Dover Downer: Johnson eager to avoid repeat elimination (The Associated Press)

Jimmie Johnson was despondent in the garage, his Dover dominance and championship drive over. With one, cheap part busted, Johnson was knocked out of the Chase. The winningest driver in Dover International Speedway history, Johnson entered a first-round elimination race fifth in the standings and seemed a lock to advance.

Keselowski sits on 3rd Chase race pole after rain at Dover (The Associated Press)

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Brad Keselowski has the pole after rain wiped out qualifying Friday at Dover International Speedway.

Jones tries to rebound after crash in Xfinity Chase opener (The Associated Press)

Erik Jones was the top seed at the start of the inaugural Chase in the Xfinity Series, but a wreck with 10 laps remaining in the opening race has dropped him to ninth in the standings. Now the Joe Gibbs Racing driver will try to recover at Dover International Speedway, where he won earlier this year. Jones went into the Chase opener with a series-best four victories and was considered the overwhelming favorite to win the title.

Stewart weary as he tries to race his way into 2nd round (The Associated Press)

Tony Stewart is at peace with however his final season in NASCAR comes to an end. Stewart is 15th in the standings, so he either needs a win Sunday at Dover International Raceway or the drivers ahead of him in the standings need to have some serious trouble. Down to his last chance to add to his legacy, Stewart said Wednesday during an appearance at the NASCAR Hall of Fame that he'll try to win at Dover and will be disappointed if he doesn't advance into the second round of the Chase.

Team Jack wins NASCAR's $100,000 humanitarian award (The Associated Press)

The NASCAR Foundation has awarded the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award to the founder of an organization dedicated to funding pediatric brain cancer research. Team Jack Foundation was presented with the $100,000 award during The NASCAR Foundation's inaugural Honors Gala on Tuesday night. The award honors the philanthropic ideals of the late Betty Jane France, who started The NASCAR Foundation in 2006.

Column: Tony Stewart on the ropes in final NASCAR Chase (The Associated Press)

Well, this isn't the way anyone wanted to see Tony Stewart end his career. The driver went into NASCAR's playoffs with a roar and is on the verge of exiting with a whimper. Stewart is in the bottom four of the Chase standings and will be eliminated Sunday at Dover International Speedway if he doesn't pull off some sort of miracle before the field is trimmed from 16 to 12 drivers.

Harvick wins at New Hampshire to advance to 2nd round (The Associated Press)

Kevin Harvick won Sunday at New Hampshire to earn a spot in the second round of the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs, pulling away off a restart a year after a late loss at the track. Harvick rallied for one of the biggest wins of his career to survive another round. Matt Kenseth and dominated the second half of the race on Sunday and seemed poised to win the New Hampshire race for the third straight time.

Elliott Sadler wins inaugural Xfinity Chase race at Kentucky (The Associated Press)

SPARTA, Ky. (AP) -- Elliott Sadler took the lead with four laps remaining and held off Daniel Suarez by 0.246 seconds to win the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series Chase race Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway.

Byron wins at New Hampshire in 1st NASCAR Trucks Chase race (The Associated Press)

William Byron aced the inaugural Chase race in NASCAR's Trucks Series. The Liberty University freshman dominated Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and won for a whopping sixth time this season. This win came with extra credit: the 18-year-old Byron became the first driver to advance to the second round of the Chase.

Kenseth goes for 3rd consecutive New Hampshire victory (The Associated Press)

Carl Edwards had another hard race to the finish against Matt Kenseth. The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates had skipped the track for the bike path, and what Edwards thought would be a leisurely ride between colleagues turned into a competitive duel on two wheels. ''It was a pretty hard ride,'' said Edwards, laughing.

Edwards wins pole at New Hampshire; 6th top spot of season (The Associated Press)

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) -- Carl Edwards turned a lap of 135.453 mph to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Truex grateful his Chase win no longer 'tainted' by penalty (The Associated Press)

Martin Truex Jr. felt a bit uneasy as he settled into a seat in the NASCAR hauler where officials summon drivers accused of rules infractions, bruised from fistfights or found guilty of general poor decorum. The setting was a bit unfamiliar for one of NASCAR's more popular drivers around the garage, but he was here for a chat not because he was in trouble. Truex's win Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in the Chase opener came under scrutiny when the No. 78 Toyota failed the post-race laser inspection.

Xfinity Series inaugurates Chase format at Kentucky Speedway (The Associated Press)

NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers were fine playing out the stretch run of the season under the old points format that crowned the champion for consistency. Performance will be just as important under the new Chase playoff format, but drivers welcome the looming urgency of the final seven races. NASCAR will inaugurate championship Chases in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck series on Saturday at Kentucky Speedway and Loudon, New Hampshire, respectively.

NASCAR Hall of Fame damaged in Charlotte protests (The Associated Press)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte is among the places damaged during violent protests over the police shooting of a black man this week.

Truex, Johnson escape punishment for post-race infractions (The Associated Press)

NASCAR will not penalize Martin Truex Jr. or Jimmie Johnson for failing inspection after the opening race of the playoffs. Truex won Sunday's race at Chicagoland Speedway and Johnson finished 12th. Both cars failed the laser inspection with infractions that should have drawn 10-point penalties.

Truex and Johnson dodge penalties for failing inspection (The Associated Press)

NASCAR will not penalize Martin Truex Jr. or Jimmie Johnson for failing inspection after the opening race of the playoffs. Truex won Sunday's race at Chicagoland Speedway and Johnson finished 12th. Both cars failed the laser inspection with infractions that should have drawn 10-point penalties.

NASCAR's Regan Smith skips race to attend daughter's birth (The Associated Press)

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- NASCAR driver Regan Smith has welcomed his second child after skipping this weekend's race in order to be with his wife as she went into labor.

Martin Truex Jr. rallies to win NASCAR Chase opener (The Associated Press)

Martin Truex Jr. was a lap down after he had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a completely unraveled tire. Truex surged to the front on a late re-start and pulled away to give Furniture Row Racing a NASCAR Sprint Cup playoff-opening victory Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. NASCAR announced after the race that Truex's No. 78 Toyota failed the laser inspection, but the infraction was not at the level of negating the victory for Chase qualification purposes.

Jimmie Johnson finishes 12th in first Chase race (The Associated Press)

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- ��� Jimmie Johnson had a strong car. Johnson led Sunday's playoff opener four times for a race-high 118 laps and was running second before he was handed a pass-through penalty for speeding on his way off pit road. Johnson's car also failed a post-race inspection, likely costing him some valuable points for the Chase standings.

Martin Truex Jr. rallies to win NASCAR Chase opener (The Associated Press)

Martin Truex Jr. shot to the front after a late re-start and pulled away to give his small Furniture Row Racing team the lead in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship with a victory Sunday in the playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway. Chase Elliott appeared on his way to the victory until Michael McDowell's spin brought a caution with five laps left. Elliott and Truex came in to pit, with non-Chase drivers Ryan Blaney and Kasey Kahne and Chase contender Carl Edwards staying on the track.

Ty Dillon to replace Regan Smith in Chicagoland race (The Associated Press)

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- Ty Dillon will replace Regan Smith in the No. 7 Chevrolet for the Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway as Smith remains in North Carolina awaiting the birth of his child.

Jones wins Xfinity race; Sieg, Koch earn final Chase spots (The Associated Press)

Erik Jones passed Elliott Sadler with nine laps to go and held off Kyle Larson to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway, allowing Ryan Sieg and Blake Koch to claim the final two spots in the Chase for the championship. The 20-year-old Jones' series-high fourth win of the season left him as the top seed for the seven-race Chase. Jones won the Truck Series title a year ago and will move to the Sprint Cup next year.

Strap in: NASCAR's Chase usually produces temper tantrums (The Associated Press)

Based on history, the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship will produce pushing and shoving, ruined cars and a whole lot of yelling and finger-pointing. The third year of NASCAR's elimination-style, 10-race dash for the series title begins Sunday with the 400-mile race at Chicagoland Speedway. ''I just know for us, it's kind of a one-way street,'' Kevin Harvick, the 2014 champion, said of his approach.

Kyle Larson posts fastest speed in final Sprint Cup practice (The Associated Press)

Kyle Larson posted the top speed of 183.299 mph in the final practice session Saturday for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup opener at Chicagoland Speedway. Rookie Chase Elliott and top-seed and pole-sitter Kyle Busch were the next two fastest, followed by Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch. Chase qualifiers had the seven fastest laps.

RCR hires Daniel Hemric for Xfinity Series in 2017 (The Associated Press)

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- Richard Childress Racing has hired Daniel Hemric to drive full-time in the Xfinity Series next season.

NASCAR: Kyle Busch's winning truck fails inspection (The Associated Press)

CHICAGO (AP) -- NASCAR says Kyle Busch's winning truck in Friday night's race has failed inspection for being too low in the rear.

Kyle Busch wins Truck race; Hemric, Peters earn Chase spots (The Associated Press)

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- Kyle Busch overcame a race-record 11 cautions for his 46th career NASCAR Truck Series victory Friday night, dashing the hopes of full-time drivers needing wins to claim a spot in the debut Chase for the championship.

Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson face stiff competition in Chase (The Associated Press)

Asked what drivers worry him as he seeks a second-straight Sprint Cup title, Kyle Busch identified Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. ''It hurts to be outrun by somebody in your equipment,'' six-time champion Jimmie Johnson said. Of the 16 drivers to qualify for the season-ending Chase, half are from teams outside the behemoth organizations of Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske.

Rain washes out Sprint Cup qualifying for Chase opener (The Associated Press)

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- Qualifying for the Chase for the Sprint Cup opener at Chicagoland Speedway has been rained out.

Stewart, Newman leave NASCAR meeting on good terms (The Associated Press)

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman have left a NASCAR-mandated meeting insisting their dustup last weekend is behind them and no apologies are needed.

Matt Tifft returns to racing 11 weeks after brain surgery (The Associated Press)

Matt Tifft will be racing again this weekend following surgery to remove a brain tumor in June. Tifft was scheduled to drive the No. 11 Toyota for Red Horse Racing in Friday night's Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. Tifft has raced six times in the Xfinity Series this year, and three times in Trucks.

Stewart-Haas hires Cole Custer to drive Xfinity Series car (The Associated Press)

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- Stewart-Haas Racing has hired 18-year-old Cole Custer to drive its new NASCAR Xfinity Series car next season.

NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson remembers 'Baja Bob' Gordon (The Associated Press)

Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson remembers vividly the first time he rode in an off-road desert car with ''Baja Bob'' Gordon about 25 years ago. Johnson retold the story Thursday while saying he was in ''complete and utter shock'' to learn Gordon, father of former NASCAR and open-wheel driver Robby Gordon, had been found dead with his wife in their Southern California home. ''I had a motion sickness problem, riding in a car.

Retiring Tony Stewart in spotlight as NASCAR playoffs begin (The Associated Press)

Tony Stewart's complex personality was on display at media day for NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Stewart was laughing, telling stories of fellow driver Chase Elliott when he was little and gushing over how much fun he's having in his last season before retirement. It's a whole different mindset and a whole different approach each week,'' Stewart said Thursday.

NASCAR beefs up penalties stop blatant cheating in Chase (The Associated Press)

NASCAR's playoffs are set to begin with a new set of rules that gives the sanctioning body the power to issue far stiffer penalties - so stringent that a driver could lose the championship if his team fails inspection. The increased penalties announced Wednesday give NASCAR the authority to levy a harsh penalty should a car fail a post-race trip to the Laser Inspection Station. A winning team would not be able to use the victory to advance to the next round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Gibbs is again the favorite at the start of NASCAR's Chase (The Associated Press)

The odds are once again stacked for Joe Gibbs Racing, the team with all four of its drivers in NASCAR's playoffs. Throw in Martin Truex Jr., who is aligned with the team, and the numbers point to a Toyota winning the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship for a second consecutive year. Kyle Busch gave Toyota its first Cup title last season, and the first championship for team owner Joe Gibbs in a decade.

NASCAR playoffs begin with amped up aggression and attitude (The Associated Press)

After seven months and 28 races, NASCAR has hit that part of the season that really matters. The start of the playoffs signifies a shift in attitude and aggression, and if there was any doubt the mindset had changed, Kevin Harvick posted a warning about his mood for the next 10 weeks. Tony Stewart has intentionally wrecked drivers in two consecutive races, including Saturday night's regular-season finale with contact that officially ended Ryan Newman's shot at making the Chase.

Hamlin wins again at Richmond but Newman steals spotlight (The Associated Press)

It was yet another Denny Hamlin runaway for Joe Gibbs Racing on Saturday night in what turned out to be an anticlimactic end to NASCAR's regular season. The fireworks came off the track at Richmond International Raceway, where Ryan Newman angrily chided former boss Tony Stewart after an accident between the two officially ended Newman's chances to make the playoffs. The verbal beat down from Newman came with 37 laps left, before Hamlin finished off his third career Sprint Cup win at his home track while giving JGR its third consecutive victory at the track and ninth in the last 15 races.

Kyle Busch dominates NASCAR Xfinity race at Richmond (The Associated Press)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Kyle Busch took the lead on pit road after just over 50 laps and showed why he's the NASCAR Xfinity Series career victory leader with a dominant run at Richmond International Raceway on Friday night.

Hamlin finally wins a pole; will start first at Richmond (The Associated Press)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Denny Hamlin has won the pole for Friday for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.

Buescher on verge of claiming improbable berth in the Chase (The Associated Press)

Chris Buescher's task, should he accomplish it Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, is no small feat. Buescher will try to parlay his improbable victory at a rain-shortened race this summer into a coveted berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Making NASCAR's playoffs would be a coup for Buescher and Denver-based Front Row Motorsports, an improbable participant in the Chase.

19 drivers in contention for 4 Chase slots (The Associated Press)

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Richmond for the final event in the 26-race regular season, there are 19 drivers competing for the final four berths in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Eleven drivers can clinch a Chase spot only with a victory in Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN). Ryan Blaney, AJ Allmendinger, Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Paul Menard, Greg Biffle, Danica Patrick, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears and Landon Cassill are comfortably within the top 30 in the Sprint Cup standings, but their only path to the playoffs consists of winning at Richmond.

Furniture Row names '17 crew chief for rookie Erik Jones (The Associated Press)

DENVER (AP) -- Furniture Row Racing has named a crew chief for the 2017 season for rookie Erik Jones.

Newman's title chances take hit following NASCAR penalty (The Associated Press)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has docked Ryan Newman 15 points because his car failed post-race inspection at Darlington Raceway. The penalty is a severe hit to Newman's championship chances.

Xfinity, truck racers learning to Chase for NASCAR title (The Associated Press)

Blake Koch changed goals in a hurry. The driver for a first-year Xfinity Series team knew coming into season that competing for a title sounded like a far-fetched notion. Then came the series' first-ever Chase championship format.

NASCAR needs a spurt of new superstars to make racing fun (The Associated Press)

Jeff Gordon is mostly retired and Tony Stewart is almost out the door. Now Dale Earnhardt Jr. is sidelined for the rest of the year, exposing NASCAR's glaring need for new stars to captivate the audience. The three big names who have moved the needle for NASCAR the past two decades have a combined seven championships, 168 career Cup wins and five Daytona 500 victories.

Major Martin: Truex Jr. wins Southern 500 (The Associated Press)

Given a break or two here or there, Martin Truex Jr. believes he'd have a monster season. Truex capped a standout summer season with his first Southern 500 victory at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night. Truex was a breath away from taking the Daytona 500 over Denny Hamlin to start the season, and had seven other top 10s this year.

Major Martin: Truex Jr. off Harvick to win Southern 500 (The Associated Press)

Martin Truex Jr. has already won two of NASCAR's most coveted races. Truex led the final 28 laps and held off the Kevin Harvick's powerhouse car to win the Southern 500, closing the summer season with a second of Sprint Cup's ''crown jewel'' races on Labor Day weekend. Truex stamped himself as a contender to be reckoned with when the Sprint Cup playoffs start in two weeks.

Nemechek earns controversial win over Custer in Canada (The Associated Press)

John Hunter Nemechek knocked Cole Custer from the lead to earn the win Sunday in a controversial finish in the NASCAR Truck Series at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Custer twice held off Nemechek on a pair of late restarts, but was bumped with two turns remaining before an aggressive door-to-door drag race through the grass to the checkered flag. It took NASCAR almost 10 minutes to declare Nemechek the winner.

Earnhardt Jr. said lingering symptoms kept him from racing (The Associated Press)

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- A disappointed Dale Earnhardt Jr. understands his concussion symptoms are still too pervasive to return to the Sprint Cup Series this season, but feels confident about his racing future.

Sadler holds off Hamlin for 1st Darlington win (The Associated Press)

Elliott Sadler won for the first time at Darlington Raceway, holding off defending champion Denny Hamlin in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday. Sadler was second on the track ''Too Tough To Tame'' in this event in 2013 and 2014, trailing Sprint Cup star Kyle Busch both times. In this one, Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Hamlin, made a late charge and nosed in front two laps from the end.

Buescher gets another obstacle in road to Chase (The Associated Press)

Tropical storm Hermine made sure Chris Buescher's path to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup would be just a bit more difficult. In qualifying for the last five races, Buescher has advanced to the second round four times and to the third round once, posting an average starting position of 20.4. Accordingly, with the starting order set by owner points, Buescher will take the green flag from 31st place in Sunday night's Bojangles' Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET on NBC) -- right beside David Ragan, the driver he's trying to beat for the 30th position in the regular-season standings.

History Lesson: Throwback weekend at Darlington (The Associated Press)

All locked in fans minds and NASCAR history - and all back on display at Darlington Raceway's latest throwback weekend. Sprint Cup drivers and teams have gone all out to dress up for the Southern 500 on Sunday night, pulling out beloved paint schemes to honor stock car racing's colorful, vibrant past. ''I've got my helmet ready to throw,'' joked defending Darlington winner Carl Edwards, who'll sport a tribute to retiring - and fiery - Tony Stewart and his Home Depot car from the three-time series champ's rookie season in 1999.

Drivers have down time, weather delays Darlington qualifying (The Associated Press)

Joey Logano hung pictures and changed lightbulbs at home. Jamie McMurray tinkered around with his radio controlled car. Chris Buescher shrugged his shoulders, wasn't much he or fellow drivers could after qualifying for Sunday's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway was cancelled because of Hurricane Hermine.

Earnhardt to miss rest of NASCAR season with concussion (The Associated Press)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the rest of the NASCAR season - 18 races total - as he continues to recover from a concussion. NASCAR's most popular driver first began experiencing concussion-like symptoms in late July. ''To say I'm disappointed doesn't begin to describe how I feel, but I know this is the right thing for my long-term health and career,'' Earnhardt said in a statement Friday.

Hermine prompts NASCAR to postpone Friday activity (The Associated Press)

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has postponed all track activity Friday at Darlington Raceway in anticipation of Hermine bringing inclement weather to the South Carolina track.

Gordon seeking more success at Darlington (The Associated Press)

Jeff Gordon had long planned to be at Darlington Raceway this weekend, largely to greet fans and answer questions about his career as a four-time Sprint Cup champion. Gordon now has a more important role this weekend as fill-in driver for injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. - gain a victory in the Southern 500 that could lead the Hendrick Motorsports team into NASCAR's championship chase. ''It's a track that I'm comfortable on and that I like,'' Gordon said this week.