Allmendinger to Lead the Bass Pro Shops Race

Green Flag Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway

 

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.

 

First-ever oval pole for Kaulig Racing!

Today, @AJDinger is the fastest man in Tennessee. 😎 pic.twitter.com/k2ZvUINFvn

— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) September 12, 2025

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.

 

Here's how the #NASCARPlayoffs field will line up for the Round of 16 finale at @ItsBristolBaby. pic.twitter.com/W71J4gJ8Br

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 12, 2025

 

source: Bristol Motor Speedway Media

NASCAR / ARCA Race Recap (Daytona International Speedway / Madison International Speedway)

Winners: Ryan Blaney (Cup); Connor Zilisch (via Parker Kligerman) (Xfinity); plus Max Reaves (ARCA)

Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 

NASCAR Cup

Blaney Wins Four-Wide Dash to Finish

 

Not that a rescue mission was top of mind for Ryan Blaney, but his dramatic victory in Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway saved Alex Bowman from playoff oblivion.

 

Blaney rocketed forward from 12th in the running order with three laps left in the final NASCAR Cup Series regular-season race and crossed the finish line 0.031 seconds ahead of runner-up Daniel Suárez.

 

Blaney’s second win of the season, his second at Daytona and 15th of his career, vaulted the driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford into second place in the regular-season standings, earning him a bonus of 10 playoff points.

 

“What a wild last couple laps, honestly,” Blaney said. “I was with Cole, I kind of asked him on the restart, if you go to the top I’m going with you. We kind of just waited and waited and then the opportunity came, and he made a good move to get to the top, and we were able to really get good shoves.

 

“A couple good guys behind us, and then it kind of cleared the way for us when the 7 (Haley) and 41 (Custer) got racing, and I was able to clear on the top and just barely hold out for the win.”

 

Daniel Suarez finished second; Justin Haley placed third; Cole Custer came in fourth and Erik Jones completed the top five.

 

We could watch this on repeat. 🔁 pic.twitter.com/3HV86OA9n1

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 24, 2025

Pole: Ryan Blaney

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 6:00 pm ET for the ‘Cook Out Southern 500’ at Darlington Raceway.

NASCAR Xfinity

Relief Driver Parker Kligerman Scores Daytona Xfinity Win for Zilisch,

 

The record book will list Connor Zilisch as the winner of the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.

 

But it was part-timer Parker Kligerman who did the heavy lifting in Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, driving the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to victory in relief of the 19-year-old prodigy.

 

With Zilisch determined to protect the collarbone he broke in a fall in Victory Lane two weeks ago at Watkins Glen, Kligerman got behind the wheel in a driver switch under caution on Lap 13.

 

From that point through an overtime that took the race to Lap 104, Kligerman drove a masterful race. His victory was welcome consolation for a heart-wrenching loss at Daytona in February, when Kligerman was first to the finish line in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event but suffered a disqualification for a ride-height infraction.

 

“It’s different in every way, because I didn’t expect to get a call from (team owner) Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. on the day I was leaving for vacation, saying ‘Hey, man, would you come drive this thing?'” Kligerman said. “I hate the circumstances for Connor. He’s an amazing generational talent. I feel honored to have gotten the call to grace the seat that he’s been in, that Kyle Larson’s been in. … For me, it’s such a ‘me’ thing that this will not be on Racing Reference at all.”

 

“It’s weird,” Zilisch said. “It was really weird the last time I did it, and I never thought I’d have to do it again. … But I love Parker. I’ve been a fan of Parker for a long time. He’s another one I’m OK watching win inside my race car. I’m glad that I got to start the race and get the points for my team.”

 

Sammy Smith finished second; Justin Allgaier placed third; Jesse Love came in fourth and Sam Mayer completed the top five.

 

Over 750+ texts. Many calls and a very late night. Thank you all for the wonderful messages ❤️

FINALLY!!

Just too cool of a night. Can’t thank @DaleJr @JRMotorsports enough for the belief to get this done.

And @ConnorZilisch who is so wise beyond his years. Had so much fun… https://t.co/wE2OihD6r4

— Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman) August 23, 2025

Pole: Connor Zilisch

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET for the ‘Pacific Office Automation 147’ at Portland International Raceway.

NASCAR Trucks

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Were Off Last Weekend

Ten drivers make the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs to compete for the championship title. This number has been the standard since the 2020 season, which expanded the playoff field from the previous eight drivers.

 

The stage has been reset. 👀 pic.twitter.com/vn0JNE4MOo

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) August 16, 2025

Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 12:00 pm ET for the ‘Sober or Slammer 200’ at Darlington Raceway.

ARCA

Max Reaves Adds His Name to the History Books with a Victory at Flat Rock Speedway

 

Max Reaves etched his name into the history books Saturday night at Michigan’s Flat Rock Speedway.

 

Reaves, just 15, secured his third ARCA Menards Series East win in as many starts when he took the checkered flag in the Dutch Boy 150. He joins Will Rodgers as the only two drivers to win their first three East Series starts.

 

Reaves had his work cut out for him Saturday night at Flat Rock’s tight quarter-mile oval. Starting from the General Tire Pole, he jumped to the lead early but was constantly hounded by Tyler Reif.

 

That wasn’t the end of the battle between the two. Reaves and Reif spent the rest of the race almost nose-to-tail, with Reif occasionally beating on Reaves’ back bumper to remind his rival he was there.

 

“Every time I felt him, I’d get on the brake a little bit and keep it on the bottom, because the second he got me off the bottom, he was getting around and driving away,” said Reaves, who piloted the No. 18 Cook Out Toyota to Victory Lane for Joe Gibbs Racing. “The second he bumped me he got around me on the bottom, but I gave it back. It was good racing.”

 

“I’m going to be the first one to win four,” Reaves added. “I’m confident with that and confident in my team.”

 

Lavar Scott finished second; Brenden Queen placed third; Isabella Robusto came in fourth and Julian DaCosta completed the top five.

 

Highlights from Friday night's ARCA Menards race at @MISRacing! pic.twitter.com/xgHUmrsOke

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 23, 2025

Pole: Max Reaves

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The ARCA West Series will return on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 4:00 pm PT for the ‘Portland 112’ at Portland International Raceway .

 

source: NASCAR Media

NASCAR Nashville Race Weekend Recap

Winners: Ryan Blaney (Cup); Justin Allgaier (Xfinity); RajahCaruth (Trucks)

Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 

NASCAR Cup

Ryan Blaney Breaks Through to Take Victory in Cracker Barrel 400

 

A season full of near misses and hard-luck finishes for Ryan Blaney disappeared in a magical Music City night.

 

At a sold-out Nashville Superspeedway, with fireworks and cheers washing over him, Blaney was finally able to celebrate a victory.

 

Blaney, driving the No. 12 Ford for Penske Racing, led a race-high 139 laps, earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the year and the 14th victory of his career by taking the checkered flag in the Cracker Barrel 400.

 

“We've had great speed all year -- just hasn't been the best year for us as far as good fortune,” said Blaney, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion. “The 12 boys are awesome; they stick with it no matter how it goes, and it was great to finish one out tonight.”

 

Blaney gained top position early by making a two-tire stop, won the second stage after surviving a wave of caution flags and held on through a green-flag pit stop cycle in the third stage to beat Carson Hocevar to the start-finish line by 2.83 seconds.

 

“I never gave up hope,” said Blaney, who won his first Cup Series race since last fall in Martinsville, a span of 15 events.

 

“I thought [two tires] was a good call. We drove up to seventh there in the first stage, and I thought two tires were great. I thought my car was really good, and that really set us up for the rest of the race.

 

“It’s nice that it’s finally happening. It’s time to go celebrate!”

 

He wanted one, he got one! 🔥😤@Blaney | #CB400 pic.twitter.com/TnrLNll06B

— Nashville Superspeedway (@NashvilleSuperS) June 2, 2025

Pole: Chase Briscoe

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 2:00 pm ET for the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

NASCAR Xfinity

Justin Allgaier Holds on to Win the Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway

 

Justin Allgaier, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, swept all the stages on his way to his third NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the year, his second at Nashville Superspeedway, and the 28th victory of his career, good for ninth all-time. Chevrolet has won 12 of the first 14 Xfinity Series races of the season – a Series first.

 

“There’s no cooler feeling than to win at a place like this,” said Allgaier in front of the grandstands with fireworks exploding behind the backstretch. “These fans are incredible. I really wanted to get a second guitar. [My daughters] can fight over one of them or both of them.”

 

“JR Motorsports brought some incredible Chevrolets today,” Allgaier said. “That final restart was the key. Having clean air, and being out front … you have to make the most out of having good days. “This team never gives up. [My pit crew] deserves this more than anything. This [car] was on rails.”

 

Perfection.

61 points for @J_Allgaier tonight and leads #XfinitySeries with five Xfinity #FastestLap bonus points, three more than any other driver. pic.twitter.com/d8xUY4CcVB

— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) June 1, 2025

Pole: William Sawalich

Click Here for Race Results

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

Rajah Caruth Holds Off Rivals Heim and Riggs to Win Rackley Roofing 200

 

In an exhilarating three-way fight for the checkered flag, Rajah Caruth powered to the victory in the Rackley Roofing 200 Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway Friday night.

 

Caruth, driving the No. 71 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, held off Truck Series points leader Corey Heim and Stage 1 winner Layne Riggs on his way to his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win of his career.

 

“I didn’t expect that at all,” said Caruth after hearing roars of approval from the Nashville crowd. “Those guys were breathing down my neck the whole time. My pit crew won the race for us. We’ve been off this year but it’s good to get it done tonight.”

 

Heim held on for second, with Riggs finishing third, Daniel Hemric placing fourth and Corey Day coming in fifth.

 

Driver. Team. Family.

That's what it's all about. pic.twitter.com/KidBYMT5Oh

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) May 31, 2025

Pole: Corey Heim

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 12:00 pm ET for the DQS Solutions & Staffing 200 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics at Michigan International Speedway.

ARCA

There were no ARCA races to Report

#WeBuildChampions https://t.co/KqN8Y8R7xE

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) May 31, 2025

Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Friday, June 6, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET for the Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway.

 

source: NASCAR Media

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 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.”

 

A memorable @Blaney celebration. #NASCARPlayoffs #Championship4 pic.twitter.com/lPFYio37PI

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 3, 2024

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

 

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.”

 

Stage 1 ✅
Stage 2 ✅
Checkered flag ✅

Have yourself a night, @Aric_Almirola! 👏 pic.twitter.com/7nxieOfksm

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 2, 2024

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

 

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.”

 

NEWS: The No. 19 truck clears post-race inspection at @MartinsvilleSwy. @christianeckes' #NASCARPlayoffs victory is official and he is locked into the #Championship4! pic.twitter.com/gW0LdQ0yRk

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) November 2, 2024

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

One more race. pic.twitter.com/52yrol251m

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) October 27, 2024

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

This NASCAR Weekend has many New Opportunities for Fans

The 7th annual Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

 

The 7th annual Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) is set to be a fan favorite in 2024. This year’s race weekend provides many exciting opportunities for fans, at and away from track, to meet drivers, get an up-close look at a variety of cool cars, and enjoy a first-class NASCAR race weekend tripleheader.

 

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race takes place Friday night, March 1st at 6:00 pm PST, followed by the NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday, March 2nd at 2:00 pm PST. NASCAR Cup Series drivers will start their engines for the Pennzoil 400 on Sunday, March 3rd at 12:30 PM PST, and the race will be broadcast live on FOX.

 

"The Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is more than just a race; it's an opportunity for us to share the love of racing and heart-pounding roar of engines with NASCAR fans," shared Bree Sandlin, Vice President of Shell Lubricants North America Marketing. “It gives us the chance to continue to showcase the high-performance of our products on the track, while also celebrating the impressive cars, drivers, and those working behind the scenes motorsports industry to bring fans together to experience the rumble at tracks throughout the country at 180 mph.”

 

Fans will be able to meet drivers at select locations prior to the race and will have the ability to meet influencers and check out a variety of unique cars during the race weekend in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway midway as they enter the track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fan Zone Presented by Pennzoil including:

 

• Vehicles on Display:
• The #22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang NASCAR Cup Car, RTR Formula Drift Ford Mustang, Alex Taylor’s Rebelle Rally Jeep Wrangler 4XE, Shelby Hall’s Ford Bronco, and the Pennzoil Ferrari from Dream Racing can all be seen at the LVMS Fan Zone over the race weekend
• Driver Meet & Greets in the Las Vegas Area:
• Meet NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney and INDYCAR driver Scott McLaughlin at the Jiffy Lube on 10440 S. Eastern Ave, Henderson, NV 89052 on Friday, March 1st at 9:00 am PST
• Influencer Meet & Greets at the LVMS Fan Zone:
• Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang will make an appearance at the LVMS Fan Zone at 9:30 am PST on Saturday, March 2nd
• Meet RTR Formula Drift drivers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Loren Healy for Q&A on-stage Sunday, March 3rd at 10:00 am followed by an autograph session at 10:30 am
• Meet Rebelle Rally drivers/navigators on-stage for Q&A at 11:00 am Sunday, March 3rd

Couple of Pennzoil lads hanging out. Come by if you can! https://t.co/6kBwrAUPcB

— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin93) February 29, 2024

Fans also can enter the Pennzoil 400 Social Sweepstakes that runs through Tuesday March 5th, 2024. Four grand prize winners will receive the Grand Prize Pennzoil Tailgate Kit while hundreds of winners can qualify for a number of other great prizes. *No Purchase Necessary. Ends 3/5/24. Void Where Prohibited. Terms Apply. See pennzoil.com for full details.

 

Over the race weekend members of The Rebelle Rally, the first women’s off-road navigation rally raid in the United States, will be present for a special announcement by Pennzoil. Alex and Meg Taylor and their Jeep Wrangler 4XE as well as Rori Lewis and Shelby Hall and their Ford Bronco will be present at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fan Zone Presented by Pennzoil throughout the weekend, where fans will have an opportunity to meet the drivers and see their vehicles up close.

 

Both Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske as well as his teammate and reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Ryan Blaney,  driver of the No. 12 Ford Mustang, will be carrying exclusive Pennzoil paint schemes on their cars. Logano has found the scheme especially lucky in winning the Pennzoil 400 twice in that livery (2019 & 2020) and the fall event at LVMS in 2022 that springboarded him to his second Cup championship.

 

Since 1913, Pennzoil has crafted innovative formulas to help prolong engine life and promote top performance, much of which can be attributed to technical partnerships like those with Team Penske. Pennzoil engineers work closely with Team Penske to develop special motor oil formulations to maximize engine protection and engine performance. Constant improvement developed throughout the season, in the harshest racing conditions, contributes to the advancement of the brand’s technology for your car.

 

“Jiffy Lube is proud to team up with Pennzoil for the seventh year to bring this action-packed NASCAR Cup Series event to race fans,” said Suzanne Clerkin, Chief Marketing Officer, Jiffy Lube International, Inc. “The Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube is a great opportunity to bring two leading iconic automotive brands together both on and off the track to help keep drivers on the road.”

 

At the end of 2022, leaders from Pennzoil and Speedway Motorsports Incorporated, owner and operator of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, announced a long-term continuation of the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube NCS race at LVMS, a testament to how synonymous Pennzoil has become with the spring NASCAR weekend. The relationship with SMI provides Pennzoil the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships within the motorsports industry, with customers, and with some of the most loyal fans in all of sports – NASCAR fans.

 

“This will be the seventh year of our partnership with Pennzoil and Jiffy Lube,” said LVMS President Chris Powell. “Pennzoil’s relationship with all forms of motorsports is tops in the racing industry, and we’re looking forward to many more years with the Pennzoil name on our spring NASCAR race.”

 

 

 

source: Las Vegas Motor Speedway Media

Speediatrics Fun Day

Festival Powered by Kaulig Racing at DAYTONA

 

After a week of healthy and active curriculum, the kids of Food Brings Hope Community got to have a day of fun and games in the NASCAR Experience at Daytona International Speedway!

 

Kicked off the day with an inspiring private garage tour with the @MakeAWish amazing recipients. Then off to the @NASCAR Experience Kidzone, complete with autograph signings, meet and greets, & a stroll through the Motorsports Hall of Fame 🏁 #Daytona500 pic.twitter.com/banmJ3whOB

— Miss America (@MissAmerica) February 18, 2024

The kids were greeted with pompoms and cheer from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's cheer team, with special appearances from Miss America (Madison Marsh), as well as ARCA driver Ed Pompa and Kaulig Racing drivers Daniel Dye, Daniel Hemric and Josh Williams.

 

Finally, with the help of our sponsors Brown & Brown Insurance, Jeep Beach, Kaulig Giving, Kaulig Racing and Ryan Blaney Family Foundation, the kids were presented with brand new bikes and bike helmets, and ‘The NASCAR Foundation’ was able to leave a $15,000 donation to Food Brings Hope Community!

 

The Speediatrics Fun Day Festival was one of our favorite Speed Week activities! Watch this video to see a recap of the community we brought together to help children in racing communities. pic.twitter.com/iafawps45s

— The NASCAR Foundation (@NASCAR_FDN) February 23, 2024

2024 Daytona Speediatrics Fun Day Festival

 

 

source: NASCAR Foundation Media

Hamlin Wins Weather-Altered Clash

Denny Delivers in LA! #BuschLightClash!

 

The NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum was held last night, at 8:00 PM EST, due to the California weather, an unprecedented weather.

 

Denny Hamlin held off Kyle Busch (2nd), Ryan Blaney (3rd) and the rest of the field on a two-lap shootout, following a late caution that was brought out by Ty Gibbs (18th) spinning.

 

Gibbs had been leading the race until he got shuffled on the previous restart with just under 10 to go, which is when Hamlin took the lead.

 

 

“It’s a great momentum boost. It doesn’t do much more than that. But I clean off all the trophies every January 1st in the entryway of the house, and now we get to add one pretty quick, so really happy about that.” Denny Hamlin

 

Hamlin led 58 of the 151 laps, second-most only behind Gibbs' 84. Hamlin started on the pole but slid back for much of the going, and in the closing stages, it seemed like the fight for the win was going to be between Gibbs and the hard-charging Joey Logano (4th).

 

It's Hamlin's fourth-career Clash win, but the prior three were all when the race was still run at Daytona. That's where NASCAR will be the next time the cars hit the track, with the Daytona 500 set to run on Feb. 18 following a weekend off.

 

He earned his medal. 🥇@dennyhamlin | #BuschLightClash pic.twitter.com/rcCSnDjCne

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 4, 2024

 

source: Yard Barker Media

Ford Captures All Three 2023 NASCAR Championships

Ryan Blaney (Cup); Cole Custer (Xfinity); Ben Rhodes (Trucks)

Ryan Blaney Wins Cup Series Title

 

Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney drove Mustang to its second straight NASCAR Cup Series title by winning the championship race at Phoenix Raceway, capping a weekend that saw Ford claim all three of NASCAR’s major touring titles for the first time in its history.

 

Blaney got the job done by finishing second in the race, and beating fellow Championship 4 drivers Kyle Larson and William Byron, who ended up right behind in third and fourth, respectively.

 

The race came down to a 31-lap dash to the finish. Blaney restarted sixth while Larson was third and Byron fifth, but the Team Penske driver passed Byron three laps later and then battled Larson for the next eight circuits before finally getting past him on lap 292 of the 312-lap event.

 

From that point on, he was able to maintain his advantage and finish second to race-winner Ross Chastain.

 

“I didn't want a caution,” said Blaney after he passed Larson for the championship lead. “Once I got to the white, I felt pretty good about it, but it's just about getting there and finishing it off.”

 

Cole Custer Wins NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship

 

The third time was the charm for Cole Custer, who won his first series championship after finished second in his previous two attempts. This marks the seventh NXS championship for Ford and second in the last four years after Austin Cindric won in 2020. Ford’s other champions include: Greg Biffle (2002), Carl Edwards (2007), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2011-12), and Chris Buescher (2015).

 

This marks the second time Stewart-Haas has won an NXS championship with Ford after Custer delivered the owner’s title in 2018. This continues a streak that has seen Mustang win a driver’s or owner’s championship in all but three seasons since coming to the series full-time in 2011.

 

“I thought it was over. I mean, I went from first to third and I was able to shift the car all night and the Doug Yates horsepower worked out and pulled me off the corner. I can’t believe we won that thing after going back to third on that restart, but I can’t say enough about these guys. I mean, we started the year off and it was a struggle and we kind of had to dig deep with each other and really talk about how to get better. To see how much this group has grown through the year and to be a part of something, I knew I wanted to work with JT. I knew that he was the guy that could make it happen and I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else. I just can’t thank Gene Haas enough. He’s given me opportunities and I wouldn’t be here without him. I can’t thank him enough, and Ford Performance, Haas Automation, everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. It’s awesome to bring one back to Stewart-Haas right now. Man, I’m gonna enjoy this. I’ve been waiting to hear Wayne on the radio for a few times now, so I’m pumped.”

 

Ben Rhodes Drives F-150 To Second Straight Truck Series Championship

 

Ford Performance and ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes claimed his second Truck Series championship in the last three years, and the second consecutive for Ford, with a hard-earned fifth-place finish in the No. 99 Ford F-150 Cautions in a race filled with restarts, retribution, extra laps and high-action Friday night at Phoenix Raceway.

 

The evening that featured 12 caution periods, 29 laps of overtime competition and plenty of high-stakes racing – especially among the four championship contenders that earned a chance to settle the season title.

 

“I can’t even believe it,” the 26-year-old Kentucky native Rhodes said of his dramatic title win. “It’s just so awesome, man. To go 25 laps into overtime, do you know what that feels like? It’s crazy. I didn’t think we were going to make it. I thought we were going to pop a tire, that anything that could have gone wrong was going to go wrong. Grant [Enfinger] almost got me. But hats off to him, he ran a great race. I wouldn’t want to race against anybody else for the championship. He raced me clean, and I respect the heck out of him for it.”

 

#FordChampionshipWeekend
🏆 🏆 🏆 pic.twitter.com/94R8vQEtOL

— Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) November 6, 2023

 

source: Ford Performance Media

NASCAR / ARCA Championship Race Weekend Recap (Phoenix Raceway)

Winners:  

• Ross Chastain (Cup)

• Cole Custer (Xfinity)

• Christian Eckes (Trucks)

• William Sawalich (ARCA West)

 

Champions:  

• Ryan Blaney (Cup)

• Cole Custer (Xfinity)

• Ben Rhodes (Trucks)

• Sean Hingorani (ARCA West)

 

 

NASCAR Cup

Ross Chastain dominates Phoenix Cup Finale; Ryan Blaney Wins First Championship

Ross Chastain

 

Race Winner, Ross Chastain led a race-high 157 laps to the Phoenix race win. While Chastain was present, he wasn’t an active influence on the championship fight. However, Blaney did vent his frustrations at the Trackhouse driver over the radio to his team.

 

“I know he was mad, and I don’t care. I do not care. I did not care then; I do not care now. I’m here to race him. I am not going to wreck, Chastain stated.”

 

Ryan Blaney

 

For the first time in 10 years of the elimination playoff format, the NASCAR Cup Series champion failed to win the title race—not that it mattered one bit to 2023 champion Ryan Blaney.

 

When he took the checkered flag in second place in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race, the driver of the No. 12 Ford gave Team Penske its second straight title in NASCAR‘s premier series and gave Ford a sweep of Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

 

“Unbelievable year, unbelievable playoffs for us,” said Blaney, who won last week at Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4 with Larson, Byron and Christopher Bell. “To win back-to-back Cup titles for (team owner Roger) Penske, that’s so special. Having my family here, winning my first Cup title, I got emotional in the car. I’m not a very emotional guy.

 

Ross Chastain said he doesn’t care if Ryan Blaney is mad at him. Chastain said he made sure he didn’t make contact with him. Chastain: “Apparently I was No. 1. I don’t know.” pic.twitter.com/ZBKktn7WZ8

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) November 6, 2023

Pole: William Byron

Click Here for Race Results

 

Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024 8:00 pm ET for the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

 

 

NASCAR Xfinity

Cole Custer wins First Xfinity Series Championship on Wild Overtime Restart

Cole Custer

 

The third time was the charm for twenty-five year old Cole Custer, who became a first-time Xfinity Series champion by winning the 2023 season finale at Phoenix Raceway on a wild overtime restart.

 

The No. 00 Ford driver beat John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer to capture his elusive first title on the circuit. Custer had finished runner-up in the Xfinity championship race in 2018-19.

 

“I thought it was over,” Custer, who led a race-high 96 of 202 laps, told NBC Sports’ Marty Snider. “I went from first to third, and I was able to shift the car all night. And Doug Yates’ horsepower worked out (and) pulled me off the corner. I can’t believe we won that thing after going back to third on that restart.”

 

“Man, I can’t say enough about these guys,” Custer said. We started the year off, and it was a struggle, and we had to kind of dig deep with each other, really talk about how to get better and to see how much this group has grown through the year.

 

“I think these guys have just really always believed in me all year, and I just can’t thank them enough for giving me really fast race cars and still believing in me when things weren’t going great.”

 

Sheldon Creed finished second, followed by Allgaier, Riley Herbst and Mayer. Nemechek crashed on the final lap and finished 28th.

 

History made! 🏆

Congratulations to @ColeCuster on securing the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship! 🤩 #NASCAR #Mobil1 #Mobil1TheGrid #StewartHaasRacing pic.twitter.com/qNHCgdCk9M

— Mobil 1 The Grid (@Mobil1TheGrid) November 6, 2023

Pole: Sammy Smith

Click Here for Race Results

 

Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 5:00 pm ET for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Spring Race at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.

 

 

NASCAR Trucks

Christian Eckes Wins, Ben Rhodes Captures Championship

Ben Rhodes

 

On a night where Truck Series drivers wrecked each other with regularity, it was a respectful move by another Championship 4 driver that sealed Ben Rhodes’ second title in three seasons.

 

Grant Enfinger chased down Rhodes on fresher tires in the fourth overtime. He pulled up to the bumper of Rhodes’ damaged No. 99 Ford on the final lap of the race. Enfinger chose to cut his fellow driver a break.

 

Enfinger avoided intentional contact, even though it cost him the championship in GMS Racing’s final Truck Series race. He crossed the line sixth and ended the season second in the championship standings.

 

“Grant almost got me,” Rhodes told FOX Sports’ Regan Smith after the race. “Hats off to him. He ran a great race. I wouldn’t want to race against anybody else for the championship. He raced me clean and I respect the hell out of him for it.”

 

Christian Eckes

 

As for his victory, the 22-year-old Christian Eckes tried to reconcile the championship race win with having just been eliminated from Playoff contention. He had a win (at Kansas) and a pair of runner-up finishes (Indianapolis Raceway Park and Bristol, Tenn.) during the Playoff stretch but was eliminated after finished of 19th and 20th in the two races leading into the championship finale.

 

“Those two races that killed the whole Playoffs pretty much and that’s just kind of the nature of it,” Eckes said. “I didn’t do my job last week and really the week before either. That gets us out and that puts us in this situation, but it’s motivating for next year and it was motivating for this race too. This one kind of stings, I know it’s a win, but the stupid mistakes the last two weeks of a near perfect Playoffs cost us a championship. This one kind of stings, I know it’s a win, but the stupid mistakes the last two weeks of a near perfect Playoffs cost us a championship. It’s kind of hard to be happy right now, but overall, just super proud of everybody for the year that we’ve had and just ready for 2024.”

 

The championship comes down to the final corner! @benrhodes holds off @GrantEnfinger to win it all! pic.twitter.com/d42WlXJ9SD

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) November 4, 2023

Pole: Corey Heim

Click Here for Race Results

 

Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 7:30 pm ET for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.

 

 

ARCA

Sean Hingorani Wraps up West Series Championship; William Sawalich Earns Win at Phoenix

William Sawalich

 

The debut race for Sawalich on the ARCA platform nearly saw him claim a victory at Phoenix until he was turned on a late-race restart by Bradley Erickson. No such problems plagued the 2023 ARCA Menards Series East champion on Friday, who executed a near-flawless race to end his great season on a positive note.

 

“This was very special,” Sawalich said. “We finished where we should have left off in the first race of the year [at Phoenix]. We capitalized on every opportunity and had a couple of good restarts. I worked on a few things myself and I think I’m ready for next year.”

 

The final race on the ARCA platform in 2023 featured two of its three champions inside the Top 3 with Sawalich in first and Hingorani in third.

 

Sean Hingorani

 

With their recent dominance on the ARCA Menards Series platform, it only made sense for Venturini Motorsports to expand their empire westward.

 

The driver Venturini Motorsports tasked for this quest was 17-year-old Sean Hingorani from Newport Beach, California. Hingorani more than proved himself in a Venturini Motorsports car with a stellar debut season that saw him take the ARCA Menards Series West championship crown.

 

Even though he did not grab a victory in the season-ending Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix Raceway, Hingorani was elated to see the hard work put in by himself and Venturini Motorsports culminate with a West Series title.

 

“This was such a great season with Billy Venturini,” Hingorani said. “We fought so hard today and really wanted to win this race, but these guys brought me a fast car everywhere. This was such a great opportunity over here [at Venturini Motorsports] and I’m so thankful for it.”

 

He's King of the West.@seanhingorani is the 2023 ARCA Menards Series West champion! pic.twitter.com/WbxU2TNLfI

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) November 3, 2023

Pole: William Sawalich

Click Here for Race Results

 

Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on 02/17/2924 for a 200 mile clash at Daytona International Speedway.

 

 

Superstar Racing Experience

2023 Camping World SRX Series Champ Ryan Newman

 

The 2023 Camping World SRX Series was the third season of the Superstar Racing Experience, a stock car racing series in the United States. The six-race season began at Stafford Motor Speedway on July 13 and ended at Lucas Oil Speedway on August 17.

 

NASCAR Star Ryan Newman won the 2023 Superstar Racing Experience Championship, following Marco Andretti 2022 Champ and Tony Stewart 2021 Champ.

 

Newman never won a championship in either NASCAR Cup or Xfinity Series competition, with his career high point being a win in the 2008 Daytona 500. But he was not to be denied of his first SRX championship.

 

“It means a lot, no doubt, any kind of championship (like) the SRX series,” Newman said while celebrating in victory lane. “The Superstar Racing Experience, what can you say? Guys like Tony Stewart, Jonathan Davenport, who has won just about everything there is on dirt, racing against Kenny Schrader and Kenny Wallace, Helio Castroneves, all that stuff, it’s pretty special. It’s just a whole lot of fun to be doing what I’m doing.”

 

Halloween Costume of the Year 🏆 https://t.co/pxvBYUrdv4

— Superstar Racing Experience (@SRXracing) October 29, 2023

Next Race: The Superstar Racing Experience will return on July 11, 2024.

source: NASCAR Media