Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

The final road course of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season is upon us.

The Go Bowling at The Glen rolls on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), bringing with it several key story lines as the 26-race regular season makes stop No. 25.

With plenty to preview, let’s set the scene for the weekend:

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR

This weekend’s Cup race features some stacked global resumes. It also features a record of seven nations represented throughout the field.

The field, of course, is highlighted by 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, a 21-time winner there who stood atop 103 podiums in his 19-year F1 career. The Finnish driver will make his Cup debut in Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 entry, the No. 91 Chevrolet sponsored by Recogni and iLOQ.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

Joining him will be German racer Mike Rockenfeller in Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet. Rockenfeller shouldn’t be overlooked as a true competitor this weekend, boasting wins in both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in his career. Both Räikkönen and Rockenfeller tested a Next Gen car at Virginia International Raceway on Aug. 11 courtesy of NASCAR’s driver orientation program, reserved for elite drivers in other forms of motorsport.

Daniil Kyvat, another former F1 competitor, represents a Russian entry as he returns to the No. 26 Toyota for Team Hezeberg alongside teammate Loris Hezemans, piloting the No. 27 Ford as a native of the Netherlands. British driver Kyle Tilley is back in the No. 78 Ford for LiveFast Racing, while Trackhouse regular and Sonoma Raceway winner Daniel Suárez hails from Mexico.

Each of the 32 remaining racers is from the United States.

GOOD IMPRESSIONS

NASCAR Cup Series teams hit the track for practice just after midday on Saturday (12:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, USA Network at 12:30 p.m. ET, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with the 39-car field split into Group A and Group B based on NASCAR’s metric formula. Each group will get 20 minutes of practice ahead of qualifying (1:05 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Qualifying at the road course features a 15-minute timed session for each group. The fastest five in each group will advance to the second round, where those 10 drivers will fight for the Busch Light Pole Award in a 10-minute session. The fastest single lap from the second round will earn the pole position.

MORE: Qualifying groups | Paint Scheme Preview

WATKINS GLEN STORY LINES

— Kevin Harvick won each of the past two races after snapping a 65-race winless streak at Michigan International Speedway to become the season’s 15th different winner.

— Despite sitting fourth in the regular-season points standings, Martin Truex Jr. is currently out of the playoffs, trailing Ryan Blaney by 26 points for the final available position.

— Truex has four straight top-three finishes at Watkins Glen, including a win in 2017.

— Chase Elliott can secure the Regular Season Championship by leaving Richmond with a 61-point lead over second place. Blaney currently holds the second spot and trails by 116 points.

— Ryan Blaney has earned 53 more points than Martin Truex Jr. in the four races on road courses in 2022.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

Goodyear held a tire test at the 2.45-mile road course in May where Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. helped the tire company learn what compound to use for this weekend’s race.

The end result features the same tire codes used at Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, with one code used on the left-front and right-rear positions and another code on the right-front and left-rear spots, the former of which was used on all four corners of the car at Circuit of The Americas.

“With this Next Gen car, with the bigger, wider tire, we’ve been able to go a little ‘softer’ with our tread compounds almost across the board,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “When we had just the two road courses on the Cup schedule – those being Watkins Glen and Sonoma – both tracks were dramatically different and required distinct tires. Now, with six road courses on the 2022 schedule, Sonoma is still on its own due to it being much more technical, but Watkins Glen falls more into line with some of the other tracks. The Glen is on the high-speed end of the scale among the road courses, but this 18-inch bead diameter tire – which is about an inch-and-a-half wider than the previous, 15-inch tire – has enabled us to give the teams a good step up in grip this weekend.”

DEEP RACING ROOTS AT THE GLEN

— Watkins Glen was constructed at its current location in 1956 but had its real beginning in 1948 when a Cornell University law student from Ohio, Cameron Argetsinger, acquired a sports car but had no place to race it. He designed a 6.6-mile circuit comprised of public roads in the Village of Watkins Glen where his family owned a cottage.

— He convinced the Chamber of Commerce of the Village of Watkins Glen and nine other agencies to hold the first post-World War II street race in the country. The annual race on the public roads at the tip of Lake Seneca was hugely successful from 1948-1951 drawing a large field of cars, large crowds and premier drivers.

— After a few years of racing at a temporary course, a permanent facility was built in the town of Dix, which borders Watkins Glen. Engineering professors from Cornell designed the 2.3-mile layout and specified the pavement. The first professional race was a NASCAR Grand National (Cup) race held on Aug. 4, 1957. Buck Baker led all 44 laps in the caution-free race beating Fireball Roberts by nearly half a mile. They returned in 1964 and 1965 on the annual ‘Northern Tour.” Billy Wade won 1964, Marvin Panch 1965.

— Watkins Glen has hosted nearly every major United States sanctioning body and professional racing series: NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, ARCA, Can-AM, Trans-AM, NASCAR Busch North and K&N (now ARCA East), NASCAR Modified, NASCAR Trucks, IMSA Firehawk and Camel GTO, CART, IndyCar, NASCAR Grand-Am, Formula 1, Formula 5000, IMSA and others.

— In 1961, the track ran the first of 19 Formula One races that ended after 1980 due to deteriorating track conditions not meeting F1 standards.

— In 1992, the Inner Loop Chicane was added giving the track its 2.45 distance. In 1997, International Speedway Corporation became the sole owner of the facility.

Source: Racing Insights

ODDS ARE …

With two victories and a runner-up finish in his last three Watkins Glen starts, Chase Elliott should be one of the least surprising favorites this weekend, entering at 5-1 odds, according to BetMGM.

The 2020 Cup champion scored his first career win on the New York course in 2018 and is, in total, a seven-time road-course winner. Elliott’s still looking for his first of the Next Gen era, however, despite finishing runner-up at Road America.

And that brings us to whom he finished behind — Tyler Reddick. The Richard Childress Racing driver has won each of the past two road races (Road America, Indianapolis) for his first career Cup victories and enters with the second-best odds to win Sunday (6-1). Kyle Larson, the defending Watkins Glen winner and series champion, is listed at 8-1 odds.

Perhaps one sleeper to watch this weekend will be Chris Buescher (20-1). Coming off a third-place finish at Richmond Raceway, Buescher touted notable speed in the May tire test that has made the No. 17 Ford a factor in road races this season. The 2015 Xfinity champion finished runner-up to Daniel Suárez at Sonoma, placed sixth at Road America and rallied from an early fire to finish 10th at Road America.

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 (876), Ryan Blaney (758) and Martin Truex Jr. (735).

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 Zack Albert

Last time out for the NASCAR Cup Series on a road course, chaos convened with regularity at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway layout’s first corner, a hard, 90-degree right-hander. Sunday’s next round, on the twists of New York’s Watkins Glen International has some on-paper similarities but also some key nuances that may stem some of the scrambling.

When Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen gets the green flag (3 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the field will sort itself into another right-hand bend, this one nicknamed “The 90.” But instead of a super-wide frontstretch narrowing into a snug turn, Watkins Glen has slightly less running room, which will likely curb any widespread fanning out.

RELATED: Watkins Glen weekend schedule | Paint Scheme Preview

“Not as much, but I mean Watkins Glen definitely has the opportunity for that,” said Joey Logano, a winner at the Glen in a weekend sweep in 2015. “I think what happens in Indy is you have six lanes of racing room that funnels down into like two, maybe three. And so you’re forced to do something. It kind of puts everyone in a bad spot because if you don’t do something, someone’s going to do it to you. So you either take it or someone’s gonna take it from me. So that just kind of makes a recipe for disaster in a way and cars are pretty durable, so everyone’s OK with bumping and banging now. So it just becomes kind of messy.

“The same thing could happen at Road America but it doesn’t. Why? Because the track’s only three lanes wide, and you can’t go four-wide. There’s no room – like, you’re in the grass. So that’s what prevents that. Watkins Glen’s similar. Three-wide is … you can get four, but that’s gonna be a little tight, right? Probably not many people do that. But three will definitely happen down there. There’s more room for that.”

A late-race restart in last month’s Indianapolis race was the boiling point for several drivers. Tyler Reddick steered clear of the Turn 1 disorder on the way to his second Cup Series win of the season, but several other contenders with road-race pedigrees did not.

The pace of Watkins Glen’s first turn, where drivers carry more speed through the corner, may also help with some of those concerns. The New York course transitions into a slight right in Turn 2, then carries momentum up the hill through the esses; at Indy, that first close-quarters right proceeds to another sharp, 90-degree left in the more technical infield section.

“I mean, I guess it is a 90-degree Turn 1, but just much different, a faster-pace turn,” says points leader Chase Elliott, a two-time Watkins Glen winner whose day at Indy was torpedoed by the late restart ruckus. “The lead-up to how you restart at Watkins Glen is just much, much different. That approach into Turn 1 doesn’t ask everyone to be dumb, so I don’t think it’ll be quite that bad. And like I said, I think the pace of the track is going to fix the majority of what you saw there at Indy.”

“I feel like when you talk about road-course aggression, we’ve had two race tracks with very inviting Turn 1s, you know,” said rookie Austin Cindric, a former Glen winner in the Xfinity Series. “That’s COTA and Indy. I don’t remember having really any much of a driver standards conversation after Sonoma, and I’m sure the Roval will be the same way, and I expect Watkins Glen to be somewhat similar to those race tracks. Even Road America, a pretty narrow race track, so you can’t really pull off the seven-wide into a corner.”

Watkins Glen hosts the next-to-last race of the regular season as the hunt for Cup Series playoff positioning winds to its conclusion. 15 drivers have virtually clinched postseason berths with victories so far, and Ryan Blaney is 26 points up on Martin Truex Jr. as the battle currently stands for the final spot in the field of 16.

MORE: Latest Watkins Glen odds

The four road-course events so far this year have all been won by Chevrolet drivers – the first two split by Trackhouse Racing teammates Ross Chastain (Circuit of The Americas) and Daniel Suárez (Sonoma), and the most recent two swept by Richard Childress Racing’s Reddick (Road America, Indy).

Truex – another victim to the Turn 1 turmoil at Indianapolis – has a solid recent history that ranks as promising for a Watkins Glen rebound, with four consecutive top-three finishes there. But the driver of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing indicated after last weekend’s race at Richmond that the Chevy camp’s run of road-course success with the Next Gen car model would present a hurdle.

“Any other year, I’d be ecstatic to go there,” Truex said. “But with this car, our worst tracks have been road courses this year, Toyota in general. So none of us have been good. We haven’t been able to figure out how to get the braking, how to get the car to brake and then still drive off the corner and vice versa. We can only get one or the other. We can’t get both. The Chevys are destroying us.”

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

THOMPSON, Conn. – Art Barry, a two-time champion in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour as a car owner, passed away Tuesday at the age of 86.

Barry, who was well known for his work as a Modified chassis builder in the Northeast, fielded Modifieds for a variety of drivers through the decades.

He enjoyed his most success on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour during the early 2000s when he partnered with NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Mike Stefanik. The pairing won back-to-back NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships in 2001 and ’02, scoring five victories during that two-year span.

The pairing added a sixth victory together in 2003 before going their separate ways ahead of the 2004 season, which Barry spent helping his son Ken Barry during his rookie season on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Cars fielded by Barry scored several marquee victories through the years, with his drivers earning wins in events at Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Martinsville Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

In addition to Stefanik, drivers who raced for Barry include Brett Bodine, Mike McLaughlin, Jeff Fuller, Rick Fuller, Reggie Ruggiero, Mike Ewanitsko and Jon McKennedy, among many others.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Editor’s note: Ryan Blaney 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.

___

Building on a relationship first forged 10 years ago, Team Penske announced Wednesday that it has signed Ryan Blaney to a long-term contract extension, keeping the driver of the No. 12 Ford within the organization well into his next decade with the team.

The Roger Penske-led team did not disclose terms, but indicated that the long-term deal would keep Blaney on its NASCAR Cup Series roster “well into the future.”

“It’s really nice to get something done. Me and [Roger Penske] got talking this year that it’s hard to believe that I signed with them in summer or fall of 2012,” Blaney told NASCAR.com. “So it’s been 10 years, which is pretty unreal, blew my mind to be honest with you. So they’ve been just amazing to me.”

RELATED: Ryan Blaney driver page | Team Penske page

Blaney included a long list of thank-yous, from Penske himself, to executive vice president Walt Czarnecki, team president Tim Cindric and VP of operations Michael Nelson, among others. The 28-year-old driver also singled out Brad Keselowski, his eventual Cup Series teammate who provided him with his first full-time national series ride in the Camping World Truck Series in 2013.

“It just really means a lot that they’ve believed in me for 10 years and looking forward to continue that hopefully for a really, really long time,” Blaney said. “So they’ve been a family of mine, and I owe them a lot, that’s for sure.”

Blaney’s last contract extension with the organization was announced in March 2020. He struck his first deal with the team — reached in July 2012 — in almost a different era in retrospect. Blaney was then an 18-year-old prospect, the team was in its last season with Dodge before a switch to Ford, and its NASCAR operations were still called Penske Racing. (Penske’s stock-car and IndyCar groups merged under the unified Team Penske name in 2014.)

That first developmental deal with Penske set an initial course for part-time duty in the Xfinity Series, where Blaney first wowed the NASCAR garage with a seventh-place finish at Richmond in his series debut with Tommy Baldwin Racing. Since then, he’s won seven Cup Series races for Team Penske and the affiliated Wood Brothers Racing team and has been a playoff contender for five seasons running.

“To be just, on one hand, noticed by a big team like Penske, and having me out there and meeting with Brad, meeting with Tim Cindric and everybody, it really meant a lot to me,” Blaney said, recalling his move to the organization as his father, Dave, was wrapping up his Cup Series career with the Baldwin team. “I grew up around racing, just watching Dad do it, and, you know, he never really got a shot like that with a big team. I mean, he was able to drive for RCR and Bill Davis, which were amazing teams, but not like, you know, a Penske or a Hendrick or a Gibbs. Dad never really got that shot, so it made me appreciate it even more, in that aspect of like, ‘Man, I’m really getting a great chance here, something that that Dad, you know, never got the opportunity to do.’ So just really thankful to be able to be a part of such a big group and then to be able to stick with them for so long and for us to extend it, definitely means a lot.

“So I never would have thought, when we pieced together a car to go run Richmond in 2012 that I would be here, let alone be driving for Penske. So just when you look back and put it in perspective, it’s a lot of people to thank because it never would have happened without a lot of people involved.”

RELATED: Key players in Silly Season

The people, Blaney says, are what made him singularly focused on re-signing. His first Cup Series win came with the family-run Wood Brothers group in 2017. He transitioned to the No. 12 team the following year, when Team Penske expanded to a three-car operation.

Logan Riely | Getty Images
Logan Riely | Getty Images

Though he’s now with the larger Mooresville, North Carolina-based operation, Blaney says the fit still has a close-knit feel. Though Penske and Ford have provided him with seemingly boundless resources, Blaney laughed at the thought of imposing upon those who he considers his extended family.

“They’ve been amazing to me, and I’m almost sometimes just nervous to ask them for stuff because they already do so much,” Blaney says. “They’re always talking like, ‘you could ask for anything you want. If you need something changed or need something at all just ask us,’ but that always just makes me nervous because they’ve done so much for me, I’ve always kind of been sometimes quiet on that deal.

“But the people make you feel at home and make you feel welcome, and to know that they look up to you so much to perform well for them, it gives me extra motivation to want to do well for those guys and girls who are working at the race shop and maybe don’t even get a chance to go to the track. People that have never been to the track, who are engineers that are solely based at the shop, they even make you feel like home as well and you try to give it back to them. So I mean, that’s been the biggest thing to me is they’ve treated me great. And I couldn’t picture myself being anywhere else where they would treat me as good as the Penske and Wood Brothers folks have over the years.”

With his long-term future secured, the short-term goal of reaching the Cup Series Playoffs for the sixth straight year remains on his to-do list. Blaney ranks provisionally as the last driver in the field of 16, holding a 26-point edge over Martin Truex Jr. for the final spot with two regular-season races remaining.

With 15 winners already through 24 races this year, the playoff picture is an already crowded place. The series heads to Watkins Glen’s road course this weekend for Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) before locking in the playoff grid in the regular-season finale at Daytona, where Blaney is the defending race winner.

“If we couldn’t win Richmond, it was good to extend on Martin given their track record at that place,” says Blaney, who added seven points to his playoff cushion over Truex. “I was good to come out of there, and you’re leading by more over those guys, so that was a good job by everyone to go and accomplish that goal. I mean, honestly the next two weeks, you just continue to try to do the same thing as we’ve done all year. You try to win every week. There’s no bigger emphasis on winning now as compared to in the spring. It’s just, you try to do it every week, you just try to keep replicating it, and you just see where things shake out.

“I mean, if there’s a new winner this weekend, then we know our job going into Daytona. And if we’re the bubble car into Daytona, then you know your job of trying to win the race, trying to do your best to stay up there and just contend for a win and hope that a new winner doesn’t emerge and you’re punched out. So at the same time, you still have to be aware that you’re still racing the 19 (Truex) for trying to have a points cushion, especially going into Daytona. So, yeah, just trying to win, trying to build the point gap and just doing what we can. I try not to get too fixated or distracted from what other teams are doing, even though you’re noticing what the 19 group does and other groups, but I think the best thing you can do is just focus on yourself, because you’re not going to change other people’s outcomes, you can only control your own.”

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) announced today that John Hunter Nemechek and former NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) champion Joe Nemechek will compete as teammates for the first time since 2019 in the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 26. John Hunter Nemechek will pilot the No. 26 Freedom 13 Toyota GR Supra with crew chief Allen Hart, while his father, Joe Nemechek, will contend in the No. 24 FleetWing Toyota GR Supra with Eric Phillips atop the pit box. 

“Running multiple cars at Daytona is always special, but adding a father and son combo to the history books is a really cool opportunity for our team,” said team owner Sam Hunt. “John Hunter has been a big part of SHR’s growth, and to now have Joe join us at the tail end of his accomplished career is something I’ll cherish for a long time. Working with my dad throughout my entire racing career has been truly special, so I’m honored to be a part of this memorable moment for the Nemechek family and hope they are looking forward to it just as much as we are.” 

In 2017, at the Daytona International Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek competed against his father in a NASCAR national series event for the first time, also marking the first father and son to compete in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race together at Daytona since 2006. 

MORE: Full Xfinity Series schedule

The duo has competed against each other in 29 NCWTS events, 13 NXS events and three NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) events in their careers. The duo has a single NXS start together at Daytona in July of 2019. The last time the father-son duo competed as teammates was on November 8, 2019, at Phoenix Raceway for the family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. 

“If this is to be my last time to race in a NASCAR event, I am looking forward to being a teammate again with my son,” Joe Nemechek said. “I am excited to race for Sam Hunt Racing as it shares many qualities with the foundation that NEMCO Motorsports was built upon. I see Sam Hunt Racing as a very strong team, and the wins and championships are coming soon. Racing with my son again is special, and my expectation is to be on the lead lap in the mix with John Hunter. I’m excited to see what happens.” 

The NCWTS winningest crew chief Eric Phillips will call the shots for Joe Nemechek and the No. 24 team at Daytona International Speedway. Phillips, who credits his opportunity in NASCAR to Joe’s late brother John Nemechek, has a career history of working with the Nemechek family. Phillips’ first career NXS victory, as crew chief, was at Texas Motor Speedway in 2003 with Joe Nemechek. Phillips is currently the full-time crew chief for John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports team in the NCWTS. 

The Wawa 250 at Daytona will be part of two-consecutive starts for John Hunter Nemechek with Sam Hunt Racing, as the 25-year-old will also pilot the No. 26 Freedom 13 Toyota GR Supra at Darlington Raceway on September 3, before returning to SHR at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October.


Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Kevin Harvick never panicked during his recent 65-race winless streak.

Since breaking his second-longest dry spell with consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victories at Michigan and Richmond, respectively, Harvick has emphasized a steady, unwavering focus that helped neutralize the lows and highs over the past 23 months. Before Aug. 14, Harvick last visited Victory Lane in September 2020 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

MORE: Watkins Glen schedule | Points standings

The unfaltering mindset wasn’t something naturally engrained in Harvick. Instead, it grew from lessons learned the last time he went through a long skid — a career-worst span of 115 races between February 2007 and April 2010 when he went winless at Richard Childress Racing.

The key takeaway?

“Handle absolutely everything completely different than you handled that one,” Harvick told NASCAR.com on Tuesday.

Harvick doesn’t have fond memories of that stretch, highlighted by the fact he never won a race during the Car of Tomorrow era, when a wing was featured on the rear decklid. Twelve years removed from that dreadful drought, Harvick takes accountability for the lengthy vacation from Victory Lane.

“At that particular time, I was more part of the problem than I was part of the solution,” he said. “So … as you look at this particular (65-race) winless streak and you look at the way that things were handled and how we communicated with each other, you handled it like … I tell people you handle it like an adult. And it was much more productive. And I think as you go through the streak this time and get out of it, you know, it’s like, OK, it’s all the same people. It’s people that you work through a problem to create a solution with, and people that I’ve had a relationship for a long time.

“I would look at the previous (winless) streak at RCR (as) a lot longer than it probably needed to be because of the fact that you weren’t the leader and you weren’t the responsible adult in the room, trying to try to help progress it forward and do the things that you needed to do to fix the cars.”

That experience seemingly changed his entire perspective. Now in his ninth season at Stewart-Haas Racing, the 2014 Cup champion finds connecting with his team is the most imperative facet of his job today.

“I think I worry less about what I want to accomplish and just trying to accomplish what I know I need to accomplish,” Harvick said, “and that is being engaged with my team on a week-to-week basis to get the most out of our cars and vehicles and the responsibility that comes with being prepared and being a part of that process on a week-to-week basis.

“You want to do everything that you can to try to take as much as you can every single week that you’re at the race track, because at some point there won’t be a next week. It’ll be what you used to do, and you want to give it your all while you can.”

Twenty-four races through the 2022 schedule, Harvick is still accomplishing plenty. He holds the hot hand entering the penultimate race of the regular season at Watkins Glen International on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and sits tied for ninth all-time in career victories, claiming his 60th checkered flag at Richmond. The man with whom he’s tied is Kyle Busch, the series’ only active multi-title winner.

Harvick became the first driver to score back-to-back wins in the Next Gen era over the past two weeks. To net the hat trick with a third straight victory — which would be the first three-peat since Kyle Larson accomplished the feat in October 2021 (Roval, Texas, Kansas) — Harvick will need to win at the 2.45-mile road course on Sunday, something he hasn’t done since 2006.

“We’ve done a fair amount better on the road courses this year than we did previously,” said Harvick, who rallied to finish fourth at Sonoma Raceway in June but is showing even better speed now. “So Watkins Glen is a place that I’ve been fortunate to win at and have some success at, so it’s a traditional course that we always run so I feel like I know it like the back of my hand. And you know, we just have to have to get in a good rhythm and try to be prepared from the simulator to the race track for that short practice that we have and go straight into qualifying and see where it all goes from there.”

Only three weeks separate the series from the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, set to begin at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 4. Harvick is determined to earn his second career championship — but he admits he’s not worried about adding stats to his legacy. His goal is simply to execute his tasks at the highest level possible.

“That’s definitely what we’re trying to accomplish, is trying to put ourselves in position to race for another championship,” said Harvick, 46. “And whether it works out or not, I’m not sure that it changes the long-term outlook or not. But I’m sure when I get older, you probably tell yourself that I wish I would have done this a little better or this a little differently, and what year that is I don’t know. But I know right now the goal is to try to accomplish that (championship) as we get towards the end of this year.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials penalized the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports team Tuesday for an unsecured lug nut after last weekend’s events at Richmond Raceway.

Chandler Smith drove the No. 18 KBM Toyota to his third victory of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season in Saturday night’s Worldwide Express 250. His truck was found with a single unsecured lug nut in a post-race check by officials, a violation detailed in Section 8.8.10.4a in the NASCAR Rule Book.

RELATED: Chandler Smith wins Richmond | Truck Series standings

As a result, crew chief Danny Stockman was fined $2,500.

NASCAR also announced the reinstatement of two crew members — Tony Waters, last listed on team rosters as a hauler driver for Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 4 team; and Sean Kerlin, a mechanic with JR Motorsports’ No. 9 team in the Xfinity Series. Both had been suspended under the NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy — Waters on June 28, Kerlin on July 6.

Posted on by Staff Report

In the hours leading up to Sunday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway, a local teenager named Jayden pumped up a large crowd gathered at the Toyota Racing Experience, eagerly awaiting a pre-race appearance by 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace. Jayden, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Richmond, urged cheers before tossing Toyota Racing hats, one by one, into the outstretched hands of race fans.

When Wallace, one of NASCAR’s brightest star drivers, appeared from the backstage area to cheers and applause, Jayden and nearly 30 other Boys & Girls Club teens took their places in the front row to listen to the fan zone Q&A session. The opportunity to hear from and exchange high-fives with Wallace was just one part of a four-hour, pre-race experience hosted by NASCAR and Toyota Racing, and designed to educate high school-aged youth about career opportunities in the sport.

The day began with a special welcome from Lori Collier Waran, who was introduced this past June as Richmond Raceway president and the first woman to hold the position in race track history. Waran, who grew up in the Richmond area and once helped park cars in the track parking lots, invited club member Cheniyah to join her on stage when she addressed race attendees just before the race’s green-flag start.

Boys and Girls Clubs members get a talk from a NASCAR industry member at RichmondThe club youth also met with a variety of industry professionals to learn about their roles in the NASCAR industry as well as their unique journeys into the sport. Kreig Robinson attended Boys & Girls Clubs as a child and now, after a longtime business relationship with Michael Jordan, oversees partnerships for 23XI Racing, the race team co-owned by the iconic basketball legend. Robinson spoke to the group from Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond about the drive and commitment required to be successful in the pro sports industry.

Caryn Grant, who last week helped organize NASCAR’s first-ever Bubba’s Block Party event at Richmond Raceway, talked to the youth about her role within the sanctioning body’s Diversity & Inclusion department. Greg Carty, manager of licensing and consumer products for NASCAR, provided insight into NASCAR’s licensed merchandise and apparel business.

While touring the NASCAR Cup Series garage, the group learned about the competition-related roles and specifically the role of the engine manufacturer from Brandon Rouze, track support engineer for Toyota Racing Development. At the 23XI Racing hauler, the teens interacted with Jusan Hamilton, race director for Sunday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 and the first Black race director to preside over the Daytona 500, as well as well-known industry pit crew coach Rocko Williams.

The behind-the-scenes experience concluded with a surprise meet-and-greet with Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young, who was in Richmond to lead the Cup Series field to green in the Toyota Camry pace car as the race’s honorary pace car driver.

NASCAR’s national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America launched in 2021 and focuses on STEM learning and career development and exploration across both digital and at-track experiences. Sunday’s career-focused experience at Richmond Raceway was one of 15 at-track experiences hosted by NASCAR for local Boys & Girls Clubs across the country this season.

Toyota has a long-standing partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America aimed at providing life-changing experiences for club members. Since 2007, the partnership has awarded more than $2.4 million in academic scholarships and supported signature initiatives including Workforce Readiness and Youth of the Year. As a founding sponsor of BGCA’s Workforce Readiness Strategy, Toyota’s investment supports essential skill development, career exploration and work-based learning opportunities for club youth.

In addition to hosting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond at the Toyota Racing Experience, Toyota also provided 100 tickets to Sunday’s race for club youth and staff.

Boys and Girls Club members on Toyota stage at Richmond
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Posted on 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. 

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Twenty-four down. Two to go.

In what is likely the most unpredictable regular season in the history of NASCAR’s playoff era, two races remain before the 16-driver playoff field is set.

With 15 Cup Series winners so far this season, there are still various scenarios in play for this year’s postseason — especially with the next two races taking place at road course Watkins Glen International and unpredictable Daytona International Speedway.

Here’s everything you need to know for the next two weeks.

RELATED: Current Playoff outlook

Scenario: No new winners over the next two races

If there are no new winners over the next two races, then the 15 drivers who have won a race this year will advance to the postseason. The final spot will be decided between Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. There are no other drivers who can advance to the postseason by points.

With two races remaining, Blaney sits 26 points ahead of Truex.

Scenario: The winless Regular Season Champion

A win automatically qualifies a driver for the postseason. So, too, does winning the Regular Season Championship. For a spell, it appeared that winless Blaney — currently second in the regular-season standings — could really turn the playoff picture upside down if he were to surpass points leader Chase Elliott.

Consider this scenario kaput, however.

Blaney is 116 points behind Elliott. If Blaney gets the maximum number of points without winning over the next two races, that would net him 55 points per race (35 points for finishing runner-up, plus 20 points for two stage wins in this hypothetical scenario). That’s 110 points total, which isn’t enough to catch Elliott, even if the Hendrick Motorsports driver finishes last place the next two weeks.

There’s still a remote chance Blaney catches Elliott for the Regular Season Championship, but he would have to win — which would then clinch Blaney’s spot in the postseason anyway.

RELATED: Current standings

Scenario: Exactly 16 winners

Simple. The 16 drivers who win a race in the 26-race regular season would advance to the playoffs, provided they are ranked 30th or better in the regular-season standings.

Scenario: 17 winners

Call this one The Chaos Theory.

If there are 17 winners, clearly a driver who has won a race will not advance to the 16-driver playoffs.

Here’s how it would be determined: Every driver with multiple wins would advance. So, Chase Elliott (4 wins), Ross Chastain (2), Joey Logano (2), Kevin Harvick (2), William Byron (2), Denny Hamlin (2) and Tyler Reddick (2) are safe. One-win drivers Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch also mathematically cannot be eliminated from the postseason picture if there are 17 winners, so count them in the field, too.

Of all the remaining drivers with one victory, whoever is lowest in the points standings would be eliminated and not advance to the postseason.

Of the current crop of winners, Kurt Busch is the likely odd man out in this scenario, given that he has missed four consecutive races due to recovering from concussion-like symptoms following a qualifying wreck at Pocono Raceway. However, if one of the new winners sits behind Busch in the standings, it’s possible they could win one of the remaining two races and still not advance in this scenario.

Here’s a look at the points between the remaining one-time winners this year:

Driver Points Behind
Alex Bowman 592 —
Daniel Suárez 574 -18
Austin Cindric 556 -36
Chase Briscoe 549 -43
Kurt Busch 485 -107
Posted on by Adam Fenwick

When it comes to historic race tracks on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, there are none more notable than Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

The venue located in Thompson, Connecticut, has hosted more races than any other track in the history of the Tour. In fact, Thompson played host to the first official Tour race on March 31, 1985, a race that was won by the late Richie Evans.

Evans won the first four NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events held at Thompson, all during the 1985 season. George Kent Jr. snapped that streak, topping the fifth visit by the Tour to Thompson that served as the penultimate race of the 1985 season.

Fast-forward to 2022 and, after a brief hiatus, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is returning to Thompson for the 149th time this Thursday for the running of the Phoenix Communications 150. The event was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but expected weather led to the event being rescheduled for Thursday.

RELATED: Thompson entry list | Race preview

In the 148 previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races held at Thompson, 36 drivers have made trips to Victory Lane. Many current Tour stars have enjoyed success at Thompson through the years, but none more than Justin Bonsignore.

In 39 Tour starts at Thompson, Bonsignore has scored a whopping 12 victories at the 0.625-mile track. His first Thompson victory came in his 10th Tour start at the track in 2012, and he quickly added to his total, at one point winning six straight Tour events at Thompson from 2018-19.

Several other active Tour competitors have enjoyed Victory Lane at Thompson, including six-time Tour champion Doug Coby. The driver from Milford, Connecticut, has six Thompson victories in 64 starts, with his most recent coming in 2019. Coby is also a good qualifier at Thompson, with the veteran having earned 11 Tour poles at the track during his career.

Current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship leader Ron Silk is a five-time Thompson winner, as is part-time competitor Bobby Santos III. Both are entered for Wednesday’s event.

Other previous Thompson winners who are entered for Wednesday’s race are Donny Lia, Timmy Solomito and Craig Lutz, who won the most recent Tour event at Thompson during the 2020 season.

Kyle Soper back in search of another Tour win

The last time Kyle Soper raced with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, his night ended in Victory Lane.

Soper, a weekly competitor at New York’s Riverhead Raceway, bested the Tour regulars when they invaded his home track on June 25. Soper led 39 laps during the race, including the final 11, to notch his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory.

In doing so, Soper became the first Riverhead regular to best the Tour stars since 1995, when Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. was able to earn a trip to Victory Lane.

Soper hasn’t slowed down much since notching his first Tour victory. Since then he’s continued to compete weekly at Riverhead, earning a marquee victory during the Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77 on July 30. He also currently leads the weekly Modified standings at Riverhead.

Now Soper is turning his attention to Wednesday’s mid-week NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park,

The 26-year-old driver from Manorville, New York, has competed in four previous Tour events at Thompson. However, luck has not been on his side.

His best finish in those four starts is 13th, and he has an average finish of 21.5, a number he’ll look to drastically improve upon Wednesday during the Phoenix Communications 150.

Jimmy Blewett, driver of the #7 John Blewett Inc car races during the Jersey Shore 150 for the Whelen Modified Tour at Wall Stadium Speedway on July 9, 2022 in Wall Township, New Jersey. (Kostas Lymperopoulos/NASCAR)
Jimmy Blewett, driver of the No. 7 John Blewett Inc Modified, races during the Jersey Shore 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Wall Stadium Speedway on July 9, 2022. (Photo: Kostas Lymperopoulos/NASCAR)

Tommy Baldwin Jr. leads owner standings

There has been no team better this year on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour than Tommy Baldwin Racing.

The team owned by Daytona 500 winning crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr. has visited Victory Lane four times this season with three different drivers, allowing Baldwin’s team to open a large lead in the Tour owner standings.

Entering the Phoenix Communications 150, Baldwin holds a 37-point advantage on No. 16 team owner Tyler Haydt, whose driver Ron Silk currently leads the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver standings.

Doug Coby, who has won twice in Baldwin’s equipment this year, will field his own car for Wednesday’s race at Thompson. Mike Christopher Jr., a winner in Baldwin’s equipment at Jennerstown Speedway, won’t be in action Wednesday.

That leaves Jimmy Blewett, who won at Wall Stadium Speedway for Baldwin, to pilot the No. 7NY in Wednesday’s race. Blewett has made a whopping 40 starts in Tour competition at Thompson, earning a best finish of second on two occasions.

Notes:

  • Spencer Davis is slated to make his fourth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start of the year at Thompson. The driver from Dawsonville, Georgia, has made five previous Tour starts at Thompson, earning a best finish of seventh.
  • Another driver making his fourth start of the season is Ronnie Williams. The driver from Ellington, Connecticut, has two career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour poles, and both of them came at Thompson in 2018.
  • Dylan Slepian will attempt to earn his third straight top-five finish in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competition following back-to-back top five results at Riverhead Raceway in his last two Tour starts.