Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

Daytona Beach, FL — NASCAR and Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK), the world’s largest tool company and a leader in outdoor equipment, today announced American tool icon CRAFTSMAN® will return as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Truck Series beginning in 2023. After serving as the series’ title sponsor from its inception in 1995 to 2008, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will make its homecoming at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2023.

Stanley Black & Decker will further expand its presence in the sport, entering into a multi-year partnership designating the company and its iconic brands as the “Official Tools Partner of NASCAR” and “Official Tools” of all NASCAR-owned and operated tracks.

“We celebrate the return of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series,” said Doug Redpath, President of Hand Tools and Storage for Stanley Black & Decker. “From proud homeowners and homebuilders to auto enthusiasts and master mechanics, CRAFTSMAN has been the brand generations have trusted to get the job done. The Truck Series represents authentic, bold and proud drivers and fans, which embody the same characteristics of our CRAFTSMAN brand. We look forward to our return in Daytona in 2023 to reunite with our loyal fans as we begin this new chapter in NASCAR history.”

A Craftsman Truck Series logo and paint scheme
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series title sponsorship includes exclusive brand integrations on vehicles, crew uniforms, tracks and more in addition to the branding of the Triple Truck Challenge and Championship Race entitlement. It will also serve as a platform to support the launch of new products, amplify seasonal promotions, and highlight the many ways CRAFTSMAN is building pride.

As part of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Title Sponsor announcement, representatives from NASCAR and Stanley Black & Decker revealed a CRAFTSMAN Toyota Tundra truck at Daytona International Speedway alongside current Truck Series driver Zane Smith and inaugural Truck Series champion Mike Skinner.

Stanley Black & Decker Named the Official Tools Partner of NASCAR

With a mission to celebrate those who make the world, paired with an enduring partnership history with NASCAR, Stanley Black & Decker and its brands such as CRAFTSMAN, DEWALT and MAC TOOLS will be put to work across all NASCAR locations. The company’s tools will be highly utilized from the pit crews during the big race, to the teams responsible for constructing new racing facilities across the country, generating unrivaled enthusiasm on and off the track.

“Stanley Black & Decker is an innovative company that has a rich history in our sport and these new agreements connect our brands in an authentic and meaningful way,” said Daryl Wolfe, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at NASCAR. “We know NASCAR fans are brand loyal and recognize how important tool performance is in racing. We are excited to see how this official partnership deepens the connection with our racing community while also bringing back CRAFTSMAN, the brand that started it all in the Truck Series.”

As an Official Partner, Stanley Black & Decker has exclusive NASCAR Marketing and Promotional rights and becomes a member of the NASCAR Fuel For Business Council.

Craftsman Truck Series Trophy
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios
Posted on by Zack Albert

Editor’s note: Daniel Suárez 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.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Trackhouse Racing announced Friday that Daniel Suárez will return to the No. 99 Chevrolet for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Suárez is in his sixth season at the Cup Series level, and has spent the last two years with the No. 99 Trackhouse team, which is co-owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull. The 30-year-old Mexico native scored his first Cup Series win in June, driving to a dominant victory at Sonoma Raceway.

Suárez had indicated in recent weeks that the deal was imminent, saying that he was in the final stages of reaching a contract extension. Hours after Friday’s announcement was revealed through Trackhouse’s social media channels, Suárez said that his sole focus was on re-signing.

“This the first year in my Cup Series career that I didn’t talk to anyone else,” Suárez said, adding that the extension was for one year. “That’s how confident I was about this. I mean, when they reached out to me to start having a conversation with a contract, I told then I didn’t want to hear about it yet, because that was already before Sonoma and I was so focused on winning races. I knew it was close. I didn’t want distractions.

“So you know, Trackhouse has been amazing to me. We have worked together extremely well. I’ve been with Trackhouse since it was on paper. So it’s been a lot of fun, and I think we’re gonna continue together for a while.”

Trackhouse entered Cup Series competition in 2021 with Suárez as its sole driver. The organization expanded this year after the purchase of Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR assets. As a two-car operation at the dawn of the Next Gen era, Trackhouse has flourished with three wins this season – two for teammate Ross Chastain, added to Suárez’s Sonoma tally.

Both have clinched berths in the 16-driver field for the Cup Series Playoffs, and Chastain said he was eager to make the most of the continuity for Trackhouse’s driver roster.

“Yeah, I mean, he got a head-start on me at Trackhouse. He was the guy that bought in first, right? And so now it lines up with, I’ve got my contract that goes through next year. So we’re lined up on that and yeah, it’s great. It’s just, we’ve got a good thing. We don’t want the water to shake too much and too many waves, so it’s only going to help me, selfishly, and the end of the day, that’s got my best interest in mind.”

Posted on by Cara Cooper

After finishing second in his race division in 2018 and third in 2019, Alex Brock looked well on his way to a championship at Dominion Raceway.

But the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the 24-year-old’s race career. His family owns a restaurant in Virginia, not far from Woodford, where his home track of Dominion is located. Brock was forced to take two seasons off to help his family through the pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, he raced a total of four times.

“That was kind of a heart break for me,” Brock said.

This year, Brock teamed up with Virginia’s Sellers Racing, owned by defending NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I national champion Peyton Sellers. Not only is Brock back at the track full-time, he’s showing no signs of rust after taking time off.

RELATED: Dominion Raceway’s track schedule

Brock is now racing in Dominion’s Virginia Racer Late Model class, because he said “It’s a lot more affordable, we’re able to run more races, and we’re not having to purchase more tires every week.”

He won the first race of the season, and three of the last four for five total victories this season. He currently leads the points in his division at Dominion by more than 40, and he’s also currently tops in the Virginia state championship points, and second in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division III Southeast Regional points.

“It’s incredible,” Brock said of his season. “Our team, we’ve hunkered down, we found out what the car needs, and we’ve been able to go out there every race being consistent and taking them one at a time to get these races won. It’s incredible.”

Alex Brock
Eric Winslow, left, and Alex Brock, right (Photo: KMF Photography/Courtesy Alex Brock Facebook)

Fans and officials at Dominion have given Brock the nickname “The Brocketship” for the speed he’s shown this season.

A lot of people have asked Brock if it was difficult physically to get back in the car after two years – not just for one race but having the endurance to make it through an entire season.

Thankfully, he said, for him, getting back into racing felt like nothing.

“I got right back into the car,” he said. “My first test session we were right there running pole times and everything. We were right there, right out the get-go. Nothing had changed for me.”

Even though he wasn’t racing himself, Brock was still at the track every week for the last two years working with the late model team of Sellers. He learned a lot from working with the national champions, and, most importantly, was able to gain their trust to bring him in as part of the team.

The biggest thing Brock has learned from his time working with Sellers is car control and management, and making the right changes on the car to be there at the end of the race.

Every week, HC Sellers or Brock’s crew chief, Eric Winslow, will call the Brocks and tell them what changes they think need to be made ahead of that weekend’s race. The Brocks will then make the adjustments at home.

“It’s one whole package that we come to the race track every week and we have a chance to win,” Brock said.

Brock and his dad Jimmy, who has been by his side for Brock’s entire 10-year race career, work on the car just about every night at their home with Brock’s best friend, Shannon Marano.

“We’re a father-son race team,” he said. “Me and my dad have been doing it since Day 1, and I want to make him proud this year.”

When Brock won on opening night this season, not only was it his first points win of his career, it was also the first win as a crew chief for Winslow, who has won many times as a limited late model driver, but never in the pits.

“For him to be a crew chief that has won races now is just something even bigger for all of us,” Brock said.

Brock wanted to thank his sponsors and partners for their help this season.

“It’s a huge blessing beyond measure,” he said. “All of my sponsors, my partners, everybody that works together with me to make this happen. I couldn’t do this without my team. A lot drivers take it for granted, but all the hard work happens in the shop.”

Brock’s goal coming into the season was to fight for his first championship. After finishing no worse than seventh in 11 races this year, that championship could turn into three. He called it the “Triple Crown of the Coast.”

“We have had our uphill struggles,” Brock said. “We went on a drought for about two months this year, but we finally reeled back in what we needed and we’ve just been picking them off one at a time.

“For me, as a driver being in racing for 10 years, I went from racing UCARs to this. It just shows that no matter how long it takes, it can happen. Never let your dreams get taken aside because one day it’ll all click and the stars will align.”

Racing will return to Dominion this Saturday with twin late model races, twin Dominion Stocks, Twin UCARs, Virginia Racer Late Models, Twin Mini Cups, Legends and Bandoleros, all beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Posted on by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As a part-time racer in the NASCAR Cup Series, Noah Gragson won’t figure into the playoff equation when the green flag flies on the regular-season finale Sunday morning at Daytona International Speedway. But the 24-year-old’s outlook is still full of opportunity for the team that gave him his first shot at the big leagues.

RELATED: Daytona weekend schedule | Playoff scenarios

Gragson will make his 11th Cup Series start in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM), driving the Beard Motorsports No. 62 Chevrolet. Three of his Cup Series appearances have come with the small family-owned team, which focuses on entries in superspeedway events. His other eight Cup starts have come in a part-time role with Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevy team.

Gragson, a regular for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, says he’s aware of the stakes for multiple drivers outside of the playoff bubble as they try to make a late bid for one of the 16 Cup Series Playoff berths. But he’s also trying to make his best showing for team owner Linda Beard in one of the No. 62 team’s handful of races this season.

“I think you want to be considerate of those guys, but the most important thing for us is making it to the end of the race and then having a shot to win and really being smart,” Gragson said. “This year, trying to gain respect from the other competitors and not doing anything dumb – I think if we take that mindset, it doesn’t really change between playoff guys and non-playoff guys – it’s about getting that experience and getting that respect.”

The experience has been a boon as Gragson makes the next step in his NASCAR career. He was announced Aug. 10 as the next driver of Petty GMS Motorsports’ No. 42 Chevrolet, making the full-time jump to Cup after four full seasons in the Xfinity Series.

RELATED: Linda Beard shining as team owner

Gragson will be pulling double-duty this weekend, driving JRM’s No. 9 Chevy in Friday night’s Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). He’s currently in the thick of the Xfinity playoff hunt — fourth in points and an established three-time winner this season. His Cup Series efforts this year have been a tougher go, with five DNFs in 10 races, but Gragson says the seat time he’s had between both teams have given him a head-start on 2023.

“I think the opportunity with Beard Motorsports and Kaulig Racing have helped,” Gragson says. “I know how raw I was getting into the Cup car to start the season and how much I’ve learned since then with more experience. That’s definitely been a big help. And with these guys having a full season under their belt this year, if I were to hop in cold turkey next year, it’d definitely be a lot more challenging. But just getting the understanding of the car and how they feel and the level of competition, all of that has helped.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Greg Ives announced on Friday that he will retire from his role atop the No. 48 team pit box after the 2022 season and will take another position within the company.

Ives has been a crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports for eight full-time seasons, inheriting the position with the No. 88 team when Steve Letarte left to become an analyst for NBC Sports. Ives won three races with Dale Earnhardt Jr. his first year in 2015, and 10 total so far in his time with Hendrick.

MORE: Daytona schedule | Points standings

Ives and driver Alex Bowman are coming off a four-win campaign in 2021, the highest in a season for both driver and crew chief and their first year together in the No. 48 shop. All told, the Ives-Bowman partnership will span five full-time seasons.

“It’s been a great ride,” Ives said Friday during a media availability at Daytona International Speedway. “But ultimately, it came to the point where I’m ready to be home with my family, go-kart and softball dad, and maybe even flag football coach.”

Bowman is one of 14 drivers who has qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs ahead of Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the regular-season finale at Daytona. All seven of his Cup Series victories have come in partnership with Ives, who Bowman has nicknamed “The Riddler” for his sometimes cryptic communications over the team radio.

“I don’t know anything different than Greg,” Bowman said, noting that the search for a new crew chief is ongoing. “So just trying to think about the things that are going to benefit me the most and think about kind of the leadership that I need and what can help me has been interesting. We’ve had a lot of conversations so far, and I’m excited for Greg and the fact that he’s not really going anywhere else and he’ll be close by at Hendrick Motorsports is really good as well.”

Before his promotion to the Cup Series, Ives spent two years as a NASCAR Xfinity Series crew chief, which culminated in a championship with driver Chase Elliott for JR Motorsports in 2014. He moved to Hendrick Motorsports the following season.

Ives shed some light about the scope of his new role with the organization, which he said should work closely alongside VP of competition Chad Knaus and fellow team leadership in Jeff Gordon and Jeff Andrews.

“Chad and I work well together, and he’s gotten into a lot of different things with Jeff Andrews’ move up to help support the company,” Ives said. “And I see myself somewhere in the middleman of different projects — any project to come up, making sure that they are successful, taking direction from Chad and Jeff Gordon and Jeff Andrews and whatever else Mr. H wants. There’s wasn’t really like, ‘hey, you’re directly in charge of this or that.’ It’s more like, you’re a guy that can provide performance for us and get our company where it needs to be in other things other than just crew-chiefing one team.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

With four races remaining to set the 12-driver playoff field, the NASCAR Xfinity Series shows up at Daytona International Speedway for Friday night’s Wawa 250 powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) expecting a dramatic chapter in the 2022 championship story.

Two-time defending race winner Justin Haley will make his first Xfinity Series start of 2022 in a fourth Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. His presence as a race favorite will likely step up the intensity in a field still hotly contesting that regular season championship.

Going to Daytona, three-time race winner AJ Allmendinger carries a 61-point lead on rookie, five-race winner Ty Gibbs, who will do double duty — also driving Kurt Busch’s No. 45 Toyota in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

The duo atop the points finished runner-up (Allmendinger) and 27th (Gibbs) at Watkins Glen International last week, but neither of them has won on the 2.5-mile Daytona oval.  Allmendinger was runner-up in the last two Daytona races, finishing 0.023 seconds behind Haley in this race last year.

There are four former winners entered this weekend — Haley, JR Motorsports driver Noah Gragson (2020, spring) and the most recent winner Austin Hill, who took the trophy in the February season-opener. Joe Nemechek, who won this race in 1998 and 2002, will team with his son, John Hunter Nemechek, in a pair of Sam Hunt Racing Toyotas.

Former NASCAR Cup Series Daytona race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will compete in the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet in a weekend double.

There is no denying the intensifying competition in the series. The top six drivers in the standings are all multi-time race winners. Beyond Gibbs’ five victories, Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson all boast three wins. Josh Berry and Hill have a pair of wins, and Brandon Jones has one trophy.

Sam Mayer, Riley Herbst, 2021 Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric, Landon Cassill and Ryan Sieg are currently safely inside the playoff cutoff.

Sieg holds a 39-point advantage on Sheldon Creed for the final transfer position. Sieg has three top-five finishes at Daytona, including third-place showings in 2013 and 2016. Creed, the 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, finished sixth in February in only his second NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the track.

The Xfinity Series qualifying at Daytona is set for 3:05 p.m. ET on Friday and will be televised on USA Network. There are 43 drivers vying for 38 starting positions.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

The weekend we’ve all been waiting for is here.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ regular-season finale is set with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tensions are high with limited room remaining in the 2022 edition of the playoffs. | Postponed from Saturday to Sunday

Get set for race No. 26 of the season here:

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

ONE SHOT, MAKE IT COUNT

The NASCAR Cup Series will not practice for Sunday’s thriller, meaning teams will unload their Cup cars and immediately prepare for Friday’s qualifying (5:05 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). UPDATE: Qualifying canceled due to inclement weather | STORY

MORE: Paint Scheme Preview

DAYTONA STORY LINES

— Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. will qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs without a new winner on Sunday

— A new winner must be inside the top 30 in NASCAR Cup Series driver points to be eligible for the playoffs.

— Blaney enters with a 25-point advantage over Truex.

— Chase Elliott secured the Regular Season Championship in Stage 1 of last week’s race at Watkins Glen International.

— Rookie Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500, claiming his first career victory and spot in the postseason hunt in his eighth career start.

— Fifteen different drivers won through 25 races, tied for the third-most through 25 races.

— Kyle Larson’s 12 wins with Hendrick Motorsports are the most ever by a Hendrick driver through 61 starts with the team.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

Goodyear returns to Daytona with the same tire construction used in February’s Daytona 500 as well as April’s race at the Talladega Superspeedway. Handling was a critical factor in the debut superspeedway race of the Next Gen era and is expected to be a difference-maker again this weekend.

Teams are also conscious of when they pit under green, being sure not to lose the draft when possible.

“Tire strategy has always been a part of racing at Daytona,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Multi-car teams, as well as teams from the same manufacturer, often try to align themselves coming off pit road so they can work together on the track, stay lined up and work their way to the front of the pack. Teams will have the opportunity to save time on pit road by taking two tires or even fuel only depending on the stint or how they are trying to line up with others they are working with. All that provides for many opportunities to mix up the field and produce exciting racing for the fans.”

HISTORY IN DAYTONA BEACH

— In the early 1950s it became apparent that due to growth on the beachside, the days of racing on the Daytona Beach and Road Course were numbered. Bill France Racing, Inc. was established in 1953 to secure the land and financing to build a new speedway in Daytona.

— The mammoth project to build the 2.5-mile superspeedway began on Nov. 25, 1957 and dream became reality with the first Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.

— Ford has won each of the last three Daytona races. The last time a manufacturer won four straight races at Daytona was Chevrolet from July 2012 through February 2014.

— Two of the last three Daytona races were first time Cup winners (Michael McDowell, Austin Cindric).

— Only once has a stage winner gone on to win at Daytona — Denny Hamlin, who won the 2020 Daytona 500.

— The last eight superspeedway races were won by different drivers.

— Three of the last four July Daytona winners got their first win of the season.

Source: Racing Insights

BETTING ON A WILD-CARD RACE

The odds are rarely in anyone’s favor heading into a superspeedway. And with postseason hopes on the line, the aggression meter will be pegged come Sunday at Daytona.

Chase Elliott, the winningest driver of 2022 with four victories, is favored at 10-1 odds, according to BetMGM. But the Regular Season Champion has yet to win at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, earning his lone superspeedway triumph in 2019 at Talladega Superspeedway. Ross Chastain scored the Talladega win earlier this season and enters at 14-1 odds.

Those may be the right odds to chase, but perhaps with a different driver in mind: Bubba Wallace. Wallace is also listed at 14-1 odds but would be a wise bet at Daytona. He’s finished runner-up in each of his last two Daytona starts and earned his first career Cup win at Talladega in October 2021. Wallace has proven he can get it done at superspeedways, and there’s no better time to prove it than in the regular-season finale.

Need a longer shot? Consider Michael McDowell, whose 10 top-10 finishes this year double his previous career high set a season ago. McDowell is the 2021 Daytona 500 champion and continues to impress on every track type this season. At 33-1 odds, the No. 34 Ford may be the perfect sleeper.

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 is open now. 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 3, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.

The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (916), Kyle Larson (776) and Ryan Blaney (771).

How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Zane Smith, the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Regular Season Champion, will return to Front Row Motorsports in 2023 to compete in a dynamic schedule that will include defending his regular season championship with the No. 38 team in the Truck Series. In addition, Smith will make his Daytona 500 debut with FRM as part of a plan that will include other NASCAR Cup Series starts for the organization as well as possible NASCAR Xfinity Series races in collaboration with FRM.

The plan is part of Smith’s ongoing, long-term agreement and plan for growth with the organization.

RELATED: Zane Smith driver page

“We have been thrilled with the performance by Zane this season,” said Bob Jenkins, owner of Front Row Motorsports. “We always felt that he was the next breakthrough star in the sport, and he has been proving that this season. We have a plan laid out for him and our next step will be to put Zane and that team in NASCAR Cup Series races where we know we can be successful. We also want to give Zane the opportunity to win more races and a championship with our Truck Series program, and we are excited to see what he will do next season.”

FRM will tap its potent NASCAR Truck Series team to prepare a third NASCAR Cup Series car and work with Smith during the select NASCAR Cup Series starts as an open car. FRM will support Smith with new business and marketing efforts for Xfinity Series races. Currently, FRM does not have plans to enter its own Xfinity Series entry.

The FRM truck series team has led Smith to three wins, fifteen top-10 finishes, 10 top-five finishes, and the regular season title. Smith is currently second in points and is competing for the championship.

“Chris Lawson, his team, and Zane have really worked well together this season,” said Jerry Freeze, General Manager, Front Row Motorsports. “We do not want to change that chemistry, but also feel this team is up to the challenge with Zane to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. We will be strategic as what races we select to enter. We want to allow Zane to highlight what many have seen him do this year at the elite level. We will announce those races later once the 2023 schedules are announced. Until that time, we are focused on winning the Truck Series championship.”

Smith has continued to add to an already impressive career on the track this season. He currently has six wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to complement his four ARCA Series wins. Off the track, Smith continues to be one of the sport’s most likable personalities and is the 2020 NASCAR Truck Series Most Popular Driver. He made his NASCAR Cup Series debut earlier this year with an impressive 17th-place finish and is excited for what is ahead.

“Front Row Motorsports has a lot of great momentum now, not only with their Truck Series program, but also with their Cup Series program,” said Smith, a two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship runner-up. “While I’m 100 percent focused now on the Truck Series playoffs and racing to win a championship for our partners, I’m excited for what the future holds next season as I get the opportunity to also compete at the next level and continue to grow as a race car driver.”

MORE: Truck Series playoff standings | Season schedule

Smith and the team return to the track on Friday, September 9 at the Kansas Speedway for the third playoff race of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule.

Posted on by Staff Report

23XI Racing announced Thursday that driver Kurt Busch will miss the start of the NASCAR Playoffs, and as a result the team will withdraw its request for a medical waiver that would maintain the veteran’s playoff eligibility.

The decision to withdraw a waiver request effectively removes Busch, who won earlier this year at Kansas Speedway to punch his postseason ticket, from the playoffs — he does not qualify for the playoffs without that waiver, per the NASCAR Rule Book.

RELATED: Updated Daytona schedule | Kurt Busch driver page

“Kurt has elevated our entire organization this year,” said 23XI team president, Steve Lauletta. “Although Kurt will not be competing for a championship this season, he will continue to play a vital role in the organization as he works with our competition group to keep improving and strengthening the team.”

A driver who wins a Cup Series race automatically locks into the 16-driver postseason field, provided that driver finishes the 26-race regular season in the top 30 in points and having attempted to start every race.

Busch has missed five consecutive races — and will not compete on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, MRN) — following concussion-like symptoms that developed after his qualifying wreck on July 23 at Pocono Raceway.

NASCAR granted Busch a medical waiver initially upon request.

“As much as I wanted and hoped to be able to get back in the No. 45 car to make a playoff run with our team, it’s still not the right time for me,” said Busch. “In addition to not being cleared to return to racing, I know that I am not ready to be back in the car. I respect the sport of NASCAR, my fellow drivers and the fans too much to take up a playoff spot if I know I can’t compete for a championship this season. The decision was not an easy one, but I know it is the right thing to do. I will continue to take time to heal and strengthen as I prepare to be back in the car and will do all I can to help 23XI continue the success we have had this season.”

The immediate series-wide impact is that another playoff spot now opens ahead of Sunday’s race. With 15 winners this year, only one spot appeared to be up for grabs at the birthplace of speed. Instead, there are two spots to be claimed.

Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney maintains his hold on one playoff spot via points, and Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Martin Truex Jr. goes from 25 points below the bubble to holding the 16th provisional playoff spot.

“Kurt Busch has managed this difficult situation like the champion that he is,” NASCAR released in a statement. “Working closely with his doctors, every decision made has been in the best interest of his health, his competitors and the sport. Kurt has NASCAR’s full support as he continues to heal, and we look forward to seeing him return to the race car.

“23XI Racing has informed NASCAR that it is withdrawing Kurt’s medical waiver request. Per the NASCAR rule book, a spot has been made available for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The No. 45 car will continue to compete for the 2022 Owner Championship.”

The team also announced Thursday that Ty Gibbs, a JGR regular and championship contender in the Xfinity Series, will continue to fill the seat of the No. 45 Toyota in Busch’s absence.

While Busch will no longer be eligible for the driver championship, the No. 45 team will continue to compete for the owner title.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

For most of the season, Jon McKennedy has been the hunter. Now it’s his turn to be the hunted.

Following a fourth-place finish last Thursday at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, McKennedy overtook Ron Silk at the top of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings entering Saturday’s CheckeredFlag.com 150 at Langley Speedway (8:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

The change at the top of the standings has been several weeks in the making for McKennedy, who hasn’t finished worse than eighth in the last five races.

Silk, meanwhile, has had finishes of 21st at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and 12th last week at Thompson. He’s also winless this year while McKennedy picked up a victory on July 29 at Claremont Motorsports Park.

RELATED: Langley entry list | Race preview

The battle between Silk and McKennedy took a bit of an aggressive turn at Thompson, where McKennedy spun Silk twice while the two were for battling for position. The first incident took place on Lap 91, when Silk drifted up Turn 1 shortly after a restart and clipped McKennedy, causing McKennedy to spin in front of nearly the entire field.

Both McKennedy and Silk were able to continue after the incident, but they would soon meet again.

On Lap 133, McKennedy was attempting to pass Silk for position into Turn 1 when he clipped the left-rear of Silk’s No. 16 Modified. Silk’s car slid up into the outside wall, severely damaging the back of the car. He was able to continue but finished 12th while McKennedy went on to finish fourth.

There is no indication that either incident was intentional, but it does serve as an indication of just how intense things could get as the battle for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship intensifies with five races left in the season.

Welcome back Jamie ‘The Jet’ Tomaino

One of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s most experienced drivers makes his first start of the season this Saturday night at Langley Speedway.

Jamie Tomaino, best known by his nickname “The Jet,” will make his 626th NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start in the CheckeredFlag.com 150.

The 66-year-old driver from Howell, New Jersey, is one of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s most tenured drivers. He’s competed in at least one race every year since the modern NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour was founded in 1985, with the exception of the 2020 season.

His lengthy career has seen him score three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories. They came in 1986 at Stafford Motor Speedway, 1990 at Monadnock Speedway and 1994 at Lee USA Speedway. His victory at Monadnock in 1990 helped propel him to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.

His last full season with the Tour came in 2016, but he’s made a point to compete in a handful of events almost each year since. Last season he competed in a pair of events, earning a 10th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway and a 21st-place finish at Riverhead Raceway.

Should he manage to earn one more top-10 finish, it would be the 250th of his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career.

Kyle Ebersole, driver of the #5 Ebersole Excavating Inc., Technique Chassis, during the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia on April 1, 2022. (Sanjay Suchak/NASCAR)
Kyle Ebersole, driver of the No. 5 Ebersole Excavating Inc./Technique Chassis Modified during the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Richmond Raceway on April 1, 2022. (Photo: Sanjay Suchak/NASCAR)

Ebersole carries experience into Langley

While the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has only raced at Langley Speedway twice previously, that doesn’t mean Modified racing lacks history at the 0.395-mile asphalt oval.

Dating back to 2010, the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour visited Langley eight times. Among the drivers to visit Victory Lane during those events were 12-time Bowman Gray Stadium Modified champion Tim Brown, Andy Seuss, Jason Myers, Kyle Ebersole, George Brunnhoelzl III and Burt Myers.

Of that group of six, only Ebersole is scheduled to be in action this Saturday night.

Ebersole’s victory, which came in 2013, was his first with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour and one of three victories he earned on the Tour before it was dissolved at the end of the 2016 season.

That experience gives Ebersole a distinct advantage on the competition going into Saturday’s race, as he’ll be the only driver with a NASCAR Modified victory at Langley in the field.

Notes:

  • Gary Putnam is set to make his season debut with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this Saturday night. The North Carolina driver has made 31 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts with a best finish of ninth on two occasions.
  • Dave Sapienza, who is ninth in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings, will not be in attendance for Saturday’s race at Langley Speedway.