Posted on by Pat DeCola

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of four stories examining why each driver could win the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Tuesday: Denny Hamlin
Wednesday: Brad Keselowski
Thursday: Chase Elliott
Friday: Joey Logano

• • •

Brad Keselowski will win the 2020 championship because …

He’s likely to have the fastest car this weekend.

Two of the most dominant performances of 2020 came out of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford at New Hampshire and Richmond, with Keselowski leading close to 400 combined laps en route to victory in those two races. Additionally, those two tracks are perhaps closest in nature to Phoenix’s layout, with the same rules package — one in which Keselowski has arguably performed better than anyone this year — used for all three. Crew chief Jeremy Bullins will bring the same car that won both contests to the desert this weekend to complete the hat trick.

Assuming that car holds up to the rigors of another race (remember, there’s no practice or qualifying to fine-tune, make adjustments or uncover anything seemingly awry), there’s no reason to think the No. 2 Ford won’t be one of, if not the, fastest cars on the track Sunday.

RELATED: Ranking all 12 Championship 4 drivers

But a fast car can only go as far as the driver behind the steering wheel is willing to take it, and the 2012 champ has done his part this year to squeeze just about everything out of his ride.

Keselowski’s 2020 season is on an even pace with his title-winning season (that was somehow almost a decade ago), and the pair square off at the top of his resume for the best two campaigns of his career.

2012: 5 wins, 13 top fives, 23 top 10s, 10.1 average finish, 735 laps led

2020: 4 wins, 12 top fives, 24 top 10s, 10.3 average finish, 936 laps led

For much of the regular season since the sport resumed from a two-month break in the spring, Keselowski was in that tier just below the untouchables in Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, all four of his wins coming since May. Now that one of those drivers (Harvick) is eliminated and the other has had a somewhat up-and-down postseason run, this could be the perfect opportunity for the Cup veteran to land his second title in his first Championship 4 appearance since 2017.

As far as Phoenix goes, Keselowski by his own admission is snake-bitten at the desert track, seeing another win slip from his grasp this past spring after leading 82 laps in March and eventually watching his teammate and fellow Championship 4 driver celebrating in Victory Lane while he came home 11th. Keselowski has just two top 10s there the last six races, though one was a runner-up finish.

Phoenix, however, has not been an entirely barren wasteland for him, nearly producing a season sweep in 2014 with a victory in the spring race and a P2 in the fall. 

If Keselowski and Bullins can put all the pieces together and the hot rod they’re bringing to the track holds up to the high standard it has set, Keselowski could cruise to his second Cup Series title and further cement his NASCAR Hall of Fame resume.

MORE: Brad Keselowski through the years

Posted on by Staff Report

Chase Elliott won the Busch Pole Award for Sunday’s season-ending race at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), which hosts the championship weekend for the NASCAR Playoffs this year for the first time.

The Cup Series lineup was determined using NASCAR’s competition-based formula, which is a total number based on the series’ previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position.

RELATED: Learn more about the new lineup formula

Joining Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on the front row will be Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

In the majority of national series events since NASCAR’s May return, starting lineups have been set by random draws. This structure, first introduced in early August, draws on performance from both individual races and season-long results, rather than leaving a range of starting spots up to chance.

See the full starting lineup for Sunday’s race below (P = playoff eligible):

Start Driver Car # Team
1 Chase Elliott (P) 9 Hendrick Motorsports
2 Joey Logano (P) 22 Team Penske
3 Brad Keselowski (P) 2 Team Penske
4 Denny Hamlin (P) 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
5 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
6 Alex Bowman 88 Hendrick Motorsports
7 Kurt Busch 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
8 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
9 Clint Bowyer 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
10 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
11 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
12 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Woods Brothers Racing
13 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
14 Erik Jones 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
15 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
16 Matt Kenseth 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
17 Christopher Bell 95 Leavine Family Racing
18 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
19 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
20 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
21 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
22 Ty Dillon 13 Germain Racing
23 Bubba Wallace 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
24 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
25 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
26 Jimmie Johnson 48 Hendrick Motorsports
27 John Hunter Nemechek 38 Front Row Motorsports
28 Corey LaJoie 32 Go Fas Racing
29 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
30 Daniel Suarez 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing
31 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
32 JJ Yeley 27 Rick Ware Racing
33 Timmy Hill 66 Motorsports Business Management
34 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
35 Brennan Poole 15 Premium Motorsports
36 James Davison 53 Rick Ware Racing
37 Joey Gase 51 Petty Ware Racing
38 Josh Bilicki 77 Spire Motorsports
39 Garrett Smithley 7 Tommy Baldwin Racing
Posted on by Staff Report

On Thursday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. ET, The NASCAR Foundation will host a live stream announcement on NASCAR.com to reveal the winner of the 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.

Each of the four finalists will be celebrated with a “watch party” in their markets, hosted by the following:

  • Nashville Superspeedway will host Daryl Farler (Amputee Blade Runners) at the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation
  • Daytona International Speedway will host Charlene Greer (Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia / Flagler Counties)
  • Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta will host Larry Jordan (Angel Flight Soars)
  • Richard Childress Racing Museum will host Rich Langley (Roc Solid Foundation)

Each of these finalists has secured a minimum $25,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to their chosen children’s charity. The live-stream announcement follows the culmination of an online fan vote to determine the winner of a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation.

Only a few chances remain to cast your vote at NASCARfoundation.org/Award. Voting closes Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Noon ET.

Posted on by Staff Report

Jimmie Johnson will wheel a special silvery No. 48 Chevrolet in his final race as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver.

RELATED: Phoenix weekend schedule

On Tuesday, Hendrick Motorsports revealed the paint scheme for Johnson’s No. 48 in Sunday’s Cup Series finale at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM). The familiar purple colors of primary sponsor Ally will have a silver backdrop for the 312-lap race, which will mark Johnson’s transition into the next stage of his motorsports career.

Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates will also pay tribute to the seven-time champion, as the cars for title contender Chase Elliott and teammates Alex Bowman and William Byron will sport yellow numbers, which have been a trademark of Johnson’s rides during his career.

HMS offered a behind-the-scenes look at Johnson’s final-ride design Tuesday:

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials issued fines to two teams Tuesday for lug-nut infractions during last weekend’s races at Martinsville Speedway.

In the Cup Series, officials found the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with one lug nut not safely secured after finishing ninth in Sunday’s Xfinity 500. Crew chief Adam Stevens was fined $10,000 for the safety violation specified in Section 10.9.10.4 in the NASCAR Rule Book.

RELATED: No Martinsville penalties for No. 20 team

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of runner-up Justin Allgaier was also found with one unsecured lug nut in a post-race check after Saturday’s Draft Top 250. Officials handed No. 7 crew chief Jason Burdett a $5,000 fine.

Posted on by NASCAR.com

Name: Balyn
Current City: Rohnert Park, California
Member Since: 2011

Getting to KNOW BALYN:
​Q. ​ How did you first become interested in NASCAR?
“In the late 80’s I saw Rusty Wallace driving the No. 27 Pontiac Kodiak car and decided to watch. I watched because of how the car looked but as I learned about the driver; I became a Rusty Wallace fan and was hooked on NASCAR.”

Q. What is your favorite part about NASCAR?
“I love NASCAR for its American values, hard work, community; How we pray, sing, and kick off races.”

Q. What is your favorite NASCAR memory?
“Watching Rusty Wallace get his 55th and final career win At Martinsville.”

Q. Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?
Driver: “Brad Keselowski.”
Track: “Martinsville Speedway.”
OEM: “Ford.”
Sponsors: “Miller; I fell in love with the Midnight paint scheme, that’s always what I think of first.”

Q. What are some of your race day traditions?
“My Father and I go to our local racetrack (Sonoma Raceway) every year to watch the NASCAR Cup race.”

Q. What are some of your hobbies?
“Hang out with my family and take day trips in our area like hike, shop, catch a show, hit the beach or snow.”

FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK BALYN FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2020!

Look for Balyn on the Official NASCAR Fan Council page on NASCAR.COM.

Posted on by Staff Report

Nick Ottinger is finally an eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series champion — and $100,000 richer.

The 26-year-old sim-racing veteran has been a fixture in iRacing’s top-level series, but despite 16 wins over nine years, he’d never hoisted the champion’s trophy. That all changed in Monday night’s championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, when Ottinger, the William Byron eSports driver, outdueled Bobby Zalenski on a triple-overtime restart to nab a fourth-place finish — the highest finisher among four championship finalists — good enough to win the title.

RELATED: Ottinger gets emotional post race | Zalenski, Luza crash racing for title in closing laps

Fellow championship contender Ryan Luza looked like the driver to beat from the start, quickly taking the top spot from polesitter Keegan Leahy, who narrowly missed the Championship 4 after a late elimination. Luza swapped the lead with Zalenski back and forth throughout the opening run of the race, neither able to establish themselves as the dominant car.

The Championship 4 employed different strategies throughout the long green-flag run that opened the race; Ottinger opted to pit early on Lap 45, while Michael Conti made the decision to stay out until halfway — a contrarian call designed to minimize green-flag time on pit road and save tires in the event of late-race restarts.

A Lap 91 caution that flew just after Luza, the leader, had made his way down pit road under green looked as though he might have blown his chance at the title early; however, luck was on his side, as he was able to complete service and retake the lead as the rest of the leaders pitted under caution.

As the race progressed, Conti’s contrarian strategy looked like it may have been the way to outsmart the others — neglecting to pit after the second caution with 30 to go — but he quickly went backwards as the laps wound down.

In the closing laps, with Conti and Ottinger seemingly out of contention, the championship battle turned into a toss-up between Luza and Ottinger. But with $100,000 on the line, it meant a fight for every position.

With three laps to go, a battle for the lead between Luza and Ottinger ended Luza’s hopes at a second title when the two collided, sending the Williams Esports Ford hard into the outside wall.

As the lap counter increased — well into overtime category — so did the desperation. Out of fresh tires on pit road, Zalenski was forced to reckon with a hungry field of drivers, while Ottinger and Conti lurked deeper in the field, having saved a set of tires in the event of such a late final run.

With each overtime restart, Zalenski’s older tires proved more and more vulnerable. Chris Shearburn, a veteran of the series, emerged as a contender for the race win as most eyes were on the three-way championship battle.
Shearburn controlled the final restart of the race — in triple-overtime — while Zalenski desperately tried to hold off his hard-charging rivals in the final two laps.

Conti wasn’t able to advance much further through the field, while Ottinger dared to find — or make — any hole possible. Ultimately, with the white flag in the air, Ottinger made the $100,000 move past Zalenski and never looked back, finishing fourth.

Shearburn, meanwhile, went on to win the race, becoming the oldest winner in Coca-Cola iRacing Series history at 39 years and one day old. It was his first win in 71 races, and the first victory for Letarte Esports.

Chris Overland finished a career-best second, while Eric J. Smith finished third.

The championship for Ottinger was an emotional and hard-fought one, especially given an Internet outage at home in the week leading up to the race.

In addition to the championship battle, Monday night also meant it was the last chance for drivers to clinch their spot in next year’s Coca-Cola iRacing Series field by finishing top 20 in points. In the end, defending series champion Zack Novak was among those who didn’t make the cut, meaning he’ll need to re-qualify for the series over the winter through the iRacing Pro Series.

Ottinger’s championship meant the first title for William Byron eSports — in the team’s first season.

And now, after nine seasons, 150 races, 16 wins, Nick Ottinger is finally an eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series champion.

MORE coverage at eNASCAR.com

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials said Monday that no penalty would be issued to the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team after a review of a late-race situation in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff event at Martinsville Speedway.

Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Monday morning that officials would review a contest for position between Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin (No. 11 team) and Erik Jones (No. 20 team) in the closing laps of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 for potential playoff implications.

Hamlin finished 11th — one spot ahead of Jones — and qualified for the field of four championship finalists in Sunday’s season finale.

“After conducting a review of the on-track competition and 20 team radio communication from Sunday’s race at Martinsville, NASCAR will not issue any penalties to the 20 team,” a statement read.

MORE: How the Championship 4 shook out | Martinsville results

Jones, in his next-to-last race with Joe Gibbs Racing, made repeated contact with his teammate’s bumper as the laps ticked down. Rick Carelli, spotter for Jones and the No. 20 JGR team, told his driver, “Don’t pass him, Jones. Stay with him and drive what you can.” Hamlin’s 11th-place finish — just a few car-lengths ahead of his teammate — was enough to claim a Championship 4 berth on the basis of points.

Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Wally Brown said Monday that there was no “team orders” directive that governed how the four-car organization’s drivers competed against each other.

“It’s just not the way we race,” Brown said. “Obviously if you listen to that whole transcript, there was a lot of talk about point implications across the board from multiple teams. Let’s face it, I mean, at that point in time, Denny was not going to let him around. They probably would have crashed if they would have tried to. … The stakes are high. You’re not going to give up those spots, you’re going to do everything you can.”

Chris Gabehart, crew chief for Hamlin’s No. 11, said that the contest was “just racing,” noting in the previous week’s race at Texas Motor Speedway that Busch did not let up for teammate Martin Truex Jr., who finished a close second as he chased a win and an automatic Championship 4 spot.

“I can certainly tell you where Martinsville was concerned, Erik was doing plenty of what he was needed to do to the 11’s back bumper to try to get by him,” Gabehart said. “If there were some sort of team orders on, he wouldn’t have been beating our back bumper. I think Denny was very determined to not get passed, he knew how important it was, he was very difficult to pass, and that’s how it played out.”

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Shortly after crossing the finish line for his first win at Martinsville Speedway to make the Championship 4, Chase Elliott admitted that a performance under pressure is what the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team was lacking.

It’s safe to say they have found that missing piece and it doesn’t look like they’ll be losing it any time soon.

“Oh, my gosh, this is the biggest win ever for us,” Elliott said. “I’m just so proud to be able to be backed into a corner like that and have to win tonight. I feel like that’s what we’ve been missing these past four or five years and perform when we don’t have a choice. And, to do that tonight; we couldn’t ask for a better night. This is unreal.”

ADVANCING: Championship 4 set for Phoenix

Now, the NASCAR Cup Series’ Most Popular Driver will compete for a championship in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway next Sunday for the first time in his fifth full-time season. Chevrolet hasn’t appeared in the final playoff round since 2016 when Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson earned his record-tying seventh title.

On a chilly fall Sunday evening in Martinsville, Virginia, it appeared a changing-of-the-guard moment had occurred at Hendrick Motorsports with Elliott’s fourth win of the 2020 season and the 10th of his young career.

“These are all moments that I’ve never experienced and moments we haven’t done yet as a team,” Elliott said. “I think it’s huge for me personally. I think it’s huge for our team as a whole; each and every person that puts in time and effort to try to make our program work. I think that when you’re able to be in a position that we were in like we were tonight to try to perform and go and do that, I think everybody gains a lot of confidence from it.

“We proved to ourselves that we could do it,” he added. “I think we also believed that we could do it, but to go out there and actually achieve it is something that we haven’t experienced yet as a group. … We want to assert ourselves among those people who can make it (to the Championship 4) consistently. I feel like we’re very capable of doing that.”

Although Elliott led a dominant and career-high 236 of the 500 laps in the Xfinity 500 Round of 8 elimination race, it was far from easy for the No. 9 team. On Lap 351, Elliott was originally penalized when it appeared the jackman went over the wall too soon during a round of pit stops under caution. The penalty was rescinded, however, after further review by NASCAR officials, discovering the crew member re-established his place on the pit wall after realizing his mistake, which is permitted in the NASCAR Rule Book.

The clutch move saved Elliott from dropping back to the rear of the field in the final stage. It also proved that not only is Elliott capable of rising to the occasion in a pressure-packed situation, but the team can do the same.

“We’ve been trying to take this step now for the last two or three years and I feel like we’ve been really ready to do it and able to do it,” said crew chief Alan Gustafson. “We have not done it when it mattered. Today, we were able to overcome some pretty tough circumstances at Texas and come here really in a must-win situation and being able to do it was great.”

With Elliott earning his first grandfather clock with his Martinsville win, has the time come for the next generation of drivers to start winning championships?

We’ll have to wait a week to find out, but as Elliott prepares to cap off his most successful season to date with a potential title in Phoenix, the veteran-like mindset he has developed will not waver as he enters the most pivotal moment of his career.

“I think if we sit back, start worrying about who is favorite, who is not, who is the underdog, getting everybody running their mouths deal, I’m just not about that,” Elliott said. “I think it’s unproductive. We’re going to worry about ourselves, try to give it our best shot to win.”