Posted on June 14, 2021June 16, 2021 by Davey Segal

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads back to Riverhead, New York, this weekend for the second time in the last five weeks, as Riverhead Raceway plays host to the sixth event of the 2021 season.

The 200-lap, 50-mile event will be the first time the tour heads back to a venue for the second time this season, with return visits to Stafford, Oswego (and Riverhead for a third time) on the docket later in the slate. The quarter-mile oval serves as the only auto racing venue on Long Island, has been in operation as an asphalt track since 1955 and has hosted at least one NWMT race every year since 1985 (excluding 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

RACE INFO: Entry List | Race Center

With the top two title contenders, Patrick Emerling and Justin Bonsignore, finishing third and fourth at Oswego respectively, the former maintains a three-point advantage over the latter heading to Riverhead. Bonsignore swept the Riverhead races in 2018 and 2019 and has won eight career races at the New York quarter mile.

After skipping Oswego, six-time champion Doug Coby returns to the modified to defend his May 15 victory at Riverhead. The win was his first at Riverhead in 21 starts spanning 15 years.

Fans can watch the race live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and tape delayed on Thursday, June 24 at 4:30 pm ET on NBCSN.

Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Despite sitting 14th in the standings, Timmy Solomito will be a driver to keep an eye on. The three-time Riverhead winner is a former track regular and knows his way around the quarter- mile. The former series runner-up finished 12th at Riverhead in May, two laps down, in his debut with the No. 64 team.

Multiple-time Riverhead track champion Tom Rogers Jr. will look to improve on his 24th-place showing earlier this season. In 13 career starts, Rogers has a best career finish of fourth (2016) and nine total top 10 finishes.

J.B. Fortin and Kyle Soper will have hometown support in their backyard but are hoping for a change of fortune. Fortin has an average finish of 16.3 in four career starts at Riverhead (one top 10), while Soper has amassed two top fives and in five career starts and holds an average finish of 12.0. They finished 20th and 22nd, respectively, in the Miller Lite 200 in May.

Making his 2021 season debut will be weekly regular Mike Rutkoski. The Mattituck, New York native finished 21st in both of his prior starts at Riverhead in 2019, failing to finish in both events.

While there are plenty of stories throughout the field, all eyes will remain on the title battle between Patrick Emerling and Justin Bonsignore. The two finished second and third at Riverhead earlier this season, and can’t seem to get away from each other on track.

This is uncharted territory for Emerling, who has a best finish of fifth in the standings, to be leading the points. His runner-up result earlier this season was his best finish at Riverhead in 10 starts. Whereas Bonsignore, a two-time champion and three-time runner-up, knows what it takes to put together an entire season that is championship worthy. The two are sure to battle wheel to wheel once again this weekend, with three points separating them atop the standings.

Coby now sits 47 markers back of the top spot in eighth place. But, having won his first race at Riverhead just over a month ago, this Saturday could be the start of another blazing hot summer stretch for the driver of the No. 10.

Sitting behind Emerling and Bonsignore in the standings are Woody Pitkat (-26 in third), Kyle Bonsignore (-28 in fourth), Tommy Catalano (-32 in fifth) and Eric Goodale (-33 in sixth). The four drivers have a combined one victory at Riverhead (Goodale in 2014) but are in prime position to pounce should anything happen to the top two.

RACING REFERENCE:

RACE FACTS

Race	Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway at Riverhead Raceway
Date	Saturday, June 19, 2021
Track	Riverhead Raceway
Layout	Quarter-mile oval
Location	Riverhead, New York
Start time	8 p.m. ET
Laps	200
Miles	50
Tickets	Riverhead Raceway Gate
TV channel	NBCSN (Delayed: Thursday, June 24, 4:30 p.m. ET)
Live stream	TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold (Live)

RACEDAY SCHEDULE: Saturday, June 19 — Garage opens: 12:45 p.m. ET; Practice: 3-4 p.m.; Qualifying: 6 p.m.; Race: 8 p.m.

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 is limited to 28 starters including provisionals. The field will be set by qualifying (1-22) and provisional process per the entry blank (23-28) for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200. In the event that qualifying as stated on the entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2021 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.

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

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eight (8) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event.

The tire change rule is zero (0) tires, any position.

QUALIFYING AND SPECIAL AWARDS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on June 14, 2021June 14, 2021 by Zack Albert

Brad Keselowski lamented what might’ve been after coming just one spot short of his first NASCAR All-Star Race win Sunday night, equating a runner-up finish to the dual-pronged juggernaut of Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports as a moral victory.

Best in class, a consolation prize, whatever the term, Team Penske managed some positives from the first All-Star Race run at Texas Motor Speedway, placing all three of its cars among the top five. Keselowski was the best of the Penske fleet in second, with teammates Joey Logano fourth and Ryan Blaney fifth.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

That performance came with some acknowledgement that catch-up work still remains, given the Hendrick outfit’s current grip on the NASCAR Cup Series’ upper rungs. Larson won for the third straight weekend, adding the All-Star prize to points-paying victories at Charlotte and Sonoma. His teammates surrounded the Penske challengers in Sunday night’s scoring rundown, with Chase Elliott third, Alex Bowman sixth and William Byron seventh. In the new All-Star format with 100 laps divided into six rounds, each of the Hendrick drivers won at least one segment.

“It feels like running second to the Hendrick cars right now is an accomplishment,” Keselowski said after falling short in his frantic challenge to Larson and Elliott in the final 10-lap bracket. “They are just stupid fast. I had him off Turn 4 but they just have so much speed. He just motored right back by me, like damn! It feels like a first-in-class day with the Discount Tire Ford. The team did a great job of executing and getting us in position, we just didn’t have enough speed to make the most of it. It was a good execution day, though, and I am proud of that.”

Logano made the most of salvaging fourth after initially telling his No. 22 Ford crew that his car was “miserable.” Adjustments helped bring Logano closer to contending, but he also expressed how he felt out of sorts on tracks with the 550-horsepower package — a figure shaved to roughly 510 for Sunday’s event.

“If we could take the lead, it would be tough to pass me,” Logano said, recalling that his restart prowess helped him move up the leaderboard. “Overall, I don’t know. These 550’s aren’t clicking for me. We got a good finish, yes, but it is a miracle we did it. I don’t know how it happened.”

Blaney also had his moments, taking advantage of an invert draw to lead all of Round 2 — the only non-Hendrick segment win. He also briefly peeked inside of the Larson-Elliott 1-2 punch on the start of the final stage, but was unable to pull clear to regain the lead for the last stretch.

“It was going to be hard to beat the Hendrick guys,” Blaney said. “They were pretty fast. Brad had a good run at them but I thought that was our only shot, that restart, but I just didn’t quite clear ’em.”

All three Penske drivers have tasted victory this season, with Blaney denying a dominant Larson at Atlanta in March, Logano mastering the Bristol dirt a week later, and Keselowski flexing his superspeedway skill in late April. But Hendrick drivers have similarly spread the wealth within their organization, with all four drivers visiting Victory Lane at least once.

Hendrick’s quartet has been more stingy with sharing those laurels, though, winning seven of the Cup Series’ 16 points-paying events. It’s five consecutive wins for the group, Sunday’s All-Star one-off included — a streak that Team Penske and the rest of the Cup garage are aiming to dent.

“Even with this package, you can’t draft those Hendrick cars. They are so fast,” Keselowski said. “We have work to do. I feel like my team really executed the race very well and got us in position, we just didn’t have the raw speed we needed to close it out. I felt like we made some great moves, it just wasn’t enough.”

Posted on June 13, 2021June 18, 2021 by Staff Report

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

Note: All times are ET.

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

Monday, June 14
2:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race (re-air), FS2
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race (re-air), FS1
1:30 p.m., IMSA Auto Racing Special Lamborghini Super Trofeo: Virginia International Raceway, NBCSN
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 250 (re-air), FS2
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star, FS2
10 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open (re-air), FS1

Tuesday, June 15
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., Classic NASCAR: 1994: Coca-Cola 600, FS1
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open (re-air), FS2

Wednesday, June 16
Midnight, NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race (re-air), FS2
2 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 220 (re-air), FS2
4 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 250 (re-air), FS2
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open (re-air), FS2
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR, FS1

Thursday, June 17
4 p.m., ARCA Menards Series East North Carolina 200 (tape delay), NBCSN
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download: Jimmy Spencer, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR The Decades The 1990s (re-air), NBCSN

Friday, June 18
11 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, FS2
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, NBCSN, NBC Sports Live (Canada: TSN.ca/App)
5 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS2
7 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: NCWTS Nashville, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200, FS1

On MRN
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200

Saturday, June 19
1 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 (re-air), FS1
6 a.m., NASCAR The Decades The 1970s (re-air), NBCSN
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 (re-air), FS2
7 a.m., NASCAR The Decades The 1980s (re-air), NBCSN
8 a.m., NASCAR The Decades The 1990s (re-air), NBCSN
8:30 a.m., Lost Speedways: Earnhardt Proving Grounds (re-air), NBCSN
9 a.m., Lost Speedways: In the Still of the Night (re-air), NBCSN
9:30 a.m., Lost Speedways: Animal House (re-air), NBCSN
10 a.m., Lost Speedways: Fireball’s Forgotten Georgia Giant (re-air) NBCSN
10:30 a.m., Lost Speedways: Concrete Palace on the Passaic (re-air), NBCSN
11 a.m., Lost Speedways: Fit for a King (re-air), NBCSN
11:30 a.m., Lost Speedways: Danger Zone (re-air), NBCSN
12 p.m., Lost Speedways: Home Treasures (re-air), NBCSN
12 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 (re-air), FS1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, NBCSN, NBC Sports Live (Canada: TSN2)
1:30 p.m., Coffee with Kyle: Lesa France Kennedy, NBCSN
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN, NBC Sports Live (Canada: TSN2)
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Tennessee Lottery 250, NBCSN, NBC Sports Live (Canada: TSN2)
6 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN

On MRN
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series practice
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Tennessee Lottery 250

Sunday, June 20
6 a.m., Dale Jr. Download: Kerry Earnhardt (re-air), NBCSN
7 a.m., Dale Jr. Download: Ty Norris (re-air), NBCSN
8 a.m., Dale Jr. Download: Ward Burton (re-air), NBCSN
9 a.m., Dale Jr. Download: Jimmy Spencer (re-air), NBCSN
10 a.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Series: Oswego (tape delay), NBCSN
11 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, NBCSN, NBC Sports Live (Canada: TSN.ca/App)
1 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: Nashville, FS1
2:45 p.m., NASCAR Countdown to Green, NBCSN
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400, NBCSN, NBC Sports Live (Canada: TSN3, 5)
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN

On MRN
11 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400

Posted on June 13, 2021June 14, 2021 by Holly Cain

FORT WORTH, Texas – Kyle Larson earned a $1 million paycheck and his second NASCAR All-Star Race victory in three seasons – putting on a racing master class Sunday evening at Texas Motor Speedway.

Larson was part of a frenetic three-wide move for the race lead with eight laps remaining – himself and runner-up Brad Keselowski splitting the car driven by Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott to make the move forward.

RELATED: All-Star Race results | At-track photos

Larson pulled his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in front of the field and while Keselowski was able to get to his bumper a couple times thereafter, the Team Penske driver was unable to make a pass in the closing laps of the race.

It was a thrilling finish to a new six-segment, 100-lap race format – with no NASCAR Cup Series championship points on the line, but plenty of bragging rights to claim. Larson’s other All-Star Race win came in 2019 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He is one of only eight drivers in NASCAR history to win multiple All-Star events.

This is Larson’s third consecutive victory on the schedule — counting wins at the previous two regular-season races — at Charlotte and Sonoma. He has three points-paying wins and sits second in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings.

“It was wild,” a smiling Larson said from Texas’s Victory Lane. “This format set up for an exciting finish and there was a lot of grip on this race track for us to be passing. It was a helluva race from my seat.”

Fans in the packed grandstands apparently agreed — standing on their feet for much of the night and definitely during the final frenetic laps.

“That last restart worked out exactly how I needed it to,” Larson elaborated later. “I wanted Chase to not get a good run down the back. Thankfully, I think the 12 (Ryan Blaney) got to his inside and I just shoved him down the back and he probably thought I was going to just follow him and I was like, ‘there’s got to be enough grip where we’d be running for one corner.’

“It was a little slick up there, but I was able to get it and then hold him off from there,” the 28-year-old Californian continued with a smile. “I can’t believe it.”

Larson ultimately held off Keselowski by a scant .206 seconds. Elliott was third, followed by Penske teammates Joey Logano and Blaney. Hendrick Motorsports’ other two cars — driven by Alex Bowman and William Byron finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Byron’s 30 laps out front were most on the night.

Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch and his older brother Kurt Busch rounded out the top 10 in the 21-car field.

The new All-Star Race format included inverts in three of the early stages and a pit-stop contest during the race that earned a $100,000 prize for Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team.

The final 10-lap run, however, was every bit the wild and competitive flair expected for the sport’s annual All-Star feature. Blaney, who restarted from the second row in that segment, made a daring move toward the lead at the final green flag, dueling with Elliott and Larson.

And Keselowski briefly took the lead while he and Larson negotiated their three-wide move around Elliott, only to have Larson claim the lead right back. He led 17 of the 100 laps on the evening, most importantly the final seven.

“It feels like just to run second to the Hendrick cars right now is kind of an accomplishment,” Keselowski said. “They’re just stupid fast and I had him off Turn 4 but they just have so much speed. He just motored right on back by me.

“But feels like a first-in-class day with the Discount Tire Ford. (Crew chief) Jeremy Bullins and the team did a great of executing and getting us in position. We just didn’t have enough speed to make the most of it, but good execution day and I’m proud of that.”

Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick and Almirola advanced to the All-Star Race by way of the All-Star Open — a 50-lap qualifier held earlier in the evening. Chastain and Reddick won stages, and Almirola claimed the last stage for the victory. Wood Brothers Racing driver Matt DiBenedetto advanced to the All-Star Race main event by virtue of the Fan Vote and finished 17th.

The All-Star Race took place at the 1.5-mile Fort Worth track for the first time. The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race — a points-paying event — is Sunday’s Ally 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM), which will mark the circuit’s debut at Nashville Superspeedway.

Note: Inspection in the NASCAR Cup Series garage revealed no issues, thus confirming Larson’s victory.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on June 13, 2021June 13, 2021 by Staff Report

Matt DiBenedetto was announced Sunday night as the All-Star Race Fan Vote winner for the final spot in the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

DiBenedetto was the top vote-getter among drivers not already qualified for the main event. The fans’ choice put his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford into the field as the 21st and final entry.

This also marks DiBenedetto’s second appearance in the All-Star Race – both coming during his tenure with the storied Wood Brothers organization. He qualified for last year’s event by winning the All-Star Open.

The No. 21 team was in the news this week as the 29-year-old driver will have a new crew chief for the remainder of the season with Jonathan Hassler taking the reins from Greg Erwin. Hassler was a longtime race engineer with Team Penske, the organization that shares a technical alliance with the Wood Brothers.

Kasey Kahne is the only previous Fan Vote winner to go on to win the main event. He accomplished that feat in 2008.

Posted on June 13, 2021June 14, 2021 by Staff Report

Aric Almirola won Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway, joining stage winners Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick in transferring into the NASCAR All-Star Race.

Chastain led just the last two laps in the first 20-lap segment, putting his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet into the night’s main event (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM). The second 20-lap stint went to Reddick, who started his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevy from the pole position and held off Almirola down the stretch. Almirola took command of the final 10-lap shootout to put his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the All-Star Race.

Tyler Reddick led the first 18 laps before giving way to Chastain, finishing second in the opening stage. Corey LaJoie took third, followed by Matt DiBenedetto and Almirola.

“Yeah, I get to race with my heroes. It’s really cool,” said Chastain, who started at the rear of the field after an air-duct violation found in pre-race inspection. “It’s been a good weekend on-track, but off-track has obviously been really tough. It just fired me up more, though. This McDonald’s Chevy was obviously really good to come from the back like that and race with guys like Reddick and those guys. I thought I was getting turned on the backstretch there when he drove in the left rear. It’s a dream come true. I’m living my dream as a farmer and now I get to go NASCAR racing in the All-Star Race with my heroes. It’s amazing.”

With Chastain in the garage with starting spot secured, Reddick took control in Stage 2 and led all the way. Almirola finished second with DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher and Austin Cindric in tow.

Almirola led the final 10 laps to land his All-Star berth, followed by DiBenedetto, Buescher, Chase Briscoe and Cindric.

“It just helps make you happy about something,” Almirola said. “It has been a really tough year and the guys just continue to work their guts out and bring the best cars we can. Here at Texas today we have a really fast car. We took the long way in but I am glad we are racing for a million bucks tonight. I am thankful to all our partners that continue to stick behind us, even through the bad times.”

The 21st and final All-Star starting spot went to DiBenedetto as the top vote-getter in fan balloting who had not already qualified for the main event.

Three caution periods slowed the early action, just in the Open’s first round. Bubba Wallace brought out the first yellow flag on Lap 4 with a solo spin through Turn 2. Buescher also looped around through Turn 3 after contact from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in a Lap 8 restart. All drivers continued without major damage. Buescher had been mired back after a penalty for jumping the initial start, beating pole-starter Reddick to the green flag.

Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez were both sidelined after completing just 13 laps. Jones lost control of his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet while racing Briscoe through Turns 3 and 4, then was clobbered by the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevy of Suarez.

Posted on June 13, 2021June 13, 2021 by Staff Report

The No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain will start at the rear of the field for the NASCAR All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for a violation found in pre-race inspection.

The aero ducts and/or an aero duct opening on the No. 42 car did not conform to NASCAR rule specifications per the following rules:
–20.4.2.d, for NA18D Events, the approved CAD files are are the files included below in addition to the approved OEM CAD files. Body components must also conform to the nominal size, drawing number and part number as outlined in Table 20.4.2.d NA18D Events. Aero Ducts
–20.4.4.a, for NA18D Events, aero duct openings must conform to the CAD files: Chevrolet Aero Duct Hole Pattern.

Phil Surgen, the team’s crew chief, has been ejected from the event. The team has also been fined $25,000 for the violation.

Chastain was slated to start fifth in the 50-lap exhibition in which the winners of the three segments (20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps are the lengths of the segments) would advance to the NASCAR All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

In addition to Chastain, the No. 33 Team Penske Ford driven by Austin Cindric and the No. 13 Motorsports Business Management Toyota driven by David Starr will start at the rear. Cindric, who was slated to start 16th, saw his No. 33 Ford fail pre-race inspection twice. Starr, who was slated to start 22nd in the 22-car field, was cited for unapproved adjustments.

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Staff Report

Welcome back, Matt Hirschman.

The Pennsylvania native made himself right at home Saturday night at Oswego Speedway and won his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race of the season in his first start. Hirschman, who now has four career tour wins, doubled his career series wins at the 0.675-mile oval in New York that has long been a Hirschman family stronghold.

Hirschman won at Oswego in 2018, and his earlier Modified Tour victories both came more than a decade ago in 2008 — at Spencer Speedway (Williamson, New York) and Chemung Speedrome (Chemung, New York).

RELATED: Full race results

“I love every ripple, bump and crack in this place,” Hirschman told TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold following the Steel Palace 150. “I’ve been coming here a long time and it’s a special place to my whole family. I’ve always just enjoyed coming up here. It always has a lot of character and it really suits me well. It’s tough, winning these races.”

Hirschman won by holding off Ryan Preece, a Modifieds veteran who currently races part time in the NASCAR Cup Series with JTG Daugherty Racing.

Preece pressured Hirschman heavily over the final 50 laps, tucking his No. 6 Chevrolet to the inside of Hirschman’s No. 60 but couldn’t make the pass for the lead — and win. Preece was attempting to score his second Oswego victory, having won there previously in 2017.

“We were just so close, and really this has been the Hirschman house, right?” Preece said. “I’ve finished second so many times to him here. Second place isn’t all that bad. … We were one more adjustment away for maybe having a little something for Matt.”

Hirschman had qualified third earlier in the day, emerging victorious in a race that had just one caution flag.

Series points leader Patrick Emerling piloted his No. 07 Chevrolet to a third-place finish, just ahead of Justin Bonsignore (No. 51), who is second in the points standings and was the most recent Tour winner at Oswego prior to Saturday. Kyle Ebersole completed the top five in his No. 5 Ford.

Max McLaughlin finished 11th on the evening in his fourth series start after qualifying from the pole position, the first of his career on the Modified Tour.

The Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track on June 19 at Riverhead Raceway in its second stop of the year there. Justin Bonsignore won the Miller Lite 200 on May 15, the third race of the season.

Posted on June 12, 2021June 12, 2021 by Holly Cain

FORT WORTH, Texas – Kyle Busch boosted his NASCAR-record Xfinity Series win total with a 99th career victory in Saturday afternoon’s Alsco Uniforms 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion held off veteran series regular Justin Allgaier by a mere .433 seconds in overtime to earn his second series win in as many races this year.

RELATED: Official results | Weekend schedule

Busch led the last 32 laps but had to negotiate three late restarts including the last in overtime. It technically marked his second victory of the day as John Hunter Nemechek won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in a truck owned by Busch.

“Just being with a great group of guys and Joe Gibbs Racing is pretty awesome to drive to drive these Toyota Supras here in the Xfinity Series,’’ Busch said after an extended victory burnout the crowd enjoyed from the series all-time winningest driver.

“All in all, such a good car,’’ Busch added, noting he thought Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet was just as good as his Toyota on Saturday.

“I was just able to think through a few things there on a couple restarts that may or may not work but there at the end they did.’’

Busch, who led a race-best 94 of the 171 laps, noted the good pushes from behind he got on the restarts from the current Xfinity Series championship leader Austin Cindric, who finished third. The two drivers each won a stage.

At the end of the day, Busch is hopeful the lessons he learned Saturday and the good outcome he enjoyed will be beneficial in Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race at the track.

It’s Busch’s 10th overall Xfinity Series win on the 1.5-mile Texas high banks, where he also has four NASCAR Cup Series and five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victories. The trophy on Saturday marks the 300th win for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity and Cup ranks.

Just behind Allgaier and Cindric at the checkered flag were Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Daniel Hemric and Brandon Jones rounding out the top five. AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, Brett Moffitt, Justin Haley and Michael Annett completed the top 10.

The top-10 result was especially significant for Gragson, driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. His work at Texas from a 30th-place start to a seventh-place finish was a solid rebound from a series of rough outings. He was running as high as fourth when he spun his tires on the next-to-last restart. His top-10 work halts a streak of three consecutive DNFs.

Cindric’s third place effort is his 10th top-five effort in 14 races, giving him a commanding 108-point advantage over Allmendinger in the championship standings.

The Xfinity Series’ next race is Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Nashville Superspeedway. The event will mark the series’ first visit to the 1.33-mile track since 2011.

NOTE: The race-winning No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Kyle Busch passed NASCAR’s post-race inspection. There were no issues. NASCAR indicated the No. 54 car will be going back to the R&D Center for further evaluation. The No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Josh Berry had one lug nut not safe and secure.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on June 12, 2021June 12, 2021 by Sean Montgomery

All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway (⏰ 8 p.m. ET | 📺 FS1 | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s All-Star Open and All-Star Race, each a non-points paying exhibition.

Where: Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile track located in Fort Worth, Texas
All-Star Open: Drivers not locked into the feature race will compete in a segmented 50-lap qualifying race at 6 p.m. ET (FS1). The Open consists of three segments that are 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps
Green flag: 8:10 p.m. ET
Grand Marshal: Joe Gibbs and Tom Landry Jr.
TV/Radio: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Mostly clear, with a low around 75. Southeast wind around 5 mph, according to NOAA.gov
Race Distance: 100 laps, 150 miles
Six Rounds: Rounds 1-4 are 15 laps each, Round 5 is 30 laps and Round 6 is a 10-lap shootout
Pit-road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
All-Star 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: See the full lineup | All-Star Open contenders
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where

Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

Five to watch

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

1. Sunday’s All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway is just the third time the Cup Series has held the race outside of Charlotte, N.C. (the other venues were Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1986 and Bristol Motor Speedway in 2020). Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch each won at the track last season and the younger Busch brother has won here three times in the last 10 races.

2. Can anyone keep pace with Hendrick Motorsports? Kyle Larson has dominated in recent weeks. Teammates Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman haven’t been far behind. Hendrick’s nine All-Star wins lead all organizations and they’ve also had the most top fives and laps led. All of the drivers in the Hendrick stable are expected to be frontrunners at the 1.5-mile Texas oval, especially with Larson starting on the pole. Want some good news for the field? Each of the last eight All-Star Races was won by a different driver. Elliott is the defending winner and Larson claimed victory in 2019.

3. Pit crews better be on their game this weekend. A major bonus depends on it. $100,000 to be exact. That money will go to the team with the fastest Round 5 pit stop — learn all the details and procedures for timing.

4. Since 2010, only two drivers have won the All-Star Race and Cup Championship in the same year — Chase Elliott (2020) and Jimmie Johnson (2013). The feat has only been accomplished 11 times between six drivers, the others being Johnson (2006), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997 and 2001), Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990 and 1993), Rusty Wallace (1989), and Darrell Waltrip (1985). Could this year add to the list?

5. Joey Logano and Kyle Busch have both been climbing the ranks of most consecutive top-10 finishes in the All-Star Race, each with six — tying them with Ken Schrader, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Denny Hamlin, while trailing only Dale Earnhardt (seven) and all-time leader Matt Kenseth (nine).

Race-day staples

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

• Power Rankings: Can anyone stop Larson from claiming his second $1 million check? | Scope the ranks
• Paint Scheme Preview: Stars and schemes are out this weekend | See the schemes
• Preview Show: Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver preview the race | Watch the show

Get in on the action

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

• Betting odds for All-Star Race | See the odds
• Did you bet on Alex Bowman? | See how Bowman’s preseason long-shot odds might pay off
• Usual suspect draws early money | Find out who

All-Star Race history

Every All-Star race has a story to tell — and a big bonus for the winner. Here’s what we’ve seen go down in the past.

• One for the history books: Best All-Star Race moments | See the moments
• Winner, winner: All-time All-Star Race winners | See the list
• Just one pass away: Second-place finishers finally have their moment | All-Star runners-up
• Finish first with the fans:See the winners of the All-Star Race Fan Vote through the years | Fan Vote winners

Fast facts

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

• Ryan Newman was the last Cup Series rookie to win the All-Star Race, doing so in 2002. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the only other driver to do so.
• Hendrick Motorsports holds the longest streak for most consecutive All-Star Races with at least three cars — 22 (2000-2021).
• Kyle Busch has led the most All-Star Race laps all-time (271) but only has one win. Jimmie Johnson holds the all-time record with four.
• In 2018 at 42 years, five months, and eleven days old, Kevin Harvick became the fourth oldest winner in the All-Star Race.
• Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney are the only drivers to lead over 57 laps in the All-Star Race without a win.

Catch the pack

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

• Track access: Updates to protocols and procedures as COVID-19 restrictions ease | Read more
• Petty’s new show: Kyle Petty gears up for conversations with personalities, blending cars and local eats | See the teaser
• New chief on the box: Johnathan Hassler takes charge of the No. 21 | Read more
• Stepping away from FOX?: Jeff Gordon weighing options for future | Read more
• Kurt Busch’s next steps: Why a potential move to 23XI Racing could be in the cards | Read more

Say what?

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

“We won Texas (Motor Speedway) last year, so going to Texas for the All-Star Race, we’re pretty confident. We feel like we have it setup that if we get in the right place on the track, that we can win with. The confidence is high and the chance to win a million dollars, you don’t get that very often. We’re locked in the race and we’re headed down there, we might as well take some money home after the trip. I’m looking forward to it. We’re going down there for one reason and that’s to win a million dollars.” — Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, on returning to Texas Motor Speedway.

“The format, it’s like a recipe. You can make cookies many different ways and in the end you still have a cookie. Not everybody is gonna like that cookie, but there’s a chance you’re gonna like it. I really don’t know that I have one, to stop talking about cookies and making myself hungry, I know that the way I won it eliminated the competition, but, in reality, that competition is eliminated anyway. You’re not gonna go from 20th to first in 10 laps. It just doesn’t happen, so it kind of is what it is and we deal with the ingredients that NASCAR provides for the All-Star Race going into it and you just do your best to try to make up for what you’re lacking, whether it’s track position, starting position, things like that and make a good day out of it.” — Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, on the changes to the All-Star Race format.

“I want to go race with my heroes. I want to race with the guys I’ve looked up to. But I can only do what the car can do, and I can only do what my capabilities are. … Like, I’m good (with the rules package). It’s the same for everybody. I know we’re bringing the best race car we can. We’re not shorting anything. We’re not taking it lightly this week.” — Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, on driving aggressively in the exhibition race.