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Category: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series

  • Weekend schedule for Kansas-2

    Weekend schedule for Kansas-2

    NASCAR travels to Kansas Speedway this Sunday for the second race of the Cup Series Playoffs. The Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series will join them for a full weekend of racing.

    The Cup Series win by Erik Jones last week at Darlington means that none of the playoff drivers are locked into the next round, leaving only two more opportunities to win and automatically advance to the Round of 12. Several of the drivers fell victim to the Track Too Tough To Tame so the stakes will be high at Kansas.

    The Xfinity Series has two more races in its regular season at Kansas Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway but only seven drivers (Allgaier, Allmendinger, Berry, Gibbs, Gragson, Hill and Jones) have secured a place in the 12-driver playoff field. With five open spots and only two races left in the regular season, points will be almost as important as wins.

    The Truck Series heads to Kansas for the final race in its Playoffs Round of 10. Grant Enfinger and Chandler Smith are the only two drivers locked into the upcoming Round of 8 and eight drivers will be racing for those final six spots.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, September 9

    3 p.m.: Truck Series Practice (All Entries) FS2
    3:30 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1Lap/All Entries – FS2
    5:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice (All Entries) USA
    5:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1Lap/All Entries – USA

    7:30 p.m.: Truck Series Kansas Lottery 200
    201 miles (134 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 30, Stage 2 ends on Lap 60, Final Stage ends on Lap 134
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $648,530

    Saturday, September 10

    12:05 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – Group A & B – NBC Sport App
    12:50 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) (Group A & B) Single Vehicle, 1 Lap, 2 Rounds – NBC Sports App

    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300
    300 miles (200 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 45, Stage 2 ends on Lap 90, Final Stage ends on Lap 200
    USA/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $1,661,536

    Sunday, September 11

    3 p.m.: Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by Barstool Sportsbook
    400.5 miles (267 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 80, Stage 2 ends on Lap 165, Final Stage ends on Lap 267
    USA/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $8,338,881

  • Bell to make 100th Cup career start at Kansas

    Bell to make 100th Cup career start at Kansas

    Competing in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Christopher Bell is scheduled to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Playoff event at Kansas Speedway, the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota TRD Camry will achieve 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Norman, Oklahoma, and a champion of the Camping World Truck Series in 2017, Bell made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February 2020. By then, he was coming off two full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series that was highlighted with 15 victories and two Championship Round appearances. Driving the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota Camry, Bell finished 21st in his Cup debut after being involved in a late multi-car wreck while running towards the front.

    After finishing no higher than 21st during the first five scheduled events, Bell managed to finish 11th at Darlington Raceway in May before achieving his first top-10 career result in the Cup circuit by finishing ninth in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Despite collecting his first top-five career result at Pocono Raceway in June along with three additional top-10 results throughout the regular season stretch, he struggled with maintaining on-track consistency as he did not make the 2020 Cup Playoffs. During the final 10 scheduled events, he managed to finish 10th at Kansas Speedway and collect a season-best third-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in October before settling in 20th place in the final standings.

    When Leavine Family Racing ceased operations following the 2020 NASCAR season, Bell reunited with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team he competed in two full-time Xfinity seasons, to pilot the No. 20 Toyota Camry, where he replaced Erik Jones. After finishing 16th in the 63rd running of the Daytona 500, Bell scored his first Cup career victory during the following weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course after passing Joey Logano prior to the final lap. The victory made Bell the 197th different competitor to win in NASCAR’s premier series and the 11th to do so for Joe Gibbs Racing as he snapped a one-year winless drought for JGR’s No. 20 team. In the process, Bell became the first Oklahoma competitor to win in the Cup Series.

    Following his breakthrough victory at Daytona, Bell notched three additional top-five results, including two runner-up results (Road America in June and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July), and nine top-10 results before making his first entrance in the Playoffs as one of 16 competitors vying for the 2021 title. Despite finishing 20th, third and 29th respectively in the Round of 16, he was one of 12 competitors to advance to the Round of 12. His title hopes, however, came to an end during the second round after finishing 24th, fifth and eighth respectively. Nonetheless, Bell finished in the top 10 three times during the final four scheduled events before settling in 12th place in the final standings. By then, he nearly quadrupled his top-five results achieved in a season from two to seven, doubled his top-10 results from seven to 16 and improved his average-finishing result from 20.3 to 15.8 in comparison to his rookie Cup season.

    Remaining at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2022, Bell rallied from finishing no higher than 10th through the first five scheduled events by notching nine top-10 results through the following 14 events. By then, he had achieved his first three career poles in the Cup circuit. He then became the 14th different winner of the 2022 Cup Series season after earning his second career victory at New Hampshire in July. The New Hampshire victory along with a total of seven top-five results, 14 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 14.5 throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch were enough for him to make his second consecutive appearance in the Cup Series Playoffs. Coming off a fifth-place run in the Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500, Bell is ranked in fourth place in the Playoff standings and is 28 points above the top-12 cutline to transfer into the Round of 12 field, which will be determined at Bristol Motor Speedway in mid-September.

    Through 99 previous Cup starts, Bell has achieved two victories, three poles, 17 top-five results, 38 top-10 results, 380 laps led and an average-finishing result of 17.0 while he pursues his first Cup Series title.

    Bell is scheduled to make his 100th Cup Series career start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 11, with the event’s coverage scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Chase Elliott: Elliott lost control with two laps to go in Stage 1, hitting the wall and bouncing into the path of Chase Briscoe. The damage was severe, and his team failed to repair it in the allotted 10 minutes, forcing Elliott’s retirement, in last place.

    “This is the last thing we needed to happen,” Elliott said. “You might as well call it the ‘Worst Chase Scenario.’ I hear down at the Dawsonville Pool Hall, they’re saying I put myself behind the 8-ball.’”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started strong in the Playoffs, finishing second in the Cook Out Southern 500.

    “It’s important to get off to a good start,” Hamlin said. “You can’t win the championship in the first round of the Playoffs, but you sure can lose it. You can also lose the championship in the last round of the Playoffs.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano started from the pole at Darlington and finished fourth.

    “I issued a warning before the race to William Byron,” Logano said. “I said, ‘You don’t want to mess with me’ in regards to our issue at the Darlington spring race. Don’t discount me, I can make a threat, even though I look like the least-threatening driver in all of motorsports.”

    4. Ryan Blaney: Blaney came home 13th at Darlington.

    “How about Erik Jones winning in the No. 43 car?” Blaney said. “That car number was made famous by the legendary Richard Petty. Petty is the ‘King,’ and he would like everyone to ‘ST(o)P‘ with the silly comparisons.”

    5. Christopher Bell: Bell finished fifth at Darlington.

    “Considering the attrition in the race,” Bell said, “I’m just glad I finished. A lot of other drivers, well, they’re just finished.”

    6. Kyle Larson: Larson suffered engine issues at Darlington and fell three laps down, but diligently worked his way back to the lead lap and finished a remarkable 12th.

    “I’m quite experienced at digging myself out of holes I created,” Larson said. “And that other time, I certainly didn’t get a ‘free pass.’

    “I was a little discouraged when I began to have trouble early in the race. But then I thought, ‘I’ve salvaged a career; it should be easy to salvage a day.”

    7. William Byron: Byron won Stage 1 at Darlington, but couldn’t capitalize the rest of the way and finished eighth.

    “The ‘Track Too Tough To Tame’ really lived up to its name,” Byron said. “And if you ask Kevin Harvick, he’ll tell you the Cook Out Southern 500 did as well, especially the ‘Cook Out’ part.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch won Stage 2 at Darlington, and was leading under caution when his engine blew with 23 laps remaining. “This racetrack really did a number on me and other playoff drivers,” Busch said. “And that number is the ‘No. 2.’

    “It would be amazing if I could win a championship before I sign a new contract. That would give my value a good chance to catch up to my ego.”

    9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick saw a solid effort at Darlington come to an end when his rocker panel ignited, causing a fiery end to his night on Lap 276.

    “Luckily,” Harvick said, “I was able to stop the car safely and get out, despite the cockpit being full of smoke. If that would have happened in Tyler Reddick’s 3CHI-sponsored car, then that’s the ultimate ‘hot box.’”

    10 (tie). Martin Truex Jr.: Truex was leading late at Darlington, but a dramatic engine failure ended his day on Lap 333.

    “Just because I’m ineligible to win the championship,” Truex said, “doesn’t mean I’m going to roll over to the drivers who are. I may be out of the Playoffs, but I’m not out of the way.”

    10 (tie). Ross Chastain: Chastain finished 20th at Darlington when a tire issue in Stage 2 set him back in the field.

    “Of course it’s not the start to the postseason I wanted,” Chastain said. “But I’m just happy to be in the Playoffs. At the beginning of the year, most people thought I couldn’t make the Playoffs. Well, guess what? I crashed the Playoffs, and with apologies to Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex, Jr., and others, it most likely won’t be the last thing I crash.”

  • Erik Jones steals the show with a surprise win at Darlington

    Erik Jones steals the show with a surprise win at Darlington

    Erik Jones slid under the radar to win the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway as everyone else was focused on the drivers who were competing in the Playoffs.

    And, he did it in style, capturing the 200th win for the 43 number that was made famous by NASCAR’s “King,” Richard Petty.

    It was Jones’ third career victory in the NASCAR Cup Series and his second Southern 500 victory.  

    “We’ve been so close all year, and I didn’t think today was going to be the day,” he said. It was going to be a tough one to win, I knew, but no better fitting place. I love this track. I love this race. On that trophy twice, man. I was pumped to be on it once, but to have it on there twice — pretty cool.

    Well, I mean, I never lost any belief in myself through any of it,” Jones continued. “I knew I could still do it, and I just knew we needed to grow the program to do it, and we have. We’ve brought on a lot of great people in the last year. Dave Elenz called a great race today. His first Cup win — that’s pretty cool for him.

    “I’m excited, man. We’ve been talking about this day for a long time, and it is redemption in a lot of ways. Very fitting that it’s here at this race again. I felt like this was the race that saved my job the first time around, and coming back here with this win, I guess it puts you back on the map.”

    The Track Too Tough To Tame lived up to its moniker in a tumultuous race that included 21 lead changes among 11 different drivers and nine cautions for 58 laps.

    Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin finished second and his teammate, Christopher Bell, was scored in fifth place.  Tyler Reddick was third in his No. 8 Richard Childress Chevrolet and Team Penske driver Joey Logano was fourth.

    But not all of the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers were as fortunate as Hamlin and Bell. Kyle Busch saw a potential win slip away after leading a race-high 155 laps when his engine blew and he had to settle for a 30th place result.

    “Real proud of the guys for their fight,” Busch said. “The guys on pit road tonight were awesome. So I had a lot of fun being up front, leading laps like that, being able to show what we’re made of. I just hate that we can’t finish with the points we need.”

    Busch’s teammate, Martin Truex Jr., didn’t make the Playoffs, but ran strong throughout the race, leading 48 laps before he suffered a power steering failure.

    One of the biggest surprises was Chase Elliott who entered the Playoffs on top but spun toward the end of Stage 1 and damaged the back of his No. 9 Chevrolet. The team was unable to make repairs within the time frame of the damaged vehicle policy and he was relegated to a last-place finish.

    “I just hit the wall in (Turns) 1 and 2 and broke something in the right rear,” Elliott said. And, when asked how he would approach the next playoff race at Kansas Speedway? “A lot better than we did today.”

    Elliott leaves Darlington Raceway in ninth place in the playoff standings.

    Kevin Harvick was another driver who left Darlington frustrated and angry after a fire in his car put him on the sidelines with a disappointing 33rd-place finish.

    When asked by NBC Sports’ Marty Snider what caused the fire, Harvick said, “I’m sure it’s just crappy parts on the race car like we’ve seen so many times. They haven’t fixed anything. It’s kind of like the safety stuff. We just let it keep going and keep going.  

    “The car started burning and as it burned the flames started coming through the dash. I ran a couple of laps and then as the flame got bigger it started burning stuff up and I think right there you see all the brake fluid that was probably coming out the brakes and part of the brake line, but the fire was coming through the dash.  

    “What a disaster for no reason. We didn’t touch the wall. We didn’t touch a car and here we are in the pits with a burned-up car and we can’t finish the race during the playoffs because of crappy-ass parts.”

    Drivers Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe and Harvick are the four drivers who are now below the cut line with two races remaining in the Round of 16.

    Next week the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400 as the Playoffs continue.

  • Logano grabs pole for Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington

    Logano grabs pole for Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington

    Joey Logano won the NASCAR Cup Series pole Saturday with a 168.521 mph lap at Darlington Raceway. He will lead the field to green for the Cook Out Southern 500 Sunday evening in the first race of the Playoffs.  

    That makes the Team Penske driver two for two, after also winning the pole at Darlington in May. It was his 24th career pole in the series.

    “It’s obviously nice to start up front,” Logano said. “We got a taste of what that first pit stall means here at Darlington and it’s nice, for sure. It’s nice to be able to get that, but it’s just a start. 

    “We still have a full 500 miles to go,” he continued, “but, like I said, that first pit stall will pay a dividend throughout the whole race, so we’ll fire off and see what we’ve got tomorrow. 

    “Going off of practice from the spring to the race the first time, the track was much different in the race than it was in the practice. You’ve got to kind of assume some of it is gonna happen again tomorrow, so we’ll try to adjust on our car a little bit for race trim. I think we need a little bit there, but I don’t think we’re that far off. If we get a little bit more turn in our car, we’ll be right there.”

    Christopher Bell, with a 168.469 mph lap, will start beside him on the front row in his JGR Toyota followed by William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Kyle Busch to complete the top five. Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell rounded out the top 10 in the qualifying session.

    Chase Elliot, who enters the Playoffs in the top spot, qualified a disappointing 23rd and he was not alone. Several other Playoff contenders had mediocre runs including Denny Hamlin (11), Ross Chastain (12), Austin Dillon (13), Alex Bowman (16), Kevin Harvick (18), Chase Briscoe (19), and Daniel Suarez (36).  

    Notes: Daniel Suárez failed pre-race inspection three times Saturday morning and did not make a qualifying attempt. He will have to start the race at the rear of the field and will also have to serve a pass-through penalty in his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.     

    You can tune into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opening race at Darlington Raceway on Sunday evening at 6 p.m. ET on the USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

  • ‘No amount of playoff points is ever safe’ – Chase Elliott

    ‘No amount of playoff points is ever safe’ – Chase Elliott

    Chase Elliott enters the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as the top seed with 40 bonus points and four wins to his credit. But does that make him the favorite to win the 2022 championship?

    “For me, there’s never a good answer, but I try to give an honest take on it. There’s been too many people good at different times. Just because we have a win more than other people doesn’t mean other people aren’t capable of winning or having a really good day. You have to respect the whole field. There are a lot of really talented drivers and a lot of really smart people working at these teams.”

    And though he is entering the Playoffs with a point advantage, Elliott views it as a separate entity.

    “I don’t think anybody is safe at any point in time,” he explained. “You have to respect this format from Week One all the way to Week 10. I don’t think there is ever a period of time where you should think anything is taken for granted. No amount of playoff points is ever safe.

    “Each round is so short. You could have two bad weeks back-to-back and do nothing wrong. Next thing you know, you’re in a position where you have to win the last race. That can happen to the guy who is first in points or the guy that is last. No one is safe from that.”

    Looking ahead to the Cookout Southern 500 at Darlington, the Hendrick Motorsports driver explained the obstacles that the drivers will face.

    “For me, you have to find the balance of the fast lane being around the wall – which is a difficult place to live all night for 500 miles – and the sun sets in a really awkward place there in turn three right in your face. It becomes hard to see the corner entry.

    “To me it becomes a tale of two races the more I’ve done it and the more I’ve been a part of the race. In my opinion, it almost feels longer than the 600 for some reason. It feels like you’ve been racing for two days. You start in the daytime and end late at night.

    “Balancing the event is probably the most important piece of going to Darlington,” Elliott said, “then making sure you have a car that’s put together that you haven’t bounced off the wall a bunch for those last 100 miles.”

    Heading into this weekend, he is focused on making the most of this opportunity.

    “If you get hot at the right time, it can propel your team all the way to Phoenix and have a shot to win the thing. We want to make sure we are at our peak in these final 10 – performing our best when it matters most.

    “I’ve had a large variety of experiences. We’ve had one go our way. We’ve lived through the ups and downs of what it can offer. It’s very unforgiving but obviously, if you make it and achieve the goal, it’s rewarding.”

    No matter what the end result may be, rest assured that Chase Elliott gave it his all.

  • NASCAR schedule for Darlington Cook Out Southern 500 weekend

    NASCAR schedule for Darlington Cook Out Southern 500 weekend

    This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series head to Darlington Raceway. It will mark the beginning of the Cup Series Round of 16 in the Playoffs while the Xfinity Series has three races remaining in its regular season.

    Seven drivers have secured a spot in the upcoming Xfinity Playoffs Round of 12 – AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Josh Berry, Austin Hill and Brandon Jones.

    After taking a break, the Camping World Truck Series will be back to racing on Sept. 9 at Kansas Speedway for the last Playoff race in the Round of 10. Two drivers will be eliminated and eight will advance to the Round of 8. So far, only two drivers, Grant Enfinger and Chandler Smith, have clinched a spot.

    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, September 3
    10:05 a.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – All Entries – NBC Sports Stream

    10:35 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap – All Entries – NBC Sports Stream

    12:05 p.m.: Cup Series Practice (Groups A & B) – USA coverage at 12:30

    12:50 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) (Groups A & B) Single Vehicle, 1 Lap, 2 Rounds – USA/MRN

    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
    Stages End on Laps 45/90/147 Laps = 200.8 Miles
    USA/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $1,208,129

    Sunday, September 4

    6 p.m.: Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500
    Stages End on Laps 115/230/367 Laps = 501.32 Miles
    USA/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $7,823,733

  • ‘You can’t win the race in the first 200 laps but you could certainly lose it’ – Kerry Tharp

    ‘You can’t win the race in the first 200 laps but you could certainly lose it’ – Kerry Tharp

    This weekend at Darlington Raceway, the NASCAR Cup Series begins its Playoff series with 16 drivers hungry to win and advance to the next round.

    Denny Hamlin has captured the most trophies of any active driver at the Track Too Tough To Tame and is the defending race winner. The odds are in his favor but Darlington has a way of leveling the playing field.

    Kerry Tharp, president of Darlington Raceway, summed it up best, “You can’t win the race in the first 200 laps but you could certainly lose it.”

    It’s a unique race track that requires a specific skill set.  

    “It takes a tough driver, somebody that can withstand a 500-mile race and the heat,” he continued. “You’re going to have contact during the race. Look at the drivers over the years that have been very successful here, David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Cale Yarborough. Those guys were all tough. Those guys were talented, obviously, as they’re all Hall of Famers.

    “I think it takes somebody that is patient. You have to be patient at Darlington. I’ve seen several races here where someone might dominate the first two-thirds of the race. And then all of a sudden something happened to him, or something goes wrong with his tire set-up, and all of a sudden they fade to fifth or sixth.

    “So I think it’s being a patient driver. And I think, although I never saw him race in person, that David Pearson was that type of driver. He was very patient from what I was told. And, I think that paid off as he had 10 wins here.”

    When looking at the drivers in the Playoffs and who might be a contender this weekend, Tharp said, “Denny has won here four times. I think Kevin Harvick has won three times and I think Truex has two, but he’s not in the Playoffs. I think you can look at Harvick and Hamlin as being two drivers that you’ll probably have to contend with. But I think there are some other ones out there that haven’t won here that certainly are capable.”

    But before the racing begins Tharp and his staff are already welcoming the early arrivals in the campgrounds with a multitude of events in the days leading up to the weekend. For Tharp, the fan experience is just as important as the racing.

    “This morning I greeted the first camper on the property, a man and a young son,” he said. “They were the first campers that entered the facility. So we kind of presented them with a special Darlington swag bag. I get a lot of satisfaction from that.”

    As the fans arrive and the clock winds down, the excitement is rising. The Playoffs shift into high gear Sunday evening with the Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at 6 p.m. ET on the USA network.  

  • James Small to call 100th Cup career race as crew chief at Darlington

    James Small to call 100th Cup career race as crew chief at Darlington

    A significant milestone start is in the making for James Small, crew chief for Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota TRD Camry team in the NASCAR Cup Series. By participating in this weekend’s Cup Series Playoff opening event at Darlington Raceway, Small will call his 100th career event as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Melbourne, Australia, Small, who spent eight years working in the V8 Supercars Championship in Australia before spending three seasons in an engineering role at Richard Childress Racing, made his first two appearances as a Cup crew chief at Watkins Glen International and at Michigan International Speedway in August. By then, he was a lead engineer for the No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota Camry team piloted by Erik Jones and was named Jones’ interim crew chief for two events after Jones’ regular crew chief Chris Gayle was suspended for two races and fined $50,000 due to a post-race infraction stemming from the previous event at Pocono Raceway. During Small’s two appearances as a Cup crew chief, Jones finished 10th and third at Watkins Glen International and at Michigan International Speedway, respectively.

    After moving to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019, where he continued to work as lead engineer for the 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr., crew chief Cole Pearn and the No. 19 JGR Toyota Camry team, Small was named a full-time Cup Series crew chief for Truex for the 2020 season after Pearn resigned from his role. Pearn and Truex commenced the 2020 Cup Series season with a 32nd-place result in the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 after Truex was involved in a late multi-car wreck. Through the following nine events, his best result was third at Atlanta Motor Speedway in June. Then during the following event at Martinsville Speedway, Small achieved his first victory as a NASCAR crew chief after Truex led 132 of 500 en route to his first victory of the season and second in a row at Martinsville. 

    Through the remaining 15 Cup regular season events in 2020, Small and Truex achieved nine top-five results, including seven consecutive top-three results between July and August, and a total of 11 top-10 results before entering the 2020 Cup Playoffs. Despite transferring from the Playoff’s Round of 16 all the way to the Round of 8, Small served a one-race suspension prior to the second Round of 8 Playoff at Texas Motor Speedway after NASCAR confiscated the spoiler from Truex’s car and issued penalties that included Small’s suspension, a $35,000 final and a dock 20 driver/owner points. Despite Small’s return at Martinsville Speedway in November, Truex was unable to make the Championship Round at Phoenix Raceway after settling in 22nd place due to making a late unscheduled pit stop for a loose right-front wheel. In the end, Small and Truex capped off their first season in seventh place in the final standings along with one victory, 13 top-five results, 22 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 12.0.

    The duo of Small and Truex initiated the 2021 Cup season on another strong note. After logging two top-10 results through the first four scheduled events, they claimed their first victory of the season at Phoenix Raceway in March. A month later, they notched their second victory of the season at Martinsville in April following a late battle with teammate Denny Hamlin. By then, Truex became the first multi-Cup winner through the first eight scheduled events. Small and Truex then became three-time winners of 2021 four races later after Truex fended off a hard-charging Kyle Larson in the closing laps.

    Fourteen regular-season races later, where Small and Truex achieved five additional top-10 results, the 2021 Cup Playoffs commenced at Darlington in September. Then a week later at Richmond Raceway, Small and Truex transferred from the Round of 16 to the Round of 12 after Truex led 80 of 400 en route to a fourth victory of the season. Three additional results inside the top 10 were enough for the duo to transfer all the way to the Championship Round finale at Phoenix Raceway in November and with an opportunity to win the title. During the finale, however, Truex, who was leading late in the event, settled in second place both on the track and in the final standings behind Kyle Larson. In his second full-time season as a Cup crew chief, Small recorded four victories, 13 top-five results, 20 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 12.0 with Truex.

    Remaining as Truex’s Cup crew chief for a third consecutive season, Small led the No. 19 JGR Toyota TRD Camry team to a pole, seven stage victories, three top-five results, 12 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 13.2 throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. The results, however, were not enough for the duo to make the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs after they missed the cutline by three points. Small and Truex, however, enter the 10-week Playoff stretch with a goal to capture their first victory of the season before making another bid for the Playoffs in 2023.

    Through 99 previous Cup appearances, Small has achieved five victories, one pole, 30 top-five results, 56 top-10 results and 2223 laps led while working with two different competitors (Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones).

    Small is scheduled to call his 100th Cup Series event as a crew chief at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500 and the opening event of the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs. The event’s coverage is scheduled for Sunday, September 4, at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 29th at Daytona, and will start the playoffs in first with a 15-point lead over second-place Joey Logano.

    “I’m also 21 points ahead of Kyle Larson,” Elliott said. “Twenty-one points may not sound like much, but in the NASCAR playoffs, it’s pretty substantial. Of course, I want to maintain that lead, so I suggest Kyle ‘keep his distance’ from me.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 1 at Daytona and finished 12th in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

    “I just signed a long-term extension with Penske Racing,” Logano said. “And I can’t wait to tell everyone, especially Kyle Busch.”

    3. Ryan Blaney: Blaney ran into early trouble when he was collected in a crash triggered when Denny Hamlin sent Erik Jones spinning in front of the field. Blaney’s No. 12 suffered heavy damage but was able to stay in the race, finishing 15th, and claiming the final playoff spot.

    “After that crash,” Blaney said, “I really didn’t know what to think. Luckily, my No. 12 Chevy was sponsored by a well-known auto parts franchise, and having the word ‘Advance’ on the side of my car told me exactly what I needed to do.”

    4. Kyle Busch: Busch took Stage 2 in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and finished 10th, posting his 12th top 10 of the year.

    “In regards to my contract situation,” Busch said, “Toyota executive David Wilson said, ‘I don’t want to race against a pissed-off Kyle Busch.’ My potential teammates probably have a somewhat similar view, ‘because they just don’t want to race with Kyle Busch, pissed off or otherwise.”

    5. Kyle Larson: Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet overheated on lap 31, forcing him to the garage on lap 31. He finished last in 37th.

    “Speaking of hot,” Larson said, “Chase Elliott is still irritated with me about the finish at Watkins Glen. But I say let bygones be bygones. Hopefully, Chase can put it behind him as much as he wants to put me behind him.”

    6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was knocked out of contention in the Coke Zero 400 when he was caught up in the “Big One” on lap 139. He continued and finished 20th.

    “You can’t take chances with the weather at superspeedways,” Harvick said. “Take it from me, when you’re doing close to 200 miles per hour and you see liquid on the track, the Kevin Harvick ‘4-Cast’ calls for a 100% chance of liquid in your pants.”

    7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was leading at Daytona when a sudden downpour caused most of the field to lose traction, causing the “Big One.” After a long rain delay, racing resumed and Hamlin finished 25th.

    “NASCAR should have stopped the race sooner,” Hamlin said. “But I can’t fully blame NASCAR officials. They have about as much control of the weather as they do over Ross Chastain.”

    8. Christopher Bell: Bell was one of many drivers involved in the “Big One” on lap 139. He finished 36th and will start the playoff with 2011 points, 29 back of Chase Elliott in first.

    “That wreck took out a lot of the big names,” Bell said. “And that left a lot of names in the top 10 that were not household names. It was a veritable ‘Who’s Who?’ of ‘Who is that?’”

    9. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished eighth at Daytona, but it wasn’t enough to put him in the playoffs as first-time season winner Austin Dillon took the surprising win.

    “One minute,” Truex said, “I’m in the playoffs. The next minute, I’m not. But that’s just the uncertainty of the final regular season race at Daytona: you can go from ‘OK’ to ‘KO‘ in a heartbeat.”

    10. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished 33rd at Daytona.

    “I’m seeded third in the playoff standings,” Chastain said. “And I’m sure the playoffs are going to be wild, especially with me in them. Fans and drivers alike are eager to find who I can eliminate from the playoffs first: me, or another driver.”