Author: Angie Campbell

  • NASCAR schedule for Daytona Speedweek

    NASCAR schedule for Daytona Speedweek

    The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season officially begins Sunday, Feb. 18 with the Daytona 500. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been named as the Grand Marshal for the event which will be broadcast at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Leading up to the race, on Feb. 15 at 10 p.m., the FOX Sports documentary, “I am Kevin Harvick,” will premiere on FS1.

    All times are Eastern

    Wednesday, Feb. 14
    8:15 p.m. Cup Series Daytona 500 Qualifying – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM (Impound) (Single Vehicle / 1 Lap / 2 Rounds)
    Post-NCS Qualifying: Press Pass Live

    Thursday, Feb. 15
    4:05 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Practice – No TV
    5:05 p.m.: Craftsman Truck Series Practice – FS1
    7 p.m.: Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1, 60 laps – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    8:45 p.m. (approx.): Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2, 60 laps – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    Post Duels: Press Pass Live

    Friday, Feb. 16
    1:30 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Qualifying – No TV
    3 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – FS1/MRN (Impound) (Single Vehicle /1 Lap /2 Rounds)
    4:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – FS1/MRN
    5:35 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS1/MRN
    7:30 p.m.: Truck Series Fresh from Florida 250 (Stages 20/40/100 Laps=250 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    Post Truck Series Race: Press Pass Live 10:30 p.m.: Daytona ARCA 200 (80 Laps, 200 Miles) – Originally scheduled for Saturday, time is approximate (after the conclusion of the Truck Series race). The broadcast will start on FS2 and then move to FS1 after college basketball.

    Saturday, Feb. 17
    10:30 a.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – FS1/MRN – Canceled
    1:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – FS1/MRN (Impound) (Single Vehicle / 1 Lap / 2 Rounds)
    1:30 p.m.: Daytona ARCA 200 – Moved to Friday night after the Truck Series race
    4 p.m.: Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 (Stages 30/60/120 Laps = 300 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM – Postponed to Monday at approximately 9 p.m.
    Post Xfinity Series Race: Press Pass Live

    Sunday, Feb. 18
    4:30 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 – FOX/MRN/SiriusXM – Postponed to Monday at 4 p.m.
    (Stages 65/130/200 Laps = 500 Miles)
    Post Cup Series Race: Press Pass Live

  • NASCAR 2024 Silly Season updates

    NASCAR 2024 Silly Season updates

    As 2023 comes to an end, the silly season begins. Check below for all of the driver and team news in anticipation of the NASCAR 2024 season. This list will be updated periodically.

    Lawless Alan, No. 33 Reaume Brothers Racing 33 Ford (NCTS)
    Reaume Racing announced on Jan. 14 that Lawless Alan has been signed to run full-time in the 2024 Craftsman Truck Series.

    Anthony Alfredo, No. 5 Our Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS) and Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup)
    Our Motorsports announced on Dec. 7 that beginning in 2024, Alfredo will race full-time in the No. 5 Chevrolet Xfinity Series car. It was later revealed that Josh Graham, former crew chief for Parker Retzlaff, will join the team as crew chief for Alfredo.
    Beard Motorsports announced on December 20 that Anthony Alfredo will pilot the No. 62 Chevrolet in the 2024 Daytona 500 and the GEICO 500 on April 21 at Talladega.

    Justin Allgaier, No 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    Allgaier will return to JR Motorsports for the 2024 Xfinity Series season after signing an extension. Jim Pohlman will be back as his crew chief.

    AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS) (NCS)
    Allmendinger will return to drive the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 with crew chief Alex Yontz and will compete in select Cup Series races next season. Travis Mack will serve as his crew chief for the Cup Series races and will also assume the role of Technical Director for their Cup Series program.

    Allmendinger will also compete in select Cup Series races next season. Travis Mack will serve as his crew chief for the Cup Series races and assume the role of Technical Director for their Cup Series program. On Dec. 20 it was confirmed that Allmendinger would drive the Kaulig Racing No 16 Chevrolet in the Cup Series Daytona 500.

    Aric Almirola, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)
    Almirola will run a part-time Xfinity Series schedule in 2024 sharing driving duties in the No. 20 JGR Toyota with John Hunter Nemechek for an unspecified number of races.

    Jordan Anderson, No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Feb. 12, it was announced on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that team owner, Jordan Anderson, will drive the No. 32 Chevrolet as a third entry for the organization in the 2024 Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. Anderson’s father-in-law, Larry McReynolds, will join him as crew chief for the team.

    Marco Andretti, No. 04 Cook Racing Technologies in alliance with Roper Racing Team (NCTS) and No. 17 Cook Racing Technologies Chevrolet (ARCA)
    Marco Andretti has signed with Cook Racing Technologies to drive the No. 17 Chevrolet in 14 ARCA Menards Series races beginning at Daytona in February. Andretti will also compete in seven Craftsman Truck Series races in the No. 04 Chevrolet in an alliance with Roper Racing. His first Truck start will be at Circuit of the Americas on March 23.

    Tyler Ankrum, No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Tyler Ankrum is moving to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing for the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. He will drive the No. 18, renumbered from the No. 35 driven by Jake Garcia in 2023.

    Beard Motorsports, No.62 Chevrolet (NCS)
    On Dec. 20, Beard Motorsports announced that it will compete in the following four races in 2024 – the Daytona 500 in February, the GEICO 500 on April 21 at Talladega, the Aug. 24 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, and the Oct. 6 YellaWood 500 at Talladega. Anthony Alfredo will drive the Beard Motorsports No. 62 Chevrolet in the Cup Series 2024 Daytona 500 and the GEICO 500 on April 21 at Talladega. Their schedule for the remainder of the 2024 season and the driver lineups will be announced at a later date.

    Josh Berry, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    Stewart-Haas Racing announced in June that Josh Berry would replace retired driver, Kevin Harvick, in the No. 4 Ford in 2024. On Dec. 19, Eddie D’Hondt was named as the spotter for Josh Berry in his first season with SHR.

    Josh Bilicki, No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Jan. 4, DGM Racing announced that Josh Bilicki will drive the team’s No. 92 Chevrolet Camaro in select Xfinity Series races in 2024. Bilicki’s first race will occur at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 17th.

    BJ McLeod Motorsports, No. 78 Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Jan. 30, BJ McLeod Motorsports announced that Pat Tryson will return to crew chief the No. 78 Chevrolet for the 2024 Xfinity Series season. The team has not revealed whether they will compete full-time or run a partial schedule.

    Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford (NCS)
    Blaney will have a new spotter in 2024 as Tim Fedewa joins the team. Fedewa is a former racer and was Kevin Harvick’s spotter for 10 years.

    Spencer Boyd, No 76 Freedom Racing Enterprises Chevrolet (NCTS)
    It was announced on Jan. 8 that Spencer Boyd and Chris Miller have formed a new Craftsman Truck Series team, Freedom Racing Enterprises. The team will compete full-time with Boyd in the No 76 Chevrolet & Greg Ely as crew chief. Jeff Hammond will serve as General Manager.

    Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (NCS)
    Burton has confirmed that he will return in 2024 to drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with crew chief, Jeremy Bullins. Jason Jarrett (former spotter for Justin Haley) will spot for Burton in 2024.

    Jeb Burton, No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Jordan Anderson Racing announced on Nov. 2 that Jeb Burton will return to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024. Shane Whitbeck will be back as Burton’s crew chief.

    Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Kyle Busch, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)

    In addition to competing full-time in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series this season, it was announced on Feb. 7 that Busch will also drive an unspecified number of Craftsman Truck Series races in 2024 for Spire Motorsports.

    Rajah Caruth, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    It was announced on Feb. 4 that Caruth will drive the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series in 2024. HendrickCars.com will be the primary sponsor for 10 races. He will be paired with crew chief Chad Walter. Caruth was formerly with GMS Racing who ceased operations at the end of the 2023 season.

    Ross Chastain/Busch Light, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Chastain has signed a multiyear contract extension with Trackhouse Racing to drive the No. 1 with Anheuser Busch as his primary sponsor in 2024. He will also compete in select Truck Series races throughout the season for Niece Motorsports.

    Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (NCS)
    Cindric announced in October that he will return to the No. 2 Ford next season.

    Dawson Cram, No. 4 JD Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    JD Motorsports announced on Dec. 6 that beginning in 2024, Cram will race full-time in the No. 4 Chevrolet.

    Sheldon Creed, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)
    Creed joins Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024 to compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after a two-year tenure with Richard Childress Racing in 2022 and 2023.

    Cole Custer, No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NXS)
    Stewart-Haas Racing announced on Nov. 2 that Custer is returning to the Xfinity Series in 2024. The Ford team will keep the same lineup of Custer and Riley Herbst.

    Hailie Deegan, No. 15 AM Racing Ford (NXS)
    Deegan will move to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with AM Racing in 2024 with a multiyear deal. It was announced on Dec. 19 that Joe Williams Jr. will serve as Deegan’s crew chief in her rookie season.

    Matt DiBenedetto, No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet (NCTS)
    DiBenedetto announced on Aug. 30 that he would not be returning to Rackley W.A.R. in 2024, adding that he has no plans for next season but is “exploring all options in all series.”

    Ty Dillon, No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Dec. 29, it was announced that Ty Dillon is returning to the NASCAR Truck Series and will compete full-time in 2024 driving the Rackley W.A.R. No. 25 Chevrolet. Shane Wilson was named as Dillon’s crew chief on January 9.

    Daniel Dye, No. 43 GMS Racing Chevrolet (NCTS) and No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Dye, formerly with GMS Racing, will join McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in 2024 as the full-time driver of the No. 43 Chevrolet in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. On Jan. 16, it was announced that Dye will also compete in 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races for Kaulig Racing in the No. 10 Chevrolet.

    Kaulig Racing will enter the NXS No. 10 Champion Container Chevrolet in the following races:
    Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway
    April 6 at Martinsville Speedway
    April 27 at Dover Motor Speedway
    June 15 at Iowa Speedway
    July 13 at Pocono Raceway
    July 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
    Aug. 17 at Michigan International Speedway
    Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway
    Oct. 19 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
    Nov. 9 at Phoenix Raceway

    Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota NXS)
    Sam Hunt Racing announced on January 16 that Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive the No. 26 Toyota in 2024 for multiple races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His first race will be at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24

    Christian Eckes, No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Eckes will return to drive full-time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2024. Crew Chief Charles Denike will also return.

    Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, NCS
    It was confirmed on Jan. 2, that Trey Poole will join Elliott’s team as his spotter in 2024. Poole is Elliott’s cousin and has previously worked as an additional spotter for the team as needed. His former spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, will move to Stewart-Haas Racing as the spotter for Josh Berry.

    Ryan Ellis, No. 43 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Alpha Prime Racing announced in August that Ellis will compete in his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series in 2024. On Jan. 27 the team revealed that Mike Hillman will lead the No. 43 team as crew chief.

    Patrick Emerling, No. 07 SS-Greenlight Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Feb. 1, the team announced that Patrick Emerling will be the primary driver of the No. 07 Xfinity Chevrolet in 2024 when there isn’t a conflict as he attempts to also win a championship in the Whelen Modified Tour. Emerling’s first Xfinity Series race will be the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 17. His complete Xfinity Series schedule will be announced at a later date.

    Grant Enfinger, No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    CR7 announced on Dec. 12 that it signed Grant Enfinger to a multiyear deal to race full-time for the team, beginning in 2024.

    Jake Garcia, ThorSport Racing (NCTS)
    ThorSport announced on Nov. 15 that Garcia would join the lineup beginning in 2024.

    Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (NCS)
    Front Row Motorsports announced in August that Gilliland will return to drive the No. 38 Ford full-time in 2024.

    GMS Racing (NCTS)
    On Aug. 25, 2023, GMS officials announced that it would cease operations after the 2023 race season

    Noah Gragson, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    On Aug. 13 Stewart-Haas Racing announced that they had signed a multiyear deal for Gragson to drive the No. 10 Ford. The news came following Gragson’s reinstatement by NASCAR after a suspension for violating member conduct rules.

    Kaz Grala, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford (NCS)
    On Jan. 17 Rick Ware Racing announced that Kaz Grala has been signed to compete in 25 Cup Series races in the No. 15 Ford Mustang with crew chief Billy Plourde. His first start with the team will be in the Busch Light Clash exhibition race and his first regular season points race will be on Feb. 25 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The remainder of his schedule will be announced at a later date.

    It was announced on Jan. 23 that Grala will also attempt to qualify the Front Row Motorsports No. 36 Ford Mustang for the Daytona 500. He will participate in the qualifying session on Wednesday, Feb. 14 and he can also lock into the race during the Duel events on Thursday.

    Tanner Gray, No. 15 Tricon Garage Toyota (NCTS)
    No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (ARCA)
    Tricon Garage announced on Nov. 9 that Gray will return to the organization full-time for the 2024 Truck Series season. He will also substitute for William Sawalich in six races in the ARCA Menards Series (until Sawalich turns 18) driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    Gray will also compete in six ARCA Menards Series races: Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 17), Talladega Superspeedway (April 20), Kansas Speedway (May 4 and Sept. 27), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 24) and Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 16).

    Taylor Gray, No. 17 Tricon Garage Toyota (NCTS)
    Tricon Garage announced on Nov. 10 that Gray will race his first full Truck Series season as pilot of the No. 17 next season.

    Justin Haley, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford (NCS)
    Haley will compete full-time for Rick Ware Racing in 2024 after signing a multiyear deal. He will be paired with crew chief Chris Lawson.

    Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NCS)
    Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing announced in September that he will return to drive the No. 11 Toyota in 2024 and beyond.

    Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    Harvick will move to the FOX Sports broadcast booth starting with the 2024 season after retiring from NASCAR competition at the end of the 2023 season.

    Corey Heim, No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota (NCTS), No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota (NXS), Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing reserve driver
    In October 2023, TRICON Garage announced that Heim would return to compete full-time in the Truck Series in 2024.

    On January 10, 2024, Sam Hunt Racing revealed that Heim will drive the No. 26 Toyota for the team in the Xfinity Series for multiple races. His first start will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 2.

    Heim posted on social media on Jan. 25 that he has also been signed by Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing, saying, “I’m grateful to announce that I’ve been signed by @LEGACYMotorClub as their simulator & reserve driver for this season and will also be the reserve driver for @23XIRacing.”

    Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Hemric will return to the Cup Series in 2024 driving the No. 31 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing.

    Riley Herbst, No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NXS) and No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford (NCS)
    It was announced on Feb. 2 that Herbst will pilot the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford in the Daytona 500, the first of select Cup Series races for the team. Herbst currently competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for Stewart-Haas Racing.

    Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Hill will remain with Richard Childress Racing and compete in the Xfinity Series in 2024.

    Timmy Hill, No. 56 Hill Motorsports Toyota (NCTS)
    Hill Motorsports announced on Dec. 8 that Timmy Hill would race a full-time Truck Series schedule in 2024

    Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCS)
    Hocevar moves to the Cup Series as the driver of the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports and will be joined by veteran crew chief, Luke Lambert.

    Bret Holmes, No 32 Bret Holmes Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Bret Holmes Racing announced on Jan. 19 that Brett Holmes will compete full-time this year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the No. 32 Chevrolet. They have signed a technical alliance with Spire Motorsports for 2024 and Mike Shiplett will join the team as crew chief.

    Leland Honeyman Jr., No. 42 Chevrolet Young’s Motorsports (NXS)
    Young’s Motorsports announced on Jan. 3, 2024, that Leland Honeyman Jr. will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 with Andrew Abbott as his crew chief.

    Joe Gibbs Racing names Xfinity Series lineup (NXS)
    JGR announced its full-time and part-time roster on Dec. 13. Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith will race full-time, while six drivers will compete part-time between two race cars. Aric Almirola, John Hunter Nemechek, Ryan Truex, Taylor Gray, William Sawalich and Joe Graf Jr. will make up the part-time portion of the lineup.

    Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club No. 84 Toyota (NCS)
    Johnson will run a limited number of NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024. As of Jan. 16, nine races have been announced:
    Feb. 18 – Daytona (Sponsor – Carvana)
    April 14 – Texas (Sponsor – AdventHealth)
    April 28 – Dover (Sponsors – Dollar Tree and Family Dollar)
    May 5 – Kansas (Sponsor – AdventHealth)
    May 26 – Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (Sponsor – AdventHealth)
    July 21 – Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (Sponsor – Carvana)
    Sept. 29 – Kansas (Sponsors – Dollar Tree and Family Dollar)
    Oct. 20 – Las Vegas (Sponsors – Dollar Tree and Family Dollar)
    Nov. 10 – Phoenix Season Finale (Sponsor – Carvana)

    Brandon Jones, No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    Jones re-signed with JR Motorsports in September and will continue to compete in the Xfinity Series in 2024.

    JR Motorsports – Chevrolet (NXS)
    JR Motorsports announced its crew chief lineup for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series on Dec. 18:
    Phillip Bell – Brandon Jones in the No. 9
    Mardy Lindley – Sam Mayer in the No. 1
    Jim Pohlman – Justin Allgaier in the No. 7
    Adam Wall – Sammy Smith in the No. 8

    Sage Karam, No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota (NXS)
    Sam Hunt Racing announced on Jan. 23 that Karam will compete in multiple Xfinity Series races for the team this season beginning with the race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 17.

    Kaulig Racing – Chevrolet (NXS)
    Kevin Walter will join the No. 11 Chevrolet team as a first-time crew chief and be paired with Josh Williams in 2024.
    Alex Yontz will return to the team for a fifth season and will serve as the crew chief for AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro.
    Bruce Schlicker will also return for a fifth season at Kaulig as crew chief for the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro with Shane van Gisbergen.

    Parker Kligerman, No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    In August, it was confirmed that Kligerman will remain with Big Machine Racing in 2024 to compete in his second full-time season in the Xfinity Series.

    Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCS)
    LaJoie announced in August that he had re-signed with Spire Motorsports in a multiyear extension Ryan Sparks will continue as the crew chief for Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 team.

    Legacy Motor Club (NCS)
    The team announced in May that they would leave Chevrolet and partner with Toyota in 2024. Team co-owner Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 84 in select Cup Series races with Jason Burdett as his crew chief. In October the team also announced that Matt Kenseth would join the organization as a competition adviser.

    Legacy Motor Club released the news that Trevor Bayne would join the team on Jan. 25. “We are adding on two important members to the Club! Welcome Trevor Bayne as our Driver Optimization Leader and Corey Heim (previously announced) as our simulator & reserve driver.”

    Jesse Love, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Love will move up to the Xfinity Series in 2024, taking over as driver of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet on a full-time basis.

    Mason Massey, No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Ford (NCTS)
    On February 12, Young’s Motorsport confirmed that Mason Massey will drive the No. 02 Chevrolet full-time this season in the Craftsman Truck Series.

    Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (NCS)
    Front Row Motorsports announced in August that McDowell will return to drive the No. 34 Ford full-time in 2024.

    BJ McLeod, No. 78 BJ McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Feb. 9, it was announced that BJ McLeod will return to his Xfinity Series team as the driver of the No. 78 Chevrolet to compete in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. It is unknown at this time if the team will run a full or part-time schedule.

    CJ McLaughlin, No. 38 RSS Racing Ford (NXS)
    McLaughlin will compete part-time in the 2024 Xfinity Series in the No. 38 Ford for RSS Racing as announced on Jan. 10. His first race will be on Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. The remainder of his schedule has not been released.

    Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Faction46 Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Dec. 8, it was announced that Thad Moffitt would race full-time in the Truck Series with the newly announced team, Faction46.

    Frankie Muniz, No. 35 Joey Gase Motorsports Ford (NXS)
    Muniz will run a limited number of Xfinity Series races this year for Joey Gase Racing. He will begin the season by attempting to qualify for the United Rentals 300 scheduled for Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. On Feb. 9 the team also confirmed that the 25th-place owner points have been transferred to the No. 35 team.

    John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (NCS) (NXS)
    Nemechek will return to the Cup Series full-time in 2024 as the driver of the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota. In addition to driving full-time in the Cup Series for Legacy Motor Club, Nemechek will make 10 Xfinity Series starts in the JGR No. 20, sharing driving duties with Aric Almirola.

    Niece Motorsports, No. 41, No. 42 and No. 45 Chevrolet (NCTS)
    The team revealed its 2024 Craftsman Truck Series driver lineup in February for the upcoming season.
    Mike Hillman Jr. will return as crew chief for Bayley Currey and the No. 41 team as Bayley competes in his first full-time season.

    Jon Leonard will join Niece Motorsports as the crew chief for Matt Mills in the No. 42 Chevrolet as Mills also enters his first full-time season in the Truck Series.

    Ross Chastain, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack and Johnny Sauter will share driving duties in the No. 45 throughout the season with crew chief Phil Gould on the pit box. Sauter will be behind the wheel as the season begins at Daytona International Speedway.

    Stefan Parsons, No. 75 Henderson Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Jan. 13, Parsons announced on social media that he will drive the Henderson Motorsports No. 75 Chevrolet in the Craftsman Truck Series this season. His complete schedule has not been released but he will compete in the season-opener at Daytona International Raceway.

    Brad Perez, No. 45 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Jan. 8 Alpha Prime Racing announced Brad Perez will drive select Xfinity Series races this season in the No. 45 Chevrolet (which will compete in a partial schedule). His first race will be at Circuit of the Americas on March 23 with the remainder of his schedule to be determined. He will also take on the role of Development Driver and assist with simulator setup and will be the team’s reserve driver.

    Blaine Perkins, No. 29 RSS Racing Ford (NXS)
    RSS Racing has signed Blaine Perkins to race full-time in the Xfinity Series for the 2024 season.

    Brennan Poole, No. 44 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Poole and Alpha Prime announced on Nov. 9 that Poole will run a full-time season in the No. 44 for the 2024 Xfinity Series season. On Jan. 27 it was announced that Poole will be paired with crew chief, Frank Kerr.

    Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    Preece announced on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Sept. 26 that he will return to race the SHR No. 41 in 2024.

    Chase Purdy, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Spire Motorsports announced on Jan. 3 that Chase Purdy has been signed to drive the No. 77 Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series. NASCAR veteran, Jason Trinchere, most recently a crew chief for Kaulig Racing’s Xfinity Series program, will be paired with Purdy to lead the team.

    Parker Retzlaff, No. 31 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Jordan Anderson Racing announced on Nov. 2 that Parker Retzlaff will return to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 with Chad Kendrick (formerly with Matt DiBenedetto) as his crew chief.

    Layne Riggs, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (NCTS)
    Front Row Motorsports announced on Dec. 14 that Riggs has been signed to a multi-year deal to drive the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series after limited starts in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Xfinity Series in 2022 and 2023. Dylan Cappello will move up from his position as lead engineer to work as Rigg’s crew chief. Chris Lawson will leave his position as crew chief but will serve as a consultant to the team at the beginning of the season as well as working on projects outside of NASCAR.

    RSS Racing (NXS) – Crew chief and spotter lineup:
    28 Ford: Kyle Sieg – CC: Mike Scearce, Spotter: Freddie Kraft
    29 Ford: Blaine Perkins – CC: Steve Addington, Spotter: Tony Raines
    38 Ford: CJ McLaughlin – CC: Kevin Johnson, Spotter: Doug Campbell
    39 Ford: Ryan Sieg – CC: Matt Noyce, Spotter: Tim Fedawa

    Nick Sanchez, Rev Racing No. 2 Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Jan. 16 Rev Racing announced that Sanchez will drive the No. 2 Chevrolet in 2024 and compete full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series with Spire Motorsports as a new technical alliance partner. Sanchez will be paired with Kevin “Bono” as crew chief. Allen Hart, former crew chief for Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity Series, will join the team as the chief engineer.

    William Sawalich, No. 1 Tricon Garage Toyota (NCTS), No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS) and No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (ARCA)
    Sawalich will return to Tricon Garage in 2024 and compete in a partial schedule of nine Craftsman Truck Series races in the No. 1 Toyota:
    Bristol – March 16, Martinsville – April 5, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park – July 19, Richmond – Aug. 10, Milwaukee – Aug. 25, Bristol – Sept. 19, Homestead – Oct. 26, Martinsville – Nov. 1, Phoenix on Nov. 8.

    In addition, he will also make three Xfinity Series starts for Joe Gibbs Racing. His schedule includes Homestead, Martinsville and Phoenix (after he turns 18 on Oct. 3), in the No. 19 JGR Toyota.

    Sawalich, the 2023 ARCA East champion, will also compete in the ARCA Menards Series in 2024 as the primary driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, in all but six races. Tricon Garage Truck Series driver, Tanner Gray, will substitute for Sawalich until he turns 18.

    Kyle Sieg, No. 28 RSS Racing Ford (NXS)
    RSS Racing announced on Dec. 1 that, beginning in 2024, Sieg would race full-time with the team.

    Chandler Smith, No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)
    On Dec. 12, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Chandler Smith would drive the No. 81 Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024. Smith will join JGR after one full-time season in the series with Kaulig Racing in 2023.

    Sammy Smith, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    Smith will join JR Motorsports in 2024 with a multi-year deal to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet, previously driven by Josh Berry who will move up to the Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing.

    Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup), No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Zane Smith has signed a multiyear contract with Trackhouse Racing and will move up to the Cup Series full-time in 2024, driving a Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in alliance with Trackhouse Racing. He will be paired with first-year crew chief, Stephen Doran. Josh Williams, former spotter for Ryan Blaney, will make the move to Spire Motorsports in 2024 and spot for Smith.

    On Feb. 9 the team announced that Smith will also drive the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 91 Chevrolet in four Truck Series races. His schedule includes:
    March 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
    March 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway
    April 5 at Texas Motor Speedway
    May 4 at Kansas Speedway

    Garrett Smithley, JD Motorsports No. 6 Chevrolet (NXS)
    JD Motorsports announced on Feb. 13 that Smithley will return to the team this year and pilot the No. 6 Chevrolet in four Xfinity Series races, including the season-opener at Daytona, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

    Spire Motorsports Spotter Lineup
    TJ Bell will return as the spotter for Corey LaJoie. As mentioned above, Josh Williams (previously the spotter for Ryan Blaney) will spot for Zane Smith. Tyler Green (previously the spotter for Harrison Burton) will spot for Carson Hocevar.

    Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Matt Swiderski will replace Travis Mack as the crew chief for Suarez and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NCS)
    Truex will return to race the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in 2024 for at least one more year.

    Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS) and No. 16 (NCS)
    In December it was announced that Shane van Gisbergen will race full-time in the Xfinity Series next year for Kaulig Racing with crew chief Bruce Schlicker. He will also compete in a minimum of seven Cup Series races and an unspecified number of Craftsman Truck Series races for Trackhouse Racing in 2024.

    In January 2024 it was announced that he will be doing double duty at Daytona International Speedway as he takes to the track for the season-opening race in the ARCA Menards Series in the Pinnacle Racing Groupentry before making his Xfinity Series debut.

    Cup Series races announced as of Dec. 13:
    Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin on March 24
    Talladega Superspeedway on April 21 and Oct. 6
    Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26
    Chicago Street Race on July 7
    Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on Sept. 15
    Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 20

    Kyle Weatherman, No. 91 DGM Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Nov. 14, 2023, DGM Racing announced that Kyle Weatherman will compete full-time in 2024 in the Xfinity Series after racing a part-time schedule for the team in 2023.

    Josh Williams, No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS) and No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Kaulig Racing announced on Nov. 16 that Josh Williams will pilot the No. 11 Chevrolet in 2024. He will be joined by crew chief Kevin Walter, formerly an engineer for the JR Motorsports No. 8 team.

    On Jan. 29 Kaulig Racing announced that Williams will also run the No. 16 Alloy Employer Services Camaro ZL1 in select Cup Series races during the 2024 season, beginning with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 4.

    Jack Wood, No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced on Dec. 6 that beginning in 2024, Jack Wood will race a 14-race schedule in the No. 91 Chevrolet.

    Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (NXS) (NCTS)
    On Jan. 11 Trackhouse Racing announced that they have signed a multi-year agreement with Connor Zilisch. He will enter a developmental program in 2024 and 2025 that will include races in the CARS Tour, ARCA, Trans Am and IMSA series. Zilisch will also compete in select NASCAR Truck and Xfinity Series events.

  • Busch Light Clash weekend schedule and format

    Busch Light Clash weekend schedule and format

    Please Note: NASCAR Schedule Change – The Cup Series practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Busch Light Clash have been moved to 5:35 p.m. ET. The Busch Light Clash will be at 8 p.m. ET tonight on FS1. The Mexico Series race will take place tonight following the Busch Light Clash on FS2. Heat Races and the Last Chance Qualifying Race have been canceled. The lineup (22 drivers) will be set by the fastest laps in final practice which will be televised on FS1. The 23rd position will be based on 2023 driver points.

    NASCAR travels to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Busch Light Clash on Feb. 4. The exhibition race on the 0.25-mile asphalt oval will feature 36 Cup Series drivers vying for 23 spots and the opportunity to claim the trophy in this historic venue.

    The race will consist of 150 laps, only green flag laps will count and the race must finish under green.

    There will be three practice sessions on Saturday, set by 2023 owner points. The 2023 Cup Series champion (Ryan Blaney) will be in the third group, the driver second in points (Kyle Larson) will be in the second group, the driver third in points (William Byron) in the first group, and so on throughout the field.

    Group 1: William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Ty Gibbs, Josh Williams, Austin Cindric, Erik Jones, Chase Briscoe, Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith

    Group 2: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, Ryan Preece, Corey LaJoie, Austin Dillon, John Hunter Nemechek and Justin Haley

    Group 3: Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Josh Berry, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suarez, Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric, Todd Gilliland, Harrison Burton and Kaz Grala

    Each driver’s fastest lap time from their final practice session will be used to determine the starting lineup for the four heat races.

    The four heat races will be 25 laps each with up to 10 drivers per heat. The lineup is set by practice times. The driver with the fastest practice time will claim the pole position in Heat 1, the second-fastest will start on the pole for Heat 2, the third-fastest on the pole for Heat 3, the fourth-fastest in practice will be on the pole for Heat 4 and so on throughout the field. Only green-flag laps will count in the heat races with no overtime.

    The top five finishers in each heat will advance to the Busch Light Clash while the drivers who finish below fifth will compete in the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). The starting positions are determined by the finishing order in the heat races. The top two finishers in the LCQ advance to the Clash and start in positions 21 and 22. Again, only green-flag laps will count with no overtime.

    The final position is reserved for the driver who finished highest in the 2023 season points standings and did not transfer in the heat races or LCQ. Ryan Blaney, the 2023 Cup Series champion, is automatically locked into the Busch Light Clash.

    This year, the NASCAR Mexico Series will also compete in the famed Los Angeles Coliseum. NASCAR Cup Series regular, Daniel Suárez, a former participant in the Mexico Series, will drive a Jimmy Morales entry in the Mexico Series exhibition race with crew chief, José Blasco-Figueroa.

    The Clash at The Coliseum is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX with radio coverage provided by MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, Feb. 3

    1:15 p.m.: Mexico Series Practice 1 – No TV
    2:45 p.m.: Mexico Series Practice 2 – No TV
    4:30 p.m.: Mexico Series Qualifying – FS1

    6 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    8:30 p.m.: Cup Series Heat Race 1 – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    8:45 p.m.: Cup Series Heat Race 2 – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    9 p.m.: Cup Series Heat Race 3 – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    9:15 p.m.: Cup Series Heat Race 4 – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM

    Sunday, Feb. 4

    4:30 p.m.: Mexico Series King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseo
    FS1/FOX Deportes/MRN/SiriusXM
    Distance: 37.5 miles (150 laps), 60 Minute Time Limit

    6:30 p.m.: Cup Series Last Chance Qualifying Race – FOX/MRN/SiriusXM
    Distance: 37.5 miles (150 green flag laps), Stage Break: Lap 75

    8 p.m.: Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum – FOX/MRN/SiriusXM
    Distance: 37.5 miles (150 laps) Stage Break: Lap 75
    The Purse: $2,210,000

    Post Race: NASCAR PressPass

    The starting lineup:

    1. Heat 1 winner
    2. Heat 2 winner
    3. Heat 3 winner
    4. Heat 4 winner
    5. Heat 1 – second place
    6. Heat 2 – second place
    7. Heat 3 – second place
    8. Heat 4 – second place
    9. Heat 1 – third place
    10. Heat 2 – third place
    11. Heat 3 – third place
    12. Heat 4 – third place
    13. Heat 1 – fourth place
    14. Heat 2 – fourth place
    15. Heat 3 – fourth place
    16. Heat 4 – fourth place
    17. Heat 1 – fifth place
    18. Heat 2 – fifth place
    19. Heat 3 – fifth place
    20. Heat 4 – fifth place
    21. Last Chance Qualifier Winner
    22. Last Chance Second Place
    23. Points Provisional – The driver who finished highest in the 2023 season points standings and did not transfer via the heat races or LCQ
  • Weekend schedule for Phoenix Championship Playoffs

    Weekend schedule for Phoenix Championship Playoffs

    This weekend NASCAR travels to Phoenix Raceway as the season comes to a close and the 2023 champions will be crowned for each series.

    Friday night the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship will be decided as Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar and Ben Rhodes vie for the title. Saturday evening Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Sam Mayer and John H. Nemechek will race to win the Xfinity Series trophy.

    Sunday afternoon the Cup Series will take center stage as Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Kyle Larson compete for the coveted 2023 Cup Series championship.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, November 2

    8 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – No TV
    9 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series West Practice – No TV
    10:10 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series West Qualifying – No TV

    Friday, November 3

    2:30 p.m.: ARCA Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 – FloRacing
    6:05 p.m.: CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Qualifying – FS1
    Post Truck Series Qualifying: NASCAR Press Pass
    7:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – NBC Sports App
    8:05 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – USA/MRN/SiriusXM/MBC Sports App

    10 p.m.: Truck Series Craftsman 150
    Distance: 150 miles (150 laps)
    Stage 1 ends on lap 45, Stage 2 ends on lap 90, Final Stage ends on lap 150
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $794,766
    Post Truck Series Race: NASCAR Press Pass

    Saturday, November 4

    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – USA/NBC Sports App
    Post Xfinity Series Qualifying: NASCAR Press Pass

    4:35 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Post Cup Series Qualifying: NASCAR Press Pass

    7 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship
    Distance: 200 miles (200 laps)
    Stage 1 ends on lap 45, Stage 2 ends on lap 90, Final Stage ends on lap 200
    USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Purse: $1,707,366
    Post Xfinity Series race: NASCAR Press Pass

    Sunday, November 5

    3 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Championship
    Distance: 312 miles (312 laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 60, Stage 2 ends on Lap 185, Final Stage ends on Lap 312
    NBC/Peacock/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Purse: $11,143,232
    Post Cup Series race: NASCAR Press Pass

  • Weekend schedule for Martinsville-2

    Weekend schedule for Martinsville-2

    This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series travel to Martinsville Speedway to set the field for the Championship 4 Playoffs. Cup Series winners Kyle Larson (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and Christopher Bell (Homestead-Miami Speedway) have secured their spot in the Playoffs.

    Xfinity Series winners Riley Herbst (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and Sam Mayer (Homestead-Miami Speedway) are also locked into the Championship 4 Playoffs.  

    The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is off as Corey Heim, Brett Moffitt, Carson Hocevar and Grant Enfinger prepare for the finale at Phoenix Raceway on November 3.

    On Thursday, October 26, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will kick off the weekend with the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 race at 8 p.m. on FloRacing.com.

    NASCAR PressPass will be available post-qualifying and post-race for the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, October 27

    5 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – USA/NBC Sports App
    5:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – USA/NBC Sports App

    Saturday, October 28

    12:35 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    1:20 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App

    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Dead On Tools 250
    Distance: 131.5 miles (250 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 60, Stage 2 ends on Lap 120, Final Stage ends on Lap 250
    USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Purse: $1,380,935

    Sunday, October 29

    2 p.m.: Cup Series Xfinity 50- NBC/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Distance: 263 miles (500 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 130, Stage 2 ends on Lap 260), Final Stage ends on Lap 500
    NBC/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Purse: $8,587,800

  • Weekend schedule for Homestead

    Weekend schedule for Homestead

    NASCAR travels to Homestead-Miami Speedway this week as the Playoffs continue. It will be the second race in the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. With the win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend, Kyle Larson claimed his spot in the Championship 4 round and will compete for the 2023 championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 5, leaving three spots up for grabs.

    Xfinity Series driver Riley Herbst is also locked into the Championship 4 after winning last week at Las Vegas.
    It will be the final race in the Round of 8 for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series with winners Corey Heim (Bristol) and Brett Moffitt (Talladega) already locked into the Playoffs.

    All times are Eastern.

    NASCAR PressPass will be available throughout the weekend.

    Friday, October 20

    4:05 p.m.: Truck Series Practice (All Entries) No TV
    4:35 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Single Vehicle/1Lap/All Entries) No TV

    6:05 p.n.: Xfinity Series Practice (All Entries) USA/NBC Sports App
    6:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/All Entries – USA/NBC Sports App

    Saturday, October 21

    9:05 a.m.: Cup Series Practice (Group A & B) NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM
    9:50 a.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound)
    Group A & B – Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds
    NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM

    Noon: Truck Series Baptist Health Cancer Care 200
    Stages 30/60/134 Laps = 201 Miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $689,963

    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Contender Boats 300
    Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles
    USA/MRN/ SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Purse: $1,433,590

    Sunday, October 22

    2:30 p.m. Cup Series 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1Race
    Stages 80/165/267 Laps = 400.5 Miles
    NBC/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Purse: $7,634,143

  • Christopher Bell scores Cup Series pole at Las Vegas in Playoffs Round of 8 opener

    Christopher Bell scores Cup Series pole at Las Vegas in Playoffs Round of 8 opener

    Christopher Bell earned the NASCAR Cup Series pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon with a qualifying lap of 186.355 mph in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. It was his sixth pole this season and his 10th series career pole.

    “I was running flatline and never lifted all the way around; he (Larson) didn’t either. So comes down horsepower, I guess,” Bell said.

    “It’s going to be about who can keep the most in their car and move around and find (grip) on the race track,” he continued. “Las Vegas is a fun race track because you can pretty much run from the wall to the white line and everywhere in between. If you’re faster than a guy you can make your way to the front and if you struggle you can move around and it helps you out.”

    His lap was 0.010 seconds quicker than Hendrick Motorsports driver, Kyle Larson, who will join Bell on the front row to lead the field to green for Sunday’s South Point 400.

    “My car feels really good. Happy to get on the front row, obviously would like to get the pole but Bell and their team, they have a lot of speed in qualifying,” Larson said after qualifying. “Our HendrickCars.com Chevy felt good in practice so we’ll see what we’ve got for tomorrow.”

    Playoff drivers dominated during qualifying, capturing the top five spots. William Byron was third quickest in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a 186.181 mph lap, followed by Martin Truex Jr. in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (185.759 mph) and Chris Buescher (185.669 mph) in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford.

    Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, Playoff contender Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Ross Chastain rounded out the top 10. Ryan Blaney (12th) and Denny Hamlin (15th) were the only Playoff drivers to qualify outside the top 10.

    Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is set for 2:30 p.m. ET on USA with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The race will also be available on the NBC Sports App.

    Cup Series Round of 8 Playoff Drivers:

    William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, 4,041 points
    Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, 4,036 points
    Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, 4,032 points
    Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, 4,024 points
    Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, 4,021 points
    Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, 4,016 points
    Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, 4,016 points
    Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, 4,014 points

  • Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the Playoffs continue with the first race in the Round of 8.

    Last week at the Charlotte ROVAL, four Cup Series drivers were eliminated from championship contention – Brad Keselowski, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch. We also saw four Xfinity Series drivers whose championship hopes came to an end – Daniel Hemric, Parker Kligerman, Josh Berry and Jeb Burton.

    The ARCA Menards Series West will join Friday night’s lineup with the Star Nursery 150 (Bullring) while the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series takes the weekend off before they return to completion on October 21 at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the series final race in the Round of 8.

    NASCAR PressPass will be available throughout the weekend.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, October 13

    7:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – All Entries – USA/NBC Sports App
    7:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/All Entries – USA/NBC Sports App 10:10 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series West Star Nursery 150 (Bullring) – Live stream at FloRacing

    Saturday, October 14

    12:35 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – Group A & B – USA/PRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    1:20 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound-Group A & B) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds
    USA/PRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App

    3:10 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros
    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 302
    Stages 45/90/201 Laps = 301.5 Miles
    USA/PRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Purse: Purse: $1,329,729

    Sunday, October 15

    2:05 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros
    2:30 p.m.: Cup Series South Point 400
    Stages 80/165/267 Laps = 400.5 Miles
    NBC/PRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Purse: $7,785,320

    Cup Series Round of 8 Drivers:

    William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, 4,041 points
    Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, 4,036 points
    Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, 4,032 points
    Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, 4,024 points
    Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, 4,021 points
    Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, 4,016 points
    Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, 4,016 points
    Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, 4,014 points

    Xfinity Series Round of 8 Drivers

    John H. Nemechek, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3055 Points
    Austin Hill, Richard Childress Racing, 3039 Points
    Justin Allgaier, 3035 Points, JR Motorsports
    Sam Mayer, 3020 Points, JR Motorsports
    Cole Custer, 3018 Points, Stewart-Haas Racing
    Chandler Smith, 3009 Points, Kaulig Racing
    Sheldon Creed, 3008 Points, Richard Childress Racing
    Sammy Smith, 3006 Points, Joe Gibbs Racing

  • Tyler Reddick captures Cup Series Pole Award for playoff race at Charlotte

    Tyler Reddick captures Cup Series Pole Award for playoff race at Charlotte

    Tyler Reddick outpaced the qualifying field to capture the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series  Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course with a 102.839 mph lap in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota. It was his second pole this season, and his sixth Cup Series career pole.

    The race is the final event in the series Playoffs Round of 12 with only eight drivers advancing to compete for the 2023 championship. The significance of starting on the pole cannot be overstated as Reddick is currently ranked ninth in the driver standings.

    “This is what we needed to do,” Reddick said. “We had hoped and put a lot of effort into this, as all the playoff teams do for this race. For the most part, this is as good of an outcome as possible for the No. 45 team today.”

    Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, currently fourth in the driver standings, will join Reddick on the front row after qualifying second with a 102.695 mph lap in the No. 20 Toyota as Daniel Suárez starts in third place. Playoff contenders Bubba Wallace (currently 10th in the driver standings) will start fourth and Kyle Busch (currently 12th in the driver standings) will start in fifth place.

    AJ Allmendinger, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top 10 in qualifying.

    Playoff contenders William Byron, with a win at Texas and Ryan Blaney, who won last week at Talladega, are safe from elimination. Playoff drivers starting outside the top 10 include Martin Truex Jr. (11th), Ross Chastain (12th), Brad Keselowski (19th) and Chris Buescher (20th). Kyle Larson crashed during practice and will start 36th as he will go to a backup car for Sunday’s race.

    You can tune into Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC with radio coverage provided by PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Starting Lineup:

  • Weekend schedule for Charlotte Road Course

    Weekend schedule for Charlotte Road Course

    The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series will compete at the Charlotte Road Course this weekend. It marks the final playoff race in the Cup Series Round of 12. William Byron, winner at Texas, and Ryan Blaney, who went to Victory Lane at Talladega, will advance to the Round of 8, leaving six available spots.

    It will also be the final race in the Round of 12 for the Xfinity Series. Winners Justin Allgaier (Bristol) and John H. Nemechek (Texas) will advance to the Round of 8, along with Cole Custer by virtue of points.

    The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is off for the next two weeks and returns for the Round of 8 finale on October 21 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to determine the final four contenders for the championship title.

    NASCAR PressPass will be available after qualifying and post-race.

    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, October 7

    10 a.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – All Entries – NBC Sports App
    10:30 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – NBC Sports App
    Impound/Group A & B/Multi-Vehicle/ Two Rounds

    Noon: Cup Series Practice – Groups A & B
    NBC Sports App/PRN/SiriusXM
    1 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying
    Impound/Group A & B/Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds
    USA/PRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App

    2:50 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros
    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BCBS
    Stages 20/40/67 Laps = 155.44 Miles
    NBC/Peacock/PRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $1,360,791

    Sunday, October 8

    1:35 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros
    2 p.m.: Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400
    Stages 25/50/109 Laps = 252.88 Miles
    NBC/PRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
    Purse: $7,689,910