USA TODAY International Edition
Kenseth, Larson eliminated as Truex wins again
KANSAS CITY, KAN. Highlights of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400, the final race of the second round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, at Kansas Speedway:
Winner: Martin Truex Jr. was already safely into the Round of 8 of the playoffs, but his No. 78 Toyota was better than everyone else’s Sunday. Truex overcame a restart penalty early in the race and the death of one of his crewmembers Saturday to win the second-round elimination race. Truex becomes the first driver to sweep both Kansas races since they began running twice at the track in 2011. The victory was the fourth in a row for Truex on a mile-and-a-half track and his seventh overall this season.
“I can’t say enough about all these guys on this Furniture Row (team). Really proud of them,” Truex said. “We raced with a heavy heart today after losing Jim (Watson) last night. Want to send condolences to the family. He was a heck of a guy and a great worker.”
Watson died of a heart attack. Truex later added: “Excited to get another one here this week. It’s really Furniture Row’s home track. We got the one in the spring after so many heartbreaks, and it didn’t look like it was going to happen today but we just persevered.”
Eliminated: 2003 series champion Matt Kenseth was one of four drivers eliminated Sunday in what might be his last season racing in the Cup series. Kenseth, who began his full-time Cup career in 2000, will be replaced at Joe Gibbs Racing next season and does not have a ride next season. Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray were also eliminated. Larson’s day ended early when his No. 42 Chevrolet blew an engine, while McMurray was caught up in a multicar crash in stage 3. Roush Fenway Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who also crashed Sunday, did not advance either. Crushed: Kenseth was disqualified from the race with 70 laps to go when his No. 20 Toyota team was penalized for having more than six crewmembers over the wall while on the caution clock. Kenseth was in contention to advance to the the third round but was caught up in a multiplecar wreck triggered by the No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota of Erik Jones on lap 197.
Jones is replacing Kenseth in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota next season, Teams are allowed six men to repair a car on pit road after a crash, but once the seventh was over the wall, Kenseth was black-flagged, ending his chances at advancing. A seventh member is allowed on pit road to assist the driver, but crew chief Jason Ratcliff said the sixth and seventh men each were carrying a tire.
Johnson spins out: Defending champion Jimmie Johnson, on the edge to reach the Round of 8, spun out with 80 laps remaining, putting his chances to advance in peril. Johnson lost control of his No. 48 Chevrolet, his right quarter panel struck the wall and he went spinning across the infield grass before going to pit road for repairs. Six laps later, Johnson lost control and hit the wall again and slid down the racetrack in a plume of smoke, causing another caution. Stenhouse struggles: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who was 11th in the standings and 22 points behind the cutoff line, cut a tire on the 174th lap and hit the wall. Stenhouse was in a must-win situation to advance to the third round.
Stage two: Denny Hamlin, who began the race in fifth place, 21 points ahead of the cutoff line, won the second stage and picked up 10 valuable playoffs. He was followed by Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Kenseth, Kyle Busch, non-playoff driver Jones, McMurray, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Johnson. Keselowski, who was already ensured of advancing after winning at Talladega last week, and Hamlin were penalized for speeding through pit road and sent to the back of the field. Stage one: Kyle Busch, who entered the race ninth in the standings and seven points below the cutoff line to advance to the Round of 8, picked up 10 valuable points by winning the first stage. Busch led 39 laps for his 14th stage win of the season. Contending playoff drivers constituted the top nine finishers in the stage. Behind Busch were Harvick, Blaney, Kenseth, Hamlin, Johnson, Elliott, McMurray and Truex. Kasey Kahne was 10th.