Posted on by Staff Report

Denny Hamlin snatched his first Busch Light Pole Award of the season on Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, putting his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on the front row for the 2022 Coca-Cola 600.

Hamlin clocked a 29.399-second and 183.68-mph lap around Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval to secure P1. It marked Hamlin’s 34th career pole, third at Charlotte — a track he has yet to win at in 30 starts. Hamlin has won in two of the four crown-jewel events — Daytona 500 (three times) and Southern 500 (three times). He’s missing Brickyard 400 and Coca-Cola 600 trophies.

“It’s been really a great day and the end result was probably the perfect scenario for me to have an ideal day,” Hamlin said. “Our car’s been good, it’s been good off the truck, and we just continue to tune on it quite a bit and then just kind of thought that once this thing got into the night that you would want to run the low line through (Turns) 3 and 4, so I just continued to get as many reps as I could doing that and it looked like that was kind of the difference maker in the lap itself. Happy about it.

“You talk about the long relationship I’ve had with Coca-Cola that I’ve had for 17 or 18 years now, being part of the Coke family and not winning this race has been pretty frustrating. Certainly, in the resume column, this is at the top of the list by far and the team knows how badly I want it. Anytime we can start with a head start on the field like we will on Sunday, that’s a good thing.”

RELATED: Starting lineup for Coca-Cola 600 | Hamlin elaborates on Toyota’s speed

Hamlin’s driver at 23XI Racing, Kurt Busch, will start alongside him Sunday in the No. 45 Toyota. Busch was 0.003 seconds slower than Hamlin at 29.402 seconds and 183.661 mph. Then, Hamlin’s teammates, Christopher Bell (29.403 seconds, 183.655 mph) and Kyle Busch (29.427 seconds, 183.505 mph), were third and fourth, respectively, giving Toyota the top four spots for the first time at Charlotte and first time overall since 2017.

Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and his No. 24 Chevrolet came in fifth with 29.52-second and 182.927-mph marks. Austin Cindric, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman and Michael McDowell completed the top 10 for the starting lineup.

Qualifying consisted of two rounds, the first consisting of two groups. The top five in each group made up the final 10.

Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Bowman, Wallace and McDowell advanced out of the first round from Group A. Kyle Busch, Bell, Byron, Cindric and Reddick advanced from Group B.

There were two 20-minute practice sessions before qualifying, dividing the field into Groups A and B. Kyle Larson sustained damage during practice, which led to his absence in qualifying.

LARSON TOPS PRACTICE BOARD

Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet zoomed to the top of the practice leaderboard Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He posted a 29.589-second and 182.5-mph lap around the 1.5-mile track.

Teammate Alex Bowman in the No. 48 car clocked the second-best time at 29.637 seconds and 182.205 mph. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain then chimed in third with his No. 1 Chevy at 29.703 seconds and 181.8 mph.

RELATED: Complete practice results from Charlotte

Austin Cindric from Team Penske and Martin Truex Jr. from Joe Gibbs Racing placed fourth and fifth in order. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano rounded out the top 10.

“I definitely want more,” Cindric said. “We were pretty loose in qualifying. I’m not sure I can do 400 laps, 600 miles hanging on like that, but a solid day for our Menards Ford Mustang. I think we need a little bit of speed to run up inside the top five, but this race is gonna be about execution. This is gonna be my first Coke 600 in person and from the driver’s seat, so I want to do all 600 miles and being in the top 10 is a good start.”

Larson was the fastest in Group A’s practice session. Bowman, Chastain, Logano and Erik Jones (11th overall) completed the top five. Cindric was the fastest in Group B’s practice session. Truex, Busch, Suárez and Blaney completed the top five.

Corey LaJoie slammed into the wall and sustained pretty heavy damage during the first session. Ryan Preece had a large spin in the second session but kept it off the wall. They wound up 16th and 20th on the results sheet, respectively.

The Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET Sunday and will air live on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. It’ll mark the 14th points-paying event of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. Kyle Larson won this crown-jewel event last year.

Posted on by Staff Report

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR officials ejected two crew members Saturday after pre-qualifying inspection for the Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Two teams failed inspection twice during Saturday’s scrutinizing — the No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team for driver Justin Haley and the No. 50 The Money Team Racing Chevy for driver Kaz Grala. Ejected were No. 31 engineer Alexander Pelican and No. 50 engineer Tim Norman.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | At-track photos

Haley ranks 23rd in the NASCAR Cup Series standings heading into Sunday’s annual 600-miler (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM). Grala is set for his third Cup Series start of the year for the part-time TMT Racing operation.

Additionally, NASCAR officials confirmed pre-race Sunday that the following cars will go to the rear of the field: the No. 7 Chevrolet of Corey LaJoie (backup car); and the No. 5 Chevrolet of Kyle Larson, the No. 10 Ford of Aric Almirola, the No. 41 Ford of Cole Custer, the No. 47 Chevrolet of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 50 Chevrolet of Grala (unapproved adjustments for all).

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
(⏰ 6 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 14th regular-season event of the 2022 campaign.

Race-day info 📝

Where: Concord, North Carolina
Approximate start time: 6 p.m. ET  | Full weekend schedule
TV/Radio: FOX, TSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 87 degrees during the day and an evening low around 65, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 400 laps | 600 miles
Stages: 100 | 200 | 300 | 400
Pit-road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
The purse: $8,919,032
Charlotte 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: See where drivers will start | How qualifying works in 2022
Pit stalls: See where drivers will pit

Key things to watch 🔑

Big story line

Teams are still struggling to find a consistent grip on the Next Gen car through the midway point of the regular season. Past weeks have shown mistakes that simply can’t happen if you’re going to make it through the daunting 600-mile marathon Sunday. The Coca-Cola 600 has not only been the best NASCAR test of driver stamina, but also a test of which teams can execute repeatedly in the daytime and into the long night. Obviously, to win the race, you need to be in the race at the end. And that is a tall task in the longest race of the year. Hendrick Motorsports has historically dominated at these 1.5-mile ovals, but the last three Coca-Cola 600s have seen each manufacturer and three different teams take a piece of the pie (Kyle Larson – 2021 with Chevrolet, Brad Keselowski – 2020 with Ford, Martin Truex Jr. – 2019 with Toyota). At its best, this stock-car marathon is unpredictable, much like what we have seen so far in 2022. So which team and driver will rise and conquer the biggest Next Gen challenge yet?

Who’s hot? Who’s not? 

After early mishaps and flying under the radar for most of the 2022 season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has emerged as one of the most consistent drivers in the field as of late. Stenhouse is riding high after his runner-up finish at Dover Motor Speedway, following that stellar performance with consecutive eighth-place finishes at Darlington Raceway and Kansas Speedway. The No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing team has found speed, but more importantly, it has found consistency. Heading to another 1.5-mile track in Charlotte Motor Speedway, Stenhouse can continue to climb up the Cup Series standings and may even be in the mix for his first premier-series win since 2017.

For William Byron, his Martinsville Speedway win couldn’t feel any further away. Since the “Paperclip” triumph, which included a Camping World Truck Series win, the No. 24 Cup team has yet to register a top-10 finish. Yes, the incident at Darlington with Joey Logano prevented him from snapping this cold streak, but outside of that weekend, there hasn’t been much to boast about as of late. Nonetheless, one of only two multi-time winners in the Next Gen era (Ross Chastain), Charlotte should be a bounce-back week for the No. 24 group. Hendrick Motorsports has a strong footing here, and Byron registered a Coca-Cola 600 career-best finish of fourth just a season ago.

Driving under the radar

Chris Buescher’s performance this season has been pretty much on par with RFK Racing’s early struggles. Buescher won the pole at Dover and has three top-10 results, but the team has struggled to find a balance. Based on previous history, the Coca-Cola 600 could not have come at a better time for Buescher and company. Statistically, he has been one of the best in this race over the last three seasons, with three straight top 10s, including eighth in 2021. In one of the toughest races of the season, from strategy to pure will to win, history says Buescher is certainly an underdog to watch this weekend.

Saturday’s sessions

Reigning Coca-Cola 600 winner Kyle Larson pushed it to the limit in the lone practice session of the weekend, but went just a little too far. Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet slammed into the wall, damaging the right-side bodywork and preventing the team from qualifying Saturday night. However, not having to bring out a backup car should bring some comfort for Larson before the long race Sunday. Corey LaJoie also took a spill but was less fortunate and will have overnight work to do on a backup Chevrolet. Outside of these two incidents, drivers seemed to have a better handle on the car than in weeks past, and it showed with a competitive run in qualifying. Toyota once again proved to be on its game after a resurgence in recent weeks, sweeping the top four positions and landing the Busch Light Pole Award with Denny Hamlin. | Full practice, qualifying recap | Two teams see crew members ejected in inspection.

Maddie Meyer | Getty Images

Race-day staples ✅

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: Coca-Cola 600 weekend at Charlotte | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Ryan Blaney shines after All-Star win | Updated driver rankings
• Fantasy Fastlane: Familiar faces stick out for Coca-Cola 600 | Expert advice
• Preview Show: What to expect in the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 | Watch the show
• NASCAR betting: Odds for 2022 Coca-Cola 600 | DraftKings betting odds
• Backseat Drivers: Which team will dominate Sunday? | Watch and listen
• At-track photos: See what’s going on this weekend at Charlotte | Full gallery

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• 600 Miles of Remembrance: First look at the fallen soldiers honored during Sunday’s race | Learn more
• More than a moment: Kurt Busch’s tribute to US military is personal, year-long initiative | Read more
• Collaboration: Spire, Corey LaJoie partner with USO, Coca-Cola for patriotic tribute Sunday | Read more
• PROJECT 91: Kimi Raikkonen to make NASCAR debut with Trackhouse Racing | More details | Trackhouse announces PROJECT91
• ‘Seven-Time’: Jimmie Johnson carries champion’s confidence into Sunday’s Indy 500 | Read more
• Penalty report: Two teams fined for violations at Texas Motor Speedway | More details
• Welcome home: Corey, Kelly LaJoie announce birth of second child | Read more
• Dudes being dads: Dale Jr., Kyle Busch join Greg Olsen’s podcast to talk family | More details
• Eyes on Cup: Truck Series owner Shige Hattori’s success in trucks is just the first goal | Learn more
• Great honor: Jim France to be awarded 2022 Spirit of Le Mans trophy | Read more
• eNASCAR: Matt Bussa wins at virtual Charlotte in Coca-Cola iRacing Series | See final laps

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• Parity party: How NASCAR’s newfound parity affects Coca-Cola 600 betting | Read more
• BetMGM: Despite track record, be wary of Martin Truex Jr. in Coca-Cola 600 | Learn why
• Fantasy: Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. a Coca-Cola 600 Hail Mary? | Hear the debate
• The Action Network: How to bet Bubba Wallace vs. Daniel Suárez matchup | Read more
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
• Going all the way: NASCAR betting: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Marathon men 🏃‍♂️

Dive into which drivers have conquered the 600-mile marathon and more history from Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

• Winner, winner: All-time Coca-Cola 600 winners | Full list
• Last year: Kyle Larson dominates in first Coca-Cola 600 win | 2021 race recap
• Race Rewind: Larson sweeps all the stages in 2021 | Relive the best moments
• Do it for Dale: Flashback to Dale Earnhardt’s first Cup start in 1975 World 600 | Watch video
• Last-lap pass!: Jimmie Johnson wins 2005 Coca-Cola 600 | Watch video

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Kyle Busch’s pit crew had the fastest four-tire stop in each of the last five races with live pit stops.
• First raced on June 1960, Charlotte is the oldest of the current 1.5-mile tracks on the Cup Series schedule.
• The Coca-Cola 600 is the only race on the schedule with three stage breaks prior to the final stage.
• Twice a driver swept all three stages and won the Coke 600, Kyle Busch in 2018 and Kyle Larson in 2021.
• The final green-flag stretch was five laps or less in two of the last three Coca-Cola 600s.

Say what? 🎙

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

• “Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway is always special for me. I grew up watching races here as a fan, I raced Legend cars on the quarter-mile and have raced there in every series of NASCAR for the most part. It’s a hometown race for Mr. (Rick) Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports as well. You always want to run good when the shop is literally across the street. Winning the 600 would already mean so much given the history of this race, but it would carry even more meaning for myself. We ran well in last year’s 600, the biggest difference will be with the Next Gen car. I think we have some good notes on mile-and-a-half tracks so far this year, and with how long the race is, it gives us time to adjust throughout the race if we need to.” — William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

• “I hope it gets wide out there. That is when this car is really good when you can run the fence, the bottom, and the middle and get some air under your nose. That is when the racing is really good with this car, like at Fontana and Vegas, where there are multiple lanes to go and it is easy to make mistakes and that is what makes racing good. If it is easy for drivers to mess up and make mistakes and be on the verge of wrecking, that is when you see people go forward and backward and it takes a wide track to do that.” — Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford

• “The Coca-Cola 600 is a race that I haven’t won that I really would like to win. It’s a tough race, it’s an endurance race that really tests the driver and the car, and it’s one of the toughest for a reason. It’s one that I’ve been close, but I just haven’t been able to get the checkered flag there yet. Winning this race would certainly be something that would get added very high on the resume.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota


Posted on by Staff Report

Jennerstown Salutes 150

Jennerstown Speedway

Jennerstown Salutes Logo

  • Qualifying results
Pos. Car No. Driver Sponsor Best Time Best Speed
1 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 18.043 104.151
2 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina 18.071 103.99
3 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 18.077 103.955
4 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 18.089 103.886
5 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 18.095 103.852
6 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 18.105 103.795
7 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 18.123 103.691
8 7 Mike Christopher, Jr.*  Stuart Automotive 18.128 103.663
9 3 Timmy  Solomito Propane Plus/SYP/Natural Design 18.145 103.566
10 82 Craig Lutz Horton Ave Materials/Riverhead Building Supply 18.155 103.509
11 77 Max McLaughlin Curb Records 18.177 103.383
12 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mtg 18.19 103.31
13 36 Dave Sapienza SAP Enterprises 18.192 103.298
14 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 18.208 103.207
15 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 18.252 102.959
16 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 18.258 102.925
17 29 Spencer Davis Ionx Supreme Lubricants 18.259 102.919
18 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Technique Chassis Ford 18.379 102.247
19 71 James Pritchard, Jr.* Freeway Tire & Tire Pros/Wicklow & Laurano Landscaping 18.642 100.805
20 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 18.842 99.735
21 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 19.099 98.393
22 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 19.353 97.101
Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. – Justin Allgaier’s shrug and smile did a lot of the heavy lifting in telling his feeling after a slugfest of a race with fellow JR Motorsports ace Josh Berry. The two teammates were 1A and 1B for much of Saturday afternoon at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and their intrateam battle turned physical at times in the Alsco Uniforms 300.

Allgaier took the short end of their final-stage clash, getting his No. 7 Chevrolet loose in Turn 1 with 15 laps remaining and allowing Berry’s No. 8 Chevy to scrape by. By that time, the lead pair had a 15-plus second gap on the third-place runner. Berry waltzed to an 18-second margin of victory over runner-up Ty Gibbs. Allgaier stopped for tires after his wall contact but still held for seventh place as the first driver one lap down.

RELATED: Official results | Weekend schedule

Their battle was validation of the current speed level of JR Motorsports, but also a referendum on the gloves-off nature of racing within the organization and where the line in the sand is marked. With their performance near-equal and optimal, Berry and Allgaier have had a habit of being in close quarters in recent weeks. Saturday was the latest chapter.

“Every week, it just seems like we’re battling amongst ourselves,” Allgaier said from pit road post-race. “It may not even be for the win, but whether it be for fifth or second or 10th — whatever it is — we race each other really hard and we race each other a lot. So it can be difficult at times. I mean, obviously knowing where that line is, it’s always the difficult part, but on the other side of it, I think you race each other aggressively but trying not to wreck each other and battle it out for the win.

“Like I said, the worst thing we could do is come here with four extremely fast Camaros and not one of us win it, right? So we did the best job we could today, and we came up a little bit short but obviously as a company, we still got the victory.”

Allgaier led 63 laps, second only to Berry’s race-high 89. Only three other drivers led laps Saturday, and JRM’s Noah Gragson and Sam Mayer were among them.

Allgaier apologized to his crew with 10 laps remaining after his fate was cast: “That’s a heck of a way to lose one right there, boys. I’m sorry.” But No. 7 crew chief Jason Burdett said there was consolation to be found in how well the team ran.

“As an organization, I don’t know, I mean, we can’t ask for much more out of either of those guys,” Burdett told NASCAR.com. “With 20 to go, we’re 15 seconds ahead of third and they’re both racing as hard as they can go. Now, unfortunately, we got the fence, which ultimately ruined a second-place finish but it’s fun.

“I think they asked me during the race about battling with the 8 and teammates all the time. It makes it harder because you know it goes both ways. You want them to give you a little; they want you to give you a little, because your teammates — this, that, whatever – but at the end of the day, man, all four of us have been really good for the last couple of months, and that’s a lot of fun. And it keeps pushing everybody to be better every week.”

Few have been recently better than JRM, which has won four of the last five Xfinity Series races. Berry (Charlotte, Dover Motor Speedway) has accounted for a pair of those, and Allgaier added a tally to that stretch at Darlington Raceway.

The tour returns next Saturday at the Portland, Oregon, road course, and the odds Berry and Allgaier are racing in close confines are better than average. In any event, Berry said an underlying sense of respect permeated their near-weekly heat-of-the-moment battles.

“I mean, it’s tough, right? Like, the reality of it is, our cars are phenomenal right now,” he said. “And there’s five of us in the top seven, eight, whatever it is. We’re gonna have to race each other and more times than not, Justin and I seem to find each other racing for these wins. It was intense, but I respect Justin. He’s a very underrated race-car driver. He’s very good, and right now, the reality of it is that we’re pushing each other to get better every week. And that was a tough battle for sure. But it came down to it that, who was going to slip and luckily I didn’t.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — When Josh Berry crossed the finish line at Charlotte Motor Speedway — giving JR Motorsports its first NASCAR Xfinity Series win at its home track — second-place Ty Gibbs was just reaching the 200-foot-long Speedway TV screen television on the backstretch.

After JRM teammate Justin Allgaier scraped the outside wall for the second time and had to pit during the final 81-lap green-flag run, Berry won Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 by an astonishing 18.039 seconds over Gibbs.

RELATED: Official race results | At-track photos

But the race wasn’t that lopsided before Allgaier had to bring his No. 7 Chevrolet to pit road on Lap 185 of 200.

True, Berry and Allgaier were racing in a different zip code from the rest of the field, but their battle was intense until Allgaier nicked the wall on Lap 177 and hit the Turn 2 barrier even harder eight laps later.

With Allgaier out of the picture, Berry enjoyed a pleasure cruise for the remaining 15 laps and finished three-quarters of a mile ahead of Gibbs.

“Man, it’s so amazing,” Berry said. “This car was so good. (Crew chief) Mike (Bumgarner) and this whole group works so hard. We’ve been getting better every week. I think the sky is the limit as we continue to learn about each other and keep getting better.

“That was a battle with Justin. It always is with us. We always seem to run good at the same places and always have to race each other. He slipped up in (Turn) 1 — and I got loose, too, and it all worked out.”

In fact, JR Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., enjoyed another banner day from green flag to checkered flag. Sam Mayer started from the pole position and finished third. Berry won the first stage and Allgaier the second, giving JRM its 10th consecutive stage victory — extending the series record established last week at Kansas Speedway.

RELATED: Austin Dillon’s flat tire cause Xfinity pileup

Five drivers led laps Saturday — four of them from JRM. Berry led a race-high 89 circuits, followed by 63 for Allgaier, 36 for Noah Gragson and two for Mayer. Gragson dropped off the lead lap with a cylinder down, but with power seemingly restored, he recovered to finish fourth.

Berry won for the second time this season and the fourth time in his career. JRM has won four of the last five Xfinity Series races.

“I think everybody knew that this was going to be a good benchmark for our organization, and I think I speak for everybody in saying that we exceeded expectations,” Berry said.

Ryan Preece came home fifth in the top Ford, with Daniel Hemric, Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, Trevor Bayne and Myatt Snider completing the top 10.

Allgaier had the lead on Lap 163 after a full cycle of green-flag pit stops, and he held it until Berry beat him to the stripe by 0.022 seconds on Lap 176. Allgaier regained the top spot on Lap 177 but scraped the wall for the first time a lap later.

“We tried to put on a show for the fans,” Allgaier said. “I don’t know if you can drive any harder. At one point we were literally barreling off into Turn 1 harder than we did in qualifying.

“I thought we were going to be OK there and battle it out again (after the first contact with the wall), but unfortunately, my right rear started to go flat.”

NOTE: There were no major issues in the NASCAR Xfinity Series garage found during post-race inspection, confirming Berry as the winner. The No. 44 of Ryan Ellis had one lug nut not safe and secure, usually resulting in a fine to the crew chief next week.

RELATED: Josh Berry reacts to win immediately after victory at Charlotte


Posted on by Staff Report

Jennerstown Salutes 150

Jennerstown Speedway

Jennerstown Salutes Logo

Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Time Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina 17.919 104.872 14 34  —
2 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 17.986 104.481 36 38 0.067
3 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 18.02 104.284 3 26 0.101
4 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 18.025 104.255 32 58 0.106
5 82 Craig Lutz Horton Ave Materials/Riverhead Building Supply 18.053 104.094 2 30 0.134
6 3 Timmy  Solomito Propane Plus/SYP/Natural Design 18.061 104.047 21 30 0.142
7 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 18.064 104.03 14 24 0.145
8 77 Max McLaughlin Curb Records 18.083 103.921 35 36 0.164
9 36 Dave Sapienza SAP Enterprises 18.094 103.858 3 37 0.175
10 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 18.108 103.777 35 36 0.189
11 7 Mike Christopher, Jr.*  Stuart Automotive 18.133 103.634 30 46 0.214
12 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 18.138 103.606 31 32 0.219
13 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 18.167 103.44 31 34 0.248
14 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 18.188 103.321 28 33 0.269
15 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Technique Chassis Ford 18.196 103.275 40 48 0.277
16 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mtg 18.226 103.105 5 42 0.307
17 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 18.255 102.942 27 31 0.336
18 29 Spencer Davis Ionx Supreme Lubricants 18.306 102.655 14 27 0.387
19 71 James Pritchard, Jr.* Freeway Tire & Tire Pros/Wicklow & Laurano Landscaping 18.624 100.902 7 16 0.705
20 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 19.055 98.62 13 13 1.136
21 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 19.32 97.267 7 9 1.401
22 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 19.323 97.252 33 46 1.404
Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — Carson Hocevar exited his No. 42 Chevrolet in a rush. His next moves were several demonstrative gestures, body language that told his anguish in a series of slumps against his truck’s side, a head-down show of exasperation on the roof, and consolation embraces with his Niece Motorsports crew.

That Friday night scene from Charlotte Motor Speedway was part of the flood of emotion from another flirtation with his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory. Rinse and repeat from Darlington, from Bristol’s dirt – two other recent close brushes for the 19-year-old, who wound up 16th in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos from Charlotte

“It hurts,” Hocevar said later, after congratulating victorious teammate Ross Chastain. “I mean, the last few times, we haven’t been the best truck. Today it was like unheard of to be that good.”

Just a few pit stalls ahead, the emotional outpouring had a different tone altogether, though just as emphatic. Ryan Preece, the versatile 31-year-old veteran, was livid, directing his angst toward the youngster who had just knocked them both from contention on the next-to-last restart.

Preece stomped off, invoking the name of the Modified Tour legends that he grew up idolizing and later racing against for comparison’s sake.

“He needs to learn how to race,” Preece told MRN Radio. He wound up 11th in a damaged No. 17 Ford. “I mean, there’s one thing, I’ve raced with a lot of great race car drivers, Mike Stefanik, Ted Christopher, Reggie Ruggiero — all these guys — and if you drove like that, they kicked your ass. So it’s … no one’s teaching these kids, but somebody needs to and it’s eventually going to be me.”

RELATED: Full Ryan Preece interview

By then, Hocevar had already shouldered the blame for washing up into Preece’s truck twice – once at the exit of Turn 2 and again through Turns 3 and 4 to push the race into double overtime on Lap 135. Little consolation for Preece, who is running a national-series tripleheader this weekend.

“He makes a lot of mistakes. I watch it week in and week out,” Preece said. “It’s a mistake when you learn the first time. It’s not a mistake when you continually do it over and over again. It’s called a bad habit.”

Chastain, for his part, said that Hocevar deserved to win. The teenager led a race-best 57 laps. His misfortune cleared the way for Chastain, who led just four, and left a lingering bad taste. Even then, Hocevar stood at the back of his Niece Motorsports hauler and took pictures with his phone to better remember the moment, even as he defended himself from Preece’s criticisms.

“I mean, I crashed him,” Hocevar said. “I mean, if he wants to high praise of young drivers with no respect, I mean, I just spanked his ass. I waxed him. He was the next best, but I put it to him. I mean, I messed up. I made a mistake. I obviously wasn’t gonna try and crash myself and obviously crash him. I just tried to use them up a little bit but not even like to door him because you crash when you door each other. …

“I somewhat heard what he was saying on MRN, and he has every right to be mad and say what he wants, but I don’t agree with it. I think it’s just hard racing on old tires, and I made a mistake and it cost both of us. It’s just is what it is. I’m not gonna go talk.”

Preece had no plans for that, either. “(Expletive) no,” he said in a final blister on the Motor Racing Network’s air.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. – When fate dealt Carson Hocevar another heartache Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Niece Motorsports teammate Ross Chastain took full advantage — with a serendipitous push from Grant Enfinger.

On the final lap of the second overtime in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series contest, Chastain raced side-by-side on the backstretch with John Hunter Nemechek, before the timely push from Enfinger propelled him forward and enabled him to clear Nemechek’s No. 4 Toyota.

RELATED: Official race results

Chastain crossed the finish line 0.102 seconds ahead of Enfinger, with Nemechek running third, 0.413 seconds behind the race winner.

When he climbed out of his No. 41 Chevrolet on the frontstretch, however, Chastain could talk only of Hocevar, who dominated the event, only to see it slip away after a devastating late caution.

“I hate it so much for Carson,” said Chastain, who won for the first time this season, the first time at Charlotte and the fourth time in his career. “I didn’t give him the push he needed to win (on the first attempt at overtime)… Man, I’m so proud of Carson Hocevar.

“I’ll say that over and over. That guy’s a future star. He’s such a goofy kid, but I love him. He learns so quick.”

RELATED: Hocevar emotional after finish; Preece irate with Hocevar

Hocevar, who lost the lead four laps short of the scheduled finish and ran second at Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track in April, learned a painful lesson Friday after leading a race-high 57 laps.

He held an advantage that had stabilized at slightly more than six seconds when Jesse Little’s Chevrolet broke loose over the bumps in Turn 3 and carried Tyler Ankrum’s Toyota into the outside wall.

The 19-year-old Hocevar chose the inside lane for the late restart, and Ryan Preece, in the outside lane, nosed ahead past the start-finish line when Chastain spun his tires and failed to provide Hocevar with a push.

Running beside Preece on Lap 136 in the first attempt at overtime, Hocevar lost control and slid up the track into Preece’s No. 17 Ford, damaging both vehicles.

“A dumbass move by myself,” said Hocevar, who climbed from his No. 42 Chevrolet after the race and sat on the pavement, his head between his hands. “It sucks. I mean I tried really hard — I tried too hard.

“I didn’t get a good restart. I tried too hard, tried to wash (Preece) up and just crashed myself. I feel like just crying.”

Preece finished 11th after pitting with a flat tire — thanks to the wreck. He didn’t mince words on pit lane.

“Don’t wreck the guy on the outside of you trying to win your first race,” Preece said. “Don’t do it.”

After finishing second, Enfinger believes he has an IOU from Chastain.

“I’m glad to push my buddy, Ross, to a win,” Enfinger said. “In my book, he owes me one.”

Christian Eckes ran fourth, followed by Zane Smith, who led 52 laps and won the first stage. Tanner Gray, Kyle Busch, Chandler Smith, Stewart Friesen and Ben Rhodes completed the top 10.

Rhodes won Stage 2 by staying out on old tires and catching an opportune caution when Matt Mills crashed with Jack Wood in Turn 4 three laps short of the send of the 30-lap stage.

Ultimately, Hocevar came home 16th, the last driver on the lead lap. Mexican driver Max Gutierrez finished 26th in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut.

The Truck Series returns to Worldwide Technology Raceway at Gateway next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on FS1.

NOTE: There were no issues found in NASCAR’s post-race inspection, confirming Chastain as the Camping World Truck Series winner.

Staff reports contributed to this story.

Posted on by Holly Cain

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — From a series of satellite television interviews and small-town Indiana radio reports to a press conference that seemed to magnetically draw the entire room of reporters to him, Jimmie Johnson made the media rounds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday with that same smile and easy air about him that characterized his storied NASCAR career.

All that remains is Saturday’s traditional public driver meeting and “500 Parade” through downtown Indianapolis before Johnson straps into his No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to make his Indianapolis 500 debut — the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion now an Indy 500 rookie.

RELATED: Dixon on Indy pole; Johnson in Row 4 | Ganassi cars top practice

He is that rare rookie, however, that by so many accounts is a legitimate Indy 500 race favorite — a designation he’s proudly embraced and also made good on countless times in his legendary NASCAR career from 2002-2019.

2022 May25 Jimmie Johnson 3 Main Image
James Black | Penske Entertainment

“I do really believe he’s got a genuine shot at winning because he’s got so much experience on ovals and in long races,” said two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya, who raced against Johnson in the NASCAR Cup Series, too.

“He knows how to go through the good and the bad in a long race, and other people just don’t. And he’s got a good car. Right now, you have to say the good cars, based on speed, are the Ganassi cars and he’s one of them.”

“I know Jimmie and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be there [at the end].”

For NASCAR fans — from those who celebrated his 83 wins to those who complained he won too much — the 46-year-old Johnson’s presence and the high expectations he’s earned this month have made his high-profile Indy attempt a significant historical time in the sport.

Many of his former NASCAR teammates and competitors say they will be watching the Indy 500 a little more intently, even as they prepare to top off the Memorial Day race weekend with NASCAR’s famed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“On top of being extraordinarily talented, Jimmie is highly adaptable,” Johnson’s NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick said. “I’ve always said that he’s like having a computer behind the wheel. He analyzes everything. It’s a constant process of learning and adjusting until all of a sudden it clicks, and you can’t beat him.

“We’ve seen Jimmie do it time and again, and I think the approach combined with the mentality of a champion is why he’ll be successful at whatever he sets his mind to.

“The transition [from NASCAR to IndyCar] … has proven to be a monumental challenge for the best drivers in the world, but Jimmie is wired differently than most. He certainly doesn’t have anything to prove, but I believe he’ll open a lot of eyes. And I can’t wait to watch him do it.”

2022 May25 Jimmie Johnson 1 Main Image
Joe Skibinski | Penske Entertainment

A SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE

The man who led Johnson’s seven title runs as a crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports, Chad Knaus, will be trackside for his very first Indy 500 this weekend; a special guest of Johnson and his wife Chandra. And not surprisingly, he agrees with Hendrick’s high expectations.

“I’m proud to have the opportunity to be there and really proud and excited to see him compete,” said Knaus, now Hendrick’s vice president of competition.

“In my opinion, he showed his value on ovals at Texas — and that was his first oval race — and I think he has a legitimate opportunity [to win at Indianapolis],” Knaus said of Johnson’s sixth-place IndyCar Series oval debut at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month. It was his first top 10 since transitioning to IndyCar competition in 2021.

“He’s actually got more drafting experience than anyone else in that series [IndyCar], if you think about it. Of course, there’s going to be somewhat different characteristics, different car, and whatnot, but he’s going to understand that, I believe, better than any of those other guys. And I think it puts him in a unique situation where he could easily out-perform a lot of folks there.”

23XI Racing driver Kurt Busch has a unique firsthand perspective on Johnson’s quest. The 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion made his only IndyCar start in the 2014 Indianapolis 500 — the last NASCAR driver to complete “The Double” — competing in both the Indy 500 and then the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Busch won Indy’s coveted Rookie of the Race award with a sixth-place finish but was sidelined with an engine failure later that day at Charlotte.

SPEEDSPORT: Latest IndyCar news

He sees no reason to expect anything less than success for Johnson, who turned in top-five practice laps in most sessions and easily advanced into the final qualifying session. A slight miscue on his pole position attempt, however, means Johnson will start 12th in the traditional 33-car field. All four of his Ganassi teammates also advanced to final qualifying with Scott Dixon earning pole position.

“My enthusiasm is way up this year because Jimmie’s running and just to support him as a fellow NASCAR guy,” Busch said. “I remember the support everyone in this NASCAR community gave to me in 2014.

“It’s been fun just texting back and forth with him. What am I going to coach him about? But at the same time, I feel like I can throw in little things as a friend and someone who experienced it. He has so much IndyCar experience now and so much experience at that oval. That’s what I told him, ‘Go use all your NASCAR experience at that oval, blend it with the IndyCar experience you have now, and the sky’s the limit.’

“That’s where he can use his years of experience,” Busch continued. “He’s a seven-time champion in NASCAR. He’s got a ton of IndyCar starts now. He should be a legitimate threat and people should look at him that way.”

Certainly Johnson’s stock-car record at Indy indicates as much. He has as many Indianapolis Motor Speedway trophies as anyone in Sunday’s Indy 500 field, winning four times in NASCAR’s Brickyard 400. In 18 starts on the Indy oval, Johnson has earned six top-five finishes and led more than 300 laps.

2022 May25 Jimmie Johnson 5 Main Image
Chris Owens | Penske Entertainment

Montoya (two) and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves (four) are the only multi-time winners in the field this week. And as with Montoya, Castroneves said he fully expects Johnson to be a factor.

TONIGHT SHOW ENCORE?

For his part, Johnson acknowledges both the high hopes and a busy schedule. He appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon this week and joined fellow drivers as part of a national Indianapolis 500 promotional tour — all before his many press opportunities at The Speedway.

From the time he announced he would compete in the Indy 500, he said, he has received constant support and encouragement from the NASCAR world. He’s aware of the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio listeners who call in and say they are more curious about Indy this year because of Johnson. And he’s flattered that in many ways his two racing worlds have merged in such a positive manner.

Even his father Gary, a constant presence at Johnson’s NASCAR races, will be spotting from Turn 3.

MORE: Indianapolis 500 schedule

“I’ve had a ton of support, a bunch of text messages from my friends in the NASCAR world,” Johnson with a smile. “And honestly a lot of fans, at the track here over the last week or so have said, ‘We’re NASCAR fans, we’re just here to check out the track and your IndyCar experience,’ so that’s been really neat to see.”

His team owner Ganassi is a bit restrained in declaring his team the absolute favorite. But the four-time Indianapolis 500-winning owner sure likes his chances this week.

“I think in terms of a confidence level, we’re as confident as any other team right now and I think we should be more confident because our cars seem to be good,” said Ganassi, adding “we couldn’t be happier with the job he’s doing.”

“I don’t look at it as him being a celebrity, but I look at him as being a good guy that’s a good teammate that can win the race.”

That’s the prevailing feeling in Indianapolis. And if support and fans were enough to secure the victory, Johnson will be wearing the traditional winner’s wreath and gulping the victory milk this Sunday afternoon.

“He’s living a life a lot of race car drivers have always wanted to live and not many get the opportunity,” Knaus said. “So I’m extremely proud of him.”

“He’s got an opportunity. He’s got good equipment. There’s a lot of energy around it. And we know how talented he is. Is he capable of winning? 100 percent.”

2022 May25 Jimmie Johnson 4 Main Image
Chris Owens | Penske Entertainment