Posted on by Cameron Richardson

Since its inception in 2018, the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course has annually delivered postseason drama. That drama has amplified since moving to the Round of 12 elimination race in 2020.

Are back-to-back walk-off victories at the Roval on tap, or do the current top eight hold serve to set the semifinal round in the Cup Series Playoffs? Before the answer is revealed Sunday (2 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), get a look at who has the best chance to save their season, as well as trends to watch, Goodyear tire info and interactive ways to follow all the action this weekend.

RELATED: See paint schemes for Charlotte Roval | Betting favorites for Sunday’s Cup race

ROUND OF 12 UPDATE 📊

Six spots are still up for grabs ahead of Sunday’s Round of 12 finale. William Byron (Texas) and Ryan Blaney (Talladega) have already earned their spot into the next round via wins, and Denny Hamlin appears to be well on his way to the Round of 8 as he enters Charlotte 50 points above the elimination line.

Last year’s Roval winner Christopher Bell is in a much-improved spot compared to last year as he holds a 22-point advantage over the elimination line. A trio of stout road-course drivers in Chris Buescher (+19), Martin Truex Jr. (+17) and Kyle Larson (+15) sit just below Bell.

The final transfer spot is separated by a mere two points between Brad Keselowski and Tyler Reddick. As a three-time winner on road courses, Reddick owns the clear advantage over the 2012 Cup champion heading into the weekend.

Bubba Wallace (-9), Ross Chastain (-10) and Kyle Busch (-26) failed to capitalize at Talladega, and all three will have an uphill battle to climb as none of the three has proved to be formidable on the Roval. Of those three, Wallace owns the best average finish at the road course with a 20.4 mark. Qualifying will be key for the trio to try to gain points back on Sunday.

RULE CHANGES/GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES 🛞

Stage breaks return to a road course this Sunday at Charlotte after the rest of the road-course events in 2023 were run without cautions at the end of stages. The two stage cautions are scheduled for Lap 25 and Lap 50, with the checkered flag on Lap 109. 

The GEICO Restart Zone is also updated for the Charlotte Roval. It will be moved to the final chicane before the start/finish line on the 2.32-mile layout. In the previous five Roval events, the initial start and restarts fired off from a portion of the oval track that’s used as a run-off area on all other laps.

Goodyear brings the same tire used at all road-course races this season. Cup teams will be issued one set for practice, one set for qualifying and an additional seven for Sunday’s race.

NASCAR implemented safety updates to the Next Gen car.

Along the right-side door bars and extending toward the rear clip, teams are mandated to run a steel plate in addition to the chassis adjustments made for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The right-side door bar gussets and the removal of the front clip V-brace are changes that remain, in addition to the removal of other front-clip components, to create a softer and larger crush zone for frontal impacts.

Also included in the updates are front-bumper strut softening (modifications to existing parts), the requirement of an empty front ballast box and a modified cross brace. NASCAR incurs the cost of all these updates.

In the event of a lost wheel that is contained to pit road, the offending team will be subject to a pass-through penalty under green-flag conditions. If the infraction occurs during a caution period, the offending team will restart at the tail end of the field.

If the wheel breaks free outside of pit road, the new rules guidelines mandate a two-lap penalty plus a two-race suspension for two crew members. Each penalty is series-specific: Violations in one series will not impact those crew members’ eligibility to participate in other series.

📉 TRENDS TO WATCH 📈

— All five races at the Roval were won by drivers under the age of 30.

— Hendrick Motorsports drivers won three of the fives races at the Roval.

— A playoff driver has won all five Roval races.

— The driver who led the most laps won only one of the five Roval races.

(Via Racing Insights)

CLASSIC CHARLOTTE ROVAL RACES 🎥

2018: Blaney wins inaugural Roval race amid final-lap chaos | WATCH

2019: Chase Elliott wrecks, recovers to win at Roval | WATCH

2021: Larson wins; Elliott, Harvick rivalry comes to a head | WATCH

2022: Christopher Bell scores walk-off win to reach Round of 8 | WATCH

ON-TRACK SCHEDULE 🗓️

Saturday, Oct. 7

— Noon ET: Practice (Moves to USA at 12:30 p.m., PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App)

— 1 p.m. ET: Qualifying (USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App)

Sunday, Oct. 8

— 2 p.m. ET: Bank of America ROVAL 400 (NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App)

MORE: Full weekend schedule at Charlotte

FAN REWARDS 🫵

Fans can get in on the action all season long with NASCAR Fan Rewards, a free program that rewards fans for participating in the action when they watch races and play NASCAR Fantasy.

There’s no cost to join. Fans must be 18 years or older to participate in the program.

Earn points by checking into a race from home or at the track, setting your Fantasy Live lineup, making purchases on the NASCAR.com shop and more. Points can be redeemed for race tickets, merchandise and VIP experiences at the track, including pace car rides and waving the green flag at qualifying.

JOIN TODAY

FOLLOW THE RACE 📲

NASCAR Mobile has now added support for fans to “Follow the Race” and access live leaderboard and race information from Live Activities in the current app release (v13.2.0), available now. Android users, we didn’t forget you — the same functionality has been custom-built for Android devices, as well.

How to access Live Activities on iPhones:

  1. Make sure your iOS device has been updated to 16.1 or higher.
  2. Available on the leaderboard of all NASCAR Series races.
  3. Click on the three-dot menu near the top right of screen.
  4. Select “Follow the Race.”
  5. Swipe up to access the home screen and you will see the Live Activities at the top.
  6. Lock the device and you will see Live Activities on the Lock Screen.
  7. To turn off, simply visit the leaderboard, click the three-dot menu and “Unfollow the Race.”

FANTASY LIVE 🏆

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which resets for the playoffs. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $10,000 prize for the winner.

How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!

PLAYOFFS GRID CHALLENGE 🏆

During the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, fans have the opportunity to compete in The Playoffs Grid™ Challenge presented by Ruoff Mortgage. Fans can enter by visiting The Playoffs Grid™ Challenge page and registering for a free NASCAR.com account before filling out a bracket. From there, choose from a list of playoff-eligible drivers round by round, and you’re on your way to compete for prizes!

How to play: Playoffs Grid Challenge 

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM 💻

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement to the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

Buck·et list – noun

A number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime.

Stan Mertz has been involved in racing for more than 20 years and has achieved more than he ever could have dreamed.

He won races and championships as a driver and later did the same as a team owner. When he decided he would retire at the conclusion of the 2023 season, there was one thing he hadn’t yet crossed off his personal racing bucket list:

Be a car owner on, specifically, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

RELATED: Watch the World Series 150 from Thompson live on FloRacing

“We’ve accomplished so much more than I ever thought that I would ever accomplish in my entire racing career, except for one thing, [race with] the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour,” said Mertz, who has fielded his own No. 6 Modified in select Tour events this year for driver Woody Pitkat. “In the world of open-wheel modified racing, that’s like moving up to Cup if you’re a full-fendered guy.

“That was the only thing missing from my entire racing career.”

Mertz’s road to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and, ultimately, his retirement from racing, started as an 18-year-old when he raced at Speedway 95 in Hermon, Maine.

His time competing at Speedway 95 was brief. He raced for a year before flipping his car. Being a teenager on a limited budget, he couldn’t afford to fix it, so he moved on with his life.

Mertz graduated from school, went to work, got married and had children. Yet buried at the back of his mind was a desire, an overwhelming urge to race. It was like an itch he couldn’t scratch or a craving he couldn’t satisfy.

Twenty years passed, but that urge never vanished. He began buying tools and stashing them in his garage. One day, after purchasing a welder, his wife cornered him and asked him point blank: “You’re thinking about racing, aren’t you?”

There was no point in lying.

“I hadn’t gotten it out of my system,” Mertz said.

At 38, Mertz was back behind the wheel of a race car, first at Massachusetts’s Seekonk Speedway in a Sport Truck. In 2002, he purchased a three-quarter scale Pro 4 Modified, which he raced regionally.

He won races and championships in the Pro 4 Modified, but he craved something more. In 2012, after a conversation with car owner Norm Perry, Mertz leased a full-sized Modified to race at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

“I really got to know how to drive these cars,” Mertz said. “It was a blast. We started out at Thompson Speedway. That’s where I learned how to really drive the open wheel Modifieds.

“I was up against guys like TC (Ted Christopher), Ryan Preece, Woody Pitkat. All the, at that time, big names.”

Fast forward to 2014, and Mertz was starting to lose his passion. He remembers one specific night at Thompson that changed the trajectory of his career.

“I was driving in a race at Thompson, and had the forethought to just say, ‘I’m just not having fun anymore as a driver,’” Mertz said. “There were three races left in the season. At the end of that race, I stepped out of the car and said, ‘I don’t want to be a driver anymore.’

“Of course, at that time I had a brand new car. Basically what I did is hire Max Zachem to finish out the season for me. He’s a great shoe. Then in the offseason, I was deciding kind of what I wanted to be.”

Woody Pitkat drives Stan Mertz’s No. 6 at North Carolina’s Concord Speedway in 2016. (Photo: Adam Fenwick)

Mertz during that offseason decided to transition from driver to owner. He hired Woody Pitkat, a familiar name to Modified fans in the Northeast, to drive his race car for the 2015 season.

The two had worked together briefly the year before, and Mertz was curious to see what Pitkat could do in his equipment, so he decided they would race full-time at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park that season.

“For the 2015 season, I said let’s go run the Sunoco Modifieds at Thompson,” Mertz said. “We went into it with no real expectations. He didn’t really know me a lot, I didn’t really know him a lot. I just knew that I wanted somebody that could really take what was essentially a new car and just a small funded team and see what he could do.”

The team went winless that season at Thompson, but the lack of victories did not equate to a lack of success. Pitkat was so consistent in Mertz’s equipment that when the checkered flag waved to conclude the season, the duo had won the track championship despite having a zero in the win column.

The championship was beyond Mertz’s wildest expectations. He’d given it so little thought that he didn’t even realize there was purse money from NASCAR for winning the track championship.

“This is how naive I was. I didn’t really know too much about the NASCAR sanctioning of Thompson and the benefits that as a car owner you get, especially if you win a NASCAR track championship,” Mertz said. “The first thing Woody said was, ‘What are you going to do with the purse?’ I said, ‘What purse?’ He said, ‘You get a purse for winning the championship.’ Oh wow, that’s great! Then he says, ‘We also get to go to Charlotte for the awards ceremony.’

“To go in and first year together win a NASCAR track championship was like winning the Cup championship at that level.”

Fast forward to the time between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and Mertz was ready to retire. With Pitkat as his driver, Mertz had won more races and championships than he ever expected.

So when it came time to decide what to do during his final year, Mertz looked at his personal bucket list, and there was only one thing left to do.

The decision was made. For the 2023 season, he and Pitkat would race part-time with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

“I said if I’m going into my final year, let’s do it as a bucket list,” Mertz said. “There are very few things that I have left really as a small car owner for a bucket list. That bucket list included running the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. It’s the most prestigious tour.

“The level of competition is so much different than even the local series that are run all through New England.”

Mertz and Pitkat set a seven-race schedule for 2023 that began with the Duel at the Dog 200 at Monadnock Speedway in May. Utilizing the same car Mertz has owned since 2013, which he nicknamed “Princess,” Mertz and Pitkat set off to make Mertz’s Whelen Modified Tour dreams come true.

Woody Pitkat, driver of the No. 6 Koopman Lumber Modified for Stan Mertz Racing, competes at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park earlier this year. (Photo: Tom Morris/Stan Mertz Racing)

In the six races the pair has entered so far, the best came at a familiar place, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. In August, Pitkat drove Mertz’s No. 6 Koopman Lumber-sponsored car to an 11th-place finish after starting 17th.

Now Mertz and Pitkat are returning to Thompson, the track where they have enjoyed so much success, to put a bow on Mertz’s racing career this Sunday afternoon with the World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com.

Just thinking about it makes Mertz emotional.

“We’re going to go out there and do the best we possibly can and finish what to me has been an up-and-down season,” Mertz said. “I wouldn’t have missed it in a life time to be able to do that.”

What comes next for Mertz after retirement? He plans to spend more time with his family and take his wife on a well-deserved vacation.

While he won’t be a car owner anymore, Mertz still plans to spend some time at the races. With that said, Mertz said he’ll be spending a lot of time figuring out what makes him happy away from the race track.

It’s one challenge Mertz can’t wait to tackle.

“I’m going to kind of rediscover who Stan Mertz is,” he said. “I’ve been Stan Mertz the race car driver, Stan Mertz the car owner for so many years now that it’s going to be kind of a personal thing to rediscover what is really going to make me happy going forward.”

Hap·pi·ness – noun

The state of being happy.

Posted on by Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 5, 2023) — NASCAR®, iRacing and Motorsport Games Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM) (“Motorsport Games”) announced today that iRacing has acquired NASCAR Team Properties’ (NTP) exclusive simulation-style console racing games license from Motorsport Games. The sale, approved by NTP, will see the license transfer from 704Games, a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorsport Games, to iRacing, which will begin developing a NASCAR console game expected in 2025.

“When we were approached with the option to acquire the license for the simulation-style NASCAR console game, which was the console game and franchise that we were dreaming about doing, it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” said iRacing President Tony Gardner. “Having the ability to build a NASCAR console game is a privilege we promise to execute with the utmost care. We look forward to working diligently with NASCAR industry stakeholders to deliver a product that provides an amazing experience for the gaming community and NASCAR fans worldwide.”

iRacing NASCAR graphic

Gardner added, “With all the NASCAR game experience, console experience, resources and technology assets we already have in place, we are in a fantastic position to hit the ground running building a great NASCAR game franchise on the various platforms.”

The acquisition expands iRacing’s decade-plus presence in NASCAR. iRacing began its relationship with NASCAR in 2010 with a licensed sim-racing product and has grown into a key technical partner of the sanctioning body as its “official simulation partner.” iRacing runs dozens of NASCAR official series on iRacing with thousands of people participating daily from late models to Cup cars, including the $100,000-to-win eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series and the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the Massachusetts-based company’s simulation and engineering abilities have helped NASCAR develop new cars and tracks, including the NextGen car, Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum and Chicago Street Race, among others. Now, iRacing can extend its expertise broadly to include NASCAR Team Properties.

Motorsport Games obtained the NASCAR simulation-style console gaming license in 2018 when it acquired majority equity in 704Games. Motorsports Games’ current NASCAR titles, including NASCAR Heat 5 and NASCAR Rivals (available here), will still be available and supported by Motorsport Games through 2024.

“The sale of the NASCAR license is the result of a thorough, strategic review of where we believe our company should be headed over the longer-term,” said Motorsport Games CEO Stephen Hood. “In our exploration of the sale, we gave due consideration to those companies we believed could develop a great NASCAR game. Both NASCAR and iRacing have been receptive to our proposed change, working with us to architect a positive transition post-sale and we thank them for their support. We will now concentrate our efforts towards delivering around other IP already in advanced development.”

In addition to simulation-style console gaming, NASCAR has worked diligently to produce quality experiences for fans who engage in virtual and gaming spaces. This year, the sanctioning body launched NASCAR Speed Hub on Roblox, released arcade-style console game NASCAR Arcade Rush, made available special team decals in Rocket League, announced the development of a mobile game with Hutch and completed another successful season of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. Furthermore, NASCAR partnered with esports organization Gen.G to create crossover content and build a live fan experience at the Rocket League Championship Series Major in Boston, and have had Fortnite and Rocket League paint schemes featured on cars in the NASCAR Cup Series this season. The sanctioning body is also leveraging gaming as an engine for content and community building through dedicated channels on Discord and Twitch, along with a growing presence on traditional social media channels.

“NASCAR has the most passionate fans in the world and a vast community that is just as passionate about gaming,” said NASCAR Managing Director Esports and Gaming Nick Rend. “What’s more, there continues to be tremendous opportunity to connect with millions of potential new fans in the gaming space.

“iRacing has been an incredible partner and ambassador for the NASCAR industry for more than a decade. We thank Motorsport Games for its efforts over the years and are ready to work with iRacing to deliver a best-in-class simulation-style NASCAR console game that’s exciting for the gaming community and allows our fans to connect with the sport in an impactful, meaningful way.”

For more information on NASCAR’s gaming initiatives, visit eNASCAR.com.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR unveiled the 2024 schedule for the Craftsman Truck Series on Wednesday. Next season will mark the milestone 30th year for the series.

The calendar kicks off from the “World Center of Racing” on Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway.

Atlanta Motor Speedway moves into the second race of the year on Feb. 24 ahead of Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1 in what will be back-to-back superspeedway events to begin 2024 for the Truck Series.

Despite the Bristol Dirt race not returning, the series will still host a spring race on March 16 at the Tennessee track that will take place under the lights. It will be one of two trips to the concrete short track as Bristol returns on Sept. 19 as the second race in the Round of 10 of the playoffs.

RELATED: Cup schedule | Xfinity schedule

Texas Motor Speedway moves to mid-April (12) and will be part of a tripleheader with the Cup and Xfinity Series.

North Wilkesboro Speedway (May 18) and the Milwaukee Mile (Aug. 25) return for their sequels in 2024, while Nashville Superspeedway (June 28) and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (July 19) hit consecutive year No. 3 on the circuit.

Richmond Raceway (Aug. 10) will once again serve as the regular-season finale before the 10-driver postseason field is set.

The Round of 10 will consist of Milwaukee, Bristol and Kansas Speedway. Talladega Superspeedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway will determine the four drivers who will compete for the championship. This is the first time Martinsville has served as the Round of 8 elimination race since 2021.

For the fifth season in a row, Phoenix Raceway will play host to the season finale where the 30th series champion will be crowned on Nov. 8.

DateRace/TrackNetworkStart time (ET)Radio
Friday, February 16Daytona International SpeedwayFS17:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, February 24Atlanta Motor SpeedwayFS12 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, March 1Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayFS19 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 16Bristol Motor SpeedwayFS18 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 23COTAFS11:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, April 5Martinsville SpeedwayFS17:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, April 12Texas Motor SpeedwayFS18:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, May 4Kansas SpeedwayFS18 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, May 10Darlington RacewayFS17:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, May 18North Wilkesboro SpeedwayFS11:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, May 24Charlotte Motor SpeedwayFS18:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 1World Wide Technology RacewayFOX1:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, June 28Nashville SuperspeedwayFS1TBDMRN/SiriusXM
Friday, July 12Pocono RacewayFS15:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, July 19Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway ParkFS18:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, August 10Richmond RacewayFS17:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, August 25Milwaukee Mile SpeedwayFS14 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Thursday, September 19Bristol Motor SpeedwayFS18 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, September 27Kansas SpeedwayFS18:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, October 4Talladega SuperspeedwayFS15 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 26Homestead-Miami SpeedwayFS1NoonMRN/SiriusXM
Friday, November 1Martinsville SpeedwayFS16 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, November 8Phoenix RacewayFS18 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Posted on by Staff Report

While the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs continue, it is never too early to look ahead to 2024. Luckily for eager race fans, they can do just that with dates in mind as the sport announced the 2024 schedule on Wednesday.

Thirty-three races will make up the 2024 calendar, with Daytona International Speedway once again beginning the season (Feb. 17).

Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 9) will host the Championship 4, conclude the 2024 campaign and crown a champion for the fifth consecutive year.

Additional schedule highlights include a third trip to Portland International Raceway (June 1) in as many years, a return to Iowa Speedway (June 15) for the first time since 2019, a second annual running of the Chicago Street Race (July 6) and rotating back to the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 20).

RELATED: Cup schedule | Truck schedule

After the regular-season finale on Sept. 20 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the 2024 Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 12 will consist of Kansas Speedway (Sept. 28), Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 5) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course (Oct. 12).

Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 19), Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 26) and Martinsville Speedway (Nov. 2) will make up the Round of 8.

FS1 and FOX will broadcast the first 14 Xfinity races, spanning from the season-opener at Daytona to June 8 at Sonoma Raceway. USA and NBC will air the final 19 races of the season, beginning with Iowa on June 15.

DateRace/TrackNetworkStart time (ET)Radio
Saturday, February 17Daytona International SpeedwayFS15 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, February 24Atlanta Motor SpeedwayFS15 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 2Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayFS15 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 9Phoenix RacewayFS14:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 23COTAFS15 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 30Richmond RacewayFS11:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, April 6Martinsville SpeedwayFS17:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, April 13Texas Motor SpeedwayFS11:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, April 20Talladega SuperspeedwayFOX4 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, April 27Dover Motor SpeedwayFS11:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, May 11Darlington RacewayFS11:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, May 25Charlotte Motor SpeedwayFOX1 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 1Portland International RacewayFS14:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 8Sonoma RacewayFS18 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 15Iowa SpeedwayUSA3:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 22New Hampshire Motor SpeedwayUSA3:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 29Nashville SuperspeedwayUSA5 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 6Chicago Street RaceNBC2:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 13Pocono RacewayUSA3 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 20Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayUSA3:30 p.m.IMS/SiriusXM
Saturday, August 17Michigan International SpeedwayUSA3:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, August 23Daytona International SpeedwayUSA7:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, August 31Darlington RacewayUSA3:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, September 7Atlanta Motor SpeedwayUSA3 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, September 14Watkins Glen InternationalUSA3 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, September 20Bristol Motor SpeedwayUSA7:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, September 28Kansas SpeedwayUSA3:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 5Talladega SuperspeedwayNBC3:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 12Charlotte RovalUSA3:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 19Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayNBC3 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 26Homestead-Miami SpeedwayNBC3 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, November 2Martinsville SpeedwayUSA3 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, November 9Phoenix RacewayUSA6 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is here with yet another splash set for the sport’s mapped path through the next year.

Dazzling changes dot the calendar in another milestone year for the Cup Series, highlighted by a trip to Iowa Speedway on June 16, the circuit’s inaugural visit to the 0.875-mile oval and first venture to the Hawkeye State since 1953.

RELATED: Iowa set to host Cup race weekend in 2024

Additionally, the opening Round of 16 in the NASCAR Playoffs takes on a new look for the 2024 slate and will come a week later than usual. Atlanta Motor Speedway (Sept. 8) becomes the first race of the Cup Series’ postseason in a round that now features Watkins Glen International (Sept. 15) before closing out with the Bristol Motor Speedway night race (Sept. 21).

“I think having an Atlanta, a Watkins Glen and then a Bristol night race in that Round of 16 — three very different types of tracks — it’s going to test our drivers quite a bit as they think about the Round of 12 and continuing through the playoffs,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing development and strategy. “I’m excited to see the change for Atlanta. I think it’s a testament to the great racing product that we’ve seen the last year or two.”

Watkins Glen replaces Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Playoffs as Texas moves to the spring for an April 14 date, an opportunity Kennedy said the scheduling saw “to shake up the playoff schedule a little bit.”

“We’ve had kind of status quo the past few years, and I know we shook it up a ton three or four years ago,” Kennedy said. “I think the diversity that we have and types of tracks in that first round is going to be fun to watch.”

RELATED: Highlighting notable changes in Cup schedule

Kansas Speedway will host the opening race of the Round of 12 on Sept. 29 ahead of Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. The Round of 8 features a familiar run of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway ahead of the Nov. 10 finale at Phoenix Raceway.

The regular season will come to an end on Labor Day Weekend on Sept. 1 at Darlington Raceway with the storied Southern 500 marking the final opportunity for drivers to qualify for a championship run. Daytona International Speedway’s second date held that slot since 2020 but slides back to Saturday night, Aug. 24, as race No. 25 on the schedule of 36 points-paying events.

The 66th annual Daytona 500 will kick off the Cup schedule on Feb. 18 before a trip to Atlanta, which returns to the second date on the circuit for the first time since 2019. Atlanta held that position from 2015-19 and returns in place of Auto Club Speedway as the former 2-mile track undergoes renovations.

“I think now that we’ve seen Atlanta play out and how the racing product has frankly evolved there,” Kennedy said, “Having it come out of our biggest event of the year in the Daytona 500 and then carrying that momentum to Atlanta … I think it’s going to be something really special.”

RELATED: Xfinity schedule | Truck schedule

Bristol’s first date on the NASCAR schedule returns to the concrete surface on March 17, 2024, after three years of dirt racing. Richmond Raceway, a 0.75-mile tri-oval, moves to Easter Sunday — 7 p.m. ET on March 31 on FOX — in place of the Bristol dirt race. The second Richmond race will also be in primetime at 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 11 (USA).

The Chicago Street Race, site of the Cup Series’ inaugural street-course event, returns for a sophomore year with Cup cars ready to charge into the downtown metropolis on July 7. Two weeks later, NASCAR returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the 30th anniversary of the Brickyard 400 on July 21, preceding a two-week hiatus for the sport during the 2024 Summer Olympics.

“We’ve seen the road course play out for a handful of years at Indianapolis,” Kennedy said. “And what better way to return to the oval than the 30th anniversary of the Brickyard 400 and really make it something special again? And again, I think the way that these Next Gen cars are racing on a lot of these tracks, I’m excited to see what the racing product looks like for the first time when the Next Gen cars run around the oval.”

The exhibition Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is back to open NASCAR festivities in southern California on Feb. 4, while the series’ other non-points event — the storied NASCAR All-Star Race — returns to the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 19.

One piece absent from the 2024 schedule is an international race on the Cup docket, but efforts remain ongoing for future expansion outside the United States.

“We haven’t ruled it out. It’s something that we’ve continued to explore,” Kennedy said. “We’ve been exploring this since we put the scheduling group together several years ago. We’ve explored it for ’22, ’23, ’24. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything that necessarily came together around ’24. I think that said, as we think about ’25 and beyond, we’re still bullish on taking the Cup Series international.”

DateRace/TrackNetworkStart time (ET)Radio
Sunday, February 4Clash (L.A. Memorial Coliseum)FOX8 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Thursday, February 15Duel at DaytonaFS17 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, February 18DAYTONA 500FOX2:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, February 25Atlanta Motor SpeedwayFOX3 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, March 3Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayFOX3:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, March 10Phoenix RacewayFOX3:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, March 17Bristol Motor SpeedwayFOX3:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, March 24COTAFOX3:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, March 31Richmond RacewayFOX7 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, April 7Martinsville SpeedwayFS13 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, April 14Texas Motor SpeedwayFS13:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, April 21Talladega SuperspeedwayFOX3 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, April 28Dover Motor SpeedwayFS12 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, May 5Kansas SpeedwayFS13 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, May 12Darlington RacewayFS13 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, May 19All-Star Race (N. Wilkesboro)FS18 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, May 26Charlotte Motor SpeedwayFOX6 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, June 2World Wide Technology RacewayFS13:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, June 9Sonoma RacewayFOX3:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, June 16Iowa SpeedwayUSA7 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, June 23New Hampshire Motor SpeedwayUSA2:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, June 30Nashville SuperspeedwayNBC3:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, July 7Chicago Street RaceNBC4:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, July 14Pocono RacewayUSA2:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, July 21Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayNBC2:30 p.m.IMS/SiriusXM
Sunday, August 11Richmond RacewayUSA6 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, August 18Michigan International SpeedwayUSA2:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, August 24Daytona International SpeedwayNBC7:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, September 1Darlington RacewayUSA6 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, September 8Atlanta Motor SpeedwayUSA3 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, September 15Watkins Glen InternationalUSA3 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, September 21Bristol Motor SpeedwayUSA7:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, September 29Kansas SpeedwayUSA3 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, October 6Talladega SuperspeedwayNBC2 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, October 13Charlotte RovalNBC2 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, October 20Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayNBC2:30 p.m.PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, October 27Homestead-Miami SpeedwayNBC2:30 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, November 3Martinsville SpeedwayNBC2 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, November 10Phoenix RacewayNBC3 p.m.MRN/SiriusXM
Posted on by Reid Spencer

If any race track has earned a place of prominence in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course has to be near the top of the list.

Since its debut as the Round of 16 elimination race in 2018, the Charlotte road course has figured dramatically in the successes — and failures — of title contenders.

RELATED: Charlotte weekend schedule | Buy tickets for Charlotte

Now the final race in the Round of 12, a position it has occupied since 2020. The 2.28-mile, 17-turn circuit is sure to produce its share of suspense in Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 (2 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Whether it can match the pyrotechnics of the 2018 maiden race remains to be seen.

That extraordinary event was noteworthy not only for the finish, but also for the playoff scenarios that played out during the final laps. Jimmie Johnson was fighting for a spot in the Round of 12, hounding leader Martin Truex Jr. and closed in on the No. 78 Furniture Row Toyota through the backstretch chicane.

Running second, Johnson was seven points to the good where advancement to the playoffs was concerned, but the seven-time Cup Series champion was winless in 2018. As the top two cars approached Turn 16, Johnson steered to the inside of Truex’s Camry, locked his tires and spun.

Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet slid through the Turn 16 chicane and tagged Truex’s car as the 2017 series champion entered the final left-hand corner. Knocked off course by Johnson’s rear bumper, Truex slid sideways and backed into the outside wall on the oval.

Johnson deliberately stopped short of the finish line, then continued, a NASCAR requirement for any driver cutting the chicane. Ryan Blaney passed Johnson to win the race, and six other cars shot past before Johnson reached the stripe. Truex rolled home 14th after righting his car.

The eighth-place finish would have been enough to send Johnson to the Round of 12 — were it not for what unfolded behind him.

Driving the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing, Kyle Larson had won the first stage, but Larson was part of a massive pileup in Turn 1 — appropriately dubbed “Calamity Corner” — on Lap 104 of 109.

Larson continued in his severely damaged car but was one point below the cutoff line for the Round of 12, until Jeffrey Earnhardt spun off the front bumper of Daniel Hemric’s car in the final corner. Earnhardt’s No. 96 Toyota came to rest against the outside wall.

Driving a car that was all but impossible to control because of a flat tire, Larson cleared the final chicane, bounced hard off the wall in the tri-oval and beat Earnhardt to the finish line. That one spot created a three-way tie between Larson, Aric Almirola and Johnson for 11th in the playoff standings.

Larson and Almirola got the final two berths in the Round of 12 based on best finishes during the opening round, leaving Johnson out of the playoffs.

“I had kind of given up there the last lap,” Larson said after the race. “I saw the No. 88 (Alex Bowman) made a couple of passes, and that’s who it sounded like we were in the points battle with. I knew I was screwed. Then they said they were all crashing, and it had to have been 45 seconds by the time I got back over there.

“I ran really hard through (Turns) 1 and 2. We had a lot of right-front damage, and we kind of knew the right front would blow if I ran hard. But I ran hard through (Turns) 3 and 4 and blew a right front and got into the fence. I could see the No. 96 and I knew I needed that point to get to the tiebreaker and hit the wall again. Thankfully, we got the tiebreaker.”

That wasn’t the end of Larson’s history with the Charlotte road course. In 2021, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson won the Round of 12 elimination race at the road course on the way to the Cup Series title.

This year, Larson’s position entering the Bank of America Roval 400 is as fragile as it was in 2018. Larson is seventh in the standings, the same position he occupied after two Playoff races in 2018. At that point, he held a 17-point edge over 13th-place Clint Bowyer — and came within one point of elimination at Charlotte.

Currently, Larson leads ninth-place Tyler Reddick by 9 points, with the playoff field to be cut from 12 drivers to eight on Sunday.

“We typically run pretty well there,” Larson said. “I made a mistake last year and cost myself advancing (after finishing five laps down in 35th). But I know our race car will be fast. We’ve been fast everywhere this year.”

Posted on by Staff Report

As the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen cars reached speeds of 180 mph at Talladega Superspeedway, Leidos displayed its own vehicle innovation for race fans this past weekend in the midway at one of the circuit’s fastest tracks. 

The cutting-edge Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), designed and developed by Leidos in nearby Huntsville, Alabama, may soon be traversing the Moon’s surface as Leidos continues its bid to participate in the next phase of NASA’s Artemis program.

RELATED: More NASCAR Impact content

From Sept. 27 to the Talladega race weekend, executives from NASCAR and Leidos met with nearly 300 students at the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) in Huntsville to share their respective innovations, the LTV and Next Gen car.

The students learned about the innovative design of the LTV and the safety components designed that allow astronauts to drive across the lunar landscape. Afterward, the LTV made a special pit stop outside where students could get up close and take pictures.  

“The event at the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering serves as a reminder of the inspirational power of exploration — be it on the moon or in the realm of cyber technology,” said Steve Cook, Leidos Dynetics group president. “I believe that the power of combining Leidos and NASCAR technology and spirit, the sky’s not the limit; it’s just the beginning for what they can achieve with their education.”

NASCAR driver and “chief hype officer” Mamba Smith joined NASCAR Vice President of Vehicle Performance Eric Jacuzzi to discuss the design process for the Next Gen program, including many features and enhancements that made Next Gen the sport’s most innovative race car in its 75-year history.  

The race-week appearance — concluded with a highly competitive, Jeopardy-style trivia game and No. 23 Leidos die-cast cars for winning students — was reflective of both companies’ ongoing commitment to STEM education and creating fun and engaging experiences for young people.

“As there’s tremendous excitement in partnering with Leidos to bring the LTV to the Moon, we also believe in the importance of connecting our respective fields to students who are passionate about STEM,” said Pete Stuart, managing director of impact strategy and development for NASCAR.

“These are the young minds who one day will be pioneering the next space exploration mission or designing NASCAR’s newest race car.”

In 2021, Leidos made a $1 million donation toward the construction of the state-of-the-art academic facility that houses ASCTE. The NASCAR partner remains as a prominent donor for one of three public magnet schools serving high school students in Alabama.

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues at 2 p.m. ET on Oct. 8 in the final race of the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 12 — the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The action will air live on NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

The battle for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship between Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk has reached its crescendo as the series returns to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park this Sunday afternoon for the running of the World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com (4 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

The 152nd race in Whelen Modified Tour history at the 0.625-mile oval will pit the two championship contenders against each other in a game of oneupmanship as each man looks to gain an advantage ahead of the season finale at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 26.

Bonsignore is the most recent victor at Thompson after winning the Thompson 150 in August, which marked his 13th career Thompson victory in 42 starts at the track. He is tied with Ted Christopher for second on the all-time Whelen Modified Tour win list at Thompson, with Mike Stefanik sitting at the top of the record books with 15 Thompson Whelen Modified Tour wins.

Silk is no slouch either, having won five times at Thompson in 58 starts. His last victory at Thompson came in 2020. He also scored one victory at Thompson in 2012, two in 2008 and one in 2007.

Tickets to Sunday’s World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com are available trackside. Below is everything you need to know about the 17th race of the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

ThumbnailWhat to watch for:

For years, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park hosted the final race of the season for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. While that may not still be the case, Thompson is set to play a huge part in the crowning of the 2023 series champion.

With just two points separating points leader Justin Bonsignore from his title rival Ron Silk, every position will matter as both men look to gain some sort of upper hand. With 17 victories at Thompson split between them, either driver could emerge as a winner Sunday and take one step closer to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.

While the focus is on Bonsignore and Silk going into Sunday’s race, there are plenty of other drivers who will be looking to earn a trip to Victory Lane at one of the Modified Tour’s most storied facilities.

They include two-time Thompson winner Craig Lutz, who would love to give his team owner Danny Watts Jr. a going away present as Watts prepares to retire as a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour car owner at the conclusion of the season. Woody Pitkat will make his final start of the year aboard the No. 6 for another retiring car owner, Stan Mertz.

MORE THOMPSON: Watch live Sunday on FloRacing

Austin Beers has been fast everywhere this season and will be looking for his third victory of the season in the No. 64 KLM Motorsports entry. Ronnie Williams, who sat on the pole for this race one year ago, returns aboard the No. 50 entry. Eric Goodale, the defending race winner, is also scheduled to compete in the No. 58.

Kyle Bonsignore will pursue his second victory of 2023 on Sunday while Bobby Santos III will look to improve upon his ninth-place finish at North Wilkesboro Speedway last weekend.

Other notable entries include Sam Rameau, Dave Sapienza, Anthony Sesely, Matt Swanson and Anthony Nocella, among others.

The complete entry list for Sunday’s World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com is available here.

Cars line up before the Thompson 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on August 16, 2023 in Thompson, Connecticut. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

RACE FACTS

Race World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com
Date Saturday, Oct. 8, 2023
Track Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
Layout 0.625-mile paved oval
Location Thompson, Connecticut
Start Time 4 p.m. ET
Laps 150
Posted awards $92,995
Live stream FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Saturday, Oct. 7 … Practice from 1 to 2:15 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 4 p.m. ET … Sunday, Oct. 8 … World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com at 4 p.m. ET (FloRacing).

Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com is limited to 30 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eleven (11) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is three (3) tires, any position.