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.

Between the Chase Elliott vs. Kevin Harvick drama and the Next Gen car testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway this week, Kyle Larson’s win at the Roval and massive points advantage in NASCAR’s Round of 8 playoffs seems to be flying under the radar.

With the win, Larson now sits a commanding 42 points above the playoff cutoff line.

To put that in perspective, Denny Hamlin, who currently ranks second in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings, is just seven points above the cutoff.

RELATED: Cup Series playoff standings

Interestingly, oddsmakers have put these two drivers against one another in matchup markets for Sunday’s NASCAR Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC) at Texas Motor Speedway, with Larson at -157 and Hamlin +120 at Barstool Sportsbook.

NASCAR at Texas Betting Pick

Larson is favored in this matchup, which isn’t all that surprising, but these two have been much more evenly matched than the odds imply.

The tire combination that teams will win on Sunday has been used three other times this season: twice at Las Vegas and once at Michigan.

Over those three races, Larson leads all NASCAR Cup Series drivers in driver rating, with the most laps led and most fast laps run as well.

However, Hamlin is right on his heels, ranking second in each of those categories.

In fact, Hamlin has the best average finish over those three races, including a win at Las Vegas in September, the most recent of those events.

In general, I like Larson a bit more than I do Hamlin for Sunday’s race at Texas, but not enough to justify his price in this instance.

At the time of writing, BetMGM is offering Hamlin at +130, the best number I’ve found across the market and one I very much like.

The Bet: Hamlin (+130) over Larson

Posted on by Staff Report

Earlier this month, NASCAR launched its first racing-themed activity on MyFuture, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s digital engagement platform for club youth. Before beginning the activity, members are invited to learn about the different elements of race track design through an informational video hosted by Mamba Smith (see below). These include the various track types, surfaces and degrees of banking.

Boys & Girls Club kids are then tasked with sketching out their own track designs and can use digital design tools such as TinkerCad or AutoDraw. Once complete, members can upload their designs to MyFuture and share with others on the platform.

See below a sampling of initial submissions.

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NASCAR is planning to launch its first full badge of digital experiences and activities on MyFuture leading into the 2022 race season.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America was announced as the Official Youth Community Partner of NASCAR this past April, and last week the non-profit was presented with the Institution Award at the 2021 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards in Charlotte.

 

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced Friday a multi-year extension of its partnership with the world’s largest medical transportation provider, Global Medical Response. GMR, the parent company of American Medical Response, will continue to provide medical support and enhance NASCAR’s on-track incident response with its AMR safety team.

“The safety of our competitors is paramount and through our collaboration with AMR, we’ve been able to develop a leading safety model that’s enabled us to strengthen our at-track safety teams and incident response,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “We look forward to our continued partnership with AMR as we find new ways to set the standard for safety in motorsports.”

The Official Emergency Medical Services Partner of NASCAR since 2017, AMR provides a doctor and paramedic to the on-track safety team for each NASCAR Cup Series weekend, further strengthening NASCAR’s medical response capability. The AMR team, along with NASCAR Track Services team members, provide immediate response, assessment, and care to on-track incidents using a chase vehicle. Following the success of the enhanced safety model developed in NASCAR, GMR and AMR have gone on to apply the same approach throughout motorsports, extending services to the International Motor Sports Association, IndyCar and Superstar Racing Experience.

AMR will also continue to provide a physician to serve as the national medical director for the AMR Safety Team. The medical director is responsible for oversight of all care provided by AMR and works directly with the NASCAR team of physicians and medical liaisons.

“We are honored to continue to serve as the Official Emergency Medical Services Partner of NASCAR,” said Ted Van Horne, GMR’s chief operating officer. “Our dedicated team members are extensively trained in motorsports safety and on-track response, and we have a demonstrated record of success in working with the outstanding Track Services and medical teams at NASCAR. We look forward to continuing to share best-practices and providing the highest-quality care to the NASCAR organization.”

AMR is the largest provider of emergency medical transportation services in the U.S. and a leader in pre-hospital care and treatment.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

The 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs continue Saturday, as four races remain in the seven-race battle for the championship.

Last weekend, the Round of 12 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval – concluded, and the four contenders eliminated were Jeb Burton, Myatt Snider, Jeremy Clements and Riley Herbst.

Up next is the Round of 8, which includes Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. Afterward, the Championship 4 will be set and head to Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 6 in a straight-up race for the ultimate trophy.

Here are the eight drivers (and how they advanced) still vying for the title, in order of their seeding: AJ Allmendinger (win), Austin Cindric (points), Justin Allgaier (points), Noah Gragson (points), Daniel Hemric (points), Justin Haley (points), Harrison Burton (points) and Brandon Jones (points).

RELATED: Hub page for NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs

Now, a Round of 8 track-by-track breakdown:

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

(📅 Saturday | ⏰ 3 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Length: 1.5 miles
Distance: 200 laps, 300 miles
Previous winner: Kyle Busch (June 12, 2021)

NASCAR Cup Series regular Kyle Busch led a race-high 94 of the 171 laps to steal the checkered flag from any NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor. Seven of the top-10 finishers, however, were current playoff drivers – Justin Allgaier (second), Austin Cindric (third), Daniel Hemric (fourth), Brandon Jones (fifth), AJ Allmendinger (sixth), Noah Gragson (seventh) and Justin Haley (ninth). Harrison Burton, meanwhile, was back in 30th after crashing out early.

Allgaier tops all postseason contenders in career starts and top 10s at Texas. Cindric and Burton are the only ones with wins, though. Cindric then pulls through with the most top-five finishes and the best average finish, too.

Screen Shot 2021 10 14 At 12.59.20 Pm

KANSAS SPEEDWAY

(📅 Oct. 23 | ⏰ 3 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Length: 1.5 miles
Distance: 200 laps, 300 miles
Previous winner: Chase Briscoe (Oct. 17, 2020)

Now a regular in the NASCAR Cup Series, Chase Briscoe won the Kansas playoff race last season to qualify for the Championship 4. There were four current title-eligible drivers in the top 10 – Daniel Hemric (second), Justin Haley (fourth), Brandon Jones (ninth) and Justin Allgaier (10th). Haley, Jones and Allgaier were active in the 2020 playoffs at the time, too.

Allgaier once again has notched the most career starts at Kansas out of the postseason field. He also carries the most top fives and 10s, but no wins. Jones is the only driver with Kansas victories to his name. Haley then has the best average finish.

Screen Shot 2021 10 14 At 12.59.28 Pm

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

(📅 Oct. 30 | ⏰ 6 p.m. ET | 📺 NBCSN | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Location: Martinsville, Virginia
Length: 0.526 miles
Distance: 250 laps, 131.5 miles
Previous winner: Josh Berry (April 11, 2021)

Part-timer Josh Berry won the Martinsville event earlier this year, leading a race-best 95 of the 250 laps. Seven of the title options fell in the top 10 — Noah Gragson (second), Daniel Hemric (third), Brandon Jones (fifth), Austin Cindric (sixth), Harrison Burton (seventh), Justin Haley (eighth) and Justin Allgaier (ninth). The only driver outside that group was AJ Allmendinger, but he was just in 13th.

Everyone besides Hemric owns two starts at Martinsville; he has just one. Burton is the sole winner and matches Allgaier, Gragson and Jones in most top 10s. Gragson is the only driver to score a top five in both his starts, and he also has the best average finish.

Screen Shot 2021 10 14 At 2.35.12 Pm

Posted on by Terrin Waack

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continue Sunday, as four races remain in the 10-race battle for the championship.

RELATED: Cup Series point standings

Last weekend, the Round of 12 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval – concluded, and the four contenders eliminated were Kevin Harvick, Christopher Bell, William Byron and Alex Bowman.

Up next is the Round of 8, which includes Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. The Championship 4 will then finally be determined and compete at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 7 in a straight-up race for the iconic Bill France Cup trophy.

Here are the eight drivers (and how they advanced) still vying for the title, in order of their seeding: Kyle Larson (win), Denny Hamlin (win), Martin Truex Jr. (points), Ryan Blaney (points), Kyle Busch (points), Chase Elliott (points), Joey Logano (points) and Brad Keselowski (points).

RELATED: Cup Series playoffs hub page

Now, a Round of 8 track-by-track breakdown:

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

(📅 Sunday | ⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Name: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Length: 1.5 miles
Distance: 334 laps, 501 miles
Previous winner: Kyle Busch (Oct. 28, 2020)

RELATED: Texas race results

Kyle Busch, who is still in the running for the 2021 championship, won last season’s playoff race at Texas, leading a race-high 90 of the 334 laps. Along with Busch, there were five other current title contenders in the top 10 – Martin Truex Jr. (second), Ryan Blaney (fourth), Brad Keselowski (sixth), Denny Hamlin (ninth) and Joey Logano (10th).

Truex has competed in the most races at Texas but by only one. Busch carries the best marks in wins, top fives, top 10s and average finish, only being equaled by Truex in top 10s.

Screen Shot 2021 10 14 At 2.53.44 Pm

KANSAS SPEEDWAY

(📅 Oct. 24 | ⏰ 3 p.m. ET | 📺 NBCSN | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Name: Hollywood Casino 400
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Length: 1.5 miles
Distance: 267 laps, 400.5 miles
Previous winner: Kyle Busch (May 2, 2021)

RELATED: Kansas race results

Kyle Busch won the regular-season race at Kansas earlier this year after holding the No. 1 spot just 20 of the 267 laps. In addition to Busch, three other playoff drivers fell in the top-10 finishing order – Brad Keselowski (third), Chase Elliott (fifth) and Martin Truex Jr. (sixth). All of them led laps. Kyle Larson finished 19th but led a race-best 132 laps.

Busch has the most experience at Kansas, but not by much whatsoever. Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano are tied for the highest win total, while Truex and Busch match for the best top-five and top-10 count. Keselowski also matches them in top 10s. Elliott, meanwhile, sneaks in with the strongest average finish.

Screen Shot 2021 10 14 At 2.53.33 Pm

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

(📅 Oct. 31 | ⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Name: Xfinity 500
Location: Martinsville, Virginia
Length: 0.526 miles
Distance: 500 laps, 263 miles
Previous winner: Martin Truex Jr. (April 11, 2021)

RELATED: Martinsville race results

Martin Truex Jr. pulled through in the regular-season event at Martinsville with 16 of his 20 laps led overall closing out the race. He was one of six title-eligible drivers to finish in the top 10 – Chase Elliott (second), Denny Hamlin (third), Kyle Larson (fifth), Joey Logano (sixth) and Kyle Busch (10th). Hamlin was out front for a race-best 276 of the 500 laps.

Busch once again has the highest start tally at Martinsville, but not by much. He also has the best top-five mark, but Hamlin matches Busch there en route to sweeping wins, top 10s and average finish.

Screen Shot 2021 10 14 At 2.53.22 Pm

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Only eight drivers head into Texas Motor Speedway with their 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship hopes still alive.

Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the stakes entering the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 to kick off the Round of 8 on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App/Peacock, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Texas weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

EYES FORWARD

Thanks to his series-high seventh win one week ago at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Kyle Larson will start on the pole Sunday alongside championship rival Denny Hamlin. Behind them will be Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. For the full starting lineup, click here.

SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE

In a shift from recent races at Texas Motor Speedway, Speedway Motorsports will prepare the track with resin in each set of corners opposed to the previously-used PJ1 traction compound. NASCAR officials believe the resin cooperates better with both the racing surface and the cars to provide an additional groove on track without needing to heat the compound as necessary with PJ1.

TEXAS HISTORY

— Texas Motor Speedway hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series race in April 1997, the product of a project that began in August 1995 on a 1,500-acre property.

— In the track’s initial configuration, the turns had variable banking of 8º on the bottom and 24º on the top. That created difficulty for the drivers and vehicles on corner exit, necessitating a change to a constant 24º banking following the track’s first two NASCAR weekends.

— Water drainage plagued Texas Motor Speedway early on as the track suffered notable “weeping” issues in 1998. New, large systems were introduced that year, but the track was quickly repaved in 2001 with a granite-based asphalt which was designed to dry quickly.

— TMS’ backstretch boasts “Big Hoss,” the largest video screen in the state of Texas and second-biggest in the United States and features a staggering 20,633.64 square feet of HD display – nearly a half-acre – with dimensions of 218 feet wide and 94.6 feet tall.

— The track was reconfigured and completely repaved once again in 2017, the product of continued weeper and track-drying issues that plagued Texas’ NASCAR and IndyCar events in 2016. While Speedway Motorsports added an extensive French drainage system to assist in water removal, the company also altered Turns 1 and 2, decreasing banking to 20º and widening the track from 60 feet to 80 feet.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

While Texas Motor Speedway’s repave took place four years ago, its surface still doesn’t wear tires aggressively. That means Goodyear brings a tire to Texas meant for similar, low-wear tracks like Michigan International Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where teams used this tire compound just three weeks ago.

“Texas has begun to age a little bit, but it is still grouped in with some of the more ‘low-wear’ tracks that NASCAR goes to,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “We were able to make a compound change to the right-side tire here last fall to give the cars more grip. We have seen some good results from this tire set-up since then, having run it at Texas, Michigan and Las Vegas already this season. We want tires to wear at Texas because of the speeds these cars are running. Speed generates heat, and as this tire wears, it runs a little cooler and performs well over a long run.”

Teams will also use this same right-side tire next weekend at Kansas Speedway.

RULES PACKAGE

NASCAR Cup Series cars will be outfitted with the 550-horsepower, high-downforce package this weekend, which features taller spoilers and longer front splitters in an effort to create closer side-by-side racing at ovals larger than 1.4 miles in length.

STORYLINES IN THE LONE STAR STATE

— The eight drivers still fighting for the 2021 Cup Series championship are Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski.

— Denny Hamlin has won each of the two opening-round races so far in this year’s Playoffs (Round of 16 – Darlington; Round of 12 – Las Vegas) and is the only driver with top 10s in each of the six Playoff races so far this season.

— Ford is winless in the last nine Playoff races.

— All eight drivers in the Round of 8 have a win on at least one of the three tracks in the round (Texas, Kansas, Martinsville).

— Kevin Harvick won at least one Playoff race each of the last nine seasons (2012-2020), the longest active streak. The longest streak all-time is 13 seasons by Jimmie Johnson.

— This is the first time in the elimination format that Kevin Harvick has not made the Round of 8.

— Kyle Larson won the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year, the only Cup event held at Texas prior to this weekend’s race.

— Kyle Larson’s seven victories this season are more than his career total entering 2021.

— Two of Kyle Busch’s three most recent wins came on tracks in this round (Texas 2020, Kansas 2021).

— In seven events at 1.5-mile tracks this year, Kyle Larson is the only multi-race winner (Las Vegas 1, Charlotte Oval). The other winners are William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.

— Kyle Busch holds the best average finish at mile-and-a-half tracks this season at 3.86. Teammate Denny Hamlin holds the second-bet at 7.43.

— Hendrick Motorsports has dominated the laps-led categories on mile-and-a-half facilities in 2021 with 1,153 laps out front. Joe Gibbs Racing is second with 384 laps led.

Source: Racing Insights

BIG BETS IN FRONT OF BIG HOSS

Kyle Larson is the odds-on favorite to win at Texas Motor Speedway, with BetMGM listing the No. 1 Playoff seed at 11-4 (+275) odds. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has yet to win a points race at Texas but was victorious in the spring All-Star Race.

Behind him sit Denny Hamlin at 6-1, Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch at 7-1 and Martin Truex Jr. at 15-2 (+750).

RELATED: BetMGM’s odds for Texas Playoff race

Kyle Busch appears to be the safest bet as his worst finish on the last six 1.5-mile tracks this season is fifth in addition to winning this race a year ago. Busch, the lone multi-time champion of the current field, also has four straight top 10s at Texas.

Hamlin, meanwhile, has finished 20th or worse in four of the last six Texas races and netted points in just two of the last 10 Texas stages.

An interesting sleeper pick might be the No. 3 of Austin Dillon at 50-1 odds. A winner at Texas in July 2020, Dillon has finished 13th or better in each of his last nine mile-and-a-half starts. He’s also finished 14th or better in each of his last five Texas races.

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out the playoff version of NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now and offers a fresh start for those of you who played the regular-season contest. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts, and there is a $10,000 prize for the winner.

The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (1,288) Kyle Larson (1,254), and Chase Elliott (1,065).

This year, NASCAR.com also has the Playoffs Grid Challenge game, presented by Ruoff Mortgage, where you can pick the winners for each round of the playoffs right up through the Championship 4. First prize is $10,000.

How to play: Playoffs Grid Challenge | Playoff Fantasy Live

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.

New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

And finally, head over to the NASCAR Mobile App for AR Racing presented by Mobil 1, where you can design your own car and race the playoff drivers at the playoff tracks in augmented reality.

Posted on by Team Release

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – As one of the longest-running sponsorships in professional sports, Interstate Batteries will continue its ongoing partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing in a multiyear renewal agreement.

Under the new agreement, Interstate Batteries will continue to serve as the official battery of Joe Gibbs Racing and as the primary sponsor on the NASCAR Cup Series No. 18 Toyota Camry driven by Kyle Busch for six races while adding support for a third generation of the Gibbs’ family, sponsoring three races with Ty Gibbs in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

RELATED: All of Joe Gibbs Racing’s wins by driver

The extension highlights the successful partnership between Interstate Batteries and JGR as the companies continue to celebrate their 30th anniversary together.

“Norm and Tommy (Miller) really took a chance on us because we literally had nothing when we first went to see them. No race shop. No driver. No crew chief. It was just a dream on a sheet of paper,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “To have a successful partnership for more than three decades it first has to work for business, and I love that part of it. You have to prove value for your partners. But it is the relationships built over time that makes this so special. From Norm and Tommy to the leadership now of Scott (Miller), as well as Lain (Hancock) running operations. Of course, on our end, it’s been J.D. (Gibbs), and now it’s Coy (Gibbs), and of course we have the grandkids coming. When you reflect on all that has happened over the years and everyone that has been involved, I really think God had a role in bringing us together.”

Interstate Batteries has been a part of nearly every major moment in JGR history, including the organization’s first win when driver Dale Jarrett won the Daytona 500 in 1993. Interstate Batteries was the primary sponsor on the No. 18 in 2000 when Bobby Labonte captured the organization’s first NASCAR Cup Series championship and continued to play a key role when Busch won JGR’s most recent championships in 2015 and 2019.

Together, Interstate Batteries and Joe Gibbs Racing have visited Victory Lane 32 total times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including twice with Jarrett (a Hall of Fame driver), 21 times with Bobby Labonte and nine times with Busch (current driver). In addition, Interstate Batteries and JGR have combined to win three NASCAR Xfinity Series races.

“We could not be more excited to continue our 30-plus year relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Norm Miller, chairman and owner of Interstate Batteries. “They have consistently been great partners in the battery business and ministry, so it just makes sense for us to all continue together. We are also hoping Kyle Busch and the No.18 Interstate Batteries/M&M’s team can win another NASCAR Cup championship in a few weeks!”

Said Interstate Batteries chief operating officer Lain Hancock: “The 30 years we’ve spent with JGR as a sponsor on the No.18 in the NASCAR Cup Series has helped establish trust, awareness and credibility for the Interstate Batteries brand with the pros who install our batteries. As we approach our 70th year in business, we are excited to partner with Coach Gibbs and Joe Gibbs Racing to write more history together in NASCAR and the automotive aftermarket.”

Posted on by NASCAR Official Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 14, 2021) – The NASCAR Foundation announced today its four finalists for the 11th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Each volunteer represents a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids in different racing communities across our nation. The announcement was made on Fox Sports NASCAR Race Hub ahead of the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (Sunday, Oct. 17 on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman Betty Jane France, recognizes NASCAR fans who volunteer for children’s causes in their racing communities. Each finalist receives a minimum $25,000 donation for their organization with the overall winner receiving a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to further their efforts.

RELATED: Learn more about The NASCAR Foundation

The 11th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalists include:

  • Erin Collins of Dallas, Texas, a volunteer with the Dallas Hearing Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers medical and surgical treatment, hearing technologies, speech and hearing rehabilitation and education support to those in financial need. For the past 12 years, Erin has dedicated her time to serve kids living with hearing loss, initially volunteering in a fundraising capacity for the organization and eventually creating a youth program to provide a safe space where the kids can be surrounded by peers also living with hearing loss.
  • Jaeleen Davis of Midland, Michigan, a volunteer with Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, a non-profit organization that provides wigs and support services to children ages 3 to 18 throughout the state of Michigan. Jaeleen has volunteered for 13 years with the organization, raising awareness and funds through her Miss America platform, which has also allowed her to introduce bills in Michigan and Ohio to get insurance companies to cover the cost of children’s wigs.
  • Jeff Harmon of Louisville, Kentucky, a volunteer with Down Syndrome of Louisville, an organization that supports, educates, and advocates for individuals with down syndrome, enabling them to reach their full potential. Having served in both coaching and fundraising roles over the last 18 years, Jeff’s passion and dedication for volunteering has touched hundreds of kids, families and the communities that they’re a part of.
  • Beverly Hodsdon of Exeter, New Hampshire, a volunteer with Richie McFarland Children’s Center, an early childhood program that helps young children reach their full developmental potential while supporting their families throughout the process. Beverly has been a pillar of the organization for 17 years, devoting her time to help in different capacities as a board member, creating fundraising events, bringing the largest donor of the organization, and providing graphic design and marketing services.

“This year’s finalists exemplify the values of Betty Jane France and honor her legacy. Each one of them is working to improve the lives of children while incorporating the excitement for our sport,” said Mike Helton, The NASCAR Foundation Chairman. “The fans will have a tough decision choosing one winner. All four of them are unselfish and compassionate people who represent the essence of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.”

The overall winner of the $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation will be determined by an online vote, which is open now. Fans can vote once a day, every day through November 12th at noon ET on NASCARfoundation.org/Award. The overall winner will be announced virtually on November 17th.

To learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and the 2021 finalists, visit NASCARfoundation.org/Award.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

There are two ways to advance through the NASCAR Playoffs, and Martin Truex Jr. is the only driver to do so via both.

The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota won a race in the Round of 16 to move on to the Round of 12. Once there, he qualified for the Round of 8 by virtue of points.

Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin won their way into each round. Every other remaining playoff driver’s points carried them to the present.

TEXAS: Weekend schedule | Betting odds | Paint schemes

“As you whittle the field down and there’s less cars, obviously you feel like the cream rises to the top,” Truex told NASCAR.com Wednesday. “The challenge becomes more, as there’s less cars. You feel like they’re the best teams and it’s more difficult to outrun them on average, so that’s just what it’s all about.

“You can have two bad races if you win one. But if you don’t win one, you have to be really consistent.”

The entire Round of 8 group falls within the top nine when it comes to average finish — with Truex checking in sixth at a 12.3 mark. The only outlier is Kevin Harvick (third), who was eliminated from title contention last week after the Round of 12 finale.

There are only three organizations still in the running. Joe Gibbs Racing has Truex (ranked sixth), Hamlin (second) and Kyle Busch (fifth). Team Penske also has three with Ryan Blaney (fourth), Joey Logano (seventh) and Brad Keselowski (eighth). Hendrick Motorsports finishes it off with Larson (first) and Chase Elliott (sixth). Altogether, they account for 22 of the 32 race wins so far.

There are no longer any winless drivers remaining in the postseason.

Truex’s four victories are second most overall (Larson has seven) and the highest total among his Joe Gibbs Racing companions (Busch and Hamlin each have two).

“You want teammates that are running good, you want them to be pushing you, you want to be able to push them,” Truex said. “All three of us — really, all four teams — I feel like have had a great season. It’s nice to have that competition. I feel like we compete really well together until it comes down to the final four. Then, if we make it there, it’s kind of like OK, all bets are off, we’re on our own.”

The fourth JGR pilot is Christopher Bell. He made the playoffs thanks to his first career win in the regular season, but his run ended last week.

Half of the playoff field has been eliminated, and it’ll be cut in half again after the Round of 8, which begins Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway with the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (2 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The final three-race round then continues at Kansas Speedway (Oct. 24) and concludes at Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 31). The Championship 4 will then be set for the Nov. 7 championship at Phoenix Raceway.

“The Round of 8 is always really hard to get through,” Truex said. “It’s the best of the best, three tough race tracks. We just have to execute to the best of our abilities. We know what we’re capable of: We’re capable of winning races.”

Posted on by Marcus DiNitto

Savvy bettors are pleased when the odds move in the direction of their wager. If the odds move in your favor, the thinking goes, you made a good bet, regardless of whether you end up a winner or loser.

A concept called “closing-line value” is a big part of this notion.

Let’s say you bet Denny Hamlin at +130 odds in a matchup prop over Kyle Larson this week at Texas Motor Speedway. By the time the green flag drops, Hamlin is +110. The betting market, which is pretty efficient, moved the number “20 cents” in Hamlin’s direction, and you were on the correct side of the move.

But as the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 ends, the No. 5 finishes ahead of the No. 11, and your bet is a loser.

Did you make a bad bet?

Not according to most sharp bettors, who would say since you got closing-line value (+130 vs. +110), you made the right bet. If you consistently get closing-line value, you will win money over the long term.

Let’s apply this thinking to NASCAR futures bets you may have made either before the season or before the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. While it’s not exactly “closing-line value,” since betting hasn’t closed, if a driver’s odds have shortened since you made your bet, it was a good play.

RELATED: NASCAR BetCenter | Cup Series title odds

Admittedly, some of this is no-brainer-ish. If a driver you bet before the season to win the championship is still in the Round of 8, you probably like your situation.

Of the eight drivers still alive, six have shorter prices now than they did before the season. The reason is obvious: A driver has a better chance to beat seven others than he does to beat 40.

Only four drivers, though, have shorter odds now than they did before the playoffs began, three are equally priced, and only one – Brad Keselowski – has seen his number lengthen.

Here’s how NASCAR Cup Series championship odds have moved at SuperBook USA from before the season to the start of the playoffs to the eve of the Round of 8.

Preseason Pre-playoffs Pre-Round of 8
Kyle Larson +1000 +300 +225
Denny Hamlin +800 +800 +500
Chase Elliott +800 +700 +700
Kyle Busch +800 +700 +700
Martin Truex Jr. +800 +800 +700
Ryan Blaney +1400 +1200 +800
Joey Logano +800 +1200 +1200
Brad Keselowski +800 +1600 +2500

Larson, of course, and Hamlin show particularly good value at this point, both priced with better chances to win the title now than they were even before the playoffs.

Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch are a tick shorter than they were before the season but equal to before the playoffs.

Martin Truex Jr., while assigned the same implied probability as Elliott and Busch, has seen his title chances improve over the last eight races, at least in the eyes of the betting market.

Team Penske is an interesting case: While Ryan Blaney’s odds have improved steadily over the course of the season, his teammates have gone the other way. This is largely a function of their places in the standings – Blaney is above the elimination line in fourth, while Joey Logano and Keselowski are seventh and eighth, respectively.

While Keselowski is now priced as a 25-1 outsider, we won’t revoke your “smart NASCAR bettor” card if you played him at 8-1 odds before the season. It would have been hard to predict before the season that Kes was going to announce in July his departure from Penske.

Is there any value left?

Before the Round of 8, the championship odds are pretty sharp by now. If you shop around, though, there may be value to be found.

Jim Sannes, a quantitative NASCAR analyst at numberFire, told NASCAR.com in a direct message, “Only guy who is interesting to me at their current numbers is Kyle Busch. I think he has great odds of advancing given two of the three races in this round are at 1.5-mile tracks (and I’ve got him at 13.0% to win this weekend).”

While the SuperBook, BetMGM and Barstool are all dealing +700 on Busch, not even the +750 at FanDuel presents the value Sannes seeks. The +800 at Wynn just might, however.

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“It’s close,” Sannes said. “Just worried about the Phoenix speed. But I’d be very close to pulling the trigger there.”

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.