Posted on by Staff Report

Almost from Day 1 way back in 1990, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has provided the perfect venue to spotlight the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Entering its third year, the track’s Full Throttle Fall Weekend will again provide an elevated platform for NASCAR’s only open-wheel division.

The 72nd tour race at “The Magic Mile” will pay out $20,000 to win.

Did we mention the winner of the Musket 200 presented by Whelen also gets one of the coolest winner’s hauls in motorsports? A handmade flintlock musket by Edwin Parry of Black Hart Long Arms out of Eastford, Connecticut, to go to with the trophy, a replica of the Minuteman statue in Concord, Massachusetts.

The event weekend is open to fans, and the race will also be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Gold.

BUY TICKETS

Musket 200 presented by Whelen

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Bobby Santos III jumped into the No. 36 as a substitute for an injured Dave Sapienza, drove to the lead in the final laps and scored yet another big win at New Hampshire. The 34-year-old has now won four of the last six tour races at New Hampshire.

Sapienza will be back in the No. 36, and will field a second car – the No. 63 Sapienza Enterprise Chevrolet – for Santos, who has five overall wins at New Hampshire.

Musket200 WhelenSantos is also coming off one of his biggest career wins, taking home the 72nd Annual Pay Less Little 500 Saturday night, the prestigious sprint car race at Indiana’s Anderson Speedway.

Ron Silk is also riding a wave of momentum. The former tour champion is coming off a win at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park last Thursday, and won the summer race at New Hampshire last year.

As with any race, six-time tour champion Doug Coby has to be in the conversation.

Coby has four wins at New Hampshire and finished third in the extra-distance race there last year.

The race will be 50 laps shorter than the first two editions held at New Hampshire, but it will still be one of the longest races in tour history. Strategy and attrition have played a key role in each of the first two runnings. As Santos proved last year and Chase Dowling showed in the inaugural edition, if you’re in the top five on the final lap, you’ve got a shot at bringing home the checkered flag.

And the musket.

RACING REFERENCE: Previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at New Hampshire | NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers career stats at New Hampshire | 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Standings

RACE FACTS

RACE

MUSKET 200 presented by WHELEN

PLACE

New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.

DATE

Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020

TIME1

 12:05 p.m. ET

TELEVISION/RADIO

Trackpass on NBC Gold (live), 12:05 p.m. ET; NBCSN — Saturday, Sept. 20, 11 p.m. ET

TRACK LAYOUT

1.058-mile paved oval

EVENT SCHEDULE

Friday, Sept. 11 — Garage opens: 8:15 a.m. ET; Practice: 12:30-1:30 p.m.; Qualifying: 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 — Garage opens: 7:30 a.m. Musket 200 presented by Whelen: 12:05 p.m.

TWITTER

@NHMS, @NASCARRoots

HASHTAG

#NWMT

RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST | RACE SCHEDULE

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Musket 200 presented by Whelen is limited to 32, including provisional positions. The field will be set by qualifying (1-26) and provisional process per the entry blank (27-32)  for the Musket 200 presented by Whelen. In the event that qualifying as stated on this entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2020 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. Vehicles will be impounded after qualifying. Vehicle must qualify on race set up.

The Musket 200 presented by Whelen will be 200 laps (211.60 miles) and is to be run in one (1) segments.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows:The maximum tire allotment available for this event is fourteen (14) tires per team. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Labor Day typically signals the end of the summer season. Why not celebrate with one more trip (or 10) to Myrtle Beach?

We’ve dug up 10 classic NASCAR Xfinity Series races at South Carolina’s coastal half-mile speedway and released all 10 in a Labor Day salute to fans.

RELATED: Binge on all old races

Myrtle Beach was a staple in stock car racing on the East Coast over the decades. A longtime home to grassroots racing, the track began hosting NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 1988.

Closing out that decade and heading into the 90s, the half-miler saw winners such as Mark Martin, Jimmie Spencer, Jeff Burton and David and Jeff Green.

The battles at this bullring were intense. Take 1999 for example, when Jeff Green got the win but only after teammate Jason Keller had an issue with a tire going down in the closing laps. Or the 1995 Carolina Pride/Red Dog 250, won by Larry Pearson and called to the checkered flag by his Hall of Fame father David Pearson in the broadcast booth.

Now, 32 years after the first Xfinity Series Race, the historic speedway has closed its doors.

Relive the 90s and the peak of racing at Myrtle Beach Speedway in this NASCAR YouTube Labor Day release of 10 classic races from the Palmetto State.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Austin Dillon has shrugged off a share of adversity, critics and social-media backbiters over the course of his career. This season, that approach gained a motto that has become a rallying cry: FIDO — Forget It & Drive On.

Dillon gave another shrug to any notion he’d be an easy out in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on Sunday night, finishing a strong second place in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Dillon’s slick throwback No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet — a tribute to NASCAR legend Junior Johnson — pressed eventual winner Kevin Harvick down the final stretch, nearly snaring another prestigious race for his portfolio of Cup Series wins.

RELATED: Race results | Playoffs analysis

“Well, it’s a great feeling. You know, it’s confidence,” said Dillon, who notched his third top five of the season and his best finish at the historic South Carolina track. “Confidence goes a long way in this sport, and I think everybody knows that. It’s a streaky sport, too. You see guys get on runs and they’re able to really carry themselves with those. I’m hoping this is kind of our go time, that our streak is starting.”

Sunday brought a rejuvenating finish, but the start was less-than-promising, with an early share of hardship before the engines ever fired. The No. 3 crew realized pre-race the front tires were mounted on the wrong sides; changing them was deemed an unapproved adjustment, forcing Dillon to drop to the rear of the field during the pace laps.

“I don’t know how it happens. It’s just a mistake,” Dillon said, noting he likely would’ve lost control if the miscue had gone unnoticed.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Dillon methodically worked his way back up to 15th by the conclusion of Stage 1 despite a severely worn tire before his first green-flag pit stop, then to eighth at the end of Stage 2. When Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott tangled while battling for the lead with 13 laps to go, it moved him up to second with new leader Harvick in sight ahead of him.

Dillon’s pursuit of the top spot managed just incremental gains but put him close enough to get within a couple of car-lengths through the final set of turns. He was just .343 seconds back at the checkered flag.

“Second place is so close,” Dillon said, noting a bittersweet quality to flirting with his fourth Cup Series win. “I’m going to be thinking about those last 20 laps for a long time. Man, it would have had a lot of people talking if we stole another crown jewel. I think they are talking. I think there’s a lot of respect either way.”

The team’s entire 2020 mindset has some deeper roots. The ‘FIDO’ mantra stemmed from RCR’s season kickoff luncheon, where Marine 1st Lt. Patrick “Clebe” McClary — a Medal of Honor recipient and motivational speaker — delivered an inspiring message. McClary lost his left arm and left eye in combat during the Vietnam War but continued to fight and lead his troops.

The message of not giving up stuck for the No. 3 team, and Dillon has used it to continue to press forward as the season heads to its most crucial time.

“I think it really hit home for me because I’m a fiery guy and I can dwell on things too long instead of moving on, and that acronym is just an easy reminder,” Dillon said, “like hey, man, it’s over; there’s no need to play it back or wonder why we’re in the situation we’re in; it’s just get the most out of everything that I can.”

As for the doubters?

“I feel like — I love to compete,” Dillon said. “I am just a competitor, know what I mean? You tell me I can’t and I want to show you that you can in any kind of sports. Me and my dad will literally get in about fisticuffs over a pickleball game this week. I battle. I like to battle and grind things out. That’s why I’m good at the longer races I believe because mentally I keep working, I keep working.

“As a team, I’ve got a team that’s behind me that believes in me, and that’s all I need is the confidence from those guys. We’re in a good place.”

Posted on by Terrin Waack

The postseason drama has officially begun.

With 13 laps remaining in Sunday’s NASCAR Playoffs opener at Darlington Raceway, Chase Elliott led with Martin Truex Jr. hot on his tail. Truex did catch up to Elliott, and when he did, Truex went low to make his pass for the lead. He was close to pulling it off, but close proximity is the exact reason he failed to do so.

The rear of Truex’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota clipped the nose of Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Both cars hit the wall. Winning chances were dashed.

RELATED: Race results

“It’s Darlington and typically you don’t want to go in side-by-side,” Truex said. “I felt like I had enough of a run and enough space there that the last foot or so he was going to understand that if I was committed, we both weren’t going to make it. Typically, here that’s kind of how you race. If a guy gets a run on you and he’s just about got you cleared, you have to give that last little bit. … Basically, when I made up my mind and I was driving it in there and then he drove in on my right-rear quarter, there was no possible way that we both weren’t crashing.”

Truex won both stages and led a race-high 196 of 367 laps – only to finish 22nd. Elliott placed third and 13th in the two stages, was out front for 114 laps and ultimately crossed 20th after the checkered flag waved.

RELATED: Martin Truex on late contact with Chase Elliott

Kevin Harvick ended up winning the Cook Out Southern 500, the first of three Round of 16 races. He was credited with the lead from Lap 355 on, holding control as Truex and Elliott faded back.

“(Truex) had a run on me there off of (Turn) 4 and he just kind of cleared himself into 1,” Elliott said. “He was close, but he wasn’t all the way clear, obviously. I hate it, obviously we had a fast NAPA Camaro — fast enough to contend. We needed a little pace there to extend our lead instead of playing defense, but regardless I thought we were in a good spot. I ran the bottom in three and four to see if there was anything left down there, that’s what kind of gave him the run and then he just slid up in to my left front, I felt like and on we went.”

RELATED: Chase Elliott reacts to late contact with Martin Truex

When it comes to the postseason, Truex and Elliott remain safe. Truex is sixth and 16 points above the cutline. Elliott is seventh and 12 points to the good.

Two races remain before four of the 16 drivers are eliminated. First up: Richmond Raceway (Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Then, Bristol Motor Speedway.

Keep an eye on Elliott for possible retaliation.

“It was only a few inches,” Truex said. “A few inches, you either wreck or you give it to the guy. I felt like I was on the right side of things. But I’ll have to go back and look at it to see if there was something I could have done different. Again, really proud of everyone. Obviously had the car to beat.”

Posted on by Staff Report

After the first race of the Round of 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Darlington Raceway, here’s a brief look at the playoff picture. Just two races remains in the Round of 16 before the field is whittled to the Round of 12, with four drivers eliminated from the postseason after the race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 19.

Winner

Kevin Harvick notched his eighth victory of the 2020 season. The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driver took control of the race after Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott smacked the wall while battling for the lead and were ultimately taken out of winning contention.

RELATED: Race results

Who’s hot

Martin Truex Jr. The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota swept both stages to earn two playoff points. Despite his poor finish after the late-race incident, Truex Jr. showed plenty of speed and aggression.

Austin Dillon. The driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet finished runner-up by .343 seconds, his first ever runner-up finish in the NASCAR Cup Series. With other drivers slipping in the final results, Dillon made quite a jump.

Who’s not

Ryan Blaney. The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford wound up 24th coming to the checkered flag — the worst finish among playoff contenders. To make matters worse, his team previously been hit with a 10-point penalty following pre-race inspection for improperly secured ballast.

Matt DiBenedetto. The driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford came in 21st and made no positive movement in the playoff standings. In fact, he’s now 17 points back with just two races to catch up.

BUBBLE WATCH

Rank Driver Points to cutoff
9. William Byron 9
10. Kyle Busch 7
11. Kurt Busch 4
12. Aric Almirola 0
————— CUT-OFF LINE —————
13. Clint Bowyer 0
14. Cole Custer -3
15. Matt DiBenedetto -17
16. Ryan Blaney -17

Next race

The NASCAR Cup Series travels to Richmond Raceway for the second race in the NASCAR Playoffs on Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Who it favors

Kyle Busch. NASCAR has not had a race at Richmond this year due to restructuring brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the most recent events have been dominated by Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch has two wins in the last five races at the track, and his average finish during that stretch is 4.2 — the best in the series.

Who it hurts

Ryan Blaney. Matt DiBenedetto has a worse average finish than Blaney over the last five Richmond races, but DiBenedetto is getting his first swing in Wood Brothers Racing equipment. Blaney hasn’t logged a top-10 finish here — or led a lap — and has finished off the lead lap in three consecutive races.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Kevin Harvick was in the right place at the right time to take the lead, then put on an impressive show of tenacity to hold off a hard-charging Austin Dillon to earn his second career Cook Out Southern 500 win at Darlington Raceway in Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff opener.

It may have been his series-best eighth victory of the season, but the veteran Harvick was emotional on the team radio, letting out a loud congratulatory yell as he crossed the finish line a mere .343 seconds in front of Dillon. Then, instead of taking the checkered flag after parking at the start-finish line, Harvick allowed an appreciative young fan – dressed in a brightly-colored Harvick T-shirt – to keep the flag himself.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

It was that kind of a feel-good night for Harvick, who marked his 57th career victory, ninth best all-time.  He took the lead for good on lap 355 of 367 after Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. made contact with the wall racing for the trophy in front of him.

“The first thing I want to say is ‘Welcome back, fans!’ ” Harvick said after climbing out of his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford and motioning toward the limited number of fans allowed in the grandstands at the iconic track. “Just wound up fighting all night long, this Busch Beer Ford Mustang wasn’t where we wanted it to be, but the leaders got tangled up there and next thing you know we were racing for the win.

“Anytime you can win the Southern 500, it’s a good day. This is one of the most prestigious races in our sport and one of the most prestigious race tracks in our sport. Any time you can win at Darlington it’s a big deal.”

Joey Logano, Erik Jones and William Byron rounded out the top five. Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer completed the top 10. Jones was the only non-playoff driver among the first 10 finishers.

And while Harvick was enjoying his feel-good moment of triumph, some of the race’s other contenders were shaking off a hard-knocks playoff opener.

Truex swept both stage wins, beating Jimmie Johnson in the first and Denny Hamlin in the second. The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champ led a race-best 196 of the race’s 367 laps.

Yet not a single one of NASCAR’s three national series races at Darlington this weekend was won by the car that led the most laps. Truex and Elliott made contact with each other and the infamous Darlington walls while fighting for the lead with 15 laps remaining.

Truex had to pit for tires and despite his work on the evening, ended up 22nd in the results, his only finish outside the top five in the last nine races.

“Just not enough room there for the both of us,” Truex said of the contact with Elliott in Turns 1 and 2. “I thought I had enough of a run to clear him and I think it was close, obviously. I thought I had enough momentum and distance on him that he was going to let me in there. I didn’t expect him to be on my right rear. I was committed and once I realized he was there, nothing I could do.”

“Lot to be proud of. I hate it for the 9 team. It was nothing intentional, just two guys there going for the win. If it was my fault, I apologize, I really felt like I had the position to get in there.”

Elliott nursed his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet home and finished a disappointing 20th.

“He had a run on me there off of [Turn] four and just kind of cleared himself into one, he was close but not all the way cleared, obviously,” said Elliott, who led 114 laps himself.

Denny Hamlin, a pre-race favorite and six-race winner this year, rallied to a 13th-place finish after going down a lap and dropping to 19th place with just under 60 laps remaining. The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 19 laps and ran among the top five for most of the race but had trouble getting to pit road during a green-flag run — getting caught up in traffic and hit from behind by Johnson’s No. 48.

After Sunday’s win, Harvick has an automatic bid into the postseason’s Round of 12. The top 12 after the Bristol race in two weeks will advance to the next round of the playoffs.

Even before the Playoffs’ first green flag dropped, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney found himself in catch-up mode. His No. 12 Ford failed Sunday afternoon’s pre-race inspection for improperly mounted ballast, and his crew chief Todd Gordon was suspended for Sunday night’s race. Blaney was forced to start at the rear of the 39-car field. And most importantly, Blaney and his team owner both suffered a 10-point penalty. Travis Geisler, the organization’s competition director, filled in as interim crew chief.

MORE: No. 12 team penalized at Darlington

That points penalty immediately dropped Blaney from seventh place in the standings to 13th place – tied with Kyle Busch. Only Kurt Busch and Matt DiBenedetto were ranked lower to start the opening playoff race.

The race outcome dropped Blaney into a tie with DiBenedetto for last among the playoff drivers.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race is the Federated Auto Parts 400, scheduled Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM) at Richmond Raceway. The event will be the second of three races in the Round of 16, the opening round to the series’ postseason slate.

NOTE: Kevin Harvick’s race winning No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford passed NASCAR’s post-race inspection. Four cars were found with at least one lug nut not safely secured — the No. 4 of Harvick (one), the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of William Byron (one), the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Kyle Busch (two) and the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Clint Bowyer (two). Four cars will be brought back to the NASCAR R&D Center — the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Austin Dillon, the No. 4 of Harvick, the No. 18 of Busch and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Alex Bowman.

Contributing: Staff reports

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, September 7
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: South Carolina Education Lottery 200 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: South Carolina Education Lottery 200 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, September 8
Midnight, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series Grand Prix at Road Atlanta (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN:
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, September 9
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Thursday, September 10
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Classics: 1997 Daytona 500, FS1/FOX Sports App
7:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Richmond Raceway, FS1/FOX Sports App
8 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway, FS1/FOX Sports App
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: The 1987 Winston 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN:
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway

Friday, September 11
3 a.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
5 a.m., Refuse to Lose: Jeff Gordon and the 1997 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
11 a.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (tape delayed), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6:30 p.m., Countdown to Green: Richmond Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN3)
9 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show: Richmond Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
9:30 p.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN:
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway

Saturday, September 12
5 a.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
12:30 p.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
1:30 p.m., Countdown to Green: Richmond Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Virginia is for Racing Lovers 250 at Richmond Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN3)
7 p.m., Countdown to Green: Richmond Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1/3)
11 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show: Richmond Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN:
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Virginia is for Racing Lovers 250 at Richmond Raceway
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway

Posted on by Holly Cain

With the three drivers in front of him opting to pit just before an overtime restart, Ben Rhodes chose to stay on track in the fourth position and held off rookie Derek Kraus, winning Sunday’s South Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Darlington Raceway.

It was the third NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series win of the 23-year-old Kentucky native’s career; the first since 2018. He is the seventh different winner of 2020.

RELATED: Race results

“Gosh, that was such a tough win,” Rhodes said. “We weren’t the best truck all day. I was actually really disappointed when the (final) caution flag came out because I thought fourth place is a good finish for us, we’ll get in the playoffs.

“But I’m not letting this checkered flag go,” he said grinning at the turn of events. “It’s been a long time coming.”

Kraus, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Tuesday, finished .785-seconds behind Rhodes to record his career-best finish and bring the rookie to within 10 points of the playoff cutoff line with one race remaining to set the 10-driver playoff field.

RELATED: Ben Rhodes reacts to Darlington victory

The season championship points leader Austin Hill finished third, followed by Grant Enfinger and rookie Christian Eckes. Another rookie, Raphael Lessard, finished sixth. Todd Gilliland, Stewart Friesen, Timmy Hill and Brett Moffitt rounded out the top 10.

Sunday’s victory for Rhodes, driver of the No.99 ThorSport Racing Ford, stopped a four-race winning streak by the GMS Racing team. But it took a pit-stop gamble and a determined pass in the last laps to do so.

For much of the race, it looked like the trophy would be decided by GMS teammates Moffitt and Sheldon Creed, who combined to lead 146 of the 152 total laps. Moffitt, a former series champion, won Stage 1 and Creed earned the Stage 2 victory, his series-best fifth stage win of 2020.

Creed, who led a race-best 82 laps, was leading when a caution came out with two laps remaining in regulation. Creed, Hill and Moffitt — who were running 1-2-3 at the time of the yellow flag, all pitted for tires. Rhodes, who was fourth at the time, and Kraus, were among 11 drivers who stayed out.

Any chance of a challenge for the win ended for Creed, however, when he was issued a pit road speeding penalty — too fast entering pit road — on the stop. He finished 18th, but the three-race winner remained upbeat after the race.

“If more would have come (to pit road) it would have helped out situation,” Creed said. “Man, that one hurts. Capitalized on that (next to) last restart and got to the lead and I knew if I was to the lead I was really good for 15-20 laps. And I feel like track position was really important.

“Just so much fun today. This place is so cool. The Jimmie Johnson throwback (paint scheme), it was really fun racing my teammate for the lead and quite a few times on restarts. Such a good job by my guys.”

Kraus’s runner-up showing was important as he’s involved in a three-way challenge for the final two playoff positions. Tyler Ankrum, who finished 11th, is ninth in the standings, now 14 points ahead of Kraus.

“(Crew chief) Kevin (Bellicourt) up on top of the box made a really good call at the end and I got a good restart and did everything I needed to do, and off of (Turn) 2 got really loose,” Kraus said of being passed by Rhodes.

“You’ve got to be aggressive to make the top 10 and the playoffs,” Kraus added of his door-to-door racing with Gilliland throughout the day.

Gilliland’s seventh-place run keeps him 10 points ahead of Kraus as the series moves to Richmond Raceway for Thursday’s regular-season finale, the ToyotaCare 250 (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Notes: There were no major issues in post-race inspection in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series garage. The No. 19 truck of second-place finisher Kraus had one lug nut not safe and secure, which usually results in a fine for the crew chief.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR issued a pre-race penalty to the No. 12 Team Penske Ford team Sunday at Darlington Raceway after pre-race inspection uncovered improperly mounted ballast.

Ryan Blaney, who entered the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs ranked seventh in the standings, will start Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 from the rear. He was slated to start the race seventh.

In addition, the team has been docked 10 driver and owner points, and crew chief Todd Gordon has been ejected. The point penalty moves Blaney one spot below the cutoff line as the three-race Round of 16 begins.

RELATED: Full Southern 500 lineup 

A Team Penske statement reads: “Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford Mustang was penalized for improperly mounted ballast during inspection this afternoon prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington. A 5 pound bag of lead that is typically used during setup at the shop to simulate fluid weights prior to the race engine being installed was accidentally left in the car. The team accepts the penalty and Travis Geisler will serve as the crew chief for the No. 12 team this evening.”

A full penalty report will be issued early next week.

Posted on by Press Release

DARLINGTON, S.C. (Sept. 6, 2020) – Voting for the 2020 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Most Popular Driver Award presented by Hooters officially opens today, Sept. 6, at 12 noon ET.

Fans can cast a vote for a single driver once daily at www.nascar.com/mostpopulardriver or on the NASCAR Mobile app. Votes shared by fans on Facebook and/or Twitter count double.

To be eligible, drivers must have declared for NASCAR Cup Series points and must have attempted to start all Championship Events of the current season unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR to be eligible.

VOTE: Cup Series

Voting closes for the NMPA Most Popular Driver at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, the day after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 event at Phoenix Raceway, with the announcement of the winner to be announced in the weeks following the vote closure.

The award was first presented to Curtis Turner in 1949 at the completion of the inaugural season in what is now the NASCAR Cup Series. It has been administered by the NMPA and presented annually by the organization since 1983 and remains the only major NASCAR award determined solely by fan vote.

VOTE: Xfinity Series

All told, 20 different drivers have received the award since the program’s inception. NMPA Hall of Fame and NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bill Elliott won the award a record 16 times (1984-1988, 1991-2000 and 2002). Dale Earnhardt Jr., elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame this year as part of the Class of 2021, was named NMPA Most Popular 15 times from 2003 through 2017.

Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports, Bill Elliott’s son, has continued the family tradition, winning the Award in 2018 and 2019.

VOTE: Gander Truck Series

“Just an honor, really, and just a big thank you to everybody who voted,” Elliott said after accepting the honor at last December’s NASCAR Cup Series Awards in Nashville. “Obviously, it took a lot of votes to make it happen and everybody that took time to do that, I do really appreciate it.

“It’s more than a trophy or a sticker or an award, really and truly. So I just really enjoyed this past season and just seeing all the people that were at the race track that wanted to see us do good. And you can genuinely feel that, and that goes a long way. So I appreciate it, and hopefully try to make everybody proud next year, too.”