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NASCAR Cup Series

Ben Beshore to call 100th Cup event at Bristol

In his return as a full-time crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ben Beshore, who works atop the pit box of the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota Camry XSE team piloted by John Hunter Nemechek, is poised to achieve a milestone feat. By participating in this weekend’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Beshore will call his 100th event as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of The York, Pennsylvania, Beshore, who earned an engineering degree from Virginia Tech, previously worked for Brewco Motorsports in a variety of roles before becoming a race engineer for Roush Fenway Racing in 2007. Seven years later, he joined Joe Gibbs Racing and continued to work as a race engineer for Kyle Busch and the No. 18 team.

During the 2017 season, Beshore made his inaugural presence as a Cup Series crew chief at Pocono Raceway in June. The role was an interim one for Beshore, who was filling in for the suspended Adam Stevens after Stevens was suspended for four events due to a wheel that came off of Busch’s car amid an early pit stop during the previous event at Dover Motor Speedway.

During the Pocono event, Busch, who started on the pole and led a race-high 100 laps, ended up in ninth place. Beshore would then navigate Busch and the No. 18 team to a seventh-place result at Michigan International Speedway and a fifth-place finish at Sonoma Raceway, respectively, before he was suspended from participating at Daytona International Speedway in July amid a lug nut infraction as Busch’s No. 18 entry had two loose lug nuts following the post-race inspection process at Sonoma.

After returning to his role as race engineer for the remainder of the 2017 season and the entire 2018 season, Beshore scaled back to the Xfinity Series to work as a crew chief for JGR’s No. 18 Toyota entry that was piloted by seven different competitors throughout the 2019 season. During the season, he notched four victories, all occurring with Busch, and led the No. 18 team to a 12th-place finish in the final owner’s standings. The following season, Beshore was paired with Harrison Burton in the Xfinity circuit. Together, the duo notched four victories, 15 top-five results, 22 top-10 results, 291 laps and an average-finishing result of 10.0. After qualifying for the 2020 Xfinity Series Playoffs before being eliminated following the Round of 12, Burton would settle in eighth place in the final standings and claim the 2020 Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year title.

In 2021, Beshore returned to the Cup Series and reunited with Kyle Busch as he was named as the full-time crew chief of Busch’s No. 18 Toyota entry. In their first event together, Busch won the Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course after he overtook Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott amid a last-lap tussle. The duo recorded two top-five results and five top-10 results during the first 10-scheduled events before Beshore achieved his first Cup points-paying victory at Kansas Speedway in May. Busch, who celebrated his 36th birthday on race day, fended off the field and a hard-charging Kevin Harvick during a two-lap shootout. Beshore and Busch would then achieve a second victory of the season at Pocono Raceway in June after Busch overtook teammate Denny Hamlin prior to the final lap and had enough fuel to coast the No. 18 Toyota across the finish line in first place. To go along with an additional seven top-five results and nine top-10 results for the remaining 15 regular-season events, the duo qualified for the 2021 Cup Series Playoffs.

After recording three top-nine results throughout the 2021 Playoff’s first six events, Beshore and Busch were able to transfer from the Round of 16 to 8. Then, Beshore was suspended from participating in the Round of 8 opener at Texas Motor Speedway following a lug nut infraction with two loose lug nuts amid the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course post-race inspection process. Returning for the following Playoff event at Kansas Speedway in mid-October, Busch finished 28th and second at Martinsville Speedway throughout the Round of 8 but missed the cutline to the Championship 4 round by three points. The duo would proceed to finish seventh in the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway in November before Busch settled in ninth place in the final standings.

Beshore’s 2022 season started on a rough note after he was suspended from the inaugural Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as a result of another lug nut infraction involving two loose lug nuts stemming from the 2021 finale at Phoenix. Returning atop the pit box for the 64th running of the Daytona 500, Beshore’s season with Busch commenced with a sixth-place finish followed by four additional top-10 results during the next seven events on the schedule. Then at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in April, Beshore and Busch notched their first victory of the season after Busch overtook a spinning Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe on the final lap to notch his 60th series victory. Despite finishing in the top five four additional times for the final 15 regular-season events, Beshore and Busch secured a spot into the Cup Series Playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Their title hopes, however, came to an early end after finishing no higher than 26th throughout the Round of 16. Then coming off two consecutive third-place finishes at the Charlotte Roval and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October, Beshore was suspended for four races for a loose wheel violation that occurred at Las Vegas. The suspension would cause Beshore to miss the remainder of the 2022 Cup Series season as Busch, who was down to his final four events with Joe Gibbs Racing, ended up in 13th place in the final standings.

This past season, Beshore returned to the Xfinity Series to work as the crew chief of the No. 20 JGR Toyota team piloted by John Hunter Nemechek. Together, the duo notched a season-high seven victories, two poles, 17 top-five results, 24 top-10 results, 1,083 laps led and an average-finishing result of 9.5. In addition to making the 2023 Xfinity Series Playoffs, they transferred all the way into the Championship 4 round and contended for the title at Phoenix. However, Nemechek got shuffled during an overtime shootout and ended up in 28th place after being involved in a final lap accident, which relegated Nemechek to fourth place in the final standings.

Nine days after the 2023 season concluded, Beshore was promoted back to the Cup Series as a crew chief for Legacy Motor Club’s No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE entry piloted by Nemechek, who made his return to the Cup circuit following a three-year absence. Through 28 scheduled events, the duo of Beshore and Nemechek recorded only three top-10 results, with their highest finish being a sixth-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. With an average-finishing result of 24.7, they are mired in 34th place in the 2024 drivers’ standings with eight races remaining on the schedule.

Through 99 previous Cup appearances, Beshore has achieved three victories, one pole, 23 top-five results and 42 top-10 results while working with a total of two competitors.

Ben Beshore is scheduled to call his 100th Cup Series career event as a crew chief in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 21, with the event’s coverage to occur at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 18, 2024
Multi-Platinum Recording Artists Eli Young Band Added to Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Concert Lineup
- GRAMMY Award-nominated recording artists, Eli Young Band will perform this year’s pre-race concert ahead of Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 on Oct. 13
- Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend tickets can be purchased online at charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10
CONCORD, NC (Sept. 17, 2024) – GRAMMY Award-nominated Eli Young Band is set to electrify America’s Home for Racing with a high-energy pre-race concert ahead of the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 13.

“We’re thrilled to bring our sound to America’s Home for Racing and to get fans revved up before the green flag drops at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Mike Eli of Eli Young Band. “There’s nothing like the energy of a race track so we’re going to bring a party to the fans that no one will want to miss.”

The 14-time billboard charting group is slated to perform a 60-minute set, pulling from their wide range of singles like platinum “Love Ain’t,” Academy of Country Music Award Song of the Year and five-time platinum “Crazy Girl” and three-time platinum hit, “Even if it Breaks Your Heart.”

Starting as college roommates 20 years ago, this Texas-rooted band of brothers, Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones and Chris Thompson write their own songs, play their own instruments and continuously sell out venues from coast to coast. From sharing the stage with some of country music’s biggest legends such as Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and more, the Eli Young Band will headline Charlotte Motor Speedway’s infield pre-race stage as they rock the ROVAL™, following a concert earlier in the day by NASCAR fan-favorite Tim Dugger.

“The biggest race in NASCAR’s Playoffs deserves the biggest entertainment lineup off the track as well,” said Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Greg Walter. “With the Eli Young Band added to Sunday’s slate of music and fun, fans are once again in for a weekend to remember here at America’s Home for Racing.”

The concerts are free for all fans with a Sunday Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 ticket. Fans can upgrade their ticket to include a Track Pass for front-stage access to both concerts and driver introductions.

Following the concert, NASCAR’s top drivers will battle it out in a pivotal Playoff showdown race on the newly reconfigured road course in the final Round of 12 race before the field is cut to just eight drivers competing for a championship.

TICKETS:

To purchase Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend tickets, fans can shop online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or call 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10.

MORE INFO:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on Twitter and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.
September 17, 2024
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Joey Logano: Logano finished 15th at Watkins Glen.

“Luckily,” Logano said, “I won at Atlanta, so I could afford a mediocre finish. When you Go Bowling At The Glen, it’s good to have a spare (win).”

2. Kyle Larson: Larson was caught up in the Lap 1 chaos and was shuffled to the back of the field. But Larson methodically worked his way back into position and finished 12th.

“I’ve worked my way back from bigger messes,” Larson said.

“I just announced that I’ll be attempting the Indy 500-Coca Cola 600 double in 2025. If I win both, you can bet I’ll let Max Verstappen know about it.”

3. Chase Briscoe: Briscoe finished sixth on a chaotic day at Watkins Glen.

“I started the day below the cut line,” Briscoe said, “and ended the day above it. And speaking of ‘cut lines,’ I know there are some playoff drivers that would like to give one to some non-playoff drivers.”

4. Tyler Reddick: Reddick finished 27th at Watkins Glen.

“This race was called the ‘Go Bowling! At The Glen,’” Reddick said. “Last week at Atlanta, I also needed to ‘go bowling.’ Unfortunately, it was a toilet bowl.”

5. Christopher Bell: Bell finished 14th at the Go Bowling! At The Glen.

“First,” Bell said, “I got caught in a spin caused by Corey LaJoie. Then later, I got spun by Austin Dillon. It’s the NASCAR equivalent of being ‘Punk’d.’”

6. Ryan Blaney: Tragedy struck early for Blaney at Watkins Glen, where he was collected in a crash started when Corey LaJoie spun Kyle Busch. Blaney’s car suffered a broken steering column, and his day was done.

“I’m not surprised it was Corey LaJoie,” Blaney said. “Corey LaJoie is known for sucking, and sucking all the joy out of racing.”

7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota was collected in the first lap melee and suffered significant damage. Hamlin was able to continue and finished 23rd.

“You hear that beeping noise?” Hamlin said. “It could be one of two things: either an alarm going off telling me I’m about to be eliminated from the Playoffs, or it’s a reverse sound because I’ve backed myself into a corner.”

8. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stage 1 but was victimized by a number of late skirmishes and finished 20th at Watkins Glen.

“For once,” Truex said, “I’d like to see a NASCAR race conclude without an overtime restart. And I’d like to see some irrelevant drivers give me a little respect. ‘Scrubs’ should only refer to tires, and not my competitors.”

9. Chris Buescher: Buescher made a daring last lap pass of Shane Van Gisbergen after the New Zealander made a mistake into the inner loop, opening the door for Buescher.

“This somewhat eases the pain of missing the playoffs,” Buescher said. “But I’ll take that pain anytime. Tony Stewart was a glutton for food; I’m a glutton for punishment.”

10. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 19th at Watkins Glen.

“That was the first playoff race ever held at Watkins Glen,” Elliott said. “And it certainly didn’t disappoint. That is, it didn’t disappoint the fans. Many drivers were, in fact, disappointed.”

September 15, 2024
Chris Buescher outduels Shane van Gisbergen in overtime for wild Cup victory at Watkins Glen

In a season mired with missed opportunities that resulted in him missing the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs by a single points position, Chris Buescher took advantage of the chance to cap off this season on a strong note by winning the Go Bowling at The Glen (Watkins Glen International) on Sunday, September 15, amid a wild overtime shootout and a final lap bump and pass on Shane van Gisbergen.

The 2015 Xfinity Series champion from Prosper, Texas, led three times for 19 of 92 over-scheduled laps in an event where he qualified 24th and utilized pit strategy to methodically carve his way up the leaderboard. With a bevy of Playoff contenders encountering on-track issues from start to finish, Buescher, who pitted prior to the second stage’s conclusion, utilized fresher tires than the leaders to briefly lead for the first time with 33 laps remaining before he pitted two laps later. He then cycled back to the lead with 17 laps remaining during a late round of green flag pit stops.

Then among three late-race caution and restart periods, including the third and latest restart that sent the event into overtime, Buescher, who had maintained the lead during all restart periods, was bumped out of the lead by van Gisbergen, who proceeded to lead the penultimate lap while Buescher remained within striking distance. Van Gisbergen then made the slightest contact with the guardrails through the Bus Stop that got him loose through the curbs and the turns, which enabled Buescher to reassume the lead amid another round of contact between both through the Inner Loop. With van Gisbergen unable to return the favor within the course’s final pair of turns, Buescher drove away to claim his first victory of the 2024 Cup Series season and become the first non-Playoff competitor to win a Playoff event this season.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, September 14, Ross Chastain notched his first Cup Series pole position of the 2024 season and the second of his career after he posted a pole-winning speed at 122.279 mph in 72.130 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Playoff contender Martin Truex Jr., who posted the second-fastest qualifying speed at 122.052 mph in 72.264 seconds.

Prior to the event, Todd Gilliland and rookie Carson Hocevar dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective entries.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Ross Chastain launched ahead with an early advantage through the frontstretch and he maintained the top spot through the opening set of turns through the Esses and the backstretch while the field behind jostled for early spots amid multiple lanes.

Then through the Bus Stop corner, early trouble struck as Corey LaJoie bumped and sent Kyle Busch, who was running towards the top-15 mark, for a spin towards the middle of the turn, where he clipped Playoff contender Christopher Bell as Bell spun while his teammate and Playoff contender Denny Hamlin clipped Busch and sustained damage to his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE entry after he got bumped by Ryan Preece. Among other competitors who were involved included Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Bubba Wallace, both of whom hit the guardrails while going off the course, while Busch’s wrecked No. 8 zone Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry was left stalled in the Inner Loop turn.

During the chaos, Ryan Blaney, the reigning Cup Series champion and a 2024 Playoff contender, drove his No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry off the course and came to a stop due to a broken steering column as a result of hitting Brad Keselowski while avoiding the opening lap carnage. The issue was enough for NASCAR to rule Blaney out of contention to continue without having completed the first lap, though Blaney was left heated at NASCAR for not allowing his team to repair the car despite not sustaining any significant damage from the carnage. By then, Bell continued without sustaining any significant damage to his No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry XSE entry while Hamlin and Busch dropped out of the lead lap category with damage to their respective entries.

When the race restarted under green on the fifth lap, Chastain, who led the opening four laps under caution, rocketed ahead with another strong start through the frontstretch and the Esses while the rest of the field behind fanned out. In the process, Allmendinger, who restarted in the top five, was dropping off the pace due to a mechanical issue with his No. 13 Go Bowling Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry. With Allmendinger dropping out of contention, the rest of the field navigated smoothly through the backstretch, Bus Stop, Inner Loop and the final set of turns from Turns 5 to 7 as Chastain retained the lead and led the following lap.

Over the next three laps, Chastain stabilized his early advantage to six-tenths of a second over Truex while van Gisbergen, Bowman and Playoff contender Chase Briscoe were running in the top five ahead of Playoff competitors Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez and Chase Elliott. With Michael McDowell occupying ninth place, he was ahead of five Playoff contenders that included Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, William Byron, Kyle Larson and Ty Gibbs while Erik Jones occupied 15th place ahead of Chris Buescher, rookie Zane Smith, Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric and Corey LaJoie.

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Chastain continued to lead by six-tenths of a second over Truex while van Gisbergen, Bowman and Briscoe continued to run in the top five ahead of Cindric, Suarez, Elliott, McDowell and Reddick. By then, 11 of 15 remaining Playoff contenders on the track were running in the top 14 on the track while Brad Keselowski, Harrison Burton and Bell were mired back from 25th to 27th, respectively. In addition, Denny Hamlin was mired a lap down in 34th place following repairs to his No. 11 Toyota.

Five laps later, Chastain extended his advantage to three seconds over van Gisbergen, who overtook Truex for the runner-up spot a lap earlier, while Bowman and Briscoe battled for fourth place in front of Suarez. Behind, Cindric, Elliott, McDowell and Reddick were racing in the top 10 ahead of Larson, Logano, Zane Smith, Byron and Ty Gibbs while Keselowski, Bell, Burton and Hamlin all continued to be mired outside the top-20 mark.

Another lap later, McDowell pitted his No. 34 Benebone Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry under green from ninth place. A host of names that included van Gisbergen, Logano, Zane Smith, Byron, Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Corey LaJoie, rookie Carson Hocevar, Noah Gragson, rookie Josh Berry, Justin Haley, Keselowski, Juan Pablo Montoya, Harrison Burton, John Hunter Nemechek, Todd Gilliland and Austin Dillon pitted during the next lap period before the leader Chastain pitted his No. 1 Busch Light Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry on Lap 18. As a result, Truex cycled into the lead as he was followed by Bowman, Briscoe, Suarez and Cindric while Keselowski was penalized for speeding on pit road.

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 20, Truex, who came into the event 19 points below the top-12 cutline in the Playoff standings, notched his fourth Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Playoff rivals Bowman, Briscoe, Suarez, Cindric, Elliott, Reddick and Larson followed suit in the top eight, respectively, while non-Playoff competitors Erik Jones and Daniel Hemric were scored in the top 10. By then, the remaining Playoff contenders on the track that included Logano, Ty Gibbs, Byron, Keselowski, Bell, Burton and Hamlin were scored in 17th, 20th, 21st, 25th, 28th, 30th and 34th, respectively. Despite being mired a lap down, Hamlin was able to fend off Kyle Busch to be the first competitor scored a lap down at the first stage’s conclusion and receive the free pass to cycle back on the lead lap.

Under the stage break, some led by Truex, including a host of competitors who remained on the track before the first stage’s conclusion, pitted while the rest led by Chastain, including those who pitted prior to the stage’s conclusion, remained on the track. Among the Playoff contenders who pitted with Truex included Bowman, Briscoe, Suarez, Cindric, Elliott, Reddick and Larson.

The second stage period started on Lap 24 as Chastain and McDowell occupied the front row in front of van Gisbergen and Logano. At the start, Chastain fended off both McDowell and van Gisbergen through the frontstretch and the first set of turns including the Esses as the field fanned out while navigating up the Esses. With Suarez making contact and sending Reddick for a spin in the first turn amid a stack-up as the race remained under green flag conditions, Chastain would proceed to lead the first through the backstretch, the Bus Stop and the Inner Loop before he navigated his way through the final set of turns and led the following lap.

Over the next five laps, starting on Lap 26, and with most of the field settling in a long single-file line, Chastain increased his advantage to as high as a second over van Gisbergen before the advantage shrunk to two-tenths of a second by Lap 29. Chastain would stabilize his lead to two-tenths of a second over van Gisbergen by the Lap 30 mark while McDowell, Logano, Zane Smith, LaJoie, Ty Gibbs, Byron, Hocevar and Buescher were scored in the top 10 ahead of Gragson, Bell, Berry, Montoya and Nemechek. By then, Playoff contenders Burton, Truex, Briscoe and Bowman were mired just inside the top-20 mark while Elliott, Cindric, Larson, Suarez and Keselowski were mired in the top-30 mark. In addition, Reddick was down in 33rd place in front of team owner Hamlin.

At the Lap 35 mark, Chastain maintained the top spot by eight-tenths of a second over van Gisbergen while McDowell and Logano battled fiercely for third place. Behind, Zane Smith trailed in fifth place ahead of teammate LaJoie while Ty Gibbs, Byron, Hocevar and Buescher were running in the top 10. By then, Bell was in 13th as Burton, Briscoe, Truex and Bowman were mired inside the top-20 mark. With Elliott, Cindric, Larson and Keselowski trailing back in 22nd, 24th, 25th and 28th, respectively, Reddick was still mired in 32nd in front of Suarez and Hamlin.

A lap later, a host of names including Buescher, Montoya, Erik Jones, Larson, Justin Haley, Keselowski and Kaz Grala pitted under green. More names including McDowell, Zane Smith, LaJoie, Noah Gragson, Bell, Berry, Nemechek, Truex, Gilliland, Elliott, Hemric, Cindric, Austin Dillon and Reddick pitted during the following lap before the caution flew due to Suarez spinning and getting his No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry stuck in the gravel trap in Turn 6. During the pit stops, Keselowski was penalized for a second time, this time for an uncontrolled tire violation as a tire rolled out of his pit stall. Larson was also penalized for causing vehicle interference.

With the second stage period scheduled to conclude on Lap 40 officially concluding under caution, Chastain, who was unable to enter pit road to pit under green before the caution being flown for teammate Suarez spinning and instead remained on the track, proceeded to claim his second Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Van Gisbergen, who was also trying to pit with Chastain, followed suit in second along with Playoff contenders Logano, Ty Gibbs, Byron, Burton, Briscoe and Bowman while Ryan Preece and Hamlin were scored in the top 10. By then, the remaining Playoff contenders on the track that included Bell, Truex, Cindric, Elliott, Larson, Keselowski, Reddick and Suarez were mired in 20th, 21st, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 33rd and 35th, respectively.

During the stage break, some led by Ty Gibbs and Byron pitted while the rest led by Chastain remained on the track.

With 48 laps remaining, the final stage commenced under green as Chastain and van Gisbergen occupied the front row. At the start and with the field fanning out through the frontstretch, Chastain maintained the top spot ahead of van Gisbergen and a hard-charging Briscoe while the rest of the field scrambled while bumping and navigating through the Esses, the backstretch and the Bus Stop corner. With the field still jostling for spots through the Inner Loop and the final set of turns, Chastain led the following lap ahead of van Gisbergen, Briscoe, McDowell and LaJoie.

At the halfway mark with 45 laps remaining, Chastain retained the lead by nearly six-tenths of a second over van Gisbergen, Briscoe, McDowell and LaJoie while Buescher, Hocevar, Montoya, Gragson and Logano were running in the top 10 ahead of Truex, Nemechek, Berry, Bell, Elliott, Cindric, Haley, Bowman, Kaz Grala and Hemric. By then, Playoff contenders Ty Gibbs, Byron, Hamlin, Burton, Keselowski, Larson, Reddick and Suarez were mired outside the top 20.

A lap later, the caution returned when Hamlin, who was pinned in a tight three-wide battle with Keselowski and Larson just outside the top-20 mark towards the entry of the Esses, was sent sideways and into the guardrails by Keselowski as he sustained more damage to his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE entry. Despite continuing, the incident jeopardized Hamlin’s hopes of advancing to the Round of 12 in the Playoffs following his final lap accident at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

During the caution period, some including Logano, Keselowski and Larson pitted while the rest led by Chastain remained on the track. Hamlin also pitted to continue to have more repairs made to his entry.

The start of the next restart period with 41 laps remaining featured Chastain rocketing away from the field with the lead through the frontstretch and the first set of turns leading up to the Esses as the field scrambled for late spots. The field proceeded to navigate through the backstretch, the Bus Stop and the Esses smoothly as van Gisbergen and McDowell tried to keep the leader Chastain within close pursuit. As Chastain led the following lap, LaJoie and Buescher were scored in the top five while Briscoe was trying to fend off Hocevar and teammate Gragson for sixth place while Truex and Montoya were up into the top 10.

With 35 laps remaining, Chastain retained a narrow lead by three-tenths of a second over a hard-charging van Gisbergen as McDowell, Buescher, LaJoie, Hocevar, Gragson, Briscoe, Truex and Elliott were scored in the top 10. By then, the following Playoff contenders that included Bell, Cindric, Bowman, Byron and Ty Gibbs were mired in the top-20 mark while Reddick, Logano, Larson, Keselowski, Suarez and Burton were mired in the top-30 mark. Meanwhile, Hamlin was down in 34th place.

Two laps later, Buescher, who had fresher tires than the leader Chastain, rocketed past Chastain through the frontstretch as he assumed the lead. By then, van Gisbergen was down in third place and losing the spot to McDowell entering the first turn while LaJoie and Hocevar followed suit in the top six. Another lap later, Chastain and van Gisbergen pitted for fresh tires and fuel before Buescher pitted from the lead during the following lap.

With 30 laps remaining, some including Montoya, Byron, Hocevar, Erik Jones and Haley pitted under green as Bell was bumped and sent for a spin by Austin Dillon in Turn 7 while trying to enter pit road. With the race remaining under green flag conditions, Bell pitted along with Nemechek and Ty Gibbs. As the pit stop cycle continued with a bevy of names including Gragson and Elliott pitting, McDowell retained the lead before he pitted with 25 laps remaining.

Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Logano was leading ahead of Zane Smith as third-place Larson pitted under green. By then, Cindric, LaJoie, Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon and Gilliland had pitted. Shortly after, Zane Smith pitted from the runner-up. With Buescher cycling his way up the leaderboard, he would then overtake Logano for the lead with 17 laps remaining while Keselowski, van Gisbergen, Hocevar and Chastain trailed in the top six. As Kaz Grala crashed in Turn 7 with help from Hemric, the race remained under green flag conditions.

With 15 laps remaining, Buescher extended his advantage to four seconds over Logano as van Gisbergen, Keselowski and Hocevar were scored in the top five ahead of Chastain, McDowell, Preece, Briscoe and LaJoie. By then, Playoff contenders Truex, Byron and Elliott were scored in the top-14 mark on the track while Cindric, Bowman and Larson were trailing in the top-20 mark. Meanwhile, Ty Gibbs, Suarez, Bell, Reddick and Burton were mired in the top-30 mark while Hamlin was back in 33rd place.

Four laps later, the caution flew due to debris reported in Turn 6 as a result of Playoff contender Harrison Burton blowing a left-rear tire and leaving debris scattered in the turn. By then, Keselowski and Logano had pitted while Buescher was leading ahead of a hard-charging van Gisbergen. During the caution period, some including Playoff contenders and teammates Bowman, Byron and Elliott pitted while the rest led by Buescher remained on the track. Among those who pitted included Playoff contender Reddick.

With the race restarting with seven laps remaining, Buescher and Hocevar, both of whom restarted on the front row in front of van Gisbergen and Chastain, dueled for the lead through the frontstretch and the first turn as the field fanned out entering the Esses. In the midst of the battles, Buescher maintained the lead in front of Hocevar and van Gisbregen through the backstretch. Just then, the caution returned when Logano made contact with Keselowski in the Esses resulting in Keselowski turning into Byron and Byron’s No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry coming off the ground and on top of the left side of Keselowski’s No. 6 King’s Hawaiian Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry while being pinned towards the guardrails as both were left with heavily damaged race cars.

The start of the next restart period with three laps remaining did not last long as Elliott and Berry, both of whom were running in the middle of the pack, were bumped into one another by Gilliland entering the Esses, which in turn ignited an accordion effect as both hit the guardrails along with Truex and Logano while Reddick was sent sideways and in front of Kyle Busch. Amid the incident, Buescher had maintained the lead ahead of Hocevar, Chastain, van Gisbergen, McDowell and Briscoe while the event was sent into overtime.

The start of the first overtime attempt featured Buescher and Hocevar dueling for the lead through the frontstretch until van Gisbergen gave Buescher a little tap entering the first turn. The contact caused both Buescher and Hocevar to go wide as van Gisbergen made a three-wide pass on both to assume the lead through the Esses. With van Gisbergen leading, Buescher remained within striking distance of the former up the Esses and through the backstretch, Bus Stop and Inner Loop corners while the field behind jostled for late spots.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, van Gisbergen remained as the leader by three-tenths of a second over Buescher while Chastain was trying to fend off Hocevar and a bevy of competitors for third place. From the first turn to the backstretch, van Gisbergen maintained a reasonable lead over a hard-charging Buescher.

Then through the Bus Stop, van Gisbergen made the slightest of contact with the right-side guardrails, which got him through the corner and the curbs as Buescher quickly closed the gap. Buescher then veered to the right and despite van Gisbergen’s effort to defend, made contact with the leader as he muscled his No. 17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry into the lead through the Inner Loop. Van Gisbergen then tried to close the gap back through a brief straightaway leading up to Turn 6, but he got loose in Turn 6 and had to step out of the gas to keep his No. 16 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry running straight in Turn 7. With van Gisbergen losing ground after going sideways, Buescher was able to smoothly navigate his way through Turn 7 and muscle back to the frontstretch victorious and to his first elusive checkered flag of the 2024 Cup Series season by nine-tenths of a second over van Gisbergen.

With the victory, Buescher, who missed the 2024 Playoff field by a single points position amid a strong regular-season stretch, notched his sixth NASCAR Cup Series career win in his 321st series start, his first both at The Glen and on a road course venue, and his first since winning the 2023 regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway. The victory was also the ninth of the season and the fourth in recent weeks for the Ford nameplate while Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing notched its second Cup victory of the 2024 season and first since teammate/co-owner Brad Keselowski won at Darlington Raceway in May. As an added bonus, this season marks the first time where Roush’s Nos. 17 and 6 entries won in the same Cup season since 2011.

Buescher’s Cup victory at The Glen over van Gisbergen marked the first time a last-lap pass for the win was made since Joey Logano made the last accomplishment over Kevin Harvick in 2015. It also marked the first time a non-Playoff competitor won a Playoff event since AJ Allmendinger made the last accomplishment last October at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.

“I thought we lost it there on the last [restart],” Buescher said on the frontstretch on USA Network. “Man, to stay right there with [van Gisbergen]. [The Bus Stop] was the spot that he was better than us and he missed it, so I tried to cross over. He went to cut. Just hard racing there. Just such an awesome finish. To be that good for so much at the end of the race, all race. To get a win, it’s good. We came here to be [Playoff] spoiler. We’re going to do that. Man, we would’ve like to have won a couple of weeks ago, but this is huge. It’s such a big win for us. Everybody at [Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing]’s worked so hard. To finally get a road course win, we’ve been so close so many times. To finally pull that off is fantastic.”

Meanwhile, as Buescher celebrated in Victory Lane, van Gisbergen, who only led the penultimate lap, managed to smile despite being left “gutted” after capping off his strong run with his first top-two result of the season. His previous best result through his last seven Cup starts was 20th, which occurred at Circuit of the Americas in March. The three-time Supercars champion from Auckland, New Zealand, is scheduled to compete at Talladega Superspeedway and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October, which will also mark his final pair of races of the season and with Kaulig Racing overall before he graduates to a full-time Cup campaign in 2025 with Trackhouse Racing.

“I knew Chris [Buescher] was really going to send it and push me if [he] could get there,” van Gisbergen said. “As I turned [the car] and got a bit loose and clipped the inside wall, just driver error. I’m gutted. [The] WeatherTech Camaro was really good. The race was awesome with Ross [Chastain] and Chris and the others at the end. I’m gutted we couldn’t get [the win]. I had a lot of fun, but I’m pretty angry at myself. It was just a little bump to get [Buescher] wide [during the overtime shootout] and I knew I was going to get it back, so that’s why I was pushing so hard. It is what it is, but just gutted.”

Rookie Carson Hocevar notched a career-best third-place result ahead of the pole-sitter Ross Chastain, who led a race-high 51 laps, while rookie Zane Smith achieved his second Cup career top-five result by finishing fifth.

Chase Briscoe was the highest-finishing Playoff contender in sixth place while Michael McDowell, Corey LaJoie, Ryan Preece and Playoff contender Austin Cindric finished in the top 10.

The remaining Playoff contenders on the track that included Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, Harrison Burton, Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick and William Byron ended up finishing 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th, 27th and 34th, respectively.

As a result, the four Playoff competitors who enter next weekend’s Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway below the top-12 cutline are Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Harrison Burton. Currently, Hamlin is six points behind Chase Briscoe and teammate Ty Gibbs for the 12th and final transfer spot into the Round of 12 while Keselowski, Truex and Burton trail the cutline by 12, 14 and 20 points, respectively.

There were 11 lead changes for nine different leaders. The race featured seven cautions 21 for laps. In addition, 31 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.

Results.

1. Chris Buescher, 19 laps led

2. Shane van Gisbergen, one lap led

3. Carson Hocevar, one lap led

4. Ross Chastain, 51 laps led, Stage 2 winner

5. Zane Smith

6. Chase Briscoe

7. Michael McDowell, seven laps led

8. Corey LaJoie, two laps led

9. Ryan Preece

10. Austin Cindric

11. Noah Gragson

12. Kyle Larson

13. Daniel Suarez

14. Christopher Bell

15. Joey Logano, six laps led

16. Todd Gilliland

17. Bubba Wallace

18. Alex Bowman, one lap led

19. Chase Elliott

20. Martin Truex Jr., four laps led, Stage 1 winner

21. John Hunter Nemechek

22. Ty Gibbs

23. Denny Hamlin

24. Harrison Burton

25. Josh Berry

26. Brad Keselowski

27. Tyler Reddick

28. Austin Dillon

29. Justin Haley

30. Kyle Busch

31. Daniel Hemric

32. Juan Pablo Montoya, one lap down

33. Erik Jones, two laps down

34. William Byron, two laps down

35. Kaz Grala, five laps down

36. AJ Allmendinger – OUT, Transmission

37. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – OUT, Accident

38. Ryan Blaney – OUT, Accident

*Bold indicates Playoff contenders

Playoff standings

1. Joey Logano – Advanced

2. Christopher Bell +46

3. Austin Cindric +43

4. Alex Bowman +41

5. Daniel Suarez +36

6. Tyler Reddick +30

7. Chase Elliott +30

8. Ryan Blaney +29

9. Kyle Larson +26

10. William Byron +25

11. Chase Briscoe +6

12. Ty Gibbs +6

13. Denny Hamlin -6

14. Brad Keselowski -12

15. Martin Truex Jr. -14

16. Harrison Burton -20

The Round of 16 in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set to conclude next Saturday, September 21, at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race and where the first of three elimination processes will occur. The event’s broadcast time is slated to occur at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 15, 2024
NASCAR Weekend Schedule for Watkins Glen – September 2024

This weekend NASCAR travels to Watkins Glen International for the second race of the Cup Series Playoffs.

It will be the first time the 2.45-mile track has hosted a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race and it will present unique challenges for the drivers. They have added new rumble strips and interchangeable curbing in the Inner Loop Chicane (the bus stop) and Goodyear is bringing a new tire that is designed to provide more fall-off than the previous tire.

Due to these changes, Cup Series practice will be extended. The drivers will be divided into two groups and each group will have two 20-minute practice sessions, followed by qualifying in preparation for the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday afternoon.

Saturday’s action will feature the Xfinity Series Mission 200 at The Glen with only two races remaining in the series regular season. Eight drivers have already clinched a spot in the 12-driver field – Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, Riley Herbst, Jesse Love, Shane Van Gisbergen and Sam Mayer.

The ARCA Menards Series General Tire 100 will headline Friday’s on-track activities. The Craftsman Truck Series is off and will return to competition September 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Press Pass will be available throughout the weekend.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, September 13
2:00 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Practice
3:15 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Qualifying
5:00 p.m.: ARCA General Tire 100 at the Glen
FS1/MRN

Saturday, September 14
9:30 a.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – NBC Sports App
10:00 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – NBC Sports App

11:30 a.m.: Cup Series Practice
USA/SiriusXM/MRN/NBC Sports App
1:00 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying
USA/SiriusXM/MRN/NBC Sports App

3:00 p.m.: Xfinity Series Mission 200 at The Glen
Distance: 200.9 miles (82 Laps)
Stages end on Lap 20, Lap 40, Lap 82
USA/SiriusXM/MRN/NBC Sports App
Purse: $1,312,465

Sunday, September 15
3:00 p.m.: Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen
Distance: 220.5 miles (90 Laps)
Stages end on Lap 20, Lap 40, Lap 90
USA/SiriusXM/MRN/NBC Sports App
Purse: $7,572,831

September 12, 2024
Austin Dillon to make 400th Cup start at Watkins Glen

Austin Dillon is primed to achieve a milestone in his 11th full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. By competing in this weekend’s Cup Playoff event at Watkins Glen International, the driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will make his 400th career start in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of Welcome, North Carolina, Dillon made his inaugural start in the Cup Series at Kansas Speedway in October 2011. At the time, he was campaigning in his second full-time season in the Craftsman Truck Series for Richard Childress Racing after clinching the Rookie of the Year title in 2010. Driving the No. 98 Chevrolet Impala for Curb Racing, Dillon finished 26th in his first Cup event.

The following two seasons, Dillon competed full-time in the Xfinity Series for RCR, where he achieved the 2012 Xfinity Series’ Rookie of the Year title before notching the drivers’ championship a year later. During the two-year stint, he made 12 Cup Series starts, his first occurring at Michigan International Speedway in June 2012 as he piloted RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet to a 24th-place finish. The remaining 11 Cup starts occurred in 2013, with his first being the 55th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway as he finished 31st.

In total, Dillon made five Cup starts with RCR, four with Phoenix Racing and two with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) as an interim competitor for the injured three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart. Within the starts, he notched a season-best 11th-place finish at Michigan in June with RCR and a 14th-place run at Michigan in August with SHR. At Talladega Superspeedway in October, Dillon, who was driving the No. 14 SHR Chevrolet SS, was running in third place on the final lap when he slipped sideways off the front nose of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., came back across the track in the backstretch and was sent airborne after being rammed by Casey Mears, with the result dropping Dillon to 26th place in the final running order.

Less than a month after winning the 2013 Xfinity Series title, Dillon was announced as a full-time Cup Series competitor in RCR’s No. 3 Chevrolet SS for the 2014 season, which marked the return of the No. 3 in NASCAR’s premier series for the first time since the 2001 Daytona 500, last piloted by the late seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt.

Dillon commenced his rookie Cup season on a strong note by securing the pole position for the 56th running of the Daytona 500, which was his first in the series, and becoming both the fourth competitor to place a No. 3 entry and the fifth rookie candidate on the pole for the Great American Race. During the main event, Dillon, who led the opening lap, rallied after being involved in a late multi-car wreck to record his first top-10 result in the series with a ninth-place finish. He would then finish no higher than 11th three times during his next 16 starts before securing his first top-five result in the form of a fifth-place finish at Daytona in July.

With only an additional top-10 result, being a 10th-place run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, occurring in the final eight regular-season events, Dillon was unable to qualify for the 2014 Cup Series Playoffs. He would proceed to finish no higher than eighth during the final 10 events on the schedule before settling in 20th place in the final standings and the runner-up spot behind Kyle Larson for the Rookie-of-the-Year title. Overall, Dillon achieved a single pole, one top-five result, four top-10 results, 10 laps led and an average-finishing result of 17.5 during his first full-time Cup Series season.

Dillon’s sophomore Cup season in 2015 was mired with a harrowing final lap accident at Daytona in July, where his car went airborne after colliding with a spinning Denny Hamlin. He flew over four competitors and smashed upside-down into the frontstretch’s catchfence before the car came back on the speedway on the roof and was hit by a spinning Brad Keselowski before coming to a rest on the roof. Amid the wild wreck that ripped the engine out of the No. 3 car, Dillon, who managed to finish seventh before the wreck, emerged uninjured as he only sustained a bruised tailbone and a bruised forearm.

The Daytona result would serve as one of Dillon’s five total top-10 results he earned throughout the 2015 Cup season, with his best on-track result being a fourth-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in August after leading 19 laps. After missing the Playoffs, Dillon settled in 21st place in the final standings with an average-finishing result of 21.0.

Like his rookie Cup season, Dillon commenced his junior Cup Series season with a ninth-place result during the 58th running of the Daytona 500. Two races later, he recorded a strong fifth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March followed by a ninth-place run at Phoenix Raceway before notching his second Cup career pole at Auto Club Speedway, an event where he would finish 24th. Nabbing three additional top-five results and a total of six top-10 results during the final 21 regular-season events, Dillon was able to race his way into his first career Cup Series Playoffs based on points.

After finishing 14th, 16th and eighth throughout the Round of 16, Dillon transferred into the Round of 12. With respective finishes of 32nd, sixth and ninth throughout the Round of 12, however, he did not transfer to the Round of 8 amid a tie-breaker against Denny Hamlin. Scoring his second pole of the season at Texas Motor Speedway in November, Dillon finished no higher than 12th during the final four events on the schedule before settling in 14th place in the final standings. Overall, Dillon achieved two poles, four top-five results, a career-high 13 top-10 results, 17 laps led and an average finishing result of 15.9. He had also surpassed 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

Dillon began the 2017 Cup Series season with a 19th-place finish during the 59th running of the Daytona 500. Then after managing only one top-five finish during the first 11 events on the schedule, he scored his first Cup career victory in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May after overtaking seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson with two laps remaining and having enough fuel to coast his No. 3 Chevrolet across the finish line ahead of Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.

With the victory, Dillon became the 188th different competitor to win a Cup Series event and the seventh to notch a first Cup victory in the Coke 600. It was the first victory for the No. 3 since Dale Earnhardt won at Talladega Superspeedway in 2000. Despite finishing in the top 10 only twice during the final 14 regular-season events, the Coke 600 victory enabled Dillon to automatically advance to the Playoffs for a second consecutive season. After having his title hopes come to an early end after finishing no higher than 16th twice and not advancing past the Round of 16, Dillon proceeded to notch five top-15 results within the final seven events on the schedule before settling in a career-best 11th place in the final standings.

Returning for a fifth full-time Cup campaign in 2018, Dillon commenced the season with a thriller after spinning Aric Almirola on the final lap to win the 60th running of the Daytona 500 and notch his second Cup career victory. With the accomplishment, Dillon, who only led the final lap and piloted a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to its first NASCAR victory in its first event, became the 39th competitor to win the Great American Race as he delivered the third Daytona 500 victory for Richard Childress Racing and the first for the No. 3 since Dale Earnhardt won his first and only 500 event in 1998.

The victory also occurred 11 years to the day when Kevin Harvick delivered the second and latest 500 victory for RCR. With the 500 victory guaranteeing Dillon and the No. 3 team a spot in the 2018 Cup Series Playoffs, the North Carolina native proceeded to finish in the top 10 three additional times during the remaining 25 regular-season events. Having his title hopes eliminated early after finishing 11th, sixth and 39th throughout the Round of 16, Dillon proceeded to finish in the top 11 five times during the final seven events on the schedule before settling in 13th place in the final standings. Despite achieving one less top-five result from his previous season (two), he doubled his top-10 results (eight) and improved his average-finishing result from 18.6 to 17.5.

After missing the 2019 Cup Series Playoffs and finishing 21st in the final standings, where he notched a total of six top-10 results, a career-high three poles and surpassed 200 Cup career starts throughout the season, Dillon began the 2020 Cup season with a 12th-place finish in the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 before notching a fourth-place run during the following event at Las Vegas. Then after recording three additional top-10 results during his next 15 starts, Dillon snapped an 88-race winless drought and returned to the Victory Lane in the Cup Series at Texas for the third time in his career after leading 22 laps and fending off teammate Tyler Reddick during a two-lap shootout.

The Texas victory also enabled Dillon to clinch a spot in the 2020 Cup Series Playoffs, which marked his fourth time making the postseason title battle, as he concluded the regular-season stretch with two additional top-10 results, amid being absent from the Daytona International Speedway Road Course event in August following a positive COVID-19 test. After notching a strong runner-up result during the Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway in September followed by a fourth-place finish at Richmond Raceway and a 12th-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway, respectively, Dillon transferred into the Round of 12. After being eliminated from the Playoffs due to finishing no higher than 12th throughout the Round of 12, he secured two 11th-place finishes during the final four-scheduled events before tying his career-best result in the final standings in 11th place. Overall, Dillon still managed to notch a career-high 135 laps led along with a total of four top-five results, nine top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 16.2.

Throughout the 2021 Cup Series season, where he reached 300 Cup career starts at season’s end, Dillon accumulated a total of eight top-10 results and a season-best third-place finish in the 63rd running of the Daytona 500. Despite winning the second Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona in February following a final lap where he overtook Bubba Wallace, Dillon did not make the 2021 Cup Series Playoffs and concluded the season in 17th place in the final standings. Nonetheless, he still secured a career-best average-finishing result of 14.4 on the strength of 27 top-15 results throughout the 36-race schedule.

The 2022 Cup season began with a 25th-place finish during the 64th running of the Daytona 500, Dillon collected two runner-up results and a total of seven top-10 results throughout the following 24 regular-season events. Then during the regular-season finale at Daytona in August, he raced his way into the Playoffs after dodging a wreck that eliminated nearly the entire field with 23 laps remaining and withstanding a lengthy rain delay period to lead 10 laps and overtake Austin Cindric with three laps remaining before leading teammate Tyler Reddick across the finish line as part of a 1-2 finish for Richard Childress Racing.

The victory was Dillon’s fourth of his Cup career and the fifth time he made the Playoffs. Although his title hopes were eliminated early after finishing no higher than 14th throughout the Round of 16, Dillon notched a fourth-place finish and two 10th-place runs during the final seven-scheduled events before ending up in 11th place in the final standings for the third time in his career. By then, Dillon notched career-high stats in top fives (five) and top 10s (11) while emerging with an average finishing result of 16.5.

This past season, Dillon notched a strong runner-up result in the non-points Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Two weeks later, he was in contention and battling for the victory in the Daytona 500 before he was swept up in a multi-car wreck during an overtime shootout and ended up in 33rd place. Dillon proceeded to finish in the top five once and in the top 10 six times during the following 25 regular-season events but missed the Playoffs for the fifth time in his career. Finishing no higher than 10th throughout the 2023 Playoffs, Dillon ended up in 29th place in the final driver’s standings, the lowest of his career as a full-time Cup competitor.

Dillon started the 2024 Cup Series season with only two top-10 results through the first 22 scheduled events, which left him mired outside the top-30 mark in the regular-season standings. Then at Richmond Raceway this past August, he endured a high-turned-low career moment that started when he assumed the lead from Denny Hamlin with 28 laps remaining. Initially poised the seal the victory during the event’s scheduled distance, the event was sent into overtime due to a late multi-car wreck. Despite retaining the lead during the event’s caution period, Dillon would lose the lead to Joey Logano at the start of the overtime shootout. Then on the final lap, Dillon stepped on the gas and bumped into Logano and sent him spinning through the final turn. Dillon then veered dead left and turned Hamlin into the frontstretch’s outside wall to reclaim the lead and streak across the finish line to win for the fifth time in his career.

After initially guaranteeing himself and his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team a spot into the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs, disaster struck three days later after NASCAR revoked his Playoff eligibility due to the North Carolinian’s deliberate actions to win and make the postseason. Following two appeal processes made by Dillon and Richard Childress Racing, both of which were denied, Dillon plummeted back down towards the top-30 mark in the regular-season standings. Despite finishing in 15th place in the regular-season finale at Darlington, Dillon was unable to race his way back into the Playoffs, which he missed for the sixth time in his career.

Through 399 previous Cup starts, Dillon has achieved five victories, six poles, 23 top-five results, 78 top-10 results, 411 laps led and an average-finishing result of 18.4. He is currently ranked in 29th place in the 2024 drivers’ standings.

Austin Dillon is scheduled to make his 400th Cup Series career start at Watkins Glen International for the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, September 15, with the event’s broadcast scheduled to occur at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 11, 2024
Todd Gilliland to make 100th Cup start at Watkins Glen

Todd Gilliland is poised to achieve a milestone start in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. By competing in this weekend’s Cup Playoff event at Watkins Glen International, the driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse will make his 100th career start in NASCAR’s premier series.

A third-generation racer from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, Gilliland made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series at the start of the 2022 season, where he assumed the role of the driver of the No. 38 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports. By then, he had achieved two victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and was a two-time champion of the ARCA Menards Series West.

During the season-opening 64th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, Gilliland ended up 33rd after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. During his next 20 starts, he notched eight top-20 results with a best finish of 15th at Darlington Raceway in May. He achieved his first career top-five finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course by finishing fourth amid an overtime finish.

Gilliland capped off the regular-season stretch with four consecutive results outside the top 20 and did not make the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs. He managed to notch his second career top-10 result at Talladega Superspeedway with a seventh-place finish and then finished 13th during the penultimate Cup event on the schedule at Martinsville Speedway. Gilliland concluded his first full-time Cup season in 28th place in the final standings. In addition, he settled in third place in the Rookie-of-the-Year battle behind Austin Cindric and Harrison Burton.

This past season, Gilliland competed driving for Front Row Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing for the entire 36-race schedule, 31 of which occurred with FRM. The remaining five occurred with Rick Ware Racing as the reigning Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith piloted Gilliland’s No. 38 entry for six events. Throughout the 36-race schedule, Gilliland achieved a season-best eighth-place finish at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in April and earned four top-10 results. With an average-finishing result of 22.0, Gilliland, who did not make the Playoffs for a second consecutive season, ended up in 28th place in the final standings for a second consecutive season.

Returning as a full-time Cup Series competitor for Front Row Motorsports this season, Gilliland commenced his junior season by finishing 35th in the 66th running of the Daytona 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. He would then lead a race-high 58 of 260 laps during the following event at Atlanta Motor Speedway before he was involved in another late multi-car wreck that pinned him four laps down and mired in 26th place in the final running order. After finishing no higher than 13th during his next seven starts, Gilliland notched his first top-10 result of the season by finishing eighth at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

The North Carolinian proceeded to record three top-10 results and seven top-15 results over his next 12 starts before he capped off the regular-season stretch with finishes no higher than 17th twice in four races. By then, he missed the Cup Playoffs for a third consecutive season. Nonetheless, Gilliland has recorded four top-10 results through 27 scheduled events this year, which ties his current record of top-10 results from his previous season. In addition, he has led 126 laps with an average finish of 19.9, both higher than his previous marks over the last two seasons.

Through 99 previous Cup starts, Gilliland, who is set to remain at Front Row Motorsports in 2025, has achieved one top-five result, 10 top-10 results, 137 laps led and an average-finishing result of 21.8 as he continues his pursuit of his first Cup Series career victory. He is currently ranked in 21st place in this year’s standings, which would mark a career-best result for the competitor.

Todd Gilliland is scheduled to make his 100th Cup Series career start at Watkins Glen International for the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, September 15, with the event’s broadcast time set for 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 11, 2024
Larson set for second Indy 500-Coke 600 bid with Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren in 2025

Nearly four months after having his plans of competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day spoiled due to Mother Nature, Kyle Larson returns to Memorial Day weekend in May 2025 with “unfinished business” as he will make a second attempt at “The Double” between two motorsports’ regions in two iconic racing venues.

In a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday, September 10, Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren will join forces to support Larson’s double-duty effort for a second consecutive season in 2025. The conference featured Larson, Hendrick Motorsports’ owner Rick Hendrick, Hendrick Motorsports’ vice chairman Jeff Gordon, McLaren Racing’s CEO Zak Brown and Arrow McLaren’s sporting director Tony Kanaan.

The news comes as Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, who first announced his double-duty plans in January 2023 for the 2024 season, attempted to become the fifth competitor to pull off motorsports’ iconic double this past May. With on-track precipitation delaying the start of Larson’s first double-duty leg at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500, Larson opted to remain at Indianapolis, which resulted in him missing the start of the Coca-Cola 600. Once the Indy 500 commenced amid the delay, he proceeded to finish in 18th place despite getting penalized for speeding on pit road in the closing stages.

At the conclusion of the Indy 500, Larson hopped on a plane and was flown to Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the Coke 600 had commenced as Xfinity Series veteran Justin Allgaier was piloting Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry as a fill-in competitor. By the time Larson arrived at Charlotte, however, the event was placed in a red flag period on Lap 249 of 400 due to on-track precipitation. Following an extensive rain delay period, the event was made official. As a result, Allgaier, who was credited with starting the Coke 600 and methodically carved his way up the leaderboard from the rear of the field, was awarded a 13th-place result while Larson was unable to turn in a single lap for his second leg of “The Double.”

Despite being named the 2024 Indy 500 Rookie-of-the-Year recipient and being praised by many for his attempted double-duty efforts, Larson has since evoked a goal to plot a second attempt at “The Double” and compete in both events spanning a total of 1,100 miles in a single day.

“I really enjoyed the Month of May in Indy and racing with Arrow McLaren, but I was really disappointed with missing the Coca-Cola 600 with the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team,” Larson said in a released statement. “I appreciate the second opportunity because we have unfinished business. I really want to complete all 1,100 miles, and I think we have the opportunity to battle for the win in both events.”

Since the Indy-Charlotte double attempt, Larson did achieve a little redemption of his own at Indianapolis this past July when he won the Brickyard 400 for the first time in his career while sporting the exact blue, orange and white scheme to his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet entry that he was initially set to sport during the Coke 600. After celebrating in the frontstretch, Larson hinted at a potential return to the 2025 Indy 500 to the delight of the Indianapolis fans, which is now official and set for next season.

Like this season, Larson’s NTT IndyCar Series and Cup Series entries will carry sponsorship support from HendrickCars.com. The Californian will also sport the No. 17 on his Arrow McLaren Dallara-Chevrolet IndyCar entry at Indianapolis for a second consecutive season before he travels back to Charlotte and climbs aboard his No. 5 Chevrolet entry in the Cup circuit.

“Kyle had a great month of May and showed what a gifted race car driver he is,” Rick Hendrick, a 14-time Cup Series championship owner, said. “From a sponsorship perspective, we saw an incredible lift for HendrickCars.com and measured a three-to-one return on our investment. It was a monumental effort by all involved, but we didn’t have the opportunity to see it through [because of inclement weather]. Everyone learned a great deal that we’ll take into next year. Now that we’ve experienced it once, we know what to expect, which can only make us better and more prepared. Zak [Brown] and the team at Arrow McLaren are tremendous partners, and we’re looking forward to finishing the job together in 2025.”

Currently, Larson is one of 16 competitors vying for the 2024 Cup Series championship in the Playoffs. Having earned four victories throughout the 2024 regular-season stretch, he is ranked in 10th place in the Playoff standings and is 15 points above the top-12 cutline to advance from the Round of 16 to 12, with the first Playoff’s round set to conclude less than two weeks from now at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 21.

The 2025 season is set to mark the 12th time overall where a competitor will attempt to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, a motorsports’ challenge that started when the late John Andretti achieved the first feat in 1994. In addition, Larson is set to become the first competitor to attempt “The Double” for a second time since Robby Gordon made his fourth attempt in 2004 and had Jaques Lazier fill in for him for the remainder of the Indy 500 due to a rain delay period as he competed in the Coke 600 with Richard Childress Racing.

To date, Kurt Busch, the 2004 Cup Series champion, is the latest competitor to achieve “The Double” in 2014 despite having his hopes of completing the double’s 1,100 miles spoiled due to a late engine failure during the Coke 600. Tony Stewart, a three-time Cup Series champion, is the only competitor to complete all 1,100 miles of both races on the same day, finishing sixth at Indy before notching a third-place effort at Charlotte.

For the 2025 Indianapolis 500, Larson will be a teammate to Arrow McLaren’s NTT IndyCar Series driver lineup that consists of Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard, the latter of whom will be joining the organization next season. It will also mark the third consecutive season that Arrow McLaren will attempt to field four entries in the Indy 500 as the organization attempts to return the iconic McLaren name to Victory Lane at Indianapolis since Johnny Rutherford made the last accomplishment in 1976.

Photo by Chris Jones | IMS Photo.

“Kyle showed us all what he was capable of this past May, and given a second chance with better weather conditions, I think we’ll all be excited to see him fight for a win at the Indy 500 and then another one in Charlotte,” Zak Brown added. “He’s one of the most talented racing drivers out there, and it’s a privilege to do this again with Mr. Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, who are both world-class. We can’t wait for May.”

*Note: Compared to this season, Rick Hendrick mentioned that the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 race will be Larson’s priority in the event that Mother Nature hinders the Californian’s double-duty effort for a second time. In an event of this nature, Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indianapolis 500 champion and the 2004 NTT IndyCar Series champion with 17 victories who coached Larson during his attempted double, will pilot Larson’s No. 17 Chevrolet entry.

With his Memorial Day weekend plans for next season set, Kyle Larson’s 2025 “The Double” campaign is scheduled to occur on May 25. The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is slated to air at 11 a.m. ET on FOX before the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will follow suit later in the day. While the Coke 600 will be aired on Amazon Prime Video, a start time remains to be determined.

September 10, 2024
Montoya scheduled for Cup return with 23XI Racing at Watkins Glen

The upcoming Go Bowling at The Glen is set to mark the third and final appearance of 23XI Racing’s No. 50 “all-star” entry for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. For the event, the entry will feature a familiar face returning to a Cup Series grid for the first time in a decade as Juan Pablo Montoya will assume the reigns of the entry at a road course venue where he achieved his latest NASCAR triumph 14 years ago.

Montoya, a native of Bogota, Columbia, makes his return to the Cup Series level since he last competed in the series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014 and as a full-time competitor in 2013. He made his series’ debut during the 2006 season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway before campaigning on a full-time basis with Chip Ganassi Racing the following season.

Since the transition to full-time NASCAR competition, Montoya proceeded to notch two career victories in the sport’s premier series, with his first occurring during his rookie season at Sonoma Raceway in 2007 before he double down at Watkins Glen in 2010. By then, he became the first Columbian competitor to win in the Cup Series. He would also notch nine poles, 24 top-five results, 59 top-10 results, 1,124 laps led and an average-finishing result of 19.8 through a total of 255 Cup Series starts.

Montoya’s other achievements across NASCAR include notching the Rookie-of-the Year title in 2007, becoming the first foreign-born competitor to make the Playoffs in 2009 before settling in a career-best eighth place in the season’s final standings and scoring his first Xfinity Series career victory at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City in 2007.

Having spent a bulk of his NASCAR career piloting Dodge or Chevrolet while driving for team owner Chip Ganassi before making his latest two starts in a Ford for Team Penske, Montoya will pilot a Toyota for the first time this upcoming weekend at The Glen for 23XI Racing, an organization that is in its fourth season in competition and notched the 2024 Cup Series Regular Season Championship with Tyler Reddick. The chance to compete at The Glen also marks an opportune time for Montoya to relive his previous excitement and competitiveness he delivered on the track in NASCAR while being sponsored by Mobil 1, one of his earliest sponsors in his racing career as the motor oil brand celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in a Cup car and racing at Watkins Glen – a track I really enjoy and had the chance to experience earlier in my career,” Montoya, who was announced to drive at The Glen for 23XI Racing on August 2, said in a released statement. “It’s an honor to celebrate the Mobil 1 team’s remarkable legacy in racing and be recognized for my contributions to motorsports. The Mobil 1 brand was one of my first sponsors when I started racing, so to represent the brand again as they celebrate this milestone will be so special. I’m also excited to work with 23XI and experience what the team is building.”

In addition to his previous success in NASCAR, Montoya joins 23XI Racing with a rich resume in motorsports competition that includes winning the Indianapolis 500 twice (2000 & 2015), claiming the 1999 IndyCar championship and achieving the 1998 International Formula 3000 title. During both his Indy 500 and IndyCar championship achievements, he also claimed the Rookie-of-the-Year title. He would also notch the 2019 IMSA SportsCar Championship and three Rolex 24 at Daytona titles (2007, 2008 & 2013). To date, Montoya has accumulated five IndyCar race victories and seven Formula One Grand Prixs, including the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix.

“Juan Pablo Montoya is a world-class driver who has won in everything he’s driven, and he will be a great closer to the 50th-anniversary celebration we’ve had in NASCAR with the No. 50 Mobil 1 Toyota,” Steve Lauletta, President of 23XI Racing, added. “The events have highlighted racing legends as well as what’s next in motorsports, and 23XI has been honored to have been a part of adding to the Mobil 1 legacy and celebrating such a momentous occasion.”

This season marks the second consecutive season where 23XI Racing is fielding a third part-time entry for select Cup Series events and to compete alongside the team’s two full-time entries: the No. 23 Toyota entry piloted by Bubba Wallace and the No. 45 Toyota entry piloted by Tyler Reddick. The entry debuted as No. 67 during the 2023 Daytona Speedweeks, where Rally Car champion Travis Pastrana qualified for the 65th running of the Daytona 500 and proceeded to finish in 11th place despite getting collected in a final lap multi-car wreck. Seven months after the Daytona 500, Kamui Kobayashi, a two-time FIA World Endurance champion and the 2021 24 Hours of of Le Mans winner, made his NASCAR debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, where he finished 33rd.

For this season, the entry was renumbered to 50 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mobil 1, which sponsored the entry during its previous two starts of this season and is set to sponsor Montoya at The Glen. The No. 50 Toyota’s first start of the 2024 season occurred at Circuit of the Americas in March, where Kobayashi returned and finished 29th in his second Cup career start. At Nashville Superspeedway in June, Corey Heim, a current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoff contender for TRICON Garage, piloted the entry to a 29th-place result despite getting collected in a late multi-car wreck.

23XI Racing’s current plans on fielding its third entry for another partial or full-time schedule in 2025 remains to be determined.

Juan Pablo Montoya’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series with 23XI Racing is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, September 15, at Watkins Glen International for the Go Bowling at The Glen, with the event’s broadcast time to commence at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 10, 2024
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Joey Logano: Logano took charge late to snatch the win in the Quaker State 400 in the playoff opener.

“I got a good push from my Penske Racing teammate Ryan Blaney,” Logano said. “It’s like I told Ryan after the race, ‘Teamwork makes my dream work.’”

2. Ryan Blaney: Blaney won Stage 1 at Atlanta and finished third.

“Everything was going fine until Chris Buescher nearly wrecked me,” Blaney said. “And it doesn’t take a wizard to see that Buescher caused the dent in my car.”

3. Tyler Reddick: Reddick finished a strong sixth at Atlanta.

“My No. 45 Toyota featured a prominent Jordan Brand logo,” Reddick said. “Michael Jordan appreciates loyalty, so as a driver for his team, I’m required to wear only Jordan Brand clothes, and I’m also required to get a Jordan brand.”

4. Christopher Bell: Bell posted a strong start to the Playoffs with a fourth-place finish in the Quaker State 400.

“I suffered an early penalty for pitting outside the box,” Bell said. “If only my cats could learn that there’s a penalty for them doing the same. But a penalty like that really puts the team in a hole, and forces you to think outside of the box. We did that.”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished eighth in the Quaker State 400.

“A Walmart banner actually fell onto the track and caused a caution,” Elliott said. “I guess you could say Walmart’s new ad campaign just dropped.”

6. Kyle Larson: Larson slammed the wall hard after blowing a tire on Lap 56, ending his day at Atlanta. Chase Briscoe was collected in the accident, which ended his day as well. Larson finished 37th.

“I’m sorry I ruined Chase’s race,” Larson said. “On the bright side for him, I’ve put him in a situation in which he can thrive, which is a must-win situation.”

7. Kyle Busch: Busch finished seventh at Atlanta after finishing second in the previous two races.

“I may not be eligible for the Cup championship,” Busch said, “but that’s okay. I already have two championships. That makes me ‘two-titled.’ My RCR teammate Austin Dillon is entitled.”

8. William Byron: Byron came home ninth in the Quaker State 400.

“It was a good day for Hendrick Motorsports,” Byron said. “At least for everyone except for Kyle Larson. It wasn’t a good day for Kyle, both for his playoff outlook and for anyone who thinks he’s a better driver than Max Verstappen.”

9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 24th in Atlanta.

“I hung back for most of the race,” Hamlin said. “Our strategy was to avoid trouble. We did that. We also avoided having any chance to win the race.”

10. (tie) Daniel Suarez: Suarez came up short at Atlanta, finishing second at the track where he won in February.

“I firmly believe I could win the championship,” Suarez said, “if all playoff races were held at Atlanta Motor Speedway.”

10. (tie) Austin Cindric: Cindric won Stage 2 and finished 10th in the Quaker State 400.

“I think most people probably forgot I was in the Playoffs,” Cindric said. “Heck, I’ve introduced myself to Roger Penske at least seven times this year.”

September 8, 2024