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.

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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.

Posted on by Track Release

CHICAGO — Today, NASCAR announced a partnership with Four Leaf Productions (FLP) for the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series race weekend on the Chicago Street Course on July 1-2, 2023.

As part of the partnership, NASCAR and FLP 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.”

FLP is a team of industry veterans who each possess more than 30 years of experience producing large-scale entertainment events. FLP was founded in 2020 by Charlie Jones, who is the co-founder of C3 Presents and co-founder of Lollapalooza Chicago, one of the biggest premier music events in the country. While at C3 Presents, Jones helped create a huge array of national and international events, including the Austin Food + Wine Festival, Music City Food + Wine Festival and international editions of Lollapalooza. In 2015 and 2016, Jones and the team produced the NFL Draft in Chicago’s Grant Park.

Tickets for the 2023 NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend will go on sale in November at NASCARChicago.com. Additional details and elements of the weekend will be announced soon, and fans can follow @NASCARChicago on social media for the latest real-time updates on all aspects of the event.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — From the varying angles of track banking to the impact of drag on a race car’s speed, NASCAR is helping Boys & Girls Clubs of America youth across the country explore STEM applications through the lens of stock car racing on MyFuture, the organization’s digital learning platform.

Over the course of the 2022 season, NASCAR has launched a series of racing-themed, digital experiences as part of its educational programming on MyFuture, which is available to more than 4.6 million Boys & Girls Clubs youth and teens nationwide. The interactive content features lessons and activities on race track design, live race broadcasts, the “3 D’s of Speed” (Drafting, Downforce & Drag), as well as a multi-part video series on NASCAR pit crew training exercises.

Boys & Girls Clubs members earn “badges” on MyFuture by engaging with the content and completing related challenges or activities, which range from designing their own race tracks to demonstrating the aerodynamic principle of downforce with a simple sheet of paper.

Click to view a video playlist of NASCAR’s MyFuture content.

“In NASCAR, there are elements of STEM at work constantly across many facets of our sport and that’s especially true on race day,” said Eric Nyquist, Chief Communications and Social Responsibility Officer, NASCAR. “We’re proud to engage Club kids with NASCAR content that is both fun and educational, and that drives a key area of focus for our important partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America.”

“To help youth meet the workforce challenges of tomorrow, we believe in offering kids and teens first-hand exposure to real-life, work experiences and trainings that allow them to explore their interests and passions,” explained Jim Clark, President and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “But we also know that an important part of career exploration is having fun! Through these virtual and in-person engagements, our partnership with NASCAR is opening up a world of possibilities to kids and teens around the country.”

Mamba Smith Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericaEach of the core NASCAR activities on MyFuture includes video content, developed by NASCAR Studios, that demonstrates the subject or topic. The educational videos are hosted by NASCAR driver and on-air talent Mamba Smith and feature other drivers, crew members and members of the NASCAR industry.

Driver Rajah Caruth, who earlier this season made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Richmond Raceway, joins Smith to help explain the “3 D’s of Speed” and their impact on cars during a race, while industry pit crew coach Rocko Williams and crew members from Trackhouse Racing Team provide Boys & Girls Club kids with a video tutorial on what it takes to train like a professional pit crew member.

In another video, Smith goes behind the scenes with FOX Sports’ NASCAR team at Atlanta Motor Speedway to explore all that goes into producing a live race and delivering on-track excitement to millions of fans around the world. After viewing the content on MyFuture, kids are challenged with filming their own foot races with smartphones and incorporating similar broadcast elements such as post-race analysis and interviews.

In addition to the NASCAR content, MyFuture features more than 500 self-directed activities for youth across the country. The digital platform was created to encourage young people to learn new skills, earn career certifications, explore different interests, share creative projects and participate in events and contests without constraints. Kids and teens can earn recognition for their work while keeping track of their progress and journey on a learning pathway toward mastering new skills.

NASCAR’s digital integration with MyFuture represents an integral part of its work with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Official Youth Community Partner of NASCAR, by allowing youth across the nation to learn and engage with the racing-themed, STEM learning modules without geographical or economic barriers. The nationwide partnership launched in 2021 and focuses on three core areas — STEM education, career development and DE&I initiatives — and features both virtual and at-track experiences in NASCAR race markets.

On Sunday, NASCAR will host 20 teenagers from the Hank Kline Boys & Girls Club in Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway as part of a year-round, at-track engagement program. The NASCAR Cup Series race-day experiences, which will continue throughout the 2023 race season, are designed to showcase the breadth and scope of career opportunities available in the NASCAR industry to Club teens who will soon be entering the workforce.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides high-quality programming that helps level the playing field and provide opportunities to young people that will support them in building the skills needed to become the leaders, innovators and problem-solvers who will shape the world tomorrow.

To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America, this partnership and support its mission, visit BGCA.org.

Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — Corey LaJoie has molded his career, his team and even a podcast after the mantra of “stacking pennies” – a nod to the grind of making more with less. So it was without irony when Spire Motorsports introduced Ty Dillon as his new teammate, and LaJoie promptly said he was looking forward to Dillon adding his two cents.

The next phase in Spire’s development took shape Tuesday with the unveiling of its NASCAR Cup Series lineup for 2023. LaJoie returns for his third season in Spire’s No. 7 Chevrolet, and Dillon charts a new course in his journeyman career as the newest driver of the No. 77 Camaro.

RELATED: Spire sets 2023 plans | Key figures in Silly Season

The organization’s next chapter drafts off LaJoie’s slogan with a goal of incremental growth, but it also stresses continuity — with LaJoie and crew chiefs Ryan Sparks and Kevin Bellicourt returning to their roles, but also with the No. 77 team’s shift from a rotating roster to a full-time driver in Dillon for next year. The course is also big on buy-in, from all parties involved in making the underdog team go.

“Look, I think it’s cliche, but I hope you guys hear it, but I mean, it’s the people,” said team co-owner Jeff Dickerson, who partnered with T.J. Puchyr to launch Spire Motorsports in 2018. “I think if you look at everybody here that works here and that’s up here on this panel, I think we’ve all been discarded by somebody, right? And I think that, kind of that bond, that desperation, feels like just everybody here has got something to prove. Sometimes I question who we’re trying to prove it to, right, but I think that that desire to be successful or to prove something or somebody wrong binds everybody here.”

That attitude applies in nearly equal parts to both the team and to Dillon, who was not renewed after one season at Petty GMS Motorsports. News of his pending dismissal was the latest in a recent line of cast-off moves, from the end of the road at Germain Racing in 2020 to a mishmash of part-time roles in all three national series last year.

Dillon credited his family and support system for helping him weather the uncertainty. Even as his career swayed in limbo, Dillon spoke with candid and often unflinching honesty about the struggles.

Through it all, the 30-year-old driver says he never lost confidence in his abilities. Dillon’s determination has already been requited by the team he’ll join next season.

“I’ve already felt that in the few meetings that I’ve had here at Spire,” Dillon said. “… There’s a belief in me, there’s a different way of communicating to me that they know I can be a part and they know that we can win. And that’s all I need. I know I can get it done, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this relationship and everything blossoms and the confidence builds.”

MORE: Homestead weekend schedule

Dickerson recalled the days when Dillon was what he called “a No. 1 prospect,” a champion in the ARCA Menards Series with multiple victories in his portfolio. Wins in Camping World Trucks and the Xfinity Series followed, but achieving the same level of success in the Cup Series has been elusive in 199 starts to date.

That recent track record was no damper on the team’s enthusiastic welcome of Dillon to the team’s Charlotte-area shop.

“Honestly, the second I found out that the deal was done and he was signed, I mean, I couldn’t think of a better person to get in this race car, and it’s for multiple reasons,” says Bellicourt, who was atop the No. 77 pit box for Spire’s best finish this season — fourth place by Landon Cassill in August at Daytona. “I think that what he brings to this race team, and the 77 car for us in particular, is a lot of experience, a lot of talent, and I have a group of guys that are hungry to go compete at the Cup Series. …

“These guys, we’ve all kind of been on a journey together, and they came here with me, and we’ve been building this place. And now to plug somebody in like Ty, I think it’s very important that Ty knows how lucky we are to have him in this race car, and he feels that. And I believe that 110%.”

Spire has markers up in its race shop commemorating the team’s thus-far modest accomplishments in its brief history. As a bit of a goof, Dickerson says, the largest of those is for LaJoie’s winning side in the celebrity kickball tournament he hosts each year for charity. It’s even bigger than the marker for Spire’s breakthrough Cup Series win — a 2019 stunner by Justin Haley at Daytona.

Adding more banner moments will mean rising from the two teams’ current perch in the Cup Series team owner standings — 32nd for the No. 7 and 33rd for the No. 77. Dickerson says that’s achievable in gradual measures in the team’s quest to contend against NASCAR’s established guard.

“So for us, we’re in year two of competing against teams that have been together for 30, 40, 50 years, right?” Dickerson says. “Sundays are so hard. It takes time to develop the notebook you have, and get the right personnel in place and just have them jell. So it takes a little bit of everything, but longevity, for sure. And we just, we’ve got to keep building, like I say, brick by brick, and it’s whether we add a few engineers or a few people in the back of the shop or whatever, so it’s just … it’s a slow progress, but I think we’ve definitely made our mark pretty quickly.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR announced Tuesday that it suspended Bubba Wallace after his actions in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Wallace was suspended for one race after he crashed Kyle Larson at Lap 94 of the South Point 400 and proceeded to shove Larson, both violations of Sections 4.3.A and 4.4.C & E of the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct laid out in the NASCAR Rule Book. Rule 4.4.C lists “intentionally wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from Competition as a result” as one of five member actions that could result in a penalty.

MORE: Details of the Vegas crash | Larson’s reaction at Vegas

The incident began at the exit of Turn 4 in the Cup Series’ Round of 8 opener at the 1.5-mile track, where Larson slid high and forced Wallace’s 23XI Racing No. 45 Toyota into the outside retaining wall. Wallace, the victor of Stage 1, turned left into Larson’s right-rear quarter panel, sending the No. 5 Chevrolet spinning toward the outside wall and clipping Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Toyota in the process. Bell is still competing for a spot in the Championship 4 while Larson continues to chase an owners’ championship for Hendrick Motorsports. None of the three competitors were able to continue.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief operating officer, joined SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “SiriusXM Speedway” on Tuesday afternoon to discuss why the sanctioning body responded to Wallace’s actions with a suspension.

“Our actions are really specific to what took place on the race track,” O’Donnell told host Dave Moody. “And when we look at how that incident occurred, in our minds, really a dangerous act. We thought that was intentional and put other competitors at risk. And as we look at the sport and where we are today and where we want to draw that line going forward, we thought that definitely crossed the line and that’s what we focused on in terms of making this call.”

O’Donnell noted NASCAR officials examined the data and reviewed multiple angles of the incident before landing on the decision to suspend Wallace, an uncommon penalty levied against drivers.

“When we look at drivers historically, it’s been very rare if ever that we suspend drivers, so we don’t take that action lightly,” O’Donnell said. “So we view our penalties from what has to happen at the race track. It’s a driver-driven sport. Obviously, everybody’s very important to what takes place in the sport. …

“But the driver oftentimes is the focus. And what happens on track is a big focus. So in this case, that’s an action we’ve rarely moved forward with when it comes to a driver. There’s comparisons to what we’ve done in the past, but as we’ve always said, we need to ratchet things up where we see that there’s a line that’s been crossed.”

After the incident, Wallace said the steering on his car broke and that Larson just happened to be there. O’Donnell confirmed NASCAR examined both the vehicle and the data available and added: “We’re confident in the decision we made and why we made it.”

23XI Racing released a statement that indicated it would not appeal NASCAR’s decision and that John Hunter Nemechek would replace Wallace in the No. 45 Toyota for Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Wallace issued a statement to his social media accounts Monday night, specifically addressing the post-wreck confrontation.

“I want to apologize for my actions on Sunday following the on-track incident with Kyle Larson and the No. 5 car,” Wallace wrote. “My behavior does not align with the core values that are shared by 23XI Racing and our partners, who have played a crucial role in my incredible journey to the top of this great sport.”

O’Donnell said conversations will be had regarding the post-crash shoves but reiterated the penalties were aimed at what took place at speed.

“Certainly not something we condone when you look at all the actions that took place as part of that,” he said. “But again, a heat-of-the-moment thing. Bubba’s a competitor. He’s out there – he had a great race car. He wants to win, right? And we love that about Bubba Wallace that he wants to go out and win like all of our drivers do. In this case, you put all three of those things together, but our focus was really what took place on the track.

“We don’t want to see drivers fighting. We understand that emotions get high. We don’t encourage that obviously. But our focus was really on the race track and we’ll have conversations about what took place outside the race car one-on-one and see where we go from there.”

In addition to Wallace’s suspension, NASCAR announced four other penalties after the Las Vegas weekend.

Kyle Busch and crew chief Ben Beshore chat before Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Zach Sturniolo | NASCAR Studios

Ben Beshore, crew chief of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, will miss the next four races along with jackman Derrell Edwards and tire changer Michael Hicks after the left-front wheel detached from Kyle Busch’s car under caution at Las Vegas. The suspensions carry through the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum exhibition that opens the 2023 schedule.

In the Xfinity Series, the No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing team was levied an L1-level penalty for violating Section 14.4.B.E, which pertains to the body. The penalty report notes “Flange Fit Composite Body must be used as supplied from the manufacturer without modification.” Crew chief Mark Setzer was fined $25,000 and suspended from this weekend’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway while the team was docked 40 driver and owner points.

The family-owned Clements team issued a statement after the penalty was announced, saying: “JCR respects NASCAR’s decision on the penalty levied to us today relating to our rear bumper cover, which did not conform to the repair guidelines set forth by NASCAR. We apologize to our fans and partners for this unfortunate oversight and are focused on continuing to represent them with the same fervor as our previous 12 years of NASCAR competition.”

Chris Gayle, crew chief of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series, was also issued a $5,000 fine after the car was found with one loose lug nut following Saturday’s event.

Additionally, Andrew Abbott has been reinstated and is eligible to return to all NASCAR activity after completing NASCAR’s mandated anger management training. Abbott was indefinitely suspended after pre-qualifying inspection for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Sept. 30 at Talladega for violating Sections 4.3 A & 4.A.E of the NASCAR Rule Book.

Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — Spire Motorsports announced its 2023 driver lineup Tuesday morning, adding newcomer Ty Dillon to pair with the returning Corey LaJoie in the NASCAR Cup Series next season.

LaJoie, 31, will be back for a third consecutive season in the organization’s No. 7 Chevrolet starting next year. He’ll have a full-time teammate in the 30-year-old Dillon, who will shift over from Petty GMS Motorsports to Spire’s No. 77 Chevy at season’s end.

RELATED: Catch up on Silly Season moves | Ty Dillon: The best is yet to come

The organization firmed up its plans from the team’s Concord, North Carolina, race shop, which it has called home since it expanded to a two-car operation in 2021. Spire also announced its crew chief lineup, keeping Ryan Sparks paired with LaJoie on the No. 7 team, and teaming Kevin Bellicourt with Dillon for the No. 77. Sparks will also fill the role of director of competition.

“I don’t think people have really seen what our potential is as a race team,” LaJoie said, “and I’m excited for the fans and the guys in this building who are the ones working on it to realize that potential next year.”

LaJoie joined the Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr-owned organization in 2021 after stints with BK Racing, TriStar and Go Fas Racing. This season produced the first top-five finish of his Cup Series career and his closest brush with victory — both coming at the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway. LaJoie wound up fifth in March at the Georgia track, and he led a career-best 19 laps before a late-race tangle with Chase Elliott knocked him from contention.

Dillon will be suiting up for his sixth full-time Cup Series campaign. After a part-time schedule in all three NASCAR national series in 2021, Dillon returned to Cup in the Petty GMS No. 42 ride this year. The two sides announced July 15 that they would part ways at season’s end, and Petty GMS named Noah Gragson as his successor in the No. 42 on Aug. 10.

Dillon said he had multiple offers in other national series, but said he felt his calling remained at the Cup Series level. His said initial talks with Spire gave him a sense of belonging.

“I feel the best is yet to come with this team,” Dillon said, “and hopefully I can just be another positive cog to the great wheel that’s growing here. You can see in all facets of Spire Motorsports, they’re growing at the right pace, doing the things the right way. And I’m really happy to be here and looking forward to being a part of this for a long time. The best is yet to come for all these opportunities for all of us.”

After hosting a rotating cast of drivers this season, the No. 77 team will shift to a full campaign solely for Dillon. Josh Bilicki has made 16 starts in the No. 77 Camaro this year, with Landon Cassill netting the team’s best finish — fourth in August at Daytona — in one of his 14 appearances this season.

Next season, the No. 77 group will have a single-driver focus and another full-time presence in the Cup Series driver standings.

“It’s just about having that consistency to be able to build your notebook and build what you’re working on,” said Bellicourt, who will return for his third season with the No. 77 team. “You go to a race track in the spring with one driver, and go to the race track in the fall with another driver, your notebook doesn’t always translate. So I think all those things are important. I think it’s huge. It’s big for me to be able to have that consistency, and then it’s just a matter of the relationship. Me and Ty are going to develop a friendship. We’ve gotten to talk a few times and we’ve got to know each other. We text now, but we’re going to be able to develop a friendship and a trust in one another and that’s very important.”

The future Spire teammates are each on pace to reach their 200th Cup Series start this season. Dillon is set to mark the milestone in Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) at Homestead-Miami Speedway. LaJoie is on schedule to reach the 200-start plateau in the Nov. 6 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

It’s another parallel for the two next-generation drivers who grew up at the track with their racing families, who stayed involved in Motor Racing Outreach and who both made their first Cup Series start eight years ago.

“Even now, Corey and I have a relationship so much deeper than just what’s on track,” Dillon said. “We’ve shared very similar faith, and we were able to communicate about things deeper than racing. And that means a lot to me, just having that family, friendship atmosphere around your career, and I’m excited for that. And I think that’s the piece that I’ve really been looking for, for my career to just grow all the way around.”

Spire formed in 2018 and made a near-immediate splash the following year with Justin Haley’s stunning breakthrough Cup Series victory at Daytona International Speedway. The organization’s headway since then has been more measured, but has grown to include a part-time schedule this year in the Camping World Truck Series.

Spire has competed in 10 of the 21 Truck Series races this year, with six drivers sharing the on-track duties in the No. 7 Chevy. Those starts produced a first victory in a dominant day for Cup Series driver William Byron in April at Martinsville Speedway.

Dickerson said the Truck Series effort would likely return in 2023 with a familiar look.

“Right now the focus is on the Cup program, getting that squared away sponsor-wise and so forth,” Dickerson said. “I mean, obviously, Bono (crew chief Kevin Manion) and (team manager Mike) Greci do a really, really good job up there with those guys. I guess we’re always kind of looking, but I would say it’s probably going to be part-time, as of now will be part-time and look pretty similar to what it was this year.”

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 18, 2022) — Fresh off a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and a berth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4, Josh Berry will return to JR Motorsports as driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for 2023, the team announced today.

The soon-to-be 32-year-old Tennessee native has won a career-high three races this season in the No. 8 car, posting victories at Dover Motor Speedway in April, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and on Saturday at Las Vegas. In 52 series starts with JR Motorsports, Berry has earned five victories, 17 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes, and claimed a spot in the NXS Playoffs in his first year of eligibility. With the Vegas win, Berry becomes the first of four drivers to race for a coveted series title in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway next month.

MORE: Recap his Vegas win | Xfinity playoff standings

“We’ve been lucky to have Josh spend so much of his career with JR Motorsports. He’s been successful at every level for us,” said team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. “He’s performed well and won races in our cars, and now he’s contending for NASCAR championships. He established our Late Model team as a championship-caliber program and is now contributing to our Xfinity program. And I couldn’t be more proud to have him back at JRM in 2023.”

Berry began with JR Motorsports in 2010, when he campaigned all across the Southeast with the team’s legacy Late Model team, earning 94 victories. Combined with his NXS victories, Berry is just one win shy of 100 career wins under the JRM banner.

He won at Martinsville Speedway in his sixth NXS start in 2021 and again at Las Vegas in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs as a substitute driver in the team’s No. 1 car. That win helped propel the No. 1 team into the Round of 8 in the NXS owner’s title battle, and Berry’s success earned him a full-time ride for 2022.

“JR Motorsports has always been my home as a racer, and I’m proud to return to JRM and the No. 8 team for 2023,” Berry said. “When I came here, it was as a Late Model driver and mechanic, and when I got the opportunity to race full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it was a dream come true. We’ll race for a series championship next month, and that’s nearly full circle for me with the team. I can’t thank Dale, Kelley, LW and Mr. Hendrick enough for this opportunity.”

Berry has won three championships for the team, all in Late Models. He was the 2017 CARS Racing Tour driver champion, a year after earning the owner’s championship in the same series. In 2020, Berry earned the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship, the first for both himself and JRM. He remains the only driver in JRM history to have earned multiple championships for the team.

Partners for Berry and the No. 8 team will be announced in the near future.