Analysis: Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 team need cleaner pit stops

Posted on March 5, 2020March 6, 2020 by Terrin Waack

Martin Truex Jr.’s pit-stop woes started back in 2019, the last race of last season.

On Lap 120 of 267 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Truex pitted his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota from the lead under green. It was a routine stop at that point. When Truex returned to the track in third place, though, there was something wrong: The left and right tires had been swapped, forcing Truex to pit a second time on Lap 122 so his team could fix the error. That placed him 13th and a lap down.

It’s unfair to say the mistake cost Truex the championship since he still finished second in his race — as Kyle Busch claimed his second title — but it surely didn’t help the 2017 champion’s cause. Truex ultimately came home second in the final standings for the second year in a row.

Now, three races into the 2020 season, Truex sits 13th in the standings and pit-stop agony continues to haunt the No. 19 team.

— Daytona International Speedway, Lap 132 of 209: Truex’s car hit a gas can on pit road from Chase Elliott’s stall, resulting in his return to pit lane on the next lap to check the damage on the No. 19’s front end. Truex finished 32nd (crash).

— Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lap 164 of 267: Truex took the lead after a round of pit stops but had to immediately bring the No. 19 back for a loose left-side lug nut. Truex finished 20th.

— Auto Club Speedway, Lap 159 of 200: Truex pitted from second place, running 1.588 seconds behind the leader, and his No. 19 team had a long lug-nut issue when the tire changer’s wrist and hand appeared to cramp up. Truex finished 14th.

Here is a deeper look at Truex’s pit stops at Auto Club last weekend:

PIT STOP	FLAG IN	FLAG OUT	TIME	TIRES	RANK IN	RANK OUT	GAIN/LOSS
1	Green	Green	46.16	4	17	32	-15
2	Yellow	Yellow	45.12	4	12	13	-1
3	Green	Green	43.02	4	4	6	-2
4	Yellow	Yellow	42.86	4	5	4	+1
5	Green	Green	55.79	4	3	16	-13

(Data provided by Racing Insights.)

The last time Truex opened a season with three straight finishes outside the top 10 was 2014. Another thing the 2014 and 2020 seasons have in common already: Cole Pearn is not Truex’s crew chief. Pearn worked with Truex from 2015-19. James Small now stands atop the No. 19 pit box.

This could all just be a series of unfortunate events Truex puts to an end this Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in the FanShield 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He’s definitely going to need his team’s help to capture his first win at the 1-mile track in Arizona, though.

In 28 starts, Truex has just four top-five and 11 top-10 performances at Phoenix. He averages a 15.5 finish after a 12.1 average start. Last year saw him come in second (spring) and sixth (fall).

Phoenix will host two events yet again this season, and the second is the title race — just like the one that sparked these pit-stop concerns.

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Alex Weaver

The 1988 fall race at Phoenix Raceway was the first in track history … and also site of the first-ever Polish Victory Lap.

The Checker 500, run on a Sunday and the next-to-final race of that season, consisted of 312 laps on the 1-mile course — the final 60 of them especially captivating and leading to a first-time winner.

Ricky Rudd led the most laps (183) on the afternoon, but would be out of the running on Lap 296 due to engine problems.

As Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace battled in the throes of a championship hunt, it was Alan Kulwicki who would outlast everyone for his first career NASCAR Cup Series win.

Harris Lue | NASCAR Creative Design

After taking the checkered flag, Kulwicki turned the car around and completed what he eventually referred to as a “Polish Victory Lap.” Kulwicki, of Polish heritage, wanted to be able to wave to the fans directly from his driver’s side window during his celebratory lap.

The tradition would live on and be associated with Kulwicki forever, especially following his passing in 1993.

Relive Kulwicki’s first career win — and the final top-10 finish of Benny Parsons’ career — in this NASCAR Full Race Replay of the 1988 Checker 500.

RELATED: More from our YouTube channel

Posted on March 4, 2020March 5, 2020 by Sean Montgomery

It’s time for short-track racing, as the series lands at Phoenix Raceway for a preview of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 venue.

With the long-awaited debut of the new short-track package and the season off to an electrifying start, take a look at all the information you should know before Sunday’s FanShield 500 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX/FOX Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: How to follow the race

TRACK DETAILS

Phoenix Raceway is a 1-mile desert track with an asphalt surface that was constructed in 1964 and repaved in 2011. The start-finish line was relocated to the previous exit of Turn 2 in 2018.

The track features a 1,551-foot front stretch and a 1,179-foot backstretch with a unique dogleg, allowing for bold moves and wide racing. Turns 1 and 2 have 8-9 degrees of variable banking, while Turns 3 and 4 have a 10-11 degree variation.

Sunday’s race marks the 48th time the Cup Series has run at Phoenix, with Alan Kulwicki winning the inaugural race in 1988.

STAGE LENGTHS

Stage 1 is set to end at Lap 75, Stage 2 Lap 190, and the Final Stage slated to conclude on Lap 312.

RULES PACKAGE

The enhanced 2020 short oval and road course package will be in effect for the first time this year, featuring a significantly shorter rear spoiler and front splitter.

Maintaining tapered-spacer engines with a targeted 750 horsepower, new aerodynamic changes factor in for less downforce to further emphasize handling and driver performance.

Bristol, Dover, Martinsville, New Hampshire and Richmond — as well as the three road courses — will operate under this rules package.

MORE: Full weekend schedule | How to watch the race

GOODYEAR TIRES

As Cup Series action switches to a short track for the first time this season, it marks the season debut of the Goodyear Eagle Intermediate Radials.

Teams will be allowed three sets of Goodyear tires for practice, one set for qualifying and nine sets for the race (eight new sets plus one transferred from practice or qualifying).

Brand new tire developments to accompany the lower downforce run at Phoenix include increased wear and more stagger to help offer better balance and handling in the turns.

“We were involved in the decision on the 2020 short track package,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “At that meeting with all the industry leaders, integrating tire performance into a reduced downforce package was a key part of the conversations. Our experience with the 2018 rules package, along with recent compound testing on the Next Gen vehicle at Phoenix, gave us a good baseline on increasing mechanical grip through the tires to compliment the reduced aero loading. This decision process was truly a joint effort — stakeholders from all areas coming together to make the sport better.”

STATS TO KNOW

— Phoenix Raceway is now the site of the championship race. The track that has hosted the season finale has hosted an earlier race 22 times throughout Cup Series history’s modern era: Atlanta (14), Riverside (6), Rockingham (1), New Hampshire (1).

— The driver who went on to win the first race at the finale track has only went on to win the championship three times: Terry Labonte (1984), Dale Earnhardt (1990), and Jeff Gordon (1995).

— With a recent Phoenix trend of late-race cautions and restarts, five of the last nine races have had a final green-flag stretch of three laps or less.

— Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have won four of the last five Phoenix races and led the most laps in each of the last six races.

Source: Racing Insights

LIVE COVERAGE

Tune in to television coverage from Phoenix Raceway on FS1 and the FOX Sports App starting at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday — then switch over the FOX for the remainder of pre-race and in-race action. For complete radio coverage, listen in to MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on-air at 2:30 p.m.

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

Kyle Busch powered his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Toyota to a dominant win in the 2019 FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Busch led 177 laps — his most since the career-high mark of 237 set in 2012 — en route to his third career win in the Phoenix desert.

RELATED: Odds, lines for Phoenix

ACTIVE PHOENIX WINNERS

Kevin Harvick (nine); Jimmie Johnson (four); Kyle Busch (three); Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman* (two each); Joey Logano and Kurt Busch (one each). Note: Newman remains sidelined for this weekend’s race at Phoenix.

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Staff Report

The Kyle Petty Charity Ride is back for a 26th year of charitable good deeds and two-wheeled sight-seeing. This go-round, it’s getting the full royal treatment.

“The King” Richard Petty will be a part of the fundraising journey for the May 2-8 event duration as the motorcycle rally makes a scenic tour of the southwestern United States. His son’s mission will begin and end in Phoenix, making its way through a weeklong tour of destinations throughout Arizona and Utah.

“In the past, I haven’t been able to participate for the full duration of the Ride,” Richard Petty said in a news release provided by the charity ride. “But when Kyle first told me about this year’s route, I said I was going to clear my schedule to be there for the whole thing because I wanted to see all of the places on the list. My wife, Lynda, and I spent a lot of time in the Southwest and it was a special place for us. I’m excited to see some of those places again and share them with Kyle.”

As is customary, the event will raise funds and awareness for Victory Junction, the North Carolina-based camp that offers support and fun-filled experiences for children with chronic and serious medical ailments. In its quarter-century of service, the Charity Ride has raised more than $19 million for Victory Junction and other children’s causes.

“Some of the places on this year’s Ride are places we’ve been before, but never really got the chance to explore. Now, we’re taking the time to stop and truly see some of the majestic places we’ve ridden by in the past,” Kyle Petty said. “Plus, we’re going to throw in some new places, like Monument Valley, that have always been on our bucket list. Our riders will experience a new, exciting adventure and will create memories to last a lifetime. And it’s all for the kids at Victory Junction. At the end of the day, that’s what this Ride is all about — it’s why we ride!”

Joining the Pettys for the ride are a host of celebrities from the world of stock-car racing. Harry Gant, David Ragan, Donnie Allison and 92-year-old Hershel McGriff are scheduled to participate, as are NBC Sports broadcasters Krista Voda and Rutledge Wood, sports-car ace Max Papis and former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker.

Posted on March 4, 2020March 4, 2020 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Less than a month after Denny Hamlin celebrated his Daytona 500 crown in the sport’s most famous Victory Lane, Daytona International Speedway has announced adjustments to the traditional 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening race week — changing the course of the popular Busch Clash race and condensing the schedule of Daytona Speedweeks.

Next year, the annual Busch Clash race will kick off the on-track action under the lights Tuesday, Feb. 9, and instead of racing on the Daytona 2.5-mile high banks, stock cars will compete on the track’s road course for the first time.

RELATED: Winners of the Busch Clash

Daytona president Chip Wile announced the news Wednesday in advance of hosting this weekend’s 50th running of the Daytona Supercross.

“We continue to look for opportunities to differentiate the Busch Clash from the Daytona 500 and obviously everything we do around Speedweeks presented by Advent Health is about building toward the 500,” Wile said. “This is about how we can continue to push and elevate the Busch Clash to be something different. And we’ve done that with a lot of new initiatives the first weekend.

“We’ve seen growth year over year with the Busch Clash and that weekend, but to see the resurgence in road-course racing and the excitement around it from the fans, we thought, why can’t we do this.”

The road course at Daytona is best known for hosting IMSA’s season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, as well as the Daytona 200, North America’s premier races for sports cars and motorcycles, respectively.

“The famed road course at Daytona has a long and storied history with sports cars and motorcycles and now we can write a new chapter on it with stock cars,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Vice President of Racing Development. “Fans coming to the track will get to see six consecutive days of exciting NASCAR action, with no days being the same.”

The new schedule and new venue is just another example of NASCAR’s willingness to be open to ideas and enhance what is already viewed as the highest profile week in stock car racing.

The action-packed six-day schedule for 2021 Speedweeks will now start with the Busch Clash road course event Tuesday, Feb. 9, and culminate with the Daytona 500 on Valentine’s Day — Sunday, Feb. 14.

After the Busch Clash road-course event, Daytona 500 Qualifying presented by Kroger will take place Wednesday, Feb. 10. The Bluegreen Vacations Duel races to set the rest of the Daytona 500 field will remain on a Thursday evening, Feb. 11, followed by the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race Friday, Feb. 12.

Saturday, Feb. 13, will become a double-header with the NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener and the ARCA Menards Series Lucas Oil 200. Then “The Great American Race,” the Daytona 500, will take place Feb. 14, putting an exclamation point on the week of speed.

The change in course for the Busch Clash adds a new dimension to NASCAR’s opening week and certainly provides a new viewing opportunity for fans, who can watch the race from Daytona’s infield as well as the grandstands.

“NASCAR fans have asked for more road-course competition and the industry is listening,” Wile said. “With the talent level the Busch Clash brings to the table, the race will now clearly have its own look and feel during Speedweeks in 2021.

“The new placement on the Speedweeks schedule also adds to the anticipation. That switch will make for a fuller Speedweeks calendar. Fans also will have the opportunity to engage in a festive infield atmosphere similar to the Rolex 24 at Daytona.”

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Staff Report

We’re four episodes into the “NASCAR All In: Battle for Daytona” docuseries, produced by MotorTrend Group in partnership with NASCAR, and fans who have downloaded the app and subscribed have been treated to behind-the-scenes access as three teams prep for the Daytona 500.

MORE: Download the app to watch

In Episode 4, now available, MotorTrend cameras follow Corey LaJoie as he pays a visit to Hanksters to check out a few classic cars that he would love to purchase.

During his visit, LaJoie was nearly speechless and only had one thing to say about every hot rod he saw: “That is sweet.”

But as his #StackingPennies hashtag suggests, LaJoie makes an effort to stay within budget, darting out of the building before he decides to drop some cash on a classic car.

Fans will receive exclusive, inside access to NASCAR Cup Series drivers Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick and Corey LaJoie preparing for the Daytona 500 from the vantage point of the athletes, their race teams and their families. MotorTrend will go off the track for an emotional, behind-the-scenes look at the highs and lows of real-life NASCAR racing.

New episodes will air every Monday as the sports documentary series chronicles the commitment, struggles and sacrifices in the chase for greatness at the biggest race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Click here to catch up on the entire series so far — and to prep for more episodes, coming soon.

Posted on March 4, 2020March 4, 2020 by Staff Report

MORE: Download the app to watch

In Episode 4, now available, MotorTrend cameras were on Corey LaJoie and the No. 32 Go Fas Racing team as they battled it out in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel No. 2 at Daytona.

But it wasn’t smooth sailing for Lajoie and Co. after getting caught up in a late-race incident on the backstretch with JJ Yeley.

Listen to LaJoie’s radio and watch the team get fired up after the crash that damaged the No. 32 Ford, resulting in a 19th-place finish and a disappointing starting spot in the 2020 Daytona 500.

Click here to catch up on the entire series so far — and to prep for more episodes, coming soon.

Posted on March 4, 2020March 26, 2020 by Zack Albert

Tony Stewart is set to end his hiatus from NASCAR competition this summer, giving Indianapolis Motor Speedway a home-state flair for its NASCAR Xfinity Series race on an oval-road course layout July 4.

Stewart’s scheduled return in the Pennzoil 150 comes more than three years after he retired from full-time driving at the end of the 2016 season. The three-time Cup Series champion has kept active with occasional sprint-car starts, but his NASCAR activity has been focused on his role as a co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing.

“Everyone knows what Indy means to me, so I can’t think of a better place to race on Fourth of July weekend,” Stewart, who grew up 45 minutes from Indianapolis in the towns of Columbus and Rushville, Indiana, said in a team release. “It’s going to be cool making history by turning left and right in a stock car at the Brickyard, and the racing will be full of action and contact. Any time you can drive any race car at the speedway is special, and you know I’m going for the win. The date is already circled on my calendar.”

Stewart, 48, ended his Cup Series career with 49 victories and titles in 2002, 2005 and 2011. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Jan. 31 as part of the Class of 2020.

Stewart’s most recent Xfinity Series start came in 2013, when he prevailed in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. He has 11 career wins in the series, including seven at Daytona.

The famed Indianapolis venue has always been cherished by Stewart, who scored two Brickyard 400 victories — in 2005 and ’07 — in his Cup Series career. He also made five Indianapolis 500 starts in IndyCar competition, twice starting on the front row and claiming Rookie of the Year honors in 1996.

This summer’s return will present a new challenge for both Stewart and the Xfinity Series’ regulars — a hybrid layout that uses portions of the historic oval and the infield road course. A stock-car test for the combination circuit was performed during the offseason, with Matt DiBenedetto behind the wheel.

According to a team release, details regarding Stewart’s car number, crew and primary partner will be announced closer to the race.

MORE: Photos of DiBenedetto testing at Indianapolis

Posted on March 3, 2020March 3, 2020 by Chase Wilhelm

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron has completed two days of testing the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen car at Auto Club Speedway, becoming the fourth Cup Series driver to take the 2021 car out on the track.

The Next Gen car was on track for its fourth formal test in advance of its planned competitive debut next season — previously, Austin Dillon (Richmond), Joey Logano (Phoenix) and Erik Jones (Miami) took their turns piloting the car and providing crucial feedback to NASCAR officials.

But this time around, it was a new car altogether on the 2-mile oval. Dubbed “P3” internally — the third prototype in the development process — NASCAR officials have described this version as nearly 100 percent complete for debut in the 2021 Daytona 500.

“I’ve been happy with it, especially as we’ve been adjusting it more and tailoring it to this track – this is the biggest track it’s been on so far,” Byron said. “As soon as it started to go for us, I thought the steering felt better and the car felt more stable. It’s been fun the more laps I’ve been able to run.”

PHOTOS: Exclusive access into William Byron’s Next Gen test

Tuesday’s session ended early for Byron, though, after an incident early in a 25-lap tire run. It was something Byron acknowledged as a learning experience, comparing it to a similar situation that happened to him during Sunday’s race where he was able to avoid incident.

“We were probably six or seven laps into a 25-lap tire run. I had been a little free for a couple of corners, but nothing major,” Byron said. “That time, I just got loose and figured I’d be able to save it but wasn’t able to. It just came all the way around. I had a number of similar moments in the race Sunday and was able to drive out of it. That’s what caught me off guard the most. It’s part of testing though, learning where the line is with what the car can do.”

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

That’s the view John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development, took as well.

“This is exactly why we test,” Probst said. “We were able to put almost 300 miles on the car the past two days and captured some valuable data. Because of the nature of a test, we have a lot more data available than during a normal race weekend, including the IDR (incident data recorder) and high-speed camera. We’ll take the car back to North Carolina and evaluate it. This gives us a good opportunity to make sure the car holds up as expected during an incident. We’ll review everything available to us and move forward.”

The Next Gen prototype’s new features include 18-inch, single center-locking lug wheels designed by German wheel manufacturer BBS.

That was one of many adjustments that Byron had to familiarize himself with compared to his current No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“It was tough to get a hold of at first, just how fast everything is,” Byron said. “The tire doesn’t have the same sidewall, so there is not the same amount of slip that you can hang the car out. You just have to get used to that timing and rhythm of when the car does step out, how quickly can you catch it when it slides the front tires, how quickly does it come back. All those things are a lot different from what we do now.”

A feature that Byron enjoyed, as well as one that he had raced in his earlier days of racing, was the car’s sequential shifting. A six-speed gearbox allows driver to tab the level forward and backward during upshifting and downshifting, compared to the traditional H-pattern, four-speed unit featured now.

“I think it will be better for us on restarts to focus on moves and not have to worry so much about shifting,” Byron noted. “And on road courses, you’re going to be able to be a lot more aggressive in your downshifts. That’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Byron’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, was also on hand for the two-day test. Knaus expressed his excitement for the significantly different setup and build of the car, specifically how the components are smaller and more compact.

The seven-time championship crew chief said he feels the teams’ abilities to tweak at the track, compared to the present, will be drastically different.

“I like the car, I think it’s really cool,” Knaus said. “It’s definitely taking a step in the right direction in terms of modern motorsports, so I think that’s great. We have a lot to learn as an industry about what this car is capable of. I really want to acknowledge RCR and NASCAR — they did a fantastic job in getting this car built to get it out here, I thought it was spectacular.”

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Staff Report

NASCAR fined the crew chiefs for two Cup Series teams and one Xfinity Series team for lug-nut violations that were discovered after the races last weekend at Auto Club Speedway.

Randall Burnett and Mike Shiplett each received a $10,000 fine when one lug nut was found to be not safe and secure on the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, respectively. Tyler Reddick drove the No. 8 to an 11th-place finish in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 while Cole Custer finished 18th in the No. 41.

In Xfinity, Dave Rogers received a $5,000 fine for one lug nut found to be not safe and secure on the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Riley Herbst drove the No. 18 to a second-place finish in Saturday’s Production Alliance Group 300.