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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
NASCAR Saturday schedule at Nashville Superspeedway
The Xfinity and Cup series will be on the concrete of Nashville Superspeedway for nearly eight hours of nonstop practice, qualifying and racing Saturday. The action on the 1.333-mile oval will begin at 2 p.m. with Xfinity practice leading into qualifying. The Cup cars will be on track from 4:35-6:30 p.m. for practice and qualifying for Sunday's race. Advertisement The Xfinity race will begin at 7:30 p.m. Defending winner John Hunter Nemechek is absent from the entry list, but 2022 winner Justin Allgaier is in the field along with Cup veteran Ross Chastain, who won the Coca-Cola 600 this past Sunday. Nashville Superspeedway schedule (All Times Eastern) Saturday, May 31 Garage open 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. — Cup 12:30 p.m. - 12:45 a.m. — Xfinity Track activity 2 - 2:55 p.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App) 3:05 - 4 p.m. — Xfinity qualifying (CW App) 4:35 - 5:35 p.m. — Cup practice (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 5:45 - 6:30 p.m. — Cup qualifying (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 7:30 p.m. — Xfinity race (188 laps, 250.04 miles, Stage 1 at Lap 45, Stage 2 at Lap 90; CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) Weather Saturday: Mainly sunny with a high of 83 degrees and winds from the north-northwest at 10 to 15 mph. It's expected to be 79 degrees with a 7 percent chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jordan Beck's leaping catch
Briscoe on pole for Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 Leading the field to green is a "great opportunity" for Chase Briscoe after winning pole for the Coca-Cola 600 and looks forward to showing the No. 19's speed in the longest race of the Cup Series season. 1:18 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
NASCAR free agency: What we're hearing about Trackhouse, Connor Zilisch, Kaulig and more
NASCAR's Silly Season — that time of year when drivers and teams are looking to solidify their plans for the next year and speculation about potential moves ramps up — can often be quiet at the onset, giving the feel that no notable major free agency moves will occur. And then, something out of nowhere drops, causing a ripple effect across the Cup Series landscape. Advertisement Quiet is how things presently stand for this year's version of Silly Season — 'very, very quiet,' according to one executive whose team is often in the middle of NASCAR's free-agency period. 'Crickets' is how another industry source described it. This time, though, the expectation from sources throughout the industry is that Silly Season will remain rather uneventful. That's primarily because four of NASCAR's biggest teams — Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing — essentially have their driver lineups locked in for 2026. Not much change is anticipated among many other teams either, for various reasons (drivers in the middle of contracts, sponsorship, performance, etc.). Still, there are things to keep an eye on into the summer, when many deals are brokered and contracts signed. Let's take a look at the drivers and teams to watch. The big domino this Silly Season is Trackhouse. The Justin Marks-owned team has four drivers under contract and only three spots on its Cup roster — one of which is taken, with Ross Chastain still under contract for multiple years and delivering exceptional performance. Jockeying for the other rides are Daniel Suárez, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch. The former two are currently teammates with Chastain in Cup, while the latter is a promising rookie in NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series. Both van Gisbergen and Zilisch have term remaining on their respective contracts, with Suárez's contract up at the end of the season. And, ultimately, it may come down to just this factor — letting pending free agent Suárez, who sits 30th in points, walk to promote Zilisch. Of course, it may not be this straightforward. Suárez is well-liked within Trackhouse, has sponsorship, and is more proven on ovals than van Gisbergen, who, in just his first full Cup season, has largely struggled with this type of racing after years focusing exclusively on road courses. Trackhouse could decide that van Gisbergen, who is three spots behind Suárez in the points standings, has hit his ceiling as a NASCAR driver and opt to retain Suárez. All of that is predicated on Trackhouse promoting Zilisch. And this is no sure thing. He'll turn just 19 in July, and he's in his first full season competing at NASCAR's national level. Another year of development isn't necessarily a bad thing. And even if he stays in Xfinity full-time, Trackhouse would continue to provide Zilisch limited Cup starts with its fourth part-time entry. Advertisement 'We'll see what his future holds, but right now we have a mechanism in the company to put that extra car out,' Marks said. 'We just want him to get that experience. No expectations for results or anything like that. 'We have the opportunity to give him the learning experience, and we'll continue to do that. The Cup Series is a different sport than the Xfinity Series. It is just so, so difficult. The only way to learn is to go out there and do it.' Keeping Zilisch in Xfinity for another year also effectively allows Trackhouse to kick any major decisions down the road. This pathway would allow Suárez to keep his ride while also giving Marks more of a sample size to see whether van Gisbergen can adapt to ovals. Then, next year, Trackhouse could decide on whether to retain Suárez or van Gisbergen. Marks told The Athletic that no decisions have been made about Trackhouse's 2026 roster, and the team hasn't even started contemplating it. Something to keep in mind, though, there are three street/road courses in the upcoming seven races, giving van Gisbergen a strong chance to score a win. Should he cash in, it would go a long way to firming up his future with Trackhouse for next year. '(Road courses) are where everyone expects us to perform,' van Gisbergen said. '… It's been a big learning process the last couple of months. It'll be nice to have a break and turn right.' A superstar, championship-contending driver like Denny Hamlin being in a contract year would usually generate plenty of discourse on his future. Except in this case, there is a high probability he re-signs with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he's spent the entirety of his 20-year career. Hamlin said as much last week when asked where negotiations stood. 'Working on it,' Hamlin said. 'Should be something done somewhat soon.' Advertisement Seemingly, no Silly Season overview is complete without mentioning Kaulig Racing, whose driver lineup often is in flux from year to year. It came as no surprise, then, that AJ Allmendinger was uncertain about his status for next season — he has bounced between Kaulig's Cup and Xfinity programs in recent years — when asked by The Athletic. Allmendinger said he wasn't sure where things stood, but was happy to do whatever team owner Matt Kaulig and president Chris Rice thought best. But while Allmendinger may be unclear, Rice left no doubt which series Allmendinger will be competing in next year, saying that '100 percent' Allmendinger will remain as driver of Kaulig's No. 16 Cup entry. Keeping Allmendinger in Cup makes sense considering how much he's elevated the team's performance. He is currently ranked 18th in the standings, just 13 points behind the provisional cutoff to make the playoffs. Ask someone in the garage what they think of 23XI Racing reserve driver Corey Heim and the likely response is that he's both ready for and deserving of a full-time Cup ride. The soon-to-be 23-year-old has 15 Truck Series wins in 75 career starts and impressed in limited Cup starts. 'He's going to be a Sunday Cup guy,' said Hamlin, 23XI co-owner. 'There's no doubt in my mind about it. He's going to be with 23XI for the long haul.' But while Heim will likely be in Cup full-time someday, it won't be next year. Instead, he'll continue to race full-time outside of Cup (with spot Cup starts mixed in) while waiting for an opportunity to materialize. Currently, that opportunity isn't there. 23XI's 2026 lineup is set with Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst all under contract. That makes 2027 the earliest timeline for Heim to secure a full-time Cup ride. '(Heim is) doing everything (he's been) asked to,' Hamlin said. 'He's in the building multiple times per week, working on his craft, continuing to get better, waiting on the opportunity. And he knows he's got a long-term future with 23XI Racing, and he's happy with that. And he's happy with the development process that we have set out for him in the future. But, ultimately, there's only three cars, three charters that we're allowed to have, and so we have to figure out in the future where we go with that.' Other names to watch (listed alphabetically): Aric Almirola, Corey LaJoie, Jesse Love, Sam Mayer, Chandler Smith (Top photo of Connor Zilisch hugging Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
NBC Sports
a day ago
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
How to watch Sunday's Cup race at Nashville: Start time, TV info and weather
After completing its longest distance of the season in the Coca-Cola 600, the NASCAR Cup Series will race Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway, which produced its longest race in duration last year. The 2024 race lasted a marathon 4 hours, 3 minutes and 54 seconds because of five overtimes that extended the distance by 31 laps — an OT record for the Cup Series. Joey Logano capitalized on his sterling fuel conservation to earn the victory that locked the No. 22 Ford into a playoff run to last year's championship. Logano, Kyle Larson (two) and Denny Hamlin (three) have won the past six Cup races on concrete surfaces. Larson is the only Cup driver with four top 10s at Nashville since the track returned to the circuit in 2021. The Hendrick Motorsports star's has a personal-best average finish of 4.5 at Nashville. Halfway through the 26-race regular season, eight drivers have clinched playoff spots with victories. Coke 600 winner Ross Chastain became the third driver in the past four races to earn his first victory of 2025. Dustin Long, Details for Sunday's Cup race at Nashville Superspeedway (All times Eastern) START: The command to fire engines will be given at 7:09 p.m. ... The race is scheduled to begin at 7:19 p.m. PRERACE: The Cup garage will open at 4 p.m. ... Driver introductions are at 6:30 p.m. ... The invocation will be given at 7:01 p.m. ... The national anthem will be performed by Sgt. Elizabeth Marino, 2D Marine Aircraft Wing Band at 7:02 p.m. DISTANCE: The race is 300 laps (399 miles) on the 1.333-mile oval. STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 90. Stage 2 ends at Lap 185. ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 39 cars entered at Charlotte. TV/RADIO: Prime will broadcast the race starting at 6:30 p.m. ... Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage. FORECAST: WeatherUnderground — Partly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon, a high of 83 degrees and winds from the west at 5 to 10 mph with a 40 percent chance of rain. It's expected to be 80 degrees with a 24 percent chance of rain at the start of the Cup race. LAST TIME: In a key moment during his championship season, Joey Logano seized the lead in the third overtime and hung on to lead the final nine laps through two more overtime restarts.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
From Watermelon Fields to NASCAR Fame: The Unstoppable Rise of Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain's story is one that blends humble beginnings with high-speed glory—a tale rooted in the watermelon fields of Alva, Florida, and now roaring across the NASCAR circuit. As an eighth-generation watermelon farmer turned professional race car driver, Chastain's recent victory in Charlotte is not just another win on the board—it's a celebration of resilience, determination, and unwavering dedication. Before he became a household name in motorsports, Chastain spent his early years working on his family's farm, learning the value of sweat and perseverance. While his hands were once stained red from watermelon harvests, today they grip the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing Team. His path to NASCAR's premier level was anything but easy. With no major funding or family racing dynasty backing him, Ross had to earn every opportunity with tireless effort. On the track, Chastain is now regarded as one of NASCAR's most tenacious and unpredictable talents. Known for his aggressive yet calculated driving style, he made national headlines in 2022 with his wild 'video game move' at Martinsville—riding the wall on the final lap to gain several positions and clinch a spot in the Championship 4. That single move went viral and earned him a permanent place in NASCAR lore. In the 2023 season, Chastain proved that his success was no fluke. He finished second in the Cup Series standings, showcasing consistency and speed across a range of tracks—from superspeedways like Talladega to road courses like COTA. His victory at the Nashville Superspeedway last season marked a turning point, affirming him as a serious title contender. Prime Time Victory: Ross Chastain Wins Charlotte | Stacking Pennies Now, in 2024, his win in Charlotte cements his status as a frontrunner once again. It was a race that demonstrated his ability to maintain focus under pressure, expertly maneuvering through pit strategy and late cautions to seize the checkered flag. Off the track, he remains true to his roots. Chastain proudly partners with agricultural companies like Enza Zaden Americas to advocate for watermelon growers, embodying the spirit of the farming community that raised him. Ross Chastain is more than just a NASCAR driver—he's a symbol of how authenticity and ambition can fuel extraordinary success. From dirt-covered boots to fireproof suits, his journey from the fields of Florida to the front lines of racing is not just inspiring—it's still unfolding, and it's thrilling to watch. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
