NASCAR news May 2023: Elliott suspended, LaJoie jumps in
Here you find our NASCAR news ticker for May 2023 – Latest news: Chase Elliott was suspended for one race by NASCAR
May 31, 2023: Chase Elliott was suspended for one race (NCS)
Chase Elliott will have to take a forced break in St. Louis, Missouri. NASCAR has suspended the Hendrick driver for one race because, in the opinion of the race control, he intentionally wrecked Denny Hamlin in Charlotte. Hendrick Motorsports will not appeal the decision and has already requested a playoff waiver. Corey Lajoie will take over the No. 9 Chevrolet, while Carson Hocevar will switch to the No. 7 Spire Camaro.
May 30, 2023: Blaney ends winless streak in Charlotte (NCS & NXS)
Ryan Blaney won the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which was postponed until Monday due to rain. The Penske driver, who had gone the 2022 season without a win, ended a nearly two-year drought as Blaney last celebrated in Victory Lane at the 2021 Daytona summer race. Penske had two reasons to celebrate, as for the first time in team history the racing team won both the Indy 500 and the Coca Cola 600 in one race weekend, while Justin Allgaier was victorious in the Xfinity Series.
May 22, 2023: Larson dominates at North Wilkesboro Speedway (NCS & NCTS)
Kyle Larson had every reason to celebrate on his NASCAR comeback at the legendary North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina. The Hendrick driver first won the Truck race, securing his third career victory in NASCAR’s third division. This was followed by a dominant performance in the 2023 All-Star Race, in which the Californian gave the competition no chance. Larson collected one million dollars in prize money.
May 20, 2023: Shane van Gisbergen makes NASCAR debut (NCS)
The surprise is perfect: Shane van Gisbergen will be the next driver to make his Cup debut with Project91 from Trackhouse. The Australian Supercars superstar will pilot the No. 91 Chevrolet in the first street race in NASCAR history in Chicago. This is a lifelong dream come true for the New Zealander.
May 15, 2023: William Byron won at Darlington Raceway (NCS, NXS & NCTS)
William Byron celebrated his third win of the season at the Throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway. The Hendrick driver took first place in the car with the golden Jeff Gordon design in a chaotic final phase. First Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano clashed, then Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson clashed. That cleared the way for Byron to head to Victory Lane for the third time in the 2023 season. In the Xfinity Series, Larson triumphed after a controversial duel with John Hunter Nemechek, while Christian Eckes won the Truck race.
May 14, 2023: Ryan Newman joins Rick Ware Racing (NCS)
Ryan Newman will make select starts for Rick Ware Racing this year, beginning with the throwback weekend at Darlington on Sunday, May 14, team owner Rick Ware announced in Kansas. Newman, who was named Rookie of the Year in 2002, has made 725 Cup starts in his career, collecting 18 victories and winning the Daytona 500 in 2008 as well as the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis in 2013. His last race to date was in the 2021 season finale at Phoenix. Newman will start Sunday’s race in the No. 51 car and will be honored by Rick Ware Racing with a special throwback livery to commemorate his 2002 win at New Hampshire, his first and the start of his career that made him one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers.
May 9, 2023: These are the Kansas race winners (NCS & NCTS)
Denny Hamlin has won the NASCAR Cup race at Kansas Speedway. The Joe Gibbs driver spun out Kyle Larson on the last lap to take his first win of the season. After the race, a scuffle broke out between Noah Gragson and Ross Chastain. Gragson grabbed Chastain by the collar, whereupon the latter punched the Legacy Motor Club driver in the face. In the Truck series, Grant Entfinger was victorious.
May 3, 2023: Legacy Motor Club switches OEM (NCS)
Surprise: Legacy Motor Club (Petty, GMS, Johnson) is switching from Chevrolet to Toyota for the 2024 season. The current Childress customer team wants to establish itself as an independent racing team and not be dependent on a top team. According to co-owner Maury Gallagher, the team will work directly with Toyota and the goal is to compete for wins and titles with the Japanese in the mid-term. This would not be possible as a customer team. With Jimmie Johnson joining as co-owner, a partnership with Hendrick Motorsports was expected, which is now off the table.
May 2, 2023: Truex family grabbed wins in Dover (NCS & NXS)
It was a perfect NASCAR weekend for the Truex family: On Saturday, Ryan Truex won the Xfinity race in dominant fashion and thus drove into Victory Lane for the first time on national level. On Monday, his big brother Martin Truex Jr. made the weekend perfect with a victory! The Gibbs driver edged out Ross Chastain in the race that was postponed to Monday due to rain. Winning the stages were William Byron, who had a strong short-run car, and Chastain, who took the overall lead with a second-place finish.
NCS = NASCAR Cup Series; NXS = NASCAR Xfinity Series, NCTS = NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series; O = others
