Connor Zilisch underwent collarbone surgery Tuesday morning, the No. 88 JR Motorsports driver announced on social media.
The 19-year-old NASCAR Xfinity Series star broke his collarbone Saturday afternoon in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen International after scoring his sixth win of 2025. After climbing from the cockpit of his No. 88 Chevrolet, Zilisch slipped and fell while standing on the roof and door of his car.
Zilisch was released from the hospital the same night and missed the Cup Series race on Sunday after being scheduled to pilot the No. 87 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing.
Wanted to give everyone a quick update. Had surgery on my collarbone this morning to get a plate and screws to help with the healing process. Been a tough few days for me mentally, but all the love you guys have shown has certainly helped. Thank you❤️
It’s the second time Zilisch has suffered an injury in his rookie campaign. He sat out the race at Texas Motor Speedway after a back injury following a last-lap wreck at Talladega Superspeedway the weekend prior. Kyle Larson piloted the No. 88 Chevy in Zilisch’s stead and won at Texas.
JR Motorsports has not announced if Zilisch will miss time as a result of the operation. The Xfinity Series will have a weekend off before heading to Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Aug. 22 (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Eleven months later, SVG made sure no error would cost him the win this time.
“It certainly makes up for it,” van Gisbergen said.
The Trackhouse Racing rookie made history Sunday afternoon, becoming the first NASCAR Cup Series rookie to collect four wins in a season and the first driver, period, to earn four road-course victories in the same season. His dominant performance, though, made him feel like anything but a rookie. A relentless romp resulted in an 11-second margin of victory over runner-up Christopher Bell, who finished second to SVG for the second time on a road course this year after winning in March at Circuit of The Americas.
With only two weeks remaining in the Cup Series’ regular season, van Gisbergen has built up 22 playoff points to lean on through the Round of 16. His inaugural appearance is earmarked by hopes to advance out of the first round and into the Round of 12, where the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval provides an opportunity to propel him toward an improbable run at the NASCAR Cup Series championship. The plan Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks believed to be possible is suddenly manifesting into a reality.
“That’s why I moved here, and that’s why I guess Justin believed in me and he knew I could do this,” van Gisbergen said. “Yeah, I’ve changed my life to come and do this. And to come and make true of what everyone believed in me and to execute myself and get everything right, it’s why I go racing.”
Marks navigated the ups of Watkins Glen this weekend, with SVG’s Sunday win and the downs of Connor Zilisch’s broken collarbone Saturday in Victory Lane. Sunday, though, pushed his vision one step closer to reality. Until 2024, van Gisbergen had never competed on a paved oval, much less in a premier stock-car racing series’ oval event. That inexperience is, at times, still evident.But his sheer excellence on road courses has put him in serious contention not just to make the playoffs — a mark guaranteed two months ago at Mexico City — but to make a serious if surprising advancement through the postseason.
“Being able to go to the road courses and win like this is a really great support mechanism for his development on the ovals as we chase the points championship,” Marks said Sunday. “I’m very encouraged by his rate of learning on the ovals. I think he has only just begun to start to put it together. I think the ceiling is really high for him, and he’s here for a while.
“There’s not going to be a ton of pressure on him this year. It’s going to be like, go into the playoffs and learn about how things start to change in the playoffs, how teams race each other, how drivers race each other, how important points are, how you’re always looking at the (elimination) line in the next round, and that’s going to be another great experience for him. I think we have a real opportunity to get to the Round of 8, and either way, it’ll be a great learning experience for him and get him prepared for making a deeper run year after year.”
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media
Van Gisbergen spent last season competing full-time in the Xfinity Series. And while learning stock cars, racers’ tendencies and getting familiar with different venues were each beneficial, the Xfinity car and Cup car each behave differently, necessitating a near reset in SVG’s learning curve as he shifted his 2025 attention to Cup. A turning point, though, came during a test in May at the 1.5-mile Charlotte. One week later, in the All-Star Open, van Gisbergen led 54 laps on the 0.625-mile short oval at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
“We had a little test at Charlotte before Wilkesboro and found some things and what I needed from the car, and it was like a lightbulb moment,” van Gisbergen said. “It was only the race before the main one in Wilkesboro, but to lead the race and kind of feel what I needed and get that flow in the car, it’s a lot about rhythm and car placement, and yeah, when you feel it on an oval and get it once, it’s like, OK, it kind of clicks. That’s been happening more and more.”
That’s a dangerous revelation for the field to combat. If he already understands the car this well on road courses, imagine how unstoppable he could be if he masters the ovals. First come this year’s playoffs, though, featuring a three-race Round of 16 that includes Darlington Raceway, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
“Having 22 points obviously gives us a little buffer, but we’ve got to keep building on what we’ve been doing at the ovals,” crew chief Stephen Doran said. “I think the last couple months has shown that we’re in the game now, consistently running top 15. I thought our last oval at Iowa, although it wasn’t a great finish, was probably one of our best as far as pace. His restarts were amazing. I think we’re peaking at the right time all around.”
SVG has already competed at Darlington and Bristol once each this season, but his outlook for the two couldn’t be more opposite. Doran said he believed van Gisbergen could fight for a Darlington top 10. Bristol, on the other hand, was the site of a 38th-place finish after a suspension issue put him out of the race.
“Probably the one we’d most be worried about is Bristol. I ran terrible there,” he said. “Bristol was so far from anything I’ve ever done, and that’s a really tough place. That’s probably the biggest worry, but Darlington, I feel fine. Especially now we have a lot of points, too, I think you’ve just got to have three solid weeks, and you might get through.
“We just have to play the averages, make no mistakes, and make sure we’re in a good spot every week, and who knows how far we’ll get.”
Shane van Gisbergen became the first rookie to win four NASCAR Cup Series races in a season — on four straight road-course races, no less — capturing his first career Watkins Glen International victory on Sunday.
RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece, one spot below the playoff bubble, landed just outside the top 10 but lost ground to his teammate, Chris Buescher, who holds the final transfer position to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Will the short-track ace regain ground or win outright to clinch his first postseason berth … and send his teammate below the bubble?
NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Cup Series contenders after the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International and before Saturday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
Analysis: Byron didn’t go back-to-back and add another Watkins Glen win to his Iowa triumph, but he did collect consecutive top fives for the first time since Charlotte Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway this spring. Richmond might be the track that’s given him the most fits in his Cup career — despite a pair of starts there with 117-plus laps led — and it’s no guarantee, even with a sizable cushion atop the standings, that he’s leading the Regular Season Championship battle by the time we decide it at Daytona. But also, he’s on a roll and his team is rock solid, so absolutely do not count him out on any of that.
Analysis: Pour one out for the streak. Elliott’s impressive run of top-20 finishes to open the season (which, you may recall, started in February) came to an end on, of all places, a road course where he’s won multiple times. As long as he’s snapping streaks, however, perhaps he’ll halt his winless skid at Richmond, where, despite a 10.7 average finish, he’s never won in 17 starts.
Analysis: Blaney had a handful of subpar races in the weeks following his Nashville win, but he has picked it up tremendously over the past month and once again looks like a surefire title contender, ripping off four straight top-eight finishes and averaging nearly 45 points per race over the past three. Like Byron, Richmond has been a nemesis track for him, but even more so — the 2023 champ has no top 10s there since 2022 and just three total in his 17 starts for a 19.5 average finish.
Analysis: Bell shockingly still has not won since March — when it looked like he was bound to go for double-digit victories this year — but he’s getting closer, outworking Chris Buescher in the closing moments at The Glen for a runner-up. This might be the weekend he gets back in Victory Lane, too. Even though he’s yet to win there at the Cup level, Richmond is easily an A-plus track for Bell, who surely will turn a sterling 7.3 average finish there into a win at some point.
Analysis: Tough break for Larson here as he drops even though he ran a heck of a race at The Glen. (The No. 5 team kept him on the track and remarkably allowed him to finish even though the car spent part of the first stage in the garage.) He’ll presumably get right back in the mix this weekend, however, as he aims for a third Richmond win and fourth top 10 in the past five races there.
Analysis: Hamlin finished 25th and only collected 12 points at The Glen, but he actually moved up one spot in the standings as Larson dropped to fifth. He didn’t get any closer to the Regular Season Championship, but he has a great chance to gain ground this weekend. Hamlin rolls into Richmond as a five-time winner there, with a victory and a runner-up in 2024.
Analysis: Another week, another top five for perhaps 2025’s most improved driver, who has now collected as many top 10s through the first 24 races of 2025 as he had the entirety of his first two Cup campaigns combined. On paper, Richmond won’t be a place where he’ll add a fifth-such-finish in six weeks — he’s yet to finish in the top 10 there in eight starts — but former No. 19 driver Martin Truex Jr. was flat-out dominant in Virginia at times, and it’s possible it clicks for Briscoe this weekend.
Analysis: Watkins Glen was a much-needed step in the right direction for the reigning Regular Season Champion, who has yet to secure his 2025 playoff spot but just collected his first top 10 since Sonoma Raceway. On the surface, two top 10s in nine starts at Richmond don’t inspire a ton of confidence for this weekend, but they were earned in each of the past two there — and he’s led 89 laps across the last three.
Analysis: Bowman still had a nice race at The Glen with a runner-up in Stage 1 and more points in Stage 2, but the 20th-place finish in arguably his best remaining shot to win his way in was a bit of a bummer. That said, Richmond is one of his eight career wins; it’s just that in the seven races since that victory, he has a mere eight laps led and two top 10s.
Analysis: Bubba Wallace: road-course racer? He’s shown notable improvement on these tracks this year, and it finally resulted in his first top 10 on one (excluding Charlotte and Indianapolis) at Watkins Glen, even if he did still somehow lose a spot in the standings in the process. He’s unfortunately at risk of sinking further; last year’s P4 at the Virginia track stands as his lone top 10 there in 13 tries.
Analysis: So close, and yet so (very) far. Buescher gave SVG his best at Watkins Glen and ultimately dipped to third at the very end in his pursuit of a playoff bid. He still scored the second-most points of the race (44), and he’s found his groove at both Richmond and Daytona, so there are still plenty of ways for him to hold onto his current provisional spot. He feels like a playoff driver at this stage, if that means anything.
Analysis: But then again, so does this guy, Buescher’s teammate, and it’s going to be difficult for RFK Racing to squeeze them both in, currently separated by 34 points on opposite sides of the bubble. Each honestly feels capable of winning the two remaining races — and if Preece wins at Richmond, talk about pressure for Buescher at Daytona — so there’s perhaps a better chance than you’d think. It’s no slam dunk, though.
Analysis: Only netting 27 points is about as empty-calorie a top 10 as a driver can turn in, but Chastain should be commended for clawing back in the final stage to at least finish there. That said, it’s hard not to see a bit of a wasted opportunity of his second-best starting spot of the season (P4) in a year where that’s been such a vocal concern of his. He’s been pretty solid at Richmond lately, though, and could string together another nice run to build some pre-playoff momentum.
Analysis: We know darn well by now not to doubt this guy. All I’m saying here is that it’s a bit confusing how the three-time and defending champ — not to mention the most obvious active future Hall of Famer in the garage — is essentially on pace to put up similar numbers in the prime of his career in the year 2025 as his 19-year-old, much-maligned rookie season. Again, fully expect him to wax everybody in the playoffs and almost certainly add a 20th career top 10 at Richmond this weekend, just think it’s odd if six top 10s through 24 races is how they drew it up. But clearly they know what they’re doing.
Analysis: This guy. Ovals or not, every so often, an athlete enters a sport and is so dynamic that they literally change said sport by forcing everyone to adapt to their generational talent. How can we not say that about SVG at this point, now a winner of four straight road courses? We’re literally watching history unfold, and every week he gets exponentially better at everything else. His first Richmond Cup start could be a difficult test, but van Gisbergen nabbed a top 15 in Xfinity Series competition there, and the team is riding a serious high. Don’t rule out a competitive showing here.
Analysis: Cindric has already surpassed his former laps-led career high by a wide margin; he just can’t seem to connect for top 10s on a consistent basis to look like a deep playoff contender, with just one in the last 14 races. Richmond feels like the kind of track that could click for him, and he could potentially win at it eventually, but he’ll need everything to go right to make it happen this weekend.
Analysis: At times during the weekend, Busch appeared to be a driver capable of winning — which would have sent shockwaves through the playoff grid — but it never quite materialized in a physical, 22nd-place finish for him. The Richmond master, you’d think, could will his way to a victory on Saturday and finally get this monkey off his back, but it just feels like this team always has something go sour on the days when it’s able to contend. RCR is the defending winner, though, so there’s a better chance than not that “Rowdy” might be able to get it done.
Analysis: A non-top-10 in a near-do-or-die road-course race is a miss for Allmendinger and Kaulig, but ‘Dinger scored 33 points and is still very much trending in the right direction at the right time. Unfortunately, he may want to look ahead to Daytona and focus his efforts on winning there; a 22.3 average finish and three top 10s in 26 Richmond starts don’t indicate that it’ll be a realistic playoff clincher for him.
Analysis: Berry has scored single-digit points in four of the past seven races, and while there have been highlights this season, he looks about as much of a lock to be a first-round exit in the playoffs unless he finds his way to a win. Richmond should be a nice momentum builder for him, however, with three previous starts there that all went either reasonably well or pretty stellar.
Analysis: Gibbs needs to win to make it in at this point, but even if he does, it appears he’d be a one-and-done as well. The In-Season-Challenge mojo has worn off, things are getting heated on the No. 54 radio and three straight finishes outside the top 20 leading into a track he has one finish better than 15th in five starts likely don’t add up to a win this weekend.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is back under the lights Friday night for short-track action at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
A driver change will take place starting this weekend at Richmond Raceway as Niece Motorsports announced that Andrés Pérez de Lara will take over driving duties for the No. 44 Chevrolet after Spire Motorsports announced that it was letting the former driver of the No. 77 explore other options. Corey LaJoie will take over in the Spire Motorsports No. 77 for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Kaden Honeycutt will make his Toyota debut with Halmar-Friesen Racing’s No. 52 entry at Richmond Raceway and will continue in that ride for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Xfinity Series regular Christian Eckes will return to his Truck Series roots this weekend, driving the No. 16 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to short-track racing this weekend under the lights at Richmond Raceway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
Two races are left to decide the 16 drivers who will compete for the Bill France Cup. Chris Buescher, who sits 34 points above the playoff elimination line, is a previous winner at Richmond and will look to cement himself into the postseason conversation. Six-time Richmond winner Kyle Busch is 102 points behind Buescher and will hope to tap into his short-track magic to vault into the playoffs.
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon is the defending winner at Richmond and enters in a must-win scenario to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Xfinity Series full-timer Jesse Love is additionally entered in the event as pilot of the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Corey Heim will also make a start, with the Truck Series full-timer racing in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota.
The first of two trips to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this year takes place Thursday evening at Richmond Raceway.
During the 1990s, Richmond became a regular stop on the Modified Tour calendar, with Mike Stefanik emerging as the most consistent driver at the track with three victories. After a two-decade absence, Richmond hosted the Modified Tour again in 2021 and has remained on the schedule since.
Of the four Modified Tour events at Richmond during the 2020s, only one featured fewer than 10 lead changes. Last year’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 was the most competitive Modified Tour race at the track to date with the lead being exchanged 20 times between five drivers.
Richmond’s layout is unlike any Modified Tour competitors face all year with its sweeping corners that offer multiple racing grooves. Those qualities are expected to produce another thrilling race Thursday evening as drivers look to add their names to the facility’s storied list of winners.
Tickets to the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 can be purchased here. Below is everything to know ahead of the 11th race of the 2025 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
Richmond Raceway has been a mainstay on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour calendar since the 2021 season. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)
Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway
Two of the best Modified Tour drivers from the last decade, Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk, put on a show for fans as they settled who would prevail in the 2024 Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150.
Bonsignore came out on top in both laps led and the official results. In a three-lap sprint to the finish, Bonsignore and Silk traded blows on several occasions, but Bonsignore managed to gain the upper hand on his long-time rival after slightly moving him out of the groove in Turn 4 coming to the checkered flag.
Silk is not on the entry list for Thursday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150, but Bonsignore will still have plenty of stiff competition with which to deal. Among them is NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion who won the series’ first race back at Richmond in 2021.
The only other past Modified Tour winner at Richmond in the field Thursday is Austin Beers, the current series points leader. Beers’ Richmond triumph in 2023 was the first of his Modified Tour career. He looks to create another pleasant memory at the track Thursday by extending his advantage over Bonsignore in points.
Other names set to compete at Richmond on Thursday include Ryan Newman, Corey LaJoie, Carson Loftin, Danny Bohn and Andrew Krause.
The complete entry list for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is available now.
With Richmond Raceway offering multiple racing grooves, Thursday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is expected to be competitive and intense. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)
SCHEDULE: Thursday, Aug. 14: Practice from 3:15 – 3:45 p.m. ET … Final practice from 3:55 – 4:25 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 6 p.m. ET … Start of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. (EIRI) 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 Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.
TIRE ALLOTMENT: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is ten (10) 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 two (2) tires per stop.
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — While road-course racing always presents the potential for dramatic influence on the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings, Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International essentially strengthened the stance of those on the upside of the upcoming playoff grid and further motivated those that will now need a trophy hoist in the remaining two regular-season races.
In other words, those looking good for playoff berths before Shane van Gisbergen’s dominating win Sunday remain on the points-positive side. And those needing a clutch effort to land a late playoff position remain in need of a walk-off win either in Saturday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) or the next week in the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.
William Byron, the current leader in the championship standings, expanded his points lead with a fourth-place effort Saturday, coupled with teammate Chase Elliott’s 26th-place finish. It marks the first time Elliott has finished a race outside the top 20 all season, and he now trails his Hendrick Motorsports teammate by 42 points in the run for the Regular Season Championship and 15 bonus playoff points.
On the other side of championship contention, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher won Stage 1 at Watkins Glen and finished third in the race to take a solid (but still tenuous) 34-point advantage on his RFK teammate Ryan Preece for that 16th and final playoff transfer position. Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch is 102 points behind Buescher and will need a victory for a shot to claim his third career Cup Series title.
“I am really proud of everybody,” Buescher said of his No. 17 RFK Ford team’s work under pressure Sunday. “It was great execution all day. We were able to get a stage win there and still in the hunt [for the win], really. I had a couple more laps on my tires, and I used the rears up really hard trying to get by a few cars there. At the end of the day, it is a really solid run. We are greedy. We want more.”
The 0.75-mile Richmond track may be just the place for Buescher to secure his playoff opportunity via a win instead of the nerve-wracking points play he’s navigated. He is one of four drivers still needing a playoff position to win previously at both Richmond and the Daytona 2.5-mile superspeedway.
Buescher scored wins at both Richmond and Daytona in summer 2023. Busch, driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet, won the 2008 summer race at Daytona and has six Richmond victories, including the 2018 two-race sweep and an incredible streak of four straight spring trophies from 2009-2012.
Austin Dillon, Busch’s teammate and the defending Richmond race winner, has a pair of wins at Daytona, including the 2016 Daytona 500 and the 2022 summer race.
Brad Keselowski, Buescher’s team co-owner and driving teammate, is the only other driver currently racing for a playoff position to have victories at both tracks. The No. 6 RFK Racing Ford pilot won the summer races at Richmond in 2014 and 2020 and the summer race at Daytona in 2016.
Apart from Buescher, the other three — Busch, Dillon and Keselowski — need to win one of these two races to move into playoff contention.
“A win is the way to guarantee your way in, but this year, we have to be aware of our [points] bubble,” Buescher said. “As much as I hate to admit that, it is where we have found ourselves. For us, this weekend, we want to get on track and have really, really solid speed and say ‘let’s focus’.
“I think where you maybe take a step back and start thinking about the point side more specifically than the race win is through any adversity on the day. When your chance of winning has diminished, then maybe there is a Plan B that’s probably more thought through than maybe it would have been several months ago for us.”
Others with a strong resume at Daytona as the regular season concludes are Spire Motorsports teammates Justin Haley (2012 summer) and Michael McDowell (2021 Daytona 500), Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones (2018 summer) and Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2016 Daytona 500 and 2022 summer).
“I’ve won at all these [upcoming] places, and one of my best tracks is Richmond, and I’d guess Daytona is probably our best shot as crazy as that sounds, with 30 other guys having their best shot at winning that race too,” Busch said of his chances as the regular season closes out. “The RCR package has been really fast there over the years, and we’ve been really good at having some good runs and coming oh so close to winning.”
The last three years, a driver has won his way into the playoffs with a victory in the final pair of regular-season races.
Practice followed by qualifying for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond starts Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET (truTV, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
It’s coming down to the wire in the NASCAR Cup Series, and with two regular-season races remaining, three berths remain open as the Cup field makes way for Richmond Raceway (Sat., 7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
With 13 positions clinched in the 16-driver Cup Series Playoffs field, three drivers — Tyler Reddick (plus-117), Alex Bowman (plus-60) and Chris Buescher (plus-34) — cling to the final three positions with the Virginia short track on deck. Anything goes in short-track racing, though, and for those who have yet to clinch, plenty of variables remain in play.
Here’s a quick rundown of the clinching scenarios for Richmond.
The following 13 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry and Shane van Gisbergen.
Can clinch via points
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 62 points above the third winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from either Tyler Reddick or Alex Bowman.
— Tyler Reddick would clinch with 30 points.
— Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help.
If there is a new winner from Chris Buescher or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 61 points above the second winless driver in the standings.
— Tyler Reddick: Would clinch with 54 points.
Can clinch via win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
— Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, Carson Hocevar, Erik Jones, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Zane Smith, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez, Justin Haley, Todd Gilliland, Ty Dillon, Noah Gragson, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, Cody Ware.
Can clinch Regular Season Championship
Additionally, the Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:
Since it was created in 2010, the Battle at Berlin has pitted the facility’s local heroes against many talented competitors from both the national and Super Late Model ranks. Kyle Busch claimed the first three editions of the Battle at Berlin, with other notable winners including Erik Jones, Bubba Pollard and Carson Hocevar, the most recent champion.
Despite the star power the Battle at Berlin regularly attracts, the list of champions features plenty of representation from the weekly ranks. Brian Campbell, who has won the last two Berlin track titles, prevailed in the Battle at Berlin in 2017; and 2022 track champion Evan Shotko won that year in a race that featured Jones, Hocevar, Ty Majeski and William Byron.
With a total purse of $125,000 and a $40,000 race-winning paycheck on the line, plenty of talented drivers are making the mid-week trip to Berlin for the 250-lap feature. All are looking to secure a significant payday and make their own mark on the growing history of the Battle at Berlin.
Below is everything you need to know about Wednesday’s big race at Berlin Raceway.
Carson Hocevar dominated last year’s Battle at Berlin, leading 171 of 250 laps. (Photo: Julia Schachinger/NASCAR)
What TV Channel is the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin on in 2025?
All the on-track action for the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin can be viewed live on FloRacing, the official streaming home for all NASCAR Regional properties.
The event will not be shown on a traditional television network.
This year’s Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The event will be headlined by the 250-lap Super Late Model feature, with a 50-lap Limited Late Model race serving as a preliminary event.
Below is the complete race-day schedule at Berlin Raceway (all times ET).
Time
Event
9:30 a.m.
Pit pass window opens
10 a.m.
Pit area opens
11 a.m.
Race tires sold and impounded
12 p.m.
Super Late Model Drivers/Spotters meeting
1 p.m.
General admission gates open
1-1:40 p.m.
First Super Late Model practice
1:50-2:30 p.m.
Final Super Late Model practice
3 p.m.
Limited Late Model tech
3:30 p.m.
Super Late Model tech
4:10-4:30 p.m.
First Limited Late Model practice
4:40-5 p.m.
Final Limited Late Model practice
5:30 p.m.
Super Late Model qualifying
6:27 p.m.
Invocation/National Anthem
6:30 p.m.
Battle at Berlin 250 Last Chance Race (40 laps)
Immediately following…
Limited Late Model feature (50 laps)
Immediately following…
Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin (250 laps)
A talented field of Super Late Models are set to descend upon Berlin Raceway on Wednesday evening. (Photo: Julia Schachinger/NASCAR)
Entry list
The current entry list for the 2025 Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin includes 30 competitors.
Leading the group is NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar, who is seeking to defend his maiden Battle at Berlin victory last year. A Berlin track champion in 2017, Hocevar already as a Berlin crown-jewel win on his resume this year, having prevailed in the Money in the Bank 150 in June.
One of the primary obstacles standing in the way of a Hocevar repeat Wednesday is fellow Cup Series competitor and Michigan native Erik Jones. With two Battle at Berlin victories to his name (2015 and 2016), Jones brings plenty of experience to Wednesday’s event as he looks to join Kyle Busch as a three-time winner.
Berlin points leader Austin Hull is among the healthy contingent of track regulars looking to keep the trophy in Michigan. Hull has won three Berlin weekly events so far this year, but his best showing in three previous Battle at Berlin attempts was the ninth he obtained in 2022.
Other drivers set to compete Wednesday evening include Bubba Pollard, Ty Majeski, Brian Campbell, Evan Shotko, Kole Raz and Chase Pinsonneault.
Below is the complete entry list for the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin.
Car No.
Driver
4
Erik Jones
4
Tyler Rycenga
4
Tyler Lupton
7
Joey Doiron
14
Michael Atwell
14
Chase Pinsonneault
15
Seth Christensen
18
Chase Burda
20
Austin Hull
22
Evan Shotko
22
Jimmy Tucker
22
Buddy Shepherd
23
Dave Farrington Jr.
24
Terry Senneker
24
Dylan Stovall
26
Bubba Pollard
27
Kole Raz
28
Scott Thomas
29
Austin Teras
44
Matthew Craig
45
Sean Gipson
47
Brian Campbell
53
Boris Jurkovic
57
Justin Thomas
57
Blake Rowe
71
Carson Hocevar
88
Andrew Scheid
91
Ty Majeski
97
Nick Neri
131
Kyle Crump
Race format
The field Wednesday will be determined by qualifying. Competitors will make two consecutive laps, with the quickest of those serving as their official time.
Competition cautions will occur every 50 green flag laps. This does not apply within 15 laps of the finish.
