Posted on by Press Release

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Oct. 22, 2020) – Comcast announced Thursday the finalists for the 2020 Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award, an annual award created to recognize the philanthropic efforts of individuals within the NASCAR industry.

The 2020 finalists are:

• Bubba Wallace, NASCAR Cup Series driver at Richard Petty Motorsports, Live To Be Different Foundation

• Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway President, Campbell Family Foundation

• Matt Kaulig, Owner of Kaulig Racing, Kaulig Charitable Giving Programs

This year’s finalists took on increased leadership roles in their respective communities during an unpredictable 2020. Whether taking a stand for social justice, addressing the digital divide that affects low-income households or unselfishly lending a helping hand to neighbors in need, these NASCAR industry members continued their commitment to create positive change in 2020, while also enriching the quality of life for those around them.

“This year, more than ever, it’s important to shine a spotlight on how these remarkable individuals within the sport of NASCAR are using their platforms to make a positive impact on so many lives around them,” said Matt Lederer, Vice President of Brand Partnerships and Activation at Comcast. “Our 2020 finalists embody the spirit of one of Comcast’s core values, community impact, by working tirelessly to make a long term, lasting change in the community.”

Since 2015, when its Xfinity brand entered the sport as entitlement partner of the NASCAR Xfinity Series and now Premier Partner of the NASCAR Cup Series, Comcast has donated more than a half million dollars to 18 different NASCAR-affiliated organizations to honor their efforts and to help further the impact of their worthy causes. Fans can visit ComcastCommunityChampion.com to learn more about past and present finalists and their acts of selflessness.

“From the beginning of our partnership with NASCAR, we wanted to find a way to tell these amazing stories and in the sixth year of this prestigious program, we were overwhelmed with an array of inspirational individuals that make us proud to a leader in the sport,” Lederer added. “We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their incredible efforts, especially in a challenging season like 2020.”

The 2020 Comcast Community Champion of the Year will be selected by a panel comprised of Comcast and NASCAR executives, as well as Dover International Speedway President, Mike Tatoian, who received the award in 2019 for his work with USO Delaware.

Comcast will award $60,000 to the champion’s affiliated charity, and $30,000 to each of the two remaining finalists’ selected charities. The 2020 Comcast Community Champion will be announced in conjunction with NASCAR Championship Weekend next month in Phoenix.

“The NASCAR community is blessed to have an abundance of men and women that are not only dedicated to our industry but just as importantly dedicated to making a significant impact in the lives of others,” said Tatoian. “The amazing generosity and support that Comcast continues to commit to this award showcases the company’s commitment to make a difference in our communities. USO Delaware is a better organization today because of the recognition that we received as the 2019 Comcast Community Champion of the Year.”

Comcast has a long track record of community service, aiding in the advancement of local organizations, developing programs & partnerships, mobilizing resources to connect people and inspiring positive and substantive change. To learn more about these efforts, click here.

2020 Comcast Community Champion of the Year finalists

Bubba Wallace (Concord, N.C.) – The Live To Be Different Foundation, led by Bubba Wallace, was formed to lift up individuals seeking a means to fulfill their potential, no matter their race, gender, disabilities or socio-economic situation. Through a message of compassion, love and understanding, the Richard Petty Motorsports driver believes all barriers can be removed so that all dreams can be realized. Live To Be Different’s mission is to empower the next generation to strive and achieve anything they put their mind to, just as Wallace has done in his journey as an African-American race car driver and agent of change in his sport. In doing so, Live To Be Different supports disadvantaged individuals and those in need of a second chance with educational, social or other types of assistance needed to help make their dreams reality.

Clay Campbell (Martinsville, Va.) – As President of Martinsville Speedway since 1988, Clay Campbell leads the historic Virginia track that was founded by his grandfather H. Clay Earles. Born and raised in Martinsville, Campbell works to make Henry County a better place through educational opportunities, financial donations and his time. With the Campbell Family Foundation, he focuses on many areas, especially when it comes to local youth. This includes providing free physical, dental and eye exams to those in need as well as equipment and scholarships at local high schools and colleges. He was also instrumental in making the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school and supports the Grace Network through a Christmas Toy Drive that has impacted over 10,000 area children with gifts to unwrap on Christmas morning. He is also involved with the Grace Network and Henry County’s Food Bank, particularly in the summer months when the organization is at their most critical need. The track also hosts an annual free Independence Day Celebration with Campbell covering the cost for carnival rides for all children. In addition, Campbell serves as President of the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, President of the Martinsville YMCA Board of Directors, President of the Chamber Partnership for Economic Growth, Trustee at Ferrum College and is on the Board of Directors at the Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and the Blue Ridge Airport Authority Board.

Matt Kaulig (Hudson, Ohio) – Matt Kaulig’s philosophy on giving time, talent and treasure to Akron Children’s Hospital and the greater Cleveland community is truly what makes him embody the characteristics of a philanthropist. At Akron Children’s, he not only supports caring for and healing children, but is interested in finding solutions for childhood ailments, providing comfort and safety for children and families in need, as well as nurturing the hopes, dreams and potential of children. Matt, and his wife, Lisa, are focused on the healing power of giving, as they know how scary it is for parents to be told their newborn baby has a problem that needs special intensive care treatment to survive. In 2018, they founded Kaulig Charitable Giving Programs to focus on the well-being of children and families through direct giving and community involvement. This includes connecting with Cleveland Metropolitan School District, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland and Breakthrough schools to address the digital divide in Cleveland and provide necessary equipment such as Internet access, computers and tablets to low-income families as they navigate working from home and virtual school learning. Throughout the last decade, Kaulig has become an advocate and a motivator to children and families in need. It is his belief that “The best investment we can make is in a child.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

Michael Jordan’s venture into NASCAR with Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin has a name and a number — 23XI Racing and the No. 23 — for the 2021 season.

Jordan and Hamlin announced the details Thursday for the car that Bubba Wallace will drive next year. Other details, including manufacturer affiliation, are to be announced.

RELATED: All the Silly Season news | Jordan, Hamlin form partnership for 2021

As perhaps expected, the car number borrows the jersey number that Jordan wore as a six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls. The team name — pronounced “twenty-three eleven” — combines Jordan’s number with the car number that Hamlin has had throughout his Cup Series career.

“Michael and I have a shared vision for this team,” Hamlin said in a team release, “so it’s exciting to see it reflected in the team name and on the race car with the iconic number 23 that Michael made famous.”

The organization will make its on-track debut at Daytona Speedweeks in February 2021.

Posted on by Staff Report

Five drivers from five different states – from New England to the Rocky Mountains — have one thing in common Thursday afternoon.

They are NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National Champions.

David Greenslit of New Hampshire, claimed the Division II national title by just two points — one position on the race track. Utah’s Jon Quinton (Division III), Oklahoma’s Brady Walsh (Division IV) and Nebraska’s Chris Vannausdle (Division V) were also officially announced as national champions.

And 16-year-old Sam Butler of Indiana earned the UNOH Youth Achievement Award national title, as the top driver 16-and-under regardless of division. Butler also earned the Division I Josten’s Rookie of the Year Award on Tuesday, when Josh Berry was named the Division I national champion.

Division II | Division III | Division IV | Division V| UNOH Youth Achievement Award

All national standings are determined by the driver’s best 14 finishes from any sanctioned track in North America to determine the National Champion for Division II through V. Drivers receive two points for every NASCAR-licensed competitor they finish ahead of, up to 16 cars; and can receive two bonus points for winning from a starting position five through eight, and four points for winning from ninth or further back.

Due to the disruptions of the seasons at tracks across the United States and Canada, the final day to count points toward the championship was Sunday, Oct. 18.

The Division II title came down to the final weekend. And one position.

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Greenslit had already wrapped up the title at Claremont Motorsports Park in the track‘s R.E. Hinkley Street Stocks division, and won the Battle of the Belt Championship for the driver with the most points between four tracks in New Hampshire — Claremont, Monadnock, Lee USA, and Hudson Speedways.

He was second in points, six back of Jerod Weston, the O’Reilly Auto Parts B Modifieds champion at Adams County Speedway, a dirt track in Iowa. Willie Gammil, who races at at the dirt Salina Highbanks Speedway in Oklahoma, was 20 points behind Weston, and Adam Gray was 30 points back. Gray had already wrapped up the asphalt Late Model championship at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway – his third career title and first since 2014.

On Saturday, the 34-year-old Greenslit won the Street Stock Division race at Claremont’s Fall Challenge.

Making things more interesting, Weston made the 20-hour drive to Claremont, a third-mile apshalt oval, and Gray also landed a ride for the event. Gray finished sixth in the race, while Weston was 10th.

When the dust cleared, Greenslit finished with 402 points on the strength of 12 wins, 20 top fives and 23 top 10s in 23 races.

Gray wound up two points back in second, with six wins, 11 top fives and 13 top 10s in 15 starts, while Weston ended up third with six wins, 12 top fives and 13 top 10s in 13 starts.

RELATED: Slow Start Leads to the Best Career Season for David Greenslit

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Quinton earned his first career win at Idaho’s Magic Valley Speedway on July 3. The 35-year-old from Smithfield, Utah, went on to win five more times and take home the Denny’s Mini Stock championship at the quarter-mile semi-banked asphalt oval track in Twin Falls, Idaho.

He had 20 top fives in all 20 starts to win the national Division III title with 388 points, 18 better than Derek Debbis at Stafford.

Rodney Argo edged Bobby Ozman by virtue of a tiebreaker (more wins, 6-1) to take the third spot. Both Argo and Ozman race at California’s Irwindale Speedway.

RELATED: Magic Valley Speedway‘s Jon Quinton Shakes Off Struggles, Finds Himself Atop NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division III Standings

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Brady Walsh rode an eight-race win streak to his second straight S&J Plumbing Pure Stocks championship at Salina, a .375-mile high-banked clay oval.

The 22-year-old from Choteau, Oklahoma, finished with eight wins and top fives in all 15 of his starts to earn the national title by 42 poins over Jordon Shive, who also races at Salina. It’s the third time in the last five years that the Division III champion has come from Salina, after Nathan Campbell won in 2016 and ’18.

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Chris Vannausdle won the Brandon Towing and Recovery Compacts championship at Adams County and the Sport Compact Division title at Nebraska’s I-80 Speedway. Between the two dirt tracks, the 48-year-old from Villisca, Nebraska, had nine wins, 19 top fives and 19 top 10s in 21 starts to finish with 432 points.

Stafford’s Zachary Robinson (382) and Meg Fuller (372) finished second and third, respectively.

Chris’ son, Bryan Vannausdle, finished fourth in Division V.

RELATED: Father and Son Vannausdles Hope to Continue Celebrating Career Years at Adams County and I-80 Speedways

Sam Butler #81 after winning the 44th Annual Paramount Auto Group Bobby Isaac Memorial for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series at Hickory Motor Speedway in Newton, North Carolina on September 5, 2020. (Jacob Kupferman/NASCAR)

The youngest champion of the group, Butler has already a career-defining win on his resume.

In September, Butler out-ran Berry and a host of Late Model Stock Car stars to win the 44th Annual Bobby Isaac Memorial at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway.

Butler finished with three wins, 13 top fives and 17 top 10s at Hickory. He also made one start at South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach Speedway. He finished ninth in the Division I national rankings, the top rookie.

Butler collected 408 points to beat runner-up Daniel Silvestri and third-place Debbis. Silvestri had 382 points racing at Virginia’s Langley Speedway and Dominion Raceway, while Debbis had 370 points.

RELATED: Photo Gallery – 2020 Bobby Isaac Memorial

 

Posted on by Staff Report

It has been tough to tailgate at the track this year.

With attendance still limited at the race track due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and most NASCAR fans celebrating the rest of the season at home, Busch, the official beer of NASCAR and NASCAR Cup Series Premier Partner, is giving you the chance to bring the ultimate tailgate experience to your home.

You now have a chance to win a fully stocked, custom Pit Cart filled with all the things a fan would need for a successful championship weekend at home. The Pit Cart includes a LED 65-inch UHD Commercial TV with Essential Smart Function, JBL Pro SoundBar PSB-1, 126 Can Freestanding Beverage Refrigerator, LED accent lighting, NASCAR swag and more.

The Sweepstakes Period begins Wednesday (Oct. 21) at noon ET and ends Sunday (Oct. 25) at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.

There are two ways to enter:

— Twitter: During the Sweepstakes Period, tweet the hashtag #OfficialBeerSweepstakes.

— Twitter: During the Sweepstakes Period, look for Busch’s Sweepstakes Tweet inviting followers to enter for a chance to win a prize. Retweet and include the hashtag #OfficialBeerSweepstakes.

Note: The Sweepstakes, known formally as the “Busch Beer Ultimate Championship Tailgate,” is open only to legal residents of the United States and District of Columbia (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) who are 21 years of age or older at the time of entry.

You must be a registered user of Twitter and follow @BuschBeer on Twitter in order to enter the Sweepstakes via Twitter. Twitter registration is free and can be obtained by logging on to https://twitter.com and following the online instructions to open an account.

RELATED: Busch Beer wins NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award

One potential winner will be selected in a random drawing to be held on or about Oct. 26 from among all eligible entries received by Busch, whose decisions are final in all matters relating to this Sweepstakes. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period.

No purchase or payment of any kind necessary to enter for a chance to win.

Don’t miss NASCAR Championship Weekend, Nov. 6-8, where NASCAR will crown champions in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in the season finale.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Everything is bigger in Texas? Well, so are the stakes. The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs heats up as the series heads to Fort Worth for a crucial Round of 8 clash at Texas Motor Speedway.

Catch all the live action when the race resumes on Monday from the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at 10 a.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Full Texas schedule

TRACK DETAILS

Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval located in Fort Worth, Texas. The recently paved asphalt surface — also reconfigured in 2017 — boasts a 2,250-foot frontstretch and a 1,330-foot backstretch with 20 degrees of banking in Turn 1 and 2 and 24 degrees in Turns 3 and 4.

The Cup Series has laid rubber here since the 1997 season, when Jeff Burton outpaced Dale Jarrett and Bobby Labonte to take home the series’ first trophy from Texas.

The race will be the 40th NASCAR premier-series feature held at the track.

STAGE LENGTHS

Stage 1 will end at Lap 105, Stage 2 at Lap 210 and the final stage at Lap 334.

STARTING LINEUP

Series points leader Kevin Harvick wheels off at the head of the field this weekend, followed by Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman to complete the top five.

The lineup was determined using NASCAR’s competition-based formula, which is a total number based on the previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position.

RELATED: Starting lineup | Entry list | Playoff standings

RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to achieve a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Each Cup Series team will be allotted nine sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for the 501-mile race.

Increasing familiarity with tire setup is a benefit for teams heading into the weekend, as the same combination was used in September’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway last weekend. With the inability to practice and iron out wrinkles, looking back on previous races is each team’s best bet — even on the smoother Texas track.

“Since its repave a few years back, the smooth surface at Texas has provided a challenge in that it does not wear tires on its own,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “We have aligned several similar tracks that don’t naturally wear tires – Texas, Las Vegas and Kansas – and bring tread compounds that introduce some wear.  Like we said for Kansas last week, getting tires to wear is a good thing. Tires that wear will run cooler because they shed rubber over the course of a run and dissipate heat out through the tread.”

PLAYOFF STATS TO KNOW

— The last 28 Cup Series playoff races have been won by playoff-eligible drivers. The last playoff race won by a non-eligible driver was at Phoenix Raceway in 2017 when Matt Kenseth, previously eliminated in the Round of 12, earned the victory.

— After Kyle Busch’s elimination in the Round of 12, three of the four drivers from the 2019 Championship 4 remain in contention.

— Jimmie Johnson (four) and Kevin Harvick (three) have combined to win seven of the last eight playoff races at Texas. Harvick has won the last three.

— The eventual Cup Series champion has finished inside the top 10 in the Texas playoff race in five of the six years of the elimination era. But the winner of the race has never gone on to win the title under the current format.

Source: Racing Insights

INTERACTIVE COVERAGE

For a more interactive experience, head over to NASCAR.com or the NASCAR app to check out an enhanced Race Center, live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the customizable live leaderboard with Scanner, and the return of Drive (featuring in-car cameras).

Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the NASCAR Finish Line App.

2019 RACE WINNER

Kevin Harvick dominated last year’s race, leading 119 laps and securing a coveted place in the Championship 4 finale. Harvick has taken home the checkered flag in three consecutive fall races at Texas, dating back to 2017.

RELATED: Pre-Texas Power Rankings

ACTIVE TEXAS WINNERS

Jimmie Johnson (seven wins); Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch (three wins each); Matt Kenseth (two wins); Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon (one win each).

Posted on by Staff Report

Richard Petty Motorsports hired Erik Jones on Wednesday to replace Bubba Wallace in the No. 43 Chevrolet for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Jones, who signed a multiyear deal with RPM, makes the move from Joe Gibbs Racing, which informed him Aug. 6 he would not return to the No. 20 Toyota next season. The move brings Jones in line with the Chevrolet camp after a long tenure with Toyota, which first brought him to the NASCAR national series level in 2013. It also aligns him with NASCAR’s all-time wins leader and the car number he made famous.

“Yeah, it’s definitely iconic,” Jones said. “You look at the history of NASCAR and the 43, everybody knows who Richard Petty is if they’re a race fan. And even if they aren’t a race fan, a lot of people know who Richard Petty is. So, that’s really neat. Having the chance to get to spend some time with him the last couple of weeks has been pretty cool. I’d never really gotten the chance to talk too much with him and spend a lot of time with him, other than in passing. So, it’s just really cool to hear the old stories. I’m a really big fan of the history of the sport and to get to hear some of the stories first-hand is a pretty cool experience. It’s really neat to see how invested he is in the team, in the sport and the direction we’re going. I think that’s going to be a really good match.”

RELATED: Track all the Silly Season news | Erik Jones driver page

Jones is in his fourth full season of Cup Series competition. His upbringing through the NASCAR national series ranks came under the auspices of Toyota Racing Development after two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch recruited him from the Late Model ranks. That led to 18 national series wins, including the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series title in 2015.

Since Jones became a Cup Series regular in 2017, he has won twice, both times at historic tracks. His breakthrough victory came at Daytona International Speedway in July 2018, and he added a Southern 500 triumph last year at Darlington Raceway.

“Erik is an exceptionally talented driver, and we are excited to have him join our team,” said Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer at Richard Petty Motorsports. “At only 24 years old, Erik is part of NASCAR’s next generation of stars. He has won races at every level in NASCAR he has competed in — including in the NASCAR Cup Series. Erik is a proven winner and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to add more wins to his already impressive resume.”

This season, Jones remains winless after missing the cut-off for the 16-driver playoff picture. He had qualified for the postseason in each of the last two years.

Four days after Jones was notified about his impending departure, Joe Gibbs Racing hired Christopher Bell as his replacement in the No. 20 ride. Bell, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate in 2020, moves over from JGR affiliate Leavine Family Racing, which will close at season’s end.

Jones replaces Wallace, who announced Sept. 21 he will join a new team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and fellow NASCAR star Denny Hamlin in 2021. Wallace made his Cup Series debut in 2017 with Richard Petty Motorsports, driving as an interim replacement for the injured Aric Almirola, who had suffered a broken back in a crash that May at Kansas Speedway.

Crew chief Jerry Baxter will continue to lead the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team in 2021 with Jones. It will be a reunion of sorts for Baxter and Jones, who have their connection through Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Gander Trucks for three seasons.

“Yeah, it makes things simpler. I’m not going in blind by any means,” Jones says. “I know Jerry pretty well. I haven’t worked with him as a crew chief of my own, but when I was at KBM, he was obviously there and working at KBM on the other Trucks. I know Jerry and have met and talked to him quite a bit. I actually already talked to him a little bit the last week or so after we were getting really close on getting this deal signed. He’s really excited – I’m excited to work with Jerry.

“He’s been around for a long time in the sport – has a lot of knowledge, a lot of know-how and I think what he’s done at RPM has been pretty impressive too. I think it will be an easy transition. We get to skip kind of the awkward introduction stage and we can go right into working on the race cars and kind of what we’re going to look for in each other and the team to go out and be strong right off the bat at Daytona.”

Richard Petty Motorsports’ most recent win came in July 2014, when Almirola drove to victory at Daytona.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick won the Busch Pole Award for Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), host of the second Round of 8 race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

The lineup was determined using NASCAR’s competition-based formula, which is a total number based on the series’ previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position.

RELATED: Learn more about the new lineup formula | ADVANCING through the playoffs

Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford will share the front row with the No. 22 Team Penske Ford of Joey Logano, who rated second in the performance metric calculations. Logano earned the victory in last Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway to lock in a spot for the Championship 4, while Harvick finished second.

In the majority of national series events since NASCAR’s May return, starting lineups have been set by random draws. This structure, first introduced in early August, draws on performance from both individual races and season-long results, rather than leaving a range of starting spots up to chance.

See the full starting lineup for Sunday’s race below (P = playoff eligible):

Start Driver Car # Team
1 Kevin Harvick (P) 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
2 Joey Logano (P) 22 Team Penske
3 Brad Keselowski (P) 2 Team Penske
4 Chase Elliott (P) 9 Hendrick Motorsports
5 Alex Bowman (P) 88 Hendrick Motorsports
6 Martin Truex Jr. (P) 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
7 Denny Hamlin (P) 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
8 Kurt Busch (P) 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
9 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
10 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
11 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
12 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
13 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
14 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Wood Brothers Racing
15 Christopher Bell 95 Leavine Family Racing
16 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
17 Erik Jones 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
18 Bubba Wallace 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
19 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
20 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
21 Clint Bowyer 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
22 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
23 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
24 John Hunter Nemechek 38 Front Row Motorsports
25 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
26 Jimmie Johnson 48 Hendrick Motorsports
27 Ty Dillon 13 Germain Racing
28 Corey LaJoie 32 Go Fas Racing
29 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
30 Daniel Suarez 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing
31 Brennan Poole 15 Premium Motorsports
32 Matt Kenseth 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
33 JJ Yeley 27 Rick Ware Racing
34 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
35 Reed Sorenson 77 Spire Motorsports
36 Timmy Hill 66 MBM Motorsports
37 Josh Bilicki 7 Tommy Baldwin Racing
38 Garrett Smithley 53 Rick Ware Racing
39 Joey Gase 51 Petty Ware Racing
40 Chad Finchum 49 MBM Motorsports
Posted on by Terrin Waack

Sometimes childhood dreams do come true.

As a fellow Indiana native, Chase Briscoe grew up a Tony Stewart fan. Briscoe was 7 years old when Stewart won his first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2002 and 16 years old when he captured his third and final title in 2011. Briscoe watched Stewart make a name for himself as a driver with Joe Gibbs Racing and then continue that success with Stewart-Haas Racing as a driver and co-owner.

Stewart retired from full-time racing after the 2016 season. Three years later, he signed Briscoe to a full-time gig in the Xfinity Series. This week, Stewart announced Briscoe is being promoted to the Cup Series. Better yet, Briscoe will take over Stewart’s old ride: the No. 14 entry.

“It is unbelievable,” Briscoe said. “It still doesn’t really feel real.”

RELATED: Stewart-Haas Racing promotes Chase Briscoe for 2021

Well, it is. Stewart-Haas Racing officially announced the 2021 deal Tuesday morning.

“I wish I could go tell 7-year-old Chase who was wearing his Tony Stewart stuff and playing sprint car video games and NASCAR video games that he was eventually going to get to drive his car,” Briscoe said. “It definitely is crazy to look back on and think about all those things.”

It’s even crazier when the Stewart-Briscoe similarities are laid out.

For starters, there’s the obvious Indiana tie. Stewart is from Columbus, Indiana, while Briscoe is from Mitchell, Indiana. The towns are about 60 miles apart.

But then there’s also the shared racing resume. Both started out as dirt racers, gaining most of their experience on that track type before taking on NASCAR’s paved ovals. Stewart thinks Briscoe’s dirt background will help him significantly as he transitions into the Cup Series.

“Obviously drivers that drive on dirt are used to the back of the car being free and swinging around and wheel spin and everything else,” Stewart said. “But as NASCAR keeps taking horsepower away from these cars, having the cars freed up is a very big piece of the equation to make sure that you’re keeping speeds. And drivers that can handle a loose race car and are comfortable with that feel I think ultimately are going to have an advantage.”

Sounding just like Stewart, Briscoe took the comparison one step further.

“I think just growing up and running on dirt makes you be versatile,” Briscoe said. “You have to constantly react and move around and search around the race track. These Cup races, with those being longer races, the track will constantly change and you have to be on top of that, so I think it will definitely help.”

RELATED: Keep up with the 2020-21 Silly Season movement

Until then, Briscoe is laser-focused on the 2020 Xfinity Series championship. He’s currently the only playoff driver locked into the Championship 4, as the Round of 8 continues Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). His win last week at Kansas Speedway guaranteed him a shot at the title come Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.

Briscoe has a career-best nine victories this season. That’s a large jump from just one in both 2018 and 2019.

“When he makes a mistake, he will spend more time reflecting on that mistake, unfortunately, than he does the rest of the good things that he does all day, but that’s kind of the way I was in my career, too,” Stewart said. “I felt minimizing mistakes was the key to winning races and championships, and that’s also the same mindset that Chase has as well. He’s very, very diligent about making sure he learns from everything that happens on the race track, and he’s got a pretty good memory bank to hold all of that knowledge in.”

It’s almost like quality over quantity, making the most of an experience rather than going for the most experienced.

Stewart only had 37 national series starts before he earned a Cup Series opportunity. In his first season (1999), Stewart won three races.

By the time the 2020 Xfinity Series season ends, Briscoe will have had 108 starts prior to his Cup Series debut – the 2021 Daytona 500.

“It is super humbling to think that the 14 car is going to be driven by me next year,” Briscoe said. “To me, there are only a few numbers in NASCAR that have a lot of significance and the 14 is certainly up there.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR issued fines Tuesday to three Cup Series teams and one Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series team for lug-nut infractions found after last weekend’s events at Kansas Speedway.

RELATED: Texas weekend schedule

Each team was cited for violations of Section 10.9.10.4 in the NASCAR Rule Book for each having one lug nut improperly secured in a post-race check. On the Cup Series side, that meant $10,000 fines for the crew chiefs of the following three teams after Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400:

  • No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (crew chief Rodney Childers)
  • No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (crew chief Adam Stevens)
  • No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (crew chief James Small)

In Gander Trucks, a $2,500 fine was handed down to crew chief Drew Blickensderfer after the No. 17 DGR-Crosley Ford was found with one unsecured lug nut. Hailie Deegan drove the entry to 16th place in her series debut in the Clean Harbors 200.