Posted on by Reid Spencer

In sharp contrast to Ford’s domination of recent NASCAR Cup Series racing at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet drivers have won the last five NASCAR Xfinity Series events at the 2.66-mile track.

Kaulig Racing drivers have taken the checkered flag in the last three Xfinity races at Talladega, and that organization will bring its formidable superspeedway package to Saturday’s Sparks 300, the second race in the series’ Round of 12 (4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: How the Xfinity Series playoff picture looks | Lineup for Sparks 300

“Kaulig Racing is always fast at superspeedways, and this is one of my favorite tracks to go to,” said Justin Haley, who swept the two Xfinity races at Talladega in 2020 and has won two of the last three events at Daytona International Speedway. 

Headed for full-time Cup racing as Kaulig moves up to NASCAR’s top division next year, Haley will drive the No. 16 Chevrolet in Sunday’s Cup event.

Teammate Jeb Burton is the most recent winner at Talladega, as Kaulig extended its streak at the track in this year’s spring race. Burton could use another victory after falling 27 points below the current Round of 8 elimination line, thanks to a 36th-place finish last Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Our last trip to Talladega resulted in my first-ever Xfinity Series win, so I’m looking forward to getting back there,” Burton said. “The Kaulig Racing Chevys are always great at the superspeedways, so we know we’ll have some speed this weekend.

“We got ourselves into a little bit of a hole at Las Vegas, so I’m looking forward to getting back on track this week.”

Teammate AJ Allmendinger, the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Champion, enters Saturday’s race with a 59-point cushion over ninth-place Myatt Snider, but Allmendinger surrendered the series lead to reigning Xfinity champion Austin Cindric with a seventh-place Las Vegas finish to Cindric’s fourth. 

“Ultimately, our goal for this weekend is to try and survive, get good points and make sure we don’t have to fight to make it to the next round the following week in Charlotte,” Allmendinger said.  “The Kaulig Racing cars will be hard to beat if we can all get up front and run together.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Four drivers today joined Division I title winner Peyton Sellers as NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champions for 2021.

David Greenslit (Division II), Chad Baxter (Division III), Tom McCarthy III (Division IV) and Chris Vannausdle (Division V) were all officially named national champions for their season-long efforts in their respective divisions.

FINAL NAAPWS POINTS: Division II | Division III | Division IV | Division V

David Greenslit
2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division II champion David Greenslit

Greenslit, also the Northeast regional champion for 2021, successfully defended the Division II title he took last year — and he did so in a slightly more convincing fashion.

Greenslit in 2020 won the Division II championship by just two points — or one position on the race track — over second-place Adam Gray. This year, Greenslit cleared second-place Terry Schultz, the Midwest regional champ, by eight points in the Division II national standings.

Greenslit’s 2021 triumph is the result of his 11 wins, 27 top fives and 30 top 10s in 32 starts at Hudson Speedway, Claremont Motorsports Park, Lee USA Speedway and Monadnock Speedway, all in his home state of New Hampshire.

Chad Baxter
2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division III champion Chad Baxter

Baxter, the Division III national champion and the winner of its Northeast region, collected his title on the strength of six wins, 13 top fives and 14 top 10s in 15 starts at Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk, Massachusetts.

Baxter won the Division III title by 20 points over second-place Ian Rotundo of California’s Irwindale Speedway.

Thomas Mccarthy III
2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division IV champion Thomas McCarthy III

In Division IV, McCarthy, the Midwest region winner, did all of his damage at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan. With five wins, 19 top fives and 20 top 10s in 21 starts at his home track, McCarthy clinched the Division IV championship by just four points over Gordon Farnum of New Hampshire’s Hudson Speedway, Claremont Motorsports Park and Monadnock Speedway.

Vannausdale took the Division V championship thanks to his 12 wins, 24 top fives and 27 top 10s in 30 starts on the dirt at Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, and I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska.

Chris Vannausdle
2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division V champion Chris Vannausdle

Also the Midwest region winner in Division V, Vannausdale clinched the national championship by 16 points over second-place Travis Pavlacky of Idaho’s Meridian Speedway.

Including the four national champions for Divisions II-V, below are the top 20 finishers in each region of each division for the 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

Division II

Midwest

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 TERRY SCHULTZ CENTRAL MISSOURI SPEEDWAY 29 7 24 26 434
2 JEROD WESTON ADAMS 14 4 13 14 398
3 JUSTIN SHOEMAKER SALINA 16 4 12 16 392
4 JOSH FRYE BERLIN 19 3 17 19 390
5 TIM POWELL CENTRAL MISSOURI SPEEDWAY 14 6 13 14 388
6 JACOB EBERT CENTRAL MISSOURI SPEEDWAY 17 3 10 15 372
7 NICK DELONGPRE BERLIN 18 3 13 18 354
8 SHAWN KRALIK ADAMS 14 2 10 13 346
9 TIM DEVOS BERLIN 19 3 12 15 342
10 SCOTT ROOT BERLIN 18 2 10 15 338
11 BRYCE ALLEN ADAMS 14 1 10 12 334
12 TERRANCE ROBINSON ROCKFORD 14 3 12 14 330
13 JOHNNY ROBINSON, II ROCKFORD 14 4 11 14 322
14 MARK SCHAFMAN LAKESIDE 14 0 9 12 310
15 DYLAN CANTWELL SALINA 16 0 7 13 306
16 LUKE NIEMAN CENTRAL MISSOURI SPEEDWAY 17 1 8 12 304
17 JAKE HOBSCHEIDT I-80 15 7 15 15 298
18 BILLY EPPINK BERLIN 16 1 6 15 296
19 PATRICK FEATHERSTON, II ROCKFORD 13 0 11 12 294
20 CONRAD JORGENSON ELKO 19 9 14 18 292

Northeast

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 DAVID GREENSLIT CLAREMONT, HUDSON, LEE 32 11 27 30 442
2 VINCENT ARRENEGADO, JR SEEKONK 15 4 12 14 386
3 CODY SCHOOLCRAFT CLAREMONT, MONADNOCK 17 3 15 16 386
4 DYLAN HOCH GRANDVIEW 18 4 10 15 378
5 BRIAN HIRTHLER GRANDVIEW 19 5 9 14 362
6 KENNY GILMORE GRANDVIEW 19 2 10 18 362
7 JIMMY RENFREW, JR CLAREMONT, HUDSON, LEE 17 10 16 17 360
8 RICHARD DAVIDOWITZ RIVERHEAD 15 3 9 15 356
9 OWEN GRENNAN RIVERHEAD 15 2 7 14 348
10 GERALD DEGASPARRE, JR SEEKONK 15 2 9 13 330
11 CHASE BELCHER SEEKONK 15 3 10 14 328
12 NATHAN WENZEL HUDSON, MONADNOCK 16 1 14 16 326
13 KYLE LILICK GRANDVIEW 17 1 9 12 322
14 ERIC HERSEY RIVERHEAD 15 1 5 13 314
15 JOSH HEDGES SEEKONK 15 1 10 14 314
16 JOE TETREAULT CLAREMONT 15 0 8 13 298
17 CHRIS SMITH B RIDGE 16 4 13 16 294
18 CHRISTOPHER BUFFONE MONADNOCK, HUDSON 16 4 10 13 292
19 JUSTIN BEECHER CLAREMONT, HUDSON, LEE 15 2 6 13 292
20 MATTHEW BRODE RIVERHEAD 15 1 6 12 292

Southeast

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 KYLE BARNES KINGSPORT, MOTOR MILE, S BOSTON 23 7 14 19 422
2 CORY DUNN MOTOR MILE 18 3 15 16 406
3 MATT CARTER LANGLEY 14 10 14 14 372
4 THOMAS NEAL NEW SMYRNA, BOWMAN 16 3 10 14 360
5 DARYN COCKRAM MOTOR MILE, S BOSTON 17 3 11 13 330
6 DALE CLINE MOTOR MILE 17 2 9 15 328
7 ZACK ORE BOWMAN 14 2 10 13 328
8 AMBER LYNN BOGER BOWMAN 14 2 8 13 322
9 JAMIE SWEENEY MOTOR MILE 16 0 7 15 306
10 BRAD ADAMS LANGLEY 14 1 10 13 300
11 RICK GDOVIC LANGLEY 14 2 12 14 296
12 MICHAEL ADAMS BOWMAN 14 1 7 12 290
13 BRIAN SUTPHIN MOTOR MILE 16 1 4 11 268
14 SPENCER MARTIN BOWMAN 14 2 6 10 260
15 SCOTT LANCASTER MOTOR MILE 10 1 10 10 260
16 RICHARD CALDWELL MOTOR MILE 18 0 4 14 260
17 CHARLES SMITH MOTOR MILE 17 0 4 12 256
18 PEYTON FERREE DOMINION, LANGLEY 15 0 7 14 242
19 KYLE SOUTHERN BOWMAN 14 0 6 10 242
20 ARCHIE ADAMS, JR FLORENCE 12 0 10 12 240

West

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 MARK HUBBARD EVERGREEN 13 5 13 13 374
2 NICK BEECHER EVERGREEN 13 1 10 12 286
3 TED LINGREN EVERGREEN 13 2 9 10 282
4 CULLEN HUBBARD EVERGREEN 13 0 5 13 258
5 DAYTONA WURTZ MERIDIAN 13 10 12 13 254
6 SETH CHRISTIAN COOS BAY 21 10 16 21 242
7 STEVE DUBISAR COOS BAY 17 2 13 17 224
8 KEVIN SAKALUK EDMONTON 7 5 6 7 212
9 KEN FOX COOS BAY 21 1 18 20 202
10 CALVIN MILLER EVERGREEN 13 0 0 11 202
11 TANNER REIF LAS VEGAS 8 4 7 7 194
12 JAKE GRANT EVERGREEN 12 0 3 9 192
13 KENNY ERICKSON EVERGREEN 11 0 3 9 186
14 MIKE MARTHALLER, JR EVERGREEN 10 0 5 7 184
15 SAM NEWCOMER MERIDIAN 13 0 12 13 182
16 BRUCE PENDERGRESS EVERGREEN 10 2 4 6 176
17 MELISSA WEAVER MERIDIAN 13 1 11 12 176
18 ERIC PRICE, JR ALL AMERICAN 10 7 10 10 172
19 GEOFFREY WATSON EVERGREEN 11 0 3 8 170
20 JEFF PETERSON LAS VEGAS 8 1 7 7 162

Division III

Midwest

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 RYAN HOLTZLANDER BERLIN 27 10 24 27 358
2 JOSH FRYE BERLIN 14 9 14 14 344
3 KACEY SHIELDS LAKESIDE 16 7 14 16 344
4 NICK OXBOROUGH ELKO, LACROSSE 18 6 16 17 330
5 AARON POE CENTRAL MISSOURI SPEEDWAY 13 5 10 12 312
6 BRIAN THOME BERLIN 25 2 19 24 310
7 COLE ROELOFS BERLIN 26 1 22 26 310
8 JULIE JORGENSON ELKO 17 3 14 16 302
9 CODY FRAZON CENTRAL MISSOURI SPEEDWAY 13 4 10 11 300
10 JERID LUND ADAMS 14 3 8 12 296
11 PAUL HAMILTON ELKO 16 1 13 16 294
12 SHAWN HARKER I-80 10 4 10 10 290
13 LARRY RUPE SALINA 15 1 13 14 290
14 MATT ANDREWS I-80 10 3 10 10 286
15 TOM MYERS, Mr. ADAMS 14 3 6 10 284
16 SCOTT BAKER BERLIN 26 1 10 25 272
17 KEVIN FORD BERLIN 27 1 14 26 272
18 TYLER STERKEN BERLIN 27 0 11 24 260
19 MIKE STOER ELKO 17 0 10 17 256
20 TANNER DIXON ADAMS 14 0 4 11 256

Northeast

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 CHAD BAXTER SEEKONK 15 6 13 14 422
2 WADE KENNEDY B RIDGE 16 2 14 15 380
3 COREY FANNING SEEKONK 15 2 10 15 366
4 CAMDYN CURTIS MONADNOCK, HUDSON, CLAREMONT 23 4 15 23 334
5 AUSTIN BREHIO MONADNOCK, HUDSON 15 1 14 15 324
6 CHAZ BRIGGS B RIDGE 16 4 11 13 318
7 JOE KOHLER SEEKONK 14 2 6 12 312
8 CRAIG PIANKA SEEKONK 15 1 6 13 306
9 ADAM PETTEY SEEKONK 15 1 6 12 302
10 ROB HERRICK, JR B RIDGE 16 0 7 16 294
11 BEN POLAND CLAREMONT, MONADNOCK 16 9 14 15 286
12 EDDY PERRY SEEKONK 15 1 8 13 284
13 TRAVIS HOLLINS LEE 16 3 14 16 282
14 JACOB VAUGHN B RIDGE 16 2 6 14 278
15 JUSTIN LITTLEWOOD CLAREMONT, MONADNOCK 16 4 10 13 276
16 CHRISTIN DESTEFANO LEE 16 3 13 16 274
17 RYAN BELL MONADNOCK, CLAREMONT 18 0 14 16 268
18 RYAN CURRIER CLAREMONT, MONADNOCK, HUDSON 15 0 8 13 268
19 HAYDEN SCOTT CLAREMONT, HUDSON, MONADNOCK 12 1 10 12 262
20 RICKY BLY, JR MONADNOCK, CLAREMONT, HUDSON 18 6 13 16 256

Southeast

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 RYAN MATTHEWS DOMINION 16 9 15 16 396
2 MIKE GANOE DOMINION 16 1 9 14 300
3 RICHARD STORM DOMINION 16 0 9 14 278
4 CHRIS DONNELLY DOMINION 13 2 8 11 254
5 EDDIE SLAGLE DOMINION 11 2 8 10 244
6 JASON PITTMAN DOMINION 14 0 6 13 244
7 KEVIN CANTER KINGSPORT 15 13 14 15 242
8 BILLY GREGG BOWMAN 9 3 7 8 222
9 CAMERON BURKE DOMINION 9 2 7 8 212
10 NATHAN CREWS S BOSTON 13 11 12 13 204
11 DENNIS ARNOLD KINGSPORT 15 2 13 14 198
12 CHRISTIAN JOYCE BOWMAN 9 1 5 8 194
13 JEREMY WARREN BOWMAN 9 0 5 8 190
14 CHRIS ROBERTS LANGLEY 14 8 14 14 186
15 STROM ALTMAN FLORENCE 14 7 13 14 180
16 TAYLOR ROBBINS BOWMAN 9 1 3 8 178
17 CHRIS AMBURGEY KINGSPORT 14 0 12 14 174
18 ANDREW LANG DOMINION 9 0 4 7 170
19 DAVID CREED BOWMAN 9 2 4 7 168
20 TIM WILSON LANGLEY 13 3 13 13 162

West

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 IAN ROTUNDO IRWINDALE 15 4 12 15 402
2 BOBBY OZMAN IRWINDALE 16 2 12 14 378
3 JOHN BEARD IRWINDALE 14 3 8 14 350
4 ROBERT RICE IRWINDALE 16 1 10 16 350
5 RODNEY ARGO IRWINDALE 15 2 8 12 314
6 CHRIS VOIGHT IRWINDALE 15 1 7 13 312
7 TROY EVANS MERIDIAN 12 5 11 12 306
8 CECIL MILES M VALLEY 23 10 21 23 302
9 JASON WOOLCOTT IRWINDALE 16 2 6 12 298
10 JOSH FANOPOULOS MERIDIAN 13 4 11 12 294
11 CHAD EVERETT M VALLEY 23 7 21 23 288
12 ROBBIE SALCIDO IRWINDALE 15 1 5 13 282
13 RICK CONTI IRWINDALE 16 0 8 10 282
14 TAYLOR OCCHIPINTI MERIDIAN 14 1 12 13 278
15 COLTON PRICE EVERGREEN 10 3 9 10 262
16 MIKE JENSEN EVERGREEN 11 0 9 11 232
17 KENDRA OCCHIPINTI MERIDIAN 13 0 7 11 220
18 JOSHUA WHITFIELD ALL AMERICAN 11 8 10 11 214
19 ROY BOOTS, JR M VALLEY 22 2 13 22 208
20 LANE SUNDHOLM EVERGREEN 8 5 7 7 204

Division IV

Midwest

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 TOM MCCARTHY, III BERLIN 21 5 19 20 436
2 BRAD DERRY ADAMS, I-80 26 7 22 23 420
3 CASE ROELOFS BERLIN 21 4 13 18 406
4 SPENCER REIFF CENTRAL MISSOURI SPEEDWAY 29 9 22 28 404
5 DENNIS HOLTZLANDER BERLIN 21 3 15 19 396
6 COREY HOLTZLANDER BERLIN 21 4 13 20 390
7 MATT POSTMA BERLIN 21 1 11 16 366
8 CARL GRAUBERGER SALINA 16 1 10 15 356
9 SHANE STUTZMAN I-80 12 5 11 11 344
10 NICK WOODARD ADAMS, I-80 24 1 11 21 340
11 NATHAN MCNABB BERLIN 17 1 6 17 332
12 BUCK SCHAFROTH ADAMS 14 4 14 14 330
13 CHRIS PHILLIPS, SR SALINA 16 2 7 12 302
14 CHASE ROELOFS BERLIN 15 1 6 12 300
15 JUSTIN ROELOFS BERLIN 15 0 9 12 300
16 DAVID DOELZ CENTRAL MISSOURI SPEEDWAY 13 0 9 10 276
17 HECTOR GARCIA, JR BERLIN 14 1 6 11 262
18 LAYTIN PARKER SALINA 15 0 4 11 262
19 CAMERON KELLY CENTRAL MISSOURI SPEEDWAY 14 0 7 10 252
20 JAYLEN HARDBARGER SALINA 13 2 6 8 250

Northeast

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 GORDON FARNUM CLAREMONT, MONADNOCK, HUDSON 22 12 18 20 432
2 LOUIS MAHER, II CLAREMONT, HUDSON, MONADNOCK 18 1 14 18 370
3 HAYDON GRENIER HUDSON, CLAREMONT, MONADNOCK 20 12 14 16 364
4 RAY KING, JR MONADNOCK, CLAREMONT, HUDSON 25 2 15 22 364
5 BARRY SHAW, JR SEEKONK 14 6 14 14 338
6 KEVIN CLAYTON MONADNOCK 15 0 12 12 296
7 MIKE CAVALLARO SEEKONK 15 2 10 15 288
8 MIKE DUARTE SEEKONK 14 1 12 14 280
9 RICK MARTIN SEEKONK 15 3 10 14 272
10 BRITTANY CAMPBELL SEEKONK 15 1 10 14 268
11 JEFF ASSELIN MONADNOCK 16 0 6 13 262
12 AMY ARSENAULT SEEKONK 15 1 8 15 258
13 JAKE PUCHALSKI MONADNOCK 16 0 6 11 244
14 ERIC DESPONTS AUTODROME CHAUDIERE 9 3 8 8 234
15 KEVIN MCKNIGHT, JR MONADNOCK 16 0 1 12 228
16 JEREMY BERGERON AUTODROME CHAUDIERE 9 3 8 8 222
17 JOE OLMSTEAD CLAREMONT 14 0 8 13 220
18 RYAN CARMAN CLAREMONT, MONADNOCK, HUDSON 19 0 10 16 218
19 CHLOE GRONDIN AUTODROME CHAUDIERE 9 2 7 8 214
20 BRADEN MORRIE CLAREMONT, MONADNOCK 12 1 9 10 210

Southeast

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 KENNY ABSHER KINGSPORT 18 3 17 18 350
2 BUCKY SMITH KINGSPORT 16 4 12 16 332
3 BRUCE CRUMBLEY, JR KINGSPORT 19 1 12 17 312
4 DALE NICHOLS, JR LANGLEY 11 4 9 11 290
5 DAN ROGERS DOMINION 14 9 13 14 284
6 GORDON WEEKS, III LANGLEY 11 1 7 11 274
7 A J SANDERS, JR BOWMAN, WAKE, FLORENCE 26 17 24 26 268
8 DANNY HARRELL LANGLEY 11 0 7 10 254
9 JIMMY ADKINS, III LANGLEY 11 2 8 9 252
10 RICHARD POWERS, III DOMINION 14 1 12 14 248
11 BILLY BYINGTON KINGSPORT 10 1 9 10 242
12 DALE PARRO DOMINION, LANGLEY 13 0 4 11 226
13 LANDON ABBOTT LANGLEY, DOMINION 8 3 6 8 212
14 CARSON HIGGS DOMINION 14 3 10 13 206
15 BRANDON BRENDLE BOWMAN 9 4 8 8 204
16 CRAIG PHELPS KINGSPORT 12 0 5 10 204
17 GRAYSON KEATON BOWMAN 9 2 8 9 202
18 JOSHUA DAWSON S BOSTON 10 8 10 10 194
19 DAVE TRENT KINGSPORT 16 0 4 12 190
20 GARY BURKE DOMINION 12 0 7 12 174

West

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 SETH CHRISTIAN COOS BAY 15 10 15 15 284
2 STEVE COX EVERGREEN 11 7 11 11 264
3 KRIS PARKER COOS BAY 14 4 10 12 226
4 RICK SMITH COLORADO 8 2 7 8 194
5 QUENTON BORRESON EVERGREEN 11 1 8 11 190
6 STEVEN PARKER COOS BAY 13 0 9 12 174
7 ISAAC STERE COOS BAY 14 1 9 13 166
8 TOMMY ROE COLORADO 8 0 7 8 166
9 DAN ALAMAA COLORADO 8 5 5 6 162
10 JOHNNY GIESLER MERIDIAN 10 5 9 10 154
11 MACKENZIE DEITZ EVERGREEN 11 0 7 11 154
12 ALEXUS BAKER COOS BAY 13 0 3 13 154
13 DYLAN JONES TUCSON 7 1 7 7 148
14 LILY METZGUS COOS BAY 15 0 5 15 140
15 RYAN NEWMAN MERIDIAN 10 2 7 10 138
16 NATE LITTLE MERIDIAN 10 0 8 10 138
17 SHAWN LESTER M VALLEY 16 3 14 16 136
18 DON GEARY TUCSON 7 2 6 7 132
19 BRYAN WARF MERIDIAN 10 1 8 10 128
20 RONN MCCLIMANS M VALLEY 16 3 14 16 126

Division V

Midwest

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 CHRIS VANNAUSDLE ADAMS, I-80 30 12 24 27 428
2 BRYAN VANNAUSDLE ADAMS, I-80 30 7 24 28 388
3 ADAM SMITH I-80, ADAMS 17 1 14 16 284
4 JOHN BERG ADAMS 14 1 5 12 274
5 ANDREW AKERS ADAMS 13 0 3 13 272
6 DUSTY SHEPPARD I-80, ADAMS 16 1 5 13 268
7 SEAN BAGBY ADAMS 12 0 8 11 254
8 JAKE BRIDGE I-80 9 2 8 9 248
9 AUSTIN FOWLER ROCKFORD 9 2 9 9 242
10 PHIL SPECIALE ROCKFORD 9 4 8 8 234
11 COLE WAYMAN I-80 9 1 8 8 224
12 JACOB BROWN I-80 9 3 6 7 216
13 RYAN BROWN ADAMS 11 2 6 8 206
14 ZANDER STEINER ADAMS 12 0 6 7 206
15 MATT BUCHANAN ADAMS 13 1 4 9 204
16 KEVIN MEMOLI ROCKFORD 9 0 7 9 204
17 ANDREW HALEY ADAMS 10 0 4 8 204
18 BRAD LUCAS ADAMS, I-80 15 0 8 13 202
19 RAY HARRINGTON I-80 14 0 6 14 202
20 TANNER DIXON I-80 10 3 9 9 178

Northeast

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 DUSTIN THIBODEAU CLAREMONT 18 16 16 18 290
2 ROBERT SHAW CLAREMONT, HUDSON 20 1 19 19 252
3 BUCKY THIBODEAU CLAREMONT 17 0 15 17 198
4 TRAVIS HOLLINS HUDSON, CLAREMONT 11 5 9 11 178
5 JOHN THIBODEAU CLAREMONT 14 1 12 12 176
6 MAX HANDLEY RIVERHEAD 7 5 7 7 166
7 CODY TRIOLA RIVERHEAD 9 2 8 9 166
8 SCOTT PEDERSEN RIVERHEAD 8 3 7 8 164
9 THOMAS FERRARA RIVERHEAD 8 2 6 8 146
10 RONALD LORD, JR HUDSON 11 3 8 11 142
11 GARY FRITZ, JR RIVERHEAD 8 0 6 8 138
12 EDDIE DIAZ, Jr RIVERHEAD 8 0 6 8 136
13 TOM SULLIVAN RIVERHEAD 9 0 6 9 136
14 MICHAEL YEATON CLAREMONT, HUDSON 10 1 6 10 132
15 BRANDON HUBBARD RIVERHEAD 9 1 6 8 130
16 JOE WARREN, JR RIVERHEAD 8 1 6 6 128
17 MARC LAROCHE, JR CLAREMONT 14 0 6 14 126
18 GARY GRENIER HUDSON 11 0 6 11 124
19 BRYAN QUILLIAM RIVERHEAD 8 0 5 8 122
20 CHAD SNIDE HUDSON, CLAREMONT 13 0 5 12 108

Southeast

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 CHARLIE BRYANT LANGLEY 11 1 10 10 304
2 THOMAS FONTAINE LANGLEY 11 0 9 10 264
3 CHRIS KANE LANGLEY 9 5 8 8 262
4 EDDIE EVANS NEW SMYRNA 11 2 6 10 254
5 CODY BRYANT LANGLEY 11 3 7 8 234
6 MIKEY CHINN LANGLEY 11 0 6 10 234
7 MICHAEL CHAPMAN DOMINION 11 2 7 10 226
8 BOBBY HOLLEY NEW SMYRNA 15 6 12 14 224
9 JIMMY ADKINS, III LANGLEY 9 1 7 8 224
10 JIMMY PARKER DOMINION 11 1 8 10 216
11 MIKE FRAYSER DOMINION 11 3 6 10 202
12 JIM SNYDER NEW SMYRNA 10 3 6 7 198
13 ROB AUSTIN KINGSPORT 15 6 15 15 192
14 RICHARD ELLIS LANGLEY 9 1 4 8 190
15 JAY SWECKER, JR KINGSPORT 15 5 15 15 180
16 BILLY WALTERS, JR KINGSPORT 16 3 15 16 180
17 CJ CREECH NEW SMYRNA 8 0 7 7 180
18 JUSTIN SPEARS NEW SMYRNA 12 2 11 12 178
19 BRIAN GAYTON NEW SMYRNA 11 2 4 9 178
20 BLAINE SCHUMANN DOMINION 10 0 6 9 176

West

Pos. Driver Track Starts Wins Top fives Top 10s Points
1 TRAVIS PAVLACKY MERIDIAN 21 6 14 17 412
2 DALE BOLINGER MERIDIAN 29 1 15 25 338
3 JEREME WALL COLORADO 15 6 9 14 330
4 DON TRAFFORD MERIDIAN 12 1 9 10 290
5 JEFF MATUSKA MERIDIAN 14 1 10 12 276
6 CODY GARRETT MERIDIAN 15 0 4 12 274
7 JASON SANDERS MERIDIAN 12 2 6 9 270
8 CHRISTIAN MILLER EVERGREEN 11 1 8 9 258
9 PEYTON HOPP EVERGREEN 11 0 5 11 250
10 TRENT GILLESPIE EVERGREEN 11 3 7 8 248
11 MORGAN TRAMMEL MERIDIAN 18 2 5 10 244
12 CRAIG TAYLOR MERIDIAN 14 2 3 12 214
13 BOBBY FISHER EVERGREEN 9 1 6 8 212
14 THOMAS HARROD MERIDIAN 10 3 7 7 208
15 ZACH BRISTOL EVERGREEN 11 1 5 9 206
16 DAMON CLAIBOURN EVERGREEN 11 2 5 7 204
17 DAN MILLER EVERGREEN 12 0 3 8 204
18 RILEY ROGERS MERIDIAN 9 1 9 9 200
19 KEVIN MATUSKA MERIDIAN 13 0 3 11 200
20 GARY LUCK MERIDIAN 11 1 4 8 196
Posted on by Holly Cain

Some of the greatest names in the history of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series established their career racing out West on tracks like Sonoma Raceway in the California wine country.

And now the current stars of the series will have a chance to test their skills on the famed rolling road course with the addition of Sonoma Raceway to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule for 2022. The June 11 race date — along with the June 12 NASCAR Cup Series race — marks the return of truck racing to the iconic Californian track after a 24-year absence.

RELATED: Buy tickets now!

The series, the facility and the fans appear eager to toast Wednesday’s welcomed NASCAR scheduling news.

2021 June3 Jill Gregory 1 Image
Jeff Speer | Sonoma Raceway

“We knew just in talking to the fans about what they wanted to see out here, they were like, ‘We want the trucks back out in Sonoma,’ ” said Sonoma Raceway Executive Vice President and General Manager Jill Gregory. “The racing is going to be great. The origins of the series are here and I think you’re going to get a lot of serious, hardcore Truck Series fans out here and I think it’s going to be great racing because all the drivers that you have in that series today, some will have been here before, some not — so the excitement on the track is going to be amazing, too.’’

One of NASCAR’s all-time memorable drivers, Boris Said, was the last to win a Truck Series race at Sonoma back in 1998. NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. won the series’ inaugural race on the track in 1995. Dave Rezendes (1996) and Joe Ruttman (1997) are past winners, too.

Sonoma and other West Coast tracks, like Mesa Marin Raceway and Phoenix Raceway, were anchors of the series in its earliest days. The popularity of watching racers such as Hornaday, Ruttman, Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague competing on challenging courses like Sonoma helped make the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series popular with fans and establish itself as a national mainstay.

And now the masses of current-day NASCAR and Truck Series fans will have a chance to watch the best of the series compete there again.

RELATED: Portland, Lucas Oil join new slate of tracks

“The early days of the Truck Series were out here and fans supported that series really early on,” Gregory said. “The drivers, a lot of them, came from this area and there are just so many NASCAR fans in Northern California that bringing the Truck Series back, we’re already hearing from fans that they couldn’t be more thrilled.”

The addition of a second national race to the NASCAR-Sonoma weekend was something Gregory said she had pursued almost immediately after assuming leadership at the facility. And certainly, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation Ben Kennedy agreed with the vision. It made sense for fans, both Gregory and Kennedy said, but also for the race teams and corporate sponsors to expand the racing marquee at Sonoma.

“I think Sonoma is a great part of our country that we race in,” said Kennedy, who was a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series full-time driver and race winner before moving into his current role with the sanctioning body. “Obviously, a lot of corporate interests and opportunity to host (the trucks) out there. I think we have a ton of fans that come out to that race weekend. We felt like it was important for us to add additional content onto that weekend. … Having more of these experiences on some of these road courses and venues that the Trucks and Xfinity Series go to, really being the breadth of the future generation of NASCAR drivers, I think it gives them the ability to get a lot of experience at these tracks before they go Cup racing.

“A lot of factors certainly went into that final decision, but excited to be going out there with the Trucks. I think it will be a great part of the schedule.’’

Posted on by Staff Report

Talladega Superspeedway will host three NASCAR national series playoff races this weekend. See how drivers can lock into the next rounds of their respective series with the clinching scenarios below. 

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Just two races left for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs challengers in the Round of 12 to secure their spot in the Round of 8. Denny Hamlin, with his win last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, is the only driver locked into the next round, leaving seven spots still up for grabs as the series heads to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for the YellaWood 500 (Monday at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) the fifth race of the 2021 postseason.

Already Clinched

The following driver has clinched a spot in the eight-driver field of the next round: Denny Hamlin.

Can clinch via points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the seventh winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott or Joey Logano.

  • Kyle Larson: Would clinch with 54 points (55 points if Joey Logano wins).
  • Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano: Could only clinch with help this weekend.

If there is a new winner from Brad Keselowski or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the sixth winless driver in the standings.

  • Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano: Could only clinch with help this weekend.

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Kevin Harvick, Alex Bowman and Christopher Bell.

XFINITY SERIES

Just two races left in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 12 for the postseason contenders to lock up a spot in the Round of 8. With Josh Berry, a non-playoff driver, winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway all eight spots are still up for the taking as the series heads to Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday for the Sparks 300 (4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Already Clinched

No drivers have clinched a spot in the eight-driver field of the next round.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the eighth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley or Harrison Burton.

  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 51 points (needs 52 points if Justin Haley wins, needs 53 points if Harrison Burton wins).
  • AJ Allmendinger: Would clinch with 55 points (needs help if Justin Haley or Harrison Burton win).
  • Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley and Harrison Burton: Could only clinch with help.

If there is a new winner from Brandon Jones or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the seventh winless driver in the standings.

  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 55 points.
  • AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley and Harrison Burton: Could only clinch with help.

Can Clinch Via Win

All 12 Xfinity playoff drivers can clinch on their win alone this weekend at Talladega: Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley, Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones, Myatt Snider, Jeb Burton, Riley Herbst and Jeremy Clements.

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

Time is of the essence for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ eight-playoff challengers with just two races left to decide which four will advance to the next round and have a shot at the title. With Christian Eckes stealing the spotlight last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, none of the playoff drivers have secured a spot in the Championship 4 round. Saturday’s race — the Chevrolet Silverado 250 (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — is their next opportunity.

Already Clinched

No drivers have clinched a spot in the four-driver field of the next round.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the fourth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from Ben Rhodes, John Hunter Nemechek or Stewart Friesen.

  • Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help.
  • John Hunter Nemechek: Could only clinch with help.
  • Stewart Friesen: Could only clinch with help.

If there is a new winner from Matt Crafton or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the third winless driver in the standings.

  • Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help.
  • John Hunter Nemechek: Could only clinch with help.

Can Clinch Via Win

All eight drivers can clinch on their win alone this weekend: Ben Rhodes, John Hunter Nemechek, Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton, Sheldon Creed, Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith and Chandler Smith. 

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will return to JTG Daugherty Racing in the No. 47 Chevrolet for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, the driver confirmed Thursday. The two parties agreed on a one-year contract.

RELATED: Silly Season tracker for 2022 | Keep up with 2021-22 Silly Season movement

The 2022 slate will mark Stenhouse’s third go-around with JTG Daugherty, having joined before the 2020 schedule. Stenhouse had three top-five and four top-10 finishes in his first year with the team. He has had one top five and two top 10s this season, with six races still remaining.

“I’m just looking forward to a third season with the team,” Stenhouse said on a Zoom teleconference. “I felt like this year was kind of like the first year with the organization with the way last year went and the way it was kind of thrown on us, not being able to hang out with the guys, be at the shop and really spend time with each. Now I’m really enjoying (it).”

Stenhouse used to race for Roush Fenway Racing, beginning his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career there in 2013. He won twice in the No. 17 Ford, both times in 2017 — at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway.

In addition to his personal news, Stenhouse also confirmed JTG Daugherty will field only one car in 2022 rather than its usual two. The No. 37 Chevrolet’s run will end when this season concludes, which leaves Ryan Preece without a ride for next year.

This will mark the first time in Stenhouse’s career he will race without a teammate. 

“I definitely think it could be a negative on one hand and a positive on the other,” Stenhouse said. “When you’re practicing and testing and can have more ideas and run different things through both cars, it definitely speeds the process up. But we would also have to share the seat when it comes to testing. I feel like what I look for in a race car and what somebody else looks for in a race car and the way they drive is sometimes totally different. So, I feel like we’re going to be able to build the car around me.”

RELATED: See the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro

That car Stenhouse referenced is the brand-new Next Gen car, which is set to make its competitive debut in 2022. Its first exhibition race will be The Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 6. The first points-paying race will come with the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.

NASCAR has planned three organizational tests — two at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oct. 11-12 on the Roval; Nov. 17-18 on the oval) and one at Phoenix Raceway (Dec. 7-8). While other teams will have to rotate drivers, Stenhouse will be JTG Daugherty’s sole pilot. He sees that extra seat time as an advantage. 

“I think next year could be our best year yet,” Stenhouse said, “even my best year in Cup in general.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Cynthia
Current City: Chicago, Illinois  
Member Since: 2008

Getting to KNOW CYNTHIA:
​
Q: ​How did you first become interested in NASCAR? 

“I became a NASCAR fan after watching a few races on TV in the late 90s. It was very exciting, and I wanted to learn more about the drivers and their teams. The more I watched, the more interesting the races became. Then I wanted to understand the strategies in place during the races (when to pit, how many tires, when to get fuel, etc.). I have been hooked ever since!”

Q: What is your favorite part about NASCAR?

‘I love the pure excitement and energy of the racing. The roar of the engines, the smell of the tires and fuel. There is no other sport that provides the level of excitement as much as when you attend a race in person!”

Q: What is your favorite NASCAR memory?

“Meeting Richard “The King” Petty in person and shaking his hand!”

Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?

Current Driver: “Kyle Busch.”

Past Driver: “Bobby Labonte.”

Up and Coming Driver: “Bubba Wallace.”

Team: “Joe Gibbs Racing.”

Track: “Chicagoland Speedway.”

Sponsor: “Coke, because of their driver promotion program.”

Q: What do you like to do in your free time? 

“Watch NASCAR racing, play golf, and do some gardening.”

FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK CYNTHIA FOR HER CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HER IN 2021! Look for Cynthia on the Official NASCAR Fan Council page on NASCAR.COM.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

If Talladega Superspeedway is considered a wild-card track, then Ford has figured out how to tame the 2.66-mile beast in recent years.

The blue-oval manufacturer has won 10 of the last 12 and 12 of the last 17 NASCAR Cup Series races in Alabama. That includes a streak of seven victories in a row from 2015-18 – remember, there are two stops per season.

Chevrolet, meanwhile, has won once in the last five events and three times in the last 16. Toyota won the fall race last year but otherwise hasn’t since the spring of 2014.

A little reading between the lines will infer Ford is the defending Talladega winner, having won there earlier this year. The Cup Series’ second visit is Sunday with the NASCAR Playoffs’ second race in the Round of 12 (2 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

TALLADEGA: Weekend schedule | Betting odds | Paint schemes

Here’s a look at Talladega outcomes since fall 2012 – stopped then since Dodge was the previous winner and is no longer active in NASCAR.

Screen Shot 2021 09 29 At 6.22.59 Pm

Nine current drivers have prior wins at Talladega. Of those, seven are still in the hunt for the 2021 title. Brad Keselowski (Ford) leads the way with six wins, including the spring 2021 event. Joey Logano (Ford) has claimed three. Denny Hamlin (Toyota; defending playoff race winner) and Ryan Blaney (Ford) both own two. Kyle Busch (Toyota), Chase Elliott (Chevrolet) and Kevin Harvick (Ford) have one apiece.

The four Ford drivers who double as former Talladega winners pilot the only Fords in the Round of 12.

All of the playoff Fords are set to line up within the top 10 Sunday — Blaney fourth, Keselowski seventh, Logano eighth and Harvick ninth — and 11 of the last 14 Talladega races were won from a top-10 starting position.

And yet, despite all of these Ford-focused facts, BetMGM has the Toyota of Denny Hamlin favored to win the YellaWood 500, listed at 8-1 odds. In BetMGM’s defense, Hamlin did win the Talladega playoff race last year and won last weekend’s playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — his second through four playoff races. He seems to be hitting his stride after not a single win in the regular season.

Logano was given the second-best mark, 9-1, as the highest favored Ford wheelman. Elliott and Blaney are then tied for third at 10-1. That leaves two Fords, two non-Fords with the top-three best odds.

Keselowski is 12-1 and Harvick (who is still winless this season) is 14-1 — just to check in on all the playoff Ford entries. They’re within the top five best odds, among others.

Other facts worth noting:

— Ford has actually won all superspeedway races this year, too. Can’t forget about Talladega’s superspeedway sister track, Daytona International Speedway, which bookends the regular season. Michael McDowell won the opener, and Ryan Blaney won the finale.

— Overall, Ford doesn’t hold the most Talladega wins out of the three active manufacturers. It has 31, with the first via Buddy Baker on May 4, 1975. Chevrolet boasts 41 victories; its breakthrough coming from Darrell Waltrip on May 1, 1977. Toyota tallies four since Kyle Busch on April 27, 2008.

— Of the 30 races so far this 2021 season, Ford has won seven. Ryan Blaney (playoffs) has three wins. Joey Logano (playoffs), Brad Keselowski (playoffs), Aric Almirola and Michael McDowell each have one. Chevrolet tops all with 14 victories. Toyota has nine.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Joey Logano has run afoul of both Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick during the course of his NASCAR career — his long-ago clash with Harvick dating back to Pocono Raceway in 2010 and a flare-up with Elliott unfolding just last year at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Given his experience, Logano could be considered a leading authority on the recent squabble between Elliott and Harvick, even if the Team Penske driver insists he’s remaining neutral in terms of picking a side.

“As far as the whole Chase and Harvick thing, I am not a horse in this race,” Logano said in a Wednesday media availability. “So I can be out of that one. I can see both sides of the story, though. If there’s one thing I think we all can probably agree on watching it back is that I’d be mad on either side of it.”

The lingering Elliott-Harvick animosity still hangs over the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, which enters its next phase with Monday’s YellaWood 500 (1 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway. Logano is a three-time winner there, and the Team Penske organization has won three of the last four Talladega races.

RELATED: Talladega weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

Elliott and Harvick each have one win there, too, but their on-track confrontation and pit-road standoff at the Round of 16 finale remains a sticking point without a tidy resolution. If anything, the remarks that each driver shared in a pre-race media session last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway only stoked the flames, with Harvick comparing his discussion with Elliott to trying to reason with his 9-year-old son, Keelan.

Logano said he’s seen the potential repercussions from letting unsettled scores fester, especially in the playoffs. His confrontation with Matt Kenseth in the 2015 postseason is testament to those implications, and he was on the receiving end of Kenseth’s retaliation at a key moment at Martinsville Speedway that year. Asked for his thoughts if he were in Elliott’s position, Logano shot straight.

“I’d be nervous. I’d be maybe a little nervous about the situation, you know, depending on who goes on to the next round or not,” Logano said. “It could really affect how things go. I feel like I’ve learned a lot of lessons in this sport. Some have cost me a lot. That might be one that really cost me a lot. So, you know, they get smarter every year, but you know I think we all handle things differently after going through things in the past.

“I was surprised, I’ll tell you that much, I was surprised hearing the comments. I thought they were humorous, though — pretty entertaining for us.”

Neither of the two antagonists seemed so amused one week after their Bristol brooding, and if there’s an advantage when it comes to playing head games, the experience edge goes to Harvick. Logano says he’s seen it first-hand.

“Games are played every day, I believe so,” Logano said. “I believe when you’re out there racing for a win, it’s a battle from every standpoint, whether it’s on track or off track, I believe sometimes it’s a battle. And that ratchets up. Kevin has been known to be that guy at times. I think how many times he’s made little comments to me, you know, and that seems to ratchet up as the intensity picks up. I feel like he may think it’s a tool in his box that he can use, and you know, it may be successful for him. It’s probably why he does it, maybe he finds it works. Maybe he finds it works for him as much as hurting somebody else. I can’t answer those questions.”

Posted on by Marcus DiNitto

The simplest of betting strategies would be resulting in a tidy profit this NASCAR season.

Had you bet $100 on the favorite in every Cup race so far, including the All-Star event, you’d be up $455, a return on investment of 14.67%.

It would have taken some fortitude to get there, of course. You would have been down $700 after the first seven races and -$850 after 13, and you wouldn’t have been in plus-money territory until Kyle Larson cashed at 4-1 odds in the All-Star Race. Then, you would have fallen back into the red after the Firekeepers 400 at Michigan International Speedway last month, emerging back into profitability with Martin Truex Jr.’s win at Richmond Raceway.

RELATED: NASCAR BetCenter | Odds for Sunday’s race at Talladega

These types of ebbs and flows are what gambling is all about – some have the stomach for it and enjoy the “sweat,” others not so much.

A bettor following this strategy would have cashed tickets in eight of the 31 races, and only three drivers have delivered as the favorite this season – Larson (four times) and then Chase Elliott and Truex (twice each).

Here’s the season-long tally of this bet-the-favorite strategy. Odds reflect opening prices posted at SuperBook USA in Las Vegas.

Race Favorite Odds W/L Tally Winner Winner’s odds
Daytona Hamlin +800 -100 -100 McDowell +8000
Daytona Road Elliott +200 -100 -200 Bell +8000
Miami Hamlin/Elliott +500 -100 -300 Byron +3000
Las Vegas Harvick +500 -100 -400 Larson +1000
Phoenix Keselowski/Elliott/Harvick +500 -100 -500 Truex +800
Atlanta Truex/Larson/Hamlin +500 -100 -600 Blaney +1800
Bristol dirt Larson +200 -100 -700 Logano +3000
Martinsville Truex +350 350 -350 Truex +350
Richmond Truex/Hamlin +450 -100 -450 Bowman +2000
Talladega Hamlin +1000 -100 -550 Keselowski +1400
Kansas Larson/Hamlin/Truex +500 -100 -650 Kyle Busch +1000
Darlington Larson +350 -100 -750 Truex +600
Dover Truex +350 -100 -850 Bowman +2000
Austin Elliott +180 180 -670 Elliott +180
Charlotte Larson +500 500 -170 Larson +500
Sonoma Elliott +225 -100 -270 Larson +700
All-Star at Texas Larson +400 400 130 Larson +400
Nashville Larson +250 250 380 Larson +250
Pocono Larson +225 -100 280 Bowman +1000
Pocono-2 Larson +225 -100 180 Kyle Busch +450
Road America Elliott +225 225 405 Elliott +225
Atlanta-2 Larson +175 -100 305 Kurt Busch +5000
Loudon Truex/Hamlin +450 -100 205 Almirola +10000
Watkins Glen Elliott +200 -100 105 Larson +450
Indianapolis Road Elliott +175 -100 5 Allmendinger +2500
Michigan Larson +250 -100 -95 Blaney +1800
Daytona-2 Hamlin +800 -100 -195 Blaney +1200
Darlington-2 Larson +250 -100 -295 Hamlin +600
Richmond-2 Truex +450 450 155 Truex +450
Bristol Larson +400 400 555 Larson +400
Las Vegas-2 Larson +300 -100 455 Hamlin +700

Moral of the story

So betting on NASCAR is pretty easy, huh? Just bet the favorite every race, and with some patience and guts, turn a nice profit over the long run?

Not quite.

Three-quarters of a season is far too small a sample size to come to that conclusion, and if we were able to look back at an extended period of time (maybe we will someday), we’d likely see different results.

From our perspective, the most important takeaway from this analysis is that Cup races play out close to form.

Sure, there have been a few drivers who have cashed big tickets as long shots this year – and if you were on Michael McDowell to win the Daytona 500, Aric Almirola in Loudon or even Kurt Busch in Atlanta, congratulations on those picks. But only four of the 31 races have been won by a driver not from either the Hendrick, Gibbs or Penske teams, so a swing-for-the-fences betting strategy is probably misguided.

Other takeaways and notes

Here are some other thoughts as we look back upon the season-long tally ….

  • Betting the favorite in every race would be paying off well; betting Larson every time out would be even better. His seven wins would have resulted in $3,700 in cashed tickets on $100 wagers, against $2,400 in losses, for a season-long win of $1,300. The bulk of that profit, however, would have come from his win at 10-1 odds at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the spring, before the market caught up to his dominance. Jumping on that train now, when he’s priced short in every race, is not advised.

Pro NASCAR bettor Zack White said in a text: “I think the +300s you’re seeing on him now are too short to be long-term profitable at this point. A lot of these playoff teams are saving their best for last, and I expect to see some real competitive racing down the stretch. Larson is still the favorite for sure. …. I’m just going to need to a better price to bet on him.”

  • While both of Elliott’s wins this season have come on road courses, he has underperformed against market expectations on these layouts, as he has been the favorite in all six such races. Keep this in mind before rushing to the window to bet the No. 9 at 2-1 odds at the Bank of America ROVAL in Charlotte, North Carolina, next week.
  • There are long shots, and then there are long shots. The McDowells, Kurt Busches and Almirolas of the world aren’t exactly on the same plane as drivers like Alex Bowman and Ryan Blaney, each of whom has won three races priced in double-digits odds. If you’re looking for a larger payoff, focus on the drivers from the Big Three garages.
  • Several races saw multiple drivers open as co-favorites at the SuperBook. Fortunately for this analysis, none of those guys won these races. We made the assumption here that a bettor following the bet-the-favorite strategy would have made a $100 wager on just one co-favorite per race.

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on by Staff Report

Team Penske announced its lineup of driver-crew chief pairings for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series on Wednesday, introducing two new combinations for the three-car effort.

• No. 2 Ford: crew chief Jeremy Bullins with driver Austin Cindric
• No. 12 Ford: crew chief Jonathan Hassler with driver Ryan Blaney
• No. 22 Ford: crew chief Paul Wolfe with driver Joey Logano

RELATED: 2021-22 Silly Season Tracker

Hassler will move over from the Wood Brothers Racing affiliate to work with Blaney, replacing veteran Todd Gordon, who is hanging up his headset at the end of the season. Hassler became crew chief for the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 Ford in June, teaming up with driver Matt DiBenedetto. A representative for Team Penske said that the Wood Brothers would announce a replacement for Hassler in the near future.

Bullins will remain with Roger Penske’s No. 2 Ford group, but will work with incoming driver Austin Cindric next season. Cindric, the defending Xfinity Series champ, is set to replace Brad Keselowski and challenge for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.

The Logano-Wolfe pairing remains intact for the third consecutive season. Wolfe is the longest-serving Cup Series crew chief on Team Penske’s roster, currently in his 11th season with the organization.