Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. – In a race that was as wild as advertised in the closing laps, Ryan Blaney sped past crashing Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. in the final corner to win Sunday’s inaugural Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.

With his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and the second of his career, Blaney advanced to Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs.

RELATED: Full results | Stage 1 results | Stage 2 results 
SHOP: Blaney gear

Johnson wasn’t as lucky. The seven-time series champion was pressuring Truex on the final lap and powered his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the inside of Truex’s No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota Camry off the banking of Turn 15 coming into the frontstretch chicane.

Johnson spun and collected Truex as he slid across the asphalt between Turns 16 and 17, knocking Truex’s Toyota toward the outside wall in the tri-oval. Blaney drove his No. 12 Team Penske Ford Fusion between the two wrecked cars and crossed the finish line .792 seconds ahead of runner-up Jamie McMurray. 

Because he had blown the chicane, Johnson stopped on the frontstretch as mandated by NASCAR before continuing across the finish line. He finished eighth and ended the event tied for 11th in the playoff standings with Aric Almirola and Kyle Larson, who completed the final lap in a car that had been all but destroyed in a Turn 1 wreck after a restart on Lap 104 of 109. 

MORE: Kes wrecks, takes Larson with him | Dillon wrecks out, ends playoff hopes

Almirola and Larson got the final two berths into the Round of 12 on a tiebreaker based on the best finish in the current round. Larson was second at Las Vegas, and Almirola took fifth place at Richmond. Johnson’s best result was the eighth at Charlotte, leaving him on the outside with Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones, who also were eliminated from the Monster Energy Series Playoffs in Sunday’s cutoff race. 

RELATED: Playoff standings

“Tough weekend, just kind of avoided some stuff,” Blaney said after he climbed from his car. “You hate to see two guys get into it there and take out two of the best cars all day. But that’s racing sometimes.

“We were just at the right spot at the right time. It’s cool to be in Victory Lane and move on to the next round.”

Truex, who led into the final chicane, was understandably disappointed with his 14th-place result.

“Last corner, desperation behind us, that’s what you get,” said Truex, a four-time winner this season. “I gave him (Johnson) the inside lane, and he had the run through (NASCAR Turn 4), and I was real tight down there. I let him have the inside going down inside coming out of 4 there to the chicane.

“He just over-drove it and was never going to make it and he used me as brakes and turned us both around. It sucks. We could have raced side-by-side off the last corner for a win, and that would have been cool. The fans would have been digging it, but instead we finished 14th and he’s locked out of the playoffs. I guess that’s what he gets.”

Joining Blaney, Larson and Almirola in Round of 12 of the Playoffs are Brad Keselowski (Las Vegas winner), Kyle Busch (Richmond winner), Truex (locked in after Richmond) and Kevin Harvick (who qualified for the next round when he took the green flag on Sunday).

Advancing on points were pole winner Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Clint Bowyer and Alex Bowman. Bowyer ran third on Sunday, followed by Bowman, Kurt Busch, Elliott and AJ Allmendinger.

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs field was whittled from 16 drivers to 12 on Sunday following the playoff race at the Charlotte road course, with Ryan Blaney winning.

The Roval was the site of the third and final race in the Round of 16. The four drivers lowest in the standings were eliminated from the postseason and the ability to compete for a championship in Miami.

MORE: Race results | Memorable weekend pics

The following drivers advanced to the Round of 12, and the below list reflects the new point totals. Remember, points reset to 3,000 for the below drivers, and then the drivers’ accrued playoff points are added.

1. Kyle Busch: 3,055 points
2. Kevin Harvick: 3,050 points
3. Martin Truex Jr.: 3,038 points
4. Brad Keselowski: 3,025 points
5. Clint Bowyer: 3,015 points
6. Joey Logano: 3,014 points
7. Kurt Busch: 3,014 points
8.  Ryan Blaney: 3,013 points
9. Chase Elliott: 3,008 points
10. Kyle Larson: 3,006 points
11. Aric Almirola: 3,001 points
12. Alex Bowman: 3,000 points

ELIMINATED: The four drivers eliminated from the postseason after Charlotte, the final of three races to comprise the Round of 16, were: Jimmie Johnson, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones.

THREE-WAY TIE: A wreck with six laps to go in the race put Kyle Larson in a precarious spot. Then Jimmie Johnson spun going for the win on the last lap. The end result? A three-way tie in the standings between Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola and Jimmie Johnson for the final two spots. The tiebreaking procedures state the driver with the best finish in the current round of the playoffs will advance. Larson finished runner-up at Las Vegas, so he was the first driver through. Almirola’s fifth-place finish at Richmond was better than Johnson’s best finish of eighth (Richmond and Charlotte), so he got the nod for the last spot.

FALLING FLAT: William Byron slowed on the track with six laps remaining in Stage 2, feeling a tire problem. Moments later, his right front let go, shooting sparks and sending his No. 24 Chevrolet out of alignment. Playoffs driver Aric Almirola smacked the outside wall on the oval portion of the track while avoiding Byron’s No. 24. His No. 10 team called for a pit to straighten the fenders, but they were penalized for a tire violation and forced to serve a pass-through penalty. Later, the No. 10 took a spin courtesy of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and incurred more damage. Somehow, Almirola held on to advance.

RELATED: Dillon’s day ends in disappointment

BAD HIT: Austin Dillon had done just about everything right this round, but an incident on Lap 58 put him in peril. Trying to avoid the checked-up No. 37 of Chris Buescher, Dillon went into the fence hard, drawing a caution and needing to pit to fix the damage. The impact? Dillon went 13 points below the cutoff line late, and then he got into the wall again less than 10 laps later and was forced to the garage, ending his playoff hopes.

BREATHING EASY: Beyond being an elimination race, Sunday’s contest was the first ever Monster Energy Series race at the Charlotte Roval, a combination road course and oval. Three drivers — Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. — had already clinched a spot in the Round of 12, allowing them a measure of comfort not afforded to their competitors. Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick clinched a spot simply by taking the green flag

Posted on by Staff Report

Brad Keselowski wrecked on a restart with six laps to go in the Bank of America Roval 400 on Sunday at the Charlotte road course and took fellow NASCAR Playoff driver Kyle Larson with him — along with several others.

Keselowski, who was in the lead, appeared to overdrive the approach to the corner and the No. 2 Team Penske Ford barreled into the wall in Turn 1. Kyle Larson, who was following closely behind in second place, plowed into the No. 2 with the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet as cars stacked up behind them.

RELATED: Race results 

Paul Menard, in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, and William Byron, in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, were also involved in the initial pileup with Keselowski and Larson. A total of 15 cars were involved in the incident, including Kyle Busch, who exited the race.

The wreck brought out the red flag for 14 minutes, 27 seconds. Larson ended up narrowly advancing to the Round of 12 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Keselowski and Busch were already safe for advancement based on wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway, respectively.

Posted on by Staff Report

After starting the season on the highest of notes with a Daytona 500 victory, Austin Dillon’s hunt for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title came up short Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

MORE: Who’s in, who’s out of playoffs? | Race results

After brushing the wall earlier in the race, the Richard Childress Racing driver crunched his No. 3 Chevrolet into the wall again on Lap 65 of the inaugural Bank of America Roval 400 on the track’s road-course layout.

The damage was enough to knock Dillon out of the race, and effectively out of the playoffs. When the checkered flag dropped, it was confirmed — he finished 26 points behind the cutoff line.

“This is a crazy race,” Dillon told NBC after the incident. “I was having a good run and the No. 37 (Chris Buescher), I went through (Turns) 3 and 4 and I knew I didn’t even make a mistake. … He flicked the wheel right in the middle of the corner, and when he did, I checked and smacked the outside wall and just couldn’t save it.

“I should have just been more patient and waited for more attrition to go out. But I actually felt pretty comfortable and running good. It’s just hard to hold back in a treacherous race; and I guess I didn’t do what we needed to do.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series will be in action at Dover International Speedway while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off. The Monster Energy Series heads to the first race of the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs, while the Xfinity Series Playoffs enters the final race of the Round of 12. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

Note: All times are ET

MORE: How to find NBCSN

SUNDAY, Oct. 7
Run of Show
2 p.m.: Presentation of Colors by Dover Air Force Base Color Guard
2:00:10 p.m.: Invocation by Dan Schafer Pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Heightstown, N.J.
2:00:50 p.m.: National Anthem by The Combined Choir of Calvary Baptist Church from Dover, Del.
2:02:20 p.m.: Fly-over by US Navy Training Squadron Seven (VT-7) from Meridian, Miss., flying the T-45C Goshawk
2:07:20 p.m.: Command for “Drivers, Start your engines” by Tamara Ward, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development for Camping World Holdings, Inc.
2:16:50 p.m.: Green flag for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Gander Outdoors 400 (400 laps, 400 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1, 4) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
5:15 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

FRIDAY, Oct. 5
11-11:50 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)
12:05-12:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App) (Results)
2:30-3:20 p.m.: Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App) (Results)
3:40 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
9:30 a.m.: Ryan Blaney
9:45 a.m.: Joey Logano
10 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
10:40 a.m.: Justin Allgaier, Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric
12:15 p.m.: Kyle Larson
12:30 p.m.: Bubba Wallace
1:30 p.m.: Chase Briscoe
4:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

RELATED: VIP experience for Ford fan

SATURDAY, Oct. 6
11-11:55 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series second practice, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App) CANCELED DUE TO RAIN
12:05 p.m.:Xfinity Series Pole Qualifying, NBCSN comes on 12:30 p.m. ET/NBC Sports App carries at noon ET (Canada: TSN App) (Results)
1-2:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App) (Results)
3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Bar Harbor 200 presented by Sea Watch International (200 laps, 200 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN3, 5) (Results)

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

 

 

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 | Gets FOX Sports Go | How to find NBCSN

MONDAY, Oct. 1
5:30 p.m.: NASCAR Race Classic: 1998 Daytona 500, FS1 (re-air)
6 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

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

TUESDAY, Oct. 2
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: Glory Road: Blacker, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m.: Glory Road: NASCAR Goes Road Racing, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
9 p.m.: Glory Road: Blacker, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
9:30 p.m.: Glory Road: NASCAR Goes Road Racing, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)

On MRN
9 a.m.: The Many Hats of Jack Roush–Episode 3
7 p.m.: NASCAR Live (with host Mike Bagley)

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3
midnight: Glory Road: Blacker, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
12:30 a.m.: Glory Road: NASCAR Goes Road Racing, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

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

THURSDAY, Oct. 4
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5:30 p.m.: The Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

FRIDAY, Oct. 5
11 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
Noon: Xfinity Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
1 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series West: Meredian Speedway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
3:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
5:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice (re-air), NBCSN

On MRN
10 a.m.: The Inside Line (with host Tyler Burnett)

SATURDAY, Oct. 6
11 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series second practice, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
12:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series pole qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (qualifying session starts at noon on NBC Sports App) (Canada: TSN App)
1 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Bar Harbor 200 presented by Sea Watch International, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN3, 5)
5:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

SUNDAY, Oct. 7
noon: NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
1:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Gander Outdoors 400, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1, 4)
5:30 p.m.: NASCAR Monster Energy Series Post Race Dover, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m.: Racing Roots: Bubba Wallace, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Ryan Blaney took the lead from Stage 1 winner Kyle Larson during a pit cycle on Lap 37 of the Bank of America Roval 400 and held on for 14 laps to win Stage 2 on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Stage 2 results | Follow Final Stage

It was Blaney’s sixth stage win of the season.

Jimmie Johnson finished Stage 2 in second, while Kurt Busch  — looking for his second win of the season — was third. Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five.

The stage was free of cautions, perhaps with drivers aiming for long-term pit-cycle positioning over focusing on passing cars, and setting up what should be a particularly intense and jumbled Final Stage.

With five laps to go, however, playoff driver Aric Almirola scraped the wall trying to avoid the No. 24 of William Byron, who had a tire going down. Almirola then had an uncontrolled tire penalty during his trip to pit road.

Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski both spun coming through the chicane with two laps to go in the stage. The No. 2 of Keselowski sustained a tire rub. They placed 11th and 12th, respectively.

Among the 16 playoff drivers, Almirola was the lowest-running in the stage at 36th.

Finish Driver Team Race Points
1  Ryan Blaney  Team Penske 10
2  Jimmie Johnson  Hendrick Motorsports 9
3  Kurt Busch  Stewart-Haas Racing 8
4  Joey Logano  Team Penske 7
5  Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6  Chase Elliott  Hendrick Motorsports 5
7  Austin Dillon  Richard Childress Racing 4
8  Alex Bowman  Hendrick Motorsports 3
9  Kyle Larson  Chip Ganassi Racing 2
10  Daniel Hemric  Richard Childress Racing 1


Stage 1

Kyle Larson took the lead from polesitter Kurt Busch on Lap 7 of the Bank of America Roval 400 and held on for 19 laps to win Stage 1 on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Stage 1 results 

It was Larson’s fourth stage win of the season.

Busch led six laps and finished Stage 1 in second, while Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Clint Bowyer — in danger of missing the Round of 12 cut — was third. Road course ace Martin Truex Jr. and Watkins Glen International winner Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.

In need of a win to advance to the Round of 12, Denny Hamlin ran into an issue early when he came to pit road for an unscheduled stop on Lap 6 with a hood issue. He finished the stage in 19th.

The first caution of the day came out on Lap 13 when the No. 51 of Stanton Barrett came into Turn 1 a little too hot, slamming into the wall and taking significant damage. The incident ended his race for a 40th-place finish in his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series result since 2006.

Among the 16 playoff drivers, Aric Almirola was the lowest-running in the stage at 34th.

Finish Driver Team Race Points
1  Kyle Larson  Chip Ganassi Racing 10
2  Kurt Busch  Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3  Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing 8
4  Martin Truex Jr.  Furniture Row Racing 7
5  Chase Elliott  Hendrick Motorsports 6
6  Jimmie Johnson  Hendrick Motorsports 5
7  Kyle Busch  Joe Gibbs Racing 4
8  AJ Allmendinger  JTG Daugherty Racing 3
9  Alex Bowman  Hendrick Motorsports 2
10  Ryan Blaney  Team Penske 1

 

Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — Leavine Family Racing said Sunday that 38-year-old Kasey Kahne hopes to return to NASCAR competition next weekend.

Kahne has missed the last four Monster Energy Series races since being treated for heat exhaustion after the Sept. 2 event at Darlington Raceway. Regan Smith has filled in for Kahne in LFR’s No. 95 Chevrolet.

RELATED: Monster Energy Series standings

The organization indicated through its social media accounts that Kahne would undergo a test this week. Pending successful results and medical clearance, Kahne would be back in the driver’s seat for next Sunday’s Gander Outdoors 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Dover International Speedway.

Kahne announced Aug. 16 that this season would be his final full-time campaign in NASCAR competition. Kahne moved to Leavine Family Racing this season after a six-year term with Hendrick Motorsports.

Kahne has 18 career victories in NASCAR’s top division. He’s scored one top-five finish in 25 events this season.

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 theSeries Bank of America Roval 400 (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Editor’s note: The penalty for short-cutting a chicane changed after this video was published. Instead of a pass-through penalty, drivers will be required to come to a complete stop in a designated area. Read more about the new rule.

Posted on by Staff Report

Hailie Deegan had one unconquered goal on her ambitious 2018 checklist. On Saturday night in Idaho, she got it. And made history in the process.

Deegan won the K&N Pro Series West race Sept. 29 at Meridian Speedway, becoming the first girl to ever win in the K&N Pro Series. She took the lead from Bill McAnally Racing teammate Cole Rouse on the white-flag lap in the NAPA Auto Parts/Idaho 208.

Hailie Deegan celebrates her win
Loren Orr/NASCAR via Getty Images

The 17-year-old NASCAR Next driver tweeted earlier this week her checklist of goals for 2019, with all but the final one checked off. They were, in order: Earn a top-10 finish; qualify in the top five; finish in the top five; qualify in the top three; finish in the top three; lead a race; win a pole; WIN A RACE, with the all caps emphasis Deegan’s own.

PHOTOS: Images from Deegan’s historic victory

“Oh my god,” Deegan said in Victory Lane. “This has to be the best day of my life right here. It doesn’t get any better than this. People don’t understand how many days, how many hours I’ve put into this. How much work I’ve done to get to this moment. It’s just amazing … this is the happiest day of my life. We did it.”

Deegan did it by initiating contact on Rouse, something she had contemplated the night before.

“I was in bed last night thinking, ‘If it comes down, last lap, I’m in second, I’m a car length off of him, what am I going to do?'” Deegan said. “And I found that Turn 1 spot. I knew what exactly I had to do there. I was doing it to some other people just getting right under them to get them a little light to get them, not wrecking loose, nothing crazy, but enough to just get a little under them and make the pass happen. We did that. I knew exactly what I had to do the last lap. I did it, we executed, and we made it happen.”

WATCH: Inside Victory Lane with Deegan and her team

A dejected Rouse after the race said he won’t cut Deegan any slack over the final two races. Rouse finished second to Deegan, with Derek Kraus, Derek Thorn and Ryan Partridge completing the top five.

Deegan’s pole award came in the series’ previous race, at the dirt track in Las Vegas two weeks before her breakthrough at Meridian’s quarter-mile oval. Her previous best finish was second, accomplished twice, including last week.

Through 12 (of 14) K&N Pro Series West races, Deegan has five top-five finishes and 10 top 10s, along with her one win. The series returns to the track Oct. 13 in Roseville, California.