Posted on August 30, 2022 by Press Release

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — The stakes are high. The drama will be higher.

One final night of racing remains in South Boston Speedway’s 2022 points season. Twin races are on the schedule. A three-way battle looms for the South Boston Speedway NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division championship between Layne Riggs, Peyton Sellers and Jacob Borst. A tight battle for the NASCAR national championship between Riggs and Sellers that grew closer this past weekend adds to the pressure.

Saturday night, Sept. 3, will be one of the most impactful nights of the season as South Boston Speedway hosts the Halifax County Farm Bureau Championship Night event.

WATCH: South Boston championship night live on FloRacing

Riggs, of Bahama, North Carolina, is the current South Boston Speedway and NASCAR national points leader. Sellers, a Danville, Virginia resident, is the defending South Boston Speedway and NASCAR national champion. He trails Riggs by 20 points in the track point standings entering the twin 65-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division races that will headline the seven-race Halifax County Farm Bureau Championship Night event.

Borst, of Elon, North Carolina, last season’s South Boston Speedway points runner-up, sits in third place in the track point standings, two points behind Sellers and 22 points behind Riggs.

In the NASCAR national points chase, Riggs’ lead over Sellers had shrunk to 16 points entering last weekend’s action. That margin is likely to drop into single digits, as Sellers won the twin races at Dominion Raceway last weekend while Riggs had finishes of eighth and second.

While there is a true sense of urgency among Riggs, Sellers and Borst, none are admitting they are facing a lot of pressure heading into the twin 65-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car races Saturday night at South Boston Speedway.

Riggs says he does not pay attention to points.

“That’s something as a driver I don’t pay attention to,” he remarked. “I just pay attention to my car, my strategy and keeping my focus and my head about me. We’re going to keep doing what we’ve always been doing. I’m keeping my head down, being smart behind the wheel, and just trying to chip away and get a win everywhere we go.”

Sellers, who has six career South Boston Speedway NASCAR track championships under his belt, says the path to a record-tying seventh career South Boston Speedway title is a tough one, and he is not going to change his approach for the Sept. 3 twinbill.

“We can’t change what we’re doing,” Sellers pointed out. “We’re just going to try to win races, try to get our car the best we can, and the pieces will have to fall in place. He (Riggs) will have to have bad luck.”

Borst said he is going to give it his best shot in Saturday night’s twinbill. While he can possibly win the championship, he may have a better shot at second place in points, the spot where he finished last season.

“I’d love to win the championship, but Layne has a pretty good lead, and it’s going to be very hard to catch up to him,” Borst noted. “We’re going to go out there and try to do our best. If luck plays into our favor great, if it doesn’t, it’s just a part of racing. We’re going to go out there like nobody has any points and try to get the wins. We’ll take it like we do every weekend and just worry about ourselves and run our race.”

A seven-race card will fill the Sept. 3 Halifax County Farm Bureau Championship Night event. In addition to the twin 65-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division races, there will be twin 30-lap races for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division, a 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division and a 20-lap race for the Mills Family Practice Champ Karts.

Track championships will be riding on the outcome of the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division twinbill as well as on the outcome of the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division races.

Kyle Barnes of Draper, Virginia holds a 30-point lead over Jason Myers of Hurt, Virginia in the chase for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division title, with Myers still having a shot at the title with the division’s twin races.

Four drivers are in the hunt for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division title. Scott Phillips of Halifax, Virginia holds an eight-point lead over Johnny Layne of Halifax, Virginia entering the race. Jimmy Wade of Halifax, Virginia, who is having the best season of his career in the division, is only 23 points out of the lead, and B.J. Reaves of South Boston, Virginia is only 26 points out of the top spot.

In the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division, Jason DeCarlo of Chase City, Virginia holds a seven-point lead over former division champion Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia. Dillon Davis of Nathalie, Virginia, the winner on August 20, is in third place, just 13 points out of the lead.

The Sept. 3 Halifax County Farm Bureau Championship Night race-day schedule has practice starting at 3:30 p.m ET. Grandstand gates will open at 5:30 p.m. ET, qualifying begins at 6 p.m. ET, and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m. ET.

Advance adult general admission tickets are priced at $10 each and may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website through Friday night, Sept. 2. Advance tickets may also be purchased by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

Tickets at the gate on race night will be $15 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $10 each at the gate on race night.

Fans and competitors can find the latest updates and news on the speedway’s website, southbostonspeedway.com, and through the track’s social media channels. Information may also be obtained by phoning the speedway at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Adam Fenwick

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season is nearing its crescendo as the series prepares for the 13th of 16 events this Saturday night at New York’s Oswego Speedway.

Jon McKennedy enters the event, the 15th in Tour history at the popular New York speedway, with a narrow, three-point edge on Ron Silk in the battle for the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.

The Tour’s return to Oswego could be good news for Silk, as he is the defending race winner at the 0.675-mile oval. He dominated at Oswego last season, winning the pole and leading 111 laps en route to his most recent Tour victory.

Silk is one of 10 drivers to earn Tour victories at Oswego dating back to 1988, when Brian Ross won the first two Tour events in track history. Other victors at Oswego include Justin Bonsignore, Matt Hirschman, Ryan Preece, Doug Coby, Tony Hirschman, Mike Stefanik, George Kent Jr. and Mike McLaughlin.

Below is everything you need to know about Saturday’s Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150 at Oswego Speedway.

Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150 at Oswego Speedway

What to watch for:

Silk has been among the most consistent competitors all season with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. His 6.8 average finish is equal to that of his championship rival McKennedy. The only difference between the two is McKennedy has a victory, which came at Claremont Motorsports Park.

Silk is hopes a return to Oswego will be a good omen since he is the defending race winner. A victory would be a vital piece of the puzzle as he looks to claim his second Tour championship.

There will be plenty of competitors looking to deny Silk and McKennedy in Saturday’s event. In addition to Silk, there are three other previous Oswego winners entered in the Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150. They include the Tour’s most recent winner, Coby, who triumphed at Oswego when the Tour returned to the track in 2016 after a 17-year absence.

Bonsignore, a two-time Tour winner this year who is still trying to get back in the championship hunt, triumphed at Oswego during the 2019 season. Part-time competitor Matt Hirschman, a winner already this year with the Tour at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, is back as he searches for his second Oswego triumph with the Tour.

Bobby Santos III, who was forced to miss the race at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park due to a scheduling conflict, will look to get back on track at Oswego. He’ll once again pilot the No. 44 fielded by the Tinio family. Patrick Emerling also returns to Tour competition in his own No. 07.

The field prior to the Steel Palace 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Oswego Speedway on June 12, 2021. (Photo: Bryan Bennett/ARCA Racing)

Donny Lia continues his comeback season with Boehler Racing Enterprises with a visit to Oswego this weekend. His only previous Oswego start came in 2016 and resulted in a 15th-place finish.

Eric Goodale, currently third in the Tour standings, continues his quest for his first victory of the year in the No. 58 Modified. Austin Beers, fresh off a career-best third-place run at Langley Speedway, will also look to be a contender Saturday evening.

Additional entrants for Saturday’s race include New York’s own Tommy Catalano, Craig Lutz, Tyler Rypkema, Kyle Bonsignore, Kyle Ebersole, Brian Robie and Mike Leaty, among others.

The complete entry list for the Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150 is available here.

RACE FACTS

Race	Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150
Date	Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022
Track	Oswego Speedway
Layout	0.675-mile paved oval
Location	Oswego, New York
Start time	7:30 p.m. ET
Laps	150
Posted awards	$92,763
TV channel	USA (Delayed: Friday, Sept. 16, 12 p.m. ET)
Live stream	FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Saturday, Sept. 3: Garage opens at 11:30 a.m. … Final practice from 2-3 p.m. ET … Single-car qualifying (two laps) at 4:30 p.m. ET … Race at 7:30 p.m. ET

Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150 is limited to 28 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eleven (11) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is four (4) tires, any position. To utilize the fourth (4th) change tire, the team will have to take a practice tire purchased at Oswego Speedway and turn in by the conclusion of practice.

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Staff Report

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale had everything to do with momentum, from the wild in-race swings on the postseason standings picture to the moves made in the draft at Daytona International Speedway. The deciding shift stemmed from the late-race momentum generated by Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet in a fateful bump of Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford.

That changing of the guard for the lead in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 made the difference in the battle for the final berths in the Cup Series Playoffs grid, and Dillon’s first victory of the season cleared his way into the championship-eligible grid. Cindric’s defeat narrowed the playoff gap, leaving room for only one remaining qualifier – a spot that Ryan Blaney grabbed late, edging out Martin Truex Jr.

The implications from that final nudge with three laps remaining were wide-ranging. Here’s what the principals involved had to say about the pivotal moment:

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driver: “Laps are clicking down, and I knew I could get to the 2’s back bumper pretty good. The 62 (Noah Gragson) and the 8 (teammate Tyler Reddick) did a good job of getting up through there, so I felt like three Chevys in a row was an advantage. In the back of my mind, I knew that the 12 car (Ryan Blaney) was still out there, and before I didn’t know where he was points-wise. If I waited until the white flag to make the move, possibly if he wrecks or someone wrecks back there, it could take our shot away.

“I wanted to make it before the white (flag). Truthfully, that was — it just kind of happened. I was kind of planning on getting a bigger run than that before and pulling out to the right. And I figured that the 2 was going to be a sitting duck because they were going to go with me, the Chevys would, and then we would race it out from there.

“He kind of got loose as I got to his back bumper into one, and I kind of have been giving him that same shove. I don’t know if I just caught more momentum that lap than the others, but when he got free, I just kind of moved up the track. Then I got way out front. It’s very hard to tell yourself to hit the brake pedal when you are driving away from the guys that are behind you to not give up that huge gap.

“When I saw Tyler got there and they were all splitting up, I was, like, ‘Man, I can’t let them go too big of a run.’ I knew Tyler would have my back. He has been a good teammate to me, and I enjoyed working with him. Hit the brake pedal. He got on my back bumper and from then on it was managing the gap to him in my mirror. We were able to bring it home.”

Austin Cindric, Team Penske No. 2 Ford driver: “I think it’s fair game any race of the season, but obviously that meant a lot for him to win that race. He had three cars that were certainly going to be able to work with him, and I was lifting way before the flagstand, trying not to get that gap. I kept trying to get the runs, trying to get the runs, and I feel like they got the run too late and then he hit me straight on the entry to the corner. Just glad I saved it, glad I had a shot to come back up through the field but yeah, I hate losing.”

Richard Childress, team owner of Richard Childress Racing: “He kept running up behind him. I think he was trying to get him loose. I didn’t see that move. I don’t know if he got so close, he got him loose, or if he bumped him a little to push him and got him sideways. When you are racing for the win, that’s what all of them is going to be doing.”

Travis Geisler, Team Penske’s NASCAR Competition Director: “Those guys pretty much knew where things were. I mean, it was pretty obvious what the situation was. He was in such a tough spot. I mean, he was a sitting duck with the whole RCR chain behind them. It was like, ‘Man, I hope we just don’t end up wrecked right here,’ which, fortunately, we just got moved and he was able to kind of come back and get a pretty good finish out of it.”

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The notion of any friction between Richard Childress Racing teammates should be thrown right out.

Tyler Reddick’s pending move to 23XI Racing in 2024 created no such disharmony in the Daytona draft when it came time for him to do what was best for his current home team. His dutiful driving provided a buffer, pushing the No. 3 RCR Chevrolet of Austin Dillon – a teammate and a friend — to a playoff-clinching win in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Reddick’s looming departure from Richard Childress’ group was the kind of seismic move that’s had lingering effects, given the team’s blunt reaction when it was announced last month. In Sunday’s regular-season finale, Reddick’s focus was less on the future decoupling than it was the current union, helping his teammate join him in the 16-driver postseason field. Mitigating any hurt feelings wasn’t even a consideration.

“It’s not why I did it. I did it for Austin. I mean, I didn’t really do it for … it didn’t even, it wasn’t even on my mind, honestly,” Reddick said on pit road post-race, still smiling widely from his runner-up role in the RCR 1-2 finish. “Just trying to get my friend, my teammate, a fellow driver at RCR in the playoffs because it’s not just my group of guys that deserve it. It’s everybody at RCR that works really hard on these cars, and now both of our cars are in the playoffs.”

When Austin Dillon made his winning bump-and-run move on Austin Cindric on the 158th of 160 laps, Reddick squeaked by the squirrely No. 2 Team Penske Ford with a low-side dive to pick up two spots. He caught up to Dillon’s back bumper and his scraped and scarred No. 8 Chevy stayed there the rest of the race, keeping a resurgent Cindric plus eager underdogs Cody Ware and Landon Cassill at bay.

Any moves that served his own self-interests over the team never materialized.

“Yeah, I know that may be hard to believe, but certainly I had no interest and I think he knew that I wasn’t gonna pass him,” Reddick said. “I was going to be playing blocker for the rest of the deal.”

Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

“He did a really good job, and he did the right thing there,” said No. 8 crew chief Randall Burnett. “The biggest thing was, our goal at the beginning of the year is to get both cars in (the playoffs) whether it’s through winning or points or whatever. Obviously we want to win races. So for him to push the 3 and be a good teammate, everybody being a good teammate, I’m really happy for those guys. Those guys did a great job. They worked really hard week in and week out so, well-deserved on their part to get a win and it’s nice to be able to help push ’em to it.”

The two drivers embraced in Victory Lane, soaking in the champagne instead of the rain after a weather-slogged weekend at Daytona International Speedway. But the shared moment meant more than just a mutual show of respect among teammates.

Dillon revealed in his post-race interviews that when Reddick had made his decision to join 23XI that he called him to offer congratulations, but also to make a quick gut-check.

“For me being an owner’s son sometimes comes with caveats, and I wanted to make sure that I had nothing to do with the reasons that he was leaving,” Dillon said. “When I called him, I was, like, ‘Hey, man, I just want to make sure I’ve been a good teammate to you.’ He said, ‘No, you have been an amazing teammate. Me and Alexa (De Leon, Reddick’s girlfriend) really enjoyed being around you guys.’ I said, ‘Look, man, congratulations on your deal. Let’s go try and win some races for RCR over the next year and a half.’ ”

“For me, I was in none of his negotiations, talks, or anything. So it was more like he has been in a way inspirational to me to pick up my game because he has so much speed, and he shows it constantly. Tyler has been good for me. Then I think I’ve been good for him in some consistency aspects. We’ve rubbed off on each other in different ways to really help.

“When he got to my back bumper, I knew that I could trust him.”

MORE: At-track photos: Daytona

Funny enough, Dillon’s faith in his teammate was challenged earlier in the race with a bold pit-road entry, helping Reddick gain a handful of spots with a dramatic whoa-down from the superspeedway pace.

“That little fart drove around me and Stenhouse and somebody else and got himself in a good position,” Dillon said. “But I was, like, ‘Dude, where were you going?’ ”

Reddick confirmed to Dillon later that he had no jitters about making that move.

“That’s just how Tyler is,” Dillon said. “It doesn’t matter what position he puts himself in, he is confident, and that confidence shows. I’m thankful that he has been my teammate for this long, and hopefully together both of us can keep progressing our share forward, and it feels good to have us both in the Playoffs.”

It’s been a whirlwind last two months for Richard Childress Racing. Reddick’s news came in the middle of his first two Cup Series wins, and Dillon – hampered in the standings by five crash-related DNFs – salvaged his postseason fate with a clutch victory that meant more magic for the No. 3 at Daytona.

With the playoff uncertainty finally settled for both RCR mates, each driver’s quest for a first NASCAR Cup Series title begins in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) at Darlington Raceway.

Childress, the Hall of Famer team owner, vowed no team tension in chasing that trophy, either.

“I think I talked to all of those guys after his announcement, and I said we’re going to give him 100% chance to win races and 100% chance at winning the championship,” Childress said. “Now, we’ve got two in there, so we’ve got to give both of them the same advantage to try to win the championship.”

Posted on August 29, 2022August 30, 2022 by Staff Report

Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150

Oswego Speedway

Entry list

Car No.	Driver	Car owner	Crew chief	Chassis Mfg	Sponsor
01	Melissa Fifield	Kenneth Fifield	Jake Marosz	FURY Race Cars	Pine Knoll Auto Sales
2	Chuck Hossfeld	Joseph Bertuccio	Michael Bologna	Troyer	Gershow Recycling
3	Donny Lia	Jan Boehler	Greg Fournier	Boehler Racing	Propane Plus – Huntington Honda
5	Kyle Ebersole	Bob Ebersole	Bob Ebersole	FURY Race Cars	Ebersole Excavating Inc., Technique Chassis
07	Patrick Emerling	Jennifer Emerling	Jan Leaty	Troyer	Captain Pips Marina & Hideaway
7	Doug Coby	Tommy Baldwin	Tommy Baldwin	Troyer	Mayhew Tools
16	Ron Silk	Tyler Haydt	Philip Moran	FURY Race Cars	Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes
18	Ken Heagy	Robert Pollifrone	Greg Gorman	FURY Race Cars	Buoy One Seafood Market and Restaurant
19	Anthony Sesely	Tommy Wanick	Thomas Wanick	Troyer	Wanick Construction Inc.
22	Kyle Bonsignore	Kyle Bonsignore	Cam McDermott	FURY Race Cars	Chalew Performance/MTT/Munns Auto
24	Andrew Krause	Diane Krause	Robert Hyer	LFR	Supreme Mfg. Co.
26	Gary McDonald	Sean McDonald	Chad Mcdonald	Troyer	Lakeland Landscape Supply
32	Tyler Rypkema	Dean Rypkema	Zach Truesdail	FURY Race Cars	Northeast Drilling / MUSCO Lighting
34	J.B. Fortin	Nicole Fortin	Kenneth Lechner	FURY Race Cars	Red Camel Racing, Johns Fuel, John Tree Removal, Golden Jalapenos
44	Bobby Santos III	Lawney Tinio	Danny Gamache Jr	LFR	Harshaw Paving / Olivas Market
51	Justin Bonsignore	Kenneth Massa	Ryan Stone	FURY Race Cars	Phoenix Communications, Inc.
54	Tommy Catalano	David Catalano	David Catalano	Troyer	FX Caprara
58	Eric Goodale	Edgar Goodale	Jason Shepphard	FURY Race Cars	GAF Roofing
60	Matt Hirschman	Roy Hall	Anthony Hirschman III	Troyer	PeeDee Motorsports
64	Austin Beers	Mike Murphy	Ron Yuhas Jr	LFR	Dell Electric, Lumiere Electrical, Andrew James Interiors, AP Marquadt & Sons
78	Walter Sutcliffe Jr.	Steven Sutcliffe	Kevin Anderson	Troyer	Last Minute Racing
79	Jon Mckennedy	Tim Lepine	Dale Hedquist	LFR	Middlesex Interiors
82	Craig Lutz	Danny Watts, Jr.	Scott Tocci	LFR	Horton Avenue Materials
125	Brian Robie	Kayleigh Eastman	TBA	Troyer	Maurice Enterprises
214	Mike Leaty	Joe Stearns	TBA	Chevrolet	AdvantageTrucks.com LLC

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Adam Fenwick

It may not seem possible, but the fight for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship has gotten even tighter between Jon McKennedy and Ron Silk.

What started as a five-point advantage for McKennedy ahead of Silk entering Saturday’s CheckeredFlag.com 150 at Virginia’s Langley Speedway is now only three points with four races left in the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

Both drivers completed solid races Saturday night at Langley, with Silk finishing second while McKennedy came home two positions behind him in fourth. Neither driver could catch race winner Doug Coby, who dominated the race by leading every lap for team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. The victory by Coby helped Baldwin pad his lead at the top of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owner standings.

Below is a breakdown of how the top 10 drivers in the standings fared during the CheckeredFlag.com 150, along with a complete look at the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings.

Doug Coby, driver of the No. 7 John Blewett Inc. Modified, celebrates after winning the CheckeredFlag.com 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway on August 27, 2022. (Photo: Ryan M. Kelly/NASCAR)

Jon McKennedy: 454 points

Sometimes all a driver can ask for is a quiet, uneventful night. That’s exactly what McKennedy got Saturday at Langley. He qualified and finished fourth to maintain his lead at the top of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings.

Ron Silk: 451 points

Entering the CheckeredFlag.com 150 five points in arrears of McKennedy in the standings, Silk narrowed that gap to three points Saturday night. He started fifth and worked his way up to second in the late stages of the race but had nothing for eventual race winner Coby. He now sits three points behind McKennedy with four races left this year.

Eric Goodale: 430 points

Saturday was not a good night for Goodale. He was collected in an accident that also involved Melissa Fifield in Turn 2 on Lap 109 and was never able to fully recover. He finished 12th, one lap behind race winner Coby, and sits 24 points behind McKennedy in the battle for the Tour championship.

Justin Bonsignore: 428 points

The defending Tour champion continues to play catchup from early season troubles that forced him to start the season last in the Tour standings. He started second and finished fifth Saturday evening and finds himself only two points behind Goodale for third and 26 points behind McKennedy in the series standings.

Tommy Catalano: 411 points

Catalano’s best Tour season to date continued with another strong performance Saturday evening at Langley. He started ninth and advanced three positions to finish sixth, which allowed him to go from sixth to fifth in the standings.

Austin Beers: 409 points

Beers enjoyed his best race of the season Saturday at Langley. He qualified a career-best third, which he then backed up with a career-best third-place finish. It was his first top-five finish in Tour competition, and it helped him go from seventh to sixth in the standings.

Kyle Bonsignore: 405 points

A spin late in Saturday’s race derailed Bonsignore’s day. The spin, which took place on Lap 122 in Turn 4, brought out the final caution flag of the race. With little time to recover, he ultimately finished 13th after starting 11th and dropped from fifth to seventh in the Tour standings.

Craig Lutz: 388 points

Craig Lutz followed up his victory at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park earlier this month by qualifying sixth and finishing ninth Saturday evening at Langley. He remains eighth in the standings.

Doug Coby: 330 points

Nobody was in Coby’s league Saturday at Langley. He was fastest in practice, qualified on the pole and led every lap of the CheckeredFlag.com 150 to earn his third Tour victory of the season. The victory also helped Coby move into the top 10 in the standings for the first time this season.

J.B. Fortin: 317 points

After a miserable race at Thompson, J.B. Fortin was able to put together a quiet and uneventful race at Langley. He started 12th and gained one position to finish 11th.

2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings

Pos.	Driver	Races	Wins	Top fives	Top 10s	Poles	Laps	Laps led	Average start	Average finish	Points	Diff.
1	Jon McKennedy	12	1	7	10	0	1982	170	9.6	6.8	454	—
2	Ron Silk	12	0	7	10	2	1942	232	6.4	6.8	451	-3
3	Eric Goodale	12	0	3	7	0	1990	30	8.7	8.3	430	-24
4	Justin Bonsignore	12	2	5	9	3	1755	139	4.6	9.3	428	-26
5	Tommy Catalano	12	0	2	6	0	1972	75	13	10.1	411	-43
6	Austin Beers	12	0	1	5	0	1990	0	10.9	9.9	409	-45
7	Kyle Bonsignore	12	0	2	7	0	1982	6	8.5	10.3	405	-49
8	Craig Lutz	12	1	1	5	0	1899	119	10.1	12.1	388	-66
9	Doug Coby	8	3	5	8	1	1344	444	6.1	4.6	330	-124
10	J.B. Fortin	11	0	1	2	0	1476	0	14.2	15.2	317	-137
11	Dave Sapienza	11	0	0	0	0	1679	0	15	17.5	291	-163
12	Gary McDonald	11	0	0	0	0	1711	0	22.5	19.7	267	-187
13	Patrick Emerling	8	0	3	5	0	1187	0	13.6	10.8	266	-188
14	Walter Sutcliffe, Jr.	10	0	0	0	0	1424	4	23	18.3	258	-196
15	Melissa Fifield	12	0	0	0	0	822	0	23.3	23.7	244	-210
16	Ken Heagy	8	0	0	1	0	1200	0	19.1	16.9	217	-237
17	Matt Hirschman	5	1	5	5	1	881	282	4.8	2.4	216	-238
18	Tyler Rypkema	6	0	3	3	1	940	108	10.2	9.5	210	-244
19	Jake Johnson	6	0	2	4	2	873	5	11.8	12.2	193	-261
20	Timmy Solomito	5	0	1	3	1	791	131	8	11.6	165	-289
21	Andrew Krause	5	0	2	2	0	670	70	15.4	15.4	145	-309
22	Kyle Ebersole	5	0	1	2	0	622	0	16.4	15.8	141	-313
23	Jimmy Blewett	4	1	1	2	1	599	19	7	10.5	139	-315
24	James Pritchard, Jr	4	0	0	0	0	683	0	22	17.3	130	-324
25	Donny Lia	4	0	0	2	0	553	44	13.5	14.3	121	-333
26	Mike Christopher, Jr.	3	1	2	2	0	550	28	11.3	5.7	120	-334
27	Ronnie Williams	4	0	0	0	0	735	2	7.3	14.5	119	-335
28	Ryan Preece	3	0	0	3	0	450	26	8.3	7.3	111	-343
29	Matt Kimball	4	0	0	1	0	531	0	17	17.5	106	-348
30	Eddie McCarthy	4	0	0	0	0	532	0	16.5	17.8	105	-349
31	Dylan Slepian	3	0	2	2	0	610	0	13.7	10	102	-352
32	Spencer Davis	4	0	0	1	0	487	0	16.5	18.5	102	-352
33	Sam Rameau	3	0	1	1	0	475	0	7.7	12.7	94	-360
34	Anthony Nocella	3	1	1	1	0	248	4	15.3	16	88	-366
35	Kyle Soper	2	1	1	2	0	413	39	16.5	4	84	-370
36	Chris Young	3	0	0	0	0	551	0	17	18.7	76	-378
37	John Beatty, Jr.	1	0	0	1	0	200	0	11	7	73	-381
38	J.R. Bertuccio	2	0	0	0	0	215	0	10.5	18.5	72	-382
39	Max McLaughlin	2	0	0	1	0	299	10	7	9.5	70	-384
40	Jacob Perry	2	0	0	1	0	378	0	15.5	12.5	63	-391
41	Bobby Santos III	1	0	0	0	0	100	0	16	13	58	-396
42	Brian Robie	2	0	0	1	0	299	0	12	15.5	57	-397
43	Anthony Sesley	2	0	0	0	0	247	0	14.5	17.5	53	-401
44	Chris Turbush	2	0	0	0	0	268	0	17.5	19.5	49	-405
45	Matt Brode	2	0	0	0	0	322	0	10	20	48	-406
46	Tom Rogers, Jr.	1	0	0	0	0	66	0	21	25	43	-411
47	Chuck Hossfeld	1	0	1	1	0	150	5	14	3	42	-412
48	Jeremy Gerstner	2	0	0	0	0	296	0	26.5	23	42	-412
49	Roger Turbush	2	0	0	0	0	283	0	22.5	23.5	41	-413
50	Todd Patnode	2	0	0	0	0	62	0	22	24.5	39	-415
51	John Baker	1	0	0	1	0	213	0	20	6	38	-416
52	Blake Barney	1	0	0	1	0	150	0	8	9	35	-419
53	Corey LaJoie	1	0	0	1	0	100	0	8	9	35	-419
54	Joey Coulter	2	0	0	0	0	232	0	19	27	34	-420
55	Ryan Newman	1	0	0	0	0	149	2	4	13	32	-422
56	Jamie Tomaino	1	0	0	0	0	149	0	19	14	30	-424
57	John Fortin	1	0	0	0	0	211	0	11	15	29	-425
58	Gary Putnam	1	0	0	0	0	149	0	13	15	29	-425
60	Eddie Brunnhoelzl III	1	0	0	0	0	198	0	19	16	28	-426
61	Jack Ely	1	0	0	0	0	147	0	14	16	28	-426
62	Andy Seuss	1	0	0	0	0	46	0	24	22	22	-432
63	Paul Charette	1	0	0	0	0	194	0	23	23	21	-433
64	Bryan Dauzat	1	0	0	0	0	78	0	25	24	20	-434
65	Danny Bohn	1	0	0	0	0	76	0	12	24	20	-434

Posted on August 28, 2022August 29, 2022 by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ryan Blaney was ready for something cold. His need to refresh almost stemmed less from the searing late-afternoon Florida heat that replaced the clouds and rain from earlier Sunday at Daytona International Speedway than it did from reaching the dramatic end of a nerve-jangling day on the edge of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs picture.

At the end, a scant three points made the difference. Blaney drove a heavily damaged No. 12 Team Penske Ford to clinch the final postseason berth in Sunday’s rain-plagued Coke Zero Sugar 400, edging out former series champ Martin Truex Jr. for the 16th spot. Blaney soldiered on after a Stage 1 crash, sweated through a 3½-hour weather delay — when he sat on the outside of the provisional playoff grid, with the real threat of storms ending the race early — and managed to seal his playoff fate, improbably, with a 15th-place finish that came six laps down.

“I want to go home and crack open a beer and relax a little bit because that was a stressful day,” Blaney said on pit road post-race. “That’s a long weekend, honestly, of no qualifying, not getting in the car, you know, we don’t race last night, wait around today after you know you get wrecked and then you have a three-hour rain delay. Just definitely mentally drained, so, be nice to relax a little bit.”

Austin Dillon punched his playoff ticket with a rousing roll to his first victory of the year in Sunday’s regular-season finale. That clinched berth by a new winner — which was in limbo all the way to the wire — left just one spot remaining for a playoff qualifier on the basis of points between Blaney and Truex.

A pair of wild 15-point swings helped to decide it. Truex gained the upper hand early, netting 15 stage points to narrow the gap to Blaney on the bubble. Masterful teamwork from his Toyota mates — both in the aerodynamic draft and in pit-road timing — helped the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver cash in.

Blaney, meanwhile, was snared in a Lap 31 stack-up that threatened to derail his hopes. Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin knotted up the low lane, and Blaney was among those piling in. His No. 12 Mustang sustained severe right-front damage, which his Team Penske crew finessed the rest of the way to at least keep him at the required minimum pace for the 2.5-mile track. That factor kept his playoff bid intact and drew effusive praise from the 28-year-old driver at the end.

“I shook all those guys’ hands and tell them good job and way to stick with it,” Blaney said. “They did a hell of a job fixing that thing. I mean, it was destroyed. I’ll be honest with you. I mean, I got done wrecking and the wheel was 180 degrees turned around and was not driving, the right-front was stopped. They did a great job of fixing it and making it to where it was halfway decent enough to where we could keep running and make minimum speed. So that’s just, thanked all those guys for sticking with us. They were as big a part of this as I was, keeping their head in the game.”

Truex’s time to capitalize was short-lived. After Stage 2, his No. 19 crew told him that he was just 10 points back based on his stage-point earnings; running second with Blaney mired in 34th gave him a sizable cushion. A Lap 102 crash, however, called Truex’s number and left him with his own ground to gain. When storms triggered a multi-car crash and red-flagged the event, Truex had picked his way to seventh, with Blaney still scored 29th and provisionally out of the playoff hunt.

MORE: At-track photos

The interminable waiting game to see if the race would be ruled official 21 laps short of the 160-lap distance finally ended after extensive track-drying. Instead of fretting needlessly, Blaney waited out the delay on top of the No. 12 pit box, eventually heading back to his motorcoach, changing clothes and having an early dinner while watching some golf.

“Like I said, there’s just nothing you can do,” Blaney said. “I mean, there’s no … I’ve got in my head there’s no use of sitting there pulling your hair out over it. It’s not in your control. You can only just go out there and hope it gets back racing. I mean, I fully accepted the fact that it could downpour at any moment and we’d be out. You’ve just got to accept those things and know that you have no control over it. So no point in stressing yourself out over that. You just try to relax and hope for the best.”

Blaney stood to gain back some of the deficit, even as the few remaining cars sat idle on pit road through the wet weather. He was poised to make up points by passing 10 cars that were scored ahead of him but out of the race after the multi-car snarl at the front of the pack.

After dispatching those sidelined competitors, Blaney picked up two more spots — one when Jones retired the No. 43 on Lap 154, then another when Cole Custer’s No. 41 slowed with a shredded right-front tire on the next lap.

Truex’s slide accelerated Blaney’s rise. “There’s just nothing I can do,” Truex told the No. 19 team over the radio after he lost crucial positions, falling from fifth to ninth as a pack led by David Ragan scooted by.

WATCH: Truex post-race: ‘It’s a shame’

Up front, Dillon ensured that the playoff grid wouldn’t have room for both Blaney and Truex. Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric gamely fought hard to give his Penske teammate insurance and make it a season sweep at the World Center of Racing, but a bump from Dillon’s No. 3 Chevy on Lap 158 moved the rookie aside and narrowed the playoff needle.

Dillon chugged to the finish with teammate Tyler Reddick pushing him home. Eighth for Truex was not enough, and he missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

“I mean, I knew where I had to finish if a new winner was gonna win,” said Truex, who noted the No. 19’s missing right-front fender and a left-rear body panel that produced a parachute effect. “And I just didn’t have enough speed to stay in that position. It was as simple as that.”

Instead, Blaney made his way into the postseason field for the sixth consecutive year as the only non-winner this season, surviving all the chaos and all those waits to earn that decompression time with a celebratory swig.

“We’ve had a good year — a really good year, just the wins haven’t come. That’s what hasn’t made it a great year,” Blaney said. “So that would have definitely stunk, but you know, you understand the playoff format, you understand you need to win races, and we just haven’t been able to accomplish that. So it definitely would have been a bummer, but fortunately it worked out for us and we were able to make it happen.”

Posted on August 28, 2022August 28, 2022 by Reid Spencer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With a huge assist from Richard Childress Racing teammate Tyler Reddick after a rain delay of more than three hours, Austin Dillon forced his way into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and broke Martin Truex Jr.’s heart.

Dillon’s victory in Sunday’s rain-delayed Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway — his first of the season and his second at the track — needed the convergence of several different circumstances to fall into place.

MORE: Race results | Points standings

After avoiding serious damage in a wreck off Turn 4 on Lap 125, Dillon survived a subsequent 13-car melee in Turn 1 and took the lead before rain halted the race. After a red-flag period of 3 hours, 19 minutes, 57 seconds, Dillon fell behind 2022 Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric and trailed him from the restart on Lap 145 of 160 until he made the race-winning move on Lap 158.

As the cars reached Turn 1, Dillon tapped Cindric’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford, and the Chevrolets of Dillon, Reddick and Landon Cassill moved past as Cindric made a magnificent save on the apron. Reddick, the race runner-up, closed up to the bumper of Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet and drafted with his teammate to the finish line, holding off a last-ditch run from Cindric, who finished third, just 0.140 seconds behind the winner.

“There was a lot going on there,” Dillon said. “I knew that if we got to the white (final lap), I was afraid somebody would — if I waited too long, I was afraid somebody would wreck behind us, so I wanted to go ahead and get the lead. We were able to get it.

“I had a big run to him, and then I had my teammate, the 8 (Reddick), back there. I knew we were in good shape there to the end. He did a good job checking up any kind of run. Just a little too much push there and got him (Cindric) loose.”

Cindric said the bump was fair game, given what was on the line for Dillon.

“I think that’s fair game any race of the season, but that meant a lot for him to win that race,” Cindric told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass on pit road. “He had three cars that were certainly going to be able to work with him…

“I feel like he got the run too late, and then he hit me straight on the entry to the corner. Just glad I saved it, glad I got a shot to still come back up through the field — but I hate losing.”

Dillon’s victory knocked Truex out of the playoffs and handed the final berth to Ryan Blaney, who finished three points ahead of Truex in the final regular-season standings.

When heavy rain stopped the action 21 laps from the finish, it looked as if Dillon might be awarded the victory.

As the cars sped toward Turn 1 on Lap 138, a sudden rain began to fall. The cars of Justin Haley, Daniel Hemric and Denny Hamlin broke loose at the front of the field, and the cars behind them were unable to stop on the slick asphalt and plowed into the wreck.

Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet, which was damaged in the Lap 125 wreck — when it ended its slide facing backward on pit road — was the first to emerge from the Lap 138 chaos at cautious pace and shortly thereafter was confirmed as the race leader by NASCAR.

“We ran into rain in the middle of Turn 1 and just lost it,” Hamlin said of the 13-car pileup. “We had rain down the front. So about 10 seconds before we got into Turn 1, it was raining. I’m sure the fans felt it, and then they watched us all pile in there.”

NASCAR opted to wait out the rain, dried the track and lifted the red flag at 3:54 p.m. The resumption didn’t change the winner, but it enabled Blaney to move up the leaderboard past wrecked cars to a 15th-place finish, enough to eliminate eighth-place finisher Truex from the playoffs.

Cassill came home fourth, followed by Noah Gragson, as only 10 drivers finished on the lead lap, and only 17 were running at the end.

Early in the race, Blaney got a serious scare as far as his playoff hopes were concerned. On Lap 31, Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford was third in line in the bottom lane behind Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin when Jones’ No. 43 Petty GMS Chevrolet got loose and lost momentum off Turn 2.

Blaney slammed into the back of Hamlin’s Toyota, turning the No. 11 Camry toward the infield. As the bottom lane compressed, Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Toyota spun behind Blaney, shot across the track and knocked Blaney’s Mustang into the outside wall, severely damaging the right-front quarter of Blaney’s car.

The eight-car accident knocked Bell and Brad Keselowski out of the race, denying Keselowski a playoff spot for the first time since 2013.

“Somebody wrecked in front of me,” Keselowski said. “I’m not really sure exactly what happened, but there were just a bunch of cars wrecking in front of me. I didn’t have anywhere to go and couldn’t slow down in time, so I hate it for our team.”

“We had a really fast race car. We were working our way to the front.”

Truex earned six points with a fifth-place finish in Stage 1 and raced to a runner-up result in Stage 2, good for nine points, as Blaney continued to lose laps to the lead pack. The first two stages reduced Blaney’s lead over Truex in the standings to 10 points, but a wreck on the backstretch early in the final stage halted Truex’s charge.

On Lap 102, Michael McDowell, running second, pulled out of line with a run on leader Joey Logano, but Reddick’s off-center hit to McDowell’s back bumper sent the No. 34 Ford rocketing into the outside wall. The contact ignited an eight-car melee that eliminated the machines of McDowell, Ross Chastain and William Byron.

The wreck ended the playoff hopes for McDowell, who had restarted in the lead on Lap 101. Truex’s car was damaged, too, but not terminally. Ultimately, though, it was the damage in that wreck that kept the 2017 series champion from maintaining a gap over Blaney sufficient to earn the final playoff spot.

“That’s definitely a lot more stressful than I wanted coming into here, but I just got to give a lot of props to the 12 group, you know, for fixing it and sticking with it all day,” Blaney said. “That’s why you do it.

“Your day can start off like that, and you just stay with it and stay in the game. And it was definitely beneficial for us.”

NOTE: Inspection in the Cup Series garage was completed with no issues, confirming Austin Dillon as the winner.

Posted on August 28, 2022August 28, 2022 by Staff Report

Editor’s note: This year’s playoff field will be spotlighted in USA Network’s new unscripted series “Race for the Championship” airing this fall. The first episode is Thursday, Sept. 1, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Watch the trailer here.

The 16-driver field for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set after Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

MORE: Race results | Best Daytona photos

Fourteen drivers had clinched postseason berths heading into Daytona by virtue of wins, leaving two spots up for grabs.

The below drivers will compete for the NASCAR Cup Series championship over the 10-race playoffs:

Note: The below is the unofficial seeding. This will be updated with the new points standings later tonight.

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

___

• All postseason drivers will see their point totals reset to 2,000, with their playoff point totals then added in ahead of the three-race Round of 16 that includes Darlington Raceway, Kansas Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Any playoff-eligible driver who wins a Round of 16 race is automatically locked into the next round. Following the Bristol race, the drivers with the four lowest point totals (who haven’t won in that round) will be eliminated.

• To start the Round of 12, all postseason drivers will see their point totals reset to 3,000, with their playoff point totals then added in ahead of the three-race round that includes Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Any playoff-eligible driver who wins a Round of 12 race is automatically locked into the next round. Following the Charlotte race, the drivers with the four lowest point totals (who haven’t won in that round) will be eliminated.

• To start the Round of 8, all postseason drivers will see their point totals reset to 4,000, with their playoff point totals then added in ahead of the three-race round that includes Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. Any playoff-eligible driver that wins a Round of 8 race is automatically locked into the Championship 4. Following the Martinsville race, the drivers with the four lowest point totals (who haven’t won in that round) will be eliminated.

• The Championship 4 will see their point totals reset to 5,000, only playoff points will not be added in and these drivers will not be awarded stage points in the final race on Nov. 6 at Phoenix. The title winner will be the highest finishing driver among the four Championship-eligible drivers. Since this format was adopted in 2014, the championship winner has also won the final race.

Posted on August 28, 2022August 28, 2022 by Staff Report

Martin Truex Jr. was among the multiple cars involved in a Lap 102 crash at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday morning.

MORE: Race results | At-track photos

Truex, who entered the Coke Zero Sugar 400 as the final car in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff grid, was sent spinning in a six-car melee midway down the backstretch. The No. 19 Toyota was contacted on the left side by Ross Chastain, who nudged Truex as the 2017 Cup champion checked up to avoid the mess ahead of him. The incident started when second-place-runner Michael McDowell made a late block on Tyler Reddick, sending the No. 34 Ford into the outside wall.

Truex collected a total of 15 stage points Sunday with finishes of fifth in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2, making headway on Ryan Blaney for the advantage in the points standings. Blaney entered the event with a 25-point lead over Truex.

Ultimately, Truex’s stage points were not enough to propel him back to the postseason. Austin Dillon’s victory meant just one playoff position remained based on points. While Blaney was involved in a Lap 31 crash and returned to the track multiple laps down, the No. 12 team vaulted up the running order as others fell out of the event.

Blaney ended the day in 15th, six laps down, with three more points than Truex, who finished eighth despite his damage.

RELATED: Cup Series Playoffs 101

The end result leaves Truex out of the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Truex, the 2017 Cup champion, finished runner-up in the championship hunt in three of the last four seasons.

Also collected in the Lap 102 pile-up were Corey LaJoie, William Byron and Chris Buescher.