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Tag: NASCAR Cup Seres

  • Will 2023 be the ‘The Year of Hamlin’?

    Will 2023 be the ‘The Year of Hamlin’?

    Each year when the NASCAR Playoffs start, fans ask who will win the championship. One driver who is always in these conversations is Denny Hamlin, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Throughout his career, Hamlin has been close to winning his first NASCAR Cup Series championship many times but has always seemed to fall short.

    But, maybe this year could be different. Hamlin had a dominating performance in the final Round of 16 race at Bristol Motor Speedway last Saturday night.

    After the race, however, he was booed immensely by many NASCAR fans which led to an entertaining post-race interview with NBC Sports Reporter, Marty Snider, with Hamlin telling the fans, “I beat your favorite driver!” Marty would follow up by asking him “And who would that be? Denny responded by saying, “All of them!” Once the interview was over the crowd fell silent.

    https://youtu.be/Qhbb4gsS94w

    It is too early to say that this year could be different for Hamlin, as the points for the Playoffs are reset following each round. But Hamlin also had a great finish at Kansas Speedway last weekend, finishing second to Tyler Reddick who drives for Hamlin’s team, 23XI Racing that he co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

    Hamlin has three total wins this year including Kansas Speedway in May, Pocono Raceway in July and Bristol.

    When asked on the post-race show at Bristol about his confidence in this year’s Playoffs, Hamlin said they are looking better this year and having improved finishes. And though he is doing well now, things can change quickly during the Playoffs

  • Spire Motorsports buys Charter from Live Fast Motorsports

    Spire Motorsports buys Charter from Live Fast Motorsports

    Live Fast Motorsports confirmed today that they have sold their charter to Spire Motorsports. Live Fast Motorsports currently owns the No. 78 car and charter, which Spire will acquire in the deal.

    Spire currently fields the No. 7 car piloted by Corey LaJoie and the No. 77 car driven by Ty Dillon. It is unsure whether Ty Dillon will be returning to Spire after this season. Corey LaJoie is returning next season on a multi-year deal signed earlier this year.

    There has not been a driver announcement for the new Spire Motorsports No. 78 car.

    This deal will make Spire Motorsports a three-car full-time race team for the first time in its history as a NASCAR Cup Series race team. This purchase comes at a time when charters are skyrocketing in price. This is also close to when teams are expected to receive a bigger share of the revenue NASCAR generates. This revenue will come through the new upcoming TV deal that is being worked on by NASCAR and TV broadcast partners. The current TV deal expires in 2025, and the new one will start during the 2025 season.

    It’ll be exciting to see how this team does with three cars and if Spire can continue being on the cutting edge of NASCAR.

  • Weekend schedule for Bristol

    Weekend schedule for Bristol

    This weekend NASCAR heads to Bristol Motor Speedway as the 2023 Playoffs continue with the final race in the Cup Series Round of 16. Four drivers will be eliminated following the race. Kyle Larson (Darlington) and Tyler Reddick (Kansas) are locked into the Round of 12 by virtue of wins, leaving 10 available spots.

    The Xfinity Series Playoffs begins with a diverse 12-driver field that includes participants from seven different teams:

    JR Motorsports: Josh Berry, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer
    Joe Gibbs Racing: John H. Nemechek, Sammy Smith
    Richard Childress Racing: Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed
    Kaulig Racing: Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric
    Stewart-Haas Racing: Cole Custer
    Jordan Anderson Racing: Jeb Burton
    Big Machine Racing: Parker Kligerman

    Last week Matt Crafton and Matt DiBenedetto were eliminated from the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series post-season. The Round of 8 begins at Bristol with drivers Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes and Nicholas Sanchez still in contention for the coveted championship trophy.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, September 14

    2 p.m.: ARCA Practice – All Entries – No TV
    3 p.m.: ARCA Qualifying – Impound/Timed – No TV
    4 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – Groups 1 & 2 – FS2
    4:35 p.m.: Truck Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/2 Laps/All Entries
    FS2/MRN
    6 p.m.: ARCA Bush’s Beans 200
    200 Laps = 106.6 Miles
    FS1/MRN/FloRacing
    9 p.m.: Truck Series UNOH presented by Ohio Logistics
    Stages 55/110/200 Laps = 106.6 Miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $692,239
    Post Truck Series Race: NASCAR PressPass

    Friday, September 15

    2:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice USA/PRN
    3:10 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying USA/PRN
    4:35 p.m.: Cup Series Practice USA/PRN/SiriusXM
    5:20 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying USA/PRN/SiriusXM
    Post Cup Series Qualifying: NASCAR PressPass
    7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Food City 300
    Stages 85/170/300 Laps = 159.9 Miles
    USA/PRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $1,675,370
    Post Xfinity Series Race: NASCAR PressPass

    Saturday, September 16

    7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race – Start time moved up to 6:30 p.m.
    Stages 125/250/500 Laps = 266.5 Miles
    USA/PRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $8,805,799
    Post Cup Series Race: NASCAR PressPass

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. William Byron: Byron finished fourth in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington.

    “‘Liberty University’ branding is back on my No. 24 Chevrolet,” Byron said. “And if you don’t think I’m good enough to be the Cup champion, do like Jerry Falwell, Jr. and ‘just watch.’”

    2. Kyle Larson: Larson took advantage of Denny Hamlin’s loose wheel misfortune and powered late to win at Darlington and lock in his advance to the next playoff round.

    “The race was red flagged on Lap 189 to repair the lighting in Turns 3 and 4,” Larson said. “That was unprecedented. Why? Show me another NASCAR night race where everything and everyone there weren’t ‘well lit.’”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won Stages 1 and 2 at Darlington, but a loose wheel late in the final stage cost him any chance of the victory.

    “Sure I’m disappointed,” Hamlin said. “But I received a pep talk from my 23XI Racing partner Michael Jordan. He said it’s up to me to decide if I’m going to be the Michael Jordan of the Playoffs or the Karl Malone of the Playoffs. Wait a minute. I think I already am the Karl Malone of the Playoffs.”

    4. Chris Buescher: Buescher finished a strong third at Darlington, getting his Playoffs off to a great start.

    “My car featured the ‘BuildSubmarines.com’ paint scheme,” Buescher said. “Ironically, a third place will keep my championship hopes above water. And, if you were betting on how many laps I’d lead at Darlington, you should have taken the ‘under.’”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano and Bubba Wallace made contact in Stage 1, sending Wallace spinning and leaving Logano’s No. 22 Penske Ford with a bent toe link. Logano still managed to limp home to a solid 12th-place finish.

    “Anytime the car sponsored by McDonald’s is responsible for knocking me down in the standings,” Logano said, “there’s only one way to feel about that: ‘I’m not loving it.’”

    6. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex’s hopes at Darlington were derailed by a loose wheel in Stage 2 that cost the No. 19 severely. Truex salvaged an 18th-place finish

    “Darlington is already a grueling race,” Truex said. “Add to that temperatures near 100 degrees and high humidity, and you literally find yourself having to drive like ‘hell’ just to survive.’”

    7. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished a solid fifth at Darlington.

    “I’ve been in somewhat of a slump lately,” Chastain said. “I only have one top-10 finish in the last nine races before Darlington. If I’m going to make some noise in the Playoffs, I need to ride a wave of momentum like I rode the outside wall at Martinsville last year.”

    8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney posted a solid start to his Playoffs with a ninth at Darlington.

    “That crash I had at Daytona was really violent,” Blaney said. “That being said, I really hope I can make an impact in the Playoffs, and hope my championship hopes don’t hit a wall.”

    9. Christopher Bell: Bell started on the pole at Darlington but was hindered by several mistakes, including a jack problem during an early pit stop, and later clash with the wall on his way to a 23rd-place finish in the Cook Out Southern 500.

    “That just ruined the handling on my No. 20 Toyota,” Bell said. “And I’m not happy where we finished. But I’m not worried. I know I have the desire. I’m young and I’m hungry. And that calls for a shout-out to the guy that once drove the No. 20 car, Tony Stewart, because he’s old and hungry.”

    10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was headed to the pits on lap 310 when a caution just before he entered, meaning a closed pit road, resulting in a penalty that cost Harvick a likely top 5 finish. He finished 19th and is two points below the 12-driver cutoff for round 2 of the Playoffs.

    “This is all Tyler Reddick’s fault,” Harvick said. “He braked suddenly when I pitted in an effort to duplicate what I was doing. That caused Ryan Newman to spin trying to avoid him. I shouldn’t have to say this to Tyler, but come on, man. This is the Playoffs, which is no time to take your foot off the gas.”

  • Christopher Bell claims Darlington Cup Series pole as Playoffs commence

    Christopher Bell claims Darlington Cup Series pole as Playoffs commence

    Christopher Bell captured the pole position for the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Darlington Raceway with a 169.193 mph qualifying lap Saturday afternoon. It’s his third pole of the season and his seventh career pole in the series.

    Bell was happy with the speed of his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota but also acknowledged the difficulty of keeping his car up front throughout the race.

    “It definitely feels good. Darlington is a place that’s notoriously hard to pass, so starting up front is a really big deal,” he said. “But, with that being said, it’s an extremely long race. The Southern 500 is, in my opinion, probably harder than the Coca-Cola 600 just because of the race track that we’re at. Very long time tomorrow so starting position has no indication of where we’re going to finish, but we certainly have the speed to compete and hopefully we can keep it up front all day.”

    Bell’s teammate, Denny Hamlin, will join him on the front row after posting a 169.042 mph lap. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick was third fastest, placing three Toyotas at the top of the field. Ford drivers scored the following seven spots with Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top five followed by Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Chris Buescher, Michael McDowell and Aric Almirola to complete the top 10.

    Blaney, starting fourth, emphasized the importance of staying focused.

    “That’s not a bad starting spot,” he said. “It’s nice to start in the top five and starting fourth. That’s really good. I’m proud of the effort today and now it’s just a matter of staying in it. Five hundred miles is a long race. It’s a super long race and you can make mistakes real easy, so it’s just a matter of focusing in on tomorrow. It was a good effort today we just have to keep improving.”

    Playoff contender and Regular Season Champion, Martin Truex Jr., will start toward the back of the field in 31st after his car got loose during qualifying.

    The Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway is scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on USA with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Playoff Drivers Starting Positions for The Cook Out Southern 500:
    Christopher Bell – 1st
    Denny Hamlin – 2nd
    Tyler Reddick – 3rd
    Ryan Blaney – 4th
    Brad Keselowski – 5th
    Joey Logano – 6th
    Kevin Harvick – 7th
    Chris Buescher – 8th
    Michael McDowell – 9th
    Kyle Busch – 11th
    Kyle Larson – 18th
    Bubba Wallace – 19th
    William Byron – 23rd
    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 25th
    Ross Chastain – 27th
    Martin Truex Jr. – 31st

  • 16 Drivers, 3 Manufacturers, 1 Championship Trophy

    16 Drivers, 3 Manufacturers, 1 Championship Trophy

    The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway this weekend for the first race of the 2023 Playoffs with 16 drivers representing three different car manufacturers. This diverse group of competitors will tackle the Track Too Tough To Tame with one goal in mind – win to contend for the championship trophy.

    The eligible drivers met with the media Friday to discuss their perspective heading into the final 10 races of the season.

    Hendrick Motorsports driver, William Byron, leads the series with five wins in his No. 24 Chevrolet as he heads into the postseason with 2,036 points.  

    “Yeah, I don’t want to think about that until we get to that point,” he said. “I feel like we have to work our way through the rounds and do the best job we can at all the opening tracks. It’s nice to have good bonus points and it’s nice to have that in our back pocket. But I’ve seen how the Playoffs have played out over the last few years, and you can’t get ahead of yourself. We have to do a good job in each round and take it one race at a time.”

    Kyle Larson, Byron’s teammate, enters the Playoffs in sixth place with 2,017 points. He emphasized the importance of consistency and avoiding errors as crucial factors for advancing in the postseason.

    “You know, I think I have had the same mindset my whole career that I have ever made the playoffs,” he said, “and that is just being consistent, finishing and not making mistakes. If you remember last year, I had a mistake at the Roval, and it bit me and cost us a chance to win the championship.  So, if you can finish and be consistent and get good stage points, you can help yourself out quite a bit. So, that is the mindset for me.”

    Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. is second in the driver standings heading into the Playoffs with 2,036 points and three race wins in the No. 19 Toyota during the regular season.

    When asked if starting at the top of the standings changed his approach to the Playoffs, Truex said, “None, none at all. You just have a little bit more of a safety net with those bonus points. So just thinking back to the last time that we had that amount, things were just more relaxed. You weren’t so nervous about every single point. You had a little bit of a cushion, and you could be smart about things.

    “The field is the closest it has ever been,” he added. “It’s just parity. Everything is so close now; there is just no room for error. If you have bad races, you are out. That is what we’ve seen.”

    “Ever since we went to the Next Gen car, everything has been closer and that is just another example of that. It is harder to find an advantage. It’s harder to run at the front every week consistently. Everything is tighter, closer together, less room for error – and you really have to be on top of things. The points situation is the same as every other race. It’s really, really hard to be at the front all of the time.”

    Denny Hamlin, still looking for his first championship, is optimistic that his Joe Gibbs Racing team is prepared for the challenge ahead.

    “I think the team has got better all-around speed than what they’ve had in a while,” he said. “I think that first year Next Gen we knew that we were good on the big tracks, we weren’t good on the short tracks and road courses were awful, right? We’ve shown we can win and have speed at all tracks this year so that’s something we haven’t had, even though we’ve made it to the final four so many years. We still have more overall speed at all types of race tracks where honestly you can get to the final four, but if you don’t have speed in Phoenix it doesn’t matter, and I think we will.”

    The NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway is scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on the USA Network with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

    William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 2036 points
    Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 2036 points
    Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 2025 points
    Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford, 2021 points
    Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 2019 points
    Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 2017 points
    Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 2014 points
    Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, 2011 points
    Brad Keselowski, No. 6, Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford, 2010 points
    Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, 2009 points
    Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford, 2008 points
    Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford, 2008 points
    Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford, 2007 points
    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet, 2005 points
    Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, 2004 points
    Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, 2000 points

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. William Byron: Byron finished eight at Daytona, posting his 13th top 10 of the year.

    “I’m starting the playoffs in first place,” Byron said. “That’s partly due to my four wins and 36 bonus points, and mostly due to the fact that you’re not penalized points for failing inspections.”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stage 1 at Daytona and finished 24th.

    “My No. 19 Toyota was sponsored by Ducks Unlimited,” Truex said. “Luckily, we avoided all the accidents and the car ran really well. Had we not avoided those crashes, then you could have easily seen the ‘quacks’ in my armor.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin came home 26th at Daytona and finished second in the regular season standings to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex, Jr.

    “Like many,” Hamlin said, “I was caught up in the ‘Big One.’ Historically, I’ve been pretty good, actually, I’ve been perfect, at avoiding the ‘Big One.’”

    4. Chris Buescher: Buescher took the lead on the final restart and held on to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.

    “The intensity was palpable,” Buescher said. “You could cut it with a knife, and if you’re a true NASCAR fan, you’d put a slice on a plate and eat it.”

    5. Christopher Bell: Bell finished 16th at Daytona.

    “I was driving the No. 20 Toyota that said ‘Yahoo’ on its sides,” Bell said. “Ideally, when the Playoffs conclude at Phoenix, I just hope I’m driving the ‘Woo hoo‘ car.”

    6. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.

    “Any race sponsored by Coke is a big deal to me,” Logano said. “I’m in the Coke racing family of drivers. That’s slightly different than the driver’s family racing to do coke.”

    7. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 27th, two laps down at Daytona.

    “We’re gonna have a playoff without Chase Elliott,” Larson said. “That leaves the patrons of the Dawsonville Pool Hall with nothing to cheer for, except a future liver transplant.”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led the field to green on the final restart at Daytona, but couldn’t hold on for the win and settled for ninth.

    “Kyle Busch just retired from racing,” Harvick said. “Of all the NASCAR drivers who’ve claimed that their girlfriends were trained assassins, Kurt was easily the best.”

    9. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished 17th at Daytona.

    “Daytona is always a stressful race,” Chastain said. “Add that stress to the stress of having to win to make the Playoffs, and the amount of stress increases tenfold. Other drivers say I’m an expert on stress because I’m constantly getting on peoples’ nerves.”

    10. Ryan Blaney: Blaney was taken out in the “Big One,” which happened on Lap 95 when Christopher Bell bumped Ty Gibbs into Blaney, turning Blaney’s No. 12 Ford hard into the wall. Blaney finished 36th.

    “Talk about a ‘hard right,’” Blaney said. “And speaking of ‘hard rights,’ I’d like to give one to whomever is responsible for starting that accident.”

  • Byron executes on pit strategy to claim dominant Cup victory at Watkins Glen

    Byron executes on pit strategy to claim dominant Cup victory at Watkins Glen

    After finishing no higher than 14th during his previous five scheduled starts, William Byron responded with an emphatic and potential championship-performance statement after scoring a dominant victory in the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, August 20.

    The 25-year-old Byron from Charlotte, North Carolina, led three times for a race-high 66 of 90-scheduled laps in an event where he started on the front row alongside pole-sitter Denny Hamlin and spent the first stage period running in the top five. Then during the first wave of green flag pit stops that ensued entering the second stage period, a strategic call by crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team to have Byron pit a lap after the front-runners enabled Byron to cycle ahead of them.

    He proceeded to lead starting on Lap 24 and claimed the second stage victory. Then following another well-executed call to pit with 35 laps remaining just as teammate Chase Elliott drew a caution for running out of fuel on the course, Byron cycled back to the lead with 33 laps remaining and retained the top spot during a 30-lap shootout to the finish, setting sail to his unprecedented fifth checkered flag of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, August 19, Denny Hamlin notched his fourth Cup pole of the 2023 season after posting a pole-winning lap at 125.298 mph in 70.392 seconds. Joining him on the front row was William Byron, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 124.961 mph in 70.582 seconds.

    Prior to the event, Aric Almirola, Cole Custer, Justin Haley, Brad Keselowski and Corey LaJoie dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective entries.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Hamlin rocketed ahead with an early advantage while the field fanned out entering the first turn. As the field continued to duke for early positions through the Esses and the first four turns, Hamlin retained the lead ahead of a hard-charging McDowell. Through the Inner Loop Bus Stop Corner before entering the Carousel, the Outer Loop and the final set of turns, Hamlin managed to fend off McDowell and a pack of competitors jostling for spots to lead the first lap.

    Through the second lap, McDowell attempted to make a move beneath Hamlin for the lead entering Turn 1. In spite of Hamlin briefly going off the track through Turn 1, Hamlin managed to retain the lead through the Esses ahead of McDowell while William Byron trailed behind in third in front of rookie Ty Gibbs and AJ Allmendinger. Hamlin would also manage to navigate his way smoothly through the Carousel and the Esses with the top spot, but McDowell continued to close as he awaited his opportunity to take the lead.

    Two laps later, McDowell, winner of last weekend’s Cup event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, made his move beneath Hamlin’s No. 11 Mavis Tires & Brakes Toyota TRD Camry and drew himself into a brief duel with Hamlin before he muscled his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang ahead with the top spot entering Turn 2. Byron then followed suit and assumed the runner-up spot through Turns 2 to 4 in his No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 while Hamlin settled in third in front of teammate Ty Gibbs. With Hamlin settling in between Byron and Gibbs, McDowell proceeded to lead, starting on the fourth lap.

    During the fourth lap, early trouble struck for Daniel Suarez, who was running 10th before he got loose while hitting the curbs exiting the Bus Stop Corner and spun as he barely hit the inside wall, but he was able to proceed without drawing a caution. Meanwhile, McDowell retained the lead through the fifth lap mark over a hard-charging Byron.

    Through the first 10 scheduled laps, McDowell was leading by four-tenths of a second over Byron followed by Hamlin, Ty Gibbs and Allmendinger while Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch were in the top 10. Behind, Joey Logano was in 11th ahead of Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric and Chris Buescher while Alex Bowman, Martin Truex Jr., Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. occupied the top 20. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney was mired in 21st ahead of Mike Rockenfeller, Ryan Preece, Corey LaJoie and Daniel Suarez while Todd Gilliland, Ty Dillon, Andy Lally, Erik Jones and Kevin Harvick were back in the top 30. Amid the running order, Brad Keselowski was in 33rd in between Justin Haley and Aric Almirola while Harrison Burton was mired in 36th, a lap down in last place, after an earlier chain reaction resulted with Lally bumping and spinning Burton’s No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang in the Carousel Corner without drawing a caution.

    Five laps later, McDowell continued to lead by half a second over Byron while third-place Hamlin trailed by more than a second. In the process, Ty Gibbs and Allmendinger remained in the top five ahead of Larson while Bell, Wallace and Kyle Busch overtook Reddick to move up to seventh through ninth, respectively. In addition, Elliott retained 13th ahead of Buescher and teammate Bowman, Truex was mired back in 23rd and Harvick was in 28th in front of Keselowski.

    Another two laps later, green flag pit stops ensued as Truex pitted his No. 19 Siemens Toyota TRD Camry along with Blaney and Elliott. Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola, Cindric and Bowman would also pit during the ensuing laps as McDowell continued to lead.

    At the conclusion of the first stage period on Lap 20, McDowell, who first assumed the lead on the fourth lap, captured his second Cup stage victory of the 2023 season. Byron settled in second followed by Hamlin, Ty Gibbs and Allmendinger while Larson, Bell, Wallace, Kyle Busch and Reddick were scored in the top 10. By then, more names that included Austin Dillon, Reddick, Preece and Corey LaJoie pitted under green.

    With the event proceeding under green just past the Lap 20 mark to start the second stage, McDowell led Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Larson, Bell, Wallace, Kyle Busch and a host of competitors during the following lap to pit road for service under green while Byron assumed the lead followed by Allmendinger. Amid the pit stops, McDowell, who managed to exit pit road ahead of Hamlin, was assessed a penalty for driving through too many pit boxes prior to entering his pit box for service. Byron would then pit under green on Lap 22 as Allmendinger assumed the lead. Once Allmendinger pitted by Lap 23 after leading two laps, Byron, who earlier managed to blend back on the track from pit road ahead of Hamlin, assumed the lead followed by Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Allmendinger, Larson and Keselowski, who has yet to pit. As Byron proceeded to lead just past the Lap 25 mark, McDowell was mired back in 17th behind Truex. In addition, Bell, Elliott, Wallace and Kyle Busch were scored in the top 10.

    At the Lap 30 mark, Byron maintained the lead by seven-tenths of a second over Hamlin followed by Ty Gibbs, Allmendinger and Larson while Bell, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Wallace and Reddick were running in the top 10. By then, Keselowski pitted his No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang under green while Austin Dillon, Logano, Briscoe, McDowell and Truex were scored in the top 15. With Keselowski losing spots as he blended back onto the racetrack amid his pit stop, Harvick was in 28th behind teammate Almirola, Suarez was in 26th and Bowman was mired in 17th in between Blaney and Buescher.

    By Lap 35, Byron extended his advantage to eight-tenths of a second over Hamlin while Ty Gibbs, Larson and Allmendinger remained in the top five. In addition, Bell, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Wallace and Reddick retained their respective spots in the top 10 while McDowell was mired in 12th in between Austin Dillon and Logano.

    At the conclusion of the second stage on Lap 40, Byron captured his eighth Cup stage victory of the 2023 season. Hamlin settled in second while Ty Gibbs, Larson, Allmendinger, Bell, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Wallace and Austin Dillon were scored in the top 10.

    With the event commencing under a continuous green flag period with 50 laps remaining, Byron was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Hamlin. Byron would proceed to extend his advantage to more than a second over Hamlin as the event reached its halfway mark with 45 laps remaining. Behind, Ty Gibbs, Larson and Allmendinger remained in the top five while Bell, Kyle Busch, Elliott, Wallace and Ausitn Dillon continued to run in the top 10 with McDowell moving up to 11th ahead of Reddick, Logano, Truex and Blaney.

    With 40 laps remaining, Byron continued to extend his advantage as he was leading by more than three seconds over Hamlin while Larson overtook Ty Gibbs to move into third place. With Allmendinger retaining fifth ahead of Bell and Kyle Busch, McDowell returned to the top 10 as he moved up to ninth in between Elliott and Wallace while Truex was scored in 12th in between Austin Dillon and Blaney.

    Three laps later, another cycle of green flag pit stops commenced as Ty Gibbs pitted his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota TRD Camry while running in the top five. McDowell would also pit along with Blaney, Suarez, Larson, Logano, Reddick, Preece, Stenhouse, Almirola, Cindric and Buescher as Byron continued to lead by more than five seconds over Hamlin.

    Then two laps later, the caution flew when Elliott ran out of fuel through the Esses as his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 coasted entering the Inner Loop before coming to a full stop off the course near the Bus Stop Corner. By then, Byron, Hamlin, Allmendinger and Bell had pitted prior to the caution being displayed. In addition, Larson, who had just pitted prior to the caution, was penalized for speeding while exiting pit road and was sent to the rear of the field for the ensuing restart.

    During the caution period, some led by Kyle Busch, including those who had not yet made a pit stop, pitted while the rest led by Byron remained on the track. By then, Elliott, who was assisted by a wrecker to return to pit road, lost a lap to the leaders as he was mired in 34th.

    When the race restarted under green with 30 laps remaining, where Byron and Hamlin occupied the front row, Byron and Hamlin dueled for the lead through the frontstretch and entering Turn 1 as the field fanned out. Entering the Esses, Byron managed to clear Hamlin to retain the lead ahead of Bell and Allmendinger while Truex was up to fifth in front of teammate Ty Gibbs. In addition, Blaney was up to seventh ahead of Buescher while McDowell was in ninth ahead of Logano. As the field navigated its way through the Bus Stop Corner, the Carousel and the final sets of turns while jostling for late positions, Byron managed to place a reasonable gap between himself and Hamlin as he retained the lead for the following lap.

    Down to the final 25 laps of the event, Byron was leading by six-tenths of a second over Hamlin followed by Bell while Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs, both of whom are needing a victory to make the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs, were running fourth and fifth. Behind, Truex, the regular-season leader, was sixth while Buescher, McDowell, Reddick and Blaney were running in the top 10 ahead of Logano, Todd Gilliland, Stenhouse, Wallace and Keselowski. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch was back in 17th, Harvick was back in 23rd in front of Larson and Bowman was mired in 26th behind Suarez.

    Five laps later, Byron extended his advantage to one-and-a-half seconds over Hamlin while Bell, Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs remained in the top five on the track. Behind, Truex, Buescher, McDowell, Reddick and Blaney also remained in the top 10. By then, Wallace retained 14th ahead of Keselowski and Cindric, Kyle Busch was still mired in 17th, Larson was back in 21st behind Austin Dillon, Harvick was down in 24th ahead of Suarez and Bowman was in 26th. In addition, Elliott was mired in 33rd and not scored on the lead lap along with Harrison Burton, Chase Briscoe and Ty Dillon.

    With 15 laps remaining, Byron stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Hamlin while Bell, Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs remained in the top five. By then, the event remained under green flag conditions despite Almirola spinning entering the frontstretch. Not long after, McDowell, who was running eighth, pitted under green after the power in his No. 34 Ford shut off, which resulted with him coasting through the circuit before limping his car to his pit stall as his pit crew went underneath the hood of McDowell’s car to diagnose the issue. The issue would eventually be terminal for McDowell as he capped off his roller coaster event in 36th place, dead last.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Byron extended his advantage to two seconds over Hamlin while Bell, Allmendinger and Ty Gibs continued to run in the top 10. With McDowell out of contention, Truex was in sixth followed by Buescher, Reddick, Blaney and Logano while Gilliland, Stenhouse, Wallace, Keselowski and Kyle Busch were in the top 15.

    With five laps remaining, Byron stabilized his advantage to nearly three seconds over Hamlin as Bell, Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs remained in the top five.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Byron remained as the leader by more than three seconds over Hamlin. With Hamlin unable to gain ground, Byron was able to cycle his No. 24 Chevrolet smoothly around Watkins Glen’s series of turns for a final time before re-emerging through the frontstretch in clean air and to capture his fifth checkered flag of the 2023 Cup season.

    With the victory and the regained momentum, Byron notched his ninth career win in NASCAR’s premier series, his career-high fifth of the season and his first on a road course venue. The victory at Watkins Glen was the 102nd overall for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 entry, with HMS notching its 298th Cup career win overall, as Byron claimed his first victory since winning the rain-shortened event at Atlanta Motor Speedway in early July.

    “[The win] feels really good,” Byron said on USA Network. “Just a huge credit to the race team behind me. I wanna thank [road ringer] Max Papis. This first road course win. We’ve worked years and years for this. Thanks to all the guys on the team. It’s a great win. I don’t know what it means in all that. I don’t read into that, but I think it shows that when we’re at our best, we can perform like this. We seem to go through that summer slump in July and August. For some reason, we just can’t quite put the races together. I think it’s the racetracks itself. [I] Just came this weekend with a good mindset. [I] Focused it on trying to get ready for the postseason. We’ve had fast cars. We just haven’t executed races, but today, it was flawless. Road courses have been tough, so it’s fun to get a win. Really good strategy by [the crew].”

    Hamlin, the pole-sitter who led the first three laps, settled in the runner-up spot for the third time this season after trailing Byron to the finish line by more than two seconds while teammate Bell finished third.

    “I’m happy with my day,” Hamlin said. “It takes me a while to get going and with [Michael] McDowell there at the beginning, he’s ready and he’s on kill, and I’m kind of working my way into it. I just hate that I lost the lead because I just looked at [Byron]’s back bumper the rest of the day. It was a fun race.”

    Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs finished fourth and fifth, respectively, as both enter next weekend’s regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway 72 and 32 points, respectively, below the top-16 cutline in their final hopes of making the Playoffs. Truex, the regular-season leader in the standings, came home in sixth place and leaves Watkins Glen with a 39-point lead in the standings while Buescher, Reddick, Blaney and Logano finished in the top 10.

    Notably, Wallace finished 12th and he leaves Watkins Glen grasping onto the 16th and final vacant spot to the Playoffs by 32 points. Kyle Busch finished 14th followed by Keselowski, Cindric ended up 16th, Mike Rockenfeller ended up 19th in his second Cup start behind Ross Chastain, Harvick settled in 21st in front of Suarez and Bowman and Elliott capped off his run in 32nd, a lap down. In addition, Larson and Austin Dillon ended up 26th and 31st, respectively, after Larson collided into Dillon entering the final turn and sent both spinning.

    There were six lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured a single caution period for four laps. In addition, 31 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.

    With one regular-season event remaining of this year’s Cup Series schedule, Martin Truex Jr. continues to lead the regular-season standings by 39 points over teammate Denny Hamlin and 76 over William Byron.

    William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are currently guaranteed spots for the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs based on winning at least once throughout the regular-season stretch. With Byron winning at The Glen, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski have clinched spots for the Playoffs based on points while Bubba Wallace occupies the 16th and final vacant spot to the Playoffs by 32 points over rookie Ty Gibbs. Daniel Suarez trails the top-16 cutline by 43 points, AJ Allmendinger trails by 72, Alex Bowman trails by 96, Chase Elliott trails by 101, Austin Cindric trails by 114, Justin Haley trails by 162, Ryan Preece trails by 167 and Aric Almirola trails by 177.

    Results.

    1. William Byron, 66 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    2. Denny Hamlin, three laps led

    3. Christopher Bell

    4. AJ Allmendinger, two laps led

    5. Ty Gibbs

    6. Martin Truex Jr.

    7. Chris Buescher

    8. Tyler Reddick

    9. Ryan Blaney

    10. Joey Logano

    11. Todd Gilliland

    12. Bubba Wallace

    13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    14. Kyle Busch, two laps led

    15. Brad Keselowski

    16. Austin Cindric

    17. Ryan Preece

    18. Ross Chastain

    19. Mike Rockenfeller

    20. Corey LaJoie

    21. Kevin Harvick

    22. Daniel Suarez

    23. Alex Bowman

    24. Justin Haley

    25. Andy Lally

    26. Kyle Larson

    27. Josh Bilicki

    28. Cole Custer

    29. Erik Jones

    30. Aric Almirola

    31. Austin Dillon

    32. Chase Elliott, one lap down

    33. Harrison Burton, one lap down

    34. Ty Dillon, one lap down

    35. Chase Briscoe, seven laps down

    36. Michael McDowell – OUT, Electrical, 17 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    Next on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the series’ regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, which will determine the 16-driver field of this year’s Cup Series Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, August 26, at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Keselowski, Harvick clinch 2023 Cup Series Playoff spots with top-21 runs at Watkins Glen

    Keselowski, Harvick clinch 2023 Cup Series Playoff spots with top-21 runs at Watkins Glen

    While William Byron celebrated an emphatic victory following a dominant performance in the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, August 20, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski were left feeling victorious after both former NASCAR Cup Series champions officially secured spots for the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs based on points.

    The event at Watkins Glen started off on a rough note for Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Series champion who was one of five competitors to start at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments. Following the first of 90-scheduled laps, the Michigan native was mired in the next-to-last position in 35th place and had only managed to carve his way up to 33rd place just past the Lap 10 mark.

    Then during the first cycle of green flag pit stops in between the conclusion of the first stage period and the start of the second stage period, Keselowski and crew chief Matt McCall rolled the dice by remaining on the track while most of the field pitted. This allowed Keselowski to move up as high as seventh place in the leaderboard before he pitted his No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang under green on Lap 30. He would then be mired back within the top 30 through the second stage period and pit during the event’s only caution period with nearly 30 laps remaining despite climbing up to 13th.

    Restarting 18th during the final restart with 30 laps remaining, Keselowski would take the checkered flag in 15th place, which marked his 12th top-15 result of the season. With Byron, who came into the event as a four-time race winner of this season, winning at The Glen, Keselowski, who did not score any stage points at The Glen, but ended up 107 points ahead of Bubba Wallace, who holds the 16th and final vacant spot to the Playoffs, in the regular-season standings, was able to clinch his spot for the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs.

    Keselowski’s accomplishment means that the 2023 season will mark his 11th season making the Cup Series Playoffs, his first since 2021 and his first as a driver/co-owner of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. He missed the 2022 Playoffs during his first season as a driver/co-owner after notching only a single top-five finish, six top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 19.2 throughout the 36-race schedule. This season, he has achieved five top-five results, 10 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 14.3 through 25 scheduled events.

    In addition, Keselowski is still pursuing his first victory as a driver/co-owner in the Cup Series, with his latest victory occurring at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2021 while driving for Team Penske.

    “We had a pretty strong month or so,” Keselowski said on USA Network. “We had a really good car today with our BuiltSubs Ford Mustang. Just ran solid. Basically, started last and got to 15th. If we could’ve caught a break on the yellows and all that, I think we could’ve ran top 10 today. My teammate Chris Buescher and both [Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing cars], we’re finding speed here before the Playoffs start. Overall, a really good day for us. What’s great for us going into Daytona is we can go in there and just have fun. It’s great to have that off of our shoulders. We’re gonna race really hard, but with nothing to lose. That makes us really dangerous.”

    Like Keselowski, Sunday’s event at The Glen started off on a rough note for Kevin Harvick, who rolled off the starting grid in 33rd place and without his championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers, who returned to North Carolina due to a personal matter. With Stewart-Haas Racing engineer Stephen Doran calling the shots atop the No. 4 Ford Mustang pit box, Harvick, the 2014 Cup Series champion, spent the early stages of the event mired outside the top 30. He would crack his way into the top 15 at the conclusion of the first stage period and during the first cycle of green flag pit stops before he pitted just past the Lap 22 mark.

    Mired back towards the top-30 mark upon his pit service, Harvick was scored 24th at the halfway mark and just past the second stage’s conclusion with the 2014 Cup Series champion not scoring any stage points. Running in 14th place during the event’s only caution period with 35 laps remaining after Chase Elliott ran out of fuel on the course, Harvick joined a handful of competitors to pit under caution and restarted in the middle of the pack with 30 laps remaining.

    When the checkered flag flew, Harvick nursed his No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang in 21st place, which marked his second consecutive finish outside the top 20. By being 103 points above Bubba Wallace, who holds the 16th and final vacant spot in the Playoffs, in the regular-season standings, Harvick was also able to accomplish a similar feat to Keselowski’s by clinching his spot for the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs based on points.

    With his accomplishment, Harvick, who is currently embarking in his 23rd and final full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series, will make his 17th career appearance as a Cup Series Playoff contender as he battles for his final opportunity to win his second Cup title and first since 2014. This season, he has achieved six top-five results, 11 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 14.0 through 25 scheduled events.

    Having achieved 60 career victories in the Cup Series, Harvick is still pursuing his first of the season and first since winning at Richmond Raceway last August.

    Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    “We’ll go down to [Daytona International Speedway] and push as hard as we can, and be ready for Darlington [Raceway],” Harvick said. “We’ve been terrible on the road courses the last two weeks. The last month before that, we did good. We had cars that were capable to run in the top five, so as long as it’s an oval [track], we’ll be fine.”

    With secured berths to the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs set for both, Keselowski and Harvick shift their attention to the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, which will officially determine the full 16-driver field of this year’s Cup Series Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, August 26, at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Weekend schedule for Watkins Glen

    Weekend schedule for Watkins Glen

    The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series travel to Watkins Glen this weekend as the regular season winds down with only two races remaining before the Playoffs begin.

    Thirteen drivers have clinched a spot in the Cup Series Playoffs – Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. With only three open spots in the 16-driver field, the competition promises to be intense.

    With four races to go in the Xfinity Series regular season, only four drivers have secured a spot in the 12-driver playoff field including Austin Hill, John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Allgaier and Cole Custer.

    Ty Majeski won the first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race of the Playoffs last week at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and will advance to the Round of 8. The series is off until August 27 at Milwaukee Mile Speedway when the postseason continues.

    The ARCA Menards Series will also compete at Watkins Glen with the General Tire 100 Friday evening at 6 p.m. on FS1 and FloRacing with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM.

    All times are ET.

    Saturday, August 19

    10:30 a.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – NBC Sports App
    11 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – NBC Sports App

    12:30 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – USA/MRN
    1:30 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying USA/MRN/SiriusXM
    Post-Cup Qualifying: NASCAR Press Pass

    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Shriners Children’s 200 at The Glen
    Distance: 82 Laps = 200.9 miles
    Stages end on Lap 20, Lap 40, Lap 82
    USA/MRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $1,257,045
    Post-Xfinity Race: NASCAR Press Pass

    Sunday, August 20

    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen
    Distance: 90 Laps = 220.5 miles
    Stages end on Lap 20, Lap 40, Lap 90
    USA/MRN/SiriusXM
    Purse: $7,154,312
    Post-Cup Race: NASCAR Press Pass