Posted on by Staff Report

A repeat winner at Watkins Glen last Sunday squared away all but the 16th and final spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Seventeen drivers will vie for the last transfer spot into the postseason, and all of them will have a fair shot to do so as the regular-season finale takes place from Daytona International Speedway under the lights on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App).

Before the green flag drops from the “World Center of Racing,” see who can clinch the 16th playoff spot as well as how the regular-season championship will be determined between Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin. 

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Already Clinched

The following 15 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell.

Can clinch via points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fourth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Brad Keselowski or Kevin Harvick.

— Bubba Wallace: Would clinch with 24 points

— Ty Gibbs: Could only clinch with help

— Daniel Suárez: Could only clinch with help

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

— Bubba Wallace, Ty Gibbs, Daniel Suárez, AJ Allmendinger, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric, Justin Haley, Ryan Preece, Aric Almirola, Todd Gilliland, Corey LaJoie, Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton, Chase Briscoe and Ty Dillon.

Can clinch Regular Season Championship

Additionally, the Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:

— Martin Truex Jr.: Would clinch with 22 points

— Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Already Clinched

The following eight drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver postseason field: Austin Hill, John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Sam Mayer, Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith and Jeb Burton.

Can clinch via points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the third winless driver in the standings.  The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Josh Berry or Daniel Hemric.

— Josh Berry: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Sheldon Creed or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the second winless driver in the standings.

— Josh Berry: Could only clinch with help

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

— Josh Berry, Daniel Hemric, Sheldon Creed, Riley Herbst, Parker Kligerman, Brandon Jones, Brett Moffitt, Kaz Grala, Parker Retzlaff, Ryan Sieg, Jeremy Clements, Anthony Alfredo, Josh Williams, Joe Graf Jr. and Brennan Poole.

Posted on by Staff Report

With one regular-season race remaining before the NASCAR Cup Series goes postseason dancing, all cards will be on the table for drivers in need of a berth in the 2023 playoffs.

After Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International, two drivers trying to snatch that 16th and final playoff spot — Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace — will try to lean on electric speed and efficient pit crews to find Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Sizing up the current 16-driver postseason field 

It was a rough showing for Elliott at The Glen as he finished 32nd and a lap down due to a fuel miscalculation that saw the No. 9 come to a halt in the run-off area of the bus-stop chicane. And while Elliott is in a must-win situation at Daytona, his Hendrick Motorsports pit crew is up to the task. Thanks to front-tire changer Nick O’Dell, rear-tire changer Chad Avrit, tire carrier Jared Erspamer, jackman Tyler Semke and fueler John Gianninoto, the No. 9 ranks 10th in best average four-tire pit stop times (11.419 seconds). With the 2020 Cup Series champion in need of a victory, a savvy pit crew could make the difference in the regular-season finale.

The data also shows optimism for the No. 23 of Wallace, who sits 16th in the playoff grid, 32 points clear of Ty Gibbs. Headlined by front-tire changer Austin Dickey, rear-tire changer Adam Hartman, tire carrier Brad Donaghy, jackman Jorden Paige and fueler Joshua Pech, Wallace’s 23XI Racing Toyota clocked the fastest four-tire pit stop at the 2.45-mile road course at 10.942 seconds. It was the second time Wallace’s pit crew held the fastest four-tire stop during a race this season, with the first coming in May at Kansas Speedway (9.509 seconds).

See below to analyze additional pit-road statistics through Watkins Glen and before Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App).

TEN FASTEST FOUR-TIRE PIT STOPS IN 2023

RankTrackDriverTime
1SonomaKyle Busch9.185 seconds
2Richmond-2Daniel Suárez9.260 seconds
3Richmond-2Ty Gibbs9.276 seconds
4NashvilleKyle Larson9.281 seconds
5SonomaAustin Cindric9.301 seconds
6Richmond-1Corey LaJoie 9.309 seconds
7NashvilleDaniel Suárez9.333 seconds
8Richmond-2Ty Gibbs9.343 seconds
9CharlotteWilliam Byron 9.383 seconds
10Richmond-2Denny Hamlin9.408 seconds

BEST AVERAGE FOUR-TIRE PIT STOP TIMES IN 2023

Posted on by Staff Report

All signs point to an unpredictable race to wrap up the regular season on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App). Just look at some of these factoids from Racing Insights for proof:

— The summer Daytona winner got his first win of the season four of the last five years. The names here include Austin Dillon in 2022 and William Byron in 2020, who both needed to win their way into the playoffs and got the job done at Daytona.

FANTASY LIVE: Set your roster | Weekend schedule

— Five of the last 10 Daytona winners got their first Cup Series win. If we go 6-for-11 with first-time Cup winners, it will mean somebody from below the elimination line — such as Corey LaJoie, for example — is winning his way into the playoffs.

— Seventeen drivers are fighting for the final playoff spot at Daytona, seven of which have been winners on drafting tracks before. Those names include Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric, Aric Almirola, Justin Haley, Erik Jones and Austin Dillon. Would it be a surprise to see any of these drivers in Victory Lane this week?

With all of that said, we know you come here for the winner prediction and not a bunch of waffling and discussion on possible scenarios. So let’s look at the drivers to watch and then get you that prediction.

DRIVERS TO WATCH

AUSTIN DILLON: The 2018 Daytona 500 champion won this race last year to get into the playoffs. Richard Childress Racing’s success at superspeedway tracks is well-known throughout the land.

BUBBA WALLACE: He’s the lone driver battling for a playoff spot who is sitting on the positive side of the elimination line, 32 points ahead of Ty Gibbs entering Daytona. Wallace won on a superspeedway in 2021 at Talladega, and he is a three-time runner-up finisher at Daytona.

CHASE ELLIOTT: He is a three-time winner on drafting tracks, with those victories coming twice at Talladega and most recently in July of 2022 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Elliott has been a two-time runner-up finisher at Daytona.

DANIEL SUÁREZ: The Trackhouse Racing driver has posted six top-10 finishes in the last nine drafting races, including a runner-up last year at Atlanta. His teammate Ross Chastain won last season at Talladega, so the team in general has shown speed at these track types.

COREY LAJOIE: All six of his career top-10 finishes have come in this style of racing. LaJoie posted top-five finishes in both Atlanta races this year and has a best finish at Daytona of sixth (2019).

Projections as of Wednesday, Aug. 23.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE COKE ZERO SUGAR 400

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.

FinishCar NumberDriver
111Denny Hamlin
29Chase Elliott
36Brad Keselowski
417Chris Buescher
522Joey Logano
619Martin Truex Jr.
712Ryan Blaney
84Kevin Harvick
916AJ Allmendinger
108Kyle Busch
115Kyle Larson
1224William Byron
131Ross Chastain
1423Bubba Wallace
1520Christopher Bell
162Austin Cindric
1754Ty Gibbs
1899Daniel Suárez
1943Erik Jones
2010Aric Almirola
2148Alex Bowman
2245Tyler Reddick
2347Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
247Corey LaJoie
2514Chase Briscoe
2641Ryan Preece
2734Michael McDowell
2831Justin Haley
293Austin Dillon
3038Todd Gilliland
3121Harrison Burton
3277Ty Dillon
3342Josh Berry
3478BJ McLeod
3551J.J. Yeley
3636Riley Herbst
3762Austin Hill
3815Brennan Poole
3913Chandler Smith

Posted on by Team Release

STATESVILLE, NC — This morning, GMS Racing officials announced it will cease operations at the conclusion of the 2023 race season. GMS Fabrication, a separate entity that has operated alongside the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) race team, will also close its doors following the championship race at Phoenix Raceway.

“During the past nine years, GMS Racing has become one of the top teams in the Truck and ARCA Series garage. The people that made this happen have been the hard-working men and women at GMS Racing and GMS Fabrication. Every employee, new and old at GMS has always strived to be the very best,” Maury Gallagher said. “Without their effort and dedication, we would have never been able to win two Truck championships, three ARCA championships and 68 wins. Leadership is always critical in any success story. Since 2015, Mike Beam has been the catalyst of this race team’s success. Chevrolet and GM has also been critical to our success. With the combination of Chevrolet plus Mike at the helm, we became the team I always dreamed of owning. I can’t thank Mike enough for all his leadership and hard work. We are looking to finish out this year on a high note and close our legacy in this era with another Truck Series championship.”

RELATED: Truck Series schedule | Truck Series standings

GMS Racing, or as it was formerly known as Gallagher Motorsports, was founded by entrepreneur and CEO of Allegiant Travel Company, Maury Gallagher, in 2012. Initially competing in the ARCA Menards Series with Gallagher’s son, Spencer Gallagher, as the team’s primary driver, the team fielded the No. 23 as a tribute to Spencer Clark, a young driver from Las Vegas who tragically passed away at the beginning of his career in 2006. In 2013, the team grew to include part-time operations of a NCTS race team, in which Gallagher would compete in three races.

In 2014, the then-renamed GMS Racing began full-time in the Truck Series, partnering with Joey Coulter. The team also expanded its ARCA program, fielding two cars for Spencer and Grant Enfinger. Enfinger won the first race at Berlin Raceway for Gallagher as Team Owner. Spencer finished the year by winning the season finale at Kansas Speedway. Enfinger would finish runner-up in the points in his first full-time season competing in ARCA.

2015 would be a banner year for the race team as Gallagher joined forces with one of the most respected names in motorsports, Mike Beam. Mike joined as Team President, a position he still holds today. He oversaw the race team and GMS Fabrication’s efforts. The year started off with a bang, as Ty Dillon won the team’s first pole award in the Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. The team’s first truck win was soon in hand as Austin Dillion won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, solidifying their spot as a race-winning organization on a national level. Enfinger was on a tear in the ARCA Menards Series, winning a total of three poles and a division-high six races en route to winning the series championship, a remarkable feat for Beam and the crew members associated with GMS.

Coming off the ARCA Menards Series championship, GMS Racing wanted more. In addition to the ARCA Series, GMS upped its game in its Truck efforts in 2016, fielding two full-time entries for Gallagher and Johnny Sauter, along with two part-time trucks split between several drivers. Race wins were plentiful that year, as Kyle Larson, Ben Kennedy, and Grant Enfinger would each score Truck Series victories. Sauter won three races of his own and captured the series championship, checking off a monumental accomplishment for the still relatively new race team. This would make it two championship seasons in a row for Beam and Gallagher, further emphasizing that this team was on the pathway to building a legacy.

The 2017 season saw the team go full-time Xfinity Series racing with Spencer, in addition to a part-time second car. The Truck Series operations expanded yet again, this time making it three full-time entries with Sauter, Kaz Grala, and Justin Haley, along with a fourth truck that ran three times. Six wins would be earned by the team; one each by Grala and Chase Elliott and four by Sauter, who fell one spot short of defending his title, finishing second overall.

In 2018, Spencer Gallagher would earn both his and GMS Racing’s first Xfinity Series win at Talladega Superspeedway. Later that year, he announced he was stepping away from driving to take on a managerial role within the team. It would be one of the organization’s most formidable years in the Truck Series, fielding four full-time trucks that combined to win 10 races. Six of those races were won by Sauter, three by Haley and one by Timothy Peters. Sauter advanced to the Championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, ultimately finishing fourth in points.

The following season in 2019 saw John Hunter Nemechek take over the reins of the GMS Xfinity Series car, finishing seventh in the points standings. The Truck Series operations would shrink to two full-time trucks driven by Sheldon Creed and Brett Moffitt, who won four races, along with an additional part-time truck. GMS started an ARCA East entry driven by Sam Mayer, who won four races on his way to the series championship in his rookie season. At the conclusion of 2019, the decision was made to exit the Xfinity Series and focus more on driver development in Trucks and ARCA.

Arguably the most successful season throughout the team’s history was 2020. Its drivers combined to win 19 races across three series. The Truck Series fielded five full-time teams, with drivers Creed, Moffitt, Zane Smith, and Tyler Ankrum competing for the championship and a rotation of drivers in the fifth truck. This combination racked up 10 wins, five by Creed, two by Smith, one each by Moffitt, Chase Elliott and Sam Mayer. Heading into the championship race at Phoenix Raceway, GMS qualified for three of the four championship contenders places and finished the year with a remarkable 1-2-3 finish, led by Creed, who won the organization’s second Truck Series championship. Mayer continued to dominate the ARCA Menards Series East, boasting an unheard-of 80% win ratio with five wins in six races, cruising to the championship. He also won one time in ARCA West, driving a special paint scheme that honored the late Spencer Clark in front of Clark’s hometown Las Vegas.

GMS Racing once again fielded five full-time trucks in 2021 for Creed, Smith, Ankrum, and Chase Purdy. The fifth was split by multiple drivers, coupled along with a part-time ARCA entry. The Truck team won a total of four races – Creed won three races while Smith brought home one checkered flag. Smith advanced to the final round of the playoffs for the second year in a row, finishing second in points. Daniel Dye won his first and the team’s final ARCA win at Berlin Raceway, fittingly book-ending the team’s series wins at the same racetrack.

Gallagher announced in late 2021 that he would field a NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, purchasing controlling interest in Richard Petty Motorsports. The new team, Petty GMS, began competing in 2022 in tandem with the Truck Series teams.

Last year saw the team transition to two full-time trucks driven by Grant Enfinger and Jack Wood, along with a full-time ARCA entry for Dye. Enfinger would win once that season, and Dye finished runner-up in the ARCA championship and was named ARCA’s Rookie of the Year. He would later make the jump up to the Truck Series heading this season. 2022 was the finale for GMS Racing’s ARCA team.

This season, GMS welcomed rookie drivers Dye and Rajah Caruth to its Truck Series roster in addition to Enfinger, returning to form and contending for wins throughout the year. Wins at Kansas Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway solidified Enfinger as one of the threats poised to win the 2023 Truck Series championship. The latest victory, win number 44 in the Truck Series, positioned the team as the overall winningest Chevrolet organization within the series. With six races remaining in the year, all three drivers will look to add fuel to the legacy of one of the most successful organizations in NCTS history.

“I just want to start off by saying how grateful I am for Maury (Gallagher) and these incredible nine years at GMS Racing. A lot of people, including myself, have poured their hearts and souls into this organization to make it where it’s at today. Our success wouldn’t have been possible without the talented drivers, crew members, fabricators and administrators that have walked through our doors over the years,” Mike Beam said. “I also want to thank Chevrolet. Chevrolet has been such a key partner of ours over our entire existence. They have been along for every success GMS has obtained, and we couldn’t have done it without their support. As for the rest of this year, we will continue business as usual and chase after a Championship in our final season.”

While the ending of an era with the closing of the race team is undeniably a difficult circumstance, bright futures lie ahead. Heading into 2024, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ Co-Owners Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson look to strengthen the team on all fronts with their NASCAR Cup Series efforts to become a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

For just the fourth time in the history of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Virginia’s Langley Speedway will welcome the series this Saturday night for the running of the CheckeredFlag.com 150 (8 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

NASCAR’s oldest division visited Langley for the first time in 2017, when Timmy Solomito led the final 13 laps on his way to Victory Lane. The series returned one year later, with current NASCAR Cup Series star Ryan Preece winning after battles with Justin Bonsignore, Matt Hirschman and Chase Dowling.

After a few years off, Langley returned to the series schedule in 2022. Doug Coby, driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing, dominated that event on his way to his third victory of the season for the team.

Tommy Baldwin Jr. will not field a car at Langley this season. The team owner this week announced he’s temporarily stepping away from Tour competition as he battles cancer.

Tickets to Saturday’s CheckeredFlag.com 150 are available here. Below is everything you need to know about the 12th race of the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

CheckeredFlag.com 150 at Langley Speedway

What to watch for:

Two points is all the separates Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore in the battle for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship as the series returns to Langley Speedway on Saturday night for the 12th race of the 2023 season.

While neither driver has won at Langley, they should both be considered favorites to emerge victorious in the 150-lap affair that is set to headline a busy night of racing that also includes NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series action at the 0.395-mile paved oval.

They’ll be joined by several familiar faces, including Austin Beers, who will be looking to earn his third victory of the season in the No. 64 KLM Motorsports entry.

MORE LANGLEY: Watch live on FloRacing

Max McLaughlin, son of 1988 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Mike McLaughlin, returns for his fourth start of the 2023 campaign aboard the No. 77 entry fielded by Mike Curb and led by Gary Putnam.

Also entered are Whelen Modified Tour winners Anthony Nocella, Craig Lutz, Kyle Bonsignore and Tim Connolly. Kyle Ebersole is back with the series following a 10th-place effort at Lancaster Motorplex, Tyler Rypkema continues his search for his first Tour victory, and John-Michael Shenette fulfills a lifelong dream by making his Whelen Modified Tour debut.

The complete entry list for the CheckeredFlag.com 150 is available here.

Craig Lutz, driver of the No. 82 Horton Avenue Materials Modified, leads a pack of cars during the CheckeredFlag.com 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Langley Speedway on August 27, 2022 in Hampton, Virginia. (Photo: Ryan M. Kelly/NASCAR)

RACE FACTS

Race CheckeredFlag.com 150
Date Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023
Track Langley Speedway
Layout 0.395-mile paved oval
Location Hampton, Virginia
Start Time 8 p.m. ET
Laps 150
Posted awards $98,495
Live stream FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Saturday, Aug. 26 … Final practice from 3:15-4 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 5:30 p.m. ET … CheckeredFlag.com 150 at 8 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 CheckeredFlag.com 150 is limited to 24 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.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — A drive that may have saved his playoff hopes finally left Bubba Wallace proud of his efforts in a road-course race.

Notorious for struggling on twisting tracks throughout his career, Wallace left Watkins Glen International with a 32-point cushion as the final driver provisionally inside the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs grid heading into next weekend’s regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

“Exceptional day. Exceptional day,” Bootie Barker, crew chief of Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota, told NASCAR.com. “I mean, I’m super-pleased with how we ran. Stage points, everything was just clean. And Bubba did exceptional. So it gives us, I mean, just a massive chance at Daytona. So I’m real pleased.”

MORE: Playoff standings | Daytona weekend schedule

Wallace left the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course with a 12th-place finish, netting five stage points along the way to pad his provisional spot in the postseason as he aims to qualify for his first playoff run. That performance followed an 18th-place showing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course one week earlier that kept Daniel Suárez 28 points behind Wallace in the postseason hunt.

“It’s a really good day,” Wallace said. “You know, looking at last week, we gave up 30 points. And I think everybody, including myself, was like, ‘Man, probably gonna be the same thing (Sunday). We’ll go into a heads-up battle with the 99 (Suárez) or whoever it may be.’ But man, we actually gained points. So just thankful for the team, everybody at 23XI (Racing), Bootie continuing to preach to me about how good we actually are and how we don’t struggle as much as I think we do, and just giving me the right resources to get these good results because, man, it’s tough. I’m tough on myself. I think we all know that here. But just good to execute and come out with an OK points situation.”

Bubba Wallace exits his car after the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

Wallace’s place in the postseason picture has endured its fair share of ups and downs over the past several weeks. After the Aug. 7 race at Michigan, the Alabama native was 55 points to the good, a more-than-comfortable margin with three races left in the regular season. But road courses have typically been Wallace’s Achilles’ heel, emphasized by his collective one top five and two top 10s in 25 previous starts. He didn’t add to either column Sunday, but he added where it counts most — the points tally.

A chunk of credit, Wallace said, goes to Barker, who has helped keep Wallace’s chin high when Wallace has needed an extra kick of confidence.

“He’s a warrior, man,” Wallace said. “He leads the troops to battle, and he gets you in the right mindset. And that’s what you need. You know, this is an all-out war from the start of February to the start of November, and you have to just grind. And so to have that mentality that leadership is a massive help for us and for me. So at times where I get down and out, you know, he’s kind of there to get me right back in shape.”

Barker was realistic in his approach to the No. 23 team’s efforts and knew he had a capable driver. Bringing the right pieces together is one thing; getting those pieces and people to execute the job is another.

“We just all tried to get all we could,” Barker said. “I’m not gonna sit around here and tell you we were all just roses and everything was positivity. It wasn’t. It was a battle with all of us helping each other to get all we could. You know, it was tough. But we’re taking it serious, and I’m proud of everybody.”

Focus now shifts to Daytona, where Wallace and 17 others will fight for the final berth in the 16-driver playoff grid on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App). If Wallace wins or maintains a point advantage at Daytona without a first-time winner of 2023 emerging, the spot will be his. But if any other full-time driver wins at Daytona who has not yet won this season, Wallace would be ousted.

That makes the task at Daytona fairly straightforward.

“Attack,” Barker said. “We got to try to win it.”

RELATED: Playoff watch is on for Daytona

The problem, of course, is that will be most teams’ strategy.

“Hell, anybody can win Daytona, so we’ve just got to go and win,” Wallace said. “That’d be great. You know, it’s not a must-win situation, but it can be. Look at the No. 3 car last year and what happened there. So you know, we’re not safe by any means. Doesn’t matter who’s behind me in points. It could be whoever’s (full-time) wins, so then we’re ultimately out. So long as you just go and execute and run our own race and don’t get caught up in something stupid, we’ll be all right.”

Wallace’s numbers on superspeedways speak for themselves: one win (Talladega-2, 2021) and five top fives since 2018. Daytona has been particularly rewarding for him, the site of three runner-up finishes, including two in the Daytona 500.

“Past success doesn’t guarantee future success, that’s for sure,” Wallace tempered. “So we’ve got to go out and just get through qualifying and stages and just run our own race. We know what we need to do there. We showed that at Talladega. Just don’t need to crash on the last corner.”

As for the pressure of trying to make the playoffs? Wallace welcomes it.

“I like when our backs are against the wall,” he said. “People were kind of writing us off. We show up and deliver, so it’s something to be proud about.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR and Netflix announced a partnership Monday for a new documentary series that will tell the in-depth story of the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs.

The docuseries — a collaboration that partners the streaming service with production companies Words + Pictures and NASCAR Studios — is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in early 2024. The format is scheduled to showcase the Cup Series postseason with behind-the-scenes insights in five episodes of 45 minutes each.

RELATED: Cup Series schedule | Cup Series standings

Filming has already begun on the series, which will detail the title bids of the 16-driver field through the 10 races that will decide the Cup Series championship. The playoffs are set to start Sept. 3 at Darlington Raceway, and this Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App) at Daytona International Speedway will conclude the regular season and determine the cast of postseason hopefuls.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. is among the list of executive producers, joining Ben Kennedy, Tim Clark, Matt Summers and Tally Hair of NASCAR Studios on the productions side. That group will partner with Connor Schell and Libby Geist (who both worked on The Last Dance 30 for 30 and OJ: Made in America) and Aaron Cohen of Words + Pictures.

The announcement follows last year’s Race for the Championship series, which featured the 2022 season with an intimate look at drivers’ lives on and off the track.

The still-untitled series is the latest Netflix sports offering, coming on the heels of releases featuring the NFL, Formula 1, the PGA Tour and professional tennis. The streaming service also has plans to feature athletes in track and field, U.S. women’s soccer and rugby.

Posted on by Holly Cain

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — William Byron added to his season highlight reel, earning his first career NASCAR Cup Series road-course victory with a dominant win in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen at historic Watkins Glen International.

It marks a career-best fifth victory of the season, tops in the NASCAR Cup Series and the most for him in a single season in a six-year career in NASCAR’s top series. And the 25-year-old Charlotte native had to earn this one — holding off another championship challenger, Denny Hamlin, by a healthy 2.632 seconds for the win. Byron led 66 of the 90 laps — extending his advantage over the field each lap of the final 10-lap run to the checkered flag.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos: Watkins Glen

“Yeah, I would have to think about that a little bit, though,” Byron said when asked if he felt like it was his most dominant race win. “But it definitely feels really good, just a huge credit to the race team behind me. I want to thank Max Papis. My first road-course win, and we worked years and years for this.

“Thanks to all the guys on the team. I did a lot of laps on iRacing this week, got a new simulator at home. It’s a great win. It shows when we’re at our best, we can perform like this.”

Byron, who won Stage 2 on Sunday, noted the timing is important as the series heads into the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

“We seem to go through that summer slump in July and August, and for some reason, we just can’t put the races together, I think it’s the race tracks themselves. But this weekend, we came with a good mindset and focused on getting ready for the postseason. We’ve had fast cars. Just haven’t executed races, but today was flawless.”

WATCH: Byron discusses the victory | Wallace talks about finish

Hamlin’s runner-up finish keeps the NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship up for grabs. He trails Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. — who finished sixth — by 39 points heading into next week’s Daytona regular-season finale.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell finished third, with Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger and JGR’s Ty Gibbs rounding out the top five.

Truex, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano rounded out the top 10.

With finishes of 15th and 21st, respectively, RFK Racing owner/driver Brad Keselowski and Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick both locked themselves into the 2023 playoffs based on points. That leaves only one position to be decided in Saturday night’s regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace solidified his hold on that all-important 16th place in the points standings that could automatically transfer him into his first postseason berth. Although Wallace concedes road-course racing is not his strongest suit, he did exactly what he needed to, turning in a non-dramatic, consistent day. Wallace, who said he had a valuable phone conversation with six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon before the race, earned points in both stages. His 12th-place finish was his best road-course finish of the five run so far this season.

He now holds a 32-point advantage on Gibbs and a 43-point advantage on Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez.

“Just executed, really,” Wallace said, noting that no new race winner Sunday certainly helps his cause in pursuing a playoff berth.

“I’m proud of myself, and that’s the first time I’ve felt proud of myself after a road-course race. Just executed and didn’t lose focus, maybe one time. And that’s the difference-maker. You’ve got to stay on it in these places. Hats off to my team for sticking with me and believing in me.

“Great day for the 23-team,” he added. “Now we get to go into Daytona, still stressful as hell, but it takes a little bit of the edge off.”

On the flip side of fortune, it was a troublesome day for two of the other high-profile teams still needing to race their way into the upcoming playoffs and needing a race win.

MORE: Elliott runs out of fuel at Watkins Glen | Watch Elliott incident at The Glen

Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott — the five-time and reigning Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Cup Series — came into the race already depending on a high-speed Hail Mary of sorts. He was 80 points behind Wallace at the green flag. But Elliott’s team was slowed by an uncharacteristic fuel miscalculation. His No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet ran out of fuel with 23 laps remaining, stopped on-course and brought out a caution flag to push him back to pit road for a fuel-up.

Elliott returned to race a lap down and finished 32nd and is now 21st in the standings.

The three-time Daytona International Speedway polesitter will need to earn his first win at the superspeedway to advance this season and keep his eight-year run of championship eligibility going. Elliott has two runner-up finishes at Daytona, in the 2020 summer race and the 2021 Daytona 500. He finished 29th in the summer race there last season.

Elliott wasn’t made available to comment after the race.

“That’s sort of the agony of a four-car team when one car does so well,” Hendrick Motorsports executive Jeff Gordon said of the day at The Glen. “It just shows you can’t make any mistakes.

“Unfortunately, we had some mistakes,” he added. “Clearly, it was a miscalculation with the 9 car (Elliott), and that was huge.”

Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez started the day only one position out of the top 16 — 28 points behind Wallace. But Suárez was the first of those on the bubble to encounter issues — going off-course at the famous “bus stop” portion of the Watkins Glen course and brushing the wall only five laps into the race.

The rookie Gibbs actually improved his standing among those still within playoff reach as the regular season closes. The driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota — who led a race-best 70 laps in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen — ran among the top five all Sunday afternoon as well. His fifth-place finish Sunday was the best among those in the close fight for a playoff berth. He goes to Daytona Beach 32 points behind Wallace and needs a win.

MORE: 2023 Cup standings | 2023 Cup schedule

“I felt like we were really fast,” the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Gibbs said. “I just didn’t do a good job of getting through the guys in front of us. I feel like we were much faster than three of them in front of us, and I just couldn’t get by them.”

The NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale to set the 2023 16-driver playoff field takes place at Daytona with Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App). Austin Dillon is the defending race winner. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Daytona 500 in February.

Note: Inspection in the NASCAR Cup Series garage concluded without issue, confirming Byron as the race winner.