Category Archives: NASCAR

Kyle Busch holds off Denny Hamlin to win Enjoy Illinois 300

Kyle Busch had a strong car for most of the race and maintained the lead on a late restart to win the Enjoy Illinois 300 on Sunday at Madison, Ill. Busch kept the lead spot by running along the outside for the final laps. Busch finished ahead of Denny Hamlin. Joey Logano passed Kyle Larson…MORE

2023 Enjoy Illinois 300: Preview, Best Bets, Longshot Pick

Corey LaJoie is an unlikely wild card heading into Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. While he’s a very respectable 19th in the Cup Series standings with the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, LaJoie is a sudden popular choice to be running toward the front on Sunday. That’s because he will be…MORE

Weekend Preview: World Wide Technology Raceway and Portland

MADISON, Ill. — A seed Corey LaJoie planted more than three years ago finally bore fruit. LaJoie, you’ll remember, delivered a hand-written letter to Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick at the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in 2020. At the time, Hendrick was pondering possible successors to seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie…MORE

Stewart-Haas Racing fined, crew chief banned over ‘counterfeit part’

NASCAR handed down heavy punishment to the Stewart-Haas Racing Team on Wednesday over a “counterfeit part” found on the No. 14 car after Monday’s Coca-Cola 600, leading to hefty fines, points reductions and the banishment of the team’s crew chief for the next six races. The SHR team was docked 120 points — in both…MORE

NASCAR suspends Chase Elliott 1 race for wrecking Denny Hamlin

NASCAR officials ruled that Chase Elliott intentionally crashed Denny Hamlin during Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 and suspended Elliott for one race on Tuesday. Elliott will not appeal the suspension. He’ll sit out Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill. Elliott’s team, Hendrick Motorsports, said in a statement that Corey LaJoie will…MORE

Ryan Blaney ends drought, wins Coca-Cola 600

Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney broke a 59-race winless streak with a victory in the 64th annual Coca-Cola 600 on Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. After Kyle Larson spun on Lap 375 of the 400-lap event, Blaney’s No. 12 Ford started beside polesitter William Byron for the seventh time on the front…MORE

2023 Coca-Cola 600: Preview, Best Bets, Longshot Pick

NASCAR’s longest race concludes one of the busiest days on the motor racing calendar that also includes the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. Denny Hamlin is the defending champion of the Coca-Cola 500, beating then-teammate Kyle Busch to the finish line by .014 seconds in two overtimes last year. The race…MORE

Alex Bowman returning from vertebra injury Sunday

NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman will return for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 after missing four weeks with a fractured vertebra. Bowman, 30, sustained the injury during a sprint car race at a dirt track in West Burlington, Iowa, on April 25. “I’m excited to get back into the car,” the Hendrick Motorsports driver told the…MORE

Finger wag, no fine, for Bubba Wallace flipping bird

NASCAR wagged a finger a Bubba Wallace but the driver will not fined for flipping the bird on live television during the start of his postrace interview on FOX Sports. Wallace raised his left middle finger, then adjusted his collar with the same hand, while awaiting a question on pit road during a live shot…MORE

Josh Berry wins NASCAR All-Star Open; Ty Gibbs causes stir

Josh Berry advanced to Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina by winning the circuit’s All-Star Open earlier in the evening. With 23 laps to go, Berry took the lead from Ty Gibbs, who also advanced to the All-Star Race by finishing second. In his No. 48 Chevrolet, Berry got…MORE

Kyle Larson cruises to win NASCAR All-Star Race

Kyle Larson decimated the competition Sunday night to win NASCAR’s All-Star Race as the Cup Series returned to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996 in North Wilkesboro, N.C. Driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro, Larson pulled away to lead two lengthy stretches and breezed to victory in the 200-lap race. In joining…MORE

All-Star Race notebook: William Byron ready for faceoff

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — William Byron planned to go to a hockey game. He wasn’t prepared for a marathon. An ardent Carolina Hurricanes fan, Byron traveled to Raleigh by helicopter — courtesy of team owner Rick Hendrick — to watch the ‘Canes play the Florida Panthers in Thursday night’s opener of the NHL’s Eastern Conference…MORE

Ty Gibbs earns pole for NASCAR All-Star Open

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — The pit crew of Ty Gibbs busted off a 13.012-second stop to win Friday night’s Pit Crew Challenge and the $100,000 winner-take-all prize that goes with it. With his team’s victory, Gibbs will start on the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Open as he tries to qualify for the NASCAR All-Star…MORE

2023 NASCAR All-Star Race: Preview, Best Bets, Longshot Pick

It’s fitting that North Wilkesboro Speedway was the chosen venue for the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race as the sport celebrates its 75th anniversary. The track last held the event 27 years ago, with Jeff Gordon taking the checkered flag. After moving to Texas and New Hampshire, it returns to North Wilkesboro’s .625-mile short track for…MORE

Weekend Preview: North Wilkesboro Speedway

Simplicity will be the watchword when NASCAR Cup Series stars take to the track on Sunday in the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). That’s true, at least, of the format for the 39th running of the exhibition race that pays $1 million to…MORE

North Wilkesboro enjoys revival for NASCAR All-Star Race

Just in case you’ve lost count, there are now two Phoenix Raceways. One, of course, sits proudly in the Sonoran Desert as the final leg of NASCAR’s West Coast Swing and the host site for the season-ending Championship 4 race. The other “Phoenix” harkens to the immortal mythological bird that rises from the ashes of…MORE

William Byron prevails in Goodyear 400 at Darlington

William Byron won a wreck-filled end of the Goodyear 400 as the NASCAR Cup Series reached its halfway point of the regular season Sunday at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S. C. With the field bunched up following a pair of late cautions inside the final 20 laps, Byron’s No. 24 gave Hendrick Motorsports its first…MORE

2023 Goodyear 400: Preview, Best Bets, Longshot Pick

Denny Hamlin is coming off his first victory of the season last weekend, and on Sunday he will attempt to become the first driver to win consecutive races at Darlington since Greg Biffle in 2005-06. The 1.366-mile oval at Darlington Raceway is the venue for Sunday’s Goodyear 400. “It’s a tough track mentally and physically,”…MORE

Christian Eckes wins in two overtimes at Darlington

After five weeks of frustration, Christian Eckes got the rebound he needed on Friday night at Darlington Raceway. Leading a race-high 82 of 158 laps, Eckes scored a convincing two-overtime victory in the Buckle Up South Carolina 200, the ninth event on the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule. The win was Eckes’ second of the…MORE

Denny Hamlin nips Kyle Larson late for Cup Series win at Kansas

Denny Hamlin stormed around Kansas Speedway in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, clipped leader Kyle Larson on the last lap and won Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race in Kansas City, Kan. On the hottest race day of the season — 89 degrees — Larson tried to close out his third win of the…MORE

William Byron edges teammate Kyle Larson for Kansas pole

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — If William Byron maintains this pace, he’s going to earn a nickname as “Rocket Man” Ryan Newman did for his qualifying prowess. With a lap at 179.206 mph (30.133 seconds) on Saturday afternoon at Kansas Speedway, Byron earned the pole position for Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at the…MORE

Kyle Larson takes first step toward Charlotte-Indy 500 double

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Racing in the Indianapolis 500 has long been a dream of Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson. Earlier this week, Larson took the first concrete step toward making that dream a reality. On a visit to the Arrow McLaren race shop in Indianapolis, Larson was fitted for the seat he will occupy…MORE

Tyler Reddick expects early tests to serve him well in playoffs

KANSAS CITY, Kansas — Almost assuredly, Tyler Reddick will qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, thanks to his March 26 victory on the road course at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. But the driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota hasn’t adjusted seamlessly to the transition to his new Toyota team.…MORE

2023 AdventHealth 400: Preview, Best Bets, Longshot Pick

Kansas Speedway featured six winners in the past six races at the 1.5-mile track. That includes Kurt Busch, last year’s winner of the AdventHealth 400 who will be in the FS1 broadcast booth for Sunday’s race. Bubba Wallace was the most recent to visit Victory Lane in Kansas in the fall race, filling in for…MORE

Martin Truex Jr. snaps skid, wins at rain-delayed Dover

New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr. broke a 54-race winless streak in a seven-lap dash to win Monday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Del. The season’s 11th race was postponed a day due to a rainy weekend at the concrete track. Truex pitted after Joey Logano’s wreck with…MORE

2023 Wurth 400: Preview, Odds Trends, Best Bets

The anticipation for the door-to-door competition expected for the Wurth 400 was drawn out to Monday due to rain, but the event at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway always makes for high-intesity racing. The Monster Mile’s one-mile concrete surface is a stark contrast to last week’s 2.6-mile track at Talladega Superspeedway. Kyle Busch, who won last…MORE

Dover Cup Seres race postponed, moved to Monday

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway has been postponed because of a forecast of steady rain throughout the day. The Wurth 400 will start at noon ET on Monday at the Monster Mile. Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch, last week’s winner at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, will start on the pole…MORE

Alex Bowman out 3-4 weeks with fractured vetebra

NASCAR driver Alex Bowman will be out 3-4 weeks after sustaining a fractured vertebra in a sprint-car crash. He was treated for a compression fracture following an accident Tuesday night at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, Hendrick Motorsports announced Wednesday. “First, I want to let everyone know I’m feeling OK,” Bowman posted on social…MORE

Kyle Busch wins in overtime at GEICO 500

Kyle Busch took the lead in the second NASCAR overtime shootout and earned the victory in Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. Following incidents with six laps to go and in the first extra segment, Bubba Wallace passed Busch as the white flag flew, but Wallace spun while blocking Ryan Blaney for…MORE

2023 GEICO 500: Preview, Trends, Best Bets

There are few places on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule that raise the pulse of both driver and fan like the Talladega Superspeedway. There are 11 former winners in the field for Sunday’s GEICO 500, from six-time Talladega winner Brad Keselowski — whose win tally is second only to the late 10-time Talladega master Dale…MORE

Weekend Preview: Talladega Speedway

TALLADEGA, Ala. — There are few places on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule that raise the pulse of both driver and fan like the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, where the sport descends Sunday. There are 11 former winners in the field – led by six-time Talladega winner Brad Keselowski, whose win tally is second only to…MORE

Kyle Larson prevails at Martinsville, Joey Logano second

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson passed Joey Logano with 29 laps remaining to win Sunday afternoon’s NOCO 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. Larson, who took two tires on the fifth caution period with 55 laps to go, restarted fifth with Logano — who stayed out on older tires — at…MORE

Ryan Preece captures first career pole at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — On his final lap — and the final lap of qualifying — Ryan Preece earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series pole with a lap of 94.779 mph in his No. 41 SHR Ford at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Saturday. The 32-year-old Connecticut driver is the 14th driver to notch his first…MORE

Chase Elliott vows to continue snowboarding, despite breaking leg

Chase Elliott says a broken leg will not prompt him to quit snowboarding or discourage him from participating in other off-track activities. Elliott is slated to returning to NASCAR racing this weekend at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia when he will drive the Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet for Sunday’s NOCO 400. Elliott, 27, has been…MORE

Weekend preview: Martinsville Speedway

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Christopher Bell arrives at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this weekend leading the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings for only the third time in his career. Further, he’s equipped with some very positive momentum as the series finishes a three-race springtime short track run in the schedule. Bell’s lead comes after his victory last…MORE

Chase Elliott (tibia) making his return at Martinsville

Chase Elliott will be back in the No. 9 Chevrolet for Sunday’s Noco 400 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia just six weeks after sustaining a fractured tibia during a snowboarding incident in Colorado. Elliott, 27, was medically cleared Tuesday and then was tested Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning in the Driver-in-the-Loop simulator in Concord, N.C.,…MORE

Cup Series driver Cody Ware arrested on assault charges

NASCAR Cup Series driver Cody Ware was arrested in Iredell County, N.C., on Monday on assault charges, including felony strangulation. NASCAR suspended Ware indefinitely Monday. Bond was set at $3,000 for Ware, 27. He also is charged with misdemeanor assault on a female, according to the county online jail records. Details of the alleged incident…MORE

Christopher Bell claims Food City Dirt Race

Christopher Bell pulled away from fellow Toyota driver Tyler Reddick in an eight-lap shootout and won under caution Sunday night, claiming the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. In his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry, the 28-year-old Bell notched his first victory of 2023 and fifth in 116 starts.…MORE

Kyle Larson streaks to pole position for Food City Dirt Race

It didn’t take long for Kyle Larson to assert his superiority on the dirt track at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. Starting sixth in the third of four 15-lap qualifying heat races, Larson had stormed into the lead before the end of the first lap and held off charging Ryan Preece for a wire-to-wire victory.…MORE

2023 Food City Dirt Race: Preview, Odds Trends, Best Bets

NASCAR returns to the dirt track at Bristol Motor Speedway for the third consecutive year, but will this finally be the one where a “dirt driver” finds his way to Victory Lane? When NASCAR announced that a dirt race at Thunder Valley would be part of the 2021 schedule, the natural assumption was that drivers…MORE

Cody Ware (personal) won’t race Sunday at Bristol

Cody Ware will not compete in Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway due to a personal matter, his team announced. Matt Crafton will replace Ware behind the wheel of the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang for the Food City Dirt Race. Ware, 27, is currently 31st in the…MORE

NASCAR assesses penalties to two Hendrick teams

NASCAR penalized two Hendrick Motorsports teams — the No. 24 of William Byron and the No. 48 of Alex Bowman — on Thursday after their cars failed inspections following Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Both drivers were docked 60 driver points and five playoff points, and both teams were stripped of…MORE

Weekend Preview: Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Race

Is it time for a “dirt driver” to win the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)? When NASCAR announced that a dirt race at Thunder Valley would be part of the 2021 schedule, the natural assumption was that drivers with extensive dirt…MORE

Reports: Team owners boycott NASCAR meeting over revenues

Owners of NASCAR Cup Series teams boycotted their scheduled meeting with NASCAR officials over revenues, multiple outlets reported Wednesday. The two sides are in a dispute over how to divide revenue from the organization’s next television contract, which soon will be up for renegotiation. The current pact with FOX Sports and NBC expires following the…MORE

Bristol Motor Speedway is steeped in unique, varied history

Those who are familiar with NASCAR Cup Series history undoubtedly are aware of the intense rivalry at Bristol Motor Speedway between Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte in the late 1990s. Labonte won the Night Race at Bristol in 1995, but he did so in a wrecked race car, thanks to a brutal hit from Earnhardt…MORE

Late surge gives Kyle Larson win at Richmond, first of 2023

Kyle Larson won the final race off pit road, held on over two restarts and scored his first 2023 victory in Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. In the first of three straight weeks of short-track racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, Larson and the field pitted with 25 laps…MORE

Weekend Preview: Richmond Raceway & Texas Motor Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The ultra-competitiveness of NASCAR Cup Series racing provides so much of the sport’s intrigue and when it comes to NASCAR and short track racing, recent history has assured that nothing is assured. That high intensity only increases and will be on full display Sunday with the Toyota Owners 400 (3:30 p.m.…MORE

Tyler Reddick works OT in Texas, gets first win of season

Tyler Reddick passed William Byron with five laps go, withstood a charge by Kyle Busch in three NASCAR overtimes, and won Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix road course race in Austin, Texas. After passing Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet in Turn 11 with five circuits remaining, Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota led the field and beat Busch’s…MORE

William Byron wins pole at Circuit of The Americas

AUSTIN, Texas — Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron won his first pole position of the season Saturday and will start out front for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas road course. The 25-year-old North Carolinian earned the top starting spot for the NASCAR Cup Series race with a lap of…MORE

Joey Logano breaks through for first win of season at Atlanta

Joey Logano passed Brad Keselowski on the final lap Sunday afternoon as Ford broke Chevrolet’s hot start to 2023 and the reigning series champion won the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. Following a pair of separate crashes up front that brought out cautions for Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson, Keselowski…MORE

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