Fresh faces in Xfinity Series aiming for Auto Club first; Briscoe heads standings

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Holly Cain

It may be only be the third race of the season, but the competition in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series is already proving to be top-line as drivers head to Auto Club Speedway for Saturday’s Production Alliance Group 300 (4 p.m. ET on FS1/FOX Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The 21-year-old Noah Gragson started the season with a dramatic win at Daytona International Speedway, and 25-year-old Chase Briscoe answered with a late-race rally at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend. With the win, Stewart-Haas Racing driver Briscoe takes the championship lead by a mere seven points over the JR Motorsports driver Gragson.

RELATED: Auto Club weekend schedule

Essentially the whole field arrives at the two-mile Auto Club Speedway feeling revitalized and motivated. With no former race winner entered this week, someone is sure to have a huge first celebration in the Californian Victory Lane. And with the thrilling, tight competition in just the season’s opening two races, there’s no overwhelming favorite — just the kind of unpredictable, close-quarter racing that has made this series so popular.

Three drivers have earned top-five finishes in the two season openers: Briscoe, Gragson and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Harrison Burton, who scored a career-best runner-up finish at Daytona.

MORE: Xfinity Series entry list

And several drivers reaffirmed their championship intentions with impressive runs at Vegas. Runner-up Austin Cindric was a 2019 Xfinity Series playoff driver and certainly rallied from a disappointing 16th-place showing at Daytona. His second-place work at Vegas in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford moved him up 10 positions in the championship standings, and he’s now sixth place, 17 points behind leader Briscoe – his only fellow Ford driver in the field.

Burton, who drives the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, is certainly establishing a blistering pace for the rookies this season, but his highly touted JGR teammate Riley Herbst reminded Burton last week he’s up for the challenge. The first-year Xfinity Series driver’s ninth place in his hometown Las Vegas race moved Herbst from 30th to 16th in the standings. This weekend will mark his Auto Club debut.

One of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, Ross Chastain, also turned in a Las Vegas points rally. His 10th-place finish moved him from 20th in the standings to 11th. He will be competing in both races this weekend, filling in for the injured Ryan Newman in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race and continuing his work toward a NASCAR title in the Xfinity Series race Saturday. In five previous Auto Club starts, Chastain’s best Xfinity race finish is 10th in 2018.

Posted on February 27, 2020February 27, 2020 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 27, 2020) – NASCAR and Blue-Emu have announced a multi-year agreement designating the company as an Official Partner of NASCAR, Martinsville Speedway and Motor Racing Network (MRN). As part of the agreement, Blue-Emu will serve as the entitlement sponsor of NASCAR Cup Series™ spring events at Martinsville Speedway, with the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 debuting under the lights on Saturday, May 9.

“Blue-Emu’s integrated NASCAR approach will take center stage at Martinsville Speedway under the lights,” said Frank Kelleher, senior vice president and chief sales officer, NASCAR. “Combining the massive reach of NASCAR with fan sponsor loyalty provides partners an attractive platform to grow their brands.”

In addition to the Martinsville Speedway race entitlement, Blue-Emu will actively engage fans at NASCAR tracks across the country by providing product sampling opportunities. The pain relief company is no stranger to NASCAR. They currently work with NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace and have sponsored multiple teams dating back to 2014.

“NFI Consumer Products has been a fan and friend of NASCAR for a number of years, so this sponsorship is a natural expansion of that partnership. The NASCAR fan base has been a strong and loyal customer of Blue-Emu and we believe they will help us continue to grow as a national brand,” said Susan Gregory, CEO, Blue-Emu. “The highly anticipated Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, debuting under the lights, will highlight our track partnership and provide a new opportunity to showcase our products and engage with consumers.”

The Blue-Emu product line is the No.1 selling emu oil brand in the United States and recently announced a multi-year partnership with the MLB, which included exclusive deals with 13 of its clubs. As part of the NASCAR agreement, Blue-Emu’s Original Super Strength will serve as an Official Partner of NASCAR, Blue-Emu’s Maximum Pain Relief Cream is the “Official Pain Relief Cream of NASCAR®”, Blue-Emu’s Continuous Spray is the “Official Pain Relief Spray of NASCAR®,” and Blue-Emu’s Patch is the “Official Pain Patch of NASCAR®”.

The Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 will be held on Saturday, May 9 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM. Tickets for the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 as well as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at NASCAR.com/tickets.

The NASCAR Cup Series season will continue at Auto Club Speedway this weekend for the Auto Club 400 on March 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM.

Posted on February 27, 2020 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 combed pit road at Daytona International Speedway to capture the preseason Busch Clash race from all angles. And boy, did they capture it.

At the end of the scheduled 75-lap event, a chain wreck that captured most of the field did not end Austin Dillon’s day. An incredible bit of driving — captured from all angles — allowed Dillon to scoot through and challenge for the win. He ultimately finished runner-up.

Watch the video above to see the save from every angle and how crew chief Justin Alexander reacted with the pit crew.

Fans will receive exclusive, inside access to NASCAR Cup Series drivers 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 February 27, 2020February 27, 2020 by Sean Montgomery

Nineteen years after Jimmie Johnson won his first ever NASCAR Cup Series race at California Speedway – now known as Auto Club Speedway – the seven-time champion heads back to the 2-mile track located just over 100 miles north of his hometown of El Cajon, California, for the final time as a full-time driver.

Since his premier series debut in 2002, Johnson has made 25 starts at the Southern California track and remarkably finished every lap – 5,706 to be exact. In that span, he has dominated nearly every aspect, setting the all-time record for laps led (980), wins (six), top fives (13), top 10s (17) and average finish (7.6).

After racing his way to the checkered flag in 2016, Johnson became the only driver in series history to win at Auto Club in his 20s, 30s and 40s.

With the 2020 season off to a decent start after a top-five finish last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a happy homecoming might be the perfect recipe to propel Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team to their first trip to Victory Lane since 2017 at Dover International Speedway.

However, Johnson isn’t the only driver with sustained success at Auto Club searching for the first key win this season. In spite of Johnson’s career-long dominance in Fontana, Kyle Busch has unquestionably been the driver to beat at the oval in recent years.

Winner in three of the last six Auto Club events he has competed in, including last year’s Auto Club 400, the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is red hot heading into this Sunday’s race. Busch carries six top fives in the last eight Fontana races, three consecutive finishes of eighth or better – both Cup Series highs – and, like Johnson, secured his first series win at the track driving for Rick Hendrick (2005).

Unlike Johnson’s bounce-back weekend at Las Vegas, an uncharacteristic opening pair of races has left the reigning champion sitting 27th in the current points standings and in search of his first finish inside the top 15. Though it is only the third of the 26-race regular-season slate, history has shown a solid run at Auto Club presents the perfect chance for Busch and company to get back to their winning ways.

While Johnson and Busch share a long history of accolades at the Fontana track, Kevin Harvick has been a consistent factor in nearly every West Coast race – making him a threat to win each time the series heads there. Harvick holds the longest active streak with a top 10 in each of the last eight West Coast races and an incredible 25 in the last 29. For the No. 48 and No. 18 to continue their dominant trends, the path to Victory Lane and title of “King of the West Coast” may be through No. 4.

Even after nearly two decades of dominance, Johnson has a chance to prove this season is not just a farewell tour but one that can end with a record-setting eighth Cup Series title. There may not be a better way to jumpstart his push for another championship than with a win where it all started – one final time.

Source: Racing Insights

Posted on February 27, 2020February 27, 2020 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.

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.

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 February 27, 2020February 27, 2020 by Staff Report

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.

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

Posted on February 27, 2020 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 February 26, 2020February 29, 2020 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.

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 February 26, 2020February 26, 2020 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.

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.

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 February 25, 2020February 25, 2020 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).

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