Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Playoffs drivers William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. will start at the rear of the field after their cars failed pre-race inspection ahead of Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Byron and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Truex Jr. failed technical inspection twice. Byron was set to start third, while Truex was forced to forfeit his fourth-place starting position.

RELATED: Starting lineup | What to Watch

The No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Aric Almirola also failed pre-race inspection twice. Almirola failed to advance in the postseason round following last Saturday’s Round of 16 finale race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was set to start 17th.

The Nos. 10, 19 and 24 cars all passed on their third attempt.

The No. 66 Motorsports Business Management Toyota of JJ Yeley failed pre-race inspection three times, which means Yeley will be at the rear of the field and serve a pass-through penalty at the start. His car chief, Ty Brazeal, has also been ejected.

Posted on by Holly Cain

LAS VEGAS — Josh Berry seized opportunity and drove away from the competition Saturday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tabbed to substitute for injured JR Motorsports driver Michael Annett, the Tennessee late-model champion Berry earned his second win of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season, claiming an impressive 4.396-second victory in the playoff opener.

Berry, 30, led a 1-2-3 JR Motorsports team sweep in the Alsco Uniforms 302 – besting teammates Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson, whose second- and third-place finishes were tops among the 12 playoff-eligible drivers.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

It was the second consecutive night one team showed the way up front at the Vegas 1.5-miler. On Friday, the ThorSport Racing team swept the top four positions in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff race.

Berry won at the Martinsville, Virginia, short track earlier this year in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet he will drive full-time next year. He matched that standard Saturday in the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. And he drove four other races this season in the No. 31 Chevrolet for team owner Jordan Anderson.

“Oh my gosh, that thing was so fast, it just took me a while to figure out,” Berry said. “I just had to stay disciplined and keep working on it and the guys made the right adjustments. And it was fast, man. Finally got a long run and got it all together.”

As for racing his teammates, who are fighting for the championship?

“It was tough,” Berry said. “Me and Justin raced together a lot this year and most of them, he’s gotten the better of me. Today we were able to get one. This is cool.”

Eight of the 12 Xfinity Series playoff drivers finished among the top 10, including championship leader Austin Cindric of Team Penske in fourth and Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Daniel Hemric and Brandon Jones in fifth and sixth, respectively.

Steph Chambers | Getty Images
Steph Chambers | Getty Images

Regular-season champion AJ Allmendinger, who won Stage 1 for a season-best 10th stage win, was seventh. Ty Gibbs, who joined Berry as the only two non-playoff drivers among the top 10 finished eighth. Allmendinger’s Kaulig Racing teammate, Justin Hailey, was ninth and JGR’s Harrison Burton 10th. Playoff driver Myatt Snider finished 15th, the last title-eligible driver running at the end of the race.

The sweep up front was indicative of the evening as the JR Motorsports teammates paced the field all night. Allgaier led a race-best 90 laps and won Stage 2.

Berry took the lead from Allgaier with 42 laps remaining, relinquishing it only during late-race pit stops. Berry retook the position with 17 laps and drove away for the victory.

Gragson’s third-place finish was remarkable considering the Las Vegas native was penalized twice on pit road and still drove through the field multiple times.

“I need to be better and they brought an unbelievable race car to the track, and I’m happy for Josh and happy for everyone at JR Motorsports, just wish we could have been the guy,” Gragson said. “We have really fast race cars at JR Motorsports and everyone is super proud.”

A handful of playoff drivers were on the other end of fortune Saturday with Riley Herbst, Jeb Burton and Jeremy Clements all having their race cut short because of a 12-car accident on the restart after the competition caution period.

“I don’t really think we need to be four-wide getting into (Turn) 1 on Lap 26,’’ Burton said. “Nothing we could do there, frustrating. We needed a good run today, but we’ll go to Talladega next week and win a race.

“Won there earlier in the year and almost won Daytona a couple weeks ago, so I know I can go do it. Have the best team in the garage at speedway tracks, so we’ll go get it done next week and then go to the Roval.”

With his fourth-place finish at Vegas, Cindric takes a seven-point lead over Allmendinger in the playoff standings. Allgaier is 28 points back, followed by Gragson (-29) and Hemric (-32).

The Xfinity Series’ next race is scheduled next Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway. The Sparks 300 (4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM) is the second of three events in the postseason’s opening Round of 12. Jeb Burton won at Talladega this spring. Justin Haley is the defending playoff race winner.

Note: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage was completed without major issue. Berry’s No. 1 JRM Chevy was found with one unsecured lug nut in a post-race check, which should result in a fine for crew chief Mike Bumgarner on next week’s penalty report.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
(⏰ 7 p.m. ET | 📺 NBCSN, TSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s Round of 12 opening race and 30th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season. 


Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
Green flag: 7:19 p.m. ET
Grand Marshal: Dana White, UFC president
TV/Radio: NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 93 degrees. South southeast wind 5-9 mph, according to NOAA.gov
Race Distance: 267 laps, 400.5 miles
Stages: 80 | 160 | 267
Pit-road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
Las Vegas 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: See the full lineup
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where | Expert breaks down pit selections

Kevin Harvick Lvms Blur
Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Five to watch

Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

1. The Round of 12 opener sets the stage for the rest of the playoffs, especially with a trip to Talladega Superspeedway looming large in a week. With a poor finish at Las Vegas, any of the playoff drivers can be teetering on the elimination line — even the favorites. Whichever driver wins this race has the luxury of knowing he is one round away from battling for a championship in Phoenix. Based on history at the track, Team Penske drivers Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney might have an edge. Since 2014, drivers with the organization have finished in the top 10 in 86% of the races (25 of 29) and have managed to win five of the last 11. The usual favorites, namely Kyle Larson, will likely have a say. But don’t sleep on the horses at Penske, as they look to inch their way back into the title hunt.

2. Is the Kevin Harvick vs. Chase Elliott saga over? Or is it just beginning? Only time will tell. After a late-race run-in led to a pit-road altercation, the two title contenders might be wary of each other on the track this weekend at Las Vegas. Neither driver can really afford to lose precious points at this stage in the playoffs, with Elliott in sixth and Harvick below the elimination line in 12th. But if tensions boil over again this weekend, we might see someone roll the dice. Get your popcorn ready.

3. Did Hendrick Motorsports regain all the playoff momentum? After Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. burst out in the opening round with wins at two of the three tracks, the questions started to come at the HMS group. Alex Bowman and William Byron fought valiantly to escape elimination in the Bristol Night Race, each doing so in impressive fashion. Now, the focus turns back to a 1.5-miler, a superspeedway and a road course. Each track should prove favorable for the bowties at HMS, led by points leader Kyle Larson. All eight drivers between both organizations are competing in the Round of 12. With only eight spots in the next round up for grabs, will one team leave Las Vegas with a clear edge?

4. All but one Las Vegas race since 2014 have been won by a driver currently in the Round of 8. Kurt Busch — who was eliminated in this year’s Round of 16 — shocked the field with an unlikely win in front of his hometown crowd last season. Behind him? Matt DiBenedetto, who missed this year’s playoffs entirely, in the runner-up position. A non-playoff winner takes away a chance for a playoff driver to lock into the next round, meaning a tougher challenge for drivers near the elimination line to point their way in. Erik Jones was the highest finishing non-playoff driver in the March race. He finished 10th. Look out for the underdogs still competing for track trophies and momentum for next season.

5. After a rollercoaster opening round to the NASCAR Playoffs — a fourth-place finish at Richmond Raceway, sandwiched in between two finishes of 25th or worse — the question begs to be asked. Can Chase Elliott repeat as Cup Series champion this season? He enters the Round of 12 currently in sixth place, eight points above the elimination line. The concern is we are heading to one of his most unfavorable tracks. He has three straight finishes of 13th or worse and a trio of DNFs in nine career starts at Las Vegas. We haven’t seen back-to-back champions in the premier series since Jimmie Johnson reeled off five consecutive from 2006-10. The good news for Elliott fans is we have seen the No. 9 wheelman perform with his back against the wall multiple times. And there is a road course in this round. Full playoff schedule.

Race-day staplesAds Fantasyfastlane Hero

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Power Rankings: Will Alex Bowman sneak through Round of 12? | Latest rankings
• Paint Scheme Preview: Sparkling schemes for Sin City | See them here
• Playoff Pulse: Round of 12 set after Bristol | Full breakdown
• Debate: Steve Letarte says Kyle Larson’s ‘firepower’ will best Denny Hamlin | Hear his case
• Bubble Watch: Kevin Harvick fired up — with work to do still | See the bubble breakdown
• Fantasy Fastlane: A Ryan Blaney bonanza at Las Vegas? | Top plays, sleepers
• Analysis: Round of 12 track-by-track breakdown | See it here

Get in on the action

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• What are the odds?: Betting odds for Las Vegas | See them here
• NASCAR betting: Impact of Brad Keselowski’s departure | Read more
• Sports betting 101: Finding value on the betting market | Watch and learn how
• Talking playoffs: How Fantasy Live game works for the postseason | Read more
• On the grid: Make your Playoff Grid™ Challenge picks before Las Vegas | Pick now
• No risk, big reward: Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ

Memories from Las Vegas2007lasvegastbt

Before the Cup Series races at Las Vegas for the second time this season, take a look back at some important track history.

• All-time winners: Las Vegas Motor Speedway | See the list
• Top 10: Laps led at Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Who has led the most?
• Remember when: Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton put on a show for the ages | Watch the 2007 Las Vegas Xfinity Series replay
• Last year: Kurt Busch puts on a show for the hometown crowd | Full race recap
• Memorable moments at Las Vegas: Dale Earnhardt Jr. runs out of fuel | Relive the moments

Fast facts

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Four drivers have finished in the top 10 in all three playoff races to this point: Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick.
• Kyle Larson‘s playoff points are more than second and third combined.
• Every driver for Team Penske finished inside the top 10 at the Las Vegas race in March.
• Matt DiBenedetto has finished runner up in two of the last three Las Vegas races.
• The Stage 2 winner at Las Vegas has won six of the last eight races with stages.

Catch the pack

Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• Inspection from Vegas: Byron, Truex to start from rear after failing pre-race inspection twice | Read more
• To the moon: NASCAR launches on social community platform Discord | Join now
• Fine for five: Five teams hit with violations after Bristol | Penalty report
• Happy, hardly: Kevin Harvick keeps his edge vs. long list of rivals | Read more
• Right at home: Crew chief Rodney Childers staying with SHR ‘for years to come’ | More details
• Luck or skill: Joey Logano on why he thinks luck comes into play in the Round of 12 |Hear why 
• Two’s a tandem: William Byron benefitting from relationship with crew chief Randy Fugle | Read more
• Bodywork: New body styles unveiled for ’22 Camping World Truck Series season | Learn about the changes
• Unfinished business: Brad Keselowski still in the title picture at Team Penske | Read more
• Back at Charlotte: AJ Allmendinger will race the Cup Series contest at the Charlotte Roval | Read more
• Roots: Peyton Sellers wins Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national championship | See how

Say what?

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

Brad Keselowski
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

“Las Vegas has been incredible for us. We had a great run going there last fall and got shuffled on a restart and didn’t get that top 10, but other than that, we’ve been a solid contender year in and year out. I think we finished second there in the spring and seem to be able to get it done there, so hoping for big things. Obviously, we need a strong performance for this round and the races in it. This is a tough round and I think we’ll have a great shot at doing just that.” — Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford

“That is the track where you can control your own destiny the most, so that is the one you have to put the most emphasis on. If you do a good job as a driver and your car is fast and the team does their job, that is where you can get your best result. The other two tracks you are more likely to be caught up in someone else’s issues. I’m sure that race will be the most nervous the entire 12-car playoff field is going to be, hoping that they perform well, because there are just no givens after that.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

“The Round of 12 begins with a great race track for me. Vegas is a place that I’ve always ran well at and am excited about going to. It will be nice to have a good run at Vegas leading into the unknown, Talladega.” — Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

 

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Justin Bonsignore cemented his place in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour history Saturday night at Stafford Motor Speedway.

After starting his career 0-for-40 at the Connecticut half-mile, Bonsignore led the final half of the season-finale and held off an overtime charge by Doug Coby to claim his first career victory at Stafford and win his third career — and second consecutive — Modified Tour championship.

A late spin by Matt Swanson brought out the race’s second caution of the night with just five laps to go, setting Bonsignore to the inside of Coby and just ahead of title contender Patrick Emerling.

RELATED: Full results

Coby got the initial jump but Bonsignore cleared the 12-time Stafford winner off Turn 4 coming to the white flag and held on to win the race and championship.

“One for 41!” Bonsignore exclaimed in Victory Lane. “Oh, I’m so glad we got that, man. Three-time champion, but I can’t get past winning at Stafford. And to beat Doug? He beat me at Riverhead (Raceway) to get his first this year, so it’s only fitting that we were able to outrun him.”

After leading at least one lap, Bonsignore only needed to finish 12th or better Saturday night to defend the title. Emerling was the only other driver eligible to win the championship entering Stafford at 16 points back, but his podium run wasn’t enough to win the title as Bonsignore controlled the final half of the contest.

“Congrats to Justin,” Emerling said. “They’ve been the fastest car all season and awesome work to them guys. We were chasing them, but hats off to my crew as well.

“We had a tight points battle there for a while and we had a lot of fun all season long. I’m just happy we were in contention up until the last race. We can finish the season and hold our heads high.”

A third-place run for Emerling seemed highly unlikely as his No. 07 car was mired mid-pack all race. The No. 07 qualified 14th and was running 17th at the time of the first caution with 21 laps to go. A quick pit stop by his crew shot him to seventh for the ensuing restart and Emerling capitalized by leaping to third ahead of the overtime yellow.

The night, however, belonged to Bonsignore despite a less-than-ideal start. While he qualified second and began on the outside of the front role, Bonsignore quickly dropped to fifth place while polesitter Anthony Nocella kept the lead and rocketed forward.

MORE: Final series standings

Nocella went on to lead the first 77 laps of the event, holding off notable strong charges by Coby and Jon McKennedy. But as Coby and McKennedy hounded Nocella, Bonsignore conserved his equipment and patiently worked his way back to the leaders, eventually carving his way to the lead at Lap 78.

The race was entirely clean and green up until Lap 129 when the yellow was displayed for possible fluid, suspected from the broken motor of Bobby Santos III. Woody Pitkat had worked his way up to second place and was gaining on Bonsignore, but a slow pit stop under caution plummeted him to 15th place for the ensuing restart.

With five laps to go, Swanson spun sideways and backward in the middle of Turn 2, involving Pitkat and Tyler Rypkema to set up the final caution of the race.

Behind Bonsignore, Coby and Emerling, Kyle Bonsignore and Craig Lutz rounded out the top five. Nocella, Rypkema, Ron Silk, Eric Goodale and Ronnie Williams completed the top 10.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kaulig Racing announced Saturday they have reached an agreement with Daniel Hemric to take over the No. 11 entry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the 2022 season.

Hemric currently runs full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in Xfinity, fielding the No. 18 Toyota after running a part-time schedule for JR Motorsports in 2020. In 113 starts in the series, he has 39 top-five finishes, 66 top 10s and will make his third career playoff appearance in Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The move adds another veteran driver to a Kaulig Racing stable that already includes 2021 Xfinity Series regular-season champion AJ Allmendinger. Twenty-two-year-old Justin Haley, driver of the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, will move to the premier series and field Kaulig’s first full-time Cup Series entry next season.

RELATED: Kaulig fielding full-time Cup entry in 2022

Hemric is still in search of his first career win in a NASCAR national series race, pulling in a pair of runner-up results and leading 510 laps this season. His two other full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series each resulted in a Championship 4 appearance with Richard Childress Racing — finishing fourth in 2017 and third in 2018. He enters the 2021 playoffs Round of 12 sixth in the standings.

RELATED: Xfinity Series playoff standings

Hemric made a season-long stint in the Cup Series in 2019 with RCR, starting all 36 races and earning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

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

RELATED: Cup Series point standings

Last weekend, the Round of 16 – Darlington Raceway, Richmond Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway – concluded, and the four contenders eliminated were Aric Almirola, Tyler Reddick, Kurt Busch and Michael McDowell.

Up next is the Round of 12, which includes Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. After another four are cut, the Round of 8 will commence at Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. The Championship 4 will finally be determined and compete at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 7. in a straight-up race for the ultimate Bill France Cup trophy.

Here are the 12 drivers (and how they advanced) still vying for the title, in order of their seeding: Kyle Larson (Bristol win), Martin Truex Jr. (Richmond win), Denny Hamlin (Darlington win), Ryan Blaney (points), Kyle Busch (points), Chase Elliott (points), Alex Bowman (points), William Byron (points), Joey Logano (points), Brad Keselowski (points), Christopher Bell (points) and Kevin Harvick (points).

RELATED: Cup Series playoffs hub page

Now, a Round of 12 track-by-track breakdown:

LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

(📅 Sunday | ⏰ 7 p.m. ET | 📺 NBCSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Name: South Point 400
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Length: 1.5 miles
Distance: 267 laps, 400.5 miles
Previous winner: Kyle Larson (March 7, 2021)

RELATED: Las Vegas race results

Kyle Larson won the regular-season event at Las Vegas, leading a race-high 103 of the 267 laps. In addition to Larson, there were eight other NASCAR Playoffs contenders in the top 10 (in order from second to ninth) – Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Christopher Bell, William Byron and Joey Logano. Really, the only top-10 finishing driver who’s not in the title battle was Erik Jones in 10th.

Kevin Harvick takes the cake when it comes to Las Vegas experience and also has an edge in top-10 finishes. Keselowski, meanwhile, has the most victories in the desert. Keselowski and Busch are tied for most top fives. But then it’s Logano who has the best average finish.

Screen Shot 2021 09 22 At 8.26.39 Pm

TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

(📅 Oct. 3 | ⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Name: YellaWood 500
Location: Talladega, Alabama
Length: 2.66 miles
Distance: 188 laps, 500.08 miles
Previous winner: Brad Keselowski (April 25, 2021)

RELATED: Talladega race results

Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag in overtime earlier this year, leading the final lap and the final lap alone at Talladega. The race went from its scheduled 188 laps to 191 total. Keselowski and three other postseason drivers survived to finish in the top 10 – William Byron (second), Kevin Harvick (fourth) and Ryan Blaney (ninth).

Harvick, once again, tallies the most career starts and top 10s among his playoff competition. Keselowski easily has the most wins – double more than anyone else – and then checks in with the best average finish. Denny Hamlin then enters with the most top-five finishes.

Screen Shot 2021 09 22 At 8.26.53 Pm

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROVAL

(📅 Oct. 10 | ⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Name: Bank of America ROVAL 400
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Length: 2.32 miles
Distance: 109 laps, 252.88 miles
Previous winner: Chase Elliott (Oct. 11, 2020)

RELATED: Charlotte Roval race results

Chase Elliott proved his road-course talent yet again with a win in the 2020 Charlotte Roval event, leading a race-best 27 of the 109 circuits. Martin Truex Jr., who finished seventh, also led 27 laps. Along with Elliott and Truex, there were four other 2021 playoff drivers in the top 10 – Joey Logano (second), Ryan Blaney (fifth), William Byron (sixth) and Alex Bowman (eighth).

The oval-road course layout was introduced in 2018, and 10 of the current 12 title hopefuls have competed in every race since – Elliott, Truex, Logano, Blaney, Byron, Bowman, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick. Elliott boasts the best marks in every statistical category considered, the sole owner of most wins and best average finish. Blaney and Bowman match him in top fives and 10s. Logano then also ties in top 10s.

Screen Shot 2021 09 22 At 8.27.04 Pm

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Statistics are fact. Odds, well, they’re a little more subjective.

Of the six drivers BetMGM favors ahead of Ryan Blaney to win the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship, four have fewer wins this season than the No. 12 Team Penske Ford driver. Three of those four are former champions. Blaney does not have a title to his name, though he is in the running this year.

“I’ve always kind of been a sleeper,” Blaney told NASCAR.com. “No one ever really talks about our group, which is fine. I don’t really care about it. I honestly prefer it to be that way.”

Not this time.

RELATED: Ryan Blaney career statistics

Sitting fourth in the NASCAR Playoffs standings, Blaney deserves to be talked about. He’s 11 points above the cutline as the Round of 12 begins Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), tied with Denny Hamlin, who’s seeded third. The two above them are Martin Truex Jr. (second, plus-16) and Kyle Larson (first, plus-46), and they are the only drivers with more victories this season than Blaney.

“We have to find a tiny bit of speed, I think, to compete with a couple of the teams out there,” Blaney said. “But I think as a whole, we’re really close. “This 12 group can do it, and I just keep stressing that if we do our jobs like I know we can, like I know all the guys on this team can, we can make it to Phoenix and give ourselves a shot at the championship. I’ve got all the confidence in the world in them.”

The three win stickers on the No. 12 Ford are a constant reminder of their capability.

Blaney, who had four single-win seasons from 2017-20, accomplished his first multi-win season this year, and he has been vocal about how much of a relief it has been ever since. Blaney first won at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, pulled off the breakthrough win at Michigan International Speedway in August and then doubled down at Daytona International Speedway a week later.

RELATED: All of Ryan Blaney’s Cup Series wins

At 27 years old, Blaney is by no means one of the oldest competitors in the garage. He is, however, becoming one of the more experienced. Blaney has been full-time racing at the sport’s highest level since 2016. Along the way, he learned the importance of adaptability.

“Before the Cup Series, like running late models when younger or even in Xfinity or Trucks, you can kind of rely on your heavy right-foot mentality and your driving to get you through,” Blaney said. “But then you get to the Cup Series and everyone’s so good, everybody’s ability is so good, that you have to figure out different ways to beat them, right? Sometimes you can’t outdrive them. Sometimes they’re just better that day. And you have to be able to outthink them.”

En route to each of his victories this season, Blaney did not lead the most laps. Not even close. And the cars that did, they were still running when the checkered flags waved.

Numbers alone can’t tell the full story.

BetMGM has Blaney at 14-1 odds to win the 2021 championship. Kyle Larson is the favorite at 2-1. Six races remain until the title showdown at Phoenix Race on Nov. 7.

“Hey, maybe everyone will forget about us and all of a sudden we’ll make the Championship 4,” Blaney said. “They’ll be like, ‘Well, where the hell did these guys come from?’”

RELATED: Ryan Blaney’s career through the years

Posted on by Holly Cain

For the second consecutive week, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series crowned a first-time winner. Christian Eckes, a 20-year old New York native, took the lead on a final restart with four laps remaining to claim his first trophy and lead a historic 1-2-3-4 finish for the ThorSport Racing team.

Eckes teammate Ben Rhodes finished .272-seconds back, followed by playoff driver Matt Crafton and veteran Johnny Sauter who completed the ThorSport four-of-a-kind at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Todd Gilliland finished fifth after leading a race-best 66 laps.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

Although understandably excited on the radio when he realized he’d won the race, Eckes was more subdued and reflective when he climbed out of his No. 98 ThorSport Toyota and greeted the crowd.

“Man, this is big,” said Eckes, formerly a Kyle Busch Motorsports driver, who was making only his ninth start in a part-time campaign with ThorSport this season.

“It’s been a tough year. That’s all I got to say, it’s been a tough year since last November. Hopefully I proved I can still do this.

“I’m speechless. It’s been a rough year, been a rough year.”

With the runner-up effort, Rhodes was the top finishing Playoff driver in a race that saw five of the eight playoff contenders finish 20th or worse. Rhodes’ work, coupled with an uncharacteristically tough outing for regular-season champion John Hunter Nemechek changed the points standings for the first time since Week 3 of the season.

Rhodes, who won the opening two races of the season, now holds a six-point edge over Nemechek, who finished 33rd with mechanical problems as the series goes into the second race of this three-race Playoff round. Prior to his No. 4 KBM Toyota suffering issues, Nemechek earned his series-best 11th stage win, taking the opening Stage Friday night.

RELATED: Nemechek loses power in Stage 2 at Las Vegas | Playoff standings

Playoff driver Stewart Friesen finished sixth, followed by Grant Enfinger, Austin Wayne Self, Ryan Truex and Austin Hill.

Not only was it a rough night for the championship contenders – it was a bitter pill to swallow for Gilliland, who paced the race most of the night and had been leading prior to that last restart.

“I think that was the most fun I’ve ever had racing a truck, but it stinks walking away from a race track for the second straight week, ultra-disappointed,” said Gilliland, who won Stage 2 and led a race-best 66 laps. Last week, he was eliminated from Playoff contention by a mere two points.

The majority of current Playoff drivers could relate.

Last week’s first-time race winner Carson Hocevar, who ran among the top-10 most of the night, had a late-race green flag pit stop and ended up 22nd.  Zane Smith was 29th and Chandler Smith and reigning series champion Sheldon Creed were 35th and 36th after being involved in a big accident on Lap 70.

“Restarts were insane all night,” Creed said, adding, “I didn’t have a great truck but thought we were a top-eight truck at least. Unfortunate, but it’s going to make Talladega fun and interesting.”

The series races next Saturday in the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Raphael Lessard won the race in 2020.

Note: The race-winning No. 98 ThorSport Toyota of Eckes passed NASCAR’s post-race inspection. There were no other issues.

Posted on by Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It was 16 years in the making for the driver out of Danville, Virginia, as this week Peyton Sellers was named the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion for the second time in his career.

Sellers won his first Weekly Series championship in 2005 at age 21, then the youngest champion in the history of the series.

“Congratulations to Peyton on his second NASCAR national championship,” said NASCAR President Steve Phelps. “It is just amazing to see what he’s done this year, also adding in two track championships, the Virginia state championship, and the Southeast Region championship. The Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series is really the bedrock of NASCAR, and having a champion like Peyton continue to dedicate himself to competing at such a high level week-to-week is what makes this racing special.”

Peyton Sellers
Peyton Sellers pictured during the NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Series at Dominion Raceway on Sept. 18, 2021 in Woodford, Virginia. (Parker Michels-Boyce/NASCAR)

In addition to winning the Weekly Series national championship, Sellers also won the Southeast Region and Virginia state titles, as well as the track championships at South Boston Speedway and Dominion Raceway. It marked his sixth South Boston track championship and the second for him at Dominion, where he raced last season while South Boston was shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sellers credits the newfound dual-track loyalty to putting him in the hunt for the national championship by July this season. He was able to bank wins early in the season and could race more frequently close to home as the schedules didn’t conflict at South Boston and Dominion.

“When we sat down at the beginning of last year, we were wanting to race like everybody, and when COVID set in, we didn’t have a place to race because South Boston pulled the plug pretty early in the year,” said Sellers. “Dominion Raceway was a track we had raced at and they said we’re still going to try to do it. We were able to win the track title there.

“And then this year when South Boston opened up, obviously it’s our home track and we wanted to go back there. We still had allegiance to Dominion because they gave us a place to race last year. We were winning some races and doing pretty well at both places, one thing led to another and we were competing for two track titles.”

Sellers tallied 21 wins (12 at Dominion Raceway and nine at South Boston Speedway) in 37 starts this season, finishing in the top 10 in all but two of those races. He also accumulated 29 top-five results, including five runner-up finishes.

“Peyton has been a mainstay competing on NASCAR’s home tracks for years and is renowned for being an incredible driver and great representative of short track racing,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s executive vice president of merchandising, marketing and E-commerce. “We congratulate Peyton and his team on becoming NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champions in what was a season for the record books.”

Peyton Sellers
Peyton Sellers, driver of the No. 26 Clarence’s Steakhouse and Danville Toyota car, in action during the NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Series at Dominion Raceway on Sept. 18, 2021 in Woodford, Virginia. (Parker Michels-Boyce/NASCAR)

Jacob Goede, the 2019 Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion based in Minnesota at Elko Speedway, finished second in the national standings. Goede also won the Midwest Region championship and is the current Elko Speedway points leader heading into the final race weekend of the season.

A trio of drivers battled it out in the Northeast Region with Craig Von Dohren taking the regional championship and track title at Grandview Speedway as he finished third in the national standings. Todd Patnode was fourth while the third Northeast driver, Brett Kressley, was fifth in the final standings.

The national Jostens Rookie of the Year is Gunner Martin out of the Midwest Region, who races out of Central Missouri Speedway. He recorded nine wins in 20 starts, also putting together 18 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes.

Martin narrowly edged out Landon Pembleton, the 16-year-old teammate of Sellers, in the Southeast Region for the national honor.

The complete list of regional Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champions and Jostens Rookie of the Year awards is below:

Southeast Region

  • Champion: Peyton Sellers (Dominion Raceway, South Boston Speedway, Langley Speedway)
  • Rookie of the Year: Landon Pembleton (Dominion Raceway)

Northeast Region

  • Champion: Craig Von Dohren (Grandview Speedway)
  • Rookie of the Year: Alexander Wyatt (Beech Ridge Motor Speedway)

Midwest Region

  • Champion: Jacob Goede (Elko Speedway, LaCrosse Speedway, Madison Speedway)
  • Rookie of the Year: Gunner Martin (Central Missouri Speedway)

West Region

  • Champion: Eric Rhead (Magic Valley Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring)
  • Rookie of the Year: Patrick Gold (Magic Valley Speedway)

Eric Rhead, based in Utah, travels four hours to Magic Valley Speedway or seven hours to Las Vegas to race each weekend. He ultimately finished seventh in the national standings while capturing the West Region crown.

“Advance is also thrilled to recognize Craig Von Dohren, Jacob Goede and Eric Rhead as our regional Weekly Series champions,” said McDonell. “Becoming a champion requires sustained excellence, commitment and passion for the sport, and we congratulate these drivers and team members for their title-winning seasons.”

Sellers said this nationwide competition for Weekly Series honors – while still being able to work his job during the week helping run the family construction business, Sellers Brothers, Inc. – is what keeps him coming back to race in the series each year.

“It allows you to run on a national platform on a local level by having the opportunity to run and compete for a national title,” Sellers said. “NASCAR and the Weekly Series give me the opportunity to compete against Jacob Goede from Minnesota, this guy from Irwindale and this guy from Lakeside. That’s what’s really special about what NASCAR’s got.”

Posted on by Marcus DiNitto

Kyle Busch’s finishing positions in the three races that comprised the first round of the Cup Series Playoffs were less than impressive and not what we are used to seeing from the two-time champion. Oddsmakers, though, are looking beyond those results when pricing the No. 18 for Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Las Vegas represents the Series’ return to the 550-horsepower engine, a package with which Busch has thrived. In the nine races on ovals using the high-downforce package this year, he has two wins (Kansas, Pocono-2), two second-place finishes (Pocono, Atlanta-2) two thirds (Vegas, Charlotte), a fifth (Atlanta), a seventh (Michigan) and a tenth (Homestead-Miami).

“He runs well at these kinds of tracks,” Ed Salmons, who posts NASCAR odds at SuperBook USA in Vegas, told NASCAR.com. “He won the first race at Kansas – Kansas and Vegas are real similar. … He’s been running great at these mile-and-a-half tracks, better than his (Joe Gibbs Racing) teammates.”

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

More recently, though, Busch crashed out of Darlington, finished ninth at Richmond despite having perhaps the best car and was a distant 21st at Bristol after cutting a tire in the final stage.

Salmons explained away some of that inconsistency.

“He had the race won at Richmond. I mean, that thing was over, and he sped on the very last stop (and was penalized for it), which was asinine,” Salmons said. “And you can throw out last week. He was just trying to get in (to the Round of 12). Those guys just race so differently (in certain playoff situations).”

Listed between +600 and +650 on various oddsboards, Busch is priced behind only Kyle Larson to win at his hometown track this weekend. Here’s a look at Sunday’s top 12 betting favorites (as of Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. ET), who, not coincidentally, are the same 12 drivers still in the hunt for the 2021 Cup Championship. Odds are from the SuperBook, plus NASCAR’s three sports betting sponsors – BetMGM, Barstool and WynnBET.

Driver SuperBook BetMGM Barstool WynnBet
Kyle Larson +300 +275 +300 +300
Kyle Busch +600 +650 +650 +600
Denny Hamlin +700 +700 +750 +700
Martin Truex Jr. +700 +750 +900 +800
Chase Elliott +800 +800 +800 +750
William Byron +1000 +1200 +1200 +1200
Kevin Harvick +1200 +1000 +1000 +1100
Ryan Blaney +1400 +1200 +1500 +1400
Brad Keselowski +1400 +1400 +1400 +1400
Alex Bowman +1800 +1800 +2000 +1800
Joey Logano +1800 +1200 +1200 +1400
Christopher Bell +2500 +2500 +2500 +2500

WHIPPING AROUND THE FIELD

Running down some other contenders … 

Kyle Larson: Doesn’t seem to matter to the No. 5 which track they’re running on. Short-track, intermediate track, road course – Larson has won on all of them this season, including Vegas in March. Larson was offered at 10-1 odds to win that race; he’s 3-1 or shorter this week.

Team Penske: The three Penske drivers all rate near the top of the field in recent Vegas history, and their long odds present nice potential paydays for bettors who believe they can regain form this weekend. Brad Keselowski – whose lame-duck status with the team we discussed earlier this week – has a Cup-leading 4.86 average finish over the seven most recent races at this track, including a second-place finish in the Spring.

Ryan Blaney owns a 8.57 average finish and 101.3 rating (both sixth best) over that span, and Joey Logano’s 113.3 average rating ranks second to Kevin Harvick (114.2). 

Said Salmons, “Logano is the king of winning with bad cars, but he’s been awful on these 550- horsepower tracks (16.89 average finish this year), even though his history is so good here.”

Kevin Harvick: Happy has maintained his top spot in average driver rating at Vegas despite some forgettable recent performances at a track he used to own. He finished 20th here in March, and reading from his notes on Harvick’s 10th-place finish last Fall, Salmons said, “‘car was decent but not close to the best. He doesn’t win races without dominating cars,’ which is true.”  

Harvick, who had the speed to win at Bristol last week and finished second, still seeks his first victory of the season.

FROM THE SOUTH POINT

As title sponsor of Sunday’s race, the South Point Hotel & Casino is hosting nearly 50 race teams this weekend. We spoke last month with former NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughan, whose father Michael owns the property, about the atmosphere during race week, and earlier this week, we caught up with Chris Andrews, who runs the South Point sportsbook.

Andrews said the book offers an expanded wagering menu when the NASCAR circuit stops in town, and handle for Vegas races rivals that for the Daytona 500. 

Gaughan told us that while race week can be hectic at the South Point, it’s “so worth it. We love seeing the race fans at the hotel, love seeing the race teams. We have 47 teams total between Truck, Xfinity and Cup that stay with us. We take care of the race teams. Man, we love it.”

Added Andrews, “They’re great to have around, a lot of good ole’ boys. They’re a lot of fun, they come here and have a good time.”

If you happen to be in Vegas this weekend, be sure to stop by and maybe make a wager or three at the South Point sportsbook – it’s one of the best in town.

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.