WILLIAM BYRON

Ryan Blaney raced to his first career NASCAR championship on Sunday by banging his way past contender Kyle Larson in the closing laps at Phoenix Raceway to give Team Penske back-to-back Cup titles.

Ryan Blaney was fastest of NASCAR’s championship contenders in the only practice session ahead of the title-deciding season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

NASCAR says Sunday’s championship finale has plenty of pizzazz.

The oddsmakers named Kyle Larson the favorite to win the NASCAR championship, but half the field believe the person with the best chance to celebrate Sunday will be a spectator at Phoenix Raceway.

The rivalry hardly reaches the heights of Petty versus Pearson or Earnhardt against Gordon as one of NASCAR’s great competitions.

Rick Hendrick first met William Byron as a local Charlotte teenager, fan of Hendrick Motorsports and budding NASCAR driver.

Ryan Blaney began to doubt himself and his ability to compete at NASCAR’s top level as he was mired in a 59-race losing streak and all his buddies he’d grown up racing against were thriving in the Cup Series.

Ryan Blaney will race for his first Cup championship after qualifying for NASCAR’s title-deciding finale with a Sunday win at Martinsville Speedway.

For the third time in this year’s playoffs, NASCAR regular season champion Martin Truex Jr. is facing elimination and wondering how his title chances have exploded spectacularly.

NASCAR’s season has entered its next-to-last week.

Another crash has Kyle Busch last in the playoff standings and in danger of elimination Sunday on The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Rick Hendrick believes in setting goals because chasing that dangling carrot has proved to be an effective motivator for NASCAR’s winningest team.

William Byron grew up a huge fan of Hendrick Motorsports when watching Jimmie Johnson win championships.

William Byron took the lead for the first time after the final restart with six laps left to win in Texas.

Bubba Wallace will start from the pole at Texas.

Kyle Larson gave Rick Hendrick his 299th win in the NASCAR Cup Series last week at Darlington.

Kyle Larson led the final 55 laps to start his latest NASCAR playoff run with a win at the Southern 500, his first career victory at Darlington Raceway.

Christopher Bell will start up front for NASCAR's opening playoff race after winning the pole for the Southern 500 on Saturday.

Only 36 points separate the 16 drivers as NASCAR’s playoffs begin this Sunday at Darlington Raceway in what might be one of the closest fields in the history of this format.

Chris Buescher and William Byron have this in common: Neither wants to declare himself the favorite heading into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Michael McDowell raced to his second NASCAR crown jewel victory Sunday, dominating the Brickyard 200 — and putting himself in the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Chris Buescher won his second straight NASCAR Cup Series race by holding off Martin Truex late in the FireKeepers 400 on Monday.

Rain has postponed the NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway until Monday.

Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon says he is worried about the growth of NASCAR.

William Byron won the rain-shortened NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

A NASCAR appeals panel has rescinded hefty points penalties levied against Hendrick Motorsports drivers Kyle Larson, William Byron and Alex Bowman.

NASCAR's first road course race of the season at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas feature two former Formula One champions.

As the reigning NASCAR champion, Joey Logano had no reason to panic when Team Penske had a slower than expected start to the new season.

Joey Logano dominated early and then passed Brad Keselowski on the final lap to win NASCAR’s race at Atlanta and end the early season domination of Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports.

William Byron has back-to-back wins.

William Byron won his second straight NASCAR Cup Series race, taking advantage of a pair of late cautions to give Hendrick Motorsports a victory in overtime at Phoenix Raceway.

William Byron took the lead on the second-to-last lap of overtime to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas and put an exclamation mark on a dominant day for Hendrick Motorsports.

Ryan Blaney will get his crew chief back for the most important weekend of his NASCAR season after an untimely suspension.

Kyle Larson found his way into NASCAR’s headlines for yet another week.

Bubba Wallace is missing Sunday’s NASCAR race, and that’s evidently not his only sanction after losing his cool in Las Vegas last weekend.

The focus in NASCAR has yet to shift to the actual playoff racing as only three events remain to crown a new Cup champion.

Joey Logano became the first driver to qualify for NASCAR’s championship finale by using fresh tires to chase down Ross Chastain and win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Christopher Bell saved his title chances with an overtime win Sunday on the road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a stunning finish that knocked reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson from the playoffs.

The 334 laps at Texas Motor Speedway provided quite a tumultuous start to the NASCAR playoff round of 12.

Bubba Wallace won his second career NASCAR Cup Series race and denied the playoff field of an automatic spot in the next round for the second straight week when he held off championship contenders Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell to win at Kansas Speedway.

Erik Jones took the lead when Kyle Busch’s engine blew up, then pulled away from Denny Hamlin after a final restart 20 laps from the end to win the opening NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night.

Austin Dillon avoided a massive wreck in the rain to win at Daytona International Speedway and snag a playoff spot in the Cup Series’ regular-season finale.

Chase Elliott has won the NASCAR Cup pole at Watkins Glen International, edging Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson for the top spot.

Kyle Larson was the start of a Grand Prix in Philadelphia run by the Urban Youth Racing School.

Chase Elliott salvaged a crummy day for Hendrick Motorsports and interrupted a potential Toyota rout by winning the rain-drenched race at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday night.

NASCAR is bringing its top series to World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis for the first time this weekend.

NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 was many things.

Denny Hamlin held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch in overtime to win the longest — and perhaps wildest — Coca-Cola 600 in history.

Ryan Blaney had to go two extra laps after thinking he had already won NASCAR's All-Star race and $1 million.

The All-Stars during qualifying Saturday night were the pit crew members for Kyle Busch.

Kurt Busch pinched his way past Kyle Larson for the lead with eight laps to go, then drove his gaudy Jordan Brand-styled car away from the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion to win Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway.

Joey Logano bumped leader William Byron from behind and into the wall on the next to last lap to win at Darlington Raceway on Sunday.

Rain postponed Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway to Monday.

Ross Chastain surged into the lead as he closed in on the checkered flag Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway to steal his second career Cup Series win.

Christopher Bell won the pole at Talladega Superspeedway by turning the fastest lap as the final driver to qualify.

William Byron is making the guy that made the No. 24 Chevrolet famous proud.

William Byron took the lead on pit road after Stage 2 pit stops and held it pretty much the rest of the way at Martinsville Speedway to become the first repeat winner this season in NASCAR’s Cup Series.

Denny Hamlin ran down William Byron with five laps to go and ended the slowest start to a season of his career with a victory in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway.

It was quite the weekend in motorsports, which is typically the bit player on the massive stick-and-ball sporting landscape so eager for its own time in the spotlight.

William Byron has managed to hold off the freight train behind him, taking the checkered flag for his third NASCAR Cup victory at Atlnta Motor Speedway.

Chase Briscoe raced to his first NASCAR Cup Series victory, executing two great restarts over the final 20 laps to pull away from Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.

Alex Bowman beat NASCAR champion Kyle Larson in a door-to-door overtime battle at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that sent Hendrick Motorsports to victory lane for the second consecutive week.

Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson held off Austin Dillon and Daniel Suarez in a tense finish Sunday to win at Fontana for the second time.

Denny Hamlin crashed out of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, ending his bid for a fourth victory in NASCAR’s premier event.

Chase Elliott skipped the free agency process and agreed to a five-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports announced mere hours before the season-opening Daytona 500.

NASCAR is in Los Angeles a week ahead of the Super Bowl with its wildest idea yet.

A conversation on driver code and on-track etiquette is raging in NASCAR, and with it comes debate about the expectations of non-playoff drivers.

Kyle Larson is the first driver in NASCAR's championship four.

Rick Hendrick wants NASCAR to intervene in the ongoing feud between reigning Cup champion Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick after another on-track incident between the two.

Kyle Larson rallied from early electrical issues Sunday to win for the seventh time this season and storm into the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs.

Kevin Harvick has never been knocked out of the playoffs in the second round since NASCAR introduced the format in 2014.

NASCAR's playoffs shift to Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday for the middle race of the second round.

Kyle Larson denied Kevin Harvick his first win of the season with a masterful pass at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Hendrick Motorsports is in a precarious position heading into first playoff elimination round.

Martin Truex Jr. assumed the lead when Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch was penalized with about 50 laps to go and won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.

Denny Hamlin held off Kyle Larson after their cars hit nose to tail racing to the finish line Sunday night in the Southern 500 to open the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

There’s one guy Tyler Reddick doesn’t expect any help from at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night: His teammate.

Ryan Blaney took the lead from William Byron on a late restart and bobbed and weaved his way across the final seven laps to win at Michigan International Speedway.

Some of NASCAR's top drivers are taking extra health precautions for the playoff chase.

AJ Allmendinger took advantage of two frightening multi-car crashes, the leader getting spun out and a penalty — all in the last five laps — to win the Brickyard 200.

NASCAR drivers got their first laps on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course in practice — and it opened to mixed reviews.

Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are looking for redemption at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Kurt Busch has welcomed the uncertainty of this season as he chases a playoff berth while pondering his future in NASCAR.

Kyle Busch won the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

Alex Bowman made it six straight wins for Hendrick Motorsports when he took the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway.

Kyle Larson went to victory lane for the fourth consecutive week after a dominating run in the first Cup race at Nashville Superspeedway.

William Byron, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott paced the first ever Cup Series practice at Nashville Superspeedway in yet another display of how dominant Hendrick Motorsports is right now.

Hendrick Motorsports’ quest to pass Petty Enterprises as the all-time winningest NASCAR Cup Series race team got off to a good start when Kyle Larson captured the pole for the Coca-Cola 600.

NASCAR is set to race the Circuit of the Americas for the first time and all eyes are on Chase Elliott and a wet weather forecast that could make the inaugural Texas Grand Prix a wild one.

Alex Bowman won the the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway to led Hendrick Motorsports to a 1-2-3-4 finish.

Martin Truex Jr. powered his way around Darlington Raceway, sweeping both stages and leading the final 105 laps Sunday.

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway will be open to fans at 100% capacity for the upcoming August race.

Kyle Busch celebrated his 36th birthday Sunday by winning a two-lap sprint to the finish at Kansas Speedway.

Brad Keselowski made it nine different winners through the first 10 races of the NASCAR Cup Series season last week at Talladega.

Brad Keselowski did it exactly right this time and finally got that last-lap victory, winning in overtime Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Martin Truex Jr. won a stirring, laps-long duel for the lead with teammate Denny Hamlin in the delayed NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday night.

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Joey Logano has won a few times at Phoenix Raceway and knows a good restart when he feels one. Truex blew past Logano on the final restart and pulled away for his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and 28th overall. Logano — who led 143 laps — won the second stage after leading the final 35 laps during a long stretch of green-flag racing. But he couldn't hold back Truex, who won his ninth race with JGR. Hamlin was fast early in the race, leading for 31 laps until the competition caution midway through the first stage.

LAS VEGAS – Kyle Larson wasn’t sure he’d ever race again in NASCAR, and if he could, he didn’t know who would even hire him. On Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Larson raced to his first NASCAR victory since he was reinstated from a nearly yearlong suspension. “Thanks Mr. H. for believing in me,” Larson radioed to boss Rick Hendrick after crossing the finish line. Larson is considered one of the top talents in NASCAR but won just six times in six seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing. “He got in a great car, he's a great driver and he's going to make things happen,” runner-up Brad Keselowski said.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – William Byron gave NASCAR its third surprise winner in three weeks, this one not quite as stunning as the first two at Daytona International Speedway. Byron controlled most of the final two stages at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday and won for the second time in 111 Cup starts. Byron entered the weekend as a 28-1 shot to win a race many expected would provide a return to normal for the racing series. When Byron’s former crew chief, Chad Knaus, moved up at Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick hired Fugle and paired him with Byron. The Roush Fenway Racing driver led five times for a total of 57 laps, but he started to fade when as sunset neared.

William Byron was the third surprise winner through three races this season with his victory Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Byron controlled most of the final two stages at Homestead to win for the second time in 111 Cup starts. Byron entered the weekend as a 28-1 shot to win a race many expected would provide a return to normal for the racing series. The Roush Fenway Racing driver led five times for a total of 57 laps, but he started to fade "when as sunset neared. He ended up getting X-rays, which were negative, and was cleared to work the Cup Series event.