Tyler Reddick to 23XI Racing in 2024

Denny Hamlin (L) and Tyler Reddick (R) will join forces in 2023 (Forbes.com)

After what has been a somewhat tame "Silly Season", 23XI Racing and Tyler Reddick set the NASCAR garage on it's ear by announcing that the two-time Xfinity Series champion would leave Richard Childress Racing to join the team owned by 48-time Cup Series winner Denny Hamlin and six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan for the 2024 season.

The announcement was made during a Toyota Racing video conference. As Hamlin was giving an update on his 2022 season, Reddick entered the call on a separate screen, then walked into the room and sat next to Hamlin.

Describing Reddick as a "franchise driver," Hamlin said very little is certain about Reddick's deal with his team right now, but that the biggest piece of that puzzle is now in place.

"Honestly, there are no hidden secrets here. We do not know who the sponsor will be. We do not know what car it is," said Hamlin. "All we know is we wanted him and we made sure we planted our feet deep in the ground to make sure Tyler had an opportunity with this race team, and we made it happen."

Hamlin has often spoken about 23XI's five-year plan to become a championship contending organization. In a call-in appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio following his team's bombshell announcement, Hamlin called Reddick a "generational talent" and that bringing him on board in their team's fourth season will enable them to take that next step.

"Generational talents don't come around that often. But when they do, you need to put your best foot forward to lock it up," said the three-time Daytona 500 winner.

Reddick has spent his entire, three-year Cup Series career with RCR. After winning two races and his first Xfinity title with JR Motorsports in 2018, Reddick moved to Childress' team the following season for a clearer path to Cup. He would score six more wins and another title in 2019 before being promoted to the sport's top level.

Reddick just scored his first Cup win two weeks ago (Google Images)

This move comes as a major shock because, just ten days ago, RCR announced it had picked up the 2023 option on Reddick's contract. The next day, the Corning, Calif. native grabbed his first career Cup Series win in the Kwik Trip 250 at Road America.

However, Reddick admitted to always wanting to look ahead to what his long-term future could be. This deal had reportedly been in the works for about a year and, based on how both parties navigated his '23 option, this move shouldn't be a "major shock" to RCR.

"It’s always a difficult thing whenever two partners or two pieces or our relationship is going to come to an end," Reddick said during the announcement. "But I feel like it gives everyone time to figure out what lies ahead. What is the next step? Where do we go from here?

"So, for me and in my opinion, I feel like it’s better to do it now than in the playoffs.... There’s no there’s no reason to kick the can down the road. We know what lies ahead, and we now all know what’s in front of us and what we need to do."

Looking forward, Reddick expressed his excitement for what lies ahead of him for the '24 campaign. 

“The team is very young, but it’s been going in a very positive direction from day one. It’s been obvious. I’m just really excited to get it out there and it’s in front of everyone. 23XI can go to work, myself and RCR can go back to work and continue to be as competitive as possible. But also, I know the future is set in stone and what lays ahead.”

While Reddick is making the move that he feels is best for his career, RCR did appear to be a bit taken aback by their driver's announcement. The team posted a response to the 23XI announcement on Twitter which read:

pic.twitter.com/PrNkyHYSH6

— RCR (@RCRracing) July 12, 2022

Clearly, there is a bit of resentment at Childress' Welcome, N.C. facility. Regardless of whether the team was shocked or not, this news will clearly make the next season and a half incredibly interesting, and more than a bit awkward for the team and their soon to be ex-driver. After making the playoffs each of the last two seasons, it will be a challenge for them to overcome the biggest lame duck scenario a team has faced in recent memory.

While rumors will now begin to swirl about how his team will be structured a season from now, Steve Lauletta, president of 23XI Racing, said they still needs to determine what car Reddick will drive in 2024. Hamlin said the team will seek sponsorship for Reddick, and that announcing his addition now will give them a big leg up on those recruiting efforts. He did say that both of the team's current wheelmen, Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace, will remain in their stable for '23.

Chicago Street Course Moves Closer to Reality for 2023

 

Downtown Chicago could play host to NASCAR's first street race (ChooseChicago.com)

The proposed NASCAR street race through downtown Chicago appears to have taken a major step closer to becoming a reality yesterday.

Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic is reporting that the publication has obtained a letter from Erin Harkey, commissioner, Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, City of Chicago, addressed to Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing development and strategy, endorsing a stock car event to be held in the city for a three-year stretch beginning in 2023.

“Chicago is incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve as host of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Course events, and we stand ready to welcome NASCAR fans to our world class city,” the letter states. “This would be a historic partnership for NASCAR and the city of Chicago, and our department is committed to collaborating and supporting NASCAR to execute the events in a safe and secure manner.”

While no contract has been signed yet, an official announcement is expected to be made on July 19, sources have confirmed to The Athletic. There is also rampant speculation that this event could come at the expense of the race at Road America in northern Wisconsin, which would be surprising given that track's very successful two year run on the Cup Series schedule.

The Buckingham Fountain in downtown Chicago (Hotels.com)

“As Commissioner of the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), I am thrilled about the potential opportunity to host the NASCAR Street Course events here in Chicago,” Harkey writes. “DCASE is dedicated to enriching Chicago's artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy, and our strong partnership with the Chicago Sports Commission ensures that NASCAR fans would be treated to a diverse and unforgettable experience.”

NASCAR has never run an event on a temporary street course, but such a move would be consistent with the sanctioning body's recent attempts to create unique experiences in larger markets, while also adding diversity to a debatably stale schedule.

Recent changes have included moving the Busch Light Clash across the country from Daytona International Speedway to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, adding more road course events at tracks like Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas and Road America, and covering Bristol Motor Speedway in a layer of clay for a night race on dirt.

Another piece of this puzzle is NASCAR wanting to generate the same can't-miss party vibe that Formula 1 has made popular in the U.S., especially following this year's Miami Grand Prix. So, there is a real hope that this type of event would help NASCAR continue to ride the wave of success it has enjoyed during what has been a year of resurgence for a sport that has been somewhat stagnant for the last decade or so.

Larson's Championship Rebound is One for the Ages

Kyle Larson (L) and Cliff Daniels (R) pose with the Bill France Cup (Google Images)

Kyle Larson had killed the golden goose.

The night of April 12, 2020 was the night his career as a NASCAR Cup Series driver should have, for all intents and purposes, ended. After believing he had lost communication during an iRacing event that was streaming online, he asked if any of his fellow racers could hear him, then uttered a racial slur. A competitor radioed Larson to let him know that, in fact, they could hear him - and that those watching the event could as well.

The next day, he lost his ride, was suspended by NASCAR and the World of Outlaws, and was dropped by nearly every major sponsor on his Cup Series and dirt cars.

Once one of the most promising young stars in our sport, Larson had been "cancelled." To those watching the saga unfold on social media, it didn't seem like there was any chance of resurrecting his career. Fans everywhere, myself included, never thought they'd see him climb into a NASCAR stock car again.

That is, until Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon rolled the dice and gave Larson the opportunity of a lifetime - a second chance to not only prove he had learned his lesson and matured as a person, but also a chance to prove his abilities as a racer in of the best cars in the Cup Series garage. Despite a chorus of doubters and naysayers, Hendrick's gamble paid off in the biggest way possible.

Larson and his son Owen celebrate a title together (Google Images)

The Elk Grove, Calif. native scored his tenth points-paying win of the 2021 season in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, which is impressive in and of itself, but this victory also netted Larson and his team the 2021 Cup Series championship. Along with 20 top five finishes, 26 top tens, two poles, and nearly 2,600 laps led, this was an absolutely stellar season for Hendrick's flagship No. 5 team. It was also a level of success many would have considered impossible after the journey Larson had just competed.

The life of a professional athlete appears to be a relatively charmed one. Wealth, success, and admiration from legions of fans. However, living nearly every moment in the limelight means that each move you make and every word you say is scrutinized by the media, your competitors, and countless keyboard quarterbacks and social media trolls on the web.

The comment made by Larson was repugnant, reprehensible, and should not be tolerated in the world today. But, does that also mean he is incapable of changing his ways and atoning for his mistake? Today's hot take, "Cancel Culture" society seems to ensure that, more often than not, once a prominent person does or says something offensive, they're removed from the public eye for good before they can even think about asking forgiveness.

Larson was not going to let public opinion stop him from climbing back to the pinnacle of American motorsports. After a hiatus from social media, he penned an essay apologizing to those he'd offended and thanking those who still supported him.

"After I said the N-word, anger came at me from all angles. Being labeled a racist has hurt the most, but I brought that on myself," Larson wrote. "What I didn't expect, though, were all the people who, despite their disappointment in what I did, made the choice to not give up on me. It motivates me to repay their faith by working harder, not giving up on myself, and making sure something positive comes from the harm I caused."

Larson and his team look to defend their title in 2022  (Google Images)

Words are nice, and it's clear from his essay that the 17-time Cup Series winner wanted to make amends. But, actions always speak louder and Larson was ready to put in the work.

Yes, he completed his NASCAR-mandated sensitivity training, but he also worked very closely with the Urban Youth Racing School in Philadelphia during his time away from the sport. Founded in 1998 by Anthony Martin, the organization exposes inner city youth between the ages of 8-18 to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) career opportunities within the motorsports industry. Per their website, the UYRS has impacted the lives of more than 7,500 at-risk youth. Larson had already become involved with the Urban Youth Racing School a few years prior to his suspension, but he clearly saw this as an opportunity to do even more for a cause he feels strongly about. He also attended classes to learn more about the African-American community and visited the city of Minneapolis just days after George Floyd's murder.

Larson went above and beyond, and the NASCAR garage took notice.

Enter Hendrick Motorsports and the resurrected No. 5 team. When rumors began to swirl that Larson would make his way back into NASCAR, many saw Hendrick as a fool for wanting to sign a driver they assumed no sponsor would want to touch. Just 18 months or so later, HendrickCars.com is doing land-office business and HMS partner Valvoline recently renewed their contract with the team through 2027. That deal includes three primary races on Larson's Camaro.

It can be easy to write people off after an egregious error in judgement, especially when that person is a major league athlete. But, Larson's saga illustrates the importance of second chances. He put in the effort, made some personal changes, and was rewarded with the opportunity of a lifetime and the support of some of the most influential people in our sport. He's clearly grown by leaps and bounds and matured into someone fans can be proud to have represent NASCAR as its champion. And with one win, eight top fives, 10 top tens, and two poles in the first 18 races of 2022, he won't be giving up that crown without a fight.

Cup Series Gladiators Will Battle at the LA Coliseum in 2022

The LA Coliseum will host NASCAR's season opening exhibition race in February (Fox News)

"Are you not entertained?!"

These immortal words were shouted to spectators at the Roman Coliseum by Russell Crowe's character Maximus in the 2000 film Gladiator. No doubt the NASCAR sanctioning body will be thinking this same after announcing that the Cup Series is scheduled to open their 2022 season in an exhibition race on a quarter-mile short track built inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, in an event dubbed the Clash at the Coliseum.

NASCAR fans have been pleading for more short track races to be added to a schedule that includes more than its fair share of "cookie cutter" mile-and-a-half race tracks. This season saw the addition of some of the country's preeminent road courses (Circuit of the Americas, Road America, and the infield courses at Daytona and Indianapolis), but the only real shakeup on the short track side of things was coating Bristol Motor Speedway in a few layers of dirt for the first Cup Series race on such a surface in half a century.

Now, in one of the biggest schedule changes in recent memory, the Cup Series will see the traditional season-opening Clash moved from Daytona to the legendary LA Coliseum. The invitation-only, non-points event will be held on a temporary, quarter-mile asphalt track built inside the stadium. The current home of the USC Trojans football team, and the venue for such landmark sporting events as Super Bowl I and the 1959 World Series, the Coliseum can seat a capacity crowd of 77,500 fans.

While this may seem like a first-of-its-kind event, NASCAR has run inside stadiums before, including regional events at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. and a Cup race at Soldier Field in Chicago in 1956.

“Los Angeles is synonymous with major sports and entertainment events, so we seized an innovative opportunity to showcase NASCAR at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of strategy and innovation. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to take center stage in this market as we get our 2022 season underway.”

Tickets for the Clash at the Coliseum will go on sale tomorrow at $65 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under.  

A race that began as an exhibition event for the previous year's pole award winners, the Clash has been held the week prior to the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway since 1979. However, the last few years, the event was beginning to get a bit stale among fans. The field had also been expanded to include the previous year's playoff contenders and previous Daytona 500 pole winners. This past year, the event was moved to the infield road course at Daytona, and the last lap beating and banging between Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott that let Kyle Busch slip past for the win seemed to cure many of those ills. 

But, addressing the fan base's request for more short track racing, while also racing in one of the largest sports markets in the country, will no doubt be a positive for the sport. FS1's NASCAR RaceHub took to the track, in iRacing simulators of course, with Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, and Tyler Reddick to help give fans a small taste of what they can expect to see this February:

"This is gonna be somethin' you DO NOT wanna miss."@ClintBowyer, @TylerReddick and @jamiemcmurray take a few @iRacing laps around the LA Coliseum during NASCAR Race Hub. pic.twitter.com/4vzzcRgrEu

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) September 14, 2021

Keselowski Joins Roush Fenway Racing as Driver/Owner in 2022

Brad Keselowski (No. 2) will replace Ryan Newman (No. 6) in 2022 (Google Images)

Following months of rumor and speculation, the news was made official on July 20, 2021 that Brad Keselowski will leave his championship contending seat at Team Penske for an opportunity to become an owner/driver with Roush Fenway Racing.

The partnership will see Keselowski take over the seat of the team's flagship No. 6 Ford Mustang on the track on Sunday, and give the 35-time Cup Series winner a place on the competition committee at RFR at the shop on Monday.

Founded in 1988 as Roush Racing, Jack Roush and Fenway Sports Group still maintain one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history and one of Ford's tent pole organizations. However, it's been a long fall for RFR from the five team juggernaut that took half the berths in the championship playoffs in 2005. Now relegated to mid-pack status, getting both their No. 6 and No. 17 entries into the top ten feels like a trip to victory lane for Roush Fenway fans.

Enter Keselowski. 

The 2012 Cup Series champion feels that, while he's giving up a chance to win more races and championships in the immediate future, this move will enable him to play a role in returning Roush Fenway Racing to victory lane and enable him to remain a part of the sport once he hangs up his helmet.

"I am thrilled to share the news about this next venture with my fans, peers, and the industry," the Rochester Hills, Mich. driver said. "This presents an opportunity to continue my on-track success with a strong team and a long-term commitment, but also dive into my passion of team ownership where I know I can be an asset to the future of the team."

Brad Keselowski (L) and Jack Roush (R) will be teaming up in 2022
(Google Images)

Keselowski is no stranger to the ownership side of the sport, owning his own Camping World Truck Series operation from 2007 to 2017. The team rose to become a championship contender, finishing runner-up in the points standings twice, and providing a springboard for rising stars Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Hemric, Ross Chastain, and Austin Cindric.

As mentioned, Keselowski is buying into a team that has been at the top of the sport for almost four decades. The first NASCAR team to reach 300 wins, Roush Fenway Racing has also amassed eight championships, including back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004. 

"I'm truly excited about this partnership with Brad," said Roush. "I think it will bring a lot to the organization, from not only his ability behind the wheel, but a rejuvenation and fresh perspective across our teams. I've had the opportunity to watch Brad for a number of years, as he has fought and clawed his way up the ladder, molding himself into a champion and one of the top drivers in our sport. I've always admired his resolve and determination. I'm very pleased that he has chosen to be a part of our organization and I'm proud to partner with him moving into the future." 

But while Roush, affectionately known as the Cat in the Hat, has no plans to retire any time soon, at 79-years-old, team officials needed to plan for the organization's continued, long-term success. Bringing in a 37-year-old Keselowski allows RFR to plan for the future, and allows Roush an eventual exit strategy. However,  he indicated Tuesday morning that fans will still be seeing his trademark straw hat in the NASCAR garage for as long as he's able to be there.

"I've been asked to say that I'm passing my baton to (Brad), which I am, but I've still got one hand on the thing, so I'm not going to give up completely for a while," Roush told the media during the team's press conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "There are no retirement plans for me in my immediate future. I intend to keep going to racetracks the way I have and to be as much of a nuisance and distraction as I have to my drivers and crew chiefs in the past."

Keselowski admitted during the press conference that there will be a good deal of work involved in helping return RFR to championship form, but citing the success story of Tony Stewart buying into a struggling Haas CNC Racing in 2009, he feels that he's ready for the challenge and that he's "buying into a stock as it's about to go up."

Jack Roush plans to travel to the track for many years to come
Google Images)

"It's going to be tough," said Keselowski. "This team has won a lot of races and championships and we have room to grow and get better. I'm no doubt committed to doing just that and recognize the challenge that's ahead... but there are things that give me confidence (like the success of the Stewart Haas Racing model).

"Beyond that, of course, the  Next Gen (car) coming into the sport should be a significant reset with the technology, a significant reset for the way the processes flow and and some of those things that we would need to overcome, so I think kind of taking that down the course of NASCAR leadership and some of the things they have going on, a lot of confidence in where this sport is heading."

No contractual or financial terms were discussed during the announcement. The percentage of equity that Keselowski purchased was not mentioned, but Team President Steve Newmark said that it is their "hope and expectation" that Keselowski's minority percentage will grow in the coming years.

"Brad and I have talked and he's going to drive as long as he's competitive," Newmark told the media corps. "Once we get to that point about when he says 'Hey, it's time for me to pass the reigns to another driver,' we've got a structure set in place where he'll assume a greater leadership role, but a lot of those details we don't think are relevant now because they're so far off in the future. But one of the things that has been most appealing to us about this transaction is we now have a 5-10-15 year strategic plan about how we're going to keep growing, getting better.

"The owners have committed to continue to invest in this sport around Next Gen, upgrading facilities, and so, for us, it really gives us a runway that we think will allow us to excel."

Newmark also added that there are "a whole host of things that (the team) is going to be changing." So, now that the initial announcement is out of the way, the team will circle back with details about  driver lineups, partners, and other information pertaining to the 2022 season in the coming months.

"This is a big challenge, but it's a big dream of mine to be an owner, and a partner at the NASCAR level with the right ownership group, and I think this is it," Keselowski told reporters. "But it's scary. I have a great team now. I'm not going to say anything differently, and I've been very privileged to drive for Team Penske and to have the success we've had. It's tough to leave that, and I don't want to deny that in any shape or form, but this is a big dream of mine and it was worth leaving it for.

"It's not an easy transition. I know the work is going to be hard and that is scary. It's scary to leave something where you know you can be successful to go to a new opportunity, but I believe in this opportunity. But we have to go do the work. Nobody is going to give anything to us. We have to work for it."

Weekend Wrap-up: Martinsville

Truex Jr Scores First Martinsville Win, Advances to Championship Four

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs got off to a fast start for Martin Truex Jr. Winning the first two races in the Round of 16, the 2017 series champion has stayed consistent, quietly finishing inside the top ten in every playoff race but Talladega.

Truex Jr and girlfriend Sherry Pollex pose with their new
grandfather clock in victory lane (Google Images)

Sunday in Martinsville, however, Truex and his No. 19 team were anything but quiet, leading 464 of the 500 laps in the First Data 500. Not only was this victory redemption after getting mugged by Joey Logano in the final corner of this event one year ago, but it also locked the New Jersey driver into the championship four round a Homestead Miami Speedway in three weeks.

“I don’t think anyone expected that,” said Truex of his team's dominating performance. “This race track, in general, you don’t see that. Hats off to my guys. Pit crew was stellar today, and we didn’t make many adjustments. We adjusted on early and it came to life, and that was a lot of fun.

“I don’t know, maybe now I’ve got this place figured out. Who knows? But just really proud of everybody, and after last year, we talked earlier, everybody wants to keep talking about last year, and I’m like, ‘We’ve got work to do.’ I’m just proud of everybody for giving me a race car like that and being able to put it all together today when it counted.”

While Truex was busy putting on a clinic, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates had trouble keeping their tempers in check. Kyle Buscch got into a shoving match with Aric Almirola that resulted in both drivers spinning and Almirola getting tagged in the driver's side door by Jimmie Johnson. Busch would rebound to finish 14th, Almirola vowed to make the last three races "hell" for the 2015 series champion.

Following the race, JGR's Denny Hamlin got into it with Joey Logano on pit road after the two made contact on the track. Hamlin slid into Logano's No. 22 with around 40 laps to go, causing the 2018 champ to spin and taking away any chance they had to win. After a heated discussion, Logano shoved Hamlin's shoulder and turned to walk away. After giving chase, Hamlin was restrained by several members of Logano's team, one of whom executed a horsecollar tackle, dropping Hamlin to the pavement. That crew member, Tire Technician Dave "Mule" Nichols, Jr. has been since been suspended for one week by the sanctioning body.

Tensions overflowing at @MartinsvilleSwy! @joeylogano and @dennyhamlin get into an altercation on pit road! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/bBIBuS0A7W

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 27, 2019

“We were having a discussion,” Hamlin said. “Everything was civil, and then, like Joey does, he does a little push and then runs away. So that’s Joey. Scared. He said, ‘Do you want to go?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’m here.’ But then he runs away.”

“I just wanted to see what his thoughts were, and it wasn’t quite the answer I was looking for,” said Logano.

Sophomore driver William Byron also had a strong showing, giving Truex fits in the final run to the checkered flag and coming home second.

“This isn’t a place that I’ve loved coming to, and it just clicked this weekend, the things we did with the car going into qualifying and then obviously our race. Super excited, but second is not super fun, either. We’ll try to get one spot better next time,” said Byron.

Brad Keselowski, who won the spring Martinsville event, came home in third, Hamlin finished in fourth, and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five. Kurt Busch finished sixth, Kevin Harvick came home seventh, Logano finished in eighth, Kyle Larson crossed the line ninth, and Ryan Newman was tenth.

The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series heads west to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for the AAA Texas 500. The race is set to go green at 3:00 pm ET on Sunday, November 3, with NBC, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio covering all the action.

Todd Gilliland Edges Chastain for First Truck Series Win

After 46 races for Kyle Busch Motorsports, ever-growing expectations, and being called out in the media by his team owner, Todd Gilliland scored his first Gander Outdoor Truck Series victory in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

Gilliland scored his first truck series win in 46 starts
(Google Images)

Both Gilliland and teammate Harrison Burton have faced intense pressure this season for missing the playoff field and not winning in KBM equipment that Kyle Busch took to victory lane five times this year and that veteran Greg Biffle won in after an almost 20 year absence from the truck series.

After the 11th caution, Gilliland drove underneath title contender Ross Chastain, with Gilliland’s No. 4 Toyota clearing Chastain’s No. 45 Chevrolet for the top spot. Gilliland led the final 11 laps, surviving the race's final caution and an overtime that took the race one circuit past its scheduled distance of 200 laps.

“I wish we had won two years ago, just like everyone else thought we would,” Gilliland said. “I thought we would, too. We went through some growing pains. Marcus Richmond was my crew chief, and we got rid of him, and then he came back and was helping us again. He’s really great here at Martinsville.

“I’m just so proud of these guys. Man, this is a long time coming. Hopefully, this will get some momentum rolling and open up some doors for next year.”

Gilliland, who revealed he doesn't have any plans in place for 2020 admittedly let his emotions get the better of him following the checkered flag when he keyed his radio, thanked his crew, and told Busch he "could stay in his f**king motorhome."

In spite of coming up one lap short of the victory, Chastain led 68 laps and came home second, gaining some serious points in a race that was hard on most of the other playoff drivers like Tyler Ankrum, Austin Hill, and Stage One winner Brett Moffitt.

Johnny Sauter came home third, Grant Enfinger came home fourth, and Timmy Hill rounded out the top five. Stewart Friesen recovered from a lap 150 spin to finish in sixth, John Hunter Nemechek came home seventh, Whelen Modified winner and native of Freehold, N.J. Danny Bohn finished eighth in his truck series debut, Jeb Burton finished ninth, and Codie Rohrbaugh rounded out the top ten finishers.

The Gander Outdoors Truck Series will take this weekend off, returning to action on Friday, November 8 at ISM Raceway in Phoenix for the Lucas Oil 150. The race will go green at 8:30 pm ET with FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio covering the event.

Bell, Buescher on the Move in 2020

As the playoffs continue and the 2019 season winds to a close, silly season is beginning to move fast and furious as teams prepare - and improve - for 2020.

Christopher Bell will be promoted to the No. 95 car
next season (Google Images)

In a move that surprised literally no one, news broke earlier this week that Christopher Bell would be replacing Matt DiBenedetto in the Leavine Family Racing No. 95 Toyota. JGR and Toyota needed a landing spot for Bell, lest they risk losing him to another team with a Monster Energy Cup Series ride open (all four of the current Gibbs cup drivers are filled through next year). As a Gibbs satellite team, LFR was the only logical landing spot for the Xfinity Series title contender.

Yes, fans were more than a bit distraught to see DiBenedetto lose his ride in the No. 95, but he has since landed in the Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford to replace a retiring Paul Menard.

Rheem, Bell's current Xfinity Series sponsor, will be moving up with him next year. They will join current LFR backer Procore as a primary sponsor on the car in 2020. Likewise, crew chief Jason Ratcliff will join the 24-year-old Norman Okla. native at NASCAR's top level year, along with the rest of his Xfinity crew. Current crew chief Mike Wheeler will move to LFR competition director.

“Since I was young, I wanted to make a career out of racing,” said Bell. “To take this next step and race in the NASCAR Cup Series with the support of LFR, JGR and Toyota is just a dream come true... Having been under the JGR banner these past seasons in the Xfinity Series and with TRD for as long as I can remember, having their continued support as I transition to LFR is extremely comforting and will be a tremendous benefit to me. I can’t wait to close out this season in the Xfinity Series with a strong run, and I’m looking forward to the challenge that awaits in 2020.”

While Bell's talent is expected to significantly elevate the performance of LFR's Toyota, the move also comes with a substantial increase in technical, engineering, and financial support from the JGR mother ship.

“I’ve said from the start, I want this team to be competitive,” said team owner Bob Leavine. “Christopher is one of the most talented drivers we’ve seen come up through NASCAR’s ranks and together, with JGR and Toyota’s support, I’m confident our team will continue to grow, just as it has this past year. We’re certainly happy to continue to progress our relationship with both JGR and TRD as the technical partnership takes the next step forward.”

Stenhouse Jr (L) will be replaced in Jack Roush's No. 17 by
Chris Buescher (R) in 2020 (Google Images)

Now that this news had officially been announced, many felt that this would set other dominoes in motion. Perhaps RCR would tell us that Tyler Reddick is replacing recently ousted Daniel Hemric, or SHR would say where Cole Custer will be driving next year. But then Roush Fenway Racing came out of left field with a story that no one in the industry saw coming.

Late last week, RFR announced that they will be replacing Ricky Stenhouse Jr in the team's No. 17 Ford with 2015 Xfinity Series champion Chris Buescher. Similar to the DiBenedetto to Wood Brothers Racing story from a few weeks ago, this was a very well-kept secret. It even caught the ownership at JTG Daugherty Racing off guard.

“We were in the final strokes of the contract when learning that Chris has gone in a different direction,” said Geschickter said in a statement. “We appreciate all of the efforts from Chris through the past three seasons at JTG Daugherty Racing. When the dust settles, we will begin the process of searching for our next driver to fill the No. 37 seat for the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.”

While Stenhouse Jr won two Xfinity Series titles for RFR, he has long had a reputation as a hard-charging driver. That has won him quite a few races in NASCAR's top two series, but more often than not, it's also gotten him in trouble. Before his days as a championship contender at the Xfinity level, Stenhouse was parked by Roush for tearing up too many race cars, a move many felt settled him down and contributed to his back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Signed through 2021, the dirt racer from Olive Branch, Miss. has had some rough luck this year, including spinning leader Martin Truex Jr at Richmond last weekend (a mistake that cost Stenhouse a potential top ten finish). Team principal Jack Roush had a small window to sign Buescher, who was on loan to JTG, and told the media that his reputation for being easier on equipment factored into his decision.

Stenhouse Jr (C) won two Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series
titles for Roush Fenway Racing (Google Images)

“We had so much trouble getting speed out of our cars,” Roush said. “With Ryan (Newman) and with Matt Kenseth’s help last summer we identified some things we should be working on which had not been on our radar and worked on those things. When we put Ryan in the car, he fell right in line with what Kenseth had thought were the priorities and we see Chris falling in the same line.

"I look forward to having cars that are more similar for both drivers that we can develop from race to race by not having so many wrecks. Ryan’s done really well about keeping his car together and Chris has a history of doing the same thing."

Stenhouse Jr said that, while he was blindsided by RFR to release him, he also understands that his cup series results haven't been what anyone expected and that he's looking forward to his final few races in the No. 17 car, as well as seeing what his options are for next season.

“It was fun, a little emotional with the relationship Jack and I have," said Stenhouse. "It’s the only team I’ve ever been at, so I’m looking forward to see what’s next. Like I said, there’s a lot of work to do on that, but, all in all, I’m definitely looking forward to these last eight with the great partners that we have, everybody on the 17 team. I’ve worked with a lot of them since my Nationwide days, so it will be tough, but it will be a fun eight races with them.”

“I still feel like I’ve got unfinished business in this series,” he added.

Weekend Wrap-up: Darlington

Jones Wins Southern 500, 100th Cup Start

After a nearly four hour rain delay and a race that ran into the early hours of Monday morning, Erik Jones was able to silence his critics and lock himself into the 2019 playoffs with a victory at NASCAR's oldest and most challenging superspeedway. While his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates have won a dozen races total this year, the Byron, Michigan native has been rumored to be the odd man out and headed to JGR satellite  Levine Family Racing, as Xfinity Series phenom Christopher Bell waits in the wings.

Erik Jones celebrates his second career win (Google Images)

It also didn't help that in 99 Monster Energy Cup Series starts, Jones' only win came at last year's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona; a difficult track to be sure, but one where a car's placement in the draft and a lot of luck can sometimes overrule the driver's ability. But the Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR's Official Throwback Weekend, has been a driver's track since it opened in 1950. It is, after all, "the track too tough to tame."

This was very much a statement win for the third-year cup series driver, who raced a paint scheme throwing back to a livery he ran on a late model early in his career. Kurt and Kyle Busch won the race's first and second stage respectively and led almost two thirds of the race between them. But, after leading twice for 79 laps, Jones grabbed the top spot for the final time on lap 283 and was able to hold off Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson for his second career victory.

“It was a lot of pressure,” said Jones, who claimed his first victory of the season and the second of his career. “Kyle (Busch) is a great race car driver. I’ve raced him a lot, and obviously you want to beat him to win, right? I was just locked in, man. I stayed focused. I really thought it was our night when we got out front."

As with many races this year, the Southern 500 highlighted the strengths of the new 2019 cup series' aero package. There was three wide racing all over the track, 13 lead changes among eight different drivers. This was anybody's race and it was well worth trying to stay up to see who took the checkers and it was clear to see why this event became the third grandstand sellout this season.

The playoff picture was also impacted, as Daniel Suarez and Ryan Newman will go into next week's regular season finale at Indianapolis tied for the final playoff spot. Clint Bowyer was also able to slide up to 15th in the standings, while 7-time champion Jimmie Johnson saw a potential top-five run evaporate when he was collected in a six car pileup with 91 laps to go. However, Johnson still remains in the playoff fight, just 18 markers outside of 16th place.

Jones, Larson, and Kyle Busch were the race's top three finishers, with Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top five. Bowyer came home sixth, Kurt Busch was seventh, Matt DiBenedetto had another strong showing in eighth, Paul Menard was ninth, and Austin Dillon was tenth.

The Monster Energy Cup Series heads to the Brickyard this weekend for the final race of the regular season. Kyle Busch has already clinched the regular season title with his third place run in Darlington, but the final playoff spot is still up for grabs. Tune in this Sunday at 2:00 pm ET on NBCSN, ISM Radio Network, or SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to see who makes the cut to run for the championship.

Custer Declared Darlington Winner After Hamlin DQ

After going to a backup car and starting the Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at the rear of the field, it looked as if Denny Hamlin was in line to collect his sixth victory in the event. That is, until the Virginia native was disqualified for not meeting minimum height requirements in post race inspection, which handed runner-up Cole Custer his sixth win of the season.

Custer and his team celebrate at Darlington (Google Images)

“It’s a really strange feeling, honestly—obviously,” Custer said after being declared the winner without having led a single lap. “You don’t want that way, but it is what it is. We all play by the same rules. Was that the deciding factor? No.

“But it is what it is. We get the points. We get the money. We get the trophy. I guess it’s a way to win.”

In addition to Hamlin, who led 27 circuits, the only other drivers to spend time out front on the day were Ryan Blaney and series title contender Tyler Reddick, who led 50 and 70 laps respectively.

“We did not have the best car by any means, but luckily, the techniques I’ve learned over so many years kind of (helped) us there,” Hamlin said before learning of the disqualification. “They guys did a great job getting this car ready.”

The event was also highlighted by the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. The two-time Xfinity Series champion-turned-broadcaster planned on running this race for months in a paint scheme that was a tribute to the blue and yellow No. 8 Dodge Charger that his legendary father ran in his first cup series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1975. But after he and his family were involved in a terrifying plane crash just two weeks ago, those plans were in jeopardy.

Thankfully, aside from a bruised back, Earnhardt Jr was not injured in the accident and was able to run the race. What's more, despite not turning a competitive lap in a race car since Richmond last fall, the two-time Daytona 500 winner ran inside the top ten all day long and was credited with a top five finish at the end of the day.

“I love this place,” said Earnhardt. “We love Darlington… You never know how good you are till you come back and try it.

“All these guys are elite. All these guys do this every single week, and they’re very, very talented. To think you can take a year off and come back and be good… you just never know. But we did all right!”

With Hamlin's disqualification, Reddick, Blaney, and Christopher Bell all moved up one position, with Earnhardt Jr moving up to fifth. Chase Briscoe was bumped up to sixth, Brandon Jones came home seventh, Noah Gragson finished eighth, Justin Allgaier was ninth, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top ten.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will join the Monster Energy Cup Series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, with coverage beginning tomorrow, September 7, at 3:00 pm ET. The Indiana 250 can be seen on NBCSN and heard on the ISM Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR Rumor Mill Picking Up Speed

The annual tradition of "silly season" seemed to take a while to get going this year. But, when news broke this week that Matt DiBenedetto would not be returning to the No. 95 Levine Family Racing Toyota next season, the rumor mill began to pick up speed and speculation has begun to surface about which drivers may and may not have a seat when the music stops.

Matt DiBenedetto will not return to the No. 95 in 2020
(Google Images)

A perennial fan favorite, DiBenedetto has gained quite a fan following through his social media interaction on Twitter and Reddit and is one of NASCAR's biggest underdog stories. After years of driving for back-marker teams like BK Racing and Go FAS Racing, DiBenedetto bet on himself going into this year and landed at Levine Family Racing. His timing seemed perfect, as LFR was had just completed a deal to move from Chevrolet to Toyota and become a Joe Gibbs Racing satellite team following the closure of Furniture Row Racing.

In 23 starts so far this year, the No. 95 team has caught fire as of late. DiBenedetto has two top-fives, four top-tens, and led the most laps in the season-opening Daytona 500 before being involved in a wreck. But, despite helping to engineer the most successful run LFR has ever had, Xfinity Series title contender Christopher Bell has been waiting in the wings at JGR for a cup ride to open up with the organization.

When LFR owner Bob Levine signed his agreement to become a JGR affiliate, the uptick in performance came with the loss of some of the autonomy other owners enjoy. So, because both JGR and Toyota see Bell as the next big thing (he's been earmarked for cup since the beginning of last year), Levine must do what is best for his team and let DiBenedetto go when his contract expires at year's end. Bell has not been officially announced as the driver of the No. 95 yet, but it's pretty much assumed that the dirt track ace is the heir apparent to that ride. It is also assumed that, once Bell takes over, JGR and TRD will throw a lot more money and resources at LFR then they've had this season running chassis that are around a year old.

But, in spite of this "devastating news", DiBenedetto helped his cause immeasurably two weekends at Bristol when he came within eight laps of winning the race. Bell might be getting his current ride and Erik Jones is more than likely going to return to the No. 20 at JGR, but Matty D made the case that he belongs in the sport at some level.

Is Cole Custer cup-bound next season? (Google Images)

There are rumors that he might be a good fit for the Front Row Motorsports No. 38 Mustang now that David Ragan has announced he will retire from full-time competition after this season to spend more time with his wife and young daughters. While this would be a bit of a downgrade from a pseudo JGR machine, it is an open seat that would keep DiBenedetto in the Cup Series garage and it would still be a more competitive ride than the BK Racing cars he drove just a few years ago.

The other heir to the No. 38 who has been mentioned is Cole Custer. Winner of five Xfinity Series races this year, and a favorite for the 2019 title, Custer has proven to be a top talent for Stewart Haas Racing and Ford Motor Company. But, much like JGR, there aren't any open rooms at the SHR inn. There has been talk that Clint Bowyer might be in danger of losing his ride in the No. 14 if they can't make the playoffs, but recent talk has the Kansas native potentially returning to the team at a reduced salary, which would prove problematic for cup-bound Custer.

Enter Front Row Motorsports, who have had a partnership with Roush Fenway Racing; affording them access to parts and pieces that have allowed them to slowly but surely improve their performance in recent years. If they do, indeed, wind up being the landing spot for Custer, it could be a boon for the entire organization, allowing FRM to possibly get even more resources from Ford since they will be fostering one of the manufacture's rising stars.

Another scenario that has popped up in recent days has Custer going to the Go FAS Racing No. 32 Ford with technical support and a fleet of cars from SHR. As teams begin to transition to the still somewhat mysterious "Gen-7" race car for 2021, their current fleets will soon be outdated. This move would allow SHR to unload some of it's obsolete inventory to Go FAS (for a price, no doubt) and allow them to make room for new Mustangs. This would also allow Go FAS to seriously upgrade their on-track performance.

But, if Custer moves to the No. 32 and a new alliance with Stewart Haas is forged, where does that leave Corey LaJoie? The current pilot of the Keen Parts Mustang, LaJoie has one top ten finish (a sixth at Daytona this past July), an average finish of 25.4 and three DNFs in the first 24 races of 2019. However, LaJoie has proven himself as a competitive driver, winning multiple races in both the K&N East Series and ARCA Series.

Tyler Reddick ran the 2019 Daytona 500 and could
run the full 2020 cup slate for RCR (Google Images)

Richard Childress Racing has also been in the rumor mill in recent weeks, with defending Xfinity champion and 2019 title contender Tyler Reddick. Winner of four Xfinity Series events this season, and a threat to repeat as champion, Reddick jumped from JR Motorsports last season to RCR because JRM didn't have a direct line to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series like Childress does. The issue is that RCR must come up with a season's worth of funding to run Reddick full-time next season at the sport's top level.

Other than that, if sponsorship doesn't materialize, rookie driver Daniel Hemric could be on the hot seat. While he has a contract through the end of 2020, Hemric has had a typical rookie season; not overly impressive, but with a few flashes of brilliance with one top-five, two top-tens, and an average finish of 21.8. Likewise, Hemric's teammate Austin Dillon has three top-tens and an average finish of 21.3. The difference is that Dillon has won twice at NASCAR's premier level, and he's Childress' grandson. Hemric has shown speed, but has yet to win in a truck, Xfinity, or cup car. So, while the rookie has an extension through next season, team officials have said that they will do whatever it takes to try and keep Reddick on their team. If a third car doesn't materialize, you'd have to believe that Hemric's job might be in jeopardy.

There are still a few months left until the end of this season and about half a calendar year until next year's Daytona 500, so there's plenty of time until the final few pieces of the 2020 NASCAR puzzle fall into place. But with the DiBenedetto news seemingly setting silly season in motion, it will be interesting to see how the sport's annual game of musical chairs comes to an end.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, Family OK Following Plane Crash

NASCAR champion and current NBC broadcaster Dale Earnhardt Jr and his family were hospitalized and later discharged are all OK following a terrifying plane crash at the Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Carter County, Tennessee.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, his wife Amy, and their daughter Isla
(Google Images)

Earnhardt Jr's Cessna Citation jet, which was registered to his JR Motorsports Xfinity Series team, rolled off of the end of the runway and caught fire at 3:40 p.m. ET, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). While photos and videos posted to social media showed flames and giant plumes of black smoke, as the plane lay smoldering on it's side near the edge of the highway.

The five passengers on board the plane were Earnhardt Jr, his wife Amy, their 15-month-old daughter Isla Rose, and two pilots. The family's dog Gus was also on the flight. Dale Jr's sister and business manager, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, tweeted that "everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation."

Photos and videos posted to social media showed everyone on the flight making their way off the plane to safety as first responders arrived on the scene, as well as some scary images of the wreckage. Armature video also showed one person, believed to be Earnhardt Jr, collapse as they made their way from the crash site. It was later disclosed that the family and their pilots were hospitalized with minor cuts and abrasions, per the Carter County Sheriff's Office.

Earnhardt Jr was flying in to join his colleagues on the NBC Sports broadcast crew for the race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. That will not happen, however, as both parties agreed it was best for Earnhardt to take the weekend off to spend time with his family. He will be back in the broadcast booth at Darlington Raceway.

"We're incredibly grateful that Dale, his wife Amy, daughter Isla, and the two pilots are safe following today's accident," the network said in a statement to The Associated Press. "After being discharged from the hospital, we communicated with Dale and his team, and we're all in agreement that he should take this weekend off to be with his family."

Early this morning, Earnhardt Miller took to Twitter once more to thank those who offered their prayers and well-wishes in the aftermath of this terrifying accident:

Finally laying down for the night and want to say thank you to God, the angels among us, our pilots, first responders, medical staff, our NASCAR family and everyone that has reached out in whatever way to support us all. ❤️

— Kelley Earnhardt (@EarnhardtKelley) August 16, 2019

The FAA will investigate and two investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause of the accident.

Weekend Wrap-up: Michigan/Mid-Ohio

Harvick Goes Back-to-Back at Michigan

Coming off eight wins and a championship four appearance last season, the No. 4 team of Kevin Harvick got off to an unexpectedly slow start in 2019. The 2014 championship team didn't reach victory lane until the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway four weeks ago, but since then, Harvick has rattled off two top tens at Pocono and Watkins Glen, as well as stretching his fuel this past weekend to win his second consecutive Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Kevin Harvick celebrates with son Keelan following his
second straight Michigan win (Google Images)

The driver known as "Happy" Harvick started on the front row, inside of Ford Performance teammate Brad Keselowski who was gunning to be the first Michigander to enter victory lane at MIS. But despite leading laps early, it was Martin Truex Jr. who would race from the rear of the field to the Stage One victory.

The race's first stint also saw Jimmie Johnson's promising day go south for the second week in a row. The seven-time champion brushed the outside wall off turn two on lap 15 and blew a tire as a result of the damage. Johnson would go on to finish 34th on the day, dropping from 16th to 18th in points, just 12 markers outside of playoff contention with three races remaining.

Truex established himself as a contender early on, while Keselowski would have to battle back from adversity. On lap 115, the No. 2 Mustang lost a right rear tire entering turn three. Normally a one-way ticket to the outside retaining wall, Keselowski kept his car clean, spun it to the infield grass, and was able to limp to pit road without any major damage.

In the backyards of Ford and Chevrolet, Toyota was flexing their muscles, as Kyle Busch edged out his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Truex for the victory in Stage Two. But, as the field came back to the green checkered flag, Aric Almirola slid up the racetrack into Richard Childress Racing teammates Daniel Hemric and Austin Dillon. The contact sent Dillon spinning through the infield grass, as Almirola and Hemric rode the outside wall across the start/finish line.

Stage Three went green and the field raced three, sometimes four wide for position. However, at the rear of the pack, Paul Menard made contact with Clint Bowyer, which sent the No. 14 into the wall. The rear of Bowyer's Mustang was demolished in the lap 138 incident, ending his day and severely damaging his playoff hopes. A driver thought by many to be in jeopardy of losing his ride next year, Bowyer sits 16th in points, with only a slim six point margin between he and teammate Daniel Suarez for the final playoff spot.

Keelan Harvick waves the checkers after his father's
second win of 2019 (Google Images)

As is typically the case at Michigan, the Menard/Bowyer crash set up a fuel mileage race. It looked as though Joey Logano would sweep Michigan in 2019, but both he and teammate Ryan Blaney needed to pit for fuel with just a handful of laps remaining. Kurt Busch, as well as a few other drivers also ran out of gas as the race wound down.

This opened the door for Harvick, who was hotly pursued once again by Hamlin. But, unlike their battle one month ago in Loudon, Hamlin could not get close enough to Harvick to do anything with him, enabling the No. 4 Mobil 1 team to cruise to their second victory of 2019. That also meant that, like this race one year ago, fans in the Irish Hills got to see Harvick's son Keelan ride shotgun out to the frontstrech to celebrate with his father.

“Takes a lot of people to make these cars go around, and winning races is what it's all about,” Harvick said. “Just can't do it without all you (fans). I mean, to come here to Michigan and win for Ford, and I know how much Mobil 1 likes to beat that Shell car [driven by Joey Logano], so that was cool.”

Kyle Larson and Truex finished behind the two leaders in third and fourth respectively, while Suarez finished a very impressive fifth. Kyle Busch finished sixth, Ryan Preece finished seventh, followed by the Hendrick Motorsports trio of William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman to round out the top ten.

With just three races left in the regular season, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Bristol for the Bass Pro Shops/NRA Night Race on Saturday, August 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast on NBCSN, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Cindric Doubles Down on Road Courses, Wins Mid-Ohio

One week after scoring his first Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen International, Austin Cindric earned the pole for the B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and rode that momentum to his second consecutive win.

Austin Cindric score his second win in a row this weekend
(Google Images)

However, while Cindric was able to dominate this event at the track once owned by his grandfather, the race wasn't as easy for everyone else in the field. On lap 15, title contender Cole Custer spun after making contact with road course expert Jack Hawksworth, filling in as the driver of the No. 18 Toyota.  Meanwhile, Custer's teammate Chase Briscoe would go on to win the stage and collect another playoff point.

On a 33 restart following a spin by Brandon Brown, Chris Dyson rear-ended Custer as the field took the green flag. While Custer was able to continue, Dyson's chances at a good finish went up in a cloud of smoke.

After restarting on lap 37, Justin Allgaier spun in turn two. The incident also collected his JR Motorsports teammate Noah Gragson, as well as Aaron Quine. While both Allgaier and Gragson were able to finish the event, the same could not be said for Quine, who was forced to park his No. 74 Camaro behind the wall. This incident also handed the Stage Two victory to Hawksworth.

While it looked like Briscoe was in position for his second road course victory, Cindric tracked him down and passed him with 13 to go. Never looking back, the No. 22 PPG Ford easily rolled into the winner's circle for the second straight week.

“To get my first two wins within a week is incredible,” Cindric said. “To win on a road course like this obviously gives you a lot of confidence.”

Title favorite Christopher Bell finished an impressive second place, while road course ace A.J. Allmendinger came home third, Tyler Reddick got fourth, and Gragson battled back for fifth. Allgaier finished in sixth, Briscoe got seventh, Custer was eighth, Justin Hayley was ninth, and Brandon Jones rounded out the top ten.

The Xfinity Series will be the second feature of the NASCAR triple-header this weekend at Bristol. The Food City 300 will go green at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, August 16, and can be seen on NBCSN, as well as heard on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Hill Scores Second Win of 2019, Truck Playoff Field Set

The Monster Energy Cup and Xfinity Series' may still be a few weeks away from setting their playoff fields, but the Gander Outdoors Truck Series will have eight drivers fighting for a championship when they roll into Bristol Motor Speedway tomorrow night.

Austin Hill parties with his team after their second
win of the year (Google Images)

Ross Chastain won the pole for the Corrigan Oil 200, his first in the truck series, and led every lap in Stage One. However, the Melon Man's luck would run out during their first pit stop. As Chastain left his pit stall, Johnny Sauter and Codie Rohrbaugh made contact which sent Rohrbaugh's No.9 into Chastain's door. The damage behind the right front tire was too much to continue, and the Alva, Florida native was relegated to a 30th place finish.

Aside from a few single truck spins and Brett Moffitt winning Stage Two, the race was fairly clean. That is, until the Big One broke loose late in the race on lap 98.

Matt Crafton got into the back of second place Tyler Ankrum on a restart, in an attempt to shove the No. 17 past leader Austin Hill. However, Crafton's Ford caught Ankrum's Toyota in a bad spot, sending the Kentucky winner sliding down into traffic. Nine trucks were involved in the wreck, including Sauter, Sheldon Creed, and Natalie Decker.

But once the race went back green, Hill was able to hold off a quickly closing Creed for his second win of the year. Tyler Dippel finished in third, Moffitt was fourth, and Austin Wayne Self was fifth. Bayley Currey came home sixth, Grant Enfinger was seventh, last week's winner Stewart Friesen was eighth, Ray Ciccarelli finished a very impressive ninth, and two-time series champion Crafton rounded out the top ten finishers.

Your 2019 truck series playoff contenders (L-R Ankrum,
Crafton, Hill, Enfinger, Moffitt, Friesen, Chastain, Sauter)
(Google Images)

So, as the tailgate brigade heads to Bristol, their playoff grid is set and eight drivers will begin racing for a championship. Enfinger won the Regular Season championship, as well as the 15 extra playoff points that go along with it. Here is how the standings shook out once the dust settled at Michigan International Speedway:

1. Brett Moffitt
2. Grant Enfinger -3
3. Stewart Friesen -8
4. Ross Chastain -10
5. Austin Hill -10
6. Matt Crafton -11
7. Johnny Sauter -13
8. Tyler Ankrum -17

The UNOH 200 will go green tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Weekend Wrap-up: Watkins Glen/Eldora

Chase Elliott salutes the fans after his second consecutive Watkins Glen win

Elliott Scores Back-to-Back Watkins Glen Wins

The NASCAR world was turned on its ear last season when, after three seasons of trying, fan favorite Chase Elliott finally scored the first win of his Monster Energy Cup Series career at Watkins Glen International. As the cup campaign returned to the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York this past weekend, the 2014 Xfinity Series champion looked like the driver to beat once again by winning opening practice, as well as the pole.

Chase Elliott goes out to turn some practice laps at the Glen

When the race went green, Elliott's No. 9 NAPA Chevy jumped out to an early lead. The Dawsonville, Ga. native had the first stage locked up, but there was a strong contender in Martin Truex Jr. lurking just behind him.

Stage Two saw a bit more action, with Kyle Busch and William Byron trading shots under caution at stage end. Busch felt the sophomore driver raced him a bit too hard early in the event, which prompted him to send Byron for a trip through the inner loop. This didn't sit too well with Byron, so under caution he went to express his displeasure with the driver of the No. 18 Camry. However, a Busch brake-check resulted in Byron destroying the nose of his No. 24 Camaro.

This wouldn't be the last incident that the 2015 series champion experienced in this race, as he got into Bubba Wallace entering the Carousel, sending the No. 43 car into the guardrail. After Elliott collected the victory in the second stage, Bubba caught back up with Busch and the two banged doors down the length of the frontstrech. When they got to turn one, Wallace turned Busch into the runoff area on lap 63 as the crowd erupted in a chorus of cheers.

As the race wound down, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Blaney also had a run-in that resulted in both drivers having a heated discussion on pit road after the race. Seven-time series champion Johnson felt that Blaney ran into the rear of his No. 48, sending him into the Armco Barrier in turn five. Despite being tied for the most championships in series history, Johnson hasn't visited victory lane in over two years, and Watkins Glen was the first race with new crew chief Cliff Daniels, his second crew chief of the season and just the third in his career. So, it's a bit understandable that the typically level-headed Johnson would have a shorter fuse than normal.

Meanwhile, at the front of the field, Truex attempted to run down Elliott for the win. The 2017 series champion got within a few car lengths of the leader, but he couldn't quite get past him. After the race, Truex told reporters that, while he could get a run on the No. 9 car, his car was stalled by a bubble of air between the two cars, preventing him from making a pass for the win.

Martin Truex Jr (19) got close to Chase Elliott (9), but
couldn't quite pass him for the victory

"I tried to do all I could. Chase did an excellent job just not making mistakes,'' Truex said. "He hit his marks. His car was really fast in the key areas that you need to be. I just couldn't get a run on him.

"Really, it was all about restarts and track position," he added. "If I could have just got by him on that last one, we could have set sail.''

So, for the second year in a row, Elliott was the victor at Watkins Glen, while the 2017 race winner was relegated to second place.

"I think it's huge,'' Elliott said of his fifth career win. "We've had fast cars at times, but one thing or another ended up for a bad weekend. The way we did it was the biggest thing. That's the kind of effort you have to put on often to compete with the guys in the field.''

Last week's winner Denny Hamlin came home in third place, while JGR teammate Erik Jones finished fourth and Blaney finished fifth. Matt DiBenedetto finished an impressive sixth place, Kevin Harvick finished seventh, Kyle Larson got eighth, Brad Keselowski finished ninth, and Kurt Busch came home in tenth.

Cindric Grabs First Xfinity Win

In a year that has been dominated by Christopher Bell, Cole Custer, and Tyler Reddick, Team Penske's Austin Cindric was able to flip the script at Watkins Glen and outduel A.J. Allmendinger for the win the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen. The 20-year old also became the youngest driver to win on a NASCAR road course.

Austin Cindric celebrates his first Xfinity Series win
(Google Images)

Kyle Busch set sail from the pole, as he has done in many an Xfinity race over the past decade or so, but the race win was up for grabs sooner than anyone was expecting. As Busch raced through the "Bus Stop" early in the event, his car suddenly went straight through the Carousel as everyone else's turned right for the corner. It turned out that the No. 18 would suffer a broken right front suspension, ending their bid for the victory, As expected, the crowed erupted into celebration as the Las Vegas driver made the hard right turn into the garage area.

This was the time when road course aces like Allmendinger, who won the 2014 Cup Series race at the Glen, and Cindric, who's only Truck Series win came at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, to show what they could do.

On lap 69, crew chief Brian Wilson brought Cindric down pit road for four tires, dropping the No. 22 to ninth place. But, a caution for a pileup in turn one on lap 76 left Cindric in sixth, and on the subsequent restart, a scuffle at the front of the field between Justin Allgaier and Bell allowed Cindric to slip into second place. Over the final five laps, Cindric methodically ran down Allmendinger, eventually giving him a bump into the first corner that allowed the MoneyLion Mustang to slip by and into the lead on the penultimate lap of the race. Allmendiger returned the favor later on that same circuit, but entered turn seven wide, allowing Cindric to slip by for good as they took the white flag.

“Congrats to Austin," said Allmendinger after the race. "He went in there and nudged me, and that was fair. I nudged him—you race how you get raced—but that’s what racing’s all about. He deserved it. He was on it the whole race."

"That was nuts," Cindric said of the lap 76 restart melee that enabled him to grab second. "I didn't know how that was going to work out, but sometimes the path clears and you've got to take advantage of it and we executed all day today."

After post race inspection, Allmendiger's No. 10 Chevy failed to meet rear height requirements, so he forfeited his runner-up finish and was relegated to last on the field. Second was instead awarded to Bell, followed by Allgaier, Ryan Blaney, Reddick in third, fourth, and fifth. Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Chase Briscoe and Custer finished sixth and seventh respectively, with Jr Motorsports trio Michael Annett, Noah Gragson, and Ryan Preece rounding out the top ten.

Dirt Track Ace Friesen Scores First Truck Win

After what seemed like an endless string of second place finishes; of coming close but  not getting close enough, Canadian driver Stewart Friesen was able to score his first victory in a race that  has become appointment television for NASCAR fans: the Eldora Dirt Derby.

Stewart Friesen celebrates his first Truck Series win after
six second place finishes (Google Images)

This event has become known for short tempers and close racing, and the 2019 edition was no exception. Friesen, who grew up racing dirt at his family's Ransomville Speeway in Upstate New York, has raced big block modifieds all across the Northeastern United States. So, naturally, many pointed to him as the driver to beat at the Rossburg, Ohio half-mile.

While it took a bit for him to take the top spot, Friesen was able to grab the lead on lap 95. Needing a victory to get off the bubble and lock himself into the playoffs, the driver of the No. 52 Halmar International Silverado needed to make something happen to beat fellow dirt racer and defending race winner Chase Briscoe, who had won the race's first two stages. So, at the end of Stage Two, Friesen overrode crew chief Trip Bruce and elected not to pit.

Even though they had track position, Friesen would have to survive a number of restarts, as well as a two-lap shootout for the checkered flag to score the victory. That final battle saw Briscoe restart right behind Friesen, in third place. But, despite a valiant effort by the Indiana native to score his second Eldora win in a row, Friesen was able to hold off the field and, after six career second place finishes, score his inaugural Gander Outdoors Truck Series victory.

“These guys have been down and out, down and out,” Friesen said of his team. “They keep busting their butts for me and working on stuff and fixing stuff by putting in so much long hours. I can’t thank everyone enough.”

Friesen led 57 laps on the night, with Sheldon Creed finishing right behind him. Grant Enfinger finished third, Mike Marlar came home fourth, and Todd Gilliland finished fifth. Christian Eckes ran sixth, Briscoe, who led the race's other 93 laps, dropped to seventh after the final restart, Tyler Dippel finished eighth, Tyler Ankrum came home ninth, and Matt Crafton finished in tenth.