Posted on by Staff Report

While the 1983 Winston Western 500 may have marked the end of the season, it did mark the start of Bill Elliott’s winning ways in the sport’s top series.

The fall race in 1983 unfolded with Darrell Waltrip, Tim Richmond and Benny Parsons combining to lead 98 of the 119 laps on the day.

RELATED: Race results | Bill Elliott’s career highlights

All three drivers had won at Riverside International Raceway before this race and been trading the lead throughout the day. However, it was the upstart native of Dawsonville, Georgia, who would have the last laugh.

Bill Elliott Riverside
Harris Lue | NASCAR Creative Design

Elliott led just five laps — the final five laps — after taking the lead from Parsons on Lap 115 to score his first NASCAR Cup Series victory and his first win in 115 starts in the series. The win was also the first for team owner Harry Melling

The victory preceded a run of six straight multi-win seasons for Elliott, in which he’d reach a career best in wins (11 in the 1985 season) and his lone Cup title (in 1988).

Relive Elliott’s first of 44 Cup wins in this NASCAR Full Race Replay of the ’83 Winston Western 500.

Visit NASCAR.com’s YouTube channel for more classic races.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

We’re three 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 3, now available, MotorTrend cameras went where no others were allowed — into the Richard Childress Racing shops for season-opening preparations, including team owner Richard Childress addressing the entire organization.

Watch the video above to hear Childress discuss his expectations for the 2020 season and how the team will get there.

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 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 27, 2020) – NASCAR and Elgin Sweeper announced today a multi-year partnership renewal, continuing the designation of the leading manufacturer of street sweepers, special industrial, and airport applications as the “Official Sweeper of NASCAR Green®.”

“Considering our dealers’ dedication to – and passion for – NASCAR Green’s goal of protecting the environment through sustainable practices, and our own involvement in the NASCAR culture for more than a decade, it was a logical progression to renew our partnership,” said Mike Higgins, vice president and general manager, Elgin Sweeper. “We are immensely proud of the fact that NASCAR continues to rely on Elgin Sweeper to be present at the tracks every race season to shorten rain delays and cautionary events.”

As the “Official Sweeper of NASCAR Green,” Elgin Sweeper administers a team of 17 trained, NASCAR-certified driver operators throughout the 36-week race season to help support the NASCAR Toyota Tundra Track Drying Team in drying rain-soaked tracks while saving jet fuel and reducing the sport’s overall carbon footprint.

In addition to its drying efforts, the revolutionary Crosswind Specialty Track Sweeper assists in maintaining safe racing surfaces for competitors. Designed by Elgin Sweeper exclusively for steep-banked racetracks in need of routine maintenance, race event sweeping and emergency response cleaning, the Crosswind Specialty Track Sweeper has passed the most rigorous tilt tests required. Used for high-speed sweeping during NASCAR races across the country, the machine effectively removes track debris and oil absorbent material and assists in drying wet track areas.

“Throughout our partnership, Elgin Sweeper has consistently proven to be reliable, dependable, and uniquely capable of maintaining green flag racing conditions,” said Scott Miller, senior vice president, competition, NASCAR. “Elgin Sweeper has assisted our sport in putting on numerous events after unfavorable odds and we’re happy to have them remain a part of our weekend stable.”

Elgin Sweeper’s exclusively designed Shared Power technology, the EcoInfused platform, diverts the formerly wasted energy from the sweeper’s chassis engine back to the power of the sweeper itself, which helps reduce the carbon footprint during NASCAR Cup Series™ race weekends.

The Elgin Sweeper made its NASCAR debut in 2001 at Kansas Speedway. The sweeper picks up 50 gallons of water per minute while saving roughly one gallon of diesel fuel per hour. The sweeper’s 10-foot sweep path covers the width of 1.5 race cars, helping officials get cars back on the track in record time.

For more information on the Elgin Crosswind Specialty Track Sweeper, or on Elgin Sweeper’s entire line of street sweepers, please visit www.elginsweeper.com. NASCAR fans can follow along with the Track Sweeper throughout the 2020 NASCAR season by visiting Elgin Sweeper’s Facebook page.

Fans can catch the NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 from Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

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 race ahead. 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 Las Vegas Motor Speedway saw two jackpot winners split the $50K prize.

RELATED: Download NASCAR Finish Line

The first of six groups for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX/FOX Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, consists of Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick.

For a stats look, NASCAR.com has compiled the results of the last five races at Auto Club Speedway these drivers all participated in (2014 and 2016-19). The 2015 race has purposefully been left out because Busch did not compete due to injuries sustained prior to the event.

A point system has been assigned to each year, starting with 1 point for the best finisher and counting up to 6 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.

Screen Shot 2020 02 26 At 4.19.03 Pm

Busch, a four-time Auto Club winner, leads the group with the most best finishes among his competitors, making him the Group 1 favorite according to the stats. Harvick, who has won in Fontana once, is the least-favorable option.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

The NASCAR Cup Series’ West Coast swing continues with a highly anticipated Sunday afternoon showdown at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX/FOX Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Check out all the programming information and race details you need to know ahead of this weekend’s Auto Club 400.

MORE: How to follow live

TRACK DETAILS

Auto Club Speedway is a two-mile, D-shaped asphalt track with a 3,100-foot frontstretch and a 2,500-foot back straightaway carrying 14-degree banking in each of the four turns.

Since Auto Club’s debut on the Cup Series schedule, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson holds the all-time record for wins, top fives, top 10s and laps led at the track located in his home state.

The inaugural Cup Series race at the Southern California track was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon in June of 1997.

RELATED: Full weekend schedule | How to watch the race

STAGE LENGTHS

Stage 1 is set to end at Lap 60, Stage 2 at Lap 120 and the Final Stage is slated to conclude on Lap 200.

RULES PACKAGE

The baseline rules package for longer speedway tracks will be in play with a target horsepower goal of 550 and aero ducts to foster tighter racing.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Cup teams will be allowed three sets for practice, one set for qualifying and 12 sets for the race (11 race sets plus one transferred from qualifying or practice).

Tire management and conservation should be vital in deciding this week’s race winner. Racing on a more abrasive track, a total team effort will be needed to strategize and execute efficient and effective pit stops throughout the afternoon.

“Racing at Fontana presents multiple challenges for NASCAR teams,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “The track surface is very abrasive, and teams will take four tires all day long. With the Cup teams having 12 sets of tires for a 200-lap race, they will make full use of their complement and stay busy on pit road throughout.”

STATS TO KNOW

– Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to win at Auto Club Speedway in his 20s, 30s and 40s.

– Kevin Harvick holds the longest active streak of top-10 finishes on the West Coast with eight.

– The last five races at ACS have been won by five different drivers: Kyle Busch (2019), Martin Truex Jr. (2018), Kyle Larson (2017), Jimmie Johnson (2016), Brad Keselowski (2015)

– So far in 2020, the defending race winner has won both Cup Series races (Hamlin – Daytona; Logano – Las Vegas).

Source: Racing Insights

LIVE COVERAGE

Tune in to coverage from Auto Club 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 Mobile App to check out an enhanced Race Center, live Lap-by-Lap coverage (timeline), 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 picked up his second victory of 2019 in last season’s trip to Fontana, dominating the race with 134 laps led — his most ever in a win at the track. The checkered flag marked the fourth Auto Club win of his career and third in the last six outings.

RELATED: Post-Las Vegas Power Rankings

ACTIVE AUTO CLUB WINNERS

Jimmie Johnson (six); Kyle Busch (four); Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick (one each).

Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports and Axalta are honoring the late Kobe Bryant with a special one-race-only purple and gold paint scheme on the No. 24 Chevrolet to be driven by William Byron in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Schedule for Auto Club | Rewatch the Las Vegas race in 15 minutes

Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others passed away in a helicopter accident last month. Auto Club Speedway is just about an hour from Los Angeles where Bryant starred for 20 years as one of the NBA’s best players and a five-time champion with the Lakers.

In honor of the victims, Axalta will make a donation to After-School All-Stars, a non-profit organization where Bryant served as a National Ambassador. Its locations include Los Angeles and Bryant’s hometown of Philadelphia where Axalta is based. Proceeds from the sale of die-cast replicas of the car will be donated to After-School All-Stars by Byron, 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports and collectibles manufacturer Lionel. Collectible die-cast replicas of the car will be available for pre-order beginning later this evening at LionelRacing.com.

“We continue to pray for all of the families,” Byron said in a story on HendrickMotorsports.com. “It’s humbling to be able to run such a special car, especially in the Los Angeles area. I’m a huge sports fan and followed Kobe’s career really closely like so many other people. He left a legacy that goes beyond basketball and has reached across all of the sports world and into many different communities where he gave back. I’m very happy that Axalta wanted to do this, and I hope to make everyone proud in the No. 24 on Sunday.”

Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 BODYARMOR Team Penske Ford will honor Bryant as well on Sunday and Daniel Suarez will pay tribute with a special pair of driving gloves, matching shoes and all nine names of the those that were lost in the crash will appear on his No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota.

Bubba Wallace paid tribute to the victims of the helicopter crash on his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet at the 2020 Daytona 500.

MORE: Wallace, RPM honor Andretti, Bryant at Daytona

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR fined three teams for lug-nut violations after the race weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, one in each of NASCAR’s national series.

In the NASCAR Cup Series, the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet driven by Kyle Larson was found to have one lug nut not safe and secure during post-race inspection. As a result, NASCAR fined crew chief Chad Johnston $10,000.

RELATED: Full results for Las Vegas races

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR fined Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Ben Beshore $5,000 after one lug nut was found not safe and secure on the No. 20 Toyota driven by Harrison Burton.

And in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, NASCAR fined crew chief Matt Noyce $2,500 when one lug nut was found not safe and secure on the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford driven by Ben Rhodes.

Posted on by Staff Report

Ross Chastain is listed as the driver of Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series activity at Auto Club Speedway, filling in for Ryan Newman for the second consecutive week.

Chastain’s name appeared Tuesday on the first entry list for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM). Newman appears set to sit out for the second straight race after his severe crash in the final lap of the season-opening Daytona 500.

RELATED: Auto Club 400 entry list

Roush Fenway indicated last Sunday that Newman was recovering from a head injury suffered in the multi-car wreck and that there was no firm timetable for his return to racing. On Tuesday morning, Newman — an avid outdoorsman — took to social media to show that part of his rehabilitation involved some fishing.

Chastain finished 27th in last weekend’s Cup Series event, spinning out late in the going at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 27-year-old driver is set for double duty this weekend, driving the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series, where he is competing for championship points.

Posted on by Data Skrive

Codie Rohrbaugh finished 18th in the Strat 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday.

Rohrbaugh’s result added 19 points to his season total.

Rohrbaugh qualified in 27th position at 174.233 mph. The third-year driver has picked up one top-five and two top-10 finishes in his career.

Friday was Rohrbaugh’s second career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Though he’s completed two of those races, he has never managed to crack the top 10 at the track.

The Petersburg, West Virginia native began the race four spots lower than his career mark of 23 and finished two places behind his career average of 16.

Rohrbaugh took on a field of 32 drivers on the way to his 18th-place finish. The race endured five cautions and 25 caution laps. There were 15 lead changes.

Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the race, and Johnny Sauter took second. Austin Hill crossed the finish line third, Matt Crafton took fourth, and Ben Rhodes rounded out the top five.

In addition to winning the race, Busch won both of the first two stages to complete a dominant day in Las Vegas.

Codie Rohrbaugh Driver Page | Get Codie Rohrbaugh Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Spencer Davis finished 12th in the Strat 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday.

Davis’ result added 25 points to his season total.

Davis qualified in 21st position at 174.582 mph. The third-year driver has three top-10 finishes in his career.

Friday was Davis’ third career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Though he’s completed three of those races, he has never managed to crack the top 10 at the track.

The Dawsonville, Georgia native began the race five spots behind his career mark of 16.4, but finished two places ahead of his career average of 14.4.

Davis took on a field of 32 drivers on the way to his 12th-place finish. The race endured five cautions and 25 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 15 lead changes.

Kyle Busch brought home the win in the race, and Johnny Sauter followed in second. Austin Hill crossed the finish line third, Matt Crafton took fourth, and Ben Rhodes finished off the top five.

In addition to winning the race, Busch won both of the first two stages to complete a dominant day in Las Vegas.

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