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  • Wallace to make 100th Cup start at Dover

    Wallace to make 100th Cup start at Dover

    A major milestone is in the making for Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and NASCAR’s current lone African-American competitor in the Cup Series. When the green flag waves on Saturday, August 22, at Dover International Speedway, Wallace will reach 100 starts in the sport’s premier series and in his third full-time season competing against NASCAR’s elite.

    A native of Mobile, Alabama, Wallace was already a rising star in NASCAR entering June 2017, having won six ARCA Menards Series East races and five NASCAR Truck Series races while competing in his third season in the Xfinity Series with Roush Fenway Racing. By then, Aric Almirola was in his sixth season as driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports.

    When Almirola was injured and diagnosed with a compression fracture of his T5 vertebrae after being involved in a vicious multi-car accident at Kansas Speedway in May, Richard Petty Motorsports named Wallace as an interim competitor of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford, beginning at Pocono Raceway in June. Wallace’s interim role at Pocono not only marked his Cup debut, but he also became the first African-American competitor to compete in the Cup Series since Bill Lester made the last accomplishment in 2006. At Pocono, Wallace qualified 16th and finished 26th in his Cup debut after being hampered with a handful of pit road speeding penalties. Following the race, where he congratulated his longtime friend, fellow competitor and first-time winner Ryan Blaney, Wallace passed out and required medical attention.

    Wallace made three additional starts in 2017 in the No. 43 car at Michigan International Speedway in June, Daytona International Speedway and at Kentucky Speedway (both in July). His best results during those three races were a 15th-place result at Daytona and an 11th-place result at Kentucky. The following race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Almirola was medically cleared to return to competition and Wallace was left without a full-time ride for the remainder of the season after his Xfinity ride at Roush Fenway Racing was terminated due to sponsorship issues. He made one start in the Truck Series at Michigan in August, where he won driving for MDM Motorsports, and one additional start in the Xfinity Series at Chicagoland Speedway in September, where he finished 10th driving for Biagi-DenBeste Racing.

    In mid-October, amid months of speculation, NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty named Bubba Wallace as a full-time competitor of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, which Wallace entered as a Rookie-of-the-Year candidate as he also became the first African-American competitor to compete on a full-time basis in the Cup Series since the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Wendell Scott made the last accomplishment in 1971.

    Wallace made his first start in the No. 43 Chevrolet in the first of two Can-Am Duel races at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he dodged a handful of on-track incidents to finish in third place behind race winner Blaney and Joey Logano. Wallace’s third-place result in the duel event earned him the seventh-place starting spot for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 three days later. Prior to the 500, Wallace received support from a number of star athletes, including Super Bowl XLV champion Charles Woodson, Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. During the Daytona 500, Wallace made a late charge and edged Denny Hamlin by a nose to finish in second place behind race winner Austin Dillon. Though he did not win the race, he won the hearts of fans over his strong performance and he cherished the result during his post-race press conference by sharing a tearful hug with his mother and family. Wallace also became the highest-finishing African-American competitor in the Daytona 500, eclipsing the previous record made by Scott’s 13th-place result in 1966.

    Following his historic run in the Daytona 500, Wallace finished no higher than 20th place in the next five Cup races before he earned his second top-10 career finish (eighth-place) at Texas Motor Speedway. The following race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Wallace had a historic run in the making when he took the lead from Brad Keselowski on Lap 375 of 500 and led his first six laps in the Cup Series and in a blue and orange No. 43 STP Chevrolet that mirrored the scheme Richard Petty sported when he dominated stock car racing in the past. Though Wallace was primed for a strong result at Bristol, he ended his race with a disappointing 16th-place finish following handling issues. For the remainder of his rookie Cup season, Wallace earned one additional top-10 result (10th at Phoenix) and was beaten by William Byron for the Rookie-of-the-Year title. Overall, Wallace earned one top-five result, three top-10 results and an average result of 24.5 throughout the 36-race schedule before he concluded the season in 28th place in the final standings.

    Wallace started off the 2019 season with lead engineer Derek Stamets as his new crew chief following Blickensderfer’s departure from RPM to Front Row Motorsports. For the first 12 Cup races of the season, Wallace finished no higher than 17th place (Martinsville in March). The following race, which was the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was where Wallace flexed his muscles after he fended off a late charge from Daniel Suarez to win the second of three stages in the Open and transfer to his first All-Star Race of his career. Wallace’s success continued during the main event, where he finished in fifth place. His other success to the 2019 season occurred at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he dodged a series of carnages to finish in third place behind race winner Kevin Harvick and Logano. The third-place result marked his first top-five result since finishing second in the 2018 Daytona 500 and the second crown-jewel event where he earned a podium result. Wallace, however, recorded four additional top-15 results before he concluded the season in 28th place in the final standings and with an average result of 23.9.

    This season, Wallace reunited with veteran crew chief Jerry Baxter, who won five Truck races with Wallace in 2013 and 2014 with Kyle Busch Motorsports. Wallace started off the season by finishing 15th in the Daytona 500. He rebounded the following race by finishing in sixth place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after opting to remain on track on old tires for a two-lap shootout to the finish. He went on to finish 27th and 19th in the next two Cup races before COVID-19 paused this year’s racing season through May. By then, Wallace was in 18th place in the regular-season standings.

    Since the return of racing at Darlington Raceway in May through last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Wallace has earned three additional top-10 results, seven additional top-15 results and an average result of 19.8. He is currently in 21st place in the regular-season standings and is 165 points below the top-16 cutline to make this year’s Cup Playoffs. He has yet to announce his racing plans for next season and beyond.

    In addition to his competitiveness on the track, Wallace, this season, has become the face of NASCAR’s involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement and speaking out on the abuse of African Americans by the police. At Martinsville Speedway, he sported a special black scheme on his No. 43 Chevrolet that featured the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter and the phrase “Compassion, Love, Understanding.” Shortly after at Talladega Superspeedway, where a noose was discovered in Wallace’s garage stall, all the competitors and crew members joined Wallace to the front of the pit road in a show of solidarity through the national anthem and prior to the race. Despite the incident being determined that Wallace was not a target of a hate crime and the backlash that followed suit towards the competitor of the iconic No. 43 car, Wallace vows to continue to maintain his stance against his doubters and race towards history both on and off the track.

    Catch Wallace’s milestone start on August 22 at Dover at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Johnson and Buescher record strong top-five results at Daytona RC

    Johnson and Buescher record strong top-five results at Daytona RC

    While Chase Elliott achieved a historic win in the inaugural Daytona International Speedway Road Course event on Sunday, August 16, teammate Jimmie Johnson and Chris Buescher achieved much-needed runs inside the top five and in their quest to contend for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship battle.

    For Johnson, who sported a new white and purple primary scheme to his No. 48 Ally/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, his race started in 11th place. Following the opening lap, the seven-time Cup champion made his way into the top 10. Throughout the first stage spanning 15 laps, he continued to methodically work his way towards the front and was scored in third place when the stage concluded, thus collecting a handful of stage points.

    Due to a series of pit strategies made among multiple competitors, Johnson restarted in 20th place for the stage of the second stage and after he made a pit stop for four fresh tires and fuel under the first stage’s break. Throughout the second stage that also spanned 15 laps, he raced and battled within the top 15 to top 20. Despite sustaining a hole to the front nose of his car due to contact on the restart to start the second stage, Johnson was able to settle in 14th place when the second stage concluded.

    Restarting in sixth place for the final stage, Johnson was running in fourth place and battling for more when the race was delayed due to weather with less than 30 laps remaining. Nearly half an hour later and when the race restarted, he continued to flex his muscles as he worked his way as high as second place, trailing teammate Chase Elliott, before he fell back to fifth.

    With five laps remaining, Johnson was poised for a top-three result behind Elliott and Denny Hamlin when the caution due to a single-car incident flew with five laps remaining. During a final three-lap dash to the finish, Johnson continued to battle for a spot in the top five before he crossed the finish line in fourth place, three spots behind race winner/teammate Elliott.

    Johnson’s third-place result in the inaugural Daytona Road Course event marked his best result and first top-five result since finishing third at Bristol Motor Speedway in May. It also marked his 12th career top-five result at Daytona in his penultimate run at the world center of racing. Despite his top-five run, Johnson trails teammate William Byron by 25 points for the 16th and final spot to the 2020 Playoffs with three regular-season races remaining.

    “Good job to everyone on my No. 48 Ally Chevy team,” Johnson said. “I just lacked that rear grip at the end there. That was a really fun and a solid day, that’s what we needed and now we go to my favorite track – Dover. So proud of Chase, what a road racer he is.”

    For Buescher, who carried a special message on his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang in celebration of a 10-year partnership between RFR and sponsor Fastenal, his race started back in 21st place. Following the first 10 laps, however, he was back in 24th place. When the first stage concluded on Lap 15, he was scored in 30th due to making a pit stop under green two laps earlier. Restarting in 14th place for the start of the second stage, Buescher spent most of the run inside the top 20 before he made a pit stop under green. When the second stage concluded, he was in 23rd.

    Lining up in 13th place for the final stage, Buescher was in ninth place when the race was delayed for nearly half an hour due to weather. When the race resumed with 26 laps remaining, he continued to race inside the top 10 before he pitted under 20 laps remaining. When he returned on the track, he was back in the top 15 and was charging to get back into the top 10. By the time he moved up to ninth place, the caution flew with five laps remaining due to a single-car incident.

    During a three-lap dash to the finish, Buescher wasted no time charging his way into the top 10 and for more as he made his first appearance inside the top five. When the checkered flag flew, he was able to cross the finish line in fifth place and as the highest-finishing Ford competitor.

    The fifth-place result was Buescher’s sixth of his Cup career and his best since finishing in third place in the Daytona 500 in February. With his result, however, he is 174 points below the top-16 cutline and will likely need a race win to qualify for the 2020 Cup Playoffs with three regular-season races remaining.

    “That was just a fun day for our Fastenal Ford Mustang team,” Buescher said. “We needed that after a couple of hard weeks. Some decent runs and some bad luck and that was fun. I was able to mix it up and steadily work our way forward. We kept learning as we went and there at the end we got beat up. All four corners of this Mustang are beat up but we got the finish out of it. That was a good one. A good day.”

    Johnson and Buescher, along with their fellow Cup competitors, will return next weekend for a pair of NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover International Speedway. The first Cup Dover event will occur on Saturday, August 22, at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN while the second Dover race will occur on Sunday. August 23, at 4. p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Elliott wins inaugural Daytona Road Course event

    Elliott wins inaugural Daytona Road Course event

    In the inaugural running of the Go Bowling 235 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on a humid afternoon, Chase Elliott extended his dominance on road courses after holding off Denny Hamlin in a three-lap dash to grab a thrilling win at the world center of racing.

    Throughout the race, Elliott dominated as he led a race-high 34 of the event’s 65-scheduled laps and won the first stage. Despite having a huge advantage erased in the closing laps due to a single-car incident, he withstood a challenge from his fellow competitors, including Hamlin, and navigated his way through the turns to cross the finish line in first place. The victory was Elliott’s second of the season, his fourth on a road course event and the eighth of his overall Cup career.

    The starting lineup was determined using a new formula based on three statistical categories: current owner points position, the results from the previous race and the fastest lap from the previous race. As a result, Kevin Harvick started on pole position and was joined on the front row with Denny Hamlin. 

    Stanton Barrett, a racer who is also a Hollywood stuntman, and Kaz Grala, who filled in as a relief competitor for Austin Dillon in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE due to Dillon suffering COVID-19 symptoms, started at the rear of the field due to driver changes. Corey LaJoie also started at the rear of the field due to failing pre-race inspection twice along with Timmy Hill, who dropped to the back due to unapproved adjustments.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, the entire field made it through the first three turns inside Daytona’s infield without any issues nor early drama. At the front, Hamlin took the lead and was followed by teammate Kyle Busch. Meanwhile, Harvick dropped back to third in front of Martin Truex Jr. and just as the field made its way through Turn 6, exiting the infield and towards the speedway banking in Turn 7. When the entire field returned back to the start/finish line following two chicanes and no early incidents occurring, Hamlin led the first lap with Kyle Busch trailing behind him. 

    The following lap, Kyle Busch made a move underneath teammate Hamlin at the chicane turn near the backstretch to take the lead and lead a lap for himself. Shortly after, Hamlin reassumed the lead and started to pull away from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, who had locked up his front tires and front brakes. Behind. Truex moved up to third place followed by Harvick, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Matt DiBenedetto. 

    On the fourth lap, Kyle Busch made an unscheduled pit stop for four fresh tires after locking up and flat spotting his tires. By the time he returned on the track, he was back in 34th place.

    At the front and with the first five laps of the race complete, Hamlin was ahead by three seconds over teammate Truex followed by Harvick, Elliott and Logano. DiBenedetto was in sixth place ahead of Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer and rookie Christopher Bell. Behind, Aric Almirola was in 11th ahead of William Byron and Erik Jones while Ryan Blaney was in 14th ahead of teammate Brad Keselowski. Bubba Wallace was in 19th ahead of rookie Cole Custer, Ryan Newman was in 21st, Alex Bowman was in 23rd ahead of Chris Buescher and Kaz Grala was in 27th behind Daniel Suarez. Rookie Tyler Reddick was in 29th while veterean Brendan Gaughan was scored in 37th.

    While the field continued to smoothly navigate the turns and corners of Daytona’s road course layout, Truex emerged with the lead after passing teammate Hamlin on the ninth lap. Following the second chicane through Turns 13 and 14, however, Hamlin made an unscheduled pit stop for four fresh tires and to address smoke, a tire rub and minimal damage near the left front fender, all a result of getting into the back of Truex after Truex took the lead from Hamlin. Earlier, J.J. Yeley spun at the chicane/bus stop area near Turns 9 and 10, but he proceeded without sustaining any damage and with the race proceeding under green.

    With Hamlin dropping to the back, Truex was ahead by more than three seconds over Elliott while Logano, Harvick and Johnson were running inside the top five. Shortly after, Harvick made a planned pit stop for four tires under green. 

    As the laps in the first stage continued to dwindle, a multitude of competitors that included Kurt Busch, Bell, Blaney, Bowman, Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth pitted as part of a strategic plan. 

    With two laps remaining in the second stage, Truex made a pit stop just as the entrance to pit road closed. At the front, Elliott assumed the lead followed by Logano. For one final lap, Elliott was able to stabilize his large advantage to win the first stage on Lap 15 and for his sixth stage victory of the season. Logano settled in the runner-up spot followed by Johnson, Bowyer and DiBenedetto. Jones, Byron, Truex, Custer and Ryan Preece settled in the top 10. Behind, Bowman limped back to pit road in a cautious pace after he suffered a flat left rear tire to his No. 88 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

    Under the stage break, some that included Elliott, Johnson, Clint Bowyer, DiBenedetto, Jones, Custer, Suarez, Preece, Byron and Stenhouse pitted while the rest led by Logano, Hamlin and Harvick remained on track.

    The second stage proceeded under green on Lap 17, and Logano maintained the advantage through the first two turns until Hamlin mounted a challenge in Turn 3. Through the Turn 4 dogleg area, Hamlin emerged with the lead followed by Harvick and Kurt Busch while Logano was locked into a battle for fourth place with Truex. 

    By the time the field returned to the start/finish line, Logano had fallen back to sixth place while Truex moved up to third place. Harvick and Blaney were behind Truex while Hamlin was leading by more than a second. Behind the leaders, Kyle Busch was in 11th place behind Michael McDowell, Bell and Ty Dillon.

    On Lap 20, Hamlin was still leading over teammate Truex, who continued to intimidate his teammate for the lead. Harvick stabilized himself in third place followed by a bevy of competitors led by Kurt Busch, Blaney and Keselowski. By then, Elliott was in ninth while Kyle Busch was in eighth. Behind, Logano dropped back to 15th while racing on old tires. Shortly after, Logano made a pit stop under green for fresh tires, a move that cost him track position and time from the leaders.

    On Lap 22, Truex and his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry reassumed the lead after passing teammate Hamlin through the chicane/bus stop the previous lap. By then, Kyle Busch and Elliott moved up to sixth and seventh behind Blaney.

    Two laps later, Kyle Busch, who was in seventh place behind Blaney, locked up his front tires entering Turn 6 after entering the corner with rapid speed and spun his No. 18 Snickers Toyota Camry. He proceeded without any damage, but was back in 13th. By then, Truex was still ahead by more than two seconds over teammate Hamlin followed by Elliott, who was the fastest car on the circuit.

    With the laps in the second stage dwindling, Johnson made a pit stop under green along with Suarez, McDowell, Bell, Almirola, DiBenedetto, Keselowski, Wallace, Ty Dillon, rookie John Hunter Nemechek, Jones, Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Buescher, Grala, Harvick and Elliott. Shortly after, Truex surrendered the lead to also pit with teammate Hamlin back atop the leaderboard. Following his stop, however, Truex was issued a speeding penalty and was directed to start at the rear of the field for the stage of the final stage.

    Thanks to a huge advantage and with no late challenges mounted behind his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Hamlin cruised to the second stage win on Lap 30 and for his fifth stage victory of the season. Bowyer settled in second followed by Blaney, Byron and Stenhouse. Preece, Elliott, Harvick, Kurt Busch and LaJoie settled in the top 10. Truex crossed the start/finish line in seventh, but was penalized due to his pit road speeding penalty and was not awarded any stage points as a result.

    Prior to the conclusion of the second stage, Bayley Currey relieved J.J. Yeley for the remainder of the race after the cooling system in Yeley’s car failed, resulting in Yeley collapsing from exhaustion and from the heat after exiting his car, and making a trip to the infield care center.

    Under the stage break, some of the lead lap competitors led by Hamlin, Bowyer and Blaney pitted while others led by Elliott, Harvick and Kurt Busch remained on track and with the lead for the start of the final stage.

    With dark clouds hovering above the skies and the track, the final stage commenced with 33 laps remaining and with Elliott and Harvick leading the field. At the start, Elliott rocketed with the lead followed by Kurt Busch and McDowell. Through Turns 2 and 3, Harvick, who dropped back to fourth, was bumped by Bell and spun through the grass and back across the racing surface in Turn 3. Fortunately, the entire field dodged him and Harvick continued without sustaining any serious damage.

    Three laps later, Elliott was still leading by more than three seconds over Kurt Busch and nearly five seconds over McDowell. Johnson was in fourth place followed by Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Logano. Hamlin was in 11th, Byron was in 16th. Blaney was in 19th, Truex was in 21st and Harvick was all the way back in 37th.

    Shortly after, the caution flew due to lightning reports. After running a few laps under caution, the field made its way to pit road and the competitors parked the cars with the race entering a 30-minute hiatus under red flag.

    When the weather cleared following a delay of more than 31 minutes, the competitors returned to their cars and returned to the track under cautious pace. Under caution, a number of competitors that included Jones, Byron, Stenhouse, Preece, Truex, Newman, Grala, Reddick, Suarez, Bowman, Custer, Ty Dillon, LaJoie, Gaughan, Timmy Hill, rookie Brennan Poole and Garrett Smithley pitted while the rest led by Elliott and Kurt Busch remained on the track.

    With 26 laps remaining, the race resumed under green and Elliott cleared the field with the lead through Turns 1 and 2. Behind, Kurt Busch settled in second followed by McDowell. Johnson, who locked up the brakes entering Turn 3, withstood a challenge from Kyle Busch and Keselowski to retain fourth place. He would eventually take over third place through the superspeedway bankings in Turns 7 and 8 while Kyle Busch moved up to fourth place. 

    A lap later, Elliott was ahead by more than two seconds over Kurt Busch with Johnson trailing behind. McDowell was still in fifth place, but was being pressured by Bowyer and Hamlin for more. Meanwhile, Keselowski was in eighth ahead of Bell and Logano, DiBenedetto was in 12th behind Jones, Grala was in 14th ahead of Wallace, Blaney was in 16th ahead of Almirola, Truex was in 20th, Byron was in 22nd and Harvick was in 27th behind Reddick.

    With 22 laps remaining, Elliott extended his advantage to more than five seconds over Kyle Busch followed by Johnson and Kurt Busch. Way behind the leaders, Harvick, who was in 26th and trying to work his way back to the front, locked up his brakes behind Ty Dillon and spun in Turn 6, thus dropping him all the way back to the rear of the field by the time he re-fired his car and continued. 

    A lap later, Keselowski, who was running in ninth, missed the turn in the backstretch chicane and made a pit stop under green for four fresh tires. Shortly after, with 20 laps remaining, a number of competitors that included Logano, Kenseth, Harvick, Kurt Busch, McDowell, Jones, Keselowski, DiBenedetto made a pit stop under green. Bell also made a trip to pit road after spinning in Turn 6. Another few laps later, Johnson, Bowyer, Reddick and Wallace made a trip to pit road.

    With 17 laps remaining, Elliott made a pit stop under green followed by Hamlin and Buescher. During the pit stops, Kyle Busch, who missed the chicane through Turns 13 and 14 before he pitted, took his car to the garage due to a brake rotor failure. The late mechanical issue cost Busch another opportunity of notching his first victory of the season.

    At the front, with 16 laps remaining, Truex was leading followed by Grala, Bowman, Stenhouse and Custer. Blaney, who was in sixth, pitted, but was assessed a pit road speeding penalty. A lap later, Truex made a pit stop under green, though the service was slow due to damage on the left front fender. Truex’s move to pit road moved Grala, a newcomer in the Cup Series and a relief competitor for Austin Dillon, to the lead followed by Bowman. Behind, Elliott, who was running on four fresh tires and full fuel to make it to the end, was in fourth while Johnson and Hamlin were battling for sixth place on the track.

    With 12 laps remaining, Grala and Bowman pitted and Elliott moved back into the lead followed by Hamlin and Johnson, both of whom were trailing by nearly 11 seconds. Bowyer was in fourth place followed by Truex, McDowell, Byron and Logano, all of whom were trailing by 12 seconds or more.

    With the laps of the overall race continuing to dwindle and with less than 10 laps remaining, Elliott and his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE continued to lead by more than 10 seconds over Hamlin with Johnson trailing by nearly 12 seconds. Just when it seemed that Elliott could cruise to the win, the caution flew with five laps remaining. Behind the leaders, Kyle Busch, who returned on the track after his brakes were repaired and was multiple laps behind, broke loose and spun in Turn 8, exiting the first turn banking, before he made contact with the outside wall. With both of Busch’s rear tires flat and with more damage on his No. 18 Toyota, the caution evaporated the big advantage Elliott had over Hamlin. Following his recent incident, Busch limped his car back to the garage and retired for the remainder of the race.

    Under caution, some competitors that included Logano, McDowell, Bell, Almirola, Preece, Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Jones, Reddick and Keselowski pitted while the rest led by Elliott, Hamlin and Johnson remained on track.

    With three laps remaining, the race restarted and Elliott cleared the field with the lead through the first turn. Hamlin settled in second followed by Johnson while Buescher made a late charge through the first three turns for a top-five spot over Truex, Byron and Bowyer. When the field made its way through the chicane/bus stop in Turns 9 and 10, LaJoie spun from behind, but he proceeded with no caution flying.

    With two laps remaining and with more battling around the track ensuing, Elliott was still leading by half a second over Hamlin with Johnson and Truex trailing by two seconds. When Elliott started the final lap, he was still leading by nearly four-tenths of a second over Hamlin, who continued to pressure Elliott for the lead. Behind, Wallace, who was in position for a top-10 spot, spun in Turn 1, but the race proceeded under green.

    Through the infield turns and entering the first chicane on the backstretch, Hamlin was still trailing Elliott by two car lengths and continued to close in to the rear bumper of Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet. Entering the final chicane in Turns 13 and 14, Hamlin drew himself right to the rear bumper of Elliott, but the run was not enough for him to navigate his way around Elliott as Elliot managed to beat Hamlin by two-tenths of a second to grab the win and his first checkered flag since Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

    Elliott’s victory was the third of the season for Hendrick Motorsports and the fourth for Chevrolet as he also became the fifth multi-time winner of this year’s Cup season. In addition, Hendrick Motorsports notched its 19th road-course victory (the most of all Cup teams). With the win, Elliott has won the last three Cup road course races and the last four of six road course races dating back to August 2018, and he became the first competitor to win three consecutive road course races since Tony Stewart made the last accomplishment in 2004 and 2005.

    “What a NAPA Camaro,” Elliott said on the frontstretch in front of a select number of fans in attendance. “Our guys did a phenomenal job. [I] Had a phenomenal car. I don’t think I did anything very special today. I think [crew chief] Alan [Gustafson], [lead engineer] Tom [Gray] and all of our guys did a really good job of hitting it there at the start. [They] Made a couple of really small adjustments, I felt like there, that first stop and was able to leave it after that. Appreciate everybody that makes this happen and thanks to the fans. Good to see you guys back. Thanks to all of our partners. Big special thanks to [road racers] Jordan Taylor and Boris Said for reaching out and being willing to help this weekend. Some road-course ringers. So, I tried to lean on them. Luckily, everything worked out.”

    Though Elliott was thrilled with his historic win at Daytona, he acknowledged that there was still work needed for him and his team to be more competitive and contend for more wins, points and positions on track with the 2020 Cup Playoffs approaching.

    “We’ve been struggling these past few weeks,” Elliott added. “We really struggled at Michigan. [I] Didn’t know, for sure, if we were gonna be good here, but felt like if we were, we really needed to capitalize. Running eighth or seventh or whatever we did at Michigan, an extra five bonus points could be the difference in you making it to the next round once this deal starts. We’ll keep the pedal down and try to keep pushing. Looking forward to getting on down the road.”

    Hamlin settled in the runner-up spot for his 13th top-five result of the season followed by teammate Truex, who claimed his eighth top-five finish of this season. Johnson finished fourth in his penultimate run at Daytona while Buescher made a late rally to achieve a fifth-place result.

    “I kept [Elliott] honest there,” Hamlin said. “He had such good drive off [the corners] I couldn’t do anything with him. I just would have liked to have stayed closer to him to put a little pressure on entries. My entries were the strong point against him, but I was giving him four car lengths so he could kind of drive the entries the way he wanted to make sure he got a good exit. I wasn’t quite clean enough the last few laps, but I definitely gave myself a chance. Those last couple corners, I felt like I did as much as I could to get to him and tried to do it the right way.”

    “It was a lot of fun out there today,” Truex added. “This track was a lot more fun than I anticipated it being. No question we had the speed to be a challenger there. Thought we had a chance to win, no doubt about it. Just got caught speeding on pit road. That stinks. Had to go to the rear and then got damage so we had to go to the rear again. We passed a lot of cars that last run. I know we had the speed at the end there, we were faster than anyone. Just ran out of time, but that’s how it goes. Proud of everybody on the team and still feeling really good about these road courses. I had a lot of fun and did what we needed to do to come back, so it’s always good.”

    Bowyer, Grala, Byron, Logano and McDowell rounded out the top 10. Jones, Bowman, Keselowski, Kurt Busch and DiBenedetto ended their runs in the top 15. Harvick ended his run in 17th, Newman finished 19th in his first race at Daytona since his harrowing accident in the Daytona 500 in February and Wallace dropped all the way back to 25th behind Almirola.

    There were 13 lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured four cautions for seven laps.

    Despite his 17th-place result, Harvick continues to lead the regular-season series standings by 118 points over Hamlin and 136 points over Keselowski.

    Results.

    1. Chase Elliott, 34 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    2. Denny Hamlin, 16 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    3. Martin Truex Jr., 10 laps led

    4. Jimmie Johnson

    5. Chris Buescher

    6. Clint Bowyer

    7. Kaz Grala, three laps led

    8. William Byron

    9. Joey Logano, one lap led

    10. Michael McDowell

    11. Erik Jones

    12. Alex Bowman

    13. Brad Keselowski

    14. Kurt Busch

    15. Matt DiBenedetto

    16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    17. Kevin Harvick

    18. Tyler Reddick

    19. Ryan Newman

    20. Ty Dillon

    21. Christopher Bell

    22. Cole Custer

    23. Ryan Preece

    24. Aric Almirola

    25. Bubba Wallace

    26. Matt Kenseth

    27. Daniel Suarez

    28. Brennan Poole

    29. Timmy Hill

    30. James Davison

    31. Ryan Blaney

    32. Corey LaJoie

    33. Quin Houff, one lap down

    34. J.J. Yeley, one lap down

    35. John Hunter Nemechek – OUT, Accident

    36. Garrett Smithley – OUT, Battery

    37. Kyle Busch – OUT, Accident, one lap led

    38. Stanton Barrett, 16 laps down

    39. Brendan Gaughan – OUT, Transmission

    Next weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series will run a pair of races on back-to-back dates at Dover International Speedway. The first Dover race will commence on Saturday, August 22, at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN while the second will occur the following day on Sunday, August 23, at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Keselowski to make 400th Cup start at Daytona RC

    Keselowski to make 400th Cup start at Daytona RC

    With the NASCAR Cup Series set to race for the first time at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Brad Keselowski is set to achieve a milestone start of his racing career. By taking the green flag at Daytona on Sunday, August 16, Keselowski will reach 400 career starts in the Cup Series and in his 11th full-time season in the series.

    A native of Rochester Hills, Michigan, Keselowski was already a rising star in the 2008 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, racing for JR Motorsports, when he made his first two Cup career starts late in the season. Driving the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Impala for Hendrick Motorsports, Keselowski finished 19th in his Cup debut at Texas Motor Speedway on November 2 followed by the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16, where he finished 23rd.

    The following season, aside from competing on a full-time basis with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, Keselowski competed on a part-time basis in the Cup Series between the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 09 Miccosukee Resorts & Gaming Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing. At Talladega Superspeedway, in his fifth series start, Keselowski battled and made contact with Carl Edwards on the final lap through Turn 4 to grab the lead and notch his first Cup career victory in upset fashion while Edwards spun, was hit by Ryan Newman and went airborne before colliding against the catch fence while upside down and came to a halt shy of the finish line. The victory was also the first for James Finch, owner of Phoenix Racing, as Keselowski also secured a starting spot for the 2009 All-Star Race. Through August 2020, Keselowski is one of 11 competitors to record a first Cup career victory at Talladega.

    Keselowski competed in a total of 12 Cup races throughout the 2009 season between Phoenix Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, and earned four top-10 results (his victory at Talladega included). For the final three Cup races of the 2009 season, Keselowski drove the No. 12 Dodge for team owner Roger Penske. His best result was a 25th-place result in the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway in November.

    For the 2010 season, Keselowski competed on a full-time basis for the Penske organization in both the Xfinity and Cup Series. He made his Daytona 500 debut in February, where he finished 36th after being involved in an early multi-car wreck. After finishing 21st and 26th the next two races, he was primed for a top-10 run the following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was during the closing laps, however, where Carl Edwards, who was irritated from being involved in an earlier incident caused by Keselowski, intentionally spun Keselowski in Turn 4 as Keselowski’s No. 12 Dodge went airborne, flipped over and made hard contact against the outside wall before rolling back on all four wheels and coming to rest against the top lane in Turn 1. Despite the incident, Keselowski emerged uninjured as NASCAR would park Edwards for the remainder of the race. Keselowski struggled throughout his first full-time Cup season, though he earned his first career pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September, recorded a seventh-place result in the All-Star Race in May and recorded back-to-back 10th-place results in October. When the 2010 Cup season concluded, he settled in 25th in the final standings. Keselowski, nonetheless, had a breakout season in the Xfinity Series, where he won six races, recorded 29 top-10 results and achieved the series championship, the first for himself and the first for Roger Penske

    In 2011, Keselowski remained with the Penske organization, but transitioned to the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge led by his Xfinity championship crew chief Paul Wolfe. For the first 12 Cup races into the season, Keselowski recorded one top-five result (third at Darlington Raceway in May) and one pole (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May) while he finished outside the top 20 five times. At Kansas Speedway in June, Keselowski gambled on fuel in the closing laps to beat Dale Earnhardt Jr., his mentor, and claim his second Cup triumph. The victory was Keselowski’s first since winning at Talladega in 2009, the first of the season for the Penske organization and the first Cup victory for Paul Wolfe.

    In August, Keselowski was in a testing session at Road Atlanta when he was involved in a vicious accident, where he made head-on contact into a concrete wall at nearly 200 mph, and broke his left ankle. Despite the injuries that also included back pains, Keselowski continued to race in the Cup Series. Not long after the accident, Keselowski held off Kyle Busch to claim his second victory of the season at Pocono Raceway. After finishing second and third the next two races, Keselowski responded back by claiming his unprecedented third win of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway under the lights. With a sixth-place finish the following race at Atlanta, Keselowski locked himself into the 2011 Playoffs. Throughout the postseason, he earned four top-five results before he settled in an impressive fifth place in the final standings.

    Keselowski started the 2012 season with his second consecutive DNF in the Daytona 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. Three races later, Keselowski prevailed in a late battle with Matt Kenseth to win at Bristol Motor Speedway for his first victory of the season. Throughout the 26 regular-season stretch, Keselowski achieved wins at Talladega in May and at Kentucky Speedway in June as he secured a spot into the 2012 Playoffs. By then, he also surpassed 100 Cup career starts.

    During the first Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway in September, Keselowski prevailed in a late battle with Jimmie Johnson to win for the fourth time of the season as his quest for the Cup title over Johnson ignited. Two races later, Keselowski achieved his unprecedented fifth win of the season at Dover International Speedway following a late battle on fuel mileage. By then, Keselowski was leading the championship standings. Though Keselowski continued running and earning top-10 results throughout the Playoffs, Johnson reassumed the points lead following back-to-back victories at Martinsville Speedway and at Texas Motor Speedway in late October and early November. Then, during the following race at Phoenix, Keselowski was back atop the standings after dodging a handful of incidents in the final laps and taking advantage of Johnson wrecking out midway into the race to finish sixth. Entering the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Keselowski was leading the standings by 20 points over Johnson. When the checkered flag flew in the finale, Keselowski finished in 15th place, but he achieved his first Cup championship while Johnson was eliminated late in the race due to a rear gear issue. The Cup championship was the first for Keselowski in his third season in competition, the first for Roger Penske and the last for Dodge with the manufacturer withdrawing from the sport following the 2012 season.

    Piloting a Ford Fusion, Keselowski started off the 2013 season with four consecutive top-five finishes. Despite earning 11 top-10 results throughout the 26 regular-season stretch, inconsistent results and failing to achieve a win throughout the regular season cost him an opportunity to defend his title as he failed to make the Playoffs. Nonetheless, he earned five top-five results for the remaining 10 races, which included his lone win of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October, before he concluded the season in 14th place in the final standings.

    Keselowski rallied back the following season with three consecutive top-three results to start the season, which included a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as he secured his spot into the 2014 Playoffs. He went on to earn victories at Kentucky, New Hampshire and at Richmond, and he recorded the 400th all-time win for Team Penske as he entered the Playoffs with the top seed based on his four regular-season wins. He started the Playoffs by winning at Chicagoland Speedway and advancing into the second round. In the first two races of the second round, Keselowski was involved in incidents on the track and was left in the danger zone of not advancing into the third round of the Playoffs. Though he made rivals for his aggressive driving, among which included Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, he responded back by winning at Talladega and securing a spot into the third round of the Playoffs. Keselowski’s late misfortunes, however, continued, starting at Martinsville, where he was involved in a late multi-car accident late in the race, followed by Texas, where he made contact with Jeff Gordon on a late restart, an incident that cost Gordon a shot for the victory and led to a brawl on pit road following the race. Despite finishing fourth the following race at Phoenix, Keselowski was eliminated from title contention and he went on to conclude the season in fifth place in the final standings. Though he came up short in achieving his second Cup title, he earned a career-high six victories, a career-high five poles and 20 top-10 results.

    Throughout the 2015 season, Keselowski achieved one victory (Auto Club Speedway in March), nine top-five results and a career-high 25 top-10 results before he concluded the season in seventh place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 200 Cup career starts. From 2016 to 2017, Keselowski won a total of seven races, including his first victories at Daytona, Atlanta and Martinsville, and achieved 43 top-10 results with a best points result of fourth place in 2017 after making it all the way to the Championship Round. By then, he surpassed 300 Cup career starts.

    In 2018, Keselowski won the non-point Clash at Daytona International Speedway in February, but went winless for the first 24 races of the season. The following race at Darlington Raceway, Keselowski won the Southern 500 and achieved his first crown-jewel event win in NASCAR. He backed it up the following race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Brickyard 400, while recording the first NASCAR Cup victory at Indianapolis for Roger Penske. For the 2018 Playoff opener at Las Vegas, Keselowski won and achieved the 500th win for Team Penske across motorsports. Despite winning three races in consecutive weeks, he concluded the season in eighth place in the final standings after being eliminated from title contention following the second round.

    Last season, Keselowski recorded the first victory for the new Ford Mustang in the Cup Series at Atlanta, the second race of the season. He went on to win at Martinsville in March and at Kansas in May. Though he achieved 19 top-10 results, he was eliminated from title contention following the second round of the Playoffs and he concluded the season in eighth place in the final standings and for the second year in a row.

    This season, through the first 22 races of the 2020 Cup season and his first full season with crew chief Jeremy Bullins, Keselowski has won three times (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Bristol in May and at New Hampshire in July) to tally his win column to 33. He has also achieved six stage wins, nine top-five results and 16 top-10 results. He is currently ranked in second place in the regular-season standings and trails points leader Kevin Harvick by 137 points. A day after winning at New Hampshire, Keselowski also announced that he will be remaining with Team Penske for the 2021 Cup season.

    Catch Keselowski’s milestone start in the inaugural Cup Series race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on August 16 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Johnson and Byron rally for top-12 runs at Michigan

    Johnson and Byron rally for top-12 runs at Michigan

    It was a long, sunny afternoon for Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers Jimmie Johnson and William Byron at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 9, that resulted in both competitors struggling for the majority of the race despite starting towards the front. When the checkered flag flew, both HMS competitors salvaged top-12 results and remain in a battle against one another for a Playoff spot with the postseason nearing its starting phase.

    For Byron, his race started off on a high note when he moved up to start on the front row due to multiple cars starting at the rear of the field. When the green flag waved, the Charlotte native battled hard with Clint Bowyer for the field on the opening lap before the latter prevailed. Even though he never made a bid for the lead, Byron kept his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE towards the front and running inside the top five. When the first stage concluded, he was scored in sixth place as he collected a handful of stage points towards the Playoffs. Jumping to second place for the start of the second stage, Byron dropped out of the top five and continued to downslide throughout the run. By the time the second stage concluded, he had fallen all the way back to 17th. Restarting 14th for the final stage under 65 laps remaining, he spent the majority of the run inside the top 15 before making a late charge for a top-10 spot. When the checkered flag flew, however, Byron crossed the line in 12th place. Despite the struggles throughout the race, Byron’s 15th top-10 result of this season kept him and his No. 24 team 26 points above the top-16 cutline, with Byron holding sole possession of the 16th and final transfer spot to the Playoffs with four regular-season races remaining.

    “Hard fought day for us at Michigan today and this weekend overall really,” Byron said. “After this weekend, we came out of Michigan with a bit larger of a points gap than we started, which is good. Hopefully we can go on to the road course at Daytona and keep building that point buffer. I think we’re really good at road courses so hopefully, we can run well there despite it being an unknown. I’m looking forward to it though and the challenge it will bring. I will definitely be doing a lot of iRacing this week to get ready for it.”

    Teammate Johnson also had a long run that ended up with a decent result. Starting in the second row, Johnson was competitive at the start of the race as he muscled his way into the runner-up spot. Following the first 15 laps, however, he had fallen back to seventh after he got loose in Turn 3 and lost a handful of spots. From there, Johnson and his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE continued to slide backwards as he dropped out of the top 10. He was unable to work his way back into the top 10 as he concluded the first stage on Lap 40 in 11th, missing an opportunity of collecting a stage point by one position. Despite starting in fourth place for the second stage, the seven-time champion continued to struggle with keeping pace with the leaders. When the second stage concluded on Lap 85, he was scored in 14th. Johnson struggled at the start of the final stage, falling back towards the top 20, but he rallied back into the top 15 as the run progressed. Even though he had a shot for a top-10 finish in the closing laps, it was not enough as Johnson finished in 11th place in his 38th and final run at Michigan. With his 12th top-15 result of this season, Johnson is tied with Erik Jones in being 26 points below the cutline as he attempts to make his final postseason appearance in his swan song season of full-time racing.

    “We put up a good fight today,” Johnson said. “Track position was important, and we fought the balance most of the day. I’m looking forward to the [Daytona] road course and both Dover races.”

    For the remaining half of Hendrick Motorsports’ four-car lineup, Chase Elliott was the lone Hendrick competitor to finish in the top 10 (ninth) while Alex Bowman ended his race in 36th following tire issues.

    Byron and Johnson, along with their teammates and fellow competitors, will return for next weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series inaugural race on the Daytona International Speedway road course layout, which will occur on August 16 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Clements to make 350th Xfinity start at Road America

    Clements to make 350th Xfinity start at Road America

    A lot is on the line for journeyman Jeremy Clements and his family-owned team approaching the final nine NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season races of this year. For this weekend’s race at Road America, a track where he won at in upset fashion and secured his spot to the Playoffs in 2017, Clements aims to repeat the competitiveness, the pace and the road course magic he and his team exhibited from three seasons ago to propel himself back into title contention this season. Also in the midst of his battle for a postseason berth is the fact that he will making his 350th career start in the Xfinity Series (the only major division series in NASCAR he has ever raced in) when the green flag waves at Road America on Saturday, August 8.

    A native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and who started his racing career by driving go-karts, Clements worked his way up in racing modifies and stock cars, winning feature events and track championships, before racing in Late Models and the ARCA Series. The 2003 season was where he made his first start within NASCAR’s three major division series at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado, and in the No. 71 Chevrolet for Young Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He started 35th and finished 31st in his series debut.

    It was not until 2007 when Clements returned to the series and competed in the final five races of the season, driving the No. 36 Chevrolet for McGill Motorsports. His best finish within his five starts was 23rd at Charlotte in October. Throughout the 2008 and 2009 racing seasons, Clements made select Xfinity starts in his family-owned team, Jeremy Clements Motorsports, while practicing and qualifying cars for Joe Gibbs Racing, notably at Kentucky in 2008 and at Iowa in 2009. Late in the 2009 season, Clements competed in six races in the No. 0 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports, where he earned a best result of 12th at Auto Club Speedway in October.

    Clements started the 2010 Xfinity Series season with plans of competing in the opening three races in the No. 0 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports. After failing to qualify for the season opener at Daytona, Clements scaled back to the No. 04 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports. Throughout the 2010 season and the 35-race schedule, he made 16 starts and failed to qualify for seven races. At Gateway in October 2010, Clements notched his first top-10 career result (10th place).

    For the 2011 season, Clements competed on a full-time basis with his family-owned team, Jeremy Clements Racing, and sporting the No. 51 alongside his car. He recorded nine top-20 results with a best finish of 14th in September. The following season, Clements returned for another full-time racing role. All of his starts came while driving for JCR, but his car number was 4 for Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and at Richmond Raceway in September. During the two races where Clements ran the No. 4 car, Ty Dillon sported the No. 51 alongside his car under the Richard Childress Racing banner during his developing races in the series. Clements’ best results in 2012 were a pair of 10th-place finishes at Dover International Speedway in June and at Indianapolis. After the season concluded, Clements surpassed 100 career starts in the Xfinity Series.

    Clements started the 2013 season by finishing 33rd in the season opener at Daytona, but he was suspended indefinitely for using a racial slur during an ESPN interview. Missing the next two events, where Ryan Sieg drove Clements’ No. 51 car, Clements returned the following race at Bristol Motor Speedway in March and competed the rest of the 33-race schedule. His best results were a ninth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in May and a 10th-place finish during the inaugural race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

    From 2014 to 2016, Clements remained as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor for his family-owned team and he notched a total of six top-10 results between the three seasons. His best runs were a fourth-place finish at Talladega in April 2016, a sixth-place result at Road America in June 2014 and a sixth-place result at Bristol in August 2016. His best points result between the three seasons was 14th in 2015. By then, he surpassed 200 Xfinity career starts.

    For the first 22 races of the 2017 Xfinity Series season, his seventh as a full-time competitor, Clements had recorded only one top-10 result, which was a seventh-place result at Iowa Speedway in June. The following race at Road America was where Clements rose to the occasion and shined under the spotlight as he was closing in towards race leader and rookie Matt Tifft in the final laps. Through Turns 12 and 13, Clements gained a big run to draw himself right to the rear bumper of Tifft’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry. In Turn 14, Clements attempted to pass Tifft for the lead when he got loose and collided into Tifft as both spun through the turn. With no caution falling, Clements was able to quickly straighten his No. 51 Chevrolet Camaro, take the lead and bolt away from the field for one final lap to achieve his first NASCAR triumph in his 256th career start. Of all the achievements that came with Clements’ victory, the biggest one of all was that the win clinched the journeyman and his team a spot in the 2017 Xfinity Series Playoffs with an opportunity to win his first NASCAR championship. For the remainder of the season, however, he finished no higher than 16th and settled in a career-best 12th place in the final standings.

    In 2018 and 2019, Clements achieved a total of six top-10 results, a best finish of fourth place at Bristol in August, and he missed the Playoffs during both seasons. His best points result was 14th in 2019. By then, he surpassed 300 career starts.

    This season, through the first 17 Xfinity Series races, Clements has achieved three top-10 results with a best result of third place at Pocono Raceway in June. With 11 top-15 results in total, Clements and his family-owned No. 51 Chevrolet team are currently 32 points below the top-12 cutline to secure a spot into this year’s Playoffs and for the second career time.

    Catch Clements’ milestone start at Road America on August 8 at noon ET on NBCSN.

  • Byron to surpass 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    Byron to surpass 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    In the midst of his battle for a postseason berth this season, William Byron is also set to achieve a significant milestone of his racing career. By competing in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, Byron will reach and surpass 150 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a student at Liberty University, Byron’s debut within NASCAR’s three major division series came in November 2015 at Phoenix Raceway and in the No. 9 Liberty University Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series. By then, he had achieved the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series (ARCA) East championship and was named as a full-time driver for KBM for the 2016 Truck Series season. Byron’s Truck debut at Phoenix in 2015 was cut short six laps into the event following a multi-truck wreck.

    Byron started the 2016 campaign with a 13th-place result at Daytona, which was followed by a 32nd-place result at Atlanta due to an engine failure and a third-place result at Martinsville Speedway. At Kansas Speedway in May, Byron benefitted from an accident on the final lap and final corner involving leaders Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes to achieve his first Truck Series career win in his fifth series start. Following his first victory, Byron’s season skyrocketed with sensational results that included wins at Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Pocono Raceway and at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. By then, he was a member in the postseason and deemed a title favorite. Everything, however, came to a crushing defeat at Phoenix in November when Byron’s engine blew up and the mechanical issue prevented the Charlotte native and his No. 9 Toyota team from transferring to the Championship Round with an opportunity of winning the title. Despite the misfortune, he rebounded by winning the finale at Homestead and concluding the season in fifth in the final standings. Overall, Byron concluded the season with seven victories (the most among a Truck rookie candidate), three poles, 11 top-five results, 16 top-10 results, 727 laps led and an average result of 9.2. In addition, he was named the 2016 Truck Rookie of the Year as he also recorded the owners’ title for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

    In August 2016, Byron signed a multi-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports that included an opportunity for him to race in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports. Driving the No. 9 Liberty University/AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro led by crew chief Dave Elenz, Byron commenced his rookie Xfinity season with a ninth-place result at Daytona. Twelve races into the season, he finished in the top 10 six times. At Michigan in June, Byron was edged by Denny Hamlin by 0.012 seconds. The following race at Iowa Speedway, Byron was not to be denied as he scored his first Xfinity triumph. He responded again the following race by achieving his second series career victory at Daytona International Speedway. Three races later, Byron recorded another win of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following an intense battle with Paul Menard. Through 31 of 33 Xfinity races, Byron recorded three victories, two poles, 10 top-five results and 20 top-10 results as he was also a member of the Playoffs. At Phoenix in November, Byron benefitted from a late two-tire pit stop to win and clinch his spot to the Championship Round at Homestead. During the finale at Homestead, Byron made a late pass on teammate and championship rival Elliott Sadler to finish in third place and achieve his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship over Sadler, teammate Justin Allgaier and Daniel Hemric. In addition to achieving his first NASCAR Xfinity title and becoming the second rookie candidate to win the series title, Byron recorded the second championship for JR Motorsports.

    The 2018 season provided a new start of Byron’s racing career as he graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series to pilot the iconic No. 24 AXALTA/Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 led by crew chief Darian Grubb. Byron started his rookie Cup season on a down note, finishing 23rd in the Daytona 500 and achieving one top-10 result through the first 18 races of the season. The end of July and beginning of August provided Byron’s highest moments of the season as he achieved back-to-back top-10 results at Pocono Raceway and at Watkins Glen International. Overall, Byron wrapped up his rookie Cup season with four top-10 results, 61 laps led and an average result of 22.1. He was also able to wrap up the 2018 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title over Bubba Wallace.

    In 2019, Byron was paired with seven-time championship-winning crew chief Chad Knaus, who was formerly with seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson. The Charlotte native started a new season of racing on a high note by winning his first Cup career pole position for the 61st running of the Daytona 500. With his accomplishment, Byron became the third competitor to win the pole for the 500 driving the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He led 44 laps throughout the 500 and was in position of posting a strong result until a late wreck left him in 21st place in the final running order. Byron’s highest result for the following five races was 15th at Auto Club Speedway in March. At Texas, where he made his 100th across NASCAR’s three major division series, Byron recorded his first top-10 result of the season (sixth). For the remaining 20 regular-season races, Byron achieved three top-five results, eight top-10 results and three additional poles as he made his first appearance as a Cup postseason contender. He went on to achieve four more top-10 results and another pole before concluding the season in a career-best 11th place in the standings. Though he did not win a race, Byron notched career-high stats that included five top-five results, 13 top-10 results, five poles, 233 laps led and a best average result of 14.9. His other highlight to the season was winning the first stage of the All-Star Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May in a photo finish over Bubba Wallace, a win that transferred Byron and the No. 24 team to the All-Star Race. He finished ninth in the main event.

    This season, Byron started off with early momentum by winning the second Duel qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway and to line up in fourth place for the Daytona 500. He, however, finished last of the 40-car field following a wreck past the one-quarter mark of the race. Through the first 20 races of this season, he has achieved six top-10 results and an average result of 17.6. He is 15 points above the top-16 cutline with six regular-season races remaining until the 2020 Cup Playoffs field is determined.

    In his 149 previous starts across NASCAR’s three major division series, Byron has achieved 11 wins, 10 poles, 28 top-five results, 61 top-10 results and over 1,300 laps led.

    Catch Byron’s milestone start at Michigan on August 8 at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Austin Dillon to surpass 250 Cup starts following Michigan

    Austin Dillon to surpass 250 Cup starts following Michigan

    When Austin Dillon completes this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, he will achieve a significant milestone of his racing career. By taking the green flag for the first Michigan race on Saturday, August 8, Dillon will reach 250 starts as a Cup competitor. He will then surpass his 250th start the following day on Sunday, August 9.

    A native of Welcome, North Carolina, and the eldest grandson of NASCAR championship owner and Hall of Famer Richard Childress, Dillon made his debut in NASCAR’s premier series at Kansas Speedway in October 2011, driving the No. 98 Curb Agajanian/Reagan Centennial/Camping World/Curb Records Chevrolet. By then, he was a full-time NASCAR Truck Series competitor for Richard Childress Racing and vying for the championship in the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado. He started and finished 26th in his Cup debut.

    The following season, Dillon made one Cup start at Michigan International Speedway in June. By then, he had achieved the 2011 Truck Series championship and was a rookie Xfinity Series competitor for RCR in the No. 3 Chevrolet Impala. Driving the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet for RCR and led by veteran crew chief Gil Martin, Dillon started 22nd and finished 24th.

    In 2013, while entered as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor, Dillon made his first Daytona 500 career start in February. Driving the No. 33 Honey Nut Cheerios/Kroger Chevrolet SS for RCR, Dillon started in eighth and finished 31st. Over the course of the season, he competed in four more Cup races in RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet and in four races in Phoenix Racing’s No. 51 Chevrolet. He also made two starts in the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing as an interim competitor, filling in for the injured Tony Stewart. His best Cup result throughout the 2013 season was an 11th-place run at Michigan in June. At Talladega Superspeedway in October, while driving Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet, Dillon was running in third place on the final lap and was prepared to establish a race-winning move until he was involved in an accident on the final lap, where he was launched in the air after being hit by Casey Mears before he landed on the ground on all four tires. He ended his race in 26th place.

    In December 2013, a month after winning his first Xfinity Series championship, Dillon was named driver of the No. 3 Dow Chemicals/Cheerios/Bass Pro Shops/American Ethanol Chevrolet SS for the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series season led by Gil Martin. Dillon’s entrance as a rookie Cup candidate also marked the return of the No. 3 car in NASCAR’s premier series since the 2001 Daytona 500, where the sport’s icon Dale Earnhardt lost his life following an accident on the final lap and where Childress opted to retire the number following the race.

    Dillon’s first run in the No. 3 Chevrolet in the Cup Series started off on a high note by winning the pole position for the 2014 Daytona 500 with a pole-winning lap at 196.019 mph. Dillon’s accomplishment marked the first time the No. 3 car started on pole for the Daytona 500 since 1996 as he also became the 40th competitor to start on pole position for the 500, fourth to do so driving the No. 3 car. He also became the fifth rookie candidate to start on pole position for the Daytona 500 and the youngest pole winner of the 500 at age 23 years, nine months and 27 days old (a record that was supplanted in 2016 by Chase Elliott). During the main event, Dillon rallied from being involved in a late multi-car wreck to finish ninth. Throughout his rookie season, Dillon achieved one top-five result, four top-10 results, 10 laps led and an average result of 17.5. He concluded the season in 20th in the final standings and fell short of the Rookie-of-the-Year title to Kyle Larson.

    For the first 15 races of the 2015 season, Dillon achieved only one top-10 result and was situated in 23rd in the regular-season standings. The following race at Sonoma Raceway, veteran Richard “Slugger” Labbe replaced Gil Martin as Dillon’s crew chief. The following race at Daytona International Speedway, Dillon was involved in a harrowing accident on the final lap on the frontstretch, when he was launched into the air past the finish line and smashed into the catchfence before coming to rest on his roof and being hit by a spinning Brad Keselowski. Despite the accident that demolished the No. 3 Chevrolet, Dillon emerged with a bruised tailbone and forearm. Amazingly, he was able to finish in seventh place before the wreck. Finishing the year with Labbe, Dillon recorded a top-five result, four more top-10 results and an average result of 21.0. He concluded the season in 21st in the final standings.

    Dillon started off the 2016 on a strong note, finishing ninth in the Daytona 500 before achieving two back-to-back top-10 results at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and at Phoenix. He went on to achieve his second Cup career pole at Auto Club Speedway in March before finishing fourth at Martinsville Speedway in April. By then, with four top-10 finishes under his belt, Dillon was ranked in seventh in the regular-season standings. Dillon went on to record six additional top-10 results and enough consistent results to make his first appearance in the Playoffs. By then, he also surpassed 100 Cup career starts. Dillon would conclude the season in 14th in the final standings, but he achieved a career-high four top-five results, a career-high 13 top-10 results, two poles and a best average result of 15.9.

    For the first 11 races of the 2017 Cup season, Dillon achieved only one top-five result and was situated in 22nd in the regular-season standings. For the upcoming race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Justin Alexander replaced Slugger Labbe as Dillon’s crew chief. In his first race with Alexander, Dillon survived on low fuel to achieve his elusive first Cup career win at his home track and in his 133rd series start. To August 2020, Dillon is one of 33 competitors to win across NASCAR’s three major division series. The victory marked the first since October 2000 where the No. 3 car won a Cup race and it guaranteed Dillon’s team a spot in the 2017 Playoffs. Finishing the year off with Alexander, Dillon achieved three top-five results, four top-10 results and an average result of 18.6 before concluding the season in a career-high 11th place.

    The 2018 season started off on a high note for Dillon, where he dodged a late carnage and took the lead on the final lap following an incident with Aric Almirola to win the 60th running of the Daytona 500. In addition to achieving his second Cup career win and becoming the 39th driver to win NASCAR’s prestigious event, Dillon’s first Daytona 500 triumph came on the 20th anniversary where the late Dale Earnhardt won his first and only Daytona 500 in 1998. The 500 win was also the first for RCR since 2007 and in the first Cup race for the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. For the remainder of the season, Dillon achieved another top-five result and seven more top-10 results along with an average result of 17.5 before he concluded the season in 13th in the final standings.

    In 2019, Dillon reunited with crew chief Danny Stockman Jr., whom he won the 2011 Truck and 2013 Xfinity titles with Dillon. Following the first seven races of the year, Dillon reached 200 Cup career starts at Texas Motor Speedway in March. Though he won three poles, he achieved six top-10 results and an average result of 19.5. Missing the 2019 Playoffs, Dillon concluded the season in 21st in the final standings.

    This season, reuniting with Alexander, Dillon has achieved two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average result of 16.7 through the first 20 Cup races. He has also recorded a win, third of his career, at Texas Motor Speedway in July and is one of 10 competitors to be guaranteed a spot for the 2020 Playoffs.

    Catch Dillon’s milestone start in the first Michigan International Speedway race on August 8, which will air at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Greg Ives to reach 200 Cup starts as crew chief following Michigan

    Greg Ives to reach 200 Cup starts as crew chief following Michigan

    A significant milestone is in the making this weekend for Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Cup Series. When the Cup Series completes its upcoming doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, Ives will achieve 200 starts in NASCAR’s premier series as a crew chief.

    A native of Bark River, Michigan, Ives graduated from Michigan Technological University with an engineering degree in 2003 and joined Hendrick Motorsports as a mechanic for the No. 24 Chevrolet team driven by Jeff Gordon the following year. As a lead engineer for the No. 48 Chevrolet team driven by Jimmie Johnson and led by crew chief Chad Knaus, Ives was part of Johnson’s historic run of winning five consecutive Cup championships from 2006 to 2010.

    Following the 2012 season, Ives spent the next two seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as a crew chief for Regan Smith in 2013 and rookie Chase Elliott in 2014. In his two-year role as crew chief, Ives achieved his first five career wins, two poles, 23 top-five results and 44 top-10 results. In addition, he achieved his first NASCAR championship in 2014 with Elliott.

    In July 2014, Ives was named crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS team for the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series season following the departure of veteran Steve Letarte, who joined NBC Sports as an analyst. Nine races into his rookie season as a Cup crew chief, Ives notched his first career win with Earnhardt Jr. in May 2015 at Talladega Superspeedway, the same venue where he also achieved his first Xfinity career win in 2013 with Regan Smith. Throughout the 2015 season, the combo also won at Daytona International Speedway in July and at Phoenix Raceway in November while racking up 16 top-five results and 22 top-10 results. When the final checkered flag of the 2015 Cup season waved, they concluded the season in 12th in the final standings.

    The 2016 season was an eventful season for Ives and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team. For the first 18 races, Earnhardt Jr. drove the No. 88 car to five top-five results and six top-10 results, and they were situated in 13th place in the regular-season standings. The following race, however, Earnhardt Jr. was sidelined due to suffering concussion-like symptoms. When Earnhardt Jr. opted out of racing for the remainder of the 2016 season, Ives worked with Alex Bowman and Jeff Gordon for the final 18 races. With Gordon, the No. 88 team achieved two top-10 results and seven laps led. With Bowman, the team achieved a pole position at Phoenix in November along with three top-10 results and 200 laps led.

    In 2017, Ives reunited with Earnhardt Jr. with Earnhardt receiving medical clearance to return to racing. Following the first eight races of the season, where the combo only achieved one top-five result, Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from full-time NASCAR racing following the 2017 season. Three months later, Bowman was named as Earnhardt Jr.’s successor of the No. 88 Chevrolet with Ives to continue to lead the team. Throughout the 2017 season, though he was absent for two races, Ives achieved one top-five result, eight top-10 results and two poles with Earnhardt Jr. before concluding the season in 21st in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 Cup starts as a crew chief.

    In 2018, following Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement and with Bowman behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro, the combo started off on a high note by winning the pole position for the Daytona 500. Throughout the season, however, Bowman and Ives achieved three top-five results and 11 top-10 results. Though they made the Playoffs, they concluded the season in 16th in the final standings.

    The following season, it took until the first 16 races into the new season for Bowman to achieve his first Cup career win at Chicagoland Speedway in June. Bowman’s victory also snapped a three-year winless drought for Ives and the No. 88 team since their last victory in November 2015. Throughout the 2019 season, the two achieved seven top-five results and 12 top-10 results as they made the Playoffs again before concluding the season in 12th in the final standings, four spots higher than the previous season.

    Through the first 20 races of this season, Bowman and Ives have achieved one victory at Auto Club Speedway in March. They have also achieved two top-five results and six top-10 results, and they are one of 10 teams to be guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Cup Playoffs. Heading into this weekend’s doubleheader races at Michigan, Ives’ home track, the U.P. native has achieved five career wins, four poles, 34 top-five results and 70 top-10 results in his sixth year as a Cup crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports.

    Catch Greg Ives’ milestone at Michigan on August 9 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Kaulig Racing’s Chastain and Haley battle for top-10 results at Kansas

    Kaulig Racing’s Chastain and Haley battle for top-10 results at Kansas

    It was another strong performance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing’s Ross Chastain and Justin Haley as they traveled to the midwest and competed at Kansas Speedway. Throughout the race and through two overtime restarts, both Kaulig teammates battled one another competitively with Chastain scoring a top-five result while Haley settled in sixth.

    Chastain, who sported another new look to his No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro while featuring Dyna-Gro Seed as a primary sponsor, started seventh based on a random draw while Haley started 12th.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, Chastain showed that he had a car to contend for the win as he muscled his way into the top five. He was able to work his way up as high as third while trailing the top-two cars by two seconds. Haley, meanwhile, was back in 13th as he was fighting tight conditions to his No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet Camaro. Through the first 20 laps of the race and when the field reached the competition caution, Chastain was still scored in third while Haley gained a few spots to move up to 10th.

    Remaining on track under the competition caution, both Kaulig Racing competitors restarted in the top 10 when the racing resumed. During a 15-lap dash to the conclusion of the first stage, Chastain was able to move up to the runner-up spot, where he finished at the conclusion of the first stage on Lap 40 as he collected more valuable stage points towards the Xfinity Series Playoffs. Haley was also able to remain in the top 10 as he was scored in sixth while collecting a stage point for himself.

    Following pit stops under the stage break, where both Chastain and Haley noted tight conditions to their respective Chevrolets, they restarted inside the top 10 when the second stage commenced. At the start, Chastain, restarting on the bottom lane, jumped to an early lead. He led for two corners until he was overtaken in Turn 3 and placed in a three-wide battle for the runner-up spot the ensuing lap. By Lap 50, Chastain was back in fourth while Haley was in sixth. A few laps later, both Kaulig Chevrolets battled one another for the fifth spot with Haley prevailing and moving into the top five for the first time of the day. At Lap 65, both gained a spot to move up to fourth and fifth. For the final 15 laps of the second stage, Chastain worked his way back up to fourth while Haley settled in fifth as both garnered more stage points towards the postseason.

    Under the stage break, Chastain and Haley pitted for fresh tires, fuel, air pressure and a chassis adjustment for their respective Camaros. For the stage of the final stage, both battled one another again for position as Haley moved up to fifth while Chastain fell back to sixth. With the racing progressing and passing the 100-lap mark, Haley, who raced as high as fourth, was scored in sixth while Chastain fell back to seventh. Both met one another on track as they battled for position with Chastain passing Haley for sixth place. Six laps later, Chastain was back in the top five and working his way back towards the front while Haley lost another spot and was in eighth.

    With 45 laps remaining, Chastain moved up to third while Haley fell back to ninth. Five laps later, pit stops under green occurred with Haley pitting and Chastain stopping for service a lap later after leading a lap. When the pit stops under green cycled through with approximately 20 laps remaining, Chastain was back in third place while Haley was in 10th.

    Down to the final 10 laps, both Kaulig Racing competitors appeared to have top-10 results wrapped up. With four laps remaining, everything changed when a single-car wreck in Turn 3 drew a late caution and jumbled up the field for a late shootout to the checkers. Under caution, both pitted and Chastain was lined up in fourth place while Haley was in ninth for the first overtime restart. During the first overtime attempt, Chastain made a bid for the lead when the caution quickly returned for another single-car incident in Turn 1. For the second overtime attempt, Chastain restarted in third again and Haley restarted in 10th. At the start, Chastain made another bid for the lead on the bottom lane until he slid up entering Turn 2 and fell back to fifth while battling Haley and other competitors for position across the start/finish line for the start of the final lap. Entering Turn 2, Chastain narrowly avoided colliding into a car making contact with the outside wall as he battled dead even with Haley for position. At the finish line, with Brandon Jones winning the race at Kansas, Chastain was able to edge Haley by a nose to finish fifth as both Kaulig Racing competitors finished in the top 10 for the 11th time this season.

    With his seventh top-five result and his 15th top-10 result of this season, Chastain continues to be scored in fourth place in the regular-season standings, trailing points leader Austin Cindric by 60 points while being 320 points above the top-12 cutline in making the Playoffs. Haley earned his 12th top-10 result of this season as he is already guaranteed a spot in the Xfinity Series Playoffs by virtue of his win at Talladega Superspeedway in June.

    With the NASCAR Xfinity Series entering its first off week since May, Kaulig Racing will return as a three-car operation for the next scheduled race at Road America on August 8, with A.J. Allmendinger set to make his sixth series start of 2020 and race alongside Chastain and Haley. The race at Road America will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.