Cup Category

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Encouraging progress was being reported regarding NASCAR’s “Next Gen” car following Tuesday’s session at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch participated in the latest test of the new car that’s slated to debut in 2022, focusing on the 1.5-mile oval. It’s not the first time the 2004 Cup Series champion ran the prototype as he and Martin Truex, Jr. spent two days testing both the Charlotte oval and Roval configurations last November. With experience, Busch was pleased being able to describe how theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Front Row Motorsports announced its official 2021 NASCAR Cup Series plans Wednesday morning as Anthony Alfredo will become a full-time driver and David Ragan making his return to the Daytona 500 being the highlights. Alfredo, who spent the past season running part-time for Richard Childress in the Xfinity Series, will replace John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 38 Ford Mustang. Ragan, who finished fourth in last year’s weather and crash-marred “Great American Race,” will run the No. 36 Ford once again. Car owner Bob JenkinsRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The torch has been passed. As Jimmie Johnson was making the most of his final start behind the wheel of the No 48 Chevrolet, it was only fitting that on the same day he was bidding farewell to the NASCAR Cup Series, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, was taking his first steps toward greatness by capturing his first Cup championship with a dominating drive. The seven-time champion finished out the season strong by bringing home a top-five Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, finishing the race asRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Chase Elliott won the biggest race of his life – rallying from a last place starting position to cross the Phoenix Raceway finish line first in the Series Finale 500 – earning his first career NASCAR Cup Series championship at the age of 24 – the youngest champion in NASCAR’s premier series in 25 years. Ultimately Elliott won by 2.74-seconds over former fellow title contenders, Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. The fourth championship-eligible driver, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, finished fourth.Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer After nine roller coaster months, the NASCAR Cup Series campaign finally came to an end Sunday with Chase Elliott hoisting the Bill France Cup. Yes indeed, the 24-year-old won war as he’s no longer the bridesmaid, but perhaps one of the top guys in the sport. More important for the state of Georgia, he broke the sports curse that’s plagued them for nearly half a decade. A FIRST-TIME CHAMPION! Retweet to congratulate @ChaseElliott on winning the 2020 @NASCAR Cup Series championship! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/ZPvHSYfiJM — #NASCARPlayoffsRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor 35 races down, one to go. Sunday afternoon, the NASCAR Cup Series will hit the track at Phoenix Raceway for the Season Finale 500 to bring the 2020 season to a close and crown a champion. After being held at Homestead-Miami Speedway from 2002 to 2019, the championship race moved to the Arizona desert starting this season, giving the four drivers competing for the title a whole new challenge in their pursuit of the Bill France Cup. While the focus of the race will be onRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service In the most challenging year in a history that has spanned more than seven decades, NASCAR racing has emerged stronger in the face of a coronavirus pandemic that interrupted the 2020 season, according to NASCAR president Steve Phelps. “What I would say is that, on March 8th, we were a sport that was coming back, right?” Phelps said on Friday during a Zoom video conference with reporters. “Our ratings had stabilized last year. Our attendance was going in the correct direction. “If you thinkRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service No divided loyalty in Championship 4: It’s all about the team at Team Penske Team Penske owner Roger Penske has two drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 race for the first time. Both drivers are former Cup champions. Brad Keselowski won his title in 2012 under the 10-race Chase format. Joey Logano won the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to secure the 2018 championship. So how does a team owner allocate his loyalties between his two drivers as they head for Sunday’sRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Joey Logano enters NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 race brimming with confidence Chase Elliott may have the illusory “momentum” — thanks to his 11th-hour victory at Martinsville Speedway — but Joey Logano considers himself the favorite to win a second NASCAR Cup Series title in Sunday’s Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Logano’s confidence is founded on facts. The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford was the winner at Phoenix in March,Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor And then there were four. Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville marked the end of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, which would see four drivers moving on to compete for the championship and the end of the line for the other four. Three of the four drivers eliminated when the checkered flag flew were in must win positions coming into the day, but a fierce battle for the final spot between Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Denny Hamlin would become the focusRead More