In a thrilling late-race shootout at Pocono Raceway, 18-year-old JR Motorsports rookie Connor Zilisch surged to his first oval-track victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, claiming the checkered flag in Saturday’s Explore the Pocono Mountains 250.

Zilisch, piloting the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, passed close friend and fellow young standout Jesse Love with three laps remaining, edging out the Richard Childress Racing driver by 0.437 seconds. The win marks Zilisch’s second career Xfinity victory, but his first on an oval—a milestone he’s chased all season.

“It’s been amazing all weekend long,” said JR Motorsports co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., who stepped in as crew chief for the day. Filling in for suspended crew chief Mardy Lindley, Earnhardt not only called the race but assisted during pit stops. “Connor Zilisch is going to be a big deal in this sport for a long time,” he added.

Zilisch echoed the excitement. “I’ve been dying for this one for a while now,” he said. “I finished second at Charlotte, second at Nashville. Pretty cool to have Dale Junior up there. This one is definitely special.”

The 100-lap contest was defined by 10 cautions and a final flurry of restarts. Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott led a race-high 38 laps and appeared poised to contend for the win until a near collision with JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier opened the door for Love to take the lead.

On the race’s final restart, Zilisch restarted directly behind Love and made the decisive move within a lap. Love, last year’s Rookie of the Year, took the runner-up spot with Kaulig Racing’s Christian Eckes finishing a career-best third. Elliott recovered to finish fourth, while Ryan Sieg completed the top five.

“It’s the most focused I’ve ever been in a race car,” Love said of the final battle with Zilisch. “I did not want Connor to beat me because I’ll have to hear about it for a long time.”

Allgaier, the reigning series champion and current points leader, finished 10th and extended his advantage to 82 points over Austin Hill, who was caught in an early crash and finished 35th.

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LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — It’s time to bust out the brackets, pick an upset or two, and follow winners on the road — a journey over city streets, concrete and bricks — to the final four and beyond.

Totally awesome, baby?

Forget all the upset specials in March.

NASCAR will find out soon enough if its attempt to snap out of a mid-summer malaise with its first in-season tournament is a success with drivers and fans as it strives to boost engagement and build buzz in the staid regular season.

The concept has already juiced enthusiasm in NASCAR to levels not seen since the halcyon days when Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough duked it out in the 1979 Daytona 500.

“To be really honest with you,” 2020 NASCAR champion Chase Elliott said, “I have not paid any attention to it.”

Maybe a look at the matchup will get NASCAR’s most popular driver pumped!

Elliott is seeded fifth against No. 28 seed Austin Dillon in the first round of the head-to-head showdown in the race-within-the-race set for this weekend at the track better known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Here’s a refresher for Elliott and any other sports fan who missed out on the specifics of NASCAR joining the in-season tournament party, much like attempts in the NBA, NHL, and, of course, throughout the world in soccer.

NASCAR is set to start the engines on a five-race, bracket-style tournament called the In-Season Challenge in the midst of the summer slate, which comes with a $1 million prize to the winner.

The final 32-driver field was set by results of the last three races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono. The drivers are paired in head-to-head matchups based on seeding, with the winners advancing to the next round in a bracket format that mirrors the NCAA basketball tournaments.

Buoyed by a win at Michigan and a runner-up finish at Pocono, Denny Hamlin earned the top seed. He’ll square off — race off? — against No. 32 seed Ty Dillon. Pocono winner Chase Briscoe is the No. 2 seed and is pitted against No. 31 seed Noah Gragson.

Chris Buescher is third, Christopher Bell fourth and Elliott fifth, among notable names.

The format is single elimination with the field cut to 16 at the street race in Chicago, eight at Sonoma, four on the lone concrete track in the series at Dover and the final two over the yard of bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Challenge is part of NASCAR’s media rights deal that includes TNT, and the Atlanta-based cable network will broadcast all five races in the tournament, starting with the 400-miler in Atlanta.

Aside from a shrug from Elliott and a few others, drivers are intrigued by the idea of increasing the stakes in each race beyond a playoff berth, trophy and the winner’s purse.

“I love it. I think it’s great,” three-time Cup champion Joey Logano said. “I think it’s placed perfectly where it is in the season. This is kind of that moment where the newness is worn off. We’re into the rhythm, we’re racing every week. It’s starting to start a little bit of, who’s going to be in the playoffs, who’s not, the cutoff line all those types of things. But it’s not really the main story quite yet.”

Stories are what sell, of course, and the sizzle in Pocono over the weekend had little to do with which drivers or teams are the ones to beat for the 2025 championship. Rather, it was whether two pedestrian drivers were going to fight, the end of Amazon Prime’s run of wildly-popular telecasts and Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s win in his first race as a crew chief.

“This really spices up the mid-part of the season,” Logano said.

So does placing a few bucks on No. 11 to win.

But as of Monday afternoon, most sports gambling sites did not offer odds on specific matchups headed into Atlanta. NASCAR is offering $1 million to a winning fan with a perfect bracket in its fantasy game.

There are some quirks to the bracket: Shane van Gisbergen won the Cup race in Mexico City and is not in the field while series points leader William Byron is only a No. 9 seed. The tournament boasts matchups in the first-round of past Cup champions (Kyle Busch-Brad Keselowski), former teammates (Briscoe-Gragson), and even best friends (Bubba Wallace-Daniel Suarez).

The idea for the challenge was largely championed by Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 champion who floated the idea of a mid-season tournament on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast. When NASCAR bought into the idea and announced the creation of the tournament last year, Hamlin called the tournament on social media “such a win for our sport and drivers.” He jokingly added, “I will collect my 1M royalty next season.”

Hamlin’s on deck and clearly a favorite to win it all, with three wins this year for Joe Gibbs Racing and the top seed.

(And let’s not haggle over who gets credit in court.)

“I’m a sports guy, so I’m going to be engaged with it,” Hamlin said. “I’ll know who I will have to beat next week. I’ve told the team, we are going to try and do what we can. We are going to be up against it because we are going to tracks that aren’t very favorable to me. But we are going to try to do our best to beat that one car for the next four to five weeks.”

NASCAR will present the tournament winner at Indianapolis with a ring, jackets, trophy and — oh yeah, a million bucks.

That’s enough cash to get anyone’s attention — even Elliott’s.

“I don’t know what you get. You get anything,” Elliott asked.

“Oh, a million dollars to the winner? Then yeah, we want to win.”

___

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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

NASCAR Cup Series icon Carl Edwards has sent a warning to Chase Elliott after hearing the Hendrick Motorsports star’s latest interview regarding his 2025 campaign and playoff hopes

Carl Edwards has issued a warning to Chase Elliott about the precarious nature of the NASCAR Cup Series playoff cut line, given that the Hendrick Motorsports star hasn’t seen a win in 2025.

Currently ranked fifth in the Cup standings, Elliott’s lack of victories this season puts the 29-year-old at risk of missing the cut if 16 different racers cross the finish line before the playoffs. Elliott boasts nine top-ten finishes, including consecutive top-five results in Mexico City, where Shane van Gisbergen emerged victorious, and Pocono, won by Chase Briscoe.

The Cup star seems on the brink of a regular-season win, and Elliott has expressed confidence that his No. 9 can reach Victory Lane before the playoff deadline.

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“I think so. When I look at today, I feel like we were just right there, one little adjustment away from being right with Ryan (Blaney) and Denny (Hamlin), I felt like,” Elliott said when asked if he feels a win is near.

“I feel like it’s all well within reach, we’ve just got to piece it all together at the same time. It’s hard to be mad about top-fives. It’s not what we’re after, but certainly looking for more.”

However, NASCAR icon Edwards, who narrowly missed out on a Cup title during his racing career, cautioned Elliott about the playoff cut line should he remain winless in the 2025 regular season.

“He’s a winner, he’s a champion. He wants to be in Victory Lane. That interview tells me that,” Edwards said on Elliott’s admission.

“It’s so tough because consistency in the history of the sport is so important.

“But right now, as we talked about that cut line, 160 (points) might not be enough.”

Elliott admitted to making some expensive mistakes at Pocono, especially with Turn 3 being a tough spot.

“I think we’ve been capable of doing that in other weeks, so I’m not surprised by it, truthfully (back-to-back top fives),” he candidly shared.

“At the same time, it’s not what we’re here to do either, so just got to be a little better. I was really proud of the effort from where we were yesterday. We missed pretty bad yesterday.

“So to get our NAPA Chevy back, just in contention, and really gave ourselves a shot… I thought (turn) three was my weak point, I just never could get comfortable over there, and especially late in the run, just made too many mistakes.

“It was a solid day, not what we’re after, but on to Atlanta.”

NASCAR’s in-season challenge has arrived, but what exactly is it all about? But before we get into specifics, let’s be clear that this has no bearing on the actual championship in any way, shape or form.

The purpose of this bracket-style tournament is simply to provide some added excitement and engagement for fans, while also awarding a $1 million dollar prize to the driver who actually wins it.

Your next question is likely about how it works. Well, the top 32 drivers in points (as of three weeks ago) get to take part. So no Shane van Gisbergen, who only broke into the top-32 after winning in Mexico City. Each week, two drivers will face off against each other in a bracket similar to what you’d see for March Madness. To advance forward, a driver simply has to finish ahead of whoever they are facing that week. Points scored are not a factor in the final outcome.

This tournament lasts five weeks for the entirety of TNT’s run as they plan to broadcast a handful of NASCAR Cup races this summer between Prime Video and NBC. It will go through Atlanta, Sonoma, Chicago, Dover, and end with the final two drivers facing off in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. 

Denny Hamlin is the No. 1 seed, but in case you were looking to bet on a long shot, the No. 32 seed is Ty Dillon. Now, here’s a look at who is actually facing who this weekend:

Round 1 matchups — NASCAR Cup at Atlanta (EchoPark Speedway)

Denny Hamlin vs. Ty Dillon

Kyle Busch vs. Brad Keselowski

Alex Bowman vs. Joey Logano

Bubba Wallace vs. Daniel Suarez

John Hunter Nemechek vs. Josh Berry

Chase Elliott vs. Austin Dillon

Ross Chastain vs. Erik Jones

Christopher Bell vs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Chase Briscoe vs. Noah Gragson

Ryan Preece vs. William Byron

Ryan Blaney vs. Carson Hocevar

Kyle Larson vs. Tyler Reddick

Michael McDowell vs. AJ Allmendinger

Ty Gibbs vs. Justin Haley

Zane Smith vs. Austin Cindric

Chris Buescher vs. Todd Gilliland

Facing extreme heat and intense on-track competition, the red-liveried Sailun-supported Lynk&Co 03 TCR race car powered through the infamous “Green Hell,” showcasing the exceptional endurance and grip of Sailun’s race-spec tyres across the 24 hours of the race. It is the largest motorsport event in the world with more than 140 teams with 450 drivers from 34 countries  competing and 280,000 spectators around the course celebrating a motorsports festival that is one of a kind.

“This is more than a race – it’s one of the ultimate tests of tyre performance,” said Yan Chuang, race driver and media influencer from China. “To finish strong in such harsh heat conditions at the Nürburgring, with its unpredictable terrain, weather conditions and relentless pace, is a testament to Sailun’s smart engineering and the resilience of their compound technology.

Despite soaring track temperatures pushing teams to the limit, the Sailun tyres delivered consistent lap times, minimal degradation, and superior handling through day and night shifts. The red car, already a fan and media  favorite, captured attention not only for its bold aesthetics but also for its relentless pace and reliability throughout the marathon.

“The official number of the car was 827 – a very meaningful combination as “8” represents a lucky number in China and “27” being the foundation year of the Nürburgring in 1927. The 25.3 km configuration of the Grand Prix Track and the historic Nordschleife provides the most demanding, longest and most challenging race track in the world. Until today the famous seal of quality “Nürburgring approved” represents the benchmark in global automotive testing and developing2, comments Stephan Cimbal, Director Marketing Sailun Europe.

The Lynk&Co on Sailun racing tyres finished on position 60 overall and took the podium in the class for alternative fuels as well – an all time first race set up 100% “Made in China“.

Press Contact (Original Photos and further Informations):
SAILUN EUROPE GmbH
Stephan Cimbal,
Director of Marketing Europe
Grosser Hasenpfad 30
D-60598 Frankfurt, Germany
T: +49 15111566780
Mail: stephan.cimbal@sailun-tyres.eu
 

And just like that, NASCAR is on the move … again. AGAIN! Feels like we just got to Amazon Prime, and now the boys are packing their bags and heading to TNT for the next month or so. 

The good news? My mamaw can watch the races again! What a relief. I was so tired of taking notes every week just so I could sound smart during our obligatory Monday morning debriefs. 

Channel 43, mamaw! “The Richard Petty channel!” Have at it. Zach gets a few weeks off now. 

Anyway … what did we all think about Pocono? A lot going on, but also, a typical Pocono race. You go to Pocono, you’re getting a fuel mileage race at the end. That’s just the way it goes at that place. 

Chase Briscoe ain’t exactly the most exciting new winner this season, but he’ll do. That’ll probably be the last time we talk about him today, though. Just being honest. 

We will talk about Natalie Decker, who broke out her red flag bikini to officially start summer. Feels like a natural way to kick off the season, if you ask me. 

We’ll also talk some Prime, Dale Jr., Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, and Tab Boyd – the spotter who insufferably woke NASCAR fired this week because God forbid you say anything negative about Mexico. 

Embarrassing. 

Four tires, enough fuel to get us through all three Tricky Triangle corners, and maybe a tampon for the muckity-mucks at HYAK Motorsprts … Monday Morning Pit-Stop – the ‘Hasta Luego!’ edition – is LIVE!

Typical NASCAR move here

Hate to start this class on a sour note, but the wokes who run the sport have once again left me no choice. 

So, two folks last week got sent to the principal’s office over their not-very-nice comments on the Mexico race weekend. 

Carson Hocevar was caught calling the place a “shithole” during a live video game stream (what a stupid way to spend your time), and was promptly fined $50K and sent to Liberal Finishing School (NASCAR-mandated sensitivity training). 

And while that was stupid in itself, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s spotter – multiple-time Daytona 500 winner Tab Boyd – was FIRED because of this since-deleted tweet:

“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 five minutes. Good area my ass…”

Good God. NASCAR is so soft. Or maybe we don’t even blame NASCAR here. Maybe this was a HYAK Motorsports decision? Regardless, they’re both so soft. It’s incredible. 

This whole sport is just constantly walking on eggshells. They’re all so scared of their own shadows that they don’t dare let anyone say anything remotely controversial without laying down the hammer. 

Tab Boyd actually lost his JOB because he implied that Mexico City wasn’t the best area. That’s it. That’s all he said. 

There are rumors floating around that spotter Tab got hustled by a dude who told him he could turn his US dollars into Pesos, and then just ran away with his money. True story. Objectively, that’s funny. Sort of on Tab to not trust shady people like that outside your hotel. 

But still … that reaction got him fired? Really? Who are NASCAR and HYAK Motorsports scared of offending here? The rabid NASCAR fanbase in Mexico? 

The best part is, they’re both deathly terrified of something that no longer exists. Cancel culture is done. Finished. Kaput. Over with. DONEZO. 

The second Trump retook office last fall, cancel culture died. But not for NASCAR. Not for its woke teams. It’s still 2020 in their eyes. 

Idiots. 

At least Ricky’s handling it well!

The Kyles had a fun weekend at Pocono!

Whoaaaaaaaaaaa Nellie! What an ROI for Ricky! Never a bad day when you turn $4 million into $12 million. Certainly helps ease the blow of losing your spotter. 

OK, let’s sneak back into the states and head to Pocono, where both Kyle Larson AND Kyle Busch had miserable weekends. 

We’ll start with Larson, who actually battled back for a decent finish yesterday, but clearly despises this stupid Next Gen car because it’s cheap garbage:

That would be sarcasm for the folks trying to piece it all together in the back. I don’t think Kyle loves Next Gen racing. I know for a fact that Kyle Busch HATES it, mainly because he’s shit on this new car for two years now. 

Coincidentally, he also hasn’t won a race in over two years. Weird! 

Speaking of KB, he angered all the Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans in Pocono this weekend with this SCORCHING hot take ahead of Dale’s crew chief debut:

Cut down in their Prime, nearly cut in half, and Natalie’s red flag!

Incredible. I know Rowdy wasn’t taking a shot at Dale Jr. – at least that’s what he later said – but still … such a bold move to kinda-sorta shit on anything that has to do with an Earnhardt. 

“Just gonna be a warm body sitting atop the box.” Hey, Kyle, does THAT look like a warm body just twiddling his thumbs and passing the time?

Nope. That looks like a dude down in the trenches with the fellas getting dirty and kicking ass. Dale Jr. is America’s Crew Chief, now. Sorry Larry Mac. This is Junior’s world. 

Piss off, Kyle! 

Couple quickies on the way out. Let’s all pour one out for Amazon Prime, which turned on race fans across America over the past five weeks with a pretty stellar NASCAR debut:

I’ve written about it plenty, so I’m not gonna rehash all the ratings talk here. The numbers are/were the numbers, and the numbers … were a mixed bag. 

NASCAR wants to get younger, and Prime executed perfectly. The audience for the five races? Youngest NASCAR audience in years. YEARS. 

The actual viewership itself? It steadily decreased each week. Again, if you want to really dive in, I wrote about it two weeks ago. Read it. You’ll probably like it. 

Bottom line: NASCAR on Prime was a success in terms of the broadcast and the median age. The viewership numbers left a lot to be desired, but that was expected in Year 1. Next summer will probably be a better gauge. 

Speaking of things getting cut in half, let’s check in with this WARRIOR on pit road yesterday:

My God. Taking a TIRE to the torso is next-level stuff. What a legend. D1 lacrosse player, too! I’m amazed every week that stuff like this doesn’t happen more often. You don’t realize how close these dudes are to the action until you venture onto pit road yourself. 

But they still have a job to do and a tire to CHANGE. Get your ass up, dust yourself off, and get SVG back on track in an appropriate amount of time. And that’s what this legend did. 

Bet he’s a BIG B2 bomber guy! You don’t take a tire to the chest like that without having some Republican in your blood. 

OK, that’s it for today. We’re off to Atlanta next week. TNT’s got the next five races, for those wondering. 

Channel 43, mamaw!

Take us there, Natalie.