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The NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series will gather for a doubleheader showing at Richmond International Raceway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series has an off week. Check out the full schedule below.


Note: All times are ET

SATURDAY, SEPT. 10:

PRE-RACE SCHEDULE
— 5:30:00 p.m.: NSCS Driver/Crew Chief Meeting (Tent)
— 7:00:00 p.m.: NSCS Drivers Introductions w/ NASCAR Special Awards
— 7:20:00 p.m.: Team Fastrax Skydive Team Jumps 
— 7:27:45 p.m.: Pledge of Allegiance: Enlistment members of the 317th Air Force Recruiting Squadron
— 7:28:30 p.m.: God Bless America: SSgt Faith Flippo, Richmond City Police
— 7:29:30 p.m.: Flyby TOT: Bandit Flight Team
— 7:30:00 p.m.: Presentation of Colors: Fort Lee Noncommissioned Officer’s Academy
— 7:30:15 p.m.: Invocation by: Lieutenant Colonel Ed Hamlin, Deputy Command Chaplain, Military District Washington, DC.
— 7:31:00 p.m.: National Anthem by: US National Marine Corps Band
— 7:32:30 p.m.: Flyby TOT by: 2 T-38’s from Langley Air Force Base (Turn 1 to Turn 4)
— 7:37:30 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by Pete Larson, Owner Larsen’s Automotive, Mt. Pleasant SC; Flyby: Bandit Flight Team 
— 7:44:00 p.m.: Start of the Federated Auto Parts 400 (400 Laps, 300 Miles)


ON TRACK

— 7:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 (400 laps, 300 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)


PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 10:30 p.m. approx.: Post-NSCS race

DAILY ROUNDUP
— Hamlin wins at Richmond
— See photos from Saturday’s action
— Dale Jr. live-tweets Richmond race
— Late-race wreck thwarts Newman from Chase
— See who’s in the Chase


FRIDAY, SEPT. 9:

ON TRACK

— 8-9:55 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results) 

— 10-10:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)

— Noon-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)

— 4:15 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)

— 5:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)

— 7:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Virginia529 College Savings 250 (250 laps, 187.5 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Results)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
— 11:30 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series


PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)
— 11 a.m.: Carl Edwards
— 11:15 a.m.: Ryan Reed
— 11:30 a.m.: Elliott Sadler
— 2 p.m.: Austin Dillon
— 2:30 p.m.: Chris Buescher
— 6:45 p.m. approx.: Post-NSCS Qualifying
— 9:30 p.m. approx.: Post-NXS race

DAILY ROUNDUP
— Mears, Ky. Busch top Sprint Cup practices
— Top 10 consecutive lap averages at Richmond
— Edwards remembers battle with ‘Rowdy’ at Richmond
— NASCAR’s inaugural fan appreciation weekend kicks off at Richmond

— At-track gallery: Friday, Richmond

— Dillon tops XFINITY Coors Light Pole qualifying

— Saturday’s starting lineup

— Hamlin on pole for Richmond race

— Elliott hopes career-worst start can yield positive results

— McMurray, Newman, Buescher vie for Chase berths

— Busch dominates for XFINITY win at Richmond

— 2016 XFINITY winners

— Snapshot: Saturday’s main event


Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Find NBCSN in your area

All times ET

Monday, September 5
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250 (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
7:30 p.m., NASCAR 120, NBCSN

Tuesday, September 6
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Scan All Special: Sonoma, Daytona, Kentucky, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Wednesday, September 7
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Thursday, September 8
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Friday, September 9
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBCSN
8 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN
10 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSN
11 a.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race: Greenville-Pickens Speedway (taped), NBCSN
Noon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN
1:30 p.m., Southern Speed: Legend of Darlington (re-air), NBCSN
3:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
4 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
7:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Virginia529 College Savings 250, NBCSN
10 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN

Saturday, September 10
2:30 a.m., NASCAR: The List – Daytona Memories (re-air), NBCSN
3:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS2
5 p.m., NASCAR America Saturday, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400, NBCSN
11 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN

Sunday, September 11
12:30 a.m., NASCAR The Season (re-air), NBCSN
1:30 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1

 



Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Race results | Standings | Chase Grid

SHOP: Truex gear

 

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Martin Truex Jr.’s luck changed. Kevin Harvick‘s didn’t.

And that was the difference in Truex’s unexpected victory in Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Truex led 28 laps, all after passing Ryan Newman for the top spot on Lap 339 of 367.

Harvick led a race-high 214 laps, bringing his career total to 10,068. But where Truex’s much-maligned pit crew performed its finest stop when it counted most — under caution on Lap 351 — Harvick’s crew experienced the sorts of problems that have become chronic this season.

Where Truex’s over-the-wall gang got the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet off pit road with the lead for a restart on Lap 356, Harvick’s crew lost a net of 17 spots in the pits over the course of the race.

The bottom line? Truex, who has had the fastest car in a succession of races this year, didn’t have the most potent equipment on Sunday. Harvick did.

But it was Truex who celebrated in Victory Lane, after beating Harvick to the finish line by .606 seconds, leaving the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet to bemoan his 17th second-place finish in the past 61 races — many of which he could have won with flawless execution on pit road.

“This is unbelievable,” said Truex, who earned his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of the season and the fifth of his career. “I’ve always loved this race track. I’ve led a lot of laps here in my career, but something always happens, and I’m so proud to get to Victory lane with this group. The pit crew was flawless tonight — they won us the race.

“They took a lot of heat for what happened last week (a blown pit stop at Michigan resulting in a 20th-place finish). We’ve had a terrible streak of bad luck. We’ve had super-fast race cars. … I knew the bad luck would stop coming, and we’d start racking ’em off … The pit crew’s done a great job, but they did stumble last week, and this was a great way to make it up.”

Harvick’s assessment of his crew’s performance stood in sharp contrast to Truex’s. After issues with an air gun during a stop under caution on Lap 281, Harvick restarted 12th after entering pit road with the lead. He spent the rest of the race working his way forward but couldn’t catch Truex on the final 12-lap run.

“Yeah, we had a great car,” Harvick said. “The guys in the garage and at the shop continue to do a great job, and we continue to give it away on pit road. Pretty much summed up the night. Just the dominant car, and just three bad stops on pit road.”

Harvick indicated he was beyond giving encouragement to his pit crew.

 

MORE: Harvick sounds off on pit crew: ‘I’m over being a cheerleader’

“I’m over being a cheerleader,” he said. “Those guys get paid a lot of money to perform on pit road, and cheerleading hasn’t really been working. You’ve got to get after it on pit road and do your job.”

Kyle Larson, last week’s Michigan winner, came home third. Denny Hamlin ran fourth, followed by Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth. Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott completed the top 10.

Notes: The No. 31 car of Ryan Newman and No. 42 car of Kyle Larson both failed post-race LIS (laser inspection station) inspection. Any resulting penalties will be announced mid-week. … Harvick is the 17th driver to accumulate 10,000 or more career laps led. … Chris Buescher ran 17th and stretched his lead over 21st-place David Ragan to 11 points in the race for the 30th position in the Sprint Cup standings. Buescher, who won a rain-shortened race at Pocono in August, must hold 30th or better next week at Richmond to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. … Fighting for the last Chase spot on points, Newman shaved Jamie McMurray‘s lead to seven points with one race left before the cutoff. McMurray currently holds the final Chase-eligible position. … Truex’s victory was the fourth for the Furniture Row organization. FRR won the Southern 500 with Regan Smith in 2011 — Smith’s only triumph in a Sprint Cup car.

 

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RELATED: Cast your vote

 

DARLINGTON, S.C. (Sept. 3, 2016) — Voting for the National Motorsports Press Association Sprint Most Popular Driver Award will officially open Sunday, Sept. 4.

The award, sponsored by Sprint and administered by the NMPA, is the only major NASCAR award determined solely by fan vote. It has been presented annually since 1953.

The 2016 voting period will open at 12 a.m. ET Sunday and close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 20. To vote for this year’s award, fans can visit www.mostpopulardriver.com through either desktop or the NASCAR MOBILE app.

Voting is limited to one vote per person per email address per day. Fans are encouraged to share their votes through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

Eligible drivers for this year’s award are those who have declared for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 1988 series champion Bill Elliott holds the record for most MPD awards with 16; Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won the award for the past 13 seasons. Nineteen drivers have earned MPD honors on one or more occasions since its inception.

“The launch of the NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver Award is one of the most anticipated events of the season for many fans,” Kenny Bruce, president of the NMPA, said. “NASCAR fans are the most passionate you’ll find in any sport and the NMPA considers it an honor to allow them to determine the sport’s most popular driver.

“We are pleased to present this year’s program once again with series sponsor Sprint, whose help and guidance have been invaluable in bringing the Most Popular Driver program to fans.”

Sprint has been the presenting sponsor of the MPD Award since 2014.

The winner of this year’s award will be announced during the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards program on Friday, Dec. 2 in Las Vegas. NBCSN will air the post-season program beginning at 9 p.m. ET. MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR will carry the awards show live.

A $10,000 donation will be made to the NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver’s charity of choice on behalf of the NMPA.

NMPA MOST POPULAR DRIVER AWARD

Year – Recipient

2015 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2014 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2013 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2012 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2011 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2010 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2009 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2008 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2007 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2006 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2005 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2004 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2003 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2002 – Bill Elliott

2001 – Dale Earnhardt

2000 – Bill Elliott

1999 – Bill Elliott

1998 – Bill Elliott

1997 – Bill Elliott

1996 – Bill Elliott

1995 – Bill Elliott

1994 – Bill Elliott

1993 – Bill Elliott

1992 – Bill Elliott

1991 – Bill Elliott

1990 – Darrell Waltrip

1989 – Darrell Waltrip

1988 – Bill Elliott

1987 – Bill Elliott

1986 – Bill Elliott

1985 – Bill Elliott

1984 – Bill Elliott

1983 – Bobby Allison

1982 – Bobby Allison

1981 – Bobby Allison

1980 – David Pearson

1979 – David Pearson

1978 – Richard Petty

1977 – Richard Petty

1976 – Richard Petty

1975 – Richard Petty

1974 – Richard Petty

1973 – Bobby Allison

1972 – Bobby Allison

1971 – Bobby Allison

1970 – Richard Petty

1969 – Bobby Isaac

1968 – Richard Petty

1967 – Cale Yarborough

1966 – Darel Dieringer

1965 – Fred Lorenzen

1964 – Richard Petty

1963 – Fred Lorenzen

1962 – Richard Petty

1961 – Joe Weatherly

1960 – Rex White

1959 – Jack Smith

1958 – Glen Wood

1957 – Fireball Roberts

1956 – Curtis Turner

1955 – Tim Flock

1954 – Lee Petty

1953 – Lee Petty

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RELATED: Paint schemes, then and now


DARLINGTON, S.C. — What year was it, 1985? The season Bill Elliott captured the Winston Million bonus the very first season it was put up for grabs by then-series sponsor RJ Reynolds?

Ol’ Bill, who would finish the season with an amazing 11 victories but lose the championship battle to Darrell Waltrip.

Recollections of Elliott smiling broadly as “Million Dollar Bills” floated through the air in Victory Lane.

That was probably it, the first time I covered a NASCAR premier series race at Darlington Raceway. The backstretch today was the frontstretch then, the big red press box and suites sitting there just outside Turn 1.

It provided a grand view, possibly one of the best of any stops on the circuit. Watching the field roar out of the fourth turn, so incredibly close to the wall. Then flying down the frontstretch, hammer down and into Turn 1 to start the process all over again.

Just sitting there. Soaking it all in. Overlooking history in the making.

More than three decades. Time does fly, I suppose.

The track’s hugely popular throwback program, now in its second season, rekindles a lot of racing memories. Paint schemes that we haven’t seen in years suddenly re-appear, roll out of the garage and in a sense, roll back the calendar.

But then again the memories always stir a bit when it comes to Darlington. No throwback program is necessary.

Maybe it’s because the track is an honest-to-goodness landmark, cut out of the sandy soil by Harold Brasington and opened for business in 1950. It was NASCAR’s first paved oval of more than 1 mile in length.

Brasington had a vision and wasn’t shy about pursuing it. But more than that he was also a kind and caring soul to all of us and I never make the trek down here for a race without thinking about him.

The action on the track? Yeah, that stands out, too. But it wasn’t always the kind of things you hoped to be writing about — hard crashes and injuries could, and did, happen other places as well but a couple that occurred here haven’t been forgotten.

Neil Bonnett’s crash in the spring race of 1990 is one of them. The extremely personable Bonnett was one of 10 drivers collected in the Turn 4 incident during that year’s spring race. Briefly knocked unconscious, Bonnett was eventually transferred to the local hospital and hours later it was reported that he was suffering from amnesia.

More than a decade later, it was Steve Park. The Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver was competing in a Busch (now XFINITY) Series event when, under caution, his Chevrolet suddenly veered left and into the path of Larry Foyt. The impact was tremendous to have happened under caution.

But the sadness of such instances doesn’t completely overshadow the good times. Jeff Gordon‘s Winston Million victory in 1997, the final year of that format, was the perfect bookend to that program’s 13-year run. His battle with Jeff Burton in the closing laps of that race was as memorable as any that have unfolded on the 1.366-mile track.

Speaking of Burton, there are recollections of his 1999 Darlington sweep in a pair of rain-shortened races here; toss in Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch bringing the fans to their feet with an absolutely amazing finish in 2003; and Regan Smith rising up with the then-small Furniture Row Racing operation to slay the field, and Carl Edwards in 2011.

This year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500, scheduled to get underway Sunday (6 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the 67th running of the legendary classic. I’ve seen some of the cars and heard many of the stories from several of the men who were there when the legend of Darlington began.

For a lot of others, I’ve been there to witness it firsthand. It’s been worth every minute of it.

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RELATED: Darlington throwback paint schemes


DARLINGTON, S.C. — The first time he went to Darlington Raceway, Cale Yarborough had to sneak under the fence to get inside.

Saturday at the track considered the toughest on the circuit, it was only fitting that officials named the premier series garage area after one of NASCAR’s toughest individuals.

It is now the Cale Yarborough Garage. No sneaking required.

“This is a great honor; there’s no place like Darlington to me,” a smiling Yarborough, 77, said after the unveiling. “I slipped under the fence when I came to see my first race and now … I’ve got a garage named after me.”

Great could also describe Yarborough’s career, which saw the Timmonsville, South Carolina, native win three consecutive championships (1976-77-78) and 83 races. A NASCAR Hall of Fame selection in 2012, he won at Darlington five times; all five victories (1968, ’73, ’74, ’78, ’82) came in the legendary Southern 500.

The ’68 victory, which came in the Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Mercury, remains his favorite, he said.

“This place, it will bite you,” Yarborough said. “If you win a race here … everybody would love to have Darlington in their resume, I’ll tell you that.

“Winning that 1968 Southern 500 on the original Darlington race track; I wouldn’t take anything for that.”

Track president Kerry Tharp noted that “when you think of Darlington Raceway and its history, one of the first people you think of is Cale.

“The opportunity to name the garage area in his honor means a great deal to the track, to this part of the state and to NASCAR as well,” he said. “There’s no more appropriate driver to name it after than Cale, a native son.”

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RELATED: Saturday’s at-track photos | Results | Standings 

 

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Elliott Sadler said Friday that JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement that he will not return to Sprint Cup racing this season gave his own No. 1 team “incentive to finish on a high note.”

That high note came sooner rather than later, as Sadler held off a fast-charging Joe Gibbs Racing duo of Denny Hamlin and Daniel Suarez to win Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Darlington Raceway.

 

Following the burnout, Sadler stood on the car across the start-finish line and let out a cheer, full of emotion. The past few weeks have been rough for the No. 1 Chevrolet driver, between his mother’s illness and his uncertain future, with OneMain Financial only recently deciding to re-sign.

And of course, his boss, friend and mentor Earnhardt Jr.’s tough situation that has been prevalent in his mind.

“This is for Dale Earnhardt Jr.,” Sadler said, looking into the camera and giving a thumbs-up in Victory Lane. “… This is for you, my man.”

Earnhardt Jr. also tweeted shortly after Sadler took the checkered flag, wishing his driver a huge congratulations.

 

Fittingly, Sadler’s first call came from the bossman himself shortly after, in the midst of victory celebrations.

“To hear his voice and jubilation and yelling and screaming and saying a lot of the cool things he likes to say — I can’t really repeat a lot right now,” Sadler said. “He and I have a special relationship and have for a long time.”

Junior’s day continued on its upswing, as JRM’s Cole Custer won the pole for the Camping World Truck Series Race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

For Sadler, this XFINITY win is about giving back to a friend who has afforded him so much.

“Look, he’s a real race car driver, guys,” Sadler said. “He’s a true-grit, blue-collar guy … he’s one of the good guys. And to see him have to take a step back is really tough on him, but to see him handling it the way he is means a lot to me as driver, but also as a friend. He’s given me a great opportunity to drive his cars this year and I think he 100 percent pays attention to what we do and how good we run.

“And I think maybe he can feed some his excitement through us. Since he’s not in a race car, to hear him talking on the telephone today — it’s neat to hear that excitement in his voice and give him something to be proud of, give him something to cheer about when he’s had so much bad news as far as him being able to race.

“… I’m very honored and humbled to be the one to be able to win for him.”