Taking advantage of a melee in Turn 1 after an overtime restart, Cole Custer held off charging Justin Allgaier to win Saturday’s Pacific Office Automation 147 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway.
After a Lap 73 caution for debris on the track, Allgaier held the lead for the overtime restart on Lap 76. Restarting behind Allgaier, Parker Kligerman steered to the inside and charged the first corner, carrying Allgaier wide and knocking second-place Sheldon Creed, the pole winner, off the track.
From the inside lane, Custer shot into the lead through Turn 1.
Allgaier negotiated the barriers in the Turn 1 chicane and retained second place, and though he got to Custer’s bumper on the final lap, he couldn’t make a clean pass for the win. Custer won the drag race to the finish line by .142 seconds to score his first victory of the season in the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.
“I was just trying not to make mistakes,” Custer said of the final restart. “I did the exact same thing (that Kligerman did). I saw him drive in so deep, and I did the same thing two restarts ago.
“Man, I’m just so happy. I’ve never won a road course race before. I’ve been so close so many times, and it’s just so awesome to win this… I’m pumped for the rest of the year. We’ve got fast cars.”
Custer, who won the second stage in a drag race against John Hunter Nemechek, led five laps to claim his 11th career victory. Allgaier led 23 and held a comfortable four-second advantage when Riley Herbst pulled off the track in Turn 9 with flames shooting from his front wheel wells.
That incident caused the fourth caution on Lap 68, but a strong restart kept Allgaier in the lead until the final debris caution and subsequent overtime.
Allgaier was philosophical about Kligerman’s change into the first corner.
“I saw a guy that decided he wanted to win his first race and just missed the braking zone,” said Allgaier, who picked up his first victory of the season in Monday’s rain-delayed Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I understand it. I don’t blame him for being aggressive. I just hate it for everybody on this team.
“I felt like we did everything we needed to do today. These guys put an absolutely incredible Camaro underneath me. We were able to get up there and mind our business and not make anybody mad and have good, solid laps. And then there at the end, to have it taken away like that and finish second is really tough.
“Hats off to Cole. He did what he needed to do—he made Turn 1.”
Allgaier’s JR Motorsports teammates, Sam Mayer and Josh Berry, finished third and fourth, respectively. Austin Hill was fifth, followed by Myatt Snider, Creed, Connor Mosack, Chandler Smith and Nemechek.
The Xfinity Series will travel south to race in the DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway on June 10 (8 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Note: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage is complete with no issues, confirming Custer as the race winner.
MADISON, Ill.—Taking advantage of Ty Majeski’s and Zane Smith’s wreck at the front of the field, Grant Enfinger grabbed his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory of the season in Saturday’s Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
During a two-lap overtime that took the race two laps past its scheduled distance of 160 laps, Enfinger held off Christian Eckes to claim his first win at WWT Raceway and the ninth of his career.
Enfinger crossed the finish line 0.256 seconds ahead of Eckes and collected a $50,000 bonus for winning the second event in the Triple Truck Challenge.
“I forgot about that, to be honest with you right now,” Enfinger said of the Triple Truck Challenge bonus. “It’s just so hard to win these races. And if it was about money, we’d have quit a long time ago… It’s been a rocky year. But these last five races, I feel like we’ve come to our own.
“(Crew chief) Jeff Hensley made great calls and overall just a just a great day, and the stars aligned.”
Enfinger likely would have settled for third place, had Majeski and Smith not wiped out in front of him on Lap 155. Smith held the lead at that point, even though he had made his last pit stop on Lap 90.
On older tires, Smith held an advantage of nearly 1.5 seconds when Lawless Alan’s spin on Lap 150 necessitated the 10th caution of the race.
After the subsequent restart on Lap 155, Majeski, the pole winner, charged into second place and ran side by side with Smith until Majeski spun sideways in Turn 2, destroyed his own truck and knocked Smith into the wall in the process.
The wreck sent the race to the overtime, with Enfinger in the lead and Eckes beside him for a restart on Lap 161. Enfinger cleared Eckes on the first overtime lap and pulled away to win by a truck length.
“I don’t know if we were just kind of living right there the end or whatever, but Ty kind of did what I did last year… and Ty just got loose underneath him. It’s hard to make those moves here. But I’m just so proud of these guys…
“It’s as good as time as they need to announce that we’re expecting another baby, so I’ll be home tonight to see (my wife), so life is good.”
Stewart Friesen ran third, followed by Carson Hocevar and Chase Purdy. Matt DiBenedetto, Ben Rhodes, Nick Sanchez, Jesse Love and Jake Garcia completed the top 10.
Love was making his first start in the series, substituting for Corey Heim, who was sidelined by illness.
The Truck Series will return to action on June 23 with the running of the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Note: Inspection is clear in the Truck Series garage, confirming the No. 23 of Grant Enfinger as the race winner. The No. 19 of Christian Eckes had one lug nut not safe and secure, resulting in a monetary fine to be announced in the weekly penalty report.
Hate to say that I told you so, but I noted in Fastlane this week to keep an eye on Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney. Heck, their names were in the headline itself! Both drivers and teams had about as good of a start to the weekend as one can have on Saturday, taking the front row for the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter. For Busch, it’s his first pole award with Richard Childress Racing – and his first pole since the penultimate race of the 2019 season.
Starter 1: Ryan Blaney
Starter 2: Kyle Busch
Starter 3: Martin Truex Jr.
Starter 4: Denny Hamlin
Starter 5: Joey Logano
Garage pick: Kevin Harvick
NEXT IN LINE: Ross Chastain, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick
RISING: In the nine races since winning at Atlanta, Logano has plummeted from being the regular-season championship leader to 14th in the championship standings. Consider Gateway a refresh, as that’s what the No. 22 team did last season en route to winning its second race of the 2022 season. We all know how last year ended — Logano celebrating as a two-time Cup champion. With Team Penske putting all three of its cars in the top 10 in qualifying, this would be a nice start for Logano in your lineup.
It might have gotten overlooked last year at Gateway because Michael McDowell dropped to 18th in the finishing order, but he led a career-high 34 laps in the inaugural race at the 1.25-mile track last year. In practice on Saturday, the No. 34 Ford was fourth in single-lap speed and ranked behind only Hamlin on 10-lap averages. If you want to pick someone that enjoys flying under the radar, here’s your chance.
FALLING: During the opening minutes of practice, Brad Keselowski shredded a left-rear tire. He was astonished by the cut tire, believing the No. 6 team was conservative on its air pressure to begin the session. And while the 2012 Cup champion is superb on tracks with layouts like Gateway, it’s a cause for concern that he didn’t make a 10-lap run and starts 19th.
Gateway could be a dream weekend for Corey LaJoie, as he’s getting to drive in place of a suspended Chase Elliott. But Saturday was anything but perfect for LaJoie, as the No. 9 Chevrolet was 30th in practice and slapped the wall during his qualifying run. It’s not fair to consider one weekend the end all, be all for a driver with the opportunity that LaJoie has this weekend, but there’s only one way to go from Saturday for the No. 9 team.
Ryan Blaney vs. Tyler Reddick: Thinking both drivers will be in the running for a competitive finish on Sunday, but Blaney has a terrific shot at winning consecutive races for the first time in his career. Team Penske has proven to be the team to beat at Gateway, which could continue Sunday.
Aric Almirola vs. Bubba Wallace: Given Almirola ranked ahead of Wallace in both single-lap and 10-lap averages, it’s not farfetched to think he could have a better finish than the No. 23 car. Almirola also rounded out the top five in the first Gateway race and is stupendous at tracks like it. But the race craft and speed Wallace has built over the last month have been impressive, so I’ll stick with the No. 23 team.
Ty Gibbs vs. Austin Cindric: Flat out, Gibbs has had more bright spots than Cindric in 2023. Some of that is because rookie drivers don’t typically have as much pace as Gibbs has displayed this season. However, Cindric led 26 laps at Gateway last season and finished 11th. This could be a breakout race for the No. 2 team, before going to a string of road courses over the next two months.
Brad Keselowski vs. Chris Buescher: Though Keselowski dropped off my lineup, he still has the upper hand on Buescher, who turned his first laps in a Cup car at Gateway on Saturday. The No. 17 car ranked 12th in practice and qualified 27th. Both of RFK Racing’s cars seem to make steady gains on their respective cars during each race, but Keselowski is the choice.
To say that Corey LaJoie’s first visit to the Hendrick Motorsports campus was an eye-opener is a colossal understatement of the case.
LaJoie got the word on Tuesday that he was team owner Rick Hendrick’s choice to replace Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Chevrolet at World Wide Technology Raceway after Elliott drew a one-race suspension for wrecking Denny Hamlin in Monday’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600.
What LaJoie found at Hendrick was a singular focus and an organization-wide dedication to the pursuit of perfection—and to winning races and championships.
LaJoie drives full-time for Spire Motorsports, which allowed LaJoie to advantage of the opportunity to drive for Hendrick on Sunday. After visiting the Hendrick shops, LaJoie sent a text to Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson.
“’I can’t believe Spire and Hendrick race in the same series,’” LaJoie wrote.
“We are closer to a good truck team, I think … If that’s what a Cup team is, then holy cow, we’ve got a long way to go. But it’s fun sometimes to carry that chip on your shoulder and try to be the ones that are beating the Goliaths.
“But it’s definitely a cool opportunity and a cool week this week to be one of the Goliaths, sitting in one (of their cars), so we’ll see how it goes.”
LaJoie also believes his one-week stint in a Hendrick car will have lasting value.
“Man, I’ve been here for three days, and my philosophy of how I approach a weekend and how I prepare and how I’m going to engage with my team at Spire going forward is going to change,” he said.
“I think I’m going to be able to come in there and just share and apply some of the things I’ve learned over the course of the week.”
See where your favorite driver will pit during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at Worldwide Technology Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
LE MANS, France — Jimmie Johnson’s two-week engagement of fulfilling his childhood dreams is already off to a rollicking start.
He shared his memories during a Q&A with French media during Friday’s scrutineering session ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 10-11), describing seeing the unique Le Mans-style starting procedures from years gone by.
“As a young boy watching racing with my father, he would show me this race where drivers would line up on the opposite side of the race track, run across the track and get in their cars to drive off. And as a kid, I said, ‘I need to do this. I’ve got to do that someday.’ I grew up with racing in my family and very much a part of it. I’ve always loved sports car racing, spent some time racing in IMSA over the years, been in a few Rolex 24s, so I feel like this day has been coming.”
Johnson added a chapter Saturday to what’s already been a legendary week, driving the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 through the streets of the city during the race’s centenary post-scrutineering parade — one week before the start of the French endurance racing classic. Throngs of fans lined the parade route, which began near the Place de la République square, and rolled past the hulking Cathedral of Saint Julian of Le Mans before ending through Tunnel Wilbur-Wright. The No. 24 Chevy was the anchor for the exclusive eight-car procession.
It’s still just the first weekend in Le Mans, but the vibrant buzz around the race and the embrace of the American stock-car visitors have been palpable.
“It was just an all-new experience, but really cool to see the fans continue to show up day after day,” Johnson said, taking in the sights under the historic arches near the medieval section of old town Le Mans. “They had to be five or six deep along the parade route, which was really impressive. And then a photo — I’ve seen this (tunnel) photo before. So now it all makes sense to me to be here and to have our car be a part of it, it’s really cool.”
Zack Albert | NASCAR Studios
The No. 24 Chevrolet will make its first on-track laps Sunday at the 8.467-mile Circuit de la Sarthe for the opening test sessions. It’s a moment that Johnson’s been waiting for since he was originally confirmed to the driver lineup — along with fellow veterans Jenson Button and Mike Rockenfeller — back in January at IMSA’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.
His arrival in France was delayed by dreadful weather during the NASCAR Cup Series’ most recent race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, an occurrence that pushed back his rookie orientation. He underwent three hours-plus of multistage simulation work at AOTech outside Paris, which provided him with driving experiences in the rain, dry, night and day under the supervision of race organizers Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). The simulator company stayed open later to accommodate the shift in schedules.
“It really worked out well,” Johnson said. “The ACO was able to create some time for me to get the simulator. I personally ended up here very early, except for the simulator that I was in on Wednesday, so they let me stay late after they closed and right and got in my (sim) hours and worked through some of the procedures that take place on the track. I’ve been here a couple days early. I was ahead of all these guys just kind of hanging out and getting acclimated and ready.”
One day later for the simulation and orientation, but one day closer to the car’s on-track debut at Le Mans.
“He would have had a little bit more rest in between the simulator time and Charlotte, but he did what he needed to do. He got here,” said Chad Knaus, Hendrick Motorsports’ VP of Competition and his longtime collaborator in his days as a Cup Series crew chief. “He’s a little sleep-deprived, but as soon as he landed, he went straight to the simulator and used it for about three hours. Did a great job, so really, really happy that he did that, and he even said it was beneficial, so that was good.”
Kyle Busch will lead the NASCAR Cup Series field to the green flag for Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) after winning the pole in Saturday’s qualifying session with a hot lap of 137.187 mph.
It’s Busch’s first pole at the Midwest race track and the 33rd of his Cup Series career.
Ryan Blaney, who won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on Monday night, will join Busch on the front row after a 137.153 mph lap. Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. made up the top five. Joey Logano, the defending winner at the St. Louis oval, starts sixth while William Byron, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric rounded out the top 10 in the starting lineup for Sunday.
PRACTICE
Joey Logano topped the leaderboard in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice at World Wide Technology Raceway at 136.857 mph in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.
Right behind him was Kyle Larson in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at 136.811 mph.
Rounding out the top five were William Byron in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, Michael McDowell in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford and Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing.
Chastain, the series points leader, was 15th-fastest with a speed of 135.428 mph in the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.
Making his NASCAR Cup Series debut, Carson Hocevar was 16th-quickest at 136.416 mph in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Corey LaJoie, driving the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports in place of the suspended Chase Elliott, was 30th-fastest at 136.316 mph.
Denny Hamlin was fastest in 10-lap averages at 135.839 mph in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, ahead of McDowell, Reddick, Chastain and Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
The Cup Series races Sunday in the Enjoy Illinois 300 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
LE MANS, France — Cars have yet to turn a lap in preparation for next week’s centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but a number of firsts have already taken place after this week’s initial set-up time for the endurance classic.
Appreciative French fans clicked away with cameras and phones to preserve what — for many — was likely their first glimpse of a NASCAR stock car on their home soil. And the Hendrick Motorsports contingent that prepared the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the invited Garage 56 entry witnessed a brand-new spectacle, presenting a car for inspection in the heart of a thriving downtown European square.
The Garage 56 Camaro had its final administrative and technical checks from race organizers during Friday’s scrutineering session in the Place de la République in Le Mans, a last once-over before the car hits the 8.467-mile Circuit de la Sarthe for Sunday’s opening practice. Adding to the pageantry, the car joined the majority of the field in rolling through the bustling city centre for weights and measurements, plus the mandatory systems and safety checks.
“This is a first for certain, but what an amazing experience,” said Chad Knaus, Hendrick Motorsports’ VP of Competition. “It’s really been a pleasure and a privilege to be able to work with the folks from the ACO and the FIA (race organizers Automobile Club de l’Ouest and Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) to get this car over here. Really proud of it, and it’s presented really well. The guys did a tremendous job in Hendrick Motorsports getting the car prepared and all the details met for them to be happy with the car. It’s beautiful. It’s a lot of fun.”
The event was free for fans, who jammed the area to see Garage 56 drivers Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller don their white fire suits for interviews, a Q&A session and a group photo after scrutineering was complete. While Button might be the most familiar to European fans given his previous successes and involvement with the Formula 1 circuit, but the recognition was strong with the other two — Rockenfeller as a past Le Mans champ, and Johnson’s racing prestige, which had fans bearing No. 48 die-cast cars from his heyday and shouting “Jimmie! S’il vous plait,” through thick accents for his autograph.
“Shoot, I saw a NASCAR Sprint Cup champion hat earlier, which is hilarious,” Knaus said. “So that dates back however many years. All the fans here, they’ve been super supportive.”
At 47 years old, Johnson is the oldest of the veteran group of drivers — Button is 43 and Rockenfeller 39 — but he’s a Le Mans newbie. Since entering his semi-retirement years after his last full NASCAR Cup Series season in 2020, he’s assembled a dream-worthy list of motorsports to-dos. Sports-car racing in IMSA and trying his hand at driving Indy cars and the Indianapolis 500 are boxes recently checked, but the 24 Hours of Le Mans is next on the docket.
“I didn’t know what to expect, so it’s definitely more so,” Johnson said as he took everything in. “I’ve just heard about how special today is, and really every day that follows. I wasn’t as prepared to be shocked as I was yesterday, pulling into the speedway just to see the scale and magnitude. This is awesome. I’m really, really enjoying it so far.”
Zack Albert | NASCAR Studios
The car spent most of Friday morning at the circuit, with the Hendrick Motorsports crew getting better accustomed to their surroundings at the far end of pit road — occupying the stall nearest the pit exit. Pit-crew members won’t have a pit wall to surmount to service the car, but the changes in the pit-stop process — using a fuel nozzle instead of gas cans, and an overhead air hose mounted on swiveling arms for tire changes — required some practice during Friday’s walk-through.
The three drivers took off from the pit lane for a morning jog on part of the course but beforehand observed the attention that the Garage 56 entry received from early trackside visitors and fellow teams. Crew members wearing Ferrari red and prancing horse logos joined Cool Racing’s LMP2 staff and other drivers and crew in getting a closer look.
“This is such a cool journey for all of us, but to see people’s reactions in the pit lane when they see the car, it’s great,” Button said. “And also to see it for the first time with other cars racing this weekend is pretty cool. Yeah, there’s been a lot of people interested, taking pictures of it because it’s something so different that races here at Le Mans. The best bit for me is when they start it up, though. It will blow everyone’s mind, the sound of it. It is insane. You hear the Cadillac’s impressive. This thing is .. it will rock your world. So yeah, looking forward to that.”
The No. 24 Chevrolet’s turn through the scrutineering line was the next-to-last of the sunny afternoon. The remaining 23 cars will be inspected in Saturday’s ceremonies, which will include a parade of eight select vehicles — including the Hendrick G56 reserve car and a 1923 Chenard & Walcker identical to the first Le Mans winner.
It marked the final check in what’s been an ongoing process. ACO and FIA officials were at the Garage 56 car’s two-day test at Circuit of The Americas in March for a preliminary inspection, and the car was subject to further review Thursday at the Le Mans track. Each driver’s safety equipment will also be certified through the scrutineering procedures.
But amid the formality, there was a time to savor being on a grand stage with the full Hendrick Motorsports delegation standing alongside the drivers and the car in preparing for a race that predates all but the centenarians among us.
“Frankly, this moment is something I wanted every member of this program to experience because there’s a lot of milestones in life, there’s a lot of milestones in careers, and there’s big milestones in our sport, and this is one of them,” said IMSA president John Doonan, who walked alongside the car for every stop of scrutineering. “So for each of the men and women that have put so much into getting us here, they need to take this moment in, and that makes me so happy for them. They deserve that. And for the fans, when NASCAR came here to Le Mans in 1976, the fans were enamored by the car and the sound the car made. Certainly, the car has gotten everyone’s attention so far this week, and when we go on track on Sunday, I think they’re going to once again be enamored by the sound of NASCAR.”
Round 2 in St. Louis. Last season’s race was the debut for the Cup Series at the 1.25-mile facility — yet another debut race won by Joey Logano. But there were a number of comers-and-goers throughout the race and plenty of on-track run-ins between top contenders. How much of last year’s technical notebook will carry over to Sunday’s race? Will we see another first-time winner this week? Ryan Blaney’s win in Charlotte brought the season total to 10 different winners, meaning there are only six points positions up for grabs if you’re trying to make the NASCAR Playoffs. Entering the summer stretch with only 12 races until the playoffs begin, tension and tempers are heating up.
Ryan Blaney is on Kevin Harvick’s career trajectory. Blaney’s drought-ending win on Monday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway sparked comparisons to the legendary wheelman’s illustrious career. Through their first 284 Cup Series starts, they have shocking similarities in wins, top-five finishes, average points finish and a handful of other important categories. A big test for Blaney will be if he can keep up his newfound momentum, now only trailing Ross Chastain by one point in the regular-season standings. After finishing fourth in the inaugural race at World Wide Technology Raceway last year, another strong finish could certainly throw his hat in with the top title contenders.
He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…
Corey LaJoie. Bettors have clearly respected his shift to the No. 9 Chevrolet this weekend, resulting in 35-1 opening odds for the Spire Motorsports regular. He presents an interesting opportunity to find some value without taking an enormous risk and is still a few tiers below this week’s betting favorites. LaJoie is already having the best statistical season of his career, with an average finish of six positions better than any other year — and he’s already run more laps inside the top 15 than all of the 2022 season. Don’t be surprised to see him making some noise throughout the weekend in a very different role. LaJoie qualified in 30th, so he will have a lot of work to do, but it’s a long afternoon in Illinois. | LaJoie on what Rick Hendrick said to him
Saturday’s sessions
Following the trend of his success in last year’s race, Kyle Busch put on a show in qualifying, landing his first Busch Light Pole Award since 2019 — yes, you read that correctly. Busch posted a 137.187 mph lap time in the final round, sneaking past Ryan Blaney, who starts alongside the Richard Childress Racing driver. In practice, Joey Logano had the hot hand and topped the charts over the pair of Hendrick Motorsports teammates in Kyle Larson and William Byron. | Read full practice and qualifying recap
💎 NASCAR 75: Learn more about the history of the sport, from pioneers to current stars | Visit NASCAR 75 hub
Hot off the press 📰
Key stories and breaking news from the week leading up to the race.
• L3 penalty: Issued to No. 14 SHR team for counterfeit part | Read more | Sawyer explains
• Suspension: Chase Elliott sidelined for one race after Charlotte | Read more | Sawyer explains
• Corey LaJoie: Filling in the No. 9 this weekend in St. Louis | Read more
• Garage 56: Timeline and coverage of Le Mans project | Read more | New photos
• Jimmie Johnson: Soaking in Le Mans, new opportunity | Read more • Pit road stats: William Byron’s crew shines at Charlotte | Read more
• ‘Beyond the Wheel’: Short series airing on FS1 this week | Watch trailer • Untold Stories: Diving into the life of one-of-a-kind David Pearson | Watch video
• NDIP: NASCAR Diversity Internship Program announces 2023 class | Read more
Get in on the action 💰
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.
• Fantasy Live: Participate in interactive gameplay from week to week | Choose your lineup • Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more • NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going the distance: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here • The Action Network: Early betting favorites for Sunday’s race | Expert analysis
Showdown near St. Louis 🤺
New to the Cup Series schedule in 2022, relive some of the best moments and see photos from last year’s race.
• Winner, winner: Logano claims historic first win at WWT Raceway | Full race recap
• Final laps: Logano vs. Kyle Busch in the exciting 2022 finish | Watch here
• At-track photos: See best scenes from last year’s event | Scroll through gallery
• Relive in GIFs: Recap the 2022 race with the best from St. Louis | Take a look
Take some notes 📝
Five hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• The driver who led the most laps won five times this season. • A driver led 100 or more laps in nine races this season. • The final green-flag stretch was seven laps or less in eight races this season. • Three races this season were won with a last-lap pass. • Nine races in 2023 had a green-flag stretch of 66 laps or longer.
BUFFALO, New York — A lucrative lap program has been announced for the Nu-Way Auto Parts 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Lancaster Motorplex.
The event, scheduled for Saturday, August 5, will pay the top-three drivers of all sponsored laps a total of $100.
The lap sponsorship program is not only a source of pride for Mike Myers, owner of Speed Enterprises, the special consultant to Lancaster Motorplex for this event, but it’s also a means of healing. Supporters will help pay tribute to Myers’ late son, Zachary Hackett.
In a tragic turn of events, Zach unexpectedly passed away on July 31, 2021 at the age of 9 years old. It was the day of the historic, inaugural Modified Tour event at Lancaster; made possible largely by the tireless efforts of Myers. Zach had been at the track watching his Dad make his dream come true.
Zachary, who had been born with a disability, lived each day of his too-short life bringing joy to all crossed his path.
“He had a light that filled your heart,” said Myers. “His life was short but damn was it something! It was the greatest honor to be Zach’s Dad.”
With his love of racing, the lap sponsorship felt like the best way to honor Zach’s memory.
Lap sponsorships are available for $100 with all proceeds going to the drivers. Those interested in sponsorship can submit payment via Venmo using @seetheevents23. Place any requested lap description as a comment in “What’s This For”. For additional payment options, email [email protected] or [email protected] or by calling 716.598.8453 or 508.847.0565.
“We are still working hard to make sure that the second visit of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is yet another to remember,” added Myers.
A full-racing card on Saturday, August 5 will also include sportsmen, street stocks and four-cylinders. The event is expected to go off with a bang as Skylighters of New York will be lighting up the sky once again with a fireworks display.
Tickets will be on sale in the coming weeks and will be available at SeetheEvents.com. The event website is hosted by Speed Enterprises Entertainment in conjunction with Lancaster Motorplex.
