10/2/2026, 9:01:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On Friday, October 9, the NASCAR community will gather for a public Celebration of Life, honoring the life and legacy of Kyle Busch. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and winner of 234 races across all three national divisions, died suddenly at the age of 41 on May 21st of this year.
Busch's wife, Samantha, will be onstage to remember her husband, as will his brother Kurt, and several ...Keep reading
10/1/2026, 9:08:12 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR Cup field will try their luck in Vegas this weekend, joined by the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Denny Hamlin is the defending winner of the fall Cup race at Las Vegas, taking victory via a late-charge last year.
Hamlin enters this race 26 points back of championship leader Kyle Larson, who has two wins in the first four races of the 2026 Chase.
In this story, you can ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/1/2026, 8:54:25 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR overhauled the superspeedway package for the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway, and it seemed to be a success. There was far more movement throughout the field and the pack just seemed more dynamic, and less gridlocked than in the past.
Ryan Preece won that race -- his first victory in 249 career starts, and in doing so snatched the final spot inside the Chase from ...Keep reading
10/1/2026, 4:26:28 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There's been a flurry of unsubstantiated rumors surrounding Brad Keselowski after the unexpected news that he will exit RFK Racing at the end of the season -- a team he co-owns ... for the moment.
One of the more prominent whispers has focused on Kaulig Racing. The two-car Chevrolet team also runs a fleet of Rams in the Truck Series, and should Stellantis want to expand back into Cup with ...Keep reading
9/30/2026, 8:59:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The latest epic championship comeback attempt from Joey Logano and the Penske No. 22 team was thwarted on Sunday at Kansas with a flat tire and a 20th place finish that dropped him from third to fourth in the standings.
In some ways, it’s right back to square one as Logano is now 67 points back, after starting 65 points back as the ninth seed before the Southern 500. At the same time, this is ...Keep reading
9/30/2026, 4:20:10 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Fans, media, and even some within the garage were blindsided by news of RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski exiting the organization at the end of this year. This is his fifth consecutive year with RFK Racing, and he was seen as the clear successor to Jack Roush to lead the historic team.
Keselowski left behind a comfortable career at Team Penske, where he spent 12 consecutive years before ...Keep reading
9/30/2026, 3:43:06 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
“When JGR first brought this case, it told the Court a dramatic story. Mr. Gabehart, JGR said, had stolen the ‘crown jewels’ of its racing operation and was deploying them at Spire Motorsports. JGR obtained a Temporary Restraining Order and then a Preliminary Injunction on the basis of that sensational claim. The Court, while granting partial relief, was careful to craft an Order that ...Keep reading
#injunction
9/29/2026, 2:23:06 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
RFK Racing and Brad Keselowski are splitting at the end of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season in shocking news. He is a co-owner of the organization, but reports indicate that he will give up his ownership piece as well. On the question of Keselowski's stake in the team, RFK said they "intend to collaboratively and mutually work through the appropriate next steps regarding his existing ownership interest ...Keep reading
9/28/2026, 9:36:42 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill have had a multiple issues since the three-time Supercars champion arrived on the NASCAR scene.
In 2024, they tangled while battling for wins at COTA and Sonoma in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series. Earlier this year, SVG blamed Hill for wrecking him at both Pocono and San Diego, and the loss off points ultimately cost him a spot inside the 2026 NASCAR Cup Chase ...Keep reading
9/28/2026, 4:06:58 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR Cup race at Kansas was far calmer than many expected, but it still delivered a dramatic battle for the win in the closing laps. Ultimately, Kyle Larson prevailed after passing Chase Briscoe and holding off Austin Cindric, further extending his championship advantage.
There were only a couple of incidents during the race, with one notable restart pileup where Carson Hocevar found ...Keep reading
9/28/2026, 3:34:14 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
At the end of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway, Corey Heim was involved in a wild altercation by the famous hot dog stand in the infield.
Caden Kvapil won the prestigious late model race, while Heim made contact with Treyten Lapcevich as he took second away on the final lap. The two drivers then collided after the checkered flag, with Heim's car climbing over the top of ...Keep reading
9/28/2026, 1:22:41 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It’s early yet but the start to this Chase for the Championship is making Kyle Larson and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 look an awful lot like the No. 48 team that terrorized the Cup Series from 2006 to 2010.
Even amidst a well-publicized winless drought to start the season, Larson was leading laps and has actually scored the most stage points throughout the entire season. So, there was ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/28/2026, 12:30:28 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Although Kyle Larson dominated the NASCAR Cup race at Kansas, Chase Briscoe made him fight for the win in the final run of the race.
He passed Larson with 30 laps to go after the final set of pit stops, but Larson never truly went away. With seven laps to go, Larson snatched the lead back and Briscoe then hit the wall multiple times while trying to stay with Larson. Instead, he fell back to ...Keep reading
9/27/2026, 11:47:25 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Carson Hocevarwas enjoying a strong day with no drama at Kansas, running inside the top ten and ending Stage 1 in fourth place.
Unfortunately, things went very wrong on a Lap 122 restart. Hocevar was on the inside as the race got back underway, and as he moved up towards the middle, he collided with Ty Gibbs, who was looking to move inside of Bubba Wallace from the top lane.
Wallace ...Keep reading
9/27/2026, 11:01:14 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Entering this race, Kyle Larson was just one point ahead of Denny Hamlin in the battle for the championship, but after a huge day in Kansas, he is now 26 points ahead of Hamlin.
While Hamlin scored a top five finish, Larson earned maximum points by winning the race, sweeping the stages, and earning the fastest lap bonus.
Christopher Bell overtook Joey Logano for third, and is 50 points ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/27/2026, 10:46:25 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kyle Larson led 235 of 267 laps at Kansas Speedway, breaking the track record for laps led on his way to securing max points and the 34th victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career.
Larson set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 2 with a 30.076s lap, and swept both stages.
He passed Chase Briscoe for the lead with seven laps to go after a great battle, and won over Austin Cindric with a margin ...Keep reading
9/27/2026, 10:32:30 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kyle Larson has further cemented his place atop the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings, winning at Kansas after a late battle with Chase Briscoe.
Larson lost the lead to Briscoe with 30 laps to go but ran him back down, reclaiming the top spot with seven laps left in the race. Larson earned maximum points possible by winning the race, sweeping the stages, and even securing the fastest lap ...Keep reading
9/27/2026, 4:32:22 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Legacy Motor Club announced on Sunday that they have signed Erik Jones to a multi-year contract extension, keeping him as the long-term driver of the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE.
He will have two new teammates next year, with Josh Berry taking over the No. 42 from John Hunter Nemechek, and Riley Herbst driving the newly added No. 84 as a third chartered entry for the team.
“Erik Jones is the ...Keep reading
#charter
9/27/2026, 4:18:16 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Among the many items at the Mecum Auction at Nashville Superspeedway were various race cars owned by NASCAR team owner Jack Roush.
Greg Biffle's 2004 National Guard-sponsored Ford Taurus was bought by Cleetus McFarland with a winning bid of $47,000 and a final sales price of $51,700.
Among the race vehicles on offer was the No. 99 Exide Ford F-150 Kurt Busch drove during his rookie 2000 ...Keep reading
9/27/2026, 12:05:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
We continue our 'Kyle Busch Remembered' series ahead of NASCAR's fall visit to Kansas Speedway. Busch won nine races at the 1.5-mile intermediate track, including two Cup races.
Busch won a record 234 career NASCAR national series wins -- more than any other driver in history, earning his final victory just days before his unexpected passing at the age of 41 in May.
In honor of Busch, we've ...Keep reading
9/27/2026, 3:16:04 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There was chaos after Saturday night's late model race at Martinsville Speedway, with Caden Kvapil (brother of Carson) winning the prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300. This event has existed in some form since 1970, with some calling it the Daytona 500 of late model stock car racing.
At the white flag, Kvapil went three-wide for the lead with Treyten Lapcevich in the middle and Corey Heim ...Keep reading
9/26/2026, 9:25:39 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
As part of the Mecum auction at Nashville Superspeedway, RFK Racing put forward a collection of performance vehicles and motorsports artifacts to be auctioned off.
Among the items was the iconic No. 16 National Guard-sponsored Ford Taurus (chassis RK-195) that Biffle drove throughout the 2004 NASCAR Cup season, and into 2005. The car includes a Roush-built 358 cubic-inch (5.8L) Ford ...Keep reading
9/26/2026, 8:19:31 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In many ways, the current Chase for the Championship was a response to Joey Logano’s success in The Playoffs, just as much as The Playoffs were a response to Jimmie Johnson winning six titles under the previous version of the Chase.
The original Chase was a response to Matt Kenseth effectively winning the 2003 Winston Cup with races left in the season with just a single win to his credit. He ...Keep reading
9/26/2026, 5:18:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Is there any other championship format you want to throw at Joey Logano because he will probably find a way to contend in that one too?
There was a subset of NASCAR fans who felt like they locked the Team Penske No. 22 driver out of the mix when the Sanctioning Body brought back the Chase for the Championship to replace The Playoffs that Logano won three times in 11 years.
In those years ...Keep reading
9/26/2026, 3:55:45 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Looking up at the video board, Ross Chastain was just a race fan in the immediate aftermath of the Bristol Night Race, even if his client was the one involved in a post-race fracas.
Carson Hocevar is represented by Motorsports Management International, which boasts Chastain as one of its ownership members, but the Trackhouse Racing veteran did not have a role to play that night.
That was all ...Keep reading
9/26/2026, 2:32:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR's qualifying metric -- a weighted average of a car's place in the owner standings (30%), and the entry's finish in the most recent race (70%) -- has been utilized to decide the Cup starting lineup in three of the first four Chase races, as scattered thunderstorms forced the series to cancel qualifying at Kansas Speedway.
As a result of that, Bristol race winner Joey Logano will start ...Keep reading
9/25/2026, 10:15:06 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Less than a week ago, Carson Hocevar felt compelled to punch Ryan Blaney after he was confronted and grabbed by the fire suit in the aftermath of their incident in the Bristol Night Race.
On Friday at Kansas Speedway, Hocevar said the confrontation and how Blaney has handled everything in the days since, cemented just how much admiration and fandom the Spire Motorsports youngster has for the ...Keep reading
9/25/2026, 2:22:50 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Fights have long been a part of NASCAR, and it was a post-race brawl that helped propel NASCAR into the national spotlight for the first time. The 1979 Daytona 500 was the first 500-mile NASCAR race to be broadcast live, flag-to-flag, on national television (courtesy of CBS). Much of the east coast was also completely snowed in on that day, so a lot of people were watching the big race.
Well ...Keep reading
9/24/2026, 9:37:30 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will be joined by NASCAR Craftsman Trucks and the ARCA Menard's Series at Kansas this weekend.
Chase Elliott won a dramatic Cup race at Kansas last fall, after Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace collided on the final lap.
Kyle Larson enters this race as the new championship leader, a single point ahead of Hamlin and 16 points clear of Bristol winner Joey ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/24/2026, 4:03:28 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR Hall of Famer and three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will be back behind the wheel of the Kaulig Racing Ram 1500 at Talladega Superspeedway next month.
Stewart, 55, made a surprise NASCAR return in the season-opener at Daytona. Unfortunately, he DNF'ed after getting wrecked out of the event.
“Anytime you can get into a Ram truck and go racing at a place like Talladega, you ...Keep reading
9/23/2026, 9:27:15 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip has been diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD). The Waltrip family announced that he will be stepping further away from public life. He is 79 years old, and the family noted that the disease was likely complicated by CTE-related injuries from his racing career.
"We wanted to share a health update with all of Darrell's friends and fans who have supported ...Keep reading
9/23/2026, 7:03:11 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Legacy Motor Club have announced the hiring of Jeremy Bullins, who will serve as the crew chief for Riley Herbst and the No. 84 Toyota in 2027.
Bullins was the crew chief for Brad Keselowski and the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford for both the 2025 and 2026 season, exiting the team this week. He is a veteran crew chief with ten victories atop the pit box -- eight with Team Penske and two with the Wood ...Keep reading
9/23/2026, 4:05:16 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On the podcast, Hauler Talk, NASCAR vice president of racing communications Mike Forde discussed the Sanctioning Body's reaction to the now-viral fight between Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney.
There will be no penalties for the drivers or crew members involved in the altercation, but NASCAR does want to talk with Ty Gibbs, driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
Gibbs was standing near ...Keep reading
9/23/2026, 3:46:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Jeffrey Earnhardt released a video this week, announcing that he has secured enough partners to go back racing in one of the top three NASCAR divisions in 2027, further stating that it is a competitive ride where he can compete for wins.
Earnhardt noted that it is a part-time deal at this point, but he is hopeful to secure more funding in order to make it a full-time seat.
"What's going on ...Keep reading
9/22/2026, 6:50:15 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Metric!Metric!Metric!
Lost in the hoopla of the Bristol Night Race and a very competitive Chase for the Championship, two of the first three playoff races have had rained out qualifying sessions and a starting lineup set by The Metric.
Given the value of stage points in deciding the eventual champion, this has become somewhat of a polarizing topic as summer turns to autumn.
Read ...Keep reading
9/22/2026, 4:00:03 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
When speaking with Ryan Blaney on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, Denny Hamlin explored why Carson Hocevar agitates the rest of the garage, and it goes beyond his aggressive driving style.
He noted how nonchalant attitude after most of these incidents, and how Hocevar quickly put a 6% discount for six hours on his merch after wrecking Brad Keselowski at Darlington, and then a 12% discount for ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/21/2026, 11:02:52 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There will be a change atop the No. 6 RFK Racing pit box of Brad Keselowski, with Jeremy Bullins parting ways with the organization. Bullins is set to take a new opportunity elsewhere in NASCAR, while Mike Skarbowski will take over crew chief duties for Keselowski from Kansas this weekend onwards.
"We're excited for Jeremy and his family as he embarks on a new opportunity," a statement RFK ...Keep reading
9/21/2026, 9:39:52 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
UPDATE: NASCAR has said that upon further review, there will be no penalties for any individuals involved
NASCAR announced on Monday afternoon that there would be no penalties issued to drivers Ryan Blaney or Carson Hocevar regarding their fight on Saturday night in the aftermath of the Bristol Night Race.
With that said, the Sanctioning Body will review the footage to determine if any ...Keep reading
9/21/2026, 8:52:30 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar fought on pit road following the Bristol Night Race, there was no comment from Blaney to the assembled media. But two days later, the Team Penske driver has emerged to give his side of the story, expressing regret over how he handled the situation.
He joined Denny Hamlin on his weekly podcast, Actions Detrimental, where they spent a lot of time discussing ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/21/2026, 7:09:50 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR continues to pay $5 per swear word spoken across Cup radio channels, and three races into the Chase, the money is piling up. The newly introduced swear jar is up to $3,305.
Across all Cup teams, NASCAR has reported 661 expletives on the radio after Darlington, Gateway, and Bristol, with the 500-lap short track race responsible for 193 swears. Surprisingly, that's the lowest of the ...Keep reading
9/21/2026, 4:09:23 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Bristol delivered an instant classic on Saturday night, with Joey Logano charging from fourth to first on the final restart while Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar brawled in the pits.
The Penske driver was showered with boos while Hocevar was met like a conquering hero by a sea of fans when he exited the track. In the background of all that, the championship fight has further tightened with a ...Keep reading
9/20/2026, 7:43:41 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For a moment, this was late 1990s NASCAR all over again.
While not the waiting list sellout of yore, this was objectively one of the better attended Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway during this decade, and those in attendance were subjected to a red carpet affair before the race even began.
There was a version of NASCAR that attracted some of the biggest names in Hollywood and the ...Keep reading
9/20/2026, 4:46:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
TUESDAY UPDATE: NASCAR says they will not penalize Ryan Blaney or Carson Hocevar, and upon further review, won't penalize anyone else involved in the altercation either.
Read Also:
NASCAR CupNASCAR will not penalize Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney for Bristol fight
Note: This story was originally published on Sunday morning following the Cup race
This writer ...Keep reading
9/20/2026, 2:35:23 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Drivers suddenly became spectators after the NASCAR Cup race at Bristol, watching on (most with glee) as Ryan Blaney confronted Carson Hocevar, with Hocevar punching Blaney twice in the face in the first real fight we've seen after a Cup race in over two years.
The last time there was a fight like this at the highest level of the sport was the 2024 All-Star Race, featuring Ricky Stenhouse Jr ...Keep reading
9/20/2026, 12:52:39 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Race #1 - Race #17: Reddick leads NASCAR Cup championship
Race #18 - Race #28: Hamlin leads NASCAR Cup championship
Race #29 - ?: Larson leads NASCAR Cup championship
After taking the points lead at Sonoma on June 28, Denny Hamlin has firmly held onto the top spot, even reaching a triple-digit points lead at one point before the Chase reset.
He started the ten-race Chase with a ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
9/20/2026, 12:30:03 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
M&M's colors returned to the NASCAR grid for the first time in four years on Saturday night, partnering with Joe Gibbs Racing to honor the legacy of the late Kyle Busch.
Ty Gibbs spent pre-race with the Busch family, and walked out to driver introductions with Brexton Busch by his side. There was a real chance he could go out there and win it all, as Gibbs was the most recent Cup winner at ...Keep reading
9/20/2026, 7:30:16 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kyle Larson has become just the third different driver to lead the championship standings this year, joining Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin in that very exclusive club.
Larson is now a single point ahead of Hamlin, and things remain incredibly close three races into the ten-race Chase for the championship.
After a surprise late charge netted him his 40th career win at Bristol, Joey Logano ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
9/20/2026, 7:00:01 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR Cup race at Bristol did not go the way Alex Bowman had hoped, and ended in an awkward crash with the leaders that left him feeling embarrassed.
The moment in question took place with 70 laps to go. Alex Bowman was running 20th, already off the lead lap, and in danger of going another lap down. As Ty Gibbs took the lead from Carson Hocevar, he tried to go up the middle between the ...Keep reading
9/20/2026, 5:52:44 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The theme of the month has been that no one was going to do anything about it and that changed with Ryan Blaney on Saturday in the Bristol Night Race.
It, of course, refers to Carson Hocevar.
When the Chase for the Championship began three weeks ago, NASCAR sent out an unorthodox press release titled 15 vs. 1, which highlighted the simmering tension between Hocevar and literally everyone he ...Keep reading
9/20/2026, 4:48:48 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
One of the best parts of the pre-race festivities for the annual Bristol Night Race is the fact that the Cup drivers get to walk out to their hand-picked intro songs ahead of the 500-lap race.
Some fantastic moments have been born from it, like when Brad Keselowski walked out to AC/DC's 'For Those About To Rock' in 2010, and then proceeded to grab a microphone to tell the audience that "Kyle ...Keep reading
9/7/2026, 5:03:40 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The ten-week battle for the NASCAR Cup Series championship has begun, and there are now just 12 points between Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell for the points lead after Bell's impressive win the Southern 500 at Darlington.
After 367 laps and 500 miles of racing, the battle at the top of the standings has only tightened as the drivers and teams look to Gateway for Round 2. But before we shift ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/7/2026, 7:24:19 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Joey Logano called the Chase for the Championship format 10 weeks of hell, and Denny Hamlin learned immediately that his regular season title afforded him very little comfort in the pursuit of that elusive achievement.
On the other hand, the 16 stage points he earned over the first half of the Southern 500 somewhat offset contact from Michael McDowell that broke a right front toe link and a ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/7/2026, 4:40:17 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ty Gibbs got off to a strong start in the first race of the Chase on Saturday at Darlington, securing a second-place finish behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell.
But despite the solid finish, Gibbs actually dropped two spots in the Chase standings from fourth place to sixth due to scoring just one stage point over the first two stages.
After the race, Gibbs was asked where he ...Keep reading
9/7/2026, 4:17:33 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Sometimes to win in the NASCAR Cup Series, you have to take a gamble. And sometimes, that gamble simply doesn't work out.
Such was the case for Kyle Larson on Saturday, who made the decision to stay out on the track with 24 laps to go at Darlington. All but four other cars pitted to take fresh tires.
The decision put Larson in the race lead, where he would do his best to fend off those on ...Keep reading
9/7/2026, 4:14:55 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Christopher Bell was downright effusive after winning the Southern 500.
There have been big victories over the years from the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals and the World of Outlaws to wins across all three national touring divisions including the Coca-Cola 600 and Bristol Night Race.
But the Southern 500 is the biggest of them all to date.
“Wow, what a night,” Bell said afterwards ...Keep reading
9/7/2026, 4:05:22 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is pledging $5 to a swear jar throughout the final ten races of the year for every moment when a Cup Series driver swears on the radio ... and it didn't take long for the jar start filling up.
Drivers were caught swearing on the radio 223 times during the Southern 500 at Darlington, and we know for a fact Ryan Blaney was responsible for several of those moments. Fans were joking how the ...Keep reading
9/7/2026, 3:28:10 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The first race of the Chase did not go the way Denny Hamlin was hoping for on Saturday at Darlington.
Heading into the Chase as the top car in the standings and the favorite to finally win his first championship, Hamlin was hoping to extend his lead on the field with a strong finish at the Track Too Tough to Tame.
While the No. 11 ran out front to start the race, a poor pit stop later put ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/7/2026, 3:01:09 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The first race of the Chase is officially in the books, with Christopher Bell taking the checkered flag at Darlington on Saturday.
The win was a huge boon for Bell's championship chances, bumping him up to second in the points standings where he trails Denny Hamlin by just 12 points.
On the other side of the outcome spectrum was William Byron, who was forced to bring his car in early due to ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/7/2026, 2:39:48 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After fighting back from some mid-race damage, Denny Hamlin leaves Darlington just 12 points clear of Southern 500 winner Christopher Bell.
The biggest mover in the championship standings was clearly Bell, jumping four positions from sixth to second with his big victory. Bubba Wallace also moved up four spots from 14th to 10th.
The biggest loser was William Byron, who dropped three ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/7/2026, 2:30:06 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In the Chase opener at Darlington Raceway, Carson Hocevar made a new enemy in Brad Keselowski. Near the end of Stage 1, he got into the left-rear of the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford, sending the former Cup champion spinning out of Turn 4.
Hocevar went on to finish 11th in the Southern 500. After the race, Above the Yellow Line Media caught up with Brad Keselowski, who had a stark warning for the ...Keep reading
9/7/2026, 1:37:23 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After 500 miles of racing at Darlington Raceway, Christopher Bell passed Kyle Larson with 12 laps to go, driving off with the Southern 500 victory.
Bell hadn't won a race since last September, and was frustrated with seven runner-up finishes in, until today, a winless 2026 season. Bell took the lead from Larson and then held on against Ty Gibbs in second and Tyler Reddick in third.
Ryan ...Keep reading
#reddick
9/6/2026, 2:01:21 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
We continue our 'Kyle Busch Remembered' series as NASCAR races at the historic Darlington Raceway for the 77th running of the Southern 500. Busch won one Cup race and two O'Reilly races at the track 'too tough to tame.'
Those three victories are among his record 234 career NASCAR wins across all three national divisions -- more than any other driver in history. Busch died at the age of 41 ...Keep reading
9/6/2026, 3:16:52 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The Buncombe County (North Carolina) Sheriff's Office has made an arrest in a break-in involving retired NASCAR Cup driver Dave Marcis. He was out of town with the burglary took place, and several irreplaceable items of NASCAR memorabilia were among the many things stolen.
Marcis started 883 NASCAR Cup races between 1968 and 2002, and only three drivers in history have ever started more ...Keep reading
9/5/2026, 10:08:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Unfortunately, constant lightning on a very hot day in Darlington forced NASCAR to cancel Cup Series qualifying for the very first race of the 2026 Chase...even without a single drop of rain.
As a result, the metric will set the starting lineup, which is a weighted average of a car's place in the owner standings (30%), and the entry's finish in the most recent race (70%).
Tyler Reddick, who ...Keep reading
#reddick
9/5/2026, 9:14:04 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
During pre-race inspection for the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway, one car struggled to get through inspection. The No. 12 Team Penske Ford of Ryan Blaney failed twice, before passing on the third attempt.
As a result, the No. 12 car chief has been ejected from the track the remainder of the race weekend, and the team has lost their pit stall selection so they will get the 38th and ...Keep reading
9/5/2026, 6:12:29 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Riley Herbst confirmed it was a concussion that took him out of the seat last weekend at Daytona International Speedway last weekend.
The symptoms were the aftermath of a crash the week before at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when he crashed into the wall following contact from Michael McDowell. There was also a secondary contact when Connor Zilisch was unable to slow down in time and drilled ...Keep reading
9/5/2026, 3:12:00 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
"Others fine, we pay. Every bleep builds the pot! And **** it, one fan will win it all. Hell yeah!"
That is the tagline for a unique new promotion from NASCAR. During 'The Chase' for the 2026 Cup Series championship, every time a drivers swears on the radio, the Sanctioning Body will 'pay the fine' by pledging $5 to a swear jar.
Now this is where the fans come in: Fans can go and predict how ...Keep reading
9/4/2026, 5:47:57 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
This past week, Legacy Motor Club announced that John Hunter Nemechek will not return as the driver of the No. 42 Toyota in 2027, despite earlier plans to keep him as the driver through next season.
While Josh Berry is the leading candidate to replace him, the team also announced the addition of a third full-time entry for 2027 with Riley Herbst as the driver of the No. 84.
As for Nemechek ...Keep reading
9/4/2026, 4:49:23 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Current 23XI driver Riley Herbst is set to join Legacy Motor Club for the 2027 NASCAR season, giving Legacy a third full-time car in the Cup Series. It's a big move for Legacy, but as team co-owner Jimmie Johnson explained this week, it was the right time to make a move.
According to Johnson, running on a partial schedule was doing more harm than good in some cases.
"Running the third car ...Keep reading
#23xi
9/4/2026, 1:05:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR Cup drivers must prepare for 500 miles of grueling racing at Darlington Raceway, which will host the 77th running of the Southern 500 and the opening round of the 2026 Chase for the championship.
Chase Briscoe is attempting to become the first driver in nearly three decades to win three consecutive Southern 500s, while Denny Hamlin enters the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/4/2026, 5:35:57 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR legend Kurt Busch recently joined CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on his podcast, All There Is, which explores themes of loss and grief. They spoke for nearly 30 minutes about his brother Kyle -- the winningest driver in NASCAR national series history -- who died tragically at the age of 41 earlier this year.
It was an emotional interview, with Kurt struggling to hold back tears as he ...Keep reading
9/3/2026, 5:53:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Preece secured the final spot in the Chase this past weekend at Daytona in dramatic fashion. Only a win would produce enough points for Preece to jump into the top 16 in the standings and steal him a spot in the postseason, and the No. 60 ran a near-perfect race to do just that.
But Preece's triumph mean heartbreak for another driver, as Shane van Gisbergen was bumped out of the top 16 ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/3/2026, 5:03:12 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin's day at Daytona on Saturday got off to a rough start when just a few laps into the race his rear camera stopped working.
There was no easy fix for the issue, meaning that Hamlin had to get through the remainder of the race with drastically less information than his competitors.
"I use it mostly to see what lanes are coming, when it’s appropriate to switch lanes," Hamlin ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/3/2026, 1:49:35 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Prior to officially unveiling the Chase for the Championship format in January, NASCAR and Racing Insights conducted over 25,000 simulations to predict how the format could potentially play out.
The findings:
Overall, drivers won the championship 85 percent of time when seeded inside the top six and 69 percent of the time from the top three. There is a pathway to the championship all the way ...Keep reading
9/2/2026, 10:34:14 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
All 16 NASCAR Cup drivers who qualified for the Chase took part in Media Day on Wednesday, and several fielded questions about the long-awaited Days of Thunder sequel that is coming to theaters in June of 2028. Tom Cruise will again star as fictional NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, with Anne Hathaway co-starring as a team owner/engineer.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been in contact with the minds ...Keep reading
9/2/2026, 9:58:31 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Of the 16 drivers who comprise the newest iteration of the Chase for the Championship, only two of them have competed in the version that predated The Playoffs from 2004-to-2013.
Denny HamlinJoey Logano
On one hand, this gives them both a baseline understanding of how to navigate the next 10 weeks but there are also enough wrinkles that both of them are still curious about what this is going ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/2/2026, 9:40:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
John Hunter Nemechek, 29, will not return to Legacy Motor Club for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Nemechek first. joined the team at the start of the 2024 season, recording points finishes of 34th and 25th. He currently sits 27th in the 2026 championship standings, trailing teammate Erik Jones in 21st by 80 points after Daytona.
"Legacy Motor Club has made the decision to part ways with ...Keep reading
9/2/2026, 9:05:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The 'win and you're in' may be gone, but the importance of winning remains critical in the battle to become a NASCAR Cup Series champion. Ryan Preece showed just how valuable a win can be last than a week ago at Daytona International Speedway.
And while there is one point between each position on track, that abruptly jumps to 20 points between the runner-up spot and the race winner. That means ...Keep reading
9/2/2026, 8:02:28 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Blaney is the No. 2 seed in the Chase for the Championship and will start the final 10 races 25 points behind regular season champion Denny Hamlin.
Austin Cindric is the No. 15 seed and is 95 points back.
For Team Penske, the decision to swap their respective pit crews boiled down to simple mathematics, and everyone with both programs are largely understanding of that decision. Team ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/2/2026, 6:36:21 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Lucas Oil has been a sponsor in NASCAR for a long time, but the last time they reached Victory Lane in the Cup Series was February 26, 2023. Making just his second start after joining Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch won the final race ever held at Fontana, driving the blue No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet.
Busch also drove the blue Lucas Oil car in his final Cup race at Dover Motor Speedway as ...Keep reading
9/2/2026, 6:28:36 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
A year after the Final Four format denied him that elusive NASCAR Cup Series championship, Denny Hamlin enters the first year of the second iteration of the Chase for the Championship as the favorite.
He is two months away from his 46th birthday and 14 months away from his intended retirement. Next year is not a guarantee and this very well could be his last chance to win the missing ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/2/2026, 3:10:43 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin finished Saturday's race at Daytona in 11th, but Hamlin isn't certain he agrees with the result.
While race results are usually pretty simple to decipher — whoever crosses the line first wins, next gets second, and so on — the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday ended on a caution flag that came out during the final lap. When that happens, results are determined by the running ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/2/2026, 2:55:59 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Entering the NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the Championship, who has the most momentum, and who is stumbling into the postseason?
We're going to break it all down, and when we're done, we aren't going to tell you the rankings for every driver -- you get to decide. Click here to vote on post-Daytona driver ratings where the rankings are based solely on votes by the readers. It's all free, just ...Keep reading
9/2/2026, 2:05:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On his Dirty Mo Media podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed the exciting news that Days of Thunder was returning for a sequel, and Tom Cruise is set to star alongside Anne Hathaway in the 2028 NASCAR film.
Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download, the two-time Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR Hall of Famer said that he has been in contact with 'the guy who's developing the story,' which is likely ...Keep reading
9/2/2026, 12:14:28 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ultimately, Shane Van Gisbergen isn't blaming missing out on the Chase for the Championship due to what happened on Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway but instead the entire body of work this season.
Some of it within his control and some of it not.
Van Gisbergen entered the regular season finale with a 31-point lead and even extended it with a Stage 1 victory in which Ryan ...Keep reading
9/1/2026, 10:29:38 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Team Penske is swapping the pit crews for Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric, as both drivers begin the 2026 Chase for the championship.
Blaney, the 2023 NASCAR Cup champion, is the No. 2 seed in the reset standings, while Cindric is the No. 15 seed.
Blaney has had issues on pit road all year, even in his most recent win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The No. 12 pit crew was ranked 32nd ...Keep reading
9/1/2026, 9:27:11 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
This weekend's CARS Late Model Tour event at Florence Motor Speedway in South Carolina is going to have some very notable entrants. The race takes place on Friday, September 4. The NASCAR Cup Series is racing at Darlington Raceway this weekend, just a few miles down the road from Florence.
Shane van Gisbergen will make his CARS Late Model stock car debut, driving the No. 51 Hettinger Racing car ...Keep reading
9/1/2026, 9:07:58 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR fans saw a bit of chaos during the final lap at Daytona this weekend, where two wrecks brought out a yellow flag that ended the race before the cars crossed the finish line.
A first scrum caught a large numbers of cars, scattering those that got through the wreckage for one final chase to the finish. In that second sprint, the No. 47 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got into the No. 12 of Ryan ...Keep reading
#hamlin
9/1/2026, 8:49:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ahead of the NASCAR regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway last weekend, action movie star Tom Cruise confirmed that Days of Thunder, the story of fictional NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, will be back for a sequel in June of 2028. The original film released in 1990, and remains ever-popular among NASCAR fans.
Speaking on 'The Pat McAfee Show' in a new interview this week, Cruise ...Keep reading
9/1/2026, 5:02:04 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The 210th different winner in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series is Ryan Preece, breaking through in his 249th career start at Daytona International Speedway.
The victory came on the same weekend where another Ryan -- Ryan Sieg, earned his first NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series win in his 424th career start. That's a record for the secondary level of NASCAR, but what about Cup?
Well ...Keep reading
9/1/2026, 1:15:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
2026 has been a fun season for NASCAR fans interested in numerology, specifically in relation to race-winning car numbers.
Tyler Reddick was the first driver to ever win the Daytona 500 with the No. 45, while it also became the 31st different car number to win NASCAR's biggest race.
Shane van Gisbergen finally got to drive his No. 97 in the Cup Series, and was the first driver in 21 years to ...Keep reading
#reddick
9/1/2026, 1:02:47 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Blaney was heading towards a strong result at Daytona on Saturday.
Blaney had gotten through the initial chaos that wrecked a large portion of the field during the final lap and was racing towards the finish line.
But before he could get there, Blaney got spun, with the No. 47 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr making contact with the No. 12 and sending him into the wall, bringing out the ...Keep reading
8/31/2026, 9:43:05 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Joey Logano came into the NASCAR Cup Series with massive expectations on his shoulders.
After earning the nickname "Sliced Bread" as a teenager, Logano was able to win his third race in what is now the O'Reilly Series, and was shotgunned into the seat of the No. 20 at Joe Gibbs Racing at just 18 years old. But his initial stint in the Cup Series sputtered out — after three years at JGR ...Keep reading
8/31/2026, 8:53:56 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The fourth and final crown jewel in the NASCAR Cup season is this weekend, as the 2026 edition of The Chase gets underway at Darlington Raceway. This weekend, the historic track will host the 77th running of the Southern 500, which has been a part of the Cup schedule since 1950.
38 drivers are teams are entering this weekend's race, the lowest for any crown jewels this year but also comparable ...Keep reading
8/31/2026, 8:47:23 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Joey Logano has been talented beyond his years behind the wheel of a car since he was a little kid. As it turns out, for a while he was actually a bit too talented beyond his years, and it came back to bite him.
Speaking as a guest on the Racin' With the Boys podcast, Logano told the story of his father forging a birth certificate for him when he was 10 years old so he could race against kids ...Keep reading
8/31/2026, 5:53:08 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
16 drivers have locked themselves into the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the championship, and now only 100 points separates them. Denny Hamlin is the No. 1 seed, while Ryan Preece is the No. 16 seed after a dramatic win at Daytona.
The first of ten battlegrounds will be the historic Darlington Raceway, and the 2026 edition of the Southern 500.
The History and Track Dimensions for ...Keep reading
#hamlin
8/31/2026, 1:15:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
While fuel-saving remained ever-present, the new rules package seemed to improve the racing product at Daytona International Speedway, as drivers were able to make moves all throughout the field and it never felt truly gridlocked.
At the end of the day, it was Ryan Preece ending his 0-248 streak with a huge win at Daytona, one that vaulted him up into the Chase for the first time in his entire ...Keep reading
8/30/2026, 5:35:01 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It was a roller coaster weekend for Daniel Dye, who announced a multi-year, full-time NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series deal with Jordan Anderson Racing on Friday. He was also pulling double duty, running both the NASCAR O'Reilly race and NASCAR Cup race.
Unfortunately, Dye's NASCAR O'Reilly outing with JAR ended just 27 laps into the race as he slammed into an accident, finishing 38th ...Keep reading
#jordan
8/30/2026, 6:26:34 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Preece certainly enjoyed the new NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway package on Saturday night but of course he did.
“I mean, yeah, I won,” Preece said. “I like it. Did you like it?”
That’s a question better asked for his peers, starting with his team owner Brad Keselowski, who preceded him during post-race press conferences.
“Honestly, I could not tell a difference,” ...Keep reading
8/30/2026, 6:08:16 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The regular season is over, and Denny Hamlin sits atop the reset championship standings. Gone is his 89-point lead, replaced with a 25-point buffer. In fact, the entire top 16 is separated by just 100 points. Hamlin scored 1,027 points in the regular season before being reset to 2,100 as the No. 1 seed.
Ryan Preece secured the 16th and final spot in the Chase standings after earning his first ...Keep reading
#hamlin
8/30/2026, 5:40:25 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It was going to be a big ask for Ryan Preece to make up 31 points on Shane van Gisbergen, especially since SVG won Stage 1 while Preece was sliding through the infield grass.
However, Preece fought back through the field and won the race -- his first victory in 249 career NASCAR Cup starts. The 'win and you're in' format may be gone, but the amount of points on offer for race wins was more ...Keep reading
8/30/2026, 5:24:41 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Preece didn’t hear no bell.
It’s the end of the first stage and the No. 60 went from leading the race with a chance at 10 stage points to sliding across the grass and watching Shane Van Gisbergen win the segment instead.
Preece stayed in the gas and finished eighth, but it was still a significant swing in points, Preece going from a 31-point deficit to 38 points with three quarters ...Keep reading
8/30/2026, 5:17:30 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
When the white flag flew, Zane Smith was leading the NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona. Making his 107th career start at the top level of the sport, he was hoping to become the 210th different winner in Cup Series history. However, that ultimately went to Ryan Preece.
On the final overtime restart, Smith was leading with Ryan Blaney pushing. Ryan Preece restarted up top with Tyler Reddick ...Keep reading
#reddick
8/30/2026, 5:08:37 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR drivers truly did not know what to expect this weekend at Daytona, as they were racing with a brand new package meant to make things more competitive at the superspeedway.
With every team going in blind, it was impossible to know who, if anyone, would have the advantage with the new package in place, or how they would impact the action on the track.
“I think this weekend has ...Keep reading
8/30/2026, 4:41:54 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chase Elliott's Saturday night at Daytona didn't end the way his was hoping.
The No. 9 team left the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with a 23rd place finish. A late wreck by Carson Hocevar sent the race into overtime, and Elliott was simply stuck too far back in the pack to make a run during the two-lap shootout to the finish.
After the race, Elliott expressed disappointment in the finish, as he had ...Keep reading
8/30/2026, 4:01:37 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Daytona was roller coaster of a night for Shane van Gisbergen, and it ended in disappointment for the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.
He watched Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher, and Kyle Larson all crash in front of him early in the running, clearing the way for SVG to earn his first-ever oval stage win and secure ten points.
However, Preece pulled off a remarkable save and suffered minimal ...Keep reading
8/30/2026, 3:48:08 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Carson Hocevar was once again in contention on Saturday night, pushing towards the front of the pack with just a few laps left to race at Daytona in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
But as has often been the case with Hocevar, one move, that was likely a tad too aggressive in retrospect, ended his day early. The No. 77 came down to the low line to get past Ryan Preece, but lost control, spinning out ...Keep reading
8/30/2026, 3:25:58 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Preece only led five laps, but that was more than enough to completely change the complexion of his season. When the race-ending caution flag flew, he was just ahead of Daniel Suarez, earning his first-ever NASCAR Cup win in his 249th career start.
The win also vaulted him above Shane van Gisbergen in the championship standings, taking the 16th and final spot inside the Chase. SVG even ...Keep reading
8/30/2026, 2:59:51 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin will lead the field of 16 into the ten-race Chase for the championship as the No. 1 seed, and after a wild night of racing at Daytona International Speedway, we now know all of the drivers who will join him.
Making his 249th career start, Ryan Preece earned his first-ever NASCAR Cup win, replacing Shane van Gisbergen as the final driver in the 2026 Chase for the ...Keep reading
#hamlin
8/30/2026, 2:53:23 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In his 249th career start, Ryan Preece has finally won a NASCAR Cup Series race. He claimed victory under caution, just ahead of Daniel Suarez and Tyler Reddick.
The win was enough to push Preece up into the Chase, eliminating Shane van Gisbergen in a stunning upset. It was a wild night for the RFK Racing driver, who ended Turn 1 spinning through the grass, only to fight back and win his way ...Keep reading
#reddick
8/29/2026, 11:57:47 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The upcoming 2027 Daytona 500 appearance for Jimmie Johnson will be a memorable one, no matter what happens on the track. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion will make his 703rd career start and his 24th appearance in the Daytona 500. He will be driving for the team he co-owns, piloting the No. 48 Legacy Motor Club Toyota.
It will be Johnson’s last-ever Cup race in a career at the ...Keep reading
8/29/2026, 11:18:48 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On Saturday, Tom Cruise officially announced that Days of Thunder 2, a sequel to the popular 1990 NASCAR film, will release on June 2, 2026. Anne Hathaway will star alongside Cruise in the upcoming racing film.
At Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Cruise was in attendance, and addressed the full field of drivers about the upcoming film.
"I am so excited to be back here," said ...Keep reading
8/29/2026, 9:54:37 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Bristol Motor Speedway is known as The Last Great Colosseum for a reason.
Plenty of great races have been run there over the years, with cars absolutely flying around the track and fans right on top of the action.
But even with all of the stature the track already carries, a special moment courtesy of Ross Chastain this week might spark new life into your love of Bristol.
Chastain was at ...Keep reading
8/29/2026, 9:33:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Blaney was able to get out of New Hampshire last weekend with a win, but not without a bit of struggle.
The No. 12 team once again struggled on pit road, with one miscue dropping Blaney all the way back into 14th during the race.
A gutsy two-tire stop near the end of the race proved the difference that allowed him to come back and win, but it was far from the first mistake the ...Keep reading
8/29/2026, 8:13:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR world is still mourning the loss of Kyle Busch, who died unexpectedly earlier this year.
On August 18, the sport celebrated "Kyle Busch Day," honoring the two numbers (8/18) that he raced under for the majority of his career. Busch's fellow drivers took time to share stories of how the veteran impacted their careers.
One such story was offered by Zane Smith, who remembered an ...Keep reading
8/29/2026, 6:32:06 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It's been an impressive NASCAR season for Shane van Gisbergen.
After dominating on road courses but failing to contend on ovals during his first full season as a Cup Series driver, this year SVG has shown drastic improvements outside of his road-course specialty, and looks more and more like a contender to eventually win at an oval each week.
Ahead of NASCAR's regular season finale at ...Keep reading
8/29/2026, 6:18:41 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
As part of the ongoing Joe Gibbs Racing v Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports lawsuit and countersuit, JGR is asking the court to force the defendants to produce certain technical documents.
Read Also:
NASCAR CupJoe Gibbs Racing seeks $8 million in damages from ex-competition director Chris Gabehart
NASCAR CupJoe Gibbs Racing is now suing Spire and Chris ...Keep reading
#lawsuit
8/29/2026, 3:48:03 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
We continue our 'Kyle Busch Remembered' series as NASCAR takes on Daytona International Speedway. Busch won a single-points paying race at Daytona in each of the three national divisions.
But those three count towards his record 234 career NASCAR wins across the three national divisions -- more than any other driver in history. Sadly, Busch died at the age of 41, just days after his final ...Keep reading
8/29/2026, 3:30:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ross Chastain has never been known for his qualifying performances. In fact, he became the only driver to ever win the Coca-Cola 600 from last place on the grid in 2025.
But Friday at Daytona, he rocketed to the top of the charts, taking pole position by half-a-tenth over Chris Buescher.
It's just Chastain's third career pole in the NASCAR Cup Series, with his other two P1s coming at Watkins ...Keep reading
8/28/2026, 10:48:33 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
With a 48.809s (184.396mph) lap, Ross Chastain snagged pole position at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. He will share the front row with Chris Buescher in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford, who trailed Chastain by 0.051s in the final round of qualifying.
"I'm not sure that we expected that leaving the shop, to be honest," said Chastain, who previously won poles ...Keep reading
#front-row
8/28/2026, 10:35:31 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Both Carson Hocevar and Chris Buescher referenced the existence of the ‘superspeedway gods’ on Friday at Daytona regarding the luck that is required to win on the two traditional ‘drafting tracks.’
To wit, it is expected that there will be at least one major wreck, and maybe even more than a single ‘Big One.’ There isn’t a lot that drivers can do to miss them other than simply get ...Keep reading
8/28/2026, 7:41:19 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Austin Hill would have been content to remain in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series under a different set of circumstances.
Richard Childress Racing named Hill as the full-time driver of the Cup Series No. 33 next season -- a role has already been fulfilling this season ever since the tragic death of Kyle Busch.
Hill has been with the company since the 2022 season, having won in his organizational ...Keep reading
8/28/2026, 4:08:15 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
At Daytona International Speedway, Shane van Gisbergen will attempt to hold back Ryan Preece for the 16th and final spot inside the Chase, with the entire field of title combatants locked in once the checkered flag flies. These two are separated by 31 points in the drivers' standings, and just six points in the owners' standings.
(Note: Preece was docked 25 driver points for intentionally ...Keep reading
8/27/2026, 8:00:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
When Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 crew chief Adam Stevens sends out driver Christopher Bell for the start of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday at Daytona, he will have no idea what to expect, nor any idea of where his driver should run approaching Turn 1.
Everything is a virtual unknown.
“This is going to be total chaos and calamity,” Stevens told Motorsport.com after the race at New ...Keep reading
8/27/2026, 6:55:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR heads to Daytona to conclude the regular season for the Cup Series, and finally lock-in the 16-driver Chase for the championship grid.
Ryan Blaney is the defending winner of the summer Daytona race, claiming victory in a four-wide finish last year.
In the battle to make the Chase, Austin Cindric is +44pts above the cut-line, Shane van Gisbergen is +31pts about the cut-line, and Ryan ...Keep reading
8/27/2026, 4:30:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Entering the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway, Shane van Gisbergen sits on the Chase bubble, 31 points above Ryan Preece.
Trackhouse Racing has made the decision to swap nearly every member of the over-the-wall pit crew for the No. 97 Chevrolet, replacing all but the fueler with members from the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet of A.J. Allmendinger.
Allmendinger's team ...Keep reading
8/27/2026, 12:49:20 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For the first time in several years, there isn’t a new buzzy thing on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
The street course race at Naval Air Station North Island will return for a second consecutive season and the inability to close out a return to Grant Park in Chicago means that Chicagoland Speedway will return next season as well.
Additionally, there are no international venues or new ...Keep reading
8/14/2026, 8:09:44 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Noah Gragson will continue driving the No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford into the 2027 season in a one-year contract extension.
All three FRM drivers are now locked in for next year, as teammates Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith already signed contract extensions.
There were questions over Gragson's future with the organization, especially with the success of Layne Riggs in FRM's Truck ...Keep reading
#front-row
8/13/2026, 9:44:33 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is racing at Richmond Raceway this weekend for Round 24 of the 26-race regular season. Both the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series will be racing at the Virginia short track.
Austin Dillon has won the last two Cup races at Richmond, and is attempting to be the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1983 to win there in three consecutive races.
Ty Gibbs is the most recent winner, claiming ...Keep reading
8/13/2026, 7:41:23 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For the first time since the 2021 season, Richmond Raceway will have a race inside the NASCAR Cup Chase. The Virginia short track will play host to the opening race of the 2027 Cup Chase, moving into September from its current August date. It will again be a night race.
The Richmond race weekend will be held from September 10-11. Richmond spent many years as the regular season finale and while ...Keep reading
8/13/2026, 5:29:43 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
tktk
"I think that Todd and a couple drivers, Conor Zilisch, just hosted Denny's podcast this week. I think that was, Denny was probably off on vacation somewhere, asked a couple of guys if they would do it. And here you turn on social media and you see these little clips. All these little moments of fun conversations that the two guys are having. I learned more about Todd's personality in that ...Keep reading
8/13/2026, 5:10:51 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Sunday's win at Iowa Speedway was just the second of Ty Gibbs's young career, but the work that led up to taking the checkered flag had been building all season.
The 23-year-old has put up solid finishes all through the season, with 10 top-fives on the year — only points leader Denny Hamlin has more.
While the wins are what garner the most attention on a driver's resume, Kyle Petty ...Keep reading
#hamlin
8/13/2026, 4:07:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Samantha Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing together announced a special paint scheme for the Bristol Night Race, with Ty Gibbs honoring the late NASCAR legend at the short track where he dominated.
M&Ms, which was a long-time sponsor for Busch in his 15 seasons with JGR, will return for this race. The No. 54 will be wrapped in the iconic M&Ms colors Busch drove to many wins and the 2015 Cup Series ...Keep reading
8/13/2026, 3:44:24 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In the past two years of NASCAR Cup Series racing, Austin Dillon has two wins, and they've both come at the same track.
On August 11th, 2024, he won in highly controversial fashion after intentionally wrecking both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the final seconds of the race. He was later removed from the playoffs for that while keeping the win. But what a lot of people forget is that Dillon ...Keep reading
#hamlin
8/12/2026, 10:46:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ty Gibbs probably doesn't want to change a thing about his current setup.
The No. 54 team is coming off of an impressive win at Iowa Speedway and is primed to enter the Chase as a true title contender. But while his car and operation are currently working to perfection, he joked with Dale Earnhardt Jr. that there's one change he wouldn't mind seeing NASCAR make in the near future.
Speaking ...Keep reading
8/12/2026, 5:27:22 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The last time Josh Berry participated in a Ford Performance media call, he broke his own news that he would not be returning to Wood Brothers Racing next season.
On Tuesday, he participated in another one and conceded there was no news, frustratingly, in his pursuit of a job next season. Berry, the short track success story turned O’Reilly Series championship contender and then Cup Series ...Keep reading
8/12/2026, 5:05:27 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ty Gibbs won his second race of the season on Sunday at Iowa Speedway, pushing him into second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with just three races to go before the start of the Chase.
Key to Gibbs's win was an aggressive pit strategy that saw the No. 54 team make three two-tire stops over the course of the race. After a slow pit in the opening stretch of the race, Gibbs needed to win back ...Keep reading
8/12/2026, 4:23:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR has been actively traveling to new places in recent years, with races taking place everywhere from Mexico City to the streets of downtown Chicago.
The heart of the NASCAR season will always be at its classic tracks, but by including new locations on the schedule year-to-year, the sport is able to reach new fans and stretch its imprint further.
NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell doesn't sound ...Keep reading
8/12/2026, 2:26:33 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There's really no way to sugarcoat it: Hendrick Motorsports is having a rough year.
Reigning champion Kyle Larson has yet to win a race this season. Chase Elliott sits in seventh place but is the highest driver Hendrick has in the Cup Series standings with three races left before the start of the Chase.
It's been a confounding year, and as Kyle Petty explained, it's probably just as ...Keep reading
8/12/2026, 2:08:40 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For the first time since 1996, North Wilkesboro hosted a points-paying race this year after three years as the All-Star Race. However, the historic track will again host the All-Star Race in 2027 as part of a triple-header weekend with the O'Reilly and Craftsman Truck Series. Of note, this will be the first O'Reilly race at the track since 1985.
The packed weekend of racing at North Wilkesboro ...Keep reading
8/11/2026, 9:48:37 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Tensions flared at the Osky Challenge on Monday night at Southern Iowa Speedway, when Kyle Larson bested Ryan Timms in the closing laps to win with the help of a controversial pass.
Larson made his move up the field with five laps to go, running inside of Timms into turn four and making contact with him.
Larson's pass for the lead would hold, while damage to Timms's nose wing slowed ...Keep reading
8/11/2026, 2:33:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Darlington Raceway has announced its race dates for the 2027 season. The historic track, which opened in 1950, will again hold a triple-header weekend from April 2-4 with all three national divisions.
However, there is a change for later in the season when NASCAR returns to Darlington for 78th running of the Southern 500. The race will be held on September 5, and preceded by the NASCAR ...Keep reading
8/11/2026, 1:19:42 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin’s brake situation at Iowa Speedway appeared so dire on Sunday prior to the race that he effectively forced NASCAR to call his bluff.
Hamlin, alongside fellow Toyota alliance stablemates Chase Briscoe, Riley Herbst and Bubba Wallace, each spent extended time in the garage to make pre-race changes. Those changes were detailed in the stories below.
Read Also:
NASCAR ...Keep reading
#hamlin
8/10/2026, 5:46:47 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Blaney was set for a big day at Iowa Speedway on Sunday.
Starting on pole, Blaney had an opportunity to make another big push up the NASCAR Cup standings with a win at the short track.
Blaney had a good day, leading for 129 of 350 laps — more than any other driver in the field — but ultimately finished third. After winning the first stage of the race, Blaney battled near the front ...Keep reading
8/10/2026, 4:04:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR universe is still in mourning after the sudden death of legendary driver Kyle Busch earlier this year.
Busch, just days removed from winning his 69th race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and days before he was set to compete in Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, died after "severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated ...Keep reading
8/10/2026, 3:39:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Toyota drivers overcame brake issues to have a very strong day at Iowa, taking four of the top six positions. Penske looked strong as expected, but the strategy/fortune did not go their way in the end.
Ty Gibbs jumped into the lead with a two-tire call on the final round of green-flag pit stops, and then withstood the pressure from Christopher Bell to claim victory.
The race didn't see ...Keep reading
8/10/2026, 3:01:06 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Joe Gibbs Racing experienced all the highs and lows of NASCAR between its four drivers on Sunday at Iowa Speedway, but despite his high finish, it's possible no man was left more frustrated with how the race played out than Christopher Bell.
Bell finished in second, just behind teammate Ty Gibbs, who took down his second win of the season and career at the short track. While Bell was closing ...Keep reading
8/10/2026, 2:57:36 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR All-Star race has suffered a similar fate to that of many All-Star events across major sports.
Once seen as a triumph that brought together the best and brightest stars for a special showcase, All-Star events in 2026 are largely exhibitions with professionals walking through the motions. NASCAR actually doesn't have it as bad as many other sports — the NBA has shuffled its format a ...Keep reading
8/10/2026, 7:47:56 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Within moments of hitting the track on Saturday at Iowa Speedway, Denny Hamlin realized he had a problem and it was one that crew chief Chris Gayle recognized as one that could potentially end their race before it began.
They didn’t have adequate or consistent brake pressure.
Their Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Chase Briscoe, also started suffering from similar problems and crew chief James ...Keep reading
#hamlin
8/10/2026, 3:00:08 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It wasn’t that long ago, June 28th, that Tyler Allen played it safe at Sonoma Raceway and Ty Gibbs really wished his crew chief had been more aggressive.
At the time, Allen took what looked like a car capable of challenging Shane Van Gisbergen for the win but took a more conservative strategy that led to a second-place finish. Allen, not knowing if they would have enough to take on SVG on a ...Keep reading
8/9/2026, 11:39:32 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
With just three races left in the regular season, Denny Hamlin holds a 103-point lead, but there's a surprising new name in second. After a big win in Iowa, Ty Gibbs jumped up from fourth, leaping over Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney. There is just 17 points between those three drivers in the battle for P2, with a lot of bonus points on the line once the Chase resets.
The biggest mover in the ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
8/9/2026, 11:07:48 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ty Gibbs crossed the finish line just two tenths ahead of Christopher Bell, taking the lead with a two-tire call in the final round of pit stops. Bell now has seven runner-up finishes this year with no race wins.
Ryan Blaney finished third, Josh Berry fourth, and Denny Hamlin fifth. Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, AJ Allmendinger, William Byron, and Austin Dillon filled out the remainder of the ...Keep reading
#hamlin
8/9/2026, 11:02:37 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For the seventh time in this year, Christopher Bell finished second and has yet to reach Victory Lane. This time, he was all over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs who did not bow to the pressure.
Instead, Gibbs in the #54 earned his second career NASCAR Cup Series win. Behind Gibbs and Bell, Ryan Blaney finished third, Josh Berry fourth, and Denny Hamlin fifth.
Chase Briscoe, Ross ...Keep reading
#hamlin
8/9/2026, 6:52:41 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin is going to the rear to start the NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway on Sunday due to a cooling unit change made within the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 in the moments leading up to the green flag.
Hamlin joins Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott at the rear of the field after the latter two crashed during qualifying and practice on Saturday afternoon. During those sessions, Hamlin ...Keep reading
#23xi#hamlin
8/9/2026, 4:19:19 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For the most part, NASCAR Cup Series drivers see the rule changes made to stage racing this week as a matter of common sense.
There wasn’t a lot of pushback.
“In my mind, it’s leaning back in the direction of a natural race progression,” said 2020 champion Chase Elliott. “I know the stages are still there but it feels less fabricated than knowing you’re going to have that on an ...Keep reading
8/9/2026, 3:30:47 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Team Penske's Ryan Blaney is wearing a special helmet for the NASCAR Cup race at Iowa Speedway, honoring fallen NASCAR legend Kyle Busch.
Blaney earned pole position for Sunday's Cup race, and is one of the favorites to claim victory in the 350-lap event.
The helmet features various highlights from Busch's historic career, including his unprecedented sweep of all three Bristol races on the ...Keep reading
8/8/2026, 10:16:12 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Preece and the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford arrive at Iowa Speedway 38 points outside the top 16 in the driver standings and 13 points below the cut in the owners’ standings.
With just four races left in the regular season, Preece needs to close the gap to 16th-placed Austin Cindric, who was very fast in practice, but Preece faced a small setback at Iowa on Saturday.
The RFK Racing car ...Keep reading
8/8/2026, 9:11:00 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Whatever chance Ryan Blaney has to win the NASCAR Cup Series regular season championship, and the number one Chase for the Championship seed that comes with it, Sunday afternoon at Iowa will be instrumental.
Blaney is 120 points behind Denny Hamlin for the championship lead with four races left until The Chase. He is 36 points behind Tyler Reddick for second in the standings. All of this is ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
8/8/2026, 9:00:48 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
At Iowa Speedway on Saturday, Haas Factory Team announced plans to expand its NASCAR O'Reilly Series team with a third full-time entry for 2027, piloted by Dean Thompson.
The team also runs one full-time entry in the NASCAR Cup Series, driven by Cole Custer. During the announcement, team president Joe Custer — Cole’s father — also addressed the future of Haas’s Cup operation.
Haas is ...Keep reading
8/8/2026, 8:23:06 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Blaney secured pole position at Iowa with a 23.474s lap in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford, beating the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Kyle Larson by 0.018s. Blaney's Penske teammate Joey Logano will start third.
This will be Blaney's 15th career pole and his first at Iowa. He also won the inaugural Cup race at Iowa in 2024.
"Really cool day. I appreciate the really fast car ...Keep reading
8/8/2026, 7:14:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Saturday’s 50-minute NASCAR Cup practice at Iowa Speedway featured just one incident, involving Chase Elliott. Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, and perennially ranked as NASCAR's most popular driver, spun out and hit the wall with 27 minutes left in the practice.
After 30 laps of practice, Elliott spun while running the second lane through Turns 1 and 2. The car ...Keep reading
8/8/2026, 5:06:52 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Brent Marks Racing has now become Chase Briscoe Racing in the High Limit Sprint Car Series.
The NASCAR Cup Series contender, now in his second year driving for Joe Gibbs Racing has a second-generation non-wing Sprint Car background and has continued to support the discipline as a team owner in recent years.
Meanwhile, Marks has struggled to balance running a family team alongside trying to ...Keep reading
8/6/2026, 9:00:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is racing at Iowa Speedway this weekend for Round 23 of the 26-race regular season. Both the Cup and O'Reilly Series will be racing at the short track, along with ARCA.
William Byron is the defending winner of the Iowa Cup race, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver is winless so far in the 2026 season. Corey Heim won the most recent Cup race at Indianapolis, but as a part-time driver, he ...Keep reading
8/6/2026, 8:43:38 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The September 25-26 race weekend will once again return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for the 2027 NASCAR season, hosting both the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
“We are thrilled to return to September and The Chase next year,” said New Hampshire Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager David McGrath. “Last September, New England race fans showed ...Keep reading
8/6/2026, 8:30:40 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The Iowa Speedway short track will host a NASCAR weekend from July 2-4 in 2027, moving a month earlier in the Cup schedule to race on Independence Day. The Cup Series will be joined by the O'Reilly Series and ARCA Menard's Series.
The track has sold out for three consecutive years after joining the Cup schedule in 2024. Originally, the inaugural Cup race at Iowa was scheduled for mid-June, but ...Keep reading
8/6/2026, 5:06:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Fifteen years ago, Iowa Speedway hosted one of the wildest and strangest finishes in NASCAR history.
On 6 August 2011, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series contested the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. The race was dominated by Roush cars, with Carl Edwards and teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. combining to lead 134 of 250 laps.
Things got a bit tense between the teammates, and they ...Keep reading
8/6/2026, 4:41:33 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There is just one month of racing left in the regular season for the NASCAR Cup Series, as the Chase for the Championship returns for the first time since 2013. The revised format will take the top 16 drivers in the standings and reset their points after the 26th race of the season.
The points leader will begin the final ten-week stretch with 2100 points, second will have 2075, third will begin ...Keep reading
8/6/2026, 3:56:37 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
One of the pitfalls of the stage racing format across all three NASCAR national touring divisions is what happens when there is a caution in the closing laps of a stage.
For example, there have been times in recent NASCAR history where there was a caution at the end of the stage, a one or two lap shootout, the stage break itself, and then a caution in the opening laps of a stage.
Then ...Keep reading
8/4/2026, 6:06:47 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After urging from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and several others, Cleetus McFarland (real name Garrett Mitchell) has finally purchased his own Pro Late Model. He unveiled the No. 33 Rette Jones Racing Pro Late Model in a recent YouTube video, and hopes to perfect his racecraft with it as he continues his climb up the NASCAR ladder.
Cleetus did a full day of testing with his new Pro Late Model at ...Keep reading
8/4/2026, 3:58:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
With FOX, Prime, and TNT now wrapping up their leg of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season, the final 14 races of the year will be split between two networks -- NBC and USA Sports (on the USA Network).
Only four of these races will actually air on the NBC network channel, including the final three races of the year at Talladega Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway, and the title-decider at ...Keep reading
8/4/2026, 3:06:06 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR has officially confirmed that the pre-season Clash will return to Daytona International Speedway oval in 2027, preceding the 69th running of the Daytona 500.
Now called the Wheatley Vodka Clash, the race was held on the Daytona oval from 1979 through 2020. The following year, it was held on the Daytona road course, and then on a temporary short track built inside the L.A. Memorial ...Keep reading
7/30/2026, 5:00:27 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports became the first NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series team to finish 1-2-3-4 in a race. In fact, it was just the sixth NASCAR team in history to ever achieve the front four sweep across the three national divisions.
It's happened only once in both NASCAR O'Reilly and the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks, however it's happened four times in the top ...Keep reading
7/9/2026, 8:50:49 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is racing at both Atlanta and Lime Rock this weekend, with the top two divisions taking on EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta for another wild drafting race. TNT Sports is broadcasting the Cup race as the third of five events in their summer stretch, with all races simultaneously streamed on HBO Max along with live on-board cameras.
Chase Briscoe earned his first win of the 2026 season last ...Keep reading
7/9/2026, 12:22:01 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Earlier in the weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, when asked about his championship chances under the new Chase for the Championship format, Chase Briscoe said he would need to start winning in bunches.
Why?
After running thousands of simulations, NASCAR stated that nearly 70 percent of eventual champions started the final 10 races from inside the top five. That is because the top-16 in the ...Keep reading
7/8/2026, 7:19:27 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ultimately, NASCAR Cup Series managing director Brad Moran said the sanctioning body didn’t see anything that quite arose to a penalty regarding the various on-track incidents involving Shane Van Gisbergen, Austin Hill, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.
On Lap 48, Hill was spun hard into the wall off the nose of Van Gisbergen, and the Richard Childress Racing ...Keep reading
7/8/2026, 3:04:04 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR competition officials reviewed every radio transmission and every bit of SMT data before deciding not to penalize any drivers for on-track behavioral reasons in the aftermath of the Cup Series race on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.
On Lap 48, Hill was spun hard into the wall by Van Gisbergen, and the Richard Childress Racing No. 33 team immediately felt like it was intentional and ...Keep reading
7/8/2026, 1:00:13 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR Cup Series is 77 years old and Larry McReynolds has been inside the garage for 50 of them with no signs of slowing down whatsoever.
Well, kind of.
On Sunday, the two-time Daytona 500 winning crew chief and longtime NASCAR on FOX analyst will lead the field to green in the Quaker State 400 at Echopark Speedway. In other words, he’s going to have slow down for the field before ...Keep reading
#hamlin
7/7/2026, 12:05:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Tyler Reddick is now 44 points behind Denny Hamlin in the championship standings, continuing to lose ground in a 173-point swing since Memorial Day Weekend.
But this latest issue was truly a case of bad luck. On Lap 132 of 267 as the race approached the halfway point, and in the middle of green flag pit stop cycle in Stage 2, Reddick's car suddenly slowed, leaking fluid everywhere.
“We ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
7/6/2026, 4:26:15 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Next Gen cars raced at Chciagoland Speedway for the first time ever this weekend, and it was a truly thrilling race, even as the Toyotas once again prevailed over the field.
Hendrick Motorsports showed some might, and there was nonstop action throughout the field. It was also the first of three consecutive Sunday night races on the 2026 Cup schedule, really forcing teams to work hard to keep ...Keep reading
7/6/2026, 3:22:57 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
32 drivers were cut down to 16 at Sonoma, and now only eight remain after Chicagoland in the NASCAR In-Season Bracket Challenge. The wildly unpredictable EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) is next, with the tournament concluding with races at North Wilkesboro and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The winner will receive a $1 million prize, and Ty Gibbs is the defending champion ...Keep reading
7/6/2026, 2:54:18 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It's incredible to think that Tyler Reddick had a 129-point lead in the championship just before Memorial Day Weekend in May, as he now trails Denny Hamlin by 44 points.
Reddick lost the points lead for the first time this year one week ago, and while he ran strong at Chicagoland this weekend, a piece of debris punches through the radiator and put him 30 laps down after repairs.
The biggest ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
7/6/2026, 2:13:31 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chase Briscoe returns to Victory Lane for the first time since Talladega in October, 2025, earning his sixth career win at Chicagoland Speedway.
It was a trio of Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas at the front of the field at the checkered flag, with Briscoe beating Christopher Bell to the line by just 0.276s, with Denny Hamlin just over three seconds back in third.
William Byron led the way for ...Keep reading
#hamlin
7/6/2026, 2:00:06 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chase Briscoe collected his sixth career NASCAR Cup win and his first of the 2026 season on Sunday, winning in NASCAR's long-awaited return to Chicagoland Speedway.
He had to hold off a charging Christopher Bell at the end of the race, and led a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2-3 with Bell second and Denny Hamlin third.
"How about that race," said Briscoe after climbing from the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops ...Keep reading
#hamlin
7/6/2026, 12:22:03 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On Lap 47 of Sunday's NASCAR Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, Austin Hill was running 28th, trying to defend against Shane van Gisbergen. Entering Turn 3, Van Gisbergen slammed into the left-rear of the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevy, sending Hill spinning into the outside wall.
Hill's race was over, and he doored Van Gisbergen under caution before taking his mangled car behind the ...Keep reading
7/5/2026, 9:48:04 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The inaugural running of the HSR NASCAR Classic at Le Mans has concluded after three races at the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe.
JC France, grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., won Race #1 in a 2014 NASCAR Cup Chevrolet Camaro wrapped to look like the Garage 56 NASCAR entry.
But on Sunday, it was all Andrew Jordan as he swept the day with victories in Race #2 and Race #3. He was driving ...Keep reading
#france#jordan
7/5/2026, 6:03:36 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Since the tragic passing of Kyle Busch last month, NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series regular Austin Hill was put behind the wheel of Busch's Cup car. It was renumbered, with the No. 33 replacing the No. 8 on the door, and Hill is expected to drive the car for the remainder of the 2026 season while also competing for the NASCAR O'Reilly title.
The 32-year-old has a best finish of 18th since ...Keep reading
7/5/2026, 5:28:57 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After JC France's dramatic win in the first race of the weekend at the historic Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France, the NASCAR stock cars from across the decades were back on track on Sunday.
Driving the No. 15 PEAK Toyota Camry from 2013, Andrew Jordan rebounded after a heartbreaking loss in Race #1, where his car slowed to halt while leading on the final lap.
Driving the car Clint ...Keep reading
#france#jordan
7/5/2026, 5:39:38 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
As part of the Le Mans Classic, NASCAR stock cars from across the decades are competing at the historic track, but it was fitting that a Camaro wrapped to look like the Garage 56 NASCAR entry -- and driven by a member of the founding France family -- found its way to Victory Lane.
J.C. France, grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., drove a 2014 NASCAR Cup Chevrolet Camaro with the Garage ...Keep reading
#france
7/4/2026, 11:28:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Christopher Bell continues to make progress with his fractured left wrist and has even replaced his cast in exchange for a split this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.
He is fresh off a top five last week at Sonoma Raceway, no doubt one of his biggest challenges since his injurious crash at Michigan International Speedway, and views a pathway to a complete recovery.
“I mean, the pain level ...Keep reading
7/4/2026, 10:53:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For all intents and purposes, Chicagoland Speedway is a new racetrack for this iteration of the NASCAR Cup Series and it’s very much an open question about how it will race on Sunday night.
It’s a new track, not because of how much it has aged since its last race weekend in 2019, but because the NextGen car is such a radically different platform compared to those that came before ...Keep reading
7/4/2026, 8:15:50 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Preece felt like he was having a private conversation with his crew during Cup Series practice on Friday at Chicagoland Speedway but the television crew aired out his frustrations about a NASCAR mandated safety change.
“I’m going to argue with NASCAR about this adjustment that they want and I don’t. This headrest is a pain in the [expletive]. It’s knocking my [expletive] head ...Keep reading
7/4/2026, 8:12:57 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The weekend has gone sideways for the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet of Michael McDowell, and not on the track.
McDowell's car failed inspection three different times, which means they have several penalties coming their way.
First of all, No. 71 car chief Travis Young has been ejected for the remainder of the race weekend. Secondly, they were not permitted to take part in qualifying ...Keep reading
7/4/2026, 8:00:15 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin earned pole position for the NASCAR Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, securing his 52nd career pole and his fourth of the 2026 season.
It was a nail-bitter for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, with Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports nearly matching Hamlin on his own qualifying lap. He will start on the outside of the front row, just 0.001s slower than Hamlin.
The RFK Racing duo of ...Keep reading
#front-row#hamlin
7/4/2026, 7:15:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In real time, immediately after the race last weekend at Sonoma Raceway, the disappointment from Ty Gibbs was palpable.
He finished third, but after sweeping both stages it was a fair expectation to have wanted more. Shane Van Gisbergen won but earned track position by giving up points in exchange for track position in flipping both stages.
As it turns out, SVG scored the most points anyway ...Keep reading
7/4/2026, 5:29:13 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
As NASCAR returns to Chicagoland for the first time in seven years, we continue our 'Kyle Busch Remembered' series with a look back at his many victories at the intermediate track. Busch won eleven races across all three national divisions at Chicagoland Speedway, and was victorious in the track's most iconic finish.
Busch, the NASCAR record-holder for most career wins with 234 victories ...Keep reading
7/3/2026, 10:50:40 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For much of this decade, Denny Hamlin hasn’t wanted to talk about that elusive NASCAR Cup Series championship, but instead reaching various goals focused on number of victories.
Under the old playoff format, it would either happen or it wouldn’t, and there was extraordinarily little he could do with so much variability. For example, Hamlin dominated the championship race last year under ...Keep reading
#hamlin
7/2/2026, 8:41:43 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is racing at Chcagoland Speedway for the first time in seven years, as it replaces the Chicago Street Course on the 2026 schedule. TNT Sports is broadcasting the event, with all races simultaneously streamed on HBO Max along with live on-board cameras.
Shane van Gisbergen just won the final road course race on the schedule at Sonoma Raceway, further complicating the battle around the ...Keep reading
7/1/2026, 4:27:47 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Welcome to an exciting new monthly poll, where you the reader is being offered the opportunity to choose the best drivers and moments from the past month of racing action around the world. You can cast your vote by visiting Motorsport.com/vote/ or simply by clicking this link.
There are several categories in our ‘Autosport Best of the Month’ voting, with four options available for each ...Keep reading
6/30/2026, 9:56:32 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Not much has gone right this season for Alex Bowman, one in which he entered approaching free agency and questions about his future, and that’s not even including missing four races due a bout of vertigo.
Before and after the ailment, Bowman and his No. 48 team has struggled on the track, with the car sitting 30th in the owner standings.
"We've had some good weeks and a lot of not good ...Keep reading
6/30/2026, 9:49:52 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
This is the first race of the five race 'Summer Series' for the Turner Sports brand. It was the first of five races this summer on TNT, following FOX Sports and Prime Video.
The race at Sonoma last year earned 2.2 million viewers but did not face competition from the World Cup, one that also took place on the same continent. The race at Sonoma last year also was in July.
Meanwhile ...Keep reading
6/30/2026, 3:09:24 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
At Sonoma Raceway, Chase Briscoe nearly reached the back bumper of Shane van Gisbergen in the final corner of the race. Van Gisbergen held on, winning by just 0.357s -- the closest margin of victory in any of his 14 NASCAR victories so far.
Trackhouse Racing's Stephen Doran, who works with SVG as the No. 97 crew chief, asserted that they had the slower car in the closing laps, but SVG made up ...Keep reading
6/29/2026, 5:43:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Just three tenths separated Shane van Gisbergen and Chase Briscoe in the battle for the win at Sonoma Raceway. With his eighth career victory, SVG is now tied for second on the all-time road course wins list with Tony Stewart, and just one away from Jeff Gordon's record.
Sonoma was also the final road course of the 2026 season, so it's all ovals from here to Homestead in November. While it was ...Keep reading
6/29/2026, 12:05:03 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Outside of the very intense NASCAR battle to make the Chase, there is another competition to keep an eye on this summer, and this one has no actual impact on the championship ... but it does award a $1 million prize to the winner and any fortunate fans with a perfect bracket.
The In-Season Challenge got underway at Sonoma Raceway for Round 1 of 5 as part of TNT's summer stretch of Cup races ...Keep reading
6/29/2026, 1:26:58 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
This was a Shane van Gisbergen masterclass but not in the traditional sense.
Typically, if crew chief Stephen Doran gets their Trackhouse Racing No. 97 remotely close to what he needs, Van Gisbergen can do the rest and the gap to second is only as close as the three-time Supercars champion wants to make it.
In the case of Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, the car did not seem particularly close and ...Keep reading
6/28/2026, 11:12:56 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For the second time this year, Shane van Gisbergen is back in Victory Lane as a NASCAR Cup Series race winner. SVG now joins Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Elliott as the only drivers to win multiple races this year.
Sunday's win at Sonoma Race was also the eighth of Van Gisbergen's NASCAR Cup career, which ties him with Tony Stewart for second on the all-time road course wins ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
6/28/2026, 10:56:42 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It was likely far closer than Shane van Gisbergen likely wanted it to be, narrowly fending off Chase Briscoe to win Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.
The victory pushes SVG back above the Chase cut-line and now 14th in the overall standings. Van Gisbergen is now tied with Tony Stewart on the all-time road course wins list, collecting the eighth of his Cup career while sweeping ...Keep reading
#hamlin
6/27/2026, 8:37:10 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In a remarkably close qualifying session, Ty Gibbs secured pole position in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a fast lap of 1:14.829s. He beat Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar by just 0.025s for pole position.
Kyle Larson will start third, Michael McDowell fourth, and Ross Chastain fifth. Pre-race favorite Shane van Gisbergen was the fastest driver in Group 1, but that was only ...Keep reading
6/27/2026, 2:59:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kyle Busch won two NASCAR Cup races at Sonoma in 2008 and again in 2015. He also won a Truck race there in 2022. Following the NASCAR legend's tragic death at the age of 41 last month, every track is paying tribute to him in their own way.
Sonoma has etched the black No. 8 onto the track in honor Busch, but they've also put a new corner banner, dedicating Turn 8 to KB.
They've also ...Keep reading
6/26/2026, 4:39:56 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
As NASCAR returns to Sonoma Raceway, we remember the most memorable drives of Kyle Busch's career at the historic road course. He won twice there at the Cup level, and once in the Truck Series.
Busch is the winningest driver in NASCAR history with 234 victories across the top three series, earning his final win just days before his unexpected passing on May 21st, at the age of 41.
We have ...Keep reading
6/25/2026, 8:30:38 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is racing at a road course for the fourth and final time during the 2026 Cup season, heading to Sonoma Raceway. TNT Sports takes over from Prime Video for the next five weeks, with all races simultaneously streamed on HBO Max.
Despite a disappointing result last weekend after a mid-race wreck, Shane van Gisbergen again enters as the favorite, and is the defending winner at ...Keep reading
6/25/2026, 8:09:33 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Emmy Award-winning television host and restaurateur Guy Fieri has joined a growing list of celebrity investors at Legacy Motor Club, named a 'strategic owner' by LMC on Thursday.
The Jimmie Johnson-led team recently announced singer/songwriter Darius Rucker as part of the ownership group as well.
“Motorsports and race cars have always had that raw energy I love — the people, the passion ...Keep reading
6/25/2026, 4:55:01 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race from Naval Base Coronado in San Diego earned an average of 2.28 million viewers to close out the five-race broadcast stretch for Amazon Prime Video.The race, which technically took place on NAS North Island, saw a viewership increase of nine percent from the same race last year from Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Series ...Keep reading
6/25/2026, 5:59:56 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In responding to the second amended revision of the Joe Gibbs Racing lawsuit against Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports, both defendants re-established their defense and denials while also filing countersuits against the plaintiffs.
Joe Gibbs Racing has argued that Gabehart, who worked at the organization from 2012 to 2025 as an engineer, crew chief and competition director, misappropriated ...Keep reading
#lawsuit
6/25/2026, 2:21:38 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In a recap video posted to his YouTube channel this week, Shane van Gisbergen reflected on a disappointing result at San Diego, and appeared to take aim at Austin Hill for the race-ending restart crash.
Van Gisbergen didn't say much about the incident itself at the infield care center on Sunday, even telling reporters to "ask the next guys."
But in the recap video, he briefly looked back on ...Keep reading
6/25/2026, 12:02:10 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In a new interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Front Row Motorsports driver Noah Gragson revealed that he planned to punch Kevin Magnussen in their San Diego post-race confrontation, but was warned of "long-term consequences with my job" if he followed through on such a plan.
Racing at Naval Base Coronado, Gragson engaged in a multi-lap feud with Trackhouse Racing's Kevin Magnussen, who was ...Keep reading
#front-row
6/24/2026, 9:11:04 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR has issued a rules bulletin to Cup Series teams in advance of a stretch of races under a mile in which foam is being removed from the front and rear bumpers during those race weekends.
The upcoming races these rules apply to are the following:
North Wilkesboro, July 19
Richmond, August 15
Bristol, September 19
Martinsville, November 1
The bulletin instructs teams ...Keep reading
6/24/2026, 8:13:53 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Competing as a part-time driver was very common in the early years of NASCAR, with drivers even winning championships without committing to the full season-long schedule.
But as the years went by and the sport moved into the modern age, the chances of a part-time driver prevailing at the top level of the sport became increasingly rare. It didn't happen at all in the 1990s, and since the turn of ...Keep reading
6/24/2026, 1:05:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is back on TNT (and HBO Max) for the next five weeks, following Prime Video's five-week run, which concluded with the San Diego street course race at Naval Base Coronado.
Sonoma, Chicagoland, Atlanta, North Wilkesboro, and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis will all be broadcast live on TNT, and also streamed live on HBO Max (which will also continue to carry on-board cameras for every ...Keep reading
6/23/2026, 5:01:16 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kevin Magnussen got the full NASCAR experience in his Cup Series debut at the San Diego street course, highlighted by a multi-lap showdown with Front Row Motorsports driver Noah Gragson.
And while the on-track slugfest ended with a crash halfway through the race, that was far from the whole story. NASCAR has compiled over seven minutes worth of onboard video and radio, showcasing every tense ...Keep reading
#front-row
6/22/2026, 7:38:16 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
What an amazing day of racing at Naval Base Coronado! The iconic backdrop for a brand-new street course race delivered in every form, from both the spectacle and the on-track action.
The place was sold out, and the racing was fierce from green flag to checkered flag. All three events culminated with a dramatic pass for the win, while Sunday featured a first-time Cup winner and future superstar ...Keep reading
6/22/2026, 4:04:25 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR In-Season Challenge is back for the second consecutive year, taking place during the five-week summer run for TNT Sports. The bracket challenge places pairs of drivers against each other each week, with the final two facing off in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26.
Last year, it was the battle of the Tys with Ty Gibbs prevailing over upset Ty Dillon in the ...Keep reading
6/22/2026, 2:38:41 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Surprisingly, Denny Hamlin managed to edge closer to Tyler Reddick in the points battle after the San Diego street course race.
While battling for the race win, Tyler Reddick made contact with teammate Corey Heim, and cut a left-front tire down soon after. That cost him over 20 points as he fell to 25th in the running order. Hamlin finished 14th, slicing the margin from 19 points to just eight ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
6/22/2026, 1:56:19 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kevin Magnussen had an eventful NASCAR Cup debut on Sunday, starting 21st and running inside the top 20 for a good portion of the event.
Magnussen finished 27th in the 39-car field after staying out on old tires, hoping to saving a fresh set for a caution that never came. He did snag the bonus point for the fastest lap near the very end of the race, taking advantage of the light fuel load as ...Keep reading
5/19/2026, 9:09:04 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips will soon be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
On Tuesday, members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met for an in-person closed session at the Charlotte Convention Center to debate upon the 15 nominees. This Class of 2027 was determined by votes cast from the 50-member panel.
The panel includes current living members of the Hall of ...Keep reading
5/19/2026, 7:55:22 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. largely enjoyed the All Star Race on Sunday afternoon at Dover Motor Speedway but largely as a standard race and not as part of the lineage it represented.
To that end, the Hall of Famer and winner of the 2000 running of ‘The Winston’ has his own ideas with what to do with the event.
“We’re doing too much,” Earnhardt said on his Dale Jr. Download podcast on ...Keep reading
5/19/2026, 4:29:49 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR on Prime Video is back! As the Cup Series heads to streaming for the next five weeks, the popular trackside coverage that featured lengthy post-race shows is back.
Alongside Danielle Trotta and Corey LaJoie, who will be there every week, the panel will have a rotating cast of NASCAR legends for each of the five races the streaming platform will broadcast.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl ...Keep reading
5/18/2026, 5:02:29 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The 2026 edition of the NASCAR All-Star Race featured big wrecks, fireballs, field inverts, and a calculator nearby.
The 350-lapper was the first time the event has gone to Dover, with the Monster Mile not hosting a points race for the first time since 1968. And while the format was completely different than your standard race, the same driver who won at Dover last year returned to Victory ...Keep reading
5/18/2026, 1:42:33 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After Denny Hamlin's big win in the Dover All-Star Race, NASCAR heads home to Charlotte, North Carolina, for one of its most prestigious races on the calendar -- the 67th running of the Coca-Cola 600.
In this guide, you can find all the information you need to be ready for 600 miles of racing in the heart of NASCAR:
Charlotte Motor Speedway Track Specs and Origins
Track Length: 1.5 ...Keep reading
#hamlin
5/17/2026, 10:59:16 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Sunday marked the 67th time that Denny Hamlin has won a race in the NASCAR Cup Series but not all of them have counted.
The official tally is still at 61, even after a career that includes four victories in The Clash/Shootout, and now his second in the All-Star Race, but he really resents this one not counting.
He’s counting!
“This one doesn't count,” Hamlin said with a laugh after ...Keep reading
#hamlin
5/17/2026, 9:20:24 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin now has two wins in NASCAR's All-Star Race, taking victory in a chaotic race at Dover's 'Monster Mile.' He will be awarded the $1 million prize. He started from pole position, and led 103 laps.
His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe finished second after leading 61 laps, and Legacy Motor Club's Erik Jones completed a Toyota 1-2-3.
Austin Dillon finished fourth, Connor ...Keep reading
#hamlin
5/17/2026, 5:31:01 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On the second lap of the NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover, a massive crash unfolded at the back of the field as drivers scrambled to make up ground.
Ryan Preece was on the outside of a three-wide situation, battling with Todd Gilliland and Kyle Larson. Preece and Gilliland touched, and all three cars got tangled together.
A multi-car crash ensued, and Preece backed into the Turn 1 wall at a ...Keep reading
5/16/2026, 4:53:17 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The animated conversation between Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell after the NASCAR Cup Series race last weekend at Watkins Glen generated a lot of headlines but apparently none of them had it right.
"You all had it figured out, but every single one of y'all motherfuckers were wrong," Wallace said with a laugh on Friday during a media availability at Dover International Speedway before ...Keep reading
5/16/2026, 3:28:01 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In what felt like a throwback to a bygone era, the NASCAR Cup Series conducted a 90-minute practice session on Friday in advance of Sunday’s All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway.
For drivers who were part of the sport prior to COVID-19, when the Sanctioning Body first started consolidating race weekends, Friday was a time capsule of sports. Chase Elliott was around back then and turned the ...Keep reading
5/16/2026, 2:37:08 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chase Elliott said it succinctly.
“This feels like a normal weekend,” said the 2020 Cup Series champion during media availabilities for the All-Star Race at Dover on Friday afternoon. “It feels like a normal weekend. I would say this feels the least like an All-Star weekend that we’ve ever had in my career.
“I don’t know if it’s just because I’m not used to having an ...Keep reading
5/15/2026, 8:48:54 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
As Dover hosts the All-Star Race for the very first time, NASCAR provided teams with an extended 90-minute practice session on Friday.
Defending NASCAR Cup series champion Kyle Larson topped the speed charts at 22.792s lap (157.95mph) around around the one-mile concrete oval.
All 36 entries are taking part in the 350-lap All-Star Race this weekend, but ten drivers will be dropped ahead of ...Keep reading
5/15/2026, 2:52:35 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Along with points-paying races for the NASCAR O'Reilly and Craftsman Truck Series, the Cup cars will be on the track at Dover this weekend for the 2026 edition of the All-Star Racing.
NASCAR is bringing its annual All-Star Race to the 'Monster Mile' for the very first time, and revamping the format as well.
Christopher Bell won last year's All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, while Denny ...Keep reading
5/14/2026, 4:50:52 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There is no direct comparison since this was the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen to take place during the spring but the Go Bowling at The Glen on FS1 earned an average of 1.928 million viewers and a 1.06 rating according to Nielsen’s Big Panel + Data metric.
This is the lowest rated race of the season, won by Shane van Gisbergen, this race barely dropping below Bristol’s ...Keep reading
5/14/2026, 3:48:49 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR All-Star Race changes formats ... often. The Sanctioning Body are not shy about using the race as an experiment, but this year marks quite a dramatic change.
First, the All-Star Race heads to Dover, Delaware for the very first time. The 'Monster Mile' will not host a points-paying race for the first time since 1968, but it will play host to the All-Star Race this weekend. NASCAR also ...Keep reading
5/13/2026, 4:01:59 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Attempting to complete 1,100 miles in a single day of racing is quite the challenge (unless you're an endurance racing driver), but it's even more daunting when you're doing it in two wildly different race cars and at two race tracks that are multiple states and over 500 miles apart.
That is what it means when a driver says they are attempting 'The Double.' Their day will begin at Indianapolis ...Keep reading
5/13/2026, 12:56:35 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Even Kurt Busch is surprised that NASCAR didn’t penalize his brother, two-time Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch.
The 2004 Cup Series champion, who won his title with Roush Racing, appeared on the Door, Bumper, Clear podcast this week and was asked about the penalty to Ryan Preece due to the incident with Ty Gibbs two weeks ago at Texas but also the non-penalty for his brother’s contact with ...Keep reading
5/11/2026, 10:21:24 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Before recording his Actions Detrimental podcast each week, Denny Hamlin goes back and reviews the race broadcast for the stories of the week, and that means sharing a frustration with race fans from this past weekend at Watkins Glen International.
All the missed crashes and incidents.
Read Also:
NASCAR CupThe wild NASCAR Watkins Glen moments viewers never saw on ...Keep reading
#hamlin
5/11/2026, 8:44:50 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin was surprised that NASCAR issued a $50,000 fine and 25-point penalty to Ryan Preece, and believes it should be overturned or reduced on appeal, but also concedes from experience that the deck will be stacked against them.
Preece was issued the penalty because the Sanctioning Body believed there was intent based on what the driver said over the radio, supplemented by SMT data ...Keep reading
#appeal#hamlin
5/11/2026, 8:18:00 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Shane van Gisbergen is now the winningest driver in Trackhouse Racing history, surpassing Ross Chastain with his seventh career win -- all on road courses.
It's truly incredible to see just how unbeatable the three-time Supercars champion has been over the past two years, even with how close the field is in modern NASCAR. He has only last one of the last seven road/street course races, and ...Keep reading
5/11/2026, 3:31:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There's no doubt that Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen was fairly calm, as only one driver failed to reach the checkered flag and 32 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
There were only two natural cautions -- one for flying debris from the infield, and another for a tire carcass at the side of the track.
But there were several moments that the TV coverage either missed ...Keep reading
5/11/2026, 2:35:04 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
2023 Daytona 500 champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with Hyak Motorsports, keeping him as the driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet.
“Ricky has been a huge part of what we’re building at Hyak Motorsports, and we’re proud to continue this partnership for years to come,” said Gordon Smith, owner of Hyak Motorsports. “He brings experience, leadership ...Keep reading
5/11/2026, 12:35:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The Watkins Glen weekend was full of highs and lows for 19-year-old Connor Zilisch. After leading the most laps in Friday's Truck race, he lost out to Kaden Honeycutt in overtime. However, he won Saturday's NASCAR O'Reilly race with a dramatic pass on Jesse Love in the final corner of the final lap.
And then there's the Cup race. Zilisch entered the Glen outside the top 30 in points, and still ...Keep reading
5/11/2026, 12:31:27 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The deck was stacked against Shane Van Gisbergen and the Trackhouse No. 91 on Sunday at Watkins Glen but it simply didn’t matter.
A caution with 39 laps to go put ‘SVG’ and crew chief Stephen Doran into quite the predicament. If they stayed out, they faced long odds of making it to the finish line on fuel, especially if others came down and were chasing them down on fresher tires.
So ...Keep reading
5/10/2026, 10:23:19 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After 100 laps of NASCAR Cup racing at Watkins Glen, pole-sitter Shane van Gisbergen walked away with the checkered flag. He made up 29 seconds in 18 laps during the final stint, and ultimately won the race by 7.2 seconds over Michael McDowell.
Ty Gibbs was leading the strategy for those who cut out a pit stop, finishing third. Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick filled out the rest of the top ...Keep reading
#reddick
5/10/2026, 10:05:32 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There was no stopping Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen on Sunday, as he collected his seventh career win and Trackhouse Racing's first of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season.
In 18 laps, he made up 29.2 seconds, passing Ty Gibbs for the race lead with seven laps to spare. And after that, he went on to win the race with a seven-second margin.
"Unbelievable to win with 97," said van Gisbergen ...Keep reading
5/10/2026, 1:35:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
At the end of a scheduled media availability on Saturday at Watkins Glen, Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott interjected as the press conference was being wrapped up, and requested some time to speak about the NASCAR Hall of Fame voting that is set to take place later this month. It wasn't in response to a question, but a deliberate statement he wanted to make in front of the assembled ...Keep reading
5/9/2026, 7:10:01 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The grid is set for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International. Defending winner Shane van Gisbergen earned pole position -- his first at the Glen but fifth at the Cup level. The impressive qualifying effort also comes on the Kiwi's 37th birthday!
Spire Motorsports' Michael McDowell will start from the outside of the front row, a full 0.259s off of SVG's fast lap of ...Keep reading
#front-row
5/9/2026, 4:04:40 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
“Honestly, a bit surprised.”
Ryan Preece was very measured on Saturday morning when discussing the penalty levied against him this week by NASCAR for the incident involving him and Ty Gibbs last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. Gibbs crashed on Lap 101 and NASCAR deduced intent based on radio communication that indicated Preece could retaliate in some form for a previous incident ...Keep reading
#appeal
5/8/2026, 1:05:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Watkins Glen International hosts the 12th round of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season, and will feature all three national divisions and the ARCA Menards Series from Friday through Sunday. This is also the earliest the track has ever appeared on the NASCAR schedule.
Will Shane van Gisbergen go back-to-back, or will another driver capture the checkered flag at The Glen? Here's all some major storylines ...Keep reading
5/7/2026, 11:16:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR's decision to move Watkins Glen to the spring will not last, as the historic road course confirmed plans to move the Cup date to the fall in 2027.
WGI will be part of the Chase for the Championship, and unless there is a dramatic change to the schedule, it will likely be the only road course in the Chase. This year, there are no road courses in the ten-race Chase after the Charlotte ...Keep reading
5/7/2026, 9:30:59 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
RFK Racing has announced plans to appeal the penalties NASCAR issued against Ryan Preece this week.
The driver of the No. 60 Ford Mustang was involved in an incident with Texas Motor Speedway where he spun Ty Gibbs into the outside wall. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver suffered significant damage.
Radio chatter from before the incident seemed to indicate that he intended to turn the driver of ...Keep reading
#appeal
5/7/2026, 9:06:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is back on a road course this weekend with the Cup, O'Reilly, Craftsman Truck, and ARCA Menards Series at Watkins Glen International. This is the earliest WGI has ever appeared on the schedule, and the weather looks iffy with some rain expected.
Shane van Gisbergen is the defending Cup winner at Watkins Glen, and he is hoping to secure his first win of the 2026 season this weekend ...Keep reading
5/6/2026, 8:58:14 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After hearing arguments from all parties during a telephonic hearing on Tuesday afternoon, the judge overseeing the Joe Gibbs Racing v Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports lawsuits has scheduled the trial to take place in January.
This is later than the November timeframe requested by the plaintiffs and earlier than the May timeline requested by the defendants.
From the order:
“The ...Keep reading
#lawsuit
5/6/2026, 7:13:33 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The racing at Watkins Glen International will look a bit different this weekend, as NASCAR introduces some new track limits.
No longer will we see the entire field driving off into the Turn 1 runoff on starts/restarts, as NASCAR has made some significant changes there and to the exit of the Carousel.
They're essentially building a new wall via tire packs to keep the racing line closer to the ...Keep reading
5/6/2026, 3:43:36 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney will continue to drive the No. 12 Team Penske Ford after signing a multi-year contract extension. Menards will remain as a partner as part of the new agreement
“Ryan Blaney has developed into one of the elite drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, and the success he’s achieved speaks for itself,” said team owner Roger Penske. “I’m confident Ryan ...Keep reading
5/5/2026, 11:05:01 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR has taken action against Ryan Preece following the incident between him and Ty Gibbs on Sunday in the Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Preece, the driver of the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford, was issued a $50,000 fine and the deduction of 25 driver points under Sections 4.3 and 4.4.A in the NASCAR Rule Book, which detail ‘wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that ...Keep reading
5/4/2026, 2:42:38 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
This is the best that Chase Elliott, Alan Gustafson and the Hendrick Motorsports team have ever looked to start a NASAR Cup Series season and that makes them a very serious threat in the new Chase for the Championship.
Sure, Elliott has led the standings early in a season through his trademark consistency and penchant for finishing races and having good points day but now he’s won twice over ...Keep reading
5/4/2026, 1:19:16 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On the final restart at Texas Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch was hoping to end a promising day on a high note. He had run inside the top ten for most of the day, and restarted 11th with two fresh right-side tires.
He didn't make any forward progress in the chaotic restart, and John Hunter Nemechek passed him as the field crossed the line with three laps to go. A lap later, Busch got back underneath ...Keep reading
5/3/2026, 11:45:57 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Tyler Reddick finished a strong fourth at Texas, but saw his incredible 110-point lead shrink ever-so-slightly to 109 points after Denny Hamlin's runner-up finish.
Chase Elliott's win vaulted him up to third in the standings, 117 points back of the lead.
The biggest mover in the standings was Erik Jones, who jumped four positions from 26th to 22nd. He won Stage 1 at Texas, and that points ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
5/3/2026, 11:17:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chase Elliott led 87 of 267 laps (more than any other driver) to win Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. He beat Denny Hamlin and Alex Bowman in a four-lap sprint to the checkered flag.
11 different drivers led laps during the race, which featured several incidents as well. In the end, 20 cars finished on the lead lap and four drivers (Heim, Gibbs, Logano, Bell) recorded ...Keep reading
#hamlin
5/3/2026, 11:01:24 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Hendrick Motorsports now has two wins in the 2026 season, and both are courtesy of Chase Elliott. The driver of the No. 9 HMS Chevrolet now has 23 career wins, and his second Texas win in the last three years.
He finished just ahead of Denny Hamlin in second and Alex Bowman in third. Tyler Reddick, who was charging with two fresh right-side tires, finished fourth, with Chris Buescher ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
5/3/2026, 9:45:45 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Joey Logano went from feeling immense relief after a lucky escape to seeing his race end on the slowest part of the race track: pit road.
The defending Texas winner was running up inside the top 15 when William Byron went spinning in front of him. Byron got on the throttle, keeping his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet off the wall, but also bringing it back down the track in front of ...Keep reading
5/3/2026, 12:43:51 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Saturday morning at Texas Motor Speedway featured a regularly scheduled competition meeting between NASCAR and Cup Series drivers and much of the proceedings focused on superspeedways.
The Sanctioning Body wanted drivers to know that they are aware that work still needs to be done to improve the racing product after the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega last weekend.
This is welcomed news to ...Keep reading
5/2/2026, 11:06:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Right now, RFK Racing has three teams and drivers but only two charters secured for next season, leaving the appearance of musical chairs for the organization co-owned by driver Brad Keselowski.
In addition to Keselowski, the team also fields Ford Mustang Dark Horses for Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece but the latter has driven a No. 60 that utilized two different leased charters from Rick Ware ...Keep reading
#charter
5/2/2026, 7:16:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin said it was a 'knee jerk reaction' when he tweeted out a frustrated response on Thursday evening to Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson’s commentary about the ongoing lawsuit brought forth by Joe Gibbs Racing.
Even though it was an emotional response, Hamlin also concedes that he logically feels this way too, as it is a matter of business principle to him as a Joe ...Keep reading
#lawsuit#hamlin
5/2/2026, 6:50:15 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Last weekend, Carson Hocevar earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega. A few days later, he led a Spire 1-2 to win Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas. And now, he just earned pole position for the Texas Cup race in another Spire 1-2, beating teammate Daniel Suarez by just 0.003s.
This is the first time Spire Motorsports locked out the front row for a Cup Series ...Keep reading
#front-row
5/2/2026, 5:39:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Both Bubba Wallace and Austin Dillon will start Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race from the rear of the field after some practice drama.
In Group A, Dillon only ran three laps before taking his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet back to the garage. He reported that the engine started making a strange noise, and he had no pace. His fastest lap was a 29.988s, a full 1.4s off the fastest time ...Keep reading
5/2/2026, 5:07:42 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kyle Busch said he is grateful for what Jim Pohlman brought to his Richard Childress Racing No. 8 team through the first 10 races of the season and that senior leadership ultimately made the decision to pair him with Andy Street instead.
After finishing second to Carson Hocevar in the Truck Series race on Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway, Busch addressed the change in leadership atop the ...Keep reading
4/30/2026, 9:05:03 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Carson Hocevar enters Texas as NASCAR's newest winner, capturing his first career win at Talladega last weekend. Texas Motor Speedway will host all three national divisions this weekend, with the Cup, O'Reilly, and Craftsman Truck Series.
Tyler Reddick continues to hold a commanding lead in the championship, 110 points clear of Denny Hamlin.
Joey Logano is the defending winner at Texas -- ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
4/29/2026, 10:43:21 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kevin Harvick says he heard enough from the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway earlier in the month to know that Jim Pohlman and Kyle Busch was not going to work out.
And to wit, despite scoring the first top-10 of the season together at Talladega on Sunday, Richard Childress Racing made a crew chief swap for the two-time Cup Series champion this week with Andy Street returning ...Keep reading
4/29/2026, 10:04:21 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR Cup Series television ratings for the race at Talladega Superspeedway were slightly down year-over-year.
The race, once again aired live on over-the-air FOX, earned an average of 3.967 million viewers on Sunday according to the Nielsen Big Data + Panel metric used since last year. This is down from the 4.041 average in 2025, which was also on FOX. The 2026 race was won by Carson ...Keep reading
4/28/2026, 4:50:56 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Prior to the weekend, Joe Gibbs Racing notified both Spire Motorsports and Chris Gabehart that it intended to amend and refile its lawsuit against them both.
As a result, their intended responses to the lawsuit due on Monday is no longer necessary. The below in italics is taken from the notice to the Western District of North Carolina.
“Defendants requested JGR provide a copy of the ...Keep reading
#lawsuit
4/27/2026, 8:02:11 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It was one of the most epic victory celebrations in the history of motorsports on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.
Carson Hocevar, who stands 6'4", sat on his door against the B-post and was able to work the clutch and throttle to be able to drive both ways around the track while personally waving to the attending fans following his win in the Jack Link’s 500.
In fact, someone even ...Keep reading
4/27/2026, 6:31:24 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The Jack Link's 500 at Talladega was another memorable superspeedway race with high-drama, big wrecks, a new winner, and some of the same frustrations we've come to expect in these events.
While Carson Hocevar became the 208th different winner in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chris Buescher just missed out on ending RFK's win drought.
Here's a look back at the biggest winners and losers from ...Keep reading
4/27/2026, 3:15:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ten races into the 2026 NASCAR Cup season, Richard Childress Racing has just one top ten finish as an organization -- a tenth by Kyle Busch this past weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
Jim Pohlman, who left behind a successful career as crew chief for Justin Allgaier in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series to take over crew chief duties for Busch, is now being moved off the pit box. Pohlman, who won ...Keep reading
4/27/2026, 3:56:53 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
They saved fuel for half the raceThey then tried to race and immediately crashed nearly the entire fieldThey were then stuck 2x2 and were unable to pass the front row
"You said it perfectly," said Ryan Blaney after the massive 26-car crash at the start of the final stage. “We’re either fuel saving or we’re running all over each other because that’s just what this car is and that’s how ...Keep reading
#front-row
4/27/2026, 2:45:27 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR community is watching both Carson Hocevar and Spire Motorsports grow up together and that journey reached another benchmark on Sunday at Talladega with their first collective victory.
There is a caveat, of course.
Spire does have one previous Cup Series win, and that was the rain-shortened 2019 summer race at Daytona, but team co-owner Jeff Dickerson barely counts it. That was ...Keep reading
4/27/2026, 2:00:28 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Talladega Superspeedway is one of the most unpredictable races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, so it should be no surprise that a dozen different drivers have secured their first -- and in many cases only -- Cup win at the iconic track.
Carson Hocevar was one of 14 drivers racing in the 2026 Jack Link's 500 with a chance to become the 13th different driver to earn their first Cup win at the ...Keep reading
4/27/2026, 12:24:41 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Tyler Reddick managed to slightly extend his championship lead at Talladega, now 110 points clear of Denny Hamlin in the standings.
After earning his first Cup win, Carson Hocevar jumped from 12th to eighth in the standings. However, the biggest mover in the points was Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who jumped five positions from 30th to 25th.
The biggest losers were Michael McDowell, William ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
4/26/2026, 11:47:50 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Carson Hocevar became NASCAR's newest winner on Sunday, capturing the checkered flag after 500 miles of NASCAR Cup Series action at Talladega Superspeedway. Chris Buescher finished second and Alex Bowman third.
In the end, 21 cars finished on the lead lap, and several others failed to reach the finish after a Stage 2 melee that collected at least 25 cars.
Ryan Preece, who won Stage 1 ...Keep reading
4/26/2026, 11:30:19 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In his 91st start, Carson Hocevar captured the checkered flag for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career. It was also Spire Motorsports' first win as a team since the 2019 season.
Chris Buescher finished second, Alex Bowman third, Chase Elliott fourth, and Zane Smith fifth. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson, and Kyle Busch filled out the remainder of the ...Keep reading
4/26/2026, 9:39:38 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
115 laps into the race and 15 laps into second stage at Talladega, complete chaos broke out at the front of the field.
Bubba Wallace was leading the race from the middle lane with Ross Chastain behind him. Chastain was surging forward as he, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano were all connected.
Wallace got hit hard from behind, and slid up the track into Cole Custer, turning Wallace into the ...Keep reading
4/26/2026, 2:10:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Most of you reading this probably know the story of how NASCAR began. From bootleggers on dirt roads to amateur stock car racing organizations with a loose semblance of structure, and then a history-altering meeting at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach.
36 men were in that fateful 1947 meeting and one of them was Bill France Sr. -- the founding father of the National Association for ...Keep reading
#france
4/26/2026, 1:40:33 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The promotions of Steve O'Donnell and Ben Kennedy are not an extension of the status quo, but instead, aim to be the start of something new for the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing.
O’Donnell has taken over as Chief Executive Officer from Jim France, the youngest son of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. Kennedy, the great-grandson of the elder France, is now serving as Chief ...Keep reading
#france
4/25/2026, 3:35:40 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
One of the most prominent and well-organized efforts to undermine auto racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway was affectively defeated, for now, due a self-inflicted clerical error … just not the one that was originally at the forefront.
Former racer Neil Chaffin sued Saul Solomon, a former Nashville Metro legal director and political strategist Mike Kopp, founders of the 'Restore ...Keep reading
4/24/2026, 7:55:48 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR boss Jim France is stepping down as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) but he will remain as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and majority owner of NASCAR. The news was confirmed by the Sanctioning Body on Saturday morning at Talladega.
France, who turns 82 later this year, took over the position from nephew Brian France in August, 2018, after Brian France was arrested on suspicion of ...Keep reading
#france
4/24/2026, 6:51:47 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In simplest terms, the preliminary injunction ruling issued by Judge Susan C. Rodriguez in the Joe Gibbs Racing v. Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports lawsuit is fundamentally no different than the Temporary Restraining Order everyone has acted under over the past month.
As part of the ruling issued on late Thursday night:
Gabehart shall ‘immediately cease and desist’ from ...Keep reading
#lawsuit#injunction
4/22/2026, 8:54:01 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It wasn't the loudest point of contention, but some in the NASCAR community did try to suggest after the Advent Health 400 on Sunday that race control should not have thrown the caution for a Cody Ware spin that set-up overtime and figuratively turning the race upside down.
Denny Hamlin was the leader at the time, having led the most laps and just retaken the lead from eventual winner Tyler ...Keep reading
#hamlin
4/22/2026, 5:57:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes something was lost in translation in the back-and-forth between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.
The two-time Cup Series champion took exception to comments Hamlin made about him last week on the Actions Detrimental podcast. Specifically, Hamlin pondered if this is the end for Busch as a contender at the highest levels and suggested that Busch needs to consistently ...Keep reading
#hamlin
4/21/2026, 1:38:18 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The outcome of the Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday was decided, in part, due to Cody Ware spinning with just over a lap to go and setting-up overtime in which Tyler Reddick outdueled Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell.
Hamlin led the most laps and had just retaken the lead from Reddick and was a quarter of a lap away from taking the white flag. Had the caution come ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
4/20/2026, 10:53:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In hindsight, Denny Hamlin wishes he would not have let Kyle Larson force him three-wide middle on the final restart on Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Of course, if he could do it all over again, he also would likely have restarted on the outside as well.
That was the overall sentiment from Hamlin on Monday during the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, one in which he feels ...Keep reading
#hamlin
4/20/2026, 10:29:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For the first time since the season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR will have a full field for Talladega Superspeedway with one car being sent home after qualifying.
There are a total of 41 entries, with five uncharted cars competing over the final four spots on the grid.
Here's a look at the part-time drivers and teams aiming to take part in this Sunday's race at Talladega:
Jesse Love -- ...Keep reading
4/20/2026, 8:34:40 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The ninth round of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season was a surprising one, partly due to how clean it was. There were no incidents until a single-car spin on the penultimate lap completely changed the complexion of the finish.
And the finish itself was incredible, with Reddick once again prevailing after a last-lap pass on Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin losing out after dominating half the ...Keep reading
#hamlin#reddick
4/20/2026, 8:03:41 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The tenth round of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season takes place at Talladega Superspeedway -- the biggest oval on the NASCAR schedule. In this guide, you can find all the information you need to be ready for 500 miles of racing at the iconic Alabama track.
The History and Track Dimensions for Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway Billboard
Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty ...Keep reading
2/21/2026, 3:26:22 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Following NASCAR Cup Series inspection at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta), the Sanctioning Body has revealed that two Chevrolet teams failed pre-qualifying inspection multiple times.
The first was Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Car chief Ryan Chism has been ejected and can take no further part in the race weekend from the track, and the team will lose pit stall ...Keep reading
2/20/2026, 10:36:30 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
One day after being sued by Joe Gibbs Racing over an alleged 'brazen scheme' to steal data from the organization while negotiating his employment separation and a job opportunity with Spire Motorsports, Chris Gaebhart responded with a statement that suggests he intends to challenge his longtime employer in court.
“Yesterday afternoon, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit claiming - falsely - that ...Keep reading
#lawsuit
2/19/2026, 10:45:34 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Until November 10, 2025, Defendant served as one of JGR’s most senior leaders with respect to all competitive aspects of the business. After his demands for additional authority were rebuffed by JGR’s owner, Defendant immediately embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR—Spire Motorsports. In this ...Keep reading
2/19/2026, 9:43:17 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
At the beginning of December, it was reported that Chris Gabehart had left Joe Gibbs Racing in a surprising exit. He worked at JGR for 13 years, and won 22 Cup races as a crew chief for Denny Hamlin between 2019 and 2024. Most recently, he worked as the Director of Competition for the elite organization.
Since his departure, there has been no word regarding why Gabehart left, or where he ...Keep reading
#lawsuit#hamlin
2/19/2026, 6:51:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The 68th Daytona 500 received 7.489 million viewers airing on FOX on Sunday afternoon according to data from the Nielsen Panel + Big Data, which has been used since September to measure ratings.
A reminder about Big Panel + Data: Before September, Nielsen used ‘people meters’ in household panels. The new model combines that with data from cable boxes and smart TVs approximately representing ...Keep reading
2/19/2026, 1:30:48 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In the immediate aftermath of Justin Allgaier blocking Denny Hamlin from the lead and triggering 'The Big One' in the 68th Daytona 500, the JR Motorsports driver took ‘100 percent’ of the blame but the Joe Gibbs Racing contender conceded his share a day later.
The crash took place approaching the end of the second stage and collected 20 cars on Lap 124. Allgaier left about enough space for ...Keep reading
#hamlin
2/18/2026, 9:37:11 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Zane Smith came up just short of winning the Daytona 500 but a sixth-place finish combined with a victory in the first stage leaves his No. 38 Front Row Motorsports team fourth in the early championship standings.
This is more an important result than at any point of the past decade because a good points day very much has value under the restored Chase for the Championship coming up in ...Keep reading
#front-row
2/18/2026, 6:26:26 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It appeared over the weekend that NASCAR implemented a new policy that made an extra effort to not reasonably throw a caution on the final lap of a superspeedway race.
It appeared that way because NASCAR evenly applied that stance in both the Truck and Cup race across two different race directors. But also, throughout the weekend, solo car spins without any additional contact that unevenly drew ...Keep reading
2/18/2026, 5:40:44 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Today marks 25 years since we lost Dale Earnhardt. Heading into the 2026 Daytona 500, Motorsport.com already put together a special feature in remembrance of that day and his impact on the sport, but today, we want to do something different.
In this simple story, we're going to focus on seven of Dale's most impressive and memorable NASCAR Cup Series wins, in honor of the seven-time ...Keep reading
2/18/2026, 4:36:38 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chase Briscoe ‘dipped my toes the bald community’ last month but it was a hoax, online fake news and AI rubbish.
With all the attention and focus on the new look three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano has received since taking a trimmer and razor to his dome, Briscoe decided to respond to his well-documented follicle situation by shaving his own head.
However, it wasn’t real, and ...Keep reading
2/18/2026, 1:03:07 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There have been 206 different winners in the history of NASCAR's top division, dating back to 1949. Richard Petty holds the record for most wins in Cup Series history at 200, while Kyle Busch leads active drivers at 63.
The 206th different driver joined this list early in 2025 when Josh Berry drove the Wood Brothers to Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which means that the last five ...Keep reading
2/16/2026, 8:07:17 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In 68 editions of the Daytona 500, NASCAR has seen plenty of surprise or unexpected winners. However, it wasn't until 2017 that the victor in stock car racing's crown jewel event only led the final lap of the 200-lap battle.
While it did not happen once between 1959 and 2016, the phenomenon has now occurred four times in the last decade. It showcases just how unpredictable modern superspeedway ...Keep reading
2/16/2026, 2:55:00 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It's far too early to start making championship predictions, but every point matters in this return to a more traditional NASCAR championship format. One year ago, we would have been saying 'Welcome to the Playoffs Tyler Reddick' because due to win and you're in, the greater points picture wouldn't have mattered that much.
But it matters now! One race down, 25 to go before the Chase returns for ...Keep reading
#reddick
2/16/2026, 2:35:04 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Once again, a general theme of the Daytona 500 and superspeedway racing with the NextGen car in general right now, is the amount of time drivers spend at half-throttle under green flag conditions.
The reason they do this is because it is incredibly difficult to pass with the current generation car on these tracks when everyone is racing at full throttle. The cars are too equal and there is so ...Keep reading
#hamlin
2/16/2026, 2:08:42 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In sequential order, this is how Tyler Reddick won the Daytona 500.
Michael McDowell leads the field back to green. Carson Hocevar takes the lead and holds it at the white. Hocevar gets turned into the wall, contact with Erik Jones and spins across the field, taking Jones and McDowell with him.
No caution.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took the lead with Chase Elliott to his outside and Reddick ...Keep reading
#reddick
2/16/2026, 1:36:52 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Carson Hocevar is still searching for his first win as a NASCAR Cup Series driver, and he nearly got it in the sport's biggest race.
The 23-year-old was the only driver pulling triple duty in all three national divisions during Daytona Speedweek. Things started off well as he earned a runner-up finish in his Duel qualifying race, ensuring he would start the Daytona 500 from the sixth position ...Keep reading
2/16/2026, 12:42:56 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Entering the 2026 Daytona 500, there were concerns around if the 42-year-old Brad Keselowski could even run the full race. He showed up to the track with a walking cane, following a December fall that left him with a broken femur.
But Keselowski quickly returned to form, and was a contender throughout Sunday's 68th running of the Daytona 500 -- his 17th start in 'The Great American ...Keep reading
2/15/2026, 11:01:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It's hard to explain what happened on the final lap of the Daytona 500, but it was pure mayhem. Carson Hocevar was leading at the white flag, but he got turned from the lead. The race stayed green, and Chase Elliott surged ahead with a push from Zane Smith.
But then came Tyler Reddick with a helpful push from teammate Riley Herbst, passing Elliott at the exit of Turn 4. The field fanned out ...Keep reading
#reddick#jordan
2/15/2026, 10:11:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
With packed grandstands, a strong crosswind due to weather rolling in, NASCAR made an emotional full-throttle tribute to Dale Earnhardt in the opening laps of the 2026 Daytona 500.
On lap three, after the cars had gotten up to speed, most of the people inside the 2.5 mile superspeedway held three fingers up in reference to Earnhardt’s iconic No. 3. As the field flew past the main ...Keep reading
2/15/2026, 9:41:16 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The 68th running of the Daytona 500 has had several accidents, but none as big as what happened on Lap 124.
Justin Allgaier, driving a car owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller, took the race lead out of Turn 4. However, three-time 500 winner Denny Hamlin squeezed to his outside in aggressive move. Allgaier didn't realize Hamlin was there and came up in the middle of the ...Keep reading
#hamlin
2/15/2026, 4:35:47 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Long before Larson vs. Hamlin or Earnhardt vs. Gordon, there was another clash of titans that divided the NASCAR world. And this battle was between the Silver Fox -- David Pearson, and The King -- Richard Petty.
These two drivers combine for ten championships and an astonishing 305 NASCAR Cup Series wins. On this day, February 15, 1975, they came together for one of their most memorable ...Keep reading
#hamlin
2/15/2026, 3:28:56 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in Daytona 500 history with ten victories. William Byron, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet, won the event in both 2024 and 2025, and both races ended in dramatic crashes amongst the race leaders. He ended up eleven positions short of a historic three-peat in 2026, but he certainly had a shot at it.
This race has existed since 1959, and while five drivers ...Keep reading
2/15/2026, 2:05:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Here's all the major storylines you need to keep an eye on during the 68th running of the Daytona 500:
Brad Keselowski manages a leg injury
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing Ford
Photo by: Patrick McDermott via Getty Images
The 42-year-old broke his femur during the off-season, and arrived to Daytona with a walking cane. While there is still pain, he has every intention of ...Keep reading
2/15/2026, 5:05:47 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kyle Busch is 0-20 in NASCAR's biggest race, but he earned pole position on Wednesday for Richard Childress Racing. Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing will join him on the front row.
Joey Logano and Chase Elliott won the Duel qualifying races on Thursday, while Chandler Smith completed a heroic four-wide pass for the win to secure victory in the Truck Series season-opener on Friday. Austin Hill ...Keep reading
#front-row
2/14/2026, 9:11:53 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It is impossible to understate the impact Dale Earnhardt had on NASCAR, and the void left when he died on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
At the time, he was holding back several cars while the two he owned -- the No. 15 of Michael Waltrip and the No. 8 of his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., drove off to a Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) 1-2 finish. But mere seconds from finishing third right ...Keep reading
2/14/2026, 9:03:26 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The third and final practice for the 68th running of the Daytona 500 was very calm, and there were no issues.
Of the 41 starters, only 18 actually chose to go out on track. There was some drafting, and the biggest pack formed early with RFK Racing and Team Penske Fords, but also a handful of Chevrolets that joined them.
Jimmie Johnson was the only Toyota driver to even go out on track, and ...Keep reading
2/14/2026, 5:16:23 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After historic snow postponed the Clash at Bowman Gray several days into the week, NASCAR has enjoyed optimal weather for Speedweek at Daytona. However, there is a real threat of thunderstorms on Sunday, and it's all about when -- not if -- the bad weather will arrive.
In a proactive move, NASCAR has moved up the start of the 68th running of the Daytona 500 a full hour to 1:30pm EST. The NASCAR ...Keep reading
2/13/2026, 11:38:05 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The second practice session for the Daytona 500 is complete, and there were no issues during the hour-long session. Manufacturers stayed with their own, running carefully coordinated groups to minimize risk.
Chevrolet had the biggest group, so it's no surprise that bowties dominated the top ten on the speed. Austin Dillon led the way in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (195.63mph) ...Keep reading
2/13/2026, 8:05:22 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On December 18th, 2025, a plane crashed in Statesville, North Carolina. There were seven lives lost in that accident -- Dennis Dutton and his son Jack, Craig Wadsworth, but also NASCAR legend Greg Biffle alongside his wife Cristina, their son Ryder, and his daughter Emma.
Biffle was a champion of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, as well as the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. He went on ...Keep reading
2/13/2026, 5:11:53 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The last time Hendrick Motorsports had a tandem like Kyle Larson and Cliff Daniels, the driver (Jeff Gordon) was signed to a lifetime contract and the crew chief (Ray Evernham) left to form a factory team for Dodge.
Rick Hendrick was very adamant, with the two-time champions both on a contract year, to not lose his latest dynasty to any sort of free agency or market shift.
“Well, it was ...Keep reading
2/13/2026, 1:05:03 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kyle Busch will lead the field to the green flag in this Sunday's Daytona 500, driving the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Chase Briscoe will join him on the front row for 'The Great American Race' after these two topped qualifying on Wednesday.
But after the Duel qualifying races on Thursday, which were won by Joey Logano and Chase Elliott, we now know the starting positions for the ...Keep reading
#front-row
2/13/2026, 6:20:32 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Just like everyone predicted, BJ McLeod Motorsports and Garage 66 made it into the Daytona 500 over cars fielded by RFK Racing, Front Row Motorsports and a Richard Childress Racing affiliate.
In the words of Casey Mears, driving the Garage66 for Carl Long, anything can happen at Daytona.
It’s the reason McLeod and Mears signed up to drive figurative knives to a figurative gunfight. When ...Keep reading
#front-row
2/13/2026, 5:00:44 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Anthony Alfredo's Daytona 500 dream has come to a bitter end. After racing his way into the 2026 season-opener, his No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet failed post-race inspection.
Alfredo finished 18th in Duel #2, besting both BJ McLeod and JJ Yeley to race his way into the 500. He failed to qualify for the race in 2025, and was extremely emotional over the prospect of competing in NASCAR's ...Keep reading
2/13/2026, 3:17:08 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After a wildly chaotic Duel #1, things were far calmer in the second Duel qualifying race. Chase Elliott captured the checkered flag in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, followed by Carson Hocevar, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, and Christopher Bell.
The two Hendrick and Spire cars up front worked closely together to control the finish, and none of them made a move on each other until ...Keep reading
2/13/2026, 2:00:12 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The first Duel at Daytona ended in dramatic fashion. Joey Logano captured the checkered flag in a 1-2 finish for Team Penske, but all eyes were on the battle to make the Daytona 500.
The open battle: Casey Mears had spun in an earlier incident, and Chander Smith suffered damage in another wreck. That cleared the way for Corey LaJoie to make the race, but he got turned on the final lap in a ...Keep reading
2/12/2026, 4:15:50 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On Wednesday evening, Kyle Busch rocketed to the top of the speed charts in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, securing pole position for this weekend's Daytona 500. He will share the front row with the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Chase Briscoe, which means these two drivers will be the pole-sitters for their respective Duel races.
In Duel #1, it will be Busch and Ryan Preece ...Keep reading
#front-row
2/12/2026, 3:07:09 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kyle Busch will lead the field to the green flag for the 68th running of the Daytona, lapping the 2.5-mile superspeedway in 49.006s (183.651mph) to win pole position. He will share the front row with Chase Briscoe in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
This will be Busch's 21st start in the Daytona 500 -- a race he has never won before -- and this will be the two-time Cup champion's fist pole ...Keep reading
#front-row
2/12/2026, 1:52:02 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In every superspeedway race of the Next Gen era, NASCAR Cup drivers can be seen placing their hands against the opening between the A-pillar and window net in an effort to find every possible aero advantage. Drivers have gone as far as manipulating their gloves, including the infamous case where Joey Logano was penalized for illegal webbed racing gloves.
To avoid the situation entirely, NASCAR ...Keep reading
2/12/2026, 12:30:52 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Since returning to NASCAR in 2021 with Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), Kyle Larson has enjoyed immense success in the HendrickCars.com No. 5 Chevrolet. As a Hendrick driver, the 33-year-old has earned 26 Cup wins and two Cup Series championships in both 2021 and 2025.
Following that incredible run, it should come as no surprise that Hendrick Motorsports announced a five-year contract extension for ...Keep reading
2/11/2026, 11:59:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Driving down to the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway immediately after winning the Cookout Clash last week, Ryan Preece felt lighter.
It wasn’t a points-paying race but it was a victory at the highest level against his peers in the NASCAR Cup Series and it very much felt like a degree of validation for everything that came before.
“I don’t know how to explain it other ...Keep reading
2/11/2026, 10:36:43 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Since 1959, 13 drivers have won multiple Daytona 500s, and five of those have managed to do it in back-to-back years. That second group includes names like Petty, Yarborough, Hamlin, and Marlin -- but none were able to win NASCAR's biggest race in three consecutive years.
But that's exactly what William Byron will be attempting to do this weekend after avoiding wrecks at the front of the field ...Keep reading
#hamlin
2/11/2026, 9:52:48 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
This is now the 21st year of trying for Kyle Busch at the Daytona 500 but there is a lot more at stake for the two-time Cup Series champion than just the elusive Harley J. Earl trophy as it feels like a turning point in his career altogether.
‘Rowdy’ will turn 41-years-old in May and hasn’t won at the highest level since Gateway in June 2023. That’s a 92-race winless streak for those ...Keep reading
2/11/2026, 8:30:24 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The 23XI and Front Row Motorsports v NASCAR antitrust trial ended in a considerable victory for Denny Hamlin in the form of a settlement but now comes the real work of growing the discipline in the decades to come.
It was more than just a triumph for the team Hamlin co-owns with legendary sportsman Michael Jordan or the team owned by restaurant franchisee and NASCAR lifer Bob Jenkins too. The ...Keep reading
#23xi#front-row#antitrust#hamlin#jordan
2/11/2026, 7:52:41 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin says Joe Gibbs went above and beyond with his family over the last year and leading up to the tragic house fire that claimed the life of his father Dennis and briefly hospitalized mother Mary Lou.
The 60-race Cup Series winner was asked if business partner Michael Jordan has been available to him given that his own father was murdered in a 1993 robbery. Hamlin said Jordan has ...Keep reading
#hamlin#jordan
2/11/2026, 6:57:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
So, as people have noticed by now, Joey Logano is bald.
Completely.
After years of treating an autoimmune issue with hair growth treatments, one that he even turned into a sponsorship with HairClub for Men, the three-time Cup Series champion has finally embraced the chrome dome look.
He calls it ‘hair-o-dynamic,’ for what it’s worth. He was asked about his ‘hair journey’ on ...Keep reading
2/11/2026, 3:56:16 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR Cup cars got on track at Daytona for the first time on Wednesday, shaking down their cars in morning practice for the 68th running of the Daytona 500.
With qualifying following later in the day, most times were in qualifying trim and focusing on single-car runs. However, there was the occasional drafting and very small groups that formed, impacting the final speed charts. While some ...Keep reading
2/11/2026, 3:00:32 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In NASCAR, every car number has its own identity, statistics, and emotions around it. Some carry with them nearly 80 years of stock car racing history, evoking strong reactions from fans whenever it appears on the track. Others have yet to find their place in the pages of stock car racing greatness, but numerology has always been an interesting trend to follow in a sport where the car numbers are ...Keep reading
2/10/2026, 8:35:32 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR Cup season officially gets underway this weekend with the 68th running of the Daytona 500 on February 15.
Before that, NASCAR sent eighth-generation watermelon farmer and Trackhouse Racing star Ross Chastain to New York City for a very unique activation.
As part of the sport's new 'Hell Yeah' campaign, NASCAR fitted a mock 1:1 replica of a Chevrolet Cup engine to a billboard ...Keep reading
2/10/2026, 7:02:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For some, their Daytona 500 dream will end on Thursday night at the end of the Daytona Duel races. Along with the 36 chartered entries that are guaranteed a spot in the race, nine open entries have also entered the Daytona 500 – bringing the entry list to 45 cars.
The problem is that there are only 41 spots available on the grid for NASCAR's biggest race. Through time trials on Wednesday and ...Keep reading
#charter
2/9/2026, 9:44:11 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion and RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski will be back behind the wheel of the No. 6 Ford Mustang for the 2026 Daytona 500.
The 41-year-old suffered a broken femur while on a Ski trip with his family, about a week before Christmas. He missed out on the Cook Out Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium, where Corey LaJoie drove the No. 6 in his ...Keep reading
2/9/2026, 8:20:08 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In 2026, Ross Chastain will have a new crew chief atop the pit box for the No. 1 Chevrolet. This comes after five seasons with Phil Surgen, who led Chastain to each of his six wins as a NASCAR Cup Series driver.
The duo nearly won the 2022 Cup Series championship together, ending that season as the first runner-up in points. Their final race win together was the 2025 Coca-Cola 600, prevailing ...Keep reading
2/9/2026, 8:06:08 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ultimately, Kevin Harvick believes the Cookout Clash on Wednesday was a messy affair not because of the winter weather or the tires used because of them but rather how drivers inevitably respond to being pushed around.
The comments were made on Thursday during the latest episode of his Happy Hour YouTube show in response to a question from co-host Kaitlyn Vincie about the well-documented ...Keep reading
2/7/2026, 8:19:26 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
When the Daytona 500 begins next Sunday, the entire field will immediately go into fuel conservation mode and it frustrates a portion of the fan base every year.
The reason drivers spend large portions of the race at half throttle or less in the Great American Race is that using less fuel will allow them to need less when they come down pit road.
Because the competition package with this car ...Keep reading
2/6/2026, 11:12:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The NASCAR Cup Series Rule Book received a slew of preseason updates in advance of the final weekend before regular season racing begins next week at Daytona International Speedway.
One marginally altered the qualifying procedures for the Daytona 500 and the other banned the practice of drivers placing their hands against their window nets during qualifying in the pursuit of less drag.
The ...Keep reading
2/5/2026, 9:08:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR’s senior competition leadership says there were ‘multiple layers’ to the decision to let teams refuel without penalty on Wednesday in the middle of a sleet-affected and caution-riddled Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
The decision drew the ire of several crew chiefs, those who filled their tank before the start of the race or those who took fuel at the expense of their track ...Keep reading
2/5/2026, 8:02:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin returned from a tumultuous off-season by scoring an eventful top-5 in the Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Wednesday night.
Like much of the field, it wasn’t pretty, and Hamlin survived the chaos better than his peers more than anything else, but it was a top-5. He did it in his first race this season in which he will have to start nursing a re-injured surgically repaired ...Keep reading
#hamlin
2/5/2026, 6:59:57 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Carson Hocevar isn't going anywhere, signing a long-term contract extension with Spire Motorsports that extends all the way into the 2030s.
The 23-year-old went full-time in the Cup Series in 2024 with Spire, and has helped elevate the team as one that can compete for race wins. While he is has yet to reach Victory Lane at the Cup level, Hocevar has three top fives and 15 top tens in 81 ...Keep reading
2/5/2026, 6:06:26 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is back, and the season got its unofficial start with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. The event was delayed several days due to historic snowfall, and ended up racing through rain and sleet as Mother Nature continued to throw curveballs at NASCAR.
But in the end, we saw something that's only ever happened twice before -- a driver won the Clash before actually winning a ...Keep reading
2/5/2026, 8:49:15 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Just over a year ago, Brandon Wilkinson was still spotting Super Late Models full-time across the Southeast.
Now, and while it doesn’t officially count, he is a first-time Cup Series spotter alongside his driver Ryan Preece and crew chief Derrick Finley after dominating the second half of the Cookout Clash on Wednesday night.
It doesn’t count because the Cookout Clash is a preseason ...Keep reading
2/5/2026, 8:00:03 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For the first time ever, the NASCAR Cup Series got to experience a full episode of The Ryan Preece Show because Wednesday night in the Cookout Clash was exactly that.
It was also the unedited, unfiltered ‘fuck yeah’ version of the show, too.
This was Preece Lightning, the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion, and a racer who was the man to beat every time he unloaded across the eastern ...Keep reading
2/5/2026, 4:27:22 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It was just a non-points exhibition race but the Cup Series garage did not feel like the Cookout Clash was the finest hour from race control to those on the ground directly communicating with teams.
Walking through the garage, there were several crew chiefs and veteran crew members who felt like the Sanctioning Body needed to do some work over the next week to mend some fences between ...Keep reading
2/5/2026, 3:46:56 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Shane van Gisbergen spent the first half of the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray in the back half of the field. During that first time, he got into it with Austin Cindric and former Trackhouse teammate Daniel Suarez.
At one point, he spun Cindric out in frustration and radioed, "People just kept running into me and I got sick of it."
In regards to Suarez, he added: "It's the third time the ...Keep reading
2/4/2026, 10:20:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In a field of 18 desperate drivers, only the top two finishers + the points provisional (Alex Bowman) were going to transfer from the last-chance-qualifier (LCQ) into the main event for the Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Bowman was happy to take the points provisional on offer to him (as the highest driver from the 2025 championship not yet locked in) instead of racing for it and risking ...Keep reading
2/4/2026, 8:45:59 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After shaking down their cars in practice and cleaning up some ‘weepers’ of water caused by melting snow, qualifying got underway for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray.
In this format, the 20 fastest drivers advance directly into the main event, while positions 21-38 will transfer to the last-chance qualifier. Only the top two finishers from the LCQ will get to take part in the pre-season ...Keep reading
2/4/2026, 7:07:56 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For the next week and a half, Corey Lajoie is what he has been for much of this decade, a NASCAR Cup Series driver.
With Brad Keselowski suffering from a broken right femur suffered in a fall on ice during a family skiing trip on December 18, Lajoie got the call to race in the Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in the famed RFK Racing No. 6. This is in addition to his previously scheduled ...Keep reading
2/4/2026, 6:32:53 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin is not 100 percent right now after an emotional rollercoaster of a winter and he may not get there until after the end of the 2026 season concludes.
That is because, in addition to the death of his father in a house fire that also hospitalized his mother, Hamlin also re-tore the right shoulder he got surgically repaired after the 2023 season. This happened during a fall while going ...Keep reading
#hamlin
2/4/2026, 3:32:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR isn’t typically known as a winter sport but they’ve decided to use their tools in order to help Team USA go faster at the Winter Olympics. The NASCAR research and development team is building virtual models of Olympic athletes and creating life size 3D printed versions of them in order to do wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) testing in order to find tweaks to help the ...Keep reading
2/4/2026, 3:01:03 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR will hold the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Wednesday, February 4th, after historic snwofall slammed the region. However, the threat of inclement weather remains. If it rains, NASCAR does have wet-weather tires and is willing to race in the rain at short tracks.
For those who may be unfamiliar with this event's purpose on the schedule, 'The Clash' is a pre-season exhibition ...Keep reading
2/3/2026, 9:45:54 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In hindsight, the Cook Out Clash could have been run on Tuesday but when the decision was made on Sunday to run the preseason exhibition on Wednesday, there were so many variables for numerous decision-makers to sort through.
It’s objectively true that the snowstorm that passed through North Carolina was one of the five most impactful in the history of the state. In Winston-Salem, where the ...Keep reading
2/3/2026, 9:13:19 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In a late move coming just weeks before the start of the 2026 season, NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway have decided to take the Charlotte Roval off the calendar, replacing the sixth race of The Chase with a traditional oval race.
Marcus Smith, the CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI), confirmed the news first reported by The Athletic in a Tuesday appearance on the Dale Jr. Download. He ...Keep reading
2/3/2026, 2:26:44 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is returning to a version of a championship format it used from 2004 to 2013 but two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch ponders if this is really for the best.
“I thought we got away from it for a reason in the past,” said Kyle Busch during a Monday morning appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “So, I’m not real sure why we went back to it. The reasons why we sort of went away ...Keep reading
2/2/2026, 7:29:29 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Work continues to prepare Bowman Gray Stadium for racing on Wednesday (weather-permitting). The pre-season exhibition race known as the 'Cook Out Clash' has already been postponed several days due to historic snowfall throughout North Carolina.
The track itself has already been cleared of snow, but work continues in the grandstands and surrounding areas as temperatures finally punch above ...Keep reading
2/1/2026, 9:06:03 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, originally scheduled for this weekend, and then postponed to Monday is now scheduled to take place on Wednesday night.
A truly historic snowstorm affected the vast majority of North Carolina on Saturday and state resources are required for clean-up before anything can be devoted to the NASCAR Cup Series preseason exhibition event. While most of the ...Keep reading
2/1/2026, 7:35:15 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Historic snowfall in North Carolina has forced NASCAR to postpone its pre-season exhibition race yet again. Originally, the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium was supposed to take place over Saturday and Sunday.
With a bomb cyclone dropping nearly a foot of snow across the region, NASCAR has had to change their plans several times. The Clash was condensed down into one-day event on Sunday ...Keep reading
1/31/2026, 4:11:42 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NEW UPDATE: The race has been postponed yet again, with the new plan to go racing on Wednesday, February 4
Read Also:
NASCAR CupNASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray postponed once again after historic snowfall
The entire Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray will take place on Monday, February 2nd as the track is currently being hammered with a winter storm that is dropping several ...Keep reading
1/30/2026, 9:40:15 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
UPDATE: The Clash has been postponed to Wednesday, February 4, with a high temperature above 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) and a low of 25, with the temperature hovering around freezing at the green flag.
Read Also:
NASCAR CupNASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray postponed once again after historic snowfall
So how cold is too cold for NASCAR?
Well, on Sunday, February 25th, 1990 ...Keep reading
1/30/2026, 8:28:17 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary findings after a 43-day investigation into the aviation incident that killed NASCAR veteran Greg Biffle, his immediate family, two pilots and one other associated individual at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.
A full report will still take 12 to 18 additional months to complete. NTSB preliminary reports do not ...Keep reading
1/29/2026, 9:22:17 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NEW UPDATE -- The entire Clash has been pushed to Wednesday, February 4. CLICK HERE for new event schedule.
Read Also:
NASCAR CupNASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray postponed once again after historic snowfall
NASCAR's pre-season exhibition race known as 'The Clash' continues to face a major obstacle in the form of winter weather. As crews clear the track and surrounding area ...Keep reading
1/28/2026, 7:20:05 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On one hand, the 2025 season was a success for Josh Berry, in that it produced his first Cup Series victory and for the Wood Brothers no less. On the other hand, there were also stretches where a lot was left on the table and left them wondering what could have been.
Specifically, the iconic No. 21 was amongst the fastest in the entire field in the first round of the playoffs, but Berry also ...Keep reading
1/27/2026, 8:45:33 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
LATEST UPDATE: The Clash will run as a one-day event on Wednesday due to the snowfall in Winstom, Salem NC
Read Also:
NASCAR CupNASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray postponed once again after historic snowfall
NASCAR's unofficial start to the 2026 season is in jeopardy due to winter weather. Winter Storm Fern left Bowman Gray Stadium covered in snow just days before the ...Keep reading
1/26/2026, 5:42:12 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
One of the greatest race car drivers in Ford Performance history, three-time champion Joey Logano has a deep appreciation for the history of the Blue Oval marque and it shows in the form of his 1924 Model T.
Logano has called it ‘my favorite car in my collection’ and ‘the most challenging car to drive,’ but loves it because ‘it is what made Ford, Ford,’ and thus a prize in his ...Keep reading
1/23/2026, 5:52:57 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Hendrick Motorsports says its all-new 35,000 square-foot training center rivals those seen in some of the top athletic colleges at professional sports team, and the pictures and videos released of the inside appear to support that claim. They scouted several complexes for inspiration, including Clemson, Auburn and Alabama, as well as the MLS' Charlotte FC and even Fort Bragg.
In partnership ...Keep reading
1/22/2026, 9:07:21 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
‘The Complaint here is filled with inflammatory and disingenuous rhetoric, but none of it shows any wrongful conduct by Pacific Life.’
This is the key component of the argument made by Pacific Life Insurance in a legal filing on Thursday morning that motioned Judge Matthew E. Orso of the Western District of North Carolina to dismiss the lawsuit brought forth against it and an independent ...Keep reading
#lawsuit
1/22/2026, 7:30:40 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chandler Smith will attempt to qualify for the 68th running of the Daytona 500 next month. He will pilot the No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang. FRM also has three chartered cars with locked in spots -- the No. 4 of Noah Gragson, the No. 34 of Todd Gilliland, and the No. 38 of Zane Smith.
Smith also competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with FRM. He has made two ...Keep reading
#front-row#charter
1/20/2026, 7:29:38 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
RFK Racing will bring four cars to the 68th running of the Daytona 500 in February. Alongside the charted entries of Chris Buescher (No. 17), Ryan Preece (No. 60), and team co-owner Brad Keselowski (No. 6), the team will add an additional open entry.
Corey LaJoie will drive the No. 99 Ford Mustang and will attempt to qualify for NASCAR’s biggest race. While that car number was utilized by ...Keep reading
1/20/2026, 6:50:45 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Burt Myers will be back behind the wheel of a NASCAR Cup car in the pre-season Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. He will again drive the No. 50 Chevrolet for Team Amerivet. In 2025, he failed to advance into the main event after a crash involving Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who was humorously part of the team's 2026 announcement video.
Myers made his official Cup debut in a points-paying race when ...Keep reading
1/20/2026, 2:49:25 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In 2025, we got accustomed to seeing the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in Victory Lane, courtesy of Connor Zilisch and his ten wins.
For this year, it was already announced that Rajah Caruth will pilot the car in 23 of 33 NOAPS races during the 2026 season.
However, we now know who will drive the car in the other ten events. With Hendrick Motorsports taking its No. 17 full-time with ...Keep reading
1/20/2026, 2:07:59 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Beard Motorsports will be among the open cars attempting to qualify for the 68th running of the Daytona 500 next month with its No. 62 Chevrolet. Anthony Alfredo will be the driver with DUDE Wipes as the primary sponsor.
Alfredo failed to make the 500 last year, but the same duo made the cut in 2024. Alfredo started 39th and finished 27th.
“There is nothing like being in Daytona Beach in ...Keep reading
1/19/2026, 6:41:27 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There was minimal movement throughout the NASCAR Cup Series garage during the off-season, but still enough to talk about. Beyond driver moves, there were also a couple of manufacturer changes and a flurry of crew chief swaps that will be notable stories to follow during the year.
Here's a look at what's different for 2026:
Drivers on the move
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing ...Keep reading
1/16/2026, 11:18:50 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
A massive NASCAR Rule Book update was posted on Friday and removes every instance of ‘the playoffs’ and ‘playoff points’ to reflect the return of the Chase for the Championship format this season.
Essentially, this codifies the new regulations with NASCAR also making several adjacent adjustments alongside other items that needed addressing after consideration over the ...Keep reading
1/16/2026, 4:32:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of those present for NASCAR's announcement earlier in the month, revealing the return of The Chase and more emphasis put on points-racing.
He was a big fan of the changes, which those within the sport say adds legitimacy to the championship, even if the NASCAR Hall of Famer still prefers a full, 36-race format. He confirmed that in a recent episode of the Dale Jr ...Keep reading
1/14/2026, 7:46:59 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, their son Ryder and his daughter Emma were among seven killed in a tragic plane crash on December 18th in Statesville, North Carolina. Dennis Dutton, son Jack Dutton, and Craig Wadsworth were also killed in the the accident, which remains under investigation from the NTSB.
Weeks later, WCNC Charlotte and other local outlets report that the ...Keep reading
1/13/2026, 6:05:17 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR has a new championship format for 2026, and the overwhelming reaction has been positive. But what exactly has changed with this latest iteration and why is it such a good thing? Let's take a look:
Looking over the format, it is much better in regards to rewarding the best driver during each particular season. The eliminations and multiple rounds/resets are completely gone, replaced by a ...Keep reading
1/13/2026, 5:10:37 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Garett Mitchell, better known as the popular YouTuber Cleetus McFarland, began his stock car racing career last year in the ARCA Menard's Series. He did so under the guidance of NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, who became close friends with Mitchell over the past 1.5 years.
However, Biffle was among seven who lost their lives in December plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina. They were planning ...Keep reading
1/13/2026, 1:30:56 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The return of The Chase for the Championship has immediately been pitched to NASCAR fans as a return to civility.
This of course doesn’t mean a loss of intensity or consequence but those who were part of the announcement on Monday at NASCAR Productions believe that points racing will result in a product that is a little more professional.
And in the process, everyone involved ultimately ...Keep reading
1/12/2026, 9:56:16 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR's championship format has just undergone its latest change, but it's far from the first time the Sanctioning Body has tweaked the way it crowns a champion.
Red Byron winning the inaugural season in 1949, The King earning his first crown in 1971, Dale Earnhardt winning his seventh in 1994, Jimmie Johnson's historic run of five in-a-row in 2010, and Kyle Larson's latest triumph in 2025 -- ...Keep reading
1/12/2026, 9:01:45 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Starting in 2026, NASCAR will revert to a variation of the Chase for the Championship format it used to crown its champions from 2004-to-2013.
In other words, no more win and you’re in and no more multiple elimination rounds. Most importantly, the sample size to determine the champion is no longer a single race but a 10-race points race.
However, unlike NASCAR’s first version of a ...Keep reading
1/9/2026, 3:49:53 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On Friday, Front Row Motorsports announced some personnel changes to its organization. Of note, Noah Gragson and the No. 4 team will have a new crew chief this year.
Grant Hutchens will sit atop the pit box for Gragson this year, replacing Drew Blickensderfer, who moves into the role of Competition Director. Hutchens has worked as a Cup crew chief before, but only in a handful of races between ...Keep reading
#front-row
1/8/2026, 10:09:30 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
While Brad Keselowski continues his recovery, he will opt out of the pre-season exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Keselowski suffered a broken leg while skiing with his family on December 18th, and underwent successful surgery soon after. The 68th running of the Daytona 500 follows takes place on February 15th, but The Clash is a full two weeks earlier.
While the 41-year-old ...Keep reading
1/7/2026, 7:36:43 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Taking advantage of the Open Exemption Provisional, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will have a guaranteed spot in the 68th running of the Daytona 500.
The Open Exemption Provisional, which was created one year ago, can be utilized by a non-chartered team with a world-class driver to ensure them spot on the grid for any race where the field eclipses the maximum number of ...Keep reading
#charter
1/7/2026, 4:42:44 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Last month, NASCAR legend Greg Biffle was among seven killed in a tragic plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina. The veteran driver spent the majority of his career with RFK Racing, and in remembrance of him, they have put together new display at the team museum in honor of Biffle.
The new display includes the car Biffle won his 19th and final Cup race with at Michigan in 2013, which was ...Keep reading
1/7/2026, 12:05:15 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Longtime NASCAR executive, and formerly Daytona International Speedway president, Chip Wile is taking over as Drivers’ Advisory Council executive director.
Wile assumes the position previously held by Cup Series veteran Jeff Burton, who is remaining with the group as an advisor. From the press release announcing the organizational structure for 2026, ‘the move is part of a broader effort ...Keep reading
1/6/2026, 2:49:06 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Steve Phelps became NASCAR's first Commissioner in March of 2025 after previously working as the president of NASCAR since 2018.
However, he will leave that position at the end of January, and NASCAR does not plan to replace the role of Commissioner for the time being. Instead, his duties will be shared by other existing executives. As for why there won't be someone else appointed to the role ...Keep reading
1/5/2026, 6:35:17 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Legacy Motor Club has made some personnel changes ahead of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season. They have named Justin Alexander as the new crew chief for Erik Jones and the No. 43 LMC Toyota Camry XSE, replacing Ben Beshore in the role.
Alexander has plenty of experience atop the pit box, winning five races with Austin Dillon at Richard Childress Racing, including the 2017 Coca Cola 600 and the 2018 ...Keep reading
1/1/2026, 12:54:03 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On the whole, the 2025 NASCAR season was a memorable one for a lot of reasons.
There was pretty good competition on the big tracks during the summer months, continued progress on short tracks with the fourth year NextGen and the culmination of a 15-month legal process that made it all the way to trial.
Kyle Larson emerged the champion for the second time in his career, while the entire ...Keep reading
12/30/2025, 5:16:59 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin's father, Dennis Hamlin, has died after injuries sustained in a house fire in Stanley, North Carolina, on Sunday. Hamlin's mother, Mary Lou, 69, is currently being treated at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center and is listed in critical condition.
The fire's cause is still under investigation. Still reeling from a tragic December 18th plane crash that claimed the life ...Keep reading
#hamlin
12/29/2025, 3:23:04 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Dennis Hamlin, the father to NASCAR Cup Series veteran Denny Hamlin, died on Sunday evening when the house he shared with wife MaryLou in Stanley, North Carolina.
The elder Hamlin was 75-years-old.
Both Dennis and MaryLou were outside of their still burning home when the Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department and other safety crews arrived to extinguish the flames. At this point, roughly 45 percent ...Keep reading
#hamlin
12/23/2025, 6:05:32 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On Thursday of last week, 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion and RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski suffered a broken leg while on a skiing trip with his family.
Keselowski underwent successful surgery and after a few days in the hospital, he has been released. He promised to "work relentlessly" in order to be ready to compete at the highest level of stock car racing in 2026.
"Rolling out of ...Keep reading
12/22/2025, 4:48:53 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Garrett Mitchell, a popular YouTuber more commonly referred to as Cleetus McFarland, had only known Greg Biffle for about 1.5 years, but they had quickly become close friends, and they were planning to spend the day together when the fatal plane crash occurred.
Biffle, his wife Cristinia, their son Ryder, and his son Emma were among seven killed in a tragic plane crash last week. The accident ...Keep reading
12/20/2025, 8:54:39 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
A Saturday press conference offered just a brief update from the National Transportation Safety Board concerning the aviation incident on Thursday morning that claimed the lives of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his family, and three others.
By Friday, the NTSB had formally begun its investigation into the incident that took place at the Statesville Regional Airport but had scant details as ...Keep reading
12/19/2025, 10:04:59 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
While noting the news is 'untimely' as RFK Racing and the NASCAR community are still coming to terms with the tragic plane crash that claimed the life of Greg Biffle and six others, the team has confirmed that Brad Keselowski suffered a broken leg on Thursday.
Keselowski, who drives the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford and is a co-owner at the race team, was skiing with his family when the accident took ...Keep reading
12/19/2025, 9:14:00 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The National Transportation Safety Board has started its investigation into the aviation incident that killed Greg Biffle, his family and three others on Thursday morning at Statesville Regional Airport.
While a preliminary report will be released within 30 days, a full investigation will take 12 to 18 months before the publishing of a final report.
NTSB Member Michael Graham conducted a ...Keep reading
12/18/2025, 9:28:14 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Greg Biffle was just days away from his 56th birthday when he died in a tragic plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina, which occurred on Thursday morning. Among the passengers were Biffle's wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder, as well Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton, and his son Jack Dutton.
‘The Biff’ is being remembered by the NASCAR community in an outpouring of tributes, but ...Keep reading
12/18/2025, 9:06:02 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Unfortunately, NASCAR has been rattled by another tragedy involving aircraft. On Thursday morning, Greg Biffle and his family were among those killed in an accident at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.
A champion in both the Craftsman Truck and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, achieving double-digit victories at all three national levels of the sport, Biffle was a true legend of ...Keep reading
12/18/2025, 7:14:05 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Retired NASCAR star Greg Biffle alongside wife Cristina Grossu Biffle, daughter Emma, son Ryder and three others were killed in an aviation crash on Thursday morning at Statesville Regional Airport north of Charlotte, North Carolina.
First Sergeant Chris Knox of the North Carolina Highway Patrol first confirmed the death of the Biffle family and added it was 'one of the worst crashes' he had ...Keep reading
12/16/2025, 4:19:47 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
19-year-old Connor Zilisch will be racing at Daytona next year a few weeks before his Daytona 500 debut. The Trackhouse star will take part in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona for the third time in his young career,
Zilisch will drive the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R as a co-drier to Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti.
The teenager won in his very first Rolex 24 ...Keep reading
12/10/2025, 11:06:19 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Lionel Racing has revealed the ten best-selling diecasts from the 2025 NASCAR season, counting them down throughout the day on Wednesday.
In 2024, Dale Earnhardt Jr. reminded everyone just how popular he is when his Budweiser-backed Late Model car beat all other diecasts from the year. In 2023, Kevin Harvick's return to the No. 29 for the All-Star Race with a recreation of his 2001 scheme on ...Keep reading
12/8/2025, 1:26:22 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On Monday, Rick Ware Racing (RWR) confirmed that they will change manufacturers, moving from Ford to Chevrolet ahead of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season.
One of the few one-car teams remaining with a charter, RWR will also form a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing and ECR engines. It is reportedly a multi-year partnership.
Ware's team finished last in points among charters teams this ...Keep reading
#charter
12/7/2025, 1:10:53 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Racing deep into the night in Pensacola, Florida, 13-year-old Keelan Harvick became the youngest winner in the history of the Snowflake 125. He won the prestigious Pro Lade Model race in his first-ever attempt as well.
The event didn't go green until around 1:30am local time, with Luke Baldwin starting the race from pole position. Keelan, the son of 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin ...Keep reading
12/6/2025, 12:36:06 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Michael Annett, who turned 39 years old this year, has tragically passed away. Annett competed at all three national levels of the sport, and was a winner in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts (formerly Xfinity) Series. No details have been provided regarding the nature of Annett's passing at this time.
Annett was a full-time Cup driver from 2014 through 2016 as well, starting 106 races and ...Keep reading
12/3/2025, 9:34:30 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After days of rumors swirling around the NASCAR world, the Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press was able to confirm that Chris Gabehart has left Joe Gibbs Racing on Wednesday.
Joe Gibbs Racing has made no statement regarding Gabehart's departure as of the writing of this story, nor has Gabehart spoken publicly on it. He is likely to continue working in the sport for another organization in ...Keep reading
12/3/2025, 5:18:56 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR's Most Popular Driver will have an updated look for 2026 with some changes made the NAPA Auto Parts paint scheme on his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
The NAPA No. 9 will continue with its blue/white color combination, but the big changes come along the door. After going almost fully blue in 2025, the car will bring back some white along the door while including a blue stripe with ...Keep reading
12/3/2025, 4:50:43 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chevrolet is updating the Camaro that they race in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2026 and bringing the most drastic changes to the body since the launch of the Next Gen car. While it may appear similar to the outgoing car at first glance, the Camaro ZL1 Cup car sees updates to every available body panel that NASCAR allows and is poised to be faster at short tracks and intermediates along with ...Keep reading
11/24/2025, 1:48:26 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The 2025 season marks a decade in which the NASCAR Cup Series has functionally operated under the ‘charter agreement,’ but it’s also the first year of the second document and first extension to an agreement first crafted in advance of the 2016 season.
It’s also the first season that began with a lawsuit with two teams alleging federal antitrust violations against the sanctioning body ...Keep reading
#charter#lawsuit#antitrust