Erik Jones revealed a Darlington throwback scheme for the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota that honors one of Tony Stewart’s Home Depot looks from yesteryear.
RELATED: Darlington throwback schemes
Here’s the Stewart scheme that Jones is replicating. Stewart ran it in 2005 at Martinsville Speedway:
And now here’s the Sport Clips version of that for Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio):
Welcome to the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs! Read on to brush up on how the postseason works, and the key dates for all three national series.
For all three NASCAR national series, there are a series of eliminations as the NASCAR Playoffs progress. This culminates in the series finales at Phoenix Raceway, where the Championship 4 drivers race “straight-up” for the title — the first to cross the line of the four championship-eligible drivers is crowned the champion. This year’s championship weekend is scheduled to be in Phoenix for the first time. Previously, Homestead-Miami Speedway had been the track to host the final race weekend since 2002.
How they get here:
“Win and you’re in.” Championship-eligible drivers who won a race during the regular season, attempted to qualify for all regular-season races and met a minimum points position (NASCAR Cup Series: top 30; NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: top 20) qualify for the playoffs.
If there are fewer unique race winners than open spots in the playoffs, the remaining positions are filled based on regular-season points.
NASCAR Cup Series
– 16 drivers, four rounds
– Playoffs begin at Darlington Raceway (Sept. 6)
– Cutoff races, where four drivers are eliminated from the playoffs: Bristol Motor Speedway (Sept. 19), Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Oct. 11), Martinsville Speedway (Nov. 1)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
– 12 drivers, three rounds
– Playoffs begin at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sept. 26)
– Scheduled cutoff races, where four drivers are eliminated from the playoffs: Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Oct. 10) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 31)
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
– 10 drivers, three rounds
– Playoffs begin at Bristol Motor Speedway (Sept. 17)
– Scheduled cutoff races: Talladega Speedway (Oct. 3; two drivers eliminated) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 30; four drivers eliminated)
Throughout the regular season, drivers in all three national series earn playoff points to be used in the postseason. The playoff points procedure is uniform across all three national series and continues in the playoffs for drivers who remain in contention.
Ways drivers earn playoff points:
– Win Stage 1 or Stage 2 in a race: 1 playoff point (point awarded per stage win)
– Win a race: 5 playoff points
– Win the regular-season championship: 15 playoff points
Second place in the final regular-season standings earns 10 playoff points, third place receives eight points, and the points awarded decline to one point for 10th (fourth = seven points, fifth = six points, etc.).
Championship-contending drivers can accumulate additional playoff points throughout the playoffs via stage and race wins and may use all the playoff points they earn, from both the regular season and the playoffs, to advance all the way up to the Championship 4.
Playoff points are added to a championship-contending driver’s reset points total at the start of every round of the NASCAR Playoffs until they are eliminated from championship contention.
If a driver accumulates playoff points during the regular season but does not qualify for the playoffs, their playoff points are eliminated from the scoreboard.
At Phoenix Raceway, playoff points are off the table and the Championship 4 drivers enter the “winner-take-all” race on equal ground.
For example: Kevin Harvick is the top seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Harvick won the regular-season championship (15 playoff points), seven races (35 total playoff points) and seven stages (7 playoff points). Therefore, he has 57 playoff points. When the point totals reset to 2,000 for every playoff driver, Harvick began the postseason with 2,057 points — already 57 points ahead of 16th seed Matt DiBenedetto.
Christopher Bell and Leavine Family Racing unveiled on Monday their Darlington throwback scheme for the No. 95 Toyota for Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
RELATED: Darlington throwback schemes
Check out the new/old look honoring Bell’s 2017 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series championship scheme to celebrate the theme of champions, past, present and future:
🚨 Throwback Scheme 🚨
We are honored to be throwing it back to @CBellRacing truck series championship. Who is ready for throwback weekend? #NASCAR #RheemRacing #Southern500 #NASCARThrowback pic.twitter.com/Hm2SXvzMBY
— LeavineFamilyRacing (@LFR95) August 31, 2020
NEW YORK — Aug. 31, 2020 — Tilting Point and Tel Aviv based game developer Wizits are bringing the thrill of NASCAR racing to their popular Las Vegas casino slots mobile game, Win Vegas. Closely aligned with NASCAR’s real-world racing calendar, this limited time event features four themed stages across a 12-week period with action-packed racing-themed challenges. The first themed stage, available now through Sept. 16, will feature the iconic Daytona International Speedway; this stage is aligned with the famous Coke Zero Sugar 400 race on August 29. Following the event, players will be able to take their winnings to the next level during the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (Sept. 17 – Oct. 7), Championship (Oct.8 – Oct. 28) and Champion stages (Oct. 29 – Nov. 8). While the Championship Race in Phoenix will culminate on Nov. 8, players can continue to enjoy NASCAR content for an additional two weeks until Nov. 19.
“Win Vegas is a fun and fast-paced game, and the NASCAR integration adds a new layer of competition that fits perfectly with the league’s live racing calendar,” said Samir El-Agili, President of Tilting Point. “We think players will really enjoy the speed and intensity that NASCAR brings to Win Vegas, as well as all the new themed features that really transform our three-reel slots casino experience.”
“We are excited to offer Win Vegas players the speed and intensity of NASCAR-style competition, packaged in a mobile slots game,” said Paul Sparrow, managing director, licensing and consumer products, NASCAR. “Fans can compete in their own action-packed racing-themed challenges throughout NASCAR’s real-world Playoffs.”
In Win Vegas, players can spin the reels of the best selection of classic slot machines right from the casino floors in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas. The limited-time NASCAR event blends America’s most popular, recognizable and iconic racing brands with the lights, sounds and action of Vegas, ushering in new NASCAR gameplay components, including:
• Car Race: Based on Win Vegas’s most successful feature, Cash Race, this gameplay element lets players who play the NASCAR slot games take an active part in the competition with 20 other participants. To increase their chances of winning the grand prize, players must move faster on the track by collecting points.
• Upgrade Shop: Players have the ability to upgrade their car by collecting spare parts that can only be unlocked by playing slots, purchasing or winning challenges. Each upgrade will make the player’s car faster, increasing their chances of winning.
• Branded Slot Games: In addition to the main event, players will enjoy four new NASCAR branded slot games — all based around car racing themes. These machines will be accessible on Win Vegas’s lobby screen throughout the entire 12-week period.
Players can take part in the limited-time NASCAR challenge by downloading Win Vegas for free on the iOS, Android and Windows stores.
Sam Mayer finished fourth in the CarShield 200 Presented by CK Power at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sunday.
Mayer’s top-five finish, the first time he has achieved that result this year, added 45 points to his season total.
Mayer started in 15th position and led 24 laps in the race, holding the lead a total of two times. The second-year driver has never finished inside the top 10 in his career.
The Franklin, Wisconsin native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting five spots higher than his career mark of 20.2 and completing the race 15 places ahead of his 18.8 career average finish.
Mayer’s fourth-place finish was against a field of 33 drivers. The race endured five cautions and 23 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were seven lead changes.
Sheldon Creed finished first in the race, followed by Brett Moffitt in the No. 2 spot and Austin Hill in third place. Mayer took fourth in front of Stewart Friesen’s finish to secure fifth.
Todd Gilliland got off to a strong start in the race, winning Stages 1 and 2, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.
Ty Majeski finished ninth in the CarShield 200 Presented by CK Power at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sunday.
The top-10 finish for Majeski, his third of the year, added 30 points to his season total. Majeski is now 16th in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series standings with 275 points. A total of 10 drivers qualify for the postseason.
Majeski started in 18th position. The second-year driver has two top-10 finishes in his career.
The Seymour, Wisconsin native began the race eight spots behind his career mark of 9.9, but finished six places ahead of his career average of 15.3.
Majeski battled against a field of 33 drivers on the way to his ninth-place finish. The race endured five cautions and 23 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were seven lead changes.
Sheldon Creed earned the victory in the race, and Brett Moffitt followed in second. Austin Hill placed third, Sam Mayer secured fourth, and Stewart Friesen grabbed the No. 5 spot.
Todd Gilliland got off to a great start in the race, winning the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.
Tanner Gray rounded out the top 10 in the CarShield 200 Presented by CK Power at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sunday.
The top-10 finish for Gray, his fifth of the year, added 27 points to his season total. Gray is now 12th in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series standings with 342 points.
Gray started in 14th position. The second-year driver has collected two top-five and four top-10 finishes in his career.
The Mooresville, North Carolina native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting four spots higher than his career mark of 17.6 and completing the race six places ahead of his 16.1 career average finish.
Gray competed with 33 other drivers on the way to his 10th-place finish. The race endured five cautions and 23 caution laps. There were seven lead changes.
Sheldon Creed brought home the win in the race, and Brett Moffitt took second. Austin Hill placed third, Sam Mayer brought home fourth, and Stewart Friesen closed out the top five.
Todd Gilliland got off to a great start in the race, winning both of the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.
Tyler Ankrum finished 12th in the CarShield 200 Presented by CK Power at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sunday.
Ankrum’s result added 30 points to his season total. Ankrum is now No. 9 in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series standings with 413 points. A total of 10 drivers make the postseason cut.
Ankrum started in eighth position. The third-year driver has one career victory, with five top-five finishes and 15 results inside the top 10.
Sunday’s race was the first of Ankrum’s career at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
The San Bernardino, California native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting four spots higher than his career mark of 12.4 and completing the race two places ahead of his 13.6 career average finish.
Ankrum competed against 33 other drivers on the way to his 12th-place finish. The race endured five cautions and 23 caution laps. There were seven lead changes.
Sheldon Creed earned the victory in the race, and Brett Moffitt took second. Austin Hill crossed the finish line third, Sam Mayer secured fourth, and Stewart Friesen grabbed the No. 5 spot.
Todd Gilliland got off to a strong start in the race, winning the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.
Austin Hill finished third in the CarShield 200 Presented by CK Power at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sunday.
Hill’s top-five finish, the seventh time he has achieved that result this year, added 34 points to his season total. He is first in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series with 549 total points.
Hill started in fourth position. The seventh-year driver has piled up five career victories, with 14 top-five finishes and 32 results inside the top 10.
Sunday’s race was Hill’s third career start at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
The Winston, Georgia native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting 12 spots higher than his career mark of 15.8 and completing the race 14 places ahead of his 16.7 career average finish.
Hill took on 33 other drivers on the way to his third-place finish. The race endured five cautions and 23 caution laps. There were seven lead changes.
Sheldon Creed secured the win in the race, followed by Brett Moffitt in the No. 2 spot. After Hill’s third-place finish, Sam Mayer secured fourth, and Stewart Friesen came in fifth.
Todd Gilliland got off to a strong start in the race, winning both of the first two stages, but couldn’t hang on to secure the race victory.
Christopher Bell finished 13th in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.
Bell’s result added 30 points to his season total. He is 20th in the NASCAR Cup Series with 486 total points.
Bell started in 23rd position and led two laps in the race. The first-year driver has picked up one top-five and five top-10 finishes in his career.
Saturday’s race was the first of Bell’s career at Daytona International Speedway.
The Norman, Oklahoma native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting two spots higher than his career mark of 25 and completing the race seven places ahead of his 20.3 career average finish.
Bell’s 13th-place finish came against 40 other drivers. The race endured six cautions and 21 caution laps. There were 35 lead changes.
William Byron earned the checkered flag in the race, and Chase Elliott took second. Denny Hamlin placed third, Martin Truex Jr took fourth, and Bubba Wallace finished off the top five.
Joey Logano got off to a great start in the race, winning both of the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.
