Posted on by Holly Cain

Martin Truex Jr. received a penalty on the opening lap of the race for crossing the start/finish line in front of pole-sitter Denny Hamlin at the green flag. But 400 laps later Truex led the field across the line again – this time as the race winner of Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

The convincing 1.317-second margin of victory over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Hamlin and Christopher Bell marked Truex’s third win in the last five races at Richmond, his fourth win of the 2021 season and, most importantly, gave him that coveted automatic bid into the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

Truex joins Hamlin, who won last week’s playoff opener at Darlington, South Carolina, and Regular Season Champion Kyle Larson, who finished sixth on Saturday, as the only three drivers to have officially secured positions in the Round of 12 that begins in two weeks at Las Vegas.

The first thing Truex did after climbing out of his winning No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was acknowledge the importance of the September 11 date to our country and thank the fans for showing their support on the solemn anniversary and for their patriotic support of the sport of NASCAR.

As for his early setback, “That was frustrating, I’m not going to lie,” Truex said of the race start. “But I knew we had a good enough car to overcome it. Just one of those things you have to put out of your mind and go race. A lot on the line tonight.

“But going to Bristol next week without any worries is always fun,” he added with a smile.

RELATED: Martin Truex Jr. proud to win on September 11

Truex, who led a total of 80 laps, took the lead for good – pacing the field for the final 51 laps – after a series of green-flag pit stops in the final portion of the race. Just before the pit sequence, another JGR teammate, Kyle Busch, had positioned himself to be a factor at the checkered flag. Instead, Busch received his second pit road penalty of the night – a speeding violation during his green-flag stop with 55 laps remaining. At the time, it dropped him to 10th place, the last car on the lead lap after he had been out front for 39 laps just before the pit-stop exchange. He ultimately finished ninth.

Last week’s winner Hamlin had the strong car early, leading 100 of the opening 152 laps and a race-best 197 on the night, winning both stages. But the pit-road sequence, lapped traffic and an awakened Truex forced Hamlin to play catch-up in the end.

“The whole JGR team had fast cars for all of us today. I really wish we had gotten two in a row, but regardless still a great day for the team,” Hamlin said.

RELATED: Denny Hamlin says it’s go time now

Unlike last week’s playoff opener at Darlington, when several of the 16 playoff cars suffered setbacks and disappointing finishes, Saturday night those cars reminded why they are in position to challenge for a championship. Thirteen of the top 15 cars were driven by playoff drivers.

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott finished fourth in a Hendrick Chevrolet and Team Penske’s Joey Logano was fifth in a Ford. Larson finished sixth, followed by the only non-playoff driver among the top 10, Ross Chastain.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s driver Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney rounded out the top 10.

Playoff drivers Alex Bowman, Brad Keselowski, Aric Almirola and Tyler Reddick finished 12th-15th. William Byron (19th), Michael McDowell (28th) and Kurt Busch (37th) rounded out the playoff finishers.

Busch, who led laps early, suffered a tire problem that sent his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet hard into the Turn 1 wall only 40 laps into the race.

“Something happened with that left rear, it let go,” said Busch, who was running in the top five at the time of his accident. “It let go of our points and it let go of our whole season right now. I don’t know what we’re going to have to do at Bristol other than win.”

RELATED: Kurt Busch exits early

Despite the tough luck, Busch heads into Saturday night’s Round of 16 finale at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in a mathematical tie with Bowman for the 12th playoff position – and last transfer position.

Reddick (-5), Byron (-18), Daytona 500 winner McDowell (-38) are currently outside the top 12, with four of the 16 cars set to be eliminated from the playoffs after Bristol’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Harvick is the defending winner of the Bristol playoff race. Joey Logano won the 2021 race at the Bristol track’s inaugural dirt race in March. Kurt Busch has six previous wins at Bristol and his younger brother Kyle is the winningest active driver with eight victories.

Note: Inspection in the NASCAR Cup Series garage revealed no issues, thus validating Truex’s win. In post-race inspection, the No. 77 Chevrolet was found to have two lug nuts not safe and secure, while the No. 19 Toyota had one lug nut not safe and secure.

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, Sept. 13
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Tuesday, Sept. 14
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Wednesday, Sept. 15
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive—Bristol, FS1 (re-air)

Thursday, Sept. 16
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN (re-air)
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6:30 p.m., ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200, FS1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Bristol, FS1
9 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics, FS1
11 p.m., ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200, FS1 (re-air)

On MRN
6:30 p.m., ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics

Friday, Sept. 17
1 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics, FS1 (re-air)
3 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Pinty’s Dirt Truck Race (re-air), FS1 (re-air)
5 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Bristol, FS1 (re-air)
6 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics, FS2 (re-air)
8 a.m., ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200, FS2 (re-air)
5:30 p.m., Lost Speedways: Concrete Palace on the Passaic, NBCSN (re-air)
6 p.m., Lost Speedways: Fit for a King, NBCSN (re-air)
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m., Lost Speedways: Danger Zone, NBCSN (re-air)
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green: Bristol, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
9:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show: Bristol, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
11 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Series Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (tape delay)

On PRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300

Saturday, Sept. 18
Midnight, ARCA Menards Series West Portland 112, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (tape delay)
8 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics, FS2 (re-air)
10 a.m., ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200, FS2 (re-air)
Noon, NASCAR Presents Trackhouse: Get Ready, FS2 (re-air)
6:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green: Bristol, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
11 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show: Bristol, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On PRN
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race

Posted on by Staff Report

Playoff driver Kurt Busch was sidelined early in Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway, exiting after a crash in Stage 1 that left him in last place in the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

Busch had led four laps in the early going, with his Chip Ganassi Racing substitute pit crew putting the No. 1 Chevrolet out first after a round of pit stops during the competition caution period. But a left-rear tire went down entering Turn 1 shortly after the restart, sending Busch’s car looping into the outside retaining wall.

“I was just impressed with our speed and the way we unloaded and (the speed) we had in that first 30-lap run,” Busch said after he was checked and released from the infield care center. “After the pit stop, something in the left-rear wasn’t right. The guys said they got the tire tight. They made an adjustment and there was no rub and the left-rear let go. I just radioed to them how loose the car was. Something happened with that left-rear. It let go. It let go of our points and it let go of our whole season right now. I don’t know what we’re going to have to do at Bristol other than win.”

“Hats off to everybody at Ganassi. Family, I’m all right. But that left-rear took off on me and now we’ve got to dig out of this hole and give it our best. Thanks to Monster. Thanks to Chevy and Ganassi. It kind of sucks.”

Busch finished at the bottom of the 37-car field, having completed just 40 of the 400 laps. He currently sits in a tie for 12th in the Cup Series Playoffs standings, deadlocked with Alex Bowman in a bid for the last transfer spot with one race remaining in the opening Round of 16 in the postseason. The Ganassi driver holds the edge for the spot since he has the best finish between the two drivers in the Round of 16 so far — his sixth-place result at Darlington.

That opening-round finale comes Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Busch has won six times.

Busch was competing with a shuffled pit crew lineup, with crew members for his No. 1 team held out because of COVID-19 protocols. Crew members from the No. 42 team for driver Ross Chastain shifted over, and Busch gained a spot to vault to the lead on the car’s lone pit stop.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

RICHMOND, Va. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t earn the finish he wanted in his lone NASCAR Xfinity Series start of 2021, but it was the family affair with a little on-track drama to add some spice.

After starting 30th in the one-off race in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet he owns, Earnhardt slowly made his way toward the front and reached fourth by the final stage. But a round of pit stops was costly, earning a pit-road speeding penalty upon exit, sending Earnhardt to the rear of the field for the restart.

Earnhardt was able to recover to finish 14th.

“It was a little rough. I really didn’t figure out how to get the car around the track, to be honest with you,” Earnhardt said. “… We had about a 10th-place car with me driving it. The setup and everything was pretty close to what we’ve been running in the past, so I don’t know. Maybe I just needed some more laps or to just do things differently. I tried a lot of different things to figure out how to get the car around the corner better, I just never could do it.”

RELATED: Official results | Remembering 9-11: 20 years later

Before he had a taste of the front, he raced hard with drivers through the field, including Josh Williams, driver of the No. 92 Chevrolet.

Earnhardt made contact with Williams in the first stage, sliding into the No. 92 at the exit of Turn 2 after getting loose out of the corner. While Earnhardt admitted on the radio he was having fun but didn’t mean to get him, Williams was not impressed in the moment, saying on the radio: “I don’t care if he’s a hero or not. He keeps jacking me up. … You got plenty of room. Use it.”

When the race concluded, Williams came over to joke with Earnhardt about the ordeal, admitting he had just as much fun mixing it up with the 2021 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee.

RELATED: Dale Jr.: ‘They just race so hard’

“I had a pretty good time beating up on them guys and they beat back on me,” Earnhardt said. “I got run into the fence a couple times late, but we ended up crossing the finish line and I got to run all the laps, so that’s all I an ask for.”

Above his time behind the steering wheel, Earnhardt cherished being able to show his eldest daughter, Isla, around the race track. His wife, Amy, and newborn daughter, Nicole, were also in attendance with him.

While Isla wasn’t the biggest fan of the pomp and circumstance that comes with driver introductions, Earnhardt was anxious to hear Isla’s response to what she thought of the race.

“I told myself that I was probably going to enjoy that more than anything today and I was right,” Earnhardt said with a laugh. “I had fun in the car, but nothing beat being able to see Isla’s face when I put this uniform on and come out the bedroom in the bus and she’s looking at me like, ‘What is happening?’ She couldn’t figure it out.”

He expressed wanting to keep doing more races because he wishes Isla would be able to see more of the life he lived for two decades in NASCAR.

Image From Ios
Torey Fox | NASCAR Digital Media

“It sucks I only get to do this once a year for that reason,” Earnhardt said. “I would love for her to experience a lot of what I went through over the last two decades. These guys are so good. I’m going to have to try again next year, but if I don’t run good then, I might not come back. It’s a young man’s game out there.”

With the futures of drivers Michael Annett and Justin Allgaier at the team still not set in stone, Earnhardt indicated if he were to run again next year, it would be in a sixth JRM machine.

“We’re still up in the the air on that, but if I run again next year, probably be six cars out there,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine, but that’s what we’d do. Shows how crazy were are, I guess.”

It was also a time of reflection for Earnhardt on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It seemed fitting Earnhardt was back in a race car on a day of remembrance after winning the first race in NASCAR’s return to the track after the tragedy in 2001, earning victory at Dover International Speedway in the No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet.

“I’m just glad we were racing and be able to do what we do … honor those people that we lost on that day and honor the ones that were affected by it today,” Earnhardt said. “It feels good to be at a race track so we can express however we want to express ourselves. It’s a tough day for the country.”

“I remember when we waited to go back to the race track in 2001 and how good it felt to go to Dover a couple weeks later and how amazing the energy was,” he added. “It’s also that same feeling in Richmond. It’s awesome to have this doubleheader. Giving these fans a great afternoon and a lot of action and hopefully they enjoyed themselves.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Noah Gragson led the final 14 laps, holding off the field on a pair of late-race restarts in Saturday’s Go Bowling 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway to earn his second win in as many weeks — celebrating the moment by wrapping himself in an American flag then climbing the front grandstand fence to a cheering crowd.

Gragson, 23, was only three years old when the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks occurred, but the Las Vegas native was clearly moved by the opportunity to acknowledge the powerful day in American history — and an important day in his career.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

His .381-second win in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet over hard-charging Kaulig Racing driver Justin Haley gives him a two-race winning streak heading into next week’s regular-season finale at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, where the 12-driver playoff field will be set.

“I knew they [Haley] had tires, but the thing that really kept us alive were those two cautions at the end,” said Gragson, who now has four career Xfinity Series wins.

“But today’s not about this team or this win, it’s about everyone who lost their lives 20 years ago. We have a lot of heavy hearts and at least in America we can come together on this day and appreciate all you race fans for coming out.

“It’s an emotional day. It’s a special day. But it’s not about us today.”

RELATED: Noah Gragson dedicates the win to 9/11 victims

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship competitor John Hunter Nemechek finished third with Gragson’s JRM teammate Justin Allgaier rallying from an early race mechanical issue to finish fourth, followed by Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Daniel Hemric and 18-year-old Ty Gibbs were sixth and seventh. Gibbs led a race-best 67 of the 250 laps and won Stage 2.

Brandon Brown and cousins Harrison Burton and Jeb Burton rounded out the top 10.

NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., a four-time winner of this race, finished 14th in his only NASCAR start of the season. He was running among the top 10 but was called for a pit-road speeding penalty on a late-race pit stop. He still got to celebrate in Victory Lane, however, as one of Gragson’s team owners.

“They race hard there in the middle of the pack, especially around me, but it was fun,” said Earnhardt, who also noted, “Helps me remember some of the things that make me a better broadcaster.”

RELATED: Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to his Richmond run

Earnhardt, the sport’s 15-time Most Popular Driver, is an NBC Sports announcer and moved from pit lane to the announcers’ booth for the NASCAR Cup Series race later Saturday night at the Richmond three-quarter mile track.

Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric were separated by a single point in the regular-season standings entering the race, and Allmendinger extended his lead to five points with a Stage 1 win and an 18th-place finish. Cindric finished 16th.

Nine drivers have now officially clinched a playoff position, including Cindric, Allmendinger, Gragson, Allgaier, Haley, Harrison Burton, Daniel Hemric, Myatt Snider and Harrison Burton.

Herbst currently holds the 12th position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings, the final playoff transfer position, with a 66-point edge on JR Motorsports’ driver Michael Annett, who had been among the playoff 12 before missing four races with an injury.

Up next, the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for the regular-season finale. The race is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage was completed without a major issue, confirming Gragson as the race winner. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Harrison Burton was found with one unsecured lug nut in a post-race check.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson had earned the Busch Pole Award for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race at Richmond Raceway but will now have to come all the way from the rear. The Regular Season Champion’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet failed pre-race inspection twice and will be forced to the rear during pace laps.

RELATED: Richmond starting lineup | Larson wins Busch Pole

Larson, who won the fall 2017 race at the .75-mile Virginia short track, was originally slated to start first alongside last week’s winner, Denny Hamlin. The Cook Out Southern 500 winner and driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota will now lead the field to the green flag with Martin Truex Jr., in the No. 19 JGR Toyota, also on the front row.

The No. 5 driver enters tonight’s second race in the Round of 16 of the NASCAR Playoffs in second place in the standings, 80 points above the elimination line.

The No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Cole Custer also failed pre-race inspection twice and will start at the rear as well.

Coverage for Saturday’s race gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

MORE: Richmond at-track phtotos

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship team owner Ed Partridge, known for his success on the track and his friendship and impact off it, has died.

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of championship car owner and track owner Eddie Partridge,” a NASCAR statement read. “Eddie’s passion for racing was felt not just throughout the modified community, but also throughout grassroots racing as a whole. He fielded teams for some of the best drivers in the sport, and truly loved seeing his cars run up front. After taking on the task of running Riverhead Raceway, he then also proudly fielded a venue for those drivers to showcase their talent. It is only fitting that Eddie’s last race was a victory. A fierce competitor who fought for the good in short track racing, he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and teammates at this time.”

Known for giving many in the NASCAR industry their head start driving one of his modifieds, Partridge was the 2011 and 2017 owner champion on the Modified Tour. Additionally, driver Ron Silk won the 2011 title in Partridge’s machine.

“Some of my best years were racing with Eddie, it was amazing that he gave me that opportunity,” Silk told RaceDayCT. “But the things I’ll remember about him more was the fun. We’d go on a trip and we’d get a nice conversion van to ride to the races in and he was just really fun to be around. Sometimes you drive for people and things don’t go well at the track and everybody is in a bad mood for a while. With Eddie, he’d flip the switch right after the race.”

Partridge was especially close with Ryan Preece, who drove the No. 6 to victory at Richmond Raceway on Friday night.

Preece and Partridge were in Victory Lane together before the sad news of Partridge’s passing was confirmed Saturday morning.

Mike Wheeler, a veteran NASCAR Cup Series crew chief, was among the many to offer immediate condolences.

Preece is a 25-time Modified Tour winner, with his last 14 victories coming in Partridge’s No. 6. The two teamed up in 2015, and Preece’s career took off — he’s since made more than 150 NASCAR national series starts and boasts two career NASCAR Xfinity Series victories.

“I knew Ryan was a great driver when he drove the No. 3 and the No. 16 car,” Partridge said back in 2017. “He had a learning experience in the Xfinity Series and he wanted to come home and he called me up. I told him he would have to maintain all the cars, be the crew chief and the driver, all in one. I knew he had some success in his own cars with his dad, but I really didn’t know how it was going to go. But he went out there and pulled it off. It’s really unbelievable.”

Preece currently drives the No. 37 for JTG Daugherty Racing at NASCAR’s top level, but he still drives in the Modified Tour on a part-time basis as well.

Partridge also was owner of Riverhead Raceway, a fifth-mile oval in New York that has long been a fixture on the Modified Tour and is one of the most iconic and popular modified stops in the country.

The Whelen Modified Tour is scheduled to race at Riverhead on Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET, the 13th of 14 series races this season. Doug Coby won the two previous races at Riverhead this season.

Posted on by Staff Report

Statement from NASCAR on the passing of Eddie Partridge, a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour team owner (No. 6 driven by Ryan Preece – winner of Friday night’s race at Richmond Raceway) and Riverhead Raceway owner:

We are saddened to learn of the passing of championship car owner and track owner Eddie Partridge. Eddie’s passion for racing was felt not just throughout the modified community, but also throughout grassroots racing as a whole. He fielded teams for some of the best drivers in the sport, and truly loved seeing his cars run up front. After taking on the task of running Riverhead Raceway, he then also proudly fielded a venue for those drivers to showcase their talent. It is only fitting that Eddie’s last race was a victory. A fierce competitor who fought for the good in short track racing, he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and teammates at this time.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Alan Gustafson, crew chief for the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team of Chase Elliott, will be making his 600th career NASCAR Cup Series start atop the pit box in Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts Salute to First Responders 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Gustafson has served as a crew chief for five different Cup Series drivers in his career, dating back to Kyle Busch’s rookie season in 2005. Since then, he has worked alongside Casey Mears, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Elliott.

RELATED: Playoff standings | Starting lineup for Sunday’s race

“When I reflect back, I just think of the different drivers and situations with the different drivers, the personalities, pit-crew members and different things,” Gustafson said. “I think when you start at one, you’re just hoping to get to two. And then you’re maybe kind of hoping to get to get to 30 and then you’re trying to make it two years. As you go, you’re just really trying to survive. This sport is obviously super competitive and a lot of times it’s more bad news than good news. So, you’re trying to do the best you can to prosper and survive.”

Gustafson earned his first Cup Series victory with Busch at Auto Club Speedway in 2005. Gustafson has earned 33 race victories in total so far, including four with Busch, five with Martin, 11 with Gordon and 13 with Elliott. He also earned his first career Cup Series championship with Elliott in 2020.

AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 08: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, and crew chief Alan Gustafson celebrate in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Season Finale 500 and the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 08, 2020 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chase Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson celebrate winning the 2020 Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway. Chris Graythen | Getty Images

When reflecting back over the course of a career that continues to prosper, Gustafson’s biggest observation is how much the dynamic of a race team has changed throughout his 17 years at NASCAR’s highest level.

“It’s changed a lot in 600 starts,” Gustafson said. “When I first started, it was really the crew chief and the team, and man, you did everything. You did everything – spec the chassis builds, where you wanted your front clips, where you wanted your rear clips, where you wanted your frame rails, where you wanted to install the engine, what this car was going to run and the body specification when we just had the templates, how far you wanted to offset your tail and what do you want to do with your roof. Not only did you have a vast amount of options, you had very little information to make those decisions with.

“I just remember back then, there was a lot of freedom and room to run; and certainly, a lot of uncertainty that came with that. Now, it’s much more granular. It’s very small stuff and we do it collaboratively.”

Elliott, Gustafson and the No. 9 team are set to start 13th in Saturday night’s second race in the Playoffs Round of 16. After a 31st-place showing in the first postseason race last Sunday at Darlington Raceway, the defending champion sits 10th in the standings, four points above the elimination line.

Posted on by Davey Segal

RICHMOND, Va. – In the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s return to Richmond Raceway, Ryan Preece dominated, leading 98 of 156 laps and surviving multiple late-race restarts to win his third consecutive race over a three-month stretch and first at “The Action Track.”

“Usually you really don’t want late-race restarts, but I knew I had a really good car,” Preece said. “And I knew from the first restart we had that my car was gonna take off. I was good on the short run and good on the long run. It all worked out.”

RELATED: Full race results

While multiple big names and championship contenders ran into issues behind him, Preece made staying up front a point of emphasis, understanding the effect clean air has on a car at the 0.75-mile track, regardless of vehicle.

“Clean air was something I wanted,” he said. “Funny to say in a modified, but it matters. I knew the deeper you get into the pack, the less your car is going to do what you want it to do. Ultimately, I’m pretty happy we controlled the race and we had a fast race car.”

His wins at Richmond, Stafford and New Hampshire mark the fourth season in the Berlin, Connecticut, native’s career he has won three or more races on the Modified Tour. This is Preece’s final scheduled race of his Modified Tour season.

Earning his best finish of the season in the runner-up spot was Jon McKennedy. Following back-to-back 16th-place finishes at Beech Ridge and Oswego, the Tommy Baldwin-led group gained a total of 18 positions on the evening after starting back in 20th.

Ronnie Williams brought his No. 50 machine home third after leading three times for a total of 34 laps, the best finish of his career, with Cup Series veteran Ryan Newman and six-time series champion Doug Coby rounding out the top five finishers. Kyle Bonsignore, Austin Beers, Andy Jankowiak, Burt Myers and Woody Pitkat completed the top 10.

Notably absent from the front all night long were the three championship contenders: Justin Bonsignore, Patrick Emerling and Ron Silk.

Around Lap 40, Emerling’s No. 07 began smoking on track. Shortly thereafter, he brought it to the garage for service and a rear end issue was diagnosed. A handful of laps later, points leader and championship rival Bonsignore suffered a similar issue and brought his No. 51 behind the wall. The two teams worked feverishly to get back on track, only a few yards from each other.

Both Bonsignore and Emerling were able to get back on track, but returned to the garage mere laps later, ending their nights early. They finished 24th and 25th, respectively.

Their trouble meant Ron Silk, winner of the last two races on the tour, had an opportunity to pounce. But the No. 85 struggled most of the night and ultimately was involved in a crash of his own, leading to the eventual overtime finish.

With two races to go in the season, Bonsignore’s lead over Emerling in the standings is at 22 points. Up next for the Whelen Modified Tour is a trip to Riverhead Raceway on Sept. 18. Doug Coby earned both wins earlier this season, with Justin Bonsignore winning the four prior in a row (eight overall).