Posted on by John Crane

DOVER, Del. — Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team knew from the jump that Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway was going to be contested one.

Mother Nature at the “Monster Mile” certainly proved as such. With on-track activity Saturday rained out, Elliott — despite being awarded the pole — had to contend with not only a competitive Cup field but also a new tire compound on the fly. While he didn’t find Victory Lane at the concrete 1-miler, Elliott overcame late-race cautions, weather delays and strategy jumbles to collect a sixth-place finish and claim possession of the top spot in the regular-season championship table.

It’s just the fourth race all year that teammate William Byron hasn’t paced the series standings, and Elliott’s first time leading the Cup field since last July.

RELATED: Race results | Best Dover photos

“Been really proud of the effort all day,” Chase Elliott said to TNT Sports during a weather delay in the final stage. “Couple little hiccups here and there, but had a nice recovery to get back to the lead and didn’t want to see that caution. I was hoping I was settling in for the last run of the day, but it’s part of it. It can change really fast.”

Despite a lack of on-track time, Elliott quickly illustrated the No. 9’s brisk speed during the opening portions of Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, leading 171 of the first 184 circuits and winning Stage 1 over Christopher Bell and eventual race winner Denny Hamlin. Trouble, however, arose during a Stage 2 pit visit after a jack issue resulted in a 15-second stop and loss of the race lead.

“The jack post wasn’t as deep on the jack plate as you typically would like, and just the amount of force we’re applying to the end of those handles, sometimes it’ll pop out of there,” No. 9 jackman TJ Semke told NASCAR.com. “That was obviously unfortunate. You never want to be leading the race and make a mistake, regardless of where you’re running, but especially not leading the race. But fortunately, it didn’t hinder us too much, and we were able to bounce back and gain a couple spots. Good restart by Chase, fighting the 20 (Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing) there and ended up back in the lead. So, fortunately, didn’t kill us too bad, but that’s always frustrating when it happens.”

The mistake didn’t shake Elliott, either.

“You know you’re still early enough in the event at that point that there’s still a lot of time to recover,” Elliott said. “It’s not all sunshine and rainbows all the time, so you just have to deal with whatever comes your way, and we had an issue come our way and I felt like we’ve dealt with it well.”

And recover Elliott did, finishing Stage 2 in fourth and regaining the race lead before settling inside the top three as the final stage waned. Adversity again reared its head, though, when the yellow flag waved on Lap 337 due to weather and again on Lap 384 due to a Ross Chastain spin, with the red flag subsequently flying on Lap 387 for a downpour, just 13 laps from the race’s conclusion.

In addition to a two-tire call, strategy then came into play even more. Elliott, who pitted 10 laps before the Lap 337 yellow, had to decide on a plan coming out of the 56-minute red flag when it came to pitting again once the race resumed. The No. 9 team stayed out, and while Elliott faltered from a top-three racing position, the 2020 Cup Series champion had enough speed to wheel a sixth-place finish, his ninth result of sixth or better in 2025.

“It’s tough to call these races,” Semke said. “We’re just sitting there fighting, trying to figure out what’s going on. I think the biggest challenge during a rain delay is keeping your body and your mind in it. You’re fatigued, you’re tired. It rains, you’re soaking wet. It gets steamy outside, so your fire suit gains about 20 more pounds, and it’s really difficult, but ultimately, Alan (Gustafson, No. 9 crew chief) did a great job today. Chase did a great job, and I think us as a pit crew did a great job bouncing back from my mistake.”

Elliott’s 48 points at Dover were the third-most out of any driver (Hamlin 57, Alex Bowman 49). Elliott’s 238 laps led during the race, meanwhile, were the most for the No. 9 pilot in any Cup contest since leading 289 circuits at Martinsville Speedway in October 2021.

MORE: Cup Series standings | Cup Series schedule

With five regular-season races remaining, Elliott will aim to continue positive momentum and build on his 16-point lead over Byron in the regular-season championship standings. The Cup Series field heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway next Sunday (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“The last little little stretch here, whether it’s Chase, whether it’s a pit crew, anybody, I think we’re just doing a good job of building confidence,” Semke said, “and I think when you do get opportunities to start up front and you’re feeling confident, you’re in a rhythm, I think you can go out there and perform like that. Sometimes, things out of your control go against you, and it just feels like you’re just banging your head against the wall, but you could tell he’s obviously in a good rhythm.”

Posted on by Nathan Solomon

Cinderella’s glass slipper fit for at least one more week in the inaugural running of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge.

No. 32 seed Ty Dillon received the free pass ahead of the double overtime restart in Sunday’s Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway, allowing him to sneak past No. 12 seed John Hunter Nemechek for a spot in the Champions Round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dillon finished 20th, just one spot better than Nemechek, who was the first driver one lap down in 21st. The Kaulig Racing driver is just 160 laps away from a $1 million payout and the completion of an unlikely — and almost near-improbable — journey toward mid-season lore.

Here’s where we stand after Dover and before next Sunday’s Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: Dover results | Check your bracket

Dover Motor Speedway winner: Denny Hamlin fended off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe on a pair of overtime restarts to notch his fourth win of the 2025 season and his second in a row at the “Monster Mile.” While the 44-year-old’s win didn’t affect the In-Season Challenge, it’s ironic because Hamlin, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, got knocked off by Dillon in the opening round at EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway).

Hamlin finished fourth at the Chicago Street Course, which, following the same path that Dillon did, would’ve propelled him past Brad Keselowski. To the same tune, Hamlin finished 20th at Sonoma Raceway last weekend while Alex Bowman finished 19th, meaning that under the right circumstances, we easily could’ve been discussing the now 58-time winner as a finalist come Indianapolis.

Who advances to the finals: (6) Ty Gibbs and (32) Ty Dillon.

Both semifinal matchups couldn’t have been much tighter. Ty Gibbs battled with fellow Toyota driver Tyler Reddick, who both ran inside the top 10 for much of the afternoon. On the other side of the coin, both Dillon and opponent Nemechek ran inside the 20s for a majority of the event, going a lap down early on and scampering for an opportunity to receive the free pass, which Dillon successfully did in the waning moments of the race.

While his run in the In-Season Challenge is over, Nemechek certainly made his mark. The Legacy Motor Club driver finished sixth in two of the three seeding races (Pocono and Mexico City), earning the No. 12 seed as the entire organization has continued to make strides in the summer months. He certainly didn’t dominate the first three rounds of the tournament, finishing no better than 15th, but showed that a survive-and-advance mentality (and maybe a little family trash talk) is the recipe for success.

So, who’s going to win the first edition of the In-Season Challenge? Safe to say it’ll be Ty.

Who’s up:

Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Big picture, Ty Gibbs is more focused on making the Cup Series Playoffs and earning his first career victory, but it’s safe to say that the In-Season Challenge has helped turn his 2025 season around. Gibbs finished fifth and gained some late separation on Reddick in the closing laps — despite both pitting for tires at Lap 388 — to punch his championship ticket at “The Brickyard.” Since the seeding races began at Michigan International Speedway seven weeks ago, the 22-year-old hasn’t finished worse than 14th. With five races remaining in the regular season, Gibbs sits 52 points below the cutline.

JGR competition director and former Hamlin crew chief Chris Gabehart has helped guide the team in recent weeks (in addition to crew chief Tyler Allen), and since the calendar flipped to June, Gibbs has made up 11 spots in the championship standings (27th after Nashville to 16th after Dover).

Who’s down:

Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota. Reddick did a nice job of wiping three difficult seeding races (best finish of 13th at Michigan) to finish no worse than sixth in the first three rounds of the In-Season Challenge. But lady luck ran out for the 29-year-old at Dover as Reddick faded to 12th in the closing laps despite spending much of the race inside the top 10. He beat Gibbs off pit road shortly after the red flag for rain at Lap 388 and restarted ninth, but ended up going the wrong way as Gibbs used the two overtime restarts to his advantage.

It’s not the In-Season Challenge that Reddick would’ve liked, but the No. 45 team is heading in the right direction on the doorstep of the playoffs.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

DOVER, Del. — In Christopher Bell’s mind, it had been a distant memory since the last time the No. 20 team had speed capable of contending for a race victory. He had that in bunches during Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway.

“It’s refreshing to have speed again,” Bell said after the race. “We haven’t had pace and today we were able to lead laps, get stage points and won a stage.”

RELATED: Race results | Best Dover photos

Bell led 67 laps, the most laps he’s led since dominating the spring event at Phoenix Raceway (105). He won Stage 2 at Dover by a country mile, putting multiple seconds on Alex Bowman. But a pair of restarts turned out to be costly for the three-time winner in 2025 during the final stage.

Restarting as the leader, Bell bottomed out entering Turn 3 — Bell had an incident in the same corner during qualifying last year at Dover — and spun in front of the entire field. The No. 20 car avoided contact, needing a fresh set of Goodyear rubber before resetting at the tail of the lead-lap cars. On the next restart, Bell charged to the lower teens but couldn’t motor through the field at an aerodynamic deficit.

Through a cycle of pit stops during the middle of the final stage, Adam Stevens, crew chief of the No. 20 Toyota, went off strategy, leaving Bell out on the track longer than the bulk of the field. A small rain cell hit the “Monster Mile” at Lap 336, with Bell scored as the leader. Austin Dillon was the only other lead-lap driver who had yet to pit.

Fellow Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was the only lead-lap car that didn’t pit during the caution. A bigger rain cell hit the track during a caution brought out by Ross Chastain with 17 laps remaining. The race was red-flagged with 14 laps remaining, with Bell scored in second position.

After a 56-minute red flag, the race resumed with the JGR duo on the front row. Bell knew he needed to get the lead, or in his mind, he wasn’t going to be able to win. On Lap 392, the No. 20 car spun again, this time off Turn 4 while battling side-by-side with Hamlin for the lead. Noah Gragson and William Byron were innocent bystanders a few rows back.

“Denny was on my outside and we’re both pushing hard,” Bell stated. “You know, whoever gets clean air and wins that restart is going to win the race. I wasn’t going to let him go, that’s for sure.”

With another restart wreck, Bell jumped to 18th in the finishing order. He tallied 38 points for the afternoon, 19 of which were scored through the opening two stages. It’s his fourth finish outside the top 15 in the last five events. Bell scored only one stage point in the previous month of competition, dating back to Pocono Raceway.

“Made two mistakes,” Stevens said. “We were able to recover from one of them just with good fortune, more than anything, with the weather. Not the second one. That’s the way it is. We all make mistakes – I’ve had plenty of race-enders myself, so has the pit crew. It’s part of it.”

While the finishing position will tell a different story, Bell is pleased with the overall performance. It’s something he believes the No. 20 team can carry into upcoming events.

“If we keep bringing speed like that to the race track, then we’re going to be just fine,” Bell added. “It’s been a long time coming; I haven’t scored stage points in a long time, let alone win a stage.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Denny Hamlin prevailed in Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway – a race that featured a 56-minute red flag for rain, late-race strategy decisions, and involved a pair of overtime restarts before the trophy was ultimately settled between a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates.

But the veteran Hamlin got it all right when it mattered most, getting a jump on the field in both overtime restarts and in the end holding off newest teammate Chase Briscoe, who was even on fresher tires. It marks back-to-back wins at the Dover concrete mile for Hamlin and a NASCAR Cup Series-best fourth victory of 2025.

MORE: Race results | Best Dover photos

“Things were going pretty well there before the rain and then obviously had to endure a few restarts there,’’ said a smiling Hamlin, 44, who collected his 58th career Cup victory and first trophy since the birth of his son, Jameson, last month. “It was tough, those guys gave me a run for it, no doubt about it. Winning here at Dover is super special to me. This is a place I had not been very good at the first half of my career and then to have back-to-back (wins) here the last couple years is amazing.”

Briscoe certainly pushed Hamlin on that final two-lap sprint to the checkered flag. The two ran door-to-door on the white-flag lap — their cars even making slight contact — before Hamlin’s No. 11 JGR Toyota Camry was able to pull around and clear Briscoe’s car, racing off to a 0.310-second victory to become the 13th driver in track history to win consecutive races.

SHOP: Winner’s gear

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson finished third and fourth with another JGR driver, Ty Gibbs, rounding out the top five.

For most of the day, it looked as if Hendrick’s Chase Elliott would continue a summer hot streak and claim his second race win in the last four weeks. He led a race-best 238 of the 407 laps — taking his first stage win of the season and overcoming an early pit road miscue, when his No. 9 Chevrolet fell off the jack during a swap of left-side tires. But he just wasn’t able to challenge Hamlin.

There was some consolation in Elliott’s sixth-place finish, however, as it — combined with teammate William Byron’s accident with two laps remaining in regulation — now gives Elliott a 17-point championship lead over Byron with five races remaining in the regular season. It’s the first time he’s led the Cup Series standings this year.

MORE: Cup Series standings

Elliott led so many laps and essentially controlled the race pace, but it was a cycle of pit stops that gave Hamlin an opportunity out front. He cycled to the lead when Elliott pitted for tires during a caution, beating his JGR teammate Christopher Bell on a restart with 60 laps remaining. Hamlin held the lead position when the 56-minute red flag came out for rain with 14 laps to go.

After all that, Hamlin had to hold off Briscoe on consecutive overtime restarts — ultimately leading the final 67 laps.

“I thought I did everything I needed to and thought I had it there for a second,” Briscoe said. “I was so close to clearing him and just couldn’t do it. Obviously racing a teammate, I wanted to make sure at least a JGR car won. Honestly it was a great day. We weren’t probably a second-place race car, we were probably a fifth- to 10th-place car. Glad we were able to make a good finish out of it.”

Behind Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10.

While the top of the championship standings changed with Elliott taking the lead, the four drivers – Reddick, Bowman, Buescher and Wallace – still chasing a points-position in the 16-driver playoff grid remained the same. Wallace’s seventh-place finish gives him a 16-point edge on Ryan Preece for the 16th and final transfer position. Kyle Busch, who finished 11th Sunday, is now 39 points behind Wallace.

The race also set the In-Season Challenge championship matchup next week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Gibbs and longshot Ty Dillon advancing to the title round.

Gibbs was paired against Tyler Reddick at Dover, and Dillon had to beat John Hunter Nemechek in the other bracket to settle the final two positions for $1 million to win grand finale of the inaugural incentive program presented by TNT.

MORE: In-Season Challenge bracket, info | Indianapolis weekend schedule

In both head-to-head battles, the two drivers ran near each other all afternoon. Gibbs got around Reddick in the closing laps, and Dillon was the free-pass beneficiary on the final caution period, finishing 20th as the last driver on the lead lap to Nemechek’s 21st, one lap down.

“Super cool today, I really appreciate my team,” Gibbs said smiling.

Dillon, who drives the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, was similarly ecstatic for the opportunity. He was seeded 32nd among the 32 drivers to qualify for the In-Season Challenge tournament and had to race past drivers like Hamlin in earlier rounds.

“All respect to John Hunter. We ran next to each other all day,’’ a thrilled Dillon said. “Just so grateful to have this opportunity and this is one of the greatest things to happen in my career.”

Shane van Gisbergen’s two-race win streak ended at Dover, where the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing team was slowed by an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 11 because of a punctured right-front tire. Van Gisbergen — who won the last two weekends at Chicago and Sonoma — finished 3oth in the 37-car field.

The Cup Series resumes next Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Larson is the defending race winner.

Note: Post-race technical inspection in the Cup Series garage was completed without issue, confirming Hamlin as the Dover winner. No cars will return to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina for any further inspection.

Posted on by Staff Report

Denny Hamlin held on for victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, fending off teammate Chase Briscoe in double overtime at Dover Motor Speedway.

Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was ahead by an 0.310-second margin at the checkered flag, leading 67 of the 407 laps in Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Hamlin’s series-best fourth win of the season was his third at the 1-mile Delaware track and the 58th of his Cup Series career.

MORE: Unofficial results | Best Dover photos

Briscoe ended as the runner-up for the second straight week in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Alex Bowman claimed third place with Kyle Larson fourth and Ty Gibbs completing the top five.

Gibbs and Ty Dillon advanced as the last two drivers still alive in the In-Season Challenge tournament. Gibbs’ top-five day eliminated 12th-place Tyler Reddick, and Dillon (20th) dispatched John Hunter Nemechek — the first driver one lap down — by one spot to reach the final matchup in the contest for the $1 million prize.

Elliott and Bell divided the stage wins, but each driver faced setbacks after taking the green-checkered flag. Elliott started from the pole position and led 171 of the first 184 laps, but dropped four spots after his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet fell off the jack during a green-flag pit stop in the second stage. Bell led 67 laps but lost control of his No. 20 JGR Toyota in a Turn 3 contest for the lead with Elliott, just after the final stage went green.

A caution flag for rain on Lap 338 upended the strategies for several teams, and Hamlin vaulted to the top spot when his No. 11 team opted not to pit under the yellow. Another rain shower with 386 laps complete forced a red flag that lasted 56 minutes, 23 seconds, and the top eight stayed on the track during the pit exchange.

Bell spun while racing Hamlin for the lead with seven laps remaining in regulation, collecting the cars of William Byron and Noah Gragson in his wake. That set up the first of two overtime sessions, where Hamlin held tough against the challenges of his teammates.

Shane van Gisbergen’s two-race win streak ended at Dover, where the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing team was slowed by an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 11 because of a punctured right-front tire. Van Gisbergen — who won the last two weekends at Chicago and Sonoma — finished 3oth in the 37-car field.

The Cup Series resumes next Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, HBO Max, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Five races remain in the regular season before the 16-driver championship-eligible field in the Cup Series Playoffs is decided.

This story will be updated.

Posted on by Brandon White

WINCHESTER, New Hampshire – After a series record eight different to open the year, Sunday’s Cheshire County Clash 200 at Monadnock Speedway yielded the first repeat winner of the 2025 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

Ron Silk would be the one to snap the streak, earning his first Monadnock victory with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in the process. The triumph did not come without drama for Silk, who collided with race leader Patrick Emerling in Turn 3 with 30 laps remaining, sending the latter for a spin.

RELATED: Complete results from the Cheshire County Clash 200

Silk attributed the collision to two drivers going for the win. Although he was disappointed to see Emerling spin after the contact, Silk was more than satisfied to finally visit Victory Lane at Monadnock in his 15th appearance.

“We were racing pretty hard,” Silk said. “I pulled out on the exit of Turn 2 and he didn’t give me a lot of room, but I don’t blame him. I feel like we both kind of got loose in and made some contact. I wish he could have held onto it, but that’s hard racing.”

Prior to the doubleheader, Silk had enjoyed modest success at Monadnock but never managed to bring home a checkered flag. His Monadnock resume featured seven top five finishes, including two runner-up showings in 2020 and 2024.

A disappointing 15th in Saturday’s Duel at the Dog 200 fueled Silk’s motivation to rebound. Silk posted the fifth-best time in qualifying but started on pole by virtue of the redraw.

While Silk successfully maintained his track position at the front of the field, he faced constant pressure from Emerling, who was also eager to shake off a frustrating Saturday outcome that saw him lose a win to Tommy Catalano by .007 seconds. Emerling go to the lead during the closing stages, but Silk stayed within striking distance, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Silk saw his opportunity with less than 40 laps left. He dove to the inside of Emerling in search of an open lane in Turn 3. The move sent Emerling around while Silk continued unscathed.

Being on the receiving end of contact to close out two consecutive races at Monadnock was irritating for Emerling. He was confused and frustrated by Silk’s dive bomb in Turn 3, especially after he believed the two had raced cordially earlier in the day.

“It’s really unfortunate,” Emerling said. “[Silk and I raced] like gentlemen and I passed him without touching him. He had a fresh tire on, we were better on the long run and he knew that. He was just good enough to maybe get to our bumper. He knew he wasn’t going to stay there long and that we would drive away.

“Then he decided to ship it into the corner like he wasn’t going to make it and just took us out.”

With Emerling out of contention, Silk still had to deal with two familiar foes in his rearview mirror, Justin Bonsignore and Matt Hirschman. Neither posed a significant challenge to Silk in the final 20 laps as he drove away to earn his second win of 2025.

Matt Hirschman
Matt Hirschman celebrates after claiming the Whelen Short Track Cup for the second time during the Cheshire County Clash 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire on July 20, 2025. (Photo: Jaiden Tripi/NASCAR)

Bonsignore held on to finish second while Hirschman secured third, which enabled him to claim his second Whelen Short Track Cup. Hirschman endured an odyssey just to reach the top five, as a mistake in qualifying relegated him to 20th on the starting grid.

By utilizing strategy and persevering with a car not to his liking, Hirschman narrowly edged out his Mud Lane neighbor Austin Beers for the Whelen Short Track Cup and a $3,500 bonus courtesy of JDV Productions.

“I did not think this was possible,” Hirschman said. “I do think we gave it away last night, but we ended up with a third place finish with a car that felt like it was on six or seven cylinders. My guys worked hard, nobody knows what the problem is, but it’s nobody’s fault. The Cup wouldn’t have even been a contest if we finished remotely close to where we should have last night.

“I feel like I drove my rear end off today with what I had.”

Anthony Nocella and Trevor Catalano made up the rest of the top five. Rounding out the top 10 at Monadnock were Joey Cipriano III, Luke Baldwin, Emerling, Beers and Tommy Catalano.

The next stop for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be a midweek race at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Aug. 6. The green flag for the Thompson 150 presented by FloSports.com will wave at 8 p.m. ET, with FloRacing providing live coverage.

Posted on by Staff Report

Cheshire County Clash 200

Monadnock Speedway

  • Race results
Pos. No. Name Sponsor Laps Diff.
1 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 200  —
2 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications Inc 200 0.655
3 60 Matt Hirschman Elite Towing/Bar Harbor Bank and Trust 200 1.477
4 17 Anthony  Nocella Xtreme Autobody/Sontag Motorsports/Bells Septic 200 2.088
5 56 Trevor Catalano USNE Utility Services/Catalano Motorsports 200 2.749
6 15 Joey Cipriano III Eastern Propane & Oil/ The Bass Planting Company 200 3.517
7 7 Luke Baldwin* Baldwin Automotive 200 3.781
8 1 Patrick Emerling Fleetworks Inc. 200 4.073
9 64 Austin Beers G&G Electric/Lumiere Electrical/AP Marquadt & Sons/Dell Electric/Andrew James Interiors/Hughes Motor 200 4.951
10 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara/USNE Utility Services 200 4.963
11 22 Kyle Bonsignore MTT/ChaLew Performance/Munns Auto 200 5.746
12 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply 200 6.126
13 25 Brian  Robie Bar Harbor Bank & Trust 200 6.38
14 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises/Eastport Feed 200 10.264
15 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Inc 199 1 Lap
16 59 Tyler Barry* Pro Systems/BNP Machine/West Swanzey Meats 199 1 Lap
17 29 Mike Marshall* MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric 196 4 Laps
18 06 Sam Rameau New England Truck Design/Quality Fleet Services 126 74 Laps
19 21 Stephen Kopcik* Newtown Pools/Wanick Construction 120 80 Laps
20 20 Max Zachem USNE/Lu-Mac’s 106 94 Laps
21 3 Tyler Rypkema USNE Power/Northeast Drilling 96 104 Laps

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Cheshire County Clash 200

Monadnock Speedway

  • Qualifying results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 64 Austin Beers G&G Electric/Lumiere Electrical/AP Marquadt & Sons/Dell Electric/Andrew James Interiors/Hughes Motor 11.534 78.03 1 2
2 7 Luke Baldwin* Baldwin Automotive 11.671 77.114 1 2 0.137
3 25 Brian  Robie Bar Harbor Bank & Trust 11.693 76.969 1 1 0.159
4 22 Kyle Bonsignore MTT/ChaLew Performance/Munns Auto 11.702 76.91 1 2 0.168
5 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 11.707 76.877 2 2 0.173
6 6 Sam Remeau New Englad Truck Design/Quality Fleet Services 11.714 76.831 1 2 0.18
7 1 Patrick Emerling Fleetworks Inc. 11.728 76.739 1 2 0.194
8 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications Inc 11.729 76.733 2 2 0.195
9 17 Anthony  Nocella Xtreme Autobody/Sontag Motorsports/Bells Septic 11.733 76.707 2 2 0.199
10 56 Trevor Catalano USNE Utility Services/Catalano Motorsports 11.743 76.641 1 2 0.209
11 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply 11.755 76.563 1 2 0.221
12 21 Stephen Kopcik* Newtown Pools/Wanick Construction 11.792 76.323 1 2 0.258
13 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara/USNE Utility Services 11.81 76.207 1 2 0.276
14 15 Joey Cipriano III Eastern Propane & Oil/ The Bass Planting Company 11.818 76.155 2 2 0.284
15 20 Max Zachem USNE/Lu-Mac’s 11.849 75.956 2 2 0.315
16 59 Tyler Barry* Pro Systems/BNP Machine/West Swanzey Meats 11.873 75.802 2 2 0.339
17 3 Tyler Rypkema USNE Power/Northeast Drilling 11.893 75.675 1 2 0.359
18 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Inc 11.907 75.586 2 2 0.373
19 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises/Eastport Feed 11.941 75.371 1 2 0.407
20 60 Matt Hirschman Elite Towing/Bar Harbor Bank and Trust 12.041 74.745 1 2 0.507
21 29 Mike Marshall* MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric 12.457 72.249 2 2 0.923

 

Posted on by Nick Giffen

There are a lot of unknowns as NASCAR heads to Dover Motor Speedway for today’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Rain washed away both practice and qualifying, meaning the starting order will be set by NASCAR’s metric used to determine the qualifying order and groups. Without practice, drivers will have completed no laps heading into the race, giving us no practice data to work with.

RELATED: Set your fantasy lineup | Dover starting lineup

That means most of our analysis will have to come from our pre-race assessment, which involves evaluating how drivers perform at the unique 1-mile, steeply banked concrete track.

To build a sample size, we can also pull in comparable tracks. Based on my analysis of driver-by-driver average running position and driver rating data in the Next Gen Era, the comparable tracks are Nashville, Kansas, and Charlotte, with Las Vegas at a lower tier. Every other non-drafting oval can be put into an “overall form” category.

Goodyear is also bringing a brand-new tire to Dover, designed to lay down rubber on the concrete surface, which will be picked up by the tires under yellow conditions. That’ll move the optimal racing line around quite a bit.

Dover has also moved to mid-July from its late-April or early-May date of years past. It’ll be hotter than in previous years, which will make things more slick as well.

All together, it makes me like “wheelmen” a bit more, leaving one clear value left in today’s field on what is a light betting card with so much uncertainty.

Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Best Bets for Dover

Since qualifying was washed out, Noah Gragson will start nearly shotgun on the field, firing off from 36th out of 37 drivers. That deep starting position lengthened his top-10 odds from 11-1 midweek at FanDuel to 12-1 at present at BetMGM, despite not having turned a lap.

Yes, starting position matters, but over 400 miles and 400 laps, it didn’t change Gragson’s top-10 odds appreciably for me. My model has Gragson at 13.5% to finish 10th or better, which is well above his 7.7% implied odds at 12-1.

Gragson had one of his best races of the year last year at Dover, qualifying fifth and finishing sixth while posting the 10th-best average running position. In addition, Gragson has fared well at similar tracks, finishing 14th at Kansas and 10th at Charlotte, so there is hope for him in this intermediate package to have a run near or at the back half of the top 10.

Since I have him at closer to +650, I love this +1200 price tag. To leave some room for all the uncertainty, I wouldn’t bet this below +900, but that’s still 10% implied odds, leaving us with a 3.5% edge based on my model even at that number.

The Bet: Noah Gragson Top-10 Finish (+1200 at BetMGM) | Bet to: +900

Posted on by Staff Report

Cheshire County Clash 200

Monadnock Speedway

  • Practice results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 3 Tyler Rypkema USNE Power/Northeast Drilling 11.766 76.492 22 24
2 21 Stephen Kopcik* Newtown Pools/Wanick Construction 11.774 76.44 15 16 0.008
3 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Inc 11.78 76.401 28 30 0.014
4 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara/USNE Utility Services 11.815 76.174 17 19 0.049
5 60 Matt Hirschman Elite Towing/Bar Harbor Bank and Trust 11.845 75.981 10 13 0.079
6 1 Patrick Emerling Fleetworks Inc. 11.863 75.866 26 31 0.097
7 25 Brian  Robie Bar Harbor Bank & Trust 11.866 75.847 6 22 0.1
8 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications Inc 11.868 75.834 15 22 0.102
9 64 Austin Beers G&G Electric/Lumiere Electrical/AP Marquadt & Sons/Dell Electric/Andrew James Interiors/Hughes Motor 11.876 75.783 6 13 0.11
10 17 Anthony  Nocella Xtreme Autobody/Sontag Motorsports/Bells Septic 11.891 75.687 21 29 0.125
11 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply 11.904 75.605 24 25 0.138
12 22 Kyle Bonsignore MTT/ChaLew Performance/Munns Auto 11.917 75.522 6 8 0.151
13 56 Trevor Catalano USNE Utility Services/Catalano Motorsports 11.948 75.326 18 25 0.182
14 06 Sam Remeau New Englad Truck Design/Quality Fleet Services 11.95 75.314 22 27 0.184
15 7 Luke Baldwin* Baldwin Automotive 12.006 74.963 10 14 0.24
16 15 Joey Cipriano III Eastern Propane & Oil/ The Bass Planting Company 12.006 74.963 21 28 0.24
17 20 Max Zachem USNE/Lu-Mac’s 12.026 74.838 10 19 0.26
18 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 12.039 74.757 15 19 0.273
19 8 John-Michael Shenette USNE Power/Eighty-Two Services 12.068 74.577 35 38 0.302
20 59 Tyler Barry* Pro Systems/BNP Machine/West Swanzey Meats 12.09 74.442 24 37 0.324
21 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises/Eastport Feed 12.206 73.734 26 32 0.44
22 18 Ken Heagy Hunter Mechanical 12.354 72.851 12 13 0.588
23 29 Mike Marshall* MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric 12.779 70.428 18 39 1.013