All articles tagged with #cup series
Kyle Larson maintained his NASCAR Cup Series lead after finishing sixth in the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chase Briscoe won the race, becoming the first driver to win consecutive events in the postseason, but Larson’s stage points kept his advantage at 49. Four races remain in the Chase.
William Byron's run at Bristol Motor Speedway ended prematurely when he spun from the top 10 and struck the inside wall. The incident occurred during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, marking another difficult weekend for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Denny Hamlin preserved a 12-point lead in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase after the Cook Out Southern 500 in Darlington, while Christopher Bell’s win at Darlington moved him within 12 points of Hamlin entering the next Chase race at Gateway. Hamlin finished 18th but earned 16 stage points to limit damage. Unofficial standings after 1 of 10 Chase races place Hamlin at 2,135 points, Bell at 2,123, followed by Ryan Blaney (2,119), Tyler Reddick (2,111), and Chase Briscoe (2,098), among others.
Ryan Preece earned his first Cup Series win in an overtime finish at Daytona, passing Zane Smith on the last lap after a late crash and securing the final spot in the 2026 Chase. The RFK driver’s victory came in his 249th Cup start and helped complete a 16-driver playoff field, with Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric also clinching spots. Daniel Suárez finished second, followed by Tyler Reddick, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The race ended under caution after a multi-car wreck, with van Gisbergen narrowly missing the Chase as the field was set by points.
Denny Hamlin enters the NASCAR Cup Series Chase with a 25-point lead after Daytona; Ryan Preece wins the Coke Zero Sugar 400 to claim his first Cup victory and the final Chase spot, while Austin Cindric also earns a Chase berth. Shane van Gisbergen drops out of the top 16. Unofficial Daytona standings list Hamlin at 2,100 points, followed by Blaney (-25), Reddick (-35), Gibbs (-40), Briscoe (-50), Bell (-45), Larson (-55), Elliott (-60), Logano (-65), Buescher (-70), Suarez (-75), Hocevar (-80), Byron (-85), Wallace (-90), Cindric (-95), and Preece (-100).
Ryan Preece won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona in overtime for his first Cup Series victory, with a chaotic final-lap finish triggered by crashes that also locked in the 2026 playoff field. Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric earned playoff spots while Shane van Gisbergen and Brad Keselowski were left out; the race results featured Daniel Suarez second, Tyler Reddick third, Michael McDowell fourth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fifth as the season regulars concluded at Daytona.
NASCAR released the 2027 calendars for the Cup Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series, highlighting the return of NASCAR San Diego at Naval Base Coronado, the Wheatley Vodka Clash at Daytona, a North Wilkesboro All‑Star Weekend tripleheader, and the season finale at Homestead‑Miami; the schedule includes a Canadian Tire Motorsport Park return, the In‑Season Challenge with a $1 million prize, and coverage across FOX, Prime Video, TNT Sports, USA and CW, with Easter and summer breaks and several venue-date adjustments to balance the season.
NASCAR brings a full weekend to New Hampshire Motor Speedway: the Craftsman Truck Series regular-season finale and Whelen Modified Tour races on Aug. 21-22, followed by the Cup Series Dollar Tree 301 on Aug. 23; on-track practice and qualifying are scheduled across Friday and Saturday with TV coverage on truTV, FS1, USA Network and HBO Max (in-car cams).
Richmond Raceway will host the start of NASCAR’s 2027 championship weekend, with the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS) kicking off The Chase on Sept. 10, 2027, followed by the Cup Series Chase opener on Sept. 11, 2027; the full 2027 schedule, broadcast information and start times will be announced later, with 2026 weekend tickets still available for current events.
Dover Motor Speedway announced the 2027 Cup Series weekend at The Monster Mile, with a 400‑mile Cup race on May 16 and the Bet Rivers 200 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on May 15, plus fan activities; Denny Hamlin will attempt to win his fourth consecutive Cup Series race at Dover, highlighting the weekend’s storyline while renewal and schedule details are shared.
NASCAR will implement a new stage-break procedure for its national series starting at Iowa: if a natural caution occurs in the final 10 laps of a stage, that stage is deemed official at the moment of the caution and the traditional caution process will then serve as the stage break.
The 2027 NASCAR schedule includes a Sept. 25-26 weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with the Cup Series race on Sept. 26—the third race in The Chase—and the Truck Series race on Sept. 25—the first in The Chase; NHMS officials praise fall racing in New England and broadcast details will be announced later.
NASCAR's 2027 Cup Series schedule is shaping up as a mix of nostalgic returns and rotating tracks under a new Chase-era format: The Clash likely moves to Daytona with the All-Star Race possibly at North Wilkesboro; Bristol's night race would shift to August with New Hampshire taking its September slot; Watkins Glen moves into The Chase (Gateway may drop out for late summer); Dover stays as a May points race and Richmond could join The Chase if a midsummer pause is needed; Chicago's street race and San Diego's naval base event remain undecided, with San Diego favored but Chicago still on the table, meaning Chicagoland could be dropped if both appear; no international events are planned for 2027, though fans hope for Mexico City or Montreal in the future.
NASCAR released a preliminary 2027 Cup Series schedule totaling 38 races with several dates announced (Feb 13 Clash at Daytona; Feb 21 Daytona 500; Feb 28 Atlanta; May 30 Charlotte*, July 18 Atlanta; Aug 28 Daytona; Sept 5 Darlington*), but the slate remains fluid as teams consider a Coronado base and a Chicago street course return. The plan also outlines TV coverage: FOX/FS1 will air the first 14 races, Prime will carry the next five, TNT the following five, and USA/NBC the final 14, with updates as more tracks confirm dates.
EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia will host two NASCAR weekends in 2027: a spring weekend (Feb. 26–28) featuring the Cup Series Autotrader 400 and the Truck Series doubleheader (Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 on Feb. 27), and a July 17–18 night-race weekend headlined by the Cup Series Dollar Tree 400 with a Truck Series event; the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will also visit Georgia once in 2027. Season tickets and weekend packages are on sale.