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  • Bowman to make 300th Cup career start at Dover

    Bowman to make 300th Cup career start at Dover

    In his ninth full-time season as a NASCAR Cup Series competitor, Alex Bowman is primed to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this upcoming weekend’s Cup event at Dover Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will reach career start No. 300 in NASCAR’s premier series. 

    A native of Tucson, Arizona, Bowman made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series at the start of the 2014 season. By then, he was coming off his full-time season in the Xfinity Series with RAB Racing and had conducted a Preseason Thunder test with BK Racing at Daytona International Speedway in January, which was enough for him to earn a full-time ride in BKR’s No. 23 Toyota Camry entry. Starting 29th for the 56th running of the Daytona 500 after earning a transfer spot for the main event, Bowman finished 23rd in his Cup debut. He would proceed to earn a season-best 13th-place result at Daytona in July, 11 top-30 results and an average-finishing result of 32.6 throughout the 36-race schedule before ending up in 35th place in the final driver’s standings and in sixth place for the Rookie-of-the-Year battle.  

    In 2015, Bowman joined forces with Tommy Baldwin Racing to pilot the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet SS. After not qualifying for the 57th running of the Daytona 500 due to being involved in a multi-car wreck during the second Daytona Duel event and not securing a transfer spot for the main event, he finished 23rd in his first start of the season during the schedule’s following event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He would proceed to notch a season-best 16th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in May, a total of 13 top-30 results and an average-finishing result of 31.6 before settling in 33rd place in the final standings. 

    At the start of the 2016 season, Bowman lost his Cup Series ride at Tommy Baldwin Racing to Regan Smith. Then, after making five starts with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, he returned to the Cup circuit in July as an interim competitor for the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS piloted by two-time Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was absent after suffering concussion-like symptoms.

    In his first event in HMS’ No. 88 Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Bowman spent the majority of the event running in the top 10 until a cut left-rear tire with 29 laps remaining sent the Arizona native into the outside wall entering Turn 1 and down to a 26th-place finish when the checkered flag flew. He would proceed to finish 30th, 10th, 14th, 39th, seventh, 36th and 13th, respectively, during his next seven starts while sharing the No. 88 ride with four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon.

    At Phoenix Raceway in November, Bowman commenced the weekend by achieving his first Cup career pole position. He led a race-high 194 laps and was in contention for the victory until a late overtime incident, where he sent title contender Matt Kenseth spinning into the outside wall and relegated him to a career-best sixth place in the final running order. Bowman concluded the season by finishing 16th at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 

    In 2017, Bowman made a single Cup Series start in the non-points Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona in February as he returned to pilot Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevrolet. During the event, he dodged a final lap incident involving Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski to battle with Kyle Busch on the final lap before being edged by Busch and settling in third place. Five months later, Bowman was announced as Earnhardt Jr.’s successor of the No. 88 HMS entry for the 2018 Cup season after Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement three months earlier. 

    Piloting the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet entry, Bowman commenced the season by winning the pole position for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 and nabbing the fourth consecutive 500 pole in recent seasons for Hendrick Motorsports. Ultimately, he would finish 17th during the 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, he notched a season-best third-place finish at Pocono Raceway in July along with a fifth-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway in April and a total of nine top-10 results, which was enough for him to grab the 16th and final berth to the 2018 Cup Series Playoffs based on points.

    He also made his first career start in the All-Star Race after winning the first stage over Erik Jones in the All-Star Open, where he would finish 21st during the main event following a late incident. After finishing 19th, 12th and fourth, respectively, throughout the Round of 16, he transferred to the Round of 12. However, he was unable to transfer into the Round of 8 following respective finishes of 28th, 33rd and ninth throughout the Round of 12. For the final four events on the schedule, Bowman finished no higher than 14th before settling in 16th place in the final standings. By then, he had surpassed 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series. 

    The following season, Bowman began the season by finishing 11th during the 61st running of the Daytona 500 after starting on the front row. He finished no higher than 11th twice during the first nine events on the schedule before notching three consecutive runner-up results at Talladega, Dover Motor Speedway and at Kansas Speedway, respectively. The results were also enough for him to achieve the Fan Vote title and earn the final transfer spot into the All-Star Race at Charlotte in May, where he finished eighth.

    Five races later, Bowman scored his first Cup career victory in his 134th series start at Chicagoland Speedway following a late battle with Kyle Larson. Larson overtook Bowman for the lead with eight laps remaining before Bowman reassumed it for good two laps later. The Arizona native also became the 17th different competitor to win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. He notched the first victory for HMS’ No. 88 entry since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Phoenix in 2015. Despite finishing no higher than 10th during the final nine regular-season events, Bowman’s Chicagoland victory guaranteed him a spot in the Playoffs for a second consecutive season.

    With respective finishes of sixth, 23rd and second throughout the Round of 16, Bowman was able to grab the final transfer spot into the Round of 12. Amid respective finishes of third, 37th and 11th throughout the Round of 12, however, he was eliminated from title contention. Managing a single top-five result and two top-10 results during the final four events on the schedule, Bowman settled in 12th place in the final standings. By then, he had recorded 200 laps led throughout the season, seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results and a career-best average-finishing result of 14.4. 

    After commencing the 2020 Cup season by finishing 24th during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 despite starting on the front row and ending up in 13th place during the following event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bowman stormed to the competition by notching his second Cup career win at Auto Club Speedway in March after leading a race-high 110 of 200 laps.

    Amid a season mired by the COVID-19 pandemic, he proceeded to secure a strong runner-up result at Darlington Raceway in May along with a total of three top-fives and eight top-10 throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, which was enough for him to make his third consecutive Playoffs. With four additional top-10 results and by finishing no lower than 16th during the first six Playoff events, Bowman transferred from the Round of 16 to the Round of 8. Despite achieving respective finishes of third, fifth and sixth throughout the Round of 8, he missed the cutline to make the Championship 4 round. Nonetheless, Bowman proceeded to finish 16th during the finale at Phoenix and achieve a career-best sixth-place result in the final standings. He also achieved a career-high 440 laps led, a total of 15 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 14.7. 

    The 2021 Cup season was a breakout season for Bowman, who remained as a Hendrick Motorsports competitor for a fourth consecutive season but was piloting the No. 48 alongside his entry after seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson retired from full-time NASCAR competition. Bowman began the season by notching his second Daytona 500 pole position before finishing 35th during the main event after being eliminated in an early multi-car wreck.

    Then after finishing no higher than third and recording three top-10 results during the first eight events on the schedule, he achieved his first victory of the season and the third of his career at Richmond Raceway in April after overtaking Denny Hamlin with 10 laps remaining. With the victory, Bowman achieved the first Cup win for HMS’ No. 48 entry since Jimmie Johnson won at Dover Motor Speedway in 2017. Ironically, Bowman scored his second victory of the season at Dover four races later as he led both 98 laps amid a historic 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports. Another five races later, Bowman capitalized on a final lap cut tire and incident involving teammate Kyle Larson to score a third Cup victory of the season at Pocono Raceway in June.

    After concluding the regular-season stretch with four top-10 results, Bowman finished 26th, 12th and fifth throughout the Round of 16, which was enough for him to transfer into the Round of 12. His title hopes, however, evaporated following respective finishes of 22nd, 38th and 10th during the Round of 12. He proceeded to notch a career-high fourth victory of the season at Martinsville Speedway in October after a late run-in with Denny Hamlin and settle in 14th place in the final standings. In total, Bowman’s 2021 Cup season was a season where he achieved career-high stats in victories (four), top fives (eight) and top 10s (16) with an average-finishing result of 15.1. He had also surpassed 200 Cup career starts.

    After starting on the front row for the Daytona 500 for a fifth consecutive season and finishing within the top 25 during the first two events of the 2022 Cup season, Bowman rallied by fending off teammate Larson during an overtime shootout to claim his seventh Cup career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. He finished second at Circuit of the Americas in March and notched a total of three top-five results and 10 top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch before the Playoffs commenced, with Bowman making his fifth consecutive appearance in the postseason title battle.

    With respective finishes of 10th, fourth and 32nd throughout the Round of 16, Bowman managed to race his way into the Round of 12. During the Round of 12 opener at Texas Motor Speedway, however, Bowman was involved in a hard accident just past the halfway mark and suffered concussion-like symptoms that would prevent him from competing in the following five events and eliminate him from title contention. He received medical clearance to compete in the finale at Phoenix, where he finished 34th on the track before settling in 16th place in the final standings.  

    This past season, Bowman began the season by claiming his third Daytona 500 pole position and extending his front starting streak in the Great American Race to six consecutive seasons. He finished fifth in the main event after dodging a final lap multi-car wreck. Despite Bowman’s team being hit with two different level penalties during pre-race and post-race inspection issues stemming from Phoenix and Richmond that resulted in the driver losing two crew chiefs, both of whom were also hit with hefty fines,

    Bowman recorded two third-place results and a total of four top-10 results during the first 10 events on the schedule. Then in late April, Bowman was involved in a Sprint Car accident in West Burlington, Iowa, and injured his back and was absent for four events, including the All-Star Race. Despite returning at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 in May, where he finished 12th, Bowman finished no higher than fifth and sixth during the final 13 regular-season events on the schedule and missed the Playoffs for the first time as a full-time Cup competitor. Although his title hopes for the 2023 season evaporated early, he accumulated two additional top-10 results throughout the 10-race Playoff stretch before managing to settle in 20th place in the final standings. 

    Bowman, who is currently in his fourth season driving the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, began the 2024 campaign by finishing in the runner-up spot behind teammate William Byron in the 66th running of the Daytona 500. He has since finished in the top eight four times during his previous nine starts, including a recent fifth-place result at Talladega, and is currently ranked in 14th place in the current driver’s standings and trails the regular-season points lead by 107 points. 

    Through 299 previous Cup starts, Bowman has achieved seven victories, four poles, 36 top-five results, 84 top-10 results, 1,307 laps led and an average-finishing result of 19.7. 

    Alex Bowman is scheduled to make his 300th Cup Series career start at Dover Motor Speedway for the Würth 400 on Sunday, April 28. The event’s broadcast time is set to occur at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. 

  • LaJoie to make 200th Cup career start at Phoenix

    LaJoie to make 200th Cup career start at Phoenix

    With the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season less than a week away from concluding, Corey LaJoie is set to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship event at Phoenix Raceway, the driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will fulfill 200 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, and the son of two-time Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie, Corey LaJoie made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September. By then, he had recorded five victories in the K&N Pro Series East and made two career starts in the Xfinity Series between Richard Petty Motorsports and Biagi-DenBeste Racing. Driving the No. 77 Ford Fusion for Randy Humphrey Racing, LaJoie started and finished 41st in his Cup debut. He then made his second Cup career start three weeks later at Charlotte Motor Speedway for RHR, where he finished 35th after starting 42nd.

    Prior to the start of the 2017 Cup Series season, LaJoie joined forces with BK Racing on a part-time schedule. During the first of two Duel events at Daytona International Speedway in February, he rallied from being involved in a late multi-car wreck, where he wrecked Paul Menard and Reed Sorenson in the closing laps, to finish 16th and earn a transfer spot for the 59th running of the Daytona 500, where he finished 24th. He ended up competing in all but four of the 36-race schedule between the Nos. 23 and 83 Toyota Camry for BK Racing. His best on-track result throughout his schedule was an 11th-place run at Daytona in July.

    For the 2018 Cup season, LaJoie piloted the No. 72 Chevrolet SS for TriStar Motorsports. Commencing the season with a 40th-place run during the 60th running of the Daytona 500 due to an engine failure and making a total of 23 starts, LaJoie’s season-best result was a 16th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September.

    In 2019, LaJoie joined Go Fas Racing to pilot the No. 32 Ford Mustang in the Cup Series on a full-time basis. After commencing the season with an 18th-place run during the 61st running of the Daytona 500 and recording three top-20 results through the first 17-scheduled events, LaJoie notched his first top-10 career result in the Cup circuit after finishing sixth at Daytona in July. He went on to post a seventh-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in October before settling in 29th place in the final standings and in his first full-time stint in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Remaining at Go Fas Racing for the 2020 Cup season, LaJoie commenced the season on a harrowing note after being involved in a final lap accident during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500. Entering the tri-oval, LaJoie was battling for a spot in the top 10 when he rammed into the upside-down No. 6 Ford Mustang piloted by Ryan Newman driver’s side that sent Newman’s car airborne before landing back on his roof. Despite the impact that damaged the front nose and windshield of his No. 32 Ford, LaJoie, who managed to finish eighth, emerged uninjured. He went on to finish in the top 20 five times throughout the 36-race schedule before finishing in 30th place in the final standings. By then, LaJoie surpassed 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Following a two-year run with Go Fas Racing, LaJoie inked a multi-year deal to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Spire Motorsports, beginning in 2021. He finished ninth during the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 in his first event with Spire before posting five top-20 results during the next 23-scheduled events. At Michigan International Speedway in August, LaJoie missed the event following a positive COVID-19 test. From his return at Daytona in August through the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November, he posted two additional results in the top 20 before finishing in 29th place in the final standings.

    This season, LaJoie kicked off his second stint at Spire Motorsports with a 14th-place run during the 64th running of the Daytona 500. Two races later, he finished 15th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March before achieving his first top-five result in the Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway another two races later in the schedule. The top-five run for LaJoie occurred after he rallied from being involved in an early multi-car pileup, where he spun backwards through the frontstretch grass. He went on to record five additional top-20 results during the following 13 events.

    Then when NASCAR returned to Atlanta in July, LaJoie led a career-high 19 of 260-scheduled laps as he was battling Chase Elliott for the win during a three-lap shootout to the finish. After losing the lead to Elliott with two laps remaining, LaJoie made a move to the outside of Elliott on the final lap when he was blocked and forced into the outside wall in Turn 1. The contact and scrape stalled LaJoie’s momentum as he then veered below the track before shooting back across the outside wall and wrecked along with Kurt Busch and Cole Custer. The incident knocked LaJoie to a 21st-place result in the final running order after being in position of winning his first NASCAR Cup event. Despite posting three additional top-20 results during the final seven regular-season events, LaJoie did not accumulate enough points to move out of the top-30 cutline in the standings nor qualify for the 2022 Cup Playoffs. Through nine of 10 Playoff events, he has achieved three top-15 results and is currently ranked in 31st place in the drivers’ standings.

    Through 199 previous Cup starts, LaJoie, who will be returning to Spire Motorsports for the 2023 season, has achieved one top-five result, five top-10 results, 57 laps led and an average-finishing result of 26.9.

    LaJoie is scheduled to make his 200th Cup Series career start in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship event at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 6, with the event’s coverage to start at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Bowman to make 200th Cup start at Kansas

    Bowman to make 200th Cup start at Kansas

    Competing in his sixth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Alex Bowman is set to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway, the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will reach 200 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native from Tucson, Arizona, Bowman made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series a month prior to the 2014 season. By then, he was coming off a full-time Xfinity Series season with RAB Racing and was testing for BK Racing during Dayton’s Preseason Thunder leading up to the Daytona 500. Bowman’s testing session was enough for him to earn a full-time ride with BKR for the 2014 Cup season and in the No. 23 Toyota Camry.

    Qualifying for the 2014 Daytona 500, Bowman finished 23rd in his first Cup career race. Throughout his first full-time season in the Cup circuit, he achieved a season-best 13th-place result at Daytona in July, an average result of 32.6 and a 35th-place result in the final standings. He also settled in sixth place in the Cup Rookie-of-the-Year standings.

    In 2015, Bowman departed BKR and joined Tommy Baldwin Racing as driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet SS. He started the season on a low note by failing to qualify for the Daytona 500 after wrecking in his Daytona Duel event. From the second race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he raced, through the season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, Bowman achieved a season-best 16th-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in April, a total of three top-20 results, an average result of 31.6 and a 33rd-place result in the final standings.

    A month prior to the 2016 season, Bowman was replaced by Regan Smith at Tommy Baldwin Racing, thus leaving Bowman without a full-time ride for the first half of the Cup season. Everything changed in July, though, when Bowman was named driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS for the Cup event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, replacing third-generation star Dale Earnhardt Jr. after Earnhardt Jr. was ruled out from competing after being diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms. During the main event at New Hampshire, Bowman was competitive and was in position for a strong result until a cut tire sent him into the wall late in the event and relegated him to a 26th-place result.

    With Earnhardt Jr. sidelined, Bowman ended up sharing the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS with four-time NASCAR Cup champion Jeff Gordon for the remaining 18 Cup events of the 2016 season. Competing in 10 events, Bowman recorded his first three top-10 career results in the Cup circuit, including a season-best sixth place at Phoenix Raceway in November, where he notched his first Cup career pole and led a race-high 194 of 324 laps. Bowman’s pole at Phoenix guaranteed him a spot for the 2017 Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. Despite entering the 2017 season without a full-time ride, he drove Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet SS in the Clash, where he drove the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS to a third-place result following a side-by-side battle with Kyle Busch on the final lap.

    Three months after Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from full-time Cup competition after 2017 in April, Bowman was named a full-time driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the 2018 Cup season, a move that was endorsed by Earnhardt Jr.

    In his first run as a full-time HMS competitor, Bowman claimed the pole position for the 2018 Daytona 500. During the main event, he led 13 laps and was a top contender until he was collected in a late multi-car accident and finished 17th. He went on to earn a season-best third-place result at Pocono Raceway in July and a total of nine top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. Despite recording zero victories throughout the regular season, Bowman was able to make the 2018 Cup Playoffs based on consistency.

    In the Playoff’s Round of 16, Bowman earned results of 19th, 12th and fourth, which were enough for him to advance to the Round of 12. During the Round of 12, however, he recorded results of 28th, 33rd and ninth, which eliminated from title contention. Bowman went on to conclude the season in 16th place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 Cup career starts.

    Bowman commenced the 2019 Cup season by starting on the front row for the season-opening Daytona 500 and finishing 11th in the main event. Nine races later, he earned a career-best second-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in April. He went on to record two additional runner-up results the following two races at Dover International Speedway and at Kansas Speedway in May. 

    Five races later, Bowman prevailed in a late battle with Kyle Larson to claim his first Cup career win at Chicagoland Speedway in June. In becoming the 18th competitor to win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman recorded the first victory for HMS’ No. 88 Chevrolet team since Phoenix in November 2015.

    Returning to the Playoffs, Bowman advanced to the Round of 12 following results of sixth, 23rd and second during the Round of 16. Despite recording results of third, 37th and 11th in the Round of 12, his title hopes came to an end. Nonetheless, Bowman went on to conclude the season in 12th place in the final standings and with a career-high seven top-five results.

    Remaining at HMS for a third consecutive season, Bowman opened the season with a 24th-place result in the Daytona 500 despite starting on the front row. Two races later, however, he notched his second Cup career victory at Auto Club Speedway after leading a race-high 110 of 200 laps. 

    Following his victory at Fontana, Bowman went on to earn a total of eight top-10 results before entering the Playoffs as a title contender. He transferred to the Round of 12 for the third consecutive season and following results of sixth, ninth and 16th in the Round of 16. For the 2020 season, though, he was also able to advance to the Round of 8 following results of fifth, 14th and eighth during the Round of 12. Bowman remained competitive during the Round of 8 while logging in results of third, fifth and sixth. They were not enough, however, for him to advance to the Championship Round at Phoenix. Ultimately, Bowman concluded the season in a career-best sixth place in the final standing and with a career-best 15 top-10 results. 

    This season, Bowman pilots the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, a ride driven by seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who retired from full-time NASCAR competition following the 2020 season. His first run in the No. 48 car started off on a high note as Bowman claimed his second Daytona 500 pole of his career. In doing so, he became the first competitor to start on the front row for the 500 for four consecutive seasons. His bid for a first Daytona 500 victory, though, came to an end after being involved in an early multi-car wreck.

    Through the first eight Cup events of the 2021 season, Bowman’s best result was a third-place run at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. The following event at Richmond Raceway in April, he overtook Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano following a late restart to claim his third Cup triumph and return the No. 48 HMS car to Victory Lane since June 2017 at Dover International Speedway.

    In 199 previous Cup starts, Bowman has achieved three career victories, three poles, 18 top-five results, 45 top-10 results, over 900 laps led and an average result of 21.7. He is currently ranked in 14th place in the 2021 Cup Series regular-season standings.

    Bowman is slated to make his 200th Cup career start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, May 2, at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • LaJoie to achieve 150 starts across NASCAR at Kansas

    LaJoie to achieve 150 starts across NASCAR at Kansas

    A significant milestone is in the making for Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas Speedway, LaJoie will reach 150 starts across NASCAR’s top three major division series. 

    A native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, and the son of two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie, Corey’s first appearance within NASCAR’s three major division series was the 2013 Xfinity Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. By then, he was a development competitor for Richard Petty Motorsports and he had won six career races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and three in the ARCA Racing Series. Driving the No. 9 Ford Mustang for RPM, LaJoie finished 34th in his debut after being involved in an early accident. 

    LaJoie’s racing schedule in 2014 expanded, as he made his first two starts in the NASCAR Truck Series with RBR Enterprises and five starts in the Xfinity Series with Biagi-DenBeste Racing. His best result in the Truck Series was 10th at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and his best result in the Xfinity Series was 16th at Kentucky Speedway in June. He also made his first two career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series with Randy Humphrey Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September and at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.

    Following a one-year absence from NASCAR, LaJoie returned in 2016 and competed in 10 Xfinity Series races with JGL Racing. His best results during his 10-race slate were a 10th-place result at Bristol in August and a sixth-place result at Dover International Speedway in October. 

    The following season, LaJoie joined forces with BK Racing as a part-time Cup Series competitor. During the first Can-Am Duel race at Daytona International Speedway in February, LaJoie rallied from being involved in a controversial wreck with Reed Sorenson, whom LaJoie wrecked in the closing laps, to finish 16th and earn a transfer spot in the Daytona 500 a few days later. LaJoie went on to finish 24th in his first Daytona 500 appearance.

    Throughout the 2017 season, LaJoie competed in 32 of 36 Cup races while earning a best result of 11th place at Daytona in July and an average result of 30.2. He also competed in six Xfinity races with JGL Racing and earned a best result of 15th place (twice).

    In 2018, LaJoie joined TriStar Motorsports as a part-time Cup competitor. He competed in 23 of 36 races with the team, earning a best result of 16th place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September and an average result of 31.5. 

    After TriStar Motorsports ceased operations following the 2018 season, LaJoie teamed up with Go Fas Racing to drive the No. 32 Ford Mustang for the 2019 Cup season. LaJoie started the season by finishing in 18th place in the Daytona 500. Through the first 10 races of the season, his highest result on the track was 11th place at Talladega Superspeedway in April. He went on to achieve his first pair of top-10 results in the Cup circuit at Daytona in July (sixth place) and at Talladega in October (seventh place). He concluded the season in 29th place in the final standings along with seven top-20 results and an average result of 25.9. Following the 2019 season, LaJoie surpassed 100 starts between NASCAR’s three major division series.

    LaJoie remained with Go Fas Racing for the 2020 Cup season. He started this season on a harrowing note when he rammed into the upside down car of Ryan Newman on the driver’s side approaching the finish line. The impact demolished the front nose of LaJoie’s No. 32 RagingBull.com Ford Mustang, though he was able to finish in eighth place and emerge uninjured. He went on to finish in 16th place the following week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    Through 32 of 36 races this season, LaJoie’s eighth-place result in the Daytona 500 marks his lone top-10 result, though he has achieved a total of six top-20 results. He is in 30th place in the standings and is coming off a 27th-place result in last weekend’s Cup race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. 

    LaJoie is set to become a free agent after announcing in August that he will not be remaining with Go Fas Racing for the 2021 season, though he has yet to announce next year’s racing plans.

    Catch LaJoie’s milestone start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, October 18, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    When the green flag waves in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 19, Alex Bowman will reach a significant milestone in his racing career. By starting this Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at the Lone Star state, Bowman will make his 100th Cup start in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

    When the 2015 season concluded, Bowman had competed in his first two full-time seasons in the Cup Series between BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing. His best finishes between the two seasons was 13th at Daytona in July 2014 and 16th at Talladega in May 2015. Prior to the 2016 season, however, Bowman was left without a full-time ride after Tommy Baldwin Racing decided to replace Bowman with Regan Smith for the upcoming Cup season. All the Arizona native had in his racing schedule for 2016 was a nine-race stint in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.

    Through July and following his first five races with JRM, Bowman finished in the top 10 in all of his starts, which included a third-place result at Dover in May. Then, an opportunity made way for him when Dale Earnhardt Jr., two-time Daytona 500 champion and one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, experienced concussion-like symptoms and did not participate in the upcoming Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July 2016. During the race, Bowman had a strong run in his first Cup race in Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Nationwide/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS led by crew chief Greg Ives. Despite running in the top 10 the majority of the run, he cut a tire on Lap 272 of 301 and finished 26th, but he still left New Hampshire satisfied with his run while receiving the opportunity to compete alongside NASCAR’s elite. Bowman and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon would, ultimately, fill in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2016 season when the concussion symptoms sidelined Earnhardt Jr. Competing in nine of the remaining 13 Cup races, Bowman recorded three top-10 results, including a career-best sixth place at Phoenix in November on a weekend where he recorded his first Cup career pole. He also competed in four more Xfinity races with JR Motorsports and earned two more top-10 results.

    Based on winning the pole position at Phoenix, Bowman piloted the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet in the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona in February 2017, where he finished third after battling Kyle Busch on the final lap. While Earnhardt Jr. returned to racing full time for the 2017 season, Bowman, again, was left without a full-time ride within NASCAR’s three major division series, making only one start in the NASCAR Truck Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway with GMS Racing in February, where he finished sixth. In April, Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from racing full time in the Cup Series and was a leading advocate for Bowman to replace him. On July 20, Bowman was officially named the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide/AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. For the remainder of the 2017 season, Bowman competed in two Xfinity Series races in the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing. In October at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he notched his first Xfinity career victory after leading the final 32 laps. He finished eighth in his other start at Phoenix in November.

    In his first run in the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2018, Bowman won the pole position for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 with a pole-winning speed at 195.644 mph in 46.002 seconds. Leading 13 laps, he finished 17th in the 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. Finishing no higher than 13th in the first five races of the 2018 season, Bowman recorded his first top-10 result, seventh, the following race at Martinsville Speedway. Two races later, he recorded his first career top-five result, fifth, at Bristol Motor Speedway. For the remaining 18 races of the regular season, Bowman recorded seven more top-10 results, including a career-best third place at Pocono Raceway in July, to make his Playoffs. With finishes of 19th, 12th and fourth in the three races of the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, he advanced to the Round of 12. The following round, he recorded finishes of 28th, 33rd and ninth, and was eliminated from title contention. Ultimately, he concluded the season in 16th in the final standings. During his first full-time season racing for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman recorded three top-five results, 11 top-10 results and an average result of 17.0. In May, he competed in the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway and won the first segment to advance to his first All-Star Race, where he finished last of the 21-car field following an accident in the third stage.

    Bowman started the 2019 Cup season by qualifying on the front row for the Daytona 500, starting alongside teammate and pole-sitter William Byron, and finishing fifth in the rain-shortened Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. For the first nine races of the season, he finished no higher than 11th. By then, he surpassed 50 starts with HMS. In April at Talladega Superspeedway, Bowman notched a career-best second place behind teammate Chase Elliott. He went on to finish in the runner-up spot the following two races at Dover and at Kansas. The following week, he finished third in the Monster Energy Open, but he advanced to the All-Star Race after winning the Fan Vote, where he finished eighth. For the next four races, he finished no higher than seventh. In June at Chicagoland Speedway, Bowman prevailed in a late battle with Kyle Larson to score his first NASCAR Cup Series career win. With the victory coming in his 134th series career start, Bowman became the 18th competitor to win driving for Hendrick Motorsports and the 192nd competitor to win a Cup race. He also recorded the first victory for the No. 88 HMS Chevrolet team led by crew chief Greg Ives since November 2015 at Phoenix, an accomplishment last made by Earnhardt Jr. The win at Chicagoland guaranteed the Arizona native a spot for the 2019 Cup Playoffs. In the three races featured in the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, Bowman recorded finishes of sixth, 23rd and second to advance to the Round of 12. For the second round, however, he recorded finishes of third, 37th and 11th, and was eliminated from championship contention. He went on to finish 12th in the final standings while recording seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results and an average result of 14.4.

    This season, Bowman recorded his second Cup career victory at Auto Club Speedway in March after leading a race-high 110 of the event’s 200-scheduled laps. He has also recorded two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average result of 16.9 through the first 17 Cup races of the 2020 season. He is coming off an eighth-place result in the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which occurred on July 15, and is ninth in the regular-season standings, trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 177 points. He is, nonetheless, guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Playoffs by virtue of his victory at Auto Club. He is also scheduled to remain as driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports after signing a one-year contract extension with the 12-time championship-winning team in May.

    Catch Bowman’s milestone start with Hendrick Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas on July 19, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Hot 20 – Martinsville allows us to remember a much simpler time and place

    Hot 20 – Martinsville allows us to remember a much simpler time and place

    Having a team in NASCAR is easy. Not losing your shirt and anything else that might keep your unmentionables private is a tougher task. Just ask Ron Devine of BK Racing.

    According to documents made public by ESPN, Devine’s outfit lost 11 million four years ago. $10.1 million vaporized in 2016. The next season, another $8.45 million went up in smoke. That is close to $30 million in three seasons. This is what happens when you attract few sponsors, limiting your revenue to not much more than prize money, which was not enough to cover even one of those campaigns. In total, it cost just short of $50-million for them to operate over that time period, and an $18-million dollar return does not cut it.

    We should discover this week what lies in the team’s future as it goes to court over its bankruptcy. If you were wondering why NASCAR Cup teams have gone from 43, to 40, to just 37 hitting the track last week, I think you just got closer to an answer.

    Gray Gaulding has been at the helm of the Earthwater Toyota this season. He broke in to the Top 20 at Daytona, sits 32nd in the standings after finishing 32nd at Fontana.

    If that does not attract your notice, this might. Next season, Lowe’s will no longer be sponsoring Jimmie Johnson. After seven championships over 18 seasons and 83 race wins, Lowe’s is going the way of Home Depot, Sprint, Subway, Target, and UPS. The days of a single sponsor paying the freight over an entire season are gone.

    As they head to more traditional grounds this weekend, on a track built in 1947 at Martinsville, Virginia, we can hearken back to simpler times. It is a venue about to host its 139th event in the NASCAR Strictly Stock, Grand National, Winston Cup, Nextel Cup, Sprint Cup, Monster Energy Cup series.

    I wonder if Merle Haggard ever got an answer to his question, “Are the good times really over for good?”

    Our Hot 20 include…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 3 WINS – 1 E.W. – 170 Pts
    After California, he took the blame and does not plan a tour bashing Larson or Putin.

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN – 216 Pts
    Last Sunday’s movie saw the lead character nixed early, replaced with a new protagonist.

    3. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 141 Pts
    After Daytona, has ranged between 10th and 17th on the track. Not stellar, but it seems to work.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 207 POINTS
    Best damn driver without a win. Some still think he is the best damn driver…period.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 197 POINTS
    Became the fourth straight Cup driver to win a Xfinity race. Just bloody wonderful.

    6. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 183 POINTS
    Whatever kind of Ford Harvick has, Brad would like one of those, too.

    7. RYAN BLANEY – 181 POINTS
    FBI Special Agent Wood, I presume.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 176 POINTS
    Other than being 17th at Las Vegas, he has rolled nothing but Top Tens.

    9. KYLE LARSON – 174 POINTS
    Funny, he does not look anything like Darth Vader.

    10. CLINT BOWYER – 155 POINTS
    Finished 11th at California, which is good. Was a lap down, which is not.

    11. ARIC ALMIROLA – 148 POINTS
    Does not look like Danica. Does not drive like Danica. Discuss.

    12. KURT BUSCH – 144 POINTS
    The official beer of NASCAR. Sorry…I might have got my notes confused.

    13. ERIK JONES – 132 POINTS
    His worst finish since Daytona? 11th at Atlanta. The lad is on the rise.

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 117 POINTS
    8th…22nd…11th…11th…21st…and yet few remember he was even there. Talk about being stealth.

    15. PAUL MENARD – 115 POINTS
    Las Vegas was good. Ever since…not so much. His average finish at Martinsville? 20th.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 115 POINTS
    After Junior left, I guess the #88 became invisible. Maybe Newman is Bowman’s Yoda.

    17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 107 POINTS
    No, he is not dating Almirola. Sorry. In the words of Merle, “Mama tried to raise me better…”

    18. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 97 POINTS
    A Jimmie sighting! A Jimmie sighting! Now, if you are looking to sponsor somebody…

    19. DARRELL WALLACE JR. – 94 POINTS
    Richard Petty has a dozen grandfather clocks. I think Bubba would like a similar timepiece.

    20. WILLIAM BYRON – 91 POINTS
    This Lord Byron could write a poem about Elliott and that costly Phoenix points penalty

  • The View From My Recliner — Pre 500

    The View From My Recliner — Pre 500

    It’s been a while, but the recliner is set for another great season of NASCAR action.

    I hope there is more action in the Daytona 500 than the Advanced Auto Parts Duel at Daytona because riding around in single file and the big one happening on the final lap doesn’t mean action to me.

    It looks like the new ride height rule has crew chiefs and engineers scratching their heads about how to make the car handle at Daytona. Thankfully they have a couple of days to run simulations and get a plan together and hopefully bring us an action-packed Daytona 500.

    The idea behind this column is to share the perspective of a fan. If there is something you want to comment on, feel free to e-mail me jdhwood20@aol.com. I am here for you.

    Time for some Bold Predictions from the Recliner.

    • The five crew members over the pit wall will be a mess and before NASCAR gets to Charlotte for the All-Star Race, that rule will change.
    • Ryan Blaney will win the Daytona 500.
    • I will be the new owner of BK Racing. Well, not really, but Ron Devine won’t be soon.
    • When we hit the intermediate tracks, every Ford driver will be complaining that Chevy and Toyota will have an unfair advantage.
    • The Danica Double will end with wrecks at Daytona and Indy.
    • Chase Elliott will get his first win and they will keep coming after that.
    • Furniture Row Racing will have the Championship hangover and Martin Truex Jr. will not make the final four at Homestead.
    • The final four at Homestead will be: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney.
    • The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion will be Kyle Larson.

    There are a few things I will be watching for this year.

    I want to see how Aric Almirola performs in Stewart-Haas equipment. He was respectable at Richard Petty Motorsports, but he knew most weeks that a top-15 was what he could hope for. Now that he is in a top-notch ride, he needs to prove he is the driver who can handle the equipment.

    I hope Bubba Wallace gets enough funding and RPM has the patience to see him develop as a driver at the Cup level. I think he has the talent and I hope he gets the chance to prove it.

    I am looking forward to finding out how the Hawkeye inspection platform works and if we will have 20 cars late for qualifying.

    It truly is an honor to have this space to share my thoughts on a sport I love.

    Enjoy the Duels and the rest of Speedweek.

    We’ll talk soon when I share The View From My Recliner.

  • Hot 20 – As Newman’s job just got tougher, could we give Ken Squier his old job back?

    Hot 20 – As Newman’s job just got tougher, could we give Ken Squier his old job back?

    A funny thing happened on the way to Richmond. Ryan Newman finished eighth at Darlington, got to within seven points of Jamie McMurray in the battle for the final Chase place, and then it hit the fan. Actually, it was not very amusing at all as his car failed post-race inspection, and that came with a 15 point penalty. Newman has to make up a 22 point deficit on McMurray, hope nobody below him in the standings wins this weekend, or just win the thing himself to make it. With a contract coming due and the owner’s other grandson ready to move up, this is the time for the Rocket to light the fuse.

    Kyle Larson‘s third place finish at Darlington was nice, but he also got tagged 15 points for failing the post-race checkup. However, he loses not a step in the standings and his win leaves him somewhat immune. As for the cash donations, Newman’s crew chief Luke Lambert was fined $25,000, while Chad Johnston, Larson’s bench boss, was fined $22,500. Would it not be lovely if you could fine your mechanic’s ass if he failed to fix your car the first time? Your doctor? How about politicians? We may be on to something here.

    There is one other scenario we have not mentioned. If Chris Buescher has a bad day and falls out of the Top 30, it is “hello Newman,” welcome to the Chase.

    Eleven races to go, and with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the shelf until the Daytona 500, 23-year-old Alex Bowman will have a dream ride for eight of the remaining contests this season. It will be a good test for the driver who spent the past two seasons behind the wheel for BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin. Neither outfit has yet to win a race, boast just two Top Fives and six Top Tens in a combined 781 attempts. Bowman will end the season driving the good stuff. Jeff Gordon, meanwhile, finally retires again, after he completes Richmond, Dover, and Martinsville. Sixteen of his 93 career victories came at those venues, including nine coming at the paper-clip.

    What driver has the most identifiable car in NASCAR, even to the non-fan? Paul Menard. His name is all over it.

    Danny Gallivan, Vin Scully, Ken Squier. If you want to become a legendary hockey, baseball, or racing announcer, they are the prototypes to build upon After just a couple of minutes to get into the swing of things at Darlington, the 81-year-old Squier allowed us to once again hear how it should be done. These gentlemen were poets who were able to describe, inform, entertain, and allow us to witness the action simply through the sound of their voice. To actually see it on television was a bonus, almost an unnecessary one. Squier ended his term providing the lap-by-lap commentary in 1997, though we have been blessed by special appearances, as we were last Sunday. Gallivan retired in 1984 after 32 years calling the action for the Montreal Canadiens, passing away in 1993. The 88-year old Scully is presently bringing his 67-year career behind the Dodger microphone to a close. They remain incomparable and irreplaceable.

    Richmond has been part of the NASCAR scene since 1950, and Saturday the race will feature eight present and former Cup champions. Twenty-six of those 40 drivers have combined for 530 Cup victories, and while 12 have locked in their invite to the Chase, another 20 entered have a mathematical shot at one of the four remaining positions.

    That includes all of our Hot 20 heading into Richmond.

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS (797 Pts)
    Loose wheel, loose wheel, he thought he had Harvick’s crew pitting him for real.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS (727 Pts)
    Six drivers under the age of 25 have driven for him in the truck series this season.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (840 Pts)
    Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and let them try to pit my car.

    4. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (746 Pts)
    First last lap pass for the win at Richmond in the spring, why not the fall?

    5. DENNY HAMLIN – 2 WINS (729 Pts)
    If he ran NASCAR, would shorten the season and the World 600. Good thing he doesn’t.

    6. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2 WINS (696 Pts)
    Interested in just winning the Memorial and Labor Day weekend classics this season.

    7. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (669 Pts)
    Without Matt, Jim might have never worked at Dunder Mifflin or met Pam or Michael Scott.

    8. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (656 Pts)
    Jimmie won twice, had Top 10s in five of the seven events to open the season. It’s been a while.

    9. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (752 Pts)
    With Junior out, does this give Joey a shot at being NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver?

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (728 Pts)
    Felt kind of flat at Darlington. Menard’s flat, to be specific.

    11. KYLE LARSON – 1 WIN (606 Pts)
    Finally, he has two Top Fives in a row.

    12. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (426 Pts)
    What happened to Brian Scott at Darlington? Why, he wrecked, of course.

    13. CHRIS BUESCHER – 1 WIN (358 Pts)
    Staying within 10 of Ragan next week would be good, keeping him in the rearview, even better.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 659 POINTS
    Finish 17th or better and he is off to the ball.

    15. AUSTIN DILLON – 651 POINTS
    Menard has a sponsor, Dillon has a grandfather, and Newman needs the Chase.

    16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 642 POINTS
    Could have been 30 points up if not for that late Darlington penalty.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 620 POINTS
    Penalty cripples his Chase bid, while the other Dillon has designs on his ride.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 598 POINTS
    At least Junior has an excuse for not making the Chase.

    19. RYAN BLANEY – 573 POINTS
    No gloves, no problem, but less money in your pocket.

    20. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 562 POINTS
    Mr. Tickles? Maybe it was girlfriend Tara who named the cat.

  • Sixth-Place Run Proves DiBenedetto Belongs Behind the Wheel

    Sixth-Place Run Proves DiBenedetto Belongs Behind the Wheel

    We’re eight races into the 2016 Sprint Cup season, and we’ve already got a top nominee for the feel-good story of the year. With BK Racing driver Matt DiBenedetto earning a sixth-place finish for a career-high Sprint Cup run following the Food City 500 at Bristol, fans and competitors all around the garage sang the 24-year-old driver’s praises.

    Race winner Carl Edwards was quick to acknowledge DiBenedetto’s accomplishment, saying, “They finished sixth? Man, that’s unbelievable. That’s probably tougher than what we did. That’s a real testament to them.”

    Denny Hamlin, who finished 20th, came down pit road as well to congratulate DiBenedetto while the driver of the No. 83 was giving an emotional interview for the television crews, echoing Rich Bickle’s tearful interview after he finished fourth at Martinsville in 1998.

    DiBenedetto’s interview just goes to show what’s great about NASCAR. While it may seem like the front is always the same guys day in and day out, and it may seem like old hat for drivers and fans, every so often one of the little guys who will work just as hard as his crew will have a good day. DiBenedetto’s emotions show that he is a guy that’s just happy to be a part of the big show.

    Look at his record in the Sprint Cup Series. Five lead lap finishes in 33 starts with a previous career-best finish of 18th (Talladega, Spring 2015). He didn’t start his rookie campaign in 2015 until the fourth race of the season at Phoenix, following two DNQs.  Driving for BK Racing, DiBenedetto has piloted some severely underpowered Toyotas and has managed to keep his equipment in once piece, which is no small feat in the Sprint Cup Series.

    He was once a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing in the XFINITY Series. These days that usually means surefire success, but in 2010, due to sponsorship woes, that left DiBenedetto without a ride. So for the better part of four years (until he signed with BK Racing), he was going from ride to ride just to be a part of the sport.

    Still, despite all that, despite all the struggles he’s faced with the No. 83 team in the 33 starts he has made with the team, he has managed to hang on, and now has something to show for his struggles behind the wheel in NASCAR. Taking into consideration the struggles he’s faced while trying to reach the upper echelons of NASCAR, the emotions that he showed in his post-race interview were real.

    DiBenedetto is a talented young driver who has a lot of years left on the clock, and with the improvements made by BK Racing in the off-season, he’s in a position where an underfunded race team could be built around him to at least be a consistent race team. That may take time, but he’s shown that he is more than willing to stick around for awhile.

  • In NASCAR, tenacity inherits a charter spot while success means absolutely nothing

    In NASCAR, tenacity inherits a charter spot while success means absolutely nothing

    Sometimes you earn by doing, sometimes you earn by succeeding. In NASCAR, perseverance seems to trump performance as it announced the Charter teams heading into 2016 and beyond. It has everything to do with how tenacious a team has been in at least attempting to run, and absolutely nothing to do with their success, be it yesterday, today, or even at some future date.

    Thirty-six teams need not worry, at least for the next three years, whether or not they will be racing each week in Cup action after NASCAR granted charters to 19 racing organizations. The agreement, which is slated to run for the next nine seasons, means that the holders of those charters will have no concerns, regardless as to how their seasons have gone or how they qualify. Good news for those seeking some guaranteed stability in their operation, knowing that they can tell sponsors and vendors that they will be running no matter what.

    While 36 will be locked in, only four open slots will be available to anyone else. The field will be reduced from 43 to 40 cars, though when you consider that only a couple a dozen of them have any realistic chance of success any given week, the fans have not lost much.

    Where they lose is that there are some bad teams that will not be going anywhere or replaced by anyone until at least 2025. The only way to lose a Charter is to finish among the three worst Charter teams for three straight years, and even then that would be at NASCAR’s discretion. If you want a Charter, you either got rewarded with one this week or you have to buy it. No Charters can be earned through racing performance. You can get the loan of one from a team for a single season, and that could happen with that particular Charter only once every five years. In addition, the maximum number of Charters an organization can have is four, the same number of cars they actually can own and operate.

    NASCAR came up with the 36 charters after going over the past three seasons to determine which outfits were making the weekly commitment. The Wood Brothers No. 21, driven by Ryan Blaney, did not make the cut as that organization has been running part-time in recent seasons. Performance alone did not cut it, as the Kurt Busch ride, the Stewart-Haas No. 41 and the Joe Gibbs’ No. 19 team of Carl Edwards, also failed to qualify due to their relatively recent formations. Though Clint Bowyer’s entry made it, thanks to a million dollar Charter loan from Premium’s Jay Robinson, Harry Scott’s other car, the No. 46 of Michael Annett did not. With Michael Waltrip Racing going the way of the dodo, its two charters can be purchased from what is left of MWR. It is expected that Busch and Edwards will wind up as the beneficiaries of that.

    Eight organizations, which include Petty, Hendrick, Roush, Gibbs, Childress, Penske, Stewart-Haas and Ganassi, have combined for a total of 942 victories. Two other teams, Front Row and Furniture Row, have a win each. That leaves eight, a list that includes such franchise entities as JTG Daugherty, Baldwin, Germain, Go Fas, BK Racing, Circle Sport and Premium Motorsports, all which have yet to taste the champagne. Meanwhile, the owners of cars driven by Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards, who both won twice in 2015, have to buy Charters to be locked in. Wood Brothers, returning to full-time operations after nine seasons, is an outsider. Those 98 wins, 116 poles over 1405 races since 1950 do not mean squat.

    If one day all this equates into some sort of equality amongst teams, where today’s weak sisters grow and compete with the big boys, then fine and good. However, if we are left with a band of weak sisters at the expense of those who can demonstrate an ability to succeed, we shall all be the poorer for it.