Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Virginia, as the Round of 8 kicks off with a short-track showdown at Martinsville Speedway in the First Data 500 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Full Martinsville schedule | Thrilling 2018 finish

TRACK DETAILS

Martinsville Speedway, a .526-mile track, is the shortest track on the Monster Energy Series circuit. Often referred to as ‘the paperclip’ due to its small size, tight corners and unique shape, Martinsville features some of the most electric and close-quarters racing of the year.

Pit road is 46 feet wide with stalls that begin in turn three and wrap all the way around the frontstretch.

RULES PACKAGE

The Martinsville race setup will utilize the 2019 rules package used at short tracks throughout the season. Cars will use a tapered-spacer engine that generates a targeted 750 horsepower without being fitted with aero ducts.

Teams will have three sets of Goodyear Eagle Short Track Radials for practice, one set for qualifying/start of race and nine sets for the race (eight race sets plus one transferred from qualifying or practice).

As we move deeper into the fall season, rubbering in the concrete corners may prove to be a challenge. The ability for the track to take on rubber is vital in improving the racing and opening up multiple grooves on the track. With a unique design, Goodyear has developed a right-side tread compound to counter the expected cooler temperatures.  

“It’s getting later in the fall and we are likely to have cloudy conditions and temperatures in the 60-degree range at Martinsville this week, so track temps will be low, making it more difficult for the track to take rubber,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing.  “Because of the time of year we run at Martinsville, we’ve worked hard over the past several years to come up with a tread compound that will lay rubber in the concrete corners, even in cool temperatures.

STATS

  • Brad Keselowski led 446 laps in the Martinsville spring race, sweeping both stages and taking home the checkered flag. The 446 laps led is the most ever in a single race in Keselowski’s career and the fifth most all-time at the track.
  • Hendrick Motorsports has dominated Martinsville with 24 wins, securing the most wins by a team on any track.
  • Each of the last two NASCAR Playoffs races at Martinsville have ended with a last-lap pass.
  • Kyle Busch currently has an eight-race streak of top-five finishes at Martinsville. The streak places him third all-time, only trailing Jeff Gordon (11) and Jimmie Johnson (nine).

Source: Racing Insights

LIVE COVERAGE

The Monster Energy Series race at Martinsville airs live Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and 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

Joey Logano led a race-high 309 laps in last season’s playoff race at Martinsville, securing his first career victory at the short track in dominant fashion.

ACTIVE MARTINSVILLE WINNERS

Jimmy Johnson (nine); Denny Hamlin (five); Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch (two wins each); Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer (one win each).

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 23, 2019) – Hertz (NYSE: HTZ), one of the world’s largest vehicle rental companies, has extended its sponsorship of 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team of driver William Byron.

As part of the new two-year agreement that runs through 2021, Hertz will continue as a primary sponsor of Byron’s No. 24 team in four points-paying Cup Series races annually and as a full-season associate-level partner. In 2020, the company’s primary events will be Auto Club Speedway and ISM Raceway in March along with the October playoff races at Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway.

“We are excited to continue our relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and look forward to building upon this winning partnership,” said Hertz senior vice president Jayesh Patel. “William Byron is a great competitor, and we’re proud to support him and his No. 24 team.”

Hertz began its sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 24 team in May 2018 and has heavily leveraged the partnership, including collaborating to introduce an exclusive line of Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports custom Camaro rental cars that pay tribute to Byron’s No. 24 car. Byron’s 2020 No. 24 Hertz Chevrolet paint scheme, which is a reversed version of the custom Camaro design, was unveiled this morning in Charlotte during a promotional event for the Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports custom Camaro rental program. The new No. 24 team livery will debut this season at ISM Raceway on Nov. 10.

“We’re thrilled to see our partnership with Hertz continue,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “From offering a special line of Camaros to rewarding high-performing employees with NASCAR experiences, Hertz has done a wonderful job with the program. In only his second year, William has shown he can run up front on any type of race track. The future of the No. 24 team is very bright, and we look forward to sharing that future with everyone at Hertz.”

Byron, 21, followed his 2018 NASCAR Cup Series rookie of the year season by earning his first career playoff berth in 2019. Through 32 of 36 races this year, he has posted five pole positions, which tie him for the series lead, and set personal bests in nearly all statistical categories, including top-five finishes (4), top-10s (12) and laps led (225).

“I’m really excited to continue building on our relationship with Hertz,” Byron said. “They came on board the No. 24 during my rookie season and have continued their awesome support as we’ve grown as a team. We’ve done a lot in a short amount of time, but there’s so much more to accomplish. I can’t wait to put the new No. 24 Hertz paint scheme on the racetrack and see what else we can do together.”

Posted on by Staff Report

With the NASCAR Playoffs transitioning from the Round of 12 to the Round of 8, here’s a round reset with an overview of the most recent three races and the next three ahead for the Monster Energy Series:

MORE: NASCAR Playoffs standings

***

• Who’s in (in order): Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney.

• Who’s out (in order): Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Clint Bowyer, Alex Bowman.

• Best Round of 12: Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 driver had virtually clinched a spot in the Round of 8 with finishes of fifth (Dover) and third (Talladega), but capped his waltz to the next phase with a convincing Kansas victory. That made him the only driver to go 3-for-3 on converting top fives in the round.

• Worst Round of 12: Brad Keselowski. The Team Penske No. 2 driver swept to top-five finishes in all three Round of 16 events, but could not replicate it in the next three-race set. Limping to 19th down the stretch at Kansas spelled doom, making Keselowski one of two drivers to end the Round of 12 without a top 10. The other? Teammate Joey Logano, who survived to keep his title defense alive.

• Next up: Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 27), Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 3), ISM Raceway near Phoenix (Nov. 10).

• Trending up for Round of 8: Kyle Busch. A third-place finish at Kansas helped the No. 18 team break up what had been an uneven postseason thus far. His surplus of playoff points helps, as does the Round of 8 schedule: Busch posted finishes of third (Martinsville), 10th (Texas) and first (Phoenix) at those venues earlier this year.

• Trending down for Round of 8: Kyle Larson. The No. 42 driver’s hopes for kick-starting this round the same way he did the previous round (see: his Dover victory) seem dim. Martinsville ranks as his worst track on the circuit based on average finish, a history that may leave him clawing for a home run at Texas and Phoenix.

Posted on by Staff Report

It all comes down to this.

Tonight, we will crown the first-ever eNASCAR Heat Pro League champion live from Arena 43 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Points have been reset for the Championship 4 teams and all focus turns to these two final races – one on the PlayStation platform and one on Xbox. The team with the most combined points at the end of the night will walk away with the inaugural eNASCAR Heat Pro League championship title.

Let’s meet the four teams who will compete for the inaugural championship and preview their chances at glory.

MORE: Full eNASCAR coverage

Team Penske Esports: Corey Rothgeb (PlayStation 4) and Brian Tedeschi (Xbox One)

A mainstay at the top of the championship standings, Team Penske Esports has not faced a true do-or-die situation throughout the entire season. Since the team’s overall victory at the season opener in Charlotte, Roger Penske’s gaming squad has set its Ford Mustangs on cruise control.

However, with the points reset, the team now is on equal footing with the three other contending teams and will need to outrun the competition straight up to lock down the title. Corey Rothgeb is coming off two straight top-five efforts and will need to continue surging late in the season to position Penske well heading into the Xbox race. From there, it’s on teammate Brian Tedeschi to seal the deal.

JR Motorsports: Jason Keffer (PlayStation 4) and Tyler Dohar (Xbox One)

No team is hotter than JR Motorsports right now. Despite facing elimination several times, drivers Jason Keffer and Tyler Dohar have risen to the occasion and secured a spot in the Championship 4.

While they only have one individual race victory in 2019, Keffer and Dohar have put up strong stats in nearly every other category. The No. 88 of Dohar carries a league best average finish of 3.7, with seven finishes of third or better. There’s no doubt he’ll be a favorite in the Xbox race, but how much pressure will he face? Keffer cannot falter in the opening PlayStation race if they plan on bringing home a championship.

RELATED: Full series standings

Stewart-Haas Gaming: SHG_HotRod_14p (PlayStation 4) and SHG Slick 14x (Xbox One)

Stewart-Haas Gaming drivers have collected six wins on the season — three more than any other team in the league. When they’re firing on all cylinders, they’re close to unbeatable. The masked duo of HotRod and Slick could easily dominate both races and run away with the championship tonight.

The only problem? They’re massively inconsistent – it’s been a tale of two seasons. Look no further than the latest race at Homestead, where Slick captured the win in his Xbox race but saw teammate HotRod fade to 11th-place effort in the PlayStation feature.

With all teams equal on 4,000 points, there’s no more room for error. Both drivers need to find success at the virtual ISM Raceway or there’s little chance of hoisting the hardware.

Leavine Family Gaming: Josh Harbin (PlayStation 4) and Nick Vroman (Xbox One)

Leavine Family Gaming is playing with house money after a walk-off win at Homestead propelled them to the eNASCAR Heat Pro League finale. Pressure doesn’t seem to bother Josh Harbin, who rocketed to his second win of the Playoffs. Expect Tuscaloosa’s own to be a serious contender in tonight’s PlayStation race.

The question marks come when you glance over to Nick Vroman’s results on the Xbox side. Despite entering the season as an early favorite, Vroman remains winless and carries an average finish of 8.2 on the season. However, there’s no better way to silence the critics than to surge in the finale and claim the championship for Leavine Family Gaming.

RELATED: More on live event

—

Coverage of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League finale begins tonight at 7:30 pm ET on eNASCAR.com, facebook.com/NASCAR and twitch.tv/704NASCARHeat.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR competition officials handed down penalties to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 group Tuesday, docking the team for a lug-nut infraction after last weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway.

At-track officials discovered one lug nut not safely secured on the No. 20 Toyota after Erik Jones finished seventh in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at the 1.5-mile track. Tuesday, officials fined No. 20 crew chief Chris Gayle $10,000 for the safety violation.

RELATED: Official Kansas results

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Tonight: eNASCAR Heat Pro League Championship Race

A season’s worth of efforts will culminate in the crowning of a champion tonight when the world’s fastest gamers take to the virtual ISM Raceway for the winner-take-all eNASCAR Heat Pro League finale (7:30 p.m. ET, eNASCAR.com).

Who’s in contention

The inaugural eNASCAR Heat Pro League Championship 4 consists of four finalist teams that bested the competition throughout a rigorous and competitive season.

• Team Penske Esports
Corey Rothgeb (PlayStation 4)
Brian Tedeschi (Xbox One)

• JR Motorsports
Jason Keffer (PlayStation 4)
Tyler Dohar (Xbox One)

• Stewart-Haas Gaming
SHG_HotRod_14p (PlayStation 4)
SHG Slick 14x (Xbox One)

• Leavine Family Gaming
Josh Harbin (PlayStation 4)
Nick Vroman (Xbox One)

How they got here

ISM Raceway — the real race track in Arizona — marked the beginning of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, where a preseason draft was held for team driver selection back in March. Now, the virtual ISM Raceway determines which team earns the crown.

The 14 teams of the Heat Pro League started their season at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a live event in May. Throughout the summer months, drivers battled it out to make the playoffs — and then survived a three-race series of eliminations at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Now, with just four teams remaining in contention, the winning team with the highest combined point total at the ISM Raceway finale will take home the title of inaugural eNASCAR Heat Pro League champion.

Race format

There are two races for two consoles: NASCAR Heat 4 for PlayStation 4 first, then Xbox One following.

• ISM Raceway (1-mile oval)
• 70 laps
• No stage breaks
• No competition cautions
• Custom setups
• 4x wear
• Full damage

On PlayStation 4, SHG Slick 14x of Stewart Haas Gaming will start pole position, while Team Penske Esports racer Pennzoil2 (Brian Tedeschi) rolls off first on Xbox One.

Each of the 14 teams — four of which remain in championship contention — fields two drivers, one for each console. Points are scored by combined team total following the end of both races.

All 28 players are racing live in Arena 43 at NASCAR Plaza in Charlotte, North Carolina. The race will stream live on eNASCAR.com (this fine website), NASCAR Heat’s Facebook page and at 704nascarheat on Twitch.

Oh, and stay for the prizes, too. NASCAR Heat is giving away Playseat chairs, a NASCAR Racing experience, NASCAR Heat 4 Gold Edition games and a $100 NASCAR store gift card.

Another Day at the Office

Newly crowned eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series champ Zack Novak visited iRacing headquarters as part of his victory lap. According to iRacing’s tweet, Zack also tried out some new content, so we fully expect Dale Earnhardt Jr. to ask him how North Wilkesboro is coming along.

Novak also stopped by Reddit for an AMA.

Sunoco’s eWorld vs. Real World Challenge

What happens when Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star Bubba Wallace faces off against eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series drivers Malik Ray and Jimmy Mullis?

Read more

What’s that track?

What’s this graffiti-laden track? iRacing asked Twitter for wrong answers, and Twitter certainly delivered.


NASCAR Heat 4 October DLC Available

Do you like throwback paint schemes? Thought so. We do, too. NASCAR Heat 4’s October content pack is now available with a whole bunch of new additions, included with a season pass, or $12.99 for a one-time purchase.

 

iRacing Pro Series Begins

The final step in the ladder to the eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series begins tonight in a seven-race series that will promote 20 drivers to the 2020 class of iRacing’s highest level of oval racing.

While the top 20 points finishers in the 2019 PEAK iRacing Series are guaranteed a seat in the 2020 field, the bottom 20 must compete against 20 up-and-coming drivers. The top half after the seven-race Pro Series gets promoted, and the bottom half — well, they don’t.

Four-time PEAK iRacing Series champ Ray Alfalla, who missed last year’s cutoff by just two points, will compete in the Pro Series for the first time in nine years.

 

iRacing Paint Scheme of the Week

Feeling spooky? Brantley Roden painted Kyle Busch’s M&M’s Halloween Toyota for iRacing.

eNASCAR paint scheme


Video of the Week

If you haven’t been keeping up with Rajah Caruth’s “Types of iRacers” series, you’re missing out.

Part 2:

Part 3: 

Posted on by
No. Driver Sponsor Make Organization
00 Landon Cassill Sea Deck / Units Chevrolet StarCom Racing
1 Kurt Busch Global Poker Chevrolet Chip Ganassi Racing
2 Brad Keselowski Alliance Truck Parts Ford Team Penske
3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing
4 Kevin Harvick Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Stewart-Haas Racing
6 Ryan Newman Blue Bird Ford Roush Fenway Racing
8 Daniel Hemric Chevrolet Accessories Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing
9 Chase Elliott Mountain Dew Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
10 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford Stewart-Haas Racing
11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing
12 Ryan Blaney Menards / Richmond Ford Team Penske
13 Ty Dillon GEICO Chevrolet Germain Racing
14 Clint Bowyer BlueDEF Ford Stewart-Haas Racing
15 Ross Chastain TBA Chevrolet Premium Motorsports
17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fifth Third Bank Ford Roush Fenway Racing
18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Halloween Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing
19 Martin Truex Jr. Auto Owners Insurance Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing
20 Erik Jones DeWalt Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing
21 Paul Menard Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Wood Brothers Racing
22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford Team Penske
24 William Byron Liberty University Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
27 Reed Sorenson VIPRacingExperience.com Chevrolet Premium Motorsports
32 Corey LaJoie CorvetteParts.net Ford Go Fas Racing
34 Michael McDowell A&W All American Foods Ford Front Row Motorsports
36 Matt Tifft Surface Sunscreen / Tunity Ford Front Row Motorsports
37 Chris Buescher Clorox Chevrolet JTG Daugherty Racing
38 David Ragan MDS Transport Ford Front Row Motorsports
41 Daniel Suarez Haas Automation Ford Stewart-Haas Racing
42 Kyle Larson Clover Chevrolet Chip Ganassi Racing
43 Bubba Wallace Victory Junction Chevrolet Richard Petty Motorsports
47 Ryan Preece Kroger Chevrolet JTG Daugherty Racing
48 Jimmie Johnson Ally Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
51 BJ McLeod Jacob Companies Chevrolet Petty Ware Racing
52 Garrett Smithley Rich Mar Florist Chevrolet Rick Ware Racing
53 JJ Yeley Gotta Kill It To Heal It Chevrolet Rick Ware Racing
77 Timmy Hill TBD Chevrolet Spire Motorsports
88 Alex Bowman LLumar Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
95 Matt DiBenedetto Toyota Express Maintenance Toyota Leavine Family Racing
Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR, Race Team Alliance and 704Games announced today a live event that will crown the inaugural champion of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League™. For the first time ever, NASCAR teams and their gamers will gather in Arena 43 at NASCAR Plaza to witness the historic competition featuring two races, one Playstation 4 and one Xbox One, that will determine the inaugural eNASCAR Heat Pro League champion.

Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 23, fans can tune in to eNASCAR.com, Twitch via 704Games and Facebook for the live coverage of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League Championship from the virtual ISM Raceway.

“The combined effort of the entire NASCAR industry, as well as the enthusiasm around the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, has made for a remarkable first season,” said Tim Clark, senior vice president and chief digital officer, NASCAR. “The live finale will continue to showcase the action-packed racing fans have come to expect from this series.”

RELATED: MORE eNASCAR coverage

The full-field of eNASCAR Heat Pro League gamers will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the live season finale. Competitors will face off live in two feature events, the first on PlayStation 4 followed by an Xbox One race. The Championship 4 team with the most combined points at the end of the night will walk away with the first-ever eNASCAR Heat Pro League championship title.

The Championship 4 teams were set following a pair of races at the virtual Kansas Speedway and include:

  • Team Penske Esports: Corey Rothgeb (PlayStation 4) and Brian Tedeschi (Xbox One)
  • JR Motorsports: Jason Keffer (PlayStation 4) and Tyler Dohar (Xbox One)
  • Stewart-Haas Gaming: SHG_HotRod_14p (PlayStation 4) and SHG Slick 14x (Xbox One)
  • Leavine Family Gaming: Josh Harbin (PlayStation 4) and Nick Vroman (Xbox One)

“As we approach the final lap of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League’s first season, I’m most excited about the league’s electricity and how swiftly it developed,” said Colin Smith, President of 704Games. “Our drivers have proven to not only be talented racers, but also charismatic members of the NASCAR community. 704Games, NASCAR and the RTA are thrilled with our league’s trajectory into next season and, like our fans, are eagerly awaiting to see which team takes the championship.”

The eNASCAR Heat Pro League, a collaboration between NASCAR, RTA and 704Games, is NASCAR’s first-ever esports league on consoles. In its first year, the league featured 14 teams and 28 gamers, each owned and operated by prominent NASCAR race teams. Each team fielded two drivers, one competing on Xbox One and the other on PlayStation 4, all competing for the shared championship. The eNASCAR Heat Pro League transitioned to NASCAR Heat 4, the latest game in the NASCAR Heat franchise, in September, prior to the playoffs.

Posted on by Data Skrive

Cole Custer finished 11th in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, adding 45 points to his season total.

Custer now sits at No. 2 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff standings with 3095 points.

Brandon Jones brought home the win in the race, with Tyler Reddick finishing second, and Chase Briscoe crossing the finish line third. Michael Annett brought home fourth place, followed by Justin Allgaier in the No. 5 spot.

Christopher Bell came away victorious in Stage 1, and Custer finished out front in Stage 2.

Custer qualified in fifth position at 179.307 mph. He led on five occasions for a total of 85 laps. The fourth-year driver has piled up nine career victories, 37 top-five finishes and has placed in the top 10 in 68 races.

Custer battled 37 other cars in the field and the race endured eight cautions and 41 caution laps. There were 12 lead changes before the checkered flag.

Toyota added 40 points to its season totals with Jones’s victory. Overall, Chevrolet ranks No. 1 with 1076 points, followed by Ford in the No. 2 spot with 1062. Toyota sits at No. 3 with 1056 points on the season.

Cole Custer Driver Page | Get Cole Custer Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Ryan Sieg finished ninth in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, adding 28 points to his season total.

Sieg now sits at No. 12 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings with 2095 points.

Brandon Jones came away with the victory in the race, with Tyler Reddick finishing second, and Chase Briscoe placing third. Michael Annett brought home fourth place, followed by Justin Allgaier in the No. 5 spot.

Christopher Bell came away victorious in Stage 1, and Cole Custer took Stage 2.

Sieg qualified in 13th position at 176.453 mph. He still is looking for career victory No. 1, but owns five top-five finishes and 20 finishes in the top 10.

There were 38 cars in the field, and the race endured eight cautions and 41 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 12 lead changes.

Toyota added 40 points to its season totals with Jones’s victory. Overall, Chevrolet ranks No. 1 with 1076 points, followed by Ford in the No. 2 spot with 1062. Toyota sits at No. 3 with 1056 points on the season.

Ryan Sieg Driver Page | Race Center