Free, 24/7 NASCAR destination expands availability with new platform.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 19, 2025) — NASCAR today announced that the NASCAR Channel, its free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) network, will be available to millions more fans when it launches on The Roku Channel on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
The NASCAR Channel offers 24/7 programming with no subscription or registration required. Viewers can enjoy a mix of classic NASCAR races, delayed broadcasts of current season events, select live coverage, documentaries, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s The Morning Drive, NASCAR Studios original series and video podcasts.
With the addition of The Roku Channel, fans can now watch the NASCAR Channel across an even wider range of platforms, including Xumo Play, Tubi, Samsung TV Plus, Prime Video and more.
“This expansion to The Roku Channel puts the NASCAR Channel in front of one of the largest streaming audiences in the world,” said Dan Barker, NASCAR managing director of media strategy. “Our goal has always been to make NASCAR’s rich history, original content and live racing more accessible to fans everywhere, and Roku helps us deliver on that promise.”
The NASCAR Channel also features simulcasts of select grassroots racing events in partnership with FloSports. Upcoming programming highlights include:
Aug. 23 — AgSouth Farm Credit 150 at Bowman Gray Stadium (Modifieds)
Sept. 27 — ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway (NASCAR Late Models)
Oct. 12 — NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
Dec. 5 — Snowball Derby Qualifying Day
The Roku Channel is available to stream for free on Roku devices or TVs and can be easily accessed online at TheRokuChannel.com and on iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TVs, Samsung TVs, Google TVs and other Android TV OS devices.
After one week off, the NASCAR Xfinity Series is back in action and heads back to Daytona International Speedway for a Friday night bout (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
A JR Motorsports representative confirmed to NASCAR.com that six-time winner and current points leader Connor Zilisch is currently slated to drive the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet following his collarbone injury at Watkins Glen International. Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks joined SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Monday evening and discussed the status of Zilisch, who is a Trackhouse Racing prospect and whose progress the team is continuing to monitor. Marks noted the decision to get Zilisch back behind the wheel will be a “group decision.”
“It’s a balance,” Marks told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “It’s a balance between a 19-year-old kid who just wants to be in the race car and can’t stand not being in the race car and is capable of driving the race car right now. And the other side of that is we need to make a smart decision. What we can’t do is rush him back into the car, especially a place like Daytona, get in a wreck and then be worse off than we were before.
“So it’s kind of a day-by-day deal right now. This will be a big week to see how his rehab goes and his comfort level and all that stuff. And it could end up being a game-time decision. I know that we all want him back in the race car. He wants to be back in the race car. JRM wants him to be back in the race car. But we’ve got to make smart decisions, so I would just say, stay tuned on that one.”
Cup Series regular and Spire Motorsports driver Justin Haley will rejoin the Kaulig Racing fold in the No. 11 Chevrolet. Rajah Caruth will also make his second Xfinity Series start this season with Jordan Anderson Racing, driving the No. 32 Chevrolet.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular season concludes where it started, with the field set to do battle at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock).
With 14 out of 16 playoff berths officially clinched, two positions remain to be filled, with 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick (89 points above the provisional elimination line) and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman (plus-60) currently leading the way with the 2.5-mile superspeedway looming.
Austin Hill will race in his third Cup event of the season as pilot of the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Casey Mears will also make his second appearance of the season, driving the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford. As driver of the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet, BJ McLeod will attempt to qualify at Daytona after a DNQ in February at the Florida track.
During the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, fans will have the opportunity to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs™ Grid Challenge Presented by Goodyear on their own or as part of a created league.
Following the conclusion of the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway, your postseason knowledge will be put to the test. So, what should you know before putting on your prediction caps? Keep reading to learn more about this game, and, of course, register for a free NASCAR.com account and join NASCAR Fan Rewards to make your selections.
Registering for an account allows you to score points and track your progress throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Additionally, a NASCAR.com account allows you to track the latest news, customize updates and learn insider information throughout the playoffs and beyond. If you already have a registered NASCAR.com account, simply logging in with the same credentials will allow you to compete without additional steps or the creation of a new account. Additionally, you must be a NASCAR Fan Rewards member in order to participate in the game, so sign up if you have yet to do so!
Can I create multiple entries?
All entrants are eligible to create up to three entries per person.
Does the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs™ Grid Challenge Presented by Goodyear work on mobile?
Participants can access the challenge and fill out brackets on mobile web and desktop applications.
Can I set up a league?
In addition to joining the overall leaderboard, participants can create their own leagues to compete with friends and others throughout the community. Leagues can be public and available for anyone to join or private and password-protected. To join or create a league, follow the instructions on the Leagues tab. There, you can see participants, standings and point totals for each of your league entries. Creating or joining a league does not impact prize eligibility. League play is for entertainment purposes only; there are no prizes for winning a league.
When can I register?
Registration opens on or about Aug. 18 and closes at 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 31, the beginning of the Round of 16 at Darlington Raceway.
Following the conclusion of the regular-season finale at Daytona, NASCAR will set the official grid on or about Aug. 24. From then until Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. ET, you can make your selections.
What is the game format?
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs™ Grid Challenge Presented by Goodyear will be a single-submission format this season, a change from previous seasons when selections were made on a round-by-round basis. Yes, that means you will pick the entire playoff grid, from who you think advances to the Round of 12 to who hoists the championship crown. The order of drivers does not matter when making selections. In other words, choose wisely! You only have one shot; once the Round of 16 officially begins, you will not be able to edit entries or make new picks for the duration of the contest.
Is there a points system?
Yes. Participants will receive 10 points for each driver selected that advances from the Round of 16 into the Round of 12. For each driver selected that advances from the Round of 12 to the Round of 8, 20 points will be awarded. For each driver selected that advances from the Round of 8 to the Championship 4, 40 points will be allotted. Finally, 80 points will be awarded to participants who correctly predict the driver to win the 2025 Cup Series title. The points for all four rounds are added together to determine the overall winner.
Scoring factors in official finishing order after post-race inspection.
What are the prizes I can win for competing?
Cash prizes for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs™ Grid Challenge Presented by Goodyear are awarded to the top three eligible entrants in the overall standings. One first-place winner will receive $10,000, one second-place winner will receive $5,000 and one third-place winner will receive $2,500. Participants can track their place in the standings with the live leaderboard over the duration of the 10-race playoffs. Accounts listed in the top three positions — or any other position — may not necessarily be the top participants eligible to win prizes.
See the official rules for additional information on rules, eligibility, prizes, tiebreak procedures and more.
Who are the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs drivers?
The 16-driver field will be cemented Aug. 23 following the conclusion of the regular-season finale at Daytona.
Four drivers are eliminated after each round, ending with the Championship 4 battling for the Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway.
To keep track of who’s still in the playoffs, visit our standings page and click on the playoffs tab.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Much of Saturday night’s racing was devoted to the tributes for Robbie Brewer, who died Aug. 9.
But like just much of the history of Bowman Gray Stadium, Burt Myers and Tim Brown, the two winningest drivers in Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series history, won the two races Saturday night in the Harrison’s Twin 25s.
Myers won the first race after capturing the pole with the fastest qualifying lap of 13.607 seconds. He carried the pole and led all 25 laps to defeat runner-up Brandon Ward, who is the points leader.
“It’s everything, man,” Myers said. “We’ve got a heck of a fast car, but just like last week we qualified third. We were off a little bit in qualifying, qualified third, and then draw sixth (for the twin 50s). And it’s with the competition now you’ve got to start pole or even front row in these short races with single-file restarts. We worked hard and got on the pole and got us a win.”
Even though Myers has won five races this season it’s his first win since June 7.
“Like I said earlier, when you win four in a row it’s hard to convince yourself to change stuff,” Myers said. “But it got to the point I knew we had to make some changes to get the car a little better. Track conditions change as the year goes on, and the tire, not the compound, just they sit on that truck, and just the tires seem to be a little different. But we worked hard, we got it fast, and we got the job done tonight.”
After a drought Myers did get back to Victory Lane.
“It means everything, man,” he said. “It’s good to get some momentum right here leading up to one to go. We want to be able to set on the pole and try to win next week and see where the points fall. Don’t really care about that.”
That one to go is next week’s AgSouth Farm Credit 150, which is the season finale.
Ward finished runner-up, followed by Jason Myers, Burt’s brother, Brown, and Mike Speeney.
That was win was Myers 102, which at the time, closed the gap between himself and Brown to one race. However, Brown won the second 25-lap race to extend the wins leads back to two.
Burt Myers drew 8 in the Madhouse Scramble, which inverted the field for the second race there. Brown started fifth and quickly closed the gap, eventually winning the race.
“He’s become accustomed to winning these second races this year and it’s knocking into our win total,” Burt Myers said of Brown. “But hey, the second races count just as much as the first one. He’s just been fortunate to get a draw and get those wins in those second races this year.”
Indeed Brown did win the second 25-lap race.
“It doesn’t (mean anything to me),” Brown said. “When I know I’m almost to the end of my career it might mean something, but it don’t mean anything to me.”
Brown started fifth and moved to third, while Riley Neal, who started second, and Slate Myers, Burt Myers’ son, started third.
Tim Brown in Victory Lane following a victory Saturday night at Bowman Gray Stadium. (Photo: Erick Messer/Bowman Gray Stadium)
Slate Myers kept bumping Neal, and finally on lap 16, Slate Myers bumped Neal hard, knocking Slate Myers out of the race. Brown slipped by and took the lead, carrying the lead for the final nine laps.
“I mean they’re both hungry and they’re both talented,” Brown said. “And they were getting with it, right? And so I’d run in corner throttle or something and just waiting to see what happened there. They wound up just handing me the win. You know, we’ve got a great race car and great race team and all.”
“I’m still upset that everything we’ve won over this year has been the second 25-lapper. We’ve got to do better on that. So, go unload this thing tonight and come back next week and try to sit on the pole and win the 150.”
Brown has plenty of experience at Bowman Gray, so he knew what to expect between Neal and Slate Myers.
“You’ve just got to be smart, right?” Brown said. “And you see those guys knocking the crap out of each other. They’re both sliding sideways and spinning and really aggressive, and you ain’t going to make it 25 laps like that. So, if nothing else they were using their tires up, and I’m sitting there riding and if they would’ve calmed down there with like 10 to go or something like that I would’ve went up there and tried to pass them both. But I didn’t have to, They helped me pass them.”
Ward finished runner-up in the second race, followed by Speeney, Burt Myers, and Jason Myers.
“It’s good for the race team and the sponsors to get in Victory Lane regardless,” Brown said. “And it’s good for me. I mean, you know, I get to take the trophy home, and you know, my kids are here tonight, and that’s super-special, my wife.”
Sterling Plemmons was given the win in the first 20-lap race for the Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman Series after Amber Lynn and Zack Ore were disqualified.
Chase Robertson celebrates a Sportsman division victory Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium. (Photo: Erick Messer/Bowman Gray Stadium)
The checkered flag in the second 20-lap Sportsman race went to Chase Robertson, who was celebrating his 21st birthday.
“These last two months have been hell on my guys and me, man,” Robertson said. “We’ve been through so much adversity, but I’ve got the best crew here, the best sponsors, the best parents. I’ve got God standing behind me and He’s all I need.”
Tommy Neal finished runner-up, followed by Dylan Ward, Ore, and Lynn.
Brad Lewis won the 20-lap race in the QRC HVAC and Refrigeration Street Stock Series. Lewis had his car wrapped in the colors of Brewer in honor of the driver.
Lewis started fourth and took the lead on lap 19. Lewis carried the win to a win after a green-white finish.
“There’s going to be some controversy, but they (Bryan Sykes, Jr.) can have that championship,” Lewis said. “I don’t even have to come back next week. This one’s for Robbie. I don’t even care.”
Bryant Robertson finished runner-up, followed by Kevin Gilbert, Christian Joyce, and Andy Southern.
In the first 15-lap race in the Q104.1 Stadium Stock Series, Levi Holt won after taking the lead on lap 7.
Chris Allison finished runner-up, followed by Chris Allison, Zack Taylor, and Tyler Rose.
“This week was tough beginning of the year, We never gave up,” Holt said. “The Harris family, my dad, my mom, hard work in the shop. It’s finally paid off.”
Once again, another driver won a race after paying tribute to Brewer.
Brandon Brendle, who used car No. 68 in honor of Brewer, won the race. Brendle was quite emotional after winning.
“That’s, that was for Robbie,” Brendle said. “I mean you’ve seen the way everybody loved that man, and they loved him for a reason. Without him I would’ve never seen a race car or been around it. He’s missed.”
Brendle took the lead from Luke Smith on lap 12 and fended off runner-up Tyler McDonald. Brad Mickalowski was third, followed by Chuck Wall, A.J. Sanders, and Smith.
Next week is the final week of the season at Bowman Gray and that means champions will be crowned in all four series. The featured race is AgSouth Farm Credit 150, which is a 150-lap race in the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series. The race will feature double-file restarts.
In addition, there will be a 40-lap race in the Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman Series, a 20-lap race in the QRC HVAC and Refrigeration Street Stock Series, and a 15-lap race in the Q104.1 Stadium Stock Series. There is also double points in all four series.
RICHMOND, Va. — Austin Dillon’s clutch victory in Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway was big in terms of salvaging his season and championship hopes but also indicative of the big moments the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs have produced — and likely will continue to produce.
The series moves to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday’s regular-season finale, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock). With Dillon’s win, 14 drivers have now earned automatic playoff berths by virtue of a regular-season victory.
Only two more positions need to be firmed up on Saturday. Currently, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman occupy them on points. A new winner at Daytona could change that.
And that’s certainly been the norm of late with racing’s version of the “walk-off home run” coming in the regular-season finale two of the last three years — at Darlington Raceway last year (Chase Briscoe) and Dillon in 2022 at Daytona.
As Saturday night’s intense 400-lapper in Richmond proved, there’s so much on the line at this point in the season.
“I guess we’re just built that way,” Dillon said of his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team’s ability to perform under pressure. “You’re never out of the fight kind of deal. My guys really believe me, the pit crew guys I have, they’re dogs. They stuck with me through thick and thin when they probably had the opportunity to go to other teams and be more successful.
“They stuck with me. I think we just have a bond that means a lot. … If you ask them, they struggled the first couple pit stops. I didn’t notice it. I couldn’t figure out why we lost track position the one time. Then they got it together and were clutch when it mattered.”
That’s exactly what the rest of the field will need to do on Daytona’s famously unpredictable high banks Saturday night.
Reddick had a rough outing at Richmond, a mid-race collision forced a night of playing catch-up and he ultimately finished 34th, four laps down to the winner. After taking more than a 100-point advantage into the race, he now sits 89 points above the playoff cutoff line.
“Worst-case scenario for us,” an obviously frustrated Reddick said after the race.
On the other end of that, Bowman’s runner-up finish at Richmond was a tantalizing single position away from a playoff berth. But now he is also having to race for his championship life. He holds 16th place in the championship standings by 60 points — a perilous position should a new winner on the season emerge at Daytona.
“Just got to go to work,” Bowman said. “That’s all we can do at this point. That’s what we’ve been doing, right? We’ve been doing a lot of good things. Unfortunately, just one spot short tonight.”
A sizable group of competitors still looking to deliver a last-shot victory Saturday night have won previously at Daytona. And interestingly, neither Reddick nor Bowman is among that group, which includes Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones, Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Chris Buescher.
The Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver Buescher held the final points transfer position heading into the Richmond race, but was knocked below the cutoff line with a new winner in Dillon.
“Just a bad day, we just weren’t very good,” Buescher told FOX Sports following the Richmond race. “Just not competitive enough. We are in a must-win heading into Daytona, which is a terrible spot to be in for a plate race.
“I know we’ll be fast, but so many wild things can happen. We’ve won it before, so we’ll certainly re-group from this one and head into that one ready to go.”
Of note, reigning Daytona 500 winner, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron clinched the Regular Season Championship at Richmond with his 12th-place finish. His closest challenger, teammate Chase Elliott, suffered his first DNF of the season after being collected in a 10-car accident near the halfway mark, giving the title to Byron mathematically.
The driver of that No. 24 Hendrick Chevrolet not only gets bragging rights and a confidence boost, but he also gets a 15-point playoff bonus for his season-long effort. He led the championship standings for 20 of the season’s 25 weeks.
Wood Brothers Racing driver Harrison Burton — who is now contending for the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship — is the defending summer Daytona NASCAR Cup Series race winner. With his back-to-back Daytona 500 trophies, Byron has won two of the last three races on the iconic high banks.
There won’t be any practice this weekend at Daytona. Qualifying for Saturday night’s race is 5:05 p.m. ET on Friday (truTV, MRN Radio).
Three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Matt Crafton will retire from full-time racing after the 2025 season, ThorSport Racing announced Monday.
Crafton, who won titles in 2013, 2014 and 2019, is in the midst of his 25th consecutive full-time season in the Truck Series. Since making his first career start in 2000, Crafton has collected 15 wins, 135 top fives and 331 top 10s in 585 starts. Now 49 years old, Crafton finished inside the top 10 in driver standings in 17 consecutive seasons from 2007 through 2023.
Crafton piloted ThorSport’s No. 88 truck in all but one season — the 2004 campaign, when he drove the No. 6 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick, Inc. Crafton remains the only driver to win consecutive titles in the 30-year history of the Craftsman Truck Series. Crafton has carried the colors of primary sponsor Menards since 2002, a 23-year partnership that has defined much of Crafton’s legacy in the Truck Series.
Ty Majeski, who currently serves as Crafton’s teammate at ThorSport, will take over the No. 88 Ford beginning in 2026. Majeski, the defending series champion, currently drives the No. 98 entry and has competed full-time for ThorSport since 2022, collecting six wins, 33 top fives, 54 top 10s and 1,559 laps led in that span. Majeski also made four starts for the team in a part-time campaign in 2021 in which he collected two additional top 10s.
“I am honored to take over the No. 88 Menards truck for ThorSport Racing in 2026,” Majeski said in a statement posted to his X account Monday night. “In 2021, Duke, Rhonda, and Allison Thorson took a big chance on me when my NASCAR career could’ve been over. I am so thankful for their support and this opportunity.
“The 88 Menards truck has been a staple in the NASCAR Truck Series for many years with Matt Crafton. Their partnership, together, yielded many wins with 3 championships and my goal is to continue the legendary legacy they have already built.”
Thank you to Duke, Rhonda, Allison, and @Menards for this opportunity. The last 5 years have been a dream come true. I am looking forward to the next chapter in 2026 with @ThorSportRacing!
Majeski has finished no worse than eighth in the final driver standings in each of his three full seasons with ThorSport, qualifying for the Championship 4 in both 2022 and 2024 before collecting the title in 2024.
After missing the 2025 playoffs, Crafton sits 16th in points, 127 points back of teammate Ben Rhodes for the 11th position, the highest a non-playoff driver can finish at year’s end.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series hits the starting line Feb. 14, 2026, and airs exclusively on The CW Network.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 18, 2025) — In an evolution of O’Reilly Auto Parts’ long-standing relationships throughout the sport, NASCAR and O’Reilly Auto Parts today announced a multiyear partnership — one that will make the leader in the automotive replacement parts industry the title sponsor of what is now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series. This landmark partnership aligns two American-born powerhouses, each with a rich legacy of fueling performance and passion from the grassroots up. The multi-dimensional sponsorship also includes promotional opportunities and brand integrations in partnership with The CW Network, the exclusive broadcast home of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will officially debut on Jan. 1, 2026, ushering in a bold new chapter for the series crowded with NASCAR’s future stars. The agreement marks the fourth entitlement sponsorship in the series’ history, following a dynamic 11-year tenure with Xfinity that elevated the series to new heights with unprecedented fan engagement, innovation and exposure. The series’ history also includes a seven-year run with Nationwide Insurance and a foundational relationship with Anheuser-Busch, still a current NASCAR partner at the Premier level.
“Like the great sport of NASCAR, O’Reilly Auto Parts was born in America and built on the hard work and drive of passionate people,” NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell said. “This new partnership allows us to continue to fuel that passion for the next generation of NASCAR’s stars and fans while celebrating the journey we’ve been on together for decades.”
Founded in Springfield, Missouri, in 1957, O’Reilly Auto Parts has grown from a single store to an automotive parts icon with over 6,400 locations across 48 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada. The company’s more than 92,800 dedicated team members are committed to excellent customer service, backed by a robust network of 31 distribution centers.
While the title sponsorship may be new, O’Reilly Auto Parts’ involvement in NASCAR is anything but. The company has long supported the sport through race sponsorships across multiple series. From the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at the Daytona Road Course in 2021, to title sponsorships at Texas Motor Speedway, and the Craftsman Truck Series’ O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio in 2022, the brand has maintained a deep connection with fans and drivers alike.
“Our company is rooted in the same values that define NASCAR — teamwork, enthusiasm and dedication,” O’Reilly Auto Parts President Brent Kirby said. “You’ll see those in action when our customers walk through our doors. We know they need fast service, and Team O’Reilly will get them the parts they need quickly, with excellent customer service. We welcome all fans to stop by our stores and see how our team can help keep them running.”
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will be available exclusively to race fans across the country on The CW. In its first year on the broadcast network, the series is seeing year-over-year viewership growth, currently up +17% in total viewers compared to last season and pacing to be the most watched series since 2018. The series is currently averaging 1.1 million total viewers, with 19 out of 23 races drawing over one million total viewers.
“The success of NASCAR on The CW has shown that millions of fans will consistently tune in for these adrenaline-fueled races every week,” said Brad Schwartz, President, The CW Network. “This exciting new partnership with O’Reilly Auto Parts gives us the opportunity to expand that reach even further by tapping into our mutually strong presence in local communities nationwide and continuing to grow our passionate audience in the years to come.”
“Partnering with NASCAR and The CW at this level enables us to further deepen our connection to one of the most loyal fanbases in all of sports,” said Hugo Sanchez, O’Reilly Auto Parts vice president of advertising and marketing. “This agreement builds on our long-term involvement in NASCAR and our dedication to the fans who love cars as much as we do.”
Let’s start by dispensing with the notion that Austin Dillon ever will be known as the imitator of “The Intimidator.”
The current driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet has six victories in 433 Cup starts and never will be confused with seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt and his 76 wins in NASCAR’s premier series.
“I could win 50 races, and they’ll say my grandpa gave me the ride,” said Dillon, who was tabbed by grandfather Richard Childress for the No. 3’s return 11 years ago. “They’re not wrong. He did. He did a great job putting me in it. Hopefully, I’m paying off on his investment at some point.”
Saturday night at Richmond Raceway, Dillon could lay claim to having matched a NASCAR Hall of Fame icon in at least one category — becoming the second Richard Childress Racing driver to win consecutive Cup races on the 0.75-mile oval (which Earnhardt did in 1990-91 and on the track’s previous configuration in ’87).
And unlike last year, when he overdid an Earnhardt impersonation by wrecking Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the last lap, Dillon epitomized savvy driving (“probably the calmest I’ve ever been in the car”). The win felt more a validation of his ability than redemption for last year’s controversy, which cost him playoff eligibility with a NASCAR penalty for rough driving.
Dillon left no doubt this time at Richmond that he will make his sixth playoff appearance while building Earnhardt-esque confidence that he can make his deepest championship run yet despite being 25th in the points standings. (The win was his first top five this season.)
“We were very flawless tonight,” Dillon said. “At times I don’t think we were the fastest car, but we out-executed people.
“If you want to call it swagger, I’m all about it. Growing up in the Truck Series and Xfinity Series, I felt like I had maximum swagger. You get to Cup level, it just humbles you. It’s a whole other department of winning. Now I’m more thankful than anything. It’s not like, ‘Kiss my butt, I won.’ It’s more like, ‘Man, that was awesome.’ … I’m the guy that got to wheel it tonight.”
He set a personal best by leading 107 of 400 laps (including the final 49), nearly doubling his previous high. It was the most laps led by the No. 3 since Earnhardt led 107 in his watershed 1998 Daytona 500 victory. That was one of many underlying connections at Richmond to Earnhardt, the hard-nosed superstar who routinely shrugged off broken bones to crawl behind the wheel.
Dillon won despite a broken right rib (which he sheepishly admitted to sustaining in a fall off a ladder) that has bothered him for three weeks. There were no ill effects as he patiently stalked Ryan Blaney and cleanly outdueled the 2023 Cup champion to take a pivotal lead just before making his final pit stop.
“Anybody that says Austin doesn’t deserve to be at this level, look at the 30 or 40 laps he raced side by side with Ryan Blaney,” crew chief Richard Boswell said. “He raced door to door with a Cup champion. He beat him. Yeah, we need to run better. We need to be more consistent. But anybody that says he just can’t do it is not looking at the facts.”
Team owner Richard Childress, who unconditionally defended the numerous transgressions of Earnhardt through the years, steadfastly brushed off many attempts to frame his grandson’s win as redemptive rather than remarkable.
“To get it done, he did a great job,” Childress said. “Redemption, you can call it, whatever. But tonight, Austin Dillon won the race. He won the race last year. It was just under different circumstances.”
Patrick Vallely | For NASCAR Digital Media
In the latter stages of his life, Earnhardt drove for Childress while forming and owning a Cup team. Dillon, 35, has been taking a larger role in the front office moves at RCR.
Since 2022, he also has been the freewheeling general manager of the Carolina Cowboys in the Professional Bull Riders Teams Series (he completed the first major trade in league history during its inaugural draft), learning about the hard conversations that come with managing strong-willed personalities.
It’s been good preparation for going toe-to-toe with Childress, who will turn 80 next month and remains as feisty as when he started in racing more than 50 years ago.
“We have knockdown, drag-outs between the two of us,” Dillon said. “We get into arguments to the point of frustration. It’s very hard when he’s your grandfather to have an argument with him. There’s certain directions we have to go to move this boat forward. I’m constantly pushing him. My brother has stepped in now and is trying to help as well. Between the two of us, we want to try to take some of the load off of him as we go.
“But he’s very loyal to a fault almost. He really takes great care of those that are around him. We just push him to try and make a change at some point.”
The best personnel change at RCR recently is the addition of Boswell, who was hired after taking Chase Briscoe to the 2024 playoffs in Stewart-Haas Racing’s final season. It was Boswell’s assertive call to pit with 59 laps remaining (and four laps ahead of Blaney) that effectively sealed the Richmond win.
“Richard Boswell is a heck of a leader; a good get for us in the offseason,” Dillon said. “He built an excellent team for us. Multiple times I told him this year, if I can’t go fast with the team I have right now, I need to think about doing something else and moving to another role.
“I think I have a great team, probably one of the strongest we’ve built. It’s a testament to guys coming to RCR because they know we want to make this organization as strong as some of the top teams. We scrap and claw and figure out ways to win.”
Dillon has a knack for clutch victories. Aside from winning the season-opening Daytona 500 in 2018, his other five wins in Cup have come after entering a race below the playoff cutline. Childress noted Dillon has 22 victories across NASCAR’s top three national circuits (along with Xfinity and Truck titles).
“Austin has earned his way,” Childress said. “He won races in everything he’s ever driven. They’re going to give you criticism because he is my grandson. But we take it. It’s just the way life is. You can’t be burdened down by what people say. Do what you do and move forward. He’s won his share.”
Of course, he never will win as many as Earnhardt, but Dillon says that’s OK.
He’s won enough to matter.
“I think I get the credit I deserve,” Dillon said. “We’re kind of like a fighter. We don’t go away. I think a lot of people think that guy is going to go away at some point. I like that underdog mentality.”
RICHMOND, Va. — Alex Bowman’s late-race pursuit of Austin Dillon’s lead and the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs spot that would accompany it ran out of time and laps Saturday night at Richmond Raceway. Also in short supply, he said, were fellow competitors who might cut him some slack as he carved through traffic.
Bowman finished one spot shy of what would have been a season-altering victory. What he needed was simple.
“Just favors,” Bowman said, “but sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t.”
Bowman’s runner-up result in Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 wound up 2.471 seconds behind Dillon, who clinched one of the dwindling few remaining postseason berths with a repeat Richmond triumph. The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet heads to next week’s Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway clinging to the 16th and final spot on the provisional playoff grid.
Bowman rounded into contention in a race marked by tire management, and the final exchange of pit stops proved pivotal. Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevy crew brought him in for new rubber on Lap 341 of 400, briefly handing the lead to Ryan Blaney with Bowman right behind. Those two pitted four laps later, hoping that the slightly fresher tires would provide an advantage.
The breaks Bowman was hoping for would have helped, but he jammed up behind slower cars as he gave chase, burning up his rear tires in the process. “The team, clearly we’re not very popular through the garage with that last run,” Bowman joked in TV interviews afterward, and he delivered a specific radio rant after rookie Jesse Love, in a Childress team car and who was among those holding him up as the laps ticked down to 10 to go.
“Well, the 33 (Love) was really fast and then stopped right in front of me for a while, which I don’t know. Maybe his stuff fell off really quick, right?” Bowman said. “I was just really frustrated on the radio. And sometimes that push-to-talk button just lets you vent a little bit. I think we just needed to be better.”
Blake Harris, the No. 48 crew chief, shared his driver’s lament.
“I mean, we got a couple out there that for whatever reason, it wasn’t a matter of not letting us go, they completely blocked us for two laps,” Harris told NASCAR.com. “Unfortunately, that’s what cost us a shot. I felt pretty good about our pit strategy. We were on par to get there. Obviously, the way it worked out, had we pitted earlier and had to make up less distance, I don’t know. I just felt like we were kind of in a sweet spot for the speed of our car, and just didn’t work out.”
Dillon’s breakthrough into the win column shifted the Cup Series Playoffs bubble heading to the unpredictable high banks of Daytona, where the real possibility of another first-time winner next weekend could give the postseason grid one last jolt. Bowman sits 60 points above the elimination line — the same margin he had entering Richmond — but fell from 15th to 16th on the list, in danger of being bumped outside the playoff picture.
Bowman initially projected that Daytona would be a must-win scenario for the No. 48 team, but rough days for his fellow bubble dwellers may not make that so. Tyler Reddick led 41 laps in a show of early speed, but the 23XI Racing driver took the brunt of a stack-up with Daniel Suárez and Ty Gibbs. He finished 34th, and is just 29 points ahead of Bowman as the top points-earner without a win this year. Chris Buescher entered Richmond plus-34 over the cut line, but a 30th-place outcome and Dillon’s win dropped him to minus-60 as the first driver out.
The No. 48 radio crackled post-race to tell Bowman that next week, points racing wouldn’t be an objective. Winning their way in would be a primary focus. However, at minimum, one driver will make the Cup Series Playoffs field on the basis of points. If a new winner emerges and Reddick falters again, that one driver could be Bowman.
“We came in here, really, with our focus on the 17 (Buescher) and the 60 (Ryan Preece) as far as points were concerned,” Harris said. “So as soon as I looked, immediately I knew. I was watching where he was running. We had to outpoint them by about 30 points coming in here to be ahead of that cut line and not have to worry about somebody outpointing us in Daytona. What I didn’t miss at that moment was we’re within 29 of the 45 (Reddick) now. So if there’s a new winner, and it’s not us, it’s certainly mathematically possible to get him. So, we will be points racing. I was more focused on the 17 and getting those guys, and really made some ground up on the 45, so I think even if we go have a clean day and there’s a new winner, it’s not out of the element to be able to do it either way.”
Bowman might have some semblance of help in Daytona’s draft from his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates, all of whom are already locked into the playoff field. In terms of catching one of the breaks he’d hoped for at Richmond, Bowman wasn’t counting on any on-track courtesy from the rest of the field.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do aside from go to try to win the race,” Bowman said. “Yeah, we’ll do the best we can at that and know that we’re going to get zero favors. But that’s life.”
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