Posted on by Holly Cain

MIAMI, Fla. — This weekend’s Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will set the Championship 4 to compete for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title in Phoenix.

Heading into the race, only one playoff driver, Ty Majeski, has punched his ticket to the Phoenix finale — winning this playoff round opener at Bristol. Beyond him the standings are tight. Chandler Smith, Zane Smith and Ben Rhodes fill out the current top-four positions.

MORE: Homestead weekend schedule | Truck playoff standings

However, Christian Eckes and Stewart Friesen are only three points below defending series champion Rhodes in the standings, and Nemechek is only five points back. Grant Enfinger is 29 points below the cutline.

While none of the current full-time drivers has ever won at Homestead-Miami Speedway before, both Nemechek and Enfinger can boast a previous runner-up finish. Nemechek — then 18 years old — finished second in his first race at the track in 2015, and Enfinger won pole position and finished second in 2018.

Five of the last six races have been won by these playoff drivers with Chandler Smith winning the Pocono regular-season finale and then at Richmond two weeks later. Enfinger won the playoff opener in Indianapolis. Nemechek won the Kansas playoff race, and Majeski won the Bristol race that opened this round.

The series did not compete at Homestead-Miami last year, so this will be a fresh outing for many. Matt DiBenedetto, who won a photo finish at Talladega two weeks ago, will be making his Truck Series debut in South Florida. His best finish in seven NASCAR Cup Series starts there is 20th in 2014.

This weekend also marks Chandler Smith’s series debut on the 1.5-mile South Florida oval. Zane Smith has only one previous start — finishing 37th in 2020 after an early-race accident. Eckes will be starting only his third Homestead-Miami race, but he is 2-for-2 in top-10 finishes with a best showing of third in his 2019 debut at the track.

Nemechek has four starts, with that runner-up showing in 2015 his best work and another top 10 in 2018, but he hasn’t led a lap in his last three Truck races at Homestead. His last Truck start at Homestead-Miami was in 2018.

Rhodes, Friesen and Enfinger each have five previous Homestead starts. Enfinger’s three top-10 finishes – including that runner-up showing – is best among those. Friesen’s best finish is fourth place in 2018, although he has never led a lap at the track. Rhodes’ best finish is 10th in 2018.

Worth noting, Hailie Deegan arrives in Homestead fresh off her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut — 13th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. And the driver of the No. 1 David Gilliland Racing Ford earned a career best Truck Series finish — sixth place — in the most recent race at Talladega.

Practice begins at 4 p.m. ET on Friday followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Posted on by Staff Report

A North Carolina man is $235,001 richer after winning the Oct. 17 drawing of the Cash 5 — purchasing three $1 tickets in honor of Dale Earnhardt, according to WCNC, Charlotte’s NBC affiliate.

MORE: Weekend schedule | Playoff standings

Luther Dowdy, a 63-year-old grave digger from Lincolnton, North Carolina, made his first endeavor into the North Carolina Education Lottery — and was immediately rewarded.

“It was the first time I’ve ever played Cash 5,” Dowdy told WCNC. “I chose Quick Pick three times for Dale Earnhardt.”

Dowdy’s NASCAR fandom proved fruitful. After collecting his reward from the lottery headquarters Wednesday (and after required tax withholdings), Dowdy took home $166,875.

“Now I might be able to retire at the end of this year,” Dowdy said.

Dowdy also said he will put his winnings toward paying off his mortgage and helping a neighbor who lives across the street, according to WCNC.

Who says being a NASCAR fan doesn’t pay off?

Posted on by Holly Cain

MIAMI, Fla. – The NASCAR Xfinity Series is turning in one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory with the second playoff race of the Round of 8, the Contender Boats 300, set for Saturday afternoon (4:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

JR Motorsports driver Noah Gragson won four straight races in the late summer, including the playoff opener at Texas Motor Speedway. Regular-season champion, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger won the next two races and Gragson’s JR Motorsports teammate, Josh Berry, earned the victory in this round’s opener last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Berry’s victory has automatically earned him a position in the Championship 4 round at Phoenix Raceway to race for the title – a first for him.

MORE: Homestead weekend schedule | Xfinity playoff standings

Gragson leads the championship standings over impressive rookie Ty Gibbs, who drives for his grandfather’s Joe Gibbs Racing team. And JR Motorsports’ veteran Justin Allgaier holds that fourth and final transfer spot as the points are now.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and Allmendinger are only 15 and 16 points behind Allgaier, respectively. Gibbs’ teammate Brandon Jones is 27 points behind Allgaier and JRM’s Sam Mayer is 36 back.

No current playoff driver has ever won at Homestead before. Myatt Snider is the defending race winner and the only current full-time Xfinity Series driver to have hoisted a trophy there.

This will be the NASCAR national series debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway for both Gibbs and Mayer. Hill won the 2019 Camping World Truck Series race at the track but will be making his first Xfinity Series start as well.

Allmendinger made 10 Homestead starts in the Cup Series at Homestead, but has only three races in the Xfinity Series with a career-best fourth place there in 2020.

Gragson has the best track record among those with experience at the South Florida 1.5-miler, with three top-five finishes in four races. His best finish is third in 2020 and he’s led laps in every race he’s competed in there.

“I love running at Homestead-Miami Speedway and really want a win there,” said Gragson, driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. “We had it in 2021 before the incident in Turns 3 and 4 and I feel like this place owes me one. Our No. 9 team is on a roll, and we had a great car at Las Vegas last week. Right now, it’s all about getting into the Championship 4 and winning a championship.”

Jones has seven starts and a similarly good record at Homestead – earning five top 10s – all in the last five races – including runner-up showings in the last two (in 2020 and 2021). His average finish at Homestead of 8.1 is his best on any oval the series competes on.

“I have a lot of confidence going into this weekend as Homestead has slowly become one of my favorite tracks,” said Jones, driver of the No. 19 JGR Toyota. “Over the years I have studied hard to figure the track out and have found a lot of success there recently.

“I know these No. 19 boys will bring a fast Toyota GR Supra for the weekend as we keep battling to get into the Championship 4.”

Allgaier may have the most starts (13) among the current playoff eight, but he’s had only a pair of top-10 finishes in that time. His best effort was sixth place in 2016 and his last top 10 – seventh place – came back in 2018.

Practice starts at 6:05 p.m. ET on Friday followed by qualifying at 6:35 p.m. ET on USA Network and streamed on the NBC Sports App.

Posted on by Staff Report

Chase Elliott’s 18 NASCAR Cup Series wins have come at 14 different tracks. His 19th win will come at a 15th different track this weekend, according to a large share of bettors at BetMGM. 

Elliott returns to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the seventh time in his Cup Series career, and he’s trying to win the Dixie Vodka 400 at the 1.5-mile oval for the first time and take a huge step toward joining Kyle Busch as the only active drivers with multiple NASCAR Cup Series championships.

The public loves his chances; as of Wednesday, Elliott isn’t atop NASCAR odds but is dominating ticket and handle shares.

At +1000, the 2020 Cup Series champion is tied with four other drivers for the third-shortest odds:

  • Denny Hamlin: +700
  • Tyler Reddick: +700
  • Chase Elliott: +1000
  • Joey Logano: +1000
  • Ross Chastain: +1000
  • Ryan Blaney: +1000

Nearly one in every seven tickets (13.8%) has been placed on Elliott, which accounts for 21.5% of the handle. No other driver has more than 7.4% of tickets (Hamlin and Reddick) or 11.2% of the handle (Erik Jones, +6600).

“Homestead’s been super hit-or-miss, honestly. We had a really good run there in 2020, had an opportunity to race Denny for the win,” Elliott said this week, referencing a second-place finish, the lone top-3 finish in six starts. 

The lack of experience at the track relative to the field – he’s 17th among all active drivers in career starts – and despite a  “horrendous” start in last year’s race, he’s in a position to command one of the largest race-winner handle shares of the season.

Elliott also headlines this week’s featured matchups at BetMGM:

Denny Hamlin (-130) vs. Chase Elliott (+100)

Danny Hamlin has often failed to capitalize on high starting positions – nine-straight starts in the top 10, including six pole positions in the last seven starts – in the Dixie Vodka 400, but he still leads all active drivers in race wins (three). Additionally, he has finished outside the top 15 only twice in 17 career starts at Homestead.

Hamlin is tied with Tyler Reddick for race-winner ticket share, but his 7.4% of tickets accounts for 9% of the handle (third-most) to Reddick’s 8.4% (fifth-most). And in order to snap a 19-race winless drought – his second-longest drought since 2018 – he must, at minimum, finish ahead of Elliott, as he’s done in this race each of the last three years.

Joey Logano (-120) vs. Ryan Blaney (-110)

From 2015-19, Joey Logano never finished worse than sixth in this race, a run that included his lone Cup Series win at the track in 2018. But he’s struggled the last two years, finishing 27th after a wreck in 2020 and 25th after early contention in 2021.

Logano sits alongside Ryan Blaney in race-winner odds (+1000), but – as the public hit Logano with decent-sized ticket (5.3%) and handle shares (5.6%) to Blaney’s 2.1% and 1.4%, respectively – the book made him a marginal favorite in this featured matchup.

Blaney has just one career top 10 in seven starts at the track (2020) and has (by far) the worst average start-to-finish number (-8.6) among active drivers. He’s finished ahead of Logano only once in those seven starts.

William Byron (-190) vs. Chase Briscoe (+145)

William Byron has the same number of wins (one) as Chase Briscoe has career starts at Homestead-Miami. That lone start for Briscoe, though, wasn’t a bad one; in just his third career Cup Series start, he finished 18th in the 2021 Dixie Vodka 2021 after starting 30th thanks to a strong final stage. 

Briscoe isn’t commanding many race-winner tickets, but his small ticket share (1.1%, tied for 23rd-most) accounts for 3.4% of the handle (10th-most). If it holds, it’d be one of the best ticket-to-handle ratios (more than 3:1) of the season.

You can view updated Dixie Vodka 400 odds and more online sports betting opportunities at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Posted on by Staff Report

Before Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), try your hand at some prop picks for a chance to win exclusive points and prizes. Saturday’s race will confirm the Truck Series Championship 4 for November’s race at Phoenix Raceway.

RELATED: Truck Series standings

Posted on by Brandon White

There has been no shortage of busy days for Whelen Modified Tour veteran Patrick Emerling during the 2022 season.

Along with maintaining an active presence in the series that developed him as a driver, Emerling elected to broaden his horizons in NASCAR this year by starting an Xfinity Series team with Joey Gase. They currently field a full-time and a part-time car.

Although balancing two responsibilities has come with plenty of challenges for Emerling, he said becoming a team owner in the Xfinity Series was the next logical step to ensure he could keep thriving in NASCAR, adding that methodical gains throughout the year have justified the decision.

“It’s been an OK season with the Modified stuff,” Emerling said. “As far as the Xfinity side of things, we’ve had quite a few different drivers throughout the season, but we’ve been progressively improving the program every week, and that was one of our goals.”

RACING REFERENCE: Career stats for Patrick Emerling

Emerling is no stranger to patience when it comes to achieving long-term success.

During his first decade of competing in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Emerling had to fight for every position while driving for his family-owned team. He did manage to get one victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017, which he accomplished by earning the pole and leading 148 of 150 laps.

While Emerling did find more consistency as he logged more laps, it wasn’t until the 2021 season when the Orchard Park, New York native finally hit his stride on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

In the second race of the year at Stafford Motor Speedway, Emerling climbed through the field from the 23rdstarting position before the race was plagued by several late cautions that took out most of the leaders. Emerling took advantage of the chaos and found himself in the lead when rain prematurely ended the race on Lap 130, giving him the win.

Emerling built on the momentum from Stafford by tallying two more victories at New York International Raceway Park and Riverhead Raceway to go along with nine top fives. The consistency Emerling displayed throughout 2021 enabled him to finish second in the point standings behind Justin Bonsignore.

In 135 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts, Patrick Emerling has four victories and 32 top fives. (Photo: Jim Rogash/NASCAR via Getty Images)

A season like 2021 was something Emerling had always wanted to achieve since he started competing in Modifieds, but getting there required him to carefully study his strengths and shortcomings while ensuring his cars could be competitive on a weekly basis.

“For a long time as a driver, I lacked confidence,” Emerling said. “There were a lot of little things I needed to work on like getting the equipment up to par, but I had to drive better, too. Every time I jump into a race car, I show up better the next time. I always like to learn.”

One person Emerling credits for making him a better driver is long-time crew chief and former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Jan Leaty.

Ever since the two began their partnership, Emerling has leaned on Leaty’s years of driving experience on how to get the most out of his car. Emerling values his tight friendship with Leaty and knows he can count on him regardless of what Modified series they compete in together.

RACING REFERENCE: Career stats for Jan Leaty

Leaty has been thrilled with the development Emerling has shown since his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour campaign back in 2011, and he knows Emerling’s determination is only going to result in many more successful years going forward.

“I could tell right away [Patrick] had good talent, but he needed some guidance,” Leaty said. “He was about 17 when I first started working with him, and every year, Patrick got a little bit better. Before long, he was sniffing the front of the pack more frequently.”

It came as no surprise to Leaty when Emerling told him he wanted to start his own Xfinity Series program.

Emerling dabbled in the Xfinity Series with Our Motorsports at the start of the decade and wanted to expand his involvement going into 2022. Although he had the equipment to do so, Emerling knew he needed more support to run a full-time Xfinity Series schedule.

Assistance came in the form of Gase, who like Emerling had cars ready to use for Xfinity Series competition. After deliberating with one another, on Dec. 30, 2021, the duo agreed to form Emerling-Gase Motorsports.

Along with splitting driving duties between their full-time No. 35 car, Emerling and Gase have also fielded a variety of drivers in their first year together. That list includes Parker Kligerman, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Shane Lee and Brad Perez, among others.

RACING REFERENCE: Emerling-Gase Motorsports’ 2022 results

With the Xfinity Series growing more competitive with each passing year, Gase did not expect anything to come easy for him and Emerling in 2022, but he said the organization has accomplished every single goal that was laid out ahead of the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

“Our main goal was to make every race and survive,” Gase said. “We’ve qualified for every race we’ve attempted this year whether it was with one car or both. I’m really proud about that and not a lot of teams can say the same. This is not an easy thing to do financially and there were a lot of people that doubted us, but we proved them wrong.”

Having already announced plans to field a second full-time car in the Xfinity Series starting in 2023, Gase is confident the team will keep making more progress regardless of who ends up driving the No. 35 or No. 53.

Gase admitted Emerling has played a substantial role toward that growth in regards to his experience in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, as well as with business decisions that have kept Emerling-Gase Motorsports on the track each week.

“Patrick and I are both racers, and we both have a lot of benefits to bring to the team,” Gase said. “On the business side, Patrick brings a lot, and he’s been in racing for a long time. There are so many little things that are different in the NASCAR world, but that’s something I can bring insight on. We complement each other in a lot of ways and we’ve become really good friends.”

Patrick Emerling plans to stay involved in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour despite his commitments to the NASCAR Xfinity Series.(Bryan Bennett/NASCAR)

Even though his Xfinity Series schedule is about to get busier, Emerling does not plan to stray too far away from the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

The number of races Emerling ends up running in the Xfinity Series will dictate how frequently he can climb into a Modified, but he intends to maintain his partnership with Leaty so he can keep showcasing his talents against drivers like Bonsignore, Doug Coby and Ron Silk, all of whom have at least one NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title.

Years of competing in the northeast have taught Emerling many lessons about patience and finesse behind the wheel, which are qualities he is carrying over to the Xfinity Series despite the aero differences between those cars and Modifieds.

Emerling can never see himself moving away from Modifieds completely and intends to keep racing in the discipline as frequently as he can.

“I always enjoy running Modifieds,” Emerling said. “Anytime I have that opportunity, I’ll take it, because it’s my passion, and I’ve always had a lot of fun there. Everyone has the same equipment, and a lot of the races come down to the driver, which I really enjoy.”

Emerling is proud to represent the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on the national level and is confident the persistence he showed during the 2010s will gradually turn Emerling-Gase Motorsports into one of the top Xfinity Series programs.

Posted on by Staff Report

Editor’s note: Tune in live or set your DVRs for Episode 8 tonight at 10 ET on USA Network. The previous seven episodes are currently available for streaming on Peacock.

The eighth episode of USA Network’s unscripted series “Race for the Championship” airs tonight at 10 ET, and it provides an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch agonizing over the process of signing with a new team for the 2023 season.

Busch announced in September that he would leave Joe Gibbs Racing this offseason after an indomitable 15-year stretch, taking his talents to Welcome, North Carolina, and Richard Childress Racing.

Busch’s announcement capped one of the most significant free-agent periods in the history of NASCAR, but rarely — if ever — have NASCAR fans seen the side of Busch that “Race for the Championship” spotlights tonight.

From sitting at his kitchen table at home agonizing over the next step to prioritizing what he was looking for in a new team, the toll of leaving JGR is evident for “Rowdy.”

Meanwhile, there’s still the ongoing NASCAR Playoffs that Busch (and 15 others) have in front of them. In addition to Busch’s search, tonight’s episode spotlights the opening Round of 16, from Darlington to Bristol. Upstart Trackhouse Racing, with drivers Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez, have their journey documented along the way.

NBC Universal previously announced that the entire season so far of Race for the Championship will be available on Peacock starting Oct. 7. Episodes 7-10 of Race for the Championship will still debut on USA Network before being available on Peacock the next day.

So after watching tonight’s Episode 8, be sure to stream previous episodes or any you may have missed on Peacock.

—

How to find USA Network | USA Network streaming on the go

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

For years, Homestead-Miami Speedway played a critical role in determining the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

The South Florida mile-and-a-half track is back in the playoffs and ready to help decide who races for the title in 2022. Cup stars charge into Homestead for the first time since February 2021 for the Dixie Vodka 400 on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Get set for the middle race of the Round of 8 here:

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

SET THE GRID

Teams will be broken into Groups A and B for 20 minutes of practice (10:05 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for each group, respectively. Following practice, the series will roll into two rounds of single-car, single-lap qualifying set to begin at 10:50 a.m. to set the starting lineup.

With the postseason underway, playoff drivers and teams will be ordered by their previous race metrics and assigned to Group A or B by the usual odd/even metric procedures. Playoff teams will be the final cars to qualify in their respective groups.

Each driver will post one lap during their time trial. The fastest five drivers from each group will advance to the final round of qualifying, where those 10 drivers will set one more circuit to fight for the Busch Light Pole Award. The driver who sets the quickest lap in the session will start first on Sunday.

MORE: Paint Scheme Preview | Qualifying order

HOMESTEAD HISTORY

— After Hurricane Andrew ravished Homestead in August 1992,  long-time street-race promotor Ralph Sanchez approached the city of Miami with a proposal to build a track. Within two weeks, he negotiated an agreement whereby the city would own the track on county land and lease the facility to Sanchez.

— Ground was broken Aug. 23, 1994. The first points race was an Xfinity Series race held on Nov. 5, 1995, won by Dale Jarrett before a sellout crowd. The first competition held at the facility was an exhibition race for the Truck Series won by Geoff Bodine.

— The first Cup race was Nov. 14, 1999, won by Tony Stewart driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac. It was Stewart’s third win of his rookie season. Stewart also won the following year.

— ISC (now merged with NASCAR) became the sole owner of the speedway in 2001 pursuant to an agreement that was made in 1997 when ISC acquired 40% ownership.

— In 2003, the track underwent a major reconfiguration from what was nearly a flat 1.5-mile track to computer-designed progressive banking of 18-20 degrees in the turns. The project required over 4 million cubic feet of fill that was hauled in with 10,000 truckloads. The pole speed jumped nearly 25 mph in 2003 to 181.111 mph (the all-time record) from the previous record of 156.440 mph.

— Miami was the Cup Series’ season-ending race from 2002-2019.

— Miami was the third race of the season in 2021 and is the third-to-last race in 2022.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

Teams will use a new left-side tire compound at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend, a code confirmed by teams during NASCAR’s organizational test at the facility in September.

Combined with reliable test data, there should be little surprise as teams dial in setups. The right-side tire used this weekend is the same as was used at Pocono in addition to the second races at Kansas, Texas and Las Vegas.

The abrasive surface at Homestead provides conditions that will likely result in tire conservation and management.

“Homestead is a high-wear track, and that wear, along with the resultant tire fall-off, creates a lot of ‘comers’ and ‘goers’ throughout the field over the course of a run,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Another thing to watch for, like at Las Vegas last weekend, is teams’ air, camber and suspension settings. With this Next Gen car, teams have found that getting the rear end of the car down and sealed off helps the diffuser create more rear downforce. We continue to provide teams with test data to help them understand the true risk vs. reward in running lower than recommended air at various setups.”

VICE CITY STORYLINES

— Joey Logano is locked into the Championship 4 for the fifth time in the past nine years, continuing his streak of advancing to the title race in every even year since the elimination format was introduced in 2014.

— Logano (2018) and Chase Elliott (2020) are the only remaining past champions in the playoffs.

— Nineteen different drivers have won this year, tied for the most all time.

— The last 10 races have each been won by different drivers — Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell and Joey Logano.

— William Byron won the last race at each of the next two tracks in the Round of 8 (Martinsville Speedway in April and Homestead-Miami Speedway in February 2021).

— Ross Chastain has scored 79 more points than any other driver this season in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks.

— Joe Gibbs Racing’s next win is its 200th and would make it the third organization with at least 200 wins.

— Kyle Larson, 2021, is the only driver to win the second race in the Round of 8 and go on to win the championship

Source: Racing Insights

MIAMI MONEY

Only three drivers have won at least three races in 2022: Chase Elliott (five), Joey Logano (three) and Tyler Reddick (three).

Atop the odds board this week is none other than Reddick at 7-1 odds, according to DraftKings on Tuesday. Reddick is known for ripping the high line around the abrasive mile-and-a-half to near perfection, scoring each of his two Xfinity Series championships by doing so. He hasn’t won there yet in the Cup Series, but two starts have produced two top fives — fourth in 2020 and runner-up in 2021. He also won at Texas, another 1.5-mile track, last month.

Ryan Blaney (9-1) could use a good run after crashing at Las Vegas and rolling to a 28th-place finish, but his Homestead numbers are lacking. In seven starts, Blaney has just one top-10 finish in Miami, although that was a third-place effort in 2020.

A sleeper, though, could be Chase Briscoe, who, at 25-1 odds, continues to score impressive points and finishes through the 2022 playoffs. Nine points beneath the elimination line, a fourth-place finish at Vegas bodes well for the sophomore driver who has wins in both the Xfinity Series (2020) and Truck Series (2017) at Homestead.

MORE: Complete list of odds for Sunday

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which reset for the playoffs. 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 $10,000 prize for the playoff winner.

The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (1,110), Joey Logano (1,030) and Ryan Blaney (1,006).

In addition to Fantasy Live, NASCAR.com is offering the Playoffs Grid Challenge presented by Ruoff Mortgage during the playoffs.

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, the full field 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 Zack Albert

Chase Elliott is one of just two former NASCAR Cup Series champions whose title hopes are still intact in this most unpredictable of seasons. The other is Joey Logano, who clinched his bid for a second Cup crown with a victory last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The time and opportunities for Elliott to join Logano in the Championship 4 field are beginning to narrow, with two races left before elimination arrives for four of the eight drivers left. The season-long goal remains in clear focus for the 2020 champ, whose aspirations of becoming a two-time title winner are within reach.

“I would love to add to it, right,” Elliott said in a Wednesday morning Zoom call. “I mean, look, that’s the goal every year for all of us, is to go out there and achieve that ultimate prize. And we set out to do that every season. That’s what we start our year in hopes of earning. So it’s a grind, it’s a fight, it certainly doesn’t get any easier.”

The next phase in that grind opens this weekend with Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It’s the middle event in the three-race Round of 8, followed by an Oct. 30 date at Martinsville Speedway to set the final four for the Nov. 6 finale in Phoenix.

RELATED: Playoffs standings | Homestead weekend schedule

Elliott has some cred as a favorite to reach the Championship 4 for a third straight year, riding a series-best crest of five victories and carrying an advantage in his playoff-points tally as the regular-season champion. The Hendrick Motorsports ace is itching to rebound from a 21st-place finish in Vegas, re-establishing his footing in what’s been a fickle season for the whole field with the Next Gen car’s debut.

“A lot of new challenges this year, and I don’t think anyone’s been immune to inconsistency with this car throughout the season,” Elliott said. “This thing doesn’t care who you are or what you’ve got going on. You can get humbled really fast. And then, on the flip side, we’ve been fortunate enough to have had some good weeks, too. So we’d love to see that inconsistency improve some, just personally speaking from our team side, we want to be better each and every week, not be as hit-or-miss as we’ve been, and I think that’s where our head’s at right now is just trying to make that a little better.

“I think we’re super-capable, I feel like we’ve just gotta get it going at the right times at some of these tracks. And look, we’ve got three really big weeks ahead and some major opportunity out there hanging for the taking.”

Vegas chipped into his playoff-point stockpile, but Elliott still carries a 17-point edge above the provisional elimination line heading to Homestead. That’s one point behind Ross Chastain, the Las Vegas runner-up, and 11 up on veteran Denny Hamlin – the last driver above the cut.

Chase Elliott and No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson stand side by side on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway pre-race grid
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

The next two races – 767 laps in total – provide plenty of time for the playoff standings to fluctuate. Elliott says he’s content to let crew chief Alan Gustafson keep the primary tabs on those mid-race ebbs and flows, apprising him of his position when needed.

“I just want to go do my part and be running well and try to put ourselves in position to have a shot to win,” Elliott said. “I mean, if you’re doing that, the points thing is going to take care of itself. That is going to give you the best opportunity to be successful. I definitely let those guys kind of watch it, I guess, if necessary. You hope you don’t need to watch it. You hope you’re just running solid enough all day that you can get some stage points, and if you’re up front getting stage points in the mix to have a shot to win, then that’s the least of your concerns.

“You’re just trying to execute a good day. So that’s really where my head’s always been, and no different now just because we’re plus-whatever, 17. It’d be the same if we were minus-17, or plus-55 or 60. So yeah, just want to try to go run good, and if you’re doing that, the rest will take care of itself.”

Elliott’s history with the 1.5-mile Homestead track has its plusses, with top-15 finishes in all six of his starts there, but his record is also dotted with a measure of deviation in those results. Elliott ran a close second to Hamlin at the South Florida oval two years ago, but a return trip last season netted the No. 9 team a 14th-place outcome.

Eighteen teams took part in a two-day organizational test at Homestead last month, and all eight drivers still eligible in the postseason were among the participants. Elliott said the track time was crucial as the team tries to shape its setup choices for this weekend’s 400-miler and smooth any rough patches.

“Homestead’s been super hit-or-miss, honestly,” Elliott said. “We had a really good run there in 2020, had an opportunity to race Denny for the win, which was great. Never really been in position to have a shot to win there, so that was kind of cool, and went back last year and just was horrendous. So hopefully, we can get back going in the right direction and identify why we struggled last year versus being really solid there the year before, really with no changes year to year. So not great when you have that inconsistency at a track, but hopefully, this weekend is good, and we can put together a good day.”

MORE: Latest odds for Homestead | Power Rankings

Teammate William Byron also remains in the playoff hunt, sitting six points below the cut line and representing Hendrick Motorsports’ only other hope for a Championship 4 slot. Byron has won at both Homestead and Martinsville within the last two years, and he’s also found a bit of stride after an uneven run through the summer months.

The Rick Hendrick-owned group secured two of the four Championship 4 berths for last year’s finale, with Kyle Larson edging out Elliott and Joe Gibbs Racing mates Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. for his first title.

The opportunity to double-dip at Phoenix is present again this year. In terms of how both Hendrick drivers get there, Elliott says the parameters of teamwork are no different now than when the season started back in February.

“From a team perspective, everything is always an open book — from set-ups to driver comments to data and all the above,” Elliott said. “Those things are available when we get to Daytona, and they’re available if all four of us made it to Phoenix. I mean, it wouldn’t be any different. That dynamic, I feel like, is probably as strong if not stronger than it’s ever been in my time of being at HMS, which is a good thing.

“And then as far as the on-track stuff goes, look, I think if you have respect for a peer whether he’s a teammate or not and that that particular peer has respect for you, then I think that racing on track will follow suit of that said respect. And I think that covers all the bases from being teammates to not being teammates, whether you’re friends with a guy or not friends with a guy. I think as long as that respect level is there, you’re going to show it, and I think the other person will, too.”

Posted on by Staff Report

It’s more than a race. It’s an experience.

The inaugural Chicago Street Course event in July 2023 will host NASCAR’s first Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series race weekend on a street course, one that twists and turns through downtown Chicago. NASCAR’s top two series will run on city streets for the first time in proximity to many Windy City landmarks, including Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain and the edge of Soldier Field. Iconic street names — Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive — will be a part of the 2.2-mile layout.

As part of the partnership, NASCAR Four Leaf Productions have announced a partnership for the event. The two entities will work closely together with the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and other entities in building and producing a successful sports and entertainment event weekend.

MORE: NASCAR announces Chicago street race in 2023 | 2023 Cup schedule

“We look forward to partnering with Charlie Jones and the Four Leaf Productions team to make the Chicago Street Race Weekend one of the most fan-friendly sports and entertainment events of 2023,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President. “As the first-ever NASCAR street race weekend, we’re looking forward to reinventing the guest experience as a two-day festival with a first-class racing and entertainment experience right in the heart of downtown Chicago. FLP’s creativity, coupled with their success and expertise producing major events in the city, is the perfect combination to help us deliver a positive and memorable race weekend.”

FLP will oversee all non-racing elements of the event weekend, including building out premium hospitality areas, creating interactive experiences for fans throughout the park and producing two live concerts on the music stage each evening. FLP has extensive experience working on large-scale entertainment events with city agencies and organizations to ensure safe events that respect the community and its residents.

“We are honored to work with NASCAR to bring this first-of-its-kind racing experience to downtown Chicago,” said Charlie Jones, Founder of Four Leaf Productions. “Our team has a long history of building live events and festivals of all sizes, many of those in the great city of Chicago. This is an exciting moment for the sport, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

NASCAR has an array of long-running connections to the Chicago area. A Cup Series event in 1956 joined the regular rotation of auto racing at Soldier Field, now home to the Chicago Bears. More recently, the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet hosted the Cup Series from 2001-2019.

NASCAR’s experience with street-circuit racing is more limited. The former NASCAR Southwest Tour competed on a temporary layout near the LA Coliseum from 1998-2000, and the former NASCAR Winston West circuit ran four street races in the Pacific Northwest from 1986-88 — two each in the Washington cities of Spokane and Tacoma.

The versatility of the Next Gen car that debuted this year in the NASCAR Cup Series, plus the proof of concept that emerged from the Los Angeles Clash, have prompted the sanctioning body’s schedule makers to take the show on the road — or in this case, the downtown streets.