Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series Southern 500 in a thrilling finish at Darlington Raceway to capture the first victory of the series Playoffs.
It was Hamlin’s first win of the year and his 45th career Cup Series victory. He led 146 laps in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and held off a hard-charging Kyle Larson who put the pedal to the floor and didn’t back off.
“Yeah, it was a matter of time,” Hamlin said about finally being able to finish strong and get to victory lane. “We can’t just keep leading inside 10 laps to go every week and not get a win.
“He drove it in past the limit of the car and tires. I knew he was coming. I was a little conservative on that last lap because I had that four-car-length lead.”
Larson kept his foot on the gas, scrapping the wall and the side of his No. 5 Hendricks Motorsports Chevrolet. But he could not make the pass and had to settle for second place after leading a race-high 156 laps. It was his 19th top-10 finish this season.
Larson explained his final attempt to pass Hamlin.
“We got to the white (flag), and I was like, ‘Well, I haven’t been able to gain on him now, I’m going to try something.’
“Honestly, got to his bumper too quick. I was hoping he was going to run that diamond to kind of be safe and I could skirt to his outside but gave everything I had. I didn’t want to wreck him. I just wanted to try to get to his outside there, but he did a great job not really making any mistakes during the last run, and I was having to push really hard in second to try and just stay with him.”
Ross Chastain finished third, earning his first top-10 finish in five races at Darlington Raceway with Martin Truex Jr. in fourth and Kevin Harvick rounding out the top five
Harvick was pleased with the top-five and said, “I think it’s a good start. I think just a little bit of balance here and there to get ourselves to compete for the win, but I think as you look at the overall speed, it was fairly good.”
Chase Briscoe, in 19th, was the highest-finishing rookie.
There were no issues during the post-race inspection.
The next Cup Series race will be at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET. and will be broadcast live on NBCSN.
Notable:
Kyle Busch – After contact with the No. 3 of Austin Dillon, Bush hit the wall and was unable to finish the race, relegating him to a 35th place finish. He placed the blame on his team, saying, “It wasn’t the 3’s (Dillon’s) fault. Just take our lumps, you know. We were running like (crap), and that’s what you get when you run like (crap). Shouldn’t be there.”
Alex Bowman – Bowman scraped the wall on Lap 14 and the team decided to wait and make repairs during the competition caution. But they waited too long and he hit the wall in Turn 4 and also made contact with his teammate William Byron. Bowman was able to recover but finished 26th.
William Byron – Byron also recovered and ran in the top ten but on Lap 200 he cut a left front tire and crashed into the Turn 1 wall and was unable to finish the race, placing 34th.
Chase Elliott – Elliott finished in 31st place after he hit the outside wall on Lap 327 while racing Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell.
Michael McDowell – McDowell hit the wall in Turn 2 on Lap 31 and then spun into the SAFER barrier, ending his day early.
Sheldon Creed made it two for two, winning the second race in Round 1 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs at Darlington Raceway Sunday afternoon.
Creed, the series’ current champion, started on the pole for the In It To Win It 200 and led 104 of the 147 laps to claim the checkered flag for his third victory and ninth top-10 finish of the year.
“We’ve had a tough season, but we’re finding it at the right time,” Creed said. “It feels so good to go back-to-back wins … Got to put the pressure on the other guys. I had really nothing to lose coming in, and we’ve got fast trucks.”
It was a repeat of the first race in the series Playoffs on August 31 at World Wide Technology of Racing, with the same result – Creed celebrating in victory lane.
John Hunter Nemechek won Stage 1, led 39 laps and earned a second-place finish. It was his 13th top-10 result this season. He also scored enough points to lock him into the next round of the Playoffs.
“Overall, a solid performance, Nemechek said. “Our Toyota Tundra was fast. Just needed a little bit more. It definitely stings knowing we had the dominant truck here in the spring, gave that one away. Then to come back and run second, it hurts. We’ll take the momentum, not going to dwell on this. Just one race of the Playoffs and now we’re focused on the next round.”
Stewart Friesen, Todd Gilliland and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top-five finishers as Grant Enfinger placed sixth followed by Chandler Smith, Johnny Sauter, Zane Smith and Matt Crafton, in sixth – 10th.
“Great day for the Halmar team – thanks to Chris Larson for everything. He’s always been there for me in my career. It was cool –- our best run for HFR, proud of that. Another good day for us,” said Friesen.
The series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16th for the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at 9 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Number 17 Race Results for the 2nd Annual In It To Win It 200 – Sunday, September 5, 2021 Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC – 1.366 – Mile Paved Total Race Length – 147 Laps – 200.802 Miles
It all came down to two laps and Noah Gragson never looked back as he held on to score his first Xfinity Series win of the season in overtime at Darlington Raceway.
“A lot of frustration this year,” Gragson said, “and things haven‘t gone our way, but we‘re getting some momentum when we need to, and I just can‘t thank everybody enough on this No. 9 team.
“This is Darlington, I can’t believe it.”
Gragson now has five top 10s in five starts at the Darlington and earned his third victory in 93 Xfinity Series starts. Coming off the announcement by JR Motorsports only a few days ago that his contract was renewed through 2022, Gragson can advance to the Playoffs with confidence.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Harrison Burton finished second, his third top-10 finish in four races at Darlington. Defending series champion Austin Cindric placed third for Team Penske, his third top-10 finish in four starts at the 1.366-mile track. Kaulig Racing drivers, Justin Haley and Jeb Burton rounded out the top five.
Allgaier, Tyler Reddick, Jeremy Clements, Snider and Alex Labbe finished sixth through 10th, respectively.
Stage 1 Highlights
Power issues that resulted from a faulty plug wire during the opening laps forced Daniel Hemric to pit twice but he was able to move up through the field and rebound to win Stage 1.
Noah Gragson finished second followed by AJ Allmendinger in third and Justin Haley in fourth. Denny Hamlin had the dominant car during the first stage but spun as Stage 1 was ending and finished fifth. Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones, Myatt Snider and Justin Allgaier finished sixth – 10th in the first stage.
Stage 2 Highlights
Noah Gragson won Stage 2 in a three and four-wide race to the finish. Hamlin, Cindric, Allgaier, Hemric, AJ Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Austin Dillon, Haley and Snider rounded out the top 10.
During the stage break, the leaders chose to pit and Gragson was able to retain the lead after pit stops were completed.
Stage 3 Highlights
On Lap 108 Riley Herbst was involved in an accident when Tommy Joe Martins suddenly slowed in Turn 3. Herbst was unable to stop and ran into the back of Martins. As he took his car to pit road, Herbst’s car caught on fire but he was able to get out of the car quickly. The incident brought out the sixth caution of the race.
During the caution, most of the leaders again decided to pit and Hamlin was first off pit road to take the lead. As the race neared its finish, Brandon Jones spun on Lap 138 leaving debris on the track and bringing out the eighth and final caution on Lap 146 to send the race into overtime.
Gragson held off Harrison Burton and led the final two laps to capture the victory.
There were eight cautions for 41 laps and 19 lead changes among eight drivers. Hamlin led a race-high 43 laps followed by Gragson who led 40 laps during the race.
There were no issues in the post-race inspection.
The Xfinity Series’ next race is at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Sept. 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET. There are only two races remaining in the regular season.
Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 results:
This weekend NASCAR travels to Darlington Raceway for a Labor Day celebration of racing. The Xfinity Series will take center stage Saturday afternoon and Sunday will feature a doubleheader with the Camping World Truck Series race at 1:30 p.m. followed by the Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at 6 p.m.
It’s the first of 10 races in the Cup Series Playoffs. Darlington starts off the Round of 16 as the drivers compete for the coveted championship title.
Sheldon Creed won the first race in Round 1 of the Truck Series Playoffs. The upcoming race at Darlington is the second post-season race and the final race of Round 1 will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway.
There are three races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular-season at Darlington Raceway, Richmond Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Their post-season begins on Sept. 25 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
All times are Eastern.
Saturday, September 4
3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros 3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles Pole: Daniel Hemric NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday, September 5
1 p.m.: Truck Series Driver Intros 1:30 p.m.: Truck Series In It To Win It 200 Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles Pole: Sheldon Creed FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
5:30 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros 6 p.m.: Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 Stages 115/230/367 Laps = 501.3 Miles Pole: Ryan Blaney NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Cup Series Playoff Grid – Round of 16 – Race 1 at Darlington
1.
Kyle Larson
2052
2.
Ryan Blaney
2024
3.
Martin Truex Jr.
2024
4.
Kyle Busch
2022
5.
Chase Elliott
2021
6.
Alex Bowman
2015
7.
Denny Hamlin
2015
8.
William Byron
2014
9.
Joey Logano
2013
10.
Brad Keselowski
2008
11.
Kurt Busch
2008
12.
Michael McDowell
2005
13.
Christopher Bell
2005
14.
Aric Almirola
2005
15.
Tyler Reddick
2003
16.
Kevin Harvick
2002
Truck Series Playoff Grid – Round of 12 – Race 2 at Darlington
1.
John H. Nemechek
2073
2.
Sheldon Creed
2071
3.
Ben Rhodes
2070
4.
Matt Crafton
2051
5.
Stewart Friesen
2049
6.
Austin Hill
2039
7.
Carson Hocevar
2031
8.
Todd Gilliland
2028
9.
Zane Smith
2018
10.
Chandler Smith
2010
(Sheldon Creed – One playoff win – World Wide Technology at Gateway)
Darlington Raceway Data
Season Race #: 27 of 36 (09-05-21) Playoff Race #: 1 of 10 Track Size: 1.366-miles Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 25 degrees Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 23 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 6 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 6 degrees Frontstretch Length: 1,229 feet Backstretch Length: 1,229 feet Race Length: 367 laps / 501.3 miles Stage 1 Length: 115 laps Stage 2 Length: 115 laps Final Stage Length: 137 laps
Top 12 Driver Ratings at Darlington
Kyle Larson ……………………….. 111.5 Denny Hamlin……………………… 107.3 Kevin Harvick……………………… 104.4 Martin Truex Jr……………………. 103.9 Kyle Busch…………………………. 103.1 Erik Jones………………………….. 100.0 Brad Keselowski……………………. 96.1 Joey Logano………………………… 91.1 Chase Elliott…………………………. 90.3 William Byron……………………….. 87.1 Ryan Newman………………………. 87.0 Kurt Busch…………………………… 86.4
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2021 races (19 total) among active drivers at Darlington Raceway.
Darlington Raceway Qualifying Data
2020 Darlington #1 pole winner: Brad Keselowski – Qualifying by Random Draw. 2020 Darlington #2 pole winner: Ryan Preece – Qualifying by Inverting Field. 2020 Southern 500 pole winner: Chase Elliott – Qualifying by Metric Qualifying. Track qualifying record: Aric Almirola, Ford (184.145 mph, 26.705 secs.) on April, 11, 2014.
Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in starts at Darlington with 27 each.
Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at Darlington with a 8.778 in 18 starts.
Kurt Busch (2001, 2013) and Kevin Harvick (2014, 2017) lead all active drivers in poles at Darlington with two each.
The youngest Darlington pole winner is William Byron (09/01/2019 – 21 years, 9 months, 3 days).
Ford leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Darlington Raceway with 43 poles; followed by Chevrolet (22), Mercury (13), Pontiac (10), Dodge (8), Buick (3), Oldsmobile (3), Plymouth (3), Toyota (2), Chrysler (1), Hudson (1) and Studebaker (1).
Darlington Raceway Race Data
2020 Darlington #1 race winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (115.815 mph, 03:27:21) on May 17, 2020. 2020 Darlington #2 race winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota (104.984 mph, 02:42:23) on May 20, 2020. 2020 Southern 500 winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (132.256 mph, 03:47:26) on Sept. 6, 2020. Track race record (500 miles): Matt Kenseth, Toyota (141.383 mph, 03:32:45) on 05-11-13.
Denny Hamlin (2010, 2017, 2020-2) and Kevin Harvick (2014, 2020-1, 2020-3) lead all active drivers with three wins each.
The youngest series Darlington winner is Kyle Busch (5/10/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 8 days).
Kevin Harvick is the only active driver to win from the pole (2014) at Darlington.
The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20 of 120, 16.667%) than any other starting position at Darlington.
Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins by an organization at Darlington in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14 victories.
A total of 11 different manufacturers have won in the series at Darlington; led by Chevrolet with 41 victories; followed by Ford (31), Mercury (10), Oldsmobile (six), Toyota (eight), Dodge (five), Pontiac (five), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Hudson (three) and American Motor Company (two).
Kyle Larson is coming off one of his worst races of the season, but oddsmakers expect a bounce back performance from the Cup Series leader. In fact, they expect him to win the race. Larson is given +325 odds, or an implied 23.5% chance to win the Cook Out Southern 500. Next best is Martin Truex Jr, who is given +600 odds to win the race. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are both given +700 odds.
NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway to celebrate Labor Day with a full weekend of racing competition and fun for the entire family.
As track president Kerry Tharp discussed several of the planned events, one thing was quickly apparent; there will be something for everyone.
“We’re going to have a fan zone. We’ve got a kid zone. We’ve got live entertainment Friday and Saturday night,” he said. “We’ve got a Playoffs party Saturday night and a doubleheader on Sunday.”
But, when the racing begins, tensions will be high as all three series focus on the Playoffs.
Turn 2 of the track was recently repaved in preparation for the Labor Day weekend. It was, however, a necessity rather than an enhancement.
“It was a much better long-term solution than the piecemeal we had been doing for the last three to four years,” Tharp explained. “They finished up about three weeks ago and NASCAR sent some people down from the manufacturers to check out the work. They felt very good about it. It didn’t change any of the banking or any of the geometry of that turn. I think it’s going to have a minimal if any, effect on the racing. It’s something that we had to do.”
The Cook Out Southern 500 is the first race in Round 1 of the Cup Series Playoffs.
The 1.366-mile track presents a unique challenge in the upcoming races. A win will automatically advance a driver through the Playoffs to the next round but there is a delicate balance between aggressiveness and patience.
“Darlington is a race where you need to be patient. It’s 500 miles so it’s 100 miles further than most races. Someone can be leading it on the 100-mile mark and then all of a sudden you look and say, ‘where did that guy go?’
“So I think the (playoff) drivers would certainly want to secure a win here but they also don’t want to forego any chance of advancing with a poor performance here. So, I think they are going to have to be very, very patient, take care of their tires and just be the best they can be.”
Tharp is looking forward to having the Camping World Truck Series back this weekend as they compete in the second race of their postseason playoffs.
“I love having the Trucks here. They put on great racing. I think for fans that have never come to a NASCAR race, the Truck Series is one to start out with. It’s an opportunity to let the fans see some of the younger drivers that are working themselves up into the ranks and there are also some veterans in the mix.”
The Xfinity Series regular season is winding down and with only three races remaining the competition at Darlington will be intense as the drivers contend for the remaining spots.
Although the 2022 schedule has not been released, Tharp is “cautiously optimistic” that the track will have the opportunity to host two race weekends again next year.
“We feel that the fans like coming here, the teams like coming here and it puts on a great show. It’s just a short drive down from where most of the team shops are in the Charlotte area.
“There are a lot of things to do here in South Carolina. It’s a beautiful part of the state and we would certainly welcome two race dates and hope to have two race dates for many, many more years to come.”
This will be the first time since September 2019 that the track is fully open with no seating restrictions in the grandstands and no limits in the camping areas.
“Ticket sales are going well,” Tharp confirmed. “There are really no limitations on our ticket sales or camping. We’re going to have a lot of fans in the grandstands and a lot of campers in the infield and the exterior of the facility.”
There are no specific COVID-19 protocols for fans in outdoor areas but they advise fans to wear masks in any enclosed spaces.
“We just ask fans to be smart and to be accountable for their own health.”
Kyle Larson won the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship Presented by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night. The trophy was awarded at the conclusion of the Coke Zero 400, the final race before the post-season Playoffs.
In his debut season with Hendrick Motorsports Larson has scored five wins, 14 top fives, 18 top 10s, led 1566 laps and earned 13 stage wins. He has led the championship points standings since claiming his fifth win at Watkins Glen International on August 8.
The regular-season championship gives Larson an additional 15 points as he heads into the 10-race Playoffs.
“We had a stretch there where we won like every stage and every race for a few weeks in a row,” Larson said. “I think we took huge chunks out then. I think I read somewhere where we overcame, I think, a 166-point gap to Denny (Hamlin). I didn’t think it was possible, but our team has worked so hard all of the regular season.
“I couldn’t do it without Mr. Hendrick and Linda and all of their support. Everybody back at the shop, too. This is a long season and we still have 10 races to go. It’s a long point to get here and it’s just a big hats off to everybody at the shop, HendrickCars.com, Valvoline, Tarlton and Son, everybody who’s been on board to help us out this year.”
Jim Campbell, GM U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports, congratulated Larson and the team, saying, “It was quite a battle right to the end, but the combination of the most wins, top-fives, top-10 finishes, stage wins and laps led made the difference to secure this Regular Season Championship. The team has momentum going into the Playoffs.”
The Playoffs begin Sept. 5 at the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and Larson is confident that his team will perform well.
“I mean, I think there’s a lot of good tracks for us,” Larson said. “I don’t know which ones specifically. I feel like we have a shot to win anywhere right now. That’s encouraging.
“I really just look forward to getting it started next week, kind of getting into the flow of that, racing in the playoffs against multiple other drivers chasing points and wins. Yeah, I feel good about it.”
But Larson’s confidence is tempered with the knowledge that the completion will be tough.
“I think everybody has had their moments of being really strong this year,” he said. “I think the three others, my teammates, are going to be really tough. I think I look at obviously Denny, Martin, Kyle Busch, as probably being the three others besides our team that stand out.
“I feel like there’s always one or two guys that you don’t really notice that much during the regular season, maybe don’t even notice that much in the first round, but really start hitting their stride after that. There’s probably definitely a few wild cards out there. You won’t really know who they are until we get a few races in.”
The Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 5 and will be broadcast live on NBCSN.
The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series head to Daytona International Speedway. It’s the last regular-season race for the Cup Series before the Playoffs begin. There are 15 drivers locked in with only one available spot.
The regular-season champion will also be crowned after the race, with Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin as the top contenders vying for the title.
This weekend the Camping World Truck Series enjoys a week off from competition.
All times are Eastern.
Friday, August 27
7:10 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros *7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Wawa 250 Stages 30/60/100 Lap = 250 Miles Pole: AJ Allmendinger NBCSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN
*The Xfinity race was postponed after completing only 19 laps Friday night due to rain and lightning in the area. It is scheduled to resume Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on NBCSN with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Saturday, August 28
6:50 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros 7 p.m.: Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 Stages 50/100/160 Laps = 400 Miles Pole: Kyle Larson NBC/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Clinch Scenarios for Daytona:
Already Clinched:
The following 15 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field – Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola.
Can Clinch Via Points:
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 4th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick.
Tyler Reddick would clinch with 31 points. Austin Dillon could only clinch with help.
Can Clinch Via Win:
The following drivers can clinch on their win alone – Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ross Chastain, Darrell Wallace Jr., Chase Briscoe, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Anthony Alfredo and Corey LaJoie.
Can Clinch Regular Season Championship:
Additionally, the Regular Season Championship can be clinched by Kyle Larson with 32 points. Denny Hamlin could only clinch with help.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Clinch Scenarios for Daytona:
Already Clinched:
Five drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs including Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider, leaving five available positions.
Can Clinch via Points:
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 166 points above the fifth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Justin Haley or Noah Gragson.
Daniel Hemric: would clinch with 44 points Harrison Burton: could only clinch with help Justin Haley: could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win:
The following drivers can clinch with a win – Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Justin Haley, Noah Gragson, Brandon Jones, Jeremy Clements, Riley Herbst, Brandon Brown, Ryan Sieg, Tommy Joe Martins, Alex Labbe, Landon Cassill, Josh Williams.
Statistical info provided by NASCAR
Daytona International Speedway Season Race #: 26 of 36 (08-28-21) Track Size: 2.5-mile Banking/Turns: 31 degrees Banking/Straights: 3 degrees Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees Frontstretch Length: 3,800 feet Backstretch Length: 3,000 feet Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles Stage 1 & 2 Length: 50 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 60 laps
Daytona International Speedway Qualifying Data
Track qualifying record (July race): Cale Yarborough, Ford (203.519 mph, 44.222 secs) on 07-02-86. 2020 pole winner: Metric qualifying, Kevin Harvick started from the pole.
Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in Daytona starts with 40 each.
Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in July Daytona starts with 20 each.
William Byron leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at Daytona with a 10.857 in seven total starts.
Ryan Blaney also leads the series in average starting position in the Summer races at Daytona with a 10.400 in six starts.
Eight of the 62 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona pole winners are active this weekend. Chase Elliott (3), Alex Bowman (2), Ricky Stenhouse Jr (1), William Byron (1), Austin Dillon (1), Kyle Busch (1), Martin Truex Jr (1), and Kevin Harvick (1).
Chase Elliott leads all active series drivers in poles at Daytona with three (Feb. 2016, Feb. 2017, and July 2018).
The youngest series Daytona pole winner is Chase Elliott (February 21, 2016 – 20 years, 2 months, 24 days).
Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations in Summer race poles at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series with seven: Darrell Waltrip (7/2/88), Greg sacks (7/7/90), Jeff Gordon (7/6/96 and 7/3/04), Mark Martin (7/2/11), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (7/1/17), Chase Elliott (7/7/2018).
Eight different manufacturers have won the pole for the Summer race at Daytona, led by Chevrolet (22), and followed by Ford (13), Pontiac (six), Dodge (five), Mercury (five), Oldsmobile (three), Toyota (one) and Buick (one).
Daytona International Speedway Race Data
Track race record (July race): Bobby Allison, Mercury (173.473 mph, 02:18:21) on 07-04-80. 2020 race winner: William Byron, Chevrolet (153.766 mph, 02:39:59) on 08-29-20.
14 of the 67 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona winners are active this weekend; seven of the 14 have won during the Summer event. Denny Hamlin (3), Kevin Harvick (2), Michael McDowell (1), William Byron (1), Justin Haley (1), Erik Jones (1), Austin Dillon (1), Ricky Stenhouse Jr (1), Kurt Busch (1), Brad Keselowski (1), Joey Logano (1), Aric Almirola (1), Kyle Busch (1) and Ryan Newman (1).
Denny Hamlin (Feb. 2016, Feb. 2019, Feb. 2020) leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Daytona wins with three.
The youngest Daytona Summer race winner: Justin Haley (07/07/2019 – 20 years, 2 months, 9 days); all-time track record – Trevor Bayne (02/20/2011 – 20 years, 0 months, 1 day).
Nine of the 62 summer Daytona International Speedway races (14.5%) in the NASCAR Cup Series have been won from the pole or first starting position.
The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (nine) than any other starting position in the July race at Daytona International Speedway.
Martin Truex Jr. leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona without visiting Victory Lane at 32; followed by Landon Cassill with 15 and Kyle Larson with 14.
The Wood Brothers and Hendrick Motorsports are toed for the most wins at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series with 15 victories each; both have done it with seven different winning drivers.
Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes in the summer race at Daytona with three (2006, ’07, ’16).
Denny Hamlin is the early favorite to walk away with a victory from the Coke Zero Sugar 400. In fact, he’s the only driver given odds better than +1100 odds. Hamlin is given +750 odds, or an implied 11.8% chance to win the race. He’s followed by Kyle Larson at +1100, or an implied 8.3% chance to win. Last year’s winner William Byron is tied for third at +1200, with a 7.7% implied chance of victory.
Bettors’ favorite to win the NASCAR Spring Cup series, with 50% of the bet over the last month, Chase Elliot is also tied for 3rd at +1200.
This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Michigan International Speedway. The Camping World Truck Series will compete at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway for the first race in their Playoffs.
There are five regular-season races left in the Xfinity Series.
Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider have already clinched a spot in the Xfinity postseason 12-driver field.
Xfinity Series drivers who can secure their spot with a win include Brandon Brown, Harrison Burton, Jeremy Clements, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Riley Herbst, Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones and Ryan Sieg.
Landon Cassill, Alex Labbe, Tommy Joe Martins and Josh Williams could clinch a spot in the Xfinity Playoffs with a win and some help.
There are only two open spots in the Cup Series postseason. Aric Almirola, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell and Martin Truex Jr. have each qualified for the Playoffs.
Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Darrell Wallace Jr., Chase Briscoe, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Corey Lajoie, Anthony Alfredo can clinch with a win.
Harvick, the defending race winner, can also earn a spot in the Playoffs with 44 points.
All times are Eastern.
Friday, August 20 – Michigan
4 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series practice – No TV 6 p.m.: ARCA Series Henry Ford Health System 200 at Michigan 100 Laps/200 Miles Trackpass/MRN
Friday, August 20 – WWT Raceway at Gateway
8:50 p.m.: Driver Intros 9 p.m.: Truck Series Toyota 200 presented by CK Power at Gateway Stages 55/110/160 laps = 200 Miles Pole: Austin Hill FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Saturday, August 21 – Michigan
3:05 p.m.: Driver Intros 3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series New Holland 250 at Michigan Stages 30/60/125 Laps = 250 Miles Pole: Austin Cindric NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN
Sunday, August 22 – Michigan
2:30: Driver Intros 3 p.m.: Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan Stages 60/120/200 Laps = 400 miles Pole: Kyle Larson NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN
Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet (206.558 mph, 34.857 secs.) on August 17, 2014. 2020 Michigan pole winner: Qualifying canceled due to COVID-19. The starting lineup was decided by a random draw.
Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active NCS drivers in Michigan starts with 40 each.
Tyler Reddick leads all active NCS drivers in average starting position at with an 8.500 in two starts.
Seven of the 50 NCS Michigan pole winners are active this weekend. Joey Logano (4), Kurt Busch (3), Brad Keselowski (2), Denny Hamlin (1), Kevin Harvick (1), Kyle Larson (1), and Ryan Newman (1).
Joey Logano (2013, 2016 sweep, 2019) leads all active NCS drivers in poles at Michigan with four; followed by Kurt Busch (2010, 2011 and 2018) with three.
The youngest series Michigan pole winner is Joey Logano (August 16, 2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 23 days).
Nine different manufacturers have won a pole at Michigan in the NCS. Ford leads the series in poles at Michigan with 31, followed by Chevrolet (27), Mercury (10), Dodge (nine), Pontiac (eight), Toyota (six), Buick (three), Plymouth (two) and Oldsmobile (one).
Michigan Race Data
Track race record: Dale Jarrett, Ford (173.997 mph, 2:17:56) on June 13, 1999. 2020 Michigan race winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (124.712 mph, (02:34:55) on August 8, 2020.
A total of 38 different drivers have won in the NCS at Michigan with seven of the 38 race winners are active this weekend. Kevin Harvick (5), Joey Logano (3), Kurt Busch (3), Kyle Larson (3), Denny Hamlin (2), Ryan Newman (2), and Kyle Busch (1).
Kurt Busch (2003, 2007, 2015), Matt Kenseth (2002, 2006, 2015), Joey Logano (2013, 2016, 2019) and Kevin Harvick (2010, 2018, 2019) lead all active series drivers in wins at Michigan with three each.
The youngest series Michigan winner id Joey Logano (August 18, 2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 25 days).
Martin Truex Jr. (30), and Michigan native Brad Keselowski (23) lead all active drivers in the series in starts without a win at Michigan.
The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (22 of 103, 21.36%) than any other starting position at Michigan.
The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Michigan is 24th, by Kurt Busch in the June of 2015.
Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Michigan with 13. Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one).
Eight different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Michigan. It’s led by Ford with 41 victories, followed by Chevrolet with 26, Mercury (12), Dodge (nine), Toyota (five), Buick (four) Pontiac (four) and Oldsmobile (two).
Top 12 Michigan Driver Ratings
Kevin Harvick……………………… 102.5 Joey Logano………………………… 99.1 Chase Elliott…………………………. 99.1 Brad Keselowski……………………. 97.3 Kyle Larson………………………….. 96.1 Denny Hamlin……………………….. 92.6 Ryan Blaney…………………………. 92.5 Kurt Busch…………………………… 91.8 Kyle Busch…………………………… 90.7 Christopher Bell…………………….. 89.6 Martin Truex Jr……………………… 89.3 Erik Jones……………………………. 86.6 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (32 total) among active drivers at Michigan International Speedway.
NASCAR heads to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this weekend where the Cup Series will make its first start Sunday afternoon. The road course is 2.439 miles with 14 turns and is the third new track that the Cup Series has debuted at this season.
On Saturday, the Xfinity Series will compete for the second time at the track. Chase Briscoe won the inaugural race in 2020.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend and will return on August 20 for their first race in the Playoffs at World Wide Technology Raceway.
All times are Eastern.
Friday, August 13
5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.: Xfinity Series practice NBCSN/NBC Sports App
Saturday, August 14
10:05 a.m.: Xfinity Qualifying (Impound) Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds NBC Sports App
11:05 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.: Cup Series Practice NBC Sports App
3:45 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros 4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard Stages 20/40/62 Laps = 151.22 Miles NBC Sports App/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/IMS Radio/TSN5
Sunday, August 15
9:05 a.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) Multi-Vehicle /Two Rounds CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
12:25 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros 1 p.m.: Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard Stages 15/35/82 Laps = 200 Miles NBC/NBC Sports App/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/IMS Radio/TSN3, 5
Cup Series notes:
Kyle Larson is currently first in the Cup Series points standings with only three races remaining in the regular season. He tied Denny Hamlin after his win at Watkins Glen, with both drivers having earned 917 points. But, because Larson has five wins and Hamlin has none, Larson wins the tiebreaker.
Kevin Harvick is going to try to become the first driver to win the Verizon 200 three years in a row, and the first to win it 4 times. Yet, he’s not the favorite to win the race this year. That honor belongs to Chase Elliott.
Oddsmakers give Elliott +210 odds, or a 32.3% chance to win the race. Meanwhile, Harvick sits 11th on the market at +3000, or an implied 3.2% chance to pull off the three-peat. NASCAR Cup leader Kyle Larson is given the second-best odds to win the race at +350 or a 22.2% chance.
(If you use any of the data or quotes from this press release please credit OddsChecker by using the following link: https://www.oddschecker.com/us/motorsport/nascar/verizon-200-brickyard/winner)
VERIZON 200 BRICKYARD WINNER ODDS
Driver
Odds
Implied chance
Chase Elliott
+210
32.3%
Kyle Larson
+350
22.2%
Martin Truex Jr.
+800
11.1%
Kyle Busch
+1100
8.3%
Denny Hamlin
+1600
5.9%
AJ Allmendinger
+2000
4.8%
Austin Cindric
+2500
3.8%
Christopher Bell
+2500
3.8%
Joey Logano
+2500
3.8%
William Byron
+2500
3.8%
Cup Series Clinch Scenarios
Eleven drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs leaving five spots available: Christopher Bell Ryan Blaney Alex Bowman Kurt Busch Kyle Busch William Byron Chase Elliott Brad Keselowski Kyle Larson Joey Logano Martin Truex Jr.
Can Clinch Via Points: If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the second winless driver in the standings. Denny Hamlin: Would clinch regardless of finish.
Can Clinch Via Previous Wins: The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by previous winner or a win by Denny Hamlin: Michael McDowell and Aric Almirola: Would clinch regardless of finish.
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by new winner: Michael McDowell: Could only clinch with help. Aric Almirola: Could only clinch if the new winner is Corey Lajoie or another driver even lower in the standings.
Can Clinch Via Win: The following drivers would clinch on their win alone this weekend – Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola
The following drivers could clinch with a win: Chris Buescher could only clinch with help. Matt DiBenedetto could only clinch with help. Ross Chastain could only clinch with help.
Xfinity Series Notes:
There are six races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular season. Four drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs, leaving 8 available slots to fill.
Xfinity Series Clinch Scenarios
Four drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs: Justin Allgaier AJ Allmendinger Jeb Burton Austin Cindric
Can clinch via points at Indianapolis: Myatt Snider could clinch with three points because of his previous win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Can clinch via a win at Indianapolis: The following drivers can clinch with a win – Brandon Brown, Harrison Burton, Jeremy Clements, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Daniel Hemric, Riley Herbst, Brandon Jones, Myatt Snider
NASCAR heads to Watkins Glen International this weekend for a full schedule of racing. It will be the first time back at the 2.45-mile road course since 2019.
The ARCA Menards Series starts off the action Friday evening. The Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series compete back to back Saturday and the Cup Series closes out the activities Sunday afternoon.
Chase Elliott has won the last two Cup Series events at Watkins Glen and is considered the favorite heading into the weekend. Kyle Busch and Elliott have the most wins at Watkins Glen among active drivers, with two victories each. Brad Keselowski will start on the pole with teammates Joey Logano starting in second and Ryan Blaney in third.
There have been 26 Xfinity Series races at Watkins Glen with 15 different race winners. In 2019, Austin Cindric became the youngest winner in the history of the track. He was 20 years, 11 months and one day old. JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier will start on the pole.
The Camping World Truck Series returns to Watkins Glen for the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon. It’s the series’ first time back at the track since 2000 and Austin Hill will lead the way from the pole. There have only been five previous Truck Series races at the track with four different winners. Ron Hornaday won the first two races, going to victory lane in 1996 driving a Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet, and again in 1997 driving for Billy Hess Racing. Joe Ruttman won in 1998, Ron Fellows in 1999 and Greg Biffle won the last Truck race held at Watkins Glen in 2000.
There will be no practice or qualifying for the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series. The starting lineups were determined by the following metrics formula established by NASCAR.
• 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
All times are Eastern.
Friday, August 6
3:15 p.m. – 4 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Practice/Qualifying 6 p.m.: ARCA Series Clean Harbors 100 at The Glen (41 Laps, 100.45 Miles) TV/Radio: FS1, MRN
Saturday, August 7
12:05 p.m.: Truck Series Driver Intros (Drivers standing by trucks) 12:30 p.m.: Truck Series United Rentals 176 (Stages 20/45/72 Laps, 176.4 Miles) Pole: Austin Hill TV/Radio: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros (Drivers standing by cars) 4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 (Stages 20/40/82 Laps, 200.9 Miles) Pole: Justin Allgaier Defending Winner: Austin Cindric TV/Radio: CNBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday, August 8
2:20 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros (Drivers standing by cars) 3 p.m.: Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen (Stages 20/40/90 Laps, 220.5 Miles) Pole: Brad Keselowski Defending Winner: Chase Elliott TV/Radio: NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Watkins Glen Data
Season Race #: 23 of 36 (08-08-21) Track Size: 2.45-miles Track Type: Multi-Elevational Road Course Number of Turns: 7 Race Length: 90 laps / 220.5 miles Stage 1 & 2 Lengths: 20 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 50 laps
Watkins Glen: Qualifying Data
Track qualifying record: Marcos Ambrose, Ford (129.491 mph, 68.113 secs.) on 08-09-14. 2019 pole winner: Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (127.297 mph, 69.287 secs.) on 08-04-19.
Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick lead all active NCS drivers in starts at Watkins Glen with 19 starts each.
Chase Elliott leads the series among active drivers in average starting position at Watkins Glen with a 6.000 in four starts.
Five of the 22 NCS pole winners at Watkins Glen are active this weekend. Kyle Busch (2), Chase Elliott (1), Denny Hamlin (1), AJ Allmendinger (1), and Kurt Busch (1).
Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon lead the series in poles at Watkins Glen with three each.
Kyle Busch leads all active NCS drivers in poles at Watkins Glen with two.
Five drivers have won multiple poles in the NCS at Watkins Glen. Kyle Busch is the only active driver with multiple WGI poles (two).
The youngest NCVS Watkins Glen pole winner is Chase Elliott (08/4/2019 at 23 years, 8 months, 7 days).
Seven different manufacturers have won at least one NCS pole at Watkins Glen. They are led by Chevrolet with 15 poles, followed by Ford (8), Toyota (four), Dodge, Mercury, Oldsmobile and Pontiac (one each).
Watkins Glen: Race Data
Track race record: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota (104.132 mph, 02:07:03) on 08-06-17. 2019 race winner: Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (98.523 mph, 02:14:17) on 08-04-19. 2020 pole/race winner: The series did not compete in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Seven of the 23 NCS winners at Watkins Glen are active this weekend. Chase Elliott (2), Kyle Busch (2), Martin Truex Jr. (1), Denny Hamlin (1), Joey Logano (1), AJ Allmendinger (1), and Kevin Harvick (1).
Tony Stewart leads the NCS in wins at Watkins Glen with five victories (2002, ’04, ’05, ’07 and ’09).
Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch lead all active NCS drivers in wins at Watkins Glen with two wins each.
Consecutive WGI Race Winners: Jeff Gordon (1997, 1998, 1999), Mark Martin (1993, 1994, 1995), Chase Elliott (2018, 2019), Marcos Ambrose (2011, 2012), and Tony Stewart (2004, 2005).
The youngest NCS Watkins Glen winner is Chase Elliott (08/05/2018 at 22 years, 8 months, 8 days).
A total of 10 of the 37 NCS races at Watkins Glen have been won from the pole or first starting position, making it the most proficient starting position in the field at 27%.
Kurt Busch leads the series among active NCS drivers with the most starts at Watkins Glen without visiting Victory Lane at 19 starts.
18 different organizations have won in the NCS at Watkins Glen and nine are active this weekend. Hendrick Motorsports (8), Joe Gibbs Racing (7), Roush Fenway Racing (3), Richard Childress Racing (2), Richard Petty Motorsports (2), JTG Daugherty Racing (1), Team Penske (1), Stewart-Haas Racing (1) and Wood Brothers Racing (1).
Six different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Watkins Glen. It is led by Chevrolet with 19 victories, followed by Ford with eight, Pontiac and Toyota with four each and Buick and Mercury each have one.
Erik Jones leads all active NCS drivers in average finishing position at WGI with a 6.333 in three starts.
Kyle Busch leads the NCS in laps led at Watkins Glen among active drivers with 247 in 15 starts.
Top 12 Driver Ratings at Watkins Glen
Chase Elliott – 120.4 Kyle Busch – 110.5 Erik Jones – 104.8 Martin Truex Jr – 99.9 Brad Keselowski – 99.4 AJ Allmendinger – 94.9 Kurt Busch – 92.9 Daniel Suarez – 92.5 Kevin Harvick – 90.5 Denny Hamlin – 90.0 Kyle Larson – 88.2 Ryan Blaney – 85.4
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2019 races (15 total) among active drivers at Watkins Glen International. Series did not compete at WGI in 2020 due to the pandemic.
