Posted on by Terrin Waack

The Round of 16 showdown at Darlington Raceway sure shook up the 2021 NASCAR Playoffs picture – and it was literally the first race of the postseason. The point standings’ series of switcheroos is bound to make things even more interesting for Saturday’s short-track race at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Out of the 16 drivers in the title field, only one remained stagnant in his spot in the standings.

RELATED: Richmond schedule | Keep up with all things playoffs

Take a look:

Screen Shot 2021 09 08 At 8.45.06 Pm

Now, to evaluate some highlights:

— Denny Hamlin went from being ranked seventh in the original playoff standings to now first after the opening race in the Round of 16. His jump is notable because his win at Darlington marked his first of 2021, and this is a driver who won seven races in 2020, six in the regular season alone.

— There are two drivers below the cutline with multiple wins from the 2021 regular season. Alex Bowman had three victories that qualified him into the postseason, and Kyle Busch had two. Bowman at least finished the race at Darlington running, albeit four laps short on the final distance. Busch, however, crashed out 125 laps into the 367-lap event. Busch dropping 10 spots in the standings is the biggest change, despite others either losing or gaining much more on the elimination line – like Kyle Larson gaining 33 points.

— The only two playoff drivers without a win remain above the elimination line: Tyler Reddick and Kevin Harvick. Both moved up thanks to Darlington results, just maybe not their own. Harvick had the top-five finish, so his rank increase was due to his own performance. Reddick, on the other hand, finished outside the top 15, so he benefited from others’ trouble.

— Reigning champion Chase Elliott sunk in the standings, unsurprisingly so because of his 31st-place finish at Darlington. Elliott is the only driver currently safe from elimination who lost points on the line. Tenth is the lowest he has been ranked all season, too.

— Martin Truex Jr. is that one driver who, out of the entire 16-drive field, did not move in the standings after Darlington’s race. Truex did add to his buffer on the elimination line, so he didn’t stay completely stagnant either.

After Saturday’s showdown at Richmond, only one race remains in the Round of 16: Bristol Motor Speedway (on Sept. 18), a wild-card venue for an elimination race that will trim the Cup Series playoff field from 16 to 12.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

NASCAR completed the second day of its two-day Next Gen test at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday, as eight cars raced on the 2.5-mile track in Florida.

There were two goals for the trip. The first was to develop a tire with Goodyear that has the ability to return to Daytona in February. Secondly, NASCAR wanted to make sure it was able to hit its target speeds — both in single-car and multi-car runs — on the superspeedway, which normally flirts with the 200-mph mark.

“Overnight we changed the tapered spacer and made it smaller, to about 510 horsepower, and reduced the rear spoiler to seven inches,” said John Probst, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing innovation. “That had the desired effect today, we did slow the cars down some. The feedback from the drivers was that it wasn’t a radical change from one to the next, so we feel like we now have that data to evaluate coming back here.”

RELATED: Photos from Next Gen test at Daytona

Probst said NASCAR will probably go back to Daytona in January for another test with even more teams, saying it was possible that session could feature 26 or more teams.

“It’s an important track for us to get right,” he said.

The drivers involved Wednesday were Chris Buescher (Roush Fenway Racing), William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports), Ross Chastain (Chip Ganassi Racing), Cole Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing), Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing), Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing), Joey Logano (Team Penske) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing). Over half of the group has won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona before: Byron, Dillon, Hamlin, Logano and Stenhouse.

“I thought it went really well,” Byron said. “We got really aggressive there in that second drafting session. I feel like we were all pushing each other to make moves, and everyone was pretty comfortable with it, so that was really good to see.”

Teams tried out a few different methods to solve for the heat inside the vehicle, and Probst said NASCAR has some ideas to solve that issue.

Daytona marked the first Next Gen test with more than three cars on track at once. The first on-track test was back in October of 2019 at Richmond Raceway. The project was ultimately delayed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing its competitive debut to 2022. NASCAR announced the development phase was complete on Feb. 1, 2021, and manufacturers unveiled their finished models on May 5, 2021.

RELATED: Complete timeline of Next Gen car’s progress

“I would say it’s kind of like jumping into the unknown,” Custer said. “There’s so many things you don’t know what it’s going to be like. It’s pretty much rethinking the whole way we race. We’re going over things we never would have thought of to go over with our other car.”

NASCAR will give teams their first organizational test with their own Next Gen cars in October at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval layout. There are then two more organizational tests tentatively scheduled after the 2021 season concludes to allow teams more prep time for next season.

“It’s a race car,” said Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner. “It’s got four tires and a steering wheel. So, from my standpoint, it doesn’t change greatly. But still, there are some nuances. Your vision is a little different. The shifting is going to be different, especially when you go into road courses. So you’re going to want to get as many reps as you can to learn that. Any chance that I can get to get in it to be better acclimated, the better off I’ll be.”

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Although a second-place finish was a disappointment for John Hunter Nemechek at Darlington Raceway, he took solace in the fact that he’s now locked into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Round of 8.

The runner-up run behind race winner Sheldon Creed was Nemechek’s 10th top five of the 2021 season. The regular-season champion can now enter the final Round of 10 race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 16 (9 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with an all-or-nothing mentality.

“We’ll take the momentum, not going to dwell on this,” Nemechek said after Sunday’s race. “Just one race of the playoffs and now we’re focused on the next round. Bristol doesn’t mean anything to us other than to go out there and try to win. Then the next round starts and all that focus is on those three races to make it to Phoenix. Eyes on the big trophy at the end of the year.”

RELATED: Truck playoff standings

For No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports crew chief Eric Phillips, just surviving Darlington was mission accomplished.

“That was the biggest thing coming in here — don’t make any stupid mistakes,” Phillips told NASCAR.com “It’s easy to do.”

The second-place result means Nemechek will likely start on the front row for Bristol. After finishing 22nd at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Nemechek and team were behind the 8-ball when it came to a starting spot and pit selection at Darlington.

With nothing to lose at Bristol, Phillips is already looking ahead to the first Round of 8 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to potentially lock themselves into the Championship 4 with a victory, something the team accomplished at the 1.5-mile track in the spring.

“I think not finishing well at St. Louis (Gateway) hurt us a little bit there and you pay for it the next race,” Phillips said. “Just go to Bristol with a solid truck and have a good week. Our main focus will be Vegas. We were really good there in the spring. Obviously, going back there, we feel good about it. That will probably be the biggest focus because if we can lock in at Vegas, then everything is on to Phoenix at that point.”

Despite winning five races in the regular season, defending champion Creed has stolen the thunder from the No. 4 team with two consecutive race wins to kick off the postseason.

But Phillips feels consistency has played a major role in Creed’s recent streak due to how the starting lineup is calculated.

“The way the lineups go each week, when you rack up a couple wins, you put yourself in a good spot,” Phillips said. “Anytime you get toward the back in these you got guys racing hard. I mean everybody races hard, but it’s just racing with people you don’t know. I think that’s why you see it. If somebody wins a couple, they can win a few in a row.”

At the moment, Phillips has eyes on Creed as Nemechek’s stiffest competition as the race to Phoenix moves forward.

“We knew we were going to race him (Creed) going to Phoenix,” Phillips said. “I think he’s probably, especially with his momentum right now, he’s going to be tough. They’re all going to be tough, but now we can focus on the next round and make sure we’re ready to go.”

Posted on by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit for Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson earned the Busch Pole Award for Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 16 middle race at Richmond Raceway.

RELATED: Complete schedule for Richmond | Betting odds

Larson will start his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from the first spot for the second time this season, in search of his second Richmond victory.

Austin Cindric claimed the pole for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Go Bowling 250 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM) in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, meanwhile, is off this weekend.

As NASCAR adapted to COVID-19 protocols last season, practice and qualifying were eliminated at a majority of national-series events to limit at-track time, exposure and to cut race weekend costs. To determine starting lineups, competition officials used grouped draws, added inversions for weekend doubleheaders, and eventually adopted a performance-metrics formula. That metrics format remains in place this season, drawing on performance from both individual races and season-long results.

NASCAR’s metrics formula for 2021 weighs:

  • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
  • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
  • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
  • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

See the full lineup for Saturday night’s Cup Series race below.

Start pos.
 Driver Car # Team
1 Kyle Larson 5 Hendrick Motorsports
2 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
3 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
4 Kurt Busch 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
5 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
6 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
7 Brad Keselowski 2 Team Penske
8 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
9 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
10 Christopher Bell 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
11 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
12 Alex Bowman 48 Hendrick Motorsports
13 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
14 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
15 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
16 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
17 Ross Chastain 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
18 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
19 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
20 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
21 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
22 Daniel Suarez 99 TrackHouse Racing
23 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
24 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
25 Corey LaJoie 7 Spire Motorsports
26 Chase Briscoe 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
27 Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing
28 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Wood Brothers Racing
29 Justin Haley 77 Spire Motorsports
30 Anthony Alfredo 38 Front Row Motorsports
31 Erik Jones 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
32 BJ McLeod 78 Live Fast Motorsports
33 Josh Bilicki 52 Rick Ware Racing
34 Joey Gase 15 Rick Ware Racing
35 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
36 Garrett Smithley 51 Petty Ware Racing
37 JJ Yeley 53 Rick Ware Racing

Practice and qualifying are tentatively scheduled for eight Cup Series races this year. Just one race remains with Busch Pole Qualifying on the schedule — the season-ending championship race Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.

Posted on by Nascar

Meet the September Member of the Month

Name: Luke
Current City: Little Chute, Wisconsin
Member Since: 2018

Getting to know Luke:
​
Q. ​ How did you first become interested in NASCAR? 

“I first became interested at a very young age! I have been watching races on TV since before I can remember. My father and his whole family have always been huge into NASCAR and racing in general. Most of my dad’s brothers raced at the local short track Wisconsin International Raceway. My dad never raced but he spent a lot of time working on all their cars and supporting them, so I have always been watching races with my dad and his family.

They had all been going to Michigan in August for the NASCAR race since the early 90’s. I always dreamed to go with and see a race with them in person. I was finally allowed to go when I turned 14. I have been going with them every year since then. My dad and I have also gone to the Daytona 500 and Chicagoland. I also have been to Bristol on a trip a planned with my friends. But it all started with watching those fast cars on T.V. spending time with family!”

Q. What is your favorite part about NASCAR?

“I love the history, traditions and how family oriented the sport is! There is no other sport out there like it. I also love the feeling of being at the track with the other fans. It is a feeling unlike anything else. The energy at the track is absolutely stunning and I can’t help but smile the entire time. I love the sound and feel of the cars going around the track and how much the drivers truly care about their fans!’

Q. What is your favorite NASCAR memory?

“My favorite NASCAR memory would have to be my trip to the 2016 Daytona 500 with my dad! The race was one of the closest in Daytona history! It was an amazing race and I had a wonderful time bonding with my dad.”

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

Current Driver: “Kevin Harvick.”

Past Driver: “Bobby Labonte.”

Up and Coming Driver: “Justin Allgaier.”

Team: “Hendrick Motorsports.”

Track: “Martinsville Speedway.”

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

“I like to restore cars and motorcycles.”

FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK LUKE FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2021!

Look for Luke on the Official NASCAR Fan Council page on NASCAR.COM.

Posted on by Davey Segal

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour rolls into Richmond Raceway this week, where “The Action Track” is sure to provide just that on Friday night.

The venue is no stranger to Modified racing — having hosted a total of 11 races from 1990 to 2002. Legends Mike Stefanik and Ted Christopher graced Victory Lane over the years, with the former doing so three times (most all-time).

Across all three national series, Richmond has hosted a grand total of 216 races since 1953. This Friday night, September 10, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will take the green on their 12th race of 2021 — the second of what marks four consecutive weekends to end the season and crown a champion.

RACE INFO: Race Center: Richmond | Entry List | Tickets

Justin Bonsignore’s championship lead over Patrick Emerling ballooned from eight to 20 points following Oswego, putting the two-time and defending champion in prime position for yet another title. Given his past performance at tracks for the first time, there’s no reason to think the Phoenix Communications No. 51 won’t be up front with the usual contenders.

Being a companion weekend with the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, two Ryan’s — Preece and Newman — join the ground pounders for the Friday night showcase. As does Ron Silk, who is gunning for his third consecutive victory, something he’s never accomplished in his illustrious career.

Fans can watch the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 live this Friday at 7 p.m. ET on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, and tape delayed on Saturday, September 18 at 2:30 pm ET on NBCSN.

——————————————————-

Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 150

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

It’s been a silky smooth last few weeks for Ron Silk. Winner of back-to-back races at Beech Ridge and Oswego, the No. 85 is looking for his third consecutive victory in his first ever start at Richmond. Never having raced before at the track shouldn’t be an issue for Silk, though. He entered Beech Ridge with zero NWMT starts but walked away with the trophy.

Not to mention, in his first start at Jennerstown (2020), Silk finished sixth. Earlier this season at Lancaster, he brought his machine home in 12th. With the playing field being evened due to the lack of experience, Silk’s time up front should continue Friday night. He’s in his final three races with Kevin Stuart Motorsports, before the parties go their separate ways next year. Winning another race in their final three would be icing on the cake of a strong partnership.

RELATED: Silk is smooth: second straight tour win comes at Oswego

21 Rr Virginiaracinglovers150 Modified 4c

A two-time winner on the Whelen Modified Tour this season, Ryan Preece may have a leg up on the field thanks to his national series experience at Richmond Raceway. The Berlin, Connecticut, native has four Cup, three Xfinity and one K&N Pro Series East start to his credit at Richmond.

“The Rocketman”, Ryan Newman, has run 38 times in Cup at Richmond, winning once in 2003. In addition, he’s raced five times in Xfinity competition (most recently in 2010) and even finished second in an IROC event in 2004. His third start on the tour this season and first ever at Richmond, Newman is looking to just finish, as engine woes have ended his Martinsville and New Hampshire events early for the Mike Curb backed No. 53 team. Former Whelen Modified Tour champion Jamie Tomaino has 10 starts at Richmond, the most of any entered driver, with two top-fives to his credit. Chuck Hossfeld finished top-five in his only start at the track in 2002.

Bobby Santos III joins the group of drivers have limited, but some experience around the 0.75-mile track. One Xfinity Series start back in 2007 is all Santos has to his credit at Richmond, but the tour veteran is looking for his third top-10 of the season and 20th career win, getting back to work in the Tinio Motorsports No. 44. 

POINTS: Bonsignore leads Emerling with three to go

With Bonsignore pulling away in the standings, it’s officially desperation time for Patrick Emerling. After an uncharacteristic night at Oswego (finished 15th, two laps down), the two-time winner this season understands he needs to start winning and hoping the No. 51 has trouble if he wants to realistically get back in the hunt.

But with Riverhead, where Bonsignore is an eight-time winner, following Richmond, reality may be starting to set in for the driver of the No. 07. Plus, the No. 51 has finished top-two in his first career starts at new tracks over the last two seasons (win at Jennerstown, win at White Mountain, second at Lancaster).

RELATED: Returning To Second Home, Coby Looks To Add Richmond To His Wins List

Despite never turning a lap at Richmond, Doug Coby may feel right at home on Friday. A graduate of the University of Richmond, he’ll look to continue his ascent up the standings despite missing one event earlier this season. Sitting fourth, the six-time champion would love to add yet another track to the extensive list of venues he’s won at over his two-decade career. And, although still 38 points out, Coby is still third, right in the thick of the battle for the owner’s championship with three races to go.

RACING REFERENCE:

RACE FACTS

Race Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150
Date Friday, Sept. 10, 2021
Track Richmond Raceway
Layout 0.75-mile oval
Location Richmond, Virginia
Start time 7:00 p.m. ET
Laps 150
Miles 112.5
Tickets Buy tickets
TV channel NBCSN (Delayed: Saturday, Sept. 18, 2:30 p.m. ET)
Live stream TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold (Live)

RACEDAY SCHEDULE: Friday, Sept. 10 — Garage opens: 10 a.m. ET; Practice: 1:30-3 p.m.; Qualifying: 5 p.m.; Race: 7 p.m.

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is limited to 32 starters, including provisionals. The field will be set by qualifying (1-26) and provisional process per the entry blank (27-32) for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150. In the event that qualifying as stated on the entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2021 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start-finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is fourteen (14) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is six (6) tires, any position.

QUALIFYING AND SPECIAL AWARDS

$400 Phil Kurze Halfway Leader Award presented by Josten’s per event award to the race leader at the halfway point of the event, regardless if the race is running under green or yellow.

$600 Hoosier Tire “Lap Leader” per event award to the eligible car owner whose driver leads the most laps in each event. In the event of a tie, the award will go to the highest finishing car in the event.

$500 Hoosier Tire “Hard Charger” per event award to the highest finishing eligible driver who advances the most positions during the course of the race. In the case of a tie, the highest finishing driver will receive the award.

$500 Hoosier Tire “Most Improved” per event award to the eligible new team/organization whose driver improves the most positions during the course of the race. In the event of a tie, the award will go to the highest finishing car in the event. If money is not awarded during this event, funds will roll over to the next event and will continue to roll over until an eligible new team/organization claims the money.

$1,000 Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole per event award to the driver with the fastest qualifying time eligible to participate under the Manufacturers’ Prize Money Conditions.

$550 Sunoco Spec Fuel award divided: 1st-$300 5th-$150 10th-$100.

$3,500 Whelen Engineering “Winner of the Race” award to the winning driver.

Whelen Non-Starter award will be paid to the first 15 competitors throughout the season who pass inspection, practice, attempt to qualify but fail to make the feature event.

Posted on by Staff Report

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch has been penalized for his actions after a mid-race wreck in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR announced Tuesday.

The pilot of the No. 18 Toyota Camry violated Sections 12.1.a; 12.5.2.5.a; 12.8.a of the NASCAR Rule Book and has been fined $50,000 for a safety violation, actions detrimental to stock car racing and violating the NASCAR member conduct guidelines.

Busch’s car made significant contact with the outside retaining wall in Turn 2 after Lap 125 contact from the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of non-playoff driver Austin Dillon. Busch drove away with heavy damage but parked in the garage to end his race. While pulling into the garage area, Busch ran over several orange cones at a considerable amount of speed in the vicinity of spectators.

MORE: Busch tangles with Dillon, in early playoff hole

NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller talked with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Tuesday morning about Busch’s behavior.

“It was a situation that could have been bad. Fortunately nobody got hit or anything like that,” Miller said. “It all worked out, but putting people in harm’s way for no reason is something we take seriously.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

Los Angeles – Virtual Dining Concepts, in partnership with NASCAR and DoorDash, announced (Aug. 27) NASCAR Refuel, the first-ever virtual restaurant brand paired with a national spectator sporting organization. NASCAR Refuel debuted prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway and will simultaneously be available to order across the country, launching exclusively with DoorDash or via the NASCAR Refuel app and the official website, both powered by DoorDash’s white label fulfillment platform, DoorDash Drive.

“Every weekend, fans visit iconic NASCAR tracks across the United States, experiencing the roar of engines, side-by-side racing, family fun and the overall spectacle our great sport has to offer,” said Chip Wile, NASCAR senior vice president and chief track properties officer. “It’s a pleasure to offer our fans NASCAR Refuel, so we can bring a piece of the track experience, our delicious dishes inspired by our entire track portfolio, to them.”          

Fans, spectators and foodies alike can get the feeling of the racetrack all year round, whether watching their favorite teams compete on race day, or celebrating any occasion, while enjoying some of the most iconic NASCAR concession stand favorites. Handpicked from 12 NASCAR-owned racetracks around the country, NASCAR Refuel’s delivery-only menu features “Refuel Combos” and individual items including classics such as the Daytona Firecracker Dog, Talla-Mento Dogwich, Darlington Pimento Cheese Sandwich, Refuel Burger and more. Watch for exciting new menu specials, highlighting regional classics inspired by NASCAR race tracks, starting at the kickoff of the 2022 season with special items being added on an ongoing basis. The full menu can be viewed here. 

“As a NASCAR fan myself, I know the crowds on race day are there for the excitement of the sport, and of course for the food! Our menu highlights specialties from NASCAR racetracks, so race fans can enjoy the NASCAR food experience year-round at home,” said Robert Earl, founder of VDC. “With NASCAR Refuel, we are continuing our mission to assist restaurants by producing virtual brands that provide crucial added revenue, which is needed now more than ever.”

Said DoorDash director of partnership marketing Vanessa Carr: “This collaboration expands upon our multiyear partnership with NASCAR and reinforces our commitment to creating memorable experiences for fans and food-lovers alike. We are so excited to engage with the racing community through bringing iconic track experiences and the delicious food that fuels them to their doors.”   

NASCAR Refuel is now available for delivery in select cities across the country, with additional locations added on a weekly basis. Fans and consumers can place their orders three ways; it is accessible exclusively on DoorDash and also via the proprietary NASCAR Refuel app, available for download from the Apple Store or Google Play and directly from the website. To order from DoorDash, diners can input their zip code in the app or via doordash.com to find their nearest location. As new locations are added, the website, NASCAR Refuel App, DoorDash and social media channels will update, so consumers will know when their area is within a delivery zone.

For more information and to order NASCAR Refuel, please visit www.nascarrefuel.com, and follow @NASCARRefuel for continued location and other updates on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

You know by now that Corey LaJoie’s whole mantra is “stacking pennies,” but on Sunday night at Darlington, he collected a “Mark.”

Consistently running in the top 10 in Sunday night’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway before ultimately settling for 15th, the No. 7 Spire Motorsports driver earned some recognition from Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the NBC Sports broadcast, but Junior wasn’t the only NASCAR Hall of Famer to take notice.

It’s not the first time the 29-year-old has drawn praise from 40-time Cup Series winner Mark Martin — far from it, actually. Turns out, Martin has been closely following the 2012 NASCAR Next class member’s rise through the ranks for nearly a decade.

Whatever books LaJoie is digging into seem to be helping, as he’s enjoying a career-best average finish in 2021 for a Spire Motorsports organization that continues to build piece-by-piece and should be one to watch in the Next Gen era starting next season.

LaJoie has now turned in three straight top-16 finishes for the first time in his career after notching three straight top 20s for the first time from Charlotte to Nashville earlier this season.