Suárez admits contract status ‘a distraction’ entering home race in Mexico City

Posted on June 4, 2025June 5, 2025 by Nate Ryan

Heading into NASCAR’s showcase event for his home country, Daniel Suárez is in an awkwardly familiar (and admittedly distracting) position, but also in an extraordinarily new environment.

The Trackhouse Racing driver remains unsigned beyond the 2025 season, which isn’t unusual. Suárez was in a contract year last season before re-signing, and he also went through extension negotiations in 2022 (re-signing shortly after his first Cup win at Sonoma Raceway).

The 2016 Xfinity Series champion is accustomed to blocking out the noise and speculation to produce results — but never in front of hundreds of family and friends, much less the thousands more who will be cheering him in the June 14 and 15 races at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez course.

MORE: Full Cup Series schedule | Moran breaks down logistics

“It’s not the first time that I’ve been in this position, though definitely the first time with the Mexico race,” he told reporters Wednesday during a media availability. “But it’s not the first time that we have to win or have a contract negotiation in the middle (of a season). Definitely, it’s a distraction. I won’t sit here and tell you that it doesn’t really matter. It’s definitely a distraction, but I’m trying to be as smart as possible and to put all this stuff on the side and to just do my thing on the track. And already the Mexico race is something that I’ve been hoping and waiting on for many, many years, and I’m not going to let anything else from outside take that week and that moment from myself.”

Suárez will get a jump on his myriad commitments by arriving in Mexico City next Tuesday for three days of sponsor obligations before practice Friday on the 15-turn, 2.429-mile circuit. The Monterrey, Mexico, native typically visits his extended family there once or twice annually. He has already made five trips to Mexico in 2025 to promote the inaugural Cup Series event.

“Once we get into the race, we don’t want to deal with any of this stuff, and I just want to focus in and have fun driving race cars,” he said. “There is going to be more on my plate just by nature, just being the local guy, the very first race ever in Mexico City in the Cup Series. I have to accept that. With that being said, I have to protect my space for the competition stuff because if we don’t do the competition stuff right, everything else doesn’t really matter. So we have to put a balance on everything.”

Though ranked 28th in the points standings with three top 10s (most recently 10th last month at Texas Motor Speedway), Suárez is optimistic for Mexico City. His No. 99 Chevrolet has “found some decent speed in the last few weeks,” and teammate Ross Chastain delivered Trackhouse’s first win this season in the Coca-Cola 600.

“We just have to execute,” Suárez said. “We have to do the little things right, and I believe that we are capable of doing that. We just have to continue to move forward. We win next week, and all these conversations are going to be out the window. A few weeks ago, Ross in a post-race interview, he was bitching about the cars and everything that we need to do better. Then he wins a race, and everything is amazing now. So winning fixes everything.”

Trackhouse has yet to announce the 2026 lineup for its three full-time cars. The team has four drivers under contract: Chastain, Suárez, Cup rookie Shane van Gisbergen and rising star Connor Zilisch, the 18-year-old who races full time in Xfinity and part time in Cup (adding two more races Wednesday to his 2025 schedule).

MORE: Cup Series standings | Suárez through the years

Among that group, only Suárez is in a contract year, and he answered, “honestly, I don’t know” when asked Wednesday what he wanted in his next deal. He has met regularly with team co-owner and founder Justin Marks about how to improve Trackhouse, which he joined in 2021.

“The trajectory of Trackhouse has been tremendous,” said Suárez, who made the playoffs for a second time last season with a thrilling victory at EchoPark Speedway. “We have learned so many things. I really want to help Justin bring Trackhouse to the next level. I believe that 2022 has been our best year as a company, still. So why is that? Are we missing something? Do we have to change something? What do we need to do better? As a new team, to have your best years that early, it’s kind of uncommon. One of the reasons, I believe, was because of the new car. So I believe that we have to continue to grow.

“Ross just won a race a couple weeks ago, and that’s brought a lot of energy to the team and some more momentum. Before that, it was a little bit of a struggle. So we have to continue to find that speed in a consistent basis, just like the big teams. So we’re having all these conversations.

“I’m going to be quite honest with you: I wish I didn’t have to have these conversations, and I didn’t have these distractions, but it’s part of life, right? Sometimes you have to do several things at the same time. But I’m trying not to think about it too much and trying to work in my job and push as hard as possible for competition and trying to help the team slowly get better and better.”

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Press Release

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Bowman Gray Stadium’s version of The Hatfields and McCoys —Burt Myers and Tim Brown — has a new wrinkle heading into QRC HVAC & Refrigeration Night.

Myers has a shot at tying Brown’s record 101 Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series wins on Saturday, June 7 after he picked up his 100th win on May 24. Myers is thinking more about wins that got away earlier in the season.

“Should’ve won the first week, had a shot to win the next week,” Myers says.

“We’re just a couple bad breaks from being five in a row. So, we’ve got a good car, we’ve got a great team, but this is still Bowman Gray.”

Brown is less concerned with stopping Myers from tying his record and more concerned with gaining speed.

“The track has been really green a lot this year, so it’s been tougher than normal for us to figure things out on the setup,” Brown says. “And we’re not going to do that by worrying about how everyone else is running.”

Meanwhile, the Q104.1 Stadium Stock Series drivers will compete in their longest race this season — a 50-lapper — on Saturday, and the ever-popular Chain Race returns to delight fans. The Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman and QRC HVAC & Refrigeration Street Stock Series will also compete.

Gates open at 6 p.m. Saturday night with racing action to start at 8 p.m. Fans can get tickets online right now at www.bowmangrayracing.com. Tickets are $12 for adults and $2 for kids ages 6 to 11.

Posted on June 4, 2025June 4, 2025 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400 (2 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Prime Video will also air Cup Series qualifying at 10:40 a.m. ET on Saturday.

QUALIFYING ORDER: Cup Series | Truck Series

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

RELATED: How to watch on Prime Video

Saturday’s qualifying session will be one lap and one round.

MORE: Weekend Schedule

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

Pos.	Car No.	Drivers	Metric Score	Group
1	4	Noah Gragson	35.900	1
2	51	Cody Ware	33.900	1
3	47	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	32.700	1
4	7	Justin Haley	31.100	1
5	54	Ty Gibbs	29.800	1
6	48	Alex Bowman	29.100	1
7	3	Austin Dillon	28.100	1
8	88	Shane van Gisbergen #	27.400	1
9	35	Riley Herbst #	27.300	1
10	10	Ty Dillon	27.200	1
11	21	Josh Berry	27.000	1
12	6	Brad Keselowski	25.700	1
13	42	John Hunter Nemechek	25.500	1
14	60	Ryan Preece	24.400	1
15	41	Cole Custer	23.500	1
16	34	Todd Gilliland	22.300	1
17	71	Michael McDowell	21.000	1
18	16	AJ Allmendinger	19.700	1
19	99	Daniel Suárez	19.600	2
20	38	Zane Smith	16.600	2
21	2	Austin Cindric	15.600	2
22	19	Chase Briscoe	15.500	2
23	17	Chris Buescher	14.000	2
24	8	Kyle Busch	12.900	2
25	43	Erik Jones	12.100	2
26	9	Chase Elliott	12.000	2
27	1	Ross Chastain	10.400	2
28	45	Tyler Reddick	8.100	2
29	20	Christopher Bell	7.900	2
30	23	Bubba Wallace	7.500	2
31	77	Carson Hocevar	6.500	2
32	5	Kyle Larson	6.200	2
33	22	Joey Logano	5.200	2
34	24	William Byron	3.800	2
35	11	Denny Hamlin	3.300	2
36	12	Ryan Blaney	2.800	2

Posted on June 4, 2025June 4, 2025 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to Michigan International Speedway for the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics on Saturday (Noon ET, FOX, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). FS1 will air Truck Series qualifying at 8:05 a.m. ET Saturday.

QUALIFYING ORDER: Cup Series | Truck Series

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

Friday’s qualifying session will be one lap and one round.

MORE: Weekend Schedule

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

Pos.	Car No.	Driver	Metric Score	Group
1	6	Norm Benning	39.500	1
2	33	Frankie Muniz #	31.400	1
3	5	Toni Breidinger #	29.100	1
4	22	Josh Reaume	28.700	1
5	02	Nathan Byrd	28.300	1
6	2	Morgen Baird	28.200	1
7	76	Spencer Boyd	26.000	1
8	81	Connor Mosack #	23.300	1
9	1	Lawless Alan	23.100	1
10	88	Matt Crafton	22.900	1
11	42	Matt Mills	21.400	1
12	66	Luke Fenhaus	20.100	1
13	77	Andrés Pérez de Lara #	19.900	1
14	91	Jack Wood	19.700	1
15	52	Stewart Friesen	18.900	1
16	15	Tanner Gray	16.300	1
17	26	Dawson Sutton #	14.600	2
18	99	Ben Rhodes	14.300	2
19	07	Corey LaJoie(i)	13.200	2
20	18	Tyler Ankrum	13.100	2
21	17	Giovanni Ruggiero #	13.000	2
22	13	Jake Garcia	11.400	2
23	44	Ross Chastain(i)	11.100	2
24	98	Ty Majeski	8.900	2
25	9	Grant Enfinger	8.500	2
26	45	Kaden Honeycutt	6.300	2
27	7	Carson Hocevar(i)	5.900	2
28	38	Chandler Smith	5.800	2
29	71	Rajah Caruth	4.300	2
30	34	Layne Riggs	3.900	2
31	19	Daniel Hemric	3.400	2
32	11	Corey Heim	1.700	2

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Nate Ryan

The first trucks of a weeklong convoy to Mexico City crossed the border Monday to begin setup for the first international points race in NASCAR Cup Series history.

NASCAR vice president of racing operations Tom Bryant, who has spearheaded the organizational logistics for the June 15 race, said planning began nearly a year ago and has included multiple trips to the border crossing in Laredo, Texas, to meet with officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexican customs agencies.

“It’s been a ton of coordination moving lots of people and lots of stuff safely and efficiently across a great distance and an international border,” Bryant said on the newest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “There is a lot to it, but the key to it is you just have to define the problem. We’ve got to get these people and these things from this point to that point within a certain time period. How do we do it in a way that’s going to best position us to be ready to go to work as soon as we hit the ground down there? Because this is a pretty tight window.”

It’s about a 40-hour drive from Michigan International Speedway (site of Sunday’s Cup race) to Mexico City. Bryant, an Army Ranger whose military background has proven useful in logistics, will arrive in Laredo on Saturday to help guide the crossing by Xfinity Series teams, which will arrive on Sunday morning from North Carolina.

Cup teams will swap out cars and begin preparing for the drive south of the border before and during the Michigan race Sunday, so that haulers can leave immediately after the checkered flag. The Cup Series teams are scheduled for a Monday night arrival at the Laredo border for a Tuesday crossing. They will enter the garage at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 12.

“Literally every hour from Sunday morning until about noon Tuesday is planned and there are events tied to it,” Bryant said of the crossing. “And by gosh, it better happen on time.”

NASCAR has enlisted the assistance of Rock-It Cargo, an international logistics company that handled getting 200 haulers to Mexico City on Taylor Swift’s recent Eras Tour concert. The company also works with Formula One and will handle World Cup events next year.

“When it comes to navigating international borders and moving stuff on the ground, they have been a tremendous help for us, and they will also augment our security for all of our trucks,” Bryant said. “We’re anticipating no issues. Those guys have been doing it for 45 years and haven’t had an issue, so knock on wood, we’re gonna keep that record going for them.”

To enter Mexico, all the equipment and tools in every NASCAR hauler must be documented on an exhaustive manifest. Though the original plan was to seal the trucks at Michigan before departure, border officials relaxed that requirement after attending the Circuit of The Americas race and observing NASCAR operations. The NASCAR haulers will drive through a massive X-ray machine upon entry to Mexico.

“They have determined that our folks did such a good job getting those manifests straight and listing all that equipment, and they had an opportunity to review it,” Bryant said. “I’m confident with the work we’ve done ahead of time with the Border Patrol authorities on both sides of the border that we’re going to be able to get our convoy soon in a pretty relatively short amount of time.”

Other topics covered during the 17th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:

— How the unapproved adjustment made by AJ Allmendinger’s team at Nashville Superspeedway was discovered, the reasoning behind the punishment and how long the car chief will lose his annual credential.

— The rules on adding fuel before a race that might have played a critical role in Ryan Blaney’s victory.

— Whether there were aerodynamic changes made for Michigan International Speedway after last year’s airborne crash for Corey LaJoie.

— How the seeding process works over the next three races for the in-season tournament.

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

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

Posted on June 4, 2025June 4, 2025 by Dustin Albino

The last name Earnhardt has coincided with NASCAR since its infancy. Jeffrey Earnhardt is the only driver with the legendary last name currently scheduled to compete in a national series event in 2025.

Earnhardt’s schedule consists of only three Xfinity Series races with Sam Hunt Racing, two of which have already passed, most recently finishing 19th last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.

“You hope to put good runs together to help the case of selling sponsorship,” Earnhardt told NASCAR.com at Nashville. “It’s not easy with just three races, but it helps.

“I love driving race cars. It scratches my itch for that adrenaline rush that I seek. If I could, I’d race every single day out of the week, but it takes a lot of money to do it at a competitive level.”

Longtime sponsor ForeverLawn is continuing to support Earnhardt’s efforts in 2025, and the two sides decided where to compete. Management from the synthetic turf company enjoys superspeedway competition, so Talladega Superspeedway led off the slate. He nearly won in a ForeverLawn No. 3 machine for Richard Childress Racing at Talladega in 2022 after scoring the pole. His No. 24 Toyota finished 32nd in the 2025 contest.

The firm also has business in Nashville, naturally putting the 1.33-mile oval on the calendar.

The final race was an internal debate between Daytona International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Earnhardt prevailed with his option of Bristol, where he will race when the series returns to the track Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“We had a fast car with Sam [Hunt] last year there and should have had a good finish, and the driver lacked on his part there and put it in the fence,” Earnhardt said. “I wanted to go back to Bristol and get some redemption.”

Since Earnhardt ran the bulk of the 2023 Xfinity schedule with Alpha Prime Racing, he has positioned himself to be more selective with what organizations he races for. Quality over quantity is the same route he opted for in 2019, running seven races with powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing.

Staying competitive remains a core theme.

“Three races is just enough to stay on the radar,” Earnhardt said. “If you go out and put together good runs, it escalates that. It is important for me as a driver to stay in the tune of things and go out and be competitive.

“Being able to be out there as much as you can is nice. At some point, there has to be some competitiveness there and putting together good runs. That’s why we stuck with Sam’s deal, even though we only had enough money for three races. I felt like it was a better opportunity for us to capitalize on it.”

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Earnhardt is on his third stint with SHR, dating back to 2022. Team owner Hunt sees the value that Earnhardt brings to the team.

“[Earnhardt] brings appreciation and perspective that he has because of his age and journey through the sport,” Hunt said. “He is a guy that won’t quit. I love that about him. I think there are opportunities, and even times on the sponsorship side, where there’s no real way forward for him. He’s relentless.

“Everyone likes working with Jeffrey. In a world where some people don’t appreciate these opportunities, he’s a team player, and it’s fun for us.”

Away from the track, Earnhardt has taken advantage of additional downtime. Being an avid outdoorsman, he can be found in the woods hunting, on a lake fishing or participating in his favorite hobby of noodling. To Earnhardt, these activities “keep me sane in this hard battle of trying to find money.”

Earnhardt admits it takes a few laps to shake off the rust once he’s back behind the wheel. Meanwhile, two of his six top-10 finishes in 176 series starts have been driving one of SHR’s cars. Being in the Toyota family is important for the 35-year-old.

“I really enjoy being in the Toyota camp,” Earnhardt said. “I’m not, by any means, one of their drivers, but being a part of the Toyota family and what they have to offer for us as drivers makes my life easier when I do get to the track.

“I think from now on, it has to be good equipment, and you have the chance to go out and run top 10. I’m hard on myself. I like to set the bar high and beat on myself a little bit and strive for more.”

Earnhardt won’t underestimate his ultimate goal: winning. Regardless, he’s helped an upstart SHR team build a notebook for future races.

MORE: Xfinity Series schedule

Should the right full-time opportunity open up, Earnhardt is hoping to jump at it as he’s lived through this story before.

“It’s constantly turning rocks over and trying to find the almighty dollar that it takes to run out here competitively,” Earnhardt said. “You can continue to cold call, ask, beg and find ways to get [business-to-business] opportunities to where you see value in being involved in NASCAR.”

Earnhardt is open to the challenge, something Hunt appreciates.

“He doesn’t have an ego,” Hunt said. “If you don’t have an ego and tackle it with a good effort and attitude – even if it doesn’t work out the way you want it to – you can put your head to sleep at night and know you did everything and treated everybody right. We just care about him. I think that’s why he’s still with us because we care about him as a person.”

Posted on June 4, 2025June 4, 2025 by Seth Sharp

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

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

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

Bookending those victories were triumphs everywhere from Daytona to Darlington to Rockingham and everywhere in between.

Twenty of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers have piloted a car for the team throughout their storied history, one that is well worth celebrating.

This week kicks off with a jam-packed schedule on the NASCAR Channel, as the theme will both honor the 1960s and the team’s history at Michigan International Speedway, the site of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

RELATED: How to watch NASCAR Channel

The entire 1963 Daytona 500, which was won by the team with driver Tiny Lund, as well as “Memory Lane — Reliving the 1963 Daytona 500,” will take viewers on a trip down memory lane this Wednesday to a time that helped build the foundation of the racing team.

The 1991 Champion Spark Plug 400 at Michigan turned out to be an unforgettable weekend for two of the most well-respected families in NASCAR — the Woods and the Jarretts. Dale Jarrett, who was piloting the No. 21 car for the Wood Brothers Racing team, captured his first career Cup victory in thrilling fashion as he held off Davey Allison at the line in a photo finish.

You can watch that entire race as well as “Memory Lane — Reliving the 1991 Champion Spark Plug 400 at Michigan” this week on the NASCAR Channel, as well.

The third full race on the schedule Wednesday will be the 1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 at Michigan. This race saw David Pearson capture the victory for the Wood Brothers team, sweeping the races at the track that season.

One additional item of content will be “Survival of the Fastest: Wood Brothers Racing — Michigan.” Michigan is the sight of 11 Wood Brothers Racing victories, with NASCAR Hall of Famers Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Dale Jarrett driving the team to Victory Lane.

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

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

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials issued penalties to the No. 88 JR Motorsports team in the Xfinity Series for violations found after last weekend’s race at Nashville Superspeedway.

Rookie Connor Zilisch drove the No. 88 Chevrolet to a second-place finish behind JRM teammate Justin Allgaier in Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250. His car, however, was found with two unsecured lug nuts post-race, an infraction under Sections 8.8.10.4a (Tires and Wheels) in the NASCAR Rule Book.

As a result, crew chief Mardy Lindley was suspended for one race and the team was fined $10,000.

NASCAR officials indicated that Lindley’s suspension has been deferred to the June 21 event at Pocono Raceway. The Xfinity Series is idle this weekend and resumes Saturday, June 14 in Mexico City.

Zilisch ranks fifth in the Xfinity Series standings. His Nashville result marked his second consecutive runner-up finish.

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Press Release

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — It’s rare that a driver would attempt to compete in four races across two racing divisions in one night, but Cameron Goble will be tackling that task when NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday, June 7 for the God’s Pit Crew Race Night event.

The Ringgold, Virginia resident will compete in the twin 30-lap Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division races and the twin 15-lap Dollar General Hornets Division races that will be part of the night’s seven-race card.

“I believe someone has done it in the past,” Goble noted, “but if nobody has done it, it makes it more cool. I’ve never seen anyone do it. The only person I can think of that may have done it is Nathan Crews. I know he has done a lot of double duty. I think I’ll have a lot of fun. I’m in a great position to do it.”

Crews, a former Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division champion who also raced in the track’s Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division and now competes in the track’s Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, competed in four races in one night across two different divisions on at least one occasion several years ago and won two races in one night.

Goble admits competing in four races in one night will be both fun and challenging.

“I think it’s going to be one of the most fun times I’m ever going to have in a race car,” he remarked. “I don’t think I’m going to have that opportunity too often. It will be challenging. It’s going to be a tiring night. Getting out of one car and getting into the other is a struggle. It’s a lot to juggle.”

(Photo: Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway)

Goble will be seeking to tie and break the mark for the most career wins in the Dollar General Hornets Division when he competes in the division’s twin 15-lap races. He enters this weekend’s event with nine career wins in the Dollar General Hornets Division, one win shy of the 10 career wins that Kevin Currin and Josh Dawson have in the division.

“I want that record so badly,” Goble remarked. “I’ve set records in that class and have had great success in it. I think that (the most career wins) is the number one record, even above championships. If I could hold that record it would mean the world to me.”

Being the competitor he is, Goble said if he does not tie or break the record on Saturday he will try again.

“If we end up falling short, or we tie the record, I will definitely be back out there trying to get the record before the season’s over,” Goble said. “This is definitely my last season racing in the Hornets Division.”

Goble feels he is in the best position he has been in this season with his Limited Sportsman car entering the twin 30-lap Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division races. He has one top-10 finish in his three starts in the division.

“The motor we had blew before we even made the first race,” Goble explained, “and then we rented a motor. It was a little different motor, so it changed the setup on the car, which we didn’t know. The last couple of races we’ve run we’ve been bouncing back and forth trying to figure out what (setups) will work. I’ve got my motor back in the car now. I think we’re going to be in a lot better shape than we were before.”

Goble said his Hornets car is good. He has a win and two top-five finishes in his three starts this season.

“That thing is as reliable as it gets,” he pointed out. “You can jump right into a Hornets car. They change a little bit here and there, but that’s something you can adjust during practice. I hope it does its job, but that’s something we’ll have to see.”

(Photo: Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway)

Seven races are set for the God’s Pit Crew Race Night event with twin 75-lap races for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division headlining the night’s racing action. In addition to the twin-race events for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division, the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division and the Dollar General Hornets Division, there will be a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division to round out the card.

The God’s Pit Crew Race Night event will be First Responders Appreciation Night with first responders including police, fire, EMS, 911 dispatch and healthcare workers being admitted free at the gate on race night with valid ID. A pre-race parade lap featuring police, fire and EMS vehicles will be held as part of the night’s pre-race ceremonies.

Advance adult tickets for the God’s Pit Crew Race Night event are priced at $12. Tickets at the gate on race day will be $15 each. Suite tickets are available for $40 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military personnel, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $12 each at the gate only on the day of the event.

The tentative race-day schedule has registration and pit gates opening at 2 p.m. and practice starting at 3:25 p.m. Frontstretch grandstand gates open at 3:30 p.m. and backstretch and Turn 4 trackside parking gates open at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying starts at 6 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

Posted on June 3, 2025June 9, 2025 by Pat DeCola

Ryan Blaney sealed the deal on a season’s worth of speed Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway, harnessing the power of his No. 12 Team Penske Ford to ride to his first win of 2025. Kyle Busch, looking for his first victory as well, could make some noise of his own this weekend.

NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Cup Series contenders after the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville and before Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway (2 p.m. ET, Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Analysis: Byron hasn’t dropped out of the top two in the Cup Series standings nor the top three in these rankings all season, despite not having won since February — but that’s the power of an average 2025 finish more than a full position better than anybody else in the series, which whittled to 9.2 after Nashville. Byron is on a yearlong heater, and with two runner-ups in the last four Michigan races (including last year), it might be ripe time for win No. 2 of the season.

Analysis: A sure sign of an A-plus driver is that he can drive a completely unspectacular race in which he’s a non-factor in the opening stages and still put himself in position to finish … eighth, which Larson did at Nashville. It’s only a matter of time before the three-time Michigan winner picks up a victory in the Irish Hills while driving for Hendrick; all three past wins came while with now-defunct Chip Ganassi Racing.

Analysis: Hamlin’s rough patch ended in a big way at Nashville, stopping a four-race skid outside the top 10 and looking quite strong while doing it. His five other finishes since Las Vegas Motor Speedway were all top fives (two of which were wins), and it’s clear he’ll be a winning threat most weeks this year, like most years. While his two wins at Michigan each came about a decade-and-a-half ago, he’s remained extremely competitive there. Eventually, one will break his way for a third victory.

Analysis: Couple of blips on the radar for Bell on the season, arguably none of which were his fault, and he’s otherwise been a top-10 driver in every race — often much better. It’s a little concerning he’s led double-digit laps in just two races this year, but Bell has obviously proven he knows how to win. And for his next point of emphasis: proving he knows how to land in the top 10 at Michigan, which he’s never done in six tries.

Analysis: Elliott continues to maintain his rock-solid consistency, delivering finishes that keep him afloat in the standings as he still seeks his first win in quite some time. Michigan has always been his white whale, and if he’s able to win there this weekend to snap the streak — at a track where his first three starts yielded three runner-ups — it would be huge.

Analysis: Well, the least surprising thing finally happened — Ryan Blaney, riding a rocket all year so far, was able to speed into Victory Lane. The only surprising thing was how long it took because this team has looked championship-capable all season. After finding the front of the field in eight of the last 10 Michigan races, you can count on No. 12 to give back-to-back wins a go, too.

Analysis: They don’t hand out trophies for this, but a 37-point P9 at Nashville was exactly what this team needed to stop the bleeding a bit. With a solid run in the books — and a new son at home — look for Reddick to stabilize from here, especially as the defending Michigan winner.

Analysis: It’s wild that Logano has just four top 10s this year in his title defense, is averaging his second-worst finish (16.3) since 2012 and it’s still a better average finish than last year’s championship run (17.1). He’s entered true wily-veteran status, and the three-time Michigan winner could certainly claim a fourth this weekend.

Analysis: Chastain wasn’t able to secure even a top 10 following his electric win at the Coca-Cola 600, but he just missed, landing in 11th. No. 1 has led in three straight Michigan races but overall has a hideous 25.9 average finish there, with just one result better than 24th.

Analysis: Much like his teammate, Nashville was a much-needed shot-in-the-arm for Wallace and the No. 23 group, who had an even worse month of May. Still, with a reasonable but not safe playoff margin, the 2022 Michigan runner-up should have a path to padding that a bit on Sunday.

Analysis: With back-to-back poles in his back pocket, Briscoe clearly has Saturday speed; it’s now just about translating that into results on Sunday. A mediocre 81 laps led on the year in what should be a championship-contending car leaves a lot to be desired, but don’t count on that total going up at Michigan, where the Indiana native has never led a lap or landed a top 10.

Analysis: Only two more were added at Nashville, but Cindric is closing in on his career-high laps led count of 256 set last year, and we’re not even halfway through the season. The upcoming weekend will be a big one for Team Penske, looking to assert its dominance after a statement win with an important track to the organization upcoming, so look for Cindric to bring his A-game despite some poor past Michigan showings.

Analysis: Bowman’s starting to slip here, having now scored 10 or fewer points in three of the past four races after starting off the season looking like a dark horse title contender. While Hendrick cars will likely always have a shot to win at Michigan, it’s probably not the track Bowman wants to see at the moment, having led in just one race there with three top 10s in 15 starts.

Analysis: Though Buescher finished a paltry 14th at Nashville, he had a pretty great week, moving from 23rd to 14th in points since the last edition of these rankings after a penalty amendment. He now gets to keep the good times rolling at a track he’s been one of the best at the past two seasons and once again looks like a strong playoff option.

Analysis: Busch still hasn’t seen a top 10 since Darlington Raceway, but Nashville did mark his best finish since then as he climbs four spots in the standings. As a consistent top-five presence at Michigan in his time at Joe Gibbs Racing and then with last year’s P4 in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevy, it’s possible this weekend could be the pivot this group needs to kick it into gear for the second half of the season.

Analysis: NASCAR’s newest lightning rod is here, and the fact he’s turning in runner-ups on top of being an aggravator shows he can back up his rabble-rousing, and people are going to have to beat him, straight up. (Though some may choose to just straight beat him up.) Either way, all eyes will be on Hocevar as he enters the playoff conversation and looks for his first Cup Series win this weekend at his home track.

Analysis: Nashville was not quite an exceptional night for Preece, running 299 of 300 laps and walking away with a measly nine points. He’s never led a lap at Michigan, and his only top 10 there was last decade and two teams ago. But it’s possible he breaks into the top 10 this weekend after narrowly missing it last year for a dwindling Stewart-Haas Racing operation.

Analysis: Oh, baby. Stenhouse (as we have learned) is not a driver that is easily trifled with, and Hocevar may have some unpaid debts come due before the season is out. More interesting to me, however: What does getting wrecked at Nashville for his worst finish of the season do to a team that was already scrapping and putting together a nice season? This kind of thing can make or break a team, and with just one top 10 in 20 Michigan starts, it could be a hill to climb this weekend.

Analysis: Allmendinger dipped a bit after an incredible run at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600, but he’ll be plenty on the attack in the months ahead as he looks to clinch his first playoff spot since 2014. Don’t expect him to be competitive this weekend, though — he’s been racing in the Cup Series at Michigan for almost two decades and has exactly one lap led and zero top 10s.

Analysis: Berry had what appeared to be a turnaround race at Kansas after six straight non-top-10s to follow up his Las Vegas win, but he’s started trending in the wrong direction again. The Tennessee native led four laps at Michigan last year but has yet to finish better than 22nd there in his three tries.