NASCAR

6:38 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson will open his first year of semi-retirement by racing the Rolex 24 at Daytona as part of an Action Express Racing lineup revealed Friday that should be among the best in the field. The seven-time NASCAR champion will be teamed with Simon Pagenaud, Kamui Kobayashi

4:06 PM ET Associated Press The Daytona 500 will have limited spectators for NASCAR’s season-opening race on Feb. 14. Daytona International Speedway did not specify Wednesday how many spectators will be admitted into “The Great American Race.” Daytona said it will work to accommodate guests who have already purchased tickets to the race. To ensure

2:36 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR will have another new team in 2021 — bringing the total to three new ownership groups in the Cup Series — with the formation of Live Fast Motorsports. The team formally announced Friday is owned by drivers Matt Tifft and B.J. McLeod. McLeod will drive the

8:49 PM ET Just call it manifold destiny. Sunday evening at Phoenix Raceway, the coronation of Chase Elliott became official. The promise that became the potential finally resulted in the payoff. The kid is still a couple of weeks shy of his 25th birthday, but to longtime NASCAR fans he feels so much older than

8:58 PM ET Associated Press Jimmie Johnson strode into the final news conference of his NASCAR career wearing a black hat with “One Final Shot” on the front. Told he was the first driver in the room after Sunday’s NASCAR race at Phoenix Raceway, the seven-time Cup champion had a quick response. “I won something

6:38 PM ET ESPN News Services AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR’s most popular driver is now a Cup champion, too. Chase Elliott took the torch from teammate Jimmie Johnson by winning his first Cup title Sunday, driving from the back of the field to Victory Lane at Phoenix Raceway. The win for Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet

3:47 PM ET Associated Press AVONDALE, Ariz. — Chase Elliott had an early setback in his pursuit of NASCAR’s championship when his car failed prerace inspection Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Elliott was supposed to start on the pole but instead had to drop to the back of the field at the start of the race.

8:05 PM ET Associated Press AVONDALE, Ariz. — Austin Cindric charged on fresh tires to his first NASCAR championship with a gutsy overtime drive Saturday to win the Xfinity Series finale at Phoenix Raceway. Cindric was already headed toward the win when title-favorite Chase Briscoe spun with six laps remaining. It brought out a caution

8:00 AM ET The 2020 version of the NASCAR Championship 4 will be hitting the track Sunday afternoon at the Homestead-Mia … wait … sorry, the Phoenix Raceway for another edition of stock car racing’s best-finisher-takes-the-crown showdown. Though old school NASCAR followers still refer to it as the “new format,” this is the seventh edition

10:41 PM ET Associated Press AVONDALE, Ariz. — Sheldon Creed gambled on new tires for a two-lap overtime and snatched the Truck Series championship away from teammate Brett Moffitt. Moffitt was cruising to his second title in three years when a spin brought out a caution Friday night at Phoenix Raceway. Creed was one of

11:22 AM ET Associated Press Bubba Wallace‘s “knees were trembling” when he cast his ballot in his first presidential election. NASCAR’s only Black full-time driver didn’t watch the news before this summer, one of national unrest over politics and racial justice issues. He tuned in and quickly became an unwitting national activist. Wallace successfully called

7:14 AM ET “This was definitely not how this was supposed to go down.” The greatest American racer of his generation is on the phone. Jimmie Johnson is driving home from the racetrack and he is 100 percent correct. This is not how this was supposed to go down. Not this week. Not this year.

6:46 PM ET Associated Press MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Kevin Harvick’s nearly perfect season came to a spinning and sudden halt on Sunday, when he was bounced from the playoffs in a stunning upset at Martinsville Speedway. Chase Elliott won the high-stakes race to earn his first berth in the championship four. The result knocked Harvick,

6:40 PM ET Associated Press MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Harrison Burton played the spoiler for a second consecutive week by winning Saturday at Martinsville Speedway to disrupt the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs. Burton became the youngest winner in Martinsville history at 20 years, 22 days, breaking the mark set by his father, Jeff, in 1990 when

10:35 PM ET Associated Press MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Grant Enfinger raced his way into the NASCAR Truck Series championship round with a victory Friday night at Martinsville Speedway. Enfinger entered the race in a must-win situation after an engine issue last week at Texas dropped him to sixth in the standings. He overcame 11 cautions

12:37 PM ET On Friday morning the 23XI Racing team unveiled the long-anticipated news of its manufacturer and technical partner, Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing. But what the stole the show was when driver Bubba Wallace and team co-owner Denny Hamlin unveiled their race car, bearing the number and colors made famous by Hamlin’s ownership

11:00 AM ET ESPN Betting Insiders The NASCAR playoffs continue Sunday with the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia (2 p.m. ET). Kyle Busch won in Texas last week — well, the race wasn’t completed until Wednesday due to rain. Who will take the checkered flag this week? Senior writer Ryan McGee, fantasy expert

6:05 PM ET Associated Press The pit crew for NASCAR driver William Byron has been benched because of multiple positive tests for COVID-19. The regular Hendrick Motorsports crew for the No. 24 did not participate in Wednesday night’s race at Texas Motor Speedway and will also miss Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway. The crew for