Posted on by Reid Spencer

AVONDALE, Ariz. — High-school senior Sammy Smith made the most of the fastest car in Saturday’s United Rentals 200, becoming the youngest NASCAR Xfinity Series winner at Phoenix Raceway at age 18.

In a race that featured 11 cautions for 69 laps, Smith held off teammate Ryan Truex after a restart with 15 of 200 laps left to give Joe Gibbs Racing its 16th victory at the 1-mile track.

Smith led a race-high 92 laps, including the last 52, taking the lead from all-time series wins leader Kyle Busch on Lap 149. To secure his first victory in the series in his 13th start, Smith had to survive restarts on Laps 157, 177 and 186.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Phoenix

“That was tough with all of those restarts — and going against some of the best,” said Smith, who takes his high school classes online. “I just have to thank everybody on Pilot/Flying J, Toyota, JGR guys and everybody on this 18 team for giving me an awesome car. This is awesome.

“This is a dream come true, and I did know that at some point this was coming. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of great people around me. Without all of these guys, I wouldn’t be here.”

In a part-time role with JGR, Truex matched his career-best finish after restarting seventh on Lap 186.

“That was a good restart at the end,” Truex said. “I thought I could at least try to make it exciting. Congrats to Sammy — he was the class of the field all day. His car was so good. He could really kind of do whatever he wanted.

“Sammy was just a little bit faster, but I’ll try again next time.”

WATCH: Truex’s full post-race interview

Sheldon Creed ran a miraculous third after spinning and losing track position on Lap 148 to cause the ninth caution. Creed got help from Kaulig Racing teammates Busch and Chandler Smith, who tangled on the last lap while racing for fourth. Smith got the better of the exchange, finishing fifth to Busch’s ninth.

Busch and Chandler Smith weren’t the only teammates who traded paint on Saturday. JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry spun off the bumper of Sam Mayer on Lap 84 but fought back to finish eighth.

Justin Allgaier, who won the race’s first two stages, crashed hard on Lap 178 after contact from JR Motorsports teammate Brandon Jones and Sam Hunt Racing’s Kaz Grala. The accident eliminated Allgaier and set up Smith’s triumphant run to the checkered flag.

Riley Herbst ran fourth. John Hunter Nemechek recovered from a restart penalty — dipping below the yellow line on the apron before the start/finish line — to come home sixth.

Austin Hill was seventh, followed by Berry, Busch and Daniel Hemric. Mayer finished 11th and pole winner Cole Custer 12th.

Heading to his home state of Georgia, Hill leads the series standings by 30 points over second-place Nemechek. The Xfinity Series returns to action Saturday, March 18 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (5 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the Raptor King of Tough 250.

Contributing: Staff report

Posted on by Dustin Albino

Hendrick Motorsports was the class of the field last weekend at Las Vegas in the middle race of the three-week West Coast swing. Kyle Larson’s No. 5 team has brought similar speed to Phoenix Raceway this weekend, as he’s had the quickest car in all metrics. Larson was quickest in practice, fastest on 10-lap average, led Group B qualifying by nearly three-tenths of a second and won the pole.

MORE: Full Phoenix lineup | Phoenix race odds

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:
Starter 1: Kyle Larson
Starter 2: Denny Hamlin
Starter 3: Ryan Blaney
Starter 4: Kevin Harvick
Starter 5: Martin Truex Jr.
Garage pick: Alex Bowman

NEXT IN LINE: Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain

RISING: Three qualifying sessions into the new season – keep in mind there was a washout at Auto Club Speedway – and RFK Racing continues to impress. Specifically Keselowski, who has consecutive top-10 starting positions, with his fourth-place effort for Sunday. The No. 6 car was the best of the Fords for the majority of the race last weekend, until a late pit-road miscue sent Keselowski to the hornet’s nest. When the green flag drops Sunday, he will have the best track position of all Ford drivers.

Given Hamlin has multiple wins in the desert, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the No. 11 Toyota unloaded fast this weekend. The Virginia native was ecstatic about his long-run speed, as he ranked second on the 10-lap average in Friday’s practice.

FALLING: It’s been a tough go for Chase Briscoe recently, as he enters Phoenix with a best finish of 20th in the first trio of races in 2023. The defending Phoenix winner showed speed in practice, but will start a mediocre 24th. Certainly, he could maneuver his way through the field, but it’s not the start he was looking for.

The same thing could be said for Briscoe’s teammate Ryan Preece. Based on how strong the No. 41 Ford was at the Busch Light Clash – and how solid Preece is on short tracks – one would think some of those characteristics could translate to Phoenix, despite a new rules package. He was 32nd in both single-car speed and 10-lap average, however. Preece will also take the green flag from 25th position.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:
Chase Briscoe vs. William Byron
Hendrick Motorsports looks to be the team to beat for the second consecutive week, so this is a layup. Even with Briscoe showing speed in practice, the No. 24 car was a skosh quicker on the long run. Phoenix is known for long runs, which gives the upper hand to Byron.

Ryan Blaney vs. Martin Truex Jr.
As you can see, I expect big days from both drivers by having them in my starting lineup. However, Blaney was a threat to win the first two races in a Next Gen car at Phoenix last season, leading more than 40% of the laps. Truex is a recent winner at the track (2021) but go with Blaney here.

Christopher Bell vs. Ross Chastain
Bell is one of two Cup drivers to have multiple top-five finishes in the first three races, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he adds a third on Sunday. Chastain will likely be strong too, entering the race as the regular season championship leader. You could go either way with this one (they were fifth and sixth in practice), but my gut tells me the No. 20 team – and Toyota – will have a strong day.

Austin Cindric vs. Tyler Reddick
Going with the logic above, Reddick, driving a Toyota, should have a much-needed strong run come Sunday. He was quicker than Cindric in practice on the short and long run, and out-qualified the No. 2 car. Cindric will start near the center of the field in 20th.

MORE: Set your lineups on NASCAR Fantasy Live

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

AVONDALE, Ariz. — As NASCAR continues to leap forward in the second year of the Next Gen car and introduce new tracks to the Cup Series circuit, one driver has remained on top of his game.

Team Penske’s Joey Logano has developed a knack for being the top dog when faced with change.

RELATED: Full Phoenix schedule | Complete guide to Sunday’s race

Two seasons ago, he scored the victory in the inaugural event on the dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. More impressively, Logano was the Pied Piper of the Next Gen era, winning the first race with the car at the Busch Light Clash inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That win at the Clash evolved into Logano grabbing the checkered flag in the first Cup race at World Wide Technology and closing out 2022 as the first Cup champion with the Next Gen vehicle.

Logano credits his No. 22 team for the ability to adapt so well.

“It’s a lot of the team if I’m being honest,” Logano, the two-time Cup Series champion, said. “As a team, I think we’re able to have a lot of different discussions around things and even during the race we can adapt as we see things. For whatever reason, change has been good for us.”

Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will see a change to how the cars race as the spoiler was reduced from 4 inches to 2 inches as well as updates underneath the car to reduce downforce by around 30%. With a new challenge for drivers, it’s no surprise that Logano is a co-favorite to win at Phoenix Raceway.

MORE: See changes to car ahead of Sunday

Kyle Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champion, is no stranger to succeeding in new environments. He dominated in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, winning 10 races en route to his first title including the inaugural Cup race at Nashville Superspeedway.

While not discussed formally among the team, Larson has kept his eye on Logano’s success with change.

“I’ve noticed that. I mean he wins the first race in the Next Gen car, he won the first race at Gateway. Like when there’s a new something, whether it be aero package or track, he’s usually winning or contending,” Larson said. “I think it shows … not just him … I think, yes, he beats his teammates so like he’s doing a better job but even the team [Penske] has done a good job in the past of pairing for something new. It takes a combination of things and Joey’s an extremely great race car driver and Penske’s an extremely team too across all forms of racing.”

Wood Brothers Racing driver Harrison Burton has been challenged at the beginning of his Cup Series career. Burton’s said he’s had to learn on the fly when his team deliberates entering weeks that are new to Cup drivers. He said it’s made him more comfortable in uncomfortable situations, and having a technical alliance with Penske, he’s been able to learn from Logano.

Joey Logano speaks to Ryan Blaney on pit road
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

“I watch him pretty closely to see how he prepares for these things,” Burton said. “I think he treats it like any other weekend and he’s a really confident driver as he should be, he’s a two-time Cup champion. The biggest thing is I think he shows up and is prepared and is one of the hardest-working guys I’ve been around for sure. You add that with confidence and talent and good things happen.”

Logano’s teammate Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500 last year to open his rookie campaign in the Cup Series. He credited the prep work done by both Penske and Logano as to why they perform at their best with unknowns.

“Obviously Joey’s track record on new experiences and new challenges is pretty unparalleled,” Cindric, the second-year Cup driver, said. “You have to have the right homework on the car side just as much on the driver side. I think between Team Penske and the work that Joey does that’s a pretty hard combination to beat.

“More than anything else if you give Joey a chance to win the race, he’s probably gonna do it. When you look at the times we’ve been dominant as a company, coming to races last year, he was the guy to win the race because I feel like when he tastes blood he goes for it.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Put Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell in the camp of competitors who favor the new lower-downforce competition package NASCAR has introduced for Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). 

Though Bell’s No. 20 Toyota was 24th fastest in Friday’s 50-minute practice session, he was enthusiastic about the way his Camry performed in traffic. 

“I don’t know if I’m biased towards it because I really like it, but I made passes in practice that I know that I absolutely wouldn’t have with the old package,” Bell said. “I don’t know. I’m happy. I hope the other drivers feel the same way… 

“I felt like I could pass a little easier and I felt like I could maintain my position easier when I was following guys, but we will know more on Sunday.” 

RELATED: Starting lineup for Sunday | Photos of new car changes

Bell, who felt his car lacked short-run speed, was 0.485 seconds off the pace of Kyle Larson, who topped the speed chart at 131.258 mph (27.427 seconds). 

However, the No. 20 team made solid adjustments and had a stronger showing in Saturday’s multi-round qualifying session. Bell posted a final-round time of 27.827 seconds and will roll off fifth in the premier series race, the second-fastest Toyota behind teammate Denny Hamlin.

MORE: Full qualifying recap

Contributing: Staff Report

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson won the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway in Saturday’s qualifying session.

Larson wheeled his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to a pole speed of 130.237 mph, besting Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin for the top spot on the starting grid by just 0.065 seconds.

RELATED: Full Phoenix starting lineup | At-track photos: Phoenix

Larson’s teammate William Byron will start third with a lap average speed of 129.922 mph alongside RFK Racing co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski in fourth at 129.762 mph. JGR’s Christopher Bell rounded out the top five at 129.580 mph.

The pole award is Larson’s first of the season, with his most recent quick time coming at Martinsville Speedway last October. His last Phoenix pole came in November 2021, when he piloted the No. 5 team to the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

“It means a lot. Qualifying is really important here,” said Larson, who was also quickest in Friday’s practice session. “We got the pole in 2021 and that really helped us win the championship race. Joey [Logano] had an extremely fast car in the fall last year, but he got the pole as well and won. So I think that number one pit stall means a lot.

“Happy to be quick this weekend; quick in practice and have it translate to qualifying.”

Completing the top 10 in the starting grid were Ross Chastain, Michael McDowell, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch and Erik Jones.

The quick times posted by Larson and Byron came despite some trouble for Hendrick Motorsports cars on Friday. NASCAR officials confiscated the hood louvers from each of the four Hendrick entries, including those from Alex Bowman and Josh Berry. The sanctioning body will bring those back to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, for further evaluation but the team was levied no penalty yet.

NASCAR also announced that the No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley had its louvers confiscated during pre-qualifying inspection on Saturday. Similarly to the Hendrick situation, no penalty was announced.

Cup teams are debuting a new rules package configuration at Phoenix on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), featuring a 30% reduction in downforce. Larson credited his team, led by crew chief Cliff Daniels, with the homework done to prepare for this weekend’s 312-lap contest.

In the first round of qualifying, Larson was over two-tenths of a second quicker than the next-fastest vehicle, but the gap shrunk notably in the pole round.

“Looking at SMT, I felt like my ability to roll some center-corner speed in (turns) one and two kind of gave me a little bit of an advantage,” Larson said. “There’s definitely some cars that are better than me in (turns) three and four, but we’re all so competitive over there too. I feel like there’s a lot of room behind the wheel to get a lot better in three and four. I think my car is fine. I think I just need to do some things different and get even better in three and four and then we should be really good.”

MORE: Recap Friday’s practice session | Phoenix schedule

Daniel Suárez will start 11th in the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, failing to advance to the pole round by just 0.004 seconds to teammate Chastain. The Fords of Team Penske and Stewart-Haas Racing were fast in Friday’s 50-minute practice session, but only one of those seven entries — Ryan Blaney — advanced to the top 10 in Saturday’s qualifying session.

Kevin Harvick of SHR was the quickest of the remaining six in 15th place with Penske’s Joey Logano 16th. Harvick is eyeing his 20th consecutive top-10 finish at Phoenix, which would extend the Cup Series record he holds of most consecutive top 10s at one track.

Chase Briscoe, Harvick’s teammate at SHR, will roll off from the 24th position on Sunday. Briscoe scored his first career Cup victory in March 2022 at Phoenix.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials took the hood louvers from the four Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets at Phoenix Raceway, and the sanctioning body will bring them to the NASCAR Research & Development Center for further evaluation next week in Concord, North Carolina.

During initial inspection Friday, league officials discovered a potential issue that needs further examination. Hendrick cars were permitted to use those louvers in practice, with officials taking them after the opening session at the 1-mile track.

RELATED: Full practice results

There is no penalty to Hendrick cars this weekend, and any potential penalties would be announced next week. The Hendrick organization can replace the hood louvers prior to inspection on Saturday and in advance of qualifying (2:05 p.m. ET, FS1).

The hood louvers — which you can see on this Next Gen 3D model — are openings or vents in the hood that serve as a release point for ducts that transfer air out of the radiator. The system is intended to decouple engine performance from aero performance, offsetting the practice of teams taping off air intakes and placing undue pressure and heat strain on the car’s engine.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson paced the field in practice Friday in the No. 5 Chevrolet, turning his fastest lap time at 131.258 mph (or 27.427 seconds). Alex Bowman was third overall in the No. 48 at 130.725 mph. Last week’s winner William Byron was 20th overall (129.241 mph) and Josh Berry, filling in for the injured Chase Elliott in the No. 9, was 23rd (128.986 mph).

Friday’s practice served as the debut for NASCAR’s new rule package featured on most short ovals and all road courses in 2023. The configuration includes a 2-inch spoiler and fewer strakes underneath the car, reducing downforce by approximately 30%.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson topped the leaderboard in Friday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice at Phoenix Raceway at 131.258 mph in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Just behind was Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford at 131.105 mph.

RELATED: Practice results | Phoenix schedule

Completing the top five behind them were Alex Bowman in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford and Chase Briscoe in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

Ross Chastain, the series points leader, was 26th-fastest with a speed of 128.315 mph in the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.

The 50-minute session served as the debut for NASCAR’s new rule package, featured on most short ovals and all road courses in 2023. The configuration includes a 2-inch spoiler and fewer strakes underneath the car, reducing downforce by approximately 30%.

MORE: Get up to speed on the package | Chastain rebuilding confidence

Fords performed notably well in single-lap speed during the Friday warmup, placing seven of the manufacturer’s entrants inside the top 10, including RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski in sixth, Wood Brothers Racing sophomore Harrison Burton in eighth and SHR teammates Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola rounding out ninth and 10th.

Toyota, on the other hand, did not place a car inside the top 15 in one-lap speeds. The quickest of Toyota’s six cars was Bubba Wallace in 16th, who wheeled the No. 23 23XI Racing Camry around the track at 129.413 mph.

Ten-lap averages saw Larson quickest of the bunch at 129.311 mph, ahead of Blaney, Logano, Harvick and Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron. Wallace turned in the sixth-quickest 10-lap average over Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, Stenhouse and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick.

Farther down the speed chart in both categories was Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion, posted the 29th-fastest single lap at 127.927 mph and didn’t fare much better in 10-lap runs: 27th at 126.353 mph. Teammate Austin Dillon was 15th-quickest in one-lap speeds but ranked 30th of the 34 cars which ran 10 laps, turning an average speed of 125.428 mph.

The Cup Series returns to the track for qualifying at Phoenix on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. ET with live coverage on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Three races into the NASCAR Cup Series season, Ross Chastain sits atop the points standings for the first time in his career.

And yet the second-year Trackhouse Racing driver continues to battle his own confidence levels, just months after reaching the Championship 4 and finishing runner-up in a breakthrough season for the fledging program.

Don’t be too confused: Chastain has no doubt about the capabilities of his equipment. He’s already netted three stage victories — one in the Daytona 500 ahead of a stage sweep at Auto Club Speedway — in addition to 12 stage points at Las Vegas Motor Speedway a week ago.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Cup schedule

Ross Chastain sits against the Turn 3 wall at Martinsville in March 2023
Zach Sturniolo | NASCAR Studios

But that hasn’t diminished the self-doubt that crept into Chastain’s mind ahead of the 2023 campaign.

“I know it sounds weird when I say it out loud, but I have less confidence because I know what we’re capable of,” Chastain told NASCAR.com Tuesday at Martinsville Speedway. “And sustaining this level of competitiveness at this level of the sport is so challenging. We race in circles on the weekends and this sport is a huge circle. Teams go up and down. Drivers’ stock goes up and down. So trying to keep ourselves elevated here is going to be tough.”

The introspective questions aren’t exactly fresh for the eighth-generation watermelon farmer from Alva, Florida. Chastain first mentioned those thoughts a month ago during Daytona 500 Media Day.

“Look, last year was the arrival of Trackhouse and Daniel and myself,” Chastain said on Feb. 15. “I had a new car and a new team to lean on for kind of the unknown and be confident in the unknown that we would come out strong, but we didn’t know. I honestly feel less confident sitting here today than I did one year ago. And I know it might sound odd. It’s something I’ve been working through with my coaches, but I feel like there’s more things I need to do to be better to sustain what we arrived last year and did. …

“The lack of confidence is that I might not be good enough, that I might not be able to execute when it comes time. So continuing to be the best race car driver I can be is where I work to build that confidence back up. It’s not really a numerical value of race finished or anything. It’s just, can I execute when it matters?”

The results have yet to be seen as Chastain’s tenure at Trackhouse is still fairly new — and so is the team’s tenure in NASCAR after a 2021 debut. But the early sample size is encouraging, particularly in Chastain’s case.

A bit of self-auditing may be healthy for the 30-year-old, though. Chastain nabbed two victories last season — the first wins of his career — and advanced to the championship round of the playoffs, but his most recent trip to Victory Lane was April 24, 2022, at Talladega Superspeedway, nearly a year ago. And to propel into the Championship 4, he needed to complete the most desperate move a 10th-place driver has ever pulled at Martinsville Speedway in the Round of 8 finale, grabbing five positions in the final two corners to barely advance.

MORE: Chastain returns to remove SAFER barrier at Martinsville

Ross Chastain signs autographs for fans.
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

To Chastain’s point, numbers aren’t the end-all goal, particularly in a sport where there are at least 35 losers to every race winner each week. But he knows now what he and his team were capable of in 2022. Entering Phoenix Raceway as the points leader on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), it’s now a matter of remaining at the top of the cycle.

“I don’t have great words for it, but simply put, I feel like that I have to work harder now than I ever have,” said Chastain, standing next to the Turn 3 SAFER barrier he helped remove from Martinsville on Tuesday. “And I have to drive the car in a more precise way and be better. And I’ve worked my whole life to be as good as I am right now, and trying to find that next unknown piece of how to drive the car a little bit better, how to handle a loose car or a tight car and how to just perform in those key moments in Cup racing.

“It’s 400 miles, 500 miles. And there are key moments in these races that define your race and can ultimately define your season. I mean, this piece of wall — right there to right there — lasted five seconds. Defined our year — and you can’t do that anymore.”

The next three weeks seem to provide more opportunities for Chastain to get back to Victory Lane with races at Phoenix, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Circuit of The Americas. In the five combined races at those tracks last season, Chastain’s average finish is 2.0 — a COTA win for his first triumph, runner-ups in the spring Phoenix race and both Atlanta events and a third-place finish in the season finale.

The goal? Don’t lose any momentum.

“Keep firing like we are, man,” Chastain said. “We’re just bringing hot rods to the race track. Fast cars, [they] handle good. Go over the bumps good. Pit crew’s good, mechanics. There’s not weird things happening. We’re just going and executing and we keep putting ourselves in the top 10 and top five. We’re gonna continue to reap the rewards from it. So we’re not going to win every race, be awful greedy of us, but we are gonna try to.”

Chastain will also try to silence his biggest critic — his mind.

“Nobody’s is a harder critic on me than me,” he said, “so I just push myself. Sometimes I’ve told a little too much but look man, I just want to outwork them on Sunday.”

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – ‘NASCAR Speed Hub’ today makes its virtual debut on Roblox. NASCAR Speed Hub is an immersive experience that lets players design cars, unlock exclusive virtual items, play mini-games and connect to other popular experiences on the platform. Partnering with metaverse studio Dubit, NASCAR’s Roblox experience also builds around a popular collaboration with Jailbreak developers Badimo.

“This is the next step in expanding NASCAR’s presence in the metaverse and engaging with the community in unique and creative ways,” said Nick Rend, NASCAR managing director of gaming & esports. “At NASCAR we want to encourage the emerging generation of digital natives to manifest their passion for NASCAR racing their own way. NASCAR Speed Hub on Roblox is an exciting new space that lets players create and evolve their NASCAR story on their terms.”

RELATED: eNASCAR.com

NASCAR Speed Hub is an immersive 3D experience filled with social experiences. Players can unlock virtual items, customize cars, and learn about NASCAR Racing in a fun, creative, and playful environment on the Roblox platform that’s connecting millions of people through shared experiences.

At the heart of the hub is a time trial that allows players to collect currency and upgrade their cars. Upgrades are a critical component to competing for bragging rights on the global leaderboard. The ‘Quest for Diamonds’ is a mini-game that sees NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary diamonds spread throughout partner games which are accessed through the hub.

“We are thrilled to bring the excitement of NASCAR to the Roblox platform in a unique way, involving the phenomenal community of builders,” said Andrew Douthwaite, Dubit chief commercial officer. “Roblox has a vibrant platform of designers and players, and when it came time to launch a persistent space, it was important for NASCAR to also include creators.”

Jailbreak players who complete a time trial in NASCAR Speed Hub will earn a limited-time NASCAR-themed 75th-anniversary skin as part of a new vehicle launch.

“NASCAR’s passion for community building on the Roblox platform is remarkable,” said Alex Balfanz, co-founder of Badimo. “Our fans loved the Jailbreak x NASCAR experience and the virtual items we previously launched are some of the most talked about in our community.”

The NASCAR Speed Hub will eventually include additional user-generated and official content.