The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is back under the lights Friday night for short-track action at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
A driver change will take place starting this weekend at Richmond Raceway as Niece Motorsports announced that Andrés Pérez de Lara will take over driving duties for the No. 44 Chevrolet after Spire Motorsports announced that it was letting the former driver of the No. 77 explore other options. Corey LaJoie will take over in the Spire Motorsports No. 77 for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Kaden Honeycutt will make his Toyota debut with Halmar-Friesen Racing’s No. 52 entry at Richmond Raceway and will continue in that ride for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Xfinity Series regular Christian Eckes will return to his Truck Series roots this weekend, driving the No. 16 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to short-track racing this weekend under the lights at Richmond Raceway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
Two races are left to decide the 16 drivers who will compete for the Bill France Cup. Chris Buescher, who sits 34 points above the playoff elimination line, is a previous winner at Richmond and will look to cement himself into the postseason conversation. Six-time Richmond winner Kyle Busch is 102 points behind Buescher and will hope to tap into his short-track magic to vault into the playoffs.
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon is the defending winner at Richmond and enters in a must-win scenario to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Xfinity Series full-timer Jesse Love is additionally entered in the event as pilot of the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Corey Heim will also make a start, with the Truck Series full-timer racing in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota.
The first of two trips to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this year takes place Thursday evening at Richmond Raceway.
During the 1990s, Richmond became a regular stop on the Modified Tour calendar, with Mike Stefanik emerging as the most consistent driver at the track with three victories. After a two-decade absence, Richmond hosted the Modified Tour again in 2021 and has remained on the schedule since.
Of the four Modified Tour events at Richmond during the 2020s, only one featured fewer than 10 lead changes. Last year’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 was the most competitive Modified Tour race at the track to date with the lead being exchanged 20 times between five drivers.
Richmond’s layout is unlike any Modified Tour competitors face all year with its sweeping corners that offer multiple racing grooves. Those qualities are expected to produce another thrilling race Thursday evening as drivers look to add their names to the facility’s storied list of winners.
Tickets to the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 can be purchased here. Below is everything to know ahead of the 11th race of the 2025 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
Richmond Raceway has been a mainstay on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour calendar since the 2021 season. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)
Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway
Two of the best Modified Tour drivers from the last decade, Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk, put on a show for fans as they settled who would prevail in the 2024 Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150.
Bonsignore came out on top in both laps led and the official results. In a three-lap sprint to the finish, Bonsignore and Silk traded blows on several occasions, but Bonsignore managed to gain the upper hand on his long-time rival after slightly moving him out of the groove in Turn 4 coming to the checkered flag.
Silk is not on the entry list for Thursday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150, but Bonsignore will still have plenty of stiff competition with which to deal. Among them is NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion who won the series’ first race back at Richmond in 2021.
The only other past Modified Tour winner at Richmond in the field Thursday is Austin Beers, the current series points leader. Beers’ Richmond triumph in 2023 was the first of his Modified Tour career. He looks to create another pleasant memory at the track Thursday by extending his advantage over Bonsignore in points.
Other names set to compete at Richmond on Thursday include Ryan Newman, Corey LaJoie, Carson Loftin, Danny Bohn and Andrew Krause.
The complete entry list for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is available now.
With Richmond Raceway offering multiple racing grooves, Thursday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is expected to be competitive and intense. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)
SCHEDULE: Thursday, Aug. 14: Practice from 3:15 – 3:45 p.m. ET … Final practice from 3:55 – 4:25 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 6 p.m. ET … Start of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. (EIRI) Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.
TIRE ALLOTMENT: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is ten (10) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is two (2) tires per stop.
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — While road-course racing always presents the potential for dramatic influence on the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings, Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International essentially strengthened the stance of those on the upside of the upcoming playoff grid and further motivated those that will now need a trophy hoist in the remaining two regular-season races.
In other words, those looking good for playoff berths before Shane van Gisbergen’s dominating win Sunday remain on the points-positive side. And those needing a clutch effort to land a late playoff position remain in need of a walk-off win either in Saturday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) or the next week in the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.
William Byron, the current leader in the championship standings, expanded his points lead with a fourth-place effort Saturday, coupled with teammate Chase Elliott’s 26th-place finish. It marks the first time Elliott has finished a race outside the top 20 all season, and he now trails his Hendrick Motorsports teammate by 42 points in the run for the Regular Season Championship and 15 bonus playoff points.
On the other side of championship contention, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher won Stage 1 at Watkins Glen and finished third in the race to take a solid (but still tenuous) 34-point advantage on his RFK teammate Ryan Preece for that 16th and final playoff transfer position. Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch is 102 points behind Buescher and will need a victory for a shot to claim his third career Cup Series title.
“I am really proud of everybody,” Buescher said of his No. 17 RFK Ford team’s work under pressure Sunday. “It was great execution all day. We were able to get a stage win there and still in the hunt [for the win], really. I had a couple more laps on my tires, and I used the rears up really hard trying to get by a few cars there. At the end of the day, it is a really solid run. We are greedy. We want more.”
The 0.75-mile Richmond track may be just the place for Buescher to secure his playoff opportunity via a win instead of the nerve-wracking points play he’s navigated. He is one of four drivers still needing a playoff position to win previously at both Richmond and the Daytona 2.5-mile superspeedway.
Buescher scored wins at both Richmond and Daytona in summer 2023. Busch, driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet, won the 2008 summer race at Daytona and has six Richmond victories, including the 2018 two-race sweep and an incredible streak of four straight spring trophies from 2009-2012.
Austin Dillon, Busch’s teammate and the defending Richmond race winner, has a pair of wins at Daytona, including the 2016 Daytona 500 and the 2022 summer race.
Brad Keselowski, Buescher’s team co-owner and driving teammate, is the only other driver currently racing for a playoff position to have victories at both tracks. The No. 6 RFK Racing Ford pilot won the summer races at Richmond in 2014 and 2020 and the summer race at Daytona in 2016.
Apart from Buescher, the other three — Busch, Dillon and Keselowski — need to win one of these two races to move into playoff contention.
“A win is the way to guarantee your way in, but this year, we have to be aware of our [points] bubble,” Buescher said. “As much as I hate to admit that, it is where we have found ourselves. For us, this weekend, we want to get on track and have really, really solid speed and say ‘let’s focus’.
“I think where you maybe take a step back and start thinking about the point side more specifically than the race win is through any adversity on the day. When your chance of winning has diminished, then maybe there is a Plan B that’s probably more thought through than maybe it would have been several months ago for us.”
Others with a strong resume at Daytona as the regular season concludes are Spire Motorsports teammates Justin Haley (2012 summer) and Michael McDowell (2021 Daytona 500), Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones (2018 summer) and Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2016 Daytona 500 and 2022 summer).
“I’ve won at all these [upcoming] places, and one of my best tracks is Richmond, and I’d guess Daytona is probably our best shot as crazy as that sounds, with 30 other guys having their best shot at winning that race too,” Busch said of his chances as the regular season closes out. “The RCR package has been really fast there over the years, and we’ve been really good at having some good runs and coming oh so close to winning.”
The last three years, a driver has won his way into the playoffs with a victory in the final pair of regular-season races.
Practice followed by qualifying for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond starts Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET (truTV, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
It’s coming down to the wire in the NASCAR Cup Series, and with two regular-season races remaining, three berths remain open as the Cup field makes way for Richmond Raceway (Sat., 7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
With 13 positions clinched in the 16-driver Cup Series Playoffs field, three drivers — Tyler Reddick (plus-117), Alex Bowman (plus-60) and Chris Buescher (plus-34) — cling to the final three positions with the Virginia short track on deck. Anything goes in short-track racing, though, and for those who have yet to clinch, plenty of variables remain in play.
Here’s a quick rundown of the clinching scenarios for Richmond.
The following 13 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry and Shane van Gisbergen.
Can clinch via points
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 62 points above the third winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from either Tyler Reddick or Alex Bowman.
— Tyler Reddick would clinch with 30 points.
— Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help.
If there is a new winner from Chris Buescher or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 61 points above the second winless driver in the standings.
— Tyler Reddick: Would clinch with 54 points.
Can clinch via win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
— Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, Carson Hocevar, Erik Jones, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Zane Smith, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez, Justin Haley, Todd Gilliland, Ty Dillon, Noah Gragson, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, Cody Ware.
Can clinch Regular Season Championship
Additionally, the Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:
Since it was created in 2010, the Battle at Berlin has pitted the facility’s local heroes against many talented competitors from both the national and Super Late Model ranks. Kyle Busch claimed the first three editions of the Battle at Berlin, with other notable winners including Erik Jones, Bubba Pollard and Carson Hocevar, the most recent champion.
Despite the star power the Battle at Berlin regularly attracts, the list of champions features plenty of representation from the weekly ranks. Brian Campbell, who has won the last two Berlin track titles, prevailed in the Battle at Berlin in 2017; and 2022 track champion Evan Shotko won that year in a race that featured Jones, Hocevar, Ty Majeski and William Byron.
With a total purse of $125,000 and a $40,000 race-winning paycheck on the line, plenty of talented drivers are making the mid-week trip to Berlin for the 250-lap feature. All are looking to secure a significant payday and make their own mark on the growing history of the Battle at Berlin.
Below is everything you need to know about Wednesday’s big race at Berlin Raceway.
Carson Hocevar dominated last year’s Battle at Berlin, leading 171 of 250 laps. (Photo: Julia Schachinger/NASCAR)
What TV Channel is the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin on in 2025?
All the on-track action for the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin can be viewed live on FloRacing, the official streaming home for all NASCAR Regional properties.
The event will not be shown on a traditional television network.
This year’s Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The event will be headlined by the 250-lap Super Late Model feature, with a 50-lap Limited Late Model race serving as a preliminary event.
Below is the complete race-day schedule at Berlin Raceway (all times ET).
Time
Event
9:30 a.m.
Pit pass window opens
10 a.m.
Pit area opens
11 a.m.
Race tires sold and impounded
12 p.m.
Super Late Model Drivers/Spotters meeting
1 p.m.
General admission gates open
1-1:40 p.m.
First Super Late Model practice
1:50-2:30 p.m.
Final Super Late Model practice
3 p.m.
Limited Late Model tech
3:30 p.m.
Super Late Model tech
4:10-4:30 p.m.
First Limited Late Model practice
4:40-5 p.m.
Final Limited Late Model practice
5:30 p.m.
Super Late Model qualifying
6:27 p.m.
Invocation/National Anthem
6:30 p.m.
Battle at Berlin 250 Last Chance Race (40 laps)
Immediately following…
Limited Late Model feature (50 laps)
Immediately following…
Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin (250 laps)
A talented field of Super Late Models are set to descend upon Berlin Raceway on Wednesday evening. (Photo: Julia Schachinger/NASCAR)
Entry list
The current entry list for the 2025 Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin includes 30 competitors.
Leading the group is NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar, who is seeking to defend his maiden Battle at Berlin victory last year. A Berlin track champion in 2017, Hocevar already as a Berlin crown-jewel win on his resume this year, having prevailed in the Money in the Bank 150 in June.
One of the primary obstacles standing in the way of a Hocevar repeat Wednesday is fellow Cup Series competitor and Michigan native Erik Jones. With two Battle at Berlin victories to his name (2015 and 2016), Jones brings plenty of experience to Wednesday’s event as he looks to join Kyle Busch as a three-time winner.
Berlin points leader Austin Hull is among the healthy contingent of track regulars looking to keep the trophy in Michigan. Hull has won three Berlin weekly events so far this year, but his best showing in three previous Battle at Berlin attempts was the ninth he obtained in 2022.
Other drivers set to compete Wednesday evening include Bubba Pollard, Ty Majeski, Brian Campbell, Evan Shotko, Kole Raz and Chase Pinsonneault.
Below is the complete entry list for the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin.
Car No.
Driver
4
Erik Jones
4
Tyler Rycenga
4
Tyler Lupton
7
Joey Doiron
14
Michael Atwell
14
Chase Pinsonneault
15
Seth Christensen
18
Chase Burda
20
Austin Hull
22
Evan Shotko
22
Jimmy Tucker
22
Buddy Shepherd
23
Dave Farrington Jr.
24
Terry Senneker
24
Dylan Stovall
26
Bubba Pollard
27
Kole Raz
28
Scott Thomas
29
Austin Teras
44
Matthew Craig
45
Sean Gipson
47
Brian Campbell
53
Boris Jurkovic
57
Justin Thomas
57
Blake Rowe
71
Carson Hocevar
88
Andrew Scheid
91
Ty Majeski
97
Nick Neri
131
Kyle Crump
Race format
The field Wednesday will be determined by qualifying. Competitors will make two consecutive laps, with the quickest of those serving as their official time.
Competition cautions will occur every 50 green flag laps. This does not apply within 15 laps of the finish.
SALISBURY, N.C. — Andrés Pérez de Lara, ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series champion, has inked a deal to complete the remainder of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with Niece Motorsports beginning this weekend at Richmond Raceway.
The latest addition to the organization’s driver lineup comes on the heels of Pérez de Lara’s former team, Spire Motorsports, announcing his permission to seek other opportunities outside of the No. 77 entry, where he completed the first 17 races of the year.
Born in Mexico City, Mexico, Pérez de Lara began his driving career at the young age of 11 years old through karting, and later moved up the open wheel ladder to compete in L-A Formula 4 before transitioning into stock cars.
In 2023, Pérez de Lara was signed by Rev Racing, a Chevrolet development team, for two years in ARCA. After securing Rookie of the Year status in his first season, he became the first Mexican driver to win the championship in 2024.
Now a graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, Pérez de Lara is currently chasing Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in his full-time Truck debut campaign. He is currently posted third in the rookie standings ahead of the regular season finale.
“Overall, I’m really excited about the upcoming races with Niece Motorsports,” Pérez de Lara said. “Making a change mid-season always has its challenges, but the team and I are working hard to be 100% by the time Richmond comes. I’m really focusing on having a good race there and feel very motivated with how the team has treated me. I feel the team is also motivated with having me there as well.”
Telcel, Claro, and Infinitum, who each have backed Pérez de Lara during his tenure at Spire Motorsports, will continue to serve as his primary partners as he now shifts over to the Niece organization.
“It feels like things are working well, and I’m ready to start a good foundation and build from there for the last eight races,” Pérez de Lara continued. “I want to go out there and show what we’ve got. I’m expecting some good results starting in Richmond, which is a track that I don’t know, but I’m putting a lot of emphasis in the pre-race work to go out there and start getting some good results with the team, which is what we’re all here for.”
Wally Rogers will continue to serve as crew chief for the Telcel team, with other noted competition changes occurring within the organization.
Landon Polinski, a veteran race engineer, has been promoted from within the company as the new crew chief for the No. 42 team. This change allows Mike Shiplett to oversee the return of the No. 41, part-time entry, which will also make its season debut in Richmond.
Previously announced drivers, Josh Bilicki and Connor Jones, will continue to drive for the team in their select events.
“We are preparing for a bright future ahead of us at Niece Motorsports,” said Cody Efaw, CEO of the organization. “Adding Andrés to our talent arsenal is an enticing addition as we look to finish out the year strong. While it is difficult to hear of another team scaling back their program, we saw this as an opportunity for our team to grow our footprint in the Truck Series. We have more exciting news coming out in the near future, and I look forward to seeing our team unload four fast Chevrolet Silverados in Richmond.”
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will complete its regular season at Richmond Raceway on Friday, Aug. 15 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Rudy Fugle, crew chief for William Byron, said the No. 24 team’s goal was a top five Sunday at Watkins Glen International to keep control of their own destiny in the Regular Season Championship hunt.
Check.
Byron and company achieved that on a muggy, clear-sky afternoon in the Finger Lakes region, benefitting from a caution-free final stage to finish fourth at the 2.45-mile road course.
But more importantly, Byron opened up a 42-point lead for the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular-season crown over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who finished 26th in that team’s first result outside the top 20 this season. A successful 45-point outing for the No. 24 group helped Byron stretch the gap even further over Hendrick’s Kyle Larson, who entered Sunday third in points but was slowed by brake issues early on.
“We had really good pace in practice yesterday and couldn’t really back it up as good as we wanted to,” Fugle told NASCAR.com. “Once we realized we didn’t have the pace to run in that top-two or -three pace, we kind of punted to the strategy that we went to, which really helped us get some stage points. William did a great job of managing the car at the end and then still finished fourth, so great points day.”
That overnight pivot resulted in a two-stop strategy, with a decision to pit before the end of Stage 1 at Lap 16 before stretching an estimated 36-lap fuel window all the way to Lap 55. Conserving fuel certainly isn’t a new strategy for the No. 24 team, as they picked up the win the previous weekend at Iowa on fumes after a pair of failed fuel gambles earlier at Michigan and Indianapolis.
But with the final 45 laps staying green and temperatures reaching nearly 90 degrees in Upstate New York, it tested every ounce of the 27-year-old’s will with first-time championship aspirations at the forefront.
“I’m a little tired. The cars were tough to drive there,” Byron said Sunday on pit road, cracking a smile in relief. “That was a really long final run. Just trying to get all I could out of the car and felt like we did a really good job strategizing for what our car needed.
“Ultimately, our strategy was because of qualifying and the way the first stage went, so we didn’t have the best track position to really race for the win. The best bet for us was to do the two-stop when that [Lap 30] caution came out, because we had just fresh enough tires, I feel like, and we got the front row on the restart and really was able to maintain.”
Should Byron hang on over the next two weeks to win the Regular Season Championship, that call could be the turning point of the battle among teammates. Byron finished second in Stage 2, earning nine stage points — the most among the top three Hendrick contenders.
Restarting second in the final stage, Byron was among the first drivers called down pit road as the laps ticked off, stopping a lap before Ryan Blaney — who led at the time and won Stage 2. Byron finished second among the drivers electing the two-stop strategy; Christopher Bell, who came home runner-up, was the other.
A new road-course tire introduced by Goodyear in 2024 at The Glen proved difficult for the No. 24 team the last time out, when Byron finished outside the top 30 a year removed from a win. But this time, Fugle and company nailed it.
“We’ve always been fast here. Our expectation is to run top five when we come here,” Fugle explained. “… We just have to keep learning and adapting, and we’ve done a better job. We just get a little closer.”
Two races now remain in the regular season, and with Richmond Raceway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), the Regular Season Championship is officially on the doorstep for the North Carolina native. As said Saturday at The Glen and echoed again post-race, Byron’s treating the final regular-season races as sort of trial run for the looming playoffs.
So far, so good.
“Just gotta keep digging,” Fugle said. “Gotta have a good race in Richmond, and then Daytona, anything bad can happen or good can happen. So we just want stay as big of a gap [ahead of Elliott] through next week as we can, and if we can’t extend it, then do it next week.”
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — A hot day at Watkins Glen International got even hotter on the radio of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing team’s radio during the final stage of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.
Struggling to find rear grip with 34 laps remaining, Ty Gibbs expressed his frustration to his team.
“We’re [expletive] right now, so we’ve got to do something different,” Gibbs said.
Chris Gabehart, competition director of Joe Gibbs Racing and race strategist for the No. 54 team, did not appreciate the tone of Gibbs’ assessment.
“Well, I’m sure you’ve got a real good understanding of that from inside the car,” Gabehart said, “so you can call the strategy if you want or we can keep rolling. But I (would) do the best I could to go as fast as I can.”
Ultimately, an up-and-down day for the No. 54 team ended with a 33rd-place result, Gibbs’ worst result since Circuit of The Americas in March and his third consecutive finish outside the top 20. Gabehart is a veteran crew chief despite stepping back from that role in 2025, serving as the shot-caller on the No. 11 pit box with driver Denny Hamlin from 2019-2024, collecting 22 wins together. Sunday, he said, was simply another growing moment for the 22-year-old Gibbs.
“Of course, it’s heated. It’s a hot day, and the driver’s working his butt off in there and doesn’t know the details of who’s on what for strategy,” Gabehart said. “There was a caution that fell there early in Stage 2 that really split the field a lot of different ways. So for drivers, that’s always the most confusing time because they don’t know how to measure their car against whom and what’s the next play in the playbook.
“And on the pit box, you’re working to figure all that out as those cautions fall. There’s only so much prep work that you can do prior to when it happens. Now, what do we do? And that’s the moment that was going on there.”
Gibbs was also at a disadvantage after needing to work hard to re-pass the No. 60 of Ryan Preece before a Christopher Bell pass on Alex Bowman forced Gibbs to check up as well. Gibbs spent significant time trying to work by Bowman, Gabehart said, contributing to the lack of grip left in Gibbs’ rear tires.
“This is a very difficult race to follow, even for the most experienced drivers,” Gabehart said. “The strategy just changes so much, and Ty is still trying to work through some of these nuances. So that’s racing.”
Their final pit stop of the day came at Lap 81, after Gibbs bargained an idea of his own: “How about we just pit then just stay out when the caution comes out? If not, then we’re already back here anyway.”
Gabehart obliged, bringing the No. 54 car in for four fresh tires in a gamble that didn’t pay off without a yellow flag.
“We talked it over and he was losing the rear tires pretty fast both runs,” Gabehart explained. “So once we got that late, he came on said, ‘Well, what if we pit here? What’s it really gonna cost us?’ I’m like, ‘Not much. Let’s go ahead and pit in case the caution comes out, then we’ll stay out and try to restart further forward for it.’ There just wasn’t much track position left to lose at that point.”
Gibbs’ season has had its fair share of hot-and-cold swings. After finishing third at Michigan, Gibbs went on a three-race run of top-15 finishes from 11th (Mexico City), 14th (Pocono) and 14th (EchoPark Speedway). The next three races that followed were all top 10s — second in Chicago, seventh at Sonoma and fifth at Dover. The latest trio of tracks haven’t been as kind with two 21st-place runs (Indianapolis, Iowa) before Sunday’s 33rd-place finish.
Part of what Gabehart tries to bring is a sense of balance, particularly in unique scenarios like Watkins Glen provided when the driver may be less informed than the crew on the pit box.
“It’s our job up top to try to rein that in when needed, or give enough information to be pertinent, but not so much that it’s confusing all those things,” Gabehart said. “And Ty is different than Denny is different than Chase Briscoe is different than Bell. They’re all different, right? So you’ve got to figure out how to get the most of them out of those moments, and today, I don’t think we did.”
Another road course and another dominant performance from Shane van Gisbergen as the Kiwi led 38 of the 90 circuits at Watkins Glen International to score his fourth Cup Series victory of 2025, matching Denny Hamlin for most among Cup drivers this season. Van Gisbergen became the first rookie at the Cup level to snag four checkered flags in a single season.
A straightforward Sunday in the Finger Lakes region of New York did come with its surprises as the Hendrick Motorsports camp struggled and regular-season title contenders faded. William Byron extended his points lead to 42 as teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, as well as Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, finished outside the top 20.
With two races to go in the regular season, let’s take a look at three drivers moving in the right direction and three drivers on their back foot before Saturday night’s event at Richmond Raceway (7:30 ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, HBO Max, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
THREE UP ⬆️
1. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Started: 9th
Finished: 2nd
What happened: Bell put together his first top-five performance since Sonoma with a runner-up to van Gisbergen — a sequel to their Mexico City 1-2. It’s a huge shot in the arm for the No. 20 Toyota team after a trying day last weekend at Iowa.
What’s next: The last victory for Bell came early in the season amid a three-race winning streak that included Atlanta, Circuit of The Americas and Phoenix. Bell should be in line for a deep playoff run, but the No. 20 team needs to string some oval momentum together as its last three top-five runs have all come on road courses. That should change at Richmond. Bell has finished sixth or better in seven of his nine Cup starts at the Virginia short track.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
2. Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Started: 19th
Finished: 7th
What happened: With no plan set in stone for Suárez, every weekend for the rest of the season is an audition for a ride, and the Mexican driver put together one of his best of 2025 at Watkins Glen. Sunday marked his first top-10 run since Texas, all the way back in May.
What’s next: A surprise Richmond win isn’t likely for Suárez, but the No. 99 Chevrolet driver led 93 laps at the short track last year and finished 10th.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
3. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Started: 4th
Finished: 10th
What happened: Chastain completed a day when all three full-time Trackhouse entries scored top 10s in Upstate New York. It didn’t come without some eventful occurrences on track as the No. 1 driver made contact with on-and-off rival Hamlin in Turn 7, causing Hamlin to collect Kyle Busch. It’s the first top-10 run for Chastain since Chicago.
What’s next: Similar to Bell, Chastain needs to get it going in the right direction on ovals. His last top-10 finish on an oval came in June at Michigan. Richmond has historically been a struggle for Chastain, but he has two top fives in the last four events at the track.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
THREE DOWN ⬇️
1. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Started: 26th
Finished: 39th
What happened: Larson dealt with a brake issue early on during Sunday’s race and ultimately spun on Lap 6 in Turn 1 at the 2.45-mile road course. Crew chief Cliff Daniels opted to take the No. 5 Chevrolet to the garage to repair a brake line and Larson returned to action on Lap 22 — 16 laps off the pace. Larson was scored with a 39th-place finish, but nabbed one extra point with the Xfinity Fastest Lap.
What’s next: Larson’s bid for the 2025 regular-season title is likely out of the picture and he’ll shift focus to gaining some momentum heading into the postseason with just two races to go before the playoff grid is set. Richmond awaits Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) where Larson has finished seventh or better in four of the six Next Gen events at the short track, including a victory in the 2023 spring race.
Zach Sturniolo | NASCAR Digital Media
2. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Started: 20th
Finished: 26th
What happened: Elliott’s top-20 streak came to an end Sunday at Watkins Glen — a shocking result for the No. 9 driver who scored his first Cup victory at the New York road course. You have to go back to the Las Vegas playoff race last year to find when the Dawsonville, Georgia, native didn’t place within the top 20. Elliott lacked speed throughout the weekend and couldn’t break from the midpack aside from staying out at the end of Stage 1 to rack up seven points.
What’s next: Elliott now trails teammate Byron by 42 points in the hunt for the regular-season title. There’s a slim chance for the No. 9 to reclaim the spot within the next two races, but Elliott can start a new top-20 streak at Richmond as he hasn’t finished worse than 15th at the track since 2017.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
3. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Started: 14th
Finished: 33rd
What happened: One of the better road-course racers this season did not have the car under him to compete for the win. Gibbs also had quite the back-and-forth with his No. 54 group on the team radio as the third-year driver was frustrated with the handling of his Toyota. Gibbs then came down pit road in the closing laps, which resulted in him falling outside the top 30 when the checkered flag waved.
What’s next: Gibbs needs to find Victory Lane in the next two weeks to secure a second straight berth in the Cup Series Playoffs. However, Richmond has not been his friend in his early Cup days with just one top-10 run in five starts.
