Cup Category

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Close, but no cigar. Over the course of the final five laps of Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, both Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin could taste victory and a berth in the NASCAR Cup Series championship race, but by the time the checkered flag waved, they were left with only disappointment. Hamlin held the point at the start of the final restart, with Blaney hot on his heels as the two drivers dueled it out for the win. However, there was another challengerRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer For the second year in a row, Kyle Larson endured an unfortunate event at Homestead-Miami Speedway while chasing down Ryan Blaney. Only this time, Larson was able to take the checkered flag in Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400, finishing 13th and still on the outside looking in as far as the Championship 4 is concerned. Larson’s all-around agonizing day sees him sitting fifth in points, trailing teammate William Byron by seven points heading to the cutoff race at Martinsville Speedway next Sunday. With the day LarsonRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service HOMESTEAD, Fla. – In the most dramatic Playoff race of the 2024 season – featuring three different leaders in the final three laps – 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick made a clutch pass out of Turn 4 on the last lap to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday when it counted most. Reddick passed his team owner, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin with two laps to go then moved high up against the wall to pass Team Penske’s RyanRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Ryan Blaney’s disastrous weekend in “Sin City” is now in the books after finishing 32nd in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion’s setback started during Saturday’s practice session where he only logged in a single lap before a flat tire sent him careening into the Turn 1 wall, making contact on the driver’s side. Blaney was able to exit out of his car before being checked and released from the infield care center. Consequently, Blaney had toRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer On an afternoon where several Round of 8 drivers endured a plethora of drama, William Byron was one of the very few who left Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a trouble-free Sunday. An outcome any driver pines in having. Although Byron’s No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet was among the quickest cars on the grid, he was no match for the likes of Christopher Bell and race winner Joey Logano in terms of raw pace and fuel strategy respectively. In the end, Byron began this Playoff round withRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service LAS VEGAS — Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano made his Team Penske’s fuel strategy call work to perfection Sunday afternoon to claim victory in the South Point 400 Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and earn the first of four NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 berths. Logano led only the final six laps on the Vegas 1.5-miler but was able to hold off the afternoon’s most dominant car, Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota by a slight .662-second inRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Christopher Bell was the class of the field all day long in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but he’ll have to settle for a disappointing runner-up finish instead of what looked to be an inevitable win. After starting on pole, the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 63 of the first 80 laps in the first stage, where he would finish second to Tyler Reddick. Bell would go on to lead an additional 92 laps and the secondRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Lady Luck giveth and Lady Luck taketh away. NASCAR Cup Series regular season champion Tyler Reddick looked as if he was in Lady Luck’s good graces early in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after pocketing a stage win in the first stage of the race. However, just as luck can change on a dime in a Las Vegas casino, the same happened for the driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota in the second stage when he found himself pinned onRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service LAS VEGAS – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell earned the pole position for Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) – his third pole of the year and third at the 1.5-mile Vegas high banks. Saturday’s lap of 185.344 mph in the No. 20 JGR Toyota bested fellow NASCAR Cup Series Playoff driver Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota by a slight .013-second. It marks the 13th career pole position for the 29-year old Bell, however a winRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service LAS VEGAS – As the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 begins with Sunday’s South Point 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, drivers insist there is still no absolute championship “favorite.” However, one driver that no one would be surprised to see advance to the Championship 4 for a shot at the big trophy is Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell – the only driver who has advanced to the title round the last three seasons. “I got asked theRead More