NASCAR

6:31 PM ET Associated Press CONCORD, N.C. — It was a race of desperation. For Christopher Bell, who had to win Sunday to stave off elimination from NASCAR’s playoffs. For reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson, who hit the wall and suddenly found his chances of racing for a second consecutive Cup title in serious jeopardy.

7:45 PM ET Associated Press CONCORD, N.C. — It took two overtimes Saturday for AJ Allmendinger to remain undefeated on the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway and seize the momentum for the next round of the Xfinity Series playoffs. Allmendinger has won four consecutive races on the hybrid road course/oval, as well as back-to-back races

4:02 PM ET Associated Press CONCORD, N.C. — Joey Logano won the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race on The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a lap of 103.424 mph, earning the top starting spot for the third time this season. William Byron, who earned 25 points back from an appeals committee this

3:57 PM ET Associated Press CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR champion Kyle Larson has emerged as a candidate for an Indianapolis 500 ride and said Saturday he has permission from Hendrick Motorsports to run the iconic race if a deal can be completed. Larson told The Associated Press he has spoken to both team owner Rick

1:45 PM ET Associated Press CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR says it had a productive test of its new car and promised drivers that solutions to some of their safety concerns should be implemented by next season. NASCAR’s top leadership held a 75-minute meeting ahead of Saturday’s practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It said it expects

2:47 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The most powerful teams in NASCAR warned Friday that the venerable stock car racing series has a “broken” economic model that is unfair and has little to no chance of long-term stability, a stunning announcement that added to a growing list of woes. The Cup Series is

5:26 PM ET Associated Press CONCORD, N.C. — An appeals panel on Thursday reinstated the 25 points William Byron had been docked by NASCAR for deliberately spinning championship rival Denny Hamlin, a critical decision that helps his playoff hopes. The three-person panel found that Byron did break a NASCAR rule for spinning Hamlin under caution.

5:29 PM ET Associated Press CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR on Wednesday levied a heavy fine against Kevin Harvick, one of the most outspoken drivers about safety concerns on the Next Gen car, for alleged modifications found on his Ford at Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR docked both Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing 100 points each, fined crew chief

3:32 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — AJ Allmendinger‘s NASCAR career will come full circle in 2023 when he returns to the Cup Series full-time to drive for Kaulig Racing. Allmendinger retired after the 2018 season but was lured back into competition by his close friends Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice. The duo was

3:17 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Alex Bowman and Cody Ware will miss this weekend’s NASCAR race because of injuries suffered driving the new Next Gen car. Bowman will miss a second consecutive race with a concussion. Ware said he’s skipping Sunday’s race on The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway because his broken

6:42 PM ET Marty Smith Close ESPN ESPN NASCAR lead reporter Former NASCAR.com senior writer 15 years covering NASCAR Ryan McGee Close ESPN Senior Writer Senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com 2-time Sports Emmy winner 2010, 2014 NMPA Writer of the Year Cody Ware suffered a foot fracture and torn ligaments in a

5:56 PM ET Associated Press TALLADEGA, Ala. — As the stars of NASCAR raged over safety concerns with the new car, rumors swirled the drivers would organize some sort of protest at one of the most dangerous tracks on the circuit. Perhaps they’d outright boycott Talladega Superspeedway. Or maybe they’d send their message to NASCAR

2:10 PM ET ESPN News Services TALLADEGA, Ala. — NASCAR driver Jordan Anderson was airlifted out of Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday with second-degree burns from a crash in the Truck Series race. Anderson’s truck was spinning across the track when flames began shooting from underneath the Chevrolet. The truck continued to spin and slide toward

7:08 PM ET Associated Press TALLADEGA, Ala. — AJ Allmendinger finally won his first race on a superspeedway with a last-lap pass that allowed him to beat Sam Mayer to the Talladega Superspeedway finish line by less than three feet. Allmendinger’s fourth Xfinity Series win of the season locked him into the next round of

1:12 PM ET Associated Press Christopher Bell won the pole for the Sunday race at Talladega Superspeedway, the middle race of the Round of 12 of the playoffs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver turned a lap at 180.591 mph in his Toyota in Saturday qualifying to top reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson, who was in

12:32 PM ET Associated Press NASCAR’s most popular driver says the sport has taken an unacceptable step backward in safety with its new Next Gen car, a rare public offering of opinion Saturday by Chase Elliott. NASCAR’s top drivers essentially have turned into an angry mob as they head into Sunday’s playoff race at Talladega

5:19 PM ET Associated Press Alex Bowman will miss Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway with a concussion that the Hendrick Motorsports driver apparently suffered last week at Texas. HMS said Bowman was evaluated Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina, and ruled out of this weekend’s playoff race. Noah Gragson will drive the No.

4:14 PM ET Jimmie Johnson announced on Monday that he was stepping away from full-time racing. Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images A man walks into an airport, walks up to the giant board titled “Departures,” and with a packed bag at his side, looks upon the dozens of cities listed, knowing that he can board