Posted on by Staff Report

Josh Reaume was transported to the hospital for precautionary CT scans after a crash in Thursday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, according to Reaume Brothers Racing. He was diagnosed with a concussion and discharged and will follow up with a neurologist, according to the team.

RELATED: Race results

Reaume spun his truck working through the corner in Stage 1, resulting in Rajah Caruth making hard contact with the left side of Reaume’s No. 43 Toyota. Reaume was unable to continue the race but was able to climb out under his own power.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

The first round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is reaching its final stop.

The Round of 16 ends with the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), meaning four drivers’ championship hopes will come to an end after the checkered flag.

With 500 laps scheduled around the grueling half-mile oval, get ready for what’s sure to be a heavyweight fight:

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Teams will have 20 minutes to practice on Friday (4:35 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, 5 p.m. ET on USA) with teams broken into Groups A and B. Once both groups have completed their practice sessions, single-car, single-lap qualifying will begin to set the starting lineup (5:20 p.m. ET).

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.

The five fastest overall drivers from each group will advance to the final round of qualifying, where those 10 drivers will each set one more timed lap to fight for the Busch Light Pole Award.

MORE: Paint Scheme Preview | Qualifying order

BRISTOL STORY LINES

— After Bubba Wallace’s Kansas victory, a record 18 different drivers have won through 28 races.

— The pass for the win came in the final 10 laps in 15 of the 28 races this season.

— Seven of the last 13 races in 2022 were won by drivers getting their first win of the season, including each of the last three.

— Wallace’s win was Toyota’s first since Christopher Bell won at New Hampshire, ending a 13-race winless streak for the manufacturer.

— All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers won on a short track in the last nine races.

— Kevin Harvick enters Bristol 35 points below the cutline, but he won the last short-track race at Richmond and finished top two in the last two Bristol races (won this race in 2020).

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

Bristol is one of just three concrete ovals on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, joining Dover Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway.

That presents a unique opportunity for teams to learn how the Next Gen car will react on the high-banked short track, one unlike any other on the calendar since it produces such high speeds. The tire provided by Goodyear must play well with both the concrete and the traction compound used around the bottom of the racing surface.

“Bristol is undoubtedly a challenge across the board,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “We have done a good job with bringing a setup that rubbers in the track and allows for multiple racing grooves. Bristol has had a recent history of using PJ1 in the corners, so that ‘preferred’ groove takes rubber fairly quickly. The progressive banking and the search for fresh concrete will have teams moving up the track, which potentially leads to more passing and better racing.”

The left-side tire used this weekend will be the same used earlier this season at Pocono Raceway, while the right-side tire is a new tire code.

BRISTOL HISTORY

— Bowling operator Larry Carrier, Kingsport businessman Carl Moore and construction company owner R.G. Pope built Bristol Motor Speedway. They first selected nearby Piney Flats but faced with local opposition they selected a location 10 miles away in Bristol, the site of a dairy farm.

— Their inspiration to build a track in Northeastern Tennessee came from Carrier’s visit to the new track in Charlotte. When area banks would not finance the $600,000 required for construction and land acquisition, funding was obtained in New Jersey from the operator of stadium concession stands.

— In 1969, the track was dug up and reshaped and the banking was significantly increased. Starting in July 1969, the track was measured at 0.533 miles.

— Rookie Dale Earnhardt won his first Cup race in his 16th start in the 1979 spring race.

— Darrell Waltrip dominated Bristol from his win in the 1979 night race to the first concrete race in 1992, a period in which he amassed 12 wins, including a NASCAR record seven straight.

— As soon as Speedway Motorsports acquired the track and drag strip in 1996, it began an aggressive expansion program. Seating was added at a rapid pace and by 2003 was at 160,000, and in 2006 reached 165,000 with the addition of the Kulwicki grandstand.

— Following the spring 2007 race, work began on the first resurfacing of the concrete track as well as reconfiguring the top lane of the turns and changing the banking to variable (progressive). Four miles of drainage beneath the track and infield were also added.

— On April 25, 2012, after much public discussion, Bruton Smith announced that based primarily on fan feedback the track would return to its former style of racing. The fix was to eliminate the upper groove that was created with the new banking. The work was completed by late May, and after a June Goodyear tire test, all participating drivers agreed that the top groove was eliminated and racing should be closer to the “old” Bristol.

Source: Racing Insights

IF I WAS A BETTING MAN…

Two-time Bristol winner Denny Hamlin is the man listed as the favorite entering Saturday night’s showdown at 13-2 odds, according to Draft Kings. But the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson has my attention.

Both enter the weekend at 15-2 odds just behind Hamlin, and for good reason. Larson is the defending race winner at Bristol, netting his third top-two finish in his last five starts on the concrete half-mile, in addition to 17 laps led or more in six of his last seven starts.

Elliott, meanwhile, remains winless at Bristol in 11 starts (save for the exhibition All-Star Race victory he scored in 2020). But the No. 9 Chevrolet appeared on its way to a top-two finish before late contact with Kevin Harvick derailed such a fate. Don’t let that distract you, though — Elliott has led laps in eight of his 11 starts, including 23 circuits or more in each of his last six.

Need some more worthwhile odds? Consider Ryan Blaney (15-1). Like Elliott, Blaney has yet to win at Bristol, and his results in 12 starts aren’t outstanding. But Blaney has led significant laps there — 45 last year and 100 or more three times. The Fords have been fast on short tracks this year, which means Blaney could be due to win on Saturday night.

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 (971), Joey Logano (867), and Ryan Blaney (866).

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 a select number 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

Christopher Bell’s first career top-three finish at Kansas Speedway in the Hollywood Casino 400 made for a “bittersweet” day as he claimed the points lead and advanced to the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. He did, however, admit it would prove to “probably be a great day” after sleeping on it.

In the context of Bell’s young career, Sunday was definitely a great day that didn’t require a night’s sleep to age well. 

Exactly one year earlier, Bell finished third in the 28th race of the season and second race of the playoffs – the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders. But he left Richmond Raceway ninth in the playoff standings, just five points clear of the second-round cut line with one race remaining, the Bristol Night Race.

Last year Bell was +2000 in race-winner NASCAR odds at BetMGM and wasn’t popular among bettors. He had just 2.3% of the handle on 2.9% of tickets, both 12th-highest in the field.

This year, as of Thursday, Sept. 15, he’s +900 to win the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, just behind the favorites:

  • Chase Elliott: +700
  • Denny Hamlin: +700
  • Kyle Larson: +700
  • Kyle Busch: +800
  • Christopher Bell: +900
  • Kevin Harvick: +900

Bettors, however, aren’t buying Bell. He has just 1.4% of the handle (13th-most) on 1.3% of the tickets (19th). Busch leads in handle share (26.3%) while Martin Truex Jr. (+1600) leads in ticket share (19.1%). 

Sunday’s race will be Bell’s fourth Cup Series career start at a paved Bristol Motor Speedway. He has one top 10, one lap led and an average finish of 22nd in his first three starts, though he does have a win and second-place finish in two of his three most recent Xfinity Series starts at the track.

Bell is also the biggest favorite in this week’s featured matchups at BetMGM:

 

Christopher Bell (-225) vs. Bubba Wallace (+165)

Bubba Wallace isn’t in the playoff field but a win in Kansas has the No. 45 Toyota in fifth place in the owners’ standings. It’d be shocking if he wins again this weekend, given his track record.

While he’s finished better than his starting position in six of seven career Cup Series paved races at Bristol, he’s never finished higher than 10th and has six total laps led, all of which came four years ago in the Food City 500.

Wallace has bigger race-winner ticket (2.3%) and handle shares (2.8%) than Bell and is commanding 79% of the handle (on 71%) of the tickets in featured matchup betting.


Kyle Busch (-120) vs. Kevin Harvick (-110)

Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch’s 41 and 32 career starts at Bristol rank first and third, respectively, among active drivers. They have a combined 11 wins, including Harvick’s victory in this race two years ago, and both rank in the top three (minimum of 10 starts) in all major categories, including average finish and laps led.

Harvick does rank third in both race-winner ticket (7.6%) and handle share (7.7%) but has just 2% of the handle in the matchup vs. Busch.

Chase Briscoe (-155) vs. Austin Dillon (+125)

Chase Briscoe is miles ahead of Austin Dillon in race-winner odds – +2500 to Dillon’s +8000 – but only a modest favorite in this featured matchup. Neither driver was in contention in last year’s race, Briscoe’s first career start at Bristol.

Briscoe did post four straight top-four finishes at the track in the Xfinity Series from 2019-20, including a win in the 2020 Food City 300.

The public is buying Dillon in this matchup. He has 95% of the handle on 86% of the tickets.


Tyler Reddick (-120) vs. Ross Chastain (-110)

Tyler Reddick was eliminated from the Round of 16 after a 12th-place finish at Bristol last year. After some short-track success in the Xfinity Series, the 26-year-old has struggled to consistently contend at short tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series. He hasn’t finished higher than 12th in seven straight races.

Chastain has just one top-20 finish at Bristol (2021) and is buried in race-winner ticket (0.6%) and handle share (0.1%). And he has just 29% of the tickets and 4% of the handle against Reddick.

You can view updated Bass Pro Shops Night Race odds and more online sports betting opportunities at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Posted on by Press Release

Concord, N.C. (September 15, 2022) — NASCAR and Rev Racing announced today the next generation of pit crew members who will begin training as participants in the 2022-23 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program class. Since the program’s inception in 2009, Rev Racing has continued to recruit top-tier college and professional-level athletes, training them to become the next best over-the-wall crew members in NASCAR.

“We are excited to welcome some of the most competitive athletes and engineers in the nation to our pit crew development pipeline,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR Managing Director, Competition Operations. “Our commitment to the evolution of this pit crew development program continues to allow us to recruit, train and place candidates at the highest levels in NASCAR.”

The pit crew program is part of the overall NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, which also nurtures aspiring drivers. All programs are geared toward providing opportunities for women and people of color in the pursuit of NASCAR careers. The program currently boasts a total of 60 crew members who perform weekly duties in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, as well as 21 full-time graduates in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“We look forward to welcoming this year’s class to NASCAR’s most comprehensive pit crew training and development program,” Rev Racing CEO Max Siegel said. “We couldn’t be prouder of the journey both our pit crew development program and graduates have taken from its inception.”

RELATED: More on NASCAR Diversity

This year, five former college athletes were selected to participate and train in the 2022-2023 program. Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program seek athletes from all sports. The program recruitment effort and training are led by Coach Phil Horton, Director of Athletic Performance for Rev Racing. The selection process is based on recommendations from coaches and athletic directors.

“With the expansion of our recruiting efforts across the country, the talent level continues to rise,” Horton said. “Our program continues to evolve and create more opportunities for advancement at a higher level.”

This year, Rev Racing will introduce several new techniques and support tools to its repertoire. These additions include a mental skills integral coaching program led by Shelley Russi, a former D1 NCAA referee and Founder of Third Side Coaching & ref-oloy.com; and Don Vaden, a former NBA Vice President and NBA Finals referee, who currently serves as an NBA Team Consultant and NASCAR spotter.

The Russi-Vaden team teaches sports performance, mental preparation, coping and reflection skills, and provides integrative life management empowerment for current NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew members throughout the season.

These new integrations are set to support the continued success of its program members and graduates. The program boasts some of the greatest athletes currently participating in the top level of NASCAR. Some of those athletes include Brandon Banks, former UNC – Charlotte and Washington Commanders football standout who is the jackman for the driver of the No. 4 Stewart Haas Racing Ford, Kevin Harvick. This has also been a banner year for program alumni Jeremy Kimbrough and Jerrick Newsome, both crewmembers for Trackhouse Racing, as well as Marcus Horton and Jorden Paige of 23XI Racing.

The 2022-2023 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program participants are:

Name Hometown University Sport / Area of Study
D’Andre Allgood Charlotte, N.C. North Carolina A&T State University Automotive Engineering Graduate
Joshua Bailey Jacksonville, Fla. Iowa State University Football
JaQuan Bailey Jacksonville, Fla. Iowa State University Football
Dante Johnson Covington, Ga. University of Miami Football
Nat Opoka Fords, N.J. Marshall University / Football
Posted on by Reid Spencer

NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will get their last chance to qualify for a seven-race playoff in Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Ten drivers already have advanced to the postseason. Sam Mayer and Riley Herbst clinched spots on points last Saturday at Kansas Speedway. After winning an appeal of the L2 penalty imposed after his Daytona victory, Jeremy Clements is back in the playoffs with a guaranteed spot.

That leaves defending series champion Daniel Hemric, his Kaulig Racing teammate Landon Cassill, Ryan Sieg and Sheldon Creed in the thick of the battle for the final two berths. Hemric is in the best position, 37 points above the cut line. Cassill is 12th in the standings, 19 points ahead of Sieg in 13th.

MORE: Full Xfinity Series standings

Creed is 32 points behind Cassill and in need of help to claim a playoff spot. Of course, any of those four drivers could earn a spot with a victory, as could Brandon Brown, Anthony Alfredo, Myatt Snider or Jeb Burton.

At the top of the standings, defending race winner AJ Allmendinger can clinch the Regular Season Championship — and the 15 Playoff points that go with it — by scoring 23 points or more on Friday, the equivalent of a 14th-place finish if he scores no stage points.

But Allmendinger knows there are no guarantees.

“With Bristol, you just never know,” he said. “It’s all situational. You could easily get caught up in someone else’s mess early in the race, and you are out of it. Or it could come down to another finish like we had last year where we are all battling in the final laps.

“My team knows that, if we’re in that situation racing for a win at Bristol and a Regular Season Championship, I’m going to do whatever it takes and put it all on the line to get the job done.”

Posted on by Brandon White

Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Riverhead Raceway will be important to Ron Silk for many reasons.

Not only is Silk looking for his first Tour victory of the year, but he also wants to win in honor of his former car owner Eddie Partridge, who suddenly passed away on Sept. 10, 2021, just hours after Ryan Preece gave him his final trophy at Richmond Raceway.

RELATED: Riverhead entry list | Pit Box

For five years, Silk and Partridge formed one of the most efficient combinations in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The duo won five races together during that timeframe with their most notable accomplishment being a series championship in 2011, which saw Silk tally three victories, eight top fives, two poles and an average finish of 7.0.

Ron Silk driving Eddie Partridge’s No. 6 Modified at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in 2011. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Although Silk parted ways with Partridge following the 2014 season, he considers himself fortunate to simply race for his organization and added that Partridge’s presence in the Modified community has been deeply missed over the past year.

Silk is determined to claim the 256-lap event named after Partridge but expects plenty of challenges toward accomplishing that goal with the increased race length and the inclusion of live pit stops on a temporary pit road in the infield.

Despite having never won at Riverhead during his long career, Silk enters the Eddie Partridge 256 with a sense of ease knowing the cars prepared by Tyler Haydt and Phil Moran have been amongst the best in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour all year since the season-opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway.

Silk hopes to find some additional speed on Saturday so he can reclaim the points lead he had possessed over the field for most of the 2022 season.

The green flag for the Eddie Partridge 256 will fly on Saturday at 8 p.m. as Silk and the rest of the field look to claim a late-season win. The race will be streamed live on FloRacing.

Three-time Riverhead champion Kyle Soper looking for second career victory

The most recent NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Riverhead Raceway still feels like a dream to three-time track champion Kyle Soper.

A late pass on Justin Bonsignore enabled Soper to pull away for his first series win in seven years of part-time competition. Soper was thrilled to defeat so many talented Modified veterans for the victory and is determined to grab another in Saturday’s Eddie Partridge 256.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Soper said. “Our cars have been pretty fast, but we’re going to take the new car for the tour race, and hopefully we have the same success like we did in June.”

By taking the checkered flag in June, Soper became the first Riverhead regular to win a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at the facility since Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. accomplished that feat in 1995.

While Soper knows his car is strong enough to contend for the win, he said the addition of live pit stops will add another element to the Eddie Partridge 256 from a strategic standpoint. Soper has not yet decided on a strategy for Saturday. He is considering omitting pit stops for track position depending on when the cautions come out.

Regardless of how his race plays out, Soper’s main goal for Saturday is to bring home a victory in honor of Partridge and everything he did to ensure every single competitor at Riverhead felt welcomed inside the facility.

“Eddie did a lot for [Riverhead],” Soper said. “When I raced my own car, we ran into trouble with our rear end and he basically gave us a brand new one for pennies on the dollar. He really helped all the racers, so to race for him is very special for all of us.”

Soper hopes that his victory at Riverhead in June kickstarts a new trend that sees him and the rest of the track regulars consistently defeat the stars of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Justin Bonsignore carries momentum, experience into Riverhead

After an uncharacteristically slow start to the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, Justin Bonsignore is peaking at just the right time.

Bonsignore currently sits third in the point standings following his third victory of the season a couple weeks ago at Oswego Speedway and is looking to capitalize on the momentum when the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour pays tribute to Eddie Partridge at Riverhead on Saturday.

“We are really looking forward to this race for a lot of reasons,” Bonsignore said. “Honoring Ed is going to be a special night with more laps and a pit stop thrown in. There is a lot going on and it adds a bunch of new elements to an already interesting race.”

Justin Bonsignore (51) makes a lap around Wall Stadium. (Photo: NASCAR)

Since Bonsignore’s first full-time season in 2010, Riverhead statistically has been one of his best tracks.

The first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory for Bonsignore came at Riverhead in 2011. He has followed that accomplishment with seven more victories at the track, including a four-race win streak that extended from 2018-2019.

Bonsignore is confident he can claim a ninth victory to his storied Riverhead resume on Saturday evening, adding that wins must become a habit for him if he wants to have an opportunity at the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship when the season ends at Martinsville Speedway.

“With just three races left in the season, our goals are to win as many races as possible and let everything else fall where it falls,” he said.

Bonsignore currently trails Tour championship leader Jon McKennedy by 17 points, which puts him well within striking distance of his third consecutive series title.

NOTES:

  • Soper’s closest Riverhead competitors in Dylan Slepian and John Beatty Jr. have each filed an entry for Saturday’s Eddie Partridge 256. Slepian’s two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour top fives both came at Riverhead this year, while Beatty is looking for his first series top five since 2019.
  • Timmy Solomito is making his sixth start on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season on Saturday, which will see him back with his family-owned team. Solomito led a race-high 114 laps in June before ultimately settling for an eighth-place finish.
  • Two weeks after nearly bringing home a victory at Oswego with Chuck Hossfeld driving, the Bertuccio family will be back on the track Saturday with J.R. Bertuccio behind the wheel. Bertuccio will look to improve upon a season-best finish of 18th that he claimed in the season-opener at New Smyrna Speedway.
  • Gary McDonald is bringing two entries to Riverhead on Saturday for the Eddie Partridge 256. His normal No. 26 will be piloted by Ed Brunnhoelzl III in his second start on the year while McDonald moves over to the No. 27. 
Posted on by Staff Report

Episode three of USA Network’s unscripted series “Race for the Championship” airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET, and the third of 10 episodes provides exclusive looks and sounds with multiple NASCAR Cup Series drivers, in particular two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.

Each episode throughout the series will feature multiple drivers and their lives and stories away from the track. Busch, Chase Elliott and Harrison Burton will be the three spotlighted tonight as the series heads to Circuit of The Americas and Martinsville Speedway.

In tonight’s episode, you can also expect to see:

• A foretelling moment or two with Kyle Busch, who was in the early stages of his free agency at the time of this filming (Busch announced earlier this week he would drive for Richard Childress Racing in 2023);

• A mic’d up, difficult conversation among the No. 9 pit crew after a slow pit stop at COTA;

• Unfiltered reaction from Burton and Busch after last-lap contact between the two sent Busch spinning;

• Samantha and Kyle Busch opening up about their pregnancy journey.

—

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

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series won’t be the only tour taking it to the streets of the Windy City in 2023, as the Xfinity Series will participate in the inaugural Chicago Street Race race weekend as revealed by Wednesday’s 2023 schedule release.

Perhaps the most anticipated weekend of the entire 2023 schedule, Chicago’s festivities will kick off Fourth of July weekend with the Xfinity Series taking the green flag on July 1 to mark the first official NASCAR national series competition ever held on the streets of a major city. The unprecedented action will see the sport’s top stock car drivers competing next to skyscrapers and hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago on a course that runs past Lake Michigan and Grant Park.

MORE: Street race on tap for 2023  | Petty, Letarte analyze a lap around new course 

“Two of the headline events in 2023 are North Wilkesboro and the Chicago Street Course,” NASCAR Senior Vice President for Racing Development & Strategy Ben Kennedy told NASCAR.com. “As you think about our 75th anniversary next year, I think a great blend of history and nostalgia of going to a place like North Wilkesboro … blending that with something new and out of the box and different with our first ever street course as a sport. We’re excited to bring the Cup Series there, along with the Xfinity Series.”

The addition stands as the biggest change to the schedule for the series, but another road-course date was added for June 10 at Sonoma Raceway as well. This marks the first trip to the California track for the series. That’ll make it two weeks in a row on a road course for Xfinity Series competitors, seeing Portland International Raceway return for a second year on the schedule a week prior on June 3.

Also worth noting — Bristol Motor Speedway, which closes out the regular season in 2022, will instead open the 2023 Xfinity Series Playoffs under the lights on Sept. 15. Road America will also return to the Xfinity Series schedule for the 14th consecutive year.

RELATED: NASCAR’s most unique race tracks

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Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR today announced the 2023 schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. During the organization’s 75th anniversary season, NASCAR’s national series will visit an exciting mix of history-rich venues, short tracks and road courses, with the sport reaching a new level of excitement with the already-announced Chicago Street Race — a bold, first-of-its-kind addition in a globally renowned city.

“As we prepare to celebrate our 75th anniversary season, we are committed to delivering a schedule that acknowledges the deep history and tradition of our sport while establishing a bold future that brings the best racing in the world to new markets and new fans,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Development and Strategy. “The 2023 schedules are a product of continued collaboration across our industry and partners. We are incredibly proud of what our sport will have to offer fans next season, and excited to celebrate this milestone season with the most diverse compilation of tracks in motorsports.”

RELATED: Buy Tickets

The 2023 Cup season will get underway with “round two” of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, which will take place in East Coast primetime on Sunday, Feb. 5 on FOX. Two weeks later, on Sunday, Feb. 19, the 65th annual DAYTONA 500 will unfold live on FOX from Daytona International Speedway.

Additional highlights to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule include:

  • NASCAR will head west for the final race on the two-mile version of Auto Club Speedway (Sunday, Feb. 26) before visiting Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sunday, Mar. 5) and Phoenix Raceway (Sunday, Mar. 12).
  • As previously announced, NASCAR’s annual All-Star Race (Sunday, May 21) will be hosted by North Wilkesboro Speedway — the first time the track will welcome the Cup Series since 1996.
  • The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will once again begin at Darlington Raceway (Sunday, Sept. 3), with the NASCAR Championship Race set for Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 5.

As for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a pair of road courses join the schedule for the first time in its four-decade history, as Names Will Be Made at Sonoma Raceway (June 10) and the Chicago Street Race (July 1). Bristol Motor Speedway will host the Xfinity Series Playoffs opener (Friday, Sept. 15) and the series will culminate with its championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 4.

What’s old is new for the ‘Tough Trucks’ as CRAFTSMAN returns to the series, as does a race at the historic Milwaukee Mile. Trucks will make a return to the Milwaukee Mile Speedway for the second race of the Round of 10 on Sunday, August 27. The visit will mark the first time the Trucks have returned to Brew City since 2009.

In addition, the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will get the festivities started on All-Star weekend when trucks join the stars from the NASCAR Cup Series at the famed North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996, on Saturday, May 20.

The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs will get underway on Friday, Aug. 11 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and like the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, will crown a champion at Phoenix Raceway (Friday, Nov. 3) for the fourth consecutive year.

For tickets to 2023 NASCAR events, please visit www.nascar.com/2023schedule.

The FOX Sports and NBC Sports family of networks will again broadcast the 2023 NASCAR season. Networks and start times will be announced at a later date.

Below are the full 2023 NASCAR National Series schedules (*Playoff races in bold font):

2023 NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

Date Race / Track
Sunday, February 5 Clash (L.A. Memorial Coliseum)
Thursday, February 16 Duel at Daytona
Sunday, February 19 DAYTONA 500
Sunday, February 26 Auto Club
Sunday, March 5 Las Vegas
Sunday, March 12 Phoenix
Sunday, March 19 Atlanta
Sunday, March 26 COTA
Sunday, April 2 Richmond
Sunday, April 9 Bristol Dirt
Sunday, April 16 Martinsville
Sunday, April 23 Talladega
Sunday, April 30 Dover
Sunday, May 7 Kansas
Sunday, May 14 Darlington
Sunday, May 21 North Wilkesboro (All-Star Race)
Sunday, May 28 Charlotte
Sunday, June 4 World Wide Technology Raceway
Sunday, June 11 Sonoma
Sunday, June 25 Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, July 2 Chicago Street Race
Sunday, July 9 Atlanta
Sunday, July 16 New Hampshire
Sunday, July 23 Pocono
Sunday, July 30 Richmond
Sunday, August 6 Michigan
Sunday, August 13 Indianapolis Road Course
Sunday, August 20 Watkins Glen
Saturday, August 26 Daytona
Sunday, September 3 Darlington*
Sunday, September 10 Kansas*
Saturday, September 16 Bristol*
Sunday, September 24 Texas*
Sunday, October 1 Talladega*
Sunday, October 8 Charlotte Roval*
Sunday, October 15 Las Vegas*
Sunday, October 22 Homestead-Miami*
Sunday, October 29 Martinsville*
Sunday, November 5 Phoenix (Championship)*

2023 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES SCHEDULE

Date Race / Track
Saturday, February 18 Daytona
Saturday, February 25 Auto Club
Saturday, March 4 Las Vegas
Saturday, March 11 Phoenix
Saturday, March 18 Atlanta
Saturday, March 25 COTA
Saturday, April 1 Richmond
Saturday, April 15 Martinsville
Saturday, April 22 Talladega
Saturday, April 29 Dover
Saturday, May 13 Darlington
Saturday, May 27 Charlotte
Saturday, June 3 Portland
Saturday, June 10 Sonoma
Saturday, June 24 Nashville Superspeedway
Saturday, July 1 Chicago Street Race
Saturday, July 8 Atlanta
Saturday, July 15 New Hampshire
Saturday, July 22 Pocono
Saturday, July 29 Road America
Saturday, August 5 Michigan
Saturday, August 12 Indianapolis Road Course
Saturday, August 19 Watkins Glen
Friday, August 25 Daytona
Saturday, September 2 Darlington
Saturday, September 9 Kansas
Friday, September 15 Bristol*
Saturday, September 23 Texas*
Saturday, October 7 Charlotte Roval*
Saturday, October 14 Las Vegas*
Saturday, October 21 Homestead-Miami*
Saturday, October 28 Martinsville*
Saturday, November 4 Phoenix (Championship)*

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE

Date Race / Track
Friday, February 17 Daytona
Friday, March 3 Las Vegas
Saturday, March 18 Atlanta
Saturday, March 25 COTA
Saturday, April 1 Texas
Saturday, April 8 Bristol Dirt
Friday, April 14 Martinsville
Saturday, May 6 Kansas
Friday, May 12 Darlington
Saturday, May 20 North Wilkesboro
Friday, May 26 Charlotte
Saturday, June 3 World Wide Technology Raceway
Friday, June 23 Nashville Superspeedway
Saturday, July 8 Mid-Ohio
Saturday, July 22 Pocono
Saturday, July 29 Richmond
Friday, August 11 Lucas Oil IRP*
Sunday, August 27 Milwaukee*
Friday, September 8 Kansas*
Thursday, September 14 Bristol*
Saturday, September 30 Talladega*
Saturday, October 21 Homestead-Miami*
Friday, November 3 Phoenix (Championship)*

 

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has a new (old) name for the 2023 season and beyond. The unveiling of the 2023 national series schedules on Wednesday revealed a new (old) track on the docket as well.

The Truck Series will return to the heralded Milwaukee Mile, which has hosted 34 NASCAR national series races over the years, but not one since 2009. Better yet, the mile oval will host a playoff race on Aug. 27 — the second event in the postseason’s Round of 10, sandwiched between the opener at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and the round closer at Kansas Speedway.

“I think it’s going to be a great event,” NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Development & Strategy Ben Kennedy told NASCAR.com. “It’s something new and different and kind of a bit of a throwback for us as well. If you go back and look at the history of racing at Milwaukee Mile, it’s lengthy and it’s put on some really exciting races. We’re really excited about that.”

The Truck Series previously logged 15 races in Brew City during a consecutive span from 1995-2009.

Four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. won the last race there, on June 20, 2009. He bested a field that included Todd Bodine, Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter, all of whom competed in at least one Truck Series race this year — and Crafton made the playoffs.

Milwaukee Mile was one of the biggest changes on the 2023 schedule for the ‘Tough Trucks’ — the series will also join the NASCAR Cup Series stars for All-Star weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The Truck Series race is scheduled for Saturday, May 20.

Scm 2023 Schedulerelease 4x5 Ncts