Posted on by Track Release

ST. LOUIS – The 80,000-plus fans projected to attend the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series’ Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter race and related festivities will be entertained at every turn throughout race weekend. Live performances will begin at the Ballpark Village Fan Fest presented by Enterprise on June 2 and will continue at World Wide Technology Raceway from June 3-5, concluding with a post-race concert.

RELATED: 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

Confluence Festival: Crossroads of Concert & Community – a showcase of innovation, talent and live entertainment – represents the region’s communities coming together in welcoming NASCAR, the No. 1 form of motorsports in the U.S, to World Wide Technology Raceway.

“We promised our fans a world-class event, and this festival will deliver on a whole new level,” said Curtis Francois, owner and CEO of World Wide Technology Raceway. “Collectively, with our incredible partners World Wide Technology, we have developed a phenomenal lineup of entertainment and engagement opportunities that show the world how excited the St. Louis region is about hosting this race.”

In addition to live music, several interactive STEM activities, including RaceAR (featuring first-of-its-kind augmented reality race simulations developed by World Wide Technology), will be demonstrated on the Midway. Community youth programs will showcase robotics, karting and STEM through hands-on activities, while an esports tournament determines the winner of a 16-team local high school double-elimination contest hosted live on the Midway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race on June 5.

“St. Louis is making history with the Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series race weekend – a spectacular, must-see four-day celebration for our region,” said David L. Steward, founder and chairman of World Wide Technology. “When not cheering for the world’s best drivers, fans will enjoy several genres of live music and activities that showcase technology and innovation, reflecting our goal of making World Wide Technology Raceway the most tech‑forward track, entertainment and education venue in racing.”

Surprise live entertainment announcements are still to come. While a complete live entertainment schedule will be released later, the lineup currently includes:

  • Old Dominion
  • Nelly
  • Cole Swindell
  • Jimmie Allen
  • Kameron Marlowe
  • Dee Jay Silver
  • Alexandra Kay
  • Tim Dugger
  • River Kittens
  • The Steve Ewing Band
  • Zhivegas
  • Joe Dirt & The Dirty Boys
  • Marquise Knox
  • Saint Boogie Brass Band
  • DJ Mahf
  • Red and Black Brass Band
  • Lamar Harris
  • Michael B. Whit
  • Malena Smith
  • FanFare (World Wide Technology employee band)
  • Special performances by The Muny, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Jazz St. Louis and The Sheldon; featuring: Kennedy Holmes, Keyon Harrold, Brian Owens, Jean Baylor and Shedrick Mitchell

Ballpark Village Fan Fest presented by Enterprise and Enterprise Infield Fan Zone Experience

Race weekend will officially kick off on June 2 with a NASCAR hauler parade through downtown St. Louis and the free Ballpark Village Fan Fest presented by Enterprise from 4-8 p.m CT.

Ticketed fans who purchase the additional Enterprise Infield Fan Zone Experience on race days will enjoy infield amenities, including a tented concession area, driver appearances, access to walk the track prior to the race and VIP viewing of the main stage entertainment, before and after the race.

To purchase tickets to the NASCAR Cup Series race, visit MetroTix.com or call 618-215-8888. For more information about the Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway, visit WWTRaceway.com.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

For grassroots racers, every cent counts.

This is especially true for teams competing with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, with competitors often doing everything they can to get the most out of a dollar.

That’s where contingency awards and bonus programs come in.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour offers a plethora of contingency and bonus awards to help fill the pockets of race teams as they go up and down the highway to and from Tour events.

These bonuses are supported by Tour sponsors, all of whom want to give back to race teams that support the Tour.

RACE CENTER: Whelen Modified Tour at Riverhead

“It’s not cheap for our race teams to travel up and down the road to our events, so we want to do everything we can to help support them,” said NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour director Jimmy Wilson. “One of the biggest ways we do that is with our contingency sponsors, who help race teams by offering additional incentives at each race throughout the season and at the end of the year.”

Whelen Engineering, the series title partner, is also one of the biggest bonus award supporters. In addition to the traditional winner’s purse paid out at the end of each event, the winning driver also earns the Whelen Engineering “Winner of the Race” award, worth $3,500.

Other bonuses come from sponsors like Mayhew Tools, Sunoco, Hoosier Tire and Josten’s. A full list of special awards available to Tour teams during each race is below.

  • $3,500 Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race award to the winning driver.
  • $1,000 Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole per event award to the driver with the fastest qualifying time eligible to participate.
  • $625 Sunoco Rookie of the Race award to the highest finishing eligible 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Rookie of the Year Candidate.
  • $600 Hoosier Tire Lap Leader per event award to the eligible car owner whose driver leads the most laps in each event.
  • $550 Sunoco Spec Fuel award divided: 1st-$300 5th-$150 10th-$100.
  • $500 Hoosier Tire Harder Charger per event award to the highest finishing eligible driver who advances the most positions during the course of the race.
  • $500 Hoosier Tire Most Improved per event award to the eligible new team/organization whose driver improves the most positions during the course of the race.
  • $400 Phil Kurze Halfway Leader Award presented by Josten’s per event award to the race leader at the halfway point of the event.

A number of these contingency awards also have a year-end component, with teams and drivers that earn the most of each award throughout the season earning additional monetary bonuses.

Those that include year-end bonuses are the Hoosier Tire Lap Leader Award, the Hoosier Tire Most Improved Award, the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award, the Sunoco Spec Fuel Award and the Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Award.

That’s far from the end of the bonuses teams can earn. There are also point fund awards available from a multitude of contingency sponsors.

Whelen Engineering, Mayhew Tools, Sunoco, Hoosier Tire, ARP Fasteners, JE Pistons, Penske Shocks, Total Seal, Competition Cams, Josten’s, Quarter Master, E3 Spark Plugs, Kooks Custom Headers, SRI Performance, Serck Motorsports, Holley MSD and Mobil 1 are all involved as year-end contingency supporters of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

“In racing, every cent adds up, so to have so many fantastic contingency sponsors involved with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to help give back to our race teams is incredible,” said Wilson. “It would be hard to do what we do without them supporting our competitors throughout the year. They’re all an important part of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour family and we’re excited to have each of them involved.”

In addition to the aforementioned bonuses and contingency awards, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour streaming partner FloRacing also awards $10,000 in bonuses to the top 20 finishers in each series event as well as an additional $25,000 in year-end bonuses that is divided amongst the teams that attempt every race throughout the year.

JDV Productions, an outside promotional group that is promoting four Tour races this year, is also offering several bonuses as part of the inaugural Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup. The series within the series features $15,000 in bonuses that will be available to Tour competitors.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is back in action Saturday, May 14, at New York’s Riverhead Raceway.

Posted on by Track Release

SONOMA, Calif. – DoorDash, the local commerce platform, has been named title sponsor of the June 11th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

The DoorDash 250 will serve as the 12th race on the Truck Series schedule and host the return of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to Northern California for the first time since 1998. This event will be part of a tripleheader weekend that includes the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race and General Tire 200 ARCA Menards Series West event. This will mark the first time DoorDash has sponsored a NASCAR premier series race since entering the sport in 2020.

MORE: Full Camping World Truck Series schedule

“We are excited to welcome DoorDash to our NASCAR race weekend and the return of the Camping World Truck series to Sonoma,” said Sonoma Raceway EVP and General Manager Jill Gregory. “It’s always exciting to have a new partner involved, especially a local partner like DoorDash who has made a big impact on our sport and our community.”

DoorDash first entered the world of motorsports in 2020 through a partnership with NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace and a founding partnership with 23XI Racing. In 2021, DoorDash expanded its engagement and connection to fans through a multi-year partnership with NASCAR, aiming to bring unique experiences to the track and create a more inclusive environment for racing fans everywhere.  The wide-ranging agreement spans the sanctioning body and its 11 NASCAR-owned facilities.

DoorDash will look to deepen its connection with race fans by bringing the DoorDash experience to Sonoma Raceway over the coming years by highlighting local and regional favorites.

“We’re thrilled to welcome fans as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Camping World truck series race at Sonoma Raceway,” said Vanessa Carr, DoorDash’s Director of Partnership Marketing. “We look forward to connecting with the racing community both on and off the track to showcase DoorDash as an essential part of race day while bringing exciting, authentic experiences to fans.”

The green flag drops on the DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 11. It will be preceded by the annual return of the ARCA Menards Series West General Tire 200 at 2:30 p.m. The weekend will conclude with the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series event on Sunday, June 12 at 4 p.m.

Tickets to the event are still available, starting at just $40. In addition, kids 12 and under are admitted FREE. For more information, visit the Sonoma Raceway website or call 800-870-7223.

Posted on by Zack Albert

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Boos rained down on race winner Joey Logano after a hard-fought Sunday at Darlington Raceway. William Byron waved his arm at the crowd to egg them on. “It’s obvious,” he told his No. 24 crew, agreeing with the court of ticket-buying public opinion verdict on Logano’s late-race move.

While Logano celebrated his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the year in Sunday’s Goodyear 400, Byron came home an unlucky 13th, nursing his dented No. 24 Chevrolet to the finish. The bump came courtesy of Logano, who grabbed the lead with a lap and a half to go and put a crimp in Byron’s usually cheery demeanor.

MORE: Watch Logano’s winning move | Official results

As racing incidents typically go, the two drivers had differing viewpoints. For Logano, the bumper punch was seen as retribution for an earlier wrong, when Byron pushed Logano’s No. 22 Ford to the Turn 2 wall on the previous restart. For Byron, the final contact was over the line and a characteristic part of Logano’s aggressive portfolio.

“I mean he runs everybody over, so I don’t see what’s different,” Byron said as he made an irate, hasty exit out of the Cup Series garage. “… I mean, he was faster. He could have easily just gotten to the left rear and loosened me up, but he runs in there 10 miles an hour faster. He didn’t even barely make the corner, so I don’t know why he goes in so hard and knocks the (expletive) out of you. Makes no sense.”

Jeffgordon Williambyron Darlington2022
Jennifer Fisher | NASCAR Digital Media

Byron led 24 laps, all after his close squeeze with Logano on the final return to green. He was in position to snatch a series-best third victory this season until Logano tracked him down during the final stretch.

No. 24 crew chief Rudy Fugle, who repeated his familiar “let it live” motto as Byron tried to keep his late-race edge, said he was hoping for a cleaner pass attempt from Logano

“You’re coming to the white (flag), so would’ve loved a shot at him throwing it in on the bottom (lane),” Fugle said. “We were obviously struggling there for the last couple laps, so I think it looked like we got really loose and just trying to get to the finish. … I don’t think we tried to block. I think we were trying to do our thing and get a run off the top and go racing for a final lap. But yeah, I think everybody wants to be raced at least first, and then things happen. But, oh well. We’ll move forward.”

Logano’s reasoning held that the earlier contact with Byron made his reprisal fair game.

LOGANO: ‘Gloves are off’ after early contact

“He came off of Turn 2 and drove me right into the wall. At that point, I’m lucky my car isn’t broken,” said Logano, who led a race-best 107 laps. “I’m a very angry driver, and I think anyone in the field would probably agree, if someone is going to be willing to do that to you, well, the gloves are off at that point. I knew if I got back there what I was going to do and what I had to do.

“That was the way he wanted to race, so I said, let’s go. If he passed me clean, it wouldn’t have looked like that. But that was the situation that was there in front of me, and fortunately I was able to get back there, and he obviously knew it was coming. He checked up into the corner pretty early, so he obviously knew it was coming.”

Logano added that his previously empty win column weighed heavily in his choice of maneuvers. “I did what I had to do. Had to win the race,” he said. “It was very important to win and get into the playoffs, obviously, and what everything means to winning here. Like I said, all those things go into the equation of making the decision.”

Byron wasn’t buying that the punishment matched the crime.

“I mean, we barely touched off of (turn) two on that restart,” Byron said. “… It was tight and no reason for him to say retaliation. That’s stupid. He does this stuff all the time.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Executing a decisive bash-and-run on the next-to-last-lap of Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, Joey Logano wrestled the lead from William Byron and ended a NASCAR Cup Series 40-race winless streak dating to March 2021 at Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track.

After Logano gave Byron’s Chevrolet a jolt entering Turn 3 on the white-flag lap, Byron shot up the track into the outside wall and fell back to 13th at the finish.

RELATED: Official results | Byron fired up after late contact 

Driving a No. 22 Ford sporting the throwback paint scheme of his first quarter-midget racer, Logano beat runner-up Tyler Reddick to the finish line by 0.775 seconds to earn his first victory at Darlington and the 28th of his career.

Logano now has won at least one race in 11 consecutive Cup Series seasons.

“Yeah, you’re not going to put me in the wall and not get anything back,” Logano said, apparently referring to earlier contact from Byron’s car. “That’s how that works. Man, super proud of the Shell-Pennzoil team, getting a victory here in Darlington. You know what it’s like — I’ve never won here in a Cup race before.

“So proud of this race team. Great execution all day long. I’ll tell you what, the coolest thing is getting this car into Victory Lane. This is the car where it all started for me back in ’95 in a quarter midget. Really, honestly, all the young kids racing out there right now — this could be you.”

An incensed Byron clearly thought Logano crossed the line with his aggressive maneuver.

“We were really close off of (Turn) 2, and I think it spooked him and got him tight, and he was right against the wall, and I got the lead,” Byron said of a restart on Lap 268. “He’s just an idiot. He does this stuff all the time. I’ve seen it with other guys.

“He drove in there 10 mph too fast, and with these Next-Gen cars, he slammed me so hard it knocked the whole right side off the car, and no way to make the corner.

“Yeah, he’s just a moron. He can’t win a race, so he does it that way. I don’t know, we’ll … yeah, it was close racing on the restart. We were faster than him. Obviously, at the end the right rear (of Byron’s car) started to go away, and, yeah, he didn’t even make it a contest.”

RELATED: Kyle Larson registers fourth DNF of 2022 | At-track photos 

Justin Haley ran third, followed by Kevin Harvick, who posted his 13th straight top-10 result at the “Lady in Black” — a track record. Chase Elliott started at the rear of the field in a backup car and finished fifth.

A massive wreck off Turn 2 on Lap 260 of 293 took out more than a handful of front-running cars and set up the final restart. Martin Truex Jr., who had restarted on the inside of Row 2, lost momentum in the corner and slid back between the Chevrolet of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the Ford of Harvick.

Truex’s Toyota made slight contact with Stenhouse’s Camaro on the outside — but enough to start Truex spinning sideways. The wreck collected the cars of Kurt Busch, Bubba Wallace, Cole Custer, Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Blaney and Elliott, which suffered damage ranging from minimal to terminal.

Ill fortune led to the demise of three of the strongest cars before the race reached the halfway point. On Lap 112, second-place starter Kyle Larson brought his No. 5 Chevrolet to pit road and retired with engine failure.

Lap 167 brought the downfall of Kyle Busch, who had led 19 laps. The No. 6 Ford of Brad Keselowski pounded the outside wall in Turn 2 and collected the Toyota of Busch, eliminating both cars from the race.

RELATED: Kyle Busch collected by Brad Keselowski, wrecks out

Ross Chastain collected the second stage win of his career in Stage 2, but his elation was short-lived. Moments after the subsequent restart on Lap 194, Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet spun to the inside of Hamlin’s Toyota near the exit of Turn 2 and nosed into the inside wall, ending his race.

“We were fighting the balance all day,” Chastain said. “We were racing with those guys for the lead. I just thought I could run the bottom there off of Turn 2 at the exit of the patch (of new asphalt). I just got loose on the transition and spun out.”

By the time the race ended, 13 of the 36 cars already were in the garage, equaling the number of DNFs last month at Talladega Superspeedway.

Logano’s victory in a Ford kept Chevrolet winless at Darlington since Harvick’s victory there in 2014.

NOTE: There were no issues in NASCAR’s post-race inspection, confirming Joey Logano as the winner in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. NASCAR did indicate the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of driver Austin Cindric and No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet of Justin Haley will be brought back to the NASCAR R&D Center for further teardown inspection.

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 FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | Watch on USA Network | Get the NBC Sports App | Watch on Peacock | FloRacing

Monday, May 9
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Dead on Tools 200 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
Noon, NASCAR Xfinity Series: Mahindra ROXOR 200 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock

Tuesday, May 10
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: DuraMAX Drydene 400 at Dover Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
11 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2

Wednesday, May 11
2 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Mahindra ROXOR 200 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
4 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Dead on Tools 200 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock

Thursday, May 12
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Friday, May 13
8 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: 1998 Federated Auto Parts 250 (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2005 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1

Saturday, May 14
6:30 a.m., The Relentless (re-air), FS1
7 a.m., NASCAR Presents: Beyond the Wheel (re-air), FS1
8 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Kansas, FS1
9 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Race Hub Game Night — Truck Series Edition (re-air), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: 1998 Federated Auto Parts 250 (re-air), FS1
Noon, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Qualifying, FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition — Kansas, FS1
2 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: Dutch Boy 150 at Kansas Speedway, FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, FS2
7 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NCWTS at Kansas Speedway, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway, FS1

On MRN:
2 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: Dutch Boy 150 at Kansas Speedway
5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at Kansas Speedway
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway

Sunday, May 15
Midnight, NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying (re-air), FS1
2 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway (re-air), FS1
4 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Kansas (re-air), FS2
5 a.m., ARCA Menards Series: Dutch Boy 150 at Kansas Speedway (re-air), FS2
7 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway (re-air), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Kansas Speedway (re-air), FS1
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying (re-air), FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Kansas Speedway, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, FS1

On MRN:
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Busch wrecked out in Stage 2 of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway.

RELATED: Busch explains leaving car on pit road | At-track photos

Busch’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota got caught up in the wake of Brad Keselowski blowing a tire on his No. 6 RFK Racing Ford. Busch was running fifth, while Keselowski was 22nd. The incident happened on Lap 167 of 293 and came after Busch led twice for 19 laps.

“Just the (No.) 6 car blew a right-front tire off of (Turn) 2 and I had nowhere to go, just got collected up and something not of our doing, but it’s frustrating for having a good M&M’s Camry,” Busch told FOX Sports.

“It was nice to be running top five, lead some laps there, and it just felt like we’re trying to hone in on the setup — the short run versus the long run — and where we want it to be good and what all was going to pay dividends at the end of the day. But oh well.”

Busch nursed his car to pit road, only to park it at the entrance of the garage and walk off. Busch was listed 33rd of 36 on the results sheet. Keselowski, 34th. Joey Logano ultimately won the race.

RELATED: Official race results

At the end of Stage 1, which wrapped on Lap 90, Busch was fourth. He qualified fifth.

This marks Busch’s second DNF through 12 races. His other came at Atlanta Motor Speedway, also due to a wreck. Busch has a win to his name from Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt race, so he already earned a provisional NASCAR Playoffs berth. He entered Sunday’s race ranked fourth in the standings, 65 points behind leader Chase Elliott from Hendrick Motorsports. Busch is now sixth, 89 points down.

Posted on by Staff Report

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson registered his fourth DNF of 2022 on Sunday at Darlington Raceway. That’s double his 2021 total. And he’s only 12 races into this 36-race season.

RELATED: Watch Larson’s spin | At-track photos

Larson pitted his No. 5 Chevrolet from the 10th running position due to engine trouble on Lap 112 of 293 in the Goodyear 400. His Hendrick Motorsports crew went to work under the hood, but ultimately, the car was retired from competition during Stage 1. He wound up 36th of 36 on the results sheet. Joey Logano won.

“With these, you don’t really want to lock the tires down because you get a flat and it really tears your car up,” Larson told FOX Sports. “So I definitely rolled (backward) some, but that was my concern with why we blew up. But they said that probably didn’t have anything to do with it.

“Bummer, our car was super good today, so that’s promising. I feel like maybe we hit on something here this weekend. But yeah, I hate that I’m not going to get the finish we deserved. But like I said, I’m proud of my team for the car they brought today.”

RELATED: Official race results

At the end of Stage 1, which ended on Lap 90, Larson was 13th. He fired off from second when the green flag waved and led twice for 30 laps. He had a spin in Turn 4 on Lap 54 that drew a caution.

Larson’s three other DNFs came in Race 1 at Daytona International Speedway (crash), Race 4 at Phoenix Raceway (engine) and Race 5 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (crash). Thankfully for the No. 5 driver and crew, Larson already has a tally in the win column from Auto Club Speedway (Race 2), meaning he has provisionally qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs by virtue of a victory. He entered Sunday’s race ranked eighth in the standings, 83 points off leader and teammate Chase Elliott. Larson is now ninth and 117 points back.

Posted on by Staff Report

One popular part of Darlington Raceway’s annual throwback weekend is the fan vote for best paint scheme — and with all three NASCAR national series at the “Track Too Tough To Tame,” three unique winners were honored this year.

Yes, the fans have spoken.

The envelope, please.

NASCAR Cup Series

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet. Elliott’s scheme is an honor to Jimmy Means.

Chase Elliott Darlington Throwback

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Chevrolet. Clements’ scheme is an honor to Dale Earnhardt and Bud Moore.

Jeremy Clements Darlington

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Matt DiBenedetto, No. 25 Chevrolet. DiBenedetto’s scheme is an honor to Sterling Marlin.

Matt Dibenedetto Paint Scheme

 

Posted on by Dustin Albino

There’s nothing quite like Darlington Raceway on the Cup Series schedule, as the surface wears tires at an extreme rate. In the midst of Throwback Weekend, 2018 champion Joey Logano sat atop the qualifying leaderboard, winning his first pole since 2019. Between the two group practice sessions, two potential race winners will have to come from the rear after having incidents.

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:
Starter 1: Kyle Larson
Starter 2: Denny Hamlin
Starter 3: Ross Chastain
Starter 4: Erik Jones
Starter 5: Tyler Reddick
Garage pick: Kevin Harvick

NEXT IN LINE: Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr.

RELATED: Set your lineup | Starting lineup | Fantasy Fastlane

RISING: Joey Logano is coming off consecutive races where he finished 29th or worse. But on Saturday, it was the No. 22 Ford that led the way, winning his first pole at the “Track Too Tough To Tame.” In 16 starts at Darlington, Logano has a quartet of top-five results, and top-10 finishes in three of his last four starts.

When it comes to a track that has an abrasive racing surface, Tyler Reddick comes to the top of mind as drivers that could contend for the win. On Sunday, there’s a good chance the No. 8 Chevrolet will be rim-riding the wall to chase additional grip. Not many drivers do it better than the two-time Xfinity Series champion. He will start from a respectable 10th on Sunday.

FALLING: Kevin Harvick enters Sunday’s race with 12 straight top-10 finishes at Darlington. However, after blowing a left rear tire and going for a spin in practice on Saturday, the No. 4 car had to go to the garage to repair the diffuser. While Harvick will have to start in the rear, 400 miles around “The Lady in Black” is a long day; I’m keeping him in my lineup. 

In recent years, Chase Elliott has felt he’s struggled to get around Darlington, thus why he entered the Xfinity Series race this weekend (he DNQ’d with qualifying getting canceled due to rain). His struggles continued in Group B of practice, blowing a left-rear tire entering Turn 3 on his 15th lap. The No. 9 Chevrolet will also have to come from the rear in a backup car. 

FEATURED MATCHUPS

Denny Hamlin vs. Martin Truex Jr.: Of the 36 drivers entered into Sunday’s race, no driver is better at Darlington than Hamlin. Since 2020, the No. 11 Toyota has won two of the last four races at the 1.33-mile track, including last year’s Southern 500. Truex isn’t a snub at Darlington, either, as the No. 19 car dominated this race last season. This is a tossup, but the slight advantage goes to Hamlin, even though he had an issue in qualifying.

Ross Chastain vs. Kyle Busch: These two drivers have had comparable seasons thus far, though Chastain has gotten to Victory Lane once more than the No. 18 car. Chastain is my pick to win the race, so he’s got my vote here. 

Chris Buescher vs. Ricky Stenhosue Jr.: Both Buescher and Stenhouse are coming off standout races for their respective teams in the 2022 season, with the No. 17 car winning the pole at Dover and the No. 47 Chevrolet finishing runner-up. Based on their success at Darlington, Buescher gets the nod, as he finished ninth in both races last season.

Ryan Blaney vs. William Byron: Based on speed alone, the Nos. 12 and 24 have been near equal in 2022. But Byron has proven to get better as a race goes on this year, while Blaney has had a tough time putting complete races together. Slight advantage, No. 24 team.