Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR’s Next Gen race car will hit the virtual streets for the first time on Roblox starting this Friday, Nov. 5. The new car will roar to life in Jailbreak, a highly popular cops and robbers-style virtual experience that is free to play on the Roblox platform. Jailbreak players will be able to select the NASCAR Next Gen race car and choose from several skins as they create their own customized designs in the virtual roleplaying experience.

“We’ve really begun to focus on expanding NASCAR’s presence in the metaverse and engaging with the virtual community in unique and creative ways,” said Nick Rend, Managing Director of Gaming & Esports, NASCAR. “Roblox has one of the most passionate communities out there, so when we began collaborating with Jailbreak and its development team, Badimo, it only made sense to add an element of customization to the race car to get players involved and excited for this upcoming drop.”

Last month, Jailbreak held a skin contest, encouraging all eligible players to design their own skin, or paint scheme, for the soon to be released race car. The contest closed on Monday, Nov. 1, with the top two skins being announced when the race car debuts later this week. The drop will also feature a unique NASCAR skyscraper and showroom, apparel for users’ avatars and a new NASCAR x Jailbreak race track.

“We received an overwhelming response from Jailbreak players submitting their own designs on Reddit,” said Rend. “Imaginations ran wild and the Roblox community created some awesome skins that we’re excited to reveal in the drop on Friday.”

Jailbreak launched in 2017 and within days became one of the fastest-growing experiences in Roblox history and has since been played more than five billion times. Created by the two-person development team Badimo, the open-world game allows players of all ages to choose between a cop or robber persona giving them access to explore the virtual world on their own terms.

NASCAR x Jailbreak content will become available to players on Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. ET. To access Jailbreak on Roblox, visit here.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of four stories examining why each driver could win the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Tuesday: Kyle Larson
Wednesday: Chase Elliott
Thursday: Martin Truex Jr.
Friday: Denny Hamlin

•••

Chase Elliott will win the 2021 championship because …

If another driver wants it, they have to go through him.

It’s a rarity in sports for a defending champion to return to the title-deciding event and not be the odds-on favorite, but here we are just a few days out from the championship-decider and Elliott sits at 11-4 to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson’s 7-5. Sure, that’s understandable given that Larson has nine wins to Elliott’s two — but Elliott was the runner-up in four of the No. 5’s trips to Victory Lane. It’s conceivable that perhaps Elliott didn’t take his teammate to the limit as much as he would have if, say, the No. 11 Toyota was in front of him. Maybe that distribution of wins is a bit misleading, maybe not.

RELATED: Betting odds for Phoenix title race

Either way, Larson usurped Elliott as Hendrick’s golden boy this year, and it seems silly to think Elliott won’t be carrying that chip on his shoulder entering Sunday. He’ll be out to prove he’s the defending champion for a reason, and he doesn’t care who’s standing in his way of another one, under the same roof or not.

As the two most favored drivers entering the race — with essentially the same equipment — there’s a strong chance they’ll be battling for the lead at some point, and it could be in the closing laps for the checkered flag and the title. If that’s the case? Toss the whole teammate thing out the window. It’s on. I don’t think Elliott would even hesitate to move the 5, and forget about the 11 or 19 — those are auto-punts should he be presented the opportunity on the final lap.

RELATED: Chase Elliott through the years

But what if Hamlin and Truex bring the fastest equipment? Definitely possible, but Hendrick probably has the edge here.

Martin Truex Jr. won at Phoenix earlier this year (Elliott was fifth), but the 25-year-old rode a wave of momentum last fall to claim a grandfather clock and his first Championship 4 bid at Martinsville before running roughshod over the competition in the finale with 153 laps led en route to the title win in the desert.  He and crew chief Alan Gustafson will be leaning on those notes heavily, but that’s not the only thing in the No. 9 team’s favor. An argument could be made that Elliott had a better overall season than his championship campaign, with a better average finish and already more lead-lap finishes than a year ago with one race remaining. That’s in addition to the added experience that another 35 races have provided the youngest driver in the Championship 4.

In short, the defending champion is more seasoned, enters the weekend with something to prove and won’t be afraid to show anybody out there his bumper, even if it’ll make Hendrick teammate debriefs a bit awkward for a while. He’s simply made for this moment.

Elliott has a tremendous shot to become the sport’s first back-to-back champion since a certain seven-time former teammate of his accomplished the feat with five straight from 2006-10, and he just might do it.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR issued a fine Tuesday to one Camping World Truck Series team for a lug-nut infraction found after last weekend’s events at Martinsville Speedway.

RELATED: Phoenix weekend schedule

The No. 49 CMI Motorsports Ford was cited for violation of Section 10.9.10.4 in the NASCAR Rule Book for having one lug nut improperly secured in a post-race check.

A $2,500 fine was handed down to crew chief Timothy Silva. Roger Reuse drove the entry to a 35th-place finish in Saturday’s United Rentals 200.

Note: NASCAR also suspended Our Motorsports crew member Randall Howard indefinitely for a behavioral violation. He is on the No. 23 team in the Xfinity Series.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Team owner Rick Hendrick had a zippy response Tuesday to the feud between Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin sparked this past weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

With seven laps remaining in the scheduled distance of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 finale, Bowman made a brush with Hamlin while battling for the lead after his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet broke loose entering Turn 3. Hamlin spun out from Bowman’s contact while the 48 drove off to its fourth victory of 2021 in an overtime finish. The incident nearly ended Hamlin’s hopes for a title, but he was ultimately able to make the Championship 4.

After the race, Hamlin interrupted Bowman’s celebration on the front stretch and proceeded to blast him in his post-race interview with NBC, saying “he’s just a hack. Just an absolute hack,” among other comments stemming from the frustration.

RELATED: Denny Hamlin on Alex Bowman: ‘He’s just a hack’ | Denny Hamlin blocks burnout

On Tuesday afternoon during the Championship 4 owners’ press conference, Hendrick was quick to defend his driver.

“Describe a hack. I don’t know what a hack is,” Hendrick said. “But you know, he’s won four races this year. Denny’s won two. I think Denny just lost it Sunday and, you know, Alex races everybody clean. He’s a good soldier, the sponsors love him, the crowd loves him. I think when you’re in the middle of a disappointment and you’re frustrated and mad, you might say things that you wouldn’t say normally. But if he’s a hack I’d like to have more of them.”

The 72-year-old owner has two drivers set to battle for a title in Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Larson is making his first Championship 4 appearance, while Elliott looks to defend his 2020 title.

Posted on by Staff Report

The roots of Brad Keselowski’s new team with Roush Fenway Racing are starting to take shape as the organization announced that Matt McCall will come on board to serve as the crew chief for the No. 6 Ford in 2022, the team announced Tuesday. 

McCall, 40, has been a full-time crew chief for the past seven years with Chip Ganassi Racing. He first worked with Jamie McMurray for four years and guided the veteran to three playoff appearances. For the last three seasons, McCall has been paired with 2004 champion Kurt Busch. Together, the two have three wins with the most recent coming at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July of 2021. Those three wins are McCall’s only NASCAR wins atop the pit box.

RELATED: Silly Season tracker for the 2022 season | Key players in NASCAR’s Silly Season

With Ganassi closing its doors at the end of the year with the sale to Trackhouse Racing, Busch has landed at 23XI Racing and now McCall has a new gig as well.

Prior to his work at Ganassi, McCall was the lead race engineer for the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team and was part of the squad that finished runner-up in the standings with driver Ryan Newman in 2014. McCall also has a history as a driver in NASCAR’s national series as he made seven starts from 2003 to 2013 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

It was announced in July that Keselowski was joining Roush in a driver-owner role and was also assuming a leadership role within the organization on the competition committee. The move for Keselowski comes after 12 full-time seasons with Penske that saw him total 34 Cup wins (heading into Sunday’s season finale) and a 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

At the press conference announcing his move, Keselowski said, “I am optimistic about what Jack (Roush), John (Henry) and I can accomplish together, especially with a new era for our sport on the horizon (with the Next Gen car). Our goal is to win races and compete for championships at NASCAR’s top level, and we plan to do just that.”

With McCall on board, Keselowski has a crew chief that can help him do just that as the Next Gen era begins.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Today NASCAR, FOX Sports and NBC Sports jointly announced 2022 race start times and networks for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series seasons.

Nineteen total NASCAR Cup Series races will air on FOX and NBC throughout the season. This marks the first time since 2009 in which more Cup Series points events will air on broadcast than cable. Ten of those will air on FOX, including the DAYTONA 500 (Sunday, Feb. 20, 2:30 p.m. ET) and eight of the next nine points events to start the season. Bristol Dirt will air in primetime (Sunday, April 17, 7 p.m. ET) on Easter, while Talladega (Sunday, April 24, 3 p.m. ET) and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Sunday, May 29, 6 p.m. ET) round out the races airing on broadcast during the FOX portion of the NASCAR Cup Series season.

“Working with the broadcast partners, tracks, teams and industry stakeholders, we will be able to deliver the best racing in the world to an even broader audience in 2022,” said Brian Herbst, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Media and Productions. “Based on data and fan feedback from the past several years, shifting afternoon start times back allows more of our fans — whether at home or at the track — to take in NASCAR racing on Sundays. In addition, airing the most Cup Series races on broadcast in more than a decade is consistent with our strategy of distributing our content to as many fans as possible during key moments in the season.”

RELATED: Buy tickets | Complete Cup schedule with times | Xfinity | Trucks

The remaining nine broadcast races will air on NBC, one more than 2021, including the kickoff of the NBC Sports portion of the season when the NASCAR Cup Series visits Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, June 26 at 5 p.m. ET. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (Sunday, July 31, 2:30 p.m. ET) and regular season-ending tilt at Daytona International Speedway (Saturday, Aug. 27, 7 p.m. ET) will be the other regular-season races airing on the network. Finally, the final six playoff races will air on NBC beginning with Talladega on Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. ET and culminating with the crowning of a champion at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. ET.

Additionally, five NASCAR Xfinity Series races will air live on broadcast in 2022. FOX will be home to the high-speed action from Talladega Superspeedway (Saturday, Apr. 23, 4 p.m. ET) while NBC will carry the Xfinity Series four times, including three playoff races: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (Saturday, July 30, 3:30 p.m. ET), the Charlotte Roval (Saturday, Oct. 8, 3 p.m. ET), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Saturday, Oct. 15, 3 p.m. ET) and Martinsville Speedway (Saturday, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET).

As previously announced, USA Network will be the new home for 26 NBC Sports cable races in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022. NASCAR will debut on USA, which is available in approximately five million more homes than NBCSN, when the Xfinity Series hits the track at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, June 25 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The NASCAR Cup Series will make its USA Network debut on Sunday, July 3, at 3 p.m. ET from Road America.

All 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will air on FS1 in 2022, 16 of them in primetime, highlighted by the playoffs opener at new track Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on Friday, July 29 at 9 p.m. ET and the season finale at Phoenix Raceway on Friday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

Complete times and network schedules for all three national series are below. All times eastern and subject to change.

2022 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule

Date Race / Track Network Start Time (ET) Radio
Sunday, February 6 Clash (L.A. Memorial Coliseum) FS1 8:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Thursday, February 17 Duel at Daytona FS1 7:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, February 20 DAYTONA 500 FOX 2:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, February 27 Auto Club FOX 3:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, March 6 Las Vegas FOX 3:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, March 13 Phoenix FOX 3:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, March 20 Atlanta FOX 3:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, March 27 COTA FOX 3:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, April 3 Richmond FOX 3:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, April 9 Martinsville FS1 7:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, April 17 Bristol Dirt FOX 7:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, April 24 Talladega FOX 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, May 1 Dover FS1 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, May 8 Darlington FS1 3:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, May 15 Kansas FS1 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, May 22 NASCAR All-Star Race (Texas) FS1 8:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, May 29 Charlotte FOX 6:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, June 5 World Wide Technology Raceway FS1 3:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, June 12 Sonoma FS1 4:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, June 26 Nashville Superspeedway NBC 5:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, July 3 Road America USA 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, July 10 Atlanta USA 3:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, July 17 New Hampshire USA 3:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, July 24 Pocono USA 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, July 31 Indianapolis Road Course NBC 2:30 p.m. IMS/SiriusXM
Sunday, August 7 Michigan USA 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, August 14 Richmond USA 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, August 21 Watkins Glen USA 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, August 27 Daytona NBC 7:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, September 4 Darlington USA 6:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, September 11 Kansas USA 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, September 17 Bristol USA 7:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, September 25 Texas USA 3:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, October 2 Talladega NBC 2:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, October 9 Charlotte Roval NBC 2:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, October 16 Las Vegas NBC 2:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, October 23 Homestead-Miami NBC 2:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, October 30 Martinsville NBC 2:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Sunday, November 6 Phoenix NBC 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM

 

2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Schedule

Date Race / Track Network Start Time (ET) Radio
Saturday, February 19 Daytona FS1 5:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, February 26 Auto Club FS1 5:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 5 Las Vegas FS1 4:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 12 Phoenix FS1 4:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 19 Atlanta FS1 5:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 26 COTA FS1 4:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, April 2 Richmond FS1 1:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, April 8 Martinsville FS1 7:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, April 23 Talladega FOX 4:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, April 30 Dover FS1 1:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, May 7 Darlington FS1 1:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, May 21 Texas FS1 1:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, May 28 Charlotte FS1 1:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 4 Portland FS1 4:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 25 Nashville Superspeedway USA 3:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 2 Road America USA 2:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 9 Atlanta USA 5:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 16 New Hampshire USA 2:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 23 Pocono USA 5:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 30 Indianapolis Road Course NBC 3:30 p.m. IMS/SiriusXM
Saturday, August 6 Michigan USA 3:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, August 20 Watkins Glen USA 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, August 26 Daytona USA 7:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, September 3 Darlington USA 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, September 10 Kansas USA 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, September 16 Bristol USA 7:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, September 24 Texas USA 3:30 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 1 Talladega USA 4:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 8 Charlotte Roval NBC 3:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 15 Las Vegas NBC 3:00 p.m. PRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 22 Homestead-Miami USA 4:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 29 Martinsville NBC 3:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, November 5 Phoenix USA 6:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM

 

2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Schedule

Date Race / Track Network Start Time (ET) Radio
Friday, February 18 Daytona FS1 7:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, March 4 Las Vegas FS1 9:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 19 Atlanta FS1 2:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, March 26 COTA FS1 1:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Thursday, April 7 Martinsville FS1 8:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, April 16 Bristol Dirt FS1 8:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, May 6 Darlington FS1 7:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, May 14 Kansas FS1 8:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, May 20 Texas FS1 8:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, May 27 Charlotte FS1 8:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 4 World Wide Technology Raceway FS1 1:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 11 Sonoma FS1 7:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, June 18 Knoxville FS1 9:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, June 24 Nashville Superspeedway FS1 8:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 9 Mid-Ohio FS1 1:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 23 Pocono FS1 Noon MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, July 29 Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis FS1 9:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, August 13 Richmond FS1 8:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, September 9 Kansas FS1 7:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Thursday, September 15 Bristol FS1 9:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 1 Talladega FS1 12:30 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, October 22 Homestead-Miami FS1 1:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, November 4 Phoenix FS1 8:00 p.m. MRN/SiriusXM
Posted on by PJ Walsh

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

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season concludes on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App/Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with four drivers still eligible for the championship: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr.

This means that whichever of those four drivers has the best finish in Sunday’s race will be the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

For the record, the eventual champion doesn’t necessarily have to win the race to win the title.

The only determining factor is which of those four secures the best finish, no matter where that is in the final race results.

Let’s take a look at the array of NASCAR championship odds, including my favorite bet to win the 2021 title.

RELATED: Title odds from BetMGM | Odds for Sunday’s title race | NASCAR BetCenter

NASCAR Championship Betting Pick

Clearly, all four of these drivers are capable of winning the championship — that’s why they’ve advanced this far.

But from a NASCAR betting perspective we’re most concerned about the associated odds with each.

Interestingly, NASCAR championship odds vary wildly from sportsbook to sportsbook, which is actually a big advantage for bettors.

For example, Kyle Larson is currently +140 at BetMGM but +175 at PointsBet.

I’m going in a different direction by taking the biggest championship longshot in Truex.

At Phoenix back in March, Truex won the race while running the most fast laps and posting the third-best driver rating.

In addition, the short, flat tracks (like Phoenix) have also been Truex’s best this season. In six total races across Phoenix, Richmond, New Hampshire and Martinsville, the No. 19 team has the most wins (three), the most top-five finishes (five) and the second-best driver rating.

With a very enticing +450 (BetMGM) price tag, Truex’s speed at this category of tracks this season makes him my favorite value bet to win the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

The Bet: Truex Jr. (+450) to win championship

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of four stories examining why each driver could win the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Tuesday: Kyle Larson
Wednesday: Chase Elliott
Thursday: Martin Truex Jr.
Friday: Denny Hamlin

•••

Kyle Larson will win the 2021 championship because …

He’s Kyle Larson in 2021.

Larson’s first year in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has been one for the record books. His nine victories this season are more than double the totals of each of the three other Championship 4 drivers of Chase Elliott (two), Denny Hamlin (two) and Martin Truex Jr. (four). He’s finished in the top 10 in 25 of the 35 races. His 2,474 laps led is now the most in a single season since NASCAR moved to a 36-race schedule in 2001, surpassing Jeff Gordon’s previous mark of 2,320 during his 2001 championship season.

The regular-season champion has won four races in the playoffs, including three of the last four starting with the Charlotte Roval. If you need any more convincing as to why Larson is the lead candidate for title glory, he’s also the odds-on favorite in the BetMGM sportsbook at 7-5.

RELATED: Betting odds for Phoenix title race

But even with all of the success backing Larson, you can throw those statistics out the window now. It all comes down to one race, one pressure-packed moment to decide who will lift up the Bill France Cup after Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix (3 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App/Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Pressure is a concept that Larson and company, led by crew chief Cliff Daniels, have proven they can handle, though. The biggest example of that occurred four weeks ago when an alternator issue at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval nearly threw a whole season’s worth of work away. But a calm-and-cool Daniels didn’t let it shake them, methodically giving his team marching orders when a lesser leader could have panicked.

And the end result? Another No. 5 car parked in Victory Lane.

Whatever this Sunday will throw at Larson and Daniels, those two can handle it. But it should not surprise anybody at this point if Larson is out front for the duration. His five straight top-10 finishes at the 1-mile oval back it up even further.

This is why Larson will win the race and the championship on Sunday. He’ll hoist season-ending hardware for the first time in his career in his first Championship 4 appearance and earn Hendrick Motorsports its 14th Cup Series title.

RELATED: Kyle Larson through the years

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Every now and then, the Internet gets one right.

Back in February—which feels like ages ago—we asked you to call your shot and predict the Championship 4. Hundreds of you sent in your guesses.

But did anyone correctly predict all four championship finalists?

So much happened in a single season, and so much changed from 2020. Kevin Harvick went from winning nine races last year to laying an egg in the wins column in 2021. Kyle Larson joined Hendrick Motorsports and won pretty much everything. Three drivers won their first races, and even part-timer AJ Allmendinger snagged a victory. 

All that to say, 2021 was a tough year to predict. 

Even the only person who predicted last year’s Championship 4 stumbled this time around.

One out of four—not so great! 

The 2021 Hall of Shame

Plenty of Twitter titans sent in their guesses, only to fail to make one single correct prediction. It’s tough out there. 

Sorry to do this, but, in the spirit of tradition, we’ve got no choice but to make fun of those lousy 0-for-4 picks. You know what you signed up for. 

https://twitter.com/Dcarterace21/status/1359695563151802368

Even NASCAR.com’s own power ranker Pat DeCola whiffed.

Better luck next year. 

One person picked correctly

If you shoot enough arrows at a target, one’s bound to hit the bullseye. 

Out of the hundreds and hundreds of failed predictions, we’ve found only one containing this year’s Championship 4 lineup of Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr.

Well done, @RadiKyleOpinion. Back on Feb. 10, you peered 263 days into the future. 

Somehow, you knew that Chase Elliott would compete to defend his 2020 title. That Denny Hamlin would give it another go. That fellow Kyle, Kyle Larson, would have an outstanding season. That Martin Truex Jr. would fight to become Martin 2x, Jr.

We’re thoroughly impressed by your skills. Or your wild, uninformed guesses; we don’t know. 

For reference, one person picked perfectly in 2020, two got ‘em right in 2019, and nobody predicted the 2018 Championship 4. You’re in elite company, @RadiKyleOpinion. 

Although, technically speaking, this one’s not wrong.

Thanks to all this year’s participants who put their pride on the line. Let’s do it again in 2022.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials will require Kyle Busch to take sensitivity training before the start of the 2022 season following offensive comments made after Sunday’s Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

The two-time series champion used a term that disparages those with intellectual disabilities when describing an on-track incident with Brad Keselowski. Both drivers were eliminated from title contention ahead of the Phoenix Raceway finale.

After the race, Busch apologized for the remarks on Twitter.