It’s race number two in the round of eight with the 4ever 400 at Homestead-Miami.  The Cup Series caps off a triple header weekend with a tribute race to the driver of the number four car – Kevin Harvick.

Last week Kyle Larson secured his spot in the Championship Four.  Currently William Byron, Martin Truex Jr, and Denny Hamlin fill out the remaining drivers above the cut line.  Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Chris Buescher are belowe the cut line.

As Group A practice concluded, several cars on pit road were smoking and one car was even on fire.  The brakes on Chase Briscoe’s number 14 car caught fire.  Briscoe reported that his brakes were terrible prior to coming down pit road. 

Bubba Wallace led Group A practice.  Last year Wallace was suspended from this race.  This weekend the 23XI drivers are running the Grimmace and Hamburglar schemes on the cars.

Originally Carson Hocevar was scheduled to run the number 42 car for the rest of the season; but for this race, John Hunter Nemechek will be driving the number 42 car.  Nemechek will be driving the number 42 car for the Legacy Motor Club next season.  Nemechek and Ty Gibbs are racing each other during the practice session.

Kyle Larson is running laps at least half a second faster than the rest of the Group B drivers,

Last season at Martinsville Ross Chastain ended the race with the “Hail Melon” literally scraping the wall to advance into the Final Four.  That move is no longer allowed but he is running the high line at Homestead; even scraping the wall at times.

There is some heavy damage to the front end of Joey Logano’s car after getting into the inside wall with a flat tire.  He was running the low line at the time he got loose.  Logano will have to move to a backup car and will not make a qualifying run.  Logano said that he “just lost it” running on the bottom.

Tyler Reddick is the only driver in Group B to make the top 10 after both groups have made practice runs.

Both groups will make qualifying runs with the top five drivers from each group moving on to a second round of qualifying to set the pole.

The first driver on the track from Group A to make a qualifying run is Josh Bilicki who posted a time of 33.364 seconds around the mile and a half track.

After a brake rotor fire, Chase Briscoe’s car has been repaired and he gets to make a qualifying run with a time of 32.389.

Bubba Wallace is the first driver to break the 32 secnd mark with a time of 31.888 seconds.

Bubba Wallace, Martin Truex Jr, Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Blaney will all be moving on to round two of qualifying from Group A.

John Hunter Nemechek kicks off Group B qualifying with a time of 32.399 seconds.

With three races remaining in the 2023 season, Corey LaJoie is the only driver in the Cup Series who does not have a DNF – did not finish.

Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Ross Chastain will all be moving on from Group B to round two of qualifying.

The first driver in the top 10 on the track is Ryan Blaney with a time of 32.594 seconds.

With a time of 32.256 seconds Martin Truex Jr puts his number 19 car on the pole to give Toyota its 500th pole.

The starting line up for the Mobile 4Ever 400:
Martin Truex Jr
Bubba Wallace
Tyler Reddick
Brad Keselowski
Kyle Larson
Austin Dillon
William Byron
Ross Chastain
Ty Gibbs
Ryan Blaney
Denny Hamlin
Alex Bowman
Christopher Bell
Daniel Suarez
Michael McDowell
Chase Elliott
Chris Buescher
Kyle Busch
Erik Jones
Corey LaJoie
Chase Briscoe
Kevin Harvick
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
John Hunter Nemechek
AJ Allmendinger
Austin Cindric
Justin Haley
Harrison Burton
Ryan Preece
Aric Almirola
JJ Yeley
Todd Gilliland
Ty Dillon
Ryan Newman
Josh Bilicki
Joey Logano

Stage one is 80 laps, stage two is 85 laps, and stage three is 102 laps for a total of 267 laps around the mile and a half track.

Stars abound all over the track with Pitbull driving the pace car, Mike Helton waving the flag, and Kevin Harvick’s crew chief Rodney Childers giving the command to start the engines.

Martin Truex Jr brings the field down for the green flag start of the race from the outside lane with Bubba Wallace alongside.  Drivers quickyly get three and four wide across the track.

Bubba Wallace jumps out in front for the lead but Martin Truex Jr comes up to battle with Wallace for the lead.

Lap two, Martin Truex has a very narrow lead on Bubba Wallace; Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five.

Bubba Wallace retakes the lead.

Lap five, Martin Truex Jr comes back up to battle with Bubba Wallace for the lead; Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick, and Ryan Blaney round out the top five.

Lap seven, Brad Keselowski moves up to battle with Martin Truex Jr for second.

After only eight laps the lap times have dropped a second due to the abrasiveness of the track and wear on the tires.

Lap 10, Bubba Wallace holds on to the lead with Martin Truex Jr in second; Brad Keselowski, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five.

Lap 12, coming up on the bottom lane, Martin Truex Jr finally gets out in front of Bubba Wallace for the lead.

William Byron passes Brad Keselowski for third.

Brad Keselowski comes up to battle with Bubba Wallace for second.

Lap 20, William Byron battles with Martin Truex Jr for the lead; Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five.

Lap 23, William Byron leads the race with Brad Keselowski in second; Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five as lap times have fallen three seconds a lap.

Lap 25, after starting last in a backup car, Joey Logano has moved up to 26th place.

Lap 30, Kyle Busch begins the cycle of green flag pit stops as William Byron leads the race.

Drivers are reporting tight conditions in the car; especially when they approach the wall.

John Hunter Nemechek was caught speeding on pit road and will have to serve a passthrough penalty.

Lap 37, Denny Hamlin leads the race with Joey Logano in second; Ty Dillon, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Larson round out the top five as green flag pit stops continue.  Currently there are 10 cars on the lead lap.

Lap 40, leader Denny Hamlin makes his pit stop; along with Joey Logano and gives the lead to Brad Keselowski.

Lap 41, the top five are Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Martin Truex Jr.

Lap 44, Brad Keselowski has a lead of over a second on Kyle Larson; William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.

Lap 48, there are 29 cars on the lead lap.

Lap 54, Kyle Larson has closed the gap on leader Brad Keselowski and passes for the lead.

Lap 56, Kyle Larson has a lead of over half a second on Brad Keselowski; William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.

Kyle Larson is reporting a tight condition in his car.

Kevin Harvick gets loose on the track but saves the car and the track stays green.

In 22 starts at Homestead-Miami, Kevin Harvick has finished all but two of the races.

Lap 63, Kyle Larson has pulled out to a lead of nearly two and a half seconds on Brad Keselowski; Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.

Lap 64 William Byron battles with Ryan Blaney for third.

Leader Kyle Larson has put fellow playoff driver Chris Buescher a lap down.

With nine laps remaining in stage one, Kyle Larson has a lead of over a second on Brad Keselowski; Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.

Five laps remain in stage one, Kyle Larson has pulled out to a lead of over two and a half seconds on Brad Keselowski; Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr spins out and brings out the first caution flag of the race with just four laps remaining in stage one.  The toe link is damaged on the car after some contact with the wall.

Kyle Larson wins stage one under caution.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Kyle Larson
Brad Keselowski
Ryan Blaney
William Byron
Martin Truex Jr
Denny Hamlin
Tyler Reddick
Austin Dillon
Christopher Bell
Ty Gibbs

Chris Buescher is the only playoff driver not to earn any stage points.

Kyle Larson leads the field down pit road for service with Kyle Larson winning the race off of pit road.

Kyle Larson brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two from the outside lane with Brad Keselowski on the inside on lap 86.  Larson and Keselowski battle for the lead.

Brad Keselowski is reporting some “brake shake”.

Kyle Larson takes the lead with Brad Keselowski in second; William Byron, Ty Gibbs, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.

Drivers are three wide across the track in a battle for position.

Lap 90, with 25 cars on the lead lap, Kyle Larson has a near half second lead as Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr battle for third.

Lap 92, Brad Keselowski is closing the gap on William Byron in a battle for second with Kyle Larson less than a quarter of a second out in front.

Lap 95, Kyle Larson has a half second lead with Brad Keselowski in second; William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Matin Truex Jr rounding out the top five.

Lap 105, Kyle Larson has a half second lead on Brad Keselowski; William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.

Christopher Bell reports a multiple times tight condition; saying whatever adjustment they made, it was 180 degrees wrong.

The top four drivers are “rim riding” inches from the wall.

Lap 110, Kyle Larson has pulled out to a lead of nearly a second and a half on Brad Keselowski.

After starting the race on the front row and leading for nine laps, Bubba Wallace has fallen to 14th.

Lap 113, drivers begin the cycle of green flag pit stops including leader Kyle Larson on lap 115.  Denny Hamlin is the leader.

Having made a pit stop, Kyle Larson is running four miles per hour faster than leader Denny Hamlin.  The top six drivers have yet to make a pit stop.

Lap 122, Bubba Wallace gives up second to make his pit stop.

Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch make their pit stops with complaints of tight cars.

Lap 125, Denny Hamlin makes his pit stop.

The top five are Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Martin Truex Jr.

Lap 131, Kyle Larson has a lead of over four seconds on Brad Keselowski; Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.

Lap 137, Kyle Larson’s lead is now nearly six seconds out in front of Ryan Blaney; Brad Keselowski, William Byron, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.

Lap 146, Kyle Larson and Daniel Suarez are in a battle for position as Suarez fights to stay on the lead lap…but fails.

Lap 147, Kyle Larson’s lead is down to under four seconds on Ryan Blaney; William Byron, Brad Keselowski, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.  There are 22 cars on the lead lap.

Lap 152, Kyle Larson’s lead is now under three seconds on Ryan Blaney; William Byron, Brad Keselowski, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.  Keselowski  and Truex battle for position.

Lap 155, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr continue to battle for fourth.

Lap 157, Kyle Larson has encountered slower traffic; his two plus second lead is down to under a second and a half.

Four laps remains in stage two, Ryan Blaney has caught Kyle Larson and passes for the lead as Larson battles slower traffic.

Two laps remain in stage two, William Byron passes Kyle Larson for second.

Ryan Blaney wins stage two for his third stage win of the season.

The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Ryan Blaney
William Byron
Kyle Larson
Denny Hamlin
Brad Keselowski
Martin Truex Jr,
Tyler Reddick
Ty Gibbs
Austin Dillon
Joey Logano

Drivers come down pit road for service with Ryan Blaney winning the race off of pit road.  Martin Truex Jr lost several spots on pit road.

Aric Almirola was caught speeding on pit road and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.

Chase Briscoe has a loose tire on pit road and will also restart the race from the back of the field.

Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap 173 with William Byron alongside.  Blaney and Byron battle for the lead as drivers get three wide in a battle for positon through the field.

Willaim Byron takes the leadfrom the inside lane with Ryan Blaney in second; Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson round out the top five.

Lap 175, the battle for the lead between William Byron and Ryan Blaney continues.  Blaney gets out in front for the lead.  Theare are 24 cars on the lead lap wiwth Harrison Burton the only car not on the track.

Lap 180, Brad Keselowski gets a shove from Martin Truex Jr and gets into the wall but he saves the car and the track stays green.

Denny Hamlin passes William Byron for second and heads to leader Ryan Blaney.

Tyler Reddick and Brad Keselowski battle for eighth.

Lap 183, Ryan Blaney has a half second lead on Denny Hamlin; William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.

Lap 191, Ryan Blaney has a half second lead on Denny Hamlin; Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.

Lap 193, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin battle for second.

Lap 194, Kyle Larson passes Denny Hamlin for second.

Harrison Burton is out of the race.

With 71 laps remaining in the race, Ryan Blaney has a one second lead on Kyle Larson; Denny Hamlin, William Byron, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.

Martin Truex Jr passes Austin Dillon for sixth.

Denny Hamlin gets into the wall but the track stays green.

Lap 202, Josh Bilicki spins out coming to pit road but the track stays green.  He backs down pit road to get to his pit stall.

Lap 207, Ryan Blaney has a lead of over half a second on Kyle Larson; Denny Hamlin, William Byron, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.

Lap 211, Brad Keselowski begins the cycle of green flag pit stops.

Lap 213, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson come down pit road.  Larson Hits the water barriers at the end of pit rad head on and does some damage to his car and brings out the caution flag.  Larson had so much speed he turned to avoid hitting Blaney and hit the barriers.

Denny Hamlin is the new leader.

NASCAR has red flagged the race to get the sand cleaned up from the barrels destroyed by Kyle Larson.

Kyle Larson takes his car to the garage and is out of the race.

Kyle Larson said that he didn’t expect Ryan Blaney to slow down so soon; adding that he is upset with himself and hopes that Blaney can recover from the hit. 

Clean up over, NASCAR pulls the red flag to display the yellow and the cars are moving once again.  The drivers who had not make a pit stop, come down pit road for service with Denny Hamlin who wins the race off of pit road but Ryan Blaney leads the race and wil bring the field to green.

Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag restart with just 46 laps remaining in the race with Denny Hamlin alongside.  Drivers quickly get three wide across the track.  Denny Hamlin gets out in front but Christopher Bell comes up to battle for the lead.  The caution flag comes out after JJ Yeley slams into the inside wall; John Hunter Nemechek driving the number 42 car – the car he will be driving next season – Brad Keselowski, and Ross Chastain were also involved.  A four wide battle helped to create the melee.

A lap down when the race restarted after the red flag; Martin Truex Jr is back on the lead lap.

Denny Hamlin brings the field down for the green flag restart with just 38 laps remaining in the race with Ryan Blaney alongside.  Hamlin and Blaney go side by side; Christopher Bell comes up on the inside to take the lead.  William Byron joins the battle for second.

William Byron takes second as Denny Hamlin nd Ryan Blaney battle for third.

The top five are Christopher Bell, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, and Austin Dillon.

Thirty-three laps to go, the battle between Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin continues with the drivers swapping places back and forth.

Denny Hamlin gets into the wall hard and brings out the caution flag.  He reported a steering issue.

Martin Truex Jr reports a possible engine issue and is smoking; he says that he thinks it is blowing up.

Drivers come down pit road for a final set of fresh tires with William Byron winning the race off of pit road.

William Byron brings the field down for the green flag restart with Ryan Blaney alongside with just 25 laps remaining in the race.  Byron and Blaney battle for the lead with William Byron getting out in front.

Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell battle for second with Bell taking the spot.

With 23 laps to go William Byron leads the race with Christopher Bell in second; Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Bubba Wallace rounding out the top five.

Twenty to go, William Byron has a near half second lead on Chistopher Bell; Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, and Joey Logano round out the top five.

Now out of the race, Martin Truex Jr and Denny Hamlin are 16 points below the cut line.

Christopher Bell has closed the gap on leader William Byron and is looking for a path to the lead.

With 16 laps to go, Christopher Bell is side by side with William Byron in a battle for the lead.

With 15 to go, Christopher Bell is the new leader.

The top five are Christopher Bell, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, and Bubba Wallace.

Ten to go, Christopher Bell has a lead of over half a second on William Byron; Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, and Bubba Wallace round out the top five.

Ryan Blaney is running the fastest laps on the track.

Eight to go, Christopher Bell has a lead of over a second as Ryan Blaney and William Byron battle for second.  Ryan Blaney takes second.

Just six laps to go, Tyler Reddick passes William Byron for third; AJ Allmendinger passes Bubba Wallace for fifth.

With just four laps to go, Ryan Blane has closed the gap on leader Christopher Bell to just over a second.

Christopher Bell takes the white flag.

With a lead of nearly two seconds, Christopher Bell wins the race and secures a spot in the Championship Four!

The unofficial results of the 4Ever 400:
Christopher Bell
Ryan Blaney
Tyler Reddick
William Byron
AJ Allmendinger
Bubba Wallace
Ty Gibbs
Oey Logano
Aric Almirola
Austin Dillon
Kevin Harvick
Austin Cindric
Ryan Preece
Erik Jones
Chase Elliott
Daniel Suarez
Chase Briscoe
Kyle Busch
Alex Bowman
Corey LaJoie
Chris Buescher
Michael McDowell
Justin Haley
Ty Dillon
Todd Gilliland
Ryan Newman
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Brad Keselowski
Martin Truex Jr
Denny Hamlin
Ross Chastain
John Hunter Nemechek
JJ Yeley
Kyle Larson
Josh Bilicki
Harrison Burton