Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — Tyler Reddick and the No. 45 23XI Racing team placed heavy emphasis on qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.

Those efforts paid off as Reddick posted the fastest lap in the pole round for Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). The fourth-year Cup racer enters the Round of 12 final two points beneath the eighth-place elimination line, trailing Brad Keselowski, the RFK Racing co-owner/driver who qualified 19th. Coupled with a fourth-place qualifying effort by Reddick’s teammate Bubba Wallace (10th in points, nine points out), 23XI Racing executed quite the impressive Saturday.

“This is what we needed to do,” Reddick said. “We had hoped and put a lot of effort into this, as all the playoff teams do for this race. For the most part, this is as good of an outcome as possible for the No. 45 team today. Bubba had a solid day as well, even though he wanted to qualify better in the second round there. When you look at what both of us need to do tomorrow, we’re taking the right steps.”

MORE: Sunday’s starting lineup | Charlotte road course schedule

Reddick has carried a notable confidence into the race weekend. A three-time winner on road courses in Cup competition, his results at these tracks back up any added certainty in his step. But he noted Saturday that inner belief is nothing new.

“It’s been there all year,” Reddick said. “I noticed it right at the beginning of the year coming over to Toyota. Obviously, they weren’t happy with their road-course results last year, and they’ve made some huge improvements this year, starting off with our victory at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in the spring. For me, we got the speed. The team has been working great. Everyone’s efforts at TRD and our alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing has been huge.

“Everyone is doing a great job right now, and all the Toyota Camrys have the speed. It’s great to see. Now, we have to manage this race tomorrow. If I just stick to the simple approach, we’ll be in good shape.”

RELATED: Most points scored on NASCAR road courses in 2023

A win by any playoff driver on Sunday would lock that respective competitor into the Round of 8. With such an early advantage over Keselowski at the green flag, stage points and track position will become a critical piece of how the No. 45 team, led by crew chief Billy Scott, manages the 109-lap event.

“For me, no matter how the race plays out, I go out there and try to nail every corner and lap,” Reddick said. “And if I make a mistake, try to minimize the time loss.  No matter if the strategy changes, my job doesn’t.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Austin Cindric said Saturday that he will return to the Team Penske No. 2 Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024.

Cindric confirmed his status for next season during an availability Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course, site of Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) in the Cup Series Playoffs.

RELATED: Key figures in Silly Season | Sunday’s starting lineup

Cindric is in his second full season of Cup Series competition with Roger Penske’s organization. The 25-year-old driver won the Daytona 500 as a rookie in 2022, clinching a postseason berth.

“I’m focused on next year big time,” Cindric told reporters at the Charlotte track. “With the changes that we made after the regular season and all that, yeah, pretty focused on hitting the ground running, using these next couple of weeks to really take advantage of that opportunity. Driving for Roger, driving the 2 car, that’s a big deal. That’s a big opportunity. I don’t see myself getting too many other opportunities like that in my racing career.”

Cindric missed this Cup Series Playoffs this year, and he currently ranks 23rd in the driver standings with a season-best finish of fifth place coming last week at Talladega Superspeedway. Team Penske and the affiliated Wood Brothers Racing group swapped crew chiefs at the end of the regular season, placing Brian Wilson on the No. 2 team’s pit box for the rest of the season and in 2024.

Before reaching NASCAR’s top division, Cindric collected 13 victories in the Xfinity Series — all with Wilson as his crew chief. He also has one Craftsman Truck Series win, driving for Brad Keselowski — the driver he replaced in the Penske-owned No. 2 ride.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

We’re bringing you live updates covering Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 elimination race from Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course, the Bank of America ROVAL 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). Bookmark this page and check back often as we chronicle the action from Concord, N.C.

Overview: 

  • The 2.32-mile road course/oval hybrid (Roval) at Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts the 109-lap Round of 12 playoff elimination race Sunday afternoon, the final of three races in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs’ second round.
  • Among the 12 remaining playoff contenders, four drivers will leave the weekend eliminated from championship contention. The first round of eliminations took place last month at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse and Michael McDowell found themselves in the bottom four spots to end the Round of 16.
  • By virtue of their Round of 12 race wins, William Byron (Texas) and Ryan Blaney (Talladega) are safe from elimination; the other 10 contenders are fighting for the six remaining slots for the Round of 8, which kicks off next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The easiest way for one of those drivers to move on is to win Sunday.
  • Denny Hamlin (+50 points above the elimination line), Christopher Bell (+22), Chris Buescher (+19), Martin Truex Jr. (+17), Kyle Larson (+15) and Brad Keselowski (+2) enter the weekend in the top eight spots; Tyler Reddick (-2 below the elimination line), Bubba Wallace (-9), Ross Chastain (-10) and Kyle Busch (-26) will take the green flag with some ground to make up.

Links to keep handy:

All times listed are Eastern.

Sunday, October 8

6:27 p.m.: That’s all we’ve got for our live blog this weekend. Next up is the Round of 8 opener from Las Vegas Motor Speedway where the first Championship 4 spot is up for grabs.

AJ Allmendinger celebrates in Victory Lane
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

6:12 p.m.: Check the race results to find where your favorite driver finished.

6:00 p.m.: Your Round of 8: William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney. Only two — Truex and Larson — are past champions.

5:58 p.m.: AJ Allmendinger and team owner Matt Kaulig aren’t going to leave Victory Lane anytime soon.

AJ Allmendinger and Matt Kaulig celebrate in Victory Lane
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

5:57 p.m.: The playoffs have ended for the No. 23 team, but surely driver Bubba Wallace will receive some sage words from team co-owner Michael Jordan.

Bubba Wallace and Michael Jordan embrace (Steve Luvender gif)

5:53 p.m.: Your race winner just ended his TV interview by climbing into the grandstands to celebrate with the fans. The dude just loves winning.

After winning the race, AJ Allmendinger climbs into the grandstands (Steve Luvender gif)

5:52 p.m.: AJ Allmendinger is the first non-playoff driver to win at the Roval, and the first non-playoff driver to pick up a victory in the 2023 playoffs. And he is fired the heck up.

5:49 p.m.: AJ Allmendinger’s doing a downright hammer-down burnout on the frontstretch as his team surrounds him.

5:48 p.m., checkered flag: Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch have been eliminated from the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, falling short of advancing to the Round of 8.

5:47 p.m., checkered flag: Visibly and audibly crying in his car, AJ Allmendinger thanks his team on his victory lap.

5:46 p.m., checkered flag: AJ Allmendinger has won the Bank of America ROVAL 400, leaving out a victory screech for the ages over the scanner after taking the checkered flag. This victory celebration will be a good one!

AJ Allmendinger races at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

5:44 p.m., Lap 108: AJ Allmendinger’s got the white flag in his sights. Can he hold off William Byron?

5:42 p.m., Lap 107: If Kyle Busch somehow makes his way to the lead—he’s nearly three seconds behind the leaders—regular-season champion Martin Truex Jr. would find himself eliminated in favor of Busch. If things stay as they are, Truex is in.

5:39 p.m., Lap 104: Five to go and William Byron’s closing in on AJ Allmendinger for the race lead. Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch are hoping for something to turn this race on its head, or else they’re headed home eliminated from championship contention.

5:33 p.m., Lap 100: It wasn’t a great restart for Kyle Busch, who’s slipped to third behind William Byron. They’re all still chasing AJ Allmendinger. Not much movement around the playoff bubble … for now.

5:29 p.m., Lap 98: OK, we’re under caution, and we’ve reached the 90% mark. How exciting! Here’s the current points picture.

1. Byron: Advanced
2. Blaney: Advanced
3. Hamlin: Advanced
4. Bell: +42
5. Buescher: +29
6. Larson: +29
7. Reddick: +28
8. Truex Jr.: +26
— Top 8 advance —
9. Chastain: -26
10. Wallace: -29
11. Busch: -31
12. Keselowski: -36

5:26 p.m., Lap 97: Somebody burned the pizza rolls.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Totino's Pizza Rolls car with flames coming out of the side

5:24 p.m., Lap 96: Well, that was quick. The seventh caution waves when Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s car goes up in flames on the first lap of the restart. The driver exited the vehicle, and that’ll do it for an eventful day for Stenhouse.

5:23 p.m., Lap 96: Restart once again. AJ Allmendinger’s out front, but Kyle Busch is on a mission.

5:21 p.m., Lap 95: It’s been a very AJ Allmendinger-looking stage—he’s now led more laps than anybody today—but polesitter and Stage 1 winner Tyler Reddick has made his way back up to fifth.

5:16 p.m., Lap 94: Caution No. 6. Christopher Bell tags Daniel Suárez racing for 11th place, heavily damaging the No. 99’s rear.

5:15 p.m., Lap 93: Trouble for two desperate drivers: Brad Keselowski has spun on the frontstretch chicane, and Ross Chastain made a pit stop after attempting to dodge the No. 6. Both drivers are in a must-win situation.

5:08 p.m., Lap 88: Austin Cindric went for a spin after getting tagged by Daniel Suárez entering the backstretch chicane. Bubba Wallace also spun through the chicane, which required the No. 23 to stop to serve a penalty. Wallace, who was running 11th, will need to pit for fresh tires. And, while there are still 20 laps to go, it’s a major setback for his title hopes.

Daniel Suárez makes contact with Austin Cindric and Bubba Wallace (Steve Luvender gif)

5:07 p.m., Lap 87: Another restart. What’ll happen this time? AJ Allmendinger takes off out front, while Kyle Busch is battling Ty Gibbs hard in a battle for second. (Remember, Busch needs to win.)

5:00 p.m., Lap 85: Caution is out again. Andy Lally backed his car into the wall and he’s stuck in the pit exit lane. Who’s ready for another restart?

5:00 p.m., Lap 84: Kyle Busch runs third—by most measures, a great afternoon—but he’ll need to win today to keep his championship hopes alive. He’ll have to answer to Ty Gibbs and AJ Allmendinger ahead of him.

4:56 p.m., Lap 82: Green flag is back in the air for AJ Allmendinger.

4:53 p.m., Lap 81: While we’re under caution, here’s where things stand with 28 laps to go in terms of the playoff picture. (It’ll change. It’s the Roval and there’s no checkered flag in the air. This is an exercise in futility.)

1. Byron: Advanced
2. Blaney: Advanced
3. Hamlin: Advanced
4. Bell: +28
5. Buescher: +20
6. Reddick: +17
7. Larson: +15
8. Truex Jr.: +9
— Top 8 advance —
9. Keselowski: -9
10. Wallace: -10
11. Chastain: -17
12. Busch: -26

4:49 p.m., Lap 79: Another caution, the fourth of the afternoon. Erik Jones and Michael McDowell have crashed — no playoff drivers involved this time. Jones was on the outside of a three-wide position with Chase Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and there’s just not enough room on the infield portion of the track.

4:46 p.m., Lap 78: AJ Allmendinger takes off on the restart, but Ty Gibbs gave him quite a run for his money on the opening lap. Allmendinger keeps his position atop the leaderboard for now.

4:40 p.m., Lap 76: Caution! Denny Hamlin spun through the treacherous frontstretch chicane and got clobbered by Mike Rockenfeller, heavily damaging the suspension of Hamlin’s right rear. Luckily for Hamlin, he’s already clinched a spot in the Round of 8, thanks in part to eight stage points earned in Stage 2. The damage might spell the end of the No. 11’s day, however, and will snap a streak of four straight top-five finishes.

 

4:36 p.m., Lap 73: A bit of drama for Ross Chastain on pit road. Chastain’s No. 1 narrowly avoided collision with Austin Dillon, then still managed to stop in his stall for a legal pit stop. The bad news, though, is that Chastain runs 32nd. He’ll need a lot of help in order to advance to the Round of 8 … but we’ve seen him pull off miracles before.

Ross Chastain narrowly avoids Austin Dillon's car on pit road (Steve Luvender gif)

4:33 p.m., Lap 71: Pit road is a busy place. These might be the last pit stops we’ll see today—definitely the last time they’ll stop under green.

4:32 p.m., Lap 71: Denny Hamlin spins on the frontstretch after a stack-up in front of him triggered from Michael McDowell’s car. McDowell’s pitting with a flat tire.

4:30 p.m., Lap 70: AJ Allmendinger’s stretched his lead out to 3.2 seconds over Kyle Busch, one of the biggest leads we’ve seen all day.

4:28 p.m., Lap 68: Chase Elliott has made a pit stop with a tire going down. The day’s not over for the 2020 champ, though; everybody still needs to make a pit stop. Brad Keselowski has also stopped.

4:26 p.m., Lap 66: Kyle Larson still holds on to the last spot as they run. He’s up to 18th despite restarting 31st.

Kyle Larson rounds a corner over a curb at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

4:21 p.m., Lap 63: Brad Keselowski has entered the top 10, but it’s been quite a fight for him to reach this mark. He hasn’t earned a single stage point, thanks in part to his Stage 1 penalty, and he’s still nine points out of a transfer spot at this point.

4:19 p.m., Lap 62: Don’t forget about Tyler Reddick. The Stage 1 winner restarted 28th, but he’s just cracked the top 15.

4:14 p.m., Lap 58: Move the No. 16 to P1. AJ Allmendinger muscles past Kyle Busch to take over the top spot for the first time today. The Dinger has won on the Charlotte Roval four times in the Xfinity Series.

4:11 p.m., Lap 55: Meanwhile, up front, AJ Allmendinger is absolutely hassling Kyle Busch for the race lead.

4:10 p.m., Lap 54: Six of the nine drivers battling for playoff spots are running outside the Top 20: Tyler Reddick (21st), Ross Chastain (26th), Kyle Larson (27th), Bubba Wallace (28th), Martin Truex Jr. (29th) and Christopher Bell (30th). The final stage is the longest of the race, but it’ll be an uphill battle.

4:04 p.m., Lap 53: Kyle Busch, who ended Stage 2 in 10th place, inherits the lead as the cars ahead pit. Busch entered the day 26 points below the eighth-place cutoff; a win would alleviate all the pressure and advance the No. 8 to the Round of 8 … but we’re not even halfway through this one yet.

4:03 p.m., Lap 51: With stage points now awarded, Denny Hamlin has officially clinched a spot in the Round of 8, joining William Byron and Ryan Blaney. That leaves five more spots for nine drivers.

4:01 p.m., Lap 51: After finishing seventh in Stage 2, Bubba Wallace is communicating with his team to try to diagnose and fix an engine that stumbled a bit over the last run.

3:59 p.m., Lap 50: This caution will end Stage 2, and Chase Elliott will win it. (No, that wasn’t the plan for the No. 9.)

3:55 p.m., Lap 49: Really close call for Chase Elliott. Pit road entrance closed just as the leader was preparing to stop for service.

Chase Elliott swerves to avoid commitment box on pit road entry (Steve Luvender gif)

3:52 p.m., Lap 48: Just as leader Chase Elliott was preparing to pit, the second caution of the day flies as Josh Bilicki and Corey LaJoie tangle.

3:47 p.m., Lap 44: Before Stage 2 ends, don’t forget to finalize your Fantasy Live garage pick. I’m sticking with my Reddick-Bell-Allmendinger-Larson-Buescher lineup and keeping Chase Briscoe in my garage.

3:44 p.m., Lap 43: Ryan Blaney picked a great time to lock himself into the Round of 8 last week. The No. 12 runs 33rd after a green-flag pit stop. “Everything is just bad.”

3:42 p.m., Lap 41: Big milestone for Driver No. 9.

 

3:36 p.m., Lap 36: New leader! Chase Elliott has passed Christopher Bell for the top spot just before the halfway point of Stage 2.

3:34 p.m., Lap 35: There’s quite a presence of non-playoff drivers in the top 10—six of them, in fact. Chase Elliott runs second, and Daniel Suárez is in third ahead of AJ Allmendinger in fourth. Ty Gibbs is in sixth, Joey Logano is in eighth, and Michael McDowell runs 10th.

3:31 p.m., Lap 34: Tyler Reddick has gained seven positions since the restart; the car that led the entirety of Stage 1 runs 17th. Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace have gained four spots apiece.

3:25 p.m., Lap 28: OK, it’s time for Stage 2. The four cars that stayed out restart 24th through 27th, while Christopher Bell leads the field to green alongside Daniel Suárez.

3:15 p.m., Lap 26: So, while they’ve got stage points—and add Ross Chastain and Martin Truex Jr. to the list behind them—Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace will need to pit for tires, while most of the field has already stopped during the green-flag run in Stage 1. Expect the four of them to start deep in the field in Stage 2, and they’ll hand command of the race to Christopher Bell.

3:13 p.m., Lap 25: 23XI teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace wrap up Stage 1 going 1-2. Those are valuable stage points for drivers who need it.

3:12 p.m., Lap 24: Christopher Bell has given up second place—and potentially nine stage points—to pit at the end of Stage 1. It’s not a total loss of stage points, however; he’ll rejoin the track in fifth place.

3:10 p.m., Lap 23: There’s some mixed pit strategy throughout the field as Stage 1 winds down. Cars outside stage-point rage are headed to fresh tires and a full tank of fuel to begin Stage 2.

3:05 p.m., Lap 19: The tricky frontstretch chicane has snarled Brad Keselowski’s afternoon. After missing the corner, Keselowski didn’t stop on track and now he’s serving a pass-through pit-road penalty. Despite the penalty, he should remain on the lead lap and work to fight back in Stage 2—but his season is on the line.

3:02 p.m., Lap 17: Reminder that stage-break cautions are back this weekend. The yellow flag will fly when stage points are awarded in nine laps.

2:52 p.m., Lap 10: It’s been Tyler Reddick’s weekend so far. The No. 45 has led every lap and he’s showing no signs of slowing … but there’s a lot of racing to go.

Tyler Reddick races at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, jumping over a curb
Alex Daus | NASCAR Studios

2:49 p.m., Lap 8: Kyle Larson’s backup car has got some early speed. He’s driven from 36th up to 28th, the fastest-rising car in the field currently.

2:46 p.m., Lap 5: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is on pit road and the No. 47 team is making some repairs to the right-rear corner of the car.

2:45 p.m., Lap 5: Erik Jones went for a spin exiting the frontstretch chicane. There’s no visible damage to the No. 43, but he’ll have a whole lot of cars ahead of him if he wants to continue his string of strong runs.

2:39 p.m.: Green flag is in the air! Tyler Reddick’s in command of this 109-lapper.

2:28 p.m.: WWE Superstar Liv Morgan has just ordered drivers to fire up those engines. It’s time to go!

2:26 p.m.: The NASCAR Garage 56 just ripped a lap around the Roval. Can we race it as a 38th car today, just for fun? Please?!

NASCAR Garage 56 car makes a lap at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (Roval)

2:24 p.m.: The easiest way for a playoff driver to advance is to win. But, in any event, here’s the points picture at the start of the day:

1. Byron: Advanced
2. Blaney: Advanced
3. Hamlin: +50
4. Bell: +22
5. Buescher: +19
6. Truex Jr.: +17
7. Larson: +15
8. Keselowski: +2
— Top 8 advance —
9. Reddick: -2
10. Wallace: -9
11. Chastain: -10
12. Busch: -26

1:45 p.m.: Last call to set your Fantasy Live lineup. Here’s who I’ve got:

Steve Luvender Fantasy Live lineup for 2023 Charlotte Roval playoff race: Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe (garage)

1:35 p.m.: Before things get started today, let’s hear it for these happy couples who got engaged at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. Love is in the air!

1:30 p.m.: Who’s ready for some eliminations? Coverage begins in about a half hour on NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App.

Saturday, October 7

2:05 p.m.: That’s all the Cup Series action for today (unless you’re working on the Kyle Larson backup car), but the Xfinity Series takes to the Roval at 3 p.m. ET to close out the Round of 12 on NBC and Peacock.

2:00 p.m.: Your playoff contenders will line up as follows:

  • Tyler Reddick, first
  • Christopher Bell, second
  • Bubba Wallace, fourth
  • Kyle Busch, fifth
  • Denny Hamlin, ninth
  • Martin Truex Jr., 11th
  • Ross Chastain, 12th
  • William Byron, 14th
  • Ryan Blaney, 17th
  • Brad Keselowski, 19th
  • Chris Buescher, 20th
  • Kyle Larson, 36th

1:56 p.m.: Tyler Reddick has won the pole, the sixth of his career. Christopher Bell will start alongside him tomorrow.

1:53 p.m.: In the final minute of qualifying, Denny Hamlin went for a spin on the backstretch chicane, trying to topple Tyler Reddick’s quick lap. It’s an unfortunate break for Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs, who won’t get to set a qualifying time in the final round.

1:32 p.m.: AJ Allmendinger paced Group B’s opening round of qualifying. Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs will join Group A’s fast five to compete for the pole.

1:16 p.m.: Kyle Larson update: The No. 5 will go to a backup car for Sunday’s race after his practice crash.

1:10 p.m.: 23XI Racing continued their speedy afternoon; Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace set the fastest Group A times. They’ll advance to the final round of qualifying with Christopher Bell, Daniel Suárez and Joey Logano. Now it’s Group B’s turn.

12:48 p.m.: Non-playoff drivers AJ Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs set the quickest practice times for Group B. Next, it’s time to set the lineup! Each group of 18 drivers will have a 15-minute window to set a quick time; the top five from each group will advance to a 10-minute final round to determine who starts from pole position tomorrow.

12:33 p.m.: Coverage of practice and qualifying has started on USA Network (as well as PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App). Group B is practicing now, and qualifying follows at 1 p.m. ET.

12:25 p.m.: Despite both drivers facing elimination, 23XI Racing looks ready to rise to the challenge Sunday. Teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick topped the leaderboard in Group A practice. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson tagged the wall and damaged the right side of his Chevrolet; he’ll miss qualifying for repairs and start in the back of the pack tomorrow.

 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. – After running what he termed “one of the dirtiest laps I’ve ever had in practice,” Tyler Reddick got just what he needed in Saturday’s subsequent qualifying session at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.

Turning a lap in 81.214 seconds (102.839 mph) in the final round of time trials, Reddick earned the pole position for Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400, the Round of 12 elimination race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN, NBC Sports App and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Sunday’s starting lineup | Weekend schedule

Reddick edged fellow Toyota driver Christopher Bell (102.695 mph) by .124 seconds to secure his second Busch Light Pole Award of the season, his first at the 2.32-mile, 17-turn circuit and the sixth of his career.

The driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Camry chose an opportune time to snag the top spot on the grid. Reddick enters the race ninth in the standings, two points behind Brad Keselowski for the final spot in the Round of 8. Keselowski will start 19th on Sunday.

“I got lucky,” said Reddick, who was fastest in Group A in the opening round of qualifying at 103.207 mph. “I had one of my dirtiest laps I’ve ever had in practice. But this is exactly where we need to be on Saturday.

“I knew I had to go out and qualify here to give us some options.”

Since the debut of NASCAR’s Next Gen car last season, Reddick is the only driver with more than one road course victory. He triumphed at Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course last year and won at Circuit of The Americas in March.

MORE: At-track photos: Charlotte

Two other Playoff drivers below the cut line for the Round of 8 had promising qualifying runs. Bubba Wallace, nine points behind Keselowski, earned the fourth starting position with a lap at 102.569 mph. Kyle Busch, 26 points in arrears, will start fifth after a lap at 102.494 mph.

Non-Playoff drivers Daniel Suárez, AJ Allmendinger, Joey Logano, and Ty Gibbs will start third, sixth, seventh and 10th, respectively. Allmendinger led Group B with the fastest lap of the day at 103.295 mph.

Chase Elliott, fighting for the owners’ championship, qualified eighth. Denny Hamlin jumped the curb and spun in the backstretch chicane and failed to complete a lap in the final round. Hamlin’s miscue forced NASCAR to red flag the session and prevented Gibbs, who was running behind Hamlin, from posting a lap.

Playoff driver Kyle Larson didn’t make a qualifying attempt in the first round after hitting the Turn 8 wall in practice and going to a backup car for Sunday’s race. Fifteen points ahead of Reddick, Larson will start from the rear.

“I don’t think you can go for stage points from 40th (actually 37th),” Larson said of his race strategy. “The silver lining may be that you can short the stages (by pitting early) and get your track position that way to be up front at the end of the race. I think that would be the plan, I guess, going forward.”

Posted on by Staff Report

World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

20141217085344 Thompson Speedway Logo

  • Starting lineup
Position Car No. Driver Sponsor
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications Inc.
2 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future
3 64 Austin Beers AP Marquadt & Sons/Andrew James
4 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s
5 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO Lighting
6 3 Jake Johnson * Propane Plus/Lins Propane Trucks
7 82 Craig Lutz Horton Ave Materials
8 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood and Restaurant
9 26 Max Zachem Lakeland Landscape Supply
10 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales
11 19 Anthony Sesely Wanick Construction Inc.
12 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing
13 34 J.B. Fortin A&R Materials/John’s Fuel Oil/Rapid
14 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises
15 92 Anthony Nocella Nocella Paving/K&D
16 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Manufacturing
17 6 Woody Pitkat Koopman Lumber
18 06 Sam Rameau Quality Fleet Services/Dennison
19 44 Bobby Santos, III Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market
20 2 JR Bertuccio Gershow Recycling
21 59 Brett Meservey * BNP Machine
22 1 Eric Berndt Ferguson Motorsports
23 89 Matt Swanson Ceravolo’s Auto
24 21 Anthony Bello * Bello Motorsports/SKM/JB Mgmt
25 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Advisory/RB
Posted on by Staff Report

Playoffs drivers Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell each had contact in separate incidents during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course.

Larson had the more substantial damage to the right-front corner of his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after crunching the Turn 8 retaining wall with two minutes left in the Group A session. Larson drove his car to the garage for repairs, and he was not able to post a qualifying lap, placing him at the rear of the field for Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

RELATED: Practice results | Weekend schedule

“I just got loose entering (Turn) 8 and over-corrected and got the right-front into the wall,” said Larson, who will take the green flag in 36th in a reserve No. 5 Chevy. “Just kinda gets bouncy over there and just stepped out on me.”

Bell’s contact was less severe, and he continued to practice after scrubbing the outside wall as he approached the backstretch chicane with his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Both Larson and Bell sit above the provisional elimination line heading into Sunday’s event, after which the title-eligible field will be trimmed from 12 drivers to eight. Bell is plus-22 above the line, and Larson holds a 15-point cushion. Larson’s starting spot will likely leave him out of the running for adding to his tally at the stage breaks.

“Well, I don’t think you can go for stage points from 40th,” said Larson. “So I mean the silver lining may be that you can shorten the stages and get your track position that way to be up front for the end of the race because when you go for stage points, you’re restarting like 26th or worse every time. So I think that’s what would be the plan, I guess, going forward.”

23XI Racing teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick went 1-2 on the speed chart in the combined practice, which split the field in half for a pair of 20-minute sessions. Wallace was clocked at 102.295 mph around the 2.32-mile circuit in the No. 23 Toyota, just ahead of Reddick’s 102.210 mph speed in the No. 45 Toyota.

Chase Briscoe was third-fastest overall, with Corey LaJoie and AJ Allmendinger closing out the top five.

Ryan Blaney, last week’s winner at Talladega Superspeedway, grazed the outside retaining wall at the same place at Larson’s shunt — Turn 8 at the exit of the infield section onto the oval portion of the course. Damage to the No. 12 Team Penske Ford appeared to be cosmetic only. Blaney has already advanced to the postseason’s Round of 8 based on his victory at Talladega.

Ty Dillon also found trouble in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevy, popping the barrier at the exit of Turn 1 early in Group A. He was also unable to qualify and will start in the back of the 37-car field, also in a backup car.

Posted on by Kobe Lambeth

Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway road course

(⏰ Sunday, 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, NBC Sports App | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte road course, the 32nd points-paying race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Charlotte playoff race 101

📍 Location: Concord, North Carolina
📐 Track length: 2.28 miles
🎟️ Buy tickets: Find weekend passes, seats for the race
💰 Cup Series race purse: $7,689,910
📏 Race distance: 109 laps | 252.88 miles
🔢 Stages: 25 | 50 | 109
—
📋 Starting lineup: Reddick on pole at Charlotte Roval
🚗 Pit stall assignments: See where drivers will pit
🏆 Defending winner: Christopher Bell, fall 2022

Key things to watch 🔑

Saturday’s sessions

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick claimed the pole for Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. The No. 45 Toyota will lead the Cup Series field to green, entering the final race in the Round of 12 as Reddick sits two points below the elimination line. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell made it an all-Toyota front row after missing out on another pole. Daniel Suárez, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch completed the top five. | Read the full practice, qualifying recap

Big story line

Can Tyler Reddick’s road-course strength help him avoid elimination?

After finishes of 25th and 16th to kick off the Round of 12, Reddick finds himself two points below the elimination line. As an impressive road-course racer in the NASCAR Cup Series, the elimination race at Charlotte may give the driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota a much-needed lift at the right time. Reddick enters Charlotte with three consecutive finishes of 15th or worse after he finished in the top two in the first two playoff races. To say the least, road courses are his bread and butter.

He has an average finish of 7.33 at the Charlotte road course, which is the best of the current playoff drivers. In the last two Charlotte Roval races, Reddick has two straight finishes of eighth place or better. In the Next Gen era, we have seen a lot of parity with different winners on various types of tracks. One stat makes Reddick’s road-course racing prowess stand out. He is the only driver with multiple road-course wins in the Next Gen car, with three victories turning left and right. He won at Circuit of The Americas earlier this year in the spring. If Reddick can score valuable stage points and stay out of trouble, he will have a good chance to keep his hopes of a deep playoff run alive. | Relive Reddick’s road-course win at COTA | Watch the race on NASCAR Classics

History tells us…

Chase Elliott has a shot at getting his first win of 2023.

Despite not being a part of the playoffs this year, Elliott is putting together a list of good runs as the No. 9 team looks to close out 2023 on a strong note. Since the postseason got underway, Elliott’s average finish is 7.8, which is third best among all drivers. If he wins on Sunday, we may have to start referring to Elliott as “Mr. October” because this particular month ranks as a sweet spot for him. In the month of October, Elliott visited Victory Lane a total of four times, which is his most wins in a single month. The Hendrick Motorsports driver comes to the Charlotte road course riding a hot streak recently.

In the last six races, the No. 9 Chevrolet has five top-10 finishes. In four of five career starts at the Charlotte Roval, he has led 94 laps. He won this race back-to-back in 2019 and 2020. Since then, he has had two straight finishes of 12th or worse, after his first three Charlotte Roval starts were sixth or better. While the last couple of years at the Charlotte Roval have not produced strong results, the No. 9 team’s recent momentum suggests that group is getting closer to a major breakthrough win. | All of Chase Elliott’s NASCAR Cup Series wins

He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

Alex Bowman. After starting the year off strong and dipping in performance since returning from injury, Bowman’s 2023 season has had its disappointing moments. In his last 21 starts, the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has 18 finishes of 11th or worse, including three DNFs. In his last three races, Bowman has finished no better than 12th. Luckily for him, the Charlotte road course is one of his most consistent tracks. In four career starts here, he has four top-10 finishes.

Bowman is the only active Cup Series driver to never finish outside the top 10 at the Charlotte Roval. His best finish was second in 2019 but he has only led two laps in those four starts. The odds of seeing Bowman in Victory Lane at Charlotte are 35-1. Given how this season has gone, Bowman getting the win might qualify as a surprise. However, another top-10 finish is not out of the question, considering his consistency at the Charlotte Roval.

Familiar favorites ⭐️

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles. 

• At-track photos: Sights and scenes from Charlotte | Photos
• Bubble Watch: Another walk-off win lurks at the Roval | Read more
• Fantasy Fastlane: Racing for points or the win at the Charlotte Roval? | Get the advice
• Paint Scheme Preview: See the schemes for Charlotte road course | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Will Charlotte mark the spot Kyle Busch gets back into title hunt? | Latest driver rankings
• Stacking Pennies: ESPN’s Marty Smith joins Corey LaJoie to discuss his new book and old NASCAR stories. | Listen to the podcast

💎 NASCAR 75: Learn more about the history of the sport, from pioneers to current stars | Visit NASCAR 75 hub

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.

• Fantasy Live: Participate in interactive gameplay from week to week | Choose your lineup
• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going the distance: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

🔮 Advance to Victory Lane: Racing Insights projects the finishing order

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Justin Allgaier and John Hunter Nemechek already have qualified for the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs thanks to their respective victories at Bristol and Texas. Cole Custer has also secured his spot in the next round on points.

Regular-Season champion Austin Hill, and Chandler Smith enjoy relatively comfortable margins above the current cut line—44 points and 32 points, respectively.

Jeb Burton, Josh Berry and Sam Mayer likely need to win Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course—the elimination race for the Round of 12 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Full Charlotte schedule | Xfinity playoff standings

With the agendas of the above drivers well-established, the suspense shifts to the battle around the bubble involving eighth-place Daniel Hemric and ninth-place Parker Kligerman. Hemric, the 2021 series champion, holds a one-point lead over his closest pursuer.

Both drivers are accomplished road racers, but where Hemric has a pair of third-place finishes at the Charlotte Roval, Kligerman has never raced there in an Xfinity Series car. In his lone outing at the track—in a Cup Series car fielded by Gaunt Brothers—Kligerman started 40th and finished 26th.

In his last three road-course starts this season, however, Kligerman has finished second, seventh and third. Hence, there’s no lack of confidence on the part of the Big Machine Racing driver.

“I’m sure we can go score points in both stages and be in contention to win the race again,” said Kligerman, who gained ground with a second-place finish Sept. 23 at Texas. “I think we’re in a great spot—we’ve got a ton of momentum.”

Though there’s no former Charlotte Roval winner in the field for Saturday’s race, Hemric drives for the team—Kaulig Racing—that has won the last four races there with AJ Allmendinger.

As a full-time Cup driver this season, Allmendinger isn’t eligible to compete in an Xfinity playoff race, but Kaulig has enlisted sports car standout Jordan Taylor to make his second start of the season for the organization. Taylor started sixth and finished 27th at Portland earlier this year.

Posted on by Staff Report

Throughout the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Advance Auto Parts is spotlighting a series of Home Track Heroes from NASCAR-sanctioned short tracks around the country. Each Home Track Hero, nominated by his or her peers as a result of contributions made to the race track, will have his or her name appear on the C-Post of Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang in a Cup Series Playoff race. William Brown, the volunteer track manager at North Carolina’s Wake County Speedway, is the Home Track Hero whose name will appear on Blaney’s car during the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Those at Wake County Speedway think of William Brown as the NASCAR Home Track’s hero without a cape.

His dedication to the facility began in 2019, when he heard Wake County referred to as “that dump.”

Brown’s son Zack at the time was — and still is — a racer at Wake County. But the “dump” reference lit a fire under the elder Brown, who became motivated to approach track promotor Charlie Hansen and ask about ways to make the facility a “nicer playground” for his son and other competitors.

Still a volunteer to this day, Brown was named the track manager in 2020. Ever since that meeting in 2019, Brown has dedicated 50-60 hours per week making improvements to Wake County’s grounds.

Brown is a retired builder, hence his ability to construct improvements to the track. For example, on race nights, Brown can be found overlooking his hard work from the VIP deck he built himself. He does not participate in race-day operations; he’s there supporting his son.

Beyond the work Brown has done to improve Wake County’s facilities, he also was a major factor in the track’s decision to become NASCAR-sanctioned. Hansen knew such a move would further Brown’s vision for the track.

Many at Wake County know Brown for his ability to chat. He’s never met a stranger, and when he gets going, good luck getting him to stop talking about Wake County. It’s a quality those around him adore.

The track goes as far as explaining that if Brown were a paid employee, there’s no monetary compensation that could represent what he means to Wake County and its entire operation.

He’s the definition of a Home Track Hero.