Posted on by Kyle Souza

As NASCAR celebrates its 75th anniversary season in 2023, the sports oldest division continues to thrive.

Each year, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour brings together polished veterans like Doug Coby, Justin Bonsignore, Ron Silk and others to race alongside the rising stars of Modified racing, most of whom cut their teeth in the Northeast. This season, the Tour schedule features 19 races, with the opener at New Smyrna Speedway in February, won by Silk, already in the books.

The series returns to competition Friday, March 31 at Richmond Raceway, and the entry list for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is padded with talent. As the season hits full speed again for Round 2, it provides a chance to review the Rookie of the Year lineup heading into 2023.

Whether drivers have come from Legends cars, Late Models, Super Late Models, Quarter Midgets or even SK or Crate Modifieds, each of the competitors in the rookie class of 2023 has taken a different path to reach the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Some of them will run full-time this season and chase the Josten’s Rookie of the Year honors, while others will sprinkle starts throughout the season to gain experience. The battle for the Rookie of the Year is one to watch during the season, and for many of these drivers, it’s their ultimate goal.

Jake Johnson, driver of the No. 3 Propane Plus Modified, during the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 11, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Jake Johnson

For a driver who cut his teeth racing in Legends cars, Jake Johnson has moved up the ladder quickly in the Northeast. The Massachusetts driver went from winning a Legends car championship to full-bodied Late Models, then Super Late Models and now Modifieds.

He competed in select NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events in 2022, driving for the famed Boehler family in Ole Blue No. 3. Although he struggled in his first start at Riverhead, Johnson quickly came out of the gate at Lee USA Speedway in his next start, winning the Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole, leading three laps and finishing fifth. In five starts that followed Lee, Johnson finished eighth or better in four of them.

Entering a new year, Johnson will be the driver of the Boehler Racing Enterprises entry for more than half of the events on the diverse 2023 schedule. After capturing his first victory in a Modified last year at Star Speedway in New Hampshire, Johnson will continue to try to score his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win, but he will also sit behind the wheel of Late Models, Super Late Models and an Open Modified in competition for his family team again this season.

Bryan Narducci

Bryan Narducci will sit behind the wheel of one of the most historic cars in the history of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2023, joining Johnson to fill out the schedule for Boehler Racing Enterprises in the Ole Blue No. 3.

Narducci’s first Tour start, and those that come after, will be the next steps in his already successful short-track Modified career. His first race will come at Richmond on a weekend when the Tour joins NASCAR’s national series divisions.

Narducci is a two-time NASCAR Division III National Champion (2018-19), and at just 23, he has multiple wins in SK Light Modifieds and SK Modifieds in New England. Narducci has won at two of Connecticut’s toughest tracks — Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and Stafford Motor Speedway — and is a threat every time he climbs behind the wheel.

The Colchester, Connecticut, native competed in the Legends cars, Limited Late Models, SK Light Modifieds and SK Modifieds prior to making this step.

His planned NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts in 2023 include events at Richmond, Lancaster Motorplex (Aug. 5), Langley Speedway (Aug. 26), Oswego Speedway (Sept. 2) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 26).

Justin Brown, driver of the No. 46 Riverhead Building Supply Modified, looks on before the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 11, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Justin Brown

With Goodie Racing returning to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour full-time this season, and their team based on Long Island in New York, it’s only fitting that they selected a Riverhead Raceway driver to wheel the car.

Justin Brown, driver of the No. 46 for Goodie Racing, started his career at Riverhead in 2012 and has been racing there since. He won races and championships in the Champ Karts at multiple tracks to start his career in 2012, and then moved to the 602 Modified class at Riverhead in 2017, winning nine races before moving to the Modified class, Riverhead’s top division, in 2020.

He won his first Riverhead Modified feature in 2022, and when Goodie Racing made the call to put him on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour full-time, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Brown is teamed with crew chief Douglas Ogiejko, who was on the box for Craig Lutz during three of his four NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins, all of which came with Goodie Racing.

Brown has a crew chief on his side who has experience, and as he continues to learn the ropes of touring with the Whelen Modified Tour, expect his finishing position to improve.

Brian Robie

This New Hampshire standout made his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start in 2022, competing in all three races during the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup, promoted by JDV Productions. His best finish was eighth, showing he’s a quick study when it comes to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at his local short tracks.

Robie won the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series New Hampshire State championship in 2020, winning track championships at Monadnock Speedway, Claremont Motorsports Park and Hudson Speedway – all in the same season.

As he continues to dip his toes into the Modified ranks and make select NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts along the way, Robie is planning to compete in at least five Tour races this season, which began at New Smyrna. He will also run the four JDV Productions events at Monadnock (two), Lee USA (one) and Claremont (one), while chasing the three-race Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup again. Monadnock (May 6), Lee (May 27) and Claremont (July 29) are the three races that make up the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup in 2023.

Robie will look to continue to impress his local crowd but also showcase his name to fans across the country by competing on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour circuit again this season.

Matthew Kimball, driver of the #43 J&M Towing Modified, during qualifying for the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at New Smyrna Speedway on February 11, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Matt Kimball

Similar to Robie, Matt Kimball is another driver who cut his teeth in the state of New Hampshire. Kimball grew up racing at the same tracks – Monadnock, Claremont, Lee USA – and like Robie was a champion. Kimball won the title in the Mini Stock division at Monadnock at 13 years old. Shortly after winning the title, Kimball moved to the Sportsman Modifieds, where he’s been to Victory Lane multiple times.

He’s been focusing on getting up to speed in a Modified the last two seasons and opened his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour adventure at New Smyrna in February, running inside the top 15 before a mechanical failure ended his night.

Like Robie, Kimball is expected to frequent his local New Hampshire tracks with the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup and the second Monadnock date in September, but don’t be surprised to see this rising star compete in some other events along the way as well.

Chris Hatton Jr.

As a Florida native, Chris Hatton Jr. was a competitor in the opening round of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season at New Smyrna Speedway. He started his career at the Florida half-mile, running in the Southern Ground Pounders and then capturing the championship in that division in 2021.

In 2022, Hatton moved to the 602 Modifieds when they became a regular division at New Smyrna, picking up two wins last season and finishing second in the track point standings.

After making his debut with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in February, don’t be surprised to see him at additional events during the 2023 season.

Anthony Bello

Scheduled to compete in select races in 2023, Anthony Bello is one to watch when it comes to the future of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. This Connecticut standout won the SK Lite Modified championship at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in 2021, winning the prestigious Icebreaker to begin the season.

Since then, Bello has also polished his skills at one of the toughest Northeast Modified tracks, Stafford Motor Speedway, winning in their SK Modified division with the help of setup mastermind Stephen Kopcik.

Bello opened the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season with a DNF due to a mechanical failure at New Smyrna. It’s currently unknown when he’ll join the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour next, but when you think about five, maybe 10 years into the future, look for Bello’s name to be near the front of the pack.

These drivers won’t be the only ones during the season who are rookies on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Similar to past years, as the season rolls along, other competitors will throw their name into the ring to see if they can tackle NASCAR’s oldest division and the stout competition that comes with it.

Posted on by Staff Report

Less than 24 hours after Daniel Suárez’s heated exchange with Alex Bowman and teammate Ross Chastain at Circuit of The Americas, Trackhouse Racing co-owner Justin Marks joined SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to express support for his drivers’ competitive nature.

After a long day of racing around the 3.41-mile Texas circuit, Suárez was positioned at the front on a late restart with a chance to battle for the win. But it quickly went awry when the green flag dropped and cars frantically made their way through COTA’s daunting Turn 1. Bowman jumped to the inside lane and received a bump from Chastain, sending the No. 48 into Suárez, who saw his winning hopes evaporate.

Following the race, Suárez tracked down the Nos. 48 and 1 — something Marks attributes to the heat of the moment.

ICYMI: More on Suárez’s pit-road frustration | See the No. 99’s in-car cam

“There’s a lot of emotion on pit road after the race,” Marks explained on SiriusXM. “Obviously, Daniel was just stewing in his emotions on that cooldown lap and it didn’t stop after he hit the 48. You know, he got out of his car and saw Ross there and knew Ross was a part of that train that was coming in and wanted to express his emotions to Ross. It’s part of the competitiveness of the series.”

Still searching for his first win of the 2023 season, Suárez was looking to bounce back at COTA after a similar incident in Turn 1 during the middle of the 2022 race took him out of contention, as well.

“Daniel had a day that was shaping up for him to be able to have a great race,” said Marks. “He was really focused hard on this race all week in his preparations and felt like he had a real shot at winning and I think he was in a position to contend for it. I think, you know, just compound all that and you’re hot, you’re tired and then it kinda just hits the fan at the end of the race — and we just saw that emotion boil over.”

Despite the teammate tension in Texas, Marks chose to look on the bright side.

“But I’ll tell ya,” Marks said. “I mean, I’d rather have two guys mad about losing than two guys that get out of the car and go ‘Oh, well. We’ll go to Richmond.'”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR this week is launching a new marketing campaign in conjunction with one of its Premier Partners as the sport continues celebrating its 75th anniversary. “NASCAR Legends Presented by GEICO” centers on telling stories of notable traditions and prominent pieces of NASCAR history across multiple touchpoints, from drivers and tracks to fans, moments and more.

The four-week window kicked off with a new television spot called “Mean It” that aired during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of The Americas. The spot showcases examples of legendary drivers, tracks and fans in the sport. The media plan also includes a radio spot and digital advertising.

The campaign will come to an exciting conclusion during the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 23 with the launch of a sweepstakes offering fans the chance to be the Honorary Starter as part of a legendary VIP experience of their own at the 2024 GEICO 500 at Talladega.

“You don’t grow from backroads and beaches to become the No. 1 motorsport in America without amassing plenty of legendary figures and memories along the way,” said Pete Jung, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at NASCAR. “We’re ecstatic about teaming up with our partners at GEICO to celebrate more of those stories with our fans and continue connecting NASCAR’s past, present and future through this campaign.”

Throughout its run, NASCAR Legends Presented by GEICO will be anchored by original social and digital content produced by NASCAR Studios, including the series: Photo Memories, Untold Stories, NASCAR Classics and NASCAR Rewind. Multiple pieces of content will roll out across NASCAR platforms each week, offering fans unparalleled perspective on some of their favorite moments and others they may be hearing about for the first time.

Fans can visit www.nascar.com/legends to see it all in one dedicated digital hub.

Content and additional campaign elements will be part of the NASCAR Experience midway activation at Richmond Raceway, Martinsville Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, including branded giveaway items for fans and on-stage interviews with legendary NASCAR personalities.

GEICO will incorporate the campaign into their own at-track activations during the GEICO 500 weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, and there will be official integrations with the NASCAR Hall of Fame as well.

The NASCAR season rolls into Richmond Raceway this weekend. Fans can tune in to the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 this Sunday, April 2, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Tickets are available for purchase at www.nascar.com/tickets.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Multiple late-race cautions at Circuit of The Americas led to bent fenders and hurt feelings Sunday afternoon.

And by the time the smoke settled, tempers were flaring between Trackhouse Racing teammates Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain, along with Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman.

MORE: COTA race recap | Cup Series standings

In double overtime, Suárez restarted as the third car on the inside lane with Bowman and Chastain behind him. The field scattered up the hill into Turn 1, and Bowman peeked to Suárez’s left side. Chastain nudged Bowman under braking, sending Bowman into Suárez, who, in turn, spun Martin Truex Jr. The contact from Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet to Truex’s car resulted in a flat right-front tire for Suárez, whose tire carcass then came loose and necessitated the final caution of the afternoon. Suárez was relegated to a 27th-place finish.

It was a culmination of a day’s worth of aggression throughout the field. Suárez chased Bowman’s No. 48 car to pit road after the cooldown lap, nudging Chastain out of the way to get there. Bowman and Suárez had a conversation upon exiting their cars.

WATCH: Extended highlights from Sunday’s race at COTA | In-car: Hear what Suárez said

“He just thought I drove in and tried to drive through him,” Bowman said of Suárez. “I had the corner made. Only reason I was inside of the 99 was to protect from the 1. Then the 1 just hammered me in the corner, dumped me, then I ran into the 99, kind of cleaned him out.”

With that information fresh on his mind, Suárez made his way to his teammate’s car for a discussion. That exchange became more heated as Chastain exited his car, telling his teammate: “Don’t be all high and mighty.”

“He (Suárez) is mad at me for being two rows back,” Chastain later told reporters. “He’s always mad at me. … I shouldn’t say that. He’s not always mad at me. He’s mad at me for a restart.”

Chastain had worked his way back to the top 10 entering that double-overtime restart after spinning in Turn 1 on a restart with nine laps to go in regulation. Chastain veered to avoid Austin Dillon’s spinning car and went wide — but wound up spun around himself off the nose of Erik Jones’ No. 43 car.

“I’m getting run into, and then I’m running into people. I got spun a couple restarts before, and he got it later,” said Chastain, who rallied to fourth. “I didn’t get mad when I got spun. I just tried to get my car to start. It was in, like, low-load protection mode, and once I got the ECU cycled, I got going, and I never thought about it again.

“I don’t understand how we can be so upset about crazy restarts that we’re doing.”

Bowman, who had his own disagreement with Chastain one week earlier at Atlanta after a bailed plan to draft together, saw plenty of reason to be displeased about the calamity of each restart.

“The problem is if you don’t peek out and (dive) bomb the guy in front of you, the guy behind you does it to you,” said Bowman, the third-place finisher.

MORE: At-track photos from COTA | Latest championship odds

Chastain reiterated how strong the Next Gen vehicles are — resilient enough to take a beating and keep on driving. With points on the line, drivers appear to be more willing to make the aggressive move.

“These cars are so tough, we can run into each other,” Chastain said. “I mean, there’s just lines of cars all pushing each other on the brakes. And nobody’s going in there saying, ‘I’m gonna hit somebody,’ but it’s just, the leader has to check up, and it just magnifies itself. So, I tried being up top and going around the outside and got spun. I went on the bottom and got slammed into.”

The contact left plenty of drivers displeased, but Chastain says the shoves are just part of the show.

“Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained?” Chastain said, offering his best “Gladiator” impression. “I mean, come on. This is what we love. I don’t love it doing it, but this is, as a sport, we’re not boring.”

Posted on by Press Release

HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – After just over a month off from the first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race of the season at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, Justin Bonsignore and the Ken Massa Motorsports team are ready to get back to work for Round 2.

The No. 51 Coastal Fiber team rolls to Richmond Raceway this Friday, March 31, for the Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150. Bonsignore enters the race as the defending winner of the 150-lap contest in Virginia and is coming off a second-place finish to open the season at New Smyrna after a spirited battle with Ron Silk last month.

Bonsignore led 58 laps at Richmond last March, passing Tommy Catalano with 11 laps to go and racing away to what was his 31st series victory. Since then, Bonsignore has added three more and currently sits with 34 victories in NASCAR’s oldest division.

“We started off the season well at New Smyrna, and we’re looking forward to getting back to Richmond,” Bonsignore said. “Last year, we had a great car at the end of the race and were able to capitalize with a win.

“Weekends where we join the NASCAR national series divisions at the track are always special for all of us in the garage, and Ryan Stone and the team have prepared a strong Coastal-Fiber car for 150 laps.”

Coastal Fiber, LLC, is a local Virginia business that is a full service fiber optic construction and splicing company. Owned by Mark Langevin, the owner of Phoenix Communications Inc. – Bonsignore’s normal primary sponsor – Coastal Fiber, LLC returns to the side of the No. 51 for the Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will hit the track for practice on Friday from 12:45-1:55 p.m. ET, followed by Mayhew Tools pole qualifying at 4:15 p.m. ET. The green flag for the race, live on FloRacing, will drop at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Richmond’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event will precede NASCAR’s national series divisions, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (April 1) and the NASCAR Cup Series (April 2).

For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, fans are encouraged to visit his website, JustinBonsignore.com, and follow his athlete page on Facebook for updates, including from the track.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

After taking more than a month off following the season-opening round at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season resumes Friday evening at Richmond Raceway with the running of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150.

Friday’s race will mark the 13th visit by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to the 0.75-mile oval. The inaugural visit by the series to Richmond came in 1990, with Rick Fuller outlasting Mike McLaughlin to take home the trophy. The late Mike Stefanik is the winningest driver in Tour history at Richmond with three victories. The only other driver with multiple Richmond wins is Reggie Ruggiero with two.

Last year, Justin Bonsignore chased down Tommy Catalano and led the final 11 laps to earn his first trip to Victory Lane at Richmond.

Below is everything you need to know about Saturday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway.

MORE RICHMOND: Tickets | Streaming

Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway

What to watch for:

21 Rr Virginiaracinglovers150 Modified 4cDespite being among the most consistent competitors all season, Ron Silk was unable to find Victory Lane in 2022.

He quickly erased that stat this year with his victory in the opening race of the season at New Smyrna in February. He enters Friday’s race at Richmond Raceway as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship leader and one of the favorites to visit Victory Lane at the end of the evening.

More than 30 competitors are expected to try to stop Silk, including defending race winner Justin Bonsignore. Back at the wheel of the Ken Massa-owned No. 51, Bonsignore will be looking to earn his 36th Tour victory.

Should he win Friday at Richmond, Bonsignore would take sole possession of fourth on the all-time Tour win list. He is currently tied with Tony Hirschman at 35 victories each.

Another notable entrant for Friday’s race is Matt Hirschman, who will be making his Richmond Raceway debut. The driver from Northampton, Pennsylvania, is competing at Richmond thanks to a partnership with Baker Racing, the same team Hirschman drove for during the Islip 300 at New York’s Riverhead Raceway late last season.

Jeremy Gerstner, driver of the No. 55 Jerry Hunt SuperCenter Modified, and Donny Lia, driver of the No. 3 Propane Plus – SYP Modified, during the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Richmond Raceway on April 1, 2022. (Photo: Sanjay Suchak/NASCAR)

Also entered are a pair of NASCAR veterans. Ryan Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 winner, and Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion, will race as teammates in cars fielded by Sadler Stanley Racing. The team is owned by retired NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler and Virginia State Senator Bill Stanley.

Tommy Catalano, who led the most laps and finished second to Bonsignore last season at Richmond, will look to do one spot better this year in his family-owned No. 54.

Doug Coby will continue his pursuit of a seventh NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship with Tommy Baldwin Racing, and defending Tour champion Jon McKennedy will look to register his third career Tour victory.

Other notable entrants include Craig Lutz, Eric Goodale, Patrick Emerling, Tyler Rypkema, J.B. Fortin and Dave Sapienza.

The complete entry for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is available here.

RACE FACTS

Race Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150
Date Friday, March 31, 2023
Track Richmond Raceway
Layout 0.75-mile paved, d-shaped oval
Location Richmond, Virginia
Start Time 6:30 p.m. ET
Laps 150
Posted awards $120,400
Live stream FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Friday, March 31 … Final practice from 12:45 to 1:55 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 4:15 p.m. ET … Race at 6:30 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 Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is fourteen (14) 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 six (6) tires, any position.

Posted on by Zack Albert

AUSTIN, Texas — Jenson Button and Jordan Taylor were able to share a moment together after Sunday’s race at Circuit of The Americas. Both drivers were smiling after making it to the checkered flag in their NASCAR Cup Series debuts, but showing some wear after a hefty share of roughhousing with the stock-car tour’s regulars.

Button, the 2009 Formula 1 champion, finished 18th in Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix with a Rick Ware Racing effort supported by Stewart-Haas Racing and Mobil 1. Taylor, the IMSA standout subbing for Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, drove to 24th place after a late scramble of overtime restarts dropped him in the running order.

RELATED: Race results | Reddick rolls to COTA win

The two have roles on the Garage 56 effort that will bring a NASCAR-themed presence to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, and on Sunday, they shared finishes on the lead lap. But they also left Austin with a common impression about the bare-knuckled and full-contact nature of the competition.

“I mean, the aggression definitely caught me off guard. I think I had more contact today in one race than probably my entire career combined,” said Taylor, who started fourth. “I honestly didn’t know how the car was still driving straight after at the end, so the cars are strong, Hendrick Motorsports builds us a strong, safe race car and it was fast. Yeah, just disappointed we couldn’t give them kind of the day they deserved.”

Racing with respect — or rather, without it — has been a topic in NASCAR circles in recent weeks, and Kyle Busch was among the most vocal in saying the sense of dignity among the current crop of racers has been lost. Taylor and Button experienced some of that Sunday at the 3.41-mile road course, especially the madcap restarts as the field barreled into the sharp, uphill first turn.

Taylor said as a NASCAR newcomer, “I’m probably the wrong guy to ask” regarding how cutthroat on-track conduct should be officiated. Sunday, he absorbed the contact with a sense of bewilderment.

“Yeah, honestly, I’ve never seen anything like that in my whole life. I mean, if someone came over the sports car side and did that, it would be like, ejected out of the race immediately,” Taylor said, mimicking an umpire with an upward ‘you’re out’ sweep of his thumb. “So for me, I should have probably expected that, just watching years past, but I think when you’re actually in the car getting smashed around, it’s a much different experience.

“I think, even when you’re battling for 29th position, they don’t care. They’ll go for 28th and just use you up. So just a different form of racing that I guess I wasn’t used to and probably should have expected. But yes, it’s still cool to get my first Cup race’s debut. Just wish it would have been a little bit better.”

MORE: At-track photos: COTA

Button’s day placed him in the top half of the finishing order, even after a late stop for ice and water near the end as he weathered the heat of the Texas afternoon. He has two more Cup Series races planned with the team — July 2 at Chicago and Aug. 13 at Indianapolis.

“Not yet. I need to rest,” Button said when asked about his readiness for Chicago. “I’m gonna go and cuddle my wife and the kids and lay down by the pool. But what a lovely opportunity. Thank you so much to Mobil 1 and Rick Ware Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing for getting me up to speed, finishing 18th at my first race when I got hit on every corner or I hit someone every corner. I’m kind of happy with that and lots to take away from this, and lots to improve on as well, so I look forward to that challenge. So thank you, Austin, thank you, NASCAR, and see you in Chicago.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

Ben Rhodes was completing his final laps around the Circuit of The Americas when something seemed amiss. His No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford was running third when it started showing the first signs of breakage with two laps to go during Saturday’s XPEL 225. By the 19th of 20 turns on the white-flag lap, the driveshaft gave way.

Rhodes was headed for a seemingly assured top-five finish, which would have been his third consecutive in this young NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. Instead, his No. 99 F-150 limped across the start/finish line in 10th place, leaving the former series champ scratching his head.

“Watching the big hill (in Turn 1) come up to me and getting slower and slower, I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Rhodes said of his slow-speed pass under the checkered flag. “I’m just watching trucks fly past. That was just an absolute heartbreaker, really. I know everybody on our team, we set ourselves up for a good finish with the pit stops because we knew we didn’t have the short-run speed that the other trucks did. But the truck held on for pace really well at the end.”

RELATED: Truck Series standings | Craftsman Trucks schedule

While Rhodes was lamenting the third-place result that had escaped him, No. 99 crew chief Jeriod Prince provided a contrast on the team’s radio communications after the race. He told his driver that a 10th-place finish in light of an otherwise catastrophic parts failure was close to a best-case scenario. Had the malfunction happened any earlier, Rhodes’ truck likely would have slowed to a halt before the end, dealing the team a finish outside of the top 25.

Rhodes is in his eighth season with the ThorSport group, but it’s his first year working with Prince – who was paired with Christian Eckes on the No. 98 team last season. Rhodes took special note of his crew chief’s different outlook as he searched for post-race positives.

“My team’s had great speed, and that’s the way that we need to take this. That’s the absolute attitude that we need to have,” Rhodes said. “It’s very easy to focus on the negative … I tend to do that myself, actually. The good news is that our crew chief, Jeriod, who has done a great job leading the team and keeping everybody happy, making sure that we’re all in the right frame of mind. I think that’s one of his strong suits. He’ll find the silver lining.

“He already told me, ‘Good thing it busted out in the last corner.’ I said, ‘I’m just mad it busted at all.’ He is just happy as can be that the truck ran good the whole race, and it happened at the proper timing to still get 10th. He has a good attitude. I’ll work on mine a little bit.”

Rhodes aims to keep some of the momentum going as the Craftsman Truck Series stays in the Lone Star State this week, but with a shift back to oval-track racing at Texas Motor Speedway in Saturday’s SpeedyCash.com 250 (4:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The 26-year-old driver ranks third in the series standings with three top 10s through four races so far – all with room to grow, Prince says.

“I swear, with 20 (laps) to go in every race, we’ve been top three so far this year, so that’s all you can ask for,” Prince told NASCAR.com. “We’ve had some speed, and we’ve been pretty good, just luck hasn’t seemed to fall our way. Last week in Atlanta, you know, he was going for the lead on the outside on the last lap, and we got wrecked. So, we were there. We just gotta have a little luck on our side, and I think we’ll be all right. We all have a pretty positive attitude about everything, so we’re still all happy with how things are going.”

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Tyler Reddick was the winningest driver on road courses in the inaugural season of the Next Gen vehicle in 2022. But with a new team and new manufacturer — one that struggled notoriously on road courses last year — there was no guarantee Reddick’s success would continue.

Reddick left no doubt at Circuit of The Americas this weekend that he remains the series’ current best when faced with lefts and rights.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: COTA

Reddick led a race-high 41 of 75 laps at the 3.41-mile course on Sunday afternoon. In six road races in 2022, Toyota combined to lead just 23 circuits — 17 of which came from Christopher Bell at Indianapolis and another two from Bell’s win at the Charlotte Roval in October.

“This whole 23XI team has been working so hard all winter long to make the road course program better,” Reddick told FOX Sports after celebrating with team members along the frontstretch. “Was extremely motivated to come in here and prove that performance, too. Just so proud of this Monster Energy Toyota Camry TRD. Toyota, everybody, all the resources they’ve been putting into this to help turn around the road course program means a lot.”

Reddick backed up the dominant pace he showed all weekend long. The No. 45 Toyota from 23XI Racing’s stable was quickest in Friday’s practice session, laid a new track record in the opening round of Saturday’s qualifying session before ultimately earning the second starting spot and set the fastest lap in Sunday’s race at 2 minutes, 12.706 seconds.

Last year with Richard Childress Racing, Reddick scored the first three Cup victories of his career — the first two of which came on road courses at Road America and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Tyler Reddick performs a burnout in his No. 45 car in front of crew members after winning at COTA
Logan Riely | Getty Images

The success he found Sunday at COTA should put the field on high alert for the remaining five road circuits ahead, the next coming June 11 at Sonoma Raceway. That road-racing schedule includes the inaugural race on the Chicago Street Course on July 2, along with August races at Indianapolis and Watkins Glen before the Roval appears in the October playoffs.

“Things that we were strong with today hopefully will apply in some ways to those other places,” Reddick said in his post-race press conference. “In no way do we get super comfortable or content with how we do. We’re going to: How could we be better, what things can we clean up. I definitely could have done things better at the end of this race on restarts.”

WATCH: Reddick breaks down late overtime restarts

Reddick also had the advantage of participating in a January tire test with his 23XI Racing crew at COTA, admitting it was a “good sign” to see what progress his team made in the months since. But Reddick hopes his own success can rise Toyota’s tide the next time right turns are on the menu.

“Obviously, I would love to see all the Toyotas get better,” Reddick said. “Certainly, we’re all going to work together, share notes, hopefully get the rest of them up there soon. Good step in the right direction.

“Like I said, it was a really big point of emphasis for myself coming in here to try to help Toyota to get better on the road courses. Yeah, I’d say that was a success.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

AUSTIN, Texas – William Byron wiped his brow after wrapping up a hard-fought Sunday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas. On a day when the strongest performances belonged to two drivers, the strength of his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was an ever-close second to the winning No. 45 Toyota of race winner Tyler Reddick.

Byron chopped it up with Reddick in a spirited duel down the stretch in Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, but his hopes of notching a third NASCAR Cup Series win in this young season faded after the serious scramble of three overtime restarts. The 25-year-old driver still brought his No. 24 Chevy home in fifth place, somewhat scraped but with its strong start intact after his first top-five result on a road course.

“Yeah, it was bowling balls. I mean, physics, right,” Byron said. “You just push the guy in front of you, and you’re just all tangled up and you’re just relying on the guy in front of you to stop. So it was cleaner at the beginning of the race, like, we had some really fun restarts, me and Reddick and a couple other guys, but toward the end, it’s just physics. You’re just trying to drive in there as far as you can and hope that you stop.”

RELATED: COTA race results | At-track photos

Byron started from the pole position after topping Reddick in the final round of Saturday’s qualifying session, and the two took turns setting the pace throughout the 75-lap affair. Each led six times – Reddick for 41 laps and Byron for 28 – and their attempts at fuel conservation down the stretch became moot when Brad Keselowski’s stalled car on Lap 56 touched off a series of late yellow flags.

Byron found encouragement from coach Max Papis over the No. 24 radio: “William, go out there and show it to yourself the badass that you are.” But he didn’t have quite the speed to track down Reddick, especially when the late-race restarts turned rough.

“I thought he was definitely better than us, but we were a solid second, kind of on our own,” Byron said. “So yeah, it was a good day just leading everybody else, and then here comes the 45, a couple tenths faster, so that was hard, but it’s part of it.”

Despite the slight dip from a seemingly assured runner-up finish, Bryon remains the Cup Series’ only two-time winner through six races this year. He also sits near the top of the chart in laps led – second to only teammate Kyle Larson, who has led 270 to his 268.

Byron’s rank in the series points, however, is a subpar 28th, owing to a technical violation for unapproved parts modifications that cost him and the No. 24 team 100 points in their respective standings. Hendrick Motorsports is appealing the penalties but not the crew chief suspensions. That meant a new interim role for technical director Brian Campe, who has guided the No. 24 team in place of regular crew chief Rudy Fugle.

MORE: Appeal dates announced for Hendrick, Kaulig, Hamlin

Campe was quick to credit Byron for his perseverance but also the depth of Hendrick’s bench.

“It’s been really easy, and that’s because of guys like (No. 24 engineers) Brandon McSwain and Ryan Kelly and all the people at Hendrick Motorsports that do this every day,” Campe told NASCAR.com. “You know, there’s 400-plus people there that — I call it a shield lock – have their shields locked together. We’ll go to war here, and no matter what happens, we’re gonna come up with good results, no matter who’s sitting in there. So we could have picked anybody in the shop. It was an honor to get picked, so I’ll take that, and we’ll go from there.”