There’s a certain old-school cool factor when it comes to a racer’s nickname. Now, you can finally create your own NASCAR-style bad-boy name thanks to our handy new generator. Don’t forget to share your favorites and be sure to watch “Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR” at 4 p.m. ET Saturday on FS1!
With his third victory of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, John Hunter Nemechek reaffirmed Kyle Busch Motorsports’ mastery of 1.5-mile intermediate tracks Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
RELATED: Official results | Charlotte weekend schedule
Nemechek held off Sunoco rookie Carson Hocevar over a closing 10-lap green-flag run after a violent crash at the entrance to the tri-oval stripped the body off Johnny Sauter’s No. 13 Toyota and slowed the race for nine caution laps.
The victory was Nemechek’s first at Charlotte and the ninth of his career. It came after the driver of the No. 4 KBM Toyota clipped the wall early in Friday’s practice and ran just 10 circuits in the session.
“Hats off to all my guys, (crew chief) Eric Phillips , all my guys, everyone who works on this thing — everyone at KBM, the chassis shop, the fab shop… (owner) Kyle (Busch) for this opportunity,” said Nemechek, who beat a fast-closing Hocevar to the finish line by .419 seconds. “I’m so blessed to be in this spot.
“Hopefully, we can have some fun and celebrate tonight.”
Nemechek can celebrate his organization’s dominance of the intermediate speedways. With his earlier victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Busch’s wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway, Kyle Busch Motorsports has swept all four 1.5-milers so far this season.
Nemechek also collected the last of three $50,000 Triple Truck Challenge bonuses, awarded to the winners of the designated races. He also extended his series lead to 44 points over second-place Ben Rhodes.
For his part, Hocevar apologized to his Niece Motorsports team for the inexperience that prevented him from running down Nemechek at the end.
“I’ve never been in that position too many times, but I let it slip away,” said Hocevar, who nevertheless posted a career-best finish. “We’re chipping away at it.”
Rhodes ran third, followed by Stewart Friesen and Todd Gilliland, last Saturday’s winner at Circuit of The Americas. Chandler Smith, Ty Majeski, Derek Kraus, Austin Hill and Zane Smith completed the top 10.
Nemechek had a comfortable lead with 19 laps left when the No. 14 truck of Trey Hutchens III slowed to a crawl out of Turn 4 on Lap 115 of 134. Drew Dollar took evasive action, but Sauter, screened from a view of Hutchens’ Chevrolet by Dollar’s truck, plowed into the stalled vehicle and destroyed both trucks. Debris from the wreck knocked the roof camera on Nemechek’s truck out of commission.
Reigning series champion Sheldon Creed handily won Stage 1 but was eliminated in a three-wide wreck with Gilliland and Chase Purdy in Turn 4 on Lap 55.
Zane Smith took the green-checkered flag at the end of Stage 2, but a penalty for a crewman over the wall too soon sent him to the back for a Lap 69 restart and ruined his winning chances.
Next up for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is the SpeedyCash.com 220 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 12.
Notes: Post-race inspection was completed with no issues, confirming Nemechek as the winner. NASCAR officials indicated his No. 4 KBM truck as well as the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet of Hocevar and the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford of Gilliland will go to the NASCAR R&D Center for further inspection and engine dyno.
CONCORD, N.C. — Brad Keselowski deflected reports Friday night that he’s set to leave Team Penske for a driver-ownership role at Roush Fenway Racing for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Keselowski was asked about next season after Cup Series practice for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His Team Penske No. 2 Ford ranked 22nd in the session.
JAYSKI: Details on Keselowski to Roush Fenway rumors
“I can’t talk about that, but I appreciate you asking,” Keselowski said. “When I can, I’ll tell you.”
Keselowski maintains his focus is still on winning a championship in 2021 after finishing second to Chase Elliott in the drivers’ standings last year.
“I think I’m in a spot where I’m just head down, finished second last year in points and won four races and looking for one more spot,” Keselowski said. “… My team is pretty tough. They’ve got a really good mental toughness and they’re in a good spot.”
Keselowski, 37, is currently in his 11th season driving the No. 2 Ford for team owner Roger Penske. Keselowski has earned one championship in 2012 and 35 race victories to date.
When asked for a timetable on when an announcement can be expected, Keselowski said: “As soon as I’m allowed to.”
Austin Dillon set the pace Friday evening in the NASCAR Cup Series’ lone practice for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Dillon powered the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to a best lap of 180.935 mph on the 1.5-mile track, leading a sweep of the first four spots by Chevrolet drivers. He’s a former Coca-Cola 600 winner, having captured NASCAR’s longest race for his first Cup Series win in 2017.
RELATED: Practice results | Weekend schedule
Alex Bowman was the second fastest at 180.838 mph in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy. Kyle Larson took third on the speed chart with Erik Jones and Joey Logano rounding out the top five in order as the field tuned up for Sunday’s 600-miler (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The 50-minute session marked the second consecutive week of practice for NASCAR’s top division, which has streamlined at-track time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The session was part of the fourth of a planned eight race weekends for the Cup Series where practice and qualifying are scheduled to be held.
Busch Pole Qualifying is scheduled Saturday at 11:05 a.m. ET.
It’s all about Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing as the NASCAR Cup Series stops at Charlotte Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, as drivers from those garages occupy the top five spots on the oddsboard, before a significant drop to the next tier of betting entries.
The two teams have separated themselves from the pack, putting distance between themselves and even Team Penske. Hendrick’s Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, and Gibbs’ Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are not only the top five betting choices this Sunday, but they also have the five shortest prices at BetMGM to claim the 2021 Cup championship.
RELATED: Odds presented by BetMGM | BetCenter
Larson is priced as the betting market’s consensus early favorite for the Memorial Day weekend race, listed at 5/1 odds (+500, or bet $100 to win $500) as of Friday morning at BetMGM. The Coke 600 (Sun., 6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM) marks the fifth Cup race on 1.5-mile tracks this season, and the No. 5 Chevrolet has been stellar through the first four. Larson finished fourth at Homestead, first in Last Vegas and second in Atlanta, and he led 132 laps in Kansas before late-race weirdness shuffled him back to 19th.
Truex is the +550 second choice. While his three wins this season have come on shorter layouts using the 750-horsepower, low-downforce package (teams bring the 550-hp, high-downforce package to Charlotte), he has not finished outside the top nine on the four 1.5s. Over the past four seasons, his 107.6 average driver rating and 8.07 average finish on intermediate tracks rank second and third in the Series, respectively.
There’s a pricing discrepancy among oddsmakers when it comes to Elliott, as SuperBook USA, a respected Las Vegas shop, opened the No. 9 at 6/1, odds equal to Kyle Busch and Truex. At BetMGM and Barstool Sportsbook, Elliott is the 7/1 fourth choice, priced longer than Truex and Busch (+650). A $1 difference may not seem like much to a casual sports bettor, but this type of edge has major impact on determining long-term betting success.
Denny Hamlin still leads the Series in points by a wide margin but has fallen off in recent weeks. After eight top-five finishes through the first nine races, Hamlin has just one over the last five and has finished outside the top 10 three times during that stretch. His stats at Charlotte and on 1.5s overall are solid but far from spectacular. We’ll be looking elsewhere in the outright market, but if you like the No. 11 this week, the +750 at Barstool is on the high end of the market.
While Kyle Busch has been wildly inconsistent this season, his success on 1.5-mile layouts gets the betting market’s respect. He has six wins on intermediate tracks since 2018, including this season at Kansas, and his 7.74 average is tops in Cup.
And what of the Penske drivers? Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano each have a win this season (Blaney’s came at the 1.5-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway), and all three reside in the top nine in points. While they’re typically in the mix every week, there’s a clear dropoff, at least this week in the betting market’s opinion, between the top five drivers and this trio. The Nos. 2, 12 and 22 are all priced at double-digit odds at BetMGM, with Blaney at 10/1, Kes at 11/1 and Logano 14/1.
Kevin Harvick, meanwhile, remains the outlier from the Hendrick/Gibbs/Penske triumvirate, but he continues his slide in bookmakers’ eyes. The No. 4 has been lengthened at the SuperBook from a 10/1 opener to 12/1, a number few would have predicted before this season for Harvick at any track. Interestingly, he has accumulated excellent stats on intermediate tracks overall — his 111.8 rating since 2018 is best in the Series and his 8.05 average finish is second to Busch. However, even at double-digital odds, it’ll take a leap of faith to back Harvick to win Sunday.
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.
A highly anticipated weekend of racing caps off with Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 6 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Before you tune in to the race, check out the details and story lines to watch during the iconic crown jewel.
KEY TIMES, ON-TRACK SESSIONS
An eventful weekend for the Cup Series kicks off on Friday at 7 p.m. ET with the first and only practice session (FS1), followed by qualifying on Saturday at 11:05 a.m. ET (FS1, PRN).
NASCAR RaceDay begins the Sunday pre-race coverage on FS1 at 4:30 p.m. ET before switching over to FOX an hour later. For radio listeners, PRN coverage starts at 5 p.m. ET.
The green flag for Sunday’s 600-mile marathon is scheduled to wave at 6:23 p.m. ET. For this week’s entire slate of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, check out the full weekend schedule.
RELATED: Charlotte Paint Scheme Preview | Coca-Cola 600 entry list
600 MILES OF REMEMBRANCE
This Memorial Day weekend, NASCAR continues the established NASCAR Salutes tradition of honoring fallen soldiers of the U.S. military with the 600 Miles of Remembrance. During the race, each Cup Series car will feature a unique front-windshield banner that bears the name of one of the soldiers. See the car number and their respective hero being honored at Charlotte.
TICKETS, FAN TIPS
Tickets for general grandstand seating and camping options for attendance this weekend can still be purchased by visiting the Charlotte Motor Speedway event site. Fans who have already purchased tickets are encouraged to stay up-to-date on fan tips and procedures before race day.
WHO’S FAVORED FOR SUNDAY?
The list of favorites to win the 2021 Coca-Cola 600 boasts many familiar faces at the top of the chart, with Kyle Larson leading the field at 5-1. Two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner Martin Truex Jr. (11-2) is joined by a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates in Kyle Busch (13-2) and Denny Hamlin (15-2). Fan-favorite and Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott (7-1) also cracks the top five and presents good value.
What are the odds that your favorite driver reaches Victory Lane this weekend? Check out the complete list of BetMGM Coca-Cola 600 odds.
RELATED: All-time Coca-Cola 600 winners
CHARLOTTE HISTORY, 600 INSIGHTS
— First raced on in June 1960, Charlotte Motor Speedway is the oldest of the current 1.5-mile tracks on the Cup Series Schedule. (Atlanta Motor Speedway held a race one month later.)
— The Coca-Cola 600 is the only race on the schedule with four stages instead of three: Stage 1 at Lap 100, Stage 2 at Lap 200, Stage 3 at Lap 300 and the Final Stage at Lap 400.
— Three of the last five Coca-Cola 600s were won by current Joe Gibbs Racing drivers and two of the last three were won by drivers starting outside the top 10.
— After Brad Keselowski reached Victory Lane in the 2020 Coca-Cola 600, it marked the first 600 win for Ford since Mark Martin won in 2002.
Source: Racing Insights
RELATED: How the Coca-Cola 600 became a NASCAR crown jewel
RULES PACKAGE
The NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to achieve a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.
GOODYEAR TIRE TRIBUTE
As done in years past, Cup teams will run sets of Goodyear “Honor and Remember” Speedway Radials — a special tire marked with a gold star and the slogan in white letters on a red banner. Each team has three sets for practice, one set for qualifying and 13 sets for the race (12 new sets, plus one set transferred from practice or qualifying).
For a race carrying from the early evening into the night, managing tire temperature is important for teams throughout the lengthy race.
“The temperature-sensitive nature of the track surface at Charlotte — as well as starting the race in daylight and ending at night — poses a great challenge for teams as drivers need to convey how the track is changing and crew chiefs need to make changes to stay ahead of those conditions,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “With 13 sets of tires, and the race divided into four stages instead of the ‘normal’ three, teams will constantly be trying to keep up with, or ahead of, the changing conditions.”
FANTASY LIVE
Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts. It’s not too late to join in on the competition.
The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (597), William Byron (499) and Kyle Larson (483).
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.
STATESVILLE, N.C. – GMS Racing officials announced Thursday that LiftKits4Less.com will sponsor Sheldon Creed’s No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado for 12 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season, beginning with Friday night’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
RELATED: Sheldon Creed wins at Darlington | Charlotte schedule: Trucks race Friday night
“I’m extremely thankful to LiftKits4Less.com for coming on board with us this season,” Creed said. “Our team is competitive week in and week out and I’m excited for the opportunity to get our LiftKits4Less.com Silverado in victory lane.”
Said Christopher Davenport, founder and president of LiftKits4Less.com: “We are very excited about the opportunity to support GMS Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Sheldon Creed as our driver. We got an up-close look at his talent level as we watched him win The LiftKits4Less.com Darlington 200 in early May of this year.”
The No. 2 LiftKits4Less.com Chevrolet Silverado will debut in Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race will air live at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and MRN.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold announced today it will exclusively air Bowman Gray Stadium’s return to racing live on Saturday, June 5. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, short-track, known as “The Madhouse,” will host the Hayes Jewelers 200 (a 200-lap Modified contest), along with Sportsman, Street Stock and Stadium Stock division events. It marks Bowman Gray’s first on-track action since August of 2019. The venue’s 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, TrackPass will air live racing from Bowman Gray on Saturday, July 24. The night’s events include the Colors Edge Sportsman 100, a chain race, and competition from the Modified, Street Stock and Stadium stock divisions.
Bowman Gray seats 17,000 fans and is known for its intense on-track action, feuds, crashes and passionate crowds.
The Madhouse is BACK 💥 @BGSRacing – https://t.co/4m54zfCHJt pic.twitter.com/NGqSxdNEhb
— TrackPass™ (@_TrackPass) May 27, 2021
The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series track has hosted races since 1949 and enters its 72nd season in 2021. Opened by NASCAR Founder Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins, the quarter-mile asphalt oval has held more than 1,000 NASCAR-sanctioned races.
“Bowman Gray Stadium is one of the most storied tracks in the history of NASCAR and represents everything that is great about weekly racing,” said Brandon Igdalsky, NASCAR managing director touring series. “It’s a big win for fans across the country to see the Bowman Gray racing on TrackPass and hopefully experience the energy there in person one day.”
A who’s who of NASCAR legends have competed at Bowman Gray, including Junior Johnson, Richard Petty, Glen Wood, David Pearson, Richie Evans and Jerry Cook. Petty won his 100th career race at Bowman Gray, while Richard Childress sold concessions at the track before purchasing his first car to run there. Racing dynasties that are part of Bowman Gray’s lore include, the Pettys, Allisons, Myerses and Earnhardts.
This season, 10-time champ Burt Myers and 10-time champ Tim Brown will once again be battling for the title – with challengers such as James Civali, Brandon Ward, Jonathan Brown, and Jason Myers vying for the crown as well.
“We’re excited to get back to racing in 2021 and can’t wait to bring the action of the Madhouse once again to fans – both in person and online through TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.”
FREMONT, Calif. — eNASCAR and ASUS announced Thursday a renewed partnership for the remainder of the 2021 season for NASCAR’s premier sim-racing esports series, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. As part of the agreement, ASUS will continue as the “Official PC and Monitor of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series” for a second consecutive year. In its 12th season, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series is the pinnacle of motorsports esports, featuring 40 of the world’s top sim racers in the most environmentally accurate racing experience.
“ASUS is a major supporter of the sim-racing community, and they are experts in delivering top-tier products to PC gamers and sim racers around the globe,” said Nick Rend, NASCAR’s managing director of gaming and esports. “The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series features the most elite sim racers in the world and this partnership can deliver the equipment they need to compete at the highest level.”
RELATED: Catch up on the latest in the eNASCAR world
Through the agreement, ASUS will market its Republic of Gamers (ROG) product line during in-race broadcasts and on social media. This season, ASUS will also be introducing an ROG-themed paint scheme that will be featured on sim-racing vehicles. ASUS produces innovative gaming hardware that provides gamers with leading performance, premium features, superior durability and stylish design. Since 2006, ROG has played an active role in the global gaming community through partnerships at events and with gaming personalities as well as organizations.
“Following the success of the 11th season of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, we’re excited to continue our partnership with eNASCAR and bring sim racing to even greater heights at both in-person and virtual competitions,” said Kelvin Jeon, brand marketing manager at ASUS North America. “As the ongoing Official PC and Monitor of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, ASUS is dedicated to providing both spectators and sim racers with world-class experiences on the track and beyond!”
Established in 1989, ASUS is a multinational company known for producing the world’s best motherboards and high-quality personal computers, monitors, graphic cards, routers and other technology solutions. Today, ASUS is dedicated to innovating, designing and building next-generation technology in order to provide incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. From robust ASUS Education solutions in physical and virtual classrooms to powerful ProArt devices in movie studios and home offices, ASUS goes above and beyond the status quo to reimagine today’s smart life. The latest innovations from ASUS include world record-setting motherboards such as the Maximus XIII Apex, ultra-fast and smooth Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with the gaming-ready RT-AX82U router and unrivaled gaming hardware performance in products like the ROG Phone 5 and ROG Swift 360 Hz monitor.
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series is the longest running officially sanctioned esports racing series. The series features some of the world’s best sim racers competing for more than $330,000, one of the richest payouts in esports racing competition. The elite series features NASCAR and professional esports teams, including those established by NASCAR Cup Series drivers William Byron, Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin.
NASCAR has also teamed up with partners such as Coca-Cola, iRacing, ASUS and more to build one-of-a-kind simulators for the upcoming Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday (FOX, 6:00 p.m. ET) as part of the organization’s NASCAR Salutes program. Visitors to the NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola iRacing experience located at Charlotte’s Fan Zone will have the chance to race their way to the top of the leaderboard all weekend. After the weekend, NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola will be donating all four simulators to the USO. The USO will designate two bases to house these simulators to provide military service people and their families a unique way to experience the thrill of NASCAR and iRacing.
RELATED: NASCAR, esports partners present The NASCAR Salutes iRacing Experience
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series will be back in action at 9:00 p.m. ET on June 22 at virtual Pocono Raceway on eNASCAR.com/live.
In a feast-or-famine year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Brandon Jones finds himself squarely on the bubble where the playoffs are concerned.
Jones currently is 12th in the standings, the final Playoff-eligible position, 26 points ahead of another Brandon — Brandon Brown.
RELATED: Charlotte weekend schedule | Patriotic paint schemes
Driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Jones has posted five top-five results this season, including a runner-up finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway and a pair of thirds at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway.
On the flip side, the 24-year-old from Atlanta has suffered five finishes of 33rd or worse — all DNFs for crashes, and most not of his own making.
Accordingly, Jones has put in concentrated work in preparation for Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (1 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The extra effort is justified. In seven starts at the 1.5-mile oval, Jones has two top 10s and an average finish of 14.9.
“I have spent a lot of time studying, practicing in the simulator and looking at our notebook,” Jones said. “We will be able to have some track time with practice starting on Friday and qualifying Saturday morning before the race.
“I feel confident we will be well-prepared. Charlotte is a fun but challenging mile-and-a-half. We will be searching for grip and moving all over to establish our preferred line throughout the day. For fans, this makes a great race to watch.”