See the order that cars will roll off for single-car qualifying on Saturday afternoon at Kansas Speedway (1:35 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Click here for the order or click the printer icon above to see it.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 18, 2019) – NASCAR today announced that it has successfully closed its acquisition of International Speedway Corporation (“ISC”), merging its operations into one, new company moving forward. The new company will remain based in Daytona Beach, Florida and will continue as NASCAR. As part of this process, ISC has been delisted from NASDAQ.
In leading the new, combined company, Jim France will serve as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, with Lesa France Kennedy as Executive Vice Chair. Steve Phelps has been appointed President and will oversee all operations of the merged entity.
“The merger of NASCAR and ISC represents a historic moment for our sport,” France said. “There is much work ahead of us, but we’re pleased with the progress made to position our sport for success. Delivering for our race fans and partners is job number one and we look forward to doing that better than ever for years to come.”
The merger represents an important step forward for NASCAR as the sport creates a unified vision to embrace its long history of exciting, family-oriented racing experiences while developing strategic growth initiatives that will drive the passion of core fans and attract the next generation of race fans.
“This sport has meant so much to our family and we are committed to leading NASCAR through this next chapter of growth,” said France Kennedy. “Combining the two companies will allow us to capture the best aspects of both operations. Our stronger organization will allow us to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities to grow the sport over the next decade plus.”
As part of the new organization, the Board of Directors will consist of France, France Kennedy, Mike Helton and Gary Crotty, Chief Legal Officer. Phelps’ direct reports will represent executives with deep industry experience, including Ed Bennett, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer; Jill Gregory, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing and Content Officer; Craig Neeb, Executive Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer; Steve O’Donnell, Executive Vice President & Chief Racing Development Officer; and Daryl Wolfe, Executive Vice President & Chief Operations and Sales Officer. In addition, Helton and John Saunders will serve as senior advisors under the new leadership structure.
“With great racing across all of our series, an exciting 2020 schedule on tap, and the Next Gen race car in development, we are better positioned than ever before to lead the sport into a new era of growth,” said Phelps. “We have a strong, experienced leadership team in place with incredibly dedicated employees at every level throughout our organization. Our best days are ahead of us and our new organization is going to allow us to better deliver great racing to our fans everywhere.”
Advising NASCAR on this transaction were Goldman, Sachs & Co. LLC as exclusive financial advisor and Baker Botts L.L.P. as legal counsel. Dean Bradley Osborne Partners LLC served as financial advisor and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as legal counsel to the ISC special committee. Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP served as legal counsel to ISC and BDT & Company served as financial advisors to the France family.
KANSAS CITY, KS. – All that separates two drivers from the ARCA Menards Series championship is 100 laps and 15 points.
On one side is rising young star Christian Eckes, who has surged into the lead on the strength of two wins and four runner-up finishes in his last six starts. On the other is veteran driver Michael Self, who has four wins as he chases his first championship.
They’ll settle the title Friday evening at Kansas Speedway in the Kansas 150. The race will air live on MAVTV and, for the first time, it will stream live on NASCAR.com, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET. The race will also air on same-day delay on FS1 following the conclusion of the American League Championship Series game, at approximately 11 p.m.
BOOKMARK: Live stream here
“This is a great opportunity for race fans to catch all the live ARCA Menards Series action on NASCAR.com and watch the culmination of a great championship battle,” said ARCA Menards Series president Ron Drager. “With all the great news coming out recently around the 2020 ARCA Menards Series, including a relaunch of ARCARacing.com, this is a perfect way to close out the season and look forward to exciting opportunities next year.”
NASCAR and ARCA recently announced the new format for the ARCA Menards Series, which will combine the current NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West and the ARCA Menards Series into a multiple championship format under ARCA Menards Series next year.
It was important, said Drager, to provide an integral development step for young drivers who aspire to move up to NASCAR’s three national series, as well as a highly competitive, professional level for short-track veterans.
Nowhere is that more evident than in Friday’s finale.
RELATED: Learn more on 2020 framework
Eckes has three wins, 12 top fives and 16 top 10s in the No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota for Bill Venturini. The 18-year-old from Middletown, N.Y., leads the ARCA Menards Series despite missing the third race of the season due to an illness. He’s also made 10 starts over the last two years in the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Most recently, he won the pole and finished third at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Self, driving the No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota for Venturini, has four wins, 13 top fives and 14 top 10s. The 28-year-old from Park City, Utah, a veteran of 71 starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, finishing fourth in the West in 2013 and ’17. In 2013, he became the first West driver to win the annual NASCCAR K&N Pro combination race at Iowa Speedway. Self also has seven wins in 38 starts in the ARCA Menards Series between 2014-19, including winning the 2018 race at Daytona International Speedway.
“We have to be ahead of Christian if we are going to win the championship,” Self said. “Nothing that happened prior to this race really matters. It’s all about what happens in this race. We’re going to do what we’ve done all season long and go out and try to win. I like the style of racing on the big tracks.
“If we do that, we’ll have done all we can and we’ll see how it shakes out.”
Friday’s finale has plenty of star power in addition to the title tilt.
The field will include multi-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series race winner Hailie Deegan, 2018 ARCA Menards Series champion Sheldon Creed, and 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion Harrison Burton. Burton was announced Thursday as the driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the 2020 season.
The ARCA Kansas 150 will get underway Friday with practice at 1 p.m., followed by General Tire Pole Qualifying at 6 p.m.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 17, 2019 – Today 704Games, NASCAR Team Properties’ exclusive console simulation-style video game licensee, announced that the new NASCAR Heat 4 October DLC will be available for all race fans.
The October Paid Pack will include 40 Cup and 10 Xfinity Series schemes along with nine additional free schemes, which will be pushed to all consumers via the next patch.
Among the designs included are several throwback schemes that ran at the 2019 Southern 500 including Bubba Wallace’s Adam Petty tribute, Chase Elliott’s old school NAPA colors and Stewart-Haas Racing’s homage to Tony Stewart’s three championship titles.
MORE: Check out October DLC
The updates also include Austin Dillon’s American Ethanol Throwback, Martin Truex Jr.’s Bass Pro Shops Throwback, Denny Hamlin’s FedEx Racing Throwback and other schemes from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series. A full list of schemes can be found below.
The NASCAR Heat 4 October DLC pack will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam. The pack can be purchased individually for $12.99. For fans who have purchased the NASCAR Heat 4 Season Pass, they will receive the update via their Season Pass package, which includes all 2019 DLC releases.
Fans who don’t already own NASCAR Heat 4 can get a copy here or wherever videogames are sold.
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Schemes
- Landon Cassill Mane N Tail
- Kurt Busch Chevrolet Accessories Throwback
- Brad Keselowski BRAD K Throwback
- Brad Keselowski BRAD K Patriotic
- Austin Dillon American Ethanol Throwback
- Ryan Newman Oscar Mayer Throwback
- Daniel Hemric Caterpillar Throwback
- Chase Elliott NAPA Throwback
- Chase Elliott NAPA Filters
- Aric Almirola Smithfield Throwback
- Denny Hamlin FedEx Racing Throwback
- Ryan Blaney Pennzoil / Menards Throwback
- Ryan Blaney Dent Wizard
- Clint Bowyer Rush Truck Centers Throwback
- Clint Bowyer Toco Warranty
- Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Roush DW Tribute
- Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Little Hugs Fruit Barrels
- Kyle Busch Snickers Throwback
- Martin Truex, Jr. Bass Pro Shops Throwback
- Erik Jones Sport Clips Throwback
- Paul Menard Motorcraft Throwback
- Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Throwback
- William Byron Autoguard Throwback
- Corey LaJoie Keen Parts Throwback
- Michael McDowell Dockside Logistics Throwback
- Matt Tifft TEI Motorsports Throwback
- Chris Buescher Fast Lane to Flavor
- Chris Buescher Tide Pods
- David Ragan Shriner’s Hospital Throwback
- Daniel Suarez Haas Automation Throwback
- Kyle Larson Clover Throwback
- Darrell Wallace Jr. Victory Junction Throwback
- Darrell Wallace Jr. Victory Junction
- Darrell Wallace Jr. Air Force Warthog
- Ryan Preece Kroger Throwback
- Jimmie Johnson Ally Throwback
- Alex Bowman Axalta Throwback
- Matt DiBenedetto Toyota Throwback
- Matt DiBenedetto Toyota Express Maintenance
Xfinity Series Schemes
- Cole Custer Production Alliance Throwback
- Michael Annett Baby Ruth Throwback
- Tyler Reddick TAME THE BEAST
- Justin Allgaier Armour Sausage Throwback
- Noah Gragson Switch Patriotic
- Justin Haley Raybestos Throwback
- Brandon Jones Juniper Networks
- Jeremy Clements Repairable Vehicles Trowback
- Brandon Brown BrandonBilt Throwback
- Chase Briscoe Ford Throwback
Gander Outdoors Truck Series Schemes
- Jordan Anderson Sefton
- Jordan Anderson Bommarito Black
- Todd Gilliland Mobil 1
- Austin Hill Chiba Toyopet
- Spencer Boyd Record Rack
- Brett Moffitt Chevrolet Accessories
- Brett Moffitt Plan B Sales
- Ross Chastain Florida Watermelon
- Matt Crafton Black Label Bacon / Menards
- Grant Enfinger Curb Records
Additionally, a handful of free schemes will be pushed to all consumers via the next patch…
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
- Alex Bowman Chicagoland (Race Win Version)
- Alcohol Schemes (Must be 21)
- Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
- Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Throwback
- Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Patriotic
- Kevin Harvick Busch Flannel
- Kevin Harvick Busch Beer National Forest
- Kevin Harvick Big Buck Hunters Throwback
Xfinity Series
- Tyler Reddick TAME THE BEAST
Get your copy of NASCAR Heat 4 today!
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Stewart-Haas Racing announced Thursday that Clint Bowyer will return to its No. 14 Ford for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series campaign.
Bowyer is in his third year with SHR’s No. 14, a seat he took over when team co-owner Tony Stewart retired after the 2015 season. Bowyer has 10 wins in NASCAR’s top division, including two victories with Stewart-Haas last season.
RELATED: Key moments for Bowyer | Silly Season key drivers
“Clint Bowyer is a racer to his core who brings passion and energy to our race team,” Stewart said in a news release provided by the team. “He’s exactly who I wanted to drive my No. 14 car and we’re very happy to have him continue with Stewart-Haas Racing.”
The timing of Bowyer’s contract extension dovetails with his return to Kansas Speedway in his home state. He enters the weekend ranked 11th among the 12 remaining title-eligible drivers, needing to overcome a 24-point deficit to keep his postseason hopes intact.
“I’m proud to be back with Stewart-Haas Racing next year and very happy to announce it the week leading into my home race,” Bowyer said in the team release. “This is a team filled with racers who love to compete, and as a race car driver, it’s exactly where you want to be. Great equipment, great teammates, and we’re all backed by great people, which starts at the top with Tony and Gene. They know how to build some fast Ford Mustangs and I’m the lucky guy who gets to drive ’em.”
The news of Bowyer’s return follows a pair a high-profile renewals for Stewart-Haas Racing in recent weeks. The organization announced Oct. 10 that driver Aric Almirola and sponsor Smithfield would be back with the No. 10 team next season. Rodney Childers, crew chief for SHR’s No. 4 Ford driven by Kevin Harvick, confirmed Oct. 7 that he had agreed to a contract extension for the role he’s held since 2014.
Veteran crew chief Brian Pattie will not return to the No. 17 Ford team next season, Roush Fenway Racing confirmed Thursday.
Pattie has been with the organization since 2016 and is in his third season working with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 17 group. The news was first reported by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Roush Fenway Racing announced Sept. 25 that Stenhouse would not return as the driver of the No. 17 Ford, vacating the seat he had occupied since 2013. The Jack Roush-owned team will field the No. 17 for Chris Buescher in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series next season.
RELATED: Key drivers in Silly Season
Wednesday, JTG Daugherty Racing announced that Stenhouse would join its two-car effort in 2020.
Pattie has six wins as a crew chief in NASCAR’s top division — three with Clint Bowyer at Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012, two with Stenhouse in 2017 and his first in 2010 with Juan Pablo Montoya during his time with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Pattie is also a 10-time winner as a crew chief in Xfinity Series competition.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 17, 2019) – Following a thorough selection process, NASCAR and Rev Racing have identified 10 multicultural and female drivers to host at the 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Combine in Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach, Fla., on October 22-23.
Numerous drivers from around the world applied to the program, but only the 10 finalists will compete for spots to drive with Rev Racing and compete in the NASCAR Late Model Stock, ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Showdown Series in 2020.
Drivers will be put to the test during the two-day event where evaluators from across the industry will judge each participant on their on-track performance, physical fitness, media and marketing skills. Many of the drivers will be piloting late model stock cars for the first time during the on-track assessment at New Smyrna Speedway.
RELATED: Learn about the Drive for Diversity program | Home Tracks
“We are thrilled with the caliber of diverse drivers planning to compete in this year’s combine,” said Jusan Hamilton, Director of Racing Operations and Event Management at NASCAR. “The driver selection process for the 2020 class was highly competitive, as we had several talented applicants from across the United States and abroad – and that advanced level of competition boosts our confidence in the ladder system we have in place with our partners at Rev Racing, which will be effective for many years to come.”
Rajah Caruth, Isabella Robusto and Lavar Scott participated in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Combine earlier this year in Concord, N.C., where they were mentored by NASCAR Drive for Diversity team members, Chase Cabre, Nicholas Sanchez, Brooke Storer and Gracie Trotter.
“We are excited to see our some of our youth development drivers be selected as participants in this year’s combine,” said Max Siegel, Owner of Rev Racing. “We will look to our returning drivers to set the bar high and look forward to the selection of the 2020 Class.”
This year’s participants comprise a diverse group of drivers from the United States and beyond including three black, three female and four Hispanic drivers. Their ultimate goal is to compete at NASCAR’s highest level, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Much like the other participants, foreign driver Loris Hezemans has already made a name for himself. The Dutch driver won the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series race at Raceway Vernay in the Netherlands and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series 2018 Junior championship.
Veteran NASCAR Drive for Diversity participant, Chase Cabre, has experienced success with Rev Racing claiming two races and four poles in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2019.
Program graduates include three drivers now competing in NASCAR’s top Monster Energy series, Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson, who scored a victory at Dover International Speedway earlier this month to punch his ticket into the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs.
The 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity participants include:
| Name | Hometown | Age | Racing Series |
| Chase Cabre | Tampa, Fla. | 22 | NASCAR K&N Pro Series East |
| Rajah Caruth | Washington, DC | 17 | US Legend Car Series & eNASCAR Ignite Series |
| Loris Hezemans | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 22 | NASCAR Whelen Euro Series |
| Perry Patino | Montgomery, Ala. | 20 | Limited Late Model & Pro Late Model Series |
| Isabella Robusto | Fort Mill, S.C. | 14 | US Legends Car Series |
| Nicholas Sanchez | Homestead, Fla. | 18 | NASCAR Whelen All American Series & NASCAR K&N Pro Series East |
| Lavar Scott | Carney’s Pointe, N.J. | 16 | 600 Micro Sprint Series |
| Brooke Storer | Land O’Lakes, Fla. | 21 | NASCAR Whelen All American Series |
| Gracie Trotter | Denver, N.C. | 18 | NASCAR Whelen All American Series |
| Ryan Vargas | La Mirada, Calif. | 19 | NASCAR Whelen All American Series |
The top eight playoff drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings sit comfortably above the cutline entering Sunday’s elimination race at Kansas Speedway. However, the four remaining contenders still have a solid chance to save their season — and they may have history on their side.
RELATED: Expert picks for Kansas | Winners of playoff elimination races
Despite no change to the top eight after the 2018 Round of 12 elimination race, playoff history tends to lean towards a more variable outlook.
Since the adoption of the current NASCAR Playoffs format during the 2014 season, five drivers who were in position to advance to the Round of 8 saw their title hopes dashed in the Round of 12 elimination race. Two of the five, Kyle Larson in 2017 and Kyle Busch in 2014, entered with more than a 25-point cushion but had back-of-the pack finishes that derailed their chase for the Cup.
Although winning the race is the ultimate goal, it is not necessarily a must for the fringe contenders racing to salvage their title hopes. Only one outside-sitting driver under the current format has won the Round of 12 elimination race to advance to the next round: Brad Keselowski in 2014. Keselowski went on to finish the season in fifth place that year, despite tallying a series-high six wins and 17 top five finishes in 36 races.
For a pair of the outside four, recent playoff success at Kansas may lead to a more positive and familiar outlook in the high-stakes race. In last season’s Hollywood Casino 400, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman both secured top-10 finishes. Bowman crossed the line in ninth place, while Elliott dominated the final 44 laps to take home the checkered flag, locking down his coveted spot the Round of 8.
As for the final two, they may have to put together one of the best Kansas performances of their careers. Clint Bowyer, currently sitting 24 points out of contention, has just one top five finish in his last 12 races at Kansas, while William Byron (27 points below the cutline) has an average finish of 30.3 in three career starts at the track.
With Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney being the only drivers securely locked into the Round of 8 after each notching their first win of the season, the playoff tension is building for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM Radio).
Source: Racing Insights
As increasingly more eSports drivers gain traction on the national stage, the conversation often turns to: How would eSports drivers fare on a real track, in a real car? Thanks to Sunoco’s eWorld vs. Real World challenge, a pair of Richmond Raceway eSports’ elite competitors had a chance to square off with current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace in a series of events that provided a pathway to the answer.
The challenge was split into two parts: an iRacing experience and a real-world track experience.
RELATED: Full eNASCAR coverage
Richmond Raceway eSports drivers Malik Ray (No. 90 Sunoco Toyota) and Jimmy Mullis (No. 46 Sim Seats Toyota) defended their home turf against Wallace (No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet), as they sat behind the wheel of a Sim Seats driving simulator. The trio of drivers competed at virtual Richmond Raceway to see who could lay down the quickest lap time.
The second part of the challenge featured a real world at-track experience. Each challenger wheeled a US Legends car at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s quarter-mile track, battling to see who could put together the fastest four-lap run.
After the conclusion of both segments, each driver’s recorded times were totaled, and the winner was crowned. Check out the video above to see the full experience play out and who ended up with the ultimate bragging rights.
Two NASCAR team haulers have experienced trouble on the way to this weekend’s races at Kansas Speedway with two incidents in a span of less than 24 hours.
Kaulig Racing announced Wednesday evening that its No. 10 Xfinity Series team hauler had crashed on the way to the 1.5-mile track. Thursday morning, JTG Daugherty Racing announced that its No. 47 Monster Energy Series team hauler had suffered a fire, and that the team was assessing the damage to its equipment. A statement from JTG on Friday said the No. 47 team would work out of the Hendrick Motorsports test hauler, and the original backup No. 37 car will serve as the primary No. 47 at Kansas.
RELATED: Full schedule for Kansas
WLOS-TV reported that the Kaulig Racing crash took place on westbound Interstate 40 in McDowell County, just east of Asheville, North Carolina. FOX Carolina reported that state troopers indicated that a medical issue with the driver caused the crash, forcing the tractor-trailer through a guard rail and down an embankment.
FOX Carolina also reported that the driver and co-driver were taken to a local hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. Kaulig Racing said Thursday morning that both had been released from the hospital to convalesce at home.
Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice indicated Wednesday that the organization intends to field its two-car effort as planned for Justin Haley’s No. 11 Chevrolet and Ross Chastain’s No. 10 at Kansas. In a Thursday update, Kaulig Racing said that the team was preparing an additional car for Kansas, working with team partner Richard Childress Racing.
JTG Daugherty team owner Tad Geschickter said in a statement that both drivers of the No. 47 hauler were OK after their incident. “We are assessing the damage to our trailer and race cars and will have more information as it becomes available,” Geschickter said.
Ryan Preece is in his first full-time season driving the No. 47 Chevrolet for the JTG Daugherty team.