Posted on by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick will run a ‘Grave Digger’ paint scheme for the NASCAR Cup Series’ debut at Nashville Superspeedway, which culminates in the running of Sunday’s Ally 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM).

BUY TICKETS: Nashville Superspeedway | Monster Jam

The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford will feature the famous monster truck’s familiar colors as a precursor to Monster Jam on July 17 and 18 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Grave Digger also brings back fond memories for Harvick and son Keelan, who have attended Monster Jam in the past.  Keelan surprised his dad with the new paint scheme for Father’s Day weekend.

“It’s the monster truck,” Harvick said in a team press release. “Loud noises, big engines, big wheels, big tires, fast race cars, and to have that be a surprise, it’s surprising to me because of the fact that it’s with Grave Digger and everything, the history, that goes with that truck. But it doesn’t surprise me that it’s something related to a car and tying it in to what we do. This one caught me off guard, though, because I had no idea that any of this was happening and, to have my 8-year-old son be able to pull that off and know more about it than I do makes me feel like I’m a little bit left out. So we’re going to have to talk to somebody.”

Entering Nashville, Harvick is ninth in the Cup Series standings, 152 points above the playoff cutline. The Cup Series will have practice at 2:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, with coverage on NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM. Busch Pole Qualifying will get underway at 11:05 a.m. ET on Sunday on NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM. Then, Sunday’s race will get underway shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials handed down a $5,000 fine Tuesday to the JR Motorsports No. 8 team for a lug-nut violation after Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Nashville weekend schedule

The No. 8 Chevrolet driven to a 19th-place finish by Josh Berry in the Alsco Uniforms 250 was found with one unsecured lug nut in a post-race check. The safety violation under Section 10.9.10.4 in the NASCAR Rule Book resulted in a $5,000 fine to crew chief Taylor Moyer.

On the Camping World Truck Series side, officials issued an indefinite suspension to Matthew Moermond for a behavioral violation of Sections 12.1, 12.8.a, and 12.8.1.e (Member Conduct Guidelines) in the Rule Book. Moermond was most recently listed as technical director for Kyle Busch Motorsports on NASCAR’s team rosters for the Texas weekend. He has also served as a utility crewmember and an engineer for the KBM organization this year.

Two significant penalties were handed down during the race weekend, both to teams fielding vehicles for Ross Chastain. Competition officials fined the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet team $25,000, ejecting crew chief Phil Surgen and dropping Chastain to the rear of the field for the start of the NASCAR All-Star Race for an air-duct violation found in Sunday’s pre-race inspection. In the Camping World Truck Series, the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet team was disqualified Saturday after an unapproved throttle body was discovered in post-race inspection.

Posted on by Track Release

Editor’s Note: This release was first published on August 22, 2020. Nashville Superspeedway will be hosting its first NASCAR Cup Series weekend with Erik Moses as track president on June 18-20, 2021.

LEBANON, Tenn. – Erik Moses, a veteran sports executive and seasoned venue management leader, has been named president of Nashville Superspeedway, Dover Motorsports, Inc., officials announced Saturday.

Moses, a longtime leader in mid-Atlantic sports and entertainment circles, most recently served as the founding president of the XFL’s DC Defenders (2019-20), where the team was in first place in the Eastern Division and ranked among the league’s best in ticket sales, game-day experience and social-media engagement.

RELATED: More news from Nashville Superspeedway

“I am excited to join the team at Dover Motorsports to lead the reopening of the Nashville Superspeedway and bring the excitement of Cup Series racing to Middle Tennessee,” Moses said. “I have long admired NASCAR for its commitment to the fan experience and am thrilled to have the opportunity to create the optimal race day experience that NASCAR fans deserve in a market that has such a rich history with the sport.

“Nashville is one of the hottest markets for sports, entertainment and live events in the entire country and I look forward to working with local stakeholders and partners to leverage that momentum to establish the superspeedway as a premier live events venue serving the greater Nashville region.”

Prior to the XFL and after several roles in private and corporate legal practice, Moses had an extensive career across a variety of sports leadership and city government positions around Washington D.C., including:Eam Headshot

  • Senior Vice President at Events DC for more than a decade, he served  as Washington D.C.’s “sports commissioner” and chief advocate for sports, entertainment and live event activity in the city while developing impactful and often pioneering partnerships with the local professional, college and high school teams, the NCAA, the NHL, MLB, AT&T, Lyft and Pepsi.
  • CEO, DC Sports & Entertainment Commission, where he supervised the completion and grand opening of Nationals Park and helped develop and host two annual college football games – the Military Bowl, the first NCAA-sanctioned bowl game in the nation’s capital and the former AT&T Nation’s Football Classic.
  • Director, D.C. Department of Small & Local Business Development, primary advocate for local businesses and responsible for advising Washington’s mayor on policies affecting the business community.

Moses’ hire is a key element toward ensuring the overall success of Nashville Superspeedway. Dover Motorsports, Inc. announced this summer the 1.33-mile concrete track and surrounding 700 acres in Lebanon, Tennessee, will be reopening in June 2021. Its sister track, Dover International Speedway, is in the midst of hosting an unprecedented six races in three days on Aug. 21-23, including the “Drydene Doubleheader Weekend,” featuring back-to-back days of NASCAR Xfinity Series-NASCAR Cup Series doubleheaders.

“We are very excited and fortunate to hire an outstanding leader and executive such as Erik, who has tremendous experience in all areas of sports, events and live entertainment,” said Mike Tatoian, executive vice president and COO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “Erik’s addition to our company and the outstanding reputation he has in the industry punctuates our commitment to revitalizing Nashville Superspeedway and serving the Middle Tennessee community.”

Moses, a graduate of the University of North Carolina and Duke University School of Law, is a member of the Washington Business Journal Leadership Trust and was named to its 2019 Power 100 list and recognized by NBC Sports Washington as a DC Sports Power Player. He has served as an adjunct professor in Georgetown University’s Sports Industry Management Program since 2010.

Posted on 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 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.”

RELATED: Remembering the runners-up in the All-Star Race

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 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 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 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.

RELATED: History of Fan Vote winners | See every All-Star Race winner

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 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.

RELATED: DiBendetto wins Fan Vote | Weekend schedule

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.

RELATED: DiBenedetto wins All-Star Fan Vote

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 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.

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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.

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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.