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

Posted on by Staff Report

JR Motorsports announced Thursday that Justin Allgaier will return to the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet for the 2023 Xfinity Series season.

RELATED: Xfinity playoff standings | Las Vegas weekend schedule

Allgaier is in his seventh season with the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned team, collecting 16 of his 19 career victories in the Xfinity Series during that span — a figure that tops the organization’s all-time win list.

JRM also announced that BRANDT Professional Agriculture will return as a primary sponsor for 20 races next year. BRANDT first teamed up with Allgaier 11 years ago, and that relationship continued when the driver joined JR Motorsports in 2016.

Allgaier, 36, ranks fourth among the eight title-eligible drivers remaining in this year’s Xfinity Series Playoffs. He added three wins (Darlington, Nashville, New Hampshire) to his career total earlier this year, and made his 400th Xfinity start earlier this month at Talladega Superspeedway.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

When the face of NASCAR’s most significant safety revolution speaks, ears perk.

Mike Helton – NASCAR’s president from 2000 until a promotion to become vice chairman of the sport in 2015 – joined Corey LaJoie’s “Stacking Pennies” to discuss myriad key topics currently encapsulating the premier stock-car racing entity. Helton, who still commands respect in the garage and everywhere he goes, leaned into the conversation surrounding safety that has peaked in recent weeks — and also told a good Dale Earnhardt story or two.

RELATED: Listen to “Stacking Pennies” podcast

“I’ve got a lot of faith in the current leadership of the sport, but particularly in the leadership around competition and the leadership around doing everything we can every day to make the sport safer,” Helton told LaJoie during their recording of the podcast episode. “And it is a lot safer today, but this still is a very dangerous sport.”

Safety has been at the forefront of most discussions throughout the NASCAR garage in recent weeks as Alex Bowman was sidelined with a concussion after a rear-impact crash on Sept. 25 at Texas Motor Speedway. Bowman became the second driver to miss races this season due to concussion-like symptoms, joining 2004 champion Kurt Busch.

On Oct. 9, NASCAR leadership met with all Cup Series drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway for 75 minutes to discuss the ongoing work behind the scenes. The weeks leading up to the meeting were dotted by competitors voicing their concerns through media outlets. Helton, charged with overseeing the sport’s safety revolution after tragic accidents at the turn of the millennium, understands the current driver corps’ outspoken nature.

“We’ve always had personalities in the sport,” Helton said. “Sometimes, it’s different, but we have got some strong personalities. And we listen to everybody. Every stakeholder in this sport we have an open-door policy for. Most of that works. Every now and then, you get, for whatever reason, it doesn’t work. So they feel the best way to communicate their issues is not directly with us but through the media or through digital and social, which is kind of a modern version of the consumption of all of our sport, on and off the race track.”

Helton Pennies Trio Main

 

Helton also noted that some of the criticism that seeps through the airwaves and digital screens lacks the full context necessary to produce fruitful discussions.

“I think it’s unfair to us knowing that we’re working on all these things, and we’ll be glad to communicate with the ones that want to do it their way,” Helton said. “And if [they are] sincere and they’re factual about what they say, that’s one thing. But when they say only part of it and not all the facts along with it, I just don’t feel that’s fair for the league, and it’s unfortunate.”

The NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, opened in 2003 with a focus on establishing higher safety standards throughout the sport. That remains a key priority nearly 20 years later as cars and equipment continue to develop.

“A perfect storm is going to happen, or just an accident at a race track can still happen, and it’s still a very dangerous sport,” Helton said. “So that topic of safety is chased every day, eight, 10 hours a day at the R&D Center. … And sometimes the answers are easy. Sometimes, the answers aren’t easy to find. But you constantly chase that topic. And so when the topic of safe race car comes up in a NASCAR race, and people say these cars aren’t safe, I know that NASCAR is not going to put an unsafe car on the race track. Now it may have different characteristics. It may act differently. And if it does, then that is something that we need to correct, and we’re going to work with the garage area and figure out how to do that.”

Helton also highlighted several other topics during the nearly 50-minute discussion, including:

• How Dale Earnhardt would get his point across to NASCAR officials (“He would eat our lunch”);

• The difference in communication styles with Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon in the late 90s (“You felt better when you walked away with Jeff. When Dale left, you’re feeling like you got beat with a baseball bat”);

• The growth and development of — and the importance of bridging the gap with — Ben Kennedy;

• Why he keeps the really good “called to the hauler” stories to himself;

• And what it means to be honored with the 2023 Landmark Award for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

RELATED: Listen to full episode here

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

After 32 races, the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Las Vegas with just eight drivers left contending for the 2022 championship.

Sunday’s South Point 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway makes the opening race of the Round of 8 with all sights ahead on the title.

A busy round awaits. Prepare for the penultimate postseason round with all the info you need here:

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

LINING THEM UP

Teams will be broken into Groups A and B for 20 minutes of practice (12:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App; USA Network at 12:30 p.m.) for each group, respectively. Following practice, the series will roll into two rounds of single-car, single-lap qualifying set to begin at 12:50 p.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

LAS VEGAS STORYLINES

— The 2022 Round of 8 field is the youngest in playoff history while also combining for the fewest wins of all postseason fields.

— Joey Logano (2018) and Chase Elliott (2020) are the only remaining past champions in the playoffs. They have the two worst average finishes in playoff races among the eight remaining drivers in the 2022 postseason at 15.8 and 17.0, respectively, but rank first and second in points after the reset due to playoff points.

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

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

— Denny Hamlin (610) and Joey Logano (503) have more Cup starts than the four drivers making their first Round of 8 appearances combined (Christopher Bell, William Byron, Ross Chastain and Chase Briscoe with a combined 495).

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

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

Cup teams return to Las Vegas with a different tire than what they utilized in March, but that doesn’t mean they are unfamiliar with this tire compound. Goodyear will provide the same tire setup that was used at recent mile-and-a-half facilities, Kansas Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.

Air pressure became a key topic of discussion after numerous issues in the Sept. 25 race at Texas, but Goodyear notes discussions with teams and manufacturers in the weeks since have produced fruitful feedback.

“This has been an exciting year of change for NASCAR as we all work with the Next Gen car,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “We understood very early on the balance of this car was directed much more to the rear than previous, and as setups have continued to evolve over the season, the benefits of maximizing the effectiveness of the rear diffuser have become apparent, particularly on the speedways.

“These setups, obviously, can have a significant impact on tires, so integrating the latest information from the teams and OEMs into our predictive simulations is critical. Those simulations enable us to provide the teams with the key tire information each week to make informed decisions and responsibly get maximum performance out of the tires at Las Vegas this week and moving forward.”

Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior VP of Competition, said in a Wednesday appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that no resin or traction compound would be applied to the asphalt surface. “We haven’t gone the track-treatment route at all at Las Vegas over the years, and it’s provided some great racing,” Miller said. “So no, that’s business as usual.”

LAS VEGAS HISTORY

— Construction of Las Vegas Motor Speedway was completed in June 1996 on a 1,600-acre site near Nellis Air Force Base that holds rich racing history, dating back to a drag strip built in 1958. The site currently houses the 1.5-mile speedway, an industrial park, a drag strip, a 1/2-mile dirt track, a 3/8-mile paved oval and two road courses.

— The track’s original layout featured 12-degree banking in the corners, 3 degrees of banking on the backstretch and 9 degrees on the frontstretch. But a reconfiguration in 2006 changed the racing significantly, the result of 20-degree banking in the corners and 9-degree banking on each of the straightaways.

— Sunday marks the 30th race at Las Vegas.

— Bruton Smith launched a multimillion-dollar renovation project at the beginning of 2006 to include the Neon Garage, track changes, relocated pit road and a state-of-the-art media center. The centerpiece of the project was the new garage area for the Cup teams and an interactive fan area. The two-level, four-building garage area encompasses 32,000 square feet. A 52,000-square-foot roof deck allows fans to look directly down into the individual garage stalls. Windows on the lower level allow fans to watch the teams work. In addition to the close proximity, the Neon Garage has concession stands and an entertainment area.

— Christopher Bell won the pole at Vegas in the spring race, his first of four poles so far in 2022. Bell advances to the Round of 8 with a walk-off win last week at the Charlotte Roval.

— Each of the last six Vegas races have been won by different drivers, but Chevrolet has won three of the last four.

— The average green-flag stretch was 16 laps in March, tied for the second-shortest at the 1.5-mile track.

Source: Racing Insights

GAMBLING IN SIN CITY

Denny Hamlin may not be on everyone’s radar, but he certainly should be. Oddsmakers have a keen eye on the No. 11 Toyota as Hamlin enters as the favorite this weekend with 11-2 odds, according to BetMGM.

Hamlin’s lone Vegas victory came in the playoffs one season ago and Toyotas proved fast in the Next Gen debut in March. But perhaps the bigger focal point should be what Hamlin is achieving in this postseason run. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has a 6.8 average finish over the past six races, best of the remaining Round of 8 contenders.

Kyle Busch, a Las Vegas native, is listed at 10-1 odds and has just one home win on his resume. But the two-time Cup champion was one late caution away from scoring the victory back in spring before a green-white-checkered restart saw Alex Bowman storm to the checkers.

A longer shot at 16-1 odds is Joey Logano, but he’s worth keeping an eye on. He won back-to-back spring races in 2020-21 and Team Penske is usually quick at the Las Vegas tri-oval.

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 (1,094), Ryan Blaney (981) and Joey Logano (972).

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 in 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 Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports announced Wednesday that Alex Bowman will miss the next three NASCAR Cup Series races as part of his ongoing recovery from a concussion.

Bowman will be sidelined again in Sunday’s South Point 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and plans to miss events the following weekends at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 23) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 30). He scored his lone Cup Series victory this season for the No. 48 Chevrolet team at the 1.5-mile Nevada track on March 6.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Las Vegas weekend schedule

Xfinity Series regular Noah Gragson again will substitute for Bowman in the No. 48 Chevy. He filled in for Bowman the last two weekends, posting finishes of 19th (Talladega Superspeedway) and 23rd (Charlotte Roval).

Bowman has missed the last two Cup Series events with concussion symptoms after a crash in the Sept. 25 event at Texas Motor Speedway. He sat out events at Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, knocking him from playoff contention after the Round of 12.

Hendrick Motorsports indicated that Bowman was evaluated Wednesday morning by Dr. Michael “Micky” Collins, the clinical director at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

“We have a tremendous amount of respect for the entire staff at UPMC,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “Our priority continues to be Alex’s recovery and long-term health, and we will follow the plan that Dr. Collins and his team recommend. We’re not looking past the next three races and will evaluate plans for the season finale (Nov. 6 at Phoenix Raceway) as the event approaches.”

Bowman released his own statement on social media, saying he is focused on his recovery with hopes of returning to competition “as soon as possible.”

“I know that Noah will continue to do a great job representing the No. 48, and I’ll be cheering for him and the entire Ally Racing team on every lap,” Bowman said in his post. “Thank you again to everyone for the support I’ve received. It means so much to me.”