1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started second at Bristol, overcame an early pit lane speeding penalty and stormed back to win the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol.
“This was a great win for me,” Hamlin said. “If I could take this performance and put it in a bottle for future use, I would. Heck, if I could put it in a ‘Cup,’ I would, but I don’t have one.”
2. Kyle Larson: Larson ran up front all night at Bristol and finished second.
“We’ve got two Hendrick Motorsports cars in the Round Of 12,” Larson said. “It’s too bad Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman missed the Playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, they should have made the playoffs. Hopefully, they’ve learned their lessons about doing things that they shouldn’t have, like missing the Playoffs, or snowboarding, or racing sprint cars.”
3. William Byron: Byron finished ninth at Bristol and easily advanced to the Round Of 12.
“I clinched a spot in the Round Of 12 after Stage 2,” Byron said. “I didn’t get complacent, though. I refused to let myself start thinking about the next race at Texas. Why, you may ask? Because first, I have to pass inspection at Bristol. And for the No. 24, that’s never a guarantee.”
4. Christopher Bell: Bell started on the pole at Bristol and finished third.
“That was my third straight pole,” Bell said. “Of course, poles don’t mean a thing. But polls do. If you polled all drivers and asked them if they think Christopher Bell could win a race from the pole, 100% of them would say ‘No.'”
5. Chris Buescher: Buescher was solid at Bristol, posting a fourth and easily advancing to the Round Of 12.
“Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was driving the car primarily sponsored by Scott Toilet Paper,” Buescher said. “It’s certainly appropriate at this track, because ask any driver, after 500 laps at Bristol, you’re pooped.”
6. Tyler Reddick: Reddick finished 15th at Bristol.
“Michael Jordan himself was in my pit box,” Reddick said. “I asked him if he thought I was going to win the race, and he said ‘You bet.’ I replied ‘You bet?’ And he replied, ‘Yes. $100,000.'”
7. Ross Chastain: Chastain fell a lap down during Stage 2 and finished 23rd, two laps down, in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. He advanced to the next round of the playoffs.
“I’m just trying to get to Martinsville,” Chastain said. “That’s where I can pull off another miracle and make it to the championship round. The miracle being me destroying my car as opposed to someone else’s car for the betterment of me.”
8. Kyle Busch: Busch struggled at Bristol, but did enough to qualify for the Round Of 12 with a finish of 20th.
“I just had to put myself in the right mindset to get where I needed to,” Busch said. “I just equated ‘missing the Playoffs’ to ‘spending the night in a Mexican prison,’ so there was no way I was spending the night in a Mexican prison.”
9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney struggled at Bristol and finished 22nd, but clinched a spot in the Round Of 12.
“I’m not too thrilled with the car’s performance,” Blaney said, “but at least I advanced to the next round. There are 12 drivers, so I guess I have a 1 in 12 chance of winning the championship. I like those odds, because they are way better than my actual odds.”
10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex battled all night and ultimately secured a spot in the next round of the playoffs with a 19th-place finish at Bristol.
“I had to fight my car all night,” Truex said. “Let’s just say the handling on No. 19 Toyota was ‘half-assed.’ Now I am, because I had to work my ass off just to get the car across the finish line.”
Not even the chorus of boos from the crowd prior to and after the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 16, could damper Denny Hamlin’s mood and sense of enthusiasm and optimism to contend for this year’s NASCAR Cup Series championship upon winning for the third time in the 2023 season.
The three-time Daytona 500 champion from Chesterfield, Virginia, led three times for 142 of 500-scheduled laps in an event where he started on the front row and rallied from speeding on pit road under caution on Lap 70. The resulting penalty sent him to the rear of the field but he methodically drove his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota TRD Camry back to the front.
Managing a top-five result during the second stage period, Hamlin, who led for the first time with under 150 laps remaining amid a tight battle with teammate Ty Gibbs, regained the lead for good with 134 laps remaining. From there, he spent the remainder of the event navigating his way through lapped traffic and fending off Kyle Larson to score his third Cup Series victory of the 2023 season and become one of 12 Playoff competitors to advance into the Round of 12.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, September 15, Playoff contender Christopher Bell notched his third consecutive Cup pole position in recent weeks and the fifth of this season after posting a pole-winning lap at 126.997 mph in 15.109 seconds. Joining him on the front row was teammate Denny Hamlin, who clocked in the second-best qualifying lap at 126.930 mph in 15.117 seconds.
When the green flag waved and the race started amid a delay spanning more than half an hour due to light, persistent precipitation, Bell rocketed his No. 20 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota TRD Camry ahead of the pack from the outside lane to lead through the first two turns as Michael McDowell followed suit and moved his No. 34 Love’s Ford Mustang into the runner-up spot. Meanwhile, Hamlin, who did not gain a strong start from the inside lane, fell back to third in front of William Byron and Ty Gibbs as Bell proceeded to lead the first lap.
Through the second to fifth lap, Bell kept his pole-winning car out in front of the pack while Hamlin managed to overtake McDowell in Turn 3 to reclaim the runner-up spot. Behind, Byron retained fourth ahead of Ty Gibbs, who fended off Brad Keselowski, as Martin Truex Jr., Corey LaJoie and Bubba Wallace followed suit. With Chase Elliott, who was initially running behind Wallace, slowly losing spots and dropping out of the top 10 after getting his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 stuck on the outside lane, Bell stabilized his lead to two-tenths of a second over teammate Hamlin.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Bell was leading by three-tenths of a second over teammate Hamlin, McDowell, Byron and Ty Gibbs while Truex, Keselowski, LaJoie, Wallace and Tyler Reddick were in the top 10. Behind, Ryan Blaney was in 11th ahead of Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece while Elliott, Justin Haley, Kevin Harvick, Ross Chastain and Chris Buescher occupied the top 20. By then, Playoff contenders Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were mired in 22nd and 23rd while Kyle Larson was in 31st behind Ty Dillon.
Fifteen laps later, Bell, who was starting to approach lapped traffic, retained the lead by three-tenths of a second over teammate Hamlin while McDowell trailed in third place by nearly two seconds despite having Byron close in. Behind, Ty Gibbs retained fifth while Truex, Keselowski, LaJoie, Wallace and Reddick continued to run in the top 10.
Another 10 laps later, Bell, who continued to deal with lapped traffic as he had lapped Daniel Suarez and Harrison Burton, also continued to lead by two-tenths of a second over teammate Hamlin while McDowell retained third place as he trailed the two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates by more than a second. With Playoff contenders Byron, Truex, Keselowski, Wallace, Reddick, Blaney and Kyle Busch running in the top 13, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Harvick, Chastain, Buescher, Logano, Stenhouse and Larson were mired outside the top 15 and running within the top 30.
At the Lap 50 mark, Bell, who lapped Austin Cindric a few laps earlier, stabilized his advantage over teammate Hamlin while McDowell, Byron and Ty Gibbs continued to trail in the top five. By then, Truex moved his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota TRD Camry into sixth place while Keselowski, LaJoie, Wallace, Reddick, Blaney, Bowman, Kyle Busch, Briscoe and Ryan Preece followed suit in the top 15.
Eighteen laps later, the first caution of the event flew when AJ Allmendinger, who was just lapped by the leaders, ran his No. 16 Barger Precast Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 up the track in turn 3 and smacked the outside wall entering the frontstretch before he was hit by Cindric’s No. 2 Menards/Monster Energy Ford Mustang. By then, Bell was still leading ahead of teammate Hamlin while Hamlin, McDowell, Byron, Ty Gibbs, Truex, Keselowski, LaJoie, Wallace and Reddick were in the top 10.
During the first caution period, a majority of the field led by Bell pitted for service while the rest led by LaJoie and including Wallace, Reddick, Chastain, Logano and Todd Gilliland remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, Chase Briscoe was assessed a commitment line violation. In addition, Playoff contender Hamlin and Cindric were penalized for speeding on pit road, Playoff contender Larson was penalized for running over equipment and Austin Dillon was penalized for a safety violation.
When the race restarted on Lap 76, LaJoie and Wallace dueled for the lead until LaJoie managed to muscle his No. 7 NEGU Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 ahead through the backstretch and clear Wallace to assume both lanes to his control with the lead during the following lap. With LaJoie leading Wallace’s No. 23 Columbia Toyota TRD Camry, Chastain was in third ahead of Reddick while Bell muscled his way back into fifth as the field behind fanned out and jostled for positions amid those who pitted and those who remained on the track. With Bell battling Reddick for fourth place and trying to navigate his way back to the front, LaJoie stabilized his advantage to nearly half a second over Wallace by Lap 85.
At the Lap 100 mark, LaJoie continued to lead by four-tenths of a second over Wallace while Bell, who moved up to third, trailed by seven-tenths of a second as he started to challenge Wallace for the runner-up spot. By then, Chastain and Reddick were in the top five while McDowell, Byron, Ty Gibbs, Logano and Keselowski were in the top 10 on the track. Behind, Truex was in 11th ahead of Blaney while Kyle Busch and Buescher settled in the top 15. Meanwhile, Hamlin and Larson, following their pit road penalties, were mired back in 23rd and 24th, Stenhouse was down in 26th and Harvick, who restarted 16th, plummeted his No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang to 28th.
Five laps later, the event’s second caution period flew due to the return of rain. By then, Bell overtook Wallace for the runner-up spot and nearly overtook LaJoie for the lead while Chastain, Reddick and McDowell followed suit in the top six. By then, Larson, Hamlin, Stenhouse and Harvick were mired back in 23rd, 24th, 27th and 28th, respectively. During the caution period, some led by McDowell and including Ty Gibbs, Blaney, Bowman, Buescher, Hamlin, Stenhouse and Harvick pitted while the rest led by LaJoie remained on the track.
With the event restarting on Lap 113, LaJoie muscled ahead to retain the lead ahead of Bell, Wallace and Reddick as the field fanned out through the backstretch. With LaJoie leading, Bell started to reignited his challenge for the lead by Lap 115 while Wallace maintained third ahead of a side-by-side battle between Byron and Reddick. Then on Lap 120, Bell reassumed the lead after navigating his way around LaJoie through the backstretch for the top spot.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 125, Bell, who came into the event 13 points above the top-12 cutline to advance to the Playoff’s Round of 12, claimed his third Cup stage victory of the 2023 season. LaJoie settled in second followed by Wallace, Byron and Reddick while Chastain, Keselowski, Larson, Truex and Ty Gibbs were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contenders Kyle Busch, Buescher, McDowell, Blaney, Hamlin, Stenhouse, Logano and Harvick were mired outside the top 10 and did not score the first wave of stage points. In addition, 33 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.
Under the stage break, some led by LaJoie and including Wallace, Reddick, Chastain, Keselowski, Truex, Kyle Busch and Logano pitted while the rest including Bell remained on the track. Not long after, the field led by Bell was directed to pit road and the event was placed in a red flag period due to the return of precipitation. Nearly 15 minutes later, the field re-fired the engines and returned to the oval under a cautious pace.
The second stage started on Lap 140 as Bell and Larson occupied the front row. At the start, Bell muscled ahead from the outside lane to retain the lead as Byron and Ty Gibbs moved up to second and third followed by McDowell while Larson fell back to fifth. As Bell retained the lead, Ty Gibbs muscled his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota TRD Camry into the runner-up spot from the outside lane. McDowell would then challenge Byron for third place nearing the Lap 145 mark as Larson trailed behind in fifth.
By Lap 155, Bell was leading by over teammate Ty Gibbs while Byron, McDowell and Larson followed suit in the top five. Behind, Elliott, Buescher, Bowman, Hamlin and Stenhouse were in the top 10 ahead of Preece, Blaney, Aric Almirola, Todd Gilliland and Carson Hocevar while Erik Jones, LaJoie, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton and Wallace occupied the top 20. Bell would stabilize his lead to half a second over teammate Ty Gibbs while Larson, who continued to navigate his No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 towards the outside wall to gain the momentum and extra speed towards the straightaways, was up to fourth as he started to challenge Byron for third place.
Just past the Lap 175 mark, Bell, who lapped Logano five laps earlier, was leading by two-tenths of a second over Larson followed by Ty Gibbs, Byron and McDowell while Buescher, Elliott, Hamlin, Bowman and Stenhouse rounded out the top 10. By then, Blaney, Wallace and Kyle Busch were mired in the top 20 while Reddick, Keselowski, Truex, Chastain, Harvick and Logano were all mired below the top 20 and within the top 32 on the track. Amid lapped traffic, Bell would proceed to lap Harvick during the following lap before Larson rocketed to the lead on Lap 179.
By Lap 190, Larson was leading by half a second over Bell while third-place Ty Gibbs trailed by more than a second. Behind, McDowell and Byron retained top-five spots ahead of Buescher, Byron, Hamlin, Elliott, Bowman and Hocevar while Stenhouse, Preece, LaJoie, Erik Jones and Blaney occupied the top 15.
At the Lap 200 mark, the battle for the lead between Bell and Larson reignited as Bell, who reassumed the lead a lap earlier, was leading Larson while Ty Gibbs, McDowell and Buescher followed suit in the top five. With Hamlin and Byron in sixth and seventh, Stenhouse and Blaney were in the top 15 while Playoff contenders Kyle Busch, Reddick, Wallace, Keselowski, Truex, Chastain, Logano and Harvick were mired within the top 32, with Chastain, Logano and Harvick were scored a lap down.
Fifteen laps later, Bell extended his advantage to two seconds over Larson while Ty Gibbs, McDowell and Buescher continued to run in the top five. By then, Hocevar, who was having a stellar run in his fourth event driving the No. 42 entry for Legacy Motor Club, moved up to seventh behind Hamlin while Byron, Elliott and Bowman battled in the top 10.
Another 15 laps later, Bell continued to stretch his advantage as he was now leading by more than three seconds over Larson followed by Ty Gibbs, McDowell and Buescher while Hamlin, Hocevar, Byron, Elliott and Bowman were in the top 10 ahead of Preece, Stenhouse, LaJoie, Erik Jones and Blaney. By then, Playoff contenders Reddick, Wallace, Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Truex, Chastain, Logano and Harvick were mired in 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 31st and 32nd, respectively.
Just past the Lap 240 mark, Bell retained the lead by more than a second over Larson while Ty Gibbs, Hamlin and McDowell remained in the top five as the leaders started to approach lapped traffic and a bevy of Playoff contenders, including Kyle Busch and Truex.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 250, Bell captured his fourth Cup stage victory of 2023 and second of the night. Ty Gibbs navigated his way around Larson to claim the runner-up spot while Hamlin, Hocevar, McDowell, Buescher, Byron, Preece and Elliott were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contenders Stenhouse, Blaney, Wallace, Keselowski, Reddick, Truex, Kyle Busch, Chastain, Logano and Harvick did not score the second wave of stage points while Chastain, Logano and Harvick were mired a lap down. By then, 23 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap, including 23rd-place runner Kyle Busch, while Hamlin and Byron clinched their spots for the Playoff’s Round of 12 based on points.
During the stage break, the lead lap field led by Bell pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Ty Gibbs emerged as the new leader after exiting pit road first followed by teammate Hamlin, Larson, teammate Bell, Buescher, Hocevar, McDowell and Preece.
With 240 laps remaining, the final stage started as teammates Ty Gibbs and Hamlin occupied the front row. At the start, Gibbs rocketed with the lead over Hamlin while Larson and Buescher battled for third place in front of Bell and McDowell. Then two laps later, the caution quickly returned when LaJoie, who was running 12th and having a strong run towards the front, got loose entering the backstretch and bounced off Erik Jones before spinning down the track, clipping the inside wall and sliding back up the track as he clipped Logano with Ryan Newman, Ty Dillon and Justin Haley all being collected in a multi-car wreck. The damage to the left rear of Logano’s No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang was enough to terminate Logano’s event from further contention and potentially his title hopes of this season pending the outcomes of Truex, Wallace and Harvick.
During the proceeding restart with 229 laps remaining, teammates Ty Gibbs and Hamlin dueled for the lead until Gibbs muscled ahead through Turns 3 and 4 as he retained the lead. Behind, Larson was in third followed by Buescher while Bell navigated his way into fifth as McDowell and Hocevar battled for sixth amid a series of battles ensuing within the pack.
With less than 210 laps remaining, Ty Gibbs retained the lead by six-tenths of a second over teammate Hamlin followed by Larson, Buescher and teammate Bell while Hocevar, McDowell, Preece, Bowman and Erik Jones while Elliott, Byron, Stenhouse, Wallace and Almirola trailed in the top 15 ahead of Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Reddick, Todd Gilliland and Truex. By then, Harvick, who was currently scored three points below the cutline behind Truex and Wallace, was mired in 28th after scraping the outside wall earlier.
Down to the final 200 laps of the event, Ty Gibbs continued to lead by three-tenths of a second over teammate Hamlin as Larson, Buescher and Bell remained in the top five. Behind, Wallace, who drew himself back into contention to make the cutline amid Logano’s retirement, was in 14th behind Byron and Stenhouse. In addition, Truex, who was also battling for the final transfer spot to the cutline, was mired in 20th in front of Kyle Busch while Harvick, who was four points below the cutline, was trapped in 29th as he continued to deal with handling issues to his Ford.
Five laps later, Blaney, who was in 24th place on the track and 23 points above the cutline despite making earlier contact with the wall, was lapped by the leader Ty Gibbs as Hamlin tried to close in on his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate for the lead.
With 175 laps remaining, Ty Gibbs extended his advantage to more than a second over teammate Hamlin as Larson, Buescher, Bell, Hocevar, McDowell, Bowman, Preece and Byron were running in the top 10. Meanwhile, Wallace, who nearly made contact with Keselowski a few laps earlier, was in 13th, Truex was in 19th in front of Kyle Busch, Blaney was back in 23rd, Chastain was mired in 25th and Harvick was in 28th.
Twenty-five laps later, Ty Gibbs, who lapped Playoff contender Kyle Busch more than 10 laps earlier, continued to lead by four-tenths of a second over teammate Hamlin while Larson, Buescher, Bell, Hocevar, McDowell, Bowman, Preece and Byron remained in the top 10. By then, Keselowski, Stenhouse and Wallace were in the top 14, Reddick was in 17th, Truex was in 19th ahead of Kyle Busch, Blaney was back in 23rd, Chastain was in 25th and Harvick lost a spot to 29th.
Another four laps later, the battle for the lead intensified between Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs and Hamlin as Hamlin used the inside lane to muscle ahead and lead a lap for himself before Gibbs fought back on the outside lane and reassumed the top spot. With Gibbs trying to pull away, Larson started to close in on both for the lead while Truex was trying to remain ahead of the leaders to remain on the lead lap. Then with 141 laps remaining, Hamlin, who transitioned to the outside lane, navigated his way around Ty Gibbs to assume the lead.
Then with 139 laps remaining, Truex, who was running 19th and just lapped by teammate Hamlin, got sideways entering the frontstretch and made contact with the right-rear quarter panel of his car towards the wall, though he managed to continue straight without spinning his car. Despite Truex being scored the first competitor a lap down at the moment of caution, he was not awarded the free pass due to instigating the caution for the spin.
During the caution period, the leaders led by Hamlin pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Hamlin retained the lead after exiting first ahead of Larson, Buescher, Bell, Ty Gibbs, McDowell, Hocevar and Byron.
With 131 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Hamlin and Larson dueled for the lead for a lap until Hamlin used the outside lane to rocket ahead of Larson during the following lap. Hamlin, however, slipped up the track, which allowed Larson to nearly draw even with Hamlin and battle him for the lead as the field behind jostled for late positions. With 127 laps remaining, Hamlin managed to clear Larson with the lead as Bell navigated his way up to third ahead of Buescher and Ty Gibbs. With Hamlin leading by seven-tenths of a second over Larson with 120 laps remaining, McDowell was in sixth as he was currently scored 17 points below the cutline and faced a “must-win” situation to advance into the Round of 12. Meanwhile, Wallace was in 14th behind teammate Reddick, Truex was in 19th a lap down, and Harvick was in 29th, three laps down.
Down to the final 100 laps of the event, Hamlin continued to lead by more than a second over Larson followed by Bell, Buescher and Ty Gibbs while McDowell, Elliott, Byron, Hocevar and Stenhouse were scored in the top 10 ahead of Keselowski. Behind, Wallace retained 13th ahead of teammate Reddick, Truex remained as the first competitor a lap down in 19th in front of Kyle Busch, Blaney and Chastain while Harvick continued to run three laps down in 29th, which currently places him and Logano below the cutline behind Wallace and Truex.
Twenty-five laps later, Hamlin stabilized his advantage to nearly two seconds over Larson followed by Bell, Buescher and Ty Gibbs while McDowell, Elliott, Byron, Hocevar and Keselowski were in the top 10. By then, Hamlin lapped 18th-place Aric Almirola a few laps earlier as Almirola was ahead of Truex in a battle for the free pass position while Wallace remained in 13th in between Preece and Bowman. In addition, Harvick continued to run 29th while now scored four laps down.
With less than 60 laps remaining, Hamlin, who was trying to lap 16th-place runner Todd Gilliland, stabilized his advantage to six-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Larson while Bell, Buescher and McDowell remained in the top five. Despite Larson gaining ground in the proceeding laps while continuing to rim-ride towards the outside wall, Hamlin, who managed to lap Gilliland, increased his lead to more than a second over Larson with 50 laps remaining.
With 35 laps remaining, Hamlin stretched his advantage to more than two seconds over Larson. By then, Wallace was a lap down despite retaining 14th place on the track while Truex retained 19th ahead of Kyle Busch, Blaney, Suarez and Chastain. Both Wallace and Truex, though, continued to emerge ahead of both Harvick and Logano above the current Playoff cutline as Hamlin continued to lead with 25 laps remaining.
Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Hamlin retained the lead by more than two seconds over Larson while Bell, Buescher and McDowell followed pursuit in the top five. As Ty Gibbs, Elliott, Keselowski, Byron and Hocevar were scored in the top 10 on the track, Wallace and Truex remained in 14th and 19th on the track while Harvick also remained in 29th. Amid the late battles for on-track spots and potential transfer spots to the Round of 12, Hamlin remained out in front by less than two seconds over Larson.
Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Hamlin kept his No. 11 FedEx Toyota TRD Camry out in front by less than two seconds over Larson’s No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 while third-place Bell trailed by more than four seconds. Hamlin, who would proceed to lap teammate Truex for a second time, would also proceed to lead by less than two seconds with five laps remaining.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Hamlin remained as the leader by more than two seconds over Larson. Despite being marred by more lapped traffic and trying to catch 10th-place Stenhouse, Hamlin was able to smoothly cycle his way around the 0.533-mile oval for a final time and cross the finish line first to claim the checkered flag and win by more than two seconds over Larson.
With the victory, Hamlin notched his 51st career victory in the NASCAR Cup Series, which moved him into sole possession in 13th place on the all-time wins list. The Bristol victory under the lights marked his third at the track, his third of the season and his first since winning at Pocono Raceway in July. It also marked the seventh of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing and the ninth of the season for Toyota.
Having clinched his spot for the Round of 12 earlier in the night, Hamlin will continue his quest to contend for his first elusive NASCAR Cup Series championship in his 18th season as a full-time competitor.
Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“Everybody likes a winner, right?” Hamlin, who took a swipe at the chorus of boos from the crowd, said on USA Network. “[I] Can’t thank this whole FedEx team enough. They really kicked ass this whole first round. Just amazing how good our team has been. Just so happy about the way we’re running. Can’t wait to keep going. It’s our year. I just feel like we’ve got it all put together. We got the speed every single type of racetrack. Nothing to stop us at this point. Hey, I beat your favorite driver! All of them!”
Kyle Larson settled in the runner-up spot followed by Bell and Buescher, all of whom transferred into the Playoff’s Round of 12 while rookie Ty Gibbs ended up in fifth place after leading 102 laps. McDowell, Elliott, Keselowski, Byron and Stenhouse completed the top 10 on the track, all of whom finished on the lead lap.
Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr., both of whom entered Bristol below the cutline, were left smiling on pit road after both managed to secure the final two transfer spots into the Round of 12 by finishing 14th and 19th, respectively, amid a grueling event.
“God, I love that [expletive] right there, counting us out,” Wallace, who proceeds forward in his quest to win his first Cup title and secured both 23XI Racing cars into the Round of 12 along with Tyler Reddick, said. “Like [tennis star] Coco Gauff said, all [the critics] are doing is adding fuel to the fire. I love it. I love where I’m at with this team. I’m at a career year. Just got to keep it going. I’m mentally exhausted. I’m wore out. Gave it our all there. Battled hard and executed. That’s what you gotta do. We know next week’s a reset and we just got to go out, have some fun and work our asses off. Thank you to the ones that believe in me. Keep it going and onto next week.”
Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“All in all, it was just a fighting night,” Truex, who will continue to battle for his second Cup title, added. “We had to fight through it and do the best we could. It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough. Now we reset and we can go, hopefully, not have two terrible weeks in a row like we did this round in the next couple and be in good shape.”
Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.
With Wallace and Truex advancing into the Round of 12 along with Byron, Hamlin, Larson, Buescher, Kyle Busch, Bell, Reddick, Chastain, Keselowski and Blaney, Logano, who ended up 34th, was officially eliminated from title contention as he will not defend his series’ title nor contend for a third Cup title this season. Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell also joined Logano as the first four wave of competitors to be eliminated from Playoff contention for the 2023 season.
“We’ve been like that all year,” Harvick, who ended up 29th, five laps down, and will not contend for his second championship in his 23rd and final full-time season in the Cup Series, said. “We’ve been hit or miss and tonight, we just missed by a mile. I’ve had some good days and bad days, but that’s definitely the worst [run at Bristol] I’ve had with fenders on [the car]. I didn’t really have many expectations with this up and down as the year has been, so it is what it is. That’s probably about what we deserved.”
Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“Tonight, it wasn’t enough,” McDowell added. “We were in a “must-win” situation. Still really proud of everybody at Front Row Motorsports. Not quite enough to run with those top two or three guys, but pretty good. Those first two [Playoff] races just killed us. It just put us so far behind, but this is a learning experience. It’s a young group. We didn’t do what we wanted to do here in these Playoffs, but I think we showed speed. We showed that we could do it, so we’ll learn from this. We’ll get ready for next year.”
There were 10 lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 53 laps.
Results.
1. Denny Hamlin, 142 laps led
2. Kyle Larson, 20 laps led
3. Christopher Bell, 187 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner
4. Chris Buescher, one lap led
5. Ty Gibbs, 102 laps led
6. Michael McDowell
7. Chase Elliott
8. Brad Keselowski
9. William Byron
10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
11. Carson Hocevar, one lap down
12. Ryan Preece, one lap down
13. Alex Bowman, one lap down
14. Bubba Wallace, one lap down
15. Tyler Reddick, one lap down
16. Todd Gilliland, one lap down
17. Austin Dillon, one lap down
18. Aric Almirola, one lap down
19. Martin Truex Jr., two laps down
20. Kyle Busch, two laps down
21. Daniel Suarez, two laps down
22. Ryan Blaney, two laps down
23. Ross Chastain, two laps down
24. Erik Jones, three laps down
25. Corey LaJoie, three laps down
26. JJ Yeley, five laps down
27. Chase Briscoe, five laps down
28. Harrison Burton, five laps down
29. Kevin Harvick, five laps down
30. AJ Allmendinger, nine laps down
31. BJ McLeod, 10 laps down
32. Austin Cindric, 12 laps down
33. Ty Dillon – OUT, Accident
34. Joey Logano – OUT, Accident
35. Justin Haley – OUT, Accident
36. Ryan Newman – OUT, Accident
*Bold indicates Playoff contenders
Playoff standings
1. William Byron – Advanced
2. Martin Truex Jr. – Advanced
3. Denny Hamlin – Advanced
4. Kyle Larson – Advanced
5. Chris Buescher – Advanced
6. Kyle Busch – Advanced
7. Christopher Bell – Advanced
8. Tyler Reddick – Advanced
9. Ross Chastain – Advanced
10. Brad Keselowski – Advanced
11. Ryan Blaney – Advanced
12. Bubba Wallace – Advanced
13. Joey Logano – Eliminated
14. Kevin Harvick – Eliminated
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Eliminated
16. Michael McDowell – Eliminated
The Round of 12 in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set to commence next Sunday, September 24, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The event’s broadcast is slated to occur at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 16, 2023) – Thirty-six of America’s best drivers selected thirty-six classic, eclectic and meaningful tunes to be introduced with Saturday prior to the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The longtime tradition, emceed this year by famed announcer Michael Buffer, is sure to pump up the crowd before the field of NASCAR Cup Series championship contenders is whittled down from 16 to 12 when the checkered flag falls at The Last Great Colosseum.
Driver introductions for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (USA Network, PRN Radio) are scheduled for 5:45 p.m., with the green flag following at 6:30 p.m. Some selections seem natural – defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano picked “Champ is Here” by Jadakiss and Ross Chastain selected “Watermelon Moonshine” by Lainey Wilson.
Classic rock options are also covered – Aric Almirola chose “Back in Black” by AC/DC while BJ McLeod selected “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne.
For pole winner Christopher Bell, the Bristol Dirt Race champion from this past spring, it’s “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor.
And perhaps there’s a not-so-hidden message in the pick of Cup Series regular season champion Martin Truex Jr., who needs to have a top finish to avoid postseason elimination. His selection? “Thinkin’ Bout Me” by Morgan Wallen.
Below is a full list of the musical selections, with drivers listed in qualifying order.
DRIVER SONG Christopher Bell Remember the Name by Fort Minor Denny Hamlin Sirius by The Alan Parsons Project William Byron Left Hand Free by alt-J Michael McDowell Get Out My Way by Tedashii (featuring Lecrae) Martin Truex Jr. Thinkin’ Bout Me by Morgan Wallen Brad Keselowski We are All Made of Stars by Moby Chase Elliott 24K Magic by Bruno Mars Ty Gibbs Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds Bubba Wallace Long Violent History by Tyler Childers Corey LaJoie Pardon by TI Ryan Blaney Rustin’ in the Rain by Tyler Childers Tyler Reddick Dientes by J. Balvin, Usher and DJ Khaled Alex Bowman Sabotage by The Beastie Boys Chase Briscoe Wild Side by Motley Crue Kyle Busch How U Like Me Now, by Heavy Carson Hocevar I Wish by Skee-Lo Ryan Preece Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio Austin Dillon Cowboy by Kid Rock (Instrumental) Justin Haley Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet Chris Buescher Country Clubbin’ by Paul Cauthen Kevin Harvick Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones AJ Allmendinger Victory by Fire from the Gods Ross Chastain Watermelon Moonshine by Lainey Wilson Daniel Suarez I Feel Good by Pitbull Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Speed by Parker McCollum Aric Almirola Back in Black by AC/DC Ryan Newman Strokin by Clarence Carter Joey Logano Champ is Here by Jadakiss Austin Cindric Goofy Goober Rock by SpongeBob SquarePants Todd Gilliland Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1 by Kanye West Erik Jones Rollin (Air Raid Vehicle) by Limp Bizkit Harrison Burton House of the Rising Sun by The Animals Ty Dillon Many Men by 50 Cent BJ McLeod Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne JJ Yeley Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffett Kyle Larson Dirt by Kenny Montgomery
RACE SCHEDULE The remaining NASCAR Playoff Weekend schedule includes:
Today: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (6:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio). FAN ACTIVITIES Off-track activities for the today include: Today: Kenny Wallace and John Roberts host Trackside Live (Food City Fan Zone Stage, 3 p.m.) Today: Midland concert (4:30 p.m.) Today: BMS tradition-rich driver intros with host Michael Buffer (5:45 p.m.) See a full entertainment schedule on www.BristolMotorSpeedway.com.
NASCAR CUP SERIES BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT SEPTEMBER 16, 2023
JUSTIN MARKS, OWNER AND FOUNDER OF TRACKHOUSE RACING; BILL ANTHONY, PRESIDENT OF SPIRE MOTORSPORTS; and ZANE SMITH met with the media at Bristol Motor Speedway to announce that Trackhouse Racing has made a multi-year driving agreement with Zane Smith, beginning in January of 2024. Press Conference Quotes:
Justin Marks: “This is a really, really exciting moment for us at Trackhouse. Expansion is something that has been important to us since we first got on the racetrack, getting to a place where we felt like we could be the most competitive organization as possible. Expansion can look a lot of different ways. With our alliance with Spire and the opportunity to have Zane drive over there next year gives us the ability to grow in 2024 to an organization where we can put three cars on the racetrack full-time in 2025 and beyond. As that conversation started happening and conversations around the garage area about what growth looks like for Trackhouse, there was a short list of names and Zane was pretty much at the top of that list the whole time. Huge fan of him, what he’s accomplished in the racecar, his talent and his grind. Probably most importantly and a core tenant of what we do at Trackhouse is he’s a good human and a good person. We try to have good people in our company no matter what they’re capable or not capable of doing. Zane proved that to us really, really quickly in our early conversations. I’m really excited to facilitate a Cup ride for him in 2024 and then go to work as Trackhouse Racing to expand and put three racecars on the racetrack in ’25 and beyond and have Zane be a part of that for a while.”
ZANE, TELL US WHAT THIS DAY MEANS TO YOU.
“Obviously it’s a huge day. I can’t thank both you guys enough. It’s been a crazy road… I had held it together during the championship speech but I thought I was all good today. This just means the world to me. I almost didn’t have anything a couple of years ago. This is the place I want to be. Three hundred sixty-five days ago, I sat at Bob Evans with a very close friend, and he had asked me where I want to race someday. I think he expected maybe some different answer, but my answer was Trackhouse. Almost 365 days later, I’ve signed a contract with them. It means the world to me. It’s all I’ve ever wanted do to. The sacrifices that have been made are where the emotion comes from and how bad I want it… I’ll do whatever it takes to win on Sunday and I have that chance thanks to Justin Marks. I’m just so, so thankful for the people that are around me. I’m ready to go compete on Sunday. It’s crazy to say.”
BILL, TALK ABOUT THE EXPANSION FOR YOU AS WELL.
“There are a lot of ties. It’s actually pretty interesting how close we’ve been over the years, and that makes this a special moment. When Justin was a driver, we had a close relationship with him as a management agency. Ty (Norris) actually worked with us for a couple of years. We also had a connection through Ross (Chastain). You think of all those connections and ties and being members of the Chevy family, a lot of this made sense. It’s unique in many regards. You don’t see this type of alliance and collaboration. We’ve had the great fortune of being affiliated with some pretty special companies and people over the years. Hendrick Motorsports and all they’ve done for us… We really relish this opportunity to offer support to someone in the garage that is important. Our ability to offer support tells a lot about our organization. TJ (Puchyr) and Jeff (Dickerson) have made some bold decisions to stay the least. They’ve taken some big swings. I think that they’ve proven step after step that they are willing to take the chances and make the decisions that you need to progress in this sport. This collaboration and affiliation shows everybody’s commitment to the sport. It shows that we’re optimistic about the future of NASCAR and what it can be and what we can be in it. There’s no doubt that Trackhouse has set the standard for coming out of the block as a new competitive team. It challenges people like us, and we accept that challenge and we embrace that challenge. In fact, we want to be a part of that challenge as well. It speaks very well to our ownership, the willingness and transparency to do that. I will say that the ties for Spire also really go back to their driver management days. It means a lot to help very talented drivers and to help them progress in the sport and do things that help push the sport forward. Part of this also is giving a little bit of a nod to Zane and allowing him to move up and achieve his dream. I know that’s important to us as well.”
MORE ON ZANE SMITH JOINING TRACKHOUSE…
Justin Marks: It’s been an interesting story arc for Trackhouse from the beginning. It’s a reuniting of people. I think it shows that when you build something and you operate authentically and you stay committed to the vision and who you are, things just kind of work out. We’ve told the story ad nauseum about Ross buying his first racing seats for me when he moved up to North Carolina, the fact that I raced for Ganassi and the way the CGR thing went and we put Ross in the car and he won his first race for us and all that. It’s fascinating. This is another really interesting anecdote about this journey… the fact that we didn’t know Zane was under any kind of contract or anything with Chip. When I got the text I was like, ‘Oh… ok. We’re not in a spot right now to do anything.’ It was a moment that went on Ty’s world-famous whiteboard and sat there for a long time. It’s that kind of thing. It’s like when Ross texted me after we announced the CGR thing, and he said ‘I want this.’ When someone like Zane reaches out and says ‘How can I be a part of this, whatever you’re doing?’ at that stage of Trackhouse, it shows the drive that he has and the commitment that he’s got and how he’s constantly thinking about how to create opportunities for himself. It’s another element to a great story that we’re all writing together.”
ZANE, WHAT ABOUT THAT TEXT?
“Yeah. I haven’t recovered, now that I got it out. I mean, it’s crazy how this has all gone, and full circle. Not many years before that, I was walking through the gift shop getting (Chip Ganassi Racing) diecast cars, and now it was the gym, and I went there a couple of days ago. What attracted me to Trackhouse, obviously, I want to be a part of it. I feel like every driver is always winning a race on Sunday. It’s so dang hard to get there. I don’t know. I said it over and over again to the people that were around me of ‘Man, that’s a group I really want to be with and I don’t know how we’re going to make it happen, but I want to be there. I see the leadership Justin (Marks) has. I see the sponsors and the people; it’s such a people sport. I believe those are some of the best people at that race team. I just wanted to be a part of it. Unfortunately, it was a weird situation we were all in but truthfully, I don’t know if I was ready as a driver to take on Sunday now that I’ve got my feet wet in the Cup series. I truly do believe I’m ready now. I’m excited for next year with Spire to learn. Sunday is a whole different ball game, and I’m just ready to attack it and take advantage of the opportunity in front of me. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Just really believe what (Trackhouse) is doing and thankful it’s a big enough word to be a part of it.”
Bill Anthony: “Speaking of thankful, I’m not getting out of this room without thanking Shawn and Lucy Holt. Shawn Holt has been there since the spring when we started talking about things with Zane (Smith), and obviously he has relationship with Zane. Going to dinner, having conversations, keeping up with him, he’s been an huge part of keeping us up to date and being a part of this future. So Shawn, thank you for that.”
Justin Marks: “I just want to thank BJ McLeod and Matt Tifft, and everyone over at LiveFast and everyone working on this transaction with us. I appreciate everything they’ve done and what they’ve contributed to this sport, and are still involved in this sport, but I just wanted to put that out there that they’ve been really great to work with.”
JUSTIN, YOU’RE NOT AFRAID TO SWING FOR THE FENCES, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE LAST COUPLE OF DECISIONS HAVE BEEN METHODICAL AND THOUGHT OUT. IT SHOWS THE PRECISE PLAN YOU HAVE. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT?
“I think it depends on the opportunity and what we’re trying to do. Every project or development scenario within the company is unique, and the players and what we’re trying to do. Growth and expansion in this sport is difficult. There are a lot of moving pieces and there’s a lot of different ways to envision what growth looks like. I think it’s no small feat to grow to a third team. We have to be very methodical and cerebral about how we approach all of the elements to get something like this. All I know is we didn’t want to get all that stuff put together and then go, ‘Okay, who is our driver? Who’s at the end of a contract?’ To me, it’s the driver that has been the most important part of the puzzle. And at the end of the day, it’s always been about the 147 people working in the shop. It’s one guy holding a steering wheel at the end of the race. So that has to be the tip of the spear, and I wanted to make sure we started this journey knowing who our driver is going to be and then filling in kind of everything around it. We were able to do it with great friends at Spire (Motorsports), to be looking at experience next year as we work intelligently and methodically about growing the business.”
JUSTIN, YOU HAVE FOUR DRIVERS NOW WITH SHANE (VAN GISBERGEN) CAN YOU EXPAND ON BEING FOUR, OR DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE THREE FOR 2025?
“Shane’s (van Gisbergen) program is about 2024. There’s a lot of unknowns around Shane and how he’s going to do on the ovals, if he’s even going to enjoy it. There’s so many unknowns around him, but I’m really excited about that program but that’s one where we’re going to have to see how things play out and see how things go. We’ll be able to make some more announcements and talk about that, but I’m just really excited about what we’ve got with Zane (Smith).”
JUSTIN, TRYING TO CONNECT DOTS, WITH SPIRE ACQUIRING THIS CHARTER, WAS THERE EVER A THOUGHT IN YOUR MIND TO LEASE THE CHARTER AND RUN IT UNDER THE TRACKHOUSE BANNER? WHY PUT ZANE (SMITH) IN A TRACKHOUSE CAR?
“Because of where we are at, with expanding to a third team, it takes time and a lot of money. We have to be strategic in how we capitalize that third team. It sounds stupid, but Featherlite Trailers are eight months out and there’s none in the used market. We have to take our time in doing this stuff. Where it makes sense for us, is putting Zane (Smith) in an established team where he can focus on the driving and we can focus on everything we can to support him and that car over there while we expand over the course of the year. We can’t rush it, and we didn’t want to throw it together late. It’s a process that’s going to have to take course over time.”
JUSTIN, THIS ALLIANCE WITH SPIRE, IS THIS JUST WITH ZANE’S CAR OR IS THIS MORE ORGANIZATIONAL TYPE OF THING INCLUDING INFORMATION FROM THE NO. 7 AND NO. 77?
“This is just mainly focused on Zane (Smith). Zane has signed a contract with Trackhouse. Zane will have a presence in our shop and in our systems, meetings. Zane is a driver we have placed with the help of Spire in another car that we’re going to be supporting. It’s really to make sure all of Zane’s opportunities develop in experiences. Everything next year is in the context of him learning in the first year in the Cup series and becoming a Trackhouse driver under our roof.”
BILL, SPIRE HAS BEEN A PLAYER THROUGH THE YEARS WITH THE CHARTER SYSTEM. SOME TEAM OWNERS WERE HESITANT MOVING FORWARD ON THIS AGREEMENT WITH THE TEAMS. WHAT LED TO GOING OUT AND PURCHASING THIS, AND MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT NUMBER THAN FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO?
“I was just talking to Justin (Marks) about this on our walk over. I think if you look down the list of organizations in the Cup series, you’d be hard pressed to find any that are more transparent about their ambitions and intentions than these two organizations. Jeff and TJ have consistently, I think this move is consistent with their prior ambitions and intentions. People question, there was cynicism when there was one charter, and there was cynicism when there were two charters. Corey (LaJoie) signing and re-signing. We’ve proven and come through in each of those circumstances; that is certainly a double-down on the future of the sport. My guess is it’s a triple-down now and a showing of belief in the sport. That’s not to say there isn’t work to be done with NASCAR and the charter agreement, but I think we believe in all the people in the garage and all the people in the NASCAR.”
ZANE, WITH BEING SO CLOSE TO THE CUP SERIES FOR SO LONG NOW, TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE FOR SURE COMING TO A CUP SERIES RIDE IN 2024, HOW MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT DOES THAT MAKE TODAY FOR YOU?
“I mean, yeah, for me it’s all I’ve ever wanted, but to have that weight lifted off my shoulders and knowing that I’m doing next year is huge. I feel like it’s just so nice to have clarity in this industry. But then again, it’s another weight added on my shoulders because these are my final three races left in a Truck, and I want to make those the best races I’ve ever had and hopefully get into this Final Four, and walk off into the sunset with a back-to-back championship.”
About Chevrolet
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The reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith is set to establish his mark in NASCAR’s premier series for the 2024 season after inking a multi-year driving deal with Trackhouse Racing that will feature Smith driving for Spire Motorsports in an alliance with Trackhouse in next year’s Cup Series season.
The news comes as Smith, a 24-year-old native from Huntington Beach, California, is currently campaigning in his fourth full-time season in the Truck Series and second with Front Row Motorsports with his future initially uncertain beyond this season. The news also comes amid a report from The Athletic that Spire Motorsports purchased Live Fast Motorsport’s charter for $40 million that would enable an opportunity for the organization in conjunction with Trackhouse to field a Cup ride for Smith, who will campaign in his first full-time season against NASCAR’s elite and future stars in 2024.
“This is an incredible moment for me,” Smith, who will officially join Trackhouse in January 2024, said in a released statement. “Trackhouse is one of the most progressive organizations in the garage. I told some friends a year ago that I wanted to be a part of what Trackhouse is doing and I just can’t believe this is all coming true. I am very excited and thankful to have a future with the organization.”
Commencing his racing career with BMX and go-karts before ascending up the racing ladder through various racing divisions, among which include legends cars, super late models and CARS Tour, Smith established his mark during the 2018 ARCA Menards Series season, where he achieved four victories and a runner-up result in the final standings while driving for MDM Motorsports. Smith proceeded to make 10 career starts in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, where he achieved seven top-10 results, before spending the following two seasons in the Truck Series for GMS Racing, where he notched three victories and two runner-up results in the final standings. He would then join Front Row Motorsports for the 2022 Truck season, where he notched four victories, including the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, and the series championship after winning the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, which marked the first NASCAR championship for Smith and Front Row Motorsports.
During the 2022 season, Smith made his inaugural presence in the NASCAR Cup Series level at Worldwide Technology Raceway as an interim competitor for Chris Buescher and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, where he finished 17th. Since then, he has made six Cup starts this season between Front Row Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing, where his current best on-track result is a 10th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.
Through September 2023, Smith has garnered nine Truck career victories and four ARCA wins as he aims to hone his competitiveness towards the Cup Series division in 2024.
“The Cup series is the pinnacle of racing in America, and I cannot wait to compete, learn and hone my skills against the best in the world,” Smith added. “I am really looking forward to working with the Spire Motorsports team in 2024 and believe the alliance with Trackhouse will help continue Spire’s ascent up the grid.”
Smith’s addition to Trackhouse Racing marks another milestone moment for the organization that made its debut in 2021 as a single-car team with Daniel Suarez and has since expanded to new heights on an annual basis, from becoming a two-car team by adding Ross Chastain in 2022 to fielding a part-time PROJECT91 entry on a part-time basis while giving international racing stars an opportunity to compete in NASCAR.
Through September 2023, Trackhouse Racing has achieved five Cup victories: three with Chastain, one with Suarez and one with three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen. Gisbergen, who won at the Chicago Street Course while driving for Trackhouse’s PROJECT91 program in his NASCAR debut in July and was signed by Trackhouse two days earlier, is already set to compete across various NASCAR national series and late model events in 2024 as Trackhouse aims to field three full-time Cup entries in 2025.
“Expansion is not something to be taken lightly, but we feel Trackhouse is commercially and technically positioned for growth,” Justin Marks, owner and founder of Trackhouse, said. “You need good timing, very good partners and great drivers. Adding Zane is like signing the No. 1 draft pick and we are proud that he is now a member of the Trackhouse family.”
The collaboration with Trackhouse Racing and Zane Smith marks another milestone moment for Spire Motorsports, which debuted in 2018 and currently fields two full-time entries in the Cup Series and a part-time entry between the Xfinity and Truck Series divisions. The team achieved its first Cup victory at Daytona International Speedway in July 2019 with Justin Haley and has since notched two Truck victories between 2022 and 2023 with Hendrick Motorsports drivers William Byron and Kyle Larson.
“Spire Motorsports will acquire a NASCAR charter from Live Fast Motorsports prior to the 2024 season and we’re thrilled to offer our support to Trackhouse Racing, a key member of the Chevrolet family,” Jeff Dickerson, co-owner of Spire Motorsports, added. “Spire has a longstanding relationship with Justin Marks and we are proud of everything he and all the men and women at Trackhouse have accomplished in a relatively short time. This cooperative agreement is also proof-positive of the hard work of everyone at Spire Motorsports. We certainly wouldn’t be in this position without Mr. [Rick] Hendrick and the competition group at Hendrick Motorsports so we continue to be grateful for that relationship. T.J. [Puchyr] and I are also grateful to [Live Fast Motorsports’ owners] B.J. McLeod and Matt Tifft for working with us on the charter acquisition. We’re looking at a watershed moment for our organization that further demonstrates our commitment to the sport.”
With his future plans set, Smith’s quest to defend this year’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship continues at Talladega Superspeedway. The event is scheduled to occur on September 30 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1.
Live Fast Motorsports confirmed today that they have sold their charter to Spire Motorsports. Live Fast Motorsports currently owns the No. 78 car and charter, which Spire will acquire in the deal.
Spire currently fields the No. 7 car piloted by Corey LaJoie and the No. 77 car driven by Ty Dillon. It is unsure whether Ty Dillon will be returning to Spire after this season. Corey LaJoie is returning next season on a multi-year deal signed earlier this year.
There has not been a driver announcement for the new Spire Motorsports No. 78 car.
This deal will make Spire Motorsports a three-car full-time race team for the first time in its history as a NASCAR Cup Series race team. This purchase comes at a time when charters are skyrocketing in price. This is also close to when teams are expected to receive a bigger share of the revenue NASCAR generates. This revenue will come through the new upcoming TV deal that is being worked on by NASCAR and TV broadcast partners. The current TV deal expires in 2025, and the new one will start during the 2025 season.
It’ll be exciting to see how this team does with three cars and if Spire can continue being on the cutting edge of NASCAR.
Cadillac V-Series.Rs qualify fourth and eighth for 2-hour, 40-minute GTP race
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 16, 2023) – Cadillac Racing’s Grand Touring Prototype racecars qualified fourth and eighth Saturday for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — the penultimate race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Sebastien Bourdais, driving the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 13.939 seconds during the 20-minute session on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course to place fourth in the 10-car field. The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R has started in the top half of the field in all but one of the eight races.
The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Pipo Derani qualified eighth with a best lap of 1:14.284 for the 2-hour, 40-minute race Sunday. It will mark the first time the premier North American sports car racing series competes on the IMS road course since 2014. The event will expand to a six-hour race in 2024.
Bourdais was 0.267 of a second off the pole-winning lap time of the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsports entry. The field was separated by 0.960 of a second.
Bourdais is no stranger to the Brickyard. The four-time CART champion has made 10 INDYCAR starts on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (best finish of fourth in 2014, ’15 and 2018) and nine Indianapolis 500 starts. He also co-drove a Daytona Prototype with Alex Popow to victory in the 2012 NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race and co-drove a Chevrolet Corvette DP to 11th place in 2013 on the previous (2.534-mile) circuit configuration.
NBC will telecast the race live at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 17. Peacock streaming in the U.S. begins at 1 p.m. ET, while viewers outside the U.S. can tune in to IMSA.com. IMSA Radio will air the race at IMSA.com along with XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.
What they’re saying
No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R
Sebastien Bourdais drove in qualifying: “We had a really great car at the test in July and then I saw the temperatures on the forecast and said this is going to be a tough one. I wish it was hotter because if it was I think we’d be in a better spot. But the conditions being what they are, we’ll get on with it. A little sad about that but the team is executing well and I think we’re doing everything we can maximize the result. Tomorrow will be a chaotic day. I think the weather is going to come into play as well. We’ll try to stay out of trouble and see what comes our way.”
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R
Pipo Derani drove in qualifying: “Considering what happened in the (first) practice, when we were basically one practice session behind everybody else, the field is so tight that it’s hard to catch up if you lose 90 minutes (sorting out a brake issue). All in all, we improved from practice 2 but it didn’t look like it was enough. Balance-wise, the car is OK, but we were just not able to extract what we wanted out of it in qualifying conditions. For race conditions, I thin our car is fast. Last time we qualified first and finished sixth, so we’ll try to reverse that this time out. Hoping we can come out with some good points.”
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 16, 2023) – Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor qualified fifth in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class Saturday ahead of the team’s return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday’s TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
It’s a key weekend for Taylor and teammate Antonio Garcia in the GTD PRO title race. The No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R won in its last race at Virginia International Raceway to solidify the Corvette program’s second-place standing in the Drivers, Manufacturers and Teams points battle with two races left in the season.
The weekend marks the first time in nearly a decade that Corvette Racing has turned laps around the famous Yard of Bricks but first trip with the mid-engine C8.R. The engineering and crew teams spent practice sessions Friday and Saturday tuning and tweaking the Corvette to the track surface and the 2.439-mile, 14-turn circuit.
The goal was to validate the pre-event virtual work, much of which was focused on efforts in the Chevrolet Driver in the Loop simulator. That – plus feedback from the manufacturer’s IndyCar program, which raced twice this year on the IMS Road Course – aided the team in establishing its baseline setup along and looking at the effects of predicted changes to help bridge the gap to the rest of the GTD PRO field.
Corvette Racing finished fourth and fifth in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class in 2014 in the team’s only previous IMS appearance.
The TireRack.com Battle of the Bricks is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept.17. The race will air live on NBC beginning at 1 p.m. ET and stream live on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com.
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Not what we wanted but what we kind of expected. Practices were tough and that carried over to qualifying. The car feels good and pretty solid. We’ve gone quicker each session and we’re getting closer to the front. But the gap in performance between us and the rest of the class is evident, though. We will see. It will take a perfect race, which we are capable of doing. After that, things are out of our control.”
2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After nine of 11 events)
Driver Standings
Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 3,165
Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3,021
Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 2,915
Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 2,886
Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 2,774
Team Standings
No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 3,165
No. 3 Corvette Racing – 3,021
No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 2,915
No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 2,886
No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 2,774
Manufacturer Standings
Lexus – 3,165
Chevrolet – 3,021
Porsche – 2,915
Mercedes-AMG – 2,886
Aston Martin – 2,785
CORVETTE RACING AT INDIANAPOLIS: By the Numbers
1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette
5: Combined starts for Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor at Indianapolis in IMSA competition. Both placed fourth in their class in the 2014 event
9: Years since Corvette Racing’s only other appearance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014 with the C7.R
14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship
47: Combined victories for Chevrolet at Indianapolis in stock car (23), open-wheel (21) and sports car racing (three)
127: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 115 in North America, nine at Le Mans and three in the FIA WEC
281: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999
360,480.64: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!
Corvette Racing at Indianapolis
2014
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 4th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM
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.
Powerball, the Official Lottery Game of NASCAR, announces the 12 semi-finalists advancing in the race to $1 million!
JOHNSTON, Iowa (Sept. 16, 2023) – The field of semi-finalists in the race to $1 million has narrowed by four after the first elimination drawing in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff™. NASCAR® and Powerball® announced today, during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the 12 semi-finalists who have advanced in the playoff for a chance to win a VIP trip to NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway and the $1 million grand prize.
The semi-finalists in the Round of 12, include:
Misty Goad – Tucson, AZ
Marcelo Jo – Boca Raton, FL
Donald Pope – Michigan City, IN
Walter Held – Independence, KY
Richelle Abbott – Gardiner, ME
Stephanie Walker – West Point, MS
Joseph Medina – Franklin, NE
Peter Schmitz – Santa Fe, NM
Robert Wilkinson – Oakland Gardens, NY
Angela Tamba – Harrisburg, PA
Ronald Sewell – Columbia, SC
Barbara Wipf – Sioux Falls, SD
The four semi-finalists eliminated from the playoff have each won a $2,500 prize for making it to the Round of 16, they include:
Clara Miller – Hammond, LA
Richard Day – Shoreview, MN
Eric Severance – Parshall, ND
Philip Lesiuk – Cumberland, RI
The next drawing in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff will be for the Round of 8. The 8 semi-finalists advancing in the playoff will be announced during the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 8. The four players eliminated from the playoff at that time will win $5,000 each. The race will air live on NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and the NBC Sports App at 2 p.m. EST.
Drawing
AnnouncementDate
Race
Playoffs
1. Round of 16
Aug. 26
Coke Zero Sugar 400, Daytona International Speedway
16 semi-finalists advance
2. Round of 12
Sept. 16
Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Bristol Motor Speedway
12 semi-finalists advance,4 eliminated win $2,500
3. Round of 8
Oct. 8
Bank of America ROVAL™ 400, Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, Phoenix Raceway
ONE $1 million winner,3 eliminated win $10,000
All semi-finalists entered the national promotion through one of 24 participating state lotteries. Participating lotteries held in-state contests and second-chance drawings throughout the 2023 NASCAR regular season to form a national pool of entrants. The 16 semi-finalists were randomly selected from the national pool during a preliminary drawing on August 12.
The semi-finalists will compete in a series of elimination drawings that mirror the elimination rounds of the NASCAR Playoffs. The four semi-finalists still in the playoff after the Championship 4 drawing will win a VIP trip for two to NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway, Nov. 3-5, and advance as finalists to the $1 million drawing.
The $1 million drawing will be broadcast live from the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race™ on NBC on Sunday, Nov. 5. Cash prizes will be awarded to all sixteen semi-finalists based on their elimination position.
The VIP trip experience includes roundtrip airfare for two to Phoenix, three nights hotel accommodations – double occupancy, two Ally Curve Hospitality Club passes for both the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race on Nov. 4 and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Nov. 5, two passes for VIP experiences at Phoenix Raceway including NASCAR Cup Series™ VIP access, NASCAR team hauler tour, MRN radio booth tour, pace car rides, and Victory Lane access, welcome dinner and all meals, and ground transportation to scheduled events and activities.
Lotteries that participated in the inaugural NASCAR Powerball Playoff include Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Powerball® holds the current world record for largest national lottery jackpot at $2.04 billion. Powerball celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, and since its first drawing in 1992, the game has helped generate more than $29 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Powerball tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on Powerball.com.
About NASCAR
Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
Jamie Sullivan (left) and Caleb Kent were named winners of the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Scholarship for 2023 and were officially recognized during pre-race ceremonies for Friday's Food City 300.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 15, 2023) – Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced today that Caleb Kent, Watauga, Tenn., and Jamie Sullivan, Concord, N.C., are the joint winners of the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Scholarship for 2023. Both students were honored tonight during pre-race ceremonies prior to the green flag for the Food City 300. They walked across the pre-race stage, waved to the crowd, and each will receive a check for $2,088 and a commemorative plaque.
As a special treat this year for the sponsorship winners, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be competing in the Food City 300 (7:30 p.m., USA Network and PRN Radio), his first race at Bristol Motor Speedway since he retired from full-time driving in 2017.
Kent, a senior at Happy Valley High School, recently started a podcast, Three Wide Racing, which discusses all things racing, including NASCAR. His podcast can be heard on Spotify and other streaming platforms. His love of NASCAR from an early age has ignited his passion for broadcasting. He says listening to Mike Joy and Rick Allen’s play by play inspired him to follow that career path. As a child he would recreate races with diecast cars and announce the action as if it were a live race. In high school he continues to pursue a communications direction as he is a member of the Speech and Debate teams and he competes in the TV Broadcasting category. He also works with the sports announcing team at his high school, calling football and basketball games.
Sullivan attends the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) and earned a degree in Automotive and High Performance Motorsports. After that she decided to continue with her education and added Business Marketing courses to complete her bachelor’s degree. She has been involved with lots of motorsports teams including as an over the wall crew member for an ARCA team and a crew member and driver for the Razin Kane Monster Truck. She was a part of the prestigious UNOH Motorsports Team as a crew member and driver as well. She currently is a crew member and driver for the Monster Mutt Dalmation Monster Jam truck for Feld Entertainment. She is interested in getting into the marketing and communications side of the industry where she wants to channel the power of social media and become an influencer.
Created by Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017 as a retirement gift to Earnhardt Jr., the annual scholarship awards the winning student a one-time payment of $2,088 to assist with all college costs including tuition, housing, books and supplies. Past winners of the BMS Dale Earnhardt Jr. Scholarship are Jaicee Weaver (2018) and Jace Ketron (2019), both of Tennessee High School in Bristol, Tenn., UNOH student Caleb James Cate (2021) from Knoxville, Tenn., and 2022 winners John Clavier of Elizabethton High School and UNOH student Chloe Holman of Essex, Mo.
In order to be eligible, students must be a senior at one of the 21 designated high schools or attending one of the eight designated colleges and universities in the Appalachian Highlands region surrounding Bristol Motor Speedway or a student at the speedway’s official partnering institution, UNOH in Lima, Ohio.
The 21 designated high schools were Abingdon High School; Chuckey-Doak High School; Cloudland High School; Daniel Boone High School; David Crockett High School; Dobyns-Bennett High School; Elizabethton High School; Greeneville High School; Hampton High School; Happy Valley High School; Holston High School; John S. Battle High School; North Greene High School; Patrick Henry High School; Tennessee High School; Science Hill High School; South Greene High School; Sullivan East High School; Virginia High School; West Greene High School and West Ridge High School.
The nine designated higher educational institutions were East Tennessee State University; Emory & Henry College; King University; Milligan University; Northeast State Technical Community College; Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Elizabethton; Tusculum University; the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and the University of Northwestern Ohio.
One of the most iconic race car drivers of all time, NASCAR Hall of Fame member Earnhardt Jr. serves as an analyst for NBC Sports’ NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series race coverage and contributes to additional motorsports programming across NBC Sports. In addition to race coverage, Earnhardt hosts The Dale Jr. Download, a weekly interview program focused on motorsports produced by Dirty Mo Media. Voted by fans as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years (2003-17), Earnhardt, a 26-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series including two Daytona 500s, is a third-generation driver who followed his legendary father Dale Earnhardt Sr., and his grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, into the sport. As a team owner, Earnhardt founded JR Motorsports, which fields four full-time entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In the summer of 2020, Earnhardt was selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Earnhardt Jr.’s only Bristol victory in the Cup Series came in the 2004 Night Race in dramatic fashion where he famously said “It’s Bristol, Baby!” in Victory Lane following the win. He also has one win in the Xfinity Series, coming in that same year. He was the first driver to sweep Cup and Xfinity Series races at BMS.
