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

Posted on by Staff Report

Bubba Wallace and Ty Dillon, who have been among the NASCAR drivers to comment in recent days on the ongoing civil unrest, joined together to host an insightful 30-minute conversation Monday night on Instagram Live.

“We all need to have conversations in our communities to create change,” Dillon wrote in his post before he and Wallace discussed racism, racing and their life experiences.

Other drivers also used their platforms to add to the public conversation.

RELATED: NASCAR issues statement

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CA6e35XJzPc/?igshid=ixm3n1unfbb6

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2juFHpJZ0/?igshid=vb9v4rizlhjj

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA6BL6PHJck/

Posted on by Zack Albert

The overly simplistic view might be to say that Brad Keselowski somehow lucked into his two NASCAR Cup Series victories this year, that gift-wrapping was involved and that a doubly hexed Chase Elliott personally tied the bow. After all, the element of chance also smiled on Keselowski in both starting lineup draws this season, giving his No. 2 Ford the No. 1 spot each time.

“It’s nice to catch some of those breaks,” Keselowski admitted after his Sunday visit to Bristol Motor Speedway’s Victory Lane, but he noted that something still matters about being in contention, being in a proper position to pounce at opportunities when they unfold. It happened last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It happened Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. It may happen when his status as NASCAR’s top free-agent prospect is finally resolved for 2021 and beyond.

RELATED: Keselowski wins Bristol | Cup Series standings

Opportunity might be the story of Keselowski’s season so far, as he adds to Team Penske’s series-leading victory tally with a right-place, right-time strut. Riding two wins in a three-race span have the 36-year-old veteran and new crew chief Jeremy Bullins building their case as early championship players, even as the questions persist about his future, about whether his hot streak will solidify his long-term place at Team Penske or boost his market value for a ride elsewhere.

Keselowski hears the questions, dutifully answers and insists he’s tuning it all out.

“I haven’t put that much thought into anything other than competing and winning and wanting to be in a spot to compete and win for a long time,” Keselowski said. “I don’t let it be a distraction. I can’t always speak for others. The experience I’ve had with the team, they’re not either.”

Bullins, installed in the offseason as Keselowski’s new point man on the No. 2 team, has also heard the questions. He heard them again Sunday and said it’s something he and his driver have addressed. Even as uncertainty abounds, their mission remains fixed on staying the course.

“He and I have talked a lot about it,” Bullins said. “We both have said it’s not going to be a distraction to what we’re doing. If we keep having days like this, it won’t matter anyways.”

Days like Sunday were awfully similar to the previous Sunday, when Keselowski arose to lead the final five laps of the Coca-Cola 600. Elliott’s pre-overtime trip to pit road surrendered that perch to Keselowski for the final stretch, and the former champ didn’t buckle. Sunday at Bristol, Keselowski’s inheritance came from Elliott’s late-race clash with Penske’s Joey Logano, a shunt that handed him the lead for the final three laps.

MORE: Chase Elliott, Joey Logano collide late at Bristol

Part of what put Keselowski there wasn’t just his skill or the strength of his cars, but the team’s resilience, even when other drivers spent more time in front.

“I think that means everything,” Bullins said. “The fact that we know that we just have to keep Brad in the fight, keep him in position to where he can make something happen.  I think if we do that, if we can manage to do that throughout the day, he’s certainly not going to give up. I think our team has shown just how strong he can be when you put him in the right position. We’ve been able to do that a couple times.”

It has been eight years since Keselowski hoisted the Cup Series trophy for the first time, back when he drove a Penske-owned Dodge and when “Gangnam Style” became a thing. NASCAR’s playoff format and race structure have undergone two major changes in that time, and Keselowski has stacked 23 more Cup Series wins onto what has become a Hall of Fame-worthy resume.

RELATED: Team Penske wins by driver | All of Brad Keselowski’s Cup wins

He has waited the better part of a decade to reprise his boozy celebration from an outsized pilsner glass on ESPN’s SportsCenter. Now in a contract year and with team chemistry growing, 2020 might present a prime opportunity for a second swig.

“We’re all just really happy for each other’s success,” Keselowski said. “We’re there to pick each other up when things aren’t going our way and somebody is having a bad day. I think that’s what great teams do. This is turning into a great team. I’m super, super proud of them. I’m proud to be a part of it. I’m driving my butt off. Sometimes I think I might be driving a little bit too hard. So far it’s been paying off.”

The ultimate payoff may be long-term job security at Team Penske or a lucrative gig with another high-caliber organization.

Just don’t say he lucked into it.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Noah Gragson isn’t in the business of wrecking teammates for victories, but he’s also not going to let a chance at victory slip away without a fight.

Gragson was in the second position lined up alongside JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier for a restart with seven laps remaining in the scheduled distance of Monday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Allgaier charged out to a slight lead over Gragson as the laps dwindled, but a minor slip-up by Allgaier allowed Gragson to mount a final challenge.

That’s when the plot thickened, as Gragson powered to the bottom lane to push past Allgaier. The pair raced side by side for a half lap before Gragson’s No. 9 Chevrolet broke loose into Turn 1, sliding up to make contact with Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet. Allgaier went up the 36-degree banking, hitting the outside wall before sliding back down and spinning hard into the inside fence on the backstretch.

RELATED: Official race results

From Gragson’s perspective, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up despite the risk of upsetting a counterpart.

“(Allgaier) slipped up in 1 and 2 when I was running him down and that allowed me to get inside of him,” Gragson said. “I wouldn’t have gotten to him if he didn’t slip up. Got into him going into 1 and 2 and just got loose underneath him.

“I don’t make excuses. I take responsibility. I apologize for the 7 car, but I’m here to win races for the No. 9 team and they put in way too much effort for me to ride around and finish second.”

RELATED: Noah Gragson apologizes to No. 7 team, Justin Allgaier

While Gragson hung on for his second triumph of the 2020 season after an overtime restart, Allgaier was unable to finish the race despite leading a race-high 156 laps, placing 18th. The veteran JRM driver admitted to his mistake, but it didn’t change the fact he left the .533-mile Tennessee track frustrated.

“The team did a great job getting us track position we needed,” Allgaier told PRN after the incident. “I’m more mad at myself for making a mistake and getting off the bottom, but yeah, we got wrecked.”

Gragson passed by Allgaier after his victory celebration.

“I saw him and he said he would talk to me later,” Gragson said. “We are a family over at JR Motorsports and that’s not my goal is to tear up race cars, but I had the opportunity. The opportunity is there. The opportunity can slip away and I want to damn well take advantage of it.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. I take full responsibility for getting loose underneath him, that’s a fact. One thing you can’t say is I’m not aggressive and I’m not going to try. I’m sure he probably owes me one, but you don’t slip up the lap before and I don’t get to you and you drive off to victory. Don’t mess up, I guess.”

While Gragson showed some remorse for ending his teammate’s night early, he didn’t back down from his stance on leaving it all out on the track, noting he’d be unable to look his crew members in the eyes if he didn’t make the aggressive effort.

“I have a lot of respect for Justin and the No. 7 team,” Gragson said. “All of us drivers are on the limits and I don’t know if it’s a mistake or whatnot, but it ended bad for him unfortunately, but still a tremendous amount of respect for him. He’ll probably race me differently, but time will tell, that’s why everyone should keep watching.

“I don’t like wrecking people. I don’t like wrecking teammates, that’s not how I race. I’m an aggressive race-car driver, and when you’re battling for wins, I guess (expletive) happens. … I leave it all out on the track, and it is what it is.”