Buddy Baker dies at 74

Buddy Baker, a former Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee, has died after a brief battle with lung cancer. Baker was 74. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio announced Baker passed away early Monday morning. Baker stepped down from his role as co-host of "The Late Shift" for the station last month when he announced he had a "huge tumor" in his lung that was inoperable. Baker won 19 races in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including the 1980 Daytona 500. He made his series debut in 1959 and ran his final Cup race was in 1992. Among his victories were the 1970 Southern 500, and the Coca-Cola 600 in 1968, 1972 and 1973. He was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers in 1998. Baker was the first driver to exceed 200 mph on a closed course when he did it in 1970 at Talladega Superspeedway.(Associated Press)

NASCAR prepared to run in the rain at Watkins Glen

For the second time this season, NASCAR will bring a new rain package to a road course for the Sprint Cup tour. Last September, the sanctioning body introduced new rules for racing in inclement weather. While it seldom rains at Sonoma, the chance to use windshield wipers, de-foggers, a rear flashing light and rain tires with the cars will be more likely this weekend at Watkins Glen. Last Wednesday, NASCAR sent out a bulletin to the teams updating Rule 10.13 Inclement Weather Race Procedures (Road Course Events). According to the note, should it rain, it will be up to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Managing Director to determine whether the track surface is "dry, wet or damp". At that point in the race, teams will be able to use "mandated or approved use of "wet" or "dry" condition equipment during competition."

Should the race start in "wet" weather conditions (10.13.2) the cars will (.a) start on the grid in "dry equipment configuration. After the series director declares "a 'wet' weather start (when the track surface is entirely covered with moisture)," the drivers will take a pace lap behind the caution car, (c) "return to their assigned pit stall and "install rain tires, front windshield wiper(s), and activate the rear flashing light for the Race.

According to the NASCAR Rulebook section 10.13.3, for race starts under "damp" conditions (when only portions of the track are wet), once the course has been deemed "damp" by the series director and after the pace lap, the cars (.c) "will return to their assigned pit stall and may elect, at the team's discretion, to install the rain tires and/or front windshield wiper(s). The rear flashing light must be activated for the Race under "damp" conditions.(Motorsport)

Cheez-It 355 at the Glen Weekend Schedule

Friday, August 7
11:30 AM, NSCS Watkins Glen Practice, NBCSN
1:00 PM, NXS Watkins Glen Practice, NBCSN
3:30 PM, NXS Watkins Glen Final Practice, NBCSN
4:30 PM, NSCS Watkins Glen Final Practice, NBCSN

Saturday, August 8
11:00 AM, NXS Watkins Glen Qualifying, CNBC
1:00 PM, NSCS Watkins Glen Qualifying, NBCSN
3:00 PM, NXS Watkins Glen Race, NBCSN

Sunday, August 9
2:00 PM, NSCS Watkins Glen Race, NBCSN

NOTE: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will be racing on Friday August 7th, that race will be shown at a future date on NBCSN

Kyle Busch skipping Watkins Glen XFINITY race

Kyle Busch won't compete in that event this week as he continues to recover from injuries he suffered at the start of the season. Boris Said will drive Busch's car in the Xfinity race. Busch broke his right leg and left foot in a crash in the season-opening Xfinity race at Daytona International Speedway in February. The only road course he has run this year was at Sonoma Raceway, winning the Sprint Cup race there. Busch was scheduled to compete in the Xfinity race at Watkins Glen this weekend but car owner Joe Gibbs said the decision was made to change his schedule. "He feels like Watkins Glen is more of a challenge than Sonoma," Gibbs said. "I feel like there's times when I get out of the car just putting weight back in my feet sometimes it hurts after race days and stuff like that," he said. "With Watkins Glen coming up (this) week, that's going to be another hard one to get through. That's going to be a tough challenge for myself and the left foot, but we'll make it and I'm sure we'll be okay just like Sonoma. It will be sore on Monday afterwards and we'll continue to ice it and make it feel better."(NBC Sports)

NSCS Race Recap: Matt Kenseth Wins At Pocono As Kyle Busch Runs Out Of Fuel

LONG POND, Pa. – Matt Kenseth, the unexpected winner of Sunday’s Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway, had to do a double take.

So did second and third-place finishers Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon.

Kenseth got a gift on the final lap of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch ran out of fuel halfway through the final lap at the 2.5-mile triangular track.

Seeking his fourth straight victory in the series, Busch didn’t save quite enough fuel on the last green-flag run to complete the 160-lap event, but he still gained 10 points toward his goal of reaching the top 30 in the series standings.

Busch, who finished 21st after getting a push toward the finish line from Reed Sorenson, is now 13 points behind 30th-place David Gilliland. Busch has five races to crack the top 30 to become eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Because Busch was pushed by another car, he did not get credit for completing the final lap, but that did not affect his finishing position.

Collectively, the top three finishers led seven laps. Joey Logano, who handed the lead to Busch when the No. 22 Team Penske Ford ran out of fuel with fewer than three laps left, led 97.

But Kenseth wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially after the driver of the No. 20 JGR Toyota did what others failed to do—save enough gas to get to the finish. Kenseth’s second victory of the season locked him into the Chase.

"There’s nothing like wins," said Kenseth, who collected his first victory at Pocono and the 33rd of his career. "We had a lot of wins in 2013 and were pretty spoiled and last year we had a big dry spell, and this year we were able to win Bristol.

"We’ve been up front a lot, so just really, really thankful to be with these guys and to get the win. I never thought I’d ever win at Pocono, and I never ever thought I’d win a fuel mileage race, so we did both today."

Despite coming tantalizingly close to a fourth straight win, Busch was philosophical about the near miss.

"Man, that’s a bummer," said Busch, who ran out of fuel on the Long Pond straightaway approaching the Tunnel Turn, less than a mile-and-a-half from the finish line. "I wish I would’ve saved a little more there that last run.

"I wish I would’ve known that the 22 (Logano) was that far away from making it. He was way far away from making it. Man, that was just a shame that we weren’t able to get it done there."

Busch took a moment to reflect on what might have been. The empty fuel tank also cost him entry into the top 30.

"We would be celebrating a win and a Chase berth," he said ruefully. "We got greedy. I don’t know how greedy, but that’s the position we’re in.(Ried Spencer, NASCAR Media)