Cool Down Laps: NASCAR News for May

Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs

The month of May brought the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series to Dover International Speedway and Kansas Speedway, before returning home for back-to-back weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The MENCS went to Dover International Speedway at the beginning of May, but were delayed by one day due to rain Sunday.

Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs

Martin Truex Jr. earned his second win of the season at the Monster Mile, leading three times for 132 laps. Truex held almost a 10-second lead over Alex Bowman at the finish.

Kyle Larson earned his first top 5 of the season, finishing third. Kevin Harvick finished fourth and Chase Elliott finished fifth after leading 145 laps.

Denny Hamlin damaged the right rear crush panel of his No. 11 FedEx Toyota at Dover and Kansas, resulting in the two-time Daytona 500 winner being treated for carbon monoxide poisoning at Dover. He finished 21st and 16th, respectively.

Brad Keselowski earned his third win of the season at Kansas Speedway, gaining the lead on Lap 143 and again on Lap 161. He beat Bowman in overtime for his 30th career victory.

Bowman’s runner-up finish was the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s third in a row. He finished second at Talladega for his first top 5 of the season.

Erik Jones finished third, followed by Elliott and Clint Bowyer. Jimmie Johnson earned his fifth top 5 of 2019, finishing sixth. Kurt Busch finished seventh, Larson eighth, while Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10.

Harvick finished 13th during the Digital Ally 400. He led the most laps, but an unscheduled pit stop for what he thought was a cut tire put him behind one lap to the leaders. He recovered the lap on Lap 244, but was unable to contend for the win at the 1.5-mile track.

Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs

The 34th annual All-Star Race brought some close finishes during the three-stage qualifying race known as the Monster Energy Open, where William Byron, Bubba Wallace and Larson raced their way into the event, while Bowman earned the fan vote.

Larson came from the back of the field to win the 2019 Monster Energy All-Star Race, earning him a $1 million paycheck. He held off Kevin Harvick by a .322 margin-of-victory.

Kyle Busch finished third, followed by Joey Logano, and Wallace.

Xfinity Series

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Christopher Bell earned his third win of the season at Dover International Speedway, defeating Justin Allgaier by 1.745 seconds.

Bell, who led 44 laps, won the final Dash 4 Cash event to earn himself a $100,000 paycheck.

Bell beat Cole Custer on a Lap 155 pit stop, after Kaz Grala and John Hunter Nemechek brought out the third caution of the day.

The move put Bell in control of the race after Custer led the first 155 laps of the race.

Tyler Reddick finished third, Custer finished fourth, and Chase Briscoe finished fifth.

Gander Outdoors Truck Series

The Gander Outdoors Truck Series returned in May after over a month off.

Johnny Sauter beat Brett Moffitt by .603 seconds to earn his first victory of the season at Dover. Sauter led 43 laps of the Jegs 200.

Harrison Burton finished third, while Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton rounded out the top 5.

Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs

Ross Chastain earned the first NGOTS win of his career at Kansas a week later. Chastain gained the lead in the final laps after Stewart Friesen ran out of fuel on Lap 164 of 167.

Ben Rhodes finished second, Todd Gilliland earned a much-needed third, and Austin Hill and Brandon Jones rounded out the top 5.

Kyle Busch dominated his last Truck Series start of the year, earning him his fifth victory in five starts. It extends his lead of most wins in the series to 56.

Enfinger commands the points lead over Friesen by 15 points and 33 over defending champion Moffitt.

Gilliland holds the final spot in the points before the cutoff, by one point over Burton. Sheldon Creed is 10th, 112 points behind Enfinger, and 34 behind Gilliland in eighth.