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
1/14/2026, 5:16:38 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Niece Motorsports has announced Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as the driver of the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.
Stenhouse is a veteran of the NASCAR Cup Series with over 400 starts and four wins -- all at superspeedways. He won the summer Daytona race in 2017, but his crowning achievement came in 2023 as the winner of 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, 3:17:51 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is back, at least for one race at the national level of NASCAR.
Stewart, who is now 54 years old but still actively racing, will pilot the 'free agent' truck for Kaulig Racing and Ram in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. 'Smoke' hasn't started a NASCAR race since retiring from the Cup Series at ...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
1/10/2026, 4:52:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The next Cup Series star in the making is already waiting in the wings, and in stock car racing, the final two steps before the big show on Sunday are the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS) and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS)
Last year, we named Connor Zilisch as our No. 1 prospect, and it should surprise no one that he went on to dominate the season as an Xfinity Series driver ...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
1/8/2026, 3:35:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 1 Toyota Tundra for Tricon Garage when NASCAR heads to Naval Base Coronado for a unique street race in San Diego, California.
Johnson, a California native, will also be attempting doubly duty that weekend as he plans to run the NASCAR Cup Series race as well. Carvana will sponsor both efforts.
While Johnson has over 700 ...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
11/20/2025, 4:45:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The nominees have been announced for the 38th edition of the Autosport Awards, and you can be part of it by participating in The Fan Vote. NASCAR has a presence across the list of nominees, which we will highlight below:
Rookie of the Year
Connor Zilisch, JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Photo by: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images
Two NASCAR drivers were nominated for the 'Rookie of ...Keep reading
11/18/2025, 11:17:59 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
JR Motorsports is running it back in the Daytona 500 in 2026 with Justin Allgaier after a successful Cup Series debut in which they scored a top 10 in the No. 40 car with Traveller Whiskey.
It was a meaningful race for co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt-Miller, whom aren’t sure if racing full-time in the Cup Series will ever come to fruition, so having made at least one ...Keep reading
11/18/2025, 7:41:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Even before the NASCAR Cup Series began utilizing the single source supplied NextGen car, Chase Elliott was waving a red flag urging the community to consider the perils of spec racing.
He said that passing in the previous generation car became an increasingly more challenging proposition because the tighter rule book kept teams in a tighter box. In short, the more cars are the same, the closer ...Keep reading
11/18/2025, 6:49:23 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chase Elliott basically says his 2025 season was good but not great.
Two wins 11 top-5s19 top-5s
While Elliott finished eighth in the current championship format, he did score the fourth most points overall from Daytona in February to Phoenix in November, a testament to the season-long consistency the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team is known for over the course of the past three ...Keep reading
11/17/2025, 10:16:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Hendrick Automotive Group inked a $2.25 million contract with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in August.
The story was first reported by The Washington Post with a follow-up report this week by Charlotte, North Carolina television station WBTV. According to the contract, the agreement was for the sale of 25 Chevrolet Tahoes.
Hendrick Automotive Group is owned by NASCAR ...Keep reading
11/17/2025, 9:03:48 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Carson Hocevar simply wants to be the kind of driver he grew up watching while NASCAR itself is working diligently to create content that spotlights these kinds of personalities.
This is the kind of process that led to the creation of RISING, a documentary series releasing on YouTube with a new episode at 7 ET every night this week, that spotlights young guns Hocevar, Jesse Love and Rajah ...Keep reading
11/15/2025, 9:03:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Will Denny Hamlin race in the NASCAR Cup Series next season after yet another championship heartbreak?
The answer is ‘yes.’
However, had Hamlin closed out on that elusive championship earlier in the month at Phoenix Raceway, he would have 'begged' team owner Joe Gibbs to let him drop the figurative mic and set sail into retirement. It wouldn't have mattered that he still had two more ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/15/2025, 12:19:30 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
JR Motorsports (JRM), co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, is going Cup racing again next year.
The highly successful NASCAR Xfinity Series team (soon to be rebranded as the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series) made its Cup debut in the 67th running of the Daytona 500, earlier this year.
Justin Allgaier, who won the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series ...Keep reading
11/14/2025, 2:40:22 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Update: Judge Kenneth D. Bell is ordering Hendrick to find time for deposition.
"The Court will not require Plaintiffs to depose Mr. Hendrick after the trial begins but will not exclude his testimony at this time. The Parties and witness are directed to work cooperatively to find a time prior to trial for a 2.5-hour deposition of Mr. Hendrick. So Ordered."
--
After a court decision forced ...Keep reading
#23xi#front-row
11/14/2025, 2:34:43 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chevrolet has unveiled its new body for the 2026 NASCAR Cup season. They have been utilizing the Camaro ZL1 since 2018, which succeeded the Chevy SS, and will continue to do so with an updated design for next season.
In a release, Chevrolet explained that they wanted to align it with their recently released Camaro ZL1 Carbon Performance Package accessories kit. The changes include a larger hood ...Keep reading
11/12/2025, 8:34:36 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR has revealed the official start times for the 2026 NASCAR Cup, O'Reilly Auto Parts, and Craftsman Truck Series seasons.
The complete schedule was officially in August, and details on the 2026 changes can be found HERE. But on Wednesday, NASCAR finally announced when these races will air and which networks will broadcast them (all times EST).
The Cup season will feature nine ...Keep reading
11/11/2025, 10:03:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season begins now in a manner of speaking.
There will be two days of tire testing on Wednesday and Thursday for Goodyear to continue refining its tire combinations for the high-speed half-mile following drastic racing product swings that range from traditional racing to extreme tire wear.
The swing is largely believed to be a byproduct of temperatures, with cooler ...Keep reading
11/11/2025, 1:41:55 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On one hand, Michael McDowell didn’t win a race this season, in his first season with Spire Motorsports so that was a mission unaccomplished but there is also a privilege in that pressure that motivates him.
For example, at 40-years-old, some in NASCAR would start pondering what comes after driving and that is especially true for a devout family man that has a wife and five children at ...Keep reading
11/7/2025, 4:50:31 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Trackhouse Racing put together a video announcing the car number for each its of 2026 Cup Series drivers. The team is putting aside its original number, the No. 99, which Daniel Suarez drove for five seasons before parting ways with the organization at the end of this year.
Unsurprisingly, Ross Chastain will continue to pilot the No. 1 he has driven to all six of Cup victories, including the ...Keep reading
11/6/2025, 1:49:33 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Overall, year-to-year, the NASCAR Cup Series experienced a 14 percent drop in television ratings for the 2025 season.
To wrap up this season, the Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway drew 2.77 million viewers on NBC, down from the 2.9 million it drew last year. Last year, overall, the NASCAR Cup Series drew 2.892 million, which was a one percent increase from the 2023 season, while ...Keep reading
11/5/2025, 9:56:25 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On the weekend of June 19-21, NASCAR's three national divisions will compete at a brand new course at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego -- the first-ever NASCAR event to be run on an active military base.
That historic event will include an entry by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and California native Jimmie Johnson. The co-owner at Legacy Motor Club will drive the No. 84 Toyota Camry ...Keep reading
11/5/2025, 6:51:01 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Is it too early to think about the 2026 NASCAR Cup title? Yes, but that's not stopping sports bettors like BeT MGM. We still don't know if 2026 will feature a elimination-style format with an extended final round, a ten-season playoffs, or a return to a season-long points system.
Regardless of the final format, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin are likely early favorites, and BetMGM agrees. Both the ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/5/2025, 6:10:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin has been racing in the NASCAR Cup Series for 20 years, ending the year inside the top five in the championship standings ten times.
That impressive career includes 60 career wins (tied for tenth on the all-time wins list), three Daytona 500 trophies, three Southern 500 triumphs, and a Coca-Cola 600. He's even won the All-Star Race. And while Hamlin has never won a NASCAR Cup ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/5/2025, 1:24:46 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Chase Elliott was first voted NASCAR Cup's Most Popular Driver in 2018, and he has held that title ever since. He now won the National Motorsports Press Association award for the eighth consecutive year. His father Bill won the award 16 times between 1984 and 2002.
This is also the 35th consecutive year a member of the Earnhardt or Elliott family has won the fan-chosen award. Prior to the ...Keep reading
11/5/2025, 12:04:32 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The most unfortunate part of how everything went down on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race is that the bitter defeat of Denny Hamlin superseded any kind of celebration for Kyle Larson.
Hamlin led 208 laps of a race that was scheduled for go 312 but was extended to 318 due to overtime as a result of William Byron crashing after suffering a tire failure. Larson ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/4/2025, 4:47:19 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After a tearful loss in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship race, plans to place Connor Zilisch in the upcoming World Endurance Championship (WEC) rookie test at Bahrain International Circuit have been tabled.
By finishing second in the championship in the one-race finale, Zilisch does not possess the ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States) license points needed to ...Keep reading
11/4/2025, 3:57:15 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Looking at the NASCAR Cup Series grid, there are eleven multi-car teams with sizes ranging from two to four cars. But which driver from each can claim to be the best?
Motorsport.com considered race wins, average finish, head-to-head weekly battles, and the final championship result of each of the team's full-time drivers in deciding who was the 'No. 1 driver' within each organization. Part-time ...Keep reading
11/3/2025, 7:23:17 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Kyle Larson is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Denny Hamlin is left to face the toughest loss of his entire career, and tire issues wreak havoc on championship Sunday. Phoenix certainly delivered a show, and yet, there was simply sadness and disbelief from many fans after the checkered flag.
The 2025 season is officially over, inspection is clear, and now we are left to pick apart 319 ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/3/2025, 7:05:54 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The emotions and tensions after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race could be cut with a figurative knife.
The four championship finalists, their respective fanbases, and everyone in the industry had been taken on a whirlwind journey on Sunday afternoon. There were various points throughout the race where everyone thought their chances of winning were ruined.
Chase Briscoe had a flat ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/3/2025, 3:25:48 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Goodyear brought a softer compound to Phoenix for the NASCAR Cup title-decider, and tire issues began during Friday's practice session. However, no one was sounding the alarm to tire supplier Goodyear. Several crew chiefs admitted to pushing the limit with lower air pressures in order to gain a speed advantage, and there was a similar sentiment after Sunday's wild finale at Phoenix.
Goodyear ...Keep reading
11/3/2025, 2:47:44 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Last weekend, Ryan Blaney was in position to win his way into the the Championship 4, but he had to settle for second and playoff elimination after getting muscled out of the way by William Byron.
One week later, he went out and won the season finale at Phoenix with a last-lap pass on Brad Keselowski. You might think being so close to a title will haunt the driver of the No. 12 Team Penske ...Keep reading
11/3/2025, 1:59:50 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
As Kyle Larson claimed an unexpected title without leading a single lap, Denny Hamlin was forced to settle for second in the championship standings.
Ryan Blaney claimed the checkered flag with a pass on Brad Keselowski in the final corner, while newly crowned two-time Cup Series champion Larson finished third.
This year, 60 different drivers started NASCAR Cup races, but only 43 were ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/3/2025, 1:13:24 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
With just a few laps to go in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series title race, Denny Hamlin appeared set to win it all, with William Byron ending the season as the championship runner-up. But before Hamlin could reach the white flag, the caution flew for yet another tire failure.
This time, it was Byron, who slammed the wall in Turns 3 and 4. His title hopes were over, and Hamlin was put in an impossible ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/3/2025, 12:13:34 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
A dramatic NASCAR Cup finale at Phoenix Raceway ended in a wild overtime restart. Denny Hamlin had dominated the event, but he was deep in the pack after a four-tire call on the final pit stop.
Title rival Kyle Larson opted for two, and the track position difference was enough for the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, who captured his second his second NASCAR Cup title ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/2/2025, 4:38:32 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Later today, four drivers will battle it out for 312 laps around Phoenix Raceway for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Pole-sitter Denny Hamlin chases an elusive crown after two decades while Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe attempts to win it in his first Championship 4 appearance. Hendrick Motorsports seeks to add to their incredible legacy with a 15th title with former champion ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/1/2025, 11:21:01 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin was the straw that stirs the drink in the final Final Four press conference prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.
First, Hamlin was much looser than he was on Friday following a mechanical scare, aided by the fact that he scored pole position on Saturday afternoon. During the NextGen era, the finalist that qualified the best of the four ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/1/2025, 10:09:17 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin 's 20-year quest to become a NASCAR Cup Series champion just got one step closer after securing pole position for the title-decider in Phoenix on Saturday.
Hamlin flew to pole position with a confident-looking 28.914s lap, collecting his 48th career pole and his fifth of the 2025 season.
"We're trying," smiled Hamlin after securing the top spot on the grid. "We're doing ...Keep reading
#hamlin
11/1/2025, 8:42:20 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) was established as All-Star Racing in 1984, while Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) joined NASCAR for the first time in 1992.
Since then, HMS has won 320 races and JGR has won 227, making them the two of the three winningest teams in Cup Series history.
They've also combined to win 19 of the last 30 Cup titles, with Hendrick collecting 14 championships and Gibbs five ...Keep reading
11/1/2025, 8:28:43 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
During the hour-long practice session in Phoenix, the issues began when championship contender Chase Briscoe lost a left rear within five minutes of the start of the session. It was the first of many, and those failures are likely not an anomaly but a result of teams being aggressive with suspension adjustments and tire pressures.
Phoenix Raceway is a unique type of oval because it is ...Keep reading
10/31/2025, 11:34:10 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The final NASCAR Cup Series practice session of the year, for the championship race at Phoenix Raceway, contained no shortage of drama and intrigue.
Overall, there were numerous left side tire failures, and that included a championship finalist.
The first was Chase Briscoe and then two straight left side failures by AJ Allmendinger, the second of which caused a crash that will send him to a ...Keep reading
10/31/2025, 11:27:45 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
During the hour-long practice session in Phoenix, the issues began when championship contender Chase Briscoe lost a left rear within five minutes of the start of the session. It was the first of many, and those failures are likely not an anomaly but a result of teams being aggressive with suspension adjustments and tire pressures.
Phoenix Raceway is a unique type of oval because it is ...Keep reading
10/31/2025, 10:58:47 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The lone practice session for the NASCAR Cup Series title-decider at Phoenix Raceway began with a flurry of tire issues.
It didn't take long for the drama to unfold. As Hamlin pulled out of line and slowed to avoid all the traffic, trouble found his title rival and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe.
The No. 19 slowed down the backstretch with a cut left-rear tire, dragging the ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/31/2025, 7:21:06 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
NASCAR is in a season of change.
Some of it is the result of self-reflection and the changing tides of sport and entertainment, and some of it will eventually be the results of the lawsuit brought against the Sanctioning Body, but things are changing in the Cup Series and around it.
That is a broad summary of the annual state of the sport press conference held every year before championship ...Keep reading
#lawsuit
10/31/2025, 5:15:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Daniel Suarez is about to move to Spire Motorsports, which will be his fifth team since joining the NASCAR Cup Series. However, the majority of his Cup career and both of his wins all came with Trackhouse, who he has raced for since 2021.
This weekend, that era of his career will come to an end, with the team honoring him through a special video message and a unique paint scheme.
But before ...Keep reading
10/31/2025, 4:17:45 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
For three of the four drivers racing for the NASCAR Cup Series championship this weekend, braggadocio is not inherent to their personalities.
Kyle LarsonWilliam ByronChase Briscoe
Sure, Larson is good for what those within the industry call #BluntLarson zingers every now and then but he doesn’t go out of his way to give other teams bulletin board material. Briscoe and Byron are generally ...Keep reading
10/31/2025, 12:40:29 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It’s still a longshot but Denny Hamlin might not be able to say he ‘beat your favorite driver,’ much longer because in a twist of irony, he’s now becoming one of them.
For the first time in his career, the polarizing veteran cracked the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Awards finals, meaning the 44-year-old is one of the five highest vote getters as of this ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/30/2025, 9:46:36 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In a newly released deposition featuring Bob Jenkins, the owner of Front Row Motorsports, he reveals why he chose not to sign the 2025 NASCAR Charter Agreement. Jenkins is the owner of several fast food and restaurant franchises, but he has also been operating a Cup team since 2005.
While being questioned in a June 27th deposition, he was asked directly if 23XI actively tried to convince him to ...Keep reading
#23xi#front-row#charter
10/30/2025, 4:25:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Daniel Suarez has been with several teams throughout his NASCAR Cup career, but none as long as Trackhouse Racing. He was a founding member of the organization, and its first driver in 2021.
The team's first top five, top ten, and laps led all came with Suarez. The Mexican-born driver went on to win two Cup races with Trackhouse in both 2022 at Sonoma and at Atlanta in 2024, where he won in the ...Keep reading
10/30/2025, 11:05:02 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
12 drivers enter this weekend's season finale at Phoenix Raceway with hopes of becoming a NASCAR Cup Series champion, but only three will leave with the hardware.
In the Cup Series, the legendary Joe Gibbs Racing team will have Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe facing the might of Hendrick Motorsports and their drivers, Kyle Larson and William Byron.
In Xfinity, Justin Allgaier will seek to ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/29/2025, 6:49:28 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Mixing up brake pads on a race car can seem counterintuitive at first glance but NASCAR Cup teams often do it on purpose in order to work around the rules and anyone wanting to be competitive at Phoenix this weekend will be trying it.
The NASCAR Next Gen car is mostly assembled with single source parts so teams can’t build custom suspension or brake components but brake pad compounds are not ...Keep reading
10/28/2025, 9:37:26 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
As Taylor Gray earned his first career win at Martinsville and the Championship 4 was set, tempers exploded in the middle of the field.
Jeb Burton, who promised to retaliate against Sam Mayer for an earlier run-in, pushed him out of the way in the final corner. Burton finished sixth, and Mayer only lost one spot to finish seventh.
However, Mayer let the emotions overwhelm him after ...Keep reading
10/27/2025, 11:13:46 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin has suffered mechanical misfortunes throughout the entire playoffs.
As he pointed out on Monday during the latest episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin has either won to advance or suffered an issue that thwarted an otherwise competitive car.
On Saturday, he needed to be pushed off pit road to qualify because his car wouldn’t start without the manual shove. And ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/27/2025, 6:47:36 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It appears that the engine issues suffered on Sunday by Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe were the result of a bad batch of valve springs but there is much larger quality control issue at play regarding Joe Gibbs Racing right now.
First and foremost, Coach Joe Gibbs confirmed ‘valve springs’ on Monday during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
“I think it always concerns you anytime ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/27/2025, 4:17:41 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After 500 laps of racing at Martinsville, William Byron bested Ryan Blaney and claimed victory in a close battle for the win. Byron won his way into the final four, ousting Christopher Bell and joining Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.
Byron led 304 of 500 laps en route to his third win of the year, which was also the 16th of his career. The victory also puts an end to Team Penske's ...Keep reading
10/27/2025, 3:42:01 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The Carolina Cowboys, owned by Richard Childress with grandson Austin Dillon serving as general manager, won the Professional Bull Riding (PBR) Team's Championship over the weekend in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena.
Dillon, a winner of both the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in NASCAR, celebrated the big win with the following post on Instagram:
The Carolina Cowboys ended the regular ...Keep reading
10/27/2025, 12:39:27 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
"This is anyone's race now."
Jeff Gordon said itKyle Larson said it
We all know it.
With William Byron outdueling Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano ultimately being a non-factor in the finish on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, there is not a single Team Penske driver in the Cup Series Final Four.
And given that they have swept the championships in the NextGen era, and in pretty commanding ...Keep reading
10/26/2025, 10:32:56 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It will be a battle of the titans at Phoenix Raceway, as two Hendrick Motorsports drivers and two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers advanced into the Championship 4.
Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe were already locked in via wins at Las Vegas and Talladega, leaving two spots up for grabs at Martinsville. Christopher Bell entered the race with a large margin over the cutline, but only one point between ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/26/2025, 10:14:11 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Sunday at Martinsville was pure domination for William Byron, who led 304 of 500 laps on his way to capturing the checkered flag. He had to deal with Ryan Blaney, who had won the previous two fall races at Martinsville. He elbowed him out of the way, taking the lead with 44 laps to go and never looking back.
"Damn, I got a lot to say (smiling)," said Byron, who now has 16 career wins. "Things ...Keep reading
10/26/2025, 12:51:25 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In all likelihood, William Byron has to win at Martinsville Speedway to reach the NASCAR Cup Series final four next week at Phoenix and will lead the field to green on Sunday at Martinsville.
While the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 driver is pleased with the pole, he isn’t points racing on Sunday and feels like it was just more important to have a race winning car and taking care of it ...Keep reading
10/25/2025, 10:58:50 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Facing a must-win situation, William Byron earned a critical pole position at Martinsville Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver lapped the half-mile short track in 19.286s, beating Ty Gibbs by just fractions — 0.002s — for pole.
This is Byron's 16th career pole and his third of the 2025 season, but the two-time Martinsville winner has never started on the front row for this ...Keep reading
#front-row
10/24/2025, 7:46:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Maybe it’s ‘hell yeah,’ and maybe it’s something else but Tim Clark is working tirelessly to reintroduce the Sanctioning Body and simultaneously remind the world what its sporting values are in an ever-changing landscape.
That was part of a conversation held last week in New York City as part of the Autosport Business Exchange that invited leaders of various global motorsports entities ...Keep reading
10/24/2025, 11:30:03 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Two drivers are guaranteed a spot in the Championship 4 via wins, and they are the Joe Gibbs Racing teammates of Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe.
That leaves six drivers to fight for the remaining two spots at Martinsville this weekend. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson have a large margin over the elimination zone, but there is just one point between the two of them.
A win by Joey Logano ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/23/2025, 4:21:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Front Row Motorsports will make no changes to its driver roster for the 2026 NASCAR Cup season, keeping the same lineup they have now.
Todd Gilliland will continue as the driver of the No. 34, Noah Gragson as the driver of the No. 4, and Zane Smith as the driver of the No. 38.
Smith has actually signed a multi-year contract extension with FRM, which was part of Thursday's ...Keep reading
#front-row
10/22/2025, 6:28:04 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Following their championship race clinching victory earlier in the month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin detailed a conversation he had with team owner Joe Gibbs over the eventual decision to pair him with crew chief Chris Gayle.
Hamlin said, and this is in the aftermath of then crew chief Chris Gabehart being elevated to competition director, that he has roughly 24 hours to agree to ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/22/2025, 5:01:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
After five seasons with Trackhouse Racing, Daniel Suarez will have a new home in 2026, but he will still be with the same manufacturer. NASCAR’s top Mexican-born driver will replace Justin Haley as the driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Suarez is the only foreign-born driver to ever secure a national-level title, winning the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
This will ...Keep reading
10/21/2025, 4:45:39 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
As previously announced, NASCAR isn't returning to the Chicago Street Course in 2026, replacing it with an ambitious new street course on an active Naval base in San Diego.
Naval Base Coronado will host the event just a couple of weeks before the 250th anniversary of the formation of the United States, on the weekend of June 19-21. All three national divisions of the sport will be present for ...Keep reading
10/20/2025, 8:08:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers are guaranteed a spot in the Championship 4, while the remaining six drivers will be left to fight over the final two spots at Martinsville. NASCAR leaves Talladega after a dramatic race from start to finish, featuring an incredible number of lead changes and nonstop action.
In the end, Chase Briscoe passed Bubba Wallace on the final lap as Hendrick Motorsports ...Keep reading
10/20/2025, 3:25:52 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
If just two more drivers had spent a single lap out in front of the field, Sunday's 500-mile NASCAR Cup race at Talladega would have matched the record for different race leaders in a single race. This is the first time since the era of the tandem draft NASCAR has seen these kinds of numbers.
The 2010 Aaron's 499 at Talladega holds the record with 29 different race leaders, followed by the ...Keep reading
10/20/2025, 1:55:40 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The math could not be any simpler for the six drivers still racing for the three remaining spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race.
Chase Briscoe Adv.Denny Hamlin AdvChristopher Bell +37Kyle Larson +38---William Byron -36Joey Logano -38Ryan Blaney -47Chase Elliott -62
William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott will each go to Martinsville Speedway next weekend needing ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/20/2025, 12:59:53 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In many ways, Chase Briscoe and crew chief James Small entered this season feeling as though they were racing for their careers and now they are going to Phoenix to race for the Cup Series championship.
On its face, that sounds kind of crazy because Small won eight times with Martin Truex Jr., including three races back in 2023. Briscoe signed a multi-year deal with Gibbs at the start of ...Keep reading
10/19/2025, 11:35:36 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
The three-time Supercars champion started 31st at Tallladega in his third Cup start at NASCAR's biggest oval track. He quickly climbed through the field, and ended up near the front at several points during the dramatic pack race.
While he didn't lead a lap, Shane van Gisbergen remained in the lead pack for most of the race. Unfortunately, his day nearly came to an end during a cycle of ...Keep reading
10/19/2025, 11:11:35 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin is locked into the Championship 4 after a big win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and now his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe has done the same with a big win at Talladega Superspeedway, taking the lead on the final lap.
The battle around the final two transfer spots will be wild. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson have a large margin over the elimination zone, but there is just ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/19/2025, 10:57:31 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
What happened at the end of the NASCAR Cup race at Talladega? On the surface, Kyle Larson appeared to be in a perfect position to earn his first-ever drafting track win. The Hendrick Motorsports driver was leading the inside line and had a teammate pushing him as the field raced down the backstretch.
Suddenly, the No. 5 pulled down to the apron and Larson dropped out of view, crawling across ...Keep reading
10/19/2025, 10:24:18 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On the final overtime restart at Talladega Superspeedway, Hendrick Motorsports controlled both lanes with William Byron and Kyle Larson. On the final lap, they ended up leading the bottom together, with Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe to their outside.
Suddenly, Larson ran out of fuel and the outside line surged ahead, opening the door for Briscoe to cut under Wallace and snatch the lead away ...Keep reading
10/19/2025, 7:57:05 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
With just a few laps to go in Stage 1 at the famed superspeedway, a major incident unfolded at the front of the field.
Following the first round of green-flag pit stops, AJ Allmendinger was in control of the race with Noah Gragson to his outside. Entering Turn 3, an awkward bump from Erik Jones sent Gragson into Allmendinger's door, before sending both cars careening into the outside ...Keep reading
10/18/2025, 7:29:40 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
With hands out the window in attempt to block the air and gain whatever speed they could, a full field of 40 NASCAR Cup drivers took on Talladega Superspeedway in Saturday's qualifying session.
In the end, Michael McDowell drove the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet to pole position with a fast lap of 52.481s. This is McDowell's eighth career pole, and all of them have come in the last two ...Keep reading
10/18/2025, 6:18:55 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There are two races left to consolidate the Round of 8 into the Championship 4 but given these two races take place at Talladega and Martinsville, it’s hard to call anyone a ‘must-win’ yet.
Denny Hamlin Adv.Kyle Larson +35Christopher Bell +20Chase Briscoe +15-William Byron -15Chase Elliott -23Joey Logano -24Ryan Blaney -31
At least, that’s how Joey Logano is looking at his 24 point ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/16/2025, 3:23:39 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Following the exit of Randall Burnett from the team, Richard Childress Racing has named Kyle Busch's new crew chief for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Season.
Jim Pohlman will climb atop the pit box for the No. 8 Chevrolet next year as the organization desperately seeks improvement. Pohlman is a proven champion, leading Justin Allgaier and the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity ...Keep reading
10/16/2025, 1:41:47 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Nearing the end of his first full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has learned a lot about oval racing.
At the start of the 2025 Cup season, SVG had five finishes outside the top 30 in the first six oval races, but in recent weeks, he earned his first oval stage points and secured his first top ten on an oval in the Cup Series.
He ...Keep reading
10/15/2025, 7:30:10 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Joe White, the spotter for Ty Dillon and the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, has been released from the team.
Dillon was involved in a massive crash on Lap 236 of 267 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which directly involved fellow Chevrolet and title contender William Byron.
The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Byron had no idea that Dillon (who was off-sequence), planned to pit. The ...Keep reading
10/15/2025, 2:12:09 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It makes for an unexpected headline but the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, which aired on over-the-air FOX, was the most viewed motorsports event over the weekend.
With 1.872 million viewers, NHRA beat out the NASCAR Cup Series race from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which attracted 1.717 million viewers on USA Network. Both events aired at largely the same time, but NHRA had ...Keep reading
10/14/2025, 11:51:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There is an alternate universe in which Chris Gayle is not set to race for a championship with Denny Hamlin by the end of the month at Phoenix Raceway.
In fact, within this alternate universe, Gayle isn’t with Joe Gibbs Racing whatsoever.
This is the scenario recounted on Sunday when Gayle, Hamlin and Gibbs all reflected on the organizational shift that led to the current driver-crew chief ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/14/2025, 5:11:25 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Spire Motorsports is parting ways with Justin Haley, who has driven the No. 7 Chevrolet since the late portion of the 2024 season, where he replaced Corey LaJoie.
Unfortunately, Haley struggled this year and fell behind his teammates. While Michael McDowell is 21st in points and Carson Hocevar 23rd, Haley is back in 31st. He has one top five and two top tens this year with an average finish of ...Keep reading
10/13/2025, 7:23:47 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
We now know our first of four drivers who will make up the Championship 4, and it's Denny Hamlin. The veteran driver hadn't made it to the finals since 2021, failing to advance beyond the Round of 8 in every year of the Next Gen era ... until now.
Hendrick Motorsports dominated the race, but pit road miscues, a wild wreck, and a late-race restart were enough to deny them an automatic ticket ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/13/2025, 5:55:56 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
William Byron had a chance to win Sunday's NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but lost the lead after nearly losing control in Turns 1 and 2. As he refocused and set his sights on taking the lead back, Byron's race ended abruptly in a violent and unnecessary wreck.
Byron's No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet slammed into the back of the slowing No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet of Ty ...Keep reading
10/13/2025, 4:01:42 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin was actively crying during the cool down lap following his victory in the South Point Casino 400 on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and there was a lot to unpack during a post-race press conference.
60 career Cup Series winsBack to the Final FourAn ailing fatherThe 23XI lawsuit against NASCARThe mortality of his own career
So yes, there was so incredibly much for Hamlin to ...Keep reading
#23xi#lawsuit#hamlin
10/13/2025, 2:59:35 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On one hand, the math is pretty straightforward for everyone not named Denny Hamlin as it pertains to their pathway to the championship four but then again, the next race takes place at Talladega where the results could be decided by The Big One.
And guess who isn’t currently in a position to race for a championship? Team Penske.
Denny Hamlin Adv.Kyle Larson +35Christopher Bell +20Chase ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/13/2025, 1:51:20 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Driving a special New Zealand-themed paint scheme, Shane van Gisbergen continues his rapid oval progression at the Cup level.
After earning his first stage points on an oval at New Hampshire Motor Speedway three weeks ago, he went to Kansas the next week and earned his first top ten.
As expected, he then won the Charlotte Roval for his fifth win of the season (all on road and street ...Keep reading
10/13/2025, 1:09:28 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Denny Hamlin had to out-duel Kyle Larson and run down teammate Chase Briscoe in a dramatic showdown for the NASCAR Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hamlin made the pass for the win with just four laps to go, rocketing past Briscoe on the outside.
Hamlin went on to finally collect his coveted 60th career win, matching Kevin Harvick and entering the top ten in the all-time wins list ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/13/2025, 12:42:49 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
With 31 laps, William Byron's race came to a shocking and violent end.
Byron had bobbled just before that, which handed the race lead to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.
Soon after, the caution flew as the No. 24 crashed across the track in a bizarre incident. While trying to hunt Larson back down for the race lead, Ty Dillon (who was off-sequence), was trying to get to pit ...Keep reading
10/12/2025, 10:43:57 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Ryan Blaney’s car sustained significant damage near the end of Stage 1 when a left-front tire went down.
The Penske driver and 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion was running 12th when disaster struck the No. 12 team. He was unable to maintain control as a left-front tire went down, careening into the outside wall.
Blaney limped the car back to the pits before exiting the vehicle, which ...Keep reading
10/12/2025, 12:05:38 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Shane van Gisbergen is honoring his country of origin with this weekend's paint scheme for the NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The track is about as close as the series ever gets to New Zealand during the year, but still nearly 7,000 miles apart.
The car features the silver fern all around the wrap, as well as the southern cross, and several red stars.
"We have our friends at ...Keep reading
10/11/2025, 11:39:39 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
At least for the next month, through the duration of what could be the final season under the current NASCAR elimination playoff format, the Sanctioning Body is working to stay ahead of any attempts to manipulate races and advancement into the final four.
This comes in the aftermath of what transpired last year in the penultimate race at Martinsville, a concerted Chevrolet blockade that ...Keep reading
10/11/2025, 10:47:10 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Joe Gibbs Racing dominated qualifying for the Round of 8 playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Denny Hamlin secured pole position with a fast lap of 29.213s, besting teammate Chase Briscoe by 0.036s and teammate Christopher Bell by 0.042s.
"I felt good about it," Hamlin told TruTV. "There wasn't a whole lot left out there for it, but great job to get my car good. It was good in the short ...Keep reading
#hamlin
10/10/2025, 8:29:26 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
At least from a short track and road course standpoint, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants to reset the NextGen car, or at least simplify it.
He issued some commentary about the state of the seventh-generation Cup Series platform on Tuesday during the latest episode of his Dale Jr. Download podcast. This was following the race on Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, which featured a tremendous ...Keep reading
10/10/2025, 1:58:53 AMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Jeremy Mayfield, over a decade and a half after his suspension from NASCAR, continues to race in whatever platforms will have him.
This past week, the now 56-year-old celebrated his championship in the Grand National Super Series, a Mid-Atlantic touring series that features old Cup Series, Xfinity Series, ARCA and Pro Cup cars racing against each other under a combined rules package.
This is ...Keep reading
10/9/2025, 5:22:37 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
It's already public knowledge that William Byron, who is on the cover of the game, was given a perfect rating of 100. In a video posted on Thursday, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, Carson Hocevar, Noah Gragson, and Austin Cindric were brought in to figure out which ratings go with some other drivers.
Kyle Busch was the first driver presented, and Hocevar contested the veteran ...Keep reading
10/8/2025, 9:39:37 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
In an exclusive interview on the Dale Jr. Download, NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell announced a planned increase from 670HP to 750HP for select tracks in 2026. He also touched on a variety of other topics, hinting at both possible changes to the current championship format, and even opening Cup garage up to more innovation again.
On the playoff format, O'Donnell clearly stated that any ...Keep reading
10/8/2025, 6:01:09 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
On the final lap during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval on Sunday, Ross Chastain attempted a dive-bomb on Denny Hamlin to complete a pass that would have secured the point needed to advance in the Playoffs.
That move resulted in both drivers crashing out instead and Joey Logano taking the final Round of 8 spot on points
However, there were a lot of moving ...Keep reading
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10/8/2025, 2:11:43 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There is much talk about Playoffs or Finals formats in motor racing at present as the NASCAR and Supercars seasons move towards their climax.
For the first time, the 24 regular Supercars drivers will be whittled down to 10 at the conclusion of the weekend’s Bathurst 1000, to be in title contention over the final three rounds of the championship.
In the USA, NASCAR’s Playoffs are well ...Keep reading
10/7/2025, 10:38:26 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
There was nothing major on the NASCAR penalty report from over the weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval beyond one Xfinity Series loose or unsecured post-race lug nut infraction.
That was assessed against the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 team driven by Taylor Gray and engineered by crew chief Jason Ratcliff. As per section 8.8.10.4a in the NASCAR Rule Book, this infraction was met with a ...Keep reading
10/6/2025, 7:12:25 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
When Ross Chastain ran over Denny Hamlin and reversed across the finish line on Sunday at the Charlotte Roval, it was just the latest in a lengthy history of desperate drivers doing desperate things when faced with playoff elimination.
Chastain has done it before, as we all know his famous 'wallride' from the 2022 season. But other drivers, including former champions, have done everything from ...Keep reading
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10/6/2025, 7:00:34 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
With Team Penske, Joey Logano won the 2018, 2022, and 2024 Cup Series titles under this format, and just narrowly advanced into the Round of 8 after a wild race at the Charlotte Roval this weekend.
While discussions are ongoing about possible changes to the championship format for 2026, Logano remains strongly supportive of the current elimination-style system.
He was tied with Ross ...Keep reading
10/6/2025, 4:20:07 PMMotorsport.com — NASCAR Cup (News)
Shane van Gisbergen's road course win streak is now at five after winning by over 15 seconds in Sunday's Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Roval. While Trackhouse took home the checkered flag, it wasn't all celebrations for the organization as Ross Chastain faced a chaotic battle to transfer into the next round.
After two unforced errors on pit road, it still came down to just one ...Keep reading