Posted on by Holly Cain

One of the most anticipated new pairings in the NASCAR Cup Series is Ross Chastain in the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet. Chastain, 28, has competed at the NASCAR Cup Series level for four years, but this will mark the Floridan’s first season with a high-profile perennial competitive team in Ganassi. Chastain drove the team’s Xfinity Series car to his first NASCAR national series win — taking the 2018 trophy at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Chastain competed for Niece Motorsports in the 2019 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship and finished runner-up for the title. Last year he contended for the Xfinity Series championship, finishing seventh in the title run for Kaulig Racing. The watermelon farmer is extremely eager to seize and capitalize on the best opportunity of his career with Ganassi this season.

Ask if he feels pressure to make this big chance work, Chastain, conceded, “yes.”

RELATED: Catch up on all the changes for this season 

“As a racer, yeah. I don’t want to go fail, so, there is no alternative,” said Ross Chastain. “There is no Plan B. We have the farm and will still grow and sell watermelons, but yeah as a racer, I want to succeed, and I want to do my job. Yeah, this is it.”

And, he acknowledged, his reputation for being a hard-charger precedes him at Ganassi. But, perhaps this opportunity means a different approach.

“Yes. Definitely blend in more. I’m not going to let anybody pass. I’m not going to purposely run into anybody. I think that’s maybe been embellished a little bit over the years and I haven’t done any work to diminish it. I’ve embraced it and enjoyed how people view me and how people talk about me. We’ve used it internally with the race teams that I’ve driven for over the last two years to really motivate and find that extra little bit of speed in the race trucks and cars and I would not trade it for anything.

“All those steps and mistakes are what got me here. But yes, definitely blend in a little better. I don’t want or need a line of drivers or crew chiefs or anybody to be lined-up at the car after these races. This is the premier series and I have to elevate to that level. I have a long way to go. This is going to be the biggest step of my career.”

Posted on by Team Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Feb. 4, 2021) – ThorSport Racing announced Thursday its partnership with Toyota Racing for the upcoming 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season and beyond.

The 2016 Camping World Truck Series Champion, Johnny Sauter is set to pilot the No. 13 Toyota Tundra with returning partner Sakar International and its brand Vivitar. Crew chief will be Joe Shear Jr.

RELATED: Changes to know for next season | 2021 Truck Series schedule

Three-time series champion Matt Crafton returns to the No. 88 Toyota with longtime partner Menards along with vendor partners, Ideal Door, ZEP, Slim Jim, Flex Seal, Hormel Black Label Bacon, Denali Aire, Mold Armor, Great Lakes Flooring, Jack Links, Chi-Chi’s, and Oklahoma Joes. Carl Joiner Jr. will lead the team as crew chief.

The No. 98 Toyota team will be split between the 2019 Regular Season Champion Grant Enfinger with Champion Power Equipment onboard, and a new face at ThorSport Racing, Christian Eckes.

Eckes joins the ThorSport stable as he is tentatively set to run 10 races in the No. 98 with his first race to be at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. The team will be led by Jeriod Prince as he moves into the crew chief position from the No. 88 truck chief role.

Ben Rhodes is back behind the wheel of the No. 99 Toyota as he welcomes a new partner, Bombardier. Rich Lushes has taken over as crew chief following his move from the No. 13 truck chief position.

Statement from Toyota Racing

“We’re all looking forward to kicking off the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season as we welcome ThorSport Racing back to the Toyota Racing family. This is a great team with an impressive line-up of drivers. Our previous relationship yielded success in the form of race wins and two driver championships for Matt Crafton. We’re looking forward to working with the team again and adding to our accolades together as we focus in on contending for Toyota’s 12th Truck Series manufacturer’s title.” — Paul Doleshal, Group Manager for Motorsports, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA)

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR and iRacing today announced the longest-running officially sanctioned esports racing series will return for its 12th season with an increased championship purse, new teams and an elevated playoff format to conclude an 18-race schedule, which will mirror some of the real-life NASCAR schedule enhancements.

“After more than a decade of iRacing competition, the 2021 season is poised to further position the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series as one of the most immersive and competitive gaming leagues,” said Tim Clark, senior vice president and chief digital officer, NASCAR. “Last year was monumental for esports, and we’re committed to elevating NASCAR’s presence in the space, delivering more entertainment for fans and connecting the sport with new audiences.”

MORE: Read all about the series on eNASCAR.com

The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season will kick off at the virtual Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. ET on eNASCAR.com. Teams will compete for the largest purse in series history, totaling $330,000.

“Year after year, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series has grown bigger and bigger, to the point where we crowned our first $100,000 champion last year,” said iRacing president Tony Gardner. “We’re excited to continue raising the bar in 2021 with new drivers, teams, and tracks, an even larger purse, and a new playoff format, and we can’t wait to get the season started at Daytona!”

The 2020 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season went down to the wire, with Nick Ottinger claiming the series’ first $100,000 championship in William Byron eSports’ first year in the series. Ottinger and nearly 30 other drivers return from last season, plus a talented mix of rookies and veterans that weren’t on last year’s grid. An already marquee group of returning teams welcomes the virtual debut of 23XI, the new NASCAR Cup Series team owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin; McLaren Shadow, the official esports team of McLaren F1; Elliott Sadler Esports, owned by former NASCAR Cup Series veteran Elliott Sadler; and professional esports teams Spacestation Gaming and XSET.

RELATED: See the driver and team pairings for 2021

The 40 drivers and 20 teams will take on a challenging schedule that represents the best of NASCAR’s highest level, from the first green flag at Daytona to an epic finale at Texas Motor Speedway, and an All-Star Race featuring the return of former series champions on the three-mile iRacing Superspeedway. New this season, the playoffs will expand from eight drivers to 10, with a “win-and-you’re-in” format for drivers in the top 20 in regular-season points, before paring down to four drivers for the Texas finale.

The full 2021 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series schedule is as follows*:

· February 8: Daytona International Speedway

· February 23: Homestead-Miami Speedway

· March 2: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

· March 16: Atlanta Motor Speedway

· March 30: Auto Club Speedway

· April 13: Richmond Raceway

· April 27: Kansas Speedway

· May 18: Circuit of the Americas

· May 25: Charlotte Motor Speedway

· June 22: Pocono Raceway

· June 29: Road America

· July 13: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

· July 27: iRacing Superspeedway (All-Star Race)

· August 3: Watkins Glen International

· August 17: Michigan International Speedway

· August 31: Darlington Raceway^

· September 14: Bristol Motor Speedway^

· September 28: Talladega Superspeedway^

· October 12: Texas Motor Speedway^

^Denotes Playoffs Event

*Subject to change

All races will be broadcast live on eNASCAR.com and iRacing.com/live, as well as the NASCAR and iRacing Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube channels. All race streams will kick off at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

For more information on the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, visit www.eNASCAR.com. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR charter system began in 2016, and teams that own charters are allowed to compete in every NASCAR Cup Series points-paying race (and thus are guaranteed to earn a portion of the purse). There are 36 charters that are owned by teams. Teams may sell their charters to other owners or transfer them to another team for a set amount of time.

With the NASCAR field set at 40 cars for Cup Series races, this means 36 charter teams are joined by a maximum of four open teams that must qualify to compete in any given race.

Who has NASCAR charters for the 2021 season? Check out our chart below:

RELATED: How NASCAR charters work

Charter # 2021 Car # Charter Owner 2021 Operator
1 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Richard Petty Motorsports
2 51 Petty Ware Racing Petty Ware Racing
3 3 Richard Childress Racing Richard Childress Racing
4 00 StarCom Racing StarCom Racing
5 8 Richard Childress Racing Richard Childress Racing
6 2 Team Penske Team Penske
7 22 Team Penske Team Penske
8 24 Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports
9 9 Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports
10 5 Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports
11 48 Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports
12 12 Team Penske Team Penske
13 6 Roush Fenway Racing Roush Fenway Racing
14 17 Roush Fenway Racing Roush Fenway Racing
15 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chip Ganassi Racing
16 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chip Ganassi Racing
17 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing
18 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing
19 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing
20 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Stewart-Haas Racing
21 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing
22 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Stewart-Haas Racing
23 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Stewart-Haas Racing
24 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Stewart-Haas Racing
25 99 Spire Sports Trackhouse Racing
26 34 Front Row Motorsports Front Row Motorsports
27 52 Rick Ware Racing Rick Ware Racing
28 47 JTG Daugherty Racing JTG Daugherty Racing
29 77 Spire Sports Spire Sports
30 23 23XI Racing 23XI Racing
31 21 Wood Brothers Racing Wood Brothers Racing
32 53 Rick Ware Racing Rick Ware Racing
33 38 Front Row Motorsports Front Row Motorsports
34 7 Spire Sports Spire Sports
35 78 Live Fast Motorsports Live Fast Motorsports
36 15/27/54 Rick Ware Racing Rick Ware Racing
Posted on by Staff Report

Today’s Team Penske preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, ranked in reverse order of best finish in last year’s owner standings.

MORE: Changes to know for 2021 season

Team Penske

Manufacturer: Ford
Engine: Roush Yates Engines
Driver-crew chief pairings: Brad Keselowski-Jeremy Bullins (No. 2); Ryan Blaney-Todd Gordon (No. 12); Joey Logano-Paul Wolfe (No. 22)

What’s new: For 2021, Penske will field a fourth car for reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric in a select number of events with the first being an attempt to make the Daytona 500. The limited schedule in the No. 33 Ford will help Cindric prepare for his move to the Cup Series full-time in 2022, driving for Wood Brothers Racing.

Team outlook: Team Penske’s shuffling of crew chiefs to start 2020 netted great results with all three drivers making the playoffs, including Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski reaching the Championship 4. The team collectively put eight wins up on the board, up from six the previous season. With one year under their belts to establish a notebook, the trio of drivers and crew chiefs will look to continue to build their relationships with an eye on the championship they came close to winning last season.

Racing Insights’ stats break: Major crew chief swaps in 2020 paid off with all three drivers winning and making the playoffs. Both Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski made it to the Championship 4 but neither driver left as the champion. Logano (three) and Keselowski (five) enter 2021 with long multi-win season streaks while Ryan Blaney hopes to join them by winning multiple races in 2021 for the first time in his Cup career.

Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford

Experience: 12th full season in NASCAR Cup Series
2020 stats: Second in final standings; 4 wins, 13 top fives, 24 top 10s
2020 final Fantasy Live ranking: 4th
2021 championship odds: 8-1

Brad Keselowski
Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Outlook: Keselowski is coming off his best finish in the standings, second, since capturing the title in 2012. Keselowski’s strength in 2020 came at the oval tracks with the 750 horsepower, low-downforce package with three of his four wins coming in those races. This season will see two additional oval tracks get that package at Darlington Raceway and for the Cup Series debut at Nashville Superspeedway — places where Keselowski has already visited Victory Lane (Xfinity Series at Nashville). Along with another championship, Keselowski has made it clear he wants to add a Daytona 500 win and a victory in his home state at Michigan International Speedway to his resume.

Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford

Ryan Blaney
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Experience: Sixth full season in NASCAR Cup Series
2020 stats: Ninth in final standings; 1 win, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s
2020 final Fantasy Live ranking: 7th
2021 championship odds: 14-1

Outlook: While Blaney’s last two wins over the course of the last two seasons have come at Talladega Superspeedway, he’s shown strength at all types of tracks. With the increase in road course events to seven in 2021, that is one area that Blaney has excelled at as a member of Team Penske. Dating back to his win in 2018 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, he’s posted five top 10s in the six-race span. Last year, Blaney led the series with a 6.8 average finish in the 11 races at 1.5-mile tracks and posted two runner-up finishes at the Martinsville short track. This could be the year Blaney posts his first multiple-win season.

Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford

Experience: 13th full season in NASCAR Cup Series
2020 stats: Third in final standings; 3 wins, 12 top fives, 21 top 10s
2020 final Fantasy Live ranking: 6th
2021 championship odds: 8-1

Joey Logano
Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Outlook: Logano and Wolfe got off to a great start in 2020 with wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway before the COVID-19 shutdown. With the loss of practice when racing resumed, it took the team time to jell, and it wasn’t until the second visit to certain tracks that things started to click. Logano returned to Victory Lane in race No. 33 at Kansas Speedway. However, like his teammate, Keselowski, Logano was strong all year with the 750-horsepower package, posting a series-best 6.4 average finish in the 10 races at oval tracks it was used. Logano also captured two top 10s last season in the two road-course races. Along with his teammate Blaney, Logano is one of eight active full-time drivers with a road course win (Watkins Glen, 2015).

NASCAR.com 2021 team previews schedule

Jan. 18: 23XI Racing
Jan. 19: Trackhouse Racing Team
Jan. 20: Live Fast Motorsports
Jan. 21: Spire Motorsports
Jan. 22: JTG Daugherty Racing
Jan. 25: Front Row Motorsports
Jan. 26: Richard Petty Motorsports
Jan. 27: Roush Fenway Racing
Jan. 28: Wood Brothers Racing
Jan. 29: Richard Childress Racing
Jan. 30: Non-chartered and teams outside the top 30
Feb. 1: Chip Ganassi Racing
Feb. 2: Stewart-Haas Racing
Feb. 3: Joe Gibbs Racing
Feb. 4: Team Penske
Feb. 5: Hendrick Motorsports

 

Posted on by Jason Christley

The time is near. The entire short track community has been waiting since December.

Friday will mark the first day of racing for the 55th Annual World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna. The nine-day short track racing spectacular runs through Saturday, February 13.

Drivers, teams, and fans travel to Florida from all across the country to kick off the 2021 short track racing season at the half-mile asphalt oval.

Fans unable to attend can watch the World Series play out on Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold every night, beginning at 7:30.

Four divisions of cars are set to run for week-long points championships: Super Late Modifieds, Tour Modifieds, Pro Late Models and Florida Modifieds.

RELATED: Schedule, Entry List and Information For The World Series at New Smyrna in 2021 | Complete List of World Series Champions

Tour Modifieds

Last year’s World Series saw “Big Money” Matt Hirschman dominate the week, finishing no worse than third while capping off his points title with a win in the Richie Evans Memorial 100 at the end of the week.

The entry list for the Tour Modifieds is nothing short of stacked 44 cars that are headed to Florida, including many of the biggest names in Modified racing.

Matt Hirschman, winner of last year’s World Series points title and two in the last three years, makes his return to New Smyrna for PeeDee Racing in the No. 60. Joining Hirschman will be Chuck Hossfeld, the 2019 track champion. Hossfeld also won the title in 2012. Ron Silk is another World Series champion (2014) who will be running for another.

And Ryan Preece will be back in a ground-pounder, splitting time between the World Series and Daytona International Speedway 10 miles away, where he’ll be preparing to qualify for his third career Daytona 500. While he’s not running for the points title at the World Series this year, Preece is a three-time champion in his own right, having won three in a row from 2015 to 2017, and is also the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion.


Preece won’t be the only Tour champ in the division. Six-time Tour champion Doug Coby is set to compete as well, driving his own Doug Coby Racing No. 10 Modified.

With the same cast of contenders back from years prior, along with an entry list that continues to grow bigger and bigger, fans are in for a real treat when the Tour Modifieds run their first feature Monday night.

 Super Late Models

The longest running division of the World Series, Super Late Models have been clicking off laps at New Smyrna since 1968.

The division is named in honor of David Rogers, a longtime New Smyrna racer and 1994 national champion who passed away last year.

Seven races are on the schedule for the SLMs, who wrap up their points title run with the Orange Blossom 100.

Not to be outdone by the Tour Modifieds, the entry list is all-star caliber in its own right.

Defending champion Derek Griffith is back in the World Series, behind the wheel of the No. 12. Also set to compete are Bubba Pollard, the 2019 champion, along with Brad May, who won a pair of races in last year’s World Series.

Two new names on the entry list are anything but new to SLM success. Jacob Goede and Peyton Sellers are both NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champions (Sellers 2005, Goede 2019). Sellers also finished second in 2020 to Josh Berry.

One race that will be up for grabs is the Orange Blossom 100. The defending winner of that race, Ty Majeski, is not entered in the World Series this year.

There are always fireworks after a World Series SLM race. The 2021 running shows no signs of being any different.

Hold onto your hats

While the Tour Modifieds and SLMs are the crown jewel divisions of the World Series, there’s going to be plenty more racing going on throughout the week.

Pro Late Models run six times, finishing up with a 100-lap feature on February 12. Other divisions racing include the Florida Modified, Sportsmans, Bombers, E-Mods, eBay Motors 603 Modifieds, Pro Trucks and LKQ Super Stocks. Florida Modifieds will also run six nights, ending with an extra-distance 75-lap feature on Tuesday, Feb. 9 – while Sportsman will run the first two nights; eBay Motors 602 Modifieds will race Sunday, Feb. 7-Tuesday, Feb. 9; Pro Truck will run the final two nights; and the LKQ Super Stock will run a 50-lap open race on Saturday, Feb. 13.

And of course, the World Series will also be the site of the season-opener for the ARCA Menards Series East, as they run the JEEP Beach 175 on February 8.

Hang in there, short track fans. The wait is almost over.

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2021 NASCAR Safety and Operations Summit powered by Verizon was held virtually, on BlueJeans by Verizon, as the NASCAR departments (medical, track services, security, operations and track operations) responsible for putting on a safe and orderly show at NASCAR tracks across the country, Mexico and Canada looked back on 2020 and prepared for the upcoming season.

This group faced unprecedented challenges during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was largely responsible for a safe return to racing while NASCAR worked closely with federal, state and local officials to ensure that guidelines were followed.

This year’s summit featured keynote speaker Joseph McCormack from the BRIEF Lab based in Southern Pines, North Carolina, and talks from NASCAR leaders, including NASCAR President Steve Phelps, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell and Vice President of Racing Operations John Bobo.

Vickie Lonker, Vice President of Public Sector Solutions from Verizon, the sponsor for this year’s summit, welcomed the group and thanked the first responders for their work during a particularly challenging season.

John Patalak, NASCAR senior director­­ of safety and engineering, gave a review in safety protocols, and then each department head provided important updates to all attendees.

The awards presentation capped the summit by highlighting some of the standout performances from the 2020 season. Here’s the full list of awards:

Teamwork Award: The medical liaison team recognized Daytona International Speedway for its work with Ryan Newman at the Daytona 500.

Award of Excellence: The medical liaison team recognized Darlington Raceway for a seamless return to racing after the pause for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Award of Excellence: The medical liaison team recognized Texas Motor Speedway for its safe hosting of a rain-delayed weekend event that stretched to Wednesday of the next week.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Jerry Petty. His unwavering commitment to the sport leaves a lasting legacy within the medical community and drivers alike.

Teamwork Award: The track services team recognized Darlington Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway for helping NASCAR have a safe return to racing.

Mission Award: The track services team recognized Daytona International Speedway for its actions during the 2020 Daytona 500 and Speedweeks.

Outstanding Service Award: The NASCAR security team recognized Michael Allen Lentz, who was one of the original NASCAR security team members and retired at the end of 2020.

The Commitment to Public Health Award went to AMR, a dedicated partner of NASCAR since 2017 with its primary focus being the safety and wellbeing of the drivers, crews and other competitors on the track.

The Commitment to Safe Work Environment Award went to Clean Harbor, which ensured every square inch of space and every piece of equipment was sanitized, cleaned and spotless before and after each race.

Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners.

Posted on by Staff Report

Team officials for 23XI Racing confirmed Wednesday that Ty Dillon will drive the team’s No. 23 Toyota in next week’s Busch Clash preliminary event at Daytona International Speedway’s road course.

RELATED: Changes to know for 2021 | Busch Clash eligibility

2021 Feb03 23xi Root Inset Image
23XI Racing

23XI, a joint venture between NBA legend Michael Jordan and NASCAR star Denny Hamlin, is set for its first NASCAR Cup Series season with Bubba Wallace to be the team’s full-time driver. But Wallace is ineligible for the exhibition event, leading the organization to turn to the 28-year-old Dillon, who qualified for the race by scoring a stage win during the 2020 season.

Root Insurance, one of the team’s founding partners, will sponsor the No. 23 Toyota for the Busch Clash. The 23XI effort in the event will allow the team a chance to get in the flow of competition before its full-fledged launch.

Dillon is set for a Daytona 500 bid this year with Gaunt Brothers Racing. He’s also signed on for part-time duty with Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Not only does Bubba Wallace want to capture his first career NASCAR Cup Series win in 2021, he’s doubling down and shooting for two victories.

This is in a brand-new ride, too. Wallace piloted the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet for three full seasons and four part-time starts since joining the sport’s top level in 2017. Now, he’s introducing the No. 23 Toyota to the league with 23XI Racing’s debut.

“I feel like people are writing 23XI, two wins; if we don’t get that, we need to close up our shop,” Wallace said Tuesday during a virtual Media Day on Zoom. “That’s not the case at all. That’s a personal goal for me. Knowing the success of Toyota and the success with JGR, there is a lot more opportunity than I’ve had in recent years to go out and compete.”

RELATED: 23XI Racing season preview for 2021

JGR comes into play because 23XI has a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, meaning the Toyota stalwart will share resources with the new organization. JGR is a Cup Series powerhouse, boasting five championships over three decades of competition. Its winningest driver in 2020, Denny Hamlin, is actually a co-owner of 23XI, paired with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Hamlin will still race his No. 11 JGR Toyota in 2021, and surely years to follow after a recent extension, as he’s still chasing that elusive championship title after 16 years of full-time effort. He won seven races last season and finished fourth in the final standings.

Wallace, meanwhile, ended up with one top-five finish, five top-10 runs and 22nd-place in the final standings.

“I’m all ears,” Wallace said. “Got the notebook ready to see what there is to offer.”

So, even though Wallace and Hamlin will be competing against each other this year, they also have a working driver-owner relationship.

“Denny told me at the beginning of this deal that if something isn’t right, don’t hesitate to go to him no matter the circumstances,” Wallace said. “I’ll make sure to have that lifeline in my back pocket if things aren’t necessarily going to plan for whatever reason. But I don’t expect that to happen. I think we have the right people in the right place to make our program a success from the front office to our guys in the shop, then our road crew to our pit crew.”

Wallace doesn’t expect to hop in his new car and immediately knock out wins. From prior experience, he knows better than to put that kind of pressure on himself – he did drive for Richard Petty, “The King” after all. Instead, Wallace is going to go out there and simply race the best he can in each event, starting with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 14 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM).

Though, it is worth noting the closest Wallace has ever come to taking a checkered flag was at Daytona International Speedway. He was .26 seconds short of winning the 2018 season opener. Hamlin, who won the next two Daytona 500s back to back, was behind him in third, proving the two really will battle for position on track.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity,” Wallace said. “I don’t know if I’ve said it enough. This is what I’ve been wanting for so long: to go out and try to prove a point.

“Hey, I belong.”

Posted on by NASCAR Official Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Eight talented young drivers from various backgrounds were selected to the newest class of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, NASCAR and Rev Racing announced Wednesday.

The 2021 roster for the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program includes returning veterans, a rising iRacer, two FB y BOHN Mikel’s Trucks drivers and the 2020 World Series Dirt Nationals champion.

Nick Sanchez, Rajah Caruth, Isabella Robusto, Lavar Scott and Regina Sirvent are Rev Racing veterans returning to the program in 2021. This season will mark the first year of NASCAR Drive for Diversity participation for drivers Justin Campbell, Andres Perez de Lara and Jaiden Reyna.

RELATED: Full 2021 Drive for Diversity driver lineup in photos

Sanchez will race full-time in the ARCA Menards Series after a successful rookie season in the ARCA Menards Series East. Caruth, a prominent iRacer who made his transition to the race track in 2019, is advancing to compete in the ARCA Menards Series East while also continuing to race in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series in 2021.

Scott and Sirvent are advancing to join Caruth in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series after racing Legend cars in the 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program for Rev Racing. Robusto will also compete in the Late Model division. Newcomers Campbell, Perez de Lara and Reyna will race U.S. Legend cars.

“We are thrilled to welcome these accomplished drivers to our successful development program,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR Director, Racing Operations and Event Management. “We’re enthusiastic about their future and look forward to working with each driver as they advance their racing careers.”

Traditionally, drivers are selected after participating in a two-day NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Combine sponsored by Honda Generators that includes on-track assessments. The 2020 combine was canceled due to the impact of COVID-19, so candidates were evaluated based on applications, references, historical success and previous on-track performance by a panel comprised of NASCAR industry members. To apply, interested drivers submitted a racing resume and video highlights to NASCAR and Rev Racing.

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program was created in 2004 to develop and train ethnically diverse and female drivers both on and off the track. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez and Kyle Larson are alumni of this program, which is operated by Rev Racing in Concord, N.C.

“We could not be more pleased with the 2021 class selection,” said Max Siegel, Rev Racing Owner. “Each year the competition in the sport continues to rise and so does the talent of our applicant pool. We feel very confident in our ability to be competitive and look forward to a successful season.”

Wallace debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2018 and finished second in the Daytona 500 that season. He also has six wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he became the first African American driver since Hall of Famer Wendell Scott to win a NASCAR race. This season, Wallace will make his debut with the 23XI Racing team owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.

Suárez won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2016 and became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series championship. This season Suárez will debut with Trackhouse Racing, a team co-owned by music icon Pitbull. Kyle Larson is a six-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner and has qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs four times. This month at Daytona International Speedway, Larson will begin his first season driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

The 2021 class features the following drivers:

  • Nick Sanchez – ARCA Menards Series: The 19-year-old driver from Miami, Fla., had a fourth-place finish during his ARCA Menards debut in 2020. He finished third in the 2020 ARCA Menards Series East point standings with two top fives and three top 10s.Driver Nick
  • Rajah Caruth – ARCA Menards Series East and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series: The 18-year-old driver returns to Rev Racing and will compete in the ARCA Menards Series East. The Washington, D.C., native won once at Greenville Pickens Speedway in a Late Model stock car in 2020. Caruth also finished sixth in points at the Charlotte Summer Shootout racing in the Semi-Pro Division.Driver Rajah
  • Isabella Robusto – NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series: The Fort Mill, S.C., native, 16, returns to Rev Racing after finishing third at Hickory Motor Speedway in 2020. She also won the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Young Racer Award for the second time.Driver Isabella
  • Lavar Scott – NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series: Scott secured two podium finishes at the 1/5 Mile Trophy Dash at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a Legend car and won back-to-back races in a 600 Micro Sprint. The 17-year-old from Carney’s Pointe, N.J., also won the World Series Dirt Nationals.Driver Lavar
  • Regina Sirvent – NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series: The State of Mexico, Mexico native competed in the FB y BOHN Mikel’s Truck Mexico Series, winning twice. The 17-year-old driver had a third-place finish at the Charlotte Summer Shootout with three top fives and five top 10s.
    Driver Regina
  • Justin Campbell – U.S. Legend Car: The 15-year-old from Griffin, Ga., earned a top-10 finish in the standings at the 2020 Thursday Thunder Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In 2018, he competed in a Bandolero with two top-10 finishes and a win.Driver Justin
  • Andres Perez de Lara – U.S. Legend Car: The Mexico City, Mexico native competed in Formula 4 and won four races. The 15-year-old driver also competed in the FB y BOHN Mikel’s Truck México Series and had one win. Perez De Lara was 2020’s youngest winner in Latin American Formula 4.Driver Andres
  • Jaiden Reyna – U.S. Legend Car: Reyna earned two first place finishes at Lincoln Speedway in the Young Lion Division. The 14-year-old from Cornelius, N.C., also had ten firsts, one second and one third-place finish at the 2020 Charlotte Summer Shootout in the Young Lion Division.Driver Jaiden