Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Before heading to Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 playoff race (2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Alex Bowman spent Wednesday in Kansas City, Kansas, packing boxes for those in need. (UPDATE: The race will resume in Stage 2 on Monday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.)

Bowman paid a visit to Giving the Basics, a non-profit organization that donates personal hygiene products to those in need throughout the area. The organization ensures 230,000 people have access to the basics each month, while also donating products to local schools that reach 196,000 students, serving more than 76 pantries and 300 schools each year.

With the help of Kansas Speedway, Bowman and other volunteers packaged dozens of boxes of lotion for those who are unable to have access to the essentials otherwise.

“It all hits home, it’s humbling and it kind of puts things in perspective,” Bowman told NASCAR.com. “It’s something that I never really thought about. You think about giving food or healthcare, but never really thought about basic things like shampoo and soap and deodorant. It’s neat to give back and tackle that area with Giving the Basics.”

Next weekend, Bowman will head back to the Sunflower State for the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 12 elimination race at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 20 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). But first, he and the No. 88 team need to tackle the Talladega high banks as they sit seventh in points with two races remaining, 17 points above the cutline.

With Kyle Larson locked into the Round of 8, seven spots remain for the taking. While Bowman has a slight cushion, there’s no room to relax heading into the wild-card race of Talladega, but that doesn’t mean he’s losing sleep over it, either.

“If you just sit here nervous all week, it’s not a lot of fun,” Bowman said. “… Just have to go out there and run up front all day. That’s all you can do.”

Bowman and teammate Chase Elliott worked together to control the top-two positions in the spring race, as Bowman pushed Elliott to his first Talladega triumph. But surprisingly, Bowman isn’t focused on that second-place result to give him comfort.

RELATED: Examining Hendrick’s dominance at Talladega

“I think superspeedway races are really the only races that you can’t look at past results and really have a lot of confidence,” Bowman said. “Unless you dominate one, lead the whole thing and go out there and win one, it’s hard to look at second place and be like, oh yeah, we can go out there and do that again easily. It’s really easy to have a bad day.”

In the most recent races at the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway, we’ve seen organizations – and even manufacturers – link up to find the front.

“I think it’s really just who has the best strategy going in and who can execute that the best,” Bowman said. “Talladega is a hard place. Anything can happen. It’s easy to have a plan and just not be able to execute on it because of circumstances.”

“If one manufacturer is working really well together and a wreck wipes out half their cars, that story’s over,” he added. “It’s tough.”

Coming off a third-place finish at Dover, Bowman holds a ton of confidence in his Greg Ives-led 88 team. If they can avoid catastrophe at Talladega, Bowman feels they have a legitimate shot to win at Kansas, site of another runner-up result in the regular season while also winning at a similar track in Chicagoland Speedway in June.

“I think things are going well for us right now,” Bowman said. “Our superspeedway cars are really good, so we can go there and be good. Going to Kansas, I think we can be really strong. That’s a great race track and one of my favorite places we go. It’ll be really good.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

After a three-week break the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series begins the second round of playoff competition with Saturday’s Sugarlands Shine 250 at Talladega Superspeedway (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Defending series champion Brett Moffitt – a four-race winner in 2019 – holds a 17-point edge on Austin Hill and an 18-point edge on Ross Chastain. Both Hill and Chastain have three wins each and are part of motivated field of six championship-eligible drivers that also includes dirt ace Stewart Friesen, 18-year-old Tyler Ankrum and two-time series champion Matt Crafton. 

The 2.66-mile Talladega presents a unique challenge for the race field. The only former winners entered in the race are three-time Talladega winner Timothy Peters, Alabama native Grant Enfinger and his ThorSport teammate, Johnny Sauter. The latter two were eliminated from title contention in the last race at Las Vegas, but are eager to rebound with a strong season statement.

RELATED: Full schedule for Talladega | Series standings

Among the six drivers still in title contention, Chastain has the best superspeedway record of the season, however, the 26-year old Floridian hasn’t competed in a truck race at Talladega since 2016. The driver of the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet finished third at Daytona in the Gander Trucks season opener and won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race with Kaulig Racing at Daytona in July.

The superspeedway should make for a compelling storyline. The title favorites have varying track records. Moffitt, who drives the No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet, made his Talladega debut last year and finished 17th. His best finish at Daytona is 22nd.  Hill, driver of the No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota scored his playoff ticket with a victory in the Daytona season opener and finished 10th at Talladega last year.

Friesen, driver of the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Chevrolet, was sixth at Talladega last fall, his best finish in two starts. Crafton, driver of the No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford, has really struggled at the superspeedway. He has only one top-five finish in 13 Talladega starts – fourth place in 2010. His last top 10 – of four career top 10s at the track – was a ninth-place finish in 2017.

The final member of this elite six, Kentucky race winner Tyler Ankrum, has a blank slate to start Saturday’s race. This will mark his superspeedway debut because he only reached the mandatory age requirement of 18 in March, so he was not permitted to race in the Daytona season opener.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Despite the late drama and heart-stopping moments associated with much of the history at Talladega Superspeedway, Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske have achieved dominant and largely unrivaled success.

RELATED: Talladega schedule | Expert picks for Talladega

Since the team’s inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have controlled races at Talladega, notching the most wins (13) and the most laps led (2,809) all-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Nearly half of those wins belong to NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who won six times throughout his legendary career.

While current Hendrick drivers William Byron and Alex Bowman have yet to win at Talladega, the team still holds the record for the most different drivers to win at the track with seven. Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is tied for third among active drivers and second in the team’s history with a pair of Talladega wins under his belt.

Known for elite speed and front-running consistency, Hendrick Motorsports also holds the all-time record at Talladega for the most poles (12), wins (13), runner-up finishes (14), top fives (58), top 10s (87) and highest average finish (18.31). In the last 17 speedway races, a Hendrick driver has won the pole 11 times, with the team sweeping starting positions one through four at the 2019 Daytona 500.

Though winless, both Byron and Bowman have finished inside the top three once each in the last two superspeedway races, with Bowman finishing runner-up at Talladega to teammate Chase Elliott in the spring. Byron finished second to Justin Haley at Daytona this summer.

Outside of Elliott’s recent trip to Victory Lane, Team Penske has enjoyed the most wins as of late, led by a dominating string of performances from Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. The Penske pair have combined to win six of the last 10 at Talladega, including four of the last five elimination format playoff races dating back to 2014.

Logano has been especially impressive, posting one of the best runs of his career at any track. In his last eight races at Talladega, he has three wins, six top fives and has led a total of 247 laps. His most recent win there came in the spring of 2018.

In spite of his teammate’s recent success, Keselowski has perhaps been the most effective and consistent at Talladega throughout his career. Keselowski leads all active drivers with five wins at Talladega, three of which he won on a last-lap pass. Those five wins slot him into fourth place all-time behind Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

RELATED: Most wins all-time at Talladega | Who’s favored at Talladega?

As the Round of 12 continues Monday in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), three playoff drivers between both organizations are currently on the outside looking in: Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney. After struggling last Sunday at Dover, the trio need a big weekend to fight their way in and secure a place in the Round of Eight. Logano and Elliott both have recent victories at the track, while Blaney remains winless there in his career.

Consistent track position ahead of the pack and staying damage-free will be important, as four of the last five Talladega Playoff races ended in an overtime finish with the winner leading less than 10 laps each of the last two times.

Source: Racing Insights

Posted on by Staff Report

The eNASCAR Heat Pro League Championship 4 is set following Wednesday night’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Team Penske Esports, JR Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Gaming and Leavine Family Gaming surviving a pair of wild races to advance to the finale at ISM Raceway.

All four spots were up for grabs in the Round of 6, with a mere five points separating the bottom five teams entering the night. Only Team Penske Esports sat in a comfortable position – 17 points to the good of the cutline – but even that team was in danger of falling late after an abysmal finish in the opening Xbox race.

Strategy was king in that race as a pair of Playoff teams gambled on fuel and came out on top. SHG_Slick_14x from the Stewart-Haas Gaming camp scored yet another victory on the season, passing JR Motorsports’ JRM_Dohar88 with one to go and cruising to the line.

RELATED: Complete eNASCAR coverage

“Had enough (fuel) to go for the win at the end but points were more important,” Dohar admitted. “We didn’t need the victory today. That will come in two weeks at the finale.”

Behind them was a trio of non-Playoff drivers in JMacAttack, Mordog5 and mrTRACKBAR35. TheBolt18 was the next closest championship contender in sixth, with the rest finishing 10th or worse.

The missteps in the Xbox event set up a pressure-packed race for the PlayStation cohorts, where any mistake could cost the team a shot at advancing to the finale. Three- and four-wide racing left competitors with bent e-metal and hurt feelings, and ultimately led to a late-race caution.

On the final green-white-checkered restart, Leavine Family Gaming’s ThAbEaR95 rocketed past NickJobes25 and set sail to claim his second win in the 2019 Playoffs. xX_Fluffy_Xx recovered to finish second, but it was not enough to push Roush Fenway Gaming to the next round. A trio of non-Playoff drivers once again rounded out the Top 5 in Jobes, Sloppy_Joe_YT and Mike_RPM44.

Voltage20 was unable to recover after early troubles and finished 12th, knocking Gibbs Gaming out in the Round of 6.

Teams will now pack their bags and travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the live championship race Oct. 23. Live coverage will begin at 7:30 pm ET on eNASCAR.com.

Posted on by Team Release

Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has renewed its partnership with Smithfield Foods, Inc., maintaining Smithfield’s status as the lead brand on the No. 10 Ford Mustang driven by Aric Almirola in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Smithfield, the leading provider of high-quality pork products, joined SHR in 2018, along with Almirola. The 35-year-old from Tampa, Florida, has represented Smithfield since 2012, his first full season in the elite NASCAR Cup Series. The 2020 season will mark Almirola’s ninth full season in the NASCAR Cup Series and third with SHR. Almirola has made the NASCAR Playoffs in each of his two seasons with SHR.

“The Smithfield brand has enjoyed great success with Aric Almirola and Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Michael Merritt, Senior Marketing Director for Smithfield Foods. “It’s a true partnership that performs on the racetrack, with retailers and our consumers. Aric resonates well with them because he’s genuine and, overall, a great ambassador for the company. He has worked incredibly hard to get to where he is today and we’ve been a part of that journey for nearly a decade, and the payoff from all that hard work has been amplified by Stewart-Haas Racing.”

RELATED: More on Silly Season

Almirola had a career year in 2018 with four top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, highlighted by a victory Oct. 14 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Almirola qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs for the second time in his career and advanced into the Round of 8, just missing the Championship 4 cutoff. He ended the season fifth in the championship standings to earn the best points finish of his career.

Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

“I said when I first came to Stewart-Haas Racing that this is the opportunity every driver wants, and I’m obviously very proud to have it continue,” said Almirola, who in less than two seasons at SHR has scored more top-10 finishes (27) than in his five previous seasons (2013-2017) combined. “Our relationship with Smithfield is strong. From the customers, to the retailers and all of the employees, we take a tremendous amount of pride in representing the Smithfield brand. They’re our biggest supporters and it’s what drives us every time we hit the race track.”

Almirola has won races in each of NASCAR’s top-three national touring series. He has two NASCAR Cup Series victories, three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and two NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series triumphs.

“Aric is one of the most focused and determined drivers I’ve ever met, and he’s got the skills to match,” said Tony Stewart, who co-owns SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. “He’s taken the opportunity here at SHR and seized it. Keeping him as the driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang was a priority and we’re very happy to have it continue.”

Those wanting to see how Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield team operate can do so by subscribing to Beyond the 10 on YouTube. Episodes showcase behind-the-scenes footage of Almirola at the track, with his family and what a day in the life of a racer, husband and father looks like. Click here to subscribe and view the latest episode.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2019) — Following more than two years of development from concept to reality, NASCAR’s Next Gen car hit the track for the first time for a two-day test at Richmond Raceway.

The much-anticipated car, which is slated to debut at the 2021 Daytona 500, will honor stock car racing’s roots with bodies that resemble their street versions while incorporating new vehicle technology and innovation.

“This is an important milestone for the Next Gen car and the future of stock car racing,” said John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development. “There are so many new systems on the car from the front to the back that our main goal with this test was to log laps and put miles on them.  The test has met – and even exceeded – our expectations, and we are well on our way to developing the final iteration of the car.”

Austin Dillon was behind the wheel of the car, which was assembled by Richard Childress Racing in collaboration with NASCAR.

“I really enjoyed driving the car,” Dillon said. “I like the way that it looks, you can see the finished product down the road. The OEMs can make the body look really good, like a street car that you see on the road today. When it comes together and they all get their cars on the track, we’re going to have something to work with that also looks really good.”

The car is one of two prototypes currently built.  The other was assembled by NASCAR and was tested in the wind tunnel for the first time on Oct. 1. That car is scheduled to make its second trip to the wind tunnel later this week. Another on-track test is anticipated before the year concludes.

“We have a very comprehensive test plan,” Probst said. “We will be doing extensive wind tunnel testing to ensure liftoff speeds are appropriate before moving to larger tracks. As we move into 2020, we will begin testing on intermediate tracks, superspeedways and road courses.”

While many components on the current versions of the car will remain, some major elements – including each OEMs body design – are still in development.

Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, displayed a unique all-pink paint scheme in the October playoff race at Dover International Speedway in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, raising awareness and funding for breast cancer research.

RELATED: Full Talladega Schedule

For nearly two decades, Hooters has actively supported the fight against breast cancer, raising over $5.8 million in funds since 2002 through the Give a Hoot fundraising platform and the Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Fund — a fund established to honor Kelly Jo Dowd, an original and influential Hooters Girl who courageously battled breast cancer for five years before passing in May of 2007.

Hooters, a dedicated sponsor of Elliott, worked closely with the Hendrick Motorsports team to design a paint scheme and fundraising campaign that highlights the importance of supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the quest for a cure. This year’s goal is to raise $1 million for the cause.

Chase Elliott pink Hooters scheme
Tyler Strong | NASCAR Digital Media

“Hooters has put a lot of effort into changing the paint scheme for the Dover race in October and doing everything they can to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Elliott said. “They are definitely doing their part with the Give A Hoot program — which is nice to see.”

The Give A Hoot fundraising program supports breast cancer research by engineering various initiatives that benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research and other recipients. Elliott’s pink racing gear from the Dover event will be auctioned off on Oct. 14 to fans with proceeds benefiting partnering organizations and efforts. Follow @Hooters on Twitter to find out more about the auction, which includes as an item to bid on a trip for two to a 2020 Hooters-sponsored NASCAR race.

Replicas of the specially produced pink No. 9 merchandise can be purchased at Hooters.com and ChaseElliott.com, with a portion of those proceeds donated by Hooters and Elliott for the cause.

For more information about the Hooters #GiveAHoot fundraising campaign or to donate online, visit hooters.com/give.

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 continues with a Sunday afternoon showdown in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). (UPDATE: The race will resume in Stage 2 on Monday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.)

RELATED: Talladega schedule | Memorable wrecks at Talladega

TRACK DETAILS

Talladega Superspeedway hosted its inaugural race on September 14, 1969, as Richard Brickhouse led 33 laps on his way to his first and only career win in the Grand National Series.

Claiming the title of NASCAR’s biggest and fastest track, Talladega is a 2.66-mile tri-oval with 33 degrees of banking in Turns 1 and 2, 33 degrees of banking in Turns 3 and 4, 16 degrees of banking in the tri-oval and 3 degrees of banking at the start-finish line.

Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske have combined to win eight of the last 10 races at the track.

RULES PACKAGE

The race at Talladega will feature the 2019 rules package with aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine generating a targeted 550 horsepower.

Each team will have two sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for practice, one set for qualifying and seven sets for the 500-mile race (six race sets plus a set transferred from qualifying or practice).

Unlike its fellow superspeedway, Daytona International Speedway, Talladega features a more abrasive surface that increases wear on tires that affects team strategies throughout the race.

“While we will see some pit strategy at Talladega, it is a track that actually wears tires a bit, especially when compared to Daytona,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing.  “Depending on where teams are running and who they are working with, they can take four tires, or two, or fuel only to gain some track position.”

STATS

– Team Penske has won four of the last five Talladega elimination format playoff races, with Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano each winning a pair.

– The longest green flag stretch to ever end a Talladega playoff race was eight laps.

– Kurt Busch has the most laps led at Talladega without a win in Monster Energy Series history (266).

– Among all-time drivers, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. holds the second-best average finish at Talladega at 11.83 (minimum three starts).

– Three of the four playoff drivers currently outside a transfer spot have one or more wins at Talladega: Joey Logano (three), Clint Bowyer (two) and Chase Elliott (one)

Source: Racing Insights

LIVE COVERAGE

The second race in the Round of 12 will air live Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and streamed on the NBC Sports App. Listen in to live radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Also, follow along on NASCAR.com for live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the live leaderboard, Drive (featuring in-car cameras) and RaceView (subscription: in-car audio, stats, more). Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the Props Challenge.

2018 RACE WINNER

With then-teammate Kurt Busch running out of fuel on the final lap of overtime, Aric Almirola powered his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to the front of the pack, taking home the checkered flag and securing his spot the Round of 8.

ACTIVE TALLADEGA WINNERS

Brad Keselowski (five); Joey Logano (three); Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson (two wins each); Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, David Ragan, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola, Chase Elliott (one win each).

Posted on by Staff Report

The penultimate round of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League championship takes center stage at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Wednesday night – and if the inaugural season is any indication of what’s to come, the race is sure to be a barn burner.

Six teams remain alive in the Playoffs, but only four will advance to the championship finale at ISM Raceway on Oct. 23. Team Penske Esports holds a commanding lead atop the standings, but everything’s in play behind them as the other five teams are separated by just five points.

MORE: Full eNASCAR coverage

Team Penske Esports

It’s safe to say Team Penske is the only team sleeping well at night as they enter Homestead with a 17-point advantage over the cut line. While it’s still mathematically possible for them to miss the finale, don’t count on it. Both of their drivers have been staples of consistency, and even if one falters, the other should be able to carry the team to ISM Raceway.

Stewart-Haas Gaming

Entering Homestead with only a four-point cushion, the winningest team in the eNASCAR Heat Pro League faces pressure for the first time this season. The masked drivers at Stewart-Haas Gaming are coming off mediocre runs at Las Vegas and Kansas and must refocus to keep their title hopes alive. They have the speed to advance, but it will all come down to execution in Wednesday night’s showdown.

MORE: Highlights from last race

JR Motorsports

Bridesmaid no longer! JR Motorsports is catching fire at the right time and making a serious run at the championship. Tyler Dohar enters Homestead fresh off his first career victory and teammate Jason Keffer continues to build strong result after strong result. The team enters the cutoff race only one point to the good, but momentum is on its side. That could be enough to propel the drivers to the finale at ISM Raceway.

Roush Fenway Gaming

An up-and-down season has Roush Fenway Gaming on the ropes and in serious danger of being knocked out. An abysmal stretch through the Playoffs has relegated Jack’s esports squad to the fourth and final transfer spot – tied on points with Leavine Family Gaming. Both drivers proved they can win throughout the preseason and regular season races, but it’s now or never to find the right gear and get back on track.

Leavine Family Gaming

Much like its MENCS counterpart, Leavine Family Gaming will not go away quietly. Josh Harbin aka ThAbEaR95 has scratched and clawed to keep the team’s playoff run alive – finishing no worse than second in the two previous races. However, the team enters Homestead below the cut line and Harbin will need serious help from teammate Nicholas Vroman if the team stands a chance at advancing.

Gibbs Gaming

The final team to advance to the Round of 6 is none other than Gibbs Gaming. The Toyota duo has led laps this season and battled for wins but have not slammed the door shut yet. While they only enter one point below the cut line, it’s time to make a statement. Go big or go home.

Who will advance and which two teams will be sent packing? It’s all at play for Wednesday night at 7:30 pm ET on eNASCAR.com.