Turning Point: What did we learn from a rousing Round of 16?

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Pat DeCola

Here’s what’s happening in NASCAR with the Bristol Night Race in the rearview and Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway up next (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

HOW TO WATCH: NASCAR on NBC, USA | Driver Cams on HBO Max

1. After Round of 16 sweep, we know JGR is elite — what else?

The Round of 16 was a consistent onslaught by Joe Gibbs Racing, turning in an unrelenting display of dominance as its three playoff drivers each participated in the opening round sweep. Will it continue or will others rise?

The Round of 12 is set. That’s about all we know.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s sweep of the Round of 16 to open the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs was nothing short of historic, capturing all three race wins and dominating the laps-led counter — but that only tells part of the story. Toyota, powered largely by JGR’s trio of playoff standouts, commanded 78.6% of the laps across the three races, underscoring its current supremacy with just seven races remaining before a champion is crowned. The respective victories by Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell at Darlington, Gateway and Bristol — with elimination never really in question for 23XI Racing Toyota compatriots Tyler Reddick or Bubba Wallace, either — highlight both JGR’s speed and depth across differently styled tracks; a necessary trait on the championship path. The team won five of six possible stages and secured nine top-10 finishes in the round (five more than any other team), showcasing a formula perfectly suited for playoff success.

Yet JGR’s dominance is part of a larger, more nuanced narrative. Only one driver that started the playoffs above the playoff cutline — rookie Shane van Gisbergen, who many had penciled in as a first-round elimination anyway — was eliminated in the Round of 16, marking one of the closest cutdowns of the modern playoff era. This signals the rising competitiveness and fine margins in today’s playoff system, emphasizing that many strong contenders remain in the hunt. Of the 12 that do, a whopping nine of them have previous Championship 4 experience, many of them being several-time visitors. Go ahead and look up and down that field of 12; each one of them has a realistic and feasible path to the Championship 4 from here, and, even despite the Toyota dominance, you don’t get the sense that anybody is going to really run away with it.

Still, it’s hard to ignore what did happen and wonder how much of it will continue as things reset a bit with the Round of 12.

Briscoe continued an emergent summer, maintaining pace as the model of consistency and finishing in the top 10 in all three Round of 16 races, a solo feat no other playoff driver matched this round. No. 19’s performance was built on accumulating critical stage points and leading substantial laps (451), demonstrating that, in this playoff format, sustained excellence and smart racing strategy can be just as important as outright victories, as he would’ve been a clear advancer even without the win.

The Round of 16 starkly revealed the current divide among manufacturers, as well. Toyota’s overwhelming performance contrasts decisively with Chevrolet’s struggles, as the manufacturer saw just two top-five finishes across three races and an average finish hovering near 22nd place. Chevy flagship Hendrick Motorsports, traditionally a powerhouse team at this time of the season in particular, recorded some of its weakest playoff results, with Kyle Larson failing to crack the top 10 in any playoff race despite the round consisting of three of his strongest tracks. Regular Season Champion William Byron has similar difficulties converting performance into results at critical moments all of a sudden, and with five straight finishes outside the top 10, he’s now on pace for his worst average finish since 2022, when he last missed the Championship 4.

Ford, while better than Chevrolet in this round, showed mixed results. Team Penske drivers exhibited flashes of speed but lacked the dominant urgency to fully threaten Toyota’s supremacy. The Blue Ovals’ inability to win more than one stage in the Round of 16 hints at a potential pace gap relative to Toyota teams.

Bubba Wallace has been a revelation, leading all playoff drivers in stage points with 35 and demonstrating a level of maturity and consistency that make him a threat in the coming rounds as he mounts his first realistic championship run. Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick starts this round in last place, but a runner-up showing at Darlington inspires confidence, and he’s only three points in the hole. He could easily find himself on the right side of the bubble come Monday.

The elimination of SVG trims some unpredictability from the field, with some already having penciled him into the Round of 8 with the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval looming in this round and given everything we’ve seen from him on road courses this year. Now that he’s out, it puts even more pressure on the remaining 12 to win one of these next two with Kansas Speedway following New Hampshire.

(And on a related note, could someone like Austin Cindric, a dark horse Round of 12 driver and one that finished fourth at the Roval last year, now play that potential role as a shock advancer to the Round of 8?)

The Round of 12 typically sees shifts in momentum and fortunes. Look no further than last year for that.

Joey Logano, sitting just below the cutline, combines extensive playoff experience with a track record of delivering under pressure. With the round opener at his home track in New England, he could be primed to pounce early here despite a down year. Ryan Blaney’s current fifth-place slot is comfortable but fragile, with three sneakily unpredictable races inhabiting this round.

This Round of 16 reinforced that, yes, speed and dominance set a championship foundation, and JGR looks like it could potentially put all three of its playoff drivers in the Championship 4.

But the evolving playoff battle demands consistency and resilience under pressure, and 0h-by-the-way, there’s a bunch of other drivers and teams just absolutely determined to beat Toyota now, solely focused on going faster than them.

In some ways, seven races remaining feels like an eternity. And we’re perhaps only scratching the surface of where these playoffs are headed.

David Jensen | Getty Images

2. Will Chevy’s Loudon drought end Sunday … by a surprise driver?

Chevrolet’s lack of victories at New Hampshire is increasingly glaring as the skid stretches even further into its second decade. With an up-for-grabs race ahead of us this weekend, it could be snapped – but not, perhaps, by the driver that would come to mind first.

With the Round of 12 around the corner and a “Magic Mile” showdown set for New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, one under-the-radar storyline quietly looms large and holds potentially serious playoff implications: Chevrolet can’t seem to win in New England anymore.

Halloween isn’t until next month and Loudon, New Hampshire isn’t quite a stone’s throw Salem, Massachusetts (about 78 miles), but the numbers tell a haunting tale.

Despite historically dominating the track with a manufacturer-best 19 all-time victories, none of the bowtie brand’s current teams have tasted lobster in Victory Lane since Kasey Kahne’s triumph on July 15, 2012. That drought spans 18 races and two generations of Cup Series stock car — a staggering drought for a manufacturer that once treated New Hampshire as personal property.

The malaise is most notable in Chevrolet’s premier organization. Hendrick Motorsports, typically the gold standard for bowtie excellence, already arrives at New Hampshire nursing fresh wounds from a disastrous playoff opener at Darlington where all four drivers finished outside the top 15 … and things didn’t get a whole lot better from there the rest of the round. Kyle Larson, despite being a three-time runner-up at Loudon, has never reached Victory Lane here. A meager 22 laps led across 14 starts represent his lowest total for any track with multiple appearances. William Byron has yet to crack the top 10 in seven Loudon starts, making it the sole active track where he lacks a top-10 finish. Alex Bowman’s struggles are equally pronounced, carrying a painful 24.4 average finish that speaks to the broader organizational challenges — and he just got knocked out of the playoffs, anyway. Chase Elliott has led double-digit laps in three of the last four there, but owns just three top 10s in 11 starts.

This Chevrolet weakness stands in stark contrast to Toyota’s iron grip on New Hampshire, which comes at a time when the manufacturer is already proving to be elite. Joe Gibbs Racing has transformed Loudon into its delightful summer getaway destination, sweeping the three Next Gen Loudon races and just flat-out owning the laps-led category in this era.

Yet amid this Toyota supremacy and Chevrolet despair, an intriguing wildcard emerges: Ross Chastain.

The 32-year-old Floridian’s Loudon resume quietly hints at breakthrough potential, despite a second half of 2025 in which he’s gone all but missing on the results sheet. In the last four Loudon races, he’s recorded three top-10 finishes, and was Chevy’s lone driver representative at a Goodyear tire test at the track not even two months ago. We’ve already seen what this team can do when the pressure is on, winning NASCAR’s marathon crown jewel from the tail of the field in May. Starting the Round of 12 below the cut in 11th place? They’re certainly not resting easily right now.

He hasn’t found the top 10 on an oval in quite some time — Michigan, to be exact — but six of his last seven 2025 finishes have been top-20 results, with no fewer than 17 points in any of them (hence why he’s still here).

While Hendrick Motorsports wrestles with its well-known fundamental setup issues on flat tracks, Trackhouse could once again demonstrate the ability to punch above its weight class and clinch a Round of 8 spot before any of its drivers.

The broader context amplifies Chastain’s opportunity. Chevrolet’s playoff struggles run deeper than individual driver performances as Toyota wipes the floor, as previously established. Hendrick’s recent form suggests its struggles may persist as we head to the type of flat, 1-mile oval that has consistently been its one weakness in the Next Gen era.

Another winless weekend at Loudon would extend the drought to 19 races and add another chapter to one of modern NASCAR’s most perplexing manufacturer struggles.

The irony cuts deep; a track where Chevrolet once reigned supreme has become a house of horrors, with each passing race adding weight to the “Loudon curse” narrative that has haunted the manufacturer at the “Magic Mile” since the year “Magic Mike” was released in theaters.

Ross Chastain enters driver introductions through smoke. — *Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images*

3. Kyle Petty: ‘Do not put JGR on that championship trophy yet’

After the recent dominance in the Round of 16, Kyle Petty tells you why you shouldn’t pin the Cup championship on Joe Gibbs Racing just yet.

4. Champions make the magic happen at New Hampshire

Twelve of the last 16 race winners at Loudon are NASCAR Cup Series champions, with three of the other four going to drivers with multiple Championship 4 appearances. With two-thirds of the playoff field still each vying for their own first title, will the trend be bucked Sunday? (Credit: Racing Insights)

Date	Race Winner	Championship
9/22/2013	Matt Kenseth	2003
7/13/2014	Brad Keselowski	2012
9/21/2014	Joey Logano	2018, '22
7/19/2015	Kyle Busch	2015, '19
9/27/2015	Matt Kenseth	2003
7/17/2016	Matt Kenseth	2003
9/25/2016	Kevin Harvick	2014
7/16/2017	Denny Hamlin	—
9/24/2017	Kyle Busch	2015, '19
7/22/2018	Kevin Harvick	2014
7/21/2019	Kevin Harvick	2014
8/2/2020	Brad Keselowski	2012
7/18/2021	Aric Almirola	—
7/17/2022	Christopher Bell	—
7/17/2023	Martin Truex Jr.	2017
6/23/2024	Christopher Bell	—

5. Catch the pack — news and notes from around the garage

Paint Scheme Preview: 2025 New Hampshire Motor Speedway playoff weekend

Power Rankings: Will defending champ Logano be first to reach Round of 8?

Keselowski, Smith, Gibbs come to life at Bristol in shadow of Cup Series Playoffs

Playoff Pulse: Tires and tribulation jumble up the title hopefuls at Bristol

Analysis: Goodyear tire wear tests Cup’s best in Bristol Round of 16 finale

Scottsdale to host NASCAR Awards following 2025 Championship Weekend

Ty Gibbs comes up short: ‘Hard to fault a guy for trying too hard’

Blaney recounts nephew on radio: ‘We got a good kick out of it’

Zane Smith details rivalry with Carson Hocevar: ‘Treat him how he’d treat me’

Ryan Blaney, No. 12 team carry ‘well-oiled machine’ mindset into New Hampshire

Kyle Petty: Why Hendrick should keep Alex Bowman

Phoenix Raceway adds IndyCar to weekend schedule in March 2026

A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series USA Today 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 23, 2024 in Loudon, New Hampshire. — *Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images*

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Zach Sturniolo

Zane Smith was so close, he said he could taste his first NASCAR Cup Series victory on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

But sitting on the front row with only four laps separating him from the final restart and the checkered flag, Smith washed high against Carson Hocevar and opened the door for Christopher Bell to scoot by and ultimately win, preventing him from scoring that first win as the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford faded to third.

MORE: Bristol results | Smith’s career stats

The defeat stung, but having a chance? Being in position that late in the game? That’s a feeling Smith’s missed since his days of stacking wins in the Craftsman Truck Series just two years ago.

“Man,” Smith said in a Tuesday teleconference, “when you’re trying to get your first win in the Cup Series — something you’ve just wanted to be in for your whole life — and then the opportunity is right in front of you (and) it’s going to be settled in a couple of minutes, yeah, there’s a lot of things running through your head. Like, man, pretty much everything that I have known in my career, I need to funnel it down to right now to see how I could possibly execute this race win. …

“I’ve worked for this all my life, and the opportunity is right here. Who knows if I’ll have this opportunity again?”

Ethan Smith | For NASCAR Digital Media

Those are the moments Smith lives for, at age 26, competing in his second full-time season at the highest level of NASCAR. The Huntington Beach, California native has been fighting for these opportunities for far longer than most people likely remember with a Truck debut in 2018 that came seven years ago. A full-time tenure from 2020-2023 led him to nine wins across four seasons, three Championship 4 appearances and a Truck title in 2022.

His Cup tenure — while young — has yet to be so fruitful. Bristol marked the third top five of his career and first with FRM. Across 74 starts, those quality finishes have been hard to come by.

“You get warned about that as the conversations get brought up of maybe you going to race on Sunday,” Smith said. “And, man, you could go through a stretch there without just winning something, and it takes a toll on you. Like, man, can I still do this? Do I still stay as locked in as I did? And you question why it’s not happening.”

But Smith has made peace with those struggles this week, with Bristol a boon to remind him he is improving race by race.

“Fortunately, we have a lot of data and analytics looking at where we can improve and maybe circling more than one reason why we’re not,” Smith said. “And I think we’re thankful for that because that could just naturally take a toll on a driver. But it was a good reminder on Saturday that I feel I still can win.”

A tough slate of results through July and August wasn’t representative of what Smith felt his finishes should have been, with multiple late incidents ousting him from sure top-15 results. As the driver, he feels it’s his responsibility to play “quarterback” and lead his team mentally through those heartbreaks.

“I’m just a big believer in, like, hard times build tougher people,” Smith said. “And I think through racing and doing this for a living […] you’re going to experience so many ups and downs. Regardless, I mean, even at the high, I feel that just keeping a level head goes a long way. You just don’t let your lows get too low. And so with that, I feel like that’s how we’ve been able to rebound.”

Posted on September 17, 2025September 17, 2025 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday for its first visit to the “Granite State” since 2017. Teams will have a full 50-minute practice session on Friday (4:05 p.m. ET, FS2) before qualifying later in the afternoon (5:10 p.m. ET, FS2). Saturday’s race (Noon ET, FS1, NRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the final event in the Round of 10, and two drivers will see their championship hopes come to and end.

QUALIFYING ORDER: Cup Series | Truck Series

The qualifying order is determined via a metric that combines the previous race finish by owner (70%) and current owner points position (30%).

Friday’s qualifying session will be one round and one lap.

MORE: New Hampshire schedule | How to watch the Truck Series on FS1, FS2

# denotes series rookie
(i) denotes ineligible for driver points
(P) denotes playoff driver

Position	Car Number	Driver	Metric Score	Group
1	69	Derek White	40.7	1
2	74	Caleb Costner	36.8	1
3	16	Christian Eckes(i)	35.3	1
4	2	Stephen Mallozzi	34.5	1
5	6	Norm Benning	34.3	1
6	02	Jayson Alexander	31.1	1
7	33	Tyler Tomassi(i)	30.1	1
8	22	Blake Lothian	28.6	1
9	20	Mason Massey(i)	27.7	1
10	62	Michael Christopher Jr.	27.2	1
11	76	Spencer Boyd	26.7	1
12	5	Toni Breidinger #	26.3	1
13	41	Conner Jones	24.3	1
14	91	Jack Wood	22.6	1
15	1	Brent Crews	22.5	1
16	26	Dawson Sutton	19.4	1
17	42	Matt Mills	17.5	1
18	45	Bayley Currey	16.6	1
19	17	Giovanni Ruggiero #	13.6	2
20	88	Matt Crafton	13.0	2
21	44	Andres Perez De Lara #	10.7	2
22	81	Connor Mosack #	10.3	2
23	177	Corey LaJoie	9.9	2
24	15	Tanner Gray	9.0	2
25	99	Ben Rhodes	5.3	2
26	13	Jake Garcia (P)	27.3	2
27	38	Chandler Smith (P)	24.0	2
28	9	Grant Enfinger (P)	16.2	2
29	18	Tyler Ankrum (P)	15.8	2
30	71	Rajah Caruth (P)	13.2	2
31	52	Kaden Honeycutt (P)	10.8	2
32	7	Patrick Emerling (P)	9.8	2
33	19	Daniel Hemric (P)	4.4	2
34	98	Ty Majeski (P)	4.0	2
35	11	Corey Heim (P)	2.4	2
36	34	Layne Riggs (P)	1.3	2

Posted on September 17, 2025September 17, 2025 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series begins the Round of 12 in the 2025 playoffs with the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Qualifying at the 1.058-miler begins at 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday (truTV, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). A 60-minute practice split into two 25-minute groups with a 10-minute break in between is at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, also on truTV.

QUALIFYING ORDER: Cup Series | Truck Series

The qualifying order below is determined via a metric that combines the previous race finish by owner (70%) and current owner points position (30%).

Saturday’s qualifying session will be one round and one lap.

The race itself will be on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

MORE: How to watch NASCAR on NBC, USA | Driver Cams on HBO Max | Weekend schedule

# denotes series rookie
(i) denotes ineligible for driver points
(P) denotes playoff driver

POS.	CAR NO.	DRIVERS	METRIC SCORE	GROUP
1	99	Daniel Suárez	34.3	1
2	41	Cole Custer	33.0	1
3	16	AJ Allmendinger	32,7	1
4	21	Josh Berry	32.1	1
5	51	Cody Ware	31.1	1
6	10	Ty Dillon	28.5	1
7	4	Noah Gragson	26.3	1
8	34	Todd Gilliland	26.1	1
9	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	24.1	1
10	3	Austin Dillon	23.8	1
11	35	Riley Herbst #	23.1	1
12	88	Shane van Gisbergen #	22.7	1
13	43	Erik Jones	20.9	1
14	60	Ryan Preece	20.1	1
15	71	Michael McDowell	19.7	1
16	7	Justin Haley	18.1	1
17	8	Kyle Busch	17.5	1
18	42	John Hunter Nemechek	16.4	1
19	17	Chris Buescher	12.8	2
20	54	Ty Gibbs	12.7	2
21	77	Carson Hocevar	12.1	2
22	38	Zane Smith	10.2	2
23	48	Alex Bowman	9.5	2
24	6	Brad Keselowski	7.4	2
25	9	Chase Elliott (P)	28.7	2
26	23	Bubba Wallace (P)	26.2	2
27	2	Austin Cindric (P)	23.7	2
28	5	Kyle Larson (P)	23.3	2
29	11	Denny Hamlin (P)	22.0	2
30	1	Ross Chastain (P)	16.6	2
31	45	Tyler Reddick (P)	14.1	2
32	24	William Byron (P)	9.0	2
33	19	Chase Briscoe (P)	8.1	2
34	22	Joey Logano (P)	6.5	2
35	12	Ryan Blaney (P)	4.3	2
36	20	Christopher Bell (P)	1.9	2

Posted on September 17, 2025September 17, 2025 by Nate Ryan

After recently adding a left-side debris shield to prevent fires, NASCAR is evaluating whether to make further safety enhancements because of incidents at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Fords of Josh Berry, Austin Cindric and Chad Finchum caught fire because of rubber buildup during Saturday night’s 500-lap race, which featured a new right-side tire with heavier wear.

Managing director of communications Mike Forde said NASCAR officials met with all three teams after the race and did a thorough inspection of two Chevrolets at the R&D Center this week.

“There wasn’t anything that really jumped out at us and said, ‘Yeah, this is exactly what happened. Here’s the fix,’ ” Forde said on the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “We have been in conversation with Team Penske, and they have some theories as well that we’re looking into. So more to come, and it’s still a little bit early in the process. There may be some changes for New Hampshire.”

After some issues at Richmond Raceway, NASCAR mandated a left-side debris shield starting in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. The device, which will be used at all remaining tracks but Talladega Superspeedway, helps keep excess rubber from entering the engine headers and causing the fires to ignite.

During the debut season of the Next Gen car in 2022, NASCAR made several cooling upgrades to rocker panels after a spate of fires that also exclusively involved Fords.

“It doesn’t seem like it can just be a coincidence where it’s just Fords, so maybe there is something there,” Forde said. “That’s part of what we’re looking into and having discussions with Penske, and that’s part of the investigation into if this is a Ford problem, or if there’s some kind of setup or how their headers are designed. That is part of the fact-finding we’re on right now.”

Forde said a right-side debris panel also could be mandated.

“That probably won’t happen because we don’t believe that is the cause of the issue,” he said. “We’re still digging into it, working with the teams and the engineers here at the R&D Center. If there is something that needs to be addressed for New Hampshire, we certainly will.”

Other topics covered by Forde and NASCAR senior director of racing communications Amanda Ellis during the 33rd episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:

— How NASCAR made the decision to add an extra set of tires during the Bristol race.

— The most caution laps at Bristol in 60 years.

— The decision to rescind the free pass from William Byron after causing a caution.

— The suspension of two members from Denny Hamlin’s crew and the team’s option to defer the penalty.

— Previewing a new tire at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend.

Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.

Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Adam Fenwick

It is not often NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour gets to race at the same track on the same weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series.

The rare occurrence generally only happens a few times each season. This year the Whelen Modified Tour was scheduled to share the track with the NASCAR Cup Series four times at North Wilkesboro, Richmond, New Hampshire and Martinsville.

Through two of those four races, Craig Lutz is batting 1.000.

The driver of the Goodie Racing No. 46 secured victories this season at North Wilkesboro Speedway and Richmond Raceway. He wants to keep the streak going this weekend when NASCAR’s oldest division travels to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the running of the Mohegan Sun 100 (Saturday at 9:15 a.m. ET on FloRacing).

“Honestly, if you asked me at the beginning of the year what two tracks I was going to win at, I don’t think I would have picked those two,” said Lutz, who is in his 12th year of racing with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. “It’s just funny somehow how it works out. You need to be in the right position at the right time, and you need a lot of things to go your way and to have a good car.

“Luckily, at those two tracks it just happened to work out for us.”

Craig Lutz rejoined Goodie Racing in 2024 and so far through 2025 he’s won a pair of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)

Lutz, who will make his 150th career Whelen Modified Tour start on Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, is enjoying his best season since 2020 when he won twice and finished fourth in the championship standings.

This year in particular has been a stark contrast for Lutz compared to 2024.

Last year marked Lutz’s return to Goodie Racing, the team he departed midway through the 2021 season. The pairing was instantly fast, and Lutz won the pole at the season opener New Smyrna Speedway.

Although the program had speed almost everywhere; the problem was they were never fast when it counted. Lutz led a career-high 378 laps in 2024, but he failed to win a race despite being constantly at the front of the field.

Lutz and Russell Goodale made it their mission this year to be fast not at the beginning or middle of races, but at the end instead. So far, that mindset has paid off.

“Anytime you have an opportunity to do something again, like rejoining a team to have another shot, you always think of what you could do different after the first time,” Lutz said. “That was kind of what joining forces back with Russell and Goodie Racing was. That was kind of our goal together. Last year was our first year back together. We learned a lot and had a lot of speed.

“When it mattered though, we weren’t the fastest. So we’ve kind of been trying to focus on the end of the races instead of leading all the laps and not putting the race together. For some reason, the bigger tracks like [North] Wilkesboro and Richmond, it just happened to work out.”

Craig Lutz celebrates after winning the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway last month. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)

Those two wins, combined with a consistent season, have Lutz tied for fourth with Matt Hirschman in the Whelen Modified Tour championship standings with four races left in the year. The top five are only separated by 29 points, with Beers holding a 17-point advantage on runner-up Justin Bonsignore.

If Lutz is going to keep his big race momentum going and also stay in the championship hunt, he will have to find a way to do it in the Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, widely considered to be the most prestigious event for Whelen Modified Tour competitors.

At just more than one mile in length, New Hampshire is the largest track the series races on each season. Because it shares a weekend with two of NASCAR’s national divisions, there are always a few extra eyeballs on the event.

Lutz has not had a lot of luck at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during his career, as he only has one top five finish in 13 career starts at the track. That came in 2020 when he finished fifth. He’s also failed to finish three of the last four events at the track.

With all that in mind, it only takes one race to completely change the narrative.

“For myself, the last couple years I’ve had some bad luck there and haven’t had good runs,” Lutz said. “That’s always kind of in the back of your mind, like it’s one of those places where you’ve never really ran too well at. This is the time to turn that around.

“I’m really looking forward to going to Loudon and having a shot to get our third win at a big track this year.”

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Staff Report

Jimmie Johnson’s racing life has been about big numbers.

Seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, joining Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt at that peak. Five titles in a row — a record he holds alone. Eighty-three Cup race wins.

Now, another big number. On Sept. 17, 2025, Jimmie Johnson turns 50 years old.

Looking back at 50 memorable moments as Johnson, one of NASCAR’s finest, celebrates No. 50:

Sept. 17, 1975 — Johnson is born to Gary and Catherine Johnson in the Southern California town of El Cajon, near San Diego.

Nov. 8, 1995 — In one of the defining moments of his career, Johnson falls asleep at the wheel during the night and crashes into a ravine during the Baja 1000 off-road race. He waits hours to be rescued and determines he needs to take a more reasoned and professional approach to racing.

Oct. 1, 1998 — After competing in motocross and off-road racing, Johnson moves to the American Speed Association and is named Rookie of the Year after finishing fourth in the series point standings.

June 12, 1999 — Johnson scores his first ASA victory (and his first win on a paved track) by leading 156 laps at Memphis Motorsports Park.

June 25, 2000 — Escapes injury in a major crash in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International in New York. A brake issue sent Johnson’s car hurtling off the track in the first turn toward a wall he assumed was concrete. Instead, he smashed head-on into Styrofoam after sailing across an off-track grassy area.

July 14, 2001 — Driving a Chevrolet for Herzog Motorsports, Johnson scores his only victory in the Xfinity Series, winning by 4.932 seconds over Mike Skinner at Chicagoland Speedway.

Oct. 7, 2001 –– Johnson, recommended for a Hendrick Motorsports ride by Jeff Gordon, makes his Cup Series debut in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A crash leaves him with a 39th-place finish.

April 28, 2002 — Scores first Cup win at Auto Club Speedway in his home state of California. It’s Johnson’s 13th career start. He called it “the day I knew I was going to be employed.”

May 17, 2003 — Wins the NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in only his second appearance. He would go on to win three more all-star events.

May 25, 2003 — Johnson completed two consecutive winning weekends at Charlotte Motor Speedway, following up his All-Star Race victory with a win in the Coca-Cola 600. The race was shortened from 400 laps to 276 due to rain. Johnson led 34 laps.

NASCAR Classics: Relive key Jimmie Johnson races, more

Darrell Ingham | Getty Images

Oct. 31, 2004 — Only a week after Hendrick Motorsports was devastated by the loss of team and family members in an airplane crash near Martinsville Speedway, Johnson scored an emotional win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, beginning the healing process.

Nov. 14, 2004 — Displaying his driving skill on one of NASCAR’s toughest tracks, Johnson wins the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway to complete a seasonal sweep at the speedway.

Dec. 10, 2004 — Johnson marries Chandra Janway in a ceremony in St. Barth in the French West Indies. The couple began dating in 2002 after being introduced by Jeff Gordon.

Feb. 19, 2006 — Wins the Daytona 500 for the first time. The race stretched into overtime and ended under caution with Johnson in front. He led 24 laps, including the final 17.

Aug. 6, 2006 — Johnson wins the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time, leading 33 of 160 laps. His crew chief, Chad Knaus, had signed a four-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports the same week.

Nov. 19, 2006 — Finishes ninth at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the season finale to win his first Cup championship. Johnson finished 56 points in front of second-place Matt Kenseth.

Nov. 18, 2007 — Johnson finishes seventh in the season’s final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, locking up his second Cup championship. Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon is second in points, 77 behind Johnson.

Nov. 16, 2008 –– Johnson finishes 15th at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win his third straight championship, tying Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough — Johnson’s childhood hero — for the most consecutive titles. Johnson won seven races during the season.

July 26, 2009 — In a race slowed by only three cautions, Johnson became the first driver to win back-to-back Cup races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He finished 0.40 seconds in front of Mark Martin in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

MORE: J.J. content on NASCAR Channel: Prime Video, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi and Xumo

Ezra Shaw | Getty Images

Nov. 22, 2009 — Johnson wins seven races for the second straight season and coasts to his fourth straight championship — a NASCAR record — with a fifth-place finish in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mark Martin was a distant second in the points race, 141 behind.

Dec. 31, 2009 — Johnson is named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, becoming the first race car driver to be so honored. He earned more votes than tennis star Roger Federer and Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, among others.

March 21, 2010 — Johnson passes Tony Stewart for the lead with seven laps to go and wins at Bristol Motor Speedway, his first victory at the track and his 50th Cup win.

June 20, 2010 — Wins on a road course for the first time, breezing to a 3.1-second victory over Robby Gordon in the Toyota-Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

July 7, 2010 — Jimmie and Chandra Johnson welcome a baby daughter, Genevieve.

Nov. 21, 2010 –– Finishes second at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win his fifth straight Cup championship, an accomplishment praised by many of his peers as an unbreakable record. Races past Denny Hamlin, who began the race first in points but finishes 14th and loses the title by 39 points.

May 12, 2012 — Johnson leads 134 of 368 laps to win the Southern 500 at Darlington, scoring Hendrick Motorsports’ 200th Cup victory.

May 19, 2012 — Wins for the third time in NASCAR’s All-Star Race, outrunning Brad Keselowski by 0.841 seconds. Johnson picked up a passenger on his victory lap as team owner Rick Hendrick climbed into the driver’s window to travel to Victory Lane with the winner.

Robert Laberge | Getty Images

Feb. 24, 2013 — Johnson wins the Daytona 500 for the second time, leading the final 10 laps and finishing 0.129 seconds in front of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

July 6, 2013 — Wins summer race at Daytona International Speedway by 0.107 seconds over Tony Stewart, becoming the first driver to sweep both Cup races at Daytona in a single season since 1982.

Sept. 6, 2013 — The Johnsons’ second daughter, Lydia, is born.

Nov. 17, 2013 — It’s championship No. 6 as Johnson finishes ninth in the final race of the season at Homestead. Needing only a 23rd-place run to lock up the title, he beats Matt Kenseth by 19 points.

Nov. 19, 2013 — A frequent guest on ESPN’s television productions, Johnson flipped the script by co-hosting SportsCenter, the network’s featured news program.

May 31, 2015 — Scores his 10th career victory at Dover Motor Speedway, becoming the fifth driver in Cup history to log double-digit wins at one track, following Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, David Pearson and Darrell Waltrip.

Nov. 20, 2016 — Wins seventh Cup championship by finishing first at Homestead, surviving NASCAR’s relatively new multi-round elimination-style playoffs. The title lifts Johnson into exclusive company, as he, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt are the only drivers with a record seven Cup titles.

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

June 4, 2017 — Johnson’s last (so far) Cup win comes at Dover Motor Speedway, a track he has dominated. The victory is the 83rd of his career, tying Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough, and his 11th at Dover.

April 15, 2019 — After months of training, Johnson finishes the Boston Marathon in three hours, nine minutes and seven seconds, missing his target of three hours but putting a checkmark by one of his fitness goals. He ran wearing bib No. 4848, a salute to his NASCAR car number.

Nov. 20, 2019 — Announces that 2020 will be his final full-time season in NASCAR. It will be his 19th full-time year in the Cup Series.

March 1, 2020 — Johnson’s wife, Chandra, and daughters Genevieve and Lydia, wave the green flag to start the Auto Club 400, scheduled to be his final race at Auto Club Speedway, his home track. He finishes seventh after leading 10 laps.

Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

Aug. 9, 2020 — Seeking a new challenge, Johnson announces he will run a part-time IndyCar schedule in Chip Ganassi Racing cars in 2021.

Nov. 8, 2020 — Johnson makes his final full-schedule start in Cup, finishing fifth at Phoenix Raceway.

Jan. 30, 2021 — Finishes second in IMSA’s Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway on a Cadillac team that also includes drivers Simon Pagenaud, Kamni Kobayashi and Mike Rockenfeller.

Dec. 15, 2021 — After driving part-time in the IndyCar Series in 2021, Johnson says he will race the series full-time in 2022.

Sept. 11, 2022 — Completes two seasons of racing in the IndyCar Series with a finish of 16th at Laguna Seca in California. His best finish in the series is a fifth at Iowa Speedway.

Nov. 4, 2022 — Johnson begins his transition from driver to team owner by purchasing ownership in the Petty GMS Motorsports NASCAR team, linking his future to fellow seven-time champion Richard Petty.

Jan. 11, 2023 — The Petty GMS Motorsports team is renamed Legacy Motor Club in honor of the organization’s decorated NASCAR history. Johnson is scheduled to race Legacy cars part-time in the Cup Series.

May 11, 2023 — Johnson’s record-setting career earns him a spot on the list of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.

Jan. 19, 2024 — Johnson’s NASCAR career is capped by induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He is joined by long-time crew chief Chad Knaus, both elected in their first time on the ballot.

Jan. 27, 2025 — Johnson becomes the majority owner of Legacy Motor Club, which opens the Cup season with Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek as its full-time drivers.

May 25, 2025 — Makes high-speed laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the Indianapolis 500 in a two-seater IndyCar with National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady.

May 25, 2025 — Makes 700th career Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he also made his Cup debut. Started 17th and finished 40th after crashing out on Lap 112.

David Jensen | Getty Images

Posted on September 16, 2025September 17, 2025 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials suspended a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing crew members for two races following a safety violation during last Saturday’s Cup Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway, where a wheel detached from Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota.

Hamlin’s right-front wheel became dislodged during the 384th of 500 laps in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race. His No. 11 car made contact with AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, prompting the 13th of 14 yellow flags in the event. Race officials issued a two-lap penalty to Hamlin during the caution period, and he finished five laps down in 31st place.

Competition officials completed the penalty process Tuesday with suspensions for the two Cup Series races for two No. 11 crew members: Austin Maloney (front-tire changer) and Joel Bouagnon (jack). According to FOX Sports and verified with NASCAR’s roster portal, the penalty will be deferred for one week under a new rule introduced ahead of the 2025 campaign. Mike Forde, NASCAR’s managing director of racing communications, said the two crewmen’s suspension would instead begin at Kansas and run through the Oct. 5 Round of 12 finale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

“What we did at the beginning of the year was we said that if there is a suspension that’s not a behavioral penalty, that the suspension can be deferred without an appeal request for the next event following the issuance of the penalty,” Forde said during the latest recording of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “So if the 11 team would like for their two crew members to be part of the New Hampshire race, they can request a deferral. The appeals administrator would be the one who does grant that or not grant that. There is pretty much 100% success rate (of granting the deferral).”

Hamlin, a five-time winner in the Cup Series this year, advanced out of the playoffs’ opening round by winning the Sept. 7 race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. He enters the re-seeded Round of 12 standings as the points leader, ranking 26 points above the cutline.

Hamlin is a three-time winner at New Hampshire, the site of Sunday’s Mobil 1 301 (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

NASCAR officials also indicated that two Cup Series cars were all clear Tuesday after a further inspection at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina. Those entries were the No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevy.

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Zack Albert

Ryan Blaney enters the midsection of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on one of the best rips of his career, savoring a near-weekly accumulation of top-five and top-10 finishes and the points bonanza that comes with it. The momentum has helped his No. 12 Team Penske Ford group roar into the 10-race postseason and handily advance to the second round.

That hasn’t rested on Blaney’s shoulders alone, with a performance upswing that’s involved every branch of the team’s composition — crew chief, pit crew, engineers, you name it — and the veteran poise that has come with keeping that established core intact.

RELATED: Power Rankings | Weekend schedule: NHMS

“I feel like we’ve just kind of gotten into this good rhythm, and that stuff just grows over time,” Blaney said Tuesday during a midweek driver availability. “So yeah, I just think we’re executing the way we need to. I feel like our mindset is just in a good place right now, where everyone’s extremely confident in themselves and their ability, and they believe it, and that stuff definitely helps, you know? So it’s the belief that we can do it. And you know, we’ve had the belief that we can do it the last two, three years. They’re poised to do it, and it’s really fun to be part of a group like that that has that mindset, like everyone’s clicking together, everyone has each other’s backs, like we support if I make a mistake, they’re right there to support me. If they make a mistake, I support them, you know?

“That’s just how a team works. So yeah, I just think we are a pretty well-oiled machine.”

Blaney rides a run of eight top-10 finishes in the last nine Cup Series races heading into Sunday’s Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). That torrid stretch includes a victory in the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway, plus two consecutive fourth-place finishes that include last weekend’s top five at Bristol Motor Speedway, where his 4-year-old nephew gave him an unexpected midrace pep talk.

Blaney has used similar late-season pushes to make the Championship 4 field the last two seasons, where he finished second, first and second in the last three races each time, winning the Cup title in 2023. The timing of his No. 12 Ford team’s current hot streak has arrived earlier on the calendar this time, but Blaney hasn’t appeared overly concerned about bottling that performance for later. The more pressing matter might be matching the recent speed shown by Toyota teams, especially after Joe Gibbs Racing swept the three-race Round of 16 to open the playoffs on their own tear.

“Yeah, you take it where you can get it,” Blaney said, nodding toward the timing of his current run. “I’ve been happy with the way we’ve been performing, and you just try to piece by piece get a little bit better, week to week. Toyotas are really strong. They’ve definitely … the last three weeks, you can’t take that away from them. They’ve been incredibly fast, and all their teams have been really executing really well, but I think we’re really close to where we need to be. I have confidence that we can get on that level. So yeah, we’ve been doing a good job of getting to where we need to be, and now it’s just a matter of executing and finding little things here and there that can continue to catapult you along.”

Four drivers were knocked from playoff contention after last Saturday’s elimination race at Bristol. Half of the 12 drivers who remain title-eligible share a common thread as former prospects who once drove for Brad Keselowski Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Blaney and current Penske teammates Joey Logano and Austin Cindric are on that list, along with Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick.

MORE: Cup Series standings | Playoff Pulse, post-Bristol

Though Keselowski’s truck operation closed after the 2017 season, the Cup veteran’s knack for identifying future NASCAR stars remains a lasting legacy. A look at the playoff grid bears that out.

“I think it just speaks a lot on Brad’s knowledge of finding drivers that he thinks have potential to have a solid Cup career,” said Blaney, who delivered four Truck Series victories for Keselowski’s team from 2012-15. “I’ll never forget when Brad asked me to drive his trucks for him in 2012, the second part of 2012, and eventually at the same time led to the Penske opportunity running some Nationwide (now Xfinity Series) stuff, and led to this today. Here we are 13 years later. It’s pretty amazing, honestly, when I sit back and look at it, but I think it speaks a lot to Brad and the opportunities that he gave a lot of great young kids that, hey, you never know where they’re gonna end up. You take a chance on somebody, and it’s pretty cool when it works out, so Brad has a huge part of a lot of our careers, and that was a lot of fun.

“I loved my years at BKR. I loved winning races for them and loved the success that they had when I wasn’t driving those trucks anymore — a lot of good drivers have come from there, so that’s all Brad. That’s all Brad’s eye for who he wants to give a shot to, and it’s pretty cool that a lot of drivers today that are winning races and in the playoffs came from that stable. It speaks a lot to the people that were there, mainly Brad Keselowski.”

From that foundation, Blaney has found his calling as a 15-time Cup Series winner who has etched his name on the list of champions. Finding his way to a second Cup crown this year will involve navigating a tough Round of 12 at New Hampshire, Kansas Speedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval before an even trickier — on paper — Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway, all before the title is decided Nov. 2 at Phoenix Raceway.

Blaney has won at three of the remaining seven tracks left on the playoff schedule. New Hampshire is not in his win column, though his average running position has registered in the single digits in six of the last eight races at the 1.058-mile oval. His last time out there, Blaney was locked in a late-race contest for second place when a collision with Michael McDowell thwarted his chances at victory.

The solid stats and near-the-front positioning there are part of why Blaney is bullish that his best shot at advancing with a Round of 12 win may come this weekend.

“New Hampshire. That’d be ideal,” Blaney said. “… I feel like we’ve run good enough there to where we contend for one.”

Posted on September 16, 2025September 16, 2025 by Staff Report

The NTT IndyCar Series will join NASCAR’s top two national circuits for a crossover weekend next March at Phoenix Raceway, marking the open-wheel tour’s first visit to the Arizona oval since 2018.

The latest component of the Phoenix race weekend March 6-8 was added Tuesday, when IndyCar announced its 2026 schedule. The IndyCar Series event will share Saturday’s slate with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (currently called the Xfinity Series), with the NASCAR Cup Series and ARCA Menards Series completing the weekend lineup.

The scheduling development means the Cup Series and IndyCar Series will share the weekend bill for the first time since 2023, when NASCAR last raced on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road-course layout. NASCAR and IndyCar will also hold crossover events on consecutive weeks on next year’s calendar, with the Craftsman Truck Series set to join the Indianapolis-based series for its debut at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg street course on Feb. 28-March 1.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the NTT IndyCar Series back to Phoenix Raceway,” Phoenix Raceway President Latasha Causey said in a release provided by the track. “This track has deep roots in open-wheel history, so we’re pleased to bring that tradition back to our race fans as part of a doubleheader Saturday with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.”

IndyCar’s history at Phoenix spans back to the track’s opening season in 1964. The circuit last competed on the 1-mile oval in April 2018, when major renovations to the facility were in progress. Next year’s Phoenix event will be the first for IndyCar with those enhancements complete and with the start/finish line in its current location, just before the dogleg that was formerly part of the track’s distinctive backstretch.

“I loved when we had the doubleheader with them at Indy, just kind of being right there and going over and hanging out and watching practice in their box and stuff like that,” said Ryan Blaney, who drives for the Team Penske organization that fields teams in both NASCAR and IndyCar. “It was cool, and I think it’s going to be fantastic. And I like that IndyCar’s going back to Phoenix. It’s been a while since they’ve run in Phoenix, and I think it’ll put on a really good show. So I’m looking forward to that in the spring, and yeah, it’ll be fun to watch those guys run about six seconds at least faster than us around that place, and I’m looking forward to going and standing like in (turns) one and two. Those guys just haulin’ butt around on there will be pretty amazing to see. So yeah, I think it’s great for both series, IndyCar and on the NASCAR side.”

The Cup Series will visit Phoenix twice next year – March 8 and Oct. 18. Between now and then, the track is also set to host NASCAR Championship Weekend for the sixth consecutive year, with 2025 season finales set for the three national series Oct. 31-Nov. 2. NASCAR’s season-ending weekend will move to Homestead-Miami Speedway next year.

MORE: Host tracks for NASCAR finales | Buy Phoenix tickets

Kyle Larson drove an IndyCar at Phoenix Raceway during testing in February 2024, all as part of his preparations for his first attempt at the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double that year. Phoenix was also the site of preseason IndyCar testing for many years until the series’ departure after the 2018 event.