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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol Night Race

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Larson: Larson won Stages 1 and 2 and led 462 of 500 laps on his way to a dominant win in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

“I think I sent a message to the rest of the field,” Larson said. “And I also sent a message to Max Verstappen. That message to Max was this: You may be able to ‘F’ in a press conference, but you can’t ‘F’ with me.”

2. Christopher Bell: Bell finished fifth in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

“I clinched a spot in the Round Of 12 early in Stage 2,” Bell said. “That didn’t mean I took my foot off the gas. I had it floored, but it didn’t seem to matter, because Kyle Larson throttled everybody.”

3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fourth at Bristol and secured a spot in the Playoffs Round Of 12.

“I really dug myself a hole in the first two playoff races,” Hamlin said. “Had I not advanced, that would have been convenient because I would have just buried my championship hopes.”

4. Joey Logano: Logano spun in Stage 2 running 12th, ending his hopes for a win, and finished 28th.

“Having already qualified for the Round Of 12,” Logano said, “I raced at Bristol with no pressure. So I had nothing to worry about, even when that loose cannon Austin Dillon was behind me.”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished second at Bristol.

“You can best believe the folks down at the Dawsonville Pool Room were watching the race,” Elliott said. “And viewed through their beer goggles, they probably thought I won.”

6. Chase Briscoe: Briscoe was strong all night at Bristol and recorded an eight, good enough to move him into the Round Of 12.

“Daniel Hemric’s No. 31 Chevy had Mountain Dew and Doritos sponsorship,” Bell said. “Is it really smart for those companies to advertise their product at a NASCAR race? I mean, most NASCAR fans already have those products. They call it ‘breakfast.'”

7. Tyler Reddick: Reddick finished 20th at Bristol, easily advancing to Round 2 of the Playoffs.

“You have to be on your toes for 500 miles at Bristol,” Reddick said. “It’s a grueling race. When it was done, I was pooped. That’s better than what happened at Darlington, when after the race, what I said was ‘I pooped.'”

8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished sixth at Bristol.

“They call Bristol Motor Speedway the ‘Last Great Colosseum,'” Blaney said. “Does that make us all gladiators? If so, I’m guessing the Romans would not have been entertained, because there was not a lick of fighting.”

9. Alex Bowman: Bowman started on the pole and finished ninth at Bristol. He advanced to the Round Of 12.

“I was actually able to clinch in Stage 2,” Bowman said. “So I didn’t have to sweat it out like some drivers. That’s not to say I didn’t sweat. I did. And me talking about my sweat was way more exciting than a race that Kyle Larson made sooo boring.”

10. Chris Buescher: Buescher finished 14th in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

“As far as tire wear goes,” Buescher said, “the difference in the Bristol spring and the Bristol fall race was like night and day.”

Larson thunders to dominant Cup victory at Bristol Night Race; Playoff’s Round of 12 field set

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Kyle Larson annihilated his competition and thundered his way into the Playoff’s Round of 12 with a dominant victory in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 21.

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, led four times for a race-high 462 of 500-scheduled laps in an event where he started alongside teammate Alex Bowman on the front row. From the moment Larson first assumed the lead on Lap 33 from Bowman, the race was his to lose.

He proceeded to sweep both stage periods, maintain the top spot following every pit service performed by his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team and rocket away from the field through every restart he was leading, including the final one with 163 laps remaining. He lapped all but nine of 37 starters to cruise to his fifth Cup Series victory of the 2024 season and convincingly transfer his way into the second round of the 2024 Playoffs.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, September 20, Playoff contender Alex Bowman notched his first Cup pole position of the 2024 season and the fifth of his career with a pole-winning lap at 126.720 mph in 15.142 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Playoff contender and teammate Kyle Larson, who clocked in his best qualifying lap at 126.378 mph in 15.183 seconds.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced under the lights, Alex Bowman muscled ahead from teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron through the first two turns and the backstretch. He navigated his way through Turns 3 and 4, where he led the first lap, while Playoff contender Martin Truex Jr. was up to second place in front of Larson. As Larson proceeded to overtake Truex for the runner-up spot during the following lap, Byron battled Playoff Christopher Bell to retain fourth place.

Four laps later, the event’s first caution period flew when John Hunter Nemechek got loose after he nearly made contact with the outside wall through Turns 1 and 2, and then proceeded to spin and make rear-end contact with the outside wall in Turn 4.

When the race restarted under green on Lap 10, Bowman muscled ahead from the field to retain the lead while Truex and Larson battled for the runner-up spot. Behind, Byron and Bell trailed in the top five ahead of Playoff contender Chase Briscoe and rookie Carson Hocevar as Bubba Wallace, Corey LaJoie and Playoff contenders Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs and Chase Elliott followed suit.

Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Bowman was leading by three-tenths of a second over teammate Larson as Truex, teammate Byron and Briscoe were scored in the top five ahead of Hocevar, Bell, Wallace, Hamlin and LaJoie. Behind, Ty Gibbs, Elliott, Playoff contender Joey Logano, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece were running in the top 15 ahead of Playoff contender Ryan Blaney, Michael McDowell, Ross Chastain, AJ Allmendinger and Playoff contender Tyler Reddick. Meanwhile, Playoff contenders Austin Cindric, Brad Keselowski and Daniel Suarez were mired within the top-30 as Playoff rookie Harrison Burton was mired outside the top-30 mark.

Ten laps later, Bowman maintained a steady advantage of two-tenths of a second over teammate Larson while Playoff contenders Truex, Byron and Briscoe followed suit in the top five. Another four laps later, Larson used the outside lane to navigate his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 past Bowman’s No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and assume the lead. Larson would proceed to lead by two-tenths of a second over teammate Bowman at the Lap 40 mark while Truex, Byron and Briscoe continued to trail in the top-five mark ahead of Bell.

At the Lap 50 mark, Larson, who was navigating his way through lapped traffic and made contact with Nemechek while lapping him a few laps earlier, was leading by six-tenths of a second over teammate Bowman followed by Truex, Byron and Bell while Briscoe, Hocevar, Wallace, Hamlin and Gibbs occupied the top-10 spots. Behind, LaJoie, Elliott, Logano, Gragson and Preece were running in the top 15 as Blaney, McDowell, Chastain, Reddick and Allmendinger were racing in the top 20 ahead of Chris Buescher, winner of last weekend’s Cup event at Watkins Glen International. With 12 of 16 Playoff contenders running inside the top-20 mark on the track, the remaining Playoff contenders including Cindric, Keselowski, Suarez and Harrison Burton were mired in 24th, 27th, 28th and 30th, respectively.

Fifteen laps later, the top-eight spots on the track were occupied by Playoff contenders as Larson led Bowman, Truex, Byron, Bell, Briscoe, Hamlin and Gibbs, respectively. With Playoff Suarez lapped by Larson in 31st place, Keselowski and Burton were in jeopardy of being lapped while mired in 27th and 28th, respectively, while Cindric was still in 23rd place. As the remaining Playoff contenders including Elliott, Logano, Blaney and Reddick were mired in the top-20 mark on the track, Larson continued to lead at the Lap 75 mark.

By Lap 85, Larson stabilized his advantage to seven-tenths of a second over teammate Bowman as Playoff contenders Truex, Byron, Bell, Briscoe, Hamlin and Gibbs all followed suit in the top eight while trailing the lead by within four seconds. Behind, both Wallace and Hocevar continued to run as the highest-running non-Playoff contenders on the track and in the top-10 mark while Playoff contender Harrison Burton was about to be lapped by Larson.

At the Lap 100 mark, nine of the top-10 spots on the track were occupied by Playoff contenders as Larson extended his advantage to one-and-a-half seconds over teammate Bowman as Truex, Bell, Byron, Briscoe, Hamin, Gibbs and Elliott were all in the mix. By then, Wallace was the highest non-Playoff contender on the track in ninth place. Meanwhile, teammates Blaney and Logano were racing 13th and 14th, respectively, while Reddick and Cindric continued to trail in 19th and 23rd, respectively. In addition, Keselowski was trying to fend off the leader Larson to remain on the lead lap in 27th place while Burton and Suarez, both of whom were scored a lap down, were mired in 30th and 31st, respectively.

Ten laps later, Larson continued to lead by more than one-and-a-half seconds over teammate Bowman while Bell moved his No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry XSE up to third place ahead of teammate Truex and Byron. Behind, Blaney moved up to 11th place and Cindric gained two spots to 21st place while Keselowski was scored a lap down in 27th place. With nine Playoff contenders continuing to occupy nine top-10 spots on the track while jostling amongst one another for positions, Larson kept his lead to more than a second by the Lap 115 mark.  

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 125, Larson, who came into the event 26 points above the top-12 cutline in the Playoff standings, captured his 11th Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Teammate Bowman followed suit in second ahead of a bevy of Playoff contenders that included Bell, Truex, Byron, Hamlin, Briscoe, Gibbs and Elliott while Wallace retained 10th place. By then, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Blaney, Logano, Reddick, Cindric, Keselowski, Burton and Suarez were mired in 11th, 14th, 19th, 21st, 27th, 29th and 30th, respectively, as the latter three were scored a lap down.

With his third-place result in the first stage period that awarded him eight stage points, Christopher Bell clinched his spot into the Round of 12 in the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs, thus joining Joey Logano as the former continues his pursuit for his first championship in NASCAR’s premier series.

Under the stage break, the entire lead lap field led by Larson pitted for a first round of pit service. Following the pit stops, Larson retained the lead after he exited pit road first while being followed by Bell, Bowman, Truex, Byron, Gibbs, Hamlin, Wallace, Briscoe and Elliott, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Playoff Ty Gibbs along with rookie Josh Berry and Kyle Busch were all sent to the rear of the field for speeding on pit road. Rookie Zane Smith was also penalized for pitting outside of his pit box.

The second stage period started on Lap 135 as Larson and Bell occupied the front row. At the start, Larson fended off Bell to retain the lead as he proceeded to lead the following lap. With the field behind jostling for spots, Larson proceeded to lead through the Lap 140 mark while Bell, Truex and Bowman followed suit in the top four. Behind, Byron and Wallace battled for fifth place as Hamlin tried to fend off Briscoe, Logano, Elliott and Blaney for seventh place.

Through the first 150 scheduled laps, Playoff contenders occupied the top 11 spots on the track as Larson was leading ahead of rivals Bell, Truex, Bowman and Hamlin while Wallace was the lone non-Playoff contender in the mix in sixth place. Behind, Briscoe, Byron, Logano, Blaney and Elliott followed suit in the top 11 while Cindric and Reddick trailed in 17th and 18th, respectively. As Gibbs was mired in 24th following his pit road speeding penalty, the remaining Playoff contenders including Keselowski, Burton and Suarez were mired in 27th, 29th and 34th, respectively.

Fifteen laps later, Larson stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Bell while Truex, Hamlin, Bowman and Briscoe trailed within four seconds in the top-six mark on the track. As Wallace slipped to seventh, he remained ahead of Blaney, Byron, Elliott and Logano.

Another 10 laps later, Larson continued to lead by a second in Bell as Truex, Hamlin, Bowman and Briscoe continued to follow suit in the top six ahead of Wallace, Blaney, Byron, Elliott and Logano. Meanwhile, Cindric and Reddick were mired in 17th and 18th, respectively, and Gibbs was still mired in 23rd place as he was in jeopardy of being lapped by Larson.

Towards the Lap 185 mark, Larson, who continued to weave his way through lapped traffic, had his advantage decrease to four-tenths of a second over Bell while Hamlin moved his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE up to third place ahead of Truex, Bowman and Briscoe. By then, Suarez, who was mired in 33rd place, was lapped for a second time by Larson as Larson, who proceeded to lead the Lap 190 mark, was slowly catching Gibbs, who was still racing in 23rd place, to pin him a lap down.

At the Lap 200 mark, Larson retained the lead by seven-tenths of a second over Bell as the latter was having teammate Hamlin closing in for the runner-up spot. By then, Playoff contenders Briscoe, Bowman, Blaney, Elliott, Byron and Logano continued to run inside the top-11 mark on the track while Wallace remained as the highest non-Playoff contender in seventh place. By then, Reddick, Cindric and Gibbs continued to trail in 17th, 18th and 23rd, respectively, while Keselowski, Burton and Suarez were off the lead lap category in 28th, 30th and 32nd, respectively.

Fifteen laps later, Larson slightly stretched his advantage to a second over Bell as third-place Hamlin trailed teammate Bell by only four-tenths of a second. Behind, Briscoe moved his No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang Dark Horse up to fourth place ahead of Truex, Bowman and Blaney as Wallace, Elliott, Byron and Logano followed suit in the top 11.

Another 10 laps later and with the frustrations mounting within several Playoff contenders, Larson, who was navigating his way through lapped traffic, extended his advantage to one-and-a-half seconds over Bell, with Hamlin, Briscoe, Truex, Bowman and Blaney following suit in the top seven. By then, Byron was mired in 10th place ahead of Logano and Gibbs was only up to 21st place while Keselowski, Suarez and Burton were still mired in 28th, 31st and 34th, respectively. With Keselowski scored a lap down, both Suarez and Burton were pinned two laps down.

Then on Lap 237, Playoff rookie Harrison Burton’s hopes of transferring into the Round of 12 evaporated as he took his No. 21 Ford Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang Dark Horse behind the pit wall due to a power steering issue. With the race remaining under green flag conditions, Larson maintained his steady advantage to nine-tenths of a second over Hamlin as Bell dropped to third place in front of Briscoe and Truex by the Lap 240 mark.

Then on Lap 243, the caution flew when Playoff contender Joey Logano, who was running in 11th place and had already guaranteed himself a spot into the Round of 12, slipped sideways while running in between the lapped competitor of Ryan Preece and Bubba Wallace exiting Turn 2 as he proceeded to spin and hit the frontstretch’s inside wall head-on, though he managed to proceed while dragging sparks beneath his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

During the caution period, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Larson pitted for service while Playoff contender Tyler Reddick remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Larson exited pit road first ahead of Hamlin, Truex, Bell, Wallace, Briscoe, Bowman, Blaney, Elliott and Byron, respectively.   

With the race restarting under green with two laps remaining in the second stage period, Larson wasted no time using the fresh tires to his advantage as he rocketed away from Reddick to reassume the lead through the backstretch. Behind, Truex made his way into second place as Reddick was trying to fend off Hamin and Bell for the following lap.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 250, which marked the halfway point of the overall event, Larson captured his 12th Cup stage victory of the 2024 season and second of the night. Truex followed suit in second ahead of Hamlin, Reddick and Bell while Wallace, Bowman, Briscoe, Blaney and Elliott were scored in the top 10. With nine of the remaining 15 Playoff contenders on the track finishing in the top 10 and racking up a second round of stage points, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Byron, Cindric, Gibbs, Keselowski, Suarez and Logano were mired in 11th, 16th, 18th, 26th, 30th and 32nd, respectively.

With a combined 13 stage points by finishing second and seventh during the event’s first two stage periods, pole-sitter Alex Bowman joined Christopher Bell and Joey Logano as a third Playoff competitor to be guaranteed early automatic passes to the Playoff’s Round of 12.

During the stage break, Reddick, who gained seven points at the second stage’s conclusion, pitted for fresh tires to his No. 45 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE while the rest led by Larson remained on the track.

With 240 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced under green as Larson and Truex occupied the front row. At the start, Larson used the outside lane to fend off Truex through the first two turns and the backstretch. With Larson retaining the lead for the proceeding laps ahead of Truex, the latter’s teammates Hamlin and Bell followed suit along with Wallace in the top five while Briscoe challenged Bell for fifth place. With nine Playoff contenders running in the top 10 spots on the track, Larson retained the lead by six-tenths of a second with 230 laps remaining.

With 215 laps remaining, Larson stretched his lead to a second over Truex while non-Playoff contender Wallace was up to third place ahead of a bevy of Playoff contenders that included Hamlin, Briscoe, Bell, Elliott, Blaney and Bowman. With non-Playoff contenders Ross Chastain and Corey LaJoie following suit ahead of Playoff contender Byron, Gibbs was mired in 18th place ahead of Cindric, Allmendinger and Reddick while Keselowski, Logano and Suarez all trailed by a lap down in 28th, 30th and 33rd, respectively.

Down to the final 200 laps of the event, Larson continued to lead by three-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Truex as Wallace, Hamlin, Briscoe, Bell, Elliott, Blaney, Bowman and Chastain remained in the top 10 on the track. Behind, Byron retained 12th place, Gibbs gained only a single spot to 17th place and Cindric was still mired in 19th place ahead of Reddick. As Keselowski, Logano and Suarez continued to trail outside the top-25 mark on the track while not scored on the lead lap category, Larson lapped Suarez’s No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and placed the latter two laps down.

Twenty-five laps later, Larson stretched his advantage to three seconds over Truex as Playoff contenders Briscoe, Hamlin and Elliott followed suit in the top five on the track. Behind, Wallace settled in sixth ahead of Blaney, Bell, Chastain and Bowman as Playoff contenders Byron, Gibbs, Cindric and Reddick were running 13th, 16th, 18th and 21st, respectively. As Keselowski was behind the leaders by a lap in 28th, Logano and Suarez were running 31st and 32nd while scored two laps down.

Three laps later, the caution flew when Corey LaJoie, who was running in 11th place, received contact from the lapped competitor of Josh Berry that got LaJoie loose and veering into the outside wall in Turn 2 as his No. 7 Mattress Warehouse Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 came to a sliding halt with damage towards the inside lane.

During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Larson pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Larson exited pit road first ahead of Truex, Hamlin, Elliott, Blaney, Wallace, Bowman, Bell, Chastain and Byron while Briscoe lost a bevy of spots due to a slow pit service to have the right-front tire changed. Soon after, Truex, who spent the majority of the event running towards the front, was sent to the rear of the field for speeding on pit road.

The start of the following restart period with 163 laps remaining featured Larson rocketing away to retain the lead as teammate Elliott launched his No. 9 LLumar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the runner-up spot. Wallace would then follow suit into third place as Hamlin was trying to fend off teammate Bell, Blaney and Byron for fourth place. Hamlin then capitalized on Wallace sliding up the track to retake fourth place as Larson proceeded to lead with 160 laps remaining.

With 150 laps remaining, Larson extended his advantage to a second over teammate Elliott as Hamlin, Bell and Blaney were scored in the top five. Behind, Briscoe, who was trying to rally from his slow pit service, was up to sixth place after he overtook Wallace while Ty Gibbs was up into eighth place ahead of Byron and Bowman.

Fifteen laps later, Larson continued to lead ahead of teammate Elliott while Hamlin was trying to fend off teammate Bell for third place as Briscoe was up into fifth place. Larson would proceed to lead by more than a second over teammate Elliott with 120 laps remaining as Hamlin, Bell and Briscoe remained in the top five ahead of Blaney, Wallace, Gibbs, Bowman and Byron.

Down to the final 100 laps of the event, Larson stretched his advantage to nearly three seconds over teammate Elliott as Hamlin, Bell, Briscoe, Blaney, Wallace, Gibbs, Bowman and McDowell were scored in the top 10 on the track. Behind, Byron dropped to 13th place as he was three spots ahead of Cindric and seven spots ahead of Reddick while Truex was mired in 24th place. Meanwhile, Keselowski was mired in 26th place and trapped a lap down and Logano was two laps down in 29th place while Suarez, who currently held sole possession of the 12th and final transfer spot to the Round of 12 by a mere margin over Gibbs, was running three laps down in 31st place.

Twenty-five laps later, Larson lapped 24th-place Truex while retaining the lead by two seconds over teammate Elliott and Bell. Behind, Hamlin trailed by four seconds in fourth place while Briscoe trailed by five seconds in fifth place.

Another 15 laps later, Larson, who had guaranteed himself into the Playoff’s Round of 12, had his advantage slightly decreased to one-and-a-half seconds over teammate Elliott as Playoff contenders Bell, Hamlin, Briscoe and Blaney followed suit in the top six. Behind, Wallace remained as the highest-running Playoff contender in seventh place ahead of Playoff contenders Gibbs and Bowman while the remaining Playoff contenders that included Byron, Cindric, Reddick, Truex, Keselowski, Logano, Suarez and Burton were mired in 13th, 16th, 20th, 24th, 25th, 29th, 31st and 35th, respectively.

Down to the final 50 laps of the event, Larson stretched his advantage back up to two seconds over teammate Elliott, with eight Playoff contenders occupying the top 10 spots on the track. By then, Brad Keselowski pitted his No. 6 Castrol Edge Ford Mustang Dark Horse under green for fuel, which pinned him three laps from the lead and had his hopes of advancing into the Round of 12 being jeopardized, as Larson lapped Reddick, who was mired in 20th place.

As Larson proceeded to lead by more than two seconds over teammate Elliott with 40 laps remaining, Suarez, who was mired in 30th place despite being three laps down, was currently occupying the 12th and final transfer spot to the Round of 12 by six points over Gibbs, who was strapped in ninth place and unable to navigate past Suarez on the track. With Truex, Keselowski and Burton scored below the cutline, Hamlin and Briscoe were both above the cutline by eight and six points, respectively.

With 30 laps remaining, Larson extended his advantage to three seconds over teammate Elliott and four seconds over Hamlin while Suarez, who remained in 30th place and was three laps down, maintained a nine-point advantage over Gibbs, whose No. 54 He Gets Us Toyota Camry XSE was losing the handling and had dropped to 11th place on the track, for the final transfer spot into the Round of 12.

With Larson adding another second to his advantage as he was now leading by four seconds over teammate Elliott with 20 laps remaining, Suarez maintained his advantage for the final transfer spot into the Round of 12 by 10 points over Gibbs, who was down to 13th place on the track, as Byron, Hamlin and Briscoe were also in position to transfer by 21, 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Larson, who lapped Gibbs seven laps earlier, extended his advantage to five seconds over teammate Elliott as only 12 of 37 starters were scored on the lead lap. By then, Gibbs dropped to 15th place and was losing ground to Suarez, who retained 30th place on the track while three laps down, as Suarez, Byron, Hamlin and Briscoe were all still above the cutline over Gibbs, Truex, Keselowski and Burton.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Larson remained as the leader by six seconds over teammate Elliott. With no challengers closing in from behind, Larson was able to smoothly and quickly navigate his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 around the Bristol circuit for a final time before he returned to the frontstretch and claimed his fifth checkered flag of the 2024 Cup Series season.

With the victory, Larson, whose son Owen saluted the fans as the driver took him for a parade victory lap, notched his 28th NASCAR Cup Series career victory in his 359th series’ start, his second at Bristol under the lights and his first since winning the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this past July. The victory was the 12th of the 2024 season for the Chevrolet nameplate and the 10th for Hendrick Motorsports, with the organization notching its fifth victory at the Bristol Night Race feature.

As a result of his Bristol Night Race victory, Larson, who is coming off finishes of 37th and 12th from the first two events of the Playoff’s Round of 16, clinched a berth into the Round of 12 as he continues his pursuit for his second Cup Series championship.

“I’ve had a lot of good cars since I’ve come to Hendrick Motorsports,” Larson said on the frontstretch on USA Network. “That was just great execution all weekend by the team. Practice good. You got to qualify good [and] we did that. [I] Just had a great car. Thanks to the whole No. 5 team. They’re the best in the business. We dominated a lot of races, but we might not close them all out, so it was really good to close one out with this HendrickCars.com Chevy. Just a phenomenal car. [I] Could kind of manage my stuff and then really pass some cars there at the end.”

As an added bonus, Larson set a record for the most laps led by a Hendrick Motorsports competitor in a race at 462. The total laps Larson led are the most recorded by a Bristol Cup race winner since the late Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough led 496 laps in April 1977.

“That’s pretty awesome,” Larson said of his record feat. “There’s been some legendary Hall of Famers [who have] raced for Hendrick Motorsports. We’ve all grown up watching Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson dominate. Pretty cool to add my name up to another record at Hendrick Motorsports. Just very fortunate to be with that group. It’s so much fun and especially racing in front of you fans under the lights at Bristol. This is my favorite track and I hope you guys enjoyed that race there and enjoyed the methodical lap traffic run.”

Teammate Chase Elliott, who came into Bristol with a 30-point cushion, also transferred into the Round of 12 by finishing second while Bubba Wallace, who inked a multiyear contract extension to remain at 23XI Racing, capped off a stellar night as a non-Playoff contender by finishing third. Playoff contenders Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell finished in the top five as both also transferred into the Round of 12.

Ryan Blaney, Ryan Preece, Chase Briscoe, Alex Bowman and Ross Chastain completed the top 10 spots on the track as all were also the final five set of competitors to finish on the lead lap.

Larson, Elliott, Hamlin and Bell join Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Daniel Suarez as the 12 competitors who transfer into the Playoff’s Round of 12. Meanwhile, Ty Gibbs was the first competitor to be eliminated from the Playoffs as he missed the cutline by 11 points and teammate Martin Truex Jr. was also unable to recover from his late pit road speeding penalty. By being eliminated from the Playoffs, Truex, the 2017 Cup Series champion, will not battle for a championship in his final full-time racing season. Brad Keselowski and Harrison Burton were also eliminated from Playoff contention.

There were eight lead changes for four different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 36 laps.

Results.

1. Kyle Larson, 462 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner

2. Chase Elliott

3. Bubba Wallace, one lap led

4. Denny Hamlin

5. Christopher Bell

6. Ryan Blaney

7. Ryan Preece

8. Chase Briscoe

9. Alex Bowman, 34 laps led

10. Ross Chastain

11. Michael McDowell, one lap down

12. Noah Gragson, one lap down

13. Austin Cindric, one lap down

14. Chris Buescher, one lap down

15. Ty Gibbs, one lap down

16. Zane Smith, one lap down

17. William Byron, one lap down

18. Carson Hocevar, one lap down

19. Daniel Hemric, one lap down

20. Tyler Reddick, one lap down, three laps led

21. Austin Dillon, one lap down

22. Justin Haley, one lap down

23. AJ Allmendinger, one lap down

24. Martin Truex Jr., one lap down

25. Kyle Busch, two laps down

26. Brad Keselowski, three laps down

27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., three laps down

28. Joey Logano, four laps down

29. Josh Berry, four laps down

30. Erik Jones, four laps down

31. Daniel Suarez, four laps down

32. Todd Gilliland, four laps down

33. John Hunter Nemechek, nine laps down

34. Josh Bilicki, 33 laps down

35. Harrison Burton, 78 laps down

36. Corey LaJoie – OUT, Accident

37. Kaz Grala – OUT, Steering

*Bold indicates Playoff contenders

Playoff standings

1. Joey Logano – Advanced

2. Kyle Larson – Advanced

3. Christopher Bell – Advanced

4. Alex Bowman – Advanced

5. Chase Elliott – Advanced

6. Austin Cindric – Advanced

7. Ryan Blaney – Advanced

8. Tyler Reddick – Advanced

9. William Byron – Advanced

10. Denny Hamlin – Advanced

11. Chase Briscoe – Advanced

12. Daniel Suarez – Advanced

13. Ty Gibbs – Eliminated

14. Martin Truex Jr. – Eliminated

15. Brad Keselowski – Eliminated

16. Harrison Burton – Eliminated

The Round of 12 in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set to occur next Sunday, September 29, at Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400. The event’s broadcast time is slated to occur at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Force, Hagan Hold Top Spots Heading Into Sunday Eliminations at NHRA Carolina Nationals

By
Official Release
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No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier Brittany Force held off a stacked field of competitors during day two of NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. (CMS/HHP Photo)
  • Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also earned No. 1 qualifier spots during Saturday’s NHRA Carolina Nationals action at zMAX Dragway
  • The stage is set for Sunday’s elimination rounds as zMAX Dragway looks to crown four more winners; tickets are available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or at the gate

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 21, 2024) – Adjusting to a weather shift from cooler Friday conditions to an unseasonably warm track on Saturday, Top Fuel driver Brittany Force leaned on Friday’s 3.690-second qualifying pass, to secure her top spot going into Sunday’s elimination rounds. While she struggled in the third round of qualifying, the John Force Racing veteran posted a 3.776-second final qualifying pass on Saturday.

“We just needed our car to go down the race track. We picked up some points and had a good run in the heat. It’s going to be even hotter tomorrow, so that [3.776-second pass] was actually more important of a run than our 3.69 [second pass] last night,” Force said. “Anyone can run great in the cool conditions but can you repeat that on a race day? Today’s runs were the ones that really mattered.”

Following suit, Shawn Reed ran his quickest time of 3.7 seconds on Friday to clock in the second quickest of the weekend. Reed will go up against Billy Torrence, while No. 1 qualifier Force will go head-to-head with Top Fuel newcomer Ida Zetterstrom.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all solidified top qualifying positions in their respective categories, setting the ladder for elimination Sunday at the Bellagio of Drag Strips.

Hagan Holds Top Spot

Like the rest of the field, Hagan struggled with Saturday’s warmer temperatures during the final two qualifying sessions of the NHRA Carolina Nationals. Unlike the rest of the field, Hagan had a Friday run of 3.832 seconds, good enough to earn the No. 1 qualifying spot in Sunday’s eliminations.

“I think we got something to work off of,” Hagan said of Saturday’s two sessions. “It’s always a tough field out there. We’re glad to be able to pull down the No. 1 qualifier – second time this year. Hopefully we can build on that in these upcoming races… I think that performance [Friday] night, having two runs back-to-back when the conditions were great, that was a great shot in the arm for us. Tomorrow’s, it’s going to be 90 degrees, back to probably pedaling the race car some and figuring out how to get down a greasy race track.”

Currently fifth in the point standings, Hagan will line up against Dave Richards in the first round of eliminations, with the winner of that battle getting a crucial Round 2 bye. Points leader Austin Prock, who qualified second on the weekend, will face Alexis Dejoria.

Anderson Improves; Enders Endures

Hometown favorite Greg Anderson made his best run of the weekend in Q3 with a 6.580-second pass to improve his qualifying position to second, but it was Enders who kept her perfect weekend alive posting the fastest qualifying effort in each of the four sessions to claim her 40th career No. 1 spot heading into Sunday’s eliminations.

“My head engine builder came across the radio and said, ‘that’s what you call a clean sweep,’” Enders said after her final qualifying pass. “That part is really exciting. On the other side of things, it weighs on you because now it’s in your hands. I promise there’s nothing worse than posting a really fast time and the guy next to you posting a slower time and still turns a win light on. It happened to me last week. So I’ve got my work cut out for me, but I’m very confident in my equipment and my team.”

With a win on Sunday, Enders would earn her 50th career victory, a mark she has been chasing for the last 14 events. She’ll face Derrick Reese in the first round, while Anderson will line up beside Kenny Delco as he looks to gain ground in his championship pursuit. Points leader Aaron Standfield will face Chris McGaha in the opening round.

Smith, Herrera Stand Apart

Throughout the first two days of competition, Matt Smith and Gaige Herrera have emerged as the clear front runners in the Pro Stock Motorcycle division. Matt Smith surpassed current points leader Gaige Herrera by 0.013 seconds, locking up the top spot in Sunday’s bracket with a time of 6.799 seconds.

Herrera, who clocked in a time of 6.812 seconds, is set to face Marcus Hylton in the first round of Sunday’s elimination race. Smith is looking forward to tomorrow’s bracket rounds with lane choice as a concern. He is set to face the winner of Angie Smith and Geno Scali’s race in Round 2.

“Lane choice is going to be big for me tomorrow. I’m going to stay in the left lane as long as I can, and then I have to figure out how to go down the right lane if I lose the choice tomorrow,” Smith said.

Richard Gadson (6.830 seconds), Hector Arana Jr (6.834 seconds), and Jianna Evaristo (6.950) complete the top five in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category.

Action continues Sunday with pivotal eliminations as drivers continue to chase their world championship. The SealMaster Track Walk and pre-race ceremonies begin at 10:45 a.m., with the first round of eliminations scheduled for noon.

TICKETS:

Tickets for Sunday’s NHRA Carolina Nationals eliminations are available online at charlottemotorspeedway.com, by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or at the gate.

KEEP TRACK:

Stay on pace with what’s happening at Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on X and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

CORVETTE RACING AT INDY: Pole Position for Catsburg!

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Official Release
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Third GTD PRO pole for No. 4 Z06 GT3.R, Sims P5 in No. 3 Corvette

INDIANAPOLIS (September 21, 2024) – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R will start from the GTD PRO pole position for Sunday’s six-hour Battle on The Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after Nicky Catsburg’s effort in Saturday’s 15-minute qualifying session.

Catsburg set a best lap of 1:23.209 (105.521 mph) in the Corvette that originally qualified second in class, just 0.059 seconds from pole position. However the GTD PRO pole-winning car was penalized in post-qualifying technical inspection, elevating Catsburg and teammate Tommy Milner to the point in class as the duo tries for their first class victory of the season and second for the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports team.

Alexander Sims will start fourth in GTD PRO behind the wheel of the No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R that he shares with Antonio Garcia. His lap of 1:23.298 (105.409 mph) was one of six cars that were separated by less than two-tenths of a second in qualifying around the 2.439-mile, 14-turn circuit.

Given the large number of cars – 56 entries between the four classes – qualifying took on a little added importance, which is unique in an endurance race. The gap from the front of GTD PRO to ninth in the final practice Saturday morning was just 0.43 seconds.

The Pratt Miller-run Corvettes have shown strong performance at each of the three previous endurance rounds this season – Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen. Chevrolet leads the Endurance Cup Manufacturers Championship with just Indianapolis and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans left in the season. Points at Indianapolis will be awarded at the three- and six-hour marks.

In GTD, AWA will start 20th in the largest class in the race after Orey Fidani’s lap of 1:25.722 (102.428 mph) in the No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The team has positive momentum on its side with back-to-back, top-six finishes in class… one of only four entrants in GTD to accomplish that feat in the last two races. A year ago, AWA won at Indianapolis in the LMP3 class.

Fidani and Matt Bell also scored maximum points for the Bob Akin Award in the last round at VIR to grow Fidani’s lead in that championship. If he can hold that position Sunday and at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Fidani and AWA will earn an automatic invitation to the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGT3 class.

The TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. ET on Sunday. The final three hours will air live on NBC starting at 3 p.m. ET with live streaming at 11:30 a.m. on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S., plus IMSA Radio’s flag-to-flag call at IMSA.com, XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s nice to be on pole for tomorrow. It’s a shame for the 77, but at the same time it’s a nice surprise for me and the team. Qualifying is a little irrelevant when it comes to these long races. But it is good to be there. It proves that we have done good work in practice and what we are doing is working. We can build on that for the race, and I’m very pleased with where we are starting.”

(Is starting up front in a field this large important?) “I wouldn’t say so. Here you will have more opportunities to do something different in strategy and so on. But you never want to be at the back or in the middle. The track is relatively tiny and tight, and it will be really intense tomorrow. Especially if it rains and it’s wet, you definitely do not want to be far from the front.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s one of those where the time from pole is not so bad relative to where we were this morning. It felt like we were struggling. It was difficult to predict how the car was going to be this afternoon judging on the new-tire run this morning in colder temperatures. I was a bit alarmed by the change of balance between the two sessions, and I didn’t predict that very well on the first push lap I did. By the time I tried a second push lap, the tires were gone anyway. But it’s OK.”

(Will track position from the start be key even in a long race?) “I think it will be really difficult to overtake on pure pace with cars around you that are likely to be on a similar pace. Traffic is going to play a big part in how you work that during the race. It’s so easy out there to have a mistake here or there, and in the wrong place it can cost you a ton of laptime. We’ll have to try. In a six-hour race it’s hard not to make mistakes but we’re going to do the best we can. If it’s a green race, I don’t know if we can do much on strategy because it’s quite tight on the pit window, so we’ll have to see.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

HAGAN, B. FORCE, ENDERS & M. SMITH ALL QUALIFY NO. 1 AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

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CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 21, 2024) – Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan picked up his first No. 1 qualifier since March for Tony Stewart Racing, clinching the top position on Saturday at zMAX Dragway to close out qualifying at the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 16th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hagan’s Friday run of 3.832-seconds at 333.25 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat stood up through Saturday’s two sessions, as the four-time world champ raced to his second No. 1 position of the year and the 52nd in his career. Hagan, who opened the weekend 137 points out of first, also has a chance to sweep both Charlotte races this season and a win on Sunday would certainly be ideal for his title chances.

“We feel like we found some stuff, working hard behind the scenes,” Hagan said. “My guys have obviously been scratching their head a little bit all year and have just not had the performance that we really wanted or hoped to, but knowing that we can run with these guys, and I think that we showed that Friday, that’s real. We can do this still, so that was a great shot in the arm for us.

“Tomorrow’s going to be 90 degrees, so it’s back to probably pedaling the car some and figuring out how to get down the racetrack. But the lanes are really nice, both equal, so at the end of the day, I feel confident that we got a car that could go down the racetrack.”

Points leader Austin Prock finished second in qualifying with Friday’s 3.833 at 332.84, while John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman is right behind in third after a 3.850 at 327.27.

Top Fuel’s Brittany Force easily held on to the No. 1 spot thanks to Friday’s stellar run of 3.690 at 334.24 in her 11,000-horsepower HendrickCars.com Chevrolet dragster, but the two-time Top Fuel world champion added some more momentum with a strong run in the warmer temperatures to close out qualifying on Saturday. It’s Force’s third No. 1 this season – and second in the last three races – and the 49th in her standout career.

She opened the weekend ninth in points but is determined to make a run and Force will need a big raceday to do it. Force opens eliminations against rookie Ida Zetterstrom and will attempt to pick up her first event win since her 2022 championship campaign.

“We missed it on the first run today and that was a really crucial run, but on our last run, we ran a (3.77), which was second in the field, so that was a killer run for us,” Force said. “We needed that. We just needed our car to go down the racetrack. We had a window we were trying to aim for, and we made it right in that window and picked up some points and had a good run in the heat.

“It’s going to be even hotter tomorrow, so that was actually more important of a run than our 3.69 Friday night. I wish we would have gotten down there both runs today, but we pushed a little too hard, and hopefully we can find that balance for tomorrow.”

Shawn Reed qualified second thanks to his 3.700 at 324.12 and defending world champion Doug Kalitta took third with Friday’s 3.710 at 332.59.

Erica Enders made the absolute most of qualifying in Charlotte as she seeks her first win since the season-opener in Gainesville, turning in the quickest run in all four qualifying sessions, including Friday’s 6.557 at 208.20 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car that clinched her 40th career No. 1 qualifier. Enders, who entered the weekend third in points, made two more strong runs on Saturday, setting up the potential for her 50th career national event win.

Enders, who has now qualified first or second at 13 of the 16 races this year, will open raceday against Derrick Reese, looking to build on two strong days of qualifying and last weekend’s runner-up at the playoff opener in Reading.

“Obviously, that [50th win] is being held over our heads pretty significantly, but I have a great race car this weekend. My car is flying,” Enders said. “We were low for every session, which was worth 12 bonus points, so that’s more than half a round, so now I have to go to work.

“Hearing the excitement in my guys’ voices, that part’s really exciting, but on the other side of things, it weighs on you because now it’s in my hands. I have a really fast race car and I promise you, as a driver, there’s nothing worse than posting a really fast time, and the guy next to you posting a slower one, and still turning the win light on, which happened to me last week. I’ve got my work cut out for me, but the confidence is very strong in my equipment and my team.”

Greg Anderson moved into the No. 2 position on speed, going 6.580 at 208.49 on Saturday, pushing points leader and Reading winner Aaron Stanfield to third with his Friday pass of 6.580 at 207.85.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, six-time world champion Matt Smith enjoyed another strong day at zMAX Dragway, lowering his No. 1 qualifying time to a 6.799 at 199.67 on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. It was quicker than Friday’s run and Smith, who claimed his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the 2024 campaign, was the only rider to dip into the 6.70s through the first days of the event. He gained points on leader and defending world champion Gaige Herrera and Smith feels good about his chances heading into raceday as he seeks his second win of the year.

“We knew the weather was a little bit better, but the track was a little bit worse, so we took a tooth off [the rear sprocket] this morning to see if we control the tire. It stuck and we went 6.79 so we thought we were on the right path but got back in that right lane that has thrown us for a loop,” Smith said. “Lane choice is going to be big for me tomorrow and I will stay in the left lane as long as I can or have to figure out how to go down that right lane if I lose (lane) choice tomorrow.

“Having a bye (in round one) is always good because we can go up and try stuff and it’s good that (Gaige Herrera and Richard Gadson) have each other on the other side of the ladder.”

Herrera stayed close behind, qualifying second with a 6.812 at 198.47 and his teammate, Richard Gadson, qualified third after a run of 6.830 at 199.26.

Eliminations for the NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

CONCORD, N.C. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway, the 16th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.690 seconds, 335.73 mph vs. 16. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.797, 317.94; 2. Shawn Reed, 3.700, 325.61 vs. 15. Billy Torrence, 3.797, 329.42; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.710, 332.59 vs. 14. Tony Stewart, 3.796, 329.18; 4. Justin Ashley, 3.714, 330.80 vs. 13. Dan Mercier, 3.780, 323.12; 5. Tony Schumacher, 3.714, 327.11 vs. 12. Doug Foley, 3.770, 325.06; 6. Shawn Langdon, 3.725, 334.15 vs. 11. Josh Hart, 3.755, 327.59; 7. Steve Torrence, 3.725, 332.92 vs. 10. Antron Brown, 3.752, 324.90; 8. Jasmine Salinas, 3.734, 331.20 vs. 9. Clay Millican, 3.749, 326.32.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Mike Bucher, 3.896, 294.56; 18. Cameron Ferre, 9.301, 73.81.

Funny Car — 1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.832, 333.25 vs. 14. Dave Richards, Ford Mustang, 4.208, 238.38; 2. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.833, 332.84 vs. 13. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 4.147, 245.85; 3. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.850, 327.27 vs. 12. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.101, 308.92; 4. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.884, 328.22 vs. 11. John Smith, Charger, 4.046, 302.21; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.886, 332.92 vs. 10.

Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.033, 312.71; 6. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.886, 329.02 vs. 9. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.963, 318.24; 7. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.904, 319.22 vs. 8. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.906, 329.67.

Pro Stock — 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.557, 209.10 vs. 16. Derrick Reese, Ford Mustang, 6.644, 206.80; 2. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.580, 208.49 vs. 15. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.641, 207.08; 3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.580, 208.52 vs. 14. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.622, 208.36; 4. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.586, 208.20 vs. 13. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.614, 208.07; 5. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.590, 207.46 vs. 12. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.609, 207.08; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.591, 207.72 vs. 11. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.603, 208.78; 7. Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.592, 207.62 vs. 10. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.602, 208.49; 8. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.595, 208.42 vs. 9. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.597, 208.20.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Larry Morgan, 6.656, 208.10.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.799, 199.67 vs. Bye; 2. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.812, 198.58 vs. 15. Marcus Hylton, 7.168, 184.55; 3. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.830, 199.26 vs. 14. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.936, 195.76; 4. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.834, 198.17 vs. 13. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.930, 195.82; 5. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.850, 199.55 vs. 12. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.917, 195.05; 6. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.878,

197.25 vs. 11. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.898, 197.13; 7. John Hall, Beull, 6.881, 196.79 vs. 10. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.893, 197.02; 8. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.882, 198.15 vs. 9. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.889, 196.76.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Carolina Nationals Post-Qualifying Report – 09.21.24

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Official Release
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KALITTA, TODD LEAD TEAM TOYOTA IN CAROLINA NATIONALS QUALIFYING
NHRA Countdown to the Championship Hits Halfway Point on Sunday

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 21, 2024) – Defending Carolina Nationals winner, Doug Kalitta, enters tomorrow’s eliminations at zMAX Dragway as the number three qualifier in Top Fuel. The reigning world champion ran a 3.710 time during the Friday night qualifying session to position himself well as he looks to defend his crown. Kalitta is joined towards the top of the Top Fuel field by points leader, Justin Ashley, who is the fourth seed, along with Shawn Langdon (sixth) and Steve Torrence (seventh) as they look to close the points gap to Ashley and Antron Brown at the halfway point of the Countdown to the Championship.

In Funny Car, J.R. Todd earned the sixth seed in the Funny Car ladder for tomorrow’s eliminations as he seeks his second victory of the 2024 season and to gain further in the championship standings. His GR Supra Funny Car teammates, Ron Capps and Alexis DeJoria, will start eliminations as the eighth and 13th seeds, respectively.

Tomorrow’s NHRA Carolina Nationals eliminations at zMAX Dragway fire off at 12 p.m. EST with live TV coverage beginning at 3 p.m. EST on FOX.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
zMAX Dragway
NHRA Carolina Nationals
Race 16 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
B. ForceHendrick Cars.com Chevrolet Dragster1stI. Zetterstrom
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster3rdT. Stewart
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster4thD. Mercier
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster6thJ. Hart
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster7thA. Brown
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster10thS. Torrence
Billy TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster15thS. Reed

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
M. HaganDirect Connection Dodge Funny Car1stD. Richards
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car6thD. Wilkerson
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car8thC. Green
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Café Toyota GR Supra Funny Car13thA. Prock

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 3rd

How do you feel about the qualifying run and your prospects for tomorrow?

“Yeah, going into tomorrow third. So, I’m looking forward to it! The track is going to be pretty hot tomorrow, probably, so we’ve been working on a setup for hot conditions and what not, but we have all the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) guys in their trailer analyzing the track. That’s a huge help to have them out here for this.”

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 6th

How would you assess your qualifying?

“Yeah, we made a good run in the heat of the day, Q3, which is going to be similar conditions to what we’re going to race in. So, that’s something good to take away from Saturday. Still have some work to do to catch the cars in front of us. We’re hoping we can get some help along the way tomorrow and you know, go to the late rounds to gain on these guys. That’s all we can do, do the best we can and hope for some help along the way.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships. 

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Second straight double podium at Indy for Sedgwick and PT Autosport

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With second and third place finishes in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Sedgwick has now podiumed in all five of the team’s races at Indy

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (September 21, 2024) – PT Autosport with JDX Racing continued its impressive podium streak at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, earning a second and a third-place finish in Porsche Carrera Cup North America.

The team is now five-for-five in podium finishes at the Brickyard, adding in Sedgwick’s two third place finishes last year behind the wheel of the No. 98 PT Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car, and his third-place finish in the 2022 Porsche TogetherFest.

While the outcomes of the pair of 40-minute races, held as part of IMSA’s TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks, dented Sedgwick’s championship hopes as the championship leader claimed two victories, the 25-year-old Warwickshire, UK native did solidify his hold on second place in the title chase.

As the weekend unfolded on Thursday, job one for the team was to adjust quickly to the unseasonably hot and humid conditions, with ambient temperatures over 90 degrees and track temps over 120F for most of the five on-track sessions.

The series was first out on the circuit Thursday morning, for the first of two practice sessions. Sedgwick set the fourth quickest time in session one and topped the speed charts in session two.

“The first session was all about figuring out track conditions, how the track had changed from our test a few weeks ago,” said Sedgwick. “It’s super hot here this weekend, which we weren’t really expecting this time of year, so we made a few adjustments to the car with that in mind. JDX has done a great job with the car as the track evolves – P1 in the second session and that’s exactly where we want to be for the rest of the weekend.”

In Saturday morning qualifying, Sedgwick and the team worked constantly on the car’s balance, but a rapidly changing track made for a difficult decision-making process. At the end of the session, Sedgwick held the fourth quickest time for race one – and the second quickest time for race two.

“The track changed so quickly it was hard to get to a specific setup,” said Sedgwick. “We had some trouble setting the rear of the car running by ourselves, but it’s going to be a good race car.”

Sedgwick got a solid launch at the drop of the green, despite being on the unfavored outside going into Turn 1. He powered into third position through the corner and set his sights ahead, while keeping an eye on the car in his rear-view mirror. Battling for a podium spot for the entire race, the trip to the iconic Indy podium wasn’t secured until the final lap as Sedgwick moved into third ahead of the checkered flag to score his third straight podium finish at Indy.

“We started strong but we made a bit of a gamble with setup that ultimately didn’t work out,” said Sedgwick. “The car was a handful as the temperatures got hotter. As much as I hate finishing third, it was a lot better than it could have been.”

In Saturday morning’s race two, Sedgwick looked to make a move at the drop of the green, staying to the outside of the pole sitter into Turn 1. Driven slightly wide through the corner, Sedgwick managed to hold his position. Through the early laps, Sedgwick consistently was the fastest car on track as he tried to reel in the leader but as the tires began to wear, that task became increasingly difficult. With third place in the point standings behind him in fifth, Sedgwick took what the day gave him – finishing second at the legendary circuit though ruing the lost chance to earn that top step.

“Both of us were pacing at a kind of pretty similar rate, he just had the advantage of clean air,” said Sedgwick. “And as I got closer to him, I started burning a little bit more tire – so I could get to him, but I just couldn’t close that last little bit to make a move. It’s good for the championship and it’s good to secure my position, but we didn’t come here to finish second in the championship. We still want more, I’m here to win. We’re pretty secure where we’re at so we’re really aiming for a few victories in the four races remaining (at Road Atlanta and COTA).”

Team principal Jason Myers appreciated the chance to show not only the team’s prowess, but that of its up and coming young driver.

“We love Indianapolis – we have such a great history here,” said Myers. “It’s where PT Autosport really came together as a team, with Alex getting a podium here at the Porsche TogetherFest in 2022. We’ve managed a fantastic repeat of last year’s double podium but we’re still not where we need to be to win the championship. We’re heading into the final two rounds of competition with our heads held high knowing that Alex performed incredibly well all season long. At this point, we’re reviewing offers for Alex to progress into 2025 where he deserves to be – in GTD/GT3 machinery. This will be an interesting few months as there are a few options on the table. The GTD field is so strong, it’s almost surreal to be in talks with some of these teams and manufacturers but we really believe in Alex and I think his performance over these last two seasons has really proven what a capable and complete driver he is. We look forward to seeing where we’re able to help him land!”

PT Autosport would like to thank partners STEAM Sports Foundation, Classic Car Club Manhattan and New Jersey Motorsports Park, as well as JDX Racing partners Byers/Porsche Columbus, and Renier Construction.

Next up for PT Autosport and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will be the doubleheader in support of the IMSA season finale, the Motul Petit Le Mans, at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 10-12. The races will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.

About PT Autosport — Discover Unique Talent. Develop Champions.

PT Autosport, based at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, campaigns rising star Alex Sedgwick (UK) in the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America series with JDX Racing, 2022 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Henry Drury (UK) in the Toyota GR Cup North America series with Precision Racing LA.

PT Autosport is dedicated to providing merit-based motorsport industry opportunities for diverse individuals with high integrity, grit, and coach-ability, achieved through a development program for young aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics, and other professionals. The first step of this process is applying for the annual Aspiring Driver Shootout, in which aspiring drivers aged 18-23 can compete for a team racing partnership with the team.

A rigorous evaluation process of applicants determines the final competitors for the driver shootout. The winner earns financial support of up to $250,000 ($50,000 guaranteed) to pursue their racing career. The review process also provides the team the chance to identify unique talent for other roles in motorsport, including race engineers, mechanics, and professionals.

PT Autosport is building a community that fosters the development of young talent to find a place where they can make an impact in the motorsport community as a career.

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Cole Custer wins Food City 300 and NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season crown Friday at Bristol

By
Official Release
-

BRISTOL, Tenn.— Cole Custer recovered from an early brush with the outside wall to win Friday’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the race that set the field for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.

Custer’s second victory of the season, combined with a litany of trouble that befell Justin Allgaier, gave the driver of the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford an unlikely come-from-behind victory in the battle for the regular-season title and accompanying 15 Playoff-point bonus.

Custer, who led a race-high 104 laps, took the top spot for good with a pass of Sheldon Creed on Lap 209 of 300. In winning for the first time at Bristol and the 15th time in his career, Custer crossed the finish line 0.896 second ahead of Creed, who now has 13 runner-up finishes to his credit without an Xfinity win.

“This is huge, because our confidence was going down there the last month,” said Custer, the reigning series champion who will begin his title defense Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway. “To get this win really means a lot…

“It’s unbelievable. These guys never give up. It’s been a tough month, but to be able to lead into the Playoffs like this, we’re going to really bring it to them.”

The race also secured Playoff spots for the final two drivers on the postseason grid. Sammy Smith and Parker Kligerman finished 15th and 16th, respectively, to earn their Playoff berths.

Chandler Smith ran third and Jesse Love fourth on Friday, both having already secured Playoff spots. Ryan Truex was fifth, followed by Brandon Jones, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Sieg (who missed the final Playoff spot by 36 points) and Playoff-bound Sam Mayer.

The battle for the regular-season championship took more twists and turns than a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Custer hit the outside wall on Lap 2 and cut a tire, temporarily jeopardizing his second-place position in the standings.

But Justin Allgaier, the driver Custer was chasing for the regular-season title, had his own share of ill fortune on Lap 52. Having led every lap to that point, Allgaier was cruising toward what would have been his 15th stage win of the season when the Chevrolet of Austin Green bounced off the outside wall into Allgaier’s path.

Contact between the Camaros sheared the rear bumper cover off Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevy. After a pit stop to repair the car’s right-rear quarter panel, Allgaier continued. Allgaier pitted on Lap 60 and stayed on the track during the stage break after Lap 85, putting him fifth for a restart on Lap 96.

He was second for a restart on Lap 127 but his sojourn in the top five didn’t last. On Lap 153, contact between Creed’s Toyota and Allgaier’s Chevy sent the No. 7 down the track nose-first into the inside wall.

During repairs, Allgaier’s car dragged a saw out of the pits, incurring a penalty. From that point on, the JR Motorsports driver ran roughly three seconds off the pace, rapidly losing laps and positions.

When Custer took the race lead from Creed on Lap 209, he had the regular-season lead, having erased the 43-point advantage Allgaier carried into the race. With his victory, Custer secured the regular-season crown by three points over Allgaier, who nevertheless will enter the postseason as the top seed with 34 Playoff points to Custer’s 28.

“I don’t really have any words for tonight,” said Allgaier, who finished 30th, 10 laps down. “It started with getting the damage from the wreck in front of us. There was nothing we could do. And then, just racing, trying to get as many stage points as we could, and I think the 18 (Creed ) came off the wall a little bit.

“I’m really bummed about tonight. We’ll go back and talk about it … We had the best car tonight. It was very obvious from the beginning of the race that it was the best car, and nothing to show for it.”

Story by NASCAR Newswire

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Food City 300
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
Friday, September 20, 2024

(2) Cole Custer, Ford, 300.
(14) Sheldon Creed, Toyota, 300.
(1) Chandler Smith, Toyota, 300.
(10) Jesse Love #, Chevrolet, 300.
(16) Ryan Truex, Toyota, 300.
(8) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 300.
(13) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 300.
(12) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 300.
(20) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 300.
(5) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 300.
(3) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 300.
(7) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 300.
(15) Riley Herbst, Ford, 300.
(17) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 300.
(21) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 300.
(11) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 300.
(29) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 299.
(34) Shane Van Gisbergen #, Chevrolet, 299.
(19) Joe Graf Jr., Toyota, 299.
(22) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 299.
(32) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 299.
(33) Blaine Perkins, Ford, 299.
(36) Kyle Sieg, Ford, 299.
(26) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 299.
(25) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 299.
(9) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 298.
(35) Logan Bearden, Ford, 298.
(30) Carson Ware, Chevrolet, 295.
(38) Greg Van Alst, Chevrolet, 292.
(4) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 290.
(31) Leland Honeyman #, Chevrolet, 290.
(18) Chad Finchum, Ford, 280.
(23) Stefan Parsons(i), Chevrolet, 276.
(24) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 275.
(6) Jeffrey Earnhardt(i), Toyota, Accident, 205.
(37) Garrett Smithley, Ford, Rear Gear, 113.
(27) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 51.
(28) Austin Green, Chevrolet, Accident, 50.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 79.344 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 0 Mins, 55 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.896 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 7 for 57 laps.

Lead Changes: 11 among 9 drivers.

Lap Leaders: C. Smith 0;J. Allgaier 1-60;C. Smith 61-89;J. Love # 90;R. Sieg 91-95;S. Mayer 96-150;C. Custer 151-155;D. Earnhardt Jr. 156;J. Clements 157-173;C. Custer 174-180;S. Creed 181-208;C. Custer 209-300.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Cole Custer 3 times for 104 laps; Justin Allgaier 1 time for 60 laps; Sam Mayer 1 time for 55 laps; Chandler Smith 1 time for 29 laps; Sheldon Creed 1 time for 28 laps; Jeremy Clements 1 time for 17 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 5 laps; Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 time for 1 lap; Jesse Love # 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 81,2,18,16,5,51,00,26,20,19

Stage #2 Top Ten: 51,00,20,18,81,2,98,1,88,48

RCR NXS Race Recap: Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
-

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Enter Playoffs with Momentum after Strong Run at Bristol Motor Speedway

Finish: 4th
Start: 10th
Points: 6th

“We had a fast No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet tonight at Bristol Motor Speedway. Our car fired off well and we were able to drive up to second by the end of Stage 1. Danny Stockman (crew chief) made good changes to the car each stop and our pit crew was solid all night. Mid-race our car started to get tight in the center of the corner and I was losing time into Turn 1. On our next pit stop at the end of Stage 2, we put the changes back into the car that we started the race with, and our Chevrolet came to life. I could run the bottom all night where our car was the strongest. We gained stage points tonight and I feel confident going into the Playoffs. I’m very proud of the effort from our Richard Childress Racing team and look forward to Kansas Speedway next weekend.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Grind for Top-15 Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway

Finish: 14th
Start: 17th
Points: 3rd

“The NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season is done and from this point forward, every lap and every race counts. Our No. 21 team has to put our best foot forward each and every week in order to compete for the championship in November. I’m confident in our employees at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines, but our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet wasn’t very good tonight at Bristol Motor Speedway. We started the race loose on entry and once we got the entry fixed, the middle became too tight. Just couldn’t move the car around like we needed to race for the win. It’s nice to have bonus points entering the Playoffs, but we learned last year to never be too satisfied with how many Playoff points we have. We missed the Championship 4 by so few points even with winning the regular season championship. We will be prepared for Kansas Speedway next weekend and hopefully start the Playoffs on the right foot.” -Austin Hill

Stewart-Haas Racing: Food City 300 from Bristol – COLE CUSTER WINS!

By
Official Release
-

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Food City 300
Date: Sept. 20, 2024
Event: Food City 300 (Round 26 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile, concrete oval)
Format: 300 laps, broken into three stages (85 laps/85 laps/130 laps)

Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Jeremy Clements of Jeremy Clements Racing (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 2nd / Finished 1st, Running, completed 300 of 300 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 15th / Finished 13th, Running, completed 300 of 300 laps)

SHR Regular Season Points:

● Cole Custer (1st with 911 points)
● Riley Herbst (8th with 752 points, 159 out of first)

SHR Playoffs:

● Cole Custer qualified for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs by virtue of his two victories this season – July 13 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and tonight.
● This is Custer’s fifth playoff appearance.
● Custer is the reigning 2023 Xfinity Series Championship and chasing his second title.
● Riley Herbst qualified for the playoffs by virtue of his July 20 win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
● This is Herbst’s fourth playoff appearance.

Victory Notes:

● Custer’s victory at Bristol marked SHR’s 28th Xfinity Series victory, its third of the season, and its second at Bristol.
● This was SHR’s 105th overall victory (70 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins, six non-points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins, 28 Xfinity Series wins and one ARCA Menards Series West win)
● This was Custer’s 15th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory and his 14th with SHR.

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his second victory of the season and his first victory in eight career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol.
● Custer has only finished outside the top-10 twice in eight starts at Bristol.
● This was Custer’s second straight top-five at Bristol. He finished fourth last September.
● Custer’s win bettered his previous best finish at Bristol – third, earn in April 2019.
● Custer finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and second in Stage 2 to earn nine more bonus points.
● Custer led three times for 104 laps increasing his laps led total at Bristol to 244.
● Herbst earned his 16th top-15 finish of the season and his fifth top-15 finish in six career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol.
● Herbst has only finished outside the top-15 once at Bristol. He hasn’t finished outside the top-15 at Bristol since joining SHR in 2021.
● This was Herbst’s second straight top-15. He finished 13th last Saturday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
● Herbst finished seventh in Stage 2 to earn four bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Cole Custer won the Food City 300 to score his 15th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Bristol. His margin over second-place Sheldon Creed was .896 of a second.
● There were seven caution periods for a total of 57 laps.
● Seventeen of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Custer is the NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Champion by a three-point advantage over Justin Allgaier.

Playoff Standings:

  1. Justin Allgaier (2,034 points)
  2. Cole Custer (2,028 points, -6)
  3. Austin Hill (2,025 points, -9)
  4. Chandler Smith (2,024 points, -10)
  5. Shane Van Gisbergen (2,017 points, -17)
  6. Jesse Love (2,013 points, -21)
  7. Sam Mayer (2,011 points, -23)
  8. Riley Herbst (2,010 points, -24)
  9. Sheldon Creed (2,007 points, -27)
  10. AJ Allmendinger (2,006 points, -28)
  11. Sammy Smith (2,001 points, -33)
  12. Parker Kligerman (1,998 points, -36)

Sound Bites:

“Man, it’s just unbelievable. It’s a testament to these guys. It’s been a really hard month, but everyone at the shop really kept their heads in it. I can’t thank HighPoint.com and Ford Performance enough. It’s awesome to get them both a win. All the guys did such a great job. It was an unbelievable car all night. I’m ready to get to the playoffs. It’s huge to get this momentum because our confidence was going down there this last month, so to get this win really means a lot. What a car. What a race. I mean, these guys did such a great job with this thing. I can’t thank HighPoint enough. Every race we’ve wanted to do better with them and this was finally a race we put it all together. It was just an unbelievable car. I could really drive through the field and do everything I needed. It’s a real testament to what this team can bring to the playoffs.​” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“I guess it’s good for Stewart-Haas Racing with Cole being in Victory Lane. That was cool to see. It’s good for us, but we just missed it tonight. I don’t know. We weren’t good in practice and didn’t qualify well, and then we didn’t have much pace in the race, either. I feel like when we execute, we’re one of the fastest teams for sure, but tonight wasn’t one of those nights. We’ll have to figure out why and what I need better, but we’ll go to work. I think we’ll be really competitive in the playoffs. I’m excited for it, and hopefully, we can step up to the plate​.​” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Kansas Lottery 300 on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. This is the first race of the playoffs and the first of the Round of 12. The race begins at 4 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by CW and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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