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2020 Cup Playoff outlook after Indianapolis

With the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series regular season in its second half, there are 10 races remaining until the Cup Playoffs commence. Currently, six competitors are separated by 56 points for the 16th and final spot to the Playoffs while eight spots remain vacant for anyone in or out of the cutline to secure an early ticket to the postseason and with an opportunity to contend for the series championship.

Following the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at the Brickyard, the 16th race of the season, eight competitors are guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs based on a win. Kevin Harvick leads the way in the regular-season standings on the strength of four wins, including his recent one at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski, both of whom trail Harvick by 85 and 88 points, are also guaranteed a spot by virtue of a victory. Others that are locked into the Playoffs with wins include Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and Alex Bowman.

The first three competitors that occupy eight vacant spots to the Playoffs as winless competitors, following Indianapolis, are Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch. For Almirola, a race where he rallied from vibration concerns and an early unscheduled pit stop to finish third, his fifth consecutive top-five result was a result that stabilized his advantage from the top-16 cutline as he is 105 points inside the cutline and with an opportunity to make his third consecutive Playoffs.

“We’re doing such a good job of being consistent,” Almirola said. “We’re bringing great race cars and we’re being really consistent running up front, so just really proud of this team and just want to keep it going. It’s fun to run up front like that.”

For Kyle Busch, a sixth-place result marked a strong rebound from his 38th-place result last Sunday at Pocono Raceway due to a wreck. The result was his ninth top-10 result of the season as he is 10th in the regular-season standings and is 101 points above the top-16 cutline. The result, however, leaves him with a 16-race winless drought dating back to November 2019 at Homestead as he is still trying to pursue his first win of the 2020 season.

“We just kept getting off on pit strategy with the Skittles America Mix Camry,” Kyle Busch said. “We had a valve stem come off the left rear [tire] on a stop and that put us in the back. Then we had vibrations at various points throughout the race with different sets of tires so we had to stay on top of that and make sure we changed those. Each time, that would put us on the back. I struggled to pass anybody most of the day, but somehow got spots on restarts. I was able to salvage a sixth-place finish and will head to Kentucky next week.”

For his brother, Kurt, an early misfortune on pit road left the driver of the No. 1 Monster Energy/Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet team in 13th when the checkered flag flew. The result dropped Kurt Busch from 10th to 11th in the standings as he is 97 points above the cutline. He is also facing a 33-race winless drought dating back to July 2019 at Kentucky Speedway, which, ironically, marks the next destination for the Cup Series.

Among those still inside the top-16 cutline are Matt DiBenedetto, Clint Bowyer and William Byron, who won the first stage but blew a left-front tire in the closing laps of the second stage. With a 27th-place result, which snapped his five-race stretch of finishing in the top 15, Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team are 32 points above the cutline to the Playoffs.

“Our Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was super-fast today,” Byron said. “It just sucks because we have had a lot of these things happen this year. It’s not a fault of anyone, it just happens and it’s a bummer for sure. We’ve had fast cars and it feels like we always have bad luck when we do. That’s what hurts even more. We just need to bring that same speed to Kentucky and hopefully we won’t have any issues there. To be leading the race like that and have a tire issue is, I guess, a good way to go out. We’ll just see what we can do in Kentucky.”

Despite missing his first Cup race in 663 races after testing positive of COVID-19, Jimmie Johnson still remains in the cutline by 36 points. His schedule for the remainder of his swan song season as a full-time competitor, however, remains undetermined as he awaits his upcoming COVID-19 tests and clearance from his physicians.

Behind, Austin Dillon holds sole possession of the 16th and final transfer spot to the Playoffs by six points after finishing 18th despite running inside the top 10 the majority of the day at Indianapolis and gaining valuable stage points by finishing in the top five in the first two stages.

“We had a really strong Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet today at the Brickyard and it was fun to be able to earn stage points in Stages 1 and 2 and lead laps,” Austin Dillon said. “Our Chevy was handling really well all day so we really only needed to make small adjustments throughout the race…Definitely not the finish we wanted or deserved today, but I’m proud of our effort. We had a lot of positives with earning stage points and leading laps.”

The first competitor who trails the top-16 cutline is Erik Jones. Coming off an up-and-down weekend at the Pocono doubleheader, Jones ended his race in the garage after being involved in a harrowing accident in the second stage when he cut a right-front tire in Turn 3. His 33rd-place dropped him from 16th to 17th in the standings as he is behind by six points.

“It’s a shame; it’s kind of the story of our season,” Jones said. “We’ve just had a rough year, and things are just not going our way. Hopefully, we can just turn it around, keep bringing fast cars and have things turn around for us.”

With an eighth-place result and his fourth top-10 result of his rookie Cup season at Indy, rookie Tyler Reddick is 18th in the standings as he and his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team trail the cutline by 16 points.

“We had a great No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet when we could run in clean air and record some good lap times, but unfortunately we struggled in dirty air, like a lot of our competitors today,” Reddick said. “Any time we were battling someone side by side or from behind them, our car would just build way too tight and make it tough to gain or hold track position. We just had an up-and-down day, falling back early and then playing some strategy to stay out to start Stage 3 from the fifth spot…I was able to capitalize on the final restart with fresher tires and race up to eighth place, which is a great finish for our day. We had to grind it out today, but it turned out in our favor.”

Behind Reddick, Bubba Wallace accomplished another respectable finish this season in his quest to make his first Playoffs. By finishing ninth and notching his third top-10 result of his junior year, Wallace gained two spots in the standings and is situated in 19th, 42 points behind the cutline, as he attempts to place a Richard Petty Motorsports entry in the Playoffs for the first time since 2014.

“I guess it is good to be frustrated when you finish in the ninth place,” Wallace said. “All-in-all, it was a good day for this No. 43 World Wide Technology Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. It was fast. We just did not have the handling underneath us. It was good down the straightaways. It did not want to turn very well – specially behind traffic. One of the more frustrating days being behind cars and just trying to maneuver. So, coming out of there with a top-10 finish is good momentum going to the Kentucky Speedway – another good track for us. We will continue the good vibes and keep staying on [crew chief] Jerry [Baxter] to produce good finishes for us.”

Trailing by 48 is Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished 36th after being involved in a bizarre wreck on pit road and ending his day early. Those who are in the top 30 in the points standings and still remain in contention for the Playoffs include Chris Buescher, rookie John Hunter Nemechek, Michael McDowell, rookie Christopher Bell, rookie Cole Custer, Ryan Newman, Ty Dillon, Matt Kenseth, Corey LaJoie and Ryan Preece.

The road to the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continues on Sunday, July 12, at Kentucky Speedway, which will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

July 6, 2020
Kenseth, Almirola, Custer notch solid top-five results at Indianapolis

When the checkered flag flew following an eventful Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at the Brickyard, Kevin Harvick emerged victorious for his third title at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Behind Harvick featured a unique trio of top-five finishers as Matt Kenseth chased Harvick across the line while teammates Aric Almirola and rookie Cole Custer took the checkered flag in third and fifth.

Coming into Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kenseth’s best result in his previous 11 NASCAR Cup Series races for Chip Ganassi Racing was 10th at Darlington Raceway in May while he also recorded seven results outside the top 15. He was also coming off finishes of 11th and 12th last weekend in the Pocono doubleheader. Starting 21st on a random draw, the 2003 Cup champion worked his way up to 14th through the competition caution on Lap 13. Following a red flag period due to a huge wreck on pit road, Kenseth proceeded to run inside the top 15 for the majority of the first stage. Following a late caution and a four-tire stop for adjustments, Kenseth restarted in 16th with only a handful of laps remaining in the first stage, but was able to work his way back to 12th. At the start of the second stage, Kenseth worked his way into the top 10, where he remained throughout the second stage as he settled in sixth following the stage’s conclusion. The final stage was where Kenseth quietly flexed his muscles as he worked his way as high as third behind Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick in the closing laps. Following a late incident that eliminated Hamlin, Kenseth moved into second and was alongside Harvick with an opportunity to win in overtime. During the overtime attempt, however, Kenseth could not gain an early advantage over Harvick as he navigated his way around the famed racetrack for two final laps and finished in the runner-up position to Harvick. While he came short of grabbing a much-needed first win of the season, the second-place result marked Kenseth’s first top-five result since winning at Phoenix in November 2017 and the best result for Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42 Chevrolet team since finishing fourth at Phoenix in March 2020. The runner-up finish was also Kenseth’s fourth in his 20th start at Indianapolis. The result moved Kenseth from 30th to 28th in the regular-season standings as he trails the top-16 cutline to the Playoffs by 138 points.

“It was a great day for the 42 team today,” Kenseth said. “It’s always nice to be up front and be in contention late in the race. [Crew chief] Chad [Johnston] did a great job on the box with his calls today. We had a really good strategy and the best tires coming to the end of the race, lining up fourth behind the leader late in the race, but just couldn’t get it done to take the lead. I tried everything to get to the front, but just didn’t have quite enough to get around [Harvick]. If we had gotten to the lead though, I know we would have been hard to beat. All in all, though, a great race for us. It felt good to run up front and was a confidence booster for all of us. Looking forward to getting to Kentucky and carrying that momentum forward.”

If there is a Cup competitor who has been on a roll in recent weeks, it is Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield/Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team. Coming off four consecutive top-five finishes in the previous four weeks and starting fifth on a random draw, Almirola was running inside the top five in the early stages of the race when he made an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 30 after reporting a vibration to his car. He was able to work his way back on the lead lap as the green-flag run progressed and finished 16th in the first stage. During the second stage, Almirola made another pit stop after reporting vibration concerns to his car, but he was able to finish 11th in the second stage. Throughout the final stage, Almirola worked his way back towards the front and was able to return into the top five with approximately 20 laps remaining. With 15 laps remaining, he passed teammate and rookie Cole Custer to move into fourth while he watched his other teammate, Harvick, trying to find a way to overtake Denny Hamlin for the lead. Following a late incident involving Hamlin, Almirola restarted in third behind Kenseth in overtime and was able to navigate his way to finish third when the checkered flag flew. Almirola’s third-place result marked the first time in his Cup career where he has notched five consecutive top-five results in a season as he also achieved his first top-five career finish at Indianapolis. With his result, he is ninth in the regular-season standings and is 105 points above the top-16 cutline.

“We had such a great Smithfield Ford Mustang, but we kept having to get off-sequence on our pit strategy because we kept having tires come apart,” Almirola said. “They’d start to come apart and they would vibrate and shake so bad that I could hardly see where I was going, so we kept having to pit for that and it kept messing us up on our strategy and getting us off-sequence, but fortunately there at the end the caution came out when we needed it to and things finally went our way and we knocked out another top five, so just really proud of all the guys on this team. We’re doing such a good job of being consistent. We’re bringing great race cars and we’re being really consistent running up front, so just really proud of this team and just want to keep it going. It’s fun to run up front like that.”

Finally, Custer rallied from an 11-race stretch of finishing no higher than 12th to achieve his first top-five run in NASCAR’s premier series. Starting 30th on a random draw, Custer dodged a bizarre accident on pit road under the competition caution that stacked up multiple cars running at the rear of the field. He was able to work his way into the top 20 before settling in 14th following the first stage’s conclusion. In the second stage, Custer made his first appearance in the top 10 before he finished in 13th. Following a pit stop for adjustments, Custer was lined up in 16th for the start of the final stage. He then worked his way back into the top 10 and was in the top five with 31 laps remaining. Following a late caution for a single-car wreck, Custer pitted and was lined up in sixth for the following late restart. From there, he was able to work his way into the top five and was one of three Stewart-Haas Racing drivers running in the top five along with Harvick and Almirola. When the caution returned for another single-car wreck that sent the race into overtime, Custer was lined up in fourth and behind teammate Harvick. In overtime, Custer gave teammate Harvick the push needed to allow Harvick to maintain the lead and notch a victory at Indianapolis for the team. Behind, Custer lost two spots to Almirola and Brad Keselowski, but he was able to take the checkered flag in fifth. The fifth-place result marked Custer’s first top-five career finish in the Cup Series and his best result since finishing ninth at Phoenix in March 2020. In addition, Custer was the highest-finishing rookie of the race with Tyler Reddick finishing eighth, Bell in 12th, John Hunter Nemechek in 15th, Quin Houff in 23rd and Poole in 35th. With his result, Custer moved from 26th to 25th in the regular-season standings and is 87 points behind the top-16 cutline.

“It is awesome to have all of SHR running well here at Indy,” Custer said. “It is Tony’s [Stewart] backyard, so it is a huge race for us. For us, our team, this package has been exactly the opposite of what I am used to driving. For it to all come together today means a lot. Thanks to all the guys at SHR for bringing great race cars. HaasTooling.com went national this week, so check them out. I am psyched. I am really happy we finally had it all come together. I think it is just that I am getting better with the cars and knowing what to expect when we go to the track and getting better at what to bring in the cars to the track. It is a work in progress and having no practice doesn’t help that. I think it is all starting to come to us.”

The NASCAR Cup Series will return to race at Kentucky Speedway on July 12, which will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

July 6, 2020
Allgaier’s return to Cup Series at Indy cut short

It has been an eventful weekend for Justin Allgaier. From receiving a call to fill in for one of NASCAR’s icons to pulling double duty between two of the sport’s major division series at a famed racetrack, the Illinois native, who races as a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, was aiming for a strong result in his return to the sport’s premier series. Instead, Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at the Brickyard did not fall in the favors for Allgaier and the No. 48 Ally/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team after a bizarre wreck on pit road left them out of contention and exiting early in the race.

For Allgaier, it started on Friday, July 3, when he was called to serve as an interim driver of the No. 48 Ally/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who had tested positive for COVID-19 along with his wife, Chani, and was unable to compete in the Cup Series for the first time in 663 races, none since November 2001. In addition to Johnson and his wife, one member of Johnson’s crew went under self-quarantine due to coming into contact with the driver during the last few days. Johnson’s positive test of COVID-19 was something that Hendrick Motorsports quickly alerted NASCAR and was following all the necessary guidelines under the sport’s COVID-19 guidelines.

Based on a random draw, the No. 48 team led by crew chief Cliff Daniels was due to start fourth, but the driver change sent Allgaier to the rear of the field when the green flag waved at Indy. For the first 12 laps, Allgaier was able to methodically work his way up to 30th when the competition caution flew. Things changed, however, under caution when Allgaier was entering pit road. It was past the pit road entrance when he was caught up in a pileup as a result of a stack up. In the ensuing chaos, Allgaier was hit in the rear end by rookie Brennan Poole, ran into the back of Corey LaJoie and pinned the right-rear tire changer of Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 crew against Blaney car before coming to rest alongside Ryan Preece’s crumbled car with significant front nose damage.

Following a red flag period spanning more than 11 minutes, the No. 48 crew went to work to repair the car. By the time the damage was repaired, Allgaier returned to the track in 39th, multiple laps down. Shortly after a restart on Lap 20, the right-front tire blew on the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet and Allgaier was off the pace while trying to make his way back to pit road. Shortly after, crew chief Daniels made the call for Allgaier to park the car in the garage as his race came to an end.

“[Poole], actually, got in the back of me,” Allgaier said after being released from the infield care center. “I didn’t know if I got [hit] the gentleman on [Blaney’s crew] or not. Once the wreck started happening in front of us and we all got bottled-up there, one car after another were getting run into. It’s just a shame. I hate it for these guys on this Ally No. 48 [team]. They’ve done such a great job. They’ve prepared so well for the circumstances. Obviously, our hearts and thoughts are for Jimmie and his family right now. That’s the most important piece of all this is getting him back to the race track soon. And, I wanted to do well for them today and it’s disappointing to be standing here talking to [TV interviewer] unfortunately. But we’ll go on. I don’t know what next week looks like yet. We’ll go run the Xfinity Series race and go have a good shot at it. It’s a disappointing way to end the Brickyard 400.”

Allgaier’s 37th-place result in his 77th Cup career start, first since August 2016 at Bristol Motor Speedway, was a result he did not have in mind, especially at a track where he won at in the 2018 Xfinity Series season and coming off his seventh-place result in the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit the day before. Nonetheless, he remained humble and thankful for the opportunity to race at Indianapolis in the iconic No. 48 machine and for Johnson, who is scheduled to retire at the conclusion of this season following an illustrious racing career.

“I told Mr. [Hendrick] and I told Jimmie as well just how honored I was that they would ask me to be in this role. It means a lot. It means a lot as a driver. It means a lot to everybody involved and my family. Hopefully, I get the opportunity to do it again.”

There are no current plans established for Johnson’s return to racing nor for the No. 48 Ally/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team in terms of driver plans for next weekend’s Cup race at Kentucky Speedway. He may return only after receiving clearance from his physician and has two negative COVID-19 test results spanning 24 hours apart. His initials plans of testing an IndyCar vehicle for Chip Ganassi Racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Wednesday, July 8, has been cancelled.

Allgaier will return for the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series’ doubleheader weekend at Kentucky Speedway on July 9 and 10, which will both air at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. The NASCAR Cup Series will return for its next scheduled race at Kentucky on July 12 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

July 6, 2020
Kaulig Racing posts strong performances at Indianapolis

In the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix Circuit, Kaulig Racing came into the famed racetrack’s new road course layout with three opportunities to walk away with a trophy as A.J. Allmendinger returned to the team’s roster and competed alongside teammates Ross Chastain and Justin Haley. In the closing laps, Haley and Allmendinger were in striking distance of the win, only to end up in the top five while Chastain concluded his race in the top 10.

Based on a random draw, Chastain started ninth and Haley started 11th while Allmendinger was back in 30th in the starting grid. When the green flag waved, Chastain and Haley settled in the top five while Allmendinger, who was the fastest in the first of two practice sessions on Friday, utilized his road-course skills to methodically work his way to the front. By the fifth lap, he was up to 16th. As the first stage progressed to its final laps, Chastain and Haley continued running within the top five while Allmendinger cracked the top 10. With three laps remaining in the first stage, Allmendinger was one of three competitors who pitted at the time the caution fell due to debris. Early disaster, however, struck when he was caught speeding on pit road and was sent to the rear of the field. With the first stage concluding under caution, Haley finished third and Chastain was in sixth while Allmendinger was scored back in 12th.

Following pit stops for air pressure adjustments, Chastain and Haley were in the top 10 and Allmendinger was scored in 16th for the start of the second stage. Throughout the stage, Allmendinger worked his way back into the top 10 with Haley and Chastain still racing within the top 10 despite encountering handling issues. Following a late caution when Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones’ car went up in smoke and flames, all three Kaulig cars pitted for adjustments to their respective Chevrolets. In a two-lap dash to conclude the stage, Haley was able to work his way to finish fourth while Allmendinger finished 11th, just missing the top-10 mark. Chastain fell back to 16th while Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe won the stage.

When the final stage commenced with 20 laps remaining, Haley and Allmendinger were in the top six while Chastain was back in 14th. Five laps later, Allmendinger moved inside the top three as he started to engage in a battle for the lead with Briscoe and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric. The caution returned with approximately 10 laps remaining due to debris from Tommy Joe Martins, and all three Kaulig cars pitted. With the race restarting with seven laps remaining, the battle for the lead intensified as Allmendinger quickly worked his way to second behind Briscoe. Four laps later, Briscoe slipped in Turn 10 and Allmendinger emerged with the lead, though he was pressured by Cindric. Entering the frontstretch two laps later, Allmendinger was bumped and was placed in a three-wide battle with Cindric and Briscoe. In Turn 1, Allmendinger was passed and forced off the track by Briscoe through Turns 1 and 2 as he lost the lead and was left in a tight battle with Cindric for second. Following contact between Cindric and Allmendinger through Turns 5 and 6 and a slip in Turn 7 for Allmendinger, Haley and JR Motorsports’ Noah Gragson overtook both and left Allmendinger back in fourth. When the final lap started, Gragson slipped in Turn 1, which allowed Haley to move into second. Despite his late rally, Haley was unable to gain a final lap charge to Briscoe as he crossed the line in the runner-up spot. Behind, Allmendinger settled in fourth following his late battle with Cindric while Chastain came back to finish sixth.

The results marked the fourth time in 2020 where three Kaulig Racing competitors finished in the top 10. For Haley, this marked his fifth top-five finish of this season, the ninth of his career and his best result on a road course and at his hometrack. For Allmendinger, this marked his third top-five result of this season, his fifth driving for Kaulig Racing and his career best at Indianapolis. For Chastain, his sixth-place result marked his 11th top-10 result of this season, sixth in the last six weeks and his career best at Indianapolis. The result left Chastain settled in third in the standings, trailing points leader and this year’s Indianapolis winner Briscoe by 55 points, while he continues to pursue his first victory of the season.

Haley and Chastain will represent Kaulig Racing in the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series’ doubleheader races at Kentucky Speedway on July 9 and 10, both of which will air at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

July 5, 2020
2020 Xfinity Series Playoff outlook after Indianapolis

With the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series entering its second half of the regular season, the battle for the seven vacant spots towards the Playoffs continues to intensify.

Following the inaugural Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix Circuit, Chase Briscoe holds the most victories of this season with five. He also continues to lead the regular-season series standings by 21 points over Noah Gragson. Through 13 races, Briscoe and Gragson along with Justin Haley, rookie Harrison Burton and Brandon Jones are guaranteed spots in the Playoffs with a victory.

A sixth-place result at Indianapolis leaves Ross Chastain in third in the regular-season standings, 55 points behind Briscoe, with Austin Cindric in fourth in the standings, 61 points out of the points lead, following a strong performance at Indy, where he led 21 laps, won the first stage and settled in fifth after rallying from a Lap 29 penalty for jumping the restart and following a late battle between Briscoe and A.J. Allmendinger for the win. Like Chastain and Cindric, Justin Allgaier had a strong performance at Indianapolis, where he led two laps at the beginning of the race and rallied from a late pit road penalty to finish in seventh. Allgaier’s sixth top-10 result moved him from seventh to sixth in the standings as he trails Briscoe by 122 points.

Chastain, Cindric and Allgaier occupy three of the seven vacant spots to the Playoffs. Behind, Michael Annett, Ryan Sieg, rookie Riley Herbst and Brandon Brown occupy the final four vacant spots. After finishing 33rd at Indianapolis, Herbst sits 19 points inside the top-12 cutline to the Playoffs. By finishing 11th at Indianapolis and gaining valuable stage points with a sixth-place finish in the second stage, Brown moved from 13th to 12th in the regular-season standings and holds sole possession of the final spot to the Playoffs by six points over rookie Myatt Snider, who finished fifth in the second stage before finishing 16th when the checkered flag flew.

With his eighth-place finish at Indianapolis and his third top-10 finish of this season, Quebec’s Alex Labbe trails the top-12 cutline by 32 points. Jeremy Clements trails the cutline by 49 points after finishing 13th at Indianapolis while gaining two valuable stage points in the first stage, and Josh Williams and rookie Jesse Little trail by 57 points after finishing 22nd and 18th at Indy.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will return for a doubleheader feature at Kentucky Speedway on July 9-10, where each race will air at 8 p.m. on FS1.

July 4, 2020
NASCAR Statement – Johnson
“Following the guidelines outlined in the Event Operations Protocol manual, Jimmie Johnson has alerted NASCAR that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

“NASCAR has outlined the steps for Johnson’s return, in accordance with the CDC’s current guidelines, which includes that Johnson is symptom free and has two negative COVID-19 test results, at least 24 hours apart. NASCAR requires Johnson to be cleared by his physician before returning to racing.

“Jimmie is a true battle-tested champion, and we wish him well in his recovery. NASCAR has granted Jimmie a playoff waiver, and we look forward to his return as he races for an eighth NASCAR Cup Series championship.” –NASCAR
July 3, 2020
NASCAR, Bristol Motor Speedway Announce Format for NASCAR All-Star Race

New ‘Choose Rule’ to Add Strategy to Restarts

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 30, 2020) – NASCAR and Bristol Motor Speedway today announced the format for the NASCAR All-Star Race, including the introduction of a ‘choose rule’ that will allow drivers to choose which lane they line up in for restarts.

The rule, which is popular among short track fans, will fittingly make its NASCAR national series debut during the first NASCAR All-Star Race held on a short track. NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports officials had previously announced the race was moving to Bristol from Charlotte Motor Speedway, which had hosted 34 of the race’s 35 previous editions.

As drivers approach a designated spot on the track, they must commit to the inside or outside lane for the restart. The rule adds more strategy than traditional restarts, where drivers line up in the order they come off pit road.

“There has already been an incredible amount of buzz around this year’s NASCAR All-Star Race with the move to Bristol Motor Speedway,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “In addition to the thrilling racing we’re used to seeing at Bristol, the choose rule is going to add another dynamic to the race. Drivers and fans have been asking for this change and I can’t think of a better time to try it than the all-star race.”

“This NASCAR All-Star Race under the bright lights of Bristol is setting up to be a memorable event for ages to come,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “With a million dollar payout and no championship points on the line in this all out high-banked short track clash, it’s surely going to be a race that fans will not want to miss.”

The race will still have four stages, lasting 55 laps, 35 laps, 35 laps and 15 laps. Both green flag and yellow flag laps will count in Stages 1-3 with only green flag laps counting in the Final Stage. In the Final Stage, if the race is restarted with two or less laps remaining, there will be unlimited attempts at a green, white, checkered finish under green flag conditions.

The NASCAR Open will take place prior to the NASCAR All-Star Race and will include three segments (35 laps / 35 Laps / 15 laps). The winner of each segment will earn a spot in the All-Star Race as well as the winner of the Fan Vote.

Technical rules for the cars will remain the same as other NASCAR Cup Series short track races, including the May 31 race at Bristol. The liveries will sport a new look, however, as the car number will move from the door towards the rear wheel in an effort to give more exposure to the teams’ sponsors.

Those eligible for the NASCAR All-Star Race include: drivers who won a points event in either 2019 or 2020; drivers who won a NASCAR All-Star Race and compete full-time; and drivers who won a NASCAR Cup Series championship and compete fulltime.

Drivers who have already clinched an All-Star Race spot: Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Justin Haley, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Erik Jones, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr.

Coverage of the NASCAR All-Star Race – which is sponsored by NASCAR’s Premier Partners Busch, Coca-Cola, GEICO and Xfinity – will begin on July 15 at 6 p.m. ET on FS1. The NASCAR Open will air at 7 p.m. and the NASCAR All-Star Race begins at 8:30 p.m. on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Tickets start at $35 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under are on sale at www.bristolmotorspeedway.com. Free parking is available at Speedway Parking located at the corner of White Top Road and Hwy 394 and paid parking options are available at neighboring properties. Shuttles and trams will not be running for this event. A limited number of overnight RV camping spaces are available for purchase. Facial coverings are required in common areas such as entering through the gates, restrooms, concessions, souvenir stands, elevators and concourse areas. Facial coverings may be removed once physically distanced in assigned ticketed seat. Clear bags only (no coolers) will be allowed in for this event. Further details and other requirements can be found on the Bristol Motor Speedway website.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (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 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series and three international 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, Americrown Service 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’).

About Bristol Motor Speedway
Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekends. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Bruton Smith and his Speedway Motorsports company, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Speedway Children’s Charities Bristol Chapter was established the following year and has distributed nearly $16 million to local non-profit children’s organizations within the sixteen counties surrounding the Speedway. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.

July 1, 2020
NASCAR Statement – Champion’s Week and NASCAR Cup Series Awards

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 29, 2020) – “With the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus and the impact on the industry, this year’s NASCAR Champion’s Week and NASCAR Cup Series Awards originally scheduled to take place in Nashville will not occur. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champions will be celebrated at the end of the season with more details to come. We look forward to returning to Nashville in 2021.”

June 29, 2020
Jones, Elliott, Almirola cap off Pocono doubleheader with top-five runs

While Denny Hamlin celebrated another win in the NASCAR Cup Series’ second race of the weekend at Pocono Raceway, drivers that included Erik Jones, Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola trailed the race winner from a distance, but with strong top-five runs entering the second half of this year’s Cup regular season.

For Erik Jones, a third-place result on Sunday marked a huge turnaround from 24 hours earlier. In the closing laps of the second stage on Saturday, Jones’ race came to a crashing halt when he checked up entering Turn 4, was sent into a spin with rookie Tyler Reddick and made head-on contact with the inside wall that left Jones’ No. 20 Craftsman/Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota destroyed and out of the race. On Sunday, racing in a backup car towards the rear of the field, the race started smoothly for the Michigan native as he was able to methodically carve his way through the field. Following the first stage, Jones finished 12 and in the second stage, he finished 13th. Throughout the final stage, which went green for the remainder of the race, Jones made his way into the top five in the closing laps. After making his final pit stop for fuel with 17 laps remaining, Jones was home free to make it to the end. With less than 10 laps remaining, Jones was back in the top five and he was able to gain two more spots to cross the line in third. The result marked Jones’ best finish along with his fourth top-five finish through 15 Cup races this season along with his fifth top-five result at the Tricky Triangle. The result was enough for Jones to move from 17th to 16th in the regular-season series standings as he is 14 points ahead of Austin Dillon for the final transfer spot to the 2020 Playoffs.

“Yeah, today was a lot better than yesterday for sure,” Jones said. “It’s great to rebound like that. Unfortunately, I think we could have – definitely could have had two top-fives, and really, I think our primary car was quite a bit better than this car. I thought we could have probably contended both days a little more towards the win if we had our primary, but the Craftsman Camry was good. We made good changes overnight. We actually changed a lot of stuff and tried to kind of rebalance with what we had with this backup car. It’s nice to get a solid finish. I mean, we came off a good run at Talladega and went right back to a DNF and to come back here with a third. We just need to be consistent from here and keep it rolling.”

Like Jones, a fourth-place result for Elliott was much needed coming off two consecutive disappointing weeks for the Georgia native and his No. 9 NAPA/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team. Mired with a 25th-place result on Saturday and starting at the rear of the field due to a transmission change, Elliott was in 13th at the conclusion of the first stage. He then worked his way into the top 10 throughout the second stage before finishing 11th after being edged by Hamlin for the final stage point. With less than 50 laps remaining in the final stage, Elliott was among a handful of competitors who made a green-flag pit stop for fuel that would last to the finish. For the remainder of the race, Elliott paced himself around the Tricky Triangle and benefited when more competitors, including Brad Keselowski, pitted to move up the leaderboard and cross the line in fourth. At the end of the race, Elliott was the highest-running Hendrick Motorsports’ car as William Byron and Alex Bowman finished in the top 10 while Jimmie Johnson finished 16th in his final run at Pocono. With Elliott’s fourth-place run, it was his seventh top-five result through 14 Cup races of the 2020 season and his third at the Tricky Triangle. Elliott and his No. 9 team are already guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Playoffs based on Elliott’s win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

“It was good to have a solid run for our NAPA team after yesterday being so poor,” Elliott said. “Obviously, we would’ve liked to of been a little better, but after starting in the back, I was pleased how I was able to move forward and gain a lot of that track position back. It was a good rebound. Looking forward to getting back on track at Indy.”

Lastly, Almirola had a memorable weekend as he finished fifth and capped off the Pocono doubleheader with two consecutive top-five results. A day earlier, Almirola led the field to the start, led a race-high 61 laps and came home in third. On Sunday, Almirola started 18th and after pitting in the closing laps of the first stage, he was scored in 31st. By the start of the second stage, the Florida native was able to work his way into the top 10 and in the closing laps, his No. 10 Smithfield/Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was ahead of the pack. He took the lead just before a late caution for a single-car spin and on the following restart, Almirola was overtaken by Brad Keselowski and settled in second while earning valuable stage points in the second stage. With 25 laps remaining in the final stage, Almirola was in second, but was needing to pit for a final time to make it to the end on fuel. Four laps later, he pitted for fuel to make it to the end. With 10 laps remaining, he worked his way back to sixth and then, he gained one more position in the remaining laps to finish fifth. The fifth-place result was Almirola’s fourth consecutive top-five result and his second straight at Pocono after recording zero top-five results in his previous 15 starts at the Tricky Triangle. Following two stellar runs at Pocono, Almirola moved from 12th to ninth in the regular-season standings as he is 104 above the top-16 cutline.

“Another top five,” Almirola said. “I’m so proud of [crew chief Mike Bugarewicz] and al the guys on this 10 team. That’s four top fives in a row. What a weekend we had here in Pocono, got a lot of stage points and finished third yesterday and fifth today. We’re riding a wave of momentum … We’ll go to Indy, a place that’s very similar to the tunnel turn at Pocono and felt like we were really good there this weekend. I’m excited about Indy and another top five.”

The three drivers along with their fellow competitors will return for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series’ race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. The race will air on July 5 at 4 p.m. on NBC.

June 29, 2020
First Cup Pocono race features unique top-15 notables

While Kevin Harvick walked away with his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Pocono Raceway following a 19-year dry spell, there were other competitors who left the first Pocono race of the weekend satisfied with their runs involving late-race strategy and finishes inside the top 15.

The first was Clint Bowyer. Starting 18th, Bowyer remained in 18th through the competition caution on Lap 13. Surrendering his track position to pit for early adjustments, Bowyer fell back to 24th. Through two restarts, he settled in 25th when the first stage concluded. He spent the majority of the following stage racing within the 20s, but when some competitors opted to pit under green, Bowyer was back up in 11th. Following a late debris caution, he pitted. Through two restarts, he was able to carve his way to 13th following the second stage. In the final stage, under 40 laps remaining, Bowyer made a green-flag pit stop along with a bevy of lead-lap cars that would get him the fuel he needed to make it to the end. Fifteen laps later, Bowyer was running in 14th and delivering strong lap times. For the remainder of the race, Bowyer and his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang was able to work his way into the top 10 as he settled in seventh when the race concluded. Coming off four disappointing races, where he finished no higher than 11th at Homestead, the seventh-place result was Bowyer’s fourth top-10 result of this season and his best finish since finishing second at Bristol on May 31. It was also a result that kept Bowyer inside the top-16 in the Cup regular-season standings.

“We were really loose and in traffic, we were terrible,” Bowyer said. “But, I think we found our direction in the last part of the race. We had a vibration late or I think we could have gotten more spots. What a swing! [Crew chief] Johnny Klausmeier and my guys did a good job calling the race.”

Next was Michael McDowell. Starting 26th McDowell was able to work his way up to 19th following the first stage and in 16th following the second stage. Restarting 14th under 50 laps remaining for the final stage, McDowell shined as he worked his way into the top 10. As the green-flag run stretch, a multitude of competitors, even for those running towards the front, pitted while McDowell was among a handful who remained on track. Once most of the pit stops cycled through, McDowell and his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang team was running inside the top five and was one of seven cars yet to pit. With 20 laps remaining, McDowell passed Ryan Newman to lead a lap before he surrendered his track position to pit under green. Once he exited pit road, McDowell was still in contention for a top-10 result, which he was able to move into eighth in the final laps. When the checkered flag flew, McDowell crossed the line in eighth for his first top-10 result of this season, the ninth of his career and his first since finishing fifth last October at Talladega Superspeedway. The result was also McDowell’s best in a non-superspeedway event in the Cup Series. With teammate John Hunter Nemechek finishing eighth the previous race at Talladega and McDowell earning his eighth-place result in the first Pocono race, this marked the first time where Front Row Motorsports’ entries earned top-10 results in consecutive weeks.

“Well, that was an exciting run,” McDowell said. “[Crew chief] Drew [Blickensderfer] made a great call. Strategy was the big part of it today. Our car was really fast on the long run, which let us stay out long and make good lap times, and end up taking only two tires at the end to get some track position. Luckily, it stayed green and everything went our way. Really proud of everybody at Front Row [Motorsports]. Fast race car all day long and I’m just glad we got a top 10 here, kept the momentum rolling. We get to do all again tomorrow. We’ll reload and get to do it again.”

Another competitor who gambled late on fuel to post a decent result was Chris Buescher. Starting 24th, Buescher was able to carve his way to 17th through the competition caution on Lap 13. He went on to finish 19th in the first stage and 20th in the second stage, though his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang was fifth at one moment in the second stage. Restarting 18th for the final stage, Buescher was one of seven competitors who decided to stretch his fuel cell as far as possible while the green-flag run progressed and as most of the lead-lap cars pitted. With teammate Ryan Newman leading in the late stages, Buescher was running in third. Under 20 laps remaining, Buescher inherited the lead and led three laps before making a green-flag pit stop. Once Buescher returned on track, he spent the next 17 laps working his way back to the front. On the final lap, Buescher was able to pass Matt Kenseth to finish 10th and secure his fourth top-10 result of this season in his 14th Cup race with Roush Fenway Racing.

“Well, another top 10 for our Fastenal Mustang,” Buescher said. “First Pocono is in the books, a little bit delayed, but we had a really good run. Had some good strategy, we had good speed. [I] Was happy with our racecar. We get to work on it a little bit for tomorrow, kind of fine tuned and be able to hit the ground running. We’re excited to get going and try to build off of this, and try to do a little better yet.”

Finishing right behind Buescher was Matt Kenseth. Starting 22nd, Kenseth was scored in 23rd and he went on to finish 23rd and 14th in the following two stages. With 37 laps remaining, Kenseth was among many competitors who made a green-flag pit stop with enough fuel to complete the remainder of the race. From there, Kenseth awaited as a handful of competitors peeled off the track to pit road. Under 15 laps remaining, the 2003 Cup champion was scored in 10th and was appeared to finish in the top 10 despite enduring late handling issues. On the final lap, he was overtaken for position and settled in 11th, seven spots ahead of teammate Kurt Busch. While he came one spot short of earning his second top-10 result of this season, the 11th-place result marked Kenseth’s third top-15 result of the 2020 season in his 10th race driving the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and his best result since finishing 15th at Atlanta on June 7. In the previous three Cup races prior to Saturday’s race at Pocono, Kenseth had finished no higher than 23rd and was coming off a 40th-place finish, last, at Talladega due to mechanical issues. By finishing 11th, Kenseth was also the highest-finishing Chevrolet competitor of the Cup race.

After running inside the top five midway in the race, Matt DiBenedetto settled for a top-15 result following a late cycle of green-flag pit stops. Starting 21st, DiBenedetto had a strong No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Mustang to start the race as he gained 10 spots and was scored in 11th through the first 13 laps. Through the remainder of the first stage, DiBenedetto was able to work his way into the top 10 and finish seventh while earning crucial stage points for the Playoffs. Continuing to battle his way towards the front with a strong car, DiBenedetto was able to finish fifth in the second stage and earn more valuable stage points. Following a final green-flag pit stop under 40 laps remaining in the final stage, DiBenedetto crossed the line in 13th for his ninth top-15 finish in his 14th race with the Wood Brothers.

Finally, Ryan Newman concluded his day with a top-15 run after leading in the late laps on a dry tank of fuel. Starting 13th, Newman had fallen back to 20th through the competition caution, but he progressively worked his way back to finish 14th and 12th in the first two stages. The final stage was where Newman rose to the occasion as he inherited the lead with 33 laps remaining. With Newman in the lead, this marked the third race where he led a lap since returning from his injuries in the season-opening Daytona 500. On this occasion, Newman led 13 laps. A lap after losing the lead to Michael McDowell, Newman made a green-flag pit stop. Once he returned on the track, he was still in the top 15, running near his teammate Chris Buescher. While Buescher marched on into the top 10, Newman settled in 15th for his sixth top-15 result since returning at Darlington Raceway in May.

The NASCAR Cup Series will return for a second race at Pocono as part of the doubleheader feature on June 28 at 4 p.m. ET on FS1.

June 28, 2020