Posted on by Terrin Waack

Denny Hamlin is going to do as he’s told at Darlington Raceway when NASCAR returns May 17 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Toyota expects all of the other Cup Series drivers present to cooperate in the same way. There’s too much on the line to not. Live racing is almost back, and no one wants to lose it again.

Race-day protocol is obviously going to be different. There will not only be an absence of fans, but team personnel will also be limited. Rosters are limited to 16 people, which includes those required such the driver, spotter and crew chief. The owner even counts if attending.

RELATED: Stage lengths, at-track procedures revealed | FAQ’s for NASCAR’s return

That’s only the beginning of the precautions the sanctioning body is implementing and everyone involved in the sport is taking seriously amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Obviously there will be a huge microscope on how we’re doing things,” Hamlin said Saturday after his second win in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. “For all of us, it’s just the unknown of making sure we’re doing it the right way.”

RELATED: Pro Invitational Series results from North Wilkesboro Speedway

The aspect of the unknown bleeds into the on-track competition, too.

None of these drivers have had actual seat time since Joey Logano’s win more than two months ago on March 8 at Phoenix Raceway. They also won’t have any practice time at Darlington prior to the drop of the green flag for the 400.2-mile race. They don’t even qualify. NASCAR truly wanted this to be a one-day event.

“I envision people are going to be pretty timid, at least for the first few laps, just trying to understand, checking your travels,” Hamlin said. “There’s plenty of times where these things unload, the cars are hitting the race track, you’re not ready to be in a pack quite yet. That will certainly be different.”

Darlington is known as the track “Too Tough to Tame.”

“I mean, it will be a challenge,” Hamlin said. “I think every driver thinks they have an advantage, right?  But I like that there’s so many unknowns.”

Hamlin has won twice at Darlington in his 14 career starts there so far — 2010 and 2017. He also already has a 2020 win thanks to his third Daytona 500 victory back in February. That means he’s locked into this season’s NASCAR Playoffs, as are Alex Bowman (who won at Fontana) and Joey Logano (who won at Las Vegas and Phoenix). They were the three drivers to win before the competition pause hit in March due to COVID-19, halting the season for two-plus months.

Darlington will welcome back postseason repercussions to the racing world. A playoff berth is on the line. Amid all of the other changes, that part has remained the same.

There can’t be any post-race pit-road dust-ups, though, which will make things interesting if drivers get heated during the waning laps. Social-distancing rules rule the day and prevent any type of physical contact; people must be six feet apart at all times. Revenge will have to wait, or at least carry over to a later event.

“If there’s ever a time to be aggressive, ruffle some feathers, this is probably the time to do it,” Hamlin said, “because you don’t have to face the consequences after the race.”

Posted on by RJ Kraft

This is the first installment in a series where NASCAR.com looks back at each race this season and gets you caught up for Sunday’s return at Darlington Raceway. We start with the Daytona 500, which took place Feb. 17, 2020 at Daytona International Speedway. 

WINNER: Denny Hamlin won his third Daytona 500 and became the fourth driver to win “The Great American Race” in back-to-back years and the first since Sterling Marlin did so in 1994-95. Hamlin led a race-high 79 laps and was engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Ryan Blaney and Ryan Newman in a NASCAR Overtime finish.

KEY MOMENTS: The second closest finish in Daytona 500 history saw Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Ryan Newman trading the lead in the two-lap finish. Newman held the lead coming off of Turn 4 when contact from Blaney sent Newman up the track, into the wall and saw his car flip over with sparks flying. Blaney and Hamlin raced side-by-side to the line with the Joe Gibbs Racing driver edging out the Team Penske driver. Newman was taken to a local hospital after the last-lap wreck, and he would be released from Halifax Medical Center two days later.

A chain-reaction crash that started when Joey Logano bumped Aric Almirola into Brad Keselowski on Lap 184 involved 19 of the 37 cars still in the race and eliminated Keselowski and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson from contention. This was the first of four cautions in the final 25 laps. 

RELATED: Full results from race

KEY DRIVERS: Ryan Blaney finished as the runner-up, and despite a strong show of speed from him to open 2020, this is his only top-five and top-10 finish so far in the season. In his first NASCAR Cup Series race back at Roush Fenway Racing, Chris Buescher finished third. Ryan Newman finished ninth even with his involvement in a last-lap wreck. Jimmie Johnson opened his final full-time season with a 35th-place finish after he was in a wreck on Lap 184.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. Ryan Newman’s last-lap wreck sidelined him for the next three races. Ross Chastain filled in for Newman while during that time, but last month, the veteran driver was medically cleared to return when the season resumes.

2. Denny Hamlin strengthened his Hall of Fame case with a third Daytona 500 crown. The other drivers with at least three Daytona 500 wins – Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty – are all in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Unlike those five, Hamlin does not yet have a NASCAR Cup Series title. The victory looked to be a sign of Joe Gibbs Racing picking up where it left off from 2019, but to date, it’s the organization’s lone Cup Series win of the season.

3. Ryan Blaney’s crew-chief change pays early dividends. The speed shown at Daytona by Blaney was a trend NASCAR would see over the early weeks with new crew chief Todd Gordon. Blaney was strong at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway before late-race misfortunes impacted his finishing position in those races.

4. Chris Buescher scored his first NASCAR Cup Series top five since 2018 in his first start with Roush Fenway Racing. The 27-year-old made the move back to the Roush program after three seasons with JTG Daugherty Racing, and his season-opening top five served noticed that he would be a points factor in the playoff race.

5. David Ragan, Brendan Gaughan and Corey LaJoie nabbed top-10 finishes to open the season. LaJoie is the only one of the three who is running full time, while Gaughan has become strictly a superspeedway racer (and 2020 is his final year of that) and Ragan just retired from full-time racing after 2019. Ragan finished fourth, while Gaughan finished seventh and LaJoie finished eighth. John Hunter Nemechek was the highest finishing rookie – 11th – in a trend that would show the driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford routinely getting the most out of his ride.

6. William Byron was the trendy breakout pick for the 2020 season, but the 2020 Bluegreen Vacations Duel No. 2 winner finished last in the Daytona 500 in what amounted to a junior-year jinx. The 2020 season has started slow for Byron with his lone top 10 coming in the last of the four races so far (Phoenix Raceway) and his 19th-place position in the standings being the lowest of all four Hendrick Motorsports cars – the other three are all in the top five in points.

2020 SEASON REFRESHERS

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Gaunt Brothers Racing, which fields the No. 96 Toyota Camry for driver Daniel Suárez in the NASCAR Cup Series, has hired Nick Ollila (pronounced Oh-li-lah) as its technical director, with the motorsports veteran overseeing the team’s engineering department.

Ollila comes to Gaunt Brothers Racing after a three-year stint as the technical director for Kelly Racing in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. The Warren, Michigan-native returned to the United States late last week in time for the resumption of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, which begins May 17 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway as NASCAR becomes one of the first major North American sports to return to action since the COVID-19 pandemic.

MORE: Stage lengths, procedures for May events

“Nick brings considerable insight into what we’re doing with our current inventory of race cars and what we’ll be doing with our Next Gen car in 2022,” said Marty Gaunt, president and CEO, Gaunt Brothers Racing. “He has deep experience in all forms of motorsports, specifically in embracing technology and managing people. Nick also has a strong rapport with our partner Toyota, as many of the people he worked with when he was at Red Bull are the same people there today. He’ll be able to hit the ground running, which is good, because with two to three races a week, we’re all going to be running.”

Gaunt first worked with Ollila in 1997 when the two were at Kranefuss-Haas Racing. Gaunt was the general manager of the NASCAR Cup Series team and Ollila was its chief engineer. Their NASCAR paths crossed again 10 years later when both worked at Red Bull Racing – Gaunt as general manager and Ollila as chief aerodynamicist.

“It’s the people who make the cars go, and Nick has been making cars go since the early ‘70s,” Gaunt said. “We’re lucky to have a lot of long-term employees who have been with us for 10 years, but scaling up from running a part-time schedule to a full schedule meant bringing in more people. Coming up with the recipe of having all the right people in all the right places isn’t easy, but Nick is a good chef.”

NASCAR is where Ollila has spent the bulk of his career, which includes being the drivetrain specialist at Rod Osterlund Racing in 1980 when Dale Earnhardt won the first of his seven NASCAR Cup Series championships.

“Motorsports is my passion, and I’m proud to have turned it into a career,” Ollila said. “I’ve spent time in a variety of racing series, but NASCAR is the one that intrigues me the most. The level of competition is unmatched, so success is very satisfying. I’ve known and worked with Marty Gaunt and many of the people at Gaunt Brothers Racing for years. They’ve got a great foundation and they’re building for the future, and I’m very happy to be a part of shaping that future.”

Ollila’s racing career began at Team Penske in 1972 as a mechanic. He prepared cars for each of the series in which the organization competed; a lineup that included IndyCar, NASCAR, Can-Am, Formula 5000, sports cars and Formula One.

NASCAR became Ollila’s focus in late 1976. He joined DiGard Racing as the team’s drivetrain specialist, working with NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip until the end of the 1978 season, whereupon he went to work for Osterlund.

IndyCar and Penske beckoned in 1982, and Ollila returned as the team’s engine builder, enjoying four championships (1982, 1983, 1985 and 1988) and four Indianapolis 500 victories (1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988).

Posted on by Staff Report

Keep this handy guide by your side when watching your next NASCAR race to stay in the know with stock-car racing terminology:

Camber: The amount a tire is tilted in or out from vertical. Described in degrees, either positive or negative.

Dirty air: Aerodynamic term for the turbulent air currents caused by fast-moving cars that can cause a particular car to lose control or find difficulty in passing.

Downforce: A combination of aerodynamic and centrifugal forces that help “plant” a race car to the ground. The more downforce, the more grip a car has. But more downforce also means more drag, which can rob a race car of speed.

Drafting: The practice of two or more cars, while racing, to run nose-to-tail, almost touching. The lead car, by displacing the air in front of it, creates a vacuum between its rear end and the nose of the following car, actually pulling the second car along with it.

RELATED: How to follow the races on NASCAR.com

Drag: The resistance a car experiences when passing through air at high speeds. A resisting force exerted on a car parallel to its air stream and opposite in direction to its motion.

Groove: Slang term for the best route around the race track; the most efficient or quickest way around the track for a particular driver. The “high groove” takes a car closer to the outside wall for most of a lap, while the “low groove” takes a car closer to the apron than the outside wall. Road racers use the term “line.” Drivers search for a fast groove, and that has been known to change depending on track and weather conditions.

Loose: Also known as “oversteer.” When the rear tires of the car have trouble sticking in the corners. This causes the car to “fishtail” as the rear end swings outward during turns. A minor amount of this effect can be desirable on certain tracks.

Quarter-panel: The sheet metal on both sides of the car from the C-post to the rear bumper below the deck lid and above the wheel well.

Round (of wedge): Slang term for a way of making chassis adjustments utilizing the race car’s springs. A wrench is inserted in a jack bolt attached to the springs, and is used to tighten or loosen the amount of play in the spring. This in turn can loosen or tighten up the handling of a race car.

SAFER barrier: The Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barrier system — SAFER, for short — is an impact-absorbing wall of welded steel tubing backed by foam. The majority of tracks where NASCAR national series compete have SAFER barriers lining the retaining walls as a safety measure, designed to reduce the energy of crashes.

Short pit: The strategy of pitting well before running out of fuel, getting fresh tires to make up time on the front-runners and theoretically taking the lead once those lead cars need to pit. Short pitting puts a car on an alternate pit cycle and could be beneficial or not depending in part upon how cautions fall the rest of the race.

Side drafting: When a car races alongside another car and “dumps” air flow from that car’s nose to the spoiler of the other car, causing the other car to lose momentum and allowing the side-drafting car to pull away. It’s a strategy used on larger tracks such as Talladega, Daytona and Michigan.

Slingshot: A maneuver in which a car following the leader in a draft suddenly steers around it, breaking the vacuum; this can provide an extra burst of speed that allows the second car to take the lead.

Splitter: Runs the entire width of the car at the front and sometimes appears as if it’s touching the ground. What the spoiler does for downforce in the back of the car, the splitter provides downforce to the front. Damage to the splitter can be difficult to overcome because of the important role it plays in the aerodynamics of the car.

Spoiler: A metal blade attached to the rear deck lid of the car. It helps restrict airflow over the rear of the car, providing downforce and traction.

Tapered spacer: A metal piece that limits how much air gets into the engine cylinder, which in turn limits how much fuel can go into the cylinder and reduces the amount of energy produced.

Tight: Also known as “understeer.” A car is said to be tight if the front wheels lose traction before the rear wheels do. A tight race car doesn’t seem able to steer sharply enough through the turns. Instead, the front end continues toward the wall.

Track bar: A lateral bar that keeps the rear tires centered within the body of the car. It connects the frame on one side and the rear axle on the other. Changes to the track bar settings affect the weight distribution of the car and how it moves through the corners on the track. Also called the panhard bar.

‘Tower’: Short for race control tower, it’s the term used by racing officials and teams in radio communications to address the NASCAR race director for a given event. Fans, teams and spotters listening on the race officials’ scanner channel will hear frequent references to “tower” for race control.

Wave around: Lapped cars that do not pit during a regular yellow-flag pit cycle are allowed to take a “wave around” past the pace car once the one-to-go signal is given during that caution period. This procedure ensures that lead-lap cars restart at the front of the field. Wave-around cars restart at the rear of the field, but they are placed in front of cars that have received a penalty.

Posted on by Staff Report

Fresh off its run in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and due to popular demand, North Wilkesboro Speedway will be made available to iRacing users starting on Monday, May 11.

Originally, the track was going to be released to iRacing users in June.

Last December, Dale Earnhardt Jr. led an effort to help clean up the historic track so that iRacing could scan the .625-mile layout for its online sim racing service.

RELATED: Hamlin wins Pro Invitational Series race at North Wilkesboro | Rewatch last Cup race 

Posted on by Staff Report

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

Note: All times are ET.

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

RELATED: How to follow races on NASCAR.com

Monday, May 11
1 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1994 Coca-Cola 600 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
1:30 a.m., eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at virtual North Wilkesboro (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, May 12
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, May 13
4 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., Greatest Races: TBD (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
10:30 p.m., Greatest Races: 2013 Auto Club 400 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

Thursday, May 14
3 p.m., eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at virtual North Wilkesboro (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1993 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

Friday, May 15
7 p.m., Greatest Races: 2013 Auto Club 400 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
10 p.m., Greatest Races: TBD (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Saturday, May 16
9 a.m., Greatest Races: 1996 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at Bristol (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
6:30 p.m., Greatest Races: 1996 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at Bristol (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1993 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Sunday, May 17
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1998 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
6:30 a.m., NASCAR’s Greatest Races: 2012 Bojangles’ Southern 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
3 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX/FOX Sports App
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series The Real Heroes 400, FOX/FOX Sports App | HOW TO FOLLOW
10 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series race The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR driver Daniel Hemric and his wife, Kenzie, welcomed their first child just before the clock officially turned to Mother’s Day with the birth of baby girl Rhen Haven Hemric at 11:56 p.m. on Saturday, May 9.

Racing will certainly be in her blood as her dad is the 2019 Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Cup Series and is running a partial schedule behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. Her mom competed in what was called the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East from 2013 to 2015.

Congrats to the Hemric family on their new addition.

Posted on by Staff Report

Here are the race results from the finale of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series North Wilkesboro 160 at virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Fin Str Car Driver Mfr Led Status
1 9 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 24 Running
2 25 66 Timmy Hill Toyota 0 Running
3 3 31 Tyler Reddick Chevrolet 0 Running
4 8 6 Ross Chastain Ford 31 Running
5 11 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 0 Running
6 6 51 Garrett Smithley Chevrolet 0 Running
7 15 15 Brennan Poole Chevrolet 0 Running
8 10 77 Parker Kligerman Toyota 0 Running
9 13 4 Kevin Harvick Ford 0 Running
10 12 89 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 0 Running
11 21 52 JJ Yeley Ford 0 Running
12 29 14 Clint Bowyer Ford 0 Running
13 22 21 Jon Wood Ford 0 Running
14 26 95 Christopher Bell Toyota 61 Running
15 5 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 0 Running
16 1 41 Cole Custer Ford 12 Running
17 28 53 Joey Gase Ford 0 Running
18 23 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 0 Running
19 16 018 Bobby Labonte Toyota 0 Running
20 14 19 Martin Truex Jr Toyota 0 Running
21 24 17 Chris Buescher Ford 0 Running
22 17 20 Erik Jones Toyota 0 Running
23 20 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 0 Disconnected
24 7 38 John H. Nemechek Ford 0 Disconnected
25 4 32 Corey LaJoie Ford 0 Disconnected
26 19 10 Aric Almirola Ford 0 Disconnected
27 2 37 Ryan Preece Chevrolet 32 Disconnected
28 27 34 Michael McDowell Ford 0 Disconnected
29 18 13 Ty Dillon Chevrolet 0 Disqualified
Posted on by Holly Cain

Denny Hamlin’s bump-and-run virtual victory in the North Wilkesboro 160 at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway on Saturday afternoon book-ended an impressive showing in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series for Hamlin, this year’s Daytona 500 winner. The race served as a competitive send-off for the resumption of the marquee NASCAR Cup Series next weekend at the very real Darlington Raceway.

Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, also won the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series inaugural race at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway seven weeks ago kicking off a fun, well-received series of virtual races as the sport took time off during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED: Full results | Paint schemes

This weekend, Hamlin had to nudge Ross Chastain’s car in the waning laps to take the checkered flag, holding off one of iRacing’s best, Timmy Hill, by 0.914 seconds to claim a dramatic second win. Hamlin joins Hendrick Motorsport’s William Byron, a three-time race winner, as the only two multi-time race winners during the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series competition.

“Talk about a bump-and-run, it’s a textbook way to do it, move him out of the groove, but you don’t wreck him,” Hamlin said of his battle with Chastain, who spun Hamlin in retribution on the virtual cool-down lap.

NASCAR Cup Series rookie and Richard Childress Racing driver Tyler Reddick finished third. Chastain rallied to fourth, and Austin Dillon out-dueled another iRacing star, Garrett Smithley, for the fifth position.

Smithley, Brennan Poole, Parker Kligerman, Kevin Harvick and Landon Cassill rounded out the top 10 in what was a high-action day at the historic venue’s iRacing debut. The race was essentially made possible by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who led the charge in getting the .625-mile oval on the iRacing platform, which opened it up for its first-ever competition Saturday.

Earnhardt finished 15th, and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who won the last NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro on Sept. 29, 1996, finished 18th.

It was a busy day at the track, with eight caution periods for 53 laps. NASCAR Cup Series rookie Christopher Bell led a race-high 61 laps, finishing 14th in the Leavine Family Racing Toyota. Chastain led 31 laps, and Hamlin was out front for 24 of the 160 laps.

Hamlin conceded getting the last win heading back into regular-season competition was a boost in confidence. Prior to the break in action, Hamlin had already earned his third Daytona 500 victory in the season opener and is ranked 11th in the championship points standings with his NASCAR Playoffs ticket already punched.

“I can only speak for me, but yeah, sure, I’m way more excited than if I wouldn’t have won,” Hamlin said. “Winning the last iRace, the first and the last one, it’s significant. We have millions of people watching. It’s good publicity for my sponsors. It’s good for me and my confidence.

“We know, every driver knows, that everything is equal. There is no advantage for anybody. It’s about who can hone their craft in iRacing. … It’s not like playing Madden or NBA 2K where you’re using your hand-eye coordination pushing the buttons. You’re using the gas, brakes, running two at the same time, steering wheel. Everything is the same. I take pride in that.”

Hill, who started 25th in the 29-car grid, earned his sixth top-three finish in the seven eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series events.

“Well, it’s been a fun experience, we had the best average and capped the finish off finishing second at North Wilkesboro,” Hill said. “We can’t wait to get back to racing at Darlington next week. I’ve really enjoyed what this was but can’t wait to get back to driving what we normally do.”

Regular competition resumes at the venerable Darlington egg-shaped oval May 17 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with a 400-miler. Kevin Harvick, who finished ninth Saturday, leads the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings by a single point over Joey Logano, whose already won twice in the four races to date.

Hamlin was, as one may anticipate, extremely eager to get racing again. No fans will be allowed at Darlington, and there are strict social distancing standards applied to teams, drivers and crews. But Hamlin is optimistic the racing will be as good and compelling as ever.

“I think all-in-all it’s going to be like an old shoe,” Hamlin said. “I don’t think from the TV’s perspective, fans will see anything different than just a normal race that they would normally see at Darlington.”

In addition to the NASCAR Cup Series race, the NASCAR action will continue at Darlington with a 200-mile NASCAR Xfinity Series race May 19 (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and a second NASCAR Cup Series event (500K) May 20 (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

This is your hub for NASCAR news and information in regards to the coronavirus outbreak and its impact in the sport. Bookmark this page and check back often for updates.

LATEST NASCAR CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS

On August 15, Richard Childress Racing announced that Austin Dillon had self-reported a positive COVID-19 test and would miss the race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Kaz Grala will fill in behind the wheel of the No. 3 for that event. | Full story

On August 6, NASCAR set the remainder of its 2020 schedule including the playoff schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. The Cup Playoffs were unchanged while there were a handful of changes to the tracks that will make up the Xfinity and Gander Trucks postseasons. | Full story

On July 8, NASCAR set the remainder of its August schedule that will include six NASCAR Cup Series races, five NASCAR Xfinity Series race, four Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races and four ARCA Menards Series races. All four series will race at the Daytona road course, which takes the place at Watkins Glen International on the schedule. | Full story

On July 8, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Jimmie Johnson had been cleared to return to action for the July 12 race at Kentucky Speedway. Johnson had self-reported a positive COVID-19 test last week. | Full story

On July 3, Hendrick Motorsports revealed that Jimmie Johnson self-reported that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would miss the Indianapolis race. Justin Allgaier will fill in for Johnson in the No. 48 in the July 5 race. | Full story 

On June 19, Stewart-Haas Racing issued a statement that two of its shop employees tested positive for COVID-19. The following day Team Penske issued a statement indicating an employee had tested positive. | Full story

On June 15, The NASCAR All-Star Race was shifted from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Bristol Motor Speedway for the July 15 event that is expected to have fans in attendance. Texas Motor Speedway announced on June 19 that its Sunday Cup race on July 19 will also have fans in attendance. | Full story

On June 9, NASCAR announced its plans to reintroduce guests at select NASCAR Cup Series races beginning with the June 14 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and June 21 at Talladega Superspeedway. It will be a limited number at the outset: Up to 1,000 South Florida service members as honorary guests for the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami and up to 5,000 guests in the frontstretch grandstands/towers for the GEICO 500 at Talladega. | Full story 

On June 4, NASCAR announced its third installment in the revamped 2020 schedule. This update included events taking place at Pocono Raceway on the final weekend of June through a NASCAR Cup Series race on Aug. 2 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The NASCAR All-Star Race is in this batch of updates, and that will take place on July 15 (a Wednesday) at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This round of updates includes seven points-paying Cup Series races, six Xfinity races, five Gander Trucks races and three ARCA Menards Series races.| Full story

On May 14, NASCAR added to its return to racing schedule with the addition of dates at Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Dates at these tracks will include the three national series and the ARCA Menards Series will make its return with a date at Talladega. Spring dates at Kansas Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course have been postponed while the slate set for Iowa Speedway this year has been canceled. One of Iowa’s Xfinity Series race has been reassigned to Homestead-Miami Speedway. | Full story

NASCAR announced May 8 a 2020 schedule realignment that shifts dates away from Chicagoland Speedway, Richmond Raceway (spring) and Sonoma Raceway. The races originally scheduled for those tracks have been reassigned to Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. | Full story

NASCAR announced April 30 a revised May schedule as racing returns May 17 at Darlington Raceway, the first of seven races in an 11-day span that will also include events at Charlotte Motor Speedway. These races will be conducted without fans in attendance as NASCAR officials have collaborated with public health officials, medical experts and local, state and federal officials to create a comprehensive plan to ensure the health and safety of competitors and surrounding communities at these events. | Full story

Previous updates:

NASCAR postpones all races through May 9

NASCAR statement on Virginia’s stay-at-home order

NASCAR President Steve Phelps’ letter to the fans

Steve Phelps provides industry update to media

NASCAR postpones all races through May 3

TRACK/OTHER RESPONSES

• NASCAR R&D Center: The NASCAR Research & Development Center is printing face shields for local hospitals and doctors to help protect medical professionals as they treat COVID-19. Right now, hospitals in North Carolina and Georgia will be receiving masks that are made at the Concord, North Carolina, facility. NASCAR’s senior director of aerodynamics and vehicle performance, Eric Jacuzzi, explained the process to NASCAR.com’s Alex Weaver in this video.

• Charlotte Motor Speedway: In partnership with the speedway, Atrium Health has created a Coronavirus Testing Center at zMAX Dragway, part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex. The remote testing site provides a convenient location for residents of northern Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties to have their tests performed, when ordered by their physician. Testing for COVID-19 is conducted without patients having to get out of their cars, which reduces the possibility of infecting other patients and healthcare workers. Tests are administered by appointment only from your physician.

• Atlanta Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for March 13-15 and rescheduling without fans in attendance for June 6-7.

• Bristol Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for April 3-5 and rescheduling without fans in attendance for May 30-31. Message to fans and ticket-holders about having a limited number of fans for the Sept. 18-19 events at the track.

• Canadian Tire Motorsport Park: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the cancellation of the Sept. 4-6 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race weekend. 

• Charlotte Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the running of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24 without fans in attendance. The track also has a message to ticketholders for the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race, which has been moved to July 15 and will now be held at Bristol Motor Speedway.

• Chicagoland Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the June 18-21 race weekend cancellation.

• Darlington Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about limited fan attendance for Sept. 6 Southern 500.

• Daytona International Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the addition of the Aug. 14-16 race weekend. A limited number of fans will be allowed to attend the Aug. 14-16 race weekend at the Daytona road course as well as the Aug. 28-29 race weekend adhering to social distancing policies and procedures.

• Dover International Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the doubleheader weekend set for Aug. 21-23 that will be held without fans in attendance. 

• Eldora Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the cancellation of the July 29-30 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race week.

• Homestead-Miami Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for March 20-22 and rescheduling for June 13-14. See the track message about the track hosting up to 1,000 South Florida service members for the June 14 Dixie Vodka 400.

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about holding July 4-5 race weekend without fans.

• Iowa Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the June 12-13 and July 31-August 1 race weekend cancellations.

• Kansas Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for May 30-31 and rescheduling without fans in attendance for July 23-25.

• Kentucky Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about holding July 9-11 race weekend without fans.

• Martinsville Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for May 8-9 and rescheduling without fans in attendance for June 10.

• Michigan International Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for June 5-7 and the rescheduling to a doubleheader weekend on Aug. 7-9 without fans in attendance.

• Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for May 29-30. The race has since been canceled. 

• NASCAR Hall of Fame and team shops: Read here to learn about how the Hall and teams are taking precautions and closing to the public.

• New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders regarding the moving of the Cup race from July 19 to August 2. Read the message about track allowing fans via social distancing guidelines for Aug. 2 race.

• Pocono Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about holding June 26-28 race weekend without fans. 

• Richmond Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the April 17-19 race weekend cancellation. Message to fans and ticket-holders about the Sept. 10-12 race weekend to be run without fans. 

• Sonoma Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the June 12-14 race weekend cancellation.

• Talladega Superspeedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for April 24-26 and rescheduling for June 20-21. See the track message about limited fan attendance for the June 21 GEICO 500. 

• Texas Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for March 27-29 and the rescheduling to July 18-19. See the track message regarding fans being allowed at the track for the July 19 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.

• Watkins Glen International: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the Aug. 14-16 race weekend cancellation.

• World Wide Technology Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the change in race weekend for the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series to August 30.

• Racing Electronics: Message to subscribers about postponed NASCAR events.

• Wood Brothers Racing: Providing tablets for seniors; find out more.

• Richard Childress Racing: Team owner Richard Childress is auctioning off rare memorabilia to help the effort against COVID-19; learn more here.

• Roush Fenway Racing: The race team’s shop is manufacturing a device similar to that of a “sneeze guard” at a salad bar; learn more here.

• Team Penske: The organization is assisting Stratasys — a technical partner for Team Penske — by making 3D-printed face shields at the race shop.

• TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold: Free access to racing fans through May 1; find out more here.

MORE: NASCAR Acceleration Nation offers at-home STEM learning

NASCAR TIMELINE

  • August 6: NASCAR set the remainder of its 2020 schedule including the playoff schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. The Cup Playoffs were unchanged while there were a handful of changes to the tracks that will make up the Xfinity and Gander Trucks postseasons. The lineup formula for all three national series was altered with that adjustment taking place starting with the Daytona Road Course race weekend on Aug. 14-16. A choose rule will also be in play for restarts across all three national series with the exception of road courses and the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega and that rule will take effect starting with the Michigan race weekend on Aug. 7-9.
  • July 8: NASCAR set the remainder of its August schedule that will include six NASCAR Cup Series races, five NASCAR Xfinity Series race, four Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races and four ARCA Menards Series races. All four series will race at the Daytona road course, which takes the place at Watkins Glen International on the schedule.
  • June 15: The NASCAR All-Star Race shifts from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Bristol Motor Speedway. The plan is to have a limited number of fans in attendance for the July 15 event. 
  • June 9: NASCAR reveals its third round of 2020 schedule updates that includes events at Pocono Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
  • May 14: NASCAR adds to its return to racing schedule with dates at Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR also announces plans to reassign 2020 races at Iowa Speedway and postpones spring race weekends at Kansas Speedway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Michigan International Speedway.
  • May 8: NASCAR reassigns 2020 races at Chicagoland Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Richmond Raceway to new COVID-19 schedule.
  • May 5: NASCAR postpones Hall of Fame voting originally scheduled for May 20. 
  • April 30: NASCAR announces revised May schedule with racing set to return at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
  • April 17: NASCAR postpones race event at Martinsville Speedway scheduled for May 8-9.
  • April 2: NASCAR delays the Next Gen car debut until the 2022 NASCAR Cup series season.
  • March 24: FOX announces commitment to air eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.
  • March 17: NASCAR bans all testing (not directly related to the Next Gen car) until further notice.
  • March 16: NASCAR postpones race events through May 3, in accordance with recent CDC guidance.
  • March 13: NASCAR postpones race weekends at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway because of the coronavirus outbreak.

JAYSKI: NASCAR expands its partnership with Clean Harbors

SCHEDULE UPDATES

NASCAR HALL OF FAME/RACE SHOPS

DRIVER RESPONSE

  • Denny Hamlin: Hamlin and sponsor FedEx are teaming up to donate 60,000 meals to the food bank in his hometown of Chesterfield, Virginia. | LEARN MORE …. Hamlin is the latest athlete to join the ALL IN Challenge, which has pegged itself as the largest digital fundraiser ever. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver and three-time Daytona 500 winner announced Tuesday he’s offering up the opportunity to play Michael Jordan’s new exclusive golf club in Florida alongside himself and PGA Tour’s Bubba Watson. That’s not all. In addition to the round of golf, the package will feature a private flight and VIP access to the 2021 Daytona 500. | LEARN MORE
  • Kyle Busch: Like Hamlin, the reigning Cup Series champion has joined Fanatics’ ALL IN Challenge, offering up a VIP experience for two guests to a future race. | LEARN MORE
  • Watch as drivers give thanks to those fighting COVID-19
  • Kurt Busch: Joins the ALL IN Challenge by offering a dream Las Vegas race weekend that is up for bid. | LEARN MORE
  • Joey Logano: The Joey Logano Foundation in partnership with Elevation Outreach has established a $1 million COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund. The funding will address a variety of needs throughout the greater Charlotte area and communities across the United States, including educational equity and access, medical supplies, food distribution and financial shortages. | LEARN MORE
  • Jimmie Johnson: The seven-time champ has set up a fundraising effort for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Inc. where anyone who donates at least $25 will be entered to win signed Jimmie Johnson race-worn shoes. The winner will be selected randomly at the conclusion of the fundraising period after May 1. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Inc. is an organization that has started the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund which focuses on supporting local nonprofit organizations working in areas identified as having high numbers of affected individuals and those who are working with the most vulnerable populations in these areas to help build their capacity for response. Learn more about the efforts | DONATE TODAY
  • How industry, drivers, partners are responding to coronavirus

eNASCAR

NASCAR and iRacing announced the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, an exhibition esports series featuring many of the sport’s most talented and popular drivers. The multi-week series kicked off March 22 at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway and continued while NASCAR regulars were away from the track. | More about the series

Make iRacing picks with the eNASCAR Finish Line app

FOX commits to televising Pro Invitational Series iRacing events

THROWBACK RACES ON YOUTUBE

Check back with us regularly as we unearth some gems from our vault for your viewing enjoyment.

  • This week’s race: Tim Richmond outduels Dale Earnhardt in 1986 at Riverside for Richmond’s seventh win of the season. | WATCH

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION