NASCAR Cup

After opening Friday’s final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at Kansas Speedway with a mock qualifying run, Jimmie Johnson brought his No. 48 Chevrolet to the garage with smoke billowing from the cowling between the hood and windshield.

Martin Truex, Jr. freely admitted it took time for the No. 78 Furniture Row team to get the hang of three-round knockout qualifying. From the look of Friday’s time trials at Kansas Speedway, however, the problem appears to be solved.

Winning seems almost routine for Kyle Busch. Only 31 years old, the No. 18 Toyota driver boasts 36 career victories and has taken the checkered flag at all but three of the 23 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tracks – Kansas, Charlotte and Pocono.

NASCAR announced on Thursday the 2017 schedules for its three national series – the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was a wild one, to say the least.

Long before Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway ended with Brad Keselowski in Victory Lane, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was ready to go home.

Taking control in the final three laps of Sunday’s wreck-filled GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Brad Keselowski claimed his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at the 2.66-mile race track and solidified his spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Tony Stewart’s doctors would prefer he races as little as possible in Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, where the prospect of being swept up in a major multi-car accident is omnipresent.

Numerologists doubtless will have a field day with the front row for Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Drivers have short memories when it comes to races won and lost, but last year’s Talladega Chase race is one that stick’s in Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s mind — and in his craw.