Circle Tracks

On the weekend of June 19-21, NASCAR's three national divisions will compete at a brand new course at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego -- the first-ever NASCAR event to be run on an active military base. That historic event will include an entry by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and California native Jimmie Johnson. The co-owner at Legacy Motor Club will drive the No. 84 Toyota Camry ...Keep readingView the full article

By the end of Tuesday night, Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love were performing a duet of ‘Sweet Caroline’ at the NASCAR Awards afterparty but there was a little awkwardness to get past following the events of Saturday’s Xfinity Series championship race.   Zilisch was the most dominant driver of the season, delivering 10 wins, 20 top-5s and 23 top-10s in 32 races, having missed one for a ...Keep readingView the full article

On one hand, the rookie season for Carson Kvapil was a disappointment, but on the other hand, he advanced to the final four and was able to scrounge enough success and attention that it got him a second full-time season at JR Motorsports, albeit under unique circumstances. Kvapil advanced to the championship race in the No. 1 car with crew chief Andrew Overstreet but they didn’t win ...Keep readingView the full article

Is it too early to think about the 2026 NASCAR Cup title? Yes, but that's not stopping sports bettors like BeT MGM. We still don't know if 2026 will feature a elimination-style format with an extended final round, a ten-season playoffs, or a return to a season-long points system. Regardless of the final format, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin are likely early favorites, and BetMGM agrees. Both the ...Keep readingView the full article

Denny Hamlin has been racing in the NASCAR Cup Series for 20 years, ending the year inside the top five in the championship standings ten times. That impressive career includes 60 career wins (tied for tenth on the all-time wins list), three Daytona 500 trophies, three Southern 500 triumphs, and a Coca-Cola 600. He's even won the All-Star Race. And while Hamlin has never won a NASCAR Cup ...Keep readingView the full article

The judge overseeing the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports v NASCAR antitrust lawsuit ruled again in favor of the teams against the Sanctioning Body on summary judgment on Tuesday afternoon. Summary judgment is a pretrial decision where there are no disputes of material fact. In other words, a judge could rule on the merits, based on evidence presented by both sides, and without a ...Keep readingView the full article

Chase Elliott was first voted NASCAR Cup's Most Popular Driver in 2018, and he has held that title ever since. He now won the National Motorsports Press Association award for the eighth consecutive year. His father Bill won the award 16 times between 1984 and 2002.  This is also the 35th consecutive year a member of the Earnhardt or Elliott family has won the fan-chosen award. Prior to the ...Keep readingView the full article

The most unfortunate part of how everything went down on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race is that the bitter defeat of Denny Hamlin superseded any kind of celebration for Kyle Larson. Hamlin led 208 laps of a race that was scheduled for go 312 but was extended to 318 due to overtime as a result of William Byron crashing after suffering a tire failure. Larson ...Keep readingView the full article

Denny Hamlin has two years left on a NASCAR Cup Series contract extension he signed with Joe Gibbs Racing over the summer but the 'deep cut' of how he was denied his first championship on Sunday makes it hard for him to envision coming back. This isn't to say that he is mulling early retirement, but he can't bring himself to think about next season after dominating the championship race ...Keep readingView the full article

After a tearful loss in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship race, plans to place Connor Zilisch in the upcoming World Endurance Championship (WEC) rookie test at Bahrain International Circuit have been tabled. By finishing second in the championship in the one-race finale, Zilisch does not possess the ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States) license points needed to ...Keep readingView the full article

Looking at the NASCAR Cup Series grid, there are eleven multi-car teams with sizes ranging from two to four cars. But which driver from each can claim to be the best? Motorsport.com considered race wins, average finish, head-to-head weekly battles, and the final championship result of each of the team's full-time drivers in deciding who was the 'No. 1 driver' within each organization. Part-time ...Keep readingView the full article

There will be a change atop the pit box for the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet next season. Brandon McSwain, who has worked as an engineer for the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team for the past six years, will replace Phil Surgen. Chastain has worked with Surgen since the 2021 season when he still drove for Chip Ganassi Racing, and has won all six of his Cup races with the same crew ...Keep readingView the full article

Kyle Larson is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Denny Hamlin is left to face the toughest loss of his entire career, and tire issues wreak havoc on championship Sunday. Phoenix certainly delivered a show, and yet, there was simply sadness and disbelief from many fans after the checkered flag. The 2025 season is officially over, inspection is clear, and now we are left to pick apart 319 ...Keep readingView the full article

The emotions and tensions after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race could be cut with a figurative knife.   The four championship finalists, their respective fanbases, and everyone in the industry had been taken on a whirlwind journey on Sunday afternoon. There were various points throughout the race where everyone thought their chances of winning were ruined. Chase Briscoe had a flat ...Keep readingView the full article

Goodyear brought a softer compound to Phoenix for the NASCAR Cup title-decider, and tire issues began during Friday's practice session. However, no one was sounding the alarm to tire supplier Goodyear. Several crew chiefs admitted to pushing the limit with lower air pressures in order to gain a speed advantage, and there was a similar sentiment after Sunday's wild finale at Phoenix. Goodyear ...Keep readingView the full article

Last weekend, Ryan Blaney was in position to win his way into the the Championship 4, but he had to settle for second and playoff elimination after getting muscled out of the way by William Byron. One week later, he went out and won the season finale at Phoenix with a last-lap pass on Brad Keselowski. You might think being so close to a title will haunt the driver of the No. 12 Team Penske ...Keep readingView the full article

On Sunday, all eyes were on Denny Hamlin. After 20 years of trying, he entered the 2025 title-decider as the favorite for many. He recently secured his 60th career win, and he earned pole position for this race. He was also racing for his father, who is terminally ill and could not attend the race. And in the background of the battle on track, Hamlin's 23XI Racing team is in the middle of a ...Keep readingView the full article

As Kyle Larson claimed an unexpected title without leading a single lap, Denny Hamlin was forced to settle for second in the championship standings. Ryan Blaney claimed the checkered flag with a pass on Brad Keselowski in the final corner, while newly crowned two-time Cup Series champion Larson finished third. This year, 60 different drivers started NASCAR Cup races, but only 44 were ...Keep readingView the full article

With just a few laps to go in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series title race, Denny Hamlin appeared set to win it all, with William Byron ending the season as the championship runner-up. But before Hamlin could reach the white flag, the caution flew for yet another tire failure. This time, it was Byron, who slammed the wall in Turns 3 and 4. His title hopes were over, and Hamlin was put in an impossible ...Keep readingView the full article

A dramatic NASCAR Cup finale at Phoenix Raceway ended in a wild overtime restart. Denny Hamlin had dominated the event, but he was deep in the pack after a four-tire call on the final pit stop.  Title rival Kyle Larson opted for two, and the track position difference was enough for the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, who captured his second his second NASCAR Cup title ...Keep readingView the full article

Connor Zilisch is the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year, but he missed out on the biggest prize. The 19-year-old led all drivers in wins (10), top fives (20), top tens (23), and average finish (8.0), but he will end the year as the championship runner-up. At the Phoenix finale, he lost the race lead with 24 laps to go to his best friend and title rival Jesse Love. After the race, he ...Keep readingView the full article

Later today, four drivers will battle it out for 312 laps around Phoenix Raceway for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship. Pole-sitter Denny Hamlin chases an elusive crown after two decades while Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe attempts to win it in his first Championship 4 appearance. Hendrick Motorsports seeks to add to their incredible legacy with a 15th title with former champion ...Keep readingView the full article

Alpa Prime Racing runs three entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series -- the No. 4, No. 44, and No. 45. Tommy Joe Martins is a co-owner of the team, and he was celebrating like they had just won the race as their cars crossed the finish line. Why? Well, that's because the No. 44 car driven by Brennan Poole finished high enough to snag a spot inside the top 20 in the owner's championship (by a ...Keep readingView the full article

The emotion afterwards was palpable. On pit road, immediately after the race, newly crowned NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Jesse Love was in tears at earning a major career accomplishment. On the other end of the spectrum, Connor Zilisch was in tears because he was denied a championship that surely would have been his under any other format. "I feel like emotion is part of the sport," ...Keep readingView the full article

In an unexpected triumph, Jesse Love bested Connor Zilisch to win the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.  Love passed Zilisch for the lead with 24 laps to go, and never looked back. This is Love's third career win, and his first ever on a non-superspeedway track. In the closing laps, Aric Almirola passed Zilisch for second, securing the owner's championship for Joe Gibbs Racing and the ...Keep readingView the full article