#Kurt Busch

For anyone who is drawn to the sight of fast cars and those who drive them, Saturday nights in the spring and summer mean nights spent watching racing at the local short track. In no place is this truer than Southern Virginia and the Carolinas, the very places where NASCAR racing came to be and where some of the most iconic short tracks in the…

The spotlight will be on one of the newest additions to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule on Sunday at the 2022 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Last year's NASCAR at Austin race featured 10 different lead drivers. Champion Chase Elliott only led for the final five laps, but he returns as the 9-4 favorite to win again in the latest…

With 19 different winners in 2022, you could say it was never easier to win a race in the NASCAR Cup Series. But actually, the opposite was true. Parity and competition meant every checkered flag was as hotly contested as an early November box of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. It left playoff stalwarts like Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex winless…

If your eyeballs did the around-the-world-360 every time NASCAR driver Ty Gibbs showed up for interviews holding a can of Monster Energy last season, then be prepared for many more orbits. Details are forthcoming, but a report on Thursday said the beverage company will play a significant role in sponsoring Gibbs' No. 54 Toyota in his first full Cup…

Mid-week forecasts call for clear skies in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, March 27. That's a big deal for any host city on race weekend throughout NASCAR's 36-week, nine-month schedule. It's especially a big deal this weekend as drivers return to COTA 10 months after a wreck-filled EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix that Kevin Harvick called the "most…

The 2023 NASCAR season will begin soon and we are bound to see new faces at the top. Further below, you will find the NASCAR odds for each race over the course of the year. If you're looking to get an idea of every driver's odds of winning the next NASCAR race, you've come to the right place! We will also provide odds for the NASCAR Cup Series…

It's anyone's race in this year's Daytona 500, but behind clear superspeedway MVP Denny Hamlin, the favorites might be nothing but fool's gold. Find out why we're approaching the top of the odds board with caution in our Daytona 500 picks and predictions. NASCAR is back in full force for 2022, with the legendary Daytona 500 running this weekend. As…

Kyle Larson registered 10 victories en route to the NASCAR Cup Series championship last season but has struggled this year, recording just one win in 18 starts. However, the 29-year-old has posted the second-most top-five finishes with eight and has performed well of late, as he was fourth at Nashville and third at Road America in his last two…

Watkins Glen is the fifth road course race of the 2022 NASCAR season. USA Today It's time to go road racing in New York. Watkins Glen International will play host to the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend. An 11-turn road course in Western New York, Watkins Glen has hosted a summer race every year since 1986 (except for 2020 due to the pandemic). This…

The NASCAR Cup Series' Silly Season front has been quiet as of late but that's mostly due to the abundance of rides already taken. However, the two-feeder series have been busy with a slew of announcements this week. On Thursday, Toyota solidified their plans for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with both Joe Gibbs Racing and Sam Hunt Racing…

Perhaps befitting its New England location, there's nothing flashy about New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The 1-mile oval is nearly board-flat and extremely difficult, with sharp corners that feed into long straights. In a history that dates back almost three decades, Joe Nemechek in 1999, Brian Vickers in 2013 and Aric Almirola last season are as…

The NASCAR Cup Series took another turn last weekend when Pocono winner Denny Hamlin and second-place finisher Kyle Busch were disqualified for failing post-race inspections. It was the first time the winner of a Cup Series race had been disqualified since 1960. Chase Elliott never led a lap, but was deemed the official winner after finishing…

This week, Chase Elliott will try to pull off a feat that has not been accomplished since the legendary Jimmie Johnson was in his prime. Elliott, one of four remaining contenders for the NASCAR Cup Series title, will attempt to become the first driver to win consecutive since Johnson's run of five from 2006 to 2010. Elliott is one of two Hendrick…

Since last year's race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Martin Truex Jr. is the reigning winner of the Toyota Owners 400. The former NASCAR Cup Series champion led 186 of the event's 400 laps en route to recording the first of his seven series victories in 2019. Truex will attempt to become the sixth repeat winner and first since Kyle…

Chase Elliott must have begun thinking his 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship was a curse, as he failed to capture a checkered flag over the first 13 races of the 2021 season. The drought finally ended last weekend, as the 25-year-old won the rain-shortened EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas road course in Austin. After…

The Memorial Day weekend 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was long NASCAR's ultimate test of man and machine, a race that demanded equipment hold up over a five-hour marathon. In that first race in 1960, 24 cars fell out due to failures. But the vehicles have now grown so reliable, we've seen just two DNFs due to failures over the last two 600s:…

Kevin Harvick won his fourth career NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship a year ago after notching seven victories, including one at Darlington Raceway. The 45-year-old opened the playoffs with another triumph on the track and finished the year with a personal-best nine wins. Harvick will attempt to start the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series…

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to Sonoma this weekend for the Toyota Save Mart 350. Our resident experts, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi, dive into several questions - Joey Logano's momentum, why Chase Elliott is such a massive favorite, when to expert retaliation on Ross Chastain… and more! Jeff: Unfortunately for betting purposes, the practice format…

The Daytona 500 takes place Sunday, Feb. 20 (2:30 p.m. ET on Fox), ushering in a new era of Next Gen cars. The Athletic Motorsports' resident experts, Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck, are here to help pick the winners, long shots, winning manufacturer, and more. Denny Hamlin at 8-to-1 is technically "the favorite," but there are several drivers…

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports Fourth NASCAR Crown Jewel Race of the season takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway The first race was held in 2021, as it replaced the Brickyard 400 One of the standout races on the NASCAR calendar takes place this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as the Verizon 200 takes place. The race is the final…

Five races have taken place during the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule thus far, and five different drivers have captured checkered flags. The latest was William Byron, who registered his third career victory and first in 38 starts last weekend at Atlanta. The 2018 Cup Series Rookie of the Year will try to become the first repeat winner of the year…

There are 10 races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. The NASCAR Digital Media editorial team has 10 questions its staff answered. Now you can, too. ALBERT: Aric Almirola. The SHR pilot started solidly with three top 10s in the first three Cup Series races of the year, but his spot on the bubble remains precarious. That perch will…

Alex Bowman overcame a penalty and used a late surge to edge Denny Hamlin for the win at Richmond Raceway last spring. The Hendrick Motorsports driver will hope to repeat when he participates in the 2022 Toyota Owners 400 on Sunday. Bowman received a pit-road speeding penalty in last year's NASCAR Austin race and did not own the lead until after a…

Kyle Larson will begin the defense of his NASCAR Cup Series championship when the new season begins with the 2022 Daytona 500 on Sunday. Larson won 10 races last year, including four of the final five, after recording a total of six over his first eight Cup Series seasons. The 29-year-old has yet to finish in the top five in 15 series starts at…

Kyle Larson will try to become the ninth driver with multiple NASCAR Cup Series victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when he takes part in the 2022 Pennzoil 400 on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The reigning series champion, Larson was runner-up twice in his first nine starts on the track before taking the checkered flag last year. Denny Hamlin, who won…

When the engines start and the green flag flies for the first time, almost anything can happen during a new NASCAR Cup Series season. And last year, it certainly did. Michael McDowell entered the 2021 season having never won a Cup Series race, until the story of his career changed entirely when he won the Daytona 500. Kyle Larson has gone from a…

With just six races left in the Cup Series regular season, a number of NASCAR veterans are still searching for their first victories of the year. Entering the 2022 M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 on Sunday, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney have yet to claim a checkered flag, though all are still in contention for the NASCAR Playoffs.…

Last Wednesday, Kaulig Racing Fan Day solidified two more seats in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup, as Kaulig Racing confirmed that Justin Haley is set to remain behind the wheel of the #31 Chevrolet and current Xfinity Series driver A.J. Allmendinger is set to go from part-time to full-time driver of the #16 Chevrolet. The lineup for next…

Martinsville Speedway has been one of Martin Truex Jr.'s favorite tracks, as he has posted top-10 finishes, including three wins, in 15 of his 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts there. The former series champion will try to capture his third straight checkered flag in the NASCAR Martinsville spring race when he participates in the 2022 Blue-Emu Maximum…

Kurt Busch entered last weekend in a slump, as he had gone 27 starts without winning a NASCAR Cup Series race and finished 16th or worse in six of seven outings. The former series champion ended the drought at Kansas, making it nine consecutive seasons with at least one victory on the circuit. Even though points are not at stake, Busch will try to…

Kevin Harvick has gone 46 NASCAR Cup Series starts without a victory since posting his career-best ninth of the 2020 season at Bristol. If there's a venue at which the 2014 series champion can end the lengthy drought, it's Phoenix Raceway, where he's captured nine checkered flags, his highest total at any track. Harvick will hope to reach…

The new NASCAR Cup Series season officially commences at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, when the 2022 Daytona 500 takes place at 2:30 p.m. ET. Three-time winner Denny Hamlin hopes to make it three victories in four years and pull even with Cale Yarborough for second-most wins in "The Great American Race." Richard Petty took the checkered…

It took until the eighth NASCAR Cup Series race before a repeat winner was crowned last year. The 2022 season has begun with similar parity, as four drivers have won the first four races, with Austin Cindric, reigning series champion Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman and Chase Briscoe capturing checkered flags. Each member of the quartet will be in action…

Every year, the NASCAR Cup Series season begins with an exhibition race known as The Clash. It's an exciting way for the sport to come back from the offseason and generate hype in February before the Daytona 500 arrives later in the month and the season truly gets underway. This year, The Clash is going to be like none before it. Because instead of…

After a busy last couple of days in the NASCAR front in terms of driver announcements, what's now left? On Tuesday, it was revealed that the long-awaited news that Ty Gibbs would replace Kyle Busch with Joe Gibbs Racing on the Cup level has now been confirmed. However, he'll drive the No. 54 instead of the No. 18. On Wednesday morning, it was…

Kyle Busch spun twice in last week's NASCAR race at New Hampshire, finishing 12th and extending a five-week stretch without a top-10. So why is the Joe Gibbs Racing driver the betting on NASCAR odds favorite for Sunday's event at Pocono Raceway? That's because Busch has won four times at the triangular-shaped track, with all of those victories…

The final three spots in the Championship 4 will be decided at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. Joey Logano locked up the first spot in the finale with his Las Vegas win. But non-playoff driver Kyle Larson's victory at Homestead-Miami kept the other contenders from clinching their spot in the title race. With only one race left in the Round of…

Martinsville is the final race in the Round of 8 before the championship race at Phoenix. The final three spots in the Championship 4 will be decided at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. Joey Logano locked up the first spot in the finale with his Las Vegas win. But non-playoff driver Kyle Larson's victory at Homestead-Miami kept the other…

AVONDALE, AZ - We're now in the dawn of the NASCAR season. One chapter closed on Sunday in Phoenix and in 90 days, we'll be back in action in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the 2nd Busch Light Clash in So Cal. NASCAR has not only the longest season in all of sports, but as a result of that, the shortest offseason as well. With that said,…

NASCAR heads out to Sonoma, California for race number 16 of the 2022 season. The race comes from the Sonoma Raceway. The 1.949-mile track does not include the carousel this time around. Kyle Larson is co-favored this week with Kyle Busch at+800 odds in the NASCAR Enjoy Illinois 300 odds. Can Ross Chastain crash the Hendricks/Gibbs battle this week…

All he wanted was a chance. All Trackhouse Racing wanted was a chance. It was a perfect match. However, before you can get to Ross Chastain and Trackhouse making their first Championship 4 appearance in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN), you first have to go back to the 2014 season. Chastain, was…

The 2022 NASCAR playoffs have been whittled down to four contenders after nine races, leaving Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott to battle it out in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. Logano and Elliott are vying for their second Cup Series titles, while Bell and Chastain hope to hoist the Bill France…

Kevin Harvick (4) and William Byron (24) race during the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 10, 2021. The picture is finally becoming clearer in the 2022 NASCAR playoffs. After four races won by drivers outside the playoffs, Chase Elliott was victorious at Talladega last week to punch his ticket to the…

NASCAR drivers will run on the 1.333-mile Superspeedway when the flag drops for the Sunday-evening race beginning around 5:00 pm ET. Larson is a favorite according to Barstool at+600 for this week's tri-oval at Nashville. He won the inaugural race last year while leading a whopping 264 of the 300 laps. The Hendrick Motorsports Racing driver…

CONCORD, North Carolina - Taking the blame for a lack of consistent communication, NASCAR president Steve Phelps said the sanctioning body would begin meeting weekly with its field of 36 drivers. "As great as the Driver Advisory Council has been, nothing is as good as having an all-driver meeting," Phelps said Sunday during the NBC prerace show at…

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., for Sunday's 2022 Wise Power 400. The green flag is set to drop a little after 3:30 p.m. ET (on FOX). Below we analyze the 2022 Wise Power 400 odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and predictions. The Cup Series returns to the California oval after 728 days due to the COVID-19…

Kyle Larson's elimination means a new NASCAR Cup Series champ will be crowned in 2022, and our South Point 400 picks examine who's most likely to make the boldest bid for the crown in the Round of 8. Could it be Denny Hamlin...? Photo By - USA TODAY Sports This NASCAR season's seen plenty of oddities and upset winners throughout its bends and…

The Hollywood Casino 400 may be Kyle Larson's race to lose but our best bet for this weekend's NASCAR event features a head-to-head matchup, where we're getting plus money to fade Kevin Harvick against red-hot Tyler Reddick. The penultimate race of the Round of 8 is here with the Hollywood Casino 400, and a surprise victory is highly unlikely as…

For the second time in three NASCAR race weekends, the sport's premier series visits a road course. And for the second time in three race weekends, Chase Elliott is the NASCAR odds favorite on sports betting apps. The best road course racer of his era, Elliott surely received a boost of confidence by winning last week's rain-plagued event at…

Silly Season is winding down as only a few remaining seats are still open for the 2023 season.