Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric and others were involved in a significant crash following a restart at Lap 25.
After a competition caution waved at Lap 20, JJ Yeley was among 11 cars that did not pit under the first yellow flag of the day. The ensuing restart saw Yeley’s No. 15 Ford check up after pushing up the track in Turn 1, leading to contact from behind by Michael McDowell and from the right by Aric Almirola.
That contact sent multiple cars spinning. Cindric was turned head-on into the outside wall after contact from Yeley and Ty Gibbs while Busch was eliminated after Almirola’s car pinned Busch’s into the outside wall in Turn 2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland were also collected.
Cindric suffered the most notable hit in the incident, and though he was OK physically, the Team Penske rookie expressed his disappointment after exiting the infield care center with a 37th-place finish.
“All I saw was the 15 car sideways and just everything stacked up,” Cindric told NBC Sports. “I got tagged in the left rear, shoved me up the race track and then got turned head-on into the fence. Looks like the 15 just got loose, stacked everybody up and got run into the back of. Not Ty’s fault, just everyone’s stacking up, but obviously a pretty massive hit to the outside wall head on.
“Glad to be OK, it just feels like such a waste to do all this and run a couple of laps and finish last, so pretty unfortunate. Hate it for the guys, the team, Discount Tire and everybody.”
In 36th place, Busch finishes outside the top 10 for the eighth consecutive race, marking a career-worst stretch. Busch qualified third and was the fastest car in practice in 10-lap averages. The No. 18 team pitted under the prior caution and restarted outside the top 10.
“I just was trying to bide my time and knew we weren’t gonna necessarily need to be in a hurry there to get points for the end of that stage,” Busch told NBC Sports. “It was gonna be a 40-lap run and it was gonna be plenty of time to get up there with our car. We had a really fast Interstate Batteries Camry. I mean it was looking really good for the day and obviously not a good result.
“Just got squeezed between the 10 spinning and myself and the fence. Just don’t get it, man. Just can’t buy a break right now.”
Gilliland and McDowell were able to continue. Busch, Almirola, Burton, Cindric, Stenhouse and Yeley were forced to retire from the event. All drivers were checked and released from the infield care center.
The start of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway was delayed by inclement weather on Sunday afternoon.
The FireKeepers Casino 400 (USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) was scheduled to take the green flag at 3:01 p.m. ET before rain doused the 2-mile, D-shaped oval in Brooklyn, Michigan. NASCAR began pre-race ceremonies 4:05 p.m. ET and fired the engines. If weather interferes again and the event cannot be completed Sunday, the race would be official at the completion of Lap 100, signifying the halfway mark in the 200-lap event.
Toyota dominated Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions, culminating in Bubba Wallace’s first career Busch Light Pole Award. The No. 23 Toyota for 23XI Racing led the field to the green flag alongside Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell.
Ryan Blaney is the defending race winner at Michigan but rolled off from the 24th position on Sunday.
Toyota drivers dominated the leaderboard in both practice and qualifying for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway (3 p.m. ET, USA).
Because each driver got only 20 minutes of track time, questions still remain.
We do know tire falloff is low at Michigan. However, the question still exists as to how much the falloff is different for each driver, team or manufacturer.
Because we’ve seen manufacturer correlation before in tire wear, I think it’s prudent to stay within manufacturers at this point.
That’s why my best bet for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 comes in the top Toyota market.
All week I’ve been eying a way to get exposure to Bell, and the opportunity has finally come.
With only six Toyotas on track, if all were equal, each should be +500. That means DraftKings, where this line is available, is expecting Bell to be worse than average.
However, we know that’s not likely to be the case.
My new FLAGS ranking has Bell ranked third among all drivers, let alone the Toyotas, at 1.5-mile ovals this year. Yes, Michigan is a 2-mile oval, but even including the recent high-horsepower track of Pocono, Bell still pops.
Now, throw in qualifying, where Bell starts on the front row next to Toyota stablemate Bubba Wallace, and we have the makings of a driver who has shown speed at similar tracks and this weekend.
Yes, his practice times weren’t stellar. However, they made changes to get that car running extremely fast during qualifying, which should carry over to race speed.
My model gives Bell an 18.5% chance to finish as top Toyota, which is closer to +450 than +600.
The Bet: Christopher Bell top Toyota (+600) | Bet to: +500
When asked about expectations for Michigan a couple of weeks back at Pocono, Bubba Wallace’s eyes lit up. Without giving a straight answer, he was confident in what Toyota could accomplish at that track. His No. 23 team gathered data after a Goodyear tire test at the track in late May. That data showed true in practice, with Toyotas sweeping the top five spots, before Wallace eventually earned the first pole for himself and 23XI Racing in qualifying.
RISING: Aside from his win at New Hampshire last month, Christopher Bell has flown under the radar this season, despite sitting sixth in the championship standings. For the fifth time this season, the No. 20 car will start from the front row, and he felt confident about his car potentially competing for a win on Sunday. Practice and qualifying were a success for the No. 20 team.
In unfortunate circumstances, Ty Gibbs has made the No. 45 Toyota car his home for the last three weeks. And though he has top-20 finishes in both of his starts, Gibbs looked to be more comfortable at Michigan, running the fourth-quickest time in practice. And after being the first driver to miss the final round of qualifying, the 19-year-old showed his frustration with a slight jab to the pit wall.
FALLING: Expectations were high for Ryan Blaney entering the weekend; after all, he is the defending winner of the race. Historically, he’s run well at MIS. The one downside on Saturday was the No. 12 Ford was tight, narrowly avoiding the wall in qualifying. As crew chief Jonathan Hassler showed at Indianapolis, he’s willing to pull strategy to get Blaney towards the front.
Given Trackhouse Racing’s success this year, it’s a surprise when Ross Chastain isn’t in the top 10 in any session. In practice, the No. 1 car was 21st on the scoring chart and dropped to 22nd in qualifying. Though it’s possible the team finds speed overnight, save Chastain’s uses for one of the final three races of the regular season.
FEATURED MATCHUPS:
Denny Hamlin vs. Tyler Reddick Straight up, this is the toughest matchup of the week. Both drivers made it to the final round of qualifying, and though Reddick is riding a wave of momentum, the advantage goes to his future boss, Hamlin. This weekend has a Nashville feeling to it, and though Toyota didn’t win that race, it led 253 of 300 laps.
Ryan Blaney vs. William Byron This matchup last year would have been tough because Blaney and Byron finished 1-2 in the race. On Sunday, Byron starts 20th and Blaney 24th. Still, give the slight edge to Blaney, solely based on Byron’s inconsistency over the last four months, earning just one top 10 in the last 14 races.
Kevin Harvick vs. Joey Logano Combined, Harvick and Logano have won five of the past six races at Michigan. Ford itself is on a seven-race winning streak at MIS, the longest such streak since the track began hosting Cup races in 1969. Someway, somehow, the No. 4 team always finds a way to grind through adversity. This might be Harvick’s last best chance to win his way into the playoffs, so the upper hand lies there.
Daniel Suárez vs. Bubba Wallace One word: Toyota. If the No. 23 car can keep all four wheels on the car and execute on pit road, Wallace should be in contention to win the race. The No. 23 team is riding three consecutive top 10s into Michigan, the only multiple top-10 streak of Wallace’s career.
Taking control of the race in the final stage, Ty Gibbs sped to his NASCAR Xfinity Series-best fifth victory of the season in Saturday’s New Holland 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
The tenor of the race changed markedly near the end of the second stage when pole winner Noah Gragson opted to stay on the track and compete for the stage win on the high-speed 2-mile track.
Gibbs had pitted under caution on Lap 55 and inherited the lead when Gragson and others who had stayed out until the completion of the stage came to pit road during the stage break.
The race ran caution-free from the final restart Lap 68 to the finish on Lap 125, and Gibbs beat runner-up Justin Allgaier to the stripe by 1.160 seconds. Gragson worked his way up to third but trailed Gibbs by 2.472 seconds at the finish.
“I think this type of racing shows the strategy in the pit stops,” said Gibbs, who led twice for a race-high 54 laps, matching the number of his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “My guys did such a great job. I work out with them during the week, so I see how hard they work. They do a great job—every one of them.
“So I’m very thankful and glad to be part of the organization that motivates me like that week in and week out — not motivates, because that’s temporary — but being relentless, and I feel like that’s what they showed me.”
The victory was Gibbs’ first at Michigan and the ninth in 39 Xfinity Series starts for a remarkable winning percentage of 23.08.
Allgaier opted for the same strategy as Gibbs, but a slow green-flag pit stop on Lap 100 cost him a chance to compete for the win.
“I pitted to try and get clear of some lapped cars, and, unfortunately, we merged back on the race track right behind those same lapped cars, right before they made their pit stops,” Allgaier said. “So not only did we have to contend with getting by them, as soon as we got by them, they all pitted.
“Second place is tough, but my daughter’s birthday’s on Monday, so we’ll celebrate, even though it’s second.”
Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet arguably was the fastest car in the race, but strategy and the absence of cautions in the final stage doomed his prospects.
“We won the first stage and then had a caution with about five to go in the second stage and opted to stay out, won the second stage (by .035 seconds of AJ Allmendinger),” Gragson said. “Then just flipped.
“Restarted the third stage 12th, and that kind of hurt us there at the end, but overall good day for our Bass Pro Shops, Black Rifle Camaro. We were running him down—just needed more laps there at the end.”
Brandon Jones and Austin Hill finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Josh Berry, Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, Riley Herbst and Landon Cassill completed the top 10.
The caution flag waved just twice for on-track incidents Saturday. The first came at Lap 41 when CJ McLaughlin contacted the outside wall and Matt Mills spun behind him, with the other waving at Lap 53 for an incident involving David Starr and Dillon Bassett in Turn 2. The latter crash set up the dash to the finish of Stage 2 and altered pit strategy for the race’s frontrunners.
Gibbs is also competing in the Cup Series race on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in Kurt Busch’s No. 45 Toyota as Busch recovers from concussion-like symptoms. He will start 11th in the Cup race alongside Gragson, who will pilot the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet from 12th. Hill will make his Cup debut in the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing starting 31st.
NOTE: Inspection in the Xfinity Series garage is complete with no issues, confirming the No. 54 as the race winner.
FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway
(⏰ 3 p.m. ET | 📺 USA Network, NBC Sports App | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan, the 23rd regular-season event of the 2022 campaign.
Race-day info 📝
Where: Brooklyn, Michigan Approximate start time: 3 p.m. ET (UNDERWAY AFTER DELAY) | Full weekend schedule TV/Radio: USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule The purse: $7,125,085 Forecast: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. ET, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker Race distance: 200 laps | 400 miles Stages: 45 | 120 | 200 Pit-road speed: 55 mph Caution car speed: 65 mph Michigan 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: Where drivers will start
Pit stalls:Where drivers will pit
UPDATE: Kurt Busch out for third week
Key things to watch 🔑
Big story line
Ford is sputtering a bit lately and is on a winless streak that dates back to Joey Logano’s victory at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway — eight races ago. Heading to a track in the manufacturer’s backyard, one it has historically dominated, is the perfect week for them to pick up the pace. Still fighting for a guaranteed playoff berth, Kevin Harvick has five wins and nearly 700 laps led in his 41 races here. Defending race winner Ryan Blaney is also chasing that elusive win on a team where he is the only winless driver. These two drivers each have a strong case to win Sunday, and Ford has not lost a race here since 2017, on an impressive seven-race stretch. Will the Blue Oval continue the streak with the debut of the Next Gen cars?
Who’s hot? Who’s not?
Has the early season aggression finally caught up with Ross Chastain? His last two races ended in finishes of 27th or worse, including the controversial run-in with Denny Hamlin at Pocono Raceway. The reality is, drivers on the track just aren’t giving him many breaks. Nonetheless, the No. 1 car has been one of the most consistent this season based on raw speed. A big, 2-mile track like Michigan should provide Chastain and his Trackhouse Racing team with a bit more comfort this weekend as they aim to get back on track.
In the last three weeks, Bubba Wallace has been on fire. Wallace and the No. 23 Toyota team have registered three consecutive top-eight finishes, marking the first time Wallace has achieved the feat in his Cup Series career. After some bad runs and early misfortune, Wallace and company have found a groove down the final stretch of the regular season. But based on point standings, they will need to secure a win to get into the playoffs. With opportunities to reach Victory Lane dwindling down, look for them to be more aggressive this weekend at Michigan.
Driving under the radar
If you just tuned in for the first time last season, it can be easy to forget how capable Kevin Harvick is. Still searching for a result to end his 65-race winless streak, Harvick has rarely been the favorite entering a recent race weekend. But pump the brakes. The stats show that the No. 4 team is starting to find its form, with four top 10s in the last seven races and a bit of misfortune at Pocono and the Indy Road Course costing the group solid finishes there, as well. Michigan is arguably Harvick’s best race track. And it is also arguably his best chance to win during this final slate of regular-season action. Before Blaney’s 2021 win, Harvick won three straight and three of the last four. Don’t count him out just yet.
Qualifying
It was the Toyotas who stole the show during Saturday’s two-round qualifying session, led by Bubba Wallace who earned his first career Busch Light Pole Award. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch filed in behind, trailed by Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin in seventh and ninth to round out a strong top-10 showing. Ty Gibbs, making his first Cup Series start on a traditional oval, flashed excellent speed and will roll off 11th. Joey Logano and Austin Cindric put together the best showcase for the Blue Oval group, earning the fourth and fifth starting spots, respectively. Defending race winner Ryan Blaney will start 24th. | Full qualifying recap
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Race-day staples ✅
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Paint Scheme Preview: See the latest colors for Michigan | Pick a favorite • Power Rankings: Logano leapfrogs his way up the ladder | Updated drivers rankings • NASCAR betting: BetMGM odds for Sunday’s race | Underdogs, value bets • Fantasy Fastlane: Ford looks to continue dominant streak on home turf | Top plays, sleepers • Bubble Watch: Which drivers are close to the cutline? | Read more
• Stacking Pennies: Denny Hamlin joins the podcast | Listen to full interview
Catch the pack 💨
Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.
• Downtrend: No. 48 crew chief Greg Ives opens up about summer struggles | Read more
• Is it over?: Denny Hamlin chats about feud with Ross Chastain | Listen now
• Kyle Busch: Two-time champ opens up on family, more | Read more
• Keselowski’s committed: Driver-owner standing strong through RFK’s rebuild | Read more
• Cup Series debut: Austin Hill is set to drive the No. 33 for RCR at Michigan | Read more
• No appeal: Front Row Motorsports drops penalty appeal | Read more
• Sad news: Longtime driver Buddy Arrington dies at 84 | Read more
• Fire suits: Inside technological advancements and safety | Read more
• eNASCAR: Wilson wins All-Star Race on Chicago Street Course | Race recap
• ICYMI: Erik Jones will return to Petty GMS in 2023 | Read more
Get in on the action 💰
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.
• BetMGM: Despite form, Reddick enters Sunday as an underdog | Read more
• The Action Network: The favorite bet to lock in for Sunday’s race | Read more
• More betting insight: Guide to betting the Suárez vs. Wallace matchup | Learn more • Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
• Going all the way: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here
Michigan moments 🚘
The automobile industry has strong ties to Michigan, so it is not surprising that NASCAR has a share of it.
• Do you remember?: Most memorable moments at Michigan | Relive them here
• Last year: Ryan Blaney holds off Kyle Larson, William Byron | Full race recap
• Race Rewind: Video highlights, key moments from 2021 race | Watch now
Fast facts ⏩
Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• Kevin Harvick has won four of the last six races at Michigan. • JGR has eight Michigan wins but the last came in August 2015 with Matt Kenseth (11 races since). • Bubba Wallace is on a career-best three-race top-10 streak. • Ford leads all manufacturers at Michigan with 42 wins, 16 more than Chevrolet’s 26; Toyota has five. • Current points leader Chase Elliott has 10 top 10s at Michigan; his most at any track.
Say what? 🎙
Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.
• “We’re just approaching it the same we have all year. Our goal is to go there and win the race. If we can’t do that, then we need to get the best finish possible. I do have confidence going to Michigan based on how our cars have been trending on the bigger tracks lately. I feel like the Toyotas as a group have been getting a lot stronger lately, so we should have an opportunity. We just have to make the most of it.” — Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
• “Every race weekend for NASCAR is a big weekend, but especially Michigan as our home race, as our manufacturer, with our employees, our families, our executives. There’s a lot of pressure on us to win every race, but especially here at Michigan in front of all of those people. It’s important for our teams, too. They know it as well, so looking forward to having everybody there and putting on a good race.” — Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports
• “You always want to run good when you go home and I think when we look at the remaining tracks, Michigan is one where we feel like we can win. So, multiple reasons it’s important to us. I feel like it’s going to be an opportunity for us to win and an opportunity to win at home as well. We want to take advantage of both of those things. Every time I go to Michigan, I just want to run well for friends, family, everybody there. Hopefully we’ll have a good showing.” — Erik Jones, driver of the No. 43 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet
See where your favorite Cup Series driver will pit for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM Radio).
Bubba Wallace snagged his first career Busch Light Pole Award Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
Wallace was the only driver to break 190 mph in the final round of qualifying, earning the top starting position with an average lap speed of 190.703 mph. The pole is also the first for 23XI Racing, which first began fielding cars in 2021.
“About time,” Wallace said. “It took me five years to get my first pole. It’s a testament to 23XI, everybody on the No. 23 team. They’ve been doing a tremendous job all year long, really. Just haven’t had the finishes we deserve, but proud for everybody just sticking through it.
“A lot of adversity on this team, and we keep showing up ready to battle.”
The speed in the No. 23 Toyota was shared across each of the manufacturer’s six cars. Christopher Bell (189.898 mph) will roll off alongside Wallace on the front row for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Kyle Busch, Bell’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, will start third (189.868 mph) with Martin Truex Jr. starting seventh (189.724 mph).
The best non-Toyotas in Saturday’s session were Team Penske teammates Joey Logano in fourth (189.509 mph) and Austin Cindric fifth (189.449 mph). Tyler Reddick, who won last week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, posted the sixth-fastest lap at 189.026 mph.
The top 10 was completed by Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones.
A pair of part-time rookies will start from Row 6 on Sunday. Ty Gibbs and Noah Gragson, both of whom are vying for the Xfinity Series championship this season, posted quick lap times in Saturday’s session and narrowly missed advancing to the final round of qualifying from Group B. Gibbs will roll off P11 Sunday with Gragson 12th.
Chase Elliott, who entered the weekend as a co-favorite according to BetMGM, qualified 13th. Ryan Blaney, the defending race winner at Michigan and highest ranked driver in the playoff grid on points, will start 24th on Sunday.
Drivers who struggled in Saturday’s time trials included Alex Bowman in 30th, Brad Keselowski in 33rd and Todd Gilliland in 37th. In his Cup Series debut for Richard Childress Racing, Austin Hill will start 31st.
The NASCAR Wire Service contributed to this report.
Kyle Larson spoke to reporters for the first time since his race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course came to an abrupt end after a vicious crash with Ty Dillon in Turn 1.
The No. 5 Chevrolet launched into the corner and wiped out Dillon’s No. 42 car, nearly T-boning the vehicle at the end of the long front straightaway. Initial replays indicated a possible mechanical failure on Larson’s car, but the defending Cup Series champion chalked it up to an error behind the wheel.
“Obviously just made a big mistake,” Larson told reporters Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. “I got in there (to the corner) deep and I got out of shape. And I was hoping that by the time I got under control, I could go straight before they turned into the corner. And once I realized that I was going to hit the (No.) 47 (of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.), I tried to just do what I could to turn right and miss both of them. And that obviously didn’t happen.”
As the recipient of the blindsided impact, Dillon was left wondering what happened himself.
“I knew it was a mistake,” Dillon said Saturday. “And definitely looking at the SMT, it’s a really rare mistake that you wouldn’t think that he would make, but we’re all human. And that was kind of what I told him. I was like, ‘hey, we’re gonna make mistakes.’ That’s the risk I take every weekend getting in a race car and knowing that’s a possibility. I’m glad he’s OK, I’m glad I’m OK and we get to come out here and try it again at 200 mph at Michigan.”
Both drivers were stunned after the incident itself, trying to piece together what led to such a violent hit. The two had productive conversations Monday that set things straight despite the scare both received.
“I think he was in shock initially because he asked me what happened,” Dillon said. “I was like, ‘I don’t really know. You hit me really hard.’ But I was glad to see that he was OK.”
“I think it just shocked him as much as anything. I could kind of see the fear and everything in his eyes. I’m sure from his vantage point it was really scary, and he reached out to me on Monday checking in on me and was really kind in what he said.”
Larson called the mistake “embarrassing” and remained eager to move forward ahead of practice for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“Feel really bad about wiping Ty out and just very thankful that him and I were both safe and didn’t get seriously injured,” Larson said, “Because yeah, it was scary for both of us. Hate that that happened and just try not to make any mistakes like that going forward.”
Neil “Soapy” Castles, who enjoyed a two-decades-long career in NASCAR while doubling as a Hollywood stuntman, died Thursday. He was 87.
Castles made 498 starts in what is now called the NASCAR Cup Series, netting 51 top-five finishes without a win in a career that spanned from 1957-1976. The former driver’s passing was first reported by veteran journalist Deb Williams and later confirmed Friday by McMahan’s Funeral Home, which is handling memorial service arrangements in Rutherfordton, N.C.
Castles picked up the nickname “Soapy” from the legendary Buddy Shuman, who provided him with a set of wheels for a soapbox derby racer when he was 9 years old. He stayed close to Shuman, cleaning up tools in his shop and eventually tinkering on his cars through his teenaged years.
Castles won twice in the former NASCAR Grand National East Series, claiming that short-lived circuit’s championship in 1972. After years of trying, he soaked in his first victory at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina that spring, edging Elmo Langley in a photo finish.
“We had been racing close together for a long time, but you always get that urge to win,” Castles told the Greenville (S.C.) News. “The car ran as good as it ever has. There was no trouble. I knew I could get under him. I knew I could do it. Winning … that’s the name of the game.”
RacingOne | Getty Images
Castles frequently competed in cars that he owned, and he also briefly fielded entries for stock-car luminaries such as Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough. He was also credited for wins in a pair of 25-lap qualifying races – one at Darlington in 1967 and another at Rockingham two years later.
“Racing, as everything else, has its ups and downs,” he told The Charlotte News in 1969. “I’ve been in it so long, I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else. So long as I can feed my wife and kids, I’m staying in the sport.”
Castles said he got his big break into the film industry in the 1950s, around the time his racing career took flight. He and some friends had signed on as extras during filming at Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsborough, N.C. When the stuntman’s arrival from California was delayed, Castles piped up: “Let me wreck that car so we can go home,” he recalled telling the director. “I can tear that thing up for you and we can all go home tomorrow.”
The director prepared a slapdash contract that evening. “I went out the next morning and flipped the car,” Castles said.
Several movie roles followed, some credited and some not. Among them were racing-themed motion pictures such as Six Pack, Greased Lightning, The Last American Hero and Speedway – the last one starring Elvis Presley.
“I doubled for Elvis and I wrecked five or six cars pretty good,” Castles told the Orlando Sentinel in 1973, adding that the dual careers proved to be lucrative. “I had a real good year. Between NASCAR and the Screen Actors’ Guild, it’s the best thing I ever tied up with. I like to race – and do motion-picture work – if I have the time.”
Memorial services are scheduled Wednesday at Mountain Creek Baptist Church in Rutherfordton. Visitation with the family is scheduled at 11 a.m. ET, with funeral services to follow at noon inside the church.
