NASCAR at Talladega 2022 Results: Chase Elliott Wins, Advances to Round of 8
Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott won the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Sunday and earned an automatic berth in the Round of 8 in what was NASCAR's fifth playoff race of the season.
It marks the second time that a playoff driver has won a playoff race this year. Prior to Sunday, Tyler Reddick was the only other playoff driver to win one of the first four races, with Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher winning the other three.
Elliott entered Sunday's race ranked seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings with 3,045 points. Team Penske driver Joey Logano, who entered ranked No. 1 with 3,071 points, finished 27th.
YellaWood 500 Leaderboard
- Chase Elliott
- Ryan Blaney
- Michael McDowell
- Ross Chastain
- Denny Hamlin
- Erik Jones
- Todd Gilliland
- Daniel Suárez
- Austin Cindric
- Chase Briscoe
Full results available at NASCAR.com.
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings
- Chase Elliott: 3,103 points
- Ryan Blaney: 3,101 points
- Ross Chastain: 3,097 points
- Denny Hamlin: 3,090 points
- Joey Logano: 3,087 points
- Kyle Larson: 3,087 points
- Daniel Suárez: 3,081 points
- Chase Briscoe: 3,069 points
- Austin Cindric: 3,069 points
- William Byron: 3,058 points
- Christopher Bell: 3,036 points
- Alex Bowman: 3,015 points
Ryan Blaney won Stage 1 with a strong push from fourth place to pass Denny Hamlin and secure 10 stage points.
Blaney entered Sunday's race ranked No. 4 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings with 3,056 points.
Elliott earned the Stage 2 victory, passing Kyle Larson on the outside to claim 10 stage points. It was a similar move to the one he made on the final lap to win the race.
The race saw a number of lead changes and just six cautions, but it was Blaney and Elliott dueling for the crown on the final lap.
Blaney was the race leader when the caution flag came out on Lap 181 as Daniel Hemric's car stalled on pit road. When the race restarted on Lap 187, Blaney held the lead until Elliott made a move to the outside of the track for the victory.
"It was a wild last couple laps," Elliott told NBC after the race (h/t Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports). "I wasn't super crazy about being on the bottom and fortunately got just clear enough off of two and was able to slide up in front of Erik."
Had Blaney won, it would have been his first victory of the season.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will move to Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course next weekend for the Bank of America Roval 400.
Jordan Anderson Airlifted to Hospital from NASCAR Truck Race with Burns After Crash
NASCAR Truck Series driver Jordan Anderson was airlifted from Talladega Superspeedway after he was involved in a crash at Saturday's Chevy Silverado 250.
Anderson's No. 3 truck had an engine issue that caused the vehicle to catch fire. He came to a stop along an inside wall and exited the truck.
According to the Associated Press, the 31-year-old suffered burns, but the full extent of his injuries is not yet known.
One of his teammates told Fox Sports' Jamie Little he was "in a lot of pain." According to Little, he was transported to a medical facility in Birmingham, Alabama.
This was Anderson's fifth start of the 2022 Camping World Truck Series season. He has 138 appearances under his belt, with two top-five finishes and six top-10s.
In addition to his duties as a driver, Anderson owns his own team, Jordan Anderson Racing, which runs in the truck and Xfinity Series.
Chase Elliott Rips NASCAR's Next Gen Car, Says Safety Standards Have Gone 'Backward'
Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, spoke out Saturday against the Next Gen car due to his belief that the cars aren't sufficiently protecting drivers.
According to the Associated Press, Elliott said:
"These types of incidents that result in injuries ... I'm not a doctor, but I've watched a lot of cars back into the wall and the guy would be fine. No one's immune to it. It could be me next week. It could be any of my peers or fellow competitors. I just hate to see us go backward, and I'm afraid that we have."
Elliott's comments came in the wake of Alex Bowman, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, suffering a concussion last week after the rear of his car hit a wall at Texas Motor Speedway.
There has been a rash of injuries in NASCAR's top series this season. In addition to Bowman's concussion, Kurt Busch continues to deal with a concussion, and Cody Ware is racing despite a broken foot.
Elliott is just the latest high-profile driver to speak out since Bowman got concussed, echoing both Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick:
Per the AP, drivers are of the belief that NASCAR needs to soften the back end of the cars. The current design seemingly does not absorb impact like it should, leaving drivers to take the brunt of the blow when the car crashes.
Elliott insisted that the issues with the Next Gen car are unacceptable since NASCAR had plenty of time to work out any potential issues before introducing it at the start of this season:
"Heck, we had plenty of time to test this car and crash it, do all the things that we need to do to ensure that some of these things that are happening now weren't happening. We had a ton of time to do that, and this car was delayed an entire calendar year on top of that. We got an extra year of time to work on it, and we're still in this position.
"There's no excuse for going backward. We have too many smart people, too much technology, too many years of crashing. We should not be in the position we are in. When you come out with a new product, you should take [a step] forward, not stay the same or go backward, especially in the safety category."
The concern among drivers has perhaps been ratcheted up this week since the YellaWood 500 will be held Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, which is as fast and susceptible to crashes as any track on the schedule.
Sunday marks a key playoff race in the Round of 12, as drivers are looking to stamp their ticket to the Round of 8, which begins in two weeks at Las Vegas.
NASCAR Legend Jimmie Johnson Announces Retirement from Full-Time Racing
Jimmie Johnson doesn't plan on giving up racing altogether, but his full-time career is over.
The seven-time NASCAR champion told Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press that he's stepping away from a full-time schedule and will only race in "bucket list" events.
“It’s been an interesting process to feel so fulfilled with the experience and then also try to make a decision,” Johnson said. “In the big scheme of things, there is so much life-planning going on with the kids. We’ve always had an idea of trying to live abroad for a year or two. We love Colorado and want to spend more time there, and there’s just so much swirling personally and professionally that I just wanted to take some time and make the decision not on the back of a positive or negative experience on the racetrack.”
The 47-year-old retired from NASCAR after the 2020 season for open-wheel racing. He spent the last two years racing for Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar, where he had little success. The No. 48 driver had only one top-five finish over the last two years and only two top-10s.
“I do have a desire to go back; it’s just at this point, I know what’s required to do a full schedule, and I don’t have that in me,” Johnson said. “I don’t have that passion that I need for myself to commit myself to a full season.”
Racing in his first Indianapolis 500 this year, Johnson placed 28th. One event—or, rather, one accomplishment—that continues to pique Johnson's interest is The Double, which sees a driver race in both NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 and the Indy 500 on the same day.
Johnson has not competed in NASCAR since his 2020 retirement, but he maintains he'd be open for a potential return in the right situation.
NASCAR at Texas 2022 Results: Tyler Reddick Earns 3rd Win of Season After Rain Delay
Tyler Reddick took the win at the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, his third win of the 2022 season. It was the first race of the round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Joey Logano finished second, while Justin Haley placed third. Reddick was eliminated from the playoffs at the end of the round of 16, so he didn't pick up any points with the win. It's the fourth straight playoff race where a non-playoff driver was victorious. No driver has clinched a spot in the round of eight as of yet.
Here's a look at the leaderboard from Sunday's race and a recap of some of the highlights.
AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 Leaderboard
1. Tyler Reddick
2. Joey Logano
3. Justin Haley
4. Ryan Blaney
5. Chase Briscoe
6. Erik Jones
7. William Byron
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Kyle Larson
10. Denny Hamlin
Full leaderboard available at NASCAR.com
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings
1. Joey Logano
2. Ross Chastain
3. William Byron
4. Kyle Larson
5. Ryan Blaney
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Daniel Suarez
8. Chase Elliott
9. Chase Briscoe
10. Austin Cindric
11. Christopher Bell
12. Alex Bowman
Full standings available at NASCAR.com
The tricky course at Texas Motor Speedway caused problems for the drivers early and often Sunday. A caution flag was waved when Martin Truex Jr. spun and ran into the wall.
Soon after the restart, another caution came out when Kyle Busch was involved in a crash that ended his day early.
After a couple of more cautions were brought out for crashes by Alex Bowman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Christopher Bell and Cole Custer, Kyle Larson took the win in Stage 1. The incident-filled first 105 laps set the tone for the rest of the day as further chaos ensued.
Early in Stage 2, Bell spun out for the second time. His pit crew was unable to get the repairs done in time, ending his race.
Not long after that, Cody Ware was involved in a scary wreck. He was able to get out of the car on his own, but he was placed on a stretcher and taken in an ambulance to the in-field care center. After he was evaluated, he was cleared to be released.
Chase Elliott emerged as the leader after the restart, but his day surprisingly came to an early end when he ran into the wall on turn No. 4, which proved to be problematic for most drivers Sunday.
Ryan Blaney ended up taking the win in Stage 2. Before the final stage could really get going, a red flag was brought out because of rain and lightning in the area. The delay gave the drivers a much-needed break to meet with their crews and reassess their strategies while dealing with the slick racetrack.
After nearly an hour, engines were fired up once again and drivers quickly resumed battling. Tyler Reddick took an early lead with Erik Jones fighting him for the top spot. The 12th caution of the day was brought out when Chris Buescher blew a right rear tire on turn No. 4.
Kevin Harvick emerged as the leader after the restart, but it wasn't long before he had tire issues of his own that caused him to run into the wall.
Truex took the lead after the race went green. But once again, the leader was not safe, as Truex lost a tire and got into the wall. It brought out the 14th caution flag, which broke the record for Texas Motor Speedway. Denny Hamlin also spun after contact from William Byron.
Hamlin was not happy, as he believed Byron wrecked him on purpose while they were under caution.
Stenhouse moved into first place out of the caution, but Reddick made an aggressive move and passed him for the lead.
Another caution came out when Stenhouse spun into the wall and made contact with Austin Cindric, causing him to lose control. The race barely restarted before Aric Almirola got loose and ran into the wall, bringing out the 16th caution of the day.
Reddick faced a challenge from Logano during the final stretch of the race, but he managed to hold him off to earn the win.
The second race in the round of 12 playoffs will be the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway next Sunday, Oct. 2, at 2 p.m. ET.
NASCAR at Bristol 2022 Results: Chris Buescher Earns 2nd Cup Series Win of Career
Chris Buescher took the checkered flag at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race in Bristol, Tennessee, on Saturday night.
Buescher's win is just the second of his NASCAR Cup Series career. He previously won the Pennsylvania 400 as a rookie in 2016. The 29-year-old is the third straight non-playoff driver to win in the Round of 16, joining Bubba Wallace and Erik Jones.
This race was also notable for being the final leg of the first round of the playoffs, with the field being cut from 16 to 12 based on the point standings after this result.
Kevin Harvick, the 2014 Cup Series champion, was first on the cut line coming into Bristol. He was 35 points behind Austin Cindric in the No. 12 spot. The other three drivers facing elimination—Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon and Chase Briscoe—were all within nine points of advancing.
Briscoe put himself in a good position to make a move after qualifying in the No. 2 spot. Aric Almirola, who did not make the playoff field, won the pole position.
Bass Pro Shops Night Race Final Leaderboard
1. Chris Buescher
2. Chase Elliott
3. William Byron
4. Christopher Bell
5. Kyle Larson
6. Ross Chastain
7. A.J. Allemndinger
8. Cole Custer
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Kevin Harvick
Full leaderboard available at NASCAR.com.
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings (Total Points)
1. Chase Elliott (3,040)
2. Joey Logano (3,025)
3. Ross Chastain (3,020)
4. Kyle Larson (3,019)
5. William Byron (3,015)
6. Denny Hamlin (3,013)
7. Christopher Bell (3,013)
8. Ryan Blaney (3,013)
9. Chase Briscoe (3,009)
10. Alex Bowman (3,007)
11. Daniel Suárez (3,007)
12. Austin Cindric (3,006)
Full standings available at NASCAR.com.
This was the best performance of Buescher's career and a banner night for RFK Racing with Brad Keselowski.
Buescher began the race from the No. 20 position and climbed all the way up to the top spot in the first stage. He wound up blowing by his previous career-high total for laps led set earlier this year.
Chase Elliott was the only driver who finished within one second of Buescher (0.458 seconds). Keselowski fell off the pace in the final stage after experiencing issues with his car. He ultimately finished 13th overall, but he did get a point bump from winning the first stage.
Elliott's second-place finish and seven bonus points in stage two pushed him all the way up to first place in the playoff standings. The Hendricks Motorsports star began the day 12 points behind Christopher Bell for the top spot, but he's now 15 points ahead of No. 2 Joey Logano.
Things got very close for Dillon after the second stage. He was one point behind Daniel Suárez for the 12th and final spot.
Some of the drama was gone by the final stretch of the race, as Suarez wound up finishing in the 19th spot and Dillon was No. 31 in the standings.
Briscoe was the only driver on the brink of elimination who was able to climb out of the bottom four. He racked up 15 points in the two stages and finished 14th in the race. The 27-year-old moved up to ninth overall in the point standings.
Tyler Reddick fell from the 11th spot in the playoff standings to No. 13 and missing the cut after another rough outing. He finished 25th in Bristol, coming on the heels of a 35th-place finish at Kansas last week.
The first race in the Round of 12 playoffs will be at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 25.