Posted on by Cara Cooper

About five years ago, a then 26-year-old Ian Rotundo went to a race at California’s Irwindale Speedway with his family.

“I was sitting in the grandstands watching them race going, ‘I can do that, no problem,'” Rotundo said.

Rotundo had done some motorcycle racing, but never in a car. He had grown up watching the sport, loving driving and cars, and his dad desert raced many years ago.

While at Irwindale, a NASCAR-sanctioned asphalt oval near Los Angeles, Rotundo found the track’s Tucker Tire Enduro Sport class, which he thought looked relatively affordable with good competition and a variety of cars and skill levels.

It also, most importantly, just looked really fun.

It turned out, “I had a lot to learn,” he added.

Ian Rotundo
(Photo courtesy of Ian Rotundo)

The first two years were a steep learning curve for Rotundo. He’s had to learn how to save tires and not be so aggressive on the gas pedal.

“Get in, put the pedal to the floor and hold on. … It turns out that doesn’t work very well,” he said. “I’m learning how to go slower to go faster, if that makes any sense.”

He’s started finding much more success the last two years. In 2021, he finished second in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division III national championship standings, and this year he’s third.

“The last two years I’ve just been honing those skills and trying to be a little more precise, and a little less aggressive with the pedals, and a little smoother all around,” Rotundo said. “And it’s been amazing how much that’s changed, just learning how to drive a little more carefully. It’s not always push the pedal harder to go faster. It doesn’t always work all the time.”

Much of the learning for Rotundo has been alongside his family, especially his dad, Jim, who helps him work on the car every week.

“I couldn’t even begin to do it without him. There is no way that I would be as competitive as I am and consistent as I am without his help,” Rotundo said. “Doing stuff with my family has been awesome.”

Rotundo has found the competition and camaraderie among the drivers at Irwindale is his favorite aspect of racing. He’s built something of a rivalry with driver Bobby Ozman, who won the Enduro track championship at Irwindale in 2019 and 2020. Ozman is currently second to Rotundo in the track points this season.

“He’s been pushing me hard this year. He’s been doing a great job,” Rotundo said of Ozman. “It’s good to have. It’d be no fun if there were no competition.”

But it’s not all about just getting wins for the two drivers. It’s not worth it if they’re not pushing each other to victory.

“At the last race, during the autograph session, Bobby found a nail in his tire,” Rotundo said. “We had already gone through tech, and if he were to change that tire he was going to have to start at the back of the pack. So we ended up, I was able to run back to the pits and grab a plug kit and plug his tire for him, and he’s my biggest competition. But we’re still out there to help each other and make sure that we’re out there to race, and have fun racing and push each other on the track.

“I don’t want to beat him by some technicality that he was going to have to start further back than he was supposed to. I want to race him to race him. We’re out there to have fun and learning something, and push each other to the edge.

“I love the competition of it. The fact that on the track we can all be pushing the limits, and off the track be friends and help with each other.”

While Rotundo was hoping to try to win the NASCAR national championship this season, he may have to settle for another top-three finish. Irwindale finished its NASCAR season last week.

He’s fallen so in love with racing, though, that Rotundo will surely have more chances in the future.

“All of racing has been fantastic,” he said.

Posted on by Brandon White

Only three points separate the top three drivers in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings heading into the final two races of the 2022 season.

After claiming his fourth win of the year at Riverhead Raceway on Saturday night, three-time Tour champion Justin Bonsignore has erased the deficit stemming from his poor start to put himself well within striking distance of adding another title to his prestigious resume.

RELATED: Complete results from Riverhead Raceway

With all the momentum favoring Bonsignore as he pursues a third consecutive championship, points leader Jon McKennedy and 2011 champion Ron Silk will find themselves playing both offense and defense with two historic tracks in Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and Martinsville Speedway ahead.

Below is a breakdown of how the top 10 drivers in the standings fared during the Eddie Partridge 256, along with a complete look at the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings.

Drivers line up on pit road during the Eddie Partridge 256 at Riverhead Raceway. (Photo: Mike Lawrence/NASCAR)
  1. Jon McKennedy: 526 points 

The last thing McKennedy needed was a mediocre performance at Riverhead. Bonsignore winning the Eddie Partridge 256 and Silk finishing third only compounded the consequences of McKennedy’s 10th-place run, as his lead in the standings has been reduced to just three points.

  1. Justin Bonsignore: 523 points

A couple months ago, Bonsignore was nowhere near the championship fight being settled between McKennedy and Silk. Two consecutive victories at Oswego Speedway and Riverhead, along with an average finish of 3.6 over the last five races, has allowed Bonsignore to emerge as the title favorite with two races remaining.

  1. Ron Silk: 523 points 

Despite putting together one of the most consistent seasons of his career, Silk has yet to take his car to Victory Lane in 2022. Silk put together another solid performance at Riverhead with a third, but he now finds himself in a tie for second with Bonsignore.

  1. Eric Goodale: 504 points

Goodale remains a dark horse candidate for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title, but time is running out for him to erase a 22-point deficit. A quiet night for Goodale in the Eddie Partridge 256 saw him come home in fifth for his fourth top five on the 2022 season.

  1. Austin Beers: 479 points 

The only rookie who has run every race of the Tour season, Beers is now fifth in the point standings heading into the penultimate race at Thompson. Beers just narrowly missed out on his second top five of the year with a sixth-place finish at Riverhead.

  1. Tommy Catalano: 470 points

Catalano rebounded from a disappointing showing at Oswego but was still unable to crack the top 10 by the time the checkered flag was displayed. The 12th-place finish by Catalano at Riverhead dropped him outside the top five in the point standings.

  1. Kyle Bonsignore: 469 points

A different pit strategy nearly resulted in the other member of the Bonsignore family visiting Riverhead’s Victory Lane. Unfortunately for Kyle, he would get swept up in a late-race accident with Silk, forcing him to settle for a disappointing, 21st-place finish.

  1. Craig Lutz: 466 points

Lutz picked up another top 10 in the Eddie Partridge 256 on Saturday evening by finishing seventh. After scoring only one top 10 in the first 10 races, Lutz now has four in a row, which includes his victory at Thompson back in August.

  1. Doug Coby: 408 points

A three-time winner at Riverhead, Coby could not quite match the pace set by Bonsignore in Saturday’s Eddie Partridge 256. Despite this, Coby still finished fourth and further padded out Tommy Baldwin’s advantage in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owner points.

  1. J.B. Fortin: 360 points

The Eddie Partridge 256 proved to be another rough evening for Fortin. An accident with Riverhead regular Dylan Slepian knocked Fortin out of the race after 85 laps, which relegated him to 23rd.

Pos. Driver Points Starts Wins 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Top 5 Top 10
1 Jon McKennedy 526 14 1 1 0 4 1 2 7 12
2 Justin Bonsignore 523 14 4 1 0 0 2 2 7 11
3 Ron Silk 523 14 0 2 4 1 1 0 8 11
4 Eric Goodale 504 14 0 2 0 1 1 2 4 9
5 Austin Beers * 479 14 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 6
6 Tommy Catalano 470 14 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 6
7 Kyle Bonsignore 469 14 0 1 0 1 1 2 3 8
8 Craig Lutz 466 14 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 7
9 Doug Coby 408 10 3 0 1 1 1 0 6 10
10 J.B. Fortin 360 13 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2
11 Patrick Emerling 330 10 0 2 2 0 0 0 4 6
12 Dave Sapienza 324 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Gary McDonald 314 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Walter Sutcliffe Jr. 308 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 Melissa Fifield 285 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Ken Heagy 272 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
17 Matt Hirschman 257 6 1 2 1 1 1 0 6 6
18 Tyler Rypkema 230 7 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 3
19 Timmy Solomito 201 6 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4
20 Jake Johnson * 193 6 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 4
21 Andrew Krause 179 6 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 3
22 Donny Lia 173 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
23 Kyle Ebersole 169 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
24 Jimmy Blewett 139 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
25 James Pritchard, Jr. * 130 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
26 Dylan Slepian * 122 4 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 2
27 Mike Christopher, Jr. * 120 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 2
28 Kyle Soper 119 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
29 Ronnie Williams 119 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
30 Ryan Preece 111 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3
31 Matt Kimball * 106 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
32 Eddie McCarthy * 105 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
33 Spencer Davis 102 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
34 John Beatty, Jr. 101 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
35 Sam Rameau 94 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1
36 Bobby Santos, III 94 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
37 Anthony Nocella 88 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
38 Brian Roble * 86 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
39 Chuck Hossfeld 84 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 2
40 Anthony Sesely 78 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
41 Chris Young * 76 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
42 Chris Turbush * 76 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
43 Matt Brode * 73 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
44 Roger Turbush 72 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
45 JR Bertuccio 72 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
46 Max McLaughlin * 70 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
47 Jacob Perry * 63 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
48 Eddie Brunnhoelzl 58 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
49 Tom Rogers, Jr. 43 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
50 Jeremy Gerstner 42 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
51 Todd Patnode * 39 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
52 John Baker 38 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
53 Blake Barney 35 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
54 Corey LaJoie 35 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
55 Joey Coulter 34 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
56 Ryan Newman 32 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
57 Jamie Tomaino 30 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
58 Mike Leaty * 30 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
59 John Fortin 29 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
60 Gary Putnam 29 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
61 Steve Dickey, Jr. * 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
62 Jack Ely * 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
63 Andy Seuss 22 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
64 Paul Charette * 21 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
65 Bryan Dauzat 20 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
66 Danny Bohn 20 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Posted on by Adam Fenwick

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Before Saturday night’s victory by Chris Buescher at Bristol Motor Speedway, it had been 191 races since RFK Racing last went to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series.

That victory came at Daytona International Speedway in 2017, when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drove the No. 17 to victory.

A lot has changed since then. For one, when Stenhouse won in 2017 the team was known as Roush Fenway Racing. Secondly, Stenhouse has long since departed the team and now drives for JTG Daugherty Racing.

Perhaps most importantly, the biggest change since RFK Racing last visited Victory Lane in 2017 is the addition of Brad Keselowski as both a driver and co-owner of the team.

“I’ve had a lot of teammates through my Cup career that have been passionate and put in a lot of effort, but none like Brad,” said Buescher. “To see his passion and the amount of effort that he puts in each and every weekend, it just drives everybody to put in all the effort we possibly can to get to right here, right, to be sitting here after a race and celebrating.”

RELATED: Official results | Updated driver standings

Keselowski brought with him a new mindset and the goal of turning RFK Racing back into the team that dominated the NASCAR Cup Series during the 1990s and 2000s with drivers like Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards.

While Buescher’s victory in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race Saturday evening doesn’t mean RFK Racing is back at that level, Keselowski believes it’s a major step forward for the entire program.

“It’s a big moment for him and a big moment for our company to be able to win races,” said Keselowski. “It’s really so important at this level. You’re really not relevant if you can’t win races. If you’re not relevant, you can’t have sponsors. You can’t have sponsors, you can’t go to the race track every weekend. We need to win.”

The victory by Buescher marked the 138th for the organization that entered the NASCAR Cup Series in 1988, when Mark Martin piloted the team’s flagship No. 6 for the first time.

That doesn’t take into account RFK Racing’s sweep of the of Bluegreen Vacations Duels in February at Daytona International Speedway, which were non-points events.

The victory was Buescher’s first for RFK Racing and his first since his maiden triumph in 2016 at Pocono Raceway when he drove for Front Row Motorsports. It also came at one of his favorite race tracks.

“This is the one, the one we’ve been looking forward to for a really long time, and it’s just a special place,” Buescher said of Bristol. “It’s unlike anywhere else we go.”

BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 17: Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 17, 2022 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 17 Fastenal Ford, during the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 17, 2022. (Logan Riely | Getty Images)

Keselowski called Buescher’s victory a “legacy win,” noting that not just any driver can walk into Bristol Motor Speedway and win the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. He said that speaks to the growth Buescher has shown throughout the season.

“The Bristol Night Race is a race that champions win, and I think the growth that he’s shown this year shows that he can be just that,” Keselowski said.

Statistically, Buescher flexed his muscle Saturday night. He led a race-high 169 laps, a career-best for the for the 29-year-old from Prosper, Texas. On top of that, he outran five playoff contenders in Chase Elliott, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain, who finished second through sixth.

Buescher’s victory provided Keselowski with a bit of extra gratification since he made a point to sign Buescher to a contract extension immediately after he became a co-owner of RFK Racing.

“I kind of felt like he was a hidden free-agent gem that wasn’t being scouted properly and felt that way for a handful of years,” Keselowski said. “So yeah, the first thing — it was literally the first thing I did when I signed the papers at RFK (was to sign Buescher to an extension).

“I thought he was somebody we could build around and get results, and today clearly shows that that was the case.”

Keselowski made it clear that despite the impressive performance by RFK Racing Saturday night, which included Keselowski leading 109 laps before a flat tire took him out of the race lead late in the event, there is still a lot of work left to do to get the team back to where he believes it should to be.

“We want to get back to being at least a four-car team. That’s been our goal all along,” said Keselowski. “Before you can get to a four-car team, you’ve got to get to a three-car team. Before you can get to a three-car team, you have to be relevant as a two-car team.

“For us, again, relevancy is winning races, multiple races a year with both of your cars and competing for playoffs. Obviously, we’re not in the playoffs with either of our cars, so we have more work to do. But our stated goal internally is to get back to being a four-car team.

“That’s not going to happen if you’re not winning races and you’re not relevant as a two-car team. This is a good step forward for us. We’ve got a long way still to go.”

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

BRISTOL, Tenn. – The way Austin Cindric’s night started Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, no one would have expected him to advance to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Cindric blew a right-front tire on Lap 85 of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, which dropped him multiple laps down before the race even reached the 100-lap mark.

He entered the race only two points ahead of Kyle Busch for the final place in the Round of 12, making the flat tire, and a second one that came later in the race, exceptionally devastating. In the end, that same margin carried him forward into the next round of the postseason.

RELATED: Official results | Chris Buescher wins at Bristol

Cindric ended the first stage 35th in the 36-car field, but slowly, he began clawing his way back into the fight.

“For a while it was just drive as hard as I can,” Cindric said after racing his way into the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. “As they fell off likes flies, I tried not to force any issues, tried not to force any more right-front tire failures.”

The moment that eventually put Cindric into the Round of 12 came on Lap 269, when the engine in Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota expired. Suddenly there was a glimmer of hope for Cindric, but it would take him nearly the rest of the race to overtake Busch in the standings.

“I think I was tied with the 18 for 100 laps,” Cindric said as he let out an exhausted laugh. “Just one hell of a night. I still don’t think this place loves me back, but it probably showed me a little mercy tonight.”

Cindric eventually crossed the start/finish line 20th, seven laps behind winner Chris Buescher. However, combined with Busch’s 35th-place finish and Tyler Reddick’s 25th-place finish, it was enough for Cindric to squeak into the Round of 12 by a whopping two points.

Reddick and Busch ended the race tied with 2,067 points and were the first two drivers who missed advancing to the Round of 12. Reddick’s night was derailed when he was collected in a multi-car crash shortly after a restart on Lap 278.

Cindric’s attention immediately turns to the Round of 12, which begins next Sunday with the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The Round of 12 also includes events at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 2 and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Oct. 9.

“I feel like it’s a great chance for us to do something that most people don’t expect, and that’s make the Round of 8 and have a shot to go win a championship,” Cindric said. “I’m on offense from here on out.”

Posted on by Brandon White

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Over the last decade, no driver in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has been as dominant at Riverhead Raceway as three-time champion Justin Bonsignore.

On a Saturday night when Riverhead’s late owner in Eddie Partridge was being honored with a 256-lap feature, it was only fitting for Bonsignore to put together a typical, efficient performance that yielded him his ninth victory at the track, the most of any active driver.

Bonsignore said Partridge’s impact on the Modified community will be felt for years to come, but he is thrilled Riverhead general manager John Ellwood and his staff are doing everything possible to keep the track’s vibrant culture thriving.

“It’s a shame we lost Eddie last year, but it’s unbelievable what [Riverhead] does each and every week [to honor him],” Bonsignore said. “I’m so happy they keep the racing going for all of us. This is the best car we’ve ever had here, and I think we could have won it in 200 [laps].

“Momentum is a thing, and now I’ve knocked off two wins in a row.”

RELATED: Complete race results from Riverhead

Bonsignore’s first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at Riverhead came back on July 30, 2011, when he fended off Todd Szegedy after leading a race-high 158 laps. Since that inaugural win, Bonsignore has emerged as one of the most dominant drivers in Riverhead’s storied history. He has finished inside the top five in 20 of his 24 appearances at the track on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, all while leading more than 1,000 total laps.

On Saturday, the inclusion of live pit stops inside Riverhead’s infield and an extended race distance presented unique challenges for Bonsignore. He trusted his crew with the car but anticipated other competitors would try to overtake him on a different pit strategy.

Patrick Emerling would be the one to gamble on pit stops. After briefly taking the lead from Bonsignore on a restart, he elected to take two rear tires on Lap 139 and inherited the top spot after Bonsignore and the rest of the frontrunners came in for service of their own.

Despite the risk, Emerling with his older tires ultimately could not fend off Bonsignore, who made the race-winning pass with 25 laps remaining and withstood one last charge from Emerling to add another Riverhead victory on his resume.

Emerling was confident his car was strong enough to visit Victory Lane at Riverhead for the second time, but he admitted he needed circumstances to play out differently so he could be in a better position to fend off Bonsignore.

“The cautions just didn’t fall in our favor there,” Emerling said. “We are disappointed with a second, and I guess that’s a good thing. I could have ran [Bonsignore] a little bit rougher, but I guess we’re proud of running him clean there. We’ll look forward to the next time here.”

For Emerling, who was less than 24 hours removed from a 27th-place finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, he believes the Eddie Partridge 256 was another positive sign that his Modified is continuing to make progress following a three-win season in 2021.

Although the Xfinity Series is his primary focus now, Emerling still enjoys competing against Bonsignore, Doug Coby and the rest of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour veterans, adding that his second place run Saturday only gives him more motivation to improve himself as a driver.

“We got two hours of sleep [between Bristol and Riverhead], so this was a long weekend for us,” Emerling said. “We struggled a little bit at Bristol yesterday, but it was a strong run for us [on Saturday]. I wish there was a little more I could have done there, but we’ll get [a win] next time.”

Bonsignore was expecting Emerling to race him aggressively after the two came together at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park earlier this year, but he was pleased that the two were able to engage in a clean-but-hard fight for the win.

RELATED: Hear from Justin Bonsignore after his win at Riverhead

Even with fresher tires, Bonsignore knew he could not rely solely on that advantage to overtake Emerling. He described the final laps as a stressful experience with Emerling in his rearview mirror but was relieved he could add another chapter to a legacy Partridge helped keep alive.

“The tires don’t really fall off,” Bonsignore said. “You have to have 80 or 90 laps on them [before the start to wear]. Our car with the rear tires was naturally tighter, but [Emerling] still hung in there until the end with us.”

With his victory in the Eddie Partridge 256 on Saturday, Bonsignore not only inches closer to Mike Ewanitsko’s series record of 11 wins at Riverhead, but now finds himself deep in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship hunt alongside Ron Silk and Jon McKennedy.

Silk came home in the third position while Coby and Eric Goodale completed the top five. Rounding out the top 10 were rookie Austin Beers, Craig Lutz, Timmy Solomito, Kyle Soper and McKennedy.

A replay of the Eddie Partridge 256 can be seen on the USA Network on Sunday, Sept. 25 starting at 2 p.m. ET.

The penultimate race on the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule will see the series head back to Thompson on Oct. 8. The race will be streamed live on FloRacing.

Posted on by Staff Report

Four drivers were eliminated from title contention in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night, resetting the standings board and setting the Round of 12.

WINNER

Chris Buescher used excellent speed and marvelous strategy to earn his first win of the season and first for newly formed RFK Racing, continuing the trend of non-playoff drivers dominating throughout the Round of 16. Buescher’s win is his first since Pocono Raceway in 2016 and resulted in trouble for drivers below the elimination line needing to win.

RELATED: Official results | Full playoff grid

ELIMINATED DRIVERS

Tyler Reddick, Richard Childress Racing
Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing

ADVANCING TO THE ROUND OF 12
(Ordered by points at end of Bristol)

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, 2160 points
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, 2138 points
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, 2125 points
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, 2120 points
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, 2117 points
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing, 2116 points
Joey Logano, Team Penske, 2100 points
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, 2095 points
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, 2093 points
Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing, 2081 points
Daniel Suárez, Trackhouse Racing, 2074 points
Austin Cindric, Team Penske, 2069 points

WHO’S HOT?

Christopher Bell. Bell has arguably been the best driver in the playoffs. Three top-five results in the opening three races have the No. 20 team looking like a title favorite. Still, Bell hasn’t been to Victory Lane since New Hampshire Motor Speedway this summer, but he has been extremely consistent at the front of the field. Based on his consistency, which has eluded many of the other playoff drivers so far, he is arguably one of the favorites to make it to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway in November.

Like Bell, Denny Hamlin has been a consistent threat to win races in nearly every race since Darlington Raceway. Two runner-up finishes in this round (Darlington and Kansas) and a ninth-place finish at Bristol have Hamlin focused and a serious contender to earn his first Cup Series championship. Hamlin and Bell have avoided the mishaps that have plagued their Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., so if that can continue, Hamlin is certainly on the path to contend at Phoenix, as well.

WHO’S NOT?

Daniel Suárez. Suárez has not been terrible and has flashed solid speed during the Round of 16, but suffered a bit from poor starting positions at Darlington and Bristol and a few miscues have him just a step below the other title contenders. An unfortunate wreck collected the No. 99 and a few others at Bristol and Suárez finished in 19th, six laps down. Heading to the Round of 12, these types of mistakes and efforts in qualifying could be the difference in the few points needed to advance to the next round. It is just a tight race to the top.

NEXT RACE

The Round of 12 opens on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 3:30 p.m. ET with the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

WHO IT FAVORS

Ryan Blaney. Blaney has not finished outside of the top eight at Texas since 2019, rallying for a sixth-place result a season ago in the playoff race. Not to mention he also won the All-Star Race this year, showcasing his prowess around the 1.5-mile oval. Though he has never won at the Fort Worth-based track — his best finish is runner-up in summer 2018 (also a playoff race) — his speed this season has been unquestionable. If Blaney is going to get to Victory Lane before the end of the season, next Sunday’s race will be one of his best opportunities down the final stretch.

WHO IT HURTS

Alex Bowman. In 12 regular-season starts at Texas, Bowman has a shocking average finish of 24.5. It may not tell the whole story, but it is a worrying trend as Bowman hopes to keep up his serious momentum gained in the Round of 16. Bowman does have a fifth-place result in the 2020 playoff race (his first with the No. 48 team), but it is sandwiched between two finishes outside the top 30 in his last three outings in Fort Worth.

Posted on by Brandon White

Eddie Partridge 256

Riverhead Raceway

Riverheadraceway

 

  • Race Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Laps Diff
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 256
2 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 256 0.402
3 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 256 1.987
4 7 Doug Coby Baldwin Automotive 256 4.083
5 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 256 4.643
6 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 256 5.473
7 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 256 6.059
8 66 Timmy Solomito Natural Designs/Highmark 256 8.174
9 15 Kyle Soper Eastport Foods 256 9.21
10 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 256 9.539
11 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 256 10.183
12 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 256 10.644
13 88 Roger Turbush Rheem 256 11.126
14 26 Ed Brunnhoelzl III Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 256 11.836
15 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 255 1 Lap
16 5 John Beatty, Jr. Elite Sound Studios 255 1 Lap
17 81 Chris Turbush* Mike Smith/Cromers Market 255 1 Lap
18 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 250 6 Laps
19 96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports 249 7 Laps
20 27 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape Supply 248 8 Laps
21 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 214 42 Laps
22 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 192 64 Laps
23 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 85 171 Laps
24 70 Dylan Slepian* Eastport Feeds 85 171 Laps
25 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 15 241 Laps
Posted on by Reid Spencer

BRISTOL, Tenn. – With Chase Elliott pursuing him relentlessly for the final 50 laps, Chris Buescher held on to win Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the 19th different NASCAR Cup Series winner this season.

After the event that set the field for the Round of 12 in the series playoffs — and eliminated superstars Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick from the postseason — a dozen drivers were breathing sighs of relief and hoping fervently for a return to stock-car sanity in the next round.

MORE: Busch blows engine | Harvick’s pit issue

A two-tire pit stop under caution on Lap 438 of 500 put Reddick in the lead for a restart on Lap 444. The driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford led the final 61 laps and a race-high 169 overall to give the RFK organization its first victory since Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took the checkered flag at Daytona on July 1, 2017 at Daytona.

03 R12 Ncs Grid

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

The victory was the first for RFK Racing since Brad Keselowski joined the organization as an owner/driver after the 2021 season.

Buescher was the third straight non-Playoff driver to win a race in the Round of 16, an unprecedented occurrence.

“It’s so special here,” said Buescher, whose only other Cup win came in a rain-shortened race at Pocono in 2016. “I love this race track. I love the fans. I love every time we come here. It’s so special. It’s pretty awesome.”

Buescher said he wasn’t worried about starting the final run on two fresh tires, even though everyone chasing had four.

“I wasn’t a bit,” he asserted. “It was up to me at that point. I made it work, and we had a really fast (car). We knew we had a really fast race car in practice and didn’t quite get the job done in qualifying (20th) — but what a race car.

“I don’t know what all to say right now. I’m out of breath. This place will wear you flat-out, and I love that about it. It’s just a special night.”

Elliott was .458 seconds behind Buescher at the finish. William Byron came home third, followed by Christopher Bell, who posted his third straight top-five finish in the Round of 16. Kyle Larson was fifth and Ross Chastain sixth, as all five drivers immediately behind Buescher in the finishing order advanced to the Round of 12.

Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman also clinched spots in the next round, though all had serious issues during the race.

Elliott got closer to Buescher on the final two laps but ran out of time.

“I felt like we were gaining, but it was… I wasn’t close enough to do anything with him,” Elliott said. “But I appreciate the effort. We had a long day yesterday. Was able to battle back from a bad qualifying effort (23rd) to get a top two, so proud of that.

“Glad to be moving on (in the Playoff) and looking forward to some more opportunities here these coming weeks.”

Needing a victory to advance to the next round, Harvick ran consistently in the top five after staying out at the end of Stage 1 to gain track position. But Harvick’s chances evaporated in the pits on Lap 438 when his crew failed to secure the left-rear on his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

As the tire rolled away, Harvick had to back up into his pit stall. The lost time left him 10th for the final restart on Lap 444. That’s where he finished, exiting the Playoffs in 16th place.

“It was pretty tough,” Harvick said. “We pitted in front of the 17 (Buescher), so just kind of the way the year has gone. Just went from having a chance to lead the parade to being a part of the parade. Just difficult to pass.”

Busch’s ouster was a touch-and-go affair. Both he and Tyler Reddick fell two points short after Austin Cindric, who finished seven laps down in 20th place but gained enough positions by passing backmarkers to advance.

Busch had accumulated 14 points in the first two stages and was running above the elimination line when his engine blew on Lap 270—Busch’s second such failure in the three Playoff races.

“It just goes with our year,” Busch said. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m flabbergasted. I just feel so bad for my guys. They don’t deserve to be in this spot. They work too hard. We are too good of a group to be this low — down on the bottom, fighting for our lives just to make it through. Two engine failures in three weeks, that will do it to you.”

Reddick and Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon both failed to make the Round of 12 after both drivers’ Chevrolets were damaged in a 12-car pileup on the backstretch on Lap 277. Reddick finished 25th and Dillon 31st.

Keselowski led 109 laps and appeared to have race-winning chances until his right-front tire went flat on Lap 414 while he was leading.

“We had two cars that were really good today and one that was unlucky and one that executed, and everything came the right way for them,” Keselowski said.

The Round of 12 opens at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 25 (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: Post-race technical inspection concluded without issue, confirming Buescher as the race winner. The Nos. 4, 20 and 24 cars will return to the NASCAR R&D Center for further teardown inspection.

Posted on by Staff Report

Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suárez appeared to get loose and spin during a restart just past the midway point of Saturday’s Bristol Night Race, an incident that sent his No. 99 Chevrolet down across the track and impacting multiple playoff drivers, including himself.

All told, 12 cars were involved at the close-quarters, high-banked half-mile that served as the host of the Round of 16 finale.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

Suárez, who entered the race six points above the playoff elimination line, lost a lap after the spin. That was a better fate than Richard Childress Racing teammates Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick, however.

Both the No. 3 and the No. 8 Chevrolets were behind Suárez and collected in the melee. Dillon’s team could not repair his car in the allotted 10-minute DVP window, leaving him out of the race and eliminated from the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Reddick, who immediately lost laps while having his car repaired on pit road, was able to continue in the race but his 2022 championship hopes come to an end. The No. 8 team finished 25th, 31 laps down and was two points shy of advancing to the Round of 12.

The second round of the Cup Series Playoffs begins at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 25 (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Busch’s engine failed at Lap 269 at Bristol Motor Speedway, sending the No. 18 Toyota behind the wall and ultimately ending his chances to advance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

MORE: Official results | At-track photos

Busch lost his motor after scoring 14 stage points in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, providing a little extra cushion. The Las Vegas native, the series’ only active multi-time champion, has faced adversity in each race in the Round of 16. While leading under caution at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 4, the engine expired on his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing entry. Last week at Kansas, Busch spun at the exit of Turn 4 and finished 26th.

Since NASCAR introduced the elimination-style playoffs in 2014, Busch had never failed to advance out of the Round of 16, with a worst points finish of 10th in 2014. Busch finished Saturday night’s race two points below the elimination line and will not be eligible to win the 2022 Cup Series title.