May 2017 News Archives

News from May 31, 2017

Addiction Campuses featured on Gaulding’s #23 at Dover & Pocono:BK Racing announced that Addiction Campuses will sponsor Gray Gaulding in The #23 Toyota Camry for the upcoming AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway and the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway. Addiction Campuses provides the most comprehensive addiction treatment programs in the country. In addition to partnering with Gray Gaulding, BK Racing has joined forces to establish a dedicated hotline open 24/7 for those battling mental health issues, alcoholism or drug addiction in their family. By calling 1.844.888.HELP, those struggling or their loved one will be immediately connected with a Treatment Specialist standing by to help.(BK Racing)[Read More Here](5-31-2017)

MAX by Maxwell House coffee to sponsor Buescher at Dover “We’ve got another great partner to highlight this weekend, MAX by Maxwell House coffee,” Chris Buescher, driver of the #37 MAX Chevy, said. “A lot of us in the garage are no strangers to the early mornings we have at the racetrack every weekend, and a cup of MAX by Maxwell House is the perfect way to get our day started. If the high banks of Dover (International Speedway) aren’t enough to wake us up for practice and race day, MAX by Maxwell House definitely will and it will keep us fueled all day to perform our best as we try to get all we can out of our #37 Chevrolet.”(JTG Daugherty Racing)[Read More Here](5-31-2017)

Regan Smith continues to fill in for Almirola, this weekend at DoverRegan Smith, who filled in for the injured Aric Almirola at Charlotte Motor Speedway, will once again pilot the #43 Smithfield Ford this weekend at Dover International Speedway. Smith drove to a fourth-place finish in the Monster Energy Open and raced as high as 12th before finishing 22nd in the Coca-Cola 600. Smith will work to tame the Monster Mile this weekend in his 12th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start.(Richard Petty Motorsports)[Read More Here](5-31-2017)

Bobby Labonte to race at Brands Hatch There will be a legendary new driver on the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series grid on June 10-11, when the European NASCAR Series will stop at Brands Hatch for the second event of the 2017 season: NASCAR Champion Bobby Labonte will make his debut at the wheel of the #1 Whelen Engineering Ford Mustang fielded by Alex Caffi Motorsport. Labonte’s debut will mark the first time a Monster Energy Cup Series Champion races in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, further underlining the strong ties between the Euro NASCAR and the American NASCAR and the continuous exchange of drivers between the two continents. It will also be Labonte’s first race outside North America.(hometracks.nascar.com)[Read More Here](5-31-2017)

Ryan Sieg joins BK Racing at Dover, LaJoie to Return at Pocono Ron Devine, owner of BK Racing’s #23 & #83 Toyota teams, announced that Ryan Sieg will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut in the #83 JAS Expedited Trucking / AntlerGrow Toyota at Dover. Sieg has been competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2013. Last season, Sieg was one of the 12 drivers to advance to the Xfinity Series play-offs, where he finished ninth in driver points. “I have been watching Ryan race for a number of years and have been really impressed by his driving skills,” said Devine. “I believe that this is the right time to put Ryan in one of our cars to see what he can do. Corey [LaJoie] will be back in the car beginning next week at Pocono, and he is a very important part of BK Racing’s bright future.”(BK Racing)[Read More Here](5-31-2017)

#4 Crew Chief Childers fined for lugnut infraction NASCAR released the Post-Event Penalty Report for Charlotte Motor Speedway. There was only one infraction:
Lug nut(s) not properly installed, #4 Stewart-Haas Racing crew chief, Rodney Childers, fined $10,000. See the — CMS Post-Event Penalty Report (pdf)(5-31-2017)

Charlotte overnight TV ratings: Fox’s telecast of NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, which was interrupted by rain at Charlotte Motor Speedway, had a 2.8 rating and a 6 share as Austin Dillon earned his first career Cup Series victory.[More](5-29-2017)
UPDATE 5-30-2017 FOX led a quiet holiday-weekend Sunday with its coverage of NASCAR’s Coca Cola 600. The network averaged a 0.8 rating in primetime with an average of 4.1 million viewers, pending updates for the live broadcast.(TV by the Numbers)(5-30-2017)
UPDATE 5-31-2017) on Skedball weekend sports ratings for Saturday and Sunday May 27-28, 2017 the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from Charlotte Motor Speedway had 4.636 million viewers [last year 5.713 million] and a 2.76 Household Rating [last year was 3.36](Show Buzz Daily)
AND Overnight television ratings for the 2017 Indianapolis 500 dropped to their lowest point since Nielsen Media Research began tabulating overnight ratings in 2003.
It’s anticipated that this year’s Indy 500 could be among the lowest-rated since ABC began start-to-finish coverage of the race in 1986. The final Nielsen rating will be out later this week. Sunday’s race, which aired on ABC in conjunction with ESPN, scored a 3.6 overnight rating, a 12 percent drop from last year’s 4.1 overnight rating, according to New York-based Nielsen. If there’s a silver lining to this year’s Indy 500 TV rating on the national scene, it’s that the IndyCar Series race trumped its NASCAR counterpart, the Coca-Cola 600, which aired later the same day. The NASCAR race, which was rain-delayed in Charlotte, only posted a 2.8 rating, meaning just 3.1 million households nationwide tuned in to the broadcast on Fox.(Indianapolis Business Journal)(5-31-2017)

Testing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams descended upon New Hampshire Motor Speedway for an organizational test on Tuesday. #42-Kyle Larson had the three fastest laps of the seven-hour opening day of testing with a best speed of 125.6 mph. Testing included twelve drivers: Larson, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Ryan Blaney, Trevor Bayne, Ty Dillon, David Ragan, Alex Bowman (for Chevy) and Drew Herring (for Toyota). Teams are prepping and collecting data for the upcoming New Hampshire 301.(NASCAR.com)[Read More Here](5-31-2017)

Watkins Glen close to announcing new entitlement sponsor for Cup race Watkins Glen president Michael Printup says that his organization is close to making a major announcement of a new race entitlement sponsor for this August’s NASCAR Cup Series visit. From 2013-2016, the NASCAR Cup Series stop at The Glen was named the Cheez-It 355 at the Glen but following last year’s event, Kellogg’s Corporation, the makers of the Cheez-It product, decided not to return. The search for a replacement sponsor has been ongoing ever since. “We’re getting pretty darn close and we hope to announce something here for the NASCAR Cup Series race sponsorship within the next two weeks.” said Printup.(Buffalo News )(5-31-2017)

News from May 30, 2017

Charlotte Race and Commercial Breakdown of the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race. Began recording the times at the Invocation of the race at 6:00 PM, then stopped for a rain delay at 7:53 PM. Resumed recording times at 9:24 PM, then stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 12:24 AM (all times are EDT). Did not keep records for the pre- and post-race coverage, or for the rain delay coverage.
Fox was the broadcast team for this event. Total race brdcst time 228 Total comm. brdcst time 65.(CawsnJaws.com)[Read More Here](5-30-2017)

Austin Dillon ringing the NYSE Closing Bell The New York Stock Exchange welcomes executives and guests of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) in celebration of the 58th running of the legendary Coca-Cola 600. To honor the occasion, Coca Cola 600 Winner, Austin Dillon, will ring The NYSE Closing Bell, alongside team owner Richard Childress. Festivities begin at 3:40pm/et, with the closing bell ringing at 4:00pm/et. A live stream of The Bell can be viewed here: nyse.com/bell (RCR)[Read More Here](5-30-2017)

NASCAR teams to display Autism Delaware decals at Dover More than 50 drivers from across NASCAR’s three premier national touring series will be showing their support for Autism Delaware’s mission during the upcoming June 2-4 weekend at Dover International Speedway by displaying a special decal on their cars and trucks.
Autism Delaware, a leader in the First State on autism awareness since its founding in 1998, is working to raise funds and awareness during the June 4 “AAA 400 Drive for Autism” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at the Monster Mile. This will be the 11th consecutive year that Dover International Speedway’s spring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race has had a tie-in with the cause of autism awareness. The Monster Mile will also host Autism Awareness Day at the Races in its enclosed grandstand for the sixth straight year on Sunday, June 4. The event provides a sensory-friendly environment for children and families on the autism spectrum to enjoy the race and includes several driver and owner appearances.(Dover International Speedway)[Read More Here](5-30-2017)

NASCAR Cup Series Drivers who have won in the #3:
The #3 was run in 1,134 Sprint Cup Series races, with 97 wins, 367 top-fives, 605 top-tens and 65 poles.
(before Austin Dillon took over the #3)
Since Dillon took over (thru Charlotte 5-28-2017): has been run in 1,257 Cup races, with 98 victories, 375 top fives, 628 top 10s, 70 poles.
Dale Earnhardt, 67 wins in #3, 76 wins overall (HOF)
Junior Johnson, 9, 50 (HOF)
Paul Goldsmith, 5, 9
David Pearson, 3, 105 (HOF)
Dick Rathman, 3, 13
Buck Baker, 2, 46 (HOF)
Ricky Rudd, 2, 23
Buddy Baker, 2, 19
Fireball Roberts, 1, 33 (HOF)
Charlie Glotzbach, 1, 4
Danny Letner, 1, 2
Earl Balmer, 1, 1
Austin Dillon, 1, 1
(HOF) – in the NASCAR Hall of Fame
Stats compiled from Racing-reference.info.
Also see an article at NASCAR.com: Dale Earnhardt far from only legend to drive #3.(updated 5-28-2017)

Rain-X returns as primary sponsor on #33 Chevrolet of Jones: After a successful partnership with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Brandon Jones in 2016, Rain-X®, featuring Advance Auto Parts as a retail partner, will return as a primary sponsor on the #33 Chevrolet Camaro for two NASCAR XFINITY Series races in the 2017 season. Rain-X, featuring Advance Auto Parts, will be the primary sponsor for Brandon Jones and the #33 team for the upcoming NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Daytona International Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.[More](5-30-2017)

XFINITY Entry List: There are 40 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s XFINITY 200 at Dover International Speedway. See the complete list on the Dover entry list page.(5-30-2017)

Truck Series entry list: There are 32 trucks entered for Friday’s Bar Harbor 200 at Dover International Speedway. See the complete list on the Dover entry list page (pdf).(5-30-2017)

Chastain to attempt all 800 miles in Dover this weekend: When NASCAR rolls into Delaware this week one NASCAR driver will be busier than most. Florida native Ross Chastain will attempt to drive all 800 laps scheduled this weekend at Dover International Speedway, beginning with his duties behind the wheel of the No.66 Bolen Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado in the Bar Harbor 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.[More](5-25-2017)

News from May 29, 2017

News from May 28, 2017

Race Recap: Austin Dillon puts the #3 Chevrolet back in Victory Lane on fuel-mileage gamble: Armed with a new crew chief and a gas tank that held just enough fuel to get him to the end of 600 miles with less than a second to spare, Austin Dillon won the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series of his career and put the vaunted #3 Chevrolet back in Victory Lane for the first time since 2000.[More](5-28-2017)

Kyle Busch & Martin Truex, Jr comments: Busch finished 2nd and Truex finished 3rd after they combined to lead 296 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway.[More](5-28-2017)

Austin Dillon wins at Charlotte: #3-Austin Dillon won the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway for his 1st career win. The race came down to fuel mileage with Dillon able to save enough to finish. #48-Johnson led with 2 laps to go before running out of gas. Dillon led only the final lap of the race.
#18-Busch finished 2nd followed by #78-Truex, Jr., #20-Kenseth, #11-Hamlin, #41-Busch, #77-Jones, polesitter #4-Harvick, #31-Newman, and #88-Earnhardt, Jr.
#78-Truex, Jr dominated most of the race, leading 233 laps on the night. He pitted with 32 laps remaining but could not get back to the lead before the race ended. He was passed by Busch on the final lap.
There was a 1 hour, 40 minute red flag for rain on lap 143.
#42-Larson finished 33rd, after an accident. He loses the points lead and is now 5 points behind Truex, Jr.
There were 23 lead changes among 10 drivers and 9 cautions for 53 yellow flag laps.
The average speed of the race was: 138.80mph.
See unofficial race results, awards, laps led, cautions and more at:
Unofficial Race Results (pdf)
Cumulative Report (pdf)
Penalty Report (pdf)
Pit Stop Times (pdf)

MENCS at Charlotte
– Austin Dillon: 1st NASCAR Cup Series win in 133rd career start
– Dillon: 1st driver to win NASCAR Cup Series race in #3 car since Dale Earnhardt in October 2000 (first driver other than Earnhardt to win in #3 since Ricky Rudd in Sept. 1983)
– Dillon: 2nd driver to get 1st career win this season (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.)
– 1st time there’s been 2 first-time winners in a 3-race span since 2011 (Paul Menard & Marcos Ambrose)
– Dillon 6th driver in Modern Era (since 1972) to get 1st career win in Charlotte 600; 3 of previous 5 went on to win championship
– Dillon: led only final 2 laps; has only led 9 laps this season (other 7 came in season-opening Daytona 500)
– Dillon: was 100-1 to win race, according to Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook (teammate Ryan Newman was 80-1 when he won at Phoenix earlier this season)
– Richard Childress Racing: 2nd win this season; 0 wins in 108 races from 2014-16
– Kyle Busch: finished 2nd; 0 wins, 2 runner-up finishes this season (Charlotte is 1 of 2 active MENCS track where he’s never won)
– Martin Truex Jr.: finished 3rd and led race-high 233 of 400 laps; led 625 of possible 800 laps in race over last 2 years
(ESPN Stats)

Race Fast Facts – Charlotte Motor Speedway
Austin Dillon won the 58th Annual COCA-COLA 600, his first victory in 133 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in 2017.
This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in seven races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch (second) posted his 16th top-10 finish in 27 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is his sixth top-10 finish in 2017.
Martin Truex Jr. (third) posted his eighth top-10 finish in 24 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Erik Jones (seventh) was the highest finishing rookie.
Martin Truex Jr. leads the point standings by 5 points over Kyle Larson.
A total of 10 drivers have posted their first career MENCS win at Charlotte: David Pearson (5/28/1961), Buddy Baker (10/15/1967), Charlie Glotzbach (10/20/1968), Jeff Gordon (5/29/1994), Bobby Labonte (5/28/1995), Matt Kenseth (5/28/2000), Jamie McMurray (10/13/2002), Casey Mears (5/27/2007), David Reutimann (5/25/2009) and Austin Dillon (05/28/2017).
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(5-28-2017)

Top-Ten Stage 3 Results (lap 300) of the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (lap 300/400):
#11-Hamlin, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#18-Busch, 9pts
#20-Kenseth, 8pts
#78-Truex Jr., 7pts
#77-Jones, 6pts
#41-Busch, 5pts
#4-Harvick, 4pts
#19-Suarez, 3pts
#88-Earnhardt, Jr., 2pts
#3-Dillon, 1pt

Top-Ten Stage 2 Results (lap 200, now official race) of the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (lap 200/400):
#78-Truex Jr., 10pts, 1 playoff point
#48-Johnson, 9pts
#20-Kenseth, 8pts
#18-Busch, 7pts
#41-Busch, 6pts
#1-McMurray, 5pts
#2-Dillon, 4pts
#77-Jones, 3pts
#42-Larson, 2pts
#11-Hamlin, 1pt

Top-Ten Stage 1 Results (lap 100) of the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (lap 100/400):
#18-Busch, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#78-Truex Jr., 9pts
#4-Harvick, 8pts
#48-Johnson, 7pts
#20-Kenseth, 6pts
#42-Larson, 5pts
#21-Blaney, 4pts
#14-Bowyer, 3pts
#41-Busch, 2pts
#1-McMurray, 1pt

2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Standings:
[after Charlotte, race 12 of 36]
1) #78-Martin Truex Jr [2], 491
2) #42-Kyle Larson [1 win], 486, -5
3) #2-Brad Keselowski [2], 409, -82
4) #4-Kevin Harvick, 388, -103
5) #18-Kyle Busch, 386, -105
6) #1-Jamie McMurray, 385, -106
7) #24-Chase Elliott, 362, -129
8) #48-Jimmie Johnson [2], 359, -132
9) #14-Clint Bowyer, 343, -148
10) #22-Joey Logano [1*], 336, -155
11) #11-Denny Hamlin, 332, -159
12) #21-Ryan Blaney, 308, -183
13) #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. [1], 298, -193
14) #41-Kurt Busch [1], 290, -201
15) #20-Matt Kenseth, 288, -203
16) #6-Trevor Bayne, 271, -220
17) #31-Ryan Newman [1], 266, -225
21) #3-Austin Dillon [1], 238, -253
* encumbered finish, can’t be used to make the playoffs
See the Unofficial Drivers Points Standings page (pdf) and
Unofficial Owners Points Standings page (pdf)

Elliott, Keselowski quotes on Coca-Cola 600 accident: The drivers were taken out of the race after an incident on lap 19.[More](5-28-2017)

Sunday Charlotte Notebook: For Ryan Blaney, there is only one #1 driver; Kyle Busch likes changes to Cup schedule; Kevin Harvick: NASCAR is in good hands[More](5-28-2017)

Rick Ware Racing partners with East Carolina Pirates on new initiative launch: In an initiative to educate college universities with the different spectacles available in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS), Rick Ware Racing announced today that the Pirates of East Carolina University will serve as the primary partner for Sunday’s AAA Drive for Autism 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.[More](5-28-2017)

Charlotte Sunday Pre-Race Schedule:
5:20pm: MENCS Drivers Introductions
6:00pm: Presentation of Colors by: “82nd Airborne Division Color Guard from Fort Bragg.”
6:00pm: Invocation by: Harold Frank
6:00pm: Amazing Grace by: Charlotte Fire Department Pipe Band
6:02pm: “21 Gun Salute”: Fort Bragg Firing Party
6:03pm: National Anthem: 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus
6:05pm: Fly-by TOT: 4 F-15’s’s from Seymour Johnson AFB
6:10pm: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by: Channing Tatum
6:18pm: Start of the Coca-Cola 600 (400 Laps /600 Miles) (Fox, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR)
eastern time (NASCAR.com)

News from May 27, 2017

W2W4: It’s the Biggest Weekend for Motorsports of the Year: Sunday is a full day of auto racing across the world, starting with the most prestigious Formula 1 race of the year, the Grand Prix of Monaco. In the early afternoon, it’s the crown jewel of American open-wheel racing, the Indianapolis 500. Then, from dusk into the night, it’s one of the major NASCAR races of the year, the 600-mile race at Charlotte.[More](5-27-2017)

Saturday Charlotte Notebook: Kevin Harvick elated at Ron Hornaday’s NASCAR Hall of Fame election; Fords are fast in Saturday morning’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup practice; Short Strokes[More](5-27-2017)

Fox to honor service members during Coca-Cola 600: FOX NASCAR once again will honor American service members who have fallen in the past year with “FOX Sports Remembers” during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 race broadcast. The tribute, begun in 2009, features a running scroll across the bottom of the TV screen listing the name of every U.S. service member who lost his or her life at home or abroad since last year’s Memorial Day Weekend race.[More](5-27-2017)

Happy Hour (final) practice for the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#42-Larson 186.400
#21-Blaney 185.861
#20-Kenseth 185.046
#41-Busch 184.856
#77-Jones 184.818
slowest: #83-LaJoie 178.271 & #7-Yeley 176.183.
best 10 consecutive lap ave: #1-McMurray 180.914.
notes: #2-Keselowski made contact with the wall early but just suffered minor rear end damage.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the Happy Hour Practice speeds page (pdf) (5-27-2017)

1st Saturday practice for the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, after 55 scheduled minutes, the top-five and notes:
#21-Blaney 188.055
#77-Jones 187.598
#78-Truex, Jr. 187.084
#19-Suarez 186.838
#6-Bayne 186.239
slowest: #51-Hill 175.850, #55-Cope 172.861
most laps run: #18-Busch, 48 laps
Best 10 consecutive lap average: #78-Truex, Jr. 184.886
See fastest speeds, laps run on the Practice 2 Speeds page (pdf)(5-27-2017)

Ross Chastain to make Cup debut at Dover: Ross Chastain is going racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and the Delaware Office of Highway Safety will be along for the ride. Chastain is scheduled to make his debut in the Cup Series in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism June 4 at Dover International Speedway. He also will drive in the June 3 OneMain Financial 200 Xfinity Series race and the June 2 Bar Harbor 200 Camping World Truck Series race. His vehicles in all three events will carry sponsorship from the OHS in support of safe driving.[More](5-27-2017)

All-Star Race TV Ratings UPDATE: The Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway earned a 1.5 overnight rating.(5-22-2017)
UPDATE: Last Saturday’s NASCAR All-Star Race had a 1.6 final rating and 2.9 million viewers on Fox Sports 1, down 20% in ratings and 13% in viewership from lat year (2.0, 3.3M) and down 24% and 25% respectively from 2015 (2.1, 3.8M).[More](5-27-2017)

Blaney wins Charlotte XFINITY race: #12-Ryan Blaney won the Hisense 4K TV 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is his fifth XFINITY Series win and first of the year. #41-Kevin Harvick finished second, followed by #2-Austin Dillon, #18-Christopher Bell, #20-Denny Hamlin, #22-Brad Keselowski, #00-Cole Custer, #48-Brennan Poole, #62-Brendan Gaughan, and #42-Tyler Reddick.
There were 12 cautions for 52 laps and 12 lead changes among 7 leaders.
The average speed was 113.720mph.
Complete results are on the Charlotte race results page (pdf). (5-27-2017)

Race stage winners:
Stage 1 – lap 45 – Winner, #41-Kevin Harvick
Stage 2 – lap 90 – Winner, #22-Ryan Blaney
Stage 3 – lap 200 – Race winner, #22-Ryan Blaney

Charlotte XFINITY Race Fast Facts:
Ryan Blaney(i) won the 36th Annual Hisense 4K TV 300, his fifth victory in 56 NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
This is his first victory and fifth top-10 finish in 2017.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in five races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kevin Harvick(i) (second) posted his 18th top-10 finish in 28 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is his third top-10 finish in 2017.
Austin Dillon(i) (third) posted his sixth top-10 finish in nine races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Cole Custer (seventh) was the highest finishing rookie.
Elliott Sadler leads the point standings by 6 points overJustin Allgaier.
Ryan Blaney (05/27/2017) and his father, Dave Blaney (10/13/2006), become the first father-son combo to win a NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
A total of six father and son duos have won in the NASCAR XFINITY Series – Dave Blaney and Ryan
Blaney, Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bill Elliott and Chase Elliott, Bobby Hamilton and Bobby Hamilton Jr., Terry Labonte and Justin Labonte, David Pearson and Larry Pearson.
Ryan Blaney’s win is the second victory for Team Penske in the NASCAR XFINITY Series this season.
The first win came at Las Vegas with driver Joey Logano earlier this season.
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(5-27-2017)

XFINITY Driver standings following Charlotte:
1) #1-Elliott Sadler, 332
2) #7-Justin Allgaier [1 win], 326, -6
3) #9-William Byron, 275, -57
4) #21-Daniel Hemric, 253, -79
5) #6-Darrell Wallace Jr., 249, -83
6) #16-Ryan Reed [1 win], 237, -95
7) #48-Brennan Poole, 229, -103
8) #19-Matt Tifft, 227, -105
9) #5-Michael Annett, 224, -106
10) #11-Blake Koch, 220, -112
See complete owner and driver standings on the driver standings(pdf) and owner standings page (pdf).(5-27-2017)

Free Pass – Who got a lap back on each caution at Charlotte: (and their finish)
Caution 1: none
Caution 2: none
Caution 3: #24-Conley, 32nd
Caution 4: #07-Bodine, 30th
Caution 5: #98-Mears, 21st
Caution 6: #4-Chastain, 15th
Caution 7: #23-Gallagher, 37th
Caution 8: #52-Gase, 23rd
Caution 9: #8-McCleod, 29th
Caution 10: #07-Bodine, 30th
Caution 11: #0-Smithley, 24th
Caution 12: #99-Starr, 31st
(5-27-2017)

Justin Allgaier on XFINITY pole at Charlotte: #7-Justin Allgaier won the Coors Light pole for the Hisense 4K TV 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed of 182.488mph. #2-Austin Dillon will start second. The rest of the top 10: #12-Ryan Blaney, #21-Daniel Hemric, #41-Kevin Harvick, #00-Cole Custer, #18-Christopher Bell, #20-Denny Hamlin, #16-Ryan Reed, and #42-Tyler Reddick.
Did Not Qualify: #74-Jordan Anderson, #78-Jeff Green.
The starting lineup is posted on the Charlotte starting lineup page (pdf).(5-6-2017)

Charlotte XFINITY Qualifying Notes:
Justin Allgaier won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 36th Annual Hisense 4K TV 300 with a lap of 29.591 seconds, 182.488 mph.
This is his fifth pole in 217 NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
This is his first pole and fifth top-10 start in 2017.
This is his first pole in 14 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Austin Dillon(i) (second) posted his sixth top-10 start of 2017 and his ninth in nine races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ryan Blaney(i) (third) posted his first top-10 start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is his fourth in five races this season.
Daniel Hemric (fourth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(5-27-2017)

Charlotte Motor Speedway honors longtime fans: In what has become a Coca-Cola 600 tradition, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s annual longtime fan breakfast was held Saturday morning at the Speedway Club. Four new inductees were honored and presented plaques on the speedway’s Wall of Honor. Previous honorees were also in attendance as the fans enjoyed a visit with NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison. Allison entertained the fans with old racing stories at the event. The new members were then taken to the Wall of Honor on the speedway concourse and presented their plaques.[More](5-27-2017)

Dover to honor Richard Petty’s 80th birthday on Sunday, June 4:Richard Petty, NASCAR’s all-time leader in victories who celebrates his 80th birthday on July 2, will be honored on the AAA Stage at Victory Plaza on Sunday, June 4 before the “AAA 400 Drive for Autism” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway.[More](5-27-2017)

News from May 26, 2017

Stewart-Haas Racing and Nature’s Bakery reconcile: Stewart-Haas Racing has reached an equitable agreement with Nature’s Bakery that will see the maker of on-the-go snacks serve as a primary sponsor for four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races split between drivers Danica Patrick and Clint Bowyer. The races where Nature’s Bakery will adorn Patrick’s #10 Ford Fusion and Bowyer’s #14 Ford Fusion will be announced at a later date. As part of this new agreement, all lawsuits between Stewart-Haas Racing and Nature’s Bakery have been dropped.[More](5-25-2017)

Hall, Cain win motorsports awards: Andy Hall wins 2017 Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports PR; Holly Cain wins 2017 Bob Russo Award for dedication to motorsports[More](5-26-2017)

Ty Dillon named ‘Most Interesting Sportsman in the World’: Richard Childress Racing XFINITY Series driver and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver for Germain Racing, Ty Dillon, was named the ‘Most Interesting Sportsman in the World’ for Spring 2017 by industry leader Fin & Field. Dillon, 25, is the youngest ever nominee of the award.[More](5-26-2017)

Petty’s Garage and Military AutoSource announce new Warrior Mustang: Petty’s Garage, in partnership with Military AutoSource, a subsidiary of Overseas Military Sales Corporation, today announced a new Warrior edition Ford Mustang during an unveiling at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, hosted by “The King” Richard Petty. The one-of-a-kind, high performance Mustangs will be sold exclusively to the military community stationed on U.S. bases outside the United States.[More](5-26-2017)

Gordon Ramsay named grand marshal at Dover: Gordon Ramsay, the British-born, award-winning chef who has gained international recognition for his original TV productions, will serve as the grand marshal for the “AAA 400 Drive for Autism” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, June 4 (1 p.m. ET, FS1), track officials announced today.[More](5-26-2017)

Texas bill would boost possible bids for All-Star Race, season-ending championship: State lawmakers have given Texas Motor Speedway a big helping hand if the state’s premier stock-car track wants to lobby for NASCAR’s All-Star Race and season-ending championship. The Texas Legislature approved a bill Thursday that makes those two races eligible for the state’s Major Events Reimbursement Program, the same fund that is used to help attract big events such as the Super Bowl, the NCAA tournament’s Final Four and Formula One’s U.S. Grand Prix. The two NASCAR events would fit right in, too.[More](5-26-2017)

News from May 25, 2017

Kyle Larson comments on qualifying issues: #42-Larson did not make a qualifying attempt for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after the team was unable to get through pre-qualifying inspection.[More](5-25-2017)

Harvick wins Charlotte pole: #4-Kevin Harvick won the Coors Light pole for the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with speed of 193.424mph for his 3rd pole of 2017, 2nd at Charlotte and 20th of his career. Harvick has won 5 times from the 19 previous poles.
#18-Busch will start 2nd followed by #24-Elliott, #20-Kenseth, #77-Jones, #11-Hamlin, #21-Blaney, #78-Truex, jr., #14-Bowyer, #2-Keselowski, #1-McMurray, and #41-Busch.
#4-Harvick was fastest in the second round with a speed of 193.237mph.
#18-Busch was fastest in the first round with a speed of 191.381mph, will start 2nd.
Driver(s) who will miss the race: none as 40 were entered for 40 spots
See round-by-round qualifying results on the Charlotte qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(5-25-2017)

Charlotte Motor Speedway – Qualifying Fast Facts:
Kevin Harvick won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 58th Annual COCA-COLA 600 with a lap of 27.918 seconds, 193.424 mph.
This is his 20th pole in 586 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his third pole and 10th top-10 start in 2017.
This is his second pole in 33 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch (second) posted his 10th top-10 start of 2017 and his 14th in 27 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Chase Elliott (third) posted his second top-10 start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is his seventh in 12 races this season.
Erik Jones (fifth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(5-25-2017)

Second Round of Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, after 10 scheduled minutes.
#4-Harvick 193.237
#18-Busch 193.223
#24-Elliott 191.734
#14-Bowyer 191.673
#78-Truex, Jr. 191.605
the rest of the top 12: 21 41 77 20 2 11 1
out of the top 12 and not advancing to round 3: 17 48 10 27 31 6 88 19 95 3 22 5
(5-25-2017)

First Round of Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, after 20 scheduled minutes.
#18-Busch 191.381
#11-Hamlin 191.008
#77-Jones 190.799
#20-Kenseth 190.752
#17-Stenhouse, Jr. 190.638
the rest of the top 24: 4 48 21 27 24 1 41 10 19 31 22 78 5 14 2 6 88 3 9;
out of the top 24 and not advancing to round 2: 43 47 13 38 37 32 34 23 7 72 15 51 55 33 83 42
Drivers who will miss the race: none, 40 entered
(5-25-2017)

Speedway Children’s Charities Gala raises a record-setting estimated $890,000: The biggest stars in the NASCAR industry came together Wednesday for the 37th annual Speedway Children’s Charities Gala sponsored by Sonic Automotive and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. The fundraising event is estimated to have generated a record-setting $890,000. Held at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Charlotte, the black-tie dinner and auction was hosted by FOX’s Adam Alexander and Shannon Spake, with entertainment provided by GRAMMY award-winning musician Darius Rucker and special honors being bestowed upon NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson.[More](5-25-2017)

Thursday Charlotte Notebook: The big question: Will traction compound help the top lane at Charlotte?; Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Combine set for Friday; Another Earnhardt for the NASCAR Hall of Fame?[More](5-25-2017)

Friday practice for the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, after 85 scheduled minutes, the top-five and notes:
#77-Jones 192.713
#48-Johnson 192.472
#42-Larson 192.465
#11-Hamlin 192.465
#4-Harvick 192.150
slowest: #51-Hill 177.381 & #55-Cope 176.956
most laps run: #22-Logano & #23-Gauling, 22 laps
No driver ran 10 consecutive laps during this practice.
#14-Bowyer, #18-Busch, and #42-Larson all make contact with the wall during separate incidents.
See fastest speeds, laps run on the Practice 1 Speeds page (pdf)(5-25-2017)

Derrike Cope brings ‘Twin Peaks’ to Charlotte Motor Speedway: This weekend, Premium Motorsports and Derrike Cope welcome a brand-new sponsor to the sport. Twin Peaks, a very popular sports bar and grill restaurant has come on board as a primary partner for Cope’s #55 Toyota Camry for this weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.[More](5-25-2017)

College athletes descend on Charlotte for NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew Combine: A select group of former college football, basketball, softball, and track and field athletes from across the country will put their pit crew skills to the test in the second annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew Combine presented by Goodyear on Friday, May 26. The 17 athletes earned invitations to compete as part of a nationwide talent search. They will be evaluated based on a series of fitness, agility and pit crew drills and competitions at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.[More](5-25-2017)

William Byron paces final XFINITY practice: #9-William Byron was quickest in final practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed of 182.716mph.
#18-Christopher Bell was second, followed by: #33-Brandon Jones, #23-Spencer Gallagher, #39-Ryan Sieg, #42-Tyler Reddick, #12-Ryan Blaney, #41-Kevin Harvick, #24-Cale Conley, and #2-Austin Dillon.
36 drivers practiced during the session.
See complete results on the Charlotte final practice speeds page (pdf).(5-25-2017)

Ryan Blaney fastest in first XFINITY practice: #12-Ryan Blaney was fastest during opening practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed of 182.834mph.
The rest of the top 10: #48-Brennan Poole, #20-Denny Hamlin, #22-Brad Keselowski, #2-Austin Dillon, #41-Kevin harvick, #00-Cole Custer, #7-Justin Allgiaer, #9-William Byron, and #18-Christopher Bell.
All 42 drivers practiced during the session.
See complete results on the Charlotte practice 1 speeds page (pdf).(5-5-2017)

Black expected to return to SS Green Light as other drivers fill sponsor gaps The lack of sponsorship has sidelined another competitor in NASCAR this week with SS Green Light Racing driver Ray Black Jr. out of a ride, at least temporarily, according to team owner Bobby Dotter.[More](5-25-2017)

Charlotte penalty announced: The #24 GMS Racing entry driven by Justin Haley received a penalty for failing height requirements following the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.[Penalty Report](5-25-2017)

News from May 24, 2017

Eclectic class of five luminaries voted into NASCAR Hall of Fame:The 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame class is an eclectic group but all five members share at least one thing in common. They all are responsible for monumental contributions to the sport of stock car racing.[More](5-24-2017)

Five Icons Selected As 2018 NASCAR Hall Of Fame Class: NASCAR announced today the inductees who will comprise the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2018. The five-person group – the ninth since the inception of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010 – consists of Red Byron, Ray Evernham, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Squier and Robert Yates. In addition, NASCAR announced that Jim France earned the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.[More](5-24-2017)

NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Charlotte: A look at many news, notes and story lines for the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway[More](5-24-2017)

Reed Sorenson ready to go the distance with ‘Low T Center’: Premium Motorsports’ and Reed Sorenson are ready for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway where he will pilot the #15 Chevrolet SS. He’s excited to welcome back ‘Low T Center’ as his primary partner for the longest race of the season.[More](5-24-2017)

Tommy Baldwin Racing and Accell Construction to honor fallen military at Charlotte: Tommy Baldwin Racing and Accell Construction have partnered with Hope For The Warriors for the Memorial Day Weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Piloting the #7 Chevrolet is NASCAR veteran, JJ Yeley. Hope For the Warriors is a non-profit veteran service organization that provides full-cycle care to restore self, family and hope to post-9/11 service members, their families, and the families of the fallen. In honor of Memorial Day, LCpl Alejandro J “Poncho” Yazzie of the United States Marine Corps will be riding on board the Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet.[More](5-24-2017)

NASCAR legend Jack Roush honored by SAE Foundation: Racing legend Jack Roush received the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Foundation’s Industry Leadership Award at its annual celebration Tuesday night in Detroit.[More](5-24-2017)

New sponsors for Sieg at Charlotte: RSS Racing welcomes Data Link and Hang N Out portable trash cans as co primary sponsors for Ryan Sieg at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The#39 team will also have Mike D’s BBQ and Super Sod as a major associate sponsors for the race weekend in Charlotte. Additionally, the team will welcome country music star Frank Foster as an honorary team member on race day. Foster, will be performing at the track both Saturday and Sunday promoting his latest album, Good Country Music.[More](5-24-2017)

Merchant Services Ltd. sponsoring Conley at Charlotte: Cale Conley and JGL Racing welcome Merchant Services Ltd. as Primary Sponsor for the #24 Toyota this week at Charlotte. Merchant Services LTD is a white glove credit card processing provider. Having delivered premium service for over a decade, Merchant Services LTD understands that business is personal. [More](5-24-2017)

Daytona hosting hiring events for the Coke Zero 400 weekend:Daytona International Speedway and Americrown Service Corporation will be hosting hiring events for those interested in being a part of the work force during the upcoming Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered By Coca-Cola, June 29 – July 1. With more than 200 Guest Services positions available during the upcoming Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series races, Daytona International Speedway Guest Services department will host hiring events inside the motorsports stadium on Tuesday, May 30 and Monday, June 5 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.[More](5-24-2017)

News from May 23, 2017

2018 NASCAR national series’ schedules released: The Cup season kicks off with the Daytona 500 on February 18, 2018; Final regular season race at Indianapolis; Las Vegas kicks off the playoffs; Charlotte fall race to be run on the road course.[More](5-23-2017)

Statistical Advance – Analyzing the Coca-Cola 600: A look at some of the top statistical performers and top-10 driver ratings at Charlotte Motor Speedway, see the stats on the More

Front Row Motorsports to honor fallen soldiers at Charlotte: Landon Cassill and the #34 CSX “Play It Safe” Ford team will remember a North Carolina U.S. Army Private as part of their patriotic paint scheme for the Memorial Day weekend Coca-Cola 600. The decal across the top of the windshield of the Ford Fusion will display the name of Pvt. Michael Murdock of Chocowinity, N.C., killed in Afghanistan on Sept. 11, 2008.[More](5-23-2017)

Front Row Motorsports to honor fallen soldiers at Charlotte: David Ragan’s #38 team will remember a highly decorated Navy SEAL as part of NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance” this Memorial Day weekend. The camouflage-schemed Jacob Companies Ford Fusion will carry the name of Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Strange, who was killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 6, 2011.[More](5-23-2017)

Construction of Dick Trickle memorial continues: A bronze statue of Dick Trickle will wave to visitors in front of two curved walls featuring inscriptions, photographs and a dedication at the community park in Rudolph. Donn Lee Steuck, one of the directors of the Dick Trickle Memorial Project said after four years of work by project directors and volunteers, the finish line is in sight for the memorial to the central Wisconsin native who became a NASCAR racing legend. “It would be great if we could have it done by the end of construction season next year,” Steuck said.[More](5-23-2017)

Charlotte Motor Speedway Introduces ROVAL for 2018 Bank of America 500 Known across the world as a trailblazing innovator, Charlotte Motor Speedway ushered in a thrilling new era of excitement with NASCAR’s historic Tuesday scheduling announcement that next year’s Bank of America 500 will be contested on Charlotte’s ROVAL on Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018. The road course oval announcement carries with it several groundbreaking connotations, including:
The first road course NASCAR race in Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 58-year existence;
The final event in Round 1 of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs;
The first road course race in the 14-year history of the Playoffs;
The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in September at Charlotte Motor Speedway;
The first new track on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule since Kentucky Speedway joined the circuit in 2011.
The Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL is a daunting, new 13-turn, 2.4-mile road course incorporating part of the infield and all but 400 feet of Charlotte’s iconic 1.5-mile oval on which drivers will race 500 kilometers over 130 laps. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series will compete on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL Friday through Sunday, Sept. 28-30, 2018.(Charlotte Motor Speedway)[Read More Here](5-23-2017)

To honor service members, NASCAR Salutes returns at Charlotte:For the third consecutive year, windshield headers on all 40 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars will be replaced with the names of fallen military service members during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, NASCAR announced today. This year’s “600 Miles of Remembrance” tribute honoring those who bravely served our country, launches a six-week platform encapsulating the industry’s collective expression of respect and gratitude – NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola. [More](-2017)

Jacob Companies set as primary sponsor for Ben Kennedy at Charlotte: GMS Racing and Ben Kennedy are pleased to announce that Jacob Companies will be the primary sponsor on the #96 Chevrolet Camaro for the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) Hisense 4k TV 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27. Kennedy has made three previous starts at the 1.5-mile track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCTWS), but this will be his first NXS start there under the GMS Racing banner.[More](5-23-2017)

News from May 22, 2017

Motorcraft/Quick Lane, Wood Brothers Racing honor Kyle Petty’s 1987 Coca-Cola 600-winning Thunderbird at DarlingtonBlaney Darlington scheme: Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing and Wood Brothers Racing are honoring the team’s 1987 Coca-Cola 600-winning Ford Thunderbird at this year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Driven by Kyle Petty and sponsored at the time by Citgo, the 1987 Wood Brothers Ford won the 600 and finished in the top five on five other occasions. Petty scored a second at North Wilksboro and third-place finishes at Talladega, Pocono, Michigan and Riverside in 29 starts that season.[More](5-22-2017)

All-Star Race TV Ratings: The Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway earned a 1.5 overnight rating.[More](5-22-2017)

Entry List for the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is posted, 41 teams/drivers [for 40 spots] are listed.
36 teams with Charters are guaranteed to make the field. The rest need to make the field via qualifying / qualifying races / rules book (owners attempts/points).
Some of the drivers entered include:#7-Sadler*, #15-Sorenson, #23-Gaulding, #51-Hill*, #55-Cope*, #66-Long*, #83-LaJoie*
Drivers who currently do not drive for a team with a Charter and need to race into the field: #7-Sadler*, #51-Hill*, #55-Cope*, #66-Long*, #83-LaJoie*.
Drivers who would miss the race if qualifying is canceled (least race attempts): #66-Long
See the full entry list on the Entry List (pdf)

Truex Jr.’s #78 Toyota to honor fallen hero in Memorial Day weekend NASCAR race: 2nd Lt. John C. Yates, whose name will grace the windshield of Martin Truex Jr.’s race car during Sunday night’s Memorial Day weekend classic – the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – was an exemplary Marine who portrayed courage, unselfishness, leadership and patriotism while serving three tours of duty during the Vietnam War. [More](5-22-2017)

Shriners Hospitals for Children partners with David Ragan and Front Row Motorsports Warmer weather and time off from school can mean an increase in serious accidents for children, but Shriners Hospitals for Children is trying to change that with the help of Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and David Ragan. A nationwide program encourages kids to be Superheroes of Summer Safety and to #EarnYourCape by following tips to reduce the risk of injuries during the summer months.[More](5-22-2017)

Mixed results for option tires UPDATE: At the end of the night the primary/option tire experiment in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race provided mixed results and mixed reviews.

UPDATE: After an All-Star race that featured three lead changes in 70 laps, a senior NASCAR executive defended the rules package but conceded that the option tire “didn’t make a huge impact.”[More](5-21-2017)

Richard Childress Racing makes crew chief change for Austin Dillon: Justin Alexander, who has served as the crew chief of the #2 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet for RCR and earned two wins last season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, will assume crew chief responsibilities for the #3 team in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with driver Austin Dillon. Randall Burnett, who previously served as a crew chief for RCR’s technical partner JTG Daugherty Racing, will assume a new role as crew chief of the #2 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.[More](5-21-2017)

XFINITY Entry List: There are 42 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Hisense 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
See the complete list on the Charlotte entry list page.(5-22-2017)

Red Horse abruptly shuts down After 13 seasons in the Camping World Truck Series, Red Horse Racing is shutting down effective immediately. Team owner Tom DeLoach told Motorsport.com on Monday that the organization was shutting down due to a lack of funding. “I tried as long as I could but I can’t keep funding it out of my own pocket,” DeLoach said.[More](5-22-2017)

Victor Gonzalez, Jr. teams up with Niece Motorsports Road course ace Victor Gonzalez, Jr. will join Niece Motorsports behind the wheel of the #45 truck for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in September.[More](5-22-2017)

Michigan driver parade lap going through the infield: The MISCAMPING.com Infield Campground at Michigan International Speedway will host 40 special guests moments before the green flag waves for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 18. For the first time in NASCAR history, the driver parade lap will make its way through the MISCAMPING.com Infield Campground as part of pre-race festivities.[More](5-22-2017)

MRO High Heel Dash returns: High heels will lead to high-speed thrills on Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, when the better halves of NASCAR drivers and crew members race down pit road in stilettos in the third annual MRO High Heel Dash at 7 p.m. during LiftMaster Pole Night. The MRO High Heel Dash will include 12 wives and girlfriends of NASCAR drivers and team members, who will race down pit road in their high heels to raise money for and bring awareness to Motor Racing Outreach. [More](5-22-2017)

News from May 21, 2017

Are Danica Patrick’s hard wrecks catching up to her?: Danica Patrick was involved in a hard, fiery wreck May 13 at Kansas, when running in the top 15. The wreck, no fault of her own as Joey Logano had a part break in his car, causing him to turn abruptly and clip Patrick, came when Patrick was running in the top 15. It would’ve been her first top-15 finish this season. After the race, she bemoaned her luck on the season.[More](5-21-2017)

Mixed results for option tires: At the end of the night the primary/option tire experiment in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race provided mixed results and mixed reviews.[More](5-21-2017)

All-Star Race commercial breakdown: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Saturday’s race.[More](5-21-2017)

Watkins Glen International, New York State Fair announce marketing partnership: Watkins Glen International and the Fair will promote each other’s major events through ticket giveaways on their social media channels, including the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race weekend, August 4-7, and the Fair, which runs from August 23 to Labor Day, Sept. 4. These co-promotional efforts will begin immediately.[More](5-21-2017)

News from May 20, 2017

Race Recap: Kyle Busch finds his mojo at Charlotte with Monster Energy All-Star Race win: Kyle Busch took control of Saturday night’s Monster Energy All-Star Race on the final restart with 10 laps left and motored away to a 1.274-second victory-his first in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.[More](5-20-2017)

Kyle Busch wins the Monster Energy All-Star Race: #18-Kyle Busch took the lead from #2-Keselowski on the start of the final segment with 10 laps to go and pulled away to win the Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and $1 million.
#42-Laron finished 2nd, followed by #48-Johnson, #41-Busch, #1-McMurray, #4-Harvick, #24-Elliott, #22-Logano, #2-Keselowski, and #11-Hamlin.
#42-Larson won the first two segments, #48-Johnon won the 3rd segment.
Eliminated from the race for the final segment were: #14-Bowyer, #19-Suarez, #21-Blaney, #5-Kahne, #78-Truex, Jr., #20-Kenseth, #17-Stenhouse, #31-Newman, #88-Earnhardt, Jr., and #37-Buescher.
There were 3 lead changes among 4 drivers and 3 cautions for 3 laps (All at the end of segments. Caution laps did not count in the All-Star Race).
The average speed was 86.558mph.
See unofficial race results, awards, laps led, and more at:
Unofficial Race Results (pdf)
Penalty Report (pdf)

NASCAR All-Star Race Race Recap:
– Kyle Busch: 1st time winning All-Star Race (12th start in race)
– Busch: entered race with 227 laps led in All-Star Race (2nd-most in event history; most by driver to never win)
– Busch: 1st Cup Series win at Charlotte (points or non-points)
– Busch: final stage win was the 8th All-Star stage win of his career; 3rd all-time (behind Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon)
– Kyle Larson: finished 2nd; won 1st 2 stages (3 career stage wins in 2 All-Star races) and led 40 laps
– Larson: 58 career laps led in All-Star Race; 2nd-most among drivers never to win race (behind Brad Keselowski, 108)
– Jimmie Johnson: finished 3rd; ties Dale Earnhardt for the most All-Star Race top-5 finishes (9)
– Chase Elliott: finished 7th after advancing via winning fan vote; finished 6th last year after winning fan vote
– Dale Earnhardt Jr.: finished 18th in final All-Star Race; holds event record with 14 top-10 finishes
(ESPN Stats & Info)(5-20-2017)

Monster Energy All-Star Race Fast Facts:
This is Kyle Busch’s first Monster Energy All-Star Race victory and first Monster Energy Cup Series win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
This is the second Monster Energy All-Star Race win for Joe Gibbs Racing (Denny Hamlin, 2011) and the second for Toyota.
Kyle Busch wins the Monster Energy All-Star Race in his 12th start; the largest number of starts before an All-Star Race win – previous record was held by Tony Stewart with 11 All-Star starts before his win in 2009.
Kyle Larson finished runner-up in the Monster Energy All-Star Race. Larson also won Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the event.
Jimmie Johnson won Stage 3. He also finished the event third, his ninth top-five finish in the Monster Energy All-Star Race – series-most.
(NASCAR)(5-20-2017)

Monster Energy All-Star Race Segment 3 Top 10 Results: lap 60 of 70
#48-Johnson, advances to the final round of the race
#4-Harvick
#42-Larson
#41-Busch
#1-McMurray
#18-Busch
#22-Logano
#24-Elliott
#21-Blaney
#11-Hamlin
The segment was caution free.
Drivers advancing to the final 10 lap segment: #42-Larson (won segment 1 & 2), #48-Johnson (won segment 2), #18-Busch, #4-Harvick, #41-Busch, #1-McMurray, #11-Hamlin, #2-Keselowski, #24-Elliott, and #22-Logano.
(5-20-2017)

Monster Energy All-Star Race Segment 2 Top 10 Results: lap 40 of 70:
#42-Larson
#48-Johnson
#18-Busch
#41-Busch
#1-McMurray
#11-Hamlin
#2-Keselowski
#4-Harvick
#14-Bowyer
#24-Elliott
The segment was caution free. #20-Kenseth fell out because of an oil leak.(5-20-2017)

Monster Energy All-Star Race Segment 1 Top 10 Results: lap 20 of 70
#42-Larson, advances to the final round of the race
#18-Busch
#4-Harvick
#48-Johnson
#2-Keselowski
#20-Kenseth
#41-Busch
#11-Hamlin
#1-McMurray
#5-Kahne
The segment was caution free.(5-20-2017)

Results of the Monster Energy Open: #19-Daniel Suarez won the final segment of the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway to advance to the All-Star Race. He led all 10 laps in the final segment.
#14-Bowyer, advanced to the All-Star race by winning the first segment, #21-Blaney won the second segment.
#24-Chase Elliott moves to the All-Star race by winning the fan vote
#3-Dillon finished 2nd in the final segment, followed by #24-Elliott, #43-Smith, #10-Patrick, #13-Dillon, #6-Bayne, #32-DiBenedetto, #27-Menard, and #38-Ragan.
The first two segments were caution free. There were 2 cautions in the final segment. The first when #34-Cassill spun after being bumped by #24-Elliott to start the segment. The next was with 3 laps remaining. #77-Jones moved inside of Elliott to try to make a pass for the lead, hit the grass on the trioval, damaging the front of the car and causing him to get loose and spin.
See complete results on the Open Race Results page (pdf).(5-20-2017)

Monster Energy Open Fast Facts:
Stage 1 Winner: Clint Bowyer (#14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion) is the Stage 1 winner, and the first driver to advance to the Monster Energy All-Star Race.
This is the third-time in his career he has advanced to the All-Star Race (2014 and 2015 Open winner) after competing in the Monster Energy Open. This is his eighth Monster Energy All-Star Race start.
Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney (#21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Fusion) is the Stage 2 winner. Blaney is the second driver to advance to the Monster Energy All-Star Race tonight.
This is the first-time in Blaney’s career he has advanced to the Monster Energy All-Star Race after competing in the Monster Energy Open. This is Blaney’s first All-Star Race start.
Monster Energy Open Race Winner: Daniel Suarez (#19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry) is the Monster Energy Open winner. This is his first Open win and first Monster Energy All-Star Race start.
Fan Vote Wiinner: Chase Elliott (#24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS) is the Fan Vote winner. Elliott is the first driver to win consecutive Fan Votes (2016-2017).
(NASCAR)(5-20-2017)

Top-Ten Segment 2 Results (lap 40) of the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway (lap 40/50):
#21-Blaney, led all 20 laps, advances to All-Star race
#24-Elliott
#19-Suarez
#77-Jones
#27-Menard
#3-Dillon
#10Patrick
#95-McDowell
#43-Smith
#34-Cassill
The segment was caution free.(5-20-2017)

Top-Ten Segment 1 Results (lap 20) of the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway (lap 20/50):
#14-Bowyer, advances to All-Star race
#21-Blaney
#77-Jones
#24-Elliott
#47-Allmendinger
#3-Dillon
#19-Suarez
#27-Menard
#95-McDowell
#10-Patrick
The segment was caution free.(5-20-2017)

Saturday NASCAR Notebook: Kyle Busch looking to break Monster Energy NASCAR Cup jinx at Charlotte; Ty Dillon just hoped to join elite company; Martin Truex Jr. can only hope history repeats itself[More](5-20-2017)

Bowyer wins pole for Monster Energy Open: #14-Clint Bowyer won the pole for the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway with speed of 189.474mph.
#21-Blaney will start 2nd followed by #24-Elliott, #3-Dillon, #47-Allmendinger, #19-Suarez, #77-Jones, #13-Dillon, #10-Patrick, and #27-Menard.
#Bowyer was also fastest in the first round at 188.765mph.
The winners of the three Open segments, plus the fan vote winner, will move on to compete in the All-Star Race.
See round-by-round qualifying results on the Monster Energy Open qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the Monster Energy Open Starting Lineup page (pdf).(5-19-2017)

TowneBank returns as primary sponsor for Jeffrey Earnhardt Circle Sport with TMG (CSTMG) announced today that TowneBank will be returning to sponsor the #33 Chevrolet for All-Star race weekend events and the Coca-Cola 600 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. TowneBank is a community bank established in Portsmouth, Virginia, in April 1999. They offer business and personal financial services with the highest ethical standards. The company is dedicated to promoting social, cultural, and economic well-being in the community.[More](5-20-2017)

News from May 19, 2017

Kyle Larson grabs top starting spot for Monster Energy All-Star Race: Friday’s qualifying session for the Monster Energy All-Star Race was all about staying mistake-free. Kurt Busch didn’t. Kyle Larson did, and that was the difference between starting first and starting fifth.[More](5-19-2017)

Larson wins pole for All-Star Race: #42-Kyle Larson won the pole for the Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with speed of 143.839mph.
Qualifying consisted of each driver making three laps on track with a four-tire pit stop.
#18-Busch will start 2nd followed by #4-Harvick, #48-Johnson, #41-Busch, #88-Earnhardt, Jr., #2-Keselowski, #20-Kenseth, #11-Hamlin, #1-McMurray, #37-Buescher, #22-Logano, #5-Kahne, #78-Truex, Jr., #31-Newman, and #17-Stenhouse, Jr.
#4-Harvick was fastest in the first round at 144.313mph.
The 16 drivers already in the All-Star race will be joined by the three segment winners in Saturday night’s Monster Energy Open and the fan vote winner.
See round-by-round qualifying results on the All-Star Race qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the All-Star Race Starting Lineup page (pdf).(5-19-2017)

Friday Charlotte Notebook: Aric Almirola takes long-term approach to rehab from back injury; FOX Sports to feature all-driver broadcast lineup at Pocono; Goodyear pleased with option tire performance during practice.[More](5-19-2017)

Ernie Cope takes over as Allmendinger’s crew chief: Ernie Cope will take over crew chief duties on the #47 JTG Daugherty Chevrolet and driver AJ Allmendinger, effective immediately. Randall Burnett, who was recruited for the position after the 2015 season, will be reassigned within JTGD.[More](5-19-2017)

Practice for the Monster Energy All-Star Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, the top-five and notes:
#77-Jones 189.056
#14-Bowyer 187.970
#24-Elliott 186.400
#21-Blaney 186.021
#47-Allmendinger 185.893
slowest: #66-Long 170.234
most laps run: #21-Blaney, 41 laps
#33-Earnhardt appeared to lose an engine with about 25 minutes left.
See fastest speeds, laps run on the Monster Energy Open Practice Speeds page (pdf)(5-19-2017)

France brings team to meet with Monster: Although NASCAR officials meet routinely, even daily, with official partners, Chairman and CEO Brian France recently took several key executives on a trip to Corona, Ca. to continue his direct involvement in entitlement sponsorship relations with Monster Energy. There was no emergency and the sky was not falling. Rather, it was a chance to review the season heading into the Monster Energy All-Star Weekend. [More](5-19-2017)

Practice for the Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, the top-five and notes:
#42-Larson 189.274
#4-Harvick 189.098
#2-Keselowski 188.976
#18-Busch 188.594
#78-Truex Jr 188.232
slowest: #22-Logano 179.539
most laps run: #17-Stenhouse, Jr. 52 laps.
#42-Larson spun early in practice but did not hit anything.
Practice was followed by pit road practice in preparation for qualifying tonight. #11-Hamlin hit the wall during that time. He will have to go to a backup car. #18-Busch spun but did not hit anything.
See fastest speeds, laps run on the All-Star Race Practice Speeds page (pdf)(5-19-2017)

Aric Almirola press conference transcript

Almirola to miss 8-12 weeks: Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) driver Aric Almirola, who suffered an acute compression fracture to his T5 Vertebra after a multi-car accident at Kansas Speedway last Saturday night, will be forced to miss races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series during his recovery. The standard healing time for the injury is eight to 12 weeks. Regan Smith will drive the #43 Ford this weekend in the Monster Energy Open.[More](5-19-2017)

Monster Energy All-Star Race Weekend Preview: Kyle Busch in search of first Monster Energy win at Charlotte; Rhodes ready for Charlotte following Kansas heartbreak[More](5-19-2017)

NASCAR Diversity Internship Program kicks off during Monster Energy All-Star Race weekend: The 2017 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) welcomed 26 of the brightest students from across the country seeking to learn about the motorsports industry during the Monster Energy All-Star Race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. This year, 14 former NDIP interns currently working in the industry full-time will help mentor the students throughout the 10-week, paid internship.[More](5-19-2017)

What to watch for – All-Star Race: $1 million up for grabs in NASCAR; Jimmie Johnson right at home; One more for Junior[More](5-19-2017)

Waltrip shakes down ‘Option’ All-Star tires: A past winner of the Monster Energy All-Star Race shook down Goodyear’s green-walled, faster “Option” tires on Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as 1996 event winner Michael Waltrip tested the tires drivers can use one set of during Saturday night’s $1 million dash for All-Star cash.[More](5-19-2017)

Fox “Drivers Only” broadcast for XFINITY race at Pocono: In what is believed to be an unprecedented move in national sports broadcasting, FOX Sports announced today that its live broadcast of the June 10 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES race from Pocono Raceway (1:00 PM ET on FOX) will be called entirely by active MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES drivers. The race broadcast is thought to be the first time a nationally televised live sporting event has featured an on-air team comprised strictly of athletes actively competing in that sport.[More](5-19-2017)

Kyle Busch claims record seventh NASCAR Truck Series victory at Charlotte Kyle Busch never tires of winning, even though he does it more often than anyone else. Busch led 90 of 134 laps in Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and completed a dominating victory in the event, sweeping both early stages of the race and taking the checkered flag .986 seconds ahead of runner-up Johnny Sauter. The win was Busch’s seventh in 11 starts at the 1.5-mile track, his second of the season in three starts and the 48th of his career. No other driver in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history has won more races at a single track.[More](5-19-2017)

Busch wins Charlotte: #51-Kyle Busch won the NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night. #21-Johnny Sauter was second, followed by #4-Christopher Bell, #16-Ryan Truex, #17-Timothy Peters, #88-Matt Crafton, #98-Grant Enfinger, #27-Ben Rhodes, #18-Noah Gragson, and #75-Parker Kligerman.
There were 9 caution flags for 38 laps and 10 lead changes among 8 leaders.
See results on the Charlotte race results page(5-19-2017)

Stage Information:
Stage 1 – 40 laps, #51-Kyle Busch
Stage 2 – 80 laps, #51-Kyle Busch
Stage 3 – 134 laps, #51-Kyle Busch

Charlotte Truck Series Race Fast Facts:
Kyle Busch(i) won the 15th Annual North Carolina Education Lottery 200, his 48th victory in 136
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his second victory and second top-10 finish in 2017.
This is his seventh victory and 10th top-10 finish in 11 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Johnny Sauter (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in nine races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is
his fourth top-10 finish in 2017.
Christopher Bell (third) posted his second top-10 finish in two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Grant Enfinger (seventh) was the highest finishing rookie.
Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 15 points over Christopher Bell.
Kyle Busch wins his 173rd NASCAR national series race (MENCS 38, NXS 87, NCWTS 48 wins).
Busch is ranked second behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty (200 MENCS wins) for the most
all-time NASCAR national series combined wins.
(NASCAR Statistics)(5-19-2017)

Truck Series point standings following Charlotte:
1) #21-Johnny Sauter, 242
2) #4-Christopher Bell, 227, -15
3) #88-Matt Crafton, 191, -51
4) #29-Chase Briscoe, 171, -71
5) #27-Ben Rhodes, 170, -72
6) #17-Timothy Peters, 170, -72
7) #98-Grant Enfinger, 147, -95
8) #33-Kaz Grala, 139, -103
9) #16-Ryan Truex, 139, -103
10) #7-Brett Moffitt, 126, -116
See complete standings on Driver points standings page and the owner’s standings are posted on the Owner points standings page.(5-19-2017)

Free Pass – Who got a lap back on each caution at Charlotte: (and their finish)
Caution 1: #10-Cobb, 27th
Caution 2: #44-Mills, 24th
Caution 3: #19-Cindric, 13th
Caution 4: #4-Bell, 3rd
Caution 4: none
Caution 5: #50-Boyd, 20th
Caution 6: #7-Moffitt, 18th
Caution 7: #1-Anderson, 21st
Caution 6: #7-Moffitt, 18th
(5-19-2017)

Bell on pole at Charlotte: #4-Christopher Bell won his second straight Truck Series pole for Friday’s NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed at 180.892mph. #29-Chase Briscoe will start alongside row one. The remainder of the top-10: #21-Johnny Sauter, #51-Kyle Busch, #27-Ben Rhodes, #88-Matt Crafton, #7-Brett Moffitt, #19-Austin Cindric, #75-Parker Kligerman, and #17-Timothy Peters.
Failed to qualify: #12-Cody Ware and #86-Brandon Brown.
The starting lineup is posted on the Charlotte starting lineup page(5-19-2017)

Charlotte Qualifying Fast Facts:
Christopher Bell won the Keystone Light Pole Award for the 15th Annual North Carolina Education Lottery 200 with a lap of 29.852 seconds, 180.892 mph.
This is his third pole in 35 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his third pole and fifth top-10 start in 2017.
This is his first pole in two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Chase Briscoe (second) posted his third top-10 start of 2017 and his first start at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Johnny Sauter (third) posted his fifth top-10 start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is his fifth in five races this season.
Chase Briscoe (second) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(5-19-2017)

The PEDIGREE Brand and BANFIELD Pet Hospital to Sponsor Gilliland and Busch Kyle Busch Motorsports announced the PEDIGREE Brand will sponsor Todd Gilliland for six races and BANFIELD Pet Hospital will sponsor owner-driver Kyle Busch for two races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) this season. KBM will field a fourth entry for two of Gilliland’s races and two of Busch’s.[More](5-19-2017)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. to appear at 3-Wide Fan Hospitality at Richmond: Fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make an appearance at Richmond International Raceway’s (Richmond) 3-Wide Fan Hospitality area on Saturday, September 9, participating in a Q&A prior to the Federated Auto Parts 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. This will be the final regular season Cup race for Earnhardt as he will retire at the end of the 2017 season.[More](5-19-2017)

News from May 18, 2017

NASCAR will investigate Almirola’s accident UPDATE: NASCAR officials will do a thorough inspection of the #43 Ford of driver Aric Almirola following the Richard Petty Motorsports driver’s fiery crash during Saturday’s Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway. “It’s currently at the (NASCAR) R&D Center, and our safety experts will … look for anything that might give us clues or some indication of exactly what the challenge was there with Aric and his back,” Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition, said Monday morning.(5-15-2017)
UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he’s confident that NASCAR will understand what caused Aric Almirola’s injury last weekend at Kansas Speedway and said he talked to Almirola about the crash Wednesday night.[More](5-18-2017)

Cars to run decal for John Andretti at Coca-Cola 600: John Andretti is in the fight of his life and has been for several months. He is battling cancer that started in his colon, spread to his liver and doctors believe to his spleen, too. The former racer is back for his family’s annual May reunion in the venue that has always felt like home – Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a place that provides Andretti with the boost he needs right now.[More](5-18-2017)

Kurt Busch to Serve as Honorary Chairman at 2017 MSHFA Induction Ceremony: Kurt Busch, the 2017 DAYTONA 500 champion and former champion of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, will serve as the Honorary Chairman for the 29th Annual Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) Induction Ceremony at the Shores Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach on June 28.[More](5-18-2017)

NASCAR announces new YETI official partnership and licensing agreement: NASCAR, NASCAR Team Properties, and YETI announced today, during the NASCAR Fuel For Business Council meetings in Charlotte, North Carolina, multi-year agreements, which introduced the YETI brand as the “Official Outdoor Partner of NASCAR.”[More](5-18-2017)

Jimmie Johnson Foundation, Blue Bunny Ice Cream announce recipients of the 2017 Helmet of Hope: Seven-time NASCAR Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson, along with Mike Wells, President and CEO of Wells Enterprises, Inc., announced today the five recipients of this year’s $25,000 Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope grants. The Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope program invites fans and consumers across the country to nominate not-for-profit (501c3) organizations that support K-12 public education for the opportunity to receive one of five (5) available grant packages.[More](5-18-2017)

Charlie Daniels Band to headline Waltrip Brothers’ Charity Championship: Darrell and Michael Waltrip announced today that the legendary Charlie Daniels Band will headline their Champion’s Dinner Presented by ACLJ.org to kick off the Eighth Annual Waltrip Brothers’ Charity Championship (WBCC) on Wednesday, Oct. 18, in Franklin, Tenn. The Charlie Daniels Band will open off the two-day fundraiser benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities, Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) and The Journey Home Project. In just seven years, the WBCC has raised $2.5 million for various charities.[More](5-18-2017)

Kansas overnight TV ratings UPDATE: FS1 earned a 1.5 overnight rating for Saturday night’s race at Kansas.(5-15-2017)
UPDATE: NASCAR Cup Series racing from Kansas earned 2.6 million viewers.[More](5-18-2017)

SiriusXM expands sponsorship of Erik Jones: The upcoming All-Star Race weekend will mark the beginning of a six-race sponsorship deal with SiriusXM radio and Furniture Row Racing’s #77 Toyota, driven by Erik Jones.[More](5-18-2017)

Johnson’s patriotic Lowe’s Chevy for 600 unveiled on special trip to Ft. Bragg: When Lowe’s and Jimmie Johnson wanted to unveil the special #48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet SS that the driver will pilot for the Memorial Day weekend 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, they wanted to make it special.[More](5-18-2017)

Earnhardt Jr. earns the most news coverage: By sheer volume, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s April 25th retirement announcement has been the news story of the year in NASCAR. The surprising decision made by the sport’s most popular personality significantly contributed to Earnhardt’s name being referenced in more than 46,000 news media stories.[More](5-18-2017)

JJ Yeley to run patriotic paint scheme at Charlotte Motor Speedway:JJ Yeley, driver of the #14 TriStar Motorsports Toyota in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, is set to run a patriotic paint scheme at Charlotte Motor Speedway, partnering with Building Homes for Heroes. The specialty paint scheme designed by Clem’s Sign, will also feature Superior Essex and Legrand as associate sponsors on the rear quarter panels and deck lid. Building Homes for Heroes is strongly committed to rebuilding lives and supporting the brave men and women who were injured while serving the country during the times of the war in Iraq or Afghanistan. The organization builds or modifies homes, and gifts them, mortgage-free, to veterans and their families. [More](5-18-2017)

Gragson paces final Charlotte Truck practice:#18-Noah gragson was fastest during final practice for Friday’s Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 181.941mph. #19-Austin Cindric was second fastest. #21-Johnny Sauter, #75-parker Kligerman, #4-Christopher Bell, #51-Kyle Busch, #88-Matt Crafton, #27-Ben Rhodes, #29-Chase Briscoe, and #52-Stewart Friesen were the rest of the top-10. 34 trucks are entered and all 34 practiced. See complete results on the Practice 2 speeds (pdf)(5-18-2017)

Bell fastest in opening Charlotte Truck practice: #4-Christopher Bell was fastest during the opening practice for Friday’s Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 182.039mph. #29-Chase Briscoe, #27-Ben Rhodes, #7-Brett Moffitt, ##98-Grant Enfinger, #88-Matt Crafton, #33-Kaz Grala, #16-Ryan Truex, #8-John Hunter Nemechek, #51-Kyle Busch were the remainder of the top-10. 29 drivers practiced during the session. See complete results on the Practice 1 speeds (pdf)(5-18-2017)

Austin Cindric, 18, to graduate Friday, race in trucks that nightAustin Cindric has a graduation party arranged for Friday night — he’s competing in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Cindric, 18, will graduate Friday morning from the Cannon School, a private high school about seven miles from Charlotte Motor Speedway. He’ll have about six hours from the end of graduation until he steps into a Brad Keselowski Racing truck to qualify Friday afternoon and then will race Friday night.[More](5-18-2017)

New food selections abound at Dover International Speedway:NASCAR fans gathering at Dover International Speedway for the upcoming June 2-4 tripleheader weekend will have some new food choices to select from as they explore the Monster Mile. Five popular food trucks from throughout the mid-Atlantic region will be offering tasty treats in a centralized area near the FanZone.[More](5-18-2017)

Charlotte Motor Speedway cans first batches of 600 Ale: Charlotte Motor Speedway added to its historic legacy in a unique manner on Wednesday, as 600 Ale – the speedway’s first officially licensed beer – went into cans at Cabarrus Brewing Company. Cans of 600 Ale – a smooth American Ale – will be sold on speedway property during the May 19-28 10 Days of NASCAR Thunder.[More](5-18-2017)

News from May 17, 2017

NASCAR National Series News & Notes: A look at many new, notes and story lines for the Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. [More](5-17-2017)

2018 schedule could be released next week: After track promoters initially were told the 2018 schedule would be released Monday, it now seems likely it will be out next week. Though still much earlier than in previous years (thanks to five-year sanction agreements in place since 2016, the timing will be roughly two weeks behind when the 2017 schedule was unveiled last year.[More](5-17-2017)

Two All-Star events on tap for Truex Jr.:Martin Truex Jr. is prepping for two all-star events this week, both being conducted in North Carolina,1500 miles from Denver where his NASCAR Cup Series team is based. First on the docket for the Furniture Row Racing driver is Wednesday’s (May 17) Catwalk for a Cause, the annual Martin Truex Jr. Foundation fundraiser for childhood and ovarian cancers. [More](5-17-2017)

Reed Sorenson gets technical with Internetwork Engineering for Monster Energy Open: Premium Motorsports’ Reed Sorenson will pilot the #15 Chevrolet SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Monster Energy Open this weekend with his newest partner, Internetwork Engineering. Their company logo will be prominently featured on the hood of his race car.[More](5-17-2017)

DeWALT supports Wounded Warrior Project with NASCAR fundraising initiative: DeWALT, along with Joe Gibbs Racing and #20 DeWALT Toyota driver, Matt Kenseth, will honor injured veterans at the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race this weekend. In support of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), DeWALT has partnered with Lowe’s retail locations in North Carolina to implement a powerful in-store promotion. Throughout April and May, 10% of the proceeds generated from the sale of all DeWALT products will be donated to WWP. To further the impact, Stanley Black & Decker (parent company of DeWALT) will match all funds raised, doubling the donation amount to 20% of all proceeds. [More](5-17-2017)

Rookie drivers test on the high banks of Darlington Raceway for the first time: NASCAR XFINITY Series rookie drivers William Byron (JR Motorsports), Tyler Reddick (Chip Ganassi Racing), Cole Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing) and Daniel Hemric (Richard Childress Racing) tested on the high banks of Darlington Raceway for the first time on Wednesday. All four drivers are scheduled to compete in the track’s XFINITY Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 on Saturday, Sept. 2.[More](5-17-2017)

The Chainsmokers, Major Lazer to headline 400 Fest at the Brickyard: The Chainsmokers and Major Lazer will lead a superstar lineup of performers at the new 400 Fest, a two-night concert event during NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 event Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Other 400 Fest artists include Mac Miller, Cheat Codes and DNCE, with an additional performer to be announced soon. Gates open at 5 p.m. both nights, with music starting at 7 p.m. The complete 400 Fest schedule, with specific performance lineups for each day, and additional details will be available soon at www.400Fest.com.[More](5-17-2017)

Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 3” comes to life at Sonoma Raceway this summer: Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 3” cruises into theatres this June, but gearheads and movie buffs alike can see the popular characters come to life at Sonoma Raceway during the Toyota/Save Mart 350, June 24-25. Road to the Races, a nationwide tour inviting fans of #95 Lightning McQueen to gear up for the upcoming big-screen release, will conclude its 27-city tour at Sonoma Raceway during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekend. Life-sized versions of three of the movie’s stars will roll into the track to celebrate the latest movie from Pixar Animation Studios, which opens June 16, 2017.[More](5-17-2017)

PG&E, Sentinels of Freedom and Sonoma Raceway partner for Military Career Day: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Sentinels of Freedom and Sonoma Raceway will join forces to play hosts to the third Military Career Day at the raceway’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekend on Friday, June 23. The event will include workshops, panel presentations and a job fair featuring more than 40 Bay Area companies. In addition, the career day will include a Q&A with NASCAR driver and active U.S. Navy Lt. Jesse Iwuji.[More](5-17-2017)

News from May 16, 2017

M&Ms Caramel debuts on the #18: M&M’S is unsquaring caramel with its new M&M’S Caramel Chocolate candies now available at retailer nationwide. So it only seems appropriate that M&M’S Caramel will make its debut on Kyle Busch’s #18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) on the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedwa[More](5-16-2017)

Stewart-Haas Racing / Nature’s Bakery lawsuit close to settlement:SHR, which sued the fig-bar company for $31 million for the final two years of the three-year contract following Nature’s Bakery decision to terminate its sponsorship of Danica Patrick after one season, must report to the court in two weeks whether the case has been settled.[More](5-16-2017)

NASCAR Unveils 2017-18 NASCAR Next Class: Forty wins and 124 top-10s in 148 NASCAR starts during their 2016 and 2017 seasons, to date. … Three series champions, two of whom are the youngest in their respective NASCAR touring series. … The 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Rookie of the Year and the 2015 Snowball Derby runner-up. These are just a few of the accomplishments already earned by the nine drivers in this year’s NASCAR Next class, and they’re just getting started.[More](5-16-2017)

Ron Malec honored with Brian Lunniss Lifetime Achievement Award: Established in 2016, the premier Lunniss Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Ron Malec, Car Chief of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team for Hendrick Motorsports on Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race weekend. The Brian Lunniss Lifetime Achievement Award is dedicated to the hardest working hands in racing – the unsung heroes of motorsports – those who possess exceptional drive and inspire the team to win. [More](5-16-2017)

Buescher to run special Cars 3 scheme for Coca-Cola 600: JTG Daugherty Racing announced today that the #37 Chevrolet SS driven by Chris Buescher will feature a unique paint scheme at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Kleenex and Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3 in a one-race collaboration during Memorial Day weekend. Fans of Disney•Pixar’s Cars will recognize the iconic red and yellow paint scheme on Buescher’s machine, inspired by the film’s main character Lightning McQueen, including sponsor “Rust-eze” from the movie.[More](5-16-2017)
#Checkit4Andretti on the #34 this weekend: “We have #Checkit4Andretti on our MDS Ford this week for John Andretti. John was the original driver of the #34 when Bob Jenkins first ran the car full-time in the Cup series, and he’s still a good friend of Bob’s and a friend of the team. We’re all thinking about him as he battles colon cancer, and we want to help spread his message.”[More](5-16-2017)

Derrike Cope closes the deal with ‘Ckezepis Law, PLLC’: As Premium Motorsports & Derrike Cope get ready for the ‘Monster Energy Open’, their only non-points race of the year, they proudly welcome Ckezepis Law, PLLC, a local mortgage closing company to the team. The race will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway, right in the heart of the racing hub and Ckezepis Law, PLLC will be featured on the hood of Cope’s #55, Toyota Camry as a primary partner.[More](5-16-2017)

Johnson, Lowe’s renewal expected soon: Rick Hendrick said he is ready to announce a new deal with Jimmie Johnson sponsor Lowe’s “probably anytime” over the next 3-4 weeks and Nationwide also has indicated a willingness to continue with Hendrick Motorsports after the retirement of Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the end of the season. One sponsor Hendrick doesn’t have to worry about is Earnhardt sponsor Axalta, which opened a 36,000-square-foot training and customer service center today on the Hendrick Motorsports campus. Hendrick, whose automobile dealerships use 40,000 gallons of paint a year, said he would discuss 2018 driver options with Axalta leadership later today.[ESPN.com](5-16-2017)

Goodyear tire notes – All-Star weekend: Set limits, tire codes, and more information about the tires for this weekend’s races.[More](5-16-2017)

Monster Energy All-Star Race dignitaries announced: Four operators of entirely different modes of transportation will help bring the Monster Energy All-Star Race to life on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.[More](5-16-2017)

Teams to test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: The New Hampshire 301 is still more than a month away, but every top organization in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be represented at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on May 30 and 31. The two-day test is open to one car from each Monster Energy Series organization and will feature free admission to the grandstands and infield for the fans.[More](5-16-2017)

Pocono Raceway, JR Motorsports continue partnership: Pocono Raceway and JR Motorsports will partner for a host of cool, fan-focused events in 2017, including the JR Nation Block Party prior to the Pocono 400 on June 9. This marks the second year of the partnership. The JR Nation Block Party will feature live music on Friday and appearances from the race teams’ stable of drivers. Sponsors of JR Motorsports will be offering free samples throughout the weekend and plenty of giveaways will be offered.[More](5-16-2017)

What’s New at Charlotte Motor Speedway: An unrivaled showcase of entertainment and family-friendly attractions will spice up the May 19-28 10 Days of NASCAR Thunder at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but this year’s thrilling series of events also features a multitude of new things for fans to enjoy.[More](5-16-2017)

News from May 15, 2017

Entry List for the Monster Energy Open Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is posted, 21 teams/drivers are listed.
All cars / drivers will make the race.
Some of the drivers entered include: #15-Sorenson, #51-Ware*, #55-Cope*, #66-Long*
Not currently listed: #23-Gaulding*, #83-LaJoie*.
See the full entry list on the Monster Energy Open Entry List (pdf)

Statistical Advance – Analyzing The Monster Energy All-Star Race: A look at some of the top statistical performers at Charlotte Motor Speedway going into the Monster Energy All-Star Race on May 20, 2017.[More](5-15-2017)

Gaulding to run special patriotic scheme at Charlotte: The #23 Toyota Camry will sport a very special military-inspired paint scheme at Charlotte Motor speedway thanks to returning sponsor, BUBBA burger. BUBBA burger, sold in grocery stores nationwide, will be the primary sponsor on board with Gray Gaulding for Monster Energy All-Star Weekend and the Coca-Cola 600.[More](DATE-2017)

704Games announces NASCAR Heat 2: 704Games, NASCAR Team Properties’ exclusive console simulation-style video game licensee, announced today that NASCAR Heat 2, a new NASCAR racing game, will be available in North America on Sept. 12, 2017 for the PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC.[More](5-15-2017)

Kansas overnight TV ratings: FS1 earned a 1.5 overnight rating for Saturday night’s race at Kansas.[More](5-15-2017)

NASCAR will look at inspection process: NASCAR is looking into what else it should do after more than a fourth of the field failed make a qualifying attempt last weekend at Kansas Speedway because teams could not pass inspection, a senior NASCAR official told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Eleven cars failed to get through inspection in time to make a qualifying attempt at Kansas.[More](5-15-2017)

NASCAR adds fourth stage to Coca-Cola 600: NASCAR today announced the addition of a fourth stage to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, an update that will provide fans with yet another opportunity for a memorable moment in a season already filled with them. The four stages in the 400-lap race will be uniformly set at 100 laps apiece.[More](5-15-2017)

Sad News – Bruce Hill: Topeka native Bruce Hill, the 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Series rookie of the year, passed away Sunday from complications due to esophageal cancer at the age of 67. A Shawnee Heights graduate, Hill began racing in NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series (now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) fulltime in ’75 and earned rookie of the year honors after recording three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 26 events, finishing 16th in points.[More](5-15-2017)

Kaz Grala welcomes new sponsor, Outlaw Fasteners, for Charlotte:Making his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) debut this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kaz Grala will welcome a new sponsor along for the journey on his #33 Chevrolet Silverado, Outlaw Fasteners. Transforming the construction industry, Outlaw Fasteners prides itself on having a screw and drive system that allows for no stripping or dropped screws and a “one bit fits all” ability. [More](5-15-2017)

Toyota becomes the “Official Vehicle of Kentucky Speedway”:Kentucky Speedway today announced Toyota as the “Official Vehicle of Kentucky Speedway,” a partnership that includes a range of integrated elements that will create exposure for the brand using the venue’s traditional, digital and social promotional platforms. Kentucky Speedway’s annual events, including the Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts NASCAR race weekend in July, will serve as core marketing platforms for the manufacturer.[More](5-15-2017)

Richard Petty birthday celebration coming to Homestead: “The King” is coming to Homestead-Miami Speedway! As part of a year-long celebration of his 80th birthday, seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty will be hosting a birthday party prior to the Ford EcoBoost 300 XFINITY Series championship finale on Saturday, November 18. As part of the event, racing fans will have the chance for an exclusive meet and greet, and Q&A session with the NASCAR legend.[More](5-15-2017)

OneMain Financial to sponsor NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Dover International Speedway on June 3: OneMain Financial will serve as the entitlement sponsor for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash race on Saturday, June 3, at Dover International Speedway, track officials announced today. The “OneMain Financial 200” NASCAR XFINITY Series race at the Monster Mile is the fourth and final Dash 4 Cash race on the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule. Four NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers, based on stage finishes, will be eligible for a $100,000 bonus at the end of the race.[More](5-15-2017)

Kentucky reduces seating capacity by 20,000: When NASCAR’s biggest stars return to Kentucky Speedway in 2017, they will find a reduced grandstand. Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger said the track has removed 20,000 seats from what had been a grandstand with a seating capacity of 106,000.[More](5-15-2017)

News from May 14, 2017

Richard Petty Motorsports statement on Aric Almirola UPDATE: Aric Almirola, driver of the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, was involved in a multi-car accident on Lap 199 during Saturday night’s race. Almirola was alert after the accident as safety professionals removed him from the car. He was transported by helicopter to a local medical facility for evaluation. He is in stable condition and will be held overnight for further observation.
UPDATE: Almirola suffered a compression fracture to his T5 Vertebra after a multi-car accident at Kansas Speedway Saturday night. Almirola is mobile and will follow-up with his doctors in Charlotte.[More](5-14-2017)

Kansas TV commercial breakdown: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Saturday’s race.[More](5-14-2017)

Aric Almirola hospitalized after crash involving Joey Logano, Danica Patrick: Danica Patrick’s frustrating season continued Saturday night at Kansas Speedway when a broken brake rotor on Joey Logano’s car sent them both into the wall and left Aric Almirola nowhere to go. Almirola plowed into Logano’s car as it skidded along the wall, and the force of their impact sent the rear of Almirola’s #43 car into the air. Almirola’s car came to rest near the outside fence. He immediately dropped the window net by the driver’s side door to indicate he was conscious, but safety crews had to cut off the roof to safely get him out.[More](5-14-2017)

News from May 13, 2017

Logano & Patrick Accident Quotes: Joey Logano, Danica Patrick, and Aric Almirola were involved in an accident on lap 198 at Kansas Saturday night.[More](5-13-2017)

Race Recap: Truex ends Kansas jinx; Almirola taken to local hospital following accident: Martin Truex Jr. finally ended his Kansas hex. Truex streaked away on the final restart with two laps left in Saturday night’s Go Bowling 400 to win his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. Truex led a race-high 104 of 267 laps to win for the ninth time in his career and for the second time this season. [More](5-13-2017)

Truex, Jr. wins at Kansas: #78-Martin Truex, Jr. won the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway for his 2nd win of 2017, 1st win at Kansas and 9th career win. Truex led 104 of the 267 laps. He took the lead on a restart with 19 laps to go and held on through a couple cautions to win by more than 1 second.
#2-Keselowski finished 2nd followed by #4-Harvick, pole sitter #21-Blaney, #18-Busch, points leader #42-Larson, #19-Suarez, #1-McMurray, #14-Bowyer, and #6-Bayne.
There was a red flag of more than 27 minutes with 67 laps remaining after an accident between #22-Logano, #10-Patrick, and #43-Almirola. Something broke on the front right of Logano’s car, sending him into the rear of Patrick and hooking her into the wall. Almirola could not stop and slid into the front end of Logano’s car. He complained of back pain and was to be cut out of the #43. Safety crews removed the top of the car and placed Almirola on a stretcher and into the ambulance. He was alert and awake but airlifted to the hospital.
Larson leads the driver points by 44 over Truex, Jr.
There were 21 lead changes among 9 drivers and 15 cautions for 61 yellow flag laps.
The average speed of the race was: 117.640mph.
See unofficial race results, awards, laps led, cautions and more at:
Unofficial Race Results (pdf)
Cumulative Report (pdf)
Penalty Report (pdf)
Pit Stop Times (pdf)

Race Fast Facts – Kansas Speedway
Martin Truex Jr. won the 7th Annual Go Bowling 400, his ninth victory in 416 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his second victory and seventh top-10 finish in 2017.
This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in 18 races at Kansas Speedway.
Brad Keselowski (second) posted his eighth top-10 finish in 15 races at Kansas Speedway. It is his ninth top-10 finish in 2017.
Kevin Harvick (third) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 23 races at Kansas Speedway.
Daniel Suarez (seventh) was the highest finishing rookie.
Kyle Larson leads the point standings by 44 points over Martin Truex Jr.
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(5-13-2017)

MENCS at Kansas – Martin Truex Jr. wins
– Martin Truex Jr.: 2nd win of season (won at Las Vegas)
– Martin Truex Jr.: 6 wins in last 2 seasons; 3 wins in first 10 full MENCS seasons
– Martin Truex Jr.: 5th career top-5 finish at Kansas, T-most at any track
– Aric Almirola: involved in fiery wreck with Danica Patrick and Joey Logano on Lap 199; taken out of car on stretcher and air-lifted to hospital
– Ryan Blaney: 4th; led 83 laps; 3rd stage of season, T-2nd most in MENCS
– Kyle Busch: 5th; 5th straight top-5 finish at Kansas (0 in 1st 14 starts at Kansas)
– Daniel Suarez: 7th; 3rd top-10 finish this season and T-highest finish
– Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 20th; 4th straight and 7th finish overall of 20th or worse this season (11 races total)
(ESPN Stats)

Top-Ten Stage 2 Results (lap 160, now official race) of the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway (lap 160/267):
#21-Blaney, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#42-Larson, 9pts
#78-Truex Jr., 8pts
#1-McMurray, 7pts
#18-Busch, 6pts
#11-Hamlin, 5pts
#5-Kahne, 4pts
#20-Kenseth, 3pts
#77-Jones, 2pts
#22-Logano, 1pt

Top-Ten Stage 1 Results (lap 80) of the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway (lap 80/267):
#18-Busch, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#78-Truex Jr., 9pts
#21-Blaney, 8pts
#42-Larson, 7pts
#2-Keselowski, 6pts
#48-Johnson, 5pts
#4-Harvick, 4pts
#11-Hamlin, 3pts
#5-Kahne, 2pts
#41-Busch, 1pt

2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Standings:
[after Kansas, race 11 of 36]
1) #42-Kyle Larson [1 win], 475
2) #78-Martin Truex Jr [2], 431, -44
3) #2-Brad Keselowski [2], 408, -67
4) #24-Chase Elliott, 361, -114
5) #1-Jamie McMurray, 354, -121
6) #4-Kevin Harvick, 347, -128
7) #18-Kyle Busch, 325, -150
8) #48-Jimmie Johnson [2], 323, -152
9) #22-Joey Logano [1*], 320, -155
10) #14-Clint Bowyer, 317, -158
11) #21-Ryan Blaney, 291, -184
12) #11-Denny Hamlin, 289, -186
13) #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. [1], 276, -199
14) #6-Trevor Bayne, 250, -225
15) #41-Kurt Busch [1], 246, -229
16) #5-Kasey Kahne, 242, -233
17) #31-Ryan Newman [1], 237, -191
* encumbered finish, can’t be used to make the playoffs
See the Unofficial Drivers Points Standings page (pdf) and
Unofficial Owners Points Standings page (pdf)

Logano & Patrick Accident Quotes: Joey Logano, Danica Patrick, and Aric Almirola were involved in an accident on lap 198 at Kansas Saturday night.[More](5-13-2017)

Saturday Kansas Notebook: Between Stenhouse & Patrick, teasing about race results is off limits; Jamie McMurray willing to cede home-court advantage; Home improvement show wasn’t an offshoot of Earnhardt Jr’s retirement[More](5-12-2017)

Petty Family to reunite during 23rd annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America: For the second consecutive year, the Petty family will reunite during the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, one of the most successful and popular charity rides in the country, for its 23rd annual motorcycle trek. Kyle Petty will ride alongside his wife, sisters Sharon and Rebecca, brother-in-law Terry, and father, “The King” Richard during the Ride presented by Manheim. The Ride engages celebrities, motorcycle enthusiasts, fans and local communities to raise funds and awareness for Victory Junction, a camp for kids with serious health care needs.[More](5-13-2017)

News from May 12, 2017

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway have been made.
With the field downsized to 40 cars, three pit stalls (22,43,44) have been eliminated, are not in play and don’t count towards driving through more than three pit boxes.
Pole sitter #21-Blaney chose pit stall 4, the first stall available [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #22-Logano took pit stall 8, with an opening in front of it.
#78-Truex, Jr., who starts 3rd, took the 2nd stall.
The final pit stall was taken by #1-McMurray, who starts 12th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on Jayski.com’s Pit Stall Selection chart.(4-8-2017)

Ryan Blaney wins first career pole by a whisker: Improving in each round of knockout qualifying in relation to other cars, Ryan Blaney won the pole for Saturday night’s Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1), claiming his first career pole by a mere .009 seconds over Joey Logano.[More](5-12-2017)

Kansas: What to Watch for: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick Among Those Looking for First Win; Logano Has a Win, Now He Wants One That Counts; Who’s Hot and Who’s Not – Kansas Edition.[More](5-12-2017)

Carl Long forced to remove sponsor logos: Carl Long was forced to strip the logo of a Colorado-based marijuana vaping company from his car Friday after NASCAR said it violated rules governing sponsorship and paint schemes.[More](5-12-2017)

Blaney wins Kansas pole: #21-Ryan Blaney won the Coors Light pole for the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway with speed of 189.600mph for his 1st pole of 2017, 1st at Kansas and 1st of his career.
#22-Logano will start 2nd followed by #78-Truex, Jr., #18-Busch, #17-Stenhouse, Jr., #41-Busch, #11- Hamlin, #4-Harvick, #42-Larson, #24-Elliott, #3-Dillon, and #1-McMurray.
#18-Busch was fastest in the second round with a speed of 190.604mph. He was also fastest in the first round with a speed of 190.322mph, will start 4th
Driver(s) who will miss the race: none as 40 were entered for 40 spots
See round-by-round qualifying results on the Kansas qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the Kansas Starting Lineup page (pdf).(5-12-2017)

Kansas Speedway – Qualifying Fast Facts:
Ryan Blaney won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 7th Annual Go Bowling 400 with a lap of 28.481 seconds, 189.600 mph.
This is his first pole in 65 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and seventh top-10 start in 2017.
This is his first pole in five races at Kansas Speedway.
Joey Logano (second) posted his eighth top-10 start of 2017 and his 10th in 16 races at Kansas Speedway.
Martin Truex Jr. (third) posted his 11th top-10 start at Kansas Speedway. It is his eighth in 11 races this season.
Daniel Suarez (15th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(5-12-2017)

Second Round of Qualifying for the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 10 scheduled minutes.
#18-Busch 190.604
#3-Harvick 190.402
#22-Logano 189.520
#21-Blaney 189.480
#42-Larson 189.374
the rest of the top 12: 78 24 17 41 1 11 3
out of the top 12 and not advancing to round 3: 43 20 19 6 2 27 31 37 47 13 32 10
(5-12-2017)

First Round of Qualifying for the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 20 scheduled minutes.
#18-Busch 190.322
#4-Harvick 190.228
#43-Almirola 189.235
#42-Larson 189.109
#17-Stenhouse, Jr. 188.917
the rest of the top 24: 21 41 22 78 1 2 24 27 10 3 31 20 47 11 6 32 19 13 37
out of the top 24 and not advancing to round 2: 23 72 33 55 48 38 34 83 88 14 5 77 95 51 15 66
Drivers who will miss the race: none, 40 entered.
(5-12-2017)

Friday Kansas Notebook: Kansas would be perfect spot for a Clint Bowyer breakthrough; Kansas Speedway proves challenging with 2017 package; NASCAR’S longest race is on Earnhardt’s bucket list.[More](DATE-2017)

Happy Hour (final) practice for the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 85 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#18-Busch 187.963
#42-Larson 187.833
#78-Truex, Jr. 187.605
#21-Blaney 187.182
#2-Keselowski 187.130
slowest: #33-Earnhardt 172.024 & #66-Long 169.332. No speed: #95-McDowell.
most laps run: #22-Logano, 50 & #5-Kahne, 48.
best 10 consecutive lap average: #48-Johnson 181.513 & #4-Harvick 181.139.
notes: #42-Larson spun off turn 4 early in the session. The team went to a backup car. #1-McMurray make minor contact with the outside wall.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the Happy Hour Practice speeds page (pdf) (5-12-2017)

Larson explains practice accident: Kyle Larson had an accident in the final practice session for the Go Bowling 400, which resulted in the team having to pull out a back-up car.[More](5-12-2017)

First Friday practice for the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is over, after 55 scheduled minutes, the top-five and notes:
#78-Truex, Jr. 185.065
#21-Blaney 184.932
#77-Jones 184.596
#20-Kenseth 184.533
#4-Harvick 184.458
slowest: #33-Earnhardt 172.662, #55-Cope (no lap complete), #66-Long did not get on track.
most laps run: #10-Patrick 28
Top10 consecutive lap average (of 3 drivers): #88-Earnhardt, Jr. 182.216
#77-Jones spun off turn 4 and slid into the grass near the start finish line. The team will repair the car. #95-McDowell lost an engine late in practice.
See fastest speeds, laps run on the Practice 1 Speeds page (pdf)(5-12-2017)

Talladega XFINTIY TV Ratings: NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Talladega (Ala.) earned a 1.3 final rating and 2.0 million viewers on FOX Saturday afternoon, down 32% in ratings and viewership from last year (1.9, 2.9M) and down 19% and 17% respectively from 2015 (1.6, 2.4M). Despite the drop, it was the most watched Xfinity race since Daytona.[Sports Media Watch](5-12-2017)

NASCAR Trackside Live Stage Debuts at Charlotte: The monstrous mix of entertainment and racing action at Charlotte Motor Speedway will feature another historic debut during the 10 Days of NASCAR Thunder, as the sprawling new NASCAR Trackside Live stage comes to life. NASCAR Trackside Live will serve as a major fan attraction at SMI tracks this year with Charlotte’s 10 Days of NASCAR Thunder featuring NASCAR stars, rocking live music and a worldwide audience at Trackside Live in the speedway’s Fan Zone.[More](5-12-2017)

Darlington Raceway announces special ticket deal for South Carolina residents: If you’re a resident of South Carolina, Darlington Raceway has a great ticket opportunity for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 event on Sept. 3. Beginning on Monday, May 15 through July 15, all residents of South Carolina can visit www.DarlingtonRaceway.com/PalmettoOffer to take advantage of in-state pricing for the Labor Day weekend race at the track Too Tough To Tame.[More](5-12-2017)

Busch wins Kansas: #51-Kyle Busch won the Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway on Friday night after inheriting the lead with less than laps to go. #21-Johnny Sauter finished second. #8-John Hunter Nemechek, #4-Christopher Bell, #29-Chase Briscoe, #16-Ryan Truex, #7-Brett Moffitt, #33-Kaz Grala, #24-Justin Haley, and #19-Austin Cindric were the remainder of the top-10.
There were 11 caution flags for 46 laps and 15 lead changes among 4 leaders.
See results on the Kansas race results page(5-12-2017)

Stage Information:
Stage 1 – 40 laps, winner, #51-Kyle Busch
Stage 2 – 80 laps, winner, #51-Kyle Busch
Stage 3 – 167 laps, winner, #51-Kyle Busch

Kansas Truck Series Race Fast Facts:
Kyle Busch won the 17th Annual Toyota Tundra 250, his 47th victory in 135 NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series races.
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2017.
This is his second victory and third top-10 finish in four races at Kansas Speedway.
Johnny Sauter (second) posted his sixth top-10 finish in nine races at Kansas Speedway. It is his third
top-10 finish in 2017.
John H. Nemechek (third) posted his first top-10 finish in two races at Kansas Speedway.
Chase Briscoe (fifth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 2 points over Christopher Bell.
(NASCAR Statistics)(5-12-2017)

Truck Series point standings following Kansas:
1) #21-Johnny Sauter, 189
2) #4-Christopher Bell, 187, -2
3) #88-Matt Crafton, 145, -44
4) #98-Grant Enfinger, 135, -54
5) #17-Timothy Peters, 134, -55
6) #33-Kaz Grala, 132, -57
7) #27-Ben Rhodes, 129, -60
8) #98-Grant Enfinger, 117, -72
9) #7-Brett Moffitt, 107, -82
10) #92-Regan Smith, 106, -83
See complete standings on Driver points standings page and the owner’s standings are posted on the Owner points standings page.(5-12-2017)
Caution 10: #02-Young, 14th
Caution 11: #45-Self, 15th
(5-12-2017)

Bell on pole at Kansas: #4-Christopher Bell won the pole for Friday’s Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway with a speed at 177.848mph. #88-Matt Crafton will start second. #21-Johnny Sauter, #18-Noah Gragson, #16-Noah Gragson, #16-Ryan Truex, #33-Kaz Grala, #7-Brett Moffitt, #27-Ben Rhodes, #17-Timothy Peters, and #51-Kyle Busch.
Failed to qualify: none.
The starting lineup is posted on the Kansas starting lineup page](5-12-2017)

Kansas Qualifying Fast Facts:
Christopher Bell won the Keystone Light Pole Award for the 17th Annual Toyota Tundra 250 with a lap
of 30.363 seconds, 177.848 mph.
This is his second pole in 34 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his second pole and fourth top-10 start in 2017.
This is his first pole in two races at Kansas Speedway.
Matt Crafton (second) posted his fourth top-10 start of 2017 and his seventh in 17 races at Kansas
Speedway.
Johnny Sauter (third) posted his sixth top-10 start at Kansas Speedway. It is his fourth in four races this
season.
Noah Gragson (fourth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(5-12-2017)

News from May 11, 2017

Leavine Family Racing to have Tommy Williams Drywall as primary sponsor at Kansas: Michael McDowell and Leavine Family Racing (LFR) are excited to get back to 1.5-mile racing, something they have struggled with up until the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) season. After a solid superspeedway run at Talladega last weekend ended in McDowell getting swept up in “The Big One,” he and LFR are looking to improve on their already consistently strong 1.5-mile package that has worked well for the team.[More](5-11-2017)

Channing Tatum named Grand Marshal for Coca-Cola 600: Channing Tatum, actor and producer of “Logan Lucky,” Steven Soderbergh’s summer heist movie filmed at Charlotte Motor Speedway, will serve as Grand Marshal of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 28. Tatum will give the command to start engines for the 58th running of the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s ultimate test of man and machine. No stranger to Charlotte Motor Speedway, Tatum spent considerable time at the speedway last year during filming for “Logan Lucky,” which features an all-star ensemble cast. In addition to his “Drivers, Start Your Engines” call before the race, Tatum will attend the pre-race drivers meeting.[More](5-11-2017)

Sonoma Raceway’s STEM Challenge sets participation record with North Bay Schools: More than 1,900 North Bay students from 33 schools and clubs will take part in the 4th annual STEM Race Car Challenge, presented by Friedman’s Home Improvement. This curriculum-based event, which is a partnership with Sonoma Raceway, Kid Scoop News and Friedman’s Home Improvement, focuses on educating students about the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).[More](5-11-2017)

Little HUG Fruit Barrels sponsoring Stenhouse, Jr.: Just days after a dramatic win at Talladega Superspeedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Roush Fenway Racing have announced a multi-race partnership with Little HUG Fruit Barrels. The iconic barrel-shaped fruit drink will serve as a primary partner for two races with Stenhouse and the #17 team in June at the Monster Mile of Dover and the Tricky Triangle of Pocono.[More](5-11-2017)

With new paint scheme Truex Jr. looking to snap Kansas jinx: When it’s the week of the NASCAR Cup Series spring race at Kansas Speedway the questions and stories resurface about the potential victories that got away from Martin Truex Jr. on the 1.5-mile oval. The Furniture Row Racing driver will be aiming to have a positive story to tell after Saturday night’s race in his debut run of 2017 with the Auto-Owners Insurance primary sponsorship. It will be the first of six races this season that Auto-Owners Insurance will have the primary paint scheme on Truex’s #78 Toyota Camry.[More](5-11-2017)

Bell paces final Kansas Truck practice:#4-Christopher Bell was fastest during final practice for Friday’s Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway at 178.383mph. #88-Matt Crafton, #33-Kaz Grala, #21-Johnny Sauter, #27-Ben Rhodes, #8-John Hunter Nemechek, #16-Ryan Truex, #18-Noah Gragson, #29-Chase Briscoe, and #98-Grant Enfinger followed in the top-10. 31 trucks practiced. #50-Cody Ware blew a tire and hit the wall. See complete results on the Practice 2 speeds (pdf)(5-11-2017)

Haley fastest in opening Kansas Truck practice:#24-Justin Haley was fastest during the opening practice for Friday’s Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway at 178.235mph. #4-Christopher Bell, #21-Johnny Sauter, #18-Noah Gragson, #88-Matt Crafton, #13-Cody Coughlin, #19-Austin Cindric, #51-Kyle Busch, #29-Chase Briscoe, and #98-Grant Enfiinger were the remainder of the top-10. 28 trucks practiced. See complete results on the Practice 1 speeds (pdf)(5-11-2017)

Coca-Cola 600 pre-race show features spectacular salute to America’s Armed Forces: Memorial Day weekend kicks into high gear on May 28 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as the speedway’s spectacular patriotic salute to servicemen and women returns before the 58th running of the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s toughest test of man and machine. Prior to the green flag of NASCAR’s only 600-mile race, a remarkable showcase including 600 Fort Bragg servicemen and women on track alongside Humvees, Howitzers, a HIMARS rocket launcher, an M777 Howitzer and a RAZOR combat vehicle will electrify a captivated audience of race fans. More than 1,000 additional servicemen and women will be at the speedway to enjoy the race day atmosphere. [More](5-11-2017)

Monster Energy & Pocono Raceway partner for Free Friday: Thanks to Monster Energy, fans can enjoy all of the racing action and fun activities at Pocono Raceway on Friday, June 9 for free just by recycling any size Monster Energy can. With Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, NASCAR XFINITY Series practice and the ARCA Racing Series General Tire #AnywhereisPossible 200, Friday has a bevy of on-track activity.[More](5-11-2017)

Kimble restores Coca-Cola machines for Coke 600 winners: Drenched in Coca-Cola, sweat and confetti after winning the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29, 2016, Martin Truex Jr. noticed a large, red-and-white Coca-Cola vending machine entering Charlotte Motor Speedway’s winner’s circle. Truex initially thought it made for a nice photo-op, but he could barely contain his excitement when he learned that the decades-old vending machine was his to keep.[More](5-11-2017)

News from May 10, 2017

NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Kansas: A look at many new, notes and story lines for the Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, see the stats on the NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Kansas Speedway page.(5-10-2017)

Talladega penalties announced: NASCAR has announced the following penalties have been announced following the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 7, 2017: #43 team of Aric Almirola assessed L1 penalty for violation of Sections 20.17.3.1.2: Post-Race General Inspection Measurements.[More](5-10-2017)

2018 Schedule not expected this week: The release will come later than expected, in part because of possible changes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.[More](5-10-2017)

NASCAR Productions scores win at 2017 Sports Emmy Awards:“100,000 Cameras: DAYTONA 500” received top honors for its innovative use of fan, team and driver-generated video to tell the story of the Great American Race. Weaving together content submitted using #100KCams, the third installment in the groundbreaking FS1 documentary series took viewers inside the 2016 DAYTONA 500, capturing the event’s most compelling moments from every conceivable angle.[More](5-10-2017)

IncredibleBank Joins Go Fas Racing for 2017 Season Go Fas Racing announced that IncredibleBank will be joining Matt DiBenedetto and the #32 team as a primary sponsor for multiple races in the 2017 season. The IncredibleBank racecar will first run at Kansas Speedway this weekend and will have more dates to be announced. IncredibleBank, a division of River Valley Bank, opened in 2009 as one of the earlyinternet-only banks. They’ve been called one of the “least evil banks” and “still awesome” by CNN. Now IncredibleBank has added to their already successful high interest deposit customer base with a luxury motor coach financing product called OnRamp that caters to the high-end traveler.(Go Fas Racing)[click to continue](5-10-2017)

Busch to run a M&M’s Red Nose scheme at Kansas again: To join in on the Red Nose Day fun, Kyle Busch and his #18 M&M’S Toyota will feature the aforementioned special Red Nose Day paint scheme in Saturday night’s race. And Busch and his car won’t be the only ones at Kansas donning Red Noses for the cause as M&M’S will provide attendees at Saturday night’s prerace festivities with their own Red Nose. Busch will also have some fun with fans by being part of a #NosesOn super selfie after a special Red Nose Day fan Q&A.(Joe Gibbs Racing)[click to continue](5-10-2017)

Different tire compound being tested at Kentucky: Goodyear officials will look to do more than verify the tire package for this year’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway when they hold a two-day test Tuesday and Wednesday at the 1.5-mile track. “We’ve also got some things to try to actually promote a little more wear on a repaved surface, which is something we haven’t been able to do,” Greg Stucker, director of race tire sales for Goodyear, told NASCAR.com on Sunday. “The guys have kind of taken a different approach on compound formulation to see if we can’t actually generate some wear on what we project to be a fairly smooth surface.” Testing at Kentucky are #1-Jamie McMurray (CGR), #3-Austin Dillon (RCR), #41-Kurt Busch (SHR) and #77-Erik Jones (FRR).(NASCAR.com)[click to continue](5-10-2017)

Jack Roush Scores Record-Extending 324th NASCAR Win at Talladega: In Jack Roush’s 30 years of NASCAR racing, his teams have covered over 1.78 million miles on the track, but none more dramatic than the final 2.66 miles in yesterday’s Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s dramatic come-from-behind win from the pole at Talladega, marked Roush Fenway’s record-extending 324th win in NASCAR’s three premiere series. Stenhouse became the ninth driver to win for Jack Roush in the Cup series. Overall, 19 different drivers have driven Roush Fenway Fords to victory lane in NASCAR action. In addition, Stenhouse’s pole was the team’s 232nd in NASCAR and its 89th in the Cup series.(Roush Fenway Racing)[click to continue](5-10-2017)

Daniel Suárez and #19 Stanley Team Race for a Miracle This Weekend This weekend at Kansas Speedway, every driver will be racing for a win. But Daniel Suárez and the #19 Stanley Toyota Camry team, are racing for much more – $1 Million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals). This exciting opportunity is a big part of Stanley’s Annual “Racing for a Miracle” campaign in partnership with CMN Hospitals and the Ace Hardware Foundation. If Suárez wins, Stanley Black & Decker will donate $1 Million to CMN Hospitals through the Ace Hardware Foundation. The “Racing for a Miracle” program with Stanley and the Ace Hardware Foundation will once again pledge $100,000 to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. It’s a total contribution of more than one million dollars since the program started to help member hospitals and local children. As the most successful and longest-running campaign of its kind, it’s safe to say that all eyes will be on Suárez this weekend.
On Thursday, Suárez will tour the local Pediatrics Unit at The University of Kansas Health System, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, and meet many of the young patients admitted there. While visiting, Suárez and representatives from Stanley, will present the $100,000 donation to CMN Hospitals on behalf of the Ace Hardware Foundation. The team will also unveil the paint scheme that will run this weekend on the #19 Stanley Toyota. The paint scheme includes names of one child from each state who represents Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, as well as four very special children who will serve as “Honorary Pit Crew Members” of the #19 team throughout the weekend. (Joe Gibbs Racing)[click here to continue)(5-10-2017)

Conley latest to join JGL Racing “Young Guns” program JGL Racing is proud to announce Cale Conley as the latest addition to their popular “Young Guns” program. Conley will first climb behind the wheel of the programs #24 Toyota at the running of the Hisense 300 on May 27th at Charlotte Motor Speedway.[More](5-10-2017)

News from May 9, 2017

Dale and Amy Earnhardt working on home renovation TV showWe’ve already seen Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s home-building skills when he revealed his incredible treehouse.
The tree-top oasis was shown off on Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Masters” last year. Now, it looks like the driver of the #88 Chevrolet is getting into the renovation business.
Earnhardt tweeted that he and his wife Amy will work on a historic house in Florida for a show that will air on the DIY Network in 2018.(Hendrick Motorsports)
AND What happens when the world of professional auto racing and home renovation intersect? We’ll find out in early 2018 when a special home-improvement series featuring third-generation NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his wife, Amy, makes its debut on DIY Network. The new DIY Network limited series will follow the couple as they restore a classic but dilapidated home in the historic Old Town district of Key West, transforming it into a contemporary seaside retreat. But to create their idyllic tropical getaway, Dale Jr. and Amy face some of the challenges common to renovating and restoring old homes, including structural issues and antiquated wiring and plumbing.(HGTV)[click to continue](5-9-2017)

Penske’s Final Appeal denied: Team Penske failed Tuesday in its final appeal of penalties issued to Brad Keselowski and his team for having too much skew in the rear suspension following the March 19 race at Phoenix International Raceway. Keselowski, who finished fifth in that race, was docked 35 points while his crew chief Paul Wolfe received a three-race suspension and a $65,000 fine. Wolfe has already served two races of his suspension, and he will miss the race this weekend at Kansas Speedway.
NASCAR final appeals officer Bryan Moss was unavailable Tuesday and was replaced by veteran television executive Roger Werner, who is chairman of the racing sanctioning-body coalition Automobile Competition Committee for the United States that serves as the U.S. representative in meetings with world-wide racing sanctioning body Federation Internationale de l’Automobile. Werner upheld NASCAR’s penalty as the Penske car had more than 0.56 degrees of skew in its rear suspension when measured from one rear wheel to the other. NASCAR’s new rules this year have eliminated all rear skew, and teams are given a tolerance for what NASCAR would consider the amount of movement that could occur naturally during the race and not be an egregious competition advantage. Wolfe served two races of his suspension by missing the race at Auto Club Speedway in California and the race Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. The points already had been docked from Keselowski’s total (but would have been reinstated if the appeal was successful). He remains in third, seven points behind second-place Martin Truex Jr. and 14 ahead of Chase Elliott.(ESPN)(5-9-2017)

TEAM PENSKE STATEMENT ON FINAL APPEAL “We are disappointed in the outcome of today’s final appeal hearing. While we appreciate the process that NASCAR and the National Motorsports Appeals Panel has put in place to resolve issues like this, we felt like the penalties received following the March event at Phoenix were unjust. Brian Wilson will once again serve as Brad Keselowski’s crew chief this weekend at Kansas Speedway. We’re happy to finally have this behind us as the #2 team focuses its efforts on another Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship.”(Team Penske)(5-9-2017)

Talladega Overnight TV Ratings: NASCAR Cup Series racing from Talladega Superspeedway earned a 3.4 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 11% from both last year and 2015 (3.8) and the lowest overnight for the race since at least 1998 – including a 2006 rainout (3.8). For the weekend, Talladega ranked fourth among sporting events on broadcast behind the Kentucky Derby (10.5) and a pair of NBA playoff games on ABC. Overnights were not available for Sunday’s NBA games on cable network TNT.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)[click to continue](5-9-2017)

The Richard Childress Racing family is expanding: RCR XFINITY Series [and Germain Racing Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series] driver Ty Dillon and wife, Haley, announced on May 8 that their family is growing by one! Congratulations to the couple who are due with their first child in November.(Richard Childress Racing)[click to continue](5-9-2017)

Fanatics To Change NASCAR Trackside Superstore Model: Fanatics is looking at changing its NASCAR trackside superstore model to a more tailored approach where it will not only utilize the large superstore tent at every track, according to sources. Fanatics in August 2015 launched the 60,000-square-foot trackside superstore model as part of a 10-year deal with NASCAR, which previously utilized haulers to sell merchandise. A key focus for Fanatics is getting more merchandise sold inside the actual track venue itself, as opposed to only having one large tent outside where fans can purchase merch.(Sports Business Daily)[click to continue](5-9-2017)

Kansas Goodyear Tire Notes: Multi-zone Right-side and New Left-side Enhance Drivers’ Grip on Kansas: When Goodyear Racing introduced its multi-zone tread tire at Atlanta back in 2013, it did so to improve racing by protecting the inboard portion of the tread that sees the most heat and takes the most abuse, while adding grip with a “softer” compound on the outboard portion of the tread. This has never been more important, as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is running its lower downforce package in 2017. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams will run a completely different tire set-up than those in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Kansas this week . . . this is the first time Cup teams have run either of these two tire codes at Kansas, though they did run this left-side code at Charlotte last season (Goodyear)[click to continue](5-9-2017)

Go Fas Racing and Matt DiBenedetto to Run Reddit AllStar Scheme:Go Fas Racing is proud to announce that Reddit, will be represented on the #32 Ford at the Monster Energy Open, the race to gain entry into the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race.(Go Fas Racing)[click to continue](5-9-2017)

Truck Series entry list: There are 31 trucks entered for Friday’s Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway. See the complete list on the Kansas entry list page (pdf).(5-9-2017)

News from May 8, 2017

Talladega Stats Recap from ESPN Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 1st Cup Series win in 158 career starts (16th most before a driver’s first win all-time), Roush Fenway Racing: 136th win, first since June 2014 at Sonoma (snaps 101-race winless streak), Jamie McMurray: finished 2nd (won 3 times driving for Roush Fenway Racing, including 2009 at Talladega), – Dale Earnhardt Jr.: finished 22nd; finished 40th in this race last year (missed fall race); after finishing 1st and 2nd in previous 2 Talladega races. See most Starts For First Career Win – MENCS Since 2000 and Most Last-Lap Passes for Win – By Track Since 1980(ESPN Stats / Matthew Willis)[click to continue](5-8-2017)

Edwards sets SUV speed record Carl Edwards isn’t racing in NASCAR this season, but he’s still going plenty fast. Edwards, who won 28 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races over 13 years first with Roush Fenway Racing and then Joe Gibbs Racing, recently drove a heavily modified Toyota Land Cruiser to a speed of 230.02 miles per hour, making it the World’s Fastest SUV. Edwards made his record run at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California, which has a straightaway that is 2.5 miles long. And Edwards said he flew there in his Cessna and landed on the same runway where he set his record. (Jensen) then asked Edwards what his next adventure would be.
“I got about 1,800 acres of soybeans to plant, but that’s about it for right now.”(Tom Jensen / FoxSports)[click to continue](5-8-2017)

Bold move propels McMurray to runner-up finish Race winner #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wasn’t the only driver who made a strong move on the final lap of Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. After Stenhouse took the lead from #18-Kyle Busch, thanks in part to a push from #48-Jimmie Johnson, #1-Jamie McMurray threaded the needle between Johnson’s Chevrolet and Busch’s Toyota to vault into second place. McMurray held the spot, trailing Stenhouse to the finish line by .095 seconds and beating Busch to the stripe by .004 seconds.(NASCAR Wire Service)[click to continue](5-8-2017)

Loose wheel dashes Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s hopes at Talladega: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. lined up third for a restart on Lap 174 of Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, after a massive 18-car wreck on the backstretch thinned the field. The anticipation in the air was palpable, as Earnhardt rolled through the tri-oval toward the start / finish line, but what happened next had fans in the front grandstands ripping the radio headphones off their heads and throwing them to the ground. As the field came up to speed, Earnhardt pulled out of line and moved to the top of the track, coming perilously close to the outside wall. As the pack sped away, Earnhardt’s #88 Chevrolet slowed and rolled gingerly to pit road. “Oh, I had a wheel come off,” Earnhardt said after the race. “The guys said it was real similar to the issue we had at Atlanta, but it was pretty bad. We were about to wreck. And we were lucky to get to pit road and get it changed. The left rear tire come loose. We didn’t change it on the last stop but the glue build-up on the stud didn’t allow them to get the tire tight, and it just kind of worked its way loose. We only had one nut tight when we come down pit road. It was real close to coming off. I hated it, because we were right there in good position to get a great finish-if not win the race-and I had to bail out. That was a hard decision to make. But, knowing what I know now when we come down pit road and they saw the tire, I’m glad I did, because it wouldn’t have made it another lap or two.” Earnhardt lost a lap because of the unscheduled stop but got it back as the highest-scored lapped car when NASCAR called the seventh caution on Lap 179. But over the final few circuits, which included a two-lap overtime, Earnhardt couldn’t make progress and finished 22nd.(NASCAR Wire Service)[click to continue](5-8-2017)

Danica Patrick had a feeling about boyfriend’s prospects: Danica Patrick said she had positive vibes about boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s chances in Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, and not just because Stenhouse had won the pole during Saturday’s time trials. But Patrick was otherwise occupied when Stenhouse took the checkered flag for the first time in his 158th start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Patrick hasn’t won in 164 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, but she got her only IndyCar victory in her 50th start in the series.(NASCAR Wire Service)[click to continue](5-8-2017)

Talladega Race and Commercial Breakdown of the 2017 Geico 500For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race. Began recording the times at the Invocation of the race at 2:00 PM, and stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 6:17 PM (all times are EDT). Did not keep records for the pre- and post-race coverage. Fox was the broadcast team for this event. Total number of commercials: 138; Total number of companies or entities advertised: 82
Number of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 109.(CawsnJaws.com)[click to continue](5-8-2017)

Self to drive for Niece at Kansas Officials from Niece Motorsports and AM Racing jointly announced today that Austin, Texas native Austin Wayne Self will drive the #45 Chevrolet Silverado in next Friday night’s Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway. In addition to Niece Equipment serving as the primary marketing partner at Kansas, AM Racing partner Precision Air Technology will serve as a major associate for the 167-lap race.[More](5-8-2017)

News from May 7, 2017

Last-lap pass lifts Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to victory at Talladega There’s no longer a goose egg in the win column next to #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s name. With a last-lap pass in Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Stenhouse collected his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in his 158th start and delivered the first win for Roush Fenway Racing since Carl Edwards triumphed at Sonoma in June 2014. Racing side-by-side with leader #18-Kyle Busch on the restart lap after #31-Ryan Newman’s wreck on the backstretch sent the race to overtime, Stenhouse, the polesitter, trailed by the smallest sliver of a second at the stripe but got a strong push from #48-Jimmie Johnson and cleared Busch off Turn 2 on the final circuit. As #1-Jamie McMurray charged up the middle to take second place from Busch, Stenhouse held the top spot through the final two corners and the tri-oval to beat McMurray to the checkered flag by .095 seconds. Busch, in third place, trailed McMurray at the stripe by a mere .004 seconds.(NASCAR Wire Service)[Full Report](5-7-2017)

#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway for his 1st career win in his 158th start. Stenhouse Jr. led 14 laps. Stenhouse Jr. is the 11th driver to score their first career Cup win at Talladega. Stehouse Jr. won from the pole.
#1-McMurray finished 2nd followed by #18-Busch, #43-Almirola, #5-Kahne, #41-Busch, #2-Keselowski, #27-Menard and #38-Ragan.
Points leader, #42-Kyle Larson, hit the wall a few times, was a lap down for a while, but was able to recover and finish 12th.
Larson leads the Driver Points by 54 over #78-Truex Jr.
The race ended under NASCAR Overtime, adding 3 laps after a late crash involving #31-Newman, when he got turned on lap 185.
The race was tame but exciting until lap 169 when #47-Allmendinger, while running 3rd, got into the left rear of the 2nd place car, #24-Elliott, sending the #24 spinning in front of many cars getting collected by #22-Logano, #95-McDowell and #6-Bayne. The #24 got airborne and on its side. The #47 Chevy ended up on the roof. The crews had Allmendinger stay in the car until they could flip it back over.
Eighteen cars were involved: #2-Keselowski, #3-Dillon, #4-Harvick, #6-Bayne, #10-Patrick, #20-Kenseth, #22-Logano, #23-Gaulding, #24-Elliott, #32-DiBenedetto, #38-Ragan, #41-Busch, #47-Allmendinger, #72-Whitt, #77-Jones, #78-Truex Jr., #83-LaJoie and #95-McDowell.
Career best finishes for #15-Gase (21st) and #23-Gaulding (20th)
There were 26 lead changes among 14 drivers and 8 cautions for 33 yellow flag laps and a 26:51 minute red flag for the big wreck.
The average speed of the race was: 145.659mph.
See unofficial race results, awards, laps led, cautions and more at:
Unofficial Race Results (pdf)
Cumulative Report (pdf)
Penalty Report (pdf)
Pit Stop Times (pdf)
See OFFICIAL race results & points standings on the Official Race & Points Report (pdf).

Race Fast Facts – Talladega Superspeedway
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the 48th Annual GEICO 500, his first victory in 158 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and fifth top-10 finish in 2017.
This is his first victory and fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Talladega Superspeedway.
#1-Jamie McMurray (second) posted his ninth top-10 finish in 30 races at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his sixth top-10 finish in 2017.
#18-Kyle Busch (third) posted his seventh top-10 finish in 24 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
#13-Ty Dillon (12th) was the highest finishing rookie.
#42-Kyle Larson leads the point standings by 54 points over #78-Martin Truex Jr.
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(5-7-2017)

Top-Ten Stage 2 Results (lap 110, now official race) of the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway (lap 110/188):
#11-Hamlin, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#4-Harvick, 9pts
#21-Blaney, 8pts
#78-Truex Jr., 7pts
#48-Johnson, 6pts
#42-Larson, 5pts
#41-Busch, 4pts
#5-Kahne, 3pts
#77-Jones, 2pts
#1-McMurray, 1pt

Top-Ten Stage 1 Results (lap 55) of the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway (lap 55/188):
#2-Keselowski, 10pts, 1 playoff point
#17-Stenhouse Jr. 9pts
#18-Busch, 8pts
#78-Truex Jr., 7pts
#6-Bayne, 6pts
#22-Logano, 5pts
#27-Menard, 4pts
#10-Patrick, 3 pts
#21-Blaney, 2pts
#77-Jones, 1pt

2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Standings:
[after Talladega, race 10 of 36]
1) #42-Kyle Larson [1 win], 428
2) #78-Martin Truex Jr [1], 374, -54
3) #2-Brad Keselowski [2], 367, -61
4) #24-Chase Elliott, 353, -75
5) #1-Jamie McMurray, 318, -110
6) #22-Joey Logano [1*], 318, -110
7) #4-Kevin Harvick, 309, -119
8) #48-Jimmie Johnson [2], 305, -123
9) #14-Clint Bowyer, 289, -139
10) #18-Kyle Busch, 277, -151
11) #11-Denny Hamlin, 267, -161
12) #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. [1], 250, -178
13) #21-Ryan Blaney, 240, -191
14) #31-Ryan Newman [1], 237, -191
15) #41-Kurt Busch [1], 201, -201
16) #6-Trevor Bayne, 223, -205
* encumbered finish, can’t be used to make the playoffs
See the Unofficial Drivers Points Standings page (pdf) and
Unofficial Owners Points Standings page (pdf)
See OFFICIAL race results & points standings on the Official Race & Points Report (pdf).

Lucky Dogs – Who got a lap back on each caution at Talladega: (and their finish)
Caution 1: #33-Earnhardt (still down 3 laps), 28th
Caution 2: #33-Earnhardt (still down 3 laps), 28th
Caution 3: #20-Kenseth, 24th
Caution 4: #95-McDowell, 34th
Caution 5: #23-Gaulding, 20th
Caution 6: #42-Larson, 12th
Caution 7: #88-Earnhardt Jr., 22nd
Caution 8: #4-Harvick, 23rd
(5-7-2017)

Could Dale Earnhardt Jr. run the 2018 Clash if he wins a pole this season? Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned a front row starting position for the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway with a second-place qualifying effort in the #88 Nationwide Chevy. Earnhardt Jr. navigated the 2.66-mile track with a final round lap of 190.780 mph. The run marked his third top 10 start of 2017 and his 16th in 34 races at Talladega Superspeedway. It is also his first front row start at Talladega in his 18-year Cup Series career. “The car was really fast today,” said Earnhardt Jr. after the qualifying session. “That gives us good confidence in the speed of the car for Sunday.”
Q) IT SOUNDED LIKE IF YOU DO GET A POLE YOU MIGHT LOBBY FOR A SPOT IN THE CLASH NEXT YEAR?
Earnhardt Jr.: “Yeah, I’ve got a ‘get in the Clash free card’ from this year. I got a credit and if I get a pole I will talk to Rick (Hendrick) and see if we can’t line something up.” (Team Chevy)[More](5-7-2017)

Chase Elliott celebrates Bill’s record setting Talladega pole run with shoes Talladega Superspeedway will always be a special track to the Elliott family. After all, it was there – 30 years ago this week – that Bill Elliott broke his own record for what still remains the all-time fastest qualifying lap in NASCAR Cup Series history. Chase Elliott, who has a Talladega pole to his name as well, will honor his father’s accomplishment this weekend at the Alabama track. The driver of the #24 Hooters Chevrolet SS will wear special red, white and gold racing shoes this race weekend that feature iconic marks and graphics from the day the record was set in 1987.(Hendrick Motorsports)
AND This week marks the 30th anniversary of when Elliott set NASCAR’s record speed of 212.809 mph while qualifying his #9 Coor’s Ford Thunderbird for the annual Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in 1987. The record, which came on the heels of his 210.364 mph mark at Daytona just a couple of months earlier, further cemented his place in NASCAR lore. Elliott’s record-setting Thunderbird is still alive and well, having been donated by car owner Harry Melling to The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, MI. There it proudly sits on display with many other iconic vehicles, telling a unique story and standing the test of time.(Ford Performance)[More](5-7-2017)

NASCAR Hall of Fame hosts Pinewood Derby event: A Boy Scout tradition took off Saturday morning in the home for racing in the Carolinas… The annual Pinewood Derby at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. This time-honored tradition pits the tiny hand-designed race cars against each other in a contest of engineering skill. Even though there are guidelines about the size and shape of the little wooden cars there were special division for “outlaw” cars and “vintage” cars more than 10-years-old.(WCNC)[More](5-7-2017)

Truex Jr. and Kenseth host Dover vs. Pocono Rivalry Day Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stars Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth took off their racing suits and put on their softball jerseys on Wednesday, May 3 during the annual Dover vs. Pocono Rivalry Day event in Allentown, Pa. Played at the home of Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, Truex and Kenseth participated in a variety of activities, including softball, kickball, dizzy-bat tee-ball, water balloon tossing and more.
In the end, the final event, a go-kart race along the warning track, provided the game’s final margin as Kenseth, representing Team Pocono, edged Team Dover’s Truex at home plate. Team Dover leads the annual series with Team Pocono three games to two, with one event rained out. Track officials and area media members made up the majority of players the two teams. After Truex and Kenseth threw out the ceremonial first pitches for the IronPigs’ game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the drivers took questions on a variety of NASCAR topics, from stage racing to racing against a younger generation of drivers.(PR)[More](5-7-2017)

Sadler Looking For Top 10 Finish at Talladega So Kids Can Eat Free:Elliott Sadler is piloting the #7 Golden Corral Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) in Sunday’s Geico 500 at Talladega SuperSpeedway. Golden Corral, a longtime partner of TBR, will serve as the primary sponsor on Sadler’s #7 Chevy. In addition to competing for a victory on Sunday, he will be racing for a Top-10 finish so kids can eat free at Golden Corral on Monday, May 8th.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)[More](5-7-2017)

Talladega Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pre-Race Schedule for Sunday, May 7:(eastern time)
12:00pm: Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
1:20pm: Driver Introductions
1:59:15pm: Pledge of Allegiance: Boy Scouts
2:00pm: Intro Presentation of Colors by Alabama National Guard
2:00:20pm: Invocation by Billy Irvin, Alabama Raceway Ministries
2:01pm: National Anthem 313th United States Army Band
2:02:15pm: Flyover by Maxwell AFB 908th Airlift Wing C-130
2:07:30pm: Command to start engines by Frank Pickering, Assistant VP of Southeast Claims for GEICO
2:19:30pm: Green Flag – GEICO 500

News from May 6, 2017

Stenhouse Jr. wins Talladega pole: #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Coors Light pole for the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway with speed of 191.547mph for his 1st pole of 2017 and 2nd of his career. There have been seven different pole winners in 2017 after 10 races. Stenhouse’s other pole was at Atlanta in September 2013.
#88-Earnhardt Jr. will start 2nd followed by #2-Keselowski, #20-Kenseth, #6-Bayne, #4-Harvick, #19-Suarez, #24-Elliott, #27-Menard, #18-Busch, #11-Hamlin and #22-Logano.
#17-Stenhouse Jr. was fastest in the first round with a speed of 190.833mph, will start from the pole
#14-Bowyer, fastest in Fridays one practice will start 17th. 2016 Champ, #48-Johnson will start 30th
Driver(s) who will miss the race: #96-Kennington
See round-by-round qualifying results on the Talladega qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the Talladega Starting Lineup page (pdf).(5-6-2017)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. knocks Dale Earnhardt Jr. off Talladega poleQualifying for Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway was shaping up to be a sentimental story-until #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said “No.” The last driver to make a run in Saturday’s final round of knockout qualifying, Stenhouse knocked #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. off the provisional pole for Earnhardt’s last spring race at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. The Coors Light Pole Award was Stenhouse’s first since he secured his only previous top starting spot in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series since 2013 in Atlanta. It was the first pole for a Ford driver at Talladega since Travis Kvapil won his only career pole in October 2008. And it was the first Talladega pole for Roush Fenway Racing since Mark Martin did the honors in both races in 1989.
“It will be nice to lead the field to green,” said Stenhouse. “The guys work really hard on these cars. Jimmy Fennig does a great job on the speedway cars. It’s just cool. Doug Yates (engine builder) builds some awesome horsepower. With his dad, Robert, not doing as well as we would like, I’d like to dedicate this one to him and all the hard work the engine shop does.” Stenhouse ran 191.547 mph on his money lap, picking up a quarter-second over his first-round effort.
With superspeedway qualifying consisting of one full-field round and a second round to decide the pole between the 12 fastest cars, Stenhouse topped the first round with a lap at 190.833 mph (50.180 seconds), .114 seconds ahead of second-place Earnhardt. Stenhouse’s .201-second margin over Earnhardt in the final round was substantial, but Earnhardt nevertheless was disappointed not to win the pole in what will be his final season in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing.
“We would have loved to have got the pole,” Earnhardt said. “Stenhouse and those guys had a really fast car, so congratulations to them and Roush / Yates Engines and all those guys-they had great power. Pretty happy with our car. The Hendrick guys have been doing a great job. We always kind of come down here and find ourselves with an opportunity for the pole. Hopefully, we’ll get one before the year is out at one of these plate tracks. I know the guys have been so close at Daytona and Talladega for so many years, so it would be great to do it this last season together. Just came up a little short today, but the car is fast and it will be good for Sunday.”
Earnhardt did allow, however that he would consider running the Daytona Clash, primarily for pole winners, should he qualify for next year’s season-opening exhibition race. “It’s not a points race,” said Earnhardt, making room for a possible exception to his retirement. #2-Brad Keselowski qualified third, followed by #20-Matt Kenseth and #6-Trevor Bayne, Stenhouse’s teammate at Roush Fenway Racing. Note: #96-D.J. Kennington failed to qualify for the 40-car field.(NASCAR Wire Service)(5-6-2017)

Talladega Superspeedway – Qualifying Fast Facts:
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 48th Annual GEICO 500 with a lap of 49.993 seconds, 191.547 mph.
This is his second pole in 158 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and third top-10 start in 2017.
This is his first pole in eight races at Talladega Superspeedway.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. (second) posted his third top-10 start of 2017 and his 16th in 34 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
#2-Brad Keselowski (third) posted his fifth top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his ninth in ten races this season.
#19-Daniel Suarez (seventh) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(5-6-2017)

First Round of Qualifying for the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is over, after each driver ran a lap.
#17-Stenhouse Jr. 190.833
#88-Earnhardt Jr. 190.400
#2-Keselowski 190.234
#24-Elliott 190.196
#6-Bayne 189.910
the rest of the top 12: 20 19 18 27 22 4 11
out of the top 12 and not advancing to the final round:
78 77 41 21 14 3 5 31 42 43 1 95 34 32 47 13 38 48 10 75 55 37 7 83 23 72 15 33
Drivers who will miss the race: #96-Kennington
(5-6-2017)

Polls Open for Monster Energy All-Star Race Fan Vote Polls are now open for fans to vote their favorite driver into the 2017 Monster Energy All-Star Race, which is scheduled for May 20 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The driver with the most votes will earn a coveted spot in the all-star main event. Fans can vote once per day at NASCAR.com/fanvote, and votes shared on Facebook or Twitter count double. To join the conversation on social media, use the hashtags #AllStarRace and #FanVote. Polls close on Friday, May 19 at 11:59pm/et.(NASCAR)[see more / list of drivers here](5-6-2017)

Stenhouse Jr. & #17 Team Give Back on Fifth Third Day & new scheme: Before traveling to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Fifth Third Ford, and members of his team helped pack 1,300 backpacks for hungry kids at Second Harvest Food Bank Metrolina. The two-time XFINITY champion will debut his new “Banking a Fifth Third Better” paint scheme this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Fifth Third Bank will also be aboard the #17 Ford Fusion machine at Michigan in June, Daytona and Kentucky in July.(RFR)[More](5-6-2017)

Coverage of Qualifying for the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled for Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 4:00pm/et.
Television (TV): FOX, 4:00pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)

Superspeedway Qualifying Format for Daytona/Talladega: The qualifying format at superspeedways consists of the following:
· Two rounds of qualifying, with the top-12 posted lap speeds advancing to the second round
· Race vehicles taking one, timed lap in each round of qualifying
· Each race vehicle will be released in a predetermined timed interval as determined by NASCAR
· Qualifying order for the first round was be determined by practice speeds, slowest to fastest
· Final round qualifying order is determined by slowest to fastest speeds from the first round
· A 10-minute break will occur between the first qualifying round and the final round
· Upon completion of the first qualifying round, the field will be set with positions 13 and beyond determined from first round qualifying speed
· The 12 fastest vehicles from the first round will have their speeds reset for the final round with starting positions 1-12 determined by the fastest laps in the final round
· NASCAR will impound race vehicles following each qualifying lap;
· Vehicles advancing to the final round will be allowed to adjust tape and utilize a cool-down unit during the 10-minute break only.

Qualifying Order for the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is posted.
The qualifying order for the two restrictor plates races (Daytona/Talladega) is different.
The order for the 1st round is set by a practice speeds (both practices combined) from Friday, slowest to fastest.
The first driver scheduled to make an attempt is in round 1 is #96-Kennington (n speed/lowest in owners pts).
The final driver scheduled to make an attempt is in round 1 is #14-Bowyer.
For the 2nd round, the remaining 12 cars line up by speed, slowest to fastest.

Race Recap: Aric Almirola powers to NASCAR XFINITY Series win at Talladega Aric Almirola charged into the lead with four laps left in Saturday’s Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway and held off Elliott Sadler at the finish to win the third NASCAR XFINITY Series race of his career. With the Ford of Darrell Wallace Jr. plowing into the inside backstretch wall behind him on the final lap, Almirola held the top spot to the finish, beating Sadler, the series leader, to the finish line by .142 seconds.[More](5-6-2017)
Almirola wins Talladega XFINITY race: #98-Aric Almirola won the Spark Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his third XFINITY Series win and first of the year. #1-Elliott Sadler finished second, followed by #22-Joey Logano, #2-Ben Kennedy, #20-Erik Jones, #19-Matt Tifft, #5-Michael Annett, #7-Justin Allgaier, #18-Daniel Suarez, and #8-Jeff Green.
There were 5 cautions for 20 laps and 28 lead changes among 14 leaders. There were also two red flag periods for cleanup following multi-car wrecks.
The average speed was 139.068mph.
Complete results are on the Talladega race results page (pdf). (5-6-2017)

Race stage winners:
Stage 1 – lap 25 – Winner, #98-Aric Almirola
Stage 2 – lap 50 – Winner, #7-Justin Allgaier
Stage 3 – lap 113 – Race winner, #98-Aric Almirola

Talladega XFINITY Race Fast Facts:
Aric Almirola won the 26th Annual Sparks Energy 300, his third victory in 99 NASCAR XFINITY Series
races.
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2017.
This is his first victory and fourth top-10 finish in five races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Elliott Sadler (second) posted his sixth top-10 finish in nine races at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his
eighth top-10 finish in 2017.
Joey Logano (third) posted his seventh top-10 finish in eight races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Matt Tifft (sixth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Elliott Sadler leads the point standings by 29 points over Justin Allgaier
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(5-6-2017)

XFINITY Driver standings following Talladega:
1) #1-Elliott Sadler, 330
2) #7-Justin Allgaier [1 win], 301, -29
3) #9-William Byron, 252, -78
4) #6-Darrell Wallace Jr., 235, -95
5) #21-Daniel Hemric, 229, -101
6) #5-Michael Annett, 224, -106
7) #19-Matt Tifft, 216, -114
8) #16-Ryan Reed [1 win], 206, -124
9) #11-Blake Koch, 202, -128
10) #48-Brennan Poole, 193, -137
See complete owner and driver standings on the driver standings(pdf) and owner standings page (pdf).(5-6-2017)

Free Pass – Who got a lap back on each caution at Talladega: (and their finish)
Caution 1: none
Caution 2: none
Caution 3: #6-Wallace, 13th
Caution 4: #18-Suarez, 9th
Caution 5: #19-Tifft, 6th
(5-6-2017)

Koch on XFINITY pole at Talladega: #11-Blake Koch won the Coors Light pole for the Spark Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 183.490mph. #88-Kasey Kahne will start second. The rest of the top 10: #21-Danel Hemric, #2-Ben Kennedy, #33-Brandon Jones, #7-Justin Allgaier, #3-Ty Dillon, #22-Joey Logano, #9-William Byron, and #20-Erik Jones.
Did Not Qualify: #78-BJ McLeod.
The starting lineup is posted on the Talladega starting lineup page (pdf).(5-6-2017)

Talladega XFINITY Qualifying Notes:
Blake Koch won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 26th Annual Sparks Energy 300 with a lap of
52.188 seconds, 183.490 mph.
This is his first pole in 190 NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
This is his first pole and third top-10 start in 2017.
This is his first pole in seven races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Kasey Kahne (second) posted his second top-10 start of 2017 and his fourth in eight races at Talladega
Superspeedway.
Daniel Hemric (third) posted his first top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his eighth in nine
races this season.
Daniel Hemric (third) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(5-6-2017)

new Hammer & Anvil Trophies debut at Talladega; Vulcan Trophy returns The winner of Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will take home the incredible Vulcan Trophy, introduced last fall as the track’s depiction of the Roman god of fire and forge from the famous cast-iron statue that overlooks nearby Birmingham. And now, the Vulcan’s hammer & anvil that he used to make weapons and armor for all the gods as part of Ancient Roman myth, will be featured on a new trophy – the Hammer & Anvil Trophy – that will be awarded to the winner of both the General Tire 200 race Friday and Sparks Energy 300 Saturday.
While the Vulcan Trophy is given to all Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winners at the 2.66-mile venue, the Hammer & Anvil Trophy will be presented to the victors of all other companion events at the biggest and baddest race track on the planet. Vulcan’s hammer and anvil, which were used in his forge (shop where metal is heated and hammered into useful items), are part of the Vulcan, the colossal 56-foot statue that is the world’s largest, and looms tall over Birmingham, paying homage to the city’s roots in the iron and steel industry. For more information on this weekend’s action, visit talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 855-518-RACE (7223).[More](5-6-2017)

News from May 5, 2017

Friday practice for the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is over, after 10 of 55 scheduled minutes, it was rained out, the top-five and notes:
#14-Bowyer 196.822
#4-Harvick 196.439
#2-Keselowski 195.808
#41-Busch 195.784
#22-Logano 195.756
slowest: #83-LaJoie 182.546 & #38-Ragan 183.673
31 of 41 cars ran laps, ten didn’t record any track time: #’s 7,10,13,15,32,42,55,72,75,96
most laps run: #18-Busch & #77-Jones, 13 laps
Happy Hour (final) practice was also cancelled due to rain
See fastest speeds, laps run on the Practice 1 Speeds page (pdf)(5-5-2017)

Joey Logano discusses penalty & “encumbered” win Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion, visited the infield media center at Talladega Superspeedway this morning and discussed a number of issues, including the penalty NASCAR assessed on Thursday that resulted in his win at Richmond being ruled encumbered.(Ford Performance)[More](5-5-2017)

#22 crew chief Gordon explains penalty Crew chief Todd Gordon explained the penalty that led to his two-race suspension, saying a part was about 1/32 of an inch off after last weekend’s win at Richmond International Raceway. NASCAR also fined Gordon $50,000 and docked Joey Logano 25 points and Team Penske 25 car owner points after Logano’s winning car from Richmond failed inspection at the R&D Center. NASCAR stated Logano’s win would not count toward playoff eligibility and he would not receive the five playoff points. The team violated the rule that states “a pinion angle shim mating surface … must be in complete contact … at all times.” Gordon was on “The Morning Drive” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Friday (click here to listen via Twitter) to discuss the penalty and what’s next for the team.(NBC Sports)[More](5-5-2017)

Carl Long Motorsports to attempt Kansas Cup race Ok .. will break the news here … MBM motorsports will bring our chevy #66 to Kansas to compete in the Monster Energy Cup Series. I am hoping to sign a couple sponsors to get us there. The special deal of the week. $25,000 gets the whole car for NASCAR’s top series. It has been a few years since i was able to race in cup and I am very excited to be back. The sad part is we are running short on $ to get there. I have asked several of my fellow xfinity drivers if they can squeeze some $ from their sponsors and i will let them drive. So we will have car 66 there with George Church as crew chief and Joey Arrington provid (Carl Long Motorsports Facebook page)(5-5-2017)

Joyce Julius: Most Mentioned NASCAR Drivers: #42-Kyle Larson was the most mentioned Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series after eight races with 23 interviews for 22 minutes and 1,285 mentions. Statistics reflect all live race telecasts and replays of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season (through Bristol). See full list HERE (5-5-2017)

Talladega Stats and Facts Talladega has long been known as part of “Earnhardt Country,” and this will be the next-to-last Cup Series race Dale Earnhardt Jr. will run there before his retirement at the end of the season. Dale Jr. is a 6-time Talladega winner, which is tied with former teammate Jeff Gordon for 2nd all-time. A win, and he’ll join his father, a 10-time Talladega winner, as the only drivers with 7 or more wins at the track. NASCAR began using restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega in 1988 to limit the speeds of the car at the track, producing a different style of racing with the cars tightly packed and the engine power limited. Earnhardt Jr., has won 10 of those races, putting him 1 behind his father for the 2nd-most all-time and 2 behind Gordon for the series record. There are 3 plate races remaining this season. Exciting finishes are the norm at Talladega. 12 of the last 23 races at the track were decided by a last lap pass. While Dale Earnhardt Jr. is looking to win his 7th Talladega race, Brad Keselowski is looking for his 5th. He’d be the 5th driver to win at least 5 Cup Series races at Talladega, a track that has been hosting Cup Series races since 1969. His 4 wins have come in 16 career starts, giving him a better winning percentage at the track than all-time wins leader Dale Earnhardt, and the best mark among drivers with at least 10 starts at the track.(ESPN Stats)[More](5-5-2017)

NASCAR Talladega Storylines, Facts and Notes Joey Logano, 26, won his first race of the season Sunday at Richmond in his 300th career start. He’ll attempt to win again in his 301st start in Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway – a track where he won the latest race last fall. Logano has taken the checkered flag in the last two fall races at Talladega, but claims only two top-10 finishes at the 2.66-mile behemoth in the spring (ninth in 2009 and 10th in 2011; both with Joe Gibbs Racing). Overall the #22 Team Penske driver has two wins, four top fives, six top 10s and an 18.7 average finish in 16 starts at Talladega. Joey Logano isn’t the only Team Penske driver who’s had success recently at Talladega. Brad Keselowski has combined with his Penske teammate to win four of the last five races there (Logano: fall 2015, fall 2016; Keselowski: fall 2014, spring 2016). Thirty years ago, NASCAR Hall of Famer, Bill Elliott set the NASCAR qualifying record with a 212.809 mph lap at Talladega Superspeedway. His son, Chase Elliott, will take the track in Sunday’s GEICO 500. In his first two career starts at Talladega last season, Chase finished fifth and 12th, respectively, and led a total of 36 laps. He won the Coors Light Pole Award in the 2016 spring race.(NASCAR)[see full report here](5-5-2017)

John Andretti spent more than a decade as one of auto racing’s true iron men He started 49 consecutive IndyCar races from 1990-92 before moving to NASCAR, where he made 29 or more starts every year from 1994-2003. He was the first driver to attempt the Memorial Day double. And when his driving career was winding down, Andretti still found a way to give something back to the fans and the sport. Now, the 54-year-old former racer is fighting for his life against stage four colon cancer that has spread to his liver.
“It’s tough because me and John are close,” former IndyCar driver and current team owner Michael Andretti said Thursday in Indianapolis. “It was devastating for the whole family when they got the news and on top of that it’s very frustrating because it could have been prevented. If he’d gone a year ago, we wouldn’t be here.” The first indication of his condition came Monday. By Thursday, team officials had scheduled a news conference with Michael and Jarett Andretti, John’s 24-year-old son, to confirm a diagnosis. Their message was simple: Don’t wait to get a colonoscopy. They’ve even started a campaign called #CheckIt4Andretti. John Andretti has scheduled a news conference for Monday [May 8] in Charlotte, is expected to take questions from reporters in Indy on May 18 and Michael Andretti is planning an announcement before race day, May 28, to announce what the team will do to honor his cousin.(Associated Press)[More](5-5-2017)

Brandon Jones paces final XFINITY practice: #33-Brandon Jones was quickest in final practice at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 182.814mph.
#11-Blake Koch was second, followed by: #21-Daniel Hemric, #2-Ben Kennedy, #3-Ty Dillon, #18-Daniel Suarez, #98-Aric Almirola, #25-Chris Cockrum, #25-Scott Lagasse, Jr., and #13-Mark Thompson.
Just 20 of the 41 drivers practiced during the session.
See complete results on the Talladega final practice speeds page (pdf).(5-5-2017)

Blake Koch fastest in first XFINITY practice: #11-Blake Koch was fastest during opening practice at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 192.591mph.
The rest of the top 10: #62-Brendan Gaughan, #2-Ben Kennedy, #21-Daniel Hemric, #3-Ty Dillon, #23-Spencer Gallagher, #88-Kasey Kahne, #14-J.J. Yeley, #98-Aric Almirola, and #20-Erik Jones.
41 drivers practiced during the session.
Practice was only about 20 minutes long due to a delayed start after track drying.
See complete results on the Talladega practice 1 speeds page (pdf).(5-5-2017)

Atlanta will need to patch holes since no repave: Atlanta Motor Speedway was originally scheduled to repave the 21-year-old surface following the 2017 QuikTrip 500 but that wasn’t what the drivers wanted; still there is major work that needs to be done as the track has cracks and crevices – nearly the size of a racecar – that need repairs.
The delayed repave is something track president, Ed Clark, said is inevitable and costly. However, until that day comes, which could be following the 2018 event, huge chunks of the track must be dug out and patched over. It was something they found after he and his staff walked the entire track the day after the race. “Some of them probably won’t be the full width of a car but most of them will likely be the length because a lot of the unravelling we’ve seen is along the seams in between runs of the asphalt,” Clark told Kickin’ the Tires, during a meeting at the track on Tuesday. “That’s where you get your first cracks and as time goes by they just seem to erode out from the sides. Some will be that wide but the majority of them, I hope, will be no more than maybe three to four feet wide.”
Clark said it was a little-known fact that speedway officials patched the track following the Xfinity Series race earlier this year. There were several cracks that had become larger during that race and something had to be done before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars hit the track the next day. Despite the need for the repairs Clark said he thinks the track will hold up, unlike when large potholes developed at Daytona International Speedway that had to be fixed with Bondo a few years ago.(Kickin The Tires)(5-5-2017)

News from May 4, 2017

Logano and #22 team penalized, loses points, RIR win is encumbered: NASCAR on Thursday issued an L1-level penalty to Team Penske’s #22 team for a rear suspension violation discovered during teardown at the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina. The penalty carries multiple consequences, which includes making Joey Logano’s win at Richmond on Sunday encumbered. The encumbered win is the first for a victorious Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team since NASCAR adopted that policy in 2016. What that means is Logano cannot use the Richmond win as consideration for an automatic playoff spot. Should Logano still make the postseason, the five playoff points that come with a victory would not apply for Richmond. The official race record will still list Logano as the winner. Additional penalties are a $50,000 fine and two-race suspension for crew chief Todd Gordon, and the loss of 25 driver points and 25 owner points.(NASCAR.COM)[More](5-4-2017)
TEAM PENSKE STATEMENT ON #22 CAR PENALTY “We understand and accept the penalty that was communicated to us today by NASCAR following last weekend’s victory by the #22 car at Richmond. We are disappointed by the notice, however, we do not plan to appeal the penalty. The #22 team remains focused on competing for wins as we work towards the NASCAR Playoffs and a Championship. Race Engineer Miles Stanley will serve as Joey Logano’s crew chief this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, while Greg Erwin will help call race strategy on Sunday.”(Team Penske)(5-4-2017)

Erik Jones to run Toyota Care colors at Talladega: Erik Jones and his Furniture Row Racing team return to NASCAR Cup Series action this week in the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway with a chip on their collective shoulder after their early exit from last Sunday’s race. The #77 Furniture Row Racing team is coming off its shortest outing so far in Jones’ rookie season. Damage from a Lap 5 crash last Sunday at Richmond International Raceway saddled the team with a 38th-place finish.
The pack racing Talladega provides may be one of the more challenging venues on the NASCAR schedule to get back in the saddle but Jones is confident heading into the weekend. He will be driving the #77 ToyotaCare Toyota Camry this weekend. ToyotaCare is a complimentary maintenance plan and roadside assistance program is provided with the purchase of every new Toyota vehicle for up to two years.(Furniture Row Racing)[More](5-4-2017)

Kyle Busch to driver a Skittles America Mix scheme at ‘Dega: Kyle Busch’s #18 racecar will feature a special Skittles America Mix scheme in Sunday’s Cup Series Geico 500. The Skittles America Mix is a must-have for summer gatherings, road trips and, of course, a great snack while watching a NASCAR Cup Series race either in-person or on television. Every bag contains red, white and blue Skittles with fruit flavors that include strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, wild berry and “yumberry” – the first white fruit-flavored Skittles candy – and are available from April-August this year.(JGR / TrueSpeed Communications)[More](5-4-2017)

Alex Bowman leads field to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2018: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. will leave the building before 2018, this much is true. Who will replace him at Hendrick Motorsports? This much is speculation. Earnhardt’s departure will leave a void that ultimately must be filled, even if for all practical matters Earnhardt is irreplaceable as an iconic star of the sport. He moves the needle big-time. But we all must move on, and he will leave the seat warm anyway. So who’s next? Alex Bowman? William Byron? A wild-card entry in Carl Edwards? Early handicapping points to Bowman, who filled in for Earnhardt Jr. in 10 of 18 races that Earnhardt missed last season with concussion-related symptoms. Bowman wasn’t spectacular, but he was steady. Bowman, 24, posted an average finish of 19.7 in those races.
“I see Rick Hendrick going young,” said Steve Letarte, Earnhardt’s former crew chief and now an analyst with NBC Sports. “I do not think William Byron is the answer in 2018. I think Hendrick understands that drivers need to mature. We have already seen the struggle of Daniel Suárez this season, who is the Xfinity champion, perhaps getting moved up a little too quickly. I think that can be a detriment to a driver’s career. I have Alex Bowman circled on a piece of paper. I think Bowman is the perfect guy. I don’t mean a five-year contract, maybe a one- or two-year deal.”(Orlando Sentinel)[More](5-4-2017)

Brad Keselowski shares the secret to success at Talladega Some drivers relish Talladega. Some drivers hate it. I still remember this time-it was probably 2003-and there was this video game called “NASCAR Racing 2003 PC.” And I would run it and have a great time. There was this online community, and we would race all kinds of different tracks. It was a lot of fun, but there weren’t a lot of great drivers. I wasn’t a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver then, but I was a decent online racer. We’d go to all these different tracks. We’d go to a Bowman Gray or a Dover or a Michigan, and I had a blast with that. But you’d only get maybe five or 10 guys who were any good, and the rest were intimidated, so it was almost like it was too easy. So this online league I was racing with started this thing where we would race on Tuesday nights, and we had this series where we would race on superspeedways, and like 80 to 100 people would show up and race it. Talladega was two of the races, and my bother (Brian) and I would race on it together. I remember winning those races and thinking, ‘That’s so cool to beat all these guys’ and kind of almost falling in love with Talladega online.(as told to Reid Spencer of the NASCAR Wire Service by Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Team Penske Ford)[full post here](5-4-2017)

Richmond XFINITY Series penalties announced: NASCAR has announced penalties to three NASCAR XFINITY Series teams following the ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway on April 29. The teams of #21-Daniel Hemric, #3-Ty Dillon, and #46-Quinn Houff were penalized for lugnut violations.[More](5-4-2017)

Cobb announces plans on and off the track, team direction Jennifer Jo Cobb announced her plans to grow her family and continue her race team. The hope for the female racer is to maximize opportunities for development drivers to race and align the team for a more competitive 2018. Additionally, longtime crew chief Steve Kuykendall, will be stepping away from the track temporarily.[More](5-4-2017)

Boyd partners with Excessive Carts The Excessive Carts logo will be featured on the #12 Grunt Style Chevrolet Silverado at Kansas Speedway on May 12 and at Texas Motor Speedway on June 9.[More](5-4-2017)

Single-Day Tickets for Ford Championship weekend go on sale May 5th Single-day tickets to NASCAR’s season finale Ford Championship Weekend will go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 5. The three-day championship tradition at Homestead-Miami Speedway features a weekend full of scintillating racing by the world’s greatest stock car drivers. In addition to crowning champions in each of NASCAR’s three national series, all eyes will be on Homestead-Miami Speedway for another reason that weekend, as it will serve as the setting for the final laps of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Monster Energy Series career. Tickets to Ford Championship Weekend can be purchased by visiting HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com or by calling (866) 409-RACE (7223).(HMS)[More](5-4-2017)

Lethal Weapon star Clayne Crawford to drive ‘Dega pace car Alabama native Clayne Crawford, who portrays Detective Martin Riggs on the FOX hit show “Lethal Weapon,” will be the Honorary Pace Car driver for Sunday’s (May 7) GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The actor, who has had a successful career with both television and film roles, hails from Clay, AL, less than 50 miles away from NASCAR’s biggest and baddest race track on the planet – Talladega Superspeedway. He will lead the field of 40 drivers around the mammoth 2.66-mile venue to the green flag of the 10th race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Lethal Weapon first aired on FOX in September 2016, and after a successful first season, was renewed for a second. The action-filled show reimagines the 1987 hit movie franchise by following two detectives, Riggs (Clayne Crawford) and Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans). Crawford’s character is an ex-Navy SEAL who moves to California to start over at LAPD after a family tragedy. There, he is assigned to work with Murtaugh, who is just returning to the line of duty following a heart attack. Despite clashing at first, after working with Murtaugh, Riggs quickly realizes he’s found not only a coworker, but a friend. One of them has everything to live for, and the other has nothing to lose. Crawford also starred on the acclaimed cable series “Rectify,” which won the 2014 Peabody Award for Excellence in Television Broadcasting. He received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his part on the show. For ticket information regarding this weekend’s races, call the Talladega Ticket Office at 855-518-RACE (7223) or log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.[More](5-4-2017)

News from May 3, 2017

Earnhardt Jr. to run special Nationwide Children’s Hospital scheme at Kentucky: This July at Kentucky Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive a unique paint scheme for a great cause. Tuesday afternoon, the #88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet SS was unveiled, and along with it Nationwide has provided a way to help children everywhere.
Returning this year is a fundraising campaign that allows fans the opportunity to have their name emblazoned on Earnhardt’s #88 Chevy while simultaneously supporting patients receiving care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. During the Ride Along with Dale Jr. to Help Kids Everywhere campaign, fans that donate can have their name a part of Earnhardt’s Kentucky race weekend.(Hendrick Motorsports)[More](5-3-2017)

New look for Buescher at Talladega: “It will be hard to miss the #37 Velveeta Chevrolet this weekend,” Buescher said. “The car is as vibrant as the Velveeta shells and cheese themselves. We’re very fortunate to be able to run so many different and unique paint schemes this season at JTG Daugherty Racing, and I’m looking forward to showing off the ‘Liquid Gold’ this weekend for 500 miles at Talladega Superspeedway.”[More](5-3-2017)

Sorenson ‘Exchanges’ Numbers with ‘Xchange of America’ at Talladega: Reed Sorenson, familiar driver of the #15 Premium Motorsports, Chevrolet SS will switch it up this week as he gets ready to pilot the team’s #55 Toyota Camry for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, ‘Geico 500’ at Talladega Superspeedway. Sorenson and team are proud to welcome back Xchange of America as their primary partner for this race.[More](5-3-2017)

Scott Lagasse Jr returns to the #24 at Talladega: JGL Racing is proud to announce that Scott Lagasse Jr. returns to the team for this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Lagasse Jr., a native of St. Augustine, Florida will pilot the #24 “Young Guns” Toyota in the running of the Sparks Energy 300 at the 2.66-mile track. “I’m excited to get back in the #24 Toyota for JGL Racing”, stated Lagasse, Jr. “This team has worked hard to make this possible and I am grateful for the opportunity Mr. Whitener has given me. I hope we can duplicate the success we had earlier this season at Daytona and get the #24 Toyota Camry to the front. We will also have ‘Screen Your Machine’ on the car which is a very personal program for me. I love racing at Talladega and I’m anxious to get there.”[More](5-3-2017)

Sieg picks up Talladega sponsors: RSS Racing is excited to welcome Holley’s Home Furnishings and Alabama Soda and Abrasive Blasting as co primary sponsors for Ryan Sieg at Talladega Superspeedway. The #39 team also have Beyond Forced Induction as a major associate sponsor for the race weekend. Baseball Racks and Midstate Basement continue their support of the #39 team as associate partners.[More](5-3-2017)

Pre-race dignitaries announced for Talladega Superspeedway’s race weekend: With the classic spring race weekend just days away, Talladega Superspeedway announced its lineup of pre-race dignitaries for all three events during the triple-header weekend. Six honorary officials will take part in the pre-race festivities prior to the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series, and General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards.[More](5-3-2017)

Darlington partners with Rent Like a Champion for race week home rentals: Darlington Raceway is partnering with Rent Like A Champion (RLAC), a Mark Cuban Company, to provide private home rentals for race week(end) during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500. RLAC will be the conduit for Pee Dee area residents wishing to rent their homes to industry executives and fans that attend the Labor Day weekend festivities, scheduled for Sept. 1-3, at the famed historic track.[More](5-3-2017)

News from May 2, 2017

Bellator MMA joins Monster & NASCAR for race fight series UPDATE: Bellator MMA announces a partnership with Monster Energy and NASCAR to showcase a series of fights to take place at select races during the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. For the first time in NASCAR history, mixed martial arts will be included as a pre-race activation for the fans in attendance and just like the action the cars bring on the racetrack, Bellator will bring the same excitement inside the cage.(4-3-2017)
UPDATE: The Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series visits Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race weekend on Saturday, May 20 with several MMA bouts scheduled throughout the afternoon leading up to the start of the biggest all-star event in sports.[More](5-2-2017)

Statistical Advance – Analyzing The GEICO 500:A look at some of the top statistical performers and top-10 driver ratings at Talladega Superspeedway in Fort Worth, TX going into the GEICO 500 on May 7, 2017.More](5-2-2017)

Triad CNC sponsoring Gaunt Brothers Racing at Talladega: Triad CNC, a new manufacturing division of Triad Racing Technologies, will adorn the #96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota Camry driven by D.J. Kennington in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega. Triad CNC is a full service CNC machine shop with capabilities of 3, 4 and 5-axis simultaneous CNC machining that will focus on servicing the current auto racing community and also expand into the aerospace and military industries.[More](5-2-2017)

XFINITY and Truck teams to test at Charlotte UPDATE: An all-star cast of drivers will take to Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR Test Fest on May 2 in a fan-friendly shakedown of NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series machines before the 10 Days of NASCAR Thunder May 19-28.(4-27-2017)
UPDATE: The roar of NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series engines filled the air on Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as NASCAR Test Fest gave teams a rare tune-up session before the 10 Days of NASCAR Thunder May 19-28. Ryan Blaney – who is still searching for his first XFINITY Series victory at Charlotte – topped the charts with a 29.254-second lap at 184.590 miles per hour. Brandon Jones, Tyler Reddick, Elliott Sadler and Brennan Poole rounded out the top five while Christopher Bell (150 laps), Cole Custer (147), William Byron (138) and Bubba Wallace (131) ran the most laps.[More](5-2-2017)

Richmond overnight TV ratings: Fox earned a 2.7 overnight for Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway.[More](5-2-2017)

The entertainment starts Monday of race week at Michigan: Michigan International Speedway is adding to the fan entertainment value in 2017. Guests will want to arrive extra early this season to take advantage of all the options that are available. MIS has added week-long entertainment to all the campgrounds and to the race weekend with special programing and performances throughout the New Holland Fan Plaza.[More](5-2-2017)

News from May 1, 2017

Entry List for the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is posted, 42 teams/drivers [for 40 spots] are listed.
36 teams with Charters are guaranteed to make the field. The rest need to make the field via qualifying / qualifying races / rules book (owners attempts/points).
Some of the drivers entered include: #7-Sadler*, #15-Joey Gase, #23-Gaulding, #33-JEarnhardt, #51-Hill*, #55-Sorenson*, #75-Gaughan*, #83-LaJoie*, #96-Kennington*
Drivers who currently do not drive for a team with a Charter and need to race into the field: #7-Sadler*, #51-Hill*, #55-Cope*, #75-Gaughan*, #83-LaJoie*, #96-Kennington*.
If all practices and qualifying are canceled, drivers who would miss the race (lowest open teams in owner points): #75-Gaughan, #96-Kennington.
If qualifying is rained out or canceled, open teams making the race are based combined practice speeds.
See the full entry list on the Entry List (pdf)

Brian France says NASCAR ‘not isolated’ in fighting to attract fans:NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France says the challenge of connecting with a new, younger generation of fans is something that all sports are trying to figure out, and one that NASCAR will take some time to figure out. Speaking at Richmond International Raceway before Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, France compared the challenge sports are facing to the one retailers are facing because of the popularity of online shopping.[More](5-1-2017)

Sunday Richmond Notebook: Denny Hamlin runs third at Richmond but still has work to do; Stenhouse salvages fourth after brush with wall.[More](5-1-2017)

Several drivers collect commitment line penalties at Richmond: The video was clear and to make sure competitors understood, NASCAR repeated the rule in the drivers meeting before Sunday’s race at Richmond International Raceway. Drivers needed to have all four tires under the orange box at the commitment line to enter pit road.[More](5-1-2017)

Commercial breakdown of the 2017 Toyota Owners 400: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race. Fox was the broadcast team for this event. [More](5-1-2017)

Christopher Bell driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in 7 XFINITY race: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that Norman, Oklahoma native and young up-and-coming NASCAR star Christopher Bell will drive seven NASCAR XFINITY Series races during the 2017 season. The 22-year-old is currently running full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). He started 2017 on fire by winning the Chili Bowl, and followed it up by dominating and winning his second Truck Series race for 2017 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. [More](5-1-2017)

XFINITY Entry List: There are 42 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Spark Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway.
See the complete list on the Talladega entry list page.(5-1-2017)