Darlington on tap for Xfinity drivers after emotionally charged Martinsville race

Posted on April 3, 2025April 3, 2025 by Holly Cain

If there’s ever a venue poised to bring its A-game action following last Saturday evening’s race at Martinsville Speedway, the NASCAR Xfinity Series should be in good shape with Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (3 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Darlington Raceway.

The venerable 1.366-mile track has a fantastic history of high drama and important races.

Reigning Xfinity Series champion, driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Justin Allgaier shows up at Darlington with the championship lead by 41 points over Haas Factory Team driver Sam Mayer in second and 47 points over Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill in third, who collected his second win of the season at Martinsville and joins Allgaier as the only other driver to win multiple races this season.

Sixth in the championship is 18-year-old Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 JRM Chevrolet, who announced Thursday he will make his second Cup Series start for Trackhouse Racing in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.

Five different drivers have won the last five Darlington Xfinity Series races. Allgaier is the defending spring race winner and his three trophies at the “Track Too Tough to Tame” are the most among full-timers. He is on an eight-race streak of top-10 finishes at Darlington — one away from matching Hall of Famer Mark Martin’s record.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones is the only other full-time series driver with a Darlington victory in 2020. Last year, Allgaier beat Hill to the checkered flag by a full 3.4 seconds. Mayer finished fourth. RCR has never won an Xfinity Series race at Darlington but has five runner-up finishes — two from Hill.

Of note, the Stage 1 winner has gone on to win four of the last five races at the track.

The series is coming off an emotionally charged short-track event at Martinsville, where Hill led only the last lap to claim the win — surging forward after aggressive contact between race leaders JGR’s Taylor Gray and JRM’s Sammy Smith derailed their days.

Both Gray and Smith were subsequently penalized this week for actions at Martinsville — after the race (Gray) and for contact during the race (Smith).

MORE: NASCAR to discuss Martinsville incidents with Xfinity drivers before Darlington

A handful of Cup Series drivers will be on the Xfinity Series grid this week, including Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain and Christopher Bell, who won last year’s Xfinity Series race at Darlington in the fall from the pole position.

Practice is scheduled for 10:05 a.m. ET on Saturday morning followed immediately by qualifying at 11:10 a.m. ET. The CW App will air both sessions.

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Neil Paine

First and foremost, Sunday belonged to Denny Hamlin, who drove to Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway for the first time in a decade to claim his first win of 2025 — and set his course toward capturing that elusive first career championship.

But it was a great day for Hamlin’s allies, too. While his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell finished second (albeit a distant 4.62 seconds back), Bubba Wallace, who drives for the 23XI Racing team Hamlin co-owns, came home third to complete a Toyota lock-out on the podium.

For Wallace, the Martinsville run was more than just a solid day at the track. It continued a stretch of early performances this season that have him looking as strong as he ever has in his Cup career. Though he is still looking for his first win since Kansas in 2022 — 86 races ago — there are plenty of signs Bubba’s drought could end soon … perhaps even this weekend.

If it feels like the No. 23 has been a fixture up front all season, it’s not your imagination. Despite leading zero laps Sunday, Wallace joined Hamlin, Bell and Kyle Larson as the only drivers to spend 100% of the race running in the top 15. This came on the heels of the previous week’s race at Homestead, where Bubba spent 94% of his laps running in the top 15. Overall, he’s run 72.2% of all possible laps this season in the top 15, which ranks fifth among regular drivers — trailing Tyler Reddick (88.1%), Kyle Larson (83.6%), William Byron (78.8%) and Ryan Blaney (73.2%):

This tracks with plenty of other numbers indicating a career year for Wallace in 2025, his fifth season at 23XI and ninth in the Cup Series. I wrote a few years ago that Wallace was already an above-average driver, according to metrics such as average finish, Adjusted Points+ index (where average is always set to 100) and Driver Rating (where average is around 70.0). But he’s only gotten better since then. Despite the ongoing winless streak, Wallace is currently on pace for career-best marks in:

Average start (10.7; previous best was 12.4 in 2023)
Average running position (11.1; previous best was 14.9 in 2024)
Share of possible laps led (5.4%; previous best was 3.1% in 2023)
Share of possible laps in top 15 (72.2%; previous best was 61.2% in 2023)
Standings rank (8th; previous best was 10th in 2023)
Adjusted Points+ index (127; previous best was 121 in 2024)
Average Driver Rating (87.9; previous best was 79.6 in 2023)

Speaking of Driver Rating, it tells us something else important about Wallace’s evolution as a driver. If we dig deeper, we see that he hasn’t just improved his overall performance level this season, but he’s also improved within each category of track type relative to earlier phases of his career. Here are the Driver Rating splits by track type for Bubba in three different eras of his time in Cup — the Richard Petty Motorsports era (2017-20) when he first broke in, his early years at 23XI (2021-24) and his run in 2025:

Granted, we only have a sample size of one race on a short track this season — but as we already noted, it was a good one for Wallace this past weekend. Meanwhile, he’s also hit his usual solid marks at superspeedways (I’m counting Atlanta in that group), and a very strong run at Homestead — a season-high 118.7 Driver Rating while finishing third — offset a few tougher outings at Phoenix and Las Vegas among the ovals. Plus, Bubba even drove to a solidly mid-pack day (his average running position was 18th) at COTA, which isn’t bad by his standards at a road course, his weakest track type by far.

All of this speaks to Wallace becoming a more well-rounded and consistent contender week-to-week, across the wide variety of tracks drivers encounter in the schedule. That’s especially true early in the season — with the schedule landing on more non-ovals than ovals. Traditionally, Bubba has been a slow starter before finding more pace in the second half of the season, but he had a 136 Adjusted Points+ index in the first quarter of the schedule last year and he’s off to a comparable start this year.

The only thing missing is a return trip to Victory Lane for Wallace, who has the highest average Driver Rating of any active Cup driver without a win since the start of 2023. And that would seem to be just a matter of time, as metrics like average running position (where Bubba ranks third this season behind Byron and Reddick) and Driver Rating are highly predictive of future finishes. To try to estimate when his best chance may be, I ran each remaining race through my track-scouting projection system — which uses performance at a particular track, and all of its similar tracks, to predict Driver Rating in any given upcoming race. Here are Bubba’s week-by-week projections over the rest of the 2025 season:

By a stroke of coincidence, one of Wallace’s best projected tracks happens to be coming up immediately at Darlington. While he’s never won there, Bubba has finished 16th or better in each of his past five races at “The Track Too Tough To Tame,” including top 10s in four of them. Additionally, he has posted Driver Ratings in the 90s in each of his past four Darlington starts. And Homestead — one of Darlington’s other two somewhat similar tracks — has been Bubba’s best track by average Driver Rating (95.5) in the Next Gen era. (That’s less the case for Dover, Darlington’s other similar track, where Bubba’s rating is just 68.4, but Darlington is also a fairly unique track in general.)

All of this points to the potential for a Bubba breakthrough in Sunday’s Goodyear 400 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), which would validate all of those laps he’s put in at the front of the field this season. And if it doesn’t happen at Darlington, he’ll have plenty more chances soon — with a run of favorable ovals and superspeedways on the horizon before the next road course appears on the calendar. Either way, this season is shaping up to be a career year for Wallace.

Posted on April 2, 2025April 3, 2025 by Pat DeCola

Here’s what’s happening in the world of NASCAR with Martinsville Speedway in the rearview and Darlington Raceway (Sun., 3 p.m. ET, FS1) up next.

THE LINEUP

1️⃣ Is Brad Keselowski the next driver to score on Father Time?

2️⃣ Darlington set to bring the drama in retro classic

3️⃣ Throwback: Keselowski on ‘freakin’ awesome’ Darlington skid-snapper

4️⃣ Denny doesn’t make his crew chiefs wait long

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

Susan Wong | NASCAR Digital Media

1. Is Brad Keselowski the next driver to score on Father Time?

The RFK Racing driver/co-owner is enjoying watching the success of his fellow teammates but has lagged so far to start 2025, with the 2012 champ currently sitting 30th in the standings after seven races. Is a turnaround coming for the 41-year-old?

After witnessing 44-year-old Denny Hamlin turn back the clock and turn in a vintage masterpiece at Martinsville Speedway, could there be another driver set to climb victory mountain — or is he just over the hill?

Brad Keselowski’s 2025 season has thus far been one of frustration and unmet expectations, seeing both of his teammates — and, as their team co-owner, employees — look strong early on while he’s barely holding onto a top-30 position in the Cup Series standings. With the series heading to Darlington Raceway for Sunday’s Goodyear 400, however, the veteran driver may find himself on the brink of a breakthrough.

In an era so focused on younger talent emerging sooner and sooner (hello, Connor Zilisch), Hamlin reminded the racing world on Sunday that age and experience can still triumph in a sport increasingly dominated by wunderkinder.

Keselowski’s struggles this season have been well-documented. Through seven races, the 2012 Cup champion has yet to record a top-10 finish or lead a single lap, both unprecedented lows for the perennial contender. His average finish of 25.1 is on track to be easily the worst of his career. The No. 6 team’s lack of speed has been glaring, with Keselowski’s average starting position of 25.0 ranking among the lowest in the field, and he’s exactly 25th in speed for the season per NASCAR Insights.

Yet, Darlington offers Keselowski a prime opportunity to turn his season around.

MORE: Full Darlington weekend schedule | Cup Series entry list

RFK has proven formidable at the “Lady in Black” of late and No. 6 enters, believe it or not, as the defending winner of the race, having snapped a cold streak of 111 winless races last spring. Keselowski’s 11.05 average finish at Darlington, one of NASCAR’s most notoriously difficult tracks, is the sixth-best … ever. Naturally, he enters Sunday amid yet another drought, with that victory standing as his lone win since 2021.

This is not to say that I’m calling Kes’ shot for him and predicting that a driver who hasn’t sniffed a solid run will, out-of-nowhere, win one of the sport’s hardest races (though I sure wouldn’t rule it out), but more so that it feels like the spot where he’ll turn the corner and start putting the pieces together, with more strong tracks ahead for him.

After Darlington, the series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, where Keselowski’s win count between the two is nearly in double-digits at nine total. This stretch mirrors the part of last season when he hit his stride, with a P3 at Bristol and runner-up at Talladega (and Texas! and then Charlotte!) hopping on alongside his Darlington win.

History suggests that veteran drivers often find ways to shine at this point in the schedule; nine drivers have snapped winless streaks of 50 or more races at Darlington alone, and his isn’t quite that long this time around. Hamlin’s win at Martinsville ended a 31-race drought of his own and proved that even in their 40s, NASCAR’s elder statesmen can still deliver when it matters most. The question now is whether he can follow Hamlin’s lead.

Everyone knows that Father Time is undefeated in the long run — but that doesn’t mean he can’t be scored upon, and we just saw Hamlin put points on the board.

They each know he’ll come for them eventually, but Keselowski may be poised to remind everyone that sometimes, just sometimes, Father Time can be made to wait just a little longer.

*Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media*

2. Darlington set to bring the drama in retro classic

As NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway gears up for Throwback Weekend, chaos, redemption and unpredictable finishes await at the “Lady in Black,” where nine different winners in nine races have proven no driver can fully corral the track “Too Tough to Tame.”

Few tracks embody the spirit of NASCAR quite like Darlington Raceway.

This historic venue has been the stage for some of NASCAR’s most memorable moments, spanning decades of racing down in South Carolina at what was once considered a behemoth by track-size standards.

As the Cup Series heads to Darlington for the eighth race of the 2025 season, the Goodyear 400 feels like a slam dunk to deliver yet another dramatic chapter in the track’s storied legacy after a roaring start to the year and the track’s twice-annual degree of unpredictability set to ratchet up the stakes even further into the spring.

The numbers behind Darlington’s chaos are staggering. In four of the last five races, the driver who led the most laps finished 25th or worse, a trend that illustrates how quickly fortunes can change at this egg-shaped oval. Even stage winners have struggled to convert their dominance into victories; eight of the 12 stage winners in the Next Gen era have also finished outside the top 25. Last year’s Southern 500 featured 26 lead changes, the most at Darlington since 2008, and it’s not too difficult to see that trend continuing.

Adding to Darlington’s mystique is its knack for snapping winless streaks. Nine drivers have broken droughts of 50 or more races at this track, including both winners last year — Keselowski as mentioned above, but also regular-season finale winner Chase Briscoe. Darlington offers a chance for any driver who stumbled out of the gate but is willing to get their elbows dirty to reset their season and capitalize on a history of delivering redemption. Kyle Busch, enduring his career-long winless streak of 64 races, obviously, comes to mind immediately here.

All that said, the track does still seem to favor the sport’s superstars, and it’ll be hard to top, for starters, Martinsville winner Hamlin, the driver to beat at Darlington. No. 11 has ridden to four Victory Lane dances with “The Lady,” compiling an all-time best 8.2 average finish there.

As NASCAR celebrates its history with retro paint schemes this weekend, it feels like a weekend ahead where more history will be made. Whether it’s another first-time winner or a veteran snapping a long drought, drama will surely be delivered.

cars sit in darlington garage — *Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media*

3. Throwback: Brad Keselowski on ‘freakin’ awesome’ Darlington skid-snapper

Brad Keselowski shares his excitement after winning the Goodyear 400 and talks about the battle between Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher.

4. Denny doesn’t make his crew chiefs wait long

The honeymoon stage is often a fruitful one for Denny Hamlin and his crew chiefs, whenever a new one has been installed. He’s never not won in his first season with a new shot caller, and, more often than not, wins almost immediately. (Credit: Racing Insights)

CrewChief	Starts	Wins	Race No. of first win
Chris Gabehart	209	22	2
Mike Ford	223	17	21
Darian Grubb	97	7	2
Mike Wheeler	112	5	7
Dave Rogers	36	2	6
Sam McAulay	8	2	5
Chris Gayle	7	1	7

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

‘Felt like the old days’: Hamlin produces validating victory with Martinsville romp

Paint Scheme Preview: 2025 Darlington Raceway Throwback Weekend

Steve Phelps named NASCAR’s first-ever Commissioner; Steve O’Donnell elevated to President

Power Rankings: Briscoe proving to be a big dog

No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota disqualified after Martinsville; team won’t appeal

Ty Gibbs’ skid continues, but performance metrics offer encouraging signs

NASCAR Insights: How Ryan Preece salvaged a top 10 at Martinsville

Three Up, Three Down: Drivers in focus leaving Martinsville

Logano leaves Martinsville frustrated with Chastain: ‘I’m sick of paying the price’

Drivers to win in at least 19 Cup Series seasons

@nascarcasm: Fake texts to Martinsville winner Denny Hamlin

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

Posted on April 2, 2025April 2, 2025 by Alex Cadavid

CONCORD, N.C. — After a few days to debrief, Ross Chastain took time Wednesday afternoon to address Joey Logano’s post-race comments after the defending Cup champ felt the No. 1 driver was the primary factor that led to his spin from sixth place during the final stage of last Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway.

The Team Penske driver had blamed Chastain for blocking Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe out of the entrance of Turn 3, resulting in his No. 19 Toyota bumping the back of the No. 1 Chevrolet, but Briscoe caught the inside curbing in doing so to send him into the side of Logano’s Ford. The three-time Cup champion unloaded on Chastain in post-race interviews, saying, “He just races like a jackass every week, and I keep paying the price. I’m sick of paying the price.”

RELATED: Logano sounds off on Chastain

Chastain was asked about the comments from his fellow NASCAR Cup Series veteran during his afternoon media availability at NASCAR’s Production Facility.

“I am confused by what he said. I don’t believe that the 19 [Briscoe] was trying to get to me,” said Chastain, currently 13th in points. “When I got down in front of the 22 the first time, there was a gap. Other guys had done that to me. That’s a very common move to get down in line. He took that opportunity to, I think, hit me harder than he needed to.

“I just couldn’t believe what they were saying and what they were telling me what he said. I would hope that he looked at it and had a little clearer mind. I mean, he’s a three-time champ. He can say what he wants. But those words have a lot of weight and to just get out and spew that, call me those names, is not appreciated, not warranted and honestly pretty disappointing that he would do that. To take feelings he had from COTA and other races and then take Martinsville, get out and just blast.”

Chastain believes Logano was carrying frustration from other races and particularly on-track actions from the Cup Series’ third race of the season at Circuit of The Americas. Logano felt Chastain forced another car into making contact with the No. 22 Ford late in that race as well. The Trackhouse Racing driver owned up to what he did then, but felt the Martinsville situation was completely different.

“COTA is kind of like, a lot of running into people, and to blame a car two cars back, OK. He can do it and I took it. He can have that,” Chastain said. “Then here [Martinsville], I wrecked him from in front of him? It’s like he’s hearing footsteps when I’m not there.

“He said on his interview he didn’t want to talk to me, and I’m not going to call him. I don’t need to call him. The whole calling, texting, clearing, it’s tiring at times. So, pretty disappointed to hear a guy like that, his caliber, his experience, just blast that stuff out there. Personally, I don’t feel that I need to defend myself or like I’m not going to get on and make a response.”

The two drivers have generally had a quiet on-track relationship, and Chastain even admitted that aside from a few aggressive blocks and a lengthy pit-road conversation at Kansas Speedway back in 2021, he and Logano have raced each other great. However, Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be a good indication if there are any lingering feelings from last week and how the two might race each other going forward this season.

Posted on April 2, 2025April 3, 2025 by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson unveiled the looks of his NASCAR Cup Series No. 5 car and No. 17 NTT IndyCar Series ride Wednesday for his second attempt at completing the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double on Memorial Day weekend.

Larson was joined by Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon at the NASCAR Productions Facility to reveal the paint schemes for his respective vehicles for what the team has dubbed the #Hendrick1100 presented by Prime Video.

MORE: Prime Video to sponsor Larson’s double | How to watch on Prime Video

On May 25, Larson will attempt to compete in the 200-lap, 500-mile Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the open-wheel No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet before flying from Indiana to North Carolina, where he then plans to drive the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the 400-lap, 600-mile Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway that same evening.

“They look great,” Larson told reporters after a Wednesday livestream. “The IndyCar, to me, I love it because I don’t think I’ve seen an IndyCar quite have this much detail to it before. So it looks sweet. And then obviously, the Cup car looks awesome as well. They look fast, and I’m sure they’ll be fast.”

The blue and white colors of HendrickCars.com, Larson’s primary sponsor in NASCAR competition, highlight his Indy 500 ride while Arrow McLaren’s papaya orange dons its nose, along with stripes down the side of the machine. Additionally, Prime Video is featured atop the vehicle’s side pods and its front wings as a presenting sponsor. That evening, the Coca-Cola 600 will be the first Cup race streamed exclusively on Prime Video at 6 p.m. ET (Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Prime Video has also greenlit a feature-length documentary following Larson’s double attempt.

Larson’s Cup car for the Coke 600 will feature its traditional blue nose with HendrickCars.com donned across its hood, and its blue No. 5 will be accented by the papaya orange of Arrow McLaren to bring the IndyCar essence to NASCAR. The orange stripes will also streak across the corners of the car’s nose and doors, while the blue-and-orange No. 5 sits atop a white roof.

“That’s the cool part, is seeing them both together at once,” Gordon said. “I mean, you see the differences of the cars themselves, but to see the paint schemes tied together, I mean, that’s a lot of fun for the marketing folks. They put a lot of effort into how that (came together). And that’s what makes this, I think, really unique, is to be able to have both teams intricately involved, partners from both (teams) intricately involved, paint schemes matching. I mean, it’s a full-blown effort to pull this off.”

This year marks Larson’s second consecutive attempt at the Memorial Day double. The 2021 Cup champion qualified fifth and finished 18th in his inaugural Indy 500 start in 2024, but a weather delay in Indianapolis pushed the race back, causing Larson to arrive late for his NASCAR Cup Series duties. By the time Larson arrived at the No. 5 team’s pit box to replace substitute driver Justin Allgaier, rain had hit Charlotte Motor Speedway and cut the event short before Larson could even strap into his stock car. After starting from the rear, Allgaier wheeled the No. 5 car to a 13th-place finish when the race was called after 249 of a scheduled 400 laps.

Because of the logistical hiccups that derailed the 2024 attempt, Larson said he is just as excited to participate this year because last year’s efforts never came to fruition.

“It was really, really cool to get to run the Indy 500,” Larson said. “And I’m glad that I get to be buried someday knowing that I ran the Indy 500, but I want to do both. That’s why I did it last year was I wanted to do both. I think that’s why I was so bummed last year, also, is that I just didn’t get to do it. I hope that it all works out this year and we can do it and complete all the laps and get to run both races.”

WATCH: Larson on his ‘Double’ goals | Gordon: Larson is motivated to complete ‘Double’

Gordon, a NASCAR Hall-of-Famer and four-time Cup champion, said the original contract with Arrow McLaren was built as a two-year deal with opt-out options and a grace period to consider if indeed there would be a Year 2 of this project. Team took “a month or two” to determine its next steps before ultimately deciding to move forward.

“It just felt unfinished,” Gordon added. “Unfinished business for Kyle, unfinished business for Rick (Hendrick, team owner), for Hendrick, for Arrow McLaren. I mean, if you don’t complete 1,100 (miles), then it’s not over.”

The ongoing documentary process also factored into the team’s decision to chase the double one more time.

“I mean, that definitely played a role,” Gordon said. “We’re investing a lot in time and effort in capturing all this content, it’s not a program without finishing it. We could have told that story, but obviously you want to see it play out differently. And so I think this gives a good opportunity to close the loop on that and really have a full-length documentary.”

In last year’s iteration of the Indy 500, Larson was running sixth with 70 laps to go when green-flag pit stops began. But a pit-road speeding penalty sank Larson down the running order and off the lead lap. As Larson recalls, his brake pedal “bottomed out,” locking up his right-front wheel while coming to pit entry and ultimately derailing a strong debut performance.

A racer of all trades from dirt sprint cars to asphalt Cup cars, open-wheeled machines to IMSA sports cars, Larson felt incredibly well-prepared for last year’s event. With another chance sitting just under two months away, Larson returns with confidence and comfort to the IndyCar paddock.

“Nothing really surprised me,” Larson said. “The restarts and all that are different, but I felt like I got a handle of that after the first couple. I feel confident that I can get up to speed quickly again. I will have to learn the hybrid system, but I hope it’s not too complicated, but we’ll see. We’ll have the open test here in a few weeks and hopefully get up to speed quickly.”

Larson earned his first Cup victory of 2025 on March 23 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the 30th win of his career. He currently sits second in the points standings, 16 markers behind teammate William Byron ahead of Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on April 2, 2025April 2, 2025 by Nate Ryan

NASCAR will gather its Xfinity Series drivers this weekend to review the caution-plagued race at Martinsville Speedway that ended with a retaliatory crash on the last lap.

“Our plans are before we run the event (Saturday) at Darlington is to have a meeting with all the Xfinity Series drivers, just the drivers only,” Xfinity Series managing director Eric Peterson said during an episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “We had one of these meetings at Daytona prior to the season starting. I feel like it went pretty well. We’ve had six really good races to start off the Xfinity Series season in 2025. And unfortunately, Martinsville was our seventh and didn’t go quite as good.

“And some of that, obviously, is a product of the short track that is Martinsville Speedway and the beating and banging that goes on there. But there were some other things in the race that were certainly pushing the boundaries of clean, good, hard racing.”

While the actions of Taylor Gray and Sammy Smith (who was docked 50 points and fined $25,000 for wrecking Gray from the lead) drew the most attention, Peterson said there was dubious driving throughout the field. He noted that the longest green-flag run after the first two caution flags was eight laps.

“So that’s obviously not what we’re looking for,” Peterson said. “So we’re certainly going to talk to the drivers and address that and obviously get their feedback on how they feel it went and what we can do going forward to make that better to get back to the good, hard, clean racing Xfinity Series is known for.”

During the podcast, Peterson and NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde also explained NASCAR didn’t penalize Smith immediately after the race because the last-lap timing of the incident made it difficult to gather all of the facts in a timely manner.

“We do have a lot of tools at our disposal between in the tower we’d have some camera angles we can look at, but waiting allows us the time to look at driver and team audio and SMT data and driver interviews to put the whole piece of the puzzle together before making this decision,” Peterson said. “I think the most important thing is that we get the decision right instead of having the decision right now.”

Forde said it would be a “nightmare scenario” if NASCAR made a call that affected the outcome of a race, and evidence later emerged that undermined the decision.

“I think the example of a scenario that could happen is if we took a car back to postrace tech, and that the brake pedal went all the way to the floor (because) the brakes just went out and that’s why that happened, and we DQ’d or black flagged that car and took the win away,” Forde said. “There’s no coming back from that. So in this instance, I think that’s where the decision was made. We looked at it and said, ‘Hey, let’s get the facts first here.’ I think there will be scenarios in the future where we do use the black flag, but we erred on the side of caution on that one.”

Peterson said NASCAR still would issue in-race penalties (such as holding a car for a lap or sending it to the rear) “if the circumstance is obvious. … The high-stakes decisions, especially at the end of the race, we just need to make sure that we have all the facts before we pull the trigger on that decision so that we ensure that we’re making the right decision.”

Forde said NASCAR officials also would talk to Xfinity team owners and principals this weekend about Martinsville.

“I think there are going to be some conversations over the weekend saying, ‘Hey, listen, this is also on you to help fix this problem,’ ” Forde said. “And it’s really the entire garage. I think NASCAR plays a role in trying to fix this. The drivers need to self-police. Spotters need to be involved. Crew chiefs need to be involved, and team principals and owners need to be involved. And I think everyone needs to understand that this is just not on NASCAR to fix this problem.

“Everyone needs to step up and understand that these actions shouldn’t be tolerated. And if it happens again, then you’re going to be battered around from all directions.”

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 new “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Dustin Albino

Away from the race track, you can find Dean Thompson actively kickboxing, an intense method for his cardio training. From behind the wheel, he’s one of several rookies looking to leave their mark in what is a stout NASCAR Xfinity Series field.

It was nearly all for naught. Thompson began racing quarter midgets at 5 years old with 2023 Xfinity champion Cole Custer. However, he took a break from racing until Joe Custer reached out, inquiring about Thompson being a guest at Auto Club Speedway.

RELATED: Dean Thompson driver page

The racing bug bit Thompson again, and he started competing in late models regularly. Before making the transition to NASCAR, he won consecutive championships in 2020 and 2021 at Irwindale Speedway. He moved rapidly to the Craftsman Truck Series in 2022 full time with Niece Motorsports before making the jump to Tricon Garage in 2023.

“I would say that I moved up pretty quickly from late models to ARCA to trucks, but looking back on it, I don’t regret it at all,” Thompson told NASCAR.com of his career trajectory. “I feel like it’s better to get into it sooner rather than later. Just getting into the thick of it and diving into the deep end has helped me.”

Thompson earned a pair of top-five finishes in 2023, finishing 20th in the championship standings. He tallied 11 top-10 finishes through 70 truck starts, but questions arose about his craft, having multiple brouhahas with competitor Hailie Deegan and others.

Regardless, Thompson wanted to transition to Xfinity for 2025. He competed in a pair of races for Sam Hunt Racing last year, hoping to confirm his belief that he was ready for the next step.

“When you’ve been working at Tricon for two years, been with Niece for a year and been in trucks for three years, it was time for a change in scenery,” Thompson said. “It wasn’t working for me. Sam and I build each other’s needs for this year.”

Hunt, amid his fifth full season as a team owner, knew of the rumblings around Thompson. Yet he believed in the 23-year-old as he has shown speed throughout his young career.

“We knew he was fast, we just knew there was going to be a challenge of helping him mature as a race car driver,” Hunt said. “I think that’s something he’s open in talking about now of how it took him so long to see the full picture coming from running 25-lap late model races at Irwindale to 300-mile races now. Just realizing that everybody at this level is fast. It doesn’t make you special if you’re fast once you get to this series. You have to develop that race craft.

“Going into this year, the primary objective was for him to mature and become a complete race car driver. I think now more than ever, I’m seeing him become that guy.”

Thompson is coming off a career-best sixth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway, which featured plenty of madness. He remained clean, despite getting turned multiple times throughout the 250-lap event.

That run bookended a three-week spurt where Thompson cracked the top 15. His spotter, Freddie Kraft, has guided him to success, knowing that speed has never been the issue. It’s more about settling in and cleaning up errors.

“He’s a good race car driver and puts the work in,” Kraft said. “He’s doing whatever it takes to get better, which is what you want to see out of somebody. From my side of it, it’s helping him be in position to succeed and things to look out for, and if we need to sit down to go over something, we can. It’s all about trying to help him understand that he’s got everything to do it right, it’s just a matter of putting it all together on a weekly basis.”

With a strong three-race stretch, Thompson has jumped five spots in the championship standings, slotting 19th heading into Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He’s ahead of fellow Rookie of the Year contenders Christian Eckes (20th) and William Sawalich (22nd), both of whom are on powerhouse Xfinity teams in Kaulig Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, respectively.

MORE: Xfinity Series standings | Xfinity Series schedule

“Right now, the focus is getting base hits because if you base-hit them to death, you end up in a pretty good position,” Hunt said. “The joy for me right now is I feel like I’m watching the kid mature and become someone that everyone said he couldn’t become. Not that he’s still not making mistakes; he’s going to continue making small mistakes. He’s beginning to drive more like a veteran race car driver.”

Hunt admitted that the No. 26 team, led by crew chief Kris Bowen, holds each other accountable. Before the 2025 season began, Thompson was told that the only way the pairing would work was if he pulled the rope as hard as the rest of the team did.

So far, so good, as Thompson is a frequent visitor at the race shop.

“He knows that he’s got to make the most out of these next couple of years, or he’s not going to be a race car driver anymore,” Hunt said. “I think that’s showing up with how he’s working right now.”

Thompson is hesitant to put his expectations out to the universe. He refuses to compare himself to his competitors, falling into that trap in the Truck Series. For now, his main focus is continuing to work on himself.

“I don’t have one where I’m trying to shoot for the stars,” Thompson said. “Just try to set goals of running in the top 10, better average finish than average start, finishing in the top 10, being in the middle of the rookie standings consistently. Those are the goals.”

Posted on April 1, 2025April 1, 2025 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials penalized driver Sammy Smith on Tuesday for his on-track actions at the end of Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Smith initiated contact on the final lap of Saturday’s Marine Corps 250 with race leader Taylor Gray, speeding his No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet into the back bumper of Gray’s No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The bump sent Gray’s car spinning through Turns 3 and 4 and created a stack-up that snared others in the fray, allowing Austin Hill to slip past for his second win of the season.

As a result, NASCAR competition officials docked Smith 50 points in Xfinity Series drivers’ standings and also fined him $25,000. Smith drops from sixth to 13th in the Xfinity standings, trailing series leader and JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier by 128 points and sitting just one point behind Gray.

MORE: Details on Gray, Smith skirmish | Darlington schedule

“We want to see really hard racing and door-to-door racing, and contact is certainly a part of the sport and part of the sport at Martinsville Speedway,” said Eric Peterson, Xfinity Series Managing Director. “We felt like after looking at all the facts, all the video, the team audio, SMT data and all the tools, we have to work with and review an incident like that. Unfortunately, what Sammy did was over the line and something that we feel like we had to react to. We would prefer to leave it in the driver’s hands but in this case, it wasn’t really a racing move and we reacted to it as such.”

Smith and Gray had a testy post-race exchange outside of Martinsville’s infield care center, and NASCAR and team officials kept the confrontation from turning physical. Smith indicated that ramming his rival’s car was his intent, saying that Gray had raised tensions with a series of gestures and swerving. Smith finished 10th; Gray, who led 87 of 256 laps, was scored 29th.

Gray and fellow driver Jeb Burton — who was also entangled by the final-lap crash — were each fined $5,000 for behavioral penalties, with officials noting violations of Infield Care Center conduct.

“Taylor and Jeb were in the care center post-race and there was some behavior that (NASCAR officials) felt stepped over the line as far as interrupting a medical situation,” NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Communications Mike Forde said during a taping of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “The care center is almost an on-site hospital, so the drivers and any competitor that enters that area, there should be a sense of decorum there.”

Smith’s move was reminiscent of a similar incident in the NASCAR Cup Series last season, when Austin Dillon knocked the cars of Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin aside on the final lap at Richmond Raceway. Dillon and his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team were docked 25 points, and officials ruled that Dillon’s win would not count toward playoff eligibility.

NASCAR officials also suspended two pit-crew members after the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet driven by Shane van Gisbergen lost a wheel during Sunday’s Cup Series event. Van Gisbergen spun out in the 274th of 400 laps in the Cook Out 400 after his right-rear tire became dislodged after leaving the pits.

As a result of the safety violation, competition officials suspended No. 88 crew members Jonpatrik Kealey (rear-tire changer) and Aslan Pugh (jack) for two races each, starting with this weekend’s event at Darlington.

Competition also issued fines to two other teams — one in the Xfinity Series and another in the Craftsman Truck Series — for each having one lug nut unsecured after a post-race check. In Xfinity, the No. 00 Haas Factory Team group for driver Sheldon Creed was fined $5,000; Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Truck Series team for driver Rajah Caruth was fined $2,500.

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Nate Ryan

NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps joined the “Hauler Talk” podcast to discuss the origins of his newly-created position, his vision for the future and several other hot-button issues.

During a wide-ranging hourlong interview, Phelps said the creation of the first official commissioner role was driven partly by the optics of virtually every other professional sport having that role.

“How we are governed is different from stick-and-ball sports,” Phelps said. “[NFL Commissioner] Roger Goodell has 32 owners that essentially are his owners and entrust him to run the sport. It’s a closed system. Ours is different. There are lots of stakeholders that are part of it.”

Phelps said his role would be two-pronged in overseeing the governance of NASCAR, but more broadly to ensure that the drivers, teams, manufacturers and fans also understand and can participate in the direction of the sanctioning body.

Phelps said creating a commissioner position first was suggested by Steve O’Donnell, who has taken over Phelps’ previous role as NASCAR president. Phelps then brought the idea to NASCAR CEO Jim France and executive vice chair Lesa France Kennedy for their approval.

“When you have 77 years of history and you don’t have a commissioner, I appreciate them understanding the change,” said Phelps, who plans to distance himself from the officiating side of NASCAR (though he will continue to attend most Cup Series races — either Phelps or O’Donnell and often both will be at every race).

Why does NASCAR need a commissioner now?

“It’s a time that our sport has experienced growth,” Phelps said. “There was a time when we had some significant declines. But it’s a time since 2019 that looks different and feels different, and if you’re in this sport, it feels good right now. The competition is amazing. The ratings are strong. We’ve got new media partners. Charter values are soaring. We’ve got wind at our back. OK, now what? That’s really what it was. Whether it’s international growth or just the opportunities afforded to us with my elevation.”

Since the Monday announcement of his promotion, Phelps said he already had witnessed new opportunities that resulted from naming a commissioner.

“Those types of things help put us shoulder to shoulder with every other major sport, which I believe we are,” Phelps said. “But within the media and sports arena, we’re looked at that way of shoulder to shoulder with Major League Baseball, the NHL, Major League Soccer and the PGA Tour.”

Serving as president of NASCAR since 2018, one of Phelps’ signature moments was spearheading NASCAR becoming the first major-league sport to return to action during the pandemic. He heard from a handful of other pro sports commissioners before NASCAR’s return at Darlington Raceway in May 2020.

RELATED: Darlington weekend schedule

“I had four to five texts from commissioners from other sports that said, ‘We’re rooting for you,’ “ Phelps said and then joked, “And for the first time, I actually believed them.”

Phelps said NASCAR’s response to the pandemic reinforced why he believes collaboration is the key to success.

“Our sport, when things are really hard, we do things really well,” he said. “The sport is at its best when it comes together. That’s why I push for collaboration every single chance I get. Because we’re just better together than we are apart.”

After overseeing a new media rights deal, the rollout of the Next Gen car and a revamp of the schedule in the past five years, Phelps said global growth would be a heavy focus to maintain the momentum as commissioner.

“International expansion is fertile ground for us,” he said. “What that looks like, we’re studying now. We have series in Brazil, Mexico, Canada and Europe. Is that the right model to continue expansion that way, or should we think more broadly of what it’s going to look like that looks different than that? We’re exploring all of those things.

“The opportunity to partner with stakeholder groups is a real opportunity as well, including race teams. There’s been discussion about, is there private capital that could help us internationally? Maybe. Could I see a scenario of racing in Mexico City and somewhere else south or north of the border? Maybe. There’s lot to think about what that’s going to look like.

“It’s going to require us to be very thoughtful about what those opportunities are and making sure we communicate that appropriately at the right time. One of the things we put in place in the charter agreements, the race team wants to have a seat at table. We created an owner advisory council with Justin Marks, Heather Gibbs and Brad Keselowski. We want to make sure they are sitting in the three- to five-year planning meetings now of what the sport looks like in the future. Not next year but in 2030. Our ownership thought it was important to create this. It’s not a voting board, but it’s an important group.”

Other topics covered during Phelps’ interview on “Hauler Talk”:

— The integration of the Next Gen car and maintaining and building new relationships with NASCAR drivers

— An important lunch that he had with Kevin Harvick about NASCAR’s commitment to safety

— A phone call from Joey Logano after an airborne crash at Talladega Superspeedway

— Giving NASCAR fans a seat at the table

— The future of the track in Fontana, California

— How tariffs could impact the cost of the Next Gen car and NASCAR’s manufacturers

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.

Posted on April 1, 2025April 2, 2025 by Press Release

CONCORD, N.C. (April 1, 2025) – Amazon’s Prime Video will serve as presenting sponsor of Kyle Larson’s May 25 attempt to complete two of auto racing’s crown jewel events in a single day and will produce a feature-length documentary chronicling his two-year journey to pull off the feat.

For the second straight year, Larson will attempt to take on 1,100 miles of racing – dubbed the #Hendrick1100 presented by Prime Video – starting with the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and concluding with NASCAR’s longest event, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Memorial Day weekend effort will feature Prime Video branding on both of Larson’s race cars: the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet fielded by the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet stock car of Hendrick Motorsports.

In addition to its sponsorship, Prime Video has greenlit a feature-length documentary chronicling Larson’s quest to complete the two marquee races on the same day. Filming for the untitled project began in October 2023 and will encompass the driver’s pursuits in both 2024 and 2025. Slated to launch next year on Prime Video, the documentary is being directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Cynthia Hill. It is produced by Hill’s Markay Media, Imagine Documentaries and Hendrick Motorsports, in association with NASCAR Studios and Penske Entertainment.

“Kyle’s double attempt is one of the most exciting storylines in all of sports, and we’re thrilled to be part of it,” said Stacey Rosenson, Head of U.S. Sports Marketing, Prime Video. “As we prepare to broadcast our first NASCAR Cup Series race with the Coca-Cola 600, having this kind of historic moment unfold live on Prime Video – and capturing it in a documentary film – is a truly unique opportunity. We’re looking forward to sponsoring Kyle’s effort and taking fans inside the intensity and emotion that go with it.”

Prime Video, which recently joined Hendrick Motorsports as a sponsor of Chase Elliott’s No. 9 team, is expanding its presence ahead of becoming NASCAR’s first fully direct-to-consumer media partner. The platform will exclusively stream five NASCAR Cup Series races in 2025, kicking off with the Coca-Cola 600, and will provide practice and qualifying coverage for most of the season’s first half.

“We’re proud to grow our relationship with Prime Video,” said Rick Hendrick, the owner of Hendrick Motorsports who will again co-own Larson’s Indianapolis 500 entry with Arrow McLaren. “They’ve made a bold commitment to our sport, and this is a powerful way to promote their platform across two of the most iconic events in racing. We’re excited to welcome Prime Video to the effort, showcase their brand on such a big stage and collaborate on what will be an incredible documentary project. The film is going to show Kyle like people have never seen him – his preparation, his mindset and what it takes to pursue such a daunting challenge.”

Larson, 32, earned Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 after an impressive debut that included a record-setting qualifying performance. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion became just the fifth driver to attempt the Indianapolis-Charlotte double and will be only the third to try it more than once, joining Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon. Last season, he led the Cup Series with six points-paying race wins and currently ranks second in the 2025 points standings.

“Last year gave us a great foundation, and now we get to build on it,” Larson said. “I’m excited to come back stronger in 2025 and give it everything we’ve got to finish all 1,100 miles. Having Prime Video on board – especially with them streaming the 600 and documenting my whole experience – is pretty special. May is going to be a crazy month, and I’m ready to get after it.”

On Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET, fans will get a first look at the 2025 liveries for Larson’s Nos. 5 and 17 race cars, exclusively at HendrickCars.com. The No. 17 Chevrolet will hit the track for the first time during the April 23-24 Indianapolis 500 open test.