Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR issued an L3-level penalty, the most severe punishment under the sanctioning body’s deterrence system, to Stewart-Haas Racing after the discovery of a counterfeit part in the team’s No. 14 Ford.

As a result, the No. 14 team has been docked 120 points in both the owner standings and driver standings for Chase Briscoe; an additional loss of 25 playoff points should Briscoe and the team qualify for the postseason; and a $250,000 fine and suspension in the next six points races to crew chief John Klausmeier.

RELATED: Standings | Schedule

According to the penalty grid issued by NASCAR, the team violated multiple sections of the NASCAR Rule Book. That includes Section 14.1F, which prohibits counterfeiting a Next Gen single source vendor-supplied part, along with Section 14.6.A Underwing, and 14.6.3B Engine Panel Assembly.

The engine panel assembly rule specifically notes that the engine panel NACA duct must be used and must remain unobstructed.

NACA ducts are single-source supplied parts for the Next Gen car and may not be modified or counterfeited. The NASCAR Rule Book spells out the location for these ducts, on the left and right side windows, which are used to help cool the car.

Tightening the ducts, or counterfeiting/modifying the size of the ducts, can help a team create more downforce on the race car.

“In the post-race inspection at the R&D Center, we found the No. 14 car had an engine panel NACA duct not in compliance with the rule book,” NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer told NASCAR.com. “It is a counterfeit part, and that is an L3 penalty. … We need to make sure we’re keeping the teams and the car in compliance. The deterrence model has to fit that, and that’s our responsibility as custodians of the sport and of the garage.

“Don’t mess with a single-source part. Working in areas we used to in the Gen-6 car, is just not going to be acceptable with this car as we move forward. It’s not going to be the culture we’re going to allow.”

An L3-level penalty is reserved for the most intense of instances, including but not limited to:

• Counterfeiting or modifying Next Gen Single Source vendor supplied parts and/or assemblies.
• Engine infractions not meeting the rules.
• Engine performance enhancements
• Altering/modifying tires and/or fuel
• Violating the Vehicle Testing Policy

All penalties at the Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 areas spell out ranges of punishment in the NASCAR Rule Book for points, playoff points, suspensions and fines.

Those meted out to the No. 14 were the minimum for an L3-level violation as stipulated in the rule book.

Stewart-Haas Racing released the following statement after Wednesday’s penalty announcement: “We had a quality control lapse and a part that never should’ve been on a car going to the race track ended up on the No. 14 car at Charlotte. We accept NASCAR’s decision and will not appeal.”

The impact of Wednesday’s penalty will shake up NASCAR’s postseason picture considerably.

Briscoe was the first driver out of the field following Monday’s Coca-Cola 600, just four points behind Alex Bowman on the bubble.

The loss in points drops Briscoe from 292 points to 172, placing him 31st in the standings and facing a postseason path that almost surely must include a win over the final 12 races in the regular season.

Joe Gibbs Racing rookie Ty Gibbs (-15) now slides up to the last spot out, followed by Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez (-20), Spire Motorsports’ Corey LaJoie (-38) and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric (-42).

Posted on by Seth Sharp

Life was on the upswing for Ryan Blaney as summer passed in 2021. He was coming off back-to-back victories as the NASCAR Playoffs began. That momentum wore off, though, and he finished seventh in the season standings.

The following year was a bag of mixed emotions for Blaney. He grabbed a career-best 12 top-five finishes but failed to win a race for the first time since 2016.

All of that is what made his Coca-Cola 600 victory on Monday so much sweeter. The passion and relief on the 29-year-old driver’s face as he celebrated was the culmination of everything he has been through since last visiting Victory Lane.

RELATED: Breaking down Blaney’s Coke 600 win | Cup Series standings

It would be easy to look at Blaney’s career and try to put down his eight victories over his 284 starts. The history book shows that there was another driver, one recently named one of the 75 Greatest Drivers of all time, that had the start of his career comparable to what Blaney has achieved so far.

It’s fitting that the driver is Kevin Harvick, given that it was Harvick whom Blaney held off to earn his first career victory in 2017 at Pocono Raceway. Harvick came into the Cup Series under the toughest circumstances in 2001, filling the seat of the late Dale Earnhardt. He famously found success quickly, holding off Jeff Gordon to win in just his third start at Atlanta. Growing pains soon hit as he ended his fifth season with five wins and three finishes of 14th or worse in points.

Each driver found a mix of success and struggles through their first 284 starts, but there was no question the potential was there.

Take a look.

Kevin HarvickRyan Blaney
Starts284284
Wins118
Top-five finishes5465
Top-10 finishes118121
Laps led2,9813,377
Poles59
Lead-lap finishes188194
Average points finish10.110.0

Harvick has the slight edge in the wins department, but Blaney has him beat in every other category. It’s also noteworthy to mention that at the time of their respective 284th starts, Harvick was 32 years old, and Blaney was 29. A 34-year-old Harvick had 12 wins after 339 starts before his dominance really took over.

That realistically gives Blaney almost two full seasons to grab four more victories to match Harvick, which is more than realistic for the driver who is currently one point behind the series leader Ross Chastain.

As Harvick’s legendary career slowly comes to a close, it’s just a little poetic that another young star sits at almost the exact same spot that Harvick once did. Will Blaney be able to channel his “inner Harvick” and turn those top fives into victories, moving up the all-time ranks in the process? That seems to be a given with the speed and talent he possesses on almost every type of track on the schedule.

The real question is how high Blaney will climb by the time he hangs up his helmet at the conclusion of his career.

Posted on by Staff Report

The data is conclusive: William Byron’s second-place finish in Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 would not have been possible without the work of his pit crew.

The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team had a staggering day on pit road, perhaps the best pitting performance of the season — especially when considering this group maintained its poise and precision on a rain-delayed race that also serves as the longest event of the year.

The facts:

• Byron started on the pole position and therefore had the premium No. 1 pit stall.

• Throughout the race, Byron gained 19 positions on pit road.

• Byron took the lead off pit road six times.

• Three of the six single fastest four-tire pit stops of the season came at the hands of the No. 24 team on Monday, including a blistering 9.383-second pit on Lap 276.

“The car was great tonight, just not quite good enough,” Byron said after finishing runner-up. “Really proud of the effort. The pit crew was phenomenal on pit road. Those guys are just high energy.”

“Those guys” are changers Jeff Cordero and Orane Ossowski, carrier Ryan Patton, jackman Spencer Bishop and fueler Landon Walker.

The No. 24 team’s average four-tire stop time at Charlotte was 10.008 seconds, the fastest showing of all 14 regular-season races so far this year. The team also ranks first on the year in average time on four-tire pit stops (see full table below).

Other pit-road notes:

• The No. 23 pit crew of 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace dropped out of the top 10 ranking for best average time throughout the season. A rough day at Charlotte saw them fall from fifth place on the season to out of the top 10, although Wallace and team still rallied for a top-five finish at Charlotte.

• In addition to the excellence shown by Byron’s team at Charlotte, Ty Gibbs’ crew on the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota had the third single-fastest four-tire stop of the season at 9.443 seconds.

See below to analyze additional pit-road statistics from Racing Insights.

10 FASTEST FOUR-TIRE PIT STOPS IN 2023

RankTrackDriverTime
1RichmondCorey LaJoie9.309 seconds
2CharlotteWilliam Byron9.383 seconds
3CharlotteTy Gibbs9.443 seconds
4CharlotteWilliam Byron9.504 seconds
5KansasBubba Wallace9.509 seconds
6CharlotteWilliam Byron9.541 seconds
t-7KansasTy Dillon9.543 seconds
t-7KansasDaniel Suárez9.543 seconds
t-9DarlingtonKevin Harvick9.576 seconds
t-9KansasJosh Berry (No. 48)9.576 seconds

BEST AVERAGE FOUR-TIRE PIT STOP TIMES IN 2023

BEST PIT CREW BY RACE IN 2023

** Pit Times are in seconds

TrackFastest 4 Tire PitAverage 4 Tire Stop
DaytonaWilliam Byron 11.278Kyle Larson 12.763
Auto ClubDaniel Suárez 9.777Ross Chastain 10.896
Las VegasAlex Bowman 9.776Chase Briscoe 10.259
PhoenixTy Gibbs 9.643Corey LaJoie 10.404
AtlantaKyle Busch 10.243Kyle Busch 11.094
COTAMartin Truex Jr. 9.684Austin Dillon 10.668
RichmondCorey LaJoie 9.309Alex Bowman 10.388
Bristol DirtNANA
MartinsvilleKyle Larson 9.677Kyle Larson 10.051
TalladegaDaniel Suárez 11.011Ross Chastain 11.577
DoverBrad Keselowski 9.766Brad Keselowski 10.099
KansasBubba Wallace 9.509Bubba Wallace 10.121
DarlingtonKevin Harvick 9.576Martin Truex Jr. 10.162
CharlotteWilliam Byron 9.383William Byron 10.008
GatewayTy Gibbs 9.710Alex Bowman 9.743
SonomaKyle Busch 9.185Kyle Busch 10.089
NashvilleKyle Larson 9.281Chase Briscoe 10.081
Chicago StreetChase Elliott 11.877Kyle Larson 12.799
AtlantaAlex Bowman 10.177Daniel Suárez 11.044
New Hampshire Daniel Suárez 9.677Denny Hamlin 10.176
PoconoDenny Hamlin 9.810Ross Chastain 10.327
RichmondDaniel Suárez 9.260Ty Gibbs 9.764
MichiganDaniel Suárez 9.777Austin Dillon 10.310
Indianapolis RCTy Gibbs 11.178Ty Dillon 12.279
Watkins GlenBubba Wallace 10.942Kyle Larson 12.456
DaytonaErik Jones 10.277Erik Jones 11.578
DarlingtonChase Briscoe 9.409Austin Dillon 10.134
Posted on by Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced today its 22nd NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) class welcoming undergraduate and graduate students to NASCAR.

The class of 37 students completed orientation during the Coca-Cola 600 race weekend in Charlotte. Many in the group had the opportunity to experience their first NASCAR race, visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Hendrick Motorsports and the Motor Racing Network facilities.

The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program is a 10-week program that offers hands-on experience across various roles in the motorsports industry. NDIP provides practical, unique, hands-on experience in a variety of fields vital to the sport and business operations. Throughout the summer interns will receive mentorship, network with industry leaders and engage in a case study competition.

“This year we’re welcoming another exceptional class of college students eager to learn about our sport,” said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR’s Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. “As a graduate of NDIP, I know firsthand how crucial it is for students to have exposure to professional sports opportunities. We’re excited to welcome this year’s class and look forward to seeing them grow this summer.”

The industry’s longest-running diversity initiative, NDIP has played an important role in NASCAR as the sport celebrates its 75th year. Launched in 2000, the highly competitive career development program has introduced over 500 college students to the NASCAR industry, and has grown to include several industry partners, providing a variety of career exposure opportunities. 2023 partners include Rev Racing, World Wide Express, 23XI Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Sonoma Raceway, Team Penske, Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.

NDIP is open to college students who are sophomores or above with a minimum 3.0 GPA representing the following races/ethnic minority classifications: Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Latino or Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

The 2023 NASCAR Diversity Internship Class includes:

Intern DepartmentSchool
Abhishek Cherukara NASCAR Aerodynamics Cranfield University
Alexandria Samuel Sonoma Raceway Columbia University
Angelina Davila NASCAR Communications DePaul University
Aniya Misher Joe Gibbs Racing North Carolina A&T State University
Ava Hartsell Hendrick Motorsports Virginia Tech
Brisia Briones NASCAR Sourcing and Procurement University of Houston
Chandler Love NASCAR Human Resource University of Miami
Daniel Zakhary NASCAR Public & Govt. Affairs University of Florida
Darren Henderson NASCAR Multicultural & MarketingTemple University
DeNashia Robinson NASCAR Legal Howard University School of Law
Didier Attipou NASCAR Corporate Accounting Morehouse College
D'Vante Siler NASCAR Sales Academy Fort Valley State University
Elijah PattersonNASCAR Marketing ServicesJohnson C. Smith University
Elizabeth Yaboni NASCAR Social Responsibility Columbia University
Ester Ferreira NASCAR International Nova Southeastern University
Gift Pendleton Chicago Street Race University of Central Florida
Haley KingWorldwide Express Prairie View A&M University
India Martin NASCAR Consumer Strategy Oglethorpe University
Jayden Carrillo NASCAR Brand Marketing University of South Carolina
Juliana Ashrifeh NASCAR Social Media Wayne State University
Juliet Campbell NASCAR Productions The Ohio State University
Lauren Allsbrook 23XI Racing University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Lauryn CarltonNASCAR Partnership Marketing Elon University
Leticia De Freitas Rev Racing Savannah College of Art & Design
Maya Ellison Motor Racing Network Florida A&M University
Meg Cabras NASCAR Licensing & Consumer ProductsFlorida State University
Miranda Romero The NASCAR Foundation New Mexico State University
Nicolas Caldwell NASCAR National Sales West Virginia University
Niraj Panthi NASCAR Media and Event Technology Wingate University
Oscar Casasola NASCAR Gaming and Esports University of Maryland
Phalgunmihir Eyunni Hendrick Motorsports Florida State University
Phillip Hall NASCAR Weekly Racing Operations St. John's University
Salaah Khan NASCAR Sports Betting The George Washington University
Sidney Brown Team Penske Bethune-Cookman University
Syeda Ghazal Qadri NASCAR Research and Insights Boston University
Tyra BlueNASCAR Diversity & Inclusion Briar Cliff University
Victor Jackson Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Florida State College at Jacksonville
Posted on by Cara Cooper
The defending Modifieds champion at Adams County Speedway has picked up right where he left off last season.
In five Modifieds features so far this year at Adams County, a NASCAR-sanctioned, half-mile dirt track in Corning, Iowa, Jesse Dennis has three wins and five top-five finishes. He has a 40-point lead over second-place Jeff Wiggins in the current standings.

“I’ve done pretty good,” Dennis said. “My chassis builder, he’s got a new deal going, and we kind of went with that. He had a pretty good set-up going, so I tried to stick with what he’s got going. It’s kind of a different deal than what I was running last year. Just completely different from what I was running last year… Hasn’t been too bad. The car has been driving good.”

RELATED: Adams County Speedway on MyRacePass

Jesse Dennis
(Photo: Adams County Speedway/Facebook)

Last season’s championship marked Dennis’ sixth NASCAR title at Adams County, where he started driving in 2004. He finished with six wins and 15 top fives in 17 features.

Four of his championships have come since 2018, and he finished second in 2021.

Dennis started racing a go-kart when he was 18 and just out of high school. He didn’t stay in the starter car long before jumping straight into a modified.

“I was just being a fan in the stands, watching them, and kind of wanted to do it,” he said. “I bought my first go-kart and started racing and kind of got old enough to do it. I was 18, out of high school, and I had enough money to buy a modified, so I bought a modified and have been racing that for 19 years.

“It’s changed a lot. It’s getting pretty technical now. It’s changed quite a bit. It’s getting more technical, kind of more in depth to what you need to do.”

When Dennis started racing, he had his dad, Frank, helping him. Frank still works on the car with his son every week, but now there’s also a third generation in the shop and pits, too. Dennis’s 13-year-old son, Jayden, began helping the team this season.

“It’s pretty good having him around,” Dennis said. “He listens a little better now. … He just really likes racing; he runs a go-kart. Our other track closed down, so he’s just kind of helping me out now this year, just learning the ropes on it.”

Jayden hopes to start racing himself next year.

“I think he enjoys it,” Dennis added. “He’s in a lot of the pictures, and he enjoys doing it. Learning more, that the biggest thing. I don’t really want him to think he’s going to have it given to him. He’s going to have to earn it. He’s going to have to show he wants to do it, so that’s probably the main thing.”

Dennis came into this season with the same goal he always has: “Win a championship; that’s the main goal.”

With three wins in five races, the key, he said, is continuing to be consistent.

“Try to make sure the car just doesn’t break,” he added. “I know you’re going to have stuff like that happen, but just try to save as many as you can.

“Try to win as many features as we can and maybe gain some friends, maybe travel some more.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Corey LaJoie will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway, the team announced Tuesday.

LaJoie replaces Chase Elliott for Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Elliott was suspended by NASCAR on Tuesday after intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin in Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

MORE: Full penalty report from Charlotte | Cup standings

Driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet full time, LaJoie sits 20th in points with one top-five finish this season, a fourth-place effort at Atlanta Motor Speedway. LaJoie is having a career year in 2023, boasting a 19.1 average finish through 14 races, tracking to beat his previous best of 24.3 by more than five positions per race.

Carson Hocevar will fill in for LaJoie at Gateway in the No. 7 Chevrolet.

LaJoie becomes the fourth driver this season in the No. 9 Chevrolet, a car that has finished second twice this year — once with Elliott in February at Auto Club Speedway and again with Josh Berry behind the wheel in April at Richmond Raceway.

Elliott missed six races earlier this season after suffering a broken leg in a snowboarding accident in March. Berry competed in the five oval races Elliott missed while Jordan Taylor piloted the machine at Circuit of The Americas to a 24th-place finish.

LaJoie’s nearest brush with victory came in July 2022 at Atlanta, when his No. 7 car was running second on the final lap. His move to the outside was blocked by race leader Elliott, who went onto win the event.

WATCH: Relive thrilling Atlanta finish

Elliott is set to return to the No. 9 Chevrolet for the NASCAR Cup Series race on June 11 at Sonoma Raceway.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR suspended Chase Elliott through the next Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway, officials announced Tuesday.

In this week’s penalty report, officials ruled Elliott intentionally crashed Denny Hamlin on Lap 186 of Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, turning left into Hamlin’s right-rear quarter panel and sending the No. 11 Toyota head-on into the outside SAFER barrier on the front straightaway after a squeeze from Hamlin led Elliott to brushing the wall at the exit of Turn 4.

RELATED: Full details of Monday’s crash 

Officials cited Sections 4.3.A and 4.4.C & D of the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct laid out in the NASCAR Rule Book in Elliott’s suspension. Section 4.3.A cites NASCAR member conduct and states “correct and proper conduct, both on and off the race track, is part of a member’s responsibilities.” Section 4.4.C lists “removing another competitor from championship contention in a dangerous manner when not racing for position based on the available evidence and specific circumstances of the incident” as one of two actions that could result in a penalty, including race suspension(s). Listed as an example in the rule book is “clearly forcing another competitor into the wall in an abrupt and unambiguous manner,” while Section 4.4.D lists “actions by a NASCAR member that NASCAR finds to be detrimental to stock car racing or NASCAR” as an action that could result in a fine and/or indefinite suspension.

“We take this very seriously,” Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “The incident that happened off Turn 4, after looking at all the available resources … it was an intentional act by Chase, in our opinion, after reviewing all the available resources there.

“In the heat of the battle, things happen, but drivers needs to understand you have to handle that in a completely different way than hooking someone in the right rear and putting them in harm’s way.”

Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, is set to miss his seventh race of the 2023 season. The 2020 Cup champion suffered a broken left leg in a snowboarding accident in March, sidelining him for six races until his return on April 16 at Martinsville Speedway. Josh Berry filled in for the five oval events Elliott missed, scoring a career-best second-place finish on April 2 at Richmond Raceway. Jordan Taylor made his Cup debut as Elliott’s substitute at Circuit of The Americas, where he qualified fourth and finished 24th.

Hendrick Motorsports released the following statement regarding the suspension:

“We understand NASCAR’s need to maintain consistency in its officiating. The penalty will not be appealed, and we will submit a formal request for a playoff waiver. Corey LaJoie, 31, will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway. We are grateful to Corey for stepping in and to the team at Spire Motorsports for making him available.”

NASCAR confirmed Thursday that Elliott’s waiver request has been granted.

Front Row Motorsports’ No. 34 team was also penalized after Monday’s race when the right-front tire detached from the vehicle at Lap 344, a violation detailed in Sections 8.8.10.4.C in the NASCAR Rule Book, pertaining to loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle. NASCAR suspended front-tire changer Scott Brzozowski and jackman Adam Lewis for the next two races.

In the Xfinity Series, Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Jeff Meendering was fined $5,000 after the No. 18 Toyota was found with one lug nut not securely fastened following Monday’s Alsco Uniforms 300. The penalty falls under Sections 8.8.10.4a in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rule Book, which states, “all tire(s)/wheel(s) and all five lug nuts must be installed in a safe and secure manner during the event.”

Additionally, the No. 74 CHK Racing team was docked 10 owners points while driver Dawson Cram was docked 10 driver points. Officials cited Sections 14.4.12.1.G & H of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rule Book for the penalty, addressing the quarter window and NASCAR-mandated NACA duct and outlet hose that must be used at all ovals 1.33 miles and longer.

Derek Hartnagel, truck chief for the No. 43 GMS Racing team, was issued an indefinite suspension. The penalty report references Sections 4.1 and 10.1.A of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rule Book, which addresses NASCAR’s substance abuse policy and actions detrimental to stock car racing or NASCAR, respectively.

Posted on by Staff Report

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel ruled Tuesday to uphold penalties issued to four Craftsman Truck Series teams earlier this month for violating a safety rule in the NASCAR Rule Book.

Each of the four teams was discovered to have violated NASCAR Rule Book Sections 14.2.3.3.1 B&C: Driver’s Window Net, a safety penalty.

A driver’s window net must meet the SFI 27.1 specification and display a valid SFI 27.1 label. This SFI specification means that the window net has been tested to meet the minimum standards for safety.

Additionally, window nets must not be used beyond two years from the date it was manufactured.

The three-person panel of Dale Pinilis, Shawna Robinson and Kevin Whitaker ruled to affirm and upheld the original penalty, which was:

• A loss of 25 championship owner points the Nos. 46 and 47 Toyotas of G2G Racing and the Nos. 12 and 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolets.

• A fine of $5,000 to the respective crew chiefs: Timothy Silva (No. 46), Daniel Killius (No. 47), Bradley Means (No. 12) and Joseph Lax (No. 20).

In reaching the above decision, the panel provided the following explanation: “Whether the race team knew or did not know the window nets were illegal, according to the NASCAR Rule Book, each race team is responsible for ensuring that their equipment is both legal and safe.”

Posted on by John Crane

CONCORD, N.C. — To most, eternity can mean forever. To Ryan Blaney, the saying took a simpler — albeit dredging — tone. Or in this case, number.

59.

After all, the No. 12 Team Penske driver had failed to find Victory Lane for 59 consecutive points-paying races. A full 36-race season — plus an extra 23, just to drive the message home — certainly illustrated the drought at hand.

No longer.

Electric speed, intense maneuvering and clutch performances during a multitude of restarts erased the streak for good Monday evening, following the 29-year-old’s victory on Memorial Day. Eternity was now a memory as opposed to a current actuality.

“I might shed a tear,” Blaney said following the win. “This has been a cool weekend. Obviously, Memorial Day Weekend means a lot, growing up here watching Dad (Dave Blaney) run this race for a long time. It’s so cool just to be a part of it, let alone win it.”

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos 

Of course, the sweet thrill of victory didn’t come without the souring taste of defeat. Throughout Blaney’s 59-race spell, there were certainly close calls that very well could have netted a win. Leading 143 laps, in addition to starting on the pole during the 2022 spring race at Phoenix Raceway, certainly could have qualified. So could a 128-lap-led effort at Richmond Raceway (also coincidentally in spring 2022), where Blaney, once again, started on the pole but finished seventh. And so on and so forth.

Even still, the result was all the same. A winning opportunity without a winning result to show for it. From his last win in August 2021 at Daytona International Speedway to his Coca-Cola 600 win in 2023, Blaney finished inside the top five and top 10 18 and 30 times, respectively. And to make matters even gloomier, Blaney led 822 total laps during the timeframe.

For any driver with that much success without a win, it could have been the breaking point. Eternity could have prevailed. But to Blaney, the remedy came in the form of patience, even if the self-doubt was prevalent on more than one occasion.

“I just don’t try to think about that as much. We try to win every week,” Blaney said of the streak. “It’s hard to do. It’s hard to win these races, and sometimes, you just get these streaks of things aren’t going right, but then you feel like you’re doing everything right, maybe your cars aren’t fast enough to win races, or you’re making too many mistakes. It can definitely be frustrating. It’s easy to get down on yourself that you gotta think to yourself, ‘Can I still do it? Can I still compete at a winning level?’ So, it’s easy to kind of doubt yourself.

“At the end of the day, we all pull up together, and everyone did a good job working on things that we could get better, and yeah, it does feel like an eternity, but I told (crew chief) Jonathan (Hassler) and all those guys. I said, ‘What a cool first one to get together, I mean, winning the 600.’ That’s a super cool one to win.”

WATCH: Blaney ends winless drought with checkered flag finish 

With a win now under his belt in 2023, Blaney can look toward the postseason with a chance to do even more damage in a way all similar to the Blaney of old, including the same rendition who finished with three wins and a seventh-place points finish in 2021. But perhaps this year’s Blaney — with a 59-race drought now permanently in the rearview mirror — can take it a step further. Sometimes, it only takes one race, and with a fresh dose of confidence to build upon, perhaps the sky is the limit.

“When I do get in doubt, your abilities to do something is really hard to pull yourself out of it, at least for me, personally, just because I don’t have that self-confidence that some guys have, and it takes me a little more convincing,” Blaney said. “I don’t really have anything for it. It’s just trying to look forward to the next week and just trying to reassure yourself, like, you’re here for a reason. If you try to work on these things and try to perfect what you do, that’s all you can do. That’s kind of how I’ve approached it. It’s easy to get down, that’s for sure.

“It’s how you dig out of that stuff and kind of makes you, but yeah. The moments aren’t good, but it’s nice to be back. Hopefully, we can make it a more common thing.”

And perhaps eternity will permanently be no more.

Posted on by Staff Report

CONCORD, N.C. — Saving fuel throughout a 66-lap green-flag run to the finish, Justin Allgaier collected his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the season — and the first this year for JR Motorsports — in Monday’s twice-rain-delayed Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Allgaier, the pole winner, beat runner-up John Hunter Nemechek to the finish line by 7.829 seconds, as the top three finishers — including third-place Cole Custer — stretched their fuel mileage from a Lap 135 restart to the end of the race.

MORE: Official results | At-track photos: Charlotte

Austin Hill and Ty Gibbs, both of whom pitted for fuel in the closing stages, claimed the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

“I’m speechless, man,” said Allgaier, who led a race-high 83 laps. “I didn’t know how much to save. Just lucky we had enough … I just cannot say enough about (crew chief) Jim Pohlman, everybody on the No. 7 team.

“It’s not been for lack of speed this year. We’ve battled. Tonight, was kind of the opposite. We had to go slow to go fast.”

Nemechek led 57 laps, but Allgaier built a substantial lead at the end while conserving enough fuel to finish the race — and to do a celebratory burnout.

“We were racing each other pretty hard, and I burned my stuff up trying to get to him — and get around him,” Nemechek said. “I should have been a little more patient, I guess. But overall, really solid day. Good points day for us. I think that extends our points lead.”

In fact, Nemechek collected his fifth top-two finish of the season (with wins at Fontana and Martinsville) and holds a 10-point lead over Hill in the series standings.

But Allgaier and Nemechek might not have been left to battle for the win, had a radio issue not adversely affected Gibbs’ winning chances.

The driver of the No. 19 Toyota, who won last year’s Xfinity championship before graduating to the NASCAR Cup Series, led 52 laps and swept the first two stages of the race. But an extended pit stop, during which Gibbs’ crew changed his steering wheel (which housed a faulty radio button) dropped him to the rear of the field for a restart on Lap 98. That ended Gibbs’ challenge for the win.

Parker Retzlaff ran sixth, followed by Jeb Burton, Carson Hocevar, Jeb Burton and Sammy Smith.

The race was delayed from Saturday by rain and restarted at 11 a.m. ET Monday. But rain intervened again after the completion of the first stage, delaying the finish until after the running of the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race, won by Ryan Blaney. After resuming at 10 p.m. ET, the checkered flag waved over Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet at 11:27 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series now shifts to Portland International Raceway for its 13th race of the season on Saturday, June 3 (4:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: Inspection is complete in the Xfinity Series garage with no issues, confirming the No. 7 of Allgaier as the winner.

Contributing: Staff reports