NASCAR Cup Series Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Coming into Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, a nerve-wracking night was ahead for those drivers that had yet to lock themselves into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Now that the checkered flag has fallen on the regular season, Matt DiBenedetto can breathe a sigh of relief knowing he will be one of the 16 drivers battling it out for a championship over the next 10 weeks. DiBenedetto had a slim nine-point advantage when the night began, so it was key for the driverRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Two multi-car crashes became the end of the road for Jimmie Johnson, Erik Jones and Tyler Reddick making the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. During Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway, all three had different implications. Those being Jones looking to wrap-up his final year with Joe Gibbs Racing with another playoff berth, Reddick trying to keep the Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle alive and Johnson aiming for one last shot at an eighth Cup title. Due to those accidents, noneRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service With his NASCAR Cup Series Playoff hopes on the line, Hendrick Motorsports’ driver William Byron earned his first career victory Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 regular season finale. The victory was an automatic berth into the Playoffs for the 22-year old Byron – a hard-fought trophy in a typically full-contact, high-emotion contest on NASCAR’s famed Daytona high-banks to settle the Playoff field. The only two Playoff positions still up for grabs on the night were filled byRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The NASCAR Cup Series regular season comes to an end right where it all began back in February as Daytona International Speedway is set to host Saturday night’s running of the Coke Zero Sugar 400. With three spots in the Playoffs still up for grabs, those drivers who have yet to lock themselves in will have to make it through the gauntlet at the World Center of Racing to punch their ticket into the postseason. Of the drivers still looking to race their way in, ClintRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Six drivers made the move to NASCAR’s top division with the goal of winning Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors at season’s end. After this Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, one man could walk away with the award and that’s none other than Cole Custer. Due to his maiden Cup win at Kentucky Speedway last month, Custer punched his ticket into the playoffs and currently the only rookie to do so with just one regular season race remaining. The scenario is simple,Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Jimmie Johnson finished third in his final race at Dover International Speedway, a track he’s conquered a record 11 times throughout his 19-year NASCAR Cup Series career. Despite capturing his fourth top-five of the year, Johnson had to overcome a speeding penalty early in the race which set him back to 30th. As the race began to wind down, he had worked his way back into the top-10 and when the caution came out for Corey LaJoie on Lap 290, crew chief Cliff Daniels made aRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service There was no drama in Kevin Harvick’s victory in the Drydene 311 at Dover International Speedway, an old-fashioned thrashing in the back end of a Saturday/Sunday NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader. There was more than enough suspense, however, in the battle between Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and William Byron for the final position in the Cup Playoffs. After winning the first stage at the high-banked concrete Monster Mile, Harvick had already clinched the regular-season Cup championship and the 15-Playoff-point bonus that goes with it,Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer As Joe Gibbs Racing ended Saturday’s Drydene 311 with a 1-2-3 finish, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick was indeed “best of the rest” at Dover International Speedway as he crossed the line in fourth for his 16th top-five of the year. Harvick’s championship rival Denny Hamlin went on to equal him in race wins at six apiece. Meanwhile, Harvick struggled with a very tight No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang throughout the first leg of the Dover doubleheader that kept him from truly fighting with the JGRRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Working traffic adroitly over the final run on Saturday, Denny Hamlin cruised to victory in the Drydene 311 at Dover International Speedway after passing Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. for the lead with eight laps left. At a track he considers one of his worst, based on past performance, Hamlin made up for a poor restart on Lap 193 of 311, gradually running down Truex, who was stuck behind the lapped car of Aric Almirola during the closing run. “I’ve been runningRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Corey LaJoie confirmed Friday on his private Twitter account that after two seasons with Go Fas Racing, he’ll be pursuing other options after the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series campaign. The 28-year-old Cup veteran said that while he felt its time to find a more competitive ride to better strengthen his value in the sport, the decision was mutual and will remain grateful being a part of the No. 32 Ford Mustang squad. “I’m sure most of you have seen the silly season news regarding the mutualRead More