BRAD KESELOWSKI

Chris Buescher's win at Bristol last week marked the first time in this version of NASCAR's playoffs that drivers who are not racing for the championship swept the three races of the first round.

At least a dozen of the playoff drivers had some sort of problem with NASCAR’s new Next Gen car Saturday night at Bristol.

Kyle Busch deserved better than two failed Toyota engines in the first round of NASCAR's playoffs. Truex also referred back to Kevin Harvick's words after his car caught fire in the opening playoff race at Darlington three weeks ago.

Chris Buescher closed out a bizarre first round of NASCAR’s playoffs in which none of the title contenders won a race by becoming the 19th winner this season with his victory Saturday night at Bristol Motor 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.

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway was rained out Saturday night and rescheduled for Sunday.

Brad Keselowski likes his chances at Daytona International Speedway.

Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. are the favorites as they battle for position to make NASCAR’s playoffs.

Christopher Bell crashed the NASCAR playoffs, winning Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to become the 14th Cup Series winner this season.

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.

Kyle Busch stalked away from his battered car in controversial fashion last weekend at Darlington, his once-promising run in NASCAR's throwback race having ended in frustration after Brad Keselowski's blown front tire sent him spinning. It didn't take long for Busch's week to get a whole lot better. Two days later, Busch and his wife, Samantha, welcomed their baby daughter to the world after years spent dealing with infertility.

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.

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

Kyle Busch slipped past the spinning cars of Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe to steal his first Cup win of the season Sunday night on slick, wet, dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway.

There is a problem with NASCAR and its sport-transforming new racecar. NASCAR then buried Brad Keselowski and his team with season-crippling penalties to apparently make it crystal clear the series is serious about its Next Gen car. What we don't know: What the No. 6 team has been accused of doing or where it was trying to gain an advantage.

Brad Keselowski was optimistic he can overcome a knee-buckling penalty that potentially ended any championship chances a mere five races into his first season as a Cup team owner. NASCAR this week said an inspection at its North Carolina facility uncovered an illegal modification to the No. 6 Ford — a major infraction under tightened rules for the new Next Gen racecar. The Next Gen is primarily a spec car comprised of vendor-supplied parts and NASCAR will not permit any tinkering.

NASCAR issued steep penalties against Brad Keselowski and his new race team on Thursday for illegally modifying a supplied part on the Next Gen car. Keselowski was docked 100 driver points and the No. 6 Ford team docked 100 owner points. The penalty plunged the 2012 NASCAR champion from 16th in the current standings to 35th — behind every other full-time driver in the field.

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.

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.

This was the first career Cup victory for the 23-year-old Cindric, who was promoted from the Xfinity Series.

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The streets of Ottawa are quiet for the first time in almost a month after a massive police operation ended a drawn-out siege by protesters opposing Covid health rules.

Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to President Biden, joined "CBS Mornings" on Monday to discuss the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

CBS2's Andrea Grymes reports from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.

Austin Cindric drove his brand new NASCAR ride to victory in the Daytona 500 on team owner Roger Penske’s 85th birthday.

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

Austin Hill won the Xfinity Series opener at Daytona when the field was frozen because of a spectacular crash that stripped Myatt Snider’s damaged car to a carcass.

The NASCAR season opens with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, where more than 120,000 spectators are expected to watch reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson lead the field to green.

Brad Keselowski has won his first race as owner of his team.

Joey Logano won the exhibition Busch Light Clash on Sunday on the temporary quarter-mile track built inside Memorial Coliseum.

The addition of Brad Keselowski as part of the ownership group at Roush Fenway Racing means a rebranding of the team, which will be known as RFK Racing going forward. Keselowski bought into the ownership group this summer and the team unveiled its new name and logos Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a day before Keselowski will drive his No. 6 Ford as part of a NASCAR test of the Next Gen car.

Alex Bowman spun Denny Hamlin out of the lead at Martinsville Speedway and then won in overtime as the field for NASCAR's championship race was set Sunday.

Brad Keselowski is in the final two races of his NASCAR career with Team Penske and would love nothing more than to close his 12-year run with another Cup championship.

Kyle Larson drove to his ninth victory of the season and most meaningful to date in his new job with Hendrick Motorsports.

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.

The third round of NASCAR's playoffs are getting started in Texas.

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

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.

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.

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

Kyle Larson won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, building a big lead in the final stage and keeping Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott at bay over the final laps.

Chase Elliott is going for a threepeat at Watkins Glen International.

Jimmie Johnson returns to IndyCar on Sunday to tackle the street course in Nashville.

Roush Fenway Racing is adding NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski as a new partner.

Matt DiBenedetto could be out of NASCAR Cup Series options for 2022 after losing his ride with Wood Brothers Racing.

Austin Cindric will replace Brad Keselowski in Team Penske’s flagship No. 2 Ford next season.

Kurt Busch passed brother Kyle with 24 laps left and won the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday to complete a sibling weekend sweep at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

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.

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.

Kyle Larson was back in the NASCAR All-Star race, and won another $1 million by winning it again.

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.

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.

Colton Herta has rebounded from a first-lap crash in the IndyCar season opener to win the pole on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg.

Roger Penske doesn’t want a repeat of the Daytona 500, when teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski took each other out racing for the win on the final lap.

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. It was Rick Hendrick who took the chance on a driver many believed was radioactive for sponsors. 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. Bubba Wallace, left, congratulates Kyle Larson after Larson won the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube NASCAR Cup Series race on March 7, 2021 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Daytona Beach, Florida — Somebody had to make a move to win the Daytona 500, and maybe Michael McDowell would have pulled out of traffic to take his shot at a monster upset. It was the journeyman's first career NASCAR Cup Series win in his 14th season, notes CBS Sports. "Such a great way to get a first victory - a Daytona 500. Denny Hamlin was trying for a record third-consecutive Daytona 500 victory, and the team he started with Michael Jordan was debuting with driver Bubba Wallace. "I wanted to make the pass to win the Daytona 500 and it ended up really bad," Keselowski said.

Daytona Beach, Florida — Somebody had to make a move to win the Daytona 500, and maybe Michael McDowell would have pulled out of traffic to take his shot at a monster upset. It was the journeyman's first career NASCAR Cup Series win in his 14th season, notes CBS Sports. "Such a great way to get a first victory - a Daytona 500. Denny Hamlin was trying for a record third-consecutive Daytona 500 victory, and the team he started with Michael Jordan was debuting with driver Bubba Wallace. "I wanted to make the pass to win the Daytona 500 and it ended up really bad," Keselowski said.

Chase Elliott does a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)CONCORD, N.C. NASCAR's grueling return to racing finally ended with a Cup victory for Chase Elliott. The event, postponed Wednesday night, was the fourth Cup race since the series resumed racing May 17. Man this is a tough week, we've had some tough losses," Elliott said from the frontstretch. Elliott reeled in Kevin Harvick with 27 laps remaining and closed out the victory. Elliott's victory was the first for a Chevrolet driver in NASCAR's return to Cup racing.

A man walks through the infield as rain falls before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday, May 27, 2020, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)CONCORD, N.C. Rain washed out the Cup Series race Wednesday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway a slight break for NASCAR teams taxed by a grueling return to racing. The race was rescheduled for Thursday night at 7 p.m., which in turn forced NASCAR to move the Xfinity Series race scheduled for Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Xfinity Series race will instead be run Monday night, a day after the Cup Series. The second consecutive Wednesday night race would have been the fourth for the elite Cup Series since May 17. The starting order for the second Cup race at Charlotte this week was set based on the finishing order of the Coca-Cola 600 but with an inversion.

Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of Gander RV & Outdoors, which sponsors the Truck Series, agreed to match Harvicks pledge, bringing the total to $100,000 for pandemic relief. Elliott rubbed a little salt in the wound after the race, borrowing Buschs celebratory bow after the race. That is all.It was the first Truck Series race since Feb. 21 when Busch won at Las Vegas. Elliott, John Hunter Nemechek and Brennan Poole were the three full-time Cup drivers eligible to collect the $100,000 bounty. He followed up a fourth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday by winning the Xfinity Series race on Monday in overtime after passing Austin Cindric on the final lap.

Kyle Busch (54) and Ross Chastain (10) battle during a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Monday, May 25, 2020, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)CONCORD, N.C. Kyle Busch normally celebrates his victories by climbing on top of his race car and bowing to the crowd. But with no fans in attendance at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday night due to the coronavirus pandemic, Busch passed on the tradition after driving past Austin Cindric on the final lap of overtime to claim his 97th career Xfinity Series win. "I guess I could have bowed to the camera.After a crash involving several cars sent the race into overtime, Cindric had a great restart in overtime and overtook Busch for the lead starting from the inside lane. But Busch battled back, driving by Cindric on the backstretch of the final lap and holding on to win 18th overall race at CMS. I wanted to win so bad.Busch has won 210 races overall across NASCAR's top three series, the most of any driver.

Then a caution with two laps remaining at Charlotte Motor Speedway cluttered Elliott's clear path to the win and gave Keselowski an opening. Now Keselowski returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a Wednesday night race and a shot at consecutive victories. That was the situation we were put in.Both Keselowski and Busch could empathize with Elliott's heartbreak at Charlotte. Keselowski spoke with Elliott as the two switched spots in front of a laptop during the post-race Zoom media availability. But Elliott's team has been the most consistent late in races and Wednesday brings another chance for the driver to finally get his first win of the season.

His Hendrick Motorsports team bounced back with a competitive Chevrolet in the 600 that Elliott drove to the front late in the race. Theres no other choice.KESELOWSKI SHOWS HIS WORTHA Daytona 500 victory is the only crown jewel race Keselowski is missing on his resume. "I hope to continue to compete at a very high level and be able to win races for a long time. Weve got a race win at a major on a team thats really just starting to click together. I hope it does because this is my 30th win at the Cup level with Team Penske.

Keselowski extended Jimmie Johnson's losing streak to 102 races by holding off the seven-time NASCAR champion in overtime early Monday to win the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race on the NASCAR schedule. It was the first win for Keselowski this season, his first Coca-Cola 600 victory and the first win at this event for Ford since 2002. I wanted to win the 600 my whole life and wanted to win in front of everybody, Keselowski said. But almost two hours after the race, NASCAR disqualified Johnson because his Chevrolet failed post-race inspection. I was a lap-and-a-half away from winning the 600, Elliott said.

His 50th career Cup Series victory felt like a lot like the others until he climbed out of his No. Harvick is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in each of the Cup Series' five races this season. The 48-year-old Kenseth raced in the Cup Series for the first time since the 2018 season finale. ___6:45 p.m.Two small grass fires broke out at Darlington Raceway behind Turns 1 and 2 during the final stage of the NASCAR Cup Series race. The Real Heroes 400 is underway at Darlington Raceway, without fans and with masks and social-distancing mandates all around.

FILE - In this May 11, 2012, file photo, drivers take the green flag for the start of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. NASCAR will re-fire the engines moments after mask-clad drivers climb into their cars at Darlington Raceway. (Tyler Barrick/Pool Photo via AP, File)DARLINGTON, S.C. NASCAR will not be as you remember it when racing returns at old egg-shaped Darlington Raceway. He tested at Darlington shortly before the season was suspended and determined then he was fit to race again. Busch and Hill are adding Xfinity Series races at Darlington and Charlotte, and a Truck Series race at Charlotte to their calendar. His only victory so far this season was the Truck Series race at home track Las Vegas.