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		<title>Latest NASCAR News &amp; Videos from FOX Sports</title>
		<link>https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/cup-series</link>
		<description>Breaking NASCAR news, videos, articles, and stories from FOX Sports.</description>
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			<title>Latest NASCAR News &amp; Videos from FOX Sports</title>
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			<link>https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/cup-series</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 23:40:52 -0400</pubDate>
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					<![CDATA[2027 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule Tracker: Where & When Will NASCAR Race?]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2027-nascar-cup-series-schedule-tracker-where-when-will-nascar-race</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2027-nascar-cup-series-schedule-tracker-where-when-will-nascar-race</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Where and when will NASCAR race in 2027? Here are the latest schedule updates.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:39:42 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The NASCAR 2027 Cup Series schedule is still a bit in flux as the fate of a return to Naval Base Coronado and a return after a one-year hiatus to the Chicago street course are still to be determined. But considering tracks want to start selling tickets for 2027 and it's important for fans to know the dates, tracks have started announcing their 2027 Cup events. Here’s a list of Cup race dates that have been announced. Those with an asterisk (*) show tracks not announced but are traditional dates (Memorial Day, Labor Day) on the calendar. 2027 NASCAR Cup Series Feb. 13: Clash at DaytonaFeb. 21: Daytona 500Feb. 28: AtlantaMay 30: Charlotte*July 18: AtlantaAug. 28: DaytonaSept. 5: Darlington* The Cup schedule will remain at 38 events. FOX Sports (FOX, FS1) will have the first 14 Cup events again, Prime will have the next five, followed by five on TNT and the final 14 on USA Sports (USA, NBC). This post will be updated as more tracks announce their 2027 dates.]]>
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					<![CDATA[NASCAR Preseason Clash Heading To Daytona In 2027]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/motor/nascar-preseason-clash-heading-daytona-2027</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/motor/nascar-preseason-clash-heading-daytona-2027</guid>
				<category>motor</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[NASCAR's Clash is heading back to its iconic venue at Daytona in 2027.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:54:08 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[NASCAR will move its annual preseason race back to Daytona International Speedway after five years away from its most iconic venue. The Clash will be a Saturday night affair on Feb. 13, the night before the Super Bowl and eight days prior to the season-opening Daytona 500. It will run on the oval, with eligibility for the invitation-only event still to be determined. The race was last run on the oval in 2020 and then stayed at Daytona but was competed on the road course there in 2021. NASCAR then constructed a track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Clash from 2022-2024. The last two years, it was staged at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina. This year's event was postponed for three days because of a heavy snowstorm in North Carolina. There shouldn’t be any worry about snow at Daytona, designed to create interest heading into the season-opening 500. It is also the first race of the 14-event FOX Sports portion of the Cup schedule, where the Cup races are aired on FOX or FS1. It will bring back an element of the old Speedweeks, where there was track activity on two weekends at Daytona. In recent years, drivers have not been on track until the Wednesday before the Daytona 500. That sounds good to Ryan Preece, who won the Clash this year at Bowman Gray and then drove to Florida to race at the New Smyrna Speedway short track in the following days. "I’m a fan of Speedweeks," Preece told me and other reporters a couple of weeks ago at Indianapolis. "For us coming in on Wednesday and racing Sunday, being a purist and loving NASCAR — I’m happy that we ... end up going early and kind of making it the whole Speedweeks vibe again. "Because that doesn’t only help Daytona, but I think it also helps the short-track side of things." Preece’s team co-owner, Brad Keselowski, noted that he was willing to race wherever the Clash is conducted — be it Bowman Gray or Daytona. "From an RFK perspective, we’ll race wherever they put the Clash ... [and] we have a lot of reason to think we’d be successful in either one of the two tracks," Keselowski told me and other reporters at Indianapolis. NASCAR also announced Wheatley American Vodka as a new sponsor for the Clash as part of a multiyear sponsorship deal with NASCAR. The league's decision to bring the Clash to Daytona was first reported by The Athletic. NASCAR is not expected to announce its full schedule for at least another few weeks, but tracks that have early 2027 dates are expected to announce their schedules over the next couple of weeks so they can begin ticket sales for next season.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Bryce Harper, Andy Roddick And Other Investors Join Jimmie Johnson's NASCAR Team]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/jimmie-johnson-bryce-harper-guy-fieri-legacy-nascar</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/jimmie-johnson-bryce-harper-guy-fieri-legacy-nascar</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is adding some big-time winners to his race team.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2026 15:54:00 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is adding some big-time winners to his race team. Johnson announced a strategic ownership group for Legacy Motor Club on Thursday that includes championship athletes, Grammy Award winners, entrepreneurs, investors, motorsport greats and cultural leaders. Johnson remains the team's majority owner. The Legacy investors include six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper, Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, 11-time surfing world champion Kelly Slater and six-time MLB All-Star Chase Utley. The group also includes three-time Grammy Award winner Darius Rucker, Emmy Award-winning chef Guy Fieri, Amway co-founder Jen Rubio and CrossHarbor Capital co-founder Sam Byrne. "This is not a traditional ownership group," Johnson said in a statement. "It is a collection of people who understand competition, leadership, innovation, storytelling and how enduring organizations are built. They come from different worlds but share a common belief: that Legacy can become something fundamentally different within motorsports and culture." The ownership group reflects Legacy's ambition to build a modern motorsports organization that competes at the highest level on the track while building relevance across media, partnerships, hospitality and fan experience. "Great organizations are built by people who understand what it takes to win — but also what it takes to build," Johnson said. "The caliber, diversity and perspective of this group speak directly to where Legacy is headed." Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management co-own Legacy, which fields two full-time cars in the Cup Series. Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek drive for Legacy, which also fields a third entry at some events for Johnson. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[NASCAR Silly Season Tracker: RFK Picks Up Ryan Preece's Option For 2027]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-silly-season-tracker-2026-2027</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-silly-season-tracker-2026-2027</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Ryan Preece is staying with RFK for another season. Here's the latest from NASCAR's silly season.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:03:17 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Two current Cup drivers held the keys to the NASCAR silly season, and it appears both of them are staying put … for one more year. Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports) was the most high-profile driver who was not signed for next year. HMS announced on July 23 that Bowman would return next season and that 2027 would be his final year before retiring from full-time competition. The other driver who is key is Connor Zilisch, who is signed through next season and now, by all appearances, won't have his contract bought out. He's one of the most heralded prospects, and Trackhouse is struggling. He could sign early with another team — much like Tyler Reddick did a few years ago, a move that eventually led to him leaving a year early at season’s end. Zilisch will race for Trackhouse in 2027 and his most likely landing spot for 2028 is to replace Bowman. Obviously, there are things that can’t be predicted. The devastating death on May 21 of Kyle Busch leaves a much bigger void beyond a seat in the Cup Series. It will likely take some time for Richard Childress Racing to determine how it will move forward for 2027. Here is how things look at each organization following the July 26 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and heading into August. Joe Gibbs Racing Barring an unforeseen occurrence, JGR will not have changes for next year. Ty Gibbs (fourth) isn’t expected to be going anywhere and Denny Hamlin (first), Chase Briscoe (seventh) and Christopher Bell (10th) are signed beyond this season. The one thing that JGR might need to anticipate is Hamlin retiring from full-time racing after 2027 then having to fill that ride. Brent Crews, who drives for JGR in the O’Reilly Series, is the team’s focus on the development driver side who could be Cup ready. 23XI Racing Corey Heim — who already has won twice this year on a part-time schedule – has been announced as a full-time driver, replacing Riley Herbst (25th in the standings). Tyler Reddick (second in the standings) signed a contract extension earlier this year. While sources had indicated Bubba Wallace (14th) was in an option year, both 23XI and Wallace camps have indicated he is set to race for 23XI next season. Team Penske With Ryan Blaney (third) having recently signed a contract extension, Team Penske has its former champions Blaney and Joey Logano (13th) under contact. Austin Cindric is 16th in the points and indicated he has signed a contract extension, saying his contract details are between him and Team Penske but that he is confident fans will see him in the car next season. Hendrick Motorsports Chase Elliott (sixth), Kyle Larson (eighth), William Byron (12th) and Alex Bowman (29th) are all now signed for next year. If you want to look ahead to the 2027 silly season, Zilisch and HMS O'Reilly Series driver Corey Day are the top candidates to replace Bowman for 2028 with Zilisch the favorite. Spire Motorsports Spire Motorsports has Carson Hocevar (fifth) locked in long-term, while Michael McDowell and Daniel Suárez are not. Spire has shown the willingness to eat a year of a contract to get a driver it wants. But who would that be at this point? Suárez is 11th in the standings and McDowell is 20th. Now that Bowman is set to return at Hendrick next season, it appears that the Spire lineup likely will be the same for 2027. RFK Racing Ryan Preece, at 17th in the standings, was a driver whose future appeared mildly unclear, but team co-owner Brad Keselowski confirmed July 25 that RFK had picked up his option for next season. RFK possibly will have just two charters for next season (it is leasing one that will go to Legacy Motor Club in 2027) but it also has strong sponsorship from Kroger and its vendors to the point where running Preece as an open car next year appears to be the plan. Chris Buescher (ninth) has signed a contract extension (announced June 16). Brad Keselowski (19th) will race at RFK until he is ready to retire, which he says won’t be for several more years. Trackhouse Racing All three Trackhouse drivers — Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen and Zilisch — are signed through 2027, and the onus is on the organization to try to keep them beyond next year. Only van Gisbergen (15th in the standings) is having a season to be happy about as Chastain is 21st and Zilisch is 34th. Legacy Motor Club Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek could very well return next year, as some improved performance since April (Jones is now 18th in the standings; Nemechek is 27th) is an indication of progress at the organization. Legacy will add a third chartered car next year as well and that is the expected landing spot for Riley Herbst. Kaulig Racing Neither AJ Allmendinger nor Ty Dillon are locked in at Kaulig next year, although Allmendinger has the option to race as long as he wants. The organization is in a tough spot without manufacturer support. It would be a huge scramble for Dodge to enter Cup in 2027 despite that being their hope. And if they do so, whether that could impact DIllon is to be determined. Allmendinger is 22nd in the standings; Dillon is 32nd. If Kaulig does make a change, Josh Berry could be a candidate, but he currently doesn't bring sponsorship. Front Row Motorsports Todd Gilliland (23rd in the standings) signed a contract extension earlier this month and Zane Smith (24th) signed a contract extension last year that has him solid at FRM. Noah Gragson has a strong personality but hasn’t had the results that would wow many, as he sits 31st in the standings — but he's also expected to sign a contract extension soon. Hyak Motorsports Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (26th in the standings) signed a contract extension in May and is set to remain with the organization. Richard Childress Racing Austin Dillon is expected to return in 2027 as he sits 28th in the standings. Who will fill the open seat is still to be determined. Austin Hill has been the driver of the renumbered No. 33 car, and he has remained the leading candidate for the ride for 2027. Josh Berry and Noah Gragson are longshots. Haas Factory Team Cole Custer hasn’t had a good year (he’s 30th in the standings) but whether a change is made is debatable as the team appears to be still trying to find its footing. He did have a respectable month of May. Wood Brothers Josh Berry (33rd) will be replaced next season by defending O'Reilly Series champion Jesse Love, who turns 22 next January. Wood Brothers Racing President Jon Wood, in a news release, said: "Jesse has accomplished a lot at a young age. He’s demonstrated the ability to win races, compete for championships and handle the expectations that come with racing at a high level." Rick Ware Racing As long as RWR doesn’t sell, this should remain Cody Ware’s ride. Ware is 35th in the standings.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 NASCAR Cup Series Title Odds: Denny Hamlin Favored To Win It All]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-cup-series-championship-odds</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-cup-series-championship-odds</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[With four wins on the season, Denny Hamlin is favored to take home the title as NASCAR drives toward The Chase.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:42:35 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The 2025 NASCAR season ended on a high note for champion Kyle Larson. For Denny Hamlin, it couldn't have ended worse, as the veteran driver watched his chances of securing his first title elude him once again. Now, Hamlin has four wins this season and Larson has none. And as the series drives toward The Chase, Hamlin sits at the top of the title oddsboard. How will the final stretch of the regular season unfold before the postseason begins? Here are the latest odds for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Championship at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 29. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. NASCAR Cup Series Championship 2026 Denny Hamlin: +160 (bet $10 to win $26 total)Tyler Reddick: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)Ryan Blaney: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)Kyle Larson: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)Christopher Bell: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Chase Elliott: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Chase Briscoe: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)Ty Gibbs: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)Joey Logano: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)William Byron: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Carson Hocevar: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Chris Buescher: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)Shane van Gisbergen: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)Bubba Wallace: +7000 (bet $10 to win $710 total) Daniel Suárez: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Brad Keselowski: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Ross Chastain: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Erik Jones: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Ryan Preece: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)Austin Cindric: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)Alex Bowman: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +70000 (bet $10 to win $7,010 total)AJ Allmendinger: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)Michael McDowell: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)Connor Zilisch: +150000 (bet $10 to win $15,010 total)Zane Smith: +150000 (bet $10 to win $15,010 total)Josh Berry: +250000 (bet $10 to win $25,010 total)John Hunter Nemechek: +250000 (bet $10 to win $25,010 total)Austin Dillon: +250000 (bet $10 to win $25,010 total)Ty Dillon: +250000 (bet $10 to win $25,010 total)Todd Gilliland: +250000 (bet $10 to win $25,010 total) Total Race Wins: BowmanOver 0.5: -170 (bet $10 to win $15.88 total)Under 0.5: +125 (bet$10 to win $22.50 total) CindricOver 0.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)Under 0.5: -120 (bet $10 to win $18.33 total) DillonOver 0.5: +145 (bet $10 to win $24.50 total)Under 0.5: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total) KeselowskiOver 0.5: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)Under 0.5: -135 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total) WallaceOver 0.5: -160 (bet $10 to win $16.25 total)Under 0.5: +120 (bet $10 to win $22 total) HocevarOver 0.5: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total)Under 0.5: -175 (bet $10 to win $15.71 total) BriscoeOver 2.5: -135 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total)Under 2.5: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total) ElliottOver 1.5: -120 (bet $10 to win $18.33 total)Under 1.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total) BuescherOver 0.5: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)Under 0.5: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total) BellOver 3.5: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total)Under 3.5: -175 (bet $10 to win $15.71 total) HamlinOver 3.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)Under 3.5: -120 (bet $10 to win $18.33 total) LoganoOver 2.5: +135 (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)Under 2.5: -190 (bet $10 to win $15.26 total) LarsonOver 4.5: +135 (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)Under 4.5: -190 (bet $10 to win $15.26 total) ChastainOver 1.5: +135 (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)Under 1.5: -180 (bet $10 to win $15.56 total) BlaneyOver 3.5: +135 (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)Under 3.5: -185 (bet $10 to win $15.41 total) GibbsOver 3.5: +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)Under 3.5: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total) Here's insight from FOX Sports motorsports insider Bob Pockrass (odds as of Jan. 28): Denny Hamlin+500 to win the Cup Championship The driver who had the most wins last year and led until the final laps of the championship race will be a favorite in the new 10-race championship format. Many of the tracks in those 10 fit into Hamlin’s wheelhouse. I know, I know, every season begins with wondering if this year could be the year for Hamlin. This season? It really could be. Chase Elliott+850 to win the Cup ChampionshipOf all the drivers who could thrive in this new championship format that rewards consistency, Elliott possibly tops the list. He wrecked out of only two races last year, and he likes this format, which could go a long way when it comes to performance. Plus, Chevrolet has a new body that should result in improved results. Brad Keselowski Over 0.5 winsIs Keselowski going to win this year? He only has one win in the last four seasons, and he broke his leg in the offseason. So why should we expect him to win? He had four top-three finishes in the last 19 races of 2025. If he builds on that, he’ll run in the top three enough that he will find a way to earn a trophy. Kyle Larson Under 4.5 wins This is a tough one. Larson has only earned more than four wins just twice in his career. The Next Gen car makes things so even, that there is more parity. Getting to four wins seems so much more attainable than five, especially in a points system where the risk-vs-reward for a bold move is more dramatic.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Who Takes Over For Alex Bowman In 2028? One Obvious Fit Awaits]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/alex-bowman-replacement-connor-zilisch</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/alex-bowman-replacement-connor-zilisch</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[While Hendrick Motorsports has time to wait to name its driver of the No. 48 car for 2028, making a move for Connor Zilisch makes too much sense.]]>
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				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:15:45 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Hendrick Motorsports certainly has time to wait to name its driver of the No. 48 car for 2028. But it might not want to wait. It might want to get that driver off the market. Connor Zilisch has had an awful rookie year with now eight races where he didn’t finish. He most likely will be eliminated from Chase contention after next week’s race at Iowa. But let’s not forget that he won 10 O’Reilly Series races last year. And that he has won in other series in dominating fashion. He is learning the Cup car, and once he learns it, he will pile up the trophies. That's assuming he learns it. Zilisch’s contract is up at Trackhouse Racing next year. So it would be natural for Hendrick to snag him. He's been the can't-miss prospect, although 23XI up-and-ocming star Corey Heim's two victories this year indicate maybe he should have been topped of that type of list. Trackhouse also has contracts expiring for Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen. Would Hendrick give either of those a shot? It appears Hendrick is looking for a young driver that could race for the organization for another 10 or 20 years once Alex Bowman retires from the No. 48 car after the 2027 season. And Hendrick has a young driver in its stable in Corey Day, a 20-year-old sprint-car driver who has been championed by Kyle Larson as the next great racer. Day has two O’Reilly wins for Hendrick (at Talladega and Dover earlier this year) and already has clinched a spot in the postseason with a couple of races remaining. Compared to Zilisch’s year a season ago, Day hasn’t matched it by a long shot. But Day also had less stock-car experience than Zilisch (who also is 20 years old) and it typically takes sprint-car drivers a little more time to adapt to full-body stock cars. He is making steady improvement. He’s not ready for Cup just yet. But in nine months, he could be. Will he get that chance at Hendrick? It’s debatable. Zilisch appears to be the guy and Hendrick doesn’t like to mess around to allow for second thoughts from a driver or for another team to pluck away the driver the organization has in its sights. So what happens to Day if Zilisch signs with Hendrick? Does that mean he goes to Spire for a season or two? It’s certainly possible considering the Hendrick-Spire alliance. Hendrick, though, doesn’t love building up talent so they can race somewhere else. But what it hates more is losing out on signing a top driver to another team. And while Zilisch hasn’t looked like the can’t-miss prospect he was a year ago, he still looks like a driver with speed and a ton of potential. That likely will be enough for Hendrick. In Second Thoughts, Bob Pockrass offers his opinion on a burning motorsports topic.]]>
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					<![CDATA[NASCAR Chase Tracker: Ty Gibbs Clinches; 12 Spots Remain]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-playoff-tracker-the-chase</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-playoff-tracker-the-chase</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[NASCAR is returning to The Chase postseason format. So which drivers are in, out or on the bubble?]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:53:04 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[NASCAR has a new playoff system in 2026. It’s back to the Chase. Instead of win-and-in, it’s the top-16 drivers in the regular-season standings that will make the 10-race Chase, which will be a mini-season of its own with no eliminations. The 16 drivers will have their points reset for the start of the final 10-race stretch with the regular-season champion at 2,100 points, second place at 2,075, third place at 2,065, fourth place at 2,060 and so on by five-point increments with 16th reset to 2,000. Four races remain in the regular season: Iowa, Richmond, New Hampshire and Daytona. So who is in and who is out? Here’s a look: Clinched Four drivers have clinched spots in the field of 16: — Denny Hamlin: The Joe Gibbs Racing driver clinched a spot after Atlanta with six races remaining. He has an 84-point edge on Tyler Reddick in the battle for the regular-season title. — Tyler Reddick: The 23XI driver also clinched a spot after Atlanta with six races remaining. His five wins this year lead the series. — Ryan Blaney: The Team Penske driver, who has two victories and a series-best 15 top-10s this year, clinched a spot after North Wilkesboro. – Ty Gibbs: The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has the most stage points of any driver this year with 181 and clinched a spot at Indianapolis. In Good Shape There are eight drivers who are 88 points or more above the cutline, and the last on that list (William Byron) would have to lose an average of 22 points a race to fall out. At Indianapolis, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson had accidents and both still lost just 17 points to the cut. — Carson Hocevar (+158): The Spire driver has a win this year along with five top fives, nine top 10s and no DNFs. He should clinch a spot with a couple of races to spare. — Chase Elliott (+155): The Hendrick driver has enjoyed his best start to a season with two victories but has not had a top-10 finish in his last eight races. — Chase Briscoe (+143): The JGR driver gained 52 points on the cutline with his win at Chicagoland a few weeks ago and that put him in the feeling safe category rather than on the bubble. He has gained another 39 points on the cutline the last two races and is now more than safe. — Kyle Larson (+137): The Hendrick Motorsports driver and defending series champion was leading all drivers with stage points until Indianapolis, when he had a flat tire and crashed just as he took the lead near the end of Stage 1. — Chris Buescher (+133): The RFK Racing driver has just one stage win this year but still has had consistent finishes. — Christopher Bell (+129): Bell has six second-place finishes this year. That might not feel great, but if he keeps rattling off those type of finishes, he could very well challenge for the title. — Daniel Suárez (+103): The Spire Motorsports driver might be the biggest surprise of the season. A ninth-place finish at North Wilkesboro put him in a position where he shouldn't get caught by anyone outside the bubble. Just take a look at Indianapolis — he finished 17th but with some stage points, he gained seven points on the cutoff. — William Byron (+88): The Hendrick driver has had an uncharacteristically inconsistent season and still seeks his first win. At least he can comfortably race without worrying about making the playoffs. On The Bubble One or two good or bad races could change who is in and who is out, especially if any drivers below the bubble win a race or two. With 76 points being the most available in a race, I'd say right now any driver 80 points above or below is on the bubble. That's the same as I figured last week and for good reason — for those outside the cutoff, one win could potentially gain them 40 or more points. Joey Logano, for instance, has gained 73 points in the last two races with a win and a third. — Joey Logano (+65): How much does a win mean? The Team Penske driver, a three-time Cup champion, went from eight points below the cutline to 49 points above with his victory at North Wilkesboro. Then with a third-place finish at Indy, he's now up to 65 points. — Bubba Wallace (+60): The 23XI driver had a wild last eight races with finishes of third, 21st, second, 22nd, sixth, 29th, sixth and 28th. One more strong run over the final four, combined with avoiding a string of horrible finishes should keep him safe. — Shane van Gisbergen (+57): The Trackhouse Racing driver won at Sonoma last month to go from five points below the cut to 36 points ahead. But maybe a bigger surprise was a fifth-place finish at North Wilkesboro that added 23 points to his cushion and he should make the Chase with just average finishes the rest of the way. Just look at Indy — he gained three points with 16th-place finish. — Austin Cindric (+38): The Team Penske driver likely expected to not be on the bubble. His fate likely isn't determined as much as what he does versus those below him. If they win like Logano did at North Wilkesboro, Cindric could find himself out of luck. — Ryan Preece (-38): The RFK driver is a fighter and likely has a chip on his shoulder after a 25-point penalty earlier this year for intentionally wrecking Ty Gibbs. A 10th-place finish at North Wilkesboro was solid but the Logano win put a damper on that finish as Preece found himself going from 33 points below the cutline to 48. He gained 10 points at Indy and if he does that the rest of the way, he could slip his way into the Chase. — Erik Jones (-44): The Legacy Motor Club driver lost 41 points at North Wilkesboro to the cutline as he finished 21st and Joey Logano won, earning 73 points compared to 16 points for Jones. Jones can see it slipping away as a 27th-place at Indy cost him another 11 points to the cutoff. — Brad Keselowski (-50): The RFK driver, the 2012 Cup champion, was up 55 points on the cutline nine races ago. He could rally quickly, but he's going to have to get going. And now it looks like he'll need at least one win. Or at least some stage wins. — Michael McDowell (-76): The Spire Motorsports driver didn't take enough advantage of the road-course races. He has no chance without a win, but Indy showed he had some speed. Whether he will have it at the short tracks is debatable. Little Or No Chance Only Cody Ware has been eliminated from contention, but these 14 drivers appear too far back to have even a remote chance to rally. A win might put them back into contention. Might. — Ross Chastain (-82): The Trackhouse driver had back-to-back top 10s entering Sonoma in June, but five finishes outside the top 10 have made this hill now too big to climb unless he can win. --AJ Allmendinger (-109): The Kaulig Racing driver had been within striking range of the Chase but back-to-back 37th-place finishes have ended his hopes before Indy. — Todd Gilliland (-112): The FRM driver has been just a little too inconsistent this year, but he's still won the $1 million prize by taking the in-season tournament. A 24th-place finish was good enough at Indy to beat Ryan Blaney, who was 26th after contact with John Hunter Nemechek. — Zane Smith (-125): His season has gone a little south over the last month. The focus now is to get better to make a playoff run in 2027. — Riley Herbst (-148): The 23XI driver lost 26 points to the cutline at Sonoma and then gained 21 points with a 10th at Chicagoland. And then lost 33 points with a 35th at Atlanta and then lost 30 at North Wilkesboro and then lost 22 at Indy. That's the up-and-down season he has had. — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (-154): His chances have slipped away — he lost 21 points to the cutline at Atlanta and then 46 at North Wilkesboro. — John Hunter Nemechek (-163): The Legacy driver could ride the wave of improvement in the Legacy cars, but it is now too tall of a task to make the Chase. — Austin Dillon (-169): The Richard Childress Racing driver will be a favorite at Richmond and could win at Daytona. But even those wins won't be enough. — Alex Bowman (-208): The Hendrick driver missed four races because of vertigo earlier this year. He has three top-five finishes and just one additional top-10 finish. — Cole Custer (-248): The Haas Factory Team driver still seeks his first top 10. But a 13th at Indy showed some promise. — Noah Gragson (-250): The FRM driver has shown speed at times, but the finishes aren’t there. — Ty Dillon (-252): The Kaulig driver still seeks his first top 10 of the season. — Josh Berry (-254): The Wood Brothers driver already knows he won’t be back next season, and it could be a tough last few months of 2026. But he finished seventh at Indy, a good sign. — Connor Zilisch (-302): The Trackhouse rookie has had a miserable season, having failed to finish eight of the 22 races. ELIMINATED — Cody Ware: The Rick Ware Racing driver was eliminated from contention after Indianapolis. O’Reilly Series Two races remain in the regular season and 12 will advance. Clinched: Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, Carson Kvapil, Sheldon Creed, Corey Day, Brandon Jones and Austin Hill. Truck Series Two races remain in the regular season and 10 advance. Clinched: Layne Riggs, Kaden Honeycutt, Chandler Smith and Gio Ruggiero.]]>
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					<![CDATA[NASCAR Power Rankings: Toyotas Rule While Joey Logano Surges]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-toyotas-rule-joey-logano-moves-up-after-brickyard-400</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-toyotas-rule-joey-logano-moves-up-after-brickyard-400</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Toyotas reigned supreme at the Brickyard but did the manufacturer dominate the power rankings, too? Here's the latest.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:57:27 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Indianapolis Motor Speedway was another weekend when Toyotas were strong, taking four of the first five spots. But Ford also put four cars in the top 10. The only Chevy in the top 10? Carson Hocevar. Granted, Kyle Larson had a flat tire and Chase Elliott ended up in a wreck, but that certainly impacted these power rankings. No Hendrick driver is in the top 10. They only have eight top 10s combined over the last eight races (Larson with four, William Byron two, Alex Bowman two and Elliott none). Here are my power rankings after the Brickyard 400 and headed into an off week before the season resumes Aug. 9 at Iowa. Dropped out: Kyle Larson (Last Week: 10), Shane Van Gisbergen (Last Week: 9) On the verge: Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Shane van Gisbergen Hocevar won the pole and finished ninth as the top Chevrolet finisher at the Brickyard. That’s two top 10s in the last three races for the No. 77. An eighth-place for Preece at the Brickyard gave him back-to-back top-10 finishes. He’s going to need to keep rattling off top 10s if he hopes to make The Chase. It was not a good weekend for Wallace, as he started 29th and finished 28th. But he does have four finishes of sixth or better in the last eight races, and few drivers are posting those solid finishes over that long of a stretch. Reddick was 10th at the Brickyard as he continues to try to find the magic from earlier in the season. He’s making a little bit of progress with two top 10s in the last three races. He is still the series leader with five victories this year. Blaney got wrecked (unintentionally) by John Hunter Nemechek and it didn’t just result in a 26th-place finish; it also resulted in Blaney finishing behind Todd Gilliland as they battled for the $1 million in-season tournament prize. But Blaney is still third in the series standings. Logano followed up his win at North Wilkesboro with a third. The three-time Cup champion probably can’t declare being back until The Chase, and that's when the more traditional 1.5-mile tracks come into play. But at least it appears he’ll be playing in the postseason. Gibbs started fourth and finished 12th at the Brickyard. It was the second consecutive what-could-have-been day for Gibbs, but he continues to show speed and with no real signs of slowing down. Briscoe finished fourth at the Brickyard although probably wishes he had the last restart back, as it appeared he, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin weren’t in sync. But he’s moving up in the standings and has a realistic shot of being fifth by the time The Chase starts. Bell finished second … again. It was the sixth time this year and third time in the last four races. But he considered the Brickyard a good second-place finish. He arguably could be No. 1 on this list but really needs a win. A fifth-place finish last weekend gave Hamlin three top fives in the last four races and seven top fives in his last 10. He’s still the man to beat on ovals.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Inside The Garage: How A Part-Time Driver Is Shaking Up NASCAR]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/corey-heim-win-nascar-23xi-brickyard</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/corey-heim-win-nascar-23xi-brickyard</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[NASCAR hotshot Corey Heim is overachieving in his part-time Cup Series ride with a pair of wins. But his competitors aren't surprised at all.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:20:51 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Here's what's happening this week Inside The Garage: INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Indianapolis) — Corey Heim has driven eight races this year and has scored more points than the other heralded young NASCAR Cup Series prospect. Heim has more points than full-time rookie Connor Zilisch has earned in 22 races, thanks to his two victories and Zilisch's string of races where he hasn't finished. That’s right, two victories — at Naval Base Coronado last month and then Sunday at the Brickyard 400 — in eight starts. That’s eight starts with a part-time fourth car at 23XI Racing, so that’s part of the equation. He has some of the best equipment in the NASCAR Cup Series garage. "The competition in this series is kind of like no other, but the fact that we've had everything line up really well as far as the speed in these Toyotas this year with 23XI specifically, has been just surreal," Heim said in his postrace news conference. But it takes more than equipment to be the first driver since A.J. Foyt to win two Cup races in his first 15 overall series starts. And he’s the first part-time series driver to win two races in a season since both Davey Allison and Tim Richmond accomplished the feat in 1987. The 24-year-old Heim has won 21 of the last 40 truck races he has entered and won the 2025 series title. He is set to be a full-time Cup driver in 2027 with 23XI. "He's really talented." three-time Cup champion Joey Logano told me after the race where Logano finished third. "Turns out, I know his trucks are good, but I think the driver was spectacular. "He’s got it. We're going to be battling him forever. He'll be here longer than me. He's a lot younger than me, but he'll be here the whole time. Just a solid racecar driver. He does the right things. He doesn't get risky. He doesn't get nervous. Just executes really well." Logano gave Heim the push he needed on a late restart to win the Brickyard 400 and Heim took it from there. "He put together a magnificent last run," Christopher Bell told me after finishing second to Heim. "He was loose. My guys were saying he was loose. I could kind of see him wiggling a little bit. He did a great job, and he didn’t make a mistake and won the race." Heim’s accomplishments are no surprise to those who worked with him. Because he is in a part-time car, Heim is also often the first to go out and qualify. That typically means, at best, a mediocre starting position. "If we would have had a better [spot when going out] in qualifying, we would have won more already," Heim crew chief Bootie Barker said in his postrace news conference. Barker wasn’t trying to be boastful. He says it as fact, just like he did when he first explained how Heim has won two races as a part-time driver. "Everybody thinks I'm always joking, but I mean what I say: He's more talented than anybody else," Barker said. Barker then couched that comment: "That's almost being a disservice to some of the great drivers here. That's not the case. Like all the people we were racing at the end are the best of the best, tremendous [and I] show much respect to them. "But Corey is there in talent. Corey is also there in work ethic. He's there as far as a mentality. He has all that." But the bottom line is that the kid has enough talent that he already has a simmering rivalry with Carson Hocevar that has followed them from their time together competing in trucks. They don’t like each other and at one point, Hocevar flipped off Heim for the way he blocked Heim. Heim didn’t care. He won. And Hocevar, who has one Cup victory in nearly three seasons at the Cup level, certainly recognizes Heim’s talent. "He's really good with air and manipulating air," Hocevar told me after the race. "We have a lot of similarities from that standpoint, and I think that's why you know in trucks and then here, we're up front and ... it's almost like we know each move because that's what I would be doing or that's what he would be doing. "Their stuff's really fast. [I was the] top Chevy for us. That's good." That could sound like a little bit of sour grapes. Probably is, but it’s also a little bit of fact. "Toyota [is the reason for it]," 2012 Cup champion Brad Keselowski told me about Heim's accomplishments after the race. "He’s doing a good job. "You can’t take anything away from Corey. He’s executing these races well. He’s not beating himself. His pit crew is doing everything right. And he’s in the fastest cars. It’s really impressive." Heim can’t really describe how he has won two races with a part-time team other than to surmise that he can focus more on each individual race since he runs on a limited basis. He also drives for Toyota when the manufacturers have data-gathering tests, giving him plenty of track time when he isn’t in a Cup car or the occasional truck. The two wins probably change what people would expect of him next year as a full-time driver. He is going to be a serious threat to make The Chase. "I definitely felt like this year started off rockier than I would have liked," Heim said. "I went to Daytona and crashed. At Kansas, we finished worse than we did the previous year. It’s been a steady incline up to this point. Winning San Diego, top-10 in Chicago, winning here [at the Brickyard], it's been a heck of a last couple races. "If you asked me four months ago what my expectations were for 2027, I would have answered differently than now for sure." So what’s next? "Clearly, he's with a great team," Bell said. "And he’s a great driver. He's a Cup guy. He's going to do really well next year." In The News — Jimmie Johnson will get to use the No. 48 for his final Cup race, the 2027 Daytona 500. Johnson worked a deal with Hendrick Motorsports for use of the number he had for his seven Cup titles. The number is currently used for the car of Alex Bowman, whose number for the Daytona 500 has not been announced. — Dreyer &amp; Reinbold Racing has purchased a charter from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the INDYCAR Series. The team has not named a driver and noted that whether it is Chevy or Honda next year is still to be determined. The organization has run Chevys recently in its Indianapolis 500 attempts. — St. Petersburg Grand Prix weekend will include both INDYCAR and the Craftsman Truck Series next season as this year’s doubleheader was deemed a success. It is expected to be the INDYCAR opener. The dates are set for March 5-7, 2027. — NASCAR's preseason Clash is expected to move from Bowman Gray Stadium to its original location, Daytona International Speedway, according to a report in The Athletic. The event is expected to be Saturday night before the Super Bowl and four days before Daytona 500 qualifying. — Brad Keselowski confirmed that RFK Racing picked up the option on Ryan Preece for 2027 a few months ago, and they are set to race the No. 60 car chartered or unchartered next season. The organization is leasing a charter this year that will go to Legacy Motor Club for 2027. — NASCAR will increase the amount of practice for Cup cars from two groups for 25 minutes apiece to one group for 50 minutes starting with the race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next month. — NASCAR Vice President for Vehicle Performance Eric Jacuzzi announced on LinkedIn his departure from NASCAR: "Bittersweet but after almost 13 years at NASCAR it's time for something different." Jacuzzi was NASCAR's lead aerodynamicist &amp; played pivotal role in aero package development. Chase Clinched These drivers have clinched spots in The Chase following Indianapolis: Cup — Ty Gibbs clinched to join Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney. O’Reilly — Carson Kvapil, Sheldon Creed, Corey Day, Brandon Jones and Austin Hill clinched to join Justin Allgaier and Jesse Love. Truck — Christian Eckes and Gio Ruggerio clinched to join Layne Riggs, Kaden Honeycutt and Chandler Smith. Picture This Social Spotlight They Said It "You love talking about a guy that finished ninth." — Race winner Corey Heim following a couple of questions about Carson Hocevar.]]>
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					<![CDATA[4 Takeaways From Corey Heim's Masterful Brickyard 400 Win]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/corey-heim-brickyard-400-win-23xi</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/corey-heim-brickyard-400-win-23xi</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[It's Heim Time once again as Corey Heim earned his second victory of the season — this time winning the famed Brickyard 400.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2026 19:39:16 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Indianapolis) — Restart time appears to be Heim Time. Corey Heim diced his way to the lead on a restart with 35 laps remaining and then held off the best of the best to capture the Brickyard 400 for his second career victory. Heim, who is running a part-time schedule with 23XI Racing, has just eight starts this year and has won two huge races this summer — the road-course race at Naval Base Coronado and then on the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis. "I'm pretty out of breath," Heim said after exiting his car on the TNT telecast. "That was a workout. It was a dream come true. Winning at the Brickyard? That's unbelievable." Here are my takeaways: 1. Restart Key To Heim Win Heim got a push from Joey Logano to jump out to the lead on the restart while the line of Denny Hamlin-Christopher Bell-Chase Briscoe couldn’t coordinate their push well enough. It cost Hamlin four spots as he dropped to sixth while Bell was able to get to second. "Pushing is the name of the game, and Briscoe let me know he was going to push me, but he got on me way early, and then it was pushing me into Denny — and then Denny is on the binders trying to not get a penalty [for jumping the restart]," Bell told me after the race. "The three of us just did not execute the restart very well. Fortunately, it worked out for me. Denny’s probably not going to be very happy." After that, it was just up to Heim to first throw a block on Hamlin and then to hold off Bell, Joey Logano, Briscoe and Hamlin. And he did just that. "[Hamlin] has every right to be a little bit frustrated with me," Heim said. "He probably would have done the same thing." 2. Hamlin Left To Wonder Christopher Bell was right that Denny Hamlin wasn’t pleased. "It's really more on us and the 20 [of Bell] and the 19 [of Briscoe] of just not orchestrating good pushes there," Hamlin said in his TNT interview after the race. "We came detached at the wrong time." Hamlin saw the win slip away, which couldn’t have been a good feeling even if he is the co-owner of 23XI Racing, which has now won back-to-back Brickyard 400s with Heim and Bubba Wallace last year. "That's how you lose them," Hamlin said. "These restarts, when everyone kind of knows when you're going to go, it's about the pushes. "That's essentially where I got the lead from [Heim] the restart before. Just came back the other way around." 3. Larson's Indy Crashout Kyle Larson looked like he was going to have control early in the race, but he blew a left rear tire just when he was about to take the lead on Lap 44. The Hendrick Motorsports driver had no warning, and it was another sour end at a track that has been more sour than joy (except for his 2024 Brickyard 400 win). "It’s obviously disappointing," Larson told me and other reporters after exiting the track’s medical center. "You go from 10th to the lead on a good start and then race strategy — we set ourselves up well to gain a lot of points there and also set ourselves up to maintain that track position the rest of the race. "It’s a bummer, but that’s just part of racing." 4. Gilliland Wins Million Bucks Todd Gilliland finished 24th to win the $1 million in-season tournament, a bracket-based head-to-head challenge within the last five races. The Front Row Motorsports driver got to celebrate as his opponent, Ryan Blaney, got caught up in an accident and finished 26th. "My heart was pounding those last 25 laps," Gilliland said. "It was me, the 16 [of AJ Allmendinger] and the 12 [of Blaney]. ... I still feel like we kind of earned it coming down the stretch. "The biggest thing for me that was really cool through this whole process was seeing how my team really elevated themselves, really grabbed another gear." Blaney wasn’t thrilled, as he told the TNT broadcast after John Hunter Nemechek apologized to him for the contact that triggered the wreck: "He apologized and said he didn’t mean to do it. It still happened. ... It’s a shame it ended that way." 4 ½. Off Week Before Iowa The NASCAR Cup Series has its second and final off weekend since the start of the regular season before getting back into action at the 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway oval. It is another short track and part of a string of short-track races with 0.75-mile Richmond and 1-mile New Hampshire following Iowa.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Alex Bowman To Retire After 2027 Citing Injuries As Reason]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/alex-bowman-driver-hendrick-2027-retire</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/alex-bowman-driver-hendrick-2027-retire</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Alex Bowman will drive the No. 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports in 2027 and then retire from full-time racing competition.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:43:43 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Indianapolis) — Alex Bowman will drive the No. 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports in 2027 and then retire from full-time racing competition. Bowman and HMS announced his one-year contract extension Thursday night as well as the plan for him to conclude his full-time career after the season. The 33-year-old Bowman, who has eight Cup wins in 378 starts, has battled injuries in recent seasons. He missed five races in 2022 because of a concussion and three races in 2023 because of a broken back suffered in a sprint-car accident. He missed four races this year because of vertigo. "I've spent a lot of time thinking about what's next, and this feels like the right decision at the right time," Bowman said in a news release. "The sport asks a lot of you, and I've learned it's important to listen to your body and make the right choices for yourself. "To say I'm incredibly grateful to Mr. Hendrick, our partners at Ally and Chevrolet, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports would be an understatement. They believe in me and gave me the biggest opportunity of my life." Bowman, who gets daily physical therapy on his back, said even if he had not suffered the injuries he did, he likely would be considering retirement at this time. He wants to start a family and never saw himself racing much beyond age 35. "Concussions definitely stack up, right?" Bowman said during a news conference Friday. "We all know that. I've had my fair share, unfortunately, but this really isn't a physical thing. I think if I would have had no injuries over the last 10 years, this time frame was still going to be this time frame. "This is kind of always what I wanted. This sport has given me a lot. I love this sport. Obviously, I love NASCAR racing. I think the guys that raced forever, that's super cool. That just was never going to be me. … I'm just ready to be a normal person in a lot of ways." After his vertigo issues in March, Bowman said he thought this would be his final season. But he said he eventually wanted to race one more way, believing it will be best for him and HMS. He didn't say it, but HMS Iikely will have more Cup-ready options as far as who replaces him next year. He said making the announcement he would retire after 2027 helps him be ready for one more full season although he admitted hearing he has 53 more Cup races made "that number sound really big." "Coming out and saying it and being like next year is it makes it easier to be all-in for the next 53 [races]," Bowman said in the news conference. "I'm ready to rip, and I've always been all-in, but I'm not worried about not wanting to do the work. "That has never been a problem for me, and excited to have to 53 more chances at it." Bowman made his Cup debut in the 2014 Daytona 500 and has worked at Hendrick since 2016, where he started as a simulator driver and then served as a substitute driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 10 races later that season. He replaced Earnhardt Jr. after his retirement following the 2017 season. "Alex has meant so much to our organization for a long time," team owner Rick Hendrick said in the news release. "He’s overcome adversity, won big races and represented our team and partners with professionalism, personality and class. "Alex is a tremendous talent in the race car and an even better person outside of it. We’re proud he’ll have the opportunity to finish his full-time career with us on his terms. He’s family." Missing four races this year, Bowman is 29th in the series standings and is not in Chase contention. He has made the postseason seven times in his career with a best overall finish of sixth in 2020. "I would love to end on a really high note, but … [next year] is not going to make me want to stay," Bowman said in the news conference. "I think health-wise, mental health-wise, everything, this is what I needed to do, that that was best for me and things that I want to do outside of the car. "If it was my choice, I wouldn't have made a retirement announcement. I would have just raced until then the next year and disappeared. But that's not how this sport works."]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 NASCAR Odds: Denny Hamlin Favored For Brickyard 400; Larson One To Watch]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-indianapolis-brickyard-400</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-indianapolis-brickyard-400</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Will Denny Hamlin find his way into Victory Lane for the fifth time this season when Cup goes to Indy? Here are the odds for the Brickyard 400.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:13:59 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400, which runs on Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m. ET. In 2025, Bubba Wallace got the thrilling victory after starting from second position and after closing at +1100 to be the outright winner. Who gets into Victory Lane at the Brickyard this year? Here are the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 22. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 2026 Denny Hamlin: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)Tyler Reddick: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)Ryan Blaney: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)Kyle Larson: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)William Byron: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)Christopher Bell: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Chase Briscoe: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Chase Elliott: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Bubba Wallace: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Joey Logano: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Ty Gibbs: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)Chris Buescher: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Carson Hocevar: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Erik Jones: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Austin Cindric: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Corey Heim: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)Brad Keselowski: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total) Shane van Gisbergen: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)John Hunter Nemechek: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Alex Bowman: +7000 (bet $10 to win $710 total)Ross Chastain: +7000 (bet $10 to win $710 total)Daniel Suárez: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)Ryan Preece: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)Riley Herbst: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total)Connor Zilisch: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)Josh Berry: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)Michael McDowell: +17000 (bet $10 to win $1,710 total)AJ Allmendinger: +18000 (bet $10 to win $1,810 total)Zane Smith: +18000 (bet $10 to win $1,810 total)Austin Hill: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Austin Dillon: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Todd Gilliland: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Noah Gragson: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)Cole Custer: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)Cody Ware: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)Ty Dillon: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)Daniel Dye: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)Casey Mears: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total) Here's What You Need To Know About The Oddsboard: The Favorite Denny Hamlin has consistently been at or near the top of the oddsboard for much of the season. Last week, he opened as the favorite to win at North Wilkesboro but settled for second behind Joey Logano. The week before in Atlanta, he finished 12th. But that was one week after his podium finish (third) at Chicagoland. While he only led one lap last year at this race, he did finish third and had the fastest lap time (49.74). Currently, he sits first in the standings and has already secured his place in The Chase. One To Watch The regular season is almost over, and Kyle Larson still hasn't found his way into Victory Lane … yet. However, he does have eight top fives and 11 top 10s under his hood. Last year, he closed as the favorite to win this race but ended up finishing second to Bubba Wallace. Even without any wins in 2026, he does sit sixth in the standings, with 637 laps led. In his last two races, however, he finished 15th (North Wilkesboro) and 34th (Atlanta).]]>
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					<![CDATA[NASCAR Power Rankings: Joey Logano Is Back But Watch Out For SVG]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-joey-logano-is-back-eyes-on-svg</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-joey-logano-is-back-eyes-on-svg</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Joey Logano finally found his way back into the rankings, but there's another driver who's proving he might not be just a one-trick pony.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:58:59 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Just when it seemed like Joey Logano would never return to these power rankings, he goes out and wins the Cup race at North Wilkesboro. Which means he's back. Here are my power rankings as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Dropped out: William Byron (Last Week: 10), Carson Hocevar (Last Week: 9) On the verge: Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar, Erik Jones, Ryan Preece Is Kyle Larson still on this list because he’s Kyle Larson? Maybe, especially considering he has finishes of 34th, 34th and 15th the last three weeks. But he had four consecutive top fives before that stretch. A sixth at Atlanta and a fifth at North Wilkesboro shows that SVG isn’t just a road-course ace. And that should worry the competition. Logano earned his first top five since the season-opener at Daytona with his win at North Wilkesboro. But he was 12th at Chicagoland and ninth at Atlanta. So things are looking up. I know, I know, I do this every week. But here's a look at Wallace’s recent results: third, 21st, second, 22nd, sixth, 29th and sixth. There are enough solid finishes to keep him in these rankings. Where did that hot season for Reddick go? Maybe it’s just the bad luck time of year for him. He has three finishes of 30th or worse in the last four races. But he still leads the series with five wins this year. Bell had an uncharacteristically poor day with a 19th at North Wilkesboro. That was following a pair of second-place finishes, so he doesn’t fall too far on this list. Blaney followed up the win at Atlanta with the pole at North Wilkesboro. He had to start in the back, though, and wound up 11th. Briscoe has three top-three finishes in the last four races. The thing for Briscoe is he has had too many bad races this year with five finishes of 30th or worse. Gibbs has finished third or fourth in three of the last four races. He just consistently finds his way to the front. A speeding penalty at North Wilkesboro ruined his potential to win. Hamlin had the field covered except for Logano at North Wilkesboro. He increased his regular-season points lead to 68 over Reddick, and that could pay benefits come The Chase.]]>
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					<![CDATA[4 Takeaways From Joey Logano's Dominant Victory At North Wilkesboro]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/4-takeaways-from-joey-logano-victory-north-wilkesboro</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/4-takeaways-from-joey-logano-victory-north-wilkesboro</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[With a dominant victory at North Wilkesboro, three-time NASCAR champ Joey Logano reminded doubters that he should never be counted out.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:31:51 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Anyone who has followed the NASCAR Cup Series knows never to count out Joey Logano. And that is especially true at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Logano, who won the All-Star Race at the track in 2024, dominated the first points race at the historic 0.625-mile asphalt oval in 30 years by leading 323 of the 450 laps on his way to his first victory in 2026. Here are my takeaways: 1. Logano Bursting Bubble Logano was eight points behind The Chase cutoff entering the race. Thanks to the victory, he now sits 49 points to the good, with five races remaining before NASCAR’s postseason field is set. The Team Penske driver and three-time Cup champion has had a bad year. His season now has a new life. "It's been a tough year, no doubt," Logano said in his post-race news conference. "Any time you kind of lack in speed, you start to question a lot of things around you, what the process is, what we're doing, yourself. All those things come to mind on why there's not speed. "When you come to a track like North Wilkesboro, if we didn't have speed, we'd really be scratching our heads because we feel like this is our best racetrack." 2. Denny Hamlin's Solid Second Denny Hamlin certainly wished he could have won, but his second-place finish now gives him a 68-point lead on Tyler Reddick for the regular-season title. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver ran second to Logano and had hoped that pitting one lap earlier than Logano would be what he needed (with the extra grip of new tires) to get by. But it wasn’t good enough and Logano didn’t seem to have too much trouble keeping Hamlin at bay. "There was a lot of time where it felt like my car was kind of close where it needed to be [but] just a smidge off," Hamlin said on the race telecast. "It was a great battle. At least we could keep him honest there." 3. Todd Gilliland The Millionaire? The in-season tournament final round is set and it will be Todd Gilliland vs. Ryan Blaney racing for the $1 million prize that will be awarded to whoever finishes best next Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gilliland? Yup. Gilliland has advanced through the NASCAR version of an in-season tournament, and an eighth-place finish won his matchup with Chase Elliott, who finished 17th. Elliott was among those who short-pitted in the second stage (pitting before they needed fuel but to get enough fuel to make it to the end of the stage) and ended up a lap or two down when the caution came out. Gilliland had not pitted. "I was definitely very proud of the strategy and kind of the way we executed the whole race," Gilliland said after the race, according to a Ford news release. "That was probably about as good as it could have gone. It’s crazy. "We’ve got to beat one more guy for a million dollars." 4. Surprise! SVG Finishes Fifth Shane van Gisbergen finished a surprising fifth and even led laps at North Wilkesboro. Known for his road-course prowess, van Gisbergen said his road-course technique could work at the short track. "It’s a bit like a road course," he said, according to a Chevrolet news release. "I tried right-foot braking for a bit. "Half of the race, I right-foot braked and I just feel comfortable doing that. It’s a real balanced track and you can really affect the car with your driving technique, so I felt comfortable doing that." 4 ½. What’s Next: Indianapolis One of the biggest races of the season, the Brickyard 400, is next up for NASCAR Cup teams. The race is the 22nd of the 26 regular-season competitions. And drivers are jockeying for position as it comes before an off-weekend — the last off-weekend prior to a 14-race stretch to finish the season.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 NASCAR Odds: Christopher Bell Favored For North Wilkesboro]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-north-wilkesboro-window-world-450</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-north-wilkesboro-window-world-450</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[NASCAR is heading to North Wilkesboro for the first points race at the track in 30 years. Who will take the checkered flag? Here are the latest odds.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:31:08 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The NASCAR Cup Series is heading to North Wilkesboro on July 19 for its first points race at the track in 30 years. And with only six races left before the start of The Chase, the stakes are high. Which driver will capture the checkered flag at this weekend's short-track competition? Here are the early odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 19. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. NASCAR Cup Series Window World 450 2026 Christopher Bell: +225 (bet $10 to win $32.50 total)Ryan Blaney: +320 (bet $10 to win $42 total)Denny Hamlin: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)Kyle Larson: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)Ty Gibbs: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Carson Hocevar: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Joey Logano: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)William Byron: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Chase Elliott: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Tyler Reddick: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)Chase Briscoe: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Ross Chastain: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)Alex Bowman: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)Bubba Wallace: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Chris Buescher: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Austin Cindric: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Shane van Gisbergen: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Erik Jones: +7000 (bet $10 to win $710 total) Ryan Preece: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)Brad Keselowski: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Austin Dillon: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Riley Herbst: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)Josh Berry: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)Daniel Suárez: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Michael McDowell: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Connor Zilisch: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)Zane Smith: +35000 (bet $10 to win $3,510 total)Todd Gilliland: +35000 (bet $10 to win $3,510 total)John Hunter Nemechek: +35000 (bet $10 to win $3,510 total)Cole Custer: +60000 (bet $10 to win $6,010 total)Austin Hill: +60000 (bet $10 to win $6,010 total)AJ Allmendinger: +60000 (bet $10 to win $6,010 total)Ty Dillon: +70000 (bet $10 to win $7,010 total)Noah Gragson: +70000 (bet $10 to win $7,010 total)Cody Ware: +90000 (bet $10 to win $9,010 total)Chad Finchum: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total) Here's What To Know About The Oddsboard: The Favorite Christopher Bell hasn't won a race this season but has five top-five finishes. He's also got nine top 10s and one pole. But getting into Victory Lane would be a nice complement to a solid year. Last week at Atlanta, Bell finished second to Ryan Blaney. He comes into this weekend sitting ninth in the standings. One To Watch Is it Denny Hamlin's world and we're all just living in it? Sure seems that way with the year he's having. He's got four wins and four poles on the season, sits first in the standings and has already clinched his spot in The Chase. Even though Hamlin is coming into this weekend after finishing 12th at Atlanta, the momentum he's gained over the course of the season cannot be denied.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Where Will Bubba Wallace's Roller Coaster Of A Season Go Next?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/bubba-wallace-23xi-jordan-2026-season</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/bubba-wallace-23xi-jordan-2026-season</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[A controversial infraction at Atlanta sums up Bubba Wallace's season — what can go wrong seems to go wrong. Where does he go from here?]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:33:40 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Bubba Wallace, when asked about handling his up-and-down season, has a similar response week after week. It goes something like: "That’s my whole life," which he told me and other reporters Saturday, a day before the Atlanta race. A few weeks earlier at Sonoma, it was "[Dale] Junior said that’s the cards I’ve been dealt with in life, so I’ve got to figure out how to play them." Typically, it’s one great result followed in the next week or two by a disappointing result. At Atlanta this past weekend, Wallace experienced all the feelings in a matter of moments, thinking he finished second only to be placed 29th because he went below the double line on the final lap. In the moment, it seemed like a controversial call — did he really advance his position? He feels his move took him below the double white (not yellow at Atlanta) line, but he was on the brakes enough to show that the move didn’t advance his position. NASCAR disagreed, apparently feeling his momentum being down there at times moved him ahead of other drivers. NASCAR is always covered by the rule because the start of the rule says "Vehicles must compete above the double painted lines at all times" — so anytime a driver goes below the line, a driver can be penalized. It then goes on to talk about black flags for passing to advance the position. The wording of the rule gives NASCAR incredible wiggle room to make a judgment call. The rule has been around for decades, and NASCAR’s interpretation can be a little fluid — more so when it comes to the leader, who technically can’t pass anyone but theoretically could "advance" position by using the apron to hold someone off. It’s a lot of minutia, and while in the moment it seemed Wallace had a strong case, in the days that have followed, several drivers past and present have indicated it was the right call. Much like Wallace’s season, it’s a mixed review. There are races where he looks in complete control as he has three top fives and nine top-10s in 20 races. He has led in seven races for 146 laps. But he has no wins and has six finishes of 29th or worse. He sits 13th in the standings, 55 points ahead of the current Chase cutoff. The finish at Atlanta cost him 26 points (if he had finished third). As he talks about the hand he has been dealt with, he had a royal flush and then one of the cards changed into a suit at the end of Atlanta. A few weeks ago at Sonoma, his co-owner Denny Hamlin expressed no doubt in Wallace, who is expected back at 23XI Racing next season. He said Wallace should be at the point of his career to handle the adversity. Not a strong road-course racer for years in NASCAR, Wallace came back from two laps down because of a loose wheel at Naval Base Coronado and finished second. "As long as you do the best of your ability and the team does the best of theirs, yes there’s certain aspects of luck that can change your results over any given week, but over the big sample size, you’re going to get a bigger picture of where you stand," Hamlin said during a news conference at Sonoma, the week after Coronado. "On speed, it seems that team is very capable week in, week out of being a top 5 on speed team. Execution has been a little bit of an issue. But overall, we definitely don’t question Bubba’s ability to get the most out of what that car is capable of." In his sixth year at 23XI Racing, Wallace will hit 200 starts with the organization this weekend at North Wilkesboro. The 32-year-old Wallace has three wins, 28 top-5s and 60 top-10s for 23XI. That’s nearly a top-10 in every three races. His average finish this year is 17.05, better than last year but worse than the two previous years. "At this point of your career, you certainly can regulate that," Hamlin said about handling the ups and downs for a driver. "It’s part of the sport and whatnot. The biggest thing is just focusing on what you can control. "Sometimes you get caught in wrecks after a pit penalty or something, then that’s not bad luck. You just put yourself in a rally bad spot or the team put you in a bad spot. You always have to self-reflect on what you can improve and you have to be happy with the result." And that’s been the biggest challenge for Wallace, trying to find happiness in his performance. He knows he has the tools as teammate Tyler Reddick sits second behind Hamlin and has won five races this year. Wallace’s full-time teammate for next year, Corey Heim, already has won a race this season running a partial schedule. Wallace? No one would be surprised if he wins this weekend at North Wilkesboro. And the way his season gone, a wreck or a team-inflicted or self-inflicted mistake could put him outside the top 25. Will he make the Chase? He should. He has shown the speed. Now it’s just managing it over the next six weeks. He thought he had done that in Atlanta, where he was spun earlier in the event and came back to be in the mix for the win. He doesn’t seem stressed. Frustrated at times. But not stressed. "It’s a bummer," he said in his radio interview after Atlanta. "I hate it for our guys. Nice rebound from getting spun [earlier in the race]. ... It’s another race for us." In Second Thoughts, Bob Pockrass offers his opinion on a burning motorsports topic.]]>
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					<![CDATA[NASCAR Power Rankings: Ryan Blaney Carrying Baton For Ford]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-ryan-blaney-surges-after-atlanta</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-ryan-blaney-surges-after-atlanta</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Ryan Blaney's win at Atlanta proved he's still carrying the load for Ford. See how far getting into Victory Lane moved him up the rankings.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:37:06 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[With his big win at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta, Ryan Blaney vaults up these rankings. But what to do with Bubba Wallace? He finished second — should have been third at worst — but was 29th after a penalty for advancing his position below the double line on the final lap? We’ll treat that one like a last-lap wreck where a driver runs well and won’t hold that against him too much. Here are my NASCAR power rankings heading into this weekend’s short-track race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the first points race there in 30 years. Dropped out: Alex Bowman (Last Week: 10) On the verge: Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Joey Logano, Shane van Gisbergen Byron was clearly frustrated during the race and ended up 16th after being involved in one of the late-race crashes. To finish third while being in the mix with the leaders throughout the race — except for a period of time after he brushed the wall — was a solid day for Hocevar. Whether you think he got a raw deal or not on the final lap, you can’t deny that Wallace rallied after a spin to have a shot at the end. His roller-coaster year continues. Briscoe was involved in one of the late wrecks and finished 36th. He’s having even more of a roller-coaster year than Wallace. Larson spun a couple of times and finished five laps down in 34th. It was a rough result after finishing third in the opening stage and appearing as if he would challenge for the win over the first half of the event. Reddick finished second in each of the stages and wound up eighth amid all the dicing over the final laps. The most important thing: He has clinched a spot in the Chase. Gibbs was fourth at Atlanta. He and Wallace didn’t see eye to eye with the way they raced each other at the end, but Gibbs can leave feeling good about the result. It was another second-place finish for Bell, which was his fifth of the season. He'll take it, considering he didn’t feel he had a true race-winning car at Atlanta. Blaney now has two wins this year, the same number of wins as Ford Racing — whose 15-race winless drought was its longest in 11 years. Hamlin retains the top spot despite a 12th-place finish. The key for him was just to remain ahead of Tyler Reddick in the standings, and he did just that. He also clinched a spot in the Chase.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Inside The Garage: Where There's Beef, There's Fire In Cup Series]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-cup-garage-hocevar-van-gisbergen</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-cup-garage-hocevar-van-gisbergen</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[It’s hot in the summer. It’s also hot in the NASCAR garage with plenty of drivers beefing with each other.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:30:09 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Here's what's happening this week Inside The Garage: ECHO PARK SPEEDWAY (Hampton, Ga.) — It’s hot in the summer. It’s also hot in the NASCAR Cup Series garage. Drivers are mad at each other. And while that can be good for business, NASCAR is trying to balance its "boys have at it" and "hell yeah" mantras with trying to keep order in the sport. It was just two months ago when there was a great deal of talk at Watkins Glen about the line that drivers can/cannot cross when it comes to retaliation. It became a topic of discussion when Ryan Preece was penalized 25 points and $50,000 for retaliating against Ty Gibbs. When Preece and Gibbs tangled, there didn’t seem to be much animosity between the two drivers, at least outward, toward each other. But now NASCAR has some true beef. Break out the popcorn and watch because it could get ugly. Or maybe not, considering NASCAR brought four drivers in for meetings prior to the on-track activity Saturday at Atlanta. How effective were these NASCAR meetings? Typically, NASCAR does it when it wants drivers to cut it out and behave, that NASCAR doesn’t want it to escalate to a point where a driver gets hurt or other drivers get taken out in the process. NASCAR didn’t penalize Shane van Gisbergen for turning Austin Hill at Chicagoland, and Zane Smith went unpunished after taking a swipe at Carson Hocevar (and wrecking himself in the process). Before qualifying Saturday, NASCAR officials met Hill and van Gisbergen together and then later with Smith and Hocevar. NASCAR employs a "what is said in the hauler stays in the hauler" approach, but in general it is to tell drivers they won’t be getting the benefit of the doubt moving forward. NASCAR officials indicated they didn’t have enough convincing evidence to penalize in either situation. So where do things go from here? Will the meetings be effective for those drivers as well as the entire Cup field? "I can see where it can be mixed messaging, but I just found it interesting that if they didn’t consider an intentional wreck, why are they insisting that it stops?" said driver of the No. 11 car, Denny Hamlin, during his weekend news conference at Atlanta. "If it was an accident, then it would just be organic. "If you are ruling that it’s not intentional but saying it has to stop, then you are saying they had the choice to wreck each other. I got a little confused on that one." He wasn’t the only one. Brad Keselowski, who like Hamlin is a driver and a team co-owner, told me and other reporters at Atlanta that he was confused that in light of the decision on Preece that others weren’t penalized. "I think we're all a little confused, but bitter probably not so much," Keselowski said. "I've seen this sport through a different number of different situations. … This sport has always had — and probably always will — have a hard time walking the line of appropriate driver code and ethics, and there's ebbs and flows. "Certainly, popularity factors into it of what's acceptable and what's not. I can't sit here and say that I have a perfect answer for it, but there are times where it seems a little off … [and] that one felt a little off." The meetings often are a chance for drivers to talk things out if they want. It didn’t seem like many were too interested. "One person [myself] seemed more remorseful and eager to move on than the other," van Gisbergen said about his meeting with Hill when talking to reporters a few hours later. "I don't know how much to say. ... I definitely didn't want to wreck a race car, and I definitely didn't want to escalate — I don't really know if it's rivalry, but whatever it's been between us the last three years. We never seem to race well together. "So obviously, I don't want to escalate it. I'm the one with a lot to lose. It was weird dynamic in the meeting and weird way how it ended." At perilously close to the Chase cutoff, van Gisbergen has a shot to make the postseason while Hill does not. "What’s been cool about the sport, you can kind of sort it out yourselves, and then I guess it gets to that point — and to me, it's at that point," van Gisbergen said. "He's the kind of personality, I guess, who feels like he's got to get the last laugh or the last one to strike, and he threatened that, I guess. "It is what it is. So I'll try and race clean and do my own thing. But I guess he's on his own agenda." The van Gisbergen-Hill meeting lasted 17 minutes (or at least that was the amount time when they were together in the hauler). Hill said he didn’t know why he and van Gisbergen seem to get in tiffs every few months. "We’re going to go race," Hill told me and other reporters outside the hauler. "And I’m going to look forward to it. I sure hope [it is over]." The other meeting with Smith and Hocevar featured two drivers who seriously don’t like each other. Or at least one who doesn’t like the other. "I think we both understand like where we're at with everything, but certainly the meeting doesn't change how much he dislikes me and how much I dislike him," Smith told me and other reporters later. "It doesn’t hurt me. It’s kind of funny. ... I have no problem with anyone else, and I'm not going to go create the trouble. But I just am a big believer on I'll race you on how you race me. So until he proves that to me, we'll go from there." Smith later said, "I just don’t like him" and doesn’t like his attitude. "He’s pointed me by a few times, and then like Nashville [earlier this year], just as soon as we're around each other, he just runs into me, and then points me by, and then talks crap to the media," Smith said. "A goon in my opinion." Hocevar seemed flabbergasted by it all. He indicated he didn’t know about Smith’s anger with him prior to the incident and didn’t think it was a big deal. "We’ll have to go to couples counseling," Hocevar quipped to me when asked if he was surprised they have a big rift. "A lot of times with your partner and everything, you don't see, you don't see it." A driver who has seemed to find himself at the center of several incidents and has his aggressive attitude, Hocevar said it would be hypocritical for him to be mad at the incident. "Have you seen me race?" Hocevar said. "I don’t want to be a hypocrite here. Game on." Hocevar even said he was vocal in the meeting in the hauler. Those traditionally are meetings where drivers are supposed to listen and not be heard. "Dude, I was cracking so many jokes," Hocevar said. "I partially think that's the reason they asked me in there. ... I got them laughing pretty good." Trying to laugh or at least make a joke — and possibly earn a profit — on the whole thing was Preece, who is selling shirts that say "Don’t Hit The Button" as a way to indicate not to rant on the in-car radio about other drivers. Preece said at the time Gibbs spun, he was not touching Gibbs and NASCAR’s appellate board indicated that Preece’s rant on the radio was not something they could ignore. "Where’s the line?" Preece asked me and other reporters. "I don’t know where the line is. ... The key is, whether it’s racing, whether it’s at work or whether it’s in life, just don’t hit the button." In The News --The public memorial for Kyle Busch, who died May 21, will be Oct. 9 at Charlotte Motor Speedway following the truck race. It will be open to the public. -- On Conor Daly’s "Speed Street" podcast, INDYCAR driver Pato O’Ward said he has asked to be relieved from his Formula 1 reserve and testing responsibilities with McLaren. He says he wants a little more of an offseason, enjoys INDYCAR and wants to focus on his training and the 2027 INDYCAR season. --Chase Elliott will drive in both CARS Tour late model stock and pro late model events this week at North Wilkesboro Speedway as well as the truck race. And all those cars were supposed to be driven by Kyle Busch, who died unexpectedly May 21. Elliott will drive for JR Motorsports in the late models and Spire Motorsports in the truck. Elliott: "I would love to go and get a win in honor of him, his career and the friend he was to me over the years. I don’t know how my name got drawn, asked or what it was, but I appreciate them thinking of me and letting me have that honor to go run those races." --INDYCAR and iRacing announced that their launch of their first game in decades will come in 2027. It will be released in the weeks leading up to the 2027 Indianapolis 500. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox consoles, and PC via Steam. In The Chase These drivers clinched spots in the Chase in their series after races this past weekend: Cup: Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick. O'Reilly: Jesse Love, joining Justin Allgaier. Truck: Layne Riggs, Kaden Honeycutt. Social Spotlight They Said It "What time is it, 3? My baby probably has sh-t in his diaper right now, crying." — Ryan Blaney following his late-night Cup Series win at Atlanta. In Inside The Garage, Bob Pockrass takes us behind the scenes of the motorsports world the way only he can.]]>
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					<![CDATA[4 Takeaways From Ryan Blaney's Epic Late-Night Win At Atlanta]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/4-takeaways-from-ryan-blaney-late-night-win-atlanta</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/4-takeaways-from-ryan-blaney-late-night-win-atlanta</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Ryan Blaney came out on top with a gutsy victory after NASCAR's long, rainy night in Georgia.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:45:05 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[ECHOPARK SPEEDWAY (Hampton, Ga.) — Ryan Blaney dominated the Cup race Sunday night that lasted until early Monday morning. But as is typical for the 1.5-mile high-banked track, he needed to make a late move for the win. Blaney — thanks to pushes by Bubba Wallace and then Christopher Bell — got by Carson Hocevar on the outside on the final lap and was able to remain out front as the drivers behind him battled to earn his second victory of the season. The Team Penske driver led 171 of the 263 laps. Here are my takeaways: 1. Long Night, Deserving Winner The race featured a rain interruption of 3 hours, 9 minutes — which resulted in a race that didn’t finish until 1:45 a.m. ET on Monday. Blaney was good in the laps before the rain on Lap 109 and afterward. He was good even after he hit the wall after getting pinched into it late in the race by Bubba Wallace. He felt a vibration, but it was only paint and cement in the wheel well and Blaney’s car was still a rocket. "I tried to make a move and just got loose and hit the fence," Blaney said in his television interview after the race. "I think it's just concrete in the wheels and paint and stuff like that. "Luckily, it still drove fairly decent. I'm happy we were able to make back up for it." 2. Wallace Disputes Last-Lap Penalty Wallace crossed the finish line in second but was ruled to have advanced his position by going below the double-line that separates the apron from the racing surface. The 23XI Racing driver was dropped to the last car on the lead lap, costing him 27 points, as he placed 29th. Wallace contended that, while he went below the yellow line, he remained in third long enough before getting second at the finish line. NASCAR determined the move allowed him to improve his position from third to second. "[The rule] says ‘advancing your position,’ which I did not do," Wallace told me and other reporters after the race. "I stayed third, and I was all over the brakes to make sure I did not advance. As soon as I turned, I'm like, ‘I'm going to wreck' and got on the brakes and kept underneath me and stealing it up side by side [with the lead pack]. "That move should have propelled us to the lead, and it didn't because I knew it was wrong because my car did not like that move. My car did not like that move. ... I stayed third from entry to [Turn] 3 all the way until 50 yards away [from the finish line]." 3. Hocevar Has No Friends Carson Hocevar was leading going into the final lap and finished third. However, he doesn’t view Atlanta as a race that slipped away. He didn’t have any friends on the final lap and knows he likely wouldn’t because of the way he has raced and frustrated other drivers. Also, there were no Chevrolets in the lead pack. "I look in my mirror, man, it’s all Toyotas," Hocevar said. "I don't know where the Chevys were, but it was just me. I was all alone. ... People basically are going to choose who is going to win the race. They sure aren’t going to pick me." 4. Bell Finished Second ... Again Christopher Bell finished second for the fifth time this year. But while Bell was in the mix late in the race, he didn’t have a race-winning day. "I just felt like I didn’t quite have the speed to be up there with Ryan," the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said in a broadcast interview after the race. "I could be up there in second or third, but it seemed like a couple of guys with faster cars could always get by me." 4 ½. What’s Next: North Wilkesboro NASCAR heads to North Wilkesboro for the track's first points race in 30 years after having the All-Star event there the last three seasons. Drivers will compete for 450 laps on the 0.625-mile oval. There are six races left in the regular season. Only two of the 16 spots in the postseason Chase have been clinched; Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick clinched spots at Atlanta. The races remaining: North Wilkesboro, Indianapolis, Iowa, Richmond, New Hampshire and Daytona.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 NASCAR Odds: Pole-sitter Ryan Blaney Favored For Atlanta]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-atlanta-summer-race-echopark-speedway</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-atlanta-summer-race-echopark-speedway</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Ryan Blaney captured the pole for Atlanta. Can he get his second win of the season or will Tyler Reddick find his hot hand again? Here are the odds.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:32:55 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The NASCAR Cup Series is heading back to Atlanta for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway on Sunday, July 12. When the series last raced here in February, Tyler Reddick won the day, holding off Chase Briscoe and Ross Chastain. Which driver takes the checkered flag this weekend? Here are the latest odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 2026 Ryan Blaney: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)Joey Logano: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)Kyle Larson: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)Austin Cindric: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Tyler Reddick: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Denny Hamlin: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Chase Elliott: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Carson Hocevar: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)William Byron: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Bubba Wallace: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Austin Hill: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Christopher Bell: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Chase Briscoe: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Brad Keselowski: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Zane Smith: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Ross Chastain: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Erik Jones: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Daniel Suárez: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Chris Buescher: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total) Ty Gibbs: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Michael McDowell: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Alex Bowman: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)John Hunter Nemechek: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)Austin Dillon: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)Todd Gilliland: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Ryan Preece: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Shane van Gisbergen: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Josh Berry: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)Connor Zilisch: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)AJ Allmendinger: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Riley Herbst: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Noah Gragson: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total)Ty Dillon: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)Cole Custer: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)BJ McLeod: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)Cody Ware: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)Chad Finchum: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total) Here's What You Need To Know About The Oddsboard: The Favorite Will Ryan Blaney get win No. 2 on the season in Atlanta? Now that he's on the pole, his odds to take home the checkered flag at the Quaker State 400 have surged. His lone win this season came at Phoenix in March. When the series stopped in Atlanta in February, he finished 10th after starting 22nd. In the overall standings, Blaney sits third behind Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick. One To Watch Tyler Reddick has been on a spiral but Atlanta could be the weekend he bounces back. When he got into Victory Lane at this track back in February, it was the second checkered flag of his early-season three-race win streak. Reddick's last two races, however, have ended in disaster. At Chicagoland, he ended up finishing 30 laps down after his radiator got punctured. At Sonoma, he finished 36th because of mechanical failures. He's second in the standings and firmly in a great position for the postseason, but Atlanta could be a great opportunity for him and his team to find their footing again.]]>
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					<![CDATA[NASCAR Power Rankings: Chase Briscoe Cracks Top 5 After Chicagoland]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-chase-briscoe-rises-after-chicagoland</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-chase-briscoe-rises-after-chicagoland</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Chase Briscoe surged after getting his first win of the season at Chicagoland. Here's how the latest rankings unfolded.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:07:49 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The last traditional intermediate race (Chicagoland) of the regular season saw a first-time 2026 winner in Chase Briscoe. That wasn’t a surprise, as Briscoe has been fast in his few years at Joe Gibbs Racing, and he was coming off a second-place finish at Sonoma. So Briscoe continues to move up these rankings as NASCAR heads to the drafting-style Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Here are my rankings: Dropped out: Ryan Preece (Last Week: 10), Carson Hocevar (Last Week: 9), Chris Buescher (Last Week: 8) On the verge: Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Riley Herbst, Carson Hocevar, Ryan Preece, Daniel Suárez Bowman followed up a 10th-place finish at Sonoma with a fifth at Chicagoland. For him and the season he has had, that’s a solid top-10 streak. Wallace placed sixth at Chicagoland for his third top-six finish in the last five races. He’s now 13th in the driver standings. Byron swept the stages and finished fourth, as he led a race-high 94 laps at Chicagoland. More performances like that and he will win. And soon. His radiator getting punctured resulted in a lengthy garage stay, and he ended up finishing 30 laps down. Reddick is fine to make the playoffs but he needs to get some momentum back over the next few weeks. Gibbs finished eighth at Chicagoland on a day when he was very good but not great. He’s fourth in the series standings. Blaney placed seventh at Chicagoland and he sits third in the series standings. As mentioned here before, he’s doing his best with what he has. He was the only Ford in the top 10. Larson spun and finished a couple laps down, a frustrating result considering he had speed to potentially challenge for the win. Bell couldn’t catch his teammate Briscoe during the race and finished second. It was his third runner-up finish of the year. Is a win around the corner? With a second and a win in his last two races, Briscoe is one of the hottest drivers on the circuit. But can he maintain it? Hamlin appeared as if he would challenge for the win but wound up third at Chicagoland. He now leads the series standings by 44 points over Reddick.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Inside The Garage: Did Pato O'Ward Need A Statement Victory?]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/motor/pato-oward-statement-victory-mid-ohio</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/motor/pato-oward-statement-victory-mid-ohio</guid>
				<category>motor</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Pato O'Ward got a big win at Mid-Ohio after going 14 races without a podium. But according to him, he knew his time was coming.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 12:47:32 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Here's what's happening this week Inside The Garage: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, Ohio) — Pato O’Ward didn’t seem to carry too much angst about not winning this year, playing his streak of non-podium finishes as something that was just part of racing. But it is hard to deny the perception of O'Ward at Arrow McLaren. He’s the driver who has been there the longest. He’s the one who is also a Formula 1 reserve driver for McLaren. He is a competitor who has come second in the Indianapolis 500 and second in the season point standings, and team decisions appear to be made to lift him to the top. So the fact that he had not won in 2026, and his teammate Christian Lundgaard (who, based on rumblings, might not be his teammate for much longer if his contract doesn't get renewed) had already won twice this year couldn’t be ignored going into the 11th race of the season. "I knew my win was coming," O’Ward said at his post-race news conference Sunday after celebrating in Victory Lane. "Whether it was going to be in the last couple races or in the middle, I don't know. "But obviously I made it happen [at Mid-Ohio]. .... I don't think it's a reason to lose motivation, lose hunger. I know it was just a matter of time for things to kind of click, or at least not go against us." O’Ward needed a statement win, and he got one Sunday. He used a Lundgaard mistake to make a beautiful side-by-side pass about halfway through the event and then controlled the race the rest of the way. "I don't really get rattled," O’Ward noted. "There’s been so much noise, people writing me off already. But the people that actually watch — and they actually know what they're watching — they truly know what's going on. And they really do see that a lot of the times, it can be something that's out of your control. "Honestly, this year there's been quite a bit of that. That's the nature of this sport." It’s also the nature of a fan base that demands wins. "It's not going to be the last time, and it's not going to be the first time," O’Ward said about the podium slump, which lasted 14 races since his last win at Toronto last summer. "I've had plenty of years here where they've been up and down, up and down. "But the most important part was everybody was writing me off, ‘Oh, what a horrible year.’ I'm still fifth in the championship, and this is my first podium. Rack up two or three more, and I'm fighting for the championship." The 29-year-old from Mexico now has 10 wins, and he sits fifth in the standings, 94 points behind four-time series champion Alex Palou. Palou believes O’Ward could be a factor. If he’s going to be a factor, he’ll have to perform well at Nashville in two weeks, where he appeared to have the field covered last year until a blown tire ended his race. "You can see how much a win gives you. And not only on points — motivation, and confidence as well," Palou told me and other reporters after the race. "I've been there. Hopefully not [for O’Ward], hopefully that doesn't happen, but yeah, I see that." O’Ward thinks he can make a run at Palou. "Obviously, it's doable," O’Ward said. "I think at this point last year I was somewhere [around there. And if it's not first in the championship, a repeat of a second would be great. It's not the end of the world. We're obviously still working hard. We're still getting better." As a driver who gets disappointed in the moment, he seems to enjoy the battle and enjoy the competition. And yet there is a feeling that maybe he was frustrated, that he saw Lundgaard win and he just didn’t seem to have things go right. "For me, obviously papaya is a second family, and they will remain to be," O’Ward said about the famed color of the organization. "I always try and give the best I've got. "There's not once where [team principal] Tony [Kanaan] has come to me and he's like, ‘I need you to try harder’ because I know he knows exactly how much I expect from myself and how perfect I want to be. And that's how I do everything — jobs, investments. It doesn't matter what I'm doing. That is what you want to do." As they say, you create your opportunities. But O’Ward has been very adamant that he is focused on what he is doing. And he is also focused on doing it his way. "I keep working hard," O’Ward said. "I obviously enjoy my life outside of racing, as well, which is very important, and along with that, you've got to enjoy it with your guys. "You have to. You never know when it's your last time, your last win together. You never know. It's so important to do that because that's truly why we do this. We do this to win and to compete. What makes it so much sweeter is actually the people that we get to share it with after making these strong relationships within the team." Bowman's Outlook Alex Bowman does not have a deal yet for 2027 to remain at Hendrick Motorsports. After a rough start to the year, including missing four races because of vertigo, he has had back-to-back top 10s. "I'm just trying to do my part to try to help HMS be the best it can be right now and obviously trying to get things turned back around on the 48 side of things," Bowman said on a virtual news conference last week. "I don't feel like I'm racing for my job or anything like that by any means. So yeah, really just kind of week to week focused on trying to get pointed back in the right direction." Bowman would like to get his 2027 plans solidified soon. "We've had a lot of different conversations and kind of trying to figure out what the best thing to do is," Bowman said. "So I would say [I’d like to know] sooner rather than later, "t hasn't been like the first thing on my mind by any means. I have really just been working hard at trying to get things pointed in the right direction." In The News — FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks, speaking on The Varsity podcast, indicated that President Donald Trump would wave the green flag for the Freedom 250 INDYCAR race in Washington, D.C., next month. Shanks: "With the President there waving the green flag and how we're going to celebrate America ... is going to be something that people are going to talk about for generations. ...It's going to be an incredible two-day show." — Road-racing veteran Colin Braun will drive the Kaulig Racing No. 25 Ram this weekend in the race at Lime Rock. — In a lawsuit for $8.4 million of a $10 million sponsorship deal that ECR filed against Todd Ault (whose companies include sponsors Bitnile, askROI, etc), an Indiana appeal court upheld the dismissal of the case against Ault, but allowed ECR to re-file to try to prove it has a claim. The case simplified: ECR put logos on 2024 Indianapolis 500 cars Ault and his company never signed the deal. Social Spotlight They Said It "[My crew chief] stays on me and makes me be perfect each and every lap and does a great job of keeping me honest. He told me if I win today, I can get some chocolate, so I'm pretty fired up about that. — Chase Briscoe after winning Sunday's NASCAR race at Chicagoland.]]>
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					<![CDATA[4 Takeaways From Chase Briscoe's Win In NASCAR's Return To Chicagoland]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/4-takeaways-from-chase-briscoe-chicagoland-win</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/4-takeaways-from-chase-briscoe-chicagoland-win</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Chase Briscoe secured his first checkered flag of the season as NASCAR returned to Chicagoland for the first time since 2019.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 23:45:01 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[NASCAR returned to Chicagoland Speedway and it was like meeting an exuberant old friend. Drivers had their hands full with the worn-out racetrack in their first race at the 1.5-mile oval since 2019. Chase Briscoe emerged victorious in Joliet. He led the final 46 laps as he captured his first win of the year. Here are my takeaways: 1. Briscoe Scores First Win Of Season Briscoe snapped a 20-race winless streak in a year when he had three finishes of 36th or worse in the first four races. He also has had two second-place finishes, including one the previous week on the Sonoma Raceway road course. "I honestly did not see this coming," Briscoe said in his interview on the race broadcast. "I kind of felt like I was struggling in practice, in qualifying, but ... the group did a great job." 2. Reddick Spiral Continues Tyler Reddick continues to slide and he is now 44 points behind Denny Hamlin in the race for the regular-season title. Reddick had a piece of debris puncture his radiator or oil cooler, which required more than 20 laps to fix. He finished 36th. There are seven races left in the regular season and Reddick is now trying to catch his team co-owner. "Obviously, the 45 [of Reddick] just continues to bleed out here with some bad luck stuff going on or some mechanicals," Hamlin said on the TNT post-race show. "Once we get that figured out, we'll race it out." 3. Bell Comes Up Short ... Again Christopher Bell finished second for the third time in the last seven races and for the fourth time this year. For a driver with 13 career victories, Bell is obviously getting a little frustrated, as his winless streak has extended to 26 races. Even if he’s racing with a broken wrist, he believes Chicagoland was a race that slipped away. "I'm just a second-place driver," Bell said during his television interview. "That's what I am." 4. NASCAR Could Issue Penalties NASCAR might be busy reviewing a couple of incidents that happened early in the race, as the league will need to determine whether to issue any penalties for intentional contact. Zane Smith turned Carson Hocevar; Shane van Gisbergen turned Austin Hill. The SVG contact with Hill looked like retaliation for a wreck caused by Hill that took SVG out of the race at Naval Base Coronado. SVG denied to The Athletic that it was intentional but Hill chopped his nose. The Smith-Hocevar incident was a little less clear. NASCAR has not yet penalized any drivers for those incidents. But the league could issue penalties later this week. 4 ½. What’s Next: Atlanta The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Atlanta next weekend. It's a 1.5-mile track and has enough banking that it races like a drafting track so NASCAR needs to limit horsepower there. Tyler Reddick won the race at Atlanta last February, while Chase Elliott won there last summer.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 NASCAR Odds: Pole-sitter Denny Hamlin Favored In Cup's Chicagoland Return]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-chicagoland-eero-400</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-chicagoland-eero-400</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Denny Hamlin is on the pole as NASCAR heads back to Chicagoland for the first time since 2019. Here are the odds for the entire field.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 13:43:01 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[After a seven-year hiatus, the NASCAR Cup Series will return to Chicagoland Speedway. Alex Bowman was the last winner at this track back in 2019, holding off Kyle Larson and Joey Logano, who finished second and third, respectively. Who will take the checkered flag on Sunday, July 5 at 6 p.m. ET when the series makes its comeback? Here are the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 5. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. NASCAR Cup Series eero 400 2026 Denny Hamlin: +250 (bet $10 to win $35 total)Tyler Reddick: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)Kyle Larson: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)Christopher Bell: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)Ryan Blaney: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)Bubba Wallace: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)William Byron: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Ty Gibbs: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)Corey Heim: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Chase Briscoe: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Brad Keselowski: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Chase Elliott: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Chris Buescher: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Carson Hocevar: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Austin Cindric: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Alex Bowman: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Ryan Preece: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)Joey Logano: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Daniel Suárez: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total) Zane Smith: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Shane van Gisbergen: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Ross Chastain: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Riley Herbst: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Erik Jones: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)AJ Allmendinger: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Connor Zilisch: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)John Hunter Nemechek: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Austin Dillon: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)Michael McDowell: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)Josh Berry: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)Austin Hill: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)Cole Custer: +60000 (bet $10 to win $6,010 total)Noah Gragson: +70000 (bet $10 to win $7,010 total)Ty Dillon: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)Todd Gilliland: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)JJ Yeley: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)Cody Ware: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total) Here's What To Know About The Oddsboard: The Favorite Four wins and now, four poles later, Denny Hamlin finds himself at the top of the oddsboard again. With 824 laps led on the season, he also sits first in the standings. Hamlin is coming off a Sonoma race where he started ninth and finished 26th. When the Cup series last raced at Chicagoland back in 2019, Hamlin finished 15th after starting ninth. One To Watch Will Tyler Reddick reclaim the No. 1 spot in the NASCAR Cup standings after this weekend? Well, for several weeks, he led the pack until Hamlin took over. Now, Reddick is only one point behind Denny. In 2026 so far, the driver of the No. 45 23XI Toyota has five wins and four poles. He's led 428 laps and has 132 stage points. He comes into this race on the heels of a disastrous Sonoma where he finished at the very back of the field because of mechanical issues.]]>
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					<![CDATA[NASCAR, New CEO Travel To Washington D.C. To Promote League]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-goes-to-washington-dc-to-promote-league</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-goes-to-washington-dc-to-promote-league</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[NASCAR and its new CEO Steve O’Donnell made a pit stop in Washington D.C. to amplify the impact of motorsports.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:19:49 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Washington, D.C. — Steve O’Donnell, the recently anointed Chief Executive Officer of NASCAR, used one of his favorite — and edgy — lines sitting next to two cabinet members while speaking on a panel on how motorsports impacts the workforce. "For us, what we call it … I’ll apologize for saying this. But we’re a badass American sport," O’Donnell said. A fan shouted from the car: "Yeah you are." This is part of the new role for O’Donnell, who dealt mainly with politicians in NASCAR markets in his role as NASCAR Chief Operating Officer. Now that he is CEO, a position he took over in April, he will be NASCAR’s most forward-facing administrator of the league. Part of being that face is working with the administration of the country. Sitting with team owner Richard Childress, driver Austin Dillon and Chevrolet’s Jim Campbell, along with Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, it was evident that O'Donnell is the one responsible for delivering NASCAR's vision. The turnout for a Thursday afternoon event at the Great American State Fair was likely impacted by temperatures that reached over 100 degrees, but the messaging was still important for NASCAR. "I want everyone to know that NASCAR is open to all. Come out, sample the sport, see what it's all about," O’Donnell told me afterward. "And then the jobs that exist outside of being a racecar driver, there's so many opportunities to be in the sport. "It doesn't have to be NASCAR. All forms of motorsports — INDYCAR, NHRA, World Outlaws. All kinds of opportunities." The event took place where grandstands will be in seven weeks for the Freedom 250 INDYCAR race in Washington. The start-finish line will have the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol. The event needed a presidential executive order and commitment from various federal agencies to get the green light. Relationships with any political administration are important. Sonderling is an avid motorsports fan, having visited RCR in the past and showing pure joy when telling a story about getting Richard Petty’s autograph. He sees value in the jobs provided by motorsports, especially as a place where people can learn a trade and earn a living. Generally, motorsports provides a variety of careers, and NASCAR teams like RCR have transitioned over the years. They no longer fabricate Cup cars; they more or less assemble them from body panels and chassis they are issued, so they have become more manufacturing facilities for other entities. RCR has contracts with the Department of Defense to manufacture vehicles in addition to a valve spring shop and its engine business. "I would say [the expansion is driven by] one thing, and that's Richard Childress," Dillon told me afterward about his 80-year-old grandfather. "He is the Energizer Bunny at his age. He still goes, and he's always looking forward, looking to the next thing. "And I'm very proud to be a family member, be part of his blood, and just working with him, and understanding why he does certain things. ... I want to carry that on for RCR and keep our company going for as long as possible." Both NASCAR and INDYCAR had a presence at the fair, with an RCR show car in the North Carolina display and an INDYCAR show car for the upcoming race in a car display. "It’s important to have relationships with people," O’Donnell told me. "Richard [Childress] asked me if I would come up, participate with the incoming Secretary of Labor and I thought it was a great opportunity to get to know folks, tell the story about NASCAR jobs, innovation, and then be part of the celebration of America 250."]]>
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					<![CDATA[NASCAR Power Rankings: Christopher Bell Has Reason To Smile]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-christopher-bell-rises-denny-hamlin-number-1</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-power-rankings-christopher-bell-rises-denny-hamlin-number-1</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Christopher Bell found his smile again after fighting to fifth at Sonoma with a broken wrist. Here's where he landed in the recent rankings.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:54:29 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Strategy meant as much as speed last Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, as the drivers who gave up the stage points to get track position had the upper hand when it came to vying for the win. So sorting through the Sonoma results to create the power rankings was a little bit tough, not to mention that only three drivers finished in the top 10 in the back-to-back road-course races. Those drivers were Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell. So here are my power rankings with the series heading to the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway this weekend, the first race at the track since 2019: Dropped out: Ross Chastain (Last Week: 10), Daniel Suárez (Last Week: 9), Erik Jones (Last Week: 8), Bubba Wallace (Last Week: 7) On the verge: William Byron, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Michael McDowell, Daniel Suárez, Bubba Wallace How is Preece on here and not McDowell? Here's why: McDowell had a ninth and 10th in the last two races, while Preece had an 11th and eighth. That gives Preece the edge. That and the fact Preece is 15th overall in the standings; McDowell is 21st. Hocevar doesn’t necessarily have the best finishes, but he has shown the speed that should give him confidence. He was knocked out of the lead at Naval Base Coronado, then started second at Sonoma before finishing 11th. Buescher finished 19th at Sonoma but had posted three consecutive top-10 finishes heading into that race. Three top 10s in the last four races? Only Blaney and Larson — who both have top 10s in each of the last four races — can match that. Bell vaults back into the power rankings after a fifth-place finish despite a broken wrist. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Bell smile as much as he did after the race Sunday. Briscoe nearly raced his way past Shane van Gisbergen in the waning laps at Sonoma, only to make a mistake and come up short. He now has six top-five finishes this year while still seeking his first win. A power steering issue doomed Reddick at Sonoma, where he caboosed the field. He needs to find some momentum, and Chicagoland would be the perfect place for the driver who often has Jordan logos on his hood. Blaney is just rattling off solid finishes, as his sixth-place Sonoma finish was his 13th top 10 of the year. Only three of those are top fives, but Blaney rarely has a bad race. Gibbs possibly could have won Sonoma if he didn’t stay out for the stage points. But in a tight battle among those third to eighth in the standings, guaranteeing himself some points when they were there for the taking wasn’t a bad move. Especially when you look at the importance of regular-season points standings and their impact on the Chase field reset. Larson’s last four races are fourth, fifth, third and fourth. He doesn’t have the win he wants just yet, but he’s the most consistent right now when it comes to finishing in the top five. Hamlin finished 26th after being spun during the Sonoma race. He very well could have finished in the top 10. He’ll have to have a disappointing finish on an oval before he drops from the top spot on this list.]]>
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				<title>
					<![CDATA[Inside The Garage: Will There Be More To Celebrate For Trackhouse This Year?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-trackhouse-svg-chastain-zilisch</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-trackhouse-svg-chastain-zilisch</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Shane van Gisbergen has gotten into Victory Lane twice this season, but the overall outlook for Trackhouse is bleak.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:00:55 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Here's what's happening this week Inside The Garage: Sonoma Raceway (Sonoma, Calif.) — Shane van Gisbergen celebrated his second victory of the season and moved up to 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with his triumph on Sunday. Trackhouse Racing hasn’t had much to celebrate this year. And the obvious question, amid the congratulations and the smiles of a job well done, was whether there would be anything more to celebrate for the team this year. With van Gisbergen having a 36-point cushion on the current Chase cutoff, that isn’t much of a buffer considering that he is still adapting to ovals in his second year of full-time Cup racing. As for the other two Trackhouse drivers,  Ross Chastain is 45 points behind the cutoff and Conor Zilisch is all but eliminated from contention. Chastain had back-to-back top 10s entering Sonoma but settled for a 14th-place finish Sunday; Zilisch, considered a possible race contender, was seventh. It hasn’t been the season that Trackhouse wanted, but van Gisbergen in the No. 97 car is in position to potentially make the Chase. But the road-course events are done for the year, meaning van Gisbergen will have to perform on the ovals. "Now I just have to do my best every week and keep improving, don't do anything stupid," van Gisbergen said in his post-race news conference. "[I need to] just accumulate points. I can't get in stupid accidents like Pocono with people. "Tenth to 15th is good enough for us. And better, if we can, try and get stage points. That's always been something difficult I've found on ovals. Qualify well. Start up front. Hopefully we get better." Qualifying is what crew chief Stephen Doran indicated will determine whether they can stay ahead of the cutoff. "What we need is better qualifying to be able to start better in some of these races," Doran said. "We proved that in [previous races at] Nashville and Charlotte — if we can qualify up there — we can stay up there all day. That's just the last piece of the puzzle with the ovals is to qualify good." But just how feasible is that? At least next week with Chicagoland Speedway on the schedule for the first time since 2019, drivers will get a Friday practice and then qualify Saturday instead of back-to-back limited practice and then straight into qualifying. "Some weeks I find we can run 10th to 15th pretty easily, and other weeks it's a battle to run 30th," van Gisbergen said. "As a team, we definitely need to be better and prepare as well as we can. "Open practice will certainly help us next week. We can try some things. I just need to keep getting better and make no mistakes. It would be really cool to point our way in." Chastain and Zilisch would need a huge rally to make the Chase. But winning a race wouldn’t be totally out of the question, although they would need to find more speed and execute. Chastain told me and other reporters Saturday that he could see some progress in speed, and they also got through Pocono and Naval Base Coronado unscathed. "The last calendar year, we've not had been able to put together weekends like that," Chastain said about those top-10 finishes. "So through all the chaos, through all the craziness of what could have been the last two weeks where, earlier in the year, we would have definitely been in those crashes." For Chastain, he does feel that some of it is just racing. He said he just continues to show up and work. "I can't try any harder," Chastain said. "When we were crashing and popping brake rotors and not finishing races, I was putting in the same work. The results have came, and the points come with results." As far as Zilisch, he’s just trying to find a rhythm in a year when it appears he might run well early in an event, he eventually has problems. He has wrecked out of five races this year — including four of the five races heading into Sonoma — and a suspension issue ended another one of his races. He’s 34th in the series standings among the 35 drivers who have been driving full time this season. "I don't know what I need to do to turn things around," Zilisch told me and other reporters on Saturday. "It’s been nothing short of terrible lately and just absolutely miserable every weekend. It hasn't been fun at all. "I'm doing everything I can to keep my head up and stay focused, but there's weeks it's just like, gosh, I don't even know what I can do anymore. I'll keep my head down." As a rookie, Zilisch didn't expect anything to be easy. But he also didn't expect it to be this difficult. "I've had a lot of meaningful, deep conversations with a lot of guys on my team, and everyone in the garage," Zilisch said. "I've had a lot of people come up to me and just tell me to keep my head down and keep digging, and remember who I am. ... I know it'll turn around." Trackhouse folks hope that it is sooner than later. "We’re certainly better than where we started. That [early] Vegas-Phoenix stretch of the year, we were out to lunch," Zilisch said. "I certainly think we're making gains, and that's good. We take every gain we can get, but we certainly still have some room to grow." NASCAR Changes Short-Track Bumpers NASCAR got rid of the front and rear bumper foam in the Cup cars for short-track races at North Wilkesboro, Richmond, Bristol and Martinsville. They also made the front bumpers less rigid with different struts. The reason is twofold: Drivers felt the cars being so rigid resulted in them taking the brunt of the small impacts. So this change hopefully allows the cars to absorb more of the impact. And it should discourage some of the bumper-car mentality, as there is a bigger risk of damage with the impacts. Three-time Cup champion Joey Logano was among those who talked to NASCAR about trying to find potential fixes. "I’m glad they looked at it to do something," Logano told me and other reporters. "Do we need to have the super stiff bumpers for tracks where we are not going fast? "We've seen that this car is good on the big crashes, the huge ones, but it's the that day-to-day bumps and bangs and little things that the drivers get out and are like ‘Oh my god’ because this car didn't move at all." Logano said the veterans will be used to having to be careful not to hit the car in front of them too hard or else risk the damage. Teams are not allowed to change radiators during a race. "It’s going to be easier to knock the nose in, closer to what old days were," Logano said. "It’s good, and anything that can improve safety. I'm good with." In The News — The revived IROC will be part of the Freedom 250 INDYCAR weekend in Washington, D.C., with a Saturday race. Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti will compete on Saturday, August 22. — As part of the INDYCAR post-race officiating report for the June 21 race at Road America, it stated that Scott Dixon got an incorrect pits closed message on Lap 13. He didn’t pit and then he later had to pit for emergency service. It was an issue of two data information systems not being in sync. INDYCAR Officiating said it had corrected the issue. — Spire &amp; Chris Gabehart filed counterclaims in the lawsuit filed by Joe Gibbs Racing, which alleges that Gabehart has a non-compete clause that should limit his work on the Cup side for Spire and that he also violated laws when it came to confidential information. Gabehart, who took photos of JGR proprietary information, argues that he did not give proprietary JGR information to anyone. Gabehart claims that JGR breached his contract by, among other things, not paying him between the time they agreed he would leave and his official letter of termination. Picture This Social Spotlight They Said It "I need to really step it up on the ovals. We all do." — Sonoma winner Shane van Gisbergen, who has only won on road courses in his NASCAR career. In Inside The Garage, Bob Pockrass takes us behind the scenes of the motorsports world the way only he can.]]>
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