SMART Modified Tour Ace rejoins Niece Motorsports for one-race deal.
Salisbury, NC (Sept. 30, 2024) – Danny Bohn is reuniting with Niece Motorsports to drive the No. 44 Rust-Oleum / AmeriFast Supply Chevrolet Silverado RST at Talladega Superspeedway.
Bohn, a four-time winner in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Series, actively competes in the SMART Modified Tour which primarily holds races throughout the Carolinas and Virginia. Last month, he earned his first race win of the season at Cartaret County Speedway.
This will not be the first time that Bohn has driven for Niece Motorsports. Last year, Bohn teamed up with Rust-Oleum and AmeriFast Supply and attempted to qualify the No. 44 entry into the fall race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Friday’s race at Talladega will mark his second outing with the team.
“I am excited to get back behind the wheel of the No. 44 Chevy for Niece Motorsports at Talladega this week,” said Bohn. “It is extra special to have Rust-Oleum and AmeriFast Supply on board with us, who both have been long time supporters of my racing career. Last time I was there I ended up finishing eighth, so hopefully we can better that result this week!”
Rust-Oleum has been a longtime supporter of Bohn’s career and the brand looks forward to carrying the partnership at Talladega.
“Danny has been a friend of Rust-Oleum for over 15 years now and we could not be happier for him to have the chance to race at Talladega,” said Bryan Wilson, Director of Sales for Lowe’s. “Danny and Rust-Oleum have had the opportunity to partner on various projects since his dirt track days at the East Lincoln Motor Speedway. I am excited to see what he can do this weekend.”
The Freehold, New Jersey native has made 35 Truck Series starts in his career to the tune of five top-10 finishes, including a pair of high-ranking results on the drafting tracks at Talladega and Daytona. Bohn is a multi-time winner and past champion at Bowman Gray Stadium, winning the Modified title in 2014.
With two races left in the SMART season, Bohn is among the top drivers battling for the series championship, currently scored third in points. Up next for the tour is a stop at the South Boston Speedway on October 12th before the season finale at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway on October 19th.
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway on Friday, October 4th for the running of the Love’s RV Stop 225. Live coverage of the event will be aired on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 4:30 PM ET.
About Rust-Oleum: Rust-Oleum was founded on the principle of creating innovative products. In 1921, sea captain Robert Fergusson noticed that fish oil prevented rust from forming on his ship’s metal deck. Working with a chemist, Fergusson developed one of the world’s first rust-preventive paints and Rust-Oleum was born. Starting with just 24 colors of paint, Rust-Oleum has grown to be a global leader in manufacturing innovative coatings that empower do-it-yourselfers and professionals alike.
About AmeriFast Supply: AmeriFast Supply is a family owned and operated industrial distributor of products such as fasteners, hydraulic fittings, fluids, custom hoses, adhesives, electrical supplies as well as a provider of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), Custom to Spec™ and kitting services.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2024, Niece Motorsports enters its ninth season in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.
Brushy Mountain Powersports 150 was scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 5 North Wilkesboro Speedway collecting donations to support communities in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 30, 2024) – NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports have postponed this weekend’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The decision was made in cooperation with local authorities to ensure all local emergency resources remain dedicated to clean-up and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s impact on the area. Starting Tuesday, North Wilkesboro Speedway will become a designated collection site for hurricane relief donations.
The Brushy Mountain Powersports 150 was originally scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 5. A decision regarding a possible make-up date will be announced in the future.
All ticket and camping purchases for the event will be refunded to the payment method used at the time of original purchase. Fans are asked to allow 10-14 days for the refund to be processed and reflected on credit card statements.
Additional information and updated schedule when available will be on NASCAR.com/regional.
In further support of the recovery efforts, North Wilkesboro Speedway will host a hurricane relief drive and serve as a collection site for the following:
Non-perishable food items
Cleaning supplies
Disinfecting wipes
Paper towels
Mops
Buckets
Gloves
Bottled water
Batteries
Portable chargers
Hygiene items
Diapers & wipes
Baby formula
Donations can be dropped off at North Wilkesboro Speedway (381 Speedway Ln, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. this Tuesday through Sunday. Items will be distributed through Wilkes County Emergency Management and Samaritan’s Purse to communities in need.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly 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 five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.
About Speedway Motorsports
Speedway Motorsports, LLC is a leading marketer, promoter and sponsor of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and Texas Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its U.S. Legend Cars International subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide though its Performance Racing Network subsidiary.
RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric appeared poised for a solid performance at Kansas Speedway, but a string of misfortunes ultimately hampered the No. 2 Menards/Moen team’s effort in the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 12, resulting in a 34th-place finish. Cindric started the day from the 17th position and wasted no time climbing the leaderboard early on. Scored 11th at the second caution on Lap 15, Cindric headed to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel after informing the team that the car fired off on the tight side, but added that the track was starting to come to him. He restarted 15th, advancing up to the seventh spot by the time Stage 1 concluded, gaining valuable points. Happy with the car, the team ordered no adjustments and Cindric returned to pit road for fresh tires. Unfortunately, Cindric had to make a second stop for a loose wheel, wiping away his track position. The former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion was scored 29th in the running order as Stage 2 went green on Lap 87. Just over 10 laps later, a caution slowed the field again and Cindric returned for four fresh tires and fuel after advancing up to 25th. With great pace on the long run, the No. 2 team was confident in their ability to maneuver back through the field. The Team Penske Ford Mustang had recovered solidly, contending in the top 15 until it went spinning on the backstretch on Lap 157, making contact with the wall. The Menards/Moen machine was forced to pit multiple times to replace flat tires and damage repair. He restarted with four laps to go in Stage 2 and finished 34th. Over the final stint, Cindric battled a free-handling car, but maintained pace despite the damage. When the checkered flag flew, Cindric was scored in the 34th position. He now sits 12th in the playoff standings heading into Talladega Superspeedway, a track where the 26-year-old has consistently been a top contender.
CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “It was a really frustrating result. I thought the team did a really great job with adjustments overnight and we had a really fast car today and just took ourselves out of it on pit road. Obviously we had some contact on the back straightaway and I took us out of the race, really. That is unacceptable for the position we are in and especially with the speed we have had in the car. I am pretty bummed about all that. I think the next two weeks are weeks we can go have great races but we definitely won’t be able to get this one back. It makes our goals a little more clear going into Talladega and the Roval.”
RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney rallied for a fourth-place finish despite a late-race setback in the opening race of the Round of 12 Sunday at Kansas Speedway. The top-five effort moves Blaney to second in the playoffs standings, 28 points above the cut line. After firing off from seventh to start the 400-mile event, Blaney put his long-run speed on display in the latter stages of the opening segment by working his way up to third in the running order with eight to go in the stage while getting within a second of the leader. Blaney ultimately came away with a third-place finish in Stage 1 before the 12-team ripped off a quick four tire stop under caution set up the Wurth Ford to take the restart from the inside of row two. After settling into sixth in the running order on the ensuing run, Blaney began to make his charge to the front with under 30 to go in the stage. Once he got around teammate Joey Logano for second, Blaney ran down the No. 20 and took the lead out of turn two on lap 142 but the caution flag flew shortly after, prompting the field to hit pit road one final time before the end of the stage. Despite a pair of cautions in the final 17 laps of the segment, Blaney was able to pick up another third-place finish in Stage 2. With varying pit strategies in play for the final run of the afternoon, Blaney was brought to pit road during the stage caution and lined up to restart 20th. On lap 192, Blaney reported a loose wheel and was forced to come down pit road under green, resulting in the Wurth Ford Mustang going a lap down in the process. As the green flag pit cycle began around 50 laps to, Blaney made his way back into the top-10 but would be 12-15 laps short on fuel if the race stayed green the rest of the way. The 12-team got the break they needed when the caution flag flew with 32 laps to go as Blaney hit pit road one final time for four tires and fuel. He lined up sixth to take the restart with 26 to go and worked his way back into the top-five before taking the checkered flag fourth to open the Round of 12.
BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “We definitely have some things we have to work on, for sure. Having a loose wheel and having to come in under green there. A couple of things we have to address. Overall, at the end of the day, I thought our car was really good. I kind of fenced it there after we came out of the pits after the loose wheel and I think I kind of hurt it a little bit. Our long-run car was great. I think we were better when the temperature was up a little bit and I could kind of run the bottom of [turns] three and four really well because guys were slipping. At the end I think it cooled off a little and that advantage kind of went away. All in all, it was a good day. We caught a break with the caution. I am proud of the fast cars and we just have to clean a couple of things up.”
RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano came away with a 14th-place finish in the opening race of the Round of 12 Sunday at Kansas. With the result, Logano and the No. 22 team sit eighth in the playoffs standings, four points above the cut line. After starting fifth, Logano maintained top-five speed over the course of the first long, green flag run of the afternoon before the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang’s long run speed came to life in the closing laps of Stage 1. Logano closed in on the No. 24’s bumper with three to go in the stage, but ultimately settled for second in the opening segment. The 22 crew won the race off pit road during the stage caution, allowing Logano to control the restart from the inside of row one with teammate Ryan Blaney lined up behind him. He ultimately settled into second in the running order while battling some handling issues on the initial laps of the run. Three cautions in the final 20 laps of Stage 2 halted any sort of forward momentum as Logano was called to pit road following the yellow with nine laps left in the stage. However, Logano felt a loose wheel after making his way off pit road, forcing him to make an addition stop before the restart and taking the green from the tail end of the field, resulting in a 27th-place finish in Stage 2. Logano’s handling issues began to worsen during the final run of the day as the track conditions began to transition in the late afternoon, but he continued to maintain top-15 pace. The Shell-Pennzoil Ford made its way through two-and-three-wide battles during a pair of restarts with under 30 laps remaining before Logano ultimately took the checkered flag 14th.
LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “I don’t know. We went from a winning car to being wrecking loose like someone hit a light switch. I don’t know why or what, but we had something that we could win with early and then we were out of control loose and trying not to wreck. It beats me. I don’t understand it. At least we scored good stage points in the first stage but we got nothing the second stage, unfortunately. We battled back from that loose wheel and got back to 14th. We just have to go to Talladega and be solid again. It isn’t going to be a comfortable next two weeks, that’s for sure.”
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the second race of the Round of 12 on Sunday, October 6. Coverage of the Yellawood 500 begins at 2:00 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
RICK WARE RACING Hollywood Casino 400 Date: Sept. 29, 2024 Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 30 of 36) Series: NASCAR Cup Series Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile oval) Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/85 laps/102 laps)
Race Winner: Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) Stage 1 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
● Corey LaJoie (30th with 437 points) ● Kaz Grala (35th with 178 points)
RWR Notes:
● LaJoie earned his eighth top-15 finish of the season and his first top-15 in 16 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas. ● LaJoie’s 15th-place finish was a team-best for RWR at Kansas. The previous best finish was an 18th-place result, earned on May 5 by Justin Haley. ● This was Grala’s first NASCAR Cup Series start at Kansas.
Race Notes:
● Ross Chastain won the Hollywood Casino 400 to score his fifth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Kansas. His margin of victory over second-place William Byron was .388 of a second. ● Chastain was the 16th different winner in the 30 NASCAR Cup Series races run this season. ● There were 10 caution periods for a total of 47 laps. ● Thirty-two of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap. ● William Byron leaves Kansas as the championship leader with a six-point advantage over Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney, who are tied for second.
Sound Bites:
“It was a good day for the No. 51 team and our Children’s Mercy Ford Mustang Dark Horse. I’m super pumped to get these guys a top-15 in our first event together, hit these last six races running and work to get us up in the points a little bit. We’re just going to continue learning more about each other. Learning the communication and the cadence, but it’s been a pretty cool experience to join this group. I think we’re going to have some stuff to work on going to Talladega and the Roval, but all in all, it was a great day. I’m excited to get to Talladega and see if we can go steal one.”– Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 51 Children’s Mercy Kansas City Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The race begins at 2:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
KANSAS CITY (Sept. 29, 2024) – Chris Buescher led RFK with an 11th-place finish in the Fastenal Ford Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway, while teammate Brad Keselowski earned stage two points and went on to finish 22nd in the Solomon Plumbing Ford.
In total 10 cautions flew for 47 laps as Buescher ultimately reversed his luck in qualifying, driving through the field in the 400-mile race, while Keselowski was on a different strategy in the final stage, resulting in the 22nd-place result.
6 Recap Keselowski began the day from the 26th position, but after two early cautions (lap 2 and lap 20), he used his long run speed to maneuver through the field to 12th by the end of the first stage (lap 80). Following his second stop under the stage break, Keselowski restarted ninth in stage two.
Four cautions occurred over the next 80 laps as the No. 6 broke back into the top-10 by lap 104. He was 12th for a pair of back-to-back restarts at lap 148 and 153, then stayed out during a caution at lap 156. That strategy gave him track position, restarting eighth with four laps remaining in the stage, where he powered to P5.
He would pit in the stage break for service, then began the third stage from 22nd. Stage three ran caution free as Keselowski long pitted and inherited the lead for a couple laps at lap 220, and was later scored 20th when a caution flew at lap 236.
As much of the field pitted under that yellow, Keselowski stayed out and again inherited the lead, leading the field back to green with 26 laps remaining. He slipped back to 23rd quickly, and went on to cross the line 22nd.
17 Recap Buescher – coming off a P2 finish at Kansas this spring – began his afternoon from 25th. He ended the first stage in 24th, and used a strong pit stop in the stage break to restart 18th.
Buescher restarted 19th at lap 104 – one of four restarts in the stage – but quickly worked his way to the top-15 in 13th just 40 laps later. He went on to pit late in the stage from 19th and would finish 14th by lap 165.
That strategy put him on the flip side of track position to begin the third stage as he rolled seventh at lap 171. He pitted from ninth on lap 208 as a green flag cycle ensued. Then, 30 laps later he was ninth and pitted one final time under caution at lap 236, ultimately going on to finish 11th.
Up Next Talladega Superspeedway hosts its second race of the season next weekend, with race coverage set for 2 p.m. ET on NBC, and radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
About RFK Racing RFK Racing, in its 37th season in 2024, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.
1. William Byron: Byron won Stage 1 and finished second in the Hollywood Casino 400.
“I chased Ross Chastain over the closing laps,” Byron said. “I wasn’t able to catch him, so I apologize to my team, my fans, and the watermelon that was murdered.”
2. Alex Bowman: Bowman won Stage 2 and finished sixth in the Hollywood Casino 400.
“I’m just glad to have a solid finish in the first race of the Round Of 12,” Bowman said. “What do you do in a Hollywood Casino? You shoot craps. What is a Playoff race at Talladega? A crap shoot.”
3. Ross Chastain: Chastain led 52 laps and held off William Byron down the stretch to win the Hollywood Casino 400.
“Of course, I’m not a Playoff driver,” Chastain said, “and that takes a little bit off the luster of a race win. That’s why the sound of a watermelon going ‘splat’ is basically the same sound as my championship hopes crashing a few weeks ago.”
4. Christopher Bell: Bell started on the pole and finished seventh in the Hollywood Casino 400.
“I tapped the wall towards the ends of both Stage 1 and Stage 2,” Bell said. “I’ve heard somewhere that doing that is called a ‘double-tap.’ ‘Double-tapping’ is a good way not to win a race. Another ‘double-tap’ is starting on the pole, leading the most laps, and still not winning.”
5. Kyle Larson: Larson blew a tire and hit the wall on Lap 20, all but ending his chances for the win. Larson recovered to score a 26th-place finish.
“I was nowhere near as strong as I was at Bristol,” Larson said. “At Bristol, I was on another planet, which is also where Hendrick wanted to send me back in 2020.”
6. Denny Hamlin: A loose wheel midway through the race derailed Hamlin’s hopes for a win at Kansas. But the No. 11 team battled back to grab an eighth-place finish.
“I think we’re gonna be a little smarter about our race strategy at Talladega,” Hamlin said. “By ‘a little smarter,’ I mean ‘have one.'”
7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney produced his best drive of the Playoffs with a fourth at Kansas.
“I feel like I’m peaking at the right time,” Blaney said. “A few weeks ago, Tyler Reddick was puking at the wrong time.”
8. Joey Logano: Logano finished 14th in the Hollywood Casino 400.
“I wouldn’t want to be the guy that wrecked Kyle Busch while he was leading a race,” Logano said. “No other driver wants to get on Kyle’s bad side, but it’s virtually impossible because that’s the only side Kyle has.”
9. Chase Elliott: Elliott battled long odds to salvage a ninth-place finish at Kansas.
“I had to start at the rear after my No. 9 Chevy developed engine issues in practice,” Elliott said. “That’s certainly not the way you want to start the Round Of 12. That was really the ‘Worst Chase Scenario.'”
10. Tyler Reddick: Reddick struggled to a 25th at Kansas.
“Michael Jordan was really excited,” Reddick said, “to see the ‘Bet MGM’ logo on Kyle Busch’s car. Usually, when Michael sees that logo on a car, it’s the courtesy shuttle taking him to the casino.”
Ross Chastain served as the spoiler of the day at Kansas Speedway as he snapped a yearlong winless drought to win the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, September 29, in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Round of 12 opener.
The 31-year-old Chastain from Alva, Florida, led five times for 52 of 267 scheduled laps in an event where he started in 20th place and made steady gains throughout the event to race his way to the front before he led for the first time with 90 laps remaining.
Then, after swapping the lead on several occasions with Kyle Busch before Busch spun from the lead with 32 laps remaining, Chastain, who dropped out of the lead when he pitted with a majority of the field during the ensuing caution period, used two late-race restarts to navigate his way back to the lead.
Grabbing the lead for the final time with 20 laps remaining, he fended off a late charge from Playoff contender William Byron to win for the first time in the 2024 Cup Series season and spoil the hopes of 12 Playoff contenders aiming to earn an early automatic pass through to the Round of 8.
On-track qualifying on Saturday, September 28 determined the starting lineup as Playoff contender Christopher Bell notched his second Cup pole position of the 2024 season and his third in a row at Kansas after he posted a pole-winning lap at 179.336 mph in 30.111 seconds. Joining him on the front row was teammate Ty Gibbs, who clocked in his best qualifying lap at 179.099 mph in 30.151 seconds.
Before the event, Playoff contender Chase Elliott dropped to the rear of the field due to an engine change in his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports/UniFirst Chevrolet entry.
When the green flag waved and the race started, Christopher Bell muscled ahead of teammate Ty Gibbs with a strong start from the inside lane. He then quickly transitioned his No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE back up to the outside lane as the field started to fan out to multiple lanes through the first two turns and the backstretch.
The event’s first caution flew when Harrison Burton and Ty Dillon made contact amid a tight four-wide battle in the midfield region. Their contact resulted in both spinning and wrecking as they clipped rookie Josh Berry while Jimmie Johnson piled into Dillon on the backstretch. Amid the accident, Chase Elliott, who made light contact with the outside wall while also being pinned in the four-wide battle, managed to dodge the incident and gained multiple spots.
As the event restarted under green on the sixth lap, teammates Bell and Gibbs dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch as the field fanned out for a second time through the backstretch. With the field navigating through the backstretch, a small stack-up ensued outside the top-10 mark as both Martin Truex Jr. and Michael McDowell scrubbed the outside wall while racing behind Playoff contenders Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson, but they all managed to keep their cars running straight. In addition, the event remained under green flag conditions as Bell led the following lap ahead of Gibbs and Playoff contender Tyler Reddick.
Shortly after, Gibbs launched an early battle on teammate Bell for the lead, but the latter maintained the top spot through every turn and straightaway. Amid a series of early on-track battles, Bell proceeded to lead at the Lap 10 mark by three-tenths of a second over Gibbs while third-place Reddick trailed by seven-tenths of a second. Behind, Playoff contender William Byron, who overtook Playoff rival Joey Logano for fifth place, proceeded to battle and overtake Kyle Busch for fourth place while Playoff contenders Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez and Kyle Larson followed suit in the top 11.
On Lap 18, the event’s second caution flew when Larson, who was racing within the top-10 mark on the track, blew a right-rear tire and went dead straight to scrub his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 against the outside wall in Turn 2. Despite his incident, Larson was able to continue and remain on the lead lap after having the flat tire removed.
During the second caution period of the event, the entire field led by Bell peeled off the track to pit for service. Following the pits and amid mixed strategies, Bell retained the lead after he exited pit road first and with only two fresh tires ahead of teammate Gibbs while Reddick, Logano, Byron, McDowell, Hamlin, Bowman, rookie Carson Hocevar and Todd Gilliand followed suit in the top 10. Amid the pit stops, McDowell was penalized for speeding on pit road.
The start of the following restart period on Lap 24 featured Joey Logano steering his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse beneath Bell and Gibbs amid a three-wide battle for the lead exiting the frontstretch, where Logano nearly muscled ahead through the first two turns before Bell got to Logano’s right-rear quarter panel and stalled his momentum. This allowed Bell to rocket back into the lead with drafting help from teammate Gibbs through the backstretch as Logano was being challenged by Byron for third place. With the field fanning out through the frontstretch, Reddick was up to fifth place as Bell retained the lead over Gibbs, Byron and Logano.
Through the first 30 scheduled laps, Bell was leading by nine-tenths of a second over Byron, who overtook Gibbs for the runner-up spot, as Playoff contenders Logano, Reddick, Hamlin, Bowman and Blaney followed suit in the top eight ahead of Hocevar and Playoff contender Austin Cindric. With eight of the remaining 12 Playoff contenders racing inside the top 10, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe, Elliott and Larson were mired in 13th, 22nd, 23rd and 32nd, respectively.
Ten laps later, Bell stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Byron’s No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 while Gibbs retained third place ahead of a bevy of Playoff contenders that included Logano, Hamlin, Reddick, Bowman, Blaney and Cindric. By then, Suarez and Elliott were racing inside the top-20 mark, Briscoe dropped three spots to 26th place and Larson was still mired in 31st place. In addition, Erik Jones made an unscheduled pit stop after he scrubbed the outside wall entering the backstretch.
At the Lap 50 mark, Bell retained the lead by seven-tenths of a second over Byron while teammate Gibbs trailed by a second in third place. Playoff contenders Logano, Hamlin, Blaney, Reddick, Cindric and Bowman followed suit in the top-nine mark ahead of Hocevar and Truex while Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Justin Haley trailed in the top 15. By then, Suarez, Elliott and Briscoe trailed in 19th, 20th and 26th, respectively, while Larson was scored the final competitor on the lead lap in 34th place.
Seven laps later, Larson, who was still mired in 34th place, was lapped by the leader Bell while runner-up Byron continued to trail Bell by seven-tenths of a second. Bell retained the lead by six-tenths of a second at the Lap 60 mark and by four-tenths of a second at the Lap 65 mark while Byron retained second place during both segments. Meanwhile, Gibbs remained in third place ahead of Logano, Hamlin, Blaney, Cindric, Reddick and Bowman while Truex was in 10th place by nearly a second over Hocevar.
By Lap 70, Bell stabilized his advantage to four-tenths of a second over Byron while Logano moved up to third place from Gibbs. Behind, Truex and Bowman swapped spots for ninth place as Blaney, Hamlin, Cindric and Reddick were running fifth through eighth, respectively. Meanwhile, Elliott was mired in 19th place behind Kyle Busch, Briscoe was mired in 25th place, Suarez had plummeted to 29th place and Larson was the fourth competitor scored a lap down in 34th place.
Then two laps later, Bell scrubbed the outside lane through the first two turns. This allowed Byron, who had been methodically gaining ground on Bell, to rocket past him and assume the lead. Logano would also overtake Bell for the runner-up spot through the backstretch while Bell maintained third place as he regained his pace. Bell, however, would be overtaken by Blaney for third place during the following lap as Byron drove away with the lead. With Byron leading just past the Lap 75, he would proceed to lap 30th-place Suarez.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 80, Byron fended off both Logano and Blaney to claim his second Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Team Penske’s Logano and Blaney followed suit in second and third, respectively, while Hamlin, Bell, Gibbs, Cindric, Truex, Bowman and Hocevar were scored in the top 10. With seven of 12 Playoff contenders racking up a first round of stage points, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Reddick, Elliott, Briscoe, Suarez and Larson were scored in 14th, 19th, 25th, 30th and 35th, respectively, with the latter two pinned a lap down.
Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Byron returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Logano exited pit road first ahead of Byron and Blaney while Bell, Gibbs, Truex, Hamlin, Hocevar, Brad Keselowski and Cindric followed suit in the top 10. By then, Larson had pitted to have his damaged defuser repaired. Soon after, Playoff contender Austin Cindric made another pit stop to address a loose right-rear wheel.
The second stage period started on Lap 86 as Logano and Byron occupied the front row. At the start and with the field fanning out, Byron fended off Logano through the first two turns and the backstretch to maintain the lead. Behind, Bell rocketed his way back up into second place and he issued his challenge on Byron for the lead during the following lap as Logano and Gibbs followed suit. Logano then reclaimed second place from Bell, who briefly stepped off the gas through Turns 3 and 4, prior to Lap 88, as Gibbs overtook Bell for third place. Amid a bevy of on-track battles, Byron retained the lead by the Lap 90 mark.
On Lap 97, the caution returned when Erik Jones, who was multiple laps down, got loose and spun his No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE through the frontstretch, where he then got his car stuck in the frontstretch’s grass. By then, Byron was leading by two seconds over Logano as Gibbs, Hamlin and Bell were racing in the top five ahead of Blaney, Bowman, Hocevar, Truex and Kyle Busch.
During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Byron returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops and amid mixed strategies, Kyle Busch exited pit road first with two fresh tires as Bell, Logano, Byron, Gibbs, Bowman, Blaney, Hocevar, Truex and Keselowski followed suit in the top 10. By then, Larson made additional pit stops to have his car repaired.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 104, Kyle Busch received a strong push from Logano from the outside lane to muscle ahead of Bell and retain the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. With Busch leading the following lap, Bell battled and fended off Logano for the runner-up spot before Ty Gibbs and Byron challenged Logano for third place in front of Bowman and Blaney. Bell overtook Busch for the lead during the following lap and fended off Busch and Logano for the top spot through the first two turns. Gibbs joined the battle with Logano and Busch for the runner-up spot. Also, Byron was challenged by teammate Bowman for fifth place as Bell retained the lead.
Just past the Lap 110 mark, Bell was leading Logano and Busch within eight-tenths of a second while Gibbs, Bowman, Byron and Blaney all trailed under two seconds from fifth through eighth, respectively, on the track. Meanwhile, Elliott was up to 15th place, Hamlin was mired in 17th after he had a slow pit service during his previous pit service, Cindric was down in 19th place, Reddick was mired in 21st place and Briscoe occupied 24th place in front of Suarez. In addition, Larson was still trapped a lap down in 33rd place.
Two laps later, Busch, who scrapped the backstretch’s outside wall, had dropped to seventh place as Gibbs, Bowman, Byron and Blaney all overtook him for spots towards the front. By then, Bowman, who had hit Busch when Busch scrapped the outside wall, remained on the track in fifth place as Bell maintained the lead over Logano and Gibbs. Soon after, Logano, Gibbs and Gibbs all fiercely battled for the runner-up spot, with Logano managing to occupy the spot by Lap 120 ahead of Byron and Gibbs as Blaney joined the battle in fourth place.
By Lap 125, Bell extended his advantage to more than a second over Logano as Byron, Blaney and Bowman were scored in the top five. Behind, Gibbs, who scrubbed the outside wall, had dropped to sixth place while Truex, Chastain, Kyle Busch and rookie Zane Smith were in the top 10.
At the halfway mark between Laps 133 and 134, Bell stabilized his advantage to seven-tenths of a second over Logano as Playoff contenders Blaney, Byron and Bowman followed suit in the top five ahead of Truex, Gibbs, Chastain, Zane Smith and Hamlin. Behind, Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Elliott, Chris Buescher and Cindric were racing in the top 15 as Ryan Preece, Todd Gilliland, Hocevar, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Tyler Reddick were mired in the top 20, with Suarez and Briscoe racing in 23rd and 24th, respectively. By then, 31 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap as Larson was still trapped a lap down in 32nd place.
Then on Lap 141, Blaney caught Bell and battled the latter dead even through the frontstretch before the former muscled his No. 12 Wurth Ford Mustang Dark Horse out in front and he proceeded to lead the following lap. Another lap later, the caution flew when Daniel Hemric, who was announced to be replaced by Ty Dillon at Kaulig Racing for the 2025 season, got loose and hit the outside wall entering the backstretch, where he would proceed to spin his No. 31 South Point & Hotel Casino Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 below the track through the first two turns as he cut a tire. Hemric’s incident served as a big break for Larson, who was the recipient of the free pass and cycled back on the lead lap.
During the caution period, the lead lap field, led by Blaney, pitted for service. Following the pit stops and amid mixed strategies, Zane Smith exited pit road first with two fresh tires followed by Bell, Logano, Gibbs, Truex, Blaney, Bowman, Byron, Hamlin and Elliott, the latter nine of which opted for four fresh tires. Not long after, Hamlin made another trip to pit road to have a wheel on his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE tightened as he dropped to the rear of the field.
The start of the following restart period on Lap 148 did not last as both John Hunter Nemechek and Justin Haley spun in the backstretch, an incident that started when Haley veered left and made contact with Nemechek as Larson dodged the incident. By then, Bell had reclaimed the lead from Zane Smith while Gibbs, Logano and Blaney were scored in the top five.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 153, Bell raced away from the field to retain the lead as the field fanned out through the first two turns and the backstretch. Smith then tried to gain a run underneath Bell entering Turns 3 and 4, but Bell retained the lead with four fresh tires and a stronger car while Bowman overtook Gibbs and Blaney to boost his way up to third place. As Byron was trying to fend off Chastain, Truex, Logano and Hocevar for sixth place, Elliott commenced his charge to reach the top-10 mark while Bell maintained a reasonable lead by Lap 155.
On Lap 156, the caution returned when Playoff contender Austin Cindric, who was running in 13th place, bumped into the side of Kyle Busch, spun his No. 2 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse down the backstretch’s infield, and made light contact with the inside wall. Despite losing a lap amid repairs, Cindric was able to continue. During the caution period, some led by Zane Smith and including Playoff contenders Logano, Reddick and Suarez pitted while the rest led by Bell remained on the track. Logano would then make another trip to pit road to address a loose wheel.
With four laps remaining in the second stage period, the event restarted under green as Bell and Bowman dueled for the lead through the first two turns until Bowman muscled his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the lead from the inside lane. Bell followed suit in second through the backstretch until he scrubbed the outside wall entering Turns 3 and 4, allowing Gibbs, Blaney, Byron and Chase Briscoe to overtake him. Bell proceeded to lose more spots through the frontstretch and eventually dropped out of the top-10 mark as Bowman retained the lead.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 165 amid a series of on-track battles, Bowman fended off Gibbs to claim his first Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Gibbs followed suit in second ahead of Blaney, Byron and Keselowski while Hocevar, Kyle Busch, Truex, Elliott and Briscoe were scored in the top 10. With five of 12 Playoff contenders finishing in the top 10 on the track and racking up a second round of stage points, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Hamlin, Reddick, Bell, Suarez, Logano, Larson and Cindric were mired in 11th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 27th and 34th, respectively.
During the stage break, some led by Bowman and including fellow Playoff contenders Byron, Elliott, Hamlin, Briscoe, Bell, Blaney and Larson pitted while the rest led by Gibbs remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Bowman exited pit road first ahead of Blaney, Byron, Keselowski, Briscoe, Hamlin, Bell, Noah Gragson, Elliott and Haley.
With 96 laps remaining, the final stage started as Gibbs and Hocevar occupied the front row. At the start, Hocevar received a shove from Truex on the inside lane to storm ahead with the lead through the first two turns until Gibbs came rocketing back to battle alongside Hocevar for the lead through the backstretch. Hocevar then managed to clear Gibbs entering the frontstretch and lead the following lap while Kyle Busch, Truex and Chastain went three wide for third place. Behind, Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher battled for sixth place as the field fanned out through the frontstretch while jostling for late spots.
With 90 laps remaining and as a flurry of on-track battles ensued, Chastain dueled and overtook Hocevar for the lead through the frontstretch and the first two turns. Behind, Kyle Busch overtook Gibbs for third place as Truex followed suit in fifth. Meanwhile, Reddick and Byron were the two highest Playoff contenders in sixth and seventh while Bowman carved his way to ninth place after restarting within the top-20 mark. Behind, Playoff contenders Hamlin, Suarez and Logano were mired in the top 14 while Elliott, Bell, Briscoe, Blaney and Larson were mired in the top 26.
Ten laps later, Chastain retained the lead while Kyle Busch, who overtook Hocevar for the runner-up spot five laps earlier, trailed Chastain by four-tenths of a second. Meanwhile, Truex was up to third place ahead of Byron, the highest-running Playoff contender, and Hocevar while Gibbs, Reddick, Bowman, Buescher and Hamlin were scored in the top 10 ahead of Zane Smith, Wallace, Suarez, Logano, Elliott, Keselowski, Bell, Blaney, Gilliland and Austin Dillon. Meanwhile, Briscoe and Larson were mired in 23rd and 25th, respectively, while Cindric was trapped a lap down in 34th.
Another four laps later, Blaney pitted his No. 12 Wurth Ford Mustang Dark Horse under green and from the top 20 due to a loose wheel. With Blaney dropping out of the lead lap category, Busch started to challenge Chastain for the lead, though the latter used the outside wall to maintain the top spot with a reasonable gap ahead of Busch.
Then with 67 laps remaining, Busch gained a run beneath Chastain and emerged with a slight lead exiting the backstretch. Chastain, however, came rocketing back alongside Busch while using the outside wall through Turns 3 and 4 as both dueled for the top spot through the frontstretch. With Chastain managing to lead the following lap, he would proceed to retain the top spot through every corner and straightaway while Busch was trying to regain the ground he briefly lost.
Busch would then execute his pass on Chastain while sliding in front of him entering Turns 3 and 4 with 63 laps remaining and he would lead the following lap while Chastain pulled a crossover move to return the favor through the frontstretch. Despite nearly getting locked into a side-by-side battle with Busch through the frontstretch, Busch prevailed in the battle and pulled away to have both lanes under control. As Busch led, where he would proceed to lead with 60 laps remaining, Logano pitted under green.
With 59 laps remaining and a late cycle of green flag pit stops commencing, Ty Gibbs pitted his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE. Buscher would pit his No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse during the following lap along with Truex, Byron, Bowman, Hamlin, Suarez and Zane Smith before the leaders Busch and Chastain pitted together during the next lap. As more pit stops occurred with less than 55 laps remaining, Reddick, who was among several competitors who had yet to pit, was leading ahead of Bell, Keselowski, Wallace and Gilliland while Busch and Chastain were both racing just outside the top 10 mark.
With 50 laps remaining, 23XI Racing’s Reddick and Wallace pitted under green, with the former sustaining a flat tire to his No. 45 DraftKings Toyota Camry XSE. The pit stops for both Reddick and Wallace handed the lead to Bell as Keselowski and Ty Dillon followed suit in second and third while Busch and Chastain cycled up into fourth and fifth. Once Bell and Keselowski pitted over the next three laps, Busch cycled back into the lead with 47 laps remaining while Chastain trailed in second place by seven-tenths of a second.
Then with 42 laps remaining, Chastain overtook Busch for the lead through the frontstretch as Busch went up the track and barely scrubbed the outside wall in Turns 3 and 4 during the previous lap. Chastain then mirrored Busch’s scrape of the wall through Turns 3 and 4, which allowed Busch to reassume the lead with 41 laps remaining and he would stretch his advantage to half a second during the next lap period.
Down to the final 35 laps of the event, Busch was leading by six-tenths of a second over Chastain while Truex trailed in third place by more than a second. Behind, Playoff contenders Byron, Bowman, Hamlin and Blaney were running fourth through seventh, respectively, while Gibbs, Buescher and Elliott were racing in the top 10 ahead of Redick and Suarez. With seven of 12 Playoff contenders racing in the top-12 mark on the track, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Logano, Bell, Larson, Briscoe and Cindric were mired in 16th, 18th, 19th, 26th and 34th, respectively.
Then three laps later, Busch’s potential road to victory was foiled as he tried to lap Briscoe through Turns 1 and 2. With Briscoe fending off Busch’s momentum from the outside wall and moving his No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse up the track to prevent Busch from receiving clean air, Busch then slapped the outside wall in the backstretch and got loose before he spun his No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 below the track. With the caution flying, Chastain assumed the lead while Busch was able to continue without losing a bevy of spots.
During the caution period, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Chastain returned to pit road for service while Keselowski remained on the track as he inherited the lead. Following the pit stops, Truex exited pit road first as Chastain, Bowman, Byron, Gibbs, Blaney, Busch, Buescher, Reddick and Suarez, all of whom opted for four fresh tires, exited in the top 10.
The start of the following restart period with 26 laps remaining featured Truex gaining the momentum from the outside lane and with four fresh tires and he assumed the lead through the first two turns. Keselowski was then starting to fade on his two tires as Bowman, Chastain and Byron quickly rocketed past him to move up to second through fourth. As the field fanned out while Keselowski continued to plummet through the backstretch, Truex maintained the lead for the following lap while Bowman and Chastain battled dead even for second in front of Byron. The caution then returned during the following lap as Hocevar spun after he was hit by Gilliland in the backstretch. Hocevar also made contact with Briscoe before spinning his No. 77 Premier Security Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 within the midfield region.
With the event restarting under green with 20 laps remaining, the field fanned out through the frontstretch as Chastain dueled with Truex, where he would rocket away with the top spot entering the backstretch while Truex was left to battle Bowman and Byron for the runner-up spot. Byron would gain the runner-up spot from Truex through Turns 3 and 4 while Bowman was left to battle Gibbs and Blaney for fourth place. As Hamlin used the frontstretch’s apron to muscle his way back into the top-10 mark amid a flurry of on-track battles within the field, Chastain maintained a reasonable advantage over Byron and Truex for the following two laps.
Down to the final 15 laps of the event, Chastain continued to lead by less than half a second over a hard-charging Byron while Truex, Blaney and Gibbs were in the top five. With Truex trying to fend off Blaney for third place and Gibbs maintaining fifth place ahead of Playoff contenders Bowman, Bell and Hamlin, Chastain remained ahead with the top spot by half a second with 10 laps remaining.
With five laps remaining, Chastain maintained an advantage of four-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Byron while third-place Truex trailed by more than a second. Behind, Blaney and Gibbs remained in the top five ahead of Bowman, Bell, Hamlin, Elliott and Zane Smith while Reddick, who scraped the wall earlier, continued to run on the track in 25th place in front of Larson.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Chastain remained in the lead by three-tenths of a second over Byron. After trailing Chastain through the first two turns and the backstretch, Byron then tried to use the inside lane to get close to Chastain, but the latter kept his car running towards the outside wall. With the momentum on his side, Chastain rocketed his No. 1 Kubota Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 away from Byron and returned to the frontstretch victorious as he claimed the checkered flag by three-tenths of a second over Byron.
With the victory, Chastain, who missed the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs, notched his fifth career win in NASCAR’s premier series, his first at Kansas and his first since winning the 2023 finale at Phoenix Raceway.
The victory was the 13th of the year for the Chevrolet nameplate and the second for Trackhouse Racing, with this season marking the second time where Trackhouse’s Nos. 1 and 99 entries visited Victory Lane at least once in the same Cup season. Chastain also joined Chris Buescher as a non-Playoff competitor to win throughout the first four Playoff events of the 2024 season.
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“For us on this No. 1 team, it’s what Cup racing’s all about,” Chastain, who smashed a watermelon on the frontstretch, said on USA Network. “It’s what [team owner] Justin Marks bought into NASCAR with Trackhouse to do stuff like this, to disrupt [the Playoffs]. There’s been times this year where we couldn’t have disrupted the Minnow Pond outside of Darlington [Raceway], let alone a Cup race. It’s hard, it’s really tough, so to come and do this, I’d say there’s times where I didn’t think after practice and qualifying, we had what it took. I thought we’ve been way stronger here in the past. It didn’t feel great all day, but our Kubota Chevy, it was better as the rubber went down and the adjustments were great. We haven’t left. We haven’t went away. Nobody’s slowed us down other than ourselves and today, we were the fastest car.”
With Chastain winning the race, William Byron ended up as the highest-finishing Playoff contender of the event in second place for his first top-two result since Michigan International Speedway last August and after finishing no higher than ninth over his last five starts. Despite being left disappointed over falling one spot short of winning the Playoff’s Round of 12 opener for a second consecutive season, Byron also remained optimistic as he continues his push to return to the Championship 4 and contend for his first Cup Series championship.
“I feel like [Chastain] got the restart he needed to and I was in the second row just trying to clear those guys,” Byron said. “Once I got clear of them, my balance is OK, just a little bit tight, but kind of inching up on [Chastain]. I needed probably for [the event] to be a longer run being in second but damn it. I wanted that one really bad. It just sucks, man. You’re so close and you know going to Talladega, you know what that is. Sucks, but proud of the effort. [The team] Brought an awesome car. Proud of all my guys. They’ve been working their tails off and we’ve gotten a lot of BS over the summer from the outside. I know how good this team is and I know what we’re capable of, so this is a great day to build on. Looking forward to Talladega. We’re usually good there and we’ll just see how that goes.”
Martin Truex Jr., who led five laps, came home in third place in his final start at Kansas as a full-time competitor, Ryan Blaney made a late rally to finish fourth and Ty Gibbs capped off a strong race in fifth place.
Playoff contenders Alex Bowman, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott finished sixth through ninth, respectively, while rookie Zane Smith achieved a 10th-place result. Notably, Kyle Busch, who led 26 laps and was on the verge of notching his first elusive victory of the season, fell back to 19th place in the final running order.
“I’m numb,” Busch, who was left dejected on pit road at the event’s conclusion, said. “I don’t know what to do.”
With half of the remaining 12 Playoff contenders finishing in the top 10 on the track, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson and Austin Cindric finished 13th, 14th, 24th, 25th, 26th and 34th, respectively.
As a result, Reddick, Suarez, Briscoe and Cindric are below the top-12 cutline in the Playoff standings with two Round of 12 events remaining on the schedule while Elliott and Logano are both above the cutline by four points.
There were 30 lead changes for 15 different leaders. The race featured 10 cautions for 47 laps. In addition, 32 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Results.
1. Ross Chastain, 52 laps led
2. William Byron, 24 laps led, Stage 1 winner
3. Martin Truex Jr., five laps led
4. Ryan Blaney, three laps led
5. Ty Gibbs, five laps led
6. Alex Bowman, six laps led, Stage 2 winner
7. Christopher Bell, 122 laps led
8. Denny Hamlin, one lap led
9. Chase Elliott
10. Zane Smith, three laps led
11. Chris Buescher
12. Austin Dillon
13. Daniel Suarez
14. Joey Logano, three laps led
15. Corey LaJoie
16. Ryan Preece
17. Bubba Wallace
18. Noah Gragson
19. Kyle Busch, 29 laps led
20. Daniel Hemric
21. Ty Dillon
22. Brad Keselowski, four laps led
23. Harrison Burton
24. Chase Briscoe
25. Tyler Reddick, seven laps led
26. Kyle Larson
27. Todd Gilliland
28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
29. Michael McDowell
30. John Hunter Nemechek
31. Kaz Grala
32. Carson Hocevar
33. Justin Haley, one lap down
34. Austin Cindric, four laps down
35. Erik Jones, four laps down
36. Jimmie Johnson, 10 laps down
37. JJ Yeley – OUT, Electrical, one lap led
38. Josh Berry – OUT, Accident
*Bold indicates Playoff contenders
Playoff standings
1. William Byron +34
2. Ryan Blaney +28
3. Christopher Bell +28
4. Kyle Larson +18
5. Denny Hamlin +11
6. Alex Bowman +8
7. Chase Elliott +4
8. Joey Logano +4
9. Tyler Reddick -4
10. Daniel Suarez -14
11. Chase Briscoe -25
12. Austin Cindric -29
The second Round of 12 event in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set to occur at Talladega Superspeedway for the YellaWood 500. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, October 6, and air at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.
Solid Effort by Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team at Kansas Speedway
Finish: 12th Start: 22nd Points: 28th
“Solid effort today by our Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet team at Kansas Speedway. We started off extremely tight, which was confusing because a lot the field was complaining about a loose-handling car. We lost track position early in the race when we took advantage of a caution to pit for tires and make handling adjustments. We made up as much ground as we could on the restarts to gain track position and crew chief Justin Alexander worked hard all race to continue to improve our Chevy. At the end of stage 2, we took a big swing at the setup and found speed. We were able to race our way into the top 10 during the final stage before ultimately finishing 12th. We’re not sure what caused our car to be so tight, but we will get it back to the shop, diagnose what went on with the car and come back stronger.” -Austin Dillon
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet Team Lead Laps and Show Speed at Kansas Speedway Before Late-Race Spin
Finish: 19th Start: 3rd Points: 20th
“We had a really strong BetMGM Chevrolet at the end of the race today, so it’s frustrating that we were not able to bring home a win for everyone at RCR, ECR, all of our sponsors and Rowdy fans. We led laps and put ourselves in position, but it didn’t work out for us. We hung underneath the No. 1 car for about 15 laps and finally passed him for the lead. We could get away from him and then catch a lapped car and we’d back up a little bit and lose the gap between us. I guess I just got in too big of a hurry. We were leading when a car trying to stay on the lead lap came up and took away our air and I spun out. Back in the old days when there were under 30 laps remaining in a race, lapped traffic would lay over, give you a lane and let the leaders race. I just wasn’t getting that, so I tried to force my hand into getting that and get to his outside, and for whatever reason, it just gave all the air in all the wrong places and it took away our chances at a win. We ended up 19th. Not the finish we hoped for but we’ll head to Talladega Superspeedway next week to try again.” -Kyle Busch
Daniel Hemric qualified 30th for the Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet at Kansas Speedway.
The first caution of the day came out on the first lap, as Hemric had already made up four positions. The next caution fell on lap 20, and Hemric pitted for four tires, hoping the new set of tires would help the handling of the No. 31 South Point Chevy. He went on to finish the first stage in 17th place.
After pitting for air-pressure adjustments to help with grip, Hemric started the second stage in 26th. When the first caution of the stage came out on lap 99, Hemric sat 23rd. He pitted for four tires and fuel, gaining one position on pit road. Running similar times to the second-place car, Hemric worked his way into the top 20 but suffered a broken toe link that sent him spinning, bringing out the next caution. Hemric pitted under caution, and the team replaced the broken toe link but lost two laps in the process. Hemric restarted 34th with 12 laps remaining in the second stage. A caution with eight to go allowed Hemric to take the free-pass position, giving him one lap back. As the field took the green with four to go in the stage, Hemric maintained the free-pass position once again and received another lap back at the stage end. He finished the second stage in 33rd on the lead lap.
Hemric started the final stage in 31st and made it back into the top 25 by lap 201. As the final green-flag pit stops began, Hemric made it as high as 16th, before pitting on lap 210 for tires and fuel. When the next caution flag fell on lap 237, Hemric pitted for fuel, tires and a right-side air pressure adjustment. He restarted 23rd on lap 241, before the next caution came out just three laps later. Hemric restarted 15th with 20 laps remaining and went on to finish the race in 20th place.
“That was fun! Our No. 31 South Point Chevy showed a ton of speed today. After breaking a toe link and hitting the wall, the damage affected the maneuverability a bit, but I’m super proud of the No. 31 guys for staying focused and fighting to get back on the lead lap so we could compete in the final stage.” – Daniel Hemric
TY DILLON No. 16 FitRx Camaro ZL1
Ty Dillon qualified 32nd for the Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet at Kansas Speedway.
The first caution of the day came out on lap one, as the No. 16 was collected in the process. Dillon acquired left-rear quarter panel damage, along with some right-side damage. The team assessed the car under caution, and fell one lap down. Dillon restarted 36th when the second caution came out on lap 20. Dillon earned the free pass position, putting him back on the lead lap. Under caution, Dillon came down pit road, allowing the team to cut the left-rear quarter panel off and determine damage from the previous wreck. Adding fuel and a rear left tire, the No. 16 restarted 33rd, maintaining minimum speed. Dillon battled the remainder of the stage to maintain position, completing it in 31st and one lap down.
During the stage break, Dillon reported the No. 16 was loose in and out of turns while struggling to hit the throttle. The team pitted for a rear-wedge adjustment, minor repairs to the right-front splitter, fuel and four tires. Dillon restarted 35th and one lap down. The fourth caution on lap 99 allowed the him to pit under caution for four tires and fuel. Dillon restarted 33rd, one lap down, and in position to fight for the lucky dog, which he received when the next caution flag fell on lap 145. He restarted 31st and on the lead lap. Five laps later, the caution flag flew once again, which allowed Dillon to pit for four scuff tires and fuel. Dillon restarted 30th, before the seventh caution of the day allowed the No. 16 to pit for four sticker tires and fuel. He restarted in 29th and finished the second stage in 25th.
During the final stage break, the No.16 elected to stay out, restarting 15th. Dillon climbed as high as fourth, as the field made green flag pit stops. The No. 16 pitted on lap 219 for four tires and fuel, cycling back to 30th and one lap down. With 32 laps remaining, the next caution flag flew, allowing Dillon to take the wave around and get back on the lead lap. The No. 16 stayed out and restarted 29th. The caution flag waved once again on lap 244. The No.16 pitted for its final set of sticker tires and fuel, restarting 28th. Dillon closed out the race in 21st.
“Solid effort to rebound after an early-race caution and run the entire race with no rear quarter panel. Our FitRx Camaro had the speed, we just didn’t have a full car today. We had to rebuild the car and fight from a lap down, but I’m proud of the effort the team put in today. Definitely learned a few things we can take into next season and hit the ground running.” – Ty Dillon
About Kaulig Racing
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 29, 2024) – For the second straight race, a first-time winner found the winner’s circle in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, as Stan Shelton defeated Mason Wright in the final round on Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway as part of this weekend’s NHRA Midwest Nationals.
The event was the third in the category’s four-race “Road to the Championship” playoffs and was powered by M&M Transmission and Jerry Bickel Race Cars. It also marked the ninth of 10 races during the 2024 season.
Advancing to his second career final round after defeating Michael Stavrinos, Lyle Barnett and defending event winner Jordan Lazic, Shelton went 5.786-seconds at 245.58 mph in his Culp Lumber Ford Mustang to hold off Wright’s 5.806 at 234.66.
After qualifying 11th, Shelton posted reaction times of .010, .013 and .011 in the first three rounds, setting up a memorable final round and a thrilling first victory in the NHRA Pro Mod category.
“This is very difficult to win. This class is so challenging and today was the day,” Shelton said. “My crew did an awesome job and this feels great. We’ve got such a great thing going on in Pro Mod and driver is such a small part in getting one of these. The crew are the ones doing everything behind the scenes and I just had to do my job.”
On a wild weekend in St. Louis, Khalid Al Balooshi moved into the points lead, despite losing in the second round. Justin Bond jumped all the way to second and is just 12 points out of first heading into the final race of the NHRA Pro Mod season. Lazic is in third, 24 points out of first, while Ken Quartuccio is 26 points behind the leader.
Wright advanced to the final round for the second time in his career by defeating Chip King, defending world champion Mike Castellana and Bond.
The Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ closes out its 2024 season at the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals on Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
MADISON, Ill. — Final finish order (1-16) at the 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. The race is the ninth of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+.
PRO MODIFIED:
Stan Shelton; 2. Mason Wright; 3. Justin Bond; 4. Jordan Lazic; 5. Mike Castellana; 6. JR Gray; 7. Lyle Barnett; 8. Khalid alBalooshi; 9. Billy Banaka; 10. Mike Stavrinos; 11. Kevin Rivenbark; 12. Nick Januik; 13. Dmitry Samorukov; 14. Chip King; 15. Doug Winters; 16. Kris Thorne.
MADISON, Ill. — Sunday’s final results from the 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. The race is the ninth of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+.
Pro Modified — Stan Shelton, Ford Mustang, 5.786, 245.58 def. Mason Wright, Chevy Camaro, 5.806, 234.66.
MADISON, Ill. — Final round-by-round results from the 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. The race is the ninth of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+.
PRO MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE — Mike Castellana, Chevy Camaro, 5.738, 249.76 def. Kevin Rivenbark, Ford Mustang, 5.821, 246.98; Jordan Lazic, Camaro, 5.777, 248.98 def. Nick Januik, Chevy Corvette, 5.904, 242.19; JR Gray, Camaro, 5.769, 248.98 def. Dmitry Samorukov, Camaro, 6.064, 241.07; Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.772, 245.23 def. Billy Banaka, Camaro, 5.740, 249.03; Lyle Barnett, Camaro, 5.805, 244.74 def. Kris Thorne, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Stan Shelton, Mustang, 5.766, 245.99 def. Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.781, 245.27; Khalid alBalooshi, Camaro, 5.796, 249.95 def. Doug Winters, Chevy Chevelle, 8.061,
FINAL — Shelton, 5.786, 245.58 def. Wright, 5.806, 234.66.
MADISON, Ill. — Point standings (top 10) following the 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. The race is the ninth of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+.
Pro Modified
Khalid alBalooshi, 956; 2. Justin Bond, 944; 3. Jordan Lazic, 932; 4. Ken Quartuccio, 930; 5. Mason Wright, 921; 6. Kris Thorne, 918; 7. Kevin Rivenbark, 906; 8. Billy Banaka, 887; 9. Dmitry Samorukov, 881; 10. Mike Castellana, 876.
