Greenslit, Baxter, McCarthy, Vannausdle named NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champions

Posted on September 30, 2021September 30, 2021 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

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.

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.

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.

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 September 30, 2021September 30, 2021 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.

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.

“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 September 30, 2021October 3, 2021 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 September 30, 2021September 30, 2021 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.

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.”

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 September 30, 2021September 30, 2021 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 September 30, 2021September 30, 2021 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.

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 September 29, 2021October 3, 2021 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.

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 September 29, 2021 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.

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 September 29, 2021September 29, 2021 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.

Posted on September 29, 2021September 29, 2021 by Zack Albert

NASCAR released the 2022 schedules for both the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series on Wednesday, making two long-awaited returns to familiar venues at Portland International Raceway and Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

Both tours open the season in February at Daytona International Speedway and close out the year in November for championship weekend at Phoenix Raceway, but changes abound in between those two tripleheader bookends. The Xfinity Series remains at 33 races next season, but the Camping World Trucks calendar grows by one to a 23-race schedule.

“A lot of data and a lot of collaboration that’s gone on with it, and I think it’s a testament to the industry working together and collaborating and really creating some of the best schedules that we’ve seen so far,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of strategy and innovation. “So, excited to get the Cup (Series) schedule out a couple weeks ago, excited to get Xfinity and Trucks out today, and we’re going to start working on 2023 tomorrow.”

The Xfinity Series will hold its lone stand-alone event June 4 at the 1.964-mile Portland road course, marking the first event for a NASCAR national series there in more than two decades. The Camping World Trucks raced there twice from 1999-2000, and the Oregon circuit has hosted regional stock-car series under both the NASCAR and ARCA umbrellas.

The return to the Lucas Oil track, formerly known as Indianapolis Raceway Park, will kick off the Truck Series playoffs on July 29 — run in conjunction with Xfinity and Cup Series races that weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 0.686-mile oval last hosted Xfinity and Truck events in 2011.

“It’s something that our fans have been asking for for a long time is getting back to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, and I think a big part of that is the racing product that it put on as another great short track that we had on the Camping World Truck Series schedule back in the day,” Kennedy said. “I think it’ll be a great addition to the schedule, especially on that weekend. I think from a timing perspective, it just, it couldn’t have worked out any better having it on the same weekend as the Xfinity and Cup race and then also to be able to kick off our playoffs as a part of that, too.”

Other highlights and notes from Wednesday’s schedule release:

— The Camping World Trucks’ road-course lineup gets a shake-up with the addition of Sonoma Raceway (June 11) and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (July 9). The Sonoma circuit returns to the schedule for the first time since a 1995-98 stint in the series’ first four seasons. Mid-Ohio has been a regular stop on the Xfinity Series schedule for eight of the last nine years but transitions to a Truck Series event in 2022. Watkins Glen International remains on the Xfinity Series schedule (Aug. 20) but drops from the Camping World Trucks slate.

The truck tour will also miss a date at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the third consecutive year. The 2.459-mile road course in Ontario hosted Camping World Trucks events from 2013-19, but scheduled events the last two years have been canceled because of travel difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Kennedy said his team has stayed in contact with the track’s management and that he remains hopeful for an eventual return.

“From a fan perspective, it always amazes me when we go to Canadian Tire and to see the amount of fans that come out for that event every year,” Kennedy said. “You know, unfortunately, we haven’t had the ability to race there since 2019, and unfortunately won’t be going back there in 2022, and I think the biggest reason is just kind of the unknowns and uncertainties, there’s a lot of logistics that go into planning a lot of these races and a lot of lead time, especially for international events. It felt like it was best for us to press pause on 2022 and really kind of focus on the rest of the schedule. But they’ve been great partners to us and looking forward to continuing to stay in touch with them.”

— Both series have followed the Cup Series’ lead with tweaks to their playoff rotations. In the Xfinity Series, Texas Motor Speedway (Sept. 24) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 15) trade places on the schedule as the Round of 12 and Round of 8 openers, respectively. Homestead-Miami Speedway slots in Oct. 22 as the middle race in the Round of 8, moving Kansas Speedway back into the regular season. Bristol Motor Speedway (Sept. 16) returns as the regular-season finale.

In the Camping World Truck Series, the adjustments are broader with four new tracks in the postseason mix. Lucas Oil (July 29), Richmond Raceway (Aug. 13) and Kansas (Sept. 9) make up an all-new Round of 10, and Homestead-Miami (Oct. 22) enters as the Round of 8 finale to set the field of four title contenders. The regular-season finale shifts from Watkins Glen to Pocono Raceway (July 23) for 2022.

“We definitely want to keep the rotation fresh and, I think, kind of going back to the Cup schedule, we’ve seen it now play out for a year and now we’re getting a taste of it, of what this new playoff schedule looks like in its second year,” Kennedy said. “I think now that we’ve seen it play out, we wanted to keep it fresh, shake things up a little bit but still keep a lot of those cutoff races. … On the Xfinity and Truck Series schedule, it’s something that we constantly look at is not only what races are in the playoffs but what are those cutoff races and how do we make them exciting events for our fans. So that’s something that we’ll continue to look at. We saw some changes in the 2021 schedule from that perspective and excited to bring some more in ’22.”

— The Camping World Truck Series returns to a 23-race schedule in 2022 after a one-year dip to 22. The tour had run 23 races from 2015-20 and had a 25-race slate from 2003-11. The largest Truck Series schedule was 27 races in 1998, and the fewest races (20) came in the tour’s inaugural season in 1995.

“I think starting our season in Daytona and ending at Phoenix on championship weekend, we want to make sure that we’re driving as much momentum and as much content for our fans as we possibly can throughout that schedule,” Kennedy said. “Then another part of that, too, is you know I think a lot of feedback that we received from the industry and the teams. You know they want to see additional races on the Camping World Truck Series schedule, and that was another factor that went into it.

“As far as the number of races going forward, it’s something that we’ll continue to evaluate whether it makes sense to be at 23, go up, go lower or stay right at that number. I know we’ve had 23 races for a long time, and I think it’s a pretty good number and I think it’ll be great for the ’22 schedule.”

— The Xfinity Series returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for the third consecutive year with a July 30 visit. Kennedy had indicated during the Sept. 15 release of the 2022 Cup Series calendar that a return to the 2.5-mile speedway layout was a possibility for future schedules.