Posted on by Zack Albert

Greg Zipadelli, Stewart-Haas Racing’s vice president of competition, said Monday he anticipates keeping the organization’s four-driver roster intact for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

SHR currently fields cars for regular-season champion Kevin Harvick, Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Cole Custer, Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer — all of whom qualified for the 16-driver playoff field. The contracts for Almirola and Bowyer have been reported to be up after this season.

RELATED: Silly Season’s key figures

“Where we are is kind of one of those things that we kind of keep our laundry in-house, working on them,” Zipadelli said, opting not to delve into specifics about negotiations. “Yes, I do anticipate and (am) excited to hopefully have the same lineup that we do this year back. I know one is very close to done, and we’re working on the other one. I think our guys, our drivers really work well together this year and lean on each other. They’ve all helped Cole a bunch and proud of everybody for that. They’ve showed up ready to race on Sundays and that’s all we can ask.”

Harvick leads the Cup Series with seven victories so far this year and is signed through 2023. Close business relationships and sponsor ties make it more likely Custer and Almirola would return to SHR next season. Though Bowyer has explored broadcasting opportunities this season, he indicated in a July 20 teleconference his intent was to return to SHR’s No. 14 Ford next year.

Stewart-Haas also has a growing talent in 25-year-old Chase Briscoe, who leads the Xfinity Series with six victories this season. Zipadelli said he was hopeful Briscoe would remain in the fold, and a move to the Cup Series either next year or in 2022 — with either SHR’s lineup or with an affiliated team — was among the options.

“I would say he’s right at that point, whether it’s next year or the year after,” Zipadelli said. “I don’t think it would hurt him to run another year of Xfinity. I don’t know, kind of dependent on how the schedules and what the races are whether it helps him a bunch or not, but right now, we’re trying to weigh out all those options.”

Stewart-Haas Racing has a limited technical alliance with Go Fas Racing, which currently has a vacancy for its No. 32 Ford for the 2021 season. Asked whether Briscoe could fit with Go Fas as a replacement for Corey LaJoie, Zipadelli didn’t rule such a move out.

“I think there are opportunities for all of that,” Zipadelli said. “We haven’t really talked much about going down that road. I think we’re just kind of waiting to see how everything pans out and then we’ll make the decisions which we feel is best for our organization and our drivers.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Playoffs are back, and this season we’re pulling back the curtain on a truly epic prize — inspired by, and built for, the world’s greatest fans.

On select weeks all Playoffs long, racing fans can check in as we reveal new features of the ultimate vehicle: A customized Ford Mustang GT, complete with the power and features our fans will love.

To complement this beast of a car, we’ve created a thrilling, on-track experience where one fan will get to take the wheel alongside a Ford NASCAR Cup Series driver. Together — the car and the experience — it’s the ultimate prize for the ultimate fan and a fitting way for Ford to help fans celebrate the most high-stakes racing of the NASCAR season.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends 11/8/20. Must be a permanent legal resident of the (50) U.S. or DC of legal age of majority (& at least 18) as of 8/31/20. Void where prohibited. Click here for rules, entry, and complete details.

Posted on by Staff Report

Chocolate is the answer; it doesn’t matter what the question is. Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing revealed the Darlington throwback scheme for the No. 18 Toyota on Monday, and it’s a nod to when M&M’s candies first appeared on the hood of the car in 2004.

RELATED: Darlington throwback schemes

Mmmm, get a load of this look set to take the track for the Cook Out Southern 500 at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday at Darlington Raceway (NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio):

2020 Aug31 Kyle Busch Throwback
Joe Gibbs Racing
Posted on by Staff Report

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:

2020 Aug31 Home Depot Throwback
Joe Gibbs Racing

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):

2020 Aug31 Erik Jones Throwback
Joe Gibbs Racing
Posted on by Staff Report

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.

The structure

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.

Round-by-round

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)

The points

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.

Posted on by Staff Report

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:

Posted on by Press Release

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.

Posted on by Data Skrive

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.

Sam Mayer Driver Page | Get Mayer Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

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.

Ty Majeski Driver Page | Get Majeski Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

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.

Tanner Gray Driver Page | Get Gray Gear | Race Center