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NASCAR Notes

>>NASCAR Cup Series Heads to Indy Road Course

 

After a wild weekend at Pocono Raceway, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motorspeedway and for a second straight year takes on the road course in Indianapolis.

 

Chase Elliott finished third on the track at Pocono, but was declared the winner when 1-2 finishers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing were disqualified after postrace inspection.

 

Elliott has officially finished in the top two in five consecutive races, including three victories. His four victories overall are twice as many as any other driver, and he leads Ross Chastain by 105 points and Ryan Blaney by 111 in the standings. 

 

Hamlin was the first Cup winner to be disqualified since April 17, 1960, when Emanuel Zervakis’ victory at Wilson Speedway in North Carolina was thrown out because of an oversized fuel tank. 

 

Aric Almirola stands 13th in points but is the only driver to have been running at the finish of every race.

 

A.J. Allmendinger won after starting eighth last year on the Indy Road Course.

 

The 200 miles, 82 lap race runs at 1:30 pm local time Sunday.

 

Noah Gragson held off Ty Gibbs in a 15-lap finishing duel to win at Pocono last weekend in the XFinity Series. 

 

A.J. Allmendinger posted his 16th top-10 finish in 19 races and remains the points leader by 16 over Justin Allgaier and 22 over Gibbs. Gibbs still leads with four wins. Gragson and Allgaier each have won three times. 

 

Allgaier had led a series-best 534 laps; Gibbs is next with 459.

 

Austin Cindric won after starting second last year at Indy. Race time is 2:30 pm local time Saturday.

 

The Camping World Truck Series takes to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park oval course for the first time this weekend. 

 

Chandler Smith won at Pocono for his second victory of the season, and Zane Smith clinched the regular-season championship.

 

Chandler Smith became just the second series regular to have multiple victories through 16 races. Zane Smith has won three times. 

 

Zane Smith leads Chandler Smith by 15 points, defending series champion Ben Rhodes by 20 and John Hunter Nemechek by 21.

 

Race time for the trucks is 8 pm tonight.

 

>>Kurt Busch to Miss Indy Race With Continued Concussion Issues

 

Kurt Busch will miss Sunday’s NASCAR race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with concussion-like symptoms and be replaced again by Ty Gibbs in the Toyota for 23XI Racing.

 

The team said Wednesday that Busch has not been cleared to race for a second consecutive week. He crashed in qualifying last Saturday at Pocono Raceway and missed the next day’s race.

 

Gibbs, the 19-year-old grandson of NFL and NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, made his Cup debut last weekend as Busch’s replacement in the No. 45. He finished 16th.

Gibbs will also compete Saturday in the Xfinity Series race.

 

Busch, who turns 44 next week, is in his 22nd full season of Cup racing.

 

23XI said Busch has received a medical waiver from NASCAR and remains eligible for the playoffs. Busch earned his playoff spot with a victory at Kansas in May.

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