Posted on by Zack Albert

Crew chief Alan Gustafson insists there’s no secret sauce.

No, there’s no clandestine rocket booster or tire stick-um in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that have helped Chase Elliott deftly handle the NASCAR Cup Series’ left-right-left circuits to the tune of four consecutive road-course wins.

“Yeah, I think it’s him. I think we have Chase Elliott. That’s the difference,” said Gustafson, shortly after the team’s most recent triumph, Sunday’s rally and romp in the Bank of America Roval 400. “He’s really, really good. I don’t know what else to say. I think his performances speak for themselves.”

RELATED: Elliott lands Roval repeat | Race results

Elliott has become the even-money favorite for NASCAR’s occasional diversions from its mostly oval-track schedule, and Sunday’s repeat taming of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval — 2.28 miles of 17-turn mayhem, in partial rain, no less — became his latest act. He’s only the second Cup Series driver in NASCAR history to rack up four straight road-course victories; the other is Hendrick Motorsports legend Jeff Gordon, who once won six straight on the series’ most twisty layouts.

Elliott’s streak stretches back to August 2019 and includes a Watkins Glen International triumph, two Roval wins and a one-off victory at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Asked what to make of his not-so-sudden rise to road-racing mastery, the 24-year-old Elliott shrugs with an aw-shucks Georgia twang.

“No, we definitely don’t show up just expecting to be good. We show up trying to be better than we were last time,” said Elliott, who secured his third victory of the season, pushing him into the next round of the NASCAR Playoffs. “I thought we did that today. I thought our car was better than it was here last year. I thought I was better than I was last year. Didn’t pile-drive the barriers this time.”

So while Elliott replicated his 2019 Roval victory, he skipped a re-enactment of his famed unforced error, where he nosed the No. 9 Chevy into the Turn 1 retaining tires, yet somehow roared back to victory. This year, instead of having to rally from an oft-memed moment, Elliott had to come back after an unscheduled pit stop just before the start of Stage 3 to tighten a loose wheel.

MORE: Who’s in, who’s out for Round of 8

In just 30 laps after the miscue, Elliott & Co. had used some pit strategy and steady-smooth driving to eventually regain the lead, a methodical march to the front that wasn’t lost on his rivals.

“I hate to say we’ll take second and be happy with second, but no one was going to beat that 9 car today, I can tell you that much,” said runner-up Joey Logano, whose best efforts still had his No. 22 Ford sitting 3.895 seconds behind Elliott at the checkered flag. “Geez, he’s smoking around here. Their road-course stuff with Chase and Alan and those guys are light‑years ahead of us. Not even close. They’re definitely booking. We got to figure out what that is. Probably their teammates are wondering the same thing.”

As for Elliott’s teammates, the other three Hendrick Motorsports drivers all finished in the first baker’s dozen, led by William Byron, who tied Elliott with 27 laps led and took sixth place, just ahead of Alex Bowman in eighth and Jimmie Johnson in 13th. Respectable finishes, but Elliott left little for anyone else.

Elliott’s father, Bill, made his mark on NASCAR’s biggest superspeedways, using the ingenuity from his family’s Dawsonville, Georgia, speed shop to make his No. 9 entries sing during the final years of the unrestricted era. But the NASCAR Hall of Famer was also an underrated road racer, a specialized talent that apparently hasn’t skipped a generation. The younger Elliott polished his own road-racing skills with sessions at the Bondurant High Performance Driving School, and counting road-course specialists Ron Fellows and Boris Said among his confidantes hasn’t hurt.

Elliott said adding more road courses to the postseason mix wasn’t something he’d necessarily advocate, but the recent release of the 2021 Cup Series schedule offers some enticing opportunities for NASCAR’s new road-course king. Next year’s slate includes six road-course tests, including three new tracks where Elliott and his team might flex their versatility.

But that’s next year. For now, Elliott has three Round of 8 races (Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway) with nary a road course in the bunch to make his next step into his first Championship 4 berth.

“Was able to finish it off the right way, which is always encouraging,” Elliott said of his Sunday surge. “Looking forward to this next round, trying to make some noise.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Four drivers were eliminated from the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs after Sunday’s race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, as the postseason field was trimmed from 12 drivers to eight.

Read on for a full update on the standings and results.

MORE: Unofficial results

Eliminated drivers

— Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
— Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
— Clint Bowyer, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
— Aric Almirola, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Advancing to the Round of 8

* Note: This will be updated with the official points and standings.

1. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
2. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
4. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
6. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
7. Alex Bowman, No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
8. Kurt Busch, No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet

Com2020 Ncs Grid Postcharlotte 01

The ups

— Joey Logano entered the race in the eighth and final transfer spot, safe by 21 points. The No. 22 Team Penske Ford was the only playoff car to score stage points in both stages, coming eighth in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2. That gave him an additional nine points, and plenty of cushion for the fast-and-furious ending.

— Chase Elliott won his fourth road-course race in a row with the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Doing so places him above the initial cutline heading into the Round of 8.

The downs

— Kyle Busch’s 2020 struggles continued. Not too surprising given his Charlotte Roval history: 32nd and 37th in his two previous starts. The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota cut a tire on Lap 49, putting him outside the top 20 as the final stage began. He worked his way back up toward the front, but it wasn’t enough. He finished 30th and was eliminated from the playoffs. | Watch what happened.

— With 40 laps to go, Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet got sent into the wall after an inadvertent hit from Kyle Busch’s No. 18. Dillon finished 19th and was eliminated from the playoffs. |  Watch what happened.

— Not a single playoff driver below the cutline — Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola — scored stage points. They were all ultimately eliminated from the playoffs.

Posted on by Holly Cain

In only his fifth NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott is proving himself a road course master, easily besting the field Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and more importantly, the 24-year old continues to establish himself as a perennial championship contender.

Elliott’s win in the Bank of America ROVAL 400 Playoff race was his fourth consecutive road course victory, a mark of excellence shared only with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who won six straight road course races. It’s his second consecutive win in this race and Sunday’s trophy is an automatic qualifier for Elliott into the three-race Playoff Round of 8, which begins next week at Kansas Speedway.

RELATED: Official race results
SHOP: Elliott gear

Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet tied teammate William Byron for most laps led – a race best 26 laps on the day including the final 18, as he held off runner-up Joey Logano by a healthy 3.895-seconds to earn his third win of the year.

Erik Jones, Kurt Busch and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five. Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron was sixth, followed by Martin Truex Jr., Hendrick driver Alex Bowman, rookie Cole Custer and Clint Bowyer, who was trying to race his way into the next Playoff round but did not move forward despite the top 10 effort.

“Just had another really fast NAPA Camaro and really appreciate the effort,” Elliott said. “Road courses have been fortunate to us the last few trips, but I feel like we just try to get a little better every time, tweak on the small things. I feel like I tweaked on small things and got a little better than I was here last year, which was good.

“Just really proud of the effort.”

The Roval was the second round Playoff cut-off race – sending eight drivers forward and eliminating title hopes for four. None of those four drivers – including reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch – still needing to gain points to advance, were able to improve positions Sunday afternoon.

Busch, Bowyer, Austin Dillon and Aric Almirola have dropped out of championship eligibility as the series moves on to Playoff races in Kansas, Texas and Martinsville, Va. before the Nov. 8 championship finale in Phoenix.

The Playoffs standings were reset following the Roval checkered flag with regular-season champion Kevin Harvick, a nine-race winner, topping the chart by 13 points over Denny Hamlin. Brad Keselowski is 32 points back in third place followed by Elliott, Logano, Truex, Bowman and Kurt Busch, who won his way into the next round with a victory at Las Vegas three weeks ago.

Kyle Busch’s exit marks the first time a reigning series champion did not advance to the Round of 8 and it will mark the first time in six years that Busch was not part of the Championship 4 that decides the sport’s ultimate trophy.

“Just been the year, nothing has played out or been on our side, it’s just been unfortunate circumstances and a lot of bad luck,” said Busch, driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

“These guys on this M&Ms team never give up and they fight all year long, every race, every lap, every pit stop as we can see. But man, this is just one of those off-years, a terrible year for me. But as other sports greats would say, ‘there’s many other drivers that would love to have the year we’re having.’

Busch entered the race, ranked ninth and needing to make up 21 points to nudge his way into the next round of the Playoffs – but like all drivers faced a challenging afternoon that featured rain tires on the cars for the first time in modern-day competition.

Busch’s day got especially dramatic, however, after the field changed back to slick tires once the threatening weather cleared shortly before the opening stage completed. His No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota suffered damage mid-race after a collision with Bowyer. However, Busch’s crew chief Adam Stevens kept the two-time series champion calm and ready to rally and he responded – making his way back up through the field.

He was running fourth when the cars in front of him pit during a late-race caution. Busch stayed on track and led three laps, but he was soon passed – his tires 20 laps older than the others who pit. Ultimately, he finished 30th needing to pit on the next to last lap for fuel.

Bowyer was one of only two drivers (also Bowman) to have top-five finishes in both previous races at the track. Bowyer’s 10th-place finish ended his Playoff run but it was impressive considering he drove most of the race with no power steering. He was exhausted after the race and went to the infield care center to be checked out.

Almirola’s day featured similar struggles. He had a spin and was just never able to sustain a run front-pack. He finished 16th unable to make up ground on the 48-point deficit he started the race with.

“It was tough man,” Almirola conceded. “I struggle here, in particular. I’m not the greatest road course racer and specifically here has been a challenge for me.

“Not the day we needed, for sure, to move on. But we’ve still got four races to go to perform at our highest level.”

On the other end of the emotional spectrum, the 27-year old Bowman will be making his first appearance in the Playoff Round of 8. Earlier this week, Hendrick Motorsports announced Bowman will be driving Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet next year, moving from the No. 88 when the seven-time champion Johnson retires from full-time competition.

Certainly Bowman’s work on track this weekend was well-timed success as he prepares for the enviable move next season. At times on Sunday, he was on the verge of elimination. But after climbing out of his car he fully conceded it had been a nerve-wracking drive despite his top-10 performance.

“It’s a lot of validation for us to make that round,” Bowman said. “When you are racing champions of the sport to advance you’re never comfortable, especially when it is Kyle Busch.”

As for Elliott, the victory and historical significance were a well-timed boost heading into the next Playoff round as he attempts to earn his first-ever appearance in the Championship 4 making a run for his first NASCAR Cup Series title. He won the 2018 Playoff race at next week’s Kansas Speedway oval.

“Like I’ve always said, they’re way too hard to get [wins] to get picky about when and where and how,” Elliott said. “So I’m just glad to be here and like I said, hopefully we can do something with this next round.”

Note: Inspection in the NASCAR Cup Series garage was all clear with no issues. the No. 1 car (Kurt Busch) had one lug-nut not safe and secure.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

The king will be dethroned.

Kyle Busch has been eliminated from 2020 NASCAR Cup Series title contention, making him the first reigning champ in the elimination era to not advance out of the Round of 12 the year after his championship. He can officially no longer defend his crown.

Through 32 of the 36 races, Busch remains winless. The 35-year-old has won at least one race every season since he started full-time racing in 2005. That 15-year streak ties for sixth all time.

“There’s certainly been times where I thought, ‘Man, there’s something wrong with me,’” Busch said in a video conference. “I’m not doing it right. I don’t know what I’m doing. Or car’s not quite right. Or I’m not trusting what the car is really doing and telling me, so I should just drive it harder and then I’m crashed. I don’t know what to think.

RELATED: Who’s in, out

“But certainly it would be nice to score a win and to have a win for this year. That would be the only consolation prize for the way this year has gone.”

Busch placed 30th in Sunday’s Round of 12 cutoff event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. That put him 11th in the playoff standings. He was out by a solid 49 points.

That performance marked his seventh finish 30th or worse this season. It was his 11th time outside the top 20.

Busch did have the lead with 21 laps to go, opting not to pit under caution while the frontrunners did, but lost it after three go-arounds to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott then took control and led the last 18 laps to the checkered flag.

“I just knew that we were trying something — anything,” Busch said. “Some of the other guys stayed out behind me. There was only four or five of them. I thought maybe if there was 10 or 12 of them, we might have a better shot at having an opportunity to stay out front.

“Even on the restart, even on the fire-off — trying to get everything warmed up, ready to go — I didn’t have anything to be able to drive away.”

The damage the No. 18 Toyota sustained earlier may have contributed to that.

On Lap 49, Busch’s left-front tire went flat. He thought the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Clint Bowyer cut it during passing contact. Regardless, it ultimately put Busch in the back of the pack at the start of the final stage, prompting the no-pit Hail Mary strategy later on.

“Obviously we didn’t have anything for nobody today,” Busch said.

Busch entered the race below the cutline by 21 points. Before the Round of 12 even started, he predicted he wouldn’t make it out still active in the playoffs anyway.

Four races remain in 2020, starting with the Round of 8 opener at Kansas Speedway next Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Busch would like to make it to Victory Lane — certainly going to try to — but is not optimistic about his chances.

“Do we even have a shot to win?” Busch said. “I don’t think we even have a shot.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

RELATED: How to follow races on NASCAR.com | NASCAR Live Stream

Monday, October 12
2 p.m., IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, October 13
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., Glory Road: Stock Car Evolution (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6:30 p.m. Glory Road: IROC (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 1997 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN:
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, October 14
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR ARCA Menards Series East Racing Pensacola 200 (tape delay), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Thursday, October 15
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Series Racing at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (tape delay), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 1998 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App      

Friday, October 16
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., ARCA Menards Series Speediatrics 150 presented by The NASCAR Foundation at Kansas Speedway, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN:
6 p.m., ARCA Menards Series Speediatrics 150 presented by The NASCAR Foundation at Kansas Speedway

Saturday, October 17
2 a.m., ARCA Menards Series Speediatrics 150 presented by The NASCAR Foundation at Kansas Speedway (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
7:30 a.m., ARCA Menards Series Speediatrics 150 presented by The NASCAR Foundation at Kansas Speedway (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
12:30 p.m., IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NGROTS at Kansas Speedway, FOX/FOX Sports App
4 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Clean Harbors 200 at Kansas Speedway, FOX/FOX Sports App
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1, 4)
9:30 p.m., IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship at Road Atlanta, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN:
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Clean Harbors 200 at Kansas Speedway
6:30 p.m. NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway 

Sunday, October 18
10 a.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Clean Harbors 200 at Kansas Speedway (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
Noon, NASCAR Race Hub: Kansas, FS1/FOX Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Countdown to Green, NBC/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, NBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1, 4)
6 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Post Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN:
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway

 

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 11, 2020) – The NASCAR Foundation announced today the four finalists for its 10th Annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, initiating a nearly month-long online fan vote to determine the award winner. The finalists were introduced on FOX Sports Race Hub during its pre-race coverage of the Bank of America ROVAL 400, the finale of the “Round of 12” in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

The award, named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman, is presented to a NASCAR fan who has done exceptional volunteer work on behalf of children in their community. This year marks the 10th annual presentation of the award, which to date has recognized 36 finalists with a total of $1,575,000 in contributions to the causes they represent.

The 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalists include:

— Daryl Farler of Franklin, Tennessee, a NASCAR fan for 35 years, represents Amputee Blade Runners of Tennessee, an organization that provides free running and sports prosthetics to lower-limb amputees seeking a more active lifestyle. He is a founder and volunteer for 10 years helping interview and mentor the children who seek their services.

— Charlene Greer of Ormond Beach, Florida, a lifelong NASCAR fan, represents the Boys and Girls Clubs of Volusia / Flagler. Greer has volunteered and advocated for the organization for nine years and now serves on its Board of Directors. She helps to organize and fund its annual Honor Roll Banquet and Christmas celebration.

— Larry Jordan of Dacula, Georgia, a NASCAR fan for 21 years, represents Angel Flight Soars, Inc., the original volunteer pilot organization that helps to strengthen families in crisis by eliminating the transportation concern for necessary medical care. Jordan has donated his time as a volunteer pilot for 21 years and flown over 115 mission flights for children and adults needing distant, specialized medical treatment.

— Rich Langley of Virginia Beach, Virginia, a NASCAR fan for over 45 years, represents Roc Solid Foundation of North Carolina, an organization devoted to use the power of ‘play’ to defeat pediatric cancer. Langley has volunteered and led fundraising efforts for nine years while building 120 playsets and completing 25 travel projects across the U.S.

“Each of this year’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalists stand out as amazingly kindhearted people who are avid NASCAR fans,” said Mike Helton, The NASCAR Foundation Chairman. “They each embody Betty Jane France’s compassionate spirit and mission to improve the lives of children.”

“These finalists are incorporating NASCAR and the excitement of the sport into the important work they do – enriching children’s lives. Each one of them is exceptional and I think our fans will have a tough choice voting for just one.”

Results of the fan vote – which begins today and runs through Nov. 4 at 12 p.m. (ET), conducted at NASCARfoundation.org/Award – will be announced virtually. Each of the finalists is guaranteed a minimum donation of $25,000 from The NASCAR Foundation with the overall winner receiving a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation.

To learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and the 2020 finalists, NASCARfoundation.org/Award.

Posted on by Staff Report

THOMPSON, Conn. — Twice in the previous four years, Justin Bonsignore won the season finale at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, and had his Victory Lane celebration cut short when he had to move out of the way for the crowning of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion.

Sunday, they made way for Bonsignore.

The 32-year-old from Holtsville, New York, waited for Sunoco World Series 150 winner Craig Lutz to wrap up before celebrating his second tour championship in three years.

Bonsignore finished fourth behind Lutz, Jon McKennedy and Ron Silk.

RELATED: Complete Race Results | Final 2020 Championship Points

It was his ninth top-five finish in nine races in the abbreviated season that included three victories. It also marked Bonsignore’s 15th straight top five.

He entered the final weekend needing to finish 2rd to clinch the title. But after winning three of the last four races at Thompson, but watching Doug Coby crowned the champion at the end of the night — including last year’s bittersweet race win — Bonsignore looked to take both the race AND the championship.

He led 14 laps and stayed in the top five nearly the entire race, even after it was mathematically wrapped up.

Bonsingore won the title in 2018 and finished eight points behind Coby last year. He’s finished in the top three in points in six of the last seven seasons.

RELATED: Justin Bonsignore Career Stats

Coby won the Mayhew Tools Pole Award Saturday but had his race cut short by a Lap 97 accident and finished 22nd.

Justin’s cousin, Kyle Bonsignore, finished fifth.

Sam Rameau was sixth, followed by Woody Pitkat, Calvin Carroll, Patrick Emerling and Tyler Rypkema.

Rypkema collected his fifth top 10 of the season and the 23-year-old from Oswego, New York, earned the Sunoco Rookie the Year Award.

McKennedy led a race-high 51 laps and edged Coby by five for second place — 40 back of Bonsignore.

Craig Lutz, driver of the #46 Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the Sunoco World Series 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut on October 11, 2020. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Posted on by Terrin Waack

NASCAR allowed the Xfinity Series to test the waters for the Cup Series.

The Xfinity Series raced in the rain Saturday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval with wet-weather tires, and the Cup Series is fixing to do the same Sunday as remnants of Hurricane Delta continue to hit North Carolina. Cars were slipping, sliding and spinning around the 17-turn, 2.28-mile road course throughout the 68-lap event that went into overtime.

“I felt like a dart without feathers,” said Daniel Hemric, who finished third. “Man, what chaos that was. Definitely added a different element of discipline that I have never experienced inside a race car. Truly incredible just how precise you have to be.”

RELATED: Race results | Watch the wild, wet final laps

Rain came down so hard puddles formed on the track. NASCAR even decided to red-flag the race midway through Stage 2 for 38 minutes and 22 seconds to get rid of standing water. The sanctioning body did the best it could, but cars still hydroplaned later on.

Overall, there were 11 cautions, including the stage breaks and red-flag period. Five came from single-car incidents, such as stalling in a turn after a loss of control.

“At time, I thought we should have stopped,” race winner AJ Allmendinger said. “But once you go back green, everybody has to face the same conditions and you just have to go do the best job you can.”

Much like the upcoming Cup race, Saturday marked an Xfinity playoff elimination race, adding an extra level of oomph to the already heightened Roval showdown. Four drivers were cut to create the Round of 8.

Ross Chastain entered in the eighth and final transfer spot with just a seven-point cushion. He finished fifth to advance and now sits seventh in the playoff standings with 10 points to his benefit.

Chastain was asked what advice he’d give Cup Series drivers who are on the bubble much like he was before the wild-card event.

“There’s nothing to tell them,” Chastain said. “They’re really good race-car drivers. If NASCAR lets them have all that fun and race in the rain like we got to, then they’ll figure it out.”

RELATED: Rain-tire info, wet-weather procedures

Runner-up Noah Gragson thought otherwise.

“Don’t wreck,” he said. “Wear a clear visor. Make sure you have a Swiffer inside your car. And don’t wreck. I mean, stay on track. Go slow. Don’t wreck your car.”

Easier said than done.

The Cup Series’ race will be longer — set for 109 laps. It’ll start an hour earlier than the Xfinity Series did, which is helpful for logistical reasons. The Roval cannot be raced in the dark since the infield road-course portion doesn’t have lights, though reports indicate the track will add more before Sunday’s showdown.

Darkness mixed with the rain created visibility issues for the Xfinity Series. The brightness of the Jumbotron in the infield then made it even more difficult to see while navigating the tight twists and turns there (it was later dimmed for the IMSA event that followed.) A handful of broken windshield wipers didn’t help either.

Nonetheless, the Cup Series action will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“It was like nothing I’ve ever done before,” Hemric said. “But I can promise you one thing: I’m going to have a cold one tomorrow, sit back and watch this. It’s going to be fun.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

A.J. Allmendinger prevailed in a hard-fought NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff race that ended in overtime on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval Saturday evening. After a long afternoon negotiating the road course in rainy weather against a field of drivers with championship hopes on the line, the veteran edged 22-year old Noah Gragson by a mere .446-seconds in a rooster-tail run to the checkered flag.

It marked the second win of the season for Allmendinger in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet and his second career win on the Roval.

Daniel Hemric, Alex Labbe and Ross Chastain rounded out the top five. Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, Cody Ware, Jade Buford, Michael Annett and Brandon Jones completed the top 10.

RELATED: Race results

The Drive for the Cure 250 was the final race in the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs with Chase Briscoe, Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Gragson, Justin Haley, Jones, Chastain and Ryan Sieg advancing to the next three-race round of Playoff competition that begins next week at Kansas Speedway.

Drivers Harrison Burton, Brandon Brown, Michael Annett and Riley Herbst were eliminated from Playoff contention at Charlotte.

With the challenging weather conditions – heavy rain and high winds – it was a victory Allmendinger conceded he would remember for a while – a race the whole field will remember for a while.

“I don’t know what we just witnessed,” Allmendinger said with a smile. “I was complaining the whole race. Crazy. The 98 (of) Chase Briscoe was doing a fantastic job. I didn’t really have anything for him after a couple laps but I knew that final restart I was going to do everything I could.”

Allmendinger and Briscoe, the driver of the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, were vying for the win, door-to-door, corner-by-corner in the closing laps which featured five lead changes between the two in just the final 17 laps of the 68-lap overtime thriller.

Briscoe was leading with three laps remaining when a caution flag came out for Brown, whose car was precariously disabled alongside the track. Racing side-by-side for the lead on the ensuing restart, Briscoe spun out in Turn 1, allowing Allmendinger the opportunity to take control of the race and navigate the wet track to victory. Briscoe, who led a race-best 23 laps, instead finished 18th.

“Driver just made a mistake,” said Briscoe, who with eight wins is still the top-seeded Playoff driver heading into the next round.

“In conditions like this you’ve got to be at 100 percent and I tried going 110 and it bit me. Very unfortunate. That one’s going to sting for a long time. I feel like I did my job for about 95 percent of the day, right.”

That was a familiar refrain on Saturday in a rare NASCAR road course event that called for rain tires, drivers’ patience and resolve. Gragson, for example, was involved in multiple incidents on track.

He and fellow Playoff contender Herbst collided only 28 laps into the race, and later contact between the two further damaged Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Still, he was able to come back and turn in a podium-worthy finish.

The Joe Gibbs Racing rookie Herbst was one of the four Playoff drivers who needed to gain massive points or straight out win the race for an opportunity to advance to the next round. He led seven laps, but finished 12th –  ultimately recovering from a spin in overtime as well.

Fellow rookie Harrison Burton, a two-race winner this season and Herbst’s JGR teammate, also looked strong early in the race contending among the front of the field, even if he didn’t lead laps. His No. 20 JGR Toyota had a transmission problem and he was scored 33rd of the 38 drivers.

The Georgia native Sieg, who drives the No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet for his family-owned team, was able to take advantage of others’ misfortune Saturday and continue what’s been a career season for the 33-year old. He ranks eighth heading to the next Playoff round. His previous best series career championship finish was ninth place in 2016. He was 11th last year.

While Sieg and certainly Allmendinger were on the upside of fortunate, all the drivers climbed out of their cars with a similar refrain.

“It’s nothing like I’ve ever done before,” Hemric said. “I’m going to sit back with a cold one and watch [the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Roval] tomorrow.”

The Xfinity Series resumes the Playoff schedule next Saturday, Oct. 17 at Kansas Speedway (7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). With the points reset for this round, Briscoe takes a 10-point lead over regular-season champion Cindric and is 27 points up on third place Allgaier.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR displayed the red flag for the Xfinity Series at the Charlotte Motor Speedway due to inclement weather.

Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina was being raced on Charlotte’s road-course layout in the rain with wet-weather tires. But conditions got worse, prompting the red after 3o of the 67 laps were complete. NASCAR needed time to get rid of standing water on the track. The race went back to yellow after a 38-minute, 22-second delay.

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Riley Herbst was leading in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at the time of the pause, followed by Josh Williams in the No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet. AJ Allmendinger — last year’s Charlotte Roval winner — was then third in Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevy.

This is a postseason elimination race. Chase Briscoe and Justin Haley are locked into the Round of 8 thanks to their winners in previous races in this round. Noah Gragson clinched a spot at the end of Stage 1 based on points. That leaves five spots available for the nine playoff drivers.

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Factoring in Herbst holding the lead, Ross Chastain, Harrison Burton, Brandon Brown and Michael Annett are currently below the cutline at the time of the red flag.