Mack Trucks haulers honor NASCAR Salutes campaign

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Staff Report

The 2020 NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola is more than just a military appreciation platform – it’s a campaign that salutes all who have gone above and beyond to keep their fellow members of society safe and healthy. During a global pandemic that impacted almost every aspect of our daily lives, they have been there for us – doctors, nurses, EMTs, first responders, etc. Now, it’s our turn to be there for them and to give recognition where it’s deserved the most.

In this edition of NASCAR Salutes Refreshing Moments, NASCAR.com is highlighting the specially wrapped haulers from Mack Trucks, the “Official Hauler of NASCAR.”

Tyler Strong | NASCAR Digital Media

As part of the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola campaign, Mack Trucks unveiled two customized truck-wrap designs for the duration of the season earlier this month that were chosen via a fan vote among four designs. This is the third consecutive year Mack has wrapped its trucks in support of NASCAR Salutes.

“We depend on the incredible efforts of our front-line heroes to help combat the coronavirus pandemic,” Mack Trucks vice president of marketing John Walsh said. “We at Mack are proud to show our support not only for those fighting the virus, but also for our Armed Forces as they work tirelessly to defend our country.”

“This year’s NASCAR Salutes platform is unique in that we’re recognizing all of those fighting to keep us safe – whether against COVID-19 or part of our U.S. Armed Forces,” said Jeff Wohlschlaeger, NASCAR’s vice president of partnership marketing.
“Our industry has tremendous respect for the responsibility in hosting events across the country during this unprecedented time, and as we travel to and from those races, Mack Trucks will help us recognize those selfless acts.”

Tyler Strong | NASCAR Digital Media

As the Official Hauler of NASCAR, Mack provides a fleet of custom-designed Mack Anthem 70-inch Stand-Up Sleeper models spec’d to meet the challenges of the NASCAR schedule traveling thousands of miles across the country to deliver critical technology and equipment that helps ensure a successful race weekend. Each NASCAR Mack Anthem features a 505-horsepower Mack MP8 engine and a Mack mDRIVE automated manual transmission. The Mack GuardDog Connect, an uptime solutions service that proactively monitors the truck to help prevent unplanned downtime events.

For the first time ever, NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola kicked off with the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as the platform shifts to a mid-summer window due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola, which runs through July 31, will see the NASCAR industry honor United States Armed Forces and frontline healthcare heroes as part of this year’s expanded program — an industry-wide opportunity to recognize and thank those who keep society safe and healthy.

Posted on July 31, 2020July 31, 2020 by Staff Report

We released the results from our midseason Driver Survey earlier Friday, and in no question was the gulf between first and second place wider than when we asked 19 NASCAR Cup Series drivers (anonymously) to vote for the best crew chief in the garage.

Rodney Childers, the standard-bearer at Stewart-Haas Racing, received 63% of the vote. Chris Gabehart, crew chief of the No. 11 Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin, was the only other crew chief to receive multiple votes and finished second with 16%.

Childers is one of the most tenured crew chiefs in the garage while Gabehart is one of the newest, especially in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. But Gabehart has found an undeniable chemistry with Hamlin, bringing a racer’s swagger to atop the pit box as the No. 11 team morphed into a championship contender following a winless 2018.

Much as we expect Hamlin and Kevin Harvick to battle for titles on the track throughout this year (and into the future), we likewise expect their crew chiefs, Gabehart and Childers, respectively, to match wits over that same stretch.

Below is a comparison in key stats since the 2019 Daytona 500, which was Gabehart’s first race as Hamlin’s crew chief — and which produced a victory. Of note: Childers and Gabehart rank 1-2 in each category among every crew chief, with the exception of top-10 finishes (Childers is first, Gabehart is third) and starts.

Key stats	Gabehart	Childers
Starts	51	55
Wins	11	8
Top 5s	27	27
Top 10s	33	42
Average finish	9.6	8.8

Posted on July 31, 2020July 31, 2020 by Staff Report

On Friday, we released results of our Driver Survey — 19 Cup Series drivers answered, anonymously, six questions we posed about NASCAR drivers and crew chiefs.

One name that may have stood out among the otherwise list of NASCAR Cup Series champions was Timmy Hill. He ranked fifth in our question asking “Which Cup Series driver (other than yourself) gets the best consistent performance from their equipment?”

Kevin Harvick — with a championship and 53 Cup Series wins — was the top vote-getter in that category, and at first, it may seem strange to see this particular pair of drivers together. We asked our friends at Racing Insights to give us a little data to work with, and the numbers show — no surprise — the drivers really know what they’re talking about.

We took a look at career starts among all current full-time Cup Series drivers and then measured the number of DNFs due to an accident/wreck compared to those starts. From there, we determined what percentage of a driver’s starts yielded a DNF – Accident.

No. 1, among all active full-time drivers? Timmy Hill.

Hill has 111 career starts and three DNFs – Accident, a sterling result of 2.7%. It’s the best in the series, and drivers have taken note of his ability to protect his equipment.

Perhaps equally as impressive is the second-place driver — Harvick himself. In a staggering 701 starts, Harvick has not finished due to a wreck just 22 times in his career. That percentage rate? 3.14%. That Harvick is consistently running toward the front and in position to be involved in incidents every race makes this even more impressive.

So yes, Hill and Harvick certainly know how to get the best out of — and take care of — their equipment.

The drivers know it. And the numbers prove it.

Posted on July 31, 2020August 1, 2020 by Staff Report

We asked. They answered.

The midway point of the NASCAR Cup Series season is a natural time for superlative pieces, analysis and projections. We wanted to do that again this year, but we also wanted to hear from those who have the most unique perspective to give their opinion — the drivers themselves.

Nineteen Cup Series drivers answered our six questions, ranging from “Who is the greatest NASCAR driver of all time?” to “At this point in the season, which driver (other than yourself) is your pick to win the 2020 Cup Series Championship?”

The results are in, and listed in full below.

Who is the greatest NASCAR driver of all time?

Jonathan Ferrey | NASCAR via Getty Images

1. Jimmie Johnson, 37%
2. Richard Petty, 31%
3. Dale Earnhardt, 16%
4. Kyle Busch, 11%
5. David Pearson, 5%

Note: The three drivers who have won seven championships at NASCAR’s top level comprised the top three spots, with Johnson’s peers voting him the greatest driver of all time in this exercise. Johnson edged “The King” by one vote, with Dale Earnhardt finishing third. It’s the ultimate sign of respect for Seven-Time, who is driving his last full-time Cup Series season this year. Perhaps the most intriguing result is Kyle Busch finishing fourth. “Rowdy” is the all-time career wins leader in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. He’s put up win totals across all three national series at a dizzying rate and will only grow them over the rest of his career.

Other than yourself, who is the best active NASCAR Cup Series driver?

Photo by Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

1. Kyle Busch, 42%
2. Kevin Harvick, 21%
t-3. Denny Hamlin, 16%
t-3. Jimmie Johnson, 16%
5. Joey Logano, 5%

Note: The younger Busch gets the nod here, despite having no Cup Series wins yet this season. That he’s still clearly No. 1 in the minds’ of drivers is a testament to his natural-born talent and the respect he’s won over years of competition. Busch, the 2019 series champion, remains the only multi-time series champion other than Jimmie Johnson currently driving a full-time schedule at NASCAR’s top level. Of the five drivers who received votes, Hamlin is the only one without a title.

Who is the best active NASCAR Cup Series crew chief?

Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

1. Rodney Childers, 63%
2. Chris Gabehart, 16%
t-3. Justin Alexander, 5%
t-3. Alan Gustafson, 5%
t-3. Chad Knaus, 5%
t-3. Paul Wolfe, 5%

Note: No question produced a wider gulf between first and second place. Childers and driver Kevin Harvick have undeniable chemistry, which has resulted in 30 wins and one championship since the start of the 2014 season. Harvick currently sits first place in the points standings and has four wins through 19 races, driving a fast car every single week. Gabehart is the newbie of the group, but his results are undeniable — 11 wins in 51 races since taking over as Denny Hamlin’s crew chief.

At this point in the season, which team (excluding your own) has been the best?

Rob Carr | Getty Images

1. Stewart-Haas Racing, 42%
2. Team Penske, 37%
3. Joe Gibbs Racing, 21%

Note: Stewart-Haas Racing clearly is led by Kevin Harvick, who tops the standings by nearly 100 points through 19 races. Beyond Harvick, though, the Stewart-Haas Fords have been fast across the board since the return from the COVID-19-forced pause. Cole Custer became the first Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender to win a race since 2016 when he was victorious at Kentucky, and Aric Almirola has rattled off eight consecutive top-10 finishes — including five consecutive top-five results.

Which Cup Series driver (other than yourself) gets the best consistent performance from their equipment?

Patrick Smith | Getty Images

1. Kevin Harvick, 47%
t-2. Chase Elliott, 16%
t-2. Denny Hamlin, 16%
4. Brad Keselowski, 11%
t-5. Kurt Busch, 5%
t-5. Timmy Hill, 5%

Note: That championship contender and series points leader Kevin Harvick wins here tells you that, while he has a fast race car every week, he knows how to get the most out of it — and he knows how to take care of. It’s the ultimate sign of a respected veteran. Speaking of veterans, this list is full of experienced drivers who seemingly put together top finishes every week. The inclusion of Timmy Hill, who drives for MBM Motorsports, is a nod of respect for his ability to push its car to its limits while still taking care of his equipment.

At this point in the season, which driver (other than yourself) is your pick to win the 2020 Cup Series Championship?

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

1. Denny Hamlin, 53%
2. Kevin Harvick, 47%

Note: It’s been the “Big Two” since we’ve returned to racing in May, and drivers have clearly taken notice. The up-front battles between Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick should last throughout the entirety of the NASCAR Playoffs — and ends, according to the drivers, with Hamlin taking home his first championship.

Posted on July 30, 2020August 12, 2020 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials announced Thursday afternoon several key competition components of the August race weekend at the Daytona Road Course, including the addition of a chicane off Turn 4 of the famed oval.

The chicane will add another tactical element to the intricate road course that will force drivers to be up on the wheel at all times for what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend of racing among four series.

“I think, more than anything, it’s going to add even more excitement for the fans than we were already expecting,” Daytona International Speedway president Chip Wile said. “It’s really, truly making it NASCAR-centric. Obviously we have our road course that’s been in existence since 1959. But now, we have something very unique that no driver has seen. It’s truly going to make that last lap so exciting. As they come off Turn 4, they’re going to make a hard left and then a hard right and a hard left back onto the race track. It’s going to be just an exciting piece to what is going to be a historic weekend here at the Daytona International Speedway.”

SHOP: Daytona Road Course gear

The ARCA Menards Series kicks off the historic race weekend on Friday, Aug. 14, at 5 p.m. ET. The NASCAR Xfinity Series follows on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, with the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (12 p.m. ET) and NASCAR Cup Series (3 p.m. ET) combining for a doubleheader on Sunday.

Also announced were stage lengths for each of the three national series and race distances on the 3.61-mile course, and the confirmation that the NASCAR Cup Series will run a high downforce rules package that targets 750 HP.

RELATED: More on historic weekend

Series	Stages	Laps	Distance (Miles)
Cup Series	15/30/65	65	234.65
Xfinity	15/30/52	52	187.72
Gander Trucks	12/25/44	44	158.85

“NASCAR and its OEMs ran several simulations to determine the course layout and engine/aero package for the inaugural NASCAR race on the Daytona International Speedway road course,” said John Probst, senior vice president of racing innovation. “Due to the predicted high speeds and loads on the braking system, NASCAR will add a chicane off oval Turn 4 at Daytona and move to a high downforce 750 hp aero/engine package for the NASCAR Cup Series race on Aug. 16. We believe this will combine vehicle performance and safety to provide the best possible road course race for our fans.”

The developed rules package for this event combines elements of both the 2020 rules packages currently in use. The high downforce aero package, which is also high in drag, will be combined with the 750 HP engine used at short tracks and road courses. This package is only scheduled to be used at the Daytona Road Course.

News of the first NASCAR national series races on Daytona’s road course was announced earlier in July. The addition to the Cup Series schedule serves as a race realigned from NASCAR’s annual visit to Watkins Glen International, as New York state health and safety regulations cannot allow for the previously scheduled NASCAR weekend to happen there at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These races will be held on the same road course as the Rolex 24 at Daytona, North America’s premier race for sports cars. Road-course racing has always been an anticipated, vital component of the makeup of the speedway, with the Rolex 24 first held in 1962 as a three-hour race called the Daytona Continental. The Daytona 200 for motorcycles was moved off the old Daytona Beach Road Course to the speedway in 1961, and the majority of today’s course is used for the Daytona 200.

In March, it was announced that the 2021 Busch Clash would move to the speedway’s road course and be held under the lights on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

Now, however, the August 14-16 weekend will be on the pole for the track’s first NASCAR road-course weekend.

Posted on July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 by Staff Report

The starting lineup for Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) has been set.

Aric Almirola will start from the pole position, while three-time New Hampshire winner Denny Hamlin will start alongside him on the the front row for the 301-lap, 318.46-mile race at the 1.058-mile track.

The lineup for the race was determined by a random draw, with NBC Sports announcing the results online. The parameters for the draw were as follows:

Positions 1-12 determined by a random draw from charter teams in those positions in team owner points
Positions 13-24: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
Positions 25-36: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
Positions 37-38: will be filled out by open, non-chartered teams in order of owner points

Here is a look at the full lineup:

Starting spot	Driver	Car #	Team
1	Aric Almirola	10	Stewart-Haas Racing
2	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing
3	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports
4	Brad Keselowski	2	Team Penske
5	Kyle Busch	18	Joe Gibbs Racing
6	Clint Bowyer	14	Stewart-Haas Racing
7	Kevin Harvick	4	Stewart-Haas Racing
8	Alex Bowman	88	Hendrick Motorsports
9	Joey Logano	22	Team Penske
10	Kurt Busch	1	Chip Ganassi Racing
11	Martin Truex Jr.	19	Joe Gibbs Racing
12	Ryan Blaney	12	Team Penske
13	Tyler Reddick	8	Richard Childress Racing
14	Cole Custer	41	Stewart-Haas Racing
15	Bubba Wallace	43	Richard Petty Motorsports
16	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports
17	Erik Jones	20	Joe Gibbs Racing
18	Michael McDowell	34	Front Row Motorsports
19	Matt DiBenedetto	21	Wood Brothers Racing
20	Jimmie Johnson	48	Hendrick Motorsports
21	Matt Kenseth	42	Chip Ganassi Racing
22	Ryan Newman	6	Roush Fenway Racing
23	Austin Dillon	3	Richard Childress Racing
24	Chris Buescher	37	Roush Fenway Racing
25	Ty Dillon	13	Germain Racing
26	James Davison	53	Rick Ware Racing
27	Garrett Smithley	77	Spire Motorsports
28	Joey Gase	51	Petty Ware Raicng
29	J.J. Yeley	27	Rick Ware Racing
30	Ryan Preece	37	JTG Daugherty Racing
31	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	47	JTG Daugherty Racing
32	Quin Houff	00	StarCom Racing
33	Corey LaJoie	32	Go Fas Racing
34	Brennan Poole	15	Premium Motorsports
35	Christopher Bell	95	Leavine Family Racing
36	John Hunter Nemechek	38	Front Row Motorsports
37	Daniel Suarez	96	Gaunt Brothers Racing
38	Timmy Hill	66	Motorsports Business Management

Posted on July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 by Staff Report

Seven-time championship-winning crew chief Chad Knaus is now a two-time dad as he and wife Brooke welcomed Vivienne Mae Knaus into the world on July 29.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDRmOrYpZSv/?igshid=1f0ijd462cj1d

The couple welcomed son Kipling in August of 2018. Knaus did not travel with the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team to last week’s race at Kansas Speedway, and instead, Keith Rodden served as the team’s crew chief for driver William Byron. Byron currently sits in the last provisional playoff spot as the last driver in on points with seven races left in the regular season.

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Staff Report

One year ago, Kevin Harvick held off a hard-charging Denny Hamlin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in a battle that saw the two beat and bang through the final lap to end a 21-race winless streak for the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

There’s every reason to believe that fans could be treated to the same thrilling finish again this year between the two in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Harvick and Hamlin have been the cream of the crop in the NASCAR Cup Series this season, combining to win nine races – a series-leading five for Hamlin and four for Harvick – out of the 19 contested thus far. Hamlin won the most recent race at Kansas, while Harvick last visited Victory Lane in Indianapolis at the beginning of July.

Following the Kansas win, Hamlin reflected on the rivalry that has developed with Harvick over the past 12 months.

“What you’ve seen from us in the last year with the 11 and the 4 is a lot of mutual respect,” Hamlin said. “We race each other with a lot of mutual respect because we know it won’t be the last time. We still have probably many years of battles ahead of us. We’ve been around the sport a long time. We butted heads early in my career. He’s certainly a guy that I personally would like to model myself after.”

The duo is pretty evenly matched at New Hampshire in nearly every way on paper – Harvick leads all active drivers in wins at New Hampshire with four while Hamlin has three. Harvick is tied with Matt Kenseth for series-most top fives among active drivers with 12 each; Hamlin is close behind them with 10. And Hamlin leads the series in runner-up finishes at New Hampshire with five second-place results; including last year. Harvick has finished second or third a total of three times at the “Magic Mile.”

But while the spotlight will surely be on the two drivers who have dominated the season thus far, New Hampshire also puts the pressure on the postseason push for drivers on the bubble. With only seven races to go before NASCAR’s Playoffs begins, 10 drivers are locked into the postseason on wins, leaving six spots up for grabs.

Clint Bowyer, Matt DiBenedetto and William Byron are currently hanging on to the final three slots based on points, but their lead is precarious and they can be knocked out if a driver outside of the current Playoff 16 wins in an upcoming week. And seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, driving in his final full-time season, is 18 points outside the Playoff picture.

Of those battling on the Playoff bubble or sitting on the outside looking in, Johnson, Kenseth and Ryan Newman lead the group with three wins each in Loudon. Bowyer has two wins at New Hampshire.

And although they are both in a secure position in the points, brothers Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch are still looking for their first win of the year and each have three wins at New Hampshire.

Or could we see a first-time series winner this weekend? It has happened before. New Hampshire is home to five first-time Cup winners; including Joey Logano’s first series career victory in the June 2009 race in his rookie year.

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Nascar

Meet Melissa, the August Member of the Month for the Official NASCAR Fan Council.

Name: Melissa
Current City: Riverside, California
Member Since: 2017

Getting to KNOW Melissa:

Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?

“I was invited to attend the race weekend at our local track and loved it! This was in 2001 and back then we had all three series at the track which was a very exciting! Since then my husband, my children and I have gone to every race at Auto Club Speedway.”

Q. What is your favorite part about NASCAR?

“There are many things I like about NASCAR! The competitiveness of the drivers and teams, different tracks each week with different strategies and the values the NASCAR community has for our country.”

Q. What is your favorite NASCAR memory?

“Oh wow can I share more than one? Michael McDowell is my son’s favorite driver. He took the time to meet with our family in 2014 at Sonoma. My son was only 10 and was the happiest kid on earth! Another favorite was driving my favorite driver, Kevin Harvick around the track during driver introductions in Fontana.”

Q. Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?

Driver: “Kevin Harvick, I love his drive and passion!”

Track: “Sonoma Raceway.”

OEM: “Ford.”

Raceday Traditions: “We watch the race every weekend as a family. We usually cook brunch and sit around watching the race on TV and listen to our favorite drivers on RaceView.”

Q. What are some of your hobbies?

“I like going to dinner with friends but most of the time just relaxing at home and watching movies with my family makes me happy.”

FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK MELISSA FOR HER CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HER IN 2020!

Look for Melissa on the Official NASCAR Fan Council page on NASCAR.COM.

Posted on July 29, 2020July 29, 2020 by Staff Report

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel upheld a behavioral penalty Wednesday that was originally issued July 14 to team owner Tony Clements, relative to the No. 51 NASCAR Xfinity Series team at Kentucky Speedway.

The penalty concerns the following sections in the 2020 NASCAR Rule Book: Sections 12.8.1.b Member Conduct Guidelines and 7.7.2.j Team Event Roster Guidelines. Clements, head of the family-owned No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing team, was fined $10,000 for what the official penalty report classified as “non-compliance with essential personnel/team event roster rules.”

Upon hearing the testimony, a three-person National Motorsports Appeals Panel ruled Clements violated the rules stated in the penalty notice and upheld the original penalty assessed by NASCAR.

Clements has the right to appeal the decision of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel to the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer, in accordance with Section 15 of the NASCAR Rule Book.

Wednesday’s panel consisted of the following three individuals:

— Mr. Tom DeLoach

— Mr. David Hall

— Ms. Kelly Housby