CHAMPION PROFILE: TRAVIS MCKINNEY | Hermiston Raceway and Desert Dual Series
Travis and Aimee McKinney celebrating their championship success together, highlighting the teamwork behind the achievement.
Travis McKinney might be glad he had changed his mind to not race in 2024.
His altering of plans allowed the Yakima hobby stock driver to land a pair of championships. One at Hermiston Raceway and another in the traveling series that runs at Hermiston and Tri City Raceway.
“TCR has been a very good track for me,” McKinney wrote in an email, so the idea of running an eight-race series split between both tracks was a fun idea.
Tri City Raceway reopened in 2021 after 17 years vacant. “I won the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Fall Classics. 2022 and 2024 Apple Cup. 2023 Desert Star,” McKinney said.
But Hermiston had a place in McKinney’s heart and history.
“I started my racing career at Hermiston Raceway back in 2001 and consider Hermiston my home track.” McKinney said. He made a deal with a fellow racer to buy a car and rented an engine from another fellow racer.
“My crew and I started working on the car and getting it ready for the season. There were four races at Tri-City Raceway and five at Hermiston that would decide the two championships.
In those nine races McKinney landed three fast times and wins in the Apple Cup at TCR and Memorial Day at Hermiston and in the process six podium finishes with just two DNF’s.
Sponsors like his wife Aimee McKinney, Northwest Truck Repair and Sales, Precision Driveline Services, Chris Gordy Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Red Rooster Bar, Landmark Properties Inc., Phase 2 Electric, Design 47, Johnson Farms, Tidrick Family, Clark Beaver, Jake Dudney and Jesse Vincent allow McKinney to race.
His crew consisting of Billy and Gina Scribner, Jerry and Robby Miller, Wayne Todd, Joe Jessup, Paul and Jocelyn Summerville, Danny and Becky Scribner keep his car running smoothly.
Travis McKinney’s winning hobby stock car, which secured his dual championships in the Hermiston Raceway and Desert Dual Series.
LOGANO DEFENDS AGAINST TEAMMATE RYAN BLANEY TO WIN THIRD ’CUP SERIES TITLE | From Racing America
AVONDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 10) — After a strong afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, Joey Logano has joined rarified air in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The 34-year-old driver was able to secure the victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at the one-mile oval in Avondale, Arizona, and in the process collect his third championship at NASCAR’s top level.
“I love the playoffs. I love it, man. What a race,” Logano said post-race. “What a Team Penske battle there at the end. Had a good restart and was able to get in front of the 12. And he had a lot of long run speed there, and it was all I had there to hold him off.”
In doing so, Logano becomes the 10th driver in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series to have three or more championships, joining Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip and Tony Stewart.
The Middletown, Connecticut native took control of the event after the race’s final restart, making a three-wide pass on Christopher Bell and fellow Championship 4 driver William Byron, as the two were battling side-by-side for the race lead.
From that point forward during the race’s final run, Logano continued to extend his margin, growing it over two seconds before Ryan Blaney, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, managed to get through for second.
Then, similar to last weekend’s event at Martinsville Speedway, the pursuit began, as Blaney, with a cleary-superior racecar, began taking chunks out of his teammate’s advantage. After reaching the rear bumper of the No. 22 Ford Mustang, Blaney just couldn’t get close enough.
When the checkered flag was displayed for the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse, the final margin of victory (MOV) was 0.330 seconds, over his teammate Blaney. William Byron, who finished third, was more than five seconds behind.
Blaney would have to settle for a runner-up, not just in Sunday’s event, but also in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings. William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, would take home third in both the results and points.
In his final event as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series competitor, Martin Truex, Jr. brought home a 17th-place, lead-lap finish for Joe Gibbs Racing.
The completion of Sunday’s event wraps up the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign and leaves an 84-day period where cars will not be on the racetrack.
The NASCAR Cup Series will return in 2025 on February 2, at the historic Bowman-Gray Stadium.
