Posted on by Staff Report

Each race except the spring Charlotte race is comprised of three stages — Stage 1, Stage 2 and the Final Stage. The Coca-Cola 600 added a fourth stage. Drivers who finish in the top 10 in Stage 1 and Stage 2 earn additional race points, with the winner of each stage earning 10 points, second place earning nine points, third place earning eight points, etc., down to one point for 10th place. Stage 3 of the Coca-Cola 600 awards points in the same manner as Stages 1 and 2 in the other races.

The Final Stage produces the race results and awards points across the field.

Below is a cumulative running tally of how many stage points drivers have earned this year, as well as their stage wins — a stage win will provide an additional bonus point per win of the postseason.

Through Homestead-Miami 
Note: Does not include points earned for the Can-Am Duels at Daytona

2018 TOTAL STAGE POINTS
RANK DRIVER TEAM STAGE POINTS STAGE WINS
1. Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 375 19
2. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 350 6
3. Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 309 3
4. Brad Keselowski Team Penske 287 5
5. Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 284 10
6. Ryan Blaney Team Penske 269 6
7. Joey Logano Team Penske 258 5
8. Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 251 5
9. Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 244 1
10. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 234 4
11. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 178 3
12. Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing 170 1
13. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 132 0
14. Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 111 0
15. Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports 71 0
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing 57 2
17. Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing 56 1
18. Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing 52 0
19. William Byron Hendrick Motorsports 41 0
20. Michael McDowell Front Row Racing 36 0
21. Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing 35 0
22. Daniel Suarez Joe Gibbs Racing 34 0
t-23. Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing 29 0
t-23. AJ Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing 29 1
25. Kasey Kahne Leavine Family Racing 14 0
26. Ty Dillon Germain Racing 12 0
27. Matt Kenseth Roush FenwayRacing 11 1
t-28. Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing 7 0
t-28. Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing 7 0
t-30. Darrell Wallace Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports 5 0
t-30. David Ragan Front Row Motorsports 5 0
32. Daniel Hemric Richard Childress Racing 1 0

 

Posted on by Staff Report

What channels are NASCAR races on this week? We answer that and give you the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET. 

MORE: Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports Go | How to find NBCSN

MONDAY, October 29
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN
Noon: Motorsports Monday (with hosts Woody Cain and Joey Meier)

TUESDAY, October 30
4:30 p.m.: Glory Road: “David Pearson and the 1968 Rebel 400,” NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN
7 p.m.: NASCAR Live (with host Mike Bagley)

WEDNESDAY, October 31
4 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Texas Roadhouse 200, FS1 (re-air)
5 p.m.: NASCAR America: Wednesdays with Dale Jr., NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
4 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Texas Roadhouse 200, FS2 (re-air)

On MRN
Noon: Crew Call (with hosts Sammi Jo Francis and Rocko Williams)
1 p.m.: NASCAR Coast to Coast (with hosts Kyle Rickey and Hannah Newhouse)

THURSDAY, November 1
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5:30 p.m.: Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Kern County Raceway Park, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN
1 p.m.: Throwback Thursday: 1973 Lone Star 500

FRIDAY, November 2
2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
3 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
4 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole qualifying, FS2
5:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
7 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
8 p.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, FS1
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series JAG Metals 350, FS1

SATURDAY, November 3
6 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series JAG Metals 350, FS1 (re-air)
12:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
1:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series pole qualifying, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBC Sports App (NBCSN joins in at 3:30 p.m. ET) (Canada: TSN App)
4 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
6:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

SUNDAY, November 4
11:30 a.m.: Classic NASCAR — 1998 Daytona 500, FS1
Noon: NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
1 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1, 4)
7 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
10 p.m.: Glory Road: “Blacker,” NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
10:30 p.m.: Glory Road: “NASCAR Goes Road Racing,” NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series will be in action at Texas Motor Speedway. The Monster Energy Series and Xfinity Series head into their second races of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs, while the Camping World Truck Series enters the second race in the Round of 6. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

MORE: You can win a trip to Miami

Note: All times are ET

MORE: How to find NBCSN

SUNDAY, NOV. 4
1:00:00 p.m.: Driver/crew chief meeting
2:30:00 p.m.: Driver introductions
2:45:00 p.m.: Re/Max Skydive Team Exits Plane
3:00:00 p.m.: Moment of Silence
3:00:15 p.m.: Intro and Invocation by Bret Shisler with Texas Alliance Raceway Ministries
3:00:50 p.m.: Presentation of Colors by Euless Police Department
3:01:00 p.m.: Pledge of Allegiance by Local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts
3:01:35 p.m.: National anthem by Air National Guard Band of the Southwest
3:02:50 p.m.: Flyover by 142nd Fighter Wing, Portland, Oregon
3:07:50 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by Major Ed Pulido, U.S. Army (retired)
3:16:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 (334 laps, 501 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results) (Canada: TSN1, 4)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
6:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

THURSDAY, NOV. 1
4:05-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice (No TV) (Results)
6:05-6:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (No TV) (Results)

RELATED: VIP experience for Ford fan

FRIDAY, NOV. 2
2-2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results) (Canada: TSN2)
3:05-3:50 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBC Sports App (Results) (Canada: TSN App)
4:10 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS2 (Results)
5:35-6:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Results) (Canada: TSN App)
7 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results) (Canada: TSN App)
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series JAG Metals 350 (147 laps, 220.5 miles), FS1 (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
12:30 p.m.: Joey Logano
12:45 p.m.: Chevrolet
1 p.m: Gray Gaulding
1:15 p.m.: Aric Almirola
1:30 p.m.: Christopher Bell, Cole Custer and Daniel Hemric
3:30 p.m.: Kyle Busch
3:45 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
4 p.m.: Hailie Deegan
7:45 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
10:30 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race

SATURDAY, NOV. 3
12:30-1:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series second practice, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Results) (Canada: TSN App)
1:40 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Results) (Canada: TSN App)
3-3:50 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBC Sports App (NBCSN joins in progress at 3:30 p.m. ET) (Results) (Canada: TSN App)
4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results) (Canada: TSN2)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
6:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Stage 2 stayed green for the 130-lap duration, and Joey Logano led every one of those laps. The Team Penske driver banked a playoff point and 10 race points for winning Stage 2 on Sunday at Martinsville. It was a strong start to the race for the playoff driver, who finished second in Stage 1 by nipping Kyle Busch at the start/finish line.

Logano couldn’t pass Jimmie Johnson to put the Hendrick Motorsports driver one lap down over the final five laps of Stage 2, and their battle allowed Hamlin to catch Logano for a thrilling last-laps duel. Logano took his No. 22 Ford to the outside and barely held off Hamlin for the stage win.

Busch, the polesitter, finished third in the second stage. Martin Truex Jr. (playoffs) and Kurt Busch (playoffs) rounded out the top five. Full Stage 2 results are below.

Truex Jr.’s run to fourth was especially impressive. A failed post-qualifying inspection Sunday morning sent Truex Jr. to the back of the pack to start Sunday’s 500-miler, and he spent the first half of the race chugging his way through the field.

Stewart-Haas Racing teammates and playoff drivers Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola both slipped outside the top 10 in Stage 2 after earning points in Stage 1.

Driver Team Race Points
1 Joey Logano Team Penske 10
2 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 9
3 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 8
4 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 7
5 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing 5
7 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 4
8 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 3
9 AJ Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing 2
10 Brad Keselowski Team Penske 1

 

Hamlin wins Stage 1 with late pass

Denny Hamlin passed polesitter and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch for the lead with less than 15 laps to go in Stage 1 on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, and held on to win the opening stage. Busch led 100 laps in Stage 1, but lost the lead to Hamlin on two separate occasions.

Winning Stage 1 earned Hamlin 10 race points; the typical playoff bonus point will not go to Hamlin’s total in the standings, though, because he has been eliminated from the postseason.

RELATED: Stage 1 results

Busch, who was in first place in the standings entering the Round of 8 opener, finished third in the stage to earn eight race points and pad his lead over the cutline. Joey Logano passed Busch for position on the final circuit of the 130-lap stage to finish second.

Playoff drivers Clint Bowyer (Stewart-Haas Racing) and teammate Kurt Busch rounded out the top five. Full results are below.

Martin Truex Jr., who was sent to the rear of the field after failing post-qualifying inspection Sunday morning, appeared to be in jeopardy of finishing outside the top 10 in the opening stage, but rallied late to finish eighth and earn points. Chase Elliott, 11th in Stage 1, was the only playoff driver not in the top 10.

Stage 2 ends on Lap 260; the race is scheduled to end after 500 laps.

Driver Team Race Points
1 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2 Joey Logano Team Penske 9
3 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 8
4 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 7
5 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing 5
7 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 4
8 Ryan Blaney Team Penske 3
9 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 2
10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing 1

 

Posted on by Zack Albert

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Jimmie Johnson has been unique, both in his accomplishments and his relationships with sponsors over the course of his NASCAR career. Johnson has carried a single brand — Lowe’s — as his lone full-season backer for 18 years.

A new chapter begins in 2019, but with another primary sponsor signing up for a full-season ride in the Monster Energy Series.

Hendrick Motorsports and Ally Bank made the joint announcement Sunday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway, revealing a two-year agreement that will put the financial service company on Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet for all 38 races (including exhibitions) of each season in the Monster Energy Series.

RELATED: Career highlights for JJ

“To enter this new chapter in my racing career and have one sponsor once again, it says a lot about Hendrick Motorsports and the value of this 48 car, then also our sport. As today unfolds with the media buys they’ve done and the way they’re going to advertise in our sport, as you see them engage next year and really using NASCAR as a marketing tool for their company, you’ll all be very, very impressed with their vision and the importance they see in NASCAR racing and the main reason why they’re here and involved.”

Ally was named GMAC until 2010 and has maintained a relationship with Rick Hendrick that has spanned his motorsports and auto sales ventures. The company’s investment with a multi-year package provides an extra layer of security for the team and its seven-time champion driver.

“I wasn’t worried about it because I had pieces, but what’s really so special about this deal is Jimmie’s had his car by one sponsor all these years, and now he’s going to have one sponsor,” Hendrick said. “It was kind of like it was from heaven. Just everything lined up.”

As for the full-season buy-in, Hendrick was overjoyed. “You don’t get me speechless sometimes, but that kind of got me speechless.”

RELATED: All of Jimmie’s wins

Ally CEO Jeffrey Brown attended Sunday’s First Data 500, watching Johnson’s No. 48 tackle Martinsville with his company’s logo as an associate backer. For Brown, the decision to align itself more closely with Johnson through a full-time sponsorship package was a crucial component.

“I think it’s simple. I talked about our philosophy and our mantra is really, ‘Do it right,’ ” Brown said. “And if we’re going to do something, we’re going to do it right. We’re going to control, so ultimate control for the full season was very important.”

With four races left in the season, talks are already underway for the partnership’s goals for 2019 and beyond. That includes a national advertising push, plus the exposure from Johnson’s social media outreach and his personal interests.

“I feel that this is really, really a good fit and they really want to support me as an individual and the things that I’m into and why I love racing,” Johnson said. “So I think out of the gate from a primary standpoint, this is a home run and it can only get better from here if I can loop in either endorsement or associate sponsors from here.”

RELATED: Knaus to move to No. 24 team

Posted on by Staff Report

Ever wonder what goes on in a driver meeting? We’re here to help.

This year, we’ll publish the actual rules video your favorite Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will watch before climbing into their stock cars. Above is the video for the First Data 500 (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Martinsville Speedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Playoffs driver Martin Truex Jr. will start from the rear of the field for Sunday’s First Data 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Martinsville Speedway after the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota failed pre-race inspection on Sunday morning.

RELATED: Starting lineup | See every car in Sunday’s field

Truex was slated to start sixth in Sunday’s race as the defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion looks to break a 0-for-77 drought on short tracks in NASCAR’s top series. Truex’s qualifying speed from Saturday was disallowed and the team will forfeit their place in the order for pit-stall selection. He will now start 33rd, his worst starting position since Chicago in July.

Truex enters the race third in the standings and +23 over the cutline before the three-race Round of 8 begins. The other seven playoff cars passed pre-race inspection on the first try.

Early on Sunday afternoon, it was announced that the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of Brad Keselowski would also be forced to the rear after undergoing unapproved adjustments. He had qualified seventh. Landon Cassill’s No. 99 Chevrolet also will go to the rear for the same reason.

Five other cars outside the playoff picture failed the mechanical measurements portion of Sunday’s inspection: The Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet of nine-time Martinsville winner Jimmie Johnson, the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford of David Ragan, the No. 23 Toyota of JJ Yeley, the No. 51 Chevrolet of Jeb Burton and the No. 66 Toyota of Timmy Hill. Ragan was set to start 14th on the grid, with Johnson originally qualifying 23rd. Yeley, Burton and Hill posted speeds in qualifying that had them at 34th, 36th and 37th on the grid initially.

The cars for Ragan and Hill failed twice, forcing the team to lose a crew member, typically a team’s car chief, at NASCAR’s discretion.

Two additional cars going to the rear: The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet of Bubba Wallace and the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford of Paul Menard. Wallace wrecked in qualifying and has to go to a backup car, while Menard’s car changed engines. Wallace’s backup car also did not pass inspection on the first go round.

Martinsville is an impound race and cars must pass on the first attempt to keep their starting spot since this inspection serves as both post-qualifying and pre-race inspection. The first failure results in a loss of starting spot and the qualifying time disallowed. Additional failures result in the loss of a car chief and the loss of points.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

Kyle Busch will lead the field to green for Sunday’s First Data 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and the two-time Martinsville winner is absolutely a part of my lineup. After two practice sessions and qualifying determining the starting order, we’ve dissected the numbers to offer a suggested lineup worthy of your Fantasy Live consideration as you make roster decisions.

PLAY NOW: Set your lineup | How the playoff game works

Remember that the garage locks at the end of Stage 2. Also, your garage play can only be swapped for a driver of similar classification. (A playoff garage driver can only be swapped for a playoff driver in your lineup; a non-playoff garage driver can only be swapped for a non-playoff driver in your lineup.)

Cars to the rear: Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, David Ragan, Jimmie Johnson, Bubba Wallace, JJ Yeley, Jeb Burton, Timmy Hill and Paul Menard. More info on those here.

RJ Kraft’s Fantasy Live lineup for race-day at Martinsville:
Playoff driver 1: Kyle Busch
Playoff driver 2: Clint Bowyer
Non-playoff driver 1: Ryan Blaney
Non-playoff driver 2: Denny Hamlin
Garage: AJ Allmendinger

MORE: Fantasy analysis for Martinsville | Driver stats | 10-lap averages | Lineup

Analysis: The Fantasy Live Playoff Game is in Week 7! My two playoff starters are the same I planned on heading into the weekend — Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer. They both have looked strong, finished 1-2 (Bowyer than Busch) in the spring and will start 1-2 on Sunday (Busch then Bowyer).

My main two non-playoff plays are Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney. Hamlin is a five-time winner at Martinsville and had the fourth-best 10-lap average in final practice. He knows how to get around this track. My one concern is his penchant for speeding penalties on pit road which will influence my garage pick (see further below). Blaney gets the nod due to his solid speed this weekend — he’ll start fourth — and his back-to-back top 10s at Martinsville. He was particularly impressive this spring leading 145 laps and scoring 52 points.

I was all set to put Brad Keselowski in my lineup but with the No. 2 car going to the rear for unapproved adjustments, that has scared me off and I will be slotting in AJ Allmendinger as my garage play. He is only owned by 1 percent of players so I am taking a risk based on his Martinsville history and a lack of ownership elsewhere. This move is also motivated by some trouble I’ve had of late with one of my non-playoff driver spots so I am giving myself an added option in that regard. It is also a sign of the confidence I have in Busch and Bowyer as my playoff drivers.

RELATED: What to do with your garage play? | Who to avoid in Fantasy Live

For the stages and the race win, I’m going with Kyle Busch across the board. He has been a machine of late at Martinsville — four top-two finishes in his last five starts there — and he seems to be just a hair faster than Bowyer.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR announced before the season that it will standardize at-track team rosters across all three national series in 2018, providing a structure for the number of personnel working on each vehicle during the course of a race weekend.

Official team rosters for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) have been released. Click the print icon above, or the link below.

ROSTERS: Martinsville fall race

RELATED: Overview of 2018 rules updates