Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Ryan Blaney is hitting his stride at just the right time.

The No. 12 Team Penske driver heads into Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale, at Daytona International Speedway (7 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) on a hot streak that serves as one of the best in his career. In the past eight races, beginning at Pocono Raceway, Blaney has only two finishes outside of the top six (20th at Road America, 14th at Watkins Glen). That equals an average finish of 7.25 in that stretch.

RELATED: Where does Ryan Blaney rank in this week’s Power Rankings? | Lineup for Daytona race

But how does that compare to Blaney’s previous seasons? Before his current streak, Blaney’s best average finish in the same stretch of races (race Nos. 18-25) is 12.5 in 2018. That year, Blaney was eliminated in the Round of 12 of the playoffs. Below is a breakdown of his average finish in races 18-25 in all six of his full-time seasons, including where it ranked among other drivers in the field.

Season Avg. finish Season rank
2021 7.25 1st
2018 12.5 7th
2019 14.375 13th
2017 18.25 16th
2020 18.25 16th
2016 20.5 19th

Now let’s compare Blaney’s streak to other drivers in that same stretch of races over the past six seasons. Traditionally, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick have been strong during the final run into the playoffs. As you can see in the chart below, both drivers have set the bar high, with sprinkles of success from Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch before you get to where Blaney’s average finish ranks.

Driver Avg. Finish Season
Kevin Harvick 4.75 2020
Martin Truex Jr. 6 2020
Denny Hamlin 6.25 2017
Denny Hamlin 6.5 2016
Denny Hamlin 6.625 2020
Kevin Harvick 6.75 2018
Kyle Busch 7.125 2019
Ryan Blaney 7.25 2021
Kyle Larson 7.375 2021
Erik Jones 7.5 2018

As it stacks up, Hamlin was able to transfer the momentum gained in the final stretch of regular-season races into one Championship 4 appearance (2020), while Harvick was able to do the same in 2018. The only one on the list to win a title in that same year was Busch in 2019.

While a lot can happen in the 10-race playoff stretch, statistically, Blaney has put himself in the best position of his career heading into the postseason. If he can keep clicking off top-five finishes, it might be his best chance for his first Championship 4 appearance to date.

Statistics provided by Racing Insights.

Posted on by Staff Report

Earlier this year, NASCAR and its manufacturers formally introduced the unique body styles of the Next Gen Car to NASCAR fans and industry members. The new sleek design is fulfilling NASCAR’s promise to put the “stock” back in stock car racing. The Next Gen car will make its highly anticipated debut in 2022, and drivers, partners and fans are excited to see the new cars in action.

A significant contributor to the development of the Next Gen car has been the automotive performance suppliers that are producing super high quality performance parts for each of the cars that will hit the track in 2022. In celebration of those key suppliers, NASCAR is announcing today, a new partnership program that will highlight their contribution to the sport.

The NASCAR Competition Partner program is making its debut today and includes some of the highest quality automotive performance suppliers, including BBS Wheels, Cometic Gasket, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Mobil 1 Lubricants, SRI Performance and Technique Chassis. As part of the program, NASCAR Competition Partners will have the ability to promote and market the products that are used across all NASCAR Series including the new Next Gen Car. This partnership allows true automotive based performance companies to showcase their alliance with NASCAR to their customers and to the performance motorsports industry.

“The Next Gen car has been a product of incredible collaboration across our teams, OEM’s, and a number of partners that have provided input on the car,” said NASCAR SVP of Racing, Jon Probst. “Countless hours of simulation, wind tunnel tests, and lab testing went into optimizing the car for performance and safety. On the track, the Next Gen car has been put through a rigorous testing process and we couldn’t have done it without the support of incredible partnerships.”

As a competition partner, each supplier will utilize a newly designed Competition Program badge that can be used to promote and market their high quality, category leading, performance parts. Each part is NASCAR tested, NASCAR approved, and NASCAR tough.

Posted on by Marcus DiNitto

Brendan Gaughan lends a unique perspective to the intersection of gambling and NASCAR. The former NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series driver grew up in Las Vegas and around the casino business – his father, Michael, and grandfather, Jackie, both magnates of the industry. 

Michael currently owns the South Point Hotel & Casino, which houses one of Vegas’ most respected sportsbooks. On Super Bowl Sunday, in fact, you’ll find Brendan behind the counter, writing tickets for the bettors lined up to wager on the game.

RELATED: NASCAR BetCenter | Odds for Daytona regular-season finale

Brendan, who stepped away from NASCAR after racing in five Cup events last year, co-hosts “Gone Racin,'” a NASCAR betting-themed show on VSiN (for the uninitiated, that’s the Vegas Stats & Information Network, a media company dedicated to sports betting founded by Brent Musburger in 2017). He also remains involved in his family’s casino business, in addition to several entrepreneurial endeavors of his own, and yes, even some racing.

We recently caught up over the phone with Brendan and discussed his favorite casino games, why he doesn’t bet NASCAR and the slick vehicles he drives to get his family around town.

NASCAR.com: I know you do some ticket writing on Super Bowl Sunday at the South Point. 
Gaughan: That’s been a special deal for my family. A Gaughan has worked a sportsbook since the dawn of sportsbooks and casinos, every Super Bowl. And as long as I’m around, the trend will not be lost. And with any luck, my children will continue that when I’m gone.

NASCAR.com: What’s the biggest bet you’ve ever written?
Gaughan: I got to write one of the $250,000 ones. Just depends on what window it gets sent to, and they sent me one for $250,000. 

NASCAR.com: Do you remember who it was on and if it was a winner?
Gaughan:  You know what, I don’t. It was just a bet. You know what I mean? In our businesses, it’s where’s the number going and go to the next one. 

NASCAR.com: What else are you doing these days? What else are you working on? I know you have some business interests. What’s keeping you busy?
Gaughan: I have a moonshine company; we make a City Lights Shine. I have a chemical company and PPE company. That’s something that we started before the pandemic, and it’s doing well right now. And then of course the family business. We have Mesquite Gaming in Mesquite, Nevada – Casa Blanca Resort and Virgin River Hotel – and the South Point. I stay in Mesquite, because if my dad’s there, probably not a good idea for me to be there. We get along great, as long as we don’t work with each other. I’m sure anybody who has worked with their fathers many times could say that. So I stick with Mesquite, he sticks in the South Point.

NASCAR.com: Yeah, I heard you on a podcast characterizing your relationship with your father as unique.
Gaughan: He’s an amazing man. I love him to death, and we get along amazingly – until we have to share a boardroom.

NASCAR.com: Other than the South Point, what’s your favorite sportsbook in Vegas?
Gaughan: Well, I’m kind of a homer when it comes to the South Point, so I stick mostly there. But I will have to say that I’m a fan of the Stevens brothers (Derek and Greg), and I’m a fan of what they’ve built. I think it’s a beautiful place they built over there at Circa and that sportsbook, especially.

NASCAR.com: Do you bet a lot of NASCAR?
Gaughan: No. Remember I wasn’t allowed for the last 25, 30 years of my life. I couldn’t. And it was definitely a different era. I mean, (today’s legal sports betting environment) is very unique. Hell, in 2020, I was doing a gambling television show on a race that I was racing in. But I respected NASCAR’s wishes very, very closely on that and understood. I grew up in this business. There’s a fine line there. So no, I do not bet on NASCAR. And even to this day, truly, I don’t bet on NASCAR. …. Now that I’m out of the sport, I talk about it more often, but I still don’t feel like it’s right. I was too involved too long.

NASCAR.com: South Point title sponsors a race in September (at Las Vegas Motor Speedway). How does your life change during that week?
Gaughan: Oh, God. If at all possible, I try to make sure I leave town (laughs). It’s a very hectic week for the hotel, for me personally. Honestly, it was easier when I was behind the wheel, because at least I had an excuse for a few hours that nobody could bother me. Now it’s wide open. Everybody wants me to go everywhere, wants you to do something. Everybody thinks you have Ticketmaster tattooed on your forehead. So it’s definitely a difficult week. But you know what, 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.

RELATED: Buy tickets for the Las Vegas playoff weekend

NASCAR.com: That’s fun. To you, what’s been the biggest surprise so far of the 2021 NASCAR season?
Gaughan: Well, I think it just happened – AJ Allmendinger (winning the Cup race on the Indianapolis Road Course on Aug. 15). That was phenomenal. I was so excited for AJ. …. It wasn’t a surprise to me, surprise to others – Kyle Larson’s dominance. I said in our first show of Gone Racin’ that I expected Kyle Larson to win at least five races this year. And he’s already at that number.

NASCAR.com: I also heard you mention your nephew as an up-and-coming racer. How’s his career going?
Gaughan: Jakers (Jake Gaughan) is making his way in, he’s racing the off-road, and he’s working hard at it. He’s going through the typical growing pains of trying to race in the desert. He has an allergy to keeping all four wheels down at the moment. We’re trying to fix that problem. But he’s doing great. He finished second last week at Reno in his class, and he’s won a couple of big races, so he’s doing well.

NASCAR.com: If you don’t bet NASCAR, what do you play?
Gaughan: What’s funny is growing up in this life – I’m not going to say I didn’t make book with the nuns in fifth grade for extra credit in school – but I don’t tend to bet heavily. I’ve watched my father do it, and what I learned a long time ago was, ‘am I going to worry about my $100 bet, or am I going to worry about what the hotel needs?’  So I’m rooting for the Denver Broncos, Dad’s rooting for the Washington Redskins, my $150 win is much less important than the win for the hotel (laughs). So I tend to not bet often. I only bet when I have fun feelings about things, where there’s people that I like in a game. I used to love betting on (former Bucs and Falcons running back) Warrick Dunn. So I’ll find a reason to bet, but I don’t do it often anymore.

NASCAR.com: Any casino games?
Gaughan: Yeah, once again growing up the business, you learn you get burned. But I love to shoot dice. If you’re a real casino man, you know how to shoot dice and you know the odds on everything. So a dice table is where you’ll find me. If I’m looking to play with friends and be social, you’ll find me a Pai Gow table. So depends on the mood.

NASCAR.com: What will it take to get you back in a race car?
Gaughan: Well, I still go race in the desert, and I’ll do that until you pry the steering wheel from my cold dead hand. But in a NASCAR? No thank you, I’m good. I’m happy. I’ve been there done that. I bought many t-shirts, and I’ve moved on. You’ll find me in the dirt in Baja. Matter of fact, I’m sitting here prepping for the Baja 400 (scheduled for September) right now. If you’re looking for me, go looking in the dirt in Mexico. 

NASCAR.com: What kind of car do you drive in real life?
Gaughan: (laughs) Oh, everybody loves that question, they think my answer is funny. I have a 2012 Volkswagen Routan minivan and a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Red S Edition minivan.

NASCAR.com: Like a true family man.
Gaughan: I love ‘em! No, I love ‘em. I love minivans! Even without the family. The Red S is my favorite minivan. It is so freaking cool. Look it up online. It’s cool looking.

NASCAR.com: Your pick to win the Cup championship?
Gaughan: I picked him at the start of the season to be a favorite, and everybody kind of laughed at me, but Kyle Larson is still my favorite. He is absolutely showing the talent that he is. If I’ve got a dark horse sitting there, it’s William Byron, but Hendrick Motorsports is the favorite by far.

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 by Staff Report

NASCAR penalized three Cup Series teams, an Xfinity Series team and a Camping World Truck Series team Wednesday for infractions during last weekend’s events at Michigan International Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Daytona schedule

Two of the three Cup Series teams were found with one unsecured lug nut in Sunday’s post-race check after the FireKeepers Casino 400, resulting in a $10,000 fine for each of the following teams/crew chiefs:

  • No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (crew chief Mike Wheeler; driver Bubba Wallace)
  • No. 51 Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet (crew chief Mike Hillman; driver Cody Ware)

The No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team (driver Ross Chastain) was then penalized in the Cup Series for the Chevrolet’s loss of an axle during the race. Crew member David Fero is suspended from the next event as a result (Saturday’s regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway).

In the Xfinity Series, the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (driver AJ Allmendinger) was found with a single unsecured lug nut after Saturday’s New Holland 250 at Michigan, resulting in $5,000 fine for crew chief Jason Trinchere.

In the Camping World Truck Series, the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Toyota (driver Derek Kraus) was found with a single unsecured lug nut after Friday’s Toyota 200 at Gateway, resulting in $2,500 fine for crew chief Mark Hillman.

NASCAR also hit Brian Thomas, a crew member in the Xfinity Series, with an indefinite suspension from the sport due to a behavioral infraction.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway (7 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson has secured the Busch Pole Award for Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: Cup Series starting lineup | Xfinity Series starting lineup

Larson, the series points leader, will start his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from the first spot for the sixth time this season, in search of his first Daytona victory. He leads Denny Hamlin by 28 points in the final battle for the series’ regular-season championship, which includes a 15-point bonus in the playoff-point tally.

AJ Allmendinger claimed the pole for Friday’s Wawa 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Allmendinger is the Xfinity Series’ most recent winner, prevailing in triple overtime last weekend at Michigan International Speedway.

RELATED: Daytona weekend schedule | Buy tickets

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 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
3 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
4 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
5 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
6 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
7 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
8 Kurt Busch 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
9 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Wood Brothers Racing
10 Brad Keselowski 2 Team Penske
11 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
12 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
13 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
14 Christopher Bell 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
15 Alex Bowman 48 Hendrick Motorsports
16 Chase Briscoe 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
17 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
18 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
19 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
20 Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing
21 Erik Jones 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
22 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
23 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
24 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
25 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
26 Daniel Suarez 99 Trackhouse Racing
27 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
28 Justin Haley 77 Spire Motorsports
29 Ross Chastain 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
30 BJ McLeod 78 Live Fast Motorsports
31 Cody Ware 51 Petty Ware Racing
32 Anthony Alfredo 38 Front Row Motorsports
33 Corey LaJoie 7 Spire Motorsports
34 Garrett Smithley 53 Rick Ware Racing
35 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
36 Josh Bilicki 52 Rick Ware Racing
37 Joey Gase 15 Rick Ware Racing
38 Kaz Grala 16 Kaulig Racing
39 Landon Cassill 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing
40 David Starr 66 Motorsports Business Management

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 Tadd Haislop

Heading into the final race of the 2021 regular season for the NASCAR Cup Series, the Playoffs standings show all but one spot clinched.

The 16th and final driver to clinch a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will do so Saturday night in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: NASCAR Playoffs clinching scenarios

With a series-high five victories and 12 stage wins thus far in 2021, Kyle Larson leads the NASCAR Playoffs standings over Denny Hamlin in second place, Kyle Busch in third, William Byron in fourth and defending champion Chase Elliott in fifth entering Daytona.

On the other end of the grid is Tyler Reddick, who enters Saturday night with a 25-point edge over his Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon for the 16th and final NASCAR Playoffs spot.

Either driver would clinch with a win. But if Daytona produces a repeat winner on the season — or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs — Reddick would need at least 31 points to clinch his spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Dillon, on the other hand, would need help to clinch.

Below are the complete NASCAR Playoffs standings ahead of the regular-season finale, including the list of drivers who have already clinched spots.

NASCAR Playoffs standings

Below are the NASCAR Playoffs standings heading into the Cup Series’ regular-season finale at Daytona.
Note: The drivers locked in are listed first. 

Season standings rank Driver Season points Cutoff Wins bonus Stage wins Regular-season bonus Playoffs reset Projected Playoffs Points
1. Kyle Larson 1004 Locked In 25 12 15 2000 2,052
2. Denny Hamlin 976 Locked In 0 5 10 2000 2,015
3. Kyle Busch 838 Locked In 10 5 8 2000 2,023
4. William Byron 833 Locked In 5 3 7 2000 2,015
5. Chase Elliott 820 Locked In 10 2 6 2000 2,018
6. Martin Truex Jr. 789 Locked In 15 5 5 2000 2,025
7. Ryan Blaney 787 Locked In 10 4 4 2000 2,018
8. Joey Logano 772 Locked In 5 4 3 2000 2,012
9. Kevin Harvick 756 Locked In 0 0 2 2000 2,002
10. Brad Keselowski 729 Locked In 5 2 1 2000 2,008
12. Alex Bowman 674 Locked In 15 0 0 2000 2,015
14. Kurt Busch 643 Locked In 5 3 0 2000 2,008
15. Christopher Bell 595 Locked In 5 0 0 2000 2,005
19. Michael McDowell 497 Locked In 5 0 0 2000 2,005
23. Aric Almirola 436 Locked In 5 0 0 2000 2,005
11. Tyler Reddick 677 25 0 3 0 2000 2,003
 – CUTOFF  –  –  –  –  –  –  –
13. Austin Dillon 652 -25 0 0 0 – –
16. Matt DiBenedetto 557 -120 0 1 0 – –
17. Chris Buescher 542 -135 0 1 0 – –
18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 504 -173 0 0 0 – –
20. Ross Chastain 492 -185 0 0 0 – –
21. Bubba Wallace 482 -195 0 1 0 – –
22. Chase Briscoe 450 -227 0 0 0 – –
24. Erik Jones 427 -250 0 0 0 – –
25. Daniel Suarez 423 -254 0 0 0 – –
26. Ryan Newman 406 -271 0 0 0 – –
27. Ryan Preece 398 -279 0 0 0 – –
28. Cole Custer 382 -295 0 0 0 – –
29. Corey LaJoie 307 -370 0 0 0 – –
30. Anthony Alfredo 237 -440 0 0 0 – –

Who has clinched a spot in Cup Series Playoffs?

Below is the list of 15 drivers who have already clinched spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

All but two have clinched with race victories; Hamlin and Kevin Harvick have clinched on points.

Projected playoff points rank
(among those locked in)		 Driver Clinched with
1 Kyle Larson Win (5)
2 Martin Truex Jr. Win (3)
3 Kyle Busch Win (2)
4 Chase Elliott Win (2)
5 Ryan Blaney Win (2)
6 Alex Bowman Win (3)
7 William Byron Win (1)
8 Denny Hamlin Points
9 Joey Logano Win (1)
10 Brad Keselowski Win (1)
11 Kurt Busch Win (1)
12 Christopher Bell Win (1)
13 Michael McDowell Win (1)
14 Aric Almirola Win (1)
15 Kevin Harvick Points

Clinch scenarios for regular-season finale at Daytona

NASCAR Cup Series races at Daytona are known for their unpredictability, so the 15 drivers who could clinch the 16th and final NASCAR Playoffs spot with a win will be hoping to do just that Saturday.

The following are the drivers who would clinch a NASCAR Playoffs spot with a win in the regular-season finale at Dayona.

  • Tyler Reddick
  • Austin Dillon
  • Matt DiBenedetto
  • Chris Buescher
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  • Ross Chastain
  • Bubba Wallace
  • Chase Briscoe
  • Erik Jones
  • Daniel Suarez
  • Ryan Newman
  • Ryan Preece
  • Cole Custer
  • Anthony Alfredo
  • Corey LaJoie

Reddick and Dillon are the only two drivers who can clinch the last NASCAR Playoffs spot without a win at Daytona.

If a repeat race winner (or a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs) takes the checkered flag Saturday night, Reddick or Dillon could clinch by being ahead of the fourth winless driver in the standings.

In that case, Reddick would clinch with 31 points earned at Daytona. Dillon could only clinch with help.

The same point requirements would hold true if a new win were to come from Hamlin or Harvick.

Posted on by Zack Albert

It’s been nearly two months since Todd Gordon announced that he would soon step away from his role as crew chief for Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford and driver Ryan Blaney. There’s an 11-race runway before that move becomes official at season’s end, and all indications are that Gordon won’t coast into that career sunset.

Gordon gathered up his second NASCAR Cup Series win of the season with Blaney on Sunday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway, providing some pre-playoffs momentum for the No. 12 team and fulfilling a point of emphasis for Ford, not far from the automaker’s hub in Detroit.

RELATED: Blaney best at Michigan | Cup Series standings

No less than Edsel Ford II delivered that message personally to Blaney & Co. on Sunday. But in addition to the customary Blue Oval pep talk, Ford mentioned another goal. “We need to get Todd one more win here in Michigan before he leaves,” Blaney recalled Henry Ford’s great-grandson saying. “Last chance to do it.”

Sunday’s Michigan victory in the FireKeepers Casino 400 would rank as quite the send-off for Gordon on its own. But the 51-year-old crew chief says he wants more from his final year on the pit box, now presented with the ideal scenario to leave his role on top.

“Ideally, Ryan has talked about this a little bit, but I want to go out a champion,” Gordon says. “We’ve got a lot of races left. We’ve got a lot of competition. I’m really comfortable with my decision. I don’t know where it will take me. There’s things that I can do. Heck, I can spend a year at my house just working on home projects.

“I’m comfortable with where I’m going to go. I’ve had a great career. I do want to go out while I’m still relevant and still competitive. I want to pick my time, and this is it. I think it’s time for family, but it’s still great to win races. It’s a blessing and an opportunity that I’ll cherish for the next 11 and hopefully we can get a couple more of these and a championship.”

Relevant and competitive are bars that Gordon has cleared in all nine full-time seasons as a Cup Series crew chief. He’s won at least once every year since 2013, collecting 24 Cup victories in his time with Team Penske and hoisting the 2018 series championship with Joey Logano.

Gordon was first paired with Blaney as part of an organization-wide crew chief shake-up before the 2020 season, but routine driver-crew chief communication was halted by the COVID-19 outbreak just four races into that campaign. No practice or qualifying meant that opportunities to collaborate during a race weekend were reduced, a development that Blaney called “bittersweet.”

That said, Blaney has still called his experience with Gordon, “a ton of fun. He has showed me a lot of different things about race cars, kind of has widened my knowledge of everything.

“Wish him the best that’s for sure next year, but we’ve got a job to do this year — sending him out with a bang. Nice win today. Hopefully we can get a few more wins and be able to bring home the big one at the end of the year. Be a pretty big send-off for Todd. Hopefully we can do that for him.”

The coronavirus stoppage threw the NASCAR industry into transition, and Gordon shifted from spending more time at the track or at the race shop to having more time with family at home. The break prompted him to reassess his life’s priorities. Both of his daughters were back home, and he reconnected with his parents, who used to take a motorhome from track to track to follow their son’s travels. It’s what fed his decision to announce June 28 that he’d hang up his headset after the season.

“I want to spend some time with my family. I wanted to have more time to do that,” Gordon said. “I know my own competitive nature, I need to actually make the commitment to step away to slow things down and make time to do the other things that I want to do. That’s pretty much most of where this is coming from.”

Even as he continues to add victories to his career portfolio, Gordon maintains there’s not a lingering itch to stay in his current role. He said Sunday that he’d surely miss the camaraderie that comes with being a part of team owner Roger Penske’s organization and the sense of community from being at the track each week, but that also he has the rare chance to step aside on his own terms.

Should the next 11 races play out favorably, those terms might include a second Cup Series championship.

“I’ve got the greatest boss in the world, greatest opportunity in the world,” Gordon said. “I’m walking away from this because I want to make time for other things. It’s been a great run, and I’d like to see what the next chapter of my life brings.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

The potential playoff outcomes for Richard Childress Racing teammates Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon ripple with mathematical possibilities for Saturday’s regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway. For everyone else with a sliver of postseason eligibility within reach, the marching orders are simple — win or else.

RELATED: Playoff clinch scenarios | Cup Series standings

The field of 16 championship hopefuls will be set after Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM). Only one playoff berth remains available, and Reddick is currently the last driver in on the provisional postseason grid. He’s 25 points ahead of Dillon — the first driver out as things stand with 25 of 26 regular-season races in the books.

Dillon crashed out of Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway, swept into the wall after contact with Brad Keselowski, but he made a modest three-point gain on Reddick in the standings based on his strong showing at the stage finishes. Reddick’s opportunity to build a bigger bank of points fizzled with a flat tire and spinout with six laps left.

“In the closing laps, I made it four-wide on the bottom, but I lost momentum, slid up on the track and lost a ton of positions,” said Reddick, who finished 29th in the FireKeepers Casino 400. “We avoided damage there, but unfortunately with less than 10 laps to go, my right-rear tire was cut down and I spun. We were forced to pit under green for four tires and that cost us a solid finish. There is one race left at Daytona and we will give it everything we have as a team to get our No. 8 Chevrolet into the NASCAR Playoffs.”

Points matter for the RCR bubble duo, but 13 other drivers can convert on a playoff spot by winning the regular-season finale. A first-time winner from among that baker’s dozen would knock both Reddick and Dillon out.

Matt DiBenedetto is the top-ranked among those outsiders in the standings. The Wood Brothers Racing driver squeezed his way into the first playoff appearance of his career by a scant six points last year, but this season, only a checkered flag will do.

MORE: Daytona weekend schedule | Buy tickets

At the other end of the standings, the pursuit of the regular season championship will be decided in Daytona. Points leader Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin have locked up postseason berths, but are still vying for the 15-playoff-point premium that comes with that title. Larson gained six points on Hamlin at Michigan to provide him with a 28-point edge atop the standings, heading to the finale.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m glad I gained some points on him today,” Larson said after Sunday’s third-place finish. “But Daytona is Daytona. I don’t typically see the checkered flag I feel like too often there. We’ll see. But glad to go in there with 28 points. If we could get a couple good stages there at Daytona, I would feel much better about it.”

As Larson referenced, the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway has not traditionally been his strong suit. He’s yet to post a top-five finish in 14 career starts there. In contrast, Hamlin has traditionally been a Daytona powerhouse, claiming three wins in the season-opening 500 and leading multiple laps in his last five Daytona starts.

“We’ll just try to get every point that we can and go for the win,” Hamlin said after placing fifth at Michigan. “We’ll do everything we can. The FedEx Camry team has been strong all year long. We just can’t get a caution right, can’t get a restart right – just little tiny things right to get a win. But we’re in the hunt every week and that’s all we can ask for.”

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Just one open spot remains on the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs grid, with one race left in the 2021 regular season — Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM) at Daytona International Speedway.

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From NASCAR statistical services, here are the 15 playoffs spots that have already been determined, the outlook for the regular-season title race, and which scenarios need to unfold in Saturday’s 400-miler for playoff hopefuls to clinch the final berth.

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Already Clinched: The following 15 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola.

Can Clinch Via Points: If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 4th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick, who have already clinched on the basis of points.

  • Tyler Reddick: Would clinch with 31 points
  • Austin Dillon: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win: The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Anthony Alfredo, Corey LaJoie.

Can Clinch Regular Season Championship: Additionally, the Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:

  • Kyle Larson: Would clinch with 32 points
  • Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help