No favorite among NASCAR championship 4 ahead of finale
AVONDALE, Ariz. — (AP) — The long and unpredictable NASCAR season comes to an end Sunday with a championship race fitting for a year that saw unprecedented parity and never a clear title favorite. Logano won in 2018 and Elliott won in 2020 in the first of back-to-back Hendrick Motorsports championships. And experience may matter: Logano won the pole in Saturday qualifying, while Elliott was fourth. If it takes a victory to win, Bell proved he can do it twice, including last week's dramatic win at Martinsville to save his season. And since the winner-take-all format was established in 2014, the champion has won the final race to claim the Cup.
wftv.comWall-hugging Chastain, red-hot Bell eye 1st NASCAR title
AVONDALE, Ariz. — (AP) — Ross Chastain skyrocketed to motorsports infamy for wall-riding his way into NASCAR's championship race with a video-game style move that has overshadowed the finale and his fellow title contenders. With that comes a ton of pressure on the eighth-generation Florida watermelon farmer and journeyman NASCAR driver who once took a side gig driving a motorhome to races just to earn extra cash. Christopher Bell has been red-hot with two walk-off wins in a pair of playoff elimination races to advance to his first championship. NASCAR's most popular driver won the regular-season crown and led the Cup standings most of the year. “I think you look at the Cup Series specifically, there’s a youth movement in NASCAR,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said.
wftv.comNASCAR Cup Series Championship race: Weekend schedule, TV info, odds, picks and results from Phoenix
The NASCAR Cup Series will crown its 2022 champion in Phoenix on Sunday as Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Ross Chastain vie for the title. Elliott (2020) and Logano (2018) are seeking their second championships while Bell and Chastain are chasing their first. Here’s what you need to know heading into the weekend:NASCAR Cup Series Championship weekend scheduleFans in the United States can watch the race on NBC or the NBC Sports app (cable or satellite subscription required) and pos-trace coverage will be on Peacock. Logano has 15 career Top 10s, seven Top 5s and two wins in 27 starts at Phoenix. Weather for the Cup Series ChampionshipFriday's practice and Saturday's qualifying sessions will be run under cloud cover and cooler temperatures in the mid-60s.
wftv.comRoss Chastain's Martinsville video game move was incredible. How does NASCAR stop it from happening again?
How does NASCAR prevent Ross Chastain’s incredible move at Martinsville from becoming the norm? Make no mistake, the video game move that Chastain executed at full-throttle to gain five spots on the last lap was phenomenal. He knew on the final lap of the race that he had fewer points than Denny Hamlin did for the fourth and final spot in the final round of the playoffs. After the race, Chastain said that he remembered doing the move in EA Sports’ NASCAR video games as a kid and always wondered if it would work. The final lap at Martinsville and other tracks can’t devolve into drivers trying to do what Chastain did on Sunday.
wftv.comBell wins, Chastain rides the wall to earn title race spots
Christopher Bell won his way into NASCAR's championship race, while Ross Chastain used a move more suited for a video game to also advance in Sunday's thrilling regular-season finale at Martinsville Speedway. Bell also won on the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course in the final race of the second round of the playoffs, so has now twice advanced with victories. The final four drivers in the Cup Series winner-take-all finale are Joe Logano, Bell, Chase Elliott and Chastain, who bumped foe Denny Hamlin from the championship with his spectacular last-lap scramble. But I was willing to do it.”Bell passed Chase Briscoe, who also needed to win to advance to the championship, with five laps to go to earn the automatic berth into the championship race. He knew since then it would take a victory for Bell to race for his first Cup title, and he pulled it off on NASCAR's oldest track.
wftv.comNASCAR set for Homestead, while Wallace watches from afar
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — (AP) — Bubba Wallace is missing Sunday’s NASCAR race, and that’s evidently not his only sanction after losing his cool in Las Vegas last weekend. Custer and his crew chief, Mike Shiplett, were both fined $100,000 after NASCAR determined Custer’s slowdown was deliberate. And last week, Wallace intentionally wrecked reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson at Las Vegas in a dangerous act of retaliation. So, I believe NASCAR kind of decided it’s getting out of hand.”Drivers tended to agree with NASCAR on these calls. He’ll be in the team garage, and Logano said he doesn’t think Wallace owes his fellow drivers an explanation.
wftv.comNASCAR hot topic shifts to retaliation as playoffs roar on
The focus in NASCAR has yet to shift to the actual playoff racing as only three events remain to crown a new Cup champion. But as the series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway, the conversation over safety concerns has shifted to retaliation and what is over the line. Wallace had to apologize to Bell and the entire Toyota group of teams and drivers, and the incident now follows NASCAR into the middle race of the third round of the playoffs. “I think (NASCAR is) trying to get the ball back in their court to where they have a little more control probably. Briscoe is not alone in believing NASCAR had to act on the Wallace incident.
wftv.comNASCAR hot topic shifts to retaliation as playoffs roar on
The focus in NASCAR has yet to shift to the actual playoff racing as only three events remain to crown a new Cup champion. Bubba Wallace has been suspended for Sunday’s race for intentionally wrecking reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson last week in a dangerous act of retaliation that NASCAR and most of Wallace's competitors found over the line. Retaliation has been an ongoing issue across all three of NASCAR's national series this season with drivers either seeking payback on the track or after in physical confrontations.
news.yahoo.comBell says Wallace apologized on flight home from Las Vegas
Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell shared a flight home from Las Vegas, and Wallace apologized during the trip to his fellow Toyota teammate for the incident that crippled Bell's championship chances. Bell said Wallace also apologized to the entire Toyota group in the Monday competition meeting. Bell drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and Wallace drives for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by JGR driver Denny Hamlin. There are four slots in the championship finale and Joey Logano claimed the first spot for Team Penske and Ford with his win Sunday at Las Vegas. The suspension handed down Tuesday falls under NASCAR’s behavioral policy and technically covers most of Wallace’s actions at Las Vegas.
wftv.comWallace charges after Larson following crash at Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Bubba Wallace tried to fight reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson after a crash Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that also collected title contender Christopher Bell. The incident began when Larson attempted a three-wide pass — Kevin Harvick in the middle dropped out of the bunch — and Larson slid up the track against Wallace. When Wallace didn't lift to give Larson any room, Larson used his Chevrolet to shove Wallace's Toyota into the wall. Wallace claimed he didn't deliberately wreck Larson, but both Larson and Bell viewed it as clear retaliation. Larson, who hit the wall last week at Charlotte to contribute to his playoff elimination, said he wasn't surprised Wallace hooked him.
wftv.comNASCAR: Bubba Wallace shoves Kyle Larson after crash at Las Vegas
Bubba Wallace shoved Kyle Larson multiple times after he appeared to intentionally crash Larson after Wallace brushed the wall while the two drivers raced side-by-side off Turn 4 in the first stage of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas. Wallace’s car hit the wall and then went left and hit the right rear of Larson’s car. Kyle Larson hits Bubba Wallace. He pushed Larson multiple times as Larson clearly did not want to engage in a fight of any sort. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/aaAn0idrJp — NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 16, 2022Wallace denied that he crashed Larson on purpose after exiting the infield care center.
wftv.comNASCAR playoffs at Las Vegas: Live updates as the Round of 8 begins with Reddick on pole
The NASCAR Cup Series begins its playoff Round of 8 this weekend in Las Vegas with eight drivers vying for a spot in Phoenix’s championship race next month. It is the youngest Round of 8 crop in the history of the Cup playoffs with Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, William Byron and Ross Chastain advancing this far for the first time. Tyler Reddick starts from the pole, while William Byron starts highest among playoff drivers inside the second row. Tyler Reddick enters +900 while Chastain and two-time champion Kyle Busch open with a +1000 moneyline. NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings entering the weekendChase Elliott - 4,046Joey Logano - 4,026Ross Chastain - 4,021Christopher Bell - 4,018Ryan Blaney - 4,015William Byron - 4,015Denny Hamlin - 4,013Chase Briscoe - 4,009Weather for the South Point 400It's Las Vegas and it's not winter.
wftv.comNASCAR at Las Vegas: Weekend schedule, TV info, odds, picks, playoff standings and live updates and results
The NASCAR Cup Series begins its playoff Round of 8 this weekend in Las Vegas with eight drivers vying for a spot in Phoenix’s championship race next month. ET (USA, NBC Sports app, MRN, SiriusXM)Sunday, Oct. 16Pre-race show: 2 - 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)South Point 400: 2:30 - 6 p.m. ET (NBC, NBC Sports app, MRN, SiriusXM)Post-race show: 6 - 7 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings entering the weekendChase Elliott - 4,046Joey Logano - 4,026Ross Chastain - 4,021Christopher Bell - 4,018Ryan Blaney - 4,015William Byron - 4,015Denny Hamlin - 4,013Chase Briscoe - 4,009Weather for the South Point 400It's Las Vegas and it's not winter.
wftv.comBell wins Charlotte as champion Larson bumped from playoffs
CONCORD, N.C. — (AP) — Christopher Bell saved his title chances with an overtime win Sunday on the road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a stunning finish that knocked reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson from the playoffs. There was little he could do but hope that Briscoe and Cindric didn't gain enough positions to bump him from the playoffs. Advancing to the round of eight were: Bell, Briscoe, Byron, Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney. But finding a Chevrolet team that can field Busch has not been so easy. Chevrolet, meanwhile, is very open to supplying an engine for Busch, reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson or even seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.
wftv.comNASCAR: Christopher Bell wins at Charlotte Roval as Kyle Larson gets eliminated
And the race’s final laps turned into the circus they typically are at the Roval. Larson missed out on going to the third round of the playoffs because of a toe link issue on the rear wheels of the car. But that was before the sign caution happened. Austin Cindric and Daniel Suarez were eliminated from the playoffs along with Larson. Alex Bowman also won’t advance to the third round but he missed the final two races of the second round after suffering a concussion in a crash at Texas.
wftv.comNASCAR promises drivers safety changes on new car for 2023
CONCORD, N.C. — (AP) — NASCAR says it had a productive test of its new car and promised drivers that solutions to some of their safety concerns should be implemented by next season. It said it expects a new rear clip, rear bumper structure and center section on next year's Next Gen car. The car has proven to be safer in many areas and drivers believe they will be protected in catastrophic crashes. Among the NASCAR representatives present were NASCAR chairman Jim France, president Steve Phelps and the leaders of the Next Gen project. Kevin Harvick, one of the more vocal veterans about the Next Gen car, said very little as he left the meeting.
wftv.comTumultuous, tiring start to NASCAR's round of 12 at Texas
There was also a 56-minute red flag for lightning, and a record 36 lead changes among 19 drivers. Logano was concerned about the vibration in the right rear of his car throughout the closing laps. None of the four playoff races so far have been won by a driver still eligible for the title. Hamlin stayed alongside with Byron during the caution period, livid because of the position he was losing on the track. I wouldn’t blame Goodyear.”Goodyear and NASCAR officials said there were several teams that didn’t have tire issues.
wftv.comReddick wins NASCAR playoff race in long, tiring Texas day
FORT WORTH, Texas — (AP) — Tyler Reddick opened the round of 12 in NASCAR's playoff with a victory at Texas on Sunday, winning a week after being one of the first four Cup drivers knocked out of title contention. After none of the contenders won the first three races of the playoffs — a first in any round in this postseason format — the trend continued with the eliminated Reddick leading 53 of the final 54 laps on a long race day that went into the night. Non-playoff drivers Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. also had tire issues when leading the race at the 1 1/2-mile track. Bell, the Oklahoma native who considers Texas his home track, couldn’t recover from a second tire issue that led to his race-ending crash after finishing only 136 laps. He was the only driver to finish in the top five in all three races in the first round of this postseason.
wftv.comNASCAR Cup Series playoffs: Schedule, TV, streaming info, odds, picks and results from Bristol
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to its “Last Great Colosseum” in northeast Tennessee to trim its playoff field from 16 to 12 this weekend. NASCAR brass know exactly what they’re doing, placing Bristol as a playoff cut-down race. Here is everything you need to know for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. ET (USA, MRN, SiriusXM)Saturday, Sept. 17Bass Pro Shops Night Race: 7:30 - 11 p.m. Weather forecast for the Bass Pro Shops Night RaceWarm and clear.
wftv.comNASCAR betting: There's a crowd near the playoff bubble ahead of Bristol
ET, USA) is the second race at Bristol this year. That means we’re all flying blind a bit when it comes to betting Saturday night’s race. Only the top nine drivers in this year’s points standings seem safe entering Saturday night’s race. Before we get to the odds from BetMGM, here’s a quick refresher on the points standings. Byron has two top-10 finishes in seven Bristol starts.
wftv.comWallace holds off boss, title contenders to win at Kansas
Bubba Wallace won his second career NASCAR Cup Series race and denied the playoff field of an automatic spot in the next round for the second straight week when he held off championship contenders Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell to win at Kansas Speedway.
Harvick wins again; NASCAR playoff picture remains muddled
Harvick's victory also kept alive the intriguing battle for the final playoff position with two races remaining in the regular season. The 15 winners this year have all likely claimed playoff berths unless there are new winners when the series moves to Watkins Glen and then Daytona. Joey Logano, who led for 221 of the 400 laps, faded to sixth, followed by Martin Truex Jr. Ryan Blaney was 10th. Blaney and Truex are the top two drivers in points hoping to make the 16-driver playoffs without a victory. Thanks to stage points, Blaney increased his lead from 19 points to 26 over Truex for the final playoff spot, assuming there is not a 16th different winner.
wftv.comHarvick wins again; NASCAR playoff picture remains muddled
Kevin Harvick may be stamping himself as the man to beat in NASCAR. The 2014 series champion took the lead from Joey Logano with 66 laps to go and held off Christopher Bell at Richmond Raceway on Sunday for his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory. Harvick, who ended a 65-race drought last week at Michigan, won for the 60th time, the fourth time at Richmond and first time on the 0.75-mile oval since 2013.
news.yahoo.comBell crashes NASCAR playoff field with win at New Hampshire
Bell mastered the track where he won Xfinity Series races in 2018, 2019 and 2021, holding off Chase Elliott, last week’s winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bell is the 14th driver to earn a spot in the 16-driver playoff field. His only other Cup win came in the second race of the 2021 season in the Daytona road course race. UP NEXTNASCAR’s Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway for its only stop of the year. The track long held two Cup races each year and Alex Bowman and Kyle Busch won the races in a doubleheader weekend last year.
wftv.comBell crashes NASCAR playoff field with win at New Hampshire
Christopher Bell's crew chief tried to give him a little bit of coaching — some encouragement with about 40 laps left in the race and a victory and playoff spot at stake — and was promptly told, well, basically to shush. Bell explained later there so many laps left in the race, that he didn't need a reminder of how far the No. 20 Toyota had to go to reach the finish line. Plus, Bell already knew the way to reach victory lane at his favorite track.
news.yahoo.comGateway offers some Cup Series playoff outsiders opportunity
And he won a Truck Series race in 2010, just before the track was shuttered amid an economic downturn. It was resurrected by local businessman Curtis Francois and has grown and evolved over the past decade, leading to the return not only of the Truck Series but IndyCar and, for the first time Sunday, NASCAR's premier series. While two dozen drivers in the field have experience at Gateway, Harvick is among nine that have won at the track in the Xfinity or Truck series. Thousands of fans came out for the first practice session Friday night, and they were out early Saturday for Cup qualifying with 30,000-plus expected for the afternoon Truck race. “It just helped me in finding my way to the track,” Tyler Reddick said of his own experience in three Truck Series races at Gateway.
wftv.comKyle Busch's pit crew All-Stars for qualifying in Texas
NASCAR All Star Race Texas Auto Racing Kyle Busch, front, and his crew show off their pole position rings after qualifications for the NASCAR All-Star auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, May 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Larry Papke) (Larry Papke)FORT WORTH, Texas — (AP) — The NASCAR All-Stars during qualifying Saturday night were the pit crew members for Kyle Busch, who earned the pole for the annual $1 million non-points exhibition race. Busch won the final round of an unusual elimination bracket involving the pit crews doing a four-tire pit stop when he beat Ryan Blaney to the finish line. All 20 drivers locked into Sunday night's 24-car All-Star race field went through a normal one-lap qualifying. The remaining four spots for the All-Star race will be determined in a three-segment race earlier Sunday.
wftv.comLogano takes NASCAR pole; Elliott, Harvick, Hamlin to rear
DARLINGTON, S.C. — (AP) — Former NASCAR Cup Series champions Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick will start at the rear of the field Sunday at Darlington Raceway. Elliott and Harvick had Saturday in practice. Logano reached 170.720 mph and turned a fast lap of 28.805 seconds to clinch the top spot in qualifying, edging Kyle Larson. Elliott, Harvick and Hamlin couldn't say the same. Harvick blew a left-rear tire in practice and did enough damage that he was unable to make a qualifying attempt.
wftv.comChristopher Bell leads Toyota lockout of Talladega front row
NASCAR Talladega Auto Racing NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell (20) sits on the pole for the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Talladega, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill)TALLADEGA, Ala. — (AP) — Christopher Bell won the pole at Talladega Superspeedway by turning the fastest lap as the final driver to qualify on Saturday. Bell bumped his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. from the top spot with a lap at 180.928 mph in his Toyota. Truex qualified second at 180.652 mph to give JGR the front row for Sunday's race. Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI but driver for JGR, qualified seventh as Toyota grabbed four of the top seven starting spots. For Bell, it was the second pole of his Cup career and gave JGR its first lockout of the front row at Talladega.
wftv.comWilliam Byron wins wild NASCAR race at remodeled Atlanta
Wallace still seemed to be in the most enviable position, especially if he could get a helpful push for a slingshot on the final lap. But everyone behind Byron started jostling for position, all of them wanting to put themselves in position to make the winning move. Kyle Busch gave Austin Dillon a slight bump from behind entering the quad-oval, sending Dillon into the wall. “I was in the gas wide open and the 18 (Busch) pushed us and got me loose,” Austin Dillon said. That’s the second week in a row I've been taken out.”At Phoenix, Daniel Suarez made contact with Dillon on the final lap and sent the No.
wftv.comWilliam Byron wins wild NASCAR race at remodeled Atlanta
William Byron had a freight train in his rearview mirror. While Byron cruised to the checkered flag for the third victory of his NASCAR Cup career, one last crash unfolded behind him Sunday in an appropriate finish to a chaotic, thrilling race at remodeled Atlanta Motor Speedway. “Pretty wild,” the 24-year-old Byron said.
news.yahoo.comHendrick squashes potential feud between Larson and Elliott
Rick Hendrick spoke and his drivers heard the boss loud and clear. Hendrick intervened on a competition matter for the first time since Kyle Larson joined the team when he squashed any potential beef between his stars following their run-in last week in California. Larson, the reigning Cup champion, caused Chase Elliott, NASCAR's most popular driver, to wreck last week as the two raced for the win.
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