Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Editor’s note: This story has been updated after NASCAR reinstated Kyle Larson’s playoff eligibility. 

Heading into Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric ranked 20th in the regular-season points. Even then, Racing Insights projected the 2022 Daytona 500 champion to have just a 5.66% chance of advancing to this year’s playoffs.

Bracket busted?

Cindric stormed into Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon at Gateway, snapping an 85-race winless drought after teammate Ryan Blaney ran out of gas one lap too early. With that snagged checkered flag comes a berth in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs field, propelling the No. 2 Ford firmly into the postseason.

MORE: Recap Cindric’s last-gasp win

Some familiar faces have already won their way in: Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski (who snapped a 110-race drought by winning at Darlington).

Meanwhile, NASCAR granted Kyle Larson a waiver to remain eligible for the playoffs after he missed the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26 to make his inaugural Indianapolis 500 appearance. Larson has two wins this season and left Gateway second in the regular-season standings, 21 points back of points leader Denny Hamlin. Whoever claims the Regular Season Championship will earn 15 playoff points toward their postseason efforts, while the runner-up receives 10.

But more curious for the time being are those on the outside looking in.

Farther back without a guaranteed spot in the playoffs sits Kyle Busch, a two-time champion who currently resides in 17th place in the regular-season standings — three spots outside the provisional points bracket by 20 points. Busch needed a solid points day at Gateway — the site of his most recent win — and was on pace for such running inside the top 10. But contact with Larson on the final lap of Stage 2 sent Busch into the SAFER barrier instead, and he took the No. 8 Chevrolet to the garage for his first DNF of 2024.

RELATED: Busch: ‘We can’t afford days like that’

Busch left the St. Louis area with just two points earned, continuing a stretch of races that’s left him 15th or worse in the final race rundowns in four of the past six events.

Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney race at Gateway.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Joey Logano is starting to round into form — and it’s about time for the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Another two-time Cup champ, Logano won the exhibition NASCAR All-Star Race on May 19 and turned in a fifth-place finish Sunday at Gateway, only his second top five of 2024 and first since a runner-up effort in March at Richmond Raceway.

On Saturday, he said, “We don’t have any mulligans left at this point,” which is quite true: Logano sits 16th in points but two spots outside the provisional playoff standings, 14 points behind RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher for the final available playoff spot.

MORE: Provisional 2024 playoff field

That brings us back to the potential surprises that are provisionally safe — namely, drivers like Cindric and Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez, both locked in thanks to respective victories at Gateway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Through a combined 30 starts this year (15 for each), the duo has a combined four top fives — two each, which serve as their only top 10s of the year as well. But their wins absolve any issues in consistency, propelling them into the postseason.

Those currently in on points but still sitting winless are Martin Truex Jr. (+132 points to the elimination line per Racing Insights), Ty Gibbs (+107), Alex Bowman (+59), Ross Chastain (+59), Blaney (+47), Bubba Wallace (+13), and Buescher (+10). Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe is currently the first driver on the outside looking in, 10 points shy of Buescher.

With nearly a full race’s worth of points ahead of the separation line (and 11 races away from the postseason), Blaney should be safe. But if the next handful of weeks go awry, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion could find himself cursing the Gateway outcome even more than he already is.

Plenty can change over the next three months as the playoffs loom. But positions to compete for the 2024 title are already dwindling.

And for those on the tail end of that elimination line? An Austin Cindric win may have been your worst nightmare come true.

Posted on by John Crane

Late-race fireworks at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway illuminated a new 2024 race winner to the NASCAR Cup Series fold as the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of Austin Cindric bypassed teammate Ryan Blaney after the No. 12 ran out of fuel on the final lap.

With his WWT Raceway victory, Austin Cindric not only captured his first Cup win since his memorable Daytona 500 triumph in 2022 but also added even more intrigue to the postseason picture. Following the No. 2’s victory in the Midwest, nine Cup drivers have now won at least one contest this season.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Gateway, Portland

With Sunday’s St. Louis show in the books, here are three drivers with rising stock and three more in need of a swift rebound as the schedule next heads to the winding roads of Sonoma Raceway this Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

THREE UP ⬆️

1. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Austin Dillon races at WWT Raceway.
Logan Riely | Getty Images

Started: 18th

Finished: 6th

What happened: It was a slow brew for the 34-year-old North Carolina native, who finished Stage 1 in an uneventful 28th. However, tides began to turn following the stage conclusion as the No. 3 was one of six cars to stay out during a usual pit-stop visit. From then on, it was relatively smooth sailing for Dillon, who finished Stage 2 in ninth and rounded out the day with an even stronger sixth-place result. Sometimes, all it takes is a little risk and patience, and in the case of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 machine, the end result was a much-needed top 10, his second of the year and first since Texas Motor Speedway in April.

What’s next: Dillon and his No. 3 team next trek to Sonoma, where there will be work to do; in nine career Cup starts at the California road course, Dillon has zero top 10s and has yet to lead a lap. However, Dillon did finish a career-best 11th at the track in 2022 during the inaugural year of the Next Gen car, so perhaps momentum can be built on that front. Momentum is certainly on the team’s side right now, so anything can happen.

2. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Carson Hocevar races at WWT Raceway.
Logan Riely | Getty Images

Started: 20th

Finished: 8th

What happened: For a Cup Series rookie still learning the ropes, it was what you could call a banner day for Spire Motorsports’ Hocevar, who capitalized on patience and just enough speed to reel in a well-earned top 10 for his personal best Cup Series finish. The No. 77 Chevrolet jumped 12 positions from Stage 1 to finish Stage 2 in eighth and maintained that spot at the finish. Not too shabby for a 21-year-old youngster grinding his way through his first full-time Cup campaign.

What’s next: Although Sonoma will be a new track for him in terms of racing in the Cup Series, Hocevar does have experience there in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he started on the pole and finished sixth in June 2022. He did not lead any laps during that contest, but the ability to run near the front of the field could be the experience to lean on this time around in a Cup car.

3. Justin Haley, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford

Justin Haley races at WWT Raceway.
Logan Riely | Getty Images

Started: 21st

Finished: 9th

What happened: Haley’s 28 points from the top-10 effort might not be the most when compared to other drivers who finished ahead and behind him, but make no mistake — the Rick Ware Racing camp will take what it can get, and a ninth-place triumph is definitely one to be satisfied with. Momentum really began to shift in the team’s favor during the contest’s final stage, where the Ford found increasing speed and steadying pace as the laps waned. And although the No. 51 ran out of fuel at the line, the end result was still a well-deserved top 10, his second in the last three races.

What’s next: Haley’s experience at Sonoma solely comes from the Cup Series, spanning three races total (2019, 2022, 2023). His best finish of the bunch came in 2022 when the Indiana native finished 12th as pilot of the No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet.

THREE DOWN ⬇️

1. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Kyle Busch heads toward pit road following damage at WWT Raceway.
Logan Riely | Getty Images

Started: 10th

Finished: 35th

What happened: On paper, this looked like just the venue to get Busch and the No. 8 team back on track. And after beginning Stage 2 on the front row, it seemed as though Rowdy and Co. were on the right path to repeat last year’s win. Instead, a last-lap wreck with Kyle Larson at the conclusion of Stage 2 relegated the No. 8 to its first DNF of the season. What looked to be just the race to cash in on a plethora of points instead resulted in a next-to-last finish and only two points to show for it all at the St. Louis venue.

What’s next: Luckily for Busch, Sonoma offers an opportunity for a quick rebound. After all, in 18 career Cup starts at the California road course, Busch possesses two wins, seven top fives and nine top 10s to go along with 132 laps led. Busch has finished inside the top 10 in seven of the last eight Cup contests there, dating back to 2015. Will Sonoma be the place where Busch collects a 2024 dub?

2. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Martin Truex Jr. looks on at WWT Raceway.
Logan Riely | Getty Images

Started: 19th

Finished: 34th

What happened: It was a forgetful weekend for the No. 19 team from the jump. The 10th-best time during Saturday’s final practice session couldn’t be built upon, and a mediocre qualifying run continued the theme. During Sunday’s contest, Truex remained at the back of the field and struggled to remain on the lead lap, even falling behind several laps due to a flat left-rear tire in Stage 2. In the end, a bottom-three finish has the No. 19 on its way back to the drawing board as Truex and Co. vie for consistent speed and steady pace.

What’s next: Sonoma should definitely perk the ears of the No. 19 camp as Truex is the defending winner at the track, leading 51 of 110 laps during the 2023 running. In total, Truex has four Cup victories at Sonoma, with three of those four coming in the last five years (2018, 2019, 2023). If any track can get the sour St. Louis taste out of the No. 19 team’s mouth, it’s the one in wine country.

3. Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Michael McDowell looks on at WWT Raceway.
Logan Riely | Getty Images

Started: 1st

Finished: 25th

What happened: The No. 34 maintained an up-front presence early and often during the opening portion of St. Louis battle, finishing Stage 1 in second. Unfortunately for the McDowell-led team, the No. 34 couldn’t capitalize on restarts and remained muddled in the middle portion of the race pack. Pit-road action — and having the top pit stall in the field — couldn’t make up the difference, either. In the end, an opportunity to capitalize on clean air fell to the wayside, and the team will now look elsewhere to find win No. 1 of 2024.

What’s next: Speaking of looking elsewhere, hello Sonoma. On paper, McDowell’s numbers at Sonoma might not be the peachiest — the 39-year-old only has two top 10s in 11 Cup starts there. However, each of those top-10 finishes has come in his last two races at the track for the road ace. The Next Gen era has been kind to McDowell at Sonoma, and perhaps the 2023 Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course winner will translate his road-course success to a similar left-and-right-turning venue.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

MADISON, Ill. — Christopher Bell was looking to do something at World Wide Technology Raceway he’s never done before in his Cup Series career: win consecutive races.

After leading a race-high 80 laps, the achievement looked to be well within reach throughout Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300. After crew chief Adam Stevens pitted him later in the final pit cycle to give his driver fresher tires, Bell was fighting neck-and-neck with Ryan Blaney for the top spot late at Gateway.

Then, inside the final 20 laps, the No. 20 Toyota lost power.

“Just something in the engine department let go,” Bell said. “I’m surprised that it hung on for those last [19] laps or whatever. That one sucks, there’s no way around it.”

MORE: Cindric steals Gateway win

Bell, who won his first crown-jewel race one week prior in the Coca-Cola 600, lost positions rapidly. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. bump-drafted the No. 20 car down the long straightaways of the 1.25-mile oval for a few laps to keep up Bell’s momentum, aiding Bell across the finish line for a seventh-place finish. It’s the first time he’s had consecutive top 10s in more than two months.

“All I can tell you is it lost power with about 20 or 25 laps to go, dramatically,” Stevens said. “I didn’t see any smoke coming out of the pipes, so I don’t know if we had an internal issue or an ignition issue or what. There’s just no way to tell right now.”

Stevens said the No. 20 team would download the data before leaving Gateway. However, the diagnosis likely won’t come until the car gets back to the shop on Monday.

“We didn’t miss a shift or anything,” he added. “It wasn’t anything related to that. No clue.”

Christopher Bell races at Gateway.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Trying to look at the bigger picture, Bell has led more laps in the last two weeks (170) than the previous 13 races of the season (125). In those races, Bell has gained seven spots in the regular-season championship standings, sitting eighth with 11 races remaining.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for the overall weekend,” Bell said. “We showed up with a great race car. It was super fast, and we put ourselves in position. If we can keep bringing race cars like this, then we will be in good shape.”

The month of June bodes well for Bell and his No. 20 team. The series heads next to Sonoma Raceway, and Bell has a pair of road-course victories in his Cup career. After that is Iowa Speedway, where Bell was one of three drivers to participate in a Goodyear tire test last week. Following Iowa is New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a venue that Bell has aced, no matter the series he competes in.

MORE: Cup standings | Cup schedule 

Bell has chopped off 69 points on the regular-season championship lead over the past two races. The No. 20 team is beginning to hit its stride.

“It’s good that we’re running well,” Bell said. “We need to keep banking the points and I’m glad we got two [playoff] points out of today.”

Posted on by Dustin Albino

MADISON, Ill. — The checkered flag was in sight. Reigning Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney was on the brink of punching his ticket to the playoffs in Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Coming to the white flag, Blaney’s No. 12 Ford began to slow off Turn 4. Blaney’s Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric shot to the inside of Blaney to take the lead. Cindric captured his second career Cup Series win, earning his first top-five finish on a non-superspeedway or road-course race.

MORE: Race results | Cindric steals win; race recap

Blaney limped around the track and was credited with a 24th-place finish, the final car on the lead lap.

“It quit running. Just a lap short,” Blaney said. “I thought we were plenty good. They must not have gotten it as full as they thought. I thought we were plenty good to go to the end and it wasn’t meant to be.”

After the final cycle of green-flag pit stops, Blaney was the first car on fresh tires. Christopher Bell elected to pit 18 laps after the No. 12 car and chased Blaney down after taking the lead with 19 laps remaining in the race.

The two Championship 4 drivers from last season had an epic battle for the lead until Bell had a mechanical issue. Blaney thought it was clear sailing to the finish line for his Ford team.

“That’s frustrating to drive your ass off to keep [Bell] behind you,” Blaney said. “I don’t know what happened to him, but you think you do a good job and drive your [expletive] off and feel like you weathered the storm of just trying to get it home and you run out. Proud of the day. It’s just one of those deals.”

RELATED: Watch final lap as Cindric swoops by

The No. 12 team knew it was playing it close on its fuel strategy, but never thought Blaney would run out of gas. Instead of being locked into the playoffs, Blaney remained 12th in the regular-season standings and was knocked down on the playoff grid due to Cindric’s victory.

“We knew we were close, but that was a little closer than we expected,” said Jonathan Hassler, crew chief of the No. 12 car. “Like everyone else, we were trying to be aggressive and put ourselves in position to win and you have those things.”

Ryan Blaney congratulates Austin Cindric in Victory Lane at Gateway.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Blaney finished third in each of the opening stages, minimizing the points lost. All three of Team Penske’s cars were a mainstay inside the top five throughout the 240-lap event.

And though it wasn’t Blaney who delivered Penske its first win of the season, he can take solace that one of the team’s cars won.

“It was a good day for our cars to run first, fifth and we were there in the top five,” Blaney said. “Proud of the effort, and I’m proud a Penske car won. I don’t think we were the fastest. Bell seemed like he shot out of a cannon. I don’t know where he came from, so battling him was tough.

“It just sucks we don’t end up with a finish that we deserve. I thought we did a good job all day doing what we needed to do. It’s a kick in the nuts but you move on past it.”

Dating back to Darlington, Blaney has three straight finishes outside the top 20. Blaney led 20 of the final 23 laps in Sunday’s contest and was set for his first top-five finish since the April 7 race at Martinsville Speedway. That would have been a much-needed uptick for the No. 12 group after consecutive DNFs at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Really happy with our showing today,” Blaney told FOX Sports. “Just, I don’t know what I gotta do to get some luck on our side. Gosh, wrecked the last two points races and thought we had a great shot to win today, and it ended up bad. So, just appreciate the effort. Just gotta keep sticking with it.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

MADISON, Ill. – Surprise and elation were the watchwords for Team Penske driver Austin Cindric, who won Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway at the expense of teammate Ryan Blaney.

The race was Blaney’s to win — until the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion ran out of fuel on the next-to-last lap and handed the lead to his teammate. Cindric charged past Blaney at the start/finish line and completed the checkered-flag lap as Blaney rolled agonizingly slowly to a 24th-place result.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

The victory was Cindric’s first since he won the 2022 Daytona 500 as a rookie, a dry spell that lasted 85 races. Nevertheless, Cindric expressed conflicting emotions after he climbed from his No. 2 Ford.

“This weekend was a great weekend for everybody involved,” Cindric said. “But, yeah, to have two cars in the fight, eventual 1-2. Heartbroken for those guys.

“This is huge for me. This is huge for this team. I’m so glad I was able to get a win with Brian (Wilson) as my crew chief in the Cup Series. You never know when it’s going to happen again. Just drove my butt off, hope for the best.”

WATCH: Cindric reacts to St. Louis victory

All three Team Penske drivers — Cindric, Blaney and Joey Logano — made only three pit stops to at least four for all other competitors. They stayed out under caution for the Stage 2 break and restarted 1-2-3 on Lap 149.

After pitting early in the ensuing cycle (Blaney on Lap 176, Cindric on Lap 177 and Logano on Lap 179, Blaney gained a spot on Cindric and began working his way through the field, improving his position as cars ahead of him came to pit road.

On Lap 217, when Kyle Larson pitted, Blaney assumed the lead, but with the race’s fastest car — the No. 20 Toyota of Christopher Bell — in hot pursuit. Bell soon caught Blaney and pulled alongside several times before engine issues caused Bell to slow dramatically.

“I’m blowing up, I’m blowing up,” Bell radioed to his crew.

But Bell, who had won the first two stages, nursed his car to the finish with help from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. Three laps down and mired in 34th place, Truex repeatedly pushed Bell’s Camry in the closing laps.

Then, it was Blaney’s turn to suffer game-changing misfortune.

“Never thought in my mind we were short,” Blaney said. “One of those things. Gosh, proud of the 12 boys. We were fast. Had my work cut out for me holding off Christopher. That was a fun battle. I don’t know what happened to him.

“Yeah, one lap short, which just stinks. Congrats to the 2 team. They did a good job all day. Props to them, Austin. Proud for Team Penske and Ford.

SHOP: Race winner gear

“Really happy with our showing today. I don’t know what I’ve got to do to get some luck on our side. Gosh, wrecked the last two points races. Thought we had a great shot to win today. Ended up bad.”

Bell was fresh from victory in the rain-shortened May 26 Coca-Cola 600 and had a car that was dominant from the outset. He passed pole winner Michael McDowell on Lap 41 to win Stage 1 and stayed on the track under caution for Josh Berry’s collision with the Turn 3 wall to win Stage 2.

In the closing laps, it seemed inevitable that Bell would overtake Blaney until Bell’s engine turned sour.

“I have no idea what happened,” said Bell, who rolled to a seventh-place finish. “Some sort of motor issue. I’m surprised that I made it to the end. Glad we were able to salvage something out of it.

“You don’t get race cars like that very often. Whenever you do, you need to take advantage of it. Disappointing day.”

Tyler Reddick finished fourth and Logano fifth, followed by Austin Dillon, Bell, Sunoco rookie Carson Hocevar (a career-best eighth), Justin Haley and Larson.

On Lap 140, the final circuit of Stage 2, Kyle Busch and Larson were battling in close quarters for the seventh position when Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet broke loose underneath Busch’s No. 8 Camaro, sending both cars sliding into the outside wall.

Busch’s car was damaged beyond repair and he exited the race in the 35th position — the first DNF of the season for the two-time Cup champion. Larson, on the other hand, was able to salvage the 10th-place result.

“We can’t afford days like this,” said Busch, who is winless this year and squarely on the bubble for a playoff spot. “Yeah, he got loose and wiped us out.”

MORE: Cup Series standings | Cup Series schedule 

The Cup Series will next head to Sonoma Raceway to participate in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 next Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: Post-race technical inspection is clear with no issues, confirming Austin Cindric as the race winner. The Nos. 31 and 41 cars will head back to NASCAR’s R&D Center for further inspection.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch crashed on the final lap of Stage 2 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

The pair of past champions were running inside the top 10 before the incident.

RELATED: Race results

Larson was racing to the left of Busch on entry to Turn 1 when his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet snapped sideways. That slide led him directly into Busch, who slammed the outside SAFER barrier in Turn 2. The incident ended Busch’s day after the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet led 15 laps, his first circuits out front since Kansas on May 5.

Busch, the defending winner at Gateway, instead leaves with his first DNF of the season and first since the playoff race in September 2023 at Texas Motor Speedway.

“It looked like he got loose, I guess, down the front straightaway into Turn 1,” Busch told reporters after being evaluated and released from the infield care center. “He was on older tires and trying to get us for a spot. Not sure what that single point was really gonna mean for him, but certainly hurt us a lot because (it) took that point away as well as the others that we’d get for the stage and then also the rest of the day. So very frustrating.

“We can’t afford days like that,” continued Busch, who exits Gateway with his fourth finish of 15th or worse in the past six races. “The Rebel Camaro wasn’t what it was last year, but it was a top-10 car, and we were gonna finish there. But (now) we’re not going to finish at all.”

MORE: Watch Busch’s post-crash interview

While Busch finished 35th, Larson, a two-time winner this year, continued despite the contact and finished 10th. The 2021 Cup champion missed last week’s Coca-Cola 600 after participating in the Indianapolis 500, with weather thwarting his attempt at the 1,100-mile double.

“We were coming to the end of that stage, and I was a little bit better than him,” Larson told reporters post-race. “Left (Turn) 4 to side-draft him and barely touched his quarter panel. I don’t know. I’m guessing it ticked him off, and he squeezed into me. I honestly thought I had a flat (tire) when I went into 1 because it just turned around backwards, but I guess he just must’ve took the air off of me and just spun.”

Contributing: Dustin Albino

Posted on by Alex Cadavid

The Cup Series heads to World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday for the Enjoy Illinois 300 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio), and a winless past champion might crack Victory Lane for the first time this year.

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live roster | Weekend schedule

The big change is that it’s a different past champion who is favored to win Sunday’s race after Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions. Instead of Martin Truex Jr., who was the top pick originally, now it’s Ryan Blaney because Team Penske started the weekend strong in terms of practice times and qualifying positioning.

Blaney qualified third but also led the field in 15-lap averages during practice. That in part has helped him catch the eye of the Racing Insights’ predictors. After Blaney comes Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Truex in the updated projections. Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and William Byron round out the projected top five.

Team Penske’s Joey Logano is sixth, with Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick and Kyle Busch completing the projected top 10.

With the first half of the season over and eight winners in the books, will anyone else emerge as a title contender? Sunday’s race appears to be wide open for a new winner to add his name to the ledger.

OTHER DRIVERS TO WATCH

KYLE BUSCH: Busch finished in the top two in both races at Gateway, and last year’s win is his most recent victory. It will be interesting to see how Busch runs this weekend and if he can match the pace he showed last year.

JOEY LOGANO: Logano has two top-five finishes in the two Cup races at Gateway and is another Gateway winner in need of a change in luck. His last top-10 finish was at Martinsville, and he’s currently outside of the playoff picture — but he’s also Joey Logano and is always a threat to win.

ALEX BOWMAN: Bowman continues to put together a stellar season. While he has yet to step into the winner’s circle this year, his four top fives and nine top 10s are some of his best career numbers through 14 races. Plus, he’s riding a five-race streak of finishing in the top 10.

ROSS CHASTAIN: Chastain’s eighth-place finish in Charlotte was his first top-10 finish since COTA. He could build some momentum this weekend at Gateway with another strong run. He finished eighth there in the inaugural Cup race and won a Truck race there.

CARSON HOCEVAR: More of an under-the-radar pick here, Hocevar made his Cup Series debut in this race a year ago, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet and was on pace for a decent finish until a brake failure took him out while running 16th. He had good runs in the Truck Series and could find some luck at Gateway for win No. 1 of his career.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE ENJOY ILLINOIS 300

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
112Ryan Blaney
211Denny Hamlin
319Martin Truex Jr.
45Kyle Larson
524William Byron
622Joey Logano
720Christopher Bell
89Chase Elliott
945Tyler Reddick
108Kyle Busch
111Ross Chastain
126Brad Keselowski
1354Ty Gibbs
1448Alex Bowman
1523Bubba Wallace
1617Chris Buescher
1734Michael McDowell
182Austin Cindric
1914Chase Briscoe
2099Daniel Suárez
2143Erik Jones
224Josh Berry
2341Ryan Preece
2477Carson Hocevar
2510Noah Gragson
263Austin Dillon
2751Justin Haley
287Corey LaJoie
2938Todd Gilliland
3047Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
3121Harrison Burton
3271Zane Smith
3342John H. Nemechek
3431Daniel Hemric
3516Derek Kraus
3615Cody Ware

Posted on by Dustin Albino

MADISON, Ill. — Joey Logano is good at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Like, really good. Two races are a small sample size, but he and Kyle Busch are the only drivers to have podium finishes in the first two Cup races at the Illinois oval.

Logano points to short tracks as Team Penske’s strongpoint. Measured at 1.25 miles, Gateway doesn’t quite fall under that category, but there is plenty of throttle management through the long straightaways and tight corners. Neither side of the race track looks the same.

“Our team excels where you have to get out of the gas pedal, and here there is a lot of speed variance from the straightaway into Turn 1 to where you are in Turn 2,” Logano said Saturday. “You’re on the brakes hard. I know it’s a long track, but we still call it a short track because you have to use the brakes and you have to do different things.

“You don’t drive it like a mile-and-a-half. You drive it like a short track, like a Loudon or Richmond where you can fall it into that category which is better for us.”

MORE: Weekend schedule for Gateway, Portland

Entering Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Logano ranks 18th on the playoff grid, 30 points below the elimination line, currently held by a surging Chris Buescher. Four months ago, it would have been hard to imagine the two-time Cup Series champion missing the postseason. But that possibility is becoming increasingly possible with each passing week.

Through 14 races, Logano has just three top-10 finishes. He is on pace for his fewest top-10 total since joining Team Penske in 2013. The No. 22 team has led 199 laps, the same amount he led en route to winning the exhibition NASCAR All-Star Race two weeks ago at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

That wasn’t a points race, however, and Logano followed it up by earning 23 points in the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend, in a race where teams could score a maximum of 70 points. In the previous three races combined entering Gateway, he has scored a whopping 49 points. His six straight races without top 10s is the longest streak of his Penske tenure.

MORE: Logano’s career through the years

But there are signals of optimism. After Gateway, the Cup Series heads to a repaved Sonoma Raceway before a trip to Iowa Speedway, where the No. 22 team expects to be competitive. After that is New Hampshire, a track at which Logano has top-five finishes in three of the last four races, including a runner-up result last season.

“The next four weeks or so line up pretty good for the [No.] 22, we just have to capitalize on that,” Logano said. “We don’t have any mulligans left at this point with where we are in points. We have to get up in points, get all the points we possibly can, win a race if possible.

“I look at this [Gateway] as one of the strongest the last two times we’ve been here. First and third, so I feel like we should have a good spot.”

So far so good, with the No. 22 Ford being fastest in practice. He was the lone Penske driver to miss the final round of qualifying and will take the green flag from 12th position.

RELATED: Sunday’s starting lineup

Posted on by Brandon White

SEEKONK, Massachusetts — Matt Hirschman was visibly disappointed when he made his selection during the redraw for the J&R Precast 150 at Seekonk Speedway.

After setting the fastest time of the day in qualifying, Hirschman would forgo the pole position by drawing the lowest starting position possible, eighth. This left Hirschman with 150 laps to work his way up from the middle of the pack at a 0.333-mile facility where track position is paramount.

Hirschman predominantly relied on skill instead of luck to surge towards the front of the field. After methodically climbing to second, Hirschman emerged victorious in an intense restart duel with his Northampton, Pennsylvania, neighbor Austin Beers to obtain his second consecutive NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at Seekonk.

“We had to work for that one for sure,” Hirschman said. “[Seekonk] is always a challenging track. The characteristics change throughout the race, but the characteristics of my car changed throughout the race. It came in good on the restart and I was able to go side-by-side with Austin and get past him.”

RELATED: Complete race results from the J&R Precast 150

Hirschman joined an exclusive list of drivers who have multiple Seekonk wins in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The only other member of that group is Doug Coby, whose triumphs came in 2017 and 2019, respectively.

Even with his odds of a victory hindered by a poor draw, Hirschman never doubted his ability to find his way towards the front. Each pass required diligence and patience around Seekonk’s narrow racing line. Hirschman’s superior speed proved crucial in gaining the valuable track position he needed to chase down Beers.

Despite this, Hirschman still faced a heavy deficit to Beers by the time he had climbed to the runner-up position. With Beers facing no serious challengers as he worked through slower traffic, Hirschman needed a caution to mount a challenge for the lead.

Unlike earlier at the redraw, luck was on Hirschman’s side when a spin by Tyler Catalano brought out the first and only caution of the night with 30 laps remaining. Hirschman held his own on the top side against Beers, who lost the lead after slight contact with the No. 60 caused him to briefly lose control of his No. 64.

Beers held on to finish second, but he felt dejected knowing he was only a few laps away from claiming a win at the same track where his father Eric picked up his maiden NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory in 2005.

There were several aspects of the J&R Precast 150, including the final restart, that Beers wishes he could repeat, but he departs Seekonk feeling optimistic his first victory of the 2024 season is near.

“[Hirschman] was a little bit better,” Beers said. “It was kind of my fault, because I wanted to start a little freer than we usually do and that bit us. I probably should have picked the top and pinched him like he pinched me, but it was a fun side-by-side battle. Three seconds in a row is nothing to hang our heads about.”

For Hirschman, winning at Seekonk was a necessary change of pace following an inconsistent start to 2024 by his standards. In his three starts prior to Seekonk, Hirschman only recorded one top five and had failed to lead a lap.

Hirschman considered himself lucky his first victory of 2024 came during Seekonk’s tribute weekend to Modified legend Bugsy Stevens, who passed away on May 20. He has long respected Stevens’ ability as a competitor and hopes to keep honoring his legacy with more Seekonk victories.

“To finally get out on the road and have a big win, that’s overdue at least in my opinion,” Hirschman said. “Everybody kept working and we got it done tonight on a special night where we remembered Bugsy Stevens. It was an honor to be here.”

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points leader Ron Silk placed third after starting 11th. He was followed by Stephen Kopcik and Justin Bonsignore. The rest of the top 10 finishers were Jacob Lutz, Kyle Bonsignore, Patrick Emerling, Jake Johnson and Matt Swanson.

The next stop for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be the series’ most prestigious venue, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, for the running of the Mohegan Sun 100 on June 22 at 6:40 p.m. ET. FloRacing will provide live flag-to-flag coverage.

Posted on by Staff Report

J&R Precast 150

Seekonk Speedway

  • Race results
Pos. Car No. Driver Sponsor Laps Diff.
1 60 Matt Hirschman PeeDee Motorsports 150  —
2 64 Austin Beers G&G Electrical Supply/Dell Electric 150 1.769
3 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine/Future Homes 150 2.835
4 21 Stephen Kopcik* Newtown Pools & Karchner Warehousing 150 4.462
5 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications, Inc. 150 4.515
6 14 Jacob Lutz* Advantage Trucks/Anastasi Trucking/Washtronics 150 4.689
7 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munns Auto 150 4.99
8 1 Patrick Emerling Fleetworks Inc 150 5.613
9 3 Jake Johnson Propane Plus/Lin’s Propane Trucks 150 6.531
10 89 Matt Swanson Cervaolos Auto/Casella Snowplows/Mully’s Auto Repair 150 6.884
11 06 Sam Rameau Rameau Family Motorsports 150 7.387
12 56 Trevor Catalano* Catalano Motorsports 150 10.265
13 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 149 1 Lap
14 44 Doug Coby Baldwin Automotive 149 1 Lap
15 58 Timmy Solomito GAF Roofing 149 1 Lap
16 19 Anthony Sesely Franzosa Trucking Co/Karchner Warehousing 149 1 Lap
17 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Inc. 149 1 Lap
18 00 Tom Rogers Jr. BNP Machine/SSRP 148 2 Laps
19 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply 148 2 Laps
20 4 Tim Connolly Connolly Companies, LLC 148 2 Laps
21 84 Tyler Catalano* Catalano Motorsports 147 3 Laps
22 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood & Restaurant 146 4 Laps
23 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 128 22 Laps