Automotive

By Rick Minter / Andrews McMeel Syndication

As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, Sonoma Raceway will be joining the throwback weekend movement with the return of the track’s original layout.
By adding “The Carousel” back to the track layout, the race now will have 12 turns over a 2.52-mile course, upping the lap distance from the 1.99 miles of recent races. The race laps will be reduced from 110 to 85, keeping the overall race distance of 350 kilometers.

The Carousel, which was used from 1968 through 1997, begins at Turn 4 and passes through three more corners [Turns 5, 6 and 6a] before rejoining the most recent layout at Turn 7.

The Carousel was the site of many significant passes back in the day, including one by the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 1995, when he drove by Mark Martin en route to his first road-course victory.
Clint Bowyer, who won at Sonoma in 2012 and has eight top-five finishes in 13 starts on the 1.99-mile layout, said he expects it will take drivers some time to adapt to the Carousel.

“It is going to be a game changer, no question,” he said in a recent media session. “I don’t know what to think about it. For the last several years, I have looked at that track to be the go-to track. The Car of Tomorrow really woke up certain tracks, and Sonoma and these road courses have been some of our best products of racing.”

Kevin Harvick, who won the Cup race at Sonoma in 2017 and finished second there last year, said in a recent media session that the change in layout is significant.

“I was in the simulator [recently] and got lost a couple times; forgot where to turn,” said Harvick, who ran the old course before he joined the Cup circuit in 2001. “It is a lot different than I remember it from 1995.”
Harvick said he suggested adding back the Carousel in discussions with Marcus Smith, the president of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns multiple tracks, including Sonoma.

“An hour later he told me he talked to his guys and they were looking into it,” he said. “Next thing you know, we are running the Carousel. I love the fact they are changing it up. I think Watkins Glen could do the same thing.”
Harvick said the changing of the road course is another sign that Speedway Motorsports is willing to try new things with its track to gin up interest in the sport. SMI recently added the Roval, a road course, to Charlotte Motor Speedway, and has been leading the way in adding traction compounds to racing surfaces.

“It seems like SMI is more aggressive in these types of situations with changing things up and trying new things and doing things more on the edge of not knowing what the outcome is going to be,” Harvick said, adding that NASCAR’s other major track owner, International Speedway Corp. has not appeared to be as willing to take risks with its tracks.

PHOTO CAPTION: Multiple tight turns are a hallmark of road courses like Sonoma. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Imageds for NASCAR

By Rick Minter/ Andrews McMeel Syndication

Joey Logano and his No. 22 crew from Team Penske had one of those days at Michigan International Speedway on Monday that racers and race teams dream of.

They started from the pole and led 163 of the 203 laps of the rain-delayed FireKeepers Casino 400. His spotter, T.J. Majors, was spot-on in his guidance to Logano in a race that, due to the current higher downforce/lower horsepower handling package, bore a significant resemblance to those at Daytona and Talladega, where drivers generally have to work together to make passes.

As the laps wound down and the green flag continued to fly, crew chiefs were forced to make strategy calls for their final pit stops. Some took four tires, some opted for fuel only, while others like Logano’s crew chief, Todd Gordon, took two tires and fuel.
That decision led to Logano retaking the lead once the pit stops cycled through, while others languished in mid-pack. Among those was Kevin Harvick, who had come back from being a lap down and was running second to Logano when the pit stops started. The time lost on his four-tire stop dropped him out of contention for the win and he finished seventh.

Logano saved his best move for last. A spin by Erik Jones set up an overtime run to the checkered flag. Logano led the pack to the green flag, with Martin Truex Jr. alongside and the second row occupied by the Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt.

While many expected Logano to be vulnerable to others working together behind him, he blasted out to an early lead and cruised the final two circuits to take his second win of the season and the 23rd of his career. Kurt Busch finished second ahead of Truex, Daniel Suarez and Kyle Busch.

“A day like that, you don’t get those days all the time,” Logano said. “The best car, the best team. We executed perfectly all the way through. … We’ve been so close this year getting into Victory Lane multiple times and coming up short, mainly because of execution.

“[Monday] everything was cleaned up perfectly and we did a great job. This is what we get. Hopefully, we can start stacking up some more.”
Kurt Busch said it would have taken a big break to overtake Logano.

“Logano’s car was tough,” he said. “I really wanted it to go green at the end with Truex. I was going to push him straight through the 22 (Logano). My best shot at it.”
But Busch said he enjoyed the late-race battle.

“I had a blast,” he said. “Tightest I ever put my belts at the end of a race. … It gives us reason to smile and be happy.”
Truex said he thought Logano started before he reached the restart box on the final restart.
“The 22 went like a whole car length before the restart zone,” he said. “I don’t know how you get away with that. Aside from that, great day.”

There were only two drivers who did not finish Monday’s race. One was Kyle Weatherman, making his first start of the season and the 10th of his career. The other, ironically, was the race’s defending winner, Clint Bowyer.
Bowyer wrecked on Lap 130 after some three-wide racing with the No. 20 of Erik Jones and the No. 3 of Austin Dillon.
“The 20 got loose, and I tried to basically make an evasive move to get under him,” Bowyer explained in a TV interview. “The 3 was there and got loose under him, and then I got into him and ran out of real estate. It was a pretty frustrating day.”

PHOTO CAPTION:Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Ford was battling eventual winner Joey Logano at Michigan on Monday before a four-tire pit stop dropped him out of the top five. Logan Riely/Getty Images for NASCAR

By Rick Minter / Andrews McMeel Syndication

Fourteen races into the 2019 Monster Energy Cup Series season a familiar pattern is emerging.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch scored a dominating win in Sunday’s Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway for his league-leading fourth victory of the season and the ninth for the Gibbs team, equaling the team’s win total for all of 2018.
Team Penske is next with four victories, three by Brad Keselowski and one by Joey Logano. Chase Elliott, who won at Talladega in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, is the only driver not from Gibbs or Penske to win this season.
Kyle Larson won the non-points All-Star race in his Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, but his best finish in points-paying Cup races is a third-place a Dover International Speedway four races ago. Larson finished 26th at Pocono after bouncing off the wall late in the race as he competed aggressively while running in the top 10. He was fast early on and won the first two stages.
The four-driver Stewart-Haas contingent has not performed up to expectations so far. The team’s top driver, Kevin Harvick, won eight races last year, but so far hasn’t finished better than fourth. He was 22nd at Pocono after suffering a broken steering box on his No. 4 Ford. Clint Bowyer led the SHR group at Pocono with a fifth-place finish, his fifth top-five this season. Aric Almirola and Daniel Suarez are 12th and 13th, respectively, in the points standings, with one top-five finish apiece.
At Gibbs, three of the four Cup drivers have multiple wins, with Martin Truex Jr. taking three and Denny Hamlin two in addition to Busch’s four. Only Erik Jones is winless, but he has three third-place finishes, including his latest on Sunday at Pocono.
Jones said his Toyota Camry was fast, but not fast enough to overtake Busch.
“It would have really had to be a perfect scenario for us to win, but we had a good car,”
Jones said, adding that his car was fast all weekend. “We’ve been doing it every week — we’ve just got to have things go our way and have a little luck on our side.
“We had some good luck [at Pocono] and some things play out the way we needed them, so hopefully that trend keeps rolling here the next couple of months.”
Busch, who now has 55 career Cup wins and is tied with the retired Rusty Wallace for ninth place on the all-time list, said his win on Sunday was due to a combination of all the strengths of his Joe Gibbs team.
“Certainly thanks to [crew chief] Adam Stevens and all my guys … everybody that does such a good job working on my stuff,” he said. “It’s fun to be able to come down pit road and know you’re going to pick up spots and then to also have good race cars on the racetrack.”
Then there were Busch’s usual daring moves on the track, like an outside maneuver on Clint Bowyer for the lead midway through a race in which Busch led a race-high 79 circuits, including the final 21.
“I felt like once I got alongside of [Bowyer], then he and I could race it out on exit [of Turn Two],” Busch said. “That was what got us to lead. That’s what got us the track position. That’s what got us out front to be able to control the rest of the race.”
Bowyer wound up fifth behind runner-up Brad Keselowski, Jones and Chase Elliott.

PHOTO CAPTION:Kyle Larson, on pit road at Pocono, won two stages but once again came up short of victory, bouncing off the wall and finishing 26th. Credit Alan Marlar/HHP for Chevy Racing

By Rick Minter/ Andrews McMeel Syndication

After a relatively slow start to the 2019 season, his first in the No. 19 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing, Martin Truex Jr. has come on strong in recent weeks. His win in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was his third in the past five points-paying Monster Energy Cup Series races and the second of his career in NASCAR’s longest race.

Truex, who also has wins this year at Dover and Richmond, didn’t have an easy night. On Lap 73, while leading the race, he blew a right-front tire and hit the wall, then had another dented fender from an incident with Chase Elliott later in the race.

The damage turned out to be repairable and Truex’s team, led by wily crew chief Cole Pearn, adjusted his car and he was back out front again at Lap 131. He wound up leading a race-high 116 laps and was cruising toward the checkered flag as the laps wound down when Brad Keselowski spun, bringing out the race’s 16th caution flag.
That set up a five-lap dash to the finish line. David Ragan, who was having a great run, stayed on the track and took the lead, forgoing a pit stop because his team had already used the 12 sets of tires each team was allotted.
Ryan Newman took over second place by just taking two tires and Truex lined up third.
Just after the green flag flew, Truex went four-wide to the inside to begin his march forward and quickly sped into the top spot, followed by Joey Logano. Truex then motored away to his 22nd career win, with Logano taking the runner-up spot over Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
“I just basically knew that whoever got out front first with four tires was probably going to win with a [five]-lap shootout,” Truex said in his winner’s interview. “You don’t have enough time to get around somebody if it gets single file at all.”
He said his first move was to push his pal Newman.

“I was just pushing Ryan, pushing Ryan, pushing Ryan, trying to get him going, and we came off of [Turn] Two and somehow they got three wide on that front row, and at that point, those three guys just kind of stalled out, and I had just enough momentum,” he said. “I just yanked it left and said, ‘Here’s my chance.’
“There was a hole to go there, and I had just enough of a run to clear a few of them getting into [Turn] Three and then off of Four I was just able to sneak up in front of [Logano], I mean, by like a quarter of an inch. … .Barely, barely fit there, but it just worked out.”
Truex said the before the blown tire, he felt like he had as good a car as he had in the 2016 Coca-Cola 600, when he led all but eight laps en route to a win.
The blown tire, one of several that occurred in the early going, forced crew chief Cole Pearn to raise air pressures on the right-front tire, which meant other changes were needed to adapt to the higher tire pressures.

“Obviously, when you’re in those scenarios when they’re all popping, it’s probably too much camber and too low air,” Pearn said. “It’s not real rocket science when it comes to that, so we had to react and then rebalance the car around being higher on air.”
Pearn said the team’s recent string of success comes after he and the team worked with Truex to help him adjust to the new lower horsepower/higher downforce handling package that debuted this year.

“We just kind of refocused coming here with kind of a different game plan, and really took a positive attitude to it and try and figure out what Martin needed,” he said. “We worked on him a lot to embrace the package and drive in a different way, and he did perfect tonight, and we did better for him. When you can complement each other and both do better, it shows a sign of how good a team we have.”
Logano overcame a slow start to contend for the win at the end. “We just got thrown for a loop there the first few laps of this race, first two, three stages, just, boy, we were junk,” he said. “The guys did a good job adjusting on it and got it to where we were competitive at least. We weren’t fast enough to win, but circumstances could have played in the right way and maybe we could have done it.”
The 600 also saw several underdog drivers have strong runs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished fifth, a career first top-five on an intermediate track. Chris Buescher finished sixth, while Corey LaJoie, who races for the small GoFas Racing team, finished 12th.

Buescher, who blew a tire, hit the wall and lost a lap midway through the race, said the crew of his No. 37 Chevy did a great job repairing the damage.
“We were able to come out there at the end and get an awesome finish,” he said. “We have to keep improving a little bit, but it was a pretty awesome night.”

PHOTO CAPTION: The Coca-Cola 600 featured 46 green-flag passes for the lead — exactly twice the number from last year’s race — and 30 official lead changes among 11 drivers. Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images for NASCAR

By Christopher A. Randazzo

Eight years ago, Ford pulled the Ranger from the North American market – but kept building and selling them in other parts of the world. During the absence of the Ranger here at home, the midsize pickup truck market changed dramatically. Midsize pickups have grown in size, have seen an increase in technological features, and are much more capable than ever before. Today, the Ranger is back, bigger and better than ever. Recently I had an opportunity to spend some time with one and to see how this new Ranger stacks up in a market it once dominated.

Although this Ranger is all-new, the styling is not so much. The 2019 Ranger looks very similar to the one developed by Ford Australia back in 2015 for foreign markets. It’s available as either an extended cab (SuperCab) or the larger crew cab (SuperCrew). Smaller cabs get a 6-foot bed while the larger crew cab gets a 5-foot bed. In typical Ford fashion the Ranger is available in base XL, mid-level XLT and top-of-the-line Lariat trim levels.

Powering every new Ranger is a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 270 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Two-wheel drive is standard with four-wheel drive being available as an option. On top of that there is an FX4 Off-Road Package (available on all three trim levels) that includes off-road tires, upgraded shocks and suspension, an electronically locking rear axle, front tow hooks, underbody skid plates, a terrain management system, and Trail Control – a low-speed crawl control system.

The Ranger that I was in was Lightning Blue with the Lariat trim level as well as the FX4 Off-Road Package.

Entering and exiting the Ranger is easily done thanks to nearly perfect ride height. It’s not too big where you have to climb into it, yet it’s not small where you fall into it. The front seats are supportive and there is plenty of leg and headroom. The backseat also has plenty of headroom and legroom, and most adults will find the Ranger quite spacious.

The rest of the cabin is a mixed bag. All the controls are easy to find and use but all of the trim and dash is decked out in cheap plastic, making the Ranger look dull and uninspired. The 8-inch touchscreen is easy to use and uses Ford’s Sync 4 and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Take the Ranger for a spin and you’ll see that Ford got the powertrain right. The Ranger’s four feels plenty powerful, with the 10-speed swapping through ratios quickly and smoothly. Ford states the Ranger can hit 60 mph in under 7 seconds – and that feels about right. Steering, handling and braking all feel more than adequate in the Ranger. The ride does feel a little busy and choppy, but hey this is a truck, right?

When it comes to technology, the Ranger doesn’t fall short. The XLT, what Ford claims will be its volume-seller and the Lariat come with the latest driver-assistance features including lane-departure warning and assist, blind-spot monitors with trailer coverage, and automated emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control is optional on these two trim levels.

For those that are looking to the Ranger as a work truck, you’ll be happy to know that it’s capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds when fitted with the optional trailer tow package – quite an increase from previous Rangers we have had.

Pricing for the new Ranger starts at $24,300, with my fully loaded Lariat FX4 topping out at just under $45,000.

Since Ford left the midsize market, Toyota and GM filled the void left by the Ranger. Toyota with its Tacoma has been the sales leader with the Colorado/Canyon GM twins right on the Tacoma’s heels. Will Ford change that? Most likely, but by how much is the real question.

By The Numbers:

2019 Ford Ranger Supercrew 4×4 Lariat

Base Price: $38,395.00
Price as Tested: $44,960.00
Layout: front-engine / four-wheel drive
Engine: 2.3 liter turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost
Transmission: 10 – speed automatic
Horsepower: 270 hp
Torque: 310 lb-ft
EPA Fuel Economy: 20 city / 24 highway mpg

[Visit me at www.carsbycar.blogspot.com or email me at autocran@gmail.com]

By Rick Minter / Andrews McMeel Syndication

Brad Keselowski’s 30th career victory, which came in Saturday night’s Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway, was much like many of his earlier wins in that he initially didn’t appear to be a contender, but he and crew chief Paul Wolfe spent most of the race tuning his car and turning it into a winner.
Keselowski started fourth but quickly faded out of the top 10. He ran between 10th and 15th for most of the race while others, like Kevin Harvick, who led a race-high 104 laps, and Alex Bowman, who led 63, dominated at the front.
But Keselowski came on strong at the end, taking advantage of fresher tires, and drove by Bowman with 11 laps remaining to take the lead. He held onto the top spot through an overtime shootout that extended the race by four laps to get his third victory of the season.
Bowman finished second for the third race in a row, while Erik Jones took third over Chase Elliott and Clint Bowyer. Harvick, who won the pole and the first 80-lap stage, finished 15th after being set back by an unscheduled green-flag pit stop with 88 laps remaining.
“What a great day,” Keselowski said. “On the (final) restart, I just got a great launch, and Alex Bowman — he’s going to win a race — he did a great job. We had a little bit of fresher tires than he did (to facilitate the lead change before overtime), and we were able to make the move on the outside there and caught everything perfect.

“I’m just so thankful.”
Bowman was blaming himself afterward, saying he picked the wrong lane when he came up on a group of slower cars, which gave Keselowski an opportunity to pass him.
“We had a really good car, I just made bad decisions going through lapped traffic on lane choice,” he said. “[The lapped drivers] stayed where I needed to run. I should have gone high, and I shouldn’t have picked the middle like I did. I just had to lift and let [Keselowski and Jones] drive right around me.

“I’m pretty frustrated with myself. There was no way around that, that was a bad mistake on my part. We’ll go home and get them next week.”
Bowyer, seeking the first win for a home-state driver at Kansas, also was frustrated at the end, but his ire was directed at Jones, who made a bold move in driving in front of Bowyer on the overtime run to the finish.
“That wasn’t very smart,” Bowyer said of Jones’ tactic. “If it had been another scenario where I would have had some room, I would have just turned him in front of the whole field, and he would be back there wishing he wouldn’t have done that.”
Jones said he did what he had to do, given the current aero package. “We’re racing hard, and this package kind of leads into a lot of blocking and a lot of protecting your position,” he said. “When I take the white flag, I’m not going to give up a lane to give up two, three or four spots if [Bowyer] would have gotten to the inside.”

Kyle Busch will remain tied with Morgan Shepherd with 11 top-10 finishes to start a Cup season. In his 12th start, Busch ran competitively, even overcoming a penalty for driving through too many pit boxes on one of his stops. But a late pit stop to replace a tire cut from contact with Bowyer left him three laps down in 30th place at the finish.

Saturday’s race was the first night race with the new higher-downforce, lower-horsepower competition package NASCAR implemented this year, and Keselowski said the new package puts on its best show at night.

“It used to be we wanted daytime races because it fit the rules,” Keselowski said. “Now it’s the opposite. Nighttime is the new daytime for NASCAR as far as the racing being better.”
The next two races — the non-points All-Star race and the Coca-Cola 600 — both will end under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

PHOTO CAPTION: Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford for Team Penske had the goods when it counted, bolting to the front late in the Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway.Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images for NASCAR

By Christopher A.Randazzo

There was once a time when shoppers of compact sedans had to settle for boring, generic and plain styling. Thankfully, those day are just about gone. Case in point – the Hyundai Elantra. To give you an example – google 2009 Hyundai Elantra – then look at the 2019 Elantra shown here. See what I mean?

For 2019, the Hyundai Elantra gets a face lift. The front end is more angular and bolder with triangular headlights. The Elantra Sport, which is what I was assigned for this review, is set apart even more with its own unique grill, special wheels and a body kit.

Changes can be found inside as well, with a restyled center console and slightly different buttons.

Underneath the body, though the Elantra remains the same, which is nothing to be ashamed of. The base engine, and the only choice for all trim levels except the Sport and the Eco, is a 2.0 liter four-cylinder that makes 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. It’s hooked up to either a six- speed manual transmission or an optional six-speed automatic transmission, depending on trim level.

If you haven’t been in a current Elantra, you owe it to yourself to check it out – you’ll be impressed. The upscale look and feel makes the Elantra’s cabin appear more expensive than its sub price tag would have you believe. The infortainment center is nicely integrated into the dash, looking far better than the “iPad attached to the dash” look that others are doing. Seating for five is easily accomplished and when the back seats are not occupied, they can be folded to give you extra cargo room. Trunk space is of good size and can hold 14.4 cubic feet worth of goods.

If fuel-efficiency is your main objective, the Eco is the Elantra you should have your sights on. It uses a 1.4 liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a seven-speed automatic. This combination makes the Elantra achieve 32 mpg city and 40 mpg highway vs 28/37 that the other Elantras get.

Opposite the Eco is the Elantra Sport. Fitted with a 1.6 liter turbocharged four-cylinder, it makes 201 horses and 195 lb-ft of torque. It’s available with either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Along with more power, the Sport gets a sport tuned suspension and larger brakes. As you can see, the Sport really does add some sport to the Elantra .

The Intense Blue Elantra Sport test car was fitted with the optional dual clutch automatic transmission.

Behind the wheel, the Elantra Sport surprisingly delivers an impressive ride. Wearing 18-inch meaty tires, the Elantra sticks to the road quite well. And it’s fairly quick too, able to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about 7 seconds and hit the quarter mile in the mid 15-second range. Shifts are eye-blinking quick thanks to the dual clutch transmission. The larger brakes slows things down when needed.

Pricing for the 2019 Hyundai Elantra starts at $17,2000 – making it look very attractive. The Sport starts at $23,700. A $2,250 Premium package adds in a navigation system with 8-inch touchscreen and an Infinity Sound. Throw in the floor mats and destinations charges, and the MSRP on my tester comes in at $27,005. And don’t forget all Hyundais come with a 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Years ago, for those in the market for a compact sedan, being boring was part of the package. Thanks to cars like the Elantra – that is no longer the case.

By The Numbers:

2019 Hyundai Elantra Sport

Base Price: $23,700.00
Price as Tested: $27,005.00
Layout: front-engine / front-wheel drive
Engine: 1.6 liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder
Transmission: 7 – speed dual-clutch automatic
Horsepower: 201 hp
Torque: 195 ft-lbs
EPA Fuel Economy: 26 city / 33 highway mpg

[Visit me at www.carsbycar.blogspot.com or email me at autocran@gmail.com]

By Rick Minter / Andrews McMeel Syndication

The Elliott name has been a big one at Talladega Superspeedway since the 1980s, when Bill Elliott and his No. 9 Fords put on some impressive displays of speed on NASCAR’s fastest track, including an all-time fast qualifying speed of 212.809 miles per hour back in 1987, and making up two laps under the green flag to win the 1985 Winston 500.

On Sunday, Elliott’s son, Chase, took up his father’s mantle and drove the No. 9, now on the side of a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, back to Victory Lane after winning the GEICO 500. Appropriately, while young Elliott was getting his first Talladega victory, dad was collecting another winner’s trophy aboard an old No. 9 Dodge at a Walter Mitty race at Road Atlanta.
Chase Elliott’s victory, the fourth of his Cup career, was the first of the season for Chevrolet, and broke a string of wins by the Fords from Team Penske and the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing. Elliott led four times for 44 laps, including the final four in a race that saw 39 official lead changes. (There were other lead swaps in the race that don’t show up in the official count, which only focuses on who leads at the end of each lap.)

Elliott, who grew in Dawsonville, Georgia, was a winner for the first time in his native Southeast, with his 2018 victories coming at Watkins Glen, Dover and Kansas.
He seemed moved by the reception he received from an enthusiastic Alabama audience that cheered him to victory over the final four laps and celebrated with him afterward.
“I was blown away by the people, how fired up everybody was,” Elliott said. “The post-race [celebration] was unbelievable. I’ve never had a crowd … just felt like in the palm of your hands is how it felt.

“You get excited, they get excited. You walk, they don’t say anything. You pump your arms up, they get pumped up. That’s just something that I’ve never really experienced. That’s one of the coolest moments I feel like of my racing career.”

Elliott, who is poised to become the face of NASCAR if he can continue his winning ways, said he won’t take the fan support for granted.
“You don’t know if that will always be that way,” he said. “People might not like you in a couple years.”
There were several aspects of Sunday’s race that kept fans entertained besides Elliott’s victory.

For instance, drivers from each manufacturer worked together throughout the race, and in the end, Elliott used drafting help from his Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman to take the win, while two young Chevrolet drivers, rookies Ryan Preece and Daniel Hemric, finished third and fifth, respectively. Those were career bests for Bowman, Preece and Hemric. Ford’s Joey Logano dominated much of the latter portions of the race, leading 37 laps, but wound up fourth at the finish.
The race was the first run at Talladega under a new package that featured tapered spacers on the engines instead of restrictor plates, which upped horsepower from around 450 to 550. It also saw the use of a 9-inch rear spoiler, up from the 8 inches used elsewhere this season.

The changes left many wondering how the race would play out, but the main change seemed to be that trailing drivers who got a boost of speed could close quickly on the drivers ahead of them.
There were several accidents, the most frightening occurring on the final lap when David Ragan lost control of his No. 38 Ford, triggering a crash that saw Kyle Larson sail into the air and into the inside wall before launching into a series of barrel rolls.

Larson, who emerged apparently unharmed, said the crash scared him.
“Initially, I thought I was going to hit the inside wall pretty hard,” he said. “And then right before I got to it, I felt the car starting to lift and was just hoping it would just set down.

“Then it started tumbling. It was the longest flip I’ve ever had. I didn’t know if it would ever stop … I was just hoping it wasn’t going to get any closer to the catch fence. It was a little scary, but thankfully I’m OK.”

Bowman said that even though Elliott was poised to deliver the team a victory as the laps wound down, his main goal was to put his own No. 88 Chevy in Victory Lane.
“I’m not just going to let him win,” Bowman said. “I’ve got to try.”

But with the last-lap caution flag, actually thrown for an earlier wreck by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the frontstretch, no one will ever know how that battle among teammates would have worked out.

Logano said he didn’t believe the outcome would have been any different, even if the race ended under the green flag.
“There were no runs building and no momentum going,” he said, adding that his own bid for the win went awry when he moved to block Kurt Busch. That allowed Elliott to slip by them both.
“At the end [Busch] had a big run, and I felt like I had to block that,” he said. “I can’t block both, and [Elliott] got underneath me.”

PHOTO: Kyle Larson posted about his late wreck on Instagram. Courtesy of Chase Elliott Motorsports

A few weeks ago I was driving around town in a car that was all about being cheap and frugal – the 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 4-door sub-compact sedan. This is the perfect car for the kind of driver that could totally care less about how a car looks and drives, as long as it gets from point A to point B – and does so in the cheapest way possible. That’s the purpose of the Mirage – nothing more and nothing less.

The Mirage returned to the North American marketplace back in 2014, but only as a 5-door hatchback. A few years later, the 4-door sedan appeared, carrying a “G4” badge with it. Since then, both the hatchback Mirage and the Mirage G4 have carried on basically unchanged and have clinged on to the idea of being cheap, basic, fuel-efficient transportation.

With an EPA rating of 35 mpg city and 41 mpg highway for a combined 37 mpg, the Mirage G4 does appear to be near the top of the fuel-sipper list of cars that are not hybrids or diesels. And with a starting price of just $14,472, the Mirage is also one of the most inexpensive new cars around.

On paper, the Mirage looks pretty compelling. The base ES model comes standard with keyless entry, cruise control and a 7-inch touchscreen display with a rearview camera. Move up to the SE, like the tester, and features like foglights, keyless ignition and heated front seats are included. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on the SE, optional on the ES.

Inside the Mirage, it’s clear to see why the price for admission is so low. The cabin looks like it was designed about a decade ago – and on a very tight budget. Most surfaces are hard plastic and not particularly high in quality. On a positive note, all the essential controls are there and are simple to use. The cloth bucket seats are fully adjustable and comfortable. And the Mirage is actually quite spacious and even tall drivers and passengers will find adequate head and leg room.

Driving the Mirage, the motor sounds like its working extra hard just to move the car. And it is. Feeling like a dog missing a leg, the three-cylinder 1.2 liter engine struggles to make the 78 hp that it is rated at. I found myself flooring the gas pedal many times just to keep up with traffic. And that was just with me in the car. Add three passengers in the car and what little acceleration the Mirage has evaporates. The Mirage G4 SE comes with a CVT automatic transmission, which is optional on the base ES model. Standard on the ES is a 5-speed manual, which may add some much needed spunk to the car’s fun factor.

But one area where the Mirage does shine is in the value department. With such a low price and delivering excellent fuel economy, along with a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage, for those watching every penny and each drop of fuel, the Mirage just may be what they are looking for. As long as they don’t want anything more.

-Christopher A. Randazzo
By The Numbers:

2019 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 SE

Base Price: $17,495.00
Price as Tested: $18,525.00
Layout: front-engine / front-wheel drive
Engine: 1.2 liter 3-cylinder
Transmission: CVT automatic
Horsepower: 78 hp
Torque: 74 ft/lbs
Fuel Economy: 35 mpg city / 41 mpg highway

[Visit me at www.carsbycar.blogspot.com or email me at autocran@gmail.com]

By Rick Minter / Andrews McMeel Syndication

With a win in Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. fixed one of the few weak spots on his resume. He won a Cup race on a short track after going winless in his first 80 starts on tracks under one mile in length.

The fact that Truex took so long to win a Cup race on a short track was strange, given that he grew up racing short tracks and won short-track races at Bristol, Indianapolis Raceway Park and Memphis Motorsports Park during his march to two titles in the series now known as Xfinity.
It wasn’t surprising that Truex’s breakthrough short-track win came at Richmond. In the five races there leading up to Saturday night, Truex had led 675 laps but never made it to Victory Lane. On Saturday, he led 186 circuits and held on over a race-ending 148-lap, green-flag run to the finish despite fighting poor handling on his No. 19 Toyota.

He took the lead from Brad Keselowski for good with 79 circuits remaining, then held off late charges from Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano to get his 20th career Cup win and his first since joining Joe Gibbs Racing at the start of the season. Logano finished second, ahead of Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin.
Truex’s win means that after nine races no team other than Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske has won in Cup in 2019.

Gibbs has six wins, including three with Kyle Busch and two with Denny Hamlin, while Penske has three, two with Keselowski and one with Logano.
Truex said in his winner’s interview that he was relieved to get his first short-track win and glad to get it at Richmond.

“We’ve been so strong the last couple seasons and led so many laps and had some real, real heartbreakers, some that were really tough, some really tough losses,” he said. “Sometimes those things are hard to get through, but they make you stronger and make you appreciate the good days.”

He said his pit crew, which struggled the week before at Bristol, had a good night at Richmond and helped him stay up front when it counted.
“We didn’t have the best car, and it worked out the way we needed it to, thanks to a great team and a pit crew,” he said. “They stepped up [at Richmond], and they did a great job. They got us to the lead and put us in control of the race and were really the difference.”

Truex admitted he had some anxious moments when Bowyer and Logano were hounding him in the late stages of the race.
“I knew I was in trouble with 35 to go,” he said. “I mean, my car got really tight. I couldn’t get it to turn. … I knew what lap times they were running, and I knew what I could run, and I knew once they started closing the gap, I was having to over-drive my car, and I was just making it worse.
“I just tried to save a tiny little bit, if I could, until they got to me. And from there it was just try not to screw up and try not to give them a free shot at you.”

Truex said the new aero rules made it a close race at the end even without the benefit of late caution flags to tighten the field.
“The real reason that race was so good at the end and so exciting was because none of us had any air on our cars,” he said. “The guys on the tail end of the lead lap right in front of me, I was faster than them, but I couldn’t get any closer. I had no air, just as [Bowyer] and [Logano] didn’t, and we all were just searching for something and sliding, and we had no grip at all.
“So that’s what made it a cool race. I was honestly glad we were able to hold them off. It wasn’t going to be much longer. I was struggling, so it feels good to get it.”
A frustrated Bowyer said he could track down Truex but couldn’t pass him.
“I ran him down,” Bowyer said. “I was faster on a long run than him, but by the time you get to him, your stuff is pretty worn out. And with this aero package, you are so aero-dependent behind those cars that you get terribly tight. …
“I lost. It sucks.”
Logano also lamented the fact that he got behind late and couldn’t catch Truex in time to pass him.

“We had a car that was capable of winning for the third week straight and we didn’t win,” he said. “That part is frustrating. We need to clean up some mistakes on our end. We lost the lead there on a pit stop. We’ve got to get faster there. That is when we lost control of the race and fell back to third.
“We had a decent green-flag cycle that got us up and then we reeled in [Truex and Bowyer] from pretty far back. … Ran out of time. Needed a few more laps.”

Photo caption: Martin Truex Jr.’s victory at Richmond snapped an 80-race Cup losing streak at tracks less than a mile long. Matt Sullivan/Getty Images for NASCAR

By Christopher A. Randazzo

When the Toyota Tacoma was introduced in 1995, it was the replacement for the HiLux, or better known here in the US market as just a Toyota Pickup truck. Over the generations, Toyota’s smallest truck has evolved – it’s hardly little anymore, having grown and matured in its years and taking styling cues from its big brother, the Toyota Tundra.

The current generation has been around since 2016 and continues to be available in two cab configurations (Access Cab and Double Cab), two bed lengths (short and long), two different engines (a 4-cylinder and a V6), two different transmissions (6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic), and six different models (SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited and TRD Pro). Really, if you want something smaller than a full-sized truck, there is a Tacoma that can be fitted for your needs. Recently Toyota had me in a VooDoo Blue colored Double Cab TRD Pro with the V6 engine.

The Double Cab (a crew cab with 4 full size doors) is the roomiest Tacoma available, offering comfortable seating for five. The Access Cab uses small rear-hinged doors and is perfect when the back seat is used more to haul tools than passengers.

Powering the Tacoma is a pair of impressive engines – a 2.7-liter four-cylinder that makes 159 hp and a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque. The four-cylinder is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Going with the V6 gives you the option of a six-speed manual or the six-speed automatic.

Once you get inside the Tacoma (it’s a big step up), a nicely appointed interior greets you. Room is plentiful, but the Tacoma’s high floor and low roof may make it feel a little awkward at first. Look around and you’ll see utility is everywhere – with cupholders in the center floor console and compartments that keep everything tidy. And as you would expect from Toyota, the quality of the materials used is extremely high.

Toyota has always put safety on top, and that is no different here. Each Tacoma is fitted with the Toyota’s Safety Sense System which includes a forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure alert as well as automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control. Then there is the alphabet-soup of safety equipment that includes anti-lock brakes (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRAC). Every Tacoma now comes equipped with front-seat side airbags as well as side curtain airbags.

For those into off-roading, the TRD Pro model is sure to please you. Along with 4-wheel drive, this model adds Fox shock absorbers, an electronic locking rear differential, a multi-terrain select switch, all-terrain tires, and a front skid plate. The TRD Pro also sits about an inch higher and comes with an all black grille and special decals.

If off-roading isn’t your thing, the Limited is the most civilized Tacoma with its leather interior and its flashy chrome exterior trim.

For 2019, the TRD Pro can be fitted with a high-mounted snorkel air intake. Called the “Desert Air Intake Package,” it elevates the air intake above the dust you are going to kick up while out bouncing around in the dunes. Mounted along the passenger side A-pillar, it has sure drawn some looks from other drivers.

Being fitted with the V6, there is plenty of power for just about any circumstance. In town, the automatic seems ideal, shifting at all the right times. On the highway, the transmission seems a little restless, wanting to change gears often. Purists will be glad to see that a manual gearbox is still available, but something tells me those days are numbered. The EPA rating on the tester was 18 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.

Toyota trucks have always been known to be tough and reliable. And for awhile the Tacoma was the only entry in the mid-size truck market. Today, with the likes of the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon twins as well as the Nissan Frontier and the return of the Ford Ranger, there are choices for mid-size truck buyers. But leading the pack continues to be the Toyota Tacoma.

By The Numbers:

2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab 4×4 V6

Base Price: $45,355.00
Price as Tested: $46,480.00
Layout: front-engine / four-wheel drive
Engine: 3.5 liter DOHC 24valve V6
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Horsepower: 276 hp
Torque: 265 ft/lbs
EPA Fuel Economy: 18 city / 22 highway mpg

[Visit me at www.carsbycar.blogspot.com or email me at autocran@gmail.com]

By Rick Minter / Andrews McMeel Syndication

Denny Hamlin overcame two pit-road penalties — and another costly mistake of missing pit road entirely on one of his planned stops — to win Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

It was Hamlin’s second win of the season, the first coming in the season-opening Daytona 500, and the fourth for his Joe Gibbs Racing team. After seven races, only Gibbs and Team Penske, which has two victories with Brad Keselowski and a third with Joey Logano, have visited Victory Lane. Kyle Busch scored the other two Cup wins for Gibbs.

Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota was strong in the early going of Sunday’s race, but he was nabbed for speeding on pit road on Lap 64 and had to go to the rear. He won the second 85-lap stage but had to restart at the rear of the pack due to his crew letting a tire go uncontrolled. Then he missed pit road in the final stage, which cost him both time and position.

But thanks to a fast car — and a durable tire compound that allowed him to make several timesaving, fuel-only pit stops — all that didn’t matter much in the end.
“Really all that cost us today was we lost out on stage points in the first stage, and I probably cost us a lot of laps led, more than likely,” Hamlin said in the winner’s interview. “Certainly things fell favorable for us with the cautions that did come. We were able to have some really good restarts. That was key for us, as well. The final two restarts, we were really able to gain positions.”
He said the main factor in his comeback was having a car that would move through traffic in a hurry — something his competitors struggled with.
“It seemed like our car could move around as good as anyone,” he said. “That’s what allowed me to be aggressive, allowed me to come through the pack multiple times.”

Hamlin’s teammates also had fast cars, as Kyle Busch led a race-high 66 laps before hitting the wall and fading to 10th. Erik Jones came back from an early spin to lead 30 laps and finished fourth, while Martin Truex Jr. led 10 laps and finished 12th.
Team Penske, which has been door-to-door with Gibbs all season, had mechanical problems with its three entries. Brad Keselowski broke a rear gear. Joey Logano fell behind when his hood support collapsed, and Ryan Blaney’s car lost its water after he led 45 laps.

“A part broke off and leaked all the water out, so that’s the way it goes,” Blaney said. “It just seems that’s the way this season is going. We’ve had a shot to win pretty much every race and something happens. That’s getting old, but the car is fast.

“That’s the bright side, but I’m kind of tired of looking at the bright side. I want to actually start finishing where we should.”
Blaney has led 195 laps this season, more than any driver who has yet to win this year.

PHOTO CAPTION: Denny Hamlin, right, and team owner Joe Gibbs celebrate and share the good news with loved ones via a phone call from Victory Lane.|Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

For decades now, the Jeep Wrangler has been the quintessential off-road machine. With its short wheelbase and small over hangs – it’s the perfect vehicle for the adventurous off-road driver. Last year, the Wrangler “JK”, out since 2006, was replaced by an all-new Wrangler, code-named the “JL”. This week I find myself exploring this new off-roader, in the Unlimited Rubicon trim level.

At first glace, the new Wrangler looks much like the one it replaces. That’s purely intentional. When an icon is being re-created, it has to be new, yet recognizable. The new Wrangler is exactly that.

While it may look the same, every panel is brand new. It’s larger too – the two-door is two-and-a-half inches longer while the four-door Unlimited is three-and-a-half inches longer. Wheelbase is also increased by an inch on the two-door Wrangler and two-and-a-half inches on the Unlimited.

Under the hood, Chrysler’s Pentastar V6 engine can still be found. Displacing 3.6 liters, it makes 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Want more power? Wrangler buyers can now opt for a new 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder. While it makes slightly less horsepower (270), torque jumps to 295 lb-ft – and in this business, torque is the name of the game. As a bonus, the boosted four-cylinder is equipped with a slight electric assist system. This system replaces the alternator with a motor/generator unit that can boost torque under acceleration as well as gather energy through regenerative braking. It also adds in Stop Start, to further save fuel at long stops.

Jump inside the new Jeep and you’ll find a much more modernized interior. Sure, the last Wrangler had some nice amenities, but they all seemed to be add-ons. In the new Wrangler, features like push-button start and a giant touch screen fit in nicely and feel like they belong. It’s roomier too, thanks to that slightly longer wheelbase.

So if you’re wondering if the new Wrangler Rubicon has gone soft, I can assure you it hasn’t. First off, the wheels are now larger 33 inchers, up an inch from the last model. That increases ground clearance by .9 inches (from 10.0 to 10.9). And those huge tires are now BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2s – the same tire found on the Ford Raptor.

The Rubicon comes with electronically locking front and rear differentials, an electronically disconnecting front anti-roll bar, and a 4.00:1 low range for its part-time four-wheel-drive system. Dana 44s are used for both the front and rear axles. And unlike other sophisticated off-road vehicles, the Wrangler has no adjustable-ride-height or terrain-response system. All that is left up to the driver.

Of course, the doors still come off and the windshield still folds down – both just much easier than last year’s Wrangler. And now, along with the hardtop and softtop, there is a third option – the Sky One Touch Power top. Going this route lets you choose between open air driving or a closed roof, by way of a button.

For 2019, Jeep has added adaptive cruise control and a forward collision warning system to the option ship.

As Jeep changed the Wrangler, it changed a modern day icon. But the new Wrangler is just as good as ever – and remains the ultimate off-road vehicle.

— Christopher A. Randazzo

By The Numbers:

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4×4

Base Price: $41,445.00 (2018)
Price as Tested: $58,990.00 (2018)
Layout: front-engine / four-wheel drive
Engine: 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Horsepower: 270 hp
Torque: 295 ft/lb
EPA Fuel Economy: 22 city / 24 highway mpg

[Visit me at www.carsbycar.blogspot.com or email me at autocran@gmail.com]