Posted on by Track Release

TALLADEGA, Ala. – International Speedway Corporation announced Thursday that Brian Crichton, Vice President, Marketing and Sales at Talladega Superspeedway, has been promoted to President of Talladega Superspeedway, effective September 3rd. Crichton assumes his new role as Speedway Chairman Grant Lynch prepares for his previously announced November retirement with the completion of Transformation – The Talladega Superspeedway Infield Project Presented by Graybar.

As VP of Marketing and Sales at Talladega, Crichton oversees consumer marketing, public relations, ticketing, partnership marketing and sales. Crichton and his Talladega staff created the popular Friday Night “Big One on the Blvd.” fan event, and elevated the track’s traditional Saturday Night Infield Concert. He has overseen the development of successful programs for military, first responders, teachers and educators, kids, scouts and college students. He has also been a major contributor in the planning efforts of Transformation. In his new role, Crichton will report to Joie Chitwood, COO, ISC and oversee promotion and operation of the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

RELATED: Buy Talladega tickets

“Brian has earned this promotion following nearly 10 years of valued leadership at Talladega,” stated Chitwood. “His creative marketing efforts, community building and fan-first mentality have helped Talladega Superspeedway become the most fan-friendly track on NASCAR’s schedule.”

With nearly 20 years of motorsports industry experience, Crichton served in successful capacities at Daytona International Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway. As Vice President of Special Events and Entertainment at Daytona International Speedway, he managed the 50th running of the DAYTONA 500 and grew marquee events including the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Bike Week and Biketoberfest.

“Brian is a strong promoter and Talladega’s future is very bright with him at the wheel,” said Lynch, who has been a staple at the track since 1993. “He has earned the trust and commitment of this team as they take ’Dega’s storied legacy to new heights driving increased economic impact for the local community and the great state of Alabama.”

Crichton and his wife Karen have two sons – Jackson and Cooper.

Talladega Superspeedway, which opened in 1969, will have a busy fall event schedule for its NASCAR doubleheader playoffs weekend (October 11-13) featuring the 1000Bulbs.com 500 for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Sugarlands Shine 250 for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. The weekend will be highlighted with the culmination of the Transformation project, which will feature the one-of-a-kind Talladega Garage Experience with free Wi-Fi, value-priced concessions and “up-close” fan access at the track like never before.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Even with countless videos and stories becoming viral sensations in the modern era of Twitter, 43,000 retweets is still a significant number of interactions on a single post — or at least Bubba Wallace thought so.

Thursday morning, that interaction went from social-media lark to “Let’s do it!”

RELATED: Bubba Wallace driver page | Shop Wallace fan gear

Tuesday afternoon, Wallace posted a pair of photos detailing an up-close interaction with The King of NASCAR, Richard Petty. With a handful of bright-colored sharpies, Petty grabbed hold of Wallace’s left arm as he sat in the Petty-Blue car and signed his name in big, bold, silver letters.

Thus, the challenge ensued.

“43,000 RTs and I’ll get it tattooed,” the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver claimed — a number which he figured would be safe, keeping his forearm tattoo-free. But as the sun rose early Thursday morning the mark was surpassed, leaving the daunting question — will Bubba go through with it?

Based on his enthusiastic social media responses, we might see the young driver repping his new ink later this season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0VxZzGnJGk/

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR officials redefined the guidelines for uncontrolled tire penalties Wednesday in an effort to make that element of pit-stop officiating less subjective.

The change eliminates the “arm’s length” interpretation of what constitutes a controlled tire during pit stops, and it will go into effect for this weekend’s events at Pocono Raceway and Iowa Speedway.

“After discussions internally and with competitors and teams, NASCAR will adjust how we officiate the uncontrolled tire rule to focus on preventing a safety hazard rather than concentrating on the subjective ‘arm’s length’ criteria,” NASCAR said in a statement.

The new language specifies that tires will be considered under control if:

• Tire(s) do not roll into the traffic lanes of pit road;

• Removed tire(s) do not return to the outside half of the pit box;

• Tire(s) are handled in a safe manner, avoiding instances of bouncing or throwing tires.

RELATED: Pocono weekend schedule

Additionally, removed tire(s) from the outside half (race-track side) of the pit box must not exceed the “proximity limits” to other pit boxes as noted in the NASCAR Rule Book.

“This is something we’ve been looking at for some time over the last year or two,” said Elton Sawyer, NASCAR vice president of officiating and technical inspection. “The evolution of the pit stop has changed over time. There was a time when we needed to officiate that call based on an arm’s length.

“We have reviewed that numerous times and looked at it and feel like, in coordination with working with the teams, the timing is right to go ahead and remove that part of the rule from the rule book. We will continue to officiate uncontrolled tires. They still have to be controlled from the outside half of the pit box to the inside half.”

MORE: Track details, tires for Pocono

Competition officials also mandated that teams must change outside tires first during four-tire stops, a safety measure intended to reduce crewmembers’ exposure to other cars leaving adjacent pit stalls. This change will be in effect for all three NASCAR national series starting next week at Watkins Glen International.

“This is something we’ve been working with the teams on,” Sawyer said. “They came to us and they had been looking at changing the inside tires first, and Watkins Glen would have been the first event that they would have been trying to do that.

“Through the collaboration, through some additional conversations, we felt like that going forward starting at Watkins Glen, for all four-tire stops you’d have to change the outside tires first. That’ll go into effect across all three national series and at every event starting at Watkins Glen next week.”

Sawyer indicated that the rules alterations stem from internal conversations and feedback from the NASCAR garage. The judgment-call element of the previous uncontrolled tire rules had drawn some criticism, most vocally from Denny Hamlin, whose No. 11 team was called for two such infractions in the last four Monster Energy Series races.

The penalty for violations of the two pit-stop rules is the same: a drop to the tail end of the field when assessed during a caution period, or a pass-through penalty during green-flag conditions.

MORE: NASCAR 101

Posted on by Data Skrive

Gray Gaulding crossed the finish line 17th in the ROXOR 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday.

Christopher Bell took the checkered flag in the race, with Cole Custer taking second, and Justin Allgaier placing third. Tyler Reddick brought home fourth place, followed by Paul Menard to round out the top five .

Brandon Jones picked up 10 bonus points by winning Stage 1, and Christopher Bell finished out front in Stage 2 to pad his totals for the weekend.

Gaulding earned 20 points over the weekend, increasing his total to 385 on the season. He ranks No. 13 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series overall standings. Gaulding did not earn any playoff points Saturday and still is seeking his first playoff points of the season.

The fourth-year driver qualified in 20th position at 127.130 mph.

Gaulding still is looking for his first career win, but boasts one top-five finish and two finishes in the top 10.

There were 38 cars in the field and the race endured five cautions and 28 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were five lead changes.

With Bell driving his Supra to glory for Joe Gibbs, Toyota added 40 points. Overall, Toyota ranks No. 1 with 650 points, followed by Chevrolet in the No. 2 spot with 647. Ford sits at No. 3 with 626 points on the season.

Gray Gaulding Driver Page | Get Gray Gaulding Gear | NASCAR SHOP

Posted on by Data Skrive

Quin Houff placed 31st in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sunday.

Kevin Harvick earned the checkered flag in the race, with Denny Hamlin finishing second, and Erik Jones placing third. Ryan Blaney brought home fourth place, followed by Matt DiBenedetto in the No. 5 spot .

Kyle Busch came away victorious in Stage 1, and Aric Almirola won Stage 2. Each driver earned 10 bonus points for their efforts.

Houff earned six points over the weekend, giving him 55 on the season. He ranks No. 33 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series overall standings.
Houff did not earn any playoff points Sunday and remains on the hunt for his first playoff points of the season.

The first-year driver qualified in 34th position at 128.845 mph.

After 11 career starts, Houff continues to search for his first win and top-10 finish.

There were 37 cars in the field and the race endured nine cautions and 48 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 14 lead changes.

With Harvick driving his Mustang to glory for Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford added 40 points. Overall, Toyota ranks No. 1 with 727 points, followed by Ford in the No. 2 spot with 713. Chevrolet sits at No. 3 with 675 points on the season.

Quin Houff Driver Page | Get Quin Houff Gear | NASCAR SHOP

Posted on by Team Release

Roush Fenway Racing has announced a three-year partnership with Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection specializing in the development of on-premises and cloud-based backup, disaster recovery, secure file sync and share, and data access solutions.

The multiyear relationship will serve as both a marketing platform and technology partnership, with Roush Fenway utilizing the Acronis’ tools to enhance its racing operations. The Acronis brand will make its on-track debut at Watkins Glen in August, serving as the primary partner for the Ford Mustangs of both Ryan Newman and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at the famed road-course event in upstate New York.

DRIVER PAGES: Ryan Newman | Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Acronis will also serve as the primary partner on Newman’s No. 6 Ford at the much-anticipated Bristol night race on August 17 and at the Monster Mile of Dover on October 6.

“It’s great to bring Acronis on board and we are looking forward to having them on both of our cars at Watkins Glen,” said Newman. “They are the standard in cyber protection, and we are looking forward to working with them both as a marketing and technology partner.”

In addition, the partnership will help expand Roush Fenway’s technological capabilities with advanced cloud backup and disaster recovery services, cutting-edge file sharing, and robust computer power simulations.

Acronis designs its solutions to address the Five Vectors of Cyber Protection — ensuring the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security of data (SAPAS). This unique approach allows Acronis to deliver easy, efficient, and secure cyber protection. As a result, the company is now the technology partner of choice in several motorsports, including Formula 1, Formula E and NASCAR.

These same solutions will help Roush Fenway Racing ensure the security and safety of the team’s systems, applications, and data — both at the track and at the race shop. At the same time, Acronis will be showcasing its capabilities to help grow its business worldwide.

“Acronis technology meets the efficiency and reliability requirements demanded by motorsport teams that compete at the highest level. Through this partnership, Acronis will enable Roush Fenway Racing to focus on developing their car and achieving results on the racetrack without having to worry about the safety of their data. We are looking forward to a long successful partnership together,” said Dan Havens, Acronis Growth Officer.

“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Acronis,” said Roush Fenway President Steve Newmark. “Acronis is a world leader in the fields of cyber protection and disaster recovery, and we are excited about the capabilities that the partnership brings to Roush Fenway.”

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Chase Elliott wasn’t even averaging a top-10 finish before his win at Talladega Superspeedway back in April. He then knocked out five straight top-five finishes, including the victory that provisionally locked him into the NASCAR Playoffs, and jumped seven spots in the championship point standings. Things were looking good for the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Or so it seemed.

In the last six races, Elliott has averaged a 24.5 finish and only managed two top-15 performances. He was ranked third in the standings after the first Pocono Raceway showdown but has since dropped to eighth.

RELATED: Power Rankings | Standings look

The downfall started at Michigan International Speedway, where Elliott placed 20th. He then failed to complete the races at Sonoma Raceway and Daytona International Speedway due to an engine issue and crash, respectively. There were glimmers of bounce-back hope between the DNFs with an 11th-place run at Chicagoland Speedway and then a 15th shot afterward at Kentucky Speedway. Last weekend, though, Elliott wound up 29th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, completing 290 of the 301 laps.

There still are six races until the postseason, starting with Sunday’s Gander RV 400 at Pocono (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Elliott already punched his ticket into the first round of playoffs, but that sole win won’t keep Elliott safe forever.

Elliott Last 6 Races Previous 6 Races
Starts 6 5
Wins 0 1
Top 5 0 5
Top 10 0 5
Top 15 2 5
DNFs 2 0
Laps Led 7 280
Avg. Finish 24.5 3.6
Best Finish 11 1
Race Points 104 244

*Stats courtesy of Racing Insights.

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Pocono Raceway for this season’s second edition of the “Tricky Triangle” showdown at the 2.5-mile track in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

Before heading into Sunday’s Gander RV 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBSCN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) take a look at some key information and things to watch.

RELATED: Full schedule for Pocono

TRACK DETAILS

Designed as a 2.5-mile triangular track, Pocono has a triad of unique turns that each offer a new challenge and varied degree of banking: Turn 1 – 14 degrees, Turn 2 – 8 degrees and Turn 3 – 6 degrees. Turns 1 and 3 are connected by a 3,740-foot frontstretch, while Turns 2 and 3 are bridged by a 3,055-foot back straightaway. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon holds the record for most all-time wins at the track with six.

In order to give drivers more versatility regarding lane selection, the track will also feature the PJ1 application in all three corners — the first time it’s been laid down on the Pocono surface.

RULES PACKAGE

The race at Pocono Raceway will feature the 2019 rules package with a tapered-spacer engine generating around 550 horsepower. Changed for the earlier race this season, the cars will feature aero ducts — an adjustment made after running the non-duct package at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This change will also take place at Darlington Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway later this year.

Each team will be provided with three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for practice, one set for qualifying and seven sets for the race (six race sets plus one carried over from practice or qualifying).

“Pocono is always a challenge on both the teams and the tires,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Being pretty flat with long, fast straightaways and three distinct corners, teams will try to gain grip however they can, including going below our recommended air pressures, most specifically on the left-side of the car.  We integrated construction updates on both the left- and right-side tires for the June race, so since the Cup (Series) cars have already run at Pocono with this higher downforce package, they have a head start on what to expect with their set-ups this weekend.”

STATS

  • A Chevrolet driver has not won at Pocono Raceway in the last six races — the manufacturer’s longest winless streak at the track since 2002 when it went winless eight times in a row from June 1999 to July 2002.

  • Nine of the last 11 races at Pocono were won from a top-10 starting position, with the other pair won by drivers starting outside of the top 20.

  • Each of the last four races at Pocono were won by Toyota drivers, with Kyle Busch claiming a trio of wins and Martin Truex Jr. securing the other.

LIVE COVERAGE

The Gander RV 400 at Pocono Raceway will be televised live on NBCSN and the NBC Sports App, with radio coverage being provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Check out NASCAR.com for additional options, including in-car cameras, audio and leaderboards on NASCAR Drive. Update Fantasy Live rosters and make final picks before Sunday’s race.

2018 RACE WINNER

Kyle Busch raced his way to secure the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway in 2018, holding off then-Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Daniel Suarez in overtime to claim his second-career win at the track, leading a race-high 52 laps after starting from 28th position.

ACTIVE POCONO WINNERS

Denny Hamlin (four), Kyle Busch (three), Kurt Busch (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Martin Truex Jr. (two), Ryan Blaney (one), Chris Buescher (one), Brad Keselowski (one), Joey Logano (one) and Ryan Newman (one).

Posted on by NASCAR.com

Matt DiBenedetto crossed the finish line fifth in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sunday. It’s DiBenedetto’s second top-five finish of the season.

Kevin Harvick brought home the win in the race, with Denny Hamlin taking second, and Erik Jones placing third.

Kyle Busch came away victorious in Stage 1, and Aric Almirola finished out front in Stage 2. Each driver earned 10 bonus points for their efforts.

DiBenedetto earned 32 points over the weekend, increasing his total to 329 on the year. He ranks No. 24 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series overall standings. DiBenedetto did not earn any playoff points Sunday and remains on the hunt for his first playoff points of the season.

The fifth-year driver qualified in seventh position at 135.990 mph.

DiBenedetto still is looking for his first career win, but boasts one top-five finish and six finishes in the top 10.

There were 37 cars in the field and the race endured nine cautions and 48 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 14 lead changes.

With Harvick driving his Mustang to glory for Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford added 40 points. Overall, Toyota ranks No. 1 with 727 points, followed by Ford in the No. 2 spot with 713. Chevrolet sits at No. 3 with 675 points on the season.

Matt DiBenedetto Driver Page | Get Matt DiBenedetto Gear | NASCAR SHOP

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.

For the second time this season, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) will visit Pocono Raceway, a unique 2.5-mile tri-oval racetrack.

Kyle Busch led 79 of 160 laps en route to a convincing win in the first race, so it’s no surprise to see him as the early favorite in Vegas for Sunday’s Gander RV 400 at +250 odds.

To make this weekend’s NASCAR Props Challenge picks, we’ll lean results from the MENCS race at Pocono last month, as well as historical data from the Tricky Triangle.

1. Will Sunday’s winner lead the most laps? Yes or No?

Kyle Busch led the most laps when winning at Pocono in June and considering the new aero package has created bigger advantages for cars out front, I’ll say that happens again on Sunday.

Pick: Yes

2. O/U 15.5 stage points for Kyle Busch?

Just two drivers (Kyle Larson and William Byron) scored more than 15 stage points last month at Pocono.

In addition, because cars toward the front of the field can pit without losing a lap at Pocono, strategy often results in the fastest cars pitting immediately before the stage breaks (forgoing stage points) in order to gain track position after stage breaks.

Pick: Under

3. Which driver will finish higher? Clint Bowyer or Jimmie Johnson?

Bowyer was better than Johnson in every major statistical category in the most recent Pocono race, so this is an easy one for me.

Pick: Bowyer

4. O/U 135.5 MPH average race speed?

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