Analysis: 2022 late-winning-pass trend could continue at Pocono

Posted on July 22, 2022July 22, 2022 by Terrin Waack

It’s not over ‘til it’s over.

The winning pass in 13 of the 20 NASCAR Cup Series races so far this season has come with 10 or fewer laps remaining. There have been three last-lap passes and nine within five laps to go. And more times than not, the driver who led the most laps did not win the race. Only seven times did the laps-led leader come out victorious.

POCONO: Weekend schedule | Paint schemes | Betting odds

Below is a complete breakdown. An asterisk marks a driver with the most laps led.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see this trend continue Sunday at Pocono Raceway (3 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

In each of last year’s two races at the “Tricky Triangle,” the final lead change came in the last two laps. Alex Bowman stole the lead from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson on the last lap to win Saturday’s event. Kyle Busch then passed Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin for the win with two laps to go in Sunday’s main. Neither of them led the most laps in their respective victories, though Busch was just one lap short of the high mark.

Out of the 36-driver field for Sunday, 10 have won on the 2.5-mile Pennsylvania track before. Exactly half have won this season: Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman and Joey Logano. That leaves Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher and Kevin Harvick as winless in 2022 but not at Pocono in their careers.

There have been 14 different winners this year. That means only two of the 16 playoff spots remain up for grabs with six races until the field is set. If one of those latter five break out another Pocono win, or someone else currently winless does, every race until the postseason is going to feel like the regular-season finale.

And last year, that race’s winner (Blaney) was decided with two laps to go, with multiple bids available.

But hold on — the last time a driver got his first win of the season at Pocono was Kyle Busch in July 2017. So, there may not be reason to worry — yet.

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Holly Cain

With eight races still remaining to set the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Group of 12 playoff contenders, there are certainly several drivers already establishing themselves as front-runners and several others outside the cutoff line looking to make a push in this crucial time of the season.

Entering Saturday’s Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 (5 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Kaulig Racing driver Landon Cassill holds a 61-point advantage over the field for the 12th and final playoff position – 61 points ahead of Brandon Brown, 63 points ahead of Sheldon Creed and 69 points up on Anthony Alfredo.

This weekend could be a good opportunity for a new race winner. There have been six different race winners in the six Pocono races to date, and there is only one former winner on the entry list this weekend – NASCAR Cup Series regular Cole Custer, who won the Xfinity race there in 2019.

A handful of drivers entered have won in other series at Pocono, however. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones has a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race win in 2020. And Ty Gibbs (2020), Riley Herbst (2017) and Justin Allgaier (2008) all have past ARCA Menards Series victories on the Pocono 2.5-miler.

Allgaier, winner of last weekend’s thrilling race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, certainly brings momentum with him to Pocono with victories in three of the last eight races. That kind of strong summer showing, plus some misfortune from other season frontrunners, has moved Allgaier now into second place in the series driver standings, just 16 points behind points leader A.J. Allmendinger.

Both Allmendinger and the series’ winningest driver of 2022, Ty Gibbs, suffered problems at New Hampshire. Allmendinger was 20th and Gibbs, who has four victories this season, was 21st. With a 35th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the previous race, it marks the first time in the 19-year-old Gibbs’ young career he has had two-consecutive finishes of 20th or worse.

Gibbs has fallen to third place in the standings and now trails Allmendinger by 28 points in what looks like a three-driver race for the regular-season title and those prized bonus 15 playoff points that go with it.

Of note, in the five years that the regular-season championship points bonus has been awarded, no driver has won it twice. Allmendinger is the defending regular-season champion, and Allgaier won it in 2018.

Former two-time Xfinity Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joins Custer as the only other full-time Cup Series driver competing in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race.

Practice at Pocono is set for 9:35 a.m. ET on Saturday followed immediately by qualifying at 10:05 a.m. ET – both sessions will be televised live on the USA Network.

Posted on July 21, 2022July 22, 2022 by Holly Cain

The CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday (Noon ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the final regular-season race and will crown the Regular Season Champion, formally setting the 10-driver 2022 playoff field for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

A victory on Saturday could make the difference in a title run or best-of-the-rest finish to the season.

POCONO: Weekend schedule | Truck Series entry list

Five full-time championship-eligible drivers have victories to date. Zane Smith is a series-best three-race winner and only needs to earn two points in Pocono’s race to officially claim the 2022 Regular Season Championship. The 23-year-old Californian, who finished runner-up to Ben Rhodes in the 2021 title run, is running strong heading into the seven-race playoffs with three second-place finishes in the last four races.

Joining Smith with victories and safe passage into the 2022 playoffs are John Hunter Nemechek, Chandler Smith, Stewart Friesen and defending series champion Ben Rhodes.

Ty Majeski, Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton round out the current top-10 in the series driver standings. However, Enfinger and Crafton must formally earn their playoff position this weekend. Crafton holds only a 19-point advantage over 19-year-old Derek Kraus heading into the weekend. Kraus has made up ground in the standings with an average finish of 8.3 in the last three races. He’s finished 10th in both previous series career Pocono starts.

“We all know how important this race is for our whole team,” said Kraus, driver of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Chevrolet. “We can’t let the pressure get to us. We need to just go and do our thing.”

Crafton, a three-time series champion, has not won at Pocono in 12 previous starts but does have a pair of top-five finishes. He’s finished top-10 in four of the last five races there but has led only one lap since 2014.

Kyle Busch Motorsports driver John Hunter Nemechek is the defending Pocono race winner, taking the victory over team owner Kyle Busch last summer. Current series drivers Tyler Ankrum and Crafton finished third and fifth in that race. Zane Smith led 18 laps and finished eighth.

Five more drivers competing Saturday have previous wins on Pocono’s 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” – Enfinger (2016), Smith (2018), Majeski (2019), Eckes (2019) and Corey Heim (2021) all scoring ARCA Menards Series victories there.

The last full-time championship driver to win a race this year is Friesen, who took the trophy at Texas Motor Speedway on May 20.

MORE: Paint schemes for Pocono

Practice at Pocono begins at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday followed by the Cometic Gaskets Pole Qualifying at 5 p.m. ET. Both sessions will be aired on FS1.

Following Saturday’s race, the points will be reset among the top 10 with the Regular Season Champion receiving a 15-point bonus to carry through the playoffs, beginning with the TSport 200 on Friday, July 29 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Brandon White

Halfway through Langley Speedway’s 2022 season, one Late Model Stock driver has emerged with a clear advantage over the rest of the competition.

That honor belongs to Chesapeake, Virginia native Brenden Queen, known affectionately by his nickname ‘Butterbean’ due to his close resemblance to wrestler Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch when he was a child.

Queen has only lost one race he has entered at Langley this year, with his accomplishments including five weekly victories and a win in a CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour race back on June 4.

With all the momentum on his side, Queen has been eagerly looking forward to Langley’s most prestigious race in the Hampton Heat 200, which boasts a strong, 36-car entry list featuring the likes of Peyton Sellers, Layne Riggs, Bobby McCarty and more.

Despite previously winning the Hampton Heat back in 2020, Queen expects a much different race Saturday evening and said mistakes will have to be at a minimum to keep his near-perfect year at Langley going.

“It’s a big confidence booster to have this type of season,” Queen said. “However, I know [the Hampton Heat] is going to be tough, because it doesn’t matter how good you are. So many things have to go right, and thankfully I know what I need to do, but getting everything to work out my way is another story.”

Being one of the best drivers at Langley has been a refreshing change of pace for Queen, who vividly remembers struggling to get top fives just a handful of years ago.

Queen has had confidence in his driving ability since he started racing at 6, but he admitted transitioning into Langley’s Late Model Stock division initially presented several challenges as he tried to find his footing against the seasoned veterans in the division.

The person who ended up providing Queen the guidance he needed to contend for victories every night was his crew chief, a former driver in Phil Warren. From the late 1980s up until the early 2000s, Warren was one of the most dominant drivers at Langley with seven track titles, which included a stellar, 19-win season in 1995.

With Warren’s experience at his disposal, Queen gradually started to see the results for which he was looking. Along with his Hampton Heat victory, Queen has won the last two track championships at Langley and is determined to keep that streak going with a strong second half this year.

Queen said he has no idea how his career would have turned out if he did not have Warren consistently providing feedback on how to perfect his driving style.

“Phil Warren is the man,” Queen said. “I struggled at Langley for years, and he just kept working with me. We got our cars better, but Phil has mentored me so much both on and off the track. I’ve figured out how to put whole races together and be there at the end, but everything is really clicking this year.”

In six weekly races at Langley Speedway this year, Queen has won five of them. (Photo: Alex Holt)

When Warren first started working with Queen in the mid-2010s, he was impressed with the passion and resilience the local racer possessed toward becoming one of the best at Langley.

Those qualities proved to be invaluable as both Queen and Warren embarked on an arduous journey to reach that goal, which saw the duo compete briefly at the now-defunct East Carolina Motor Speedway and win a track championship there.

While Warren still considers the operation underfunded compared to other Late Model Stock programs, he is thrilled with the progress made over the past several years along with Queen’s commitment to understanding all the intricate details necessary to excel on track.

“We didn’t have the best cars or a lot of things we needed early on,” Warren said. “I got behind on a lot of the new stuff, and we couldn’t catch up. I told Brenden at one point that if needed something else to be better, I would move on, but Brenden assured me we would figure it out. It took us until 2019 for us to finally get a great race car and motor. Now we’re contenders to win every week.”

RACING REFERENCE: Career stats for Brenden Queen

The chemistry between Queen and Warren has been on display every race weekend, with the first twin Late Model Stock feature on June 11 being the only time they have not celebrated a victory together at Langley in 2022.

A faulty air gauge forced Queen to pit early in that race for flat tires and settle for an eighth-place run. He and Warren managed to find an air gauge that worked ahead of the second 50-lap feature, which Queen won with relative ease.

Queen admitted the thought of potentially missing out on a perfect season at Langley due to the broken air gauge occasionally bothers him, but he is proud of how 2022 has unfolded and is confident he can hold his own against the best Late Model Stock competition in the southeast on a regular basis.

Saturday’s Hampton Heat presents another opportunity for Queen to showcase his talent following a disappointing Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway, which saw Queen finish in 33^rd due to a mechanical issue.

Even with a larger entry list compared to the event in 2020, Warren believes Queen can become a two-time winner of the Hampton Heat if he can simultaneously conserve his tires and avoid any trouble stemming from 36 cars racing around the small facility.

Queen, who won the Hampton Heat back in 2020, is confident that he can add another victory in Langley Speedway’s most prestigious race to his resume. (Photo: Alex Holt)

“The biggest thing for us is to get through the race without any damage,” Warren said. “The Hampton Heat requires a lot of tire management, and we’re only going to get one set of tires. Everyone will have to manage more, but I feel like it’ll work out in our favor, and it’d be big for Brenden to win that race again.”

A second win in the Hampton Heat is something Queen hopes will allow him to expand his racing career beyond the short tracks of the East Coast.

The only major start for Queen outside of Late Model Stocks came in an ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona International Speedway in 2019, but he remains optimistic over one day earning a ride for another ARCA team, or possibly in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Queen understands it will take tremendous effort to break into the top ranks of NASCAR, but for now, he is content on proving himself with a strong second half at Langley that includes another win in the Hampton Heat.

“It would be a dream come true to [one day race in NASCAR],” Queen said. “I’m working hard to put myself in the right spot and get that perfect opportunity to make everything happen. Hopefully somebody comes along to help me out, but either way, I’m blessed for everything I’ve accomplished so far, and whatever happens in the future, I’ll be happy with it.”

The consistency of Queen at Langley over the past three years has made the “Butterbean” brand synonymous with the legends of the track like Warren, C.E. Falk III, Greg Edwards, Elton Sawyer and so many more.

With a third track title in sight, Queen is eager to keep adding onto his growing legacy and further cement himself as one of the best in Langley’s proud history.

Posted on July 21, 2022July 21, 2022 by Zach Sturniolo

The Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania present the perfect backdrop this weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series.

The “Tricky Triangle” plays host to the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Get ready for race weekend with all the information you need below:

FIND YOUR PLACES, EVERYBODY

Teams will be allotted 15-minute practice sessions on Saturday (2:35 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with the 36 entries divided into Groups A and B.

That precedes single-car, single-lap qualifying (3:20 p.m. ET, USA Network), which will set the starting lineup for Sunday’s M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400. The fastest five drivers from each group will advance to the final round of qualifying, where those 10 drivers will compete for the pole. The fastest lap earns the Busch Light Pole Award.

POCONO HISTORY

— Pocono Raceway became the unintended passion of Drs. Joseph “Doc” and Rose Mattioli. The Mattiolis were each successful doctors in Philadelphia, he a dentist, she a podiatrist. Both were extremely hard working. In 1960, Joe had to operate alone on two patients and afterward had the shakes. He made a snap decision. “I said, ‘The hell with it and from that day on, I didn’t do anything I didn’t enjoy. I learned how to fly, ski, sail — all things I’d wanted to do. I took a year off, then invested in Camelback Ski Area and other Pocono businesses.’”

— One day, a gentleman Doc met in the airport tried to talk him into investing in a local project. Just to get rid of him, Mattioli gave him his card and told him to let me know when he had his next meeting. He called Mattioli six weeks later, and Doc came up and got involved in building a race track. The original investors had optioned 1,025 acres, of a spinach farm, but they didn’t have any money. The Mattiolis guaranteed the mortgage and ended up putting more and more money into the project until eventually they became the majority owners. ‘The track wasn’t my idea. I just got sucked in because I knew it was a good buy on the land. All the money I’d made off my other Pocono businesses went into the race track.”

— After a 0.75-mile oval was originally built in 1968, the first race on the 2.5-mile triangular track was an open-wheel USAC race in 1971, but it was soon followed by nature’s fury: Hurricane Agnes left behind tremendous damage in its path. Soon thereafter, the Pocono Raceway’s very existence was threatened by an economic and energy crisis. Due to the gas shortage and economy in the 1970s, Joe and Rose Mattioli considered selling the track to new owners. Bill France Sr., who took NASCAR to Pocono for the first time in 1974, met with them several times and persuaded them not to sell the track.

— Pocono Raceway is within 90 miles of both Philadelphia and New York and within 200 miles of more than 70 million people.

— Pocono has had a Cup race every year since 1974 and hosted two races a year from 1982-2021.

— The track was repaved for the June 2012 race, the first time since 1995 that the track was resurfaced.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

After an early May tire test, Goodyear returns to Pocono Raceway with two new tire codes for Sunday’s Cup Series race, most notably with a construction change to the right-side tire compared to what teams have been running up to this point with this Next Gen car, according to the company’s press release.

That right-side tire was tested on the track at both Pocono and Charlotte Motor Speedway, resulting in better tire performance, increased grip and added stability.

“This new right-side construction showed promise in early season lab testing as we continued to understand the needs of the Next Gen car,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “We see this gain in performance as significant, as it was a positive on mile-and-a-half tracks, as well as the unique configuration of Pocono, with its three distinct corners.”

POCONO STORY LINES

— Chase Elliott gained 58 points on the driver in second in regular season points over the last five races.

— Ross Chastain’s active six-race streak of top-10 finishes is the longest such streak this season.

— Kyle Larson is on an 18-race winless streak, the longest of his career with Hendrick Motorsports. Larson led on the final lap of last year’s first Pocono race but suffered a flat left-front tire, allowing teammate Alex Bowman to score the win.

— Joe Gibbs Racing is at 198 wins and sits only two wins away from becoming the third team in Cup to reach 200 wins; 104 of its 198 wins came from Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin.

— Fourteen winners through 20 races is tied for the Cup record.

— Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. sit third and fourth in points, respectively, and sit on the playoff bubble with six regular-season races remaining.

Source: Racing Insights

MORE: As playoff spots come off the board, big names will be left out

TRICKING THE ODDSMAKERS?

Chase Elliott has never won a Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway. In fact, his only Pocono triumph came nine years ago in a 2013 ARCA race in which he fended off late charges from Erik Jones.

Nonetheless, Elliott maintains the hot hand on the heels of four straight top-two finishes, making him BetMGM’s favorite heading into the weekend at 7-1 odds.

Don’t let his lack of recent success at the “Tricky Triangle” trick you. He finished outside the top 10 in both of last year’s events and hasn’t led at the 2.5-mile track since 2019, but Elliott was also historically not good at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Then he scored a runner-up finish a week ago. The No. 9 may still be a factor this weekend.

Speaking of Jones, though, perhaps he’s a true dark horse entering the Pocono Mountains at 100-1 odds. Jones’ five top-five finishes at Pocono are his best at any track on the circuit, and his six top 10s tie Darlington Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway as his best in that category. He struggled last year, stringing together two finishes outside the top 20, but his six top-10 finishes this season already tie his 2021 total. The No. 43 Chevrolet could be one to watch 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 (728), Ross Chastain (656) and Ryan Blaney (648).

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 July 21, 2022 by Staff Report

The 2022 ESPYS presented by Capital One celebrated the best athletes, teams and moments in the world of sports Wednesday night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, with reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson among the big winners.

The driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver took home the honor of “Best Driver,” beating out fellow motorsports stars Max Verstappen (Formula One), Steve Torrence (NHRA) and Alex Palou (IndyCar).

MORE: Full list of award winners | Larson through the years

Larson’s 2021 season was one for the ages, claiming a whopping 10 points-paying Cup Series victories — including the Championship 4 season finale at Phoenix Raceway to claim the title — as well as a win in the annual All-Star Race.

NASCAR Hall of Famers and fellow Hendrick alumni Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson each own four ESPY awards for the same distinction, with Larson’s victory being the 19th time a NASCAR driver took home the nod. Kyle Busch is the most recent NASCAR driver to win the award, claiming it in 2019. Kevin Harvick (2015) and Martin Truex Jr. (2018) are the only other active NASCAR drivers to have won an ESPY.

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Staff Report

After a thrilling race on the multi-elevational Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course two weeks ago, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series took last weekend off to prepare for the regular-season finale this weekend at Pocono Raceway – the CRC Brakleen 150 on Saturday at noon ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – and is ready to crown the 2022 regular-season champion and set the 10-driver playoff field.

The following eight drivers have clinched a spot in the 10-driver postseason field: Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Chandler Smith, Stewart Friesen, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes and Carson Hocevar.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the sixth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger or Matt Crafton.

Grant Enfinger: Would clinch with 8 points
Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 37 points
Derek Kraus: Could only clinch with help
Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Derek Kraus or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fifth winless driver in the standings.

Grant Enfinger: Would clinch with 27 points
Matt Crafton: Could only clinch with help
Derek Kraus: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone at Pocono Raceway: Grant Enfinger, Matt Crafton, Derek Kraus, Tyler Ankrum, Matt DiBenedetto, Tanner Gray, Chase Purdy, Colby Howard, Timmy Hill.

The following drivers could clinch with a win:

Lawless Alan: Would clinch with 60 points
Hailie Deegan, Dean Thompson, Austin Wayne Self, Jack Wood, Spencer Boyd and Kris Wright: Could all only clinch with help

Can Clinch Regular-Season Championship

Additionally, the 2022 regular-season championship could be clinched by the following drivers:

Zane Smith: Would clinch with 2 points
John Hunter Nemechek: Could only clinch with help
Chandler Smith: Could only clinch with help

The on-track activity for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Pocono Raceway will begin with practice Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET directly followed by qualifying at 5 p.m. ET. Catch both events on FS1.

Posted on July 20, 2022July 20, 2022 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials penalized the No. 2 Team Penske Ford team Wednesday for a lost wheel during last weekend’s Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Cup Series standings

Austin Cindric had brought the No. 2 Ford to pit road for service during the Stage 2 intermission of Sunday’s Ambetter 301. Shortly after leaving his pit stall, the left-front wheel detached from his car and rolled down pit road.

The infraction fell under the NASCAR Rule Book Sections 8.8.10.4 and 10.5.2.6 (loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle). As a result, competition officials issued four-race suspensions to crew chief Jeremy Bullins, plus crew members Curtis Thompson (front tire changer) and Patrick Gray (jack).

In a similar situation nearly a week and a half ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway, competition officials opted against penalizing the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team for a wheel that became dislodged on pit road. Elton Sawyer — NASCAR’s vice president of officiating and technical inspection — said in a Tuesday appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that the No. 2 team’s infraction came under different circumstances.

“The amount of speed that the tire is carrying down pit road, did it impede another competitor — all of those things go into the decision-making and obviously the distance that one tire traveled on pit road, the 20 car versus what the 2 car was significantly different,” Sawyer told SiriusXM. “So although the optics are a loss of wheel on pit road, the two scenarios are quite a bit different. We’ll continue to dissect that and look at it. Again, we don’t want to over-officiate, but tires coming off is a huge safety concern and we just have to make sure that we’re handling that correctly. So we’ll continue to have dialogue internally … but they are two different situations for sure.”

Posted on July 20, 2022July 21, 2022 by Brandon White

Following a wild Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway, the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown continues Saturday evening with Langley Speedway’s prestigious Hampton Heat 200.

Located adjacent to NASA’s Langley Research Center, several racing careers have taken flight at the facility since its inception back in 1950 as a dirt track. Among the drivers who have a Langley track championship on their resumes are Tommy Ellis, Lennie Pond, Ray Hendrick and Elton Sawyer.

Although Langley has not hosted a NASCAR Cup Series race since 1970, the track still hosts plenty of races for several different sanctioning bodies and features a competitive weekly division, with the Hampton Heat serving as the crown jewel race every summer.

Langley will have plenty of representation from its regular Late Model Stock competitors in Saturday’s 200-lap feature, all of whom will look to fend off many of the best drivers from the southeast and add their name to the prestigious list of Hampton Heat winners.

Below is everything you need to know about the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway.

Among the 36 entries for the Hampton Heat 200 include track champions Greg Edwards (left) and Brenden Queen (right). (Photo: Langley Speedway)

What TV channel is the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway on?

All the on-track action for the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway can be viewed live on FloRacing, the official streaming home for all NASCAR Roots properties.

The racing action will not be shown on a television network.

Below is the complete schedule for FloRacing’s coverage of the Hampton Heat 200.

Date	Start time	How to watch
Saturday, July 23, 2022	6 p.m. ET	FloRacing

Complete schedule for the Hampton Heat 200

This year’s Hampton Heat 200 will take place on Saturday, July 23.

Four different divisions encompass the on-track action for the Hampton Heat, which included features for Langley’s UCAR, Super Street and Super Truck classes. Wrapping up the evening will be the 200-lap Late Model Stock race.

Below is the complete race-day schedule at Langley Speedway.

Time	Event
11 a.m. ET	LMSC gates open
11:15 a.m. ET	LMSC inspection line open
11:30 a.m. ET	LMSC driver, crew chief, spotter meeting
12:30 p.m. ET	LMSC open practice
2 p.m. ET	LMSC qualifying tires released
3:30 p.m. ET	LMSC work complete, all cars head to inspection
4:30 p.m. ET	LMSC Hampton Heat 200 qualifying (scuff-green-white-checkered)
5:15 p.m. ET	LMSC autograph session
5:30 p.m. ET	LMSC haulers removed from infield
6:30 p.m. ET	Support division feature races
7:00 p.m. ET	LMSC final work session
8:15 p.m. ET	LMSC driver introductions
8:30 p.m. ET	LMSC pre-race ceremonies
8:45 p.m. ET	Hampton Heat 200

Official format for the Hampton Heat 200

Saturday’s Hampton Heat 200 will be divided into two segments, each lasting approximately 100 laps in length.

During the second segment, a controlled caution will be thrown at or around Lap 150. Teams have the option to stay out during this caution or come into the pits and make adjustments but are not allowed to add any additional fuel to the car.

Four tires will be allotted for the Hampton Heat. Caution laps will count except during the halfway break and the controlled yellow in the second segment.

Below is the segment breakdown for the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway.

Stage No.	Laps
Stage 1	100 laps (approx., halfway break)
Stage 2	100 laps (approx., controlled caution around Lap 150)

Hampton Heat 200 entry list

Three dozen drivers are currently entered for Saturday’s Hampton Heat 200.

Leading the contingent of Langley track regulars is points leader and defending track champion Brenden Queen, who has only lost one race at the track so far this year. Queen, who won the Hampton Heat back in 2020, will be joined on the entry list by other Langley champions such as Matt Waltz, Greg Edwards and Danny Edwards Jr.

The Langley regulars will have to fend off a talented field of outsiders to keep the Hampton Heat 200 trophy inside the city. Among them are Layne Riggs and the most recent Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion Peyton Sellers, who are currently separated by just 36 points in the national standings.

Current Virginia Triple Crown points leader Jacob Borst is looking for another strong run Saturday evening. A local regular at South Boston, Borst will have to quickly adapt to Langley’s flat surface to stay ahead of Sellers, Riggs, Bobby McCarty and the rest of the drivers committed to all three legs of the series.

Below is the complete entry list for Saturday’s Hampton Heat 200.

Car No.	Driver
0	Landon Pembelton
01	Camden Gullie
03	Brenden Queen
05	Mason Bailey
2	Brandon Pierce
2	Matt Waltz
5	Carter Langley
8	Carson Kvapil
12	Austin Thaxton
14	Jared Fryar
21	Greg Edwards
22	Bobby McCarty
24	Mason Diaz
25	Jacob Borst
25	Craig Eastep
26	Danny Edwards Jr.
26	Peyton Sellers
29	Casey Wyatt
31	Cole Bruce
41	Davey Callihan
41	Woody Howard
42	Chris Horton Jr.
44	Conner Jones
51	Ryan Matthews
55	Mark Wertz
72	Dean Shiflett
72	Jordan Wood
77	Connor Hall
78	Matt Carter
81	Mini Tyrrell
88	Thomas Marks
90	Terry Carroll
91	Justin Carroll
95	Sam Yarbrough
99	Layne Riggs

Among the drivers who have visited Victory Lane in the Hampton Heat 200 include Josh Berry, Peyton Sellers and C.E. Falk III, the latter of which has three victories in the race. (Photo: Langley Speedway)

Hampton Heat 200 history, winners

The local heroes of Langley have fared well against outside competition since the inception of the Hampton Heat 200 back in 2008.

In the 13-year history of the event, four-time track champion C.E. Falk III has been the most successful driver. Falk won the Hampton Heat two consecutive years in 2010 and 2011 before adding one last victory to his resume in 2014.

Falk is not among the drivers entered for Saturday’s Hampton Heat, nor is the most recent winner of the event in Josh Berry. Despite this, the field still includes five past winners in Sellers, Queen, McCarty, Connor Hall and Woody Howard.

Langley regulars and short track veterans alike will look to write their own Hampton Heat 200 history on Saturday in what is bound to be one of the most grueling Late Model Stock events of the year under the tumultuous summer heat.

Below is the complete list of winners in the Hampton Heat 200.

Year	Winner
2008	Nick Smith
2009	Woody Howard
2010	C.E. Falk III
2011	C.E. Falk III
2012	Matt Bowling
2013	Peyton Sellers
2014	C.E. Falk III
2015	Lee Pulliam
2016	Not held
2017	Bobby McCarty
2018	Philip Morris
2019	Connor Hall
2020	Brenden Queen
2021	Josh Berry

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Team Release

LAS VEGAS — NAPA reached a multi-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports that will continue its 26-race majority sponsorship of 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and current points leader Chase Elliott.

The renewal was announced Wednesday in Las Vegas during the general session of the 2022 NAPA EXPO, which attracts more than 13,000 vendors, employees, store owners and NAPA AutoCare Center professionals. To share the news, Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and team vice chairman Jeff Gordon joined Marti Walsh, NAPA vice president of marketing, on stage at the Venetian Convention and Expo Center.

“We could not be more excited to extend our relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and Chase Elliott, especially in a year when we are reigniting our brand to meet the demands of the future,” Walsh said. “Hendrick Motorsports and Chase have long been part of the NAPA family and their passion and energy will be an important part of our journey in the years ahead.”

NAPA became Elliott’s primary sponsor in 2014. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has since earned two NASCAR national series championships: the Xfinity Series in 2014 and the Cup Series in 2020. After his full-time move to the elite Cup level in 2016, the 26-year-old has won 16 points-paying races, most recently at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 10.

“None of this is possible without NAPA,” Elliott said. “I’m so thankful for their commitment to our team and their passion for what we do every weekend. I’ve been lucky to meet a lot of great folks from across the country who work for NAPA. All of us are really proud to represent a company that takes care of its employees and its customers and is driven to be successful in every aspect. I’m looking forward to what’s to come and celebrating more wins together.”

After 20 starts in 2022, Elliott sits atop the Cup standings with a series-best three points-paying race wins. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has clinched his seventh playoff appearance in as many full seasons at NASCAR’s top level, all with crew chief Alan Gustafson. Fans have voted him NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for four consecutive years (2018-21).

“We take immense pride in our association with NAPA,” Hendrick said. “When you have a partner that has been so committed to our sport for so many years, it’s incredibly rewarding to see them win races, win championships and experience great success in their business. Chase, Alan and our entire organization are focused on raising the bar and delivering more victories for NAPA in all areas of our relationship.”