Posted on by Zack Albert

Ross Chastain has developed into one of NASCAR’s most magnetic personalities. Lately, his car has also been magnetic.

The latest metal-attracting-metal moment from the Trackhouse Racing ace came on Sunday at Darlington Raceway, where he pressed 2021 Cup Series champ Kyle Larson in a late-race duel that ended in stock-car shrapnel. The two drivers led significant swaths of the Goodyear 400 but neither was around to contend for the victory in overtime.

RELATED: Chastain, Larson collide late | Cup Series standings

Rick Hendrick celebrated after William Byron drove the No. 24 to its 100th Cup Series win, but the contact that thwarted Larson roused the typically slow-to-anger team owner, and he issued a bit of a salvo from the media center dais.

“I think you can ask any driver in here that he’s wrecked or been involved with him,” Hendrick said. “He doesn’t have to be that aggressive, and I guess at this point in the race maybe you’re super aggressive, but you just don’t run people up in the fence or just — he’s not going to — he’s going to make a lot of enemies. It’s hard to win a championship when you’ve got a lot of paybacks out there.”

The NASCAR-sphere was still buzzing about Chastain’s sparring session with Noah Gragson the previous weekend at Kansas Speedway when this latest episode of aggression dropped. Rewind one week earlier to Dover and it was another Chastain move that sent Brennan Poole’s slower car skidding into Larson’s path.

Chastain’s list of rivals has grown this year, and Larson is the latest member of the club.

Still, Chastain’s unabashed approach to racing has attracted a following. Reactions to his name on the roll call of driver introductions have become more polarizing. The 30-year-old journeyman is a no-nonsense hero to some, incorrigible villain to others, and his Trackhouse Racing team has previously wrapped its arms around Chastain’s style, staying true to its mantra of disrupting the status quo, even within the bounds of the ownership establishment and under the Chevrolet umbrella.

“Well, I don’t know if Chevrolet can cool it down. I don’t know that,” Hendrick said, referring to No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels’ suggestion on the radio that the manufacturer should intercede. “That’s not the way they usually operate. It’s either NASCAR or the drivers, the owners. You’ve heard the pit crew say before, we like it. We don’t care if people like us. We’re here to run over and win. If it doesn’t change, he’s going to have a hard time winning a championship.”

Nearly 24 hours later, one of the vested owners had already stepped in. Trackhouse founder Justin Marks told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that the organization was taking measures to address the string of incidents. Marks indicated that Chastain had raced hard throughout the day at Darlington, making moves that placed him in position to win.

“Ross clears Kyle and makes that pass and wins the throwback weekend to Darlington seven days after getting a scuffle on pit road, the guy’s a legend,” Marks told SiriusXM. “And you know, he’s got the skill to do that. He’s got the ability to do that. The result was just bad. It just was bad for everybody. … And so, you know, this has been my life today. I mean, we have addressed it. We’ve had many conversations with different people today, some difficult conversations. And I think the important message here is that we are a believer in Ross’ talent. That’s obvious. He’s very fast, but he’s got some things he’s got to clean up. I mean, I’ll just be totally honest with you. And we today started the process of more aggressively handling that, with our partners, with Ross and with our team because, not because necessarily that we’re mad at him but because there’s so much opportunity here, and we’re addressing it.

“I’m going to take a more active role in it, and I love the kid and I love the opportunity that he’s giving every single person that works at Trackhouse to be able to put a championship run together but there’s just stuff that needs to be cleaned up, and it’s a process he’s going to have to start going through sooner rather than later. We are very supportive of him. We’re very supportive of this team. And we are addressing it.”

The thing about Hendrick’s claim of Chastain’s hard road to a championship: Amid all the controversy, conflict and contact, the current NASCAR Cup Series points leader is … Ross Chastain. His five stage wins are second only to the league-leading six from Byron, another top championship contender. One key difference is that Byron already has three wins through the first half of the regular season, while Chastain is still searching for his first.

There are multiple routes to a Cup Series title, but winning is certainly the most direct. As Hendrick suggests, that path is made more difficult by frequently re-aligning the feathers of his peers. But in the same breath, the team owner lauded Chastain’s gobs of talent, saying that he just needs to find a balance of picking his spots and knowing when to push it.

NASCAR honored its 75 Greatest Drivers this weekend at Darlington, gathering legends of the sport from multiple generations. Chastain may well wind up on the list of 100 Greatest in the next quarter-century, depending on how his career goes from here, but his season’s body of work thus far feels like an audition for an unofficial list of the 75 Most Aggressive Drivers to join the diamond-anniversary superlatives.

Depending on your point of view, that’s either a rambunctious dark spot or a badge of honor to be worn proudly. It’s a formula that could result in a breakthrough championship. That, or another magnetic moment.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR, The NASCAR Foundation, Speedway Motorsports and Speedway Children’s Charities will officially launch later today the first-ever NASCAR Day Giveathon, an online giving campaign with a goal to raise $750,000 in charitable funds for local charities in all 50 states.

Each participating nonprofit organization has its own online Giveathon page to solicit donations at www.nascardaygiveathon.org. Donors visiting the site can designate funds throughout the 75-hour window.

“We’re elated to kick off the NASCAR Day Giveathon and raise funds for nonprofit organizations across our racing communities. We want to encourage everyone to donate during the next 75 hours and help make a difference,” said Nichole Krieger, Vice President and Executive Director of The NASCAR Foundation. “There’s no better way to celebrate NASCAR’s 75th anniversary than coming together along with our sponsors to make the NASCAR Day Giveathon event an impactful initiative.”

The Giveathon, which runs from Tuesday, May 16 at 5 p.m. ET until 8 p.m. ET on Friday, May 19, features bonus grants every hour during the 75-hour window and matching gift donations for nonprofit organizations on May 19, as well as T-shirts and memorabilia items as incentives for donors.

Every hour during the 75-hour window, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports will randomly award one (1) $750 bonus grant to charities that receive at least one $25 donation during that hour.

Additionally, matching gift donations will be available throughout the day of May 19, thanks to the generosity of Giveathon sponsors, including NASCAR, Speedway Motorsports, Coca-Cola, Jeep Beach, and First Nation Group. Sponsors will continue to match donations in their designated hour until they reach their specified dollar amount. The following breakdown explains the matching gift donations per hour available on Thursday, May 19, from 9 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET:

9-10 a.m. ET, NASCAR, $10,000 Match

10-11 a.m. ET, Speedway Motorsports, $10,000 Match

11 a.m.-noon ET, Jeep Beach, $10,000 Match

1-2 p.m. ET, First Nation Group (veterans/military charities), $25,000 Match

4-5 p.m. ET, Jeep Beach, $15,000 Match

5-6 p.m. ET, Coca-Cola, $25,000 Match

6-7 p.m. ET, NASCAR, $15,000 Match

7-8 p.m. p.m. ET, Speedway Motorsports, $15,000 Match

Donor incentives include the opportunity to be listed on the bed of three GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado RSTs competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at North Wilkesboro on Saturday, May 20; a commemorative Helmet for the first 100 donors who contribute $750 or more; a commemorative coin for the first 300 donors of $50 or more; and a commemorative t-shirt for the first 3,000 donors of $75 or more.

MORE: Full North Wilkesboro schedule

NASCAR fans can also follow along throughout the 75-hour window by tuning into the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel and following The NASCAR Foundation’s social channels, which will feature charity spotlights throughout the campaign.

For more information and to make a donation, go to www.nascardaygiveathon.org

Posted on by Brandon White

On average, a driver will face anywhere between hundreds or even thousands of competitors on track during his or her career.

Young prospects and seasoned veterans alike are tested by their on-track competition with every single weekend, yet there remain a select few who have left a strong impression — whether that’s because of their on-track accomplishments or how they perfected their race craft over a sustained period.

As the CARS Tour prepares to tackle North Wilkesboro Speedway on Wednesday, drivers from both divisions recently looked back on those who challenged them the most and left a profound impact on either short-track racing or motorsports in general.

RELATED: How to watch this week’s late model races at North Wilkesboro

Here is who members of the CARS Tour driver roster single out as the toughest competitor they have ever faced:

Among the accomplishments Josh Berry has accumulated in short track racing include a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series title, a CARS Tour championship and a win in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. (Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

Layne Riggs (No. 99 Riggs Racing – LMSC)

“The Truck Series is full of tough drivers, but in the Late Model world, Lee Pulliam, Josh Berry and Deac McCaskill are about the three toughest ones you go to. They have really good equipment every weekend, their cars are always on point, and they never miss behind the wheel. It’s an all-around package, so us being the small team that we are, conquering them sometimes means a lot.”

Bobby McCarty (No. 6 R&S Race Cars – LMSC)

“I would say Lee [Pulliam]. The toughest thing about Lee was his car control. It was phenomenal and it was hard to tell if he was pushing the car or if he was riding. When you race somebody like that, it’s hard to judge what they’re really doing. I learned a lot from the guy.”

Carson Kvapil (No. 8 JR Motorsports – LMSC)

“With Late Models, [the toughest] is definitely Josh Berry. When he comes and runs, there’s a good chance he’ll just kill us all and win. Connor Hall was pretty fast every race last year, but Josh is pretty legit.”

Deac McCaskill (No. 08 McCaskill Motorsports – LMSC)

“That’s an easy answer. It’s Josh Berry. He doesn’t ever make mistakes. I learned a long time ago racing against him at Orange County [Speedway] that he was smooth as glass. He figured out that place really fast and you couldn’t get him to mess up. [There was] no doubt he was the best.”

Kaden Honeycutt (No. 10 Mike Darne Racing – LMSC)

“It’s hard to say because there are so many good people. Carson [Kvapil] and Connor Hall are tied at the top for me. You can always count on them being up front and everywhere they go, they are always so strong. You’re usually chasing one of the two.”

Connor Hall (No. 77 Chad Bryant Racing – LMSC)

“The toughest driver that I’ve raced against in the CARS Tour is Mason Diaz. It’s like passing Ryan Newman. If the track is 20 feet wide, [Diaz’s] back bumper is 21 feet [wide]. He’s what I would call a blue-collar racer and always has a chip on his shoulder. Mason gives it 101 percent.”

Lee Pulliam won the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship four times during his career. He also claimed ValleyStar Credit Union 300 wins in 2011 and 2014. (Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Mason Diaz (No. 24 Chad Bryant Racing – LMSC)

“It’s not just one [driver] for me. If you look back to years prior, Josh Berry was a great one, so was [Bobby] McCarty, [Connor] Hall, [Chad] McCumbee, [Sam] Yarbrough and so on. Last year, it was Carson [Kvapil]. Whoever is in the top five is the best in the series during that week. People can hit [the setup] one week and miss it the next, but when they’re up front, they are the best.”

Brenden Queen (No. 03 Lee Pulliam Performance – LMSC)

“I’m biased because I run Langley [Speedway], but Greg Edwards is super hard to beat there. On a more national level, racing against Lee [Pulliam], Philip [Morris] and those guys was so tough. I learned a lot and now I’m driving for one of the guys that whooped my tail every week. Hopefully he can pass some of his greatness down to me.”

Brandon Pierce (No. 2 Lee Pulliam Performance – LMSC)

“It’s a toss-up between my boss [Lee Pulliam] and Josh [Berry]. They are so good at their craft and on days they may be off, you have to capitalize on it. With those two, they are not off their game very much, but I wouldn’t even call it that. They can take a car that isn’t all that great and still win with it, and that’s hard to do. Those two were clean racers as well, and I’m lucky enough to call one of them my boss.”

Jacob Heafner (No. 95 Carroll Speedshop) – LMSC)

“The obvious answer is Josh Berry. I don’t think I’ve ever beaten him straight up. Him, Lee Pulliam and Philip Morris were some that were really good when I first got into Late Model Stock racing, so I think very highly of their talent.”

Caden Kvapil (No. 96 Highlands Motorsports – PLM)

“In the CARS Tour, particularly last year, [the toughest] was probably William Sawalich. He was pretty dominant and got six wins even though he didn’t run the full year. I learned a lot from him and how he races, so I want to build off what I learned from him.”

Katie Hettinger (No. 81 Anthony Campi Racing – PLM)

“When I ran North Wilkesboro, I went up against Dale [Earnhardt Jr.], and he was pretty good. Pretty much all the drivers in the [CARS Tour] Late Model series are good, but [Dale] had so much experience and he knew how to pace that race.”

Carson Kvapil has already built a strong resume in racing. Along with being the defending CARS Tour champion, Kvapil also rides a three-race win streak into North Wilkesboro Speedway. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

Ryan Millington (No. 15 Millington Motorsports – LMSC)

“The toughest I ever raced against was probably Josh [Berry] at Hickory [Motor Speedway] in 2020. We ran against each other all year and I learned more than I ever did in that one year. Josh is good every weekend he shows up to the track.”

Dylon Wilson (No. 4 TwoBoros Performance Shop – LMSC)

“The idea of toughest can be interpreted how you want, but there’s a whole different level of competition with the CARS Tour. The JR Motorsports cars are always good, but even though I only battled Lee Pulliam one time, it was still neat to be around a childhood hero like him. Right now, everyone in [the CARS] Tour is tough.”

Andrew Grady (No. 1 Mike Darne Racing – LMSC)

“In the CARS Tour, the toughest driver I’ve gone up against is [Carson] Kvapil. He is super good and super consistent. Josh Berry [was another good one] obviously, but on a weekly basis, Lee Pulliam was the toughest. When Lee came to Southern National [Motorsports Park] on Saturday nights hunting his title, it was on.”

Chad McCumbee (No. 16 McCumbee Elliott Racing – LMSC)

“There is so many guys I can think of, and across the years, that changes. When I started racing Late Models at Myrtle Beach, Robert Powell was dominating, and he had a great career down there. Then you move up into different ranks and race against guys like Frank Kimmel in ARCA, along with all those guys at the top level.

“There are great kids coming up who will have a good future in this sport, but you also have to look at guys with a lot of experience at this level who have won tons of races and championships like Lee Pulliam and Deac McCaskill. This entire series is tough right now, but Carson [Kvapil] in particular is doing great with his team. They are the guys everyone is shooting for right now.

“[The toughest driver] changes throughout your career.”

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

Riverhead Raceway, one of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s most traditional venues, is up next on the 2023 schedule as the track hosts the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 this Sunday, May 21 (FloRacing, 2:45 p.m. ET).

The fourth race of the season marks the 71st time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers have visited the popular quarter-mile asphalt oval located in Riverhead, New York.

The track, which hosts weekly Modified racing as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, hosted the modern iteration of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour during its inaugural season in 1985. The track has been a regular stop for series drivers and teams since.

Jimmy Spencer won the first two Tour events at Riverhead, with familiar names like Richie Evans, Mike Stefanik, Tom Baldwin, Mike Ewanitsko, Bob Park, Reggie Ruggiero, Steve Park, John Blewett III, Jerry Marquis, Ted Christopher, Donny Lia, Jimmy Blewett, Ryan Preece, Justin Bonsignore and Doug Coby among those to earn Riverhead wins.

Tickets to Sunday’s race are available on race day at the Riverhead Raceway ticket office. Below is everything you need to know about Sunday’s Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway.

Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway

RiverheadracewayWhat to watch for:

A stout field of local NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series competitors are ready to defend their home turf as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour invades Riverhead Raceway on Sunday for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200.

Among the local entrants is nine-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner Timmy Solomito, who will be making his first start of the season aboard the family-owned No. 66. He competed in all three Riverhead races last year, earning a best finish of fifth while leading more than 130 laps across the three events. Three of his nine Tour wins have come at Riverhead.

Dylan Slepian is also among the local drivers set to join the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour field Sunday. He earned two top-five finishes with the Tour last year at Riverhead, including a career-best fourth in this race last season.

They’re also joined by brothers Chris and Roger Turbush, two more local Riverhead drivers. They both competed in all three Riverhead races last year, with Chris earning a best finish of 16th while Roger’s best effort was 13th.

MORE RIVERHEAD: How to watch Sunday’s race

Those talented drivers will face off with the best competitors the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has to offer. They’re headlined by the Tour’s most recent winner, Doug Coby, who dominated this event at Riverhead one year ago aboard the No. 7 for Tommy Baldwin Racing.

Also expected to be a contender is Justin Bonsignore, who triumphed in the Tour’s most recent stop at Riverhead last season. He counts nine victories at Riverhead Raceway among his 35 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour triumphs.

Ron Silk and Austin Beers have both won this season with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, but neither has won a Tour event at Riverhead Raceway, something they’ll both look to change Sunday. Matt Hirschman will also be looking to add his name to the list of Tour winners at Riverhead.

Other notable entries for Sunday’s event include previous Riverhead winners Patrick Emerling and Eric Goodale, plus Craig Lutz, Jake Johnson, Dave Sapienza, J.B. Fortin and J.R. Bertuccio, among others.

The complete entry for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 is available here.

(Photo: Mike Lawrence/NASCAR)

RACE FACTS

Race Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200
Date Sunday, May 21, 2023
Track Riverhead Raceway
Layout Quarter-mile paved oval
Location Riverhead, New York
Start Time 2:45 p.m. ET
Laps 200
Posted awards $83,450
Live stream FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Sunday, May 21 … Final practice from 11:15 a.m. – noon ET … Qualifying at 1:30 p.m. ET … Race at 2:45 p.m. ET

Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 is limited to 28 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eight (8) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is zero (0) tires, any position.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

For Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childers, Wednesday’s CARS Tour race at North Wilkesboro Speedway during NASCAR All-Star Week is the culmination of a project that started more than a year ago.

That’s when the pair, best known for their work together on the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series, decided to begin the process of building a Late Model Stock Car.

That car, carrying the No. 62, will make its racing debut during Wednesday’s Window World 125 at North Wilkesboro (4:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing) with Harvick holding the steering wheel.

RELATED: How to watch this week’s late model races at North Wilkesboro

“Going and working on that thing is like going and playing a round of golf for some people,” Childers said. “I love to go over there and enjoy it. [The other day] I was over there four hours after work. I was by myself, music was going, and it was peaceful, and I was having fun with it.

“There are some people who love to go fishing. There are some people who love to go hunting. To me, the late model is kind of that thing. I can still use my brain for a lot of cool things and come up with things that maybe the late model guys don’t know or can’t do. It’s kind of fun to pull that stuff out from the back of your brain and see if it’ll work.”

Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick will drive the No. 62 Late Model Stock Car during the CARS Tour event at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Wednesday night. (Photo: FloRacing)

According to Childers, building a new Late Model Stock Car team from the ground up has been no simple task.

From the chassis to the toolbox to the jacks, everything had to be ordered, and, in most cases, there was a lengthy wait before anything could be delivered. For example, Childers said they waited four months for the chassis, four months for an engine, five months for a toolbox, four months for jacks and 12 months for a trailer.

“We started out needing everything,” said Childers, who began his own career racing Late Model Stock Cars in the Southeast. “Needing a car, needing an engine, a transmission, wheels, a trailer, jack stands, jacks, a toolbox, tools. We didn’t have anything at all. It’s taken quite some time to actually feel like we were ready to go racing.

“It takes a long time to accumulate enough stuff like that. People who have raced a long time have all that, and they can build a new car and go race it in just a couple months. For us, we didn’t even have jack stands to put it on or a way of hauling it to the race track.”

Childers said he even went so far as to use the same check list he used when he was forming the No. 4 NASCAR Cup Series team ahead of the 2014 season to make sure he didn’t forget anything important.

“That was the list I actually used,” Childers said. “It has everything on there from jack stands to drain pans to grease guns to rivet guns to what tools to buy. It’s three pages of stuff that we started the No. 4 Cup car with. It’s been a gradual process of accumulating all that stuff.”

Once Childers acquired everything he needed, he started blocking off time each week to build the car. Initially he spent a few hours every Thursday working on the car, but as the race at North Wilkesboro has drawn closer, he’s found himself working nights to make sure the car would be ready to race.

“As far as the car, it was really just working on it for three or four hours on Thursdays. That was really my only day off,” Childers said. “I would go over there and piddle with it. Honestly Kevin was pretty patient with me just doing it that way and not getting somebody else to come in there and take over.

“I think he knew the car meant a lot to me, and he was just kind of letting me do it.”

Late Model Stock Car racing has always been a passion for Childers. He made a name for himself racing them long before he become a crew chief at the top level of NASCAR; that included a victory in the inaugural Fall Brawl at Hickory Motor Speedway in 1998.

That passion has kept Childers involved on a small level in Late Model Stock Car racing for years, either as an interested observer or by helping drivers like Bobby McCarty, a three-time champion of the CARS Late Model Stock Tour.

“Through the years I’ve continued to help different people at different times,” Childers said. “Two years ago I was helping Bobby McCarty, and he was able to win I think four or five races that year. One of them that really stuck out was the fall race at South Boston, where he just dominated. We had actually built the shocks here at SHR.”

The competition in the CARS Tour is among the closest in short-track racing today, something of which Childers is keenly aware. He knows going up against series regulars like Carson Kvapil, Deac McCaskill, Brenden Queen, Connor Hall and Chad McCumbee will be a challenge.

“I had somebody tell me Monday morning that it’s harder to finish top five in a CARS Tour race than it was an Xfinity race,” Childers said. “I kind of laughed at first, and then I was like, ‘You know, you’re probably right.’”

That begs the question: What does Childers expect when Harvick takes the green flag Wednesday evening at North Wilkesboro Speedway?

“If you finish top 10, you’ve probably done something good,” Childers said. “It’s going to be a tough field. After you’ve worked on it for a year and a half, you want to go out there, sit on the front row, pace yourself and sit there and ride and see what you’ve got at the end. That’s what you really want to do.

“I think for us, anything could be possible.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Ross Chastain almost forecast his own fate in Sunday’s late-race showdown with Kyle Larson at Darlington Raceway. The two were at the front of the pack and clanged fenders on a restart that was a quick start and stop because of a multi-car crash with 14 laps left in regulation.

Chastain radioed his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing crew during that caution, asking in particular about Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, saying, “He’s going to have to hit us harder than that.” And later: “Are we even, or does he want to drive me in the fence again?”

RELATED: Race results 

Neither Larson nor Chastain gave an inch near the end of Sunday’s Goodyear 400, and their battle of wills resulted in a restart rhubarb with six laps left in regulation. Chastain was done for the day after the two cars squeezed and scraped along the outside retaining wall, dropping him to a 29th-place finish. Larson continued with a wounded car and finished 20th behind teammate and race-winner William Byron.

“What a hack,” Larson said over the No. 5 radio. He declined further comment in the post-race media rounds, and crew chief Cliff Daniels politely abstained, deferring to team owner Rick Hendrick and vice chairman Jeff Gordon, who were in the media center as representatives for Byron’s winning No. 24 team.

After being evaluated and released from the infield care center, Chastain said he made a decision to go hard into the narrow first turn at the tough 1.366-mile track. Their side-by-side contest ended in a no-decision.

“We all go race, and I fully committed into (turn) one and wanted to squeeze him up,” said Chastain, who led 93 laps. “Didn’t want to turn myself across his nose, for sure. So, not how I wanted to be standing here talking you out here and another incredible day for Trackhouse.”

MORE: Chastain, Truex tangle on final lap of Stage 2

It was the second issue of the day for Chastain, who bopped the outside wall at the end of Stage 2 and caught up Martin Truex Jr. – dominator for the first half of the race – who spun out of the top five. But more relevant to the No. 5 team, it was the second time in three races that Larson was snared by a Chastain move.

At Dover two weeks ago, Chastain tried to lap the slower car of Brennan Poole at Dover Motor Speedway. But contact with Poole sent his No. 15 Ford sliding directly into the path of Larson, who limped to a 32nd-place result.

“Make that three races he’s taken us out of now, Chevrolet,” Daniels spouted on the No. 5 radio. “Good job.” But Hendrick said that the manufacturer alliance only went so far.

“I don’t care if he’s driving a Chevrolet if he wrecks our cars. I don’t care, and I told Chevrolet that,” Hendrick said. “If you wreck us, you’re going to get it back. If you don’t do it, they’ll run all over you. I’m loyal to Chevrolet, but when somebody runs over us, then I expect my guys to hold their ground. I’m not going to ask them to yield just because of Chevrolet.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

William Byron took full advantage of a late on-track incident between Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson to triumph in Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway and become the first three-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series this season.

For Byron, the victory was sweet redemption for last season’s spring race at the ‘Lady in Black,’ where Joey Logano’s bump-and-run denied Byron his first victory at the fabled speedway.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing,” said Byron, who earned the 100th victory for the No. 24 team. “My granddad passed away on Thursday, and just, man, I wish my family could be here. Just things have a way of working out, honestly. It just worked out that way today. We didn’t have the best third stage. We just kept battling, and things just kind of come back around.

“Definitely didn’t expect this. But just thankful for a great team, and, yeah, just things have a way of working out, and to come back here to Darlington and have it go exactly the other way.”

SHOP: Get winner gear

It was a Lap 288 crash between Chastain and Larson—while battling for the lead—that gave Byron the opportunity to collect his seventh career victory.

Taking the inside lane, with Larson beside him, Chastain led the field to a restart after an eight-car wreck necessitated the seventh caution on Lap 281. Chastain drove hard into Turn 1, plowed up the track and wrecked both his No. 1 Chevrolet and Larson’s No. 5.

MORE: See Larson, Chastain wreck late in closing laps

“How does that make any sense, running us into the fence?” Cliff Daniels, Larson’s crew chief, fumed on the team radio. “That’s three races he’s taken us out of — the 1 car — three races he’s taken us out of.”

Chastain took responsibility for the mistake that took him out of the race and relegated Larson to a 20th-place result.

“Full commit into Turn 1,” said Chastain, who finished 29th. “I got really tight and drove up and turned myself. I wanted to squeeze him. I wanted to push him up. We’d been racing back and forth all day. But I definitely didn’t want to turn myself.”

The incident forced overtime, handing the lead to the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Byron outran Kevin Harvick in the final two-lap dash.

In a race that included massive wrecks on Laps 194 and 281, Chase Elliott ran third, followed by Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, Harrison Burton, Kyle Busch, Justin Haley, Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher.

In sharp contrast to the aggressive battling between Chastain and Larson, Harvick, whose No. 4 Ford had sustained front-end damage during the Lap 281 wreck, gave Byron plenty of room after the overtime restart on Lap 294.

“We had a good car all day,” Harvick said. “We just never could get up towards the front in our Sunny Delight Ford Mustang. Struggled in traffic today, but we were really good at the second half of the run and just struggled at the beginning of the run.

“But we had good track position, then had a bad pit stop under green, and then wound up having everything work out there at the end. Didn’t have anything for William. The front is torn up pretty good. But they did a great job and just kind of kept ourselves in the game, and you never know what’s going to happen.”

Pole winner Martin Truex Jr. had the dominant car for the first half of the race. The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota handily won the first stage and led a total of 145 laps, but the handling on Truex’s Camry tightened up during the second stage, allowing Chastain to pass for the lead on Lap 151.

Truex recovered to challenge Chastain for the Stage 2 victory, but on the final lap of the stage, Chastain braked hard behind a lapped car, bounced off the outside wall and sent Truex spinning toward the apron.

MORE: Truex, Chastain tangle at end of Stage 2

Chastain picked up his fifth stage win of the season, but Truex dropped to 10th, and his car never recovered after the incident. And though Truex gained four spots on pit road after the sixth caution and restarted third on Lap 281, he was part of the massive eight-car wreck that decimated the field in the first two corners.

“When we got into Chastain there at the end of the second stage going for the win in that, it knocked the toe out, so we were tight from there on out,” said Truex, who finished 31st. “Just an unfortunate deal. There was plenty of room there, but he just came off the wall and hit me.

“Like I said, knocked the toe out in the right front. Pretty crappy from there, and then on that restart (Lap 281), I guess I just got real tight, and I don’t even know who I squeezed into the wall, but I apologize to them. Probably my fault, just got real tight and couldn’t stay down the track.”

Note: Inspection is complete in the Cup Series garage, confirming the No. 24 of Byron as the winner. The Nos. 20 and 21 will be taken back to the NASCAR R&D Center for further inspection.

Posted on by Staff Report

The tides of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway turned at the end of Stage 2 as front-runners Ross Chastain and Martin Truex Jr. made contact in Turn 3 and 4 heading toward the second green-checkered flag of the day.

RELATED: Race results 

With Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suárez fighting to stay on the lead lap, Chastain entered Turn 3 conservatively while Truex entered on the inside of the No. 1 Chevrolet. Suárez’s pace and Chastain’s line entering the corner forced the No. 1 to check up, resulting in slight contact between Truex and Chastain.

Chastain slid up into the wall and Truex Jr. was sent spinning down onto the apron with slight damage. The incident brought out the yellow flag to end the stage, giving Chastain his fifth stage win of 2023. Both cars made it back to pit road.

After gaining the lead on Lap 2, Truex led the next 145 laps before Chastain overtook him on a long, green-flag run.

Chastain and Truex’s days of on-track skirmishes didn’t end as the No. 1 wrecked after getting together with Kyle Larson on a restart with six laps to go. Chastain wound up in the garage with a 29th-place finish. Truex was involved in a wreck with Joey Logano on the previous restart that also ended the day of the No. 19, catapulting the dominant car early on to a 31st-place finish.

MORE: Larson, Chastain wreck late in battle for win

“When we got into Chastain there at the end of the second stage going for the win in that, it knocked the tow out so we were tight from there on out,” Truex said after a brief check at the infield care center. “Just an unfortunate deal. There was plenty of room there, but he just came off the wall and hit me. Like I said, knocked the tow out in the right front. Pretty crappy from there and then on that restart I guess I just got real tight and I don’t even know who I squeezed into the wall, but I apologize to them. Probably my fault, just got real tight and couldn’t stay down the track.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR North Wilkesboro TV programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR North Wilkesboro TV schedule.

Note: All NASCAR North Wilkesboro TV times are ET.

MORE: How to find USA Network | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | Watch on USA Network | Get the NBC Sports App | Watch on Peacock | FloRacing | How to watch NASCAR International

Monday, May 15
1 a.m., NASCAR 75: The Greatest Countdown Show Ever! (re-air), FS2
3 a.m., NASCAR 75: The Greatest Countdown Show Ever! (re-air), FS2
4 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS1
Noon, NASCAR Xfinity Series: Shriners Children’s 200 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR 75: The Greatest Countdown Show Ever! (re-air), FS1
11 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1

Tuesday, May 16
Midnight, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Buckle Up South Carolina 200 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
2 a.m., NASCAR 75: The Greatest Countdown Show Ever! (re-air), FS2
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS1
4 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Buckle Up South Carolina 200 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS1
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Darlington (re-air), FS2
9 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
4:30 p.m., One Hot Night: The NASCAR 1992 All-Star Race (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock
8 p.m., NASCAR 75: The Greatest Countdown Show Ever! (re-air), FS1
9 p.m., One Hot Night: The NASCAR 1992 All-Star Race (re-air), FS1
11 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS1
11:30 p.m., NASCAR 75: The Greatest Countdown Show Ever! (re-air), FS1

Wednesday, May 17
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS1

Thursday, May 18
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock

Friday, May 19
Midnight, NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS2
12:30 a.m., One Hot Night: The NASCAR 1992 All-Star Race (re-air), FS2
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: The 1997 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS2
Noon, NASCAR Pace Lap, MAVTV
3 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice at North Wilkesboro Speedway, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR Pace Lap (re-air), MAVTV
4 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race practice at North Wilkesboro Speedway, FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: All-Star Race qualifying (pit-crew challenge) at North Wilkesboro Speedway, FS1

On MRN:
4 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series practice and pit-crew challenge at North Wilkesboro Speedway

Saturday, May 20
6 a.m., One Hot Night: The NASCAR 1992 All-Star Race (re-air), FS1
7 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS1
8 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race practice at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS1
9 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race practice at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS1
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying at North Wilkesboro Speedway, FS1
10:30 a.m., IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo: Laguna Seca Race (re-air), CNBC
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS1
Noon, NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS2
1 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, FOX
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, FOX
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race Heat qualifiers at North Wilkesboro Speedway, FS1
7:30 p.m., ARCA Menards East: Dutch Boy 150 at Flat Rock Speedway, FloSports
8 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour: Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway, FloSports 

On MRN:
1 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race Heat qualifiers at North Wilkesboro Speedway

Sunday, May 21
8 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Heat qualifying races at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS1
10:30 a.m., IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo: Laguna Seca Race (re-air), CNBC
12:30 p.m., ARCA Menards East: Music City 200 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (re-air), CNBC
5 p.m., NASCAR All-Star Open race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, FS1, FOX Deportes
7 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, FS1, FOX Deportes

On MRN:
4:30 p.m., NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway

Posted on by Zack Albert

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Alex Bowman provided an update on his health Sunday at Darlington Raceway, saying he has no firm timetable on his return to NASCAR Cup Series competition as he heals from injuries suffered in a sprint-car crash.

Bowman remained sidelined for Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at the 1.366-mile track, and Josh Berry substituted in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet for the third consecutive week. Bowman suffered a fractured vertebra in an April 25 event at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, and he said he is scheduled to have a physician assess his recovery this week.

RELATED: At-track photos: Darlington

“Every day is a little different. I feel like I definitely feel way better than I did a couple weeks ago,” said Bowman, whose crash came on his 30th birthday. “… But I don’t have any time for an estimated return. Some doctor appointments this week, get some more X-rays, see how I feel and I can go from there. But yeah, I’m obviously mobile, super fortunate that the injury wasn’t worse than it was.”

Bowman was moving without any noticeable impairment through the garage area Sunday afternoon, signing autographs before a media availability at the No. 48 hauler. He said he’s resumed working out in the gym with some modified exercises but that the biggest back pain has been when he laughs, coughs or sneezes or reclines to sleep. Bowman said he’d also want to be able to pull his seat belts tight without pain and absorb bumps and pit stops before feeling comfortable back in the cockpit.

Bowman said his Hendrick Motorsports team has been supportive of his extracurricular racing, and he owns a team that races sprints and midgets. Despite missing two races heading into Darlington, he was still 15th in the Cup Series standings — with six top-10 finishes in 10 starts — and dismissed the suggestion that his season was a write-off.

“I don’t think so. I mean, we’re still in the playoffs right now on points as we sit,” Bowman said. “So I think it’s overcoming, you look at what Kyle Busch has done and what other guys have done post-injury. I mean, it sucks, right? It’s not where I want to be, especially with the season we were having, but I know we can be as strong as we were before I got hurt when I come back.”

Bowman said his return to the track would depend on what his doctors report Wednesday, plus his comfort level of being in the car. He said he might participate in pit-stop practice this week, driving in the parking area and seeing how the jarring action of the car dropping off the jack feels.

Still, he welcomed being back at the track for NASCAR Throwback Weekend, backing the efforts of Berry and the rest of the No. 48 group.

“I knew my back was gonna hurt when I got old. I just didn’t think it was gonna be like that,” Bowman said. “But yeah, just trying to stay plugged in, right, here to be supportive of the 48 team. If I wasn’t here, I would be sitting on the couch. So quick little road trip and glad to be here.”

The Cup Series’ next race is the NASCAR All-Star Race, scheduled Sunday (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Bowman has a berth in the All-Star main event, but team owner Rick Hendrick said that the Coca-Cola 600 on May 28 at Charlotte Motor Speedway could be the more desired return date.

Either way, Hendrick said he won’t hurry Bowman back behind the wheel.

“Look, I want him to be right when he gets back in the car because when you’ve got an injury like that, which he would like to be back in Charlotte,” Hendrick said. “He’s seeing the doctor this week, and he’s got to get in and out of the car. They’ve got to get the belts on him and see how he responds. That’s a terrible injury. If you come back too early, it can mess you up for the whole year. I want him to be right. He’s listening to the doctors. He has started working out. I think it’s a good shot he’ll be back pretty quick. But we haven’t done the test in the car with the straps on him and harnesses and see if he has any pain.”