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By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday!  This weekend NASCAR travels to Long Pond, Pennsylvania, for “The Great American Getaway 400” at Pocono Raceway. Also known as “The Tricky Triangle,” Pocono is a 2.5-mile triangle-shaped track, with each of its three turns modeled after other famous race tracks.  It opened in 1968, with the Cup Series making their way there six years later.  Richard Petty won the inaugural NASCAR race there in 1974. Tomorrow’s race will be 160 laps long (for a total of 400 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 30 – 95 – 160.  Pit road speed is 55 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 70 mph. The NASCAR Cup Series has run 5,497 laps, for 6,838.91 miles so far this season.  No driver has completed 100% of them, but Chase Elliott is just one lap short.  Martin Truex Jr. is 5 laps short. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Pocono: Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Pocono: For the purposes of this article, despite Pocono being a completely unique track, we’re lumping it in with the Intermediate tracks. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediate Tracks: Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediate Tracks: Denny Hamlin is the winningest driver at Pocono, having won 7 races there.  He’s followed by Jeff Gordon with 6, and Bill Elliott with 5. Notable drivers who have not won at Pocono: Three drivers earned their first ever Cup Series win at Pocono – Denny Hamlin in his 21st start, Chris Buescher in his 27th start, and Ryan Blaney in his 68th start. Based on average finish, no drivers list Pocono as their BEST track or 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 2023 Drivers Faring Worse than in 2023 While some drivers may be doing better this year than they did in 2023, how does this year stack up against their entire career?  This statistic does not include rookies, as this is their first full year in the Cup Series. Drivers Having their BEST Career Year Drivers Having their WORST Career Year Here is the current battle for Rookie of the Year: The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position.  (40 for 1st, 35 for 2nd, 34 for 3rd, etc.)  No stage points or playoff points count. Manufacturer Standings Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis: Chartered Team Standings 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 Milestone Watch Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks: Winless Streaks The race begins Sunday, July 14th at 2:30 pm EST (11:30 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!

NHRA RACER Based on Pro Stock Motorcycle performance data, the NHRA Technical Department has made the following parity changes. These rule changes will go into effect immediately. NHRA reserves the right in the future to make additional rule changes to control performance and maintain parity in the category.   S and S (must be NHRA-accepted) Gen 1 (up to 160 cid; 60-degree angle, 2-valve, pushrod)- 625 615 pounds (Photo Credit: Twitter.com/NHRApsm )

Press Release | FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 10, 2024) – Securing its second driver for 2025, Front Row Motorsports (FRM) has signed Noah Gragson to a multi-year agreement to drive in the NASCAR Cup Series. The announcement was made today at NASCAR Studios in Concord, N.C.   The Las Vegas, Nevada native rose to fame in NASCAR after winning twice in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and 13 times in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He finished second in the Xfinity Series championship in 2022.   Gragson, 25, is currently in his second season in the NASCAR Cup Series and has 59 starts in the premier division. He has seven top-10 and two top-five finishes, most coming this season once joining Stewart-Haas Racing and Ford Performance.   FRM believes Gragson’s recent performances are only signs to come.   “We feel that this is a great opportunity and the perfect time to bring Noah to our organization,” said Bob Jenkins, Owner, Front Row Motorsports. “He has just the right amount of experience in the NASCAR Cup Series to breakout and become a winner for years to come. This season, Noah has started to get the finishes, and race consistently up front, which was expected from him.   “Joining our team, staying with Ford Performance, and welcoming him to our partners, we are only going to accelerate his opportunity to win races and compete in the playoffs. This is the driver that we want to help get us more wins.” Gragson is happy to announce his future today with FRM.   “I think a lot of people have seen the growth of Front Row Motorsports over the past several seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Gragson. “This team, with Ford Performance, has shown it is capable of winning and wants to win more. Meeting Bob (Jenkins) and Jerry (Freeze), there is a determination and plan to continue to grow and compete against the absolute best. There is a strong commitment on their part, and I am ready to give it my best next season.   “Until that time, I want to say that I’m staying focused on the task at hand at Stewart-Haas Racing to finish the season with intentions of racing for wins with them.”   FRM will announce a crew chief, the car number, and partners for Gragson later this season.   Gragson joins Todd Gilliland in the FRM NASCAR Cup Series stable for next season. FRM will announce its third and final NASCAR Cup Series driver for 2025 and beyond at a later time. (Photo Credit: Twitter.com/NoahGragson )

Press Release | NHRA INDIANAPOLIS (July 10, 2024) – Featuring three races celebrating a 25th anniversary in 2025 and culminating with the 60th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, NHRA officials announced today the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule. As previously released, the 2025 campaign will open at legendary Gainesville Raceway for the third straight year, as the 56th annual Gatornationals kick off the NHRA’s 74th year of racing on March 6-9. The NHRA will commemorate 25 years of racing during both events at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, as well as the 65th anniversary of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, the 40th anniversary at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix, Texas Motorplex in Dallas and Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., and the 15th anniversary of four-wide racing at state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. In all, the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule currently includes 20 races at standout facilities across the country. Minus the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals on Aug. 27-Sept. 1 in Indy, which will feature five qualifying sessions, and the Virginia NHRA Nationals, which will again have three qualifying sessions on Saturday as part of a two-day event, every other race will include four overall qualifying sessions, with two on Friday and two on Saturday. “It has been a terrific 2024 season and we’re thrilled to continue to build off that momentum and excitement and reveal our dates for the upcoming 2025 season,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “We visit so many incredible facilities and we’re so thankful for the amazing fan support we receive at these tracks across the country. It takes great teamwork to put together our national event schedule and we appreciate all the race teams, track partners and sponsors that play a huge role in this process. We’ve enjoyed a lot of special moments this year and we look forward to continuing that this year and into our 2025 season as well.” Following the NHRA Gatornationals to start the season, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads west for a trio of events, starting with the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park on March 21-23 and continuing the next weekend with the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals on March 27-30 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip., From there, the two four-wide races will take place, including the 25th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on April 11-13 and then the 15th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals on April 25-27 in Charlotte. NHRA race fans can then celebrate 25 years of NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series racing at Route 66 Raceway, as the 25th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance takes place on May 16-18 at the spectacular facility in Chicago. Back-to-back races again take place to open June, beginning with the 12th annual New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H. on May 30-June 1, and then the fan-favorite 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at picturesque Bristol Dragway on June 6-8. After a successful return to Virginia Motorsports Park in 2024, the NHRA will be back to the standout track in 2025 with the fifth annual Virginia NHRA Nationals running on June 20-22. Like the 2024 race, it will be a two-day event on the professional side, with three rounds of qualifying taking place on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday. That leads directly into the popular 19th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 26-29 at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. In July, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads to Seattle for the 36th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways on July 18-20, followed by the 37th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at scenic Sonoma Raceway on July 25-27. The penultimate race of the regular season falls in its traditional spot at Brainerd International Raceway, as the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals take place Aug. 14-17, offering one of the most unique fan experiences on the NHRA tour. That sets up the world’s biggest drag race, as the prestigious 71st annual NHRA U.S. Nationals takes place Aug. 27-Sept. 1 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The Big Go represents the pinnacle of drag racing, as racers aim to win a Wally on drag racing’s grandest stage. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Countdown to the Championship playoffs begin with three straight race weekends. With another huge crowd expected, the Countdown to the Championship opens with the 40th annual NHRA Nationals on Sept. 11-14 from Maple Grove Raceway, moving to zMAX Dragway for the 17th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sept. 19-21. The string of three straight races concludes with an annual stop at popular World Wide Technology Raceway for the 14th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals on Sept. 26-28. Returning to Texas Motorplex for the 40th year, the NHRA will celebrate four decades of racing in Dallas with the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, as the main event of the track’s Stampede of Speed takes place on Oct. 9-12. The Countdown to the Championship finishes up with races in Las Vegas and Pomona, as the 25th annual NHRA Nevada Nationals happens on Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Champions will then be crowned in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle to celebrate six decades of NHRA Finals action on Nov. 13-16 with the 60th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. All races during the 2025 NHRA season will be aired exclusively on FOX Sports, with select events on the FOX broadcast network. For more info on NHRA, please visit NHRA.com. 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Season Schedule March 6-9: 56th annual NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla. March 21-23: 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, Firebird Motorsports Park, Phoenix March 27-30: 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, Pomona, Calif. April 11-13: 25th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas April 25-27: 15th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte May 16-18: 25th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance, Route 66 Raceway, Chicago May 30-June 1: 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals, New England Dragway, Epping, N.H. June 6-8: 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn. June 20-22: 5th annual Virginia NHRA Nationals, Virginia Motorsports Park, Richmond, Va. This will be a two-day pro event with three qualifying sessions on Saturday. June 26-29: 19th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio July 18-20: 36th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals, Pacific Raceways, Seattle July 25-27: 37th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif. Aug. 14-17: 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn. Aug. 27-Sept. 1: 71st annual NHRA U.S. Nationals, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP Sept. 11-14: 40th annual NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa. Sept. 19-21: 17th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte Sept. 26-28: 14th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis Oct. 9-12: 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, Texas Motorplex, Dallas Oct. 30-Nov. 2: 25th annual NHRA Nevada Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Nov. 13-16: 60th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, Pomona, Calif. For more ticket information, please visit www.nhra.com (Photo Courtesy NHRA)

By Adam Carabine After a brief hiatus, the Power Rankings are back.  We took some time to reconfigure the way the rankings are tabulated, with a heavier focus on the most recent 5 races .    We've ranked all 34 full-time drivers in the Cup Series (there are 36 charters, but the Rick Ware 15 and Kaulig 16 have rotating drivers, so they're excluded). Rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs.   Austin Dillon – This week: 34th – Last week: -- His best finish in the last five races was 19th, both at Chicago and Sonoma.  I wouldn’t call him a road course ringer, but his other finishes were worse than 30th.   Zane Smith – This week: 33rd – Last week: -- Things have been getting better for Zane Smith over the last little while, but it will take a while to dig out of the hole he dug in the first half of the season.  P2 at Nashville the week before last is a great place to turn things around.   Harrison Burton – This week: 32nd – Last week: -- This week he learned that he’d be out of the 21 car next season, but I can’t say I’m surprised. This is Burton’s third year in Cup, and it’s also statistically his worst.  He’s in danger of being relegated to Xfinity if he doesn’t turn it around in this second half of the season.   John Hunter Nemechek – This week: 31st – Last week: -- This week’s P35 at Chicago was not indicative of how well he ran on the street course, but let’s not pretend it hasn’t been a disappointing year for the young driver of the 42.  His best finish on the year was all the way back at COTA, and Legacy hasn’t looked like they’re gaining much ground.   Chase Briscoe – This week: 30th – Last week: -- Since the official announcement that Briscoe would be taking over the 19 in 2025, he’s finished 21st and 32nd.  Not great, but I suppose the pressure is off.  Yes, Briscoe is low in the Power Rankings after a rough couple of weeks, but he’s actually having his best statistical Cup Series season this year at Stewart Haas Racing.   Erik Jones – This week: 29th – Last week: -- For a minute there it looked like Jones was finding his form again after a broken back, but it hasn’t been sustained.  Three of his last five finishes have been outside of the Top 25.   Austin Cindric – This week: 28th – Last week: -- So his win came 6 races ago, and since then his average finish has been around 20th.  The win is huge, and he’ll happily take a spot in the playoffs as a result, but he hasn’t been super impressive.   Corey LaJoie – This week: 27th – Last week: -- I feel like I’ve seen a record number of LaJoie spins in the last few weeks.  He might be the new Wrecky Spinhouse, though I’ve yet to come up with a good nickname for him.    Kyle Busch – This week: 26th – Last week: -- His 4 DNFs this season are tied for 4th amongst the Cup Series drivers.  You can tell he’s frustrated. But might a P9 at Chicago be a stepping stone to right the ship?    Daniel Hemric – This week: 25th – Last week: -- Hemric is actually on the rise recently, though whether we chalk that up to him or Kaulig finding some footing is hard to tell just yet.  His last two races were inside the Top 15, so that should be celebrated.   Carson Hocevar – This week: 24th – Last week: -- Considering that Hocevar is right now the points leader of his two teammates, (and that he’s still 183 points out of a playoff spot), it’s been a sorry season for Spire Motorsports, at least in the Cup Series.  Hocevar seems to be able to outperform his equipment though.   Michael McDowell – This week: 23rd – Last week: -- It’s actually been a pretty productive 5 race stretch for McDowell.  A few pitfalls along the way, but there’s also a P2 and a P5 in there.  He’s probably unable to point his way into the playoffs, so a win will have to do it, and they seemed to think Chicago was their best chance.  We’ll see!   Bubba Wallace – This week: 22nd – Last week: -- It’s feast or famine for Bubba Wallace this year.  He’s got a respectable 6 Top 10s, but also 5 finishes outside the Top 25.  Road Courses haven’t been his forte, but he pulled out a P13 despite being dumped by Alex Bowman early on in Chicago.   Ryan Preece – This week: 21st – Last week: -- Preece has been largely invisible this season, though he’s strangely having his best career year by average finish.  The potential momentum from his P4 in Nashville was unfortunately wiped out by a P34 in Chicago.   Daniel Suarez – This week: 20th – Last week: -- His average finish in the past five races is 3 spots better than his entire season average.  Does this mean he’s trending in the right direction? Possibly.    Noah Gragson – This week: 19th – Last week: -- Gragson was on an impressive run for a bit there, mid-regular season, but things have plateaued.  His P14 at the Chicago Street Course was decent, but he’ll need to find another gear soon, especially as he searches for a ride for next year.   Josh Berry – This week: 18th – Last week: -- Speaking of next year’s rides, it was announced that Berry is landing at Wood Bros. in 2025 after the closure of SHR.  It’s clear that Berry excels on the shorter tracks, but he’ll want to branch out into the other disciplines of Cup Series racing.   Justin Haley – This week: 17th – Last week: -- Haley isn’t going anywhere next year, or so he says, despite vastly outperforming his equipment in recent weeks.  He’s only had one finish outside of the Top 16 in the last five races.   Denny Hamlin – This week: 16th – Last week: -- His three wins have him locked into the playoffs again, but these past five races have been rough.  After his engine blew on Lap 2 at Sonoma, he only has one finish inside the Top 15.    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – This week: 15th – Last week: -- On the flipside, Stenhouse has had a great five week stretch here, with three Top 10s.  Iowa was good to him, and maybe he’s got a knack for racing in the rain after good finishes at both New Hampshire and Chicago Street.   Alex Bowman – This week: 14th – Last week: -- After winning in Chicago, Bowman felt the need to address his haters.  It’s got to be tough being guy number four at Hendrick Motorsports.  He’s got the 5th best average finish this year (still worst of the Hendrick crew).  He’s having a career year (so is Chase Elliott).  This win should quiet them for a while.   Ty Gibbs – This week: 13th – Last week: -- It’s weird to say that after a P3 in Chicago, Ty Gibbs has been underperforming in these last five races.  An early issue in Sonoma knocked him out of the race, and he’s struggled to find his way since then.  Chicago was a good turning point for the 54 team, and unless there are some wild winners, he should make the playoffs.   William Byron – This week: 12th – Last week: -- There’ve been a few hiccups this season for Byron and his team, but his three wins are quick to wash away any doubts.  P2 at Iowa, P8 at Chicago, he’s looking really good if you ignore some of his other results in between.   Joey Logano – This week: 11th – Last week: -- It’s been a weirdly inconsistent season for Logano this year.  He’s finally gotten his win to lock himself into the post-season, but without that he’d really only be 8 points above the playoff line.  Yes he won in Nashville running on fumes, but 32nd at New Hampshire and 23rd in Chicago have him just outside the Top 10 in the Power Rankings.   Brad Keselowski – This week: 10th – Last week: -- Speaking of other rough stretches, Brad Keselowski has had a rough go these last five races.  He’s got his win to lock him into the playoffs too, and he hasn’t had as many struggles as Logano, so he could likely have pointed his way in, but he’ll want to up his consistency in the coming weeks to prep for the post-season.   Ross Chastain – This week: 9th  – Last week: -- Whether it’s a Trackhouse issue or a Chastain issue, the results haven’t quite been there this year for the Melon Man.  He’s still winless on the season, and only has two Top 5s to his name just yet, but his average finish is still under 15.  He’s likely to make the playoffs on points assuming no outside winners.    Todd Gilliland – This week: 8th – Last week: -- Does he belong in the Top 10?  Maybe not forever, but his past five races have been stellar.  His worst finish was Nashville where he was P17.  He found his way into the Top 10 of the Power Rankings with a P7 in Chicago.  He’s not going to make the playoffs, but he’s justifying that contract extension with FRM, that’s for sure.   Martin Truex Jr. – This week: 7th – Last week: -- Only two Top 15s in the last five races?  Not great.  If his luck were any worse, he’d be dead.  There have been quite a few mishaps with the 19 team this season. Despite Truex routinely running near the front, the results haven’t always mirrored that.    Chris Buescher – This week: 6th – Last week: -- He’s currently sitting on the playoff line.  He’s in by 45 points, but any outer winners and he’ll be in trouble.  He’s likely not happy to not be able to build on his three wins in 2023, but his results have been solid.  He’s had three Top 5s in the last 5 races.   Chase Elliott – This week: 5th – Last week: -- Chase is currently rocking the best average finish in the Cup Series, and has his path to the playoffs cemented by a win earlier this year at Texas.  Two P18s and a P21 in the last five aren’t great, but he’ll be fine.   Tyler Reddick – This week: 4th – Last week: -- Reddick’s been a force lately.  While he hasn’t won since Talladega this year, he’s consistently been in the conversation.  Four of his last five finishes have been Top 10s, including a P2 from Chicago this week.   Kyle Larson – This week: 3rd – Last week: -- Larson has really run the gamut these past five weeks.  He’s got his win at Sonoma (which was his third this season), and he’s also got a P34 and P39.  Larson seems to be gifted at making big mistakes in key moments (as the Turn 6 tire barrier shivers in fear), but when he’s on, he’s a threat.  Every. Time.    Christopher Bell – This week: 2nd – Last week: -- Somehow despite two bad finishes in a row, (36th and 37th) in the last two races, he’s still number 2 in the Power Rankings.  The previous three races were all in the Top 10, including his third win of the season in New Hampshire.   Ryan Blaney – This week: 1st – Last week: -- Blaney got off the schneid in front of his entire extended family in Iowa, and has been a consistent front-runner week in and week out.  If you remove his P25 in New Hampshire, the rest of this five-race stretch is filled with Top 10s.  Can he hold onto the crown though?

By Adam Carabine Biggest Curveball The stage was set, the streets were closed down, and Chicago showed a lot of promise for the second ever Grant Park 165.  The Xfinity race went off without a hitch, the pre-race fun/music festival was graced with beautifully sunny skies. The invocation, the anthem, even a special singing of God Bless America, it was all going so well.   Enter Mother Nature.  Lightning strikes, rain, and confusion.  What was looking to be a fresh start after last year’s weather-bogged event was suddenly looking scarily familiar.   But NASCAR did some things right here.  Yes, it’s easy to be critical of their decision making after the fact, but they’re doing the best they can with what they’ve got.   Some wins:   They let teams decide if they want to put rain tires on, or keep the slicks on.   Teams were given a test lap on their tires to decide if they wanted to switch. After all of that, teams were pretty much left on their own as far as tire decisions go. The new ‘end time’ procedure was implemented pretty early so fans/drivers/teams knew what to expect  (more on that below). When it was clear that the track was too wet to race on, they paused for safety.   There’s a lot to unpack there, but my favourite part of it all was NASCAR allowing the teams to make their own decisions.  Earlier this season at the New Hampshire race, NASCAR implemented a fairly successful rollout of the wet-weather tire - allowing the race to finish much sooner than if they’d had to wait for the track to be completely dry. And while most reviews from that race were positive, some of the criticisms that came out revolved around NASCAR meddling in the implementation of the tires, essentially taking out any strategy.   This time around, the decision was left in the hands of some very capable people, and what made the race even more exciting was the way different teams tried different things.   I understand that NASCAR had never really experienced a true damp-conditions race on an oval until New Hampshire, and every situation is a learning experience, but some fun was lost that day.  Luckily it turned around at Chicago this week. Best High Road Lap 25, Bubba Wallace is running P9.  In just the first green flag lap of Stage Two, Alex Bowman takes Turn 2 a little wider than he should have, tags Wallace’s rear bumper, and the 23 is around.   Bowman makes it through fairly unscathed, and Wallace is staring at the wall with a now-damaged car.   Fast forward to the end of the race.  Bowman wins, and in the cooldown laps, Bubba comes and gives him a big shove.  Definitely unnecessary, and not really very good sportsmanship. Bowman’s first words in his post-race interview: “First off, I have to apologize again to the 23 guys, I just messed up trying to get my windshield wiper on, missed a corner and ruined their day.  I hate that, I’m still embarrassed about it.”    He even went farther with this, later lobbying NASCAR not to give any sort of penalty to the driver of the 23, saying: “He barely hit me, everything was fine and it was plenty deserved.” It would have been easy for Alex Bowman to be pissed.  He just got the monkey off his back by breaking his 80-race winless streak, and along comes an angry Bubba Wallace to ruin his fun.  But he took it in stride, and he was better for it.   It remains to be seen whether NASCAR takes any guidance from Bowman in this scenario - penalties will probably not be officially given out until midweek, but one thing is for certain:  Bowman took the high road. Worst Paint Scheme While I appreciate the idea of a local sports team sponsoring a car in that market’s race, I think this week’s worst paint job goes to McDowell and his Chicago White Sox 34 Ford.   Though through a rough day he managed to salvage a Top 5, so who am I to judge? Best Stats Ty Gibbs continues to impress in his sophomore season, and the Chicago Street Course was no exception.  Gibbs had the best average running position of any driver (he averaged 4th place all day), and led a field-high 17 laps.  I know he’s still hunting that elusive first Cup Series win, but his +84 to the playoff cutline is looking pretty unshakeable. Chris Buescher didn’t factor into much of the TV broadcast today, but upon looking at the underlying stats, Buescher was the most efficient passer on the day.  His pass differential led the field with a +28.   Winner Alex Bowman might not have had the fastest car on the track, but was the recipient of some good strategy calls.  However, NASCAR does also measure how many times you had the fastest lap of the field, and Bowman led all drivers with 7 fast laps.   Today’s biggest loser goes to Kyle Larson.  He didn’t finish last (that honour went to SVG), but 39th isn’t great when you start from the pole.  On the flipside, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. started in 33rd, and managed to finish 6th.   Best Outsider? Speaking of SVG, our own Peyton Lohr (also known as Producer Peggy from our weekly podcast show - Racing Refresh Happy Hour) had us wondering whether he might be the next big thing.  She detailed a few other ‘outsiders’ who have had success in NASCAR. SVG’s last-placed finish in the Cup race was not by his own doing (no Christmas card for Chase Briscoe this year, I’m thinking), so the bad result shouldn’t dampen his spirits.  It’s clear that NASCAR’s Thunder from Down Under is a highly skilled road course racer, and has room to become more of a threat on ovals in the Xfinity series.   Whether he continues to rise up among the other great NASCAR “outsiders” remains to be seen, but it sure will be fun to watch along the way. Most Interesting Clock (and no it’s not Martinsville’s trophy) I’m no NASCAR historian, but I don’t remember ever seeing a countdown clock to end a Cup Series race.  And to be honest, I actually didn’t hate it. I wonder about that as an alternative to NASCAR’s current overtime rules.  Just last week we saw an abuse of overtime, with a record 5 overtime attempts before finally declaring Joey Logano the winner in Nashville.  The race wound up running 41 extra miles, and by most accounts was a fairly embarrassing end to a fun race. What if we moved to a countdown clock overtime?  Let’s just run through how that would look.   A late caution comes out and it’s clear we won’t be able to go back green before the scheduled end of the race.  This triggers NASCAR Overtime.  As soon as the leader crosses the finish line for the scheduled number of laps, you get a 10 minute overtime session.  The clock starts at 10 minutes and starts counting down.  We clean up whatever reason brought out the caution, we open pit road, we get lined up, we do the choose cone, etc.  Everything goes as before, but when it goes back green, we use the same rules they used at Chicago this weekend. The clock getting to zero triggers an instant Green-White-Checkered, and that’s it.  Whether that happens under green flag conditions or under caution - doesn’t matter.  That’s the end of the race. The more I think about it, the more I like it.  I’m open to suggestions, but I think that’s better than 5 calamitous restarts that could wind up killing all the momentum of a great race.  Most Premature Tweet

Press Release | NIECE MOTORSPORTS Salisbury, NC (July 9, 2024) – NTT INDYCAR SERIES veteran Conor Daly eyes a return to NASCAR as he rejoins Niece Motorsports for a limited schedule in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He will drive the team’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST entry in three events this season.   Daly, a native Hoosier from Noblesville, IN, will attempt to make his first start at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday, July 19. Having made several starts at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Daly has only competed once on the short track on the other side of town – a race that he won in what it now called the Indy Pro 2000 Series, in 2010.   The 32-year-old has competed in some of the world’s most prestigious racing events, including the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, and 24 Hours of Daytona, but considers competing in stock cars as one of the most fun disciplines in his diverse career. His NCTS campaign will also see stops at Kansas Speedway on September 27 and Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26.   “I couldn’t be more excited to get back into a truck with Niece Motorsports!” said Daly. “Al Niece and Cody Efaw have always been great to me and supportive of my Indy 500 efforts as well over the years as we’ve got to know each other. We’ve been working on putting a program together for a while and I’m happy we could finally work out the details to go racing together once again. I have a lot to learn but I want to compete and I know these guys will give me a great chance at that. I am extremely thankful to have some great partners in Power Plus to make this happen. Everyone from Power Plus have been super willing to help out when I need it most and I love representing for them.”   Power Plus will serve as Daly’s primary sponsor for his first Truck Series start this season. The company is a nationwide provider of specialty electrical and power related services including Generator Service, Maintenance & Installation, Temporary Power, Designed Video Surveillance and Generator Rental/Disaster Response services. Additional partnership announcements for Daly’s NASCAR efforts will be made at a later date.   “Power Plus is thrilled to be partnering once again with Conor Daly and this time in the NASCAR Truck Series,” said Steve Bray, Founder & CEO of Power Plus. “One of the things we love about Conor is his enthusiasm, tenacity and passion for winning…both on and off the track.  Whether it was in the P1 Boat races, in the dirt racing side by sides, or at the Indy 500, Conor exemplifies what it means to be a fierce competitor. We appreciate Conor’s perseverance and humility and we are proud to be associated with his winning attitude and his man-of-the-people persona.”   This won’t be the first time that this driver/team pairing has worked together, as Daly has made a total of three prior starts with Niece Motorsports since making his series debut in 2020. It will, however, be the first time in his career that he will make multiple Truck Series starts in the same year.   “Conor has been great to work with every time he’s stepped into one of our trucks,” said Cody Efaw, Niece Motorsports General Manager. “It’s been fun to see his interest in NASCAR grow since he made that first start with our team in Las Vegas a few years ago. Now that we have him secured for multiple races this year, I think that will give him a chance to go out there and learn each week to get better for his upcoming starts.”   Despite having limited experience, Daly has been apt to increase his presence in various NASCAR series. Recently, he made his ARCA Menards Series debut at Mid-Ohio, where he finished ninth. He has made scattered starts across the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Truck Series over the past handful of years. All three of his NCTS starts came in Niece Motorsports fielded trucks.   In this year’s running of the Indianapolis 500, Daly ran up front and nabbed his fourth top-10 finish of the race, leading 22 laps en route to a 10th-place showing for Dryer & Reinbold Racing. At the time of this news, that remains his lone INDYCAR start of the season.   Indianapolis, Kansas, and Homestead-Miami will be the first races where Niece Motorsports enters the No. 44 Silverado RST. The team primarily fields the No. 41, 42, and 45 entries on a full-time basis in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Daly will be paired with veteran crew chief, Wally Rogers.   When he’s not behind the wheel, Daly co-hosts a weekly podcast for Dirty Mo Media labeled Speed Street , which dives into stories from the INDYCAR paddock. Speed Street  is available for streaming on all major podcasting platforms. Be sure to follow Conor on social media for a behind-the-scenes look into his career on and off the racetrack.   The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series heads to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday, July 19 for the running of the TSport 200. Live coverage of the race will be broadcasted on FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 8:30 PM ET. Visit niecemotorsports.com for the latest news and team updates. (Photo Credit: niecemotorsports.com )

Press Release | JOHN FORCE RACING RICHMOND, Va.  (July 9, 2024) – After spending 15 days in varying levels of intensive care at VCU Medical Center, drag racing champion John Force was released Tuesday in time to board an AirMed ambulance for a three-hour flight to a neurological rehab center at which treatment for the Traumatic Brain Injury he suffered in a June 23 crash will continue. The 16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion’s departure from the facility to which he was airlifted after crashing at more than 300 miles per hour was considered by family members to be a major step forward in the recovery process. However, medical staff cautioned that the road ahead still is a difficult one.  Force is dealing with cognitive and behavioral symptoms from the TBI and, while he has been able to converse with family and staff, enjoy the company of grandsons Jacob and Noah Hood and celebrate a Monday birthday with daughter Brittany, he still is prone to periods of confusion. Family members said that no timetable had been established for the length of Force’s stay at the new facility which was selected because of its success in treating other race car drivers with similar issues. (Photo Credit: Instagram.com/brittanyforce )

Press Release | YOUNG´S MOTORSPORTS MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 9, 2024) — Thad Moffitt will have a fresh start to the remainder of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season, beginning immediately. The rookie driver will race for Young’s Motorsports in a No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado this weekend at the Pocono Raceway and throughout the remainder of the season.   Moffitt has amicably split with Lane Moore, owner of Faction46.   Moffitt will retain his familiar No. 46 livery with Young’s Motorsports and is looking forward to the remainder of the season.  “This is the reset that I need,” said Moffitt. “I have raced for Tyler and Young’s Motorsports in the past and we have a great relationship. He has made this transition easy for us, and he has the team and equipment for us to go to Pocono and immediately have a great race. This was a quick move for everyone, but I feel good about it.” Moffitt will also continue his strong marketing program and partnerships with Clean Harbors, Safety-Kleen, Customers Bank, Pristine Auction, Joe Jurgielewicz and Son - America’s Tastiest Duck, Induction Innovations, LEER, Window World and more.   “Our partners are the true people powering my racing,” continued Moffitt. “We have a responsibility to them to have the best program possible and we needed a change to make that happen. We are going to continue to work with all our partners for the remainder of this year and continue to grow with them next year.”   Moffitt and Young’s Motorsports will debut this Friday night at the Pocono Raceway. Moffitt will have Joe Jurgielewicz and Son - America’s Tastiest Duck as his primary partner on the truck and is looking forward to the new challenge.   “This will feel a little bit like Daytona this weekend,” mentioned Moffitt. “Everything will be a little bit new for us as a team with new people. But it’s exciting, too. We have a great program and now it’s time to really show what we can do. The new team gives me a lot of hope of some great finishes for the rest of the season. For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com ,  like them on Facebook  (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram  (@youngsmotorsports) and X |Twitter  (@youngsmtrsports). You can follow Moffitt online at www.thadmoffitt.com  and on social media on X (@thadmoffitt), Instagram (@thadmoffitt46), and on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/thadmoffittracing ). (Photo Credit: youngsmotorsports.com )

Press Release | SPIRE MOTORSPORTS MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 9, 2024) – Rodney Childers, a 40-time NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race winning crew chief and one of the sport’s most respected tacticians, will lead Spire Motorsports No. 7 team and driver Corey LaJoie in 2025.   Ryan Sparks, who currently serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports competition director and crew chief for LaJoie, will transition from his duties atop the pit box for the No. 7 team to a singular role as the organization’s Competition Director at the conclusion of the 2024 season.   Childers, 48, led Kevin Harvick to the 2014 NCS championship and is the winningest active crew chief in NASCAR’s premier division. The Mooresville native called 37 wins for Harvick from 2014 – 2023. Prior to the over three dozen victories with Harvick, Childers is credited with leading drivers David Reutimann and Brian Vickers to Victory Lane.   The agreement was finalized last night in private at the team’s Mooresville headquarters with Childers’ wife Katrina and twin sons Brody and Gavin in attendance.    “We are beyond excited to announce Rodney Childers as the crew chief for Corey LaJoie and Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team beginning in 2025,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “There are decisions that professional racing teams make daily that take courage, require deep thought, and have some element of rolling the dice. To be clear, this wasn’t one of them. Rodney is a hall-of-fame worthy, championship-winning crew chief with 40 wins. He is one of the best in the garage and when a guy like Rodney is available, it would be malpractice if we did anything but our absolute best to bring him into our growing organization. He will make us better the moment he walks into our shop, and we look forward to his contributions to our collective success.     “Ryan Sparks is an amazing leader and has been a huge part of our organization since the first moment he clocked in,” Dickerson continued. “As he transitions from managing two roles to focusing on Spire Motorsports as a whole, it’s important to point out that he was one of the first guys that talked to me about bringing Rodney in. Lots of guys say they’ll put the team first but there aren’t a lot of guys who follow through and that speaks to the type of competitor and human that Ryan is. He has been balancing being a crew chief and the competition director the last couple seasons. This move will allow him to focus solely on the competition director role. As we continue to grow, his knowledge and leadership will become even more instrumental to our success.”     Childers led Harvick to eight NASCAR Playoff berths over 10 seasons including five appearances (three consecutive) in the NASCAR Championship 4 between 2014-2019.   Separate from the 40 wins, the 20-year-vetearn has called 34 poles, 178 top-five and 298 top-10 finishes in 660 races on NASCAR’s senior circuit.   Meanwhile, he boasts triumphs at some of NASCAR’s most cherished venues and iconic races and includes wins at Bristol Motor Speedway (2), Charlotte Motor Speedway (2), Darlington Raceway (3) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2) as some of his most recognizable accomplishments.    “I think the biggest thing is seeing how Spire Motorsports has grown over the last couple of years,” said Childers. “They are investing in people, and that’s what makes a difference these days. We all buy the same chassis, bodies and parts. What makes a difference is the people. Spire continues to invest in the people within the team and they seek out good people to add depth to an already strong group. Corey (LaJoie) is a veteran of the sport and I think we have a tremendous opportunity in front of us.”   “Spire has been on my radar for the past year. I had quite a few guys from the No. 4 team go over there and they keep telling me how much they enjoy it, what the culture is like and how well everybody gets along. That started it from my side. The rest was the way Jeff (Dickerson) and Doug Duchardt (Spire Motorsports President) handled my situation. They told me how much I was wanted and how I could make a difference. For anybody in this world, all you want is to feel wanted and loved, and I felt that through them. I also see it as a place that can be good for my family, long term. My kids are three years from graduating high school. With the truck teams there, it’s somewhere they can grow, learn and possibly work one day.”   Sparks, a Winston-Salem, N.C., native, has been paired with LaJoie since 2020. Combined, Sparks and LaJoie have earned three top-five and six top-10 finishes, including a pair of top fours in 2023 and a fourth-place finish in this year’s Daytona 500. Last season, the 40-year-old veteran crew chief led LaJoie to his first career top-25 points showing in NASCAR’s premier division.   He previously served as race engineer in multiple capacities at Richard Childress Racing (RCR). Sparks played key roles in RCR’s 2011 Camping World Truck Series and 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship-winning seasons. In addition to his championship pedigree, he celebrated a host of wins during his 13-year tenure at RCR, including victories in the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2018 Daytona 500.   “Our motto has been brick-by-brick for the last four years and this is another key component to building higher degrees of success,” said Sparks. “When you have the opportunity to bring in a championship- caliber crew chief like Rodney Childers, you have to capitalize. This is an incredible opportunity for the company and the bottom line is we’re all in this to put Spire Motorsports first. For me, this is an opportunity to be an asset across the board. There’s going to be a little bit of a transition but I’m excited to help all three teams and the company, as a whole. This move makes the whole group stronger.”   (Photo Credit: Twitter.com/SpireMotorsport )

Each week here at Racing Refresh we like to take a look back to the week that was in motorsports on X. Let's get started! 10. Jeff Gordon is right. This is a major boost for the 48-team. This feels reminiscent of Ryan Blaney's Coke 600 win last year. Could it prove to be the same kind of momentum builder? Time will tell. 9. This is insane. If it were any other driver. I'd be surprised. Not the melon man. 8. Talk about knowing your subject. 7. This is wonderful to see! All things considered John looks great. Hopefully, John Force is back at the track soon! 6. Antron Brown got his 60th Top Fuel win at Norwalk. He's looking for more. He's showing no signs of slowing down. 5. We're always looking forward to the next schedule release. Whenever the 2025 NHRA schedule drops we will cover it here at Racing Refresh. 4. It looks like Leigh Diffey is coming to NASCAR after the Olympics. If so, both booths are in for a major change. 3. McLaren makes more history. Eric Church makes everything a little cooler. 1. Ron Capps is truly a legend in NHRA, and racing as a whole. What drag racers do is incredible.

By Logan Morris Back in December, the formation of Faction46 was announced. The team announced they would be based in Oklahoma and Niece Motorsports would help build their trucks, along with some help from Petty’s Garage, the one-time home of Petty Enterprises. Richard Petty’s grandson, Thad Moffitt, would be the driver. Thus far, the season has been one to forget for all involved. Moffitt’s best finish of the season has been an 18th at Darlington, and beyond that, the season has been a barrage of accidents and mechanical issues. The struggles came to a head at Nashville when it was announced Dawson Cram would fill in for Moffitt with little reason given. Moffitt released the following statement; It’s been announced that Young’s Motorsports has acquired the  No. 46 and will be fielding an entry for Thad Moffitt this weekend for the CRC Brakleen 175 at Pocono. Faction46 is not on this week’s entry list after being a full-time entry to this point in the season. So what does this mean? For Thad Moffitt, it’s another opportunity to prove he belongs during a season where the Petty family celebrates 75 years in racing. For Faction46, it remains to be seen if this marks the end of their short-lived tenure in NASCAR or if they simply need some time to regroup. Don’t miss the CRC Brakleen 175 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET. (Photo Credit: Twitter.com/thadmoffitt )