Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Chase Elliott remains the current king on NASCAR’s road courses.

The 2020 champion has won seven of the last 16 Cup Series road races, a stretch that includes a trip to Victory Lane in last year’s return to Road America in the No. 9 Chevrolet.

In a small sample size, that dominance hasn’t yet carried over to the Next Gen era. Confidence remains high — rightfully so as Elliott heads back to the Wisconsin road course on the heels of a Nashville victory, his second win of 2022. But Elliott concedes his Hendrick Motorsports team is looking to maintain — or regain — its recent road-course dominance.

MORE: Elliott pulls even in title odds | Elliott’s run to Nashville checkered

“Really, I think we’re kind of back to the drawing board,” Elliott said Tuesday via Twitter Spaces. “We had a good package and a good system worked out with our other car. But really, that being out the window, we’re relearning just like everybody else. We hit on a good package with the other car back in 2016 or 2017 and started tweaking on it from there. And it took us a long time to get to where we were really happy and liked things and were really able to extract what we needed to out of the car.

“We haven’t been bad at the road courses this year, but we definitely haven’t gotten the car driving exactly like I want. We haven’t optimized every aspect of a road-race setup or a road-race event from the strategy side of it to being able to pit the car like we want to, to having the exact balance. Hopefully we get there, but I still think we have some work to do.”

The numbers still favor Elliott, whom BetMGM lists at 9-2 as the odds-on favorite to win Sunday’s Kwik Trip 250 Presented by JOCKEY (3 p.m ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). His two wins in the first 17 races this year already equal his total victories from 2021 and currently holds the top spot in both the regular-season standings and playoff grid.

MORE: How Elliott’s Nashville win pads playoff seed lead | Where he sits in Power Rankings

The postseason already has Elliott’s attention with just nine races remaining until the regular season concludes at Daytona International Speedway on Aug. 27. Winning the regular-season title comes with a bonus of 15 playoff points. Elliott holds a 30-point advantage over Ross Chastain for the top spot heading into Road America with Ryan Blaney just 31 back of Elliott.

“Thirty points does not — I mean you’re two stages away from basically eliminating that entire gap,” Elliott said. “So we obviously want to add to that. And I think just like anytime when you’re racing and you’re talking about points or talking about a bigger goal individually each week, if we’re in contention to win races and you’re kind of in the mix and in the fight, the points thing’s gonna take care of itself.”

Pit strategy at road courses, however, throws a wrench into those plans. Teams often elect to forego stage points and pit ahead of the stage breaks, leaving valuable points on the table in search of the bigger prize at the end of the race — a win and five additional playoff points.

Trackhouse Racing’s Chastain (Circuit of The Americas) and Daniel Suárez (Sonoma Raceway) have swept the year’s road courses so far. Road America is the first of two road races over the next five weeks, the second coming at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on July 31. Watkins Glen International, where Elliott snagged his first Cup victory in 2018, is the last road course of the regular season on Aug. 21.

“A lot of road racing coming up,” Elliott said, “so if we don’t hit on it (at Road America), it’s a good opportunity to go in the right direction, and hopefully one of those two things happen.”

Posted on by Staff Report

News of Martin Truex Jr.’s return to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 team next season came last Friday at Nashville Superspeedway in a short and sweet statement: “I’m coming back.” Monday, JGR pulled the curtain back on the moment when the 41-year-old driver shared that news with his crew.

RELATED: Truex announces return | Silly Season’s key figures

Truex, nearly midway through his 17th full season in the NASCAR Cup Series, will be back for his fifth year with Coach Joe Gibbs’ organization. In his brief address to his crew, he expressed his gratitude for his team’s effort and said, “Look forward to going out on top, hopefully.”

Truex won both stages in Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville before slipping to a 22nd-place finish. He sits seventh in the Cup Series standings, still seeking his first win of the 2022 campaign.

Posted on by Staff Report

A group of children from Nashville-area Boys & Girls Clubs received a special visit from one of country music’s hottest stars on Sunday, as award-winning artist Kane Brown surprised 20 teens before the start of the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Brown, a longtime supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, was announced last month as grand marshal for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, but his first priority after arriving at the race track was to surprise some unsuspecting youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee and Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County.

Kane Brown signs autographs for Boys & Girls Club members
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

Brown signed autographs, took photos with the kids and engaged in an informal Q&A before reporting to the pit-road stage for pre-race festivities. A pair of club members — 13-year-old Amina and 13-year-old Yorec — joined Kane on the starting grid to deliver the most famous words in racing as all 40 drivers fired their engines in preparation for green flag.

Before the race, Amina and Yorec met NASCAR officials, drivers and race dignitaries, including NASCAR president Steve Phelps, 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace and WWE superstar Sheamus, during The 1948 pre-race experience.

The Boys & Girls Clubs attended the race as part of a national partnership with NASCAR designed to educate club youth about career opportunities in the sport. Before the Ally 400, the group received a private tour of the race track and met with various industry professionals along the way — including Nashville Superspeedway president Erik Moses and representatives from NASCAR’s broadcast operations and at-track medical team.

The experience is one of 15 activations planned for NASCAR Cup Series race days this season, and the goal of each is to demonstrate to Boys & Girls Clubs youth that are preparing to enter the workforce the wide variety of jobs and career opportunities in motorsports. In 2021, Boys & Girls Clubs of America was announced as the Official Youth Community Partner of NASCAR and, now in its second year, the partnership focuses on STEM learning and career development across both digital and at-track experiences.

Brown, who will embark on an international concert tour in September, lives in Nashville and was raised in Chattanooga, just a few hours from Nashville Superspeedway. The chart-topping artist has released multiple No. 1 tracks and his recently released single, “Like I Love Country Music,” has already amassed nearly 10 million listens on Spotify.

Shortly after meeting Brown, the Boys & Girls Clubs kids enjoyed a similar encounter with another celebrity with ties to the state. New Orleans Saints All-Pro tailback Alvin Kamara, who played collegiately at the University of Tennessee and currently serves as NASCAR’s growth and engagement advisor, met with the club members and signed autographs as part of a private meet-and-greet.

Kane Brown poses with Boys & Girls Club members in the infield at Nashville Superspeedway
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
Posted on by Brandon White

Although Saturday’s Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway yielded a first-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner, the driver who parked his car in Victory Lane had plenty of experience getting there.

Kyle Soper, who has won three track championships at Riverhead during his career, finally broke through for his first victory after 15 starts and simultaneously broke a 27-year drought for Riverhead regulars in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competition at the facility.

RESULTS: Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead

Soper’s path to Victory Lane on Saturday was far from an easy one, as he had to fend off three-time Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, who was searching for his ninth Tour win in Riverhead, New York.

Fortunes ended up favoring the local hero in Soper, who joined Mike Christoper Jr. as the only other driver to get his first Tour win this season.

Below are the key takeaways from Saturday’s Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway

Kyle Soper wins one for the Riverhead regulars

Every NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Riverhead features plenty of representation from the local contingent of drivers.

Along with Soper, other track champions like Tom Rogers Jr., Howie Brode, Shawn Solomito and John Fortin have entered numerous Whelen Modified Tour-sanctioned races at Riverhead during their careers, but all of their attempts ultimately came up short of a trip to Victory Lane prior to Saturday.

The most recent Riverhead regular to win a Tour event at the track was Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. in 1995, who held off legend Reggie Ruggiero for what proved to be his only Tour victory.

With so many close calls in the following years, it was only a matter of time before one of the current Riverhead regulars finally earned the distinction of winning a Tour race at their home track.

That honor was ultimately bestowed upon Soper, who was driving a car fielded by a five-time Riverhead track champion Wayne Anderson.

Still maintaining a small points lead in the weekly Modified standings at Riverhead, Soper intends to build off the momentum from Saturday so he can add another track title to his resume.

He also hopes to start a new trend of success for Riverhead regulars with the next Whelen Modified Tour race at the track just two months away.

Justin Bonsignore inches closer to the championship fight

The comeback trail for Justin Bonsignore is officially on.

After an inconsistent start that saw him record two finishes outside the top-20, Bonsignore has returned to his typical championship form with two straight finishes inside the top-three, including a win at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway.


Bonsignore’s past success at Riverhead put him in a  position to get his second consecutive victory on Saturday and third of the 2022 season. He led 47 laps, but could not fend off Soper, who ended up passing Bonsignore for the win with 10 laps remaining.

Despite coming up short of the win, Bonsignore’s recent string of success has placed him fifth in the Tour standings, 33 points behind leader Ron Silk.

Although Bonsignore still has a significant amount of ground to cover, the odds are gradually shifting in the three-time champion’s favor as the Tour embarks on the second half of the 2022 schedule.

Timmy Solomito’s dry streak continues

It has been nearly five years since the last time Timmy Solomito won a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race.

That streak came close to ending in Saturday’s Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200, as Solomito led a race-high 114 laps before the handling went away on his No. 66 Natural Designs/Highmark Modified, forcing him to settle for an eighth-place finish.

Timmy Solomito leads Kyle Soper during the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway on June 25, 2022. (Kostas Lymperopoulos/NASCAR)

Once one of the most consistent drivers in the series, Solomito enjoyed a dominant stretch driving for Eric Sanderson from 2016-’17, winning nine races during that timeframe and finishing inside the top-three in points during both seasons.

Unfortunately for Solomito, he has not been able to replicate that success in the following years. His 131 laps led in both Riverhead races this year have been the most for Solomito in a single year since 2017 when he led 410.

Now driving for his brother Jerry on a part-time basis, Solomito showed on Saturday that he is still capable of winning Tour events, but the opportunity to end his long dry spell will have to wait for another weekend.

NOTES:

  • Points leader Ron Silk continued his stellar season at Riverhead Raceway on Saturday with his fourth top-five finish of the year. The 2011 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion has yet to finish outside the top-10 in 2022.
  • Kyle Soper was not the only Riverhead regular to shine on Saturday. Dylan Slepian posted the fastest time in practice on Saturday and ended up recording his second top-five finish of the year, both of which have come at Riverhead.
  • An impressive rookie season continued for Austin Beers in Saturday’s Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200. Along with getting his third top-10 finish of the year, Beers has also completed all but three laps so far this year.
  • Saturday was not the best evening for a handful of series veterans. Six-time Tour champion Doug Coby just barely held onto a top-10 finish after fading late, while an early accident for two-time champion Donny Lia relegated him to 21st, 35 laps behind the leader.
Posted on by Staff Report

A caution flag with eight laps remaining in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway brought out more than the yellow flag. It brought out the age-old NASCAR question: To pit or not to pit?

Strategies varied throughout the field, and ultimately results varied for both those who stayed out and those who went down pit road for fresh tires ahead of the final restart.

Comparison Graphic Function Main

Here’s a look at the results from several of the drivers who were in position to win Sunday — either before the caution fell or after.

You can also use our “Compare” feature in Race Center for additional information between any two drivers in the field.

MORE: Driver comparison from Nashville

Chase Elliott

Position at yellow flag: First
Decision: Stay out
Position after pit stops: First
Finish: Winner
Note: Elliott said post-race that it was crew chief Alan Gustafson’s call to make, and Gustafson elected to keep the No. 9 Chevrolet out on the track and maintain the lead. Several of the top cars behind Elliott pitted, but enough other drivers stayed out to make it difficult for those with new tires to drive back through the field and challenge Elliott for the win in the final four laps.

“I let Alan do his thing,” Elliott said. “He lets me do my thing, so I’m going to let him do his and just have confidence in that. It doesn’t do me any good to not. When I start questioning his decisions, I feel like is when we start going down a road that is not favorable for success. He has had a lot of respect for me and let me do my job and let me approach things a pretty unique way and kind of be me, so I’ve always respected him in return and let him do his thing and just had confidence in whatever that decision is.”

RELATED: Full race results

Kyle Busch

Position at yellow flag: Second
Decision: Pit for tires
Position after pit stops: 11th
Finish: 21st
Note: Busch was the highest running driver to pit for tires, but he dropped an additional 10 spots after the green flag. His No. 18 Toyota was directly behind an incident involving Brad Keselowski on the ensuing restart, and the Joe Gibbs Racing driver couldn’t challenge for the win. He led 54 laps but dropped 20 positions over the final 10 laps.

 

Denny Hamlin

Position at yellow flag: Third
Decision: Pit for tires
Position after pit stops: 12th
Finish: Sixth
Note: Hamlin started from the Busch Light Pole position and led a race-high 114 laps. He finished the best out of the Joe Gibbs Racing trio — including Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. — who pitted late from the top five.

Martin Truex Jr.

Position at yellow flag: Fourth
Decision: Pit for tires
Position after pit stops: 14th
Finish: 22nd
Note: Truex led 82 laps, but trouble on the final restart had the No. 19 Toyota outside the top 20 when the checkered flag dropped.

Kurt Busch

Position at yellow flag: Sixth
Decision: Stay out
Position after pit stops: Second
Finish: Second
Note: The decision to stay out put Kurt Busch on the front row for the final restart. While he couldn’t catch Chase Elliott for the lead, he did hold off the rest of the field for a runner-up finish that the veteran lamented after the race.

“I got soft on him,” Busch told NBC Sports. “I should have been throwing some fenders and moving some momentum around. I didn’t stick with our strength. … I wanted to throw some fenders, but I didn’t get the job done. Everybody on the team will be smiling, but I let them down. I should have come up with a better plan.”

Ryan Blaney

Position at yellow flag: Ninth
Decision: Stay out
Position after pit stops: Third
Finish: Third
Note: “Jonathan (Hassler) made a good call to stay out the last stop,” Blaney said in a tip of the cap to his crew chief after nabbing a top-five finish. “Why not, running ninth and was able to run third, so that was a good call by him.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

LEBANON, Tenn. — Ross Chastain, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing at the time, enjoyed his best weekend of the season last year with a runner-up finish at Nashville Superspeedway.

It was a nice story at the time, but one that didn’t impact the season at large or even the future of that franchise. CGR announced the sale of its assets to Chastain’s current team not even two weeks later. Chastain had just one top five the rest of the way; he missed the playoffs and finished 20th in the standings.

“My world is pretty much opposite just from where I was at this point last year in life and my career to the performance we’ve put together this entire season, where we finished second and it was the greatest thing to happen to us all year,” Chastain said after picking up his eighth top five of the season in Sunday’s Ally 400.

That number more than doubles his career total from before the season, and he’s done it in just 17 races.

RELATED: Race results | Chase Elliott wins on late surge

“Now, we finish fifth and it’s exactly what we’re supposed to do,” Chastain said. “We had the fifth-place car and we needed to finish fifth with it. We don’t need to wreck trying to get third and we don’t need to run ninth with it, we need to run fifth. For me, it checks just as many boxes and gets me just as excited that we executed tonight exactly where we should’ve.”

Chastain has lit the series on fire in 2022, as he and Trackhouse as a whole have seemingly come out of nowhere to hone themselves into legitimate title contenders with three wins and 11 top fives between him and teammate Daniel Suárez. To go from a season of searching for moral victories driving for a lame-duck organization to arguably the favorite to win it all while knocking on the door of a Regular Season Championship is a rarity in a sport with perennial heavyweights like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske making Championship 4 reservations season after season.

What a difference a year — or 17 — makes.

“12-year-old Ross is like ‘What? You could be leading the Cup Series points standings straight up in a few weeks or at any point?’ That’s wild,” said the 29-year-old Chastain. “Go fast, acquire points and it all kind of works itself out. … but yeah, little kid Ross is like ‘What in the world? This can’t be real.’

“I just want to be competitive. I want to go fast and get more points than everybody else and that’ll all sort itself out, but of course it’s a goal (to win the Regular Season Championship).”

Part of Chastain’s success has been the fast cars crew chief Phil Surgen has unloaded off the truck most weekends, but the No. 1 team continues to make strong calls late in the race as well.

There was an extreme variance in pit strategies on the final caution of the race, with Surgen electing to take Chastain down pit road for a full set of tires. While that didn’t work out for all the teams that went this route — and race winner Chase Elliott elected to stay out to maintain track position, which clearly worked — it was the game-changer for the No. 1.

“It was incredible,” said Chastain. “You never want to be the last car on old tires and as soon as we got down into Turn 1 we had grip and I got to Cole (Custer’s) back bumper off of (Turn) 2 and pushed him as long as I could. I wanted to try to tandem and help him and help me, selfishly, hooked out, found clean air and kind of knifed my way through there and held off some guys there on the last lap to hold onto fifth. It was just kind of where the seas parted on Turns 1 and 2 for us on fresh tires.

“When we pitted, I thought we were about to win Nashville and then whenever we left pit road on the access road, I saw how many cars stayed out and I didn’t know how many cars were a lap down or anything but I knew it was more than I wanted. I wanted to restart sixth and instead I was 13th.

“But you just play your best hand and Phil Surgen and our group will go to bed very well tonight knowing we made a good call to win the race. It just didn’t quite work out.”

While we’ve seen some teams come and go throughout the year, Trackhouse has maintained its stature better than most.

Don’t expect that to change next weekend at Road America for the season’s third road-course race, either. Two of the team’s three wins on the season came earlier this year at Circuit of The Americas and Sonoma Raceway.

And 12-year-old Ross Chastain probably wouldn’t believe that, either.

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find USA Network | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | Watch on USA Network | Get the NBC Sports App | Watch on Peacock | FloRacing

Monday, June 27
NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock
11:31 p.m., Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane (re-air), USA Network

Tuesday, June 28
5:30 a.m., NASCAR

Wednesday, June 29
NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock

Thursday, June 30
NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock
NASCAR Race Hub, Best of Radioactive: Road Courses, FS1
9:31 p.m., Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane, USA Network

Friday, July 1
12:33 a.m., Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane (re-air), USA Network
2 p.m., IMSA: Lamborghini Super Trofeo at Watkins Glen International (re-air), USA Network
3 p.m., IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge: Tioga Downs Casino Resort 120 (re-air), USA Network
5 p.m., Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane (re-air), USA Network
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying at Road America, USA Network 

Saturday, July 2
1:30 a.m., Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane (re-air), USA Network
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at Road America, NBC Sports App
12 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at Road America, USA Network
12:35 p.m., IMSA Weather Tech Sportscar Championship: CTMP Qualifying, Peacock
2 p.m., Countdown to Green, USA Network
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Henry 180 at Road America, USA Network
4:05 p.m., IMSA Weather Tech Sportscar Championship: CTMP Race, Peacock
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race show, USA Network
6 p.m., Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane (re-air), USA Network

On MRN:
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at Road America
2 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Henry 180 at Road America

Sunday, July 3
IMSA Mazda MX-5 Cup: Canadian Tire Motorsports Park Race, Peacock
MSA Prototype Challenge: Canadian Tire Motorsports Park Race, Peacock
NASCAR RaceDay: NCS at Road America, FS1
1 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour: Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway (re-air), USA Network
2 p.m., Countdown to Green, USA Network
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Kwik Trip 250 at Road America, USA Network
3 p.m., IMSA SportsCar Championship: Mobil 1 Grand Prix (re-air), NBC
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race show, USA Network
7 p.m., Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane (re-air), USA Network
7:30 p.m., Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane (re-air), USA Network

On MRN:
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Kwik Trip 250 at Road America

Posted on by Reid Spencer

LEBANON, Tenn. – In a race twice delayed by lightning, Chase Elliott stole the thunder from a contingent of Toyota drivers who showed early dominance.

After a late caution slowed the action in Sunday’s Ally 400, Elliott remained on the track and led the field to a restart with four laps left at Nashville Superspeedway.

MORE: Official results | At-track photos

Elliott pulled away from runner-up Kurt Busch and powered his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet across the finish line by a margin of 0.551 seconds.

In fashioning his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season, his first at Nashville and the 15th of his career, Elliott overcame a long pit stop on Lap 120 that dropped him to 25th in the running order.

“I’m so proud of our team,” Elliott said. “We had a setback about halfway, but we were able to get the NAPA Chevy dialed back in and get back in the mix. It was a long day, a fun day… I’m so proud of our team. We’ve had a pretty rough month, month and a half. It’s just nice to get back going in the right direction.

“Getting a win is always huge. To do it in a really cool city like Nashville is even better. I’m looking forward to that guitar (trophy).”

Elliott beat three Toyota drivers — pole winner Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch — who collectively led 250 of the 300 laps at the 1.33-mile concrete track.

It might be more accurate to say the Toyota drivers beat themselves by pitting during the 10th and final caution on Lap 293, the result of a blown engine in Josh Bilicki’s Chevrolet.

While Elliott and Kurt Busch stayed out under caution, along with eight other drivers, Kyle Busch, Truex and Hamlin all came to pit road for tires. Of the three, only Hamlin advanced over the final four laps, finishing sixth behind Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain.

Kyle Busch and Truex ran afoul of heavy traffic on the final lap and came home 21st and 22nd, respectively.

Hamlin, who led a race-high 114 laps, was out front for the first 41 circuits before lightning halted the action for one hour and 28 seconds. After the resumption and two more cautions, Truex passed Hamlin for the lead on Lap 66 and help through the end of Stage 1.

Truex, who led six times for 82 laps, also won the second stage, but Elliott’s car came to life in the final third of the race. Elliott had a one-second lead over Kyle Busch, with Hamlin and Truex trailing in third and fourth place, when Bilicki’s engine failure caused the final caution with nine laps remaining.

Kurt Busch’s only regret about his runner-up finish was not being more aggressive on the final restart.

“I wanted to throw some fenders, but I didn’t get the job done,” the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota driver said. “Everybody will be smiling, but I let them down. I should have come up with a better plan.

“We were going to stay out no matter what, and I needed to start throwing fenders to move people around. I didn’t get after it, and I made too many mistakes and didn’t stick with our strength. I’m not going to say what our strength was, but we did a lot of things good.

“We didn’t have one exceptional item. We’re second with our Toyota Camry. I want to do it over, but you don’t get those at this elite level and Chase got the job done.”

The second lightning delay, which also brought rain and necessitated track drying, lasted two hours, eight minutes and 35 seconds. It occurred on Lap 139, just 11 laps short of halfway.

Austin Cindric, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick ran sixth through 10th, respectively. Elliott leads the series standings by 30 points over Chastain.

At Lap 50, shortly after the first delay, Alex Bowman’s day came to a premature end. Contact from Corey LaJoie sent his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet spinning into the Turn 2 SAFER barrier. Bowman was able to drive away from the scene, but a flat-spotted right-front tire tore away critical body panels. The team couldn’t repair the car before the damaged vehicle policy’s six-minute clock expired, adding to the list of disappointing summer results for Bowman.

RELATED: Alex Bowman’s summer history at Hendrick Motorsports

Chase Briscoe found trouble at Lap 61 when his No. 14 Ford slid sideways entering Turn 1 while battling with Ty Dillon. Both cars spun into the outside retaining wall but were able to continue.

This marks the second Cup race at Nashville, a 1.33-mile concrete oval in Lebanon, Tennessee. Hendrick Motorsports has won each event at Nashville, with Kyle Larson claiming the inaugural victory in 2021.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

Lightning and heavy rain at Nashville Superspeedway paused the NASCAR Cup Series race for the second time of the day at Lap 140 Sunday evening.

MORE: Live leaderboard | At-track photos

Lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius of the track delayed the Ally 400 before significant rain doused the track. Racing resumed shortly after 10 p.m. ET. Coverage continues on USA Network, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

A 30-minute stoppage is mandated whenever lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of the race track. The first stoppage of the race was issued at Lap 42. After multiple lightning strikes and a delay of a little more than an hour, the race resumed when NASCAR gave the all-clear signal. The second pause lasted just over two hours.

Denny Hamlin has dominated the event and maintains the lead at the red flag. His No. 11 Toyota has paced the field for 78 of the 139 completed laps. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell run second, third and fifth, respectively. Kevin Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing Ford completes the top five in fourth place.

The race is not deemed official until the halfway mark is reached, which is Lap 150 at Nashville.

 

 

Posted on by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

I’ve taken a very conservative approach to betting on Sunday’s NASCAR Ally 400 (5 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) at Nashville Superspeedway.

In my mind, there are simply too many unknowns heading into today’s race to get overly heavy, from a bettor’s perspective, on the Ally 400.

However, 50 minutes of practice on Friday helped clear up some of those questions.

While I’m still not planning on a big betting card for today’s race at Nashville, one driver’s odds to win the Ally 400 are simply too good to pass up.

NASCAR at Nashville Pick

*Odds as of Sunday morning

RELATED: Updated BetMGM race-day odds | Picking the Chastain-Suárez matchup

As soon as practice got underway on Friday, it was clear the Toyota teams showed up with speed, especially in race trim.

Toyota drivers finished first, second, fifth and sixth in 15-lap averages in practice, which is pretty impressive considering there are only six Toyotas in the field.

When it comes to my favorite value, I’m taking Martin Truex Jr., who drives the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, at 15-1 odds.

Truex didn’t have much short-run speed in practice; however, that didn’t seem to matter in qualifying as he secured a respectable 10th-place starting spot.

But where Truex’s car really seemed to excel was on the long runs.

The JGR driver posted the seventh-best 10-lap average in practice and improved to the fifth-best average over 15 laps.

Perhaps more important is the fact that Truex confirmed his pace in an interview during qualifying, saying the car has great long run speed.

When a former Cup Series champion driver, in the series’ best equipment, really likes a car that showed plenty of speed in practice, I pay attention.

When that driver is also available at 15-1 odds (DraftKings), I bet.

The bet: Truex to win (15-1).