Chase Briscoe to provisional P2. Five cars to go.

Denny Hamlin to the provisional pole. Six cars to go.

Wow. Surprisingly great lap for Joey Logano...P3 so far after being off in practice. Seven cars to go.

Nine cars to go in qualifying, including all of the playoff cars. Pretty big moment here in one of the most important race weekends of the season for title contenders.

Looking at the lap averages, it seems to me the best playoff cars from practice are: Byron, Briscoe, Bell (in that order). Not as optimistic about Logano's speed, but...ya know...it's the 22 team in the playoffs, so...

And now add 20- and 25-lap averages to this, too.

William Byron is showing speed in practice today. Fastest in 5-, 10- and 15-lap average so far.

We're about to see playoff driver practice for Vegas. HOWEVER -- it's hotter today than tomorrow's forecast (by 10 degrees) and it's also windy today after a storm system passed through last night. So take these results with a grain of salt.

Kyle Larson on NASCAR going to 750 horsepower for shorter tracks and road courses next season: "I hope you (media) guys don't promote the shit out of it like it's going to fix everything, because it's not way different." (But said it's in a "better direction.") #BluntLarson

He’s still here, folks. At least three more weeks of scaring the field into wondering if he can win it again.

Mixed reviews on my ARCA career so far in @Nascar25Game. I’ll try to clean it up.

Another reason I wish the NASCAR Scene archives were available online, but I wrote a story sometime around 2008 with non-Chase drivers openly talking about how they gave their Chase teammates spots on the track. The practice was largely accepted then, but it all changed in 2013.

Policing playoff manipulation: What's OK, what's not and what will Martinsville bring in two weeks? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6700838/2025/10/09/nascar-playoffs-race-manipulation-elimination/

There’s been a lot of negative sentiment lately here. I’m NOT saying this is the primary reason, but one factor that can’t be overlooked is we’ve already sailed past what is believed to be the most consecutive race weekends in NASCAR history (22) — we’re 24 in with four to go.

The Xfinity Series finish at the Roval was indeed explained in detail on NASCAR’s “Hauler Talk” podcast this week. They also talked about whether Chastain would have been penalized had his move worked (maybe), what DBC said about radio comms and the Custer/Bowman radio chatter.

Penalty report had nothing notable this week. No penalties for any race manipulation stuff.

I’m sure I’m not the first to point this out, but seven of the final eight drivers this year are the same as last year (the only difference: Briscoe in, Reddick out).

NASCAR just announced Chicagoland Speedway tickets will be on sale Friday, FYI.

Thoughts on the Roval: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6692742/2025/10/06/nascar-charlotte-roval-denny-hamlin-ross-chastain-joey-logano-takeaways/

No one in Rounds 1 or 2 needed their win to advance this year. The top 12 drivers in points for Round 1 made it and the top eight drivers in points for Round 2 made it.

Was the Roval a good race?

Getting ready to record on The Teardown with our livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtoakgtG5g8

NASCAR's final eight drivers this season mark a clean sweep for the Big Three organizations: Hendrick three (Larson, Byron, Elliott), JGR three (Hamlin, Bell, Briscoe), Penske two (Logano, Blaney).

Missed the cut for Round 3: Chastain -4 Reddick -12 Wallace -24 Cindric -67

Shane van Gisbergen wins his FIFTH straight road course race -- the final five of this season. He wins by 15.1 seconds and now has the three largest margins for road course wins since 1988 -- all in the same season. Jeff Gordon holds the record with six straight road wins.

Logano's initial reactions after finishing: "Ohhh shit." "Golly, man. Feels good! Good job." Roger Penske congratulated Paul Wolfe for his tire call on the radio.

Chastain tries to take Denny out, takes them both out, Logano passes them both and survives!

Shane van Gisbergen wins again. Now we'll see the final spot.

Gilliland passes Chastain Logano needs one point.

White flag. Chastain passed by Wallace, falls to P17. Logano needs two points.

Two laps to go. Chastain P16 Logano P22 Chastain still +3

Three laps to go. Chastain P16 Logano P22 Chastain +3

Four laps to go. Chastain P16 Logano P23 Chastain +4

Five laps to go. Chastain lost three spots to P16 Logano still P24 Chastain +5

Six laps remaining. Chastain P13 Logano STILL P24 on newer tires Chastain +8 points

Seven laps remaining. Logano is still only P24. Chastain is P13. So Chastain is up by eight points.

Joey Logano gets passed by Ford teammate Todd Gilliland and is pissed and calls him a "dumbfuck." Logano is now eight points behind.

Chastain is told of Logano's strategy. Sounds like he's staying out with nine laps to go on older tires. Logano has gained one spot and is six points behind.

Chastain has not gotten any word yet on pitting...he is P13 while Logano is P24. Chastain is up by eight points with 10 laps remaining.

Logano suddenly pits with 10 laps to go. Is this the move that gets him in? Will Chastain counter with tires a lap later or stay out??

SVG retakes the lead with 11 laps to go.

Chastain passes Logano for P13. Chastain back within two points of Logano with 12 laps to go.

Larson takes the lead again as SVG drops to P3 behind Bell. 13 to go.

SVG nudges Larson for the lead and Larson slams him in response. And now more contact for the lead.

Logano up by six points with 14 laps remaining.

Update: Logano just put two cars between himself and Chastain by passing Elliott and Stenhouse. Then Chastain passes Stenhouse. So now Logano is up by five points with 16 to go.

Chastain driving hard to catch Logano ahead of him. P16 vs. P17. But he's still four points behind with 17 to go.

After Ross Chastain's second pit road mistake of the day, he is now -6 on the cut line to Joey Logano with 18 laps to go. Logano P19 Chastain P22

"I put it in the wrong... (silence?)" Chastain says.

HOLY CRAP -- Ross Chastain speeding penalty!!!