Posted on by Team Release

HIGH POINT, N.C. — NASCAR legend and Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductee Bobby Labonte returns to the race track this Saturday, August 10 to compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series modified race at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Labonte will be driving the No. 36 Alliance Insurance Services open-wheeled modified car — his first-ever modified race.

The race marks Labonte’s return to competition in the U.S. since becoming the first American NASCAR champion to join the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2017. He raced full-time in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2018, finishing 14th in points with 1 top-5 and 4 top-10s. At Tours in France, in what was his first outing on a European short track, the Corpus Christi, Texas native grabbed his first NWES podium finish under the checkered flag at the end of a breathtaking bumper-to-bumper battle for the win.

MORE: NASCAR Home Tracks | FansChoice.tv

His upcoming Twin 50-Lap race at Bowman Gray Stadium, also known as “The Madhouse,” presents a different challenge for Labonte. It is NASCAR’s first and oldest weekly series sanctioned track, and it also plays host to Sportsman, Street Stock, Stadium Stock and Classic Modified Division races throughout the season.

“I have been to Bowman Gray Stadium a few times, watching and testing this summer, and it’s a lot of fun,” said Labonte. “It reminds me of some of the racing I did before Cup racing. The modified races there are really competitive, and the teams and drivers are serious and talented. I am sure they will make it tough on me, but I am looking forward to strapping on my helmet and giving them a run for it in the No. 36 Alliance Insurance Services car on Saturday night.”

The first-ever NASCAR driver to win a championship in both the NASCAR Cup Series and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Labonte won 21 races at the highest level of NASCAR in the United States, conquering some of NASCAR’s crown jewels like the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, the Southern 500 at Darlington and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Labonte is set to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January 2020.

“Alliance Insurance Services is proud to sponsor NASCAR legend Bobby Labonte for this weekend’s special race at Bowman Gray Stadium,” said Christopher Cook, owner of Alliance Insurance Services. “Bobby is a fierce competitor and a proven winner, and we are honored to be part of his team.”

Posted on by Terrin Waack

It’s the silly summer stretch, when not only the tracks vary but so do the winners.

Victory Lane has seen a different driver in each of the past nine races, starting with Kyle Busch at Pocono Raceway on June 2 and most recently with Chase Elliott at Watkins Glen International last weekend. Four of those nine — Alex Bowman, Justin Haley, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick — nabbed their first win of the season during that span. One of those four isn’t even a full-time Cup driver (looking at you, Haley).

Repeat winners from earlier in the season included Busch, Elliott, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin.

Date Track Length Winner
June 2, 2019 Pocono Raceway 2.5 miles (triangular) Kyle Busch
June 10, 2019 Michigan International Speedway 2 miles Joey Logano
June 23, 2019 Sonoma Raceway 2.52 miles (road course) Martin Truex Jr.
June 30, 2019 Chicagoland Speedway 1.5 miles Alex Bowman*
July 7, 2019 Daytona International Speedway 2.5 miles Justin Haley*
July 13, 2019 Kentucky Speedway 1.5 miles Kurt Busch*
July 21, 2019 New Hampshire Motor Speedway 1.058 miles Kevin Harvick*
July 28, 2019 Pocono Raceway 2.5 miles (triangular) Denny Hamlin
Aug. 4, 2019 Watkins Glen International 2.45 miles (road course) Chase Elliott
Aug. 11, 2019 Michigan International Speedway 2 miles Sunday at 3 p.m. ET

*Notes first-time season winners | Italics for non-Cup regular

RELATED: Complete Michigan schedule | NASCAR on TV

A little perspective: The first 13 races of the season had just six winners. The longest such streak last season was just five different drivers in a row, and it was near the tail-end of the season, which was capped off by Logano’s championship. This year’s run of unique winners marks the longest streak of its kind since the 2017 season, when 10 different drivers in a row won. 

Date Track Winner
May 28, 2017 Charlotte Motor Speedway Austin Dillon
June 4, 2017 Dover International Speedway Jimmie Johnson
June 11, 2017 Pocono Raceway Ryan Blaney
June 18, 2017 Michigan International Speedway Kyle Larson
June 25, 2017 Sonoma Raceway Kevin Harvick
July 1, 2017 Daytona International Speedway Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
July 8, 2017 Kentucky Speedway Martin Truex Jr.
July 16, 2017 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Denny Hamlin
July 23, 2017 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kasey Kahne
July 30, 2017 Pocono Raceway Kyle Busch

The lengthiest strand ever dates all the way back to 1961. There were two chunks of 13 different victors, and they actually overlapped. The first began with Junior Johnson’s win at Martinsville Speedway on April 30, 1961 and ended with Buck Baker’s victory June 23, 1961 at Hartsville Speedway. The second started with Fred Lorenzen on May 6, 1961 in Darlington, South Carolina, and ended with Johnson in Roanoke, Virginia, on June 24, 1961. 

RELATED: The complete Driver by Number series

Back in the present, there are 23 drivers out of 32 who have started every race who have not won yet. With nine full-time drivers logging a win this season, by the process of elimination, seven currently are banking on points to make the 16-driver cutline for the NASCAR Playoffs, which begin in four races.

The Cup Series takes on Michigan International Speedway this Sunday (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the second time in 2019. Logano won the June showdown, and Harvick took this second edition last year.

Both Logano and Harvick already are locked into the postseason – Logano has two wins; Harvick has one. Someone who isn’t guaranteed a spot and might have good luck at Michigan is Kyle Larson, sitting 14th in the standings with a 46-point buffer. Larson has won three of the last six Michigan races (the second race of 2016 and both in 2017) . He finished 14th there in June and is coming off an eighth-place showing at Watkins Glen.

A victory for Larson would snap a 68-race drought. Let the silliness continue to add some rain on the parade. 

Posted on by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick took his son, Keelan, for a ride to get the checkered flag in the August 2018 version of this race at Michigan International Speedway. Will there be more happy times ahead for Harvick and family at Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)?

RELATED: Full Michigan schedule

A quick look at the stat sheet shows some numbers in Harvick’s favor: He has won three of the past five stages at Michigan and swept both stages in last year’s win, his second at the track. Harvick has also led the most laps in two of the past three races at Michigan. We’ll see if the No. 4 can get to Victory Lane again on Sunday.

Here’s the rest of the rundown for this week’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in Michigan:

TRACK DETAILS

Michigan International Speedway is set in the scenic Irish Hills in Brooklyn, Michigan, and is a 2-mile track that features 18-degree banking and 73-foot wide sweeping turns. The first Monster Energy Series race took place there on June 15, 1969. Cale Yarborough earned the checkered flag ahead of David Pearson by five seconds.

RULES PACKAGE

Sunday’s race will feature the 2019 baseline rules package with the smaller tapered spacer, so engines will run with horsepower of about 550. Aero ducts will be used this week, along with the radiator pan, splitter and spoiler from the baseline rules package.

Michigan is a relatively smooth track, so Goodyear notes the challenge will be providing a tire that produces adequate wear. Each team will get three sets of tires for practice, one set for qualifying and eight sets for the race (seven race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying or practice). Teams will have inner liners in the tires.

In addition, NASCAR announced PJ1 will be used on the track for the first time.

STATS

— The driver in 16th place on the playoff grid has changed following each of the last nine races. Jimmie Johnson holds that spot entering Michigan.

— Chase Elliott, who won last week at Watkins Glen, has the best average finish among all-time drivers with three or more starts at Michigan: 7.43.

— Austin Dillon has four top-10 finishes at Michigan, which is second to Daytona (seven top 10s) among his best tracks.

— Denny Hamlin has the most points scored since Chicago with 229. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones is second with 212 points in that span.

Source: Racing Insights

LIVE COVERAGE

NBCSN and the NBC Sports App will be your sources for coverage this weekend, along with MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and NASCAR.com. NBCSN will kick off coverage on Friday with first practice at 12:35 p.m. ET. Busch Pole Qualifying is at 5:05 p.m. ET on Friday, and the race will be Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

Be sure to set your Fantasy Live lineups and make your Props Challenge picks on NASCAR.com and follow along on the live leaderboard. Take advantage of expanded lap-averages coverage with 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-lap averages for drivers in practices.

2018 RACE WINNER

Kevin Harvick led 108 of the 200 laps last August to capture the victory over Michigan native Brad Keselowski, who finished in second place, 3.233 seconds behind. For Harvick, it was the seventh of eight victories during the 2018 season.

ACTIVE MICHIGAN WINNERS

Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, three wins apiece; Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman, two wins; Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, one win.

Posted on by Staff Report

Dubbed the “Granddaddy Of Them All,” the 59th Knoxville Nationals will host more than 100 sprint cars at Knoxville Raceway on Aug. 7-10.

The Knoxville Raceway half-mile clay oval in Knoxville, Iowa, is the home of the most prestigious race of the year for the sprint car world. The four-day showdown includes a pair of qualifying nights held on Wednesday and Thursday, along with last-chance qualifiers on Friday and Saturday prior to the 50-lap feature event that caps off the festivities. Saturday night’s 24-car A-Main event will have a total purse of nearly $1 million, with the winner taking home a $150,000 grand prize.

Among the long list of entries is Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The 27-year-old from Elk Grove, California, will chase his first Knoxville Nationals crown in the No. 57 Silva Motorsports car.

RELATED: NASCAR, NBC Sports team up for ‘Grassroots Racing Tour’

Larson has a busy travel schedule for the upcoming weekend, jetting from Michigan International Speedway after Monster Energy Series practice and qualifying on Friday and Saturday to Iowa and arriving at Knoxville for sprint car racing. His hectic weekend concludes with Sunday’s Monster Energy Series race (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

While Larson serves as the lone Cup Series regular taking part in the four-day classic, his ownership role also extends to the No. 2 full-time World of Outlaws entry driven by Carson Macedo.

Roush Fenway Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also has a shot at winning as a team owner as World of Outlaws full-time driver Sheldon Haudenschild will pilot the No. 17 Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing entry.

Ten-time and defending World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz will be vying for his 11th career Knoxville Nationals title in the No. 15 car owned by three-time Monster Energy Series champion and 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Tony Stewart.

Additionally, former Monster Energy Series driver Kasey Kahne will field a pair of sprint cars, including the defending Knoxville Nationals champion Brad Sweet in the No. 49 entry and the No. 9 car driven by James McFadden.

Diving into primary sponsorship for the first time in the Knoxville Nationals per the direction of four-time Monster Energy Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Jeff Gordon, Axalta Racing will team up with Jason Johnson Racing and the No. 41 ride driven by David Gravel.

Click here for more information about this year’s Knoxville Nationals, including full entry lists, detailed race format and complete purse breakdown.

Posted on by Team Release

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – Discount Tire renewed its commitment to Team Penske, enhancing its presence on the No. 2 Ford Mustang, driven by Brad Keselowski. The multi-year agreement will see Discount Tire as the primary sponsor for five additional Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and the season finale in Phoenix, for a total of 15 events.

Discount Tire will continue to be an associate sponsor of Team Penske drivers Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano in the Cup Series, along with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Austin Cindric. The company will also continue its partnership with the Team Penske IndyCar Series program as an associate sponsor on both the No. 2 car, driven by Josef Newgarden, and the No. 22 car with driver Simon Pagenaud.

“We’re proud to continue our winning relationship with Roger and Team Penske,” said Michael Zuieback, chief executive officer of Discount Tire. “This partnership over the last decade has meant a great deal to our company, our team, and our customers. We look forward to celebrating more successes and championships as we expand our presence in the Cup series with Brad and all of Team Penske.”

Discount Tire and Team Penske first partnered in 2010, a season that culminated in an Xfinity Series Championship for Brad Keselowski and a series record of 26 top-five finishes for Team Penske. Since then, Discount Tire has been a key part of four Xfinity Series Owners’ Championships with Team Penske, including three consecutive titles between 2013-15. In 10 seasons as a Team Penske partner, Discount Tire has won 35 races, including its first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory at Indianapolis in 2018.

“Team Penske’s partnership with Discount Tire continues to grow and is a bond that has reaped many benefits for both companies,” team owner Roger Penske said. “When we won our first NASCAR Championship back in 2010, Discount Tire was a big part of our program and it has been exciting to build on our success together as the company transitioned to becoming a primary sponsor with Brad and the No. 2 Ford team in the Cup Series. Motorsports has helped build the Discount Tire brand, connecting with both employees and consumers, and we look forward to more success together as the company expands its role with our team in 2020 and beyond.”

Discount Tire will continue utilizing Team Penske drivers at store appearances across the country for meet-and-greets, autograph sessions with fans and tire-safety advocacy efforts.

“The team at Discount Tire has been an important part of my racing career over the last decade,” Brad Keselowski said. “I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together on and off the track and I’m excited that the partnership will continue to grow with Team Penske in the Cup Series starting next season.”

Posted on by Track Release

PHOENIX– ISM Raceway’s president, Julie Giese, has been selected by Sports Business Journal for recognition this fall in their ninth annual “Game Changers: Women in Sports Business.” This distinction highlights women in the industry who have played key roles in their respective fields and are recognized as executives who have brought new approaches and ideas to sports business, who have been out front on significant projects and programs and who are leaders and mentors to other women in sports business.

“Julie’s leadership in the redevelopment of Daytona International Speedway and ISM Raceway has not only helped transform NASCAR’s fan experience, but has set a new benchmark,” stated Jim France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to witnessing Julie’s continued evolution as a significant contributor to the future of motorsports.”

RELATED: Buy tickets for ISM Raceway’s 2019 Playoff elimination tripleheader

Giese was named president of ISM Raceway in October 2018 after previously serving as the Managing Director of Business Operations for International Speedway Corporation’s (ISC) Design & Development where she worked tirelessly on the design and project management of ISM Raceway’s $178 million modernization project. Prior to this, she spent 12 years overseeing consumer marketing, branding, creative, advertising, digital, public relations and event entertainment for Daytona International Speedway, playing a leading role in the Daytona Rising project.

“Julie is one of the most dedicated and motivated individuals I have ever worked with and this honor is incredibly well deserved,” stated Joie Chitwood III, ISC COO. “She has proven time and again that she is a game changer from her work at Watkins Glen International, Daytona International Speedway and now leading the facility and team as president at ISM Raceway.”

Giese and the other honorees will be featured in the September 16 issue of the Sports Business Journal and will be recognized at the “Game Changers: Women in Sports Business” conference on September 17 in New York City.

RELATED: Tickets on sale for 2020 title weekend

Posted on by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

This week the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Michigan International Speedway for the second and final visit of the season.

In June, Joey Logano dominated from the pole, leading 163 of 200 laps before taking the checkered flag.

To make this weekend’s NASCAR Props Challenge picks, we’ll rely on the most recent race run at Michigan due to the current aero package, as well as historic results at this racetrack.

1. Will the polesitter lead O/U 35.5 laps in Stage 1?

The first stage will be 60 laps, meaning the polesitter needs to lead more than half of Stage 1 to go over.

While I do expect one car to dominate the first stage, I don’t necessarily think it has to be the polesitter.

Pick: Under

2. A Toyota driver wins either Stage 1 or 2: Yes or No?

Toyota’s top MENCS drivers, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones, combined to lead a total of five laps here in June.

I’ll be surprised if Toyota doesn’t eclipse that number on Sunday, but I’ll take the field over Toyota here, especially considering how dominant the Fords were last go-round.

Pick: No

3. O/U 5.5 drivers will score stage points in both Stages 1 and 2?

Just four drivers (Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman and Aric Almirola) earned points in both stages with this aero package back in June, so let’s go under.

Pick: Under

4. The Stage 2 winner will lead O/U 25.5 laps in that stage?

Download the FREE Action Network app to finish reading this article and get the rest of PJ Walsh’s NASCAR Props Challenge Picks.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR suspended three members of the No. 2 Gander Outdoors Truck Series team for three races after a safety violation last week at Eldora Speedway. The No. 2 truck that Sheldon Creed drove to a runner-up finish violated Section 20.3.4.a of the NASCAR Rule Book having to do with ballast containers.

The truck experienced a loss or separation of added ballast from the vehicle. As a result, NASCAR suspended crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz, truck chief Austin Pollak and engineer Jonathan Stewart for three points events, through Sept. 10.

The team announced it would not appeal the penalty.

RELATED: Truck clinching scenarios

Creed is currently eighth in the driver standings and would need a win this weekend at Michigan International Speedway in order to get into the playoffs. The penalty did not affect his place in the standings. …

In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the No. 96 was found to have one lug nut not safe and secure following Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International. NASCAR fined crew chief Mark Hillman $10,000. Parker Kligerman drove the No. 96 to a 26th-place finish.

Posted on by Staff Report

Richard Petty Motorsports unveiled Bubba Wallace’s No. 43 Victory Junction Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 throwback paint scheme Tuesday at the Darlington Raceway Victory Tour appearance.

RELATED: Darlington throwback paint schemes for 2019

The orange, green, purple and yellow livery honors Adam Petty’s ARCA Racing Series No. 45 Spree Prepaid Foncard Pontiac from his victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1998.

MORE: Buy Southern 500 tickets

Wallace will pilot the throwback tribute in next month’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 (Sept. 1, 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The sophomore driver placed 26th in the race last year.

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series has its final race of the 2019 regular season Saturday at Michigan International Speedway (1 p.m. ET on FS1, FOX Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). With six winning drivers already assured spots in the eight-team playoffs, time is running out for others to join the postseason fun.

RELATED: Full driver standings

Here are the clinching scenarios for this week’s Corrigan Oil 200:

Grant Enfinger: He will a clinch a spot in the race by starting the race.

Matt Crafton: If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Enfinger), Crafton would clinch regardless of finish. If there is a new winner who is not Enfinger, Crafton could only clinch on points if Enfinger does not start and Crafton scores 53 points.

The following drivers can only clinch with a win: Ben Rhodes, Harrison Burton, Todd Gilliland, Sheldon Creed, Tyler Dippel and Gus Dean.

Regular Season Championship:

Enfinger will clinch the Regular Season Championship by scoring nine points at Michigan. By starting the race, Enfinger is guaranteed to earn five points. So at worst, Enfinger can clinch the Regular Season Championship by scoring four stage points or finishing at least 28th with no stage points. (Note: If Crafton scores less than 10 points in the first stage, Enfinger’s scenarios get easier — i.e., if Crafton scores nine points in Stage 1, Enfinger would then need only eight points to clinch, and so on.)