Monday, September 15, 2025

Fun Opportunities for Race Fans to Support New England Children in Need

Fun Opportunities for Race Fans to Support New England Children in Need

#NASCAR Cup Series Driver Ryan Preece walked with  race fans around “The Magic Mile.”
NASCAR Cup Series driver and New England native Ryan Preece (center) walked with
 race fans around “The Magic Mile” on June 22, 2024 during last year’s Track Walk
 – one of several fundraising events held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during
the track’s annual NASCAR weekend to benefit the New Hampshire Chapter of
Speedway Children’s Charities. Credit: Stacey Guptill
  • New England’s only NASCAR Playoffs weekend at "The Magic Mile" focuses on both thrilling races and community support for children, managed by the New Hampshire Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities.
  • Fans can leave a lasting legacy by purchasing customized engraved bricks for NHMS, with sales benefiting children in need and contributing to a walkway unveiling in 2026.
  • An online auction offers fans the chance to bid on unique NASCAR experiences, such as waving the green flag, victory lane experiences and hot laps with 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Busch.

New England’s only NASCAR Playoffs weekend at “The Magic Mile” is all about fast cars and passionate fans, but it’s also about New England race fans coming together to support kids in need throughout the region. The New Hampshire Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCCNH), the official charity of New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), has lots of fun ways for fans to make unforgettable memories while also making a difference.

 

NEW! Customized Bricks | Ongoing Sales

Race fans can cement their legacy as a NHMS fan for years to come by purchasing an engraved brick that can be customized with names, family names or even a special message. A 4” x 8” brick is $200, and an 8” x 8” brick is $350 with proceeds directly benefitting children in need throughout New England. Once a collection of bricks have been sold, they’ll be used to build a beautiful walkway on NHMS property, which we’ll officially unveil during our 2026 NASCAR weekend.

 

Online Auction | Closes at 12 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18

Race fans can bid on once-in-a-lifetime NASCAR weekend experiences in the Online Auction now through 12 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18. Experiences up for bid include:

 


  • Wave the green flag for NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) qualifying (Friday, Sept. 19)
  • Wave the green flag for NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) qualifying (Friday, Sept. 19)
  • NWMT Mohegan Sun 100 victory lane experience (Saturday, Sept. 20)
  • NCTS Team EJP 175 victory lane experience (Saturday, Sept. 20)
  • Wave the green flag for NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) qualifying (Saturday, Sept. 20)
  • Hot laps with 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Busch (Sunday, Sept. 21)
  • Two VIP passes with a guided garage tour (Sunday, Sept. 21)
  • Travis Pastrana signed tire

Sign the Track Wall Banner | Friday and Saturday, Sept. 19-20

Race fans can make their mark on the NCS Playoffs race at NHMS. For just $5, fans can Sign the Track Wall Banner at the Track Treasures Shop in the area between the Concord and Main Grandstands, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 19-20. The banner will be placed on the racetrack wall Sunday morning for the NCS Playoffs race.

 

Track Treasures Shop | Friday – Sunday, Sept. 19-21

Race fans can purchase various mementos, NASCAR collectibles, one-of-a-kind autographed items, clothing, advertising banners and more at the Track Treasures Shop, located in the area between the Concord and Main Grandstands, Friday – Sunday, Sept. 19-21. NCS driver Justin Haley will make an appearance at the Track Treasures Shop from 11-11:15 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20.

 

50/50 Raffle | Friday – Sunday, Sept. 19-21

Don’t miss your chance to win big this year with the fifth annual 50/50 Raffle. Tickets will be sold during SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels at The Flat Track on Friday, Sept. 19 and at the Track Treasures Shop, located in the area between the Concord and Main Grandstands Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20-21. Tickets are currently being sold online. All ticket sales end once the checkered flag flies for Sunday’s NCS Playoffs race. The winner of half the jackpot will be announced on Monday, Sept. 22. The other half goes directly to SCCNH.

 

Cornhole Tournament presented by Texas Roadhouse | Saturday, Sept. 20 | 2:30-6 p.m.

The fourth annual Cornhole Tournament presented by Texas Roadhouse comes with a first-place prize of two VIP suite seats for Sunday’s NCS Playoffs race. Check-in and practice will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, and the tournament will start at 3:30 p.m. Advance registration ($60 per two-person team) is suggested at SpeedwayCharities.org. Day-of registration will be $75 per two-person team.

 

Track Walk presented by LeMay Family Goodworks | Saturday, Sept. 20 | 5:30-6:30 p.m.

We’re putting a new spin on Track Walk presented by LeMay Family Goodworks this year and moving it to an evening stroll around “The Magic Mile.” Race fans can invite their family and friends to join NCS driver Ross Chastain for a lap before Sunday’s Mobil 1 301 NCS Playoffs race. Advance registration is required at SpeedwayCharities.org for $25 per person. Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult.

 

Wicked Good Live Auction and Raffle | Sunday, Sept. 21 | 9:45-10:45 a.m.

Fans can bid on a variety of unique NASCAR memorabilia from many of their favorite drivers during the Wicked Good Live Auction and Raffle from 9:45-10:45 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21 on “The Magic Mile” Entertainment Stage located just outside the infield tunnel. NCS drivers AJ Allmendinger and Todd Gilliland will make appearances as well as Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch.  There will also be items from New England sports teams, local businesses and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

 

Funds raised from these events will be distributed this December in the form of grants to local nonprofits that support children in need. For more information, please contact New Hampshire Chapter Director Danielle Cyr at DCyr@NHMS.com.

 



 

Sunday, September 14, 2025

NASCAR / ARCA Race Recap (Bristol, All American Speedway)

#NASCAR / #ARCA Race Recap (Bristol, All American Speedway)

Winners: Christopher Bell (Cup); Aric Almirola (Xfinity); Layne Riggs (Trucks) plus Brent Crews (ARCA East) and Robbie Kennealy (ARCA West)

Winners: ChristopherBell (Cup); Aric Almirola (Xfinity); Layne Riggs (Trucks) plus Brent Crews (ARCA East)
Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 

 

NASCAR Cup

Christopher Bell Completes JGR Round of 16 sweep, Wins Bristol Night Race

Christopher Bell Completes JGR Round of 16 sweep, Wins Bristol Night Race

 

With a charge to the lead from fifth place with four laps left in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor SpeedwayChristopher Bell kept Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota perfect in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

 

Bell survived a hard, square shot to his rear bumper from Brad Keselowski in the final corner and steered straight to the finish line, 0.343 seconds ahead of the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing co-owner and driver.

 

Joining JGR teammates Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin as winners in the Round of 16, Bell advanced to the Round of 12, which begins Sept. 21 at one of his best tracks, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

 

“Well, I’ll tell you what, I was nervous on the two (tires),” Bell said. “I didn’t know if I wanted to be on the bottom or the top, and whenever Brad picked the top (lane) didn’t really give me an option. I had to pick the bottom.

 

“All night long, I don’t know, old tires just really, really pushed up in the middle of the corners, so I was hoping that those guys (starting ahead of him) on old tires would push up, and they did. They did, and I was able to get by or get underneath them.

 

“It wasn’t pretty there at the end, but we got her done.”

 

Brad Keselowski finished second; Zane Smith placed third; Ryan Blaney came in fourth and Joey Logano completed the top five.

 






Pole: AJ Allmendinger



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 2:00 pm ET for the ‘Mobil 1 301’ at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.


NASCAR Xfinity

Aric Almirola Holds Off Sheldon Creed in Thrilling Xfinity Series Finish

Aric Almirola Holds Off Sheldon Creed in Thrilling Xfinity Series Finish

 

Benefitting from a split-second late-race strategy decision, veteran Aric Almirola held off a mightily motivated field to claim the win in Friday night’s Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs opener at Bristol Motor Speedway.

 

While running second to the series’ championship leader, Connor Zilisch, when a caution flag flew with 36 laps remaining, Almirola watched Zilisch pull onto pit road for fresh tires, and instead of following him into the pits as his crew expected, Almirola abruptly pulled his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota back on track at the last moment.

 

“Just tired of getting beat by those guys, I figured I’d try my chances with the lead,” Almirola said of his race-winning pit strategy decision. “They’ve been so fast and they fire off so fast on new tires and I just didn’t think I could beat them straight up on new tires. It took me about 20 laps to get going, so I thought my best chance was to stay out on old tires.

 

“We watched the last two or three races here and saw how the nine-car with [driver] Noah Gragson win with like a 100 laps on his tires,” added Almirola, whose No. 19 JGR Toyota is racing for the owner’s championship. “So, I decided to stay out when they said pit.”

 

Sheldon Creed finished second; Sam Mayer placed third; Carson Kvapil came in fourth and Connor Zilisch completed the top five.

 






Pole: Justin Allgaier



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 4:00 pm ET for the ‘Kansas Lottery 300’ at Kansas Speedway.




NASCAR Trucks

From Spin to Win: Layne Riggs Rebounds for Truck Series Playoffs Victory

From Spin to Win: Layne Riggs Rebounds for Truck Series Playoffs Victory

 

Layne Riggs recovered from a first-lap spin at Bristol Motor Speedway and rallied to win Thursday night’s UNOH 250 Presented by Ohio Logistics, the second race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs.

 

Grabbing the lead after a restart on Lap 142 of 250, Riggs held off a determined charge by two-time Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes to win his third race of the 2025 season, second at Bristol and fifth of his career.

 

“You don’t get two mulligans in the playoffs, and I got two,” said Riggs, who salvaged a 17th-place finish after slamming the outside wall in the first playoff race Aug. 30 at Darlington. “The first lap of the race to spin out, it’s a blow to your confidence, for sure, but I’ve got faith in this team, and I’ve got faith in everybody here …”

 

“I think this shows that we’re right there, we’re in contention, we can do it,” said Riggs, who ran the final 109 green-flag laps with scuffed qualifying tires on his No. 34 Ford, having used a set of stickers after the spin on Lap 1. “That’s three in a row at Bristol for Front Row Motorsports. It’s a big testament to all these guys. We’ve got a really good package here.

 

“Man, I’m excited for New Hampshire. I’ve never even been there and I already love that race track.”

 

Ben Rhodes finished second; Corey Heim placed third; Ty Majeski came in fourth and Daniel Hemri completed the top five.

 






Pole: Jake Garcia



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 12:00 pm ET for the ‘EJP 175’ at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.




ARCA East

Brent Crews Secures Another East Series Owner’s Title for Joe Gibbs Racing With a Dominant Bristol Win

Brent Crews Secures Another East Series Owner’s Title for Joe Gibbs Racing With a Dominant Bristol Win

 

Although Joe Gibbs Racing was unable to celebrate another driver’s championship in the ARCA Menards Series East for 2025, they departed Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday victorious in multiple regards.

 

Brent Crews delivered a stellar, wire-to-wire performance to secure his third East Series victory on the season and fifth overall on the ARCA Menards Series platform. The dominant performance also enabled Crews to give the No. 18 Toyota its fourth consecutive East Series owner’s title.

 

While Crews obtained a win and an owner’s championship, Isaac Kitzmiller locked up the East Series driver’s championship by tallying an eighth-place finish.

 

“There’s been a lot of success with the Joe Gibbs Racing team from Cup all the way down to ARCA,” Crews said. “I was just trying to fill the shoes. Growing up watching Kyle Busch dominate with JGR, watching William [Sawalich] have strong runs and with Sammy [Smith] being able to win too, I came here with what I needed in my head.”

 

Tristan McKee finished second; Brenden Queen placed third; Leland Honeyman came in fourth and Thomas Annunziata completed the top five.

 






Pole: Brent Crews



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The ARCA Menard Series will return on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 8:10 p.m. ET for the ‘Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200’ at Salem Speedway.



ARCA West

Robbie Kennealy Scores Emotional First West Series Victory at All American Speedway

Robbie Kennealy Scores Emotional First West Series Victory at All American Speedway

 

The ARCA Menards Series West’s visit to All American Speedway was always going to be emotional for Robbie Kennealy

 

Every race on the calendar inches closer to the one-year anniversary of when Kennealy’s father Gary suddenly passed away due to a heart attack. Gary’s death was a devastating loss for the entire Kennealy family, but both of his sons, Robbie and Joey, have done everything possible to continue competing in honor of their father.

 

On Saturday evening, Gary’s eldest son Robbie put together the best race of his young career by earning the General Tire Pole Award and fending off West Series points leader Trevor Huddleston to score his maiden West Series victory. Kennealy could not help but be tearful as he climbed out of his No. 1 Jan’s Towing Ford, knowing his dad was with him in spirit through all 150 laps.

 

“[It was] one year ago during this exact race [at All American] when my dad suddenly passed away,” Kennealy said. “One year later, we win one of the biggest races ever. That’s for you dad.”

 

Trevor Huddleston finished second; Andrew Chapman placed third; Joey Iest came in fourth and Eric Johnson Jr. completed the top five.

 






Pole: Robbie Kennealy



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. for the ‘Madera 150 presented by Madera Ford and the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame’ at Madera Speedway.



 

source: NASCAR Media

Saturday, September 13, 2025

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying

#NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying

Bass Pro Shops Night Race

Bass Pro Shops Night Race

 

Known as The Last Great Colosseum, Bristol Motor Speedway’s stadium-like structure serves as a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events.

 

The very first NASCAR race at BMS, held on July 30, 1961, was won by Jack Smith with relief help from Johnny Allen.

 

Tonight’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race will provide plenty of action as it serves as the last chance for playoff contenders to move forward into the Round of Twelve.

 





NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying
Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
Friday, September 12, 2025

  1. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 126.930 mph.
  2. (12) Ryan Blaney (P) @, Ford, 126.905 mph.
  3. (2) Austin Cindric (P) @, Ford, 126.804 mph.
  4. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 126.720 mph.
  5. (5) Kyle Larson (P) @, Chevrolet, 126.670 mph.
  6. (11) Denny Hamlin (P) @, Toyota, 126.312 mph.
  7. (24) William Byron (P) @, Chevrolet, 126.187 mph.
  8. (23) Bubba Wallace (P) @, Toyota, 126.170 mph.
  9. (20) Christopher Bell (P) @, Toyota, 126.121 mph.
  10. (21) Josh Berry (P) @, Ford, 126.121 mph.
  11. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 126.071 mph.
  12. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 126.054 mph.
  13. (1) Ross Chastain (P) @, Chevrolet, 125.914 mph.
  14. (45) Tyler Reddick (P) @, Toyota, 125.856 mph.
  15. (48) Alex Bowman (P) @, Chevrolet, 125.757 mph.
  16. (9) Chase Elliott (P) @, Chevrolet, 125.650 mph.
  17. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 125.642 mph.
  18. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 125.633 mph.
  19. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 125.633 mph.
  20. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, 125.568 mph.
  21. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 125.494 mph.
  22. (22) Joey Logano (P) @, Ford, 125.428 mph.
  23. (3) Austin Dillon (P) @, Chevrolet, 125.150 mph.
  24. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, 125.052 mph.
  25. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 124.914 mph.
  26. (41) Cole Custer, Ford, 124.800 mph.
  27. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 124.695 mph.
  28. (88) Shane Van Gisbergen # (P) @, Chevrolet, 124.630 mph.
  29. (35) Riley Herbst #, Toyota, 124.622 mph.
  30. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, 124.581 mph.
  31. (19) Chase Briscoe (P) @, Toyota, 124.347 mph.
  32. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 124.339 mph.
  33. (33) Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 123.953 mph.
  34. (51) Cody Ware, Ford, 123.000 mph.
  35. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 122.905 mph.
  36. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 122.756 mph.
  37. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 122.552 mph.
  38. (67) Corey Heim(i), Toyota, 122.427 mph.
  39. (66) Chad Finchum, Ford, 119.522 mph.
Playoff Drivers



 

Allmendinger to Lead the Bass Pro Shops Race

Allmendinger Will Lead the Bass Pro Shops Night Race #NASCAR

Green Flag Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway

AJ Allmendinger Will Lead the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

 

Qualifying in the first half of a 39-driver field, AJ Allmendinger stole the spotlight from the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contenders who followed him around Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday afternoon.

 





Allmendinger toured the 0.533-mile concrete short track in 15.117 seconds (126.930 mph) to earn the top starting spot for Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the Round of 16 elimination event (7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

The lap held up against an onslaught of Playoff drivers. Ryan Blaney (126.905 mph) came closest with a lap just 0.003 seconds slower than Allmendinger’s. Austin Cindric, just 11 points above the current elimination line for the Round of 12, will start third after a lap at 126.804 mph), far better than his average Bristol starting spot of 21.4.

 

The Busch Light Pole Award was Allmendinger’s first of the season, first at Bristol and fifth of his career.

 

“We just had a really good practice,” said Allmendinger, driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. “We had a solid race in the spring, so good notes to go off of, for sure. You never know. They were saying the (softer right-side) tires were going to be a little different, but our practice was really good.

 

“I was pretty happy with that lap… The tire doesn’t feel a ton different. You can feel the softness—the car kind of moves around on it—but it’s not a massive difference to me. We’ll see how it races (on Saturday), once you get 125 laps on it.”

 

Blaney said his No. 12 Team Penske Ford felt tight in the final two corners.

 

“I’m proud of our lap and proud to be starting on the front row,” said Blaney, the 2023 series champion. “I wish I could have had it back and I’m sure a lot of guys say that. I just got tight in (Turns) 3 and 4...

 

“I think our race car is really good, too, over the long haul, and I’m just looking forward to (Saturday) night. Hopefully, we can run a good 500 laps and keep up with the race track and see what we can do.”

 

Non-Playoff driver Ty Gibbs (126.720 mph) qualified fourth in the fastest Toyota, with six Playoff drivers behind him. Kyle Larson (126.670 mph), winner of the last two Cup Series races at Bristol was fifth, with Last week’s Gateway winner Denny Hamlin (126.312 mph) sixth fastest.

 

William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell and Josh Berry will start sixth through 10th on the grid, respectively.

 



 

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Zilisch Ready to Keep the Throttle Mashed

Zilisch Ready to Keep the Throttle Mashed

Xfinity Series Playoffs Ignite At Bristol's Food City 300 Friday Night

Connor Zilisch Ready to Keep the Throttle Mashed.  #NASCAR

 

The Food City 300 has produced plenty of thrilling finishes over the years and certainly has earned its place as one of the crown jewel events for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

 

This year it will once again serve as the Xfinity Series Playoff opener for the Round of 12. Drivers and teams will be looking for a strong showing on Bristol’s high banks to ensure that they get off to a strong start in the Xfinity post-season.

 

As Justin Allgaier begins the defense of the long-awaited NASCAR Xfinity Series title he won at Phoenix Raceway last year, the focus, appropriately enough, is on his rookie JR Motorsports teammate, Connor Zilisch.

 





The 19-year-old driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet has won seven of the last eight races, including the last four straight, tying Sam Ard (1983) and Noah Gragson (2022) for the Xfinity Series record for consecutive victories.

 

Zilisch, the Regular Season Champion, is 59 points above the current elimination line for the Playoffs’ Round of 12 entering Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

He plans to keep his remarkable streak going as the postseason begins.

 

“This No. 88 team has been on a run this year, and four wins in a row is a rare feat, but we aren’t going to take any of that for granted going into the Playoffs,” Zilisch said. “(Crew chief) Mardy (Lindley), my whole team and my pit crew continue to execute every week, and we don’t plan on turning down the intensity anytime soon.

 

“It has been awesome to have the success we have had this season, and we plan to unload another fast WeatherTech Chevrolet this Friday.”

 

At 30 points above the current cut line, Allgaier is the only Playoff driver besides Zilisch with any degree of comfort entering the Playoffs.

 

Allgaier has taken his new teammate’s success in stride.

 

“One thing I love is that they’ve had success," Allgaier said of the Zilisch nine-win run. “As a company we’re still winning and we’re still doing all the right things … it doesn’t matter what race team you work at, when at least one of your cars is having success everybody’s elevated, everybody is ready to keep pushing and keep going.

 

“We’ve got four fast race cars every week, we just haven’t been able to show what we’re capable of and I’m hoping once these Playoffs start we can do a better job of executing. I know I have the team behind me.”

 





The remaining 10 Playoff drivers, from Sam Mayer in third to Austin Hill in 12th, are covered by a spread of 16 points. Mayer is 11 points to the good while Hill, who lost his regular-season Playoff points under penalty for wrecking Aric Almirola at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is five points below the elimination line.

 

Hill is motivated by his position entering the Playoffs.

 

“For me, I think going into the Playoffs and not having the Playoff points and all that just kind of gave me a little bit more determination in these last few races before the Playoffs started, kind of fired me up a little bit more," Hill said. “Almost made me angry in a sense… just that I want to show the world and all the outside noise what this 21-team is capable of and what I’m capable of doing and that’s to try and win a championship and I think we can do that no matter if our backs are to the walls or not."

 

The tight Playoff field all but guarantees an intense scramble for position in Friday night’s Playoff opener on Bristol’s concrete high banks.

 

Others to watch among a mix of the circuit regulars and Playoff contenders include RCR’s Jesse Love, veteran Sheldon Creed, Christian Eckes, William Sawalich, Brandon Jones, Carson Kvapil, Harrison Burton and surging Taylor Gray.

 

A few moonlighting drivers to keep on your radar for the race include Brendan “Butterbean” Queen, a rising star in the stock car racing world who will be making his Xfinity debut in the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevy. The race will mark the return of Jeffrey Earnhardt to Bristol, grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sr., who will be driving the No. 24 machine for Sam Hunt Racing. The No. 17 of Hendrick Motorsports which won here in the spring with Kyle Larson at the controls, will be piloted at this event by Corey Day, who is also entered in Thursday’s Truck race in the No. 7 Chevy for Spire. Finally, Cup veteran and semi-retired racer Aric Almirola also will be back in action at this event, driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing entry. Almirola seemed to have a knack for navigating Bristol during his Cup days.

 

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Thrilling Thursday Doubleheader Features UNOH 250 Truck Playoff Race and Bush's Beans 200 ARCA Series Rumble

Thrilling Thursday Doubleheader Features UNOH 250 Truck Playoff Race and Bush's Beans 200 ARCA Series Rumble
  • Layne Riggs and Chandler Smith, from Front Row Motorsports, have secured consecutive victories at Bristol Motor Speedway, positioning them as strong contenders for the upcoming UNOH 250 race.
  • The UNOH 250 is the second race in the Craftsman Trucks Round of 10 Playoffs and part of a Thursday night doubleheader, alongside the ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200.
  • Corey Heim, current regular-season champion and winner of the Playoff opener at Darlington, is on a three-race winning streak and carries significant momentum into Bristol.

Thrilling Thursday Doubleheader Features UNOH 250 Truck Playoff Race and Bush's Beans 200 ARCA Series Rumble

 

The Front Row Motorsports tandem of Layne Riggs and Chandler Smith have won the last two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway and will both be among the favorites going into Thursday night’s UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics (8 p.m., FS1, PRN Radio).

 





The race is a part of the Craftsman Trucks Round of 10 Playoffs, race No. 2 in the three-race opening round. It’s also part of a Thursday night doubleheader at The Last Great Colosseum, which also features the ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200. The ARCA race will kick things off at 5:30 p.m. (FS1).

 

Regular-season champion Corey Heim is bringing all the momentum in the world to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile, however, as he took the victory in the Playoff opener at Darlington two weeks ago and is riding a three-race winning streak. Heim’s eight victories this season is a category-best stat.

 

“It feels like I’m in a dream,” Heim said. “Eight wins this year is phenomenal, man. It’s great to look back on, but we’ve also got so much to look forward to.”

 

Heim is also a past Bristol winner, so look out for the No. 11 truck to be a factor in qualifying as well as the 250-lap race. A sidenote on Heim, he is pulling double duty at Bristol and will also pilot the No. 67 23XI Racing machine in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

 

Riggs, Daniel Hemric and Grant Enfinger are hot on Heim’s tail from a Playoff points perspective.

 

Riggs was emotional after winning here under the lights last September and this type of track certainly fits his aggressive style of racing.

 

“I wasn’t scared to throw it against the fence tonight,” Riggs said in Bristol’s Victory Lane one year ago. “The track was so fun. So much fun… At the end you could run the bottom or the top and get equal lap times.”

 

Riggs, currently second in the Playoffs, wasn’t a part of the Round of 10 when he won here last year and hopes to be able to cash in on another Bristol win when it will boost his post-season standing.

 

Two drivers looking for a strong run at Bristol to help their Playoff standing are Smith, who got off to a slow start in South Carolina, and Kaden Honeycutt, who also needs a bounce-back weekend in Tennessee. Both drivers enter the UNOH 250 below the cut line.

 

A championship favorite before his Darlington miscue, Smith, who admitted he made a rookie mistake by trying to run the wall a little too hard in that race, remains optimistic about his chances, especially since Bristol is next on his dance card.

 

“It stings, but right now it looks like we’re plus-one, but we’ve still got two races left going back to Bristol, where we won earlier this year and then New Hampshire for the last race of this round, where I’ve been really strong in the past as well,” Smith said. “I’m not really discouraged or anything about that. I think our pace in our trucks and our trucks here recently have been really good. Everybody at Front Row Motorsports has been giving be a truck capable of going out there and winning.”

 

Rising star Brent Crews will pilot the No. 1 truck for TRICON Garage and Corey Day will be at the controls of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevy.

 

A couple other drivers to watch include former Cup wheelman Corey LaJoie, who will be driving the No. 77 Chevy for Spire and Mason Maggio, who will be filling in for the injured Frankie Muniz in the No. 33 Reaume Brothers entry.

 

The Abingdon, Va.-based Henderson Motorsports team will be racing with a heavy heart as they try to bring home a trophy in memory of their owner Charlie Henderson, who recently passed away. Driver Parker Kligerman has been a part of two NASCAR victories this season and would love to be able to grab a victory here in the No. 75 Chevy for the hometown team.

 

Some other drivers to keep an eye on are the rest of the Playoff contenders, who need a win to automatically advance to the Round of 8: Tyler Ankrum, former Bristol winner Ty Majeski, Rajah Caruth and Jake Garcia.

 





The young guns in the ARCA Menards Series return to take on the challenging half-mile bullring in the Bush’s Beans 200 and some of the featured drivers in the race include multi-time season winner Lawless Alan, Lavar Scott, Zachary Tinkle, Brent Crews, “Butterbean” Brenden Queen, Thad Moffitt, Jason Kitzmiller and Isabella Robusto.

 

Friend of Bristol Garrett Mitchell, known better as YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland, is expected to make his fourth start of the season in the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford. McFarland opened his ARCA season with a 30th place finish at Daytona in February, then improved to post a 10th-place finish at Talladega in April and in his most recent start earned a 9th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

 

Nashville-based Logan Misuraca is scheduled to make her second Bristol ARCA appearance in the No. 9 Chevy for Rev Racing. It will be her first start this season and fifth career ARCA start. Her career-best finish of 18th came at Daytona in 2023.

 

A late entry into the Bush’s Beans 200 was Bobby Dale Earnhardt, the grandson of nine-time Bristol Cup winner Dale Earnhardt Sr. Bobby Dale will be driving the No. 31 Team Main Street machine for Rise Motorsports. This is Bobby Dale’s first Bristol start and it will be his fourth career ARCA Menards Series start.

 

The race weekend also features the Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Race on Friday night (7:30 p.m., The CW and PRN Radio) and Saturday’s crown jewel Bass Pro Shops Night Race in the NASCAR Cup Series (7:30 p.m., USA Network and PRN Radio). Both of those races are also NASCAR Playoff events.

 

 

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Earnhardt Fans Will Have Lots to Cheer for This Weekend at Bristol

Earnhardt Fans Will Have Lots to Cheer for This Weekend at Bristol

Dale Jr., Jeffrey, Bobby Dale - It's Bristol Baby

 

This weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway there will be a few Earnhardts carrying on the family legacy, which will make fans at a track that’s long been known as “Earnhardt Country” very excited. Dale Earnhardt Sr. won nine races on Bristol’s high banks including the famed 1999 Night Race when he and Terry Labonte tangled in the closing laps and the Intimidator pulled out the win. Earnhardt Sr. also won his first Cup race at Bristol in April 1979 as a rookie. He remains the only Cup rookie to ever win at Bristol.

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won the 2004 Night Race and famously launched the phrase “It’s Bristol, Baby!” into being, will lead the way for the family with his four-car Xfinity Series team under his JR Motorsports banner. Justin Algaier will pilot the 7 Chevy, Sammy Smith will drive the No. 8, Carson Kvapil will be at the controls of the No. 1 and red-hot Conner Zilisch will pilot the No. 88 machine for the talented team in the Food City 300, which is the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff opener and all four of those cars are in the post-season.

 

 

Meanwhile, also in the Xfinity Series, Dale Jr.’s nephew, Jeffrey Earnhardt, will drive the No. 24 Sam Hunt Racing machine with Forever Lawn sponsorship. Jeffrey is Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s grandson and the son of retired racer Kerry Earnhardt and Dale Jr’s half-brother. The Food City 300 starts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night.

 





In the ARCA Series, Bobby Dale Earnhardt surprised everyone recently when he announced his return to the stock car racing scene. He is the older brother of Jeffrey and ready to make his first career Bristol start in the ARCA Series. Bobby Dale will be driving the No. 31 machine in the ARCA Menards Bush’s Beans 200 on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET. The 38-year-old driver has three previous ARCA starts, with a best finish of 19th.

 





 

Monday, September 8, 2025

NASCAR Race Recap (World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway)

#NASCAR Race Recap (World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway)

Winners: Denny Hamlin (Cup) and Connor Zilisch (Xfinity).

Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 

NASCAR Cup

Denny Hamlin’s Late Surge Sews Up Fifth Win of Season, Round of 12 Playoff Spot

Denny Hamlin’s Late Surge Sews Up Fifth Win of Season, Round of 12 Playoff Spot

 

In a race that featured a strange brew of divergent strategies, pole winner Denny Hamlin claimed his series-best fifth victory of the season and advanced to the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

 

Finishing 1.620 seconds ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe in front of a sellout crowd, Hamlin won Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway to earn his first victory at the 1.25-mile track and 59th of his career-11th all-time and one win short of Kevin Harvick in 10th.

 

Hamlin also delivered the 200th victory for Toyota. After taking the checkered flag, the 44-year-old driver had some choice words for his detractors in the grandstands.

 

“You can either get on the bandwagon or get run over by it,” Hamlin told the crowd, generating another chorus of boos.

 

But the reality is that Hamlin announced emphatically his stature as a serious contender for the championship that has eluded him during his 20-year Cup career.

 

“Yeah, it’s so big for everyone at Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hamlin said. “Progressive Toyota was great there at the end. So happy to get this victory. My dad’s not feeling well at home. Just shout-out to him…

 

“Fantastic day. Man, couldn’t be better.”

 

Chase Briscoe finished second; Chase Elliott placed third; Ryan Blaney came in fourth and Joey Logano completed the top five.

 






Pole: Denny Hamlin



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET for the ‘Bass Pro Shops Night Race’ at Bristol Motor Speedway.


NASCAR Xfinity

Connor Zilisch Pours It on at Gateway, Lands Fourth Consecutive Xfinity Series Win, Regular-Season Title

Connor Zilisch Pours It on at Gateway, Lands Fourth Consecutive Xfinity Series Win, Regular-Season Title

 

Connor Zilisch’s dream season continued on a track he’d never raced before.

 

Holding off the rest of the NASCAR Xfinity Series field over a succession of restarts late in Saturday night’s Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Zilisch achieved a litany of milestones with his ninth victory as a rookie and 10th career.

 

First, and perhaps most important, the 19-year-old phenom secured the Regular Season Championship and accompanying bonus of 15 playoff points, beating reigning series champion Justin Allgaier for that distinction by 53 points.

 

With four straight victories, Zilisch tied the series record for consecutive wins shared by Sam Ard (1983) and Noah Gragson (2022). His win was the 16th this year for JR Motorsports, a single-season record for the team.

 

“Four in a row, seven of the last eight, that’s awesome,” said Zilisch, who enters next week’s playoff opener at Bristol Motor Speedway with 59 playoff points. “We’re going to celebrate this — and the Regular Season Championship.

 

“Man, this is going to be tough to keep up, honestly. It’s rare that you can go on a run like this. Every week I show up thinking, ‘Man, this is going to be the weekend that we just run eighth,’ and just aren’t great, but every weekend we show up and we’re a winning race car, and my pit crew executes, my team executes, everybody does their job, and we end up doing burnouts on the frontstretch.

 

“Yeah, it’s awesome to be able to do this and win this many races.”

 

William Sawalich finished second; Christian Eckes placed third; Brandon Jones came in fourth and Jesse Love completed the top five.

 






Pole: Connor Zilisch



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Friday, September 12, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET for the ‘Food City 300’ at Bristol Motor Speedway.




NASCAR Trucks

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Did Not Race






Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET for the ‘UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics’ at Bristol Motor Speedway.




ARCA

There Were No ARCA Races Last Weekend








Next Race: The ARCA Menard / East Series will return on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. ET for the ‘Bush’s Beans 200’ at Bristol Motor Speedway.


Next Race: Next Race: The ARCA West Series will return on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 7:45 p.m. PT for the ‘NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame’ at All American Speedway.

 

source: NASCAR Media

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Confluence Music Festival at WWTR

#NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Confluence Music Festival at WWTR

NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Confluence Music Festival at WWTR

 

World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) is the home of NASCAR, INDYCAR and NHRA racing in St. Louis’ Metro East region. Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering 700 acres, WWTR is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. WWTR’s facilities include a 1.25-mile superspeedway; 1/4-mile drag strip; 2.0-mile road course; the Gateway Kartplex state-of-the-art karting facility; and the adjacent Gateway National Golf Links.

 

WWTR and Owner & CEO Curtis Francois have been recognized with several awards, including: 2023 St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame induction; 2023 Innovation in Philanthropy Award by the St. Louis Business Journal; 2022 Explore St. Louis Hospitality Hero Recognition; 2022 Best in Show and Best Event & Festival from the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism; 2021 Comcast Community Champion of the Year; 2021 Jack Buck Award; 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Track Award; 2018 Innovator Award from the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission; 2017 Outstanding Facility of the Year Award from the Race Track Business Conference; and the 2017 Spirit of St. Louis Award from the St. Louis Attractions Association.

 

The WWTR mission: “We are committed to making a difference in our community, while providing first-class entertainment and memories that last a lifetime.”

 





The NASCAR Xfinity ‘NU Way 200 Sauced By Blues Hog’ races on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM CDT.

 

NASCAR Cup Series ‘Enjoy IL 300 Playoff Race’ takes the green flag on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM CDT.

 

 

Monday, September 1, 2025

NASCAR / ARCA Race Recap (Darlington; Portland; DuQuoin State)

#NASCAR / #ARCA Race Recap (Darlington; Portland; DuQuoin State)

Winners: Chase Briscoe (Cup); Connor Zilisch (Xfinity); Corey Heim (Trucks) plus William Sawalich (ARCA West) and Brenden Queen (ARCA Menard)

Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 


NASCAR Cup

Chase Briscoe Wins Back-To-Back Southern 500s, Clinches Round of 12 Spot

Chase Briscoe Wins Back-To-Back Southern 500s, Clinches Round of 12 Spot

 

Chase Briscoe was perfection in a world of mistakes, a no-funny-business driver in a comedy of errors.

 

And at the end of the final green-flag run on Sunday night at Darlington Raceway — after a 20-lap stint of unrelenting tension — Briscoe was a back-to-back winner of the Cook Out Southern 500 and a guaranteed participant in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

 

“Yeah, I think this is definitely what we’re capable of doing,” said Briscoe, who led Toyota drivers to their third 1-2-3-4 finish in Cup Series history, the last coming at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017. “We haven’t been able to go out and dominate a race like that. The potential has been there from day one.

 

“So cool to win two Southern 500s in a row … A great way to start our playoffs. That was a lot of fun.”

 

Briscoe is the first driver to win consecutive Southern 500s since Greg Biffle accomplished the feat in 2005 and 2006.

 

Tyler Reddick finished second; Erik Jones placed third; John H Nemechek came in fourth and AJ Allmendinger completed the top five.

 






Pole: Denny Hamlin



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at 3:00 pm ET for the ‘Enjoy Illinois 300’ at World Wide Technology Raceway.


NASCAR Xfinity

Zilisch Prevails in Overtime at Portland for Eighth Xfinity Series Win of 2025

Zilisch Prevails in Overtime at Portland for Eighth Xfinity Series Win of 2025

 

A dramatic overtime pass for the win punctuated a nearly perfect afternoon for JR Motorsports driver Connor Zilisch at Portland International Raceway, where the 19-year-old claimed his series-best eighth NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the season – the best series victory total ever for a rookie driver.

 

Only weeks removed from breaking his collarbone celebrating another win at Watkins Glen International, Zilisch claimed pole position, won both stages, set fastest lap and celebrated it all in Victory Lane of the famed 1.967-mile road course in the scenic Pacific Northwest.

 

“To come back two weeks after collarbone surgery, it hurt, but it hurt so good,” said a grinning Zilisch, who now has 13 consecutive top-five finishes. “So proud of this 88 team. It’s been such a fun year. Let’s go get ourselves a championship.”

 

William Sawalich finished second; Nick Sanchez placed third; Christian Eckes came in fourth and Austin Hill completed the top five.

 






Pole: Connor Zilisch



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET for the ‘Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog’ at World Wide Technology Raceway.




NASCAR Trucks

Business as Usual: Corey Heim Tames Darlington in Truck Series Playoffs Opener

Business as Usual: Corey Heim Tames Darlington in Truck Series Playoffs Opener

 

Although the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series changed the clock from the regular season to the playoffs, it was still “Heim Time” on Saturday at Darlington Raceway.

 

Pulling away after a restart on Lap 134 of 147, Corey Heim won the playoff-opening Sober or Slammer 200 at the challenging 1.366-mile South Carolina track. The win was Heim’s eighth of the year, one short of Greg Biffle’s record nine-victory season in 1999.

 

Heim crossed the finish line 0.766 seconds ahead of fellow playoff driver Daniel Hemric to collect his first victory at the “Lady in Black” and the 19th of his career. With the win, Heim earned automatic advancement to the Round of 8.

 

The break at the end of Stage 2 proved fortunate for the race winner. Heim felt a tire losing air shortly before the end of the stage, but he survived the stage in second place and brought the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota to pit road before the tire went flat.

 

“Lucky it wasn’t a complete blowout — otherwise we would have been in trouble,” Heim said. “I could make a little bit of speed on the wall, but it was such a high-risk play if you scrubbed it. You saw so many people have those right-front issues.”

 

Daniel Hemric finished second; Grant Enfinger placed third; Ty Majeski came in fourth and Trevor Bayne completed the top five.

 






Pole: Layne Riggs



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET for the ‘UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics’ at Bristol Motor Speedway.




ARCA West

Battle for the Win: William Sawalich Vs. Thomas Annunziata at Portland

Battle for the Win: William Sawalich Vs. Thomas Annunziata at Portland

 

Thomas Annunziata finished second; Alon Day placed third; Greg Biffle came in fourth and Trevor Huddleston completed the top five.

 






Pole: William Sawalich



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The ARCA West Series will return on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 7:45 p.m. PT for the ‘NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame’ at All American Speedway.



ARCA Menards Series

Brenden Queen Shows off His Dirt Track Experience with Victory at Duquoin

Brenden Queen Shows off His Dirt Track Experience with Victory at Duquoin

 

Known for his success in Late Model Stocks, ARCA Menards Series points leader Brenden Queen also has plenty of dirt experience on his résumé including Sunday’s win at Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.

 

Competing at tracks across the Southeast like Dixieland Speedway and Natural Bridge Speedway provided Queen with plenty of knowledge that he could apply to the two dirt venues on the ARCA Menards Series schedule. A top five at the Springfield Mile only fueled Queen’s desire to prove he could find Victory Lane on dirt with the Pinnacle Racing Group.

 

“I haven’t won a dirt race since 2022 when I ran full-time,” Queen said. “I think everybody counted me out to win one of these, but that’s why you never give up. These guys went to work after Springfield. We weren’t quite where we wanted to be, but we just hung in there all night and knew we had a good car.”

 

Lawless Alan finished second; Kelly Kovski placed third; Isabella Robusto came in fourth and Tim Monroe completed the top five.

 






Pole: Lawless Alan



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The ARCA Menard / East Series will return on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. ET for the ‘Bush’s Beans 200’ at Bristol Motor Speedway.



 

source: NASCAR Media