Posted on by Reid Spencer

LAS VEGAS — Joey Logano, winner of three of the last eight NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will start from the pole position in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube after topping 186 mph Saturday in the final round of qualifying.

Logano toured the 1.5-mile track in 29.024 seconds (186.053 mph) to earn his first Busch Pole Award of the season, his second at Las Vegas and the 27th of his career.

Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford was 0.141 seconds faster than William Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (185.153 mph). Ryan Blaney, Logano’s teammate, qualified third at 184.900 mph, with Ty Gibbs (184.540 mph) earning a career-best fourth-place starting position.

RELATED: Starting lineup for Sunday

“The car was wicked good,” said Logano, who won last year’s playoff race at Las Vegas on the way to his second Cup Series championship. “The Pennzoil Mustang is fast. In practice, it was pretty good, and in qualifying (crew chief) Paul (Wolfe) really gave me a heck of a piece here.

“I held it wide open—just being honest. I kept it pinned around there. It’s on the edge, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a really fast car they gave me today, and hopefully, that speed translates over into the race.”

Byron likewise didn’t lift during his money lap.

“I felt good,” he said. “That was a wide-open lap there, so I’m not sure what I could have done different, maybe cut a little bit of the track off (Turn) 4, and just let the car kind of wind out.

“I’m happy with the lap, though. Being second is good. Not pumped to be second for the fact of not getting the pole, but at least it’s a good starting spot. I’m excited for that.”

A dramatic shift in wind direction—to a tailwind down the backstretch—played havoc with the cars in Group B. Christopher Bell, who was fastest in the first round, was the most notable victim. He was 10th in the final round at 183.524 mph after running 185.065 mph in the opening round.

Kyle Busch, last Sunday’s winner at Auto Club Speedway, will start fifth beside Kyle Larson. Brad Keselowski and Ross Chastain claimed fourth-row starting spots, followed by Austin Cindric and Bell after all five Group B qualifiers were relegated to positions six through 10 after the wind changed directions.

Harrison Burton clobbered the Turn 1 wall during practice and destroyed his primary No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. As a result, he was unable to qualify and will start from the rear of the field in a backup car.

“I went sideways really quickly,” Burton said. “I looked at my dash because I had water temp flash hot… looked down and then back up to go in the corner, and as soon as I turned in, it was really sideways…

“I felt like we had a decent car—fired off OK with a lot of grip. Then, all the sudden, there wasn’t. Pretty upset, I guess. I feel fine. It was definitely a hard hit. Anytime you get head-on with that speed, it doesn’t feel great. But I feel fine—just wish I could have that corner back. I don’t know what exactly caused it, but I wish I had a chance to avoid it. I guess that’s part of it.”

Because of an engine change in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, Tyler Reddick was unable to practice or qualify and will join Burton at the rear of the field. So will BJ McLeod, who opted not to practice or qualify his No. 78 Chevrolet.

ICYMI: Chase Elliott sidelined with injury | Full results from practice

Sunday’s 400-mile race race is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Contributing: Staff reports 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman knows both sides of the substitute driver equation.

In 2016, he was pressed into service for 10 races in the No. 88 Hendrick Chevrolet while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was recovering from a concussion.

Last year, Bowman missed five races because of concussion symptoms and was replaced in his No. 48 Chevy by Noah Gragson.

With his experience as a relief driver, Bowman understands the challenge facing NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry, who will sub for injured Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Chevrolet on Sunday.

THROUGH THE YEARS: Alex Bowman | Chase Elliott

“I think it’s a hard situation to step into,” Bowman said. “Obviously, we had some success when I filled in, but it’s really hard. I think it’s only gotten harder with the Next Gen car coming in. The Xfinity car used to be so similar to a Cup car, and now they couldn’t be more different in how they drive and how you can approach how to aggressively drive them …

“Definitely different, but I think it is a good opportunity for Josh to learn and to see how Hendrick Motorsports operates and to see the things that we do and to be a part of an organization like that, even though it’s through a situation that nobody wants.”

MORE: Hendrick Motorsports: ‘No timetable’ for Elliott return

Posted on by Zack Albert

LAS VEGAS — Hendrick Motorsports officials said Saturday that “there is no timeline” for Chase Elliott’s return to NASCAR competition after a snowboarding accident left him with a broken left leg.

The update comes on the eve of Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry is scheduled to substitute in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, which will end Elliott’s consecutive starts streak at 254.

RELATED: Chase Elliott out for Vegas | Weekend schedule

Hendrick officials said Friday that Elliott had injured his left leg while snowboarding in Colorado. Saturday, Jeff Andrews — Hendrick Motorsports president and general manager — indicated that Elliott was recovering and doing well after three hours of surgery Friday to repair a fractured tibia. A team representative confirmed that Elliott was released from the hospital Saturday.

“At this point in time, we would expect this obviously to be several weeks,” Andrews said. “But beyond that, I don’t have a timeline to offer for you. We will obviously work with Chase and his doctors in the future to help determine that. But again, I just can’t reiterate enough that for Mr. Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports, the most important thing is Chase’s health and his well-being. We will work with him on that timeline.

“We’re going to race a long time together with Chase Elliott, and we’re going to win a lot more races together. It’s certainly a little bit of a setback, and obviously, Chase is very disappointed, but again, I want to reiterate that the most important thing is Chase’s health. We’ll have his seat ready for him when he’s healthy and ready to get back into a race car.”

News of Elliott’s injury sparked a debate on whether drivers should engage in more adventurous pursuits outside of their primary roles in the NASCAR garage. Andrews said that the organization did not have policies in place to restrict their drivers or personnel from participating in outside activities where the risk of injury was higher and that Elliott’s accident would not prompt them to re-evaluate those.

“These guys have to go out and live a life outside of the race track, and certainly what Chase was doing was not anything abnormal for him,” Andrews said. “He’s an experienced snowboarder. He’s been doing it most of his life, and it was an accident. A similar injury could happen falling off a mountain bike or stepping off a curb while you’re jogging. It was an accident, and Chase feels awful about it, but our stance is just that – it was an accident, and our guys have to go out and live their lives.”

Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, a close friend of Elliott’s, said he had spoken with Elliott on Saturday morning, relaying that “he’s bummed out he’s missing this weekend and things like that. But you know, he’s trying to look at it as positive as he can.” Blaney added that he’s been snowboarding with Elliott on previous occasions but not on this recent venture to Colorado.

“Chase is a very experienced snowboarder,” Blaney said. “They lived out there for a long time, he’s been out there most of his life. You can be doing anything you’re really good at, and you can have an accident. So yeah, it’s not like he was doing something he was inexperienced at. It was something he was very comfortable with and just, something happened.”

Veteran Kevin Harvick has a dual-sided perspective on extracurriculars – both as a driver in his final Cup Series season for Stewart-Haas Racing and as the owner of the KHI Management company that represents several other drivers and athletes.

“I’m in the category with Chase,” said Harvick, a two-time Las Vegas winner. “You know I like to live my life. I like to ski. I like to go do things. I’ve had just as bad injuries walking around my kitchen, falling over my cat or whatever, playing with my kids or whatever it is. Stuff’s gonna happen, but you know this deal, there’s way too much time spent at the race track to not be able to live the rest of your life and to have to live in a bubble is impossible.

“So, you’ve got to go do the things that you like to do. Just, we would ask that, and I try to do things in a cautious manner and try to think about the consequences of what I’m doing, and whether it’s conditions or slopes or taking somebody with me or whatever the case may be, you just try to be smart about it. So, I don’t know all the circumstances of Chase’s situation, but we just ask our guys and myself included is to just be smart, just think about what you’re doing.”

WATCH: Josh Berry to fill in for Elliott: ‘It’s been an interesting day’ 

Berry, 32, is in his second full Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports, where he has won five times in the last two years. Sunday will mark his third Cup Series start after making a pair in 2021.

Andrews said that Berry was chosen primarily for his driving style but also for his size, which is comparable to Elliott’s. Crew chief Alan Gustafson said the No. 9 team had spent significant time getting the car’s interior – the seat, leg braces, headrests — fitted for Berry ahead of Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions.

“First and foremost, obviously we’re thinking about Chase,” said Berry, who starts fifth in Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 (4:30 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM) on the Xfinity side. “This is his ride and his opportunity. I’m just thankful that these guys – Mr. Hendrick and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports – thought of me to come fill in for him in this moment. Without a doubt, it’s going to be a great challenge for me. But a great challenge comes with great opportunity for me to learn and grow as a driver and work around a lot of really great, talented and smart people here at Hendrick Motorsports. We’re just taking it one lap at a time, one day at a time.”

MORE: Alex Bowman explains ins, outs of filling in for a driver

Elliott is an 18-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series and claimed the series championship in 2020. The 27-year-old driver has opened this season with mixed results — a crash-related 38th in the Daytona 500 and a runner-up finish last week at Auto Club Speedway. Andrews indicated that the team had applied for a waiver for Elliott to retain his eligibility for the Cup Series Playoffs.

Gustafson said that the switch behind the wheel has meant a necessary transition this weekend but that the No. 9 team’s overall focus remains unchanged.

“Yeah, I think our goals are still the same; our objectives are still the same,” said Gustafson, Elliott’s crew chief since the 2016 season. “Certainly, things have changed, but we want to compete and compete at a high level. Right now, my focus is really making the transition as easy for Josh as possible, trying to help him get acclimated to the car, feel comfortable and get to a position that he can use his talents and abilities to be successful.

“I think moving forward past that, it’s still the same goal – to be as good as we possibly can when Chase (Elliott) gets back and win as many races as possible. We’re certainly still in the owner’s points, and depending on how the waivers and all the rest of it goes, certainly, if Chase can come back and we can compete at a high level and win, we can be where we want to be with the driver side, too. There’s certainly a lot of changes that comes with this, but I think we all can learn and grow. Find ways to improve and be ready to go when the playoffs come around.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

LAS VEGAS — Kyle Busch revels in changing circumstances.

Five days after winning at Auto Club Speedway in his second NASCAR Cup Series race in a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Busch powered his own Kyle Busch Motorsports Chevy to victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

RELATED: Race results | Full schedule for Las Vegas

Despite a couple of twitchy moments in traffic, Busch dominated Friday night’s Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, leading 84 of 134 laps and beating runner-up Zane Smith to the finish line by 4.981 seconds.

The victory was Busch’s first of the season, the fourth at his home track and the 63rd of his career, extending his own series record.

After a restart on Lap 66, Busch stormed into the lead two circuits later and built an advantage that, at its widest, exceeded seven seconds. It was his first race in the No. 51 truck after KBM switched from Toyota to Chevrolet for the 2023 season.

Friday’s victory was the first in a potential weekend triple. Busch is competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday and the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday.

“There were a couple dicey moments in traffic—not too bad—but I would have loved to have raced with Zane,” said Busch, who won the pole in Friday afternoon’s qualifying session. “They kind of got off strategy where we were able to cycle up, and we got clean air for most of the start of that last run.

“He came through the field and got to second, and we kind of maintained. If we’d have been able to race it out, it would have been a hell of a show. But all in all, just a great night here, to be able to win in Las Vegas again—and you’ve got to win the first to be able to win all three. Right?”

Smith, the reigning series champion, won Stage 1 and led eight laps.

“I’m happy with our day,” Smith said. “We had a really good Speedco Ford. Happy with our stage win. Got shuffled back there in one of those late-race restarts and just kind of let Kyle get away—and it’s so hard executing pit road chasing him.

“Still happy with our day—another good points day. Create some momentum and go on to the next one.”

MORE: Photos from Las Vegas | All of Busch’s national series wins

Ben Rhodes ran third, followed by Corey Heim and Ty Majeski. Christian Eckes, Stage 2 winner Carson Hocevar, Chase Purdy, Grant Enfinger and rookie Jake Garcia completed the top 10.

Garcia’s top-10 run was his first in just his sixth national series start.

Fifth-place qualifier Hailie Deegan crashed out in a backstretch wreck with John Hunter Nemechek and Ross Chastain on Lap 60 to cause the sixth and final caution of the race.

Note: Inspection in the Truck Series garage is complete with no issues, confirming the No. 51 entry of Kyle Busch as the race winner.

Contributing: Staff Report

Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott will miss this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway following an injury to his left leg while snowboarding in Colorado on Friday. He is scheduled to undergo surgery Friday evening.

NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry, who drives for Hendrick affiliate JR Motorsports, will replace Elliott in the No. 9 Chevrolet this weekend.

RELATED: Chase Elliott’s career in photos

“Chase’s health is our primary concern,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “He’s spoken with several members of our team and is understandably disappointed to miss time in the car. Of course, he has our full support, and we’ll provide any resources he needs. We hope to share another update later this weekend.”

The team did not provide additional details on the nature of Elliott’s injuries or the accident in its statement Friday. Hendrick Motorsports officials are scheduled to participate in a press conference Saturday at noon ET to provide updates. The media availability will be streamed on NASCAR.com.

Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, had not previously missed a start in his full-time Cup Series career. Dating back to the 2016 Daytona 500, he had made 254 consecutive starts.

He won 18 times during that stretch and, in addition to his 2020 title, advanced to the Championship 4 in 2021 and 2022.

Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will mark Berry’s third start in the NASCAR Cup Series. He made two appearances last season for Spire Motorsports, finishing 30th at Dover Motor Speedway and 26th at Michigan International Speedway.

Berry is a five-time winner in Xfinity Series competition, and two of those victories have come at Las Vegas. Last year’s Vegas win propelled Berry to his first Championship 4 appearance in his first full Xfinity season.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
(⏰ 3:30 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX, FOX Sports App | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Vegas, the third race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Las Vegas 101

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Race purse: $8,960,174
Race distance: 267 laps | 400 miles
Stages: 80 | 165 | 267
Grand marshal: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder
Pit stall assignments: Where drivers will pit on Sunday
Starting lineup: Where drivers will start on Sunday
🚨News update: Chase Elliott out for Sunday with injury 

Key things to watch 🔑

Top story line

Will Chevrolet continue its season-opening form? The bowties are two-for-two to open the Cup Series season with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s Daytona 500 win and Kyle Busch’s victory at Auto Club Speedway. Outside of Joey Logano, who has put forth an exceptional effort in each of the opening races, Chevrolet has looked like the favorite across the board. The good news for the others is that each manufacturer has had success at the Las Vegas track, evidenced by each of the trio finding Victory Lane in the last three races. Ford’s Logano has performed here better than anyone, with three wins dating back to the 2019 season, and he also won the Busch Light Pole Award for today’s race; and though Toyota has just two Vegas wins in the last 10 races, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin have each captured that winning feeling. Let’s see who rises to the occasion on Sunday.

History tells us…

There won’t be a first-time winner on Sunday. In 30 Cup Series races, dating back to Mark Martin’s inaugural race win in 1998, no Las Vegas winner has ever earned their first premier series victory at the track. Eight drivers have multiple wins, led by Jimmie Johnson’s all-time record of four, and nine have just a single win here — but each of the 17 winners had previously won a race. It’s clear that the 1.5-mile oval caters to experience behind the wheel and atop the box. For someone to break this trend, they may have to run a near-perfect race.

Joey Logano (11-2) is the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

Ross Chastain. Chastain isn’t too far down the BetMGM oddsboard, sitting sixth at 9-1 odds to win Sunday, but he has a strong case for being the driver to beat in Vegas. In 2022, Chastain and the No. 1 team were on fire at the desert track, scoring two top-three finishes and leading at least 68 laps in both trips to the speedway. While many other drivers have struggled to gain their footing so far this season, Chastain is one of just four drivers with top-10 results in both 2023 races. Don’t expect him to slow his momentum on Sunday — especially after his car showed excellent speed Saturday. | Full BetMGM betting odds

Chase Elliott. Hendrick Motorsports announced Friday that 2020 Cup Series champ Elliott will be out indefinitely because of a broken left leg suffered in a snowboarding accident. Josh Berry, an Xfinity Series regular for JR Motorsports, will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet on Sunday at Las Vegas.

🤔💭: Will Kyle Busch make it two in a row with Vegas win? | Untold Stories: Origins of Busch’s celebratory bow

Familiar favorites ⭐️

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: Dazzling paint schemes for the desert | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Back-t0-back wins in Vegas for Bowman? | Latest driver rankings
• Betting odds: Favorites, sleepers for Sunday’s race in Las Vegas | Top bets, underdog picks
• Fantasy Fastlane: Who to roll the dice on in Sin City | Lineup advice, sleeper picks
• Stacking Pennies: Is Kyle Busch the greatest driver of all time? | Listen to the podcast

💎 NASCAR 75: Check out exclusive NASCAR content throughout the anniversary season | Learn more, explore

Hot off the press 📰

Key stories and breaking news from the week leading up to the race.

• Ty Gibbs finding his rhythm: Shares expectations for rookie year | Read more
• Chase Elliott out: Leg injury sidelines former Cup champ indefinitely | Read more
• No timetable for Chase: Hendrick Motorsports gives update | Read more
• New rules package: Adjustments set to debut at short tracks, road courses | Read more
• Suspension: Two JGR crew members sidelined for races | Read more
• Bryce Harper: Two-time NL MVP named grand marshal | Read more
• Untold Stories: NASCAR’s first Black driver, Elias Bowie | Watch the video
• Garage 56: Le Mans invite official, team will run No. 24 | Read more
• Xfinity Series: Brandon Jones delighted in transition to JRM | Read more
• Get ready for Chicago: NASCAR fan’s guide to enjoying the city | Read more

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.

• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more
• Fantasy Live: Still time to get on the leaderboard and win big this season | Tips for 2023
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going all the way: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Now it’s time for Nevada ⏳

As the West Coast swing continues, take a look at some important history from racing in Las Vegas. 

• Winner, winner: All-time wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway | See who has the most
• Pace out front: Top 10 lap leaders in Vegas history | See them here
• Do you remember?: Memorable moments at Las Vegas | Relive them here
• Vegas fight night: Joey Logano, Kyle Busch go toe-to-toe | Watch the video
• GIFs are good: Flashback to the 2022 spring race, summed up in GIFs | See them here
• Race Rewind: Alex Bowman puts on a show for the fans | Highlights from 2022

Take some notes 📝

Five hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Fourteen of the last 16 Las Vegas race winners are Cup Series champions.
• Ross Chastain led all drivers in points earned on 1.5-mile tracks by 35 points in 2022.
• The pass for the win came with three laps to go in both races at Las Vegas last season.
• All seven races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2022 were won by different drivers.
• The last three Las Vegas races were won by three different manufacturers.

🔮 Predicting the winner: Using data to set a projected finishing order

Quote of the week 🎙

A notable quote from one star of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

“Las Vegas was a track that was good to us last year. We really excelled on the mile-and-a-half tracks that are high-grip race tracks. We had some really good runs at both Las Vegas races, but especially in the fall race. We were in the lead there with less than 30 to go, so I feel like we’ve definitely got that style of race track figured out in this Next Gen car. I’m looking forward to getting back there and hopefully showing that same speed.” — Justin Haley, driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing

Posted on by Holly Cain

After winning his 102nd NASCAR Xfinity Series race in his 362nd start on July 10, 2021 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch “retired” from the series as the runaway career leader in victories.

But his move to Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet has prompted a return to the Xfinity ranks with Kaulig Racing, an organization that was a suitor for Busch’s NASCAR Cup Series services before he opted for RCR.

In 2021, Busch won all five of his Xfinity starts. He’ll try to extend his winning streak to six straight in Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Full schedule for Las Vegas

“Just running the Xfinity Series again and being able to get back in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing is going to be fun, and I look forward to that,” Busch said. “Being with a new team and a new group of guys, (it’s great to have) the chance to go out there and help their program and develop them a little bit and give them some of my expertise.”

Doing triple duty in Trucks, Xfinity and Cup, Busch will have to beat John Hunter Nemechek, one of his former drivers at Kyle Busch Motorsports, to keep his Xfinity streak alive.

Nemechek finished second to Austin Hill in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway by a matter of inches. Last Sunday, he won the rain-delayed Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway.

Like Busch, Nemechek will be racing Friday night in the Truck Series.

MORE: Preview Truck Series race | Origins of Busch’s celebratory bow

“It’s going to be interesting racing,” Nemechek said. “It seems like it’s going to be way cooler temperatures than what we’re used to. The track will definitely be gripped up. I’m excited to get there and keep racing.

“I have a lot of confidence in myself right now, and I’m ready to go get after it. I feel like I’ll be able to learn some things from the truck race Friday night that hopefully we can apply to the Xfinity race on Saturday to try to go get two wins this weekend.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith started the 2023 season with a victory at Daytona International Speedway.

After a week off, he will try for a second straight victory in Friday night’s Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (9 ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Entry list | Full schedule for Las Vegas

Smith has something to prove at the track. In last year’s race, he ran second to Chandler Smith but was disqualified and demoted to 36th for a lug nut violation.

“It’s a long season, but we’re off to a great start,” Smith said. “Just like last season, it feels good. The team worked hard during the offseason, and it was rewarded at Daytona.

“But Vegas, we have some unfinished business there. It was frustrating leaving there with a penalty last year. Everyone on the team wants to get this win. We were fast last year, and I hope we can make up for last year.”

However, between Smith and victory are two formidable “ringers,” Kyle Busch and John Hunter Nemechek. Busch has three Truck Series wins at his hometown track, and Nemechek claimed his lone victory there in 2021. Busch will be racing in all three national series races in Las Vegas this weekend. 

MORE: Learn origins of Busch’s bow celebration

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Press Release

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – JDV Productions and Whelen Engineering announced today the full, lucrative bonus program for the 2023 Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup.

The Cup, which is a three-race series spread across New Hampshire with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, will consist of events at Monadnock Speedway (May 6), Lee USA Speedway (May 27) and Claremont Motorsports Park (July 29).

Similar to 2022, the bonus program includes $15,700 in potential winnings for competitors – even more compared to the original year of the Cup in 2022.

The champion car owner of the three-race series will earn $5,000, while the runner-up owner will earn $2,500 and third will collect $1,000. Between the top three points finishers, $8,500 will be distributed. The NASCAR points system will be used to determine which driver earned the most points during the three events, and the car owner will be paid the winnings.

RELATED: 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule

Last year, the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup helped produce thrilling action on the track for race fans, and brought multiple local, house division drivers to the series on a national level.

“Continuing our partnership with Whelen Engineering to give back to the racers on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is important to us,” Josh Vanada, owner of JDV Productions, said. “The Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup idea was put together to try and produce some new competitors for the series at staple New Hampshire tracks, and we had great success with it last year, with multiple new drivers running the Tour more often, and Matt Hirschman winning the inaugural Cup in a close battle. We look forward to seeing what drivers can do in 2023 and the money on the line is yet another incentive for them to battle for in the final laps.”

Each additional event will also have bonus awards available at the track on each specific race day.

The Challenger Bonus, paid $200 per event, will be paid to the highest finishing driver in each of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup races who does not normally run the Whelen Modified Tour full-time. This is open to any driver who competed in less than 50% of the Whelen Modified Tour races last season.

The Hard Charger Bonus, worth $200 per race, is provided to the driver who improves the most positions since their last Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup event. For the season-opener at Monadnock Speedway, the Claremont Motorsports Park race finish from July of 2022 will be used to determine the winner.

The Lap Leader bonus, worth $750, will be awarded to the driver who leads the most laps during the three races, and will be paid out after the finale at Claremont. The Best Average Finish Bonus, awarded to the driver who scores the best average finish during the three events, is another $750 award.

Finally, if any driver can accomplish a complete sweep of winning all three Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup events, they will earn an additional bonus of $5,000, paid after the Cup finale at Claremont.

Competitors and fans are encouraged to note that the champion will be determined at Claremont – not the final JDV Productions event of the year at Monadnock on September 9.

“Whelen Engineering takes pride in our long-standing involvement in motorsports,” Pete Tiezzi III, General Manager of Motorsports for Whelen Engineering Company Inc., said. “We are very excited to continue our partnership with JDV Productions for the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup at three iconic short tracks in New Hampshire with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.”

The JDV Productions NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season includes four events, beginning with the Duel at the Dog Weekend at Monadnock on Saturday, May 6. JDV’s presentation of the 200-lap event will also include six other divisions on Saturday, and a six-event NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series card on Sunday, May 7.

On Saturday, May 27, the second annual Granite State Derby heads to Lee USA Speedway, headlined by the Whelen Modified Tour’s 175-lap event, while the finale of the Cup will take place back at Claremont Motorsports Park on July 29. A full season schedule for JDV Productions, which also includes three events outside of the Whelen Modified Tour, is available at JDVProductions.com.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

Many storylines came out of this year’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 10-18. Perhaps the most surprising was the winning speed shown by 16-year-old Luke Baldwin.

The son of 2002 Daytona 500-winning crew chief and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr., Luke Baldwin surprised even himself by earning two wins and a championship in the 602 Modified division at the World Series of Asphalt.

As if that weren’t impressive enough, the victories and championship came in his first four starts behind the wheel of a 602 Modified.

“I caught everybody off guard. I caught myself off guard, as well,” Baldwin said. “Going down there, first time in a modified, [I was] expecting to just hopefully finish all the races and finish all the laps, learn a few things and gain some experience.

“To go out there and do that, it’s pretty mind blowing for me. It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot. Racing with the guys up front was a blast. We all had so much respect for each other. It was awesome.”

Baldwin started his run at New Smyrna with a fourth-place finish in the first 602 Modified race on Feb. 12, which was followed by an eighth-place finish one day later. He broke through for his first 602 Modified victory on Feb. 14 before winning the 66-lap finale on Feb. 16 to claim the division title.

The elder Baldwin, who is known to show little emotion, couldn’t hide the smile on his face in Victory Lane after his son won the division finale. Amusingly, he had told his son that he would be on “restricted mode” during the World Series while he learned how to race a Modified.

That went out the window in a hurry after he finished fourth in his first race.

“As soon as I got out of the car and started giving him feedback, he was kind of mad at first that he had to treat it like another race-winning car,” Luke Baldwin said of his father. “Obviously he wasn’t mad. He was super excited. Even after night one when I finished fourth on my first time out there, he was really proud of me.

“He was really excited, and as we went on, he got more and more excited and more happy. He was having a lot of fun with it.”

Luke Baldwin celebrates after winning the 602 Modified feature and championship during night 7 of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing event at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Florida on February 16, 2023. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

The impressive performance at New Smyrna has already paid dividends for Baldwin, who has secured an opportunity to race a pro late model in Hickory Motor Speedway’s season-opening event Saturday.

The deal came together in the pits at New Smyrna while Baldwin was talking to his friend Gavan Boschele, who was racing a pro late model for DLP Motorsports owner David “Buggy” Pletcher.

“I was over there at his trailer hanging out a lot,” Baldwin explained. “I got into a conversation about what it takes to drive (a Pro Late Model) not actually thinking that I was going to be doing it. Then me and my dad got to talking with Lorin Ranier at Speedweeks and he kind of got me setup with Buggy.

“Me and Buggy talked a lot and got a pretty good relationship going at New Smyrna. So he set me up with that, and I think we’ve got a pretty good ride for this weekend.”

Baldwin’s car at Hickory will carry sponsorship from Shoreside Support, a mega yacht provisioning company owned by his older brother Tommy Baldwin III.

Luke Baldwin has never raced a pro late model, but last week at Hickory, he did get a chance to test the car he’ll be racing. He said the 602 Modifieds and pro late models, while different, are surprisingly similar to drive.

“The late model is a little wider. That’s going to be something, but I think I got used to that pretty quickly,” Baldwin said. “They’re pretty similar with the pro late model being an offset chassis. I think it would be a lot different if I was driving a late model stock.

“Honestly, it just feels a little lighter with a little less grip with the skinnier tire. It shouldn’t be too hard. I got the hang of it pretty quick [at the test]. The brakes are a little different; I’ve got to work on that. It’s going to be different with the people I’m racing around and the racing style of everybody, but I’m really excited to do it.”

If his performance at New Smyrna is any indication, Baldwin’s pro late model debut could be one for the record books.

In addition to the 100-lap Pro Late Model event, Hickory will host the opening race of the season for all of its NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series divisions. The headlining class is the Late Model Stock Car division, which will compete in twin 40-lap features Saturday. Defending track champion Landon Huffman will be in the field as he looks to defend his title.

Other drivers expected to participate include Florence Motor Speedway IceBreaker winner Doug Barnes Jr., two-time Hickory track champion Austin McDaniel, defending Florence track champion Kade Brown, Clark Houston, Michael Bumgarner, Landon S. Huffman, Annabeth Barnes Crum and eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series race winner Vicente Salas, among others.

More information is available at HickoryMotorSpeedway.com.