Motorsports

Kyle Larson’s quest to run Indy 500, Coke 600 begins, but will it be his last attempt?

When Kyle Larson puts his helmet on and climbs into the cockpit of his Arrow McLaren ride today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he will begin his second attempt to run both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. But might it also be his last attempt? Or the last time by any […]

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1 month ago

May 14, 2025

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But might it also be his last attempt? Or the last time by any driver for years to come?

“I hope it’s not the last,” said Larson, who goes into this attempt as the Cup points leader after his win last weekend at Kansas. “I hope this year is not the last time we ever see anybody do it because I think it’s huge for motorsports. It’s huge for IndyCar, probably even bigger for NASCAR. Hopefully the schedules will work out in the future and maybe the rules will change a little bit, too.”

Kyle Larson earned his third Cup victory of the season.

What was a formidable quest in 1994 when John Andretti became the first driver to compete in both signature races on Memorial Day weekend is now immeasurably more difficult.

The start times at Indianapolis and Charlotte prove challenging even without weather issues. Any Cup driver who would attempt the double seeks a team capable of winning the Indianapolis 500 and such rides are limited. A new NASCAR rule makes an attempt to run both races riskier for Cup drivers.

NASCAR’s action came in response to Hendrick Motorsports keeping Larson at Indy last year despite four-hour rain delay instead of sending him to Charlotte to start the 600. After arriving late to Charlotte, Larson never got into his car before rain ended the 600 early.

Section 12.4.2.1.A of the Cup Rule Book states that “unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR, driver(s) and Team Owner(s) must start and attempt to complete all Championship Races to be eligible for The Playoffs.”

A new part of that section reads: “If a driver does not start and attempt to complete a Race and wishes to remain eligible for the Playoffs, that driver must request a Playoff waiver via the Playoff Waiver Request. If a Playoff waiver is granted for anything other than a medical reason or age restriction, the driver will forfeit all current and future Playoff Points earned prior to the start of the Playoffs. NASCAR’s decision to grant or decline a Playoff waiver request and subsequent loss of Playoff Points is final and non-appealable.”

Larson leads the series with 23 playoff points heading into next weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte via three race wins and eight stage victories. He would lose all those playoff points and any he would earn in the remaining 14 regular season races if he doesn’t start the 600 because of his Indy 500 quest. Losing all those playoff points could cost him a chance to advance in NASCAR’s playoffs and race for a championship.

Hendrick Motorsports already has stated that it will pull Larson from the Indianapolis 500 to ensure Larson is in Charlotte in time to start the 600.

“It’s always been hard to get both races in, but I feel like they’ve made it more difficult for somebody to want to go risk that and compete in the double with how much investment it takes from everybody’s part,” Larson said of the new rule.

With six of the 14 races left in the regular season on either road courses or drafting tracks, the standings could change dramatically by late August.

Larson seeks to become only the second driver since 2005 to run in both races in the same day and the fifth overall. Kurt Busch was the last to do so in 2014. Kyle Busch has come close to making an attempt. He said that Joe Gibbs nixed a deal in 2017 when Kyle Busch was at JGR. Kyle Busch also said that he sought the ride with Arrow McLaren before Hendrick Motorsports secured it for Larson.

There’s no guarantee the Hendrick/McLaren partnership continues. This is the second year of a two-year deal to give Larson the chance to run both races.

“I will say to do it this way with this kind of effort where you have your Cup team and the IndyCar team kind of collaborating with the paint scheme and sponsors and partners that are kind of crossing over and documenting it on Amazon Prime, having the level of competition, the capabilities on both sides of this with the Cup car and Indy car as well as the driver being able to be capable of doing it, I don’t know if you’ll ever see that again,” Jeff Gordon, vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, told NBC Sports.

“But if you do, it’ll be a while because it’s a huge, huge undertaking and a lot of coordination and resources to be able to do it.”

Larson admits he’s not sure he would have done it again this year had he been able to compete in both races last year as scheduled. Gordon also said that had things gone well at Indy, Hendrick might not have chosen to make the attempt this year.

A look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s Cup race at Kansas Speedway.

One person who hopes to see Larson and others attempt it in the future is Tony Stewart, the only driver to compete all 1,100 miles in one day when he finished sixth at Indianapolis and third at Charlotte that night in 2001.

“There’s going to be that special person that comes along, even after Kyle’s generation is over,” Stewart said. “There’s going to be that one special person that that opportunity is realistic and deserved. Hopefully, they will continue having those opportunities to do the double like that.”

Larson finished 18th last year at Indy. Stewart is looking forward to what Larson can do this year and if Larson can finish better than Stewart did in both races.

“He’s more than capable of beating that,” Stewart said of his 2001 performance in both races. “I think anybody that has a record, in the back of their mind doesn’t want it to be broken, but if it’s going to be broken, Kyle’s the guy I want to do it. I think the world of Kyle Larson, we’re good friends. I have so much respect for him as a driver. Anytime he’s racing anything on dirt, I’m a fan and love watching him drive.

“I’m going to be pulling for him during May just because I know his history, he’s a dirt track guy at heart. We have similar backgrounds because of that and you’re always rooting for somebody like that.”

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confirms HYAK Motorsports fired spotter Tab Boyd amid disparaging comments about Mexico City

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confirmed Friday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that Tab Boyd, his spotter since the start of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, was fired by HYAK Motorsports. Clayton Hughes, who won a Cup Championship in 2017 while spotting for Martin Truex Jr., will serve as spotter for Stenhouse and the No. 47 team […]

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50 minutes ago

June 21, 2025

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confirmed Friday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that Tab Boyd, his spotter since the start of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, was fired by HYAK Motorsports. Clayton Hughes, who won a Cup Championship in 2017 while spotting for Martin Truex Jr., will serve as spotter for Stenhouse and the No. 47 team starting this Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

“You know, obviously, that’s an unfortunate deal,” Stenhouse said. “The team let Tab Boyd go this week, and we got Clayton Hughes to come fill in. I’ve never worked with Clayton. You know, obviously, I think the concern for me is trying to get on the same page as quick as we can knowing that, like you said, the schedule coming up, going to Atlanta next week could be a very important race for our race team and trying to get us into the playoffs and put us in the right position.”

Stenhouse did not reveal the official reason as to why Boyd was let go from his position. However, Boyd found himself in controversy earlier this week. Boyd did not enjoy his time in Mexico City this past weekend and shared his negative experience on social media.

“I’m ready to go home, screw this place, people can talk it up all they want… can’t even walk out the front door of the hotel without getting hustled and money snatched….in less than 5 minutes,” Boyd tweeted June 14. “Good area my ass….”

Boyd has since deleted his X account. So, a new spotter for Stenhouse and the No. 47 team.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s eventful week continues

Changing spotters is never easy, especially at this point in the season. There are only 10 regular season races remaining on the schedule, and Stenhouse is on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. Just a few weeks ago, Stenhouse sat above the cutline.

But that was before Carson Hocevar dumped him at Nashville Superspeedway. It happened again in Mexico City while Hocevar was a lap down. Stenhouse has finished 20th or worse in his last three starts and is now 21st in the points standings.

Stenhouse told Hocevar at Mexico City, “I’m going to beat your ass when we get back to the States.” Both are back in the States. They’ll be in the same place this weekend at Pocono. We’ll see if Stenhouse follows through on his threat.

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DiBenedetto rebuilding his career in Xfinity Series – The Morning Call

Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency) Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency) Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency) Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency) Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency) Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency) Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency) Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency) Show Caption 1 of 8 Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency) Expand LONG POND — Things […]

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1 hour ago

June 21, 2025

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Matt DiBenedetto. (Clear 28 Agency)

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LONG POND — Things were going well for Matt DiBenedetto five years ago. He was driving full time in the NASCAR Cup Series and qualified for the 2020 playoffs.

Then, it all came apart. He lost his ride with Wood Brothers Racing at the end of the 2021 season.

Since then, the 33-year-old driver from California has been working his way back. He finds himself in the Xfinity Series with independent Viking Motorsports. He will be behind the wheel of the No. 99 Chevrolet on Saturday in the 10th annual Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 at Pocono Raceway. His car is being sponsored by the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau.

Viking Motorsports and DiBenedetto appear to be the perfect fit for each other. The team is building in its first season on its own after getting help last season in an alliance with Ryan Sieg Racing. The driver provides talent and experience while starting his career over.

DiBenedetto admits being a bit humbled when he lost his Cup Series ride.

“Sometimes when you get stripped of things in life, you get a lot of clarity and you learn to appreciate the things you forget to appreciate,” he said.

“Today, I’m truly having more fun than I’ve ever had in my whole life and career. I appreciate it so much more and my faith journey has changed. I’ve had so much fun doing it and this team giving me this opportunity to build something together. I’m driving for such good people, I’m hoping to drive for this team for the remainder of my career, which hopefully is a long time.”

In seven seasons and 248 races in the Cup Series, DiBenedetto had nine top-five and 31 top-10 finishes. Three times he placed second — at Bristol in 2019 and both Las Vegas races in 2020.

After losing his ride with the Wood Brothers, he spent two seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, making 43 starts with one win at Talladega in 2022.

Last year, DiBenedetto was recommended to Viking Motorsports owner Don Sackett as someone who could help the new team qualify for races and get its feet off the ground. His first race was at Richmond, six races into the Xfinity season. What started as ‘Let’s try this for five races’ turned into 10 races, which turned into the rest of the season. He posted three top-10 finishes.

Then, in January, DiBenedetto was announced as the team’s full-time driver for the 2025 campaign.

“After getting to know him (Sackett) in a short time, I was like, Man, I want to be a part of what this guy is building and be a part of his vision,” DiBenedetto said.

Through 15 races, DiBenedetto has a season-best finish of fifth at Talladega, along with four top-20s, including a 16th last week at Mexico City. There have been plenty of challenges and ups and downs such as moving its operation from Georgia to North Carolina and switching manufacturers from Ford to Chevrolet. But DiBenedetto likes the direction the team is moving.

“We’ve had our successes, our good runs, but we’ve also had DNFs or crazy circumstances bite us,” he said.

“But recently we’ve had a lot of very fast race cars where our speed is continuing to improve. We’re all meshing as a team, everything is starting to come together. We’re all synched up and unified, our communication is really good. I would expect the rest of the season to be a lot more speed and consistency than the first part of the year.”

Finishing in the top 20 in points would be a good accomplishment for the team. But DiBenedetto feels he can run consistently in the top 15 during the second half of the season. It wouldn’t even surprise him if he had a shot to win a race and qualify for the playoffs.

“That would be an extra bonus and total overachievement for the year,” DiBenedetto said. “But I’m not ruling that out, especially seeing the speed and confidence I’ve had. We’ve had fast, good, consistent race cars. Me and my crew chief Pat (Tryson) are really firing on all cylinders.

“I’m like a little kid in a candy store because I can see it all coming together. We’re going to be rockin’ and rollin’ the rest of this year.”

At Pocono, DiBenedetto ran 14 Cup races with his best finish being sixth in 2020. He also has two Truck Series starts and Saturday will be his third Xfinity start there.

“As a driver, coming here is one of my favorite places,” DiBenedetto said. “We always go to tracks that you can compare to somewhere else. Except for here. This is the only track we come to where it’s absolutely not comparable to anywhere else we go, which is what makes it fun. You’ve got three completely different, unique corners that present a lot of challenges, the racing is really fun. You’ve got to really plan ahead in the decision you make; you’ve got to be really calculated.”

Among the keys to success at Pocono, according to DiBenedetto, are a good qualifying effort, surviving the wild restarts and being able to get your car off Turn 3 well.

“It needs to turn and exit Turn 3 well because you’ve got a really, really long straightaway that it leads into,” he said. “If you’re not good off Turn 3, you’re going to struggle all day and struggle to pass.”

Practice for the Explore the Mountains 250 is 10 a.m. with qualifying to follow at 11:05 a.m. The race is scheduled to get the green flag at 3:40 p.m.

One interesting aspect for the race is Dale Earnhardt Jr. serving a crew chief for his team’s No. 88 Chevrolet and driver Connor Zilisch. Earnhardt is making his debut as crew chief while Mardy Lindley serves a one-race suspension for a missing lug nuts violation following the race at Nashville three weeks ago.

Also, Cup Series regular Chase Elliott is pulling double duty. He is driving the No. 17 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott also ran the Xfinity race at Darlington in April and finished second.

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Motorsports

Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports Launch Defiant Legal Offensive in NASCAR Charter War

Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin own 23XI Racing, while Bob Jenkins owns Front Row Motorsports (FRM), which appears to be relying on their last option to retain the charter status. In a recent move, they appealed a recent ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals, revoking their preliminary injunction. The two Cup teams are fighting […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The two Cup teams are fighting an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, having accused the racing organization of “monopolistic practices.” While the case is underway, a District Court previously granted their preliminary injunction request. That means the teams got charter status as they continued their legal battle against NASCAR.

However, the Court of Appeals recently revoked that status. Now the teams have no option but to appeal the decision. If things don’t turn in their favor, the two Cup teams risk losing all three of their charters mid-season.

23XI Racing and FRM Turn to Last Resort To Keep Charter Status

The Fourth Circuit of Appeals in North Carolina, while giving the ruling, said, “In short, because we have found no support for the proposition that a business entity or person violates the antitrust laws by requiring a prospective participate to give a release for past conduct as a condition for doing business, we cannot conclude that the plaintiffs made a clear showing that they were likely to succeed on the merits of that theory.”

However, before the charter status is revoked, the teams have an option of appealing, which they have recently exercised. Also, according to NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass, “This will delay them losing the charters until seven days after the decision not to hear it again or a rehearing/decision.”

As expected, 23XI/Front Row have asked for appeals panel to reconsider or all of the judges of US Court of Appeals 4th Circuit to hear injunction appeal. This will delay them losing the charters until seven days after the decision not to hear it again or a rehearing/decision. pic.twitter.com/ICrR9sjPis

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 20, 2025

But this would not be enough, as the teams need the preliminary injunction at all costs. The injunction ensures the teams get an entry in every points race and a cut of the race purse. More importantly, it allows them to continue the lawsuit while reaping these benefits. Not having the preliminary injunction could harm them in a big way.

In addition, the team’s lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, spoke about how this ruling could set a dangerous precedent if the decision is not reversed.

Kessler said, “If upheld, the ruling would set a dangerous precedent, allowing monopolists to shield themselves from legal challenges simply by requiring release language as a condition of doing business with the monopoly. Our lawsuit is about making NASCAR more competitive and fair. The release provision is just one of many anticompetitive tactics NASCAR has used to preserve its monopoly.”

23XI Racing and FRM have repeatedly spoken out about continuing the legal battle with or without the charter status. It’s unlikely that the lawsuit will end soon, and that has left a federal judge worried.

For now, only time will tell what unfolds in this case.

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NASCAR Crew Member Removed For Comments About Mexico

NASCAR Crew Member Removed For Comments About Mexico originally appeared on The Spun. It turns out Carson Hocevar wasn’t the only NASCAR personality who had something bad to say about Mexico. Before the NASCAR Cup Series held its race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Hocevar made a questionable comment on a since-deleted stream on Twitch. […]

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2 hours ago

June 21, 2025

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NASCAR Crew Member Removed For Comments About Mexico originally appeared on The Spun.

It turns out Carson Hocevar wasn’t the only NASCAR personality who had something bad to say about Mexico.

Before the NASCAR Cup Series held its race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Hocevar made a questionable comment on a since-deleted stream on Twitch. The talented driver for Spire Motorsports referred to Mexico as a “s–hole.”

Spire Motorsports fined Hocevar $50,000 for his remarks, with all of the money being donated to three organizations that serve communities in Mexico. Additionally, he’ll have to complete cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.

“Whoa everybody, the truth is the truth. I said something that not only was wrong, I said it without even laying my own two eyes on CDMX or turning one lap in an actual race at an amazing facility that welcomed me with open arms and I go and say that? Thank you for the support but I’m not sure we’re on the same page,” Hocevar wrote on X. “You guys want me to be me? It was me who said it and it was me who apologized after actually taking the time to explore the city and feel the passion of every fan in attendance.

“I appreciate the opportunity to learn and I knew before this weekend what respect means to this organization and I didn’t meet the standard so I got what I deserved. I hate learning these lessons in the public eye and bringing any negative attention to Spire or me. We’ve been fast just about every week and I’m sure I have plenty of mistakes left in me. I appreciate growing up in front of all of you and you guys get to see the good and the bad. I’m just me. I’m trying. It just doesn’t always go the way I want and I bring a lot of this on myself. However, I love being in this garage, with this team surrounded by the best drivers and fans in the world. See you in Pocono.”

Despite what he previously said, Hocevar hasn’t lost his spot with Spire Motorsports. We can’t say the same thing for a member on Hyak Motorsports.

NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 17: Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Busch Light Flannel Chevrolet, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #47 Kroger Health/Icy Hot Chevrolet, William Byron, driver of the #24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet, and Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Lenovo Chevrolet, drive during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, 2024 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)Jared C&period; Tilton/Getty Images — NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 17: Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Busch Light Flannel Chevrolet, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #47 Kroger Health/Icy Hot Chevrolet, William Byron, driver of the #24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet, and Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Lenovo Chevrolet, drive during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, 2024 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)Jared C&period; Tilton/Getty Images

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s spotter, Tab Boyd, ripped Mexico in a since-deleted tweet.

“I’m ready to go home, screw this place,” he wrote. “People can talk it up all they want… can’t even walk out the front door of the hotel without getting hustled and money snatched… in less than five minutes. Good area my [expletive]…”

Interestingly enough, Boyd isn’t listed as Stenhouse’s spotter for this weekend. As of right now, Clayton Hughes is expected to take that spot.

Hyak Motorsports has not yet said if Boyd has been benched or outright fired. Eventually, the truth will come to light.

Related: NASCAR Fans React To Carson Hocevar’s ‘Classy’ Announcement

NASCAR Crew Member Removed For Comments About Mexico first appeared on The Spun on Jun 20, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.

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Tomy Drissi Aims for Another Podium in Trans Am Action at Mid-Ohio

June 20, 2025 Tomy Drissi enters next weekend’s Mid-Ohio SpeedTour third in Trans Am points after taking his second podium of the season at Lime Rock Park Drissi has multiple recent podiums at the Ohio circuit, including second place in 2021 and third last year, as well as an American Le Mans Series victory here […]

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3 hours ago

June 21, 2025

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June 20, 2025

Tomy Drissi Aims for Another Podium in Trans Am Action at Mid-Ohio

Tomy Drissi enters next weekend’s Mid-Ohio SpeedTour third in Trans Am points after taking his second podium of the season at Lime Rock Park
Drissi has multiple recent podiums at the Ohio circuit, including second place in 2021 and third last year, as well as an American Le Mans Series victory here in 2011
Tomy has earned the pole position multiple times at Mid-Ohio, including three consecutive years from 2013-15 and most recently in 2021, and has held the Trans Am track record at the circuit

2009 Trans Am champion Tomy Drissi and Drissi Motorsports continue their pursuit of another Trans Am by Pirelli title this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Coming off their second podium of the season at Lime Rock Park, Drissi and the #8 Trench Shorting Company/Motul/Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro team will carry plenty of momentum into a track where Drissi has excelled in years past.

Drissi’s record at Mid-Ohio is one of his most impressive at any circuit on the Trans Am schedule. From 2013-15, he scored three consecutive TA poles at the track, setting a track record in the process. He scored his most recent pole at the track in 2021, converting that into a second place finish, and last year he earned his third podium finish of the season here with a third place run. Beyond that, Drissi scored two straight American Le Mans Series podiums here in 2010-11; he was on the LMP podium with Bryan Willman in 2010, and he teamed up with Kyle Marcelli for the LMPC victory in 2011.

Combine that with a determined drive to the podium in last month’s Memorial Day Classic, and Drissi is one of this weekend’s drivers to watch. After persevering through car setup issues at Lime Rock Park, Drissi took a hard-fought third place finish to strengthen his grip on third place in the TA championship.

“I’m really excited to get back to Mid-Ohio with momentum on our side,” said Drissi. “I’ve had a lot of great results here over the years, and after we found a way to finish on the podium at Lime Rock Park, there’s no reason to think we can’t add another one this weekend. The team has been working hard to make sure we’re ready, and we think we can get a podium streak going!”

Trans Am action for Tomy Drissi and Drissi Motorsports from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course kicks off with a pair of optional test sessions at 1:35PM and 5:45PM on Thursday. On Friday, practice will run at 12:05PM and TA drivers will qualify at 5:35PM. Saturday’s race will kick off at 12:35PM and run for 45 laps or 75 minutes, with the usual live streaming available on Trans Am social media channels and SPEED SPORT 1.

To keep up with Tomy Drissi, follow @tomydrissi on Instagram and Facebook, and visit www.tomydrissi.com. Following Mid-Ohio, Drissi Motorsports returns to action on June 26-29 at Road America.

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Live updates: Layne Riggs wins NASCAR Truck race at Pocono

LONG POND, Pa. — Layne Riggs earned his first win of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season in Friday’s race at Pocono Raceway. Photo: Ryan Kemna/TRE Riggs led three times for 25 of 80 laps, including the final 20. Riggs won the first stage and finished third to Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar in […]

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5 hours ago

June 21, 2025

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LONG POND, Pa. — Layne Riggs earned his first win of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season in Friday’s race at Pocono Raceway.

Riggs led three times for 25 of 80 laps, including the final 20.

Riggs won the first stage and finished third to Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar in the second stage.

STAGE ONE TOP-10 (LAP 20): Layne Riggs, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack, Andres Perez, Jake Garcia, Brandon Jones, Chandler Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Ben Rhodes

STAGE TWO TOP-10 (LAP 40): Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar, Layne Riggs, Jake Garcia, Tanner Gray, Kaden Honeycutt, Tyler Ankrum, Ben Rhodes, Andres Perez, Connor Mosack.

With 20 laps to go, he was set to restart to the inside of Heim and challenge him when smoke billowed from Heim’s truck. Heim had a tire issue that gave the lead to Riggs for the restart.

The only problem is Hocevar thought he had the lead on the outside lane. Hocevar went first, leading to a drive through the pits as a penalty under green.

Riggs cruised away to victory, handing a 3.64-second defeat to Tanner Gray who finished second.

TOP-10 FINISHERS (LAP 80): Layne Riggs, Tanner Gray, Kaden Honeycutt, Brandon Jones, Daniel Hemric, Connor Mosack, Chandler Smith, Stewart Friesen, Ty Majeski and Rajah Caruth.

Carson Hocevar finished 13th after having a drive-through penalty for the restart violation. Patrick Emerling finished 15th after running inside the top-10 in the final stage. Frankie Muniz finished 19th. Corey Heim finished 23rd after the tire issue.

In all, four cautions fell Friday, including two cautions in the final 40-lap stage.

Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Conner Jones, Dawson Sutton, Cody Dennison and Tyler Ankrum crashed on lap 49. Jake Garcia crashed on lap 57.

After Pocono, seven drivers are virtually locked into the playoffs: Corey Heim, Chandler Smith, Layne Riggs, Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Hemric, Stewart Friesen and Rajah Caruth. Three spots remain for drivers to get in on points. Here is what the battle for those spots looks like:

Grant Enfinger: +50 points to the cutline
Kaden Honeycutt: +45
Ty Majeski: +10
Jake Garcia: -10 points to the cutline
Gio Ruggiero: -58
Ben Rhodes -60
Tanner Gray -83

NEXT: Lime Rock Park, June 27 (1 p.m. ET; FOX, NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

Below is a live race updates recap of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway.

FINAL STAGE

Layne Riggs leads after Corey Heim had a tire issue and then Carson Hocevar had a restart violation.

The final stage consists of half of the race distance — 40 laps. Here is what has happened so far:

Corey Heim is coming off of his 12th stage win, the most in a single Truck season.

Heim, Layne Riggs, Ty Majeski, Carson Hocevar, Kaden Honeycutt, Tanner Gray, Jake Garcia, Stewart Friesen, Patrick Emerling and Connor Mosack lead everyone except Rajah Caruth, who stayed out, off of pit road on lap 42. It is outside of the pit window

Caruth will lead the drivers who came off of pit road.

Heim snagged the lead from Caruth. Caruth lost positions to Riggs, Hocevar, Honeycutt and Tanner Gray. He runs sixth ahead of Majeski, Garcia, Brandon Jones and Mosack as multiple trucks crash in turn two with 32 laps to go.

Among the trucks involved are Grant Enfinger, Conner Jones, Dawson Sutton, Cody Dennison and Tyler Ankrum. Enfinger made it three-wide while racing Rhodes and Ankrum. Rhodes had a fast truck before the incident. He has damage now.

Rajah Caruth pitted under caution on lap 50. He can make it to the end on fuel with that stop.

The predetermined race conclusion time is 8:25 p.m. ET. With 28 laps to go, there is a little under two hours until that time.

TOP-10 on LAP 53: Heim, Riggs, Hocevar, Honeycutt, Tanner Gray, Majeski, Garcia, Jones, Smith, Mosack.

Heim has led three times for all but 12 laps — 41 of 53 — while Riggs has led twice for five laps, Friesen has led four and Caruth has led three.

Jake Garcia didn’t take a block from Kaden Honeycutt and bumped him going into turn one. Unfortunately, Garcia wobbled more than Honeycutt and lost positions, finding himself in the clutches of a mess that left him wrecked exiting turn one.

Top 10 is now: Heim, Riggs, Hocevar, Tanner Gray, Honeycutt, Mosack, Friesen, Emerling, Jones and Hemric. Rajah Caruth sits 21st.

Corey Heim has blown a tire coming to the green with 19 laps to go and likely will not win. Carson Hocevar jumps out to the lead ahead of Layne Riggs with Tanner Gray following closely. Riggs dives into turn one and tries to clear Gray, does and holds on to second.

Carson Hocevar will have to do a drive-through penalty because of the restart chaos. Hocevar took the green flag from the outside lane, which Heim picked. However, the rules specify the second-place driver is the control truck. Riggs was in control but Hocevar was not.

Matt Crafton pits for a tire issue with 13 laps to go. He had been running 10th before that.

Daniel Hemric has rallied to fifth after running outside of the top-15 for much of the race.

Top-10 with eight laps to go: Riggs, Tanner Gray, Honeycutt, Brandon Jones, Hemric, Mosack, Chandler Smith, Friesen, Majeski, Caruth.

Patrick Emerling, who has run inside the top-10 for much of the final stage, has dropped to 12th. Frankie Muniz runs 19th after running as high as 16th.

Hocevar has recovered to 18th after the penalty under green.

STAGE TWO – NASCAR TRUCK SERIES AT POCONO

The leaders pitted at the start of the stage while under caution after finishing the first stage. Connor Mosack, stage one winner Layne Riggs, Andres Perez, Kaden Honeycutt, Tyler Ankrum, Patrick Emerling, Jake Garcia, Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes and Jack Wood lead everyone off of pit road. They will restart behind Michigan winner Stewart Friesen, Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar and Tanner Gray. Friesen hasn’t pitted yet while Heim, Hocevar and Gray pitted in stage one.

Gio Ruggiero also pitted during stage one but will his crew had an issue with the left-front tire that put him a lap down. He caught the free pass and got back on the lead lap.

Friesen didn’t even get to lead a lap before Heim took over again. Hocevar also passed Friesen, dropping him to third. Garcia gained six spots and jumped to fourth while Riggs lost two positions with an issue in turn one. He gained one more spot on lap nine.

Ben Rhodes is up 18 spots to 13th on lap nine.

Hocevar is mixing it up with Heim. He challenged him but had to settle for second.

Top-10 at Lap 10/20 in Stage Two: Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar, Jake Garcia, Stewart Friesen, Tanner Gray, Connor Mosack, Kaden Honeycutt, Layne Riggs, Andres Perez, Tyler Ankrum.

Grant Enfinger is 31st, one lap down, after the caution for Cody Dennison crashing caught Enfinger a lap down.

Riggs is back up to fifth after almost sliding outside of the top-10. Friesen has dropped to sixth. Riggs now takes fourth from Tanner Gray.

Friesen makes his first pit stop on lap 35. He could make it to the end on fuel if there are a slew of cautions.

In 15 Truck races at Pocono, there has been an average of five cautions for 17 laps per race. So far, there has been just one caution for seven laps.

Stage Two Top-10, NASCAR Truck Series race at Pocono: Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar, Layne Riggs, Jake Garcia, Tanner Gray, Kaden Honeycutt, Tyler Ankrum, Ben Rhodes, Andres Perez, Connor Mosack.

STAGE ONE – NASCAR TRUCK SERIES AT POCONO

It is never not Heim Time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Pole sitter Layne Riggs slid up the track from the outside lane, giving Kaden Honeycutt room to take the lead and Corey Heim to take second. Fourth-place Carson Hocevar pushed Riggs down the backstretch, giving momentum to Riggs and Heim who went three-wide with Honeycutt. Heim took the lead while Riggs stayed in third — at least for a lap.

Riggs passed Honeycutt in the tunnel turn, to which Honeycutt responded with a move in turn three. The drag from them racing so closely brought Hocevar into the mix in a three-wide move. Riggs and Hocevar jumped to second and third while Honeycutt fell to fourth.

Top-10 at Lap 8/20 of Stage One: Corey Heim, Layne Riggs, Carson Hocevar, Kaden Honeycutt, Tanner Gray, Gio Ruggiero, Rajah Caruth, Connor Mosack, Andres Perez de Lara, Jake Garcia.

Norm Benning and Bryan Dauzat are on pit road already, likely out of the race. Dawson Cram is also off of the track.

Matt Crafton has dropped to 22nd.

Hocevar, Gio Ruggiero and Rajah Caruth are among the leaders to pit with three laps to go in the stage to try and shuffle around to the lead to start the second stage. Heim pits a lap later to thwart their tactic.

Cody Dennison did more to deter anyone else as he crashed in turn two with a blown tire.

Layne Riggs will win the first stage of the NASCAR Truck Series race at Pocono. Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack, Andres Perez, Jake Garcia, Brandon Jones, Chandler Smith, Tyler Ankrum and Ben Rhodes round out the top-10.

TRUCK RACE START AT POCONO

Layne Riggs is ready to lead the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series field to the green flag Friday at Pocono Raceway.

Kaden Honeycutt will share the front row with Riggs. Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar, Tanner Gray, Gio Ruggiero, Andres Perez, Rajah Caruth, Brandon Jones and Patrick Emerling round out the top-10 starters.

Clayton Green, Bryan Dauzat and Dawson Sutton will go to the rear of the field for unapproved adjustments.

Here is the full lineup:

Link