NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR’s No. 88 driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Carolina Panthers No. 88 tight end Greg Olsen have teamed up to raise money for the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. The fundraising event called, “Weekend with the 88s,” will offer one lucky winner and their guest an unprecedented experience in sports spectating.

Michigan Recap: Denny Hamlin finished fifth in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, logging his fourth top-five result in the previous seven events in the 200-lap race won by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth. Hamlin lined up fourth for the final restart with 13 laps remaining at the wide, two-mile track, and settled for fifth at the checkered flag behind Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Austin Dillon.

While Danica Patrick may just have scored a brand new sponsor for the next race season, Stewart Haas Racing has another unique sponsor relationship with a nonprofit organization by the name of Code 3 Associates.

Hot news this week is headlined by the near-demise of Michael Waltrip Racing. The team has announced that it will not run full-time entries in 2016 and that Clint Bowyer will indeed be a free agent after this season.

Larson will be making his fourth NSCS start at BMS this weekend, where he has finishes of 10th and 12th last season, and seventh earlier this year. During the Bristol race earlier this season, Larson led 90 consecutive laps, which ranks as the most laps he’s led during a NSCS race.

"I am grateful for the opportunity that Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota have provided me this year. I have worked hard to be a good teammate and spokesperson for all of our sponsors, and as a team we have collectively improved our performance from the beginning of the season. I look forward to staying focused and trying to win a race this season for Aaron's and everyone at MWR.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will make his 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start this weekend at Bristol, a track where he has seen success scoring two top-five and three top-10 finishes in his last three starts.

Toyota driver Matt Kenseth won from the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway in April to capture his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) win at the track in a Camry. Kenseth started from the pole and led 47 laps (of 511) en route to his fourth career Cup win at the 0.533-mile track, his most NSCS victories at any one facility.

After racing on the big screen in Days of Thunder in 1990 and the NASCAR circuit for four seasons, the classic Mello Yello paint scheme is set to return to the track over Labor Day weekend for the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) Chevrolet SS.

Over the years, the Wood Brothers have focused their attention on NASCAR’s biggest, fastest tracks. But they’ve also run 65 races on the half-mile oval at Bristol Motor Speedway, where this weekend Ryan Blaney will drive the No. 21 SKF Ford Fusion in Saturday’s 500-lap race under the lights.