A week ago, he won at Michigan for his second win of the season. On Saturday, he took the lead in overtime of a hectic Coke Zero Sugar 400 and was far enough ahead on the final lap to avoid a second big crash that took out most of the remaining field and earn win No. 3 of 2021 at Daytona International Speedway. With the final spot in NASCAR’s Cup Series playoffs on the line Saturday, drivers were extra aggressive on the oval....

Despite leading 263 of 400 laps and boasting NASCAR’s highest average finish at the track (7.4) all time, he could not pull off a victory; that went to Alex Bowman, who led the final 98 laps to earn his second win of the season. It seemed as if Larson — who finished in the top two for the fifth straight race at Dover — would enjoy his first win on the track since October 2019....

More on Pocono: Odds breakdown | Practice speeds at Jayski While there were several complaints on Friday about a nasty bump in Turn 2, driving slower cars also changes the drivers’ approach and exit out of the three turns, which a few drivers had some difficulties with. Sam Hornish Jr. spun out, but didn’t have any damage. Tony Stewart wasn’t so lucky, as he spun through the Tunnel Turn 2 and hit the wall....

When the dust settled, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott joined Joey Logano in the final four. MORE: How Ross Chastain’s ‘video game move’ snagged him a spot in the Cup Series final four Here’s a breakdown of the drivers who will be competing for the Cup Series crown on Nov. 6 at Phoenix Raceway, as well as the championship rules and the race’s start time. Who are the NASCAR Championship 4 drivers?...

So when Stewart stepped before NASCAR media members on Friday at Talladega, he fired this shot across the bow of stock car racing’s mother ship: “I’ve been trying to figure out how many more $35,000 rule changes I want to make.” MORE: 10 drivers to watch at Talladega | Junior plans to repeat | Last spring revisited Wah-wah! He’s here all weekend, folks (if not in the car full time)....

Should it penalize Keselowski for hitting three different cars after the race and igniting two near brawls in the NASCAR garage? Should it penalize Denny Hamlin for having to be restrained from going after Keselowski? And should the crewmen involved in both incidents be fined and placed on probation? Absolutely not. MORE: Tempers flare at Charlotte | Harvick celebrates as fights break out | Winners & Losers NASCAR got exactly what it hoped for when it created the new pressure-packed Chase....

Race winner Martin Truex Jr. and Chase driver Jimmie Johnson both failed postrace inspection after last week’s first Chase race at Chicagoland Speedway. Before the Chase, NASCAR implemented rules mandating stiffer penalties for rules infractions or failing inspection during the 10-race playoffs. It scrapped those rules after last week’s race, however, and chose not to penalize Truex and Johnson. MORE: Drivers reaction to rules changes It told drivers on Sunday morning, however, that it will not tolerate teams trying to skirt the rules and continuing to fail postrace inspection....

NASCAR moved practice to Saturday and canceled qualifying for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (3:17 p.m. ET green flag Sunday). It said that it set the lineup according to its rule book. It reportedly used the same formula that took the place of qualifying in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID. MORE: Watch today’s race live with fuboTV (free trial) This was the lineup formula the previous two seasons: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race (25 percent) Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race (25 percent) Team owner points ranking (35 percent) Fastest lap from the previous race (15 percent)...

The starting grid for Sunday’s race at New Hampshire, scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET and broadcast live on NBCSN, features a Ford, a Toyota and a Chevy in the first three spots as a result of the procedure that utilizes a combination of points standings and a random draw to set the lineup. MORE: Updated 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule As for pit stall selection for the NASCAR Cup Series races being run without qualifying, it is ordered based on finishing positions from the series’ previous points race, followed by new entries in order of points....

The Westgate SuperBook’s favorite both before and after practice is Kevin Harvick, currently sitting at 9-to-2 odds. The points leader has finished 10th or better in every race but three this season, though he has not taken the checkered flag first since March in Phoenix. Both Penske drivers figure to challenge as well with Joey Logano sitting on the pole, and Brad Keselowski starting from the second row in third....

And even through Hamlin ran well in both Michigan races, he was jumped by Harvick in both championship points and wins in the span of one weekend. MORE: Complete results, highlights from Sunday’s race Harvick’s sweep of the Michigan races padded what was already an impressive playoff resume. Other drivers who entered the weekend on the NASCAR Cup Series playoff bubble weren’t as fortunate. Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson and Tyler Reddick are close but still on the outside looking into the NASCAR playoff picture after the Michigan races....

Sporting News breaks down the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, including the drivers, format and dates for the 10 races that will decide a series champion for 2021. Watch NASCAR racing live with fuboTV (7-day free trial) Who made the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in 2021? Sixteen drivers advanced to the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Kyle Larson won the regular-season points championship and earned the No. 1 seed in the playoff field....

After the two split the first two stages of the race, Kurt Busch held off his younger brother, Kyle, by less than a car length in overtime to win the Quaker State 400. It was Kurt Busch’s first win of the NASCAR Monster Energy Series Cup season, and it made him the eighth driver to qualify for the playoffs. The race was scheduled for 267 laps around the 1.5-mile track, but a caution flag with five laps to go for Bubba Wallace Jr....

Harvick took home the checkered flag at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 and led for the final 41 laps. “It’s been a minute,” Harvick said after the race. “I didn’t think we had the best chance to win today. … “We had a good car all day, we just never could get track position and stayed out there, ran a couple of good laps. I didn’t want to see that traffic there at the end....

On Sunday, Aug. 7, Chris Buescher’s No. 17 car will feature numerous references to James’ humanitarian efforts, including the logo for the LeBron James Family Foundation and multiple mentions of James’ I PROMISE School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Following the reveal of the new look of the No. 17 car, James took to Twitter to share his excitement, sharing that it’s “for the love of my kids and families....

NASCAR announced the suspension late Tuesday afternoo. In his career, Smeltzer also had worked on the Cup side with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. MORE: NASCAR Power Rankings | MORE: 2013 Sprint Cup winners Smeltzer will have to meet with a substance abuse professional, who will determine the appropriate steps for him to be reinstated through NASCAR's road to recovery program. "Our organization respects and fully supports NASCAR's policies with regard to banned substances," Hendrick Motorsports said in a statement....

Students at St. Edward Catholic School, a Roman Catholic parish school, will no longer be able to borrow the seven stories in the popular series, with the school claiming that Rowling’s fictitious spells are actually real. The Tennessean reports that Reverend Dan Reehil, the school’s pastor, sent an email to that effect. Reehil said he consulted exorcists in both the U.S. and Rome before reaching the decision to remove the books....

On Wednesday, Alan Douglas Fox, 28, was charged with civil rights violations for his alleged crimes. If convicted, Fox faces up to 20 years in prison for each fire—for a potential total of 80 years—and a consecutive five-year sentence for a firearms violation. On June 17, 2019, Fox allegedly set Crievewood United Methodist Church on fire while in possession of a firearm. On June 25, Fox allegedly set both the Crievewood Baptist Church and the Saint Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church on fire....

The 5-9 point guard was waived by the Pelicans all of two games into the season and hasn’t found an NBA home since. The only three-time slam dunk contest champion in NBA history has not been effective in the past two seasons, though, and he appears ready to move on from the NBA. MORE: Looking back at the greatest 2-sport athletes ever The path is football, the sport that originally brought Robinson to the University of Washington....

The most famous competitive eater in American history will once again set his sights — and jaws — on the premier eating competition this Fourth of July, looking again to break the world record. He was able to accomplish the feat in 2021 with 76 hot dogs eaten; could he do the same or better in 2022? Of course, Chestnut’s biggest competition — 2021 runner-up Geoffrey Esper — will aim to take the mustard belt home in 2022....