Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway road course
(⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, NBC Sports App | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Roval, the second playoff-elimination event of the 2022 campaign.

Where: Concord, North Carolina
Approximate start time: 2 p.m. ET | Weekend schedule
TV/Radio: NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
The purse: $7,262,080
Forecast: Sunny with a high near 77 degrees, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 109 laps | 252.88 miles
Stages: 25 | 50 | 109
Pit-road speed: 40 mph
Caution car speed: 45 mph
Grand Marshal: UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis
Roval 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: Where drivers will start Sunday
Cars to the rear: No. 1 (unapproved adjustments), No. 6 (unapproved adjustments), No. 10 (engine change), No. 17 (unapproved adjustments), No. 27 (unapproved adjustments), No. 50 (unapproved adjustments), No. 78 (multiple inspection failures, plus pass-through penalty after the start)
Pit stalls: Where drivers will pit on Sunday
Playoff grid: Print yours now

Key things to watch 🔑

Big story line

It’s tense, it’s unpredictable, it’s the Roval. This race has provided its share of drama through the years, especially as it pertains to the Cup Series Playoffs. With seven spots in the Round of 8 up for grabs, teams will need to put together their best performance of the season while avoiding mistakes, acing strategy and maximizing every chance at earning points — much easier said than done. It is no secret that the Round of 12 was perhaps the most difficult three-race stretch in the entire playoffs. If you can advance through this unpredictable round, you have a much better shot at controlling your destiny moving forward. The 2022 Cup Series champion won’t be crowned on Sunday, but for four title hopefuls, their chance to reach the pinnacle of stock-car racing will end with the checkered flag. Which stars will shine the brightest Sunday? | Full playoff standings | Bubble Watch

Who’s hot? Who’s not? 

A few drivers have been stellar at the Roval, including 2021 winner Kyle Larson. But as we all know, Chase Elliott still deserves to be considered the “driver to beat” each time the series heads to the challenging Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. Elliott is the all-time winner here with two wins in the four races since its inception and has led laps in each of the last three races. He has also scored valuable stage points in all but one of the stages, a remarkable feat. Elliott is locked into the Round of 8 via his Talladega win. But as Larson proved a season ago, there is no limit to momentum when chasing a championship. Look for Elliott to continue his remarkable 2022 season on Sunday.

Surprisingly, Ross Chastain has struggled at the Roval in his career. In three starts he has never finished better than 22nd and has never led a lap. Chastain is in solid standing heading into Sunday, but if he fails to run well early, other drivers could put pressure on the No. 1 team in the final Stage. Looking on the bright side, boosted by Trackhouse Racing, Chastain’s road-course performances have been much improved this season and they are arguably one of the top three teams to beat on this track type. Ending this Charlotte Roval slump on Sunday would provide a confidence boost for Chastain and company moving forward.

Breaking down the Roval’s winding turns

Driving under the radar

Not many people had Chase Briscoe carrying the mantle for Stewart-Haas Racing in just his second full-time season in the Cup Series. But entering Charlotte just below the elimination line, Briscoe has a very good opportunity to advance to the Round of 8 and become a legitimate championship contender. He also has another thing on his side: momentum. Entering Sunday, Briscoe’s fifth-place result at Texas Motor Speedway and 10th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway proves he can be consistent even in the most challenging rounds. With issues and misfortune happening to title contenders almost every week, that consistency can carry him a long way. In a season full of underdog stories, Briscoe has a chance to write the best one of them all.

Saturday’s sessions

Joey Logano has been sneaky good at road courses throughout his career, managing solid finishes and consistently impressive points days. Well, Saturday kicked off another road-course event for the No. 22 team in the best way possible by earning the Busch Light Pole Award. Logano’s pole achievement is the 25th of his career and a statement of how in form he and his team have been so far in these playoffs. Logano was also fourth overall in practice, trailing AJ Allmendinger, Austin Cindric and William Byron, the last of whom has the most career laps led at the Roval. Allmendinger rocketed to the top of the board with just a four-lap run at a best time of 81.732 seconds at 102.188 miles per hour — still a far cry from Logano’s blistering 80.755-second time in qualifying. ‘Dinger has four wins in six starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course when including his Xfinity Series results. He will start seventh. | Full practice and qualifying recap | Ross Chastain spins into the barrier

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Race-day staples ✅

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

• Bubble Watch, presented by Xfinity: Where drivers stack up | Elimination line battle
• Paint Scheme Preview: Remarkable schemes for the Roval | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Briscoe, Cindric locked together facing elimination | Updated driver rankings
• NASCAR betting: Is Kyle Larson the favorite to win here again? | Underdogs, value bets
• Fantasy Fastlane: All eyes on drivers chasing points | Must starts, sleepers
• Backseat Drivers: Which drivers will be eliminated? | Hear the debate

Catch the pack 💨

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

• No. 24 team: Appeals panel amends penalty to $100,000 and no points | Read more
• Penalty: No. 4 team issued L2-level penalties after Talladega; team appeals | Read more
• Alex Bowman: Ruled out for Charlotte Roval race, faces playoff elimination | Read more
• Inside the Race: Steve Letarte, Todd Gordon dive into pit strategy at the Roval | Watch the segment
• Cody Ware: Out for Roval race, JJ Yeley set to fill in Sunday | Read more
• ‘Dinger returns: Allmendinger taking over No. 16 full-time in Cup Series in 2023 | Read more
• ICYMI: Catch up on all the latest Silly Season news | Track driver moves, team changes
• Drive for Diversity: Advance Auto Parts named official partner of Diversity Combine | Read more
• NASCAR International: Get to know the NASCAR Mexico Series | Read more
• Pocono Raceway: Track set to renovate paddock area, Victory Lane | Read more

Get in on the action 💰

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

• BetMGM: Public likes Kyle Larson to repeat at the Roval | See the breakdown
• The Action Network: Are these Ford drivers the best bets for Sunday? | Expert betting insight
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | New rules for playoffs
• Going all the way: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Right back at the Roval ✨

There have been four races at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course — see some of the history. 

• Pace at the front: Top 10 laps leaders at the Charlotte Roval | See who’s on top
• Last year: Kyle Larson stays on fire at the Roval, makes big comeback | Read 2021 race recap
• Race Rewind: Watch Larson outrun the field to the finish | Remember this?
• Clutch when it counts: Drivers to advance to next round on points in elimination race | See them here

Fast facts ⏩

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

• The Roval has been in the playoffs every year since 2018 and has been the final race of a round all five years.
• The Stage 1 winner finished outside the top 10 in all four Roval races.
• The longest green-flag stretch at the Roval was 31 laps in 2018.
• Chevrolet won the last 11 road course races, the record for most consecutive road course wins by a make.
• Stage 2 has been caution free in all five road-course races this season.

Say what? 🎙

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

• “The Roval is always crazy and obviously we need to get our program better on road courses, but we have somewhat of a cushion there to survive the day and make sure we do the things we know how to do and stay out of trouble. We should be fine, but you never know. You could have a winner from the bottom four and everything changes. We’re going to do everything we can to fight to keep our season alive.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

• “This is a big, double-header weekend for us. On Saturday in the Xfinity Series, we will be going for four in a row. We are locked into the next round of the playoffs, so it does take a little bit of pressure off everyone. Then on Sunday, we’re hoping to sweep the weekend. The Roval is my favorite track on the NASCAR circuit, so I’m definitely looking forward to this weekend.” — AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (Xfinity and Cup)

• “Progress is what we’re really looking for – progress with the car on road courses and progress with my own performance. I spent a lot of time in the Ford simulator this week logging laps on the Roval to get familiar with the track again. We’ve had some good road-course days this year and some bad ones. With the Roval, you have to have a mix of both speed and handling.” — Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Posted on by Staff Report

Phoenix Communications 150

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Practice Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 10 Doug Coby Mayhew Tools 18.941 118.79 6 40  —
2 7 Mike Christopher, Jr.* Stuart Automotive 18.97 118.608 7 32 0.029
3 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Services/RB Enterprises 19.062 118.036 7 35 0.121
4 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 19.072 117.974 38 38 0.131
5 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 19.078 117.937 7 39 0.137
6 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 19.082 117.912 7 40 0.141
7 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 19.086 117.887 5 47 0.145
8 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 19.094 117.838 12 37 0.153
9 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 19.123 117.659 7 26 0.182
10 82 Craig Lutz Horton Avenue Materials 19.13 117.616 3 37 0.189
11 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 19.139 117.561 39 40 0.198
12 3 Ryan Preece Propane Plus/ACG/Island International 19.144 117.53 13 31 0.203
13 44 Bobby Santos III Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 19.158 117.444 26 38 0.217
14 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 19.191 117.242 17 42 0.25
15 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 19.198 117.2 16 34 0.257
16 15 Kyle Soper Eastport Foods 19.231 116.999 34 37 0.29
17 92 Anthony Nocella Nocella Paving/K&D Associates/Airgas 19.238 116.956 5 30 0.297
18 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 19.243 116.926 7 35 0.302
19 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 19.282 116.689 15 29 0.341
20 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 19.431 115.794 22 30 0.49
21 26 Ed Brunnhoelzl III Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 19.59 114.855 50 54 0.649
22 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 19.946 112.805 34 44 1.005
23 27 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape Supply 20.016 112.41 23 40 1.075
24 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 20.23 111.221 24 26 1.289
Posted on by Staff Report

Joey Logano wrapped up the Busch Light Pole Award in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying sessions at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.

RELATED: Starting lineup | Weekend schedule

Logano turned a best lap of 103.424 mph in the final round, putting the Team Penske No. 22 Ford in the top starting spot for Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM). The performance marked his third pole position of the season and the 25th of his Cup Series career.

“It’s nice to get that starting spot, but there are a lot of things that can happen on the Roval,” Logano said. “There’s a lot of strategy options and a lot of different things can happen, so we’ve got to just take a second and figure out what our game plan is gonna be for tomorrow. The good thing is we’ve got a fast car.  Even in race trim the car is fast, so we’re in a good spot.”

William Byron will start second in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a top lap of 103.300 mph. Daniel Suárez, Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric completed the top five in order.

Joey Logano's No. 22 Ford drives through the infield portion of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet veered off course during the final round of qualifying, making sizable contact with the barrier through Turns 5 and 6. Chastain will start 10th in Sunday’s Round of 12 finale, an elimination event on the 10-race playoff schedule.

Aric Almirola did not post a qualifying lap in the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, and his team indicated to NBC Sports that it would change the engine before Sunday’s event.

The No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford for Josh Williams was not permitted to qualify after three failures in pre-qualifying inspection. The team lost pit selection, a crew member for the rest of the weekend, and will have to serve a pass-through penalty after Sunday’s start.

The No. 50 The Money Team Racing Chevrolet for Conor Daly failed inspection twice; a crew member was ejected and the team forfeited pit-stall selection.

Allmendinger overall fastest in Roval practice

AJ Allmendinger was fastest in NASCAR Cup Series practice at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.

Allmendinger, a regular in the Xfinity Series making his final Cup Series start of the season, pushed the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet to a best lap of 102.188 mph. Earlier in the day, he won the pole position for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race on the 2.32-mile circuit.

RELATED: Practice results | At-track photos

Austin Cindric was second-fastest in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford, making him the fastest of the 12 remaining playoff-eligible drivers. His 102.105 mph lap was best in the first of two practice sessions that split the 39-car field.

Three more playoff drivers rounded out the top five — William Byron (102.091), Joey Logano (101.802) and Daniel Suárez (101.584).

The sessions were dotted by a handful of single-car incidents. The most significant scrape involved Conor Daly, who lost steering in his No. 50 The Money Team Racing Chevy and clouted the retaining barrier exiting the backstretch chicane. The IndyCar standout was uninjured, but the crack-up forced a red flag with seven minutes left in Group B and curtailed his tune-up time for his Cup Series debut.

Allmendinger, Tyler Reddick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also had solo spins during practice and continued on.

Posted on by Marcus DiNitto

One respected bettor in Las Vegas may have seen NASCAR’s decision to rescind the points penalty assessed to William Bryon coming.

With Chase Briscoe opening at 40-1 odds at the Westgate SuperBook on Monday, the gambler bet the No. 14 Ford all the way down to 20-to-1 to win Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400, the final race of the Round of 12 in the Cup Series Playoffs.

Before Byron’s 25 points were reinstated, Briscoe sat in eighth place in the standings, in position to advance to the Round of 8, meaning he figured to take a conservative approach on the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. Briscoe has been bumped to ninth and may need to stay aggressive.

While quantifying how playoff position may impact a race is a messy task, Jim Sannes, a NASCAR betting and fantasy analyst at numberFire, said it’s a factor in how he’s approaching this week’s race.

Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain, for example, are nestled in second and third place, respectively, and if they finish clean, they’re probably onto the next round. Their +1600 odds might look tempting, but NASCAR bettors should keep in mind, these guys would rather advance than crash going all out for the checkers.

“I think (the repeal of Byron’s penalty) increases the odds Blaney/Chastain race for points, so it would make me a bit more hesitant on them,” Sannes said in direct message to NASCAR.com.

FanDuel offers Daniel Suárez at +1500, odds that may prompt a play from Sannes under usual, regular-season circumstances. But with Suárez – who has a road-course victory this season (Sonoma) and two more top fives (Road America, Watkins Glen) – in eighth place with an eye on advancing, it’s a pass on the No. 99.

“The narratives can … make me more hesitant on some (drivers),” Sannes said. “I’m showing a bit of value on Daniel Suárez (a 6.4% win probability vs 6.3% implied at +1500). But with the likelihood he’s points racing, I’m more than okay passing that up.”

RELATED: Roval weekend schedule | Full playoff standings

Futures Odds Adjusted

While Salmons did not move his odds to win Sunday’s race based on Thursday’s decision, Cup championship futures prices have been adjusted at his Las Vegas sportsbook.

Chase Elliott remains the clear +200 favorite, followed by Denny Hamlin at +450.

Here’s how futures odds were tweaked in light of Byron moving up, per a text message from Salmons on Friday.

Kyle Larson: +500 (was +450)
Joey Logano: +800 (was +700)
William Byron: +1200 (+2000)
Austin Cindric: +8000 (+5000)
Chase Briscoe: +8000 (+6000)

Alex Bowman has been ruled out for Sunday with a concussion, but he was 66 points back of the cutline, and at +30000 to win the championship, wasn’t given much of a shot.

Going Aggressive

Christopher Bell is in the opposite situation of Blaney, Chastain, and even Suárez. Way back in 11th place, Bell (+1600) needs a win at Charlotte in order to advance.

Sure, that means he’ll be more aggressive piloting the No. 20 Toyota, but unless Joe Gibbs Racing suddenly finds some road-course speed, that probably won’t matter.

“The Gibbs cars just haven’t been close in road course races this year,” Salmons said. “(Bell is) a good road-course driver, but they just haven’t shown the winning speed at road-course races this year. At least I haven’t seen it.”

The Favorite is Already In

Elliott, who is already through to the Round of 8 by virtue of his win at Talladega last week, sits atop the Bank of America Roval 400 oddsboard, listed between +400 and +500 at various sportsbooks.

Elliott backers are emboldened heading into Charlotte, knowing he can go all out for the victory.

“My model has Chase Elliott at 15.6% to win. So when he opened at +600 or longer in some places, he was a value in my model, and I had the added confidence of knowing he’d go for a win having already been locked into the next round,” Sannes said. “It’d also increase my eagerness to bet him if his odds were to lengthen post-qualifying.”

To be clear, before you rush to bet the No. 9, a 15.6% win probability translates into odds of +541, meaning +500 does not present value. Should his odds lengthen to +550 or better, he’s worth a play, per Sannes’ forecast.

But while Elliott is always favored in road-course races, he’s won just one of the last 10. Competition on these layouts has stiffened. It’s a different time than when Sonoma and Watkins Glen were the lone such stops on the circuit.

“There was such a difference back in those days. It was like Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and everyone else,” Salmons recalls. “There’s just so many good road-course drivers right now. I mean, there’s a ton of them. You see it from Buescher to Suárez to Gilliland to Allmendinger.”

Marcus DiNitto is Senior News Editor at Gaming Today. He’s been covering sports business for 24 years and sports betting for 11. NASCAR is among the many sports Marcus enjoys betting but often loses on. Follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2022 season has had its share of dynamic and dramatic story lines even before the green flag dropped for the Daytona 500 in February. From the Next Gen’s debut to the playoffs in full swing, take a look at some of the memories that may have been forgotten and try your hand at some props for a chance to win exclusive prizes.

RELATED: See 2023 season schedule

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

As if four turns at both Texas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway weren’t enough for the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 playoff drivers, they will have to navigate 17 of them across 109 laps Sunday afternoon during the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Playoff standings | Bubble Watch

In its four years of existence, the Charlotte road course layout has already provided some of the most dramatic moments in the NASCAR playoff era.

From leaders taking each other out in the final turn, a driver wrecking and bouncing back to win to a playoff driver eliminating themselves with a crucial mistake, every turn — left or right — already has stories to tell that will be added to NASCAR’s endless lore.

The initial turn that leads into the infield section of the course has seen the most drama unfold as drivers have to quickly adapt from going full throttle at the line to hitting the brakes promptly into the sharp, narrow corner. The inaugural race appeared to go without much playoff pandemonium but the final laps saw a series of events unfold that not even the best authors could craft into their most dramatic stories. On a restart with six to go, a handful of the then-Round of 16 playoff field locked their brakes entering Turn 1 and crashed, sending the standings into a spiral.

Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski were among those involved but they had already advanced to the Round of 12 with prior wins at Richmond and Las Vegas.

However, Kyle Larson still needed to finish the race and in a decent spot if he wanted to keep his championship hopes alive. With Jimmie Johnson contending for the race win and Larson’s car with heavy damage, Larson’s playoff run was all but over. Until the final lap, that was.

The enthralling final seconds of the race followed the battle for the win and the final playoff spots that were split by a point between Larson, Alex Bowman and Aric Almirola.

With Jimmie Johnson seemingly locked into the Round of 12 with a multi-point advantage on the final lap, the seven-time champion pushed the issue and engaged in close-quarter action with 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. After exiting the backstretch chicane better than Truex, Johnson got to the inside of Truex entering the frontstretch chicane and that’s when the standings flipped upside down. Johnson spun after locking the brakes and his No. 48 Chevrolet hit Truex, spinning the No. 78 Toyota.

`Instead of a guaranteed 1-2 finish for the pair, Ryan Blaney took the checkered flag while Johnson finished eighth and Truex fell to a 14th-place result. In that short span of time, Johnson lost the points advantage he had over the elimination line that sent Almirola to the Round of 12 and by sheer willpower, Larson wheeled his No. 42 to a 25th-place finish, gaining one spot at the finish line to eliminate Bowman from the playoffs.

While the Roval sequels didn’t hit the dramatic peaks of its original, each one had its own moments that impacted who eventually went on to compete for a championship.

The 2019 edition saw a reversal of the ‘checkers-to-wreckers’ moniker as Chase Elliott locked his brakes entering Turn 1 and hit the barriers. However, the No. 9 Chevy rebounded within the 45-lap Final Stage to score the victory.

A year later, the Cup Series saw its first race under wet weather conditions since 1956.

But the 2021 Roval event arguably saw the biggest playoff shift take place in the course’s short history. Tensions were high between Elliott and Kevin Harvick after a run-in at Bristol. The rivalry between the two champions elevated in the Round of 12 elimination race as Harvick spun Elliott early in the final Stage that put the 2020 champion below the elimination line.

As he did in 2019, Elliott quickly rallied to return above the elimination line and with 11 laps to go, Elliott had caught the No. 4 but Harvick overdrove Turn 1 and slammed the barrier, ending his race and postseason run.

So what awaits in this year’s edition at the Charlotte Roval?

There are story lines aplenty to follow throughout Sunday’s elimination race including defending Roval winner and Cup champion Kyle Larson only being 18 points above the elimination line and the possible emergence of a 20th winner in 2022 with Ryan Blaney, who is still winless this year but was the inaugural Roval winner in 2018.

On Thursday, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel amended William Byron’s post-Texas penalty. The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet saw an increase in his fine to $100,000 but received no points penalty and is now back above the elimination line by 14 points. Chase Briscoe goes from being eighth in a tie over Austin Cindric to 12 points below the elimination line.

MORE: Roval 101 | No. 24 penalty amended

Maximizing points is always the name of the game on a track that can see multiple events transpire in just one lap, and varying strategies will play out among all 12 remaining championship-eligible drivers to solidify their position in the Round of 8.

Best Average Finish at Charlotte Roval All-Time (more than two starts):

Driver Avg. Finish Starts
Chase Elliott 5.0 4
Clint Bowyer 5.7 3
Ryan Blaney 5.8 4
Alex Bowman 6.0 4
Joey Logano 7.3 4

Source: Racing Insights

Posted on by Brandon White

A couple months ago, three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore was nowhere near the title battle between Ron Silk and Jon McKennedy.

Two consecutive victories at Oswego Speedway and Riverhead Raceway has shifted momentum in Bonsignore’s favor and made him a favorite to claim his fourth title as the series heads to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park this weekend for the Phoenix Communications 150.

“We’re really excited to head into Thompson,” Bonsignore said. “It’s been one of our best tracks over the years, and the World Series weekend is always a special event in the New England area. We’ve really hit on something with the car over the past couple of weeks, and we think that’s going to carry over into Thompson, as well.”

RELATED: Phoenix Communications 150 entry list

Two finishes below 20th at New Smyrna Speedway and Riverhead put Bonsignore in the hole that he has been trying to climb out of all year.

Justin Bonsignore makes a lap around Wall Stadium in 2019 (Photo: NASCAR)

While Bonsignore believed he could shake off those poor showings, inconsistency during the summer further hindered his progress back toward the front of the field. Despite the struggles, Bonsignore and his team were not ready to let a fourth title escape their grasp.

Following a 12th-place run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Bonsignore has not recorded a finish worse than sixth over the past five races. This has erased his deficit from 25 points after New Hampshire to just three, putting him in a tie for second with Silk.

With 12 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories at Thompson on his resume, including six in a row from 2018-19, Bonsignore is confident he can enter the season finale at Martinsville Speedway with the points lead. But he expects Silk and McKennedy to battle him all the way down to the last lap of the year.

“It’s going to be a dogfight during these last two races,” Bonsignore said. “Jon and Ronnie are really good drivers and have really good teams, so this’ll be exciting for the fans. Whoever does the best in these two races is likely going to win the championship, as well, so we’ll have to execute all day and keep ourselves in a position to win when it gets down to it.”

Bonsignore will search for his 13th Thompson win and fifth on the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season when the green flag flies for the Phoenix Communications 150 at 4 p.m. ET. The event will be streamed live on FloRacing.

Mike Christopher Jr. back with Tommy Baldwin Racing

While three points separate the top three in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver standings, there are almost no questions over who the owner’s champion will be once the checkered flag flies at Martinsville.

Tommy Baldwin Racing has been a dominant force in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour all season long, with six-time champion Doug Coby, Jimmy Blewett and Mike Christopher Jr. all taking the iconic No. 7NY to Victory Lane at least once in 2022.

For the Phoenix Communications 150, Baldwin has tabbed Mike Jr. to pilot his car around Thompson. Mike Jr. impressed many in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour garage area earlier this year by outdueling the series veterans at Jennerstown Speedway for his first win at the age of 23.

The nephew of 2008 series champion Ted Christopher and son of former racer Mike Christopher, Mike Jr. has plenty of knowledge and experience to rely on as he continues to grow more comfortable competing at some of the most storied facilities in the northeast.

Another win for Mike Jr. in Sunday’s Phoenix Communications 150 would be the sixth for Baldwin on the 2022 season and further pad out their advantage over the rest of the field in the owner points.

Ryan Preece piloting Ole’ Blue at Thompson

The iconic No. 3 Ole’ Blue Modified owned by Jan Boehler will have a familiar face behind the wheel at Thompson on Sunday.

Ryan Preece, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, will climb into the famous ride for his fourth start on the 2022 season. This is the second time Preece has competed in Ole’ Blue this year after he scored a top 10 in the season-opener at New Smyrna.

Ryan Preece (3) races alongside Mike Stefanik (16) at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in 2010. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Preece previously ran Ole’ Blue during the early days of his Modified career from 2008-10. In that timeframe, Preece picked up three of his 25 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories and claimed a second-place points finish in 2009.

Now back with his old team again, Preece is looking to claim an eighth consecutive top-10 finish that dates to his 2021 season with the late Eddie Partridge. All three of Preece’s top 10s in 2022 have come with a different organization.

Should Preece take home a checkered flag Sunday afternoon, it would be his fourth triumph in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Thompson. His most recent victory at the track came in 2017 while driving for Partridge.

Notes:

  • Craig Lutz turned an inconsistent season around during the most recent NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Thompson by leading a race-high 119 laps to claim his fourth career victory. Lutz will be searching for his third consecutive victory at Thompson on Sunday afternoon.
  • Doug Coby is back in his own No. 10 Modified for the Phoenix Communications 150. He drove the same car to a third place finish at Thompson in August, but he ended up drawing the ire of teammate Jimmy Blewett after contact on the fronstretch sent the 7NY into the wall, knocking Blewett out of the race.
  • Bobby Santos III is making his fourth start of 2022 behind the wheel of the No. 44 owned by Lawney Tinio. Santos has won at Thompson five times during his career, but a win on Sunday would break a dry spell that followed his victory in the Musket 200 at New Hampshire in 2020.
  • The last time Timmy Solomito won a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race was back on Oct. 15, 2017 at Thompson, his second at the track. Solomito has come close to Victory Lane several times since that day, but will look to finally earn another win driving for his family-owned team.
Posted on by Staff Report

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel on Thursday amended the September penalty to NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron for his intentional contact to Denny Hamlin under caution at Texas Motor Speedway, which sent the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver spinning into the infield and out of the top five

Byron, a two-time 2022 winner in the No. 24 Chevrolet, will now be issued a $100,000 fine with no championship points deduction. He was initially docked 25 driver points and 25 owner points along with a $50,000 fine as a result of violating Sections 4.3.A & 4.4.C of the NASCAR Rule Book, which pertain to the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct.

RELATED: Updated series standings

Section 4.4.C states that member actions that can result in a loss of 25-50 driver and team owner points and/or $50,0000-$100,000 fine and/or suspension includes “intentionally wrecking another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from Competition as a result” and “any actions deemed to compromise the safety of an Event or otherwise pose a dangerous risk to the safety of Competitors, Officials, spectators, or others.”

The points portion of the initial penalty would have left Byron 10th in the playoff standings and 11 points beneath the elimination line. Instead, he returns to the playoff-advancing side of the bubble heading into Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 Round of 12 elimination race (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR). Byron now sits in seventh place, 14 points to the good.

MORE: Byron: ‘I didn’t mean to spin him’ | In-car camera view of spin

Daniel Suárez is now right on the good side of the bubble at +12 and in eighth place. Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric, who are tied in points and were initially on the elimination line together, now both sit 12 points back.

Eight drivers will advance to the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs following Sunday’s race, while four are eliminated from championship contention.

The members of the Appeals Board for the hearing were Hunter Nickell, Dale Pinilis and Kevin Whitaker.

Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports sets a standard of excellence for how to run a professional NASCAR Cup Series organization — and that precedent comes from the top down, starting with team owner Rick Hendrick.

Look no further than this tweet from fellow Chevrolet-backed Petty GMS Racing — a team that, in some form or another through its Richard Petty Motorsports roots, has been racing against Hendrick for literally decades.

MORE: Celebrating Hendrick drivers through the years

“Mr. H” appears to have sent flowers to the Statesville, North Carolina Petty GMS headquarters to both congratulate the organization on Erik Jones’ win earlier in the playoffs at Darlington Raceway’s Southern 500 and, in turn, thank the team for Jones’ push of Talladega Superspeedway winner Chase Elliott in the final laps to help propel the No. 9 driver to the Round of 8.

MORE: Watch the ‘Dega finish from Elliott’s POV

Always class from Hendrick, and nothing but respect between him and “The King.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Editor’s note: Tune in or set your DVRs for Episode 6 tonight at 10 ET on USA Network.

Episode six of USA Network’s unscripted series “Race for the Championship” airs tonight at 10 ET, and the sixth of 10 episodes provides exclusive looks and sounds surrounding a couple of drivers who were still looking for their first Cup Series win earlier this year — Daniel Suárez and Corey LaJoie.

Each episode throughout the series will feature multiple drivers and their lives and stories away from the track. Suárez, LaJoie and Kyle Larson will be the three spotlighted tonight as the series focuses on both their stories off the track and on it as the series heads to both Sonoma and Atlanta.

In addition to the upcoming Thursday episode, NBC Universal has announced that the entire season 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 6, be sure to stream previous episodes or any you may have missed on Peacock starting Friday.

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