Posted on by Pat DeCola

FORT WORTH, Texas — With just two of its cars remaining in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs after early ends to championship eligibility for each of its two past title winners, Joe Gibbs Racing is all hands on deck to ensure another trophy comes back to the shop after Phoenix.

As such, the Toyota-backed organization opted to swap the entire-pit crew personnel of Round of 12 driver Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 squad for the No. 18 contingent of Kyle Busch, who was eliminated after the Round of 16. The change, announced earlier this week, takes effect starting with Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM) at the 1.5-mile track.

MORE: JGR swaps Nos. 11, 18 pit crew personnel | Texas schedule

The new lineups are as follows:

• No. 11: Thomas Hatcher (front tire changer), Lee Cunningham (tire carrier), C.J. Bailey (rear tire changer), Kellen Mills (jack), Matthew Tyrrell (fueler).
• No. 18: Blake Houston (front tire changer), Jacob Holmes (tire carrier), Michael Hicks (rear tire changer), Derrell Edwards (jack), Justin White (fueler).

Hamlin, still in search of his first championship despite a Hall-of-Fame-worthy resumé otherwise, talked about the change Saturday at TMS and downplayed any potential learning curves to iron out over the season’s final seven races.

“Yeah, two of them were my guys last year; Kellen and one of the other guys (were) on my team last year,” said the two-time 2022 winner. “So yeah, it’s, you know, (Busch and I) don’t enter the box that differently. When you think about what would be the variation between me and Kyle, the way we enter the box is pretty similar. So I think that it should be pretty seamless for everyone.”

Pit road has been a bit of a quagmire for the No. 11 team — both in the box itself with myriad issues, and in terms of Hamlin managing his speed on the way there — and the chances weren’t favorable that the team would put a seven-race, mistake-free stretch to close out the season as the pressure mounted. The organization elected to push for change sooner than later, and across the board rather than trying to piece together the right formula.

NASCAR is a team sport, however, and Hamlin knows the prospect of racing for a championship to being out of the playoffs is a disappointment for the crew members he’s ridden with for the season’s first 29 races.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s certainly tough for those guys,” Hamlin said. “And I hate it because I love their attitude, swagger, all that about my 11 team. And, you know, certainly, they’re as important to this championship run as anyone but, you know, we had to do something different. Certainly the results at the end of the day, you know, the consistency was tough, but this is a kind of a JGR decision and they felt like this is the best avenue to getting the quickest results in the shortest amount of time was just for placing an entire team versus one person or the other.”

Hamlin will roll off eighth in Sunday’s 500-miler.

Posted on by Staff Report

Brad Keselowski will lead the field to green for Sunday’s Cup Series playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as he won his first pole since 2019 with a fastest lap of 188.990 mph in Saturday’s qualifying session. The pole win for RFK Racing follows up on the momentum built from Chris Buescher’s win at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend.

This is the 2012 series champion’s 18th career pole. He is looking for his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Texas Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Starting lineup | Texas weekend schedule

“It’s certainly a lot of progress,’’ Keselowski said, adding, “You do things in this sport and it takes six to eight months to be noticed. It takes months and months of hard work for it all to come together and it’s super painful.”

It will be in all-Ford front row Sunday as Joey Logano joins his former teammate on the front row.

William Byron, Tyler Reddick and Michael McDowell will start inside the top five while Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and Daniel Suárez make up the rest of the top 10 in the starting lineup.

Six playoff drivers will start outside the top 10: Austin Cindric (11th), Ross Chastain (12th), Ryan Blaney (14th), Alex Bowman (17th), Christopher Bell (22nd), Chase Briscoe (30th).

Despite being the most-consistent playoff driver in the Round of 16, Bell will have to work through the field to hold his spot above the current playoff cutline as he sits just four points above it.

Practice

The Richard Childress Racing duo of Dillon (187.643 mph) and Reddick (187.576 mph) owned the fastest laps during practice, which was reminiscent of their 1-2 finish at Texas in the summer of 2020. Alex Bowman, Joey Logano and Erik Jones also posted top-five speeds.

MORE: Cup Series practice results

Logano posted the best 10 consecutive lap time with an average of 185.528 mph. Three Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets posted top-five 10-lap averages with Bowman, Byron and Elliott cracking the list.

The NASCAR Wire Service contributed to this report. 

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Saturday, Ryan Blaney heads back to Texas Motor Speedway for the first time since claiming the $1 million prize in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race. But this time, the stakes are higher, with what may be his best chance to advance to the Round of 8 hanging in the balance.

“I’m looking forward to this weekend after having success here at the All-Star Race,” Blaney told NASCAR.com. “It definitely brings you confidence. It’s an interesting round. Three different race tracks that we’re going to and everyone’s gonna put a massive emphasis on this weekend because if you can win this one, you’ll be in a good spot for Talladega [Superspeedway].”

Blaney has victories at each of the Round of 12 tracks in his career: Texas, Talladega (twice) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. Still, in a season with 19 winners, he knows that chances to reach Victory Lane are slimmer than ever.

“It just shows the strength of the whole field whether you’re a part of the playoffs or not,” said Blaney. “It shows that anybody can jump up there and win, you’ve seen it all year. I think you’ll continue to see it.”

RELATED: Playoff standings | Weekend schedule for Texas

After a career-best three wins in 2021, Blaney has yet to pull his No. 12 Team Penske Ford into Victory Lane during the first 29 points races this season.

If he accomplishes the feat Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), he will set the modern-era record at No. 20 and be the first to advance to the penultimate round of the playoffs, matching the deepest title run he has ever made.

But this time, there are a lot fewer familiar faces contending for the Bill France Cup.

After Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were eliminated at Bristol Motor Speedway, only three Cup Series champions — Joey Logano (2018), Chase Elliott (2020) and defending champion Kyle Larson — remain among the 12 title hopefuls. Chase Briscoe, teammate Austin Cindric, Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain are each in the playoffs for the first time.

“It’s definitely been a pretty wild year, I think everyone can agree with that,” said Blaney. “It’s been neat to grow up and be in the Cup Series here for a good while. Definitely not part of the young group anymore, I’d say I’m in the middle-aged group right now. But it’s been cool to, when I first started in Cup, be able to race against a lot of guys I’ve enjoyed watching as a kid.

“You get more experience and you see kids that are your age, when you first got started in Cup that you’ve watched through Trucks and Xfinity, be able to come up and do really well,” said Blaney. “It’s really cool because you can look back on that stuff and remember being in that spot. It’s a neat thing, drivers coming and going, and it’s just been cool to be a part of.”

BSD: Is there a changing of the guard?

One of the up-and-coming stars of the sport, Daytona 500 winner Cindric, is contending right alongside veterans Blaney and Logano.

Competing against two teammates could be viewed as a hurdle to his individual championship aspirations, which could be true in the long run. But in the case of the organization’s immediate success, more is better in the eyes of Blaney — at least for now.

“I definitely don’t think it’s a disadvantage by any means,” said Blaney. “It really speaks volumes to have all three of our cars advance out of the first round. I think you can still lean on each other, you still would even if one or two of your cars were out, but it gives you better odds to try to get as many cars to the final four as you can.

“That’s really the neat thing about our sport and having teammates. In every other sport, your teammates, you’re relying on them and working toward the same goal with them. And in this sport, you have teammates but they’re also your competitors, too.”

Nonetheless, he knows there can only be one champion when it is all said and done.

“It’s always kinda been a tricky scenario, especially when the playoffs come. It’s a fine line. You’re all racing and every point matters, even if they’re teammates or not.

“But it does get tougher deeper in the rounds,” said Blaney. “I don’t think you’ll cut anybody any breaks.”

Posted on by Brandon White

One of the most accomplished short track racers of the past decade is set to chase a grandfather clock in a Late Model Stock Car at Martinsville Speedway this weekend.

Current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ty Majeski, whose achievements include two victories in the Slinger Nationals and a Snowball Derby win in 2020, will make his ValleyStar Credit Union 300 debut in a collaborative effort between Chad Bryant Racing and Triple R Racing

Majeski had been patiently waiting for the right opportunity to attempt the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, adding that the amount of cars that typically make the trip to Martinsville highlights the prestige and challenge of making the event.

“I’ve never been part of an entry list like this,” said Majeski, who will race for a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 4 after a victory last week at Bristol Motor Speedway. “There’s almost 100 cars at this point and that’s pretty remarkable. It’s obviously going to be a huge challenge since this is a different discipline than I’m accustomed to running, but I’m excited to get [to Martinsville].”

RELATED: Watch the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 on FloRacing

Despite only having two Late Model Stock Car starts on his resume to date, Majeski has proven to be more than capable of holding his own with the discipline’s established veterans.

The inaugural South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway in 2020 saw Majeski battle that year’s NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion, Josh Berry, during the closing laps. He successfully passed Berry with 26 laps remaining to secure the victory.

One year later, Majeski repeated his performance in the South Carolina 400 by besting Carson Kvapil despite having to start 32nd in the field.

Majeski never imagined his first two Late Model Stock Car appearances would result in victories, but he said the efficient start would not have been possible without the perseverance of Chad Bryant Racing that dates back to when they won three ARCA Menards Series races together in 2019.

“Going from Super Late Models to Late Model Stocks, it takes a different set of instincts and a different mindset on how to make the car work,” Majeski said. “Anytime you go to a different discipline, you race the guys who know the best more than anybody, but I guess I was fortunate enough to be in good equipment and have good people around to help me adapt quickly.”

Ty Majeski won three ARCA Menards Series races with Chad Bryant during his career. (Photo/NASCAR)

Even though Martinsville is a much different track compared to Florence, Majeski said the experience of competing in the South Carolina 400 has made him much more comfortable behind the wheel and with relaying feedback to his crew.

The speed Chad Bryant Racing has shown in Late Model Stock Car competition in the past year has only given Majeski more confidence going into the weekend. He will have Connor Hall as a teammate for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. Hall has won three CARS Tour races for Chad Bryant Racing this year.

Majeski believes everything is falling into place for him and Hall to be competitive in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, but he admitted that the qualifying races will create plenty of mental strain with so many drivers fighting for 40 spots in the starting grid.

“It’s obviously going to be exciting,” Majeski said. “They’re doing this format to create excitement for the fans, but I just hope we can get in the show. There’s a lot of good teams, good cars and good drivers, so we’ll see what happens.”

RACING REFERENCE: Ty Majeski’s career stats

With Martinsville more dependent on track position than Florence, Majeski understands that a strong qualifying run will be imperative for him to survive the chaos of the qualifying races and ensure he is in a great position to contend for the win on Saturday night.

There is a sense of ease for Majeski heading into the heat races knowing he will see many familiar faces from the South Carolina 400s like Kvapil, Peyton Sellers and others, yet he knows there will be desperation from everyone to get the best starting position possible.

Majeski said that bringing home a grandfather clock would be a highlight in his already stellar short track career. He expects the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 to be one of the hardest races of his career and hopes for circumstances to fall in his favor so he can show off the speed of Chad Bryant Racing’s equipment.

“Anytime you go into a different discipline, adapt quickly and win premier races like we’ve done in the South Carolina 400, it’s really special,” Majeski said. “It’s not easy to do, so you need to have good guys around you and put everything together. I’ll have a different mindset compared to Florence, but this one would be up there with the career wins that I have.”

Posted on by Staff Report

After earning his first career win in the fog-shortened 2016 Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway, Chris Buescher gushed optimism for the future, calling it an awesome moment after weeks of momentum for the No. 34 Ford.

Unfortunately for the former ARCA champion, the circumstances of the win, not the win itself, was a sign of things to come.

One week later, Buescher finished 30th in the Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International. It was the first of 222 straight races without a win.

The six-year fog lifted last weekend with a win in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, giving Buescher the second-longest drought between NASCAR Cup Series wins of all time. He sits behind only Bill Elliott – 226 races from 1994-2001 – in the record books.

If Buescher stays on Elliott’s path, perhaps years of frustration are ceding to good days ahead. Elliott didn’t win again in 2001 but had back-to-back wins in 2002 and another win in 2003, giving him four wins in 74 starts after zero in his previous 226.

The win didn’t put Buescher among the NASCAR betting favorites for this weekend’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Speedway. As of Thursday, he’s +4000 to win, tied with Aric Almirola and Austin Dillon for the 21st-shortest odds.

Despite the long odds, the public is buying Buescher to win; his ticket share of 3.8% is tied with Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, and Brad Keselowski for the eighth-highest among all drivers. He and Keselowski (+8000) are among several long-odds drivers the public likes this weekend:

  • Aric Almirola (+10000) leads all drivers in tickets (8.9%).
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+20000) ranks sixth in tickets (4.7%).
  • Bubba Wallace has the 11th-shortest odds (+1800) but ranks second in handle share (15.5%). 

Bettors are also buying Buescher in featured matchup betting:

Ryan Blaney (-300) vs. Chris Buescher (+225)

Buescher is 0-2 in featured matchup betting this year; he failed to finish ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway and Michael McDowell in the Go Bowling at the Glen. He was the favorite in both matchups.

Now he’s a massive underdog to Ryan Blaney, whose winless drought is now 38 starts after a 30th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. Blaney has two wins at Texas, though one was in the Xfinity Series in 2018 and the other in this year’s All-Star Race. He has three top-five finishes in 13 Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile quad-oval.

The ticket split is exactly 50-50, though Buescher’s share accounts for 67% of the handle.

Chase Elliott (-185) vs. Joey Logano (+140)

Joey Logano is now eight years removed from his lone win at Texas (2014 Duck Commander 500) but remains one of the track’s most experienced and consistent drivers. In 17 starts since 2013, he has 13 top-10 finishes and 10 top-5 finishes.

Chase Elliott, meanwhile, can’t find any consistency in Fort Worth. He finished outside the top 10 only once in his first six career Cup Series starts at the track but now has just one top-10 finish in his last five starts. 

The public loves Logano at plus odds in this matchup. The 29-time winner on the Cup Series has 96% of the handle on 67% of the tickets.

Kyle Larson (-155) vs. Ross Chastain (+120)

From 2013-19, Kyle Larson led just 74 of nearly 4,000 laps (2%) over 13 starts at Texas. He led 256 of 334 laps (77%) en route to winning last year’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500.

Larson is now seeking multiple Cup Series wins at a fourth different track. Entering the season, he had multiple wins at just one track – three at Michigan International Speedway – before winning his second career races at Auto Club Speedway and Watkins Glen.

Ross Chastain, who’s making just his sixth career Cup Series start in Fort Worth, has dropped in race-winner odds (+900 to +1100) but remains an overwhelming pick against Larson. He has 97% of the tickets and 94% of the handle.

Denny Hamlin (-120) vs. Christopher Bell (-105)

Nos. 6 and 7 in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with seven races remaining, teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell, respectively, sit atop race-winner odds.

Hamlin has three career wins in Fort Worth. Bell, meanwhile, has three career starts in Fort Worth, though he does have two top-three finishes, both coming after starting outside the top 10.

Bell’s race-winner odds have jumped to +650 (from +800 at open) as he commands 15.7% of the handle – second-highest share to only Alex Bowman, 16.6%. And he’s a popular pick over Denny Hamlin; as of Thursday, he has 93% of the featured matchup handle on 95% of the tickets.

You can view updated AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 odds and more online sports betting opportunities at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Busch has long expressed his desire to compete in the famed Indianapolis 500. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion may soon get his wish.

Zak Brown, chief executive officer of McLaren Racing, indicated the three-car IndyCar team is eyeing a fourth entry for the 500-miler that could put Busch behind the wheel of its Chevrolet-powered vehicles, according to the Associated Press.

MORE: Busch gets green light for Indy | Silly Season recap

Busch announced on Sept. 13 his plans to leave Joe Gibbs Racing and join Richard Childress Racing starting with the 2023 season, ending a 15-year tenure with Toyota and returning to Chevy, with which he started his Cup career. Upon signing with RCR, Busch received clearance from his new team — as well as wife, Samantha — to partake in the 500-mile, open-wheel race.

If Arrow McLaren SP — McLaren’s IndyCar outfit — is able to construct a deal with Busch, the entry would likely be sponsored by Menards, according to the AP. Busch, like team founder Sam Schmidt, is a Las Vegas native.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 22, 2022) — Today, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced a series of executive-level promotions to strengthen his overall enterprise and support the growth of new business as his company enters its third decade. Among the company’s most impacted entities are JR Motorsports, which currently fields entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and several grassroots regional tours; DEJ Management, which oversees Earnhardt Jr.’s brand marketing and business relationships; and Dirty Mo Media, his multimedia company and digital content platform.

Most notable of the executive changes, Kelley Earnhardt Miller will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) over all Dale Jr. companies. Already the backbone of the entire Dale Jr. enterprise, Earnhardt Miller has managed the career of her NASCAR Hall-of-Fame brother since 2001 and built JR Motorsports into a multi-championship-winning organization with more than 100 victories. She is the recipient of numerous sports business achievements, including Charlotte Business Journal’s Top 25 Women in Business honor, the Lyn St. James Foundation’s Opportunity Award, and Sports Business Journal’s Game Changers. Most recently Earnhardt Miller authored the book, Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life.

“Kelley is one of the most prominent businesspeople in motorsports and for good reason,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “She is a brilliant mind and proven leader. Making her CEO is long overdue, but if we are going to position our businesses to maximize their potential and equip our people with the organizational support they need to succeed, there’s no better leader than Kelley.”

Mike Davis has been named President and Executive Producer of Dirty Mo Media. He also has become an equity partner in the company, Earnhardt Jr. announced. Davis will devote all efforts to the continued expansion of Dirty Mo Media, which he co-founded in 2013 and launched with The Dale Jr. Download podcast. Since then, Davis has built the business into an industry leader in original content and producer of television/streaming programming.

Tony Mayhoff will expand his responsibilities to lead management of the Dale Jr. brand as Vice President, Strategy and Development, for DEJ Management. In this expanded role, Mayhoff will oversee Earnhardt’s endorsement portfolio, equity partnerships, brand marketing, and public relations. Mayhoff will also assume oversight of The Dale Jr. Foundation.

On-track competition will continue to be the cornerstone of Earnhardt’s business. Longtime motorsports licenser and marketer Joe Mattes has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Business and Strategy, for JR Motorsports. Mattes has spearheaded JRM’s corporate sponsorships and licensing endeavors since 2007. Before that, he helped seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt catapult the NASCAR merchandising business into a multimillion-dollar industry.

L.W. Miller has been named Senior Vice President of Motorsports. A decorated racer in his own right, Miller has directed JRM’s competition department since 2011. In that time the company has earned three NASCAR Xfinity titles (2014, 2017, 2018), one NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship (2020), the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car Series crown (2017), and multiple track championships with the late model program.

“Businesses thrive on people, and I am blessed to have some of the best working at our companies,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It was important that we clearly defined leadership in each of these areas so that we can seize opportunities, meet challenges, and thrive in a competitive economic climate. I am proud of what we’ve built and the people we have used to build it.”

Posted on by Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 22, 2022) – In a battle that came down to the final weekend of competition, 20-year-old Layne Riggs beat out defending titlist Peyton Sellers to become the youngest NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion in series history.

After this past weekend’s races at Motor Mile Speedway (Fairlawn, Virginia) and Dominion Raceway (Woodford, Virginia), Riggs came out on top over Sellers by four points to win the national championship.

Sellers was previously the youngest Weekly Series champion, winning in 2005 at 21-years-old.

“Congratulations to Layne on becoming the youngest Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Senior Vice President, Racing Development and Strategy. “Layne truly exemplified what grassroots racing means in NASCAR by taking advantage of his opportunities to race and grow in the sport this season.”

RELATED: Layne Riggs’ 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship season in photos

Riggs didn’t start the 2022 season with the goal of racing for a weekly series national championship, but when the team opened the season with a string of wins at South Boston Speedway, the plan changed.  Encouragement from their fellow competitors led the small, family-owned team run by his father Scott – and former NASCAR Cup Series driver – to reconsider their focus and aim towards the championship.

“If you had asked me eight, nine months ago what I was going to do, it wasn’t going to be going after a national championship,” said Layne. “I’m just proud of my team and everything we’ve done to be able to get this win. We’ve worked hard. We really, really wanted it.”

Scott added, “We just knew that going for something like a championship with NASCAR would be something that would mean so much for Layne’s future.”

In between race weekends, Riggs is a third-year student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, studying mechanical engineering. Additionally, he ran a pair of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, recording a seventh-place result at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in his NASCAR national series debut.

“It’s been tough trying to run all these races and focus on schoolwork at the same time, but I’ve managed, it’s been a tough road,” added Layne.

“We congratulate Layne on making history as the youngest champion of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s executive vice president of merchandising, marketing and e-commerce. “The commitment shown by Layne and his racing team this season truly embodies the passion that exists in the sport of short track racing. We are excited to crown Layne as our champion, and we look forward to following his racing career for years to come.”

Layne Riggs (right) discusses adjustments to his car with his father, Scott Riggs (left) during a break in practice at a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series event in 2022 at South Boston Speedway. (Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway)
Layne Riggs (right) discusses adjustments to his car with his father, Scott Riggs (left) during a break in practice at a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series event in 2022 at South Boston Speedway. (Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway)

Riggs gives credit for the success this season to his dad’s support on the team, saying, “He’s just as deserving as I am.”

But Scott said the volunteer-run team was motivated by a passion and love for racing, as well as a belief in their young driver’s talents.

“Everyone on the car is a volunteer,” Scott said. “Everyone that is involved has normal jobs and work all week, then takes time away from their families to race Friday and Saturday night to push for the championship. And it’s just been really overwhelming to have so many people who are so committed to our team.”

“If you don’t have the people and the sponsors to be able to support the talent, it’s hard to showcase what you can do.”

In addition to winning the Weekly Series national championship, Riggs also won the Southeast Region title, as well as the track championship at South Boston Speedway.

Riggs tallied a total of 43 starts between Dominion Raceway, Hickory Motor Speedway, Motor Mile Speedway, South Boston Speedway and Wake County Speedway. He recorded 16 wins with 30 top-five and 38 top-10 results.

The complete list of regional and state Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champions and Jostens Rookie of the Year awards, as well as the champions of the other national divisions, will be released in the coming days.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

About Advance Auto Parts

Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers. As of July 16, 2022 Advance operated 4,724 stores and 312 Worldpac branches primarily within the United States, with additional locations in Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company also served 1,329 independently owned Carquest branded stores across these locations in addition to Mexico and various Caribbean islands. Additional information about Advance, including employment opportunities, customer services, and online shopping for parts, accessories and other offerings can be found at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

With the Round of 16 complete, the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are still seeking its first title-eligible winner of the postseason.

The search for Victory Lane continues as the Round of 12 kicks off at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Teams had 140 circuits around the 1.5-miler f0r the exhibition All-Star Race back in May. This week, a win could send a playoff driver into the Round of 8 to keep his championship hopes alive.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

WHEELS IN MOTION

Teams will have 20 minutes to practice on Saturday (12:35 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App) 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 (1:20 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

LONE STAR STORY LINES

— Chris Buescher’s Bristol victory marked a record 19 different winner through 29 races this year, tying 1956, 1958, 1961 and 2001 for the most winners in a single season.

— Only three of the eight active Cup Champions are still playoff eligible: Joey Logano (2018), Chase Elliott (2020) and Kyle Larson (2021).

— Eight of the last 14 races in 2022 were won by drivers getting their first win of the season, including each of the last four.

— Christopher Bell is having the best season of his career with more poles (three), top fives (10), top 10s (17), laps led (417) and stage wins (4) than any of his prior seasons.

— The driver leading the most laps won only two of the last 10 races of 2022 (Buescher at Bristol; Reddick at Indy Road Course).

— William Byron is the only playoff driver yet to have a notable problem in the postseason.

— Four of the last nine playoff races were won by drivers who did not make the playoffs, including each of the last three.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

After tire challenges reared their heads during the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas in May, Goodyear updated the construction of its tires midway through the 2022 season.

Much of the dilemmas have stemmed from an increased load on the rear of the Next Gen vehicle while Goodyear and teams continue to learn how the tire deflects with a thinner sidewall than in years past.

“It has been widely documented that the balance of the Next Gen car has shifted towards the rear,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “On a weekly basis, optimizing tire performance is a key element in having a successful weekend. Air pressure, suspension geometry and shock settings work in unison to get the most out of the tire package. Being aggressive in any one of those areas is certainly a recipe for short-term speed, but the risk vs. reward of those choices can often come back and bite you.

“We work very closely with teams throughout the week and at the track, providing as much data as we can to help them make the right tire choices. We understand that teams are in a constant search for speed, but finding the edge of that envelope is key to finishing races.”

The tire setup used this weekend at Texas is the same that was used two weeks ago at Kansas Speedway. It will also be used again in three weeks at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

TEXAS HISTORY

— Construction of Texas Motor Speedway on the 1,500-acre property began in August 1995. The first Cup race was held on April 6, 1997 and was won by Jeff Burton. The property contains 660 acres of parking with a capacity of 80,000 vehicles.

— Initially, the turns had variable banking — 24 degrees at the top and 8 degrees at the bottom. This proved difficult for cars to transition from the banked turns to the flatter straightaways. After two NASCAR weekends, the turns were reconfigured to a constant 24-degree banking and the exit off of the turns was eased.

— The first Texas date was made available after Bruton Smith (Speedway Motorsports) and Bob Bahre (New Hampshire Motor Speedway) each acquired 50% of North Wilkesboro Speedway. NASCAR awarded Texas its second date after Bruton Smith bought the North Carolina Speedway (Rockingham) as part of the Ferko lawsuit settlement in 2004.

— Texas has hosted a race every year since it opened in 1997 and two races a year from 2005-2020.

— This is the 18th playoff race held at Texas, There has been a playoff race every year since 2005.

— The last five Texas races were won by different drivers.

— Kyle Larson led 256 laps in his Texas win in 2021, the most laps led by a Texas winner in the last 29 races.

Source: Racing Insights

CHANCES ARE HIGH

Toyotas have been notably quick on the mile-and-a-half tracks through 2022, and that hasn’t been ignored by the sportsbooks.

Denny Hamlin, a three-time Texas winner, enters as the odd-on favorite at 6-1 chances, according to BetMGM. His luck in the Lone Star State hasn’t been stellar lately with four finishes of 20th or worse in the last seven points races, but the No. 11 Toyota finished runner-up to Ryan Blaney in the spring All-Star event and finished third or better at each of the last three intermediate tracks (Michigan, Darlington, Kansas).

His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell (8-1) might be another sharp contender come Sunday. The driver of the No. 20 Toyota was the first driver to lock himself into the Round of 12 on points following the Kansas race and has always run well at the 1.5-miler, with finishes of 21st, third and third in his three points races at Texas.

Sticking with the Toyota theme, perhaps a worthy money play is the most recent winner at a mile-and-a-half track — Bubba Wallace. At 18-1 odds, the current pilot of the No. 45 Toyota enters the Round of 12 still eligible for the owners championship. His Texas stats are frankly not good — one top 10 in seven starts, and that eighth-place finish came in his track debut — but Wallace has improved at seemingly every track this season.

MORE: Complete list of odds for Sunday

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which reset for the playoffs. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $10,000 prize for the playoff winner.

The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (1,013), Joey Logano (877), and Christopher Bell (877).

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.