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Tag: NASCAR Xfinity Series

  • Darlington – A Labor Day tradition of racing, family and fun

    Darlington – A Labor Day tradition of racing, family and fun

    NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway to celebrate Labor Day with a full weekend of racing competition and fun for the entire family.

    As track president Kerry Tharp discussed several of the planned events, one thing was quickly apparent; there will be something for everyone.

    “We’re going to have a fan zone. We’ve got a kid zone. We’ve got live entertainment Friday and Saturday night,” he said. “We’ve got a Playoffs party Saturday night and a doubleheader on Sunday.”

    But, when the racing begins, tensions will be high as all three series focus on the Playoffs.

    Turn 2 of the track was recently repaved in preparation for the Labor Day weekend. It was, however, a necessity rather than an enhancement.

    “It was a much better long-term solution than the piecemeal we had been doing for the last three to four years,” Tharp explained. “They finished up about three weeks ago and NASCAR sent some people down from the manufacturers to check out the work. They felt very good about it. It didn’t change any of the banking or any of the geometry of that turn. I think it’s going to have a minimal if any, effect on the racing. It’s something that we had to do.”

    The Cook Out Southern 500 is the first race in Round 1 of the Cup Series Playoffs.

    The 1.366-mile track presents a unique challenge in the upcoming races. A win will automatically advance a driver through the Playoffs to the next round but there is a delicate balance between aggressiveness and patience.

    “Darlington is a race where you need to be patient. It’s 500 miles so it’s 100 miles further than most races. Someone can be leading it on the 100-mile mark and then all of a sudden you look and say, ‘where did that guy go?’

    “So I think the (playoff) drivers would certainly want to secure a win here but they also don’t want to forego any chance of advancing with a poor performance here. So, I think they are going to have to be very, very patient, take care of their tires and just be the best they can be.”

    Tharp is looking forward to having the Camping World Truck Series back this weekend as they compete in the second race of their postseason playoffs.

    “I love having the Trucks here. They put on great racing. I think for fans that have never come to a NASCAR race, the Truck Series is one to start out with. It’s an opportunity to let the fans see some of the younger drivers that are working themselves up into the ranks and there are also some veterans in the mix.”

    The Xfinity Series regular season is winding down and with only three races remaining the competition at Darlington will be intense as the drivers contend for the remaining spots.

    Although the 2022 schedule has not been released, Tharp is “cautiously optimistic” that the track will have the opportunity to host two race weekends again next year.

    “We feel that the fans like coming here, the teams like coming here and it puts on a great show. It’s just a short drive down from where most of the team shops are in the Charlotte area.

    “There are a lot of things to do here in South Carolina. It’s a beautiful part of the state and we would certainly welcome two race dates and hope to have two race dates for many, many more years to come.”

    This will be the first time since September 2019 that the track is fully open with no seating restrictions in the grandstands and no limits in the camping areas.

    “Ticket sales are going well,” Tharp confirmed. “There are really no limitations on our ticket sales or camping. We’re going to have a lot of fans in the grandstands and a lot of campers in the infield and the exterior of the facility.”

    There are no specific COVID-19 protocols for fans in outdoor areas but they advise fans to wear masks in any enclosed spaces.

    “We just ask fans to be smart and to be accountable for their own health.”

    Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/.

  • Haley wins a thrilling three-wide photo finish at Daytona

    Haley wins a thrilling three-wide photo finish at Daytona

    Saving their absolute best for the last, Kaulig Racing utilized teamwork to storm to another victory at Daytona International Speedway. On this occasion, Justin Haley edged teammate AJ Allmendinger by a nose and in a three-wide photo finish including their other teammate, Jeb Burton, to win the rain-postponed Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 28.

    The victory was Haley’s first of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

    The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Xfinity event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Xfinity race. With that, AJ Allmendinger, winner of last weekend’s Xfinity event at Michigan International Speedway, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with Noah Gragson.

    The race started on Friday evening, August 27, and Allmendinger received a push from Justin Allgaier on the outside lane to jump to an early lead and lead the first lap ahead of Noah Gragson and a steaming pack of cars. He went on to lead the following two laps before Gragson peaked ahead during the fourth lap. Allmendinger, however, quickly snatched the lead back the following lap.

    By the ninth lap, Brandon Jones, who was the lead car on the inside lane, encountered early issues when he made an unscheduled pit stop under green due to overheating issues as a result of a piece of debris.

    When the competition caution flew on Lap 15, Gragson, who reassumed the lead on Lap 14, was scored the leader ahead of Allmendinger and the field. Under the competition caution, some led by Gragson pitted while the rest led by Allmendinger remained on the track. By then, Jones retired due to his mechanical issue.

    Just as the field was set to restart, rain fell on the track and the field was brought to pit road as the race was red-flagged for a weather delay on Lap 19. Over an hour later, NASCAR declared that the race would be postponed to Saturday afternoon and run prior to the Cup event due to inclement weather continuing throughout Friday evening. At the time of, Allmendinger was leading ahead of Christopher Bell, Myatt Snider, Austin Cindric, Brett Moffitt, Justin Haley, Jeb Burton, Daniel Hemric, Jeremy Clements and Caesar Bacarella.

    When the race resumed under green on Lap 21 and on Saturday afternoon, Allmendinger jumped ahead with another strong start on the outside lane followed by Cindric, Haley and Bell while Snider mounted a charge on the inside lane.

    By Lap 25, Allmendinger continued to lead followed by teammate Haley while Cindric challenged as the lead car on the outside lane. Snider and Jeb Burton were in the top five followed by Bell, Michael Annett, Hemric, Allgaier and Moffitt.

    A lap later, the caution flew when a bump from Snider sent Cindric making hard contact into the outside wall in the frontstretch. The incident ignited a chain reaction wreck that involved Snider, rookie Sam Mayer, Hemric and Annett. The wreck was enough to knock Cindric, who won the Xfinity opener at Daytona in February, out of contention.

    With the caution period and cleanup surpassing the first stage’s conclusion on Lap 30, the first stage concluded under caution as Haley, who overtook teammate Allmendinger at the moment of caution, claimed his fifth stage victory of the season. Teammates Allmendinger and Jeb Burton settled in second and third followed by Bell and Allgaier. Scored in the top 10 were Moffitt, Gragson, Bacarella, Brandon Brown and Harrison Burton.

    Under the stage break, everyone pitted except for Brandon Brown, Herbst, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Sieg and Jason White.

    The second stage started on Lap 33 and Herbst jumped ahead with the lead on the outside lane followed by Briscoe as the field fanned out to three lanes through the backstraightaway.

    When the field returned to the start/finish line, Brown mounted a challenge on the inside lane against Herbst for the lead. As the field continued to battle through Turns 2 and 3, the caution returned due to debris from Michael Annett’s car coming out in Turn 2.

    When the race restarted on Lap 39, Herbst jumped ahead with the lead on the inside lane before he moved up to the outside lane in front of Briscoe and a bevy of cars.

    Two laps later, the inside lane led by Brown mounted a charge for the lead through the tri-oval and entering the first turn. Herbst, however, was able to fight back through the backstraightaway and when the field returned to the start/finish line.

    By Lap 45, Brown took the lead followed by Allmendinger, Allgaier, Gragson, Jeb Burton and Sam Mayer while Herbst fell back to eighth alongside Harrison Burton. A lap later, though, Allmendinger muscled his way back into the lead followed by Allgaier, Gragson and Mayer while Brown got shuffled back to fifth.

    Three laps later, the caution returned due to debris coming off of Caesar Bacarella’s car in the frontstretch following contact from Blaine Perkins. Under caution, some including Allmendinger, Allgaier, Gragson, Mayer, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton, Haley, Sieg and Bell pitted while the rest led by Brown and Herbst remained on the track.

    With eight laps remaining in the second stage, the race restarted. At the start, Brown rocketed with the lead followed by Herbst. Through the backstraightaway, though, the field fanned out to multiple lanes and caught Brown through Turns 3 and 4 as Sam Mayer made his way into the lead with drafting help from teammate Gragson.

    By Lap 54, all three Kaulig Racing competitors lined up on the inside lane resulted with Jeb Burton taking the lead ahead of teammates Allmendinger and Haley. They were then quickly pursued by three JR Motorsports competitors featuring Mayer, Gragson and Allgaier, respectively.

    In the closing laps of the second stage, the battle for the lead intensified as Jeb Burton continued to lead by a narrow margin over his Kaulig Racing teammates, a trio of JR Motorsports competitors and the field. By then, Brown pitted as the hood of his car went up.

    When the second stage concluded on Lap 60, Jeb Burton, who was blocking all comers through both lanes, managed to claim his first stage victory of the season. Teammates Allmendinger and Haley settled in second and third followed by Herbst and Bell. Gragson, Hemric, Allgaier, Briscoe and Mayer settled in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, some led by Jeb Burton pitted while the rest led by Bell and Gragson remained on the track.

    With 36 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start, Bell and Gragson battled dead even for the lead as the field fanned out to double lanes and in a pack behind the two leaders.

    Down to the final 30 laps of the event, the field settled in a long single-file lane as Gragson was leading followed by Bell, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton, Snider, Allgaier, Mayer, Herbst, Briscoe and Moffitt while Allmendinger and Haley were in 11th and 15th. By then, Hemric was back in 14th.

    Shortly after, the caution flew when Colin Garrett spun and wrecked in Turn 4 as he ended up getting his car stuck in the tri-oval muddy grass. Colby Howard also spun to avoid Garrett.

    With 23 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Bell and Gragson battled dead even for the lead through the backstraightaway as the field fanned out to three lanes. 

    Back to the start/finish line, Bell was leading followed by Jeb Burton while Gragson fell back to fourth while battling Snider. 

    Down to the final 20 laps of the event, the majority of the field settled in a single-file line as Bell was leading followed by Jeb Burton, Gragson, Allgaier, Herbst, Allmendinger, Snider, Harrison Burton, Hemric, Haley and Mayer while Chase Briscoe was in 13th.

    A few laps later, the caution flew when Caesar Bacarella made contact with Jordan Anderson and hit the outside wall in the backstretch. While trying to straighten his car, Jade Buford and Matt Mills also wrecked to avoid Bacarella.

    Under caution, some including Briscoe pitted while the rest led by Bell remained on the track.

    With 14 laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, Jeb Burton had drafting help from Gragson to take a narrow lead before Bell fought back on the outside lane.

    The following lap, Bell cleared the field with the lead followed by Allgaier and Allmendinger while the Burton cousins battled for fourth.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Bell continued to lead followed by Allgaier, Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton, Haley, Hemric, Snider, JJ Yeley, Jason White and the field, all running in a single-file line. By then, Joe Graf Jr.’s car was smoking through the frontstretch, but the field continued to run under green as Graf took his car below the apron and out of the racing groove.

    With five laps remaining, Bell continued to lead, but a bevy of cars behind started to fan out to multiple lanes while challenging Bell for the lead. A lap later, Allmendinger stormed to the lead followed by teammates Jeb Burton and Haley while Allgaier also moved up, dropping Bell to fifth.

    A few laps later, all three Kaulig Racing competitors led by Jeb Burton were at the front followed by Bell, Harrison Burton, Allgaier and the field.

    When the final lap started, Allmendinger was leading by a narrow margin over teammate Jeb Burton, Bell and the field. Through the backstretch, Jeb Burton peeked to the inside of teammate Allmendinger, who tried to block Burton, for the lead while Bell got shuffled out on the inside lane with no drafting help. In addition, Haley made his move to the outside of Allmendinger, thus placing all three Kaulig Racing competitors in a dead three-wide heat for the win in Turns 3 and 4.

    Entering the tri-oval and with the field fanning out to three lanes, Allmendinger peaked ahead with a push from Allgaier, but Haley started to gain a run on the outside lane as he had Hemric behind him. At the finish line, Haley managed to edge teammate Allmendinger by 0.023 seconds to grab the checkered flag and the win.

    Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    The victory guaranteed Haley a spot in the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs as he also captured his fourth career victory in the series. All four of Haley’s Xfinity victory have occurred on superspeedway venues (Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway). In addition, Kaulig Racing captured its third win at Daytona.

    “It’s just not been the best season,” Haley said on NBCSN. “It’s been really, really hard on this No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection team all year. We’ve had a lot of bad luck. I was trying to formulate the plan there and obviously, team orders, saw it out of there, they were so good. Hats off to Kaulig Racing. I think we got the teammate thing down. It’s just so special to win here at Daytona. It’s absolutely incredible. That was a close one and getting it to just beat out AJ. It always means a lot, too.”

    Allmendinger settled in second place while Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Hemric finished in the top five.

    “I mean, that was like the perfect photo shoot right there coming across the [finish] line for all the Kaulig Racing Chevys,” Allmendinger said. “Proud of my son, Justin Haley. He might be one of the best we’ve ever seen on superspeedway. Jeb [Burton] did a fantastic job. I was hanging on in the middle [lane] there. I thought we might get it, but proud of everybody at Kaulig Racing, all the men and women. The Hyper Ice Chevy was good. I think we led the most laps as well. Finished second, all day, it seemed like, but just proud. It was fantastic.”

    “We led some [laps] today and going down the back, I think I led for a second,” Jeb Burton said. “AJ kind of slid up in front of me. I checked up and gave him a shot and then, I had to take the run. I looked and we were one, two and three, and I was thinking we were gonna come across the line like that, but [Allgaier] got me at the line. Really proud of Kaulig Racing. Thanks to Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen for coming on board. We needed this and the Playoffs are coming, so we needed the momentum.”

    Bell settled in sixth followed by Gragson, Snider, Harrison Burton and Herbst.

    With their top-10 results, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Daniel Hemric and Harrison Burton have locked themselves into the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoffs based on points. Including six other competitors that are in based on winning throughout the regular-season stretch (Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, Justin Haley, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider), there are four spots left vacant to the Playoffs with three regular-season races remaining to the schedule.

    There were 17 lead changes for eight different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 29 laps.

    With his runner-up result, AJ Allmendinger leads the regular-season standings by 17 points over Austin Cindric.

    Results.

    1. Justin Haley, five laps led, Stage 1 winner

    2. AJ Allmendinger, 30 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    3. Justin Allgaier

    4. Jeb Burton, eight laps led

    5. Daniel Hemric

    6. Christopher Bell, 23 laps led

    7. Noah Gragson, 16 laps led

    8. Myatt Snider

    9. Harrison Burton

    10. Riley Herbst, nine laps led

    11. Brett Moffitt

    12. Sam Mayer, one lap led

    13. JJ Yeley 

    14. David Starr

    15. Jason White

    16. Ryan Sieg

    17. Josh Williams

    18. Tommy Joe Martins

    19. Chase Briscoe

    20. Jeffrey Earnhardt

    21. Landon Cassill

    22. Jordan Anderson

    23. Blaine Perkins

    24. Jeremy Clements

    25. Mason Massey

    26. Colby Howard

    27. Ryan Vargas

    28. Jade Buford

    29. Tim Viens

    30. Michael Annett

    31. Alex Labbe

    32. Kyle Weatherman, two laps down

    33. Matt Mills, two laps down

    34. Brandon Brown, three laps down, nine laps led

    35. Joe Graf Jr. – OUT, Accident

    36. Caesar Bacarella – OUT, Accident

    37. Colin Garrett – OUT, Accident

    38. Spencer Boyd – OUT, Engine

    39. Austin Cindric – OUT, Accident

    40. Brandon Jones – OUT, Engine

    With the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season stretch nearing its conclusion, the series will next travel to Darlington, South Carolina, and compete at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, September 4, during Labor Day weekend. The event will occur at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • NASCAR postpones Xfinity summer event at Daytona

    NASCAR postpones Xfinity summer event at Daytona

    The Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway has been postponed to Saturday, August 28, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN due to persistent rain that halted and prevented its completion on Friday, August 27.

    The 250-mile event at Daytona, which serves as the 23rd event of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, had completed 19 of 100 scheduled laps and was under its competition caution scheduled on Lap 15 when persistent rain made its way to the superspeedway venue. After the field was brought down to pit road, the race was red-flagged for more than an hour before NASCAR made the decision to postpone the event by a day as the rain continued to fall and persist on Friday evening.

    At the time of the race’s postponement, AJ Allmendinger, who started on pole position and who won last weekend’s Xfinity event at Michigan International Speedway, was the leader followed by Christopher Bell, Myatt Snider, Austin Cindric and Brett Moffitt. Rounding out the top 10 were Justin Haley, Jeb Burton, Daniel Hemric, Jeremy Clements and Caesar Bacarella.

    In addition, Brandon Jones was the only competitor to be eliminated from the event due to early engine issues.

    The Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway will return to action on Saturday, August 28, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Weekend schedule for Daytona

    Weekend schedule for Daytona

    The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series head to Daytona International Speedway. It’s the last regular-season race for the Cup Series before the Playoffs begin. There are 15 drivers locked in with only one available spot.

    The regular-season champion will also be crowned after the race, with Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin as the top contenders vying for the title.

    This weekend the Camping World Truck Series enjoys a week off from competition.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 27

    7:10 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros
    *7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Wawa 250
    Stages 30/60/100 Lap = 250 Miles
    Pole: AJ Allmendinger
    NBCSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

    *The Xfinity race was postponed after completing only 19 laps Friday night due to rain and lightning in the area. It is scheduled to resume Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on NBCSN with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Saturday, August 28

    6:50 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros
    7 p.m.: Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400
    Stages 50/100/160 Laps = 400 Miles
    Pole: Kyle Larson
    NBC/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

    NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Clinch Scenarios for Daytona:

    Already Clinched:

    The following 15 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field – Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola.

    Can Clinch Via Points:

    If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 4th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick.

    Tyler Reddick would clinch with 31 points.
    Austin Dillon could only clinch with help.

    Can Clinch Via Win:

    The following drivers can clinch on their win alone – Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ross Chastain, Darrell Wallace Jr., Chase Briscoe, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Anthony Alfredo and Corey LaJoie.

    Can Clinch Regular Season Championship:

    Additionally, the Regular Season Championship can be clinched by Kyle Larson with 32 points. Denny Hamlin could only clinch with help.

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Clinch Scenarios for Daytona:

    Already Clinched:

    Five drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs including Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider, leaving five available positions.

    Can Clinch via Points:

    If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 166 points above the fifth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Justin Haley or Noah Gragson.

    Daniel Hemric: would clinch with 44 points
    Harrison Burton: could only clinch with help
    Justin Haley: could only clinch with help

    Can Clinch Via Win:

    The following drivers can clinch with a win – Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Justin Haley, Noah Gragson, Brandon Jones, Jeremy Clements, Riley Herbst, Brandon Brown, Ryan Sieg, Tommy Joe Martins, Alex Labbe, Landon Cassill, Josh Williams.

    Statistical info provided by NASCAR

    Daytona International Speedway
    Season Race #: 26 of 36 (08-28-21)
    Track Size: 2.5-mile
    Banking/Turns: 31 degrees
    Banking/Straights: 3 degrees
    Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  3,800 feet
    Backstretch Length:  3,000 feet
    Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles
    Stage 1 & 2 Length: 50 laps (each)
    Final Stage Length: 60 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Qualifying Data

    Track qualifying record (July race): Cale Yarborough, Ford (203.519 mph, 44.222 secs) on 07-02-86.
    2020 pole winner: Metric qualifying, Kevin Harvick started from the pole.

    • Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in Daytona starts with 40 each.
    • Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in July Daytona starts with 20 each.
    • William Byron leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at Daytona with a 10.857 in seven total starts.
    • Ryan Blaney also leads the series in average starting position in the Summer races at Daytona with a 10.400 in six starts.
    • Eight of the 62 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona pole winners are active this weekend.  Chase Elliott (3), Alex Bowman (2), Ricky Stenhouse Jr (1), William Byron (1), Austin Dillon (1), Kyle Busch (1), Martin Truex Jr (1), and Kevin Harvick (1).
    • Chase Elliott leads all active series drivers in poles at Daytona with three (Feb. 2016, Feb. 2017, and July 2018).
    • The youngest series Daytona pole winner is Chase Elliott (February 21, 2016 – 20 years, 2 months, 24 days).
    • Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations in Summer race poles at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series with seven: Darrell Waltrip (7/2/88), Greg sacks (7/7/90), Jeff Gordon (7/6/96 and 7/3/04), Mark Martin (7/2/11), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (7/1/17), Chase Elliott (7/7/2018).
    • Eight different manufacturers have won the pole for the Summer race at Daytona, led by Chevrolet (22), and followed by Ford (13), Pontiac (six), Dodge (five), Mercury (five), Oldsmobile (three), Toyota (one) and Buick (one).

    Daytona International Speedway Race Data

    Track race record (July race): Bobby Allison, Mercury (173.473 mph, 02:18:21) on 07-04-80.
    2020 race winner: William Byron, Chevrolet (153.766 mph, 02:39:59) on 08-29-20.

    • 14 of the 67 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona winners are active this weekend; seven of the 14 have won during the Summer event.  Denny Hamlin (3), Kevin Harvick (2), Michael McDowell (1), William Byron (1), Justin Haley (1), Erik Jones (1), Austin Dillon (1), Ricky Stenhouse Jr (1), Kurt Busch (1), Brad Keselowski (1), Joey Logano (1), Aric Almirola (1), Kyle Busch (1) and Ryan Newman (1).
    • Denny Hamlin (Feb. 2016, Feb. 2019, Feb. 2020) leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Daytona wins with three.
    • The youngest Daytona Summer race winner: Justin Haley (07/07/2019 – 20 years, 2 months, 9 days); all-time track record – Trevor Bayne (02/20/2011 – 20 years, 0 months, 1 day).
    • Nine of the 62 summer Daytona International Speedway races (14.5%) in the NASCAR Cup Series have been won from the pole or first starting position.
    • The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (nine) than any other starting position in the July race at Daytona International Speedway.
    • Martin Truex Jr. leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona without visiting Victory Lane at 32; followed by Landon Cassill with 15 and Kyle Larson with 14.
    • The Wood Brothers and Hendrick Motorsports are toed for the most wins at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series with 15 victories each; both have done it with seven different winning drivers.
    • Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes in the summer race at Daytona with three (2006, ’07, ’16).

    From OddsChecker:

    Denny Hamlin is the early favorite to walk away with a victory from the Coke Zero Sugar 400. In fact, he’s the only driver given odds better than +1100 odds.  Hamlin is given +750 odds, or an implied 11.8% chance to win the race. He’s followed by Kyle Larson at +1100, or an implied 8.3% chance to win. Last year’s winner William Byron is tied for third at +1200, with a 7.7% implied chance of victory. 

    Bettors’ favorite to win the NASCAR Spring Cup series, with 50% of the bet over the last month, Chase Elliot is also tied for 3rd at +1200. 

    Coke Zero Sugar 400 Winner Odds by OddsChecker

    Driver Odds Implied chance 
    Denny Hamlin +750 11.8% 
    Kyle Larson +1100 8.3% 
    William Byron +1200 7.7% 
    Joey Logano +1200 7.7% 
    Chase Elliot +1200 7.7% 
    Ryan Blaney +1300 7.1% 
    Austin Dillon +1500 6.3% 
    Brad Keselowski +1600 5.9% 
    Kyle Busch +1600 5.9% 
    Alex Bowman +1800 5.3% 
  • Allmendinger survives three overtime attempts to win at Michigan

    Allmendinger survives three overtime attempts to win at Michigan

    Coming off a thrilling Cup victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, AJ Allmendinger extended his momentum in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The veteran competitor from Los Gatos, California, survived three overtime restarts and a late charge from Brandon Jones to win the New Holland 250 at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, August 21.

    The victory was Allmendinger’s third of this year’s Xfinity season as he continues his pursuit for his first NASCAR championship.

    The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Xfinity event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Xfinity race. With that, Austin Cindric, winner of the previous Xfinity event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with AJ Allmendinger.

    Prior to the event, Josh Berry started at the rear of the field due to replacing Michael Annett in the event, with Annett being absent for the fourth time this season as he continues to recover from a leg surgery.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, Cindric and Allmendinger battled dead even for the lead until Cindric got dead sideways in the first turn. As Allmendinger pulled ahead with the lead, Cindric got stuck in the middle lane with no cars behind him as a bevy of competitors went by him.

    Following the completion of the first lap, Allmendinger was leading ahead of teammate Justin Haley, Noah Gragson, Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Harrison Burton and the field. The following lap, Allmendinger’s advantage over Gibbs stretched out to nearly two seconds.

    Through the first five laps of the event, Allmendinger was leading by nearly two seconds over Gibbs, with Cindric, Justin Haley and Noah Gragson settling in the top five. Harrison Burton was in sixth followed by Justin Allgaier, Myatt Snider, Brett Moffitt and Daniel Hemric.

    By Lap 10, Allmendinger continued to lead by more than a second over Gibbs. While Cindric and Haley remained in the top five, Harrison Burton made his way into fifth place ahead of Gragson and Allgaier. Behind, Josh Berry was up in 21st behind Alex Labbe.

    When the competition caution flew on Lap 15, Allmendinger remained as the leader over Gibbs and the field. Under the competition caution, some led by Tyler Reddick pitted while the rest led by Allmendinger remained on the track. During the pit stops, Reddick missed his pit box and returned the following lap. 

    The race restarted on Lap 20 and Allmendinger, the leader, had issues launching at the start, which forced Gibbs and Cindric to place Allmendinger in a four-wide battle for the top spot along with Haley. By the second turn, Cindric made his way into the lead followed by Gibbs while Allmendinger was back in third. Harrison Burton was in fourth ahead of teammate Hemric, Haley, Snider, Gragson and Allgaier.

    A lap later, the caution returned due to Caesar Bacarella wrecking in Turn 4. Under caution, names like Allgaier, Jeb Burton, Tommy Joe Maartins, Bubba Wallace, Brandon Brown and Ryan Sieg pitted while the rest led by Cindric remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Allgaier was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation while Wallace was penalized for an over-the-wall-too-soon violation.

    When the race restarted with four laps remaining in the first stage, Cindric muscle ahead of the top spot to retain the lead through the first two turns while Gibbs challenged Snider for the runner-up spot. A lap later, both Gibbs and Allmendinger overtook Snider for second and third.

    While the field behind jostled for final opportunities of positions, Cindric cruised ahead to claim the first stage victory on Lap 30, which marked his ninth stage victory of the season. Gibbs settled in second followed by Allmendinger, Snider, Gragson, Hemric, Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones, Berry and Haley.

    Under the stage break, a majority led by Cindric pitted while the rest led by Jeb Burton remained on the track. During the pit stops, rookie Sam Mayer took his No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to the garage due to transmission issues.

    The second stage started on Lap 35 and Jeb Burton rocketed with the lead followed by Tyler Reddick and the field through the first two turns. Just then, the caution flew for a heavy multi-car wreck in Turn 2 that started when Snider slid up the track in Turn 2, made slight contact with Cindric and ran into Brandon Brown before spinning. In the ensuing chaos, Cindric, who was trying to dodge Snider, ran into Hemric and both spun into the outside wall, collecting Bubba Wallace and Brown. Haley and Joe Graf Jr. were also collected in the wreck. 

    Under caution, Snider was held two laps in his pit stall for improper fueling. By then, Hemric and Cindric, who was strong at the start of the race and was trying to continue, retired.

    Following an extensive caution period, the race restarted on Lap 45. At the start, Jeb Burton retained the lead while Allgaier and Allmendinger overtook Tyler Reddick for spots in the top three. 

    By Lap 54, Allmendinger returned to the lead after he overtook teammate Jeb Burton for the top spot. 

    Down to the final five laps of the second stage, Allmendinger was out in front by nearly a second over Gibbs with Allgaier in third while Jeb Burton was back in fourth ahead of his cousin, Harrison. 

    When the final lap of the second stage struck, Allmendinger continued to lead by nearly a second over Gibbs. With no comers closing in behind, Allmendinger came back around and claimed the second stage victory on Lap 60, thus achieving his eighth stage victory of the season. Gibbs settled in second followed by Harrison Burton, Allgaier, Jeb Burton, Gragson, Brandon Jones, Josh Berry, Brett Moffitt and Riley Herbst.

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Allmendinger retained the lead after exiting pit road in first place ahead of Harrison Burton, Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Gragson. During the pit stops, Gibbs got blocked by Josh Williams in his pit box and fell from second to 10th.

    With 59 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start, Allmendinger launched ahead with the top spot on the outside lane through Turn 1 while Allgaier muscled his way into the runner-up spot ahead of cousins Jeb and Harrison Burton.

    While Allmendinger and Allgaier were running first and second, the Burton cousins occupied third and fourth while Josh Berry, who started at the rear of the field, made his way into the top five ahead of Brandon Jones, Gragson, Gibbs and Herbst. A few laps later, Berry muscled into fourth place ahead of Jeb Burton, who was also being intimidated by Brandon Jones for more.

    With 52 laps remaining, Allmendinger continued to lead by nearly four-tenths of a second over Allgaier. By then, Harrison Burton made an unscheduled two-tire pit stop under green due to vibration concerns while Josh Berry moved up to third place.

    With 40 laps remaining of the event, Allmendinger was leading by a tenth of a second over Allgaier and four-tenths of a second over Berry, with the two JR Motorsports competitors closing and issuing a challenging on Kaulig Racing’s Allmendinger for the top spot.

    Two laps later, Allgaier peaked ahead of Allmendinger through Turn 4 to lead for a lap before Allmendinger fought back through Turn 1. Then, when Allmendinger and Allgaier got stalled behind two lapped cars entering Turn 2, Berry zipped by both on the outside lane to take the lead.

    Down to the final 30 laps of the event, Berry was leading by more than a second over teammate Allgaier. 

    Nearing the final 20 laps of the event, pit stops under green occurred as Gragson, who was running in the top 10, pitted. Soon after, Brett Moffitt pitted along with Gibbs, who was then penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation. Then, Berry and Allmendinger pitted while Allgaier remained on the track for three laps before pitting.

    With approximately 15 laps remaining, Jeb Burton, who had yet to pit, was leading followed by Riley Herbst. A few laps later, however, Burton ran out of fuel as his car was coasting below the banking in Turn 1. Soon after, Herbst also ran out of fuel, but he was able to nurse his car back to pit road and his pit stall while Allgaier reassumed the top spot followed by his hard-charging teammate, Berry.

    With 10 laps remaining, the caution flew when Jeb Burton stalled his car near the pit road entrance after he was unable to nurse his car back to his pit stall. At the time of caution, Allgaier, who was locked into a fierce battle with Berry, managed to retain the lead ahead of his teammate.

    Under caution, Allgaier surrendered the lead to pit while the rest led by Berry remained on the track. Along with Allgaier, Harrison Burton, Herbst, Jeremy Clements and Gibbs pitted.

    Down to the final four laps of the event, the race restarted under green. At the start, Allmendinger muscled into the lead ahead of Brandon Jones and Berry. Then, the caution flew due to a two-car accident on the backstretch involving Bayley Currey and Jesse Little.

    With the race sent into overtime, the race restarted as Allmendinger and Berry filled in the front row. At the start, Allmendinger retained the lead. The race, however, was sent into another caution period and another overtime attempt when Mason Massey and Colby Howard wrecked.

    In the second overtime attempt, Allmendinger and Berry dueled for the lead as the field fanned out to multiple lanes entering the first turn. Then through Turns 1 and 2, while Berry slowly slid up the track, Gibbs got loose and hit the outside wall. While trying to straighten his car, Gibbs ended up spinning in the straightaway before making contact with the wall again, though he was dodged by the oncoming field. Gibbs’ spin was enough for NASCAR to draw the caution as the race was still not deemed official. At the time of caution, Allmendinger remained as the leader ahead of Brandon Jones, Berry, Gragson and Herbst. 

    In the third overtime attempt, Allmendinger received a push from Jones to pull ahead with the lead ahead of Gragson. While the field fanned out through the backstretch, Allmendinger slowly started to place a gap between himself and Jones. 

    When the final lap started, Allmendinger was leading by two-tenths of a second over Jones, with Gragson trailing by half a second. Despite a valiant final lap effort from Jones, Allmendinger was able to come back around, retain the top spot and streak across the finis line in first place to claim his third checkered flag of the season.

    The victory at the Irish Hills was Allmendinger’s third of this year’s Xfinity Series season and the eighth of his career, with the Xfinity Series making its return to Michigan International Speedway following a one-year absence. The race was also the 11th Xfinity career victory for Kaulig Racing, which achieved its first Cup career win last weekend at Indianapolis with Allmendinger.

    “Wow, what a hell of a six days. Oh my goodness,” Allmendinger, who led a race-high 70 laps, said on NBCSN. “This is what’s awesome, though, to have all the fans back. Indy, last weekend, was spectacular. Michigan, thank you. You, guys, make it fun. I’m more tired from the celebrations than I am from driving. When you’re restarting on the front row, the outside [lane] was the place to be. The problem is, you just got to hope you got pushed. Brandon Jones, thank you so much because he pushed me every time. Man, I can’t thank all the men and women at Kaulig Racing enough. I don’t wanna wake up from this dream.”

    Brandon Jones finished in the runner-up spot for his eighth top-five result of the season and following three DNFs in the previous four Xfinity races while Noah Gragson settled in third place for his eighth top-five result of the season.

    Berry, who led 24 laps, notched a strong fourth-place result as an interim competitor for Michael Annett while Harrison Burton finished in the top five for the eighth time this season. 

    Allgaier, Herbst, Moffitt, Jade Buford and Bubba Wallace finished in the top 10. Ty Gibbs, who was in position for a strong result following his late incident, came home in 13th.

    There were 13 lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured nine cautions for 43 laps. 

    Despite his early accident and retirement, Austin Cindric continues to lead the regular-season standings by 35 points over AJ Allmendinger as the 2021 Xfinity Series regular-season stretch is four races away from being complete.

    Results.

    1. AJ Allmendinger, 70 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    2. Brandon Jones

    3. Noah Gragson

    4. Josh Berry, 24 laps led

    5. Harrison Burton

    6. Justin Allgaier, nine laps led

    7. Riley Herbst

    8. Brett Moffitt

    9. Jade Buford

    10. Bubba Wallace

    11. Jeremy Clements

    12. Ryan Sieg

    13. Ty Gibbs, one lap led

    14. Matt Mills

    15. Jordan Anderson, one lap down

    16. Tyler Reddick, one lap down

    17. Justin Haley, one lap down

    18. Josh Williams, one lap down

    19. Tommy Joe Martins, one lap down

    20. Colin Garrett, one lap down

    21. Ryan Vargas, one lap down

    22. David Starr, two laps down

    23. Jeffrey Earnhardt, two laps down

    24. Kyle Weatherman, two laps down

    25. Colby Howard, two laps down

    26. Landon Cassill, two laps down

    27. Gray Gaulding, two laps down

    28. Carson Ware, three laps down

    29. Jeb Burton, four laps down, 23 laps led

    30. Mason Massey – OUT, Accident

    31. Alex Labbe, 16 laps down

    32. Jesse Little – OUT, Accident

    33. Sam Mayer, 25 laps down

    34. Bayley Currey – OUT, Accident

    35. Caesar Bacarella – OUT, Dvp

    36. Myatt Snider – OUT, Dvp

    37. Austin Cindric – OUT, Dvp, 12 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    38. Joe Graf Jr. – OUT, Dvp

    39. Daniel Hemric – OUT, Accident

    40. Brandon Brown – OUT, Accident

    Next on the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ second event of the season at Daytona International Speedway. The event will occur on Friday, August 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Cindric tames the Indianapolis Road Course for fifth Xfinity win of 2021

    Cindric tames the Indianapolis Road Course for fifth Xfinity win of 2021

    Scoring the biggest victory of his racing career, Austin Cindric took the lead at the start of the final stage and went on to beat AJ Allmendinger to win the second annual Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday, August 14. The victory was Cindric’s fifth of this year’s Xfinity Series season and it served as a double victory sweep of the day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for team owner Roger Penske and Team Penske after Will Power won the IndyCar event earlier.

    Qualifying occurred on Saturday, August 14, and AJ Allmendinger claimed the top-starting spot with a pole-winning speed at 97.744 mph. Joining on the front row was Austin Cindric, the regular-season points leader. 

    Prior to the event, a number of competitors, including Landon Cassill, Kyle Weatherman, rookie Sam Mayer and Austin Dillon dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective machines. Ryan Sieg and JJ Yeley also dropped to the rear of the field due to both missing driver introductions.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, Allmendinger jumped ahead with an early advantage over Austin Cindric. His race, however, got off to a rocky start when he overshot the first turn, which allowed Justin Haley to move into the lead while Allmendinger fell back to third behind Cindric. 

    While the field battled through the long straightaway in Turns 5 and 6, a series of carnages ensued behind as Harrison Burton, teammate Brandon Jones, Kevin Harvick, Alex Labbe, Josh Bilicki, Brandon Brown and Preston Pardus all wrecked after getting into the orange turtle bumps in Turn 6. Ahead of the carnage, Allmendinger slipped off the track in Turn 12, which dropped him from the top five to the top 10.

    Shortly after, the first caution of the event flew due to Preston Pardus stalling in Turn 7 after being involved in the early multi-car carnage. At the time of caution, Haley was still leading as he led the first lap followed by Austin Cindric, rookie Ty Gibbs, Justin Allgaier and teammate Noah Gragson. 

    When the race restarted on the fourth lap, Haley and Cindric battled dead even for the lead until Haley cleared Cindric for the lead entering the first two turns. Behind, Justin Allgaier made his way into third place followed by Gibbs, Riley Herbst and Gragson as the field stacked up entering Turn 7. 

    By the fifth lap, Haley was leading by nearly seven-tenths of a second over Cindric, with Allgaier, Gibbs and Herbst in the top five. Myatt Snider moved up to sixth followed by Gragson, Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Will Rodgers. By then, Sage Karam, a part-time IndyCar Series competitor who was making his NASCAR debut in Jordan Anderson Racing’s No. 31 Chevrolet, was in 11th while Jeb Burton was in 16th. 

    At the Lap 10 mark, Haley continued to lead by nearly a second over Cindric while Gibbs, Allgaier and Herbst retained their spots in the top five. Allmendinger, meanwhile, moved up to sixth followed by Gragson, Snider, Hemric and Karam. Behind, Chase Elliott, who filled in the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in place of Michael Annett, was up in 15th behind Andy Lally while Harrison Burton was mired back in 30th.

    A lap later, Ryan Sieg fell to the rear of the field following a pair of on-track spins.

    On Lap 14, Cindric, who gained a draft through the frontstretch, made his move to the inside of Haley to take the lead in Turn 1. Despite being pressured by Haley, Cindric managed to maintain the lead through Turns 4 through 7. Behind, Rodgers spun while running near the top 10, but the race continued to run under green.

    A lap later, however, the caution flew due to debris on the frontstretch that came off of Sieg’s No. 39 Ford Mustang, which also had a flat left-rear tire. Under caution, a majority of the field led by Cindric pitted while the rest led by Herbst remained on the track.

    With two laps remaining in the first stage, the field restarted under green. At the start, Herbst jumped ahead of Karam and the field to lead for one full lap through the 14-turn circuit. The following lap, Haley made his way up to second place and went to work on Herbst for the lead. By Turn 12, Haley reassumed the lead.

    After reclaiming the lead, Haley went on to claim the first stage victory on Lap 20, which marked his fourth stage victory of the season. Herbst settled in second followed by Jeb Burton, Cindric, Karam, Gragson, Jeremy Clements, Tommy Joe Martins, Elliott and Gibbs.

    Under the stage break, few led by Herbst pitted while the rest led by Haley remained on the track.

    The second stage started on Lap 23. At the start, Cindric and Gragson put Haley in a three-wide situation entering the first turn before Cindric emerged with the top spot through the first two turns. Through Turns 5 and 6, contact from teammate Hemric sent Gibbs spinning. At the same time, Kris Wright caught major air after running over the curbs. Then afterwards, Chase Elliott spun in Turn 7. Despite the trio of on-track incidents, the race continued under green.

    Two laps later, Cindric was leading by more than a second over Gragson while Haley, Allgaier and Clements were in the top five. By then, Gibbs pitted under green. Not long after, Hemric also pitted to address a flat tire following contact with Gibbs.

    On Lap 29, the caution flew due to Austin Hill stalling on the track. Under caution, some like Herbst, Kyle Weatherman, James Davison, Harrison Burton and Hemric pitted while the rest led by Cindric remained on the track.

    With eight laps remaining in the second stage, the race restarted. At the start, Gragson emerged with the lead through the first turn while Allmendinger moved up to second over Cindric. By Turn 7, however, Allmendinger carved his way back into the lead. Five turns later, teammate Haley moved up to second as Gragson and Cindric fell back to third and fourth.

    When the field returned to the start/finish line, Allmendinger, who lost the lead following the first turn on the opening lap, was leading by nearly half a second over teammate Haley followed by Gragson, Cindric and Sam Mayer. Behind, Austin Dillon spun in Turn 1, but the race continued under green.

    Another two laps later, Allmendinger continued to lead by seven-tenths of a second over teammate Haley, with Gragson, Cindric and Mayer were in the top five. 

    Two laps later, names like Cindric, Snider, Rodgers, Mayer, Elliott, Spencer Pumpelly, Karam and Austin Dillon pitted under green. During the process, Mayer, who was exiting pit road, drew the caution when fire came out of his No. 24 Toyota Supra, which eliminated him from contention near the pit road exit. During the caution, Allgaier, who was trying to pit prior to pit road closing, was ruled to have pitted too soon after he failed to enter pit road prior to its closure.

    The on-track mechanical issue for Rodgers was enough to have the second stage scheduled on Lap 40 conclude under caution as Allmendinger, the race leader, claimed his seventh stage victory of the season. Teammate Haley settled in second followed by Gragson, Gibbs, Andy Lally, Jeb Burton, Hemric, Clements, Herbst and Josh Williams.

    Under the stage break, some led by Allmendinger pitted while the rest led by Gibbs remained on the track. Prior to the restart, Allgaier was sent to the rear of the field following his pit road misfortune for pitting while the pits were closed.

    With 19 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start, Gibbs launched ahead and led the field through the first pair of turns while Cindric moved up to second ahead of Harrison Burton and the field.

    A lap later, Cindric passed Gibbs entering the fourth turn to take the lead. Behind, Mayer, who was having a strong run in the making, spun and hit the tire barriers in Turn 6 following contact with teammate Elliott. Despite the incident, the race continued to run under green as Mayer pulled the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro out of the racing course.

    Back on the track, Cindric was leading by more than a second over Myatt Snider while Allmendinger moved up to third ahead of Elliott and Gibbs. Behind, Austin Dillon was up in sixth followed by Haley, Harrison Burton, Gragson and Spencer Pumpelly.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Cindric was leading by more than four seconds over Allmendinger while Elliott, Haley and Snider were in the top five. Gibbs was in sixth followed by Austin Dillon, Gragson, Herbst and Harrison Burton. Behind, Spencer Pumpelly spun in Turn 1 while competing in the top 15, but the race continued under green.

    With five laps remaining, Cindric remained as the leader by more than three seconds over Allmendinger while Elliott, Haley and Snider continued to run in the top five. Meanwhile, Gibbs, who was running in the top five but was told was three laps short on fuel, pitted under green.

    Down to the final two laps, Cindric stabilized his advantage to more than three seconds over Allmendinger while Haley moved up to third ahead of Elliott. Meanwhile, Gragson was in fifth ahead of Austin Dillon, Snider, Herbst, Harrison Burton and Andy Lally.

    When the final lap of the event started, Cindric was leading by less than three seconds over Allmendinger. Behind, Haley and Elliott were more than nine and 10 seconds behind.

    Through the 14-turn road course, Cindric was able to have enough horsepower and muscle to race back to the frontstretch and cross the finish line with the victory by more than two seconds over Allmendinger.

    In addition to claiming his first victory at Indianapolis and the fifth of this year’s Xfinity season, Cindric notched his 13th career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and his fifth on a road course event as he continues his pursuit to a second consecutive Xfinity title before moving up to the Cup Series in 2022.

    “Unbelievable,” Cindric said on NBCSN. “First of all, I gotta thank [team owner] Roger Penske for every opportunity I’ve had in my career, every opportunity he’s given you race fans to enjoy this beautiful weekend with three race series. How awesome is this facility now, guys?! It’s amazing! I’m so proud to be a part of this Penske family. Obviously, this race track is so much deeper than just that. My family history. What this place means to me, I can’t even put into words what it means to win at Indianapolis.”

    Behind, Allmendinger came home in second place while teammate Haley finished in third place.

    “Kaulig Racing needed a better driver today, quite honestly,” Allmendinger said. “I messed up way too much early, got us off track today. It’s tough, sometimes, with these road courses and the Xfinity Series with the way these stages lined up…We had a really fast Hyperice Chevy. I was awful today.”

    “I’m really proud of the third place [result],” Haley said. “I think me and AJ had the best cars today. Everyone on this LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet team did a great job. Proud of Kaulig Racing for second and third…This is my third trip at Indy, my hometown, and my third top five [result], so I’m pretty proud of that that we could come and run pretty good in our hometown.”

    Elliott, who reportedly did not have enough fuel to finish, crossed the finish line in fourth while teammate Gragson completed the top five.

    Austin Dillon, Snider, Herbst, Harrison Burton and Andy Lally finished in the top 10.

    There were eight lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 15 laps. 

    With his victory, Austin Cindric continues to lead the regular-season standings by 82 points over AJ Allmendinger.

    Results.

    1. Austin Cindric, 29 laps led

    2. AJ Allmendinger, eight laps led, Stage 2 winner

    3. Justin Haley, 18 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    4. Chase Elliott

    5. Noah Gragson

    6. Austin Dillon

    7. Myatt Snider

    8. Riley Herbst, three laps led

    9. Harrison Burton

    10. Andy Lally

    11. Justin Allgaier

    12. Daniel Hemric

    13. Alex Labbe

    14. Jeremy Clements

    15. Josh Williams

    16. Kyle Weatherman

    17. Landon Cassill

    18. James Davison

    19. Ty Gibbs, four laps led

    20. Jade Buford

    21. Tommy Joe Martins

    22. JJ Yeley

    23. Jeb Burton

    24. Spencer Pumpelly – OUT, Ignition

    25. Josh Bilicki, two laps down

    26. Sage Karam – OUT, Electrical

    27. Sam Mayer – OUT, Accident

    28. Will Rodgers – OUT, Brakes

    29. Austin Hill – OUT, Steering box

    30. Kris Wright – OUT, Accident

    31. Brett Moffitt – OUT, Axle

    32. Ryan Sieg – OUT, Suspension

    33. Kevin Harvick – OUT, Power steering

    34. Brandon Brown – OUT, Accident

    35. Preston Pardus – OUT, Accident

    36. Brandon Jones – OUT, Accident

    Next on the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ return to Michigan International Speedway following a one-year absence. The event will occur on Saturday, August 21, at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Weekend schedule for Indianapolis Road Course

    Weekend schedule for Indianapolis Road Course

    NASCAR heads to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this weekend where the Cup Series will make its first start Sunday afternoon. The road course is 2.439 miles with 14 turns and is the third new track that the Cup Series has debuted at this season.

    On Saturday, the Xfinity Series will compete for the second time at the track. Chase Briscoe won the inaugural race in 2020.

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend and will return on August 20 for their first race in the Playoffs at World Wide Technology Raceway.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 13

    5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.: Xfinity Series practice
    NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    Saturday, August 14

    10:05 a.m.: Xfinity Qualifying (Impound) Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds
    NBC Sports App

    11:05 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.: Cup Series Practice
    NBC Sports App

    3:45 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros
    4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard
    Stages 20/40/62 Laps = 151.22 Miles
    NBC Sports App/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/IMS Radio/TSN5

    Sunday, August 15

    9:05 a.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) Multi-Vehicle /Two Rounds
    CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)

    12:25 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros
    1 p.m.: Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
    Stages 15/35/82 Laps = 200 Miles
    NBC/NBC Sports App/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/IMS Radio/TSN3, 5

    Cup Series notes:

    Kyle Larson is currently first in the Cup Series points standings with only three races remaining in the regular season. He tied Denny Hamlin after his win at Watkins Glen, with both drivers having earned 917 points. But, because Larson has five wins and Hamlin has none, Larson wins the tiebreaker.

    Kevin Harvick is going to try to become the first driver to win the Verizon 200 three years in a row, and the first to win it 4 times. Yet, he’s not the favorite to win the race this year. That honor belongs to Chase Elliott. 

    Oddsmakers give Elliott +210 odds, or a 32.3% chance to win the race. Meanwhile, Harvick sits 11th on the market at +3000, or an implied 3.2% chance to pull off the three-peat. NASCAR Cup leader Kyle Larson is given the second-best odds to win the race at +350 or a 22.2% chance.  

    (If you use any of the data or quotes from this press release please credit OddsChecker by using the following link: https://www.oddschecker.com/us/motorsport/nascar/verizon-200-brickyard/winner) 

    VERIZON 200 BRICKYARD WINNER ODDS 

    Driver Odds Implied chance 
    Chase Elliott +210 32.3% 
    Kyle Larson +350 22.2% 
    Martin Truex Jr. +800 11.1% 
    Kyle Busch +1100 8.3% 
    Denny Hamlin +1600 5.9% 
    AJ Allmendinger +2000 4.8% 
    Austin Cindric +2500 3.8% 
    Christopher Bell +2500 3.8% 
    Joey Logano +2500 3.8% 
    William Byron +2500 3.8% 

    Cup Series Clinch Scenarios

    Eleven drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs leaving five spots available:
    Christopher Bell
    Ryan Blaney
    Alex Bowman
    Kurt Busch
    Kyle Busch
    William Byron
    Chase Elliott
    Brad Keselowski
    Kyle Larson
    Joey Logano
    Martin Truex Jr.

    Can Clinch Via Points:
    If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the second winless driver in the standings.
    Denny Hamlin: Would clinch regardless of finish.

    Can Clinch Via Previous Wins:
    The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by previous winner or a win by Denny Hamlin:
    Michael McDowell and Aric Almirola: Would clinch regardless of finish.

    The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by new winner:
    Michael McDowell: Could only clinch with help.
    Aric Almirola: Could only clinch if the new winner is Corey Lajoie or another driver even lower in the standings.

    Can Clinch Via Win:
    The following drivers would clinch on their win alone this weekend –
    Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola

    The following drivers could clinch with a win:
    Chris Buescher could only clinch with help.
    Matt DiBenedetto could only clinch with help.
    Ross Chastain could only clinch with help.

    Xfinity Series Notes:

    There are six races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular season. Four drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs, leaving 8 available slots to fill.

    Xfinity Series Clinch Scenarios

    Four drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs:
    Justin Allgaier
    AJ Allmendinger
    Jeb Burton
    Austin Cindric

    Can clinch via points at Indianapolis:
    Myatt Snider could clinch with three points because of his previous win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Can clinch via a win at Indianapolis: The following drivers can clinch with a win – Brandon Brown, Harrison Burton, Jeremy Clements, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Daniel Hemric, Riley Herbst, Brandon Jones, Myatt Snider

    Ryan Sieg could clinch with a win and 54 points.

  • Labbé to make 100th Xfinity career start at Indianapolis

    Labbé to make 100th Xfinity career start at Indianapolis

    Competing in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Alex Labbé is primed to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, the driver of the No. 36 DGM Racing Chevrolet Camaro will achieve 100 career starts in the Xfinity circuit.

    A native of Saint-Albert, Quebec, Canada, Labbé made his Xfinity Series debut at Phoenix Raceway in November 2016. By then, he was a full-time NASCAR Pinty’s Series competitor for Go Fas Racing. Driving the No. 90 Chevrolet for King Autosport, Labbé started 33rd and finished 23rd in his series debut.

    Returning for two Xfinity events the following season with King Autosport, Labbé finished 28th at Texas Motor Speedway in April and 33rd at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

    In 2018, Labbé, who won the 2017 Pinty’s Series championship, earned a full-time ride with DGM Racing in the Xfinity Series. Commencing the season with a 24th-place result at Daytona International Speedway in February, he notched his first top-10 career result in the series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August by finishing ninth. He went on to earn a total of five top-15 results and 17 top-20 results throughout the 33-race schedule before concluding the season in 17th place in the final standings.

    Returning for a part-time Xfinity schedule with DGM Racing in 2019, Labbé achieved a season-best sixth-place result at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in October along with a total of seven top-20 results in 10 scheduled starts.

    Labbé returned as a full-time Xfinity competitor in 2020, swapping between the Nos. 36 and 90 cars for DGM Racing. Throughout the 33-race schedule, he achieved his first top-five result in the series by finishing fourth at the Charlotte Roval in October. He also recorded four additional top-10 results before finishing in 14th place in the final standings.

    Through the first 20 Xfinity events of this season, Labbé, who drives the No. 36 DGM Racing Chevrolet on a full-time basis, has one top-10 result, which is a 10th-place result at Darlington Raceway in May, and a total of five top-15 results. He is currently ranked in 19th place in the regular-season standings.

    Through 99 previous Xfinity starts, Labbé has achieved one top-five result, eight top-10 results, 25 laps led and an average-finishing result of 20.6.

    Labbé is scheduled to make his 100th Xfinity career start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday, August 14. The event is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Ty Gibbs scores third Xfinity career win at Watkins Glen

    Ty Gibbs scores third Xfinity career win at Watkins Glen

    In a late shootout between a future star and a pair of road-course ringers, rookie Ty Gibbs came out on top after the Charlotte, North Carolina, native fended off late challenges from AJ Allmendinger and Austin Cindric to win the Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, August 7. The victory at The Glen was Gibbs’ third of his Xfinity Series career and his third of the season while coming in his 10th series start.

    The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Xfinity event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Xfinity race. With that, Justin Allgaier started on pole position and was joined on the front row with Austin Cindric, winner of the recent Xfinity Glen event in 2019.

    Prior to the event, Ryan Sieg and Jesse Little started at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective machines.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Allgaier and Cindric battled dead even for the lead until Cindric managed to pull ahead through the Esses. Through the backstretch, the Inner Loop, the Bus Stop and the seven-turn, 2.45-mile circuit, Cindric managed to lead the first lap. Behind, Ryan Sieg and David Smith spun in Turn 6, but the field continued to compete under green.

    Three laps later and while Cindric continued to lead, the caution flew due to Michael Munley wrecking into the tire barriers in Turn 5.

    The race restarted on the eighth lap. At the start, Cindric maintained the lead while AJ Allmendinger moved into second place over Allgaier while teammates Harrison Burton and Daniel Hemric battled in the top five ahead of their other teammate, Ty Gibbs, and the field.

    When the competition caution flew on Lap 10, Cindric was still leading. Under the competition caution, some led by Austin Dillon pitted while the rest remained on the track.

    On Lap 13, the race restarted with Cindric and Allmendinger leading the field. Behind, the No. 99 Chevrolet of Kyle Tilley was turned and spun past the start/finish line, but the race continued under green.

    At the front, Cindric maintained the lead ahead of Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, Allgaier and Ty Gibbs. Behind, Kris Wright spun near Turn 11, but the race continued under green.

    In the closing laps of the first stage, names like Allgaier, rookie Ty Gibbs, Myatt Snider, Brandon Brown, Alex Labbe and Josh Williams pitted under green.

    Back at the front, Cindric remained uncontested and was able to win the first stage on Lap 20. Allmendinger settled in second followed by Hemric, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton, Justin Haley, Gragson, Brandon Jones, Riley Herbst and Sam Mayer.

    Under the stage break, some led by Cindric and Allmendinger pitted while the rest led by Harrison Burton remained on the track. By then, Labbe lost an axle.

    The second stage started on Lap 24. At the start, Harrison Burton managed to retain the lead until his teammate, Brandon Jones, took it through the Esses. A lap later, Gibbs muscled his way into the lead. Behind, teammate Daniel Hemric spun in Turn 1, but he was able to continue with the race remaining under green.

    On Lap 34, the caution flew when Alex Labbe spun and got his car stuck in Turn 1. Under caution, names like Myatt Snider, Jeb Burton, Justin Haley and others pitted while the rest led by Gibbs remained on the track.

    When the race restarted on Lap 36, Allmendinger issued a challenge and managed to overtake Gibbs through the Esses.

    Despite being pressured by Gibbs, Allmendinger managed to retain the top spot over Gibbs and win the second stage on Lap 40. Settling in third was Cindric followed by Allgaier, Gragson, Herbst, Mayer, Michael Annett, Erik Jones and Hemric.

    Under the stage break, several names led by Allmendinger pitted while the rest led by Gibbs remained on the track.

    With 41 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start, Gibbs managed to fend off Cindric for the lead while Mayer moved up to third ahead of teammate Gragson and Harrison Burton. Two laps later, Gibbs managed to extend his advantage to more than a second over Cindric and the field.

    On Lap 49, the caution flew due to Matt Mills getting into the tire barriers out of the bus stop turn. The incident occurred as Mills was trying to avoid the No. 52 car of David Smith. 

    Under caution, few led by Hemric remained on the track while the rest pitted. During the pit stops, Riley Herbst was busted for speeding on pit road and rookie Sam Mayer was penalized for an over-the-wall too soon penalty.

    With 32 laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, Hemric, who did not pit under the last caution, led the field ahead of Bayley Currey and Brandon Jones. 

    On Lap 56, Hemric surrendered the lead to teammate Gibbs to pit. By then, Austin Dillon pitted and then took his No. 23 Our Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to the garage due to a mechanical issue. 

    On Lap 59, Jeremy Clements spun following contact from Jeb Burton, but the race continued under green.

    Six laps later, Brandon Jones and Allgaier pitted for service. Shortly after, Kris Wright spun following contact with Sam Mayer in the bus stop, but the field continued under green.

    Then on Lap 68, the caution flew when Erik Jones, driving the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro for Jordan Anderson Racing, lost his brakes and wrecked hard in Turn 6, with his damaged car getting stuck in the gravel trap.

    Under caution, names like Gibbs, Cindric, Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton, Brandon Jones, Tommy Joe Martins, Landon Cassill, Kyle Weatherman, Allgaier and Clements remained on the track while the rest pitted.

    With 12 laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, Gibbs was leading until he went wide in Turn 1, which allowed Cindric to muscle ahead. While Gibbs, tried to peak ahead through Turn 7, Cindric maintained the lead. A lap later, though, Gibbs was back in the lead.

    Just under the final laps, the caution flew due to Kyle Weatherman stopping on the track in the backstretch and climbing out of his car.

    Down to the final four laps of the event, the race restarted. At the start, Allmendinger managed to pull ahead through the Esses. Behind, Hemric spun in Turn 1 again.

    A lap later, Gibbs was able to take the lead back from Allmendinger through Turn 6. From there, Gibbs went to work in fending off Allmendinger and Cindric with the top spot. Allgaier settled in fourth behind the three front-runners while Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones and Gragson battled for a spot in the top five.

    When the white flag waved to signal the final lap of the race, Gibbs remained ahead of Allmendinger and Cindric.

    For a final lap, Gibbs was able to navigate his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Supra through the seven-turn course and streak across the finish line in first place for his third checkered flag of the season.

    The victory was the 10th of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota Supra team, three of which came from Gibbs, as Gibbs also collected his second road-course victory of the season.

    “I felt like [Cindric] got a really great restart the restart before and he got a little wide,” Gibbs, who led a race-high 43 of 82 laps, said on CNBC. “First of all, I have to say thank you to the man above. That was probably the most fun race I’ve ever been in with AJ and with[Justin Allgaier] and [Cindric], those guys are very experienced veterans in this racing series. To be able to race and beat them just means a lot. I learned a lot from them too. I just can’t thank Monster Energy, [Toyota Racing Development]. My Toyota Racing Supra was super fast today and this is just a dream come true…This is just wonderful – I can’t even believe it.”

    Behind Gibbs, Allmendinger and Cindric, two road-course ringers and Xfinity Series full-time competitors whom led a combined 28 of 82 laps and battled for the win at The Glen in 2019, finished in second and third.

    “[The 54 car]’s a fast car,” Allmendinger said. “Ty was doing a great job. We weren’t very good a couple years ago, so we went with a completely different setup. The Hyperice Chevy was pretty solid; second-best race car, unfortunately. Gibbs is tough and that No. 54 car, all year, has been tough. Ty did a great job. He was clean, made a great move on me. I couldn’t do really anything to defend it…I’m ready to go win at the Brickyard [next weekend].”

    Allgaier came home in fourth while Harrison Burton finished in the top five. Brandon Jones crossed the finish line in sixth followed by Gragson, Jeb Burton, Haley and Sam Mayer.

    Michael Annett, who returned following a two-race absence, finished 11th ahead of Brandon Brown, Herbst, Josh Williams and Myatt Snider. Clements and Sieg finished 16th and 18th while Hemric fell back to 22nd following his late spin.

    There were 12 lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured eight cautions for 15 laps.

    With his 13th top-five result of the season, Austin Cindric continues to lead the regular-season standings by 80 points over AJ Allmendinger.

    Results.

    1. Ty Gibbs, 43 laps led

    2. AJ Allmendinger, six laps led, Stage 2 winner

    3. Austin Cindric, 22 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    4. Justin Allgaier

    5. Harrison Burton, three laps led

    6. Brandon Jones, one lap led

    7. Noah Gragson

    8. Jeb Burton

    9. Justin Haley

    10. Sam Mayer

    11. Michael Annett

    12. Brandon Brown

    13. Riley Herbst

    14. Josh Williams

    15. Myatt Snider

    16. Jeremy Clements

    17. Kris Wright

    18. Ryan Sieg

    19. Tommy Joe Martins

    20. Landon Cassill

    21. Jade Buford

    22. Daniel Hemric, seven laps led

    23. Preston Pardus

    24. Josh Bilicki

    25. Jeffrey Earnhardt

    26. Brett Moffitt

    27. Jesse Little

    28. Stephen Leicht

    29. Timmy Hill, one lap down

    30. Joe Graf Jr., one lap down

    31. Colby Howard, one lap down

    32. Bayley Currey, one lap down

    33. Dave Smith, two laps down

    34. Kyle Weatherman – OUT, Electrical

    35. Michael Munley – OUT, Suspension

    36. Erik Jones – OUT, Accident

    37. Austin Dillon – OUT, Chassis

    38. Matt Mills – OUT, Accident

    39. Alex Labbe – OUT, Rear gear

    40. Kyle Tilley – OUT, Dvp

    Next on the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is another road course venue as the series will compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday, August 14. The event is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Weekend schedule for Watkins Glen

    Weekend schedule for Watkins Glen

    NASCAR heads to Watkins Glen International this weekend for a full schedule of racing. It will be the first time back at the 2.45-mile road course since 2019.

    The ARCA Menards Series starts off the action Friday evening. The Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series compete back to back Saturday and the Cup Series closes out the activities Sunday afternoon.

    Chase Elliott has won the last two Cup Series events at Watkins Glen and is considered the favorite heading into the weekend. Kyle Busch and Elliott have the most wins at Watkins Glen among active drivers, with two victories each. Brad Keselowski will start on the pole with teammates Joey Logano starting in second and Ryan Blaney in third.

    There have been 26 Xfinity Series races at Watkins Glen with 15 different race winners. In 2019, Austin Cindric became the youngest winner in the history of the track. He was 20 years, 11 months and one day old. JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier will start on the pole.

    The Camping World Truck Series returns to Watkins Glen for the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon. It’s the series’ first time back at the track since 2000 and Austin Hill will lead the way from the pole. There have only been five previous Truck Series races at the track with four different winners. Ron Hornaday won the first two races, going to victory lane in 1996 driving a Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet, and again in 1997 driving for Billy Hess Racing. Joe Ruttman won in 1998, Ron Fellows in 1999 and Greg Biffle won the last Truck race held at Watkins Glen in 2000.

    There will be no practice or qualifying for the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series.
    The starting lineups were determined by the following metrics formula established by NASCAR.

    • 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, August 6

    3:15 p.m. – 4 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Practice/Qualifying
    6 p.m.: ARCA Series Clean Harbors 100 at The Glen (41 Laps, 100.45 Miles)
    TV/Radio: FS1, MRN

    Saturday, August 7

    12:05 p.m.: Truck Series Driver Intros (Drivers standing by trucks)
    12:30 p.m.: Truck Series United Rentals 176 (Stages 20/45/72 Laps, 176.4 Miles)
    Pole: Austin Hill
    TV/Radio: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros (Drivers standing by cars)
    4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 (Stages 20/40/82 Laps, 200.9 Miles)
    Pole: Justin Allgaier
    Defending Winner: Austin Cindric
    TV/Radio: CNBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Sunday, August 8

    2:20 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros (Drivers standing by cars)
    3 p.m.: Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen (Stages 20/40/90 Laps, 220.5 Miles)
    Pole: Brad Keselowski
    Defending Winner: Chase Elliott
    TV/Radio: NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Watkins Glen Data

    Season Race #: 23 of 36 (08-08-21)
    Track Size: 2.45-miles
    Track Type: Multi-Elevational Road Course
    Number of Turns: 7
    Race Length: 90 laps / 220.5 miles
    Stage 1 & 2 Lengths: 20 laps (each)
    Final Stage Length: 50 laps

    Watkins Glen: Qualifying Data

    Track qualifying record: Marcos Ambrose, Ford (129.491 mph, 68.113 secs.) on 08-09-14.
    2019 pole winner: Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (127.297 mph, 69.287 secs.) on 08-04-19.

    • Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick lead all active NCS drivers in starts at Watkins Glen with 19 starts each.
    • Chase Elliott leads the series among active drivers in average starting position at Watkins Glen with a 6.000 in four starts.
    • Five of the 22 NCS pole winners at Watkins Glen are active this weekend.  Kyle Busch (2), Chase Elliott (1), Denny Hamlin (1), AJ Allmendinger (1), and Kurt Busch (1).
    • Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon lead the series in poles at Watkins Glen with three each.
    • Kyle Busch leads all active NCS drivers in poles at Watkins Glen with two.
    • Five drivers have won multiple poles in the NCS at Watkins Glen.  Kyle Busch is the only active driver with multiple WGI poles (two).
    • The youngest NCVS Watkins Glen pole winner is Chase Elliott (08/4/2019 at 23 years, 8 months, 7 days).
    • Seven different manufacturers have won at least one NCS pole at Watkins Glen.  They are led by Chevrolet with 15 poles, followed by Ford (8), Toyota (four), Dodge, Mercury, Oldsmobile and Pontiac (one each).

    Watkins Glen: Race Data

    Track race record: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota (104.132 mph, 02:07:03) on 08-06-17.
    2019 race winner: Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (98.523 mph, 02:14:17) on 08-04-19.
    2020 pole/race winner: The series did not compete in 2020 due to the pandemic.

    • Seven of the 23 NCS winners at Watkins Glen are active this weekend.  Chase Elliott (2), Kyle Busch (2), Martin Truex Jr. (1), Denny Hamlin (1), Joey Logano (1), AJ Allmendinger (1), and Kevin Harvick (1).
    • Tony Stewart leads the NCS in wins at Watkins Glen with five victories (2002, ’04, ’05, ’07 and ’09).
    • Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch lead all active NCS drivers in wins at Watkins Glen with two wins each.
    • Consecutive WGI Race Winners:  Jeff Gordon (1997, 1998, 1999), Mark Martin (1993, 1994, 1995), Chase Elliott (2018, 2019), Marcos Ambrose (2011, 2012), and Tony Stewart (2004, 2005).
    • The youngest NCS Watkins Glen winner is Chase Elliott (08/05/2018 at 22 years, 8 months, 8 days).
    • A total of 10 of the 37 NCS races at Watkins Glen have been won from the pole or first starting position, making it the most proficient starting position in the field at 27%.
    • Kurt Busch leads the series among active NCS drivers with the most starts at Watkins Glen without visiting Victory Lane at 19 starts.
    • 18 different organizations have won in the NCS at Watkins Glen and nine are active this weekend.  Hendrick Motorsports (8), Joe Gibbs Racing (7), Roush Fenway Racing (3), Richard Childress Racing (2), Richard Petty Motorsports (2), JTG Daugherty Racing (1), Team Penske (1), Stewart-Haas Racing (1) and Wood Brothers Racing (1).
    • Six different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Watkins Glen.  It is led by Chevrolet with 19 victories, followed by Ford with eight, Pontiac and Toyota with four each and Buick and Mercury each have one.
    • Erik Jones leads all active NCS drivers in average finishing position at WGI with a 6.333 in three starts.
    • Kyle Busch leads the NCS in laps led at Watkins Glen among active drivers with 247 in 15 starts.

    Top 12 Driver Ratings at Watkins Glen

    Chase Elliott – 120.4
    Kyle Busch – 110.5
    Erik Jones – 104.8
    Martin Truex Jr – 99.9
    Brad Keselowski – 99.4
    AJ Allmendinger – 94.9
    Kurt Busch – 92.9
    Daniel Suarez – 92.5
    Kevin Harvick – 90.5
    Denny Hamlin – 90.0
    Kyle Larson – 88.2
    Ryan Blaney – 85.4

    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2019 races (15 total) among active drivers at Watkins Glen International. Series did not compete at WGI in 2020 due to the pandemic.