NASCAR Category

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – Jimmie Johnson may have stepped away from full-time racing two years ago, but on Friday at Phoenix Raceway, he made his return in a big way. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion will join forces with Petty GMS in an ownership role, which will also include some driving opportunities on a part-time basis starting in 2023. Among the races that Johnson will compete in is the 65th running of the Daytona 500. Since he ended his full-time Cup career, Johnson has run inRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be the first title fight of the weekend to be settled, as the four remaining drivers in the Playoffs will duke it out Friday night at Phoenix Raceway for the right to hoist the championship trophy when the checkered flag falls. Eight drivers started the Playoffs with a berth in the championship race in mind, but half of them fell by the wayside, leaving Ty Majeski, Chandler Smith, Zane Smith and defending series champion Ben RhodesRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer PHOENIX – Defending Lucas Oil 150 winner Chandler Smith is in a spot to bring Kyle Busch Motorsports another NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title. However, Friday’s truck race (10:00 p.m. ET on FS1) will also be bittersweet for the 20-year-old. It’ll be his final race for not just KBM, but ending a six-year relationship with the TRD family. Smith will move up to the Xfinity Series on a full-time basis in 2023, driving for Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 team. Therefore, a lot of reflection comesRead More

By Holly Cain and Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Chastain still can’t believe he pulled-off the move at Martinsville PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ross Chastain has spent much of his young career overcoming obstacles and exceeding expectations. However, the 29-year-old Floridian’s singular clutch move to qualify for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race (3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Phoenix Raceway wasn’t even an expectation, it was a once-an-era moment that will undoubtedly go down in NASCAR lore. And Chastain himself, still can’t help but smileRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer PHOENIX – It’s a tale of two stories for Noah Gragson going into Saturday’s Xfinity Series finale at Phoenix Raceway. Not only Gragson became the talk of Thursday’s Championship 4 Media Day for not shying away about his feelings for Ty Gibbs. But Saturday marks his swan song at JR Motorsports before going to Petty GMS in the Cup Series next season. Prior to Media Day, Gragson posted on social media relating to Gibbs’ comment about Jesus following Saturday’s controversial last lap dump on teammate BrandonRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service PHOENIX, Ariz. – From the look on his face to his body language, Ty Gibbs knew that Thursday’s Championship 4 Media Day in Phoenix was going to be a test of resolve and contrition. And from the very first question from reporters to the very first answer he offered, Gibbs was resolute in his apology saying, “selfish actions” and “being caught in the moment” led to his highly criticized racing style last week. Gibbs fully concedes, wrecking his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Brandon JonesRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ben Rhodes is superstitious about being in the same room as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series trophy. The Kentuckian has an Old Fashioned named after him in The Barn at Phoenix Raceway. Rhodes mentioned both Seneca and Pythagoras in his Championship 4 Media Day interview at the Phoenix Convention Center. And—oh, yes—he’s the defending series champion—without much credit in the eyes of handicappers for winning the title last year. Among the Championship 4 drivers, Rhodes is the clear long shot.Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Don’t tell Ross Chastain that playing video games doesn’t pay off. Using a move that multitudes of NASCAR video game players have used over the years, Chastain kept his foot to the floor on the final lap of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville, purposefully driving his No. 1 Chevrolet into the Turn 3 wall and keeping it there to advance past Denny Hamlin and take the final transfer spot into the Championship 4. Chastain came into the day with a 19-point advantage over the cut-off line,Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Christopher Bell had another miracle in his pocket, but Ross Chastain stole the show with a scarcely believable video-game move in the final corners of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. For the second time in as many rounds in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Bell won a race he had to win. After beating pole winner Kyle Larson to the finish line by .869 seconds, Bell will race for the series title next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. “Mom and dad,Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Ty Gibbs took no prisoners Saturday with a race-winning move that dramatically altered the composition of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 field. On the final lap of the third attempt at overtime, Gibbs rammed soon-to-be-ex-teammate Brandon Jones so hard the contact buckled the hood of Gibbs No. 54 Toyota. The contact sent Jones, who had taken the lead on the previous lap, into the outside wall in Turns 1 and 2, and Gibbs had the lead when NASCAR called theRead More