Late cautions lead Kyle Larson to his first 2023 victory at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 on Sunday.
The NASCAR Cup Series raced at Richmond Raceway this past weekend for its first short-track race of the season. Over the next few weeks, the NASCAR Cup Series is hitting all the short tracks. By the end of this short track swing, tempers will flare as the series heads down to Talladega Superspeedway at the end of April. A fun stretch for fans to watch.
How does NASCAR reduce the chaos on overtime restarts at road courses? This commentary explores possible solutions for consideration. The answer is not an easy one.
The NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas/COTA was one of the best races in a long time, providing good racing action for everyone, The race showcases varying pit strategies, red-hot battles on the track, and drivers having to walk the delicate tightrope between running hard enough to hold position while trying to conserve fuel. Sadly, the entertainment value of the race came undone at the end with a late caution leading to several overtime restarts and chaos.
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 12: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Shingrix Toyota, lead the field on a pace lap before the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 12, 2023, in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Week four is now in the books and sets the stage for the NASCAR Cup Series Power Ranking after their race at Phoenix Raceway.
In November, Phoenix will host the NASCAR Cup Series championship race, where the series’ top drivers are contending for the 2023 championship. This past weekend, the series visited the same track for the United Rentals Work United 500, the fourth race of the regular season. It was another race dominated by Hendrick Motorsports, as Kyle Larson and William Byron were the class of the field for most of the day. Later on, Kevin Harvick nearly swooped in for the win, but a late caution gave Byron the edge to bring in his second straight victory. The headlines are on Hendrick now for a different reason, as Larson, Byron, and Alex Bowman were each docked 100 points for a parts violation, a penalty with massive implications. Even with the penalties, the Hendrick Byron and Larson duo cannot be denied their spots in these rankings.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 25: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 Lenovo/ThinkEdge Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on September 25, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Tyler Reddick avoids tire troubles to win at Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 on Sunday.
The second round of the 2022 playoffs kicked off with a 500-mile race at Texas Motor Speedway. It was a hot weekend that limited the handling ability of several next-gen racecar drivers. Texas Motor Speedway’s surface is extremely slick, and it seems that drivers have to tiptoe around this track to avoid spinning out. With a NASCAR Cup Series championship on the line, we will see which drivers throw caution to the wind with aggressive driving and strategies heading into the Round of 12.
