Posted on by Reid Spencer

AVONDALE, Ariz. – When Harrison Burton stepped up in class to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this year, there was talk the 19-year-old driver hadn’t earned the opportunity to drive some of the best equipment available at Joe Gibbs Racing.

After all, Burton had just spent a winless 2019 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season at Kyle Busch Motorsports, whose Toyotas are consistently among the best trucks in the garage.

PHOENIX: Full schedule | Paint schemes | At-track gallery

Burton heard the talk, and the chip on his shoulder to start the Xfinity season was about the size of a fire log.

“The biggest one in my career,” Burton said. “I’ve never gone a year where I didn’t win. I won last year, right, but in an ARCA car. I’ve never, I don’t think in my life – well yeah, in K&N my first season I didn’t win, but I won late model races, I won a lot that year. I won races that kind of made me still know I could do it and be confident in myself. At the time, that was probably the roughest year, but last year was probably the roughest I’ve had in my entire career.”

After finishing second in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway and fifth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Burton got a breakthrough victory last Saturday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, in his first start at the abrasive two-mile track.

PHOTOS: Father-son duos to win in Xfinity Series

“There’s a huge chip on your shoulder to come out and be better, win races and prove to yourself and others you can do it,” Burton said. “I always believed in myself that I could do it, but it’s hard to say that when you’ve not won yet. Getting that win… now it was only a season (last year), but it felt like forever for me. Getting that win definitely made me feel a lot better.”

The win in Fontana vaulted Burton into the series lead, and he’ll have a chance to extend his streak of top-five finishes in Saturday’s LS Tractor 200 at Phoenix Raceway (4 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Pat DeCola

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Christopher Bell just wants to finish a race – something he didn’t anticipate longing for nearly a month after the season started.

Three races into his inaugural NASCAR Cup Series season, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year favorite coming into the year is ranked 32nd in points, has completed just 542 of 676 laps run and has only had a functioning car at the end of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race – a 33rd-place finish that he crashed in the middle of.

RELATED: Memorable rookie classes | Weekend schedule

It’s worth a reminder this is the same Bell who has been a perennial national series title heavyweight the past few years, compiling 23 wins at the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series levels since 2015.

“(Acclimating to) married life has definitely been easier so far,” the recently-wed Bell said Friday at Phoenix Raceway, site of Sunday’s FanShield 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio). “The biggest thing is just getting to the end of the race. We see from all of the JGR cars, they’ve all been starting in the back and it takes them a while, but eventually they get up front. I haven’t even seen Stage 2 yet. I can’t speak to how we would run the second half of the race. Here we are at Race 4, hopefully I’ll be able to see the checkered flag.”

That’s a wild thing for a driver many pegged to win a race this year to say – that he’s just hoping to see a checkered flag, forget about being in contention to win one.

To his credit, though, sometimes bad luck just comes in spurts, and sometimes those spurts come at the start of one’s Cup career. The Daytona 500 was the Daytona 500, and an engine issue at Auto Club Speedway last week wasn’t something he could have avoided. A wreck at Las Vegas the week prior, however, was “pretty disappointing” and “not cool.”

The ironic thing here? Bell was insistent during preseason interviews one of his main priorities was not running into many DNFs.

“And what do you know!” Bell quipped to NASCAR.com with a giant grin. “I mean, we’re almost dead last in points, so that’s not cool. But, that’s the story of my career. Maybe at some point, I’ll figure it out. Fortunately, on the flip side of it, I’ve been able to win some races, too. But I need to win this year otherwise I’m going to be in trouble.

” … Other than that, just here we go again. Week 4.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

AVONDALE, Ariz. – It’s still only March but, hey, let the 2021 NASCAR Silly Season begin.

The first in-season domino fell Friday at Phoenix Raceway, as Team Penske announced it had signed impending free agent Ryan Blaney to a multi-year extension nearly a full year before his current contract was set to expire.

MORE: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske agree to extension | Jayski: Latest on driver contracts

“I was really happy with where I was at. I love the people I am around and working with all the teams,” Blaney said. “I feel like I owe so much to Roger (Penske) for what he has done for me. I just didn’t really see myself, right now, anywhere else.

“There are a couple doors open, a couple seats open with other teams but I didn’t talk with any other teams. If I was approached by another team I don’t even know if I would want to talk to them because I am so happy with where I am at and so loyal to Roger. My mindset was if they would have me back, I would love to be back. It was great that both of our minds were set on that.”

It’s hard to find fault with Blaney’s reasoning for wanting to stay at Penske – he’s the current NASCAR Cup Series points leader and there’s a certain degree of familiarity that comes along with having all of his national series starts since 2013 come with the team or a Penske affiliate. That sense of security simply can’t be replicated if he were to get behind the wheel of another car in 2021.

However, what makes it interesting that this deal was completed in March, months ahead of when it technically needed to be, is that these potentially open rides aren’t run-of-the-mill opportunities Blaney wasn’t interested in hearing about. They’re among some of the best in the sport, and things are about to ramp up to full silliness, and soon.

There’s a significant possibility there will be some sort of shake-up among superstar drivers and well-funded cars along the likes of Blaney’s teammate Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Ford, free agent), Aric Almirola (No. 10 Ford, free agent), Clint Bowyer (No. 14 Ford, free agent), Erik Jones (No. 20 Toyota, free agent), Corey LaJoie (No. 32 Ford, free agent), Kyle Larson (No. 42 Chevrolet, free agent), Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Chevrolet, retiring), Alex Bowman (No. 88 Chevrolet, free agent) and Christopher Bell (No. 95 Toyota, potential free agent).

Things could potentially ramp up in a significant way over the coming months, and Blaney’s just happy he won’t be a part of the madness.

“There are a lot of great seats open. A lot of things up in the air with drivers retiring or their deal being up. There is always that silly season and rumors and stuff like that,” he said. “It is nice to have our deal so that I am out of that conversation. It will be nice not to have to answer questions about it and save them for those guys.

“If something comes out I will be like, ‘Oh, that is neat.’ But I am not going to pry. That is their personal business.”

The three-time Cup winner isn’t interested, either, in prying for info on even his teammate’s situation, saying, “I don’t know anything about it. It is his deal, not mine.”

RELATED: Ryan Blaney’s career highlights | Every Team Penske Cup win

For context, Keselowski’s last extension was announced toward the end of July 2017, so don’t expect this overall story to be resolved any time soon – but do expect the pressure to mount on these drivers to prove themselves over the coming months.

So many more shoes still need to drop (including one of the “super” variety).

The biggest questions yet to be answered? Glad you asked.

  • Brad Keselowski
    • Has never raced full time at the Cup level for any owner other than Team Penske; would he leave the organization he won a championship with after nearly a decade and double-digit wins?
    • A former JR Motorsports product who ran a handful of Cup races for Hendrick, is he the favorite to land Johnson’s vaunted No. 48?
  • Aric Almirola
    • The No. 10 Ford is easily the best car he’s driven at the Cup level, why would he leave on his own volition unless a better option opened up?
    • How much better does he need to perform in 2020 than 2019 (17.0 average finish) to secure his spot?
  • Clint Bowyer
    • If Chase Briscoe runs the gamut at the Xfinity Series level this year, could it potentially push Bowyer out of the No. 14 if he underperforms in 2020?
    • Would the 40-year-old hang up the fire suit if a comparable ride doesn’t open for him?
  • Erik Jones
    • Does Jones need to match the performance of his JGR cohorts – all of whom made the Championship 4 in 2019 – to keep his ride?
    • Was his 2019 Southern 500 victory enough to prove himself?
  • Corey LaJoie
    • Is “Supershoe” a legitimate candidate for the No. 48 and did the letter to Rick Hendrick gain him points with the boss man?
    • If he overperforms in the No. 32, would a mid-tier ride open up for him?
  • Kyle Larson
    • Another potential favorite to hop into the No. 48, would Larson’s insistence on continuing to run dirt races be a deal-breaker at Hendrick?
    • Has a great relationship with longtime owner Chip Ganassi – is it worth jeopardizing that and what they’ve built together as the team feels like it’s rounding into form and showing signs of improvement?
    • Larson also has a relationship with Tony Stewart and is a former winner at Eldora Speedway. Is Stewart-Haas Racing an option?
  • Jimmie Johnson
    • Will Johnson have a say in who replaces him?
    • Has the No. 48 Chevrolet re-established itself as a premier ride?
    • Will he make any one-off NASCAR starts in 2021?
  • Alex Bowman
  • Christopher Bell
    • Would Toyota move Bell over to the No. 20 Toyota if Jones underperforms?
    • Does Toyota view Bell (25 years old) or Jones (23 years old) as the better prospect?
Posted on by Staff Report

Chase Elliott pushed atop the speed chart in final NASCAR Cup Series practice at Phoenix Raceway as Hendrick Motorsports swept both Friday sessions.

Elliott forged a 134.213-mph lap on the 1-mile Arizona track in Hendrick’s No. 9 Chevrolet. He was also second to teammate William Byron, who led opening practice and sealed the eighth-fastest speed in final practice.

RELATED: Final practice results | Lap averages | Weekend schedule

The 50-minute session was the final tune-up before Saturday’s Busch Pole Qualifying and Sunday’s FanShield 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Kyle Busch landed the second-fastest lap at 134.203 mph — just .002 seconds off Elliott’s time — in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota. Aric Almirola, Alex Bowman and Ty Dillon rounded out the top five in order.

Kevin Harvick, the series’ winningest driver at Phoenix with nine victories, was 13th in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Ford, but did have the best 10-lap average final practice.

Qualifying to determine the 38-car starting lineup is set for Saturday at 2:35 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR officials held three Cup Series teams for portions of final practice for technical infractions incurred last week at Auto Club Speedway. The following teams served 15-minute deductions: The No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet of Kurt Busch and the No. 52 Rick Ware Racing Ford of JJ Yeley. The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. had 30 minutes deducted from final practice for three inspection failures last weekend.

Byron leads 1-2 Hendrick sweep in first practice

William Byron powered to the top of the NASCAR Cup Series leaderboard in Friday’s opening practice at Phoenix Raceway, leading a 1-2 sweep by Hendrick Motorsports drivers.

RELATED: Practice 1 results | Best lap averages | Weekend schedule

Byron survived a minor wall scrape and registered a 134.595-mph lap in Hendrick’s No. 24 Chevrolet. He was just ahead of teammate Chase Elliott, who turned a 133.849 lap in the No. 9 Chevy.

“Just gotta know where the wall’s at, you know, and I was just trying to get my angle for Turn 1 and just nicked it a little bit,” Byron told FOX Sports. “Just got to figure out where it is. We have a little more windshield block out here, so my line of sight’s a little different. So just getting used to that. The car’s pretty good. I think we’re about P10 or 11 in race trim. Need a little more speed, but I thought qualifying trim was obviously good, too.”

Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch completed the top five in the 50-minute session.

Three teams absorbed minor tangles with the outside retaining wall. Corey LaJoie’s tap was the more pronounced of the three after his Go Fas Racing No. 32 Ford slipped out of the groove with 10 minutes left in the opening session. Aric Almirola and Byron pressed on after brief right-side scrapes.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Myatt Snider prefers to let his driving do the talking.

Two weeks after the fist-bump-that-wasn’t between Xfinity Series stars Snider and Noah Gragson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Richard Childress Racing/RSS Racing driver doesn’t plan on smoothing the waters with the JR Motorsports product, instead opting to win the dispute on the track.

“No update, just going to keep racing,” Snider told NASCAR.com Friday at Phoenix Raceway, site of Saturday’s LS Tractor 200 (4 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio). “Despite everything that happened, I still finished ahead of him last week (at Auto Club Speedway) so, karma I guess.

“I try and operate as independently as I can from everything and not think about any of that sort of stuff. I just race people how they race me.”

RELATED: Phoenix weekend schedule

The issue started when, after battling all race long, “impatience” led Gragson to dump Snider, prompting the latter to approach the former on pit road after the checkered flag to talk things over. The two were not able to come to agreement on what happened, though Gragson offered a fist bump at the end of the conversation … which Snider left hanging.

Gragson was called to the NASCAR hauler during Xfinity Series opening practice to discuss his recent on-track incidents, according to FOX Sports’ Jamie Little. A NASCAR spokesperson indicated that series director Wayne Auton simply wanted to have a conversation with Gragson.

The two young drivers — Snider is 25, Gragson 21 — do have a bit of history of their paths crossing in their racing careers, having both been in the Kyle Busch Motorsports stable with Toyota in 2017 before both eventually landing in the Chevrolet camp with their respective rides.

STATS: Career stats for Snider | Career stats for Gragson

But it sounds like it begins and ends with just being coworkers.

“Me and him were actually teammates at KBM in 2017; I was part-time and he was full-time. That’s about all the racing history we have there. He was just … there,” Snider said.

“We’ll just figure it out (on the race track). If we’re going to take it further, then so be it.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Not only is 26-year-old NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Ryan Blaney off to the best start of his career, his Team Penske crew has duly taken note of his stellar record and high potential by rewarding his work with a multi-year contract extension.

Team Penske announced the news Friday from Phoenix Raceway, site of Sunday’s FanShield 500 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“Ryan is a true talent with a long runway ahead of him and we are excited to have him as part of the future of Team Penske,” founder Roger Penske said. “Since joining our team, Ryan has developed into a championship-caliber driver and his personality and engagement with fans has made him a terrific ambassador for NASCAR.

“In addition, Ryan has done a great job of working with our partners to support their activation and investment throughout each year. I am looking forward to even more success together.”

RELATED: Strong runs by Blaney a positive for Gordon | Key moments in Blaney’s career

That was high praise coming from the legendary owner, who first hired Blaney as an 18-year-old, giving him opportunity in a handful of NASCAR Xfinity Series races for the team. Blaney’s first career win for Team Penske came in that series in 2013. 

Blaney earned his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Pocono Raceway in 2017, driving for Wood Brothers Racing with Team Penske backing. He moved into the No. 12 Team Penske Ford full time in 2018, winning at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course and then again last year at Talladega Superspeedway during a NASCAR Playoffs run that resulted in Blaney’s career-best season finish (seventh).

“I am really excited to get that out there,” Blaney said. “It is something that we have been working on for a little while through the offseason. It is nice to finally announce it and all that stuff. I am really excited to continue with the Penske group for years to come.”

It’s certainly been a productive pairing.

Blaney began the 2020 season scoring his second runner-up finish in the Daytona 500, matching his 2017 effort in the season-opener. He then nearly won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks ago. He was leading when a late-race caution flew with two laps to go and his team opted to pit, ultimately finishing 11th. Then last week, Blaney was seemingly on track for another top-five finish when – while running second – he had to pit with three laps remaining for a quick tire change.

He is the only driver to lead laps in all three races to date, and he took the championship lead last week for the first time in his career.

Although Blaney hasn’t won previously in the NASCAR Cup Series at this week’s Arizona one-miler, he won the pole position for this spring race last year and earned career-best third-place finishes in both 2019 Phoenix races. 

“Honestly, it has been nice to start off the year good,” Blaney said. “We didn’t get the finishes we wanted, but to be running up in the top three every single race and working with a new team, that is just great.

“You are going to build off of that as (crew chief) Todd (Gordon) and I get used to each other and things like that. There are a couple things I wish I could have taken back last week that hurt us toward the end of the race. That is just learning.

“We are doing our job right and the finishes will come. We are working together but the big thing is staying on top of it all year. Teams will come around, ones that might be struggling right now will figure it out and be good and we will have to keep getting better ourselves. You can never be truly satisfied with where you are running because teams will continue to get better. You have to stay with the group.”

RELATED: Blaney’s back on ‘Glass Case of Emotion‘ | Where’s Blaney rank in Power Rankings?

To that end, Blaney and his fellow Ford drivers took part in some team-building exercises earlier this week led by the manufacturer. And as he’s done all season, Blaney proved to be on top of this game.

The Ford contingent all met up at Arizona State University’s football stadium and competed in a sort of “Punt, Pass and Kick” competition. Blaney won the field-goal competition, nailing a 35-yarder.

“Ford does a good job of trying to keep everybody pretty close,” Blaney said. “We are all competitors, but at the same time we drive for Ford and it is very important to try to get them to Victory Lane.”

Of his standout moment, Blaney said: “I am pretty proud of that. My leg is sore today, but I did it.”

Blaney shared how other drivers stepped up, too.

“(Corey) LaJoie is a pretty good athlete, he won the throwing competition,” Blaney said. “Surprisingly enough, Cole Custer won the punt competition. I don’t know why I said surprising, he seems like a good athlete, but that is what we do.

“Just kind of hang out with the drivers and the Ford Performance guys and things like that. Get everyone close. We have dinner and things like that. It is just something that they do to bring everyone together, which I think is good.”

Good all right. It’s been that kind of week, that kind of season for Blaney. 

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Since Kevin Harvick’s first win at Phoenix Raceway in the spring of 2006, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver has rewritten the record books in the Arizona desert. He sits atop the charts among active drivers in wins, top fives, top 10s, laps led and average finish, leaving the question: Is Harvick really the undisputed “King of the Desert?”

Four other active NASCAR Cup Series drivers also have multiple wins at Phoenix: Jimmie Johnson (four), Kyle Busch (three), Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman (two each).

RELATED: Harvick the pick to win at Phoenix?

Busch’s victory in the 2019 spring race gave him back-to-back trips to Victory Lane before teammate Hamlin raced his way to a crucial playoff win and made it three in a row for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Harvick’s most dominant winning stretch came from 2013 to 2016 when he won four Phoenix races in a row and five of six, only gapped by a runner-up finish in the 2015 fall showcase. In total, he has finished inside the top six in 12 of the last 13 races here, with a ninth-place result in the spring race a year ago the lone exception.

Two of the last three seasons, however, have resulted in winless trips to Phoenix for the No. 4 team, leaving the door open for Busch to perhaps become the new driver to beat at the 1-mile oval.

Like Harvick, Busch’s status at the desert track has risen to red hot in recent years, boasting four consecutive top fives and 11 top 10s in his last 12 starts. In his last nine, Busch team tops the series leaderboard for the most runner-ups, top fives and laps led.

Harvick has yet to take home the checkered flag at Phoenix since the start-finish line was moved before the 2018 fall race, while JGR remains undefeated post-adjustment.

RELATED: Backseat Drivers pumped up for Phoenix

Overall, Harvick and the No. 4 team have been off to a strong start for the 2020 season with a top 10 finish in each of the three races so far, making them the only team to accomplish this feat. Heading into Sunday’s FanShield 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), he aims at becoming the fourth different driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race this season.

With the debut of the new short-track package and a preview of this year’s Championship 4 venue, there may be more to prove for Harvick after finishing third place in the final standings for three consecutive years.

Harvick’s consistency and front-running speed may help him become the first double-digit race winner at Phoenix in premier series history and creep closer to claiming the title of the undisputed “King of the Desert.” But to reach those accomplishments, Harvick and crew will have to end Busch and JGR’s recent Phoenix reign.

Source: Racing Insights

Posted on by RJ Kraft

NASCAR Finish Line, a free-to-play gaming app from Penn National Gaming, has launched for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Each week, there will be six groups of six drivers for the upcoming race. Users will predict which driver will finish first among each group and then also the overall race winner for a chance to win $50,000 each week if all seven scenarios are correctly selected.

Last week’s race at Auto Club Speedway saw no jackpot winners earn the $50K prize.

RELATED: Download NASCAR Finish Line

The second of six groups for Sunday’s FanShield 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX/FOX Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Phoenix Raceway consists of Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Erik Jones, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. Three of those drivers — Busch, Johnson and Logano — have NASCAR Cup Series victories at the 1-mile track.

The 2020 short-track package that will be used this weekend is an added wrinkle of which we have no data to go on yet, so we will lean on the past to offer some insight before on-track activity. For a stats look, NASCAR.com has compiled the results of the last three races at Phoenix — all since the reconfiguration of the track took place — and the early returns from the 2020 season to see who is entering the desert hot.

A point system has been assigned to each year, starting with one point for the best finisher and counting up to six points for the worst finisher. Those numbers were then added up. The lowest total signifies the strongest driver (green) and the highest total represents the weakest driver (red) — at least in recent years.

Driver Phoenix-2 results (’18) Phoenix-1 results (’19) Phoenix-2 results (’19) 2020 avg. finish Total
Ryan Blaney Finished 34th (5) Finished 3rd (1) Finished 3rd (1) Avg. finish: 10.7 (1) 8
Kurt Busch Finished 32nd (4) Finished 7th (2) Finished 11th (5) Avg. finish: 20.3 (6) 17
Erik Jones Finished 17th (3) Finished 29th (6) Finished 7th (2) Avg. finish: 17.0 (5) 16
Jimmie Johnson Finished 15th (2) Finished 8th (3) Finished 14th (6) Avg. finish: 15.7 (3) 14
Brad Keselowski Finished 2nd (1) Finished 19th (5) Finished 10th (4) Avg. finish: 16.0 (4) 14
Joey Logano Finished 37th (6) Finished 10th (4) Finished 9th (3) Avg. finish: 13.0 (2) 15

The stats show Blaney is the overwhelming favorite in Group 2. His early results of the 2020 season would also back up he is the driver to pick in NASCAR Finish Line’s Group 2.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Editor’s Note: This story was first published when the rules package for short tracks and road courses was announced on January 14. This weekend’s race at Phoenix Raceway marks the first time that package will be used. 

NASCAR officials announced rules changes Tuesday for the 2020 Cup Series season, introducing a reduced-downforce package designed to enhance competition on road courses and the circuit’s shorter oval tracks.

The changes include significantly smaller spoilers, splitters and other aerodynamic devices in an effort to place a greater emphasis on handling and driver input with less stabilizing downforce on those tracks. The package draws inspiration from similar rules used in the 2017-18 seasons.

MORE: 2020 Cup Series schedule

“Our first and foremost core goal is to deliver great racing, and I think that we constantly evaluate the things that we do on the race track, however and wherever we need to, to improve that situation for them,” said John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President, Innovation and Racing Development. “And as part of our normal ongoing critique of ourselves and how we’re doing, we just felt like this was a good opportunity for us to improve the on-track product at the short tracks and road courses.”

Among the changes for those specific tracks:

  • A significantly smaller rear spoiler, which shrinks from an 8-inch height to 2.75 inches.
  • The front splitter’s overhang will now measure a quarter-inch (down from 2 inches), with approximately 2-inch wings (reduced from 10.5 inches).
  • Alterations to the radiator pan, removing its vertical fencing in an effort to reduce front-end downforce. The dimensions of the pan remain the same.

The changes will be in effect for nine of the 24 layouts — three road courses and six ovals — that the NASCAR Cup Series will visit in 2020.

The six oval tracks that will use the new rules this season:

  • Bristol Motor Speedway (.533 miles)
  • Dover International Speedway (1 mile)
  • Martinsville Speedway (.526 miles)
  • New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058 miles)
  • Phoenix Raceway (1 mile)
  • Richmond Raceway (.75 miles)

All three road courses on the Cup Series schedule will have the new rules in place:

  • Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (2.28 miles)
  • Sonoma Raceway (2.52 miles)
  • Watkins Glen International (2.45 miles)

“When we consider changes to the aero package, we often can look back on our playbook, if you will, from seasons past,” Probst said, “and there’s obviously some trade-offs that you make between introducing something completely new that the industry has never seen versus something that we have run before where we have a playbook from our side and (teams) have setup books from their end. We felt like we were going to look at aero packages that we have run in the past, and looking back at a lot of competitive metrics that we track, we feel like the 2017 levels of downforce on those types of tracks had pretty good side-by-side racing that our fans enjoyed.

“So instead of just coming out and creating a completely new aero spec that’s unknown to possibly us and more importantly the industry, we felt like we’d go back to something that’s tried and true for us and go back to a package that we had run recently. At the same time, we did make some small adjustments to that package so that it would fit with our current intermediate speedway package so that we’d minimize further the necessity of the teams to have to develop this package.”

Probst said that the aerodynamic changes were met with a “broad base of support” in meetings that were initially held with stakeholders — spanning drivers, team engineers and managers, Goodyear representatives, manufacturers and broadcast partners — during NASCAR Champions Week in December at Nashville, Tennessee.

“Certainly from our standpoint, we feel like this is a step in the right direction to create more side-by-side, exciting moments during the race,” Probst said. “Obviously the proof will be in the pudding, but this is certainly something that we have run before that’s had good results.”