Posted on September 24, 2021 by Zach Sturniolo

The Round of 12 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is upon us. Now, it’s a matter of finding out who’s willing to gamble for the win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The South Point 400 is set for Sunday at 7 p.m. (NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with 12 drivers left to fight for a championship. A week ago at Bristol Motor Speedway marked the end of the postseason road for Tyler Reddick, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola and Michael McDowell.

The other contenders are ready to roll down the Las Vegas Strip and test their luck in the Nevada desert.

COMING UP FIRST…

Fresh off his Bristol victory, Kyle Larson is set to lead the field to the green flag at Las Vegas alongside Ryan Blaney. William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. make up Row 2 while Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin roll off fifth and sixth respectively. Check out the entire starting lineup here.

RULES PACKAGE

Sunday’s race marks the first race of the Playoffs that features the 550-horsepower, higher-downforce package. NASCAR utilizes the lower-horsepower package and its higher downforce at tracks larger than 1.4 miles to encourage closer racing via taller spoilers and longer front splitters.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Teams will be quite familiar with this tire compound at Las Vegas as Goodyear returns with the same combination run in the spring as well as in 2020.

This tire package, specified for low-wear tracks, has been used at Las Vegas, Texas Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway, while the right-side compound is also utilized at Kansas Speedway.

“Since Las Vegas is a low wear track, we formulate our tread compounds to specifically introduce some wear on this type of surface,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Last fall, we were able to add a little more grip to the right-side tire at Las Vegas and a couple other similar tracks. After some positive results in 2020, we have brought that back to the track in 2021, and that has continued with earlier races at Las Vegas, Texas, Kansas and Michigan with this right-side.”

LAS VEGAS HISTORY

— Las Vegas Motor Speedway came to be after Ralph Englestad (CEO, Imperial Palace) and Bill Bennett (CEO, Circus Circus and Sahara) recognized an opportunity for a state-of-the-art speedway in 1995.

— The speedway was completed in June 1996 on a 1,600-acre plot near Nellis Air Force Base that once housed a drag strip dating back to 1958 as well as a road course and ⅜-mile paved oval. The complex now holds the 1.5-mile speedway, an industrial park, drag strip, ½-mile dirt track, ⅜-mile asphalt oval and two road courses.

— Tony Stewart and Richie Hearn were the first to test the track on June 22-25 in Indy Racing League vehicles. Hearn won the inaugural race — the IRL Las Vegas 500K — on Sept. 16, 1996 and set a then-record for mile-and-a-half tracks with a fast time of 222.359 mph.

— Bruton Smith and Speedway Motorsports agreed to purchase the track in December 1998 for $215 million — $150 million for the track and $65 million for the real estate and warehouses.

— Smith led a massive renovation of the track in 2006 in which the banking in the turns changed from 12 degrees to 20 degrees and the backstretch to 9 degrees, while also moving pit road 150 feet closer to the grandstands and building a ¼-mile oval within the frontstretch grass.

— Part of that renovation brought upon the two-story, four-building Neon Garage as well as a state-of-the-art media center that can hold 500 media members.

— Las Vegas hosted its first Playoff race in 2018 and served as the Playoff opener, its first year as a host of two Cup Series races as well.

Source: Racing Insights

SIN CITY STORYLINES

— The 12 drivers left to fight for the 2021 Cup championship are Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell and Kevin Harvick.

— Hamlin, Truex, Larson and Harvick are the only drivers to finish in the top 10 in each of the first three races of the postseason this year.

— Larson’s 59 playoff points are more than Truex and Hamlin’s combined (53).

— Larson’s 3.0 average finish in the Round of 16 ties the best Round 1 start since the introduction of the elimination format.

— Team Penske has found plenty of luck at Las Vegas lately, winning five of the last 11 races there while finishing in the top 10 in 86% of their starts since 2014 (25 of 29). All three Penske drivers were top-10 finishers in March.

— Kyle Busch makes his 600th career Cup start Sunday at the site of his first start, which took place on March 7, 2004. He’s the second youngest to hit 600, behind only Richard Petty, who is the only driver to win his 600th start (Richmond, 1973).

— Kevin Harvick’s 36-race winless streak is the sixth-longest of his career and longest since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

— 12 of the last 13 Las Vegas winners are Cup champions, the lone exception being Kyle Larson, who won in March.

— Winners of Stage 2 have gone on to win in six of the last eight Vegas races, the highest rate at any track. The exception is Chase Elliott, who finished 26th in Feb. 2020 and 22nd in Sept. 2020.

— Joey Logano has led in 11 consecutive events at Las Vegas, a track record. The next longest streak is four in a row, a tie held by Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott.

LUCKY IN THE LIMELIGHT?

Kyle Larson capitalized as the 9-2 favorite at Bristol and came away with the win. He’ll look to do the same while trying to sweep the season at Las Vegas as an 11-4 (+275) favorite, according to BetMGM.

Hometown Cup champion Kyle Busch has won only once at Las Vegas, that coming all the way back in 2009. But with five top 10s in his last seven Vegas starts, BetMGM lists Busch at 13-2 odds with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin next at 7-1. Hamlin, though, has yet to win in Sin City.

Two-time Vegas winner Martin Truex Jr. is listed at 15-2 odds while defending Cup champ Chase Elliott carries an 8-1 shot into Vegas.

Joey Logano may seem like a tempting bid at 12-1 odds considering he’s won two of the last five Vegas races, but he has finished 15th or worse in each of the last four mile-and-a-half contests. Logano’s best finish on a 1.5-mile track this year is ninth.

Well under the radar is Matt DiBenedetto, who has snuck his way into two runner-up finishes in the last three races at Las Vegas. At 66-1 odds, perhaps this Penske-affiliated Wood Brothers Racing driver is worth the gamble.

FANTASY LIVE

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

The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Kyle Larson (1,171), Denny Hamlin (1,164) and Chase Elliott (958).

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

How to play: Playoffs Grid Challenge | Playoff Fantasy Live

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

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

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

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Terrin Waack

The 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs begin Saturday — a seven-race battle among 12 title-eligible drivers for the championship. First up is the Round of 12, featuring Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Four contenders will then be eliminated before the Round of 8, which will include Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. Afterward, the Championship 4 will be set and take on Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 6 in a straight-up race for the ultimate trophy.

Here are the 12 drivers (and how they qualified) vying for the title, in order of their seeding: Austin Cindric (five wins), AJ Allmendinger (four wins; regular-season championship), Justin Allgaier (two wins), Noah Gragson (two wins), Justin Haley (a win), Daniel Hemric (points), Jeb Burton (a win), Harrison Burton (points), Myatt Snider (a win), Brandon Jones (points), Riley Herbst (points) and Jeremy Clements (points).

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

LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

(📅 Saturday | ⏰ 7:30 p.m. ET | 📺 NBCSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Length: 1.5 miles
Distance: 201 laps, 302 miles
Previous winner: AJ Allmendinger (March 6, 2021)

AJ Allmendinger won the regular-season race at Las Vegas earlier this year, leading 44 of the 200 laps. In addition to Allmendinger, there were seven other playoff drivers in the top 10 at the checkered flag – Daniel Hemric (second), Brandon Jones (third), Austin Cindric (fourth), Noah Gragson (fifth), Justin Haley (eighth), Harrison Burton (ninth) and Jeb Burton (10th).

Justin Allgaier has the most Las Vegas experience, which led to the most top-five and top-10 finishes, too. He has never won there, though. Only Allmendinger has won at Las Vegas before. It was in his only start, giving him a perfect average finish. Otherwise, Gragson has the best average finish.

TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

(📅 Oct. 2 | ⏰ 4:30 p.m. ET | 📺 NBCSN | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Location: Talladega, Alabama
Length: 2.66 miles
Distance: 113 laps, 300.58 miles
Previous winner: Jeb Burton (April 24, 2021)

Jeb Burton held on to win at Talladega earlier this season in a rain-shortened event. He led 20 of the 90 laps (was supposed to be a 113-lap event). Seven other title contenders were in the top 10 when the race was called – Austin Cindric (second), AJ Allmendinger (third), Riley Herbst (fourth), Noah Gragson (sixth), Justin Haley (eighth), Myatt Snither (ninth) and Harrison Burton (10th).

Justin Allgaier and Jeremy Clements tie for the most career Talladega starts. Haley has the most wins and is the only driver with multiple victories. He also boasts the best average finish. Cindric and Allgaier match on top fives, and Allgaier holds the most top 10s.

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROVAL

(📅 Oct. 9 | ⏰ 3 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Location: Concord, North Carolina
Length: 2.32 miles
Distance: 67 laps, 155.44 miles
Previous winner: AJ Allmendinger (Oct. 10, 2020)

AJ Allmendinger won the 2020 playoff race as a non-playoff driver, holding the front spot for 12 of the 68 laps that went into overtime (regulation was 67 laps). He is in the 2021 postseason field, though, and there were four others like him now in the top 10 – Noah Gragson (second), Daniel Hemric (third), Austin Cindric (sixth) and Brandon Jones (10th).

The Charlotte Roval was introduced in 2018. Cindric, Jones, Justin Allgaier and Jeremy Clements are the only playoff drivers who have competed in every event there. Even still, Allmendinger is the only one who has won, and he did so in both his starts, leaving him with a perfect average finish. Otherwise, Gragson has the best average finish. Allmendinger, Cindric and Gragson match in top-five finishes. Cindric boasts the most top-10 results. Jeb Burton has never raced the Charlotte Roval layout.

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Sean Montgomery

Despite a combined seven wins a season ago, Joe Gibbs Racing’s current stable of full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers has yet to reach Victory Lane this season. But the trio still has sights set on the ultimate goal — winning a championship.

Brandon Jones, Harrison Burton and Daniel Hemric are no strangers to success in the Xfinity Series. The three wheelmen total 377 starts, 92 top-five finishes and 194 top 10s among them. Despite leading 760 laps this season — 510 belonging to Hemric — none of them have been able to cross the finish line in first. A much different story than their No. 54 full-time entry, filled by drivers running a part-time schedule, that has cranked out nine 2021 wins from Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell.

“It’s been surprising to me that we (full-time drivers) haven’t clicked off wins as an organization,” Jones said. “The 54 has been really strong. But I think at times during these races that car has won, we’ve been just as good, if not better. I think it’s just about aligning yourself there at the end of the race to go get it.”

If there’s any time to go get it, it’s now. All three drivers are in the playoffs, preparing for a seven-race sprint for the title. The Round of 12 begins Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Jones leads the three JGR drivers with four consecutive appearances in the playoffs. After a career-best season in 2020 set him up to be a top contender this year, a mix of strong finishes and eight DNFs has him entering as one of the underdogs.

“The speed is there to win the races,” Jones said. “We’re capable of winning these races. It’s just got to all line up for us at some point. Our program, to be honest, has stepped up night and day compared to the times that we did win last year. We’ve all made the right steps in the right direction to get better.”

Hemric’s position is even more unique.

Prior to a full-time Cup Series stint in 2019, Hemric reeled off back-to-back Championship 4 appearances in the Xfinity Series in 2017 and ’18 and his 2021 laps-led total is second only to title-favorite Austin Cindric. But the No. 18 JGR driver is still searching for his first NASCAR national series win.

Hemric has come close multiple times after a pair of runner-up results earlier this season and a heartbreaking end to a victory bid at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July. But instead of dwelling on the past, he is looking on the bright side.

“I know we are going to have an opportunity inside this 18 team to win races here in these next seven weeks to position ourselves to make that championship run,” Hemric said. “If the opportunity (to win a race) is there, we are going to do all we can to take it.”

For Burton, this season’s playoff run is a chance to handle unfinished business from a season ago.

“Last year, we ran decent at Las Vegas and not great,” Burton said. “That kind of put us behind (in the playoff standings), like, ‘Gosh, we have to get some points at Talladega,’ and we go out there and get in a crash. The biggest thing is just controlling what you can control. We need to go out and attack this weekend like it’s a must-win scenario. ”

Burton already has a Cup Series ride locked down for next season with Wood Brothers Racing in the iconic No. 21. That knowledge has not created any complacency on his part.

“I want to win (in Xfinity) regardless,” Burton said. “But there is some pressure there. Going to the Cup Series next year is a big jump no matter how you run. Hopefully we can win some races here and win this championship. That’ll give me some confidence for next year. But at the end of the day, I know that they (Wood Bros. and Team Penske) believe in me.”

Either way it shakes out, the three teammates find themselves trying to rev up their performance in the postseason. And with all three vying for the trophy, they know it creates a different sense of urgency.

“The first task at hand was to get all of our Toyota Supras locked into the playoffs, and we did that successfully,” Hemric said. “Now, you have to approach it as even though there’s three other teammates that I’ll be racing with from time to time, that’s also three or four positions, points. You’ve gotta tiptoe that line. That line becomes a little bit more narrow when you get into the playoffs.

“That’s something that’s so integral to NASCAR. It’s not one specific organization against another in each game. You’re competing against your own. That’ll be all of our mindsets and if it’s not, I’m sure Coach (Joe Gibbs) would be disappointed. As much of a team as it is, you’ve gotta go get the job done for yourself.”

Posted on September 23, 2021September 23, 2021 by Official NASCAR Release

NASCAR announced today a partnership with voice, video and text communications service Discord, becoming the first sports league to launch an official server with the online community.

Founded in 2015, Discord began as a space for gamers and has since evolved into a communication service with over 150 million active users. NASCAR’s new channel is a dedicated community for fans and users to connect and share their interest, passion, and excitement for the sport.

RELATED: JOIN NOW | Full eNASCAR coverage

“We share in Discord’s commitment to fostering a sense of belonging and community across a very unique and diverse audience,” said Branden Williams, senior manager, gaming & esports. “This partnership encourages new and returning fans to authentically communicate and stay in touch with one another as they gain more inside access into the sport they love.”

Not only is NASCAR the first sports league on the platform, but it’s also helping bring new features to the platform that have never been done before. In addition to general chat features, the NASCAR channel will offer free access to live in-car audio streams from NASCAR Cup Series championship contenders beginning this weekend with the Round of 12. NASCAR race control and the PRN radio broadcast will also be streamed as well as a weekly driver fan vote.

“Discord is where the world talks, hangs out and builds relationships around their shared passions,” said Williams. “When it comes to sports, there is a tremendous community of people who want to share their passion and experiences. NASCAR fans will have the ability to receive exclusive content while watching the race and engaging with other fans who share their excitement.”

Discord helps friends and communities of all sizes come together to hang out and explore their interests — from artists and activists, to study groups, sneakerheads, day traders and more.

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continue with the Round of 12 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The SouthPoint 400 will run at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 26.

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

Since announcing on July 20 he is leaving Team Penske after the 2021 NASCAR season to join Roush Fenway Racing as a driver and minority owner, Brad Keselowski’s on-track performance has fallen off. His third-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18 is his last in the top five, he has been 24th or worse three times in the seven most recent races and led just 27 total laps during this span.

Despite an excellent history at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Keselowski is priced as a 14-1 longshot on oddsboards throughout the betting market to win Sunday’s South Point 400 (7 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Over the seven Las Vegas races since 2018, Keselowski’s 4.86 average finish leads the Cup Series, per DriverAverages.com, and he has a win, four top fives and a 102.7 rating to boot. His second-place finish here this past spring came after winning the Stage 1 and finishing second in Stage 2.

His lame duck status with Penske, though, has bookmakers and bettors wondering if he’s a driver to fade not only this weekend but also for the rest of the season.

“There’s always a question when these guys are leaving to go to another team,” said Ed Salmons, vice president of risk management at SuperBook USA. “You always hear, ‘Well, he’s not getting the good stuff now.'”

Salmons, whose NASCAR numbers tend to influence the market, says the dynamic of a driver’s departure factors into his oddsmaking.

“Definitely,” he said. “You look at track history, you look at how they’re running, you look at what you think people are gonna bet, and you kind of go from there and settle on a price. It’s all baked into the number.”

Count Jim Sannes, a quantitative NASCAR analyst at numberFire, among bettors who won’t be invested in the No. 2 Ford on Sunday.

Michigan International Speedway is the only oval the circuit has visited since New Hampshire to employ the 550-horsepower, high-downforce package that will be used in Las Vegas (per Salmons, Michigan is not a useful comparison to Vegas). So most of the races that have been run since Keselowski’s announcement are not included in Sannes’ model. That means the model does not take into account Keselowski’s recent dip.

Sannes said he would have considered downgrading Keselowski had his simulations overrated him by not factoring in his impending departure from Penske. But even without adjustments, the sims give Kes just a 3.5% chance to win Sunday; 14-1 odds imply a 6.67% chance.

Had his sims not met the smell test, Sannes said in a direct message: “I’d basically treat Keselowski as if he’s not in the 2 car anymore because — at least to me — he’s effectively not. And even if the sims still showed value in him, I’d simply ignore it and not bet him. I’m not touching him right now.”

Zack White, though, a professional sports bettor who specializes in NASCAR, is not making a downward adjustment on Keselowski.

“Maybe if he wasn’t racing for a championship or (was) leaving on bad terms. Or if the team was folding,” White said in a text message. “Everyone still wants to win in this case, so no change for me.”

And even if Penske resources are being deployed more heavily to Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, Salmons isn’t counting Keselowski out, either. Salmons puts Kes in the rare company of drivers who can steal a race when he’s not in the best car, pointing to last year’s Coca-Cola 600 as an example.

“(Chase) Elliott had the race won and (William) Byron got a flat, and they decided to pit (Elliott) from the lead when no one else pitted,” Salmons said. “Keselowski just drove around two laps and won the race that he had zero business winning.”

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Terrin Waack

The 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs continue Friday, as four races remain in the season-long battle for the championship.

Last week, the Round of 10 concluded at Bristol Motor Speedway. Two title-eligible drivers were eliminated from the postseason competition – Todd Gilliland and Austin Hill – while eight carried on – John Hunter Nemechek, Sheldon Creed, Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Matt Crafton, Carson Hocevar and Stewart Friesen. Creed won the first two Round of 10 events (World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and Darlington Raceway) to clinch a Round of 8 berth, and Chandler Smith won the elimination race (Bristol) to survive another round. The other six advanced on points.

Up next is the Round of 8, featuring Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Friday), Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 2) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 30). Afterward, the Championship 4 will be set and compete at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 5 in a straight-up race for the ultimate trophy.

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

LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

(📅 Friday | ⏰ 9 p.m. ET | 📺 FS1 | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Length: 1.5 miles
Distance: 134 laps, 201 miles
Previous winner: John Hunter Nemechek (March 5, 2021)

John Hunter Nemechek won the regular-season event at Las Vegas earlier this year, leading a race-high 94 of the 134 laps. There were four other playoff drivers who also finished in the top 10 – Stewart Friesen (fourth), Matt Crafton (fifth), Zane Smith (sixth) and Ben Rhodes (10th).

Crafton has the most Las Vegas experience in his career and with that comes the most top-five and top-10 finishes among his postseason competition. He has not won, though. Nemechek and Rhodes are the only playoff drivers with previous Las Vegas wins. Zane Smith then has the best average finish.

TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

(📅 Oct. 2 | ⏰ 1 p.m. ET | 📺 FS1 | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Location: Talladega, Alabama
Length: 2.66 miles
Distance: 94 laps, 250.04 miles
Previous winner: Raphael Lessard (Oct. 3, 2020)

Raphael Lessard won this race last year, holding the lead on Lap 94 of 94 only. He was not – and is not – a playoff contender. There were, however, three drivers with 2021 title potential in the top-10 finishing order – Chandler Smith (third), Ben Rhodes (fourth) and Matt Crafton (eighth).

Not a single playoff driver has won at Talladega before. Four of the eight – Rhodes, Smith, Crafton and Stewart Friesen – have one top-five finish apiece. Crafton has the most top 10s, given his unique double-digit start count. Smith holds the best average finish, though skewed since he has only one start in his career. Carson Hocevar has no prior Talladega experience.

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

(📅 Oct. 30 | ⏰ 1 p.m. ET | 📺 FS1 | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Location: Martinsville, Virginia
Length: 0.526 miles
Distance: 200 laps, 105.2 miles
Previous winner: Grant Enfinger (Oct. 30, 2020)

Grant Enfinger, who was not playoff eligible this season as he was not entered in an early-season race, won the Martinsville playoff race in 2020 after leading 49 of the 200 laps. Five drivers currently in the playoffs were also in the top 10 – Ben Rhodes (second), Zane Smith (third), Matt Crafton (fifth), Stewart Friesen (sixth) and Sheldon Creed (eighth).

Crafton dominates four of the five statistical categories in consideration for Martinsville heading in the Round of 8 elimination race – starts, wins, top fives and top 10s. Zane Smith has the best average finish, though skewed with just one career start. Otherwise, Crafton would be tied with Rhodes for best average finish in the postseason field. Chandler Smith has never raced at Martinsville before.

Posted on September 22, 2021September 23, 2021 by Kyle Souza

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will conclude its 2021 season this Saturday at Stafford Motor Speedway, and the main story line going into the race is the championship battle.

Justin Bonsignore leads Patrick Emerling by 16 points headed to the finale, looking to seal his third Whelen Modified Tour championship in the last four years. Emerling is looking for his first crown after 11 years of tour competition — with four career wins to his credit. Emerling is no stranger to championship glory, as a former Modified champion on the Race of Champions Tour, but this is his first shot at title glory with NASCAR.

Outside of the title battle, there are also countless other story lines to watch in the Whelen Modified Tour season-finale. The battle is on for third position on back in the championship race, while some drivers are invading the tour for the first time in their career, and others are coming back to looking to end the season in style.

RACE INFO: Race Center: Stafford | Entry List

————–

BREAKING IT DOWN: Bonsignore vs Emerling

Both Justin Bonsignore and Patrick Emerling have proven that they belong in this position going to the final race of the year.

Emerling is having undoubtedly the best year of his Whelen Modified Tour career, posting three victories (Stafford, Lancaster and Riverhead), while Bonsignore’s consistency is striking again.

DRIVER NAME:	Justin Bonsignore	Patrick Emerling
Career Titles	2	0
Career Wins	30	4
Career Top-Fives	95	26
Career Top-10s	126	59
Career Poles	19	3
Years of NWMT Racing	15	11

With a 16-point gap, a finish of 11th or better will clinch a third title for the Holtsville, New York, native, no matter what Emerling does. If Bonsignore leads a lap, he needs to finish 12th or better. There are multiple scenarios involved — but if the two end up tying at the top at the end of the NAPA Fall Final 150 — Emerling will win, by virtue of his multiple wins.

At Stafford specifically, both of them have led laps — but only Emerling is a winner, which occurred in the NAPA Spring Sizzler in April. Bonsignore has competed at the half-mile 40 times in Whelen Modified Tour action — and has yet to win — and his fellow competitors will be the first to give you the 0-40 stat. He has led 335 laps there, including 14 in August, before Ryan Preece passed him in the final laps to take the win, and Bonsignore was forced to his fourth runner-up finish there.

Patrick Emerling celebrates winning the NAPA Spring Sizzler at Stafford in April. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Either way, both of them would be deserving champions.

POINT STANDINGS ENTERING STAFFORD

For Emerling, it would be a breakout performance for the ages, and one that no one could have predicted leading into the season. For Bonsignore, it would be another step towards cementing a dynasty. He looks to become just the fourth driver in Whelen Modified Tour history to capture three or more titles. Only Mike Stefanik (seven), Doug Coby (six) and Tony Hirschman (five) are on the list. Coby’s title run in 2019 is the only thing stopping Bonsignore from chasing a fourth straight.

“We just have to go out there and race the same way we have been racing all season,” Bonsignore said in a race preview. “We have to have a maximum day — qualify well, get a good pit stall selection, and try to get out front, lead laps and control the race, then wait for the pit stop. With the different tire strategies that happen at Stafford, it makes it difficult to figure it out. This should be a lot of business as usual for us, just a bit more conscious of where we are at with the points. There is a long way to go before we can think about winning the championship — we don’t want to be ahead of ourselves. It would be special to become a three-time series champion. Not many guys are on that list and they are all legends of the modifieds.”

Bonsignore is more experienced, and most consistent. But Emerling has more wins this year, and is primed to make a run at the gold. Only one driver can hoist the brand new series trophy, released earlier this year.

————–

Battle For 3-7 in Championship Race is Close

Even though Bonsignore and Emerling have run away, leading third place by more than 60 points, the race between third and seventh is closer than ever. Ron Silk is third, 68 points from the lead, while Kyle Bonsignore is fourth, just six behind Silk. It’s another nine back to Woody Pitkat, 10 to Doug Coby and 13 to Eric Goodale. Heading to Stafford, it seems all of them could be due for a solid finish.

All five drivers are previous Stafford winners, and two of them are former track champions. Pitkat is second on the all-time wins list at the track with 78, while Coby, a former track champion, has 12 career tour wins at Stafford. Pitkat hasn’t quite had the season he was hoping for in his return to full-time action — with only two top-five finishes in 13 races — but will be hoping some home cooking will get him to Victory Lane to close out the year.

When it comes to the tour season, Coby has two DNFs (Loudon & Riverhead last week), but still is sixth in the championship battle heading to the finale. In the owner’s championship race, Coby and his Doug Coby Racing team are comfortably set to lock-up third, since Chase Dowling drove the car to a top-10 at Oswego.

“What a special night for short track racing in America.”

Six-time Modified Tour champ @doug_coby won the first @SRXracing Series race in history. Coby sacrificed running in tonight’s Modified race in New York. (Via @CBSSports)pic.twitter.com/gPFnyIGdRb

— Motorsports on NBC (@MotorsportsNBC) June 13, 2021

Silk enters his final race with Kevin Stuart Motorsports at Stafford. Set to move on to a different operation next year, Silk has won seven times since he started driving for the team in 2017 — including twice at Stafford. Kyle Bonsignore and Goodale are former winners, but have just six combined top-fives this year.

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SK Modified Points Contender To Make Tour Debut

It’s time to make the move to the big time for a successful driver, and crew chief.

Stephen Kopcik is second, only 14 points out of the lead, on the heels of five wins in 18 starts in the track’s historic SK Modified division with two races to go. His next contest will occur on Friday night, as he looks to best Todd Owen in the battle between two drivers looking for their first title.

On Saturday, Kopcik goes Whelen Modified Tour racing for the first time.

Kopcik will drive for Gershow Racing in the No. 2 Gershow Recycling entry owned by Joe Bertuccio. As a proven driver, Kopcik isn’t overly concerned about getting up to speed — especially since he has plenty of tour experience as a crew chief for NASCAR Cup Series regular Ryan Preece. The combination has already been to Victory Lane three times this year, including at Stafford in August.

Stephen Kopcik (left) celebrates winning the Mayhew Tools pole award with driver Ryan Preece at the Whelen Modified Tour event at Stafford in August. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

“I don’t want to sound cocky but my goal is to start and run in the top-10 all day,” Kopcik said in a track release. “I know it’s not easy racing on the tour, but Stafford is my home track and I set these cars up for a living, so I want to run well and I don’t think the top-10 is out of reach for us. Mike Bologna, the crew chief on the car, is going to give me everything I need to succeed, so it’s very possible for us to have a good run. I think my track knowledge will benefit me more with just knowing the driving style to get around Stafford. Any driver will tell you Stafford is a unique track. You look at someone like Justin Bonsignore, he’s a bada** on the Tour and he hasn’t won yet at Stafford and then someone like Doug Coby, Stafford is his home track and he’s kind of had the track in his back pocket. It’ll be interesting for me to see how my experience matches up against those guys. I feel really confident racing at Stafford.”

Quick links:

2021 Stafford races: Emerling wins Sizzler | Preece wins round two
Past NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Races at Stafford
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Drivers at Stafford

NAPA Fall Final 150 Race Notes:

The Whelen Modified Tour season will conclude in Connecticut for the 22nd consecutive year, but this time, Stafford Motor Speedway will host the finale. The half-mile in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, has played a crucial role in the title battle since the inception of the series in 1985, hosting at least one race in every year except 1988.
C.J. Lehmann will make his first Whelen Modified Tour start since 2017, as the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series regular at Riverhead Raceway will compete for Steve Mendoza.
Craig Lutz has entered the race driving a second car in the Dave Sapienza Racing stable, numbered 63. Lutz’s team, Goodie Motorsports, announced their immediate closure a few weeks ago, and he drove the Danny Watts No. 82 at Riverhead, posting a DNF due to a crash. In his last five tour starts, Lutz has all DNFs.
Two-time track champion Ronnie Williams is back in the No. 50 for Paul Les, set to chase the checkered flag. Williams is fresh-off a podium run at Richmond Raceway earlier in the month, and is no stranger to the half-mile.
Joey Cipriano, a graduate of one of Stafford’s weekly divisions, will compete in a backup car for Kevin Stuart Motorsports. Austin Beers also returns to the Whelen Modified Tour for the fourth consecutive race, driving for Mike Murphy.
The NAPA Fall Final 150 is part of two days of racing at Stafford, including Friday. All of the track’s weekly divisions will be in action.

The Whelen Modified Tour season will conclude at Stafford, with 27 drivers entered to chase victory in the NAPA Fall Final 150. (NASCAR)

Posted on September 22, 2021September 23, 2021 by Press Release

There can be few stories as heart-warming or as genuine as that of Evergreen Speedway stalwarts Troy and Amy Draper, who met at the Speedway 35 years ago and have been together ever since. With son Tyler notching his first win in the Stinger 8s earlier this season, the family association looks set to continue for a long while yet but after 37 years, Amy and Troy have understandably decided to call time on their dedicated service to the track.

We spoke to Amy last week about how she and Troy got involved at Evergreen and it’s a multi-generational family story. “My dad was involved in racing when I was a child, so I’ve pretty much been out there since I was nine days old! Then he was doing Figure 8 racing. My husband Troy got involved with his uncle and his cousin. His uncle worked for Mickey Beadle on Saturday nights and his cousin did tech for the Friday night club which was Sky Valley Racing at the time.”

Troy and Amy met at the track soon after they joined the staff aged just seventeen, and the happy couple have now celebrated 35 years of marriage. Amy picks up the story, “Troy started out as a tech for Sky Valley and then he did fire safety at turn one and two on the 5/8; then he started flagging for Sky Valley Racing Association and then that became Saturdays as well. I started out selling pit passes at the back gate and transitioned into being pit boss for Sky Valley and then WWRA. That transitioned into helping tech on Saturdays and being pit boss on Saturdays. I helped Troy flag for three months when his assistant was injured and since then we just do whatever needs help with doing.”

When asked what they’ve enjoyed the most over the years, Amy was quick to answer, “The people. We enjoy the sport. There’s good days and bad days but it’s been a lot of fun.”

Their son Tyler Draper has been running Stinger 8s for the last 7 or 8 years and this year got his first win, “That was really exciting for us. It was very cool to see him get his first win while we were still working there. He’s been out there since he was four days old. Our family has been out there for years. We will definitely miss all the people. The racers and the pit crews are what have made it special. We really appreciate everything Doug and Traci have put into the track in the last few years. It’s a tough decision but after doing it for 37 years, the next 35 years need to be about us but we will miss it.”

Amy concluded, “There are so many stories out there I wouldn’t know where to begin!” I’m sure the whole motorsports family in the Northwest and especially at Evergreen would like to say a big thank you to Amy and Troy, who plan to see more of their grandchildren in the years ahead. Every track needs their Amy and Troy and we are delighted to have had them here for so long.

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Posted on September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the South Point 400 (Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Press Release

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will broadcast the nation’s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race, the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, on Saturday, Sept. 25.

“As the best late model stock car racers compete at Martinsville Speedway, we are proud to welcome the Motor Racing Network and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold to broadcast the ValleyStar Credit Union 300,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “The amazing at-track experience will only be enhanced with ‘The Voice of NASCAR’ on MRN and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold calling the intense flag-to-flag action under the lights.”

On MRN, veteran announcers Alex Hayden and Steve Post will call the action from the booth with Dave Moody in the turns and Hannah Newhouse providing inside analysis and pit reporting. MRN’s broadcast coverage will start at 6:30 p.m. ET. The broadcast will be available on participating affiliates as well as MRN’s digital platforms.

“Late models under the lights at Martinsville have become a tradition for all of us at the Motor Racing Network,” said Chris Schwartz, President of Motor Racing Network. “And we are so excited to provide the soundtrack as the best local racers from around the country compete for the prestigious Martinsville grandfather clock and the biggest payout in NASCAR Late Model Stock Car racing!”

The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is available to TrackPass users with either the NASCAR Roots package ($2.99/month) or the TrackPass: All Access pass ($4.99), which includes all live events from Progressive American Flat Track, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Pinty’s Series and IMSA.

The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious Late Model Stock Car Race, paying a total purse of more than $110,000 with the winner receiving $32,000 and the coveted Martinsville grandfather clock. Peyton Sellers, the 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion, will compete with Bubba Pollard, Bobby McCarty, Timothy Peters, and other late model stars, along with Rajah Caruth making his event debut, in an impressive ValleyStar Credit Union 300 field.

On Saturday, Sept. 25, the Fan Garage/Pit Experience (i.e. driver autograph session) will be free to all fans with a ticket from 12:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. Heat races will begin at 3 p.m. ET. Pre-race festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. ET with the 200-lap feature ValleyStar Credit Union 300 starting at 7 p.m. ET. The race will have three segments: 75 laps, 75 laps and 50 laps. Stage 1 and Stage 2 winners will each receive $1,000.

Practice for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 begins Friday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. ET with qualifying for the pole position starting at 8 p.m. ET with the top qualifier pocketing an extra $5,000 courtesy of Martinsville Speedway. The Campbell Family Foundation will host a fireworks extravaganza following qualifying. Tickets are just $5 for Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions with kids 12-and-under are free.

ValleyStar Credit Union 300 race tickets are just $30 for adults with kids 12-and-under are free and available for purchase today via phone at 877-RACE-TIX or online at martinsvillespeedway.com.