Marquee events headline busy season at Hickory Motor Speedway; live coverage all year on FloRacing

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Adam Fenwick

Dubbed the “Birthplace of the NASCAR stars,” Hickory Motor Speedway will once again welcome fans and competitors for three marquee events during the 2023 season.

The 0.363-mile asphalt oval in Hickory, North Carolina will host the second edition of the Jack Ingram Memorial on June 10, the Bobby Isaac Memorial on Sept. 2 and the Fall Brawl on Nov. 11.

Those events are part of a packed season-long schedule of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racing that will be available to watch live on FloRacing, the official streaming home of all NASCAR Roots properties.

The 2023 edition of the Jack Ingram Memorial will look to build off an incredible inaugural event last season that saw JR Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry triumph during the 111-lap main event for Late Model Stock Cars held in honor of NASCAR Hall of Famer Jack Ingram.

Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks and Renegades will also be in action live on FloRacing on June 10.

Another race held in honor of a NASCAR Hall of Famer, the Bobby Isaac Memorial takes center stage at Hickory Motor Speedway on Sept. 2. The race will be headlined by a 150-lap Late Model Stock Car race in addition to features for Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks and Pro Late Models.

Drivers such as Dale Jarrett, Jack Ingram, Tommy Houston, Bob Pressley, Robert Huffman, Dennis Setzer, Coleman Pressley, Berry, Sam Mayer and most recently Ryan Millington have taken home the checkered flag during the Bobby Isaac Memorial.

FloRacing will present live coverage of the Bobby Isaac Memorial on Sept. 2.

Finally, the racing season at Hickory Motor Speedway will end with a bang thanks to the annual running of the Fall Brawl on Nov. 11. Late Model Stock Cars will battle for 200 laps around Hickory’s historic confines.

Last year Coleman Pressley, making his return to Hickory as a driver for the first time in several seasons, won his second Fall Brawl. Denny Hamlin, Rodney Childers, Ben Rhodes, Berry, Taylor Gray and Anthony Alfredo are just some of the previous Fall Brawl winners.

Limited Late Models, Pro Late Models and Street Stocks will also be part of the action during the Fall Brawl, which will be shown live on FloRacing on Nov. 11.

Hickory Motor Speedway has not yet announced purses or race day schedules for these events.

Action during the Fall Brawl at Hickory Motor Speedway on November 12, 2022. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

These three races are just a small part of a busy and exciting season of racing at Hickory that is already underway. Doug Barnes Jr. swept the season opening Twin 40s for the Late Model Stock Car class on March 4 and Landon S. Huffman and Tyler Matthews split Twin 40s on March 11.

With an old and abrasive racing surface, Hickory’s 0.363-mile oval presents one of the Southeast’s stiffest challengers for racers. Featuring 14 degrees of banking in Turns 1 and 2 and 12 degrees of banking in Turns 3 and 4, the historic venue that first opened in 1951 continues to host some of the best racing in the region.

Fans can witness that racing for themselves on most Saturday nights through the rest of the season. More than 20 nights of racing are on the schedule at Hickory.

Below is Hickory Motor Speedway’s complete race schedule for 2023. (Schedule subject to change.)

Date	Event	Divisions
March 4	Season Opening Blowout	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Renegades, Pro Late Models, Crate Modifieds
March 11	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks
March 17-18	Pro All Stars Series	Super Late Models, Late Models, Mini Stocks
March 25	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stucks, Super Trucks, Renegades
April 1	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks
April 8	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks, Renegades
April 15	SMART Modifieds	Modifieds, Sportsman
April 22	CARS Tour	Late Model Stocks, Pro Late Models
April 29	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks, Renegades
May 6	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks, Renegades
May 20	Bumgarner Oil Night	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks, Renegades
May 25	ASA STARS National Tour	Super Late Models
June 3	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks
June 10	Jack Ingram Memorial	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks, Renegades
July 8	Birthday Night	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks
July 15	Southeast Super Trucks	Super Trucks
July 22	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Renegades
July 29	CARS Tour Throwback 276	Late Model Stocks, Pro Late Models
Aug. 5	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Pro Late Models, Crate Modifieds
Aug. 12	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks, Renegades
Aug. 26	Weekly Racing	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks
Sept. 2	Bobby Isaac Memorial	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks, Pro Late Models
Sept. 16	Championship Night	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks, Renegades
Oct. 21	Southeast Super Trucks	Super Trucks
Nov. 11	Fall Brawl	Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Pro Late Models, Street Stocks

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Staff Report

When NASCAR announced its first long-term carbon emissions goal on Tuesday as part of a robust new impact platform, the move signaled the beginning of a new era in sustainability for America’s top motorsport.

At the core of NASCAR IMPACT — an umbrella platform spotlighting sustainability, community engagement and other social initiatives — is NASCAR’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint to zero across its core operations by 2035.

“It’s an ambitious goal but one that holds us accountable as we begin to think about sustainability differently,” said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR’s Chief Communications & Impact Officer. “There is much work to be done but the fundamental objective is clear: we must reduce our emissions over time.”

The commitment to achieving net zero operating emissions over the next 12 years followed NASCAR’s first comprehensive measurement of its carbon footprint. The study measured total emissions from all NASCAR offices, owned race tracks, national series races and other related operations in 2022.

“This begins the next phase of our sustainability effort,” said Riley Nelson, NASCAR’s Head of Sustainability. “Measuring our carbon footprint will become an annual process, and as we improve year-over-year with the support of the industry, we’ll identify new ways to contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment.”

In addition to the long-term operating emissions goal, NASCAR’s carbon measurement informed near-term sustainability priorities including 100% renewable electricity at owned race tracks and facilities, the development of a sustainable racing fuel, expanded recycling efforts and on-site EV charging stations.

NASCAR will track progress toward its sustainability goals in an annually published NASCAR IMPACT Report. The report will measure the collective impact of other impact-driven functions including The NASCAR Foundation, diversity, equity and inclusion, STEM education, supplier diversity through sourcing and procurement, as well as a national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America — the Official Youth Community Partner of NASCAR.

In celebration of NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary season, The NASCAR Foundation will host a 75-hour giveathon on May 16-19 with a goal to raise $750,000 for more than 500 nonprofit organizations across the country.

Last season, NASCAR hosted Boys & Girls Club teens at 15 NASCAR Cup Series race events as part of immersive, workforce readiness experiences designed to showcase career opportunities in the industry.

NASCAR’s elevated focus on community engagement parallels new milestones in sustainability. In February, the 2023 Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum became the sport’s first zero waste event. Supported by the University of Southern California and LAMC staff, the race event achieved a 90.1% waste diversion rate, diverting more than 11.7 tons of waste from landfills.

Earlier this year, NASCAR became the first global sports property to join the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), a community consisting of more than 350 energy customer companies and their partners. CEBA counts nearly 100 companies from the FORTUNE 500 list among its ranks.

Now for NASCAR, the attention shifts to reaching net zero operating emissions — or emissions that fall under the categories of scope 1 or scope 2. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, these are the emissions that come from sources that NASCAR controls or that are associated with the company’s purchased electricity.

As NASCAR waves the green flag on a new approach to sustainability, its leadership is excited about the opportunities to build on its environmental strategies.

“With NASCAR IMPACT, we’re striving to achieve a higher standard in the areas of sustainability and more broadly, social responsibility,” said Nyquist. “NASCAR has a significant role to play in improving the well-being of our communities and the health of our planet, and our commitment reflects that.”

Note: With the launch of NASCAR IMPACT and new sustainability strategy, NASCAR has discontinued its NASCAR Green platform. NASCAR Green was established in 2009 as the sport’s first industry-wide sustainability platform.

Posted on April 17, 2023April 18, 2023 by Zack Albert

SEBRING, Fla. — Even with the 24 Hours of Le Mans less than two months away, the Garage 56 team is still finding out new things about its Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry. Jordan Taylor, the group’s Le Mans alternate driver and de facto coach, lifted up the car’s hinged roof flap before a morning test run and found just a body panel underneath.

“We should keep some snacks in there,” Taylor said to teammate Mike Rockenfeller, perhaps thinking about the sustenance needed for the endurance race that awaits.

“Is that where they smuggle the moonshine?” Rockenfeller cracked back with a grin. “They still do that?”

There was no rum-running Monday at Sebring International Raceway during the first of two days of Garage 56 testing, no illicit transport of white lightning through the center of the Sunshine State in a nod to NASCAR’s bootlegging roots. Instead, the historic 3.74-mile circuit was the proving ground for final tuning before the car heads to France for the 100th-anniversary classic June 10-11.

Zack Albert | NASCAR Studios

The two cars on hand at Sebring both looked the part of being race-ready, with the No. 24 number plate newly affixed along with other certification stickers for the FIA and ACO governing bodies. The cars also bore a sticker identifying the Next Gen-based racer’s Le Mans classification — “IC” for “Innovative Car.”

As for the rest of the final preparations, Monday was a step toward making those complete.

“From a purely durability point of view, I think everyone’s pretty confident,” said Taylor, noting the strides the team made in endurance testing here in February. “A couple of small things that we’re still running through at this test to see how everything shakes out, but yeah, working on little handling and tuning tweaks to make the car quicker and more competitive and fitting into what the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) wants to see. So a lot of little details, but I think it’s nice to be here practicing more, our pit stops, driver changes, and the Le Mans-specific rules that we’re going to need to do over there. So it’s good to have everyone here to get into that routine again, going into those basics.”

The team made laps under clouds and drizzle in the morning hours Monday before partial sunshine took over for most of the afternoon. The two cars that shared a giant tent in the Sebring paddock were 001 — the test car that has made the majority of the laps in the project’s development stage — and 002, the primary race car for Le Mans. The team is opting to limit the track time for the 002 Camaro during the two-day stretch, hoping to save some wear and tear before reaching the grand stage.

The Hendrick Motorsports crew worked to keep things moving, even after rain that lingered longer into Monday morning changed up some of the schedule. “It’s good to get some wet running,” Taylor said. “I think the car only did one real test in the wet, and at Le Mans, it can rain at any point. So working with Goodyear on some new wet options was high on our list.”

The final dress rehearsal comes exactly one year and one month after the Garage 56 project was launched here to much fanfare during the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring weekend in 2022. A rendering of the prototype car had flashed onto the screens during that presentation, a blink-and-you’ll-miss moment that approximated what the car might look like.

Monday, two Le Mans-ready Camaros roamed the same Sebring paddock as once-imagined race cars come to life.

“Just having watched this group grow together and mature together, it’s really a fully functioning race team that wasn’t even in existence some 13 months ago,” said Jeff Andrews, Hendrick Motorsports’ president and general manager. “So, it’s been spectacular. It certainly is a privilege for Hendrick Motorsports to be involved and very honored that we were chosen to get these race cars prepared and be here on behalf of Mr. France and Chevrolet and really everybody that is going to make this happen. So it’s a combination of a lot of hard work with a lot of different companies involved and suppliers, and some really, really good race cars on the track, and obviously some amazing talent who are going to be driving these race cars in Le Mans. It’s been great to watch.”

Zack Albert | NASCAR Studios

Posted on April 17, 2023April 18, 2023 by Zach Sturniolo

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — With all four Stewart-Haas Racing entries qualifying inside the top seven, Sunday seemed bound to be a statement day for the organization.

But despite combining to lead 264 of 400 laps at Martinsville Speedway, the final running order didn’t quite reflect a breakout race for SHR.

MORE: Full Martinsville recap | Points standings

Ryan Preece scored his first career pole in the NASCAR Cup Series and proceeded to lead the first 135 laps of Sunday’s race. Chase Briscoe led a career-high 109 circuits around the 0.526-mile oval. Kevin Harvick paced the field for 20 laps, and veteran Aric Almirola netted the race’s best average running position at 4.76 — 0.01 better than Briscoe.

At the checkered flag, though, Briscoe was the only SHR driver bringing home a top-five finish. Almirola was sixth, but Preece and Harvick both finished outside the top 10 — 15th and 20th, respectively.

“We led the wrong handful of laps,” said Greg Zipadelli, chief competition officer at SHR. “We did (do well) as a group, but it’s really frustrating when you have little things that cost you.

“It was nice to see all four cars qualify well, and they all raced well. But this is a little bit different race track. It’s not like you can take what you did here and go anywhere else with it. So everybody at the shop is working hard and appreciate their effort, and to have four of them qualify up there and lead a bunch of laps.

“Just, man, we gotta get this monkey off our back and win a race.”

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Preece’s day went south at Lap 135. His No. 41 Ford led the field onto pit road under caution for Harrison Burton’s spin. But parked at pit stall No. 2 — the first available stall from pit exit thanks to his pole position — Preece launched out of his pit stall in an attempt to win the race off pit road, incurring a speeding penalty that sent him to the rear of the field for the impending restart. Pitting so close to the end of pit road, Preece “didn’t think we could” speed from that pit box.

“But I guess it’s my job to know that,” Preece said. “It’s unfortunate, but when we had track position, I think it showed that we had a really fast HaasTooling Ford Mustang, but you can’t do those things. You can’t make mistakes.”

Mired in traffic, Preece only charged to the brink of the top 20 until the final run to the checkers, unable to work through the thicket of cars ahead of him.

“That first run, I think we climbed to 23rd or 21st, so I thought there was opportunity,” Preece said of his comeback. “But after three pit stops, everybody else got their car that much better. You saw Joey (Logano), they stayed out and gained track position, and he ran second. I mean, he was gonna go a lap down for a while, so you can’t make mistakes.”

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Harvick was a legitimate contender all day, leading 19 laps in Stage 2 en route to his first stage win since 2020. During green-flag pit stops around Lap 300, Harvick was set to cycle to the lead before a Lap 303 caution. But after pitting under caution at Lap 344 and exiting fourth, Harvick immediately cut a right-front tire, relegating the 2014 champion to the rear of the field as he pitted a second time.

Stewart-Haas Racing has shown early speed with the debut of this year’s short-track package, with Harvick nearly victorious at Phoenix Raceway before an impressive showing by all four drivers at Martinsville.

That, in part, adds to Sunday’s sting as none of them broke through for the victory.

“For us as a company, we knew that short tracks (are) where we were really going to need to capitalize,” Briscoe said. “And that’s where it’s kind of frustrating knowing that we didn’t lock ourselves in today when we had a great opportunity.”

Since the beginning of the 2021 season, SHR has combined to win just four races — Almirola’s New Hampshire triumph, Briscoe’s inaugural Cup win at Phoenix in March 2022 and Harvick’s back-t0-back victories at Richmond and Michigan last summer. To see all four cars with speed again was encouraging for the program despite the end results.

“It was a really good day for Stewart-Haas,” Briscoe said. “It’s kind of the Stewart-Haas that there was three or four years ago, right? And it was nice to kind of see that again. So yeah, really good day for the company. I just wish that one of us was taking home the grandmother clock.

“I felt like a Stewart-Haas car probably should have won the race, and we just couldn’t catch the breaks we needed there at the end. But, overall, a great day. That’s something that, as a company, we needed to go and run up front. All four cars were really competitive. I wish one of us would have won the race, but you’ll have that.”

In nine races, Almirola’s sixth-place finish at Martinsville is his only top 10. The No. 10 team has suffered five finishes of 30th or worse, saddling Almirola with a 23.9 average finish, the worst of his full-time career. But while he may have been the company’s lone driver not to lead Sunday’s race, his race-best average running position was no accident — and, indeed, it was a necessary performance.

“We just had a few things throughout the race that if we could go back and do different, we’re sitting in Victory Lane,” Almirola said. “I feel very confident in that. I think we were arguably the best car throughout the day. At different points, we were maybe a third- or fourth-place car, but for most of the day, we were the best race car on the race track and just didn’t put the whole thing together. But it’s nice to be frustrated with a sixth after the start of the season we’ve had.”

The series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the GEICO 500 on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Zipadelli is cautiously optimistic the momentum built at Martinsville might carry to the high-banked superspeedway.

“We’ve got to work on the intermediate (tracks). We’ve got a speedway next week,” he said. “Our cars were pretty good there so far this year. So hopefully, we go there and capitalize.”

Posted on April 17, 2023April 17, 2023 by Staff Report

After a career spanning two decades that saw an astounding 56 NASCAR national series wins, Greg Biffle has earned his place among the greatest drivers in racing history — solidified by his selection to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list in celebration of the sport’s diamond anniversary.

While ‘The Biff,’ as he was famously called, still races from time to time, it was his spectacular start in the late 1990s and exceptional run through the 2000s that ultimately tells the tale of his remarkable career.

Biffle raced full-time in all three national series, amassing 19 Cup Series victories, 20 wins in the Xfinity Series and 17 triumphs in the Craftsman Truck Series. His 19 premier series trophies have him level with Davey Allison, Buddy Baker and Fonty Flock, with a high-water mark coming in his six-win campaign during the 2005 season, when he finished a career-best runner-up in the standings.

NASCAR 75: Updated 75 Greatest Drivers list | View historical timeline

In 14 seasons of year-round competition, Biffle finished top five in the Cup Series points standings three times, narrowly edged out by Tony Stewart in his closest title bid. He did manage to win the Xfinity Series championship in 2002, just two years after being crowned a champion in the Truck Series — both while driving for Hall of Fame owner Jack Roush.

Though Biffle has stepped away from full-time competition at the NASCAR national level, the longtime veteran made five starts in 2022, including the season-opening Daytona 500. His last full season was in 2016.

MORE: See all of Biffle’s premier series victories

Posted on April 17, 2023April 17, 2023 by Staff Report

Chase Briscoe underwent successful surgery on his broken left middle finger early Monday morning, his wife Marissa announced via Twitter.

Briscoe suffered the injury while racing a dirt late model on April 6, contacting the wall in qualifying, which ripped the wheel out of his hand and broke the finger.

MORE: Martinsville results | Points standings

The driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford went in for surgery at 5 a.m. ET on Monday and was out by 7:45 a.m.

“Chase is out of surgery and all is well,” wife Marissa Briscoe wrote. “Thank you everyone for the prayers. Keep them coming!”

Chase is out of surgery and all is well, thank you everyone for the prayers. Keep them coming!
-Marissa♥️

— Chase Briscoe (@ChaseBriscoe_14) April 17, 2023

Though he admitted concern leading into the Bristol dirt race, Briscoe was never slowed by the injury, instead scoring consecutive fifth-place finishes at Bristol and Martinsville, respectively.

“I told Jamie Little on the TV broadcast maybe I need to break another finger,” Briscoe joked Sunday. “It’s kind of been the turning point for us all year long.”

It happen.. https://t.co/fjvr907rhg pic.twitter.com/lnvvx2rLnZ

— Chase Briscoe (@ChaseBriscoe_14) April 12, 2023

Indeed, the past two NASCAR Cup Series races have produced the team’s first two top fives of 2023, highlighting a stretch of five top-15 finishes in the past six races.

Briscoe said his finger was “OK” in Sunday’s NOCO 400 at Martinsville, but moments of discomfort reminded him he was still racing injured.

“I definitely had some pain there a little bit,” said Briscoe, who led a career-high 109 laps. “You know, it was really hard for me when I’d get really far turned to the left, but then also it was extremely hard for me to counter-steer. So I had to be really patient about making sure I was straight up off the corner, which probably obviously was helping me there quite a bit.

“But yeah, it was OK. I’m sure I’m going to be in quite a bit of pain tonight but gotta be at the hospital at 5 a.m. and see what they can do.”

The Cup Series returns to action Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway for the GEICO 500 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on April 16, 2023April 16, 2023 by Zach Sturniolo

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Joey Logano’s team started its race day by discovering a leak in its water tank. By the checkered flag, the No. 22 Team Penske Ford was the runner-up in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Not bad for a driver whose average running position was a measly 20.95, per NASCAR’s loop data.

“After the second stage, I would have been stoked about second place,” Logano said.

MORE: Full Martinsville results | At-track photos

Despite qualifying 15th, Logano, the defending Cup Series champion, was the lone car to be sent to the rear before the green flag of Sunday’s race, its fixed leak resulting in a penalty for unapproved pre-race adjustments.

Passing came at a premium on the 0.526-mile short track, leaving Logano mired deep in the field for the majority of the race — even falling off the lead lap. By Lap 180 — the end of Stage 2 — Logano was way back in 26th.

The first turning point for the No. 22 team came at Lap 303 when a loose right-rear wheel and tire detached from Anthony Alfredo’s No. 78 Chevrolet before green-flag pit stops had finished cycling through. That caution period left just 11 cars on the lead lap before the free pass and wavearounds — including Logano.

The team’s next break came at Lap 343 when JJ Yeley contacted the outside wall in Turn 3 to bring out the final caution of the race. Crew chief Paul Wolfe opted to leave Logano on the race track rather than pit, launching Logano to the lead.

The 2018 Martinsville winner, Logano was one of just four to stay out and gamble, along with Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Denny Hamlin.

Logano rocketed ahead on the restart and led the next 24 laps, but Kyle Larson quickly hunted him down. Larson took two tires during the Yeley caution, the half-fresher rubber ultimately playing a significant role.

“He caught me so quick, and there was still 25-30 to go, and I was like, ‘Aw, geez. I don’t have a chance here, but I’ll make it wide for a while,’” Logano said. “I knew he was gonna have to get physical, which is fine. That’s Martinsville racing. He should. I tried to play defense as best as I could, and eventually, he got underneath me.”

Larson knew Logano would make his car as wide as possible despite the speed differential, but he was ready for the challenge.

“He’s a very good short-track racer,” Larson said of Logano. “His team, as always, does a great job executing and (putting) themselves in position, finishing way better on their off days than they should, so I knew he was gonna fight really hard.

“Honestly, I was better compared to him than I thought I was going to be as far as grip and all that went, so I could tell the areas where I was better than him as I was catching him. And then he got really protective of his exit. And I was just kind of scared to move him out of the way too hard because that kind of opens the door for him to do the same to you. And usually, he’s going to do it four or five times worse.

“So I wanted to be as respectful getting by him. I knew that I was gonna have to give us the bumper at some point to get by him, and I tried a couple times when I was behind him, and he did a really good job of just checking up and not getting shoved out of the way.”

Ultimately, Logano held on for a second-place finish, his second of the season and third top five of 2023. The other: A win at Atlanta.

“I’m very proud of the Verizon Mustang team. We were not good,” Logano said. “We went down a lap two times throughout the race and got one lucky dog and one lucky caution and then just some good strategy from Paul and getting the car better. We were awful to start, and he did a good job of getting me competitive at least and putting me in position to do something there at the end.

“There are days when you’re mad about second — most of the time you are — but days like today, you’re pretty happy to see the front at the end.”

Posted on April 16, 2023April 17, 2023 by John Crane

On the surface, growing pains seemed to be in the cards for Chase Elliott.

Of course, this didn’t specifically pertain to anything physical. After being sidelined for six weeks following a snowboarding accident in early March, the five-time Most Popular Driver Award winner was more than ready to take on the bodily demands Martinsville Speedway required. Instead, these growing pains pertained to simply finding a good feel of the car after being away from it for six races. And after remaining static outside the top 20 for the majority of the race, finding that “feel” looked to be something that would take time.

However, the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet chipped away and translated a middle-of-the-pack start into a top-10 finish, with the 2020 Cup Series champion finishing 10th in his 2023 return.

Such resilience can only be a positive sign for the No. 9 moving forward.

“It was warm, and I’ve been sitting on the couch for six weeks, so I think that probably hurt me more than anything,” Elliott said after the race. “Our NAPA Chevy, we struggled really bad, honestly, for the first … every run but the last one. So, we finally got it going there at the end, and I was able to make some passes and do things even I didn’t really think I was gonna be capable of doing, or at least of us fixing to that degree here at the race track. So, I was pleasantly surprised by that, and it got us a top 10 out of our first day back, so that was definitely nothing to be too bummed out about.”

A Saturday qualifying session that eventually saw Elliott start the race in 24th might have been the first sign of frustrations to come. And through the opening two stages, this seemed to be the case. Even as teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson found their way inside the top 10 to close Stages 1 and 2, respectively, Elliott remained entrenched outside the top 15 and even outside the top 20, with threats of being lapped possible as opposing long-run speeds inched closer and closer to his bumper.

But no matter. Instead of buckling, Elliott started finding. From timely passing, speed and even a touch of momentum from pit road, Elliott eventually found himself inside the top 15 with fewer than 50 laps to go, and even with Larson burning rubber after winning his second race of 2023, Elliott found a moral victory with a 10th-place finish, edging out another teammate in Alex Bowman by 0.266 seconds.

Moral might not equate to material, but in Elliott’s case, it may not matter. A shaky car through the opening and middle portions of the race certainly accounted for the growing pains, but it didn’t dictate the endgame for the No. 9 when it was all said and done. Resilience revealed itself, and such resilience could only gather more steam as the season continues.

“We definitely got better,” Elliott said. “Really, the only run I thought we were even decent was that last one, so that was nice to get there, somewhat. I thought we were in the ballpark, obviously, you’re just out of time. But it was really good to get in the top 10 there. That was something to be proud of.”

MORE: Chase Elliott’s return resonates through NASCAR Cup Series garage

Now behind the wheel for what should be the season’s duration, Elliott will look to keep the momentum high. And options certainly remain abundant for a driver needing a win to lock in any chance at postseason action.

There are 19 races remaining in the regular season, and all five of Elliott’s 2022 wins were at tracks still to come on the 2023 docket (Talladega Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway and Dover Motor Speedway). And for a road-course ace like Elliott, five road/street courses remaining also makes for possible winning scenarios.

With a six-week absence behind him, Elliott can now look toward finding ways to build off of this momentum. And while growing pains might yet remain on the table for Elliott as he continues his way back, perhaps finding that “feel” will be that much easier. A chance to continue with that “feel” will come at Talladega next Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“Like I said, I am really proud,” Elliott said. “To get in the top 10, I thought was really nice for how bad we ran today, and for being out of the car for a month, I thought was pretty solid for me, you know, so I was pretty happy with that.”

Posted on April 16, 2023April 17, 2023 by Holly Cain

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Kyle Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports team gambled on a late-race, two-tire pit stop to give him a fighting chance for the victory, and he took the opportunity and drove away to a commanding 4.142-second win in Sunday’s NOCO 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

It was the 2021 champion’s first victory at the famed half-mile track; making the pass for the win in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy with 30 laps remaining, but then having to hold off another past champion in Joey Logano, whose runner-up finish Sunday was also impressive considering he started at the rear of the field after a post-qualifying adjustment to his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

“I feel like [crew chief] Cliff [Daniels] and everybody did a great job all day on pit road, making the right calls and having great pit stops and it all kind of worked out for me there at the end, we had a great car, that was the best my car had been,’’ said Larson, whose final 30 laps out front were the only laps he led on the day.

It marks the second win of the season for the 30-year-old Californian who joins his teammate William Byron as the only multiple race winners on the year. Larson was recently named one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers ever, as well.

RELATED: Full results | At-track photos: Martinsville

That late-race pit gamble for Larson was indicative of a dramatic final few laps when pit strategy played a big role in the race. Logano was one of four drivers who did not pit on a caution flag with 56 laps remaining, choosing to take track position instead after he’d gone down a lap not once but twice earlier in the afternoon.

“Solid recovery for what the start of the race looked like,’’ Logano said, joking that at one point he would have been happy just to finish on the lead lap.

“Stayed out at the end when everyone pitted, which put us on the front row and had a shot to win the race,’’ he continued. “I tried to hold off Larson as long as I could. But overall there’s some days when you’re mad about second [place]. Today’s not one of those.’’

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin finished third and fourth – the first top-five finishes for both drivers this season. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe finished fifth just in front of his teammate Aric Almirola.

The SHR team was especially strong Sunday with three of its four drivers combining to lead 264 of the 400 laps. Ryan Preece, who started from the pole position for the first time in his career, collected his first stage win and led a race-best 135 laps, but was penalized for speeding on pit road and had to go to the rear of the field. He recovered to finish 15th. Briscoe led 109 laps and Kevin Harvick, who claimed his first stage win since 2020, was out front for 20 laps, but a late-race issue left him 20th.

Logano’s Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney was seventh, followed by this year’s Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace – who also had to recover from a pit road speeding penalty.

Stenhouse is already up to four top 10s on the season, which is just one shy of matching his 2022 total.

Perhaps the most noteworthy top-10 finish of the day belonged to Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott who was making his first start since suffering a broken leg in a snowboarding accident seven weeks ago.

“It was pretty good, honestly, about what I expected, so that was a good thing,’’ Elliott said of his leg after the long day. “Just it was warm [temperatures] and I’ve been sitting on the couch for six weeks so that probably hurt me more than anything.

“We struggled every run but the last one and finally got it going there at the end and I was able to start making some passes and do things I didn’t really think I was going to be capable of doing. So, I was pleasantly surprised by that and got a top 10 of our first day back so that was definitely nothing to be too bummed out about.’’

Elliott acknowledged the earnest and warm welcome he received at the race track all weekend – the first time he’s been to a track since his injury six weeks ago.

EXPLAINER: How Chase Elliott can qualify for the playoffs

“The people, honestly, from my peers to my teammates just the competitive nature of being here and wanting to be better,’’ Elliott said of what he missed most being away from the track during his recovery.

“Really nice to be back and I appreciate the warm welcome this weekend by everybody. I appreciate that and it didn’t go unnoticed.”

With the win, Larson moves to fourth in the championship standings – only 17 points behind leader Christopher Bell, who finished 16th on Sunday. Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain is second, five points behind Bell. He finished 13th at Martinsville.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action next Sunday in the GEICO 500 at the renowned Talladega Superspeedway (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Ross Chastain is the defending race winner.

NOTE: Post-race inspection completed with no issues, confirming Larson as the official race winner. The Nos. 3 and 41 will be taken back to the R&D Center for further inspection.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on April 16, 2023April 17, 2023 by Staff Report

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

Note: All NASCAR Talladega TV times are ET.

Monday, April 17
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Martinsville (re-air), FS1
4 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway (re-air), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville Speedway (re-air), FS2
Noon, NASCAR Cup Series: NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Call 811.com before you Dig. 250 at Martinsville Speedway (re-air), FS2

Tuesday, April 18
Midnight, NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
1 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock

Wednesday, April 19
9 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Talladega (re-air), FS2
10 a.m., Greatest Races: NASCAR Cup Series 2009 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2
1 p.m., Greatest Races: NASCAR Cup Series 2010 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock

Thursday, April 20
Midnight, Greatest Races: NASCAR Cup Series 2009 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
3 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: The 1987 Winston 500 (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock
9:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: 2011 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2

Friday, April 21
12:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Talladega (re-air), FS2
9 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Talladega (re-air), FS2
10 a.m., Greatest Races: NASCAR Cup Series 2010 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2
Noon, NASCAR Pace Lap, MAVTV
3 p.m., NASCAR Pace Lap (re-air), MAVTV
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
7 p.m., Greatest Races: NASCAR Cup Series 2010 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Talladega (re-air), FS1

Saturday, April 22
6 a.m., Greatest Races: NASCAR Cup Series 2009 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2
9 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
Noon, NASCAR Race Hub Weekend Edition: Talladega, FS1
12:30 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
11:30 p.m., ARCA Menards Series-West: NAPA Nightvision 150 at Kern County Raceway Park, FloSports

On MRN:
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway
12:30 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, April 23
Midnight, ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
4 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Talladega (re-air), FS2
6 a.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2
8 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2
Noon, ARCA Menards Series-West: West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame 150 at Irwindale Speedway (re-air), CNBC
1:30 p.m. NASCAR Raceday: NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway, FOX
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, FOX

On MRN:
2 p.m. ET, NASCAR Cup Series: GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway