Iowa Speedway #NASCAR / #ARCA Race Winners

William Byron (Cup); Sam Mayer (Xfinity); Brenden Queen (ARCA)

Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 

NASCAR Cup

William Byron Stretches Fuel for Iowa Cup Series Win

 

An extraordinary spate of cautions in Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol allowed William Byron to save an extraordinary amount of fuel, and that proved the difference in Byron’s second victory of the season and first since the Daytona 500.

 

With his first victory at the 0.875-mile short track and the 15th of his career, Byron regained the series lead by 18 points over teammate Chase Elliott, who finished 14th after pitting for fuel on Lap 283 of 350.

 

What enabled Byron to stretch his fuel to 144 laps was a series of seven quick cautions within 65 laps of the start of the final stage. All told, 12 cautions slowed the race for 72 laps.

 

“Man, how about that for some fuel mileage?” Byron asked rhetorically after climbing from his car. “We’ve had our fair share of things not go our way with fuel mileage, and just super thankful for (crew chief) Rudy (Fugle), all these guys, all the engineers, all the engineers back at the shop.

 

“Just this whole race team, we’ve been through a lot this year. It’s been a lot of growing pains. It’s been tough on us. But it feels really good today to get a win.”

 

Chase Briscoe finished second; Brad Keselowski placed third; Ryan Blaney came in fourth and Ryan Preece completed the top five.

The No. 24 team never stopped coaching @WilliamByron on those final laps. pic.twitter.com/7pSsWSmzeD

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 4, 2025

Pole: Chase Briscoe

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, August 10, 2025 at 2:00 pm ET for the ‘Go Bowling at The Glen’ at Watkins Glen International.

NASCAR Xfinity

Sam Mayer Charges to 1st Xfinity Win of 2025

 

Sam Mayer took control of Saturday’s Hy-Vee Perks 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway after a Lap 221 restart and maintained it the rest of the way to record the first victory for the Haas Factory team and the first in the series for Ford this season.

 

Mayer won at Iowa for the second straight year, having triumphed in a JR Motorsports Chevrolet last season.

 

“This one’s everything right here,” Mayer said of his eighth career win. “First win for Haas Factory Team — that’s awesome. This car was fast all day long. I tried to botch it on pit road, but we didn’t.

 

“I can’t believe it. This is one of the most special wins I have. These guys (Mayer’s team), they love me to death, I love them to death, and we’re just some good ol’ boys trying to go racing.”

 

Jesse Love finished second; Ross Chastain placed third; Connor Zilisch came in fourth and Harrison Burton completed the top five.

Popped off 🍿💨#HyVeePerks250 pic.twitter.com/dBrBhSbJrs

— Iowa Speedway (@iowaspeedway) August 2, 2025

Pole: Jesse Love

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 3:00 pm ET for the ‘Mission 200 at the Glen’ at Watkins Glen International.

NASCAR Trucks

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Did Not Race

It’s Heim Time, and he’s not done yet. @CoreyHeim_ wins the 2025 Regular Season Championship! pic.twitter.com/xj65UejQvY

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) July 26, 2025

Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, August 8, 2025 at 5:00 pm ET for the ‘Mission 176 at the Glen’ at Watkins Glen International.

ARCA

Points-Leading ‘Butterbean’ Queen Races to 5th ARCA Victory of Year

 

The distance between Brenden Queen and Brent Crews in Friday night’s ARCA Menards Series Atlas 150 was .412 seconds.

 

The time between Crews and third-place finisher Lawless Alan was much more than that.

 

Queen and Crews dominated the latest ARCA race at Iowa Speedway and the man they call “Butterbean” held off a late charge from Crews to win his fifth race of the season.

 

“You have to be in it to win it, and all it takes is a lap car and you are back in it or out of it,” Queen said. “The older I get I just learn to not panic.”

 

“I thought the lap cars were going to get me again,” Queen said. “We’ve raced against each other hard, and we know how hard we can push each other. He’s super talented and we’re pushing each other to be better.

 

“With six to go, we went for the same spot and drove the wheels off it.”

 

Brent Crews finished second; Lawless Alan placed third; Isabella Robusto came in fourth and Lavar Scott completed the top five.

BUTTERBEAN QUEEN DOES IT AGAIN. The No. 28 team gets it done for another @ARCA_Racing win at Iowa Speedway! pic.twitter.com/T6COsnCBkd

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) August 2, 2025

Pole: Brent Crews

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The ARCA Menard Series will return on Friday, August 8, 2025 at 2:00 pm EST for the ‘General Tire 100 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International. 

source: NASCAR Media

NASCAR / ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Charlotte / Colorado)

Winners: Ross Chastain (Cup); William Byron (Xfinity); Corey Heim (Trucks) plus Austin Green (ARCA) and Jake Bollman (ARCA West)

Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics

 

NASCAR Cup

Ross Chastain Overtakes William Byron Late to #Win Coca-Cola 600

 

Starting from the rear of the field in a backup car his team needed all night to prepare, Ross Chastain ran down the dominant car of William Byron to win Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

 

Byron led 283 of 400 laps and swept the first three stages of NASCAR’s longest race. Chastain led the final six after diving below Byron’s Chevrolet entering Turn 1 on Lap 395 and sliding up in Turn 2 to clear Byron off the corner.

 

Chastain crossed the finish line 0.673 seconds ahead of the Hendrick Motorsports driver to win for the first time this season, the first time at Charlotte and the sixth time in his career.

 

“When I left the shop last night, I went over and sat in this car for the first time,” Chastain said. “It was about 10 o’clock when I left. They worked until 2:30. They were back at 5:30 this morning. Most of them drive 30, 45 minutes home. A little shower, I think. I don’t even know if they slept. Back there at 5:30. They get this thing ready, and that’s the dedication it takes from Trackhouse. There were people there that had their Saturdays off yesterday, and they came in.

 

“To drive on that final run in the (Coke) 600 and pass two cars that had been way better all night … (crew chief) Phil Surgen wanted me to pit two laps earlier (in the final stage). I went two laps longer (to Lap 350) just out of a little bit of confusion. Man, that paid off at the end. These Goodyear Eagles held on longer because they were a little bit fresher.

 

“Holy cow, we just won the 600!”

 

YOU READY TO CELEBRATE?! 🍻@RossChastain | #CocaCola600 pic.twitter.com/XiSsGoDwgI

— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) May 26, 2025

Pole: Chase Briscoe

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. ET for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

NASCAR Xfinity

William Byron Recovers from Penalty to #Win Xfinity Series Race

 

William Byron’s long rally from a pit-road speeding penalty put the driver of the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in Victory Lane — and left reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier heartbroken.

 

Fresh from the announcement of a four-year contract extension with Hendrick, Byron passed Allgaier for the lead through Turn 4 of the first lap of overtime at Charlotte Motor Speedway and stayed out front until a violent wreck involving Jeb Burton and Brennan Poole brought out the 11th caution of the race and froze the field.

 

By then, Connor Zilisch had taken second and Nick Sanchez third, as Allgaier faded to fourth.

 

“I was somewhat confident,” Byron said of his prospects for a rally. “I felt like if we got some yellows, it would be good, but, man, it didn’t work out the way we thought it (would). Just had a lot of green-flag running and couldn’t get back to the front.”

 

Take it for a spin, @WilliamByron! pic.twitter.com/H071v5alSw

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) May 24, 2025

Pole: Taylor Gray

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. ET for the Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway.

NASCAR Trucks

Corey Heim Dominates Charlotte; Takes 4th Truck Series #Win of 2025

 

This time, Corey Heim didn’t just slam the door on his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition — he nailed it shut.

 

Heim’s three previous 2025 wins notwithstanding, the driver of the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota has had difficulty closing out races with a dominant truck this season.

 

That was emphatically not the case on Friday night, when Heim led 98 of 134 laps and beat runner-up Ross Chastain to the finish line by 6.229 seconds in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

Heim’s first victory at Charlotte and his fourth of the season was the 15th of his Truck Series career, tying him with Matt Crafton for 10th on the all-time career wins list. At age 22, he is the youngest to reach the 15-win milestone.

 

“I felt like we’ve had the speed the last couple years here, but circumstances haven’t let us get it done,” said Heim, who has won five of the last nine Truck Series races on intermediate speedways.

 

“Obviously, it was such a good truck. I had to execute on my part. The pit crew did a great job. Just a really nice clean day. … It feels great. It feels like we’ve had a lot of opportunities to do that this year, really. Just can’t say enough about these guys. My team gave me a great Tundra, and we just really checked all of the boxes tonight. It feels great.”

 

What a move by @CoreyHeim_ to take back the lead! pic.twitter.com/cUBtp899j6

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) May 24, 2025

Pole: Gio Ruggiero

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Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, May 30, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. ET for the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway.

ARCA

Clean and Green: Austin Green Conquers Charlotte

 

 

Austin Green was not even born when his father David, the 1994 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, claimed his lone ARCA Menards Series victory at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in what turned out to be his lone start on the platform.

 

Over three decades later, Austin joined David as an ARCA Menards Series winner by putting together a dominant performance in the General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. With the triumph, Austin and David became the ninth father-son duo to visit Victory Lane in the ARCA Menards Series.

 

“Everyone at [Pinnacle Racing Group] built a rocket,” Austin said. “Hearing the gap and seeing [Sawalich] fall back was always a good feeling. They told me to slow down a little bit at the end. That was hard to do but hats off to everyone at PRG.”

 

“The biggest thing for me with these big tracks is the aero,” Austin said. “Growing up on short tracks, you didn’t really have any of that, especially on road courses as well. That’s been the biggest hurdle for me this year. I’m slowly figuring it out and it was strategic to pack dirty air on those behind you and side draft. I had a blast.”

 

🥳 Welcome to Victory Lane, @austingreen2_! pic.twitter.com/Sfs79V56us

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) May 24, 2025

Pole: Will Kimmel

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Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Friday, June 6, 20:25 at 5:00 p.m. ET for the Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway.

ARCA West

Jake Bollman Earns Bill McAnally Racing’s 100th Victory in Rain-Shortened Colorado 150

 

There were two victors in the ARCA Menards Series West’s return to Colorado National Speedway on Saturday evening, Mother Nature and Jake Bollman.

Only sixty laps in the Colorado 150 were completed before a persistent rainfall descended upon the .375-mile facility. With the weather showing no signs of dissipating, West Series officials made the decision to call Saturday’s race before the halfway point, handing Bollman his first victory after seven starts and Bill McAnally Racing’s 100th overall.

 

“What a night and what a car. This is incredible to be part of such a milestone for Bill and continue the tradition of this team in the ARCA Menards Series West. .... Bollman related. These guys did a great job preparing our NAAPA Chevrolet and this is extremely special to get a win in this paint scheme for the NAPA's 100th anniversary.”

 

The ARCA Menards Series West gets nearly a month off before making their second of two scheduled visits to Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway on June 14. The NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame will go green at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET that evening, with FloRacing providing coverage.

 

It’s time! We’re racing at Colorado National Speedway!

📺 @FloRacing pic.twitter.com/WwbrruNKdp

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) May 25, 2025

Pole: Jake Bollman

Click Here for Race Results

Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. PT for the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.

 

source: NASCAR Media

Hendrick Motorsports at Homestead-Miami

Larson; Elliott; Byron; Bowman - Coming in Hot

It may have taken Hendrick Motorsports a few years to visit victory lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but the organization has made up for lost time. 

With William Byron claiming a win at the 1.5-mile oval in 2021 and Kyle Larson following it up by prevailing in 2022, Hendrick Motorsports has claimed two of the last three events in southern Florida. 

Vice chairman and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Jeff Gordon, delivered the organization its first win at Homestead-Miami with Jimmie Johnson registering his record-tying seventh championship there in 2016, giving Hendrick Motorsports four wins since the track opened in 1999. 

Larson leads all active drivers with 625 laps led at Homestead and Chase Elliott is second in career average finish at 10.4. 

Here's a look at how the current Hendrick Motorsports roster measures up at Homestead-Miami as well as a quick look at the company's history. 

Kyle Larson Driver Averages, Homestead

Starts:	10
Wins:	1
Poles:	0
Top fives:	5
Top 10s:	5
DNFs:	2
Laps led:	625
Average start:	14.5
Average finish:	13.0

Chase Elliott Driver Averages, Homestead

Starts:	8
Wins:	0
Poles:	0
Top fives:	2
Top 10s:	3
DNFs:	0
Laps led:	31
Average start:	10.4
Average finish:	10.4

William Byron Driver Averages, Homestead

Starts:	6
Wins:	1
Poles:	1
Top fives:	2
Top 10s:	3
DNFs:	1
Laps led:	159
Average start:	16.3
Average finish:	14.8

Alex Bowman Driver Averages, Homestead

Starts:	8
Wins:	1
Poles:	0
Top fives:	0
Top 10s:	2
DNFs:	0
Laps led:	0
Average start:	18.9
Average finish:	19.9

Coming in hot. pic.twitter.com/eGxnuZuhZl

— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) October 22, 2024

Jimmie Johnson won his seventh and final NASCAR
Cup Series championship  for owner Rick Hendrick
at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2016.

Hendrick Motorsports at Homestead

Races:	25
Wins:	4
Winners:	Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, William Byron, Kyle Larson
Poles:	4
Top fives:	20
Top 10s:	39
Laps led:	1,033

 

source: Hendrick Motorsports Media

NASCAR Playoff Standings (plus ARCA)

NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Sunday, October 13, 2024 - 2:00 PM ET at Charlotte Motor Speedway 

Playoff Event - Three of Three in the Round of Twelve

 

Xfinity Series

Next Race: Saturday, October 12, 2024 - 4:00 pm ET at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Playoff Event - Three of Three in the Round of Twelve

 

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Saturday, October 26, 2024 - 12:00 pm ET at Homestead-Miami Speedway 

Playoff Event - Two of Three in the Round of Eight

 

ARCA Series

Next Race: Saturday, October 12, 2024 - 11:00 pm ET (ARCA West) 

Andres Perez has won the ARCA Menard Series Championship; the first foreign-born ARCA Menards Series champion. William Sawalich captured his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series East championship. 

Today on NASCAR Daily, @ShannonSpake catches up with @andresplg2, the first driver born outside of the United States to earn an @ARCA_Racing championship. 🇲🇽🏁 pic.twitter.com/KzbIwvBYat

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 8, 2024

The ARCA Series West has two events remaining in their 2024 Season. Sean Hingorani has a mere 5-point lead over second place Tyler Reif. Third place Trevor Huddleston, who won the last two races, is 29 points behind.

William Byron wins 2024 DAYTONA 500

Hendrick Motorsports Finishes 1-2

 

William Byron was victorious in the 2024 DAYTONA 500 – 40 years to the day that Hendrick Motorsports made its first NASCAR Cup Series start in 1984.

 

Precious cargo 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3MJZrCLJtS

— William Byron (@WilliamByron) February 20, 2024

Byron took the white flag at Daytona International Speedway and seconds later two cars went spinning through the infield following contact. With the caution coming out, Byron earned his first DAYTONA 500 win and 11th victory in the Cup Series. The win vaults Hendrick Motorsports into a tie (with Petty Enterprises) for the most triumphs by a team in "The Great American Race" and the organization is the first to win the crown jewel event in five different decades.

 

"I am just so proud of this team - this whole No. 24 Axalta Chevy team," Byron said. "Winning on the 40th anniversary to the day (of Hendrick Motorsports’ first race). Extremely blessed and thankful for all the opportunities. We just want to keep it going. We have a lot to prove this year and this is a good start.

 

"The DAYTONA 500. It’s freaking awesome. Let’s go."

 

Hendrick Motorsports swept the top-two spots in "The Great American Race" for the fourth time in team history.https://t.co/uS9NZUIlnW

— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) February 20, 2024

Alex Bowman took second to give the Rick Hendrick-owned team a 1-2 finish in the DAYTONA 500. Kyle Larson placed 11th, while Chase Elliott finished 14th.

 

Three of the four Hendrick Motorsports cars escaped damage following a big wreck with eight laps to go. Larson suffered a flat tire in the incident but could continue. The Hendrick Motorsports trio of Byron, Bowman and Elliott restarted in the first three rows with Byron controlling the inside lane for the final restart on lap 197. Byron edged ahead of Ross Chastain with four laps to go and was holding off several hard chargers before the final caution came out after the white flag. The win is also the 26-year-old driver's second at Daytona as his first win came in the summer race in 2020.

 

 

"He was already a superstar," team vice chairman Jeff Gordon said of Byron. "He just went to another level of being a superstar.

 

"I wasn’t driving the car, but I feel like I was making every lap with him out there. It’s just crazy to watch these guys do what they do, do it so well and to watch them from this side of it. It makes me so happy, so proud. We’re going to celebrate. This is an amazing win, a huge win."

 

Byron's four laps led in the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 all came at the end of the race. Starting at the back of the field for moving to a backup car, he was the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to score stage points in the opening two stages as he finished fifth in stage one and sixth in stage two. In the final stage, Byron methodically worked through the draft to get into the top 10 after restarting the last segment in 21st. After pitting for fuel only with 19 laps to go, he rejoined the race in eighth and rode the middle lane to get into second with Bowman behind him before the caution for "The Big One" came out with eight laps to go.

 

"You just don’t know how these races are going to end and you have to try to put yourself in a great spot," Byron said. "I felt like our team did a great job all day just putting ourselves in position and it’s pretty incredible."

 

Bowman's second-place finish marks his best result in the DAYTONA 500 and is his second straight top-five finish at the 2.5-mile track. Starting the race in the seventh position, the 30-year-old driver noted he was a little free in the opening stage and was able to finish fourth. In stage two, Bowman placed 18th as the No. 48 Ally Racing team elected to protect their car for the final stage with the pack getting dicey. Bowman spent much of the final stage in the top 10, using the inside lane to his advantage to gain spots. After getting up to third for the final restart, Bowman chose the outside lane behind Chastain. He was unable to run down his teammate before the end of the race.

 

"Proud of William (Byron) and his team. They deserved it there at the end," Bowman said. "They did all the right things and I feel like we did too there at the end. Had to go up and block the top lane and that just hurt the middle for a bit. We got the middle back rolling and then they all started crashing.

 

"Proud of everybody on this No. 48 Ally Chevy team. Super pumped for everybody at Hendrick Motorsports. It’s 40 years to the day since the first Hendrick Motorsports race, so really cool to see William in victory lane."

 

 

 

source: Hendrick Motorsports Media

William Byron Looks to Lock Down Championship 4 Spot at Martinsville

Six #Wins, Eight Stage Wins and Twenty Top-10 Finishes,

 

William Byron enters the Round of 8 finale of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Martinsville Speedway in an advantageous position. The driver of the No. 24 PODS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 holds a 30-point lead on the elimination line.

 

Earning a spot in the Championship 4 would be a first for Byron in the Cup Series. The deepest he has gone in the postseason has been the Round of 8 (both this year to date and last year).

 

 

"We spent this week digging through notes from earlier this year and last at Martinsville (Speedway)," Byron said for how he and the team have prepared for this weekend’s race. "There was a wheel force test last week running the new tire so the teams could get information. We’re just trying to use what we have to hopefully get the car in a good place for when it’s unloaded.

 

"The fun thing about racing is you’re trying to get to the final four to go for a championship but it comes down to we all want to win every week. When you peel away all the layers of racing, it’s all about winning. We do the same processes every week with the goal of winning. That’s our number one goal still, and there’s nothing like having winning momentum heading into Phoenix (Raceway)."

 

While Byron has had a great 2023 season with series-best marks in wins (six), stage wins (eight) and top-10 finishes (20), he has elevated his consistency over the last 10 races. In that stretch (from Watkins Glen International to the Homestead-Miami Speedway playoff race), he leads the series in points (413), top-five finishes (six), top-10s (nine) and average finish (5.30). The Charlotte, North Carolina, native, is tied for the most wins (two) and runner-up finishes (two) in that span. He also holds the second-best average running position in the playoffs (8.53).

 

Heading to Martinsville, the Virginia short track has been a strong one for Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle. In their five races together at the 0.526-mile track, they have posted a win (April 2022), three top-five finishes, four top-10s, 221 laps led and an average finish of 8.00.

 

This is the second year that Byron comes into the Martinsville race with a chance to advance to the title round. Last year, he carried a five-point advantage on the cutline but came up a little short in his bid to reach the title round. That disappointment has served as motivation throughout the season for Byron.

 

"Just the way we felt at Martinsville (Speedway) and how that moment felt is what we will try to work on this year," Byron said. "I think we learned a lot in that pressure situation (last year) and given that same situation again we will do a lot better."

 

The No. 24 pit crew has been at the top of the board all year when it comes to the fastest average four-tire pit stop time. They lead the series at 10.940 seconds and further improved their numbers last weekend with the fastest average four-tire stop time (9.986 seconds) at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).

 

"They give us a lot of confidence, especially when we are in contention for wins and in contention to run up front," Byron said of his pit crew. "The guys seem to elevate their game when those moments happen. They have been consistent all season."

 

 

Byron is looking to become the fifth Hendrick Motorsports driver to reach the Championship 4 in the elimination playoff era (joining Jeff Gordon in 2015, Jimmie Johnson in 2016, Chase Elliott in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and Kyle Larson in 2021 and 2023). Larson is already locked in with his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to open the Round of 8.

 

Tune in on Sunday, Oct. 29, to watch Byron and the No. 24 team push forward in the playoffs at Martinsville. Coverage of the 500-lap race will be at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

 

#WallpaperWednesday PODS edition. pic.twitter.com/QH5sMMLHCK

— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) October 25, 2023

 

source: Hendrick Motorsports Media

NASCAR Cup - Round of 12 Elimination Race

A lot on the line in Playoffs’ Elimination Race at the Charlotte Road Course

 

The intense NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 comes down to this weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for the Bank of America ROVAL 400 elimination-race at 2 p.m. ET this Sunday, October 8 on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

 

The 12-driver Playoff field will be cut to eight as four driver’s title hopes will come to an end this weekend. Ever since the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course has joined the NASCAR Cup Series postseason in 2018, it has proven to be a wildcard event with twists and turns that challenge the competitors along its multi-elevational 2.32-miles. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron (Texas winner) and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney (Talladega winner) have won their way into the Round of 8, leaving six of the eight spots still available come Sunday.

 

.@TylerReddick gets it done!

He wins the #BuschLightPole and will lead the field to green tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/seLd4gYGjX

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 7, 2023

Construction began on Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) in 1959 and the track’s first NASCAR Cup Series race was held on June 19, 1960 – won by Joe Lee Johnson in a Chevrolet. But it wasn’t until 2017, that the track underwent renovations to add what is now known as the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (ROVAL), a 2.32-mile, 17-turn, multi-elevational road course that incorporates the oval portion of the track.

 

This season will be the sixth-time the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course has hosted a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race (2018-2023) and the 2.32-mile track has occupied two different spots on the series postseason schedule – from 2018-2019 the Charlotte Road Course hosted the third race in the Playoffs (Round of 16 elimination race) and from 2020-2023 the sixth race in the Playoffs (Round of 12 elimination race).

 

The Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (2020-2022) is the fourth different track to host the sixth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004-Present); joining Martinsville Speedway (2004-2010), Talladega Superspeedway (2011, 2013-2016) and Kansas Speedway (2012, 2017-2019).

 

From 2018-2019, the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course hosted the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – Ryan Blaney won the event in 2018 and Chase Elliott won the race in 2019.

 

A total of 12 different drivers have won the sixth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, led by Jimmie Johnson with four postseason victories – all at Martinsville Speedway (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008). Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with three victories (2009, 2010, 2019) in the sixth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

 

Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in Charlotte ROVAL wins with two (2019, 2020). Elliott did not make the Championship ‘Chase’ this year.

 

 

Here are the playoff standings and clinching scenarios entering Charlotte:

 

1. William Byron – Clinched with win at Texas
2. Ryan Blaney – Clinched with win at Talladega
3. Denny Hamlin, +50 points above the cut line 
1. • Clinches with eight points (29th-place finish without stage points)
4. Christopher Bell, +22 points above the cut line 
1. • Clinches with 36 points
5. Chris Buescher, +19 points above the cut line 
1. • Clinches with 39 points
6. Martin Truex Jr., +17 points above the cut line 
1. • Clinches with 41 points
7. Kyle Larson, +15 points above the cut line
1. • Clinches with 43 points
8. Brad Keselowski, +2 points above the cut line
9. Tyler Reddick, -2 points below the cut line
10. Bubba Wallace, -9 points below the cut line
11. Ross Chastain, -10 points below the cut line
12. Kyle Busch, -26 points below the cut line

 

“If you have a catastrophic issue — or not even catastrophic, but just an issue — earlier in the day that puts you a lap down or something, you’re in big trouble,” Christopher Bell, who won last year’s roval race stated. “While we are in a really good spot and I’m thankful for that, we still have to dot our I’s and cross our T’s.”

 

“Me over-trying has sort of hurt my racecraft, if you will, where I haven’t been finishing, frankly,” Kyle Busch said. “With me and this Next Gen car, look at how many times I’ve spun out and crashed. It’s just stupid compared to what it has been over time. I’ve still got some work to do on figuring that out.”

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

NASCAR Cup Playoffs Heat Up

Talladega Superspeedway - YellaWood 500

 

Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron grabbed the win at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend securing his spot in the next round of the postseason, leaving the remaining 11 contenders still vying for one of the spots in the Round of 8 with two races left in the Round of 12 – Talladega Superspeedway  and Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.

 

This weekend the competitors will have to face one of the biggest hurdles in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as Talladega Superspeedway opens the gates and unleashes its 2.66-miles of asphalt with 33 degrees of banking in the turns for today’s YellaWood 500 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

 

• Next Race: YellaWood 500
• The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
• The Date: Sunday, October 1
• The Time: 2 p.m. ET
• The Purse: $8,806,315
• TV: NBC, 1 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
• Distance: 500 miles (188 Laps)
• Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60)
• Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120)
• Final Stage (Ends on Lap 188)

57 of our 300 wins have come in the playoffs. Let’s break down the most recent one.@WilliamByron | @Hendrick24Team pic.twitter.com/9Y09vS3hZZ

— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) September 29, 2023

 

source: NASCAR Media

Hendrick Motorsports Engines Earn Milestone 500th Victory

With Kyle Larson's win in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, the Hendrick Motorsports engine department has now recorded its milestone 500th win. 

Larson started the race 18th in the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and wasted no time moving up through the field. He was in the top 10 by lap 27 and got to the top five by lap 70. The 31-year-old driver finished the opening 115-lap stage in third and came in second in stage two. Early in the final stage, he fell back to fifth after he hit the wall and got hung in neutral. He regained his momentum following a pit stop that cycled him out in fourth. As the caution came out on lap 311, Larson was starting to head towards pit road but alertly stayed out on track.


On the ensuing pit stop under yellow, the No. 5 pit crew got Larson the lead off of pit road with a 10.11-second stop. That stop was by the five-man crew of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tie carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer). From there, he led the final 55 laps and held off challenges from Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher on multiple restarts to earn the victory. 

 

"Just proud of the team, proud of (team owner) Rick Hendrick, (vice chairman) Jeff Gordon, (team president) Jeff Andrews, (vice president of competition) Chad Knaus and everybody at the Hendrick (Motorsports) engine shop," Larson said after his win in the Southern 500 at Darlington. "500 wins, that's incredible. Congratulations to each and every one of you at the shop for all your hard work."

 

The bulk of the NASCAR national series wins for the engine shop have come in the NASCAR Cup Series. In fact, Hendrick Motorsports' teams (in all three series) are responsible for 309 of the engine wins. 

 

 

Hendrick Motorsports engine wins by the numbers:

• NASCAR Cup Series: 356 wins
• NASCAR Xfinity Series: 122 wins
• NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series: 22 wins

 

• Win No. 1: Geoff Bodine (in the No. 5 car) at Martinsville Speedway on April 29, 1984
• Win No. 100: Jimmie Johnson (in the No. 48) at Dover Motor Speedway on June 2, 2002
• Win No. 200: Mark Martin (in the No. 5) at Phoenix Raceway on April 18, 2009
• Win No. 300: Chase Elliott (in the No. 9 for JR Motorsports-Xfinity Series) at Darlington Raceway on April 11, 2014
• Win No. 400: Kyle Larson (in the No. 42 for Chip Ganassi Racing-Xfinity Series) at Daytona International Speedway on July 6, 2018
• Win No. 500: Kyle Larson (in the No. 5) at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 3, 2023

 

"When you look back, there’s so many monumental wins that are in that number," Andrews told HendrickMotorsports.com. "So many different drivers and so many different race series. I think it’s a testament of perseverance. A testament of hard work and dedication to achieve something like that. The good news is that (engine) group is nowhere near slowing down. There’s a lot of wins in their future."

 

A historic day for the engine department. Congratulations on 500 wins in NASCAR. pic.twitter.com/3YlqmjIxRD

— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) September 4, 2023

 

Larry Zentmeyer has worked in the engine shop at Hendrick Motorsports for 35 years. He has been part of the company for all but 15 of its 299 Cup Series points-paying wins and he summed up the milestone very succinctly. 

 

"You never think about that stuff (while working)," Zentmeyer said. "A lot of things have to go right. To think that something has gone right 500 times, that’s pretty unbelievable."

 

Currently, the engine shop supplies Chevrolet engines to Hendrick Motorsports, JTG Daugherty Racing and Spire Motorsports in the Cup Series as well as JR Motorsports, DGM Racing and its own partial schedule efforts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In the past, the engine department also provided engines for a number of programs including: Darrell Waltrip’s Cup Series operation, Chip Ganassi Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing – when the latter two raced Chevrolets.

 

The engine shop is the backbone of Hendrick Motorsports’ campus. That was very evident to Gordon, a NASCAR Hall of Famer and the team vice chairman, before he even drove his first race car for the organization en route to become a four-time Cup Series champion.

 

"It’s really special because when I came to Hendrick Motorsports, the thing that was evident to me right away, but especially after I drove my first Hendrick Motorsports car, was the engine shop," Gordon told HendrickMotorsports.com. "A lot of things in this company centered around the engine shop. The horsepower, the reliability and the pride that goes into that area of Hendrick Motorsports. I was right away at an advantage against my competitors when I was able to step on the throttle pedal and feel that kind of power. 

 

"… I always loved hearing when the engine shop would come to me and say, 'Oh, we got you a couple more horsepower this time. I think you’re going to like this.' It made my life and my job a lot easier. They always put a big smile on my face for that."

 

Race wins in crown jewel events for Hendrick Motorsports engines:

• Eight DAYTONA 500 victories (1993*, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2023*)
• 11 Coca-Cola 600 victories (1994, 1995*, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2021)
• 11 Brickyard 400 victories at Indianapolis (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013*, 2014, 2017)
• 13 Southern 500 victories at Darlington Raceway (1992*, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014*, 2023)

*-Win was by a team other than Hendrick Motorsports

 

 

When it comes to horsepower, there is no clearer example than Daytona International Speedway and the season-opening DAYTONA 500. Dating back to 2015, Hendrick Motorsports engines have won the last nine pole positions for NASCAR’s biggest race – eight have come for the four-car organization with JTG Daugherty taking one as well. 

 

"We always take pride in having speed and winning a pole in Daytona," Hendrick Motorsports director of powertrain Scott Maxim said. "To do that takes the hands of everyone. There’s a contribution from everybody. What’s enjoyable is having that collaborative effort together. Knowing that you cannot do it alone. Accomplishing that together is certainly very satisfying."

 

Sustained excellence is a hallmark of not just the engine shop, but the Rick Hendrick-owned company as well. The engine program’s 16 Cup Series championships – all 14 Hendrick Motorsports’ titles and two for SHR – are a top example of that. The engine shop is also responsible for four Xfinity Series championships and one Camping World Truck Series title. 

"The only way you win championships is by having reliability," Gordon said. "To mix those two together, the power and the reliability, is a tremendous combination. Now as an executive, I go over there and I see every day the way people handle themselves and the pride that they take in doing that job and supplying great horsepower to our teams and drivers."

 

Championships won with Hendrick Motorsports engines: 
NASCAR Cup Series: 16 titles 

• Jeff Gordon: 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001
• Terry Labonte: 1996
• Jimmie Johnson: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016
• Tony Stewart: 2011 (SHR)
• Kevin Harvick: 2014 (SHR)
• Chase Elliott: 2020
• Kyle Larson: 2021

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series: Four titles 

• Brian Vickers: 2003 
• Elliott: 2014 (JRM)
• William Byron: 2017 (JRM)
• Tyler Reddick: 2018 (JRM)

 

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series: One title 

• James Buescher: 2012 (Turner Scott Motorsports)

 

 

 

Zentmeyer started his 35-year-and-counting career as a machinist and is currently the manager of production for the CNC manufacturing group. During his time at the organization, he has seen plenty of growth and attributes the engine shop as being a driving force behind that. 

 

"The engine shop has always done a lot of stuff in house whether its cylinder prep, intake manifolds and much more, so there is a lot of pride in that. That we did that or have been able to accomplish that," Zentmeyer explained to HendrickMotorsports.com. "We had all the manual lathes and manual mills and then we transitioned into computer-controlled machines. One of the first projects we ever took on was porting cylinder heads with a CNC machine. We weren’t the first ones to do it, but we were able to do all that and bring all that in house. 

 

"That migrated over to the department I’m leading now, which is CNC manufacturing. To go from bridgeports and manual lathes to where now you’ve got over 40-something CNC machines on the complex, I think the engine shop had a good push making all that happen. We are a manufacturing facility and the engine shop as it grew throughout the years, pushed that. We needed to have the capabilities of doing this and then this and then it turns into, 'Look what we can do now.' The engine shop was at the forefront of pushing that and that was because of Randy (Dorton)."

 

 

Dorton’s launch of the engine program and his leadership had a tremendous impact on Hendrick Motorsports – both in the organization’s rise to prominence as the team to beat in the Cup Series ranks and in its innovation. Upon acquiring Dorton’s company, Competition Engines, in 1984, team owner Rick Hendrick invited Dorton to join the organization. Two years later, he was named NASCAR’s Engine Builder of the Year and he helped power the organization for nine championships across NASCAR’s national series. He was also involved in research and development for both the race team and General Motors. The North Carolina native served as the director of engine operations up until his passing in an Oct. 24, 2004 plane accident.

 

The engine shop served as the starting point for Andrews’ career at the company and he credits Dorton with building a family-like atmosphere within the walls of the engine shop. From 1992 to 2016, Andrews worked in a variety of positions in the department, including the director of engine operations. 

 

"I started there and learned a tremendous amount from Randy, who mentored me up through that program through the years," Andrews told HendrickMotorsports.com. "Certainly having him as a mentor not only on mechanical things of engine processes and assembling processes and practices, but on how to treat people and how important the people are to an organization. As Mr. Hendrick will always say, 'the people are our most important asset.' 

 

"Having worked under Randy and come up through his ranks in his engine program and being involved in that group, it’s just a tremendous opportunity that was given to me that I’ll never forget through my career. I still have a lot of great friends up there in the engine shop. I see a lot of people that have been there as long as I was in that program. It’s great for me to see all of the young people getting an opportunity to start underneath that roof and work in that organization that Randy started many years ago.

 

"It’s a testament to the practices, the people and the principals that Mr. Hendrick puts in place that when people move on or people go elsewhere, the engine shop continues to go on and be successful. I’m super proud of that group and everybody up there."

 

 

source: Hendrick Motorsports Media