The National Motorsports Appeals Panel amended the points penalty issued to Playoff contender William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team following his on-track incident with Playoff rival Denny Hamlin at Texas Motor Speedway this past September.
The incident at Texas occurred with 66 laps remaining when Martin Truex Jr., Hamlin’s teammate, drew a caution after wrecking while leading the event. During the caution period, Byron, who was irritated from being bumped by Hamlin and making contact with the backstretch wall while competing for a top-five spot earlier, bumped and sent Hamlin spinning sideways across the frontstretch. Following the spin, Hamlin pulled his car alongside Byron’s to express his displeasure but was not permitted to retain his spot towards the front prior to the spin. Byron, who characterized the incident as intentional without the intent of spinning Hamlin, went on to finish seventh while Hamlin fell back to 10th.
Prior to the amendment, Byron was fined $50,000 and docked 25 driver/owner points for violating sections pertaining to NASCAR’s Member Code of Conduct from the NASCAR Rulebook. With the amendment from the appeals panel that included Hunter Nickell, Dale Pinilis and Kevin Whitaker, the 24-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, was re-awarded his 25 docked points despite his fine being increased to $100,000.
With his points rescinded, Byron, who initially left this past weekend’s event at Talladega Superspeedway in 10th place in the Playoff standings and 11 points below the top-eight cutline to transfer into the Round of 8, has leaped to seventh place in the standings and is 14 points above the cutline. He now looks to secure a spot in the Round of 8 by competing in this weekend’s Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, which will mark the conclusion of the Round of 12 and eliminate the bottom four competitors in the standings from Playoff contention.
Byron’s points being rescinded means that Daniel Suarez holds the eighth and final transfer spot to the Round of 8 entering this weekend’s event at Charlotte. He has a 12-point advantage over both Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe while Christopher Bell trails by 45 points. Alex Bowman, Byron’s teammate, trails the cutline by 66 points, but has been ruled out of the event and faces elimination from the Playoffs while recovering from concussion-like symptoms stemming from his wreck at Texas in September. Noah Gragson is set to pilot Bowman’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for a second consecutive weekend.
The Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course is set to occur on Sunday, October 9, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.
NASCAR announced penalties that were handed down to William Byron and Ty Gibbs following the recent Cup Series Playoff event at Texas Motor Speedway that occurred this past Sunday, September 25.
Byron was fined $50,000 and docked 25 driver points for spinning Playoff rival Denny Hamlin under caution during the event. His No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team was also docked 25 owner points.
The incident occurred with 66 laps remaining when Hamlin’s teammate Martin Truex Jr. drew a caution after wrecking while leading the event. Once after the caution was displayed, Byron, who was irritated from making contact with Hamlin and towards the backstretch wall while battling him for a top-five earlier, bumped and sent Hamlin spinning sideways across the frontstretch, an incident Byron stated as intentional without any means of spinning Hamlin. The spin, however, prompted Hamlin to pull his car alongside Byron’s to express his displeasure, though he was not permitted to retain his spot towards the front. Byron went on to finish seventh while Hamlin rallied to end up 10th.
As a result of the penalty, Byron, who left Texas in third place in the Playoff standings and 17 points above the top-eight cutline to transfer to the Round of 8, has dropped to 10th place in the standings as he trails the cutline by eight points. He now has the upcoming two Round of 12 events at Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in early October to make up for the deficit before the round concludes and proceeds to the Round of 8. Hamlin, however, is now scored in fifth place in the standings and is 15 points above the cutline.
Meanwhile, Gibbs, a full-time Xfinity Series competitor for Joe Gibbs Racing who is coming off his 10th Cup Series event as an interim competitor for 23XI Racing, was fined $75,000 after slamming into the side of the No. 42 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 piloted by Ty Dillon on pit road as a retaliatory act after getting hit by Dillon. The contact came within close proximity towards Chris Buescher’s pit crew personnel and NASCAR officials whom were working in nearby pit stalls, though no members were hit.
In addition to the driver being fined, the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota TRD Camry entry that was piloted by Gibbs, which finished 20th at Texas, was docked 25 owner points.
This marks Gibbs’ second fine of the 2022 campaign. At Martinsville Speedway in April, he was fined $15,000 for a behavioral violation after ramming into the rear of the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro entry piloted by Sam Mayer during the cooldown lap at the conclusion of the Xfinity Series event. The incident, which stemmed from Gibbs being shuffled out towards the lead during an overtime attempt before getting hit by Mayer and falling back to eighth place on the final lap and final corner, resulted with both competitors confronting one another and fighting on pit road before being separated by their respective teams and officials.
Photo by Jim Barnes for SpeedwayMedia.com.
Along with the two drivers’ penalties, NASCAR revealed that Patrick Briody, a mechanic for Our Motorsports’ No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro entry that was piloted by Patrick Retzlaff at Texas, has been suspended indefinitely for violating NASCAR’s Substance Abuse Policy.
With the Cup Series competitors and teams coming off an eventful event at Texas, the next event on the schedule and towards the Playoff’s Round of 12 is Talladega Superspeedway. The event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, October 2, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.
At the start of the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 16, all eyes were focused on Daniel Hemric, Landon Cassill, Ryan Sieg and rookie Sheldon Creed, all of whom were battling for the final two transfer spots to make the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.
When the event concluded following 300 laps of intensity, carnage and chaos, Hemric and Sieg were left victorious as they claimed the final two spots to the Playoffs while Cassill and Creed were left on the outside of the Playoff picture. For Hemric and Sieg, their road to making the Playoffs did not come without drama from start to finish.
For Hemric, who rolled off the starting grid in eighth place, the majority of his event went smoothly as he claimed top-10 results in both stages and was initially poised for a top-10 run on the track. His event, however, briefly turned sour when he radioed power steering issues to his No. 11 AG1 Chevrolet Camaro and fell out of the lead lap category. Needing to finish to have an opportunity to defend his series, Hemric managed to accomplish his mission after surviving a 20-lap dash to the finish to finish 20th, two laps down, and claim the first of two vacant spots in the Playoffs.
With his accomplishment, Hemric, the reigning Xfinity Series champion, qualified for his fourth career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs and his first with Kaulig Racing amid a difficult 2022 campaign, where he has recorded nine top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch and is seeking his first victory of the season. Despite the on-track struggles, Hemric sets his sights on the Playoffs and turning the difficulties throughout the regular-season stretch into success for the Playoffs.
“All the money we spent training, it was worth every penny after [the race],” Hemric said on USA Network. “That was the toughest challenge I’ve ever experienced inside of a race car that 80 or 90-lap run, whatever it was. [I] Had a leak somewhere in the system. That caution with 15 [laps] to go, we got the [pit] stop and it took a full bottle and a half of power steering to have power steering back. Obviously, [I] just got to execute better on that. In the Playoffs, you can’t have issues like that. Thankfully, we are part of that. We got a lot of work to do to get this AG1 Camaro, this entire No. 11 team to be championship contenders. We’re gonna fight. We’re gonna continue to fight, go down swinging. Read to go battle.”
Perhaps there was no competitor smiling more on pit road in making the Playoffs than Sieg, who started Friday night’s event in 10th place. His road to the Playoffs started with drama three days earlier when the news from NASCAR emerged that Jeremy Clements, who was initially assessed an L2-level penalty for an intake manifold violation and was disqualified from the Playoffs despite winning at Daytona International Speedway in late August, was reinstated back into the Playoff picture after winning his appeal case. Clements’ reinstatement knocked Sieg back below the cutline as he trailed the top-12 cutline by 19 points behind Landon Cassill.
Throughout the event, however, good fortune struck Sieg, who leaped his way back inside the cutline during the second stage once Cassill took his No. 10 Voyager Chevrolet Camaro to the garage due to a mechanical issue just past the one-third mark of the event. With Cassill multiple laps down, all Sieg had to do was nurse his No. 39 A-Game Ford Mustang to the finish and with a strong on-track result. Despite enduring a total of eight caution periods and a 20-lap dash to the finish, Sieg accomplished his task as he finished in 10th place, which was enough to claim the 12th and final spot in the Playoffs by five points over Cassill.
With his accomplishment, Sieg, who is currently campaigning in his ninth full-time season in the Xfinity Series with his family-owned RSS Racing organization, qualified for the Playoffs for the fourth time in his career. He will now embark on a seven-race stretch to contend for his first NASCAR national touring series championship. He also continues to pursue his first NASCAR victory, having made 294 previous starts without recording a victory to his resume.
“It’s Bristol,” Sieg said. “You never know what can happen. “It’s a lot of fun racing on these short tracks. Too bad we didn’t add a couple next year, but all in all, just a great day for our CMR/A-Game Ford. Just grind it out and find ourselves going to the Playoffs. That’s amazing for our small team and we’ll have [crew chief] Cowboy [Starland] back in the Playoffs in his last year. We got a top 10 [finish]. First time here. It’s all turning around a little bit. We’ve struggled through the summer, but we’ve turned it around. Hopefully, we’re headed in the right direction for these Playoffs.”
The first competitor to be left outside of the Playoff picture following the regular-season stretch was Cassill, Hemric’s teammate. In his first season with Kaulig Racing and amid a roller coaster regular-season stretch, Cassill came into the event retaining the 12th and final spot to the Playoffs after recording nine top-10 results throughout the regular-season stretch. Despite rolling off the grid in 16th place and remaining within striking distance of a strong run to qualify for this first appearance in the Xfinity Playoffs, his championship hopes took a serious hit nearing the Lap 110 mark when he made an unscheduled pit stop under green.
Soon after, the night went from bad to worse for the Iowa native as he took his car to the garage with smoke coming out of his No. 10 Chevrolet due to an apparent mechanical issue involving the brake hub. By the time Cassill returned to the track, he was 112 laps behind the leaders and needed to either gain a bevy of spots below the leaderboard or have Sieg eliminated from the event. With Sieg managing to finish 10th, Cassill could only climb his way up to 35th place in the final leaderboard, which was not enough for him to retain his Playoff hopes for this season as he missed the cutline by five points. He will be the only Kaulig Racing competitor to not make the Playoffs while his teammates Hemric and AJ Allmendinger, the 2022 Xfinity regular-season champion, will contend for this year’s title.
Photo by Jim Barnes for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“[The event] was fine,” Cassill said. “We were fast enough and I was doing what I needed to do, and then we had a mechanical failure. I really don’t know what to say. We’ll just move forward from here.”
Another competitor who did not make the Playoffs was Creed, who rallied from a difficult start to his rookie campaign in the Xfinity circuit to endure a strong summer stretch to draw himself back into contention to make the Playoffs. Despite being 32 points below the cutline at the start of the event and qualifying 22nd for Friday night’s event at Bristol, an opportunity presented itself for Creed when he elected to remain on the track with the lead on old tires to start the second stage. Despite being pressured by veteran Justin Allgaier at the start, Creed held his ground on the outside lane and managed to lead 34 laps before he lost the lead to Allgaier on Lap 125.
Three laps later, however, Creed’s strong run came to a crashing halt when he was caught up in a wreck in Turn 2 that started when the eventual winner Noah Gragson bumped into Ty Gibbs and sent Gibbs up the racetrack and into Creed’s No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro, with the latter two making hard contact against the outside wall with wrecked race cars. The damage was enough to knock Creed out of the race and out of contention to contend for his first Xfinity title as he sets his sights on concluding the 2022 season on a strong note.
“[It] Looked like [Gragson] just got [Gibbs] on the left rear, got him loose and shot him up into me,” Creed said. “[We] Did what we had to do. [I] Didn’t have a great qualifying effort. I got track position there and still was super loose, but I had pace. I felt like that was the first time today I had good speed. I thought we were probably one [pit] stop away from being able to race those guys for a win. Man, that’s just the way my year’s gone. We have speed at times and then, stuff like that happens. Unfortunate, but proud of my guys. We never gave up all year. I felt like we gave it one hell of a fight the last few weeks. [I] Felt like we would’ve had a shot [to win] tonight. We’re gonna keep digging this year and maybe, build some new cars.”
With Cassill and Creed among a handful of competitors failing to make the Playoffs, Hemric and Sieg join 10 other competitors in a seven-race battle for the 2022 Xfinity Series championship. Their Playoff battle begins next Saturday, September 24, at Texas Motor Speedway with the event’s coverage to commence at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.
NASCAR’s Diamond Anniversary Season Highlighted By New Venues in all Three Series
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 14, 2022) – NASCAR today announced the 2023 schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. During the organization’s 75th anniversary season, NASCAR’s national series will visit an exciting mix of history-rich venues, short tracks and road courses, with the sport reaching a new level of excitement with the already-announced Chicago Street Race – a bold, first-of-its-kind addition in a globally renowned city.
“As we prepare to celebrate our 75th anniversary season, we are committed to delivering a schedule that acknowledges the deep history and tradition of our sport while establishing a bold future that brings the best racing in the world to new markets and new fans,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Development and Strategy. “The 2023 schedules are a product of continued collaboration across our industry and partners. We are incredibly proud of what our sport will have to offer fans next season, and excited to celebrate this milestone season with the most diverse compilation of tracks in motorsports.”
The 2023 Cup season will get underway with “round two” of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, which will take place in East Coast primetime on Sunday, Feb. 5 on FOX. Two weeks later, on Sunday, Feb. 19, the 65th annual DAYTONA 500 will unfold live on FOX from Daytona International Speedway.
Additional highlights to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule include:
NASCAR will head west for the final race on the two-mile version of Auto Club Speedway (Sunday, Feb. 26) before visiting Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sunday, Mar. 5) and Phoenix Raceway (Sunday, Mar. 12).
As previously announced, NASCAR’s annual All-Star Race (Sunday, May 21) will be hosted by North Wilkesboro Speedway – the first time the track will welcome the Cup Series since 1996.
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will once again begin at Darlington Raceway (Sunday, Sept. 3), with the NASCAR Championship Race set for Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 5.
As for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a pair of road courses join the schedule for the first time in its four-decade history, as Names Will Be Made at Sonoma Raceway (June 10) and the Chicago Street Race (July 1). Bristol Motor Speedway will host the Xfinity Series Playoffs opener (Friday, Sept. 15) and the series will culminate with its championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 4.
What’s old is new for the ‘Tough Trucks’ as CRAFTSMAN returns to the series, as does a race at the historic Milwaukee Mile. Trucks will make a return to the Milwaukee Mile Speedway for the second race of the Round of 10 on Sunday, August 27. The visit will mark the first time the Trucks have returned to Brew City since 2009.
In addition, the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will get the festivities started on All-Star weekend when the trucks join the stars from the NASCAR Cup Series at the famed North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996, on Saturday, May 20.
The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs will get underway on Friday, Aug. 11 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and like the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, will crown a champion at Phoenix Raceway (Friday, Nov. 3) for the fourth consecutive year.
The FOX Sports and NBC Sports family of networks will again broadcast the 2023 NASCAR season. Networks and start times will be announced at a later date.
Below are the full 2023 NASCAR National Series schedules (Playoff races in bold font):
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
One of the NASCAR Industry’s Most Storied Teams Joins Forces with One of the Sport’s Most Successful Drivers
WELCOME, NC (September 13, 2022) – Richard Childress Racing announced today that Kyle Busch will join the organization’s NASCAR Cup Series stable in 2023, merging one of the NASCAR industry’s most storied teams with one of the sports’ most successful modern era drivers.
Since making his NASCAR debut 18 years ago, Busch has grown into a successful driver, team owner and businessman, easily becoming one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR’s modern history. He owns 60 wins in the elite NASCAR Cup Series and is the only active multi-time champion. He is currently competing for his third Cup Series championship in the NASCAR Playoffs. In addition to his two Cup Series championships, the Las Vegas native won the 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and is the all-time wins leader in that series (102) as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (62). As an owner, he has led Kyle Busch Motorsports to 98 career victories and seven owner’s championships, both are Truck Series records.
“RCR has an impressive history in NASCAR and I’m honored that Richard is putting his trust in me to come in and continue to build on that legacy,” said Busch. “Growing up in a family of passionate racers myself, I feel like the culture that the Childress family has built within their organization will be an ideal fit for me. As I begin the next chapter of my career, I’m looking forward to driving for RCR and working with everyone there to add more wins and championships to both of our resumes.”
From a one-man team in 1969, Childress has grown RCR into one of the most storied organizations in NASCAR, with more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series, and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018).
“The addition of Kyle Busch to the Richard Childress Racing lineup is significant, not only for our organization, but for the sport as a whole,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Kyle is a proven contender at the highest levels of the sport, and I believe that his experience and dedication to motorsports will elevate our race program across the board. I’ve always admired Kyle’s driving style and his ability to win and race for championships ever since he entered the sport. Who wouldn’t want a proven NASCAR Cup Series Champion driving their car?”
Busch, who has more than 220 career wins spread out among NASCAR’s top-three national series, will drive the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 under the Richard Childress Racing banner, adding a multi-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion to the Chevrolet Racing camp. Randall Burnett will serve as crew chief.
“We’d like to welcome Kyle back to Team Chevy, where he started his NASCAR career,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance and Motorsports. “As a 60 Cup race winner and two-time champion, he will be a valuable addition to Richard Childress Racing and the Chevrolet line-up. We look forward to working with Kyle starting in 2023.”
Tyler Reddick, who is currently competing for a championship in the No. 8 Chevrolet, remains under contract at RCR and will drive for RCR in 2023.
Additional details on the program, including sponsor lineup, will be announced at a later date.
Richard Childress Racing (rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2022 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR champion, 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet), along with two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick (No. 8 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Sheldon Creed (No. 2 Chevrolet) and Austin Hill (No. 21 Chevrolet).
Headlining NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the sport’s biggest stars will return to one of the original venues for stock car racing as part of a three-day weekend of motorsports entertainment, May 19-21, 2023
Tickets for the 39th running of the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend will go on sale later this fall; Fans can reserve their spot on a priority-to-buy list with a $25 donation to Speedway Children’s Charities starting Friday at Noon;
RALEIGH, N.C. (SEPT. 8, 2022) – Speedway Motorsports and NASCAR announced today that, as part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the NASCAR All-Star Race will be held at historic North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2023, capping off a three-day event weekend at one of stock car racing’s most storied venues, May 19-21, 2023.
“The NASCAR All-Star Race has always been the fans’ race, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the fans during NASCAR’s 75th anniversary than returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “We couldn’t have made this happen without tremendous support from so many people including Gov. Cooper, our state legislature, NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and of course, the people of Wilkes County. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve got the will to create something special alongside a community and hard-working staff that will get it done.”
The announcement was made outside of the North Carolina Museum of History, with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell joining Smith for the program.
“Motorsports are critical to North Carolina’s history, culture and economy, and our investments have helped to get the engines running again in places that needed revival,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “North Wilkesboro Speedway is back and better than ever, and the All-Star Race will take it to new heights.”
In November of last year, an $18M allocation from federal American Rescue Plan funds was designated for infrastructure improvements at North Wilkesboro Speedway through the North Carolina state budget. Earlier this week, Wilkes County awarded construction contracts for the forthcoming work. The General Assembly has agreed in principal to provide a $4M economic grant next year toward additional facility improvements to host the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race and future special events.
“For decades, North Wilkesboro Speedway was at the heart of racing and tourism in Western North Carolina,” Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said. “We look forward to seeing the renaissance of this track as it transforms into a premier venue for races and events in Wilkes County.”
North Wilkesboro, then a dirt track, hosted its first race in May of 1947. Over the next five decades, the 0.625-mile circuit hosted 93 NASCAR Cup Series races – its list of winners a variable who’s who of NASCAR royalty, including Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough and hometown hero Benny Parsons. Next year, the 39th running of the NASCAR All-Star Race will mark the first Cup Series event at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996.
NASCAR Hall of Famer and noted motorsports historian Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been a passionate supporter of the revitalization of North Wilkesboro Speedway.
“Some of my best memories as a little boy were going to North Wilkesboro,” said Earnhardt. “And it got even better when I raced there as a teenager. I never thought I’d see that place full again, and then I got to race there this summer in a late model before a full house. There’s just something special about it. I know the track, the fans, and the community will put on a show when we’re back with the Cup cars for the All-Star race.”
“North Wilkesboro Speedway boasts a winners list that features the true giants of our sport, and next year, another great will be added as the NASCAR Cup Series stars once again race at this historic facility,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief operating officer. “As part of our 75th anniversary season, we’re are excited to return to the roots of the sport for the NASCAR All-Star Race. This will be a can’t-miss event as we honor our past and look forward to the future.”
Complete schedules for on-track competition and fan entertainment will be announced at a later date, as will the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race format. Register for the “Join the Movement” email list and follow North Wilkesboro Speedway social channels to stay up-to-date on all the latest information. The NASCAR All-Star Race will be broadcast on FS1, the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
TICKETS:
Three-day NASCAR All-Star Race weekend ticket packages will go on sale later this year. Fans can make a $25 donation to Speedway Children’s Charities starting Friday at noon to reserve a spot on the priority-to-buy list. All proceeds from the SCC Reserve List will serve children in need in Wilkes County. For more information or to “Join the Movement” e-mail list for the latest updates surrounding the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race, fans can visit www.northwilkesborospeedway.com.
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.
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.
Mooresville, N.C. (Aug. 25, 2022) — 23XI Racing announced today that Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD, will miss the start of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs as he continues to recover from an injury sustained at Pocono Raceway. Kurt’s health and well-being continue to be of utmost importance to 23XI and the team fully supports his decision to focus on taking the time to get better.
The decision will also result in the team withdrawing the medical waiver that was requested for Busch to remain eligible for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, should he have been cleared to return to competition in time.
Busch effectively earned a spot in the playoffs with a dominant win at Kansas Speedway in May. The victory marked Busch’s ninth consecutive year with a win and earned him a spot, at the time, in the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season.
While Busch will no longer be eligible for the Driver’s Championship, the No. 45 team will continue to compete for the Owner’s Championship.
“Kurt has elevated our entire organization this year,” said 23XI team president, Steve Lauletta. “Although Kurt will not be competing for a championship this season, he will continue to play a vital role in the organization as he works with our competition group to keep improving and strengthening the team.”
“As much as I wanted and hoped to be able to get back in the No. 45 car to make a playoff run with our team, it’s still not the right time for me,” said Busch. “In addition to not being cleared to return to racing, I know that I am not ready to be back in the car. I respect the sport of NASCAR, my fellow drivers and the fans too much to take up a playoff spot if I know I can’t compete for a championship this season. The decision was not an easy one, but I know it is the right thing to do. I will continue to take time to heal and strengthen as I prepare to be back in the car and will do all I can to help 23XI continue the success we have had this season.”
Ty Gibbs will continue to substitute for Busch and will be behind the wheel of the No. 45 Monster Energy Toyota Camry TRD this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
Kurt Busch took to social media to announce that he will not be competing in the final two NASCAR Cup Series regular-season events of this season at Watkins Glen International (August 21) and at Daytona International Speedway (August 27).
The news comes as the 2004 Cup Series champion from Las Vegas, Nevada, continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms stemming from a qualifying wreck at Pocono Raceway that occurred on July 23. The wreck has since prevented him from competing in the last four Cup scheduled events (Pocono, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Michigan International Speedway and Richmond Raceway) while Xfinity Series competitor Ty Gibbs has been filling in Busch’s 23XI Racing Toyota entry.
Despite his absence, Busch currently remains in contention to qualify for the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs by virtue of winning at Kansas Speedway on May 15 and with an injury waiver. His fate to make the 16-field Playoffs depends on the outcome of the final two regular-season events, beginning this upcoming weekend at Watkins Glen. In the event that the final two regular-season events are won by a winless competitor, thus tallying the total number of winners to 17, Busch would miss the Playoffs based on recording the fewest points of all competitors eligible for the Playoffs.
With Busch out, Ty Gibbs will remain as an interim competitor of 23XI Racing’s No. 45 Toyota TRD Camry entry for the following two Cup events and as part of a double-duty effort. The upcoming events at Watkins Glen and at Daytona will tally his total starts in the Cup circuit to six.
Gibbs, who competes as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor for Joe Gibbs Racing and is ranked in third place in the regular-season standings on the strength of five victories, made his inaugural start in NASCAR’s premier series at Pocono on July 24, where he piloted the No. 45 23XI Racing entry to a 16th-place result after starting at the rear of the field. His best on-track result during his four-race interim role has been a 10th-place run at Michigan on August 7, which marked his first top-10 result in the Cup circuit. His average-finishing result during his four-race stint is 19.8.
The No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota entry piloted by Gibbs is scheduled to compete at Watkins Glen International this Sunday, August 21, with the event’s coverage to occur at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network followed by Daytona International Speedway on August 27, which will air at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. Busch’s status and 23XI Racing’s driver plans for the No. 45 entry for the 2022 Cup Playoffs that will commence at Darlington Raceway on September 4 remain to be announced.
