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By NAPA
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 UniFirst team qualified 10th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The 30-year-old driver finished the first stage in 12th and followed that up with a 14th-place finish in stage two. During the final stage, Elliott was running ninth when crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call to pit early. Fresh tires put Elliott on offense, and he quickly made up ground. He cycled to the lead and was scored second at the time of a caution on lap 311. Elliott remained in the top three from there, and after the last caution of the race came out on lap 324, he cleared for the lead on the restart and didn’t look back, earning his 22nd career Cup Series victory. It was Elliott’s second Cup Series win at Martinsville and his first points-paying victory of the season. Elliott moved up to fourth in the Cup Series points standings. He is now 104 markers behind the leader.
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 UniFirst team qualified 10th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. When the green flag dropped, Elliott battled for ninth but got stuck in the outside lane and settled into 13th. On the long, green-flag run, the 30-year-old driver regained some ground. He advanced to 11th before ultimately ending the first stage in 12th.
During the stage break, Elliott reported that the No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet was “swingy.” Crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. A fast stop by the team put Elliott 10th for the choose. He opted for the inside of row six, taking the green flag for stage two in 11th on lap 96. He was in the same position when the yellow flag was displayed on lap 105. Staying out, Elliott lined up 13th for the restart after choosing the preferred bottom lane. From there, Elliott continued to run inside the top 15, with the remainder of the stage going caution-free. He took the green-and-white checkered flag to end stage two in 14th on lap 180.
Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott reported positive feedback on the No. 9 UniFirst Chevy’s balance. After pitting for four tires and fuel, he lined up 11th to start the final stage on lap 193. Elliott gained positions early, running in eighth for several laps before dropping to ninth on lap 247. He remained there until Gustafson made the call to short-pit on lap 262. Elliott returned to the track on fresher tires than the rest of the field and quickly gained ground. Eventually, others began visiting pit road, which put Elliott as the leader at the end of the pit cycle on lap 293. He held on with his older tires until the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin made the pass for the top spot on lap 309. The strategy call paid off for Elliott and the No. 9 team when a caution came out on lap 311. Elliott was the second car off pit road following his pit stop but restarted third due to one car opting to stay out. Shortly after the field returned to green, the race was slowed for a multi-car incident on lap 324. Elliott was scored in second at the time of the yellow. He lined up on the outside of the first row for the restart and cleared for the lead on lap 334. Elliott continued to lead while working his way through lap traffic in the closing laps, ultimately taking the checkered flag for his 22nd career Cup Series win.
“It was definitely a team effort. That was awesome,” Elliott said after the win. “We’ve never had a win this early in the season. Just a really great team effort. So proud of Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the whole No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet team. They did a great job all day.
“We took a gamble. We were going to two-stop that last stage. I honestly think it was going to work out good for us either way. Just so proud of this team. Man, they put up with a lot (smiling). They have to put up with me all the time, and I just appreciate them for sticking with me. It’s lot of fun when days like this work out. Thank you to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, Mr. Hendrick, Chevrolet and all of our partners for the support.”
Elliott is now fourth in the Cup Series points standings, 104 markers behind the leader.
Start / Finish: 10 / 1
Points Standing / Total: 4th / 249 pts. (-104)
Next Race: Sunday, April 12, Bristol Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM or PRN
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By NAPA
Mason Massey delivered a breakthrough performance Saturday night, earning his first career victory in the ARCA Menards Series West (AMSW) Oil Workers 150 at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Making his debut with Bill McAnally Racing (BMR), Massey drove the No. 19 Mongoose Power Solutions Chevrolet SS to the win with a patient, calculated drive that culminated in a decisive late-race move and a composed overtime restart.
Starting fourth, Massey wasted little time moving forward, quickly settling into the fight near the front and showing strong pace on long green-flag runs. As the race progressed, he steadily closed the gap to the leader and remained a fixture inside the top group despite mid-race changes in track position. Following the stage break, the No. 19 team made a half-rotation track bar adjustment and checked tire pressures, giving Massey improved balance and confidence as the event moved into its final stretch.
With the laps winding down, Massey worked his way back toward the front and made his move late, powering off Turn 2 to take the lead. A late caution pushed the race into overtime, setting up a high-pressure finish, but Massey stayed composed and executed a clean restart. He cleared the field into Turn 1 and held control through the closing laps to secure the victory.
The win marked a milestone moment for Massey in his first start with BMR and highlighted the team’s continued strength in the series. The victory was also the organization’s 101st overall and its first at Kern Raceway since 2019. With Massey and teammate Hailie Deegan both showing front-running speed, the duo is shaping up to be a major threat in the AMSW as the focus shifts toward Phoenix Raceway next week.
“Man, I’m so grateful for the opportunity to come jump in the BMR ARCA West program full-time,” Massey said after his win. “I came over here to compete for wins and championships, and we found victory lane in our first race! I can’t thank Bill (McAnally) enough along with all of our great team members in Roseville. We put this deal together thanks to Mongoose Power Solutions, Brunt Workwear, and
link hidden, please login to view, I couldn’t do this without them. This is only the beginning of success for our team and we’ll enjoy this one before a short turnaround to Phoenix on Thursday.” Start / Finish: 4 / 1
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 47 pts. (+5)
Next Race: Thursday, March 5, Phoenix Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: 6:00 p.m. ET on
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view team started off DAYTONA 500 week strong with a victory in Duel Two on Thursday night, which set them up for a fourth-place starting position for the Great American Race. Elliott finished 18th in each of the first two stages in Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race. In the final stage, the 30-year-old driver restarted from the eighth row with just four laps to go following a caution. He had a shot at the win, taking the lead on the final lap. However, he got caught up in an on-track incident coming to the checkered flag and ultimately crossed the stripe in fourth. Elliott leaves Daytona International Speedway third in the Cup Series standings, just 15 points behind the leader. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team started off DAYTONA 500 week strong with a victory in Duel Two on Thursday night, which set them up for a fourth-place starting position for the Great American Race. From the drop of the green flag in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, Elliott showed he had a Chevrolet capable of winning. He was scored in seventh when the first caution of the race came out on lap five. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called for a fuel-only pit stop. Elliott restarted eighth on lap 12 and continued to race inside the top 10. He was running in the fourth position when green-flag pit stops got underway on lap 50. Elliott assumed the lead on lap 58 before pitting the very next lap for fuel. He ended stage one in the 18th position.
Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott radioed to his team that the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy was a little free. Gustafson made the call for an adjustment during the team’s pit stop for four tires and fuel. Elliott made a second stop under the yellow to top off the tank. The 30-year-old driver took the green flag for the second stage from the 20th position on lap 72. The field went three wide early in the stage, with Elliott running the top lane. Racing got dicey at the front of the field, which ultimately triggered a multi-car incident that brought out the caution on lap 85. Elliott drove through the infield grass to avoid the melee, escaping unscathed. Under the yellow flag, Elliott brought the No. 9 NAPA Chevy to the attention of his crew for a fuel-only pit stop. He was 11th to choose his lane for the restart, ultimately opting for the outside. Once back to green on lap 92, it didn’t take long for the field to go back to racing three wide. Elliott was stuck in the middle lane until he was able to clear to the bottom. He was running in 10th before the bottom lane lost momentum and he was shuffled towards the back of the pack. Tight racing prompted another multi-car incident on lap 124, which Elliott was again able to avoid. The cleanup took long enough that stage two ended under the yellow flag, with the Hendrick Motorsports driver scored 18th.
During the stage break, the team made another stop for four fresh tires and fuel. Elliott lined up on the inside of row four to start the final stage on lap 136. He remained in the bottom lane for several laps as the main pack raced three wide. Elliott kept his Chevrolet towards the front of the field as the race started winding down, but teams still needed to make one last round of pit stops for fuel. The first cars visited pit road on lap 181. Elliott took over the lead just prior to pitting on lap 188. He was scored 15th when an incident brought out the caution with less than 10 laps to go. The team opted not to pit, and Elliott restarted from the outside of row eight with four laps remaining. He stayed in contention and took over the lead on the final lap. However, he was involved in a multi-car incident coming to the checkered flag and ultimately finished fourth.
“It seemed really fortunate to get through the first crash, and that opened the door to somehow get to the lead,” Elliott said after the race. “But then I got pushed clear and I think the No. 38 was behind me and pushed me clear by everybody down the back, and then it was just he and I. We got a good ways out there and we were just in a lot of trouble because momentum had shifted. At that point, I was just on extreme defense, and then from there, I was just trying to defend as best I could without crashing myself, but everybody else ended up crashing anyway. Maybe I should have just wrecked myself trying to block. But, yeah, I hate that. Obviously very close but close doesn’t cut it.”
Elliott leaves Daytona International Speedway third in the Cup Series points standings, just 15 markers behind the leader.
Start / Finish: 4 / 4
Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 43 pts. (-15)
Next Race: Sunday, February 22, EchoPark Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX, SiriusXM or PRN
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By NAPA
The Kasey Kahne Racing
link hidden, please login to view No. 49 team delivered a clutch weekend in Kansas City, posting a podium and a victory during the High Limit Racing doubleheader at Lakeside Speedway. With the season winding down and championship stakes at their highest, Brad Sweet and the NAPA crew rose to the occasion, cutting crucial points from the deficit and keeping their bid for a seventh consecutive national title alive.
Entering the weekend 52 points out of the High Limit championship lead, Sweet and the NAPA team were confident heading into one of his historically best tracks. The night started strong with a second-place effort in Qualifying Group A, placing Sweet fourth in Heat 2. He advanced two positions to secure a Dash berth, where he started and finished third and earned a second row starting spot for the 25-lap Feature.
Sweet battled inside the top three all night, ultimately driving into second late before being edged out in the final corner to finish third, his 16th podium of the season. The strong run trimmed the championship gap from 52 points to 39 heading into Saturday.
Momentum carried over into night two, where the NAPA No. 49 team was automatically locked into the fourth starting spot in Heat 2 thanks to Friday’s podium run. Sweet once again advanced two positions in Heat Race action to earn a spot in the Dash, where he drew the third starting position and finished fourth, securing another second-row starting spot, this time for the $15,000-to-win A-Main.
When the green flag dropped, Sweet immediately charged forward, moving into third within five laps. With 20 laps to go, “The Big Cat” made a stunning move on the bottom groove, passing both leaders in one corner to take command. From there, Sweet never looked back in the NAPA No. 49, leading the final 20 laps en route to a clutch victory and the team’s fourth High Limit win of the season. Sweet also collected a $17,500 payday as the “Durst Dice Roll Driver” of the race.
The Kansas triumph couldn’t have come at a better moment. The NAPA No. 49 team now sits just 30 points behind championship leader Rico Abreu and only 10 points out of second as the title fight intensifies. With only three races remaining, the team turns its attention to a championship-deciding week ahead—racing Wednesday at Lucas Oil Speedway in Missouri before the High Limit All-In Championship Weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, October 17-18.
Start / Finish:
Friday, Oct. 10: 3 / 3
Saturday, Oct. 11: 4 / 1
Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 2,677 pts. (-30)
Next Race: Oct. 15, Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MO
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