SAN DIEGO — Psyonix, the San Diego video game developer, announced that NASCAR is returning to Rocket League with the 2022 NASCAR Fan Pass available Wednesday on all platforms.
The 2022 NASCAR Fan Pass will feature new NASCAR-themed content throughout the year. The first content drop available in the Item Shop in April features three Cars (NASCAR Next Gen Ford Mustang, NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro, and NASCAR Next Gen Toyota Camry), nine NASCAR team Decals and Player Banners, and Next Gen Goodyear Racing Wheels. The nine NASCAR teams featured in the first content drop, along with which car their Decals will be available for, are:
Front Row Motorsports No. 34 (NASCAR Next Gen Ford Mustang Decal)
RFK Racing No. 17 (NASCAR Next Gen Ford Mustang Decal)
Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 (NASCAR Next Gen Ford Mustang Decal)
Team Penske No. 12 (NASCAR Next Gen Ford Mustang Decal)
Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 (NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro Decal)
Spire Motorsports No. 7 (NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro Decal)
Trackhouse Racing No. 1 (NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro Decal)
Richard Childress Racing No. 8 (NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro Decal)
Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 (NASCAR Next Gen Toyota Camry Decal)
The 2022 NASCAR Fan Pass will be available for 1100 Credits from April 20 through April 26. Additional content will be added to the Pass later in the year around upcoming NASCAR races and players who own the Fan Pass will have the new items added to their inventory automatically. Additional content includes three Next Gen Decals and three NASCAR-inspired Decals for the Octane, Fennec and Dominus.
The Fan Pass is part of the multi-year collaboration between Psyonix and NASCAR started in 2021, and makes its debut in-game ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 race at Talladega on April 24. At the race, fans will be able to play Rocket League at the Allied Esports gaming truck put on in partnership with NASCAR.
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. — Wendy’s® (Nasdaq: WEN) has joined Beard Motorsports and driver Noah Gragson as its primary partner for the GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race April 24 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Fresh off an impressive activation on the biggest stage in college basketball, where Wendy’s was the Official Breakfast of March Madness®, the company is shifting gears and traveling to the biggest oval track in NASCAR to share the fan-favorite $5 Biggie™ Bag with race enthusiasts.
Talladega is a high-banked, high-speed 2.66-mile oval and it’s where Gragson will drive the No. 62 Wendy’s $5 Biggie Bag Chevrolet Camaro in his second start for Beard Motorsports after debuting with the team in the season-opening Daytona 500.
“It was awesome to make my Cup Series debut with Beard and ever since Daytona I’ve been looking forward to rejoining them at Talladega,” said the 23-year-old Gragson. “We’ve got Wendy’s on board with us as they launch their $5 Biggie Bag promotion and I’m genuinely stoked about it. This is the first time they’ve been on a racecar in almost 20 years and they’re doing it with me. I’m proud of that and proud to have them at Beard Motorsports. Wendy’s has really embraced NASCAR as they’ve gone all in at Talladega.”
The $5 Biggie Bag comes complete with the choice of a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, Double Stack™, or a Crispy Chicken BLT with four-piece chicken nuggets (Spicy or Crispy), small Hot & Crispy Fries, and a small soft drink. A lot of flavor, a lot of value, a lot of choices.
The Biggie-st, baggiest meal deal is lapping the competition and going big at Talladega. In addition to its red-white-and-blue No. 62 Wendy’s $5 Biggie Bag Chevrolet Camaro, Wendy’s will have a pop-up restaurant in the infield at Talladega where fans can get their own $5 Biggie Bag without missing any of the racing action.
“A NASCAR race has an absolutely indescribable energy, and there’s no better place to promote our $5 Biggie Bag than at Talladega – the biggest oval track in NASCAR,” said Carl Loredo, Chief Marketing Officer for The Wendy’s Company. “Noah is an impressive person. He’s a brash race car driver who doesn’t give an inch on the racetrack, but off the track, he has a genuine personality that deeply resonates with fans. Our partnership with him and Beard Motorsports is a great way to share our brand and get high-quality, great-tasting food in the hands of the most passionate fans in motorsports.”
Wendy’s founder is Dave Thomas, who founded the restaurant in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. Today, Wendy’s and its franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across approximately 7,000 restaurants worldwide.
Beard Motorsports was founded by the late Mark Beard Sr., and is now run by his wife, Linda Beard. The generational race team has proven to be the little team that could, a modern-day David competing against the Goliaths of the NASCAR Cup Series.
“My dad was a ‘Go big or go home’ kind of person and that’s why Talladega and Daytona have been the tracks where we’ve decided to go and compete against the biggest teams in NASCAR. It’s a challenge and we love it,” said Amie Beard, Executive Vice President, Beard Motorsports.
“When you taste success at this level, it just makes it that much more rewarding. We take a lot of pride in what we do and how we do it. We’re about quality over quantity, and that’s how we plan to take care of Wendy’s and promote their $5 Biggie Bag at Talladega.”
Beard Motorsports makes it all work by taking a strategic approach to its racing endeavors. It runs only the superspeedway races at Talladega and its sister track, Daytona International Speedway.
Gragson is a six-time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the stepping-stone division to the elite NASCAR Cup Series. Three of those victories came last season, netting Gragson a coveted spot in the NASCAR Playoffs where he advanced all the way to the Championship 4 finale, finishing a career-high third in points. Gragson continues to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports while making select starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Buddy Kofoid’s debut result does not reflect his weekend performance.
Driving the No. 51 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Kofoid showed he can hang with the best in the Camping World Truck Series. The 20-year-old started Saturday night’s main event at Bristol Motor Speedway in 32nd, worked his way up to 17th by the end of Stage 1 on Lap 40 and then advanced to seventh come Stage 2’s end on Lap 90. Kofoid even ran within the top five during the final stretch before a late-race wreck on Lap 140 of 150 left him 27th on the score sheet.
“I wouldn’t say I anticipated it, but I knew we had a really good truck,” Kofoid said. “And my dirt experience, there’s time where I’ve had to come from the back and I’ve won races from last. It’s not easy to do, but it’s fun to do. …
Logan Riely | Getty Images
“It was good to be up front and I knew we were capable of it. It was just a lot of stuff had to fall my way.”
Kofoid proved his capability Friday when he went from being a 33rd-ranked truck in the first practice to the fourth-fastest in the second. In his heat, he didn’t lose or gain any position. That’s what led to his lower starting position.
During the feature, though, Kofoid’s 66 green-flag passes tied for second most in the 36-entry field.
“I felt like I learned a lot really,” Kofoid said. “The funny thing was, it’s not easy by any means at all but it was a little easier than I anticipated as far as picking up speed. Getting in the truck for the first time (Friday) in practice, I felt like I opened up pretty good. And then we just got better and better.”
Kofoid was running fourth when he spun and collected Ty Majeski and Derek Kraus in the process. Ben Rhodes, who ultimately won, was making a pass on Kofoid with a crossover move when it happened. There didn’t appear to be any contact, but it looked super close.
Neither Kofoid nor Rhodes were exactly sure what happened afterward.
“I was really worried because I really like Buddy,” Rhodes said. “I hit it off with him (Friday), first time meeting him, and I think he’s a great dude. And obviously I didn’t want to see Ty (Majeski, teammate) involved. So I’m not sure what happened. I was told on the radio that we cleared him.”
Speaking of the in-race radio, Kofoid had Cup Series regular Christopher Bell in his ear, giving live advice and feedback.
About a week ago, Kofoid texted Bell for help this weekend. Bell didn’t hesitate. The two have built a relationship through their dirt-racing involvement. Last year, Kofoid actually drove Bell’s micro car at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, North Carolina.
“It’s really fun for me, No. 1, to get back to Millbridge and race with those kids because that’s how I started racing,” Bell said. “And I remember back in my day, it was Brady Bacon and he was the biggest guy that would come back and race. So for me, to be able to go back and race with them – and there’s some really talented young drivers coming up – it’s a lot of fun, and I hope it’s special for them to race against me.”
When asked about up-and-coming drivers, Kofoid was the first Bell named. Bubba Wallace and Corey LaJoie also provided unsolicited praise for Kofoid specifically. And obviously Kyle Busch believed in him enough to offer up a ride.
Saturday may have been Kofoid’s first-ever NASCAR race, but it surely won’t be his last. His 13.07 average running position should be considered a more accurate reflection of his overall work at Bristol. Not the ending alone.
“I would be a lot happier if I finished probably where I was running,” Kofoid said. “But, you know, it’s tough to get here. And hopefully, with how fast we were, that could bring me back.”
BRISTOL, Tenn. — The post-race scene was a breath of fresh air as the dust settled.
On the final lap of Sunday’s dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Chase Briscoe robbed Tyler Reddick of his first career victory as he tried – and failed – to make a pass for the lead. The two cars went for a spin, and Kyle Busch sailed on by to capture the checkered flag. Reddick still managed to pull off second. Briscoe wound up 22nd.
As soon as he parked, Briscoe found Reddick on pit road.
“I walked over there with the intent if he punched me in the mouth, I deserved it, right?” Briscoe said. “So, I walked over there and just apologized. And he said, ‘I totally get it, I would have done the same thing.’ And he wasn’t mad at all.”
It’s true. He wasn’t. Reddick smiled and shook Briscoe’s hand.
It was a sign of sportsmanship at a track where just last fall there was a much more heated post-race confrontation (shout-out to Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick).
“It’s Easter, for one,” Reddick said. “And two, I mean, I just look at it like I could have done a better job the last couple of laps to keep distance between us, a gap between us honestly.”
Jeanne Vrabel | For NASCAR Digital Media
Reddick’s No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet held the front spot from Lap 151 to 249 of the 250-lap event. Briscoe inched his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford – which led 59 laps of its own earlier and won Stage 2 – closer and closer, especially after the restart on Lap 226.
Once the white flag waved, Briscoe knew his time was running out.
“When I got off (Turn) 2 and I was almost running him over down the back straightaway,” he said, “I wouldn’t have been able to go to sleep at night if I didn’t try to throw a slider.”
So, as Reddick and Briscoe rounded Turn 3 and headed into Turn 4, Briscoe shot his shot. He ducked on the inside of Reddick, started to slide up but was not clear of Reddick. Briscoe’s right rear clipped Reddick’s left rear.
“He’s one of the guys I feel like you can race hard and he appreciates racing hard,” Briscoe said. “And I think he knows that I wasn’t even trying to wreck him. That was the last thing I wanted to do. I was sick to my stomach as soon as I saw I took him with me.
“I felt like I was probably going to spin out as soon as I got in there. He drove it in so hard trying to protect the slider from me, and that’s what he was supposed to do. It was my fault I hit him, so I hate it for him obviously. Glad he was still able to salvage something out of it.”
Briscoe earned his breakthrough victory earlier this season at Phoenix Raceway, so he’s already locked in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, this finish marked Reddick’s fourth career runner-up and ninth top five. It was his first and third, respectively, this year alone. He’s ranked 11th, currently within the 16-driver postseason field.
“I get it,” Reddick said. “I literally would have done the exact same thing if I was in his position, if I had gotten to the leader’s bumper coming into Turn 3 for the final time.”
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Kyle Busch has a special fondness for Bristol Motor Speedway, but the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota needed a huge stroke of luck on Sunday night to rekindle his love affair with the half-mile track.
Busch won the Food City Dirt Race from a distant third place after the Ford of second-place Chase Briscoe slid up the high-banked dirt track into the Chevrolet of leader Tyler Reddick in the final corner, turning both cars sideways.
Reddick righted his Camaro and steered toward the finish line, but Busch’s momentum off Turn 4 carried his No. 18 Camry past the flag stand 0.330 seconds ahead of Reddick, who was denied his first NASCAR Cup Series victory.
Busch, on the other hand, notched his 60th career victory, ninth-most all-time and most among active drivers. With his first win of the season, he matched Richard Petty’s series record streak of 18 years with at least one trip to Victory Lane.
An eight-time winner on Bristol’s traditional concrete surface — again, most among active drivers — Busch won the second NASCAR Cup Series dirt race since 1970 and the first featuring the new Next Gen race car.
“Yeah, we got one,” Busch said with a wry smile. “Doesn’t matter how you get ‘em. It’s all about getting ‘em. Can’t say enough. I mean, man, I feel like Dale Earnhardt Sr. right now (as the crowd booed his unexpected victory). This is awesome. I didn’t do anything.”
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
After the second of two rain delays, Busch restarted second on Lap 227, but he fell back as Briscoe passed him on Lap 232 of 250 and began to chase Reddick for the lead.
“I don’t know why, we couldn’t fire off after it rained, both times,” Busch said. “It just would not fire. Took it about 20 laps to get going.
“Overall, just really pumped to be back. Real pumped to get a win. This one means a lot. I can win on any surface here at Bristol. Bring it on, baby.”
A chagrined Briscoe took full responsibility for the accident that handed Busch the win.
“I was running Tyler down and tried throwing a slider and didn’t expect him to drive in there on me, and I got loose,” Briscoe said. “I was spinning either way. I feel terrible. I didn’t want to wreck him. That was my fault 100 percent. I hate it for Tyler. He’s a good friend of mine.”
Reddick took the disappointment with consummate grace.
“I don’t think I did everything right, to be honest with you,” Reddick said. “Briscoe was able to run me back down there. Just looking at it, I should have done a little bit better job of just … I don’t know. I shouldn’t have let him get that close. He ran me back down. Worked really hard to do that.
“I mean, you’re racing on dirt, going for the move on the final corner. It’s everything that, as a driver, you hope to battle for in his situation. Made it really exciting for the fans, so… It does suck, but we were able to finish second still. I’m being honest. I should have done a better job and pulled away so he wasn’t in range to try to make that move. That’s how I look at it.”
Reddick took control of the race after a restart on Lap 151 to begin the final stage. With a ferocious run through Turns 1 and 2, he shot between the cars of Busch on the top and Joey Logano on the bottom to take the lead for the first time.
He held the top spot for the next 99 laps, through five cautions and the second rain delay. The final lap was the only one Busch led.
Briscoe was credited with a 22nd-place finish after running second into the final set of corners.
Logano came home third, 4.004 seconds behind the race winner. Kyle Larson was fourth, followed by Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Michael McDowell and Ty Dillon.
Briscoe led the first 48 laps, but his No. 14 Ford spun early with a flat tire to prompt a caution flag on Lap 49. He rallied to take the lead on Lap 140 and held on to win Stage 2 with 150 laps complete. Larson won Stage 1.
The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race is scheduled next Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway.
Note: Inspection in the Cup Series garage is complete with no issues, confirming Kyle Busch as the race winner.
Monday, April 18
4 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Bristol (re-air), FS1
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
1 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock
Tuesday, April 19
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
Wednesday, April 20
1 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock
Thursday, April 21
4:30 a.m., The NASCARcade (re-air), FS2
5 a.m., The Relentless (re-air), FS2
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: The 1987 Winston 500 (re-air), FS2
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Talladega, FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
9 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2009 Aaron’s 499 (re-air), FS2
Friday, April 22
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Talladega (re-air), FS2
9 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2009 Aaron’s 499 (re-air), FS2
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2
Saturday, April 23
8 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2010 Aaron’s 499 (re-air), FS1
11 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition — Talladega, FS1
1 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Xfinity Series at Talladega, FOX
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway, FOX (Canada: TSN3 or TSN5)
On MRN:
1 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway
Sunday, April 24
1 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
4 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Talladega (re-air), FS1
8:30 a.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Cup Series at Talladega, FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Cup Series at Talladega, FOX
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, FOX (Canada: TSN1)
On MRN:
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway
Bettors are able to take advantage of a rare weekend with multiple practice sessions and even heat races while digesting odds for Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET, FOX).
This opportunity helps us find spots where books haven’t adjusted enough to the on-track activity.
With the outright market quite saturated, it’s time to turn to some matchups to find value for tonight’s race.
NASCAR at Bristol Dirt Picks
*Odds as of Sunday morning
Tyler Reddick (-115) over Alex Bowman
This one is a severely mispriced line.
Reddick was far and away fastest in his qualifying group, while Bowman ran a distant third.
Reddick was faster in every metric in opening practice, and faster over five, 10 and 15 consecutive laps in final practice.
We can ignore times beyond 15 laps in final practice as those were made by Reddick earlier in the session when the track wasn’t as quick, whereas Bowman made his 20-plus lap run later in the session as the track sped up.
With the high line the preferred lane, especially at night, this race should set up perfectly for Reddick.
Bowman won’t be bad, but Reddick should be a heavy favorite. Caesars‘ own outright lines agree as they have Reddick at +800 to win and Bowman at +1800.
My model has Reddick as 68.7% favorite, so I’m comfortable betting Reddick down to -160.
Justin Haley (-110) over Austin Cindric
Caesars has another juicy matchup where on-track activity shows one driver should be more heavily favored than the other, but the odds don’t reflect that.
Haley led flag to flag in his qualifying heat. Meanwhile, Cindric came home sixth in his, beating out only three other struggling drivers.
Haley was faster than Cindric’s overall metrics in final practice, which came in the evening while practice was most similar to race conditions.
Haley is a 60.6% favorite in my model, so feel free to bet him down to -125.
Joey Logano (-130) over Martin Truex, Jr.
I’m going three for three here in picking matchups at Caesars Sportsbook.
In this case, Truex has struggled all weekend while Logano has been one of the top cars and the line is nowhere near reflective of that.
Logano was well ahead of Truex in every metric in both opening and final practice.
In qualifying, Logano ran in second place in his heat from the drop of the green flag until the checkered.
Truex, on the other hand, finished in eighth place. The only driver that finished behind him was Ross Chastain, who led four laps but spun right before the checkered flag.
Logano also gained experience by running the Truck race, while Truex sat this year out after running in last year’s Truck race on the dirt.
In another mismatch, my model favors Logano by a two-to-one margin.
Unlike last year’s inaugural Bristol Dirt Race, having a background in dirt racing has paid dividends thus far this season. The four qualifying races on Saturday were all won by drivers with dirt experience, and a couple were done in dominating fashion. The favorite for the weekend, Kyle Larson, passed three drivers to finish third in the final qualifying heat.
Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup: Starter 1: Kyle Larson Starter 2: Christopher Bell Starter 3: Chase Briscoe Starter 4: Tyler Reddick Starter 5: Justin Haley Garage pick: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
NEXT IN LINE: Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Alex Bowman, Ty Dillon.
RISING: When it comes to current Cup drivers with dirt racing experience, Justin Haley’s name might not stand compared to some others. But the No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet won the third qualifying heat and was sporty in practice. Over the last couple of weeks, Haley has taken to the Bristol dirt track, running a modified. He makes my lineup.
It might have been nearly nine years ago, but Austin Dillon won NASCAR’s return to dirt racing in 2013 at Eldora Speedway. This weekend, the No. 3 Chevrolet started eighth in the third heat, making his way up to fifth in a solid battle with Bubba Wallace. He will come from 12th and is on a streak of three straight top-10 results. Don’t overlook the elder Dillon brother.
Speaking of Dillons, Ty Dillon wasn’t too shabby in the fourth qualifying heat on Saturday, putting his bright No. 42 Chevrolet out front. Like his brother Austin, Ty grew up racing dirt late models. This weekend could be the swing in momentum for his Petty GMS Motorsports team.
FALLING: Earlier in the week, Denny Hamlin was on my list of drivers to avoid. Through Friday and Saturday, nothing has changed my mind, despite his sitting atop the scoring pylon in final practice. The No. 11 team followed that quick lap by finishing last in the third qualifying race. Hamlin will start in 34th.
Last year, surprisingly, Martin Truex Jr. led a race-high 126 laps on the dirt. This year, though, the No. 19 car has been off, and will take the green flag from 30th. It’s hard to see a repeat performance at the Bristol dirt track this time around.
FEATURED MATCHUPS
Kyle Larson vs. Christopher Bell: What a matchup! Arguably, two of the best dirt racers in the country are up against one another. And while this is a tossup, Bell has seemingly had the better car thus far this weekend. It is, however, fun to see Larson sling his car around the top, and it shouldn’t be surprising to see the race come down to these two drivers, you know, like many recent Chili Bowls.
William Byron vs. Alex Bowman: Based off Bowman’s dirt experience, the No. 48 car is the pick here. Bowman will start eighth to Byron’s 19th-place starting position. And while this is based around where a driver finishes, Bowman has been more impressive thus far this weekend.
Joey Logano vs. Martin Truex Jr.: This is a layup. As noted above, Truex’s prowess on dirt doesn’t look as good this year. Meanwhile, Logano finished second in his qualifying heat and ran the Truck Series race on Saturday evening. No. 22 all the way.
Daniel Suarez vs. Chase Briscoe: No doubt, Suarez was the surprise last year in the Bristol Dirt Race. Briscoe, though, is a superb dirt racer. Don’t overthink this one, the No. 14 Ford could potentially win the race.
Editor’s note: Bozi Tatarevic is a professional racing mechanic and pit-crew member. He will provide technical analysis for NASCAR.com throughout the 2022 season.
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Track conditions were optimal for the heat races Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, with overnight rain and some clouds during the day leaving the track surface with just the right amount of moisture.
The first heat race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series saw some soft dirt flying around, but once that session was complete, the track ended up in a condition that allowed for some speed. The surface was optimal by the time that the Cup cars took to the track for their heat races, which resulted in close racing and even some contact as drivers battled side by side.
One of the more notable battles of the day happened between Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace, as they exchanged spots during their heat race and made contact multiple times. But both cars were able to make it across the finish line without significant issues.
Bozi Tatarevic | For NASCAR.com
Most of the damage to the cars consisted of scrapes on the vinyl, although the No. 3 of Dillon did have some slight damage to the corner of its rear bumper. That was the product of another impact where the No. 3 slid as the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin was moving forward, which resulted in the grille extension of the No. 11 hitting that corner of the No. 3. The damage to both appears to mostly be cosmetic and shouldn’t produce any issues in the race.
Things were a bit more hectic in the truck race as the rear of Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 25 Chevrolet was impacted by the front of the No. 22 of Austin Wayne Self late in the race, resulting in the trucks becoming stuck together. This very rare occurrence was the result of an impact where the rear bumper reinforcement bar of the No. 25 was perfectly aligned to punch through the front end of the No. 22 and stick behind a piece of the front clip structure.
Crews unsuccessfully tried to pry the vehicles apart, but because the portion of the bumper reinforcement was stuck parallel to the rear of the car, it would not budge. Lifting the cars did not allow them to come apart either, but a lateral pull did allow the piece to slide out.
Both cars eventually made it back to pit road at which point the crew of the No. 25 cut off the edge of that bumper reinforcement bar which was now pointing backward from the attempts to pull it apart. The trucks returned to the track after some quick repairs and finished the race but probably not in the position where those drivers expected to be. DiBenedetto wound up 35th while Self finished 36th.
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Two miles and change separated Carson Hocevar from his first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory.
“I could have cried,” Hocevar said. “I knew I was gonna cry whether I won or lost. It’s a pansy thing to do, but this sport is hard and you don’t have those close moments too often.”
The No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet led all but four laps in the final stage of the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. Those four, unfortunately for Hocevar, were the final four. His 55 laps out front — a career best by 38 at any track — weren’t enough. He finished second.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media
After a late-race caution, the field saw the green flag return on Lap 145 of 150. Hocevar held his P1 position through the first live lap back. But then Rhodes, who restarted right behind Hocevar in third, darted below Hocevar as he drove high during the next lap to steal the lead on the inside.
“When he threw the slide job, I tried to like slide with him and get him off, and he hit my left-front and walked me up the race track,” Hocevar said. “I just had nothing. I just had to rip top and hope I either crossed him over or beat him.”
Neither happened. Rhodes won by 0.824 seconds.
Though he wishes for that deciding moment back, Hocevar admitted the only thing he could have done differently was crash Rhodes.
“I thought something was gonna happen,” said Rhodes, the reigning Truck Series champion. “I’d rather finish second than get wrecked. I’m all for contact, whatever you got to do to try to win the race, but wrecking somebody I don’t think is necessarily cool to win. But it’s racing. It’s truck racing, too. Everybody here drives pretty crazy, and me, too. I was probably the craziest tonight, so I can’t complain about anybody.”
Hocevar is in just his second full-time Truck Series season. This was his first top-five and third top-10 finish in 2022.
The 19-year-old has four top fives and 11 top 10s in 37 career starts now. His previous best result was also runner-up — 2021 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, falling short to John Hunter Nemechek, who placed third Saturday.
This is Hocevar’s second year with Niece Motorsports, whose last win came in 2019 with current Cup Series driver Ross Chastain.
“I think it’s more important Niece Motorsports wins,” Hocevar said. “I mean, it’s been a while, a long while. And more importantly, I’m more focused on me winning. I’ll crash every week if I can just win one week. I’m gonna do everything I can and work everything, work it out. So, you know, that risk versus reward? I’m just here for the reward.”
