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  • Sweet redemption for Larson at Las Vegas

    Sweet redemption for Larson at Las Vegas

    From sitting out of the competition due to suspension last season to racing his way to an early trip to Victory Lane this season, Kyle Larson muscled his way to a dominating victory in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 7. The 28-year-old native from Elk Grove, California, led six times for a race-high 103 of 267 laps as he pulled away from Brad Keselowski in the late stages to record his first victory in his return to full-time NASCAR competition behind the wheel of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevrolet.

    The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Cup event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Cup race. With that, Kevin Harvick started on pole position and was joined on the front row with William Byron, winner of last weekend’s Cup event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Harvick received a push from Kyle Larson to jump ahead with the lead. Through Turn 1, Larson was also able to move into second place as Michael McDowell went to work on Byron for third place. 

    With the field fanning out early to three lanes through the backstretch and through Turns 3 and 4, Byron was able to fight back and lead the first lap over teammate Larson and Harvick. With the field towards the front still fanning out to three lanes. Harvick was overtaken by a few more positions as Larson and Truex battled behind Byron for the runner-up spot.

    Following the first five laps of the event, Byron continued to lead by nearly two-tenths of a second over teammate and a hard-charging Chase Elliott. Larson was in third followed by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. Harvick, meanwhile, fell back to eighth.

    Five laps later and through the first 10 laps of the event, Byron’s No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE retained a narrow advantage over teammate Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE while Truex and Larson battled dead even for third. Behind, Brad Keselowski challenged Hamlin for fifth while Christopher Bell, Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman and McDowell were in the top 10. Harvick, meanwhile, was back in 11th and in front of Austin Dillon, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch.

    Another three laps later, Larson managed to overtake teammate Elliott for the runner-up spot. Behind, Keselowski overtook Truex for fourth place. Meanwhile, Byron remained in the lead. 

    After trailing and intimidating his teammate in the early laps for the lead, Elliott managed to muscle his way into the lead on Lap 20 over Byron. A few laps later, teammate Larson moved into the runner-up spot.

    Elliott was able to extend his advantage to nearly a second over teammate Larson when the competition caution flew on Lap 25. Byron, Truex and Keselowski were in the top five followed by Hamlin, Bowman, Kurt Busch, Ryan Blaney and Harvick. By then, Christopher Bell was in 11th, Logano was in 13th, Kyle Busch was in 16th in between Austin Dillon and Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick was in 19th, Bubba Wallace was in 21st, Aric Almirola was in 23rd in front of teammates Cole Custer and rookie Chase Briscoe, Daniel Suarez was in 26th and Ryan Newman was in 29th.

    Under caution, the leaders made the turn to pit road for early adjustments. Following the pit stops, Larson exited with the lead followed by Hamlin, Truex, Keselowski, Bowman Byron and Elliott. Behind, Wallace was assessed a pit road speeding penalty and sent to the rear of the field.

    The race restarted on Lap 30 with Larson and Hamlin on the front row. At the start, Hamlin received a push from Keselowski on the inside lane to move into the lead. Keselowski also moved into the runner-up spot while Larson fell back to third in front of teammate Elliott and Truex. 

    By Lap 33, Hamlin was out in front by two-tenths of a second over a side-by-side battle featuring Keselowski’s No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang and Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. Elliott was right behind in fourth place followed by teammate Bowman, Truex, Blaney, Byron, Kurt Busch and Matt DiBenedetto. 

    Two laps later, Truex, Blaney and Bowman battled through three lanes for the fifth spot with Byron lurking behind. 

    Back at the front, Larson and Keselowski continued to battle for the runner-up spot with Elliott remaining in pursuit. At the front, Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry remained in the lead. 

    By Lap 40, Hamlin was still leading by approximately a tenth of a second over Larson. Teammate Elliott was in third followed by Keselowski, who slipped and nearly clipped Elliott the previous lap in Turn 1. Behind, Blaney cracked the top five over Truex, Byron, Bowman, Kurt Busch and DiBenedetto. 

    Shortly after, Hendrick Motorsports’ teammates Larson and Elliott battled for the runner-up spot behind Hamlin while Blaney started to close in on Penske teammate Keselowski for fourth place. 

    In the midst of the battle towards the front, Bubba Wallace returned to pit road with the hood of his No. 23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Camry up after he reported a power steering line issue.

    On Lap 44, Larson reassumed the lead over Hamlin. Behind, Keselowski caught back up to Elliott as he went to work on him for third place. Keselowski was eventually able to overtake Elliott for position and went to work on Hamlin for the runner-up spot. Blaney, meanwhile, remained in pursuit of the top-four leaders. 

    Not long after, the caution flew due to debris reported in Turn 2. The caution served as a huge break for Kevin Harvick, who had a left-front tire going down as a result of making contact with Erik Jones. Under caution, the majority of the leaders returned to pit road and Hamlin was able to exit off pit road first followed by Elliott, Keselowski, Bowman and Blaney.

    Back on the track, Larson remained in the race lead after electing to remain on the track on old tires. Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Tyler Reddick and teammate Austin Dillon also remained on the track.

    The race restarted on Lap 51 with Larson and Logano on the front row. At the start, Larson retained the lead while Elliott made a bold four-wide move behind to move back to the front. Through the backstretch, the field fanned out to three and four lanes.

    The following lap, Larson and Logano battled dead even for the lead as the field, featuring competitors on fresh tires compared to worn tires, continued to fan out to three and four lanes for position towards the front.

    By Lap 54, two forms of three-wide battles ensued at the front with Keselowski challenging teammate Logano and Larson for the lead. A lap later, Logano was able to clear the field with the lead. Behind, Elliott muscled his way back into third before taking back second place from Keselowski. Blaney and Larson battled for fourth while Bell and Byron battled behind for sixth. Truex and Hamlin, meanwhile, were back in 10th and 12th.  

    By Lap 60, Logano, racing in his No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang on worn tires, continued to hold strong with the lead by a narrow margin over Elliott while Keselowski remained ahead of Larson for third place. Blaney was in fifth followed by Byron, Bell, Bowman, Kurt Busch and Hamlin. Truex was in 12th behind DiBenedetto.

    Two laps later, Elliott, racing on fresh tires, returned to the lead following a lengthly battle with Logano. In the ensuing laps, Penske teammates Keselowski and Blaney overtook their other teammate Logano for third and fourth. Behind, Larson fell back to ninth while Bell, Byron Bowman and Hamlin moved up. 

    Through the first 70 laps of the event, Elliott maintained a narrow advantage over Keselowski. Teammate Blaney was in third while Bell overtook Logano for fourth place. Bowman and Hamlin closed in on Logano for fifth while Byron, DiBenedetto and Larson were in the top 10. Truex was in 12th behind Kurt Busch.

    Two laps later, Keselowski made his way to the top of the field following a pass on Elliott for position. While Bell, teammate Hamlin and Bowman battled for fourth, Logano slipped back to eighth on worn tires, two spots ahead of Larson. 

    Back at the front, Keselowski and Elliott continued to battle intensely for the lead, with the latter prevailing not long after by two-tenths of a second. Blaney trailed by more than a second in third place while Hamlin and Bowman overtook Bell for fourth and fifth. 

    While Keselowski and Elliott continued to battle against one another on the track for the lead, Logano and Larson were back in ninth and 12th while Truex and Kurt Busch were in ninth and 11th. Kyle Busch was in 14th while Harvick, who started on pole, was mired in 18th.

    Following a lengthly battle with Elliott, Keselowski was able to reassume the lead on Lap 79 and hold on to claim the first stage victory on Lap 80, which also marked his first stage victory of the season. Elliott settled in second followed by Blaney, Hamlin and Bowman while Bell, Byron, DiBenedetto, Logano and Truex were scored in the top 10. 

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Hamlin returned to the lead following a strong pit stop from his crew. Keselowski exited in second place followed by Bowman, DiBenedetto, Blaney and Logano. During the pit stops, Elliott spent extra time on pit road to have damage on the right side of his No. 9 Chevrolet from an earlier pit stop caused by the jack repaired. In addition, Reddick was assessed a pit road speeding penalty.

    The second stage started on Lap 87 with Hamlin and Keselowski on the front row. At the start, Hamlin and Keselowski battled dead even through Turn 1 and the backstretch while Byron made a bold move on the outside lane to crack the top five. 

    The following lap, Keselowski was able to reassume the lead followed by teammate Blaney. Bowman, racing in his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, went to work on Hamlin for third while DiBenedetto and Byron battled for fifth. 

    By Lap 90, Keselowski was leading by approximately a tenth of a second over teammate Blaney. Hamlin retained third place by a narrow margin over Bowman and DiBenedetto while Larson closed in on teammate Byron for position. 

    Through the first 100 laps of the race, Keselowski continued to lead by approximately two-tenths of a second over teammate Blaney. Teammates Larson and Byron battled for third while Hamlin was in fifth. Bowman, DiBenedetto, Truex, Bell and Logano were in the top 10 followed by the Busch brothers. Elliott, meanwhile, worked his way up to 14th after restarting in 30th place at the start of the second stage.

    Five laps later, Larson muscled his way back into the runner-up spot and teammate Byron also moved up, thus dropping Blaney to fourth place. Meanwhile, Keselowski continued to lead the field. Another two laps later, however, Larson retook the lead by a narrow margin over Keselowski. 

    By Lap 115, Larson was the leader by nearly half a second over teammate Byron with Keselowski trailing by more than a second in third place. Blaney and Hamlin were in the top five followed by Bowman, DiBenedetto, Bell, teammate Truex and Logano. The Busch brothers were in 12th and 13th, Elliott was still mired in 14th and Harvick haas in 17th in front of Chris Buescher.

    By Lap 120, Larson continued to lead by approximately half a second over teammate Byron. Blaney was in third, but was now trailing by three seconds. Hamlin and Keselowski remained in the top five followed by Bowman, DiBenedetto, Truex, teammate Bell and Logano. Elliott, meanwhile, was back in 15th behind the Busch brothers and Ryan Preece.

    Shortly after, pit stops under green occurred as Bowman was the first of the leaders to pit followed by a multitude of competitors, including leader Larson.

    By Lap 130, Tyler Reddick, who had yet to pit, was leading followed by Michael McDowell, rookie/teammate Anthony Alfredo, Corey LaJoie, Daniel Suarez and Cole Custer while Larson was in seventh.

    At the halfway mark on Laps 133 and 134, Reddick continued to lead followed by Front Row Motorsports’ teammates McDowell and Alfredo. LaJoie and Suarez were in the top five while Larson was in sixth. Hamlin, Keselowski, teammate Blaney and Byron were in the top 10.

    By Lap 140 and with 20 laps remaining in the second stage, teammates McDowell and Alfredo were leading the field followed by LaJoie, Larson and Suarez. By then, Reddick pitted for service.

    On Lap 146, McDowell surrendered the lead to pit. A lap later, Larson reassumed the lead. Shortly after, rookie Alfredo pitted along with Corey LaJoie. By then, Larson’s advantage stretched to nearly six seconds over Keselowski. Hamlin was in third followed by Blaney and Byron. Bell along with teammates Truex and Kyle Busch followed by Elliott were in the top 10. DiBenedetto, meanwhile, was in 12th behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. while Kurt Busch, Logano and Harvick were in the top 15.

    With the laps in the second stage dwindling, Larson continued to lead by a steady and healthy margin over Keselowski. Having no challengers close in on him for the top spot, Larson was able to hold steady and claim the second stage victory by more than three seconds over Keselowski on Lap 160. In claiming his first stage victory of this season, Larson became the sixth competitor to record a stage victory through the first four Cup races of the 2021 season. Hamlin settled in third followed by Byron and Blaney while Bowman, Bell, Truex, Kyle Busch and Elliott were scored in the top 10. By then, 21 of the 38-car field were scored on the lead lap.

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Larson retained the lead following service from his pit crew. Hamlin exited in second place followed by Bowman, Truex, Bell and Kyle Busch. Byron, meanwhile, fell back to 10th behind Keselowski, Blaney and Elliott.

    With 100 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start, Larson moved his No. 5 Chevrolet in front of Hamlin on the inside lane. He then blocked Hamlin entering Turn 1 on the outside lane as Truex issued a challenge on the inside lane. 

    Through the backstretch and coming back to Turn 4, Larson retained the lead over Hamlin and Truex as the field fanned out while battling for spots. Behind, Kyle Busch started to make his way into the top five.

    The following lap, the caution returned when Elliott got loose entering the backstretch, made contact with Kurt Busch and spun in a full 360 degrees before continuing. While the rest of the field managed to dodge him, Elliott sustained left-front fender damage as he pitted to have the damage assessed. Kurt Busch also pitted to have damage on his No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE addressed along with a flat right-rear tire. Meanwhile, Hamlin had taken the lead over Larson at the time of caution

    With 93 laps remaining, the race restarted under green with leader Hamlin and Larson on the front row. At the start, Larson squeaked ahead, but Hamlin received a push from teammate Truex on the backstretch to take back the lead. 

    Six laps later, the caution returned when Aric Almirola made hard contact against with the outside wall in Turn 1. The damage to the right side of Almirola’s No. 10 Smithfield Power Bites Ford Mustang was enough to end his race in the garage. At the time of caution, Hamlin was leading by nearly a tenth of a second over teammate Truex while Larson, Blaney and Keselowski were in the top five. Byron, teammate Bowman, Logano, Bell and Kyle Busch were in the top 10.  

    Under caution, some led by Hamlin, Truex and Blaney remained on the track while others led by Keselowski and Larson pitted.

    The race restarted with 83 laps remaining as teammates Hamlin and Truex occupied the front row. At the start, the two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates battled dead even for a full circuit before Truex peaked ahead in his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry as the field behind fanned out to three and four lanes. 

    With 80 laps remaining, Truex was out in front by more than a tenth of a second over teammate Hamlin followed by Blaney, Byron and Bell. Keselowski, the first competitor on fresh tires, was in sixth while Larson, who restarted 17th on fresh tires, was up in eighth behind DiBenedetto. 

    A lap later, Hamlin came under pressure from Keselowski for the runner-up spot as teammates Byron and Larson overtook Blaney for positions in the top five. 

    Down to the final 75 laps of the event, Hamlin fought back and reassumed the lead by a narrow advantage over teammate Truex while Larson and Keselowski quickly went to work on Truex for the runner-up spot. Soon after, an intense six-car battle for the lead ensued between Hamlin, teammate Truex, Larson, Keselowski, Byron and Blaney as Hamlin continued to duke against Truex for the lead. 

    With 70 laps remaining, Hamlin was still leading by nearly three-tenths of a second over Larson. Truex and Keselowski battled intensely for third place followed by Byron and Blaney. Bell was in seventh followed by DiBenedetto and Erik Jones. Kyle Busch was mired back in 10th. Meanwhile, Logano was in 13th while Elliott was in 16th behind Austin Dillon.

    Ten laps later and under 60 laps remaining, Larson reassumed the lead over Hamlin. He then stretched his advantage to more than a second over Hamlin with Keselowski remaining in third. Truex was in fourth followed by Blaney while Byron, Bell, Kyle Busch, DiBenedetto and Jones were in the top 10. 

    Down to the final 50 laps of the event, Larson was leading by more than a second over Keselowski with Hamlin trailing by more than two seconds. Blaney was in fourth, trailing by more than three seconds while Truex was in fifth.

    Nearly four laps later, pit stops under green started as a handful of leaders pitted followed by others.

    With 37 laps remaining and with nearly the entire field having made a pit stop, Daniel Suarez, who has yet to pit, was scored as the leader. Larson, the first competitor on fresh tires and fuel, was behind by less than nine seconds with Keselowski remaining in pursuit. 

    Eight laps later, Larson returned to the lead. By then, he was leading by a second and a half over Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford.

    With 20 laps remaining and the leaders making their way through lapped traffic, Larson extended his lead to two and a half seconds over Keselowski. Hamlin was tucked in third place followed by teammates Kyle Busch and Truex. Blaney was back in sixth followed by Bell, Byron, teammate Bowman and Logano. Meanwhile, DiBenedetto was in 11th ahead of Jones, Stenhouse, Austin Dillon and Elliott. Kurt Busch was in 20th behind McDowell while Harvick was in 22nd, the final car on the lead lap, behind Ryan Newman.

    A few laps later, Bowman, who was running in the top 10, made the turn to pit road due to a flat tire. During the process of trying to enter pit road, he nearly collided with rookie Alfredo. Shortly after, it went from bad to worse for Bowman, who was assessed a pass-through penalty down pit road due to a commitment line violation while trying to enter pit road to pit.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Larson continued to lead by more than two and a half seconds over Keselowski. Behind, Kyle Busch zipped his No. 18 Ethel M Chocolates Toyota Camry into third place while teammate Hamlin were in fourth. Blaney was in fifth followed by Truex, teammate Bell, Byron, Logano and Jones. 

    A few laps later, Larson extended his lead to more than three seconds over Keselowski with Kyle Busch trailing by more than six seconds, Hamlin by more than eight seconds, Blaney by more than nine seconds and Truex by more than 11 seconds.

    With five laps remaining, Larson remained in the lead by three seconds over Keselowski. By then, 15 competitors were recorded on the lead lap as the leaders continued to encounter heavy traffic.

    Spending the final laps methodically working his way through lapped traffic, Larson was able to maintain his healthy advantage of more than three seconds and complete the final laps on a successful note as he claimed the checkered flag to win at Vegas.

    The victory marked Larson’s seventh of his Cup career and first since October 2019 at Dover International Speedway as he became the fourth different competitor to win within the first four events of the 2021 season. Above all, the Vegas win also validated Larson’s return to the top level in NASCAR after being suspended nearly a year ago due to using a racial slur during a live iRacing event, a move that cost him his full-time ride with Chip Ganassi Racing. Late into the 2020 season, an opportunity for Larson to return to NASCAR arrived when Hendrick Motorsports signed Larson for the 2021 season.

    Larson’s victory also marked the first Cup victory for crew chief Cliff Daniels and the first for HMS’ No. 5 car since July 2017 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition, Larson became the 20th different competitor to win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports as HMS claimed Cup career win No. 265.

    “It was such an awesome race car,” Larson said on FOX. “[Crew chief] Cliff [Daniels] and everybody did a great job preparing this piece. It was so much fun to drive. I could go wherever I wanted to. I knew I had a really good car once we’d get single-filed out. Just drafting early in the run was tough. Thank you so much, Mr. [Hendrick], Jeff Gordon, everybody at Hendrick Motorsports for the amazing opportunity I’ve been gifted…This is definitely special.”

    “I know that this is Rick’s most special paint scheme for obvious reasons,” Larson added. “It’s just an honor for me to be able to drive it, our first time out with this [blue, white and red] color scheme. Like I said, just blessed…That was some fun racing on the restarts, so I hoped everybody enjoyed it. I know I did.”

    Keselowski settled in second place for his second top-five result of this season. Kyle Busch came home in third place as he claimed his first top-five finish of this season while teammate Hamlin and Blaney finished in the top five.

    “Yeah, good for [Larson],” Keselowski said on PRN. “He ran a great race. He was really fast. The kid’s got so much talent. I still wanted to beat him, though, but we had a great Discount Tire Ford Mustang. If he wasn’t here, we would have just stunk the show up, but he was and he ran good.”

    “We fought hard obviously,” Busch said. “We were a little behind the eight ball at the start of the green flag and just were super, super tight all day long. [Crew chief] Ben [Beshore] and the guys made awesome adjustments to and I was trying to give the best feedback I can to give them good information that they can base that off of and make the good adjustments. We improved each time. I don’t know where we missed it so far from the simulator, but that’s two weeks in a row where we’re not apples to apples. Just can’t say enough about Ethel M Chocolates, thank you guys…Ready to keep working on it and keep improving. We were just a little off on pace, overall pace, overall lap time from the fast guys.”

    “We’re close,” Hamlin added. “We just have to fine tune it. We’re gathering up information right now to figure out how we can make our FedEx Camry better in the fall. This is a good start. We got it in the short rounds but not enough long run speed…Overall, good start. We will see, gather all the data and I will figure out this week what we have to do.”

    “I thought it was a pretty solid day all day,” Blaney added. “We had to start pretty far in the back from our bad finish last week and was able to make it up to ninth before the [competition] caution and got third in the first stage and then like fifth in the second and ended up fifth. I thought we could have run second or third. [Larson] was really the fastest one all day long. It didn’t matter where he was he just drove through the field but overall, a really good effort by our group. We really needed that after having three pretty bad races to start off the year. It’s nice to kind of finally get a good run and just a no problem day, just having a solid car and working on it throughout the day. I’m really proud of [crew chief] Todd [Gordon] and the whole No. 12 bunch and nice to get a good finish. Now we can get rolling here.”

    Truex, teammate Bell, Byron, Logano and Erik Jones came home in the top 10 on the track. 

    Elliott settled in 13th behind Austin Dillon, DiBenedetto ended up in 16th, Kurt Busch finished 19th, Harvick came home in 20th and Bowman settled in 27th following his late pit road miscue. Chase Briscoe was the highest-finishing rookie in 21st. Suarez finished 26th while Bubba Wallace finished 28th.

    There were 27 lead changes for 12 different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 30 laps. 

    Hamlin continues to lead the regular-season standings by 38 points over Keselowski, 40 over Larson, 48 over Elliott, 49 over Bell and Logano and 51 over Harvick.

    Results.

    1. Kyle Larson, 103 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    2. Brad Keselowski, 27 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    3. Kyle Busch

    4. Denny Hamlin, 47 laps led

    5. Ryan Blaney, one lap led

    6. Martin Truex Jr., six laps led

    7. Christopher Bell

    8. William Byron, 25 laps led

    9. Joey Logano, seven laps led

    10. Erik Jones

    11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 

    12. Austin Dillon

    13. Chase Elliott, 22 laps led

    14. Chris Buescher

    15. Ryan Preece, one lap down

    16. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap down

    17. Michael McDowell, one lap down, eight laps led

    18. Ryan Newman, one lap down

    19. Kurt Busch, one lap down

    20. Kevin Harvick, one lap down

    21. Chase Briscoe, one lap down

    22. Tyler Reddick, one lap down, seven laps led

    23. Ross Chastain, one lap down

    24. Anthony Alfredo, one lap down, one lap led

    25. Cole Custer, one lap down

    26. Daniel Suarez, two laps down, 12 laps led

    27. Alex Bowman, two laps down

    28. Bubba Wallace, five laps down

    29. Justin Haley, five laps down

    30. B.J. McLeod, seven laps down

    31. Garrett Smithley, eight laps down

    32. Cody Ware, eight laps down

    33. Quin Houff, 11 laps down

    34. Joey Gase, 12 laps down

    35. Josh Bilicki, 15 laps down

    36. Timmy Hill, 21 laps down

    37. Corey LaJoie – OUT, Rear end

    38. Aric Almirola – OUT, Accident

    The NASCAR Cup Series will remain in the West Coast for the next event on the schedule at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, next weekend. The race will occur on Sunday, March 14, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Luke Lambert to call 300th Cup race as crew chief at Las Vegas

    Luke Lambert to call 300th Cup race as crew chief at Las Vegas

    A significant milestone start is in the making for Luke Lambert, crew chief for Chris Buescher and the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang team in the NASCAR Cup Series. By participating in this Sunday’s Cup event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lambert will call his 300th event atop the pit box in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Lambert grew up as a race fan and briefly competed in go-karts before attending North Carolina State University. During his college education, he worked as a driver and mechanic as part of the university’s Wolfpack Motorsports program.

    Following his graduation from NC State University in 2005, Lambert joined Richard Childress Racing. He started as a mechanical engineer before assuming the eventual role as race engineer, where he was a part of RCR’s No. 31 Chevrolet team driven by veteran Jeff Burton.

    Midway through the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series season, Lambert was named crew chief for Burton and RCR’s No. 31 Chevrolet team, where he replaced veteran Todd Berrier. Lambert’s debut as a crew chief occurred at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, where Burton finished 35th following an engine failure.

    Lambert remained as Burton’s crew chief for the final 17 Cup races of the 2011 season. Together, they achieved a best on-track result of second place at Talladega Superspeedway in October, two top-five results, five top-10 results and a 20th-place result in the final standings.

    After spending the 2012 season in the Xfinity Series, where he guided veteran Elliott Sadler to four victories and a runner-up result in the final standings, Lambert returned to the Cup Series in 2013 and reunited with Burton as his crew chief. Working with Burton in all but two of the 36-race schedule, the combo achieved a best on-track result of third place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, two top-five results, four top-10 results and another 20th-place result in the final standings.

    Lambert remained at RCR and as crew chief for the No. 31 Chevrolet team in 2014, but he was paired with veteran Ryan Newman when Burton scaled back as a part-time competitor. While Lambert and Newman did not record a single victory throughout the 2014 Cup season, they were one of the most consistent teams on the track as they achieved five top-five results and 16 top-10 results throughout the entire season. In addition to making the Playoffs, they made it all the way to the Championship Round, where Newman went on to finish in a career-best second place in the final standings. 

    Lambert returned for a third full-time season in the Cup Series as crew chief for RCR’s No. 31 Chevrolet team with Newman remaining at the team. In late March 2015, Lambert was suspended for six races and fined $125,000 as a result of NASCAR discovering illegal modifications made to the tires on Newman’s car at Auto Club Speedway, which also cost Newman and RCR 75 driver/owner points. Despite the early suspension, Lambert and Newman went on to achieve a pair of season-best third-place results, five top-five results and nine top-10 results. While Newman made the Playoffs, he was eliminated from title contention following the Round of 12 and went on to finish 11th in the final standings. By the time the 2015 season concluded, Lambert also surpassed 100 starts in the Cup Series.

    In 2016, Lambert and Newman only achieved a season-best result of third place at Kentucky Speedway in July, two top-five results, 10 top-10 results and an 18th-place result in the final standings after missing the Playoffs.

    On March 19, 2017, at Phoenix Raceway, a late caution enabled Lambert to make a decisive pit strategy call to keep Newman out on the track with the race lead on old tires. During an overtime attempt, the strategic call paid off as Newman held off Kyle Larson to win and deliver the first NASCAR Cup career victory for Lambert. In addition, the Phoenix victory snapped a 127-race winless drought for Newman and a 112-race winless drought for Richard Childress Racing.

    In total, Lambert and Newman achieved one victory, seven top-five results and 13 top-10 results in 2017. They made the Playoffs for the third time in four seasons, but were eliminated following the Round of 16 and settled in 16th place in the final standings.

    Following the 2018 Cup season, where Lambert and Newman achieved nine top-10 results and a final points result of 17th place, Newman departed RCR for Roush Fenway Racing while Lambert was paired with Daniel Hemric, who was assigned to drive RCR’s No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in 2019. By then, Lambert had also surpassed 200 starts in the Cup Series.

    Participating in all but one of the 36-race schedule in 2019, Lambert and Hemric achieved a pole, one top-five result, two top-10 results and a 25th-place result in the final standings. In addition, Hemric was able to achieve the 2019 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title.

    For the 2020 season, Lambert departed RCR and joined Roush Fenway Racing to serve as crew chief for Chris Buescher and the No. 17 Ford Mustang team in the Cup Series. In their first race together, Buescher recorded a strong third-place result in the season-opening Daytona 500. They, however, went on to record an additional top-five result and an additional seven top-10 results before concluding the season in 21st place in the final standings.

    This season, Lambert and Buescher have achieved results of 31st, 11th and 19th through the first three Cup scheduled races. They are ranked in 15th place in the regular-season standings.

    Through 299 previous appearances in the Cup Series, Lambert has achieved one victory, one pole, 26 top-five results and 80 top-10 career results.

    Catch Lambert’s milestone start in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 7, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    All three national series travel to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. There will be no practice or qualifying sessions due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.

    Denny Hamlin leads the Cup Series standings but is still looking for his first victory of the season. If successful, it would also be his first win at the 1.5-mile track.

    The starting lineups are determined by the following metrics formula:

    • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
    • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, March 5

    9 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Bucked Up 200
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    201 miles (134 Laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)
    Pole: Ben Rhodes

    Saturday, March 6

    4:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300
    FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    300 miles (200 Laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
    Pole: Myatt Snider

    Sunday, March 7

    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube
    FOX/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    400.5 miles (267 laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267
    Pole: Kevin Harvick

    Statistical highlights for the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400

    Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data:
    Season Race #: 4 of 36 (03-07-21)
    Track Size: 1.5-miles
    Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 20 degrees
    Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 20 degreesBanking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  2,275 feet
    Backstretch Length:  1,572 feet
    Race Length: 267 laps (400.5 miles)
    Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each)
    Final Stage Length: 107 laps

    Las Vegas Qualifying Data:
    Track qualifying record: Kurt Busch, Chevrolet (196.328 mph. 27.505 secs. 03-04-16)
    2020 pole winner: Kyle Busch started from the pole.  Qualifying canceled due to weather. (Feb. 23, 2020)
    2020 pole winner: Kevin Harvick – the race starting lineup set by Metric Qualifying (Sept. 27, 2020)

    Las Vegas Race Data:
    Track race record: Joey Logano, Ford – 154.849 mph, (2:35:11), March 3, 2019
    2020 race winner: Joey Logano, Ford – 134.861 mph, (2:58:11), Feb. 23, 2020
    2020 race winner: Kurt Busch, Chevrolet – 131.420 mph, (3:03:32), Sept. 27, 2020

    Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas:
    Kevin Harvick – 104.8
    Joey Logano – 104.6
    Kyle Busch – 100.5
    Chase Elliott – 99.2
    Martin Truex Jr. – 98.0
    Ryan Blaney – 96.1
    Brad Keselowski – 94.4
    Kyle Larson – 93.9
    Denny Hamlin – 85.0
    Kurt Busch – 83.2
    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (19 total) among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    There have been 26 NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kevin Harvick leads the series in starts with 23.  Joey Logano leads the series among active drivers in average starting position at 8.4.

    Five manufacturers have won a pole, led by Ford (11), Chevrolet (4), Dodge (4), Toyota (3) and Pontiac (1). 

    Eight drivers have multiple NCS wins at Las Vegas: Jimmie Johnson (four), Matt Kenseth (three), Brad Keselowski (three), Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano (two) and Carl Edwards (two).  Las Vegas native Kyle Busch is the youngest race winner (March 01, 2009, at 23 years, 9 months, 27 days) and became the first and only driver to win from the pole.

    Four manufacturers have visited Victory Lane at Las Vegas.  Led by Ford (13), Chevrolet (8), Toyota (4) and Dodge (1).

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 11th at Homestead despite starting at the back of the field and suffering a late pit road speeding penalty.

    “It was odd to be racing at Homestead in the third race of the season,” Hamlin said. “Honestly, I thought I was racing for the championship. That’s probably why I finished 11th.

    “So, Kyle Petty says I should be worried about my job security. I guess being the son of the ‘King’ only makes you a ‘royal’ pain in the ass.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fifth at Homestead as the lone Stewart-Haas Racing driver in the top 10.

    “The words ‘Dixie Vodka’ were plastered all over the track,” Harvick said. “And speaking of ‘plastered all over the track,’ Clint Bowyer’s been that as a driver, as an announcer and as a fan.”

    3. Michael McDowell: McDowell finished sixth at Homestead and is fourth in the points standings, 33 out of first.

    “Kevin Harvick is the only other driver with three top 10s,” McDowell said. “That puts me in fast company. That’s just a bit different than that ‘speed company,’ which is what happens when you’re in the presence of anyone with the last name ‘Mayfield.’”

    4. Chase Elliott: Elliott came home 14th at Homestead and is fifth in the points standings.

    “Homestead is the first of nine 1.5-mile tracks on the 2021 schedule,” Elliott said. “That’s nine too many in the opinion of most. The perfect NASCAR schedule would be four super speedway races, 10 road course races, and one Cannonball Run-style cross-country race to close the season.”

    5. William Byron: Byron led 102 laps and controlled the race late, to win the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead.

    “Crew chief Rudy Fugle called a heck of a race for the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet,” Byron said. “And he deserves all the praise from everyone. So, I ‘Ax-al-ta‘ rise and give it up to Rudy.”

    6. Joey Logano: Logano finished a disappointing 25th on a tough day for Penske Racing. Logano is still second in the points standings, 12 behind Denny Hamlin.

    “Three races into the season,” Logano said, “and Penske Racing doesn’t have a win yet. But there’s no need to panic. We of all teams know that fortunes can change in the blink of an eye. For example, Penske was running 1-2 on the last lap in the Daytona 500 and didn’t win.”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex led 37 laps and finished third at Homestead.

    “The No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota was strong on long runs all day,” Truex said, “until the last one. But I still finished third, so I think we’ll be all right, ironically, in the ‘long run.’”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished eighth at Homestead and is eighth in the points standings.

    “Chip Ganassi wasn’t allowed to attend the race,” Busch said. “He was suspended for violating COVID-19 protocols last week at Daytona. In medical terms, Chip ‘flu the coop.’

    “But in all seriousness, Chip’s actions weren’t anywhere near the dumbest in Ganassi Racing history. Heck, it didn’t even make the top 10. That’s because 1 through 10 are occupied by Juan Pablo Montoya for crashing into a Jet Dryer at Daytona in 2012.”

    9. Kyle Larson: Larson finished fourth at Homestead as Hendrick Motorsports placed three cars in the top 10, led by race winner William Byron.

    “Congratulations to William Byron,” Larson said. “If you would have told me before the race that ’24’ would be in Victory Circle, I would have guessed it was the age of the winner.”

    10. (tie):Christopher Bell: Bell finished 20th at Homestead and is seventh in the points standings.

    “Obviously,” Bell said, “I would have liked to have won back-to-back races. But it was not to be. Winning on Daytona’s road course was a dream come true. Finishing 20th at Homestead was the first of 34 wake-up calls.”

    10. (tie): Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 16th at Homestead.

    “It’s not the result we were looking for,” Keselowski said. “On the bright side, my teammate Joey Logano didn’t wreck, which leads to an even brighter side, which is the fact that I’m not obligated to talk to him.”

  • Byron scores resounding victory at Homestead

    Byron scores resounding victory at Homestead

    After struggling for the first two races of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron rebounded by racing his way to a resounding victory in the late stages of the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, February 28. The win marked the second of his Cup career in his 111th career start.

    The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Cup event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Cup race. With that, Denny Hamlin, the reigning winner at Homestead, was due to start on pole position. He, however, dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments. With that, Joey Logano started on pole position and was joined on the front row with Christopher Bell, winner of last weekend’s event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

    Along with Hamlin, Alex Bowman and Corey LaJoie started at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments. James Davison joined the trio due to multiple pre-race inspection failures.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Logano jumped ahead with an early advantage while the field behind fanned out to two and three lanes entering Turn 2 while battling for spots. Logano was able to lead the first lap as Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch moved up while Bell fell back inside the top 10. 

    By the fifth lap, Logano retained an early advantage by seven-tenths of a second over Harvick with Keselowski behind by nearly a second while closing in on Harvick. Kurt Busch and Bell were in the top five followed by Michael McDowell, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, teammate Chase Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    Two laps later, Keselowski overtook Harvick for the runner-up spot. Another lap by, Kurt Busch passed Harvick for the third spot. In addition, Larson moved up to sixth while Truex fell back to eight. 

    By Lap 10, Logano continued to lead, though his advantage shrieked to less than half a second over teammate Keselowski. 

    Two laps later, Keselowski muscled his way into the lead over teammate Logano. Behind, Larson continued to rim-ride his way to the front after passing Harvick for fourth place. Shortly after, Stenhouse overtook Harvick to move into the top five. Meanwhile, Truex and Elliott were back in ninth and 10th.

    By Lap 20, Keselowski stretched his advantage to more than two seconds over teammate Logano as Kurt Busch and Larson remained in pursuit. Stenhouse was in fifth followed by Harvick, Truex, Chris Buescher, Bell and Elliott.

    When the field reached Lap 25, a planned competition caution flew. By then, Keselowski extended his advantage to more than four seconds over teammate Logano. Kurt Busch fended off Larson and Stenhouse to remain in third place. Behind, Truex moved into sixth place followed by Harvick, Buescher, Bell and Ryan Blaney.

    By then, Elliott and Kyle Busch were in the top 15 while Tyler Reddick was in 17th, one spot ahead of Matt DiBenedetto. Alex Bowman was in 20th ahead of Bubba Wallace and Cole Custer while Denny Hamlin was back in 24th behind Aric Almirola.

    Under the competition caution, the leaders pitted and Keselowski retained the lead following a four-tire pit stop. Kurt Busch was able to exit pit road into second place followed by Logano, Harvick and Truex.

    When the race restarted on Lap 30, Keselowski and Kurt Busch challenged one another in a side-by-side battle for the lead for nearly one full lap. Entering Turn 4, however, Keselowski gained a run on the outside lane and retained the lead while teammate Logano attempted to pull a three-wide move on Harvick and Keselowski. Logano and Harvick were able to move into second and third while Kurt Busch slipped back to fourth. Shortly after, Buescher moved up to fourth over Kurt Busch as the field continued to battle for spots.

    By Lap 35, Keselowski was ahead by nearly half a second over teammate Logano. Behind, Harvick was in third followed by Stenhouse, Buescher, William Byron, Kurt Busch, Larson, Bell and Ryan Newman.  

    Five laps later, the two Penske drivers led by Keselowski were separated by seven-tenths of a second. Buescher moved up to third place followed by Byron and Stenhouse, who overtook Harvick for position. Larson moved back up to seventh while Kurt Busch fell back to eighth. Newman and Bell remained in the top 10 followed by Kyle Busch, Bowman, Austin Dillon, Blaney, Truex and Elliott.

    By Lap 42, Buescher made a move beneath Logano to move into the runner-up spot while Byron started to close in on Logano for third place.

    By Lap 50, Keselowski continued to lead by a narrow margin over Buescher. Byron remained in third place followed by Logano and Kurt Busch. Larson moved up to sixth followed by Stenhouse, Bowman and Newman. Harvick, meanwhile, slipped back to 10th followed by Bell, teammate Truex, Newman, Austin Dillon, Elliott and Kyle Busch. Further behind, Hamlin was in 20th and battling with power issues. 

    Three laps later, Buescher became the third different leader of the day after passing Keselowski. 

    By Lap 60, Buescher extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Byron while Keselowski fell back to third. Kurt Busch was in fourth followed by Logano while teammates Larson and Bowman were in sixth and seventh. Stenhouse fell back to eighth followed by Newman and Truex. Harvick, meanwhile, was back in 11th. 

    Four laps later, the caution flew due to fluid on the backstretch coming from the No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by James Davison, who had smoke and flames erupting beneath the car as Davison made the turn to the garage.

    Under caution, the leaders pitted and Buescher retained the lead following a stellar four-tire stop over names like Keselowski, Logano, Truex, Bowman and Kurt Busch. During the pit stops, Byron dropped from second to seventh

    The race restarted on Lap 72 with Buescher and Keselowski on the front row. At the start, Keselowski and Buescher battled for the lead followed by Bowman, who muscled his way inside the top three over Logano, as the field fanned out to three lanes through the backstretch. 

    The following lap, Keselowski was back in the lead followed by Buescher, Bowman, Truex and Logano.

    With the laps in the first stage closing, Buescher closed back in on Keselowski in a battle for the lead. After pressuring Keselowski for the top spot, Buescher moved back into the top spot with two laps remaining in the first stage.

    Following his late charge and strong start in the early portions of the race, Buescher was able to easily cruise his No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang to the first stage victory on Lap 80. Keselowski trailed back by nearly a second followed by Truex, Byron and teammate Bowman. Larson settled in sixth followed by Logano, Elliott, Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon.

    Under the stage break, the leaders returned to pit road and Buescher exited pit road in first place following another stellar pit stop. Keselowski exited pit road in second place followed by Bowman, teammate Elliott and Logano

    The second stage started on Lap 87 with Buescher and Keselowski on the front row. At the start, Buescher and Keselowski battled for the lead while Logano was mired in a tight battle with all four Hendrick Motorsports competitors. 

    Shortly after, Elliott mounted his way towards the front after overtaking his teammates, Logano and Keselowski for positions. By Lap 88, Elliott muscled his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to the lead after passing Buescher in Turn 1. 

    With Elliott in the lead, teammate Larson and Buescher, both of whom overtook Keselowski, battled for second place. Byron and Bowman, teammates at Hendrick Motorsports, were in fifth and sixth. Truex was in seventh while Logano dropped back to eighth. Hamlin, who struggled at the start, was up in ninth followed by Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch and Cole Custer.

    On Lap 93, Buescher reassumed the lead over Elliott, who led four laps. Two laps later, Buescher stretched his advantage to nearly half a second over Elliott as teammate Larson settled in third. Teammates Byron and Bowman were in fourth and seventh while Keselowski, Truex and Logano were in fifth, sixth and eighth.

    Five laps later, teammates Larson, Elliott and Byron were locked in a heated battle for the runner-up spot, with Larson and Byron prevailing and moving up.

    By Lap 100, Buescher was leading by more than a second over Larson, who had teammate Byron closing in for more. Behind, teammate Elliott was locked in a battle with Truex for fourth place. Keselowski was in sixth followed by Bowman, Kurt Busch, Logano and Hamlin.

    Ten laps later, Buescher stabilized his advantage to more than one-and-a-half seconds. Behind, Truex overtook Larson and Byron for the runner-up spot while Kurt Busch worked his way back into sixth place. Elliott fell back to sixth followed by teammate Bowman, Keselowski, Hamlin and Austin Dillon.

    Another five laps later, Byron overtook teammate Larson for third place. By then, Buescher was still in the lead by more than a second over Truex.

    Shortly after, the first round of pit stops under green commenced as Newman pitted followed by Ross Chastain, Matt DiBenedetto, Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. Hamlin, Elliott, Keselowski, Logano, Aric Almirola, Bell, Byron, Bowman, Custer, Michael McDowell, Truex, Kurt Busch, Larson, Erik Jones, Ryan Preece, Corey LaJoie and race leader Buescher pitted in the ensuing laps.

    When the majority of pit stops under green were completed, Truex emerged with the lead on Lap 125 moments after Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace pitted under green.

    By Lap 135, Truex was leading by nearly two seconds over Buescher while Byron was in third, trailing by more than four seconds. Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon were in the top five. Bowman was in sixth followed by Newman, Hamlin, Larson and teammate Elliott while Keselowski was in 11th. Earlier, Elliott, who made a three-wide move on teammate Larson and Keselowski for position through Turns 3 and 4, slipped up and got loose, though he was able to avoid wrecking in front of Keselowski.

    Behind the leaders, Logano was in 13th, Harvick was in 14th and Kyle Busch was in 18th.

    With the first 150 laps of the race complete, Truex remained in the lead by nearly two seconds over Buescher. Byron continued to run in third place followed by Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon. Bowman remained in sixth place followed by Hamlin, Larson, Newman and Almirola. Behind were Harvick, Keselowski and Elliott while teammates Logano and Blaney rounded out the top 15. 

    Three laps later, the caution returned when smoke billowed out of Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE due to his engine letting go down the backstretch.

    Under caution, the leaders pitted and Truex retained the lead after exiting pit road in first place followed by teammate Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Byron and Buescher.

    The race restarted with a one-lap dash to conclude the second stage as Joe Gibbs Racing’s Truex and Hamlin were on the front row. At the start, teammates Truex and Hamlin battled dead even through Turns 1 and 2. 

    Entering Turn 3, Hamlin squeaked ahead and tried to slide in front of teammate Truex for the lead. Byron, meanwhile, had other plans and made the inside lane work to his advantage as he powered through both JGR competitors and came out on top to claim the second stage victory on Lap 160. Hamlin settled in second followed by teammate Kurt Busch, Truex and Larson. Buescher, Harvick, Blaney, Bowman and Keselowski were scored in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, some led by Truex pitted while the rest led by Byron remained on the track.

    With 100 laps remaining, the final stage commenced with Byron and Hamlin on the front row. At the start, Byron retained the lead followed by Hamlin as the field fanned out to three, four and five lanes through Turns 1 and 2. 

    When the field returned to the start/finish line, Byron continued to lead by a narrow margin over Hamlin while Larson overtook Kurt Busch for third place. Truex and Harvick were in fifth and sixth while Custer, Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick were in the top 10.

    With 90 laps remaining, Byron continued to lead by nearly a second over teammate Larson, who was locked in a heated battle with Hamlin for the runner-up spot. Truex was close behind in fourth while Kurt Busch was in the top five. Custer moved up to sixth place followed by Harvick, Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Reddick. Bowman was in 11th followed by Kyle Busch, McDowell, Ross Chastain and Newman. Bell and DiBenedetto were in 16th and 17th followed by Bubba Wallace, Blaney and Buescher. Elliott was all the way back in 23rd while Logano was in 25th in front of rookie Chase Briscoe. 

    Twenty laps later, Byron remained in the lead by more than a second over Truex. Larson, Hamlin and Kurt Busch were in the top five followed by Harvick, who overtook teammate Custer for position. McDowell worked his way up to eighth followed by Reddick and Keselowski.

    Under the final 70 laps of the race, the caution returned for an on-track incident involving Aric Almirola and Blaney, where Almirola tried to slide up in front of Blaney entering Turn 3 and the two made contact that resulted with both competitors making contact against the outside wall and sustaining damage to their respective machines.

    Under caution, the leaders pitted and Larson, whose pit crew struggled throughout the event, emerged with the lead following a stellar pit stop. Truex exited in second place followed by Kurt Busch, Hamlin and Harvick while Byron dropped back to sixth place. Following the pit stops, however, Hamlin was busted with a pit road speeding penalty.

    The races restarted with 60 laps remaining. At the start, Truex squeaked ahead while Larson fought back on the inside lane. While Truex and Larson battled for the lead, Byron made a bold three-wide move to overtake Keselowski and Harvick for third place. Byron then went to work on teammate Larson for the runner-up spot, which he prevailed. 

    Not long after, Byron reassumed the lead with 58 laps remaining after passing Truex with Larson lurking behind. Custer, meanwhile, worked his way into fifth place as he went to work in challenging Keselowski for fourth place. 

    With 55 laps remaining, a three-way battle for fifth place heated up between Kurt Busch, Harvick and Keselowski. Meanwhile, Byron was leading by nearly half a second over Truex with Larson behind by less than a second and Custer trailing by two seconds.

    Five laps later, Byron remained in the lead by over teammate Larson, who prevailed over a late battle with Truex. 

    Under the final 50 laps of the race and with the lights coming on as the race fell into night conditions, Kurt Busch, who was battling Custer for fourth place, radioed vibration issues to his No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

    With 40 laps remaining, Byron stabilized his advantage to more than two seconds over teammate Larson. Truex remained in third place followed by Kurt Busch and Custer.

    Shortly after, Kurt Busch surrendered his top-five spot on the track to pit under green for tires and following his vibration issues. 

    With 30 laps remaining, Byron’s advantage over teammate Larson remained unchanged as Byron led by more than two seconds. Truex remained in third place, trailing by more than three seconds, while teammates Harvick and Custer trailed by more than eight seconds. By then, Logano made a pit stop under green. Shortly after, teammate Keselowski also pitted under green for four fresh tires.

    With 20 laps remaining, Byron stretched his advantage in his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to four seconds over Larson’s No. 5 Nations Guard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE with Truex’s No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry trailing by nearly five seconds.

    With 10 laps remaining, Byron remained in the lead by less than five seconds over teammate Larson. Truex was in third place and more than five seconds behind Byron, though he was closing in on Larson for the runner-up spot. Reddick was in fourth followed by Harvick. Teammate Custer remained in sixth followed by McDowell, Newman, Bowman and Kyle Busch.

    Under five laps remaining, Byron continued to lead while a three-car battle for the runner-up spot ensued between Larson, Truex and Reddick. Utilizing the outside lane to his advantage while running close to the outside wall, Reddick moved into third place. Entering Turn 4, however, he got loose underneath Larson, though he prevented the car from spinning out.

    With Byron long gone with the lead, the battle for the runner-up spot continued to heat up as Reddick overtook Truex for third place and went to work on Larson for more, which he prevailed not long after.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Byron was out in front by nearly four seconds over Reddick and Larson. With no challengers coming close, Byron was able to cruise around the circuit for a final time and come back around to claim the checkered flag in first place and with a victory margin of nearly three seconds.

    With his second Cup career victory and first since winning at Daytona International Speedway in August 2020, Byron, who led a race-high 102 laps, became the third different winner of the 2021 season. While he snapped a two-race streak featuring first-time Cup winners, he extended the race-winning streak of Hendrick Motorsports to 36 consecutive seasons.

    The victory was the first of the season for Hendrick Motorsports and the 95th career victory for the No. 24 car. The victory was also the first in the Cup Series for crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle, who worked and won seven Truck Series races with Byron in 2016. 

    “That guy [Fugle] has been huge for my career,” Byron said on FOX. “He’s the reason I’m here. I’m glad we could get him [a win]. He’s just awesome and this whole team did a phenomenal job. Everybody, pit crew, over the wall. Extremely blessed…I can’t even believe it. It was just a really smooth day and we worked hard in the winter on this track. I can’t believe it.”

    “You had to go with the wall at certain times; (Turns) 3 and 4 were really fast up there,” Byron added. “I definitely didn’t do it as good as the Xfinity cars do it, but I used it when I had to, and this car was just awesome. It’s really a lot of hard work. I think we went to the [simulator] four or five times this off-season and it just pays off, man. It’s awesome.”

    Behind, Reddick tied his career-best result after finishing in second place as he fell short in becoming the third first-time winner within the first three Cup races of the 2021 season. Compared to Saturday’s Xfinity Series event at Homestead, where his car failed post-race inspection and the driver was disqualified from his runner-up result to winner Myatt Snider, Reddick’s car passed the Cup post-race inspection process and he was able to remain in second place officially. Despite the result, he was less than pleased in falling short of the win.

    “Second place, it’s a good night considering how the first two weekends have went,” Reddick said. “I needed to get this Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevy to Victory Lane because if I would’ve, it would’ve gotten a lot of people in America free chicken tenders on Monday night. Once I really saw how fast we were in clean air, at the end there and I saw how fast we were catching everybody, it’s beyond frustrating. Just two or three different decision on a restart would’ve put me miles ahead and I would’ve been within reach. Second’s great, but I saw how much faster I was than those guys there at the end. Naturally, it’s frustrating.” 

    Truex, meanwhile, was able to squeak ahead of Larson to take third place while Harvick rounded out the top five.

    “I felt like that last run, for whatever reason, it didn’t do what it’d done all day,” Truex said. “[Byron] and [Larson] got by us on that restart, I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m just gonna take care of it here and hope that this is gonna be a really long run.’ That’s where we were strong all day. It just never happened. My balance got off there the last 40 laps or so and the car wouldn’t do what it did earlier. So close. The guys did a great job. It was a solid good effort for our Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry. Just proud of everybody for working hard. It’s definitely something we can build on.”

    “That got pretty intense there at the end, “Larson said on MRN. “[I was] Just trying to take care of my tires and was just struggling on the long runs. Loose for the majority of the race and there that last run, [I] actually got tight. But I felt like being tight was better for my long run just because I could be just a little more confident leading with the right front than the right rear. A top-five finish, I would’ve like to finish second, but those guys were better than me at the end and just couldn’t hold them off. I hate that I gave up those spots but all in all, a good day for the Nations Guard team.”

    McDowell, Newman, Kurt Busch, Bowman and Kyle Busch completed the top 10 on the track. Hamlin settled in 11th, Elliott was in 14th, Keselowski ended up 16th and Logano finished all the way back in 25th.

    There were 20 lead changes for nine different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 36 laps. 

    Hamlin continues to lead the regular-season standings by 20 points over Harvick, 31 over Logano, 33 over McDowell, 34 over Elliott and 35 over Kurt Busch.

    Results.

    1. William Byron, 102 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    2. Tyler Reddick

    3. Martin Truex Jr., 37 laps led

    4. Kyle Larson, five laps led

    5. Kevin Harvick

    6. Michael McDowell

    7. Ryan Newman

    8. Kurt Busch

    9. Alex Bowman

    10. Kyle Busch

    11. Denny Hamlin

    12. Austin Dillon

    13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    14. Chase Elliott, four laps led

    15. Daniel Suarez, one lap led

    16. Brad Keselowski, 47 laps led

    17. Ross Chastain

    18. Chase Briscoe

    19. Chris Buescher, 57 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    20. Christopher Bell

    21. Ryan Preece

    22. Bubba Wallace, two laps led

    23. Cole Custer

    24. Anthony Alfredo

    25. Joey Logano, 12 laps led

    26. Justin Haley, one lap down

    27. Erik Jones, one lap down

    28. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap down

    29. Ryan Blaney, one lap down

    30. Aric Almirola, three laps down

    31. Garrett Smithley, four laps down

    32. Cody Ware, six laps down

    33. Josh Bilicki, eight laps down

    34. B.J. McLeod, nine laps down

    35. Quin Houff, nine laps down

    36. Corey LaJoie – OUT, Engine

    37. James Davison – OUT, Engine

    38. Timmy Hill – OUT, Electrical

    Next on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the first of a two-race West Coast swing for the series. The Vegas event in Nevada will occur on Sunday, March 7, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Weekend schedule for Homestead-Miami Speedway

    Weekend schedule for Homestead-Miami Speedway

    The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. The Camping World Truck Series will not compete but returns next week when all three series head to Las Vegas.

    NASCAR 2021 pole winners are determined by the following metrics formula:

    • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
    • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, Feb. 27

    4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Contender Boats 250 – FS1/ MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 250.5 miles (167 Laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 167)
    TV coverage: 4 p.m. NASCAR RaceDay on FS1
    Pole: Austin Cindric

    Sunday, Feb. 28

    3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 – FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)
    TV coverage: 3 p.m. NASCAR RaceDay on FOX
    Pole: Denny Hamlin

    Noteworthy:

    The first two races of the Cup Series this season have been won by two first-time winners, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since the series’ inaugural season in 1949 and again in 1950. Only once, in 1949, has the series begun the year with three consecutive winners. However, Homestead-Miami Speedway has never had a first-time winner in the Cup Series.

    Statistical highlights for the NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Data – Race # 3 of 36

    Track Size: 1.5-mile
    Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 18-20 degrees
    Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 18-20 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 4 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 4 degrees
    Frontstretch Length: 1,760 feet
    Backstretch Length: 1,760 feet
    Race Length: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
    Stages 1 & 2 Length: 80 Laps (each)
    Finale Stage Length: 107 Laps
    Top 10 Driver ratings at Homestead-Miami Speedway
    Tyler Reddick – 115.5
    Kyle Larson – 107.0
    Kevin Harvick – 106.8
    Martin Truex Jr – 105.9
    Kyle Busch – 102.1
    Denny Hamlin – 100.1
    Chase Elliott – 96.9
    Joey Logano – 91.6
    Brad Keselowski – 89.0
    Austin Dillon – 83.4
    *Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (16 total) among active drivers at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Homestead-Miami Speedway race info & stats

    2020 pole winner: Denny Hamlin
    Track qualifying record: Brad Keselowski – 181.238 mph, 29.795 secs. (11-14-14)
    2020 race winner: Denny Hamlin
    Track race record: Kyle Busch, Toyota – 142.654 mph, 02:48:47 (11-17-19)

    A total of 14 different drivers have won at least one race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Six of the 14 drivers are active this weekend. Denny Hamlin (2009, 2013, 2020) leads the active drivers in wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway with three. No driver has scored their first career Cup win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Active driver race winners (wins)

    Denny Hamlin (3)
    Kyle Busch (2)
    Joey Logano (1)
    Kevin Harvick (1)
    Kurt Busch (1)
    Martin Truex Jr (1)

    Homestead-Miami organization wins (wins)

    Joe Gibbs Racing (8)
    Roush Fenway Racing (7)
    Hendrick Motorsports (2)
    Stewart-Haas Racing (2)
    Furniture Row Racing (1)
    Richard Petty Motorsports (1)
    Team Penske (1)

  • Erik Jones to make 150th Cup start at Homestead

    Erik Jones to make 150th Cup start at Homestead

    Entering a new season of racing and joining forces with a new team, Erik Jones is set to achieve a significant start in his fifth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will reach 150 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Byron, Michigan, Jones made his unofficial Cup Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in April 2015. Following an early rain delay, Jones relieved Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry when Hamlin relinquished his seat due to neck spasms. Dropping to the rear of the field, Jones finished in 26th place, though Hamlin was credited for the result since he started the race.

    A month later, Jones made his official Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway when he piloted the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry in place of Kyle Busch, who was recovering from injuries sustained following a harrowing late-race accident from the Xfinity Series’ season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. 

    During the event at Kansas, Jones was competitive as he led a single lap and ran upfront against the sport’s elite. His race, however, came to an end with 72 laps remaining when he got loose entering Turn 4 and made contact with the outside wall while running in the top five. Limping back to pit road and the garage with damage, Jones settled in 40th place in his series’ debut.

    In November, Jones competed in two of the final three Cup Series races of the season when he took over the No. 20 Toyota Camry for JGR, replacing Matt Kenseth, who was serving a two-race suspension after intentionally wrecking Joey Logano at Martinsville Speedway at the start of the month. At Texas Motor Speedway, Jones recorded a strong 12th-place result. He went on to finish 19th the following race at Phoenix Raceway.

    Following the 2016 season, where he finished in fourth place in the final NASCAR Xfinity Series standings with four victories and the series’ Rookie-of-the-Year title, Jones graduated to the Cup Series the following season. For the 2017 season, he joined Furniture Row Racing to drive the No. 77 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry with support from crew chief Chris Gabehart.

    Jones’ rookie season in the Cup Series, however, started off on a low note when he was involved in a multi-car wreck past the midway portion of the Daytona 500. He rallied three races later by achieving his first top-10 career finish in the Cup circuit at Phoenix Raceway.

    Through the first half of the 2017 Cup season, Jones recorded five top-10 results, including a career-best third-place result at Pocono Raceway in June and was in 14th place in the regular-season standings.

    Five races later, Jones recorded another third-place result at Michigan International Speedway, his home track. The following race at Bristol Motor Speedway, he achieved his first Cup career pole position. During the main event, he led a race-high 260 laps before settling in a career-best runner-up result behind Kyle Busch.

    Though he finished fifth and sixth in the following two races, Jones fell short in making the 2017 Cup Playoffs. Nonetheless, he went on to post three top-10 results throughout the 10-race Playoffs and concluded his rookie season in 19th place in the final standings. When all was said and done, Jones claimed the 2017 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title over names like Daniel Suarez and Ty Dillon. In doing so, he became the first competitor to achieve the Rookie-of-the-Year title across NASCAR’s top three national touring series (Cup, Xfinity and Truck).

    In 2018, Jones returned to Joe Gibbs Racing and replaced Matt Kenseth as driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry with continuous support from Chris Gabehart.

    Like his rookie season, however, Jones was involved in a multi-car accident during the Daytona 500. Finishing in 36th place with a DNF, he rebounded by finishing in the top 10 in four of the following six events.

    Through the first 17 events of the 2018 Cup season, Jones and JGR’s No. 20 team achieved seven top-10 results, a best on-track result of fourth place at Texas Motor Speedway in April and were in 14th place in the regular-season standings.

    The following race at Daytona International Speedway, Jones rallied from being involved in a multi-car wreck near the midway point to overtake ex-teammate Martin Truex Jr. on the final lap and score his maiden Cup victory in his 57th series start. In becoming the ninth different competitor to win a Cup race for JGR, Jones secured his spot to the 2018 Cup Playoffs. 

    Following his victory at Daytona, Jones went on to finish in the top 10 in six of the remaining eight regular-season events, including a runner-up result at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September. 

    During the first round of the Playoffs, Jones achieved results of 40th, 11th and 30th, which were enough to eliminate him from title contention along with names like Jimmie Johnson, Austin Dillon and teammate Denny Hamlin. He went on to finish in the top 10 in four of the remaining seven Playoff races before concluding his sophomore Cup season in a career-best 15th place in the standings. He also earned nine top-five results and a career-high 18 top-10 results.

    Remaining at JGR, Jones kickstarted the 2019 season on a strong note by finishing in third place in the Daytona 500 while being a part of a JGR 1-2-3 finish with race winner Denny Hamlin and runner-up Kyle Busch.

    Through the first 24 events of the 2019 Cup season, Jones achieved 12 top-10 results, a best result of second place at Pocono in and was in 14th place in the regular-season standings.

    For the following race at Darlington Raceway, where he made his 100th Cup career start, Jones held off a late challenge from teammate Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson to claim his first elusive Cup victory of the season and second of his career. The Southern 500 victory was enough for him to race his way into the Playoffs for a second consecutive season.

    Though he entered the 2019 Cup Playoffs with late momentum, Jones’ title run came to an early end following the first round of the Playoffs, where he recorded results of 36th, 38th and 40th. For his 38th-place result, it occurred at Richmond in September, where initially, he finished in fourth place until he was disqualified due to his car failing post-race inspection.

    Following his early exit from title contention, Jones went on to finish in the top 10 in three of the final seven races of the season, including a third-place result in the season-finale event at Homestead, before concluding the season in 16th place in the final standings. While he achieved one victory throughout the entire season, he also achieved a career-high 10 top-five results.

    Jones opened the 2020 Cup Series season on a high, bizarre note by winning the non-points Busch Clash at Daytona with a wrecked race car after being involved in three late-race multi-car wrecks but continuing and receiving a late draft from teammate Denny Hamlin, who was a lap behind, to storm away from a downsized field during an overtime restart.

    Compared to his previous two Cup seasons, Jones did not record a single victory throughout the 2020 season. He also did not make the Playoffs as he only achieved nine top-five results, a season-best result of second place at Talladega Superspeedway in October, 13 top-10 results and a final points result of 17th place.

    Three months prior to the conclusion of the 2020 season, JGR announced that Jones will not be returning to the organization and that Christopher Bell will be replacing him as driver of the No. 20 Toyota. Two months later, nonetheless, Jones was able to secure a ride with Richard Petty Motorsports and pilot the iconic No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, replacing Bubba Wallace, for the new season. 

    Jones commenced his first run with Richard Petty Motorsports on a low note after being involved in an early multi-car pileup and eliminated from contention. He is coming off a 14th-place result from the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

    Through 149 previous starts in the Cup Series, Jones has achieved two career wins and two poles along with 33 top-five results, 62 top-10 results, 647 laps led and an average result of 16.1.

    Catch Jones’ 150th Cup career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, February 28, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Hamlin to start on pole position at Homestead

    Hamlin to start on pole position at Homestead

    Denny Hamlin was awarded the Busch Pole Award for the upcoming Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the third race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, scheduled for Sunday, February 28.

    The lineup was based on a metric formula from a previous NASCAR Cup Series event, which weighs the driver’s result from the previous race (25%), the car owner’s result from the previous race (25%), the team owner’s points ranking (35%) and the fastest lap from the previous race (15%).

    Based on the formula, Hamlin, who finished in third place last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, will lead the field to the start of this weekend’s event at Homestead with the top starting spot. Hamlin, who has won three stages and currently leads the regular-season standings, also enters this weekend’s event in Miami as the reigning winner as he pursues his fourth victory at the track.

    Ironically, this will mark the sixth time in seven consecutive seasons where Hamlin will start on pole position in a Cup event at Homestead.

    Joey Logano, who finished in the runner-up spot last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, will start on the front row alongside Hamlin. Christopher Bell, winner of last weekend’s event at the Daytona Road Course and the NASCAR Cup Series recent/newest winner, will start in third place followed by Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch.

    Michael McDowell will line up in sixth place while Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece, Martin Truex Jr. and Cole Custer will start in the top 10. Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher will start 11th and 12th.

    Starting in positions 13-26 are Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola, Kyle Larson, Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace, Justin Haley, Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Corey LaJoie and Cody Ware.

    Starting in positions 27-38 are rookie Anthony Alfredo, Garrett Smithley, James Davison, rookie Chase Briscoe, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Timmy Hill, B.J. McLeod, Tyler Reddick, Josh Bilicki, Matt DiBenedetto and Quin Houff.

    The Dixie Vodka 400 is set to occur on Sunday, February 28, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Movers and Shakers – 2021 driver and crew chief updates

    Movers and Shakers – 2021 driver and crew chief updates

    NASCAR accomplished the improbable and what some deemed the impossible task of completing a full season of racing in 2020. Their innovation, perseverance, and adherence to safety protocols led the way in the sports world.

    We celebrated new champions and said goodbye to old friends, reminding us that change is inevitable.

    As we anticipate another exciting season in NASCAR, here is your guide to partnerships continued and new alliances formed in preparation for the 2021 season.

    This list of driver and crew chief changes will be updated as new information becomes available.

    Anthony Alfredo:

    2020 – Part-time in the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Alfredo moves to Front Row Racing to run full-time in the Cup Series in the No. 38 Ford. He replaces John Hunter Nemechek who signed with KBM to run full-time in the Truck Series in 2021.

    Justin Allgaier:

    2020 – No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Allgaier will return to JR Motorsports in 2021 for his sixth full-time season with the team in the Xfinity Series.

    AJ Allmendinger:

    2020 – Allmendinger competed in 11 Xfinity Series races in the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing.

    2021 Status – Kaulig Racing announced that Allmendinger will return next season to race full-time in the Xfinity Series in the No. 16 Chevrolet with crew chief, Jason Trinchere (Haley’s lead engineer last year.) He will also compete on the Daytona road course on Feb. 21 for Kaulig Racing.

    Aric Almirola:

    2020 – No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – On Sept. 1, Almirola confirmed that he will return to drive the No. 10 Ford full-time for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2021.

    Jordan Anderson:

    2020 – No. 3 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series

    2021 – Anderson will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series as a rookie with his team Jordan Anderson Racing in the No. 31 Chevrolet. They will field cars acquired from Richard Childress Racing with ECR engines and Artie Haire will serve as crew chief.  The team will also continue to compete in the Truck Series with various drivers, to be announced later. Anderson will drive in the Truck Series season opener at Daytona on Feb. 12.  

    Tyler Ankrum:

    2020 – No. 26 GMS Racing Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – In October, GMS Racing announced that Ankrum would return for a second full-time season with the team. He will be paired with Charles Denike as crew chief.

    Michael Annett:

    2020 – No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Annett will return to drive the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevy full-time in 2021, his fifth season with the organization.

    Christopher Bell:

    2020 – No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Christopher Bell is moving to Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 20 car in the Cup Series in 2021. He replaces Erik Jones in the No. 20 as Jones moves on to Richard Petty Motorsports. LFR made the decision to leave NASCAR at the end of the 2020 season, selling the team and its assets. Adam Stevens will move from the No. 18 Kyle Busch team to serve as crew chief for Bell in 2021.

    Josh Berry:

    2020 – JR Motorsports Late Model Program

    2021 Status – Josh Berry will run a partial Xfinity Series schedule next year in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, competing in approximately 12 races in the first half of the 2021 season.

    Ben Beshore:

    2020 – Crew chief for the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Beshore will move to the Cup Series as crew chief for the No. 18 JGR Toyota driven by Kyle Busch in 2021. For the past two years, he worked as an Xfinity Series crew chief for various drivers, most recently, Harrison Burton. Before moving to the Xfinity Series Beshore was an engineer for the No. 18 team.

    Josh Bilicki:

    2020 – 22 Cup Series starts last year for various teams, including Rick Ware Racing, Tommy Baldwin Racing and Spire Motorsports along with seven Xfinity Series starts and five Truck Series starts.

    2021 – Bilicki will compete full-time for Rick Ware Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021 in the No. 52 entry.

    Ryan Blaney:

    2020 – No. 12 Team Penske Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Blaney will return to Team Penske after signing a multi-year contract extension on March 6.

    Alex Bowman:

    2020 – No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Bowman will remain with Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, moving to the No. 48 Chevrolet to replace Jimmie Johnson who retired from full-time competition at the end of the 2020 season. The 88 will not be used by HMS in 2021. After signing Kyle Larson, they announced that he will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet.

    Clint Bowyer:

    2020 – No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – On Oct. 8, Bowyer announced that he would retire from full-time competition in the Cup Series at the conclusion of the 2020 season. He will join the FOX broadcast booth in 2021.

    Spencer Boyd:

    2020 – No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – On Nov. 25, Young’s Motorsports announced that Boyd’s contract has been extended through 2021 and he will continue to compete in the No. 20 Chevrolet.

    Chase Briscoe:

    2020 – No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Briscoe will move to the Cup Series in 2021. He will drive the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Ford vacated by Clint Bowyer. Johnny Klausmeier will continue as crew chief.

    Jade Buford:

    2020 – Xfinity Series, three starts with Bobby Dotter (No. 07 Chevrolet), one with JD Motorsports (No. 6 Chevrolet)

    2021 Status – Buford will compete full time in the Xfinity Series for the new, Big Machine Racing Team, owned by Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records company, in the No. 48 Chevrolet with crew chief Patrick Donohue. Buford, however, has not been cleared to race at the Daytona oval.

    Harrison Burton:

    2020 – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Burton will return to drive the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series with Jason Ratcliff as crew chief.

    Jeb Burton:

    2020 – Part-time in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 status – Burton will run a full-time Xfinity Series schedule in 2021 with Kaulig Racing and Bruce Schlicker as crew chief. He replaces Ross Chastain who is moving to the Cup Series.  

    William Byron:

    2020 – No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Byron will continue to compete in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after signing a contract extension through the 2022 season. As noted below, Rudy Fugle will partner with Byron as crew chief.

    Landon Cassill:

    2020- Four starts in the No. 89 for Shepherd Racing Ventures in the Xfinity Series

    2021 – Cassill will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series for JD Motorsports in the No. 4 Chevrolet.

    Ross Chastain:

    2020 – No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Chastain will advance to the Cup Series to drive the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet full-time. He will replace Matt Kenseth who filled in for the suspended Kyle Larson in 2020.

    Austin Cindric:

    2020 – No. 22 Team Penske Ford in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – In October, Team Penske announced that Cindric had signed a contract extension. He will continue to drive in the Xfinity Series in 2021 and will also run some Cup races as he prepares for a move to the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Cup Series team in 2022.

    Sheldon Creed:

    2020 – No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Creed will return to GMS Racing for his third full-time season in the Truck Series next year. Jeff Stankiewicz will also return as crew chief for his second full-time season with Creed. 

    Bayley Currey:

    2020 – No. 74 Chevrolet for Mike Harmon Racing in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Currey will return to race the No. 74 Chevrolet for Mike Harmon Racing.

    Cliff Daniels:

    2020 – Crew chief for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series.

    2021 Status – Following Jimmie Johnson’s retirement from full-time competition, Daniels will be paired with Kyle Larson as crew chief of the No. 5 HMS Chevrolet.

    Spencer Davis:

    2020 – No. 11 Toyota for Spencer Davis Racing in the Truck Series, part-time

    2021 – After three part-time seasons in 2018-2020, Davis will compete full-time this year in the No. 11 Toyota for Spencer Davis Racing in the Truck Series and compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

    Hailie Deegan:

    2020 – No. 4 DGR-Crosley Ford in the ARCA Menards Series

    2021 Status – Deegan will move up to the Truck Series and run a full-time schedule in the No. 17 DGR-Crosley Ford. Mike Hillman Jr., (Raphael Lessard’s former crew chief at KBM) will be Deegan’s crew chief.

    Matt DiBenedetto:

    2020 – No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status –DiBenedetto signed a one-year contract extension to return for his second season with Wood Brothers Racing in 2021. He will be replaced by Austin Cindric in 2022.  

    Ty Dillon:

    2020 – No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Dillon will attempt to qualify for the Cup Series Daytona 500 with Gaunt Brothers Racing and secure one of four open spots in the event. On Jan. 27, it was announced that Dillon will drive the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota in select NASCAR Xfinity Series races. His first race will be in the season opener at Daytona on Feb. 13. His current schedule also includes races at Homestead on Feb. 27, Las Vegas (March 6) and Talladega Superspeedway (April 24).

    Drew Dollar:

    2020 – Full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, finishing fourth in the standings

    2021 – Drew Dollar will make eight starts in the Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck Series No. 51 Toyota with Mardy Lindley as crew chief. He will compete at the Daytona oval and Charlotte in May, Texas and Nashville in June, Bristol and Las Vegas in Sept., Talladega in Oct. & the season finale at Phoenix in Nov.

    Jeffrey Earnhardt:

    2020 – Earnhardt competed in 29 races last season for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the Xfinity Series.

    2021 Status – On Dec. 21 it was announced that Earnhardt will return to drive the No. 0 Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller.

    Christian Eckes:

    2020 – No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota

    2021 Status: Eckes confirmed on Dec. 7 via social media that he will not return to KBM in 2021 and has not announced his future plans.

    Ryan Ellis:

    2020 – Ellis did not compete in the Xfinity Series in 2020 but has 50 combined starts in the series from 2012-2019, including a partial schedule in 2016 of 16 races.

    2021 – Ellis will drive a part-time Xfinity Series schedule in the No. 99 Chevrolet for BJ McLeod Motorsports. His current confirmed race schedule includes Darlington, Mid-Ohio, Road America and Kansas.

    Santino Ferrucci:

    2020 – NTT IndyCar Series

    2021 – Ferrucci will drive a limited schedule for Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity Series competing in the No. 26 Toyota with Andrew Abbott as crew chief.

    Rudy Fugle:

    2020 – Crew chief for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Fugle will move up to the Cup Series as crew chief for William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He will replace Chad Knaus who will leave the pit-box after being promoted to vice president of competition at HMS.

    Joey Gase:

    2020 – Primarily in the No. 51 Ford full-time in the Cup Series with Rick Ware Racing

    2021 – On Jan. 15 it was announced that Gase will return to Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series and will kick off his season at the Daytona 500. The number of races in which he will compete was not specified in the press release.

    Brandon Gdovic:

    2020 – Competed in two Xfinity Series races for Sam Hunt Racing

    2021 – Gdovic will return to the Xfinity Series with Sam Hunt Racing on a limited schedule, focusing primarily on oval tracks. His first race will be at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13.

    Ty Gibbs:

    2020 – Ran a partial schedule in the No. 18 Toyota in the ARCA Menards Series and earned six wins

    2021 – Gibbs will run full-time in the ARCA Menards Series and compete for the championship in the No. 18 Toyota. He will also make his debut in the Xfinity Series in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota with his first race at the Daytona Road Course on Feb. 14. On Feb. 23, the following 14 races were confirmed for Dillon’s Xfinity schedule: March 13–Phoenix, April 9–Martinsville, May 8–Darlington, May 15–Dover. May 29–Charlotte, June 5–Mid-Ohio, June 27–Pocono, July 3–Road America, Aug. 7–Watkins Glen, Aug. 14–Indianapolis road course, Aug. 21–Michigan, Sept. 11– Richmond, Oct. 9–Charlotte Roval, Oct. 23–Kansas

    Todd Gilliland:

    2020 – No. 38 Ford full-time for Front Row Racing in the Truck Series

    2021 – Gilliland will return to drive the No. 38 Ford full time in the Truck Series for Front Row Racing.

    Noah Gragson:

    2020 – No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – On Aug. 27, it was confirmed that Gragson will return to JR Motorsports for the 2021 Xfinity Series season.

    Justin Haley:

    2020 – No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Haley will return to drive for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series in 2021. It is his third season with the team and will be his second year with Alex Yontz as crew chief. 

    Daniel Hemric:

    2020 – No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet part-time in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Hemric will move to Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 18 Toyota full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with crew chief, Dave Rogers.

    Riley Herbst:

    2020 – No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Herbst is moving to the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in 2021 and will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series.

    Austin Hill:

    2020 – No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Hill will return to Hattori Racing for a third season in 2021.

    Carson Hocevar:

    2020 – Part-time in the Truck Series for Niece Motorsports

    2021 Status – Hocevar will drive full-time in the Truck Series for Niece Motorsports in 2021.

    Bret Holmes:

    2020 – No. 23 full-time in the ARCA Menards Series for Bret Holmes Racing

    2021 – Holmes will run part-time in the Truck Series No. 32 Chevrolet for Bret Holmes Racing. His Truck Series debut will be at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March with additional races to be announced. He will also compete in several ARCA Menards Series events.

    Colby Howard:

    2020 – No. 15 JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series, part-time

    2021 Status – Howard will run a full-time Xfinity Series schedule in the No. 15 JD Motorsports Chevrolet. Wayne Carroll will replace his former crew chief, Mark Setzer, who has teamed up with Jeremy Clements for the 2021 season.

    Joe Gibbs Racing:

    2021 Xfinity Series – JGR will field a fourth Xfinity Series car, the No. 54, that will rotate different drivers throughout the season. Chris Gayle will serve as the crew chief for the No. 54. The drivers and schedule for this car will be released at a later date.  

    Jimmie Johnson:

    2020 – No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Johnson retired from full-time competition in the Cup Series at the end of the 2020 season. The seven-time champ has indicated that he may run select NASCAR races in the future but for now, IndyCar seems to be his main focus for 2021. 

    Brandon Jones:

    2020 – No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – In October, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Jones would return to drive the No. 19 Toyota in 2021 with crew chief Jeff Meendering.

    Erik Jones:

    2020 – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – After being notified that JGR would not renew his contract for next year, Jones signed a multi-year deal to drive in the Cup Series for Richard Petty Motorsports in the No. 43 Chevrolet. The opportunity arose after Bubba Wallace signed with 23XI Racing to drive the No. 23 next year.  

    Matt Kenseth:

    2020 – No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Kenseth came out of retirement to take over as driver of the No. 42 after the suspension of Kyle Larson in 2020. On Sept. 21, CGR signed Ross Chastain as the driver of the No. 42 for 2021. Kenseth currently has no plans to return to full-time racing.

    Brad Keselowski:

    2020 – No. 2 Team Penske Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – On Aug. 3, Team Penske renewed Keselowski’s contact and confirmed that he will return as the driver of the No. 2 Ford in 2021. The announcement did not state if the contract extended beyond next season.

    Chad Knaus:

    2020 – Crew chief for the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Knaus will leave the pit-box after being promoted to vice president of competition at HMS.

    Derek Kraus:

    2020 – McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 19 Toyota Tundra in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – On Dec. 22 the team announced that Kraus will return for his second full-time season with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in the No. 19 Toyota. Matt Noyce will join the team as crew chief (former crew chief at ThorSport Racing for Ben Rhodes in 2019, 2020).  

    Corey LaJoie:

    2020 – No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Announced on Nov. 30 on his “Sunday Money” podcast, Lajoie has signed a multi-year agreement with Spire Motorsports to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet in the Cup Series. Ryan Sparks, former crew chief for LaJoie at Go Fas Racing, will make the move with LaJoie to serve as the crew chief for the Spire No. 7 team.

    Kyle Larson:

    2020 – Previous driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series. Larson was suspended in April and fired from CGR after using a racial slur during an iRacing event. He was reinstated by NASCAR in October and is eligible to return to racing on Jan. 1, 2021.

    2021 Status – Larson was signed by Hendrick Motorsports to a multi-year deal on Oct. 28. He is slated to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet in the Cup Series in 2021 with Johnson’s former crew chief, Cliff Daniels, on the pit box. Tyler Monn has been named as Larson’s spotter.

    Raphael Lessard:

    2020 – No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – GMS Racing announced on Jan. 7 that Lessard will compete full time in the Truck Series in the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado with Chad Walter as crew chief.

    Jesse Little:

    2020 – No. 4 JD Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 – Little will drive full-time in the Xfinity Series with BJ McLeod Motorsports in the No. 78 Chevrolet in 2021.

    Mason Massey:

    2020 – 10 Xfinity Series races with BJ McLeod Motorsports, Inc. in the No. 99 Toyota

    2021 – Massey will return to BJ McLeod Motorsports to drive the No. 99 Toyota for 12 Xfinity Series races.

    Sam Mayer:

    2020 – Part-time in the Truck Series (six races) and competed in select races in the ARCA Menards Series for GMS Racing

    2021 Status – Mayer will move to JR Motorsports and drive the second half of the Xfinity Series season in 2021. He will drive full-time in the series in 2022. He will also compete in six ARCA races and five Truck Series events for Bret Holmes Racing in 2021.

    Michael McDowell:

    2020 – No. 34 Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series

    2021 Status – McDowell will return to Front Row Racing in the No. 34 Ford to compete full-time in the Cup Series.

    BJ McLeod:

    2020 – Part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series primarily as a driver/owner

    2021 Status – McLeod will drive the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time next year. He is a co-owner of Live Fast Motorsports with Matt Tifft. The team will have a partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing.

    Matt Mills:

    2020 – Full-time in the No. 05 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series for BJ McLeod Motorsports

    2021 Status – On Dec. 16 the team announced that Mills will return to drive the No. 05 full-time in the Xfinity Series for BJ McLeod Motorsports in 2021.

    Brett Moffitt:

    2000 – No. 02 Our Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series/No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Moffitt will drive full-time in the No. 02 Chevrolet for Our Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and will also run a full-time schedule in the Truck Series in the No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports. He will declare for points in the Truck Series and compete for the Truck Series championship.

    John Hunter Nemechek:

    2020 – No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Announced on Nov. 23, Nemechek will drive the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4 Toyota in the Truck Series. He replaces Raphael Lessard. Nemechek will also compete in select Xfinity races this year for Sam Hunt Racing in the No. 26. His first start with the team will be at Dover in May.

    Miguel Paludo:

    2020 – Paludo competed in Brazil in the Porsche GT3 Carrera Cup Series. He also has two previous Xfinity Series starts (2012) and 73 Truck Series starts (2010-2013).

    2021 – Paludo will drive the JR Motorsports No. 8 Chevrolet in three Xfinity Series road course events in 2021. His first event will be the second race of the season at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Feb. 20. His schedule also includes the races at Circuit of the Americas (May 22) and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 5.

    Chase Purdy:

    2020 – Part-time in Truck Series for GMS Racing

    2021 Status – Purdy will compete full-time with GMS Racing next year in the Truck Series with Jeff Hensley as crew chief.

    Tyler Reddick:

    2020 – No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Reddick will return for his second season in the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet in the Cup Series next year.

    Mark Setzer:

    2020 – Crew Chief for JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller

    2021 Status – Setzer will serve as crew chief for the No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet next season, replacing Andrew Abbott.

    Chandler Smith:

    2020 – No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota in the Truck Series, part-time

    2021 Status – Announced Dec. 7, Smith will compete full time in the Truck Series in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 18 Tundra next year, replacing Christian Eckes.

    Zane Smith:

    2020 – No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Smith will return to GMS Racing for a second season with Kevin “Bono” Manion as crew chief.

    Garrett Smithley:

    2020 – Cup Series with various teams, primarily with Rick Ware Racing

    2021 – Smithley will run a partial Cup Series schedule for Rick Ware Racing. The races in which he will compete will be announced at a later date.

    Adam Stevens:

    2020 – Crew chief for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series.

    2021 Status – Stevens will move to the No. 20 JGR team as crew chief for Christopher Bell next season. He worked with Kyle Bush from 2015–2020, winning two championships.  

    Daniel Suarez:

    Current ride – No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Suarez will compete full-time in the No. 99 Chevrolet with the newly formed Cup Series team of Trackhouse Racing with owner Justin Marks and musical artist, Pitbull (Armando Perez), who announced his partnership with the team on Jan 15. Ty Norris will serve as president of race operations and Travis Mack joins the team as crew chief. Mack is the former crew chief for the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

    Ryan Truex: 2020 – No. 40 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, part-time

    2021 Status – Announced on Nov. 24, Truex will return to drive the No. 40 Niece Motorsports Chevy in the Camping World Truck Series but will upgrade to a full-time season. It will be his first full-time ride in the series since 2017.

    Ryan Vargas:

    2020 – No. 15 Chevrolet (two starts) and No. 16 Chevrolet (seven starts) with JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller

    2021 – Vargas will run a full schedule in the JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller No. 6 Chevrolet and compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the Xfinity Series.

    Bubba Wallace:

    2020 – No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – On Sept. 21, Wallace and Denny Hamlin announced that Wallace would drive the No. 23 car for 23XI Racing in 2021, a new team formed by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. Freddie Kraft will transition from RPM to continue as spotter for Wallace at 23XI Racing with Mike Wheeler as crew chief.

    Cody Ware:

    2020 – Competed in one race in the Xfinity Series and one race in the Cup Series for Rick Ware Racing. He has 23 career Cup starts and 21 Xfinity starts.

    2021 Status – Ware will run a full schedule in the Cup Series for Rick Ware Racing.

    Kyle Weatherman:

    2020 – No. 47 Chevrolet for Mike Harmon Racing in the Xfinity Series

    2021 – Weatherman will return to drive the No. 47 Chevrolet for Mike Harmon Racing in the Xfinity Series full-time.

    Mike Wheeler:

    2020 – Competition director for Leavine Family Racing in the Cup Series.

    2021 Status – Wheeler will join 23XI Racing to serve as the crew chief for Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 team.

    Kris Wright:

    2020 – He competed in one race in the No. 24 Chevrolet for GMS Racing in the Truck Series at the Daytona Road Course. Wright also ran select races in the ARCA Menards Series, CARS Super Late Model Tour Series and one race in the
    Weathertech SportsCar Championship Series. In 2018, he won the IMSA Prototype Challenge LMP3 championship.

    2021 – Wright will compete in seven Xfinity Series road course events for Sam Hunt Racing. His schedule includes the Daytona Road Course, COTA, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis Road Course and the Charlotte ROVAL.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona Road Course

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona Road Course

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led five laps and finished third at Daytona’s road course.

    “What a weekend for Joe Gibbs,” Hamlin said. “In addition to Christopher Bell’s win in the Cup race, Joe’s 18-year-old grandson Ty won the Xfinity race on Saturday. Now, Joe’s got it all. In Kyle Busch, he’s got the ‘baby.’ In Ty Gibbs, he’s got the ‘baby face.’”

    2. Christopher Bell: Bell muscled past Joey Logano with two laps to go to seize the win at the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona’s Road Course. It was Bell’s first Cup win and the second week in a row a first-time winner reached Victory Lane.

    “I knew I needed to get past Logano when I did,” Bell said. “Take it from me and Brad Keselowski; if you want to get to Victory Circle, you don’t want to be behind Joey with one lap to go.

    “I’m thankful to be a part of this Joe Gibbs Racing team. I’ve worked hard to get to where I’m at. To win in just my second start with JGR really puts it all into perspective, including the 57 races it took Erik Jones to get his first win.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished sixth at Daytona’s road course and is now third in the points standings.

    “That may have been the quietest sixth-place finish in history,” Harvick said. “I may not have been involved in any of it, but that race had a lot of action. If you thought that race lacked action, then you must have been comparing it to Jeff Gordon’s and Clint Bowyer’s rental car race. That looked like fun, at least to the drivers. If you asked the cars about it, however, they would have said, ‘This ‘Hertz.””

    4. Chase Elliott: Elliott dominated early at Daytona, winning Stage 1 easily, but spun battling for position late and finished a disappointing 21st.

    “I made the save of the day,” Elliott said, “after I was forced into the grass on a late restart. That’s when the race really went ‘green.’

    “And speaking of ‘green,’ Roush Fenway Racing became the first carbon neutral NASCAR team. That’s no surprise, because Roush Fenway has been stuck in ‘neutral’ for years now.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski survived an early spin and recovered to place fifth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253.

    “Joey Logano and I had a healthy discussion about the incident in the Daytona 500,” Keselowski said. “It’s not like either one of us wanted to talk, but Roger Penske demanded we do it. Honestly, I would have rather tried to ‘clear the air’ in a Martinsville bathroom with Jimmy Spencer and Tony Stewart after a hot-dog-eating contest.”

    6. Michael McDowell: Daytona 500 winner McDowell finished eighth at Daytona’s road course and is sixth in the points standings.

    “Christopher Bell and I are locked into the playoffs,” McDowell said. “Along with Chase Elliott’s championship run last year, this is the breath of fresh air that NASCAR’s needed for years now. And that’s mostly because this sport is overwhelmingly comprised of a bunch of old farts.”

    7. Joey Logano: Logano took the lead on Lap 63 when other cars pitted for fresh tires, but couldn’t hold off Christopher Bell down the stretch.

    “Brad and I had a brief interaction before the race,” Logano said. “I guess we should speak at greater length. Brad suggested I set aside some time on the calendar to talk. His exact words were, ‘You should ‘block’ some time for us to meet.’”

    8. Ryan Preece: Preece followed up his sixth in the Daytona 500 with a ninth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253.

    “It’s a great start to the season for JTG-Daugherty Racing,” Preece said. “Brad Daugherty is probably one of the proudest owners in the NASCAR garage. You can tell because he’s got his head held higher than usual, which is already pretty high.”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished fourth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 and moved to eighth place in the points standings.

    “It was a good day for Ganassi Racing,” Busch said. “Not so much for my car owner Chip Ganassi, who was fined $30,000 and suspended for one race for bringing a nonessential individual into the restricted competition area. I myself have been considered a ‘nonessential individual,’ most often by my girlfriends or wives.”

    10. Cole Custer: Custer finished 13th at Daytona.

    “I’m part of NASCAR’s youth movement,” Custer said. “Now, ‘twenty-something’ is also the answer to the question, ‘How old was the race winner?’, and not just the answer to the question, ‘How many beers did Clint Bowyer drink?’”