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NBC Sports
28-06-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
What to watch for in tonight's NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta
HAMPTON, Ga. — Christopher Bell, who won the most recent race at what was known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, will have his third different spotter in the last seven races in tonight's Cup race. That's just among the things to watch tonight at newly named EchoPark Speedway. A new eye in the sky Tab Boyd, recently let go by Hyak Motorsports, will make his debut as Christopher Bell's spotter tonight. With the drafting style of racing on the 1.54-mile track, spotters will play a key role. 'It's going to be tough, for sure, getting acclimated at probably one of the most spotter-intense racetracks on the calendar,' said Bell, who starts 28th. 'But Tab has a bunch of experience. … Definitely the first stage or two is going to be a learning curve.' The challenge will be the close racing and how quickly the runs come. Bell will have to know how close Boyd will clear him for openings on the track. A mistake could lead to a multi-car incident. Dustin Long, Bell started the season with Stevie Reeves as his spotter. Reeves had been Bell's spotter since Bell's Cup debut in 2020. Reeves left the team after Bell won the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro in May. Matt Philpott took over as Bell's spotter for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and also served in that role at Nashville, Michigan, Mexico and Pocono. Boyd was Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s spotter when Stenhouse won last fall's playoff race at Talladega. Boyd also was Stenhouse's spotter when he won the 2023 Daytona 500. Stenhouse, who starts 37th, will be in his second race with Clayton Hughes as his spotter. Stenhouse said that Boyd 'gives a lot of information at a pretty high rate of speed, which is a good thing on superspeedways. … I think him and Bell will be no problem.' Team Penske leads the way again For the second consecutive race at this track Team Penske has locked out the front two rows with its three cars and the car of its affiliate, Wood Brothers Racing. Joey Logano will start on the pole. With teammates around him, he should be able to control the race in the opening stage and, possibly, longer. If not him at the front, then maybe it will be Wood Brothers Racing's Josh Berry (starting second) or Ryan Blaney (third) or Austin Cindric (fourth). Nate Ryan, Those four drivers combined to lead 187 of the 266 laps in the February race here, but it was Christopher Bell winning and Blaney, the top Penske finisher, placing fourth. 'These places race so differently here compared to Daytona and Talladega,' Blaney said. 'I honestly prefer the racing here more than those places. I feel like you can move more up to the field, though the field, than you can at Daytona and Talladega just because handling comes more into play here. 'I think controlling the race here is a little bit tougher possibly than those races (at Daytona and Talladega) because the runs are huge. Guys take them whenever they can get them. So, I honestly think it's tougher to control the lead here. 'If you're at Talladega, let's say, and I got like me and Joey lined up, we can kind of control the pace that we want to run, how we kind of get on each other and push. We can really determine how fast we want to go, and we can kind of like stall the third lane out, make them non-existent if we want to push the pace and get connected and … and we can kind of go back to back with the inside or outside lane. 'Here you can't get connected as much. It's like you might get a shot down the frontstretch, a shot down the backstretch, but it's not like you're shoving a whole straightway for like eight seconds like you do (at Daytona and Talladega). It's very hard to control the lead.' Playoff race duels With 11 different winners, five playoff spots remain via points. Nine races remain in the regular season (including tonight's race). Alex Bowman holds the final playoff spot. He's 20 points ahead of Ryan Preece, who starts fifth. 'I think we're good enough to move up in points if we run how we should,' said Bowman, who starts ninth. 'If we stay where we're at in points, I think you're in a must-win (situation) then. But I think if we run how we should, we should move back up in points.' Bubba Wallace, who starts 24th, holds the next-to-last playoff spot. He's 29 points ahead of Preece. Chris Buescher, who starts 13th, is 38 points ahead of Preece. While there will be much talk about the matchups in the In-Season Challenge, which begins today, how those near the playoff cutline will be worth keeping an eye on tonight.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What to know ahead of the first round of the NASCAR in-season tournament at Atlanta
NASCAR's first in-season tournament begins Saturday night at Atlanta. The Quaker State 400 is the first race of the five that will make up the head-to-head contest. Dubbed the 'In-Season Challenge' the winner of the tournament will receive $1 million — the same amount given to the winner of the All-Star Race — and was implemented after the idea was floated by Denny Hamlin on his podcast a year ago. Advertisement Coincidentally, Hamlin is the No. 1 seed for the tournament. He's got Ty Dillon in the first round. The tournament field includes 32 drivers who are paired against each other via their seeds for Saturday night's race. The highest-finishing driver in each matchup moves on. If Hamlin finishes fifth and Dillon is 25th, Hamlin is on to the next round. With 36 full-time drivers in the Cup Series, the field for the tournament was determined via the top 32 drivers in the points standings after the Nashville race. Over the last three races, the seeds were determined via average finish. Hamlin got the top seed for the tournament because he had the best average finish at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono. However, Hamlin did expose a possible flaw in NASCAR's seeding process. He missed the Mexico City race for the birth of his son and only competed in two of the three races. Missing the race didn't cost Hamlin at all in the seeding process. While other drivers' seeds were determined via an average of three races, Hamlin's seed was only from his win at Michigan and his second-place finish at Pocono. Advertisement After Atlanta, the second round will happen during the street race in Chicago on July 6 and the quarterfinals will occur at Sonoma. The final two races of the in-season tournament will be held at Dover and Indianapolis, and the champion will be crowned at the Brickyard. All five races of the in-season tournament will be broadcast on TNT. The network returns to NASCAR television coverage this season for the five races before NBC takes over for the rest of the season. Here's a look at the seeds and the 16 first-round matchups taking place at Atlanta. NASCAR In-Season Challenge first-round matchups
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ranking Ross Chastain's Coca-Cola 600 Comeback in NASCAR History
Ross Chastain made history this weekend at the 2025 Coca-Cola 600, and not just by winning. The Trackhouse Racing driver did something no one has ever done in the sport's longest race: he started 40th and won. That's last to first, and never done at Charlotte. So, where does Chastain's crazy ride rank among the all-time greatest comebacks at this Crown Jewel Race in NASCAR's history? Let's take a look. 7. Tony Stewart — 2001 Coca-Cola 600 (Started 43rd, Finished 3rd) Syndication: Daytona Beach News-Journal Tony Stewart didn't win the 600 in 2001, but what he did that day is legendary. He ran the Indy 500 earlier in the day, finished 6th, by the way, then hopped on a plane, landed in Charlotte, and started dead last in the Coca-Cola 600. From 43rd all the way to 3rd. That's over 1,100 miles of racing in one day, and he didn't just survive it; he dominated. No other driver in history has ever done that. 6. Matt Kenseth — 2000 Coca-Cola 600 (Started 21st) USA TODAY Sports This was Kenseth's first Cup Series win, and it was a big one. Back then, starting 21st and winning the 600 was a benchmark. He stayed clean in a crazy race and timed his charge just right. Not flashy, but tough and technical — classic Kenseth. Advertisement Also Read:: 4 Reasons Kevin Harvick Advocates for Canceling the All-Star Race 4. Austin Dillon — 2017 Coca-Cola 600 (Started 22nd) Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Austin Dillon's win was all about fuel strategy. Started 22nd, he stretched his final tank to perfection and brought the iconic #3 car back to Victory Lane for the first time since Dale Earnhardt. For pure drama and legacy, this one gets a spot , even if it wasn't the most dominant run. 3. Kevin Harvick — 2011 Coca-Cola 600 (Started 28th) Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images This race was crazy . Wrecks, cautions and an ending that came down to a green-white-checkered. Kevin Harvick kept his cool, stayed in it all night and stole the win when Dale Jr. ran out of fuel on the last lap. Not the cleanest comeback, but a classic Harvick closer. 2. Jimmie Johnson — 2003 Coca-Cola 600 (Started 37th) Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images Before Chastain, Jimmie Johnson held the record for deepest starting spot at the Coca-Cola 600. Started 37th, he was a masterclass in patience and consistency, leading 34 laps and winning his first big one. It solidified his rep as a guy who could win from anywhere — and as we'd all find out later, he definitely could. 1. Ross Chastain — 2025 Coca-Cola 600 (Started 40th) Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images This one's in a league of its own. No one had ever won the Coca-Cola 600 from the back of the pack until Ross Chastain did it. Started 40th, he worked his way through the field methodically, caught fire in the final stage and passed William Byron with 5 to go. The win didn't just break a record — it set a new one, for the 600 and for Charlotte Motor Speedway overall. Clean, aggressive, smart driving. Chastain's comeback wasn't just good, it redefined what's possible at NASCAR's longest and most brutal race. Also Read:: WATCH: Kyle Larson crashes out twice in one day after $3 million double attempt
Newsweek
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Denny Hamlin Warns Stenhouse Jr. 'Will Wreck' Hocevar For Nashville Crash
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Denny Hamlin has warned that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. "will wreck" Carson Hocevar after the latter crashed into the rear of the Hyak Motorsports driver during the Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. Stenhouse Jr. then lost control of his car and crashed into the wall, leading him to finish the race last. Hocevar, meanwhile, secured second place. Newsweek Sports reported Stenhouse Jr.'s post-race comments, hinting at imminent retaliation against Hocevar. He said: "A lap or two before, he [Hocevar] tried to dive in there from about 10 car lengths back and then that time, I just opened my entry a little bit and he over-charged the corner and drilled us in the rear bumper. Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race qualifying heat #2 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race qualifying heat #2 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina."I'd say it's not out of the norm from him, but I definitely wasn't expecting that at that point of the race. It's just a bummer for us." He added: "Bummed our day ended like that. Definitely will have something to do about it at one point." Now, Hamlin has backed Prime Video's on-air analysts, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Steve Letarte, who stressed that Stenhouse Jr. will strike back. Speaking on the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said: "The Amazon guys described this perfectly. Like, when I listened to the post-race, I thought they did a phenomenal job of saying and Carl said, 'Eventually, they'll be a price.' You're gonna be running really well and you can take this to the book: Ricky Stenhouse will absolutely wreck Carson Hocevar sometime in the near future. That's just a fact. I'd put this week's salary on it. I'm not kidding you. He ain't gonna punch him in the face, but he will absolutely wreck him because Ricky's that kind of guy who is going to feed into people saying, 'Are you going to get him?'" Warning Carson, Hamlin continued: "If you're Carson, just know that it's coming. So, don't be surprised. ... There's nothing I'm more confident of right now other than Jordan [Fish] having a baby and Ricky wrecking Carson. I just feel that is inevitable. I don't think there's anything Carson can say." Hamlin also praised the Prime Video analysts for pointing out the opportunity Hocevar had to make amends. He said: "This is where I think Amazon did a great job. Their analysts said that Carson had a shot to be empathetic to Ricky Stenhouse, who he just wrecked, in an interview and he chose not to. He [Hocevar] said, 'He could have cut me a break.' Hold on, this guy is wrecked, on the trailer and you're telling him he should have cut you a break? It's gonna come back to him. "Carson hasn't done anything egregious to me, yet, but I guarantee you that if he does, I'm going to get him because he has gotten a lot of people, and they haven't done anything about it."
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NASCAR Driver Power Rankings: Did Ryan Blaney climb list after Nashville race?
You want to go ahead and flip-flop the top two guys in our Power Rankings? Go right ahead. I can't argue against it. Well, I could, but there's no real science behind this weekly lineup. In fact, it generally boils down to two things. Advertisement 1. What has he done in recent weeks, with maybe a tad more weight given to the most recent race. 2. How has his season been as a whole? If a tiebreaker is needed: Which guy, if necessary, is easier to make fun of. Kyle Larson isn't No. 1 in our current Power Rankings, but that doesn't mean he won't return there. As for the current rankings, Christopher Bell has four wins this year (including the All-Star Race) compared to one for William Byron, whose win came way back at the season opener. But Byron competes for a win nearly every week, and along the way, he piles up a ton of bonus points, which explains why he's second and ahead of three-time winner Kyle Larson, who mixes in too many clunkers. Advertisement If hunches and vibes were sciences, I'd be a scientist. 1. Christopher Bell Barely kept his top-10 streak (eight of last nine starts) with a 10th at Nashville. 2. William Byron Billy the Kid just doesn't have a bad week, does he? 3. Kyle Larson In an odd little funk. Very hard-earned eighth at Nashville. 4. Ross Chastain Average Michigan finish in seven starts: 25.9. Yuck. 5. Ryan Blaney Passed tech! Full Penske roster now in the playoffs. 6. Joey Logano In his last five Michigan starts, he has led just as many laps as you have. 7. Denny Hamlin Does a third at Nashville suggest the mini-slump is over? 8. Chase Elliott Odd stat: Has finished 15th four times this season. 9. Chase Briscoe His Saturday speed has yet to translate to Sundays lately. 10. Tyler Reddick Raised stakes in trendy kid names by naming his new son "Rookie." This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR driver rankings: Responding to Ryan Blaney Nashville win
