Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Cup Series drivers, NASCAR Hall of Famers and more took to social media to send out their congratulations to Hall of Fame Class of 2021 inductees — Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mike Stefanik and Red Farmer.

RELATED: Dale Jr. ups legacy with Hall nod | Titles, popularity define Stefanik | Farmer’s legend stands tall

Following Tuesday’s reveal, take a look at what others had to say.

https://twitter.com/keselowski/status/1273050593419026433

https://twitter.com/odsteve/status/1273077533945270272

 

Posted on by Zack Albert

Editor’s note: NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert is among the 66 voting members — including the fan vote — casting ballots to elect the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021. This year marks his third time participating in Voting Day. Here, he reveals the reasoning behind the three choices on his ballot, a handful of honorable mentions and his pick for the Landmark Award.

Class of 2021 selections

Dale Earnhardt Jr. — On a purely statistical basis, Earnhardt’s merits as a two-time Daytona 500 champ, a 26-time premier series winner and a two-time Busch (now Xfinity) Series champion deserve strong consideration. But how often does an ambassador for the sport — a transcendent one who fully appreciates its rich history — come across the ballot? This was a layup among a field of tough choices.

Mike Stefanik — It’s not often that a nine-time champion appears on the ballot, either. Stefanik is just as deserving as Richie Evans and Jerry Cook, the Modified legends who were enshrined before him. Checking the box beside his name serves as a reminder that the Hall of Fame is for all NASCAR standouts, not just those who achieved fame at the Cup Series level.

Red Farmer — The longevity is one thing for a driver who still competes regularly at Talladega’s dirt track at age 87 — he actually finished 10th on Saturday night before Voting Day. But his accomplishments in winning four championships at what would be equivalent to a national-series title today pushed him over the top for my Pioneer Ballot vote. Having serious Alabama Gang founders cred didn’t hurt either.

Honorable mentions: Neil Bonnett’s winsome resume as a driver and able broadcaster provided some appeal (and will in future votes). Kirk Shelmerdine’s link to the championship campaigns of Dale Earnhardt should usher his way to the Hall sooner than later. And the timeless Hershel McGriff, a legend in NASCAR’s westward series and a four-time Cup winner, will rise to the top of my queue for Pioneer consideration next year.

Landmark Award

Ralph Seagraves — The longtime R.J. Reynolds marketer and promoter helped cultivate a period of tremendous growth for stock-car racing from a regional to a national sport in the Winston Cup era. Seagraves’ influence also provided a model for what was possible in sports marketing and sponsorship. T. Wayne Robertson, who followed Seagraves as an apprentice to become RJR’s sports marketing chief, should follow him onto the Landmark Award ballot for consideration in years to come.

Posted on by Zack Albert

The NASCAR Hall of Fame announced Tuesday its three inductees for the Class of 2021, with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mike Stefanik and Red Farmer set for enshrinement next winter.

The three-member class was the first elected under new voting rules, with nominees divided into Modern Era and Pioneer Era groups. Two were chosen from a field of 10 Modern Era nominees, and one was selected from a group of five on the Pioneer Era ballot for legends whose careers began more than 60 years ago.

Earnhardt — a two-time Daytona 500 winner who was chosen as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver 15 times — led all nominees with 76 percent of the vote, winning induction on his first year on the ballot. Stefanik — a nine-time champion in Modified and Busch North (now ARCA East) competition — was the other Modern Era selection, appearing on 49 percent of ballots cast in his seventh year of eligibility. Ricky Rudd and Neil Bonnett were the next top vote-getters in the Modern Era category.

Farmer, a founding member of the Alabama Gang and a four-time regional champion in NASCAR’s early days, topped the Pioneer Era list with 71 percent of the vote. Hershel McGriff and Banjo Matthews were the next-highest candidates receiving votes.

RELATED: Full list of 2021 Hall of Fame nominees

Ralph Seagraves, the R.J. Reynolds marketing chief who lifted the sport during the Winston Cup era of growth, was chosen as the 2021 Landmark Award winner for outstanding contributions to NASCAR.

Earnhardt retired from full-time competition in 2017, compiling 26 premier-series wins and collecting two championships in what is now called the Xfinity Series in his career. The 45-year-old has stayed active in the sport since stepping away from a full-time role, maintaining the JR Motorsports organization as a team owner in the Xfinity Series and joining NBC Sports as an on-air analyst in 2018.

His sincerity in addressing the media immediately after his selection was announced was indicative of the humble and heartfelt manner he conducted his career. He insisted with a smile that he was more nervous Tuesday after a morning root canal at his dentist than waiting for the results of the NASCAR Hall of Fame voting.

“When that list of nominees came out I was so honored to be on that sheet,’’ Earnhardt said. “I couldn’t believe my name was on that sheet to be honest with you. I know those guys and their body of work. I was good with just being on the sheet and was going to be happy with that. It’s such a great feeling that someone feels like I made an impact on the sport. And I know my numbers, the wins, the lack of a championship, I know what my numbers are. And I feel like I was chosen based on that but also based on the impact off the race track and being an ambassador for the sport.”

Stefanik amassed 74 Whelen Modified Tour wins in a wide-ranging career that included winning Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in 1999 at age 41. He also won Modified and Busch North titles in the same season twice (1997-98). Stefanik died last September in a plane crash at age 61.

Farmer, 87, still competes as a short-track weekend warrior, but his career spanned a variety of series. He made just 36 Cup Series starts, but was a three-time Late Model Sportsman (now Xfinity Series) champion and a one-time Modified title winner. Staying true to his racer roots, Farmer said that earlier Tuesday he was working on getting his backup car ready for this weekend’s events at the Talladega Short Track after a bump-up competing last week.

“I had to catch my breath there for a minute,’’ a smiling Farmer said of hearing the NASCAR Hall of Fame news. “This is the biggest honor you could ever get. … I started down there on the beach (at Daytona) in 1953. I’ve been in NASCAR a long time and got to run against a lot of great drivers.”

Voting Day was held the previous Tuesday on June 9, with the voting panel conducting a virtual meeting through a video teleconference as COVID-19 restrictions remain in place. The panel consisted of 65 former drivers, inductees, NASCAR executives, industry leaders and media members, plus one vote reserved for fan balloting.

The official fan ballot, which counted as a formal vote, was for Earnhardt Jr., Neil Bonnett and Farmer.

Contributing: Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials handed down a pair of NASCAR Cup Series lug-nut penalties after Sunday night’s Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Official Homestead race results

James Small, crew chief for the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team of Martin Truex Jr., and Chad Johnston, crew chief for the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team of Matt Kenseth, were each fined $10,000 after their cars were found to have one lug nut not safe and secure during post-race inspection at the 1.5-mile Florida intermediate track. Truex finished 12th, while Kenseth finished 25th.

There were also several penalties incurred across NASCAR’s other two national series. In addition to the previously announced penalties to the No. 98 Ford team of Chase Briscoe for a pre-race ballast loss penalty, the Nos. 11, 19 and 26, driven by Justin Haley, Brandon Jones and Colin Garrett, respectively, were each found to have one lug nut not safe and secure during post-race inspection. Crew chiefs Alexander Yontz, Jeff Meendering and Bryan Smith, respectively, were each fined $5,000.

In the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, the No. 51 Toyota, driven to Victory Lane by Kyle Busch, was found to have a track bar mount and support that did not meet rule specifications and the team was assessed with a loss of 10 owner points.  The No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet, driven to a third-place finish by Ross Chastain, was found to have a lug nut not properly installed, and crew chief Paul Clapprood was fined $2,500.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns on Sunday for the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

The calendar doesn’t officially turn to summer until this weekend, but things are heating up at NASCAR’s top level.

After a contentious battle for the lead that turned into a wreck between Joey Logano and Chase Elliott late last month at Bristol Motor Speedway — and also resulted in an animated discussion on pit road following the race — it didn’t take long for the ramifications to become apparent. Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Elliott was attempting to hold off Denny Hamlin for the lead in the closing laps, but there was a car in his way — the No. 22 Team Penske Ford of Logano, off the lead lap.

RELATED: Late-race crash foils Elliott, Logano in Bristol thriller

Logano held up Elliott enough to allow Hamlin to move into the lead and then slip away to Victory Lane as Elliott settled for a runner-up finish.

“Yeah, of course (I drove him differently),” Logano told Sporting News two days after the race, while talking about his new role as a Panini trading card ambassador. “You race people the way they race you. You can’t do things without repercussions of some sort. You cost me a win, I cost you a win. Those types of things go like that.

“I would assume that everyone kind of understands how that stuff works. And you kind of move on from there.”

Elliott refused to acknowledge Logano’s exploits directly after the race, only saying succinctly that he “just needed to get through lapped traffic better.”

We’re only about a third of the way through the 2020 NASCAR Cup schedule, with plenty of potential payback spots left on the docket should these guys decide it’s not over yet — not to mention $1 million suddenly up for grabs in the recently-announced All-Star Race at the track started all this.

So, has Logano already fulfilled his end of the restitution and is now ready to move on?

“We’ll see,” he said.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR will utilize a new paint scheme concept for the July 15 All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, one which moves the car numbers backward on the vehicle toward the rear wheel.

The one-race experiment comes at the request of the teams, who will use the newfound prime real estate for sponsorship integrations. A rendering of the cars and numbers location is above.

NASCAR will ultimately take feedback from teams, sponsors and fans before deciding on any potential changes for the future.

NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell confirmed the one-race test in a series of tweets Monday evening.

https://twitter.com/odsteve/status/1272693615169601537

https://twitter.com/odsteve/status/1272694264439373824

Having numbers positioned to the side of the car is not precedent-setting. In the early 1950s, as NASCAR historian Ken Martin notes, it was not unusual to see numbers by the rear wheels. Such is the case for driver Jimmy Florian, whose victory at Dayton on June 25, 1950, was the first win for manufacturer Ford in NASCAR Cup Series history (and the only win of Florian’s career as well).

RacingOne
RacingOne
Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR today announced the appointment of industry veteran Brandon Thompson to the newly created position of Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, Thompson will lead the sanctioning body’s strategy for diversity and inclusion, as well as programs and initiatives designed to champion and enhance diversity across the NASCAR industry.

Thompson recently served as Managing Director of the NASCAR Touring Series and in his new role will be based in Charlotte, N.C. He will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Content Officer, Jill Gregory.

“Brandon is an established and well-respected leader in our sport who will help NASCAR realize its vision in creating a more diverse industry,” said Gregory. “This new position and Brandon’s appointment reinforces our steadfast commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for our fans, industry and employees.”

Thompson will oversee an existing team of NASCAR employees responsible for multicultural programs and initiatives including the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, as well as strategic alliances with the Institute for Sport and Social Justice and the Diversity and Inclusion Sports Consortium.

The team includes Dawn Harris, who has been elevated to the position of Managing Director, Diversity and Inclusion. Harris will continue to manage diversity programs as well as cultivate and strengthen NASCAR relationships with national and local civic organizations across the country.

Under Thompson’s leadership, NASCAR will look to grow and expand upon the sanctioning body’s current platform with a diversity and inclusion strategy that will extend across the NASCAR industry and position the sport to attract top diverse talent — on and off the track.

“NASCAR has made significant progress in the areas of diversity and inclusion and we now have an opportunity to build on our momentum — both as a company and industry,” said Thompson. “It is with great passion and energy that we will champion our sport as accepting and welcoming of all individuals interested in being part of the NASCAR family.”

Thompson was appointed to oversee the NASCAR Touring Series in 2016. Following NASCAR’s purchase of the ARCA Racing Series, he managed the integration of the NASCAR Pro Series into the ARCA Menards Series and spearheaded the launch of competition under one banner in 2020.

Thompson’s leadership also contributed to the growth of NASCAR’s international series and notably the NASCAR Pinty’s Series in Canada.

Thompson began his career in motorsports as an intern at Nashville Superspeedway in 2003, a role he applied for through the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program. The Nashville native and 17-year industry veteran now becomes the first diversity intern graduate to join NASCAR’s executive ranks as an officer.

As the most visible of NASCAR’s diversity initiatives, the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program has helped create a path to national series competition for multicultural drivers such as Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez. More than 50 graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program are now working in NASCAR, including more than 30 crew member alumni competing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Posted on by Staff Report

Rich with history and talent, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is the sport’s most exclusive club and highest honor.

On Tuesday night, the 2021 Class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be announced live on NASCAR America at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN and the NBC Sports App.

This year’s voting process has been unlike any other.

For starters, voting was done last week, and via Zoom teleconference — due to the COVID-19 pandemic, voting did not happen in person and it did not happen on the same day the class was announced as usual.

RELATED: See every Hall of Fame member

Secondly, this will be the first year the Hall of Fame inducts three members instead of the five that made up the previous 11 classes. There are 15 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021, and it’s the first instance of the Modern Era and Pioneer Ballots. Ten names are on the Modern Era Ballot (two will be selected for the Hall of Fame) and five names on the Pioneer ballot (one will be selected for the Hall of Fame).

The Landmark Award winner also will be announced tonight on NBCSN.

Read more below in advance of tonight’s reveal.

Jason Miczek | Getty Images
Jason Miczek | Getty Images

THIS YEAR’S NOMINEES

Modern Era Ballot

Neil Bonnett, won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 victories 

Jeff Burton, won 21 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the Southern 500 and two Coca-Cola 600s

Dale Earnhardt Jr., 15-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver and two-time Xfinity Series champion

Carl Edwards, winner of 28 NASCAR Cup Series races and 2007 Xfinity Series champion

Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two Southern 500 victories

Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief

Larry Phillips, first five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion

Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400

Kirk Shelmerdine, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief

Mike Stefanik, winner of record-tying nine NASCAR championships

Pioneer Ballot

Jake Elder, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief

Red Farmer, three-time NASCAR Late Model Sportsman champion; 1956 Modified champion

Banjo Matthews, built cars that won more than 250 NASCAR Cup Series races and three championships

Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR West Series champion 

Ralph Moody, two-time NASCAR Cup Series owner champion as mechanical genius of Holman-Moody

Landmark Award

Janet Guthrie, the first female driver to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway race

Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr.

Mike Helton, named third president of NASCAR in 2000; career included track operator roles at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway 

Dr. Joseph Mattioli, founder of Pocono Raceway

Ralph Seagraves, formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

The NASCAR Hall of Fame opened May 11, 2010, and is an interactive entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The 150,000-square-foot facility includes artifacts, exhibits and a 278-person theater. Learn more here about the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

• Class of 2010: Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson, Richard Petty
• Class of 2011: Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson, Lee Petty
• Class of 2012: Richie Evans, Dale Inman, Darrell Waltrip, Glen Wood, Cale Yarborough
• Class of 2013: Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Herb Thomas, Rusty Wallace, Leonard Wood
• Class of 2014: Jack Ingram, Tim Flock, Dale Jarrett, Maurice Petty, Fireball Roberts
• Class of 2015: Bill Elliott, Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly, Rex White
• Class of 2016: Jerry Cook, Bobby Isaac, Terry Labonte, Bruton O. Smith, Curtis Turner
• Class of 2017: Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons
• Class of 2018: Red Byron, Ray Evernham, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Squier, Robert Yates
• Class of 2019: Jeff Gordon, Jack Roush, Roger Penske, Davey Allison, Alan Kulwicki
• Class of 2020: Buddy Baker, Joe Gibbs, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, Waddell Wilson

Posted on by Staff Report

With the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race set for July 15 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the All-Star Race Fan Vote opened on Monday.

Fans can participate by visiting here and voting for their favorite driver. You can only vote for one eligible NASCAR driver per submission and you may only submit one ballot per day per each unique email address.

Here are the drivers eligible for the Fan Vote: Quin Houff, Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Aric Almirola, Ty Dillon, Clint Bowyer, Brennan Poole, Chris Buescher, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Reed Sorenson, Corey LaJoie, Michael McDowell, David Ragan, Ryan Preece, John Hunter Nemechek, Cole Custer, Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chad Finchum, Joey Gase, B.J. McLeod, JJ Yeley, Brendan Gaughan, Timmy Hill, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell and Daniel Suarez.

RELATED: All-Star Race moving from Charlotte to Bristol this year

Drivers are eligible for the Fan Vote by having attempted to qualify for the 2020 Daytona 500. Should a Fan Vote candidate win a 2020 NASCAR Cup Series race before the All-Star Race — Talladega, the Pocono doubleheader, Indianapolis and Kentucky stand as the five opportunities left — that driver is automatically in the field.

Should a driver win a stage in the NASCAR Open qualifying race ahead of the All-Star Race then that driver will be locked into the field and not eligible to be the Fan Vote winner. A driver must finish the NASCAR Open with their respective vehicle in a raceable condition at the time called as determined by the NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director in order to win the Fan Vote.

One Fan Vote winner has gone on to win the All-Star Race in the event’s history: Kasey Kahne in 2008.

Fifteen drivers are already locked into the All-Star Race by virtue of wins in 2019 and 2020 (to date) as well as a past win in the All-Star Race and will not be eligible for the Fan Vote. Those drivers are: Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Alex Bowman, Justin Haley and Matt Kenseth.

Voting will end at noon ET on Tuesday, July 14.

Posted on by Staff Report

It’s the All-Star Race, baby!

The annual showcase pitting the brightest stars in NASCAR against each other under the lights is moving from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Bristol Motor Speedway, it was announced Monday evening on FOX Sports 1’s NASCAR Race Hub. The July 15 race at the world’s fastest half-mile will include a limited number of fans in attendance and will air at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, FOX Deportes, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“The NASCAR All-Star Race is an event known for making history, and we will enhance that legacy by hosting the event at Bristol Motor Speedway,” Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith said in a release.

“While Charlotte will always be recognized as the birthplace and traditional home for the All-Star Race, the current data surrounding the pandemic in North Carolina makes Bristol a better option for fan access this summer,” Smith added.

RELATED: Make your voice heard in the All-Star Fan Vote

The first All-Star Race took place in 1985 — won by Darrell Waltrip — and has been held at Charlotte Motor Speedway every year but one. In 1986, Bill Elliott bested Dale Earnhardt at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but the event returned the next year to Charlotte, which is considered the home track for drivers.

“We are excited to take one of the most unique races in our sport to one of the most unique race tracks in our sport,” NASCAR Executive Vice President of Racing Development Steve O’Donnell said in a release. “Bristol Motor Speedway puts on classic short-track action every time we race there, and we’re anticipating an elevated level of intensity for the NASCAR All-Star Race.” 

The drivers will still compete for a $1 million prize. Additional details on the format will be announced at a later date.

Meanwhile, the Fan Vote opens today for eligible drivers who have not yet qualified for the event. Fans can go here starting at 7 p.m. ET to vote for their favorite driver. Whoever gets the most votes and doesn’t clinch a spot in the All-Star Open will advance to the main event.

MORE: See who has qualified or is eligible for All-Star Race