Showing posts with label Denny Hamlin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Denny Hamlin. Show all posts

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
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Monday, July 21, 2025

NASCAR / ARCA Race Recap (Dover)

#NASCAR / #ARCA Race Recap (Dover)

Winners: Denny Hamlin (Cup); Connor Zilisch (Xfinity) plus Brenden Queen (ARCA)

Dover Winners: Denny Hamlin (Cup); Connor Zilisch (Xfinity) plus Brenden Queen (ARCA)
Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 


NASCAR Cup

Denny Hamlin Holds Off Chase Briscoe in Double Overtime for Dover Victory

Denny Hamlin Holds Off Chase Briscoe in Double Overtime for Dover Victory

 

Denny Hamlin prevailed in Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway – a race that featured a 56-minute red flag for rain, late-race strategy decisions, and involved a pair of overtime restarts before the trophy was ultimately settled between a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates.

 

But the veteran Hamlin got it all right when it mattered most, getting a jump on the field in both overtime restarts and in the end holding off newest teammate Chase Briscoe, who was even on fresher tires. It marks back-to-back wins at the Dover concrete mile for Hamlin and a NASCAR Cup Series-best fourth victory of 2025.

 

“Things were going pretty well there before the rain and then obviously had to endure a few restarts there,” said a smiling Hamlin, 44, who collected his 58th career Cup victory and first trophy since the birth of his son, Jameson, last month. “It was tough, those guys gave me a run for it, no doubt about it. Winning here at Dover is super special to me. This is a place I had not been very good at the first half of my career and then to have back-to-back (wins) here the last couple years is amazing.”

 

Chase Briscoe finished second, Alex Bowman placed third,  Kyle Larson finish fourth and Ty Gibbs completed the top five.

 






Pole: Chase Elliott



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, July 27, 2025 at 2:00 pm ET for the Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.


NASCAR Xfinity

No Road Course, No Problem: Zilisch Wins Rain-Shortened Xfinity Race

No Road Course, No Problem: Zilisch Wins Rain-Shortened Xfinity Race

 

Lest anyone doubt the all-around natural racing talent of 18-year-old Connor Zilisch, the rookie claimed a series best fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory on the season in Saturday’s rain-shortened BetRivers 200 at the one-mile Dover Motor Speedway.

 

Zilisch led 77 of the race’s 134 laps in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet before NASCAR was forced to call the scheduled 200-lap race early because of rain. A pair of Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas, driven by former NASCAR Cup Series veteran Aric Almirola and Xfinity regular Brandon Jones rounded out the top three.

 

Although he qualified third — three rookies topped the starting grid — Zilisch ran first or second for most of the race, ultimately taking the lead for good on the restart following the Stage 2 break.

 

“We’ve been showing it lately,” a smiling Zilisch said when he was informed on pit road the race was official and he was the winner. “First of all, I hate that we couldn’t finish the race the right way. Aric [Almirola] was really fast and was going to give me a run for my money. Props to him for making me work for it.

 

“Still really proud of this JR Motorsports team. … We capitalized on all fronts, had good pit stops both stages and put ourselves in a position to be in the right spot when the rain fell. Very thankful.”

 

Aric Almirola finished second. Brandon Jones placed third, Justin Allgaier finished fourth and Jesse Love completed the top five.

 






Pole: Taylor Gray



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 4:30 pm ET for the Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.




NASCAR Trucks

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Did Not Rac







Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, July 25, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET for the TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.].




ARCA

Brenden Queen Masters the Monster Mile for Fourth ARCA Victory of 2025

Brenden Queen Masters the Monster Mile for Fourth ARCA Victory of 2025

 

A busy weekend for Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen got off to a perfect start during Friday’s General Tire 150 at Dover Motor Speedway, the first of four combination events between the national ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East this season.

 

Queen controlled the race from the opening green flag, pulling away to secure a commanding, wire-to-wire victory. The triumph was not only Queen’s fourth victory on the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season, but also his first with the East Series.

 

The day was not without some tribulations for Queen, who briefly had to nurse a broken track bar during the middle portion of the General Tire 150. Once the issue was repaired during the second race break, Queen returned to his dominant form and finished off his stellar performance in Victory Lane.

 

“This team is so bad to the bone,” Queen said. “I thought it was over. I never give up, but I something broke there, but these guys knew what it was and got it fixed. Just a bad to the bone race car tonight.”

 

Along with his victory, Queen also enjoyed a successful points day at Dover Motor Speedway. Lavar Scott and Lawless Alan, his closest pursuers in the ARCA Menards Series stadnings, endured separate tire issues during the General Tire 150, relegating them to several laps down in the running order and costing both significant ground to Queen in the ARCA Menards Series standings.

 

Camden Murphy finished second. Isabella Robusto placed third. Isaac Kitzmiller came in fourth and Tyler Reif completed the top five.

 






Pole: Brenden Queen



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Friday, July 25, 2025 at 5:30 pm EST for the LiUNA! 150 presented by Dutch Boy at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.



 

source: NASCAR Media
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Sunday, June 8, 2025

NASCAR / ARCA Michigan Race Weekend Recap

#NASCAR / #ARCA Michigan Race Weekend Recap

Winners: Denny Hamlin (Cup); Stewart Friesen (Trucks) plus Brenden Queen (ARCA)

Michigan Winners: Denny Hamlin (#NASCAR Cup); Stewart Friesen (Trucks) plus Brenden Queen (#ARCA)
Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 

NASCAR Cup

Denny Hamlin Manages Michigan Mileage, Seals Third Cup Series Win of Season

Denny Hamlin Manages Michigan Mileage, Seals Third Cup Series Win of Season

 

Denny Hamlin landed his third victory of the NASCAR Cup Series season, coming out ahead in a fuel-mileage contest Sunday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway.


Hamlin led just five of the 200 laps in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400, guiding the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to a 1.099-second margin of victory. His third win at the 2-mile Michigan track was the 57th of his Cup Series career.

 

Chris Buescher placed second in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford. Ty Gibbs wound up third with Bubba Wallace fourth and Kyle Larson completing the top five.

 

“No, not really,” Hamlin said, insisting he wasn’t overly worried about running out of fuel in the closing laps. “I wanted to get the lead, and obviously he [Byron] was doing a really good job defending.


“Sorry, but I beat your favorite driver,” a grinning Hamlin – in his 701st career series start – addressed the rowdy Michigan crowd.


“This whole team just stepped up,” he said. “Great job. We’ve been so fast this entire year, just haven’t finished it for one reason or another, so it feels good to come to Michigan, where we’ve been so close the last couple of years. 


“Such a gratifying day to restart 11th or 12th and charge to the front,” added Hamlin, who has now won multiple races in the last seven consecutive seasons.





Pole: Chase Briscoe



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, June 15, 2025 at 3:00 pm ET for the Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.


NASCAR Xfinity

Xfinity Series Did Not Race This Weekend.








Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 4:30 pm ET for the The Chilango 150 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.




NASCAR Trucks

Stewart Friesen Snaps 72-Race Winless Streak in Truck Series at Michigan

Stewart Friesen Snaps 72-Race Winless Streak in Truck Series at Michigan

 

Stewart Friesen hoisted his first trophy of the season in Saturday afternoon’s triple overtime DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 at Michigan International Speedway — a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series vrace that didn’t want to end, ultimately featuring 14 extra laps.

 

The victory snapped a 72-race winless streak for the Canadian driver Friesen, who had not been among the race’s front-runners all day but was where he needed to be when it counted, collecting his first trophy since 2022 at Texas Motor Speedway. His No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota beat Grant Enfinger’s Chevrolet by 0.111 seconds.

 

With most drivers opting for the outside row for lane choice on the final restart, Friesen moved up and took the inside position on the front row alongside Enfinger. The two of them dueled it out over the next two overtime laps to settle the trophy. Neither had a win this season coming into the race.

 

“I don’t know what to say, thank you to Chris, Halmar and all these sponsors and all these race fans, I know there’s a lot of Canadians and a lot of Americans,” Friesen said as the crowd began a huge roar of approval for the 41-year-old Ontario native as he celebrated his fourth career win.

 






Pole: Luke Fenhaus



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, June 20, 2025 at 5:00 pm ET for the MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono Raceway.




ARCA

Brenden Queen Fends Off Corey Heim for 3rd ARCA Menards Series Victory of 2025

Brenden Queen Fends Off Corey Heim for 3rd ARCA Menards Series Victory of 2025

 

Earning another ARCA Menards Series checkered flag on Friday evening required Brenden Queen to put on a defensive clinic.

 

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Corey Heim, a late addition to Friday’s race, was a constant presence in Queen’s rearview mirror during the closing stages of the Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway. The only things Queen could do were break the draft and dump as much dirty air on Heim’s front bumper as he could.

 

Queen withstood Heim’s spirited charge to claim his third ARCA Menards Series victory across seven career starts. The final laps featured plenty of stress and included contact with Gio Ruggiero on the final restart, but the always jovial Queen was elated to celebrate a win in his first trip to Michigan.

 

“I have so much respect for [Heim] and Gio [Ruggiero],” Queen said. ‘What happened with me and Gio going into [turn] three [on the last restart], I’m not sure if I turned in early. If it was my fault, I’m sorry. We were racing for the win there.”

 

“I knew I was going to have to hold off Heim Time there, but it’s Bean Nation time tonight!”

 






Pole: Brenden Queen*



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 7 pm EST for the Berlin ARCA 200 at Berlin Raceway.



 

source: NASCAR Media
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Monday, April 7, 2025

NASCAR / ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Darlington / Tucson Speedway)

NASCAR / ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Darlington / Tucson Speedway)

Winners:  Denny Hamlin (Cup); Brandon-Jones (Xfinity); plus Tanner Reif (ARCA West)

Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics



NASCAR Cup

Denny Hamlin Steals Darlington Victory on Throwback Weekend

Denny Hamlin Steals Darlington Victory on Throwback Weekend

 

A perfectly executed overtime restart by Denny Hamlin following a clutch final pit stop by his Joe Gibbs Racing crew provided exactly the advantage the veteran needed to claim the trophy in Sunday’s NASCAR Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway.

 

Hamlin took the race lead out of the pits during the final late-race caution then bested the field on the ensuing restart, pulling his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota out front and ultimately to a 0.597-second victory over the day’s most dominant driver, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron.

 

It’s the second-consecutive victory for Hamlin, who won last week at Martinsville, and it marks the first time he’s won back-to-back races since 2012 when he won at Bristol and then Atlanta the following week.

 

All smiles as he climbed out of the car, Hamlin gave all the credit to his pit crew. He was in third place at the time of the final caution — the yellow coming out for Byron’s Hendrick teammate Kyle Larson’s spin. The leaders seized the chance to pit for fresh Goodyear tires in anticipation of the overtime restart and Hamlin’s crew got him out of the pits first — ahead of 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Byron.

 

A perfect launch on the ensuing green flag gave Hamlin the victory over Byron, who led a race-best 243 of the 297 laps. It is Hamlin’s 56th career win, breaking a tie with NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for 11th place on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.

 

“There’s two people I really love right now: my pit crew and Kyle Larson,” the 44-year-old Virginian Hamlin said with a grin. “Had a little assist there, so thank you.

 

“The pit crew just did an amazing job. They won it last week [at Martinsville]. They won it this week. It’s all about them.”

 






Pole: William Byron



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. ET for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.


NASCAR Xfinity

Brandon Jones Snaps 98-Race Winless Streak

Brandon Jones Snaps 98-Race Winless Streak

 

After diligently working through a 98-race winless streak over the last three NASCAR Xfinity Series seasons, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones reminded his competitors — and his fans — Saturday that he’s still a race winner and a title contender.

 

The well-liked 28-year-old Atlanta native took the lead on a restart with 12 laps remaining in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at the historic Darlington Raceway — beating 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott to the finish line by a healthy 1.105-second margin to hoist his first trophy since the Martinsville spring race on April, 8, 2022 — a span of 98 races.

 

The 1.366-mile Darlington track may be nicknamed “Too Tough to Tame,” but it certainly presented a tamer race than the series produced a week ago on the typically wild Martinsville half-miler. This weekend featured 14 lead changes among nine drivers — none of the changes up front a result of overly aggressive driving.

 

Instead, strategy, a fast car and unwavering belief in himself and his team made the difference for Jones.

 

“It’s nice for my confidence, right, but it’s also to prove to the haters and people that said I was incapable of doing it, wrong again,” said Jones, whose No. 20 JGR Toyota led 24 of the race’s 137 laps.

 

“This place is freaking awesome man, I love coming to Darlington,” he added, “Second win and just huge momentum. I knew we were on a high, just didn’t know when it was going to happen.”

 






Pole: Christopher Bell



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, April 12, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET for the SciAps 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.




NASCAR Trucks

No Truck Race Last Weekend







Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. ET for the Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.




ARCA

Tanner Reif Saves His Tires, Makes Late Pass to Win West Series' Return to Tucson Speedway

#ARCA Tanner Reif Saves His Tires, Makes Late Pass to Win West Series' Return to Tucson Speedway

 

Going slow to go fast is the best way to describe Tanner Reif’s Saturday night at Tucson Speedway.

 

Reif started third, rode at the back of the field for most of the race, then roared to the lead with two laps to go to win the ARCA Menards Series West 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame.

 

“Everything was perfect,” Reif said in Victory Lane. “I had to work so hard for it, but this team, Central Coast Cabinets Racing, did such a good job setting this thing up. I was crying in the car. I had to compose myself.”

 

Saturday’s event, the first West Series race at Tucson since 2019, was an excellent example of an old-school tire saving race.

 






Pole: Jake Bollman



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The ARCA Series East will return on Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET for the Rockingham ARCA 125 at Rockingham Speedway.



 

source: NASCAR Media
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Monday, March 31, 2025

NASCAR Weekend Recap (Martinville Speedway)

#NASCAR Weekend Recap (Martinville Speedway)

Winners: Denny Hamlin (Cup); Austin Hill (Xfinity); Daniel Hemric (Trucks)

#NASCAR Winners: Denny Hamlin (Cup); Austin Hill (Xfinity); Daniel Hemric (Trucks)

Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics


NASCAR Cup

Denny Hamlin Dominates for First Martinsville Win in a Decade

Denny Hamlin Dominates for First Martinsville Win in a Decade

 

It didn’t take Denny Hamlin long to find the recipe for success in Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. 

 

Hamlin grabbed the lead on Lap 126 of 400 in the seventh NASCAR Cup Series race of the season and never looked back.

 

With flawless work from his pit crew, the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 274 of the last 275 laps — with the only exception a lap credited to polesitter Christopher Bell, who raced side-by-side with Hamlin after the final restart on Lap 326.

 

Hamlin pulled away toward the end of the final 75-lap green-flag run and beat Bell, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, to the finish line by 4.617 seconds.

 

The victory was Hamlin’s sixth at the 0.526-mile short track, most among full-time active drivers, but his first at Martinsville since 2015. It was his first victory of the season and the 55th of his career, tying him with Rusty Wallace for 11th on the career victory list.

 

“You know, Chris Gayle, all the engineers, the pit crew, everybody really on that wall right there, just deciding they were going to come here with a different approach than what we’ve been over the last few years,” said Hamlin, who won at Martinsville for the first time with the Gen 7 race car.

 

“It was just amazing. The car was great. It did everything I needed it to do. Just so happy to win with Chris, get 55 … Obviously, back here in Martinsville where I spent so many years racing late models and whatnot — gosh, I love winning here.”

 






Pole: Christopher Bell



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at 3:00 pm ET for the ‘Goodyear 400’ at Darlington Raceway.



NASCAR Xfinity

Austin Hill Wins Bizarre, Action-Filled #NASCAR Xfinity Race at Martinsville

Austin Hill Wins Bizarre, Action-Filled #NASCAR Xfinity Race at Martinsville

 

The speedway that robbed Austin Hill of a spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 two years ago gave him a gift on Saturday.

 

Diving underneath a trio of wrecking cars in the final corner of overtime at Martinsville Speedway, Hill beat perennial bridesmaid Sheldon Creed to the finish line by 0.190 seconds to win Saturday’s US Marine Corps 250, giving Richard Childress his 100th win in the series and earning a $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the unlikely winner.

 

“I chose the bottom because of how rough everybody was on restarts,” Hill said of the overtime. “I had to do what I had to do on the last lap. On that restart, it just got wild. We were definitely leaning on each other, and getting into (Turn) 3, I knew we were all going to get beating and banging, and I just drove it in as deep as I could.

 

“They all hit each other, and I hit the 7 (Allgaier) a little bit and dumped him off and got on the apron there and came home with the win… Man, I’m in disbelief that we’re in Victory Lane right not. It’s unbelievable. I actually said at the end of the race that I hated this place because of all the beating and banging that was going on-and to top it off, we won a hundred grand!”

 






Pole: Connor Zilisch



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 3:30 pm ET for the ‘Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200’ at Darlington Raceway.




NASCAR Trucks

Daniel Hemric Claims First NASCAR Truck Series Win in Martinsville Shootout

Daniel Hemric Claims First NASCAR Truck Series Win in Martinsville Shootout

 

During the week before Friday night’s Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200 at Martinsville Speedway, Daniel Hemric practiced his back flip.

 

It was the signature move he had been able to use just once in NASCAR national series competition-when he won the 2021 season finale at Phoenix Raceway to clinch the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

 

But on Friday, the 34-year-old from Kannapolis, N.C., had a chance to perform the celebratory move once again, after capitalizing on the misfortunes of others-notably series leader Corey Heim-to win the first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race of his career.

 

Hemric even stuck the landing, reveling in the race win that earned him a coveted grandfather clock trophy and a $50,000 Triple Truck Challenge bonus as the highest finishing series regular.

 

“It’s a funny thing, because my wife asked me a couple weeks ago if I was not too old to do it,” Hemric said of the back flip. “I practiced once last week in the back yard and did a back flip on solid ground.

 

“I thought, ‘The old man’s still got it,’ and I proved that tonight.”

 






Pole: Corey Heim



Click Here for Race Results


Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET for the Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.




ARCA

No ARCA Races Last Weekend

#ARCA Series West Returns to Tucson Speedway

 





Next Race: The ARCA Series West will return on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. MT for the ARCA Menards Series 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame at Tucson Speedway.


 

source: NASCAR Media
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Thursday, January 30, 2025

NASCAR Returns this Weekend with the Clash

NASCAR Returns this Weekend with the Clash

What You Need to Know

#NASCAR Returns this Weekend with the Clash

 

From Daytona International Speedway to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and now Bowman Gray Stadium, NASCAR’s Clash has been through many changes over the years. Located conveniently in downtown Winston-Salem, NC, Bowman Gray Stadium is the definition of excellence in short track racing.

 

#NASCAR's Bowman Gray Stadium

 

Bowman Gray Stadium is NASCAR's very first weekly track, a famed quarter-mile where the sound of roaring engines and cheering fans has been heard since 1949. Racing at Bowman Gray Stadium was started by Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins, two men who were founding fathers of NASCAR itself. It's the track where Richard Petty won his 100th race. It's the track where a young Richard Childress fell in love with racing, hawking peanuts in the stands and then later taking the wheel himself.

 

It's the track where Junior Johnson, Glen Wood, David Pearson, Richie Evans, and Jerry Cook competed. It's the track that has been part of such racing dynasties as the Pettys, the Allisons, the Myerses, and the Earnhardts. It's the track with drivers whose fathers and grandfathers used to race at Bowman Gray, where fans come to see the racing action just like their great-grandparents did so long ago.

 





The Clash

  • Date: Sunday, February 2
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
  • Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  • TV: FOX
  • Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Format

  • The 2025 season unofficially begins this weekend as the Clash at Bowman Gray takes place Sunday in Winston-Salem.
  • This is the first year of the Clash taking place at Bowman Gray Stadium, marking the Cup Series’ first return to the historic Bowman Gray Stadium since 1971.
  • The format for the Clash remains similar to the 2024 edition held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as 23 cars overall will make the main event.

    • Saturday features three practice sessions with entrants split into three groups. The fastest lap time in each car’s final session will determine the starting lineup for the four heat races, meaning no separate qualifying session will take place.

    • The 25-lap heat races will feature up to 10 cars per race, with only green-flag laps counting in each heat with no overtime allotment.

    • The top five finishers in each heat will automatically advance to Sunday night’s main event, while the drivers that finish below fifth will advance to Sunday’s last chance qualifier (LCQ). Starting positions for that race will be determined by the finishing order in the heats. The top two finishers in the LCQ will advance to the Clash and start 21st and 22nd, respectively.

    • The 23rd and final position in the Clash is reserved for the driver who finished highest in the 2024 season points standings that did not otherwise transfer via the heat races or LCQ.

    • The Clash will be 200 laps and feature those 23 cars.

    Weekend Schedule:

  • Saturday: 6:10 p.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
  • Saturday: 8:30 p.m. ET, Heat Races Begin (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
  • Sunday: 6 p.m. ET, Last Chance Race (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
  • Sunday: 8 p.m. ET, Clash (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Denny Hamlin won the Clash last year.

 

Last Year - Denny Hamlin started from the pole for Saturday night's event and showed up when it mattered most to capture his fourth clash victory of his career.  

source: NASCAR Media
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Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Joe Gibbs Racing Announces Multi-Year Partnership with KING’S HAWAIIAN®

Joe Gibbs Racing Announces Multi-Year Partnership with KING’S HAWAIIAN®

Denny Hamlin will drive King’s Hawaiian colors in four races this season

Denny Hamlin will drive King’s Hawaiian colors in four races this season

Denny Hamlin

 

Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that the organization has signed a multi-year agreement with King’s Hawaiian. As part of the partnership, Denny Hamlin will drive the No. 11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry XSE in four NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

 

2025 marks the 75th anniversary of King’s Hawaiian. While the company has grown since Robert Taira founded his first bakery in Hilo, HI in 1950, King’s Hawaiian has remained a family-owned business dedicated to making irresistible food that brings people together, sparking good times and inspiring joy in every bite. Today, they are best known for their best-selling Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, Slider Buns, and Hamburger Buns, as well as the newest addition to the snacking game, irresistibly sweet and salty Pretzel Bites!

 

“We are thrilled to have King’s Hawaiian join our family at Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Joe Gibbs, owner and founder of Joe Gibbs Racing. “Their dinner rolls and other products have really become a part of the daily lives of so many families over the past 75 years and we look forward to helping them celebrate such a significant anniversary this season both on and off the track.”

 

King’s Hawaiian is scheduled to be the primary sponsor of Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota for races at Atlanta Motor Speedway (June 28), Daytona International Speedway (August 23), Bristol Motor Speedway (September 13), and Martinsville Speedway (October 26). In addition to its four-race primary sponsorship, King’s Hawaiian will also be featured as a full-season associate partner with Hamlin and the No. 11 team.

 

"As two family-owned businesses with a shared commitment to excellence and a long-standing tradition of continuous innovation and entrepreneurship, we are thrilled to announce this partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin,” said Raouf Moussa, chief marketing officer for King’s Hawaiian. “This collaboration represents a perfect alignment of values and a unique opportunity to engage with the passionate NASCAR community to showcase our irresistible products and aloha spirit to millions of fans across the country."

 

Hamlin will be competing in his 20th full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Entering 2025, Hamlin is tied for 12th on the all-time wins list with 54 victories, including three wins last year. 2025 is a year of change for the 44-year-old Virginia native as he will be working with crew chief Chris Gayle after Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Hamlin’s previous crew chief Chris Gabehart has been promoted to the team’s competition director role.

 

The King’s Hawaiian slate of races lines up well with Hamlin’s on-track success. He owns victories at all four tracks, including five at Martinsville, four at Bristol, three at Daytona, and one at Atlanta.

 

“We’re very excited to welcome King’s Hawaiian to our team,” said Hamlin. “It’s certainly a product we are very familiar with in our household and a great brand that has made a strong commitment to our sport. I’m looking forward to all the exciting things that we can do on and off the track to elevate their program to the next level.”

 

King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls



King's Hawaiian had served previously as a primary sponsorship partner for Brad Keselowski and the No. 6 RFK Racing team. King's Hawaiian's partnership with RFK Racing last three seasons from 2022 to 2024.

 





 

source: Joe Gibbs Racing Media
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Wednesday, January 8, 2025

23XI Competing On and Off the Race Track

23XI Competing On and Off the Race Track

Michael Jordan Sues #NASCAR

23XI Competing On and Off the Race Track #NASCAR

 

Michael Jordan is suing NASCAR. On October 2, two NASCAR teams filed an antitrust lawsuit in the Western District of North Carolina against NASCAR, accusing the racing company of maintaining an illegal monopoly. The two teams are Front Row Motorsports and 23XI,  a team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, a veteran NASCAR driver. In addition to NASCAR, they named Jim France, the CEO and Chairman of NASCAR and son of NASCAR-founder Bill France, Sr. as a defendant.

 

The dispute between the parties centers around NASCAR’s charter system. Under this system, which was implemented in a 2016 agreement, holding a charter guarantees a race team a starting position in NASCAR’s Cup Series races and a share of the television revenues. NASCAR is different from other professional sports in which multiple franchises form a league to compete in. Rather, NASCAR is owned by one family: the France family. The current charter agreement was set to expire at the end of this year, and teams and NASCAR had been negotiating towards a new agreement. Eventually, NASCAR offered a final take-it-or-leave-it deal on September 16th, which thirteen of the fifteen teams accepted. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports refused. Now, they’re suing NASCAR.

 

Their complaint alleges that NASCAR “has exploited its economic power as the sole premier stock car racing organization in the United States.” It further argues that NASCAR has reached and maintained this position through “anticompetitive and exclusionary practices. These allegedly anticompetitive practices include buying up racing circuits and racetracks, requiring NASCAR teams to use specific cars, and restricting teams from “participating in races outside of NASCAR’s circuit.” Of particular interest to the antitrust inquiry is the fact that NASCAR acquired its main stock car racing competitor, ARCA, in 2018.

 





23XI and Front Row Motorsports are seeking several outcomes from the lawsuit. Most urgent is a preliminary injunction that would allow the two teams to continue to compete until the end of litigation. Their potentially seismic goal is a permanent injunction that would “end NASCAR’s exclusionary practices and restore competition in the relevant market,” but the exact remedy is unclear.

 

In order to succeed in a Sherman Act §2 lawsuit, the plaintiff must show both a) monopoly power and b) anticompetitive conduct. The first requirement seems easily satisfied when it comes to NASCAR, and much of the back and forth in litigation will be based around the second requirement. Jordan, for his part, is confident: “I wouldn’t have filed it if I didn’t think I could win.” NASCAR and the France family have good reasons to not want to go to court even if the outcome will be in their favor. Discovery would require NASCAR to open up their financial records—something it has never had to do as a privately-owned company—revealing how much profit it (and by extension, the France family) takes in. If Michael Jordan and the racing teams are successful, the remedy is difficult to predict. It could be as simple as requiring NASCAR to sell off some of their racetracks in order to open the door for more competition.

 

Settlement is similarly tricky in this case. According to the plaintiffs’ lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, “No one is bringing this type of fight, this type of lawsuit, to move from a D-plus deal to a D deal. That is not going to happen.” The two teams likely would want what they had been fighting for during the two years of charter agreement negotiations: more revenue, more say in governance and rule-making, a share of the revenue from NASCAR’s name, image, and likeness deals, and for the charters to be permanent. It seems unlikely that the France family would easily give in to the demands it had so strongly refused during negotiations, even faced with a federal lawsuit.

 

If the case is settled, the result will likely be the relationship between NASCAR and its chartered teams becoming slightly more equitable. If it continues all the way to trial, NASCAR’s private finances will be revealed and the stock-car racing landscape in the United States may be permanently altered.

 













 

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