Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. – On July 23, 2022, Ty Gibbs saw his NASCAR career change in one phone call.

That evening, the then-19-year-old was driving back to the airport from Pocono Raceway following a runner-up effort in that day’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. The result was strong, but the stewing disappointing was stronger.

Of course, that was only until Gibbs received a call from his mother, Heather, who informed him he would make his inaugural NASCAR Cup Series start the next day.

“It was definitely a lot of emotions for sure there,” Gibbs told NASCAR.com Saturday.

MORE: Relive Gibbs’ Cup debut | Pocono starting lineup

While Gibbs’ whirlwind experience didn’t hit warp speed until that evening, the story truly begins with Cup qualifying earlier that afternoon. Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing and the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion, crashed during the final round of the session, backing his vehicle hard into the outside SAFER barrier in Turn 3.

Fast forward to the stretch run of the Xfinity race. Gibbs and rival Noah Gragson battled fiercely for the win through the final dozen laps, the former hounding the latter with attempt after attempt to snag the lead. The two manipulated the air like veterans and Gibbs pulled alongside Gragson for the lead on the final lap entering Turn 2.

But Gragson maintained his advantage in the outside lane and managed to clear Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota to nab the win.

“I felt like I give a race away there,” Gibbs recalled Saturday. “I should have been way more aggressive and wasn’t, looking back at it with everything that happened. We were really fast. They were on four tires, and we were on no tires anyway, so we were really good.”

Then came the drive back to the airport. Gibbs and friend Drew Dollar were cruising down a Pennsylvania highway when his phone began to ring. The news: Busch was not feeling well and Gibbs – a 19-year-old halfway through his first full-time Xfinity season – might need to substitute at the sport’s highest level.

“Of course, I was really excited. I’d never made my Cup Series start yet, right?” Gibbs said. “So I was really, really, really pumped and pulled over some gravel lot on the highway – I don’t even know what highway – just talking about it.”

Cue the whirlwind. After taking a few minutes to process the opportunity that lay ahead, Gibbs and Dollar got back on the road to catch their plane to Charlotte. The teenager wasted no time getting himself as dialed in as possible, utilizing whatever tools he could without access to the shop or a car to prepare.

“I have a racing simulator at my house that I practice on,” Gibbs said. “We’ve got a lot of really realistic software on there. So it gives me the best feel for what I have and can help my team kind of get my stuff dialed in there. So I used that and we kind of went from there, just trying to get as much time as I can before going to the track to have the best feeling like it for the car.”

WHAT TO WATCH: More key story lines for Sunday

Prior to race-day morning on Sunday, Gibbs had never sat in a Next Gen car, let alone been properly fitted or turned the vehicle on.

That process came quickly while also dealing with plenty of media attention surrounding the No. 45 Toyota and its hauler. There was little time, if any, to soak in the moment.

But crew chief Billy Scott, engineer John Vining and Busch all worked to keep Gibbs as cool, calm and prepared for the last-minute Cup debut of a highly touted young racer – who also happens to be the grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs.

“We were just talking about what the situation was, what we’re gonna do,” Gibbs said. “We’re looking at a lot of data so to get me understanding where I needed to be on the track and then went out there and kind of just did it. They talked me through every bit of it. So all credit to them and really cool to make my first Cup start with Billy Scott, somebody that’s been around and had a lot of success in the racing world.”

“Just do it,” was Busch’s advice – appropriate for a team so closely connected to Nike through the Jordan Brand, but also apt for Gibbs’ situation and so little time to truly get ready for his debut.

And so he did it. Gibbs walked away with an impressive 16th-place finish in his inaugural start around a track known quite well for its tricky, three-turn, asymmetrical layout.

The circumstances were far from ideal. Busch has yet to compete again, and Gibbs closed the 2022 Cup season filling in at the Cup level, kicking off his Cup career with three consecutive top-20 finishes, including a 10th-place result at Michigan.

But Pocono was the kickstarter – one that gave him 15 races of premier level experience and proved to Joe Gibbs Racing he was ready to jump to the Cup Series full-time in 2023 for his rookie campaign.

The leap has not been easy, but Gibbs didn’t really expect it to be. Yet the driver of the No. 54 Camry, now 20 years old, sits 19th in points, 41 markers beneath the elimination line to qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs.

An early spring stretch of four consecutive top-10 finishes was impressive, but he’s scored just one since the Bristol dirt race in April, a ninth-place effort at the Chicago Street Race earlier this month. It’s an adjustment for Gibbs, who scored seven victories in Xfinity last season and won in his 2021 series debut, but one he isn’t shocked by.

“It’s a big jump,” Gibbs said. “And everybody’s kind of had that same thing, so it’s expected and it’s, you know, part of the plan. Just gotta keep working hard and do the best you can and (results) usually kind of come along and then it starts getting normal again.

“You’ve got to realize, like, you go from Xfinity and you have three really great guys in really great cars. And you go to Cup and you have probably 22 guys that are really, really good and really good cars.”

Gibbs will start 11th in Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). And this time, there were no surprises.

Posted on by Staff Report

He wasn’t the projected winner entering the weekend, but the numbers don’t lie. The speed of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at Pocono Raceway, along with Martin Truex Jr. qualifying second, has changed the equation. The formula from the experts at Racing Insights now predicts Truex Jr. will win Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 (2;30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

If that holds up, it’ll be the second consecutive win for Truex and his fourth of the season.

Truex Jr. was originally projected second this weekend behind Kyle Busch, but ‘Rowdy’ slips three spots down to a projected finish of fourth following a qualifying effort of 25th.

Polesitter William Byron is now projected to finish second after unloading with a swift No. 24 Chevrolet.

Denny Hamlin, who leads all active drivers with six Pocono wins, is projected fourth.

FANTASY LIVE: Set your roster | Weekend schedule

Hamlin won last year’s race at Pocono with Busch coming in second, but both drivers were disqualified after post-race inspection, leading to Chase Elliott claiming the victory instead.

OTHERS TO WATCH

DENNY HAMLIN: The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has led laps in each of the last eight Pocono races and has won two of the last six races there.

KYLE LARSON: Hendrick Motorsports is a powerhouse at Pocono, and Larson has two top fives and three top 10s in his three starts driving the No. 5.

KEVIN HARVICK: The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing driver has five finishes of eighth or better in the last six Pocono races, including one win.

RYAN BLANEY: Blaney has been up and down with three top 10s and three finishes of 12th or worse in the last six races at Pocono.

ERIK JONES: He finished ninth last year at Pocono after finishing top five in both stages.

Projections as of Sunday, July 23.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE HIGHPOINT.COM 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.

FinishCar NumberDriver
119Martin Truex Jr.
224William Byron
311Denny Hamlin
48Kyle Busch
54Kevin Harvick
65Kyle Larson
76Brad Keselowski
812Ryan Blaney
99Chase Elliott
1022Joey Logano
1120Christopher Bell
1223Bubba Wallace
1345Tyler Reddick
1448Alex Bowman
1517Chris Buescher
1699Daniel Suarez
1743Erik Jones
1854Ty Gibbs
1910Aric Almirola
201Ross Chastain
213Austin Dillon
2247Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2334Michael McDowell
2441Ryan Preece
257Corey LaJoie
2631Justin Haley
2714Chase Briscoe
2821Harrison Burton
2916AJ Allmendinger
302Austin Cindric
3138Todd Gilliland
3277Ty Dillon
3342Noah Gragson
3451Cole Custer
3515J.J. Yeley
3678BJ McLeod

Posted on by Tadd Haislop

HAMPTON, Va. — Brenden Queen brings a unique energy to the race track, a contagious vibe fitting for a driver whose nickname is “Butterbean.”

Saturday night’s Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway was going to be a spectacle no matter the entries. It’s one of the biggest Late Model Stock Car races in the country and part of the prestigious Virginia Late Model Triple Crown. The packed grandstands, light shows and pyrotechnics were a given.

But Butterbean once again brought his own glow to the NASCAR Home Track in Hampton, Virginia.

Brenden Butterbean Queen
(Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

A couple hours after he was introduced to a roaring crowd, Queen won the 15th annual Hampton Heat with a textbook drive. He managed the first half of the 200-lap race on the 0.397-mile oval’s relatively flat, abrasive surface by saving his tires for a sprint to the finish. During that final run, Queen passed Connor Hall on his way to the lead. Hall, of course, entered the Hampton Heat having won a perfect 11 races in 11 starts at Langley in 2023.

Saturday night’s performance was the latest example of Queen’s talent driving a Late Model Stock. This year alone, the Chesapeake, Virginia native also won New River All American Speedway’s Battle of the Stars and the CARS Tour’s visit to North Wilkesboro Speedway, massive accomplishments for a Late Model competitor.

Queen’s most recent triumph, though, was special as it related to his other Hampton Heat victory. In 2020, driving his family-owned car, Queen moved current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Corey Heim to win the race. Heim that night was driving the same Lee Pulliam Performance car that Queen parked in Victory Lane on Saturday.

“It’s just like The Fast and the Furious, when [Brian O’Conner] owes [Dominic Toretto] a 10-second car,” Queen said with his familiar smile. “I owed Lee a Hampton Heat.

“It’s just very special. We’ve been through a lot, and I’ve always respected Lee, but to come over to his organization this year and to step away from my family car to come do this deal, it’s just special.”

That’s a good word to describe Queen’s presence in Late Model Stock racing. He’s a driver who adds a special aura to a short-track racing scene that’s already vibrant. Queen at the track is always mingling with rival drivers and team members. The fan base he calls “Bean Nation” shows up to support him in full force, especially at Langley, where Queen won three consecutive track championships from 2020-22.

In short, Butterbean brings the amusement wherever he takes his talent.

FloRacing: Behind the scenes with Butterbean

Brenden Butterbean Queen
(Photo: Ryan Kelly/NASCAR)

In September, he’ll bring it to Martinsville Speedway, home of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the final leg of the Virginia Triple Crown.

“I want it bad,” Queen said of the Triple Crown, which he leads points-wise after second- and first-place finishes at South Boston Speedway and Langley. “I’ve never had a really good shot at it. This is probably our best shot at it. We’re going to Martinsville, one of Lee Pulliam’s best places.”

Pulliam, of course, is a legendary Late Model driver in his own right. He’s a two-time Virginia Triple Crown winner and four-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion. That’s why the success this year has meant so much to Queen, whose respect for Pulliam knows no bounds.

(Photo: Ryan Kelly/NASCAR)

Queen said he feels winning is vital to his career now more than ever with so many eyes on short-track racing. That explains the emotion he displayed upon pulling into Victory Lane on Saturday. The family, friends and team members on hand showed the same emotion, tears of joy with an array of hugs.

“Every win is hard to get, and it seems like they get harder and harder to get,” Queen said. “It’s been a while since Wilkesboro. We were getting hungry for another one. I’m glad we got another big one.”

While the champagne on the Victory Lane ground dried, Queen spent at least an hour on Langley Speedway’s stage taking photos with his aforementioned supporters. The grandstands at this point were empty, and FloRacing’s broadcast was a thing of the distant past. But celebrations are everlasting for Butterbean. And yes, per tradition, they carry over to the nearest Waffle House after the track lights extinguish.

As Queen put it, “the Bean Nation was in full effect” Saturday at Langley.

So was the Butterbean experience in Queen’s latest short-track racing masterpiece.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

Brenden Queen proved just how good he is at Langley Speedway on Saturday night.

Queen, the three-time and defending track champion at Langley in the headlining Late Model Stock Car division, powered past Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 winner Bobby McCarty to earn his second victory in the Hampton Heat 200.

The victory by Queen snapped an 11-race winning streak by Connor Hall, who had been undefeated at Langley this year entering Saturday’s race. Hall finished second Saturday night.

“This is big,” said Queen, who previously won the event in 2020. “It’s funny how the world works. This is the car that I knocked out of the way to win in 2020. To come back and drive it for Lee (Pulliam) and get him one that he was close to winning this year is a story you can’t make up.”

Queen made the race-winning move on Lap 148 when he overtook McCarty, who ultimately finished third behind Queen and Hall. Brandon Pierce and Sam Yarbrough completed the top-five.

The victory, combined with Queen’s runner-up finish in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway earlier this month, makes him the unofficial leader of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown standings with only the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway on Sept. 23 remaining.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. — Pole position. Most laps led. In contention for the win at the white flag. Josh Berry appeared primed for a sorely-needed visit to Victory Lane in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

Instead, the driver of the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet took a trip to the infield care center, where he was evaluated and released after a cut tire on the final lap of NASCAR Overtime in the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 sent him into the Turn 2 wall.

RELATED: Austin Hill prevails at Pocono | At-track photos

The chaotic extra stanza of racing saw Berry restart on the outside of the front row with a rear bumper full of Austin Hill’s Chevrolet. The shove slid Berry’s car high and out of the groove, allowing Hill to escape with the lead. Berry fought back to second place on the final circuit, returning a nudge to Hill’s rear bumper through Turn 1. Hill maintained position, though, and as Berry swerved right to tuck in behind Hill, Sam Mayer — Berry’s teammate — and filled the gap and instead got door-slammed by Berry.

That contact was enough to flatten Berry’s right-front tire, sending the No. 8 car into the Turn 2 SAFER barrier and relegating its driver to a 24th-place finish, one lap down. All that after leading a race-high 51 of 92 laps in search of his first victory of the 2023 season.

“Honestly, I was trying to time it off of one there where I can pass him into two, and honestly, just caught him faster than I expected,” Berry said. “And it kind of just got us all jammed up there, and then, yeah, tried to get away from him on the straightaway and just was a little late. Sam must’ve had a huge run. It was hard to tell … I knew he had a run, but I thought I covered it quick enough and obviously didn’t. But yeah, tough way to end for sure.”

Berry and the No. 8 team, led by crew chief Taylor Moyer, entered the contest 105 points to the good of the NASCAR Playoffs elimination line for the Xfinity Series, which now has seven races left in its regular season. They remain the highest-ranked team in points (sixth) without a victory, but Saturday resulted in Berry’s fifth finish of 17th or worse in the last six races.

The difference this week: Berry was plenty pleased with the speed his JRM group found despite the DNF.

“We had a really fast car, which is what we’ve been lacking all year,” he said. “So if we keep bringing cars like this to the race track, we’ll win plenty of times.”

This year marks Berry’s final season in the Xfinity Series, affirmed in June when he announced he will drive the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford beginning in 2024 as 2014 Cup champion Kevin Harvick retires. With a string of results worse than performance has indicated, Berry believes the momentum found this weekend will still translate into the home stretch ahead of the postseason title hunt.

“Obviously had a phenomenal car and really was in great shape there a couple times to get the win and just ultimately just got beat on the last restart,” Berry said. “But you know, wish we could have finished in the top five like we deserve.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Austin Hill survived an early race pit road speeding penalty, gambled on fuel strategy and prevailed in an incredible wheel-to-wheel run to the checkered flag in overtime to claim his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the season in the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday.

As important as the victory for the 29-year old Georgia-native his good day combined with an uncharacteristic disappointing day for his closest rivals in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings gave him a huge boost in the points with only seven races remaining to set the 12-driver field. He trailed championship leader John Hunter Nemechek by 33 points before the green flag and took the checkered flag now only 13 behind.

RELATED: Official results | Weekend schedule

On a dramatic – and at times chaotic – overtime restart, Hill had to get around the day’s most dominant driver, JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry. His No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was behind Berry on the restart and gave him a big push at the green flag, but Berry got loose, and Hill got around him to lead his first lap on the afternoon.

Both Berry and JRM teammate Justin Allgaier hit the wall in separate accidents on the final lap bringing out the yellow flag, and the race ultimately ended under caution with Hill out front.

“We didn’t have the best car all day,’’ Hill said. “Andy [Petree] and all the guys back at RCR engines worked really hard. We got the car better. I thought we were maybe a top-five or top-seven car. I didn’t think we had anything for the leader today.

“On that restart, he drove into one and got really loose into the entry. … we drag-raced down the backstretch, and once I cleared him [Berry] I knew I just had to hit my marks.

WATCH: Hill discusses thrilling Pocono win

“Such a special win,’’ Hill added. “Obviously with fuel saving, we didn’t know if we were going to make it and it was on my mind going into the ‘Tunnel Turn’ (Turn 2) that I had to get back to the start-finish line. I had enough fuel to do a burnout so we saved enough.’’

It was especially heartbreaking for Berry, who dominated all the race’s major statistics. For the first time in his career, he swept both stages. And he started from pole position for the first time this year, leading a race-high 51 of the 92 laps. He finished 24th after his No. 8 JRM Chevrolet trailed up the track and into the wall racing Hill – bringing out the final caution that ended the race.

“Just a wild restart there,’’ said Berry, who will take over for retiring NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford next year.

“The 21 [Hill] was behind me and gave me a really good push but pushed me a little longer and harder than I wanted into Turn 1 and got me into the marbles … I was able to battle back and race with him. Tried to time the run, but got there a little quicker.

“Just a racing deal,’’ Berry added. “Hate we didn’t get the finish we deserved today. Just really proud of the car we brought today and I know if we continue to have that kind of speed we’ll win plenty of races. Just a tough way to end but still a lot of positives from the day.’’

His JR Motorsports teammate Sam Mayer finished second to Hill, followed by former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, who was competing in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race in two years – driving the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in a paint scheme honoring his team owner Rick Hendrick’s late son, Ricky Hendrick.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst finished fourth, also coming out on the right side of a fuel-save gamble. Kaulig Racing’s Daniel Hemric was fifth.

“We finished fourth, and that’s what we needed at a track I don’t particularly love,’’ Herbst said “Lucky to get out of here with a top five.’’

The effort was good enough to keep Herbst in the points picture for the championship. He is ranked 12th – the final playoff transfer position – 26 points ahead of Parker Kligerman, who finished ninth Saturday.

WATCH: Custer, Nemechek collide on frontstretch 

Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones, Brett Moffitt, Kligerman and another NASCAR Cup Series regular, Daniel Suárez, who drove for Kaulig Racing rounded out the top 10.

A mid-race incident with two of the three championship leaders – Nemechek and third-place Cole Custer – changed the complexion of the regular season title chase. On a restart just over halfway through the race  – with both Nemechek and Custer running inside the Top-10 – Nemechek hit the wall and washed back across the track, his Toyota hitting Cole Custer’s Ford. Custer was third in the championship entering the race.

Both teams made quick repairs to the cars, but they were non-competitive for the remainder of the race. Nemechek finished 32nd and Custer, 33rd.

Seven races remain to set the 12-driver championship field. Next week the NASCAR Xfinity Series resumes action next Saturday in the Henry 180 on the Road America road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage at Pocono concluded without issue, confirming Hill as the race winner.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. – With six regular-season races remaining, Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott are running out of chances to win their respective ways into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Bowman sits 20th in the points standings, 42 points beneath the elimination line, while Hendrick Motorsports teammate Elliott is 23rd, 60 points outside the 16-driver playoff grid entering Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

MORE: Cup standings | Playoff Watch in full force

Hendrick has historically been exceptional at the “Tricky Triangle,” claiming 19 wins around the 2.5-mile Pennsylvanian oddity, fourth-most in team history. The 19th, of course, was an oddity of its own – Elliott was deemed the winner after first-place finisher Denny Hamlin and second-place Kyle Busch were disqualified following post-race technical inspection.

But past success doesn’t mean much to Elliott right now. The 2020 Cup champion took the checkered flag third a season ago and then spun during his qualifying attempt Saturday, relegating him to a 35th-place starting position.

“We were credited with the win (in 2022), but I don’t feel like we had a stellar run,” Elliott said Friday. “We were decent, but certainly not like we came up here and dominated the race like you want to have happen. So, a little bit of a different vibe and I am not sure that I … certainly not in (my) NASCAR time, I never remember being gifted a win like that.”

That’s not to say he wouldn’t take another one like it. Both past Pocono winners, Elliott and Bowman (2021, Pocono-1) know a trip to Victory Lane would secure a spot in the postseason push for a championship.

This is unfamiliar territory for either driver during their tenures at Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott has never missed the playoffs since joining the team in 2016, nor has Bowman since 2018.

Elliott has also scored multiple victories per season since 2018, including five in 2022, yet remains winless through 13 starts in 2023, with seven missed races putting him in this predicament.

“It’s certainly different from last year, but I think it has been in some ways enjoyable to find new challenges and kind of push yourself in different areas,” Elliott said. “It doesn’t really feel a ton different, I guess, than like a playoff run, like in the final 10. … Like last year, when we had a good year, we had a lot of playoff points going into the postseason, and I am glad we did because that got us to Phoenix (as part of the Championship 4).

“But in years that we didn’t, it was about that you had to show up every week and really get it in those last 10 if you wanted to advance, and that is really kind of how it feels now.  I have always enjoyed those final 10 weeks just because of that.

“You show up to the race track every week, and there was something on the line. There always is, don’t take me wrong. To me, it’s a little more fun knowing that it’s kind of make or break. You either get in or you don’t. It’s up to us to go and try to achieve that.”

Bowman will take the green flag from the 20th position Sunday afternoon, a “frustrating” qualifying performance for the No. 48 Chevrolet after entering the day with bigger expectations — emphasized by teammate William Byron’s pole-winning run. Hanging on to a top-20 spot in points, the season’s one-time points leader is growing impatient with his playoff circumstances.

“We (had) a 60-point penalty, and I missed four races. I really shouldn’t even be in the conversation,” Bowman said. “So, just need to go and execute. That’s really the biggest thing is just to go run how we’re supposed to. And we’ve had good runs. Obviously, Atlanta, we were really good. Chicago, we were going to be good. (It) just seems like every week, something happens. So hopefully, we can overcome that this weekend.”

Byron’s pole position, which will allow him to lead the field to green for Sunday’s 160-lap contest, highlights the tale of two goals existing inside Hendrick Motorsports. Byron, with a series-high four wins, sits 17 points behind Martin Truex Jr. in the battle for the regular-season championship. Kyle Larson, the 2021 champion and driver of the team’s No. 5 Chevrolet, sits eighth in the points standings with two victories.

“Obviously, they are trying to get the best finishes possible each week, and a win would be nice,” Larson said. “I hadn’t really looked at it too much, to be honest with you or thought about it a whole lot here until lately, but they both have some really good tracks coming up for them. You know, Chase’s spin (Saturday) doesn’t help things, but I feel like Pocono’s a great track for him. And a lot of times when you start — really anywhere here — you can find your way to the front easily with strategy, so that’s something that I feel like (No. 9 crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) excels at and their team and I wouldn’t count them out for (Sunday).

“Same with Alex. (No. 48 crew chief) Blake’s (Harris) got a lot of experience winning here with Truex. But yeah, I mean, obviously it’s getting close to the end of the regular season, and it looks like they may have to win.”

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. — Justin Haley will be driving for Rick Ware Racing in 2024, a move away from Kaulig Racing, where’s spent the majority of his NASCAR career.

The decisions behind Haley’s departure were made mutually by Haley and Kaulig leadership, Haley and team president Chris Rice said Saturday at Pocono Raceway. Ultimately, sponsorship was the overriding factor that led Haley away from the No. 31 Chevrolet at year’s end and into one of RWR’s two Ford as a full-time competitor beginning in 2024.

MORE: Full details on Haley’s signing | Pocono schedule

“Everyone was working on getting a deal done,” Haley said of Kaulig Racing. “None of us gave up on each other and we won’t the rest of the year. It’s just where the sport’s at. You know, I think that it’ll probably work out for the better for them to have a driver with a little bit more backing behind them and help them out in that way. And I think Rick took an opportunity on me and I took an opportunity on him.

“And honestly, it’ll probably work out for the best. But I’m excited to stay with Kaulig for the rest of the season and finish it off. I mean, there’s absolutely no bad blood. You know, it’s just not like I left on bad terms or they fired me or anything. I mean, it’s just business.”

Haley, 24, has won four races with Kaulig Racing, all in the Xfinity Series and all at superspeedways — two each at Daytona and Talladega. His lone Cup triumph came in a rain-shortened race at Daytona in 2019 while driving for Spire Motorsports.

Entering Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), Haley sits 21st in points, 46 points beneath the elimination line to qualify for the 16-driver playoff grid with six races remaining in the regular season. Full-time in Cup for just the second year, Haley has totaled four top fives and nine top 10s in his past 56 starts dating back to the start of the 2022 season.

“We love Justin. Justin has done a really good job for us, won a lot of races for us, and we’re gonna miss him for sure,” Rice said. “But he’s still a part of the Kaulig family. We look at Ross Chastain in the same way. We feel like he’s still part of the family. So happy for Justin to continue his tenure in Cup racing. And you never know what, down the road, he might be back with us.

“We’ve had (sponsor) Leaf Filter Gutter Protection for so long, and they’ve done a lot of races and been a big supporter of Justin Haley’s and still are. So yeah, the door wasn’t closed. It wasn’t like, hey, anybody got fired or anything like that. It was just we both had to make a tough decision, Hey, we’ve gotta move a different direction and looking at things for partners in different avenues. So yeah, I think him making his move was because of us telling him that.”

MORE: What to Watch: Pocono | At-track photos

Haley emphasized his relationships with Rice and team owner Matt Kaulig are still well intact. And while he’s moving on from a team he’s plenty familiar with, a new opportunity has the Indiana native ready for a fresh start at a Rick Ware Racing team in the midst of its own revamp.

“Obviously, he’s a businessman and he’s making business decisions,” Haley said of Kaulig. “And I think we were close to doing a deal. I feel like it was a probable option. I feel like I had a few deals. And Rick just kept coming and calling and just gave me a really good deal. And I believe in what they’ve been able to do, especially with the RFK (Racing) alliance.”

Indeed, RWR moved not just onto RFK Racing’s campus for the 2023 season but into its shop. RFK co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski and team president Steve Newmark were present during Haley’s conversations with RWR as well.

“Brad Keselowski and Steve over at RFK were very helpful in my decision process. They were convincing as well,” Haley said. “So I think with our alliance with RFK, Rick Ware … I think maybe on the surface, it might look like an odd move. But there’s a lot more depth to it than you might think.”

Rick Ware Racing has long paid its dues as an underfunded team with an array of drivers behind the wheel, looking to gain experience as a team with its two chartered entries. Team president Robby Benton brought in former car owner and Daytona 500 winning crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr. earlier this year as the team’s competition director, and the results seem to be paying off. JJ Yeley scored a seventh-place finish two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Cole Custer was battling inside the top 20 last week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway — marked improvements after years of struggling to break into the top 30.

“I don’t wanna speak (for) Rick, but I think he wants to kind of change the narrative of where he is at on the NASCAR side of things,” Haley said. “And signing a driver like me full-time I think is going to be great for the organization. Obviously, he mentioned that I take care of race cars to the best of my ability and don’t cause a lot of on-track collisions, and that’s big for smaller team. … I just think I think it’s a good fit over there.”

Posted on by Staff Report

A driver feud that bubbled up years ago at Pocono Raceway found a happy resolution in the same place Saturday, benefiting both goodwill in the NASCAR Cup Series garage and a pair of good causes.

Kevin Harvick presented Joey Logano with a $12,000 donation from one driver’s foundation to the other’s on Saturday. The gift came from T-shirt sales from Harvick’s merch store, with proceeds going to — it turns out — both charitable groups.

The shirts read: “I wear the fire suit in this family,” a play on Logano’s jab toward Harvick and his wife, DeLana, after the two drivers had an on-track run-in during the 2010 season at Pocono. At the time, DeLana Harvick was regularly seen atop her husband’s team’s pit box with a team fire suit, something that the 20-year-old Logano made light of in his remarks after a fiery post-race confrontation.

RELATED: Inside Logano-Harvick rift from 2010

The Harvicks made T-shirts to mark the occasion back in 2010 and recently brought them back in recognition of memorable moments from Kevin Harvick’s career as he navigates his final Cup Series season. The two drivers have become Cup Series champions since then and have long since overcome their differences.

When Logano ran a Shell/Pennzoil throwback to a former Harvick paint scheme from that era, Logano’s wife, Brittany, wore a fire suit in the design’s reveal and on pit road at Darlington Raceway in 2019. Earlier this week, Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing team had its own take on the remembrance, putting the driver’s 5-year-old daughter, Piper, in charge of the No. 4 car at the team’s shop.

Both were able to again share a laugh in looking back on their dust-up Saturday while raising funds for their philanthropic efforts. Fittingly, the Logano family was decked out in matching shirts when Harvick made the presentation.

Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is set to be Harvick’s final Pocono start. Harvick is scheduled to start fourth in the No. 4 Mustang, with Logano sixth in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

Logano reflected on the gesture from Harvick and his foundation before his qualifying effort.

“Well, I’m glad we figured it all out,” Logano said, looking back to what was just his second full year of Cup Series competition. “So here’s the thing, you sometimes grow up in front of everybody. And yeah, Kevin wrecked me that day, and I was mad about it. I probably shouldn’t have brought his wife into the middle of it or made it that personal, but the fact that they made a joke out of it and Kevin and I get along really well now, and to see his kids all involved, they just came over to our bus and gave us a donation to our foundation, the Joey Logano Foundation, and he gave the kids all the ‘I wear the fire suit in the family’ T-shirts and all. So it’s become a fun joke between us now. I still regret saying it, but at least some good things came out of it. They raised a bunch of money for their foundation, and they paid it forward to us, so that’s pretty special. That’s cool.”

Said Harvick: “Joey and I have a good relationship. The thing that I like about Joey is he’s so involved in the sport, he’s all-in. Really since we’ve gotten to know each other over the past several years and having to work on a lot of the same things to help him improve the sport, and as we went down the list of races, that ‘I wear the firesuit’ moment obviously came up. And I talked to Joey before we did everything, and I said, ‘Hey, would you want to play along?’ and he’s always game for stuff like that. We just felt like it would be the right thing to do after all these years to make a nice donation to his foundation.

“He’s always, if there’s something going on, he’s gonna call me, and I’m gonna call him, and we’ll race each other hard, but I think as you look at that, it was just a good moment to look back on something that we all laugh at, and I think as we go forward, a good opportunity to donate to his foundation.”