Posted on by Holly Cain

LAS VEGAS —  Josh Berry’s resume would indicate he’s a top-shelf short track racer, but the JR Motorsports driver may need to expand that profile. Berry’s No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet led a commanding 65 laps en route to the win in the Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday — his second victory in the last three races on the high-banked 1.5-miler.

Berry took the lead from AJ Allmendinger with 34 laps remaining — the pair racing hard side-by-side at the front of the field on a late race restart. Berry even got shoved into the outside wall before recovering and moving into the lead for his fifth career win.

RELATED: Official results | Weekend schedule

Las Vegas native Noah Gragson — who led a race best 87 laps and earned his season-leading 14th stage win — finished second, 1.125 seconds behind Berry. Justin Allgaier was third, solidifying a JR Motorsports 1-2-3 podium-sweeping effort.

The win is hugely significant, earning Berry the automatic position in the Championship 4 in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 5 — his first opportunity to race for the season title.

“I think I hit the wall like 12 times,” Berry told his team on the radio during the cool-down lap.

When the 31-year-old Tennessee native ultimately climbed out of his Chevy at the finish line, he took time to remove his helmet — standing alongside his Chevy and soaking in the importance of the day and the championship implications — far removed from his job as a bank teller years ago.

“I was a little bit tight off (Turn) 4 the whole time, and [Allmendinger] left me a lane but nothing extra, but I wasn’t letting off,” said Berry, who hadn’t led a lap in the last six races. “That was for a trip to Phoenix and I was willing to hit the wall or whatever. We’ve had a tough couple weeks or months, but we knew we could do this if we were at our best.

“Had a caution with 30 to go and was able to wrestle the lead away from those guys and build enough of a [points] gap to keep it,” Berry said. “I tell you, I’m just speechless.”

Berry’s NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway also capped a memorable afternoon for Chevrolet, marking Chevy’s 500th all-time win in the series and clinching the manufacturer’s sixth consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer’s Championship.

Allmendinger, the regular-season champion, had to pit under green-flag conditions shortly after racing Berry up front for the lead — a pair of loose tires ultimately derailing his day. Allmendinger’s 22nd-place finish in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet was the lowest among the eight current playoff drivers.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs and former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne completed the top five Saturday. Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, JRM’s Sam Mayer, Kaulig Racing’s Daniel Hemric, JGR’s Brandon Jones and Our Motorsports’ Anthony Alfredo rounded out the top 10.

Allmendinger was the only playoff driver with a finish outside the top 10.

With Berry’s win and automatic berth into the Championship 4, Gragson now leads the standings by 19 points over Gibbs and 29 points ahead of Allgaier.

Hill (-15), Allmendinger (-16), Jones (-29), and Mayer (-36) head into the next round needing to make up points with two races remaining — at Homestead-Miami and Martinsville — to set the four-car championship lineup for Phoenix.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standout Hailie Deegan made her Xfinity debut at Las Vegas — earning a 13th-place finish in her first race.

“I’m pretty excited right now, the guys gave me an amazing car,” Deegan said, noting that she would love the opportunity to race more in the Xfinity Series should a sponsor step up for funding.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to playoff action in next week’s NASCAR triple-header weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Saturday’s Contender Boats 300 (4:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Myatt Snider is the defending race winner.

NOTE: Post-race inspection concluded without issue, confirming Berry as the race winner. The No. 54 car was found with one loose lug nut, which will result in a fine.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
(⏰ 2:30 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, NBC Sports App | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas, the seventh playoff race of the 2022 campaign.

Where: Las Vegas Valley, Nevada
Approximate start time: 2:30 p.m. ET | Weekend schedule
TV/Radio: NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
The purse: $7,352,089
Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 83 degrees, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 267 laps | 400.5 miles
Stages: 80 | 165 | 267
Pit-road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
Vegas 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: Reddick rockets to Vegas pole
Pit stalls: See where drivers will pit
Playoff grid: Print yours now

Key things to watch 🔑

Big story line

Coming off the Round of 12, perhaps the biggest wild-card round on the playoff schedule, Las Vegas comes as a breath of fresh air for teams just looking to run their own race. With that being said, the margin of error for title hopefuls is slimmer than ever as the field whittles to eight remaining. Getting a win on Sunday could lock you into Phoenix, taking the stress away from needing clutch performances for the next two weeks. Lose ground on Sunday and you could be playing catch up or mirroring Christopher Bell’s must-win situation from the Charlotte Roval. Will Las Vegas continue to favor seasoned veterans like Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott, or will the fearless five looking to make their respective Championship 4 debuts set the tone?

Who’s hot? Who’s not? 

All eyes will be on the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin this weekend after his scorching resume at the 1.5-mile Nevada track. Hamlin has three top-five finishes in his last four starts, including a win in last season’s playoff race. His performance has been incredibly consistent, leading laps in nine of the last 14 races in Vegas and scoring stage points in 11 of 20. Hamlin’s only non-top-five here in that span was in the spring after he suffered drive-train issues and was forced to retire from the race. In fact, each of the Round of 8 tracks lines up well for Hamlin historically, and he is a good bet for your Fantasy Live lineup on Sunday.

Chase Briscoe put together an incredible performance in the Round of 12, squeezing his way into the penultimate round with a clutch performance at the Charlotte Roval. But once again on the outside looking in, Briscoe will need to match that energy and get off to a hot start Sunday at Las Vegas — a track he has little success at or history for that matter. Briscoe has never led a lap here in the Cup Series and has a career-best finish of 14th accomplished in the spring race. Coming into the round with a chip on his shoulder and an underdog mentality, they are certainly going to be one of the key teams to watch.

Driving under the radar

Looking at non-playoff drivers who can spoil the fun for championship hopefuls, Kyle Busch has to be at the forefront of that conversation in Las Vegas. Busch is arguably the king of the desert track, boasting four consecutive finishes of sixth or better and claiming the all-time record for top 10s and top fives. After seeing an unfortunate end to his title hopes in September, don’t assume we have heard Busch’s final statement in 2022. He might be the one basking in Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon.

Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

Race-day staples ✅

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: LaJoie debuts exclusive Optic Gaming scheme | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Will the Round of 8 belong to Denny Hamlin? | Updated driver rankings
• NASCAR betting: Hamlin the early favorite to win Sunday | Underdogs, value bets
• Fantasy Fastlane: Ross Chastain looking for repeat performance | Must starts, sleepers

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• Kurt’s call: Veteran announces driving plans for 2022, beyond | Read more | Listen here
• Reddick’s turn: RCR, 23XI Racing confirm Reddick’s move to Toyota next season | Read more
• Logano praises Busch: Cup champion gives credit to Kurt for impact on sport | Hear what he said
• New guard: Fresh faces blending in with established guard | Playoff analysis
• Crew chief change: Blake Harris moving to No. 48 next season | Read more
• Stacking Pennies: Mike Helton joins to talk safety, Earnhardt and more | Read more
• Bowman sidelined: No. 48 driver out the next three races | Read more
• Humanitarian Award: Four finalists for 2022 announced | Read more
• Dropped appeal: No. 4 team drops penalty appeal | Read more
• Seven-time: Jimmie Johnson’s new book spotlights life in photos | Read more
• Safety convo: Corey LaJoie gives his perspective on drivers’ meeting |Read more
• JGR props: Make your picks for this weekend’s race | Pick here, compete for prizes
• eNASCAR: Championship trophy renamed after Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Read more

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• Backseat Bets: Who will win head-to-heads in Vegas? | Hear the debate
• The Action Network: Take Logano in the matchup over Elliott | Expert betting insight
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | New rules for playoffs
• Going all the way: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Vegas nights and highlights 🌙

Plenty of sleepless nights and memorable moments in Vegas have come after parties in Victory Lane. 

• Do you remember?: Most memorable moments at Las Vegas | Relive them here
• Winner, winner: All-time winners at Las Vegas | See who has the most
• Last year: Denny Hamlin earns statement win in Sin City | Full 2021 race recap
• Race Rewind: Hamlin locks into the Round of 8 after Vegas | Best moments, highlights

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• The 2022 Round of 8 field is the youngest in playoff history.
• Nineteen different drivers won this season, tied for the most all time.
• The Stage 2 winner at Las Vegas won the race seven times, the most of all tracks.
• Chase Briscoe was the only driver to finish top 10 in all three races in the Round of 12.
• The last eight 1.5-mile races were won by eight different drivers, including all seven this season.

Say what? 🎙

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

• “For more than two decades, we have been privileged to watch Kurt Busch compete. He has proven himself a champion on the racetrack, but perhaps just as importantly, he has grown to become a true ambassador for the sport.  Kurt’s drive to improve the future of motorsports has set him apart. We are thrilled that he’ll remain in our sport as a leader and trusted resource. Kurt’s unparalleled passion for racing gives us hope that we will see him in a race car again.”   — Steve Phelps, President, NASCAR

• “I feel great about all of them. All of them are just perfect for what our strengths are. I’m excited. We have been very strong on the intermediates all year and we tested Homestead a few weeks ago. We had a good test at Martinsville and even though we finished bad there in the spring, I feel good about what we have learned since then. We’re going to have to qualify well there, and track position is going to be huge. It’s time to go to work, but yeah, we’re really excited about our prospects in this next round.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, on Round of 8 tracks

• “I enjoy being the underdog and handle it much better when people do doubt us. I know we’re capable, our team knows we’re capable and it really doesn’t matter what other people think. I like not having that pressure, so that’s fine if it continues. We’re going to show up each race and do what we need to do. Even if we’re down, we’re not out and we’ve shown that these last few weeks, so we’ll keep it up and make our way to Phoenix.” — Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Posted on by Holly Cain

LAS VEGAS —  Tyler Reddick earned his third Busch Light Pole Award of the season Saturday morning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet will lead the field to the green flag in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 playoff race (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The 26-year-old Californian’s lap of 184.603 mph knocked fellow Chevy driver William Byron from the pole position and then Team Penske rookie Austin Cindric finished the session by grabbing the outside pole position on the final qualifying lap of the 10 cars that advanced to the second round.

RELATED: Starting lineup for Sunday | Photos from Las Vegas

Reddick also topped qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and then at Texas Motor Speedway just three weeks ago. The three pole-tally is a career-best for the third-year Cup Series driver. Only hours before qualifying, Reddick was named to drive the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota next year.

“It’s pretty awesome,’’ a smiling Reddick said of the day’s work.

Interestingly, in the 29 races held to date at the track, no driver has ever won the Las Vegas race starting from the pole position. Kyle Busch was the race winner and pole winner in 2009, but technically he did not actually start from pole position, having to move to the rear of the starting grid after an engine change.

Asked about the difficulty of turning a pole position into a win here, Reddick was surprised to learn the statistic as well.

“Hopefully we’ll change that tomorrow,’’ said Reddick, who did win a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas in 2019.

“I think the track just changes a lot from practice to qualifying,’’ Reddick added, “For us, when we’ve started on the pole or we started toward the front on these mile-and-a-halves, we’ve had a lot of speed and we just unfortunately had some things not go our way.’’

Byron will start third, alongside Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, who boasted the fastest lap in practice. Blaney’s teammate Joey Logano, Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, Wood Brothers’ Harrison Burton, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Reddick’s RCR teammate Austin Dillon rounded out the top 10 on the starting grid. Burton matches his best starting position ever at a non-superspeedway and highest any track since the 2022 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

Only four of the eight playoff contenders – Byron, Blaney, Logano and Bell – advanced into the final round of qualifying. The other four playoff drivers will start a bit farther back, including Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, who will roll off 11th. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe starts 16th with 2020 champion Chase Elliott 20th and JGR’s Denny. Hamlin, 31st in the 36-car field.

Brad Keselowski, who leads all current drivers with three Vegas victories, will start the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford from 25th.

PRACTICE

Ryan Blaney set the tone in Saturday’s split practice session, running the most laps and logging the fastest speed of anyone in the field. Blaney’s 31-lap session topped out at 183.517 mph at a best time of 29.425 seconds around the 1.5-mile circuit. Ross Chastain, who led a race-high 83 laps in the spring race, sprinted to second on the board, trailing Blaney by 0.027 seconds. Erik Jones ( 29.453 seconds), AJ Allmendinger (29.511 seconds) and Austin Cindric (29.527 seconds) rounded out the top five.

RELATED: Practice results

Led by Kyle Busch in 12th, the Toyota brigade seemed to be slightly off the pace. Busch was nearly three-tenths of a second off Blaney, followed closely by race favorite Denny Hamlin in 13th and Bubba Wallace in 14th. Neither of the three cracked the top 15 when it came to the 10-lap average.

Christopher Bell finished lowest of the Round of 8 on the overall practice leaderboard, slotting in 26th, over 0.5 seconds off the top mark.

There were no major incidents in practice.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

23XI Racing announced Saturday that Tyler Reddick will drive for the team starting next season, getting a jump on a deal that was originally set to start with the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign.

Richard Childress Racing released a statement Saturday that confirmed the two sides have reached an agreement, releasing the 26-year-old driver from his obligation to the No. 8 Chevrolet team for next season. Reddick will drive the No. 45 Toyota for the Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin-owned team next year.

Reddick will replace Kurt Busch, who announced he will not compete for a championship in a full-time role with the team next year. Busch joined the No. 45 team this season as part of 23XI Racing’s expansion to a two-car operation, but has missed the last 12 Cup Series races after sustaining a concussion in a crash during qualifying July 23 at Pocono Raceway.

MORE: Key players in 2022-23 Silly Season | Busch will not compete for 2023 title

Not long after Reddick’s future was officially announced, he wheeled his current ride to the pole for Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, another positive on an optimistic day for the current RCR racer.

“I’m really excited about next year, but there’s still a number of races left this year that I’m gonna continue to remain focused on and do everything I can for my team to run well and do well,” Reddick said. “But certainly it is nice to know, like, hey, this is what the future is going to hold. I’m going to get to go over there earlier than I planned and just start working on those things that myself and a lot of the ownership over there had talked about wanting to do and why we wanted to get together.”

23XI previously announced over the summer that Reddick would shift his allegiances to the Toyota-backed team in 2024, a move that had ripple effects in the NASCAR free agency market. At the time, Hamlin did not indicate which car Reddick would drive, or whether 23XI would expand to a three-car fleet with Reddick joining Busch and Bubba Wallace as teammates. “I watched him, I raced against him, I wanted him and I got him,” Hamlin said then, “and I didn’t know anything else that goes along with that.”

Saturday’s move firms up the Cup Series driver roster for both organizations. Reddick will team with Wallace, with Busch open to potential part-time duty in a possible third 23XI entry. RCR will move forward with the returning Austin Dillon and newcomer Kyle Busch, who Childress lured from Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota in a blockbuster deal that came together last month.

David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development, acknowledged what’s been a recent rocky road for the manufacturer, highlighted by Kyle Busch’s departure to Chevrolet. While Saturday’s announcement surrounding Kurt Busch was bittersweet, Wilson saw bright spots in the final resolution.

“This whole year has been a roller coaster for Toyota,” Wilson said. “We’ve been in the news cycle far too much. And in the first emotion [of Reddick’s arrival] is just relief. It’s like, ‘OK, I think we can focus on racing for a few weeks and not worry about the next announcement, not worry about the next question.’ And so just to have all that sorted has been a relief. Obviously, I think for Tyler and for all parties, this was the natural solution. It gives all of us a lot of peace of mind.”

Reddick was originally set to continue driving for RCR in 2023, but news of Kyle Busch’s contract muddied those waters with the two-time champion set to step into Reddick’s current No. 8 team.

MORE: Reddick didn’t feel ‘in limbo’ with RCR transition

As possible outcomes lingered for what his February looked like, Reddick never wavered, making Saturday’s announcement more straightforward for the two-time Xfinity Series champion.

“I don’t know if [the emotions had] really been that mixed because I mean I wasn’t going to be working with [crew chief] Randall [Burnett] and the team that I’ve worked with … some of the guys on the team for four-plus years,” Reddick said. “I was going to be starting with a new group, something new already. So I guess either way it would have went, I was going to be starting with people that I may not have the most time around, you know, so it was gonna be a new chapter I guess anyway.”

Reddick has enjoyed a breakout season amid all the uncertainty and shifting tides. His first three Cup Series victories (Road America, Indianapolis Road Course, Texas) have all come this year, his third with the Childress-owned team. Reddick was eliminated from the Cup Series Playoffs after the opening Round of 16.

Reddick joined RCR in 2019, claiming his second Xfinity Series championship that year before moving up to the Cup Series the following season. He won his first Xfinity Series title with JR Motorsports in 2018.

Contributing: Zach Sturinolo

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LAS VEGAS — “Look at … Kurt Busch — still as good as he’s ever been behind the wheel of a race car.”

The commentary from Dale Earnhardt Jr. during Busch’s qualifying run at Pocono Raceway still rings true.

But Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Busch announced his departure from full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2023, noting he will not return to competition in 2022 and leaving the door open to compete part-time next season for 23XI Racing.

The decision comes after Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, sustained a concussion on July 23 at Pocono in qualifying, seconds after Earnhardt’s praise.

“The doctors have come to the conclusion that it’s best for me to shut it down for the season,” Busch said from the track’s media center. “And even though I’ve made solid gains, and been working with all the top specialists, and the team at Toyota Performance Center, I’m still not 100% and I’m still not cleared to race.

“As I continue to focus on my health towards being cleared, I’ll be stepping away from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2023. My long-term health is priority number one, and I don’t feel committing at this point to compete for a championship next year is in my best interest, or in the best interest of the team.”

MORE: Key players in 2022-23 Silly Season | Reddick moves to 23XI in 2023

The driver of the No. 45 Toyota was victorious at Kansas Speedway in May, qualifying for the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season. Busch has missed every race since the incident at Pocono and symptoms from his crash led to Busch withdrawing his medical waiver for the postseason. But Busch clarified that the Pocono crash wasn’t the only determining factor.

“There’s not one moment or one circumstance that has led to this decision. It’s a layer of things,” Busch said. “And just to be frank and to smile a little bit, I mean, I’ve wrecked a lot of [crap] in my life — old cars, new cars. And so over the years, things add up.

“And you know, different wrecks this year have made it tough and the grind to get back each week to 100%, that was starting to get tough this summer. And then with the accident at Pocono, it’s, again, part of everything that’s kind of added up.”

Nearly three months since his most recent crash, Busch detailed the symptoms still plaguing him as he continues his recovery.Kurt Busch

“I was pushing hard to the first three weeks after the accident. And then with the playoffs starting and not being approved, that emotional week was really tough,” Busch said. “The emotions of this are something that I wasn’t prepared for — nobody’s prepared for anything like this — but mainly the vestibular movements.

“So with head movements and torso movements with my heart rate elevated, that’s when things move quick in my peripheral back to right up front. So it’d be like looking in the mirror, and then being back towards the windshield and around the competitors, checking the dash — like just things are moving quick. And things are slowing down. Things are coming back to me. I just know I’m not at 100%. So the vestibular side is really where I’m focused on with my concussion.”

For Busch, it’s the next chapter of a Cup Series career that includes 34 victories, the first playoff-era championship and a Daytona 500 win in a 22-year period.

The 44-year-old Busch offered an update on his health Sept. 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, saying he was “hopeful” about a return to competition this season and noting his progress in the recovery from his Pocono crash. His timetable for a potential comeback, though, remained unclear. “I feel good, and I don’t know when I’ll be back, but time has been the challenge,” Busch said. “He’s … Father Time is the one in charge on this one.”

Nonetheless, Busch was quick to note a step away from full-time Cup racing was likely coming shortly.

“I’m at peace where things are,” he said Saturday. “I was close to the end of my contract, and that full drive for a championship run, I was real close to that [ending] anyhow. And so it just happened a little sooner. But to race part-time and to enjoy things with a little less pressure, I think that will help fulfill things and then close that door.

“But to pursue a championship and to run 36 race weekends week in, week out, it was getting tough for my body to go through no matter what. And so this just changed the course just a little bit. But I’m happy with where things are and my family with the race team, with Monster, with Toyota. There’s gonna be plenty of things to do to keep that passion alive and to write the final chapter.”

Busch’s departure brings Tyler Reddick to the No. 45 team a year ahead of schedule to be Busch’s full-time replacement. The organization announced in July that it had signed the 26-year-old standout to a deal beginning in 2024, but an agreement struck with Richard Childress Racing will release him from his obligations to the No. 8 Chevrolet team next year.

Busch has become an elder statesman of the sport, eager to better the young talent that continues to come through the pipelines. Now, he’ll embrace that role in depth with teammates Bubba Wallace and Reddick.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with 23XI and this team of wonderful professionals,” Busch said. “I appreciate their support and what they’ve shown me over the last few months. I will continue to work with this group. I want to share my wisdom and knowledge and everything that I’ve gained with my unofficial Ph.D. in this garage area that deserves to stay with 23XI.

“We’re building something special here. And I look forward to continuing to work with Bubba Wallace off the track, as well as Tyler Reddick who will join the team next year to drive the No. 45 Toyota.”

Hamlin has maintained that a seat with 23XI Racing would be available when Busch felt comfortable returning to the cockpit. With Reddick and Wallace confirmed as 23XI’s full-time entrants, a return by Busch to part-time Cup Series competition next year would necessitate a third entry with the team.

MORE: Kurt Busch’s driver page | Busch has no regrets

Xfinity Series regular Ty Gibbs will continue his role as a substitute for Busch through the end of the year. Gibbs has been a capable fill-in for Busch, though the 20-year-old rookie’s results have been marked by four DNFs. His best finish thus far was 10th at Michigan International Speedway, where he led the first laps of his Cup Series career.

“We’ve found a diamond in the rough,” Busch said of Gibbs. “I mean, we’ve seen Tyler on track before, but now to really jump into some of the telemetry, to see him on the road courses and the way that he’s just attacking all the time, those are the things that we want as a top driver with our team”

Though Busch bowed out of a postseason appearance, his Kansas victory qualified 23XI Racing’s No. 45 team for the team owners’ playoffs. 23XI shifted Wallace to car No. 45 for the postseason, in an effort to give the team a veteran edge. The No. 45 advanced through the first round but was eliminated from the team owners’ grid after the Round of 12.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Zack Albert

Joey Logano took to social media Thursday to document a gas station fill-up, a fairly mundane task made much more exotic considering the car he drove up to the pump – a gullwing-doored DeLorean DMC-12 that he was readying for date night.

Logano says he was a big fan of the space-age styling when he added the car to his personal collection. The “Back to the Future” movie fandom came later.

“It seems to put a smile on everybody’s face when you drive that thing around,” Logano said. “But my son since then has become a big fan of ‘Back to the Future.’ And he actually was Marty McFly for Halloween last year. So the DeLorean got a lot of usage last year for his Halloween outfit.”

Tooling around in an automotive oddity from another era offered a slice of home life Thursday before Logano turns to his day job in the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The circuit visits Las Vegas Motor Speedway next, kicking off the final three-race elimination bracket with Sunday’s South Point 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM).

RELATED: Playoff standings | Las Vegas weekend schedule

Logano is one of eight drivers with Cup Series title hopes still intact. After the upcoming races at Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami and Martinsville, the postseason field will be cut in half for the Championship 4 round in the Nov. 6 finale at Phoenix Raceway.

The remaining eight drivers are an interesting lot. Logano and fellow veteran Denny Hamlin are the only drivers above the 30-year-old threshold, and only those two plus Chase Elliott have ever made the Championship 4 round in previous seasons.

William Byron's No. 24 Chevrolet battles close to Christopher Bell's No. 20 Toyota at Texas Motor Speedway
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Suspending disbelief, if Logano were to channel his inner Doc Brown and set his flux capacitor just five years back, he’d time-travel to a season when current playoff driver Christopher Bell was putting the wraps on a Camping World Truck Series title and William Byron was headed toward an Xfinity Series crown – both drivers not far removed from their grassroots days. Cup title hopefuls Chase Briscoe and Ross Chastain were also still waiting for their call-up to NASCAR’s big leagues.

In some ways, it was an eternity ago. In other ways, the era wasn’t such a long-ago time.

“I mean, it is kind of crazy to think about how much our sport has changed, right?” Logano said during a Thursday afternoon Zoom. “You’ve had quite a few drivers retire here recently, and those seats have been filled with great talent, and obviously that’s starting to show more and more, especially with this Next Gen car. You get in this Next Gen car, it didn’t matter as much with experience, didn’t matter as much with the new car and knowing where the track’s gonna go and how restarts go and those type of things. Those type of things are all washed away. If you were going to be a rookie, this is the year to be a rookie.

“But at this point, during the playoffs, those things stay the same, right? No matter what car you’re driving, I guess the pressure stays the same, but how you go about it and all those things, that advantage that the experienced guys had is gone.”

Logano and Hamlin have each made four Championship 4 appearances, and Elliott has reached that round twice. The remaining five have yet to achieve title eligibility for the finale, guaranteeing that a new face will be among this year’s four finalists at Phoenix.

MORE: Five drivers bidding for first Championship 4

Added to this season’s Round of 8 complexion is the variety of winners, currently at 19 after an unpredictable season to date. That uncertainty has crept into the playoffs, where three former series champions – Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick – are already out. Just two former champs remain in the mix – Elliott and Logano.

“I think it just shows the competitiveness across the whole field,” said Ryan Blaney, Logano’s Team Penske teammate who is in his third Round of 8 appearance without a Championship 4 berth. “There’s a lot of guys who have not made it — have ever been in the playoffs, number one — and have never made it to the Round of 8. … I think it just shows the depth of talents across the whole field. You know, you’ve seen champions get eliminated from the playoffs already, and there’s a lot of new faces here that are not champions right now that have a shot to go to Phoenix and contend.

“So it just shows the talent level, I think, no matter how much experience you have. I feel like the sport’s healthy with talent right now, and it just shows that anybody can jump up there and make a run at this thing.”

Logano, who started his Cup Series career as an 18-year-old prodigy in 2009, is now among the established guard hoping to keep the postseason upstarts at bay – if not in the current round, then certainly once the winner-take-all finale arrives next month. Logano has won once at each track in the Round of 8, and his Homestead-Miami victory in 2018 was a title clincher. Each of those victories, however, came in a previous generation of Cup Series cars and against a different array of competitors.

Having been there before? Logano says that still counts.

“I think experience always matters,” Logano said. “Yeah, the car is different, and things are different, but the pressure is the same. And as you get through these rounds, and how you execute throughout it, it’s the same. So anytime you’ve been through something before and you’re going back to it again, you’re always stronger and more comfortable in that situation. So I feel really good about where we’re at as a race team. Everyone on this team has won a championship before, they’ve been through the pressure before, they’ve won, they’ve lost — we’ve done it all together and know how to do that. So I feel like we’ve got a great team to go to battle with and a team that’s been there before.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Four NASCAR fans dedicated to providing resources and support to children have been recognized by The NASCAR Foundation as finalists for the 12th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Each volunteer represents an organization committed to improving the lives of children in racing communities across the country. The announcement was made ahead of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sunday, Oct. 16 on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“Our four finalists have made a measurable impact on improving the lives of children, an endeavor shared by Betty Jane France,” said Mike Helton, The NASCAR Foundation Chairman. “Each finalist has exemplified an unparalleled commitment to serving children in their communities and serve as an inspiration to many. We encourage our fans to learn more about our finalists’ stories and vote for this year’s award winner.”

The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman Betty Jane France, recognizes NASCAR fans who volunteer for children’s causes in their local communities. Each finalist receives a minimum $25,000 donation for their organization with the overall winner receiving a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to further their efforts.

The 12th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalists include:

  • Dan Majetich of Tempe, Arizona,a co-founder and volunteer with Nick and Kelly Children’s Heart Fund of Arizona, an organization that assists Arizona families of children with congenital heart disease and acquired heart disease. After losing their sons, Nick and Kelly, to congenital heart defects, Dan and his wife, Margaret, founded the Nick and Kelly Children’s Heart Fund in 1985. Since then, Dan has become a leading advocate for families of children with heart disease, helping to provide financial assistance and hosting annual camps for children to experience activities that normally may not be accessible to children with heart defects.
  • Ralph Maccarone of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a co-founder and volunteer of Who We Play For, a nationwide organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in young people through affordable heart screenings. After losing his 15-year-old son to SCA, Ralph helped to co-found Who We Play For and over the last decade has dedicated his time to volunteering at heart screening events, fundraising and advocating for policy changes and serving as the chairman of the Board of Directors.
  • Tammy Garrett of Mobile, Alabama,a volunteer with Rapahope Children’s Retreat Foundation of Alabama, a non-profit organization that provides opportunities to families on the childhood cancer journey through recreational support programs. A volunteer for 17 years, Tammy is involved in all aspects of Rapahope, including involvement on the organization’s fundraising and planning committees. She is also a regular attendee of the Camp Week, Sibling Weekend, Teen Weekend and Family Day programs, often volunteering her time to cooking meals and helping campers learn to fish.
  • Tracy Williams of Jacksonville, Florida,a volunteer with the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports families that are tackling childhood cancer. For the past 17 years, Tracy has played an integral role in delivering support and raising funds for families affected by childhood cancer. A chairperson to the organization’s signature fundraising event, The Celebrity Golf Classic, Tracy has helped raise over $7 million dollars, coordinating program content and logistics to assure the event’s success including its transition to a virtual environment during the pandemic.

The overall winner of the $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation will be determined by an online vote, which is open now. Fans can vote once a day, every day through November 9th at 5 PM ET on NASCARfoundation.org/Award. The overall winner will be announced on NASCAR’s YouTube channel on November 17th.

To learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and the 2022 finalists, visit NASCARfoundation.org/Award.

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. – Hendrick Motorsports has named Blake Harris as the crew chief for Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

In 2022, the 35-year-old Harris has led driver Michael McDowell to a career-best season with 12 top-10 finishes in 32 Cup Series starts to date. He will complete his first year as a crew chief with the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports team before joining Hendrick Motorsports in mid-November.

Harris will replace current No. 48 crew chief Greg Ives, who announced in August that he will step down from the role at the end of the season.

“Blake brings a tremendous amount of talent to our organization,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “In our conversations, it quickly became clear that he’s an excellent culture fit and believes in the way we approach competing and winning. He and Alex have already developed a relationship, so we’re excited to see how they grow together. Greg has assembled a winning team, and we believe Blake is the perfect person to continue that work.”

A native of Maypearl, Texas, Harris began driving race cars at age 11 and moved to North Carolina immediately after high school to pursue a career in NASCAR. At just 18 years old, he joined Evernham Motorsports (later Richard Petty Motorsports) in 2006, working in both the engine and chassis departments.

In 2010, Harris transitioned to Furniture Row Racing, where he became the car chief for drivers Kurt Busch (2013) and Martin Truex Jr. (2014-2018). He was an integral part of Furniture Row’s 2017 championship season when the No. 78 team won eight races and led 2,253 laps. In 2019, Harris followed Truex to Joe Gibbs Racing, where he served as car chief for the No. 19 team before accepting the crew chief role at Front Row Motorsports for 2022.

“The opportunity to work with a winning driver like Alex, an engaged sponsor like Ally and a championship team like Hendrick Motorsports is huge,” said Harris, who as a car chief won 29 races and made five Championship 4 playoff appearances. “When I moved to North Carolina in 2005, my goal was to become a crew chief for a top-caliber organization that could win races and compete for titles. I’m grateful for the chance to fulfill that dream and look forward to building something special with the No. 48 team.”

Bowman, 29, has driven for Hendrick Motorsports full-time since 2018, earning a playoff berth in each of his five seasons. The Tucson, Arizona, native, who is currently recovering from a concussion, has won seven races over the past four years, including five victories in the last two.

MORE: Bowman through the years | All of his Cup wins

“I’m pumped about the chance to work with Blake,” Bowman said. “He’s a great fit for me, for our No. 48 group and for the way Hendrick Motorsports operates week in and week out. With Blake and everyone who supports this Ally Racing team, I know we can build on what Greg started and take this to the next level.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Christopher Bell’s electric, walk-off win at the Charlotte Roval injected a ton of momentum in the garage at Joe Gibbs Racing. With Bell and Denny Hamlin still contending for a championship, make your picks for how JGR will perform in Sunday’s Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — including Xfinity Series selections.

RELATED: Vegas weekend schedule | Best odds for Sunday

CUP SERIES

XFINITY SERIES PROPS

Posted on by Staff Report

Editor’s note: Tune in live or set your DVRs for Episode 7 tonight at 10 ET on USA Network. The previous six episodes are currently available for streaming on Peacock.

Episode seven of USA Network’s unscripted series “Race for the Championship” airs tonight at 10 ET, and the seventh of 10 episodes provides exclusive looks and sounds surrounding a couple of drivers who are in the thick of the NASCAR Playoffs hunt — and notably, one who removed himself from the postseason picture.

23XI driver Kurt Busch is in the spotlight this week as he recovers from a wreck at Pocono Raceway that left him with lingering concussion-like symptoms. Go behind the scenes with Busch during his workouts, and with 23XI as they announced to the shop that Busch has withdrawn his request for a medical waiver for the postseason, knowing he wouldn’t be ready for the opener at Darlington.

Each episode throughout the series will feature multiple drivers and their lives and stories away from the track. In addition to Busch, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney are highlighted tonight as the series focuses on both their stories off the track and on it as the Cup Series concludes its regular season at Daytona International Speedway.

Blaney’s pressure-filled day at Daytona has never felt more tense, with behind the scenes video and audio on his push for the final postseason spot.

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 7, 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