Posted on by Staff Report

The push to the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is in full swing. Just five races remain until the 16-driver grid is set to determine who will compete for the Bill France Trophy.

Entering Richmond Raceway on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), 11 drivers have locked themselves into the postseason with a victory, leaving five spots still up for grabs. A handful of big names still have yet to solidify their playoff position and before cars hit the Virginia short track this weekend, see who currently sits just above the elimination line, just below and on the outside looking in with stats provided by Racing Insights.

RELATED: Cup standings | Racing Insights’ projected Richmond results

✅ DRIVERS ABOVE ELIMINATION LINE

BUBBA WALLACE

Points above: 27

Trending: OK Recently

Richmond outlook — Cold: Wallace rallied from a poor final pit stop at Pocono to score a respectable amount of points with an 11th-place finish. The 27-point gap above the elimination line was much needed for the driver of the No. 23 Toyota as he doesn’t have a finish better than 12th in his career at the Virginia short track and ran 22nd in April. 

MICHAEL MCDOWELL

Points above: 17

Trending: Cooling Off

Richmond outlook — April Snapped Cold Streak: McDowell scored his first top 10 in 24 starts at Richmond back in April. He finished 19th at Pocono but did rack up key points with a sixth-place result in Stage 1.

☣️ ON THE BUBBLE

AJ ALLMENDINGER

Points below: 17

Trending: Mostly Cold Recently

Richmond outlook — Cold: Allmendinger will start from the rear in Sunday’s Cup race at the short track as he will miss practice and qualifying due to competing in the Xfinity event at Road America on Saturday. Derek Kraus will pilot the No. 16 Chevrolet for Saturday’s sessions at Richmond. Allmendinger finished 27th at Richmond in April.

MORE: Allmendinger seeks fun in doubleheader weekend amid playoff hunt

DANIEL SUÁREZ

Points below: 23

Trending: Cold

Richmond outlook — Cold: Suárez has been on a downswing recently with just two top 10s in the last 11 races and Richmond doesn’t serve the Trackhouse Racing driver well either as he owns six straight results of 16th or worse. 

TY GIBBS

Points below: 28

Trending: Hit or Miss

Richmond outlook — Hit or Miss: The rookie continues to impress after scoring his first top-five finish last Sunday at Pocono. A ninth-place run at Richmond in April should give Gibbs an extra boost of confidence this weekend as he continues his ascent toward the elimination line. 

ALEX BOWMAN

Points below: 46

Trending: Cold

Richmond outlook — Hit or Miss: What was looking to be a massive points day at Pocono turned into an all-for-naught situation for Bowman as he got loose and spun from the top five with 10 laps to go. Sitting 20th in points, Bowman may be in a must-win situation. Richmond could finally be what he’s been looking for all season as he won at the Virginia short track in April 2021 and owns four top-10 results in the last six races. 

🚩 MUST-WIN SITUATION

CHASE ELLIOTT

Points below: 56

Trending: OK Recently

Richmond outlook — Hit or Miss Recently: When Elliott returned from injury, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he’d still make the playoffs. With five races out, that possibility looks grimmer by the weekend as the 2020 Cup champion still sits well below the elimination line. Along with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate noted above, Richmond could be the jackpot for the No. 9 team. Despite Elliott not racing at the track in April, his replacement driver Josh Berry brought home the No. 9 Chevrolet second. 

AUSTIN CINDRIC

Points below: 60

Trending: Cold

Richmond outlook — Cold: Austin Cindric’s time to shine will likely come in the two road-course races at Indianapolis and Watkins Glen. He doesn’t trend well ahead of Richmond after finishing 28th at the track in April. 

JUSTIN HALEY

Points below: 62

Trending: Cooling Off

Richmond outlook — Cold: A late wreck at Pocono plummeted Haley’s chances of pointing his way into the postseason. It will be difficult to find a path for the driver of the No. 31 Chevy to score a quality finish on Sunday with no finishes better than 21st in five starts at Richmond.  

TODD GILLILAND

Points below: 97

Trending: Cold

Richmond outlook — Cold: While recent results for Gilliland won’t be enough to point his way into the postseason, no one can deny how impressive his sophomore campaign has been in the Cup Series. He continues to run inside the top 20 and finished 15th at Richmond in April. 

ARIC ALMIROLA

Points below: 103

Trending: Cold

Richmond outlook — Mostly Cold Recently: A 12th-place finish at Pocono matched his best finish in the last 12 races (Chicago). But just one top 10 through 21 races this season has Almirola tracking toward his worst year at the Cup level in his entire career. Almirola finished 13th at Richmond in April. 

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Clash at Claremont 150 was postponed as a result of a gloomy weather forecast for Saturday, July 29 at New Hampshire’s Claremont Motorsports Park. A potential new date and time for the race will be announced at a later date.

The second edition of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup ends this Saturday night at Claremont Motorsports Park with the running of the Clash at Claremont 150 (8:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

The program, created by JDV Productions’ owner Josh Vanada to provide additional incentives to NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and local teams to compete in events at Claremont, Lee USA Speedway and Monadnock Speedway, will pay out more than $8,000 Saturday evening.

The series within the series has been well received by drivers and teams the last two years and Vanada has been thrilled with the response to the program thus far, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t tweaks that can be made to further improve it.

RELATED: Entry list for Saturday’s Clash at Claremont 150

“I think it exceeded my expectations in year one and I think we’ve continued the momentum of drawing in the local racers into the field for the Tour,” Vanada said. “I think it has been enormously successful. One of the things I want to look at in the future is how we are distributing the funds. We might look at distributing them a little bit more evenly throughout the field.

“I think it’s done exactly what we set out to do, which was draw in local teams. I think it’s also ignited a pretty passionate modified fan base in New Hampshire.”

The Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway earlier this year served as the second race of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup. That race was won by Matt Hirschman. (Photo: Jaiden Tripi/NASCAR)

Saturday’s race at Claremont is only the fourth race in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour history at the facility, which opened in 1947 as a dirt track. The series first visited in 1985, then again in 2007 before returning last year.

Bring able to bring the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour back to Claremont, which is located a short 11-mile drive from one of Whelen Engineering’s home bases in Charlestown, New Hampshire, has been one of the most enjoyable parts of the entire program for Vanada.

“For me, it’s probably one of the highlights,” Vanada said. “The comments we get from people, whether it’s at the race track or notes they send us…the Modified Tour, NASCAR’s oldest division and the premier modified asphalt touring series in the United States, comes to their short track and they get to watch the best modified drivers in the country duel it out at their home track.

“I find that incredibly fulfilling. It brings joy to them and they get to see the Tour in their backyard when they hadn’t done that in 15 years.”

Entering Saturday’s race at Claremont, Doug Coby leads the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup standings with 87 points. Jon McKennedy is officially second with 84 points, but he will not be in the field for Saturday’s race.

That means Matt Hirschman, the defending Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup champion, is Coby’s closest pursuer with 83 points entering Saturday’s event.

Matt Hirschman, driver of No. 60 PeeDee Motorsports Modified, poses for a photo with his crew after winning the inaugural Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup championship during the Clash at Claremont 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Claremont Motorsports Park on July 29, 2022 in Claremont, New Hampshire. (Photo: Rachel O’Driscoll/NASCAR)

Vanada believes of the two, the odds are in Hirschman’s favor simply because the driver of the No. 60 PeeDee Motorsports Modified has more experience at Claremont than Coby.

“I’m going to say Hirschman and the reason is I think Hirschman has got more laps around Claremont than Doug has,” Vanada said. “Matt has competed more regularly in open competition and had gone there prior to us bring the Tour back.

“With that being a unique race track and having essentially two completely different corners, I think experience is going to pay off in the end.”

Looking ahead to 2024, Vanada said they’re already researching ways to improve what has thus far been a successful program.

“I think we’ve proved the concept,” Vanada said. “We’re looking forward to seeing how we can improve that and bring in some additional money thanks to our partnership with Whelen to the Modified Tour and help to bring what I consider to be the premier asphalt modified touring series in the country to short tracks in New Hampshire.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Cup Series

RELATED: Playoff standings

Already Clinched

The following five drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson.

Can clinch via previous wins

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by a driver who has previously won (Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick or Ricky Stenhouse Jr.):

—  Christopher Bell: Would clinch regardless of finish.

—  Ross Chastain: Would clinch regardless of finish.

— Ryan Blaney: Would clinch regardless of finish.

— Joey Logano: Would clinch regardless of finish.

— Tyler Reddick: Would clinch regardless of finish.

— Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Would clinch regardless of finish.

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace or Michael McDowell:

— Christopher Bell: Could only clinch with help.

— Ross Chastain: Could only clinch with help.

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by AJ Allmendinger:

— Christopher Bell: Could only clinch with help.

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

  • Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

RELATED: Playoff standings | Preview this weekend’s action

Already Clinched

The following seven drivers have clinched a spot in the 10-driver postseason field: Corey Heim, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes and Carson Hocevar.

Can clinch via points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fifth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Ty Majeski, Matt DiBenedetto, Nick Sanchez or Matt Crafton.

— Matt DiBenedetto: Would clinch with 25 points.

— Nick Sanchez: Would clinch with 35 points.

— Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 47 points.

— Stewart Friesen: Could only clinch with help.

— Tanner Gray: Could only clinch with help.

— Chase Purdy: Could only clinch with help.

If there is a new winner from Stewart Friesen or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fourth winless driver in the standings.

— Matt DiBenedetto: Would clinch with 34 points.

— Nick Sanchez: Would clinch with 43 points.

— Matt Crafton: Could only clinch with help.

— Stewart Friesen: Could only clinch with help.

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

— Matt DiBenedetto, Nick Sanchez, Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen, Tanner Gray, Chase Purdy, Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Dye, Rajah Caruth, Hailie Deegan, Colby Howard, Dean Thompson, Bret Holmes, Lawless Alan and Spencer Boyd.

Can clinch Regular Season Championship

Additionally, the Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:

— Corey Heim: Would clinch with 19 points.

— Zane Smith: Could only clinch with help.

— Grant Enfinger: Could only clinch with help.

— Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help.

— Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help.

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

Five races remain in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series regular season and not only is the drama at the postseason elimination line heating up but so is the tension between drivers on track.

Before Sunday’s Cook Out 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), check out some trends to watch for the race, Goodyear tire info and interactive ways to follow all the action.

RELATED: See paint schemes for Richmond | Betting favorites for Sunday’s Cup race

WILL TEMPERS CARRY OVER? 😡

Last Sunday’s race at Pocono brought out tension between drivers that would normally coincide with short tracks. A helmet was thrown. A skirmish on pit road broke out. So much happened at the “Tricky Triangle” that it may intensify at Richmond with just five races to go before the playoffs.

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson are at the forefront of driver disagreements after Hamlin ran Larson up into the wall on a late-race restart. Both are locked into the playoffs with two wins each. Larson is likely out of regular-season title contention as he sits 110 points back of Martin Truex Jr., but Hamlin is just 55 points behind his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.

Richmond has seen its fair share of retaliation and Larson could send a message to his newfound on-track rival that sees Hamlin fall out of the regular-season title race.

MORE: How the playoff picture looks heading into Sunday

📉 TRENDS TO WATCH 📈

— Kyle Larson won both short-track races this season on pavement, the last driver to win three straight was Rusty Wallace in 1993.

— Eleven of the 19 drivers that won in 2022, have yet to win in 2023

— Six different drivers won the last six Richmond races

— The driver who led the most laps won only one of the last five short-track races

(Via Racing Insights)

NOTABLE MOMENTS 🎥

1986: Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip wreck from the lead in closing laps | WATCH

2008: Kyle Busch spins Dale Jr. in closing laps | WATCH

2016: Edwards moves Kyle Busch on final lap to win | WATCH

2019: Truex scores first Cup Series short-track win | WATCH

ON-TRACK SCHEDULE 🗓️

Saturday, July 29

— 12:35 p.m. ET: Practice (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App)

— 1:20 p.m. ET: Qualifying (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App)

Sunday, July 30

— 3 p.m. ET: Cook Out 400 (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App)

MORE: Full weekend schedule at Richmond, Road America

RULE CHANGES/GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES 🛞

The GEICO Restart Zone returned to its 2022 dimensions after being extended for this season’s first five races.

Goodyear brings back the same tire that was used at Richmond in the spring. This tire setup has also been used at Phoenix, St. Louis and North Wilkesboro. Teams will be issued one set of tires for practice, one set for qualifying and an additional eight sets for Sunday.

NASCAR implemented safety updates to the Next Gen car.

Along the right-side door bars and extending toward the rear clip, teams are mandated to run a steel plate in addition to the chassis adjustments made for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The right-side door bar gussets and the removal of the front clip V-brace are changes that remain, in addition to the removal of other front-clip components, to create a softer and larger crush zone for frontal impacts.

Also included in the updates are front bumper strut softening (modifications to existing parts), the requirement of an empty front ballast box and a modified cross brace. NASCAR incurs the cost of all these updates.

In the event of a lost wheel that is contained to pit road, the offending team will be subject to a pass-through penalty under green-flag conditions. If the infraction occurs during a caution period, the offending team will restart at the tail end of the field.

If the wheel breaks free outside of pit road, the new rules guidelines mandate a two-lap penalty plus a two-race suspension for two crew members. Each penalty is series-specific: Violations in one series will not impact those crew members’ eligibility to participate in other series.

RELATED: See rules changes for 2023

FAN REWARDS 🫵

Fans can get in on the action all season long with NASCAR Fan Rewards, a free program that rewards fans for participating in the action when they watch races and play NASCAR Fantasy.

There’s no cost to join. Fans must be 18 years or older to participate in the program.

Earn points by checking into a race from home or at the track, setting your Fantasy Live lineup, making purchases on the NASCAR.com shop and more. Points can be redeemed for race tickets, merchandise and VIP experiences at the track, including pace car rides and waving the green flag at qualifying.

JOIN TODAY

FOLLOW THE RACE 📲

NASCAR Mobile has now added support for fans to “Follow the Race” and access live leaderboard and race information from Live Activities in the current app release (v13.2.0), available now. Android users, we didn’t forget you — the same functionality has been custom-built for Android devices, as well.

How to access Live Activities on iPhones:

  1. Make sure your iOS device has been updated to 16.1 or higher.
  2. Available on the leaderboard of all NASCAR Series races.
  3. Click on the three-dot menu near the top right of screen.
  4. Select “Follow the Race.”
  5. Swipe up to access the home screen and you will see the Live Activities at the top.
  6. Lock the device and you will see Live Activities on the Lock Screen.
  7. To turn off, simply visit the leaderboard, click the three-dot menu and “Unfollow the Race.”

FANTASY LIVE 🏆

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.

How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM 💻

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement to the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on by John Crane

Although AJ Allmendinger is waist-deep in the NASCAR Cup Series postseason hunt, an opportunity to participate in road-course action will not go past him, even if the race is in another circuit and state entirely.

Such will be the case this weekend for the 41-year-old Kaulig Racing driver. Allmendinger will fly Friday morning to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for Saturday’s Xfinity race at Road America (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock). He will then quickly hitch another plane ride to Richmond, Virginia, to race in Sunday’s Cook Out 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Due to his participation in the Road America 180, Allmendinger will miss practice and qualifying at Richmond and start at the rear of the field on Sunday. Part-time Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series racer Derek Kraus will practice in Allmendinger’s absence.

RELATED: Playoff Watch | 2023 Cup Series standings 

“It’s something that, between Matt [Kaulig], Chris [Rice] and I, we all decided that we wanted to go do this, and I was going to be on board with whatever Matt and Chris wanted to do, and this is the direction they wanted to go, and yeah. I’m looking forward to it,” Allmendinger said during a virtual teleconference with the media Wednesday. “Going to have a lot of fun with it, especially on Saturday.”

Of course, the option of scrapping Road America entirely was in the cards. After all, with only five regular-season races remaining, it would have been understandable for Allmendinger — who is currently the first driver underneath the provisional 16-driver line for the postseason — to prioritize a points-paying Cup race and start as close to the front of the field as he could.

“We definitely talked about it. At the end of the day, as I said, it was, first and foremost it was Matt’s decision on what he wanted, and then, he kind of left it up to me and Chris, and I told Chris that I was willing to do whatever he wanted me to do, and together, we both decided that we still wanted to do this,” Allmendinger said. “Richmond is a place that, with this car, especially, we probably struggled at, so in a way, whether we practice 20 minutes, at times, it doesn’t really make a huge difference. Starting in the back is a challenge, but I think Richmond is the race track that, if we have the setup right, that you can still move forward.”

Simply wanting to have fun, to Allmendinger, played a part in the decision, too. In what is his first full-time season as a Cup driver since 2018, Allmendinger has found solace in simultaneously vying for a championship and enjoying road racing on the side, too. Allmendinger has won two times in three Xfinity Series starts this season, and one of those wins came at Circuit of The Americas.

Even through the grind of racing a Cup Series regular season in conjunction with trying to clinch a postseason berth, Allmendinger still wishes to abide by the philosophy of doing what he loves. And in Allmendinger’s case, perhaps winning another Xfinity Series race coincides with future success in the Cup Series.

MORE: Richmond, Road America weekend schedule

“Of course, I’m going to show up to Road America and put pressure on myself. We’re not doing this for points, we’re doing this to go win a trophy, and that’s what we want to do,” Allmendinger said. “Hopefully, that’s what we do, but at the end of the day, it’s about enjoying yourself, and that’s the first thing that Matt and Chris have always put on me. Yeah, this is serious, don’t get us wrong, winning is always more fun, but we’re going to enjoy ourselves. Decisions like this, sometimes maybe the outside world is like, why would you do that? Well, we’re gonna do it because A, we want to, and B, we’re gonna enjoy it.

“Me driving a road course, I am always gonna have fun with it, and that helps everything, so at the end of the day, yeah, especially if we can go get the job done and go win the race, we jump on that plane, I’m way better mentally doing that than practicing 20 minutes at Richmond and then, say you qualify 18th and then you go sit in the bus the rest of the day and wonder, ‘Oh my God, how is the race gonna go tomorrow?’ Because, as I’ve said, Richmond is that type of race track where you never know from one day to the next how good your car is gonna be, so this is way better doing it this way, and we’re gonna have a lot of fun with it, and that’s what it’s all about. This is why we do this. So why not have an opportunity that Matt Kaulig gives me to go run Road America? Hell yeah, I’m gonna go do that.”

Consider it being waist-deep in having fun.

Posted on by Staff Report

Clash at Claremont 150

Claremont Motorsports Park

  • Entry list
Car No. Driver Organization Crew Chief Chassis Mfg Sponsor
01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Racing, LLC Jake Marosz Troyer Pine Knoll Auto Sales
1 Cory Plummer Cory Plummer Cory Plummer SPAFCO Race Chassis Apex Racing; Gene’s Auto Service; McClures Tree Service
3 Jake Johnson Boehler’s Racing Equipment Gregory Fournier Boehler Racing Propane Plus; Lin’s Propane Trucks
06 Sam Rameau Rameau Family Motorsports Randy Rameau LFR Quality Fleet Services; Dennison Lubricants
6 Woody Pitkat Mertz Racing Enterprises Mike Holmes Troyer Koopman Lumber
7 Doug Coby Tommy Baldwin Racing LLC Tommy Baldwin Troyer Mayhew Tools
16 Ron Silk Haydt Yannone Racing Philip Moran FURY Race Cars Blue Mountain Machine; Future Homes
18 Ken Heagy Robert Pollifrone Greg Gorman Chevrolet Buoy One Seafood
22 Kyle Bonsignore Kyle Bonsignore Cam McDermott FURY Race Cars Chalew Performance; MTT; Munns Auto
25 Brian Robie Robie Motorsports LLC Scott Spaulding Troyer Maurice Entrprises
26 Max Zachem Lakeland Avenue Landscape Supply Chad McDonald Chevrolet Lakeland Avenue Landscape Supply
32 Tyler Rypkema Dean Rypkema Zach Truesdail FURY Race Cars Northeast Drilling, Musco Lighting
43 Matt Kimball William P. Kimball Trucking William Kimball Jr. LFR Adam LaPoint Electrical; J&M Towing Recovery; Poodiack Wealth Management; Edmunds Ace Hardware
46 Anthony Nocella Goodie Racing Doug Ogiejko Troyer Riverhead Building Supply
51 Justin Bonsignore Kenneth Massa Motorsports LLC Ryan Stone FURY Race Cars Phoenix Communications Inc.
58 Eric Goodale Goodie Motorsports Jason Shephard FURY Race Cars GAF Roofing
60 Matt Hirschman Pee Dee Motorsports LLC Mike Stein Troyer Pee Dee Motorsports
64 Austin Beers KLM Motorsports Ron Yuhas Troyer Dell Electric, Lumiere Electrical, Andrew James Interiors, AP Marquadt & Sons, Hughes Motors
82 Craig Lutz DWR Racing Corp. Ryan Barbieri LFR Horton Avenue Materials
Posted on by Staff Report

Although Denny Hamlin’s contract with Joe Gibbs Racing is set to expire following the conclusion of the 2023 season, there are no intentions from either the No. 11 driver or Toyota Racing Development (TRD) to end the longstanding partnership.

Hamlin, who raced his first full-time Cup Series season with the organization in 2006, ranks second in all-time wins with the team, behind only former teammate Kyle Busch — who now drives for Richard Childress Racing. The 42-year-old Hamlin earned his 50th career victory in the Cup Series last weekend at Pocono Raceway.

RELATED: Hamlin’s 50th win highlights evolving legacy | All of Joe Gibbs Racing’s wins by driver

“He will be back. There’s no question in our mind, there’s no question in Joe’s [Gibbs] mind,” TRD President David Wilson said during a virtual teleconference with the media Wednesday. “We’re working through some details, and it’s a complicated consideration because now he’s not just a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, he’s also a team owner, and given that there has to be alignment for Toyota and Denny across both those considerations, just have some stuff that we’re working on, but we’ll get them sorted out.

“We still intend, I know Denny has always wanted to and intends to retire as a driver from Joe Gibbs Racing and continue as a team owner with Toyota. That’s certainly our intent, and we’re working very vigorously to make sure that, in fact, happens.”

Hamlin co-owns 23XI Racing alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan and simultaneously ranks third in driver points (656), behind JGR teammate Martin Truex Jr. (711) and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron (681).

MORE: Full 2023 Cup standings | Playoff Watch 

“Denny plays a huge role in our family, and I think both Tyler [Gibbs] and I have really enjoyed watching his maturation, and not just as a driver, not just as a team owner, obviously, because he’s very new to that, but as a human being and as a person,” Wilson said. “I’m really proud of that because, let’s face it, 15 years ago, it was difficult to have a conversation about the weather with Denny while you were standing on the grid next to him. But he’s come a long way.

“I know he put out his goal of 60 wins in the Cup Series. From my perspective, that is absolutely achievable given his level of talent and his determination.”

Hamlin and the rest of the Cup Series field will next race in the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway this Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Posted on by Staff Report

Denny Hamlin’s victory at Pocono Raceway last weekend — his 50th career Cup Series triumph — didn’t manifest itself solely from the No. 11’s swift on-track speed. A proficient pit crew also played a part in Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota conquering the “Tricky Triangle” for a seventh time.

RELATED: Hamlin’s 50th win highlights evolving legacy | Where Hamlin ranks in all-time Cup wins 

To illustrate how much of a factor pit-road action played in Hamlin prevailing at Pocono, look no further than having the fastest four-tire pit stop among the entire field (9.810 seconds). In fact, the performance in this area — spearheaded by front tire changer AJ Rosini, rear tire changer Deven Youker, tire carrier Dylan Dowell, jackman Joel-Alexandre Bouagnon and fueler Kenneth Purcell — vaulted the No. 11 team into the top five when referring to teams with the best average four-tire pit stop times (11.250 seconds). The No. 11 crew ranked eighth in this category (11.281 seconds), after the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

See below to analyze additional pit-road statistics through Pocono and before Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway (3 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

TEN FASTEST FOUR-TIRE PIT STOPS IN 2023

RankTrackDriverTime
1SonomaKyle Busch9.185 seconds
2NashvilleKyle Larson9.281 seconds
3SonomaAustin Cindric9.301 seconds
4RichmondCorey LaJoie9.309 seconds
5NashvilleDaniel Suárez9.333 seconds
6CharlotteWilliam Byron9.383 seconds
7CharlotteTy Gibbs9.443 seconds
8NashvilleWilliam Byron9.443 seconds
9CharlotteWilliam Byron9.504 seconds
10KansasBubba Wallace9.509 seconds

BEST AVERAGE FOUR-TIRE PIT STOP TIMES IN 2023

Posted on by Staff Report

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel today heard and considered an appeal of a behavioral penalty issued on July 13, 2023, to No. 34 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Driver John “JB” Fortin; Team Owner Nicole Fortin; and Crew Members John Fortin and Amber Fortin.

Upon hearing the testimony, the decisions of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel are:

  1. That the Appellant violated the Rule(s) set forth in the Penalty Notice.
  2. That the Panel affirms and upholds the original Penalty assessed by NASCAR.

In reaching the above decision, the panel provided the following explanation: “The NASCAR presentation confirms the violations were more probable than not, and they were detrimental to racing.”

The Appeals Panel members for this hearing:

  • Mr. Tom DeLoach
  • Mr. David Hall
  • Mr. Steve York

The Appellant has the right to appeal the decision of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel to the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer in accordance with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Rule Book.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. — Only three active drivers have scored at least 50 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and as of July 23, Denny Hamlin.

It’s fitting Hamlin joins an illustrious trio at a three-turned speedway, hitting the half-century mark in career wins in Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway — becoming the track’s all-time winningest driver in the process with seven triumphs.

That Hamlin’s recent successes have featured a fade from cheers to boos — including a plethora at Pocono — further magnifies the evolution of the 42-year-old’s career.

MORE: Battle with Larson results in Hamlin win | Cup standings

Eighteen years in, Hamlin boasts quite the resume — three-time Daytona 500 champion; three-time Southern 500 winner at Darlington; 2022 Coca-Cola 600 winner at Charlotte; team co-owner of 23XI Racing with NBA legend and global superstar Michael Jordan. But his role in a handful of on-track incidents over the past decade-and-a-half consume some of the conversation surrounding Hamlin.

The list includes run-ins with Brad Keselowski and then-teammate Kyle Busch a decade ago, a fierce battle for the championship against Jimmie Johnson in 2010, and has more recently included a 2022 rivalry with Ross Chastain and collisions with the Hendrick trio of Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson — highlighted again in full force Sunday at Pocono.

Through the noise, the winning hasn’t stopped for the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

A conversation with former teammate and NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth this week helped Hamlin contextualize the ebbs and flows of a successful stint through the 38-week grind NASCAR’s Cup Series entails.

“I was like, you know, that’s one thing that we’re always guilty of is not appreciating it (success) in the moment,” Hamlin said. “Like it’s always when you’re retired, and you’ve got a bunch of time, and you’re sitting there on your rocker on your back porch when you’re thinking about, well, what have I accomplished in the sport? These things take a long time to set in. They really do. We’re in the heat of the moment now. I mean, I’m answering questions about if what I did was fair or not. I mean, give me a break.

“It takes time. And I just never thought I’d get an opportunity in the Cup Series. But luckily, JD Gibbs and Joe Gibbs took a chance on me nearly 20 years ago. And to get my 50th when it comes down to the track that I got my first, it certainly is special.”

Indeed, the first two victories at Hamlin’s Cup career came at the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” in 2006, sweeping the track’s two races in his rookie year. Jeff Gordon previously held the track’s winning record with six checkered flags — and Hamlin seemingly broke the record a year ago, crossing the start/finish line first but failing post-race inspection and receiving a disqualification for a technical infraction instead.

His Pocono record aside, few drivers have found long-term homes the way Hamlin has at JGR. Since the autumn of 2005, Hamlin has been the driver of the team’s No. 11 car and largely with FedEx emblazoned as a primary sponsor.

“I’m just really happy to win it for the team — the whole team: (Crew chief) Chris (Gabehart) and his team on the pit box, guys in the war room, the guys in the fab shop,” Hamlin said. “Like, I’ve been really lucky to be part of an organization that carried me for many years to many, many victories — like a lot. Not everyone gets the opportunity to go from racing late models to racing for Joe Gibbs Racing in 18 months in the Cup Series. It’s hard to do. It really is. But luckily, they believed in me, they gave me time to get going, and the rest is history.”

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The appreciation is mutual, as team owner Joe Gibbs explained Sunday.

“I think Denny is really patient. I see him, and he’s a vet,” Gibbs said. “He understands it. I think he understands how to win. He’s certainly been a great representative for us.

“The other thing I’ve always admired about Denny, he has been so loyal to us, our family. We had a picture there taken in the winner’s circle where JD used to come up behind Denny and squeeze him. Denny had me come up there and do that. I just appreciate Denny in every way.”

Hamlin’s legacy has grown to include team ownership with his 23XI Racing team firmly aligned with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing, a partnership that has seen all of its full-time drivers visit Victory Lane in Bubba Wallace, Kurt Busch and Tyler Reddick. In fact, Pocono’s performance was an ideal Toyota day: Hamlin was celebrating the win while his driver Reddick was second, JGR’s Martin Truex Jr. was third, and Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs’ grandson and a Cup Series rookie, scored his first top-five result in fifth.

And Hamlin’s resume isn’t exactly complete. A NASCAR Cup Series championship remains the most significant unchecked box. But with two wins this season and 22 playoff points, Hamlin seems likely to have another opportunity at Phoenix Raceway this November.