Posted on by PJ Walsh

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I’ve talked a lot about the new aero package implemented in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season, and Monday’s race at Michigan will give us another key data point regarding what the racing will look like for the remainder of the year.

The overall goal of this package is to keep the cars closer together and promote more passing, something all NASCAR fans would be interested in seeing at Michigan.

But just like last week, we really don’t know what the racing will look like on-track, so I’ll be using historical results from Michigan International Speedway, as well as what we know so far about this package to make my NASCAR Props Challenge picks for Monday’s FireKeepers Casino 400.

1. Will Sunday’s race winner be over the age of 33? Yes or No?

According to the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, Kyle Busch (+275), Kevin Harvick (+500), Martin Truex Jr. (+600) and Brad Keselowski (+800) are the four drivers with the best odds to win Sunday’s race.

All four of these drivers are over the age of 33.

Pick: Yes

2. Which Chip Ganassi Racing driver will finish higher? Kurt Busch or Kyle Larson?

Larson has won three of the past five races at Michigan, so the easy answer is to take Kyle. However, Busch’s average running position (ARP) of 10.3 dominates Larson’s of 15.8 at tracks of 1.5 miles in length or larger this season.

Not only does Busch have the edge with this package, but Larson’s track history will likely convince many of our Props Challenge competitors to pick him here, so Kurt gives us a solid opportunity to pivot from the masses.

Pick: Busch

3. Will the race winner lead O/U 70.5 laps?

This question is all about the new aero package. I expect the draft to play a big role on Sunday, keeping the pack more closely bunched together than in years past.

I think we see more lead changes — and therefore leaders — this year, and don’t expect one car to get out front, lead a ton of laps and win.

Pick: Under

4. Stewart-Haas Racing drivers swept the Michigan races last year? Will one of them win on Sunday?

Here are the odds for each of the four Stewart-Haas drivers to win:

  • Harvick (+275)
  • Clint Bowyer (+2000)
  • Aric Almirola (+3000)
  • Daniel Suarez (+4000)

This is an easy no.

Pick: No

5. O/U 28.5 stage points for Team Penske?

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get the rest of PJ Walsh’s NASCAR Props Challenge Picks.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 5, 2019) – Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced Wednesday changes to the organization’s crew chief lineup that will take effect beginning with Friday’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

Marcus Richmond will move over to guide the No. 46 team for its next two events; at Iowa Speedway with Riley Herbst and at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway with Chandler Smith.

Wes Ward, shop foreman at KBM, will serve as the interim crew chief for Todd Gilliland this week at Texas and Michael Shelton, who previously served as the crew chief for the No. 46 team’s limited schedule this season, will serve as interim crew chief for Gilliland at Gateway and Iowa.

MORE: Texas entry list

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway this weekend for a showdown on the 2-mile ‘D-shaped’ track as they host their 100th race.

Leading into Monday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (5 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), here’s the rundown on a few things to watch.

RELATED: Full weekend schedule for Michigan/Texas

TRACK DETAILS
Michigan International Speedway is a 2-mile D-shaped track. With a unique track design featuring a 3,600-foot frontstretch and 2,242-foot backstretch, the banking in each corner is 18 degrees. The frontstretch banking is 12 degrees and the backstretch banking is five degrees. The inaugural Monster Energy Series race at the track was the 1969 Motor State 500, won by Cale Yarborough on June 15.

RULES PACKAGE
Michigan will feature the 2019 rules package with aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine that will generate about 550 horsepower.

Cup teams are allowed three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials tires for practice, one set for qualifying and seven sets for the race. The NASCAR Xfinity Series teams will have six sets for the race.

With the current rules package, corner speeds at Michigan will be up and tight racing throughout the field should take place throughout the entire race.

Michigan was resurfaced in 2012 and is still relatively smooth so Goodyear’s tire setup at Michigan is now aligned with what was run at Texas Motor Speedway earlier in the season.

“With Michigan being a relatively recent repave, combined with the 2019 Cup rules package and drivers expected to be on the throttle all the way through the corners, we always have to be cognizant of tire heat,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “We combat that with the tread compounds we bring to tracks with smooth surfaces, as well as the gage or thickness of that tread that allows the tire to dissipate heat. Overall, this weekend could be a good show for the fans if it is anything like some other recent events where corner speeds have been up and there has been a lot of tight racing and passing.”

Teams in both the Cup and Xfinity Series will run the same tire setup at Michigan this weekend. It is a combination of left- and right-side tires that were run at Texas in March and the right-side tire code is what was run at Michigan in 2018. The left-side code is different than last year featuring a construction change to align with other speedways.

STATS

  • Michigan International Speedway is tied with Talladega for the most 200 mph Busch Pole Award speeds with 11. Only three of the last 14 poles at the 2-mile track were less than 200 mph.
  • Michigan will host its 100th race on Sunday.
  • Kyle Larson has won three of the last five races at Michigan.
  • Either Chase Elliott or Kevin Harvick has finished runner-up in nine of the last 12 races at Michigan.
  • Long winless streaks ended at Michigan for some drivers. Dale Earnhardt Jr. snapped a 76-race winless streak in 2008 and a 143-race winless streak in 2012 while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

LIVE COVERAGE
This weekend’s race will be televised on FS1, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Friday’s first practices for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be live streamed on NASCAR.com. The second practice for both series will be live on FS2.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series qualifying on Friday at 5:35 p.m. will be streamed live on NASCAR.com. Friday’s Gander Truck Series race (9 p.m.) will be on FS1.

Saturday’s and Sunday’s race-day schedules will be covered on FS1, with the exception of Xfinity qualifying on FS2. You can also log onto NASCAR.com for coverage, including in-car cameras on Drive and in-car audio on RaceView.

Be sure to follow your Fantasy Live team and make your garage decision by the end of Stage 2 when rosters are final.

2018 RACE WINNER
Clint Bowyer brought home the checkered flag at last year’s race, finishing ahead of his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick. Bowyer led only eight laps en route to his first victory at the Michigan track.

ACTIVE MICHIGAN WINNERS
Kurt Busch (three), Kyle Larson (three), Denny Hamlin (two), Kevin Harvick (two), Joey Logano (two), Ryan Newman (two), Clint Bowyer (one), Kyle Busch (one) and Jimmie Johnson (one).

Posted on by RJ Kraft

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it’s been the Big 3 of Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell and Cole Custer garnering most of the headlines. The trio has combined for eight wins, and as the Xfinity season nears its halfway point these drivers are popular picks to return to Homestead-Miami Speedway in November as three-fourths of the Championship 4.

But what about that fourth spot? Is there a driver emerging to grab hold of that? Enter Chase Briscoe, the driver of the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

RELATED: Updated series standings | Custer wins at Pocono

“We’ve had really good finishes and we’re up there in points,” Briscoe said after finishing third at Pocono. “We still need a little bit more speed. I feel like the top three has made themselves known and the fourth spot is open. I feel like we’re close to getting there. We just need a little bit more speed. I feel like once we get there, we can be right there with them.”

Briscoe sits sixth in points behind Reddick, Bell, Custer, Austin Cindric and Justin Allgaier, but the SHR driver has been surging. He has notched six top-five finishes in his past eight races and his six top fives are fourth-best among series regulars. The Pocono result was a season-best for the Indiana native.

The 23-year-old already has an Xfinity win to his name from last year’s race at the Charlotte Roval. The race at Pocono Raceway had the potential to bring another trophy to his case as he started on the front row of the final restart on Lap 102 with his teammate, Custer, before settling into third as he battled a tight race car.

Briscoe’s results haven’t gone unnoticed by the competition.

“We have had fast cars all year,” Custer said of the SHR Xfinity program. “The 98 (of Briscoe) is getting better and better. Hopefully we just keep going in the same direction.”

Briscoe has yet to make an Xfinity Series start at Michigan as he ran a partial schedule between two cars in 2018. The series rookie is just looking for a little more to make the difference.

“We’ve obviously had speed — we’ve been running top fives and top threes a lot,” Briscoe said. “We just haven’t quite figured out that last couple tenths that we need to pick up the win. Hopefully, we can find that here soon as we go to Michigan, Ford’s backyard and get a win.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR.com will live stream first practices for both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, and Gander Outdoors Truck Series qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday. All the events will be live-streamed on NASCAR.com/live on Friday.

The Xfinity Series will get things started at 1:05 p.m. ET with the series’ opening practice from Michigan. Monster Energy Series first practice will immediately follow at 2:05 p.m. ET. Bookmark NASCAR.com/live and don’t miss any of the action.

RELATED: Full Michigan and Texas schedule

Then, in the evening, action shifts to Texas Motor Speedway and Gander Outdoors Truck Series qualifying at 5:35 p.m. ET.

Commentary from MRN will be available on the live stream.

To recap, here is the full schedule of on-track activity being streamed on NASCAR.com:

— 1:05 p.m. ET, NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice
— 2:05 p.m., ET: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Practice
— 5:35 p.m., ET: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Qualifying

The Gander Outdoors Truck Series’ SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas will be broadcast on FS1 on Friday starting at 9 p.m. ET.

Coverage shifts back to Michigan on Saturday with the Xfinity Series’ LTi Printing 250 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

The Monster Energy Series’ FireKeepers Casino 400 will be broadcast on FS1 Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

Posted on by Staff Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 4, 2019) — Growth Energy, the nation’s largest association of ethanol producers and supporters, recently celebrated final action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allowing American drivers to fuel up with E15, a fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol, all year-round. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said the final rule will benefit drivers by giving them access to a fuel that’s a smart choice for their engines, kinder for the earth, and provides savings each trip to the pump.

“NASCAR drivers have put Sunoco Green E15, a fuel blend made with 15 percent American Ethanol, to the ultimate test for millions of miles of hard-fought competition,” said Emily Skor, Growth Energy CEO. “Off the race track, any consumer with a modern vehicle model year 2001 or newer can enjoy the benefits of E15 which is more affordable, higher-octane fuel. We’re proud that NASCAR helps set the trends in the automotive industry and has embraced Sunoco Green E15 for so many years. We’re extremely excited that now consumers will have access to E15 year-round which is a win for drivers everywhere.”

For nearly a decade, Growth Energy has worked with the NASCAR industry to create the perfect fuel blend, Sunoco Green E15, that boosts horsepower while reducing emissions in the sport.

“NASCAR has used Sunoco Green E15 made with 15 percent American Ethanol to help push our cars to Victory Lane,” said Brandon Igdalsky, Managing Director of Event Marketing and NASCAR Green. “Sunoco Green E15 has given NASCAR teams the performance and power they need to compete while also helping the sport become more sustainable.”

Since 2011, Growth Energy has worked with top fuel retailers to expand options for American motorists. Today, E15 is sold at more than 1,800 locations in 31 states, with many more expected in the months and years ahead.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR penalized the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing team in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on Tuesday for having one lug nut not safe and secure following Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway.

RELATED: Full race results

Crew chief Billy Scott was fined $10,000.

Daniel Suarez drove the No. 41 Ford to an eighth-place finish, his fifth top-10 of the season and first since April. Suarez currently is 13th in the series standings.

Posted on by Team Release

STATESVILLE, N.C. – NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series winner Ross Chastain will officially declare for Gander Outdoors points for the remainder of the 2019 season, he announced Tuesday.

“After much consideration and many conversations, I’ve decided to pursue championship points in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, effective immediately,” Chastain said.

“This shift will allow me to be in the truck race this weekend in Texas, and I’m grateful to everyone at Niece Motorsports for giving me this opportunity.”

Chastain, who at the beginning of the season declared for NASCAR Xfinity Series points, will have to win a race and be in the top-20 in Gander Outdoors drivers points for a chance to compete in the series playoffs.

“I’m thankful to everyone at Johnny Davis Motorsports and Kaulig Racing for their efforts this year,” said Chastain.  “I will continue to run races for each organization where sponsorship for 2019 has been solidified.

“I know this is the best decision for me at this time and am thankful for everyone who has and will continue to support me moving forward into 2019 and beyond.”

Chastain earned his first Gander Outdoors win earlier this season at Kansas Speedway; it was also the first win for Niece Motorsports in just its third full-time season of competition.

MORE: Chastain captures first Truck Series win

“I know it won’t be easy, but I believe this team is capable of making the playoffs and competing for a championship with Ross,” team owner Al Niece said. “Ross, Phil, Cody and every single employee at this team have worked incredibly hard to continue to advance this program. We are proud to bring trucks capable of winning to the race track. It takes a lot of work to get there, and we don’t take it lightly. We’re ready to see what the next eight races bring.”

Chastain will pilot the No. 38 Chevrolet Silverado at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 7.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR designated Amazon Web Services (AWS) — the world’s leading cloud platform — as NASCAR’s preferred cloud computing, cloud machine learning and cloud artificial intelligence provider.

So, what does that mean exactly?

NASCAR will migrate more than 70 years of archival footage to the AWS cloud. Footage of every historical moment, photo-finish, classic pass, breathtaking wreck and championship-clinching race will live in the AWS cloud.

“NASCAR is utilizing the breadth and depth of our cloud services to enhance the way people experience the sport and deliver even more impactful content to fans,” said Mike Clayville, Vice President, Worldwide Commercial Sales at AWS.

AWS is reviving NASCAR’s 70 years’ worth of archived footage and will introduce a digital video franchise on NASCAR.com titled This Moment in NASCAR History powered by AWS. Each week, AWS and NASCAR.com will deliver an iconic moment from the upcoming track’s illustrious past for fans to relive and experience. “This Moment in NASCAR History” debuts this week and will feature Ernie Irvan’s 1997 emotional “comeback” win at Michigan International Speedway.

“We are pleased to welcome AWS to the NASCAR family,” said Jon Tuck, NASCAR Chief Revenue Officer. “This relationship underscores our commitment to accelerate innovation and the adoption of cutting-edge technology across our sport. NASCAR continues to be a powerful marketing vehicle and will position AWS’s cutting-edge cloud technology in front of industry stakeholders, corporate sponsors, broadcast partners and ultimately our fans.”

NASCAR’s commitment to innovation goes beyond the competition on the track. NASCAR continues to bring fans a more immersive and visceral experience at the track and at home. This new relationship is an extension of that commitment to enhance the fan experience while delivering value to the industry.

“AWS’s cutting-edge cloud technology will archive all of the defining moments in our sport’s deep-rooted history and will provide fans access to those unforgettable memories throughout the year,” said Craig Neeb, Executive Vice President of Innovation and Development, NASCAR. “Speed and efficiency are key in racing and business which is why we chose AWS — the cloud with unmatched performance, the most comprehensive set of services, and the fastest pace of innovation — to accelerate our migration to the cloud.”

NASCAR will leverage Amazon Rekognition — an AWS service that adds intelligent image and video analysis to applications — to automatically tag specific video frames with metadata, such as driver, car, race, lap, time, and sponsors so the industry can easily search those tags to surface the most iconic moments from past races. By using AWS’s services, NASCAR expects to save thousands of hours of manual search time each year, and will be able to easily surface flashbacks like Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s 1987 “Pass in the Grass” or Denny Hamlin’s 2016 Daytona 500 photo finish, and quickly deliver these to fans via video clips on NASCAR.com and social media channels.

The NASCAR audience is highly engaged, so leveraging AWS to power the new video series is an invaluable way to give NASCAR fans a look at its rich history while offering a sneak peek at what is to come through this new collaboration.

Posted on by Staff Report

Hackettstown, N.J. (June 4, 2019) – Today, M&M’S® unveiled the M&M’S® Glampground, a first-of-its-kind, all-inclusive glamping experience that will provide race fans at Kentucky Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway with an unforgettable weekend. The M&M’S® Glampground will deliver on the colorful fun M&M’S® is known for, combined with the unforgettable experiences and access that only the “Official Chocolate of NASCAR®” can provide.

Beginning today, fans searching for the ultimate way to experience the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Kentucky Speedway can reserve their spots in the M&M’S® Glampground by visiting https://www.kentuckyspeedway.com/MMSGlampground/. Located in the infield, the M&M’S® Glampground will provide a turnkey, VIP option for race fans looking to experience the race like never before. From glamping tents to garage tours, the M&M’S® Glampground will be a weekend filled with five-star amenities allowing new and seasoned race fans to experience NASCAR in an entirely different way.

Of course, an M&M’S® party is not complete without an appearance from NASCAR’s “Candy Man” Kyle Busch, the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion and driver of the No. 18 M&M’S® Toyota. Busch will visit the M&M’S® Glampground in Kentucky and Bristol, joined throughout the weekend by wife Samantha. Other NASCAR drivers and personalities will make appearances throughout the race weekend.

“M&M’S® always does so much for the fans, but if I wasn’t racing, I’d probably book myself a spot in the M&M’S®   Glampground,” said Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S® Toyota Camry. “I am so excited to swing by and check this out and meet all of the M&M’S® and NASCAR fans that are going to be attending at both Kentucky and Bristol.”

“We are delighted to unveil the M&M’S®  Glampground, the first ever sponsor-branded luxury camping experience at a NASCAR race that we know all fans of M&M’S®  and NASCAR are going to love,” said Allison Miazga-Bedrick, Brand Director, M&M’S®. “This is going to be a race experience like no other and we look forward to welcoming both returning and new race fans to the Glampground in Kentucky and Bristol. We encourage all fans to get their tickets now, with the experiences we have to offer they aren’t going to hang around for long.”

At Kentucky, the M&M’S® Glampground will be located in a private area in the infield, with each M&M’S® Glamping package for two priced at $500.00, and featuring the following incredible amenities:

  • One 12×14 glamorous camping tent (choice of one queen bed or two singles)
  • Bathrooms with private showers
  • VIP valet service, including a dedicated shuttle for transportation around the track
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner catered by popular local restaurants for Friday and Saturday
  • Activities throughout the weekend, including garage and pit tours, tailgate games, movies and more
  • Events and appearances by M&M’S® Racing team members and other famous racing personalities
  • Wi-fi and charging stations to keep every moment sharable
  • Two Kentucky Speedway Bluegrass Club weekend tickets
  • Two Cold Passes for access to the Kentucky Speedway garage
  • One FanVision and two headsets, allowing you to listen to race and driver communication
  • Unlimited colorful fun that only M&M’S® can provide!

M&M’S® Glamping packages for the Bristol Motor Speedway M&M’S® Glampground will be available later this summer. To find out more information about the M&M’S® Glampground fans can visit the M&M’S®  Racing Facebook page.