Posted on by Pat DeCola

Here’s what’s happening in NASCAR with the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in the rearview and the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) up next.

MORE: Dover entry list | In-Season Challenge hub

1. In-Season Challenge: A final four that nobody predicted

Ty Dillon has suddenly become the face of the In-Season Challenge, taking down heavyweight after heavyweight as he inches closer to $1 million. What happens next, and how did we wind up here?

No bracket could have forecasted this outcome.

The In-Season Challenge, meant to inject a spark into the mid-to-late regular season, has instead ignited a wildfire of surprise. If you predicted the literal last-seeded Ty Dillon to make the final four, good on you.

(Also, stop lying. No, you didn’t.)

We’re down to Dillon, Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick and John Hunter Nemechek as ISC headliners. This quartet — who, coincidentally, all have past Cup Series starts with 23XI Racing — reflects the chaos and opportunity baked into midseason NASCAR, where raw determination sometimes trumps expected results and occasional surprises happen. But Dillon’s doing it every week.

The Kaulig Racing driver’s campaign is the heartbeat of the whole tournament. Initially counted out against top-seeded Denny Hamlin, he’s driven like a man with nothing to lose and plenty to prove. Dillon’s audacious, late-race move at Sonoma against Alex Bowman (who himself provided a similar highlight a week prior) might end up being the defining clip of the challenge.

James Gilbert | Getty Images

No. 10 has shifted from afterthought to eliminator, drawing eyes to a driver currently living outside the top 30 in points. But between the aggression on track and the lighthearted smack talk promos that follow, every quote, every shove into the corner reminds fans that the ISC clearly brought the attitude, and these drivers will do almost anything to advance one week closer to a $1 million payday.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | 2025 schedule

Gibbs reached this stage through persistence and sharp execution, coming alive over the past month after a season’s worth of increasing spotlight on his inability to win a Cup Series race. Advancing past AJ Allmendinger at Chicago was notable as Gibbs’ road-course talents have been on full display the past month. His journey is less flashy than Dillon’s but perhaps just as impactful, as it’s apparent the ISC put a spark back in what should be a playoff-caliber team. That now feels feasible again at just 60 points below the cutline.

Reddick’s progress mirrors the ISC’s unpredictable nature. He’s a Championship 4 contender, but winless this year and had one top 10 in the nine races leading into the tourney. How has he responded? Oh, by turning in his best three-race stint of the season to topple Kyle Larson, Carson Hocevar and Ryan Preece, with a strong sixth-place run at Sonoma being his worst ISC showing.

Nemechek has made his mark by playing the percentages; not by dominating, but by surviving. Riding a pair of P6 runs into the challenge, JHN was a popular sleeper pick who rewarded those who selected him by … averaging a 23.0 finish across the first three races. But you know what? He’s still here — and took down one of the favorites in the process in Chase Elliott.

Outwit, outplay, outlast, baby.

Together, these four represent part of the ISC’s original pitch — that new names and unexpected stories could command the spotlight. This variety has given the challenge its greatest value, as fans invest in a race where the field is wide open and every outcome is not predictable in the least.

Entering Dover, the sense of possibility has never been sharper. None of them has ever won at the “Monster Mile,” but it won’t be necessary to advance this weekend.

The ISC is no longer an experiment, but a showcase of tenacity, skill … and the art of the upset.

James Gilbert | Getty Images

2. Is Hendrick’s best shot at Dover … Alex Bowman?

Hendrick Motorsports as a whole dominates the “Monster Mile,” and that isn’t expected to change this weekend. What could be surprising, however, is the driver in its stable that winds up in Victory Lane.

Rarely does a trip to Dover Motor Speedway start with uncertainty for Hendrick Motorsports.

The team’s record at the “Monster Mile” is nothing short of legendary: 22 wins, a streak of at least one car in the top 10 every race for the past 15 years and a legacy that threads through every corner of the 1-mile, steeply banked oval. Yet entering this weekend, the familiar air of dominance carries a twist — it’s not certain which driver might hold Hendrick’s best hand on Sunday.

All four drivers are more than capable of getting it done in Delaware, and three of them have (all four if you count this blast from the past), but the quartet enters this weekend with varying degrees of question marks.

Kyle Larson hasn’t looked quite right since Memorial Day Weekend, and the numbers back it up. Chase Elliott, while categorically and statistically strong, hasn’t rolled off multiple wins yet. William Byron owned the first half of the season but is in a midseason lull. And Alex Bowman is 15th in the playoff standings, a mere 32 points from being on the wrong side of the elimination line with six races remaining to decide the playoff field.

And yet, the only one among them not locked into the postseason may actually be the best positioned to tame the monster this weekend.

Bowman’s recent record at Dover is a model of reliability and timing. Since 2019, he’s collected six top-10 finishes in seven starts, and in 2021 he scored what remains one of the most memorable wins of his career as part of the historic Hendrick 1-2-3-4 sweep (in which he, obviously, beat all of ’em.)

But that performance wasn’t an outlier. No active driver has tallied more top fives in that span, and his average running position with the Next Gen car at Dover is unmatched in the field.

He’s also quietly surging, with the No. 48 team responding to back-to-back single-point showings at Nashville and Michigan by averaging 32.6 points in the five races since. For a Hendrick team that expects to win annually at Dover, the possibility of a fresh 2025 hero this weekend — one with the history to justify the faith — could provide the spark this storied organization hasn’t often needed, but may benefit from now.

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

3. Tyler Reddick breaks down pivotal ISC dust-up

Tyler Reddick shares his point-of-view from the big wreck that kept his In-Season Challenge hopes alive as he threaded the needle while Ryan Preece suffered damage at Sonoma.

4. Why hasn’t three-time champ Joey Logano won at Dover?

Dover Motor Speedway previously held two races a year, so No. 22 is closing in on 30 starts there … but with no finishes higher than third. It’s — by far — the track he has the most starts at without visiting Victory Lane. Is the 29th time the charm? (Credit: Racing Insights)

Track StartsBest finish
Dover 283rd
California 162nd
Sonoma 153rd
Indianapolis13 2nd
Chicago 112nd
Kentucky 102nd
Charlotte Roval 72nd
COTA 53rd

5. Catch the pack — news and notes from around the garage

Paint Scheme Preview: 2025 Dover Motor Speedway weekend

Playoff standings: How national series fields shape up heading into Dover

The SVG effect: How Trackhouse’s leap of faith is changing the game

Radioactive: Cup drivers hot on the mic in Sonoma heat

Chase Briscoe takes a Sonoma second behind SVG: ‘That’s all I got’

Petty: SVG is the ‘greatest of the moment’ at road racing

Ty Dillon turns No. 32 seed into In-Season Challenge semifinal berth: ‘I’m a little in shock’

Nos. 6, 54 crews tussle on pit road during green-flag stops at Sonoma

Power Rankings: Post-double doldrums set to end at Dover for Larson?

NASCAR Insights: Chase Elliott’s consistency shines again at Sonoma

Berry spins Hocevar late as tensions boil over at Sonoma

In-Season Challenge: Update after Round 3 at Sonoma

Drivers who have won three straight road-course races

@nascarcasm: Fake texts to Sonoma winner SVG

Tim Nwachukwu | Getty Images
Posted on by Nate Ryan

Ty Gibbs faced no penalties for driving through Brad Keselowski’s pit stall at Sonoma Raceway because there was no rule restricting his entry.

On the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast, NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde dissected the rules for pit stops that became a hot-button issue after an incident between Gibbs and Keselowski at Sonoma.

During a pit stop on Lap 52 just before the end of Stage 2, Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota clipped a tire being carried by a pit crew member for Keselowski, whose No. 6 Ford was pitting in the stall behind Gibbs.

Though Gibbs appeared to dip below the diagonal orange guidelines in each stall, Forde said those boundaries weren’t a factor because Gibbs’ car was pitting first. Drivers are allowed to drive through three stalls on pit stop entry (provided no cars already are stopped in those stalls).

“Ty Gibbs does not have to obey any of those (lines),” Forde said. “Those are for if a car is already in that pit box. So if (Keselowski) was in that pit box, those markings come into play, and Gibbs would have to be on the outside of that diagonal line. Because (Keselowski) wasn’t in that pit stall yet, those don’t come into play.”

Forde confirmed Gibbs’ assertion that he had “the right of way,” noting the NASCAR Rule Book states that “in the case of two vehicles coming in nose to tail, the trailing vehicle should allow a sufficient gap” to the car pitting ahead to avoid having its crew members impede the stop for the forward car (which belonged to Gibbs in this instance). “So in other words, (Keselowski) should have given (Gibbs) a little bit more room so that things like the tire carrier getting hit wouldn’t happen,” Forde said.

Keselowski’s tire carrier counted as the No. 6’s “dual role” pit crew member allowed to each team. The dual role crew member can enter their pit stall before their car arrives, but Forde said the dual role member must remain “close to the wall,” and NASCAR determined the No. 6 crew member was too far away as Gibbs’ car went through the stall before Keselowski’s entry.

“So, when he got hit, we felt that it was really on him because he wasn’t close enough to the pit wall,” Forde said. “We did actually see another example where the 23 car and the 34 car had a very similar situation, and the 23 dual crew member was pretty much touching the wall, so it can be done the right way.”

Short of committing a speeding violation or making a blatantly unsafe maneuver, Forde said Gibbs essentially was allowed to drive through Keselowski’s stall on pit entry without any restrictions.

“There was no rule that was violated,” Forde said. “If you want to penalize something, you have to refer to a rule. (Gibbs) followed every rule that’s in the rulebook. So there’s no rule to point to that says what (Gibbs) did was wrong. So, in the end, it looks a little strange, but no rules were violated, and that’s why there was no call.”

Other topics covered by Forde and NASCAR senior director of racing communications Amanda Ellis during the 23rd episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:

— How NASCAR judged the last few restarts between winner Shane van Gisbergen and runner-up Chase Briscoe.

— Why a red flag wasn’t thrown late in the race.

— Whether Josh Berry’s spin of Carson Hocevar was deemed to be intentional.

— The In-Season Challenge battle between Ty Dillon and Alex Bowman.

Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.

Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to the Mid-Atlantic on Saturday for the BetRivers 200 at Dover Motor Speedway (4:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The CW App will air Xfinity Series qualifying at 12:05 p.m. ET on Saturday.

QUALIFYING ORDER: Cup Series | Xfinity Series 

The qualifying order below is determined via metric that combines the previous race finish by owner (70%) and current owner points position (30%).

Saturday’s qualifying session will be two laps and just one round. Forty cars are entered, meaning two will go home.

MORE: How to watch on The CW | Weekend schedule

# denotes series rookie
(i) denotes ineligible for driver points

Pos.Car No.DriverMetric ScoreGroup
135Glen Reen40.71
224Ryan Truex40.41
353David Starr36.31
407Nick Leitz34.31
514Garrett Smithley33.61
645Lavar Scott31.91
75Kris Wright31.11
839Ryan Sieg29.01
916Christian Eckes #28.91
104Parker Retzlaff28.31
1171Ryan Ellis28.21
122Jesse Love28.11
1310Daniel Dye #27.81
1451Jeremy Clements27.61
1528Kyle Sieg25.61
1699Matt DiBenedetto25.41
1742Anthony Alfredo23.01
1817Jake Finch22.51
1944Brennan Poole21.41
2031Blaine Perkins21.11
2170Leland Honeyman20.22
2291Josh Bilicki19.42
2332Rajah Caruth(i)19.12
2425Harriston Burton18.92
2527Jeb Burton17.62
2626Dean Thompson #17.42
2711Josh Williams16.82
2841Sam Mayer12.82
2920Brandon Jones11.52
309Ross Chastain(i)11.32
3100Sheldon Creed9.72
3218William Sawalich #9.62
3321Austin Hill9.62
348Sammy Smith #8.42
3554Taylor Gray #8.22
3619Aric Almirola7.42
371Carson Kvapil #7.42
3848Nick Sanchez #5.82
397Justin Allgaier4.52
4088Connor Zilisch #1.32
Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series will tackle Round 4 of the 2025 In-Season Challenge this weekend, with the “Monster Mile” at Dover Motor Speedway being the venue on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

QUALIFYING ORDER: Cup Series | Xfinity Series 

All 37 cars will have a chance to post a qualifying time Saturday (2:40 p.m. ET, truTV, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Cars will line up for a 50-minute practice session instead of two groups each receiving 25 minutes of track time due to a weather-related change announced by NASCAR on Saturday. Qualifying will follow, which will be two laps per car and just one round.

The groups below are determined via a metric that combines the previous race finish by owner (70%) and current owner points position (30%).

NOTE: Cup Series practice and qualifying at Dover was canceled due to inclement weather. The lineup for Sunday’s race will be set per the NASCAR Rule Book, which is the qualifying order inverted. 

MORE: How to watch on TNT Sports | Weekend schedule

# denotes series rookie
(i) denotes ineligible for driver points

Pos.Car No.DriverMetric ScoreGroup
144* JJ Yeley (i)42.21
24Noah Gragson35.81
351Cody Ware34.61
447Ricky Stenhouse Jr.30.01
577Carson Hocevar29.61
635Riley Herbst #28.01
712Ryan Blaney27.31
838Zane Smith26.41
941Cole Custer26.31
1042John Hunter Nemechek26.21
1143Erik Jones26.01
122Austin Cindric25.51
135Kyle Larson25.41
1434Todd Gilliland24.41
153Austin Dillon23.11
1623Bubba Wallace22.11
1710Ty Dillon21.21
187Justin Haley20.11
191Ross Chastain19.51
2099Daniel Suárez18.52
2116AJ Allemendinger17.72
2248Alex Bowman16.92
236Brad Keselowski15.82
2421Josh Berry15.42
2511Denny Hamlin15.22
2617Chris Buescher14.22
2760Ryan Preece12.62
288Kyle Busch11.82
2954Ty Gibbs10.32
3022Joey Logano9.62
3171Michael McDowell8.82
3288Shane van Gisbergen #8.52
3324William Byron5.92
3445Tyler Reddick5.72
3520Christopher Bell5.32
3619Chase Briscoe3.82
379Chase Elliott2.72
Posted on by Seth Sharp

To celebrate 75 years worth of memories, the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team will be celebrated throughout the summer with “Wood Brothers Wednesdays” on The NASCAR Channel.

Wood Brothers Racing has been around since 1950, when Glen and Leonard Wood teamed up to pioneer a legacy that has transcended time.

Glen was behind the wheel of their car at Bowman Gray Stadium in 1960 and took the Wood Brothers Racing team to Victory Lane for the first time. The team scored its 101st NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2025 when Josh Berry took the checkered flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Bookending those victories were triumphs from Daytona to Darlington to Rockingham and everywhere in between. Twenty of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers have piloted a car for the team throughout their storied history, one that is well worth celebrating.

RELATED: How to watch The NASCAR Channel

This Wednesday’s content will feature two pieces of NASCAR original content, including “Untold Stories with Leonard Wood.”

With the NASCAR Cup Series visiting Dover Motor Speedway this weekend, the team’s history at the “Monster Mile” will be on the schedule, with “Survival of the Fastest: Wood Brothers Racing — Dover” airing.

The team has made 87 total starts at the track, and its success there was imminent with David Pearson behind the wheel. Pearson won three consecutive races at the track between 1972 and 1973. His dominance included leading 1,011 of the 1,500 total laps raced. He also won again in 1975 and 1978.

Neil Bonnett took over the No. 21 car and promptly won his first start with the team at Dover in 1979. Bonnett triumphed at the track once again in 1981 for the team.

The team’s first 14 races at the track resulted in six victories, four runner-up finishes, a third-place finish and a fourth-place finish. Wood Brothers Racing’s only two finishes outside of the top four over that span occurred after mechanical failures, both in races where Pearson started third or better and led laps (September 1974, September 1975).

Overall, the Wood Brothers team has led over 297 laps at Dover six different times.

The NASCAR Channel delivers 24/7, always-on content featuring the latest news and information from around the sport, original programming and race replays.

It is a FAST channel (Free Ad-Supported Television) and can be watched on your TV or mobile device via one of the streaming partners, such as Tubi or Xumo Play.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

The short-track mentality instilled in Carson Kvapil lives on through his 2025 rookie campaign in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports. It has made for some adjustments.

Before Kvapil’s first stab as a full-time NASCAR competitor, he was accustomed to working a full 40-hour week at the JRM late model shop. His free time was spent at the shop of his father — 2003 Craftsman Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil — to prepare his brother Caden’s cars. That was the way of life for the two-time CARS Tour Late Model Stock champion.

RELATED: Carson Kvapil driver page 

“The biggest change for me is not working on the race car,” Kvapil said of his rookie season, though he made it clear that he still gets his hands dirty on Caden’s cars. “These Xfinity cars are similar to the late model stuff but have different components. Short tracks are Saturday night fun racing; this NASCAR stuff is awesome, but I treat it more like a job.”

That job entails learning on the fly. While competing in nine races throughout 2024 to prepare for 2025, Kvapil learned how to use the air to his advantage. Navigating intermediate tracks was a new challenge, one that is still daunting more than halfway through his rookie campaign.

As a resident short-track competitor, the 22-year-old Kvapil has shone on short tracks in 2025, with a runner-up at Bristol Motor Speedway to prove it. Bigger tracks, however, have given Kvapil the most hurdles.

“They are so big that, for me, I almost don’t know where to go,” Kvapil admitted about competing at larger venues. “There is so much room to work with. I don’t really have it scientifically figured out why I’m struggling, but I don’t feel as confident going to the mile-and-a-half or two-mile tracks.

“As the season has gone on, I feel like I’ve learned a lot. As we click off more races like those, I’m going to get more comfortable.”

One voice of reason is Andrew Overstreet, Kvapil’s crew chief. When Kvapil made his national series debut at Bristol in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2023, it was Overstreet who helped with Spire Motorsports. The duo already formed chemistry in 2024, making it a natural pairing for 2025.

“They have to know that you have 110% confidence in their ability,” Overstreet said of his role. “I feel like a lot of these guys, when they come in and don’t have the results, they start questioning if these guys believe in me. There has never been a time that I didn’t believe Carson wasn’t capable of doing great things. I knew in 2023 that he was going to be good, I knew it last year and I still believe it this year.”

Overstreet believes Kvapil has progressed rapidly in short order. He took an unconventional route to the Xfinity Series, bypassing the Truck and ARCA Menards series almost entirely.

“That’s one of the struggles that I feel like I have: I come to a lot of these race tracks and I’ve never been here,” Kvapil said. “I am racing against guys who came from the Truck Series, and they have been at these race tracks — it’s in a truck — but still laps on the track.”

One shining light through 19 races is that Kvapil believes the No. 1 team meshed instantly. Together, they’ve earned eight top-10 finishes, including three of the last four races, highlighted by a runner-up at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway). Kvapil ranks sixth in the regular-season championship battle, trailing only one rookie: JRM teammate Connor Zilisch.

Carson Kvapil, in the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, races next to Connor Zilisch's No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevy during a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).
Krista Jasso | Getty Images

“I would say the finishing results have been a little rough for us,” Kvapil said. “90% of them haven’t been from crashing out or doing nonsense moves, it’s more so bad luck.”

Atop the pit box, Overstreet believes he needs to clean up the way he calls races. But he’s also learning how to manage people for the first time, as this season is his first being a full-time crew chief.

“We’ve challenged Carson to do some things a little bit more aggressively, and everything he’s doing, he keeps getting better,” Overstreet said. “He is a smart racer and has a good race craft, and he doesn’t tear up his stuff. As a group, we’re trying to be more aggressive so we can get that first win and be ready once the playoffs begin, so we can make a good run at it.”

Winning is important to Kvapil as six drivers have already won with JRM in 2025, a series record. The No. 1 team has had close defeats, not to mention a hard-fought battle with Zilisch at Circuit of The Americas.

Kvapil remains steadfast on gaining experience in Xfinity before hopefully one day moving to the Cup Series, with multiple organizations taking notice of his upside.

“Every race weekend is a race weekend, and you can’t jump too far ahead or try to get expectations for what’s coming in the next year,” Kvapil added. “Every opportunity that comes, we’re going to be looking into it. I’m OK running the Xfinity Series for the next few years and hopefully, we work out a Cup deal at some point.”

MORE: Xfinity Series standings | Xfinity Series schedule

By scoring 43 points last weekend at Sonoma Raceway – tied for the second-most in the event – Kvapil increased his buffer to 90 points over the elimination line. The series visits Dover Motor Speedway this Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), where Kvapil narrowly missed out on victory last year in his second career Xfinity start.

“I’ve learned so much from that time; I’ve ran so many more races since my second race,” Kvapil said of his “Monster Mile” return. “I feel like if I were able to do it all over again, we would have been in Victory Lane. Just part of the learning curve, and we’ve got to take it week-to-week. We’re looking at Dover and circling it on our radar.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials issued penalties on Tuesday to teams in the Cup Series and Xfinity Series for violations stemming from last weekend’s events at Sonoma Raceway.

In the Cup Series, the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford team was cited during Sunday’s race for a safety violation involving the loss or separation of an improperly installed tire or wheel. This infraction falls under Section 8.8.10.4.C (Tires and Wheels) in the NASCAR Rule Book. As a result, crew members Marquill Osborne and De’Quan Hampton were suspended for the next two NASCAR Cup Series Championship points events, through Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27.

Three Xfinity Series teams were also penalized following post-race inspections for violations of Section 8.8.10.4a (Tires and Wheels) after their cars were found with improperly installed lug nuts. The No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota and No. 44 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet were each fined $5,000.

MORE: Cup Series entry list | Xfinity Series entry list

Both series are back in action this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, with the Xfinity Series racing Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET (The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and Cup wrapping up the “Monster Mile” weekend on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

For the first time since 1999, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will race on consecutive days this Saturday and Sunday when the series heads to New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway for rounds two and three of JDV Productions’ Whelen Short Track Cup.

On-track action begins Saturday with the Duel at the Dog 200 (7:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing) and will conclude Sunday with the previously postponed Cheshire County Clash 200 (3:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing). The Monadnock doubleheader is only the fourth occurrence in which the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has hosted championship events on back-to-back days.

Saturday and Sunday’s races are the 20th and 21st for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Monadnock. Drivers who have visited Victory Lane at the venue include Ken Bouchard, Jimmy Spencer, Mike Stefanik, Reggie Ruggiero, Jamie Tomaino, Ted Christopher, Todd Szegedy, Ryan Preece, Justin Bonsignore, Doug Coby, Timmy Solomito, Jake Johnson, Trevor Catalano and the most recent winner, Patrick Emerling.

Tickets to both events are available here. Below is everything you need to know about the eighth and ninth races of the 2025 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

Monadnock Speedway
Cars in action during the Winchester Fair for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire on September 21, 2024. (Photo: Jaiden Tripi/NASCAR)

Duel at the Dog 200 and the Cheshire County Clash 200 at Monadnock Speedway

MonadnockspeedwayIf you’re looking for storylines, the first doubleheader weekend for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in more than 25 years is chock full of them.

Going into Saturday’s Duel at the Dog 200, the series has seen seven different winners in the first seven races of the 2025 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. That ties a record set in 1999, when Mike Ewanitsko, Ed Flemke Jr., Rick Fuller, Ted Christopher, Tim Connolly, John Blewett III and Tony Hirschman won the first seven events of the season.

An eighth different winner in as many races is not out of the question. Drivers like Luke Baldwin, Tommy Catalano, Stephen Kopcik, Trevor Catalano, Anthony Nocella and Tyler Rypkema are among those seeking their first victories of the season during Saturday’s race.

The Monadnock doubleheader also comprises the final two races of the 2025 JDV Productions’ Whelen Short Track Cup. More than $10,000 in bonus funds to drivers who compete in all three races, with the champion of the Whelen Short Track Cup taking home $3,500.

Matt Hirschman leads the Whelen Short Track Cup standings after winning the opening race at Seekonk Speedway on June 1. Kopcik sits second in the standings followed closely by Lancaster victor Austin Beers, Jake Johnson, Trevor Catalano, Kyle Bonsignore, Tyler Barry, Chase Dowling, Kyle Ebersole and Eric Goodale. Of the above, Johnson, Dowling and Goodale are not entered this weekend at Monadnock.

Beers, fresh off his victory last Saturday night at New York’s Lancaster Motorplex, enters the weekend with a 10-point advantage on Justin Bonsignore in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings. Bonsignore is a multi-time winner at Monadnock, which could work to his favor as he looks to make up ground in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship battle.

Other notable entrants for both events this weekend include Ron Silk, Patrick Emerling, Craig Lutz, Sam Rameau, Dave Sapienza and Brian Robie, among others.

The full entry list for Saturday is available here and the full entry list for Sunday is available here.

Monadnock Speedway
Drivers in action during the Duel at the Dog 250 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire on July 20, 2024. (Photo: Jaiden Tripi/NASCAR)

RACING REFERENCE:

RACE FACTS

Races Duel at the Dog 200 and Cheshire County Clash 200
Date Saturday, July 19, 2025 and Sunday, July 20, 2025
Track Monandock Speedway
Layout 0.25-mile asphalt oval
Location Winchester, New Hampshire
Start time 8:15 p.m. ET (Saturday) and 3:30 p.m. ET (Sunday)
Laps 200 (both races)
Posted Awards $104,304 (each race)
Tickets Here
How To Watch FloRacing

SCHEDULE: Saturday, July 19 … Practice from 3:05 to 3:35 p.m. ET … Final practice from 3:40 to 4:10 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 6:15 p.m. ET … Start of the Duel at the Dog 200 (200 Laps / 50 Miles) at 8:15 p.m. ET … Sunday, July 20 … Practice from 11:30 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. … Qualifying at 2 p.m. … Start of the Cheshire County Clash 200 (200 Laps / 50 Miles) at 3:30 p.m. ET.

RE-DRAW PROCEDURE: The fastest qualifier will draw a pill to determine the number of drivers that will re-draw for their starting positions: 4,6,8 or 10 positions will re-draw. Once the fastest qualifier draws the initial pill, NASCAR will have the various buckets ready to immediately start the re-draw procedure. Drivers will re-draw in their qualifying order after qualifying has been completed (1 through 10, or however many are applicable). The pole position and/or any bonus point(s), if applicable, will be awarded to the fastest qualifier and will be the pole of record. If, due to adverse conditions, qualifying is canceled, the field will be set in accordance with the 2025 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Rule Book. The re-draw procedure will still take place regardless of how the field is set.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. 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 both races is limited to 28 starters including Provisional Positions.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: The maximum tire allotment available for each event is eight (8) 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 one (1) tire per caution period.

Posted on by Brandon White

Darren Krantz Jr. set two goals for himself during the first leg of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown last month at South Boston Speedway. The first goal was run a clean race and the second was to gain experience against many elite short track competitors.

The 14-year-old did more than just complete all the laps during the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston. After qualifying 11th, Krantz showcased a veteran’s mindset by gradually fighting his way towards the front before crossing the line third behind race-winner Connor Hall. Matt Waltz, who was initially scored second, was later disqualified in post-race technical inspection and Krantz was elevated to the runner-up position.

By virtue of that performance, Krantz currently finds himself second in the Virginia Triple Crown standings.

The strong start to Krantz’ maiden Virginia Triple Crown pursuit has left the young racer with tremendous confidence ahead of Saturday’s Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway (4 p.m. ET on FloRacing). Krantz expects some of the same challenges at Langley that he faced at South Boston, but feels he has everything necessary to keep his Virginia Triple Crown momentum going.

“It really did mean a lot to me to get second in a big race like that,” Krantz said. “There were big teams like JR Motorsports I was racing against and I can’t wait to learn more with Chad Bryant Racing this year. They taught me a lot in that race on how to work the car, save my tires well and learn how to drive against these amazing veterans in the late model world.”

A native of Huntington, New York, Krantz first developed an interest in racing by watching his uncle Chad Churilla compete in Modified events around the Northeast.

Krantz’ father, Darren Sr., took notice of his son’s growing interest in motorsports and got him into go-kart racing at the age of seven. The first major go-kart event for the younger Krantz ended with a second-place finish, which only bolstered his motivation to improve and one day advance into the top ranks of NASCAR.

The talent Krantz displayed in go-karts manifested itself when he began participating in the Cook Out Summer Shootout. In 10 starts in the Bandit division in 2022, Krantz earned three victories and never finished outside the top five once, which allowed him to claim the championship.

Competing in the Summer Shootout was crucial to Krantz’ development and fueled his family’s decision to move from New York to North Carolina. It took time for Krantz to adjust to his new environment, but he said residing in North Carolina was a logical step towards finding sustainability in racing.

“That was the only way for me to become better in NASCAR,” Krantz said. “In New York, I had nowhere to go and there was nowhere to race to become better in my career. When we went to North Carolina, we raced at more places and made my name bigger. I was able to race Summer Shootout and really made a big name for myself.

“Now I’m in the Late Model Stock world.”

Darren Krantz Jr.
In only his second year in late models, Darren Krantz Jr. is quickly finding a rhythm against the seasoned veterans. (Photo: Ted Malinowski/NASCAR)

Krantz found himself behind the wheel of a Late Model Stock less than a year after his Bandit Division title in the Summer Shootout. He spent his first part-time season with Lee Faulk Racing before moving to Chad Bryant Racing in 2024. Bryant previously fielded cars in the for drivers like Connor Hall and Treyten Lapcevich.

The results for Krantz in Bryant’s equipment were almost instantaneous. He visited Victory Lane in Late Model Stocks and Limited Late Models at tracks like Florence Motor Speedway, Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway, the latter of which was the site of Krantz’ first track championship.

Bryant’s guidance has been a crucial component towards Krantz finding a rhythm against his more experienced competition. There are numerous aspects about Late Model Stocks Krantz was unaware of prior to his first race, but he has a much broader comprehension of those concepts through Bryant’s hands-on approach to racing.

“Chad has been teaching me about my braking,” Krantz said. “He taught me how to make the car feel a certain way and told me about arching out. If I arch out and the car cannot arch out, that means our entry is loose. There’s so many things he’s helped me with and I couldn’t be happier that he taught me all this stuff.”

Krantz intends to lean heavily on Bryant’s advice as he prepares for 200 grueling laps at Langley Speedway in the sweltering heat Saturday evening. A portion of Krantz’ 2025 Late Model Stock schedule has seen him venture to Langley for weekly events, with his best showing at the track being a third-place effort on May 10.

Despite some decent results there, Krantz admitted he is still trying to figure out how to be consistent at Langley. Langley’s flat, unorthodox layout requires precision every lap to maintain track position, something Krantz believes will be more challenging for him with a longer distance and more than 30 cars sharing the racing surface.

“With Langley, it’s a very technical track,” Krantz said. “When I first raced there, I couldn’t figure it out because when you’re in the corner, the track is literally an illusion. It messes you up in the head pretty bad. You’re always turning in the car. At South Boston, you go straight for a while and figure things out.

“I really struggle with turn one and two, so all I can hope for is to learn how to get better at that track for the Hampton Heat when we practice there.”

Darren Krantz Jr.
Currently second in the Virginia Triple Crown points, Darren Krantz Jr. eyes a victory in the Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway.

The strategy Krantz has for Langley is the same one he employed for the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200, be clean, be smart and gain experience.

A key difference between those two events is Krantz now feels he can compete for the victory in the Hampton Heat. Finishing second at South Boston validated Krantz’ faith in his ability to hold his own against seasoned Late Model Stock veterans, many of whom will be back at Langley chasing a crown jewel checkered flag.

Should Krantz prevail on Saturday, he would not only join an elite list of Hampton Heat winners that includes Hall, Josh Berry, Lee Pulliam, Philip Morris and Brenden Queen, but he would consolidate his status as a Virginia Triple Crown title contender. Such an idea was barely fathomable to Krantz only a few weeks ago.

One victory, or even another top five on Saturday evening, putz Krantz in a great spot when it comes time to chase both a grandfather clock and Virginia Triple Crown trophy at Martinsville Speedway in the fall.

 “I’m only 14 years old, so that would be an amazing for me to do,” Krantz said. “Second place in the Triple Crown for a 14-year-old is pretty, pretty impressive in my book I think. I’ll have to maintain my spot at Langley. It’s definitely going to be difficult to beat Connor Hall at his home track, but I know it’s possible.”

Making a name for himself in racing was Krantz’ objective when he moved away from his hometown. Plenty of eyes will be on the young prospect Saturday evening at Langley, all of them curious to see if Krantz can back up his South Boston showing with a Hampton Heat victory.

Posted on by Press Release

INDIANAPOLIS — Katherine Legge will return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway July 26-27, entering both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series races with Live Fast Motorsports. Supported by Desnuda Organic Tequila and Indiana-based venture studio Droplight for the events, this marks Legge’s first appearance at the Brickyard since racing in the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

In 2025, Legge has competed in 10 stock-car races, highlighted by a top-20 finish in the Cup Series on the streets of Chicago behind the wheel of the No. 78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet. Following the Brickyard races, she’s slated to return to the Cup Series on Aug. 10 at Watkins Glen International and Oct. 12 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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Legge is the only woman competing in both the Cup and Xfinity series, and in March became the first woman since Danica Patrick in 2018 to start a Cup Series race. The springboard to Legge’s professional racing career was winning on the streets of Long Beach in 2005, making her the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America with her victory in the “triple-A” Atlantic Championship (now Indy NXT). She turned professional in 2006 with a move to Champ Car (now IndyCar), where she became the first woman to lead laps. In 2012, she became the ninth woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, and in 2023 set a record as the fastest woman to ever qualify, posting a one-lap speed of 231.627 mph and a four-lap average of 231.070 mph.

Off the track, Legge hosts Throttle Therapy with Katherine Legge on the iHeart Women’s Sports Audio Network, where she shares behind-the-scenes stories, inspiration and insight. New episodes drop on Tuesdays via the iHeartRadio app and all major podcast platforms. Additionally, she released, Kat’s Magic Helmet, a children’s book published by Red Racer earlier this year.