MARNE, Mich. — Wednesday night’s homecoming to Berlin Raceway for Carson Hocevar saw him finally visit Victory Lane in the track’s most prestigious event.
Hocevar proved to be in a league of his own during the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin with a car that was efficient in every groove. After fending off fellow NASCAR Cup Series competitor Erik Jones on the last restart of the night, nothing could stop Hocevar from claiming his maiden Battle at Berlin 250 triumph.
Nothing came easy for Hocevar as he had to play both offense and defense with Jones and defending winner Bubba Pollard during the closing stages. Hocevar was unsure whether he was too aggressive earlier in the run, but he proved to have enough left to pull away from Jones when it mattered.
“This car was so fun to drive,” Hocevar said. “Erik and Bubba are super talented, and those cars are really good. I thought I burned the right-rear [tire] completely off and didn’t think we were going to get a shot. If I could slide up and take [Erik’s] line away, I might be able to clear him, and that’s exactly what happened.
“It’s special to win here, and this was the biggest one of them all.”
Hocevar’s early success at Berlin was crucial in paving the way for him to become a full-time Cup Series competitor.
Along with claiming a track championship in 2017 at just 14 years old, Hocevar also has two Money in the Bank 150 victories on his resume (2020 and 2021). The laps and accomplishments accumulated at Berlin only motivated Hocevar more to win the Battle at Berlin 250.
Qualifying set the tone for Hocevar and the rest of the field Wednesday afternoon, as he set the quickest lap of the session at 16.430 seconds. An invert relegated Hocevar to eighth on the starting grid, but it only took 10 laps for him to reach and secure the lead.
Once he had control of the pace, the next step for Hocevar was to master the tire strategy. He elected to stick to a three-tire strategy through both of his trips to pit road, which kept him at the front of the field but left a smaller margin of error when it came to overexerting his equipment.
The divergent strategy proved to have minimal impact on Hocevar’s overall performance even though he briefly lost the lead to Jones. Despite doing everything feasible to anticipate and withstand the assault from Hocevar, Jones ended up settling for second after Hocevar’s race-winning dive on the restart.
Photo: Julia Schachinger / NASCAR)
Jones entered Wednesday evening having gone winless in the Battle at Berlin 250 since 2016. He feels comfortable with where his Super Late Model program stands, but he admitted his car was not strong enough to keep Hocevar in his rearview mirror.
“I was just too tight,” Jones said. “We were kind of third there all day and needed to make an adjustment. We got the lead, and I was trying to hold it, but it didn’t work out. It’s hard to be that close, but we had a clean car, and that’s all we can ask for.”
With the 2024 Battle at Berlin 250 now in the record books, Jones is turning his attention toward Richmond Raceway on Sunday, when the Cup Series returns to action following a two-week sabbatical.
For Hocevar, the detour to his home track before the end of the Olympic break was equal parts fun and challenging. He had no idea what to expect from a tire perspective, which made it even more rewarding for Hocevar’s strategy to pay off with a Battle at Berlin 250 trophy now in his possession.
“[Going with three tires] probably put us at a little bit of a disadvantage compared to the guys who took four,” Hocevar said. “Track position was so important, but [the strategy] also gave us an idea on what the car was going to do. You never know with this place, but everybody did a really good job trying to keep on this thing.
“I had my tongue out the whole time, but luckily it was just enough.”
Hocevar only has a few days to prepare for another short track in Richmond, where he looks to parlay his crown jewel victory at Berlin into a career-best Cup Series performance this weekend.
Pollard placed third in the running order behind Hocevar and Jones, with Michael Atwell and Kole Raz completing the top five. Rounding out the top 10 were Evan Shotko, Brian Campbell, Chase Burda, Jeremy Doss and Treyten Lapcevich.
After two weekends without racing, we’re ready to get back to it. Here’s a refresher on where things stand with the push to the playoffs in full swing.
Aaand we’re back.
The NASCAR Cup Series is gearing up to return to action this Sunday at Richmond Raceway following a brief hiatus in the schedule due to the 2024 Summer Olympics. Let’s catch back up in case you need a refresher.
Plenty of compelling story lines continue to unfold, with just four races remaining before the 16-driver field is locked in for the 2024 NASCAR Playoffs.
Kyle Larson looks every bit on a path that leads to him competing for championship No. 2 later this year at Phoenix Raceway, having secured his series-leading fourth win of the season before the break at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in convincing fashion. He and crew chief Cliff Daniels, pictured above, are the 1A combination in the sport at the moment and only appear to be gaining with their combined powers, which is a scary thought for the rest of the series.
The playoff landscape is becoming clearer, with the season’s 12 victors now officially all completely locked in with no chance at more than 16 winners. That leaves four coveted spots up for grabs, with nearly every driver below the elimination line likely needing to win if they want one of them. If that were to happen — holy drama.
The final playoff position on points is worth keeping a close eye on, however, as a red-hot Bubba Wallace has narrowed the gap to just seven points behind a sagging Ross Chastain, who has seen a dramatic decline in the standings after averaging a 26.5 finish over the past four races.
A lot could swing over the next four races, with positions 14th through 17th separated by just 42 points. Of the four above the elimination line but not yet locked in, RFK Racing driver Chris Buescher, currently 15th in the standings and 17 points to the good, should feel the most confident despite the modicum of cushion. No. 17 is the defending winner of three of the four remaining races, including Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond. He’s been running well of late, too, so things would have to go catastrophically wrong at this point for him not to be a 2024 playoff driver.
Tyler Reddick, Wallace’s 23XI teammate, is on a hot streak of his own and might just be in the process of emerging as Larson’s top competition during the stretch run. The No. 45 driver is riding the longest top-10 streak of any driver at the moment, with five in a row, while also working his way into a tie with the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver for most top fives this season. Reddick still has just the lone win — Talladega Superspeedway back in the spring — but feels on the verge of a major breakout that could see him pile on multiple wins over the coming weeks.
The four final regular-season races offer a varied menu of tracks, with Richmond, Michigan International Speedway, Daytona International Speedway and Darlington Raceway each presenting a unique opportunity for drivers to secure their spots. Notably, Richmond this weekend will be the first points race to feature multiple tire compound options, introducing a new strategic element that could significantly impact race outcomes and flip the whole playoff field on its head.
Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images
2. Now, what lies ahead at Richmond? Richmond saw a surprise winner last summer and now adds the wrinkle of giving teams an in-race tire option. What can we expect to see under the lights?
With the industry refreshed and ready for the last leg of the regular season, the stage is set for an intriguing battle on one of the circuit’s most challenging short tracks — with a twist in store. Sunday’s Cook Out 400 under the lights at Richmond promises to be a pivotal moment in the season, with several compelling story lines converging at this historic venue.
Adding to the excitement is the introduction of a new tire strategy, with Goodyear providing two tire compounds for teams to choose from: a prime (hard) tire with standard yellow lettering, serving as the baseline, and an option (soft) tire featuring red lettering. The soft tire is crafted from the same rubber as wet-weather tires but without tread, offering teams a new tactical element to consider in their race strategy.
With the first-of-its-kind tire element at play, it’s tough to forecast how the dominoes may fall at the Virginia short track, but for now, all eyes will likely fall on a pair of past teammates in particular — Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.
This could very well be Rowdy’s best remaining shot to extend both his playoff appearances and consecutive wins streak, each extending as far back as the eye can see. Busch has an impressive past history on short tracks with 16 wins, yet he finds himself in an unusual position this weekend. Despite his past success, Busch currently ranks 17th in points earned on short tracks in the Next Gen car era. He’s rapidly approaching must-win territory, though, so Rowdy fans hope the two-week break was just what he and the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing group needed to get refocused and get NASCAR’s all-time winningest driver back to Victory Lane.
For Truex Jr., Richmond represents more than just another race — it’s perhaps his best remaining opportunity to end a 38-race winless streak and win in his final full-time season before exiting the No. 19 JGR Toyota. The 2017 champ’s history at Richmond is rock solid, having won three of the last 10 races at the track and leading the most laps in six of the last 15. He very nearly secured his playoff spot at the track earlier this season, picking up nearly half of his laps led this season (461) in that race alone before dipping to fourth after “The Restart.”
You can bet he’s had this one circled all season … but especially since then.
The short-track landscape has seen a bit of a shift in recent times, with ace Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin firmly establishing his long-standing dominance there and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney emerging as perhaps the next short-track superstar. Together, they’ve claimed five of the last six short-track wins.
The Virginia native Hamlin is aiming to recalibrate before the playoffs after strong runs of late have all gone sour, and Richmond (five wins) is the perfect spot for him to accomplish that. Blaney, on the other hand, gets to put his short-track status to the test, where Richmond has been arguably his worst overall track. The reigning champ has turned in just three top 10s in 16 tries for an un-Blaney-like 20.0 average finish.
NBC’s Steve Letarte and MRN’s Todd Gordon break down the potential strategy options as the option tire returns at Richmond Raceway.
4. This year’s short-track superstars
With several short tracks already in the books for 2024, we have a strong idea of who’s excelling on them — will a fresh face emerge at Richmond, however?
Rank
Driver
Points
1
Kyle Larson
170
2
Chase Elliott
158
3
Joey Logano
150
4
Denny Hamlin
148
5
Martin Truex Jr.
141
6
Ryan Blaney
133
7
Alex Bowman
124
8
Brad Keselowski
124
9
Josh Berry
123
10
Bubba Wallace
123
5. Catch the pack — news and notes from around the garage
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Today, NASCAR announced that National Debt Relief has become an Official Partner of NASCAR. The official multiyear partnership makes National Debt Relief the first-ever Debt Relief Partner of NASCAR and builds on the official partnership with the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, which was announced in June.
“Over the course of our 76-year history, NASCAR has taken great pride in putting our fans first and consistently offering one of the most unique and fan-friendly experiences in all of sports,” said Michelle Byron, NASCAR executive vice president and chief partnership and licensing officer. “The approach in prioritizing our fans aligns perfectly with the mentality of National Debt Relief, an organization that tailors its support to fit the needs of consumers. Because of this, National Debt Relief is a perfect fit as an Official Partner of NASCAR.”
As NASCAR’s Official Debt Relief Partner, National Debt Relief will have a presence at NASCAR events, including signage, NASCAR-themed advertising in race telecasts, as well as investments on NASCAR digital platforms and Motor Racing Network. Prominent at-track branding will begin this weekend at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Clean Harbors 250 (Sat., 7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 (Sun., 6 p.m. ET, USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
“We’re ecstatic to further our partnership with NASCAR as an Official Partner and are looking forward to building stronger relationships with NASCAR fans, especially those dealing with overwhelming debt and are in need of relief,” said Alex Kleyner, National Debt Relief chief executive officer and co-founder. “As U.S. households continue to be saddled with record amounts of debt, this partnership will allow us to bring attention to debt settlement as a growing solution that can help people become debt-free faster and get their financial lives back on track.”
Since 2009, National Debt Relief has successfully helped hundreds of thousands of people resolve their debt and reclaim their independence. Their highly rated, unique Whole Human Finance approach to debt relief not only helps their clients become debt-free but also supports them with financial literacy and skill development, as well as emotional support throughout their debt journey, empowering them to resolve their debt and confidently build a more secure financial future. To learn more, visit NationalDebtRelief.com or call 1-800-718-0487 for a free consultation with a Certified Debt Specialist.
PLANO, Texas — Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) today announced executive leadership changes as David Wilson, group vice president and president of TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development), will retire on Dec. 16 after 35 years with the organization. General Manager Tyler Gibbs will succeed Wilson as president of TRD, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA).
During his long-standing career at TRD, Wilson has held many roles, including design engineer, track support engineer, vice president of operations and engineering, vice president of production and strategic planning, vice president of sales, operations and planning, and vice president of finance, operations and planning. Wilson was appointed to the position of TRD president in January 2014, where he has led Toyota’s U.S. motorsports arm for the past 11 years.
“It’s been such an honor to be a member of this team and work alongside so many dedicated, talented and passionate men and women,” said Wilson. “I’m humbled and grateful for the trust, support and friendship afforded me throughout my career by my colleagues at TMNA, the Toyota Motor Corporation, our industry and team partners and our athletes. But now, I’ve completed my lap and I’m proud to hand the keys over to my friend and ‘brother in arms,’ Tyler Gibbs. I have every confidence that Tyler and his team will continue to grow and strengthen TRD’s world-class legacy on and off the track.”
Wilson played a significant role in many championships and race wins with Toyota, Lexus and Toyota Gazoo Racing North America (TGRNA) teams and drivers during his 35-year tenure, including championships in CART, CORR, Grand-Am, IMSA, Indy Racing League, MTEG, NASCAR, NHRA, SCORE and USAC. He has also been a part of many noteworthy victories in iconic races across motorsports, including wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring, Baja 500 and 1000, Rolex 24 at Daytona, Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, Petit Le Mans, Chili Bowl, and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Additionally, Wilson played an integral role with the Toyota and TRD leadership team that planned, supported and executed the company’s momentous entries into both CART/INDYCAR and NASCAR.
“For more than three decades, David Wilson’s immense talent, passion and leadership have helped build Toyota Racing Development into the massively successful organization we know today,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said in a statement. “As TRD’s President since 2014, David has been a collaborative partner with NASCAR, and his friendship and counsel have helped grow the sport, deliver extraordinary moments for race fans and enhance global motorsports. We thank David for his tireless efforts and wish him the best on this new phase of his life and career. We look forward to working with Tyler Gibbs and the tremendous team at TRD.”
Prior to joining TRD, Wilson was employed by Johnson & Johnson and was an officer in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division, where he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Parachutist’s Badge and the Air Assault Badge. Wilson earned a mechanical engineering degree from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
In his new role, Gibbs will be responsible for all TRD operations and activities in North America. These include engine engineering, chassis engineering, manufacturing, administration and operations. He will oversee all TRD facilities, including the organization’s headquarters and engine operations in Costa Mesa, California, the chassis and team support operation in Salisbury, North Carolina, and the GR Garage and Toyota Performance Center (TPC) in Mooresville, North Carolina.
“I have big shoes to fill,” said Gibbs. “Dave has been the cornerstone of TRD’s growth and culture over the last 35 years. During my 28 years working for Dave, he has given me countless opportunities to learn and grow, and this is another one of those opportunities. I’m excited and grateful for the privilege to work with so many incredible people at TRD and TMNA, along with our many partners, and together we’ll seek to continue TRD’s history of success.”
Gibbs joined TRD in 1996 and has held various roles during his nearly 30-year tenure with the organization. He currently oversees competition, engineering, commercial and administration activities at TRD. In addition, he works closely with TMNA and Toyota Racing as well as with race team relationships and key motorsports partners.
A Westmont College graduate, Gibbs began his career with Cosworth Engineering in 1992. He later earned his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Gibbs will assume his new role as TRD President in late December.
After four rounds of voting, Ross Chastain’s “Hail Melon” move in the penultimate race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season at Martinsville Speedway has won the fan vote for most memorable playoff moment in the elimination era.
The “Hail Melon” beat out the Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano clash in 2015, which also took place at Martinsville, by a 68% to 32% margin.
Four rounds of voting occurred over the past two weeks pitting the best moments from the first 10 years of the elimination era against each other in a bracket-style vote to see which moment fans thought was the best.
Chastain made the daring move on the final lap of the race, going from 10th to fifth between Turn 3 and the checkered flag to outpoint Denny Hamlin for the final spot to race in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway.
Kevin Cram remembers the highlight of his summer vacations as a child: traveling north from Massachusetts to Vermont to visit dirt tracks.
That Cram racing lineage — and passion for racing — spans multiple generations. Kevin’s NASCAR roots date back to the formation of the Craftsman Truck Series, winning the series’ second championship as the truck chief for Ron Hornaday Jr. with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Two years later, he guided Stacy Compton to a pair of truck wins as a crew chief.
Dodge got wind of Kevin’s success and wanted him to be involved with the manufacturer’s move to the Cup Series in 2001, spearheaded by Ray Evernham and Bill Elliott. Chip Ganassi also approached Kevin to crew chief Sterling Marlin, which quickly turned into a job with Jason Leffler. After failing to qualify for two races, change was needed. His last Cup stint came in 2002 with Casey Atwood, lasting just four races.
With three children — including an infant Dawson Cram — Kevin needed a break.
“[My] professional racing deal was very insecure, so I decided that I wasn’t going to wake up and be divorced and not have a relationship with my children chasing what I started,” Kevin said.
Kevin remained distant from the national scene, sprinkling in 18 starts as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series for Johnny Borneman III between 2008 and 2010. The most races he did in a single season was at the truck level in 2006, calling the shots for Steve Park, a two-time Cup Series victor, in 10 events.
From left to right: Ron Hornaday Jr., Kevin Cram, Clinton Cram and Dale Earnhardt Sr. pose for a photo during a 1996 banquet. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Cram)
Meanwhile, Dawson began racing back home. His racing journey began at just 5 years old while living in California. After moving to North Carolina, his passion became serious, splitting time between asphalt and dirt.
“I didn’t like [racing] at first,” Dawson recalled of his first time racing. “I don’t remember a whole lot about it, but after a few times of driving, I started loving it. When I was 8, I moved back to North Carolina and started racing bandoleros. By that point, I loved it, and it was my entire life. I didn’t do anything but race.”
Admittedly, Dawson hasn’t tried to accomplish much professionally outside of racing. Having to go through NASCAR’s approval process, he was given the nod to attempt his first truck race at 16 years old at the famed Martinsville Speedway. His references put him over the edge, having Hornaday, Dennis Setzer and Don Hawk in his corner.
After getting approved, Dawson needed to find a truck to run. A deal with D.J. Copp went awry, leading to a last-minute conversation with Carl Long. Ultimately, Dawson ended up having to bring a superspeedway truck to Martinsville to try and qualify for his debut. His driving coach was short-track ace Josh Berry.
“We were fast enough to make the race, but we blew the motor in practice,” Dawson remembered. “We were sitting there picking up the pieces, and that’s all the money we had to do that. People started calling and said, ‘That was cool what you did, are you going to do it again?’ Enough people called that we were able to do it again, and I ran my first race a few months later with Mark Beaver.”
Dawson finished 17th in his NASCAR debut.
Between 2018 and 2019, Dawson ran a quartet of truck races before running the bulk of the 2020 schedule. The Crams took over the Long Motorsports truck team during the COVID-19 pandemic and were locked into each race they showed up to. Kevin made his NASCAR return and crew chiefed for his son.
“Me and my dad have definitely been a packaged pair,” Dawson said. “There is no way I would be able to be where I am today without him because if you look at anybody in the top three series, they are offering something to these teams. I don’t have the funds to offer these teams, but I have someone that has years and years of quality experience and quality knowledge.”
Since 2020, Kevin has been around for all 54 of Dawson’s NASCAR starts. His 26 Xfinity Series starts have come with five different race teams. Without an unlimited number of resources behind him, Dawson has scratched and clawed for every opportunity.
“He understands what I’m going through and the struggles of this sport,” Dawson said of his father. “To want to do this is hard. The only reason that I’m still here is because of my passion. He understands that passion because he has it too.”
Dawson knows his father’s knowledge about race cars is invaluable. The adjustments made are almost always in the right direction. Having an established relationship allows them to be blunt with one another without taking anything personally.
“We mesh together fine,” Dawson said. “I know there are people that can’t work with their dad that have a similar situation to me, but we’ve never had big arguments on the radio, and we understand what’s happening. It’s good because I can say almost anything I want to him and he’s not going to take it the wrong way.”
Racing together has allowed the father and son duo to become closer on and off the track.
“Dawson doesn’t do much without asking me if this is the right choice,” Kevin said. “Racing has provided that relationship. That’s probably what I value the most, and the fact that I can help him chase his dreams.”
Dawson holds his relationship with his father in high regard.
“It’s been awesome and means the world to me to spend this time with him,” Dawson quipped. “Getting to drive for some other people and seeing what it’s like, I cherish what we’ve been able to do. If it all ended tomorrow, I wouldn’t say I’d be OK with it because I have goals, but I appreciate what I’ve been able to do.”
Dawson has a four-race sponsorship deal lined up, beginning next month at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series. He has competed in 14 races this season, scoring a pair of 22nd-place finishes for JD Motorsports.
The NASCAR Cup Series resumes this weekend at Richmond Raceway with a historic opportunity to try something new with its supply of Goodyear tires. Denny Hamlin — perhaps selfishly — is one driver hoping the outcome of Sunday’s race isn’t new, either.
NASCAR returns from a two-week Olympic hiatus to a Cook Out 400 that will feature two types of Goodyear tires for teams to choose from. Competition officials announced the move on July 16, aiming to stir up the strategy angles and potentially spice up the racing at the last short track on the schedule before the Cup Series Playoffs begin next month.
Hamlin enters Sunday’s 400-lapper (6 p.m. ET, USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) as Richmond’s most recent winner. He converted a mad overtime dash back in March to notch his fifth victory at the 0.75-mile oval. In the return trip, Hamlin and the rest of the field will be presented with tire choices — a baseline “prime” tire that should sacrifice short-stint speed for longer-run durability and an “option” tire made with a softer rubber compound that maximizes short-term grip at the cost of more rapid wear. Prime tires will have traditional yellow sidewall lettering; option tires will be marked with red letters.
The procedures were first used in the NASCAR All-Star Race exhibition in May. This weekend’s application will be a first in a points-paying Cup Series event.
“Well, as someone that I feel like is good there, I don’t love it because I think this is something that I could get beat by,” Hamlin said. “I could have the dominant car, and then someone’s got that extra set of softs, and they come by and blow our doors off at the end. But generally speaking, I think it could be really good and compelling for the show because I think you are going to have people that will use it and be fast for a little while and then really slow. So I’m excited for it. I think that I like their idea of let’s use this at Richmond and see if this could be our baseline short-track tire when we go to all short tracks. So I really like their thinking and testing it out this kind of way.”
Richmond marks the next step in what officials hope will be an enhancement for short-track racing since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022. Officials from both NASCAR and Goodyear seized upon the intrigue created by aggressive wear during the series’ stop at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, testing the option-tire setup at North Wilkesboro Speedway and Iowa Speedway this spring.
The All-Star Race deployment was a first for the tire alternatives, but the effect was measured by North Wilkesboro’s freshly paved surface. The older, more abrasive asphalt at Richmond should make a difference in wear levels.
“I don’t think we really got the full option tire experience at Wilkesboro, just because of the new pavement, but I think Richmond will be a little bit more,” said defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney. “It has to be two sides of the scale. It has to be half a second faster, like the option tire has to be a half-second faster for like 10 laps and then fall off a second after that. So it has to be two ways and hopefully Richmond helps that out.
“I’m happy they’re doing something. We’ve done everything else with the race car to try to help the short-track stuff, almost everything. The tire is kind of the last piece that we can touch, so hopefully that helps it out a little bit.”
Tire allotments may also provide a boost. Teams will have seven sets of prime tires (six for the race, plus one transferred from qualifying) and just two sets of option tires for Sunday’s 400-lap, 300-mile event. In the All-Star Race, teams had two sets of each tire type for the shorter 200-lap, 125-mile event, so crew chiefs may have to be more selective in determining when to bolt on the quick-grip options.
For the drivers, the selective component will be calculating when to push the limits of wear. Hamlin won the Bristol battle of tire management earlier this year, and the know-how of maximizing his equipment from his Late Model days could be a factor again on Sunday. Drivers with a deeper background in dirt-track racing may need to learn new tricks.
“I don’t know if the dirt guys have an advantage,” said admitted ‘dirt guy’ Chase Briscoe, driver of Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 14 Ford. “If it’s slick, then maybe a little bit, but honestly, I think it plays into the pavement late model guys’ hands a lot more just because they’re really good at saving tires, and they know how to do that, where sprint car guys typically struggle with that. I think guys like Josh Berry, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, guys who are just really good at understanding where the tire is and the life of it. I feel like sprint car guys kind of struggle with that a lot of the time just because we don’t have a lot of experience doing it.”
Teams will get more of an idea of how the tire element may influence Sunday’s race with an expanded 45-minute practice session on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App).
“I do think it’ll make a difference, and I’m curious to see what it’s like,” Briscoe says. “Practice is going to be interesting to see how it plays out, and I think after practice, you’ll have a lot better idea of what to expect for the race.”
Connor Zilisch will join JR Motorsports to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025, the team announced Wednesday.
The 18-year-old driver has impressed at each stop on his racing journey, collecting five wins within the ARCA platform, a pole position in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in March at Circuit of The Americas, and numerous sports car victories, including this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
“Connor is such an impressive driver at this young age,” team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in a team release. “We’re excited for him to get behind the wheel full-time next season. He is on a path to sure success with support from Chevrolet, Silver Hare Racing, Trackhouse, and now JR Motorsports.”
Zilisch, a native of Mooresville, North Carolina, signed a multiyear deal with Trackhouse Racing in January, solidifying his development within the stock-car racing ladder. Despite just turning 18 on July 22, Zilisch’s resume already has notable accomplishments, including multiple United States national karting championships in his climb through the racing ranks.
The rise has been a rapid one, but in a Wednesday afternoon media availability, Zilisch said he was comfortable with the current pace, adding that there’s no set timetable to the next steps for his racing career.
“I’m taking it as it comes,” Zilisch said. “I feel like at every level that I’ve gone to, I’ve never really felt to this point that I’ve been rushed up to something too fast. I feel like everything I’ve gotten into, I feel like ARCA was a good step for me, and I think those ARCA races are really important for my growth because I do think that I’m learning a lot, racing in ARCA. But honestly, I don’t think it’s too big of a jump for me. I do think I’m going to have to learn a lot, and there’s going to be some growing pains, for sure, at the beginning of my tenure in the Xfinity Series, but I do think that racing in the Xfinity Series, there’s a lot of veterans — guys like Justin Allgaier and people in the series that have been there for a long time — that I think I’m going to learn a lot from, and I think it’s really valuable to have that.”
Zilisch will make his JRM debut on Sept. 14 at Watkins Glen International as part of a four-race deal announced in March, with future appearances set for Kansas Speedway (Sept. 28), Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 26) and Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 9). He’s also set to make the second Craftsman Truck Series start of his career this weekend, driving for Spire Motorsports in Saturday’s Clean Harbors 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Zilisch said Wednesday that he had explored other opportunities for 2025, but that the connection with JRM was months in the making.
“I think our goal was to go to JR Motorsports,” Zilisch said. “It wasn’t guaranteed, and we looked at other options. There’s a lot of good Chevrolet-affiliated teams with Kaulig and RCR (Richard Childress Racing), but at the end of the day, when you look at the Cup Series and the guys who have come through JR Motorsports and gone to the Cup Series, I feel like they’ve had the most success. And I do think there’s a lot of really good resources at JR Motorsports that I’ll be able to go and learn from as as we look on to the years to come. I feel like I’m in a really good spot with a lot of great people around me that’ll help guide me in the right direction as I get into the Xfinity Series next year.”
Details regarding sponsorship and partners for the No. 88 team will be announced at a later date.
Spire Motorsports announced Tuesday that crew chief Travis Peterson will join the organization on a multiyear deal starting in 2025 to lead the No. 71 team with driver Michael McDowell.
Peterson has spent each of the last two NASCAR Cup Series seasons with McDowell at Front Row Motorsports, heading the No. 34 car to a 2023 victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with a total of four top fives and 14 top 10s in 58 races. The duo has also won three Busch Light Pole Awards in 2024, with one each at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
Peterson, 33, previously worked as a race engineer on the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford with Chris Buescher before transitioning to FRM for the 2023 campaign. Peterson, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, also served as a race engineer for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet from 2015 through part of the 2018 season with drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Alex Bowman, collecting three wins while responsible for the car’s setup, according to Peterson’s LinkedIn profile. He served the same role on JR Motorsports’ No. 9 Chevrolet in 2014 when Chase Elliott wheeled the car to the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
“It’s exciting to have Travis Peterson join Spire Motorsports,” Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt said in a team release. “The first time Travis and I worked together was when Greg Ives and Travis came to Hendrick Motorsports to be the crew chief and the engineer for the No. 88 car with Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. I got to spend time with Travis there as a young engineer and it’s exciting to see how he’s grown into a leader and a crew chief. He’s going to add tremendous depth to our crew chief lineup and be a great compliment to Luke (Lambert) and Rodney (Childers). I’m really excited to see what those three can do together.”
Indeed, Peterson will join an impressive lineup of crew chiefs at Spire in 2025 as Lambert continues to lead the No. 77 team with driver Carson Hocevar and Childers slides atop the No. 7 team’s pit box next season after a remarkable stint at the outgoing Stewart-Haas Racing.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Peterson said in a release. “Rodney is a veteran of the sport. It is exciting for me to learn from a guy with that much success. Luke and I worked together when I was an engineer at Roush so we’re definitely familiar with one another. We have all seen each other around and we’ve all paid attention to each other. Combining all those ideas will be exciting. That is where a lot of strength is right now in the sport. The teamwork side of our group is going to be very valuable.”
Peterson’s endeavor with McDowell at Front Row marked his first as crew chief, a coupling that has proved fruitful in just over a season and a half. By joining McDowell at Spire, Peterson offers both himself and his driver stability. Each now has a multiyear contract, allowing the duo to build the No. 71 team as they see fit without needing to relearn how to communicate with either a new driver or a new crew chief in the interim.
“There are times when you meet people and you are immediately able to naturally communicate on a real level,” Peterson said of his relationship with McDowell in a team release. “I feel like we were that way from the start. We didn’t have to work at it. Our personalities, the way we openly communicate, and our honest nature helped us click from the start. We have no problem talking about hard stuff or easy stuff. We can be happy together when we win and be sad together when we lose. There is no red tape. We just work. It’s hard to recreate that. Staying together is a huge part in coming to Spire Motorsports for both of us. It’s hard to put a value on a driver/crew-chief pairing, but there’s an intangible there. We just knew it has been working, and if we can keep it going, we’re only going to get better over time. That’s what we’re chasing. We want to continue to grow and get better together.”
The efforts of McDowell and Peterson in 2024 have produced two top fives and six top 10s in 22 races, with the No. 34 car leading 151 laps so far this season — a career-best for McDowell in his 17th year of Cup racing. McDowell is also averaging a career-best 13.0 starting position, up four positions from his prior best of 17.0 in each of the past two years. The team is also averaging a 20.7 finish, scoring a season-best second-place finish at Sonoma Raceway in June.
“It is a very exciting opportunity,” Peterson said in a release. “Michael and I had the opportunity to meet with Doug (Duchardt) and (team co-owner Jeff) Dickerson and they really sold us on the vision of where Spire is going and how we could be big role players in building the organization. I think having that skin in the game was important to both of us. The opportunity in front of us has all the potential to be very rewarding. That was a huge part of it. I love the energy right now and the overall culture around Spire Motorsports. They’re investing in people and team ownership is highly engaged. The mindset is ‘We’re going to do what it takes to win and this is what we want to build. Here’s the vision, where we’re going, what we’re going to do to get there, and we want you to be part of it.’ That was the biggest selling point.”
Up next is Richmond Raceway on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). McDowell has typically struggled at the 0.75-mile oval but scored his lone top-10 finish in 26 starts there with Peterson in the spring of 2023.
HAMPTON, Va. — On the warm afternoon after the 16th running of the Hampton Heat at Virginia’s Langley Speedway, for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the York River, everything was on the table for Connor Hall.
Mac n’ cheese egg rolls. Fried pickles. Sushi stack. All fair game.
Hall’s deflating second-place finish behind Brenden “Butterbean” Queen in his home track’s biggest race the night before left a poor taste in his mouth that could only be palliated by delicious appetizers at YROC Bar & Grill. This was a cheat meal, a quick deviation from an otherwise rigorous diet.
The 27-year-old Hampton native’s typically disciplined eating habits are a reflection of his dedication toward his goal of becoming a regular NASCAR national series competitor. The 2023 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion is once again leading Division I points as he aims for another title. Likewise, he leads the CARS Tour Late Model Stock standings driving for Nelson Motorsports.
And on Aug. 10 at Richmond Raceway, Hall will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut driving the No. 91 McAnally–Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet.
At this point in his career, just like that lunch on the river, everything is on the table for Connor Hall.
Connor Hall works full-time as a broker at Bluewater Yacht Sales in Hampton. He grew up boating, and he’s building his own fishing vessel. (Photo: Ted Malinowski/NASCAR)
Hall’s runner-up finish to Queen in the early hours of July 21 was out of the ordinary, because Hall rarely finishes second.
In 22 NASCAR Late Model Stock features this year at South Carolina’s Florence Motor Speedway, North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway and Southern National Motorsports Park, and Virginia’s South Boston Speedway and Langley Speedway, he has 17 wins. His cushion over second place in the national standings is more than 170 points.
Just like last year, a run at another Weekly Series championship wasn’t the initial plan; it became Hall’s goal after he started winning again this season. In 2023, by the time he celebrated his title alongside Ryan Blaney and other NASCAR champions in Nashville, he was spent.
“Anybody who has gone after [the Weekly Series championship] knows that when it’s over, you’re like, ‘Holy cow, I have gray hair now and years taken off my life,’ because it’s a lot of worrying, a lot of time, a ton of logistics.
“Also, I didn’t want to assume it could happen again, because everything has to go right. In a perfect world, you have your best 18 races, which is 18 wins, and that’s a heck of a year. That’s a year I would say 99 percent of racers will never have. And that’s a year I never thought I’d never have.”
With the aid of friends and family, Connor Hall runs his championship-winning Late Model Stock program out of the garage in Hampton where he grew up. (Photo: Ted Malinowski/NASCAR)
Hall’s success on the NASCAR Regional level is a direct result of the guidance and mentorship he’s taken from the likes of Chad Bryant. Alongside his newfound relationship with Nelson, Hall’s own race program continues to flourish thanks to the unwavering support of friends and family, most notably his father Earle, a champion hydroplane racer.
And Hall’s shot at the Truck Series is a direct result of his success on the NASCAR Regional level.
Connor Hall celebrated his 2023 Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national title in Nashville alongside other NASCAR champions. (Photo: Susan Wong/NASCAR)
The seeds of Hall’s debut at Richmond were planted when he and Bryant recently spoke about the next steps in the driver’s budding career. Bryant connected Hall with his friend Charles Denike, a crew chief at MHR, and Hall’s meeting with Denike led to a fruitful sit-down with team co-owner Bill McAnally and racing director Chad Norris.
“We decided to make Richmond the beginning of it all,” Hall said. “There’s an approval process, so the first one had to be a short track. One of my longtime supporters, Towne Bank, has a huge market in Richmond, as well as some of my other sponsors.”
Added Hall when reminded that the Truck Series’ style of racing at Richmond lands in his comfort zone as a Late Model Stock driver who excels on tracks that are hard on tires: “I never put any thought to that. I was just trying to get an opportunity in a good truck.”
Physically, Hall feels prepared for Richmond thanks to the diet he’s maintained since February. He said the 2023 national championship push kept him away from home and out of the gym, so he’s spent much of 2024 improving his fitness.
Hall has spoken to friend Corey Heim and soon-to-be teammate Christian Eckes about the differences between Late Model Stock Cars and NASCAR Trucks. He anticipates higher temperatures in the driver’s seat of the truck, which unlike a Late Model Stock features a right-side window that restricts air flow.
Mentally, Hall is preparing for Richmond using the resources MHR has provided, including simulation time, on-board footage, throttle and brake data, pit practice and more.
He says a top-10 run in his Truck Series debut “would be one of the most successful days I could hope for.”
Cup champion Ryan Blaney and Weekly Series champion Connor Hall pictured at the NASCAR Awards ceremony in Nashville on Nov. 28, 2023. (Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Recently, Hall’s career has been all about success. Early on, the achievements arrived in an unorthodox fashion.
He began his go-karting days at Langley, and before his first event, he was terrible in practice and qualifying. He still can’t explain how, when the green flag waved for his first race, he nearly lapped the field on his way to victory.
Hall progressed from go karts to Legends cars and eventually Late Models. While helping build his family’s race program, he connected with Bryant, who put Hall in his cars for a handful of ARCA starts in 2019 and 2020.
Hall began his career racing go karts at his home track, Virginia’s Langley Speedway.
The rapport between Hall and Bryant continued to flourish, and in 2022, Bryant tabbed Hall to race his Late Model Stock for the CARS Tour season. And it was Bryant who communicated the setups that helped Hall win the 2023 Weekly Series title in his own ride.
Hall’s life has changed in multiple ways since he secured last year’s national championship. For one, he’s no longer racing for Bryant. Nelson signed Hall to compete in the team’s No. 22 Toyota in both the CARS Tour and the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown in 2024.
Hall has delivered a win and seven top fives in nine CARS Tour races, and with a victory at South Boston Speedway and a second at Langley, he leads the Virginia Triple Crown standings entering the third leg, the prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway.
Hall may no longer be racing for Bryant in an official capacity, but the two remain close friends. Bryant still serves as a mentor in what feels like a big brother-little brother relationship. Hall in the wake of his championship is adamant about avoiding complacency, and Bryant continues to aid in that regard, as well.
“He’s a big part of keeping [my car] fast every weekend and just continuing his mentorship with me,” Hall said. “Just working harder to keep status quo. We had such a great year last year, I didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder.
“The No. 1 thing is just keep making sure we keep grinding.”
Connor Hall celebrates winning the Late Model Stock feature at South Carolina’s Florence Motor Speedway on March 16, 2024. (Photo: Leann Zacharias/Florence Motor Speedway)
That’s the mentality Hall maintains as he breaks into the Truck Series. He’s motivated to make NASCAR racing his occupation rather than his hobby.
And considering how well Hall has performed on the track while juggling a full-time job selling boats, one can only imagine how he might progress if given the opportunity to make his race craft his sole professional focus.
“It would be a dream come true, just to be able to wake up every day and focus on racing,” Hall said when asked where he sees himself in five years. “Cup would be sweet. A five-year timeline, theoretically, it’s achievable. But it would be a huge blessing just to be able to make it to any of the national series.”
Fortunately for Hall, his Truck Series debut arrives as he’s hitting his stride as a racer. When he began focusing on his fitness earlier this year, he didn’t know enhanced endurance would be put to use in what will be the longest race mileage-wise of his career to date.
If Hall has it his way, the Truck Series race at Richmond on Aug. 10 will be the springboard he’s been seeking for almost a decade. And his next cheat meal — perhaps a sushi tower devoured for lunch on Aug. 11 — will be celebratory.
“I’m just your local hometown guy who has had some success at the regional level,” Hall said. “I’ve worked pretty hard with some good partners to make this opportunity happen. I’m obviously hoping to leave a positive impact and make the most of it.
