The early-race incident began at the exit of Turn 2, where leader Erik Jones was pushed sideways on the inside line by Denny Hamlin. Hamlin checked up and was turned by Blaney from behind. Blaney veered right to avoid the spinning car of Christopher Bell but couldn’t miss the No. 20 Toyota, getting hit by Bell and making significant right-front contact with the outside SAFER barrier.
Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski were also included.
Ultimately, Blaney wheeled his beaten and battered No. 12 Ford to a 15th-place finish, six laps down, and scored just enough points to advance into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. With Austin Dillon scoring the win, only one spot was left based on points. Blaney bested Truex by three markers at the checkered flag despite Truex’s eighth-place run.
Blaney entered the Coke Zero Sugar 400 as the 15th seed in the playoff standings, maintaining a 25-point advantage over Martin Truex Jr. Truex flat-spotted his tires attempting to avoid the Lap 31 incident but received no further damage. Truex finished fifth in Stage 1 and ninth in Stage 2, collecting a total of 15 stage points.
Truex was slowed, however, by a Lap 102 crash that left his No. 19 Toyota with considerable damage, mainly to the left rear as well as his right-front fender. Truex was one of only 10 drivers on the lead lap at race’s end but ultimately failed to score enough points to advance into the postseason.
HAMPTON, Va. — It only took Doug Coby and Tommy Baldwin Racing one week to get their efficient 2022 season back on track.
An accident between Coby and teammate Jimmy Blewett at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park a couple weeks ago proved to be water under the bridge by the time the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour descended onto Langley Speedway, as Coby ended up leading every lap from the pole in Saturday’s CheckeredFlag.com 150 for his third win of the year.
Coby could not help but see the irony of him winning in Baldwin’s car after last week’s race, but he was just happy to put the incident behind him and showcase the speed of Baldwin’s equipment in the state of Virginia.
“Racing is an interesting sport,” Coby said. “A week ago, things didn’t go so well between me and this car, and [on Saturday] I drove it to Victory Lane at Langley. This is all about Tommy, his team and all the work they put in to making this car fast at any type of track. I love coming down here and putting on a great show for these fans.”
Once it was announced that the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour would return to Langley for the 2022 season, Coby immediately circled the date on his calendar.
The inaugural NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Langley back in 2017 saw Coby lead a race-high 134 laps. Late misfortune ended up costing Coby, and he was forced to watch Timmy Solomito celebrate a win he had firmly under control for most of the evening.
Determined to avenge his tough loss from 2017, Coby and Baldwin worked diligently to put together an efficient car for Saturday. While Coby admitted Langley had changed significantly since his last visit, he quickly adapted to successfully put plenty of distance between himself and the rest of the 19-car field.
Fastest in practice ✅
Win the pole ✅
Win the race ✅
Ron Silk was the only driver who came close to matching Coby’s torrid pace Saturday. His second-place finish in the CheckeredFlag.com 150 did get him slightly closer to Jon McKennedy in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings after trailing by five points entering the weekend.
Silk tried everything to chase down Coby in the closing laps but said his car simply was not strong enough to mount a significant challenge.
“[Coby] was just a little bit better than we were,” Silk said. “I could stay with him a few laps after that last restart, but we were both running pretty hard at that point. He could just inch away, but I slipped up one time getting into Turn 1 and lost all that ground in one shot. That was about it for me.”
As Silk heads back north with a smaller points deficit, Coby was elated to continue a stellar season for Baldwin that has seen him, Blewett and Mike Christopher Jr. all take home checkered flags.
Even after being as dominant as he was Saturday, Coby remembered how 2017 played out and knew that a victory was not set in stone. He patiently navigated through the lapped traffic and kept Silk behind him, all while hoping a late caution would not fly.
A close call for race leader @doug_coby who narrowly avoids an incident!
Coby’s triumph at Langley gives him 34 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories. He considers himself fortunate to still be efficient at the age of 43 but credits Baldwin and everyone involved on the team for constantly providing him great cars every week he is with them.
“It means a lot to [win] here,” Coby said. “Anytime you come to a newer track for all the teams, it’s always nice to get a win. This is all about Tommy, his team and the effort they put in this past week to get the car here. What a rocket ship it has been all season. It’s been a long time since I’ve been the fastest in practice, won the pole and led all the laps.”
Rookie Austin Beers tallied a career-best third place finish at Langley with McKennedy and Justin Bonsignore completing the top five. Rounding out the top 10 were Tommy Catalano, Kyle Ebersole, Jake Johnson, Craig Lutz and Ken Heagy.
A replay of the CheckeredFlag.com 150 can be seen on USA Network on Friday, Sept. 2, at noon ET.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be back in action next Saturday with a trip to Oswego Speedway. The race will be streamed live on FloRacing.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kyle Busch opened the doors on a rollicking Saturday afternoon press conference at Daytona International Speedway by heading off any obvious questions.
“Hold on, first I have an announcement to make. Everybody ready?” Busch said before a slight dramatic pause that hinted at him shedding new light on his driving duties for 2023.
“OK, there is no announcement,” Busch said to laughs. “Good? We all good, we clear? Moving on.”
The future of the current driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota remains very much in play as the NASCAR Cup Series preps for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, Sunday’s regular-season finale on the 2.5-mile superspeedway (NBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). No new light was shed on his inner workings of his contract negotiations or any shopping for new homes in the Cup Series garage.
Some light on the situation came instead from David Wilson, the astute president of Toyota Racing Development who held court in a wide-ranging, two-part conversation with reporters in the Daytona media center — stepping away for a quick radio hit midway before returning for Round 2 in a full 30-minute chat.
Zack Albert | NASCAR Digital Media
Wilson reiterated the importance of Busch to Toyota’s success, a performance trait that’s endured since he first joined JGR’s No. 18 group in 2008. “I mean, Kyle Busch is our 60 home-run hitter,” Wilson said, pulling a number that happens to equal Busch’s Cup Series win total. “And we’d be foolish not to put everything in play to keep them in the family. And that’s what we continue to do.”
Wilson was challenged on the “everything in play” stance, given that the prolonged contract negotiations have yet to yield a working agreement for next season. Busch has gauged interest from other organizations and has said he would be willing to stay put with JGR with a deal at less than his market value in free agency.
“Everything is comprehensive. You know, we have a role. Manufacturers play a role. Toyota has a role within the garage,” Wilson said. “We don’t own drivers, we don’t own racing teams. So within the bounds, within a reasonable balance of a manufacturer in the sport, we’re doing what we can to try and keep Kyle in our family. Hey, this is not just an offensive consideration. I don’t want to race against a pissed-off Kyle Busch, and wherever he lands, he’s gonna do some damage. But, you know, as I’ve said before … it’s been a lot of heavy lifting. And that hasn’t changed.”
Those options to keep Busch in the Toyota camp are limited to two organizations – Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing — which field a total of six chartered cars in the Cup Series. The driver status for one of those cars is currently in flux, with older brother Kurt Busch to miss the last six races of the regular season after suffering a head injury in a crash at Pocono Raceway in July.
Without medical clearance, he withdrew his waiver for postseason eligibility earlier this week. Budding star Ty Gibbs, an Xfinity Series regular, has filled in with 23XI Racing’s No. 45 Toyota team in Kurt Busch’s absence.
Kurt Busch’s uncertain status has fueled speculation that his brother might shift to the 23XI side, a move that would also continue Kyle Busch Motorsports’ established relationship as what Wilson called a “crown jewel” driver development program in the Camping World Truck Series. Wilson confirmed that expanding Toyota’s Cup Series fleet to seven cars was a consideration, but said that a Kyle-for-Kurt maneuver to 23XI was not at the moment.
“So here’s the thing, Kurt Busch is under contract to drive the 45 23XI Camry TRD next year, and that is our working assumption,” Wilson said. “We know that’s what Kurt wants to do. As we put forth earlier this week, our priority is his health and well-being. Of course, we would love to see him back in the 45, because we know how important that is to him, but he’s going to drive that decision, and with, again, the good counsel that he has on the on the medical front.”
As for a timetable on firming up those decisions, Wilson said “there’s not a line in the sand right now. I think that will kind of self-determine ultimately, because wherever Kyle ends up — with whomever Kyle ends up — that entity will need the time to cement that. So I think it’s going to happen organically. I can’t see it going, you know, deep into the playoffs.”
Though the negotiations have been a part of the business side, Wilson took note that it’s a personal relationship as well. Busch brought Toyota its first Cup Series victory, and the bonds go beyond the mere driver-team contract. Those qualities bubbled up when Wilson was asked where the contract talks ranked among the automaker’s hurdles from its time in NASCAR’s top tour.
“Of all the things that I am responsible for what is most impactful to me are the people,” Wilson said. “It’s not the boxscore. It’s the people, the partners that we are engaged with in the sport. Kyle can be an unlikable individual. We all know how polarizing he is amongst our fan base, but he’s a human being as well. And we take this very seriously. We know how difficult this has been for him, and it puts great responsibility on ourselves. I just want to see Kyle in a good place. I hope it’s with Toyota. But what’s most important is that he lands on his feet, and he and his and his family are in a good place.”
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway has been postponed because of wet weather. The race is now scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on CNBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Late-afternoon storms and lightning on Saturday delayed the opening of the Cup Series garage ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar 400. The wet weather lingered, pushing back the scheduled 7:46 p.m. ET green flag time at the 2.5-mile Florida track.
When the race does start, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott will share the front row at the head of the 37-car field. Friday’s scheduled qualifying session was also a washout, and the field was set according to the NASCAR Rule Book, with Larson and Elliott ranked 1-2 in the performance metrics formula.
The annual 400-miler is the 26th of 36 events this season, and the final race that will settle the 16-driver grid for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Fourteen eligible drivers have locked themselves in with wins, and two final berths are open.
The 10-race postseason begins next weekend with the Cook Out Southern 500 from Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Sunday, Sept. 4 (6 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM).
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — On a night that belonged to the underdogs, Timmy Hill put a lucky No. 13 to the top reaches of the Daytona International Speedway scoring pylon Saturday morning. Even in such a narrow defeat, there was joy — both for the small MBM Motorsports team he drove for, and for the like-minded driver who beat him to the finish line.
Hill powered to a runner-up finish behind winner Jeremy Clements in the crash-filled Wawa 250, a race that started Friday and ran into the wee hours of Saturday because of rain. The result was the 29-year-old driver’s best in 235 career starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and in 446 starts across all three NASCAR national circuits, touching off a celebration for the Carl Long-led bunch, which also collected another top-10 finish with JJ Yeley placing ninth in the MBM No. 66 entry.
“It’s a high. It’s a high, for sure,” Hill said. “Yeah, these guys … there’s high-fives all around. It’s just really thrilling for us.”
Hill competes full-time in the Camping World Truck Series, driving for his own family-owned team. Friday marked just his sixth Xfinity start of the year, and all have come in Long’s cars.
Friday’s go spiraled into late-race chaos and a triple-overtime finish, and Hill lined up third behind Clements and Austin Hill (no relation) on the front row for the final green flag. When Austin Hill ran low on fuel, Timmy Hill scooted clear, but it took him nearly half a lap to regain his momentum.
Hill nearly followed AJ Allmendinger to the front as the white flag flew, but he opted to offer drafting help to Clements as he filed in behind the No. 51. When the caution flag flew for Riley Herbst’s spin, Hill was scored just ahead of points leader Allmendinger when the running order was frozen the final time.
“This is like a bittersweet moment for a team like us because it’s great to finish second,” said No. 13 crew chief Jason Houghtaling after soaking in the post-race festivities. “You want to win but second is totally amazing for a team like us. So we’re going to be satisfied tonight, we’re gonna go home and we’re going to enjoy the moment.”
As much as Hill & Co. savored their own banner night, the group was elated for Clements. Hill greeted the winner in Victory Lane with a hug and an emphatic, “How ’bout that?!” and drew parallels between Clements’ tight-knit team and his own.
“Yeah, it’s really cool to see Jeremy win. He’s a nice guy. You know, what you see on television, it’s how he really is,” Hill said. “He’s an excellent guy, he’s a great friend of mine — really happy to see him win this race. As a family-owned team, I can relate because being our own Truck Series team is so tough at this level. So to do what those guys do, it’s really impressive and really special for them.”
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 27, 2022) — T. Taylor Warren, whose famous photograph of the 1959 Daytona 500 finish helped determine the winner of the race, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. He is the first photojournalist to win the prestigious award named after Ken Squier and Barney Hall, the first two recipients.
Warren began photographing race cars at the Milwaukee Fairgrounds in 1948 and was hired by Bill France Sr. to photograph the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1952. He went on to become the track photographer at Daytona International Speedway, where he worked every Daytona 500 until his death in 2008.
“While T. Taylor Warren was best known for his photo of the 1959 Daytona 500 finish, his photographs brought NASCAR to our fans for nearly six decades,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France. “Through his work for NASCAR, race tracks and countless motorsports outlets, his images were often the only way for fans to see the action from the race track. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to NASCAR photography, no one was more prolific than T. Taylor.”
RacingOne
In addition to his work for NASCAR and tracks, Warren shot photos for several racing magazines, most notably Southern MotoRacing
Warren has been honored with several prestigious awards. In 2006, he became the first photographer to win the International Motorsports Hall of Fame’s Henry T. McLemore Award for achievement in journalism. He posthumously won the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers Award in 2008 for outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing. He was also inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame in January of 2009.
Warren will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Jan. 20, 2023 and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets to the Induction Weekend events are available at NASCARHall.com.
The other seven nominees for the award were:
Russ Catlin, one of the best-known early racing writers and historians; editor of Speed Age Magazine
George Cunningham, long-time beat writer for The Charlotte Observer, Atlanta Constitution and NASCAR Scene; is the namesake for the annual NMPA award for Excellence in Writing
Shav Glick, covered motorsports for the Los Angeles Times for 37 years bringing NASCAR coverage to the West Coast
Mike Harris, spent 30 years as the lead motorsports writer for the Associated Press
Bob Montgomery, co-founder and announcer for the Universal Racing Network
Bob Moore, spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer including stints with the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Charlotte Observer
Deb Williams, the first woman to receive the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence.
See where your favorite driver will pit for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, NBC Sports App, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
