Fall Brawl at Hickory Motor Speedway: TV channel, entry list, schedule, more for 2024 race

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Adam Fenwick

Stars of the Late Model Stock Car world will converge on historic Hickory Motor Speedway this Saturday night for the annual running of one of the venue’s longest running events: the Fall Brawl.

Held for the first time in 1998 and won by NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers, Hickory’s Fall Brawl continues to be a premier event for Southeastern Late Model competitors hoping to make a name for themselves. Other notable winners include Denny Hamlin, Dennis Setzer, Coleman Pressley, Ben Rhodes, Josh Berry, Tyler Ankrum, Anthony Alfredo, Taylor Gray, Mason Diaz and the most recent winner, Kade Brown.

The 2024 Fall Brawl will again feature 200 laps around the 0.363-mile asphalt oval with an overall purse of $17,000. The race winner will take home a $4,000.

The Fall Brawl is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 9 with on-track action scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. ET.

A live stream of the 2024 Fall Brawl on Saturday will be available on FloRacing, the official streaming home of NASCAR Regional events. On-track action is scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. ET.

Kade Brown celebrates after winning last year’s Fall Brawl. (Photo: Susan Wong/NASCAR)

Hickory Fall Brawl 2024 TV channel, live stream

As is the case for all NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racing action at Hickory, Saturday’s action will be shown exclusively on FloRacing, the official streaming home of NASCAR Regional events.

The race will not be shown on a traditional TV network. FloRacing’s coverage is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Below is another look at how to watch on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Date	Race	Streaming start time	How to watch
Saturday, Nov. 9	Hickory Motor Speedway’s Fall Brawl	4 p.m. ET	FloRacing

Race-day schedule

A full day of racing awaits fans and competitors during the 2024 edition of the Fall Brawl at Hickory.

Pit gates for Saturday’s action will open at 8:30 a.m. ET, with early practice (paid) beginning at 9 a.m. and running through noon. Official practice begins at 1 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 2:30 p.m. ET and feature racing at 4:15 p.m. ET.

There will be features for the Late Model Stock Cars (200 Laps), Carolina Pro Late Models (100 Laps), Limited Late Models (100 Laps), STARS Super Stock Tour (50 Laps), Allison Legacy Series (25 Laps) andVintage Cars (20 Laps).

Below is the complete race-day schedule for Saturday at Hickory.

Saturday, Nov. 9

Time	Event
7:30 a.m.	Pit Sign In Opens
8:30 a.m.	Pit Gate Opens
12:30 p.m.	Drivers Meeting
1 – 1:10 p.m.	STARS Super Stock Tour Practice
1:10 – 1:25 p.m.	Limited Late Model Practice
1:25 – 1:45 p.m.	Late Model Stock Practice
1:45 – 1:55 p.m.	Allison Legacy Series Practice
1:55 – 2:05 p.m.	Carolina Pro Late Model Practice
2:05 – 2:10 p.m.	Vintage Practice
2:15 p.m.	Grandstands Open
2:30 p.m.	Qualifying
3:50 p.m.	Opening Ceremonies
4:15 p.m.	Vintage Feature (20 Laps)
Followed by…	Limited Late Model Feature (100 Laps)
Followed by…	STARS Super Stock Tour Feature (50 Laps)
Followed by…	Allison Legacy Series Feature (25 Laps)
Followed by…	Late Model Stock Fall Brawl Feature (200 Laps)
Followed by…	Carolina Pro Late Model Feature (100 Laps)

Cars in action during the 2023 Fall Brawl at Hickory. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

Entry list

The entry list for the 2024 Fall Brawl at Hickory Motor Speedway will be available in the coming days.

Posted on November 6, 2024November 6, 2024 by Alex Cadavid

The drivers behind the wheel will do everything possible to cross the start/finish line first, but battles don’t solely occur on the racing surface. There can be no margin for error when it comes to changing four tires, making chassis adjustments, ripping a windshield tear-off and fueling the car all within 10-11 seconds.

Time spent servicing the car is just another finite detail that has to be executed perfectly for a driver to become a champion. A well-synchronized stop could make or break a driver’s chances of keeping good track position, and pit crews can make all the difference in cashing in on that “money stop” before a final restart.

Now that we know who will be racing for the Bill France Cup Sunday at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), let’s dive into the Championship 4 pit crews for William Byron (No. 24), Ryan Blaney (No. 12), Joey Logano (No. 22) and Tyler Reddick (No. 45).

CREW BREAKDOWN:

Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images

No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet roster
Front tire changer: Jeff Cordero
Rear tire changer: Orane Ossowski
Tire carrier: Ryan Patton
Jack: Spencer Bishop
Fueler: Landon Walker

Comment: The No. 24 crew has been moving and grooving all season, ranking second-best on pit road based on an average four-tire stop time of 10.802 seconds. The Richmond Raceway contest on Aug. 11 also saw the Hendrick crew deliver Byron the best stop among all other teams in that contest (9.442 seconds). Even better news? This past spring race at Phoenix, Byron’s pit crew was, on average, the best on pit road, notching an average stop time of 10.126 seconds. When you factor in how little the No. 24 has been penalized and the fact the Hendrick crew ranks as the second-best unit in the playoffs, Byron holds a clear advantage.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

No. 12 Team Penske Ford roster
Front tire changer: Ryan Flores
Rear tire changer: Zachary Price
Tire carrier: Trevor Apsey
Jack: Jourdan Osinskie
Fueler: Chris Conklin

Comment: Blaney No. 12 ‘dawgs’ rank as the eighth-best crew this season, with an average four-tire stop time of 10.975 seconds. The No. 12 crew has logged the fastest four-tire stop two times this season, with a 9.577-second stop coming at Circuit of The Americas in March and a 9.175-second stop at Dover Motor Speedway in April — which is only 0.033 seconds off from being tied for ninth in the season’s top-10 fastest stops. The 12 crew did their job last week at Martinsville Speedway, helping Blaney win the battle off pit road several times en route to his win. In order for Blaney to defend his 2023 Cup title, his pit crew will need to be ready. Luckily for Blaney, they are up to the challenge.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

No. 22 Team Penske Ford roster
Front tire changer: Joe Dilly
Rear tire changer: Jake Seminara
Tire carrier: Jeremy Ogles
Jack: Graham Stoddard
Fueler: Nick Hensley

Comment: Logano’s No. 22 team ranks as the 11th-best pit crew based on an average four-tire stop time of 11.185 seconds. It hasn’t gotten much better for the 22 squad as they rank as the 19th-best team so far in the playoffs. The bright side is that Logano hasn’t been hit with a lot of pit-road penalties this year, which ties his crew with Reddick’s and Blaney’s at eighth-best when it comes to full-season ranks. Another feather in their cap is Penske crews save their best performances for high-pressure moments, so the best pit-road performance for the 22 team could come this Sunday when they most need it.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota roster
Front tire changer: Houston Stamper
Rear tire changer: Devin DelRicco
Tire carrier: Wade Moore
Jack: Nathan Ricketts
Fueler: Brian Dheel

Comment: The No. 45 team statistically has not been great on pit road; their 11.207-second average stop for four tires is 18th-best among all teams. Through the last nine races, the 45 crew ranks 24th-best among pit crews. Still, the No. 45 is capable of delivering clutch stops. In May at Darlington Raceway, the crew delivered Reddick a 9.275-second stop — which was the fastest out of all crews during that contest. Reddick has proven so much throughout these playoffs that he’s willing to answer the bell when the pressure rings loudest. His pit crew may have to dig down similarly at Phoenix to help him win the championship.

Posted on November 6, 2024November 6, 2024 by Brandon White

Florida is a long way from home for Quincy, Washington native Kasey Kleyn.

For the next several weeks, Kleyn will get acclimated to the humid winter air of the Sunshine State. After racing in the Nov. 10 Florida Governor’s Cup at New Smyrna Speedway, Kleyn will turn his attention toward qualifying for his maiden Snowball Derby at Pensacola’s Five Flags Speedway in December.

Kleyn already has obtained plenty of reps against some of the nation’s best Super Late Model drivers, as he is fresh off running the All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. With a seasoned team like FatHead Racing on his side, Kleyn is setting high expectations for himself ahead of the Governor’s Cup.

“[FatHead Racing] has had a lot of success in the Pro Late [Models at New Smyrna],” Kleyn said. “Hopefully that translates over to the Super. We were just a little off at Nashville, but now that we’ve got it figured out, I think we can get some better notes. We can have a real shot to win the Governor’s Cup if we get the car right.”

RACE INFO: All about the Governor’s Cup

The consistency Kleyn has enjoyed racing on the West Coast served as a catalyst toward his opportunity with FatHead Racing.

After earning his first Northwest Super Late Model Series victory at Stateline Speedway in 2023, Kleyn put together an efficient campaign on the tour that included five wins and a championship. Kleyn also made his ARCA Menards Series West debut this year, piloting Naake Klauer Motorsports’ No. 88 to a top 10 at Tri-City Raceway.

The triumphs were gratifying to Kleyn, but he knew his development as a driver could only progress so far on the West Coast. By stepping into the national spotlight under the FatHead Racing banner, Kleyn felt he was in an ideal position to capitalize on his momentum and refine his race craft.

“We’re just looking to get me to that next level,” Kleyn said. “[The southeast] looked like the place to do it with all the exposure, and the racing is a lot more competitive. We’ve been winning a lot here, but we got to talking with FatHead Racing and worked out a deal. Hopefully we can win some races and get some people looking.”

A stellar 2024 season for Kasey Kleyn saw him win a Super Late Model championship and make his ARCA Menards Series West debut at Tri-City Raceway. (Photo: Brian Hayes/ARCA Racing)

Logistically, committing to FatHead Racing has been an undertaking for Kleyn. Since he still lives in Washington, Kleyn regularly takes six-hour red eye flights to commute to his races in the southeast, all while finding time to make up for school work he misses.

Despite the challenges, Kleyn’s time with FatHead Racing has already proved valuable. Not only does Kleyn benefit from a seasoned veteran like Jamie Yelton as his car owner, but he also gets to learn from one of the greatest Super Late Model competitors of all time in Bubba Pollard.

Yelton brought in Pollard as a driving coach for FatHead Racing around the same time Kleyn joined the program. Being able to lean on Pollard’s years of experience in a Super Late Model has provided Kleyn a quality perspective into how he needs to compose himself, particularly for marque events.

“It’s been really good learning from [Pollard],” Kleyn said. “He knows what he’s talking about, and I’m really looking forward to having him at [Five Flags Speedway]. I’ve raced there before, and that track is super hard to figure out. He has it figured out, so it helps having him around. If I need anything, he’s more than willing to help me out.”

Kleyn also credited Yelton for his leadership throughout their first months together. As Kleyn acclimated himself to Nashville’s layout during the All American 400, Yelton reminded him there would be chances to improve the car and to keep persevering regardless of track position.

The result for Kleyn in the All American 400 was a lead-lap finish of 11^th behind race winner Jake Garcia. In a field that also featured drivers like Casey Roderick, Stephen Nasse and 2022 Snowball Derby winner Derek Thorn, Kleyn was more than satisfied to depart Nashville with a decent showing and an intact car.

With the accolades his competition possesses, Kleyn tries to maintain a level-headed mindset when it comes to competition. Being in the presence of so many elites in Super Late Models can be intimidating for any driver, which is why Kleyn does not let their status influence the way he competes in their territory.

“I try not to think of them as the best guys in the business,” Kleyn said. “We have Bubba as our driver coach, and I’ve seen what he can do even when he’s not in his own stuff. All those guys are super good, but if you treat them like they’re better than everyone else, then you kind of put yourself at a disadvantage because you get nervous around them.

“You have to treat them like everyone else and drive your own race.”

Eager to branch out from the West Coast, Kasey Kleyn looks forward to the challenge of regularly competing against the elites of Super Late Model competition. (Photo: Brian Hayes/ARCA Racing)

Kleyn intends to keep adhering to that mindset for both the Governor’s Cup and the Snowball Derby. Although the former event will not have the car count of the All American 400, Kleyn will still have to contest with notable names like Nasse, Spencer Davis and part-time ARCA Menards Series competitor Gio Ruggiero in the field.

New Smyrna is also uncharted territory for Kleyn, as he has never raced at the facility. Kleyn has no idea what to expect from the abrasive surface prior to Sunday’s green flag, but he is confident the equipment provided by Yelton and everyone at FatHead Racing will put him in a great position to contend for victory.

A strong showing Sunday would be beneficial for Kleyn before he and FatHead Racing start planning for the Snowball Derby. Precision will be key for Kleyn the entire week, as any misstep could be the difference between qualifying on speed and having to battle for a transfer spot in the last chance qualifier.

Racing in the southeast has already been far different compared to what Kleyn is accustomed to back home. There are still many aspects about the region’s tracks he is ascertaining, but Kleyn believes consistency will naturally come to him as he spends more time in the southeast with FatHead Racing.

“Showing up to these bigger tracks has been a little bit of a challenge,” Kleyn said. “Back home, we race quarter-mile tracks and don’t have half-mile stuff. It’s a little different, so you have to be more heads up with things happening faster. You have to be more perfect around the track to have fast laps and not lose time to these guys.”

The long-term plan is for Kleyn to get accustomed to his new surroundings. He is working diligently with FatHead Racing on a 2025 schedule that will be challenging while simultaneously helping him get his name out to prominent industry figures.

Kleyn’s journey might involve spending more time away from home, but the young competitor is on his way toward finding his place amidst the brightest stars in the southeast.

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Dustin Albino

There are story lines galore entering the 2024 Xfinity Series Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. After 5,116 laps making up the opening 32 races, it all comes down to 200 circuits in the Sonoran Desert on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Age and wisdom fill all four spots this year. Three of the four drivers are at least 30 years old, and Cole Custer is the defending series champion. This could be the final hoorah for Custer and AJ Allmendinger in the Xfinity Series as both will return to the Cup Series in 2025.

Justin Allgaier will add to his resume by making his seventh Championship 4 appearance, the most of any driver in series history. Austin Hill is the only driver in the quartet who will be making their first Championship 4 appearance after consecutive years of advancing to the Round of 8 with Richard Childress Racing.

In seven of the eight previous postseasons, the winner of the championship race was also crowned champion moments later. The lone exception was in 2017 when William Byron claimed the championship as a rookie and, ironically, Custer won his first career race. On the final restart of last year’s race, the Championship 4 drivers filled the front two rows.

Let’s preview each championship-contending driver and where they stand heading to Phoenix.

Justin Allgaier
2024 regular-season finish: 2nd
Playoff seed: 1st

Allgaier summed it up perfectly at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month: It’s surprising that he isn’t approaching double-digit wins with the amount of speed the Jim Pohlman-led team has brought to the track in 2024.

Misfortune has struck Allgaier in more ways than one in 2024. His 16 stage wins are more than double the next closest driver on the list (Chandler Smith with seven). In the regular-season finale, he squandered a 43-point lead on Custer and finished second in the regular-season standings. With a disastrous opening two races in the Round of 12, he squeaked through to the Round of 8, where the No. 7 team returned to its normal form.

Based on prior history at Phoenix, Allgaier should be the favorite. He has a pair of wins and 18 top-10 finishes in 28 Phoenix starts. Had it not been for a punctured tire in the spring race, he would have scored a third victory. Allgaier knows the No. 7 team will be prepared come this weekend.

“If I have one race track on my calendar that’s circled, it’s this fall race,” Allgaier said after clinching a spot at Martinsville Speedway last weekend. “Not only because it’s a good race track for us, but the way that the spring race ended, I left there fully dejected, knowing that we had the dominant car and we walked out of there with a wrecked pile of junk and didn’t get to win the race.

“Knowing what we’re taking back next week, I have no doubt in my mind that we’re going to have a great piece, and we will see what we can do.”

Cole Custer
2024 regular-season finish: 1st
Playoff seed: 2nd

In Custer’s championship defense, he leads the series with 772 laps led and is tied with Sheldon Creed for the most top 10 finishes (22). Of the four championship-eligible drivers, the No. 00 team has the best average finish (10.6).

Custer returns to Phoenix one year later, hoping for a repeat performance from 2023. He led a race-high 96 laps in last year’s championship event, enough to hold off his three competitors in an overtime finish.

In nine Phoenix starts, Custer has four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. His average finish is a stout 7.6.

“We definitely have to go there and find something,” Custer said, who was the final driver to advance to Phoenix on points. “At the end of the day, I feel like we have as good of a shot as anybody. We’ve had fast cars there before and there’s no reason why we can’t go there and compete for a championship.”

Austin Hill
2024 regular-season finish: 4th
Playoff seed: 3rd

No driver started the 2024 campaign stronger than Hill, sweeping the first two races at Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. His third regular season victory didn’t come until September when the series returned to Atlanta.

Winning the second race in the Round of 8 guaranteed Hill a position into the Championship 4 for the first time in his national touring series career. The No. 21 team’s numbers are slightly down from Hill’s first two seasons with Richard Childress Racing as he ranks worse in top 10s (19), laps led (240) and average finish (11.7).

The advantage Hill has is he had an extra week to prepare for Phoenix virtue of winning at Homestead-Miami Speedway. While he has an average finish of 8.8 in five Phoenix starts, just one of those cracked the top five. The good news for RCR is it came earlier this season, and if that race was the championship event, he would have been crowned the champion.

“I’ve always said that I just want a shot,” Hill said at Martinsville. “If you can do that like we’ve done, you have a 25% chance of winning the championship. We’re going to keep our head down this whole week, do a lot of prep work. It’s a stout group that we have to go up against. We have to bring our A game, give it all we got and hope it’s enough.”

AJ Allmendinger
2024 regular-season finish: 6th
Playoff seed: 10th

Allmendinger shocked the field in the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, leading 102 of 201 laps en route to Kaulig Racing’s first non-road course triumph in 2024. That single race accounts for 39.5% of the laps led for the No. 16 Chevrolet all season.

But that was a 1.5-mile, high-speed track, whereas Phoenix is a flat 1-mile oval that Kaulig hasn’t seen the results come to fruition. Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing, doesn’t sugarcoat the team’s lack of success on tracks similar to Phoenix. By having two additional weeks to prepare for the championship race, all the focus shifted towards Phoenix and honing in on the No. 16 car. The key, Rice believes, is to “look outside the box.”

In five Xfinity starts with Kaulig, Allmendinger has a best finish of fifth and three top-10 finishes. In the spring, he placed 18th, one lap off the pace. The goal is to just be in contention as Allmendinger finished 14th in his previous Championship 4 appearance in 2021.

“I think Chris would admit, we just have to run fast enough so we can win,” Allmendinger said after winning at Las Vegas. “We’ve been terrible at Phoenix.”

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Adam Fenwick

Every season, Late Model drivers from across the country make their way to Florida during the months of November and December to compete in some of the biggest short-track races in the United States. One of those events is the Florida Governor’s Cup at New Smyrna Speedway.

The Florida Governor’s Cup has been held annually since 1965 at a variety of tracks. Serving as a prelude to the annual running of the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, the Florida Governor’s Cup typically attracts a strong contingent of competitors looking to get some extra laps in advance of the biggest Super Late Model event of the season.

The list of Governor’s Cup winners consists of some of history’s greatest asphalt short-track competitors. Among them are Wayne Reutimann, uncle to NASCAR Cup Series winner David Reutimann, Gary Balough, Ed Howe, Dick Trickle, Mike Eddy, Butch Miller, Bobby Gill, Pete Orr, David Rogers, Erik Jones, Ty Majeski, Augie Grill, Bubba Pollard, Sammy Smith and the most recent winner, Stephen Nasse.

In 2024, several familiar names will invade New Smyrna in pursuit of the trophy. Below is everything you need to know about this year’s Florida Governor’s Cup.

A general view during of New Smyrna Speedway during the 2024 season. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

What TV channel is the 2024 Florida Governor’s Cup on?

All the on-track action for the Florida Governor’s Cup at New Smyrna Speedway 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.

Below is the complete schedule for FloRacing’s coverage of the Florida Governor’s Cup

Date	Event	Start time	How to watch
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024	Florida Governor’s Cup	7:15 p.m. ET	FloRacing
Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024	Florida Governor’s Cup	2 p.m. ET	FloRacing

Florida Governor’s Cup schedule

On-track activity for this year’s Florida Governor’s Cup will be split between Saturday, Nov. 9 and Sunday, Nov. 10.

Saturday’s schedule of events is headlined by a 100-lap feature for the Pro Late Model division. Sunday’s action will include the 200-lap Florida Governor’s Cup race for Super Late Models.

Below is the complete schedule (All times ET).

Saturday, Nov. 9

Time	Event
10 a.m.	Pit Gate Opens
10:30 a.m.	Late Model Tech (By Appointment)
12:15 p.m.	Drivers Meeting
1 – 1:30 p.m.	Pro Late Model Practice
1:35 – 1:55 p.m.	Modified Practice
2 – 2:45 p.m.	Super Late Model Practice
2:50 – 3:10 p.m.	Modified Practice
3:15 – 3:45 p.m.	Pro Late Model Practice
3:45 p.m.	Modified Qualifying Tech
3:50 – 4:25 p.m.	Super Late Model Practice
4 p.m.	Pro Late Model Tires Released
4:30 – 4:45 p.m.	Pro Truck Practice
4:30 p.m.	Pro Late Model Qualifying Tech
4:50 – 5:05 p.m.	Modified Mini Practice
5 p.m.	Super Late Model Tires Released
5:05 – 5:15 p.m.	Track Cold
5:15 p.m.	Modified Qualifying
5:30 p.m.	Super Late Model Qualifying Tech
5:40 – 5:55 p.m.	Pro Truck Group Qualifying
6 p.m.	Modified Mini Qualifying
6:15 p.m.	Pro Late Model Qualifying
6:45 p.m.	Opening Ceremonies
7 p.m.	Super Late Model Qualifying
7:30 p.m.	Pro Late Model Feature (100 Laps)
Followed by…	Pro Truck Feature (35 Laps)
Followed by…	Modified Feature (75 Laps)
Followed by…	Modified Mini Feature (50 Laps)

Sunday, Nov. 10

Time	Event
9 – 10 a.m.	Haulers Removed From Infield
10 a.m.	Pit Gates Open
10:15 a.m.	Super Late Model Qualifying Tires Released
10:30 a.m.	Drivers Meeting
10:45 a.m.	Super Late Model Pre-Race Tech
11 a.m.	Church Service
11:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.	Sportsman Practice
12 – 12:15 p.m.	Track Cold
12:15 – 12:30 p.m.	Sportsman Group Qualifying
12:30 p.m.	Grid Super Late Models
12:45 – 1:15 p.m.	Autograph Session
1:15 p.m.	Opening Ceremonies
1:20 p.m.	Driver Group Photo
1:30 p.m.	Governor’s Cup Driver Intros
1:40 p.m.	Prayer & National Anthem
2 p.m.	59th Governor’s Cup (200 Laps)
Followed by…	Sportsman Feature (35 Laps)

Race format

The field for Sunday’s 200-lap Florida Governor’s Cup will be set via qualifying Saturday evening; drivers will line up based on the results of that session.

The race is 200 green flag laps. The last five laps must run under green, but not consecutively. Scoring will freeze in the last five laps if necessary. Teams can not lose a lap under yellow in last five laps. If a yellow flag is waved once the leader has taken the white flag, there will be a green/white/checkered restart. The event is completed after a maximum of three green/white/checkered attempts.

New Smyrna Speedway reserves the right to count cautions in certain situations. A mandatory caution will be thrown after 75 consecutive laps up to Lap 190. One pit stop is mandatory during the event.

The event will utilize controlled pit stops up to Lap 190. All cautions will be controlled unless declared a quickie yellow by race control. Teams can only take tires during controlled pit stops unless to replace a flat tire as approved by track officials.

Controlled pit stops will consist of a two-lap grace period. The pace car will pick up the field. The pits are closed until the lineup is established. Once the lineup is established, race control will announce that pit road is open next time and the pit open flagman will show green. Drivers can enter pit road when they get to the entrance.

The two-lap grace period is only the first two laps that pit road is open after cars have been brought to pit road. When pitting under a controlled pit stop, the cars that pit the first time by will return to the track in the same order they were scored running in the race prior to coming to pit road, relative to the other cars that pitted, and will line up behind the cars that did not pit, as long as they return to the track within the stated two-lap window.

Any car that returns to the track after that two-lap window will not get its position back, will start losing laps and must fall to the tail. Any car that pits and does not return to the track prior to the field receiving the one to go signal must restart at the tail of all cars. There will not be a controlled pit stop in the last 10 laps.

A general view of New Smyrna Speedway. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Entry list

As of Nov. 6, the entry list for the Super Late Model portion of the Governor’s Cup featured 16 cars.

Headlining that group is Stephen Nasse, the defending Florida Governor’s Cup winner. A native of Pinellas Park, Florida, Nasse last year became the first native Floridian to win the Governor’s Cup since Jeff Choquette won the race in 2018.

Several drivers from across the country are among those entered in the Governor’s Cup. They include Kasey Kleyn, who is from Quincy, Washington. Also entered is ARCA Menards Series East regular Gio Ruggiero. He’ll be part of the stout Donnie Wilson Racing stable during Sunday’s event.

Other notable entries include Gavan Boschele, Brad May, Spencer Davis, Conner Sutton, Michael Atwell and Colby Howard.

Below is the entry list for the 2024 Florida Governor’s Cup.

Car No.	Driver	Hometown
1	Kasey Kleyn	Quincy, Washington
9	Anthony Cataldi	Umatila, Florida
9	Brad May	Oviedo, Florida
10	George Gorham Jr.	Winter Haven, Florida
17	Hudson Bulger	Perry, Georgia
22	Gio Ruggiero	Seekonk, Massachusetts
24	Gavan Boschele	Mooresville, North Carolina
27	Bobby Good	Lake Mary, Florida
29	Spencer Davis	Dawsonville, Georgia
51	Stephen Nasse	Pinellas Park, Florida
54	Conner Sutton	Pensacola, Florida
55	Michael Atwell	Naples, Florida
58	John Coffman	Live Oak, Florida
58T	Grant Thompson	Mobile, Alabama
81	Colby Howard	Simpsonville, South Carolina
99	Bobby Gordon	Merritt Island, Florida

Posted on November 5, 2024November 5, 2024 by Staff Report

NASCAR penalized the Nos. 1, 3 and 23 Cup Series teams for Member Conduct violations during Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway.

After an investigation of the on-track data and team scanners from the final laps of Sunday’s Round of 8 elimination race, NASCAR determined the actions of those involved violated sections 4.4.B&D: NASCAR Member Conduct of the Rule Book, which include race manipulation and actions detrimental to stock car racing.

Drivers Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing), Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing), and Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing) were each hit with a loss of 50 driver points and a $100,000 fine. In addition, NASCAR also fined the owners of each team $100,000 and deducted 50 owner points each.

Crew chiefs Phil Surgen, Justin Alexander and Bootie Barker, along with their respective spotters Brandon McReynolds, Brandon Benesch and Freddie Kraft, were all suspended for the 2024 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

Additionally, team executives Tony Lunders, Keith Rodden and Dave Rogers were also suspended for the 2024 finale at Phoenix.

Richard Childress Racing, 23XI Racing and Trackhouse Racing all announced that they would appeal the ruling.

“We took and looked at the most recent penalty that we had written for an infraction, very similar, which was the 41 car a couple of years ago at the Roval,” NASCAR Senior VP of Competition Elton Sawyer said. “We felt like we wanted to ramp this one up and we did, we did that in a way that we included team leadership. And this one, something that we feel like that, you know, we want to get our point across that it’s a responsibility of all of us, the team owners, the team leadership as well as ourselves here at NASCAR to uphold the integrity of our sport.”

In the late stages of last weekend’s 500-lap race, William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet began to fade from the front of the field, which led to a series of on-track events that eventually resulted in Tuesday’s penalties.

Every spot lost dropped Byron closer to the elimination line, and he settled into sixth place on the track, just one point ahead of Christopher Bell in the provisional playoff standings and in position to advance to the Championship 4. Bell was running in 19th place at the time, the first car one lap down.

As Ryan Blaney pulled away for his Championship 4-clinching win, the Chevrolets of Chastain and Dillon effectively created a blockade behind Byron, both running side-by-side and not passing the No. 24 car over the final 10 laps. Completed passes by those cars may have dropped Byron out of the Championship 4.

Elsewhere on track, Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota slowed significantly over the final five laps, eventually getting lapped by Blaney. On the final lap, Bell surged past the slowing Wallace entering Turn 3, slid through the rubber marbles on the track and rode his car along the outside retaining wall coming to the checkered flag in 18th place.

While initially it appeared that Bell would advance to the Championship 4 via a tiebreaker, NASCAR reviewed the video in the minutes after the checkered flag and determined Bell’s move was a safety violation. The result of that call moved Bell to the final car one lap down for a 22nd-place finish, giving Byron enough points to advance. …

In other penalty news, Richard Childress Racing crew members Josh Sobecki (jack) and Michael Russell (front changer) were suspended two races (through the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium) for a safety violation when the No. 8 Cup car lost a wheel at Martinsville. …

Xfinity Series driver Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing was fined $10,000 for violating section 4.4.D: NASCAR Member Conduct of the rule book, which includes member-to-member confrontations, after an altercation with Cole Custer in Saturday’s race at Martinsville. …

Craftsman Truck Series Championship 4 driver Ty Majeski for ThorSport Racing was fined $12,500 for failing to perform a media obligation.

Posted on November 5, 2024November 5, 2024 by Reid Spencer

With Ryan Blaney’s 11th-hour victory last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, Team Penske has a decided edge among NASCAR Cup Series powerhouses entering Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

With both 2022 series champion Joey Logano and 2023 champion Blaney in the Championship 4, Team Penske is seeking its third consecutive title, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Jimmie Johnson won five straight for Hendrick Motorsports from 2006 through 2010.

“Since Joey won that race at Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, locking him in, the excitement level and preparation level has really amped up at our shop in Mooresville (North Carolina), that’s for sure,” Team Penske vice chairman Walt Czarnecki said Monday in a Zoom conference with reporters.

“Of course, Ryan’s win (Sunday) has compounded it. Everybody was back at the shop (Monday) morning, hard at work. … We will be prepared, I promise you.”

Blaney also has a chance to do something no other driver has done since Johnson’s five-year streak — win two titles in a row.

“It is so hard to win at this level, even one race,” Czarnecki said. “So, to put yourself in a position and have a team that’s in a position to be back-to-back champion — and in our case, three championships in a row — is quite extraordinary.

“But again, it’s a testimony to the people. It would mean a lot to us personally, and it would mean a lot to the sport.”

Hendrick Motorsports features one representative in the Championship 4 — but just barely. Daytona 500 winner William Byron qualified for the title race by four points after Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell was demoted four positions for riding the wall on the last lap in last Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville.

But for the penalty, Bell would have qualified for the Championship race on a tiebreaker. Instead, Byron will carry the banner in Hendrick’s 40th-anniversary season.

“It’s going to be a tough battle,” said Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon, a four-time Cup champion in his own right. “You’ve got three other teams and drivers that are rock-solid. They all have their strengths, and they all can run good at Phoenix, so we’re going to have to step up, no doubt.”

Byron won the pole and the first stage of last year’s season finale at Phoenix but faded to fourth as the track changed later in the day. Blaney won the title with a runner-up finish to race winner Ross Chastain.

A Hendrick championship this year would be the capstone on a milestone season.

“It would be huge,” Gordon said, “but (team owner) Rick (Hendrick) and I talked about this last week before Martinsville about how excited we are of what we have accomplished this year — I mean 11 wins, all four cars in the playoffs, all four cars have won.

“We’ve won big races, the Brickyard, Daytona. So, it’s been a great year, and it’s going to be a year that we celebrate because of what we’ve accomplished over 40 years but especially what we’re doing in this 40th year. Of course, to take it to the next level and make it a year we’ll never forget, a championship, yeah, would certainly be the icing on the cake.”

Standing in the way of that accomplishment are not only the two Team Penske drivers but also NASCAR Cup Championship 4 newcomer Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing, who qualified for the title race by winning on Oct. 27 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Reddick, in his second season with 23XI, has dealt with Championship 4 pressure in the Xfinity Series, winning consecutive titles for two different teams in 2018 and 2019 when the season finale was contested at Homestead.

“(Team co-owner) Denny (Hamlin) was the one who was zeroed in on going after and hiring Tyler Reddick,” said 23XI president Steve Lauletta. “He saw his talent, raced against him, knew that he is going to be a race-winning driver and champion driver at this level in the Cup Series like he was in Xfinity.

“We were focused on making sure we were able to get him. His work ethic is something special. His ability to get the most out of people on his team, his relationship with (teammate) Bubba (Wallace) is fantastic. He’s just fit in as good as we’d hoped for in the quick two years that he’s been here.

“To give him the chance, and for him to work with us to be able to go to Phoenix and have a chance to race for 23XI’s first championship is just all a testament to it being the right place for him to be and to take the next step in his career.”

Posted on November 5, 2024November 5, 2024 by Staff Report

NASCAR has taken a significant stride toward at-track inclusivity with the introduction of the NASCAR Mobility Pit Box. Developed in collaboration with Toyota, this innovative pit box offers a fully functional experience tailored for individuals with mobility challenges.

The NASCAR Mobility Pit Box was designed to ensure that all fans, regardless of physical abilities, can enjoy the excitement of race-day action up close. Over 21 race weekends in 2024, the NASCAR Mobility Pit Box hosted over 140 individuals with mobility challenges.

The inspiration for the pit box came from former BMX racing cyclist and NASCAR fan Sam Willoughby. Willoughby suffered a career-ending injury in 2016, four weeks after the Rio Olympics. The injury left him with tetraplegia — a paralysis that can affect the arms and legs.

Willoughby attended the 2020 Daytona 500 with Toyota and was asked what could be done to improve his experience at the race track. “About the only thing I didn’t get to do was go in a pit box,” Willoughby said. From there, NASCAR and Toyota went to work.

LEARN MORE: NASCAR Salutes | NASCAR Impact

A pivotal component of the pit box is its integrated ramp and lift system, facilitating smooth and safe entry for guests using wheelchairs or other mobility aids. The pit box offers ample room for maneuverability, ensuring guests can comfortably navigate and enjoy the race from a prime viewing location.

Designed to accommodate three guests in mobility devices along with their companions, the pit box incorporates state-of-the-art features aimed at enhancing comfort and accessibility, including climate assist.

“This setup is absolutely unbelievable,” said JD Holland, who experienced the pit box at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600 weekend. “I hate to be in the condition to have to use it, but the effort everyone has put in to provide this opportunity for an ADA (American with Disabilities Act) recipient, this is absolutely great.”

JD’s father, Melvin, was honored at this year’s Coca-Cola 600 and featured on Pace Car 1 for his sacrifice while serving in the United States Air Force.

“I hope that everybody that gets the opportunity to be up here enjoys it as much as we did,” Holland added. “The assistance everybody has provided with getting us around, wheelchairs, ADA golf carts, elevators instead of stairs, just that whole hospitality from Day 1 when we got here. It’s absolutely wonderful.”

The NASCAR Mobility Pit Box represents a shift in the accessibility landscape within motorsports. Combining cutting-edge technology with a commitment to inclusivity sets a precedent for future innovations aimed at enhancing the fan experience for individuals of all abilities.

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 drivers Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and William Byron will all be together for a panel hosted and moderated by Kim Coon, streaming live on NASCAR.com, NASCAR’s YouTube channel and NASCAR social media on Tuesday, Nov. 5 starting at 2 p.m. ET.

The stream will last until 2:20 p.m. ET at NASCAR’s production facility in Concord, North Carolina, kicking off Championship media coverage.

The Tuesday afternoon event marks the first appearance of all four contenders for the Bill France Cup, leading up to Sunday’s season finale race at Phoenix Raceway, where the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion will be crowned on Sunday, Nov. 10 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials will look further into the on-track actions of multiple competitors Sunday night in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway.

The No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet piloted by Ross Chastain, the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon and the No. 23 Toyota of 23XI Racing wheeled by Bubba Wallace all fall under scrutiny for how they raced in the closing laps of Sunday’s Xfinity 500.

NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer said Sunday the officials’ immediate focus in the moment centered around Christopher Bell’s wall ride in the final corner, but said he anticipated a deeper examination lied ahead once clear of Sunday’s event.

“We’ll look at everything,” Sawyer said. “As I said earlier, we want to go back, as we would have done anyway. We’ll get back, we’ll take all the data, video. We’ll listen to in-car audio. We’ll do all that, as we would any event.”

RELATED: Race recap | Final Laps

In the late stages of the 500-lap race, William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet faded quickly from the front of the field after leading 51 circuits. Every spot lost dropped Byron closer to the elimination line until he settled in sixth place on the track, just one point ahead of Christopher Bell in the provisional playoff standings and in position to advance to the Championship 4. Bell was running in 19th place, the first car one lap down.

Behind Byron, the Chevrolets of Chastain and Dillon effectively created a blockade, both running side-by-side and not passing Byron over the final 10 laps. Those passes would have dropped Byron out of the Championship 4.

Elsewhere on track, Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota slowed significantly over the final five laps, eventually getting lapped by race leader Ryan Blaney. On the final lap, Bell surged past the slowing Wallace entering Turn 3, slid through the rubber marbles on the track and rode his car along the outside retaining wall coming to the checkered flag.

Bell crossed the finish line 18th, tying Byron for the final Champ 4 position and provisionally advancing on a tiebreaker. But after a review, officials penalized Bell for the wall ride, deeming it a safety violation and moving Bell to the final car one lap down, resulting in a 22nd-place finish for Bell and allowing Byron advancement instead.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action in its Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock).