In the final 80 laps of racing, Earnhardt Jr. made up his laps and made another run towards the front, until he was caught up in yet another wreck and this one, ended the No.88’s night. With 52 to go Kevin Harvick lost a left rear tire, spinning in front of the pack and collecting Earnhardt Jr, Kasey Kahne, Stenhouse Jr, Keselowski. The wreck ending Earnhardt Jr.’s final full-time Cup series race in P32.
“As soon as we got our lap back, I knew that anything was possible and we just kind of drafted right up back through there.” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I think he 4 got a flat and just really had nowhere to go but it was fun. We had a pretty strong car, we had some gremlins in there. I’m not sure what was going on with that but we had the toe end messed up. That first deal, we brushed the wall a couple laps earlier and I thought everything was OK and I came through the tri-oval and had a right-front going down. It was trying to spin out so I was trying to lift and really nothing I could do because so many guys were behind me and we got into 1 and hit the wall.”
With seven laps left in the race, Larson made his run towards the front of the field. Coming off turn 4 however, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver spun out after contact with Stenhouse, sending the No.42 briefly into the air. The wreck caused yet another “Big One” this one ending the night for Ryan Blaney, Kenseth, Darrell Wallace Jr and Kurt Busch.
Finishing second is Clint Bowyer. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver finishes in the runner up position for the third time this season and second consecutive week.
“Wow, what a night.” Bowyer said. “A fun race. Our Mobil 1 Ford was strong. I got shuffled out on that second stage and that bummed me out. I wanted those stage points. It wasn’t that big a deal because I knew that we had a hot rod to get back up front. Man, it’s just every man for himself. You’re beating and banging Both sides are ground off my car. Good night. This bridesmaid deal sucks. I want to win. We’re in this business to win. That’s what Tony and Gene pay me to do. I’m proud of everyone on the Mobil 1 Ford team.”
Paul Menard finishes in the third position, this is first top-five finish since the Coke Zero 400 in 2015.
Michael McDowell gets his first career top five finish in the Cup series as he comes home in fourth, with Ryan Newman finishing in fifth.
David Ragan, Brendan Gaughan, AJ Allmendinger, Erik Jones and Chris Buescher round out the rest of the top-10.
The next Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race is on Saturday July 9, at the Kentucky Speedway for the Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts (NBCSN, PRN, Siruis XM).
