the second Wild Card spot, which is currently held by Ryan Newman. There are still 14 races remaining before the cutoff and the Chase for the Sprint Cup, so if Kahne keeps this streak of impressive driving going, he could grab that spot or something much better.
Biffle finished in fourth place and will remain the overall points leader in the standings, picking up 10 points on the second-place driver Matt Kenseth.
Here are the full results from the 2012 Coke 600:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, Greg Biffle will attempt to pad his lead atop the 2012 Sprint Cup Series standings. There's certainly a sense of importance in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Biffle currently lead by just two little points over second-place driver Matt Kenseth.
Biffle has a big advantage in the starting lineup, as he is slotted in at No. 4, while Kenseth is all the way down in the No. 20 position in the grid. Of course, since this is the longest race of the year, there will be plenty of time for things to develop and plenty of laps available to be led.
Fellow Washington driver Kasey Kahne is also sitting pretty, at No. 7 in the starting lineup. Kahne is all the way up to No. 16 in the standings and wants to continue making a push to the top 10.
Sunday's race begins at approximately 3:19 p.m. PT and will be televised nationally on FOX. If you wanted to listen on the radio, you can listen on the Performance Racing Network's Web site. You can also check PRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in your area.
Here is the full starting lineup for Sunday afternoon's Coca-Cola 600:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The 2012 Sprint NASCAR All-Star Race took place on Saturday night in Charlotte. The race had no bearing on the 2012 Sprint Cup Series standings, but was a fun exhibition race and a good chance to have the various fan-favorite drivers really cut loose. There was plenty of cash for the winner, however.
Jimmie Johnson won the All-Star Race for the third time, taking home the check for $1 million.
Overall points leader and Washington native Greg Biffle didn't seem too interested in exerting himself in a non-points race, hanging towards the back and being content to let everyone else duke it out. Biffle finished second to last, with only Carl Edwards coming in behind him.
Fellow Washingtonian Kasey Kahne took things a bit more seriously, finishing in ninth place.
Here are the full All-Star Race results:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
For the next two weeks, NASCAR will be parked (get it?) at Charlotte for a pair of big weekends. Next week, the 2012 Sprint Cup Series will continue in earnest, but on Saturday, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will take place.
The All-Star Race, much like most other sports' All-Star games, has no bearing on the leaderboard standings, but the bragging rights for winning the competition are very real -- as is the $1 million check that goes to the victorious driver.
The All-Star Race is possibly the biggest event of the year for pomp, circumstance and literal fireworks. Both Washington drivers made it into the All-Star Race. Greg Biffle will start in the No. 4 Position and Kasey Kahne will be slotted in at No. 20 in the starting lineup.
The All-Star Race has a preliminary race. The Sprint Showdown is a 40-lap race to determine two of the last three entrants into the main event. The Showdown begins at approximately 4:30 p.m. PT and the All-Star Race green flag will be at 6:12 p.m. PT. The race will air on the SPEED Network and you can listen on the Performance Racing Network's Web site. You can also check PRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in your area.
Here's the starting lineup for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:
And here is the starting lineup for the Sprint Showdown:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway took place under the lights on Saturday night. The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race featured two Washingtonians that finished strong.
Kasey Kahne has really turned things around after a horrible string of wrecks to begin his 2012. Kahne finished Saturday's race in eighth place, which is his fifth straight top-10 finish and nets him some valuable points in the standings.
Greg Biffle did not fare quite so well. Despite holding the pole at the beginning of the race and leading for quite some time at the outset, Biffle began trailing late in the race and finished 12th, which is far from bad but likely disappointing for Biffle and his team.
Jimmie Johnson picked up his first win of the season by finishing ahead of Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart.
Here are the full results for Saturday night's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway:
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Tony Stewart
4. Kyle Busch
5. Martin Truex Jr.
6. Matt Kenseth
7. Carl Edwards
8. Kasey Kahne
9. Marcos Ambrose
10. Joey Logano
11. Clint Bowyer
12. Greg Biffle
13. Paul Menard
14. Regan Smith
15. Brad Keselowski
16. Kevin Harvick
17. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
18. Jeff Burton
19. Aric Almirola
20. Mark Martin
21. Kurt Busch
22. Casey Mears
23. Ryan Newman
24. Juan Montoya
25. David Gilliland
26. Landon Cassill
27. Dave Blaney
28. David Ragan
29. Bobby Labonte
30. Reed Sorenson
31. Danica Patrick
32. Travis Kvapil
33. A.J. Allmendinger
34. Jamie McMurray
35. Jeff Gordon
26. David Reutimann
37. J.J. Yeley
38. Cole Whitt
39. David Stremme
40. Joe Nemecheck
41. Mike Skinner
42. Scott Speed
43. Jose Wise
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
It always seems to be a wild ride whenever NASCAR comes to Talladega and that was the case once again on Sunday afternoon. Brad Keselowski made a move late and claimed a big victory for his team. Kasey Kahne, who hails from Enumklaw, Washington, finished in fourth. Greg Biffle, who is also from Washington, was near the front of the pack all day and finished 5th.
Here is a complete rundown of the leader board from Sunday, including their car number and how far back they finished.
1 Brad Keselowski 2 --
2 Kyle Busch 18 0.304 sec
3 Matt Kenseth 17 0.598 sec
4 Kasey Kahne 5 0.636 sec
5 Greg Biffle 16 0.654 sec
6 Clint Bowyer 15 0.692 sec
7 David Ragan 34 0.782 sec
8 Trevor Bayne 21 0.838 sec
9 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 0.839 sec
10 Jeff Burton 31 1.046 sec
11 Jamie McMurray 1 1.063 sec
12 Aric Almirola 43 1.115 sec
13 David Gilliland 38 1.218 sec
14 Marcos Ambrose 9 1.233 sec
15 AJ Allmendinger 22 1.292 sec
16 Travis Kvapil 93 1.300 sec
17 Paul Menard 27 1.918 sec
18 Casey Mears 13 7.392 sec
19 Michael Waltrip 55 16.565 sec
20 Kurt Busch 51 1 lap(s)
21 Bobby Labonte 47 2 lap(s)
22 David Reutimann 10 2 lap(s)
23 Denny Hamlin 11 2 lap(s)
24 Tony Stewart 14 4 lap(s)
25 Kevin Harvick 29 9 lap(s)
26 Joey Logano 20 9 lap(s)
27 Robert Richardson Jr. 23 11 lap(s)
28 Martin Truex Jr. 56 27 lap(s)
29 Terry Labonte 32 50 lap(s)
30 Dave Blaney 36 51 lap(s)
31 Carl Edwards 99 51 lap(s)
32 Juan Pablo Montoya 42 51 lap(s)
33 Jeff Gordon 24 51 lap(s)
34 Landon Cassill 83 52 lap(s)
35 Jimmie Johnson 48 132 lap(s)
36 Ryan Newman 39 151 lap(s)
37 Bill Elliott 97 156 lap(s)
38 Tony Raines 33 161 lap(s)
39 David Stremme 30 163 lap(s)
40 Regan Smith 78 178 lap(s)
41 Joe Nemechek 87 186 lap(s)
42 Josh Wise 26 188 lap(s)
43 Michael McDowell 98 191 lap(s)
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne will represent Washington state at Talladega Superspeedway in the 10th race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Biffle enters the race as the overall points leader for the Sprint Cup, but is just five points above Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the standings. He'll likely need to shoot for a top-five finish to retain a sizable lead, or extend it. Earnhardt is viewed as one of the favorites to win, however, which could knock Biffle out of the top spot for the first time since the very first race of the season.
Biffle is No. 6 in the starting lineup, just one spot behind Kahne, who moved up to No. 23 in the Sprint Cup standings last week after finishing at No. 5. The race at Richmond was Kahne's best finish of the year after a horrible stretch of bad luck at the start of the season.
The race will begin at 10:20 a.m. PT on Sunday and will be televised nationally on FOX.
Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The Capital City 400 took place on Saturday at Richmond International Raceway, as NASCAR held the ninth race of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series under the lights.
Kyle Busch took the checkered flag, holding off Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to pick up the 24th win of his career. Washington native Greg Biffle had the worst finish of the season, coming in 18th, but holds his spot atop the Sprint Cup standings by a scant five points over Earnhardt, who climbs two spots to reclaim second place.
Fellow Washingtonian Kasey Kahne continues his redemption, grabbing his first Top 5 finish by finishing in fifth place and jumping three spots in the standings to land at No. 23 overall.
There was a bit of controversy on one of the restarts, with 83 laps remaining. Jeff Gluck at SB Nation explains the situation far better than I could, so click through to read about that.
Here are the full results from Saturday's race at Richmond:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
In the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Greg Biffle picked up his fifth Top 5 finish of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series and gained enough points to retain a comfortable cushion as the overall leader in the chase.
Denny Hamlin won the checkered flag and grabbed his second win of the year, moving him up one spot into the Top 5 in the standings and displacing Kevin Harvick, who finished in sixth place on Sunday. Martin Truex, Jr. finished in second place and led for the most laps in the race. As a result, Truex climbed two spots and now sits fifteen points behind Biffle in second place.
Washington native Kasey Kahne had his second Top-10 finish in as many weeks, crossing the finish line in eighth place and beginning to turn his season around in earnest after a disastrous start. Kahne is now 26th overall in the Sprint Cup standings.
Here are the results from Sunday's NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, Washington native Greg Biffle will attempt to keep some distance between himself and the rest of the field. He'll try to emerge from the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway still the overall points leader in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Biffle currently leads all drivers, although Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are in second and third place, respectively. Biffle's No. 17 start in the lineup on Sunday leaves something to be desired, although Kenseth is slotted in at No. 18. Fellow Washontonian Kasey Kahne has a much better positioning, at No. 9. Kahne will be trying to build on last week's No. 7 finish and jump up several more spots following a disastrous start to the season.
The green flag will drop on Sunday at 10:16 a.m. ET, so get to your television early if you want to catch this one. The race will be televised on FOX.
Starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The Samsung Mobile 500 was held on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway, making it the first non-Sunday drive in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was a fantastic day for native Washingtonians Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne, who both had their best finishes of the year.
For Biffle, he came in at first place and won the checkered flag for the first time since October of 2010, extending his Sprint Cup points lead to 19 over Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Biffle took the lead on Lap 304 of 334 and never looked back. It was his second career win at Texas Motor Speedway.
For Kahne, the race was notable for him not only having finished the entire 334 laps, but placing seventh in the process. This may be exactly the momentum- and confidence-builder that Kahne and his team have been hoping for ever since the season began. This is just the third of seven 2012 races that Kahne was been able to complete. He is currently in 31st place in the standings.
Here are the full results for Saturday's race:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, NASCAR had the sixth race of its 2012 Sprint Cup Series. Washington drivers Kasey Kahne entered the race with high hopes, but ultimately Ryan Newman edged out AJ Allmendinger as he got lucky and escaped a three-car spinout on a green-white-checkered-flag double-restart to end the race.
Kasey Kahne came into the race with great positioning and plenty to prove. He began the race as the pole position in the starting lineup, but amazingly once again had horrible luck, finishing 38th and having to exit the race early due to engine problems.
Biffle seemed befuddled by the short track for the majority of the race. This befuddlement began even before the race itself, as evidenced by his placing 26th in the starting lineup. In the end, he had his worst finish of the season, but still came in 14th and remains the overall points leader, with 225 points against Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s 221.
Here are the full results of Sunday's race:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, NASCAR will come to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia for the Goody's Fast Relief 500. Just one week after a short-track race, the 2012 Sprint Cup Series will come to the shortest track in all of NASCAR.
Greg Biffle, the current overall leader in the Sprint Cup chase, will need to place well to protect his place atop the leaderboard. Kevin Harvick is only seven points behind him and qualified for the second slot in Sunday's starting lineup. Biffle, meanwhile, will start in the 26th slot.
Fellow Washingtonian Kasey Kahne has a chance for some redemption on Sunday, as he won the pole position for the race. He will attempt to place well and finish the race for just the third time this season.
The race will be televised nationally on FOX and the green flag will be waved at 10:14 p.m. PT.
Here is the full starting lineup for Sunday's race.
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, the Auto Club 400 in Fontana, Calif., was called short due to rain. It was the first time in the history of Auto Club Speedway that a race was shortened due to weather, but over half of the race was in the books at the time of the decision. The caution came out on Lap 124 of 200 and the red flag and subsequent official decision was made on Lap 129.
In the lead when the race was called was Tony Stewart, who picked up the win -- his second of the year. In a refreshing change in a turbulent start to the 2012 Sprint Cup season, the caution on Lap 124 was the very first of the race.
Washington native Greg Biffle finished in sixth place and remains the overall leader in the Sprint Cup standings, seven points ahead of Kevin Harvick, who finished fourth. Fellow Washingtonian Kasey Kahne finished in 14th place, his best Sprint Cup finish of the season and just the second such race he's finished in 2012. Kahne is now 28th overall in the Sprint Cup standings.
The complete results of Sunday's Auto Club 400:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
NASCAR may seem boring, silly, or impenetrable to the non-fan. Here's just one reason the sport is more interesting than you might think.
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The Food City 500 took place on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. The race was the fourth of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series and the first short-track race of the season, with the track clocking in at just over half a mile in length. At the end of the 500 laps, Greg Biffle was still the overall points leader in the Sprint Cup standings, but finished below third place for the first time all year. Biffle actually finished out of the top 10 altogether, coming in 13th.
Fellow Washington native Kasey Kahne had yet another awful race on Sunday, wrecking on lap 24 and finishing in 37th place. He has now finished only one Sprint Cup race this season, although he has a top-20 finish finish in the one race. He has also placed well in two Nationwide Series races, but the string of wrecks has the driver extremely frustrated.
Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag on Sunday, making it his second straight win at Bristol.
Here are the full results from Sunday's race:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The fourth race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season will take place on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Food City 500 is a 500-lap race that clocks in at 266.5 total miles, so it will be a race that runs on the shorter side. Washington natives Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne will be looking for good things and Biffle, in particular, is set up for success right from the get-go.
Biffle is the current overall leader in the Sprint Cup chase and qualified for the pole position in Sunday's race. He's been locked in ever since the season began.
As for Kahne, he had another great showing on Saturday in the Nationwide Series race at Bristol, finishing in second place behind Elliott Sadler. It's another good confidence-builder from a driver who can definitely use a boost.
The race will begin at 1:07 p.m. EDT and will be televised nationally on FOX. If you wanted to listen online, head over to the Performance Racing Network's Web site. You can also check PRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in the Northwest.
Here's the full starting lineup for Sunday's race:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
On Sunday, NASCAR held the Kobalt Tools 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The third race of the 2012 Sprint Cup season was an important one for Washington natives Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne. Kahne, in particular, had plenty to prove coming into the race. He had wrecked in the two previous races and held the pole position going into Sunday.
Kahne led for a short time but quickly dropped to tenth place and then beyond. He ultimately placed 19th, which might be disappointing given his positioning in the starting lineup, but he's almost certainly pleased just to finally finish a race this season and pick up a healthy amount of points. He jumped five places in the Sprint Cup standings and is now 25th overall.
As for Biffle, he's a regular third-place machine. For the third week in a row, he takes the bronze. He also takes sole possession of the top spot in the Sprint Cup standings, now holding 125 points, 10 points ahead of Kevin Harvick, who also leapfrogged the previous week's leader, Denny Hamlin.
Here are the full results from Sunday's race.
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The Kobalt Tools 400 will take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Kasey Kahne is hoping to get something going in the 2012 Sprint Cup season, as he wrecked early in each of the first two races and now sits in 31st place overall.
Kahne will have an excellent opportunity to turn things around, as he qualified for the pole position in Sunday's race. He also participated in Saturday's Nationwide Series race and led early on. He finished the race in 10th place, which is likely a good confidence builder for him.
Fellow Washington native Greg Biffle is currently in second place in the Sprint Cup standings, just six points behind the leader, Denny Hamlin. Biffle is ninth in Sunday's starting lineup. He did not participate in Saturday's Nationwide race, which was won by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The race will begin at 12:08 p.m. PDT on Sunday, so hopefully you remembered to set your clocks forward. The telecast can be found on FOX. No rain is expected, which of course is nothing but good news.
Here is the full starting lineup for Sunday's race:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The Kobalt Tools 400 with take place on Sunday at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The third race in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series will be a proving ground of sorts for many drivers, but likely none is more looking forward to -- or has more to prove to himself, if no one else -- than Kasey Kahne.
Kahne managed to win the pole position during qualifying for the race and will be set up as well as he can be for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400. He wrecked early in both the Daytona 500 and the Subway Fresh Fit 400 and is currently sitting in 31st place in the Sprint Cup standings. He'll be looking to make a strong showing on Sunday ... or at the very least, finish the race in one piece.
Greg Biffle, currently in second place in the Sprint Cup standings, will be starting in the ninth slot in the starting grid.
Here is the full starting lineup for Sunday:
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
The Subway Fresh Fit 500 took place on Sunday at the Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona. The second race of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series saw far fewer crashes, but one of the drivers who saw their car destroyed in the early going was Washington native Kasey Kahne. Kahne has now wrecked four cars through the first two weeks of the season, following three wrecks on Daytona weekend.
Jeff Gluck of SB Nation spoke with Kahne following the race.
"I've been so excited about it, and I was excited the whole offseason and couldn't wait for the season to get here," Kahne said. "I show up at Phoenix, we're the best car all day Friday, top two cars all day yesterday, would have been the same today. I just need to calm the fuck down."
The news for Washington drivers was not all bad, of course. Greg Biffle finished in third place for his second consecutive week and now sits in second place in the Sprint Cup standings, with 83 points. Denny Hamlin won Sunday's race and now holds the top spot in the Cup standings, with 89 points.
Hamlin picked up the win by finishing in front of Kevin Harvick, who ran out of fuel with just two laps remaining.
Following 25th and 39th-place finishes, Kahne is now No. 32 in the Sprint Cup standings, with just 25 points.
You can check out the full results of the race below.
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For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
After a multitude of weather delays, the 2012 Daytona 500 was held on Monday night. With the drivers and fans all grateful for the race to finally be underway, no one could have foreseen just what was in store for the 54th running of the Great American Race. The kickoff to the 2012 Sprint Cup season was marred by crashes, cautions and an on-track fire.
Greg Biffle had the outside pole for the race, while Kasey Kahne was in position No. 20 in the starting grid. Both Washington natives stayed in the race until the late going, despite a plethora of crashes and cautions, including a big wreck on just the second lap of the race that took out a handful of cars. Jimmie Johnson was involved in that crash and left the race early.
Favorite Jeff Gordon also left the race before it reached the halfway point, as his engine flamed out. The most noteworthy and frightening moment of the race came during a caution flag with 40 laps left to go. Juan Pablo Montoya was circling the track as trucks equipped with jet dryers cleared debris. Montoya's car broke and lunged to the right, slamming into one of the dryers. The jet fuel ignited and created an inferno. A red flag went up and a two-hour delay ensued, during which the fire was extinguished and the track repaired. Amazingly, there were no significant injuries during the night.
With just 12 laps to go, Kahne was involved in another big wreck, one that resulted in the ninth caution flag of the race. This last "Big One" took out seven cars, Including Kahne's. Kahne finished the race in 29th place as a result.
Although winning a spot in the front row rarely leads to a Daytona win, Biffle started the race in second place and was still in second place with 10 laps remaining. Biffle was making a play for the lead when yet another wreck took out a half-dozen cars with just a few laps left. As the white flag came out, Biffle and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were chasing Matt Kenseth, but neither driver was able to catch the number 17.
Kenseth picked up his second career Daytona 500 victory and 22nd career win. Biffle settled for third place, behind Earnhardt, Jr.
For more on the Great American Race, check out SB Nation NASCAR's Daytona 500 stream, as well as NASCAR Ranting & Raving.