By David Morgan, Associate Editor FORT WORTH, Texas – The Lone Star State comes calling this weekend when the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s running of the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Texas first joined the circuit in 1997, but back in 2017 went through a reconfiguration, dropping the banking in Turns 1 and 2 from 24 degrees to 20 degrees, as well as widening the racing surface from 60 feet to 80 feet. Meanwhile, Turns 3 and 4 remain banked at 24 degrees and 60 feetRead More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – Josef Newgarden must like the view from the top at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as he was fastest Wednesday in the rain-shortened first day of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Open Test. Reigning “500” winner Newgarden turned the fastest lap during the morning session on the 2.5-mile oval, 228.811 mph, in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Newgarden also led the Indy 500 Open Test in 2022 and last year, when he returned in May to earn his first victory inRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service MARTINSVILLE, Va. – William Byron has a penchant for milestones, and in Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, he got another. Last year Byron picked up the 300th NASCAR Cup Series victory for Hendrick Motorsports at Texas Motor Speedway. On Sunday, in a race that went to overtime, Byron led an unprecedented 1-2-3 finish for owner Rick Hendrick at the 0.526-mile short track, as the organization celebrated its 40th anniversary in NASCAR’s premier division. In front of a throng of employees and supporters gathered inRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service MARTINSVILLE, Va. — With a dramatic victory Saturday night at Martinsville Speedway, Aric Almirola removed an asterisk from his career record and collected a $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus in the process. With considerable help—perhaps unintentional—from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Sheldon Creed after an overtime restart, Almirola grabbed the lead from Sam Mayer and won the DUDE Wipes 250 under caution when Riley Herbst, pole winner Brandon Jones and Ryan Ellis wrecked in Turn 2 on the final lap. The victory was Almirola’s firstRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace renewed their rivalry on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway—without contact between their cars. Six days after Wallace turned Larson with fewer than two laps left to cause the final caution at Richmond and take a likely win from Martin Truex Jr., Larson edged Wallace for the pole position for Sunday’s Cook Out 400 (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). With Hendrick Motorsports celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend with special paint schemes, Larson—theRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service MARTINSVILLE, Va. — It was indeed a special night for NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver Christian Eckes, who dominated Friday night’s Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Eschewing a trip to pit road between the first and second stages at the 0.526-mile short track, Eckes led the first 104 laps, swept the stages and worked his way back through the field from 19th after pitting at the Stage 2 break. Undeterred by the chaos that produced 11 cautions for 81 laps, Eckes tookRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer In racing, sometimes luck is on a driver’s side while others end up drawing the shortest straw. Some handled the drawing better than others as frustration loomed several contenders who either felt robbed out of a win or unable to capitalize in moments when it mattered most. For Joey Logano, he ended up among several contenders who drew such straw as he finished second behind race winner Denny Hamlin in Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway. A much needed result as it marked his firstRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor With the laps ticking away in Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond, it appeared to be a foregone conclusion that Martin Truex, Jr. would be ending the night in victory lane, but in the NASCAR Cup Series, it’s never over until it’s over. The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota had led a commanding 228 laps and carried a comfortable lead into the final laps of regulation when the caution flag flew for a spin by Kyle Larson with just two laps remaining,Read More