Playoff bubble takes center stage for Cup Series heading into Atlanta

Posted on July 6, 2023July 7, 2023 by Reid Spencer

It’s crunch time for the NASCAR Playoffs as the Cup Series heads to a free-for-all at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the form of Sunday’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart (7 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Eleven drivers are all but assured of qualifying for the postseason based on victories in the first 18 races of the regular season.

Kevin Harvick (151 points above the playoff elimination line), Chris Buescher (+104) and Brad Keselowski (+91) — currently 12th, 13th and 14th, respectively in the playoff standings — all seem comfortably situated, barring a spate of new winners in the next eight races.

MORE: Latest points standings | Playoff watch kicks off as postseason nears

Beyond that, however, the field is tightly packed. Bubba Wallace is 15 points to the good in 15th, and Ty Gibbs is six points above the cut line in 16th, the last playoff-eligible position. Gibbs gained 16 points and moved up two spots on the playoff grid with his ninth-place finish in the inaugural Chicago Street Race last Sunday.

Drivers in the 17th through 25th positions all are within striking distance, with 24th-place Chase Elliott 55 points out of a playoff spot and 25th-place Ryan Preece 66 points in arrears.

Given the superspeedway competition package in use for Sunday’s race on recently repaved Atlanta Motor Speedway, the universe of potential winners — and hence, potential playoff qualifiers — is expanded, at least according to conventional wisdom.

Wallace, for example, expressed confidence in his No. 23 team, despite four straight finishes of 15th or worse following his fourth-place run in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May.

“These last few races haven’t gone really well, and it wasn’t because we were looking at points,” said Wallace, who has three career second-place finishes at Daytona to his credit. “We just haven’t executed. We know the situation that we’re in, and we know we’re right there on the cusp of our first win of the season.

“We’ve just got to put it all together… We’ve just got to regroup. Our team can do it. I believe one thousand percent in this group, and it’s just a matter of time. We’ll be there.”

Elliott is the defending winner of the summer Atlanta race, but the 2020 Cup Series champion didn’t compete at Atlanta in March because of a broken leg suffered in a snowboarding accident.

The first 18 races of the season have highlighted the importance of stage racing. Harvick is 151 points above the playoff cut line in part because he has accumulated 106 stage points, most among currently winless drivers. AJ Allmendinger, on the other hand is 24 points below the line in 19th place in part because he has scored a mere 33 stage points in the first half of the season.

One interesting aspect of the Quaker State 400 is a first for NASCAR — a variable pit-road speed. Under green, drivers will be able to run up to 90 mph in the first two sectors of pit road, entering from Turn 3. From the third sector on, pit road speed drops to 45 mph.

MORE: Details on Atlanta’s pit-road procedures

Under caution, pit-road speed is a constant 45 mph. In addition, one minute will be added to the Damaged Vehicle Policy clock for both the Cup and Xfinity Series. Cup teams will now have eight minutes to effect repairs. Xfinity teams will have seven minutes.

Posted on July 6, 2023July 7, 2023 by Reid Spencer

When the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, the list of former road course winners in the field will be exactly two names long.

Reigning Series champion Zane Smith and 2021 title winner Ben Rhodes will try to add to their road course victory totals in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Rhodes won the Daytona Road Course race from the pole in 2021. Smith has scored back-to-back victories at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

Smith also finished second to Parker Kligerman in last year’s race at Mid-Ohio. Kligerman is not defending his win.

“I love road course racing,” Smith said. “Winning COTA two years in a row was cool, and racing Parker last year for the win (at Mid-Ohio) was fun. I expect another great truck this weekend, and hopefully this time we get the win.”

Another short list is the number of Craftsman Truck Series races left before the Playoff field is set — three.

Six drivers already have clinched berths with victories: Smith, Rhodes, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, series leader Corey Heim and Grant Enfinger.

That leaves four spots available. Ty Majeski, 86 points above the cutoff, is well-positioned, but eighth-place Matt DiBenedetto is just 14 points to the good, with Matt Crafton 10 points above the line and Nick Sanchez holding a six-point edge over Stewart Friesen for the final Playoff-eligible position.

Posted on July 6, 2023July 7, 2023 by Cameron Richardson

For the first time this season, the NASCAR Cup Series makes its encore performance at a track. On Sunday, it will be under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart (7 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

After a stunning result in last Sunday’s debut in downtown Chicago, Cup veterans will look to get back on track at a familiar venue.

Before the action in the Peach State gets underway this weekend, check out some trends to watch ahead of Sunday night, a special occasion for Goodyear, Next Gen updates debuting this weekend and interactive ways to follow all the action.

🛞 GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES 🛞

Sunday will mark the 2,000th win for Goodyear. In honor of the milestone for the tire manufacturing company, an extra trophy will be awarded to the winner of the race.

Cup cars will run the same tire code used in March that is specific to Atlanta. Teams will be allotted one set for Saturday’s qualifying session and an additional eight sets for Sunday evening’s race.

RULE CHANGES 📝

The GEICO Restart Zone returned to its 2022 dimensions after being extended for this season’s first five races.

Beginning Sunday at Atlanta, NASCAR will implement safety updates to the Next Gen car.

Alongside the right-side door bars and extending towards the rear clip, teams will now be 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 will incur the cost of all these updates.

Pit-stop speed-limit procedures will also look a little different this weekend with the pit entrance moved to Turn 3 in March. For green-flag stops this weekend, sections 1 and 2 will be limited at 90 mph while sections 3 through 18 will be policed at 45 mph. Under the yellow flag, pit-road speed will be 45 mph for the full distance of pit road, starting from the white commitment line in Turn 3 to pit exit in Turn 1.

Additionally, NASCAR will extend its Damaged Vehicle Policy by one minute in each series, which is consistent with the sanctioning body’s approach to the March event. Cup teams will have eight minutes to repair damage to their vehicles and meet minimum speed requirements, up from its standard seven minutes. Xfinity teams will have seven minutes to fix their cars, up from six.

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.

RELATED: See rules changes for 2023

📉 TRENDS TO WATCH 📈

— Three different drivers have won the three races on the reconfigured Atlanta.

–Ford swept the first eight starting positions in the spring at Atlanta, it was the first time they started 1st-8th since 1965.

— Chevrolet won seven of the last eight drafting track races.

— The driver leading the most laps won the last four Atlanta races.

(Via Racing Insights)

NOTABLE MOMENTS 🎥

2021: Kurt Busch holds off brother Kyle to win at Atlanta | WATCH

2022: Chase Elliott scores thrilling first victory at home track | WATCH

2023: Joey Logano outduels Brad Keselowski to checkered flag | WATCH

ON-TRACK SCHEDULE 🗓️

Saturday, July 8

— 5:35 p.m. ET: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Sunday, July 9

— 7 p.m. ET: Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart (NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

MORE: Full weekend schedule at Atlanta

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:

Make sure your iOS device has been updated to 16.1 or higher.
Available on the leaderboard of all NASCAR Series races.
Click on the three-dot menu near the top right of screen.
Select “Follow the Race.”
Swipe up to access the home screen and you will see the Live Activities at the top.
Lock the device and you will see Live Activities on the Lock Screen.
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 is open now. 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 $25,000 prize for the winner.

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

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 July 6, 2023July 7, 2023 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials announced Thursday an alteration to its pit-road speed-limit procedures for this weekend’s Xfinity Series and Cup Series events at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

After extending pit entrance to Turn 3 for the spring race in March — a product of Atlanta’s 2022 reconfiguration that resulted in superspeedway-style racing at the 1.54-mile oval — NASCAR is implementing two separate pit-road speed limits under green-flag conditions for this weekend’s races.

MORE: Cup standings | Atlanta schedule

During green-flag pit stops, sections 1 and 2 of pit road will be limited at 90 mph, while sections 3 through 18 will be policed at 45 mph. Under caution-flag conditions, pit-road speed will be 45 mph for the full distance of pit road, starting from the white commitment line in Turn 3 to pit exit in Turn 1.

The extended length of pit road saw a steady 45 mph speed limit at all times during the March race weekend, resulting in cars falling laps down during green-flag conditions. NASCAR’s goal in implementing two separate pit road speed limits is to help minimize a team’s chances of falling off the lead lap during such pit cycles.

“It’ll certainly be different having two gears,” 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott told reporters Thursday. “Having a taller gear for your fast section and then having to downshift to get to your normal pit-road speed is definitely something that I don’t think I’ve ever done before. I don’t know that that’s going to change the dynamic of the race a whole lot. I think it’s going to take a little getting used to from a driver’s standpoint just to do that and to do it efficiently.”

Due to the unique circumstances, NASCAR will hold one pit-entry practice per series following their respective final rounds of qualifying. The sessions will see drivers sent in groups of three to test the 90-mph green-flag entry speed from the Turn 3 white entry line to the traditional yellow pit entry line in Turn 4 where the limit drops to the standard 45 mph. Teams will also be able to run the first few sections of pit road to get a feel for going from the 90-mph entry speed to 45-mph pit road speed.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series competes in the Alsco Uniforms 250 on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). The NASCAR Cup Series races in the Quaker State 400 available at Walmart on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, USA, PRN, SiriusXM, NBC Sports App).

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s destination for his second scheduled start of the Xfinity Series season was announced Thursday, with the NASCAR Hall of Famer planning to compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Since his retirement from the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017, Earnhardt has competed in one race each season in the Xfinity tour. This year, the 48-year-old driver is set for two events — Sept. 15 at Bristol Motor Speedway and now also the Contender Boats 250 on Oct. 21 (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval.

Earnhardt’s appearance at Homestead-Miami is a return trip in his post-retirement tour. He finished fifth there in 2020. Since his transition from the Cup Series to an analyst role with NBC Sports, Earnhardt has also raced at Richmond Raceway (2018, 2021), Darlington Raceway (2019), and Martinsville Speedway (2022). His most recent Xfinity Series effort ended in an 11th-place finish, topped by a post-race cooler of beer on Martinsville’s pit road.

Earnhardt has won 24 times in the Xfinity Series, racing to the circuit’s championship in 1998-99. His best Xfinity finish at Homestead was a runner-up outcome that capped his second title march.

Earnhardt’s most recent Xfinity Series win came April 23, 2016 at Richmond, where he dominated by leading 128 of 149 laps.

Posted on July 6, 2023July 6, 2023 by Adam Fenwick

Many things had to go right for Justin Bonsignore to reach this point in his career.

The driver from Holtsville, New York, a three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, will make his 200th series start Saturday night at New Jersey’s Wall Stadium Speedway.

The importance of the moment isn’t lost on Bonsignore, who also didn’t miss an opportunity to make a joke at his own expense.

“It shows how quick time flies and how old I’m getting,” the 35-year-old said with a light laugh. “It’s not anything I ever dreamed of, making it this long in the series, and having the success we’ve had is another thing you just couldn’t have ever imagined.

“It’s been a great ride, and I’m hoping to make it to 300.”

Bonsignore made his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut 16 years ago. At 19 years old, he drove his family-owned No. 23 to a fourth-place finish at his home track, New York’s Riverhead Raceway.

The field included some of the best the Tour had to offer, including winner Donny Lia, Matt Hirschman, Jamie Tomaino, Ryan Preece, Mike Stefanik, Jimmy Blewett, Ted Christopher, Todd Szegedy and Jerry Marquis.

In his first Tour start, he beat all of them but Lia.

Justin Bonsignore celebrates in victory lane after winning the 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Championship on October 14, 2018 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut. (Photo: Ruby Wallau/NASCAR)

“We were having a pretty good year in 2007 with the weekly stuff at Riverhead Raceway, and it was always the dream to try and make some starts at the time at Riverhead and see how we stacked up against the Tour regulars,” Bonsignore said. “We really had an amazing night finishing fourth in our first ever start.

“We kind of hovered around the top 10 and then had a really good car at the end of the race and some of the most tire left on it and was able to charge through the field and run fourth. It was just an amazing accomplishment because we were on a really tight budget at the time. We had an older car and not a lot of help. We really made the most of it.”

Bonsignore made his next Tour start two years later, once again at Riverhead, on Aug. 1, 2009. He again finished fourth.

He couldn’t have known it at the time, but that day changed his life. His future car owner was watching from the grandstands.

“Ken Massa was in the grandstands that night with a friend of his,” Bonsignore said. “At the time, he was sponsoring a charger car at Riverhead and was looking into getting into it a little bit more and starting his own team.

“That friend of his came up to me at the end of the night after the race and said, ‘I have someone I need you to meet.’ You are kind of always a little skeptical when people say stuff like that. Sure enough, that week that gentleman called us and had me, my father and a good friend of ours, Danny Jones, who was a big sponsor of ours at the time, meet Ken at his office.”

A few weeks after the meeting, Massa purchased his first modified. He then called Bonsignore and offered the seat for the full NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season in 2010.

“That was late September of 2009. I think by the end of that month we had a car, and during the offseason we got a big trailer and a second car,” Bonsignore said. “We were ready to go for 2010. It’s been amazing that we’ve been together ever since.”

Justin Bonsignore at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on April 10, 2010 in Thompson, Connecticut. It was his first start driving for team owner Ken Massa. (Photo: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

The pairing of Massa and Bonsignore has proven to be one of the most successful combinations in Modified Tour history. The pair has won 36 times in Modified Tour competition, with their first victory together coming in 2011 at Riverhead Raceway.

In their ninth season together with the Modified Tour, Bonsignore and Massa reached the mountaintop by capturing the 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship. They’ve since added two more championships in 2020 and 2021, and they are in the hunt for their fourth title this season.

“I met Ken, and it’s been a dream ever since,” Bonsignore said. “He’s helped me open a business and just a lot of things he’s done for me personally that are equally as important, if not more important than the on-track stuff we have together. It’s a really tight-knit group that we have together between his family and mine.

“I’m so blessed they came into my life.”

A lot has changed for Bonsignore since he was a 19-year-old kid making his first Modified Tour start at Riverhead Raceway in 2007, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is his drive to win.

He’s hoping to make his 200th Modified Tour start a memorable one by claiming his first series victory at Wall Stadium Speedway, a track known as one of the Northeast’s most challenging venues for modified competitors.

He won in his 100th Tour start at Riverhead Raceway in 2016, and Bonsignore has no reason to believe he can’t win in his 200th Tour start this weekend.

“If we could go out again and win in our 200th start, that would be awesome,” Bonsignore said. “Wall Stadium is a really special place with a lot of history. I would love to win there just in general. The Turkey Derby is such a historic race, and Wall Stadium in general is such a historic facility, and I’ve never been able to win there.

“That would be special, and that would top off the 200th start in a big way.”

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday that Relay Payments has joined the organization as a sponsor for the No. 24 Chevrolet and driver William Byron this season in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Relay Payments — an Atlanta-based fintech company that strives to modernize and streamline payments for the transportation, logistics and supply chain industries — will be featured as the primary sponsor of the No. 24 for two races in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs: Sept. 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway and Oct. 15 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Bristol Night Race sponsorship coincides with Truck Driver Appreciation Week.

Associate sponsorship is set to begin with this Sunday’s race (7 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM) at Atlanta Motor Speedway, near Relay Payments headquarters.

“Truck drivers are the unsung heroes of our industry,” said Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman, in a news release from the team. “The race cars Hendrick Motorsports fields each weekend are driven hundreds or thousands of miles to the race track to compete in front of our amazing fans. But truck drivers are vital to many industries, and the efficiency of Relay helps deliver products and services to businesses and customers in a quicker manner that benefits a lot of people. Hendrick Motorsports is of the same mindset – be the first to the finish line.”

Byron ranks second in the Cup Series standings at the season’s midway point. The 25-year-old driver is tied for the series lead with three victories this season.

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Staff Report

A trip to the shores of New Jersey await the stars and cars of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour as the series invades Wall Stadium Speedway this Saturday for the running of the Jersey Shore 150.

The eighth race of the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season marks the sixth time the Modified Tour has visited the 0.333-mile asphalt oval located in Wall Township, New Jersey. The first visit to Wall Stadium took place in 2003, with local star John Blewett III claiming his first Modified Tour victory.

His brother, Jimmy Blewett, has won a pair of Modified Tour events at Wall Stadium, with his most recent victory coming last year driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Other Tour winners at Wall include Reggie Ruggiero and Woody Pitkat.

Tickets to Saturday’s Jersey Shore 150 are available here. Below is everything you need to know about the eighth race of the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

Jersey Shore 150 at Wall Stadium Speedway

What to watch for:

Another trip to Wall Stadium Speedway for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour means another chance for Jimmy Blewett to shine at his home track.

Blewett at Wall Stadium on Saturday will make his second start of the Modified Tour season after finishing 28th in the season-opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway. He’ll wheel his own No. 76 Modified with Scott Anderson serving as crew chief.

Blewett, of course, won this race last year driving Tommy Baldwin Racing’s famed No. 7 Modified.

That victory came as no surprise even though it was one of just five Modified Tour starts for Blewett in 2022. Blewett is second on the all-time wins list at Wall Stadium. He has a pair of Modified Tour wins at the track including last season’s triumph, and his late brother John Blewett III won the Tour’s first visit to Wall back in 2003.

Last year, Blewett dedicated his victory to his grandfather.

MORE WALL: Watch on FloRacing | Get tickets

This year, Blewett once again will have to navigate a tough field of Whelen Modified Tour regulars. They include points leader Ron Silk, who’s coming off his second victory of the season in the Tour’s last event, at New York’s Riverhead Raceway a couple weeks ago.

Also competing Saturday is six-time Tour champion Doug Coby, who sits third in the series standings. Coby will drive the No. 7 Modified that Blewett wheeled to a victory in the same race last season.

Saturday’s race will be a notable one for three-time Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore. The driver who sits second in points will make his 200th Tour start at Wall Stadium.

The only driver not named Silk who has more than one win this season, Matt Hirschman (two wins) also is scheduled to race Saturday.

The complete entry list for the Jersey Shore 150 can be found here.

A view of the start/finish line during the Jersey Shore 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Wall Stadium Speedway on July 9, 2022 in Wall Township, New Jersey. (Photo: Kostas Lymperopoulos/NASCAR)

RACE FACTS

Race	Jersey Shore 150
Date	Saturday, July 8, 2023
Track	Wall Stadium Speedway
Layout	0.333-mile asphalt oval
Location	Wall Township, New Jersey
Start Time	8 p.m. ET
Laps	150
Posted awards	$81,600
Live stream	FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Saturday, July 8 … Final practice from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 6 p.m. ET … Jersey Shore 150 at 8 p.m. ET.

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 Jersey Shore 150 is limited to 28 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eight (8) 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 zero (0) tires, any position.

Posted on July 6, 2023July 6, 2023 by Official NASCAR Release

LOS ANGELES — Global esports organization Gen.G continues to rev up its motorsports presence and further strengthen the link of racing and gaming with its latest partner, NASCAR. To kick off this partnership, Gen.G will be working alongside NASCAR to host The Pit Stop, powered by Mobil 1 and NASCAR, at the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Boston Major on July 8.

For those who want to step away from the arena, fans can join together at WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston) from noon to 5 p.m. ET for a watch party of all the matches with plenty of comfortable seating, large screens, food, drinks and branded activations. In addition, fans will be able to meet the Gen.G Mobil 1 Racing RLCS team and Gen.G Mobil 1 Racing creators Demar “Dazerin” Williams, MJ “Widow” Austyn, Nathan “Stanz” Stanz, and win limited giveaway items for attending. The Pit Stop is free for the public. Beginning at 8 p.m. ET, the Pit Stop will be transformed into an invite-only party.

The partnership will also feature Gen.G Mobil 1 Racing creators Dazerin and Stanz attending NASCAR races this season, where they will produce content highlighting their experiences. They will explore the activities surrounding a NASCAR race, show the true fan experience that fans at home don’t get to see, and showcase all that NASCAR has to offer when you attend the race in person. Dazerin and Stanz will highlight the crossover between the racing and gaming communities at NASCAR races with fans at the event and the innovative experiences that NASCAR offers surrounding their races.

“Ever since we joined Rocket League last year, we wanted to expand our presence with all things cars and motorsports, especially with the reception we had surrounding the success of both of our Rocket League teams and our partnership with Mobil 1,” said Martin Kim, head of partnerships at Gen.G. “Gaming is a connector and NASCAR shares in that belief. Together we can explore opportunities that resonate with all audiences and communities.”

Since the inception of the Gen.G Mobil 1 Racing and Gen.G Mobil 1 Racing Black Women’s team late last year, they’ve achieved several accomplishments including:

G Mobil 1 Racing
- RLCS 2022-2023 Fall Major Champions
- No. 1 Ranked team in RLCS NA Standings
- Qualified for RLCS World Championship in Dusseldorf, Germany in August
G Mobil 1 Racing Black
- Dreamhack Dallas Rocket Clash Champions, the first international women’s Rocket League LAN tournament
- No. 1 Ranked team in North America Women’s Carball
- Qualified for WCB World Championship in August

The partnership bolsters NASCAR’s commitment to the Rocket League community, where it has released the NASCAR Fan Pass each year since 2021. Last year, NASCAR hosted collegiate Rocket League tournaments at its tracks and sponsored the NASCAR Rocket League 351.

“At NASCAR, we believe gaming bridges the gap between the virtual and real world, fostering a deeper connection with our sport,” said Nick Rend, NASCAR managing director, gaming and esports. “Gen.G shares the belief that gaming is a connector. We are excited to continue our commitment to Rocket League with Gen.G by hosting The Pit Stop at RLCS Boston Major with them and Mobil 1. We also look forward to working with Gen.G to explore new opportunities for our fans to engage with NASCAR and showcase the sport to new audiences.”

The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Spring Major will take place at Agganis Arena in Boston on July 6-9. Tickets are on sale HERE.

About Gen.G

United under #TigerNation, Gen.G’s core mission is to help fans and athletes use the power of gaming and esports to get ahead in and beyond the competition. With an emphasis on education, DEI initiatives, and innovative partnerships, Gen.G is a commercial and thought leader, building a global, inclusive and cross-cultural future for gaming. Its unique portfolio of teams includes the Seoul Dynasty (Overwatch League), League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), the Gen.G & Gen.G Black VALORANT teams, the PUBG Gen.G team, and the NBA2K’s Gen.G Tigers (the first non-NBA owned team in the NBA 2K League). Gen.G has also been a major proponent in seamlessly bringing in non-endemic brand partners to the world of gaming and esports, including 1Password, Burberry, Crocs, King’s Hawaiian, McDonald’s, Mobil1, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, and more. Gen.G also operates the Gen.G Global Academy, the world’s first fully-integrated academic esports program in Korea. Gen.G’s teams, content creators and corporate staff work out of their offices in Los Angeles, Seoul and Shanghai. For more information, visit GenG.gg or follow on Twitter @GenG.

Posted on July 5, 2023July 7, 2023 by Staff Report

Jersey Shore 150

Wall Stadium Speedway

Entry list

Car No.	Driver	Organization	Crew Chief	Chassis Mfg	Sponsor
01	Melissa Fifield	Pine Knoll Racing, LLC	Jake Marosz	Troyer	Pine Knoll Auto Sales
3	Jake Johnson	Boehler’s Racing Equipment	Gregory Fournier	Boehler Racing	Propane Plus; Lin’s Propane Trucks
7	Doug Coby	Tommy Baldwin Racing LLC	Tommy Baldwin	Troyer	Mayhew Tools
8	Thomas Martino Jr.	Thomas Martino Jr.	TBA	Troyer	Martino Racing Engines
14	Blake Barney	Richard Barney	Robert Barmey	FURY Race Cars	Atlantic Sprinkler Co.; County Line Auto Body
16	Ron Silk	Haydt Yannone Racing	Philip Moran	FURY Race Cars	Blue Mountain Machine; Future Homes
18	Ken Heagy	Robert Pollifrone	Greg Gorman	Chevrolet	Buoy One Seafood
19	Anthony Sesely	Wanick Construction	Stephen Kopcik	Troyer	Wanick Construction Inc.
20	Eddie McCarthy III	Ed McCarthy	Bill Cole	LFR	McCarthy’s Marine Sales
22	Kyle Bonsignore	Kyle Bonsignore	Cam McDermott	FURY Race Cars	Bonsignore Performance Tools; MTT; Munns Auto
24	Andrew Krause	Supreme Racing	Rob Hyer	Chevrolet	Supreme Manufacturing Co.
26	Max Zachem	Lakeland Avenue Landscape Supply	Cody Rose	Chevrolet	Lakeland Avenue Landscape Supply
32	Tyler Rypkema	Dean Rypkema	Zach Truesdail	LFR	Northeast Drilling, Musco Lighting
34	JB Fortin	JB Fortin Racing	Kenny Lechner	FURY Race Cars	A&R Materials, John’s Fuel Oil, Rapid Recovery, Queens Concrete, CYA Screen Printing; Murphy Cesspool & Drainage
36	Dave Sapienza	Judith Thilberg	Greg Kleila	LFR	Sapienza Enterprises/Eastport Feeds
46	Anthony Nocella	Goodie Racing	Doug Ogiejko	Troyer	Riverhead Building Supply
51	Justin Bonsignore	Kenneth Massa Motorsports LLC	Ryan Stone	FURY Race Cars	Phoenix Communications Inc.
58	Eric Goodale	Goodie Motorsports	Jason Shephard	FURY Race Cars	GAF Roofing / Riverhead Building Supply
60	Matt Hirschman	Pee Dee Motorsports LLC	Mike Stein	Troyer	Pee Dee Motorsports; Colyer Trucking
64	Austin Beers	KLM Motorsports	Ron Yuhas	Troyer	Dell Electric, Lumiere Electrical, Andrew James Interiors, AP Marquadt & Sons, Hughes Motors
76	Jimmy Blewett	Jimmy Blewett Racing LLC	Scott Anderson	PSR Products	Garden State Honda, John Blewett Inc., FX Caprara
82	Craig Lutz	DWR Racing Corp.	Ryan Barbieri	LFR	Horton Avenue Materials
109	Tommy Wanick	Wanick Construction	Mike Odwazny	Troyer	Wanick Construction Inc.