Posted on by Zack Albert

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

RELATED: Playoff clinch scenarios | Cup Series standings

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

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

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

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

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

MORE: Daytona weekend schedule | Buy tickets

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

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

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

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

Posted on by Staff Report

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

RELATED: Blaney takes Michigan | Cup Series standings

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

  • Kyle Larson: Would clinch with 32 points
  • Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help
Posted on by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick has secured a spot in the 2021 NASCAR Playoffs.

The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford clinched a berth by virtue of Ryan Blaney, a two-time winning driver in 2021, taking the checkered flag Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. Harvick finished 14th in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400, race No. 25 of the season. Fifteen drivers have now clinched a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series standings

Harvick entered the race with the ninth-most points in the NASCAR Cup Series, but he was 15th in the provisional field with 13 winners having already locked their positions up and fellow non-winner Denny Hamlin outpacing Harvick in points. When it came to the playoff picture, Harvick was 95 points above the final spot, and with that kind of cushion, he was the only driver capable of clinching solely on points.

He needed to be 56 points ahead of the third winless driver in the standings. A win would have done the trick, too. No first-time winners at Michigan made his points gap insurmountable, and he ended the day 104 points up on 17th-place Austin Dillon.

Harvick has qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs 15 times now — and every season since 2009. The current four-round format was introduced in 2014, the year of Harvick’s only Cup title. He followed that up with a runner-up finish to Kyle Busch in 2015.

Last season, Harvick missed the Championship 4 for the first time since 2016, ultimately placing fifth in the final standings.

One regular-season race remains, Saturday at Daytona International Speedway (7 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Harvick has won twice at Daytona, with his most recent victory there coming in 2010.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Ryan Blaney took the lead on a restart with eight laps remaining and skillfully held off a frantic field to earn the victory Sunday in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway in the penultimate race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season.

Those eight laps out front were the only laps Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford led on the afternoon but it was good enough to give him his second victory of the season — by a modern-day track-record margin of .077 seconds over Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, who had teammate Kyle Larson close behind.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

Blaney credited Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch with giving him a push from behind on the final restart to get out front, and the popular 27-year-old Blaney took it from there, using all the track to keep the field behind him.

Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin finished fourth and fifth with Matt DiBenedetto, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. rounding out the top 10.

“We got a great push by the 18 (Kyle Busch) on the restart and were able to get clear there,” Blaney said. “Michigan you pretty much run wide open and just play the air game.

“Such a huge win for Ford,” he added. “I’m fired up.”

Blaney conceded he didn’t necessarily consider himself an odds-on favorite coming into the race but credited his team for the improvements they made to his Ford all day. He finished runner-up at Indianapolis last week, giving the organization some well-timed momentum heading into the Playoffs in two weeks.

As with his late-race rally at Indy, Blaney made steady gains all afternoon. Most of the early race was a battle between Larson (who led 70 laps), Elliott (68) and Hamlin (10) – the three drivers combining to lead 148 of the 200 laps.

Different pit strategies affected the final run – with some drivers getting a variation of two tires or four tires with their fuel. When the final stops cycled out Byron led Larson and Hamlin. A brief caution came out for rain with 21 laps remaining and another for a seven-car accident with 14 laps to go.

“Honestly I think I was maybe a little too patient behind the 12 (Blaney),” said Larson, who leads the regular-season championship standings by 28 points over Hamlin with only one race left to decide the 15-point championship bonus. “Just made a couple wrong moves and allowed Blaney to get by me.

“I was never close enough to William (Byron) to help him generate a run on the 12,” Larson added. “Good points day. Wish we could have gotten more, but all in all, a good day.’’

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick finished 14th which was good enough to secure the 15th Playoff position on points heading into Daytona.

Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick is in 16th place after a late spin and an eventful 29th-place finish. He holds a slim 25-point edge on his teammate Austin Dillon for the 16th and final Playoff position. DiBenedetto is 18th, 120 points behind, meaning he would have to win at Daytona to qualify for the Playoffs.

For much of the Michigan race, it looked like Dillon was in position to hold the upper edge going to Daytona. He ran top five (led a pair of laps) and moved that Playoff duel into a tie after the Stage 1 break.

But contact between Keselowski and Dillon just after taking the Stage 2 green-checkered flag spun Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet across the track and hard into the wall. Dillon had crossed the line sixth and Keselowski seventh before the contact.

For his part, Keselowski immediately radioed his crew, “Man, I didn’t want to do that, I just wanted to hold him down (track).”

MORE: Crash at Stage 2 finish ends Dillon’s day

After being released from the infield care center, Dillon said he watched a replay and didn’t understand the hard racing after taking the stage flag.

“I was just trying to get as many stage points as I could get,” Dillon said. “Did a good job side-drafting. I was starting to come off the apron because it’s so rough down there. I figured by that point, he’d give me some room. Just hate it. I don’t know why it happened really. I thought I had a little room to come up and he just held me down there a little too long, I guess.”

Daytona has been a good venue for Dillon. The grandson of team owner Richard Childress won the 2018 Daytona 500 and has eight top-10 finishes in 16 starts there, including a third place back in February.

Elliott and Kyle Busch divided the stage wins before registering top-10 finishes. Elliott led 68 laps and dipped to eighth in the final order. Busch rallied after sustaining minor right-front damage in an early scrape with teammate Truex, then overshot his pit stall on his final stop. He wound up seventh.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race is Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM), the regular-season finale. The playoff field of 16 title-eligible drivers will be set after the 400-mile event.

Notes: Ford retained the Michigan Heritage Trophy, presented to the winning manufacturer at the 2-mile track. Ford drivers have won the last seven Cup Series races at Michigan. “This is such a big deal for our company, for our employees,” said Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Performance. “To come here and race in front of all of our employees and their friends and families and have Ryan go get that win with Team Penske and Roush Yates power. We are taking the Heritage Trophy back to Dearborn.” … Post-race inspection was completed in the Cup Series garage without major issue. The No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (driver Ross Chastain) lost an axle during the race, which will result in a one-race suspension for car chief David Fero. Two teams — the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (driver Bubba Wallace) and the No. 51 Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet (driver Cody Ware) — were found with one unsecured lug nut each in a post-race check. … Part-time Xfinity Series competitor Josh Berry finished 26th in his second Cup Series start. Berry subbed in for the No. 7 Spire Motorsports team after Corey LaJoie was sidelined this week under COVID-19 protocols.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

Austin Dillon’s hopes for making up ground in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs hunt took a significant hit Sunday after a mid-race tangle with Brad Keselowski in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Michigan International Speedway.

MORE: See wreck from Dillon’s in-car camera | Dillon reacts to wreck

Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet had just crossed the start-finish line in sixth place at the end of Stage 2 in the FireKeepers Casino 400. His car made contact with the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of seventh-place Brad Keselowski, sending the No. 3 hard into the outside retaining wall on the track’s sweeping frontstretch.

“My bad, guys,” said Dillon over the team’s radio communications. Team owner Richard Childress replied on the No. 3 radio: “Hit him on purpose. I’m an old man but I’d kick his ass.”

Keselowski apologized on the No. 2 team radio. “Aw, man. I didn’t want to do that,” he said, adding the contact was not intentional.

“I was starting to come up off the apron because it’s so rough down there,” Dillon said after he was checked and released from the track’s infield care center. “But I figured by that point, he would have given me a little room. I hate it. I’m thankful that the good Lord kept me safe today. That was a heck of a wreck, but I feel fine. I hate it for (sponsor) BREZTRI and my guys, most of all. They built a rocket ship. They really wanted this one, and I did, too. Just working our tails off right there. I think we would have had a shot to do something there at the end with our race car. It’s the best race car we’ve brought to the track at RCR this year, I feel like.

“It’s just a bummer but we’ve got Daytona left and I just hate it. I don’t know why it happened, really. I thought I had a little room to come up and he just held me down there a little bit too long, I guess.”

Dillon — in a fevered pursuit of RCR teammate Tyler Reddick for a final playoff spot — quickly rose from the 26th starting position, leading two laps and running among the top five through the first half of the race. One race remains in the regular season — Saturday’s finale at Daytona International Speedway (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM).

Dillon finished 36th in the 37-car field but earned 14 points thanks to strong finishes of third and sixth at each stage break. That total was actually better than Reddick’s 11-point day, a total that was hurt by a solo spin with a flat tire with six laps remaining. He finished 29th. Reddick’s lead in his bid for the final playoff spot actually shrank from 28 points to 25 entering Saturday’s Daytona finale.

Keselowski continued to finish ninth in his home-state race.

“I am bummed. I wanted of course to get a win and I hate that I had that contact with the 3,” Keselowski said. “That really sucks for everybody. It really hurt our day and obviously ruined his. That was crappy. So it goes.”

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, August 23
2 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota 200 presented by CK Power, FS1 (re-air)
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR, FS1 (re-air)

Tuesday, August 24
4 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Race Hub Game Night – Part 1, FS2 (re-air)
5 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Race Hub Game Night – Part 2, FS2 (re-air)
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Features – Part 1, FS2 (re-air)
7 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Features – Part 2, FS2 (re-air)
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Wednesday, August 25
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
Chase documentary premieres on Peacock today. 

Thursday, August 26
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN

Friday, August 27
8 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of 2021 Radioactive- Part 1, FS2
9 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of 2021 Radioactive- Part 2, FS2
10 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Legends Show, FS2
2 p.m., NASCAR The Decades: The 1990s, NBCSN (re-air)
2:30 p.m., Dale Jr. Download: Dale Inman, NBCSN (re-air)
3:30 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN (re-air)
4:30 p.m., Lost Speedways: Earnhardt Proving Grounds, NBCSN (re-air)
5 p.m., Lost Speedways: In the Still of the Night, NBCSN (re-air)
5:30 p.m., Lost Speedways: Animal House, NBCSN (re-air)
6 p.m., Lost Speedways: Fireball’s Forgotten Georgia Giants, NBCSN (re-air)
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m., Lost Speedways: Concrete Palace on the Passaic, NBCSN (re-air)
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)–POSTPONED TO SATURDAY

On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250

Saturday, August 28
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
3 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Daytona, FS1
5 p.m., Chase, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Coke Zero Sugar 400, NBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
11 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
11:30 p.m., Lost Speedways: Earnhardt Proving Grounds, NBCSN (re-air)

On MRN
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250
6 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400

Sunday, August 29
Midnight, Lost Speedways: In the Still of the Night, NBCSN (re-air)
12:30 a.m., Lost Speedways: Animal House, NBCSN (re-air)
4:30 p.m., NASCAR ARCA Menards Series West NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by Sunrise Ford, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (tape delay)
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Rumble at the Ridge 200, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (tape delay)

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR Foundation and Ford Performance unveiled today a custom-designed, all-electric 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E donated by Ford Performance as the grand prize for the non-profit’s second-annual car giveaway fundraiser.

RELATED: Enter to win a Ford Mustang Mach-E after making a donation

Starting on Aug. 1 until Nov. 7, fans can enter to win for a $25 donation at NASCARfoundation.org/cargiveaway. Four fans will be selected as finalists, winning a VIP trip to Phoenix for NASCAR Championship Weekend where one of them will get to take home a brand new 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E.

“We’re very grateful to have the support from Ford because without them, this wouldn’t be possible,” said Nichole Krieger, The NASCAR Foundation executive director. “The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is an incredible car and we’re confident it will help us raise funds that will allow the foundation to continue its mission of helping kids across our local racing communities.”

Recognized as the 2021 Utility Vehicle of The Year, the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is Ford’s first all-electric crossover. Inspired in the automaker’s iconic pony car, the Mustang Mach-E can provide up to 305 miles of driving range when paired with the extended-range battery. The Mustang Mach-E also features 19-inch wheels, a panoramic fixed-glass roof and a Band & Olufsen 10-Speaker surround sound system. For a full vehicle description please visit Ford.com/suvs/mach-e.

“We’re proud to support The NASCAR Foundation with our all-electric 2021 Mustang Mach-E,” said Jeannee Kirkaldy, Motorsport Marketing Manager, Ford Performance. “We’ve had the chance to introduce the Mach-E to the NASCAR community by allowing our drivers to experience it in their everyday driving, and it had a chance to be the official pace car at the NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega and Nashville, so we’re excited that one lucky consumer will get to experience this great new car, while benefiting the good works The NASCAR Foundation does.”

2021aug22 Nascar Foundation Car Giveaway

Four finalists will be treated to a VIP experience including travel to Phoenix where one of them will be announced as the grand prize winner on Nov. 7. Each finalist will be selected throughout four different phases of the contest. The first finalist will be announced on Aug. 23 based on the entries received from Aug. 1 to Aug. 22. The second finalist will be announced on Sept. 13 based on the entries received from Aug. 22 to Sept. 12. The third finalist will be announced on Oct. 4 based on the entries received from Sept. 13 to Oct. 3. The fourth finalist will be announced on Oct. 25 based on the entries received from Oct. 4 to Oct. 24.

Since it was established in 2006, The NASCAR Foundation has raised nearly $40 million and helped over 1.4 million children in need. The Car Giveaway Fundraiser will continue these efforts, with all proceeds benefiting the Foundation’s initiatives, aimed at improving the health and wellness of children in race markets across the country.

Posted on by Staff Report

Erik Jones announced Sunday from Michigan International Speedway that he will return to Richard Petty Motorsports for a second season, driving the No. 43 Chevrolet in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series.

Jones, 25, is in his fifth full season of Cup Series competition. He joined the Richard Petty-owned team in 2021 after eight years with Joe Gibbs Racing and its affiliated teams across all three national series.

“I’m just happy to have it done at this point in the season and to be able to focus not only on the rest of this year but work on getting next year settled in with a new car and everything going on there,” Jones said. 

RELATED: Erik Jones launches charitable foundation | Silly Season tracker

Jones currently sits in a tie for 24th in the Cup Series standings. His best finish this year is a seventh-place result at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, marking one of three top 10s for RPM this season.

Jones has two Cup Series victories to his credit, both coming at historic tracks on the schedule. He broke through at Daytona International Speedway in July 2018, then prevailed in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway the next year — both wins coming in Gibbs’ No. 20 Toyota.

Jones has 16 wins in other NASCAR national series. He drove to the Camping World Truck Series championship in 2015 for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Richard Petty Motorsports is seeking its first Cup Series win since July 2014, when Aric Almirola prevailed for the team at Daytona.

Posted on by Staff Report

This article is brought to you by BetMGM.

Two races remain before the NASCAR Cup Series enters its postseason.

With Daytona ahead next weekend, this weekend’s FireKeepers Casino 400 race in Michigan is the last regular-season track visit where competitors can truly control their own destinies. While Daytona is a massive fan favorite, when it comes to NASCAR racing, drivers know they can’t count on success.

They’re not in control of anything at Daytona. So Michigan is the last stop that guarantees a driver and a good car could wrap things with a smile on the face.

RELATED: NASCAR BetCenter | Odds for Sunday’s race at Michigan

So what’s going to happen, and who might lock themselves into the playoff field? We discuss it below:

THE ODDS-ON FAVORITE

Kyle Larson (+260)

Like most of his opponents, Larson has been leaving other drivers in his rearview mirror. Yes, pun fully intended.

But this past week? Larson leap-frogged Denny Hamlin in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, straight up. Not just because he has more wins heading into the pivotal final month but because he actually has outscored the NASCAR veteran of the Cup Series.

Larson now stands atop the standings and seemingly can win anywhere. He’s a big-time threat to win every weekend. He’s a perfect driver to lead things off with this weekend, and the NASCAR racing odds reflect it.

During his young career, this year’s points leader has started 12 Cup Series races at Michigan with five top-five finishes. He has three wins.

That’s right — three wins in 12 starts.

We’re not sure any NASCAR driver would deny that batting one out of four for wins-to-starts as a ratio is a great deal.

OTHERS: Kyle Busch (+650) is Kyle Busch. He’s always a threat. With 32 career starts here and 14 top-10 finishes, he understandably is a serious candidate to win. Sounds like a broken record? He’s won here before, has nine top-five finishes … you name it. He’s good. Thus his status.

With 59 career Cup Series wins, 102 Xfinity wins and 62 Camping World Truck Series victories — he’s proven he can do anything, anywhere.

THE DARK HORSE THREAT

Kevin Harvick (+750)

Harvick’s the most dominant Cup Series driver of the current field when it comes to Michigan. He’s won five races in 40 career starts and has 21 top-10 finishes. Larson, Joey Logano, and Kurt Busch have won three apiece — but Harvick is the best here.

Two things put him in this slot: He’s traditionally strong at Michigan, and aside from Phoenix (nine career wins), one could make the argument this is his second-best NASCAR track when it comes to the Cup Series.

Secondly? He’s hungry to make this postseason field after the final two regular-season races. If he posts a win this weekend at one of his top tracks, he doesn’t have to sweat Daytona.

Harvick knows how to navigate Michigan. Will this one lock him into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff mix?

THE INTRIGUING LONG SHOT

Austin Dillon (+5000)

You might be scratching your head when it comes to Dillon occupying this spot, but don’t scratch too long. Dillon is not too shabby at Michigan. While his strongest venues are the restrictor-plate tracks and places like Darlington and Homestead — there’s no question there’s a connection with Michigan, results-wise.

He’s decent here (16.4 average finish). He has won here in the Xfinity Series. The idea he could challenge for success this weekend isn’t far-fetched.

Posted on by Davey Segal

He may not be a fighter, but Ron Silk proved he was ready to rumble late Saturday night, passing Matt Hirschman with less than 10 laps remaining to win the Rumble at the Ridge 200 at Maine’s Beech Ridge Speedway.

The win was Silk’s first of the season and 16th of the veteran’s career, coming in a season that’s been up and down for the No. 85 Kevin Stuart-led machine.

“Pretty damn good,” Silk said with a smirk of how he was feeling in Victory Lane. “We had a great car the whole race. I knew right from the beginning that we were going to have a car that had a shot to win. Just pumped for all my guys to get them back to Victory Lane. … A great night for us.”

RELATED: Race results

Like most of the field, it was Silk’s first trip to the third-mile Scarborough oval, being the Whelen Modified Tour’s first event at the facility in over 15 years.

But he and eventual runner-up Hirschman made it seem like they were veterans at the track, slowly conserving their equipment while running inside the top five, preparing for a late-race battle.

Known on the tour as the best of the best when it comes to tire conservation, Hirschman led the opening 62 laps from the pole and dominated most of the event. He just couldn’t hold off the hard-charging Silk in the closing stages.

The second-place finish for Hirschman is his worst result of 2021 — because it’s only his second start of the season. He’s chosen to enter only a handful of races on the tour, and after winning Oswego and another strong showing at Beech Ridge, explained why he and the No. 60 team decided to Rumble at the Ridge of all places.

“A lot of people ask, ‘Well why’d you come here?’ The answer to be honest is it’s just a different race track,” Hirschman said. “I like to see different places on the schedule, get to go to new tracks. And for the first time here we did pretty well. We just gotta be a little bit better and hopefully we have the opportunity to come back here again.”

Beating Hirschman gives Silk even an added ounce of satisfaction with this particular win.

“It was exciting racing there with Matt at the end,” he said. “Feels good to beat him. You beat the best. We got four more (races) to go and we’re gonna go and try win some more.”

After losing a lap due to the right rear tire falling off the hub under caution, Patrick Emerling came home third for his seventh top five of the year. Still trailing Justin Bonsignore in the overall points standings, the driver of the No. 07 thinks if a late caution came out, they would’ve been able to challenge for their third victory of 2021.

“We improved upon our car a lot on the pit stops there,” he said. “We were knocking on the door of Matty (Hirschman) and I think we were the fastest car on the track at the end. Good points day for us. First time here, we can’t be disappointed salvaging a pretty solid day over a pretty major issue we had in the pits and getting ourselves trapped a lap down.”

Entering only his fourth race of the year, Matt Swanson came home fourth, his first top 10 and best result this season. Doug Coby, who was one of only two drivers with prior NWMT experience at Beech Ridge entering the 200-lap event, rebounded from a mid-race spin that put him a lap down to finish fifth.

Anthony Nocella, Kyle Bonsignore, Justin Bonsignore, Kyle Ebersole and J.B Fortin completed the top 10 finishers.

Despite only his second finish outside the top five this season, defending series champion Justin Bonsignore holds his points lead over Emerling with just four races remaining on the slate. Entering the event third in the standings, Jon McKennedy finished 16th, 13 laps down with front-end issues.

Up next for the Whelen Modified Tour is a trip to Owesgo Speedway on Sept. 4 for the Toyota Mod Classic 150. Earlier this year, Hirschman was victorious at the 5/8-mile, with Bonsignore taking the win in 2019.