John Holleman IV considers himself ready for long-awaited Bowman Gray Modified championship

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Brandon White

When discussing the most efficient drivers in the history of Bowman Gray Stadium, John Holleman IV is a name many would initially overlook.

Yet success has followed the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native everywhere at Bowman Gray, as Holleman has enjoyed several seasons that saw him lead the most laps and tally the most victories.

A championship has been the one thing eluding Holleman on the quarter-mile asphalt oval in his home city, but he believes everything is falling into place to finally reach that milestone as he looks to build upon a three-win debut season in Modifieds division.

“Obviously the championship is the goal, and if we get that, then I won’t care about the other stats,” Holleman told NASCAR.com. “If you’re going to win a title, you need to consistently be at the top of your game week in and week out, because the Modified guys aren’t going to let you do less than that. You have to take the title from them.”

FLORACING: Catch all the on-track action at Bowman Gray Stadium

Holleman had been anticipating the opportunity to race full-time alongside Bowman Gray champions Tim Brown and Burt Myers, but he also knew 2021 would be a difficult year to find a consistent rhythm in Modifieds.

Only a handful of weeks featured on-track action at Bowman Gray last year as the track resumed operations following the canceled 2020 season. This only gave Holleman and his team a limited amount of time to figure out how to keep their car competitive with every passing race.

Holleman was not phased by these circumstances and knew he could seamlessly transition into Modifieds after previous success driving Street Stocks and Sportsman cars at Bowman Gray, which included one year that saw him win eight races in the latter division.

Carrying over that efficiency into the Modifieds for Holleman required an adjustment to the lighter weight and higher horsepower of the cars while also intuitively studying his equipment so he could keep up with Brown, Myers and the rest of his seasoned competitors.

Although he ended up ninth in the final standings, Holleman’s three victories last year were more than any other driver in the division. He also led the most laps on the year and was recognized as the most popular Modified driver.

Holleman said the accomplishments he obtained in 2021 only served to strengthen the already sturdy foundation on which his program was built.

“I expected that out of myself and my team,” Holleman said. “We ran two races at the end of the Modified season in 2019, and although the outcomes weren’t the greatest, those races gave us great confidence going into the next year, even though we didn’t expect to win three races in nine weeks.”

John Holleman IV (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Every part of Holleman’s journey to date has contributed to the copious amount of wins he has accumulated in the Street Stock, Sportsman and Modified divisions.

This includes a brief stint in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (now ARCA Menards Series East) during the mid-2010s, when Holleman tallied four top 10s and even obtained a pole at Stafford Motor Speedway before he and his family left the series in 2017.

RACING REFERENCE: Holleman’s career NASCAR stats

Holleman’s father, John Holleman III, has witnessed his son take all the lessons learned from NASCAR and the support divisions at Bowman Gray to craft a unique driving style around the historic track.

“The most impressive thing (John) did was pass those guys on the outside,” the elder Holleman said. “He was doing that all year long, and that’s very hard to do in a Modified. Only a few even try that.”

Despite Bowman Gray primarily being a one-groove track, the younger Holleman has never been afraid to test the top side, adding that the hard work put in by his crew chief Brian Loftin and the rest of the team to give him fast equipment is why he feels comfortable making those bold moves.

Holleman’s father said that his son’s intrepid-but-calm approach to driving is only going to keep paying dividends for him, and he knows everyone’s determination will pay off with a Bowman Gray championship soon.

“We have finished second multiple times in both Street Stocks and Sportsman,” John III said. “(John) can win a championship, and everyone on the team has worked hard over the offseason. I think we’re all ready to go for it.”

John Holleman IV makes a lap around Bristol Motor Speedway during practice for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event in April of 2016. (Photo: Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Holleman seconded his father’s belief that he is about to break through for that first championship at Bowman Gray.

The final four weeks of the 2021 season at Bowman Gray saw Holleman qualify inside the front row for every race. After spending the offseason building a new car, Holleman expects to continue that trend starting with the season-opener.

Holleman wants to win the Modified championship for his family, crew and long-time sponsors like Black Sand Company and A Lawn Crue, but he admitted he has not yet fully processed the idea of being in the same category as the legends he idolized like Myers, Brown, Junior Miller, Ralph Brinkley and more.

“It would mean the world to win (a Modified championship),” Holleman said. “I grew up watching all these legends win championships, and it would be so surreal to join them.”

There are many years remaining for Holleman to fully chart out his legacy at Bowman Gray, which he hopes will be regarded as one of the best in the history of the track.

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Terrin Waack

BRISTOL, Tenn. — NASCAR’s only active multi-time champion just got better.

Kyle Busch won Sunday’s Cup Series dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, giving him 60 career victories at the sport’s top level. The two-time titleholder remains ninth on the all-time wins list but is now 16 away from seven-time champ Dale Earnhardt. The next-closest competitor is Kevin Harvick with 58.

“Great,” Busch said. “Elaborate on that, OK?

“To me, it’s a long time, 18 years. The biggest thing to me is just having that opportunity and being thankful for my chances with Joe Gibbs Racing, Joe (Gibbs), Coy (Gibbs), everybody at M&M’s, Interstate Batteries. Having my back over this long a time, keeping me in the seat.”

Busch joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008 after three seasons with Hendrick Motorsports. He started full-time racing at the Cup Series level at the age of 20, scoring his first win at 21 that same year on Sept. 4, 2005 at Auto Club Speedway. The now 36-year-old has won at least one race every season since then.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

That’s 18 consecutive seasons with a win, tying Richard Petty for the longest streak in league history. Not counting this year since the schedule is ongoing, there have only been five seasons with only one victory. His personal-best mark has been eight – 2008 and 2018. His championship years – 2015 and 2019 – saw five each.

“A lot of different people to work with, a lot of different cars we’ve gone through, a lot of things that we have done and won races in those years,” Busch said.

The 2022 slate will be Busch’s last with M&M’s as a primary sponsor, it was announced in December 2021. Mars has supported NASCAR since 1998.

Team owner Joe Gibbs was not made available during Busch’s post-race press conference, but co-owner Coy Gibbs was present.

“So, I don’t deal with the sponsorship stuff directly,” Coy said. “I kind of stick on the competition side. But we’ve got a couple people we’re talking to, so we’re excited about that, excited about the leads. I think anytime you win, it helps.”

The victory signified Busch’s ninth at Bristol, his first on the dirt track. He finished 17th in the 2021 inaugural Bristol Dirt Race.

Admittedly, Busch got lucky Sunday. Chase Briscoe wrecked race leader Tyler Reddick on the last lap, trying to steal the front spot. The two went spinning, and Busch, who was running third, cruised on by for the checkered flag.

MORE: Watch frantic final lap | At-track photos: Bristol

Regardless, a win is a win. And the No. 18 Toyota is locked into the NASCAR Playoffs — a relief as the Next Gen car continues to be an equalizer in the garage. There has only been one repeat winner (William Byron) in 2022, so that’s eight of the 16 postseason berths sealed.

“It’s a work in progress, like I’m sure every team is,” crew chief Ben Beshore said. “The learning curve is really steep right now eight or nine races into the season. I’m sure in another eight or nine, we’ll look back on what we did this weekend and (ask), ‘Why did we do that?’ Everyone is learning so fast right now and developing what they think is the best package for each weekend.

“Kyle has been really good, giving us good feedback, really working on our cars, trying to get them better every week.”

Through the nine races so far, Busch now has just two top-five and six top-10 results. He’s averaging a 12.1 finish. His best showing before Sunday was fourth place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway back in March.

Busch is tied for fifth with 273 points – 51 off leader Chase Elliott – and for 11th in stage points with 38 (no wins). In both cases, Alex Bowman matches his tallies.

“With how struggle-some I feel like our year has been this year, did we deserve this?” Busch said. “Yeah, I mean, we ran up front all night, we were in contention. That was great. I’ll take that.

“We got a lot of work to do to win more races and be in contention each and every week. I say all this because yes, the 18 is important, but I feel like I’m in the prime of my career and I would love to be running up front an dominating and winning races and contending for championships. That’s our ultimate goal.”

Posted on April 18, 2022April 18, 2022 by Staff Report

NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Matt Kenseth added to his sporting resume Monday, completing the Boston Marathon with a time of 3 hours, 1 minute and 40 seconds.

The 50-year-old former driver Kenseth finished 3,558th overall and was an impressive 141st in his age division. His clocking was also several minutes faster than former NASCAR competitor Jimmie Johnson, who ran the 2019 event in 3 hours, 9 minutes and 7 seconds.

“Yeah, he was way younger,” Kenseth quipped in an interview with WBZ-TV, a CBS affiliate in Boston. Johnson was 43 years old during his first Boston Marathon, which he ran just 36 hours after the Cup Series’ event at Richmond Raceway.

Kenseth said he had run the Chicago Marathon last October. He finished in 3:09:08, saying that hot, humid conditions made the running more difficult. Monday, Kenseth was treated to sunny and cool weather for the 26.2-mile distance.

“I love this area. I love coming up to Boston,” Kenseth told WBZ. “I always loved racing up in New Hampshire. It’s a great place, so the atmosphere was second to none. It was one of the better experiences in my life — obviously, sporting experience for all the races and everything. This was really cool — the crowd, enthusiasm and just a huge event. Fun to be part of it.”

Kenseth is the 2003 Cup Series champion, a two-time Daytona 500 champ and the winner of 39 top-division races in his two-decades-plus career. He was added April 4 to the ballot of names up for election to the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023.

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Official NASCAR Release

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.

Posted on April 18, 2022April 19, 2022 by Team Release

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.

MORE: Full Talladega schedule | Gragson Wendy’s merchandise

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.

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Terrin Waack

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.”

RELATED: Official results | Race recap | At-track photos

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.

Logan Riely | Getty Images

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.”

Posted on April 17, 2022April 19, 2022 by Terrin Waack

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.”

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

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.

WATCH: Briscoe, Reddick clash on final lap at Bristol

The rest is now history.

“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.”

Posted on April 17, 2022April 18, 2022 by Reid Spencer

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.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

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.”

MORE: Briscoe, Reddick clash, come up short

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.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on April 17, 2022April 23, 2022 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.

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

Posted on April 17, 2022April 17, 2022 by Nick Giffen

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

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.

Logano is a good bet all the way down to -160.