Posted on by Terrin Waack

The first Dash 4 Cash race is Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the EchoPark 250 (4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Four NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will be battling it out among the rest the of the 37-car field for not only the overall EchoPark 250 win but an additional $100,000 if they finish the highest among the Dash 4 Cash-eligible contingent. Those competing in the race within a race are Chase Briscoe, Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones and Noah Gragson.

There are four Dash 4 Cash events total, bringing the prize money to $400,000 total.

RELATED: Keep up with Dash 4 Cash results

“If people are able to sweep that, that’s like a brand new sponsor coming on board for nearly half a season,” Briscoe said on a Zoom teleconference Thursday. “It’s a huge deal to win one of them, but if you win four of them, it’ll literally change your entire program. So it’s a huge thing for us. I think everybody financially right now is struggling with everything going on with the COVID stuff, so for a team to be able to have that swing — from no new money coming in to potentially $400,000 — is a huge thing.”

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic paused all of NASCAR’s national-series schedules earlier this season for more than two months. The sport returned racing in late May without fans in attendance and with safety precautions implemented at track. Atlanta will mark the Xfinity Series’ fourth race back.

Drivers eligible for the Dash 4 Cash are determined by the results of the previous race. Briscoe, Burton, Jones and Gragson were the top-four full-time finishers (among drivers that have declared to be running for the Xfinity Series championship) last Monday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Whoever has the best finish of those four at Atlanta will win the $100,000 bonus and qualify for the next Dash 4 Cash event. The next three highest full-time finishers will join the winner in competing for the bonus at Miami. Talladega and a yet to be determined race will serve as the other races in the program.

“You’ve seen in years past guys be really aggressive to win the Dash 4 Cash,” Burton said on another Zoom teleconference Thursday. “It puts on great races. It reminds me of the old Cup (Series) races that were worth a million dollars to win. That always seemed like it put more pressure on everything, right? It was a playoff-like atmosphere. And that’s good. That’s a good little test for us. The guys that are in the Dash 4 Cash along with us are guys, I think, we have to beat to win the championship.”

Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

Anytime you mention Tim Richmond’s name in NASCAR circles almost everyone has a story to tell. Some are true. Some are legendary.

The story of 1986 was legendary. Richmond won seven races that year, more than any other driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. Richmond also walked away from 1986 with eight poles, 13 top fives and 17 top 10s. Despite the numbers, it wasn’t enough to claim the series championship — Dale Earnhardt won that.

The final race of the 1986 season was at Riverside International Raceway — a 2.6-mile road course in Riverside, California, where Richmond often dominated. It was the site of his first win — and his 13th and final win.

In this week’s NASCAR Classic Full Race Replay, go back to the 1986 Winston Western 500 and watch Tim Richmond put on a show to beat a hard-charging Dale Earnhardt on the twists and turns of Riverside.

Posted on by Staff Report

Clint Bowyer revealed his paint scheme for the throwback weekend later this year at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday night and, quite simply, it rocks.

Bowyer teamed with Kyle Petty to make the announcement during a live stream of the latter’s 1990 win at Rockingham Speedway that saw Petty take the No. 42 PEAK Pontiac to Victory Lane from the pole for his third career NASCAR Cup Series win. The win was a first for PEAK Antifreeze.

The No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang will adorn a similar scheme for the Labor Day weekend event.

Peak Tb 3q Back0
Courtesy Stewart-Haas Racing

“I watched that race as a kid and remember dreaming about lapping the field just like Kyle,” Bowyer said during the stream. “That car was always one of my favorites with the PEAK/Petty Blue and the hot pink stripe that was so popular in the early ’90s. I asked the guys at PEAK why they picked that scheme and they said, ‘ … you could always find it on TV because of the hot pink stripe.’

“In honor of his dominating performance, PEAK is bringing back the scheme for this year’s Darlington Throwback event later in the season. I can’t wait to drive this No. 14 PEAK Ford Mustang and maybe we can dominate Darlington like Kyle did that day in Rockingham.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Hampton, Georgia, for the first time since the COVID-19 shutdown halted its visit earlier this season. Atlanta Motor Speedway will play host to Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), an event originally scheduled March 15 before the postponement.

As with other events held since NASCAR returned to action after the coronavirus outbreak, the 325-lap race will take place without fans in attendance, and only a limited amount of essential personnel will be permitted on the track’s grounds. It will mark the sixth Cup Series race in NASCAR’s return and the 10th race overall this season.

Here’s a primer with helpful information for the showdown on the first Sunday of June.

RELATED: How to follow the races | Schedule for Atlanta

TRACK DETAILS

Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.54-mile oval that held its first NASCAR Cup Series event on July 31, 1960. Fireball Roberts was the winner of that day’s Dixie 300. The first race was originally scheduled for late 1959 but was not run because of inclement weather.

With a 2,332-foot frontstretch and an 1,800-foot backstretch, each quarter-mile turn is banked at 24 degrees. The asphalt surface is the third oldest on the circuit, last repaved in 1997. Dover International Speedway (1995) and Auto Club Speedway (1996) are older.

Sunday’s 500-miler will be the 113th race for NASCAR’s top division on the Georgia track.

RELATED: Memorable moments at Atlanta

STAGE LENGTHS

Stage 1 is set to end at Lap 105, Stage 2 at Lap 210, and the final stage is slated to conclude on Lap 325.

STARTING LINEUP

Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 will be held without practice and qualifying as NASCAR tries to limit exposure for on-site personnel to control the spread of coronavirus. The lineup will be determined by a random draw among groups in the team owner standings:

  • Positions 1-12: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 13-24: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40: Open teams in order of owners points

MORE: NASCAR Cup Series entry list for Atlanta

Pit-stall selection will be ordered based on finishing positions from the NASCAR Cup Series’ previous race — last Sunday’s Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway — followed by new entries in order of points.

For more information about starting-lineup procedures for national-series races scheduled without qualifying, click here.

RULES PACKAGE

The NASCAR Cup Series will use its 2020 intermediate track package. Cars will feature a 550-horsepower tapered-spacer engine with aero ducts (an adjustment made after the 2019 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway), an eight- by 61-inch rear spoiler and a front splitter with a two-inch overhang.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Tires are critical: The track surface at Atlanta Motor Speedway may be the most worn and hardest on tires for the NASCAR Cup Series. This leads to teams pitting short of their fuel window to take fresh tires or working tire management to their benefit. Some drivers race hard early, while other conserve their tires to make a later run. Teams will be allowed 13 sets of Goodyear Eagles. Atlanta is also where Goodyear runs its multi-zoned tread right-side tire, which debuted in NASCAR in 2013.

“Tires are always something teams and fans think about when NASCAR makes its annual stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “With the abrasive track surface, tires are an important part of the race. Tire management often comes into play as those drivers that are easier on their tires early in a run will profit from that later on. Teams will opt for four tires on every stop, even after just a handful of laps if the opportunity presents itself. That also draws in the team aspect of our sport as the pit crews will be very busy with 13 sets of tires for the race.”

New setup for all NASCAR teams: All three NASCAR national series will run the same tire setup, and it’ll be the first time teams have run either of the two Goodyear tire codes. For the Xfinity Series and Cup Series, compared to what was run last year at Atlanta Motor Speedway, both of the left-side and right-side tires feature construction updates to align with other speedways run. For the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, the tire setup features the same construction updates but also a compound change on the left-side tire — more grip — compared to last year at Atlanta. The right-side tire is a multi-zone tread tire, with a two-inch inboard compound designed for heat resistance (Endurance Zone) and a 10-inch outboard compound to give more grip (Traction Zone). Like all other NASCAR ovals greater than a mile in length, teams will be required to run liners in all four tire positions. Air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

STATS TO KNOW

— Toyota has not won at Atlanta Motor Speedway since 2013. The manufacturer has made it to Victory Lane at every other active track besides Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval since then. Ford has won the last three Atlanta races.

— Kevin Harvick led the most laps in five consecutive races at Atlanta Motor Speedway from 2014-19, trying him with David Pearson for the longest streak at the Georgia track. The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford won just one of those instances (2018). Harvick also has the most stage wins at Atlanta, with four tallies to his name.

— Bill Elliott is the only Georgia-born driver to win a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and he did so five times.

— Chase Elliott has the best average finish among active driver at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is averaging a 10.5 finish in four starts. Erik Jones has the next-best result, with a 10.67 average finish through three starts in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Everyone else is averaging a finish outside the top 10.

— Hendrick Motorsports has been dominant at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Chevrolet-backed organization has the most wins (14), runner-ups (16), top-five finishes (59) and top-10 runs (90). Its 3,031 laps led is second most of all teams.

— Three drivers won the last five races at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Brad Keselowski (two), Jimmie Johnson (two) and Kevin Harvick (one). There have been nine different winners in the last nine races held at a 1.5-mile track.

Source: NASCAR statistics, Racing Insights 

LIVE COVERAGE

Tune in Sunday at 3 p.m. ET to television coverage from Atlanta Motor Speedway on FOX and the FOX Sports App. For full radio coverage, listen in to PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on-air. 

RELATED: Ways to follow the races

For a more interactive experience, head over to NASCAR.com or the NASCAR app to check out an enhanced Race Center, live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the customizable live leaderboard with Scanner (which is FREE for both races), and the return of Drive (featuring in-car cameras).

Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the NASCAR Finish Line App.

2019 RACE WINNER

Brad Keselowski, who has already won two races in 2020, took his No. 2 Team Penske Ford to Victory Lane in last season’s trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was his second win in the last three races at the Georgia track. Keselowski led 33 laps and finished with a .218-second margin of victory over Martin Truex Jr.

RELATED: 2019 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 recap

ACTIVE ATLANTA WINNERS

Jimmie Johnson (five); Kurt Busch (three); Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch (two); Denny Hamlin (one).

Posted on by Staff Report

Fixing to see some old race action at Rockingham Speedway? Tune in Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET as PEAK will stream on YouTube the 1990 Cup Series race at Rockingham Speedway, won by Kyle Petty from the pole in the No. 42 Pontiac.

To commemorate the occasion, Petty himself will join the live stream for a post-race Zoom session along with race-winning crew chief Gary Nelson. Expect a special announcement during the show as well. We can’t say just what, but it will involve an active driver making an appearance.

The Rockingham race was held on March 4, 1990, as Petty dominated “The Rock” for his third career win and bringing PEAK Antifreeze its first win.

MORE: Full race results

Posted on by RJ Kraft

NASCAR Finish Line, a free-to-play gaming app from Penn National Gaming, is back with the resumption of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Each week, there will be six groups of five drivers for the upcoming race. Users will predict which driver will finish first among each of the six groups and then the overall race winner and second-place finisher for a chance to win $25,000 if all eight scenarios are correctly selected.

RELATED: Download NASCAR Finish Line

The second of six groups for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET on FOX/FOX Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) consists of a strong mix of 2020 winners — Joey Logano, Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin — as well as two drivers who have been in the mix at several races — Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer.

For a stats look, NASCAR.com has compiled the average finish of the last two races at Atlanta, the drivers’ career average finish at Atlanta, the average finish from the five races since the 2020 season resumed and the average finish from 2020 races on tracks that are considered to have a rougher surface (Auto Club Speedway and both Darlington Raceway races). Atlanta is known to have the roughest surface on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit.

PHOTOS: Tracks ranked from smoothest to roughest

A points system has been assigned, starting with one point for the best finisher and counting up to six points for the worst finisher. Those numbers were then added up. The lowest total signifies the strongest driver (green), and the highest total represents the weakest driver (red) — in recent years.

Driver Last 2 Atlanta races‘1 Career Atlanta
avg. finish		 Last five 2020 races (races since season restarted)
 Three 2020 races on rough surfaces
 Total
Alex Bowman Avg. finish: 17.5 (5) Avg. finish: 23.2 (5) Avg. finish: 21.4 (5) Avg. finish: 7.0 (2.5) 17.5
Clint Bowyer Avg. finish: 4.0 (1) Avg. finish: 19.6 (4) Avg. finish: 19.2 (4) Avg. finish: 20.7 (5) 14
Kurt Busch Avg. finish: 5.5 (2) Avg. finish: 14.9 (1) Avg. finish: 7.4 (1) Avg. finish: 7.0 (2.5) 6.5
Denny Hamlin Avg. finish: 7.5 (3) Avg. finish: 17.9 (3) Avg. finish: 10.8 (2) Avg. finish: 4.0 (1) 9
Joey Logano Avg. finish: 14.5 (4) Avg. finish: 17.2 (2) Avg. finish: 12.8 (3) Avg. finish: 12.0 (4) 13

The numbers say Busch is the overwhelming pick for Group 2. That said, if you are prioritizing the numbers since NASCAR’s return to racing then a compelling case could be made for Hamlin, who has two victories on the season — including one at Darlington last month. Bowyer’s recent Atlanta numbers make him a sneaky pick who is likely to be less popular among NASCAR Finish Line players, but as the numbers show, he carries a bit more risk with that selection. Surprisingly, the driver that sits second in points — Logano — is a middle-of-the-pack choice based on the numbers we are evaluating.

Make sure to get your picks for all the groups as well as the first- and second-place finishes in the NASCAR Finish Line App before Sunday’s race at Atlanta.

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR and Dover Motorsports Inc. announced Wednesday that Nashville Superspeedway will reopen to host a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2021.

The change will drop Dover International Speedway from two Cup Series races to one event next season. Dover Motorsports Inc. built the 1.33-mile concrete track in Lebanon, Tennessee, about a 40-minute drive from downtown Nashville.

“Thanks to the collaboration of Dover Motorsports and our broadcast partners, we are excited to bring NASCAR racing back to Nashville, a place where the passion for our sport runs deep,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said in a release. “The Nashville market is a vital one for our sport, and bringing NASCAR Cup Series racing to Nashville Superspeedway will be an integral building block in helping us further deliver on our promise in creating a dynamic schedule for 2021.”

RACING-REFERENCE: Historic results

Dates for the new Nashville event and Dover’s race weekend were not announced. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR vice president of racing development, said further announcements regarding the full 2021 schedule were still to be announced.

The move follows NASCAR’s recent rekindling of its relationship with the Music City, which played host to the NASCAR Awards banquet and Champion’s Week activities last December. Nashville Superspeedway hosted NASCAR, ARCA and IndyCar events during its operation from 2001-11, and the .596-mile Nashville Fairgrounds track was a fixture on the Cup Series schedule from 1958-84, with other NASCAR national tours running there until 2000.

MORE: NASCAR’s history in Nashville

Since its last NASCAR event in 2011, the Nashville Superspeedway has sat idle except for occasional rentals for stock-car driving experiences or for car storage by Nissan, which has an assembly plant located in nearby Smyrna, Tennessee. Panattoni Development Company purchased a 147-acre portion of the 1,250-acre speedway grounds in 2018 with plans to redevelop the land for industrial use. The group exercised an option to buy an additional 132 acres last June. Neither land parcel included the track or its seating.

Denis McGlynn, president and COO of Dover Motorsports, said in a Wednesday afternoon teleconference the speedway is “in great shape” and the company planned to spend $8-10 million during the next two years to bring the 1.33-mile track back into operation. Those expenditures include refurbishing the track’s buildings, updating the infrastructure and replacing some SAFER barrier that was taken for use at the Dover track.

McGlynn said grandstand capacity at Nashville Superspeedway is 25,000, a figure that could double with the addition of temporary seating.

“I say that because maybe some of the things we want to do we won’t be able to get it done in one year,” McGlynn said of the two-year time frame for renovations. “We may have to stretch it out. In any case it’s very close to being ready. I think we’ll be up and running in first-class fashion come next June.”

The Fairgrounds board and Nashville city officials had been working on proposals to bring NASCAR racing back to the historic half-mile layout, with Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and parent company Speedway Motorsports, Inc., proposing a $60 million renovation plan and acting as go-betweens in negotiations. But disputes over how the property will be used for construction of a Major League Soccer stadium adjacent to the track have slowed progress on infrastructure plans and track improvements.

RELATED: Active NASCAR drivers to win at Nashville Superspeedway

In a Wednesday morning statement, Marcus Smith — Speedway Motorsports’ president and CEO — indicated the fairgrounds track remained a priority.

“The news that NASCAR will bring a Cup race to Wilson County and the greater Nashville region in 2021 is a positive move for the sport of NASCAR and for NASCAR fans,” Smith said. “In recent years, we’ve made it very clear that we think Nashville is a place where NASCAR should be for the future and not just the past. Our efforts to work with state and local government officials to revive the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway will continue. We believe that the beloved short track in downtown Nashville provides tremendous opportunity to be a catalyst for year-round tourism and entertainment development.”

Kennedy said the channels of communication remain open between NASCAR and SMI regarding the fairgrounds venue.

“Know they’ve certainly been very close to the project over the past few months,” Kennedy said. “It’s an important track for us on the ARCA side as well.  We’ll certainly stay in touch with them as things move along and continue to support them there.”

Dover International Speedway has hosted 100 Cup Series events since it opened in 1969, and the 1-mile Delaware track has had two annual dates on the premier series schedule since 1971.

“Our company is excited about the terrific opportunity to not only host a NASCAR Cup Series race weekend but opening our Nashville facility will enable us to host other exciting forms of racing and entertainment options,” said Mike Tatoian, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Dover Motorsports, Inc. “We are also proud that our long history with NASCAR will continue at the ‘Monster Mile’ in 2021, and we also look forward to hosting the 9th Firefly Music Festival next summer.”

McGlynn said even though the COVID-19 outbreak had postponed its May NASCAR event, Dover may still hold two Cup Series races this year in a single weekend. A revised remainder of the 2020 NASCAR schedule has not been released, but Dover was originally set for a tripleheader weekend Aug. 21-23 with the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and ARCA Menard Series East at the “Monster Mile.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 2, 2020) – NASCAR and Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD) have agreed to host a NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway in 2021.

“We were energized to see how excited Nashville was to host the NASCAR Cup Series banquet last December,” said Denis McGlynn, president & CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “When we built Nashville Superspeedway in 2001 our goal was to one day secure a NASCAR Cup Series race for the venue. Nashville, central Tennessee and the surrounding market area is filled with passionate race fans. We are thrilled that we were able to collaborate with NASCAR and our television partners to get this done and we can’t wait to put on a great show there in 2021.

“While we have been in discussions with NASCAR for some time about the possibility of bringing the NASCAR Cup Series back to Nashville Superspeedway, plans really just became solidified in recent weeks. We will have many more announcements and exciting updates to share regarding plans for the facility shortly.”

The 1.33-mile concrete track was built in 2001 by Dover Motorsports, Inc. and hosted NASCAR- and IRL-sanctioned events from 2001 to 2011. It is situated on approximately 1,000 acres just outside of Nashville, and currently has 25,000 permanent grandstand seats and lights for night racing. The property played host to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, NTT INDYCAR SERIES and other racing series in its history.

Current NASCAR Cup Series competitors who have notched wins at Nashville Superspeedway include Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer and Austin Dillon.

“Thanks to the collaboration of Dover Motorsports and our broadcast partners, we are excited to bring NASCAR racing back to Nashville, a place where the passion for our sport runs deep,” said NASCAR President Steve Phelps. “The Nashville market is a vital one for our sport, and bringing NASCAR Cup Series racing to Nashville Superspeedway will be an integral building block in helping us further deliver on our promise in creating a dynamic schedule for 2021.”

In turn, Dover International Speedway will host one NASCAR Cup Series race weekend in 2021.

“Our company is excited about the terrific opportunity to not only host a NASCAR Cup Series race weekend but opening our Nashville facility will enable us to host other exciting forms of racing and entertainment options,” said Mike Tatoian, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Dover Motorsports, Inc.

“We are also proud that our long history with NASCAR will continue at the Monster Mile in 2021, and we also look forward to hosting the 9th Firefly Music Festival next summer.”

More information about the 2021 Dover and Nashville events will be made available in coming months. For inquiries, email [email protected].

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR issued a penalty Tuesday for a lug-nut violation after Sunday’s Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was found with one lug nut not safely secured in a post-race check after Erik Jones drove the car to a fifth-place finish in the Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 at the .533-mile track.

NASCAR officials fined crew chief Chris Gayle $10,000 per Sections 10.9.10.4: Tires and Wheels of the NASCAR rule book.

RELATED: Official race results