Posted on by Staff Report

World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Race results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Laps
 Diff
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications, Inc. 150 —
2 17 Anthony Nocella Sontag Motorsports/Bells Septic/Xtreme Autobody 150 0.355
3 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine/Future Homes 150 2.464
4 64 Austin Beers G&G Electrical Supply/Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 150 3.335
5 60 Matt Hirschmann Elite 150 10.36
6 44 Chase Dowling Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 150 10.681
7 1 Patrick Emerling Fleetworks Inc 150 12.325
8 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply 150 13.13
9 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Racing/Eastport Feed 150 13.32
10 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munns Auto 150 19.763
11 89 Matt Swanson Cervaolos Auto/Casella Snowplows/Mully’s Auto Repair 149 1 Lap
12 82 Woody Pitkat Horton Avenue Materials/Gunsmoke Stables Racing 149 1 Lap
13 3 Tyler Rypkema USNE/Northeast Drilling 149 1 Lap
14 4 Tim Connolly Connolly Companies, LLC 148 2 Laps
15 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara/USNE Power 148 2 Laps
16 15 Joey Cipriano III* Dependable Energy 148 2 Laps
17 84 Tyler Catalano* USNE Power 148 2 Laps
18 56 Trevor Catalano* USNE Power 147 3 Laps
19 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood & Restaurant 146 4 Laps
20 00 Tyler Barry* Spafco Race Chassis/BNP Machine 145 5 Laps
21 28 Mike Marshall* MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric 144 6 Laps
22 10 Bob Reis* IronListing.com/B.R. Machineworks 134 16 Laps

 

Posted on by Steve Luvender

We’re bringing you live updates covering Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race from Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval, the Bank of America Roval 400 (2 ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). Bookmark this page and check back often as we chronicle the action from what promises to be a thrilling Sunday.

Overview: 

• Charlotte Motor Speedway’s revamped Roval layout hosts the 109-lap Round of 12 playoff elimination race Sunday afternoon. 

• Among the 12 playoff contenders, four drivers will leave Charlotte eliminated from the championship fight. With a new track layout expected to offer a high degree of unpredictability, anything could happen — and anyone, except an already locked-in William Byron, could be going home disappointed.

If it helps to get you in the mood, you can check out past Charlotte races ad-free on NASCAR Classics. 

All times listed are Eastern.

Sunday, October 13

8:30 p.m., checkered flag: So, now, the Round of 8 heading into Las Vegas: Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano. The drivers eliminated from the Round of 12 are Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, Daniel Suárez and Chase Briscoe.

8:25 p.m., checkered flag: Well, hold the phone. The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Alex Bowman was disqualified following post-race inspection. His 18th-place finish becomes a last-place finish, which eliminates him from playoff contention. Joey Logano becomes the final driver to advance to the Round of 8.

6:20 p.m., checkered flag: Thanks for following our live blog coverage! See where your favorite driver finished in the unofficial results, and read our breakdown of the playoff picture in this week’s Playoff Pulse.

6:00 p.m., checkered flag: Your Round of 8: Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman. The Round of 8 features Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, ahead of the championship race at Phoenix Raceway next month.

5:54 p.m., checkered flag: Alex Bowman won Stage 2 — which carries a 10-point bonus — and Bowman made the cut by nine points. A pivotal strategy call may have kept the No. 48 team’s championship hopes alive. Bowman finished 18th.

5:52 p.m., checkered flag: Three non-playoff drivers finished in the top 10: Kaulig Racing road ringers AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen, and Bubba Wallace.

5:50 p.m., checkered flag: Hendrick Motorsports makes up half of the Round of 8 — all four drivers made the cut.

5:43 p.m., checkered flag: Kyle Larson is celebrating his victory with a smoky burnout in front of the fans on the frontstretch. His daughter Audrey has joined him in celebration.

5:42 p.m., checkered flag: Kyle Larson hasn’t experienced much playoff-bubble pressure this year, but he’s now won both cutoff races this season (Bristol).

5:41 p.m., checkered flag: Joey Logano crossed the start-finish line eighth and Tyler Reddick in 11th. Reddick will advance to the Round of 8, while Logano is eliminated from championship contention.

5:40 p.m., Lap 109: 🏁 Kyle Larson has won the Bank of America Roval 400, his sixth victory of 2024. It’s his second win of the playoffs.

5:39 p.m., Lap 108: ⚪️ White flag! It’s the final lap for Kyle Larson, who leads Christopher Bell by nearly two seconds.

5:36 p.m., Lap 106: Three laps remain. Right now, it’s Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Daniel Suárez and Chase Briscoe headed home.

5:32 p.m., Lap 103: Shane van Gisbergen has passed Joey Logano for seventh place. Make that a four-point difference between Logano and Reddick with six laps to go.

5:28 p.m., Lap 101: Tyler Reddick has moved up to 12th, moving past Denny Hamlin and a pitting Martin Truex Jr. Reddick’s now two points up on Logano, who will soon have a fast-charging Shane van Gisbergen on his hands.

5:25 p.m., Lap 99: With 10 laps remaining, AJ Allmendinger has moved past Joey Logano, meaning Logano and Reddick are now tied for the final transfer spot. Logano would win the tiebreaker based on best finishing position in the Round of 12. Reddick is riding behind team owner Denny Hamlin in 14th, but don’t expect the boss to give up the spot — Hamlin’s just seven points ahead of the Logano-Reddick battle.

5:22 p.m., Lap 97: Logano and Reddick are now separated by just a point with 13 to go. Reddick’s moving forward, while the two-time champ is fighting to maintain position.

5:21 p.m., Lap 95: While Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell seem untouchable on speed, Kaulig Racing teammates AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen are moving forward, both within the top 10. The pair pitted under the last caution, unlike the cars ahead of them.

5:18 p.m., Lap 94: Tyler Reddick has climbed to 15th — up 11 spots since the restart — while playoff rival Joey Logano continues to run sixth, unable to move forward. Momentum is on Reddick’s side with 15 laps to go. Two points separate the pair.

5:13 p.m., Lap 90: Tyler Reddick’s on a mission. Losing control of his car under braking, the No. 45 slapped the side of Daniel Hemric’s car, spinning the No. 31. Unfortunate for Hemric, but disaster averted for Reddick — for now.

5:10 p.m., Lap 88: Chase Elliott has moved past Joey Logano for fifth. Logano didn’t need to lose a spot, but he still enjoys a seven-point cushion over 20th-place Tyler Reddick.

5:04 p.m., Lap 84: Austin Cindric runs fourth. He’s 27 points out of the eighth-place cutoff, but if he wins, he’ll advance. It will be tough to best Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, though, and Cindric’s teammate Joey Logano is just behind him and searching for points.

5:03 p.m., Lap 84: 🟢 Back to green for leader Kyle Larson with just 26 to go. Tyler Reddick was among those who pitted under yellow for fresh tires.

4:56 p.m., Lap 81: 🟡 Caution No. 5. Austin Dillon’s left-front wheel has detached after pitting. That’s going to be a penalty for the No. 3.

4:55 p.m., Lap 80: It’s looking like the final playoff spot will come down to Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick, who are separated by five points. Logano runs seventh, while Reddick’s semi-wounded car is in 19th.

4:49 p.m., Lap 77: Leaders Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell have come to pit road, a lap after Denny Hamlin, who’d been marching through the field.

4:42 p.m., Lap 71: Drivers on alternate strategy — among those, AJ Allmendinger, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Michael McDowell and Chris Buescher — are making their way to pit road. Expect more to pit soon.

4:41 p.m., Lap 70: Shane van Gisbergen and Todd Gilliland have made contact, sending Gilliland’s Ford around in Turn 7.

4:37 p.m., Lap 67: On newer tires, Kyle Larson has passed AJ Allmendinger for the race lead.

4:30 p.m., Lap 63: Carson Hocevar has sent Shane van Gisbergen into a spin, while Austin Dillon simultaneously spun Chris Buescher. Turn 7, baby.

van Gisbergen and Buescher spin

4:29 p.m., Lap 62: Tyler Reddick has moved up to 23rd, the best he’s run since sustaining damage early in Stage 2. It’s not over yet for the regular-season champ.

4:25 p.m, Lap 60: 🟢 Green flag! AJ Allmendinger leads Bubba Wallace into Turn 1.

4:25 p.m., Lap 59: Let’s take a look at the playoff picture with 50 to go.

1. William Byron: Advanced to Round of 8
2. Kyle Larson: Advanced
3. Christopher Bell: Advanced
4. Denny Hamlin: +20
5. Alex Bowman: +15
6. Joey Logano: +14
7. Ryan Blaney: +14
8. Chase Elliott: +3
— Eight drivers advance —
9. Tyler Reddick: -3
10. Austin Cindric: -19
11. Daniel Suárez: -42
12. Chase Briscoe: -58 (Out)

4:23 p.m., Lap 58: With cars exiting the race, Christopher Bell has now clinched his spot in the Round of 8.

4:18 p.m., Lap 56: Daniel Suárez is on pit road with the hood up on the No. 99, reporting brake issues. Suárez almost surely needs to win this race to advance to the Round of 8, and he didn’t need this setback.

4:16 p.m., Lap 55: 🟡 Caution No. 4. Debris from John Hunter Nemechek’s damaged car has fallen onto the racing surface.

4:16 p.m., Lap 55: Ty Gibbs has exited the race with transmission issues.

4:16 p.m., Lap 55: Ross Chastain has gone for another spin after contact with Brad Keselowski. Legacy Motor Club teammates Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek are also collected in the spin. No caution, at least for now.

4:15 p.m., Lap 55: Bubba Wallace has moved to second place — a solid run as he looks to keep the Round of 12 trend alive where non-playoff drivers

4:13 p.m., Lap 55: 🟢 Green flag in the final stage!

4:11 p.m., Lap 53: Stage 2 winner Alex Bowman peeled off to pit, handing the lead to AJ Allmendinger. The ‘Dinger was among those who pitted during the second caution. Similarly, playoff contender Joey Logano stayed out and will likely need to pit soon.

4:09 p.m., Lap 52: On the other end of the field, it’s a struggle out there for Tyler Reddick. Reddick has taken his damaged Toyota to pit road numerous times, and he’s the last car running — currently 36th, though still on the lead lap. Never say never.

4:07 p.m., Lap 52: Kyle Larson has clinched his spot in the Round of 8 on points.

4:01 p.m., Lap 51: 🟡 Caution No. 3. Alex Bowman has won Stage 2, collecting 10 valuable stage points. The No. 48 team has been crushing it with earning points in the playoffs. In addition to Bowman, Joey Logano (third), Chase Elliott (fourth), Ryan Blaney (sixth), Austin Cindric (seventh) and Kyle Larson (10th) are the playoff drivers adding to their points totals.

3:59 p.m., Lap 49: Don’t forget to finalize your Fantasy Live Garage pick before the stage ends! I’ve swapped out Chase Briscoe for Michael McDowell.

3:58 p.m., Lap 48: Daniel Suárez and Joey Logano are fighting hard for position.

3:58 p.m., Lap 48: Leaders Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Shane van Gisbergen pit, handing the top spot to Alex Bowman.

3:57 p.m., Lap 47: Three laps remain in Stage 2, unfolding a mixed pit strategy. Fourth-place driver William Byron is the first to pit.

3:52 p.m., Lap 44: Chase Briscoe is done for the day. Stewart-Haas Racing’s last chance at a championship is over.

3:48 p.m., Lap 41: There’s a lot happening right now! Martin Truex Jr. sent Ross Chastain for a spin, while Kaz Grala and Erik Jones are trading bumpers deep in the field.

3:48 p.m., Lap 41: Chase Briscoe is on pit road with damage. He’s losing laps and will need a miracle to keep his championship hopes alive at this point.

3:45 p.m., Lap 39: Brad Keselowski, running fifth, has spun after contact with Daniel Suárez and Carson Hocevar. Justin Haley and Chase Briscoe also made contact with the stopped No. 6 car.

3:44 p.m., Lap 39: 🟢 Back to green with Kyle Larson showing the way.

3:42 p.m., Lap 37: The No. 45 team is on pit road repairing a broken right-rear toe link on Tyler Reddick’s car.

3:42 p.m., Lap 37: Led by AJ Allmendinger, many drivers have opted to pit under caution, essentially cutting the stage in half.

3:37 p.m., Lap 35: 🟡 Caution No. 2. Well, there’s the source of the Briscoe smoke. A tire carcass on track from the No. 14 has drawn the yellow flag.

3:36 p.m., Lap 35: Uh oh. More playoff-driver drama. There’s smoke coming from Chase Briscoe’s car (small-s smoke, not to be confused with the owner of the car).

3:32 p.m., Lap 32: Tyler Reddick has pitted to evaluate damage on his Toyota. It’s possible Denny Hamlin may have damage, too, but Hamlin continues on track.

3:30 p.m., Lap 31: Austin Dillon has spun around in Turn 7 after contact with Alex Bowman. Tyler Reddick slid into the crash and may have some damage. That’s a big price to pay for pitting under caution for the No. 45.

Tyler Reddick crash Charlotte Roval

3:28 p.m., Lap 29: 🟢 Green flag to begin Stage 2! Kyle Larson leads some big names: Shane van Gisbergen, AJ Allmendinger and Brad Keselowski. (They’re really big names. So many letters.)

3:16 p.m., Lap 26: 🟡 Caution No. 1. Tyler Reddick has won Stage 1, ahead of Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson. The top four will likely be the first to pit under caution.

3:12 p.m., Lap 22: Leader Shane van Gisbergen has pitted, handing the lead to Tyler Reddick. Reddick will collect 10 stage points and a playoff point if he wins the stage.

3:10 p.m., Lap 21: Pit stops are underway, including second-place Kyle Larson. It’s a busy place on pit road. Drivers are pitting before the stage end at Lap 25 because it’s likely they won’t lose a lap.

3:04 p.m., Lap 16: Martin Truex Jr. has also been penalized for cutting the frontstretch chicane.

2:59 p.m., Lap 13: Bubba Wallace has served a stop-and-go penalty after cutting the frontstretch chicane. Wallace fell from eighth to 12th.

2:57 p.m., Lap 12: Ryan Preece has gone for a spin. No caution; the No. 41 continues.

Ryan Preece spin

2:52 p.m., Lap 9: Meanwhile up front, Shane van Gisbergen leads. Kyle Larson follows 1.5 seconds behind.

2:51 p.m., Lap 7: Playoff driver Chase Briscoe has been slowly bleeding positions since the start of the race. He’s running 26th — the lowest of the playoff drivers — and that’s not going to make up his 32-point deficit.

2:47 p.m., Lap 5: Alex Bowman caught a bit of air launching his Chevrolet off the Turn 17 curb. Bowman continues on running 19th, but it will be interesting to see if that moment of airtime damaged his car.

2:45 p.m., Lap 4: Another playoff driver who hasn’t had an ideal start is Denny Hamlin. Hamlin started 21st and has already fallen back to 24th. As they run, his 30-point cushion has disappeared — but it’s a long race.

2:43 p.m., Lap 2: Joey Logano’s been shuffled out after a move by Kyle Larson. Logano has fallen to fifth, losing positions to Larson, Reddick and AJ Allmendinger. Logano needs to find 13 points today if he wants to keep his championship hopes alive.

2:42 p.m., Lap 2: Tyler Reddick’s first lap was not great. He fell from second to fifth, but he’s quickly looking to make up those positions.

2:40 p.m., Lap 1: 🟢 Greg Biffle has waved the green flag! Let’s wrap up this Round of 12. Follow along with our Live Leaderboard.

2:30 p.m.: The field of 38 is now rolling behind the pace car. Shane van Gisbergen will lead the field to green after winning his first-ever Busch Light Pole award yesterday.

2:25 p.m.: A pair of NASCAR legends have uttered those famous words. Ricky Rudd and Carl Edwards have combined to win 51 Cup Series races.

2:20 p.m.: It’s time for opening ceremonies! Head to NBC and fire up Race Center; cars will roll off the grid momentarily.

2:17 p.m.: Today marks Martin Truex Jr.’s final road-course race as a full-time driver. Truex rolls off 30th this afternoon.

2:10 p.m.: Don’t forget to lock in those Fantasy Live picks! Here’s my lineup for this afternoon. (Thanks for racing this afternoon, SVG, and saving some valuable usage of playoff drivers.)

Steve Luvender’s Fantasy Live lineup

2:02 p.m.: Yes, please.

2 p.m.: Here’s the points picture heading into today:

1. William Byron: Advanced to Round of 8
2. Christopher Bell: +57
3. Kyle Larson: +52
4. Denny Hamlin: +30
5. Alex Bowman: +26
6. Ryan Blaney: +25
7. Tyler Reddick: +14
8. Chase Elliott: +13
— Eight drivers advance —
9. Joey Logano: -13
10. Daniel Suárez: -20
11. Austin Cindric: -29
12. Chase Briscoe: -32

William Byron’s already locked in to the Round of 8 via earned points at Kansas and Talladega. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson will almost certainly advance based on their buffer of points, but beyond that, it’s wide open. Stage points will be crucial for playoff drivers this afternoon.

1:50 p.m.: We’ve got a new NASCAR fan at the track this weekend. Welcome, Becks!

Posted on by Staff Report

World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Practice results
Pos. No. Driver Sponsor Best Time Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff.
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications, Inc. 19.133 117.598 18 26 —
2 89 Matt Swanson Cervaolos Auto/Casella Snowplows/Mully’s Auto Repair 19.187 117.267 12 13 0.054
3 44 Chase Dowling Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 19.201 117.181 6 17 0.068
4 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara/USNE Power 19.243 116.926 12 21 0.11
5 3 Tyler Rypkema USNE/Northeast Drilling 19.27 116.762 11 19 0.137
6 1 Patrick Emerling Fleetworks Inc 19.308 116.532 5 17 0.175
7 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munns Auto 19.34 116.339 10 22 0.207
8 64 Austin Beers G&G Electrical Supply/Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 19.358 116.231 8 27 0.225
9 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine/Future Homes 19.358 116.231 14 15 0.225
10 82 Woody Pitkat Horton Avenue Materials/Gunsmoke Stables Racing 19.363 116.201 7 20 0.23
11 17 Anthony Nocella Sontag Motorsports/Bells Septic/Xtreme Autobody 19.364 116.195 7 14 0.231
12 60 Matt Hirschmann Elite 19.366 116.183 24 25 0.233
13 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply 19.413 115.902 9 14 0.28
14 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Racing/Eastport Feed 19.429 115.806 11 18 0.296
15 56 Trevor Catalano* USNE Power 19.485 115.473 9 24 0.352
16 15 Joey Cipriano III* Dependable Energy 19.486 115.468 8 15 0.353
17 4 Tim Connolly Connolly Companies, LLC 19.61 114.737 12 18 0.477
18 84 Tyler Catalano* USNE Power 19.689 114.277 5 17 0.556
19 00 Tyler Barry* Spafco Race Chassis/BNP Machine 19.697 114.231 9 20 0.564
20 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood & Restaurant 19.816 113.545 12 12 0.683
21 10 Bob Reis* IronListing.com/B.R. Machineworks 20.449 110.03 13 15 1.316
22 28 Mike Marshall* MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric 20.465 109.944 23 27 1.332

 

Posted on by Staff Report

World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Starting lineup
Position Car No. Driver
1 16 Ron Silk
2 51 Justin Bonsignore
3 1 Patrick Emerling
4 64 Austin Beers
5 46 Craig Lutz
6 3 Tyler Rypkema
7 22 Kyle Bonsignore
8 56 Trevor Catalano *
9 54 Tommy Catalano
10 60 Matt Hirschman
11 18 Ken Heagy
12 36 Dave Sapienza
13 84 Tyler Catalano *
14 4 Tim Connolly
15 00 Tyler Barry *
16 82 Woody Pitkat
17 89 Matt Swanson
18 44 Chase Dowling
19 17 Anthony Nocella
20 15 Joey Cipriano, III *
21 10 Bob Reis *
22 28 Mike Marshall *

 

Posted on by Alex Cadavid

Editor’s note: Projected finish has been updated after Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions. Chase Elliott replaces Kyle Larson as the projected winner.

Talladega once again delivered on its reputation for chaos, shaking up the playoff standings and producing a thriller. Even amongst all the mayhem, we can start to get a sense of who the biggest threats are to vie for a title in Phoenix.

Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course (2 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) is no cakewalk, especially with a new track reconfiguration that aims to stir up more postseason drama.

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live lineup | Weekend schedule

William Byron has already locked into the Round of 8 on points. He’s virtually steered clear of playoff issues so far, with only one wreck and a lengthy pit stop for adjustments at Watkins Glen, so that’s one in and seven more to go. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson are two excellent road-course racers, setting themselves up nicely to lock in on points no matter the outcome, as they each sit plus-50 above the elimination line. Byron, Bell and Larson were three-fourths of last year’s Championship 4 and each of them own wins at the final three tracks (Homestead-Miami, Martinsville and Phoenix).

However, it’s from Denny Hamlin on down in the standings you can argue that the chance to advance is still wide open. The Roval is another wild-card race where anything can happen at any moment. Compared to other road courses, the Roval has averaged more lead changes (12), race cautions (7.8) and final stage cautions (4.3) since its debut in 2018. Not to mention nine or more playoff drivers have encountered various problems in four of the last six Roval races.

Who knows who will rise and fall Sunday, but after six races the playoff puzzle will finally start to take shape.

DRIVERS TO WATCH

ALEX BOWMAN: Bowman continues to lead drivers with the most points scored in the postseason (189) and now he goes to one of his best tracks. At the Roval, Bowman has the best average finish with at least four starts (6.4), scored the sixth-most points there in only five races (165) and he’s scored the most points on road courses this year (146).

CHASE ELLIOTT: The driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is a two-time Roval winner and will start seventh on Sunday. He is the active leader in road-course wins with seven, so even though he has not been dominant lately on road courses, it’s hard to count him out from getting an all-important win this time.

TYLER REDDICK: Pressure is mounting for the Regular Season Champion, who has finished 20th or worse in the last four races. The Charlotte circuit is in his wheelhouse, though, with top-10 finishes in the last three Roval races and an average finish of seventh. He’s also statically been the second-strongest playoff driver on road courses this season.

RYAN BLANEY: The reigning champ has a Roval win. However, his finishes since then have slipped out of the top 10 in the Next Gen era. Still, he’s scored the most points on the Roval (220) but could find trouble if others rise.

JOEY LOGANO: Speaking of drivers rising, Logano has five top 10s on the Roval, tied with Bowman. A top-10 finish — or win — may just be enough to point his way into the next round. The issue? Logano has a 17.5 average finish on road courses this year.

AJ ALLMENDINGER/SVG: The possibility of non-playoff drivers sweeping this round is not out of the question. Allmendinger kept playoff drivers at bay in last year’s race en route to an upset win and he’s a perfect four-for-four on the Roval in the Xfinity Series. If he can’t get it done, there’s a good chance his teammate can. Van Gisbergen opens as the favorite to win and he was second at Watkins Glen and was about half a lap from playing spoiler until Chris Buescher muscled his way to Victory Lane.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE BANK OF AMERICA ROVAL 400

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results. 

FinishCar NumberDriver
19Chase Elliott
245Tyler Reddick
35Kyle Larson
420Christopher Bell
524William Byron
654Ty Gibbs
71Ross Chastain
817Chris Buescher
916AJ Allmendinger
1034Michael McDowell
1148Alex Bowman
128Kyle Busch
1313Shane van Gisbergen
1412Ryan Blaney
1522Joey Logano
1699Daniel Suárez
1719Martin Truex Jr.
1811Denny Hamlin
192Austin Cindric
2023Bubba Wallace
2177Carson Hocevar
2271Zane Smith
236Brad Keselowski
2414Chase Briscoe
253Austin Dillon
2638Todd Gilliland
2751Corey LaJoie
2841Ryan Preece
2947Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
3010Noah Gragson
317Justin Haley
3243Erik Jones
3331Daniel Hemric
3421Harrison Burton
3542John Hunter Nemechek
3615Kaz Grala
374Josh Berry
3866Josh Bilicki
Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Longtime The Associated Press reporter Mike Harris was named recipient of the 2025 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence, becoming the 13th winner of the prestigious award.  

Harris joined the AP in 1969 and became lead motorsports reporter in 1980, a role he held until retirement in July 2009.   

“Mike Harris was a trusted voice inside the NASCAR garage for decades,” said Jim France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. “Mike’s nationwide reach coincided with NASCAR’s enormous popularity growth, and his coverage and feature stories for the world’s largest news-gathering organization brought NASCAR and our drivers into the homes of millions of fans across the country. Mike is a true professional, a gentleman and a legend in his field.” 

Harris began his full-time journalism career in 1967 with The Rockford Morning Star and Register-Republic before joining the AP Chicago Bureau in February 1969. He covered a variety of sports and served as Indiana Sports Editor before finding his home in motorsports. 

Harris is the 1985 recipient of the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence (previously called the Henry T. McLemore Award). In 1987 and 1994 he won the Jim Hunter Writer of the Year Award given by the Eastern Motorsport Press Association.

The Squier-Hall Award is voted upon by a panel of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, active and retired media members, and former NASCAR competitors and industry leaders. Harris will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Feb. 7, 2025, and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets to the Induction Weekend events are available at NASCARHall.com. 

The Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence was named after legendary NASCAR media figures Ken Squier and Barney Hall, the first two recipients of the award. 

The other seven nominees for the award were: 

Russ Catlin, one of the best-known early racing writers and historians; editor of Speed Age Magazine.

George Cunningham, long-time beat writer for The Charlotte Observer, Atlanta Constitution and NASCAR Scene; is the namesake for the annual NMPA award for Excellence in Writing.  

Jim Foster, helped create the Motor Racing Network (MRN) after 15 years covering NASCAR as a newspaper reporter. 

Bob Montgomery, co-founder and announcer for the Universal Racing Network.

Bob Moore, spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer including stints with the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Charlotte Observer.

Hank Schoolfield, a jack of all trades bringing NASCAR racing to rans across the Southeast through newspapers, magazines and radio.

Deb Williams, the first woman to receive the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence. 

Posted on by Staff Report

Following feedback from drivers and a review of data, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports replaced the blue rumble strips in Turn 16 prior to Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

On Saturday night following the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the blue, 4-inch tall rumble strips were replaced with red-and-white stripes that measure 2.25 inches tall, shortened to lessen the violence of impacts over the curbs entering the frontstretch chicane. The new strips were painted blue, and the rules will not change for today’s Round of 12 elimination race.

MORE: Starting lineup | Sunday’s schedule

After Saturday’s practice for the Bank of America Roval 400, drivers vocalized concerns of how abrupt the curbing felt from behind the wheel. Sections of the track’s layout were reconfigured ahead of this year’s running of the road-course-oval hybrid, including the frontstretch chicane.

“Running over that feels like you get a concussion every lap, basically, if you hit them,” 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. said. “So yeah, not much fun.”

Kyle Busch, a two-time series champion, affirmed Truex’s assessment, noting comparisons to and contrasts from the previous configuration of the Watkins Glen International “Bus Stop” chicane. Prior to the 2024 season, that section of curbing caused jarring impacts lap after lap. Changes were made ahead of September’s race following the collection of mouthpiece data from drivers.

“Here, I think it’s a sharper, faster hit,” Busch said Saturday. “But it’s one versus the old Bus Stop at Watkins Glen would be three of them going through there, you know what I mean. It’s more violent here.”

Policing of the rules specific to track limits note in part:

  • Vehicles must run on the full course at all times.
  • Going straight at the chicane(s) may result in a stop-and-go penalty.
  • In the closing laps of the race, if there is not enough time to assess a pass-through penalty, a post-race time penalty of 30 seconds will be assessed to the vehicle’s total time.
Posted on by Cameron Richardson

CONCORD, N.C. — Drama, relief and heartbreak. All three hit an apex in the closing laps of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Roval.

When the checkered flag waved after a wild 72 laps around the 2.32-mile road course, Justin Allgaier found himself on the right side of the elimination line by just four points.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

“We had a plan. We executed the plan to perfection today,” Allgaier said in relief after the race. “And really, that’s all you can ask for. And so for me, having that plan, I had 90 million things running through my head today. Honestly, the biggest one was the emotions of how I was going to tell my kids that we didn’t make the next round of the playoffs, right? Like that was really what I was the most worried about and to come out of here the way that we did, and to execute. I mean the last six weeks have been brutal. The thing that I hate about the playoffs, but also the thing that I love about the playoffs is that’s gone … that checkmark’s gone and we go into the next round and we reset on points and life’s good again.”

The last five weeks for Allgaier have arguably been the worst stretch of the No. 7 JR Motorsports driver’s lengthy and successful Xfinity Series career.

He entered Saturday’s race coming off finishes of 30th, 36th and 25th to find himself 18 points below the elimination line entering Saturday.

After collecting a healthy 18 points in the first two stages, winning the latter of the two segments, Allgaier needed a top-10 result to advance his way to the Round of 8 on points and did just that with a gutsy seventh-place finish.

“This team has such a never-give-up attitude,” Allgaier said. “The effort and time that’s gone in this week, last week. I mean we’ve wrecked six or seven race cars in the last seven weeks and have nothing to show for it, and they’ve never quit. They’ve kept pushing and kept digging. Today was just a testament of that. I got a little emotional on the radio when I thought the race was over the first time because you build all this up in your head and you get to that point and you’re not really sure how it’s gonna play out. When I thought it played out the way we wanted it to, it was great. Then we were going to have to have overtime. I was really nervous, but it worked out even better because obviously that put Sam [Mayer) in.”

allgaier climbs out of his car
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR Digital Media

Mayer, Allgaier’s teammate and needing a win to advance, found a second life after an overtime restart and the No. 1 JRM wheelman scooted by Parker Kligerman with two laps to go to score his third win and secure a Round of 8 berth.

With Mayer’s win, however, it left the road-course phenom Shane van Gisbergen the first driver out from advancing to the semi-final round.

Van Gisbergen looked to be in prime position to be victorious from the pole but during a caution with 13 laps to go, the No. 97 Chevrolet team chose not to pit and stay out on old tires while most of the playoff field pitted.

Within a few laps of the following restart, van Gisbergen was quickly caught and passed by Kligerman for the lead with eight to go and ultimately settled for a third-place finish, coming up just two points short of Jesse Love for the final transfer spot.

“You can’t just blame it on today,” van Gisbergen told NASCAR.com. “You know, last week hurts and then the guys who were in must-wins executed today. But if we had three good weekends, we would have been okay.”

A rookie in the Xfinity Series, the 35-year-old Kiwi navigated his inaugural NASCAR season with three wins to make the Xfinity Playoffs and touted his learning of ovals as a big takeaway from 2024.

“I think I’ve made really good progression on ovals,” van Gisbergen said. “Better and better. Kansas was my best mile-and-a-half by a long way. Yeah, I think I’m getting a lot better.”

With Allgaier, Sammy Smith and now Mayer, three of the JRM Chevys are still in the hunt for the 2024 Xfinity Series championship and while only one of them could win the driver’s championship in Phoenix, Allgaier has high hopes for the four remaining races, thanks to the points reset heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I still believe we could have all three of our Camaros in the final four,” Allgaier said. “Just so proud of this team and the effort, and we’ll definitely sleep a lot better tonight than I’ve been sleeping the last five or six weeks.”

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — Parker Kligerman was inches away from winning his way into the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.

Instead, the yellow flag waved just before Kligerman took the white flag at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Had Kligerman crossed the start/finish line after the white flag waved, a caution would have sealed the victory and propelled him into the next round of the postseason. But because he hadn’t yet hit the stripe, what happened next was a restart in NASCAR Overtime in which he was bested by Sam Mayer, who took that checkered flag, trophy and playoff spot instead.

MORE: Race results | At-track photos

The difference between the caution lights’ illumination and Kligerman’s No. 48 Chevrolet crossing the start/finish line was 0.05 seconds, per timestamps provided by NASCAR. Ultimately, Kligerman took the checkered flag in sixth place, 24 points away — or one win shy — of advancing to the Round of 8.

Kligerman has never won in the Xfinity Series. He announced on Sept. 12 — exactly a month ago — that this campaign will be the final season of his full-time racing career. The moment he took to sit atop his window after the race, soaking in the defeat and watching Mayer’s smoke-show celebration, encapsulated those emotions.

“This hurts,” Kligerman said. “I said on the cooldown lap, I want to cry, but I won’t, and it’s gotten close a couple times as I think about it. I just, I’ve really loved doing this, and I’ve been so grateful to have the opportunity to be here and to be at this level and to make a career doing this. And I just love the intensity and the pressure. And I really, really wanted that.

“I just felt like that was a poetic — if I could just do one thing, it would have been winning this damn race in that fashion, holding off some of the best in the world in SVG (Shane van Gisbergen), and AJ (Allmendinger), Sam Mayer, who’s a Roval master now. I thought I was driving at the highest level I’ve ever driven, and I didn’t get it done.”

It wasn’t for lack of effort. Following a restart with 11 laps remaining in regulation, Kligerman stormed from sixth to second on fresh tires, charging to van Gisbergen’s back bumper.

Kligerman completed the pass for the lead just two laps later and began setting sail until Mayer reeled him back. Mayer and Kligerman dueled fiercely but fairly over the final seven green-flag laps of regulation, with each handing the other crossover moves that dazzled, including a Mayer pass for the lead entering the frontstretch chicane that was immediately undone by a Kligerman crossover on the exit of Turn 17.

“Was it a good show?” Kligerman smiled. “Cool.”

Those moments were intense for both, understanding what playoff hopes were on the line.

“I don’t wear a heart-rate monitor anymore or anything, but I’d have to think it might have been the highest I’ve ever had,” Kligerman said.

But the respect between Mayer and Kligerman was evident. While they weren’t afraid to race hard or make contact — a Mayer crossover and slight contact in Turn 7 ultimately led to Mayer’s victory — the two effectively took care of each other’s chances to continue.

“I have so much respect for Parker because he is one of the coolest guys in the garage,” Mayer said. “He’s a really good race-car driver, and he’s driving for a team that the owner, Scott Borchetta, I respect highly. So me in that spot, I’m like, ‘God dang it, really? Am I really gonna be behind the 48 on this last restart?’ and all that kind of stuff because, again, I have so much respect for all those guys that work on the race car and the drive and own it.”

Mayer wasn’t the only driver offering respect to Kligerman after the race. Van Gisbergen was the first to greet him before Aric Almirola and AJ Allmendinger came by to offer support. During Kligerman’s post-race interviews, Austin Hill came to shake Kligerman’s hand as well.

“That’s pretty cool,” Kligerman said. “Especially guys like Aric and AJ have won Cup races, and Austin Hill won a million races, and SVG, who’s best in the world. You know, that means a lot to have your peers’ respect.

“And you know, I don’t think I raced anyone not cleanly today, but I had to be aggressive. They knew that. But I’ve raced these guys over a whole season – and for years, some of them – and that’s just really cool. I mean, Aric, he had some really nice things that was very touching. And I’m very thankful to have had him come up there because I maybe would have reacted differently. But that was really nice of him to say some really kind things.”

Despite coming so close to an ever-elusive Xfinity victory, Kligerman foresees no change in his future plans and insists this will be his final full season.

“It’s over, bud. It’s over, and I’ve been at peace with it,” Kligerman said. “I’ll tell you how peaceful it’s been. I’ve slept so well and I’ve been so calm the last month or so since I made the announcement, I went and got a blood test, and I was like, something’s wrong with me. And turns out I’m as healthy as an ox. It’s just, I guess, turning that switch off in four weeks for the first time in 22 years, I think I’m ready for it.

“But I will say, 10 to go and I’m holding off to the best of the world, I was like, ‘Damn, couple more chances at this (and) I might get more of these.’ But no, it’s time and I’m at peace. But I really want one of these trophies to finish it off.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — As Sam Mayer celebrated his drama-filled victory in Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Parker Kligerman watched a replay of the whisker-close circumstance that knocked him out of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.

In overtime, Mayer passed Kligerman in Turn 7 of the 2.280-mile, 17-turn circuit and pulled away to claim the victory that propelled him into the Playoffs’ Round of 8.

But Mayer’s win was devastation for Kligerman, who has never won an Xfinity Series race. Kligerman was leading, with the white flag waving, when NASCAR called a caution for Leland Honeyman’s spin into the barrier in Turn 3.

Had the caution call come a fraction of a second later, Kligerman would have been the winner under yellow. The overtime, however, gave Mayer another shot in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet — arguably the class of the field — and the 21-year-old from Franklin, Wisconsin took full advantage.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

“We were all crossed up getting up in there (Turn 7),” Mayer said of the winning pass. “I was loose getting into (Turn) 6, and I knew that was my only shot if I got a good angle into that corner.

“He blocked the bottom, which was good for me in that it gave me a better angle up off the corner and got this Chevrolet hooked up, and we were gone from there. Now, I get to celebrate.”

Both Mayer and Kligerman needed to win to advance in the playoffs, but it was Mayer who got his third win of the season, his second straight at the Roval and the seventh of his career, beating runner-up AJ Allmendinger to the finish line by 1.474 seconds.

He joins JR Motorsports teammates Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier in the Round of 8, along with Chandler Smith (fifth), Austin Hill (fourth), defending series champion Cole Custer (13th), Allmendinger and Jesse Love (19th), who earned the final transfer spot by two points over Saturday’s pole winner and third-place finisher Shane van Gisbergen.

Kligerman left Charlotte 12th in the standings, a distant 24 points shy of the Round of 8 after fading to sixth on the final lap.

WATCH: Mayer on thrilling victory | Kligerman discusses finish

“I’ve done this interview from that side,” said Kligerman, who has combined careers of broadcasting and racing — and who will retire from full-time competition at the end of the season. “It’s really tough from this side.

“I teared up when I thought we got it there at the white flag, then the caution comes out, and we had to re-focus … I thought I cut off Turn 7 enough, but he (Mayer) somehow got below me, and then it was on from there.

“It was full contact. Sam didn’t do anything egregious. It was hard racing, but as close as you could be to the line. Now I want to cry — I’m not going to cry, but I really love this game, and it would’ve meant the world.”

For Mayer, it was no cakewalk. On Lap 3, he served a pass-through penalty for jumping the start from the second grid position, and in the late going, Mayer had a problem getting into third gear through the first two corners on the NASCAR oval.

MORE: Xfinity Series standings | Xfinity Series schedule

He persevered, as did Allgaier, who finished seventh after finishing third in Stage 1 and winning Stage 2 — his 15th stage win of the season.

Exiting the playoffs with Kligerman and van Gisbergen were Riley Herbst and Sheldon Creed, victims of a pileup in Turn 17 on Lap 34. Herbst finished 32nd and Creed 35th.

The Xfinity Series will begin the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next Saturday (7 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage concluded without issue, confirming Mayer as the race winner. The No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Justin Allgaier, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Sammy Smith, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driven by Austin Hill and No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Chandler Smith all had one unsecured lug nut, which will result in a monetary fine.