NASCAR officials issued a penalty Wednesday for an on-track infraction after the checkered flag of last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course.
Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, was fined $50,000 for violating Sections 4.4.B & D: NASCAR Member Code of Conduct during Sunday’s Grant Park 165.
During the cool-down lap after the conclusion of the 2024 Chicago Street Race, Wallace slammed the door of his No. 23 machine into the side of Chicago winner Alex Bowman’s no. 48 Chevrolet. The post-race confrontation came after a Lap 25 incident when Bowman’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevy tangled up with the No. 23, causing Wallace to clip the side and spin into the wall. Wallace subsequently finished the race in 13th and currently sits 17th in the playoff standings, 45 points underneath the elimination line for the 16-driver field.
The Cup Series continues its regular season at Pocono Raceway this Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
When rain forced ARCA and Irwindale Speedway officials to postpone the ARCA Menards Series West race originally scheduled for March 30, a unique opportunity was created. Irwindale would host two West Series races in the span of three days from July 4-6.
Such a doubleheader came with its own set of unique challenges that track promoter Tim Huddleston and his team had to overcome in order to welcome more than 12,000 fans and competitors for two spectacular nights of racing and entertainment.
This is how they did it.
Long before ARCA officials and teams began to arrive at Irwindale Speedway, preparation was underway days in advance of Thursday’s NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame.
The grandstands, which can hold approximately 6,500 people, were pressure washed. The race track was given a new coat of paint. Trash cans were emptied. Banners and flags were hung around the facility. Barriers were moved into place.
These tasks may sound simple, but there’s no such thing on a hot day in Southern California.
Huddleston on Wednesday was in Las Vegas for another event, so Manny Gonzalez handled much of the pre-event work to prepare the facility to welcome fans and competitors.
Gonzalez has worked at Irwindale for more than two decades. In fact, he was part of the team that prepared the landscaping prior to the construction of the track.
As long as Irwindale Speedway has existed, Gonzalez has worked there. He now holds the title of Facilities Manager at the 65-acre property.
Huddleston likes to give fans as much bang for their buck as possible. That’s why, when the West Series comes to Irwindale, each event also includes the popular Night of Destruction program.
A Night of Destruction is exactly how it sounds. Attractions like trailer races, jet car burn downs and motorhome destruction races create big reactions from race fans … and one really big mess.
Gonzalez and his team are the ones who clean it all up.
Not to be left out, West Series director Chris Wright also has a hand in preparing the facility for competition. Before almost every West Series race, Wright uses a drag mat to collect any debris leftover from whatever event was last on track.
Wright on Wednesday covered Irwindale’s entire half-mile oval, plus the infield of the track as well as the pit area. The drag mat collected a variety of debris, including rubber, bits of metal and plastic.
“It gives me a chance to scan the track for areas of concern. It allows me to put my eyes on the entire facility.” — Chris Wright
Tim Huddleston at the ARCA hauler.
Lisa Huddleston stocks merchandise.
Paul Belvin delivers fuel to competitors.
By Thursday morning, preparations were all but complete for the first of two days of racing and destruction. But there was still work to be done. Huddleston, his wife Lisa and operations coordinator Paul Belvin were quite literally all over the facility Thursday.
Huddleston is more than a promotor. When the action begins on race nights, he takes on the role of hype man for the capacity crowd. Lisa joins him to hand out giveaways in the stands.
“We built us a little tiny home. It’s a 600 square foot mini house on the property. Me and my entire family, we will not leave that property. We’ll come in from Las Vegas at 3 or 4 in the morning on Thursday, and I won’t leave that property until Sunday night.” — Tim Huddleston
July 4 at 4 p.m. PT – GATES OPEN
Following the conclusion of Thursday’s West Series race (won by Sean Hingorani), the program shifted to the Night of Destruction.
Just as advertised, there was plenty of destruction and, thus, one huge mess.
And with a 10 p.m. PT curfew, the show had to move on in a hurry.
July 5 at 5:30 a.m. PT – CLEANUP BEGINS
Gonzalez arrived on site at 5 a.m. PT on Friday. He and his 10-person crew began clean-up efforts at 5:30 a.m.
Part of the crew was stationed in the infield, where they cleaned up the debris created by the Night of Destruction and jet car burn down.
Wednesday afternoon before the jet car burn down …
… Friday morning after the jet car burn down.
While Gonzalez and his group were focused on cleaning up the infield, a second team was in the grandstands picking up trash left behind by spectators.
Gonzalez estimated his team would collect between 200 and 250 bags of trash from the grandstands and the various trash cans around the facility.
The entire race track and infield had to be cleared of debris ahead of a practice session scheduled for 4 p.m. PT on Friday afternoon. Gonzalez and his team cleaned diligently over the span of four hours. Wright arrived shortly before 10 a.m. and joined the efforts with the drag mat.
By noon, all of the debris was cleared from the infield, and all the trash had been removed from the grandstands. The track was ready to welcome fans and competitors all over again.
“We used to have a different crew, and they’d take the whole day to clean up. When I start, it only takes four hours. We’ll start at 6 in the morning, and we’re done by 10.” — Manny Gonzalez
July 6 at 4 p.m. PT – GATES OPEN
For the second time in three days, Irwindale Speedway opened for business. The West Series once again started the show. Hingorani completed the sweep of both events in a three-day span.
The race was followed by another Night of Destruction program. It again left the facility covered in debris that Gonzalez and his crew spent Sunday morning cleaning.
In all, it was a busy-yet-successful weekend for the Huddleston family, the West Series and the entire staff at Irwindale Speedway.
“The absolute first and foremost and always most important thing for a successful weekend is to send everybody home safe, first, and happy, second. That’s a successful weekend for us.” — Tim Huddleston
Alex Bowman’s victory on the Chicago Street Course on Sunday marks the second consecutive week the driver on the playoff points position elimination line has won a race to secure his chance to race for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Last week, Team Penske’s Joey Logano won at Nashville Speedway vaulting from a tenuous place in the standings to a sure-bet opportunity to race for a third title, too.
Those new winners bring the season total to 12 race winners, leaving only four points positions to transfer into championship contention. There are still six races remaining to set the 16-driver playoff field starting with Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.com at Pocono Raceway (2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
NASCAR Cup Series driver standings leader Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Bowman, Logano, Daniel Suárez and Austin Cindric have all hoisted trophies to lock in their playoff berths.
Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Ross Chastain and Chris Buescher round out the top 16 in the points standings. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver Truex holds a 125-point advantage over 17th-place Bubba Wallace. Buescher, holds a much slimmer 45-point edge over Wallace, whose 13th-place effort at Chicago significantly helped his bid to return to the playoffs this season.
Just behind 23XI Racing’s Wallace in the standings are Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe (-88 points) and two-time series champion, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch (-98 points).
Securing his playoff opportunity — which now puts all four Hendrick Motorsports cars in the championship run — was an emotionally charged achievement for Bowman on Sunday. It not only punched his ticket to contend for a title, but it also ended an 80-start winless streak for the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet. And he conceded, his struggles to win in that time and to be a part of this season’s playoff picture have weighed on him.
“Obviously we have all the tools we need to win and our teammates have been really good throughout that time,” Bowman said, “But we just couldn’t put it together.
“It has certainly been a large mental test to go through everything that has happened in the last two years and try to continue to overcome that each and every week, especially when things aren’t going your way,” Bowman said of missing races due to injury in both 2022 and 2023.
“Honestly, the last month has been super frustrating for us. We’ve had a lot of things outside of our control cost us a lot of points, and it’s been really frustrating. There’s a lot of emotions that go with this because of how hard that has been.”
Hendrick Motorsports executive Jeff Gordon — a NASCAR Hall of Famer and four-time series champion — was candid about what the win meant in such a competitive season.
“I think today was a huge day for both of these guys and the whole team,” Gordon said of Bowman and his crew chief Blake Harris, whose win Sunday was his first ever in that role.
“I couldn’t be more proud or happy for the whole group because I know what kind of pressure they’ve been feeling and it’s amazing for all of us now to have all four cars in the playoffs. … I’m sure for both of them, it’s nice to have this one off their back and then just start focusing forward on getting where they need to be in the playoffs.”
It speaks to the competitive tune-up and increasing pressures that competitors are feeling heading into a two-week summer break — after next week’s Brickyard 400 — and the final four-race regular-season push.
Three drivers still racing for that first win — Truex, Buescher and Busch — have won previously at Pocono. Busch has four trophies, the last coming in 2021. Truex has won twice, the last time in 2018. Buescher claimed his first career NASCAR Cup Series win there in 2016.
NASCAR Cup Series practice at Pocono is Saturday at noon ET followed immediately by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 12:45 p.m. ET. Both will be televised on USA Network and carried live on MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App.
Spire Motorsports announced Tuesday morning that crew chief Rodney Childers will be atop the pit box for Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 Chevrolet in a multiyear deal starting in 2025.
This transition is a significant move for Spire Motorsports as Childers became a coveted free agent after the announcement earlier this year that Stewart-Haas Racing would close at the end of the season. The 40-time NASCAR Cup Series race-winning crew chief is one of the sport’s most respected shot-callers in the garage, leading Kevin Harvick to the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship. He’s the winningest active crew chief in the Cup Series.
“We are beyond excited to announce Rodney Childers as the crew chief for Corey LaJoie and Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team beginning in 2025,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “There are decisions that professional racing teams make daily that take courage, require deep thought and have some element of rolling the dice. To be clear, this wasn’t one of them. Rodney is a Hall-of-Fame worthy, championship-winning crew chief with 40 wins. He is one of the best in the garage, and when a guy like Rodney is available, it would be malpractice if we did anything but our absolute best to bring him into our growing organization. He will make us better the moment he walks into our shop, and we look forward to his contributions to our collective success.”
Ryan Sparks, currently crew chief of the No. 7 while also serving as the team’s competition director this season, will transition to a singular role as Spire’s official Competition Director at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
“Ryan Sparks is an amazing leader and has been a huge part of our organization since the first moment he clocked in,” Dickerson continued. “As he transitions from managing two roles to focusing on Spire Motorsports as a whole, it’s important to point out that he was one of the first guys who talked to me about bringing Rodney in. Lots of guys say they’ll put the team first, but there aren’t a lot of guys who follow through, and that speaks to the type of competitor and human Ryan is. He has been balancing being a crew chief and the competition director for the last couple of seasons. This move will allow him to focus solely on the competition director role. As we continue to grow, his knowledge and leadership will become even more instrumental to our success.”
Childers led Harvick to eight postseason appearances in their decade together, including five Championship 4 appearances between 2014-19. His drivers have collected 34 poles, 178 top-five and 298 top-10 finishes in 660 races with him atop the box.
This move represents a new chapter in Childers’ illustrious career. He will bring a new level of professionalism and precision to Spire.
“The thing that attracted me to Spire a lot was just they’re investing in the people. And if we’re all going to have to run the same parts, then the people is what’s going to make a difference,” Childers said during his media availability at NASCAR Productions Facility. “Yeah, some of these guys have a 25-year head start on us. But if you get the right group of people and the right mindset, people that are going to work hard and do all the right things, and you can still run with the big teams. You’ve got to go out there and be perfect. And you can’t flounder around by any means.”
Adding Childers to its organization adds another stepping stone in building the winning culture Spire aims to foster in the future. Crew members from the No. 4 team even saw the vision Spire was building, leading to a few of them switching to Spire over the 2023 off-season.
“Being able to talk to them every week about how much they loved it there and how much they were growing and just everything about it, none of them had a negative thing to say, and they kept saying that it reminded them of the No. 4 team in the early days of just how they all get along,” Childers added.
Team president Doug Duchardt also shared more on the trajectory Spire is working towards with the addition of Childers.
“I think someone like Rodney can help us determine how to get our cars to the next level,” Duchardt said. “I think we’re doing really well. But the thing is that it’s just incremental improvements in every little area that get you to that next level. And I think we’re just knocking on that door. And that’s where I think we’re going to focus as a group.
“We know that we’re growing. And we respect the competition enough to know that it’s a bit of a journey. But you have to embrace the journey,” Duchardt said. “And that’s why I try to tell everyone; we know that it’s a steep hill. But you have to embrace that and be okay with it, knowing that you can get there.”
Childers echoed a similar sentiment when talking about his goals in competing with the No. 7 team. “There’s going to be steps. There are going to be hard days. There are going to be good days. There’s going to be good tracks. There are going to be bad tracks. It’s not going to be a miracle. But we’re going to chip away at it every single week.”
Conor Daly is set for his first NASCAR starts of the year in a deal with Niece Motorsports for a limited schedule in the Craftsman Truck Series, the team announced Tuesday morning.
The 32-year-old driver from Noblesville, Indiana, will pilot the team’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST in three races this season, starting with his first attempt at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 19. Daly has three truck starts to his name, turning in a best finish of 18th in last year’s run at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and also in his series debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2020. All three starts have been with Niece.
Daly’s NASCAR campaign will also include races at Kansas Speedway in September and Homestead-Miami Speedway in October. The NTT IndyCar Series veteran has raced in some of motorsports’ most prestigious events, with starts in the Daytona 500, Rolex 24 and Indianapolis 500, and he’s eager for more stock-car action.
“I couldn’t be more excited to get back into a truck with Niece Motorsports,” Daly said in a team release. “Al Niece and Cody Efaw have always been great to me and supportive of my Indy 500 efforts, as well, over the years as we’ve (gotten) to know each other. We’ve been working on putting a program together for a while and I’m happy we could finally work out the details to go racing together once again.”
The versatile driver also made a recent ARCA Menards Series start at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, turning in a top-10 finish in his series debut.
“Conor has been great to work with every time he’s stepped into one of our trucks,” said Cody Efaw, Niece Motorsports general manager. “It’s been fun to see his interest in NASCAR grow since he made that first start with our team in Las Vegas a few years ago. Now that we have him secured for multiple races this year, I think that will give him a chance to go out there and learn each week to get better for his upcoming starts.”
Power Plus will serve as Daly’s primary sponsor for his first Truck Series start this season. Additional partnership announcements will be made at a later date, according to the team.
Alex Bowman‘s victory on the Chicago streets sealed his spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and snapped a winless drought that lasted 80 races.
However, this feat did not come without some rain and drama. On Lap 25, Bowman found himself tangled up with the No. 23 Toyota of Bubba Wallace, clipping the side and sending him spinning into the wall.
The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet said his redirected focus caused this incident.
“The restart was chaotic,” Bowman said after the conclusion of the race. “I just made every wrong decision I possibly could, and I was fighting with my windshield wiper switch trying to get the thing working and I couldn’t get it working. I was focused on that, missed the corner and cleaned him out. I locked all four tires up and slid right into him. I just messed up and absolutely ruined his day.”
Before the on-track contact, Wallace was having a notable run in Sunday’s race. He started in the sixth position, right behind inaugural Chicago Street Race winner, Shane van Gisbergen, who wrecked out after the Stage 2 restart.
On the cool-down lap, Wallace showed Bowman his frustration after a 13th-place run for the 23XI Racing driver still looking to secure a postseason spot. Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota door slammed into the side of Bowman’s car as he celebrated his win.
The Arizona native validated Wallace’s post-race actions, saying it was warranted and did not deserve to be penalized.
“He barely hit me,” Bowman said. “It was fine, and it was plenty deserved.”
However, a NASCAR spokesperson confirmed officials will look into the incident to determine whether further action is needed.
As for making amends? Well, parking the No. 48 Chevrolet in Victory Lane may have created a harsher sting for Wallace. Bowman said there were not many avenues he could go down to make it up to him.
“He has every right to be mad; I’d be mad, too,” Bowman said. “I tried to call him during the rain delay and I shot him a text. Nothing I can do to make it better, and I’m sure us winning probably only makes it worse … I just messed up and ruined his day, so I hate that.”
Wallace politely declined comment when approached by NASCAR.com after the event.
The on-again-off-again between the Chicago Street Course, NASCAR Cup Series drivers and Mother Nature sent powerhouse drivers to the back of the field and others soaring to the top as time expired in the Windy City.
Maniacal weather halted all action for over 100 minutes under a red flag and yet watered the field just enough to see Alex Bowman evaporate an 80-race winless drought with his Chicago win.
Before the Cup Series makes its way to Pocono Raceway on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), see which drivers are climbing upward or tumbling downward.
THREE UP ⬆️
1. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Started: 8th
Finished: 1st
What happened: In a thrilling show on the Chicago streets, Alex Bowman shattered an 80-race dry spell, marking his first win since early March 2022 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He made a bold pass on the No. 60 Ford of Joey Hand on Lap 51 and eventually ran away with the lead after holding off a resurgent Tyler Reddick. Bowman’s Sunday success solidified Hendrick Motorsports’ 2024 dominance in the Cup Series as all four drivers have clinched a spot in the playoffs via a points-paying race victory.
What’s next: Bowman will take his talents to the “Tricky Triangle” next week, where the No. 48 Chevrolet took home the victory in 2021. In other words, momentum certainly remains on Bowman’s side.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
2. Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Started: 3rd
Finished: 5th
What happened: Michael McDowell continues to prove competitive on road courses, following up on his runner-up finish at Sonoma Raceway earlier in the season. However, such a finish in the Windy City didn’t come easy as the No. 34 pilot saw himself outside the top 20 in Stages 1 (37th) and 2 (27th). Even still, the No. 34 driver gradually wheeled his way toward the front and capitalized where needed. Having also scored a top-10 finish on the Chicago streets in 2023, McDowell sure has left his mark in Chicago.
What’s next: McDowell’s tricky history at Pocono in 2022 will not stop his performance there as he will chase the win next Sunday in Long Pond. In 21 career Cup races there, McDowell holds two top-10 finishes.
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
3. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Started: 19th
Finished: 9th
What happened: Kyle Busch has experienced an unfortunate year in the Cup Series so far, totaling four DNFs in the last six races. Sunday may have reignited his playoff hopes as he remained steady throughout the windy roads in the Windy City. Busch jumped back into a top-10 finish, his first since Kansas Speedway in early May.
What’s next: Like McDowell, Kyle Busch, too, has a past with Pocono, facing disqualification after finishing second to Denny Hamlin, who was also disqualified. Busch will head to Pennsylvania as well, hoping to continue the speed from Chicago. Although his disqualification at Pocono in 2022 might still sting, he does still maintain hearty results at the track, which includes four wins and 585 laps led in the Cup Series.
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
THREE DOWN ⬇️
1. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Started: 1st
Finished: 39th
What happened: Kyle Larson hung within the top five throughout most of his time during the 2024 running on the Chicago streets. Larson entered this race sitting on the pole, with three wins in his grasp already from Sonoma, Las Vegas, and a photo finish at Kansas. However, on Lap 34 in Turn 6, Larson locked his brakes, deeply burying his No. 5 in the tire barrier. He was towed from the wreckage and tried to navigate back to pit road, ultimately slicing his chances of conquering Victory Lane for a fourth time.
What’s next: Fresh off the defeat, Larson will be back to perform at Pocono on Sunday. He has finished inside the top 20 in each of the last five races at the track and hopes to continue the streak.
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
2. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Started: 5th
Finished: 40th
What happened: Shane van Gisbergen was a heavy favorite going into the second-annual event as he was the inaugural and reigning champion in Chicago. However, van Gisbergen was clipped by the No. 14 Ford of Chase Briscoe, which sent the No. 16 Chevrolet into the wall and ultimately ended the New Zealand native’s day on Lap 26. The incident came after winning Saturday’s Xfinity race and prevailing in Stage 1 of Sunday’s Cup contest.
What’s next: The Kiwi driver will make his next Cup Series start at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 24.
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
3. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Started: 18th
Finished: 21st
What happened: Earlier this year, Chase Elliott joined his father, Bill, on the list of drivers to begin the regular season with 16-plus top-20 finishes. Unfortunately, Elliot’s skillful streak was snapped Sunday as Elliott couldn’t beat out the clock to put forth another such finish at Chicago.
What’s next: Chase Elliott drove off with the checkered flag at Pocono in 2022 and followed up with a 10th-place finish in 2023. In 14 career Cup starts at the track, Elliott has one win, four top fives and nine top 10s. And so, the No. 9 will search to start a new streak in Pennsylvania.
CHICAGO – Alex Bowman had acquired a special variety of bourbon early in the 2022 season, some of the top-shelf stuff with the idea that it would be shared and sipped to celebrate his next NASCAR Cup Series win.
Few imagined that bottle would be stowed on his own shelf for more than two years.
Sunday’s stirring drive through the damp streets of the Windy City to win the second edition of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race represented a long journey back to Victory Lane for the 31-year-old driver and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. It had been 80 races since that last visit, a span marked by two injury absences, sagging performance and a striking playoff miss while his teammates racked up wins and Championship 4 appearances. That all fueled burbling speculation – at least from the keyboard crowd – that his job was in jeopardy.
Sunday’s triumph – punctuated by an almost cathartic burnout that shrouded Columbus Drive in smoke – was reason to raise a glass.
“Everybody that said I couldn’t win and don’t deserve to be at Hendrick Motorsports and all that [expletive], cheers to you,” Bowman said.
Bowman had barely emerged from the cloud around his No. 48 Chevrolet when Hendrick Motorsports president Jeff Andrews handed him his phone. On the other end of the line was team owner Rick Hendrick, offering his congratulations from afar. The celebration was also a cherished moment for Bowman’s No. 48 crew, which mobbed him at the start/finish line.
Just a handful of those team members had been with Bowman for his first Cup Series win, scored five years plus a week ago at Chicagoland Speedway, just south of the major metro. For them, the date and the place stood out, but so did the ability to share the stage with their driver for the first time since March 6, 2022, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“Alex is a super hard-working individual,” said Ty Sipes, the No. 48 car chief and a nearly 10-year Hendrick vet who transferred from the No. 88 group along with Bowman in 2021. “I mean, the time he puts into the simulator, the time he puts in by himself, it’s everything he’s doing to try and make himself better. For it to finally come together after all this, he never once quit, even through his injuries and everything else. He’s always been trying to get back to winning, so to get back here today, it really speaks as a testament to how hard he works.”
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR Digital Media
The work has been necessary. Bowman enjoyed four consecutive seasons of having his name in the rotation of Cup Series winners, but a concussion near the end of the 2022 campaign placed him on the sidelines for five weeks. He forged his way back into the seat but missed three more weeks last season after a springtime sprint car accident left him with a fractured back. A medical waiver from NASCAR officials cracked the door for playoff eligibility, but when the wins didn’t come, that opening shut.
Bowman recalled spending his 30th birthday in an Iowa hospital room in the hours after his back injury, feeling that he had let his No. 48 team down. The mental adversity, he said, was comparable to the physical pain.
“Yeah, it’s really difficult,” Bowman said. “Obviously we have all the tools we need to win, and our teammates have been really good throughout that time. But we just couldn’t put it together. It has certainly been a large mental test to go through everything that has happened in the last two years and try to continue to overcome that each and every week, especially when things aren’t going your way, and honestly, the last month has been super-frustrating for us. We’ve had a lot of things outside of our control, cost us a lot of points, and it’s been really frustrating. To be able — there’s a lot of emotions that go away with this because of how hard that has been.”
Perhaps some of the speculation goes away, too. Hendrick Motorsports is one of the rare teams that discloses contract lengths when they are announced, and Bowman provided a reminder that he is signed and sealed through the end of 2026, thanks to a three-year extension he agreed to before last season.
That hasn’t stopped the Silly Season swirl that the contract might not be in permanent ink. Bowman’s Sunday drive, though, helped the cause as he put distance on road-racing ace Joey Hand in the closing laps, then went error-free the rest of the way as Tyler Reddick charged at him with a distinct tire advantage. And if the rumors needed further scuttling, Jeff Gordon – Hendrick’s vice chairman – seemed to make it official after Bowman’s long road back to winning ways reached its destination.
“You really want guys like that to find their way when they’ve had to struggle and have — just seems like right as he’s getting into a stride, boom, something would happen,” Gordon said. “I think that’s why this is so important, not just for him and the team but for him personally. As far as we’re concerned, Ally loves him, and we love him. He’s a car guy, and there’s a reason why he came to Hendrick Motorsports, and he’s proven he can win. Today was not an easy set of circumstances, and he proved he can win in these tough conditions, as well, on a road course.
“I understand why people want to talk and — it’s a tough business. When you’re at Hendrick Motorsports, you do expect, especially when the other three have won, to be in that same category, and it hasn’t been happening. Hopefully, this dispels a lot of the rumors.”
The victory also set aside any uncertainty for Bowman’s path back to the Cup Series Playoffs. Bowman entered Sunday’s event as the last driver in on the provisional 16-driver grid, with just a 51-point cushion over the provisional elimination line. He’s now out of the bubble conversation with six regular-season races remaining, joining teammates William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson as the fourth Hendrick driver to punch a playoff ticket.
“Man, it’s awesome to just have that weight kind of lift off your shoulders,” said No. 48 fueler Jacob Conley, another veteran who made the shift from the No. 88 team with Bowman three years ago. “In these last few weeks of the season, we can just race. You’re not worried about this and that; you’re just out there kind of racing free. I feel that’s when teams can get dangerous.”
The playoffs sit two months away, but for now, the top-shelf bourbon can finally be poured with the purpose it was meant for. Sunday’s beverage appetizer was freshly uncorked champagne in the Chicago twilight, sprayed by the No. 48 team with the vigor of a crew that had been waiting more than two years for that moment. They were coated in it when Bowman took a group photo from the stage.
“It tastes good,” Sipes said, “and even though it burns your eyes, it’s a good burn.”
Did you know that skin cancer is the most common cancer and affects more than 3 million people in the United States each year? An average NASCAR race can have fans in direct sunlight for hours at a time, and the more time you spend having fun in the sun, the higher your risk for developing skin cancer.1
This year, Regeneron and its Let’s Get Real About Skin Cancer program will appear at select racing events through the summer to educate people on the two most common forms of advanced non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC): basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).1 While most people are familiar with melanoma, fewer know about BCC and CSCC, which are far more prevalent.1 Though easier to treat when caught early, BCC and CSCC can become serious and advance locally or spread to other parts of the body (metastasize) if left undiagnosed, putting your health at risk.2
Through the Let’s Get Real About Skin Cancer program, Regeneron is sharing facts and resources about advanced NMSCs like BCC and CSCC with 70 million race fans across the country through our website, social channels, Stacking Pennies podcast, and in person at educational booths in the Midway at select races, including:
Darlington Raceway (May 11-12)
Iowa Speedway (June 14-16)
Daytona International Speedway (August 23-24)
Before your next race day or any outdoor activity, take a few minutes to learn about how to protect yourself — and not let these advanced NMSCs put a red flag on your racing season.
Before Starting Your Engines: Know Who Is at Risk
The most commonly known risk factors for advanced NMSCs are:3
Lighter colored skin.
Advanced age.
Lots of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure — like from spending lots of time out at the track.
Frequent sunburns.
Use of tanning beds.
Previous case of skin cancer.
Long-term or severe skin injury or inflammation.
Weakened immune system.
However, young people, those with darker skin tones and those who have never sunburned can still develop skin cancer.3 In fact, clinical outcomes for NMSCs, such as CSCC, are worse in people of color, as skin cancer is often diagnosed later and at more advanced stages.4 Later diagnosis can make NMSCs more difficult to treat.2
Time for a Pit Stop
With a greater understanding of the prevalence and risks of advanced NMSCs like BCC and CSCC, it’s important to take stock in how your skin protection is measuring up:
Cover skin with long sleeves, wide brim hats and sun protective clothing.
Apply (and reapply) sunscreen during any outdoor activities.
Make an appointment with a dermatologist for a skin check.
Just like race cars need to periodically make a pit stop, you should head to the doctor’s office regularly to make sure your skin is in optimal condition. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends getting a skin check every year, where dermatologists can examine your skin from head to toe, including your scalp, nails and other hard to reach areas.5 It is a relatively quick and painless routine screening process. Regular skin checks are a good way to detect BCC and CSCC so they can be caught early and treated before they advance.5
Finding Your Healthcare Pit Crew
If you are diagnosed with advanced BCC or CSCC, know that you are not alone – your primary care doctor or dermatologist may assemble a multidisciplinary care team of other specialists, like surgeons or oncologists, to help with a management plan. Just as teams work together on the track to win a race, your multidisciplinary team is there to help you.
Please visit Let’s Get Real About Skin Cancer for more information and to sign a pledge to see a dermatologist for a skin check soon.
References
Basal & Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Statistics. American Cancer Society. Published October 31, 2023. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/basal-and-squamous-cell-skin-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
Cancer.net. Skin Cancer (Non-Melanoma): Introduction. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/skin-cancer-non-melanoma/introduction.
Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Risk Factors | Skin Cancer Risks. American Cancer Society. Published October 31, 2023. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/basal-and-squamous-cell-skin-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
Gloster HM, Neal K. Skin cancer in skin of color. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;55(5):741-760. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2005.08.063
Annual Exams. The Skin Cancer Foundation. Published October 2023. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://www.skincancer.org/early-detection/annual-exams/
AM Racing has parted ways with driver Hailie Deegan effective immediately, the NASCAR Xfinity Series team announced Monday morning.
“AM Racing and Hailie Deegan have decided to part ways, effective immediately,” the team statement reads. “We are grateful for Hailie’s contributions and dedication as the driver of the No. 15 Ford Mustang during her time with the race team. We wish Hailie the best in her future endeavors and look forward to her continued success on and off the track.”
The 22-year-old native of Temecula, California, had piloted the team’s No. 15 Ford entry for the first 17 races of the season, her rookie campaign, to an average finish of 26.8 with just four results of 20th or better. Deegan currently sits in 28th place in the season-long standings, dropping a spot after sitting out Saturday’s The Loop 110. The team opted to have two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano pilot the car this past weekend at the Chicago Street Course, where the Connecticut native turned in an eighth-place run for the car’s best finish of the season.
Before the weekend, team president Wade Moore addressed the driver swap in a team release.
“The level of competition in the Xfinity Series is as competitive as it’s ever been,” Moore said. “It is our goal at AM Racing to field a competitive race team through our technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing and provide any of our drivers the best equipment and opportunity to be successful on track each weekend. With that being said, we haven’t had the success on track that we were hoping for in the first half of the season. When the opportunity to have Joey in the car at Chicago became a possibility, we felt we needed to take advantage of the knowledge and feedback that a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion could provide to our teams’ growth.”
“Beginning this season, I had a lot of excitement and hope in taking my next step in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It’s something I’ve been working towards for years and always dreamt about. I worked hard to prepare for this season after the team pursued me to drive their car. Unfortunately, it has not turned out the way that I expected. There are always several reasons within a race team as to why things do or do not work, but sadly our goals no longer align. With that being said, myself and AM Racing will be parting ways.
“The only thing I am focused on is getting back to being competitive. That is ALL that matters to me. I’m working as quick as possible to find the best opportunities to get back to the track. I’m thankful for the following that I have and everyone who supports me. It’s truly only me that knows the whole story and what I need to succeed. See you at the track, soon.”
Deegan was signed to Ford’s driver development program in December 2019. Her jump to the Xfinity Series for 2024 was announced last October in a multiyear deal with AM Racing after three seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
The series next races this Saturday at Pocono Raceway (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). On Monday afternoon, it was announced that Cup Series driver Josh Berry will pilot the No. 15 AM Racing entry at the “Tricky Triangle.”
