Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu A New Championship Leader Emerges For the first time since the Bahrain Grand Prix, Lando Norris leads the Drivers’ Championship after winning the Mexico City Grand Prix by just over 30 seconds. He has 357 points, just ahead of his teammate Piastri with 356, as the 2025 season enters its final four races and two sprints. Max Verstappen has also closed the gap to Piastri and now sits at 321 points, only 36 behind. The title race remains wide open, but the momentum is now with the Briton and the Dutchman as Piastri looks to rebound from an uncharacteristically poor run in Mexico. Race Recap Knowing he needed another strong weekend to build on his progress from Austin, Norris put himself in a great position by taking pole position, while Verstappen started fifth and Piastri eighth. Norris was joined at the front by the two Ferraris, with Leclerc qualifying second and Hamilton third. He made an excellent start, fending off an early challenge from Leclerc, while Verstappen went wide as the field went four abreast into the first corner. Leclerc briefly cut the corner at Turn 2 to take the lead, but Norris quickly reclaimed the position. Verstappen soon found himself in a close battle with Hamilton for third, with both drivers pushing track limits. Hamilton was eventually given a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. This decision was controversial as he was the sole recipient of a penalty. Meanwhile Verstappen and Leclerc had both left the track, with the former doing so on the first lap and gained an advantage. Verstappen also had to defend against bold overtakes from Oliver Bearman, who challenged the defending World Champion in the opening stages. Midway through the race, Mercedes made a notable strategic call. On lap 41, with Antonelli running fourth and Russell directly behind, the team instructed the drivers to swap positions to allow Russell to chase down Bearman. However, Antonelli soon came under pressure from Piastri, who was closing rapidly on both Mercedes. When both drivers pitted on lap 48, Piastri emerged ahead of Antonelli and later overtook Russell on lap 60 to move into fifth place. Russell then returned the position to his teammate. In the closing laps, Leclerc and Verstappen fought intensely for second place, but a virtual safety car in the final two laps neutralized the battle, preventing Verstappen from attempting a final overtake. Rookie Report What a race it was for Oliver Bearman, who spent much of the afternoon running in podium contention. Entering the weekend, he was carrying 10 penalty points that were set to expire at the end of this race—leaving him perilously close to a one-race ban. Bearman charged through the field, climbing to fourth by lap six. His team later opted for a two-stop strategy to give him a chance to challenge Verstappen for third, but the Dutchman’s tire management proved superior. Even so, this was the best result of Bearman’s young career and a performance that deserves recognition. He was joined in the points by fellow rookies Kimi Antonelli, who finished sixth, and Gabriel Bortoleto, who claimed the final point in tenth. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Lando Norris, McLaren Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Lando Norris 2nd: Charles Leclerc 3rd: Max Verstappen 4th: Oliver Bearman 5th: Oscar Piastri 6th: Kimi Antonelli 7th: George Russell 8th: Lewis Hamilton 9th: Esteban Ocon 10th: Gabriel Bortoleto Next on the F1 Schedule: Brazilian Grand Prix: November 7th-9th

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Ridgeway, Virginia for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.   Martinsville is a 0.526-mile oval, nicknamed “The Paperclip,” because of its shape. It’s the only track that has concrete in the turns, but asphalt on the straightaways.  Martinsville is also the oldest track that is still run on the NASCAR schedule.  It opened in 1947, and Red Byron was the first to win there in 1949.  Denny Hamlin won this race in the spring, and Ryan Blaney won last fall at this exact race.   Tomorrow’s race will be 500 laps long (for a total of 263 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 130 – 160 – 500.  Pit road speed is 30 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 35 mph.  The fuel window is between 155-170 laps, though tire wear will probably come into play before fuel does.   This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 8,761 laps, for 12,277.89 miles so far this season.  No driver has completed every single lap - Tyler Reddick is closest, running 15 laps down.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Martinsville: Ryan Blaney 8.47 over 19 races (2 wins) Denny Hamlin 9.82 over 39 races (6 wins) Joey Logano 10.70 over 33 races (1 win) Chase Elliott 11.75 over 20 races (1 win) Chase Briscoe 12.33 over 9 races   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Martinsville: Cody Ware 31.00 over 6 races Riley Herbst 31.00 over 1 race Justin Haley 30.00 over 9 races JH Nemechek 28.60 over 5 races Michael McDowell 27.76 over 29 races   Martinsville is a Short Track.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Short Tracks: Joey Logano 11.23 over 194 races (13 wins) Chase Elliott 11.58 over 107 races (4 wins) Ryan Blaney 12.14 over 111 races (4 wins) Christopher Bell 12.23 over 63 races (7 wins) William Byron 12.66 over 85 races (4 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Short Tracks: Michael McDowell 26.41 over 171 races Ty Dillon 25.45 over 83 races Zane Smith 24.56 over 24 races Noah Gragson 24.07 over 32 races JH Nemechek 23.21 over 32 races   Richard Petty is the winningest driver at Martinsville, with 15 wins.  Darrell Waltrip has the second-most, with 11.  Denny Hamlin has the most of any active driver with 6.   Drivers who ran their first Cup Series race at Martinsville: Michael McDowell 2008, P26 Chase Elliott 2015, P38   Notable drivers who have not won at Martinsville: Tyler Reddick (has won at 8 other tracks) Ross Chastain (has won at 6 other tracks) Chris Buescher (has won at 6 other tracks) SVG (has won at 5 other tracks) Chase Briscoe (has won at 4 other tracks) Based on average finish, no driver lists Martinsville as their BEST track, but Justin Haley lists it as his WORST.   Based on their point pace, let’s have a look at how this season is comparing to last season for drivers:   Drivers Faring Better than in 2024 Chase Briscoe +363 pts JH Nemechek +238 pts Ryan Preece +226 pts Erik Jones +158 pts Zane Smith +130 pts   Drivers Faring Worse than in 2024 Noah Gragson -199 pts Brad Keselowski -186 pts Daniel Suarez -149 pts Alex Bowman -86 pts Ty Gibbs -85 pts   Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish:   Best Career Year Christopher Bell 11.32 Chase Briscoe 11.79 Ryan Preece 16.18 JH Nemechek 19.97   Worst Career Year Cole Custer 23.74 Carson Hocevar 21.12 Zane Smith 20.74   Rookie of the Year Battle SVG 2,172 (5 wins) Riley Herbst 384   The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position.  (40 for 1 st , 35 for 2 nd , 34 for 3 rd , etc.)  No stage points or playoff points count.   Manufacturer Standings Chevrolet 1,236 Toyota 1,217 Ford 1,142   Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis:   Chartered Team Standings Joe Gibbs 1,187 Hendrick 1,146 Penske 973 RFK 966 Trackhouse 930 23XI 906 Spire 859 Front Row 777 Legacy MC 772 RCR 762 Kaulig 705 Wood Bros 505 Hyak 483 Haas Factory 451 Rick Ware 226   At each stage break, the Top 10 drivers are awarded points based on their finishing positions.  Here are the leaders this year:   Stage Point Leaders William Byron 297 Ryan Blaney 293 Kyle Larson 280 Denny Hamlin 227 Tyler Reddick 211 Bubba Wallace 203 Christopher Bell 194 Chase Briscoe 179 Chase Elliott 178 Alex Bowman 165   Milestone Watch Austin Cindric This will be his 150 th  Career Cup Series Start Brad Keselowski Looking for his 160 th  Career Top 5 Christopher Bell Looking for his 60 th  Career Top 5 William Byron Looking for his 120 th  Career Top 10 Ross Chastain Looking for his 70 th  Career Top 10 Chase Briscoe Looking for his 50 th  Career Top 10 Michael McDowell Looking for his 50 th  Career Top 10   Scorigami Update Talladega was the first time that: Riley Herbst finished SVG finished Todd Gilliland finished 2 nd Chase Elliott finished 40 th  (and he completes the Scorigami)   Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks:   Winless Streaks Justin Haley 175 races Cole Custer 131 races Erik Jones 113 races Kyle Busch 91 races Michael McDowell 82 races Daniel Suarez 68 races Brad Keselowski 57 races AJ Allmendinger 54 races Alex Bowman 50 races Chris Buescher 42 races   The race begins Sunday, October 26 th  at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST) – Enjoy the race everyone!   Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter  @RacingRefresh   Is there an error? Is there a stat missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images By Adam Carabine With the Cup Series playoffs in full swing, Power Rankings will now follow only the 16 playoff drivers (even after they’re eliminated) for the rest of this season.     While finishing position is important, it’s not always indicative of the full picture.  StatChat rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs, with an emphasis placed on the most recent 5 races.   Austin Cindric – This week: 33 – Last week: 27 – Eliminated It was not a great day for Austin Cindric at Talladega.  He now moves to the bottom of the Playoff Power Rankings after a P34 finish. Technically it wasn’t a DNF, as he came back out on the track and ran a few laps to pass Erik Jones, but he finished 116 laps down.   Austin Dillon – This week: 25 – Last week: 26 – Eliminated Austin Dillon seemed to have troubles all day at Talladega this past weekend, and he wound up finishing P27, two laps down.  RCR has been a disappointment this year.   Josh Berry – This week: 21 – Last week: 28 – Eliminated Unfortunately, it was another DNF for Josh Berry in this playoff run, but his finishing position was not indicative of his day.  He actually led 27 laps, and had 204 quality passes.  Berry is making his way up the Power Rankings after an abysmal start to his playoffs.   Alex Bowman – This week: 19 – Last week: 15 – Eliminated It looked like there was some trouble for Alex Bowman about midway through the race.  He wasn’t getting full throttle power and wound up finishing 6 laps down in P29.  He did earn a single bonus point at the end of Stage 2, but he didn’t look like a Hendrick car out there for the rest of the day.   Bubba Wallace – This week: 13 – Last week: 20 – Eliminated Bubba Wallace is really good at drafting tracks.  Already a winner at Talladega, he was in the hunt right until the end, and finished P4.  His playoff hopes are already dashed, but he’s looking to finish the year strong.   Ross Chastain – This week: 11 – Last week: 12 – Eliminated Chastain had some moments of flash in the race at Talladega last weekend, and he ultimately finished P13.  In the mad dash to the finish, he was trying to make that third lane work, but it didn’t come to fruition fast enough for him to capitalize on it.   Chase Elliott – This week: 10 – Last week: 8 Elliott was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and wound up finishing dead last, P40 at Talladega.  Of note, P40 was the only finishing position Elliott had yet to score over the course of his Cup Series career, and so he completed the Scorigami by finishing last.   SVG – This week: 9 – Last week: 10 – Eliminated Look at Shane Van Gisbergen suddenly showing up on ovals! The road course king has been upping his game lately, and despite a poor qualifying performance, he truly held his own at Talladega, bringing his car home P11.   Tyler Reddick – This week: 8 – Last week: 9 – Eliminated Still searching for his first win of the season, Reddick had a solid run late at Talladega, though it wasn’t enough.  The driver of the 45 finished P7, but also earned some decent stage points, led a few laps, and kept a positive pass differential – all good enough to keep him in the Top 10 of the Power Rankings.   Ryan Blaney – This week: 7 – Last week: 6 Ryan Blaney has been put into a must-win situation heading into Martinsville next weekend, despite a solid showing at Talladega.  He led some laps, and was in the conversation at the front of the pack near the end, but his lane got shuffled out of the momentum, and he wound up finishing 23 rd .  He’s -46 to the cut line, with one last chance to get a spot in the championship race.   William Byron – This week: 6 – Last week: 7 A super unfortunate final run messed up Byron’s day at Talladega. If things had been just a tad different in the final 100-or-so feet of the race, we might be talking a different result for the driver of the 24.  He was spun out at the last minute as he was pushing for the win.   He likely couldn’t have caught race winner Chase Briscoe, but he’s now got a 36-pt deficit to make up next weekend in Martinsville.   Joey Logano – This week: 5 – Last week: 5 Logano, like his teammate Ryan Blaney, had a solid try going at Talladega, but was in the wrong lane near the end of the race.  Logano actually led the most laps of anyone, and had the best average running position on the day, but came up short with a P16 finish.  He’ll be in must-win territory for Martinsville as well.   Chase Briscoe – This week: 4 – Last week: 4 – Advanced The qualifying king of 2025, Briscoe turned a front row starting spot into a win at Talladega this past weekend.  His average running position was actually farther back in the pack (around 13 th ) but the only lap that counts is the last one, and he was at the front of the pack.  He earns his spot in the Championship Four, and silences the doubters once and for all with his 3 rd win of the season.   Denny Hamlin – This week: 3 – Last week: 3 – Advanced Hamlin was already locked into the championship race, so originally looked to be taking it easy at Talladega, a place that can be dangerous.  However, he did find himself up front a few times too, even leading three laps on the day.  It was a safe P24 for Hamlin as he’s likely in prep mode for Phoenix in two weeks.   Christopher Bell – This week: 2 – Last week: 2 Bell came into Talladega in a fairly comfortable position, needing just to maintain a decent run to stay above the cutline.  It was a fairly quiet day for the driver of the 20, but he extended his seven-race Top-10 run with a P8 finish.  It’s not mathematically impossible for him to be eliminated, but he’ll be in really good shape heading to Martinsville +37 to the cutline.   Kyle Larson – This week: 1   – Last week: 1 Larson, like his teammate William Byron, was in a decent spot right up to the end of the race in Talladega, but got lost in the late shuffle.  He finished P26, but luckily had a big enough lead over the others, so he heads to Martinsville +36 to the cut line – and perhaps more importantly, at the top of our Power Rankings.   Biggest Movers   Austin Cindric – This week: 33 – Last week: 27 Falls 6 places   Erik Jones – This week: 29 – Last week: 23 Falls 6 places   Daniel Suarez – This Week: 24 – Last Weekend: 34 Gains 10 places   Best of the Rest: 12. Todd Gilliland LW: 19 +7 14. Ryan Preece LW: 13 -1 15. Michael McDowell LW: 16 +1 16. Chris Buescher LW: 11 -5 17. Carson Hocevar LW: 17 -- 18. Brad Keselowski LW: 14 -4 20. Ty Gibbs LW: 18 -2 22. Kyle Busch LW: 21 -1 23. Zane Smith LW: 22 -1 24. Daniel Suarez LW: 34 +10 26. JH Nemechek LW: 33 +7 27. Noah Gragson LW: 24 -3 28. AJ Allmendinger LW: 25 -3 29. Erik Jones LW: 23 -6 30. Cole Custer LW: 35 +5 31. Ty Dillon LW: 31 -- 32. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 29 -3 34. Riley Herbst LW: 30 -4 35. Justin Haley LW: 32 -3 36. Cody Ware LW: 36 --

Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu Sprint Race Drama It only took one race for McLaren to decide that the collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Singapore might not have been entirely accidental before more drama unfolded. Starting from second and third place, Norris and Piastri collided once again, with both drivers out of the sprint race before the first lap was even completed. Piastri made an aggressive move into Turn 1 that cut off Nico Hulkenberg, triggering a collision that sent his McLaren into the rear left of Norris’s car. The contact knocked both McLarens out of the sprint and cost the team valuable points. Max Verstappen went on to win the sprint after holding off a strong challenge from George Russell, fresh off a new contract with Mercedes, who attempted an ambitious overtake on lap 12. Verstappen’s victory allowed him to close the championship gap by eight points. The sprint also saw three additional retirements, as both Aston Martin drivers and Esteban Ocon failed to finish. Title Race is Heating Up Don’t look now, but Max Verstappen is only 40 points behind Oscar Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship with five races remaining. The Dutchman converted his pole position into his fifth win of the season, leading every lap and securing his third victory in the last four races. It was a flawless weekend for Verstappen, as he took pole for the sprint race, won the sprint, and then started from pole again for the main event. The RB21 appears to have overcome many of the issues that affected Red Bull and Verstappen earlier in the season. The car has shown impressive pace since the summer break, and the team’s recent form suggests a strong resurgence. The pressure now seems to rest squarely on McLaren, which faces the challenge of managing its two competitive drivers while maintaining harmony within the team. Momentum has clearly shifted toward Verstappen, who also carries the advantage of experience as a four-time defending World Champion. Lando Norris reduced the gap to his teammate with a second-place finish, and the top three in the standings are as follows: Piastri – 346 Norris – 332 Verstappen – 306 Piastri cannot afford any more underwhelming performances like the one he had in Austin, where he failed to finish the sprint race, qualified sixth, and ended up fifth in the main event. If he hopes to become the first Australian World Champion since Alan Jones in 1980 with Williams, he will need to rediscover the form that put him at the top earlier in the season. Leclerc Manages a Podium Finish While Hamilton Comes Close Again Charles Leclerc battled with Lando Norris all race for second place, ultimately ceding the position and finished the race in 3rd. Lewis Hamilton’s first podium with Ferrari will wait at least another week as he came in 4th, around seven seconds behind Leclerc. This is Hamilton’s third 4th place finish of the year and he has five races remaining to cap off a frustrating campaign on a positive note for the Prancing Horses. Rookie Report Oliver Bearman once again scored points for Haas, finishing ninth as he did two weekends ago in Singapore. Liam Lawson narrowly missed out on the points, crossing the line in eleventh place. Kimi Antonelli finished thirteenth after qualifying seventh but was unable to recover following a collision with Carlos Sainz on lap seven. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Max Verstappen, Red Bull Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Max Verstappen 2nd: Lando Norris 3rd: Charles Leclerc 4th: Lewis Hamilton 5th: Oscar Piastri 6th: George Russell 7th: Yuki Tsunoda 8th: Nico Hulkenberg 9th: Oliver Bearman 10th: Fernando Alonso Next on the F1 Schedule: Mexican Grand Prix: October 24th-26th

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Lincoln, Alabama for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega SuperSpeedway.   Talladega is the largest oval on the NASCAR circuit, at 2.66 miles long.  The track opened in 1969, and Richard Brickhouse was the first to win a NASCAR race at the facility that same year.  Last year, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won this race in the fall.  Earlier this season, the race was won by Austin Cindric.   Tomorrow’s race will be 188 laps long (for a total of 500.08 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 60 – 120 – 188.  Pit road speed is 55 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 75 mph.  The fuel window is between 40-50 laps.   This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 8,568 laps, for 11,764.51 miles so far this season.  No driver has completed every single lap - Tyler Reddick is closest, running 15 laps down.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Talladega: William Byron 13.67 over 15 races Chase Elliott 14.05 over 19 races (2 wins) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 14.42 over 24 races (2 wins) Todd Gilliland 14.71 over 7 races Brad Keselowski 15.64 over 33 races (6 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Talladega: Cody Ware 26.80 over 10 races Zane Smith 26.50 over 4 races Josh Berry 26.00 over 3 races Michael McDowell 26.00 over 29 races Ty Gibbs 25.67 over 6 races   Talladega is a Super Speedway.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Super Speedways: JH Nemechek 16.50 over 11 races Bubba Wallace 16.97 over 32 races (1 win) Chase Elliott 17.25 over 39 races (2 wins) Denny Hamlin 17.33 over 79 races (5 wins) Ryan Blaney 17.55 over 43 races (5 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Super Speedways: Carson Hocevar 23.38 over 8 races Michael McDowell 23.28 over 58 races (1 win) Cody Ware 23.07 over 19 races Daniel Suarez 22.18 over 35 races Ryan Preece 22.17 over 23 races   Dale Earnhardt is the winningest driver at Talladega, with 10 wins over his Cup Series career.  His son, Dale Jr. is tied for second all-time with Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski – they each have 6 wins.   Drivers who ran their first Cup Series race at Talladega: Justin Haley 2019, P32   Drivers who WON their first Cup Series race at Talladega: Brad Keselowski 5 th career race Bubba Wallace 143 rd  career race Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 158 th  career race   Drivers whose most recent Cup Series Victory was at Talladega: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 38 races ago, 2024 Austin Cindric 23 races ago, 2025   Notable drivers who have not won at Talladega: Kyle Larson (has won at 18 other tracks) William Byron (has won at 11 other tracks) Christopher Bell (has won at 10 other tracks) Alex Bowman (has won at 8 other tracks) Chris Buescher (has won at 6 other tracks)   Based on average finish, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ty Dillon list Talladega as their BEST track.  No drivers list it as their WORST.   Based on their point pace, let’s have a look at how this season is comparing to last season for drivers:   Drivers Faring Better than in 2024 Chase Briscoe +342 pts Ryan Preece +228 pts JH Nemechek +222 pts Erik Jones +176 pts Zane Smith +114 pts   Drivers Faring Worse than in 2024 Brad Keselowski -193 pts Noah Gragson -187 pts Daniel Suarez -158 pts Ty Gibbs -115 pts Alex Bowman -69 pts   Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish:   Best Career Year Christopher Bell 11.42 Chase Briscoe 12.12 Ryan Preece 16.21 JH Nemechek 20.15   Worst Career Year Cole Custer 24.30 Carson Hocevar 21.58 Zane Smith 21.09 Ty Gibbs 18.39   Rookie of the Year Battle SVG 2,146 (5 wins) Riley Herbst 379   The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position.  (40 for 1 st , 35 for 2 nd , 34 for 3 rd , etc.)  No stage points or playoff points count.   Manufacturer Standings Chevrolet 1,205 Toyota 1,177 Ford 1,107   Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis:   Chartered Team Standings Joe Gibbs 1,147 Hendrick 1,134 Penske 952 RFK 939 Trackhouse 904 23XI 873 Spire 828 Legacy MC 749 RCR 744 Front Row 742 Kaulig 688 Wood Bros 501 Hyak 482 Haas Factory 419 Rick Ware 220   At each stage break, the Top 10 drivers are awarded points based on their finishing positions.  Here are the leaders this year:   Stage Point Leaders William Byron 290 Ryan Blaney 282 Kyle Larson 271 Denny Hamlin 227 Tyler Reddick 202 Bubba Wallace 197 Christopher Bell 187 Chase Elliott 178 Chase Briscoe 169 Alex Bowman 164   Milestone Watch Kyle Larson This will be his 400 th  Career Cup Series Start Brad Keselowski Looking for his 160 th  Career Top 5 Christopher Bell Looking for his 60 th  Career Top 5 William Byron Looking for his 120 th  Career Top 10 Ross Chastain Looking for his 70 th  Career Top 10 Bubba Wallace Looking for his 60 th  Career Top 10 Michael McDowell Looking for his 50 th  Career Top 10 Zane Smith Looking for his 10 th  Career Top 10   Scorigami Update Las Vegas was the first time that: Noah Gragson finished 13 th Ty Dillon finished 37 th     Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks:   Winless Streaks Justin Haley 174 races Cole Custer 130 races Erik Jones 112 races Kyle Busch 90 races Michael McDowell 81 races Daniel Suarez 67 races Brad Keselowski 56 races AJ Allmendinger 53 races Alex Bowman 49 races Chris Buescher 41 races   The race begins Sunday, October 19 th  at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST) – Enjoy the race everyone!   Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter  @RacingRefresh   Is there an error? Is there a stat missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images By Adam Carabine With the Cup Series playoffs in full swing, Power Rankings will now follow only the 16 playoff drivers (even after they’re eliminated) for the rest of this season.     While finishing position is important, it’s not always indicative of the full picture.  StatChat rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs, with an emphasis placed on the most recent 5 races.   Josh Berry – This week: 28 – Last week: 34 – Eliminated The biggest positive mover in the Power Rankings this week, Josh Berry moves up to 28 th  after a not-so-great run at Las Vegas.  However, with the most recent 5 races more heavily weighted, the formula has favoured a P28 instead of a dead last.  Berry has had much worse races in these playoffs, but it was certainly a fall after he won his lone race of 2025 at this track in the spring.   Austin Cindric – This week: 27 – Last week: 28 – Eliminated A solid P11 for Austin Cindric this past weekend in Las Vegas bumps him up a spot in the Power Rankings.  His average running position was around 25 th , so his near-Top-10 was a bit of a lucky break near the end. However, it was a decent enough day for a driver that is eliminated and doesn’t have much to worry about at this point in the season.   Austin Dillon – This week: 26 – Last week: 24 – Eliminated It’s hard to know exactly what’s going on at RCR, but things aren’t good.  Dillon’s teammate Kyle Busch actually had a solid day, but it felt more lucky than skilled.  Dillon finishes P25, and tumbles down two spots in the Power Rankings.   Bubba Wallace – This week: 20 – Last week: 11 – Eliminated Bubba was unfortunately this week’s biggest mover in the negative direction, losing 9 spots in the Power Rankings.  Vegas was not super kind to him, finishing P22, and never really seeming to have much speed.  He had the worst Pass Differential of any driver (-22), and while he was already eliminated, this left no doubt.   Alex Bowman – This week: 15 – Last week: 19 – Eliminated Bowman is a strange entity to keep tabs on.  As likely the 4 th  driver at Hendrick Motorsports, he does well enough to be happy with… if he didn’t drive for Hendrick.  However, he’s compared to his teammates who often outrun him.  This week, Bowman was solid, and he moves up in the Power Rankings after a nice P7 finish in Las Vegas, though his playoff hopes are already over.   Ross Chastain – This week: 12 – Last week: 15 – Eliminated While Chastain’s finishing position of P23 doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, his underlying numbers were actually decent at Las Vegas, and his finish didn’t tell the whole story.  He had the highest Pass Differential of any driver on the day (+20), and it helped him move up a few spots in the Power Rankings.   SVG – This week: 10 – Last week: 9 – Eliminated SVG is learning at the ovals, and that should probably scare the rest of the field.  He’s getting better and better each week on the left-turn-only tracks.  He’s already a menace on the road courses.  His P33 finish at Vegas didn’t show how his day truly went, as he was riding around the Top 15 most of the race.  A DNF at the end of the day took him out, but he’s one to watch at any race these days.   Tyler Reddick – This week: 9 – Last week: 10 – Eliminated A Top 5 for Tyler Reddick is quite something considering the personal turmoil he’s going through with his son, Rookie at the moment.  He had points in both stages, had the highest number of Quality Passes of anyone, and finished P5.  It only moves him up one spot, but it’s something that could help him build some momentum to finish this season out – last year’s Regular Season Champ is still looking for his first win of the year.   Chase Elliott – This week: 8 – Last week: 8 It was neither a great nor terrible day for Chase Elliott in Vegas.  He maintains his spot in the Power Rankings, but also has some work to do if he’d like to make it to the Championship Four.  His P18 wasn’t enough to help his spot in the Playoff Standings, and he now sits -23 to the cutline with two difficult races in Talladega and Martinsville coming up to finish out this round.   William Byron – This week: 7 – Last week: 7 Aside from the crazy end of William Byron’s race at Las Vegas (where he basically killed Ty Dillon as Dillon tried to merge onto pit road – jury is still out on who’s fault it was), Byron was having a decent day until that point.  He had led 55 laps, was running in the Top 10 all day, and won the first stage outright.  He is -15 to the cutline, but that’s enough to make up over the next two races if he wants.   Ryan Blaney – This week: 6 – Last week: 1 It was an unfortunate week for Ryan Blaney, who finds himself in quite the hole now after an unlucky flat tire at Vegas gave him his 8 th  DNF of the season. He finished 38 th , last place, after only 70 laps on the track.  Blaney is now -31 to the cut line, and has his work cut for him, though he’s won at both Talladega and Martinsville in the fall before.   Joey Logano – This week: 5 – Last week: 5 Since it’s an odd-numbered year, Logano didn’t win at Las Vegas, and is now no longer poised to add another championship to his resume.  Jokes aside, it was a decent day for the reigning champ, as he finished P6, earned some stage points, and even led a lap.  He’s still -24 to the cut line, so he’ll need some other stuff to go his way in the next two races.   Chase Briscoe – This week: 4 – Last week: 6 Has Chase Briscoe low-key been the star of these playoffs? His average finish over these playoff races has been just over 6, and his worst finish is P14 at the Charlotte Roval.  He’s proving the haters wrong, and looks poised to make it to the Championship Four, if things continue in the same way for him.  He led 57 laps in Vegas, and finished P4, and now has +15 to the good on the cut line.    Denny Hamlin– This week: 3 – Last week: 4 – Advanced Hamlin’s 60 th  Career win couldn’t have come at a better time for the veteran driver of the 11 car, as he now has a few extra weeks to prep for the ever-elusive championship he seeks.  While it wasn’t enough to bump him up to the top of our Power Rankings, I’m sure he doesn’t mind.  It wasn’t a dominant win, but it was just enough at the right time.  He’ll be hoping he can do it again in Phoenix in a few weeks.   Christopher Bell – This week: 2 – Last week: 2 If it hadn’t been for a terrible start to the playoffs (P29 at Darlington), Christopher Bell would definitely be the driver to beat this year.  Other than that first race, he has finished in the Top 10 in each of the last six races, including a win at Bristol.  He’s been a Championship Dark Horse before, but this year he might come in as a favourite – if he can make it to the final race.  He’s +20 as things stand right now.   Kyle Larson – This week: 1   – Last week: 3 Larson didn’t come away with the victory at Las Vegas, but he was the dominant car of the day.  He led 129 laps (most of anyone), had the best average running position (3 rd ), and scored the most stage points of anyone (19) all day.  He’s a threat to point his way into the Championship Four if he doesn’t win in these next two weeks, as he sits +35 on the cutline.    Biggest Movers   Bubba Wallace – This week: 20 – Last week: 11 Falls 9 places   Josh Berry – This Week: 28 – Last Weekend: 34 Gains 6 places   Best of the Rest: 11. Chris Buescher LW: 12 +1 13. Ryan Preece LW: 13 -- 14. Brad Keselowski LW: 16 +2 16. Michael McDowell LW: 14 -2 17. Carson Hocevar LW: 18 +1 18. Ty Gibbs LW: 17 -1 19. Todd Gilliland LW: 20 +1 21. Kyle Busch LW: 23 +2 22. Zane Smith LW: 22 -- 23. Erik Jones LW: 21 -2 24. Noah Gragson LW: 29 +5 25. AJ Allmendinger LW: 27 +2 29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 26 -3 30. Riley Herbst LW: 32 +2 31. Ty Dillon LW: 30 -1 32. Justin Haley LW: 31 -1 33. JH Nemechek LW: 25 -8 34. Daniel Suarez LW: 35 +1 35. Cole Custer LW: 33 -2 36. Cody Ware LW: 36 --

Hamlin captures his 60th career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, punching his ticket to the Championship 4 and delivering one of the most meaningful victories of his career. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 12: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 ampm Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) by Crystal Clay | October 13, 2025 LAS VEGAS — Denny Hamlin didn’t just score his 60th career win Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; he reached both a career and emotional milestone. In a race that demanded both precision and heart, Hamlin surged past Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe in the closing laps, sealing a victory that went beyond numbers on a stat sheet. With tears in his eyes, Hamlin called it one of the most meaningful wins of his career. It reflected the pressure, sacrifices, and persistence that have defined his journey to the Championship 4. Hamlin’s South Point 400 win began with the pole on Saturday . It’s a category he openly admits has never been his strong suit. “I have never been a driver that’s been fast for one lap,” Hamlin said. “But I noticed that it was something that could improve my chances of winning week in, week out, so I focused on getting better.” With this win, he had already surpassed Kyle Busch for the most victories as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver in the Cup Series, and tied Kevin Harvick on the all-time wins list. However, the numbers don’t paint the full picture. In his front stretch interview, Hamlin didn’t have a snarky jab for the crowd; unusual for a driver who often embraces the role of the villain. Instead, his voice carried the weight of what’s been a heavy year. Between his father’s illness, a growing family, and an ongoing lawsuit involving 23XI Racing and NASCAR, this win was about more than a trophy. Not only was this Hamlin’s ticket to Phoenix Raceway in the Championship 4 for the first time in the NextGen car, it stripped away his usual bravado. When asked about what made this moment different, he exhaled.  “Yeah, you know, just not doing well, not feeling well,” Hamlin said of his father. “He’s the one that got me into racing, took me to the racetrack when I was five, and made all the sacrifices financially to keep me going. Sold everything they had. We almost lost our house a couple times just trying to keep it all going. I’m glad he was able to see 60. That was super important to me.” Beyond the milestone, it was how it all unfolded. The emotional weight of the final 10 laps, clawing past Larson and Briscoe, hit Hamlin all at once. “I don’t know if I could have scripted it better,” he said. “I just can’t imagine there’s a win bigger for me than this one, just with all the family, the significance of it, now being back on top for most wins in the season, punching the ticket… all of it.” Smoke fills Victory Lane as Denny Hamlin celebrates his 60th career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Photo by Ralph Garcia) Crew chief Chris Gale said the team stayed committed to their plan rather than chasing others’ strategies. “I thought maybe I had the car good enough to be a top two, top three car and do it another way,” he said. “Once he got into third, he realized he had a fast enough car to do it, and he closed it out.” For a driver often cast as one of NASCAR’s most polarizing voices, Sunday evening showed a different side. There were no sharp jabs, no cutting soundbites and no smug one-liners. There was only a veteran holding onto a moment he’s chased his entire career. Gale described Hamlin as completely locked in despite the personal and professional weight surrounding him. “No matter what’s going on, he walks into sim, looks at the screen, and puts the work hat on,” he said. “Not once have I heard any of the outside noise.” Hamlin admitted he doesn’t have a magic answer for why this year might be different. “I can’t sit here and give false promises,” he said. “I’m just going to try as hard as I can. Maybe I get lucky.” There was something quietly different in how he carried himself. The emotional weight seemed to anchor him. For Hamlin, this win was about the people who carried him here. From his father mortgaging everything to keep his childhood dream alive to the Gibbs family betting on a young short-track racer from Virginia, loyalty has always been at the center of his story. “My dad said to J.D. a long time ago, ‘He’s yours now,’” Hamlin said. “J.D. was my road dad, my track dad. When he passed, it became Joe. Father figures are the ones who keep you in the lane of life. I know I do outlandish things and say outlandish things at times, but I always know I have to answer to a higher power. Here on Earth, it’s Joe.” Denny Hamlin etched his name into NASCAR history by earning his 60th career win at Las Vegas. Dedicating the victory to his dad, Dennis, an emotional Hamlin reacts to punching his ticket to the Championship 4 and tying Kevin Harvick for 10th in all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins. That bond and Hamlin’s maturity is why the mask dropped at the checkered flag. It wasn’t just about punching a ticket to the Championship 4, let alone the Championship itself anymore. It was about making both of his fathers, the one at home and the one at the track, proud. “I’ve got two dads,” Hamlin said. “One’s at home and one’s here. Not a lot of drivers have that kind of relationship with their team owner. These guys found me and took a chance. My loyalty to them runs very deep.” In the golden hour of the Las Vegas sunset, the noise softened into something more human. For once, Denny Hamlin wasn’t the villain or the provocateur; he was the son of a family who gave everything so he could chase a dream, the driver who carried those sacrifices to the highest stage. It was a love letter to the people who built him, brick by brick, lap by lap. And as the sun dipped below the desert horizon, what lingered wasn’t the roar of the crowd, but the quiet weight of legacy, loyalty, and love; louder than anything the pylon could ever say.

LAS VEGAS— Aric Almirola outdueled Connor Zillisch and Jesse Love under the lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night, charging back on a late run to win the Focused Health 302, his third victory of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 11: Aric Almirola, driver of the #19 Young Life Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity SeriesFocused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) Driving the No. 19 Young Life Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, Almirola took the lead in the closing laps after a key late-race adjustment and held off Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier to secure the win. The 41-year-old veteran led both Stage 1 and Stage 2 but faced fierce pressure in the final segment. “We were behind on adjustment. The track was changing as the sun went down,” Almirola said. “Thankfully that caution came out at the end, and we threw a pretty big change at it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was what I needed to compete.” Almirola emphasized how meaningful it was to share the victory with his family: “I love celebrating with my team, but it’s just different when my family’s here. At some point this will stop, but these moments with them will last forever.” The 88 and 2 cars, both long-run threats, forced Almirola to battle back after losing ground on older tires. “The 88 has been the class of the field this year,” Almirola said. “To run them down and pass them, that was really awesome.” He also held off the 48 in the early laps of the final run: “My car wasn’t where I needed it those first four or five laps. I was just trying to fend him off to have enough time to catch the 88.” This is Almirola’s 10th career Xfinity win in 132 starts, and his first at Las Vegas. It also positions the No. 19 team to pursue the Owners’ Championship, with Almirola confirmed to run the remaining races. “Justin (Allgaier) has been incredibly gracious,” Almirola explained. “He told me, ‘You’ve earned this. You deserve to finish it out.’ It means a lot to finish this with Coach Gibbs and this team.” Almirola acknowledged the unexpected nature of this late-career run: “There’s no explanation for why this is happening other than God’s hands in it. Nobody had to give me this opportunity, but Coach did. Now I get out of the race car and point people to Jesus Christ and Young Life. I’m having the time of my life.” Looking Ahead The victory locks Almirola and the No. 19 team into strong position for the Owner’s Championship battle at Phoenix Raceway. “We’ve got a two-week head start to work on Phoenix,” Almirola said. “You can’t just bring the same thing back ;everybody else will be better too. But staying in the car helps me stay sharp.”

LAS VEGAS— Round of 8 playoff driver Denny Hamlin will lead the field to green in Sunday’s South Point 400 after earning the Busch Light Pole Award with a lap of 29.213 seconds at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Denny Hamlin celebrates his Busch Light Pole Award after posting a 29.213-second lap at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — earning his 48th career pole and leading a Joe Gibbs Racing front-row sweep for Sunday’s South Point 400. (Photo: Ralph Garcia) Hamlin’s pole marks the 48th of his NASCAR Cup Series career in 718 starts and his first in 28 attempts at Las Vegas. His effort also headlined a dominant qualifying session for Joe Gibbs Racing, which locked out the top three starting positions for Sunday’s playoff race. “I never really consider myself a qualifier. And here, over the last few years, I feel like we’ve kind of revamped that a little bit… 47 is a lot,” Hamlin said. Denny Hamlin drives the No. 11 ampm Toyota Camry during qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photo: Ralph Garcia) “I think this is one of the more finicky race tracks where… no matter when your practice is — either early in the morning or even in the afternoon — it’s just a different race track on Sunday.” Lining up alongside Hamlin on the front row is teammate Chase Briscoe, who earned his 20th top-10 start of the 2025 season and third in 10 races at LVMS. In Row 2, Christopher Bell secured his seventh top-10 start at the track and 16th overall this year. Chase Briscoe pilots the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota during qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, securing a front-row start for Sunday’s South Point 400. (Photo: Ralph Garcia) A total of six playoff drivers qualified inside the top 10, including last year’s South Point 400 winner Joey Logano, who will roll off ninth. The lone Round of 8 driver starting outside the top 10, Ryan Blaney will begin 14th on Sunday.

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Las Vegas, Nevada for the South Point 400.   Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile tri-oval. The track opened in 1971, though NASCAR didn’t start racing there until 1998.  Mark Martin won the inaugural NASCAR Cup race at the track.  Joey Logano won this race last year, and Josh Berry won it earlier this spring.   Tomorrow’s race will be 267 laps long (for a total of 400.5 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 80 – 165 – 267.  Pit road speed is 45 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 55 mph.  The fuel window is between 62-67 laps.   This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 8,301 laps, for 11,364.01 miles so far this season.  No driver has completed every single lap - Tyler Reddick is closest, running 15 laps down.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Las Vegas: Kyle Larson 9.39 over 18 races (3 wins) Joey Logano 9.75 over 24 races (4 wins) Kyle Busch 12.07 over 28 races (1 win) Brad Keselowski 12.58 over 24 races (3 wins) Denny Hamlin 12.78 over 27 races (1 win)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Las Vegas: SVG 31.50 over 2 races Cody Ware 30.38 over 8 races Michael McDowell 28.17 over 23 races Todd Gilliland 27.14 over 7 races Carson Hocevar 26.00 over 4 races   Las Vegas is an Intermediate Track.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediates: Denny Hamlin 11.91 over 348 races (29 wins) Kyle Larson 12.15 over 186 races (18 wins) Chase Elliott 12.35 over 167 races (8 wins) Kyle Busch 12.44 over 364 races (29 wins) Joey Logano 12.58 over 294 races (19 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediates: Ty Dillon 22.37 over 134 races JH Nemechek 22.31 over 53 races SVG 22.24 over 18 races Ryan Preece 21.78 over 100 races Noah Gragson 21.37 over 48 races   Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano are the winningest drivers at Las Vegas, with 4 each.  Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Larson are all next, with 3 wins each.   Drivers who ran their first Cup Series race at Las Vegas: Cole Custer 2018, P25 Kyle Busch 2004, P41   Drivers who WON their first Cup Series race at Las Vegas: Josh Berry 2025   Drivers whose most recent Cup Series Victory was at Las Vegas: Josh Berry 27 races ago, 2025   Notable drivers who have not won at Las Vegas: Chase Elliott (has won at 15 other tracks) Ryan Blaney (has won at 11 other tracks) Christopher Bell (has won at 10 other tracks) Tyler Reddick (has won at 8 other tracks) Ross Chastain (has won at 6 other tracks)   Based on average finish, no drivers list Las Vegas as their BEST or WORST track.   Based on their point pace, let’s have a look at how this season is comparing to last season for drivers:   Drivers Faring Better than in 2024 Chase Briscoe +322 pts JH Nemechek +234 pts Ryan Preece +223 pts Erik Jones +173 pts Zane Smith +119 pts   Drivers Faring Worse than in 2024 Brad Keselowski -200 pts Noah Gragson -199 pts Daniel Suarez -158 pts Ty Gibbs -101 pts Tyler Reddick -79 pts   Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish:   Best Career Year Christopher Bell 11.69 Chase Briscoe 12.38 Ryan Preece 16.44 JH Nemechek 19.88   Worst Career Year Cole Custer 24.19 Carson Hocevar 21.25 Zane Smith 21.00   Rookie of the Year Battle SVG 2,142 (5 wins) Riley Herbst 359   The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position.  (40 for 1 st , 35 for 2 nd , 34 for 3 rd , etc.)  No stage points or playoff points count.   Manufacturer Standings Chevrolet 1,170 Toyota 1,137 Ford 1,076   Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis:   Chartered Team Standings Joe Gibbs 1,107 Hendrick 1,099 Penske 921 RFK 911 Trackhouse 887 23XI 841 Spire 807 Legacy MC 727 Front Row 718 RCR 715 Kaulig 670 Wood Bros 490 Hyak 459 Haas Factory 410 Rick Ware 218   At each stage break, the Top 10 drivers are awarded points based on their finishing positions.  Here are the leaders this year:   Stage Point Leaders Ryan Blaney 282 William Byron 272 Kyle Larson 253 Denny Hamlin 213 Bubba Wallace 192 Tyler Reddick 190 Christopher Bell 178 Chase Elliott 172 Alex Bowman 161 Chase Briscoe 155   Milestone Watch Denny Hamlin Looking for his 60 th  Career Cup Series Win Brad Keselowski Looking for his 160 th  Career Top 5 Ross Chastain Looking for his 70 th  Career Top 10 Bubba Wallace Looking for his 60 th  Career Top 10 Zane Smith Looking for his 10 th  Career Top 10 Michael McDowell Looking for his 50 th  Career Top 10 William Byron Looking for his 120 th  Career Top 10 Cole Custer This will be his 150 th  Career Cup Series Start   Scorigami Update No one scored anything new at the Charlotte Roval   Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks:   Winless Streaks Justin Haley 173 races Cole Custer 129 races Erik Jones 111 races Kyle Busch 89 races Michael McDowell 80 races Daniel Suarez 66 races Brad Keselowski 55 races AJ Allmendinger 52 races Alex Bowman 48 races Chris Buescher 40 races   The race begins Sunday, October 12 th  at 5:30 pm EST (2:30 pm PST) – Enjoy the race everyone!   Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter  @RacingRefresh   Is there an error? Is there a stat missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

Press Release | NASCAR NASCAR, America’s No.1 motorsport, is teaming up with iconic global streetwear brand Anti Social Social Club for the first time to launch a limited release capsule collection. The collaboration champions NASCAR’s and Anti Social Social Club’s bold and distinctive styles, creating a unique crossover between the racetrack and fashion.   Dropping at 8:00 a.m. PT on Saturday, October 11, during the NASCAR Playoff Weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the NASCAR x Anti Social Social Club Collection will be available for purchase online. The release features hoodies, T-shirts, jackets, hats, helmets, and other NASCAR-inspired pieces that channel the electrifying energy of motorsports, while showcasing Anti Social Social Club’s creative identity. In addition, Anti Social Social Club and NASCAR will be showcasing a car with custom-designed livery at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway during race weekend.   “NASCAR and Anti Social Social Club are coming together to create something fresh, bold, and unapologetic. Both streetwear and motorsports thrive on energy, culture, and individuality,” said Megan Malayter, vice president licensing and consumer products at NASCAR. “This drop brings those worlds into the same lane. We’re excited to see fans rock the collection trackside and beyond, repping NASCAR in a way that speaks to today’s style and culture.”   Since its inception in 2014, ASSC became an immediately recognizable pop culture symbol, driven by a passionate community. After an experimental run of 12 hoodies introduced its logo to the world, Anti Social Social Club has subsequently grown into a global business of scale. To shop the collection, visit NASCARShop.com and www.antisocialsocialclub.com .   The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continue with the opening round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday, Oct. 12, at 5:30 p.m. ET, live on USA Network.

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images By Adam Carabine With the Cup Series playoffs in full swing, Power Rankings will now follow only the 16 playoff drivers (even after they’re eliminated) for the rest of this season.     While finishing position is important, it’s not always indicative of the full picture.  StatChat rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs, with an emphasis placed on the most recent 5 races.   Josh Berry – This week: 34 – Last week: 35 – Eliminated Luck was certainly more on Josh Berry’s side this past week at the Charlotte Roval, where he finished P16.  Not necessarily known for his prowess on the lefts and rights, that’s a solid finish for Berry on a road course.   Austin Cindric – This week: 28 – Last week: 22 – Eliminated Coming into the Charlotte Roval, Austin Cindric needed to win to get to the next round.  Unfortunately, pretty much anything bad that could have happened, happened to the driver of the 2 – including at one point a broken toe-link care of Carson Hocevar.   Austin Dillon – This week: 24 – Last week: 28 – Eliminated RCR in general had a rough weekend at the Charlotte Roval.  Dillon’s teammate Kyle Busch was involved in an incident before they’d even made it through a few corners.  Austin was also less-than-fortunate, and finished P31.   Alex Bowman – This week: 19 – Last week: 18 – Eliminated It was neither a great day nor a terrible day for Bowman at the Charlotte Roval.  P18 finish, on the lead lap – not bad.  But a pass differential of -32, second-worst of any driver in the field undoes some of that good will.   Ross Chastain – This week: 15 – Last week: 14 – Eliminated Bonus style points for Chastain, perhaps, but despite crossing the finish line in reverse, he wasn’t able to make it to the next round of the playoffs, and he also wound up falling in the Power Rankings.  He wound up P21 after divebombing the final corner, taking himself and Denny Hamlin out in the process.    Bubba Wallace – This week: 11 – Last week: 9 – Eliminated Wallace may lament what could have been the week prior to the Charlotte Roval, when his team owner and fellow competitor, Denny Hamlin, took him out on the final corner.  That put him nearly into must-win territory for the Roval, a place that hasn’t exactly been kind to him.  A valiant effort gave him a P15 finish, but he is eliminated from the playoffs.   Tyler Reddick – This week: 10 – Last week: 10 – Eliminated When Tyler Reddick won the pole this past weekend (over SVG, no less) at the Charlotte Roval, there was more than just a glimmer of hope for his playoff chances.  Unfortunately, the strategy call to save an extra set of tires never paid off, and while he finished 10 th , it wasn’t enough to move to the next round.   SVG – This week: 9 – Last week: 25 – Eliminated What can be said about this road course beast?  SVG gets it done at the Roval with majorly beat up tires, and makes it look easy.  He’s still eliminated from the playoffs, but he is this week’s biggest mover, jumping back into the Top 10 of the Power Rankings.   Chase Elliott – This week: 8 – Last week: 7 It was a solid enough day for Chase Elliott, and he was never really in any danger of not making it through to the next round.  The Charlotte Roval has been kind to Elliott, and this week, while he finished P8, he also scored points in both stages and had the most Quality Passes of any driver.   William Byron – This week: 7 – Last week: 8 Byron struggled early at the Charlotte Roval this past week, though he had enough of a cushion to not really have to worry too much about his playoff hopes.  He rebounded with some good strategy and some solid tune-ups to his car, finishing P11.   Chase Briscoe – This week: 6 – Last week: 1 Briscoe was reportedly feeling very under the weather in the car at Charlotte, asking for anti-nausea medication during a pit stop.  However, he worked through it and finished in the Top 15, securing his spot in the Round of 8.    Joey Logano – This week: 5 – Last week: 5 Logano spent the entire race at the Charlotte Roval on the edge, not sure whether he was going to transfer into the next round.  In the end, he made it, but just barely.  He didn’t have a strong car most of the day, but luckily a few errors by Ross Chastain helped him make it through.   Denny Hamlin – This week: 4 – Last week: 3 Denny was shaping up to have a halfway decent finish until Ross Chastain came out of nowhere and spun him around at the last corner.  The two of them both slid across the finish line in reverse, and after the race, Denny was choked that his team didn’t warn him about the points situation.  Regardless, he moves onto the next round, and is the highest seeded driver before Vegas next weekend.   Kyle Larson – This week: 3 – Last week: 6 A P2 finish at the Charlotte Roval for Kyle Larson will surely bump him up the Power Rankings standings.  It was an unnecessary P2 for Larson, as he had clinched the next round of the playoffs by scoring points at the end of Stage 1, but he went hard for the win, ultimately falling short of SVG.   Christopher Bell – This week: 2 – Last week: 4 Another solid run for Christopher Bell at the Charlotte Roval, who won at that track two years ago!  He finished P3, scored stage points, and had an average running position of 5 th all day.  Certainly enough to rocket him farther up the standings in the Power Rankings.   Ryan Blaney – This week: 1   – Last week: 2 Blaney was already sitting pretty heading into the Charlotte Roval, having earned his way into the next round with a win at New Hampshire, but he still had a solid day.  He won Stage 2, earning an extra playoff point for good measure, and finished P13.  He, along with everyone else, head to Las Vegas this weekend for the start of the Round of 8.     Biggest Movers   Austin Cindric – This week: 28 – Last week: 22 Falls 6 places   Carson Hocevar – This week: 18 – Last week: 12 Falls 6 places   Brad Keselowski – This week: 17 – Last week: 11 Falls 6 places   SVG – This Week: 9 – Last Weekend: 25 Gains 16 places   Best of the Rest: 12. Chris Buescher LW: 13 +1 13. Ryan Preece LW: 15 +2 14. Michael McDowell LW: 20 +6 16. Ty Gibbs LW: 16 -- 17. Brad Keselowski LW: 11 -6 18. Carson Hocevar LW: 12 -6 20. Todd Gilliland LW: 24 +4 21. Erik Jones LW: 17 -4 22. Zane Smith LW: 23 +1 23. Kyle Busch LW: 19 -4 25. JH Nemechek LW: 21 -5 26. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 29 +3 27. AJ Allmendinger LW: 27 -- 29. Noah Gragson LW: 26 -3 30. Ty Dillon LW: 30 -- 31. Justin Haley LW: 31 -- 32. Riley Herbst LW: 32 -- 33. Cole Custer LW: 33 -- 35. Daniel Suarez LW: 34 -1 36. Cody Ware LW: 36 --

Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu With the Constructors' Championship decided, all attention now turns to the Drivers’ Championship as Formula 1 heads into the final six races of the season. Norris Makes Up Ground While Verstappen Continues Strong Run of Form George Russell capitalized on his second pole position of the season to secure his second win, finishing ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The Dutchman had some strong words for Norris after qualifying, as he was forced to abandon his final lap due to what he believed was dirty air caused by Norris cruising two seconds ahead of him. Verstappen remarked, “So let’s note it. Will be remembered as well.” In the end, he had the last laugh, finishing just under half a second ahead of the British driver. Lando Norris endured a difficult qualifying session, starting 5th and, importantly, two positions behind Oscar Piastri. In the opening corners, he damaged his front wing endplate while battling both Piastri and Verstappen for third place, making contact with each of his Championship rivals. McLaren’s team management did not favor Piastri, as they chose not to issue team orders for the drivers to swap positions, citing that Norris had to avoid Verstappen. Norris later gained an advantage through strategy, undercutting Piastri by pitting one lap earlier on lap 27 with a quick 2.1-second stop. Piastri’s stop the following lap was much slower at 5.1 seconds, costing him valuable time in his pursuit of Norris. This delay ultimately proved decisive, as he crossed the line 2.1 seconds behind his teammate. The late-race battle between Norris and Verstappen for second place reignited with about 10 laps remaining, but the reigning World Champion successfully held off Norris to retain the position. George Russell delivered a superb weekend overall, finishing comfortably ahead of both Verstappen and Norris to take the victory. McLaren Claims Constructors’ Title Once Again After going 26 years without a Constructors’ Championship win, the Papaya team has now claimed back-to-back titles with a dominant season. McLaren has won 12 of 18 races and secured 28 podiums, holding an astounding 325-point lead over Mercedes. Their dominance is so complete that even if you combined the total points of Mercedes and Ferrari, who currently sit second and third in the standings, their total would still fall short of McLaren’s tally. This marks the team’s first set of consecutive Constructors' titles since 1990 and 1991, signaling a triumphant return to the top of Formula 1. It is a remarkable turnaround for McLaren, who endured difficult years following Lewis Hamilton’s departure and their struggles with the Honda engine, failing to finish higher than 5th in the Constructors' standings between 2013 and 2018. Rookie Report Kimi Antonelli built on his strong performance in Baku with another solid result, finishing 5th to secure consecutive top-five finishes. Oliver Bearman returned to the points with a 9th-place finish, while rookie sensation Isack Hadjar missed out on points after experiencing engine troubles. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day George Russell, Mercedes Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: George Russell 2nd: Max Verstappen 3rd: Lando Norris 4th: Oscar Piastri 5th: Kimi Antonelli 6th: Charles Leclerc 7th: Fernando Alonso 8th: Lewis Hamilton 9th: Oliver Bearman 10th: Carlos Sainz Next on the F1 Schedule: United States Grand Prix: October 17th-19th

View of the virtual Chicago Street Course on iRacing - by Chris Graythen/Getty Images Press Release | NASCAR HALL OF FAME iRacing and NASCAR are pleased to announce the return of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series championship to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte on Tuesday, October 7. For the fourth consecutive year, the top four drivers in virtual stock car racing will do battle on stage for a top prize of $100,000, plus the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Cup.   “Returning to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the fourth year of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Championship is a milestone we’re incredibly proud of,” said Ray Smith, Sr. Director of Esports, NASCAR. “This venue not only honors the legends of our sport but also provides the perfect stage to showcase the next chapter of racing’s future. We look forward to creating history once again in this beautiful setting, surrounded by the passion and energy that makes iRacing such a vital part of NASCAR’s story.”   “We couldn’t be more excited to return to the NASCAR Hall of Fame to crown another eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series champion in 2025,” said iRacing executive vice president Steve Myers. “This event gives our drivers something major to strive for every year, and we’re looking forward to another dramatic finish to crown this year’s champion. Thank you as always to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for hosting us!”   “It’s an honor for the NASCAR Hall of Fame to serve again as the presenting sponsor and host venue for the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season finale,” said Winston Kelley, Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “We’re proud to welcome major NASCAR events to the Hall throughout the year, and our iRacing simulators remain one of the most popular interactive experiences at the Hall. This partnership is a natural fit, and the energy of the live championship finale is something I look forward to every year. It truly brings the excitement of racing to life.”   The first live eNASCAR season finale at the NASCAR Hall of Fame took place in 2022, when Casey Kirwan held off Bobby Zalenski in a battle for second place to claim his first series title. Steven Wilson earned the 2023 championship with another second place finish, while defending series champion Parker White became the first driver to win the eNASCAR title on stage while winning the finale last year.   This year’s eNASCAR Championship 4 will be competing on the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. Past eNASCAR champions Wilson and Zack Novak, as well as first-time Championship 4 driver Vicente Salas, earned their spots with wins in playoff races, while Kirwan earned the final spot on points.   As in past years, the live broadcast will be based in Charlotte and stream on eNASCAR.com/live . eNASCAR Countdown to Green will kick off the proceedings at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the green flag will drop at 8 p.m. ET.

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Concord, North Carolina for the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course.   The Charlotte Roval is a 2.32-mile-long road course that uses parts of the oval and the infield.  The Roval was first run by NASCAR in 2019 – Ryan Blaney won the inaugural event. Kyle Larson won this race last season.   Tomorrow’s race will be 109 laps long (for a total of 252.88 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 25 – 50 – 109.  Pit road speed is 40 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 45 mph. The fuel window is approximately 35-40 laps.   This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 8,192 laps, for 11,111.13 miles so far this season.  No driver has completed every single lap - Tyler Reddick is closest, running 15 laps down.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Charlotte Roval: SVG 7.00 over 1 race Chase Elliott 7.71 over 7 races (2 wins) Tyler Reddick 7.80 over 5 races Joey Logano 8.57 over 7 races Christopher Bell 10.00 over 5 races (1 win)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Charlotte Roval: Cody Ware 36.00 over 1 race JH Nemechek 35.00 over 2 races Daniel Suarez 27.43 over 7 races Noah Gragson 27.00 over 2 races Zane Smith 24.50 over 2 races   Charlotte Roval is a Road Course   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Road Courses: SVG 6.79 over 11 races (5 wins) Chase Elliott 7.71 over 40 races (7 wins) Tyler Reddick 11.12 over 31 races (3 wins) Chris Buescher 12.61 over 42 races (1 win) Christopher Bell 12.99 over 31 races (3 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Road Courses: Noah Gragson 24.39 over 14 races Austin Dillon 24.23 over 44 races JH Nemechek 23.75 over 12 races Ryan Preece 23.70 over 28 races Justin Haley 22.57 over 29 races Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are the winningest drivers at the Charlotte Roval, with two victories each. AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell have all won it once. Drivers whose most recent Cup Series Victory was at Charlotte Roval: AJ Allmendinger 51 races ago, 2023   Notable drivers who have not won at Charlotte Roval: Kyle Busch (has won at 24 other tracks) Denny Hamlin (has won at 20 other tracks) Joey Logano (has won at 19 other tracks) Brad Keselowski (has won at 17 other tracks) William Byron (has won at 11 other tracks)   Based on average finish, no drivers list the Charlotte Roval as their BEST track, but Cody Ware lists it as his WORST.   Based on their point pace, let’s have a look at how this season is comparing to last season for drivers:   Drivers Faring Better than in 2024 Chase Briscoe +325 pts JH Nemechek +243 pts Ryan Preece +214 pts Erik Jones +187 pts Zane Smith +121 pts   Drivers Faring Worse than in 2024 Noah Gragson -195 pts Brad Keselowski -179 pts Daniel Suarez -176 pts Ty Gibbs -115 pts Tyler Reddick -89 pts   Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish:   Best Career Year Christopher Bell 11.97 Chase Briscoe 12.32 Ryan Preece 16.77 JH Nemechek 19.68   Worst Career Year Cole Custer 24.26 Carson Hocevar 21.00 Zane Smith 20.90   Rookie of the Year Battle SVG 2,086 (4 wins) Riley Herbst 358   The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position.  (40 for 1 st , 35 for 2 nd , 34 for 3 rd , etc.)  No stage points or playoff points count.   Manufacturer Standings Chevrolet 1,130 Toyota 1,103 Ford 1,043   Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis:   Chartered Team Standings Joe Gibbs 1,073 Hendrick 1,064 Penske 897 RFK 878 Trackhouse 847 23XI 814 Spire 775 Legacy MC 716 RCR 710 Front Row 698 Kaulig 642 Wood Bros 469 Hyak 441 Haas Factory 395 Rick Ware 215   At each stage break, the Top 10 drivers are awarded points based on their finishing positions.  Here are the leaders this year:   Stage Point Leaders Ryan Blaney 272 William Byron 270 Kyle Larson 238 Denny Hamlin 213 Bubba Wallace 192 Tyler Reddick 181 Christopher Bell 167 Chase Elliott 161 Alex Bowman 161 Chase Briscoe 151   Milestone Watch Denny Hamlin Looking for his 60 th  Career Cup Series Win Chris Buescher Looking for his 30 th  Career Top 5 Brad Keselowski Looking for his 160 th  Career Top 5 Zane Smith Looking for his 10 th  Career Top 10 Bubba Wallace Looking for his 60 th  Career Top 10 Ross Chastain Looking for his 70 th  Career Top 10 Tyler Reddick Looking for his 90 th  Career Top 10 William Byron Looking for his 120 th  Career Top 10   Scorigami Update Kansas was the first time that: Josh Berry finished 33 rd     Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks:   Winless Streaks Justin Haley 172 races Cole Custer 128 races Erik Jones 110 races Kyle Busch 88 races Michael McDowell 79 races Daniel Suarez 65 races Brad Keselowski 54 races AJ Allmendinger 51 races Alex Bowman 47 races Chris Buescher 39 races   The race begins Sunday, October 5 th  at 3:00 pm EST (12:00 pm PST) – Enjoy the race everyone!   Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter  @RacingRefresh   Is there an error? Is there a stat missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!