Maybe you were distracted by football, or perhaps you had a little too much Labor Day Weekend and couldn’t keep the eyelids propped up into the evening.
So you look at the Darlington race results, see that Chase Briscoe led 309 of the 367 laps, and think, “Looks like all I missed was a dominant blowout.”
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For long stretches here and there, yep, that was indeed the case with Chase, who has now won two straight Southern 500s and become the rare racer who apparently has the Lady in Black’s number. No better way to open NASCAR’s Cup Series playoffs.
Chase Briscoe survived Tyler Reddick’s last-lap Hail Mary and celebrated in Victory Lane.
Eventually, though, you see a replay of that last lap and realize it was no home-run trot for Briscoe, no stroll up the 18th fairway with a four-shot lead, no taking a knee to drain the clock.
Nope, he had his hands very full with Tyler Reddick, who provided us with lessons in physics, geometry, aerodynamics and whatever else came into play as he dive-bombed low through the final corner to get alongside the leader while Briscoe stayed the course and regained the lead off Turn 4 while Reddick fought for control of his car.
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It was quite a payoff for Briscoe, of course, but also for those who also stayed the course in hopes of receiving the last-lap dramatics they happily received.
There was no playoff payoff for plenty of others, however. Some are now in need of a payday loan — in points, preferably — as holes are already being dug after just one week in the Round of 16.
First Gear: NASCAR playoff favorites in the ditch at Darlington
Heading into Sunday night’s Southern 500, someone around here (ahem) told you to ignore the underdogs. They had their chances at Daytona a week earlier but would certainly remain off the main stage at Darlington.
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In theory, you have to be totally dialed in at Darlington, so naturally the Haves will separate themselves from the Have Nots over the course of 367 laps around the narrow, egg-shaped oval.
The theory was reinforced during Saturday’s qualifying, when the 12 fastest speeds were delivered by 12 of the 16 playoff racers. But Sunday night, a wild series of circumstances went through the playoff roster like a virus and it’s reflected on the final scoring pylon.
Look at positions three though five: Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek and AJ Allmendinger. Combined, they had five top-five finishes on the year before Darlington, then finished 3, 4, 5. Others surprised us in other ways.
Second Gear: Chase Elliott leads Hendrick crew by finishing 17th!
On the other side of the coin, you have Josh Berry, who didn’t necessarily enter the playoffs as a championship favorite, but wasted no time in wiping out and confirming that thought with a last-place finish. Shane van Gisbergen (32nd) surprised few people with another oval-track “learning experience.”
But Alex Bowman, whose playoff spot was saved by Ryan Blaney at Daytona, was considered a playoff darkhorse — as much as a Hendrick driver can be an underdog — due to his solid results over the past couple of months. His Darlington hopes drained away during a 40-second pit stop (air hose issue), and he finished 31st.
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Pit issues (either bad stops or contact with others) also hamstrung Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Austin Dillon. Bubba (sixth) and Denny (seventh) still finished decently.
Chase Elliott finished 17th and get this: He was the highest finisher among the Hendrick Motorsports foursome.
“Long night. Really long night,” Chase told NBC Sports afterward. He was asked about his confidence level going forward, with another mid-length, egg-shaped oval coming next week outside St. Louis.
“We just ran 17th. You tell me,” said Chase, who’s never been one to dabble in false bravado.
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Third Gear: Playoff panic sets in early
Since it’s never too early to dabble in panic, let’s familiarize ourselves with the red button, even if we’re not quite ready to mash it.
You may remember another theory tossed around these parts regarding Shane van Gisbergen, who brought enough bonus points to the Round of 16 to make you think he could reach the Round of 12, which includes a road course.
Um, that theory has been thumped, thanks to SVG’s P32 at Darlington. His margin of error is now basically zero. He’s sitting 12th in the new standings, just three points ahead of Joey Logano.
The bubble cutoff is eight points for Dillon and a whopping 19 each for Bowman and Berry. Of course, these deficits can be erased as quickly as you can say “Trouble in Turn 3,” but still, now that we’ve found the panic button, keep it within reach for next week.
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Only 12 points separate ninth place (Austin Cindric) and Logano in 13th.
Meanwhile, and why not, an X.com account known a “NASCAR Winston Cup Series Standings” continues to update standings each week using the pre-2004 points application.
Fourth Gear: Connor Zilisch continues Xfinity roll
One of three things are in play here.
1. Connor Zilisch is a quick healer.
2. He’s tough as nails.
3. Or those Xfinity cars are easy to handle.
Maybe we should toss in an “all of the above” option, but whatever, Connor Z seems to have recovered from his nasty tumble and broken collarbone. A week after giving way to relief driver Parker Kligerman, who went on to win at Daytona, Zilisch went the distance at Portland this past weekend, and if you think Briscoe was dominant at Darlington, check the Xfinity stat sheet from Saturday.
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Zilisch led 70 of the 78 laps, won both stages before the checkers, and turned the fastest lap for an additional bonus point. He has eight wins, including five of his last six (technically, it’s six of seven since he gets credit for the Daytona win).
He not only leads the Xfinity Series standings, but his 43 bonus points, which he’ll carry into the playoffs in two weeks, is 19 better than the next highest — Justin Allgaier, who is the only other Xfinity driver with a double-digit bonus tally.
And speaking of dominance, Corey Heim kept on truckin’ at Darlington, making the Truck Series playoff opener his eighth win in 19 starts this year. Heim contractually belongs to 23XI Racing and has basically done all he can do in a truck.
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His future whereabouts within NASCAR probably hinge on that ongoing court case involving 23XI, Front Row and NASCAR. Whatever happens there, you have to assume Toyota won’t let him out of arm’s reach.
— Email Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Darlington rewires NASCAR playoffs. Chase Elliott review: ‘Long night’
Meanwhile, quotes from Fred Vasseur suggest Ferrari are in no rush to take drastic measures in testing.
The 57-year-old points to the budget gap as a factor to consider when charting this year’s upgrade plan:
“If a team starts introducing four or five updates in the first races,” he told Gazzetta.
“Or if, for example, they have to send a new floor to a distant race like Japan or China – they’re burning through half their development budget at the start of the year.
“It will therefore be important to carefully evaluate step by step what to do, based on where we are.
“Whoever is ahead of everyone in Melbourne, at the first race, won’t necessarily have the winning car of the year.”
Fred Vasseur, Ferrari team principal, Ferrari Media Gallery.
Avoiding mistakes of the past
Ferrari know better than most teams about how deceptive the first races of the year can be. At the beginning of the 2022 regulations, for example, the Maranello team was flying high.
Two wins and one second place for Leclerc in the opening three rounds, alongside DNFs for Verstappen in Australia in Bahrain, painted a very positive picture for the season ahead.
Within a few months, however, Red Bull not only out-developed their Italian rivals, but also eliminated all reliability issues – whereas Ferrari suffered a series of devastating retirements in Spain and Baku.
Moreover, the last set of regulations showed the price of investing in the pursuit of a flawed concept.
Mercedes in 2022, Aston Martin in 2023 and even Red Bull in 2024 were headline examples of wasting resources on upgrades that were taking the car in the wrong direction.
Ferrari themselves faced this issue during the European leg of the 2024 season, with updates at the Spanish GP derailing the team’s progress that season.
Eager to avoid this fate over the next twelve months, Fred Vasseur has reason to exercise a measured approach. The question is whether the work fundamentals being developed at the factory in Maranello are strong enough to build upon.
AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) – Those in Augusta this weekend was revving up their engines with all things motor sports related and beyond.
The 37th annual Northeast Motorsports Expo wrapped up Sunday at the Augusta Civic Center.
The event brings together many motor sport organizations as well as vendors from all over New England under a single roof. An award show also took place yesterday afternoon.
Motor vehicles highlighted this year included everything from short track and drag racing, go karts, dirt bikes and much more.
Organizer Stephen Perry says it’s also a great opportunity for fans to meet drivers before the start of this year’s motor sports season.
“At a race track it’s hard to get up close to talk to these drivers, because their doing their job that day. But here you can talk to them and ask them questions about their cars or a particular race that they’ve won. It’s a more laid-back atmosphere than at a racetrack,” says Perry.
In total, around 2,700 individuals from across New England were in attendance over the weekend.
Chris Knight has served as a senior staff writer and news editor for CATCHFENCE.com since 2001.
In his 20-plus years with CATCHFENCE.com, he has covered NASCAR’s top three national series, often breaking news and providing exclusive at-track content, including in-depth race weekend coverage.
He also offers insider coverage of the entire Motorsports platform, including the ARCA Menards Series.
In 2022, Knight became co-owner of CATCHFENCE.com.
In addition to his active duties at CATCHFENCE.com and other Motorsports-related endeavors, he is also a frequent contributor to SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90.
You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Knighter01 or on Instagram, Snapchat, or Threads at @TheKnighter01.
Daytona International Speedway announced today that three-time GRAMMY-award winning country music superstar Miranda Lambert is set to perform the DAYTONA 500 pre-race concert. The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history is set to kickstart the festivities prior to the 68th running of The Great American Race.
“To have this level of talent with an artist such as Miranda Lambert performing our pre-race concert adds an incredible amount of energy for the 68th running of the DAYTONA 500,” said Frank Kelleher, Daytona International Speedway President. “Her powerhouse vocals and passion for music are the perfect mix to represent the prestige of this event. Get ready for the thunder of country music before we wave the green flag and engines roar to kick off the 2026 season!”
Lambert’s generational career in the country music scene has spanned over 20 years, with her first chart-topping studio album Kerosene released in 2005. She has since released nine additional solo albums, plus collaborative projects as part of the Pistol Annies as well as GRAMMY-nominated album The Marfa Tapes together with Jon Randall and Jack Ingram.
A multi-dimensional superstar, she’s earned seven No. 1 solo albums, 10 No. 1 hit radio singles, more than 80 prestigious awards and countless RIAA certifications; conquered Las Vegas with her twice-extended Velvet Rodeo residency; and blurred genres with Leon Bridges, the B-52s, Loretta Lynn, Enrique Iglesias, Sheryl Crow, Elle King; and was named to the TIME100 list honoring the world’s 100 most influential people.
Lambert’s most recent album, the current GRAMMY-nominee Postcards from Texas, continued her unbroken streak of 10 consecutive Top 10s on the Top Country Albums chart. Lambert also recently collaborated with Chris Stapleton on “A Song to Sing,” as well as Reba McEntire and Lainey Wilson on “Trailblazer,” both of which are also nominated at the upcoming 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
In addition to performing at Daytona International Speedway, Lambert has various tour appearances scheduled across the country through summer 2026. In addition to her own storied music career, she has taken those standards to become a label co-founder, teaming with longtime collaborator Jon Randall to launch their own imprint, Big Loud Texas, in partnership with Big Loud Records. Lambert is also a New York Times best-selling author and was the first female restaurateur on Lower Broadway with her Tex-Mex cantina Casa Rosa, while also expanding her creative reach with her Wanda June Home collection and Idyllwind western wear brand. Her passion for rescue animals inspired the creation of her MuttNation Foundation, which has raised over $11 million since inception to promote adoption, support shelters across the country, advance spay & neuter and assist with the transport of animals during times of natural disaster.
The action begins on Wednesday, Feb. 11, with DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented by Busch Light, setting the field for the Duel At DAYTONA, which occurs the following night on Thursday, Feb. 12, where drivers will battle it out for a spot in the coveted Great American Race.
The season-opening races for all three NASCAR national series as well as the ARCA Menards Series kick off on Friday, Feb. 13, starting with the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250. Saturday, Feb. 14, will feature an action-packed double-header with the ARCA Menards Series race followed by the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300.
Then Sunday, Feb. 15, the USAF Thunderbirds will perform their flyover, preparing both fans and drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series for an intense battle in the DAYTONA 500.
For more information regarding the DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, please visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.
New installation celebrates the owners who helped shape NASCAR competition
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Jan. 10, 2026) – “Glory Road: Owners,” the sixth edition of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s signature Glory Road exhibit, is now on display.
The next generation of this exhibit places ownership at the forefront, highlighting the leaders who helped steer NASCAR from its early days to today’s championship-level competition.
Reimagined every three years, the Hall’s Glory Road exhibit reflects the sport’s evolving history.
“The process for identifying the theme and cars for our iconic Glory Road exhibit is among the most challenging and enjoyable activities we are blessed to do here at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The ‘Glory Road: Owners’ edition is no exception,” said Winston Kelley, Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
“Our exhibits team has done a phenomenal job selecting a wide range and diverse group of owners and cars to show the remarkable depth and breadth of owners who have been a critical foundation of NASCAR’s history throughout our nearly 80-year history. I believe our guests will be equally impressed and excited with Glory Road: Owners.”
Encircling the Great Hall, Glory Road has served as one of the Hall’s most prominent focal points since opening in 2010.
Along its iconic banked track, visitors will see firsthand how team owners shaped every aspect of NASCAR, from car design and competition strategy to the drivers and teams who became household names.
The collection features 18 historic cars spanning model years 1937 through 2025, representing seven manufacturers across six racing series, and offers an immersive journey through the sport’s evolution.
Fourteen of the owners featured are NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductees.
Together, they account for 55 NASCAR Cup Series championships, nearly 1,700 race wins and 44 Daytona 500 victories, showing the remarkable influence these leaders have had on the sport.
“It is always exciting to present new stories, interactives and historic artifacts to our guests,” said Kevin Schlesier, Senior Director, Museum and Industry Affairs, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
“Glory Road: Owners is part of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s commitment to continually update and change exhibits to engage our visitors and to bring new aspects of NASCAR’s history to light.
“It is an honor to be entrusted with these 18 historic race cars that bring to the forefront the incredible contributions owners have made in growing the sport. It is an equal privilege to create unique displays and digital interactives to bring the stories to life.”
Below is the complete lineup of new cars installed on Glory Road.
More details on each owner and car are available here.
Additionally, the full media kit is available here.
Roger Penske (Class of 2019) / Team Penske / 2022 Ford Mustang
Wendell Scott (Class of 2015) / Wendell Scott Racing / 1937 Ford Modified
Glenn Wood (Class of 2012) / Wood Brothers Racing / 1954 Ford Coupe
Bud Moore (Class of 2011) / Bud Moore Engineering / 1964 Mercury Marauder
John Holman, Ralph Moody (Class of 2025) / Holman Moody Racing / 1965 Ford Galaxie
Junie Donlavey / Donlavey Racing / 1979 Ford Thunderbird
Lee Petty (Class of 2011) / Petty Enterprises / 1981 Buick Regal
Junior Johnson (Class of 2010) / Junior Johnson & Associates / 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Robert Yates (Class of 2018) / Robert Yates Racing / 1992 Ford Thunderbird
Jack Roush (Class of 2019) / Roush Racing / 1997 Ford Thunderbird
Richard Childress (Class of 2017) / Richard Childress Racing / 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Rick Hendrick (Class of 2017) / Hendrick Motorsports / 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Ray Evernham (Class of 2018) / Evernham Motorsports / 2006 Dodge Charger
Duke and Rhonda Thorson / ThorSport Racing / 2019 Ford F-150
Joe Gibbs (Class of 2020) / Joe Gibbs Racing / 2022 Toyota Supra
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Class of 2021), Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Rick Hendrick (Class of 2017) / JR Motorsports / 2024 Chevrolet Camaro
Kevin and DeLana Harvick / Kevin Harvick Inc. / 2025 Chevrolet Camaro
Bill Blair / Bill Blair Racing / 1953 Oldsmobile Super 88
“Glory Road: Owners” will be on display through December 2028 and is included with general admission to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Tickets, hours and additional information are available at nascarhall.com.
About the NASCAR Hall of Fame:
Located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR.
The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, includes artifacts, hands-on exhibits, a 278-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor and the NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop.
Opened on May 11, 2010, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, the only teams in the Cup Series to field four entries, are also the most successful teams in NASCAR. In any given season, they are expected to get at least one of their drivers to the championship finale. But what are the chances that they get all four drivers there?
All four drivers of a team reaching the finale is unprecedented, no doubt, even for JGR and Hendrick Motorsports. Recently, Dave Alpern, the president of Joe Gibbs Racing, discussed this ‘perfect’ scenario in a video for his team media.
“There are only two organizations that could happen, and that’s Hendrick Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Alpern.
“Because we are the only ones with four. We are the only ones that have ever put three in. I can tell you one thing. It’s really stressful,” added Alpern, before explaining how dynamics and resources get stretched in the process.
Alpern likened it to having multiple children participating in the same competition, knowing that all except one is going to lose. As stressful as such a scenario would be, he recognizes that it would be an amazing problem to have.
“I would love to try it one year. I am sure our friends down the road will love that as well,” continued Alpern.
The logistics and the sheer workload that would go into such a setting would be massive, to say the least. Moreover, the current format will require three of the cars to each win a race in the playoffs’ Round of 8, while the final car will have to qualify on points for this to happen.
Yes, technically, it could happen. Alpern hopes it does happen. But the question is if it ever will.
“I hope it does happen. In some ways, it’d be great because you’d clinch the championship the week before. But it sounds like the playoff format might change. So, we may never get to find out,” said Alpern.
NASCAR is on the verge of announcing key changes to the existing playoff format. Word around town is that a multi-race championship round is on the cards instead of a single race.
However, speculations will have to wait until official word comes from Daytona. Until then, Joe Gibbs Racing fans can look back at the historic 2019 season, when the team put three drivers in the Championship 4.
Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin had competed for the title alongside Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick. Busch eventually won that year.
