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  • Buescher, Reddick involved in post-race altercation amid late-race battle at Darlington

    Buescher, Reddick involved in post-race altercation amid late-race battle at Darlington

    For a second consecutive weekend, Chris Buescher was denied an opportunity to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2024 season amid an eventful run and intense battle for the win in the closing stages of the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 12. 

    Compared to a week ago at Kansas Speedway, where he was edged by Kyle Larson in the closest-recorded finish in the Cup Series history at 0.001 seconds but managed a smile, Buescher this week was left fuming over Tyler Reddick, the latter of which foiled both opportunities of netting a victory at the track deemed “Too Tough to Tame.” 

    The late drama for the victory that eventually led to tempers flaring started during a restart with 33 laps remaining when Reddick and Brad Keselowski, Buescher’s teammate and co-owner at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, spent the following three laps battling dead even for the lead. By then, Reddick, the pole winner had received stellar pit stops from his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota pit crew that enabled him to beat Keselowski off of pit road from the first pit stall throughout the event’s caution and stage break periods, including the latest service with 37 laps remaining.

    Then entering the frontstretch with 30 laps remaining, Keselowski, who made a bold charge underneath Reddick, made contact with the latter as Reddick scraped the outside wall while Keselowski nearly bounced off of Reddick. With both Reddick and Keselowski briefly falling off the pace and trying to regain their pace, Buescher capitalized on the contact and hard racing by diving his No. 17 Fifth Third Bank/Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse beneath both through the frontstretch as he emerged with the lead entering the first two turns. 

    After muscling ahead of Keselowski to claim the runner-up spot with 28 laps remaining, Reddick then spent the next 18 laps stalking and narrowing his deficit to Buescher. Then as he got to Buescher’s rear bumper while trailing him by a tenth of a second through the backstretch with 10 laps remaining, Reddick seized an opportunity by diving low beneath Buescher in a bid to reclaim the lead through Turns 3 and 4. Instead of the move sticking below the track through the turns as Reddick had hoped, Reddick’s Toyota slid up the track and pinned Buescher’s Ford against the outside wall through Turns 3 and 4.  

    The contact resulted in both falling off the pace as both had their rear tires flattened and pitting their respective entries during the following lap, with their hopes of winning for the first time at Darlington Raceway also evaporated. During their late-race issues. Keselowski zipped by both and led the final eight laps en route to his first Cup victory in three years as he also received the honors of recording the first elusive victories of the season for both Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing and the Ford Mustang Dark Horse stock car. 

    After taking the checkered flag in 30th place, two spots ahead of Reddick but two laps behind the leaders, before parking his entry on pit road, Buescher wasted no time stalking over to Reddick, where he gave the latter a shove and exchanged harsh words as Reddick still had his helmet on before Buescher walked back to his car. Amid the heated confrontation, Buescher maintained his composure as he summarized his disappointment and perspective over the late-race incident from his post-race interview. 

    “We got wrecked,” Buescher, who led 21 of 293-scheduled laps, said on FS1. “That one’s clear as day. [I] Don’t need any cameras to tell us. [Me and Reddick] raced each other really clean over the years, try to be really respectful about it, and we get used up. I’m just really pissed off about it right now. We certainly had a chance to win another [race].” 

    “Man, I wanted [the win] for our Fifth Third Bank group right here,” Buescher added. “[Reddick] knows he messed up. He said it, but it doesn’t change anything for us. I told him he’s got a win sticker on [his No. 45 door] and we’re still trying to find ours. We get used up like that and take away those opportunities stuff. That’s two weeks in a row we’ve had a shot to win races.” 

    The 30th-place result marks Buescher’s second-worst finish through the first 12 events of the 2024 Cup Series schedule and it dropped him one spot in the regular-season standings to 12th place, where he trails points leader Kyle Larson by 155 points. Nonetheless, Buescher, who remains poised for his first victory of the season, is 15 points above the top-16 cutline, enabling him to make the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs as this year’s regular-season stretch reaches its halfway mark. 

    Meanwhile, Reddick, who led a race-high 174 laps and won the second stage, was also left disappointed on pit road after ending up 32nd in the final running order despite spending the majority of the event running at the front and dominating in his No. 45 MoneyLion Toyota Camry XSE entry that sported a special throwback scheme honoring the late NASCAR icon Tim Richmond as Reddick also sported a throwback mustache to mirror Richmond. Amid the confrontation, Reddick was quick to accept responsibility for his role in the contact with Buescher.  

    “I completely understand where [Buescher]’s coming from,” Reddick said. “He’s running the top [lane], running his own race, running his own line, keeping me at bay. I made a really aggressive move and was hoping I was gonna clear him. When I realized I wasn’t going to, I tried to check up and not slide up into him, but…I wish I wouldn’t have done that.”  

    Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    “I completely understand why he’s that mad,” Reddick added. “He did nothing wrong. Just trying to win the race. Take myself out, that’s one thing like I can live with that. I’m just disappointed it played out the way it did and took him out of the race as well. That was not the goal there. Just have to work on that and try to make some better decisions going forward.”  

    Compared to Buescher, Reddick has one victory under his belt through the first 12 events of the 2024 Cup Series schedule after he won at Talladega Superspeedway three races ago. Despite being currently guaranteed a spot into the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs, Reddick also dropped one spot in the regular-season standings as he is ranked in sixth place and trails Larson by 90 points as he continues his pursuit for additional victories before the regular season’s conclusion in August. 

    With Darlington Raceway in the rearview mirror, the next event on the 2024 Cup Series schedule for Buescher, Reddick and the rest of the field is the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, where both Buescher and Reddick are set to compete in for equal chances of the event’s prize of $1 million.

    The 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway is set to occur next Sunday, May 19, and air at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Justin Allgaier prevails to win Xfinity Series race at Darlington

    Justin Allgaier prevails to win Xfinity Series race at Darlington

    Justin Allgaier dominated the Xfinity Series field to claim a decisive win at Darlington Raceway. He won the first two stages in his No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, led 119 of 147 laps and captured the checkered flag for his 24th victory in the series.

    It was his third win at Darlington and his 24th Xfinity Series win, tying him with team owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. He also leads the series with 267 top-10 finishes, breaking a tie with Kyle Busch.

    “I didn’t know if the day would come when I’d be able to match Dale Jr.,” Allgaier said after the race. “Not only is he a great boss but a really good mentor and an unbelievable race car driver.

    “To be able to come here, to be able to tie him, to be able to take over the all-time top 10s, man, there’s nothing better than that.”

    Austin Hill led six laps, finished second and leads the series by 3 points. Cole Custer was third as Sam Mayer and Aric Almirola rounded out the top five finishers at Darlington.

    Parker Kligerman, Riley Herbst, rookie Jesse Love, Sheldon Creed and Brandon Jones rounded out the top 10.

    The post-race inspection was completed with no issues.

    The Xfinity Series is off next week and returns to completion on May 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

  • Cole Custer awarded Xfinity Series pole at Darlington after qualifying canceled

    Cole Custer awarded Xfinity Series pole at Darlington after qualifying canceled

    Cole Custer will lead the field to green in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway after the practice and qualifying sessions were canceled due to rain and hail at the track.

    The field was set per the NASCAR Rule Book performance metric which is based on the previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race finish position and 35% of the owner points position.

    Chandler Smith will join Custer on the front row followed by Sheldon Creed, AJ Allmendinger and Austin Hill to complete the top five starters. Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Anthony Alfredo, Riley Herbst and Parker Retzlaff will round out the top 10.

    All of the cars passed pre-race inspection.

    The Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1 with radio coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

  • Darlington Throwback Weekend Schedule

    Darlington Throwback Weekend Schedule

    NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway for a full weekend of racing as all three national series compete. The racing will culminate on Mother’s Day with the Cup Series Goodyear 400. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron is the defending race winner.

    The Craftsman Truck Series will get the action started Friday night with the Buckle Up South Carolina 200. Christian Eckes is the most recent winner at the 1.366-mile track. Saturday afternoon the Xfinity Series takes center stage for the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200.

    NASCAR Press Pass will be available post-race for all series.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, May 10
    3:05 p.m.: Truck Series Practice (Timed, All Entries, 20 Minutes) FS1
    3:35 p.m.: Truck Qualifying (Impound, All Entries, Single Vehicle, 1 Lap) FS1
    5:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice (Timed, All Entries, 20 Minutes) FS1
    5:35 p.m.: Xfinity Qualifying (Impound, All Entries, Single Vehicle, 1 Lap) FS1
    7 p.m.: Truck Series Driver Intros – FS1
    7:30 p.m.: Truck Series
    Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.8 Miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $770,233

    Saturday, May 11
    10:35 a.m.: Cup Series Practice (Timed, Groups A & B, 20 Minutes each) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    11:20 a.m.: Cup Qualifying (Impound, Groups A & B, Single Vehicle, 1 Lap, 2 Rounds)
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    1:10 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros – FS1
    1:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200
    Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.8 Miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $1,371,756

    Sunday, May 12
    2:25 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros – FS1
    3 p.m.: Cup Series Goodyear 400
    Stages 90/185/293 Laps = 400.2 Miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $8,090,969

  • Ross Chastain to make 200th Cup career start at Darlington

    Ross Chastain to make 200th Cup career start at Darlington

    Competing in his fourth consecutive full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ross Chastain is within reach of a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, the driver of the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will achieve 200 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series. 

    A native of Alva, Florida, Chastain made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway in June 2017. By then, he was campaigning in his third full-time season in the Xfinity Series, all with JD Motorsports. Driving the No. 15 Chevrolet entry for Premium Motorsports, Chastain started 36th and finished 20th in his Cup debut. Four months later, he made his second Cup career start with Premium at Dover during the 2017 Playoffs, where he finished 38th. 

    In 2018, Chastain, who remained a full-time Xfinity competitor, also competed in all but two of the 36-race Cup schedule. Making his first start of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February, where he finished 30th, the Floridian achieved a season-best 18th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April, a single-lap lead at Talladega Superspeedway in October and an average-finishing result of 28.4, all while competing for Premium Motorsports. 

    The following season, Chastain, who made 77 career starts across NASCAR’s top three national touring series and contended for the Truck Series title, also competed in all but one of the 36-race Cup schedule with Premium Motorsports. He commenced the season by notching his first top-10 career finish during the 61st running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway by finishing 10th. He would then notch a 12th-place finish at Talladega in October while tallying a total of 11 laps led and an average-finishing result of 28.2 before the 2019 season’s conclusion. 

    In 2020, Chastain, who became a full-time Xfinity competitor for Kaulig Racing, made his first Cup start of the season during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 with Spire Motorsports, where he ended up 25th after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. He then competed in the following three events as an interim competitor for Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 Ford Mustang team as veteran Ryan Newman was recovering from a harrowing final lap wreck during the Daytona 500. In Chastain’s three-race stint with Roush, his highest-finishing result was a 17th-place run at Auto Club Speedway in March. Chastain would then make four additional Cup starts for the rest of the season with Spire Motorsports, where he achieved a season-best 16th-place result at Daytona in August. 

    In September 2020, Chastain was announced as a full-time Cup Series competitor for Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry for the 2021 season. He commenced the season by finishing seventh during the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 despite being involved in a final lap multi-car wreck before finishing no higher than 14th during his next 12 starts. After notching his first top-five career result during the series’ inaugural event at Circuit of the Americas in May, Chastain rallied from finishing 37th during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to finish seventh at Sonoma Raceway and a career-best second place behind Kyle Larson during the series’ inaugural event at Nashville Superspeedway in June. Despite recording two additional top-10 results during the final nine regular-season events on the schedule, Chastain fell short of making the 2021 Cup Playoffs.

    Nonetheless, Chastain achieved a third-place finish during the Playoffs opener at Darlington Raceway followed by a seventh-place run at Richmond Raceway in September. He then managed to secure three top-15 results during the final eight events on the schedule before ending up in 20th place in the final standings. By then, Chastain boosted his average finishing result to 18.6 and tallied three top-five results, eight top-10 results and 62 laps led throughout the 36-race schedule. He had also surpassed 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series. 

    In early August 2021, Chastain, who was initially labeled a free agent after Trackhouse Racing purchased Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR operations for the 2022 season, was hired by Trackhouse to pilot the team’s No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in 2022. Despite finishing 40th and 29th, respectively, during the season’s first two-scheduled events, he rebounded by finishing in the top three, including two runner-up results, during his next three starts. Then at Circuit of the Americas in March, Chastain outlasted an overtime battle against AJ Allmendinger and Alex Bowman, where he bumped and sent Allmendinger into Bowman before the former spun with two corners remaining, to notch the first Cup Series career victory for himself and for Trackhouse Racing, with the victory occurring in Chastain’s 121st Cup career start.

    Four races later, he overtook both Kyle Larson and Erik Jones through the tri-oval on the final lap to score his second career win at Talladega Superspeedway in April, where he only led the final lap. The pair of regular-season victories along with a total of 10 top-five results and 14 top-10 results in 26 starts were enough for Chastain to qualify for his first Cup Series Playoffs.

    After recording three top-10 results during the 2022 Playoff’s first six events, he was able to transfer from the Round of 16 to 8. Then after recording back-to-back runner-up results during the Round of 8’s first two events and entering the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway above the top-four cutline to make the Championship 4 round, Chastain achieved an incredible feat on the final lap by sending his car at full speed against the outside wall through the final two turns to go from 10th to fifth before taking the checkered flag.

    As a result, Chastain, who was initially scored two points below the cutline, ended up making the Championship 4 cutline by four points over rival Denny Hamlin, who Chastain also managed to edge at the finish line. Eventually, Chastain would be credited with a fourth-place result after initial fourth-place finisher Brad Keselowski was disqualified for failing post-race inspection. During the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, Chastain finished in third place on the track and in a career-best second place in the final standings behind Joey Logano. Despite falling one position short of winning his first Cup title, the 2022 season was a career year for the Floridian, who nabbed his first two career victories and achieved career-high stats in top fives (15), top 10s (21) and laps led (692) along with a career-best average-finishing result of 13.3.   

    Returning to Trackhouse Racing while under a new multiyear deal in 2023, Chastain commenced the season by finishing ninth during the 65th running of the Daytona 500. He then finished in the top five a total of five times during his next 11 starts before finishing no higher than 10th during the next four. Then at Nashville Superspeedway in June, Chastain secured his spot for the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs after scoring the first victory of the season for himself and Trackhouse Racing, where the Floridian led a race-high 99 laps and started on pole position for the first time in his career. After recording only a single top-10 result for the remaining nine regular-season events, Chastain then finished fifth, 13th and 23rd, respectively, throughout the Round of 16, which were enough for him to transfer into the Round of 12.

    With respective finishes of second, 37th and 10th during the Round of 12, however, he was eliminated from title contention. Nonetheless, Chastain proceeded to finish fifth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the Round of 8 opener in October before concluding the season with a dominant win in the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway in November. The finale victory at Phoenix was enough for Chastain to end up in ninth place in the final standings in a season where he notched two victories, a pole, 10 top-five results, 14 top-10 results, 640 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.0. 

    Chastain commenced the 2024 campaign by nearly winning the 66th running of the Daytona 500 until he and Austin Cindric wrecked through the frontstretch on the final lap, which relegated the Floridian to a 21st-place finish in the final running order. He has since recorded a total of four top-10 results through his next 11 starts and is currently ranked in 10th place in the 2024 driver’s standings while trailing the points lead by 136 points.

    Through 199 previous Cup starts, Chastain has achieved four victories, one pole, 29 top-five results, 48 top-10 results, 1,515 laps led and an average-finishing result of 20.3 as he continues his pursuit for his first Cup Series championship. 

    Ross Chastain is scheduled to make his 200th Cup Series career start at Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, May 12, with the event’s coverage to commence at 3 p.m. ET on FS1. 

  • Parker Kligerman to make 100th Xfinity career start at Darlington

    Parker Kligerman to make 100th Xfinity career start at Darlington

    In his third full-time season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Parker Kligerman is primed to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Xfinity event at Darlington Raceway, the driver of the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet Camaro will make his 100th career start in the Xfinity circuit. 

    A native of Westport, Connecticut, Kligerman made his inaugural presence in the Xfinity Series at Kansas Speedway in October 2009. By then, he was competing on a full-time basis in the ARCA Racing Series for Cunningham Motorsports, where he would achieve nine victories and a runner-up result in the final standings, and was a development competitor for Team Penske. Driving the No. 22 Penske Dodge, Kligerman notched his first career pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 172.778 mph in 31.254 seconds and would lead the first seven laps before settling in 16th place in the final running order. He returned for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, where he piloted the No. 42 Team 42 Racing Dodge to a 25th-place finish. 

    In 2010, Kligerman made a total of 12 starts in the Xfinity Series between Team Penske and Team 42, with his first start occurring at Auto Club Speedway in February and finishing 22nd despite failing to qualify for the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. After notching his first career top-10 result at Bristol Motor Speedway in August by finishing ninth, the Connecticut native then notched a season-best eighth-place result at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal during the following event. Ultimately, he recorded a total of six top-15 results between his two part-time rides. He would make a total of four Xfinity starts for Team Penske between 2011 and 2012, where he would notch three top-10 results and finish as high as seventh, which occurred at Chicagoland Speedway in July 2012. 

    In 2013, Kligerman, who had scored his first Craftsman Truck Series victory at Talladega in October 2012 while driving for Red Horse Racing, joined Kyle Busch Motorsports to pilot the No. 77 Toyota Camry on a full-time basis. Commencing the season by finishing fifth at Daytona while dodging a harrowing multi-car wreck on the frontstretch, Kligerman would record a total of three top-five results, 13 top-10 results, 45 laps led and an average-finishing result of 14.1 throughout the 33-race schedule before settling in ninth place in the final standings. By then, he notched a career-best third-place result at Road America in June and a fourth-place finish at Auto Club Speedway in March. At Michigan International Speedway in June, Kligerman led 13 laps and was in the position of achieving his first career victory amid a late pit strategy and gamble before pitting for fuel with 14 laps remaining and ending up in 25th place while two laps down. 

    With Kyle Busch Motorsports ceasing its Xfinity Series program after the 2013 season, Kligerman would move up to the NASCAR Cup Series to compete for Swan Racing and contend for the 2014 Rookie-of-the-Year title. The driver, however, would be released by Swan Racing after the team sold its operations to Xxxtreme Motorsport following the first eight scheduled events. A year later and after he joined NBC Sports Network as an analyst, he made a single Xfinity start for Obaika Racing at Darlington Raceway, where he finished 21st. Another two years later, he competed at Road America for Precision Performance Motorsports, where he finished 10th. 

    In 2022, Kligerman made a total of three starts in the Xfinity Series, with his first start occurring at Circuit of the Americas for Emerling-Gase Motorsports, where he finished 12th. He remained with the team as he competed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, where he ended up 37th after being eliminated in an early incident. His third and final start of the season occurred at Talladega Superspeedway during the Xfinity Series Playoffs, where he piloted the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet Camaro to a sixth-place finish. 

    In late October 2022, Big Machine Racing announced that Kligerman will be driving the team’s No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro on a full-time basis for the 2023 Xfinity season. He commenced the season with a 23rd-place finish at Daytona after being involved in a final lap wreck amid an overtime shootout. After finishing 10th, 11th and 15th, respectively, during his next three starts, Kligerman was in contention of achieving his first victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway until he got turned approaching the finish line and wrecked, but managing a fourth-place finish. Kligerman and the No. 48 Big Machine Racing team would proceed to notch six top-five results and 12 top-10 results during the remaining 21 regular-season events, with their best result being a runner-up finish at Road America in late July.

    By virtue of the results and the consistency, including a seven-race consecutive streak of top-nine results between July and August and a fourth-place finish during the regular-season finale at Kansas Speedway in September, Kligerman managed to claim the 12th and final berth to the 2023 Xfinity Series Playoffs over Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst.

    Commencing the 2023 Playoffs with a 31st-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kligerman rallied during the following two events at Texas Motor Speedway and at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course by finishing second and sixth, respectively. The results, however, were enough for the Connecticut native to not transfer into the Round of 8 by four points. Nabbing two top-10 results during the final four events on the schedule, Kligerman settled in a career-best 10th place in the final driver’s standings. By then, he had achieved career-high stats in top fives (8), top 10s (18) and an average-finishing result of 13.2 as a full-time competitor. 

    Remaining at Big Machine Racing for the 2024 season, Kligerman has achieved three top-10 results through the first 10 events on the schedule. He is currently ranked in ninth place in the current 2024 driver’s standings and trails the series points lead by 133 points. 

    Through 99 previous starts in the Xfinity Series, Kligerman has achieved one pole, 12 top-five results, 41 top-10 results, 107 laps led and an average-finishing result of 14.9 as he continues his pursuit for both his first Xfinity race victory and championship. 

    Parker Kligerman is scheduled to make his 100th Xfinity Series career start at Darlington Raceway for the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 on Saturday, May 11, with the event’s broadcast time to commence at 1 p.m. ET on FS1.  

  • Christian Eckes to make 100th Truck career start at Darlington

    Christian Eckes to make 100th Truck career start at Darlington

    In his fourth full-time campaign in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Christian Eckes is poised to achieve a milestone start of his own. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Buckle Up South Carolina 200 at Darlington Raceway, the driver of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet Silverado RST will reach 100 career starts in the Truck circuit.  

    A native of Greenville, New York, Eckes, winner of the 2016 Snowball Derby and Myrtle Beach 400, made his Truck Series debut at Iowa Speedway in June 2018. By then, he was competing on a part-time basis in the ARCA Menards Series for Venturini Motorsports and was coming off his first career victory at Salem Speedway. Driving the No. 46 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Eckes started ninth and finished eighth in his series debut. In the following event at World Wide Technology Raceway, he led 34 laps and won the second stage before ending up in 28th place following a late wreck after he got bumped and turned by Stewart Friesen into the outside wall entering the backstretch. Eckes would return for his third Truck career start at Martinsville Speedway in October, where he finished ninth, before finishing ninth for the third time in his career at Phoenix Raceway in November. 

    The following season, Eckes, who contended for the ARCA Menards Series championship for Venturini Motorsports, made a total of eight Truck Series starts in the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota entry. His first start occurred during the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, where he started on pole position for the first time in his career. Despite leading the first lap, Eckes ended up 22nd after being involved in two late incidents. His next start occurred at World Wide Technology Raceway in June, where he started on pole, led a race-high 57 laps and was contending for the victory until he got turned by Friesen on the final lap and dropped to 14th place in the final running order.

    He would then finish fourth, sixth, and 15th during his next three starts at Pocono Raceway, Eldora Speedway and Michigan International Speedway, respectively, before finishing third at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September and 17th at Martinsville in October, both of which he started on pole position. During the season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the New York native started on the front row and led 26 laps before settling in third place on the track and delivering the seventh Truck Series owner’s championship for Kyle Busch Motorsports. By then, Eckes, who had notched three top-five results, four top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 10.8 through eight Truck starts, had also claimed the 2019 ARCA championship. 

    Following two strong part-time seasons, Eckes moved up to the Truck Series on a full-time basis in 2020 behind the wheel of the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra, where he contended for the Rookie-of-the-Year title. After commencing the season by finishing no higher than 14th during the first three scheduled events, he notched his first top-five result of the season by finishing third at Atlanta. He then claimed two top-10 results during his next three starts before posting a career-best runner-up result behind team owner Kyle Busch at Texas Motor Speedway in July. Eckes then claimed back-to-back runner results at Kansas Speedway and at Michigan International Speedway, respectively, before posting a single top-five result within the final five regular-season events.

    By then, Eckes managed to qualify for the 2020 Truck Series Playoffs based on points. His Playoff run, however, came to an early end following respective finishes of 17th, eighth and 18th during the Round of 10. Managing three top-six finishes during the final four-scheduled events, including back-to-back fourth-place runs at Martinsville and Phoenix, Eckes settled in eighth place in the final driver’s standings and in the runner-up spot behind Zane Smith for the rookie title. 

    After being released by Kyle Busch Motorsports following the 2020 season, Eckes joined ThorSport Racing and competed on a part-time basis in the 2021 Truck Series season while sharing the No. 98 Toyota Tundra with Grant Enfinger. His first start occurred at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in February, where he finished 10th. He then finished ninth and fourth, respectively, during his next two events at Las Vegas and Kansas before managing three top-15 results during his next five starts. Then at Las Vegas in September, Eckes capitalized on a four-lap shootout to capture his first Truck Series career victory in his 44th series start and amid a historic 1-2-3-4 finish for ThorSport Racing. Eckes would conclude the 2021 season in sixth place during the season-finale at Phoenix as ThorSport Racing’s No. 98 entry ended up in ninth place in the final owner’s standings. 

    Achieving a full-time ride in ThorSport Racing’s No. 98 entry for the 2022 Truck season, Eckes commenced the season on a high note by finishing third at Daytona. He then recorded two top-six results during the following six events on the schedule before posting four consecutive top-five results, including two runner-up finishes, during his next four starts. With three additional top-10 results occurring during the final five regular-season events, Eckes made his second career appearance in the Truck Series Playoffs as a title contender. Following respective finishes of 16th, eighth and 10th throughout the Round of 10, he transferred into the Round of 8. Despite finishing no lower than eighth during the Round of 8, Eckes did not transfer into the Championship 4 round and would conclude the season in eighth place in the final standings. By then, Eckes claimed a career-high stat in top 10s (15) and posted a career-best average-finishing result of 10.9 as a full-time competitor. 

    The 2023 season presented another new beginning for Eckes, who departed ThorSport and joined McAnally-Hilgemann Racing to drive the No. 19 Chevrolet Silverado RST on a full-time basis, where he replaced the 2019 ARCA Menards Series West champion, Derek Kraus. After settling in third place during the season-opening event at Daytona followed by a sixth-place finish at Las Vegas amid a wild save while being sideways, the New York native capitalized on an overtime shootout to edge rookie Nick Sanchez on the final lap and at the moment of caution to grab his second Truck Series career victory at Atlanta in March. Amid respective finishes of 30th, 15th, 30th, 15th and 30th during his next five starts, Eckes capitalized on two overtime shootouts to grab his second Truck victory of the season at Darlington Raceway in May. He would then notch four top-seven results, including two top-three results, during his next six events before officially qualifying for the Playoffs.

    Commencing the 2023 Playoffs by finishing second at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway followed by a third-place finish at the Milwaukee Mile and winning the Round of 10 finale at Kansas, Eckes raced his way into the Round of 8. Despite achieving a runner-up result during the Round of 8 opener at Bristol Motor Speedway in September, he finished 19th and 20th during the next two Round of 8 events, which were not enough for him to make the Championship 4 round by a mere margin. Despite falling short of contending for his first Truck Series championship, Eckes capped off the 2023 season by scoring a career-high fourth victory of the season at Phoenix, which was enough to settle in a career-high fifth place in the final standings. By then, he achieved a career-high 10 top-five results, three poles, a career-high 351 laps led and an average-finishing result of 11.1. 

    This season, Eckes has achieved dominant victories at two short track venues: Bristol in March and Martinsville Speedway in early April. To go along with a total of four top-five results and top-10 finishes in all but one of the first eight events on the 2024 schedule, Eckes is currently ranked in second place in the driver’s standings and trails points leader Corey Heim by seven points. 

    Through 99 previous Truck starts, Eckes has achieved seven victories, seven poles, 34 top-five results, 58 top-10 results, 1,119 laps led and an average-finishing result of 11.4 as he continues his pursuit for his first Truck Series championship. 

    Christian Eckes is scheduled to make his 100th Craftsman Truck Series career start at Darlington Raceway for the Buckle Up South Carolina 200. The event is set to occur this upcoming Friday, May 10, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1. 

  • Kyle Busch to make 175th Truck career start at Darlington

    Kyle Busch to make 175th Truck career start at Darlington

    The upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Buckle Up South Carolina 200 at Darlington Raceway is set to mark Kyle Busch’s fifth and final Truck Series start of the 2024 season, with the driver campaigning in his four previous events behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST. The event is also set to mark a unique milestone start for Busch, who is in his 22nd season with at least one start in the Truck circuit. By competing this weekend at Darington, the two-time Cup Series champion will make his 175th career start in the Truck circuit. 

    A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Busch made his inaugural presence in the Truck Series at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 2001, where he replaced Nathan Haseleu in Roush Racing’s No. 99 Ford midway into the season. By then, the Truck event at Indiana marked Busch’s inaugural presence within NASCAR’s top three national touring series after spending the previous three seasons competing and winning in legends cars and late models in Las Vegas. Starting 23rd in his Truck debut, Busch notched a top-10 result after finishing ninth. He would proceed to finish 17th at Chicago Motor Speedway, 22nd at Richmond Raceway, 33rd at South Boston Speedway, 25th at Texas Motor Speedway and ninth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, respectively. Then at California Speedway in November, Busch, who was the fastest in practice, was not allowed to compete in the event due to being 16 years of age and not meeting the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement that prohibited individuals under 18 years of age from participating in events sponsored by Marlboro cigarettes. Ultimately, Busch would be replaced by Tim Woods for the main event.  

    After being absent from the series in 2002 and 2003 amid NASCAR’s new age restrictions with an imposed minimum age of 18 years for competitors to be granted to compete in NASCAR, Busch, who competed in the American Speed Association and the ARCA Racing Series in 2002 before reigniting his NASCAR career in the Xfinity Series with Hendrick Motorsports the following season, made a single Truck Series start with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 2004. During the event, he finished 11th after starting 16th.  

    In 2005, Busch competed in 11 Truck Series events while driving the No. 15 Chevrolet for Billy Ballew Motorsports. In his first series start of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, he led a race-high 77 laps en route to his first career victory. He would then notch his second consecutive victory during the series’ following event at Dover Motor Speedway before recording three top-five finishes during his next five starts. Busch then grabbed a dramatic final lap victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October after restarting ninth during a three-lap shootout to the finish and using four fresh tires amid a pit stop prior to the restart to overtake Jack Sprague on the final lap and final corner to win as a multi-truck wreck ensued entering the frontstretch. Busch would then cap off the 2005 Truck season by finishing third at Texas Motor Speedway and 11th at Phoenix Raceway, respectively. Ultimately, Busch achieved three victories, a pole, seven top-five results, nine top-10 results and 243 laps led during his 11-race Truck schedule. 

    Between the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Busch, who competed for Hendrick Motorsports in between the Cup and Xfinity Series, competed in a total of 18 Truck Series, all occurring with Billy Ballew Motorsports. In 2006, he achieved his lone victory of the season at Charlotte in May and finished in the top 10 in the seven events he entered. The following season, where he switched to BBM’s No. 51 entry, he won at Atlanta in October and at Phoenix in November as he also notched four top-five finishes in 11-entered events. Amid the victories, Busch accumulated a total of seven top-five results, 11 top-10 results and 547 laps led during the two-year stint, with Busch standing at six Truck career wins. 

    During the 2008 and 2009 seasons, Busch, who switched to Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series but continued to compete in Billy Ballew Motorsports’ No. 51 entry on a part-time basis, made a total of 33 Truck starts. He commenced the 2008 season by finishing in the runner-up spot at Daytona International Speedway in February before notching back-to-back victories at Fontana and Atlanta. He then finished second at Texas in June and recorded five top-10 results during his next eight starts before grabbing his third victory of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. Busch would proceed to finish second twice and no lower than eighth place during his final seven Truck events of the 2008 campaign, in which he competed in 18 of 25 scheduled events.

    In 2009, Busch, who competed in 15 events, started the season by finishing second behind at Daytona before winning at Fontana and Atlanta, respectively, for a second consecutive time. After posting two runner-up results during his next five starts, he won in his next five consecutive starts at Bristol, Chicagoland, New Hampshire, Talladega and Texas, respectively, before concluding the season with a runner-up result at Phoenix and a 13th-place run at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Overall, Busch garnered a total of 12 victories, three poles, 21 top-five results, 29 top-10 results and 1,624 laps led, with Busch’s win column increasing to 16. 

    In 2010, Busch debuted his own-operated racing team, Kyle Busch Motorsports, into the NASCAR Truck Series after purchasing the remaining assets of Xpress Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing. Driving the No. 18 KBM Toyota Tundra, Busch’s first Truck event as a driver/owner would be mired with a 22nd-place finish at Daytona after being involved in a multi-truck wreck on the first lap. He would rally by finishing second at Atlanta before securing his first victory both of the season and for KBM at Nashville Superspeedway in April after leading a race-high 131 laps. After finishing 16th at Dover amid a late fuel pump issue, Busch won at Charlotte in May after leading 69 laps before finishing third and second during his next two series starts.

    He then notched back-to-back, dominant victories at Bristol and Chicagoland before finishing seventh at Kentucky, winning at New Hampshire and settling in second at Martinsville during his next three respective starts. At Talladega Superspeedway in October, Busch edged Aric Almirola by 0.002 seconds to win amid a last-lap pass before securing a dominant victory at Texas and another runner-up result at Phoenix during his next two-scheduled starts. He then concluded the 2010 season by scoring his eighth victory of the year at Homestead after leading a race-high 57 laps. With a total of eight victories, six poles, 13 top-five results, 14 top-10 results and a career-high 1,076 laps led in 16 scheduled starts, Busch also earned the 2010 Truck Series owner’s championship for his No. 18 KBM team. To this date, the eight victories earned throughout the 2010 season are the most by Busch in a Truck season as they also tallied Busch’s win column to 24. 

    The 2011 and 2012 Truck Series seasons generated mixed results for Busch, with the Las Vegas native piloting his No. 18 Toyota to six victories and tallying his wins total to 30 as he also garnered two poles, 11 top-five results and 13 top-10 results in 16 starts. Despite surpassing 100 career starts in the Truck Series, the low point of Busch’s career occurred at Texas in November after he intentionally turned and sent four-time champion Ron Hornaday Jr. head-on into the Turn 3 outside wall at full speed amid a caution period as a retaliatory act from an earlier incident where Hornaday slid up the track and caused Busch to scrape the outside wall while battling for the lead.

    The incident not only resulted in Busch being parked by NASCAR for the remainder of the event, but it would carry forth with Busch being suspended from competing in the remaining scheduled events at Texas along with the remaining Truck and Xfinity events of the season. Returning for three Truck events in 2012, Busch finished in the top four in all of his starts but went winless for the first time in his career. The closest he came to winning was during the finale at Homestead, where he led during a two-lap shootout until he was rubbed against the outside wall and edged by a hard-charging Cale Gale at the finish line on the final lap. 

    Sporting the No. 51 alongside his KBM entry for the 2013 Truck Series season, Busch commenced the season by finishing in the runner-up spot behind Johnny Sauter at Daytona in February before ending up in 27th place at Kansas Speedway in April after being involved in a late accident. He would then snap a one-year winless drought by collecting his first victory of the season at Charlotte before doubling down with another victory at Dover. After finishing third and second during his next two starts at Kentucky and Michigan, respectively, Busch won in his next two consecutive starts at Bristol in August and at Chicagoland in September.

    Despite being involved in a vicious final lap multi-truck wreck at Talladega on the final lap before settling in 10th before ending up in 28th place at Texas amid a late engine failure, a victory by Kyle Busch Motorsports’ newcomer Erik Jones at Phoenix followed by Busch notching a dominant victory in the finale at Homestead was enough for Busch to claim his second Truck Series’ owner’s championship and his first for the No. 51 KBM team in a tie-breaker over ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 entry piloted by Matt Crafton, who won the driver’s championship. With five victories, which tallied his wins total to 35, Busch capped off the 2013 Truck Series season with nine top-10 results in 11 starts and 356 laps led. 

    The 2014 Truck Series season was a breakout season for Busch both as a driver and as an owner. As a driver, Busch commenced the season by edging Timothy Peters by 0.016 seconds to claim his first elusive victory at Daytona in the series before proceeding to win seven races, finish in the top 10 in all but one of his 10 starts and lead 747 laps. As an owner, Busch’s Kyle Busch Motorsports team was victorious in 14 of 22 scheduled events, with sophomore competitor Bubba Wallace winning four races and finishing in third place in the final standings while Erik Jones won three races in 12 starts in KBM’s No. 51 Toyota. As a result, Busch and Jones contributed to Busch earning his third Truck Series owner’s championship. 

    From 2015 to 2017, Busch made a total of 15 Truck Series starts, all occurring in his Kyle Busch Motorsports equipment. In 2015, Busch, who was sidelined in February after suffering a compound fracture and broke both his right leg and left foot amid an Xfinity Series accident at Daytona before returning to competition in May, made four Truck starts and won two races: Pocono in July and Michigan in August. The following season, he made four series’ starts and won two races for a second consecutive season, this time at Martinsville Speedway in April and at Chicagoland in September.

    Making seven starts in 2017, Busch emerged victorious in three events: Kansas and Charlotte in May followed by Bristol in September. With a total of seven Truck victories, Busch also accumulated two poles, 10 top-five results, 11 top-10 results and 807 laps led during the three-year stretch, which tallied Busch’s win column to 49. Amid his success as a Truck Series competitor, Busch was also successful as an owner as he notched his first championship as an owner with Erik Jones in 2015, the owner’s title with rookie William Byron in 2016 and his second championship with Christopher Bell in 2017. 

    Scaling to a five-race basis in the Truck Series, Busch commenced the 2018 season with a 21st-place finish at Atlanta in February after leaving pit road amid a late pit stop with the left-rear wheel not properly secured on his entry, which the tire rolled out of Busch’s truck upon exiting pit road and plummeting the Las Vegas native to 21st place in the final running order. He would rally during his next series start at Las Vegas in March by notching his first victory of the season and the 50th of his Truck career after leading 55 laps before finishing in the runner-up spot twice at Kansas and Charlotte, respectively, in May. Then at Pocono in July, Busch withstood a late challenge from teammate Erik Jones to score his 51st Truck Series career win in his 145th series start and tie Ron Hornaday Jr. for the most victories in the series.  

    In 2019, Busch won in all five of his Truck Series starts, starting at Atlanta in February as he became the all-time wins leader in the series with career win No. 52 amid a five-lap dash to the finish. He would then win at Las Vegas and Martinsville in March, where he led a combined 284 laps led, before winning at Texas in April after leading 97 laps. Busch then capped off his 2019 Truck season by winning for the eighth time at Charlotte after leading a race-high 102 laps. At the season’s conclusion, Busch would notch his seventh owner’s title for Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 51 team. 

    From 2020 to 2022, which marked his final seasons as a Toyota competitor, Busch scored six Truck Series victories while making five starts per season. In 2020, he won for the fourth time in his career at Las Vegas before finishing second at Charlotte in May and 21st at Atlanta in June, respectively. He then won for the third time in his career at Homestead in June after leading a race-high 82 laps before claiming his fifth series victory at Texas after leading a race-high 72 laps and fending off a late challenge from teammate Christian Eckes.

    The following season, he finished in the top five in all five of his scheduled starts while collecting victories at Atlanta in March and at Kansas in May. Then in 2022, Busch finished no lower than seventh during his first four starts before claiming his first victory in his final series start of the season at Sonoma Raceway in June after leading a race-high 45 laps. In total, Busch notched six Truck Series victories, 13 top-five results, 14 top-10 results and 2,016 laps led in 15 starts during the three-year span, which tallied Busch’s win column to 62.  

    This past season, Busch, whose KBM team rebranded to Chevrolet after Busch departed from Joe Gibbs Racing to join Richard Childress Racing in the Cup Series, returned for a five-race stint in his own-operated No. 51 Chevrolet Silverado RST. He won in his first series start of the season at Las Vegas in March after leading a race-high 84 laps, which also marked the 99th Truck victory for KBM. Busch would proceed to finish second at Circuit of the Americas, second at Martinsville and seventh at Kansas, respectively, during his next three starts before notching a dramatic final lap victory over former KBM competitor Corey Heim to win in his fifth and final start of the season at Pocono in July. The Pocono victory not only marked Busch’s 64th Truck Series career win, but it would also mark the 100th and final NASCAR victory for KBM. Two months later, Busch announced that KBM would cease operations at the season’s conclusion after the team was purchased by Spire Motorsports.  

    In late February, Busch was announced as a driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Spire Motorsports for five Truck events for the 2024 season. His first start of the season occurred at Atlanta, where he won after he overtook Grant Enfinger with seven laps remaining before fending off Ty Majeski at the finish line. He then competed in the following scheduled events at Las Vegas, where he finished 15th amid a late pit road penalty, and at Bristol in mid-March, where he finished second behind Christian Eckes. During his latest series start at Texas in April, Busch, who briefly lost the lead at the start of a 10-lap shootout, reclaimed it from Eckes two laps later before he fended off a final lap charge from Corey Heim to notch his series-leading 66th career victory and his record-tying sixth at the Lone Star state. 

    Through 174 previous starts in the Truck Series, Busch has achieved 66 victories, which makes him the winningest competitor in the series. He has also notched up 23 poles, 118 top-five results, 141 top-10 results, 8,050 laps led and an average-finishing result of 6.4 as he strives to win for the first time in the Truck circuit at Darlington. 

    Kyle Busch is scheduled to make his 175th Craftsman Truck Series career start at Darlington Raceway for the Buckle Up South Carolina 200 on Friday, May 10, with the event’s broadcast time to occur at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1. 

  • Hendrick Motorsports returns the No. 17 entry for an expanded Xfinity schedule in 2024

    Hendrick Motorsports returns the No. 17 entry for an expanded Xfinity schedule in 2024

    Hendrick Motorsports will be fielding the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro entry sponsored by HendrickCars.com for 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series events, an increase from the previous two seasons, featuring five accomplished competitors throughout the 2024 season.

    William Byron, the 2024 Daytona 500 champion, will first field the HMS No. 17 “all-star” entry at Phoenix Raceway on March 9. He will also compete at Darlington Raceway on May 11, Pocono Raceway on July 13 and conclude the entry’s 10-race program by competing at Watkins Glen International on September 14.

    During Byron’s four-race Xfinity slate, Brandon McSwain, a lead engineer for Byron and the No. 24 HMS team in the Cup Series who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a mechanical engineering degree, will also serve as Byron’s Xfinity crew chief.

    Kyle Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champion, will return to pilot the No. 17 HendrickCars.com entry at Circuit of the Americas on March 23 and at the Chicago Street Course on July 6 while Chase Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, will compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25 and at Darlington Raceway on August 31.

    Lastly, Alex Bowman, a three-time Daytona 500 pole winner, will make his lone Xfinity start of the season in the No. 17 entry at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 22 while Boris Said, an accomplished road-course ringer with victories in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, will return to compete at Sonoma Raceway on June 8. Said, a former champion of the Rolex Sports Car Series GT Class, with a single victory across the Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series, is also a partner at Hendrick Automotive Group’s BMW of Murrieta in Murrieta, California.

    For the events where Bowman, Elliott, Larson and Said pilot the No. 17 entry (six races total), Greg Ives, the 2014 Xfinity Series championship-winning crew chief with 10 Cup Series victories, will return to call the shots atop the No. 17 pit box.

    “The No. 17 is a big part of our story, and it would be special to see it win – and win often – during our 40th anniversary season,” Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, said. “The sponsorship has been a big success for HendrickCars.com and our dealerships, and we’re pleased to add more races and take it to another level in 2024. It’s victory lane or bust.”

    Hendrick Motorsports first fielded the No. 17 HendrickCars.com entry in four Xfinity events in 2022, where Bowman, Byron and Larson contributed to a combined two poles, three top-five results and 71 laps led. The entry returned for six events in 2023, where Bowman, Byron, Rajah Caruth, Elliott and Larson contributed to a single pole, three top-three results, four top-10 results and 68 laps led.

    Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro entry is set to make its first start of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with William Byron at Phoenix Raceway for the Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 on March 9. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to commence at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Darlington Raceway selects grassroots racing theme for Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR, May 10-12

    Darlington Raceway selects grassroots racing theme for Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR, May 10-12

    Darlington Raceway announced today that the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR will be making its return to the track Too Tough to Tame during the Goodyear 400 weekend, May 10-12. This year’s theme – Celebrate our Roots through Grassroots Racing – will honor the racing origins of drivers, owners, team members, and NASCAR as a whole.

    “We’re honored to continue the tradition of hosting NASCAR’s Official Throwback Weekend in the spring,” said Darlington Raceway President Josh Harris. “Grassroots racing is the lifeblood of our sport, and providing our industry with a chance to pay tribute to their grassroots origin story acknowledges the importance that it plays in the past, present and future of NASCAR.”

    Every driver has a story about their rise through grassroots/local track racing that led them to one of NASCAR’s national series, and they will each have the opportunity to celebrate their ascent with paint schemes that harken back to the beginning of their racing careers. Drivers will simultaneously be able to utilize Throwback Weekend to amplify their ongoing efforts to support grassroots racing and tell their story.

    NASCAR and Darlington Raceway will also showcase historic local racetracks and drivers in the region for long-time fans to appreciate and new fans to discover.  Throughout the weekend, those in attendance can expect several displays and events that highlight the history and importance of grassroots racing across the country.

    The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR begins with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race on Friday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. Then, the action will continue into Saturday, May 11, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at 1:30 p.m. Finally, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will pay homage to their grassroots origins in the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, May 12, at 3:00 p.m.

    NASCAR fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets via phone at 866-459-7223 or online at darlingtonraceway.com while supplies last.

    — Darlington Raceway —