Tag: Cup Series

Matt Kenseth joins Legacy Motor Club as a Competition Advisor

Legacy Motor Club announced on Tuesday morning that Matt Kenseth will join the team as a Competition Advisor effective immediately.

[autotag]Legacy Motor Club[/autotag] has made big moves over the last 365 days after Jimmie Johnson became a minority owner and John Hunter Nemechek was announced as the next driver of the No. 42 car. However, another major announcement took place on Tuesday afternoon that really surprised the NASCAR world.

The organization announced that NASCAR Hall-of-Fame member [autotag]Matt Kenseth[/autotag] will join the team as a Competition Advisor effective immediately. Kenseth was the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion and drove for Toyota near the end of his career. The former driver will provide guidance and strategy on the competition side.

Kenseth will also help mentor Nemechek and Erik Jones as Legacy Motor Club transitions to Toyota. Overall, this is a brilliant move for the organization as he and Johnson are now a part of the club. Kenseth should be a great mentor and addition to Legacy Motor Club, and it will be interesting to see how the team grows in the coming years.

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NASCAR entry lists at Las Vegas, notable entries for Cup and Xfinity

Check out NASCAR’s entry lists for this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including notable entries in the Cup and Xfinity Series.

NASCAR is heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the Cup Series begins the Round of 8 while the Xfinity Series does the same this weekend. Starting with the Cup Series, Todd Gilliland returns to the No. 38 car for Front Row Motorsports after driving for Rick Ware Racing last weekend. Speaking of Rick Ware Racing, Brennan Poole joins the team to drive the No. 15 car.

Meanwhile, Carson Hocevar returns to the No. 42 car after Mike Rockenfeller drove the entry last weekend. Hocevar will compete for Legacy Motor Club for the rest of the year. Finally, J.J. Yeley will drive the second entry alongside Poole in the No. 51 car.

In the Xfinity Series, Layne Riggs will pilot the No. 11 car for Kaulig Racing while Myatt Snider does the same for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 19 car. Also, Daniel Dye makes his second career Xfinity Series start in the No. 44 car for Alpha Prime Racing. Finally, Ryan Reed returns to NASCAR as he will drive the No. 66 car for MBM Motorsports.

The entry lists are stacked with an incredible amount of big names and this weekend’s NASCAR racing at Las Vegas should exceed the hype. It will kick off on Saturday afternoon with the Xfinity Series on the USA Network.

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Kaulig Racing provides big update on No. 16 Cup car for 2024

Kaulig Racing provides a big update about the status of the No. 16 Cup car following A.J. Allmendinger’s win at the Charlotte ROVAL.

[autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] has been at the center of NASCAR silly season for the last few months but the attention was taken away on Sunday afternoon. A.J. Allmendinger drove the No. 16 car to victory lane at the Charlotte ROVAL for an emotional win. It was a great moment as Allmendinger said he took it all in because “you never know” if you’re going to win a NASCAR Cup Series race again.

Well, there could be a reason behind that comment from Allmendinger. According to The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, all indications suggest Allmendinger will be full-time with Kauilg Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next year. The driver of the No. 16 car would return to the Xfinity Series after one year as a full-time driver in the Cup Series.

Also, Kaulig Racing owner Matt Kaulig said in the post-race press conference that the organization knows what it is doing with the No. 16 car in 2024 but it hasn’t been announced yet. It will be interesting to see what Kaulig Racing decides to do with the No. 16 car but the most logical option would be allowing Allmendinger to stick around for another year.

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Which NASCAR driver has the most wins at Las Vegas?

Which NASCAR driver has the most wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway? Check out who tops the list at Vegas!

NASCAR doesn’t have a very long past with Las Vegas Motor Speedway but it has produced great moments dating back to the 1998 season. Since that point, the NASCAR Cup Series has competed in 31 races. However, which NASCAR driver has the most wins at Las Vegas? The answer won’t surprise you due to their previous success in the sport.

[autotag]Jimmie Johnson[/autotag] has four victories at Las Vegas, which makes him the most successful driver at the track in NASCAR history. Johnson is the only driver to have more than three Cup Series victories at the venue as Matt Kenseth and others carry three wins to their names. Johnson’s last win at Las Vegas came in 2010 and included an insane seven straight from 2005 to 2007.

As for the active NASCAR driver with the most wins at Las Vegas, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski hold the lead with three victories. The next closest drivers are Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. with two wins so the threat of a new driver joining this list has never been more strong.

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Las Vegas race schedule: NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series start times

Check out the weekend schedule at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series!

NASCAR is heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and there is always an incredible amount on the line at one of the sport’s most unpredictable venues. The Cup Series will hold the first race of the Round of 8 while the Xfinity Series does the same. In 2023, the Truck Series will not be a part of the fall weekend at Las Vegas.

The Xfinity Series will start out the weekend on Saturday afternoon while the Cup Series holds the final event on Sunday afternoon. Las Vegas will undoubtedly be a chaotic weekend to an already crazy playoff schedule.

Here’s the full weekend schedule for Las Vegas, with start times and broadcast information for each session:

NASCAR Cup Series:

Saturday: Practice (12:35 p.m., USA Network), Qualifying (1:20 p.m., USA Network)

Sunday: South Point 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

NASCAR Xfinity Series:

Friday: Practice (7:00 p.m., USA Network), Qualifying (7:35 p.m., USA Network)

Saturday: Alsco Uniforms 302 (3:30 p.m., USA Network)

NASCAR Studs and Duds: A.J. Allmendinger wins at the Charlotte ROVAL

Check out a couple studs and duds from the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at the Charlotte ROVAL.

The NASCAR Cup Series entered the Charlotte ROVAL with the purpose of putting on a show for the Round of 12 finale and it certainly lived up to the hype. An emotional [autotag]A.J. Allmendinger[/autotag] held off a hard-charging William Byron for his first victory of the 2023 season. It is Kaulig Racing’s first Cup win of the year as well.

As for other drivers, Kyle Busch was eliminated from the 2023 Cup Series playoffs after a crash to begin the Final Stage. Brad Keselowski also was eliminated after entering the finale with a two-point advantage over the playoff cut-line To round out the Round of 12 eliminations, Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace put up a good fight but came up short.

Following the Cup Series race at the Charlotte ROVAL, here are a couple of studs and duds from the overall field.

Final prediction on the Round of 12 eliminations in the NASCAR Cup Series

The NASCAR Cup Series playoff grid will decrease by four as the Round of 12 ends at the Charlotte ROVAL. Who will miss the Round of 8?

The NASCAR Cup Series playoff field will be trimmed from 12 drivers to eight drivers at the Charlotte ROVAL on Sunday afternoon. The first two races of the Round of 12 have been chaotic as William Byron and Ryan Blaney are the only two drivers that have secured a spot in the Round of 8. Therefore, the intensity will be through the roof on Sunday.

There are a few NASCAR champions positioned around the playoff cut-line and it is likely that a very notable driver will miss the Round of 8. The grid is incredibly tight and there is no room for error this weekend.

Now, it’s time to make the final prediction on who will miss the Round of 8 at the Charlotte ROVAL.

NASCAR addresses future of dirt racing in the Cup Series beyond 2024

NASCAR addresses the future of dirt racing in the Cup Series after the 2024 schedules revealed there are no scheduled dirt events.

NASCAR released the 2024 schedules on Wednesday afternoon but there was a glaring event missing from the calendar. It was announced in September that Bristol Motor Speedway would return to two concrete races instead of the dirt race in 2024. Due to this move, NASCAR will have zero dirt races across the top 3 levels of the sport.

Some believe that NASCAR should have dirt races while others don’t see the need for such an event. However, the sport agrees with the former on this matter. On Wednesday, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Racing Development and Strategy Ben Kennedy addressed whether the sport has closed the door on dirt racing overall.

“We haven’t, no,” Kennedy said. “We’re certainly open to dirt racing, whether it be with our Cup Series, Xfinity Series, or Craftsman Truck Series. Something we’re going to continue to consider…I think that said, as we think about what the future looks like, dirt racing does have a unique place in motorsports. You think of a lot of our drivers, they came from dirt racing.”

“Do I think there’s going to be a dirt race sometime in the future? I think so. What that track looks like or what the time is, we’ll see, but it’s something we’re going to keep our pulse on for sure.”

It will be interesting to see where NASCAR goes next for dirt racing. The most logical outcome should be Eldora Speedway across all three levels but it would take some mending to make it happen. Overall, NASCAR does belong on dirt but it has to be the right opportunity and not something as simple as throwing dirt on Bristol ever again.

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Deep dive into JR Motorsports’ potential future in NASCAR Cup Series

A deep dive into JR Motorsports’ desire to move to the NASCAR Cup Series and how this plan can be put into action sooner rather than later.

[autotag]JR Motorsports[/autotag] has previously made it public that they want to join the NASCAR Cup Series but it hasn’t worked out to this point. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has talked about the insanely high charter market in the past and that was proven when Spire Motorsports bought Live Fast Motorsports’ charter for around $40 million. Yet, the idea of a move remains a possibility.

It may not happen for the 2024 NASCAR season but what about when the new TV deal and charter agreements come into place? It can’t be ruled out as the sponsorship model could become more feasible for the race teams. Plus, the price of acquiring a charter could decrease due to the agreement being set in stone.

The organization’s most likely path to acquiring a charter would be through a partnership with another owner, such as Chip Ganassi or someone else looking to enter the sport. JR Motorsports may not be able to fork up $40-50 million for a charter so it would make sense to find someone who can help the effort, which is something similar to Pitbull and Trackhouse Racing.

In all likelihood, the expectation that JR Motorsports stays out of the Cup Series in 2024 should remain in place. In fact, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is unsure if he truly wants to become a full-time Cup Series owner some days. Earnhardt’s dream is to field a car in the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500, which can be done without acquiring a very, very expensive charter.

As for which drivers could help JR Motorsports in a potential move to the Cup Series down the line, Sammy Smith makes the most sense. Smith will drive the No. 8 Xfinity car for the organization after Josh Berry was announced as Kevin Harvick’s replacement in 2024. Also, the current Joe Gibbs Racing driver will bring his high-level sponsor Pilot Flying J.

JR Motorsports signed Smith to a multi-year deal and it would make sense to develop him in the Xfinity Series before elevating him to the Cup Series. The organization could build the Cup program from the ground up and Smith fits the bill as he carries significant talent and sponsorship. However, it might all depend on his development over the next year or two.

Honestly, JR Motorsports probably needs some help to fully commit to the Cup Series. That is a big ask but NASCAR would be better off with the last name Earnhardt in the top level. For now, the waiting game will continue as the charter market figures itself out. Plus, JR Motorsports needs to wait for the right opportunity and hope a partner comes along to help aid the efforts.

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Kyle Larson’s playoff status in Round of 12 ahead of Charlotte ROVAL

Kyle Larson appears to be one of the favorites for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship but the Charlotte ROVAL stands in his way.

At this time during the 2022 NASCAR season, [autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] sat 18 points above the playoff cut-line in the Round of 12. It was supposed to be a solid cushion to the bubble as Larson tried to stay mistake-free at the Charlotte ROVAL. Unfortunately for the No. 5 team, a late wreck and Christopher Bell’s victory ended his championship hopes with a shocking elimination.

Fast forward to October 2023 and Larson sits in a similar position. The driver of the No. 5 car only has a 15-point advantage on the playoff cut-line with Tyler Reddick, another successful road course driver, looking to make his way back into the picture. Thankfully for Larson, the Charlotte ROVAL has provided consistent speed over the years.

Larson won the event during the 2021 season and has two stage victories to his name since the Charlotte ROVAL’s debut. Despite only one top-10 finish, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has been fast at the venue. Also, Larson has run well at road courses during the 2023 season with two top-10 finishes. Yet, his last win was over one year ago at Watkins Glen International.

There will be a lot on the line once again for Larson at the Charlotte ROVAL this weekend. Compared to last year, he appears to be in a way better situation as the No. 5 car has been a consistent contender every week. If Larson can get to the Round of 8, an appearance in the Championship 4 seems likely. The only issue is getting there and the Charlotte ROVAL is in his way.

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