Byron leads Hendrick Motorsports to 1-2-3 finish at Martinsville on anniversary weekend
William Byron took the lead with 73 laps to go and held onto it during a two-lap overtime finish to enhance Hendrick Motorsportsโ celebration of its 40-year anniversary with a victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway.
Rain swamps Bristol dirt track; NASCAR to try again Monday
NASCAR canceled all Sunday activity because even if Bristol's converted dirt track could eventually be readied for night racing, the entire facility was a swampy mess. The first Cup Series race on dirt since 1970 was rescheduled for 4 p.m. Monday; trucks were set to run at noon. He openly fretted that a bad show at Bristol would damage the future of NASCAR dirt racing โ and NASCAR itself seemed to admit it was a valid concern. Stewart, who has insisted Eldora can successfully host the Cup Series, declined to comment Sunday when reached by The Associated Press. โPeople need to understand this is not how dirt racing is and I think they need to try and appreciate how hard this is to pull off.
What a Mess: NASCAR worried about first Bristol dirt race
AdBristol also made a bold change this year by converting its facility into a dirt race as part of radical changes to the 2021 schedule. NASCAR needed a major shakeup and the dirt race joined an influx of road courses and new venues for the most adventurous schedule in sport history. So when NASCAR broadcast partner Fox pushed for a dirt race on the Cup schedule, Speedway Motorsports said Bristol would be the guinea pig. โThat's probably the most uncomfortable I've ever been in a race car,โ said Kevin Harvick, running his first Truck Series race since 2015. The first NASCAR Cup Series points-paying sanctioned race in the inaugural 1949 season was on dirt at Charlotte (Old) Speedway.
Blaney wins at Atlanta after Larson fades on old tires
But Larson's tires didn't stand up to the punishing track after making his final pit stop with 56 laps to go. I don't know if we got that much worse or he just got way better.โAdThe Cup series returned to the track where the racing world came to a halt a year ago. In March 2020, Atlanta was the first NASCAR Cup race to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The series shuttered for more than two months before resuming with major changes to the schedule, including the Atlanta race being held in early June. As the cars stacked up behind Larson, Busch got bumped from behind by Denny Hamlin and slammed into the outside wall going into turn one.
Byron gives NASCAR another surprise winner at Homestead
William Byron was the third surprise winner through three races this season with his victory Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Byron controlled most of the final two stages at Homestead to win for the second time in 111 Cup starts. Byron entered the weekend as a 28-1 shot to win a race many expected would provide a return to normal for the racing series. The Roush Fenway Racing driver led five times for a total of 57 laps, but he started to fade "when as sunset neared. He ended up getting X-rays, which were negative, and was cleared to work the Cup Series event.
NASCAR's 'unique' winners already altering playoff landscape
Christopher Bell celebrates at the finish line after winning the NASCAR Cup Series road course auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)HOMESTEAD, Fla. โ NASCARโs postseason landscape has been altered after just two Cup Series races. โThe number of unique winners is really going to change how many cars get in on points, right? Although Bell drives for powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing, he was a rookie for that top team and in his second full season in the Cup series. The Cup Series opened on a superspeedway, then raced on a road course, and now heads to an intermediate track. Whether thatโs different markets, different racetracks, it has to be different from year to year.
Mr. WorldWide to NASCAR: Pitbull joins Trackhouse ownership
New NASCAR team Trackhouse Racing has brought entertainer Pitbull on as an ownership partner for an organization making its debut next month at the Daytona 500. Mr. Worldwide joins NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan as celebrity owners entering NASCAR this year. Pitbull has become an ownership partner in new NASCAR team Trackhouse Racing, set to make its debut next month at the Daytona 500. โNASCAR racing is about pushing boundaries; for the Trackhouse Racing team, that means more than just winning on the race track,โ Marks said. โPitbull is an iconic talent in the music industry and has tremendous passion for NASCAR racing.
Elliott too fast for Hamlin, Logano, Keselowski
Brad Keselowski (2) and Denny Hamlin (11) race side by side through Turn 4 during the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Phoenix Raceway, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Avondale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso)AVONDALE, Ariz. โ Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski got a big head start on Chase Elliott. Hamlin, Logano and Keselowski never got the caution flag they needed to catch up, with Keselowski finishing second, Logano third and Hamlin fourth. โI would have liked to have one of those late-race yellows like we saw in the Truck race and the Xfinity race,โ Keselowski said. Hamlin won the season-opening Daytona 500 and had seven victories this year โ two behind leader Kevin Harvick. โAs an organization we have got to get a little better, especially on the short tracks,โ Hamlin said.
Elliott races into NASCAR championship; Harvick eliminated
That's how it was supposed to play out, at least, after Harvick won a Cup series-high nine races and the regular-season title. Chase Elliott won the high-stakes race to earn his first career berth in the championship four. Just came up short," Harvick said. โIt was just a move I had to try knowing that I needed one point," Harvick said. Bill Elliott was 0 for 45 at Martinsville in his Hall of Fame career, and Chase Elliott won in his 11th try.
Kyle Busch wins rain-delayed NASCAR playoff race in Texas
Kyle Busch drives on the front stretch during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)FORT WORTH, Texas โ Kyle Busch won for the first time this season to extend a 16-season streak while his penalized teammate missed a chance to secure a spot in the championship in the NASCAR playoff race at Texas that finished Wednesday, three days after it started. The only race before then is Sunday at Martinsville, NASCAR's oldest and shortest track where Truex won in June and last fall. Logano secured his spot in the final four with his win 10 days earlier at Kansas to open the three-race round of eight. The two-time Cup champion got his fourth Cup win at Texas.
NASCAR playoffs rained out for 3rd consecutive day at Texas
Drying trucks continue to prepare the track for a possible NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)FORT WORTH, Texas โ NASCAR will make a fourth attempt to complete its playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway on Wednesday after persistent mist and cold temperatures continued the long delay. The resumption of the race was set for Wednesday at 3 p.m. EDT at the Texas track. The Truck Series and Xfinity Series are scheduled for Friday night and Saturday afternoon, and both series completed racing in Texas. The bigger concern is likely the NBC production crews that must complete the Texas broadcast and then prepare Martinsville for Friday night's Truck Series race.
NASCAR's Cup playoff at misty Texas put on hold another day
(AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)FORT WORTH, Texas โ The NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Texas was pushed back yet another day without drivers completing any more laps Monday. Another 115 laps have to be completed to get to the halfway mark of 167 laps that would make Texas an official race. The only other race between Texas and Phoenix is Sunday at Martinsville, the shortest and oldest Cup track. The race cars remained parked in the garage, never rolling to pit road. There were several periods Monday when the track appeared to be drying, before more misty conditions would further soak the track.
Misty, drizzling day postpones Cup race in Texas on Lap 52
Cars sit on pit road during a red flag period due to misty rain during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)FORT WORTH, Texas โ NASCAR's Cup playoff race in Texas was postponed Sunday night after 52 laps on a misty day that slowly deteriorated to drizzle while it never actually rained before the event was called off. The pandemic-reduced crowd watched Clint Bowyer emerge as the leader with Jimmie Johnson second in the last Texas race as full-time drivers for both veterans. It was fitting that Bowyer and the seven-time series champion Johnson were leading when the race was stopped. The 41-year-old Bowyer, a 10-time winner in 16 Cup seasons and twice a runner-up in Texas, plans to move into the broadcast booth next season.
Logano wins at Kansas to clinch spot in Cup Series finale
KANSAS CITY, Kan. โ Joey Logano spent the final 40-plus laps at Kansas Speedway keeping an eye on Kevin Harvick in his rear-view mirror. Now, he can look ahead to the NASCAR Cup Series finale at Phoenix. Using every bit of the track Sunday to hold off the winningest driver this season, Logano took the checkered flag on a cold, blustery Sunday to secure a spot in the championship round of the playoffs. Hamlin managed to hold off the 2014 series champion to win his 10th stage of the season. Then, midway through the final stage, he began to notice a problem in his car.
Race into NASCAR's championship round begins at Kansas
Elliott won the race. The path to the championship finale begins Sunday at Kansas Speedway, the first of three races in the title-setting third round. It's a fairly straightforward series with ensuing stops at Texas Motor Speedway, like Kansas a 1.5-mile intermediate oval, then half-mile Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR's shortest and oldest active track. Hamlin has won NASCAR's last two visits to Kansas, a turnaround after several so-so races. โIf you fast-forward to Kansas and Texas, itโs a mile-and-a-half, so everything is just pointing in our direction right now,โ he said.