Posted on by Staff Report

It was a race that perfectly encapsulated what a unique and crazy season the 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour campaign truly was.

Eric Goodale got the win, Ryan Preece was left with nothing to show for a dominating performance, and Doug Coby checked off another top-10 performance en route to another championship.

Goodale used a lapped car to steal away the lead from Preece with three laps remaining in the NAPA Fall Final 150 on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. It wasn’t a lucky break – the Riverhead, New York, driver was the faster of the two and very may well have gotten around Preece anyway.

RESULTS: NAPA Fall Final 150 | 2017 Schedule & Results

Goodale started 18th after inspection issues in qualifying. He quickly charged to the front and the No. 58 GAF Roofing Chevrolet was in contention all day.

It marked Goodale’s third career win. His first came at his home track, Riverhead Raceway, on Long Island in 2014. His big breakthrough win came in 2016 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Goodale finished a career-best fifth in points in 2017, part of a six-year run where he’s finished eighth or better in the championship standings.

RACING-REFERENCE: Eric Goodale Career Stats

Preece was dominate all day, winning the pole and looking for a season sweep of the three events that season at Stafford. That he came up short was also fitting.

The then 27-year-old from Berlin, Connecticut, tied for the tour-lead with five wins. His average finish of 5.9 was marketably better than eventual champion Doug Coby (7.4).

But Preece missed a pair of races: The first was a makeup date for a rained out event at Virginia’s Langley Speedway that conflicted with his wedding. He erased that deficit and held the championship points lead with four races remaining. Then he missed the Fall race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to run the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway for Joe Gibbs Racing.

While Preece did not win at Kentucky, his performance in a limited slate (a win and four top fives in four starts) in the series helped lead to an expanded schedule in 2018 and eventually led to a full-time NASCAR Cup Series ride in 2019.

RACING-REFERENCE: Ryan Preece Career Stats

Preece’s performance, coupled with the substitution efforts of George Brunnhoelzl III (Langley) and Jon McKennedy (NHMS) helped give Ed Partridge the owner;s championship as the tour saw the first split title in its history.

Championship contenders Timmy Solomito (fifth) and Justin Bonsignore (sixth) both finished ahead of Coby. But Coby’s eighth-place run helped eventually seal his fourth straight title. While Coby won just once in 2017, he had 10 top fives and 11 top 10s to carry him to the crown.

RACING-REFERENCE: 2017 Championship Standings

It was the second time Coby won the championship with just a solo victory. His other four titles (2012, 2015-16 and 2019) have all come in years where he’s won four or more races – accounting for a quarter of the wins in those given years.

RACING-REFERENCE: Doug Coby Career Stats | Timmy Solomito Career Stats | Justin Bonsignore Career Stats

Rowan Pennink entered the penultimate race as one of the six drivers in the championship hunt, but an early accident left him ultimately finishing 23rd and knocking him out of contention.

Solomito would go on to win the Sunoco World Series 150 two weeks later, leading to a unique triple Victory Lane: one for the race winner, one for the owners championship and the final one for the driver championship.

Posted on by Staff Report

Chip Ganassi Racing officials announced Tuesday that the organization has parted ways with NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson after Larson’s use of a racial slur on a live stream during an iRacing event April 12.

Chip Ganassi Racing had initially announced a suspension without pay for Larson on Monday before deciding to sever its ties with the driver, who has been with the team since 2013. That Monday announcement was swiftly followed by Larson’s indefinite suspension from NASCAR.

“After much consideration, Chip Ganassi Racing has determined that it will end its relationship with driver Kyle Larson,” read the organization’s statement. “As we said before, the comments that Kyle made were both offensive and unacceptable especially given the values of our organization. As we continued to evaluate the situation with all the relevant parties, it became obvious that this was the only appropriate course of action to take.”

The sanctioning body issued a behavioral penalty April 13, citing Sections 12.1 (General Procedures) and 12.8 (NASCAR Member Conduct Guidelines) of the official Rule Book. Larson must also attend sensitivity training as directed by NASCAR should he wish to be reinstated.

Earlier Monday afternoon, Larson posted a video on his social media handles, apologizing for his actions.

The full text of Larson’s statement: “Hey, I just want to say I’m sorry. Last night I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said. There’s no excuse for that. I wasn’t raised that way. It’s just an awful thing to say. I feel very sorry for my family, my friends, my partners, the NASCAR community and especially the African-American community. I understand the damage is probably unrepairable, and I own up to that. But I just want to let you all know how sorry I am, and I hope everybody is staying safe during these crazy times. Thank you.”

Larson has earned six victories, 56 top fives, 101 top 10s and eight Busch Pole Awards in his NASCAR Cup Series career. All but four of his 223 Cup Series starts have come in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Larson registered one top-five finish and three top 10s in four starts this year before the COVID-19 pandemic placed the NASCAR season on hold. His contract with Ganassi was set to expire at the end of the year, making him a free agent.

Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

It’s one of the best finishes at Richmond Raceway in recent memory. Carl Edwards puts the perfect amount of pressure on Kyle Busch’s back bumper in Turns 3 and 4 on the final lap of the 2016 Toyota Owners 400. Kyle shoots up the track, and Carl was able to power by and make off with the checkered flag and the bigger check. 

This battle was an intense one for the final 10 laps of the race. Edwards steadily chipped away at Busch’s lead and on the final lap tried to make a move in the first two turns. Edwards dove inside of Busch but couldn’t make it stick. Option two in the final set of corners was clear: Use the bumper.

RELATED: Full race results | Classic Race Replays | Every Edwards win in the NASCAR Cup Series

Edwards executed a textbook example of moving a guy without wrecking him, timing it perfectly as well. See, when you move a guy in the final set of corners, he’s got no shot at catching you and paying you back — well, at least not until the next week.

The added layer of intrigue to this incident? Busch and Edwards were Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. That sort of last-lap incident makes for an interesting set of meetings the following week even as JGR scored a 1-2 finish.

In the end, it was Edwards who thrilled the crowd with the last-lap move and his signature backflip as he went on to win the 27th NASCAR Cup Series race of his career — the second to last win of his Cup tenure (it was also his second straight win as he won at Bristol the year before).

Last week, Edwards was one of 10 named to the Modern Era Ballot as part of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021 nominees that will be voted on later this year. 

Relive every lap of the 2016 Toyota Owners 400 in today’s NASCAR Classic Race Replay.

Posted on by Staff Report

Two races remained in the 2017 season when the NASCAR Whelen Modifeid Tour arrived at Stafford Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 1 for the NAPA Fall Final 150.

It was shaping up to be one of the closest championships in the history of the tour.

Six drivers arrived at Stafford within 35 points of the leader, Doug Coby.

RACING-REFERENCE: 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results 

Coming off his third straight Whelen Modified title, the Milford, Connecticut, driver led Justin Bonsignore by 11 points and Timmy Solomito by 14. Rowan Pennink and Ryan Preece, each SK Modified champions at Stafford, were 17 and 26 points back, respectively. Long Island’s Eric Goodale was sixth, 35 out of the lead, but still in the hunt with two races remaining.

The tour was coming off a race at New Hampshire that was won by Bobby Santos III and featured a shakeup in the standings.

Pennink finished second, Bonsignore fifth and Goodale sixth, while Coby wound up 14th. He was still able to take the points lead from Preece, though, as the Berlin, Connecticut, driver missed his second race of the season.

Preece missed the New Hampshire event to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway the same same. Jon McKennedy piloted the No. 6 T.S. Haulers Chevrolet to an 11th-place finish at New Hampshire, to keep car owner Ed Partridge in the hunt for the tour’s owners championship. In May, Preece missed the rescheduled race at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia, when the makeup date conflicted with his wedding.

He arrived at Stafford looking for as season sweep of the historic half-mile, having already won the Spring Sizzler in April and the August race. He also had picked up wins at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and New York’s Oswego Speedway. Meanwhile, Solomito had won four times, Pennink went to Victory Lane in April’s Icebreaker at Thompson, and Coby extended his streak of seasons with at least one win with a victory at Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway.

The only contender without a win heading into the race? Goodale, who had picked up his second career victory in 2016 with a breakthrough performance at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyle Larson has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR following his use of a racial slur on a live stream during an iRacing event Sunday night.

UPDATE: Ganassi parts ways with Larson

The behavioral penalty NASCAR issued Monday cited Sections 12.1 (General Procedures) and 12.8 (NASCAR Member Conduct Guidelines) of the official Rule Book. Larson must also attend sensitivity training as directed by NASCAR.

“NASCAR has made diversity and inclusion a priority and will not tolerate the type of language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday’s iRacing event,” a NASCAR statement read. “Our Member Conduct Guidelines are clear in this regard, and we will enforce these guidelines to maintain an inclusive environment for our entire industry and fan base.”

Larson later posted a video on his social media handles, apologizing for his actions.

The full text: “Hey, I just want to say I’m sorry. Last night I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said. There’s no excuse for that. I wasn’t raised that way. It’s just an awful thing to say. I feel very sorry for my family, my friends, my partners, the NASCAR community and especially the African-American community. I understand the damage is probably unrepairable, and I own up to that. But I just want to let you all know how sorry I am, and I hope everybody is staying safe during these crazy times. Thank you.”

Earlier Monday, Chip Ganassi Racing officials said in a statement that Larson had been suspended without pay.

“We are extremely disappointed by what Kyle said last night during an iRacing Event,” a statement from Chip Ganassi Racing read. “The words that he chose to use are offensive and unacceptable. As of this moment we are suspending Kyle without pay while we work through this situation with all appropriate parties.”

iRacing also released a statement and it read that Larson was suspended indefinitely from the iRacing service.

Section 12.8.1.e in the NASCAR Rule Book states:

“Member actions that could result in a fine and/or indefinite suspension, or termination:

  • Public statement and/or communication that criticizes, ridicules, or otherwise disparages another person based upon that person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, or handicapping condition.”
Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

Harry Gant has a few nicknames in and around the NASCAR garage. “Handsome Harry” is one, and another is “Mr. September.”

The latter was earned in the fall of 1991 when the then 51-year-old drove his No. 33 Skoal Bandit Oldsmobile to four straight wins in the NASCAR Cup Series. Gant kicked things off with a victory on Sept. 1 at Darlington Raceway. He then won at Richmond Raceway, Dover International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.

RELATED: Full race results | Classic Race Replays | Where have you gone ‘Mr. September?’

Up until the race at Richmond, Gant had never won back-to-back races in his career. Gant led only 27 laps that day, but he led for the final 19 circuits after passing Davey Allison on Lap 382. Allison led a race-high 150 laps but finished second with Rusty Wallace, who led 124 laps, coming in third at the .75-mile track.

Last week, NASCAR named Gant as one of 10 nominees on the Modern Era Ballot for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Today at noon ET, relive part of Gant’s amazing run in this Classic Full Race Replay of the 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 400 from Richmond.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get TrackPass for free | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, April 13
7:30 a.m., eNASCAR iRacing Pro Series Invitational at Homestead-Miami Speedway (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7:30 p.m., eNASCAR iRacing Pro Series Invitational at Texas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
9 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2007 Daytona 500, FS2/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, April 14
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, April 15
4 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., Wednesday Night iRacing, FS1/FOX Sports App
8 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1988 Checker 500 from Phoenix Raceway, FS1/FOX Sports App
11 p.m., Wednesday Night iRacing (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

Thursday, April 16
4:30 a.m., Wednesday Night iRacing (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
Noon, Wednesday Night iRacing (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
1 p.m., eNASCAR iRacing Pro Series Invitational at Texas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2007 Daytona 500, FS2/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Saturday, April 18
7:30 a.m., 1998 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
10 a.m., 1985 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, FS1/FOX Sports App
Noon, NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2009 spring Talladega race, FOX*/FOX Sports App (*Check your local listings.)

Sunday, April 19
6 a.m., eNASCAR iRacing Pro Series Invitational at Homestead-Miami Speedway (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
8 a.m., Refuse to Lose: Jeff Gordon and the 1997 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
10 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2004 Rockingham race (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
Noon, Wednesday Night iRacing (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
1 p.m., eNASCAR iRacing Pro Series Invitational at Richmond Raceway, FOX*, FS1 simulcast/FOX Sports App (*Check your local listings.)
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1998 Daytona 500 (re-air), FOX
4 p.m., Wednesday Night iRacing (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2004 Rockingham race, FS2/FOX Sports App
8 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1988 Phoenix race, FS2/FOX Sports App
11:30 p.m., Wednesday Night iRacing (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
1 p.m., 2008 Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third in the Chevrolet 275 for the IndyCar iRacing Challenge at virtual Michigan International Speedway on Saturday afternoon — his first competitive open-wheel simulation event.

Earnhardt finished behind race winner and 2019 Indianapolis 500 champion Simon Pagenaud and second-place finisher Scott McLaughlin. Will Power and Graham Rahal completed the top five.

The two-time Daytona 500 champion Earnhardt started 18th in the No. 3 Chevrolet for the 85-lap event, dodging a crash at the start of the race involving multiple cars and methodically working his way to the front of the field.

Pagenaud took the lead with four laps remaining when Zach Veach ran out of the fuel, allowing Earnhardt to advance a position to make the podium.

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2020 race season started as well as the Jacks brothers could have imagined.

When The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway opened the season on March 7, the elder Jacks brother, Sam, won the NASCAR modifieds race, his first time racing a modified at the NASCAR sanctioned 0.375-mile asphalt oval track he‘s called home for nearly a decade.

Younger brother Kyle Jacks picked up two victories of his own in the track‘s NASCAR Bombers and Super Stocks races. It was his first time racing two different cars on the same night.

Both Jacks brothers now hope that early season momentum carries over, whenever the next race may be.

The Bullring shut down the season through the end of April, at least, due to coronavirus concerns. While they would of course love to be racing, Sam said the break has at least been a bit helpful for him as the Jacks family works to get his car ready for 2020. Sam drove another owners car in the season opener.

“This is giving us a lot of time to get our new car straightened out and make sure we‘re not having to rush it and get it put together,” The 20-year-old Sam said. “We had a lot of time to get everything ironed out and kind of get it back where we want to get it all cleaned up.

“It‘s a rough time for everybody, nobody is really happy about it, but there‘s a silver lining in everything.”

Sam is coming off of a 2019 track championship in the super stocks division at The Bullring. He likely would have stayed in that car had a family friend, Bill Paddock of Battle Born Racing, not called him up a few days after Christmas and offered to let Sam drive his modified. The elder Jacks said driving another modified a couple of times went off without a hitch, which is why he‘s excited to get into his own once the season starts back.

“It‘s been a really, really cool opportunity to get to race this year with Bill,” Sam said. “He really stepped up this year. He‘s always been at the track. He‘s known our family a long time but he‘s been there making sure we were ready to go.”

RELATED: The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway | LVMS Short Tracks on Facebook

Kyle, who just turned 19 a few weeks ago, has also been spending the extra time fine tuning both of his cars. He‘ll need both to be in top shape after night one‘s success helped him make the decision to try to run both for a championship this year for the first time.

“I was waiting to see how the first race went but it appeared to have gone pretty well so I‘m going to definitely try for both this year,” he said. “They‘re two different animals, I‘ll say that. It‘s twice the racing I normally do so it definitely kicked me in the butt after that night.

“I was pretty tired, but it was definitely worth the input of energy.”

Kyle Jacks

The Jacks brothers began racing at virtually the same time about 10 years ago. Their grandfather, Wayne Jacks, raced in the former NASCAR Winston West Series, and their dad, Ronald Jacks, ran late models and street stocks. When the two youngest Jacks brothers were about 10 and 11 Wayne took them to a street stocks race at LVMS, and told them if they wanted to give it a try the family could make that happen.

“We were like, ‘Yea, that‘d be awesome,‘” Sam said. “So it was right after that we went and picked up the first two cars and started working on them.”

“I‘ve always been a fan since I was a little kid,” Kyle said. “Between my dad and my grandpa — I kind of wanted to follow in their footsteps. I thought it was something really cool, something I wanted to go after.”

Since then, the two have worked together with their dad and grandfather and turned racing into a family event. The brothers have never really raced against one another, which helps build the camaraderie.

“It‘s definitely a big part of our family,” Kyle said. “It wouldn‘t be the same if my family wasn‘t there. They‘re the ones that make it so good for me.”

For as long as the Jacks brothers have been racing, they‘ve been racing at The Bullring, and both have found a ton of success there. Sam has won three season championships total, and holds track records for best lap time and best speed in both Super Stocks and 602 Modifieds.

Kyle holds track records for both lap time and best speed in the Bombers division, and won the season title in the Bandoleros Outlaws in 2015. He has 19 career wins.

Both brothers are hoping to add to their Bullring accolades this season. Sam currently has 26 career wins at the track, tied for 10th all-time. Who is he tied with? Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.

“He (Busch) came out and ran the super late model open comp the first of the season when NASCAR came to town and he bumped himself up one above me on the wins list so it‘s my goal to get back above him or at least tied with him,” Sam said. “For him, he probably doesn‘t care, but that‘s just something for me personally, something I want to do.”

Beyond picking up wins and climbing the all-time victories list at The Bullring, Sam is just hoping to remain competitive and near the top of the standings in his first season in a modified.

Kyle, of course, is hoping himself to finish 2020 with two titles.

“I think that‘d be really, really neat,” he said. “It‘s definitely something else feeling like you‘re on top. There isn‘t a better feeling I don‘t think so to do it twice, that would be unreal for me.”

No matter what happens on the track, the Jacks brother will be there for each other for all of it.

“He always gives me advice,” Kyle said of his brother. “He gives me some help and I try to give him help when I can. We definitely try to feed stuff off of each other all the time.”

“It‘s always made it better because half the fun of going out to the speedway and racing the cars is being around people you like to be around,” Sam said. “If you can have fun while you‘re working on stuff and be around people you like it makes things way better.”

Sam Jacks

Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

Door-to-door finishes are why we watch races. It’s why we go. If you happened to be in the crowd or tuned into the 1990 Valleydale Meats 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (then-called Bristol International Speedway), you got your money’s worth.

The 500-lap race came down to the final 10-lap stretch with Mark Martin in the No. 6 Folgers Ford stalking the back bumper of Davey Allison’s No. 28 Texaco/Havoline Ford.

RELATED: Race results | Davey Allison through the years | Other Classic Races

This race was a dogfight between the two future Hall of Fame drivers right up to the final lap. On the last circuit, Sterling Marlin got turned while running third, setting up a dash to the finish between Martin and Allison. Allison kept his car high, Martin went low and by the width of a bumper, Allison took the win — the seventh of his 19 career wins.

Other notables in this classic race were Darrell Waltrip, who led the most laps in the No. 17 Time Chevrolet fielded by Rick Hendrick. Others that led in the race were Marlin, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett, Ernie Irvan, Bobby Hillin Jr. and Geoffrey Bodine.

April 8, 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of this Classic NASCAR finish and you can enjoy every lap of this race in this NASCAR Classic Full Race Replay.