Cup Category

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent CONCORD, N.C. – Bank of America ROVAL 400 polesitter William Byron advanced to the Round of 12 despite a wild Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. The Hendrick Motorsports driver restarted just inside the top-10 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Byron found his No. 24 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 battling Martin Truex, Jr. and Brad Keselowski. With under 10-points to spare, every position counted. Byron fought his car on the treacherous 2.28-mile road course to maintain position. With passing difficult, he passed Truex, however,Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. Weeks after winning the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington to punch his ticket into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and solidifying his place at Joe Gibbs Racing for 2020, Erik Jones has been on a downward spiral ever since and things didn’t get much better in the first elimination race of the postseason. Since his Darlington win, Jones hadn’t scored a finish better than 36th in the races since, putting him inRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – Ahead of the second running of the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competitors took to the track for two practice sessions on Saturday as they looked to get their cars dialed in for the first elimination race of the Playoffs. Ryan Blaney, who was victorious in this race one year ago, topped the board in the morning session with a lap of 1 minute, 21.977 seconds (101.882 mph). Ryan PreeceRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – When the news came down earlier this week that Roush-Fenway Racing would be making a driver change for its No. 17 entry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for 2020, current driver Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was just as shocked as the rest of the garage area that he would be out of a ride when this season comes to a close. “Yeah, pretty blindsided,” Stenhouse said of hearing the news. The Olive Branch, Mississippi native added that last Wednesday was businessRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent  CONCORD, N.C. – Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer have one more chance to advance to the Round of 12 at the treacherous Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Both drivers enter the Bank of America ROVAL 400 on the edge of advancing to the next round. Almirola and his No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang sit 11th on the playoff grid with a three-point cushion. Bowyer’s No. 14 Rush / Cummins Ford Mustang is 14th, four points behind the cutoff. There have been 11 instances betweenRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – If the smile on Josef Newgarden’s face when he climbed from the cockpit of his car after running laps at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL is any indication, the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series champion approved of the road course/oval hybrid that has been on the NASCAR circuit since last season. A week after scoring his second championship in the open wheel ranks, Newgarden and Team Penske announced earlier in the week it would be heading to Charlotte for a demonstration with NewgardenRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – Heading into the Bank of America Roval 400 weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney holds the title as the only man to ever win on the 2.32-mile, 18-turn road course. As he looks to defend that title and return to Victory Lane for the first time since winning here last year, the driver of the No. 12 Ford won’t have to go far when the green flag drops after qualifying ninth Friday afternoon. “Coming back here, it’s nice coming back toRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent CONCORD, N.C. – After qualifying for the Bank of America Roval 400 finished, William Byron became the first driver to sweep the pole on both Charlotte Motor Speedway configurations. Byron won the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this season on the oval configuration. Today, the No. 24 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 topped the speed charts once again on the road course. His 103.198 MPH, 1:20.983 second lap narrowly edged out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman. “I feel like if I would describe it,Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – A year after coming agonizingly close to winning at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Jimmie Johnson got the Bank of America Roval 400 weekend started on the right foot Friday by posting the fastest time in first practice with a lap of 1 minute, 20.968 seconds. Kyle Larson was second on the leaderboard, followed by William Byron, Clint Bowyer, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Preece, and defending race winner Ryan Blaney. Outside of the top-10, Playoff drivers finishedRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent MOORESVILLE, N.C. – The North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame inducted two more legends of the sport into its Hall of Fame in downtown Mooresville, Jerry Cook and Tony Stewart. A part of the NCARHoF honor for Cook and Stewart will have individual sidewalk markers on Main Street in ‘Race City USA’s downtown, an imprint deserving of men who’s mark on the sport is still felt today. The event, emceed by NCARHoF Board Chair, and recent Team Penske Hall of Fame inductee, Don MillerRead More