Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick certainly earned one of the most dramatic victories of the 2022 season last weekend at Michigan International Speedway. The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion’s win, his first in the last 65 races, catapulted him from 17th place in the standings into playoff contention with only three races remaining to set the 16-driver field.

The clutch performance only increases the drama expected for the rest of the month which will feature races at the Richmond Raceway short track, the Watkins Glen International road course and the regular-season finale at the always unpredictable Daytona International Speedway’s 2.5-mile superspeedway high banks.

Sunday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway (3 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) has typically lived up to its “Action Track” nickname and with the current playoff intensity, the moniker is certainly well-deserved.

Playoffs 2022: Playoff Watch | Bubble Watch

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, a two-race winner already in 2022, won the spring Richmond race and his teammate Martin Truex Jr. is the defending winner of this summer/fall event – a good sign for the driver of the No. 19 JGR Toyota who dropped to 17th place in the standings with Harvick’s win last week. He trails Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney by 19 points for that 16th and last automatic playoff transfer position.

Truex is one of seven multi-time winners at Richmond, sweeping the 2019 season races and last hoisting a trophy in this race last year. He’s had top-10 finishes in three of the last four races leading into Richmond, tying a season-best fourth-place finish after leading 172 laps at New Hampshire four weeks ago. The three top-five finishes and 10 top-10 finishes through the first 23 races is well off the Truex-pace the sport has come to expect, however. He’s had at least 20 top-10 marks in the five previous seasons.

Prior to the season’s first green flag, most would have absolutely assumed both Truex and Blaney would have a victory by now. Blaney has nearly as many top-five finishes (eight) this year as he did all of last year (10), but third-place is his best result – earning it at Nashville earlier this summer. Twice he’s led at least 100 laps in a race (at Phoenix and at Richmond) so maybe this return trip to Richmond will result in his first win at the track. His only two top-10 finishes in 12 starts there came in the last two races and his 128 laps led this Spring are the only laps he’s ever led there.

MORE: Blaney v. Truex — who has the advantage?

Even if Truex doesn’t win the race, a good finish could possibly move him ahead of Blaney’s tenuous 19-point advantage only intensifying the dramatic run to playoff eligibility.

Seven of the nine active Richmond winners – Kyle Busch, who has a series-best six victories, Hamlin (4), Harvick (3), Truex (3), Brad Keselowski (2), Joey Logano (2), Kurt Busch (2), Alex Bowman (1) and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson (1) – have already secured playoff positions with a win this season. Truex and Keselowski are the two still searching for their first victory of 2022.

Interestingly, nine of the 15 drivers still hoping to earn a Playoff position have wins at one of the three remaining tracks. Seven of the drivers currently ranked outside the top-10 in the series driver standings have hoisted a trophy at Daytona International Speedway, site of the regular season finale on Aug. 27.

Of note, current NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Chase Elliott stands to officially clinch the NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship presented by Coca-Cola if he earns 58 points at Richmond. The 2020 series champion would become the fifth different driver to win the award since it was created in 2017.

Kyle Busch is the only driver to have earned it twice (2018 and 2019). Larson (2021), Busch (2019) and Truex (2017) are the only drivers to win both the regular season championship and go on to claim the season title in the same year.

Practice and Busch Light Pole Qualifying will be aired on the USA Network this Saturday from 5-7 p.m. ET.

Posted on by Holly Cain

The green flag waves Saturday night for the second race in the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs with the Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation at Richmond Raceway (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Veteran Grant Enfinger has already secured his second-round berth with a victory in the series’ playoff opener at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 29. And he shows up in Richmond looking to make it two playoff wins in a row at a venue where he’s proven to be especially capable. He hoisted a trophy at Richmond in 2020 and was eighth in the race last year.

RICHMOND: Weekend schedule | Paint schemes for Saturday

Three-race winner Zane Smith won the Regular Season Championship and now the driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford is hoping his third championship run is the charm after finishing runner-up in both the 2020 and 2021 final standings.

The 23-year-old Californian will take a 14-point lead over defending series champion Ben Rhodes into the second race of the seven-race, elimination-style playoff run. Rhodes, a one-race winner this season in the No. 99 ThorSport Toyota, has been strong at the 0.75-mile Richmond oval with top-10 finishes in both previous races there – his average finish of 5.0 in those two starts is best among all the playoff drivers except Enfinger.

Stewart Friesen sits only 22 points behind Smith in the standings. His best showing at Richmond is 10th in 2020.

Last year’s Regular Season Champion John Hunter Nemechek and his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate, two-race winner Chandler Smith, are tied at 26 points off Zane Smith’s pace. Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, is the defending Richmond race winner having led a dominant 114 of the 250 laps in last year’s victory over his team owner Kyle Busch.

The driver of the No. 66 ThorSport Racing Toyota, Ty Majeski, is in the midst of his playoff debut – and goes into the race 31 points behind Zane Smith. He is the first of four winless drivers to complete the 10-driver playoff lineup.

MORE: Full Truck Series standings

Also still vying for their first wins of the season are Carson Hocevar, who is 43 points behind Smith in the championship, followed by three-time series champion Matt Crafton and Christian Eckes – ThorSport Racing teammates who are tied at a mere seven points from the cutoff heading to Richmond.

Only eight of the 10 drivers advance into the second round of the playoff races, so Crafton and Eckes will need to make a move in the standings at Richmond.

Crafton was runner-up to Enfinger in the 2020 race. Eckes is looking for his first top-10 finish at the track.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

“Richmond Raceway might be Denny Hamlin’s hometown track but it’s currently owned by Martin Truex Jr.,” I wrote in a preview of Martin Truex Jr.’s featured matchup against Kyle Larson in the Toyota Owners 400.

Five days later, Hamlin reacquired America’s Premier Short Track, signing a 4-month lease-purchase agreement by flipping a horror script into a hometown-hero-conquers-Goliath love story.

“Just got to lead the last lap. You’ve got to figure out how to lead the last lap, that’s pretty much all that matters,” Hamlin said, after leading 207 laps en route to a second-place finish in the 2021 Toyota Owners 400.

It was a familiar feeling for the Chesterfield County, Virginia, native. He had seven top-five finishes in nine starts at Richmond since winning the 2016 Federated Auto Parts 400.

And for 396 laps at this year’s Toyota Owners 400 it appeared Hamlin would be uttering a similar tone of regret. He led 185 of those 396 laps and sat within striking distance of the leaders, most notably Martin Truex Jr., for the other 201.

Martin Truex Jr. was Goliath. 

Entering the race, Truex had dominated the D-shaped, 0.75-mile track in recent years. He had three wins in the last five races – for which he had an average driver rating of 128.3, one of the highest NASCAR Cup Series ratings over a five-race stretch at one track this decade – and six straight top-five finishes.

And bettors were buying a fourth win in six races; in NASCAR betting at BetMGM, only Kyle Busch had a higher race-winner ticket count than co-favorite Truex (+900) for the 2022 Toyota Owners 400. But instead of 7% of the tickets cashing, Hamlin figured out how to lead the last lap, securing a late lead and hanging on for his first hometown win in six years.

Four months later, it appears Hamlin’s win earned some respect with oddsmakers for the Federated Auto Parts 400, though not enough to sit ahead of Truex, who’s again the favorite in race-winner betting (+600) and an overwhelming pick among bettors with 24.4% of the handle.

Both Truex and Hamlin are also in this week’s featured matchups at BetMGM:

Martin Truex Jr. (-125) vs. Kyle Busch (-105)

Truex’s top-five Richmond streak continued in April, and with a fourth-place finish, he carries a seven-race top-five streak into the weekend. He hasn’t finished worse than fifth at Richmond since the 2018 Toyota Owners 400 and is looking to reassert his dominance over Hamlin and everyone else.

Kyle Busch, meanwhile, hasn’t finished better than fifth since the 2019 Federated Auto Parts 400, the first of four-straight finishes within the top 10 but no better than sixth. He’s now four years removed from sweeping the track’s races in 2018, his fifth and sixth career wins at Richmond.

Busch isn’t a popular pick in race-winner betting – 2.1% of the handle on 4.4% of the tickets – nor is he a popular pick against Truex. He has just 5% of the featured matchup handle on 3% of the tickets.

Denny Hamlin (-225) vs. Kevin Harvick (+160)

Kevin Harvick is the biggest underdog in featured matchup betting this week as he seeks back-to-back Cup Series wins for the first time since mid-2020.

Despite four pole positions in his last 12 starts at Richmond, he hasn’t won at the track since 2013. But the drought isn’t scaring off bettors, who are hitting Harvick with 6.5% of the race-winner handle, fourth to only Truex, Joey Logano (12.5%), and Alex Bowman (6.9%).

Both tickets and handle are currently split 50-50 between Harvick and Hamlin in their head-to-head matchup.

Chase Elliott (-115) vs. Christopher Bell (-115)

Chase Elliott remained No. 1 in Pat DeCola’s NASCAR Power Rankings despite a second straight finish outside the top 10 – only the third such instance since June 2021 – and at +900 in race-winner odds is within earshot of the betting favorites.

Among active drivers with more than 10 career Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway, only Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola, and J.J. Yeley have a better average start-to-finish number than Elliott (+3.4).

Christopher Bell, meanwhile, is making his fifth career Cup Series start at Richmond, and bettors aren’t buying a win for the 27-year-old 2017 NASCAR Truck Series champion. His 1.5% race-winner handle share ranks 17th, and he has just 6% of the handle against Elliott.

Ryan Blaney (-125) vs. Joey Logano (-105)

Joey Logano has more than twice as many career starts at Richmond than Ryan Blaney. He’s also won twice – Blaney hasn’t – and has a top-five finish rate of 46%, third to only Kyle Busch (55%) and Hamlin (52%). 

Cool, say oddsmakers, as they put Blaney and his zero career top-5 finishes (in 12 starts) as the favorite over Logano, presumably thanks to his strong performance – 128 laps led – in April.

The public likes Logano to win – with the 12.5% handle share on 8.1% of the tickets – but Blaney is dominating featured matchup betting with 96% of the handle and 80% of the tickets. You can view updated Federated Auto Parts 400 odds and more NASCAR odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 11, 2022) – Fans can now buy tickets to the most-anticipated sequel in recent NASCAR history.

NASCAR announced today that tickets are on sale for the 2023 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum as excitement builds for racing’s return to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The blockbuster event will be held on Feb. 5 and include all of the thrills, chills and spills that only NASCAR racing can provide inside one of the most iconic venues in the history of sport.

“The LA Coliseum was the place to be during the first Sunday in February this year, and that will certainly be the case for next year’s Busch Light Clash,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president for racing development and strategy. “The fans who missed out this year now have a golden opportunity to join us in 2023, and it’s going to be a celebration to remember. It will be the first event of NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary season and an integral part of the Coliseum’s centennial.”

MORE: All-time Busch Light Clash winners | Photos from 2022 Clash at the Coliseum

Tickets for the 2023 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum begin at $65, and kids 12-and-under are $10. Those are the same prices charged for this year’s inaugural showcase, which not only featured NASCAR’s season-opening exhibition race, but also included unforgettable performances by international superstars Ice Cube, Pitbull and DJ Skee.

The musical lineup for the 2023 Busch Light Clash will be cast in the coming weeks, but one thing is already certain – the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will be the main box-office draw. They’ll deliver intense, door-to-door racing on a quarter-mile asphalt track that’s nestled inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Four preliminary heats and two last-chance qualifiers will set the stage for the main event featuring 23 daring drivers. They will all try to capture the spotlight Joey Logano enjoyed by winning the first NASCAR race in the heart of Los Angeles earlier this year.

We also know that the NASCAR Fan Fest at the Coliseum will also be bigger and better, featuring more fun and interactive elements for racing fans of all ages. Fans in California can also share their excitement by purchasing customized license plates at nascarplates.com that benefit California’s Outdoors for All initiative and The NASCAR Foundation.

For the latest information and to secure the best seats for the 2023 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, fans are encouraged to visit nascarclash.com.

Posted on by Brandon White

On a night when many Super Late Model and NASCAR standouts converged at Berlin Raceway for the Battle at Berlin 250, the final crown jewel race at the track this year belonged to the regulars.

Nobody in the field had anything for Kulwicki Development Driver Evan Shotko and Berlin points leader Brian Campbell, who took advantage of a race dominated by attrition and tire management to pull away from their competition during the final 50 laps and settle the Battle at Berlin 150 amongst themselves.

RELATED: Follow the on-track action at Berlin Raceway all year

Youth ended up prevailing over experience Wednesday, as Shotko nudged Campbell out of the groove to score the victory in front of the Berlin crowd and add another accomplishment to his growing short track resume.

Below are the key takeaways from Wednesday’s Battle at Berlin 250.

Evan Shotko continues stellar week

The past few days have been nothing short of spectacular for the 19-year-old Shotko.

After earning his first major short track victory in the rain-shortened Motor Mountain Masters at Jennerstown Speedway on Saturday, Shotko carried the momentum in the Battle at Berlin 250 and notched his first win in one of Berlin’s crown jewel events.

“I grew up watching this race,” Shotko said. “I’ve wanted to be in this position my whole life. Me and my whole team have worked our tails off for the last few years trying to get to this point. We’re on a role here and I hope we can keep on winning.”

Shotko admitted Wednesday’s victory took away the sting from this year’s Money in the Bank 150, a race he finished 30th after getting involved in a crash with Campbell on the second lap.

With the disappointment still fresh on their minds, Shotko and his team worked meticulously to ensure their car would be ready to survive 250 grueling laps at Berlin against talented drivers like Erik Jones, William Byron, Ty Majeski and many more.

Shotko was still in disbelief that he defeated many of the best Super Late Model competitors on Wednesday evening, but he added that the triumph in the Battle at Berlin 250 highlights the chemistry he and his team have developed over the past several years.

“Against a field like this, [winning the Battle at Berlin 250] is seriously unbelievable,” Shotko said. “This was a fantastic race car. I decided to tighten the car up a little bit to help with the longevity and I felt that when I fired off, I was a little too tight. The tires came in and everything turned out perfect.”

Brian Campbell comes up short

A bump from Shotko in the final laps of the Battle at Berlin 250 prevented Campbell from celebrating a third victory in the event.

Campbell was frustrated over the circumstances that resulted in him finishing second to Shotko, but he said he needed a different adjustment on his car for him to chase down and potentially return the favor to Shotko.

“We just made the wrong adjustment,” Campbell said. “Even with the contact, I couldn’t get back to [Shotko]. If I could get back to him, it would be a different story, but he had a faster car. We know what we did. We just screwed up in the pits.”

VIDEO: Highlights from the Battle at Berlin 250

Despite coming into the Battle at Berlin 250 with the points lead, Campbell had yet to win a race at the track this year.

Campbell believed all the changes he and his team have made throughout 2022 culminated in their best overall performance of the year on Wednesday. He patiently conserved his equipment early and enjoyed plenty of laps out front before Shotko took the lead.

The battle for the track championship is expected to get much tighter following Shotko’s victory, but Campbell now feels more confident in his ability to fend off the young driver through the final races after showcasing his strengths for 250 laps.

“Up until tonight, we haven’t felt like we’ve had [a strong] car,” Campbell said. “I felt that we had a good car in the Money in the Bank [150], but we still weren’t happy with it. We’ve been changing things and we got it better since we led a bunch of laps [on Wednesday], so this is something to build on.”

The local regulars stole the show in front of the home crowd at Berlin Raceway for Wednesday’s Battle at Berlin 250 (Nic Antaya/ARCA Racing)

Erik Jones leads NASCAR brigade at Berlin

Wednesday’s Battle at Berlin 250 was an uncharacteristic evening for those representing the top levels of NASCAR.

The only NASCAR national series regular to finish within striking distance of the victory was the two-time Battle of Berlin winner in Jones, who was relieved to see how competitive his car was after struggling in the Money in the Bank 150 in June.

“I was the best of the rest,” Jones said. “[Shotko and Campbell] were pretty checked out during those last 50 laps, but I was happy with the improvements we made from the [Money in the Bank] 150. We just have to get a little bit better, but I’m proud of this group for getting better from the first race.”

Jones has seen significant strides in his Super Late Model program since the Money in the Bank 150, as he successfully fought off Byron for a victory at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 30.

With confidence on his side, Jones was eager to return to his home state of Michigan for the Battle at Berlin 250. But he could only muster a starting position of 15th after being inside the top five during a practice session earlier in the day.

Jones struggled to get the car to his liking even as he climbed his way through the 27-car field. He was thrilled to come home third but admitted the Battle at Berlin provided him plenty of notes on what needs to be adjusted ahead of his next Super Late Model appearance.

“We started so far back, so we have to work through the field,” Jones said. “It took until almost halfway through the race just to get some track position. We were still struggling with the same things at the end, but I think everybody was except for the front two. It was a good effort, but I just needed a little bit more.”

NOTES:

  • Having racked up six Super Late Model victories so far in 2022, the Battle at Berlin 250 was a quiet affair for William Byron. He managed to lead laps early in the feature but faded as the night went on, ultimately settling for an eighth-place finish.
  • Past Berlin Raceway track champion Carson Hocevar also enjoyed significant time out front before falling to the back of the pack. A mechanical issue took Hocevar out of contention, and he ended up placing 16th.
  • As with many drivers, Ty Majeski fought his car and the track during the Battle at Berlin 250. Majeski was never a factor in the event and finished 18th after being sidelined by a mechanical failure with just more than 50 laps remaining.
Posted on by Adam Fenwick

For the first time since 2020, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Thursday, Aug. 18, for the running of the Phoenix Communications 150.

The 11th race of the 2022 season is also the 149th NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event held at the popular Connecticut oval, which hosted the inaugural Tour event on March 31, 1985.

Through the years, 36 drivers have earned trips to Victory Lane in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competition at Thompson. Topping that list is NASCAR Hall of Famer Mike Stefanik, who earned 15 of his 74 Tour victories at Thompson.

Many other legendary names have earned Tour victories at Thompson, including Ted Christopher, Jeff Fuller, Rick Fuller, Justin Bonsignore, Tony Hirschman, Steve Park, Doug Coby and Richie Evans, just to name a few.

Below is everything you need to know about Thursday’s Phoenix Communications 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

Phoenix Communications 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

What to watch for:

20141217085344 Thompson Speedway LogoWith only six races left in the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, the battle for the series championship is as tight as it’s been all season.

Entering Thursday’s return to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Ron Silk holds a four-point advantage on the Tour’s most recent winner at Claremont Motorsports Park, Jon McKennedy.

Statistically, Silk has the advantage on McKennedy at Thompson. He has made 55 Tour starts at the legendary oval, scoring five victories during that timespan. McKennedy has considerably less experience at Thompson, having made only 19 Tour starts by comparison. He also has failed to find Victory Lane at the track.

They’ll be two of the drivers to watch during the Phoenix Communications 150, but they’re far from the only contenders for the $10,000 winner’s purse that could grow even more with available bonuses.

One such contender will be Justin Bonsignore, who is the active Tour wins leader at Thompson with 12 triumphs in 39 starts. The defending and three-time Tour champion enters Thursday’s race fourth in the Tour standings, 29 points behind Silk and very much still in the hunt for the championship.

Another likely contender is Doug Coby, who is a six-time winner at Thompson in Tour competition. The two-time winner this year is slated to return to his own Doug Coby Racing No. 10 for Thursday’s race after piloting Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s No. 7NY in five events this season.

Cars race during the Sunoco World Series 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut on October 11, 2020. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Cars race during the Sunoco World Series 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on October 11, 2020. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

RELATED: Watch the Phoenix Communications 150 on FloRacing

Speaking of Baldwin’s car, Jimmy Blewett is set for another start in the No. 7NY. His last Tour start for Baldwin resulted in a victory at his home track, New Jersey’s Wall Stadium Speedway, on July 9.

The most recent winner in Tour competition at Thompson, Craig Lutz, will again be in action as he looks to improve upon his season-best finish of sixth in the opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway in February.

Donny Lia, a three-time Tour winner at Thompson, will again pilot the Ole Blue No. 3 out of the Boehler Racing Enterprises stable, and Bobby Santos III will return to the Tour aboard the No. 44 for the Tinio family. Santos is a five-time Tour winner at Thompson.

Kyle Soper, who triumphed in his last Tour start at New York’s Riverhead Raceway, will be back in action, as well. Other notable entrants include Tommy Catalano, Patrick Emerling, Spencer Davis, Tyler Rypkema, Timmy Solomito and Ronnie Williams.

The complete entry list for the Phoenix Communications 150 is available here.

RACE FACTS

Race Phoenix Communications 150
Date Thursday, Aug, 18, 2022
Track Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
Layout 0.625-mile paved oval
Location Thompson, Connecticut
Start time 8 p.m. ET
Laps 150
Posted awards $94,763
TV channel USA (Delayed: Sunday, Aug. 26, 1 p.m. ET)
Live stream FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Thursday, Aug. 18: Garage opens at 1:45 p.m. ET … Final practice from 4-5 p.m. ET … Single-car qualifying (two laps) at 6:20 p.m. ET … Race at 8 p.m. ET

Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Fastest lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Vehicles will be impounded after qualifying. Vehicle must qualify on race set up.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is 11 tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is four (4) tires, any position. To utilize the fourth (4th) change tire, the team will have to take a practice tire purchased at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and turn in by the conclusion of practice.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

The NASCAR Cup Series is back on a short track this weekend as the sport storms into Richmond Raceway.

The Federated Auto Parts 400 on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) marks just the second time this season that Cup cars hit a venue for a second time this season, joining Atlanta Motor Speedway as the other.

Get ready for 400 laps around the 0.75-mile oval with all the background you need to know here:

HOT LAPS AT THE ACTION TRACK

NASCAR Cup Series teams practice early Saturday evening (5:05 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with the 36-car field split into Group A and Group B based on NASCAR’s metric formula. Each group will get 15 minutes of practice ahead of qualifying (5:50 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Qualifying features single-car, single-lap runs for each group. The fastest five in each group will advance to the second round, where those 10 drivers will fight for the Busch Light Pole Award.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Points standings | Qualifying order

RICHMOND STORY LINES

— Kevin Harvick snapped a 65-race winless streak last week at Michigan, becoming the season’s 15th different winner.

— Despite sitting fourth in the regular-season points standings, Martin Truex Jr. is currently out of the playoffs, trailing Ryan Blaney by 19 points for the final available position.

— Ryan Blaney lost 52 points to Martin Truex Jr. in the last four races in the battle to not be the last driver in the playoffs in points and is now just 19 points ahead of Truex

— Truex has won three of the last six races at Richmond, owns a seven-race top-five streak there and finished fourth in April after leading 80 laps. He has also led 80 laps or more in nine of the last 11 Richmond races.

— Chase Elliott can secure the Regular Season Championship by leaving Richmond with a 121-point lead over second place. Blaney currently holds the second spot and trails by 119 points.

— The longest active top-10 streak is four races by Bubba Wallace, marking his longest top-10 streak and 23XI’s longest top-10 streak.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

With Richmond’s aging asphalt comes higher tire wear, forcing teams and drivers to be conscious of how quickly they burn through a set of Goodyear tires.

That challenge is often welcomed by teams, and pit strategy dictated the outcome of the April contest that saw Denny Hamlin leave with a win in hand. Cup teams will have nine sets of tires for the 400-lap race, which is an average of just 44 laps (33 miles) per set if they use their full allotment, according to Goodyear.

“Richmond has become a high tire wear track over the years,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Drivers will search around for grip as tires wear and the track takes rubber during the course of the race. Lap times will fall off over two seconds during a run, so four-tire stops are a given. But when and how often to pit will be key, as it was in the spring race. One good thing for the teams is that this is the same tire combination they ran at Richmond in the spring and at several other tracks throughout the season. That will give them a good understanding of what to expect in this race.”

In addition to this spring’s race at Richmond, this tire setup was also utilized at Phoenix, Gateway and New Hampshire.

RICH HISTORY AT RICHMOND

— NASCAR Cup (Grand National) Series racing at Richmond Raceway began on April 19th, 1953, when Lee Petty won at what was then called the Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds. The track was a 0.5-mile dirt track through the first race of the 1968 season, 24 races. For the fall 1988 race, the half-mile oval track was reconfigured to its current shape and geometry.

— The first race ever held at Richmond was during the 1946 Exposition on Oct. 12 for open-wheel cars (pre-NASCAR), won by the legendary Ted Horn.

— Races at Richmond have been 200, 250, 300, 400 and 500 laps long. The 400-lap distance has been in effect since 1976, on the 0.5-mile track from 1976 to spring 1988 and on the 0.75-mile since September 1988.

— Richmond Raceway is located in Henrico County at the “Richmond Raceway Complex.” The 900-acre complex has six permanent buildings, including the 60,000-square foot Exhibition Hall and the 8,000-seat Classic Amphitheater.

— The first scheduled night race on the 0.75-mile track was held in September 1991, won by Harry Gant as the second win in his streak of four-straight wins that month. March 10, 1964 is the actual date of the first night race at Richmond when the final 100 laps were completed on Tuesday night after rain halted the race on Sunday.

— Ford won the pole for the last four Richmond races with qualifying, most recently with Ryan Blaney in April.

— Joe Gibbs Racing won six of the last eight Richmond races, including the last two.

— Hendrick Motorsports drivers were passed for the win in each of the last two Richmond races.

Source: Racing Insights

ODDS ARE …

Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. are immediate locks this weekend, and the oddsmakers agree. The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates are listed as co-favorites at 6-1, according to DraftKings.

With Truex’s accomplishments listed, let’s shift the focus to Hamlin, the Chesterfield, Virginia native who has won four times at his home track. Hamlin is the most recent Richmond winner and has nine top fives in the last 11 contests at the 0.75-mile track.

In fact, the JGR quartet are all listed with the weekend’s best odds, with six-time Richmond winner Kyle Busch posted at 7-1 odds and Christopher Bell at 9-1 based off his three straight top-six finishes in four Cup Richmond starts.

Further down the list at 15-1 odds sits Kevin Harvick, a three-time Richmond winner. The No. 4 Ford was hot on the heels of Hamlin in April and can use his recently-rekindled momentum to spark quite the tear entering the playoffs.

MORE: Complete list of odds for Sunday

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 3, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.

The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (841), Ryan Blaney (720) and Martin Truex Jr. (704).

How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

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Posted on by Staff Report

23XI Racing indicated Wednesday that Kurt Busch will sit out for the fourth consecutive weekend, missing this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Richmond Raceway.

Busch has been sidelined the last three Cup Series events as concussion symptoms lingered after a crash during qualifying at Pocono Raceway on July 23. His 23XI team indicated that the 44-year-old veteran had not received medical clearance to drive the No. 45 Toyota in Sunday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM).

Xfinity Series regular Ty Gibbs will fill in again for Busch in the No. 45 Camry. He stepped in for the last three races, recording a best finish of 10th last weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Those starts marked the first Cup Series efforts for Gibbs, the 19-year-old grandson of Coach Joe Gibbs.

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NASCAR officials indicated that Busch, a two-time Richmond winner, had received a medical waiver to retain his playoff eligibility, should all other criteria for making the postseason be met. Busch scored his lone Cup Series win of the season in May after a dominant performance at Kansas Speedway.

Busch is in his first year with the 23XI organization co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and fellow driver Denny Hamlin. The veteran has 34 wins in 776 Cup Series starts and secured the series championship in 2004.

Posted on by Zack Albert

STATESVILLE, N.C. — Petty GMS Motorsports announced the final piece of its 2023 driver lineup Wednesday, promoting Noah Gragson to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in the No. 42 Chevrolet and signing him to a multiyear deal.

Gragson was presented during a news conference at the Petty GMS shop, flanked by stock-car king and team co-owner Richard Petty, team president Mike Beam and a gathering of the organization’s 100-plus employees. As he sat beside a new No. 42 Camaro with his name above the driver’s door, Gragson said he was already savoring the fit.

“Just the atmosphere, the people,” Gragson said. “I think that’s the most important thing is the people and being able to feel comfortable at an organization, that’s pretty unique as it is, I feel like. JR Motorsports, it’s been a home for me the last four years and the leadership and the same qualities that they really instill in their company, I feel like that’s what we’ve seen here at GMS. So looking forward to the opportunity.

“I know it’s gonna be a big challenge and a lot of hard work, but I feel like with the atmosphere here and the people, I can be myself and that’s when I feel like I’m doing the best job possible is when I’m like myself. So I’m just happy for it.”

Gragson arrives after four full seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he is an eight-time winner. The 24-year-old driver will team with Erik Jones, who signed a multiyear extension to drive the No. 43 Chevy for the Richard Petty and Maury Gallagher-owned organization in July.

Gragson replaces Ty Dillon, who announced July 15 that he would not return to the No. 42 team next year. Dillon was originally signed by Gallagher’s GMS group last October and was kept in the fold when it joined forces with Petty’s organization last December. But in setting a course with Gragson, Beam said that making a change with the No. 42 team was a part of an accelerated timeline to reaching the organization’s performance goals.

“We don’t have time. We’ve got to go, and that’s just the honest to God’s truth,” Beam said. “And Maury will tell you, we’re not gonna mess around here. I mean, we’re committed to this. What it costs to do it, it’s like there’s really no budget. We’re just buying what we need to do to run well but we cannot have any … I don’t want to say weak link, but we just gotta go. And that’s just the honest to God’s truth. We’re not gonna mess around here, and Noah knows it. I talked to Noah about it. I said we’re going to support you, but we gotta go. Erik knows it. You know what our plan is? Our plan is just to run hard. If you wreck it, we’ll bring it home and fix it. That’s just the way it is.”

In signing Gragson, Petty GMS has snapped up one of the Xfinity Series’ top prospects. Gragson ranks fourth in the series standings with three wins already this season — at Phoenix, Talladega and Pocono — for JR Motorsports’ No. 9 team. He placed a career-best third in the final standings last year, finishing behind champion Daniel Hemric and runner-up Austin Cindric in the title race.

Gragson has made nine Cup Series starts this season — seven for Kaulig Racing and two for Beard Motorsports. The Las Vegas native’s best finish so far is an 18th-place result at Kansas Speedway in Matt Kaulig’s No. 16 Chevy, which he is sharing this season with teammates Hemric and AJ Allmendinger. The Cup Series experience was a plus for Beam, who says he’s been appreciative of the Kaulig group’s support in bringing him to NASCAR’s big leagues.

The move keeps Gragson in the Chevrolet camp, which he joined in 2019 with JRM. He entered NASCAR’s national ranks through the Toyota pipeline, primarily with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series.

Along the way, Gragson has earned a reputation for his aggressive nature behind the wheel. Last month, the driver was fined $35,000 and penalized 30 points in the Xfinity Series standings for a payback crash at Road America. Being himself, as Gragson says, is one thing. But taking a measured approach with cutthroat-style tactics is another, Petty says.

“Might have to calm him down a little bit, but the way that Cup racing is now, he’s got to be aggressive,” Petty said. “I think from that standpoint, I just hope that we can calm him down where he’s not too aggressive, but he’s going to be in a learning process because Xfinity is a little bit different crowd of people. They race different. When it comes to Cup, he’s going to have to learn to respect his other drivers and he’s going to have to respect them. So it’s going to be interesting.”

The move also marks something of a reunion for Gragson. Dave Elenz was his crew chief at JRM for three years before making the jump to Petty GMS and the No. 43 team with Jones this season.

Beam said that he had been so focused on completing the contract talks with Jones, Gragson and GMS Racing’s Truck Series drivers that he hasn’t had a chance to settle on a crew chief for the No. 42 team for next season. But Beam also indicated that splitting up Elenz and Jones to pair him with Gragson again was not a consideration.

“Dave’s the guy, and him and Erik do really well,” Beam said. “That was part of Erik’s negotiation, too, which it should be. So no, that’s all fine.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR announced today that construction will begin on a brand new state-of-the-art Productions facility later this summer. The 58,000-square-foot facility will be built on the land adjacent to the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina.

The new facility will house approximately 125 NASCAR Productions and MRN employees with further room to expand operations in the future. NASCAR will continue to have a significant presence in the Uptown Charlotte area, with a large contingent of employees remaining in Five Fifty South (formerly known as NASCAR Plaza) for the foreseeable future.

NASCAR will make significant investments in its Productions infrastructure and technology to deliver first-class live event production and content to NASCAR’s fans and industry partners. This commitment furthers NASCAR’s mission of providing fans with enhanced content that brings them closer to the sport.

“The scope and scale of the NASCAR Productions business has fundamentally changed in recent years, with NASCAR’s live event production operation more than doubling since 2018. Developing a state-of-the-art facility that can accommodate our continued expansion was paramount,” said Brian Herbst, SVP, Media and Productions. “In this evolving sports media landscape, live event production and investing in technology that enhances the fan viewing experience has never been more important — it’s essential that our new workspace can facilitate that strategic growth.”

NASCAR Productions will produce more than 500 live events in 2022, up from 200 live events in 2018.  Through a partnership with NEP Group, an industry leader in delivering solutions for broadcast and live events, the new NASCAR Productions facility will be outfitted with the latest broadcast equipment and software to create high-end production quality and content.

The new location is strategically located next to the NASCAR R&D Center and will be more closely situated to a majority of NASCAR team operations. The facility will offer more space and will be a far more efficient resource for the industry at large. Though still in the early stages of development, the new facility is expected to be fully operational by the start of the 2024 season.

NASCAR Studios, the sanctioning body’s hub for content strategy, creation and distribution will also have employees based at the new facility in Concord.

NASCAR will conduct a ceremonially ground-breaking event on Wednesday, Aug. 31. More information will be shared as details for the event become finalized.