Posted on by Cameron Richardson

Next season, the NASCAR Cup Series will kick off the 2024 calendar with the third consecutive Busch Light Clash inside the famed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

To add even more pizazz to the spectacle, the NASCAR Mexico Series will host a race on the same day as the heat races and main event for the Clash. While the 2023 season still rolls on in the midst of the playoffs, Cup drivers are already looking forward to sharing the stage with an international series.

“I think that’s a massive platform for those guys, and I think it’s really, really cool to showcase for them, but also for the fans that come out to the track,” 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace said. “So all around, that’s a good weekend for us. Excited to see how it all unfolds.”

MORE: Buy tickets to the Clash

Before going full-time in the Cup Series in 2018, Wallace drove for Rev Racing, a developmental team for drivers at the regional level and in the ARCA Menards Series and Craftsman Truck Series.

Rev has also been a landing spot for a handful of drivers from the Mexico Series, such as Daniel Suárez and, currently, Andrés Pérez de Lara.

Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has an alliance with Rev Racing through his Kyle Busch Motorsports team, currently in its final season in the Truck Series before handing the reins over to Spire Motorsports following a sale. Not only is he looking forward to spotlighting the series, but Busch also noted his familiarity with the talent that continues to rise up the ranks from the Mexico Series.

“I think that’s cool. I think we had a little bit of that crossover a couple years ago at Phoenix; they were there,” Busch said. “Other than that, yeah, we haven’t seen much of the Mexico Series. I know Daniel Suárez spent a lot of time there in that series, and there’s a few other drivers that are coming up through the ranks that have been in that series. One of those guys at Rev Racing with Max Siegel’s team in the ARCA Series and also Max Gutierrez is another one that’s there, so yeah, there’s some notable names that I’ve heard come through there, so it’d be nice to get them some more recognition on a bigger stage.”

Before hoisting the 2016 Xfinity title and becoming a Cup Series winner in 2022, Suárez was a 10-time winner in the Mexico Series between 2012-2014, with three of those victories coming at Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, which played host to the Xfinity Series from 2005-2008.

Busch won at Mexico in 2008, while two other current Cup playoff drivers — Martin Truex Jr. (2005) and Denny Hamlin (2006) — also nabbed victories at the road course.

RELATED: Learn more about Mexico Series | 2024 NASCAR schedule

RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski also competed in two of those Xfinity Series races, scoring an eighth-place finish in 2008. He emphasized the importance of change within NASCAR and bringing new ideas to the table.

“It’s different, and I appreciate the efforts that the sport is making to keep things fresh, but not just the schedule,” Keselowski said. “I think there’s always limits to what’s too far and what’s not too far. Sometimes, you don’t find those out until you live them, but that seems like a very reasonable thing to try.”

The Mexico Series event at the Clash will consist of 20 drivers. Pérez de Lara, Rubén García Jr., Salvador de Alba, Germán Quiroga, Max Gutiérrez, Alex De Alba (Challenge Series) and Ruben Rovelo (Championship Provisional 1) are among those who have already secured their spot in the race. Two of the guaranteed spots will be determined by a fan vote and a guest driver, who will be announced at a later date.

Kyle Larson said he will be paying attention to the event and stressed the importance of showing the fans the different brands of NASCAR that aren’t just the national series, which include the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, Pinty’s Series (Canada), and Brasil Sprint Race that debuted this year.

“I obviously think it’s really good for the sport to show the diversity of the brand of NASCAR,” Larson said. “I also think it’s good for those drivers to showcase their brands and talents as well because I couldn’t name you a single driver from that series right now.

“We can tell when drivers have talent, and so can team owners. I think there’s a good opportunity for drivers to showcase their abilities, and who knows, it might propel them on down the road a little bit better, so I think it’s great, and it should be a good show.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson is scheduled to make the first on-track step toward his 2024 Indianapolis 500 bid on Thursday, participating in Rookie Orientation Program testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, is set to test the Arrow McLaren/Hendrick Motorsports IndyCar entry for the first time from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET on the 2.5-mile track. The test, a requirement for entry, will involve three controlled sessions with progressively higher speeds at each phase — 10 laps between 205-210 mph, 15 laps at 210-215 mph and 15 laps faster than 215 mph.

RELATED: Larson’s Indy and 600 rides debut | 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

Rookie orientation marks a preliminary checklist item for Larson’s aspirations of competing in two crown-jewel races on May 26, 2024. The project — dubbed the “Hendrick 1100” by the team — is set to include 500 miles in the Indianapolis classic before he travels to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race.

Larson is attempting to become the fifth driver to compete in both Memorial Day races. He was preceded in the endeavor by John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and most recently, Kurt Busch in 2014.

Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick, vice chairman Jeff Gordon, and Arrow McLaren sporting director Tony Kanaan — the 2013 Indy 500 winner — are scheduled to attend Larson’s test.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Carson Hocevar will move to the NASCAR Cup Series full time in 2024, becoming the driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet with a multiyear deal, the team announced Tuesday on FS1’s “NASCAR Race Hub.”

The 20-year-old Michigan native branched into the Cup Series this year, registering an average finish of 22.5 in six starts — one for Spire Motorsports at World Wide Technology Raceway and five in the No. 42 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club, netting a best finish of 11th at Bristol Motor Speedway.

MORE: All Hocevar stats | Spire purchases Kyle Busch Motorsports

“I mean, anybody in my position wants to be a Cup Series driver,” Hocevar said in a statement. “That’s what you dream about when you’re young. You want to race on Sundays. So, my opportunity to run a few times this year, to run on Sunday and get ready, I feel more than prepared to get in the No. 77 car with Spire.”

Hocevar is currently competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs as the third-year driver of Niece Motorsports’ No. 42 Chevrolet. The first of his three career wins came in April 2023 at Texas Motor Speedway, his breakthrough after four previous runner-up finishes.

His success in his full-time job continued through the regular season, and he scored wins at Nashville Superspeedway and Richmond Raceway before the postseason began. While he has yet to win through four playoff races this year, Hocevar has netted nine top-five finishes in his last 13 races, including a second-place finish in August at the Milwaukee Mile.

As a part-time driver in Cup, Hocevar has impressed in the No. 42 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club with four top 20s in five starts, the only exception coming at Talladega Superspeedway where he was involved in a late crash. The No. 42 car — piloted by Noah Gragson, Josh Berry and Mike Rockenfeller at various times — collected just three top-20 finishes this year in 26 races before Hocevar’s arrival.

“Carson Hocevar is a proven winner and excels with every opportunity,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said. “He’s an undeniable talent and reminds me a lot of a young Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski. We’re thrilled to have him join the Spire Motorsports family and help us continue to raise our competitive bar. Carson has driven the wheels off everything he’s ever raced and done more with less on multiple occasions. He has a knack for getting the most out of his equipment and that speaks directly to his desire behind the wheel. His attitude is infectious and he’s the kind of guy who’s just fun to be around. We think he’ll complement Corey and Zane very well.”

Hocevar correlates his on-track success to his extensive off-track work as a simulation driver for Chevrolet teams as the Next Gen vehicle entered Cup Series competition — his services utilized by Hendrick Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing ahead of his arrival at Legacy Motor Club.

“It’s similar to the truck,” Hocevar said Sept. 9 at Kansas Speedway. “That helps, but it’s more (that) I just have a lot of sim time in this thing. I started sim when the car was first introduced and I’ve been driving sim since, so I’ve seen how these cars build and develop and I bring a little bit of knowledge of what a real winning car should feel like.

“And when I ran Spire, they gave me the full access to rebuild that car and Legacy has given me the same thing. So I don’t want to toot my own horn — I’m not smart or anything and know the springs and shocks and all the everything — but I know what it’s supposed to feel like and I feel like for me to come in and elevate programs and help, it is more rewarding than just driving.”

Hocevar becomes teammates at Spire Motorsports with Corey LaJoie, who earlier this year signed a multiyear extension to remain driver of the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet.

“Corey and I have a great relationship,” Hocevar said. “Obviously, that’s going to exponentially grow when we spend day-to-day and week-on-week together, talking in the same meetings, working with the same people and same group, trying to pull the rope in the same direction. We’ve already started. He seems to have a lot of interest in what I’m doing, what my cars are driving like, and vice versa. We’ve started to compare driving notes a little bit. We talk about what each other is doing. I’m sure we’ll constantly be making ourselves go faster. There’s not a race within the shop, but we’ll work to make each other better.”

After Rockenfeller wheeled the car at the Charlotte road course, Hocevar will drive the No. 42 Chevrolet in each of the remaining four races of 2023, beginning on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — With the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs complete, the series moves west to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s penultimate round opener, the South Point 400 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). A win in this round is a ticket to race for the 2023 championship.

A pair of former champions — Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. — a highly motivated veteran in Denny Hamlin and five fast next-generation stars in six-race winner William Byron, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick  and Ryan Blaney bring in this next three-race round of competition to determine which four drivers will vie for the title Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway.

The Las Vegas oval has played host to five previous playoff races, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Hamlin (2021) and Truex (2019) the only two current playoff contenders to hoist a trophy. Truex’s two Vegas wins (also spring 2017) make him the only multi-race winner among the eight.

RELATED: Analysis: Byron primed as Round of 8 readies for launch | Las Vegas schedule

Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and the current championship leader, won at Las Vegas this spring — leading a dominating 176 of the 271 laps but having to beat his teammate Larson in a wild overtime thriller. Larson (2021) is the only other playoff driver with a NASCAR Cup Series win at the track.

Reddick (2019) and Larson (2018) have Xfinity Series Vegas victories. And Reddick won the 2016 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race there, too.

It all sets up a compelling start to this playoff round. With the points reset, Byron goes into this stretch, including races at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway and the half-mile Martinsville Speedway — with a five-point edge on the Regular Season Champion Truex.

The 40-year-old Hamlin is only nine points behind the 23-year-old Byron, and Larson is 17 points back in what would be the fourth and final cut-off position for the Championship Race in Phoenix.

Chasing them is RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, the three-race winner is only three points below Larson at the cutoff line. JGR’s Bell and 23XI Racing’s Reddick are tied, eight points back, and Team Penske’s Blaney is only 10 points below the transfer line, making this an extremely tight competition in this all-important playoff round.

Certainly, the 25-year-old Byron’s work this season — including those series-best, career-high six wins — has made him a favorite this weekend. He rallied to a runner-up finish at the Charlotte road course in last week’s second-round elimination race despite being under the weather — wrapping up a three-race round that included a win and a pair of second places. He heads west with a lot of well-deserved optimism with a pair of top-five finishes in the last three Las Vegas races.

“We’ve got to keep it rolling,” Byron said. “I’d like to do one-two-two in the next round. That would be ideal, but keep performing where we want to be.”

The two-time Vegas winner, Truex, has 14 top-10 finishes in 23 races — 11 of those top 10s have come in the last 12 races, making him a strong trophy pick this weekend. Hamlin has a similar record with top-10 finishes in nearly half (11) of his 23 starts and has only finished worse than 11th place once in the last six races at Las Vegas.

Larson is another good bet in Vegas with an amazing 10 top-10 finishes in 14 starts — a 71 percent showing — placing outside the top-10 only twice since 2017; the last time came in the 2022 Playoff race.

Four times in the last ten races, overtime has been necessary to decide the Las Vegas trophy, twice in the playoff race (2020 and 2018). Only three times in that 10-race span has the driver who led the most laps gone on to celebrate the win.

A victory this weekend is more than a really cool trophy; it’s a ticket to race for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship and a crucial head-start on preparation for that. In the last two seasons, Kyle Larson and Joey Logano won Las Vegas Playoff races and then went on to win the championship.

“It’s huge,” said Blaney, who has eight top-10 finishes there in 14 starts. “Just having that prep time for two weeks with nothing else on your mind. … It’s a huge advantage.

“Obviously, everyone is gunning to do it and try to win that one and move on, but it was massive for our group (Team Penske) last year, and it would be the same big advantage for any group if a Playoff car were to win next week at Vegas.

“I think Vegas has been a good place for us in the past,” Blaney added. “I feel like it’s been one of our best tracks as an organization. It’s something that whatever we do in general as a group kind of works for that place, and hopefully that applies this year.”

Posted on by Dustin Albino

When Kyle Busch found out that he and Adam Stevens were separating ahead of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Busch knew who he wanted to lead the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Ben Beshore spent four seasons as the lead engineer for Busch. They had a dominant run, collecting 22 trophies and never missing the Championship 4 between 2015 and 2018. Beshore was also coming off two successful seasons as a NASCAR Xfinity Series crew chief, racking up eight victories.

“I really enjoyed Ben and liked him a lot as an engineer and as a crew chief, but more so as an engineer based on our results and the success that we had together,” Busch said. “We were unstoppable in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and even through the first part of 2019. Then, we won [the championship] in 2019 as well, but then it fell off from there.

“Whether we got the full potential out of his team or me or not, there was a little bit of a disconnect when [Beshore] was the leader. It didn’t work as well as I would have hoped.”

RELATED: Ben Beshore’s crew chief statistics

Beshore called the shots during the final two seasons of Busch’s 15-year run with JGR. However, they scored just three victories and didn’t make it to the Championship 4 either year.

Although there were plenty of close calls — 22 top fives and 36 top 10s in their 68 races together between those seasons — it all came to a head when Busch failed to advance out of the Round of 16 in 2022, his lowest postseason finish.

“Having a couple of motor issues in the first round of the playoffs really set us back and knocked us out of the first round,” Beshore recalled. “That was disappointing last year, and 2021 with missing the final four by a couple of points and finishing second at Martinsville in that transfer race. There were just a lot of near misses and a lot of heartache for sure.”

Beshore also had to tune out Busch’s public contract talks and focus on the race team. Fortunately for the crew chief, he managed that, not believing it was a factor in the team’s dearth of success.

“I had a great group of guys that were all professional and put their best foot forward every week,” Beshore added. “We tried to put the best car we could underneath [Busch] and focus on the things we could control and keep our head down and work on your area of the car and block out the outside stuff.”

With Busch moving to Richard Childress Racing and Ty Gibbs’ promotion to Cup with veteran crew chief Chris Gayle, Beshore was on the outside looking in at JGR’s Cup operation. Over the offseason, he was paired with John Hunter Nemechek, who was returning to the Xfinity Series after two seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

“We had a couple of phone calls towards the end of last year to talk it over, see what his goals were and what my goals were,” Beshore recalled. “That’s something that JGR does when there’s a little more turnover in the Xfinity Series than the Cup Series, as far as driver-crew chief lineups. They just see what chemistry meshes the best.”

MORE: Nemechek’s driver page

The No. 20 team had instant success to begin the 2023 Xfinity season. Nemechek was inches behind Austin Hill when a caution flew to end the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway. The following week at Auto Club Speedway, Nemechek controlled the final stage en route to his first 2023 win.

Nemechek began the season with five straight top 10s before picking up his second win at Martinsville Speedway in early April. Although he didn’t find Victory Lane again until July, Nemechek went on a summer streak of three wins over five races between Atlanta Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway.

The pairing ended the regular season five points shy of the regular-season crown after leading 154 of 200 laps and scoring maximum points at Kansas Speedway.

Ben Beshore and John Hunter Nemechek embrace.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

“I feel like at the start, [Beshore] and I had to figure out how to communicate with one another,” Nemechek said. “We are different people than what we had worked with in the past. We’re different personalities from what we worked with in the past.

“I have the trust in him that I’m going to tell him something and he’s going to go and try and fix it. I feel like Ben is older than he is age-wise, but he’s been around for a while. Being able to have a little bit of a younger mindset with Ben and having him come off the Cup Series the last two years working with KB, getting a lot of good information and feedback.”

MORE: Xfinity playoff standings | 2023 Xfinity schedule

Nemechek stamped his name into the Round of 8 by winning at Texas Motor Speedway in late September. The No. 20 enters the round with a 37-point cushion over the elimination line and goes to three of Nemechek’s best tracks on the circuit.

By most measures, Nemechek is the championship favorite, should the No. 20 team arrive at Phoenix still in championship contention. However, Beshore won’t put the pressure of having to win the championship on his team.

“I don’t think it’s championship or bust, but that’s the ultimate goal,” Beshore said. “With the pedigree of this team and organization, that’s what our sight is set on for sure.”

Following Phoenix, Nemechek will move to Legacy Motor Club, taking over the No. 42 Cup car full-time. Beshore hopes to return to the Cup Series himself, but first, the focus is on winning another NASCAR championship.

“This certainly wouldn’t have been my first choice if you asked me what I was going to be doing in 2023 at the start of 2022,” Beshore said. “There are some benefits to the Xfinity Series. It’s a little bit better for family balance, but would that have been my first choice at the time? Probably not.

“I would like another crack at the Cup Series again in the future, and hopefully that works out.”

Busch believes Beshore is a Cup-level crew chief, too.

“I feel like he’s a great crew chief,” Busch said. “He can do the job, and he’s good at it.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Legacy Motor Club announced Tuesday that NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth has joined the organization as a competition adviser.

Kenseth’s appointment — effective immediately — comes in the team’s first season under the Legacy M.C. umbrella and in a transitional time. Team officials indicated that Kenseth will help assist in the operation’s switch from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2024, and he will serve as a mentor to Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek, who will round out the team’s NASCAR Cup Series driver roster next year.

RELATED: Key players in Silly Season | 2024 Cup Series schedule

Kenseth, 51, is a 39-time winner in Cup Series competition and reigned as the circuit’s 2003 champion. He will join forces with team co-owner Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time Cup champ who will follow the 2023 Hall of Fame inductee into NASCAR enshrinement next year.

“Jimmie and I have so much respect for each other as both competitors and friends – we are alike in many ways and at similar points in our careers,” Kenseth said in a news release provided by the team. “This is a great opportunity for me to be a resource for two extremely talented drivers and help on the racing operations side with this transition to Toyota. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”

Kenseth last competed in the Cup Series in 2020, the same season that Johnson ended his full-time racing career in NASCAR.  Johnson indicated that the two have remained close, and both have branched into marathon running in recent years. Kenseth ran the Boston Marathon in 2022, three years after Johnson completed the 26.2-mile distance.

“Not only is Matt an excellent driver and a fierce competitor, he’s also a great friend,” Johnson said in the Legacy M.C. release. “This alliance makes so much sense. Matt is extremely smart, has worked with Toyota while racing for Joe Gibbs Racing, and is still as competitive as ever. He’s a natural-born athlete and as fit as I have ever seen him. I’m so glad he is willing to share his knowledge and experience with us, and we look forward to all Matt has to offer.”

Legacy Motor Club emerged before the season from the merger of Richard Petty Motorsports and GMS Racing after Johnson was added to the ownership group last fall. Joey Cohen, Legacy M.C.’s vice president of racing operations, worked with Kenseth during their time together with team owner Jack Roush.

“Matt is going to help make this transition to Toyota smooth,” said Cohen, an engineer at Roush during Kenseth’s driving days there. “He is one of the best drivers out there, and even though he is no longer behind the wheel, his perspective and advice will be crucial heading into next season for both our drivers and crews.”

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — First, second and second. A Round of 12 average finish of 1.67. William Byron is acting every bit the part of a No. 1 seed entering the penultimate round of the postseason.

The Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is here — and so is Byron. A win at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 24 gave the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports driver an additional five playoff points to his total tallies, creating separation from second-seeded Martin Truex Jr. ahead of the round reset.

And while only five markers separate the two competitors, their respective swings in momentum could not be more opposite.

RELATED: Playoff Pulse: Instant Roval recap | Las Vegas schedule

Byron capitalized on being in the right place at the right time in every Round of 12 race, riding a streak of seven top 10s in his last eight races dating back to his Aug. 20 win at Watkins Glen International. A six-time winner this year — tripling his previous career-best season win total — Byron pounced on a late-race restart in Fort Worth to charge past Chase Briscoe and Bubba Wallace in the closing laps to capture victory.

At Talladega Superspeedway, a third-place finish morphed to second when Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Ford was disqualified for an issue regarding loosened windshield fasteners. Byron was quick at his hometown track in Charlotte on Sunday, but his average running position of 7.58 didn’t indicate a runner-up finish was in store for the No. 24 team. He found a way to pick through the field toward the finish, though, and was just 0.666 seconds shy of his seventh win of 2023.

“Just proud of the whole team. We definitely improved a lot as the race went on,” Byron said. “… Just good momentum. We’ve got to keep it rolling. I’d like to finish one-two-two in the next round, too. That would be ideal, but we just have to keep performing like this, and we’ll be where we want to be.”

On the other hand, Truex is struggling mightily by his standards. The 2017 Cup champion has won three races this year but hasn’t even finished inside the top 15 during the postseason — not since a sixth-place finish at Watkins Glen. His best finish in the six playoff races thus far? A 17th-place run at Texas.

The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team did enough to advance through the Round of 12 with finishes of 17th, 18th at Talladega and 20th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.

“This track has just been a thorn in our side,” Truex said after Charlotte. “Feel good about moving on and feel good about what we can do the next three races. Some good tracks for us, and hopefully, we can get something going. It’s been a pretty tough playoffs so far.”

The playoff points accrued over the course of the regular season have cushioned Truex’s buffer to the elimination line in each round of the postseason. Three wins garnered five playoff points apiece for 15 total, accompanied by an additional 15 for winning the Regular Season Championship. Throw in six stage wins for an additional six, and Truex has had 36 total playoff points to lean on as they carry over from round to round.

“I didn’t create the system. We used it to our advantage. That won’t get us through the next one,” Truex said. “The next one, you’ve got to be running up front. Two winners of the next three races are probably going to be playoff guys that are still going. Need to turn it up, and we need to figure it out quickly.

“That’s the beauty, and that’s the thing that sucks about this deal, you know what I mean? I’m sure there’s guys that are upset. They outran us enough to get in, but they didn’t have the bonus points. It is what it is. I hate that we didn’t run better today or finish better, at least. I thought the first two stages, maybe our car was pretty decent, but, man, I don’t know what happened. Need to go back and look at that. It wasn’t much fun, but we made it, so here we go. We’ll try three more.”

As it stands, Byron enters the Round of 8 with a 20-point margin over the elimination line, with the next divide set to occur after races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 15), Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 22) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 29). Following Martinsville, four drivers will ship to Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 5) to fight for the Cup championship. The other four will see their title hopes erased.

Denny Hamlin, left, and Tyler Reddick race in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Charlotte road course
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

Truex sits 15 points above that elimination line, with Denny Hamlin third (+11) and Kyle Larson fourth (+3). On the outside looking in are Chris Buescher (-3), Christopher Bell (-8), Tyler Reddick (-8) and Ryan Blaney (-10).

Hamlin led just three laps (all at Talladega) during the Round of 12 — a stark contrast from the Round of 16 in which he led 382 laps with finishes of 25th, second and first. Larson, who dominated the race at Homestead-Miami last year with 199 of 267 laps led, struggled through the Round of 12 after crashing out at Texas before midpack results at Talladega and the Charlotte road course, 15th and 13th respectively.

However, those two remain favorites to advance to the Championship 4. Results of fifth at Texas and third at Talladega propelled Hamlin forward, highlighting the speed the No. 11 Toyota has shown all year. Larson’s No. 5 team proved ever-resilient in Charlotte, where a practice crash led to a thrash two miles down the street at Hendrick Motorsports to prepare a worthy backup car. Team members worked until 3 a.m. ET Sunday morning to get the secondary vehicle ready. Their efforts paid off, and the 2021 Cup champion has a seemingly clear path to compete for title No. 2.

MORE: Larson crew chief Daniels on gritty Charlotte effort | Updated title odds

Buescher ended the 26-race regular season on a tear, winning three of the final five events (Michigan, Richmond, Daytona) to net a critical 15 Playoff Points. The speed he showed in Michigan could translate to strong runs at Las Vegas and Homestead, but his hill to climb into the Championship 4 isn’t as steep as others.

Bell is used to life beneath the elimination line but used walk-off victories a season ago, both in the Round of 12 and the Round of 8, winning at the Charlotte road course and at Martinsville to launch into the title round. His 2023 Round of 8 entry was far less dramatic, and he’ll hope to need less flair to advance to the title round for a second straight season.

Reddick impressed with a late charge at Kansas Speedway in September to score the victory at the 1.5-mile tri-oval on a late-race restart. Vegas sets up similarly to Kansas and could play in his favor — as could Homestead, another 1.5-mile oval where he’s finished inside the top five twice in three starts.

Blaney enters at the worst deficit but perhaps with the sneakiest path to the Championship 4. This year marks the third consecutive season — and fifth overall — that Blaney has qualified for the Round of 8. Last year, strong runs at Vegas and Homestead were derailed by mistakes that saw the No. 12 Team Penske Ford spin in consecutive weeks. But he has performed well at both in the past — and his 9.5 average finish at Martinsville is his best anywhere in the Cup Series. And oh, by the way — he’s also finished second in each of the last two races at Phoenix.

Posted on by Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 9, 2023) — NASCAR and Rev Racing announced today the names of 15 drivers participating in the Advance Auto Parts Drive for Diversity Combine taking place on Oct. 9-11 in Concord, North Carolina, and Florence, South Carolina. This marks the second year for Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider and the Official Auto Parts Retailer of NASCAR, serving as the primary sponsor of the Advance Auto Parts Drive for Diversity Combine.

Drivers from around the United States and several countries applied to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program hoping to be selected. After going through a careful process, 15 drivers were chosen to travel to Concord and Florence to be evaluated by judges from across the NASCAR industry. Each participant will be assessed in different areas, from physical fitness and on-track performance to media and marketing skills.

“We look forward to working closely with the drivers selected this year. It’s a strong group of young talent and we’re excited by the level of competition we hope to see over the three-day combine,” NASCAR’s VP of Diversity and Inclusion Brandon Thompson said. “We are also excited to have Advance Auto Parts back with us for a second year. They share our passion for advancing inclusion and representation within the next generation of drivers; it is a partnership based on shared values.”

“We could not be more thrilled about the growth of our race team over the last several years,” Rev Racing Owner Max Siegel said. “We have a solid vision for Rev Racing moving into the future, and as an organization, we have never been more positioned for advancement and success. We are energized by the high level of participating athletes and look forward to building the best driver class for 2024.”

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program was created in 2004 to develop and train top drivers from diverse backgrounds and experiences, both on and off the track. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez and Kyle Larson are alumni of the program operated by Rev Racing in Concord.

“Our team is delighted to participate in such a meaningful program that provides valuable opportunities for the next generation of racing talent,” Advance’s Chief Marketing Officer Samantha Avivi said. “Diversity, equity and inclusion are cornerstones for the Advance brand, and we’re looking forward to working with NASCAR, Rev Racing and this year’s impressive class of drivers to help build their careers in the sport.”

The entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS) and Advance My Track Challenge, Advance is dedicated to enhancing the experience for race fans, drivers and teams at NASCAR’s Home Tracks across North America. As a partner of the Advance Auto Parts Drive for Diversity Combine, the retailer continues to expand its presence in the sport.

This year’s candidates were evaluated based on applications, references and previous on-track performance by a panel comprised of NASCAR executives and industry members.

The 2023 combine features the following drivers:

AgeHometownCar Type
Lanie Buice16Jackson, GeorgiaLate Model Stock
Justin Campbell18Griffin, GeorgiaLate Model Stock
Cameron Carraway12Castro Valley, CaliforniaRestricted Late Model, Micro Sprints
TJ DeCaire16Land O' Lakes, FloridaPro/Super Late Model Stock
Eloy López Falcón18Mexico City, MexicoU.S. Legend Car/NASCAR Mexico Challenge
Arthur Gama18Porte Alegre, BrazilNASCAR Brasil Sprint Race
Caleb Johnson15Denver, ColoradoPro Late Model, U.S. Legend Car
Cassidy Keitt14Lexington, North CarolinaINEX U.S. Legend Car
Nathan Lyons14Concord, North CarolinaU.S. Legend Car
Jalen Mack18Chino Hills, CaliforniaPro Late Model
Jayda Mack14Chino Hills, CaliforniaPro Late Model
LaQuan McCoy Jr.12Fort Mill, South CarolinaINEX Bandolero
Paige Rogers20New Haven, IndianaLate Model Stock, Pro Late Model
Regina Sirvent20Mexico City, MexicoNASCAR Mexico Challenge Series, Late Model Stock
Lucas Vera16Charlotte, North CarolinaU.S. Legend Car
Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — In a must-win situation to advance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Kyle Busch was firmly in the hunt late at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.

The checkered flag flew with the two-time champion running third, however, ending his 2023 postseason hunt in a flash. With it, Busch’s first year at Richard Childress Racing results in a title pursuit that fell short at the midpoint of the playoffs.

“Hell of a job all day, man. Way to fight,” crew chief Randall Burnett radioed on the cool-down lap. “Sorry we came up a little short. Hell of a job, though.”

“All good, man. Thanks. Appreciate the opportunity,” Busch said. “Sorry about the last two weeks, but that rides on me.”

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

In the two weeks that preceded Sunday’s race at the Charlotte road course, Busch crashed out at Texas Motor Speedway for a 34th-place DNF and finished 25th at Talladega Superspeedway without scoring stage points in either event. Standing on pit road on Sunday in Concord, Busch placed the onus for the No. 8 team’s points deficit squarely on his shoulders.

Ultimately, Busch finished the Round of 12 at the bottom of the standings, 12th, 30 points shy of advancing to the Round of 8.

“The bigger defining factor … of today is the last two weeks and not scoring enough points,” Busch told reporters. “So, you know, that’s on me just not doing a good job at Texas when we did have a good car, and then again last week (at Talladega) being in position to score points both times at the end of the stages and losing spots, just looked like I threw out the anchor.”

Busch lined up in prime striking position twice within the final 15 laps. On the penultimate restart at Lap 98, Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet restarted directly behind eventual race winner AJ Allmendinger in the outside lane, using an excellent launch to clear Ty Gibbs to vault into second place before another quick caution flag waved. When the race went back green, Busch was on the front row to Allmendinger’s left, but Busch spun his tires exiting the frontstretch chicane on the restart, allowing an Allmendinger advantage that ultimately sealed their respective fates.

Even without the race’s final caution period, Busch, a three-time winner in 2023, didn’t believe his car had enough speed or handling to reel in Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing entry for the victory.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I would have had to move him for sure. I would have had to move him in a chicane where it would have made him … have to stop and so then he wouldn’t come back and retaliate. That’s a tool to use if you can get there and use it. I was hoping William (Byron, runner-up) was going to use it. But he’s got too many wins already so he didn’t care. Yeah, I mean, just racing.”

Allmendinger and Busch have a strong longstanding relationship, Allmendinger explained in his post-race press conference, noting hour-long phone calls they’ve had with Busch detailing advice to Allmendinger. Their respect for one another on and off the track encouraged Allmendinger to further trust Busch despite the heightened stakes for the No. 8 team.

“I knew he was gonna race hard. I knew what he was racing for,” Allmendinger said. “But, you know, I also didn’t think he’d come clean me out or anything on a restart like that. So just about trying to lead into Turn 1 and not really give an opportunity to get to my bumper. And I knew once we could get through a couple of corners, I could clear him and start driving away. So that was always my focus.”

The season has been remarkably up-and-down for Busch. Three of his last four finishes are 20th or worse, but he also owns four top-10 results in the past seven races after a dismal summer spell. Those inconsistencies were nonexistent on Sunday at the Charlotte road course.

Kyle Busch speaks to reporters after the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte road course
Zach Sturniolo | NASCAR Studios

“Sorry we came up short. Everybody did a great job. Did what we need to do. Just a little short,” Burnett radioed.

Spotter Derek Kneeland echoed that positivity: “Yeah, 10-4 man, it was a hell of an effort. This team don’t quit. Plenty more wins coming. Just wasn’t our year.”

“The resilience of the team is by far greater than mine probably,” Busch said. “You know, I put ourselves in a lot of bad spots and they’ve just come to work on Monday and fought and battled through it and given us another good car to go to the next week with. So a lot of it rides on me just getting sloppy, not doing a very good job. And I’m not making excuses, but trying to figure this car out, you know? I just lose the balance of it. Did again today. Was able to get a third out of it, but, you know, probably would have been worse off than that if it wasn’t for the track position.”

MORE: Playoff Pulse: Inside the grid | Postseason standings

Joining Busch on the outskirts of the Round of 8 are Ross Chastain (-12), Bubba Wallace (-17) and Brad Keselowski (-23).

Chastain advanced to the Championship 4 a season ago in his inaugural year at Trackhouse Racing, but a Stage 1 crash at Talladega resulted in a 37th-place finish, undoing the benefits of a runner-up result at Texas and a 10th-place finish at Charlotte.

“We knew coming in that it was going to be tough,” Chastain said. “We put together a heck of a day for us on road courses this year in this No. 1 Worldwide Express Chevy. Lately, we’ve just been lacking speed and I can’t get over the curbs.”

Wallace, who has notoriously struggled at road courses, excelled as the fastest driver in Saturday’s practice session before qualifying fourth. He earned 13 stage points but ultimately finished 16th.

“It was a great effort from everybody,” Wallace said. “We did not take ourselves out of it. We did everything that we could. It’s childish — I’m saying that now — it’s childish to be pissed off about that, right? So just accepting that and moving on.”

Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champion, entered Sunday’s contest two points above the provisional elimination line, with Tyler Reddick next in line to attack. The driver and co-owner of the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford was already at a disadvantage after Saturday’s qualifying, with Reddick earning the pole position while Keselowski started 19th.

Keselowski is still seeking his first race victory since departing from Team Penske, but a Round of 12 appearance marked considerable improvement of the program’s overall performance.

“Just major progress from where we were last year,” Keselowski said. “Not where we want to be, but a lot closer to it and we can see it.”

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

THOMPSON, Conn. – Ron Silk needed a big day on Sunday at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park if he wanted to keep pace with Justin Bonsignore in the battle for the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.

He got that and so much more.

Silk powered to his fifth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory of the season during the World Series 150 pres. by FloSports.com to regain the points lead and put himself in prime position to claim his second series championship with one race left in the 2023 season.

RELATED: Complete results from the World Series 150 at Thompson

Like he has for most of the season, Silk found himself dueling with Bonsignore during the second half of the World Series 150 at the five-eighths-mile asphalt oval.

The two traded the lead multiple times in the final 50 laps, with Silk emerging as the race leader following a back-and-forth battle shortly after a Lap 101 restart.

Multiple caution flags would follow, but Silk held the lead ahead of Bonsignore during each restart. The final restart with 12 laps left would prove vital to Silk not only winning the race, but potentially winning the championship.

When the green flag waved with 12 laps left, Silk launched successfully from the outside to retain the lead, but Bonsignore’s No. 51 didn’t get going on the bottom and stacked up the entire inside line.

Bonsignore quickly fell off the pace and dropped to the tail of the field before he eventually got his car back up to speed.

Silk took full advantage of Bonsignore’s misfortune and held off Jake Johnson to claim his 22nd career victory. It was also his sixth career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at Thompson.

“We struggled the first half of the race, really loose. We made some good adjustments at the (pit) stop,” said Silk. “I thought we turned a little bit better then everyone around us at the end there. They all looked to be a little bit tight. Just an awesome day. A lot of effort goes into all this. Just can’t thank everyone involved enough. Just really feels good to get back to Victory Lane.”

Bonsignore was able to gain a few positions after his late-race mishap to finish 13th. He explained after the race an error on his part during the final restart cost him a potential win and, perhaps more importantly, crucial points in the battle for the title.

“I just went to pull it into high (gear) and I don’t know if I was just nervous or choked, but I pulled it into reverse just about,” Bonsignore said. “I thought it was in and just broke and then finally through (Turns) 1 and 2 I smacked it back down and got it into high again. Just gave that away. It happens.

“We’ll just have to go win (Martinsville) and hope he (Silk) does something as dumb as I just did.”

The victory by Silk unofficially gives him a 13-point lead on Bonsignore heading into the season finale at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 26, but he’s not taking that advantage for granted.

Silk knows anything can, and probably will, happen.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” Silk said. “I’m confident that we can do it. We’ve got to have nothing silly happen and race to our potential and I think we’ll be alright.”

Defending race winner Eric Goodale finished third Sunday afternoon, followed by Kyle Bonsignore and Bobby Santos III.

Anthony Nocella, Andrew Krause, Craig Lutz, Woody Pitkat and Austin Beers completed the top-10.

A replay of the World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. ET on CNBC.

The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season comes to a close when the series returns to Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 26. The green flag for the 200-lap finale will wave at 8 p.m. ET. FloRacing will provide full coverage of the event.