1. Christopher Bell: Bell won Stage 1 at New Hampshire and took charge after a long rain delay to win the USA Today 301.
“You probably heard that I let it slip that Chase Briscoe is taking over Martin Truex’s No. 19 car next year,” Bell said. “I guess that’s how I got the nickname ‘The Human Press Release.’”
2. Kyle Larson: Larson finished fourth at New Hampshire.
“When I heard the race was called the ‘USA Today 301,’” Larson said, “I said, understandably, ‘That’s news to me.’”
Chase Elliott: Elliott started on the pole at Loudon and finished 18th.
“I got sent for a spin when Joey Logano locked up his brakes and slid into me on a restart,” Elliott said. “I’m sure Joey didn’t do it on purpose. It was just a careless error on his part. As such, I could ‘care less’ about his apology.”
4. Tyler Reddick: Reddick finished sixth in the USA Today 301 in a race that was interrupted for several hours due to rain.
“We were in first when the rain started,” Reddick said, “so we would have won had it continued to rain. We were expecting rain and adjusted our strategy accordingly. The weather can change in an instant, and you have to adapt with the same level of speed. It’s called ‘precipitating a change.’”
5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won Stage 2 and finished 24th in the USA Today 301.
“I thought I would be more competitive after the rain delay,” Hamlin said “Oddly enough, as the moisture dissipated, my chances ‘dried up’ as well.”
6. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished 10th at New Hampshire.
“Congratulations to Christopher Bell,” Chastain said. “He got a huge lobster for winning the race. And all this time I thought a ‘crustacean’ was what they called people that spent a week in the Loudon campground without a shower.”
7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex ran up front before a series of miscues late in the race knocked him out of contention for the win. He battled back to finish ninth.
“We had an issue with a tire on a pit stop on lap 188,” Truex said. “The right rear tire wasn’t completely secure, so the jackman had to come back around. In the end, the right rear tire, much like my chance to win, was screwed.”
8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney was set for a top-10 finish before he was collected in a late restart when Michael McDowell lost traction and came up the track. Blaney ultimately finished 25th.
“The threat of rain hovered over the race all day,” Blaney said. “And it finally came. So our cars were equipped with windshield wipers. I’m waiting for the day when every car’s wipers are plastered with sponsorship from Dude Wipes. I really wonder why that hasn’t already happened.”
9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 28th in the USA Today 301.
“I guess I’ll get blamed for spinning Martin Truex Jr.,” Keselowski said. “Did I move up the track a little? Maybe. If I can’t give Martin a retirement gift, I can surely give him some retirement drift.”
10. William Byron: Byron finished 26th in the USA Today 301.”I haven’t won since Martinsville in early April,” Byron said. “That means I can’t win for losing.”
Christopher Bell survived a war of attrition both from Mother Nature that resulted with him racing on wet tires in the closing stages and through a series of late on-track chaos, including an overtime shootout, to win the rain-delayed USA Today 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, June 23.
The 2024 Coca-Cola 600 champion from Norman, Oklahoma, led three times for a race-high 149 of 305 over-scheduled laps in an event where he started in fourth place based on a performance metric formula due to the event’s qualifying session being canceled due to on-track precipitation. After assuming the lead from Chase Elliott on Lap 42, Bell would win the first stage period on Lap 70. Despite losing the lead on Lap 126 during an exchange of green flag pit stops, he remained in contention towards the front and was scored in ninth place when the event was placed in a red flag period due to a heavy round of precipitation with 82 laps remaining.
Amid a weather delay period that spanned more than two hours, Bell, who along with the rest of the field switched from dry to wet-weathered tires when the race resumed with 73 laps remaining, reassumed the lead from Tyler Reddick, who was leading during the red flag period, with 60 laps remaining. Despite having his momentum halted five times due to a series of on-track carnages that ensued, including the fifth and latest one that sent the field into overtime, Bell had enough horsepower and grip from the wet tires to speed away from Chase Briscoe and Josh Berry for two laps before cruising to his third NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2024 season.
With on-track qualifying that was scheduled to occur on Saturday, June 22, being canceled due to on-track precipitation, the starting lineup for the main event was determined through a performance metric formula. As a result, Chase Elliott was awarded the pole position and he shared the front row with Ryan Blaney, winner of last weekend’s Cup Series event at Iowa Speedway.
When the green flag waved and the event commenced half an hour early due to potential weather concerns, Chase Elliott rocketed his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 away from the field from the outside lane as he assumed an early advantage through the first two turns and through the backstretch. As Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney battled for the runner-up spot, Elliott led the first lap while the field behind continued to fan out and jostle for early spots.
During the next four laps, Elliott retained a comfortable advantage over Bell while Ross Chastain and Joey Logano battled Blaney for third place. Behind, rookie Josh Berry occupied sixth place while Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and William Byron battled for seventh place in front of Martin Truex Jr. and Tyler Reddick. With Chastain and Logano overtaking Blaney to move up to third and fourth while Bowman fended off teammate Byron for seventh place, Elliott’s advantage was scored at two seconds by the fifth lap mark.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Elliott continued to lead by two seconds over Bell followed by Logano, Chastain and Berry while Blaney, Bowman, Byron, Truex and Reddick were scored in the top 10. Behind, Todd Gilliland was in 11th place ahead of Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson and Ty Gibbs while rookie Carson Hocevar, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Justin Haley and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. occupied the top-20 spots ahead of Corey LaJoie, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe, Michael McDowell and Austin Dillon. Meanwhile, Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez, John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones trailed in the top 30 while Ryan Preece, Kyle Busch, rookie Zane Smith, Daniel Hemric, Ty Dillon and Kaz Grala rounded out the 36-car field.
Ten laps later, Elliott stretched his early advantage to three seconds over Bell while Logano, Berry and Blaney followed suit in the top five. With Chastain retaining sixth place ahead of Truex, Bowman, Reddick and Byron, Hamlin and Gilliland swapped spots as Hamlin moved into 11th place while Gibbs, Larson and Keselowski followed suit.
Another 10 laps later, Elliott stabilized his advantage to two-and-a-half seconds over Bell while third-place Logano trailed by nearly five seconds. Meanwhile, Berry, who was the fastest competitor on the track earlier, retained fourth place as he trailed Elliott by five seconds while Blaney trailed the lead by six seconds in fifth place. In addition, Truex was in sixth place after he overtook Chastain for the spot a few laps earlier, Hamlin cracked the top 10 as he was up to ninth place while Byron dropped to 12th place.
Nearing the Lap 40 mark, Bell decreased Elliott’s advantage to two-tenths of a second as Elliott was lapping the competitors running at the rear of the field. With select names including Ty Dillon, Grala, Hemric and Kyle Busch lapped, Bell then drew his No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE into a side-by-side battle with Elliott for the following lap before he prevailed for the top spot by Lap 42. Amid the battle for the lead, Logano, Berry and Blaney continued to run in the top five while Truex was trying to gain more ground from sixth place.
At the Lap 50 mark, Bell extended his advantage to one-and-a-half seconds over Elliott while Logano, Blaney, Berry and Truex all trailed within four seconds in the top six. By then, Daniel Suarez and rookie Zane Smith joined Busch, Hemric, Grala and Ty Dillon as competitors to be lapped while Chastain, Hamlin, Bowman and Reddick occupied the top 10 spots on the track.
By Lap 60, Bell stretched his advantage to another second to two seconds over Elliott as third-place Logano trailed Elliott by half a second. In addition, teammate Blaney only trailed Logano by four-tenths of a second while Berry followed suit in fifth. With Truex retaining sixth ahead of teammate Hamlin and Chastain, Bowman and Reddick continued to round out the top 10 while Gibbs, Byron, Larson, Bubba Wallace and Gilliland occupied the top 15.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 70, Bell, who situated himself behind 27th-place Chase Briscoe, cruised to his seventh Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Behind, Logano managed to overtake Elliott on the final lap and final corner to capture second place followed by Blaney and Berry as Truex, Hamlin, Chastain, Reddick and Bowman were scored in the top 10.
Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Bell pitted for the first time. Following the pit stops, Bell retained the lead after he exited pit road first followed by Logano, Truex, Berry, Elliott, Blaney, Hamlin, Chastain, Gilliland and McDowell. Amid the pit stops, McDowell, who opted for a two-tire pit stop along with teammate Gilliland, was penalized for removing equipment from his pit box.
The second stage period started on Lap 77 as Bell and Logano occupied the front row. At the start, Bell fended off Logano through the first two turns to retain the lead while Elliott and Truex battled for third place. With Berry and Hamlin trailing closely in fifth and sixth, respectively, Bell continued to lead. Soon after, a tight three-wide battle between Elliott, Truex and Berry ensued for third place, with Berry prevailing from the outside lane through the first two turns. Berry and Truex then pressured Logano for the runner-up spot and they were able to overtake Logano just past the Lap 81 mark while Elliott pursued in fifth place. By then, Bell’s advantage grew to nearly a second.
By Lap 85, Bell was leading by a second over Berry while Truex, Logano and Hamlin followed suit in the top five. Behind, Elliott, who was struggling with the handling of his No. 9 Chevrolet, was overtaken by Blaney for sixth place while Bowman, Gibbs and Wallace were racing in the top 10 ahead of Larson, Chastain, Reddick, Byron and Gilliland.
At the Lap 100 mark, Bell continued to lead by two seconds over teammate Truex, who overtook Berry for the runner-up spot five laps earlier, while Logano and Hamlin were running in the top five. Behind, Blaney, Elliott, Gibbs, Bowman and Wallace continued to run in the top 10 while Larson, Chastain, Reddick, Byron, Gilliland, Chris Buescher, LaJoie, Hocevar, Justin Haley and Keselowski trailed in the top 20. By then, Gragson, Cindric and Briscoe were running 24th to 26th, respectively, while Kyle Busch and Suarez were mired a lap down in 32nd and 34th, respectively.
Fifteen laps later, Bell stabilized his advantage to more than a second over teammate Truex, who got the deficit as low as eight-tenths of a second earlier, while third-place Berry trailed by more than three seconds. Meanwhile, Logano and Hamlin trailed by five seconds in the top five as Blaney, Elliott, Gibbs, Bowman and Wallace were running in the top 10. Amid the battles towards the front, Kyle Busch was mired in 31st place behind teammate Austin Dillon and in jeopardy of going a second lap down.
Another four laps later, a cycle of green flag pit stops slowly commenced as Austin Cindric, who received the free pass during the first stage break period, pitted his No. 2 AutoTrader Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Harrison Burton, who was pinned a lap behind the leaders, would also pit shortly after before a bevy of names including Truex pitted by the Lap 125 mark. The leader Bell would also pit on Lap 124.
By Lap 135, Gilliland, who has yet to pit, was leading by 10 seconds over a tight battle between Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bell and Truex, both of whom were set to battle for the lead, while teammate Hamlin and Logano trailed by 13 seconds in the top five. Truex then executed a strong overtake on teammate Bell from the outside lane for the runner-up spot by Lap 136 while Gilliland continued to lead. Gilliland would proceed to lead by the Lap 140 mark despite his advantage to Truex decreasing to six seconds.
Then on Lap 141, the caution flew after Daniel Hemric, who was racing outside the top 30, spun his No. 31 Poppy Bank Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entering Turn 2. During the caution period, a majority of the field led by Gilliland and including Truex and Bell pitted while the rest led by Hamlin and including Logano and LaJoie remained on the track. Prior to the field pitting, Alex Bowman pitted when pit road was closed due to smoke coming out of his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The issue would result in Bowman’s car being taken to the garage and eventually retiring in 36th place, dead last.
The start of the next restart period on Lap 148 featured Hamlin and Logano battling dead even for the lead for a full lap as the field behind fanned out to multiple lanes. With Hamlin prevailing and fending off Logano through the frontstretch, LaJoie and Bell battled for third place through the backstretch before Truex made it a tight three-wide battle through the frontstretch as Elliott tried to join the battle. LaJoie would then be overtaken by Truex, Bell and Elliott despite maintaining his momentum from the outside lane while Hamlin maintained the lead at the halfway mark on Lap 152, which made the event official.
Then on Lap 153, the caution returned after both Kyle Busch and Noah Gragson wrecked in Turn 2, with the former sliding into the latter and making left-rear contact with the outside wall. During the caution period, some including William Byron pitted while the rest led by Hamlin remained on the track.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 159, Hamlin and Logano dueled for the lead through the first two turns and through the backstretch while Truex was trying to split in between both. As the field fanned out to multiple lanes, Hamlin would fend off teammate Truex and Logano to retain the lead by the following lap while Bell and Blaney tried to pressure Logano for third place. In addition, Hamlin was trying to fend off teammate Truex for the lead.
At the Lap 170 mark, Hamlin’s No. 11 Yahoo! Toyota Camry XSE was ahead by eight-tenth of a second over teammate Truex’s No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry XSE while third-place Logano’s No. 22 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang Dark Horse trailed by more than a second. Bell and Blaney followed suit in the top five while Gilliland, Larson, Elliott, Berry and Chastain were racing in the top 10 ahead of Buescher, Haley, Gibbs, Reddick, LaJoie, Wallace, Gragson, Byron, Cindric and Preece.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 185, Hamlin fended off teammate Truex to capture his third Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Logano settled in third ahead of Bell and Blaney while Gilliland, Larson, Berry, Elliott and Chastain were scored in the top 10. By then, 28 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.
During the stage break, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Hamlin pitted for service while Tyler Reddick and McDowell remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Larson exited pit road first ahead of Gilliland, Gragson, Cindric and Burton, all of whom elected for a two-tire pit service, while Hamlin exited in sixth place and as the first competitor on four fresh tires. Amid the pit stops, Truex endured a slow pit service due to issues having the right-rear tire tightened as he emerged in 26th place.
With 108 laps remaining, the final stage commenced as Reddick and McDowell occupied the front row. At the start, Reddick launched ahead from McDowell and Larson to lead through the first two turns. The caution, however, quickly returned after Logano sent Elliott for a spin in Turn 2 due to locking up his left-front tire while both were battling just outside the top 10, with Elliott limping back to pit road with a flat left-front tire and Logano with a broken toe link, an issue that would result with him dropping out of the lead lap category.
The start of the next restart period with 102 laps remaining featured Reddick fending off McDowell to retain the lead while Larson was trying to overtake McDowell for the runner-up spot. With the field fanning out, Larson quickly went to work in battling Reddick for the lead until the caution returned with 101 laps remaining as LaJoie spun amid contact with Ryan Preece in the backstretch.
As the event restarted under green with 96 laps remaining, Reddick and McDowell battled dead even for the lead through the first two turns and through the backstretch as Reddick then received a bump from Larson to muscle ahead for the following lap. Larson, who quickly overtook McDowell for the runner-up spot, then battled Reddick dead even for the lead while Hamlin charged his way up to third place on four fresh tires. Hamlin and Larson would then battle fiercely for the runner-up spot as Blaney, McDowell and Gilliland battled for fourth place while Reddick retained the lead. The caution would then fly with 92 laps remaining after Truex got bumped by Keselowski and sent for a spin toward the frontstretch’s outside wall.
With the event restarting with 87 laps remaining, Reddick muscled his No. 45 SiriusXM Toyota Camry XSE ahead from Hamlin and Blaney entering the first two turns as Haley threw a three-wide move while trying to move up into the top five. Another two laps later and with Reddick still maintaining a steady advantage over Blaney and Hamlin, the caution returned due to Kyle Busch getting sideways after he was hit by Preece and before he received another bump from Stenhouse that sent him spinning towards the frontstretch’s inside wall.
Then with 82 laps remaining, the field led by Reddick was directed to pit road as the event was placed in a red flag period due to rain, which had been slowly approaching since the start of the final stage period, falling around the circuit.
Following a delay that spanned more than two hours, where the rain heavily increased before dissipating and where a lightning strike was reported eight miles away, the field led by Reddick returned to the track under a cautious pace. By then, all competitors had the tires on their respective entries changed to wet tires due to the wet conditions that were still present around the circuit. During the caution laps, Kyle Busch’s long event came to an abrupt end after he hit the outside wall in Turn 3 and damaged the right side of his No. 8 FICO Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Not long after, LaJoie spun his No. 7 Schluter Systems Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entering the backstretch while running at the rear of the field under a cautious pace.
When the event restarted under green with 73 laps remaining, Reddick rocketed away from the field as Blaney and Gilliland battled for second in the front of the field that fanned out through the first two turns and through the backstretch. With the field still fanned out through the frontstretch, Larson used the inside lane to charge his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 way up to third and Bell made his way into the runner-up spot while Reddick maintained the lead. Reddick would continue to lead by a second over a side-by-side battle between Larson and Bell with 70 laps remaining.
With 67 laps remaining, the caution flew after Chastain, who was in sixth place, received a bump from Haley and spun his No. 1 Kubota Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Turn 4, though he kept his car off the wall and was dodged by oncoming traffic, including Truex. During the caution period, some including Keselowski, Grala, LaJoie and Nemechek pitted, though all teams were not granted permission to change from wet to slick tires, while the rest led by Reddick remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, Chastain, who had also pitted, had his wet tires changed but was ordered by NASCAR to have the wet tires reinstalled on his car.
The start of the next restart period with 60 laps remaining featured Reddick retaining the lead through the first two turns until Bell used the inside lane to rocket ahead with the lead through the backstretch. With Bell leading Reddick, Larson boosted his way up to third place followed by Blaney, Gilliland and McDowell as the field fanned out through every turn and straightaway.
With 50 laps remaining, Bell was leading by nearly three seconds over Blaney followed by Larson while Buescher was up to fourth place. Reddick slipped to fifth as he was racing ahead of Gilliland, Berry, Briscoe, McDowell and Elliott while Haley, Gibbs, Preece, Hamlin, Truex, Burton, Erik Jones, Gragson, Hocevar and Austin Cindric trailed in the top 20 followed by Stenhouse, Wallace, Austin Dillon, Byron and Keselowski.
Following another caution period with 46 laps remaining as LaJoie spun from 30th place in Turn 1 and another restart period with 39 laps remaining, Bell retained the lead from Blaney and Larson as the field fanned out through the first two turns and the backstretch. Behind the leaders, Briscoe, who was mired outside the top 20 during the red flag period, marched his No. 14 Zep Ford Mustang Dark Horse up to sixth place while battling McDowell for the spot as Reddick and Berry were in the top five.
The caution, however, would fly with 37 laps remaining when Gragson, who slid sideways below the apron in Turn 1, spun and clipped Wallace as Wallace veered head-on into the outside wall in Turn 1 and into the path of Austin Dillon with Gragson also colliding sideways into both as Cindric and Erik Jones also wrecked while trying to avoid the chaos. Following the incident, Wallace pulled his damaged No. 23 DraftKings Toyota Camry XSE in front of Gragson, who was receiving service in his pit stall, to express his displeasure over the incident before he limped his car to his respective pit stall and retired. During the caution period, the field led by Bell pitted under a non-competitive pit stop format, where the competitors were allowed to retain their respective positions and pit for a fresh set of wet weather tires.
With the event restarting with 27 laps remaining, Bell rocketed ahead from the outside lane as Blaney tried to follow suit. Larson then battled Blaney for the runner-up spot as Reddick was being pressured by McDowell for fourth place. As a tight battle between McDowell, Reddick, Briscoe and Haley ensued for fourth place, Bell proceeded to lead by less than half a second with fewer than 25 laps remaining while Berry was trying to catch Reddick and teammate Briscoe for sixth place.
Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Bell extended his advantage to a second over Blaney while Larson, McDowell and Berry trailed within two seconds. Behind, Haley was in sixth ahead of Briscoe, Reddick, Gilliland and Buescher while Burton, Elliott, Ty Dillon, Truex and Stenhouse followed suit in the top 15.
Following another late-race caution with 18 laps remaining due to Hocevar spinning his No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Turn 3, the field led by Bell returned for another cycle of non-competitive pit stops and for another new set of wet tires. The start of the next restart period with nine laps remaining, however, did not last long as McDowell, who restarted alongside Bell on the front row, got loose underneath Blaney in Turn 1 as both performed a synchronous spin in Turn 2 without getting hit by oncoming traffic. With the event returning to caution conditions, Bell had escaped with the lead while Berry, Larson, Briscoe, Buescher and Haley followed suit in the top six.
During the proceeding restart with four laps remaining, Briscoe, who restarted alongside Bell on the front row, briefly battled with Bell through the frontstretch until Bell rocketed back ahead from the outside lane. In the ensuing process, Berry overtook teammate Briscoe for the runner-up spot through the backstretch and he commenced his charge on Bell for the lead while Buescher, Larson and Reddick followed suit in the top six. Just as Berry started to close in on Bell for the lead through the frontstretch with two laps remaining, the caution returned due to Keselowski spinning and stalling his No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse in Turn 1. Keselowski’s incident was enough to send the event into overtime despite darkness looming around the circuit.
At the start of the first overtime attempt, Bell received another strong restart from the outside lane while teammates Berry and Briscoe battled for the runner-up spot in front of Larson, Buescher and Reddick. With Briscoe and Berry battling dead even, Bell continued to muscle away with the top spot.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Bell remained as the leader by eight-tenths of a second ahead of a side-by-side battle between Berry and Briscoe. With the gap too far for both Berry and Briscoe to close back in, Bell was able to cruise his No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE smoothly around the New Hampshire circuit for a final time on his wet tires before he cycled back to the frontstretch and claim his third checkered flag of the 2024 Cup Series season.
With the victory, Bell, winner of NASCAR’s first oval event to conclude on wet tires and the fourth three-time race winner of the 2024 season, scored his ninth Cup Series career win, his first since winning the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and his second at New Hampshire, with his first occurring in 2022. He also became the first competitor to sweep an Xfinity-Cup race weekend at New Hampshire since Brad Keselowski made the last accomplishment in 2014 as Bell won Saturday’s Xfinity event at the Magic Mile.
Bell’s victory was also the seventh of the season for the Toyota nameplate and the sixth of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing while his crew chief Adam Stevens notched his 37th career win in NASCAR’s premier series.
“You never know how this [race]’s gonna shake out whenever you change [the tires], so many things like that,” Bell said on USA Network. “Personally, I love adverse conditions because you’re always trying to think outside the box. Whenever we went back out, I was feeling around and felt like the normal Loudon groove was really slippery. I tried to just run down or run up, and [crew chief] Adam [Stevens] put the tune on this thing and it was turning really good. This is really cool because Rheem has won a lot here and we always have Watts on the car too. That is just really, really special. Hey [race fans], this [race] didn’t get shortened!”
Meanwhile, Briscoe edged teammate Berry in a photo finish to claim the runner-up spot for his best result of the season thus far as Berry settled in third place for the second time in 2024.
The runner-up finish prevailed in Briscoe’s efforts to make the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs as he gained 19 points and is 25 points below the top-16 cutline to be eligible for the Playoffs with eight regular-season events remaining on the schedule. The result also left Briscoe, who is still seeking a ride for the 2025 season amid Stewart-Haas Racing’s closure at the conclusion of the 2024 season, smiling on pit road after he was mired a lap down and running in the mid-pack region prior to the change of weather and track conditions.
“The rain saved us, for sure,” Briscoe said. “We were terrible in the dry [conditions]. We knew typically on the road courses, even ovals that we ran in the rain, we’ve been pretty good. Truthfully, I didn’t expect to drive up to second, but really good recovery for our Zep Ford. To come away with a chance at a win. It was fun, racing up there at the end and slipping and sliding around. If you would’ve told me two hours ago that we would run second, I don’t think I would’ve believed you, but overall, a great day for us and definitely needed one to turn the ship around. It’s been a real struggle. Good overall day, for sure.”
Like Briscoe, Berry was also left satisfied with the third-place run in an event where he started 10th and executed a strong performance on the track both on dry and wet conditions. Currently, Berry, who is also searching for a ride in 2025, is 73 points below the top-16 cutline to make his first Playoff appearance.
“The rain was a new opportunity for us and we capitalized,” Berry said. “The car was really good that second half. We cut up right through there, so just started out the day really strong and ended it strong too. Really solid day. A lot to be proud of. We’re gonna keep digging.”
Larson came home in fourth place while Chris Buescher rounded out the top five. Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., John Hunter Nemechek, Martin Truex Jr. and Ross Chastain finished in the top 10.
There were six lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured 14 cautions for 85 laps. In addition, 29 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the 18th event of the 2024 Cup Series season, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are tied for the regular-season points lead as both are ahead in the standings by 40 points over Denny Hamlin, 48 over Martin Truex Jr., 60 over Tyler Reddick and 65 over Christopher Bell.
Results.
1. Christopher Bell, 149 laps led, Stage 1 winner
2. Chase Briscoe
3. Josh Berry
4. Kyle Laron
5. Chris Buescher
6. Tyler Reddick, 53 laps led
7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
8. John Hunter Nemechek
9. Martin Truex Jr.
10. Ross Chastain
11. Ryan Preece
12. Todd Gilliland, 19 laps led
13. Erik Jones
14. Harrison Burton
15. Michael McDowell
16. Ty Gibbs
17. Carson Hocevar
18. Chase Elliott, 41 laps led
19. Austin Cindric
20. Ty Dillon
21. Daniel Suarez
22. Kaz Grala
23. Corey LaJoie
24. Denny Hamlin, 43 laps led, Stage 2 winner
25. Ryan Blaney
26. William Byron
27. Noah Gragson
28. Brad Keselowski
29. Justin Haley
30. Zane Smith, one lap down
31. Daniel Hemric, two laps down
32. Joey Logano, three laps down
33. Austin Dillon – OUT, Accident
34. Bubba Wallace – OUT, Accident
35. Kyle Busch – OUT, Accident
36. Alex Bowman – OUT, Engine
Next on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the fourth annual running of the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, June 30, and air at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Modern-day NASCAR fans are often outspoken about their disdain for NASCAR’s current championship format. The NASCAR Cup Series uses a 10-race stretch of the season to crown their champion, pitting 16 drivers against each other in four rounds, with four drivers being eliminated after the first three rounds of the playoffs, with each round being made up of three races. That leaves four drivers to do battle in what is essentially a winner-take-all championship race.
If you think it doesn’t make sense for a sport that competes for nine months out of the year to crown its champion in three hours, join the club. Many NASCAR fans don’t get it either. On top of being confusing, the playoff system is inherently cloudy when examined under the lens of legitimacy.
Auto-racing is a cruel mistress. It gives and takes without rhyme or reason. A dominant performance can vanish in the blink of an eye, while in the same vein, a mediocre performance can be elevated to victory lane in a heartbeat. Unlike other sports, randomness and luck play far too big a part in racing to crown a champion based on one race, rather than a full season.
But believe it or not, there was a time when the way NASCAR crowned a champion was even more questionable. This is the story of the 1950 NASCAR Cup Series season, the stage for the worst championship battle in NASCAR history.
One look inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame immediately points out a red flag concerning the champion of the 1950 season, Bill Rexford, the only NASCAR Cup Series champion who is yet to be forever enshrined in NASCAR’s home for history. While he did only run 36 races in NASCAR’s premier series, he wasn’t half bad, and with a Cup Series title to his name, it almost seems like his birthright to have a place in the Hall. Further investigation into his championship season, however, proves that there’s a bigger reason that he is yet to sit among racing royalty.
1950 was only the second season of competition for NASCAR’s fledgling Strictly Stock Series. World War Two hero Red Byron had won the first championship in 1949, and Curtis Turner and Lee Petty were both expected to be championship contenders, granted that they could make it to all the races. Back in the day, hardly any drivers were able to make it to every race. It was only when Lee Petty proved that stock car racing was a viable way to earn a living that running all championship events became a reality. Nonetheless, the season began just as it does today, in Daytona Beach Florida. Rather than 500 miles on the 2.5-mile circuit, however, it was the 4.2-mile Daytona Beach and Road Course that played host to the season opener, as the Daytona International Speedway would not debut until 1959.
Harold Kite rode the wind en route to victory in his Lincoln, while Rexford’s title hunt got off to a rather inauspicious start with a 29th-place finish. It would be nearly two months before the Cup Series’ next race at the ill-fated Charlotte Speedway, the site of NASCAR’s first Cup Series race the year prior. Rexford improved to a 13th-place finish but still lacked any race-winning speed. The series took the week off on April 9th before returning to action the following week at the famed Langhorne Speedway.
One of the most dangerous venues in racing at the time, Langhorne crowned Curtis Turner as its victor, the first of two consecutive victories for NASCAR’s chief partygoer. Despite qualifying fifth and leading 18 laps, Rexford would wind up finishing 22nd due to an engine failure. He completed just 84 of the race’s 150 laps. Langhorne ended up being an important race for Rexford’s main championship competitor Lee Petty, who started a streak of nine consecutive top-11 finishes with a fifth-place effort.
Over a month later, the Martinsville Speedway would play host to the fourth round of the Grand National competition. Once again, it was Turner who walked away with the checkered flag, while Rexford notched his best result of the season, finishing 9th, 12 laps down. The next race on the Cup Series circuit was the aptly named Poor Man’s 500 in Canfield, Ohio. This race ended up being the only win of Rexford’s short NASCAR Cup Series career, as he led 80 of the race’s 200 laps, earning $1,400 for his triumph.
The rest of Rexford’s 1950 campaign was fairly mundane. While he did finally find consistency in his finishes, with just one finish outside of the top 15 in the next 11 races, he wasn’t able to make it back to victory lane. To make matters worse, his main rival for the championship, the aforementioned Lee Petty, couldn’t have a bad day. Aside from an issue at Hamburg that left him 27th, Petty finished no worse than seventh over the final six races of the season. It’s no wonder they called him Mr. Consistency.
The final race of the 1950 season was held at the Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Rexford entered the day with the championship points lead, but a young hotshot from Florida was hot on his tail. Fireball Roberts would eventually have his day in the sun, including a win in the 1962 Daytona 500, but on this day, it was Rexford who would claim the title. Despite a 29th-place points finish, Rexford had earned enough money over the season to claim his first Grand National Championship.
Did something about that last sentence sound odd to you? It wasn’t a mistake. In 1950, the points you earned in NASCAR races directly correlated to the prize money you won. If you won the Southern 500 at Darlington but competed in no other races over the course of the season, you could finish top-10 in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings. If you’re wondering how Johnny Mantz started just three races that year but still finished sixth in points, it all goes back to his lone NASCAR win at Darlington.
If you happen to peruse Racing Reference long enough, however, you’ll notice some mathematical discrepancies. Despite earning over 10,000 dollars in prize money, Johnny Mantz didn’t start anywhere close to enough races to dream of winning the Cup. That makes sense. What doesn’t however, is that Lee Petty easily earned more money than both Fireball Roberts and Bill Rexford, was more consistent than both of them, yet still lost the championship by a staggering 369 points. So, how did this happen? In order to explain, we have to take a walk down a rather crooked memory lane.
Every NASCAR fan knows the name of Bill France. A mechanic originally from Washington DC, he moved down to Florida in the 1930s to escape the harsh winters. After opening up his service station in Daytona Beach, he quickly learned he was a good race car driver and an even better promoter. After a few meetings in a smoke-filled room at the Streamline Hotel, NASCAR was born. But France, like many other racing promoters in those days, ruled with an iron fist. What Big Bill said went, whether or not you agreed with it. One of France’s biggest pet peeves was when his star drivers decided to run races that weren’t sanctioned by NASCAR.
France either didn’t see that it was impossible to make a living running only NASCAR-sanctioned events or ignored this fact altogether. In all honesty, the latter is probably true. This issue later got Curtis Turner banned from NASCAR for life, before France eventually repealed his decision after seeing how popular Turner was with fans. Before Curtis Turner drew the ire of Big Bill, however, it was Lee Petty who would fall victim to France’s displeasure.
With NASCAR taking a three-week break in the summer months of the 1950 season, Lee decided that it was probably in the best interest of his family if he put some food on the table. Rather than do this in what some considered an acceptable way like running illegal moonshine, he instead decided to do it the morally corrupt way, daring to run in stock car races that were unsanctioned by NASCAR. At least, that’s how Bill France saw it.
Petty was just 24 1/2 points out of the championship lead after the race at the Monroe County Fairgrounds on July 2, but when the series returned to action on July 23rd, it was revealed that Petty would have to start from scratch. Bill France stripped Petty of all 809 points he had accumulated through the first eight races of the 1950 season, leaving Petty in a near-impossible spot. However, Petty picked up the pieces and persevered, even winning the last race of the season at Occoneechee.
Without Lee Petty’s points being taken away, he would have easily won the Cup. Instead, he was robbed of being in the same company as Jeff Gordon as a four-time NASCAR champion – all because Bill France couldn’t get out of his own way.
Don’t get me wrong, Bill France is deservedly viewed as one of the most influential figures in NASCAR history. Without him, there is no NASCAR. But that doesn’t mean he was an angel, either. Many drivers from the early days of NASCAR spoke unfavorably of NASCAR’s founder, as it took time before France clearly defined the differences between the conniving criminals at the local short track and the shiny, national stage of the NASCAR Grand National competition.
Despite being buried in the history books, the 1950 NASCAR Cup Series season undoubtedly remains the most questionable championship battle in NASCAR history, and surely has a place among the worst championship battles in all of sports. The NASCAR Playoffs may not always crown the most deserving champion, but they certainly aren’t the worst way to crown a winner that NASCAR’s ever seen.
Count your blessings, NASCAR fans – the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced that this would be his final full-time season, is the defending race winner at the 1.058-mile track.
So far this season, 10 different drivers have won Cup Series races and have guaranteed their spot in the Playoffs – William Byron, Daniel Suárez, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney. That leaves only six available spots up for grabs.
Sam Mayer, Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, and Shane van Gisbergen have already raced their way into the Xfinity Series Playoffs via wins this year. Cole Custer has also earned a spot in the Playoffs as the points leader, leaving five available spots.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is off and will return to competition on Friday, June 28 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Friday, June 21 2:30 p.m.: Whelen Modified Tour Practice – No TV 5:45 p.m.: Whelen Modified Tour Qualifying – No TV
4:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – USA – Canceled due to rain 4:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – USA – Canceled due to rain
Saturday, June 22
10 a.m.:Whelen Modified Mohegan Sun 100 – FloRacing (Originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m.) 12:35 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – USA/PRN/SiriusXM 1:20 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – USA/PRN/SiriusXM Post-Cup Qualifying: NASCAR Press Pass
3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series SciAps 200 – USA/PRN/SiriusXM Distance: 211.6 miles (200 laps) Stages end on Laps 45, 90, 200 Purse: $1,270,055 Post Xfinity Race: NASCAR Press Pass 6:30 p.m.: Whelen Modified Mohegan Sun 100 – FloRacing
Sunday, June 23 2:30 p.m.: Cup Series USA Today 301 – USA/PRN/SiriusXM Distance: 318.46 miles (301 Laps) Stages end on Laps 70, Lap 185, Lap 301 Purse: $7,876,911 Post Cup Race: NASCAR Press Pass
Choosing the right suspension lift kit for your vehicle can be a game-changer for both on-road and off-road experiences. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, so understanding the ins and outs of lift kits is essential.
The key to selecting the perfect lift kit lies in determining your specific needs and how you plan to use your vehicle.
A lift kit can enhance your vehicle’s appearance, performance, and functionality. From tackling rugged terrains to achieving that aggressive stance, the right lift kit can make a significant difference.
By factoring in your vehicle type, suspension specifications, desired tyre size, and budget, you can make an informed choice that meets your expectations.
Don’t rush the decision. Research thoroughly and consider consulting with experts to ensure you select the best suspension lift kit for your vehicle.
With the right preparation, you’ll be better equipped to make a choice that brings out the best in your vehicle’s capabilities.
Key Takeaways
Determine your specific needs before choosing a lift kit.
Research vehicle type, suspension, tyre size, and budget.
Consulting with experts can help make an informed decision.
Understanding the Basics of Lift Kits
Choosing the right lift kit depends on understanding the different types, comparing suspension and body lifts, and knowing the essential components.
Different Types of Lift Kits
Lift kits can be broadly divided into two categories: body lift kits and suspension lift kits.
Body lift kits raise the body of the vehicle from the frame without altering the suspension system. These typically offer an additional 1-3 inches of clearance and are often more affordable.
They use blocks and spacers to create the extra height, which means the ride quality remains similar to the original.
Suspension lift kits, on the other hand, modify the vehicle’s suspension system to provide a lift. This could range from 2 inches to over 12 inches.
These kits often include new coil springs, struts, and other components to handle the increased height. This type of lift is ideal for improving off-road performance as it provides better ground clearance and articulation.
Comparing Suspension and Body Lifts
When comparing suspension lifts and body lifts, there are several factors to consider:
Lift Height:
Body lifts generally provide up to 3 inches of lift.
Suspension lifts can offer greater heights from 2 to 12+ inches.
Cost:
Body lifts are typically cheaper as they require fewer parts.
Suspension lifts are costlier but offer more extensive modifications and improved performance.
Performance:
Body lifts maintain the stock suspension setup, so they don’t drastically alter the ride.
Body lifts are usually simpler to install as they involve adding spacers and blocks.
Suspension lifts are more complex and may require professional installation.
Essential Components of Lift Kits
Understanding the components included in lift kits is vital:
U-Bolts: Used to attach the lift blocks to the vehicle, providing secure fitment.
Coil Springs and Leafs: Part of suspension lift kits, enhancing the lift and supporting the vehicle’s weight.
Struts and Shocks: Ensure that the lifted vehicle maintains ride quality and handling.
Spacers and Blocks: Common in body lift kits, these components provide the extra height needed without altering the stock suspension system.
Different kits may come with various additional accessories, depending on the lift height and intended use. For example, some high-end kits may include control arms and track bars to fine-tune suspension geometry.
Understanding these basics helps us make informed decisions, ensuring the lift kit we choose meets our driving needs and preferences.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Lift Kit
Choosing the right suspension lift kit depends on several critical factors. We need to evaluate compatibility, quality, brand reputation, intended use, and budget to make an informed decision.
Determining Your Vehicle’s Compatibility
First, we must ensure that the lift kit is compatible with our vehicle’s make, model, and year. Different vehicles have various suspension types, and not all kits will fit every vehicle.
It’s important to know our vehicle type, whether it’s a truck or SUV, and its factory suspension specifications.
Installing an incompatible lift kit might lead to poor performance and even damage the vehicle. Checking the manufacturer’s guidelines can help us find the best match for our vehicle’s needs.
Assessing Lift Kit Quality and Brand Reputation
When selecting a lift kit, focusing on quality and the reputation of the brand is crucial. Reliable brands often use durable materials, such as high-quality steel for components like U-bolts.
We should look into customer reviews and ratings to gauge performance and longevity.
Trusted brands like Pedders Suspension and others in the market provide excellent products that withstand tough conditions.
Ensuring that a kit comes with a warranty can also give us peace of mind.
Evaluating Off-Road Requirements and Driving Habits
Understanding our driving needs will guide us in choosing the appropriate lift height and type.
If we plan to do serious off-roading, a suspension lift kit that increases ground clearance and enhances traction is ideal.
For casual driving or light-duty off-roading, a leveling kit might suffice.
Assessing our usual driving habits will help us balance between an aggressive stance and comfortable ride quality.
It’s also vital to consider how much towing and hauling we’ll do, affecting the choice of lift kit.
Budget Considerations and Potential Long-Term Costs
Our budget is a significant factor in choosing a lift kit.
High-quality kits can be pricey, but they often offer better durability and performance.
We must also factor in potential long-term costs like tyre wear, fuel efficiency reduction, and maintenance.
Cheaper kits might save money initially, but they could lead to higher costs down the road due to frequent replacements or repairs.
Evaluating the benefits against the initial and ongoing expenses will ensure we make a cost-effective decision.
Installation and Maintenance of Your Lift Kit
Correct installation and regular maintenance of your suspension lift kit are essential to ensure optimal performance and longevity. We’ll cover everything from preparing your vehicle for installation to maintaining your lift kit post-installation.
Preparing for the Installation Process
Before beginning the installation, gather all the necessary tools and materials.
You’ll need a jack, wheel chocks, a torque wrench, and specific parts such as lift blocks, bolts, and longer driveshafts if required.
Ensuring your tools are in good working condition can prevent delays.
We need to secure the vehicle on a flat surface using wheel chocks to avoid movement.
Disconnect the drivetrain and remove the shock absorbers. This helps create the space needed for the installation later.
Always follow the lift kit’s instruction manual carefully as each kit has specific requirements.
Step-by-Step Lift Kit Installation
Start by slowly lifting the vehicle with a jack until the tyres are off the ground.
Remove the previous suspension components, including springs and shocks.
Install the new lift blocks or rear springs, ensuring they are securely fastened with bolts.
Next, attach the new shock absorbers compatible with the lift kit.
Reinstall the drivetrain components, making sure to correctly adjust them for the new height and to avoid affecting the suspension travel or axle alignment.
Tighten all bolts to the specified torque to ensure they are firmly fixed, preventing future issues during driving.
Maintenance Tips Post-Installation
After installing the lift kit, regular maintenance is crucial.
Check the bolts periodically to ensure they have not loosened over time.
Also, inspect the shock absorbers, springs, and other components for wear and tear. Look for any signs of rust or damage which could affect performance.
It’s also important to realign the vehicle’s wheels to maintain ride quality and safety.
Maintaining the right spring rate can help avoid overly stiff or loose suspension.
If you use your vehicle for off-road performance, remember to check for debris or damage after each trip.
Regular maintenance helps keep the lift kit and your vehicle in top condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
When choosing a suspension lift kit, it’s crucial to consider the specific needs and goals for your vehicle. We address common concerns and comparisons between available options to help make the right choice.
What factors should be considered when selecting a suspension lift kit?
We must consider the vehicle’s make and model, budget, intended use, and the desired lift height.
The type of terrain you’ll be driving on and whether the vehicle will be used for daily driving or off-roading are also important.
Can you compare the advantages and disadvantages of body lifts and suspension lifts?
Body lifts are more affordable and easier to install but only lift the body and not the suspension. This limits off-road capability.
Suspension lifts provide better ground clearance and improved off-road performance but are more expensive and complex to install.
What distinguishes different types of lift kits, and how does that affect vehicle performance?
There are body lifts and suspension lifts.
Body lifts increase clearance between the chassis and the body, while suspension lifts increase clearance between the axles and chassis.
Suspension lifts enhance off-road performance and handling, while body lifts maintain more of the stock ride quality.
How does one determine the appropriate lift kit size for their vehicle’s requirements?
It’s important to measure the vehicle’s current height and decide how much additional clearance is needed.
Check the manufacturer’s recommendations and consider the dimensions of the tyres you wish to install.
Ensure the suspension components can handle the added height and weight.
What are the implications of installing a 2-inch lift kit on vehicle dynamics?
A 2-inch lift kit typically improves ground clearance and provides a more aggressive stance without significantly affecting handling or ride quality.
However, it can alter the vehicle’s centre of gravity, potentially impacting stability, especially during sharp turns or abrupt manoeuvres.
Which brands are known for providing the best quality suspension lift kits?
Brands like Pedders Suspension are renowned for their high-quality suspension lift kits. These brands offer durable components, comprehensive kits, and strong warranties. This makes them reliable choices for enhancing vehicle performance and appearance.
Ryan Blaney won the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) inaugural Iowa Corn 350 powered by Ethanol. Blaney led a career-high 201 laps to capture his first win of the season, 11th career on Sunday night. With this win, Blaney also clinched a spot in the Cup playoffs for the eighth straight season and captured Ford’s third NCS win of the season, which was 731st all-time.
Photo by Ron Olds for Speedwaymedia.com
Following a pit stop after the second stage, Blaney restarted 10th and worked his way up to second with less than 100 laps to go. On Lap 260, Blaney and his crew made a two-tire stop, giving Blaney the race lead off of pit road with 84 laps to go in the race. Blaney held the lead over second-place William Byron by .716 of a second for his first win in 2024, and Team Penske’s 95th series win with Ford.
“What a cool way to win here,” Blaney said. “This place means a lot to me and means a lot to my mom. We had a lot of people here tonight cheering us on, so they willed us to that one. Overall, I really appreciate the 12 boys. I mean, our car was really fast all night, and we got a little bit better through the night, and two tires was a good call there. I didn’t know how well I was going to hold on. I started to struggle a little bit at the end but had enough to hang on. I’m super proud of the effort.”
Race Notes
The race was divided into three stages (70 laps/140 laps/140 laps) for the Inaugural Iowa Corn 350 powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway in Newton (.875-mile oval). Race winner Blaney also won Stage 1 and Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson won Stage 2. The race had eight caution periods for 49 laps, with 14 drivers on the lead lap. Third-place finisher Chase Elliott takes over the series points lead by eight points over teammate Kyle Larson, who finished 34th after contact from Suarez on Lap 220.
What went down behind Blaney
Polesitter Larson won Stage 2 after battling back from a rear tire issue. But on Lap 220, Suarez sent the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 spinning into the outside wall on the front stretch, also collecting Denny Hamlin. Larson went down 36 laps and finished 34th, and he also lost the series points lead to teammate Elliott with nine races remaining.
William Byron led the Chevrolet teams with a runner-up finish in his Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 for his sixth top-five finish of the season.
Photo by Ron Olds for Speedwaymedia.com
Elliott, driving the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1, finished in the third position.
“Our balance was just right, and I thought all day we had really good long run pace, he said. “I just really struggled to get going on restarts, and just was really loose and couldn’t. Just felt like I couldn’t attack like I needed to and just lost a lot of ground. Could make good pace there at the end of a run with our NAPA Chevy, just needed to be a little closer I think to keep the pressure on and keep things rolling.”
Christopher Bell finished fourth in a backup car. After starting in the rear of the field, Bell battled back to a fourth-place finish, his fifth top-five of the season, and his fourth consecutive top-10 for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“Yeah, I mean, a top-five, is a good day,” Bell said. “Obviously, we had pace to be better than that, so that’s why I’m sitting here with mixed emotions. Great effort, and if we keep bringing cars like that, hopefully, it’ll be our day one of these times.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished fifth.
“We had a little mishap on pit road that set us back again to kind of that back row, so, we had to battle back from that,” Stenhouse explained. “Really wanted to go battle (Ryan) Blaney there. We got to second, just got a little too loose, and couldn’t hold those guys off. Really cool to do a Cup race here in Iowa after all our success and to do it in front of a great crowd.”
Joey Logano, driving the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse, finished sixth after a two-tire pitstop call and reflected on his day.
“We put ourselves in position there to win the race with the two-tire call,” he said. I just didn’t re-fire good on two. I tried to race Blaney and couldn’t hold him off and then I just kind of got swallowed up by a couple cars pretty quick. We just didn’t have enough fire-off. I think if I could have got out front, I probably would have been OK, but I couldn’t get out there.”
Josh Berry started third, led twice for 32 laps, and finished 7th for his third top-10 of the season. “That was a lot of fun, for sure. We’re going to keep digging to keep getting better,” said Berry.
Brad Keselowski finished in 10th place and captured his ninth top-10 of the season. “Our car was really good on the long runs. I liked that long run, but the short runs we just didn’t have enough speed,” Keselowski explained.
Martin Truex Jr. went down a lap early in the race but battled back for a 15th-place finish. Daniel Hemric had early contact with front nose problems and then a toe link and finished 29th.
Kyle Busch started 7th but had mechanical problems, resulting in a 35th-place finish.
“We had a strong zone Chevrolet today at Iowa Speedway but didn’t get to finish the race. Something broke in the left-rear suspension,” a disappointed Busch explained. “I don’t know if it was a toe link or what it was, but it changed the skew of the back of the car, and it was just undrivable doing that. We came in and fixed it. Rolling back out, we broke the belt, and I had no power steering. I have no idea why, but it was frustrating, for sure.”
The No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1, driven by AJ Allmendinger, sustained damage after a tire issue in the first stage and finished 36th.
What’s Next
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the 18th race of the season on Sunday, June 23, at 2:30 p.m. ET. The USA Today 301 coverage will be on the USA Network, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
“I think I can speak for Chase Elliott fans,” Elliott said, “and NASCAR fans in general, when I saw that as far as corn products go, they’d rather drink them than eat them.”
2. Kyle Larson: Larson started on the pole and led 80 laps while winning Stage 2. But contact with Daniel Suarez on Lap 220 spun Larson into the path of Denny Hamlin. Larson’s No. 5 Chevy suffered significant damage. He eventually finished 34th.
“It’s not wise to go three wide,” Larson said. “I did, and it cost me. Suarez really did a number on me. His number is ’99,’ but that number is ’86.’ In the state of Iowa, that’s called getting ‘cornholed.’”
3. Ryan Blaney: Blaney won Stage 1, took charge late and held off William Byron to win the Iowa Corn 350, Blaney’s first win of the season.
“It feels great to win,” Blaney said. “With this being the Iowa Corn 350 and me being a humble fellow, all I can say is ‘Aww shucks.’”
4. William Byron: Byron finished second in the Iowa Corn 350, posting his sixth top 5 of the season.
“Even with newer tires,” Byron said, “I still couldn’t catch Blaney. I guess his No. 12 Ford, much like his sister Erin, was out of my league.”
5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin struggled early, but made his way into the top 10 before an accident with Daniel Suarez and Kyle Larson caused damage to the No. 11 Toyota. Hamlin finished 24th.
“We were just very inconsistent,” Hamlin said. “My car, much like Suarez’s driving, was all over the place.”
6. Christopher Bell: Bell finished fourth in the Iowa Corn 350, posting his fifth top 5 of the year.
“I thought Ryan Blaney really held up well at the end,” Bell said. “He fought off all challengers and maintained the lead under lots of pressure from William Byron and other drivers. Of course, it’s the Iowa Corn 350; you should expect to be ‘stalked.’”
7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 10th in the Iowa Corn 350.
“The street address of Iowa Speedway is 3333 Rusty Wallace Drive,” Keselowski said. “That’s because Rusty designed the race track. The track is D-shaped, and that was done in honor of Rusty’s longtime teammate Ryan Newman, who was D-headed.”
8. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished 11th in the Iowa Corn 350.
“Grimace was on Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota,” Chastain said. “Grimace was also at the track. He was the purple blob. More specifically, he was the Jimmy Spencer-shaped purple blob.”
9. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 15th at Iowa.
“I announced that the 2024 season will be my last as a full-time driver,” Truex said. “If I could cap off the season with the Cup championship, it would be awesome. That way, I could say I won going away.”
10. Tyler Reddick: Reddick finished 22nd at Iowa.
“This was the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway,” Reddick said. “The site of the track used to be a cornfield, which makes it just like every other structure in the state.”
The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney made Iowa Speedway his “Field of Dreams” for the day after he muscled through to a dominant win in the inaugural Iowa Corn 350 on Sunday, June 16.
The 30-year-old Blaney from High Point, North Carolina, led four times for a career-high 201 of 350-scheduled laps in an event where he started on the front row alongside pole-sitter Kyle Larson and led for the first time on the second lap following an early lap skirmish with Larson.
With mixed strategies and tire wear ensuing throughout the event, Blaney, who spent the majority of the event running towards the front and won the first stage period, cycled back into the lead following a two-tire pit stop call during a late caution period with 92 laps remaining. Once he muscled away from the field during the event’s final restart period with 84 laps remaining, he proceeded to weave his way through lapped traffic and fend off a late charge from William Byron and his four fresh tires to triumph for the first time in the 2024 Cup Series season and place both himself and his No. 12 Team Penske Ford team into Playoff contention.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, June 15, Kyle Larson notched his fourth Cup pole position of the 2024 season and the 20th of his career after posting a pole-winning lap at 136.458 mph in 23.084 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Ryan Blaney, who clocked in the second-fastest qualifying lap at 136.311 mph in 23.109 seconds.
Prior to the event, Christopher Bell and Austin Cindric dropped to the rear of the field in backup cars after both wrecked their primary cars during Friday’s practice session.
When the green flag waved and the event commenced, the field fanned out through the frontstretch as Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. As they continued to duel for the lead through Turns 3 and 4, Larson managed to edge Blaney to lead the first lap. Blaney, however, would assume the lead from Larson during the following lap amid contact with Larson through Turns 3 and 4 and proceeded to lead during the next two laps while the field behind continued to fan out and jostle for early spots.
On the third lap, the event’s first caution period flew after rookie Carson Hocevar got into the rear of teammate/rookie Zane Smith, which got Smith loose and resulted in him getting into teammate Corey LaJoie as LaJoie and his No. 7 Gainbridge/Iowa Hawkeyes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry spun into the outside wall through Turns 1 and 2. During the event’s first caution period, some drivers, including LaJoie, Erik Jones, Michael McDowell and Kaz Grala pitted while the rest, led by Blaney, remained on the track.
When the event restarted under green on the ninth lap, Larson managed to muscle ahead of Blaney and reassume the lead. With Larson ahead of the field with the lead by the Lap 10 mark, Chase Briscoe overtook Blaney for the runner-up spot as teammate Josh Berry and Tyler Reddick battled in the top five ahead of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, William Byron and Daniel Suarez.
Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Larson extended his advantage, leading by more than a second over Blaney, while Briscoe, Reddick and Kyle Busch trailed in the top five. Behind, Josh Berry occupied sixth place ahead of Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, William Byron and Justin Haley while Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace and Harrison Burton were racing in the top 15 ahead of AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Preece, Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher and Alex Bowman. Meanwhile, Noah Gragson was mired in 21st ahead of Denny Hamlin, Austin Cindric, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Corey LaJoie while Todd Gilliland, Martin Truex Jr., Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith and Christopher Bell were in the top 30 on the track.
Ten laps later, Larson stretched his advantage, leading by more than three seconds over Blaney while third-place Briscoe trailed by nine seconds. As Reddick and Berry occupied the top-five spots on the track, Suarez, Byron, Busch, Haley and Logano trailed in the top 10 while Truex, Wallace and Hamlin drifted back to 25th, 27th and 33rd, respectively. In addition, Keselowski, who started in the top five, was mired in 14th behind Ty Gibbs while Cindric and Bell, were up to 23rd and 24th, respectively, after starting at the rear of the field in backup cars,
Another 10 laps later, Larson stabilized his advantage to three seconds over Blaney while Briscoe, Berry and Byron trailed in the top five by 10 seconds. By then, Hamlin, who was mired in 34th place, was lapped by the leaders while Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Truex, Michael McDowell, Cindric, Allmendinger, Wallace and Austin Dillon were mired outside the top 20 on the track.
At the Lap 50 mark, Larson was mired in lapped traffic and had his advantage shrink to one-and-a-half seconds over runner-up Blaney while third-place Berry and fourth-place Byron trailed by nine seconds. With Briscoe trailing by 10 seconds in fifth place, LaJoie, who was involved in an early spin, was up to 19th place on four fresh tires while Austin Dillon, John Hunter Nemechek and Stenhouse, all of whom were running within the top 30, were lapped by Larson.
A lap later, the event’s second caution period flew when AJ Allmendinger, who was racing in the mid-pack region, ran his No. 16 Action Industries Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry straight into the outside wall in between Turns 1 and 2 after he blew a right-front tire. It marked his second wreck of the weekend at Iowa Speedway after he wrecked out of Saturday’s Xfinity Series event due to a blown right-front tire.
During the event’s second caution period, nearly all of the lead lap field led by Larson pitted for fresh tires and fuel while Daniel Suarez and Brad Keselowski remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Larson exited pit road first and was followed by Blaney, Byron, Berry, LaJoie, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Chastain, Wallace and Logano, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Justin Haley was penalized for equipment interference.
The start of the next restart period on Lap 58 featured Larson navigating his way past both Suarez and Keselowski for nearly a lap as he led the proceeding lap. With Larson continuing to lead by the Lap 60 mark, Blaney assumed the runner-up spot while Suarez was trying to fend off Berry, Byron, LaJoie, Keselowski, Logano, Busch and a bevy of competitors for third place. Blaney would then assume the lead from Larson on Lap 61 while Suarez retained third place ahead of Berry, Byron and LaJoie. Despite Ty Gibbs scraping the outside wall entering the backstretch, the event remained under green flag conditions.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 70, Blaney, who was battling a potential cool suit issue amid the warm temperatures, fended off a late challenge from Larson to capture his second Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Suarez settled in third place while Byron, Berry, Logano, LaJoie, Keselowski, Elliott and Busch were scored in the top 10.
Under the stage break, a majority of the field led by Suarez and including Keselowski and LaJoie, pitted while the rest led by Blaney remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, Daniel Hemric was penalized for speeding on pit road.
The second stage period started on Lap 77 as Blaney and Larson occupied the front row. At the start, the field fanned out as Larson rocketed ahead of Blaney to reassume the lead. With Larson leading, teammates Byron and Elliott battled for third place along with Logano while Busch was in sixth place ahead of Bowman, Chastain, Briscoe and McDowell. Meanwhile, Bell was up to 11th place while Berry was back in 12th.
Then on Lap 80, the caution returned after John Hunter Nemechek and Noah Gragson, both of whom were fighting outside the top 20 on the track, made contact entering Turn 4. Nemechek sent Gragson spinning sideways but Gragson managed to quickly straighten his No. 10 Bass Pro Shops Winchester Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry without hitting the wall and continue. During the caution period, Larson, who radioed tire concerns, surrendered the lead to pit for fresh tires for his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry as Blaney returned atop the leaderboard.
With the event restarting under green on Lap 86, Blaney and Byron dueled for the lead through the first two turns until Blaney managed to clear Byron and muscle ahead through the backstretch. As Elliott got sideways entering the backstretch, Logano charged to the runner-up spot and began to intimidate teammate Blaney for the lead while Byron, Busch, Chastain and Bowman trailed in the top six. With a multitude of competitors jostling for spots within the mid-pack region, Blaney retained the lead by two-tenths of a second over teammate Logano just past the Lap 90 mark while Byron and Busch tried to close in.
At the Lap 100 mark, Blaney was leading by a tenth of a second over teammate Logano followed by Byron, Berry and Elliott as Busch, Chastain, McDowell, Bowman and Suarez occupied the top 10. Behind, Briscoe was in 11th ahead of a hard-charging Larson while Wallace, Reddick and Ty Gibbs were battling in the top 15 ahead of Bell, LaJoie, Keselowski, Cindric and Hocevar. Meanwhile, Gragson was trapped in 23rd place behind Preece and Austin Dillon while Truex, Stenhouse, Haley, Gilliland, Nemechek, Hamlin and Buescher were mired in the top 30.
Fifteen laps later, Blaney stretched his advantage to lead by a second over teammate Logano while Byron, Elliott and Berry trailed by within two seconds in the top five. By then, Larson, who was aggressively weaving and carving his way through the field, had returned to the top-10 mark as he was running in eighth place ahead of teammate Bowman and Suarez while Busch and Chastain occupied sixth and seventh, respectively. Meanwhile, Bell, Wallace, Briscoe, Gibbs and Keselowski trailed in the top 15 while McDowell, who was running in the top 10, was pinned two laps down in 35th place after he pitted his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse to replace a flat right-front tire.
Another 10 laps later, Blaney stabilized his advantage to more than a second over teammate Logano just before Byron overtook Logano for the runner-up spot, with Elliott and Chastain trailing by within three seconds in the top five on the track. Blaney led by one-and-a-half seconds over Byron just past the Lap 130 mark and by a second at the Lap 140 mark. By then, Busch, who was running in the top 10, had pitted his No. 8 zone/Kwik Trip Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry under green on Lap 135.
By Lap 150, Blaney continued to lead by more than a second over Elliott as Byron, Logano and Larson followed suit in the top five. By then, Hamlin was mired a lap down for a second time in 27th place while Bell was up to sixth place as he had Berry, Chastain, Bowman and Wallace following suit.
Ten laps later, LaJoie and Austin Dillon made contact while battling within the top-20 mark that sent Dillon up the track towards Turns 3 and 4 but he kept his No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry running straight as he then ran into the rear of LaJoie to express his displeasure over the contact. Amid the contact, Blaney retained the lead by seven-tenths of a second over Elliott while Byron, Larson and Bell trailed in the top five by nearly five seconds.
Then as Byron pitted his No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry under green from third place on Lap 165, trouble struck for Chastain as he went up the track through Turns 1 and 2 with a flat right-front tire to his No. 1 Busch Light For the Farmers Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry. Chastain, though, managed to limp his car to his pit stall without drawing a caution as LaJoie, Briscoe, Truex and Berry also pitted during the proceeding laps. Not long after, Truex was penalized for speeding on pit road.
By Lap 172 and with more green flag pit stops ensuing amid tire wear concerns within the field, Blaney surrendered the lead to pit his No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry under green. Elliott, who led the proceeding lap, pitted his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry during the following lap along with teammate Bowman, Gibbs, Grala and Austin Dillon before Larson pitted as Erik Jones limped his No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE entry to pit road with a flat tire.
As the event surpassed its halfway mark on Lap 175, more names including Logano, Gragson, Nemechek and Reddick would pit while Bell, who last pitted on Lap 54, cycled into the lead. Bell would then pit his No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE entry on Lap 180 before Suarez and Haley pitted during the next scheduled lap. This moved Keselowski into the lead.
Then on Lap 181, the caution flew after Hemric made contact with the outside wall in Turn 2. During the caution period, select names led by Keselowski and including Wallace, Hocevar, Gilliland, Buescher, Hamlin, Suarez, Haley and Hemric pitted while the rest led by Stenhouse, who pinned many competitors a lap down by remaining on the track during the previous green flag run, remained on the track.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 188, Stenhouse and Byron battled for the lead for nearly a lap until they nearly wrecked entering Turn 4, which allowed Larson to zip by both and return to the lead. With Larson leading, Berry moved his No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry up to second place followed by Wallace and Elliott while Stenhouse was trying to fend off fifth place from a multitude of competitors. Larson would proceed to lead just past the Lap 190 mark while he was being intimidated by Berry.
By Lap 200, Larson extended his advantage to one-and-a-half seconds over Berry, who had Elliott pressuring him for the runner-up spot, while Blaney and Wallace occupied the top five. Meanwhile, Hamlin, who was lapped twice, was up to sixth place followed by Buescher, Gilliland, Keselowski and Stenhouse while Byron was back in 12th place behind Haley. In addition, Busch was in 14th while battling Hocevar, Bell was in 17th behind Suarez and Bell, Logano was in 18th while trying to overtake Bell and Chastain, the first competitor a lap down, was mired in 19th. In addition, Reddick was in 24th and Briscoe was mired in 29th in front of Truex.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 210, Larson captured his eighth Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Berry fended off Elliott to retain second place ahead of Blaney and Wallace while Hamlin, Buescher, Gilliland, Keselowski and Haley were scored in the top 10. By then, 18 of 36 starters were scored a lap down while 19th-place Chastain was the recipient of the free pass for being the first competitor scored a lap down during the caution period.
During the stage break, nearly the entire field led by Larson pitted while Buescher and Gilliland remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Keselowski exited pit road first after he only opted for a two-tire pit stop while Larson, Berry, Elliott, Suarez, Wallace, Hamlin, Blaney, Byron and Haley followed suit.
With 132 laps remaining, the final stage commenced as teammates Buescher and Keselowski occupied the front row. At the start and with the field fanning out, Buescher maintained the lead ahead of Gilliland and Berry while Keselowski slipped to fourth. Then entering the frontstretch, the caution quickly returned after Larson, who was pinned in the middle of a three-wide battle with Keselowski and Suarez, got sideways after Suarez hit Larson, which resulted in Larson getting loose and coming across the path of Hamlin’s No. 11 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE.
Both wrecked against the outside wall, with Larson spinning across the frontstretch while the rest of the field scattered to avoid hitting Larson. The incident would cost Larson multiple laps as his pit crew went to work to repair the damage in his pit stall. With Larson then being assessed an additional two-lap penalty for having too many crew members over the pit wall, he would take his No. 5 Chevrolet to the garage for repairs but was granted permission to return to the track following his repairs due to meeting the minimum speed under the Damaged Vehicle Policy.
With the next restart period occurring with 123 laps remaining, Buescher and Berry dueled for the lead for a full lap as Berry, who was racing up the outside lane, led the proceeding lap before Buescher, who had Berry slide in front of him during the previous lap, slid in front of Berry in retaliation to reassume the lead during the next lap. Berry, however, kept intimidating Buescher for the lead while Busch, Gilliland, Keselowski and Byron trailed closely in the top six with 120 laps remaining. Berry would then muscle away from Buescher during the proceeding five laps while Byron carved his way up to third place as he was being trailed by Keselowski, Elliott, Blaney, Gilliland, Busch, Suarez and others.
Down to the final 100 laps of the event, Berry was leading by two seconds over a side-by-side battle between Blaney and Byron while Elliott and Buescher trailed in the top five ahead of Keselowski, Suarez, Logano, Haley and Busch. Meanwhile, Bowman occupied 11th place ahead of Chastain, Gilliland, Stenhouse and Bell while Wallace, Hocevar and McDowell occupied the remaining 18 competitors scored on the lead lap as Hamlin, who was in 19th, was lapped for a third time.
Nine laps later, the caution returned after Buescher, who was running in fifth, scrubbed his No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse against the outside wall through Turns 1 and 2 after he lost a tire. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Berry returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Blaney exited pit road first after he opted for a two-tire pit stop along with teammate Logano and Stenhouse while Berry, the first competitor who opted for four fresh tires, followed suit in fourth ahead of Elliott, Byron, Suarez, Busch, Haley and Bowman.
The start of the next restart period with 84 laps remaining featured Blaney battling and having enough momentum to clear teammate Logano to lead the next lap while Stenhouse, Byron and Berry followed suit in the top five. As the field behind jostled for late positions, Busch, who was racing in the top 10, scrubbed the backstretch’s outside wall and he would pit under green with 80 laps remaining, which dropped him out of the lead lap category. Shortly after, Busch’s chances of making the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs took another hit after he took his car to the garage and retired due to another mechanical issue to his No. 8 Chevrolet. Amid Busch’s issues, Blaney retained the lead while Stenhouse and Byron overtook Logano to move into second and third, respectively.
With 60 laps remaining, Blaney continued to lead by eight-tenths of a second over Byron while Elliott, Stenhouse and Logano trailed in the top five. Blaney would stabilize his advantage to seven-tenths of a second over Byron with 50 laps remaining while Elliott, Stenhouse and Logano continued to race in the top five.
With 35 laps remaining, Blaney retained the lead by nine-tenths of a second over Byron while third-place Elliott trailed by a second-and-a-half. As Stenhouse and Logano continued to race in the top five, Bell trailed in sixth place by seven seconds while Berry, Suarez, Chastain and Bowman were in the top 10, with Haley situated in 11th place ahead of Keselowski, McDowell, Gilliland and Truex.
Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Blaney, who nearly had his steady advantage extinguished while mired in lapped traffic, most notably Ty Gibbs, extended his advantage back to nine-tenths of a second over Byron while Elliott, Byron’s teammate, trailed by a second as he started to close in on Byron for the runner-up spot. Behind, Bell moved up to fourth place ahead of Stenhouse and Logano while McDowell, who was racing in the top 15, pitted under green a few laps earlier to address a flat tire for the second time within the event. Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek would also pit under green as Blaney maintained the lead by a second over Byron’s No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet with 15 laps remaining.
Under the final 10 laps of the event, Blaney, who was mired in more lapped traffic despite proceeding to lap Wallace and Gragson, maintained his lead by seven-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Byron as Elliott continued to trail by a second in third place. Blaney, who would close in and lap Truex, would then have his advantage shrink to six-tenths of a second as Byron continued to close in on Blaney with five laps remaining.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Blaney remained as the leader by seven-tenths of a second over Byron. With Byron unable to close the deficit even narrower, Blaney was able to cycle his No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford smoothly around the Iowa circuit for a final time before he returned to the frontstretch and claimed his first elusive checkered flag of the 2024 Cup Series season.
With the victory, Blaney, who nearly won at World Wide Technology Raceway until he ran out of fuel while leading on the final lap two races ago, notched his 11th Cup Series career win and his first since winning at Martinsville Speedway in late October 2023. By becoming the 10th competitor overall to record a victory through the first 17 events of the 2024 Cup season, Blaney has guaranteed himself a spot into the 2024 Playoffs as he will commence his pursuit to defend his series’ title.
As an added bonus, Blaney, who racked up the second victory of the season for Team Penske and the third ever for the Ford Mustang Dark Horse stock car, is the first competitor to achieve a victory across NASCAR’s top three national touring series. He claimed his first Craftsman Truck Series career win at Iowa in September 2012 and would win an Xfinity event at the 7/8-mile short track in August 2015.
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“Man, what a cool way to win here,” Blaney, who had 80 family members rooting for him in the grandstands, said on USA Network. “This place, it means a lot to me. It means a lot to my mom. We had a lot of people here tonight cheering us on. They wheeled us to that [win]. Overall, [I] really appreciate the whole No. 12 boys. Our car was really fast all night. We got a little bit better through the night with two [fresh] tires. It was a good call there. I didn’t know how well [the car] was going to hold on. I started to struggle a little bit at the end, but had to definitely hang on. So proud of the effort. It makes up a little bit from a couple weeks ago. I’m looking forward to seeing [the family members]. It’s always good to have family. I’ve been super lucky to have family that supported me through my career. It’s great that they’re still supporting me just as much as they did day one. It’s a cool weekend. Really cool to win the first Cup race here. I can’t wait we come back with many more years.”
Byron, who recorded his first Xfinity Series victory at Iowa in June 2017, settled in second place for his sixth top-five result of the season while teammate Elliott, who notched his first ARCA Menards Series East victory at Iowa in 2012, ended up in third place for his seventh top-five result of 2024.
“[Me and Blaney] were pretty even,” Byron said. “He was on two tires, so I think I had just a little bit fresher tires and was able to work the bottom [lane] through lapped traffic okay. [I] Felt like I was making marginal gains through [Turns] 1 and 2, but my tires were getting hot down there and I would just start sliding the rears around a little bit on entry. Really good effort by our team. We definitely need to put together some consistent runs and this is a good start. We’d love to be winning tonight, but Ryan [Blaney] and those guys were good, so congrats to them.”
“[The event] was a lot of surprises that [I] wasn’t really sure what to expect with the tire,” Elliott said. “The racetrack changed a lot, I thought, throughout the day. The lanes changed a lot. We were able to move around. I thought it was actually a much better race than I was anticipating being with the repave. I thought all of that was really good. Ultimately, really proud of our NAPA team and just continuing to put together solid days. Just need a little bit more to set the pace and be up there leading laps like I feel like we can. It’s nice to be in the fight and have a shot there in the closing laps.”
Christopher Bell rallied from starting at the rear of the field in a backup car to finish fourth followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as Joey Logano, rookie Josh Berry, Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez and Brad Keselowski finished in the top 10.
There were 17 lead changes for nine different leaders. The race featured eight cautions for 49 laps. In addition, 14 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the 17th event of the 2024 Cup Series season, Chase Elliott leads the regular-season standings by eight points over teammate Kyle Larson, 38 over Denny Hamlin, 54 over William Byron, 61 over Martin Truex Jr., 64 over Tyler Reddick and 90 over Ryan Blaney.
Results.
1. Ryan Blaney, 201 laps led, Stage 1 winner
2. William Byron
3. Chase Elliott, one lap led
4. Christopher Bell, seven laps led
5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., four laps led
6. Joey Logano
7. Josh Berry, 32 laps led
8. Alex Bowman
9. Daniel Suarez, four laps led
10. Brad Keselowski, five laps led
11. Ross Chastain
12. Todd Gilliland
13. Justin Haley
14. Carson Hocevar
15. Martin Truex Jr., one lap down
16. Noah Gragson, one lap down
17. Bubba Wallace, one lap down
18. Chris Buescher, one lap down, 16 laps led
19. Austin Dillon, one lap down
20. Harrison Burton, one lap down
21. Corey LaJoie, one lap down
22. Tyler Reddick, one lap down
23. Michael McDowell, one lap down
24. Denny Hamlin, two laps down
25. Ty Gibbs, two laps down
26. John Hunter Nemechek, two laps down
27. Ryan Preece, two laps down
28. Chase Briscoe, two laps down
29. Daniel Hemric, two laps down
30. Austin Cindric, three laps down
31. Zane Smith, three laps down
32. Erik Jones, three laps down
33. Kaz Grala, five laps down
34. Kyle Larson, 36 laps down, 80 laps led, Stage 2 winner
35. Kyle Busch – OUT, Water Pump
36. AJ Allmendinger – OUT, Accident
Next on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the series’ annual visit to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, for the USA Today 301. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, June 23, and at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.
Kyle Larson scored the Busch Light Pole Award Saturday at Iowa Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver will lead the field to green in the NASCAR Cup Series debut at the 0.875-mile track.
It is Larson’s fourth pole this season and his 20th career pole. He outpaced the field with a 136.458 mph qualifying lap in 23.084 seconds in his No. 5 Chevrolet.
“Obviously, happy to get the pole,” Larson said. “It helped to go out last, probably. I’m sure the track was continuing to get a little bit better. We got to watch SMT (data) of everybody’s runs, so that helps. But it also makes you a little bit more nervous when you see everybody out there struggling. Thankfully, my lap was mostly comfortable, a little bit loose like everybody was. But we were able to piece together two pretty consistent laps and be fast enough on that second lap to get it done.”
Ryan Blaney will start beside Larson on the front row in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford after a 136.311 mph lap.
“It would have been nice [to win the pole], obviously,” Blaney commented. “But that’s a big improvement from yesterday. We did a lot of work overnight and this morning to figure out how to be better than where we were yesterday at the end of practice. We’re really proud of that effort.”
Josh Berry, William Byron and Brad Keselowski completed the top five fastest drivers in the qualifying session followed by Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell to round out the top 10. Bell, however, will start from the rear of the field after crashing during practice which necessitated going to a backup car for the race.
Austin Cindric will also go to a backup car after a tire failure during practice.
Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol will be broadcast on the USA network at 7 p.m. ET with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Complete Starting Lineup:
Kyle Larson
Ryan Blaney
Josh Berry
William Byron
Brad Keselowski
Chase Briscoe
Kyle Busch
Tyler Reddick
Chase Elliott
Christopher Bell (Will start at the rear of the field)
Joey Logano
Denny Hamlin
Daniel Suarez
Todd Gilliland
Chris Buescher
Bubba Wallace
Ross Chastain
AJ Allmendinger
Justin Haley
Carson Hocevar
Austin Cindric (Will start at the rear of the field)
Martin Truex Jr. announces retirement from full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing By Reid Spencer/NASCAR Wire Service
NEWTON, Iowa — Martin Truex Jr. felt it was time to regain control over his own life and his own schedule.
“I’m obviously here to let y’all know that I won’t be back full-time next year,” Truex said Friday in a press conference with team owner Joe Gibbs, confirming the widely reported news that he will exit the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at season’s end.
“It’s been incredible. It’s been a hell of a ride. I’m excited about the future, and I’m not really sure what that looks like yet,” Truex added.
There are several issues, however, that are already settled. The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion will continue with JGR in what is vaguely defined as an “ambassadorial capacity.” He likely will compete in an occasional NASCAR Xfinity Series race for the organization.
And Truex will fulfill a stated purpose of reclaiming his time as his own.
“It’s the right time for me. I’ve thought about it a lot for the last few seasons — just waited for that feeling in my mind to be positive, like ‘This is OK, I’m good, and I want to do something else,’” Truex said.
“In the 21 years that I’ve done this, I’ve never missed a race. I’ve never missed a practice. I’ve never been late for anything. I’ve never missed an appearance. You live your life by a schedule that somebody makes for you, and it’s just time for me to make my own schedule.
“That’s really what it boils down to. I want to go do the things I want to do, and I don’t want anyone to tell me when I can and when I can’t do those things. I still love racing. I’m still going to race some — I don’t know what, when, how, why — but I feel very fortunate to be in this position to make this decision.”
Gibbs said he had a sense of what Truex’s decision would be. Truex will turn 44 on June 29. That makes him the elder statesman of JGR by less than five months over teammate Denny Hamlin, a three-time winner so far this season.
“I did everything I could to keep it going,” Gibbs said of his efforts to retain Truex for another season. “I think we’ve got two 43-year-olds that are at the top of their game.”
Now in his 19th season of full-time Cup racing, Truex has accumulated 34 victories, 23 poles, 146 top fives and 287 top 10s in 673 starts in NASCAR’s top series. He also won consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series titles in 2004 and 2005 with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Chance 2 Motorsports.
Truex’s high-water mark in the Cup Series came in 2017. Driving for Furniture Row Racing and paired with crew chief Cole Pearn, he scored career bests in victories (eight) and top 10s (26) en route to the series championship, which he claimed with a win in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
After stints with Dale Earnhardt Inc., Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Furniture Row, Truex joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019. He won seven times that season and finished second in the final standings for the second straight year.
Though winless so far this season, Truex currently is fifth in the Cup Series standings, despite running out of fuel and finishing 27th in last Sunday’s road course event at Sonoma Raceway.
NASCAR President Steve Phelps acknowledged Truex’s achievements in a statement extolling his successes as a competitor and a person.
“Martin Truex Jr. has been a consistent figure over the last two-plus decades in NASCAR — a consistent winner, champion and fan-favorite,” Phelps said. “Though he especially excelled on NASCAR’s biggest stages, Martin performed his craft with a quiet tenacity, allowing his immense success tell his incredible story.
“On behalf of the France Family and all of NASCAR, I congratulate Martin on a wonderful career and wish him the best of luck for the remainder of his final full-time season.”
As he plans his exit from full-time racing, Truex has few, if any, regrets.
“I would say I’ve achieved more than I ever thought I would,” he said. “That being said, there’s a lot of heartbreakers. There’s a lot of things you go back and think about like, ‘Man, if that had turned out different.’
“But a championship and three runners-up in this (elimination) format, I feel like that’s really good. I’m proud of what I’ve done. I feel like I gave it everything I had, and I feel I’m really, really good at what I did, so I’m happy with that—I’m content.”
