All signs point to Hendrick Motorsports in Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway as Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have claimed the two trophies since NASCAR returned to the 1.33-mile concrete oval in 2021. But it wouldn’t take a Music City Miracle for Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick to record his first win of the season there, as Racing Insights’ metric formula has him right near the top in this week’s projections.
Among active winners on concrete tracks, only Kyle Busch ranks ahead of Harvick, who has six such victories. Plus, Harvick is among a group of five active drivers who finished in the top 10 in the previous two Nashville races as he came home fifth in 2021 and 10th last season.
There also seems to be something in the water as far as veteran drivers winning of late. Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin are responsible for five of the last seven wins in the Cup Series, so maybe Sunday’s race (7 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM) will be Harvick’s chance to shine as he makes his 807th career start and continues to put up impressive numbers (fifth in the standings) during his final full-time season.
That’s the case for Harvick, but let’s see who else is in contention for posting a big win after the off-week in what is shaping up to be a very close playoff race down the stretch.
OTHERS TO WATCH
KYLE LARSON: He won in 2021 at Nashville and finished fourth there last year after a speeding penalty on pit road. He also has the most laps led (264) in the last two races at Nashville.
KYLE BUSCH: Busch is the leader among active drivers in wins on concrete tracks with 11. He’s also enjoying a career resurgence and leads all drivers with five top-two finishes in 2023.
MARTIN TRUEX JR.: He has won two of the last six races this season and has the third-most laps led with 82 in the two Cup races at Nashville.
ROSS CHASTAIN: He finished in the top five in each of the previous two races at Nashville, but he’ll need to buck a recent trend where his average finish has been 18th over his last three starts.
Projections as of Sunday, June 25
RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR ALLY 400
Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.
Last fall on an episode of “The Dale Jr Download,” NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. touted Kyle Weatherman as an underfunded driver who he wishes he could put in an additional JR Motorsports entry. That hit the 25-year-old right in the feels.
“I’m a driver that stays humble and quiet, keeps my head down, works hard and digs,” Weatherman told NASCAR.com last week. “I’m going to do that no matter what, but just to get some reassurance is nice every once in a while.”
This season, Weatherman remains a part-time competitor in the Xfinity Series after running much of the schedule in each of the last three seasons. In addition to his part-time on-track schedule, he’s freelancing for teams to help get their cars to the track. He’s also working on the Chevrolet simulator with Hendrick Motorsports.
Last year, Weatherman put an emphasis on assisting Jesse Iwuji Motorsports in its first year of existence. He drove the car to an eighth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and posted 10 top-20 finishes in 18 starts.
Tracking top 20s isn’t desirable, but when it’s for teams that are fighting funding, it stands out. And with some of these teams, like DGM Racing, he’s had remarkable runs, including an eighth-place result last year at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Some people in the racing industry have noticed that Weatherman is making the most of every opportunity.
“I just prepare really hard and take it very personally,” Weatherman said. “I’m always hands-on with whatever car I’m driving. I’m to a point where a lot of people respect what I’ve done and am capable of doing and are willing to give what I need.”
On the driving side, Weatherman didn’t see the track this year until the third race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Vic Reynolds, co-owner of Our Motorsports, handpicked Weatherman to be the driver of the No. 02 Chevrolet. In Weatherman’s first two outings, he posted a pair of top 20s. In the team’s other nine races that Weatherman hasn’t competed in, it only has two other top 20s.
Collin Fern, owner of the new FRS Racing team, which is running a partial schedule, also wanted Weatherman behind the wheel. So much so that he tabbed the Missouri native as the team’s first driver, originally set for Richmond Raceway until qualifying was canceled due to weather. Instead, he waited one more week at Martinsville Speedway to hop in the No. 96 car.
“I knew we were going to have to qualify into the race to make the show, so it was a no-brainer when he was available,” Fern said. “He is very handy with the cars, so it was like having another set of true mechanic hands on the car to prep it for Richmond and Martinsville. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else.”
Weatherman qualified 27th and finished 34th in FRS’ debut, falling 52 laps short of completing the full distance due to a suspension issue.
James Gilbert | Getty Images
When Blaine Perkins was ruled out for Dover Motor Speedway after a vicious crash at Talladega Superspeedway, Our leaned on Weatherman at Dover. And though he finished a season-high 14th, Weatherman doesn’t count that result as his highlight of the season thus far.
“We had good speed [at Dover], but there was a time and place at Phoenix where we passed two JR Motorsports cars and was running ninth in a solid field as well with no falloff either,” Weatherman said. “As far as a full race put together, Dover is probably the best and completed where realistically we finished as good as we could have.”
After using Brett Moffitt as its primary simulator driver last year, Hendrick Motorsports sought Weatherman for the role this year. It’s a new gig for him over the last six months, as he’s been in the Chevy simulator a handful of times on behalf of Hendrick.
“We recognize that Kyle overachieved in some of the equipment he was in and had some good runs on the Xfinity side,” Kevin Meendering, competition development manager for Hendrick, said. “He was doing some simulator testing for JRM, and those guys spoke highly of him, so we gave him an opportunity.”
Weatherman’s role is to give Hendrick feedback and work on the correlation to make the team’s sim model more accurate. The team then looks at his data and compares it to the on-track SMT data to improve its model.
“I strive at giving really good feedback of what the car is doing, how it’s handling and reacting,” Weatherman noted. “I think the opportunity that I’ve got there this year to help diagnose different setups and situations and make that even better.
“I like being a part of what Chevy has going on and being a part of that family,” he said. “Hopefully a home opens up shortly where I can have a full-time home and showcase what I’m able to do.”
While Weatherman isn’t giving up on making starts in 2023 – his next race is scheduled to be at Atlanta – he’s putting more of a focus on how to be full time in 2024.
In previous years, Weatherman believes he’s made some fundamental errors while trying to overachieve. Now, he’s at the point where his awareness is on point.
“I’m at a point in my career where it’s lining up to where I’m waiting for that next good opportunity or the correct funding to come through and go to this next level, is where I’m at,” Weatherman said. “My race craft is ready for that situation where if I were to get in one of these race-winning-ready cars that we would fire off the truck and be ready to go.”
MINNEAPOLIS– Put the pedal to the metal in NASCAR Arcade Rush, launching later this year on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. This new arcade-style racing game revs up the heart-pumping, high-speed competition and action of one of the world’s top motorsports with wildly reimagined spins on NASCAR’s most legendary tracks.
Experience the high-octane thrill of NASCAR racing in a completely new way with intense arcade races on iconic NASCAR tracks, totally re-engineered with jaw-dropping twists, hair-raising turns, gravity-defying jumps, nitro boosts and other surprises. Customize your car and driver as you compete to take the top position across a variety of game modes, including the Career NASCAR Cup Series plus online and local multiplayer.
Key Features
• Iconic Tracks, Wild Twists: Experience iconic NASCAR tracks like Talladega Superspeedway, Daytona International Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and more in all-new ways that will thrill your imagination and deliver a new level of playability within the vaunted NASCAR video game franchise.
• Race Your Way: Choose from a full array of vehicles spanning 75 years of stock car racing history and horsepower. Customize your car and driver to suit your style with new paint schemes, rims, spoilers, visual effects, suits, helmets and more, with thousands of combinations to discover.
• Robust Racing Modes: NASCAR Arcade Rush features expansive single-player modes including the Career NASCAR Cup Series, Quick Race and Time Attack. Take on your friends in thrilling head-to-head local multiplayer, or race rivals around the world in 12-player online multiplayer.
NASCAR Arcade Rush is available to preorder now for $49.99 at major retailers.
Fans can also look forward to the NASCAR Project-X Bundle for NASCAR Arcade Rush for $59.99. This digital exclusive will include not only the full base game, but is also loaded with extra NASCAR Project-X playable content featuring:
• A hovercraft car model developed as part of Project-X • Project-X paint scheme, rims, wheels, and spoiler • Project-X themed drivers suit and helmet • Project-X team sponsorship option • Project-X vehicle FX package • A set of four additional in-game emojis to showcase your style
NASCAR Arcade Rush is published by GameMill Entertainment.
LEXINGTON, N.C. — Kaulig Racing announced Tuesday that Trackhouse Racing founder and owner Justin Marks will drive the No. 10 Jockey Chevrolet in the July 1 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the Chicago Street Course.
The quality of Kaulig Racing’s Chevrolets, along with the inaugural street race made for an easy decision for both Kaulig Racing and Marks to team up for this historic event. Marks will step away from his NASCAR Cup Series owner duties to join forces with Kaulig Racing’s powerhouse road-course racing program and race in the NXS for the first time since 2018.
“It’s very difficult to retire as a race car driver,” said the 41-year-old Marks. “I’ve got a lot of experience on street courses, so when NASCAR announced it was going to Chicago, I just felt like I really had to be a part of that experience. We have a great relationship with Kaulig Racing through our pit crew department and being a fellow Chevrolet team, so making my return to racing with the team just felt right. Jockey coming on board makes it even more enticing to run well in Chicago.”
Marks owns 35 career Xfinity starts, including a victory in 2016 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course — along with three top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Each start has come on road courses.
Marks, whose Trackhouse Racing team fields Cup Series entries for drivers Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain, boasts an extensive sports-car racing resumé, earning multiple wins across the Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series and the Weathertech Sportscar Championship Series. Most recently, he won the Trans-Am race on May 29 at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.
Of Kaulig Racing’s 22 Xfinity wins, nine have come at road courses. The team also earned its first win in the Cup Series in 2021 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course with AJ Allmendinger.
“If you’re in a road-course car in the Xfinity Series, AJ [Allmendinger] demonstrates pretty consistently, that the Kaulig Racing cars are the ones you want to be sitting in,” Marks said. “It’s going to be a very unique event, and I know we will have a good race car.”
Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 Chevrolet, which features an all-star roster, has earned two wins in the 2023 Xfinity season. The three-car Xfinity team has earned three wins in 2023, along with nine top fives, 22 top 10s and 319 laps led.
Kaulig Racing
“We’re excited to have Justin [Marks], another road-course ringer, come out of retirement and compete for us in the Xfinity Series,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “I think that says a lot about the tremendous success Kaulig Racing has had in just a few short years, especially on road courses. Not only is Justin Marks a successful team owner in NASCAR, but he has a ton of experience on street courses, so having him come on board for this historic weekend in our industry just makes sense.”
The No. 10 Chevrolet will carry Jockey’s red, white and blue paint scheme in Chicago, a partnership that began last year with Trackhouse, the first such team sponsorship in the 147-year history of the apparel brand. At the core of the partnership was the launch of the brand’s Made in America* Collection — proudly grown and crafted in the USA.
NASCAR will officially kick off its first-ever event weekend at the Chicago Street Course beginning with the Loop 121 Xfinity Series race on July 1 at 5 p.m. ET on USA Network.
It’s hard to believe, but the 2023 NASCAR Playoffs are coming.
As we emerge from the lone off week of the season with our eyes fully focused on the 10 races ahead that will decide the ’23 postseason field, let’s take a look back at what we’ve learned and what it means moving forward.
Before we take to Tennessee for Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway (7 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), check in with every full-timer’s season to date, sorted by current standings rank with a look at key stats, best remaining regular-season track and analysis on what to expect the rest of the way.
Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Playoff standings: 2nd, 2,026 points Key stat: Series-best 15 lead-lap finishes; on pace to better previous career-high of 31 (2015) for a series-best 11.4 average finish. Best remaining track: Watkins Glen (10.9 avg. fin., 1 win) Analysis: For a driver that nearly walked away from the sport a year ago, Truex’s renaissance has been something to witness. He looks every bit the title contender he’s been for the past decade and he and crew chief James Small appear to be clicking on all cylinders at the moment.
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 1st, 2,027 points Key stat: Owns outright or tied for series lead in: wins, top fives, top 10s, poles, laps led, average start. Best remaining track: Pocono (9.4 avg. fin.) Analysis: We’d been hearing for years that Byron is the future. Well, he’s now the present and you can make a serious case that he’s been the driver to beat in 2023. A clear championship contender, look for Byron to pour on a few more wins as he makes his first title run with legs.
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford Playoff standings: 4th, 2,015 points Key stat: On pace for a career-high 21 top-10 finishes (currently has nine). Best remaining track: Atlanta (11.6 avg. fin., 1 win) Analysis: There were some early questions this season about Blaney’s ability to take the next step up in the echelon of drivers, but the late spring saw him find a nice groove to position himself as one of the strongest out there entering the break. Another win — or two, with so many good tracks upcoming for him — before the playoffs would go a long way to bolstering his status and firmly asserting himself into the conversation.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 6th, 2,012 points Key stat: On pace for fewer top fives, top 10s and a worse average finish (13.9) than last season’s breakout. Best remaining track: Nashville (3.5 avg fin.) Analysis: Early on, it seemed Chastain was in the mix at the front of the field late. Then … things happened, conversations were had … and the No. 1 driver hasn’t been as prominent over the past month. Look for him and Trackhouse as a whole to come back from the break fresh, re-focused and ready to whoop some butt. Perhaps even literally.
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Playoff standings: 11th, 2,007 points Key stat: Has finished worse than fifth in points just once since 2016 — last year, in 15th. Currently? Fifth in points. Best remaining track: Richmond (9.5 avg. fin., 4 wins) Analysis: For starters, Harvick looks entirely rejuvenated right now and when he hangs it up at the end of the year, he’s going to be going out at the top of his game. Though winless in 2023, the 2014 champ has a shot to pile on a few more victories over the summer — we saw him go back-to-back at Richmond and Michigan just last year.
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 3rd, 2,022 points Key stat: Three 2023 wins in 16 races, just one fewer than his final three seasons at Joe Gibbs Racing combined. Best remaining track: Richmond (7.2 avg. fin., 6 wins) Analysis: Busch has exceeded just about every expectation set for him in his first season with RCR after a tumultuous end to a strong tenure with JGR. He’s come out and firmly re-established himself as a title favorite and it’s very much on the table that he could become the sport’s first three-time champion since Tony Stewart did it in 2011.
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Playoff standings: 9th, 2,009 points Key stat: Nearly identical pace to his 2022 stats, but thus far turning in a career-best 13.1 average finish. Best remaining track: Richmond (5.7 avg. fin.) Analysis: Bell has looked the part once again after making a surprise run to the Championship 4 a season ago. He’s still looking for his first non-dirt win of 2023 but has tended to heat up a bit over the summer. At this point last year, there was doubt he would even make the playoffs, and look where he landed.
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Playoff standings: 7th, 2,011 points Key stat: Turned in his worst average finish (15.5) since 2013 last year — and his current 14.6 metric would be his second-worst average finish since 2013. Best remaining track: Richmond (8.7 avg. fin., 4 wins) Analysis: It’s been a typical Denny year so far — plenty of headlines, plenty of speed, plenty of headscratchers … and perhaps another date with destiny in the Championship 4. We’ve yet to really see Hamlin hammer it in there in 2023, but I get the feeling he’s about to really get hot over the summer.
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Playoff standings: 8th, 2,009 points Key stat: Led 140 laps in Atlanta victory in Race 5 … and has led just 37 laps since.
Best remaining track: Michigan (12.2 avg. fin., 3 wins) Analysis: Logano has made it clear that the Fords this year have some work to do and are behind the 8-ball to a degree, indicating he’d have to be “perfect” to race his way to back-to-back championships. If there’s any driver that can do it, he’s one of them, and we’ve seen on a few occasions this year just how determined he can be, willing his way to the front of the field through sheer driver skill.
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 5th, 2,013 points Key stat: Running at finish of just 11 races thus far — tied with J.J. Yeley, who has run … 11 races. Best remaining track: Nashville (2.5 avg. fin., 1 win) Analysis: If you’ve only watched certain races this year (Phoenix, Richmond, Martinsville, Kansas, All-Star Race) and missed some others (Atlanta, Bristol dirt, Talladega, Charlotte) you’d think Larson is far and away the championship favorite, in a class of his own. He honestly might be, but circumstances have relegated him to several race-ending wrecks so far. If those get cleaned up (or he gets, well, luckier) it legitimately might be his title to lose by a wide margin.
Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
Playoff standings: 14th, 2,001 Key stat: 9.0 average finish in last seven races before off week. Best remaining track: Indianapolis Road Course (11.0 avg. fin.) Analysis: Clearly among — if not the — most underrated drivers in the series, Buescher is rounding the corner on 300 Cup starts and has taken a huge leap forward this year as RFK gets its legs under it after a transition year a season ago. We saw him win a playoff race last year — as a non-playoff driver — and it makes you wonder if there’s potential for a dark-horse run here.
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
Playoff standings: 13th, 2,001 points Key stat: Current standings position (12th) slices in half his 2022 standings finish (24th, worst since 2010). Best remaining track: New Hampshire (10.0 avg. fin., 2 wins) Analysis: Keselowski might still be a tick behind Buescher, stats-wise, but the championship pedigree is there and you can feel comfortable knowing that when RFK eventually has race-winning cars, No. 6 will know how to land it in Victory Lane. The team is probably still a season away from potential title contention, but keep your eye on Kes.
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Playoff standings: 10th, 2007 points Key stat: Five races where he scored fewer than 10 points. Best remaining track: Indianapolis Road Course (11.0 avg. fin., 1 win) Analysis: Though he — and his fledgling No. 45 team — are certainly still a work in progress, Reddick has shown on multiple occasions that he’s a superstar in the making. There are several strong tracks coming up for him before we hit the postseason and it’s not outrageous to think he could at least be tied for the series lead in wins come playoff time.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet Playoff standings: 12th, 2,005 points Key stat: Has led just 11 laps since season-opening Daytona 500 win. Best remaining track: Daytona (19.3 avg. fin., 2 wins) Analysis: Already perhaps the best year of Stenhouse’s career — 2017’s two-win campaign being the competition here — Stenhouse has looked like a completely different driver. He’s competitive on road courses all of a sudden, for starters, and with plenty of those left and another shot at Daytona coming up, he could be riding some momentum heading into the fall.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Playoff standings: 15th, 2,000 points Key stat: On pace for a career-best 17.2 average finish. Best remaining track: Daytona (13.0 avg. fin.) Analysis: There have been more misses than hits this season, for sure, but the second half of the first leg of the regular season saw a Wallace that looked every bit as competitive as his fellow Toyota compatriots and Wallace should have every opportunity to extend his winning streak to three seasons in a row.
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 16th, 1,995 points Key stat: All six of his top 10s came in the first seven races of 2023. Best remaining track: Pocono (17.9 avg. fin, 1 win) Analysis: Bowman has had one heck of an interesting season, leading just 47 laps so far, missing time with a broken back, notching no top 10s since Richmond … and despite all that, averaging a far-and-away career-best finish of 12.0. He’s still more than likely going to make the playoffs, and the speed is definitely there to take it all the way.
Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 17th, 328 points Key stat: Has earned just two top 10s since Las Vegas after a career-high 13 total last season. Best remaining track: Watkins Glen (12.0 avg. fin.) Analysis: Man, there isn’t a soul out there that didn’t expect bigger things from Suárez and the No. 99 team in 2023 after a strong breakout campaign a season ago. There’s still plenty of racing to be had this year so a turnaround is possible, but he’s currently on the outside looking in in terms of the playoffs.
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Playoff standings: 18th, 320 points Key stat: Has five top 10s in first 31 career Cup starts — one more than two of last year’s rookies (Harrison Burton/Todd Gilliland) had combined across their full season. Best remaining track: Pocono (2.0 avg. fin. in NXS competition) Analysis: Gibbs still doesn’t have quite a full season of Cup racing under his belt, and yet we’re starting to see some signs of a potential breakout over the summer. He’s been good at every level he’s raced in so far and it’s only a matter of time before it’s evident in Cup.
Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Playoff standings: 19th, 317 points Key stat: Average finish has dipped significantly from a season ago (16.7 to 19.6). Best remaining track: Daytona (20.6 avg. fin., 1 win) Analysis: McDowell’s Cinderella campaign a season ago was remarkable and he’s had a few strong runs this year but overall his numbers are a bit down. Still many chances to win his way into the playoffs, however, with a few road courses and Daytona still on the docket.
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 20th, 298 points Key stat: Ran 18 total Cup races in 2022, with an average finish of 15.4. In his return to full-time competition this year, it’s 19.9. Best remaining track: Indianapolis Road Course (4.o avg. fin., 1 win) Analysis: Allmendinger’s return to being a full-time Cup driver certainly had a lot of people — myself included — wondering if, because of all the road courses, he could potentially make a deep playoff run. With four left to go it’s definitely possible, but the No. 16 team has a ways to go.
Austin Cindric, No. No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Playoff standings: 21st, 292 points Key stat: No top 10s since sixth race of the year, and just two total. Best remaining track: Indianapolis Road Course (5.5 avg. fin.) Analysis: Roger Penske expects his drivers to be competitive every weekend, and win often. That hasn’t quite been the case for Cindric in his sophomore season, as even his average finish (21.9) has tumbled from a season ago (16.3).
Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 22nd, 291 points Key stat: One of just two drivers to finish every race in 2023. Best remaining track: Daytona (18.8 avg. fin, three top 10s) Analysis: LaJoie’s year-over-year progress has been steady albeit incremental, but he’s taken a good leap forward this year to the point he was even called in to substitute for Chase Elliott in the No. 9 for a race.
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
Justin Haley, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 23rd, 284 points Key stat: Three top 10s just one shy of entire 2022 total, but on pace for a worse average finish (19.5 from 18.4). Best remaining track: Daytona (17.2 avg. fin., 1 win) Analysis: Haley could absolutely still shock the world and win his way into the playoffs at Daytona or something, but thus far it’s been a step back for Kaulig as a whole, himself included.
Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Playoff standings: 24th, 279 points Key stat: Had three top 10s in a five-race span from COTA to Talladega after two total during rookie year. Best remaining track: Indianapolis Road Course (4.0 avg. fin.) Analysis: Gilliland has turned a few heads this year after entering the year with some questions about his job status. He’s responded admirably and, though it’s not likely, it’s not out of the question to think he could steal a playoff spot somewhere.
Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Playoff standings: 25th, 269 points Key stat: Zero top-10 finishes in 2023 despite being 11th in laps led count. Best remaining track: Michigan (18.8 avg. fin) Analysis: SHR as a whole (minus Harvick) has struggled a good bit the past several years, and Preece’s first season driving the No. 41 is no exception. Nowhere to go but up here.
Aric Almirola, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Playoff standings: 26th, 260 points Key stat: Averaging a 22.9 finish — worst since 2016 while driving for Richard Petty Motorsports. Best remaining track: Richmond (14.8 avg. fin.) Analysis: Though Loudon is where Almirola got his most recent win, he could be a sneaky guy to keep your eye on at Richmond. That said, Almirola’s decision to reverse course and return for another year is kind of a curious one at this point and he’ll need a major turnaround to make this year count.
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 27th, 247 points Key stat: On pace for his worst average finish (13.6) since 2019 (15.1). Best remaining track: Watkins Glen (5.7 avg. fin., 2 wins) Analysis: Definitely not the kind of season Elliott would’ve drawn up if given the choice, but the 2020 champ is in no way out of contention at this point. It seems near impossible he won’t win one of the next 10 races and, quite honestly, I expect him to win a few of them.
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 28th, 223 points Key stat: On pace for worst average start of career (21.1). Best remaining track: Daytona (15.6 avg. fin, 2 wins) Analysis: Dillon’s position in the standings has been sunk, to a degree, by a costly penalty but even still, his actual racing stats this year … not great. After looking like a stud alongside new teammate Kyle Busch at the LA Clash, Dillon has stumbled the first half of the season and it appears likely he’ll continue his history of alternating years of making/not making the playoffs.
Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Playoff standings: 29th, 219 points Key stat: Nearly all of his standard stats (top fives, top 10s, avg. start/finish) are all on pace for worse showings than his rookie season last year. Best remaining track: Indianapolis Road Course (3.0 avg. fin.) Analysis: If you’re looking for strong year-over-year improvement, look somewhere else. The Fords, as previously mentioned, are having a down year and Burton has taken a step back in his sophomore campaign. Still plenty of talent here, but we likely won’t see it until at least next year.
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 30th, 190 points Key stat: Averaging a career-worst 22.1 finish. Best remaining track: Watkins Glen (11.2 avg. fin) Analysis: Legacy Motor Club may be the biggest disappointment of the 2023 season after building a head of steam — and winning the Southern 500! — a season ago before injecting Jimmie Johnson into the ownership group. We later learned this is a transition year as the team will switch to Toyota next season, but, still, Jones has seen a tremendous drop-off after a strong 2022. Look for him to rebound in a big way next season.
Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Playoff standings: 31st, 183 points Key stat: On pace for career-worst 19.8 average finish. Best remaining track: Watkins Glen (17.0 avg. fin., 1 top 10) Analysis: There was a three-race stretch earlier this season where Briscoe looked quite good. That has since become a distant memory, with no finish better than 17th since those three straight top fives. The book isn’t closed on a playoff appearance here, but he has obvious work to do.
Ty Dillon, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 32nd, 146 points Key stat: Just one finish inside the top 20 this year. Best remaining track: Daytona (21.2 avg. fin, 1 top 5) Analysis: Certainly not the kind of season Dillon was hoping for in his first run with Spire, very much on pace for his worst career average finish (28.5).
Noah Gragson, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Playoff standings: 33rd, 143 points Key stat: Just one finish inside the top 20 this year. Best remaining track: Daytona (20.0 avg fin, 1 top 5) Analysis: Being a rookie in the Cup Series is hard, but Gragson dominated at the Xfinity Series level last year and is most definitely a better driver than this season has shown thus far. Better days are ahead for him after he re-enters the Toyota fold next year.
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Stewart-Haas Racing made select organizational changes to its crew chief lineup on Tuesday that will be in effect beginning with the upcoming Nashville Superspeedway race weekend June 24-25.
Richard Boswell, the main steward of SHR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program since its inception in 2017, becomes the crew chief for driver Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 team in the NASCAR Cup Series. Boswell had been the crew chief for SHR’s No. 98 Xfinity Series team and driver Riley Herbst. Boswell won eight Xfinity Series races with Briscoe over a three-year span (2018-2020), including a six-win campaign in 2020, before becoming the crew chief for Herbst in 2021.
John Klausmeier, the former crew chief for the No. 14 team, remains at SHR and has transitioned to the company’s vehicle performance group.
Replacing Boswell as crew chief for the No. 98 Xfinity Series team is Davin Restivo. Since 2022, Restivo has been the lead engineer for the No. 10 team and driver Aric Almirola in the Cup Series. Before his time with the No. 10 outfit, Restivo was the lead engineer for driver Cole Custer, first in the Xfinity Series (2019) and then moving up with Custer to the Cup Series (2020-2021). Before joining SHR in 2019, Restivo was an engineer at Chip Ganassi Racing.
“We made these changes in the best interests of the entire organization,” said Greg Zipadelli, chief competition officer at SHR. “Different people in new positions brings new perspectives. There’s still a lot of racing left to do this year, which means there’s still a lot of opportunity. We need to seize these opportunities and make the most of them, and fresh perspectives from the top of the pit box to the preparation inside the shop will help us do that.”
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s second trip to Riverhead Raceway in 2023 will be a special evening for both the series and the facility.
Former driver Mike Ewanitsko is being honored at Riverhead on Saturday evening with the Miller Lite Salutes Mike Ewanitsko 200. A veteran of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starting with the series’ inaugural year in 1985, Ewanitsko amassed 28 Tour victories during his career, including a record 11 trips to Riverhead’s Victory Lane.
Since Ewanitsko ran his final NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Riverhead in 2001, several drivers have established their own legacies at the quarter-mile bullring, including as Justin Bonsignore, Doug Coby, Ryan Preece, Ted Christopher, Donny Lia and many more.
Another chapter in Riverhead’s storied history will be written on Saturday evening as the current generation of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitors look to build momentum during a busy summer slate for the series.
Below is everything you need to know about the seventh race of the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
Justin Bonsignore enters Saturday as the most recent Riverhead Raceway winner. (Photo: Dakota Moyer/NASCAR)
Miller Lite Salutes Mike Ewanitsko 200 at Riverhead Raceway
What to watch for:
Everybody will be chasing Matt Hirschman when the green flag flies for the Miller Lite Salutes Mike Ewanitsko 200 at Riverhead Raceway.
After a slow start to the 2023 season by his standards, Hirschman has been unstoppable during the last two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events at Lee USA Speedway and Seekonk Speedway, as he led a combined total of 323 of 325 laps to score two consecutive victories.
Saturday’s Miller Lite Salutes Ewanitsko 200 will be Hirschman’s first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour appearance at Riverhead this year, as a schedule conflict forced him to miss the first event at the facility on May 21.
The driver who stands the best chance of ending Hirschman’s hot streak is Justin Bonsignore, who won the most recent Riverhead NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race in a thrilling battle with Ron Silk.
Bonsignore holds the best record at Riverhead of any active NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver with 10 total victories. Should he take the checkered flag on Saturday evening, Bonsignore will tie Ewanitsko’s Tour record of 11 Riverhead victories.
As with any NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Riverhead, there will be a healthy contingent of track regulars looking to shine on a national stage. Among the names in this group include John Beatty Jr., Jack Handley Jr., Roger Turbush and Chris Young.
Other noteworthy drivers on the preliminary entry list include Eric Goodale, who returns to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour following a two-race absence. Joining Goodale on the entry list is another previous Riverhead winner, Timmy Solomito, who is seeking his first Tour victory since 2017.
The complete entry list for the Miller Lite Salutes Mike Ewanitsko 200 is available here.
Schedule: Saturday, June 24 … Final practice from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 6 p.m. ET … Miller Lite Salutes Mike Ewanitsko 200 at 8 p.m. ET.
Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustment 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 Miller Lite Salutes Mike Ewanitsko 200 is limited to 28 starters including provisionals.
Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eight (8) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is zero (0) tires, any position.
CHICAGO – Today, NASCAR announced a multi-year partnership on the official pace cars for the Chicago Street Race Weekend with the sport’s partner OEMs Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. As part of the partnership, each OEM will have an opportunity to lead the field to green in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series The Loop 121 and the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220.
“As the industry unites to support an unprecedented NASCAR event weekend, we are proud to welcome Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota as our official pace cars for the Chicago Street Race,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Course president. “We look forward to showcasing the cars that will compete in the race through the streets of downtown Chicago prior to leading the field to green over race weekend.”
The order for the official pace car will be determined by the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying results with the pole-winning OEM leading the field to green to start each race. Future restarts will rotate with each OEM leading the race field. In subsequent years of the Chicago Street Race, the second OEM will lead first in 2024 and third OEM will lead first in 2025.
Leading up to the Chicago Street Race, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang and Toyota Camry promotional cars will be in-market to support the inaugural event. The promotional cars will make appearances at many regional events across the greater Chicagoland region to showcase the Chicago Street Race Weekend. The official pace cars for the weekend will include a 2023 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, a 2024 Ford Mustang GT and a 2023 Toyota Camry TRD.
The summer stretch of the NASCAR calendar is upon us and a past Cup Series champion sits well below the playoff picture with 10 races to go in the regular season.
Entering next Sunday’s race at Nashville Superspeedway (7 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Chase Elliott is 27th in the standings, 84 points behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman for the 16th and final postseason spot.
One can point to Elliott’s absence from a staggering seven of 16 Cup races this season as the 2020 titleholder missed six consecutive starts due to injury and was suspended from the trip to St. Louis after an incident with Denny Hamlin in last month’s Coca-Cola 600 as the reason for the deficit. In terms of results when the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet is on the track, however, they’ve been steady outside of two DNFs at the Daytona 500 and Coke 600.
When Elliott has crossed the start/finish line, he’s finished inside the top 10 in five of seven races, including three where he finished in the top five.
His worst non-DNF finish in 2023? Twelfth at Talladega.
This push to the postseason will be new territory for the eighth-year veteran, who hasn’t been in a position where he may have to win to compete for this year’s series crown.
So far in his Cup career, each season Elliott has either had a win after 16 races or was inside the top 16 in points.
YEAR
WINS AFTER 16 RACES
POINTS POSITION AFTER 16 RACES
2016
0
6th
2017
0
6th
2018
0
13th
2019
1
7th
2020
1
2nd
2021
1
3rd
2022
1
1st
2023
0
27th
The good news for Elliott, as his career has shown so far, is that he really gets going around this time of the year. Seven of his 18 career wins have come between races 16-26 on the Cup Series schedule, including a blazing five-race stretch of 1-2 finishes last season that propelled him to the 2022 regular-season title.
He collected wins at Nashville, Atlanta and Pocono with runner-up performances at Road America and New Hampshire sandwiched in between. Outside of Road America, all those tracks are back on the docket over the next five weeks. The only difference is the debut of the Chicago Street Course on Independence Day weekend, which still could play into the hands of the 27-year-old with his prowess on tracks with left and right-handed corners (seven road-course wins).
What happens if Elliott can’t win? Can he make his way in on points alone?
Well, let’s compare him to his teammate Bowman, who is the last driver in the playoffs at the current moment. Taking into account Bowman’s average finish this season (12.0) and his average finish at the remaining 10 regular-season tracks, here’s where Elliott would hypothetically need to finish if he is to make the playoffs on points alone over his teammate. NOTE: Stage points not included, Bowman’s projected finish at each track based on avg. finish this season and avg. finish at the following tracks
TRACK
Bowman's avg. finish
Bowman's projected finish
Where Elliott would need to finish
Elliott's projected point differential to Bowman
Nashville
25.0
19th
10th
-75
Chicago Street Course
N/A
12th
7th
-69
Atlanta
16.8
14th
8th
-62
New Hampshire
24.3
18th
10th
-53
Pocono
17.9
15th
7th
-44
Richmond
18.8
15th
7th
-35
Michigan
23.5
18th
10th
-26
Indy Road Course
24.5
18th
10th
-17
Watkins Glen
21.2
17th
9th
-6
Daytona
16.8
14th
7th
+1
It’s not an easy task to score 10 consecutive top-10 finishes but it’s definitely possible for one of NASCAR’s superstars. And while the standings are due to change after each race, there’s a path for Elliott to reach the 2023 postseason without a victory. Luckily for him, that likely won’t be necessary over the next month.
