Cup Category

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service HAMPTON, Ga. – Ryan Newman was within seconds of breaking a pole drought that dates to 2013 – until Kyle Busch made his final-round qualifying run at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Covering the 1.54-mile distance in 30.024 seconds (184.652 mph) in the money round of Friday’s knockout qualifying session, Busch edged Newman by .038 seconds to win his first pole of the young Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, his first at Atlanta and the 28th of his career. Starting up front is certainly a benefitRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Eastman Performance Films, LLC announced at the Eastman’s Elite Dealer Conference in San Diego Friday they’ve struck a three-year deal with Hendrick Motorsports to sponsor Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Eastman’s product LLumar Window Film will be Bowman’s primary sponsor for one race in 2018 and two races for both 2019 and 2020 seasons. Eastman now becomes the fourth primary sponsor for the No. 88 team this season, joining alongside Nationwide (19 races), Axalta (15 races) and Valvoline (two races). “We are pleasedRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor After last Sunday’s barn burner of a finish in the Daytona 500, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series packs up and heads to Georgia for this weekend’s running of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With a track surface that is old and worn, having not been repaved since its reconfiguration in 1997, Atlanta always gets rave reviews from drivers who enjoy slipping and sliding around on the worn out asphalt. The track has been unpredictable when it comes to whichRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor The start of the 2001 season started off with a dark cloud hanging over the sport following the death of Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500, but as the series rolled into Atlanta, little did they know that the healing would start just 500 miles later. Kevin Harvick, who had taken over the seat left vacant by Earnhardt at Richard Childress Racing following his passing, was making his third start of his Cup Series career in the renumbered white No. 29 car and it did notRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer NASCAR’s youth movement continues as Cole Custer will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Custer will drive the No. 51 Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Rick Ware Racing at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. The Ladera Ranch, CA native will also compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Stewart-Haas Racing. At Las Vegas Custer has two starts. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the NASCAR Next alumnus finished third while competing for JR Motorsports in 2016. In 2017, CusterRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor For the first time in 18 years, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. didn’t have a race to run when the Daytona 500 went green last Sunday and for the 15-time Most Popular Driver, that was fine by him. While in Daytona to support his Xfinity Series teams and serve as the Grand Marshal, Earnhardt was asked how he felt not having to worry about being behind the wheel for the Great American Race and he noted how refreshing it was to not have the pressure of raceRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Restrictor plate racing is a strategic game, requiring critical thinking to make the right moves. A few days removed from Sunday’s Daytona 500 and it has dawned on me how frustrating this current era of racing has become. What happened to the word patience? The days of strategizing your move without causing a junkyard is gone. Part of this has to do with three things — stage racing, the demand of winning the Great American Race at an all-time high, or just a generational problem.Read More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer After finishing second in the Daytona 500, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace, Jr. now has a sponsor for Atlanta Motor Speedway. Wallace will drive the No. 43 NASCAR Racing Experience Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Petty Motorsports in the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500 on Sunday, February 25. Wallace has three previous starts at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His best finish was sixth in last year’s event. In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, “Bubba” Wallace has one previous start onRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Austin Dillon prevailed in a game of Survivor played at 200 miles per hour, winning the Sunday’s Daytona 500 fiercely and unapologetically after turning race leader Aric Almirola in the third corner of the final lap. Ten of the 40 drivers who started the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ season-opening event finished on the lead lap in a race that featured eight cautions and three massive wrecks that eliminated many of the strongest cars in the field. After a huge pushRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When it comes to iconic names in the Daytona 500, Richard Petty is second to none, and on Sunday, his car brought home a second-place finish in the Great American Race with heralded rookie Darrell Wallace, Jr. behind the wheel. After an offseason of turmoil that saw changes in manufacturers, drivers, shop locations, and more, Richard Petty Motorsports has come out swinging in 2018 with Wallace as their driver, showcasing their new alliance with Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet on theRead More