NASCAR heads to Texas Motor Speedway for a full weekend of racing culminating with the Cup Series All-Star Race Sunday evening.
The Camping World Truck Series will headline the on-track action Friday night followed by the Xfinity Series race Saturday afternoon.
There have been 37 previous All-Star races with 25 different winners. Kevin Harvick (2007, 2015) and Kyle Larson (2019, 2021) lead all active drivers with two wins each. Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano have won the exhibition race once.
The Xfinity Series has produced seven different winners so far this season. Ty Gibbs, Noah Gragson, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Brandon Jones and Austin Hill have secured a spot in the Playoffs with 15 races left in the regular season. There are only five open spots remaining before the Playoffs begin.
Camping World Truck Series drivers Zane Smith (three wins), Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes and John Hunter Nemechek have locked themselves into the Playoffs. There are eight races remaining in the regular season and six open Playoff spots.
8:30 p.m.: Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 220 Distance: 220.5 miles (147 Laps) Stages 35/70/147 Laps = 220.5 Miles FS1/MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Saturday, May 21
1:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series SRS Distribution 250 race Distance: 250.5 miles (167 Laps) Stages 40/80/167 Laps = 250.5 Miles) FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
7 p.m.: Cup Series Practice (Combined Open and All-Star) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
7:35 p.m.: Qualifying (Open) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
7:55 p.m.: Qualifying (All-Star) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
8:25 p.m.: Qualifying – Elimination bracket with mandatory pit stop (All-Star) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday, May 22
5:30 p.m.: All-Star Open (20/20/10 Laps) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
8 p.m.: All-Star Race (25/25/25/50 Laps) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
The annual NASCAR Cup Series All-Star race at Texas Motor Speedway will headline the racing action this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway as 24 drivers compete for the $1 million prize.
There are 20 drivers eligible who have won a points-paying race in 2021 or 2022 or are previous winners of the All-Star race and are competing full-time this year.
Any previous Cup Series champion who is competing full-time this season is also eligible.
Qualifying – Saturday, May 21:
Qualifying for the drivers that are already locked into the All-Star Race will include two rounds. In the first round, drivers will run a single lap with a lineup that is in reverse order of the current owner points. The top eight will transfer to an elimination round.
The second (elimination) round will feature four groups of two cars each. Each pairing will have to complete a four-tire pit stop in side-by-side pit stalls set up near the end of pit road. When finished and the jacks drop, it will be a race back onto the track. There will be no speed limit on pit road and the first car back to the start-finish line will advance to the next round. The final pairing will then compete for the pole.
Drivers who are eliminated in the Round of 8 will start in positions 5-8 based on their lap speeds from Round 1 of qualifying. Drivers eliminated in the Round of 4 will start in positions 3 and 4 based on their one-lap speeds.
The All-Star Open– Sunday, May 22:
Three additional drivers will be added to the All-Star Race lineup in the All-Star Open which will precede the main event. The first and second stages will consist of 20 laps each with a final third stage of 10 laps.
The winners of Stage 1 and Stage 2 plus the All-Star Open event winner will advance to the All-Star Race. The winner of the Fan Vote will complete the field of 24 drivers.
The All-Star Race – Sunday, May 22:
The race will have four stages of 25-25-25-50 laps. The Stage 1 winner will start on the pole in the final stage as long as they finish 15th or better in Stages 2 and 3.
The Stage 2 winner will start second in the final stage if they finish 15th or better in Stage 3.
After Stage 2, there will be a pit stop competition and each team must perform a four-tire pit stop. The team with the fastest time, in an out of the pit, will win the pit crew award and the driver will start fourth in the final stage as long as they finish 15th or better in Stage 3.
The winner of Stage 3 will start third in the final stage.
During the final stage, there will be a special provision concerning cautions. If caution occurs between laps 15-25, the race will conclude under normal race procedures. If there is no caution during that time, NASCAR will implement an “All-Star” competition caution.
You can watch all of the NASCAR Cup Series action on FS1 with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio this weekend.
Texas Motor Speedway Sunday, May 22, 2022 1.5-Mile Oval 8:00 PM ET Location: Fort Worth, Texas TV: Fox Event: NASCAR All-Star Race (non-points) Radio: SiriusXM, PRN
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 9th
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL-STAR: Kyle Larson, who has 11 points-paying wins since the beginning of 2021, has an automatic berth into Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway. Last June at the 1.5-mile Texas facility, Larson battled Brad Keselowski and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott late before maneuvering into first and leading the final eight laps to capture the $1 million payday. It marked the second win for the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the annual exhibition race where no championship points are awarded.
GRAND OPENING: In 2019 when the event was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Larson won the NASCAR All-Star Open to gain entry into the All-Star Race, then led the final 13 laps to capture the victory in the annual exhibition. The Elk Grove, California, native has won the last two all-star events he has started.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Along with his victory in the all-star event in June, Larson led 256 laps – including the final 218 – to capture the 334-lap points-paying race at Texas in October. The victory earned him a spot in the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway, which Larson ultimately won to secure his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.
ANIMAL STYLE: In five starts in the exhibition race, Larson owns an average finish of 5.4 – the best average of any driver that has more than two starts in the annual event. Larson is currently tied with Kevin Harvick as the only active drivers with multiple victories in the All-Star Race, each with two.
SECOND THAT: Larson ranks second this season in top-five finishes with six, trailing only Ross Chastain who has seven. Larson has a victory at Auto Club Speedway, runner-up finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway, fourth-place finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway (dirt) and Talladega Superspeedway and a fifth-place result at Richmond Raceway.
IT’S A HOME GAME: Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team will wear their “home” white uniforms at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. Home races occur in markets where there are Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships nearby, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to two of them. Be sure to follow Hendrick Automotive Group’s social media channels and visit HendrickCars.com to view the complete home and away schedule.
PATRIOTIC PAINT SCHEME: On Tuesday, HendrickCars.com unveiled a patriotic livery that will appear on the No. 5 entry at Charlotte Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend. To view the paint scheme and to learn more about Hendrick Automotive Group’s priority to hire veterans, please visit HendrickCars.com.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 26 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 1st
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
THE STARS ALIGNED: In 2020, Chase Elliott earned his first career NASCAR All-Star Race victory, claiming the checkered flag after dominating at Bristol Motor Speedway. Elliott won stages two and three before crossing the finish line first in the final stage to earn the $1 million prize. The event was the only All-Star Race held on a short track and on a Wednesday. The driver of the No. 9 was the third-youngest all-star winner at 24 years, 7 months, 17 days.
ALL-STAR STATS: Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will make his seventh consecutive appearance in the All-Star Race this weekend. Elliott’s 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship and All-Star Race win locked him into the event for the remainder of his full-time career under current rules. In his six previous All-Star Race starts, he has a 6.0 average finish – second-best of active drivers with at least two starts. The 26-year-old driver has finished in the top 10 in five of his six All-Star Race appearances and led in each of the last three races for a total of 74 laps.
BACK IN THE LONE STAR STATE: The All-Star Race is returning to Texas Motor Speedway for the second consecutive year. In this event in 2021, Elliott ultimately drove to a third-place result in the final round after winning the race’s fifth round. In addition, the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS pit crew had a lightning-fast green-flag pit stop during the fifth round, earning the team the pit crew challenge victory and its $100,000 payout. Through 13 races this season, the No. 9 pit crew has the best average time at 11.708 seconds for four-tire pit stops in the Cup Series.
FATHER-SON DUO: With Elliott’s 2020 victory, he and his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, joined Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the only father-son combinations to win the All-Star Race. The Elliotts have won two of the three all-star events not held at Charlotte Motor Speedway – Bill Elliott won it driving his No. 9 car at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1986 when he led all but one of 83 laps.
TEXAS STATS: Elliott has made 11 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway in points-paying events. Elliott garnered two top-five finishes, six top-10s and led a total of 44 laps in those starts. He collected his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at the 1.5-mile track in April 2014. In five Xfinity Series starts there, the 2014 Xfinity Series champion has accumulated three top-five finishes and five top-10s.
NO. 9 IS TOPS: Halfway through the regular season, Elliott continues to hold the Cup Series points lead, now by 52 markers over Ryan Blaney. Including a tie earlier in the season, this marks the ninth consecutive week the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has been atop the standings. Through 13 races, Elliott and the No. 9 team have nine top-10 finishes – tied for most in the series – and lead the field with an average finish of 10.8.
1.5-MILE PERFORMANCE: This season on 1.5-mile tracks, Elliott has two top-10 efforts in three starts, finishing ninth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and sixth at Atlanta. He was on his way to a third top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway last weekend when a flat left-rear tire caused him to spin, taking him out of contention. In 68 points-paying starts at mile-and-a-half facilities, Elliott has led 881 laps and earned two victories (Charlotte and Kansas), 22 top-five finishes – eight of which are runner-up results – and 37 top-10s.
A SHOC ENERGY DAYTONA RACE EXPERIENCE: A SHOC Energy is giving fans the opportunity to win a VIP trip to the Cup Series race at Daytona on Saturday, Aug. 27. One grand prize winner and guest will get flight and hotel accommodations, tickets to the regular-season finale and a $500 Visa gift card. The sweepstakes is open now through July 15, and fans can enter by texting “ASHOCTRIP” to 97579.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 4th
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available in the Texas Motor Speedway media center on Friday, May 20, at 4 p.m. local time.
HALFWAY THERE: Halfway through the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, William Byron is continuing to have a career-best year. In 13 races, Byron has scored two wins, four top-five finishes with 569 laps led across 10 of the 13 races, three stage wins and 13 playoff points accumulated. The wins, laps led, stage wins and playoff point totals are the most for the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 through 13 races in his Cup Series career. He is currently fourth in the driver point standings and is locked into the Cup Series playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.
1.5-MILE MOMENTUM: Byron is no stranger to success on mile-and-a-half tracks during his Cup Series career. In 2021, he picked up the win at the third race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway – his first on that configuration. He went on to collect seven top-10 finishes across nine races on 1.5-mile tracks throughout the season. This season, the Cup Series has raced at three 1.5-mile tracks: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Byron scored a win at Atlanta and a top-five finish at Las Vegas. In the most recent race of the season at Kansas, he led 25 laps before a flat tire left him with a 16th-place finish. In fact, since the start of 2021, Byron has nine top-10 finishes on tracks of that length.
LOCKED IT IN: Sunday will mark Byron’s fourth start in the NASCAR All-Star Race but for the second time in his Cup Series career, Byron heads into the event already locked in due to his wins at Atlanta and Martinsville Speedway earlier this season as well as his Homestead-Miami win in 2021. Needing to race his way into the all-star event in the past, Byron has gotten the job done in the Open qualifier races in 2019 and 2020. Across his three All-Star Race starts, Byron has two top-10 finishes. His best showing came last year when he led the most laps (30), had the lowest cumulative finishing position across the first four rounds and scored his best finish of seventh after being shuffled from the front row for the final 10-lap dash.
TWO-FOUR: The No. 24 has scored a win in the All-Star Race three times – tied for the second-most wins by a car number in the exhibition event, all coming with Jeff Gordon. If Byron were to end up in victory lane this Sunday night, the No. 24 would be tied for the most wins in all-star history with the No. 48 at four victories.
TRUCKIN’ IT IN TEXAS: Byron’s success at Texas Motor Speedway started almost six years ago in his first start at the 1.5-mile oval with crew chief Rudy Fugle on the pit box. Starting from the sixth position, the then-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie led six laps before capturing the checkered flag becoming the youngest to ever win a Truck Series race at Texas.
TEXAS TOUGH: Texas is a track that Byron has always ran well at throughout his entire NASCAR career, even if the statistics don’t always reflect that. In seven Cup Series starts at the Lone Star State track, Byron has three top-10 results, including a track-best finish of second last fall. Byron also has four other starts at the 1.5-mile oval, with an average finish of 3.5 in two Truck Series starts and 8.0 in two NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
FUGLE HAS ‘NO LIMITS’: While Sunday will mark crew chief Fugle’s second Cup Series all-star event, the Livonia, New York, native is no stranger to success at Texas. In last year’s race, Fugle led Byron and the No. 24 team to a seventh-place result after leading the most laps. Fugle also has one other Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile track, where the No. 24 team battled for the win in the final stage before crossing the finish line in the runner-up position last fall. The veteran crew chief has 18 other starts at Texas, with all but three of those coming in the Truck Series. He has visited victory lane at the “No Limits” track five times in the Truck Series – the most for him at any track on the circuit – most recently in 2019 where he swept both races. Of those five wins, one includes a victory with Byron in June 2016. In his 15 Truck Series starts, Fugle’s drivers have also racked up seven top-five finishes, 11 top-10s with 493 laps led.
TEXAS TWO-STEP: Byron is pulling double duty at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. In addition to Sunday’s race, he’ll drive the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon. The 24-year-old driver earned his Xfinity Series championship with JR Motorsports in 2017 and garnered four wins with the team. Byron’s primary partner in the Cup Series, Axalta, will also serve as an associate partner on his Xfinity Series car.
LIBERTY U IS BACK: For Sunday’s All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway, Byron will climb behind the wheel of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty University is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is now in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s Liberty University paint scheme, click here.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 8th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
KANSAS RECAP: Alex Bowman notched his eighth top-10 finish of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway last Sunday. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 finished the first stage in 10th and the second stage in 15th before tallying a ninth-place result at the 1.5-mile track. In his other starts this season on that track length, Bowman won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and placed 10th at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
THROUGH 13: Bowman continues to show his consistency in one of his best years in his Cup Series career. Through the first 13 points-paying races in 2022, Bowman has one win (Las Vegas), three top-five finishes, eight top-10s, and has the second-best average finish in the series at 11.8. After his front-running finish at Kansas, Bowman is currently scored eighth in the regular season points standings, 89 markers behind teammate and leader Chase Elliott.
ALL-STAR SPECIAL: As a result of Bowman’s four wins in 2021 (Richmond Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Martinsville Speedway) and his one thus far in 2022 (Las Vegas), the 29-year-old driver is locked into the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday. In his last three appearances in the unique event, Bowman has placed inside the top-10 in all races, with his best all-star finish coming last year where he crossed the finish line in sixth.
BOWMAN IN THE LONE STAR STATE: In his 12 points-paying starts at the Texas circuit, Bowman has garnered two top-five finishes. The most recent of which came in October 2020 with a fifth-place run in the No. 88 Chevrolet. In his two appearances in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Texas, Bowman started on the pole for both races.
IVES AT TEXAS: Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, has 13 starts atop the Cup Series pit box in the Lone Star State with five top-five finishes and six top-10s at the 1.5-mile venue. His best finish as the crew chief came in April 2016 with Dale Earnhardt Jr., where the duo notched a runner-up result in the No. 88 Chevrolet.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH: Bowman returned to his racing roots once again, racing his No. 55 Ally sprint car for Alex Bowman Racing at Bridgeport Motorsports Park in Swedesboro, New Jersey, with the World of Outlaws. He will also make an appearance at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio, on Friday with the World of Outlaws. Fans can watch Bowman race live at Attica on DirtVision.com this Friday.
BEST FRIENDS: Halfway through the 2022 Cup Series regular season, Bowman and primary sponsor Ally, have donated a combined $67,600 to Best Friends Animal Society and a network partner in each race market they have visited this year. Each week of the race season, Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and a local network partner. This weekend, Bowman and Ally will make a charitable donation to Operation Kindness, a no-kill shelter in Carrollton, Texas.
TAKE ME TO THE LEADER: In last year’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports led 68 of the 100 laps run – the most its ever led in a single all-star event. All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers won a stage prior to Kyle Larson winning the race.
TERRIFIC 10: Hendrick Motorsports has won the All-Star Race 10 times, which leads all organizations. That total is more than second and third place in all-star wins combined.
HIGH FIVE: Five drivers have accounted for Hendrick Motorsports’ all-star victories. Jimmie Johnson leads the way with four wins (2003, 2006, 2012, 2013), which is also the most among all drivers in all-star history. Jeff Gordon is next with three wins (1995, 1997, 2001). Terry Labonte (1999), Chase Elliott (2020) and Larson (2021) each have won the event once. The Johnson, Gordon and Labonte victories all came at Charlotte Motor Speedway, while Elliott won at Bristol Motor Speedway and Larson won at Texas.
BACK-TO-BACK TRIUMPHS: Elliott and Larson’s wins in 2020 and 2021 stand as one of two times that Hendrick Motorsports has won the all-star event two straight times and one of four times that an organization has won back-to-back in this event. Johnson accomplished it in 2012 and 2013 and is one of two drivers to win the event in consecutive years with Davey Allison being the other in 1991 and 1992. To date, no driver or organization has won three all-star events in a row.
FROM ALL-STAR TO TITLE TOWN: The All-Star Race winner has gone on to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship 12 times in the sport’s history. Hendrick Motorsports has accomplished that seven times, including in the years of its last three all-star victories. Gordon’s wins in 1995, 1997 and 2001 came in title seasons. Johnson’s wins in 2006 and 2013 were during championship years. More recently, Elliott and Larson won this event ahead of their championship coronations.
PIT CREWS TAKE CENTER STAGE: This weekend will showcase the pit road athletes of Hendrick Motorsports. During the elimination, head-to-head bracket portion of qualifying on Saturday night, teams will perform a four-tire pit stop adjacent to their competitor and race off pit road and around to the start/finish line with the winner to the line advancing to the next round. This format will be used to go from eight drivers to four drivers with the final pairing determining the pole position. Following stage two of the All-Star Race, teams will be required to perform a four-tire stop and the driver/team with the shortest time on pit road (pit in to pit out) without any penalties will win the pit crew competition. The winning team will restart fourth for the final stage as long as that team finishes 15th or better in stage three.
MIDWAY MARK: At the midway point of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, Hendrick Motorsports has five wins in 2022 – the most in the series. The organization is the fastest to have its entire four-car lineup win in one season as it achieved that in the first 11 races of the season.
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Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the all-star format: “The format sounds exciting. It’s always interesting because it seems like the format is different each year. I’m sure (crew chief) Cliff (Daniels) and the team will study to see what strategy may work the best – but I’m sure that strategy is trying our best to win the first segment so we can start on the pole for the final one. Hopefully we can get another all-star win.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on last year’s winning strategy: “We studied on what we needed to do (to win), but our car was not what it needed to be for most of the race. At the end of every stage, we were doing huge changes to try to free it up because we were so tight in traffic. We started on the pole – I believe by random draw – and we were okay out front in the first stage but we couldn’t pass at all in the second stage. I got worried. Kyle got worried. But it all worked out okay because we were in good position (for the restart) going into the final stage – which is all you can ask for. No matter all the studying we did and could do, it didn’t change the fact we didn’t have a good car in traffic and needed to adjust on it and make it better.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on competing in the All-Star Race: “I’m glad that NASCAR has started rotating this event some. I think that’s what this event was initially designed to do. To give fans in the different regions a special event and I think that’s really cool. It’s more like what other forms of sports do. I’m hoping that next year they switch it up and head somewhere else after being back in Texas for the second year. It’s not exactly one of my best tracks, but we did put in a pretty good effort last year and the pit crew was able to get the job done. Hopefully with this year’s format, it will be entertaining for the fans and we can put on a good show for them.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on building a notebook for the playoff visit to Texas: “Last year was good, we were able to win the pit crew competition. I was really happy for all the guys and the effort they put into the pit stops. I feel like they don’t often get the recognition they deserve for how good they are. The race was good for us last year. I felt like we had a shot to win. For us this week, going back to Texas is just about this new car. Being able to try some things and it’s a race that doesn’t pay any points, so we can be a bit more aggressive in trying some different setup configurations and trying to learn some stuff.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on how the NASCAR Xfinity Series race should help him for Sunday’s All-Star Race: “Texas (Motor Speedway) is a track I found success at early on in my career in both trucks and Xfinity but I feel like I’ve struggled just a little bit to get the same results on the Cup side of things. That’s part of why I’m excited to get back in an Xfinity car this weekend and see how it races compared to when I was in one last a few years ago. I feel like those cars relate similarly to the Next Gen car and hopefully that will give us some extra notes that we can use not only for the All-Star Race on Sunday but also for when we go back to Texas in the fall.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on what challenges teams will face at Texas Motor Speedway: “I’m interested to see how the Next Gen car will race this weekend at Texas (Motor Speedway). In the past, we have ran high downforce packages for the All-Star Race but this year we will not only run lower downforce but the Next Gen car as well. Add in the fact that both ends of the track are so different from each other, it’s going to make it a challenge on your approach to setting the car up and changes you make throughout the weekend. With us using the same tire this weekend as we did last weekend in Kansas and at Las Vegas, I think that gives us a good starting place at least when it comes to what changes we can make with air pressure and the fine line on how the car reacts. That’s where practice is going to be the most help since the All-Star Race is broken up into mini races essentially and you don’t have a ton of chances to make big swings and recover by the end.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how his season has gone so far: “Greg and I have spent a lot of time working together to get more consistent and we have accomplished that. We are happy with the fact that we have eight top-10s but we both feel like we should have a few more wins. Our team has worked very hard to continue to get better and we feel like we are learning more about the Next Gen car, but we are always looking for more. Greg and I are ready to go to Texas this weekend and continue to get better and try to take home the $1 million check.”
Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his approach to the race at Texas: “Texas Motor Speedway is a tough track to get the car dialed in with both ends of the track different from each other in banking and shape. I think it’s a great place to have the All-Star Race in that respect, but it makes for a long day if you can’t get the car set up for the track. Alex (Bowman) has found success at the track, having a couple of top-fives and top-10s, so it should be a fun weekend. We are going to go out there and learn a lot at the unique track and continue to build on our success this year.”
1. Kyle Busch: Busch won Stage 1 at Kansas and overcame a speeding penalty to post a third at Kansas, leading a Joe Gibbs Racing 3-4-5-6 finish.
“I can’t be too satisfied with a third,” Busch said. “Sure, third place is good, but I finished last among all Busch’s, and last among all Kyle’s.”
2. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished seventh at Kansas and is fifth in the points standings.
“Kurt Busch said he had to race like the ‘GOAT,” Chastain said, “in reference to his car owner Michael Jordan. In other words, at Kansas, Kurt drove like Michael Jordan the basketball player. In his previous four races, in which he had zero top 10s, he must have driven like Michael Jordan the baseball player.”
3. Chase Elliott: Elliott suffered a flat tire on Lap 196 that sent him spinning into the grass. After repairs, Elliott continued and limped home to a 29th-place finish.
“After blowing a tire and spinning into the grass,” Elliott said, “I said, ‘We’re not in this race anymore.’ Luckily, when I leave this state, I can happily say, ‘We’re not in Kansas anymore.’”
4. Alex Bowman: Bowman hit Bubba Wallace’s uncontrolled tire on pit lane midway through the race, but recovered to post a solid ninth at Kansas.
“In this sport,” Bowman said, “you have to be at your best when the rubber hits the road,” Bowman said. “But what really tests your mettle is how you react when the rubber hits back.”
5. Kyle Larson: Larson led 29 laps and led late at Kansas, but couldn’t repel the charge of Kurt Busch, who slipped past Larson for the lead with nine laps left. Larson held on for second.
“I thought I could hold Kurt off,” Larson said. “But to his credit, he pounced on the opening when I left it there. And since Kurt was driving that ‘Jordan Brand’ Toyota, you can confidently say ‘The man can jump … on an opportunity.’”
6. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 12th at Kansas.
“What a drive by Kurt Busch,” Blaney said. “It was just Kurt’s day. His car had the ‘Jordan Brand’ paint scheme, so he had the power of Michael Jordan with him. Sure, M.J. has a gambling problem, but I think that’s the reason why he got into racing, so he could say, ‘My money’s on Kurt Busch,’ and it was totally legit.”
7. Joey Logano: Logano finished 17th at Kansas.
“I’m sure William Byron was looking for an opportunity to get revenge on me for spinning him at Darlington,” Logano said. “What Willy B. doesn’t understand is that I’ve pretty famous for my long neck and that long neck is well-exercised in looking over my shoulder.”
8. William Byron: Byron finished 16th at Kansas.
“That was one spot in front of Joey Logano,” Byron said. “That’s exactly where I was at Darlington when he bumped me out of the lead. And I definitely haven’t forgotten about that. So seeing Logano in my rearview mirror is something I haven’t put in my rearview mirror.”
9. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex fought back from a lap down to record a solid sixth at Kansas as all four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers finished in the top 10.
“It’s pretty impressive for us to put all 4 in the top 10,” Truex said. “But all the credit should go to Denny Hamlin because he’s been the one not finishing in the top 10.”
10. Kurt Busch: Busch got past Kyle Larson with nine laps to go and held on to win the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas.
“That’s my first win with 23XI Racing,” Busch said. “Appropriately enough, my No. 45 Toyota sported the ‘Jordan Brand’ paint scheme. So I have to thank M.J. for having the confidence in me to allow me to drive a car backed by his iconic brand. It was the ultimate ‘vertical leap of faith.’”
In a season mired with constant trials and struggles both on and off the track, Kurt Busch and 23XI Racing triumphed at the Heartland State after emerging victorious in the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, May 15.
The 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Las Vegas, Nevada, led five times for a race-high 116 of 267 laps as he prevailed after a fierce battle with Kyle Larson during the final 10 laps to snatch the lead and claim his first Cup Series victory of the season and his first driving for 23XI Racing.
With on-track qualifying occurring on Saturday, Christopher Bell notched his third pole position of his career and of the season after posting a pole-winning lap at 179.575 mph in 30.071 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Tyler Reddick, who recorded a qualifying lap at 178.855 mph in 30.192 seconds.
Prior to the event, Denny Hamlin, rookie Todd Gilliland and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective cars. In addition, Chris Buescher and Joey Logano also dropped to the rear in backup cars.
When the green flag waved and the race started, Bell and Reddick dueled for the top spot through the first three turns until Bell managed to clear Reddick and the field entering Turn 4 to lead the first lap. With Reddick settling in second in front of Kyle Larson, rookie Austin Cindric battled with Kurt Busch for fourth place as Kyle Busch joined the battle. Meanwhile, Aric Almirola and Alex Bowman dueled for seventh place in front of Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney.
During the fifth lap of the event, the first caution flew when Briscoe got loose and spun across the frontstretch grass, though he continued without sustaining any significant damage to his No. 14 Rush Truck Center/Cummins Ford Mustang.
Four laps later, the race restarted under green. At the start, Reddick received a push from Kyle Busch to assume the lead as Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson battled Bell for the runner-up spot, with Larson taking the spot.
At the Lap 10 mark, Reddick was leading ahead of Larson, Kyle Busch, Bell and Cindric while Chastain, Daniel Suarez, Aric Almirola, Blaney and Kurt Busch were in the top 10.
Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Reddick extended his advantage to more than a second over Larson while Bell, Kyle Busch, Cindric, Suarez, Chastain, Almirolam Kurt Busch and Blaney were in the top 10. Running in 11th place was Martin Truex Jr. followed by Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Erik Jones, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon, Kevin Harvick and Michael McDowell. Cole Custer was in 21st ahead of Justin Haley, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ty Dillon and Corey LaJoie while Brad Keselowski, rookie Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson, Briscoe and Chris Buescher were in the top 30. Meanwhile, Joey Logano, winner of last weekend’s Cup event at Darlington Raceway, was mired in 31st while rookie Todd Gilliland was in 33rd.
Fourteen laps later and just as Larson overtook Reddick for the lead, the caution flew due to BJ McLeod spinning and stalling his car past the frontstretch. At the moment of caution, Logano dodged losing a lap to the leaders. In addition, Chris Buescher made a pit stop.
Under caution, the leaders pitted and Bell reassumed the lead after exiting pit road with the top spot followed by Reddick, Kyle Busch, Suarez, Chastain and Truex. During the pit stops, Hamlin and Austin Dillon were penalized for equipment interference while Cindric was penalized for an uncontrolled tire penalty. In addition, Justin Haley, who was having his pit service complete, had a left-rear tire fall off of his car as he exited his pit stall and caught on fire.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 39, Bell cleared the field entering the first turn to assume the lead. Through the backstretch, Kyle Busch took over the runner-up spot while Trackhouse Racing’s Chastain and Suarez overtook Reddick for third and fourth. Soon after, Truex mounted a challenge on Reddick for a top-five spot.
Through the first 50 scheduled laps, Bell was leading by six-tenths of a second over teammate Kyle Busch while Chastain, Suarez and Reddick were in the top five. Truex, meanwhile, settled in sixth followed by Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Almirola and Byron while Larson, who endured a slow pit stop during the previous caution, was in 12th behind teammate Chase Elliott. In addition, Kurt Busch was back in 14th ahead of Kevin Harvick while Blaney was back in 18th ahead of Denny Hamlin and Logano.
Eleven laps later, the caution flew when Suarez, who was being pressured by Truex for fourth place, got loose, spun and made contact with the outside wall entering Turn 4 as his No. 99 CommScope Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 stalled at the entrance of pit road. Things then went from bad to worse for Suarez as he needed a wrecker to have his car towed back to his pit stall due to flat-spotting his tires. During the caution period, Almirola pitted when pit road was not open for the field.
Under caution, the majority of the field, led by Bell who had a flat left-rear tire, pitted while Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Corey LaJoie and Austin Dillon remained on the track.
When the race restarted on Lap 67 amid a jumble and scramble within the field, Kyle Busch drove his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota TRD Camry to the lead on fresh tires while Chastain rocketed to the runner-up spot as Austin Dillon drifted toward the middle of the pack. As the field continued to scramble for positions while fanning out to multiple lanes, Elliott was up in third place followed by Reddick, Byron and Truex while Erik Jones was getting shuffled back to seventh in front of Wallace, Blaney and Stenhouse.
Under the final 10 laps of the first stage, Kyle Busch was leading by more than a tenth of a second over Chastain while Elliott trailed by seven-tenths of a second.
When the first stage concluded on Lap 80, Kyle Busch notched his first stage victory of the season while leading by more than a second over Chastain. Chastain settled in second followed by Elliott, Reddick, Byron, Truex, Wallace, Erik Jones, Blaney and Bowman.
Under the stage break, the leaders returned to pit road and Elliott exited with the top spot ahead of Chastain, Truex, Byron and Reddick. Disaster struck, however, for Elliott as he dropped to the rear of the field due to equipment interference. During the pit stops, Hamlin was also penalized for equipment interference while Wallace was penalized for having too many crew members over the wall during his service. In addition, Kyle Busch dropped from first to 10th after parking his car too close to his pit wall as he endured a slow pit stop. Following the pit stops, Harvick, Almirola and Buescher made another trip to pit road. Among those who pitted for a second time was Erik Jones as his crew was enduring constant issues removing the right-rear tire of his No. 43 Focus Factor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
The second stage started on Lap 87 as Chastain and Truex occupied the front row. At the start, Chastain and Truex dueled for the top spot through the backstretch before Byron made a bold three-wide move on both entering the frontstretch to take the lead. Behind, Reddick fended off Blaney for fourth place while brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch battled for sixth.
At the Lap 100 mark, Byron was leading by more than a second over Chastain followed by Reddick, Truex, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Blaney, Bowman, Bell and Larson. Cindric was in 11th ahead of Stenhouse, Keselowski, Elliott, Harvick, Logano, Custer, Wallace, Hamlin and Buescher while Michael McDowell, Briscoe, Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton, Corey LaJoie, Noah Gragson, Josh Bilicki, Gilliland and Almirola were in the top 30.
Eleven laps later, Kurt Busch leaped his No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota TRD Camry way into the runner-up spot after rocketing past Chastain as Byron stretch his advantage to nearly three seconds. By then, names like Almirola and Erik Jones were lapped by the leader.
On Lap 113, disaster struck for Byron as his No. 24 Raptor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 suffered a flat left-rear tire while leading as he fell off the pace below the frontstretch apron. With Byron out of contention, Kurt Busch took over the lead followed by Chastain, Truex, Reddick and Kyle Busch.
Shortly after, disaster then struck for Reddick as he blew a right-rear tire and smacked the outside wall as he limped his way to pit road. Reddick’s misfortune allowed Kyle Busch and Blaney to gain spots in the top five.
Nearing the Lap 125 mark, green flag pit stops occurred as Truex pitted. In the midst of the pit stops, the caution flew on Lap 126 when Harvick, who was just exiting pit road following his pit stop, spun his No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang due to a shifter issue.
During the extended caution period, some drivers including Elliott, Logano, Cole Custer, Michael McDowell, Ty Dillon, Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland and Josh Bilicki pitted as they had not yet pitted prior to the previous caution while the rest, led by Kurt Busch, remained on the track.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 136, Kurt Busch and Blaney dueled for the lead as the field fanned out entering the first two turns. Through the frontstretch Kurt Busch and Blaney made contact as they continued to battle for the lead before the former managed to clear the latter during the following lap. In the midst of the battles, Kyle Busch overtook Blaney for the runner-up spot while Truex and Keselowski were in the top five.
By Lap 150, Kurt Busch remained as the leader by half a second over brother Kyle while Blaney, Truex and Cindric were in the top five. Elliott, meanwhile, was in sixth followed by teammate Larson, Chastain, Keselowski and Logano while Stenhouse, Hamlin, McDowell, Wallace, Gragson, Bell, Burton, Bowman, Custer and Ty Dillon occupied the top 20. Byron was back in 22nd ahead of Harvick while Reddick was in 28th, a lap behind the leaders.
With five laps remaining in the second stage, Kurt Busch extended his advantage to more than one-and-a-half seconds over brother Kyle while Blaney, Truex and Cindric remained in the top five.
Then, during the final lap of the second stage, Truex dropped off the pace due to a flat left-rear tire of his No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota TRD Camry. Despite the issue, Truex elected to nurse his car around the circuit for a final lap. In the midst of the issue, Kurt Busch went on to capture his first stage victory of the season on Lap 165. Brother Kyle settled in second followed by Blaney, Cindric, Elliott, Larson, Chastain, Hamlin, Logano and Wallace.
Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Kurt Busch retained the lead after exiting pit road with the top spot followed by Blaney, Kyle Busch, Larson and Cindric.
With 94 laps remaining, the final stage started. At the start, Kurt Busch and Blaney dueled for the top spot for a full lap before the former managed to clear the field entering the backstretch. Behind, Larson and Cindric battled for third place in front of Hamlin. During the pit stops, Kyle Busch, who endured a slow pit stop, was penalized for speeding on pit road.
Under the final 90 laps, the battle for the lead intensified between Kurt Busch and Larson as the former continued to retain the top spot over the latter. Then with 86 laps remaining, Larson, who made a move beneath Busch for the lead through Turn 1, slid up and got super loose in front of Busch, but Larson managed to straighten his car through the backstretch as Busch reassumed the lead.
With 75 laps remaining, Kurt Busch continued to lead by more than two seconds over his owner Denny Hamlin while Larson was back in third place. Blaney and Elliott occupied the top five in front of Wallace, Bowman, Cindric, Chastain and Bell.
Four laps later, the caution flew when Elliott lost a left-rear tire and spun in Turn 3 as he ended up getting his No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 stuck in the infield grass.
Under caution, the leaders pitted and Kurt Busch retained the lead after exiting his pit stall with the top spot followed by Larson, Blaney, Hamlin and Bell. During the pit stops, Wallace was penalized for an uncontrolled tire penalty as his tire was hit by Bowman and Chastain while Harvick was penalized for speeding on pit road.
With 67 laps remaining, the race restarted under green as Kurt Busch and Larson dueled for the lead through the first two turns and entering the backstretch. Then exiting the backstretch, Blaney attempted to make a three-wide move on both for the lead, but Larson managed to assume the top spot briefly until Busch rallied back on the inside lane and through the frontstretch.
Then with 63 laps remaining, Larson bounced off the outside wall entering the frontstretch while battling intensely against Kurt Busch for the lead, which allowed Busch to clear the field with the top spot. Despite the contact with the wall, Larson retained the runner-up spot in front of Bell, Hamlin, Blaney and Kyle Busch.
Under the final 60 laps of the event, Kurt Busch extended his advantage to more than a second over Bell while Larson and Kyle Busch battled for third place in front of Hamlin.
Down to the final 50 laps of the event, Kurt Busch stabilized his advantage to two-and-a-half seconds over Bell while Kyle Busch was in third ahead of Larson and Hamlin. Blaney was back in sixth ahead of Bowman, Chastain, Stenhouse and Byron while Cindric was in 11th ahead of teammate Logano, Truex, Austin Dillon and Brad Keselowski.
Ten laps later, Kurt Busch continued to lead by more than two seconds over brother Kyle while Bell, Larson and Hamlin remained in the top five.
A lap later, the caution flew due to possible fluid coming out of Harvick’s car. Prior to the caution, Harvick had gotten loose entering the frontstretch. During the caution period, the field pitted for fuel and Kyle Busch exited with the top spot followed by Larson, Kurt Busch, Bell, Hamlin and Blaney.
With 33 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Kyle Busch and Larson dueled for the top spot for nearly a full lap until Larson managed to pull his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 out in front with the lead entering the fourth turn. Meanwhile, Kurt Busch was locked into a battle with Bell for third place as Hamlin joined the battle.
Under the final 30 laps of the event, Larson was leading by three-tenths of a second over Kyle Busch while Kurt Busch trailed by less than a second.
Then with 22 laps remaining, Kurt Busch, who methodically narrowed the deficit between himself and the two Kyles, overtook brother Kyle for the runner-up spot as he went to work to track Larson.
With 15 laps remaining, Larson continued to lead by more than two-tenths of a second over Kurt Busch, who continued to pressure the former for the top spot.
Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Larson remained as the leader by less than three-tenths of a second over Kurt Busch as the leaders approached lapped traffic.
Then with nine laps remaining, the battle for the lead intensified as Kurt Busch drew himself beneath Larson for the top spot from the backstretch through the frontstretch. Then during the following lap, Larson, who continued to rim-ride towards the outside wall, scrapped the wall entering the backstretch, which allowed Busch to drive away with the lead while Larson retained second ahead of Kyle Busch.
Down to the final five laps of the event, Kurt Busch was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Larson while brother Kyle trailed by more than a second and a half. Meanwhile, Hamlin stabilized his No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota TRD Camry in fourth ahead of teammates Bell and Truex.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Kurt Busch was ahead by more than a second over Larson and nearly two seconds over Kyle Busch. With no traffic interfering with his progress and Larson not able to make up the deficit, Kurt Busch cycled his way back around to the frontstretch as he claimed his first checkered flag of the season.
With the victory, Kurt Busch, who has now won in at least 19 seasons, notched his first victory at Kansas and his 34th career win in the NASCAR Cup Series, which placed him in sole possession of 25th place on the all-time Cup wins list. The victory was also the third of the season for Toyota, the second for returning crew chief Billy Scott, the second for 23XI Racing in the team’s second season of NASCAR competition and the first for Busch since he won at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July 2021.
In addition, the Kansas victory made 23XI Racing the fifth different organization that Kurt Busch has won with throughout his Cup career. It also made Toyota the fourth overall manufacturer that Busch has won with after having previously won in the Cup circuit with Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet.
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – MAY 15: Kurt Busch, driver of the #45 Jordan Brand Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 15, 2022 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images).
“It’s all about teamwork,” Busch said on FS1. “I don’t do this alone and the way that Toyota’s helped us, [Joe Gibbs Racing]. My little brother’s [Kyle Busch] been so important just on the family side of, ‘Hey, you gotta get through these steps.’ Bubba’s [Wallace] a tremendous teammate, but this is 23XI [Racing]. This is our first win for the No. 45 car. With Jordan Brand on the hood, I felt like I had to race like the GOAT [Michael Jordan] and I had to beat the Kyles. I beat both…I can get one Kyle, I’m like, ‘I can get both.’ I just had the confidence to know that our setup would do things on the short-run and long-run. This No. 45 car’s a winner now!”
“It’s the most gratifying [feeling] to work from the ground up with a brand new number,” Busch added. “Yes, I’ve been with a lot of teams, a lot of manufacturers, but it’s about family. I love my family at home, I love my KBI employees and everybody at 23XI. This is for us. This is what the hard work is all about no matter if you lose a couple spots on pit road, no matter if our car was a basket or whatever to start…I’m in Kansas! I’m loving it!”
Larson, who led 29 laps and won at Kansas in October 2021, settled in second place for the second time this season and for his sixth top-five result of the 2022 season.
“We were racing for the win there,” Larson said. “[Kurt Busch] never got into me, so I’m trying to squeeze throttle to get position on him. Just got tight. That was fun racing with Kurt. The last half of the race, I was trying hard to hold time. I about spun out in front of him at some point in the third stage. We just kept fighting through it. Thanks to my team for building me a war machine. I hit the wall a lot today. Just struggled like people could put air on me and get me really tight and then, I hit the wall. We’ll work on that and figure it out, but happy with my car. The Toyota’s are extremely good today. I think they’re all in the top 10. They had the handling as well as a lot of raw speed. It was hard to hold off Kyle [Busch] and then, I knew when Kurt got by him, it was gonna be really hard to hold him off. I did my best, but came up one spot short.”
Filling in positions third through sixth were all four Joe Gibbs Racing competitors led by Kyle Busch while Hamlin, Bell and Truex followed suit. To go along with his top-five run, Hamlin was left beaming and emotional over his first victory of the season as an owner.
“We, as an organization, let these guys down,” Hamlin, who congratulated Busch on pit road, said. “I’m talking about Bubba [Wallace] and Kurt. So many mistakes that we made on pit road and whatnot. Bubba got let down again on the last stop, but he was fast. I thought he was a little bit better than I was. We had to go to the back again three times today, but let’s talk about the positives. Just can’t thank Kurt enough. Jordan Brand’s first race [as a sponsor]. So jealous he gets to drive that car and to have that thing so fast there. I’ve never had this kind of feeling even for a win for me much less when I did win. Just different.”
Chastain, Stenhouse, Bowman and Bubba Wallace finished in the top 10. Austin Cindric was the highest-finishing rookie in 11th place ahead of teammate Blaney while Harvick settled in 15th ahead of Byron and Logano.
There were 18 lead changes for 10 different leaders. The race featured eight cautions for 47 laps.
With the first half of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season stretch complete, Chase Elliott continues to lead the regular-season standings by 52 points over Ryan Blaney, 58 over Kyle Busch, 60 over William Byron and 68 over Ross Chastain.
Currently, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, rookie Austin Cindric and Denny Hamlin are tentatively locked into the 2022 Cup Playoffs based on winning at least once throughout the regular-season stretch. Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Christopher Bell, Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola are above the top-16 cutline to the Playoffs as winless competitors with Austin Dillon trailing by 11 points, Tyler Reddick by 22, Erik Jones by 32, Daniel Suarez by 49, Chris Buescher by 61, Bubba Wallace by 65, Justin Haley and Michael McDowell both by 77, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by 95 and Ty Dillon by 100.
Results.
1. Kurt Busch, 116 laps led, Stage 2 winner
2. Kyle Larson, 29 laps led
3. Kyle Busch, 18 laps led, Stage 1 winner
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Christopher Bell, 37 laps led
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Ross Chastain, four laps led
8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., three laps led
9. Alex Bowman
10. Bubba Wallace
11. Austin Cindric
12. Ryan Blaney, one lap led
13. Austin Dillon
14. Brad Keselowski
15. Kevin Harvick
16. William Byron, 25 laps led
17. Joey Logano
18. Noah Gragson
19. Corey LaJoie
20. Ty Dillon
21. Harrison Burton
22. Cole Custer
23. Michael McDowell
24. Chase Briscoe, one lap down
25. Todd Gilliland, one lap down
26. Aric Almirola, one lap down
27. Chris Buescher, two laps down
28. Josh Bilicki, two laps down
29. Chase Elliott, three laps down, 10 laps led
30. Tyler Reddick, four laps down, 24 laps led
31. JJ Yeley, four laps down
32. Erik Jones, six laps down
33. Daniel Suarez, 11 laps down
34. Cody Ware, 12 laps down
35. Justin Haley – OUT, Electrical
36. BJ McLeod – OUT, Chassis
Next on the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the series’ annual All-Star Open and Race events at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Coverage of the All-Star Open is scheduled to occur on Sunday, May 22, at 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1 with the All-Star Race to follow at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.
The NASCAR Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series head to Kansas Speedway this weekend while the Xfinity Series enjoys a week off from competition.
Saturday afternoon the ARCA Menards Series will kick things off with the Dutch Boy 150 at 2 p.m. followed by the Truck Series Heart of America 200 at 8 p.m. The Cup Series will close out the racing activities Sunday at 3 p.m. with the AdventHealth 400.
Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano lead all active Cup Series drivers with three wins each at Kansas.
Crafton is the only active driver in the Truck Series this weekend that has been to victory lane at Kansas. And if the past is any indication, it’s almost anyone’s race to win. In 23 races, there have been 19 different race winners.
You can tune in to Press Pass for additional live coverage including post-race and driver interviews throughout the weekend.
Saturday, May 14
10:45 ARCA Practice/Qualifying – ARCA Race Center Noon: Truck Series Practice – FS1 12:30 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – FS1 2 p.m.: ARCA Dutch Boy 150 – FS1/MRN 5 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM 5:35 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying– FS2/MRN/SiriusXM
8 p.m.: Truck Series Heart of America 200 Distance: 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: $716,932
Sunday, May 15
3 p.m.: Cup Series AdventHealth 400 Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps) Stage 1 ends on Lap 80, Stage 2 ends on Lap 165, Final Stage ends on Lap 267 FS1/MRN/SiriusXM The Purse: $7,117,591
The NASCAR Cup Series ventures to Kansas Speedway for the 33rd time this weekend for the AdventHealth 400 which takes place this Sunday, May 15th. The race will cover 400.5 miles over 267 laps split into three stages. Stage 1 will end after lap 80, stage 2 after lap 165, and the final stage being the longest, ends on lap 267.
With Joey Logano’s controversial win last week at Darlington which secured his position in the playoffs; the question looking forward is who will take a win in the upcoming race this weekend? Will it be a returning winner, or will the 2022 NASCAR Cup see its 11th unique winner this season?
Stakes are high this weekend because this will be one of the last chances for a driver to win entry into the 2022 All-Star Race at Texas Speedway.
In the previous 2021 NASCAR Cup Series, fans saw Kyle Busch take his second first place at Kansas Speedway, which also had Chase Elliot taking a top 5 position. The competition this year at Adventhealth 400 will be stiff as many strong contenders have won at Kansas Speedway in the past:
Denny Hamlin – 3 Wins (2020, 2019, 2012)
Joey Logano – 3 Wins (2020, 2015, 2014)
Kyle Larson – 1 Win (2021)
Chase Elliott – 1 Win (2018)
The odds continue to favor last year’s cup winner Kyle Larson, with a significant chance of him returning to the front of the pack following his 36th place at Darlington. Whilst being the most favored to win, the first quarter of this season has placed Larson 9th in the overall standings. It appears that the odds continue to favor him frequently, but he simply hasn’t delivered results this season.
Last week’s winner Joey Logano isn’t favored kindly as most odds place him poorly by comparison. Fans are sure to be curious about the upcoming electric matchup between Logano and Byron following last week’s events. Though he is not favored, Larson has shown that he is willing to take the necessary risks to secure a win for himself and his team.
Chase Elliot is the 2022 NASCAR cup current leader with 453 points and he is expected to perform well at Kansas Speedway. Elliot saw his first 2022 season win less than two weeks ago at the Dover Motor Speedway alongside multiple top 5 positions throughout previous races.
With the upcoming race being exceedingly cutthroat, fans of both NASCAR and betting will be pleased to know that the legislation is progressing in 2022, and legalizing online sports betting in the United States without bet restrictions has been successful in 15 states so far.
The 2022 NASCAR season has already seen many thrills and the entertainment will continue for the Adventhealth 400 on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. As the margins of victory continue to grow slimmer in modern NASCAR, anyone can take the victory, here is a list of key drivers to look out for during the Adventhealth 400:
Running in the top-10 before both cars were taken out in a massive lap 262 crash during Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington seemed par for the course for the 23XI Racing Toyotas of Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace.
Both drivers have had brief glimpses of solidity this season, with Wallace’s runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 in February while Busch was briefly the top Toyota driver this season, scoring two top-fives and four top-10s with a best finish of third at Atlanta.
Yet Busch sits 21st in points following his crash Sunday while Wallace sits 24th, with his Daytona finish and a stage win at Talladega the only saving graces in an otherwise dismal season. Again, both entries have shown speed multiple times this season, but it’s not a matter of driver talent, but other things such as equipment and pit communication issues.
Case in point, look at Trackhouse Racing. In their second season, they have Ross Chastain solidly in fifth in the points with two wins while Daniel Suarez has been steadily consistent with a pair of top-fives to complement his four top-10s so far this season. But in the off-season, Trackhouse acquired Chip Ganassi Racing, an organization that was no slouch when it came to Cup performance. It should come as no surprise how well they’re performing in 2022.
But looking back at 23XI, there were many who felt that with Denny Hamlin at the helm in the ownership role the team would be a Joe Gibbs Racing satellite. Instead, the team is more of a continuation of Leavine Family Racing – flashes of decency along with mediocre performances. Factor in a new car that all of the Toyota camp-not just 23XI but JGR-is trying to figure out still and the struggles are still plentiful.
Then there are the issues with the crew. There have been multiple issues of crew miscommunication and mistakes throughout the season at places such as Circuit of the Americas, Bristol, and Talladega. Several mistakes are being made on the No. 23 on race day that should be addressed if they haven’t yet because it isn’t just bad luck that’s afflicting both teams. Some of the issues are avoidable (who knows where the team may have finished had the crew not cost the No. 23 multiple spots on the last pit stop at Talladega) and those mistakes are piling up.
Busch is a Cup Series champion and Wallace is no stranger to success in NASCAR. Given the right equipment and given a team that is better in sync with itself can and should provide dividends for both drivers. They’ve both shown speed and solidity this season. But it’s a matter of change coming from within 23XI that could actually finish the job for both drivers.
With two laps to go, Joey Logano used his bumper to move leader William Byron out of his way, take over the lead and cruise to his first win of the season in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway.
It was his first victory at Darlington and the 28th Cup Series win of his career.
Logano indicated that his move was payback for earlier contact while racing Byron.
“Yeah, you’re not going to put me in the wall and not get anything back,” he said. “That’s how that works. Man, super proud of the Shell-Pennzoil team, getting a victory here in Darlington. You know what it’s like. I’ve never won here in a Cup race before.”
“So proud of this race team, great execution all day long. I’ll tell you what, the coolest thing is getting this car into Victory Lane. This is the car where it all started for me back in ’95 in a quarter midget. Really, honestly, all the young kids racing out there right now, this could be you.”
The maneuver caused Byron to slide up the track into the outside wall resulting in a disappointing 13th place finish. Byron was understandably upset.
“We were really close off of 2, and I think it spooked him and got him tight, and he was right against the wall, and I got the lead,” he said. “He’s just an idiot. He does this stuff all the time. I’ve seen it with other guys. “He drove in there 10 mph too fast, and with these Next-Gen cars, he slammed me so hard it knocked the whole right side off the car, and no way to make the corner.
“Yeah, he’s just a moron. He can’t win a race, so he does it that way. It was close racing on the restart. We were faster than him. Obviously, at the end the right rear started to go away, and, yeah, he didn’t even make it a contest.”
Justin Haley finished third, followed by Kevin Harvick. It was Harvick’s 13th top-10 at Darlington, a track record. Chase Elliott managed a fifth-place finish after starting the race at the back of the field in 34th place in a backup car.
Harrison Burton was the highest-finishing (14) rookie.
The ending wasn’t the only drama that fans saw as Darlington lived up to its reputation as the track Too Tough to Tame. There were nine cautions, 23 lead changes (among 13 drivers) and 13 cars out of the 36 that were entered did not finish the race.
Did not Finish: • Martin Truex Jr, Toyota, accident • Erik Jones, Chevrolet, accident • Cole Custer, Ford, accident • Bubba Wallace, Toyota, accident • Kurt Busch, Toyota, accident • Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, accident • Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, accident • Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, engine • BJ McLeod, Ford, brakes • Kyle Busch, Toyota, accident • Brad Keselowski, Ford, accident • Corey Lajoie, Chevrolet, accident • Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, engine
The post-race inspection was clear with no issues and the results are final. NASCAR is also taking the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of driver Austin Cindric and No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet of Justin Haley back to the NASCAR R&D Center.
Joey Logano won the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington after posting a lap of 28.805 (170.720 mph) Saturday morning during qualifying.
It was his first pole since June of 2019 and the 23rd of his career.
“Oh, it was so much needed for all of us here,” Logano said. “The last couple of weeks were pretty rough, getting in a couple of crashes and not being strong at Dover.”
Kyle Larson qualified second with a 170.236 mph lap followed by Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch to round out the top five fastest drivers.
Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick were unable to take part in qualifying after problems in the preceding practice session.
Elliott made hard contact with the wall due to a flat left rear tire and will have to go to a backup car for the race. Harvick had a flat tire which damaged the rear diffuser and was unable to qualify while his team made repairs. Both drivers will start from the rear of the field for the Goodyear 400 along with B.J. McLeod who also did not make a qualifying attempt.
Additionally, there were issues during pre-qualifying inspection. The following teams failed inspection twice Friday and each team will have a crew member ejected and will lose their pit stall selection:
No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
