NASCAR Playoffs Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer AVONDALE, Ariz. – Martin Truex, Jr. was again denied a second NASCAR Cup Series championship. Instead of hoisting the Bill France Cup, Truex had to settle for second in Sunday’s Cup Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. When the laps were winding down, Truex appeared to have the title in the bag. That’s when debris from David Starr changed the outcome of the race, bringing out the caution flag on Lap 282. Erasing Truex’s lead, the caution flag would bring the field down pit road for theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer AVONDALE, Ariz. – As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series campaign ran into the sunset, John Hunter Nemechek’s dream season turned into a nightmare. Friday’s Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway went clean to the surprise of many people with only four cautions. Half of them being for stage breaks. Nemechek didn’t get that luxury of having a clean race as Stage 1 went horrendously wrong. Nemechek was losing spots entering Turn 2 when Kris Wright came from out of nowhere and door slammed him. The seasonRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer PHOENIX – Kyle Larson has been the driver everyone’s been trying to beat in the NASCAR Cup Series all season. After 35 hard fought and demanding races, it’ll come down to the 312-lap finale at Phoenix Raceway where Larson will look to cap off a dream year with a championship. Not only is Larson determined to give it his all to win the title, he’ll also look to become the first man since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win 10 races in a season. The Californian willRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer PHOENIX – “Usually a lot of times JGR might be the favorite going into a championship race. I think we’re definitely the underdogs,” said Joe Gibbs Racing Team Executive Wally Brown said on Monday. “We have to beat the guy, Kyle Larson, that has won so many races, been so dominant this year. Then you have Chase (Elliott), the reigning champion at this track. We’re definitely the underdog.” Don’t consider Martin Truex, Jr. as a dark horse nor an underdog for Sunday’s championship deciding race at PhoenixRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Ty Gibbs continued his phenomenal NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie season on Saturday with his fourth victory of the year in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Gibbs passed reigning series champion Austin Cindric on Lap 190 and 200 and beat the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford to the finish line by .759 seconds to earn his ninth top-five finish in his 16th start. “He got a little bit free and kind of slowed down in (Turns) 3 and 4, andRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Brad Keselowski entered the Round of 8 on the outside looking in. He’ll still leave Texas Motor Speedway outside the top-four standings despite finishing fourth in Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500. In fact, he cut the gap from 16 to 15 going into next Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway. It might’ve been just a point, but Keselowski’s No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang showed good pace. This was the case during long runs when Keselowski had one of the better showings outside the Hendrick Motorsports duoRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer William Byron entered Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race 18 points below the cutoff line to make the Round of 12. 500 wild and grueling laps later, Byron advanced into next round with a third-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. With Kurt Busch struggling all night and Aric Almirola fading towards the end, Byron made most out of their pitfalls by being up front. That’s thanks in large part of an all around team effort from the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports crew to put himRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer William Byron was among the many NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers who were tamed by “The Lady in Black.” Not once, but twice in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500, becoming the third competitor crashing out at Darlington Raceway. Following a late-race crash in last Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, Byron hoped Darlington would be a turnaround weekend. Especially, that it’s the playoff opener and having a career season. However, it wasn’t in the cards the from the very beginning. On Lap 15, Byron couldn’t avoidRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Sunday’s opening stage of the Cook Out Southern 500 had chaotic moments involving NASCAR playoff drivers. One negatively impacted by the madness was Michael McDowell, the first to have a mulligan in the Round of 16. Entering the backstretch on Lap 31, McDowell went from gaining track position to losing everything in front of the competition. Consequently, his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang slammed the Turn 2 wall. It was already game over for the Daytona 500 champion as he’ll leave Darlington RacewayRead 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