NASCAR National Series News & Notes – New Hampshire Motor Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series

New Hampshire’s Magic Mile sets the stage for the NASCAR Cup Series

When it comes to wildcard events on the NASCAR Cup Series 2022 season schedule, look no further than this weekend’s Ambetter 301 on July 17 at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Not only is the unique short track a one of a kind on the schedule, but it has also produced a large number of longshot winners starting outside the top-20.

A NASCAR Cup Series driver has started outside the top-20 and went on to win the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway 10 different times (20% of the total races). New Hampshire is tied with Charlotte Motor Speedway for the third-most winners starting outside the top-20 in the NASCAR Cup Series (with 10 each); behind only Daytona International Speedway with 12 and Richmond Raceway also with 12. Last season’s winner, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola started from the 22nd position, and with 13 different winners, this season New Hampshire Motor Speedway could very well stir up some magic and produce a 14th.

Eight winners from last season are still looking for their first victory this year – Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell, and AJ Allmendinger. Of the eight, Brad Keselowski, a two-time winner at New Hampshire (2014, 2020), and Aric Almirola (2021) are the only former Magic Mile winners. But keep in mind, Christopher Bell has won the last three consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series races at New Hampshire (2018, 2019, 2021) and Martin Truex Jr. (2005) and Brad Keselowski (2012, 2014) have also visited Victory Lane in the Xfinity Series at the 1.058-mile track.

Whole lotta Magic in the Mile at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was August 13, 1989. The 1.058-mile paved oval is located on approximately 1,200 acres and the multi-use complex is the largest sports facility in New England. Speedway Motorsports, Inc. agreed to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre on January 11, 2008, and then renamed the track New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The first NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was on July 11, 1993, and won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace driving a Team Penske Pontiac (105.947 mph, 02:59:45).

There have been 50 NASCAR Cup Series races held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; one per year from 1993 through 1996 and two per year from 1997-2017. In 2018, the track reverted back to just one event per season.

The 50 NASCAR Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway have produced 22 different pole winners and 25 different race winners. Ryan Newman leads the series in poles at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with seven (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011 sweep, 2013). Four of the 22 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway are active this weekend, led by RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski with four poles (2010, 2013, 2014, 2019).

NBC Sports TV analyst and former driver Jeff Burton (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick (2006, 2016, 2018, 2019) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with four victories each.

Seven of the 25 NASCAR Cup Series New Hampshire Motor Speedway winners are active this weekend.

All the on-track activity begins on Saturday, July 16 with practice from 11:35 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. ET, directly followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 12:20 p.m. ET. Catch the entire broadcast of practice and qualifying at 11 a.m. ET on the NBC Sports App or just qualifying on the USA Network at noon ET.

Standings leader Chase Elliott looks poised for a second career title

Hendrick Motorsports’ driver and 2020 series champion Chase Elliott just grabbed his series-leading third win of the 2022 season at his home track – Atlanta Motor Speedway, and in the process has widened his NASCAR Cup Series driver standings lead to a stout 47 points over second place Ryan Blaney with just seven races to go in the regular season. Elliott looks poised this season to grab his second series championship and join Kyle Busch as only the second active driver with multiple titles.

This season Elliott has collected three wins (Dover, Nashville, Atlanta-2), five stage wins, six top fives and 13 top 10s. Plus, he leads the series in Playoff points with 20 this season.

Looking to New Hampshire this weekend, Elliott has made eight series starts at 1.058-mile track posting one top five and two top 10s. He finished 18th in this race last season.

Seven Races To Go: Playoffs loom as regular season reaches its final stretch

When drivers and teams start doing the math, a Playoff appearance isn’t adding up for many unless they win over these last seven races. A total of 13 different drivers have secured their spot in the Playoffs with a win this season, leaving just three spots open on points as the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend.

Seven former NASCAR Cup Series New Hampshire winners are entered this weekend and three of them are outside the Playoff cutoff and looking for a win this season – Kevin Harvick (17th in the Playoff points outlook, -19 back from the cutline), Aric Almirola (18th in the Playoff points outlook, -42 back from cutline) and Brad Keselowski (30th in the Playoff points outlook, -257 back from the cutline).

But also keep in mind, first-time winners happen at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. Five drivers have won their first NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway including Joey Logano (2009), Clint Bowyer (2007), Ryan Newman (2002), Robby Gordon (2001), and Joe Nemechek (1999).

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick heads to New Hampshire riding a 62-race winless streak that dates back to Bristol in 2020. The 46-year-old veteran is looking to return to his winning ways and lock himself into this season’s Playoffs.

“The flat-track stuff definitely has been good for us, and we’re going there (New Hampshire) knowing we’re going to have some options to move around the racetrack and be able to kind of hunt for a line that works for our Ford Mustang,” said Harvick.

Harvick is currently just outside the Playoff cutline, 19 points back from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell in the 16th and final postseason transfer position on points. In jeopardy is Harvick’s consecutive Playoff appearance streak of 12 straight seasons, currently the longest among active drivers. But New Hampshire has been one of Harvick’s better tracks. In 38 series starts, he managed to wrestle away four wins (2006, 2016, 2018, 2019), 13 top fives, and 22 top 10s. He finished sixth in this event last season.

But one of the most interesting developments to watch over the next seven races is if RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski can pull out a win this regular season and put the Playoff bubble and drivers around it in a precarious position. Keselowski has won at least one race a season the last 11 seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series and though he has switched to a new team this year, one would expect the 2012 series champ to work his hardest to keep the streak alive. With that said, if Keselowski wins from the 30th position in points, where he currently resides in the postseason outlook, he would then bounce Christopher Bell out of the Playoff transfer position and move Truex down to that spot drastically increasing points difference at the cutline. Keselowski finished third in this event last season and in total has made 21 series starts at New Hampshire posting two wins (2014, 2020), nine top fives, and 14 top 10s.

Aric Almirola, in his final season, returns to New Hampshire to go back-to-back

Prior to the start of the 2022 season, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola announced this year would be his last in full-time competition in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“I truly enjoy driving race cars and I’m excited to race my heart out in 2022 for Smithfield and Stewart-Haas Racing,” Almirola said in a statement released by Stewart-Haas Racing. “But to be the best in this business, you’ve got to be selfish, and for the last 37 years my life has always revolved around me and what I needed to do. I want to be present. I want to be the best husband and father, and that to me means more than being a racecar driver. So, it’s one more year where I’m all in on racing, where we’ll do whatever it takes to compete at the highest level. But when the season is over, I’ll be ready to wave goodbye.”

Now, the veteran from Tampa, Florida returns to the site of his last win, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, needing a win, like last season, to get into the Playoffs. Following Atlanta last weekend, Almirola resides in 18th in the postseason outlook, 42 points behind Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell in the 16th and final transfer spot on points. If Almirola wins this weekend, he will become the fifth different driver to win consecutive races at the Magic Mile; joining Jimmie Johnson (2003 sweep), Kurt Busch (2004 sweep), Matt Kenseth (2015 fall, 2016 spring), and Kevin Harvick (2018, 2019).

Last season, Almirola started from the 22nd-position and raced his way up to the front leading the final 20 laps en route to the victory. It was the third win of his 15-year career and the first not on a superspeedway. In total, Almirola has made 19 starts at New Hampshire posting one win, three top fives, and five top 10s.

NASCAR’s history in New England

Among the six states that make up New England (Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire), the NASCAR Cup Series has competed in four of them for a total of 116 races.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

Tyler Reddick signs with 23XI Racing in 2024 – 23XI Racing announced this week the organization has signed current Richard Childress Racing driver Tyler Reddick to a contract starting in 2024 season. Reddick will continue driving for the No. 8 RCR Chevrolet team this season and next before transition to 23XI Racing.

“I’m thrilled to have the chance to join this team and look forward to how I can contribute to the organization,” said Tyler Reddick. “23XI has accomplished a lot in the less than two full seasons they’ve been in the garage, and I can’t wait to be a part of that continued success. Until then, my focus remains on my current team, winning races and being competitive.”

Tyler Reddick is currently 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings this season. He has put up one win (Road America), two stage wins, five top fives, and seven top 10s.

New England Patriot David Andrews named Honorary Pace Car Driver at NHMS: On Sunday, July 17, David Andrews, center and co-captain for the New England Patriots, will get behind the wheel of the official Toyota Camry TRD pace car as he leads the field to the green flag for the Ambetter 301 NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my 30th birthday,” said 29-year-old Andrews whose birthday is July 10, just one week prior to the Ambetter 301. “I’m a big NASCAR fan, but I never dreamed of driving the pace car. Leading the field to green at ‘The Magic Mile’ is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel!”

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Xfinity Series ready for some magic at New Hampshire  

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will be heading to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Crayon 200 on Saturday, July 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR radio for the 18th race of the 26-race regular season.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be hosting its 35th NASCAR Xfinity Series race this weekend. The previous 34 races have produced 19 pole winners and 26 race winners. Nine races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Busch in 2017.

Fans have seen Cup Series regular Christopher Bell take the Xfinity win at New Hampshire the last three consecutive races (2018, 2019, and 2021), but to no one’s surprise, it’s veterans Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick that hold the most records at the New England track. Busch currently sits as the winningest driver with six victories, has led the most laps (740), set the race record in 2009 at 111.925 mph and the qualifying record in 2013 at 131.916 mph, while Harvick has had the most lead lap finishes (11) and most top 10s (11). Both drivers are tied for most top fives at nine.

Among the drivers entered this weekend, none have previously won at the 1.058-mile track, guaranteeing the fans will see a first-time New Hampshire Motor Speedway Xfinity Series winner.

The Xfinity Series will kick off its weekend with practice at 5:05 p.m. ET followed by qualifying at 5:35 p.m. ET on USA Network and streamed on the NBC Sports app.

RCR’s rookie Austin Hill gets second win of 2022, sets focus on Playoffs

One driver feeling red hot coming out of Atlanta last weekend was Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, who grabbed his second win of his NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie season (Daytona, Atlanta) and now has set his sights on the Playoffs as just the sixth driver this season with multiple wins. Hill also leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings and currently is the only rookie with a win this season and a postseason berth.

Hill stepped up his skills this season behind the wheel of the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. In 17 series starts, he has put up two wins, eight top fives, and 10 top 10s.  Hill has also accumulated 11 Playoff points.  

Looking ahead to New Hampshire, Hill will be making his series track debut at the 1.058-mile track. But he does have two starts at New Hampshire in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a best finish of 22nd.

JR Motorsports stable looks strong for the Magic Mile   

Although there is not a NASCAR Xfinity Series driver entered in this weekend’s Crayon 250 that has won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports might have a good shot of sending one of their drivers to Victory Lane on Saturday.

Justin Allgaier seems to be making his way up the ladder one year at a time in New Hampshire. Although it was Bell that took home the victory last season, Allgaier wasn’t too far behind and pulled off a runner-up finish. In 2019 (there was no 2020 race due to the pandemic), Bell once again took the win and Allgaier finished in third after Cole Custer. In his 10 starts at the one-mile track, he’s posted two top fives and seven top 10s and he’s proven his skills with other one-mile tracks this season, posting a 10th-place finish at Phoenix.

Teammate Josh Berry has only one start at New Hampshire (top-10 finish in 2021), but he’s no rookie when it comes to one-mile tracks. He took home the checkered flag earlier this season at the Monster Mile in Dover and finished in the third position at Phoenix. Berry has been on his A-game this season, posting two wins, five top fives and seven top 10s in the last eight races so it’s just a matter of time before fans see him in Victory Lane once again.

Noah Gragson also isn’t too shabby on one-mile tracks. He has two starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway posting one top-10 finish. Earlier this season, he was victorious at Phoenix’s one-mile track and finished in the top-five at Dover, a track where he’s posted two top fives and five top 10s in his seven starts.

Playoff crunch time in New England  

With only nine races left in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season, time is of the essence for competitors vying for a spot in the 12-driver Playoff field as yet another repeat winner found himself in Victory Lane last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

All but one of our 2022 Xfinity winners have secured multiple wins this season – Ty Gibbs (four), AJ Allmendinger (two), Justin Allgaier (two), Noah Gragson (two), Josh Berry (two), Austin Hill (two) and Brandon Jones (one).

Of the remaining drivers currently above the Playoff cutline, a few have come close to a win this season to clinch their spot.

JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer, currently in the eighth position in the standings, has posted eight top fives and nine top 10s in his 17 starts this season. His best finish this season has been third three times (Richmond, Texas and Charlotte) and he has posted a fifth-place finish at Dover’s one-mile track.

Right behind Mayer in the ninth position sits Riley Herbst who has been pretty consistent, posting top-10 finishes in all but five races this season. He’s had one start in New Hampshire and finished in 10th last season.

Sliding into the 10th place position in the series driver standings is last season’s champ, Daniel Hemric, who has had an up-and-down season thus far, but ran well at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last season putting up a third-place finish. Earlier this year, he had a top-10 finish on a similar-sized one-mile track at Phoenix.

In the final two slots inside the postseason cutline are RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg in 11th (+81 points) and Kaulig Racing’s Landon Cassill (+80 points) who are separated by a mere point.

Our Motorsports’ driver Anthony Alfredo is currently ranked 13th in the Playoff outlook following Atlanta, 80 points back from Cassill in the final postseason transfer spot.

Of the drivers below the Playoff cutline heading into this weekend at New Hampshire, Myatt Snider (7.0) has the best average finish at the 1.058-mile track, followed by Brett Moffitt (9.0), Jeb Burton (11.0), Brandon Brown (16.5) and Jeremy Clements (18.0). Alfredo and Sheldon Creed will be making the series track debuts this weekend.

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Julia Landauer to make Xfinity debut in New Hampshire – New York native Julia Landauer will attempt to make her debut this Saturday, July 16 for the Crayon 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the No. 45 Boss Beauties/Garage XYZ Chevrolet for Alpha Prime Racing with crew chief Frank Kerr.

Landauer is making her debut after finishing fifth in the 2020 NASCAR Euro Series championship, the highest finish ever for an American driver in the series.

Byron back for JR Motorsports – This weekend NASCAR Cup Series Hendrick Motorsports’ driver William Byron will be pulling double duty at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend competing in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series events.

Byron, the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, returns to the series this weekend piloting the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with crew chief Jason Stockert.

Byron has made one series start at the Magic Mile posting a third-place finish.

Big Machine Racing taps Ty Dillon for New Hampshire – Big Machine Racing has called upon the expert skills of Ty Dillon to pilot the No. 48 Chevrolet this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the Crayon 200.

This will be Dillon’s first start with Big Machine Racing and second of the 2022 Xfinity Series season. He made one other start this year with JD Motorsports at Road America – he finished 37th.

Dillon has four career Xfinity Series starts at the Magic Mile posting two top 10s and an average finish of 14.7.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

A week to prepare, then off to Pocono Raceway for the regular season finale

Following an action-packed race on the multi-elevational Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last weekend, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have this weekend off to prepare for the regular season finale next weekend at Pocono Raceway – the CRC Brakleen 150 on Saturday, July 23 at noon ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

The following eight drivers have clinched a spot in the 10-driver postseason field: Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Chandler Smith, Stewart Friesen, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes, and Carson Hocevar.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the sixth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger or Matt Crafton.

• Grant Enfinger: Would clinch with 8 points
• Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 37 points
• Derek Kraus: Could only clinch with help
• Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Derek Kraus or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fifth winless driver in the standings.

• Grant Enfinger: Would clinch with 27 points
• Matt Crafton: Could only clinch with help
• Derek Kraus: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone at Pocono Raceway: Grant Enfinger, Matt Crafton, Derek Kraus, Tyler Ankrum, Matt DiBenedetto, Tanner Gray, Chase Purdy, Colby Howard, Timmy Hill

The following drivers could clinch with a win:

• Lawless Alan: Would clinch with 60 points
• Hailie Deegan: Could only clinch with help
• Dean Thompson: Could only clinch with help
• Austin Wayne Self: Could only clinch with help
• Jack Wood: Could only clinch with help
• Spencer Boyd: Could only clinch with help
• Kris Wright: Could only clinch with hel

Can Clinch Regular Season Championship

Additionally, the Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:

• Zane Smith: Would clinch with 2 points
• John Hunter Nemechek: Could only clinch with help
• Chandler Smith: Could only clinch with help

Parker Kligerman, Henderson Motorsports take the checkered at Mid-Ohio

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course saw part-timer Parker Kligerman dominate his way into Victory Lane with Henderson Motorsports. This is his third win of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career and first on a road course. This also marks the team’s third win in its Truck Series program’s history (all with Kligerman) and their first since 2017.

Kligerman was very honest about what has gone into getting a win with this team and why it means so much.

“We’re part-time for a reason. We do this on a fraction of a budget against the teams were up against,” said Kligerman. “We don’t have the funding of a full team. We got to maximize our resources, do the best we can and make sure the places we go, we have our ducks in a row. It’s rewards like this that make it huge for us.”

He also attributes the engine model ran in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to not only their success but being able to run races at all.

“This series in the last five years has become incredibly cost-efficient, and it starts with the engine deal that happened a couple of years ago which basically saved this race team,” stated Kligerman. “I don’t think we’d be here without that deal. It changed the whole makeup financially in such a large way.”

He went on to state how in a lot of ways, the trucks series offers more to learn about the Cup series as opposed to the Xfinity series.

“There’s no equipment discrepancy here (in the NCWTS). It is so tight just like in Cup where all the cars are almost exactly the same now. This is very similar whereas you have more equipment discrepancy in Xfinity at times.”

Although Kligerman’s part-time status will not allow him to be eligible for the Playoffs after this win, it will certainly pay dividends in potentially putting a full schedule together for 2023. Henderson Motorsports has continuously put more and more races together as their program has aged.

Zane Smith continues to rule the road, can taste regular season title

Staying consistent to this season’s trends, Zane Smith ended his Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course race last weekend with a front-row finish – runner-up. This gives him an average finish of 1.667 at road courses this season, the best in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It is also the best average finish for a Truck Series driver since the series increased the number of road courses from one to three in 2021. While certainly a small sample size of seasons to compare to, Zane Smith has still put on one of the most remarkable road course stretches in recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history.

While undoubtedly the king of road courses in 2022, Zane Smith was also only three points away from clinching the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Regular Season Championship. Finishing second to Parker Kligerman, the driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford would have sealed the regular season title had he placed one spot higher and won the race this past weekend. In his first year with Front Row and third year running full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Smith has earned three wins, nine top fives, and 13 top 10s in just 15 races.

Smith can clinch the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Regular Season Championship with just two points next weekend at Pocono Raceway and claim the 15 bonus Playoff points that come with it. Smith currently leads the series in Playoff points with 22. If Smith wins the series Regular Season Championship, he would become the sixth different driver to secure the title joining Christopher Bell (2017), Johnny Sauter (2018), Grant Enfinger (2019), Austin Hill (2020), and John H. Nemechek (2021).

Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle trudges on after Mid-Ohio

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year race continues to be competitive after a rough day for first-year drivers at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Kyle Busch Motorsports’ part-time driver, Corey Heim, retook the top of the rookie standings after starting from the pole and ending in 26^th place on Saturday. The No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports team was able to rake in seven stage points during the race before a transmission issue ended their run six laps before the finish. Heim, having only ran eight of the fifteen total races this season, has still managed to garner two wins on the season. He is also still the only rookie to reach Victory Lane this year and the only other multi-time winner besides Zane Smith. While he is ineligible to compete for a championship, Heim will be in the No. 51 for the rest of the season with hopes of bringing home the rookie of the year honors at the end of the season.

The best finishing rookie on Saturday at Mid-Ohio was Lawless Alan of Niece Motorsports. The 22-year-old from Van Nuys, California finished one lap down in 24^th place. Although not an optimal result, the No. 45 team sits just five points back from Corey Heim in the rookie standings points lead. Heading into Pocono, Alan looks to improve on one of his better finishes from his part-time schedule in 2021, finishing 20th at the track driving for Reaume Brothers Racing. With Heim set to run the rest of the races in 2022, however, Alan will have to outperform his rookie contemporary for the last eight races in the season.

Dean Thompson finished one spot behind Heim on Saturday, bringing home a 27th-place outing at Mid-Ohio. The other Niece Motorsports prospect sits third on the rookie leaderboard with the season almost two-thirds of the way through. Pocono will offer a big opportunity for the No. 40 Chevrolet Silverado team to get back near the top of the rookie standings. Thompson will need to string together a good stretch of races to bring the fight to Heim and Alan in the last leg of the season.

Jack Wood of GMS Racing and Blaine Perkins of CR7 Motorsports both got caught up in an accident at Mid-Ohio that ended their races early on Lap 54. Both drivers also make up the last two spots on the rookie leaderboards, respectively. With Wood 25 points back of Heim and Perkins trailing by 89 points, both drivers must lock in with eight races left in 2022 if they want any shot of taking the rookie title for themselves.

NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Ambetter 301

The Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

The Date: Sunday, July 17

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

The Purse: $7,102,088

TV: USA Network, 2 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 318.46 miles (301 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 70),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 185), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 301)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: Crayon 200

The Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, July 16

The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $1,175,214

TV: USA Network, 2 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 211.6 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Next Race: CRC Brakleen 150

The Place: Pocono Raceway

The Date: Saturday, July 23

The Time: Noon ET

The Purse: $702,702

TV: FOX, 11:30 a.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 150 miles (60 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 15),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 30), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 60)

Sources: NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

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