Posted on by Staff Report

Matt DiBenedetto revealed Thursday on social media that he will not return to Leavine Family Racing for the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

This is DiBenedetto’s fifth full-time season in the Monster Energy Series, but his first with LFR. The Grass Valley, California, native had 163 Monster Energy Series starts at the time of his announcement.

Four of DiBenedetto’s eight career top-10 finishes have come this season with LFR, including his only two top-five finishes in NASCAR’s premier series. The top fives came at Sonoma Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Plus, he finished sixth at Watkins Glen International earlier this month.

Leavine Family Racing is affiliated with Joe Gibbs Racing, an alliance that began this season with LFR switching manufacturers to Toyota.

JAYSKI: Bell moving to No. 95?

Posted on by George Winkler

Goodyear has been working with NASCAR on plans to introduce a new tire in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2021. Instead of the 15-inch tires currently used, the targeted size of the new tire is 18 inches and the change would coincide with the introduction of the Generation-7 vehicle.

The impetus behind the change, according to Goodyear’s Director or Racing Greg Stucker, is to help make the cars look more like the ones a customer would drive off the showroom floor.

RELATED: Bristol 101, tires, TV info, more

“There are not a lot of vehicles out there that run 15-inch wheels,” Stucker said. “Everything is from 17 (inches) on up, so that’s really the driving factor to try to make it a bit more relevant to what’s on the street today.”

As far as how the tires will perform in competition, Stucker says it’s too early to tell. Until track tests can be run with the Generation-7 vehicle and the new tires, he said it’s hard to say what the overall performance implications will be — plus the project is in the early stages.

Goodyear and NASCAR are currently looking at a possible timeline for when those tests will take place, but Stucker said nothing has been nailed down yet.

“NASCAR is the driver behind the new Gen-7,” Stucker said. “That was one of the goals to update the tire and wheel package and that’s what we’re working through now to plan exactly where we’re going to be.”

For now, Stucker said the goal is to outfit the Monster Energy Series cars with the new tires, and no plans are being made yet for NASCAR’s other national series.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Top-seeded Brett Moffitt held off determined 17-year-old Chandler Smith after a restart with three laps left and took home the trophy in Thursday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

With the victory in the first event of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs, Moffitt, the defending series champion, gained an automatic berth in the Round of 6, as other playoff contenders either overcame adversity or succumbed to it.

RELATED: Official results

“It was tough,” Moffitt said in Victory Lane. “Our (No. 24) Silverado was strong on long runs, but it was hard to get fired off. So it was really tough just getting the first couple of laps under our belt after a restart.

“There’s no more important win than right now for the season, getting into the Round of 6, so we’ll take this and move on with it. We’re playing with house money now. We still want to go get points and ultimately win races and get playoff points to set ourselves up with a little safety net for the next round.  But now we’ll just go and race to win, and the pressure’s off.”

In his third start in the Truck Series, Smith held his own to the inside of Moffitt for one lap after the final restart, but Moffitt cleared Smith’s No. 51 Toyota on Lap 199 and pulled away to win by .743 seconds. Playoff driver Ross Chastain overcame a violation for an uncontrolled tire to run third, muscling his way through the field and drawing ire from competitors along the way.

Stewart Friesen recovered from a spin off the nose of Matt Crafton’s Toyota, as the two playoff drivers raced in close quarters around the truck of Tyler Dippel. Regular-season champion Grant Enfinger, the only driver other than Moffitt and Chastain to lead laps, ran fifth.

Sheldon Creed, Crafton, Ben Rhodes, Todd Gilliland and Playoff driver Austin Hill completed the top 10, though the latter two lost considerable ground to the playoff leaders.

After an action-filled race that produced 12 cautions for 73 laps, Chastain was unapologetic for the aggressive style that carried him to a third-place finish.

“We put ourselves in a hole there with that one pit stop,” Chastain said. “Yeah, I hate that, but the fastest truck didn’t win tonight. Congrats to Brett… But it’s one lane—it’s the old Bristol. They took the top (of the concrete track) and ground it without telling us, or they didn’t tell me.

“So it was one lane around the bottom. That’s what built this place. You come through this tunnel, and there’s talk about rattling cages, there’s helmets thrown. If we’re going to fill these places up, the CarShield Chevy’s going to be the one that adds to the excitement.”

After the race, several crew chiefs approached Chastain to express their displeasure.

“I think the crew chiefs come down here and puff their chests out—they’re old washed-up race car drivers,” Chastain said. “I love Marcus (Richmond) and Rudy (Fugle), but, my goodness, let your drivers come handle it. And one at a time, line ‘em up, and let’s race. And let’s handle it after, outside the race car.

“Obviously, I’m no stranger to this.”

Bad luck continued to follow playoff driver Johnny Sauter who suffered hard contact from John Hunter Nemechek’s truck on Lap 75—after Sauter turned Nemechek. After a litany of subsequent incidents, Sauter drove his battered No. 13 Ford to an 11th-place finish and is clinging to the sixth spot in the standings by three points over Hill.

Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Tyler Ankrum fared worst of all. His No. 17 Toyota developed electric problems, relegating the 18-year-old to a 20th-place result, six laps down. Ankrum heads to the Aug. 25 race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park last in the playoff standings and 13 points behind Sauter.

If the race had plenty of contact in the heat of battle, it also had a moment of comic relief. After a wreck on Lap 182 caused the 11th caution, a wrecker attempting to push Natalie Decker’s No. 54 Toyota spun the truck instead. Decker retired from the race in 25th place.

But Moffitt finished where he started—from the pole and in the playoff lead. He now holds a 16-point lead over Chastain in second and a free pass to the next round of the playoffs.

Posted on by Zack Albert

BRISTOL, Tenn. — NASCAR officials suspended driver Bayley Currey for violating NASCAR’s Substance Abuse Policy.

Officials announced the indefinite suspension — effective immediately — Thursday at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Currey was entered in the Monster Energy Series and Xfinity Series races for Rick Ware Racing. The news was first reported by Frontstretch.com.

Currey said in a statement that he had used a pre-workout supplement called Juggernaut Irate, which contained a banned substance called DMAA (2-Amino-5-methylhexane). The 22-year-old driver said the ingredient was in his system when medical personnel administered a drug test last week.

“I was obviously not aware that I was violating NASCAR’s Substance Abuse Policy,” Currey said in a statement provided by his team. “I have immediately asked NASCAR to enter me into the Road to Recovery Program where I will gain more knowledge about such banned supplements and I will fully cooperate with NASCAR’s direction and advice.

“I have worked very hard for a lifetime to reach this level and I am eternally grateful to be afforded the privilege to compete in the sport that I love. I want to publicly apologize to my Owner’s Rick and Lisa Ware, all the employees of Rick Ware Racing, my sponsors, NASCAR, and most importantly the fans. My lack of knowledge is no excuse for this to happen. I will expediently complete the process and I will strive to have my suspension lifted as soon as possible.”

Currey is eligible to return to competition once he completes the Road to Recovery program.

Team owner Rick Ware said the team supported both NASCAR’s ruling and Currey’s path. The organization did not immediately announce its plans for the No. 52 Cup Series entry or the No. 17 Xfinity entry for this weekend’s events.

“At Rick Ware Racing, we stand by NASCAR’s decisions to uphold the Drug Policy for each and every owner, driver and crew member in the garage,” Ware said. “We believe that Bayley Currey has made an honest mistake, by not checking his pre-workout supplements for ingredients that are not allowed through the NASCAR systems. As an organization, we stand behind Bayley’s Road to Recovery journey, and will always have a place for him within our organization.”

Currey has competed on a part-time basis in all three NASCAR national series this season, making nine Monster Energy Series starts, eight Xfinity Series appearances and three starts in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series. His best finish this season was a sixth-place effort last weekend in the Gander Trucks event at Michigan International Speedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

Chase Cabre was transported to a local hospital following Thursday evening’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Bristol Motor Speedway, according to NASCAR HomeTracks.

Following the race, Cabre, who is a member of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Class of 2019, was able to exit his No. 4 Rev Racing Toyota under his own power, but immediately received medical attention for lower back pain. Cabre was then placed onto a stretcher and carted to the infield care center.

Cabre held the lead at the start when eventual race winner Sam Mayer got into the back of his car at the entrance of Turn 3 on Lap 1, sending him spinning into the outside retaining wall. The 22-year-old completed the 150-lap event, finishing eighth.

Cabre provided an update later in the evening:

Posted on by Terrin Waack

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Rumors ran amok at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday that Christopher Bell would be making the jump from the Xfinity Series to the Monster Energy Series for the 2020 season.

Well, the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota currently in the middle of his second full-time season in the Xfinity Series neither confirmed nor denied them.

“It’s still all up in the air,” Bell said. “There’s a number of different cars that I could drive next year. Obviously I could still run the Xfinity Series. I could go to the Cup Series. It’s not in my hands right now. I just have to go out there and try to continue to win races. Ultimately, that’s the only way I’m going to better myself.”

RELATED: Erik Jones ‘really close’ on new JGR contract

In 62 Xfinity Series starts, Bell has won 13 races and notched 35 top-five finishes overall. The 24-year-old joined NASCAR’s second-tier link as a full-timer in 2018, right after winning the Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship the year prior.

Bell announced a 2020 extension with Joe Gibbs Racing back in June but never mentioned what series he’d be officially racing in. The issue is JGR already has four full-time Cup drivers in Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones and Martin Truex Jr., meaning its roster is maxed out.

Matt DiBenedetto did reveal Thursday he’s not returning to Leavine Family Racing for 2020. This year was his first and last with the organization. LFR now has an available seat.

That very well could be Bell’s opening, or so reports hinted.

“I don’t know,” Bell said. “That’s tough for me to answer because right now I drive for Joe Gibbs Racing and the 95 is not a Joe Gibbs Racing car. So, we’ll just have to see how it works out here in the next coming weeks.”

As of this season, though, Leavine Family Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing are technically affiliated. Bell should be allowed to make this switch without any issues.

Bell doesn’t have an agent, so he made it clear no news is official unless it comes from him or his team. Bell did say wherever he ends up in his career he wants his current crew chief, Jason Ratcliff, with him every step of the way. He would also like Rheem, his sponsor, to stay with him but is unsure how that would work out.

Handling his own affairs can be stressful, Bell admitted, but it does not affect his performance.

“I feel like I do a good job of turning all the distractions off,” he said. “Whenever you put a helmet on, it goes away pretty quick. You don’t really think about anything. You just go out there and perform the task at hand.”

RELATED: Complete Bristol weekend schedule

Bell’s next tasks: The Xfinity Series qualifies Saturday at 4:05 p.m. ET and then race the Food City 300 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Bristol Motor Speedway. Both events will air live on NBCSN and the NBC Sports App.

Bristol will knockout one of the five regular-season races left before 12-driver playoffs begin. Bell is currently ranked second in the championship standings with 901 points and locked into the postseason thanks to his five wins this season. One season at a time, for now.

“I do have a job for next year,” Bell said. “Ultimately, that’s all that really matters. I’ll be racing something, whether it’s in the Cup Series or the Xfinity Series.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife Amy and daughter Isla were safe and taken to a hospital for evaluation following a plane crash on Thursday afternoon in Elizabethton, Tennessee, Earnhardt’s sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, confirmed via Twitter.

Earnhardt Jr.’s plane, a Cessna Citation, rolled off the end of Runway 24 and caught fire after landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee at 3:40 p.m. ET, according to a report from the Federal Aviation Administration. The aircraft registration is N8JR, which is the plane registered to Earnhardt Jr., according to FAA.gov.

Earnhardt Jr. is an analyst for NBC Sports and was traveling to Bristol Motor Speedway for this weekend’s races.

“I got here within five minutes, and the airplane was fully engulfed (in flames),” Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunceford said during an evening news conference. “All of the people were out of it … Five occupants, no one’s injured. Under the circumstances, we’re extremely blessed and fortunate.”

Elizabethton Fire Department Chief Barry Carrier confirmed that Earnhardt was talking to EMS staff and the family was transported to a local hospital in a non-emergency capacity.

“We’re extremely relieved to learn that Dale, Amy, Isla and the pilots of the aircraft are safe, and we commend the first responders and medical staff for their quick action,” NASCAR released in a statement. “We look forward to seeing Dale back at the race track very soon.”

Law enforcement officials said that a section of Highway 91 near where the plane came to rest would remain closed until the area could be secured. Lunceford said there were no injuries on the ground, a circumstance that the sheriff said was fortunate considering the roadway’s usual mid-afternoon traffic.

The FAA later released the incident notice on Friday morning. The cause of the accident, it said, was the airplane experiencing a hard landing, which led to it bouncing off the runway, where it caught fire. In the injury portion of the report, all five people onboard — the two pilots and the Earnhardt family — were marked as having no injuries.

Ralph Hicks, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said in a Friday briefing that footage from nearby surveillance cameras showed that the plane bounced twice on the runway in what he described as “a firm landing.” Hicks also said a portion of the landing gear collapsed upon touchdown.

Hicks said NTSB officials had interviewed the Earnhardt family and the pilots, saying their remarks were consistent with the video footage. Hicks indicated the NTSB would be on the scene for two or three more days conducting its investigation and that a preliminary report would be released in seven days.

NBC Sports PR released on social media that Dale Jr. would not be in the booth this weekend at Bristol but would return in two weeks at Darlington.

By Thursday evening, flights had resumed at the small airport tucked into the Tennessee hills, even as the events from just hours earlier had cast a national spotlight onto the normally quiet town.

“Nothing like this,” Lunceford said. “We have robberies, burglaries, pursuits, things of that sort. Armed people. We just have the standard, usual calls in a population somewhere between 58 and 60 thousand. … We stay busy, but no, nothing like this.”

Contributing: Zack Albert in Elizabethton, Tenn.

Posted on by Zack Albert

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Erik Jones said Thursday that he’s inching toward a contract extension that will keep him in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota for another season.

Jones, 23, is in his third year in the Monster Energy Series, his second season driving for team owner Joe Gibbs. Media reports swirled Thursday around the driver roster for JGR and its affiliate teams, indicating that Jones had reached an agreement in principle to stay put.

RELATED: DiBenedetto out at LFR

“We’re really close. I’ve gotten it and seen it. Nothing’s been signed yet, but we’re definitely really close on getting a deal done,” Jones said about a proposed contract extension. “I hope in the next couple of weeks, I don’t have any plans of going anywhere else, so I see myself hopefully announcing something here pretty soon. But not signed yet, nothing’s done, but definitely going in the right direction.”

Jones currently ranks 14th in Monster Energy Series standings, and his recent performance has helped to fortify his positioning for the 16-driver playoff grid. He finished 18th last weekend at Michigan, but he had strung together four consecutive top-five efforts before that.

“I think that definitely helped out. It doesn’t hurt,” Jones said. “You want to run well, and you want to run up front, and I felt like over the last two months, we’ve shown we belong there. (Crew chief) Chris (Gayle) and I both have done our jobs well and done everything but win a race, so we’ve got to keep doing it. There’s no reason to let up, but I think that’s definitely helped out.”

Jones’ status update was the latest in a flurry of reports arounds drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing and its affiliate team, Leavine Family Racing. Matt DiBenedetto announced Thursday morning that he wouldn’t return to the LFR No. 95 operation.

That proclamation fueled reports that earmarked Christopher Bell for a jump to the Monster Energy Series in the No. 95 ride, with Jones returning to the No. 20. Though those pieces have yet to officially fall into place, Jones said he wished DiBenedetto well in the next phase of his career.

“I’m sad to see Matt go. He’s done a great job in that car,” Jones said. “I haven’t heard exactly what they’re doing over there. I think most can assume. Matt’s done a good job and I’m sure he’s going to land on his feet. I don’t doubt that. He took a big risk getting in that car this year and made the most of it, so it’s a tough situation for him, but I think he’ll end up being just fine.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Trackside Live is back this weekend in Thunder Valley! The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series all head to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend for short-track action — and two Trackside Live shows.

The live shows are Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET and Saturday at 4 p.m. ET with drivers Grant Enfinger, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier and Kevin Harvick slated to appear Friday, and Kurt Busch, Terry Labonte, Matt DiBenedetto and JJ Yeley scheduled to appear Saturday.

WATCH: Trackside Live | MORE: Full schedule for Bristol | Buy tickets

The Trackside Live crew will come prepared with games, Q&As with drivers, prizes and a lot of family fun for everyone. Join in on this unique experience, take home some great stuff and even better memories in advance of Saturday’s Bristol Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Aren’t able to make it to the track this weekend? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! You don’t have to miss a second of the Trackside Live fun as the entire show will be streamed live on NASCAR.com here.

Posted on by Staff Report

The Bristol Night Race holds promise for those outside of the provisional playoff grid, but it’s also a place of opportunity for those winless drivers in the inner postseason circle to lock in with a victory and eliminate the guesswork.

Just three races remain in the Monster Energy Series regular season, starting with Saturday night’s annual night race (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM). Several familiar faces and plucky underdogs still have yet to win this year. What better place to snap that skid than at Bristol, with the privilege of brandishing the track’s trademark coliseum sword in Victory Lane.

RELATED: Full Bristol schedule

Several candidates stand out as likely suspects for changing their win column zero to a one on Saturday night. NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert and Terrin Waack size up their favorites:

ZA: Here’s a vote for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who heads to one of his best tracks this side of Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway with an opportunity to launch a last-ditch playoff bid. The track has produced four top-five finishes during Stenhouse’s career, second only to Talladega in his portfolio. Those stats include a brush with victory in Bristol’s night race in 2016, when he came home as the tough-luck runner-up.

The Roush Fenway Racing driver said last weekend, “Bristol is by far the one that we circle.” If the extra emphasis, the short-track savvy and a small dose of luck all line up, Stenhouse has the inside line on playing a postseason spoiler.

TW: Putting all the eggs in William Byron’s basket. As the series continues to return to tracks it hit up earlier in the season, Byron continues to better his marks at each of them. The No. 24 improved 19 spots (21st to second) between his first and second stops at Daytona. Byron’s latter run at Pocono Raceway was five spots better than his previous (ninth to fourth). This past weekend at Michigan then saw Byron finish eighth, which is 10 spots better than his June showing (18th).

Byron was 16th at Bristol back in the spring. First will be a big jump. Go get that checkered flag, kid.