Showing posts with label Aric Almirola. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aric Almirola. Show all posts

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 Speedway, Christopher 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
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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.

 

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Monday, March 10, 2025

NASCAR and ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Phoenix Raceway)

#NASCAR and #ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Phoenix Raceway)

Winners: Christopher Bell (Cup); Aric Almirola (Xfinity); plus Brent Crews (ARCA West)

Phoenix Winners (RTR Graphics)
Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 

NASCAR Cup

Christopher Bell Gets Third Consecutive #Win

 

Christopher Bell prevailed in a dramatic side-by-side finish with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin – the second-closest finish in Phoenix Raceway history – to earn Bell his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory this season, a record in the sport’s Next Gen Car era.

 

Bell’s No. 20 JGR Toyota went high alongside Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota as the two cars dueled it out in the final two corners of a two-lap shootout on the one-mile speedway. The 30-year-old Oklahoman claimed the historic win by a mere 0.049 seconds, marking his second straight victory in this spring race at Phoenix.

 

“How about that one, race fans? Oh my gosh!” a jubilant Bell shouted to the Phoenix crowd after collecting the winner’s checkered flag at the start-finish line.

 

“Whenever you’re sitting there dreaming it up, that’s about as ugly as it gets. You put the red [option] tires on, and you’re like, all right, what I don’t want to happen is go 20, 30 laps, get a yellow. That happened. Then we went 10 more laps, had another yellow.

 

“It was all about who could get clear on the restart. Neither of us could. We were racing really hard coming to the line. JGR ran 1-2 — how about that?”

 

Post-race inspection was completed without issue in the Cup Series garage, confirming Christopher Bell as the winner.

 

Bell now heads to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas high banks next week, hoping to match a milestone set by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, who is the only driver to win four of a season’s first five races, doing so in 1992.

 






Pole: William Byron



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 3:30 pm ET for the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.


NASCAR Xfinity

Aric Almirola Wins in Overtime Thriller

 

Aric Almirola made a dramatic last-lap pass in overtime to claim the win in Saturday’s GOVX 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway, making door-to-door contact with Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman in the final two turns. The 0.045-second margin of victory was the second-closest finish in the track’s history.

 

Almirola led 25 laps on the afternoon, but his last-lap move to the checkered flag was the only one he led in the final 50 laps of the 208-lap event. His No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota emerged from a four-wide battle for the lead on the final restart with two laps remaining, then finally overtook Bowman less than 200 feet from the finish line.

 

“I just knew I needed to get from there to here first,” Almirola said, standing by his car at the start-finish line. “I knew I was going to use him up a little bit, but was trying to win the race. I feel like it was warranted. I didn’t feel like I did anything overly egregious. I just throttled up, and it was a drag race to the start-finish line.”

 





Pole: Alex Bowman



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 4:30 pm ET for the The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.




NASCAR Trucks

NASCAR CRAFTMAN Truck Series – Off-Track this Weekend







Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, March 14, 2025 at 9:00 pm ET for the Ecosave 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.




ARCA

Last-Lap Heroics Propel Brent Crews to His First ARCA Menards Series Pavement Win

 

Coming to the white flag in Friday’s General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway, it appeared Brent Crews would settle for a strong-but-disappointing second in his first outing with Joe Gibbs Racing.

 

Instead, Crews found himself celebrating his first pavement victory in the ARCA Menards Series. A second attempt at a one-lap shootout provided Crews an opportunity to chase down the dominant driver of the night in Brenden Queen, who he edged to the finish line after muscling his rival out of the way in Turn 3.

 

Long familiar with the efficiency Queen has displayed at short tracks in the southeast, Crews knew a perfect restart was imperative to overtake him on the final lap. Besting Queen on the ARCA Menards Series platform was something Crews took pride in as he celebrated his victory.

 

“I raced Brenden [Queen] the whole year last year,” Crews said. “We raced him for CARS Tour wins, and then coming here to the ARCA Menards Series at a track like Phoenix to race for the win was really special. A great job to [Pinnacle Racing Group]. They had a winning car today, so I’m grateful for the caution at the end.”

 






Pole: Brent Crews (Practice and Qualifying Canceled Due to Weather)



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The ARCA Series West will return on Saturday, April 5, 2025 for the an event on the 0.375-mile paved oval at Tucson Speedway.



 

source: NASCAR Media
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Sunday, November 3, 2024

NASCAR Race Recap (Martinsville)

NASCAR Race Recap (Martinsville)

Winners: Ryan Blaney (Cup); Aric Almirola (Xfinity); Christian Eckes (Trucks)


NASCAR Cup

Ryan Blaney Passes Chase Elliott for the Cup Win

Ryan Blaney Passes Chase Elliott for the Cup Win

 

Ryan Blaney earned a chance to defend his NASCAR championship with a victory Sunday at Martinsville Speedway that pushed the Team Penske driver into the winner-take-all season finale

 

Blaney, passed Chase Elliott with 15 laps to go to win at the Virginia track for a second consecutive year and take a spot in the championship race next week at Phoenix Raceway. Blaney will race Penske teammate Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing and Byron.

 

The title goes to the highest-finishing driver next Sunday.

 

“To have another shot at the championship is really special,” Blaney said. “Try to go back-to-back next week. I’ve got nothing left. Oh my God, I’m tired.”

 





Pole: Martin Truex Jr.

Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday November 10, 2024 at 3:00 pm ET for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.



NASCAR Xfinity

Aric Almirola Sweeps ’24 Xfinity Series Races at Martinsville

Aric Almirola Sweeps ’24 Xfinity Series Races at Martinsville

 

Tickets punched and punches thrown – it was Martinsville after all, and in Saturday’s National Debt Relief 250, Aric Almirola made Martinsville Speedway his personal playground.

 

Leading 150 of 250 laps in a No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota that was the clear class of the field, Almirola won his second race in his second NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 0.526-mile short track and earned a spot for his car in the series owners’ Championship 4.

 

For Almirola, who won at Martinsville in April in his first Xfinity attempt, the victory was the third of the season in 13 starts and the seventh of his career.

 

“We had an amazing car here in the spring, and we made a few tweaks to it,” said Almirola, who also swept the first and second stages. “I wasn’t totally happy with it, honestly, in the spring. And we showed up (Friday) and we were awful. I was like ‘Oh, no, what did we do?’ ”

 

“They went to work last night and came up with a lot of changes to make to the car, and it was so hooked up today. It would just do everything I wanted it to. This is such a special place. This is by far my favorite race track. I’m just so thankful.”

 





Pole: Parker Retzlaff

Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday November 9, 2024 at 7:30 pm ET for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.



NASCAR Trucks

Christian Eckes Survives Late-Race Restarts, Dominates Truck Series Race at Martinsville

Christian Eckes Survives Late-Race Restarts

 

It was indeed a special night for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Christian Eckes, who dominated Friday night’s Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

 

Eschewing a trip to pit road between the first and second stages at the 0.526-mile short track, Eckes led the first 104 laps, swept the stages and worked his way back through the field from 19th after pitting at the Stage 2 break.

 

Undeterred by the chaos that produced 11 cautions for 81 laps, Eckes took the lead for the final time on Lap 172 in a side-by-side battle against pole winner Ty Majeski, who regained the top spot when Eckes came to pit road for the only time during the 200-lap event.

 

“Something really special,” Eckes said of the effort of his No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing team and the quality of his Chevrolet. “We came here last year, and we weren’t really that great… we were maybe a sixth-place truck (started sixth and finished 15th).

 

“And we worked really hard on it, and here we are in Victory Lane. So just super proud of this entire team.”

 





Pole: Christian Eckes

Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday November 8, 2024 at 8:00 pm ET for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.



ARCA West





Next Race: The ARCA West Series will return on Friday, November 8, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. MT for the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix Raceway.

 

source: NASCAR Media
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Monday, September 30, 2024

NASCAR / ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Kansas / Madera)

#NASCAR / #ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Kansas / Madera)

Winners: Ross Chastain (Cup); Aric Almirola (Xfinity); Corey Heim (Trucks); Tanner Gray (ARCA); Trevor Huddleston (ARCA West)


NASCAR Cup

Chastain Spoils Playoff Show at Kansas, Posts First Cup Series Win of the Season

Chastain Spoils Playoff Show at Kansas - #NASCAR

 

Ross Chastain’s No 1. Trackhouse Chevrolet came to life in the second half of Sunday‘s Hollywood Casino 400 and beat William Byron‘s Chevrolet to the finish line in a hotly contested Round of 12 opener in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

 

Chastain grabbed the lead from Martin Truex Jr. moments after the final restart on Lap 248 at Kansas Speedway and held off a charging Byron by 0.388 seconds to thwart the playoff driver‘s bid for automatic advancement into the Round of 8.

 

Having failed to qualify for the postseason this year, Chastain reveled in his first victory of the season, his first at Kansas and the fifth of his career.

 

“For us on this 1 team, it’s what Cup racing is all about,” said Chastain, who led 52 laps. “It’s what (team co-owner) Justin Marks bought into Trackhouse with Pitbull, bought into NASCAR with Trackhouse to do stuff like this — to disrupt.

 

“Look, there’s been times this year where we couldn’t have disrupted the minnow pond outside of Darlington, let alone a Cup race. It’s hard. It’s really tough. To come and do this, there are times where I didn’t think after practicing and qualifying we had what it took. I thought we have been way stronger here in the past. It didn’t feel great all day, but our Kubota Chevy, it was better as the rubber went down, and the adjustments were great.”

 





Pole: Christopher Bell

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 2:00 pm ET for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

 

NASCAR Xfinity

Aric Almirola Plays Spoiler, Wins Xfinity Playoffs Opener

Aric Almirola Plays Spoiler - #NASCAR

 

Aric Almirola surged to victory in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs opener at Kansas Speedway, bypassing Cole Custer in the 197th of 200 laps and denying the circuit’s postseason hopefuls early advancement.


"For me, to be able to scratch the itch of driving race cars and competing at a high level, I absolutely love this," Almirola said. "I did not want to walk away from exactly what I did today. That adrenaline rush of what I did today is irreplaceable. You can not do that anywhere else."

 

Almirola’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 16 of the 200 laps in the Kansas Lottery 300. His second win of the season in a part-time role was his first at the 1.5-mile Kansas City track and the sixth of his Xfinity Series career.

 

"It's exactly what I set out to do when Coach (Gibbs) called me. I really didn't have a plan. I was retiring and didn't know what was next," Almirola said. "Coach called, I met with him, and we talked a lot about what this could look like, and it has been so gratifying. I truly believe it was an answered prayer for me, (wife) Janice and our family."

 




Pole: Brandon Jones

Click Here for Race Results 


Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 4:00 PM ET for the United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.


 

NASCAR Trucks

Corey Heim Completes Season Sweep at Kansas in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Elimination Race

Corey Heim Completes Season Sweep at Kansas - #NASCAR

 

Corey Heim won Friday night’s Kubota Tractor 200 in the fastest truck, but he needed help from fellow Playoff driver Ty Majeski to secure the victory in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 10 elimination race at Kansas Speedway.

 

Majeski ran out of fuel approaching the white flag while leading, allowing Heim to surge past in his No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota and claim his sixth victory of the season in a race that saw reigning series champion Ben Rhodes and Playoff rookie Daniel Dye eliminated from title contention.

 

“We were the best truck all night-it’s my favorite track, I love coming here,” said Heim, who won at the 1.5-mile speedway in the spring. “I look forward to this. I had a smile on my face all week coming to this place.

 

“I just thought we could sweep the year here. It’s an awesome place to come. I certainly thought we had it lost there to the 98 (Majeski), almost making it on fuel, but it just shows my team made the right call.”

 

The victory was Heim’s second at Kansas and the 11th of his career. He led a race-high 64 laps in an event that featured 10 lead changes among three drivers.

 





Pole: Ty Majeski

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, October 4, 2024 at 4:30 PM ET for the Love's RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway.


 

ARCA

Tanner Gray Holds on in Thrilling Finish to Win Reese’s 150 at Kansas Speedway

Tanner Gray Holds on in Thrilling Finish - #ARCA

 

Although the ARCA stat sheet will show Tanner Gray dominated Friday’s Reese’s 150 at Kansas Speedway, his journey to the checkered flag was anything but smooth.

 

Contact with Amber Balcaen on the final restart of the day left Gray with a slow leak in his left rear tire, but he still had enough car and tire to hold off Connor Zilisch, Corey Day and Andy Jankowiak in the final laps. Gray’s resolve, and his tire, lasted until the checkered flag, resulting in his second ARCA Menards Series victory of 2024.

 

One more lap and Gray would have been denied the victory because his left rear tire went flat just as he reached Turn 1 on the cooldown lap. He was fortunate the tire lasted to the finish so that he could celebrate putting together a complete race behind the wheel of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota.

 

“It’s obviously gratifying when you can come here and close these things out,” Gray said. “We’ve been in a position to win most of them this year, but I haven’t done a good a very good job on the restarts at the end. It’s been a lot of fun racing with [Joe Gibbs Racing] this year and hopefully we can do this some more in the future.”

 





Pole: Isabella Robusto

Click Here for Race Results 

Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 4:10 pm ET for the Owens Corning 200 at Toledo Speedway.


 

ARCA West

Trevor Huddleston Dominates ARCA West at Madera Speedway

Trevor Huddleston Dominates #ARCA West at Madera Speedway

 

Trevor Huddleston topped the ARCA Menards Series West portion of the 51st Harvest Classic at Madera Speedway on Saturday night.

 

Huddleston won the West Coast Stock Car / Motorsports Hall of Fame 150 in a door-banging duel with 2023 ARCA Menards Series West champion Sean Hingorani.

 

Huddleston proposed to his longtime girlfriend Nastasia Dodd in victory lane as well at the speedway where they first met.

 

“What a race! This car…absolutely epic! Race Car Factory, High Point Racing, everybody who made this possible - I can’t thank them enough. Getting these wins isn’t easy,” Huddleston said.

 





Pole: Jaron Giannini

Click Here for Race Results 


Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 7:55 pm PT for the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by Berco Redwood at All American Speedway.

 

source: NASCAR / ARCA Media

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Playoff Parity

New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Playoff Parity

NASCAR Cup at the “The Magic Mile”

Aric Almirola’s 2021 win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway secured him a Playoff Spot.
Aric Almirola’s 2021 win at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway secured him a Playoff Spot.

 

Fans headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for the Ambetter 301 NASCAR (NCS) weekend are in for a wicked good time at “The Magic Mile” as drivers take to the track for three full days of action-packed racing this Friday through Sunday, July 15-17. 

#NASCAR - New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS)

 

From the return of Friday Night Dirt Duels Presented by New England Racing Fuel at The Flat Track to NASCAR’s NextGen car making its long-awaited New England debut on Sunday, there will be no shortage of thrilling, white-knuckled excitement for fans to enjoy.

 

Playoff Parity

Only seven active NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) drivers have won at NHMS:

  1. Aric Almirola
  2. Kurt Busch
  3. Kyle Busch
  4. Denny Hamlin
  5. Kevin Harvick
  6. Brad Keselowski
  7. Joey Logano

 

#NASCAR Ambetter 300

 

Through the first 19 NCS events this season, 13 different drivers have won points races. While Harvick, Keselowski and Almirola have each had recent success at “The Magic Mile,” having won in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively, all three are still winless in 2022, and given the parity in the current NASCAR Playoff picture, a win might be their best chance to race for a championship.

 

With seven regular season events remaining to set the 16-car Playoff field, drivers on and around the cutline are looking to secure their spot with a strong showing at NHMS this weekend.

 

Among the drivers on the bubble, Harvick might be the odds-on favorite to take the checkered flag. His four wins at Loudon tie him with Jeff Burton for the most all-time. While the 58-time NCS winner hasn’t been to victory lane since September 2020, history shows he’s always a strong contender at NHMS. A win at the Ambetter 301 would not only rewrite the NHMS record books, but would also help bolster a potential Playoff run for the 2014 champion.

 

 

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Sunday, September 26, 2021

South Point 400 (#NASCAR Cup) Las Vegas

South Point 400 (#NASCAR Cup) Las Vegas

Green Flag on the Playoffs’ Round of 12

South Point 400 (#NASCAR Cup) Las Vegas Green Flag on the Playoffs’ Round of 12

 

  • The Time: 7 p.m. ET  
  • TV: NBCSN, 6 p.m. ET  
  • Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) 
  • Distance: 400.5 miles (267 Laps) 
    • Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80) 
    • Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160)
    • Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Waves the Green Flag

Intensity mounts as the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs have reached the Round of 12 and four of the original 16-driver Playoff field have been eliminated – Tyler Reddick, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, and Michael McDowell.

 

 

Now the remaining 12 challengers lead the NASCAR Cup Series to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400 on September 26 at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

 

The 2021 season marks just the second-time the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 has opened at Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Race No. 30 of the season (2020, 2021). Las Vegas is the sixth different track to host the fourth race of the Playoffs; joining Kansas Speedway (2004, ’05, ’11, ’13, ’14), Talladega Superspeedway (2006, ’07, ’08, ’12), Auto Club Speedway (2009, ’10), Charlotte Motor Speedway (2015, ’16, ’17) and Dover International Speedway (2018, ’19).

 

Prior to the 2020 season, Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2018 and 2019. Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski won the 2018 Las Vegas Playoff race and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. won the 2019 Las Vegas Playoff race.

 

A total of 13 different drivers have won the fourth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs., led by Jimmie Johnson  with three victories (2009, 2011, 2016). Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch is the most recent winner of the fourth race in the Playoffs taking home the checkered flag from Las Vegas last season.

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

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Monday, July 19, 2021

NASCAR / ARCA /SRX Race Weekend Recap
(New Hampshire Motor Speedway; Berlin Raceway; Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway)

NASCAR / ARCA /SRX Race Weekend Recap (New Hampshire Motor Speedway; Berlin Raceway; Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway)

Winners: Aric Almirola (Cup); Christopher Bell (Xfinity); Daniel Dye (ARCA West) plus Chase Elliott (SRX)

 

NASCAR Cup

Aric Almirola Shakes Up #NASCAR Cup Playoff Standings With Unexpected Win at New Hampshire

Aric Almirola Shakes Up #NASCAR Cup Playoff Standings With Unexpected Win at New Hampshire

 

With a stunning victory in Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Aric Almirola sent shock waves through the NASCAR Cup Series’ Playoff standings.

 

With hard-charging Christopher Bell closing behind him, Almirola crossed the finish line at the 1.058-mile track .657 seconds ahead of the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to win the third race of his career and give Stewart-Haas Racing its first ostensible Playoff berth of the 2021 campaign.

 

“This is by far one of my favorite race tracks,” an elated Almirola said after taking the checkered flag. “I love coming up to the New England area and racing. I love this race track. I had this race won a couple of years ago, and I gave it away—I lost it. And I am so glad to win a race here with this race team.

 

“It’s so good, man. We’ve been through so much, and I just stood the test. Everybody has just been working so hard… There’ve been so many people who have continued to support us through the crappiest year ever. Man, this feels so good for them. My pit crew did a phenomenal job on pit road. There’s no doubt we’ve struggled, but guess what? We’re going Playoff racing.”

 

 

NASCAR Xfinity

Christopher Bell Wins Third Straight Xfinity Race at New Hampshire

Christopher Bell Wins Third Straight Xfinity Race at New Hampshire

 

Kyle Busch had used up his eligibility for this year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Ty Gibbs had the week off. But the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota they have driven to a combined seven victories this season was still around—much to the chagrin of the series regulars.

 

Competing in the Xfinity Series for the first time since he finished third in the final standings in 2019, Christopher Bell led 151 of 200 laps, swept the first two stages and won Saturday’s Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

 

The victory was Bell’s third straight at the 1.058-mile track and the 17th of his career. It was the sixth straight win for Joe Gibbs Racing at New Hampshire, which did not host an Xfinity Series race last year because of schedule changes necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

 

“What I’ve got figured out is I’ve got really, really fast race cars to drive,” said Bell, who started 14th and took the lead for the first time on Lap 44—one circuit before the end of the first stage. “I just love being here with Joe Gibbs Racing. All these Supras I’ve for the last three times I’ve been here have been amazing.

 

“Hopefully, the Camry is just a good tomorrow (in the NASCAR Cup Series race), but it just feels good to win.”

 

 

ARCA

Daniel Dye Wins First ARCA Menards Series Race in Dominating Fashion

Daniel Dye Wins First ARCA Menards Series Race in Dominating Fashion

 

The Ty Gibbs and Corey Heim party of 2021 in the ARCA Menards Series ended Saturday night at Berlin Raceway.

 

Daniel Dye became the series’ third winner in the 10th race of the season. And he did so in dominating fashion. The 17-year-old rookie started on the General Tire Pole and led all but two laps of the Zinsser SmartCoat 200 for his first victory in just his second ARCA Menards Series start.

 

Heim and Gibbs, who rank first and second in championship points, respectively, had won all nine races in the series this year prior to the GMS Racing driver’s triumph on the 7/16-mile paved oval.

 

 

Superstar Racing Experience

Chase Elliott Wins Camping World SRX Season Finale

Chase Elliott Wins Camping World SRX Season Finale

 

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott held off three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart to take the victory in the Camping World SRX Series season finale Saturday night at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

 

Elliott crossed the stripe .439 of a second ahead of Stewart after battling his father, Bill, for much of the 77-lap race around the .596-mile oval in Music City.

 

“I had a ball. I got to race against two of my heroes,” Chase said. “I got to race against Dad there throughout the race and those are moments I will cherish forever. Just super thankful to be here.”

 

“Man, I tell you what, it was a lot of fun. I knew the way the tires were on these cars and the way Chase manages his stuff, he was going to be hard to beat. I know he didn’t have the best car, but he knows how to get it to the end.” Bragged proud father, Bill Elliott

 

 

 

source: NASCAR Media
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