Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be in action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Monster Energy Series begins its first round of playoffs, while the Camping World Truck Series has its second race of the Round of 8 and the Xfinity Series sets its playoff field. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

Note: All times are ET

MORE: How to find NBCSN

SUNDAY, Sept. 16
TRACKSIDE LIVE
11:30 a.m.: Watch your favorite drivers answer questions and play games

RACE-DAY SCHEDULE
1 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver/Crew Chief Meeting (Neon Garage)
2:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Introductions
3:00:00 p.m.: Presentation of Colors by: Nellis Air Force Base Honor Guard
3:00:20 p.m.: Invocation by: Billy Mauldin, MRO Chaplain
3:01:00 p.m.: National Anthem by: Sierra Black
3:02:30 p.m.: Flyover TOT by: (4) A-10s, Strike Fighter Squadron 213 Blacklions, Nellis AFRB
3:07:30 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” command by: Brendan Gaughan
3:16 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series SouthPoint 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles; NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Results)

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

THURSDAY, Sept. 13
5:05-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice (Results)
7:05-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (Results)

FRIDAY, Sept. 14
2:05-2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)
3:05-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)
5:05-5:50 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)
6:05 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS1 (Results)
7:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)
9 p.m.: NASCARCamping World Truck Series World of Westgate 200 (134 laps, 201 miles; FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
1:15 p.m.: Justin Allgaier, Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric
1:30 p.m.: Noah Gragson, Justin Haley and Ben Rhodes
8:15 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
10:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race

SATURDAY, Sept. 15
1-1:50 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)
2:10 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)
3:30-4:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)
5 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series DC Solar 300 (200 laps, 300 miles; NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) (Results)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
7:15 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race

Posted on by Staff Report

Jamie McMurray’s 2018 season with Chip Ganassi Racing is expected to be his last in the No. 1 Chevrolet, according to a published report.

The Associated Press reported Monday that McMurray would close out the Monster Energy Series season in the No. 1 Chevrolet. Team owner Ganassi told the Associated Press he has offered the 42-year-old driver a contract for the 2019 Daytona 500 and a leadership position with the team.

A representative for Chip Ganassi Racing said Monday afternoon that the team had no comment at this time.

PHOTOS: 2018 winners

McMurray entered Monday’s rain-delayed race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 21st place in the series standings, needing a victory for a last-ditch shot at the postseason. He has one top-five finish this season, a third-place result in April at Texas Motor Speedway.

McMurray has seven career victories in the Monster Energy Series, including the 2010 Daytona 500. He has been with team owner Chip Ganassi since 2010.

Both McMurray and Kurt Busch had previously declined to address speculation that Busch was being targeted to fill the No. 1 ride beginning in 2019.

RELATED: Kurt Busch addresses reports

Posted on by Reid Spencer

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The Lilly Diabetes 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway may have been delayed by rain for two days, but that wasn’t enough to break the magical run Justin Allgaier is enjoying.

Holding off JR Motorsports teammate Tyler Reddick after grabbing the lead on Lap 84 of 100 in Monday’s event, Allgaier collected his fifth victory of the season, his third in the last five races and — perhaps most important — his first at the vaunted Brickyard.

“We won Indy — how cool is that?” Allgaier exulted on the team radio after powering his No. 7 Chevrolet across the finish line .092 seconds ahead of Reddick. “You guys (his team) are awesome. That’s all I can say. The car was phenomenal.

“I know that (Indianapolis) has given me a lot of headaches and a lot of grief over the years, but we just won Indy — how cool is that?”

RELATED: Full race results | Series standings 

The victory was the 10th of Allgaier’s career. With one race left before the cutoff for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs (Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway), Allgaier moved significantly closer to the regular-season title and accompanying bonus of 15 playoff points.

He currently leads Cole Custer, second in the series standings, by 49 points. Custer suffered a jarring wreck into the inside wall after turning his Ford into the Toyota of Brandon Jones on Lap 72. Custer finished 29th but maintained a three-point advantage over third-place Christopher Bell, who faded to seventh on Monday after restarting second on Lap 84.

Allgaier dedicated the victory to his father, who helped develop Allgaier’s off-track sophistication by bringing him to Toastmasters classes for young drivers at a hotel near the speedway.

WATCH: Four-wide battle for Stage 1

“This one is for my dad, because at Brickyard Crossing up there, he drove me up here every Wednesday night during the winter, so that I could take classes to be the best that I could be, not only inside the car but outside the car,” Allgaier said.

“It was about three-and-a-half hours, and he drove me here every Wednesday night, so hats off to him.”

Ryan Blaney finished third after starting from the pole in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Chase Elliott came home fourth, followed by Daniel Hemric, as Chevrolets claimed four of the top five positions.

Reddick wanted to wait until the final lap to battle his teammate for the victory, but he never got a run on the final circuit.

“I didn’t want to cost me and Justin a first- and second-place finish,” Reddick said. “I wanted it to be off Turn 4, preferably on the last lap… Unfortunately, I didn’t get the run I needed on that last lap.

“I really should have taken it with two (laps) to go, but I was unsure. I really didn’t want to mess up either one of our days.”

Elliott Sadler saw his hopes for a regular-season title disappear on Lap 23, when Ty Dillon spun in Turn 3 and carried Sadler’s Chevrolet into the outside wall.

“We’re done,” radioed Sadler, who fell out of the race in 35th place and dropped to fifth in the standings, 69 points behind Allgaier.

WATCH: Sadler wrecks with Ty Dillon

Austin Cindric, 12th in the standings and currently in the last playoff-eligible position, fell out of the race after running through the grass and tearing the splitter off his No. 12 Ford, trying to avoid the Sadler wreck. Cindric finished 34th but remained 57 points ahead of 13th-place Michael Annett, who ran 31st.

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR community is in mourning Monday following the death of 11-year-old racing fan Caleb Hammond, who weeks before had issued a call for racing stickers to cover his casket.

Earlier this summer, Hammond and his family accepted a difficult realization: Cancer treatments weren’t working anymore. So Caleb left the hospital where he had been receiving treatments for his two-year battle with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and returned to his home in Oskaloosa, Iowa, to live the rest of his life away from painful procedures, and to spend time with his family.

He had a request that has reverberated across NASCAR and social media: He wanted to gather as many racing stickers as possible to cover his casket.

NASCAR drivers and teams answered the call, and took to social media Monday to offer their condolences to the Hammond family.

We offer ours, too.

https://twitter.com/Mc_Driver/status/1039141862421024768

Posted on by Staff Report

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. has spent this season working in the broadcast booth for the first time in his career, but he will make another “first” in two weeks at Richmond Raceway. Although he has retired from full-time racing, he will make a one-race start in a JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Sept. 21 Xfinity Series race at the track. 

It will be his first NASCAR start since he climbed out of his Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 after the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season finale in Homestead, Florida, last November — and it might just be his last, he hinted.

RELATED: Dale Jr. through the years

“I’m looking forward to it,’’ Earnhardt said of his Xfinity Series debut this season. “I didn’t miss racing at the start of the year at all. I didn’t miss driving much. When I got back to the broadcasting and started to really plug into what the races were like and what was going on, you see moments in the races that make you wish you were out there doing that. And so, I started to miss it a little bit. 

“I like Richmond as a track. And it’s a pretty straightforward little race track. We have had success there. I’m not really putting any expectations or pressure on myself as far as performance. I just want to go run and have fun.”

And, Earnhardt said, it just may be the last time he enters a major NASCAR race.

“It’s the only time I’m going to race a car this year. And it may be the last time I race a car,’’ he said.

“I really don’t know what our plans are going forward. I don’t really have any initiative to drive a ton of races. So, we’ll just kind of see what kind of opportunities there are down the road with the sponsorships and so forth that help the rest of the company. But, hopefully I get to run all the laps and just enjoy driving the car.

“The only reason you get behind the wheel of a race car is because it’s fun and you enjoy the competition. Hopefully those are things that I get out of it and try not to get real competitive about it. I don’t want to sweat over every lap and how fast we are in practice and all those things, and make it a miserable experience because most race car drivers tend to do that if you’re not careful.”

— Contributing: Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service

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, September 10
10 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Lilly Diabetes 250, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
12:30 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard (160 laps, 400 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
5:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series post-race coverage, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Tuesday, September 11
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: Glory Road: IndyCar/NASCAR Crossover, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m.: Glory Road: Dirt Roots, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
9 p.m.: Glory Road: IndyCar/NASCAR Crossover, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
9:30 p.m.: Glory Road: Dirt Roots, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)

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

Wednesday, September 12
12 a.m.: Glory Road: IndyCar/NASCAR Crossover, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
12:30 a.m.: Glory Road: Dirt Roots, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
4 a.m.: Beyond the Wheel 2018, FS1
5 a.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
5 p.m.: NASCAR America: Wednesdays with Dale Jr., NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m.: NASCAR Racing: Whelen Series at Riverhead Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

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, September 13
5 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN
1 p.m.: Throwback Thursday: 1998 Vegas 400

Friday, September 14
2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS1
7:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, FS1
9 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series World of Westgate 200, FS1

On MRN
Noon: The Inside Line (with host Tyler Burnett)

Saturday, September 15
6:30 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series World of Westgate 200, FS1 (re-air)
1 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series DC Solar 300, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Sunday, September 16
11:30 a.m.: Classic NASCAR: 1998 Daytona 500, FS1
1:30 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Post Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
9:30 p.m.: Glory Road: IndyCar/NASCAR Crossover, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
10 p.m.: Glory Road: Dirt Roots, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Posted on by Staff Report

The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard has been postponed to Monday due to inclement weather. The race is now scheduled for 2 p.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

It will be part of a unique Monday doubleheader with the Xfinity race, the Lilly Diabetes 250, which is set for 10 a.m. ET.

Rain has been steady throughout the weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, washing out practices and qualifying and postponing the NASCAR Xfinity Series race originally scheduled for Saturday.

RELATED: Full Indy schedule | See how field lines up | Starting lineup

The wet weather continued Sunday, dampening the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale. Green flag was scheduled for 1:06 p.m. ET.

A Toyota Tundra track-drying team of 19 vehicles is on hand to dry the track if still needed Monday, along with 10 jet dryers and four vacuums.

Kyle Busch is on the pole for Monday’s Monster Energy Series race with Kevin Harvick joining him on the front row. Busch is a two-time winner at the Brickyard. There will be two competition cautions on Lap 10 and 30. Teams will not be allowed to take fuel until after the second of those competition cautions.

Fourteen of 16 spots in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are set, with two still up for grabs when we go racing Monday.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

NASCAR Fantasy Live’s Playoff game will cover the 10 races in the playoffs and function similarly to the regular-season edition of Fantasy Live. There are some changes to this game from the regular season, which are explained below. Leagues put together in the regular season will be kept intact, although scoring will go back to zero for the playoffs.

Accessing the game to set your roster can be done by logging into your account and going to the Fantasy page (NASCAR.com/Fantasy). You also can access the game by opening NASCAR Mobile, logging into your account and clicking the Fantasy icon on the bottom of the app.

Here is a primer to get you up to speed on the playoff game for 2018.

RELATED: Playoff infographic

How is the playoff game different?
The first major difference is that there is no limit on how many times you can use a driver in the playoffs. If you are thinking that means you can roster all of the “Big 3” of Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. — there is a twist there that we will get to below. The roster composition of teams is different from the regular season as well (further explained below) and there are some limits on how you can utilize the garage driver. There also is an additional bonus pick that must be set by the playoff opener in Las Vegas.

RELATED: Learn even more | Driver stats 

Fantasy Live Playoffs Infographic
(NASCAR Digital Media)

What is the roster composition?
Players will be able to field a roster of starters with two active playoff drivers and two non-playoff drivers. You have one driver in your garage. Driver and garage selections lock five minutes before the race start time and do not carry over week-to-week, meaning you need to set your roster for each race.

How does the garage driver work?
Players can substitute their one garage driver up until the start of the Final Stage. Once the Final Stage starts, no more switches are allowed. However, if your garage driver is in the playoffs, you can only swap him for one of your two playoff drivers. If your garage guy is a non-playoff driver, you can only swap him for one of your two non-playoff drivers.

Example: Your active roster for Las Vegas is Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch as playoff drivers with Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard as your non-playoff drivers. Martin Truex Jr. is your garage driver. Truex can only be swapped for Harvick or Busch. You CANNOT replace Truex for McMurray or Menard.

Which races make up the playoffs?
The playoffs, which start Sept. 16, consist of 10 races: Las Vegas, Richmond, Charlotte road course, Dover, Talladega, Kansas, Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami. Only the Charlotte road course and Homestead-Miami have not held a race this season before the playoffs.

WATCH: Fantasy Fastlane with Steve Letarte and Jessica Ruffin

Do eliminated drivers shift from playoff to non-playoff?
Yes, drivers that are eliminated from the playoffs will see their designation (playoff or non-playoff) transition at the start of a new round. This will give players fewer playoff options to choose from as we get deeper into the playoffs but more non-playoff options to choose from at the same time.

So which drivers end up scoring points?
The drivers ending the race in your main roster will comprise the drivers that make up your total score. A driver that ends the race in the garage would not see their results count toward your score.

INSIGHT: Weekly analysis from RJ Kraft

Are there any limits to how much a driver can be used?
No. Unlike the regular-season game, there are no use limits on any driver. In theory, you could field the same lineup every week if you choose.

What is the scoring system?
The scoring will reflect the NASCAR Official Scoring System. For example, if Chase Elliott wins Stage 1 & Stage 2 and wins the race, he will earn players 60 fantasy points for that particular race just as he would earn 60 points for himself in the season standings.

Drivers running in the top 10 at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 receive points, starting with 10 points for first, nine for second, etc. The race winner receives 40 points, while second-place receives 35 points, third receives 34 points and all the way down to 1 point for drivers that finish 36th through 40th.

Are there any bonus picks?
Yes, players can make bonus picks for the pole winner, Stage 1 winner, Stage 2 winner, race winner and manufacturer winner. The pole winner bonus pick selection will lock approximately five minutes before the start time of qualifying. All other bonus picks lock five minutes before the race start time. Bonus picks DO NOT count against driver usage.

NEW FOR THE PLAYOFFS: Players can choose a playoff champion pick that is worth 60 points. This pick will lock five minutes before the green flag of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This bonus will be added to your score at the completion of the 10-week playoffs following the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale.

What is the value of each bonus pick?
Pole Winner (5 points for correct pick)
Stage 1 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Stage 2 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Race Winner (30 points for correct pick)
Winning Manufacturer (10 points for correct pick)
Playoffs Champion (60 points for correct pick)

Will my leagues and teams from last year be available?
Regular-season leagues will see their full membership move over to the playoffs while scoring will reset to zero.

Posted on by Staff Report

The start of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard has been delayed because of inclement weather.

Rain begin to fall this morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, putting a hold on the Monster Energy Series regular-season finale. Green flag was scheduled for 1:06 p.m. ET.

A Toyota Tundra track-drying team of 19 vehicles is on hand to dry the track as quickly as possible, along with 10 jet dryers and four vacuums. Wet weather has been a factor this weekend as neither the Monster Energy Series nor the NASCAR Xfinity Series have gotten on track at Indianapolis. The Xfinity Series Lilly Diabetes 250 was moved from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning at 10 a.m. ET (NBCSN, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) due to rain.

RELATED: Full Indy schedule | See how field lines up | Starting lineup

Kyle Busch is on the pole for today’s race with Kevin Harvick joining him on the front row. Busch is a two-time winner at the Brickyard. When racing does get underway, there will be two competition cautions on Lap 10 and 30. Teams will not be allowed to take fuel until after the second of those competition cautions.

Coverage from the 2.5-mile Indiana track is on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This story will be updated.

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 Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard (Monday, 2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.