2024 NASCAR Cup Series

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series is the 76th season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 53rd season for the modern-era Cup Series. The pre-season started with the Busch Light Clash on February 3 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Clash would then be followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races on February 15. The season would then officially kick off with the 66th running of the Daytona 500 (the first points race of the season) on February 19, both at Daytona International Speedway. The season will end with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on November 10.

This is the first season without 2014 champion Kevin Harvick since 2000, as he retired after the 2023 season and joined the NASCAR on Fox broadcast booth in 2024, and the first season since 2011 without Aric Almirola, who stepped away from racing full-time after the 2023 season. In addition, this will be the last season for NASCAR's current TV rights deal, which began in 2015. This will be the last season for Tony Stewart's ownership of Stewart-Haas Racing, as the team announced that they would be shutting down operations at season's end. Gene Haas will fully own the team, with the team being operated by current team president Joe Custer. The team will have one charter and run under the name Haas Factory Team in 2025. This will also be the final season for 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., as he announced his retirement from full-time racing on June 14.

Ryan Blaney of Team Penske entered the season as the defending 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Limited schedule
Notes

Teams

 * Spire Motorsports purchased Live Fast Motorsports' charter for approximately US$40 million. Spire will field a third full-time team in partnership with Trackhouse Racing, who signed 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Zane Smith. LFM will continue to operate as a part-time open team in 2024.
 * Front Row Motorsports switched its technical alliance from RFK Racing to Team Penske.
 * In 2023, it was announced that The Money Team Racing would run five to eight races in 2024. They reportedly planned to participate in the 2024 Daytona 500, but did not attempt the race. The team would undergo an ownership change, being renamed to Team AmeriVet, with the Coca-Cola 600 being the first race the team attempted after the changes.

Drivers

 * A. J. Allmendinger returned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series full time after running a full time season in the Kaulig Racing 16 car. The 16 car now returns to full time car with multiple drivers running it.
 * Justin Haley left Kaulig Racing and moved to Rick Ware Racing. He was replaced by Daniel Hemric.
 * Ty Dillon left Spire Motorsports and returned to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driving for Rackley WAR. He was replaced by Carson Hocevar.
 * Zane Smith joined Spire Motorsports in an alliance with Trackhouse Racing driving the 71 car.
 * Kaz Grala moved up from the NASCAR Xfinity Series and joined Rick Ware Racing making 25 starts with the team and made 1 start with Front Row Motorsports.
 * Kevin Harvick retired from the NASCAR Cup Series after 2023 and joined the FOX Sports commentary booth. Josh Berry replaced him in the 4 car.
 * Aric Almirola retired from the NASCAR Cup Series after 2023 and joined Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Noah Gragson replaced him in the 10 car.
 * Noah Gragson was removed from Legacy Motor Club mid way through the 2023 season. The team fielded multiple drivers in the 42 car to round off the season before fully replacing Gragson with John Hunter Nemechek.
 * Anthony Alfredo joined Beard Motorsports on a part time schedule.
 * Supercars championship leader Will Brown joined Richard Childress Racing's 33 car for a one off race at Sonoma Raceway.
 * RFK Racing entered a 3rd car for the Daytona 500, with David Ragan driving the 60 car for their Stage 60 program.
 * Cam Waters joined RFK Racing in their Stage 60 Program for a one off race at Sonoma Raceway.
 * Corey Heim, current reserve driver for both Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing filled in for the injured Erik Jones at Dover Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. It was later announced that he would be making a start in 23XI's 50 car at Nashville Superspeedway.

Manufacturers

 * Legacy Motor Club switched from Chevrolet to Toyota.
 * Ford Performance switched to the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the 2024 season, replacing the sixth generation Mustang.
 * Toyota Racing Development switched to the XV80 body style for the Toyota Camry in 2024, replacing the XV70.

Sponsorship

 * Anheuser-Busch (Busch Light) signed a multi-year deal to sponsor the Trackhouse Racing No. 1 driven by Ross Chastain for 18 races starting in 2024. Anheuser-Busch left Stewart–Haas Racing following Kevin Harvick's retirement.
 * Smithfield Foods announced that it will not return to NASCAR as a sponsor in 2024, after Aric Almirola announced his retirement from full-time competition. Smithfield sponsored Almirola from 2012 to 2023, as he drove the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports and the No. 10 for Stewart–Haas Racing.
 * AdventHealth will sponsor nine races in 2024 for Legacy Motor Club, split between the No. 43 driven by Erik Jones and the No. 84 driven by Jimmie Johnson. AdventHealth sponsored Ross Chastain's Trackhouse Racing No. 1 in six races during 2023. Dollar Tree and subsidiary Family Dollar will sponsor both the No. 43 and the No. 84, as well as the No. 42 driven by John Hunter Nemechek, in select races in 2024.
 * Hunt Brothers Pizza signed a multi-year deal to serve as sponsor of the Team Penske No. 22 of Joey Logano, starting in 2024. The pizza chain will also act as an associate sponsor for the No. 12 of Ryan Blaney. Hunt Brothers previously sponsored the Stewart–Haas Racing No. 4 of Kevin Harvick, who retired at the end of the 2023 season.
 * Zeigler Automotive Group will sponsor the Spire Motorsports No. 77 of Carson Hocevar for nine races in 2024.
 * The United States Air Force signed a deal to sponsor the 23XI Racing No. 23 of Bubba Wallace for several races in 2024. The USAF previously sponsored Wallace when he drove the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 from 2018 to 2020.
 * Rebel Bourbon signed a multi-year deal to sponsor the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 driven by Kyle Busch. Global Industrial, which sponsors Austin Hill in the Xfinity Series, will also sponsor the No. 8 in select races in 2024.
 * Wendy's signed a multi-year deal as an associate sponsor for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series.
 * Chili's signed a deal as the primary sponsor for Corey LaJoie for the Daytona 500 and as an associate sponsor for three races.
 * Choice Hotels signed a multi-race deal as a primary sponsor with Daniel Suárez for four races, starting with the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas.
 * Walmart signed a deal as the primary sponsor for Justin Haley for The Clash.
 * WorkforceOHSS signed a multi-race and multi-year as the associate sponsor with Zane Smith.
 * Black Rifle Coffee Company, Ranger Boats, TrueTimber, and the Winchester Repeating Arms Company signed a deal to sponsor the Stewart–Haas Racing No. 10 driven by Noah Gragson for multiple races in 2024.
 * Hendrick Motorsports ended their partnership with Hooters after the restaurant chain was unable to fulfill its sponsorship obligations to the No. 9 driven by Chase Elliott.

Teams

 * In 2022, 3F Racing announced that they hope to run the full season with their No. 30 car in the Cup Series in 2024 after debuting in the series part-time in 2023. The team ultimately did not enter any Cup Series races in 2023. On July 18, 2023, the team announced that Xfinity and Truck Series driver Ryan Vargas would be their Director of Team and Driver Development as well as a reserve driver for them when they debut in the Cup Series. On November 5, Frontstretch reporter Jared Haas spoke to the team's owners at the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race and they indicated that 3F could debut in the Cup Series in 2024 and run eight to ten races if they are able to find sponsorship. The team did make their debut in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2023.
 * In 2023, it was announced that Erebus Motorsport planned to enter the Cup Series for five races in 2024, including an oval race with Brodie Kostecki in collaboration with Richard Childress Racing. Due to ongoing contract controversy between Erebus and Kostecki, it is unknown whether or not Erebus Motorsport will still race in the Cup Series or with a different driver. Paul Morris, Kostecki's long–time mentor, later confirmed that the planned races, Sonoma and Chicago being two of the likely races, had been axed.

Drivers

 * On March 11, 2024, Matt Jaskol revealed that he is planning on making his Cup Series debut at the Circuit of the Americas with MBM Motorsports, whom he had previously driven for in the Xfinity Series in 2021 and 2022, but that they would need sponsorship in order to participate in the race. A couple hours before it was announced that Timmy Hill would drive the car, Jaskol stated that he had failed to find sponsorship in time for the race, but that he was still planning on making a start with MBM later this season.

Rule changes

 * Cup Series cars will run a new aero package at all road courses and tracks measuring one mile or shorter (except Bristol Motor Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway). The package consists of a three-inch spoiler, a simplified diffuser and diffuser strakes, the 2023-spec short track/road course splitter stuffers, and no engine panel strakes.
 * All road/street courses in 2024 will have stage-break cautions.

Schedule
The 2024 schedule was released on October 4, 2023 and consists of 31 oval races, 4 road course races, one street track race, and 4 non-championship races to be held on ovals.

Notes: Race names and title sponsors are subject to change. Not all title sponsors/names of races have been announced for 2024. For the races where a 2024 name and title sponsor has yet to be announced, the title sponsors/names of those races in 2023 are listed.

Confirmed schedule changes

 * On November 6, 2022, it was confirmed that 2023 would be the last race on Auto Club Speedway's 2-mile configuration. The track is scheduled to be reconfigured into a short track in the coming years and will not be on the 2024 schedule while it is under construction.
 * On September 15, 2023, Bristol Motor Speedway announced that the spring Bristol race would return to being run on concrete, after the race taken place of dirt the prior three seasons. In the same press release, it was confirmed that Bristol will continue having two race dates; the spring race reverted back to its old Food City 500 name due to the return to concrete.
 * On September 28, 2023, Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced that the Cup Series will return to the oval layout in 2024, in time to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Brickyard 400. The track hosted NASCAR since 1994 and used the oval layout until 2020. From 2021 to 2023, the Cup Series used the grand prix circuit layout.
 * On October 2, 2023, Fox Sports and The Athletic reported that Iowa Speedway was expected to receive a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2024, replacing the race at Auto Club Speedway. A press conference by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds was held on October 3, where she and NASCAR officially announced the inaugural Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway on June 16.
 * The Cup Series will take a two-week hiatus between the Brickyard 400 and the Cook Out 400, as NBC will cover the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Rumored schedule changes

 * NASCAR was rumored to potentially return to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, with the track hosting a Cup Series race for the first time in 2024. The race would have been the first international Cup Series race since the 1958 season. On October 2, 2023, it was reported by Fox Sports and The Athletic that this deal fell through.

Regular season
Exhibition: Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum

The Busch Clash was moved from Sunday, February 4 to Saturday, February 3 in advance of the February 2024 California atmospheric rivers. This resulted in the cancellation of scheduled heat races, as the event was condensed into a one-day practice, qualifying, and race event. Denny Hamlin took the pole for the 23-car field, with notable drivers such as Daniel Suárez, Austin Dillon, Austin Cindric, and Christopher Bell failing to qualify for the 150-lap event. Hamlin led most of the first 50 laps before yielding the lead to Ty Gibbs on lap 50. Gibbs led 84 of the next 91 laps, as Justin Haley, Chase Elliott, and Todd Gilliland all failed to finish due to mechanical issues. Hamlin reclaimed the lead on a restart with ten laps remaining as Gibbs fell back through the field. Gibbs spun with two laps remaining, ultimately finishing 18th. Hamlin held off on the final restart to win.

Daytona Speedweeks

In Daytona 500 qualifying, Joey Logano of Team Penske won the pole and was joined on the front row by Michael McDowell of Front Row Motorsports.

In the Bluegreen Vacation Duels, Logano started on the pole for Duel 1 while McDowell started on the pole for Duel 2. Tyler Reddick won the first duel while Christopher Bell won the second duel.

Round 1: Daytona 500

The Daytona 500 was moved from Sunday to Monday due to rain. On lap 6, John Hunter Nemechek bumped into Harrison Burton, causing a collision involving Carson Hocevar, Kaz Grala, Austin Dillon, Ryan Preece, and Jimmie Johnson in the tri-oval. From the ensuing restart until lap 191, the race was incident-free, with Chase Elliott winning the first stage and Ryan Blaney winning the second stage. On lap 191, as the field entered turn 3, William Byron turned Brad Keselowski into the wall, collecting Blaney, Logano, Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Daniel Hemric, Todd Gilliland, Tyler Reddick, and others, resulting in a red flag. At the white flag, Ross Chastain was turned when Corey LaJoie made contact with Austin Cindric, bringing out the caution. Byron was ahead of teammate Alex Bowman when the caution came out and was awarded the victory. This is the 9th Daytona 500 win for Hendrick Motorsports, tying them with Petty Enterprises for the most all-time.

Round 2: Ambetter Health 400

Michael McDowell started on the pole. On Lap 2, Austin Dillon was turned and collected Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman, Noah Gragson, Josh Williams, Harrison Burton, Daniel Hemric, John Hunter Nemechek, and others. McDowell won the first stage, and Austin Cindric won the second stage as Joey Logano hit the wall along with Chris Buescher and Denny Hamlin. Todd Gilliland impressed with a good performance and led the most laps. Chase Elliott spun after contact with Ross Chastain. Brad Keselowski hit the wall along with Kyle Larson and Corey LaJoie. Chase Briscoe slammed into the wall with Hamlin, which brought out the red flag. On the restart, Josh Berry hit the wall with Elliott and Carson Hocevar. Coming to the finish line, Daniel Suárez edged Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in a three-wide finish for the fourth closest finish in NASCAR history and for his second career win.

Round 3: Pennzoil 400

Joey Logano started on the pole. Christopher Bell and Chris Buescher both hit the wall after a flat tire, with Buescher exiting the race due to the wheel coming off his car. Kyle Larson dominated the race by leading the most laps. Larson also won both stages and secured the victory by holding off a charging Tyler Reddick.

Round 4: Shriners Children's 500

Denny Hamlin won the pole. Austin Cindric sustained heavy damage after contact with Austin Dillon. Tyler Reddick won the first stage, while Christopher Bell won the second stage. Kyle Busch and Hamlin both spun in separate incidents. Joey Logano spun after contact with John Hunter Nemechek and collected Corey LaJoie and Derek Kraus. Martin Truex Jr. attempted pit strategy by pitting early in anticipation of a fuel mileage race, but the leaders had enough fuel to finish, and Bell held off Chris Buescher for the win.

Round 5: Food City 500

Ryan Blaney won the pole. The race was plagued by extreme tire wear. Ty Gibbs dominated the first half of the race and won both stages. The race saw 54 lead changes, the most for a short-track race in Cup Series history. Kyle Busch spun twice with a flat tire. Gibbs was heading to the win until the lapped car of Todd Gilliland slowed down and caused Gibbs and teammate Christopher Bell to lose multiple spots. Denny Hamlin dominated the second half of the race and led the most laps. Hamlin and teammate Martin Truex Jr. stayed out front after the final round of green-flag pit stops and saved their tires. Hamlin was able to hold off Truex for the win, followed by Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, and Kyle Larson, marking the first time since the 2004 MBNA America 400 at Dover that a race ended with 5 or fewer cars on the lead lap.

Round 6: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

William Byron won the pole. On lap 1, Corey LaJoie made contact with Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr. Christopher Bell won Stage 1. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kamui Kobayashi, in his 2nd career Cup Series start, spun after Stenhouse ran into him. Denny Hamlin won Stage 2. In the final stage, Bell made a bold move into turn 1, spinning Kyle Busch. Towards the end of the race, it seemed to be a battle between Byron, Alex Bowman, and Ty Gibbs. However, Bell, with fresher tires, charged through the field but ultimately fell one lap short, allowing Byron to secure the victory.

Round 7: Toyota Owners 400

Kyle Larson won the pole. The race started on weather tires due to the track still being wet from rain. Larson won the first stage while Martin Truex Jr. won the second stage. Kyle Busch got into the wall after a flat tire. Truex was heading to the win until Larson spun after contact with Bubba Wallace, bringing out the caution and sending the race into overtime. Denny Hamlin won the race off pit road and held off Joey Logano and Truex for his second win of the season.

Round 8: Cook Out 400

Kyle Larson won the pole for the second straight race. Larson dominated early and won the first stage. Christopher Bell got a flat tire, bringing the caution out for debris. Joey Logano took two tires and held on to the lead, but started falling back as Denny Hamlin won the second stage. Hamlin and Chase Elliott took turns leading the race, but William Byron pitted a lap before everyone else on the final round of green flag pit stops. John Hunter Nemechek blew a tire and caught fire, sending the race to overtime. On the restart, Byron held the lead and scored his third win of the season.

Round 9: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400

Kyle Larson won the pole for the third straight race. Larson won the first stage while Ross Chastain won the second stage. Christopher Bell spun into the wall, causing Alex Bowman to spin after contact with John Hunter Nemechek. Michael McDowell spun into the wall while battling Chastain for the lead. On a restart, Harrison Burton made a three wide pass for the lead on Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe, which sent the latter two spinning after contact with one another. Ryan Blaney spun into the wall. On a restart, Larson spun which sent the race to overtime. On the first attempt, Denny Hamlin spun while battling Chase Elliott for the lead. On the second attempt, Burton and Kaz Grala spun after contact. On the restart, Chastain got into the wall after contact with William Byron on the final lap as Elliott won under caution for his first win in 42 races.

Round 10: GEICO 500

Michael McDowell started on pole for the second time in his career. Austin Cindric narrowly beat Chase Elliott by inches to win Stage 1, while Joey Logano won Stage 2. The race was incident-free until lap 132 when Christopher Bell crashed out on the backstretch, collecting Justin Haley, Chase Briscoe, and Zane Smith. On lap 151, the Toyota drivers were drafting alone as part of a pit strategy when Erik Jones lost control and hit the outside wall head-on in turn 3, collecting Bubba Wallace, John Hunter Nemechek, and Denny Hamlin, which claimed four of the six Toyotas in the draft. McDowell held onto the lead in the closing laps of the race until the last lap when Brad Keselowski attempted a crossover move from second. McDowell got loose while blocking and wrecked on the tri-oval, triggering "The Big One", which caused Corey LaJoie to flip upside-down. Tyler Reddick evaded the wreck and made a three-wide pass on Keselowski and Noah Gragson to score the win.

Round 11: Würth 400

Kyle Busch won the pole. Brad Keselowski spun after a flat tire as Martin Truex Jr. won the first stage under caution and Kyle Larson won the second stage. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got into the wall after contact with Josh Berry. On the restart, Bubba Wallace got into the wall after contact with Zane Smith and collected Christopher Bell and William Byron. Denny Hamlin led the most laps and held off a charging Larson for his third win of the season.

Round 12: AdventHealth 400

Christopher Bell won the pole. The race was delayed for several hours due to rain. The first two stages ran caution free with Denny Hamlin winning the first stage and Chris Buescher winning the second stage. Austin Cindric got into the wall after contact with Hamlin and collected Bubba Wallace. Jimmie Johnson got into the wall after contact with Corey LaJoie. Joey Logano spun and got stuck in the grass. Fuel mileage came into play late as the leaders slowed down to make it to the end, but a caution came out for a spin by Kyle Busch, which sent the race into overtime and sent the leaders down pit road. On the restart, Buescher took the lead but Kyle Larson edged Buescher at the line at .001, the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history which the record was held by the finish of the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 by Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch, a record that stood for 21 years.

Round 13: Goodyear 400

Tyler Reddick won the pole. Kyle Larson won the first stage while Reddick won the second stage. John Hunter Nemechek spun after two flat tires. On a restart, Ryan Blaney got into the wall after William Byron made contact with Martin Truex Jr. Late in the race, Reddick and Brad Keselowski made contact battling for the lead allowing Chris Buescher to make a three-wide pass for the lead. With 10 laps to go, Buescher and Reddick made contact battling for the lead causing both flat tires on both cars taking both to pit road as Keselowski retook the lead and held off Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry for the win, his first win as an owner/driver (the first since Tony Stewart in 2016), the first win of 2024 for Ford, and snapped a 110-race winless streak, the longest drought of his career.

 Exhibition: NASCAR All-Star Race

In The Open, Ty Gibbs started on pole for the 2nd straight time. In the end, Gibbs led all 100 laps and won the Open and advanced to the All-Star Race with runner-up Bubba Wallace and Noah Gragson, who won the fan vote for the second year in a row.

In the All-Star Race, Joey Logano started on pole. Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made contact on Lap 2 and Busch spun Stenhouse into the wall, taking Stenhouse out of the race and Stenhouse left his damaged car in Busch's pit box. Logano dominated by leading all but one lap and held off Denny Hamlin to win the $1 million for his second All-Star Race win. Busch and Stenhouse got into a brawl by the haulers and the melee caused crew member suspensions and Stenhouse was fined $75,000 for striking Busch.

Round 14: Coca-Cola 600

Ty Gibbs won the pole. William Byron took the first stage and Christopher Bell won the second stage. Noah Gragson spun and slammed into the wall after contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Justin Allgaier, filling in for Kyle Larson who was running the Indianapolis 500, got up to 13th position when a caution came out. Larson arrived in Charlotte during the caution, but was unable to race as the race was red flagged due to rain and lightning and race was called after 249 laps as NASCAR tried to dry the track for over an hour but was not making enough progress to get the race restarted at a reasonable hour, so Bell was given his second win of the season.

Round 15: Enjoy Illinois 300

Michael McDowell started on the pole. Christopher Bell swept the stages. Josh Berry slammed into the wall after his left front tire became flat. Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson got into the wall after making contact taking Busch, the defending race winner, out of the race. Ryan Blaney and Bell battled for the lead until Bell began having engine issues and fell back. Blaney would run out of fuel at the white flag and his teammate Austin Cindric took the lead and won the race, his second career win and breaking a 85-race winless streak, dating back to the 2022 Daytona 500.

Round 16: Toyota/Save Mart 350

Joey Logano won the pole. On Lap 2, Denny Hamlin blew an engine, putting oil on the track. Ty Gibbs got into the wall after a flat tire. Chase Briscoe spun, collecting Logano and Harrison Burton. Tyler Reddick won the first stage while Chris Buescher won the second stage. Austin Cindric spun up the hill, almost flipping over. Josh Berry got into the wall and collected Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Austin Dillon. After the final round of green flag pit stops, Buescher got back to the lead. With 10 laps to go, Martin Truex Jr. took the lead from Buescher and then Kyle Larson took the lead from Truex and pulled away. On the final lap, Kyle Busch spun after contact with Ross Chastain and Truex ran out of fuel while Larson won the race, his third win of the season and second at Sonoma.

Round 17: Iowa Corn 350

This was the first ever NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway. Kyle Larson scored his 4th pole of the season. The race saw multiple tire issues. On lap 51, A. J. Allmendinger got a flat tire and got an early exit. Ryan Blaney won the first stage and Larson won the second stage. On lap 220, Larson got into a wreck with Daniel Suárez sending Larson to the garage and later returned multiple laps down. Blaney, on two tires, held off a charging William Byron to win the race.

Round 18: USA Today 301

Chase Elliott won the pole after qualifying was cancelled due to inclement weather, ending a 39-race streak of having qualifying. Alex Bowman was the first out due to a terminal issue. Christopher Bell won the first stage and Denny Hamlin won the second stage. On a restart, Joey Logano locked up the brakes and got into Elliott, spinning him out. The race was put under a red flag due to weather. NASCAR officials instructed teams to prepare their cars with wet-weather tires. The race resumed and Kyle Busch got into the wall under caution, taking him out of the race. Ross Chastain and Justin Haley went into contact and the race went under caution. On the restart, Michael McDowell spun and collected Ryan Blaney. After Brad Keselowski got into a wreck, the race went to overtime. Bell held on for his third win of the season, sweeping the weekend due to his Xfinity win the day before.

Round 19: Ally 400

Denny Hamlin won the pole. Christopher Bell swept the stages for the fourth time in his career and second of the season. At lap 132, Chad Finchum was the first one out of the race while Ty Gibbs spun after contact with Alex Bowman. The race was red flagged on lap 137 for a weather delay in the Nashville area. After over an hour and a half, the race resumed. Bell spun and got into the wall, ending his dominant day. Brad Keselowski spun into the wall and Chase Elliott spun in the grass, which shook up pit strategy. Carson Hocevar spun Harrison Burton under caution. Ryan Blaney stayed off pit road and stayed out front, but eventually had to pit. Hamlin passed Ross Chastain for the lead and was heading to the win until Austin Cindric spun, sending the race to overtime. The leaders were all close on fuel with most not having enough to make it. On the restart, Chastain spun into the wall after contact with Kyle Larson and collected Austin Dillon. On the second restart, Justin Haley spun and collected Blaney, Burton, Josh Berry, Corey Heim, and Todd Gilliland. On the third restart, Larson ran out of fuel and stacked up his line, taking out Kyle Busch. Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. pitted for fuel. On the fourth restart, Berry got into the wall while Elliott ran out of fuel. On the fifth restart, Joey Logano had enough fuel to hold off Zane Smith and Tyler Reddick for the win.

Round 20: Grant Park 165

Kyle Larson won the pole for the fifth time this year. After the pre-race ceremonys, light rain came down. NASCAR designated the track as wet and teams have the option to put on the wet tires. Drivers then put on slick tires before the green flag. On the green flag, Ty Gibbs passed Larson for the lead. Shane van Gisbergen won the first stage and Joey Hand won the second stage, their first career Cup stage wins. On lap 26, Chase Briscoe sent van Gisbergen into the outside wall sending the defending race winner out. The race was red flagged on the same lap for a weather delay in the Chicago area. Before the race resumed, NASCAR told officials that they’d be put under a time limit to 8:20pm CT. After about a hour, the race resumed and Larson got into the tire barrier and the race went under caution, taking him out of the race at lap 34. Shortly after, on lap 38, Josh Berry crashed into the tire barrier, but no caution. Hand and others kept on wet tires while others put on slicks. Alex Bowman took the lead from Hand and the caution went out for Berry who went into the tire barriers at turn 2. On lap 55, John Hunter Nemechek into the wall in turn 12, but no caution. Later Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar, and Martin Truex Jr. got together but continued. The time expired and the race was shortened to 58 laps. Tyler Reddick, on slicks tires, closed on Bowman for the lead, but Reddick got into the wall and Bowman pulled away to win, locking himself into the playoffs and snapped a 80-race winless streak, the first since the 2022 Pennzoil 400, the longest drought of his career.

Round 21: The Great American Getaway 400

Ty Gibbs won the pole. Kyle Busch had to start at the rear due to unapproved adjustments on an oil-line leak before the race. The caution went out early for a crash by Noah Gragson in turn 1, ending his day. Martin Truex Jr. won the first stage and Denny Hamlin won the second stage. Ross Chastain got into the wall in turn 3, but kept going and then got back into the turn 1 wall, sending him out. Todd Gilliland had a brake rotor failure and got into the wall. At lap 121, Busch spun after contact with Corey LaJoie and collected Ryan Preece, Harrison Burton, A. J. Allmendinger, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Zane Smith and John Hunter Nemechek both got in the wall. On lap 133, Gibbs blew the engine and put oil on the track. Ryan Blaney held Hamlin and Alex Bowman for his second win of the season.

Round 22: Brickyard 400

This race was the 30th anniversary of the Inaugural Brickyard 400. Tyler Reddick won the pole. Reddick led the first 36 laps but was passed by Denny Hamlin for the lead. Martin Truex Jr. had to serve a pass-through for a tech violation at qualifying. B. J. McLeod was the first out. Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott served a pass-through for blend-line violation. Hamlin won the first stage and Bubba Wallace won the second stage. On the restart, John Hunter Nemechek took the lead from Hamlin. Cody Ware's left rear tire went down after contact with the wall. On lap 74, A. J. Allmendinger and William Byron wrecked on the backstretch. On the restart, Truex Jr. and Josh Berry spun and has contact with the wall. Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano wrecked on a restart, sending them out. On lap 157, Kyle Busch wrecked into the wall, sending race into an overtime finish. On the first restart, the leader, Keselowski pitted, them Busch, Nemechek, Hamlin, Alex Bowman, and Daniel Hemric, wrecked of the pit wall, sending them all out, and putting the red flag out. On the second restart, Ryan Preece spun out, still green. But in the end, Kyle Larson ended up winning his 3rd crown jewel race of his career, (missing Daytona).

Drivers' championship
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by final practice results or owner's points. * – Most laps led. 1 – Stage 1 winner. 2 – Stage 2 winner. 3 – Stage 3 winner.


 * Notes:

Manufacturers' championship
After 22 of 36 races