Posted on July 8, 2022 by Cameron Richardson

Typically, “Game 7” is used in reference to a do-or-die contest in a sports league’s postseason already in progress.

But for a handful of drivers heading to Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the phrase should be in the minds of those needing a win to clinch a playoff berth.

No driver is arguably more in need to turn his season around than Bubba Wallace.

To say the least, it’s not the year the 28-year-old or 23XI Racing expected from the second-year No. 23 Toyota team.

Halfway through the 2022 season, Wallace has only compiled two top-10 finishes with his lone top-five result coming at the season-opening Daytona 500. In 10 of the 18 races this year, he’s finished outside the top 20.

Wallace’s average finish of 22.0 ranks 27th among full-timers, below that of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (21.4), Ty Dillon (21.2) and Justin Haley (18.9). Dillon returned to the Cup Series full-time with the newly-merged Petty GMS Racing while Haley is running his first full Cup season with Kaulig Racing.

The results trend is still going in the wrong direction for Wallace, as he’s DNF’d in four of the last seven races.

Combined with the poor finishes, there have been some hiccups with his pit crew.

Slow stops, tire issues and penalties have thwarted great runs for the No. 23 team at times and while Wallace recovered with a top 10 at Kansas Speedway and a 12th-place run at Nashville Superspeedway, it didn’t stop him from lashing out at the team over his radio after in-race mistakes.

The recent pit-crew criticisms have led to a swap of crew members between Wallace and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell.

This is Wallace’s fifth full year in the Cup Series and he’s yet to break through into the postseason. However, with his track record at superspeedways, Sunday provides Wallace with a golden opportunity to turn a so-far frustrating season into a fresh slate for the second half and playoff push.

It’s no secret that Wallace has a knack for running well on superspeedways.

Below is a breakdown of his superspeedway history.

TRACK	STARTS	TOP FIVES	TOP 10s	LAPS LED	WINS
Daytona	10	4	4	21	0
Talladega	9	1	1	53	1
Atlanta (reconfigured)	1	0	0	3	0

Wallace owns two runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500 and was second to Ryan Blaney in last year’s regular-season finale at Daytona. Atlanta’s re-profiled 1.54-mile layout will use the same superspeedway rules configuration as the larger ovals at Daytona and Talladega.

While there’s not a large sample size on the reconfigured Atlanta oval, Wallace should be aggressive in working his way to the front of the pack as he spent more than two-thirds of the spring race inside the top 15, according to NASCAR’s loop data.

The reason why Wallace should view Sunday as a “do-or-die” for his playoff hopes is that the stretch of tracks coming up before the regular-season finale at Daytona don’t favor him, to put it kindly.

Two road courses are among the next six races after Atlanta — a style of track where Wallace has yet to find comfort.

Here is a breakdown of Wallace’s history at the six races following Atlanta.

TRACK	STARTS	TOP 10s	LAPS LED	AVG. FINISH
New Hampshire	4	0	0	23.8
Pocono	9	1	7	22.3
Indy Road Course	1	0	0	13.0
Michigan	8	1	0	20.6
Richmond	8	0	0	25.1
Watkins Glen	3	0	0	25.3

Of the eight races Wallace has participated in at Richmond, he’s only finished on the lead lap once and that came in the fall of 2019 where he scored his best finish at the 0.75-mile oval of 12th.

A winless Sunday wouldn’t be a complete loss of hope for the No. 23 team with several races still before Daytona closes out the regular season, but time is running out for Wallace if he and his team have a goal of reaching the playoffs. Now might be his best time to strike.

According to BetMGM, Wallace is a popular pick to win Atlanta with 6.8% of the handle, which is fourth-highest among all drivers.

Wallace enters Sunday 25th in the points standings — 177 points below the playoff cutline.

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Sponsored Content

Brittney Zamora is one of NASCAR’s most dynamic rising stars. As a second-generation driver and one of the inaugural participants in the Busch Light Accelerate Her program, Zamora is just starting to rev her engine on her speedy path to success.

From early on, Zamora was encouraged by her family to pursue motorsports and follow her dream to become one of the all-time top drivers in NASCAR. Throughout her career, she has won various championships, broken track records and received a multitude of awards ranging from Rookie of the Year to the prestigious NASCAR Wendall Scott Trailblazer Award. Zamora currently races the No. 25 Pro Late Model for Rackley W.A.R., and is competing full-time in the Show Me The Money series at the Montgomery Motor Speedway.

By joining forces with Busch Light through the Accelerate Her program, Zamora aims to break the stereotypes that many women face in a male-dominated sport. She recalls having trouble securing meaningful brand support at the beginning of her career and facing more obstacles than her competitors. Ultimately, this pushed her to become an even stronger competitor, making a name for herself on and off the track.

“Throughout my career, I’ve struggled with exposure due to a lack of brand support, so having a brand like Busch Light that is so prominent in NASCAR backing me is huge,” Zamora said. “This support from Busch Light is helping to set me up for success in a way that I haven’t before. I’m excited to continue growing with this support and establish a long-lasting relationship with one of the biggest supporters of NASCAR — Busch Light.”

ABOUT THE BUSCH LIGHT ACCELERATE HER PROGRAM

The Busch Light Accelerate Her Program is a three-year commitment that takes aim at the inequity of resources available to women drivers by investing directly in every 21+ woman driver in NASCAR, providing brand-building opportunities to increase fan visibility of drivers and the sport. The Busch Light Accelerate Her program is the next step in a proud, 40-year partnership between Busch Light and NASCAR that has propelled the sport forward, bringing fans closer to the action and expanding NASCAR throughout the U.S. Busch Light asks that fans show their support by heading to Busch.com/accelerateher where they can learn more about the inaugural drivers, including Natalie, that are receiving this opportunity.

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Zach Sturniolo

Dave Alpern, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, left no words minced: The team intends to have Kyle Busch back in the No. 18 Toyota for the 2023 Cup Series season along with Ty Gibbs back in the Xfinity Series.

What muddies those plans is the lack of signed contracts midway through the 2022 season.

Busch, the only active multi-time Cup champion on the circuit, is losing longtime sponsor Mars, Inc. at the end of the season. In a Thursday teleconference, Alpern noted the search for the two-time titlist’s replacement sponsor remains ongoing.

“We’ve been pretty consistent since the end of last season, which is we want Kyle to be in the (No.) 18 car and that’s our plan,” Alpern said. “We’re still working on sponsorship, and as much interest as there is in our sport, these take a long time. And admittedly, this one’s taking a little longer than we thought. It’s not for lack of interest. It’s just trying to get everything put together. So those will probably happen in parallel. And, again, we’re hoping to get something decided here in the very near future.”

Those discussions persist while Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, continues to impress in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he has amassed four wins this year, equalling last year’s total in two less series starts. Perhaps his most impressive triumph came July 2 at Road America, where he executed a clean, late pass on defending Cup champion Kyle Larson to claim the victory.

“Obviously, Ty’s done really, really, really good,” Alpern said. “This last weekend, I gotta be honest, was exciting to see him race against a Cup champion. Look, there’s a lot of interest in Ty for a number of reasons. He’s a great driver. He’s a great kid. It’s been fun. So I think the timetable for us is to continue. We don’t want to push him too fast. There are no specific plans beyond this year in reference to a Cup race or whatever. We’re just kind of trying to play out the year and see if he can go win or can compete for an Xfinity championship this year. And he’s got four wins and he’s doing really well.”

Asked more directly if the program’s intent is to keep Gibbs in the second-tiered Xfinity Series for 2023, Alpern said: “Yes, that would be the plan. That is Plan A.”

The only apparent opening for a Plan B — moving Gibbs to Cup — would be the No. 18 Toyota, which Busch has operated since 2008 and where he’s earned 56 of his 60 career Cup wins.

Alpern indicated no concern in getting Busch re-signed with the proper partners in place.

“What we do is get sponsors. I mean, we’ve been doing that for 30 years. We’re in the business,” Alpern said. “I think it’s not a matter of just slapping something on the car. It’s finding a partnership that makes sense. And so we’re just trying to find the right fit.”

But for now, the dotted line sits blank.

“We have every intention (of re-signing Busch),” Alpern said. “Pro sports — look, things happen. Carl Edwards retired on the week of Christmas one year, so trying to speculate what’s going to happen? Things happen. But the plan is we feel confident there’ll be a good partner on that car for next year.

“And, again, the hope is that Kyle Busch will be in it.”

MORE: Ty Gibbs on Stacking Pennies

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Holly Cain

NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series makes its Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course debut in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — the third and final road-course event of the season.

Current championship leader Zane Smith won the first road-course race of the year at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas (COTA), and NASCAR Cup Series regular Kyle Busch took the trophy more recently at Sonoma Raceway, with Smith finishing runner-up.

NASCAR held eight Xfinity Series races at Mid-Ohio, as recently as last season. This weekend, one of those winners, Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks, will compete again at the 2.258-mile, 13-turn circuit in Lexington, Ohio.

Saturday’s race marks the final leg of the Triple Truck Challenge incentive program. Corey Heim, who is making selected 2022 starts for Kyle Busch Motorsports, can pocket an extra $150,000 should he match his win at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway back in June with a victory at Mid-Ohio. Any other driver to win would take an extra $50,000 as part of the popular program.

With only two races remaining to set the 10-driver Camping World Truck Series Playoff field, Smith leads all championship-eligible drivers with three race wins and 12 top 10s in 14 races — and holds a 21-point advantage on John Hunter Nemechek in the standings. The Regular Season Championship concludes July 23 at Pocono Raceway with the top-10 drivers earning playoff eligibility.

Only 53 points separate the top six drivers in the standings. Ben Rhodes, the 2021 series champion, is currently in third place, 30 points behind Smith.

Zane Smith, Nemechek and Rhodes all have previous road-course wins. Smith has the win (COTA) and runner-up (Sonoma) this year. Nemechek was runner-up at COTA this year and won at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in 2016. And Rhodes won on the Daytona Road Course last season.

There is an hour-long practice session Friday morning followed by two rounds of Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 3:35 p.m. ET (FS1).

Posted on July 7, 2022July 19, 2022 by Staff Report

Chase Briscoe predicted an intense and wild ride at the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway’s first NASCAR Cup Series event, the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, earlier this year.

It would be crazy, predicted Kyle Busch. Denny Hamlin didn’t know what to expect at the 62-year-old track, nor did Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon and dozens of other drivers who grew accustomed to three and four-wide racing atop the worn asphalt.

It was an intense, wild, crazy, and unpredictable ride with 46 lead changes — from 20 different drivers — as William Byron won his third career Cup Series race. And four months later, the online betting markets appear braced for more chaos.

In NASCAR odds at BetMGM, four drivers opened as co-favorites for the Quaker State 400; Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Byron all sat at +1000. Byron and Hamlin have since dropped to +1100, but if it holds until Sunday, it will be the first race this season without a driver inside +1000 for race-winner odds.

And with five more drivers stacked closely behind at +1200 — Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain — and +1400 — Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano – it could be the tightest odds of the season.

Featured matchup betting reflects oddsmakers’ reluctance to draw lines in the sand, or perhaps more appropriately, lines in the meticulously manicured asphalt, which was replaced immediately following last year’s Quaker State 400. This was designed to produce pack racing similar to Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

One week after pricing multiple heavy favorites for the Kwik Trip 250, BetMGM doesn’t have a featured matchup favorite above -140 this weekend.

Ryan Blaney (-130) vs. Martin Truex Jr. (+100)

Winner of the 2021 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, Ryan Blaney finished 17th in March after three straight top-five finishes at Atlanta, part of a strong run for Ford drivers over the last five years.

Blaney is tied with Denny Hamlin for the most top-five finishes at Atlanta, Daytona, and Talladega (seven) over the last 15 races at those three tracks. Truex isn’t far behind, though, with five top-five finishes in those races, including a third-place finish in last year’s Quaker State 400.

As of Thursday, Truex is dominating public betting in this matchup; he has 95% of the tickets and 93% of the handle.

Tyler Reddick (-125) vs. Austin Dillon (-105)

One week removed from his first career NASCAR Cup Series win, Tyler Reddick is seeking to join only five other drivers with multiple wins this season. The 26-year-old driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet has never posted back-to-back top-five finishes in his Cup Series career, something Austin Dillon has done only once in his nine full seasons.

Reddick isn’t a popular pick in race-winner betting — with only 2.1% of the tickets and 2% of the handle — but he has 65% of the handle in the head-to-head with Austin Dillon.

Kevin Harvick (-120) vs. Brad Keselowski (-110)

There was nothing better than Atlanta’s old asphalt, Kevin Harvick said before the race in March, which ended with his worst finish (21st) at the track since 2010.

Harvick is now 21 years removed from his first win at Atlanta Motor Speedway — in the 2001 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500, his third career Cup Series start — and after last week’s 10th-place finish, he will carry a 61-race winless drought into Sunday’s race. It’s the second-longest drought of his 22-year career.

Harvick is currently commanding two of every three tickets and 90% of the handle against Brad Keselowski in featured matchup betting.

Bubba Wallace (-140) vs. Michael McDowell (+110)

This feels like the week Bubba Wallace has been waiting for.

Struggling for consistent contention with the No. 23 Toyota, Wallace raced well at Atlanta in March (13th), Daytona in February (second), and Talladega last October (first). He did swap two crew members with Christopher Bell ahead of this weekend’s race.

Wallace is a popular pick to win the race — with 6.8% of the handle, fourth-highest among all drivers — and finish ahead of Michael McDowell. Wallace has 88% of the handle over the 37-year-old who finished eighth last weekend in Wisconsin.

You can view updated Quaker State 400 odds and more online sports betting opportunities at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Posted on July 7, 2022July 7, 2022 by Adam Fenwick

Danny Bohn’s family has a long history at New Jersey’s Wall Stadium Speedway.

His grandfather, Parker Bohn, and father, Eddie Bohn, were both winners at the historic third-mile, high-banked paved oval long before the youngest member of the Bohn racing family turned laps at the track.

This Saturday, the Bohn name returns to Wall Stadium Speedway as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour rolls into town for the first time since 2019. Bohn, who will pilot the No. 65 Modified owned by Scott Brannick, is among those on the entry list for Saturday’s Jersey Shore 150.

The last time Bohn raced with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour also happens to be the last time the Tour visited Wall Stadium Speedway. Bohn started ninth and finished 27th at the track in 2019.

That event represents one of Bohn’s three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts, which is surprising given Bohn made a name for himself racing Modifieds. He just didn’t do it in the Northeast.

RELATED: Wall entry list | Race preview

Bohn’s career skyrocketed once he began racing in the Southeast. In 2014, he did something few Northern drivers in history have ever done: win a track championship at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

He hasn’t stopped winning at Bowman Gray. Despite branching out into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series the last few years, Bohn has made a point to continue racing at Bowman Gray as often as he can.

In fact, he opened the 2022 season at Bowman Gray Stadium in winning fashion by dominating the Hayes Jewelers 200 on April 23. It was his first victory in the track’s biggest race and was his 16th overall at the flat quarter-mile oval.

Now the question is whether Bohn can translate the success he’s enjoyed in the Southeast into a winning drive Saturday night at Wall Stadium Speedway.

He’s enjoyed success at Wall Stadium Speedway before. He won the track’s annual Turkey Derby event in 2006 and claimed a pair of Modified track championships at Wall Stadium Speedway early in his career.

Bohn could hardly be considered the favorite to win the Jersey Shore 150, but he shouldn’t be counted out, either.

Jersey Shore 150 marks season halfway point

The Jersey Shore 150 at Wall Stadium Speedway will officially mark the halfway point of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

Through seven events this year, Ron Silk has utilized consistency to secure his spot at the top of the Tour standings.

Despite being winless thus far this year, Silk has not finished outside the top 10. That, combined with four top-five finishes, has given him an 18-point advantage in the standings ahead of his closest pursuer, Eric Goodale, who has one top-five and five top-10 finishes so far.

However, behind the top two, there are several other contenders lurking.

Jon McKennedy and Tommy Catalano are tied for third in the standings, 22 points off the pace set by Silk. McKennedy and Catalano each have a runner-up finish this year, but neither have managed to find Victory Lane.

The biggest threat to Silk’s position may very well be the man who sits fifth in the standings. That man is three-time and defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, who is 33 points behind Silk despite having two wins this season.

Bonsignore’s victories, which came at Richmond Raceway and Monadnock Speedway, have helped him make up a deficit created by poor finishes at New Smyrna Speedway and Riverhead Raceway earlier this year.

With half of the season left, anything could happen.

Dave Sapienza, driver of the No. 36 SAP Enterprises Modified, during the Duel at the Dog 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Monadnock Speedway on June 19, 2022 in Winchester, New Hampshire. (Photo: Nick Grace/NASCAR)

Sapienza returns to Wall in search of improvement

Dave Sapienza had a good race the last time the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visited Wall Stadium Speedway in 2019.

Sapienza, a native of Riverhead, New York, finished fifth that day. It represents one of only nine top-five finishes that Sapienza has earned through 95 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.

With any luck, Sapienza will be able to make it an even 10 by the time Saturday night is over.

Sapienza has struggled for speed this season. Despite sitting ninth in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings, Sapienza has failed to register one top-10 finish in seven starts this year.

He has been, however, consistent in the finishes he has achieved. His best finish of the season is 13th at Lee USA Speedway, and he has finished no worse than 18th all year.

Perhaps he’ll be able to turn that consistency into a strong run in the Jersey Shore 150 on Saturday evening.

Notes:

Two drivers, Anthony Sesley and Jack Ely, will be making their NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debuts Saturday night at Wall Stadium Speedway.
In addition to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Jersey Shore 150, Wall Stadium Speedway will also hold races for three weekly divisions Saturday. The Sportsman, Factory Stock and Legend Car division will also be in action.
Andrew Krause, who is the defending Wall Stadium Speedway Modified division champion, is scheduled to compete Saturday. His family has operated Wall Stadium Speedway since 2011.

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Sean Montgomery

As the race for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs heats up, the series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at the revamped Georgia circuit.

Before the green flag waves (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), make sure you are up to speed on some important details.

SETTING THE LINEUP

Earlier this season, Cup Series teams participated in a 50-minute practice session before the first Atlanta race. This weekend, teams will only participate in two-round, single-lap qualifying. Split into two groups, A and B, the fastest five from each will move on to the Busch Light Pole Award round, setting the starting lineup for Sunday’s race.

ATLANTA HISTORY

— Atlanta Motor Speedway has hosted 116 races in the Cup Series, placing it seventh on the all-time list. Fireball Roberts won the first race here in July 1960.

— Atlanta held two races a year from 1960-2010 except for 1961 when three races were held. Atlanta held one race a year from 2011-20, and starting in 2021 Atlanta again hosted two races a year.

— This season’s renovations mark the track’s first repave since 1997 and also tightened the corner width from 55 feet to 40 feet and increased the banking from 24 degrees to 28.

— The last 15 Atlanta races were won by five organizations: Hendrick Motorsports (5), Team Penske (4), Stewart-Haas Racing (3), Joe Gibbs Racing (2) and Chip Ganassi Racing.

— Kyle Larson has led 419 laps at Atlanta, securing his spot as the all-time lap leader at the track who has not won a race. Geoff Bodine is second with 391 laps led.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

With the series returning to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second time this year, the race package remains the same and the teams should be more familiar with it this time around. The offseason repave placed the middle-Georgia track in the superspeedway classification with Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, meaning Cup teams will field cars with 510 horsepower and a seven-inch-tall spoiler, as opposed to 670 horsepower and a four-inch blade at other intermediate tracks.

“The one advantage we have in the Cup Series at Atlanta this week is that these teams already have a race under their belts at this track with this package,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Having said that, that also means that teams have had four months to learn this car, study this package and improve their cars. The challenges that Atlanta now presents have not changed since the last race in March, and along with the repave and increase in banking, the smooth track surface will not naturally wear tires much at all.

“Tire wear and the dissipation of heat is important in racing because as the tire wears, it sheds rubber and that helps keep the tire cooler and performing at a more optimal level. We’ve specifically designed our tires for Atlanta to operate in these low-wear conditions, both with the formulation of the tread compounds as well as the tread depth.”

ATLANTA STORY LINES

— With the regular-season championship up for grabs and 15 playoff points on the line, the top three drivers are separated by just 35 points in the standings.

— Kyle Larson is on a 16-race winless streak; the longest of his tenure with Hendrick Motorsports.

— The pass for the win came in the final 10 laps in 12 of the 18 races in 2022, including the spring race at Atlanta.

— Twenty different drivers led a lap in the March 2022 race, the most ever at Atlanta.

— If Kurt Busch wins at Atlanta with Toyota, he will tie Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison for the most different makes with a win at the track.

Source: Racing Insights

GIDDY UP, DARK HORSES

Normally, a superspeedway-style race would struggle to find a dominant driver in the field. But in March, William Byron led an incredible 111 laps en route to an impressive victory. Unsurprisingly, Byron opens tied for first on this Sunday’s BetMGM betting oddsboard at 10-1. So, will the co-favorite dominate again? Or will another driver rise to the occasion?

Two very consistent drivers slotted in behind Byron with the second- and third-most laps led in March: Ross Chastain (42) and Chase Elliott (29). Both drivers are in a fight for the regular-season title and cannot afford a bad day at Atlanta. As close as they are in the title fight, they are even closer on the oddsboard. Elliott opens at 10-1, co-favorite, with Chastain on his heels at 12-1.

But there is also incredible value to be found down the line.

Corey LaJoie showed strong will and determination in this year’s first race, finishing fifth overall in by far his strongest race of the season. At 125-1 odds, LaJoie is arguably the best longshot on the board. Recent superspeedway winners Bubba Wallace (14-1) and Michael McDowell (33-1) present good value, but will not surprise too many people if they find Victory Lane this time around.

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 (618), Ryan Blaney (583) and Ross Chastain (578).

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 7, 2022July 7, 2022 by Jerry Bonkowski

Editor’s note: This story first published on June 22, 2021:

One of the best complementing experiences of attending a NASCAR race is camping near a race track. Both before and after a race, the interaction between fans — creating new friendships and renewing old friendships, as well — is a celebration of NASCAR, camaraderie and limitless fun.

There’s a definite joy of sitting around a campsite talking with fellow fans about memorable past races, favorite (and sometimes not-so-favorite) drivers, and swapping tales — all the while enjoying a drink or meal, maybe even toasting some marshmallows over a campfire.

While camping can run the gamut from pitching a pup tent to “roughing it” in a six-figure motor home, like with the old American Express commercials, there are certain things you just shouldn’t leave home without.

As part of NASCAR’s Summer Family Fun initiative, here are 10 helpful tips for novice campers to make the overall experience all the more enjoyable and rewarding:

1. The biggest must-have of all: bug spray! Whether you’re camping outside places like Bristol Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway or Talladega Superspeedway, always make sure to pack bug spray to shoo away pests like mosquitos, bees, wasps and especially ants! Don’t forget: pests love camping, too! They consider it an all-you-can-eat buffet, be it your food or, in the case of “skeeters,” your blood. Keep a can of bug spray in your bag, and don’t forget the suntan lotion.

2. Practice makes perfect: If you’re a camping newbie, DO NOT wait until you get to your campsite to figure out how to pitch your tent. Even if the instructions say you can be in business in five minutes or less, don’t believe it if you have zero prior experience. Make several practice runs while still at home on learning a quick, efficient way to erect and take down your new tent. Also, put silicone treatment on both the inside and outside of your tent to make sure it’s as waterproof as possible.

3. It’s all about location, location, location: Make sure you pitch your tent on as level ground as you can find, and bring along two tarps or indoor/outdoor rugs, one that can essentially serve as your “living room” outside the tent, and another tarp for the interior of the tent to rest your sleeping bags upon and stay clean and dry. Lastly, if you can camp in locations that offer amenities including hot showers, clean restrooms, and some that even offer wi-fi connections, you’ll have nearly all the comforts of home.

4. Getting a charge out of life, Part 1: Don’t forget a portable battery-powered radio — preferably one that includes a weather band (and alarm for approaching bad weather alerts) — and plenty of batteries. A radio not only keeps you connected with the news of the world and Motor Racing Network’s or Performance Racing Network’s broadcasts of NASCAR races, but it also keeps you informed of weather in your immediate area. If a storm front is moving in, a radio will help you prepare for what’s to come, as well as allow time to seek shelter, if need be. Also, make sure you have at least a couple of flashlights (again, with plenty of backup battery power) or lanterns to show you the way in the darkness. One clever amenity we’ve seen numerous campers use is to hang glow sticks to give a more comforting ambient light atmosphere around the campsite.

5. Getting a charge out of life, Part 2: Be it talking, texting, checking email and social media, surfing the web or playing games, we love our cell phones. Unfortunately, the more we use our phones, the quicker the battery life dries up. Our best suggestion: invest in not one but two portable phone battery chargers. And like your phone, make sure they’re fully charged before you leave home because it’s easy to forget there isn’t a wall plug or power strip that’s accessible when you’re in your tent.

6. Pack extra food and snacks (and ice!): Your campsite menu plans are only limited by your imagination, from simple staples such as hamburgers and hot dogs, on up to ribs, steaks, chicken and more. Always bring more than enough non-perishables (aka canned food) in case you wind up staying an extra day or two, plus plenty of chips and other snacks to nibble on when you get the munchies (but be careful about leaving candy around, as the ants will descend upon you quicker than a mid-winter blizzard), plus plenty of water and other liquids to remain hydrated. Don’t forget your cooler and lots of ice (or ice substitutes such as freeze packs and the like) to keep drinks, meats and other perishables cool and prevent spoilage. And bring several rolls of paper towels.

7. Pack extra clothes and blankets: Even if you camp for just one night, make sure to have plenty of blankets, pillows and extra dry clothes (including a jacket) in case you get stuck in the middle of a monsoon, your tent leaks or the 90-degree mid-afternoon temperature suddenly drops to 40 degrees at night, particularly in some of the more hilly areas near tracks such as Pocono, Bristol and New Hampshire. And don’t forget one folding chair apiece for everyone in your camping party.

8. Bring extra cash, just in case: Even if you’re the most prepared camper in the world, there’s always the chance of unexpected expenses that can occur at the worst of times. Plus, what’s going camping if you can’t bring home a few racing souvenirs from the track, right? One key tip: if you take extra cash, make sure it’s in your wallet only and that the wallet never leaves your sight or possession.

9. If possible, keep your vehicle close by: Unless you’re in a motor home or trailer, having your vehicle parked close by allows an element of enhanced safety from both stormy weather as well as if a local bear or other wildlife wanders into your campsite (which admittedly is rare). And if your sleeping bag proves too hard to get some decent sleep, there’s always the comfort of your car or truck to get some zzzzz’s.

10. Don’t be a litter bug: Bring plenty of garbage bags to clean up after yourself. Leave your campsite as you found it: clean! One other important thing: make sure that if you built one, that your campfire is completely extinguished before you leave. To paraphrase a line from Smokey The Bear, only YOU can prevent campsite fires!

Oh yes, one more thing — and perhaps the most important thing to pack of all: don’t forget your race tickets!

Posted on July 6, 2022July 7, 2022 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials penalized Noah Gragson after rough driving during last Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Road America, docking him 30 points in the drivers’ standings and fining him $35,000 for violating Sections 4.4.C&E: NASCAR Member Code of Conduct. JR Motorsports also was hit with a 30-point deduction in the owner standings.

Gragson remains in fourth place in the Xfinity Series standings, but his gap over teammate Josh Berry in fifth place has been reduced to five points. Gragson is a two-time winner this season, with victories at Phoenix and Talladega.

Gragson was a central figure in touching off a 13-car crash during the Henry 180, making retaliatory contact with his No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in a battle with Alpha Prime Racing’s Sage Karam. The aftermath of Gragson’s bump clogged the track in the Moraine Sweep section of the 4.048-mile course in the 25th of 48 laps, and Brandon Brown was shaken up in the wreck.

Gragson was not penalized during the race, but he was summoned to the Xfinity Series hauler for a post-race consultation with competition officials. Tuesday morning, Elton Sawyer — NASCAR’s vice president of officiating and technical inspection — hinted in an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that punishment was possible with the release of the midweek penalty report.

“We have additional information post-race that we didn’t have immediately after the race when we were speaking with Noah,” Sawyer told SiriusXM. “So again, we’ll look at it internally (Tuesday), what we’ve done in the past and in similar situations, but all things are on the table. And during the event, you know, it could rise to a level that you park a vehicle. It can rise to a level that we hold them for several laps. In this particular case, you know, we elected to speak with Noah post-race to make sure we had all the information and facts that we needed. And again, we’ll take a deeper dive into that incident (Tuesday) morning.”

Karam, making just his seventh Xfinity start, finished 31st after the early exit for his No. 45 Chevy. His post-race anger was echoed by team owner Tommy Joe Martins, who said: “I would be embarrassed to be associated with (Gragson). How many times is he going to publicly apologize? Now he’s trying to act like he’s a bad dude, tough guy. Like are you kidding me, that’s the softest thing I’ve ever seen. I’ll tell you what’s tough, trying to come out here and racing with a budget that’s less than a quarter of what they’re doing.”

Gragson continued to an eighth-place finish, and remained defiant in post-race interviews. “It’s one thing if you’re faster than someone,” Gragson said Saturday, “but to throw it off in there and run you off the race track in the corner, door you, run you off the track. Finally, after the third time, I’m over it. It’s not the ideal situation for him and his team, but two or three times, I’m done with it.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of JR Motorsports, appeared on SiriusXM on Wednesday and said, “I was shocked, to be honest with you, when I saw Noah make that decision. I was just completely shocked and in a bit of disbelief not only that he made that choice but that he, you know, that it created such an accident and got so many other guys involved.”

Gragson, 23, is in his fourth full season of Xfinity Series competition, notching seven career victories so far for JR Motorsports. He made his Cup Series debut earlier this year in the Daytona 500.

MORE: Gragson: ‘He starts it’, I finished it | Karam: ‘Don’t think Noah is gonna change‘

Additionally, Tuesday, competition officials penalized the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team for Xfinity Series points leader AJ Allmendinger for a single unsecured lug nut discovered in a post-race check. No. 16 crew chief Bruce Schlicker was fined $5,000 — the fourth such fine for him this season. Mechanic Sean Kerlin also received an indefinite suspension from NASCAR for violation of Sections 4.1 & 10.1 (Behavioural — SAP).

Posted on July 6, 2022 by Adam Fenwick

Jimmy Blewett can remember it like it was yesterday.

As a child, joined by his older brother John Blewett III, the two would stand along the fence at race tracks like New York’s Riverhead Raceway and New Jersey’s New Egypt Speedway to watch the best the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour had to offer battle for supremacy.

“I always recalled standing at the fence with my brother,” the 41-year-old Blewett said. “My brother and I were six years apart and basically whatever he did, I was his shadow as a child. He would walk up to the fence, and he’d hold on to the fence, and we’d watch guys pull out on the track for heat races and for practice for the feature.

“Back then, everyone could wear open-face helmets. It was cool because you could see the driver. He could see you, you could see his face, you could see his expressions. You saw guys like my father (John Blewett Jr.), Richie Evans, Charlie Jarzombek, Reggie Ruggiero, Wayne Anderson, all those guys.”

Being able to get an up-close-and-personal look at the best Modified drivers in the country helped both Blewett children fall in love with Modified racing, much like their father had many years before them.

John Blewett Jr. spent most of his Modified racing career competing at local weekly tracks, but he did make 29 starts with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. He earned one victory, which came in 1986 at Star Speedway in Epping, New Hampshire.

“It’s one of those things, in our household, growing up there were no pictures of the kid with the baseball and the baseball mitt,” Blewett said. “It was racing. It was family pictures in Victory Lane. It as my brother in his go-kart. We’re a racing family, and I grew up around that my entire life.

“It was something as a child, you want to be like your dad. You hear that song, ‘I want to be like you dad.’ It’s something that my brother wanted to do and I wanted to do what he did and he wanted to do what my dad did. Ultimately that’s what drew me in the direction of racing.”

The Blewett children created many great memories on the Tour. They both joined their father as NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winners, with John Blewett III earning 10 wins and Jimmy Blewett scoring six of his own.

Brothers Jimmy Blewett (left) and John Blewett III (right) at Wall Stadium Speedway in Wall Township, New Jersey, prior to a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on May 6, 2007. (Photo: NASCAR)

On two separate occasions, the Blewett’s swept the top two positions in a Tour event. It happened for the first time at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway on July 4, 2006, with John Blewett III besting Jimmy Blewett.

It happened a second time a little less than a year later at the Blewetts’ home track, Wall Stadium Speedway in Wall Township, New Jersey. This time it was Jimmy Blewett who emerged as the winner, with John Blewett III following him across the finish line.

It’s a victory that still stands out in Jimmy Blewett’s memory 15 years later because, despite racing against his brother, the two always worked as a team. In fact, John Blewett III was the person who set up his younger brother’s car that day at Wall Stadium.

“He set the cars up for himself and I,” Blewett recalled. “The car was doing something in practice and my spotter (Freddie Kraft) and we were like, ‘We just need to be a little better right in the middle and we’ll have the best car here.’

“My brother, in my brother’s fashion, came over and was like, ‘Quiet, do this, do this, we don’t have enough time. Do this and this. Put it in the car.’ He looked over at me and said, ‘Now you go out and win.’ Fair enough, fair enough. Put the stuff in the car and who did I beat to win the race? Him.”

What neither Blewett knew at the time was that a few months later, John Blewett III would be gone.

Jimmy Blewett (12) leads brother John Blewett III during a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Wall Stadium Speedway in Wall Township, New Jersey, on May 6, 2007. (Photo: NASCAR)

John Blewett III died when the two brothers were involved in a crash at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Aug. 16, 2007.

It was hard for Jimmy Blewett to carry on in the aftermath of the crash. So hard, in fact, that he admits he gave serious consideration to quitting racing altogether.

“Everybody knows my brother was my best friend, my father figure,” Blewett said. “He was everything to me in my life leading up to his passing. He was my guidance. He was my everything to me.

“That night and that day was something that hit me hard. I honestly didn’t know how to take it. I didn’t know if I should just give up altogether and just not ever do anything again or keep going and keep his name alive.”

As time passed and Blewett mourned the loss of his brother, he came to realize that the last thing his brother would want was for him to give up.

“I came to a conclusion in the following weeks that I needed to keep his memory alive,” Blewett said. “I needed to always talk about him. I always feel like he is with me all the time in anything and everything I do.

“I also know that he always taught me to never give up and to be the best and to prove people wrong.”

Now 41, the younger of the Blewett brothers continues to race in his brother’s memory.

Jimmy Blewett during qualifying for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Jersey Shore 150 on May 18, 2019 at Wall Stadium Speedway in Wall Township, New Jersey. (Photo: Mike Lawrence/NASCAR)

Jimmy Blewett has made quite the name for himself at his home track, Wall Stadium Speedway, where he is a four-time track champion in the Modified class. He’s also earned 25 victories across multiple divisions in Wall’s annual Turkey Derby event, including eight victories in the headlining Modified division.

“It’s been a long road. Every time I pull into a track, I have to have that time alone to think about it all,” Blewett said. “At the end of it all, we’re never going to give up.”

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Wall Stadium Speedway this Saturday for the running of the Jersey Shore 150, the eighth race of the 2022 season.

Blewett, who lives minutes from the third-mile, high-banked paved oval, is hoping to defend his home turf while also racing in his brother’s memory.

“There ain’t a race that I enter that I don’t think I can win. And if I can’t do it, you won’t see me at the race track,” Blewett said.

Recently Blewett has begun to curtail his own racing to focus more on the racing efforts of his 14-year-old son, James Blewett. The plan is for James to compete in several races up and down the East Coast this summer.

If all goes as planned, James Blewett will become the third generation of the Blewett family to race with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

“My son, I call him my angel baby,” Blewett said. “When my brother passed, my wife found out she was pregnant with my son. He turned 14 recently, and he’s growing up to be quite the young man. Fourteen years ago I never envisioned myself having a son, let alone a son as good as him.

“We put him together a crate car and now that he’s out of school — school is the first priority — but now that he’s out of school we’re going to take him racing.”

The future of racing in the Blewett family is bright. That’s exactly how John Blewett III would have wanted it.